Hong Kong: Police respond to media enquiries

Police today reiterated that an earlier search by its National Security Department was conducted with a court warrant.

It made the statement in response to media enquiries about the earlier search and seizure of an exhibit related to an incitement to subversion case under the National Security Law.

Police explained that it is legal, reasonable and rational to collect evidence following the investigation progress in order to take forward the relevant case, like any other case.

Police emphasised that the Government all along carries out its duties and obligations to safeguard national security in accordance with the law, and the handling of this case is no exception.

The Government will continue to handle the exhibit, including the arrangement after the judicial proceedings, in accordance with the law, it added.

This story has been published on: 2023-05-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China launches new cargo mission to space station

Xinhua) 08:18, May 11, 2023

A Long March-7 Y7 rocket carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

WENCHANG, Hainan, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China launched a new cargo mission on Wednesday night to transport supplies to its orbiting Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft, a Long March-7 Y7 rocket lifted off at 9:22 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, the agency said.

After around 10 minutes, Tianzhou-6 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded and began working. The agency declared the launch a complete success.

The cargo vessel will later conduct an automated rendezvous and docking with the station combination in orbit.

The newly launched Tianzhou-6 has improved features compared to the previous Tianzhou craft, with a greater loading volume and a larger carrying capacity.

Wang Ran, chief designer of the Tianzhou series who works with the China Academy of Space Technology, said the effective loading volume increased from 18.1 cubic meters to 22.5 cubic meters, equivalent to a 20 percent expansion. The loading capacity has been improved to 7.4 tonnes, making Tianzhou-6 the world's largest cargo spacecraft in service.

In this mission, Tianzhou-6 is loaded with more than 200 pieces of goods, including daily supplies for taikonauts as well as clothes, food, fruit and water, with a total weight of around 5.8 tonnes.

The cargo craft has also upgraded to reduce the launch demand for cargo craft from twice a year to three times every two years, which will substantially reduce transportation costs.

The Tianzhou-6 mission is the first after China's crewed space station program entered the stage of application and development. The cargo craft is also tasked with sending multiple scientific experiment payloads to the space lab.

Liu Wei, designer of the cargo craft's application system at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said Tianzhou-6 will deliver a total of 98 experiment-related items with a weight of 714 kg, including research samples and supporting equipment. Taikonauts will transport these goods to the station modules after the cargo craft docks at the space station.

As scheduled, 29 scientific experiments and application tests will be carried out in four fields: space life science and biotechnology, fluid physics and combustion science in microgravity, material science in space, and new technology tests for space applications.

Liu said that the Wentian lab module will host studies like the microgravity environment's influence on the differentiation of stem cell lineage, the 3D growth and tissue construction of stem cells, and the molecular evolution of protein and nucleic acid's same origin.

Several tests outside the Wentian and Mengtian lab modules will be conducted for the first time, Liu added.

Tianzhou-6 is also tasked with an experiment satellite project by Dalian University of Technology.

A Long March-7 Y7 rocket carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

A Long March-7 Y7 rocket carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Rescue crews took a 14-year-old Lincoln boy to a local hospital with serious injuries after he was struck by a pickup while riding his bike in southeast Lincoln on Wednesday, according to police.

The boy was riding his bike northwest on Deerwood Drive at around 7:15 a.m. Wednesday when he rode past the stop sign and into the lane of traffic at Elkcrest Drive, Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer said.

A 63-year-old man driving his Chevrolet Silverado southwest on Elkcrest Drive crashed into the boy as he entered the roadway, Vollmer said.

The man told police he didn't see the teen in time to brake, Lincoln Police Investigator Ty Denney said in a crash report detailing the incident.

A woman who had been driving behind the 14-year-old told police that the teen violated the stop sign in the moments before the crash, Denney said in a crash report.

The intersection, which is a block east of 56th Street and a few blocks north of Nebraska Parkway, is controlled only by stop signs on Deerwood Drive. The 63-year-old driver did not have a stop sign.

The woman who witnessed the crash estimated that the 63-year-old man was driving "no more than 25" mph in the moments before the crash, according to the report.

Police haven't issued any citations stemming from the crash, and investigators do not suspect drugs or alcohol played a role in the collision, Vollmer said.

The 14-year-old boy, who was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash Wednesday morning, was hospitalized with what are thought to be serious injuries.

Photos: Firefighters in action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action
Before a Lancaster County judge sent a Texas man to prison Thursday for filming sex with a Lincoln teenager in 2022, a prosecutor chastised the 21-year-old for his "lies, deceit and manipulation" that hung over the case before and after he filmed the girl.

In front of a crowded court gallery Thursday afternoon, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Julie Mruz described an escalating series of lies that took Jose L. Martinez from a then-17-year-old girl's social media inbox to a local motel room last April, where the Laredo man repeatedly filmed sexual acts with the teen.

Mruz said Martinez initially lied about his real name and how old he was when the two began an online relationship and later, after the girl ended things with the 21-year-old, he used fake phone numbers to harass her.

At times, Mruz said, Martinez demanded the girl not shower without FaceTiming him and required her to send nude photos of herself.

He would become enraged, the prosecutor said, if the girl didn't answer his phone calls  even when she was at school or work.

"(The girl) was subject to brainwashing by Mr. Martinez and his manipulation," Mruz said. "She not only consistently was sending him money, but was also convinced by him to self-harm."

Mruz said the girl finally escaped the "nightmare" in April 2022, ending her relationship with Martinez after he'd spent two weeks at a local motel, where he took explicit photos and videos of the girl  adding to a collection of hundreds of nude images he'd compiled of the teen.

But after she ended her relationship with Martinez, he threatened to "expose" the teen by sharing the images online.

Eventually, Martinez followed through, sending a photo of the girl he had taken in the motel to one of the girl's classmates while continuing to send harassing texts to the 17-year-old, Lincoln Police Investigator Ben Pflanz said in the affidavit for Martinez's arrest.

The girl's mother reported the incident to police, prompting a monthslong investigation by the Police Department's Special Victims Unit that yielded felony criminal charges against Martinez in August 2022.

But even after Martinez was arrested in Iowa that month and charged in Lancaster County with generation of child pornography, Mruz said Martinez has continued to reach out to the girl.

"It is crystal clear to the state ... that he still has zero remorse for his actions, despite his words in court today," Mruz said. "His behavior has affected (the girl) and her family. And he just simply doesn't care."

Martinez pleaded guilty in March to attempted generation of child pornography as part of a plea deal.

Martinez's attorney, Darik Von Loh, said little at the 21-year-old's sentencing hearing Thursday, instead pointing to a letter he penned to Judge John A. Colborn in defense of his client.

"I just would ask that Mr. Martinez be given a lenient sentence," Von Loh said. "I believe that the circumstances surrounding this case do not warrant any kind of lengthy jail sentence, judge."

Martinez, too, was brief when given a chance to speak at the hearing.

"I apologize to the victim and her mother," he said, "and everything else is in the letter, your honor."

In her comments, Mruz indicated that Martinez had asked for a five-year prison term in his letter to the court. The prosecutor asked for a "lengthy" sentence and a no-contact order preventing Martinez from communicating further with the teen.

Colborn ultimately sided with the state, sentencing Martinez to 20 to 30 years in prison  an order that drew muted celebration and some tears from supporters of the victim in the courtroom.

Martinez, who was given credit for 233 days served, will be eligible for parole in 2032.

Four years ago: Photos, videos from catastrophic flooding in Nebraska Flooding in Nickerson, 3.13 Flooding in Wahoo, 3.13 Flooding in Nickerson, 3.13 Flooding in Ashland Area, 3.14 Flooding in Ashland Area, 3.14 Flooding, Ashland Flooding, Hooper Flooding, 3.14 Flooding, 3.14 Flooding, 3.14 Flooding, 3.14 Fremont flooding Rescued in boat Spencer Dam Highway flooding Genoa bridge Stranded cattle Flooding, 3.15 Flooding, 3.15 Tuxedo Park in Crete Platte River flooding at I-80 Flooding near Plattsmouth, 3.16 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Rescuing calf in Fullerton Nebraska City flooding Cooper plant Water flowing over levee L575 across the river from Nebraska City in Percival, Iowa Steinhart Grain Terminal at Nebraska City By the numbers
A military veteran who also worked for a private military contractor in the Middle East announced hes running for the Lancaster County Board.

David Russell, a Republican who lives just outside of Lincoln, is running for the District 4 seat, which includes the eastern part of Lincoln and Lancaster County.

As a military veteran and leader for many years in the public and private sector, I understand the importance of service and the need for leaders who put the needs of their constituents first, Russell said. I believe that I can bring a fresh perspective and a commitment to service to the Lancaster County Board.

Russell grew up in different locations around the world because his father was in the U.S. Air Force. His dad, he said, emigrated from Australia and served in the military for 23 years, which taught Russell the importance of service and sacrifice from a young age.

Russell enlisted in the Air Force after high school and served several tours in the Middle East. He was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue when his service ended.

He attended Creighton University and graduated from Bellevue University with a bachelors degree in management information systems.

After his military service was done, he worked for a private military contractor in the Middle East. Today, he is director of digital solutions for Nebraska Municipal Power Pool.

He said in an interview that he decided to run because he feels as though the board has not provided its citizens with a voice.

I believe that we need more leaders who are committed to serving their constituents and putting the needs of the community first, he said in announcing his candidacy. I am excited about this opportunity to serve the people of Lancaster County, and I hope to earn their trust and support in the coming months.

Russell said he would prioritize strategic budgeting, economic development and education as a county commissioner. He said he plans to host a series of town hall meetings and meet-and-greets with constituents to discuss these topics and gather feedback on them.

He and his wife, Denette, have three children and one grandchild.

Roma Amundson is serving her third term as the District 4 commissioner.

The election for the District 4 seat will be in the spring of 2024.

Top Journal Star photos for May 2023
Barricades have been diverting traffic from West A Street since January as the city works to improve the street from Southwest Fifth Street to the western city limits.

The construction project, which will upgrade the city sewer in the area and includes roundabouts and repaving on A Street, is projected to end in late 2024. The road is currently closed from Southwest 23rd Street to Southwest 40th Street, forcing cars to enter residential neighborhoods.

For Roberta Nichols and her neighbors on West Washington Street, which runs alongside A Street, this has led to unwanted traffic and noise in what was once a peaceful neighborhood.

"This is horrible," Nichols said. "It's everyday, 24/7."

Nichols lives with her best friend, Patricia Joyce, at Southwest 23rd and West Washington streets. Nichols works at ITC Federal as a contractor on the second shift, which ends at midnight.

She said she gets awakened by loud cars and motorcycles several times each night, which has affected her health and her work.

"I can barely concentrate at work because of the sleep I'm getting," Nichols said.

Nichols has a doorbell equipped with a camera that records video clips any time there is motion detected in front of her house. She said that it records thousands of clips a week, some clips having multiple cars shown passing the house.

"I'm getting now to where this is becoming a health issue for me," Nichols said.

A speed monitor was placed up the street from Nichols' house but went dark after just six days, she said.

Neighbors also reported that the added traffic has led to property damage. Scott Peters, who lives across the street from Nichols, used to park his Pontiac Bonneville in the street. A month ago, someone cutting through the neighborhood sideswiped it, causing $4,000 in damage.

"Motorcycles and trucks come screaming through here at night, we can't even park on the street anymore," Peters said.

Peters said that people are scared to risk getting their cars hit, even though parking in the street would slow down traffic.

Mailboxes in the neighborhood have also been hit by drivers. Nichols' mailbox is now held together with duct tape, and some neighbors simply haven't put theirs back up.

Liz Elliott, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities director, said that traffic detours are an inconvenient but necessary part of construction projects like this.

"Increased traffic in neighborhoods are a part of a normal construction process  we see that with all of our projects, unfortunately," Elliott said.

The West A Street project, which is divided into two phases, is the largest street construction project the city has ever done, according to Elliott. The first phase included wastewater pipes, public transportation amenities and improvements on the street itself. The second phase is more pipes and repaving of the street west of 23rd Street.

Elliott said that the second phase of the project has been delayed approximately six months due to supply chain issues, but she said that two project crews are working on the project to make up for lost time.

"We want this done as quickly as possible," Elliott said. "We know this has been a frustrating and painful experience for everyone, in that neighborhood especially."

She said that a detour route was released before the project began, with a goal of bringing traffic to arterial streets like South Street, instead of Washington.

Nichols and Peters both said that wasn't enough. They want their segment of West Washington closed for through traffic.

"I was talking to the director of the construction project, (and) I tried to get them to reroute traffic down to South Street," Peters said.

Southwest 27th and A streets is one of the intersections that remains open for traffic to cross A Street. LTU conducted a traffic count at Southwest 27th and West Washington streets, which Elliott said did not find an increase in traffic large enough to justify closing the west end of Washington Street to through traffic.

"The traffic count showed an increase in traffic," Elliott said. "It's hard to say what the precise increase is, however, because we did not do a traffic count before the project."

The traffic count showed that the highest volume of traffic occurred from 3-5 p.m., which lines up with rush hour.

As for any property damage caused by the increased traffic, Elliott said that Lincoln Police will respond to all calls, and that reports can be beneficial to both the property owners and the city.

"We encourage people to file a report with the Police Department," Elliott said. "That not only helps them  hopefully we can find who did it  but it also helps us to track those problems."

Anyone reporting property damage or other issues can also use the UPLNK mobile app to report any nonemergency issues. The app also allows users to upload a photo of what they are reporting.

"I understand their frustration, and we appreciate the entire neighborhood's patience with this," Elliott said.

She said LTU also posts on a Facebook page for the neighborhood with updates, and holds a minimum of two town halls per year for residents to ask questions and report their concerns.

"I am confident that when this is all done, this will be a significant positive improvement for that neighborhood," Elliott said. "It's a neighborhood that hasn't seen improvements in a long time, so this is definitely needed."

If residents have questions or concerns about any ongoing construction project in Lincoln, visit UPLNK.lincoln.ne.gov or call 402-441-7548.

Top Journal Star photos for May 2023
An 86-year-old Cairo woman died after her house in rural Hall County caught fire Tuesday afternoon, according to Nebraska's fire marshal.

Firefighters pronounced Shirley Alber dead at the scene after they found her in her smoke-engulfed home at 8788 140th Road in rural Cairo shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday, the State Fire Marshal Agency said in a news release.

Alber died as a result of the fire, which investigators determined was accidental and electrical in nature, according to the news release.

Crews from seven different agencies  including the Cairo Fire Department, Wood River Fire Department, Dannebrog Fire Department and Boelus Fire Department  responded to the scene Tuesday.

Photos: Firefighters in action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action Photos: Firefighters in Action
When Sen. George Dungan came to the Legislature in January, he jumped right in, making his voice heard during floor debate from the beginning.

While most other freshman senators tended to be silent or seldom heard in the early weeks of this legislative session, the District 26 senator from northeast Lincoln was fully engaged.

Another of Lincoln's four freshman senators, Sen. Jane Raybould, subsequently became an active participant in floor debate.

Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln is also a newcomer this year, but she previously served in the Legislature for eight years and immediately jumped into floor debate on the opening day.

In a uniquely small, one-house Legislature with only 49 members, "Everyone has a say, every senator has a very loud voice," Dungan says, "and I realize my voice matters."

But there may be an extra challenge this year in a nonpartisan Legislature that has divided into sharply partisan camps over hot-button issues like abortion and gender-affirming medical care for minors, the latter of which (LB574) triggered a session-long filibuster that has disrupted legislative relationships.

"It's been a very tense time," Dungan said. "It has heightened tension and created a lot of division.

"I've tried to maintain relationships along with challenges over legislation that I may disagree with. Relationships matter."

Dungan remains cautiously hopeful that his bill (LB14) to expand eligibility for former state wards to qualify for state assistance in transitioning to adulthood and independence might be acted upon during this disrupted legislative session before it adjourns next month.

The bill has cleared the Judiciary Committee and been advanced to the floor.

Dungan is an attorney and former deputy public defender who is familiar with the challenges that those young Nebraskans face.

On a broader scale, the 34-year-old senator would like to see the Legislature tackle criminal justice reform as it prepares to give the green light to construction of a new $350 million state prison.

As a public defender for almost a decade, Dungan said, he recognizes "the need to address the issues of mental health and substance abuse" as part of the overall equation.

Sitting on a bench outside the legislative chamber, Dungan acknowledged that he was "disappointed and frustrated" by the pending revival of the abortion issue after a bill to ban abortion at about the sixth week of pregnancy fell one vote short of breaking through a filibuster, removing the issue from the legislative agenda.

"That feels like a major reversal of where we were going," he said, and a "win at all costs" tactic that has soured legislative relationships.

Dungan, a Democrat, said he will remain determined to continue to reach across the political aisle in an effort to restore collegial conversation and debate.

Republican Gov. Jim Plllen has set an example in "his willingness to engage" with senators despite partisan political affiliation, Dungan said.

"We've spent more time together than I could have expected."

"Our job is to do as much good as possible for as many people as possible," Dungan said.

That's a political philosophy that attracts him to the legacy of Sen. Robert Kennedy, he said.

Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles in 1968, two decades before Dungan was born in Lincoln.

"He was consistently committed to helping the poor," Dungan said. "I have always appreciated his passion and compassion."

Photos: The business of governing in Nebraska in 2023
OMAHA  The nearly 350 bats released earlier this week at Joslyn Castle by Nebraska Wildlife Rehab will return to their home colonies all over the city.

Some nearby homeowners questioned releasing that many bats in an older neighborhood where they are already a cause for concern.

Studies show that bats do not go to random structures. When they are released, they return to their home colony or roost, said Laura Stastny, executive director of Nebraska Wildlife Rehab. The bat release is not going to cause bats to start a new roost in the neighborhood.

Stastny said bats that come from the country are released there. Bats found in the city are released in that same area.

Joslyn Castle is a good choice because the majority of the bats that were let go were from eastern Omaha, Stastny said. Its a better locale than a wooded area nearby such as Fontenelle Forest or out in the western edges of the city, because the bats would return home anyhow.

The previous 14 years of releases were done mainly at Joslyn Art Museum, but that is closed while under renovation. A large crowd estimated at 3,000 was on-hand at the castle for Mondays occasion.

Releasing them in a centralized location like the castle allows them the shortest travel home while still allowing us to release them in one place, Stastny said.

Some neighbors were also concerned that the bats could have rabies.

Stastny said bats cant be tested for the disease without killing them.

However, we do not release any animal showing signs of illness or injury, she said.

Stastny said an event such as the one at Joslyn Castle is a good way to learn more about bats and their benefits.

Bats play an essential role in pest control, pollinating plants and dispersing seeds, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Recent studies estimate that bats eat enough pests to save more than $1 billion per year in crop damage and pesticide costs in the United States corn industry alone. Across all agricultural production, consumption of insect pests by bats results in a savings of more than $3 billion per year.

NWR follows all state and local guidelines for rehabilitation and release. Stastny said homeowners can call NWR with questions at 402-234-2473. Anyone with a concern can also contact the mayors hotline at 402-444-5555.

We believe that sharing wildlife education and giving people a chance to understand bats is beneficial to the community and to the bats, Stastny said.

Nebraska wildlife takes center stage in amazing photographs Bighorn sheep Elk Great blue heron Tom turkeys Canada geese White-tailed buck Bald Eagle Bison Pronghorn Sharp-tailed grouse Northern river otter Sandhill cranes Mule deer Blue-winged teal American avocet Bull elk Snapping turtle Bluegill Bighorn sheep Jackrabbit White-tailed deer Bison American bullfrog Goslings Northern prairie lizard Greater prairie chicken Ring-neck pheasant rooster Trumpeter swans Blanding's turtle Elk
OMAHA  Omaha City Council members approved a nearly $2.9 million contract with a company Tuesday to plan a new downtown police and fire headquarters.

The agreement calls for the Leo A Daly firm of Omaha to provide architectural services, engineering and master planning for the new facility. Its the first of several steps needed to move the proposed project forward.

Omaha voters still will have to approve a bond issue that would take the project through formal design development and bids for construction, said Mike Oestmann with the Public Works Department. Oestmann shared a project timeline with council members Tuesday.

The building that currently houses the Omaha Police Departments central headquarters sits near 15th and Howard streets, just west of the Old Market. The Omaha Fire Departments headquarters building is about a block away.

The general scope of this project is dealing with the police and fire headquarters, Oestmann said. We will also incorporate a downtown police precinct possibly as part of this project and a fire station.

In August, the city plans to look at potential building sites.

Conceptual designs for the facility could be developed this fall, and completed designs could be rolled out to the public in April 2024, which would mark the end of the projects phase one.

The project team intends to visit multiple police and fire headquarters throughout the country to help determine the facilitys design, Oestmann said.

In May 2024, a final price tag for the project would go to the public for a bond issue vote. If approved, Leo A Daly in June of 2024 will provide the second phase of the companys proposal for construction documents and building.

If all goes as planned, the new headquarters could open in the summer of 2027.

A joint police and fire headquarters has been discussed for many years in downtown Omaha, City Council President Pete Festersen said before the vote.

If this is approved, its just the first step to assess the options and assess locations.

Top Journal Star photos for May 2023
The Legislature is about to go all in on the proposed Perkins County Canal, spending $125 million in state funds to build a canal that would divert more water from the South Platte River than is permitted under the 1923 compact with Colorado.

The agreement allows Nebraska to divert 500 cubic feet per second from the South Platte during the non-irrigation season But the $574 million funding for the project envisions a canal that would be able to divert 1,000 cfs of water from the river.

The argument in favor of the larger canal, proposed by Gov. Jim Pillen, in his budget was put forth this way by Appropriations Committee Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood:

In years when there is extra water coming down, lets grab it and store it in winter time so its available for irrigation, arguing that the additional 28% in planning and construction costs would secure 100% more capacity to divert and capture the water.

This is a mistake, countered Omaha Sen. John Cavanaugh, who led the unsuccessful effort to cut the $125 million from the budget and build a smaller canal, arguing that the larger canal would invite an expensive lawsuit with Colorado that he believed Nebraska would lose.

The larger canal, Cavanaugh said, would capture water during high-water events that happen only once every seven years. And that water would flow down the South Platte anyway.

In fact, the benefits of the canal, large or small, have not been clearly explained

From the data we have, it might break even. Maybe, University of Nebraska-Lincoln law professor and water law specialist Anthony Schutz wrote on Twitter last week. Probably not, on my pessimistic days. But even on the best numbers..it loses when you get realistic about volume, complexity, delay and time value of money.

Contrary to the assertions of the projects supporters, the benefits of the canal would accrue primarily to irrigators in southwest Nebraska, not the entire state. Specifically, the flows on the Platte River would not be increased enough to have an effect on the water supplies for Lincoln and Omaha.

And, Schutz and other project skeptics say, the costs are almost certain to go well beyond $600 million.

Those arguments, however, could be moot  and the canal never built  for a pair of simple reasons.

First, according to Colorados Lower South Platte Conservancy District, Nebraskas right to South Platte river flows, while in the compact, is junior (or behind) a reservoir in Colorado, which could store much of the anticipated water.

And Colorados front-range, including Denver, is certain to continue to grow and increase its water consumption from the South Platte and other sources, further reducing the amount of water available for the canal, regardless of the compact.

None of those arguments, however, deterred the Legislature from approving the funding for the larger canal, about which one thing is certain. It will be decades before the Perkins County Canal is operational. If it is built at all.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed two militant commanders Thursday, while a 70-year-old man was killed by Palestinian rocket fire in the first fatality inside Israel amid the current wave of fighting. The continuing bloodshed, which has left 30 Palestinians dead, came despite Egyptian efforts to broker a cease-fire.

It has been the worst bout of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza in months, with at least 10 civilians  mostly women and children  among the dead. The conflagration, now in its fourth day, comes at a time of soaring tensions and spiking violence over the past year in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian militants launched unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel throughout the day. One rocket struck an apartment block in the central Israeli city of Rehovot, killing a 70-year-old man, the MADA rescue service said. It said four others were moderately wounded.

Earlier Thursday, Israeli military pressed ahead with its strikes against the Islamic Jihad militant group and said a senior commander in charge of the groups rocket launching force, Ali Ghali, was killed when his apartment was hit.

Later in the day, Israel said it killed another Islamic Jihad commander who was meant to replace Ghali in southern Gaza. Islamic Jihad confirmed the man, Ahmed Abu Daqqa, was one of its commanders.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said at total of 30 people had have been killed since the fighting erupted. An Associated Press tally showed that among the dead were 14 militants, including at least five Islamic Jihad commanders; 10 civilians; and six others, including four who Israel says were killed in failed rocket launches, whose affiliation remained uncertain.

Late Thursday, the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights said its preliminary investigations indicated that three Palestinians, including two children aged 8 and 16, died when homemade rockets had fallen short inside Gaza in three incidents. It said 26 other people were wounded in these cases.

Military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told Israeli Army Radio that two other militants were also killed in the early morning strike, although no group immediately claimed them as members, and that the rest of the building remained intact.

The apartment was targeted in a very precise way, Hagari said. I hope this leads to a reduction, a blow and a disruption of the Islamic Jihad rocket abilities.

The strikes targeted the top floor of a building in a residential, Qatari-built complex in southern Gaza Strip. The pre-dawn airstrike in the city of Khan Younis caused damage to three surrounding buildings. The complex, known as Hamad City, consists of several tall buildings and thousands of housing units. The strike created panic among residents, with falling debris and shattered glass littering the streets.

My children started crying. I did not see anything because of the dust, broken glasses, and debris, said Abdullah Hemaid, who lives across from the targeted building.

Islamic Jihad said Ghali was a commander in charge of its rocket squad and a member of its armed groups decision-making body. The group has said it will only cease fire if Israel agrees to halt targeted killings of its fighters.

The current round of fighting erupted overnight Tuesday when Israel killed three senior Islamic Jihad commanders in near-simultaneous airstrikes.

On Wednesday, a state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt, a frequent mediator between the sides, had brokered a cease-fire. But with the violence continuing late Thursday, there was still no breakthrough.

The Israeli military says that in its strikes on some 150 targets, it has zeroed in on militants with what it says are precision strikes. But children, among them a 4-year-old, were also killed.

Hagari, the military spokesman, told Army Radio that a quarter of the rockets launched have fallen in Gaza, killing at least four, including a 10-year-old girl, two 16-year-olds and a 51-year-old man. That claim could not immediately be independently confirmed.

Efforts to mediate a cease-fire were still underway Thursday with top Islamic Jihad political bureau member Mohamad al-Hindi arriving to Cairo to discuss details. A delegation of Egyptian mediators also was traveling to Israel, according to Israeli press reports.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that despite our strenuous efforts, these efforts still have not yielded the desired fruits and results.

Israeli officials declined to comment.

The initial Israeli airstrikes set off a burst of rocket fire on Wednesday that triggered air-raid sirens throughout southern and central Israel.

The military said more than 500 rockets have been fired toward Israel. It said most were intercepted by Israels missile defense system or fell in open areas.

Damage was reported when rockets slammed into buildings that were empty because residents had fled the area. Three buildings in the southern town of Sderot were struck Thursday, officials said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israel says the airstrikes are a response to a barrage of rocket fire launched last week by Islamic Jihad in response to the death of one of its West Bank members from a hunger strike while in Israeli custody.

Israel has come under international criticism for the high civilian toll. In past conflicts, rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes due to high civilian deaths. Israel says it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties and holds militant groups responsible because they operate in heavily populated residential areas. It also says militants fire rockets indiscriminately at Israeli communities.

Hagari said Israel does its best to avoid harming civilians and that under international norms, there was a proportionate ratio of combatants to noncombatants among the dead in Gaza.

In signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel has avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the smaller and more militant Islamic Jihad. Hamas, which has much more to lose than Islamic Jihad, also has remained on the sidelines.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars and numerous smaller engagements since the Islamic militant group took control of Gaza in 2007.

The army said that schools would remain closed and restrictions on large gatherings would remain in place in southern Israel until at least Friday. Residents were instructed to stay near bomb shelters.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, where Israeli-Palestinian violence has surged over the past year, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a 30-year-old man died after he was shot by Israeli troops in a raid on Wednesday, and that a 66-year-old Palestinian man died after he was shot during a gun battle between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in a refugee camp near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem on Thursday.

The Israeli army said it has arrested 25 suspected Islamic Jihad members in West Bank raids in recent days.
Work on a major multi-year development plan that would fundamentally reshape Downtown Kenosha could begin this year.

The comprehensive plan unveiled this week covers nine blocks of Downtown bordered by Sheridan Road on the west, 52nd Street on the north, 56th Street on the south and Lake Michigan on the east Its a partnership with Cobalt Partners, LLC of Milwaukee and C. D. Smith, a general contractor and development firm based in Fond du Lac.

Mayor John Antaramian said the plan is the result of collaborative efforts by the city and a development team to craft a mixed-use district taking advantage of the lakefront, existing attractions and amenities, as well as multi-modal transit access including Metra train service from Chicago.

The city has been planning for the next generation of Downtown development for a number of years, Antaramian said a statement Wednesday when the effort was first announced. The development team brings a fresh perspective to Kenosha, backed by significant experience in public/private partnerships throughout Wisconsin and in other states.

The plan calls for over 1,000 living units in several mid-rise buildings and one larger tower, along with condominiums on the eastern most block to complement the existing Harbor Park district. A central park and laneway would connect residential buildings with a market hall, food kiosk and retail space, according to a city release. Plans also call for a full-service hotel on Sheridan Road along with two office buildings.

Ample green space, green roofs and use of solar panels are just some of the sustainable features planned in the development, according to city documents.

The developers will work with the city to develop a new municipal office building, freeing up the current city hall site for a residential tower and mixed-use development.

The city is also in discussions with veterans organizations to create a new Veterans Memorial Park and expand the current park on the site.

Weve been impressed with the strong economic growth in Kenosha for many years, said Scott Yauck, president of Cobalt Partners, in a statement. Kenoshas lakefront is beautiful, and the Downtown has many attractions, restaurants and shopping. We are confident in the market for high quality multi-family with fantastic views and within walking distance to all the downtown and lakefront have to offer.

Mike Krolczyk, senior vice president of C. D. Smith, expressed similar sentiments.

We have worked on large scale public/private partnerships in the Milwaukee, La Crosse, Madison, and Appleton communities. We see significant potential in Kenosha for the Downtown to really blossom, Krolczyk said in a statement.

The City Plan Commission was set begin considering the plan on Thursday evening, and the City Councils Public Works and Finance committees will review the development agreement prior to full City Council consideration on May 15.

The plan utilizes the existing Tax Increment District No. 27 to assist in funding needed public improvements, parking and the central park space, city officials indicated.

Construction could start in the fall, and the development is anticipated to be completed in several phases over a decade.

The development is expected to create more than $450 million in value, Antaramian said.

The conceptual master plan and preliminary building designs were developed by SCB Architects  Chicago. SCB designed the 7SEVENTY7 (Van Buren) apartment building in Downtown Milwaukee, as well as the 333 North Water Street apartment tower, currently under construction in Milwaukees Third Ward.

Antaramian expresses excitement

During a Thursday morning interview Thursday morning Antaramian expressed excitement and support for the effort. Antaramian said the project has been in the works for years and believes most alderpersons will support it.

This plan has been coming down for many years. I know that people always like projects to happen quickly but the reality is projects like this just dont happen overnight, Antaramian said. This will be huge. This project we anticipate roughly at the present time building out about $450 million and we believe thats low.

Antaramian said the plan includes a new City Hall, a multi-story hotel, a large corporate office building, apartments, a market, fountains and a park, among other things.

This will add a number of people into the Downtown area, Antaramian said. It does provide commercial office activities but it doesnt take away from the rest of Downtown. ... The amenities that are here are going to be draws to get more people to come Downtown and enjoy it.
RACINE  The Racine County Sheriffs Office is asking for help locating a suspect wanted on multiple charges, including possession of fentanyl with the intent to deliver.

RCSO identified the suspect as Kevin Lynch, a 43-year-old man from Racine.

According to a news release, a group of agents from the Racine County Metro Drug Unit, RCSO investigators and members of the Milwaukee High Intensity Drug Trafficking area group conducted surveillance on a suspicious package Tuesday that was delivered to a Racine address near Carlton Drive and Douglas Avenue.

The release said the package was shipped from Phoenix, Ariz. and that it contained illegal narcotics.

Shortly after it was delivered, investigators said Lynch arrived at the delivery location and took the package from the residences front step. The release said he then got into a newer model of a silver Dodge Durango, an SUV, with Napleton dealer logo plates.

According to the release, a pursuit started when several squad cars activated lights and sirens as Lynch drove northbound on Douglas Avenue.

Lynch allegedly tried to evade officers by making an illegal U-turn, driving through a homes front yard and driving the wrong way on Douglas Avenue. Deputies reportedly witnessed Lynch throw the package out of the window of the SUV.

The release said that due to the suspects extremely reckless driving during the chase, investigators decided to terminate the pursuit.

Metro Drug Unit agents were able to recover the package quickly, according to the release, which was then taken to a RCSO station for processing.

The release said the package contained more than five pounds of suspected fentanyl pills, or 2,280 grams. A total of 20,531 pills were in the package and have an estimated street value of $369,558, according to RCSO.

Lynch faces charges including possession with intent to deliver fentanyl >50 grams, recklessly endangering safety, fleeing and eluding and multiple traffic violations.

He is currently not in custody.

Anyone with information related to where Lynch might be is asked to call Sgt. Heiser with the Metro Drug Unit at 262-886-8192.

Photos: Chicago, other cities say shelters full, budgets hit by immigration uptick
Fave 5: Reporter Kimberly Wethal shares her favorite stories of 2022

In the weeks before I joined the Wisconsin State Journal in September, I was told this: Remember that a higher education institution is like their own city. It has its own character and struggles, defined by the students who learn there and the faculty who teach them.

I have seen this over and over again, and it was particularly clear when I visited UW-Platteville at Richland a week after the University of Wisconsin System ordered degree-fulfilling classes to cease because of low enrollment. During my visit, I found many of the devastated students to be emotionally invested in their campus community  and committed to saving it.

It's why Richland Center grieving the loss of its once-vibrant campus is my top story of 2022.

UW-Madison has its own slate of issues. There, a growing population is pitted against on- and off-campus housing availability. I wrote about the tactics used to clear returning students out of the dorms to make room for freshmen, and the frenzy that ensued as students put their lives on hold to secure housing for next fall.

At Madison Area Technical College, a key issue is how to alleviate barriers their students face just to get into the classroom. Finding adequate child care is one of them  I wrote about the efforts to expand future access at the Goodman South Campus and its four rural campuses.

Much of my beat is hard news, but some of my favorite stories are features of students who make up the character of campus. I wrote about Kirstan Gimse, the student commencement speaker who's achieving her dream of being a scientist that she saw as unattainable.

I'm looking forward to diving deeper into the beat in 2023 and am so grateful for the support of State Journal subscribers that allows me to be one of the few reporters in the state dedicated solely to covering higher education.
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
1. Yes. The state is missing out on millions in revenue that is going to neighboring states.

2. Yes. But only if the revenue is dedicated to education funding or property tax reduction.

3. No. As with the state lottery, casinos would more heavily impact lower-income Texans.

4. No. Texas has resisted the idea for years, and for good reason: its morally irresponsible.

5. Unsure. It definitely has some economic benefits, but it would be controversial.

Vote

View Results
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 77F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
HOLDREGE  Jillian Baileys junior year of high school was one that she will never forget.

In November 2021, Jillian was at home with her dad, Chad, when he began experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Her mom, Janet, was away on a trip, but then Jillian also became ill. Janet returned to their home in Holdrege to care for the pair.

While Janet only experienced cold-like symptoms with the virus, Chad and Jillian had a much harder time battling their symptoms. Jillian vividly remembers Veterans Day of 2021. Its her dads favorite holiday, and the day the family would have to say their final goodbyes to Chad.

On the morning of Nov. 11, 2021, Jillian went downstairs to find her mom trying to wake her dad, but he wasnt responding. Janet attempted to do CPR while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Jillian and Janet followed the ambulance to the hospital and waited, only to find out they would have about an hour with Chad to say goodbye.

Family and friends began arriving to aid and support the family as they began planning for Chads funeral. While they tried to come to grips with the loss of Chad, Jillian continued to battle COVID.

A couple days later I had this pain in my stomach, so we had to go back to the hospital, and thats when I had to fly to Omaha for Childrens Hospital, Jillian said.

It was determined while Jillian was in the hospital that she would need heart surgery for a condition she has had since birth.

Jillian was born with a leaky aortic valve in her heart. Her heart condition was one of the reasons Chad and Janet wanted to adopt her from China. Chad and the Baileys' two older children, Jacob and Jenica, also have heart conditions.

When this little girl from China came up for adoption, we knew all about heart conditions already. Where it might scare some parents, we already had everything lined up. Jillian just fits into our family so perfectly, Janet said.

Jillian had heart surgery shortly after she was adopted. In 2021, she needed to have a new valve placed in her heart. She was able to return home after her hospital stay in November 2021 to celebrate the holidays before having surgery for a new heart valve in late December. She spent three weeks recovering before she was able to return to school part time to finish her junior year at Holdrege High School.

The teachers were great because they know Jillians personality. Shes not a sluffer. Shes a hard, hard worker, and they knew her personality was going to be to push herself, but they didnt want her to push herself too hard and create that extra stress. Because they were so in tune with her normal work ethic. They really made sure that she was taking care of herself as a priority, Janet said.

Jillian credits her family and faith for helping her cope with the loss of her father and her health struggles. Art has also proven to be a positive outlet for Jillian. She has been taking online college courses through CG Spectrum, where she has been learning about digital illustration and concept art from award-winning artists. She will continue taking classes through the online academy after she graduates this month from Holdrege High School. Jillian hopes to illustrate books or work for a large company like Marvel or Disney.

As Jillian and Janet chatted about Jillian's last two years in high school, Janet noted how despite the trauma she has endured, Jillian has used it to understand and offer courage and support to others.

It went down as the hardest year youve had to deal with, and I think it also was the year that you grew the most in your faith and your endurance and your perseverance, and you just really grew into who you are today, Janet said.
KEARNEY  When Chuck Rowling meets with prospective students, he always mentions the Model United Nations program.

The University of Nebraska at Kearney political science professor and department chair brings it up again at the beginning of their first year on campus. He wants to make sure students know all about this experiential learning opportunity.

Students learn a lot when they participate in Model UN. They learn about global issues, how the UN works and the value of diplomacy within the international system. They also become better thinkers, communicators and citizens, Rowling said.

And, he added, they have a lot of fun along the way.

With more than 30 active members, UNK has one of the largest collegiate Model United Nations programs in the U.S. Participating students advance their understanding of international relations and cooperative conflict resolution by addressing real-world issues from the perspective of a specific country. They meet once a week throughout the academic year while preparing for competitions where they discuss and debate topics such as gender equality, climate action and global health, allowing them to experience the challenges of negotiation and develop an appreciation of differing viewpoints.

Model UN aligns with the strategic plan of our university, providing students with the opportunity to learn through experiences outside the classroom. These students are taking their knowledge of international relations and the UN system and applying it in a simulated setting, said Rowling, who teaches a class on the politics and processes of the United Nations every spring.

UNK students competed in Lincoln and Washington, D.C., last fall before heading to New York City last month for the oldest and largest intercollegiate Model UN conference in the world. Representing Japan, they won two prestigious awards at the National Model United Nations event: best position paper and honorable mention delegation.

It was no surprise to me that they came back from the National Model United Nations Conference in New York City with two awards, Rowling said. All year, these students worked extremely hard in preparation for this conference. We have exceptional students here at UNK, and the best part of my job is watching them thrive. Our students are always drawn to rigorous intellectual challenges and their success here underscores our strong commitment to these academic values.

Ella Ferguson, a freshman from Springfield, was among the 21 UNK students who attended the weeklong conference. She called it an amazing experience.

When you go to these conferences, youre not only meeting people from other places, but youre also learning about places all around the world, she said. Youre learning how the United Nations works and how diplomacy works.

The conferences closing ceremony was hosted at the UN Headquarters, where students got to meet Japans delegation. They also had time to attend a Mets game and a Broadway musical, visit the Statue of Liberty and local museums and check out filming locations from popular movies and television shows.

On April 24, they were back on campus for the first-ever Nebraska High School Model United Nations Conference, an event organized by the Department of Political Science and students from the UNK Model UN program. More than 100 high schoolers from across the state participated, giving them a chance to develop the same leadership, communication and critical-thinking skills while broadening their world view.

The value of these types of experiential learning opportunities is impossible to measure, Rowling said.

Ferguson agrees. As a pre-law student, its the perfect preparation for her future career.

But we also have students who are in completely different majors and they still love it, she said. Youre going to learn a lot about the world around you, youre going to have travel opportunities and youre going to make a ton of friends in this organization because everyone is so welcoming.

The following UNK students, listed by hometown, participated in the National Model United Nations Conference in New York City:

Aurora  Clayton Wendt.

Broken Bow  Tanner Butler.

Central City  David Johnson.

Fairbury  Zane Grizzle.

Hyannis  Shelby Haney.

Kearney  Emily Saadi.

Lexington  Kimberly Gomez.

Lexington  Kennia Garcia-Retana.

Loomis  Caitie Wahls.

Maxwell  Ellery Simpson.

McCook  Hannah Goltl.

Riverdale  Ella Waller.

Seward  Jacob Mueller.

Springfield  Ella Ferguson.

Valentine  Rhiannon Painter.

Aurora, Colorado  Simon Clark.

Gimhae, South Korea  Mingyeong Seo.

Kathmandu, Nepal  Aayusha Neupane.

Mahottari, Nepal  Shlok Sah.

Osaka, Japan  Sayo Kajiyama.

Tokyo, Japan  Mizuki Dazai.
BLACK RIVER FALLS  A cash bond of $1 million was ordered for a 49-year-old Black River Falls woman accused of murdering a person in Jackson County and conspiring with five others to hide the corpse. Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Anna Becker made the ruling during a bond hearing Friday in Black River Falls.

Star Myers faces felony charges of first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse, being a felon in possession of a firearm, maintaining a drug trafficking place and possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.

Myers appeared by video from the Taycheedah Correctional Institution in Fond du Lac, where she began a 3-year prison sentence earlier this month after her conviction in Dunn County for methamphetamine distribution.

Becker imposed the $1 million bail at the request of Jackson County District Attorney Emily Hynek.

Hynek told the court that Myers had indicated she was planning not to report to Taycheedah after disposing of the body. She said Myers is a flight risk and has a lengthy and significant criminal history dating back 20 years.

Myers defense attorney Carly Sebion reserved making an argument on bond until her clients next court appearance April 19.

According to prosecutors, Myers contacted the Jackson County Sheriffs Office on March 9 and reported that she had not seen the alleged victim  whose name has not been released to the media  for two days.

The following day, law enforcement received information that led law enforcement to search a town of Manchester residence owned by the victim and Myers. Several people were arrested during the search, including Jeffrey Myers-Woychik, 22, of Black River Falls and Savannah Pellett, 20, of Menomonie. Law enforcement at the scene reportedly identified evidence of drug trafficking, a significant number of firearms and what was later identified as human remains.

Through subsequent interviews and investigation, law enforcement concluded that Myers had killed the victim and attempted to conceal the remains.

Myers-Woychik; Pellett; Milton Haskins, 55, Alma Center; and Gerardo Trevino, 39, Chippewa Falls, have been charged with felonies for allegedly aiding Myers in hiding the corpse.

Trevino appeared in court Friday by video from the Chippewa County Jail. Becker set his bond at $25,000 cash. His next court appearance is April 19.

The four other defendants had hearings Thursday. They are all being held in the Jackson County Jail on cash bails ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.
A 49-year-old Black River Falls woman who called in a missing person case is now being prosecuted for murder.

Jackson County District Attorney Emily Hynek filed first-degree intentional homicide charges against 49-year-old Star Myers of Black River Falls.

Myers also faces felony charges of hiding a corpse, being a felon in possession of a firearm, maintaining a drug trafficking place and possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine. She is one of five people charged in connection to the case.

According to prosecutors, Myers contacted the Jackson County Sheriffs Office on March 9 and reported that she had not seen the alleged victim  whose name has not been been released to the media  for two days.

The following day, law enforcement received information that led to the execution of a search warrant at a town of Manchester residence owned by the victim and Myers. Several people were arrested during the search, including Jeffrey Myers-Woychik, 22, of Black River Falls and Savannah Pellett, 20, of Menomonie. Law enforcement at the scene reportedly identified evidence of drug trafficking, a significant number of firearms and what was later identified as human remains.

Through subsequent interviews and investigation, law enforcement concluded that Myers had killed the victim and attempted to conceal the remains.

Myers-Woychik; Pellett; Milton Haskins, 55, Alma Center; and Gerardo Trevino, 39, Chippewa Falls, are charged with felonies for allegedly aiding Myers in her attempt to conceal the victim's remains.

Myers is being held in the Jackson County Jail. She has a bond hearing set for Friday in Jackson County Circuit Court.
Officials are encouraging veterans with potential brain injuries who may have been misdiagnosed at the Tomah Veterans Administration Medical Center to return for a second exam.

The Veterans Administration issued a press release in the wake of a report from Minneapolis television station KARE that neurology exams conducted by a Tomah VA provider were incomplete or inaccurate. The examinations determine whether a veteran is eligible for compensation through the VA.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said up to 1,000 veterans at the Tomah VA may have been affected.

Were trying to get the word out, Baldwin said. Its unclear how many were misdiagnosed. Getting in touch with them all will be a long process.

KARE identified the provider as Dr. Mary Jo Lanska. The Tomah VA said Thursday in a written statement that Lanska is no longer seeing patients.

Dr. Lanska no longer conducts C&P exams and is not seeing patients at VA currently, the statement said. Our top priority remains the delivery of world-class care and timely access to benefits to the veterans we serve. Plans are in place to ensure that Dr. Lanskas reassignment does not impact or interrupt this mission.

Baldwin said her office was alerted to the issue by veterans and county veterans service officers.

I began hearing from veterans in Wisconsin who had been denied benefits or misdiagnosed by the Tomah VA, Baldwin said. We noticed a pattern right away and have been fighting on behalf of these veterans ever since. My VA casework staff has been in near constant contact with the Tomah VA.

Baldwin said she also brought the issue to the attention of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough. She and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, sent a letter to McDonough in August 2022.

KARE reported the problem dates back a decade and that the VA offered new traumatic brain injury reviews to 25,000 veterans nationwide in 2016.

Any veteran who believes he or she is eligible for a re-examination at the Tomah VA should call 608-372-3971, ext. 64775.
The old proverb says that it takes a village to raise a child.

Today, it takes the whole village, city or town  employers, families and government  to raise a child care center.

Gabby Sorano needed support from all three to open the 35-slot Antigo Child Care Center last year in the city of 8,100 people 80 miles northwest of Green Bay.

Langlade County, where Antigo is located, is a child care desert: an area either without child care or where theres fewer than one slot per three children. Langlade currently has one child care slot for every 4.3 children, the highest ratio in the 10-county North Central Wisconsin region.

Sorano was familiar with the regions shortage after her son lost a spot during the pandemic. So when a child care center closed in Antigo, the former schoolteacher saw an opportunity to fill the gap.

To open, Sorano overcame pretty much every symptom of the early childhood education industrys broken business model: low teacher salaries, space needs and costly building upgrades, regulatory reviews and inspections, and sky-high tuition fees that do not cover all of a centers operating costs.

Combined, she said, the hurdles can deter even the most passionate person from opening a center. Soranos idea needed a lot of community support before she could assure her family, childrens families, and the regions employers that Antigo Child Care Center could survive long-term.

Fortunately, Langlade County was ready. According to Angie Close, executive director of the Langlade County Economic Development Corp., it only needed Sorano.

It definitely took collaboration and the right person. Gabby is the star, Close said. We were blessed to have Gabby come forward and take that leap.

Heres how the Antigo region rallied to support Sorano so she could open Antigo Child Care Center in July 2022.

Antigo, Langlade already viewed child care as a workforce issue

Langlade County learned during the pandemic that a lack of adequate child care cost its economy about $15 million in 2019, Close said. The county formed a child care task force to foster community collaboration and to send the message that child care is a workforce issue.

Child care is such an important part of our talent attraction piece, Close said. Without child care, our workforce challenges will continue to grow.

City agencies, county agencies, state grants and Childcaring Inc., central Wisconsins regional child care resource and referral agency, all provided necessary time, support and funding to help Sorano overcome some early hurdles.

Sorano identified a building on Fifth Avenue, formerly used as a child care center, as a space for her new business. It turned out the building was owned by the Antigo Housing Authority, which agreed to renovate and remodel the space into classroom spaces for 35 children.

We wouldnt have been able to afford that starting out, Sorano said.

Close and other city and county officials would also help Sorano apply for and secure a Main Street Bounceback Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. to help with startup costs. The public also contributed $7,100 to a GoFundMe campaign for playground equipment.

It was not enough.

Family fees dont cover the full cost of care

Everyone knows child care is expensive. Some might know that early childhood teachers could probably get paid more to work in a convenience store.

What much of the public doesnt know or notice is that family fees and subsidies that help low-income families afford child care do not come close to covering a centers entire budget.

People dont realize their family fees go toward so many things, Sorano said. Theres paying for staff, toys, food, maintenance, rent, utilities, consumable supplies and so many other things.

This is where Sorano was stuck. Her business plan showed tuition and program grants covered only two-thirds of the centers projected operating costs. The business plan left little room for better wages and benefits for teachers, a priority for Sorano. There was no room to raise the already-high fees families would be asked to pay.

Close said it was an eye-opening moment.

I did not realize what the people who are taking care of your children are getting paid because thats all the centers can afford to pay them, Close said. You can assume all you want, but when you get real data that show these numbers, its Oh, my gosh.

Sorano, Close and others tried to think of another revenue stream Antigo Child Care Center could tap, some innovative way to plug the gap and provide the service everyone in Langlade County knew was needed.

It turned out Sorano was not the only one looking to do more about the child care challenge.

Getting anybody in the workforce helps the community as a whole

The answer Sorano found was to offer local employers a tiered partnership opportunity.

Heres how it works: Local businesses can pay Antigo Child Care Center a monthly stipend that Sorano uses to boost teacher salaries and to pay for a variety of items outlined in the partnership agreement.

In exchange, the companys workers get priority access to six, eight or 10 slots at ACCC, depending on the partnership level, and employees receive a weekly discount on care. Two organizations have signed up: Volm Companies Inc. and the Unified School District of Antigo.

Volm, part of the Antigo business community since 1966, signed up for the six-slot tier. Linda Esker, Volms corporate human resources director, said its unclear whether the partnership directly resulted in retaining any of Volms roughly 550 employees. But she said Volm looked at other measures to gauge its importance and success.

Our agreement with Gabby is really key to getting people into the workforce, Esker said. It could mean getting people into the workforce for Volm, which is the hope, but getting anybody in the workforce helps the community as a whole.

Sorano said each partnership enables her to pay her teachers more, one of her biggest concerns about starting Antigo Child Care Center. She said she structured teacher contracts so that if partnerships are in place, teachers get paid a higher wage. She said the partnerships, and the business plan, are what sustains Antigo Child Care Center.

Im very thankful for these partnerships, Sorano said.

The building blocks for growth

The community collaboration that helped Sorano launch Antigo Child Care Center has everyone involved thinking about what more they can do to address the regions needs.

Volms operations run 24/7, but second- or third-shift child care is practically nonexistent in Antigo and many other Wisconsin cities. Additionally, Close and Sorano noted that many Langlade County residents live outside the Antigo area in smaller, rural communities that suffer from a severe shortage of child care.

This is a great step forward, but theres a lot more work to do, Esker said. Part of it is providing care on an alternate schedule. Its a struggle.

Sorano focused on smaller growth, first.

Antigo Child Care Center announced a summer program for school-age children, and about 40 kids have signed up so far. Sorano is also in discussions with the Antigo Housing Authority on additional building renovations that could enable it to add four more infant slots and four more toddler slots.

Everyone coming together is going to blossom and bloom into other things, Sorano said. When we have the support and financial stability, I feel comfortable opening a school-age summer program or expanding to the meet the need. Without the support of the community, theres no way I feel like someone would want to take on something else.

This story is part of the NEW (Northeast Wisconsin) News Labs fourth series, Families Matter. The lab is a local news collaboration made up of six news organizations: the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Appleton Post-Crescent, FoxValley365, The Press Times, Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Watch.
Florida rejected 35% of the social studies textbooks publishers hoped to sell to public schools this year and forced others to delete or change passages state leaders disliked, including references to why some citizens are choosing to Take a Knee to protest police brutality and new calls for social justice after the death of George Floyd.

A news release from the Florida Department of Education on Tuesday said 66 of 101 textbooks submitted have been approved, many after making changes the state demanded. On April 6, the department gave approval to only 19 of the books but then worked for the past month to get publishers to update their texts.

The goal was materials that focus on historical facts and are free from inaccuracies or ideological rhetoric, said Education Commissioner Manny Diaz in a statement.

The textbooks are for elementary and middle school social studies classes as well as civics, economics, U.S. history and world history courses.

In addition to social justice topics, some of the textbooks initially rejected failed to accurately describe communism and socialism, the department said, and those passages were revamped to emphasize the negatives of both economic systems.

Florida routinely vets textbooks before putting them on its approved list  from which districts buy books for their schools  to make sure they align with state standards, or the benchmarks for what students should learn in each course and grade.

The process became highly political a year ago, however, when the state initially rejected 42 math textbooks, a historic number, and touted the news with a press release that said, Florida Rejects Publishers Attempts to Indoctrinate Students.

Gov. Ron DeSantis administration sounded a similar alarm Tuesday.

The political indoctrination of children through the K-12 public education system is a very real and prolific problem in this country, tweeted Bryan Griffin, DeSantis press secretary. Just look at some of these examples from textbooks submitted this year to @EducationFL.

Griffin highlighted a passage from a middle school textbook that described a socialist economy as one that keeps things nice and even and without unnecessary waste. The passage went on to say, These societies may promote greater equality among people while still providing a fully functioning government-supervised economy.

The department did not indicate what textbook included that passage but shared the new version about planned economies that replaced the one about socialist economies. The new passage reads, Critics say these planned economies have slow development and fewer technological advances in part because they limit human incentive. In other words, why do anything if the government is eventually going to do it for you?

Social justice, racism among topics raising flags

The other examples the department shared included two related to social justice, police brutality and racism. The elementary school textbook that mentioned people taking a knee during the National Anthem as a form of protest was deleted as not age appropriate, the department said. So was a passage from a middle school book that discussed new calls for social justice, including the formation of the Black Lives Matter group and the protests after the killing of Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer.

The department also disliked that a middle school textbook about the Holocaust asked, What social justice issues are included in the Hebrew Bible? The line was changed to What are some of the key principles included in the Hebrew Bible?

The DeSantis administration last year claimed the math books contained critical race theory, the idea that racism is embedded in American institutions, and other unacceptable topics such as social emotional learning and culturally responsive learning.

DeSantis and other Republicans argue CRT aims to make white children feel guilty and to teach children to hate the United States and that, while traditionally a graduate school topic, its tenets have seeped into K-12 classrooms. The Legislature last year passed what the governor dubbed his stop woke act that outlaws the teaching of the concept in public schools.

Opponents of DeSantis efforts argued the real aim was to prevent children from learning about tough topics such as slavery and racial discrimination and said they feared it would lead to a whitewashing of history.

Most of those who reviewed the math textbooks  math teachers and professors  found nothing objectionable in the texts, with only three of about 70 reviewers raising concerns about CRT. Eventually, many of the rejected books were approved after making some changes. The three reviewers who raised questions about the math textbooks were a member of the conservative Moms for Liberty group and two people affiliated with the Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian school in Michigan aligned with the DeSantis administration.

These were the top 10 books people wanted removed from schools and libraries in 2021 1. 'Gender Queer' by Maia Kobabe 2. 'Lawn Boy' by Jonathan Evison 3. 'All Boys Arent Blue' by George M. Johnson 4. 'Out of Darkness' by Ashley Hope Perez 5. 'The Hate U Give' by Angie Thomas 6. 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie 7. 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' by Jesse Andrews 8. 'The Bluest Eye' by Toni Morrison 9. 'This Book is Gay' by Juno Dawson 10. 'Beyond Magenta' by Susan Kuklin
OMAHA, Neb.  A former BNSF worker who was named one of the railroad's employees of the year in 2021 for her work in supporting LGBTQ+ workers is now suing the railroad where she worked for 30 years, saying that after being promoted regularly earlier in her career she was denied advancement opportunities after her gender transition.

Randi Berghorst sued the Fort Worth, Texas-based railroad in federal court recently, arguing BNSF discriminated against her.

Im extremely disappointed that this is where it had to go, she said.

BNSF declined to comment directly on Berghorsts lawsuit, and it hasnt yet responded formally in court. But railroad spokesperson Lena Kent defended BNSFs hiring practices and said the railroad doesnt discriminate against people based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Kent cited the PRIDE+ employee group that Berghorst helped form as evidence that BNSF is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Once hired, our employees are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect; have equal access to tools, resources, training and development opportunities and have equal opportunity to achieve their full potential, Kent said.

Berghorst still has the plaque the railroad gave her thanking her for making a significant impact on BNSF's diversity and inclusion journey" hanging on her wall.

But around the same time she got that award, Berghorst said she was struggling to even get an interview for the more than a dozen jobs she applied for despite her impressive resume. That was in sharp contrast from earlier in her career when the 50-year-old was promoted regularly before her gender transition in 2018.

Berghorst said she had even previously held some of the jobs she was applying for and got positive reviews from her supervisors when she did them. Berghorst had worked her way up in the ranks to several different management jobs, but she decided to step away from a demanding roadmaster job in 2016 when she was struggling with mental health issues.

I was going through quite a bit of stuff and getting ready for what would soon be my transition," she said.

Berghorst's lawyer Nick Thompson said it's not unusual for roadmasters to step down from those jobs that require people to be available all the time when they are dealing with personal issues, such as a divorce. But Thompson, whose Casey Jones law firm specializes in representing railroad workers, said he's never seen anyone else have issues returning to that job later because they stepped down.

Berghorst said human resources officials never seemed to have a good answer when she asked why she was being passed over. She said the representative she talked to never could point to any deficiencies in her resume.

According to Berghorst, one of the most troubling examples of being passed over for a job came when Berghorst applied for a training job after she had been known throughout her career for teaching other workers, and she already had more than eight years of managerial experience.

The job listing said she needed five years of management experience, but Berghorst said she couldn't get a good explanation about why she never got an interview. Then, a short time later, she said the job was reposted to require only three years of management experience, and BNSF went on to hire two men with much less experience than Berghorst for the job.

They didnt have any people besides me  or any people they wanted  that had over five years, so they had to lower the requirements so they could get somebody," Berghorst said.

That prompted Berghorst to start looking into filing a discrimination complaint against the railroad and eventually to apply for the Federal Railroad Administration job she holds now as an inspector based in the Illinois city of Woodstock, although she still maintains a home in the small Minnesota town of Luverne not far from the South Dakota border.

Deciding to leave BNSF in January was difficult.

I made that decision after it seemed that things were going nowhere with BNSF," Berghorst said. "And I had my 30 years in, so I was locked into the railroad retirement.

Berghorst is seeking damages in her lawsuit, but mostly she says she hopes her case will force BNSF to change. BNSF is owned by Warren Buffett's Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate, but Buffett maintains a hands-off approach to its subsidiaries and largely lets the railroad run itself.
Why cant we go to Disney World like everyone else?

This is the response we got from our kids each summer as we told them about our vacation plans. Every year we packed them up into the car and hauled them 1,000 miles across the country to see their grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. And every year they complained that we were depriving them of a real vacation.

It did no good to tell them that only a few of their friends went to Walt Disney World. (They were convinced otherwise.) Nor did it do any good to remind them that they always enjoyed spending time with their relatives. (They insisted they did not.) The worst thing to say was that they would appreciate it when they got older. (They disagreed; they were wrong.)

Among the greatest ethical challenges facing parents of every generation is how to spend their two most precious resources: time and money. The annual summer vacation takes up a great deal of both, which makes deciding where to go for a week or two both controversial and momentous. There were several years when my wife and I would lie awake at night worrying about how to pay for it, but we never missed the trip. That was non-negotiable. Our kids were going to spend time with their relatives. How we were going to pay for it was something we just had to figure out.

US News and World Reports ranks Orlando No. 1 in its listing of the best family vacations in the USA. If best means most popular, the publication is certainly right. Walt Disney World boasts 58 million visitors each year, making it the most popular tourist destination in the world. But is that what best vacation really means?

I have always thought that the best way to evaluate different kinds of experiences is by asking which alternatives contribute most to growth, measured by both breadth and depth. Breadth is achieved through seeking out the new; depth is achieved through engagement with the meaningful.

The problem with many of the most popular tourist destinations is that they allow for neither breadth nor depth. They might be located in faraway places, but the diversions they offer could be found anywhere and with anyone. Neither the places where they are located nor the people one encounters while there are essential to the experience. Their goal is simply to entertain, not to enrich. They are junk food  enjoyable to consume but without nourishment.

A summer vacation that is genuinely substantial, one that provides both breadth and depth of experience, should result in what the ancient Greeks called magnanimity  literally, having a great soul. This comes as ones soul expands in response to knowledge of the worlds history, traditions and geography at the same time as ones love of people deepens, through spending time in conversation, sharing stories, hopes, dreams and memories.

I remember the first time this happened to me on a summer vacation decades ago. I was 12 years old, and my parents decided we would take a 1,200-mile road trip to western Montana to visit some old friends. This was a big deal. We had never vacationed more than a few hours from home before, and our 1969 Mercury station wagon had lots of miles and was prone to overheating.

The trip lasted only a couple of weeks, yet the experience was immeasurable. On the journey west, I saw the North Dakota Badlands, the Little Bighorn River and the Rocky Mountains. I saw buffalo, antelope, mountain goats and elk. I spent time talking to my mom and dad, learning things about them they had never shared in the busyness of everyday life. On the long car ride, I shared books with my sister and helped entertain my baby brother.

Everything good, said Ralph Waldo Emerson, is on the highway.

When we arrived at our destination near Kalispell, Montana, we reunited with Duane and Arlenes and their five kids. We kids had grown up together but hadnt seen one another since their family moved west two years earlier. They took us camping near a high mountain lake, and we sat by the fire late into the evening. I sat there listening to the stories, watching the smoke curl up through the pines, obscuring the stars that seemed so close, just out of reach beyond the tree tops. I wondered at the friendship that persisted over the years and across so many miles, how it could be rekindled with just a few words and then burn brightly once again.

We hear a great deal these days about the importance of building generational wealth. But it is a myth. Wealth rarely gets passed down further than the second generation. After the third generation, 90 percent of the wealth acquired has been lost. What does get passed down are character traits embodied in communities of people who care for one another.

It seems to me we should care much more about generational virtue. We do that by tending to the souls of our children, ensuring that they have experiences that nurture love in their lives, so that they in turn come to care deeply for the world and the people in it.

The other day I talked to one of my sons on the phone. I asked about his summer plans, and he said that he and his new wife are planning a trip to Colorado to see his aunt, uncle and cousins. Thats a great way to start a lifes journey together.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Protecting a narrow, four-vote majority, Republican leaders in the House are making clear that they intend to let the legal process play out with New York Rep. George Santos before they take steps to force his resignation or expel him.

The freshman congressman was accused Wednesday by federal prosecutors of embezzling money from his campaign, falsely receiving unemployment funds and lying to Congress about his finances and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Santos pleaded not guilty.

Republican leaders, who for months have faced mounting questions about Santos after most of his campaign biography was exposed as a lie, were unmoved and brushed aside calls  including from some colleagues  that they take immediate action to push Santos out of Congress.

In America, theres a presumption of innocence. But theyre serious charges. Hes going to have to go through the legal process, said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

Scalise was seconded by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the No. 3 House Republican, who sidestepped the question of whether Santos should resign.

As Ive said from the very beginning on questions on this subject, this legal process is going to play itself out, she said.

The position Republican leaders have staked out generally follows the precedent that Congress has set in similar criminal cases over the years. The House has expelled just two members in recent decades, and both votes occurred after the lawmaker had been convicted on federal charges. But many say the narrow majority that Republicans won in the House is surely another factor in the GOP leadership's thinking.

There are a few members of the New York delegation and a few others calling for his immediate expulsion on the Republican side, which could tilt the leadership's hand. But given where were at with the debt limit and a four-vote majority, they dont want to lose any of those votes right now, said Casey Burgat, an assistant professor who leads the legislative affairs program at George Washington University.

Santos is adamant that he will stay in Congress and seek reelection. In a press conference outside a Long Island federal courthouse, he spoke Wednesday of getting back to Washington so he could vote on a top House GOP priority, a border bill that would restrict some asylum seekers and boost border enforcement.

He ended up voting for that bill Thursday as well as one that seeks to give states more incentive to pursue cases of unemployment insurance fraud. One of the counts Santos faces is that he fraudulently collected unemployment benefits during the pandemic, even though he was being paid a substantial salary at the time.

Santos also voted last month for the House GOP bill that ties a debt limit extension to an estimated $4.8 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years. In a dramatic flourish, Santos was the last Republican to cast a vote in favor of that bill, helping it win passage by a paper-thin margin  217-215.

While GOP leaders say the legal system needs to run its course, a few Republicans have seen enough.

The people of New Yorks 3rd district deserve a voice in congress, tweeted Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas. "George Santos should be immediately expelled from Congress and a special election initiated at the soonest possible date."

The House and the Senate have the power to punish members of their chamber for misconduct, including through expulsion. To date, according to the Congressional Research Service, 20 members have been expelled, but the large majority of them occurred at the outset of the Civil War. Half of the 20 expulsions were the result of a single vote in the Senate involving senators who represented states that had seceded from the Union, but had not formally resigned.

The two most recent expulsions followed convictions on public corruption charges were:

Rep. Michael J. Ozzie Myers, D-Penn., was convicted of bribery and conspiracy for taking money from FBI agents who posed as Arab sheiks. He was expelled in 1980 following his conviction and served more than a year in prison.

Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, was expelled in 2002, three months after he was found guilty of 10 federal charges, including racketeering, bribery and fraud for taking bribes and kickbacks from businessmen and his own staff.

Some lawmakers have also resigned upon being convicted of a crime, pre-empting an expulsion vote.

Last year, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., resigned from office after a California jury convicted him of lying to federal authorities about an illegal campaign donation from a foreign national.

Two years earlier, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., submitted his resignation about a month after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiring with his wife to steal about $250,000 in campaign funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle, from vacations to outings with friends and private school tuition. Then-President Donald Trump pardoned Hunter shortly before he left office.

Trump also pardoned former Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., who resigned in 2019 ahead of admitting to helping his son and others dodge $800,000 in stock market losses when he learned that a drug trial by a small pharmaceutical company had failed.

More than three dozen Democratic lawmakers have signed onto a bill from Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., that would expel Santos from the House.

It's pretty clear to everyone, including his constituents, that he is a complete fraud and shouldn't be in Congress, Garcia said.

Garcia said McCarthy is not pushing to expel Santos because he needs his vote. He urged the several Republicans from New York who have criticized Santos to sign on to the expulsion legislation.

He can barely keep his caucus together on votes, so it's clear that he's using George Santos' support to keep him in leadership, Garcia said.

During a press conference Thursday, the House Democratic leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, stood in front of a photo of Santos and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., known for her incenderary rhetoric, and said it was time for the GOP conference: to decide who are you."

Ive made clear that George Santos is not fit to serve in the United States House of Representatives, and the American people share that opinion as well, including the overwhelming majority of the people in the third congressional district in New York, Jeffries said.

Republicans deny that Santos has been a distraction and say they are focused on other issues.

This place is bigger than any one member, said Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., the chairman of the powerful Republican Study Committee.

Despite the reports that Santos was facing federal charges, and a crush of media attention at his arraignment in New York, Republicans said there was no discussion of him during their weekly, closed-door caucus meeting on Wednesday morning.

I never heard his name mentioned once, said Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.
Winonas Heritage Preservation Commission decided to table Minnesota Masterpiece Halls request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for building on Winonas former high school and junior high historic site Wednesday.

The commission decided to reconvene June 7 and requested further documentation and study that includes drawings of the buildings primary facade on Fifth Street in relation to the existing historic structures, colored architectural printings of all four facades, and consideration of the south facades articulation.

The $35 million music hall and art gallery, backed by Fastenal founder Bob Kierlin and Mary Burrichter, is designed to seat 730 people with a maximum height of 54 feet and slated to host world-renowned classical musicians.

The proposed building is at 165 W. Fifth St. in Winona, and commission chair Emily Kurash Casey said this commission is tasked with interpreting codes and design standards because of its historical location.

A Certificate of Appropriateness is granted if the commission believes the designs are compatible in scale, texture, materials, and visually with the surrounding historic locations.

I do think were in an interesting and unique situation, and I dont think there are a lot of HPCs in communities our size that are seeing developments like this happen, Kurash Casey said.

Additionally Kurash Casey said she doesnt want to see the Heritage Preservation Commission get into the pattern of denying a request and having it sent to the City Council for them to approve.

Were in this quandary of saying no and having this become a more conflicted process, commission member Peter Shortridge said. Everyone wants this to happen. Its an incredibly large thing for our community and a great gift.

Representatives from the projects architects and construction were a part of the meetings public comment, CRW Architecture + Design Group out of Rochester and Schwab Construction respectively, and answered questions on the design.

Shortridge asked the representatives on the buildings decision for a limestone exterior which contradicts the surrounding historical buildings brick designs. Peter Schwab, of Schwab Construction, said the buildings backers, Kierlin and Burrichter, wanted a building that wasnt like a college brick building.

As we started designing, we started looking back at the surrounding buildings what they have for materials, whats around downtown Winona, Jason Woodhouse of CRW Architecture + Design Group said. Part of the historic structure is not to compete with whats around it but to complement it not match it, but be in harmony with it.

Apart from the buildings design incorporating large amounts of limestone exteriors, the plans include floor-to-ceiling windows and vertical reliefs chopping up the Fifth Street facades between stone and windows.

Anna Sibenaller, of Main Street Programs, spoke during the public comment in support of the projects designs.

When we talk about downtown development. . . historic preservation does not inhibit contemporary development, Sibenaller said. Im frankly excited to see what Masterpiece Hall would bring to Winona.

After about an hour and 45 minutes of public comment, questions, and discussion, the commission decided they wanted to see more renderings of the building.

Equally, they were concerned with the backside of the building, the south side, and its large wall of stone being the backdrop of the historic schools it sits behind which the commission asked for color rendings to get a better sense of.

Woodhouse said the design team most likely would not go back to the drawing table and change out the stone for brick.

Kurash Casey said the Heritage Preservation Commission intent is certainly not to be in opposition to progress and receiving the requested pieces for the June 7 meeting will lead to better discussion around the projects options.
Patient groups are urging the board that oversees benefits for state workers to reject a pharmacy plan the groups say would increase patient costs by preventing drug assistance programs from counting toward deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums.

But the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds, which administers the benefits, says the new program would save the state and workers money by taking greater advantage of drug assistance programs offered by drug manufacturers for many expensive specialty drugs.

The proposal, which involves Navitus, a Madison-based pharmacy benefit manager largely owned by SSM Health, will go before the Group Insurance Board May 17. If approved, it would start in January for ETF members not on Medicare who take specialty drugs  high-cost drugs, often injected or infused, for conditions such as cancer, hepatitis, hemophilia, HIV and autoimmune diseases.

The Coalition of Wisconsin Aging and Health Groups and the Wisconsin All Copays Count Coalition this week asked the insurance board to vote against the plan. The groups support a bill before the state Legislature that would require health plans to count copay assistance and coupons toward deductibles and out-of-pocket limits.

This program would threaten prescription drug affordability and access for vulnerable patients across our great state and build upon the harmful practices that Wisconsin health plans and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) use to degrade copay assistance, the groups said Tuesday in letters to the board and to Gov. Tony Evers.

But Tricia Seig, pharmacy benefits manager for ETF, said drug assistance programs are often worth more than ETF members drug copays of no more than $50 a month, or $600 a year, including for specialty drugs that can cost tens of thousands of dollars a year. If copay assistance provides $1,000 a year, for example, $400 is left unused by the patient and unavailable to the state, Sieg said.

Under the new program, Navitus would enroll patients on specialty drugs in drug assistance programs and the state would recoup any unused amounts, she said. Last year, when the state paid nearly $163.8 million for specialty drugs for 4,238 workers, the state would have saved more than $26 million under the new arrangement, Sieg said in a memo to the board. Since Navitus would enroll some members who dont use drug assistance programs now, patients would have saved $1.8 million in out-of-pocket costs last year, she said.

This program would help our members save money, she told the Wisconsin State Journal. It would also help the taxpayers save money.

Navitus representatives said they werent available to comment Wednesday.

As a pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM, Navitus acts as a broker between drugmakers, insurers, employers and pharmacies, helping to determine which drugs people can take, where they can get them and how much they will pay.

ETFs contract with Navitus is different from most arrangements involving PBMs and private employers because Navitus doesnt keep drugmaker discounts or rebates and the copays for members are low, said Sieg and Eileen Mallow, health policy director for ETF.

ETF members have no deductible for prescription drugs, and drug assistance programs already dont count toward their out-of-pocket limit for pharmacy, which is $9,100 for an individual plan and $18,200 for a family plan, Sieg and Mallow said. Since members pay no more than $600 a year per drug, they would have to be on many drugs to hit the limit, they said.

Rob Gundermann, CEO of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging and Health Groups and chair of the Wisconsin All Copays Count Coalition, said the proposed program is confusing and hasnt been vetted with stakeholders. He said many patients could pay more or lose access to their medications.

Gundermann noted that in April 2020, ETF told the board not to adopt a similar program with Navitus, saying it could result in changes to member experience in receiving specialty medications.

Robert Popovian, an author of a recent study about drug assistance programs by the Pioneer Institute, a Massachusetts think tank that is providing some data to the Wisconsin patient groups, said the new arrangement with Navitus could lead the state to add a deductible or coinsurance that could make drug costs higher for workers.

Sieg said there are no plans to make such changes. The Navitus proposal in 2020 involved additional fees and would have required patients to use Navitus specialty pharmacy, Lumicera, she said. The new proposal also allows them to also use UW Healths specialty pharmacy, she said.

Theyve changed the program quite a bit, Sieg said.
Blinken Acts Cleverly

May 10, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Washington to dictate the British Empires marching orders to a fawning Secretary of State Tony Blinken. During a joint press conference after their talks, they hammered away at a few central points: 1) the U.K.-U.S. strategic alliance is rock solid; 2) both countries are focused on defending themselves against China; and 3) that both the U.K. and U.S. will continue to show that we have the grit, we have the determination to hardline it on Ukraine and not flinch, in the words of Cleverly. They also announced that Prime Minister Sunak would be visiting Washington in June to meet with President Biden.

On the two countries special relationship, Blinken said:

I think we see very, very close strategic alignment. That includes when it comes to both our individual relationships and coordinated approach with China, which we discussed today.... [We have a] shared approach when it comes to key issues like ensuring peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Blinken then quoted earlier remarks by Cleverly, that The world is a healthier, happier, safer, more prosperous place when the United Kingdom and the United States work closely together.

Blinken enthused: I couldnt agree more. And next months visit by Prime Minister Sunak to meet with President Biden will offer us a chance to do even more of that, and were very much looking forward to it.

Cleverly said in turn: We deal with them [world problems] effectively; we deal with them collaboratively. And were able to do so because of the very strong bilateral relationship that our two countries enjoy. He also stressed that they had discussed China:

We made the point that we need to defend ourselves as nationsthe U.K. is doing this, as indeed the United States of America isagainst inappropriate activities by China. We also need to make sure that we build alliances and strengthen the pre-existing alliances that we have, as Im doing today with the United States of America, but also with our friends in the Indo-Pacific region.

Cleverlys main thrust on Ukraine was ensuring that the U.S. continues to pour huge quantities of weapons and other military support into Ukraine, without flinching. The U.S., he noted, is the largest donor to Ukraine, both in military and economic terms, and I know that your support is incredibly important in their ability to defend themselves against this unprovoked attack from Russia. He reiterated the importance that we stay resolute in our support, because it will become more painful and more expensive if we do no.

I think the message that we should send, Cleverly stated, is that when we commit to something, we stick with it.... We have the grit, we have the determination, we have the strategic endurance to see it through until its successful conclusion, and anyone watching should learn that lesson. Later, in the context of the alleged Ukrainian counteroffensive, Cleverly said we need to continue to support them, irrespective of whether this forthcoming offensive generates huge gains on the battlefield, because until this conflict is resolved and resolved properly, it is not over.

Blinken responded: I can only violently agree with my friend and strongly endorse what hes just said. We have exactly the same perspective.
International Community Paralyzed as Horror Envelops Haiti

May 10, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Volker Turk the head of the UN Integration Office in Haiti (BINUH) Maria Isabel Salvador, and Christo Dupuoy, special representative to the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) have all issued urgent pleas this week calling for the deployment of an international security force to Haiti to assist the Haitian National Police in dealing with the uncontrolled upsurge in gang violence, killings, kidnappings and rapes that have occurred during the first quarter of 2023, intensifying the grave humanitarian crisis.

The gangs are themselves creations of internationally controlled drug-running networks, part of the London-run Dope, Inc. apparatusa fact which none of the above reports touches upon.

The reports issued by OHCHR and BINUH for the first quarter of 2023 are horrific enough, documenting acts of extreme cruelty committed by gangs against the population, with 1,634 victims killed, abducted or injured compared to 674 for the same period a year ago. Gangs now deploy snipers and move into areas and start shooting randomly to kill as many people as possiblebeheadings, lynchings and burning people alive are not uncommon. No one is safe. Its estimated that 80% of Port-au-Prince is controlled by gangs, and now gang violence is extending into other regions such as the Artibonite Valley.

The UN, the OAS and many governments have been discussing the Haitian situation for almost a year, watching it spiral out of control but stuck in a state of paralysis, with no idea of a coherent policy.

The recent emergence of vigilante groupscitizens who organize and arm themselves with axes, machetes, rocks, knives or anything they can find to fight back against the gangs, using their same brutal methodshas created another level of horror. Sometimes the police try to stop these vigilante groups or sometimes they join with them, to capture gang members, stone them to death, lynch them or burn their bodies on the streets. In the past few weeks, an estimated 75 gang members have been killed in this way. Residents are appealing to the Haitian diaspora to finance the purchase of more axes and machetes.

Daniel Foote, the former U.S. Envoy to Haiti, told the Guardian that he wasnt surprised by the violence, given the failure of police to deal with the gangs. At some point, I thought they were going to start to take matters into their own hands because theyve got no choice. Theyve got nothing else. The Haitians, like anybody, can only take so much. The gangs have stolen their lives from them. As for a foreign intervention, Foote said he was 100% ideologically opposed to another foreign intervention, given the utter failure of previous ones, including by the UN. But, he said, I believe that theyre going to need an intervention. Its just that bad.... Its not Haiti any more; its a prison.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR THURSDAY MAY 11 , 2023

Once Again, the Question Posed by Lyndon LaRouche: Have We Lost the Moral Fitness To Survive?

May 10, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)What should be said of an anachronistic monarchy, medievalist in both trappings and outlook, whose recently crowned King expresses the view that the planet is terminally overpopulated and requires a vast military-style campaign to impose a fundamental economic transition back to a feudal form of economy?

What should be said of an American Secretary of State who fawns over that Kings envoy, and breathlessly confesses that many members of our team got up pretty early on Saturday to watch the [coronation] ceremony, including me, and found that it captivated millions and millions of Americans? What of a Secretary of State who then states his agreement with visiting British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly that we see very, very close strategic alignment between the U.S. and the U.K.; that we have the grit, we have the determination, we have the strategic endurance to continue to wage NATOs potentially thermonuclear war against Russia in Ukraine; and that a second front in that global war should be prepared against China?

And what, then, should be said of the American body politic that toleratesat least it has so farsuch a Secretary of State, in such a government, which joins the British Monarchy in its aggressive drive to return mankind to medieval conditions of bestiality? Can Americans no longer see that in Charless coronation we are witnessing, as Helga Zepp-LaRouche put it in her weekly webcast today, a medieval farce that is in denial of reality, a reality centered on the collapse of the financial system. Theirs is not the winning proposition, Zepp-LaRouche insisted. It will not shape the future in any positive way.

The medieval, brutish concept of Man that this dying empire is desperate to reinstate can be seen in the horrors of Haiti, and equally in the now commonplace mass killings which are sweeping the United States at the rate of one every 16 hours. Have we really allowed the killer video games, the recreational use of drugs, the chatter of vacuous social media to anesthetize us into accepting this as the new normal?

Lyndon LaRouche addressed the core of the matter of this medieval concept of Man in his February 2002 masterpiece Economics: At the End of a Delusion:

Brutish cultural relics of the cultural heritage of the ancient Rome and medieval feudalism, have more than merely persisted into the Twentieth Century; the effort to reverse the clock of modern history, back to brutishness, has been the dominant post-World War II trend in Anglo-American policy-shaping for about a half-century. The U.S. wars against its historic adversary, the British monarchy, are an example of the conflict between the U.S. defense of the principle of the general welfare, against that modern relic of the Norman-allied, imperial maritime power of Venices pro-feudalist rentier-financier policies, the policies of the British monarchy since 1714.

Earlier in that same article, LaRouche wrote:

The first thing to know, is that, contrary to some ivory-tower true believers, the subject of economics did not exist in any rational form prior to what is known, alternately, as the Fifteenth-Century, or Golden Renaissance. It was that Renaissance which defines the difference, between, the essentially medieval, A.D. 300-1400 history of European civilization, and its post-1400 phase, as modern civilization. Economy began with the birth of the modern nation-state, over the course of the Fifteenth-Century, Italy-pivotted Renaissance.... Societies qualifying as such economies did not exist in ancient or medieval history. Those who ruled then, used the subject populations as virtual human cattle, for the advantage of the ruling oligarchy and its lackeys. For them, as for the notorious feudalist Dr. Francois Quesnay, the fruit of society belonged, by divine right, to the overlord; the rights of the toilers were limited to the same kind of rights a farmer accords to the lower forms of life he hunts down, or maintains, or culls as cattle. That oligarchical system is also typical of the philosophy of John Locke, and the radical-positivist definition of shareholder value recently upheld by the majority of the U.S. Supreme Court. The notion of accountability for the general welfare of a human population, as specifically human, as a whole, did not exist.

As Helga Zepp-LaRouche stated succinctly in this weeks webcast: Their voice is that of a past, dying empire.... The sooner more people stand up and say this has to stop, the better.
For the first time, a new process that uses the genetic material of three people has resulted in the birth of several babies in Britain. The experimental process has been used before in Mexico and the United States.

Britains fertility regulator said Wednesday that the parents used a process which was approved with some restrictions in 2015.

The story was first reported by The Guardian newspaper. Britains Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority said only that fewer than five babies were born as a result of the process. The treatment is supposed to prevent the babies from inheriting rare genetic diseases.

The treatment of combining DNA from a mother, father and an egg donor is supposed to help women who have a genetic problem that can be passed to their babies.

The problem is in the mitochondria of some women. Mitochondria are parts of some cells in the body that provide energy. However, scientists say the mitochondria in some women can pass genetic problems on to their babies. The genetic defects can cause muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, heart problems and intellectual disabilities. Experts say the genetic problems affect about one in 200 children born in Britain.

So far, 32 patients have been given permission to receive the treatment. The process involves doctors taking genetic material from the mothers egg and then adding it to a donors egg. The donors egg has healthy mitochondria, but doctors remove the rest of its important DNA. Doctors fertilize the new egg, so it becomes an embryo and they put it into the mothers womb.

Scientists say using this process results in the new embryo having less than one percent of the genetic material from the eggs donor. Scientists at Englands Newcastle University supervised the treatment.

The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority said Tuesday that it was still early days of the treatment. But the government body said it hoped the doctors and scientists who worked on the treatment would soon publish more information.

The agency said all women undergoing the treatment must receive approval and must have no other way of preventing disease.

There are many critics of the treatment. They say there are other ways to prevent disease and the treatment has not been fully tested.

Others say this is the first step in creating designer babies for parents who want their children to be taller, smarter or have different looks than they do.

Robin Lovell-Badge is a stem cell expert at the Francis Crick Institute, a research center in London. Lovell-Badge said the babies need to be followed well into the future.

It will be interesting to know, he said, how well the technique workedwhether the babies are free of disease and whether there is any risk of them developing problems later in life.

One group of scientists published research this year expressing concerns that even a small amount of the problematic DNA from the mother could reproduce as the baby develops in the uterus. Lovell-Badge said scientists do not understand exactly why this happens and more work needs to be done.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

regulator n. a government official or office that controls a public activity my making and enforcing rules

inherit v. (biology) to receive genetic material from a parent

intellectual adj. related to the mind or mental ability

womb n. a common word for the organ that produces eggs and holds a fetus in women

stem cell n. a special kind of cell that has the ability to become another kind of cell in the body

uterus n. (medical) a term for the organ in a woman that holds the baby during pregnancy; womb

________________________________________________________________

We want to hear from you. What do you think about this genetic process? Is it engineering or a safe way to permit women to have healthy babies?

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.
Several measures are being considered by the U.S. Congress to regulate technology companies in an effort to protect the public.

Many American lawmakers have been critical of technology business operations and social media services. There is support among lawmakers to pass federal legislation to make additional rules for technology companies and for their business activities.

Some U.S. states have already passed their own laws restricting the use of online services by young users. But there is still a lot of disagreement in Congress over what kinds of laws to pass.

Tech companies have so far resisted federal efforts to regulate their business activities. This opposition has also made passing any new rules or guidelines more difficult.

Here are some of the possible ways that Congress is considering new regulations for technology companies.

Child safety

Several House and Senate bills are meant to make online services safer for children. Lawmakers have described many examples of teenagers who have taken their own lives after being bullied online. They have also pointed to the deaths of young people who copied dangerous behaviors publicized on social media.

In the Senate, there are at least two competing bills on childrens online safety. One would require social media companies to be more open about their operations and enable child safety settings by default. In addition, young users would have the ability to turn off tools designed to get them to spend more time online.

Senators proposing these rules have said the services should be safe by design. The legislation also aims to prevent some dangers to minors  including online restrictions on subjects like eating disorders. Other dangerous behaviors include suicide, substance abuse, sexual exploitation and other illegal activities.

Data privacy

Another Senate bill is designed to expand child privacy protections online. The measure could ban companies from collecting personal data from younger teenagers. It would also ban targeting children and teens with advertising.

A measure in the House would attempt to give adults and children more control over their data. And another bill that gained wide support last year would try to limit data collection and make it illegal to target advertisements to children.

TikTok Ban

Lawmakers have introduced a series of bills to either ban the video sharing service TikTok or make it easier to ban it. During a hearing on March 23, lawmakers from both parties expressed their concerns about the video sharing service to TikTok chief Shou Zi Chew. The criticism centered on the companys ties to Chinas communist government, data security and harmful content on the service.

Chew defended TikTok, saying the company takes user safety and privacy seriously. He said the company does not permit itself to be influenced by the Chinese government.

After the hearing, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican Party member, tried to force a Senate vote on legislation that would ban TikTok from operating in the U.S. But he was blocked by another Republican, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Paul argued that such a ban would violate the U.S. Constitution and anger millions who use the app.

Another bill supported by Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida would ban U.S. economic dealings with TikTok. But it would also enable the U.S. president to block online services the government considers hostile to the U.S.

Artificial intelligence

There has also been much debate in Congress about whether there is a need to place limits on artificial intelligence, or AI.

The Democratic Partys Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been working with AI experts. He released some guidelines for what AI regulation could look like. These include increased openness about the people and data involved in developing the technology.

Schumer has said he thinks any legislative measures should prevent possible catastrophic damage to our country. At the same time, he has stated his desire to make sure the U.S. is able to lead in this transformative technology.

The administration of President Joe Biden recently announced a spending measure worth $140 million to establish seven new AI research centers. And Vice President Kamala Harris met recently with the heads of Google, Microsoft, and other companies to discuss the development of AI products.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.

Quiz - US Congress Looks at Ways to Regulate Technology Companies Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

___________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

regulate  v. to control an activity or process, especially by rules

bully  v. to intentionally frighten someone who is smaller or weaker than you

by default  phr. happening only because something else does not happen

exploit  v. to use or develop something for your own advantage

app (application) n. a computer program designed to do a specific job

catastrophic  adj. causing a lot of suffering or destruction

transform  v. to completely change something, usually to improve it

_______________________________________________________________

What do you think of this story? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it 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.
LEXINGTON  The project to bring a new 82 room Holiday Inn Express to Lexington, that was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, is on hold while the developer finalizes costs.

City Manager Joe Pepplitsch told the Planning Commission during their meeting on Wednesday, May 10 said the developer, Anant Enterprises, LLC, based in Omaha, has run into issues with finding contractors and resource availability.

The developers plan to take 30-60 days to finalize their costs so that the tax increment financing they request for the project will be accurate. This project had been approved in 2019, but was sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pepplitsch still gave a review of the project for the new members of the Planning Commission. The hotel is to be located south of Goodwill and will feature an 82 room, four story structure. There will be seven rooms on the first floor, and 25 on the second, third and fourth floors.

The hotel will be located on the north side of the property, while parking to accommodate 82 stalls will wrap around the building. There is a plan for an access drive to connect to Plum Creek Parkway.

The projected valuation of the property once the project is complete is $14 million, up $11 from when the plan was considered in 2019.

The Planning Commission took no action after the public hearing.

The last item was a Storm Water Management Plan update from Development Services Director Bill Brecks.

For context, Brecks said back in 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a permit to control pollution entering rivers via rainwater runoff. In 2005, Lexington, being a community of over 10,000, was included in the EPAs plan.

The issue that the EPA was concerned about was pollutants, such as an oil slick in a parking lot would be rained on and the polluted storm water would enter a storm drain, which is then moved to a waterway and into a river.

Brecks said the Storm Water Management Plan contains six control measures:

Public education and outreach

Public participation and involvement

Construction site runoff control

Post-Construction runoff control

Illicit discharge detection and elimination

Pollution prevention

Brecks noted the city owns and maintains the storm water pollution controls in the community and are building new storm water detention areas where new developments are going up, namely south of St. Anns and the Wycoff district, west of Lexington Regional Health Center.

As for illicit discharge, Brecks said there are usually less than two complaints a year. They have run into instances of someone dumping washing machine discharge into a yard that then entered a storm drain.

Brecks noted that the development community has had issues with the regulations in the past, but said regulations being rescinded is not likely.

A future resolution updating the Storm Water Management Plan will be coming in the future, Breck said.

During the roundtable discussion, the Planning Commission was informed that the city council had granted a permit for a meeting space at 521 N. Washington St.
ELM CREEK  A Union Pacific locomotive caught fire west of Elm Creek during the early morning hours of Thursday, May 11.

Around 4:45 p.m. a crew on an eastbound Union Pacific train bound for Chicago reported a fire on the second locomotive of the train a few miles west of Elm Creek, according to Mike Jaixen Communications Senior Manager with UP.

Firefighters from Elm Creek Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the scene and later requested mutual aid from the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department. There were no injuries due to the fire, Jaixen said.

Approximately five gallons of diesel fuel leaked from the locomotive during the incident; remediation of the spill is underway, said Jaixen.

The incident is currently under investigation.

The Buffalo County Sheriffs Office and Union Pacific employees assisted on scene.
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.
The Soviets have opened a new phase in space exploration with the launch of the worlds biggest space station, Mir.

The successful launch of Mir comes just over three weeks after the American space shuttle Challenger disaster, in which seven astronauts died.

At next weeks Communist Party congress in Moscow the Mir project is likely to be hailed as proof that the Soviets are leading the peaceful exploration of space.

Mir, which means both peace and world in Russian, is intended to provide a base for a permanently manned complex orbiting the Earth.

It succeeds the Soviet Salyut models, the last of which, Salyut 7, was launched in April 1982 and is still in orbit.

The Americans also had a space station, Skylab, which suffered damage on its initial launch and eventually proved too costly to maintain and fell back to Earth in 1979.

Soviet officials say their new craft represents the transition from research to large-scale production activities in space.

The station has six docking stations, which means other modules or laboratories can be added to it, expanding its size and capability.

The deputy head of the Soviet cosmonaut training centre, Alexei Leonov, said it would only be possible to determine how long Mir would remain in orbit after it had completed its first flight.

He said the cosmonauts, now taking part in a special training programme, would have separate cabins with windows and even individual desks and armchairs.

Mr Leonov explained that Salyut 7 was too small for the plans now being implemented by Soviet experts.

It has only two docking stations and can support a crew of only three, whereas Mir can carry between six and ten people.

The main work of the first cosmonauts on board Mir will be to continue with the experiments in materials processing, begun on Salyut 6 and 7.

Other activities will include observation of the Earth using high-powered cameras, as well as helping locate mineral deposits on Earth and monitor the seas for trawlers.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

The first crew arrived on board Mir on 15 March 1986 and it remained more or less continuously occupied until November 2000. Crew member Valeri Polyakov stayed up a record 439 days.

The end of the Cold War marked a new era of space co-operation.

In September 1993 US Vice-President Al Gore and Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin announced plans for a new space station, which would later be called the International Space Station, or ISS.

In preparation for this new project, the US became more closely involved with Mir.

From March 1995 seven US astronauts consecutively spent 28 months on Mir, during which time the spacecraft suffered a number of emergencies included a large fire on 23 February 1997 and a collision with an unmanned cargo ship on 25 June 1997.

Mounting costs contributed to the decision to bring down Mir.

While Mir contributed little in the way of scientific advances, it did allow scientists to learn more about how astronauts can survive in space for long periods of time.

Mir remained in space until 23 March 2001, during which time it orbited the Earth more than 86,000 times.

It re-entered the Earths atmosphere near Nadi, Fiji, and what remained of the 135-tonne craft fell into the South Pacific Ocean.
Airbnb said yesterday [Macau time] that it earned $117 million in the first quarter as revenue rose during the ongoing recovery in travel, but the companys outlook for late spring and early summer disappointed investors.

The San Francisco-based companys shares fell nearly 12% in extended trading hours after Airbnb posted the forecast.

The weak outlook overshadowed Airbnbs first profit in the first three months of the year, a seasonally slow period for travel.

The companys profit compared with a loss of $19 million a year earlier and worked out to 18 cents per share. Revenue climbed 20% to $1.82 billion, beating Wall Streets forecast of $1.79 billion, according to a FactSet survey.

Nights and experiences booked, a closely watched measurement for Airbnb, increased 19% to 121 million, and the company valued the bookings made in the quarter at $20.4 billion, a 19% increase.

We have seen our highest number of active bookers ever despite continued macroeconomic uncerainty, CEO Brian Chesky said during a call with analysts.

However, Airbnb said second-quarter bookings growth wont look as robust as they did a year earlier, when consumers were busy booking travel after hunkering down at home during the outbreak of COVID-19s omicron variant. The company said bookings will grow more slowly than revenue in the April-through-June period, and the average daily rental rate will be slightly lower than a year earlier.

The company predicted that revenue in the second quarter, which includes the start of the peak summer travel season, would be around $2.40 billion. That was below analysts average prediction of $2.42 billion.

In a letter to shareholders, Airbnb said its revenue and the gross value of bookings are both double what they were before the pandemic.

Airbnb is getting a lift from people who are traveling while they take advantage of the ability to work remotely and stay away from the office. More of those people are booking international stays. The company said cross-border bookings grew 36% over last years first quarter, helped by travel to and within the Asia-Pacific region and bookings into North America.

The average nightly rate paid by Airbnb customers was $168, level with a year earlier, the company said. Price hikes in some places were offset by a slight shift toward in-city rentals, which tend to be lower in price than whole-house rentals in beach and mountain destinations.

Airbnb has grown increasingly concerned about rising rates, which could be pricing out some consumers.

Last week the company announced a renewed emphasis on renting rooms in hosts houses, which it said would provide rentals averaging $67 per room per night. Chesky said rooms would be particularly appealing to younger travelers who cant afford to rent an entire house.

Airbnb is gradually making cleaning fees  a major complaint among Airbnb customers  part of the total price that consumers see first when they search for lodging. Chesky said the pricing change should bring down cleaning fees, although there is no indication in the companys disclosures whether that is happening.

Also, the company said it is continuing to find new listings  the supply of lodgings for rent on the platform rose 18% in the first quarter, with the fastest growth in North America and Latin America. Chesky said that should help hold down prices. DAVID KOENIG, MDT/AP
Southeast Asian leaders condemned an attack on an aid convoy that the regional group had arranged for displaced people in Myanmar, calling yesterday for an immediate stop to violence and for the military government to comply with a peace plan.

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations convened in the picturesque harbor town of Labuan Bajo in southern Indonesia at the start of a two-day summit. Their host, President Joko Widodo, called for unity amid global economic headwinds and major-power rivalry thats lashing the region.

The 10-nation bloc has come under international pressure to effectively address the crisis in Myanmar. But ASEAN members appeared to be divided on how to proceed, with some recommending to ease punitive actions aimed at isolating Myanmars generals and invite its top diplomat and officials back to the high-profile summit meetings. The time for isolation has served its purpose, said an internal ASEAN report obtained by The Associated Press.

Over the weekend, a convoy delivering aid to displaced villagers and carrying Indonesian and Singaporean diplomats came under fire in Myanmars eastern Shan state. A security team with the convoy returned fire and a vehicle was damaged, but there were no injuries, state-run television MRTV reported.

Indonesia, which chairs ASEAN this year, had arranged for the aid delivery after a long-delayed assessment.

We condemned the attack and underlined that the perpetrators must be held accountable, the ASEAN leaders said in a joint statement. MDT/AP
Chinas foreign minister said yesterday [Macau time] that his country has no intention of benefiting from the war in Ukraine and hopes for further discussions on a peace plan Beijing proposed earlier this year.

Speaking after a meeting with his German counterpart in Berlin, Foreign Minister Qin Gang noted the recent talks the government in Beijing had with both Moscow and Kyiv, and said Chinas special envoy for Europe was expected to visit Ukraine again soon.

We wont pour oil on the fire of the war, Qin said, according to an official interpreter.

Western countries have accused Beijing of providing political and material support to Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Qin denied Chinese firms were doing so. He said China maintains normal trade relations with Russia, not mentioning a significant bump in Chinas purchases of Russian crude oil at a major discount.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged China to use its clout to find a peaceful solution to the conflict but suggested that Beijing wasnt doing enough yet.

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China can play a significant role in ending the war, if it decides to do so, she told reporters in Berlin.

Baerbock welcomed recent statements by the Chinese government confirming the sovereignty of countries that once made up the Soviet Union, adding that the position must hold for Ukraine, too.

The German government is currently in the process of adjusting its policy toward China, with some in the three-party coalition government pushing for a tougher line toward Beijing.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a speech to the European Parliament that he favors a de-risking rather than a decoupling of Germanys economy from China.

The distinction did not satisfy Qin, who suggested the German governments policy eventually could hurt trade between the two countries.

Normal economic exchange should not be politicized, he said.

Qin downplayed the recent cancellation of a meeting between China and Germanys finance ministers, saying the visit was postponed for technical reasons and should not be over-interpreted.

A fellow member of German Finance Minister Christian Lindners Free Democratic Party, Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, visited Taiwan in March, prompting criticism from Beijing, which considers the island part of its territory.

We wont allow our liberal values to be bought in return for good business, he told German news site The Pioneer. MDT/AP
China yesterday called on Afghanistan to reform its radical policies excluding women from education and public life and adopt a more resolute attitude in combating terrorism.

The comments from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin came on the heels of a Pakistan-hosted mini-summit of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan that sought to promote trade and lower border tensions amid a surge of attacks inside Pakistan.

Wang said China hopes the Taliban-appointed Afghan interim government will take solid steps in the right direction, make practical efforts to gain the understanding and trust of the international community, and create favorable conditions for Afghanistan to further develop good neighborliness with its neighbors and integrate into the international community.

China generally refrains from commenting on the internal policies of nations with which it wishes to curry favor, or can use as leverage in its campaign to combat the dominance of global affairs by the U.S. and other liberal democracies.

China has also made halting efforts to extend its Belt and Road Initiative to Afghanistan that could see construction of railways and bridges, but is chiefly concerned with Afghanistan harboring separatists opposed to Chinese control in its northwestern region of Xinjiang.

The international community still has a lot of concerns and expectations for the Afghan interim government, including hoping the Afghan side will make more progress in implementing moderate and prudent internal and external policies and safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children, and adopt a more resolute attitude in combating terrorism so as to produce more visible results, Wang said at a daily briefing.

Wang praised a joint statement issued Monday at the end of the trilateral meeting as the first time the Taliban had put in writing a commitment to disallow terrorist groups to use Afghanistan as a base of operations.

That document is of great significance to the future development of China-Afghanistan relations and the promotion of regional counter-terrorism and security cooperation, Wang said.

As a traditional friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community, he said. The well-being and interests of the Afghan people deserve attention, the peace and reconstruction process of Afghanistan should be encouraged, and its sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected.

The joint statement said the three sides stressed the need to prevent any individual, group or party to use their territories to harm and threaten regional security and interests or conduct terrorist actions and activities.

These include the Pakistani Taliban and a nebulous militant group claiming to represent the Uyghur ethnic group in Chinas Xinjiang region, called the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. Several hundred, possibly thousands, of Chinese Muslims are believed to live in Pakistans largely ungoverned northern territories, but terrorism experts question whether the ETIM exists in any form other than on paper.

The Taliban have been shunned by most of the international community for sweeping restrictions on political opposition and civic life imposed after they seized power in August 2021. Those measures have rolled back educational and cultural gains made during the 20-year presence of NATO and U.S. forces, despite earlier pledges by the group that it would moderate its hard-line interpretation of Islam that have left if an outlier in the Muslim world.

Most notably, girls have been banned from education beyond the sixth grade and women banned from most jobs outside the home and kept away

A U.N. report this week strongly criticized the Taliban for carrying out public executions, lashings and stonings since seizing power in Afghanistan, and called on the countrys rulers to halt such practices.

At the mini-summit, the diplomats from the three nations agreed to further deepen and expand their cooperation in the security, development and political domains based on the principles of mutual respect, equal-footed consultation and mutual benefit.

The involvement of Chinas Foreign Minister Qin Gang in the talks represented a further expansion of Chinese diplomacy into the Muslim communities following Beijings hosting of talks resulting in the resumption of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

In Pakistan, Beijing is bankrolling the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC  a sprawling package that includes road works, crop production and power plant construction.

The package is considered a lifeline for impoverished Pakistan, which is currently facing one of its worst economic crises amid stalled talks on a bailout with the International Monetary Fund.

During his visit, Qin met with President Arif Alvi, Foreign Minister Bhutto Zardari and Pakistans powerful army chief, Gen. Asim Munir. Qin was assured that Pakistan will boost security for Chinese nationals working in the country, a major concern since a suicide bomber killed nine Chinese and four Pakistanis in an attack in Pakistans volatile northwest in 2021. MDT/AP
The Leading Group for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) held its 9th plenary meeting in Guangzhou.

Huang Kunming, Party secretary of Guangdong province, stressed the further rule and system docking with Hong Kong and Macau, to explore and introduce more reform measures in key areas as technological innovation, market-based allocation of production factors, investment and financing, and business environment development, so as to keep improving market integration in the GBA.

More attention will be paid to developing Shenzhen Pilot Demonstration Zone and Hengqin, Qianhai and Nansha cooperation platforms.

He also urged making full use of the central governments preferencial policies, accelerating high-end resource pooling to promote the cooperation and development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau.

All-round connectivity should be facilitated by leveraging the leading role of Hong Kong-Shenzhen, Guangzhou-Foshan and Macau-Zhuhai poles and accelerating the urban integration of Guangdong and Foshan, so as to drive the development of neighbouring regions.

Wang Weizhong, deputy Party secretary and governor of Guangdong, stressed that more efforts should be made to promote the connectivity of infrastructure, to accelerate GBA on Rail project and foster a world-class cluster of airports and ports.

The province will also facilitate the cross-border flow of innovation factors such as research funds, instruments and equipment, thus speeding up the development of the GBA as an international centre for sci-tech innovation and a hub for high-end talent.

In addition, it will step up efforts to attract more enterprises from Macau the Hengqin Cooperation Zone, further optimise the management system and mechanism of the Qianhai Cooperation Zone, and coordinate the resources and forces of the provincial, municipal and regional governments to promote the development of Nasha.

Comprehensive reform will be deepened, while high-level opening up will be expanded. Solid steps will be taken to ensure the successful organisation of the second Global Investment Conference for the GBA. MDT/NewsGD
Pakistans former Prime Minister Imran Khan appeared in court yesterday, a day after he was dragged from another court and arrested in Islamabad, setting off clashes between his supporters and police. Angry protesters stormed and set fire to a building housing Radio Pakistan in the northwest as the death toll from the violence rose to four.

In Islamabad, a judge was asked to approve keeping the 70-year-old opposition leader in custody for up to 14 days. Khan, who lost power last year but remains the countrys most popular opposition figure, is the seventh former prime minister to be arrested in Pakistan.

His dramatic arrest on Tuesday deepened the political turmoil and sparked violent demonstrations. Two people were killed first, one Tuesday in the southwestern city of Quetta and another in the northwestern city of Peshawar overnight. Two more were in clashes with police yesterday in Peshawar.

In eastern Punjab province, where authorities said 157 police officers were injured in clashes with Khan supporters, the local government asked the army to step in and restore order.

Pakistans GEO television broadcast footage showing Khan appearing before a judge at a temporary court inside a police compound Wednesday. The former premier was seen seated in a chair, holding documents. He appeared calm but tired.

The judge is expected to rule on the request for a 14-day detention later in the day. Meanwhile, Khans legal team challenged his arrest before the Islamabad High Court, seeking his release.

Also in Peshawar, Khans supporters raided the building housing Radio Pakistan, damaging equipment and setting fire to it, said police official Naeem Khan. Some of the employees were trapped inside, he said, and police were trying to restore order.

Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party had called for demonstrators to remain peaceful, hours after mobs angered over the dramatic arrest set fire to the residence of a top army general in the eastern city of Lahore.

When he was arrested on Tuesday, Khan was appearing in court on multiple graft charges brought by Islamabad police. As he showed up in court, dozens of agents from the National Accountability Bureau backed by paramilitary troops stormed the courtroom, breaking windows after Khans guards refused to open the door.

Khans supporters attacked the militarys headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi near the capital, Islamabad, but did not reach the main building housing the offices of army chief Gen. Asim Munir.

Other demonstrators tried to reach the prime ministers residence in Lahore, but were driven off by baton-wielding in police. Others attacked vehicles carrying troops and hit armed soldiers with sticks. So far, police and soldiers have not fired at protesters.

The military has not commented on the attacks on its facilities. None of the leaders from Khans party denounced the attacks on the military.

A police statement Wednesday said officers in eastern Punjab province arrested 945 Khan supporters since Tuesday  including Asad Umar, a senior leader from Khans party. Dozens of Khan supporters were also detained in Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and elsewhere.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi, senior vice president from Khans party, appealed for peaceful demonstrations Wednesday, urging followers: Dont damage public property, dont attack offices, as we are peace lovers. He said the party is considering challenging Khans arrest in the Supreme Court.

By morning, police said some 2,000 protesters still surrounded the fire-damaged residence in Lahore of Lt. Gen. Salman Fayyaz Ghani, a top regional commander. They chanted slogans at the military, including Khan is our red line and you have crossed it. Ghani and his family members were moved to a safer place when the mob on Tuesday first attacked their sprawling house.

Police deployed in force across the country, and placed shipping containers on a road leading to the sprawling police compound in Islamabad where Khan is being held and where he appeared before a judge at the temporary court placed there for security reasons, according to the government.

Amid violence, Pakistans telecommunication authority on Tuesday blocked social media, including Twitter. The government also suspended internet service in Islamabad and other cities. Classes at some private schools were canceled for Wednesday.

Rights group Amnesty International said it was alarmed by reports of Pakistani authorities blocking access to mobile internet networks and social media  Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are suspended for a second day. Amnesty urged authorities to show restraint, saying clashes between law enforcement and Khans supporters risk human rights violations.

The National Accountability Bureau has detained and investigated former officials, including former prime ministers, politicians and retired military officers. But some view the NAB as a tool used by those in power, especially the military, to crack down on political opponents.

When Khan was in power, his government arrested Shahbaz Sharif, then the opposition leader, through the NAB. Sharif was facing multiple corruption cases when he managed to oust Khan in a 2022 no-confidence vote. The charges were later dropped, citing a lack of evidence.

Prime Minister Sharif returned to Pakistan yesterday from a U.K. trip and was to hold a Cabinet meeting on the latest developments. His brother, Nawaz Sharif, who also served as prime minister, was arrested several times on corruption allegations.

In March, police stormed Khans Lahore residence, seeking to arrest him in a corruption case related to hiding income from the sale of official gifts.

Later yesterday, Khan appeared in a different courtroom at the high security court and was indicted in the lingering graft case, pleading not guilty, local media said.

As violence spread, diplomats from various countries and common people in Pakistan stayed home. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad canceled all its consular appointments following Khans arrest and issued a nationwide alert, telling Americans to review their personal security plans and avoid large crowds. MUNIR AHMED, ISLAMABAD, MDT/AP
The Macao Polytechnic University has awarded scholarships to 600 students during its 2023 Scholarships Award Ceremony at the university auditorium. This ceremony aims to recognize students achievements in different academic and professional fields, and to encourage continued striving for academic excellence and motivation.

Related
Since May 1, TheArsenale  a brand dedicated to mobility via air, sea, and land  has held its fifth exhibition in Macau in partnership with City of Dreams. This kind of event is unheard of in Asia and even in the world, CEO Patrice Meignan told Macau Daily Times.

Taking its name from the Arsenale di Venezia built in 1104, which was home to the most innovative shipyards and armories of its time and furrowed by many illustrious navigators such as Marco Polo and Vasco de Gama, the company returns to Macau for its 2023-24 exhibition.

TheArsenales first exhibition in the city, back in 2018-19, recorded around 700,000 visitors, and made an impression on Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng who said, This is what Macau needs, while attending the show Meignan recalls.

This year will feature the theme We have seen the future, highlighting the desire of TheArsenale to innovate and create new types of mobility in all the sectors, including sea, land and air, with sustainability in mind.

Priority on design

Since I was 5 or 6, I really developed a frenzy for culture. I took pleasure in cultivating my eye and analyzing the design of all things, Meignan said. The 47-year-old Frenchman already has a solid career behind him, creating his first riding culture magazine Blast in 1997. He then co-founded another magazine called Intersection, which was already covering the future of mobility, subsequently working for the Formula 1 team Renault from 2014-2016 as the Creative Director. He has been CEO of TheArsenale since 2015.

I really have a passion for design. Thats why I place it number 1 at TheArsenale. It involves ongoing graphical experimentation and most of the models are designed by myself, the CEO said. For its models, the company chose simple colours such as black and white, but also displays neon orange, yellow and green, aiming to represent both safety and the desire to try and innovate.

To this end, TheArsenale tries to work with small and independents designers: We really want to be a federator of all these designers, because it is important to show that they exist and to highlight their ideas. In addition, the company has partnerships with Chinese brands such as Ehang, meaning that around 50% of TheArsenales line-up is composed of Chinese companies, the CEO explained.

New modes of mobility

There are numerous new models of vehicles in this exhibition, said Meignan. The goal of TheArsenale is to produce less, consume less and highlight electrical vehicles. I am a strong supporter of moving the problem of ground mobilities into the air, meaning that we want to make a great network of flying cars piloted by AI, which will have the ability to generate very accurate routes, across different levels and scales.

All the models which are presented are functional and for sale, some with only one exclusive edition while others have had up to a hundred prototypes produced. We have many different types of models, including cutting-edge custom bikes, concept-

cars and real-life homologated flying car such as the XPENG X2, a two-seater eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) flying car, the CEO added.

Transmission through a cultural embassy

Today, my ambition is to transmit passion and the keys to success, Meignan said. I want to share a mindset which shows that with a great conviction and without imposing limits on oneself, we can achieve everything. Meignan also issued a reminder of the importance of meeting many people in different sectors, as this has helped him achieve his goals. Im proud to say that I met Elon Musk 11 times, worked for Carlos Ghosn, and become friends with Alain Prost and Lewis Hamilton, he said.

Established in New York and Miami, the objective of TheArsenale at the moment is to become a kind of cultural embassy of mobility in Macau, leading the company to be more and more integrated with the Macanese creative community. Afterwards, we want to set up like 5, 6 or 10 other places like this in the world, the CEO explained.

To this end, the company has launched some workshops. At the moment these are only in Miami and New York, and the intention is to invite people to partake in the overarching goal of developing new modes of mobility, with a focus on the design elements. People love that. We have at least 150 attendees each time we organize this kind of event, the 47-year-old entrepreneur said.

For example, on the 30th anniversary of the French car Twingo, TheArsenale invited its community to create a new design for the car, adding that the best design would be developed and prototyped by the enterprise. We had more than 16,000 proposals in three months! Meignan exclaimed. We have a very involved community, and thats what we were looking for.

The 2023 edition of TheArsenales exhibition is now open to public in the City of Dreams, seven days a week from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. until May 2024. Raphael Rouault
On May 6, the Public Security Police Force (PSP) arrested three people at two locations for separate thefts concerning two different clothing stores in Cotai, the PSP told a press conference yesterday.

All of the apprehended suspects are Mongolian citizens. The police did not disclose the nationality of the remaining two, who are at large.

The first case involved a man, 34, and a woman, 36, who reportedly entered Macau on the morning of the alleged theft.

The police said that at about 3 p.m. on May 6, officers on regular patrol saw the duo sneakily leave a shop in a Cotai shopping mall with a bag.

The police said the duo stopped at the entrance of a washroom and counted clothing from the bag. The police confronted them, and they admitted to stealing them from the shop.

The police later learned the duo had been in the shop for nearly an hour.

The shopkeeper confirmed the 15 pieces of clothing were unpaid merchandise with a price of MOP3,000.

In another case, a shopkeeper of a clothing store in the same Cotai mall contacted the PSP on May 4, reporting that surveillance cameras had captured an alleged theft conducted by three people  two men and a woman  at 5:45 p.m. the same day.

According to the shopkeeper, a man had taken 20 pieces of clothing worth MOP5,700, while the other two people took three pieces worth MOP1,800.

After preliminary investigations, the PSP confirmed the three people had left Macau through the Border Gate checkpoint the same evening.

At 11 a.m. on May 6, the man who allegedly stole 20 pieces of clothing reentered Macau and returned to the same shop. The police intercepted him at the store.

The 50-year-old admitted to the theft and to selling the goods in Zhuhai. He also confessed he returned to the shop to steal more.

However, the man denied knowing the other two people.

PJ logs sham currency exchange, cash wire services

Two men have fallen victim in fraudulent currency exchange services, the Judiciary Police (PJ) has announced.

The two victims are 25 and 37 years old. The former is a mainland resident while the latter is local. Both had tried to exchange currency with their friends and have lost contact with the scammer since then.

The younger victim reported losing MOP4,600 and the elder MOP715,000. The PJ said the local resident desired to exchange his Macau patacas for Chinese yuan.

The police added that both cases have connections with casino practices.

In another case, a Burmese woman lost some MOP4,500 in a fraudulent money wire transfer. The woman had come to Macau for work.

In March this year, the victim was introduced to a person by a friend. She was told the person, also a non-local worker from Myanmar, could help wire transfer money from Macau to Myanmar.

As banks in Macau do not operate wire transfer to her home country, the victim had contacted the person for assistance. The factor that convinced her to do so is that she had successfully wired money home through this person.

At about 6 p.m. on May 4, the victim transferred MOP4,573 to the person via mobile banking, who asked her to wait upon confirming receipt of the money.

Since then, the person has not contacted her. She tried to call her using messenger apps, but the person did not answer. She checked with her family and was told no funds had been received.

Thinking she might have lost the money to a scammer, she reported the incident to the police.

Woman fined for throwing numerous objects from above

A woman in her 30s was fined for twice throwing various objects from above the Pak Vai parking lot entrance Tuesday, the Public Security Police Force (PSP) has announced.

She was prosecuted under the Public Space General Regulations.

No pedestrian was injured, but the incidents prompted closure of parking lot entry.

At about 9 a.m. on May 9, the police received reports of falling objects at the location. According to video footage that went viral, objects  either shattered, damaged or complete  were seen at the location as more objects were being thrown from above.

Police unsuccessfully investigated the apartment. As the throwing had stopped, cleaners were called to clear the debris.

At about 11 a.m., the location was reopened.

At about 2 p.m., the throwing resumed. Several items of clothing and bedding materials were seen on the ground, according to local media Macao Daily News.

The location was reopened at 2:45 p.m. after being cleared.

Police located the woman in a nearby apartment and issued a fine. However, the police did not disclose the reason behind the throwing. AL
* Ho sets hopes high on new tech expo

* Gaming | Wynn revenue doubles as Cotai leads recovery

* MDT Interview | The Arsenale show by Patrice Meignan

* Shoplifting: Police arrested three people at two locations for separate thefts in two different clothing stores in Cotai

* Govt: Covid-19 cases up, three policy secretaries infected

* State media highlights importance of VP Han visit to Portugal

DOWNLOAD PDF

Thursday, May 11, 2023  edition no. 4243
When New Glarus Brewing Company released its first batch of beer in late 1993, it was far from a household name.

But over the past 30 years, after millions of barrels of beer and an increasingly competitive craft beer market, Deb Carey has guided the company she founded with husband Dan Carey into national prominence, even though its products are only sold in Wisconsin.

Next month, Deb Carey, the companys president, will be honored during a luncheon at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Conference presented by the Madison-based Wisconsin Technology Council.

Carey will receive the Ken Hendricks Memorial Seize the Day award at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee on June 1. The award, which celebrates entrepreneurial leaders who have been crucial to Wisconsins economic growth, is named in honor of the late Ken Hendricks, co-founder of ABC Supply in Beloit and 2006 Seize the Day award winner. Hendricks, a billionaire, died a year later in a fall at his home.

Daniel and Deb have combined their business management and brewing professionalism with a philosophy based on individuality, cooperation and use of 100% natural ingredients to produce world class, hand-crafted beers such as Spotted Cow, the WTC said in a release announcing the award.

Carey is just the latest winner from the Madison area of the Seize the Day award. Others include Jan Eddy of software company Wingra Technologies, and Kevin Conroy of Exact Sciences, both in Madison; Bill Linton of Promega and Jim Berbee of Berbee Information Networks Corp., both in Fitchburg; Fred Foster of Electronic Theatre Controls in Middleton, and Craig and Lea Culver of Culver Franchising System in Prairie du Sac.

A Wisconsin native, Deb Carey became the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the country and has helped pave the way for other female brewers who continue to grow in numbers. Carey was first runner-up for the 2011 National Small Business Person of the Year and met with President Barack Obama on small-business issues in late 2012. A few months later, in February 2013, she sat with first lady Michelle Obama during the State of the Union speech.

The Careys started their business with a 10,000-square-foot brewery along the Little Sugar River and in 2007 opened a $21 million, 75,000-square-foot brewing plant on the villages south side. The sprawling and picturesque facility, on a hill overlooking New Glarus, has undergone multiple expansions over the years and has helped make New Glarus Brewing Company the 12th-largest craft brewer in the country. In 2022, the company produced more than 230,000 barrels of beer.

Spotted Cow, the companys signature beer, launched in 1997.

When we came out with it, there was a lot of resistance. I mean serious resistance. I had a wholesaler, somebody whos important to me in a big market who would not pick up the beer because they said You do not expect us to put something like Spotted Cow on the same sales sheet as Budweiser, do you?, Carey told the Wisconsin State Journal in 2007. My guys in Madison were more used to me so they went along with it but even they were like Do you want to do this? Deb, can you really see a guy walking up to a bar and ordering a Spotted Cow? And Im like, Yeah! But in my mind I was thinking This is either going to be a huge hit or a total flop.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Wednesday, while Israel pressed ahead with a series of airstrikes that have killed 23 Palestinians, including three senior militants and at least 10 civilians.

A state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt brokered a cease-fire, but the truce efforts appeared to falter as fighting intensified late Wednesday, with neither side showing signs of backing down.

Early Thursday, the Israeli military said it targeted the commander of Islamic Jihad's rocket squad in an airstrike on a building in the southern Gaza Strip. The military said Ali Ghali was hiding in an apartment and two other militants from the group were killed with him in the airstrike at a Qatari-built residential complex in Khan Younis. Ghali instructed and took part in rocket attacks against Israel in recent months. There was no comment from the militant group.

In a prime-time TV address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel dealt a harsh blow to the militants but cautioned: "This round is not over."

It was the heaviest fighting between the two sides in months, but Israel avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the Islamic Jihad faction, while Hamas appeared to remain on the sidelines.
A 126-year-old lumber company in Sun Prairie has been sold but will keep its name.

Chase Lumber, which also has locations in DeForest and McFarland, has been purchased by Bliffert Lumber & Hardware, based in the Milwaukee suburb of Oak Creek.

Chase, which since 1897 has specialized in lumber and over the years added millwork, windows, cabinets, decking, kitchens and baths, will keep its name. Bliffert has seven locations in southeastern Wisconsin that include lumberyards, design centers and stores that sell paint, hardware, and windows and doors.

Joining forces with Bliffert and combining nearly 2 centuries of serving the building industry in Wisconsin is a giant step forward for Chase Lumbers customers and employees, said Valerie Stiener, Chase Lumbers president. We know that Bliffert is a company that shares our values, especially concerning employees, customers and community.

Just before the turn of the 20th century, Moses Chase and his son, James W. Chase, expanded their agricultural holdings by buying an interest in a lumberyard on South Bristol Street in Sun Prairie and opening the doors as Chase, Mann and Gross.

Fuel sales were added in 1923, and in 1939 the Chase family expanded the business by buying a lumberyard in DeForest and 42 years later, in 1981, opening a lumberyard in McFarland.

What would become Bliffert Lumber & Hardware was established in the 1880s on Milwaukees north side and incorporated in 1904. Now in its fifth generation, the company also owns Oostburg Lumber & Design in Ozaukee County; and Milwaukee Cabinetry and Fillinger Millwork, both in Milwaukee.

The addition of Chase further expands Blifferts reach.

Adding these locations will provide our Madison-area customers with an improved range of services, products and support, said Eli Bliffert, the companys vice president. Being able to combine two fifth-generation family-owned lumber companies is not something you get to do every day, if ever. It is the coolest thing since cold beer. We are absolutely stronger together.
I shot him in the heart, Caleb Dimaggio said calmly moments after shooting a man to death last week outside a West Side bar, a witness told police, according to a criminal complaint.

Dimaggio, 23, of Fitchburg, was charged Thursday with first-degree intentional homicide for the death of Jason P. Pritchard, 44, of Madison, outside the Badger Tavern, 1612 Seminole Highway. But it remained unclear from court documents  other than having a blood alcohol concentration of about two-and-a-half times the legal limit to drive  why Dimaggio shot Pritchard, someone he did not know.

Dimaggio remained at the scene after the shooting and pointed out to police the location of the gun, a 9mm handgun, according to the complaint.

Dimaggio was ordered jailed on $1 million bail after appearing in court Thursday, an amount demanded by family members of Pritchard who spoke before Court Commissioner Brian Asmus set Dimaggios bail.

Every day, multiple times a day, I cannot help but stop and think about how Jason fought for his life in those final moments, in the sheer surprise of what had just happened, said Pritchards brother, who was not identified by name in court. It is awful, its painful, traumatic, and a never-ending nightmare that I and our family must endure forever.

He said his brother probably didnt understand what had ever happened.

He likely spent his final thoughts wondering if hed see his child, his family, his parents, his siblings, his nieces and nephews, whether hed see their smiles or tears, or hear the laughter in the stories that make up the rest of their lives.

All that, he said, would have been going on while his life drained from him due to some senseless and seemingly random act of someone hed never even met before.

Dimaggios attorney, Joseph Kennedy, argued for bail of $100,000, telling Asmus there was some evidence in court documents pointing toward statements Dimaggio made at the scene indicating possible defenses for the shooting.

According to the criminal complaint and a probable cause affidavit:

A man who had met Dimaggio that night described Dimaggio as being hyper, talking quickly and leaping from one topic to another. He told police Dimaggio seemed off. He said Dimaggio had a dog with him and that he was very protective of the dog.

As the man and Dimaggio spoke outside the bar for about 20 minutes, he said Dimaggio grabbed the mans hand and put it on Dimaggios waistband, telling him, This is not my junk, its a gun. The man told police he could feel a gun in Dimaggios waistband.

A short time later, the man told police, another man later identified as Pritchard approached and asked Dimaggio about his dog, a German shepherd. The questions, the man said, seemed innocent. The man said he took the opportunity to go inside the bar. After about five minutes, he came back outside and saw Dimaggio holding a black handgun nonchalantly in his right hand.

He said Dimaggio and Pritchard were about 3 to 4 feet apart facing one another. Pritchard had his hands down at his sides. Both seemed calm, the man told police, and were not arguing. But the man said he was shocked Dimaggio was holding the gun and wondered, Why does he have the gun out?

Within five seconds, the man said, he saw a flash and heard a gunshot. Frightened, the man immediately went back inside the bar. Before the shot was fired, he said, he didnt see or hear anything that had led to the shot being fired.

When he looked out the window, he said, he saw Pritchard on the ground not moving, with blood on his chest.

Im sorry

When police arrived, officers heard Dimaggio repeatedly say, Im sorry. At one point he said he was in fear for his life but also said something like, I put a hollow point in his heart.

He also said, I warned his (expletive).

Dimaggio, who smelled strongly of alcohol, was taken to a hospital for a blood draw. While there, an officer said, Dimaggio said, I told him to stop, and I took someones (expletive) life tonight. He also said, Thats why I always leave it unloaded so that way it will click before it goes off.

Two preliminary breath tests registered Dimaggios blood alcohol concentration at 0.22 percent and 0.20 percent. The legal limit for drivers in Wisconsin is 0.08, for comparison. Possession of a firearm while intoxicated is in itself a crime in Wisconsin.

After the shooting, a bartender at the Badger told police that Dimaggio said, I shot him in the heart. Hes dead and I shot him in the heart.

Another bar patron, who told police she had been talking with Pritchard outside moments earlier, said she heard a pop and saw Pritchard standing up and then tip backward. She has medical training, she said, and attended to Pritchard, telling him to breathe.

She heard Dimaggio calmly say, I shot him in the heart, then hand the gun to a woman he called Babe. Dimaggio also said, Thats what you get, the woman told police.
A car driver was critically injured in a head-on crash into a school bus in Iowa County on Thursday morning, authorities reported.

At about 7:50 a.m. Thursday, multiple 911 calls reported the crash on Highway F at Moscow Road in the town of Moscow, Iowa County Sheriff Michael Peterson said in a statement.

The initial investigation showed that the driver of the car was heading south on Highway F at high speed, lost control and struck the school bus head-on that was heading north on Highway F, Peterson said.

The car driver was flown by MedFlight helicopter to University Hospital with critical injuries, Peterson said.

The school bus was occupied only by the driver, who was taken by Mineral Point EMS to Upland Hills Hospital in Dodgeville with an unknown extent of injuries, Peterson said.

No further information was being released, Peterson said.

Photos: Madison's most dangerous intersections, as seen from space No. 10: Packers Avenue and International Lane No. 9: Zeier Road and East Washington Avenue No. 8: South Park Street and West Badger Road No. 7: Thierer Road and East Washington Avenue No. 6: North First Street and East Washington Avenue No. 5: Buckeye Road and South Stoughton Road No. 4: South Baldwin Street and East Washington Avenue No. 3: North Stoughton Road and East Washington Avenue No. 2: Watts Road and South Gammon Road No. 1: Pleasant View Road and Mineral Point
A DeForest woman was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for an attempted straw gun purchase, authorities said.

Taylor A. Kratochwill-Loomis, 22, was sentenced Wednesday by Judge William M. Conley to one year and one day in prison for making false statements while attempting to purchase a firearm for a prohibited person  what is commonly known as a straw purchase  a charge she pleaded guilty to on Jan. 18, U.S. Attorney Timothy OShea said in a statement.

On Nov. 30, Kratochwill-Loomis entered Top Pack Defense of Sun Prairie and attempted to buy a Glock handgun for Deontrae McIntosh, who was prohibited from buying a handgun because of his age and that he was facing felony charges in Wisconsin State Court, OShea said.

The attempted transaction was recorded by the stores surveillance system and on the required purchase forms, Kratochwill-Loomis falsely stated that she was purchasing the firearm for herself and not for another person, OShea said.

McIntosh also pleaded guilty to attempting to obtain a firearm using false statements  through Kratochwill-Loomis  and was sentenced to five years of probation on March 22.

Top Pack Defense staff refused to sell the firearm because they suspected that Kratochwill-Loomis was attempting to purchase the handgun for another person. Kratochwill-Loomis and McIntosh, who was waiting in a car outside, then went to the Cabelas store in Sun Prairie, where Kratochwill-Loomis again tried to purchase a Glock handgun for McIntosh. Sun Prairie police interrupted the second purchase attempt at Cabelas, interviewed and ultimately arrested Kratochwill-Loomis and McIntosh, OShea said.

The charges against Kratochwill-Loomis and McIntosh were the result of an investigation conducted by Sun Prairie police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. OShea prosecuted this case.
The Madison Fire Department is pointing to an accidental propane leak in a garage as the likely source of an explosion Tuesday night that blew up a condo unit, injuring four people and displacing 21 residents from the area.

The explosion just before 6 p.m. shook the neighborhood of multiunit residential buildings in the 900 block of South Gammon Road, near Park Ridge Drive, on the Southwest Side. One person was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. Three others with less serious injuries took themselves in for medical treatment.

The Fire Department said early Wednesday evening that while the investigation is not complete ... at this time, the leading hypothesis is that the explosion is traced to a propane source located within the garage.

Firefighters rescued three pets, according to Fire Department spokesperson Cynthia Schuster, none of which appeared injured. A fourth pet, a cat, also was found later unharmed.

The building where the explosion occurred has eight units, the Fire Department said, as does a nearby building that also was damaged. Estimates of the damage to the buildings were not yet available.

The Fire Departments Heavy Urban Rescue Team on Tuesday shored up the collapsed structure and deployed listening devices to search for trapped victims, Schuster said. The scene was cleared by about 10:30 p.m.

A representative with the third-party management firm, Caribou Property Management, that manages the homeowners association for the affected condo and others in the area was at the site answering questions from displaced residents Wednesday. Community association manager Noah Tompkins said the company was not yet answering questions from the media about the explosion.

Earlier, Madison Gas and Electric spokesperson Steve Schultz said gas and electricity to the condo and surrounding properties were shut off shortly after the explosion, and MGE crews that conducted tests in the area found no evidence of a gas leak.

There were no indications prior to or after the event to indicate that any gas leaks were present, he said.

South Gammon was closed to traffic until late Tuesday night as crews worked.
A sweeping GOP bill that would boost state funding to Wisconsin communities while also imposing a number of new restrictions on local government is expected to come before the Assembly next week as Republicans try to fast-track the measure ahead of the states budget process.

But before Assembly Bill 245 comes to a vote, Republicans plan to make last-minute changes to the bill that, as written, faces a veto from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, Rep. Todd Novak, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Local Government, told reporters Thursday.

The Dodgeville Republican would not say what changes might be made to the bill, which would provide local governments with $227 million in new funding but also impose strict limits on how the money can be spent as well as several other restrictions

They want to do one amendment, to put in everything and negotiate it on the floor, Novak said.

Everything is on the table right now, Novak added. You will have a bill that will pass next Wednesday in the Assembly.

Novaks committee voted 8-4 Thursday, with all Democratic members opposed, to advance the bill. Democrats on the committee proposed a failed amendment to essentially strip nonpolicy items from the bill, including one that would bar local health officials from closing a business for more than two weeks to help control an outbreak or epidemic and another that would allow local governments in the northern portion of the state the ability to essentially kill any proposed land acquisitions by passing a resolution opposing the measure.

Yet another measure in the bill would prohibit counties and cities from holding public votes on advisory referendums.

This process was rushed  and frankly, this process is dysfunctional, Rep. Clinton Anderson, D-Beloit, said.

It also remains unclear where the state Senate stands on the measure. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieus spokesperson Michael Pyritz said Thursday the proposal is still a work in progress.

Evers, meanwhile, has already promised to veto the bill as written. The Democratic governor said last week the proposal doesnt spend enough and imposes unnecessary restrictions on counties and cities.

The bill would would divert a penny of every nickel collected under the states 5-cent sales tax to counties, towns, villages and cities to pay for various services.

Municipalities would receive $176 million in increased aid under the proposal, with the distribution broken down into three categories, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau:

Municipalities with populations under 5,000 would receive a total of $82.8 million.

Those with populations between 5,000 and 30,000 would split $47.2 million.

Those with populations above 30,000 would receive $46.4 million.

Counties, meanwhile, would receive about $50 million.

The measure also would allow for $300 million in spending on a three-year pilot program to encourage local governments to share more services.

Under the draft bill, local governments could only spend the additional funds on law enforcement, fire protection, responding to emergencies, public works and transportation.

Law enforcement

Another provision would prevent local governments from reducing their level of law enforcement, fire protection and emergency medical services.

Under the bill, communities would see state aid cut by 15% if they do not meet at least two of four requirements:

Maintain the level of funds spent on police, fire and EMS from the previous year.

Dont eliminate any police, fire or EMS positions.

Maintain the number of moving violation tickets as the previous year.

Maintain the number of arrests made in the previous year.

Some have raised concern that the two latter requirements violate a state law prohibiting quotas on law enforcement to issue a specific number of citations, complaints or warnings.

There still is a quota system for arrests and citations, Anderson said. That absolutely needs to go.

Created in 1911 alongside the state income tax, Wisconsins shared revenue program initially provided local municipalities 70% of state income tax collections, while counties and the state received the remaining 20% and 10%, respectively, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

But the percentage of income tax revenue allocated to local entities has plummeted over the years and has remained essentially unchanged for nearly three decades despite overall growth in tax revenues, according to a February report by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum.
A Dane County committee has recommended Denver firm Sasakis proposal to redesign the Lake Monona waterfront.

In a unanimous vote Wednesday night, the Lake Monona Waterfront Ad Hoc Committee moved forward with the recommendation, which will now go to city officials, who will begin negotiations for a contract with Sasaki. A detailed master plan encompassing the waterfront construction and other elements of the John Nolen Drive area is tentatively set to be put forth by the end of September.

Committee chair Allen Arntsen says hes looking forward to a very robust public engagement process once plans take shape with the firm, involving private stakeholders, city officials, members of the Ho-Chunk Nation, and others with ties to the project.

Complicating the timeline are other construction projects in the waterfront area. Madison recently received federal funding for construction on John Nolen Drive, a project that Mike Sturm, a landscape architect with the Madison Parks Division, says the citys Engineering Division is looking to begin work on in 2025.

With the John Nolen Drive project running parallel to the work on the waterfront, Sturm brought up the idea of associating the two, allowing the master plan currently in the works to inform the process the causeway construction would follow. Ideally, he said, disruption to traffic and surrounding businesses would take place within one block of time rather than being spread out over multiple periods with downtime in between.

We really need to have an adopted master plan in early 2024, he said. To enact a construction project, we have to go through a whole other level of design development, much more detail.

Pre-construction preparations will include soil borings, which test soil composition, state-level permits, and investigations into lake bottom conditions.

Thats why we need so much time to make improvements along the causeway, said Sturm. Theres a lot of work that needs to happen to prepare a construction project.

Theres a tension here between wanting to get it done in connection with the road construction and giving enough time so that its done well, added Arntsen. Its doing a lot of work in a hurry.

While the committee has made its recommendation, for its members, work is far from over. In upcoming meetings, the group will consider the scope of services, revise drafts of the master plan as they come, and introduce the finalized plan to the board. Currently, the bodys last meeting is scheduled for Sept. 5.

An open collaboration between Sasaki, Madison officials, members of the Ho-Chunk Nation, and other stakeholders will be taken into consideration in the drafting process, which will include a public presentation component in August.

The presentations, too, proved somewhat problematic for some committee members, with Chandra Miller Fienen questioning the effectiveness of outreach efforts at that time of year.

A lot of people are gone, schedules are wonky, said Miller Fienen. Thats a really hard month to do public outreach.

Discussions at the committees April 26 meeting led members to revise their votes on finalists Sasaki, James Corner Field Operations, and Agency Landscape and Planning. In doing so, scores only slightly shifted, with Sasaki again emerging as the favorite.

Gaining the popular vote among community survey respondents, Sasakis Voices of the Lake design emerged as the favorite of the three finalists among members of the committee, with two of its 13 members ranking it No. 1 in initial votes.

Characterized by its emphasis on green infrastructure, Sasakis design has been applauded for its attention to the lakes health, the variety of activities it would offer visitors, and its attention to the Ho-Chunk Nations history in the area.

Despite all the factors that remain to be seen, Arntsen says it feels good to have come this far, and hes looking forward to seeing Sasakis design come to life on the lakefront.

It was a big job, it was something the city hadnt done before, so we were a little bit making it up as we went along, said Arntsen. I think that theres been a really good process getting the public input, getting the public on board. It feels really good.
Dane Countys storm siren system would get a significant update under a new $1.8 million contract that goes before county supervisors this month.

The upgrades will replace the control system for the countys 141 storm sirens, which is needed to make sure residents have the newest modern technology to alert them to severe weather and other emergencies, said Rick Lange, a response equipment specialist with the county.

Specifically, the radios, electronics and software that control the sirens are getting upgraded, for the first time in about 10 years, Lange said.

Additionally, in the event of a high-level severe thunderstorm warning alert from the National Weather Service, the siren system would automatically activate, which has not been done in the past.

This is all about safety, Lange said. Its just better for us, better for Dane County.

The new system will run in tandem with the current one through the summer with a final hand-off planned for the end of summer.

Even with the new system, Lange urged residents to rely on cellphone apps, radio and local media to warn them of severe weather.

The new system will allow repair staff to test individual sirens with a wireless device, too, he said.

We are doing everything we can so that the citizens of Dane County are protected in the event of bad weather, said Sup. Maureen McCarville, 22nd District, who sponsored the resolution for the contract.

The new contract got unanimous approval from the boards Public Protection and Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. It could get a final vote from the board at next weeks meeting.

The county received eight responses to a request-for-proposal for the upgrade before settling on Emergency Communication Systems. The contract would last from June until May 2028.

County Executive Joe Parisi included $3 million for replacing the system in his 2023 budget.

As our county grows, its important we utilize the most current technology available when it comes to keeping our communities safe, Parisi said last fall when announcing his budget.

Photos: Cleanup continues following F-3 tornado in Boscobel
Wisconsin drivers found guilty of reckless driving or carjacking will face increased penalties under two bipartisan measures signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers.

The bills Evers signed Wednesday build off the first law signed by the Democratic governor this legislative session, which allows local officials to impound the vehicle of an individual with repeat reckless driving offenses.

Wisconsin, like so many states across the country, is seeing a trend in deadly traffic crashes and risky driving behaviors like speeding and reckless driving, Evers said at a bill-signing event at Milwaukees Grace Lutheran Church. This is putting folks and families and especially our kids at risk in communities all across our state and the consequences can be tragic.

Among the bills signed Wednesday, Assembly Bill 55 increases penalties for reckless driving. The law doubles the fines for reckless driving from a maximum of $200 to $400. The maximum penalty for a second or subsequent offense would increase from $500 to $1,000.

The law also adds reckless driving to the list of crimes that require offenders to pay a surcharge in addition to any fines or forfeitures. Under the law, individuals found guilty of reckless driving also would have to pay a $435 driver improvement surcharge and a $50 safe ride surcharge.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, about 2,900 people are injured in the state every year by a reckless driver and 113 people died as the result of reckless driving in 2021.

Speaking at the event was Abbie Strong, the wife of Grace Lutheran Church Pastor Aaron Strong, who was killed in October by a reckless driver while driving to church last year.

He was simply doing what he always did, he dropped his kids off at school and came to work here at Grace Lutheran Church, Strong said. So, while tragic and heartbreaking, Aaron losing his life serves a bigger purpose  helping to protect and improve the quality of life for the citizens of Wisconsin.

The second bipartisan measure signed Wednesday, Senate Bill 76, puts state vehicle theft statutes into a new carjacking category and boosts the maximum prison sentence for carjacking from 40 to 60 years.

We know that this is not just a Milwaukee or Madison problem, Rep. Jesse James, R-Altoona, said in a statement. We have seen carjackings on the rise in every corner of our state. This bill is a common-sense win for our public safety.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have largely supported efforts this session to crack down on crimes such as carjacking and reckless driving, including a measure signed into law last month by Evers that allows cities, villages, towns or counties to pass ordinances to impound vehicles if someone has repeat reckless driving offenses and has not paid a previous fine.

Photos: F-35 fighter jet at the Wisconsin Air National Guards 115th Fighter Wing
TEXASMALL SHOOTING | Q&A

The shooter who killed eight people at a Dallas-area mall was wearing a patch that read "RWDS"  short for "Right Wing Death Squad"a phrase that has been embraced in recent years by far-right extremists who glorify violence against their political enemies.

Authorities have not said what they believe might have motivated 33-year old Mauricio Garcia, who was killed by a police officer who happened to be near the mall May 6 when Garcia opened fire.

Posts by Garcia on a Russian social networking site expressed a fascination with white supremacy and mass shootings. Photos he posted showed large Nazi tattoos on his arm and torso, including a swastika and the SS lightning bolt logo of Hitler's paramilitary forces.

Here is a look at the term "Right Wing Death Squad" and how it became a popular symbol among violent extremists:

What's the history of the term?

The "RWDS" acronym is one of countless shorthand terms used by extremists. Others include "RaHoWa," short for "racial holy war," and "1488," an alphabet-driven code combining references to a white nationalist slogan and Adolf Hitler.

The term "Right Wing Death Squad" originally emerged in the 1970s and '80s to describe Central and South American paramilitary groups created to support right-wing governments and dictatorships and oppose perceived enemies on the left, said Oren Segal, vice president of the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism.

It reemerged in the 2010s among right-wing groups who use it on stickers, patches and in online forums. Other far-right gear and online memes specifically glorify Gen. Augusto Pinochet, the brutal Chilean military dictator whose death squads killed thousands of political opponents.

"It essentially became a phrase that was co-opted to demonstrate opposition to the left more broadly by right-wing extremists," Segal said.

Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, said the Proud Boys, the neo-fascist group of self-described "Western chauvinists," are largely responsible for injecting "RWDS" into the far-right vernacular.

The group has sold patches and T-shirts adorned with the acronym and celebrating Pinochet's death squads. Proud Boys have been photographed wearing "RWDS" patches at rallies and wearing T-shirts that read, "Pinochet did nothing wrong."

Photos shared on social media appeared to show former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio and another former Proud Boys leader, Jeremy Bertino, among those who have worn such patches.

Tarrio was recently convicted of seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol for what prosecutors have described as a violent plot to keep President Donald Trump in power. Bertino, who was vice president of the South Carolina Proud Boys chapter, previously pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6 riot.

Which groups have embraced it?

The Proud Boys aren't the only far-right extremists to adopt the term. "Right Wing Death Squad" was the name of the smaller groups that participated in the white nationalist "Unite the Right Rally" in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The rally turned deadly when a white supremacist rammed his car into a crowd of counter protesters, killing a woman.

"It has really become something over the past couple years that has cut across and far beyond any individual group," said Jon Lewis,a research fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University.

"It has kind of become this rallying cry to some extent: This is what we want, to seize the levers of democratic power, just like Pinochet did, and we want to use the power of the state to then engage in violent genocide effectively against whoever is against us," he said.

American University professor Cynthia Miller-Idriss, director of the school's Polarization and Extremism Research & Innovation Lab, said extremists who adopt these terms and symbols often don't fully understand their origins.

"Nobody is going to accidentally have a 'Right Wing Death Squad' patch," she said. "But it's because of this whole meme culture, and generally the way that iconography is used to signal encoded speech or messages, they don't always know exactly" what it means.

White supremacist groups have non-white members?

Far-right extremist groups like the Proud Boys often point to their Black and Hispanic members to rebut claims that they promote racism or white supremacist ideologies. Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader, is Cuban American, for example.

The Daily Stormer, a leading neo-Nazi website, launched a Spanish-language edition in 2017 tailored to readers in Spain and Latin America.

Some Hispanics identify as white.

But those who don't consider them-selves to be white "can still be attracted to and support movements that are inherently or explicitly white supremacist," said Miller-Idriss, author of "Hate in the Homeland: The New Global Far Right."

Tanya Hernandez, a law professor at Fordham University and author of "Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias," said Latinos are often viewed" as an unwanted other" in the U.S.

"If you are a Latino who is already affected by being viewed as other and want desperately to be part of the club that is the U.S.,what better way to make a claim  than to be part of the enforcement, the policing of whiteness within a white supremacist hate group?" she said.
WISCONSIN MEDICAID

Plans by for-profit, out-of state companies to acquire local nonprofits that run a Wisconsin Medicaid program for people with disabilities and the frail elderly are being approved by state agencies, amid concern the mergers could reduce services for more than 80,000 of the state's most vulnerable residents.

Louisville, Kentucky-based Humana's plan to purchase Inclusa, of Stevens Point, has passed reviews by the state Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and the state Department of Health Services.

"All certification criteria have been met, so we are in the process of moving forward and we anticipate that the contract reassignment will be moving forward soon,"Alicia Boehme,director of the Bureau of Quality and Oversight at DHS, said Tuesday.

Molina Healthcare, based in Long Beach, California, plans to acquire My Choice Wisconsin,of Wauwatosa, which has a sizable presence in Dane County. My Choice and Inclusa are the largest of four managed care organizations,or MCOs, that run Family Care, a state program that provides home care, transportation, job support and other services to keep people out of nursing homes.

DHS is reviewing Molina's certification materials, with its merger expected to go before OCI soon, Boehme said Tuesday at a meeting of the Wisconsin Long Term Care Advisory Council.

Despite advocates' criticism of the moves, including at public meetings in December and April, state officials say they are not legally able to block the mergers out right. OCI is limited to ensuring financial solvency and DHS is limited to making sure the companies canad minister the Family Care program, officials said.

However, DHS said it is strengthening its contracts with the companies, such as requiring the MCOs to maintain at least 50% of their staff in Wisconsin and requiring six months' notice, rather than 90 days, to terminate a contract. The agency is also creating a "data firewall" to prevent MCOs involved in IRIS, a related program in which clients choose their own care givers, from moving members between the two programs.
Former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign is pursuing a strategy of expanding his appeal by reaching out to audiences beyond friendly conservative media outlets, multiple advisers familiar with the strategy said, including a CNN town hall this week.

The town hall event in New Hampshire Wednesday evening, Trump's first appearance on CNN since the 2016 election, joins a list of other signs that Trump is adopting a more traditional campaign in his third run for the White House.

The former president has surrounded himself with a more organized, experienced team to complement his unconventional campaign style. He's also scaling back larger rallies, a Trump campaign trademark, for more intimate campaign settings and retail stops that allow the former president to engage with voters.

"Look, there are three camps of people: those who will always be with Trump, those who aren't sure and those who will never be with him," one Trump adviser told CNN. "We are working on getting the support of every single person in that middle category."

That approach speaks to an acknowledgment by the Trump campaign and its allies that the former president must broaden his appeal inside and outside the Republican Party if he is to clinch the GOP nomination and retake the White House in 2024, following his failed reelection bid and disappointing results by Republicans in last year's midterm elections. The process is being driven by a team of veteran political operatives, skilled in matters such as the delegate process, who believe Trump's path to victory cannot simply be a reprisal of his insurgent 2016 bid or his large, expensive 2020 operation.

The former president's team has increased its outreach with traditional news outlets, taking questions from television and print correspondents on recent campaign swings from organizations Trump has spent years attacking.

Trump's team also sees the town hall has an opportunity to draw a contrast with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has clashed with what he often refers to as "legacy media" organizations.

"A lot of Republicans, they get worried about being attacked by the media, they worry about getting smeared, it's not anything good. I don't read any of it, so I don't really care," DeSantis said last month.

One Trump adviser noted the former president would likely keep his focus on DeSantis and the GOP primary, though some in his orbit have urged him to use the town hall setting and his standing as frontrunner in Republican primary polls to pivot to general election attacks on President Joe Biden.

Three sources close to the former president told CNN there wasn't any intense preparation for the town hall, but that his team huddled together Tuesday, talked through potential questions and the event with him. One source said the team also touched on his previous positions on different topics.

"Trump is already prepared," one source told CNN, saying the goal for the town hall is to amplify his core message.

Advisers to the former president acknowledge he still has work to do to engage with Republican voters outside of his loyal base of supporters, multiple sources told CNN.

"There is a belief that Trump can 'out-personality' other candidates," one of the sources close to the former president told CNN, highlighting Trump's ability to connect with people.

This is particularly important in the early voting state of New Hampshire, where Trump has already visited twice since launching his third presidential bid. During his first trip in January, Trump delivered the keynote address at the state GOP's annual meeting, a more understated group of party leaders. He returned last month, inviting supporters from around the Granite State to a packed event in Manchester where he delivered a lengthy address.

In a sign of the anticipation surrounding Trump's town hall appearance, former Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney's PAC launched a new TV ad in New Hampshire calling Trump "unfit for office" and "a risk America can never take again."

The ad will air on CNN this week, according to a release from the group, called the Great Task PAC. Cheney, who narrates the ad, has said she will do everything in her power to ensure the former president is not elected to the White House again.

"Donald Trump is the only president in American history who has refused to guarantee the peaceful transfer of power," Cheney says in the ad. "He lost the election and he knew it. He betrayed millions of Americans by telling them the election was stolen. He ignored the rulings of dozens of courts."

Ongoing investigations

Trump's town hall also comes as he faces several legal hurdles.

In New York, a jury on Tuesday found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll, awarding the writer about $5 million.

Carroll, who sued Trump for battery and defamation, alleged that he raped her in a Manhattan luxury department store dressing room in the spring of 1996 and then defamed her years later when she went public with the allegations.

Trump, who has denied the allegations, called the verdict "a total disgrace" and "continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time" in a post on Truth Social.

Additionally, Trump pleaded not guilty last month to 34 felony criminal charges of falsifying business records in Manhattan. That case stemmed from hush money payments made during the 2016 campaign to women claiming extramarital affairs with Trump, which he has denied.

The former president is also under scrutiny by special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading a pair of investigations -- one into the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and the other on the handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence.

Additionally, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis plans to announce charges this summer from the investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.

Trump, however, has said that he is running for president regardless of the criminal charges he may face, criticizing all of the investigations as politically motivated.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Idahos farmers are trying to catch up.

Planting in the Gem State is still behind schedule due to a cool, wet spring, according to the latest USDAs Crop Progress and Condition Report. But warmer weather has arrived, allowing farmers in eastern Idaho to get into the fields, which up until a couple of weeks ago were too wet.

Daytime highs last week reached into the 80s for several days but fell to near-freezing temperatures overnight, the report said.

We are about two weeks behind, said Larry Hollifield, who grows a variety of crops near Hansen. He had grown accustomed to getting out into the fields at the end of March but had to wait until the first couple of weeks of April this year.

Planting rates and crops that have emerged are still mostly below average in the state.

When conditions became ripe for planting, you try to push harder and do your best to catch up, Hollifield said, and it looks like guys have made up some of that distance.

Sixty-three percent of spring wheat had been planted as of Friday, compared with 70% last year and a five-year average of 81%, with similar numbers for barley.

Fifty-four percent of the states potatoes had been planted, compared with 64% last year and a five-year average of 60%.

Sugar beet planting is above average, with 95% of the planting complete, compared with a 92% five-year average. Twenty-three percent of plants have emerged, compared with a 41% average.

There is still room for catchup in dry edible bean planting, with 16% planted compared with 27% completed at this time last year.

Forty percent of the winter wheat was reported in good condition, with 49% in fair condition.

Soil moisture is good throughout Idaho, with 84% of growers surveyed saying there was adequate moisture and only 3% saying they were short. Thirteen percent reported a surplus of moisture.

Alfalfa shows strong growth, and pasture growth made significant gains last week, the report said.
Quote RCV is one thing with a limited number of candidates  it is quite another if there are many candidates. ... Imagine a race of 12-15 candidates. Could voters adequately determine the policy positions of all of them to properly rank their choice?

Reclaim Idaho  the activist group that successfully pushed the troubled expansion of Medicaid in Idaho, as well as a ballot measure that would have raised income taxes for education funding  has a new proposal based on a bad idea.

The groups new initiative would do several things: (1) change Idahos primary elections from closed to open meaning any person could participate, regardless of whether they are Republican, Democrat or neither and (2) adopt ranked choice voting in the state.

Open primaries are not entirely unusual. More than a dozen states have an open primary system. While advantageous for independents who may not want to join one party or another, open primaries can have the effect of allowing members of one political party influence over the candidates of the other.

Ranked choice voting may be the bigger issue here. Idaho legislators passed a bill this session that outlaws ranked choice voting.

RCV allows voters to rank their choices based on preference. For example, a Republican voter may choose the Republican candidate as their first choice, an independent candidate as their second choice and a Democrat as their third choice. If no person receives 50% of the votes, the counting process starts over, eliminating the candidate who did the worst and redistributing their votes based on their second choice.

Alaska and Maine are the only states that have adopted RCV for all congressional and state elections.

Ranked choice voting has numerous problems, including:

Some votes count more

If you chose the winning candidate in an RCV system  congratulations. If you didnt, dont worry  your new votes in round two, three or four may help push a candidate across the finish line. Because RCV retabulates votes each round, your support can shift, giving some voters multiple opportunities to pick a winner. This is in direct conflict with the principle of one person, one vote.

Exhausted votes

Some votes simply wont count. Why? They may become exhausted. This means that the voter either over-voted, under-voted or chose only candidates that havent advanced to further rounds of counting. These exhausted votes are then thrown out. It is estimated that some 10% of votes are discarded or exhausted in any RCV election. A 2010 San Francisco RCV election was a confusing mess, going 20 rounds and exhausting nearly 10,000 votes.

Voter confusion and low turnout

Numerous studies have shown RCV leads to major confusion and lower voter turnout. One analysis of San Franciscos RCV found a significant correlation between a drop in voter turnout and the adoption of ranked choice voting. The results appear even worse in off-year elections.

Too many candidates?

RCV is one thing with a limited number of candidates  it is quite another if there are many candidates. Because voters would be required to rank every race, they would want to know and study the positions of every candidate. Imagine a race of 12-15 candidates. Could voters adequately determine the policy positions of all of them to properly rank their choice?

Process delays

Because of the tabulation process, many RCV election results are not available on Election Day. Depending on the number of candidates, they may not even be available Election week.

Pierce County, in Washington state, experimented with ranked choice voting in in 2006. By 2008, it returned to the former system.

Former California Gov. Jerry Brown may have said it best: In a time when we want to encourage voter participation, we need to keep voting simple. Ranked choice voting is overly complicated and confusing. I believe it deprives voters of genuinely informed choice.
Immigration lawyer Marlene Gonzalez

The elusive American dream, a cherished aspiration for countless Filipinos, remains a distant reality for many. Thus, immigration lawyer Attorney Marlene Gonzalez, through her profound expertise and unwavering commitment, stands as a staunch advocate for countless Filipinos who harbor the aspiration of attaining the elusive American dream.

With utmost dedication, she tirelessly endeavors to assist and raise awareness among our kababayans, both domestically and internationally.

As a compassionate immigration lawyer, prioritizes her clients needs above all. She firmly believes that her fees should not hinder her commitment to assisting those in need.

At the age of 12, Attorney Marlene immigrated to the United States with her family. Motivated by her mother, a nurse, the decision to move to the US was made. Her father, a military officer under President Ferdinand Marcos, chose to retire and join his family abroad. Their new home was in Los Angeles, California, but adapting to the unfamiliar environment posed challenges for young Marlene.

She decided to become a lawyer after listening to a U.S. Supreme Court nomination hearing and finding out that most US Senators who get to pick the most powerful justices have a legal background. She was a stay-at-home mother then raising her first child.

Attorney Marlene knew that she needed to be an active participant in decision-making as far as the government and life, in general, is concerned.

I wanted to be at the table for any decision that impacts me, my life as a mother, and as a woman, added Attorney Marlene.

She was inspired by Cory Aquinos rise to the presidency.

Cory Aquino inspired me as a woman, and I decided to pursue a legal education, despite having my three kids already at the time.

Attorney Marlene Gonzalez is a dedicated immigration lawyer with 23 years of experience. She has actively worked with organizations such as the YWCA, Utah Sentencing Commission, and the Utah Minority Bar Association, focusing on advocacy. As a non-profit lawyer for six years, she handled cases related to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and now serves as legal counsel to the Asian Association of Utah- Refugee Immigrant Center. With a passion for helping others, she aims to establish a law office in Arizona, where many Filipino-owned healthcare businesses are located.

Immigration lawyer Marlene Gonzalez offers assistance and support to Filipinos for over 23 years

She considers her greatest achievement in life as being able to raise three daughters who are now successful in their own endeavors.

Attorney Marlene is embarking on a new venture by launching a nursing recruitment company. This endeavor is another significant milestone in her ongoing mission to provide assistance and support.

In addition, she plans to offer consultations in the Philippines. Her current objective is to extend her assistance to immigrants and individuals aspiring to live in the United States, ensuring their safety and pursuit of a better life.

On a side note, Attorney Marlene has embarked on her own chocolate factory business. With a focus on spreading happiness, she aims to utilize the mood-enhancing qualities of serotonin, also known as the happiness hormone, found in chocolate. By sourcing cacao from the Philippines, she not only aims to bring joy to people but also to uplift Filipino cacao farmers and bolster their businesses.

Later this year, Attorney Marlene will visit Manila to share her expertise about Green Card safety and awareness.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Former First Lady Imelda Marcos, mother of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is recovering well after undergoing angioplasty, her daughter, Senator Imee Marcos, said Thursday.

Haha, successful angioplasty, had stent put in and recovered quickly, Senator Marcos said in a text message to Manila Standard.

My mother Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos underwent a successful angioplasty last May 7 at St. Lukes Medical Center Global City. [She] is recovering well and will be sent home this week, Imee said in a separate statement confirmed by her office.

In March, rumors of the death of the 93-year-old Marcos matriarch were silenced after Imee and Imeldas niece Eliza Romualdez-Valtos denied them.

Before that, then-Bacoor Mayor Lani Revilla erroneously tweeted about Imeldas death, as she expressed condolences to the family of the widow of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

Revilla then deleted her post, apologized in a separate tweet, and later claimed her account was hacked.

Imelda also reacted to Revillas social media mess, saying, Still alive. Im just old.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Tens of thousands of US law enforcement personnel have been deployed to the border with Mexico, officials said Wednesday, as waiting migrants fret over a looming change to entry rules.

The United States is girding for a surge in people claiming refuge from political persecution, climate-related disaster and poverty when pandemic-era restrictions expire overnight Thursday into Friday.

In the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juarez, Venezuelan construction worker Michel said he felt trapped and frustrated after many failed attempts to use a new phone app meant to process asylum requests once the rules lapse.

We dont know whats happening, he told AFP after a dangerous overland journey from South America with his wife and five-year-old daughter. Theyre making things more difficult.

About 24,000 border police and 1,100 processing personnel have been activated  double the number a year ago, and the Pentagon has sent 1,500 extra troops to reinforce 2,500 already in place.

Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, said the US government was clear eyed about the challenges of ending the Covid restrictions known as Title 42.

Even after nearly two years of preparation, we expect to see large numbers of encounters at our southern border in the days and weeks after May 11, he told reporters Wednesday.

The crossings are a political flashpoint in the United States, with the rival Republican Party under Donald Trump championing strict anti-immigration measures.

Trump as president used Title 42  officially a public health measure  as a blunt tool to block migrants, but both the United States and World Health Organization say the emergency phase of the pandemic is over.

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has poured scorn on federal arrangements, sending hundreds of his states National Guard troops to hotspots.

Brigadier General Matt Barker of the Texas Air Force National Guard told AFP many were in Brownsville.

This is our quick reaction force. They are specially trained military police soldiers. Theyre down here to put eyes on the key terrain in Brownsville and help maintain order.

A group of Republican senators on Wednesday accused Bidens administration of responding too slowly.

The administration has failed to acknowledge the crisis at our border, and is recognizing in the 11th hour that the upcoming removal of Title 42 authorities, and the subsequent surge in border crossings that is predicted, will have disastrous effects on the security of our nation, said a letter led by Senator Mitt Romney to Mayorkas.

 More humane 

The administration counters that it has expelled a record number of migrants thanks to coordination with other countries, with an official saying that more than three million people have been removed over the past two and a half years.

The White House has also insisted that it will take a more humane approach, including not taking children away from their parents  one of the most controversial measures under Trump.

But they said Wednesday anyone who does not use legal pathways to enter the United States will be considered ineligible and could be removed.

That threat appeared to be percolating through to some migrants in Matamoros, over the border from Brownsville.

Venezuelan Andres Sanchez told AFP he would not be chancing an illegal river crossing.

We will lose all rights to legal process. They can automatically throw us back because we entered illegally, he said.

 I couldnt wait any longer 

But in a sign of the confusion, hundreds of migrants who had already crossed near El Paso and handed themselves in to border patrol agents had been processed by Wednesday.

Eibor Tovar told AFP in El Paso he will have to present himself to a judge in November.

I was lucky, I got the appointment before others, there are people who got it in 2026, he said.

What I want is to work.

El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said the CBP operation had cleared many of the earlier arrivals off the streets, but that the respite was likely only temporary.

Weve seen the numbers are down. But we dont know whats coming in the next day, we dont know whats coming in the next 10 days, he said.

We know that theyll continue to come and well continue to make sure that we help them.

In Ciudad Juarez, tales of almost unspeakable human misery abound.

Marta Perez huddles with her two young girls in a single room. The girls older brother vanished into the United States a year ago.

Perez fled Guatemala after criminal gangs raped her, and killed her husband in front of their children.

My dream was to stay here in Mexico, I asked for refuge, but my son saw so many terrible things that he fled to the US, she said.

All I want to do is cross to the US and to be with my son.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Heres what happened locally on May 11 over the past century, as reported in this newspaper, which went from being called the Henry Bulletin to the Daily Bulletin to the Martinsville Bulletin:

1923: W. R. West, George W. Mitchell, and W. H. Carter, were elected delegates by the Tobacco Growers Co-Operative Association last Saturday. A lively interest in the voting was shown and many voted by mail. W.R. West received 397 votes, George Mitchell 372, and W. H. Carter 347. These delegates will meet with the delegates from Patrick and Franklin counties on May 12th.

1948: Those discharged from the General Hospital Tuesday were Little Diana Meredith, Hillcrest Avenue, city; David Leak, Route 3, Ridgeway; Miss Sara Lee East, Starling Avenue, city; Mrs. Thomas Tatum, Spencer; Mrs. Vivian Joyce, Fieldale; Basil Turner, Route 2, city; Miss Edna Murphy, Spencer; and Mrs. Grave Horsley and baby daughter, Fieldale.

1973: The Henry County Board of Supervisors held an illegal secret meeting yesterday to discuss a telephone threat received by School Supt. Branch K. Rives. Board Chairman Melvin Brown said afterwards that he knew the secret meeting violated the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Rives received a single phone call Tuesday night, in which a young mans voice warned him to lay off the board or the gang will see that you are taken care of and if you dont believe this, the boss will tell you the same thing, Brown said today.

1998: Bassett Walker Inc.s Monday announcement that it would close two sewing plants in addition to three shutdowns announced in January should have little immediate effect on local operations, according to a company spokesperson. The Martinsville area Bassett Walker plants are too far from those set for closing to absorb any significant share of about 430 employees who will be idled, said Donny Rakes, manager of employee development and communications for the Martinsville-based fleecewear manufacturer.
China develops cutting-edge observatory on "roof of the world"

Xinhua) 08:23, May 11, 2023

XINING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Lenghu, a tiny town with about 500 permanent residents at an average altitude of 2,800 meters, will soon draw worldwide stargazers with a state-of-the-art observatory site located in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

China's top astronomers have chosen the area as an ideal observatory site, thanks to its clear night skies, stable atmospheric conditions and dry climate comparable to several globally-renowned observatories.

Construction of the Lenghu site started in 2018. Upon its completion it will house at least nine optical astronomical telescope projects including some 30 telescopes, with an investment of nearly 2 billion yuan (about 289 million U.S. dollars).

This aerial photo taken on April 12, 2023 shows an astronomical telescope project of the Lenghu observatory site under construction in northwest China's Qinghai Province. (Xinhua/Chen Jie)

"With the new observatory in sight, Lenghu is gaining popularity and attracting more tourists," said Zhang Jing, who works at a hotel in Lenghu town.

She said the hotel plans to revamp its guestroom windows to offer astronomy lovers a better view of the starry night sky.

STAR-GAZING FROM "ROOF OF THE WORLD"

Chinese scientists first looked to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the "roof of the world," as a potential observatory site in the 1990s and have located a series of observatory sites on the plateau since 2000, including one in Ngari Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

In 2017, Tian Cairang, then deputy Party chief of the Lenghu industrial park, was anxiously seeking new ways to facilitate local industrial transformation as the small plateau town, which saw a short-lived economic boom in the 1960s due to its oil reserves, had fallen into recession in the 1990s due to resource depletion.

"At night, when we looked up at the sky, we saw the brilliant stars," Tian said in an interview with Xinhua. "The stars seem incredibly close, and the Milky Way so clear. I asked myself this question: can Lenghu rely on its starry sky to develop the cultural tourism industry?"

He invited Deng Licai, a researcher from the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), to visit Lenghu.

This aerial photo taken on April 8, 2023 shows a winding mountain road leading to the Lenghu observatory site in northwest China's Qinghai Province. (Xinhua/Chen Jie)

Deng was struck by the starry sky once he climbed to the top of the Saishiteng Mountain east of Lenghu, about 4,000 meters above sea level. "It was dark, dry and barren up there, so it might be an ideal site for astronomical observation," he recalled.

Deng and his colleagues eventually identified the site in 2021, after three years of survey which found 70 percent of the nights at Lenghu had clear, photometric conditions, with a median seeing of 0.75 arc seconds and a precipitable water vapour below 2 mm for 55 percent of the night. These qualified the place as an ideal astronomical observing site, Deng said in a paper published in Nature in 2021.

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES

Deng said it broke the bottleneck in China's development of optical astronomical observations and will fill the gap in global research.

"Without a cutting-edge observatory here, we miss out on important celestial events that occur in the Western Hemisphere during the day, which is nighttime in the Eastern Hemisphere," Deng said, adding that the site will enable worldwide scientists to expand cooperation.

Among these newly-built projects, a new solar telescope is in the trial run stage.

The Accurate Infrared Magnetic Field Measurements of the Sun (AIMS) is the first solar magnetic-field telescope working in the mid-infrared wavelength in the world, said Wang Dongguang, chief engineer of CAS's Huairou Solar Observing Station of National Astronomical Observatories.

This photo taken on April 8, 2023 with a mobile phone shows Wang Dongguang, chief engineer of CAS's Huairou Solar Observing Station of National Astronomical Observatories, working inside a dome of the Lenghu observatory site in northwest China's Qinghai Province. (Xinhua/Gu Ling)

Solar observations in the mid-infrared range have been a challenge for worldwide astronomers, Wang said. The new facility is expected to obtain highly accurate data of the solar magnetic field, mid-infrared imaging and spectrum.

Another project, the Stellar Observations Network Group (SONG) project, with a total investment of 30 million yuan, is undergoing dome installation.

"Instead of using air conditioning inside the dome, we have designed it specifically for thermal and wind dynamics. The new design uses wind to control its inside temperature and air flow, significantly improving the telescope's dome seeing," said Deng.

Once completed, it will join seven other telescopes worldwide to study the internal structure of stars and explore extrasolar planetary systems, said Deng, Chinese representative of the steering committee of the SONG project that involves about 20 countries.

The Multiplexed Survey Telescope (MUST) construction project was also launched in Lenghu last year. The 6.5-meter MUST, developed by Tsinghua University, will be the largest telescope in Lenghu upon completion. Scientists hope to make breakthroughs in dark energy evolution, gravitational wave cosmology and galaxy formation.

With more infrastructure and further testing, Deng said Lenghu would become a major base for international optical astronomy research, as well as a source for humanity to explore the mysteries of the universe and cultivate original scientific achievements.

A FUTURE NURTURED BY SCIENCE

Retired local government worker Zhang Yaping follows the building progress of the observatory site in her hometown.

This aerial photo taken on April 8, 2023 shows a part of the Lenghu observatory site in northwest China's Qinghai Province. (Xinhua/Chen Jie)

At 56, Zhang vividly remembers her childhood living on an oil production base near Lenghu.

"The town has no summer as a cold wind persistently blows, and the weather is dry all year round," she recalled.

As she grew up, Zhang witnessed Lenghu's prosperity and decline and took part in its development.

"Before 1958, it was a town of tents pitched by geological exploration teams in search of oil," said Zhang, former head of Lenghu town.

In September 1958, when the Lenghu oilfield was discovered, then dubbed one of China's four major oil zones, people flocked in from all over the country. The town gradually became prosperous, and its population reached 100,000 at its peak, statistics show.

But its boom based on oil resources was short-lived: when the oilfield dried up in the late 1980s, many new settlers left and the town fell back into oblivion.

"Although the town's cultural history is short, its future must be bright," she said. "Lenghu's future lies in astronomy, science and technology."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Photo: Parliament of Canada Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas

I want to begin by sharing an unfortunate event from 2016.

That year, a rockslide damaged the regional irrigation canal located in the community of Oliver. The canal runs from north of Oliver south to Osoyoos and is critical infrastructure, serving many South Okanagan farming communities.

When it came time to fund the repairs, the local government budgeted to invest its fair share in the project. Likewise, the provincial government of the day also stepped up to cover its share. Unfortunately, the answer was no from the federal government. The bureaucrats said the project did not fit into any established grant programs and washed its hands of the problem.

The area was not in my riding, however, the MP who represented raised the issue many times in Parliament but was ignored by the government.

What was even more infuriating from my perspective was two years later, in 2019, the government gave the mega-grocery corporation Loblaws more than $12 million to help buy more energy-efficient refrigeration. The net earnings of Loblaw Companies Limited reached approximately $1.99 billion in the financial year ending Dec. 31, 2022.

For context, the cost to repair the Oliver irrigation canal was estimated at $11.4 million.

Why do I mention this? In 2021, communities such as Princeton and Merritt, as well as the surrounding unincorporated areas, were devastated by flooding. At the time, there was national media attention about the situation and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised residents of those communities he "had their backs" and "would be there for them."

The mayor of Princeton was given a special number to contact (Trudeaus) office, but when he tried to use this number, he was told to go talk with the province.

You may have heard recently that the government announced it was giving Volkswagen up to $13 billion in subsidies over the next decade as part of a deal to ensure the automaker builds its electric-vehicle battery plant in southern Ontario. According to Statista, Volkswagen's operating profit in the 2022 fiscal year increased 14.78% from the previous year and stood at roughly 22.1 billion euros.

What you may not have heard is there are still residents in Merritt and Princeton who cannot return home. Likewise, there are many badly needed infrastructure projects these small communities need help to afford.

People in Merritt and Princeton pay taxes to Ottawa like everywhere else but all too often rural Canada is ignored by this government.

It is crucial Ottawa hears directly from rural mayors of these hard hit communities to understand better the struggles they face as they try to rebuild. Last week, I invited Princeton Mayor Spencer Coyne and Merritt Mayor Michael Goetz to appear in Ottawa at the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.

I want to thank them both for attending and sharing the experiences of their communities and the many challenges they face.

This week's question:

Do you think the federal government is properly supporting rural communities?

I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll-free at 1-800-665-8711.

Dan Albas is the Conservative MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Editor's Note Editors note: The following is a question-and-answer profile of a nurse who works at Mission Hospital McDowell. It is part of a three-part series for National Nurses Week Saturday, May 6 through Friday, May 12.

National Nurses Week is being observed in McDowell County and especially at Mission Hospital McDowell in Marion.

At Mission Hospital McDowell, we have an exceptional hospital team who care for this community every day and I am proud to work alongside them, said CEO Marsha Myers. During Nurses Week, we honor the exceptional patient care our nurses deliver with various celebrations throughout the week. Our nurses care like family and we are honored to have such a great team here in Marion.

Name: Donna Langlois

Age: Late middle age

Home community: Dysartsville, McDowell County. My husband and I relocated from northern New Hampshire.

Educational background: Associates Degree in nursing (AND) from White Mountains Community College. Currently enrolled in Galen College pursuing a Bachelor of Science in nursing.

Any family information you would like to provide for this profile: I am married with three adult children and four grandsons.

When did you know you wanted to be nurse? Nursing is my second career. I was inspired by a nurse manager in New Hampshire. The way she interacted with the public, her nurses and the health care providers made such an impression on me; I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? The most rewarding part of my job is helping my patients get better. A big part of that is learning about the patient and their families so I can provide the best education for their recovery.

What do you love about working at Mission Hospital McDowell? I love working at McDowell Hospital for several reasons. First, its a warm, family dynamic. Everyone is approachable and helpful. I find our smaller hospital to be full of well-rounded nurses and providers.

What would you say to encourage someone who was thinking about a career in health care? Absolutely do it! There are so many different opportunities within the nursing field to explore and grow into. Reach out anytime and chat with a nurse or educator, nursing is definitely worth the self-investment.

What is the most challenging part of your job? Not being able to control outcomes. There will always be circumstances where everything was done to the best of our ability but, ultimately, we cannot always have positive outcomes.

Is there any one patient or incident that stands out during your career? I carry many of my patients in my heart and think of them frequently. But, learning of the death of an oncology patient I cared for left me in the hallway in tears. He was the most upbeat and positive person and always cared about those around him. He was such a wonderful person, and I adored his loving family.

What would you like readers to know about the profession of nursing? Nursing will challenge you to grow as a person. It teaches you to think outside of the box. You will become a more compassionate person. You will build friendships through shared joy and sorrow. In nursing, you will be both the teacher and the student as we are constantly learning new techniques with changing practices and sharing this with fellow nurses. This will be the most difficult career you will love.
Maternity leave in the Cape Verdean civil service will increase from 60 to 90 days this month, followed by paternity leave, the Minister of State Modernization and Public Administration announced on Wednesday.

At issue, explained the minister Edna Oliveira, in parliament, is the entry into force of the new Public Employment Framework Law, scheduled for May 24, which also provides for the introduction, for the first time, of 10 days of paternity leave.

The maternity leave, as it is already regulated and what happens is only the increase in the number of days, it is automatic. In relation to paternity leave, it will have to be regulated, said the minister.

The minister was nominated by the members of the Independent and Democratic Cape Verdean Union (UCID) to the questioning of the Government in the first ordinary parliamentary session of May, which started yesterday in the National Assembly, in Praia.

With the new Basic Law of Public Employment this leave was increased by an additional 30 days. In other words, instead of taking only 60 days of leave, they will now take 90 days of leave. Regarding the father, at this moment there is no paternity leave. What does exist is that the father, when the woman gives birth, is entitled to three days of absences, she recalled.

Edna Oliveira added that, with the entry into force of the Public Employment Framework Law and its regulations, the father will be entitled to 10 days of leave and 90 days for the mother.

The regime that was approved, which is more advantageous, allows the father to be available to assist the mother for a period of 10 days, which does not happen now. And since our society has problems, I think that the more time there is for the family, for the father or mother to dedicate to the family, surely we will be able to overcome problems in our society in the future, she stressed.

According to the Minister of State Modernization and Public Administration, this is a pertinent measure and that results from the recommendation that has been made even at the level of the World Labor Organization. In countries where there are better human resource management practices, this measure, whether it be the extension of maternity leave and the extension of paternity leave or its introduction, is something that is considered urgent, he informed.

According to government figures, the Cape Verdean civil service has more than 21 thousand workers.
The National Bank of Angola (BNA) registers about 350 cyber attacks daily, said on Wednesday, in Luanda, the governor, who stressed that the system has managed to remain resilient.

Jose de Lima Massano was a speaker on the first panel of the 1st Forum and Expo on Cybersecurity, having emphasized that the digitalization path has already 20 years, an exercise that has always faced great challenges of adaptation of the institutions, that is, for the systems to be prepared so that transactions occur with security.

The transactions are being made in this path that we are taking today, increasingly digitally, said Jose de Lima Massano, admitting that there are still many manual transactions.

According to the governor of the Angolan central bank, there are still challenges, starting with the BNA itself, which needs to understand this phenomenon and must also be prepared to protect itself, but also for operators.

For the governor of the Angolan central bank, having this rate of attacks on the system and its remaining resilience, means that there is work being done with a remarkable degree of success by the operators of the financial system.

The BNA itself also has to protect itself, because in addition to the payment system that we manage [nationally], we are also responsible for international reserves, the BNA manages reserves around $14 billion [12.7 billion euros] and we have daily, to get an idea, about 350 attacks, attempted penetration into our systems, he said. Along with cybersecurity, the system also manages other issues, such as fraud and scams.

In this 20-year journey, according to the BNA governor, the Angolan financial system is equipped with the most capable staff to deal with this phenomenon.
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:

A picture generated by an artificial intelligence showing how an AI in an ICU might look. Credit: Vienna University of Technology

In the future, artificial intelligence will play an important role in medicine. In diagnostics, successful tests have already been performed: for example, the computer can learn to categorize images with great accuracy according to whether they show pathological changes or not. However, it is more difficult to train an artificial intelligence to examine the time-varying conditions of patients and to calculate treatment suggestionsthis is precisely what has now been achieved at TU Wien in cooperation with the Medical University of Vienna.

With the help of extensive data from intensive care units of various hospitals, an artificial intelligence was developed that provides suggestions for the treatment of people who require intensive care due to sepsis. Analyses show that artificial intelligence already surpasses the quality of human decisions. However, it is now important to also discuss the legal aspects of such methods.

Making optimal use of existing data

"In an intensive care unit, a lot of different data is collected around the clock. The patients are constantly monitored medically. We wanted to investigate whether these data could be used even better than before," says Prof. Clemens Heitzinger from the Institute for Analysis and Scientific Computing at TU Wien (Vienna). He is also Co-Director of the cross-faculty "Center for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning" (CAIML) at TU Wien.

Medical staff make their decisions on the basis of well-founded rules. Most of the time, they know very well which parameters they have to take into account in order to provide the best care. However, the computer can easily take many more parameters than a human into accountand in some cases this can lead to even better decisions.

The computer as planning agent

"In our project, we used a form of machine learning called reinforcement learning," says Clemens Heitzinger. "This is not just about simple categorisationfor example, separating a large number of images into those that show a tumor and those that do notbut about a temporally changing progression, about the development that a certain patient is likely to go through. Mathematically, this is something quite different. There has been little research in this regard in the medical field."

The computer becomes an agent that makes its own decisions: if the patient is well, the computer is "rewarded." If the condition deteriorates or death occurs, the computer is "punished." The computer program has the task of maximizing its virtual "reward" by taking actions. In this way, extensive medical data can be used to automatically determine a strategy which achieves a particularly high probability of success.

Already better than a human

"Sepsis is one of the most common causes of death in intensive care medicine and poses an enormous challenge for doctors and hospitals, as early detection and treatment is crucial for patient survival," says Prof. Oliver Kimberger from the Medical University of Vienna.

"So far, there have been few medical breakthroughs in this field, which makes the search for new treatments and approaches all the more urgent. For this reason, it is particularly interesting to investigate the extent to which artificial intelligence can contribute to improve medical care here. Using machine learning models and other AI technologies are an opportunity to improve the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis, ultimately increasing the chances of patient survival."

Analysis shows that AI capabilities are already outperforming humans: "Cure rates are now higher with an AI strategy than with purely human decisions. In one of our studies, the cure rate in terms of 90-day mortality was increased by about 3% to about 88%," says Clemens Heitzinger.

Of course, this does not mean that one should leave medical decisions in an intensive care unit to the computer alone. But the artificial intelligence may run along as an additional device at the bedsideand the medical staff can consult it and compare their own assessment with the artificial intelligence's suggestions. Such artificial intelligences can also be highly useful in education.

Discussion about legal issues is necessary

"However, this raises important questions, especially legal ones," says Clemens Heitzinger. "One probably thinks of the question who will be held liable for any mistakes made by the artificial intelligence first. But there is also the converse problem: what if the artificial intelligence had made the right decision, but the human chose a different treatment option and the patient suffered harm as a result?"

Does the doctor then face the accusation that it would have been better to trust the artificial intelligence because it comes with a huge wealth of experience? Or should it be the human's right to ignore the computer's advice at all times?

"The research project shows: artificial intelligence can already be used successfully in clinical practice with today's technologybut a discussion about the social framework and clear legal rules are still urgently needed," says Clemens Heitzinger.

The findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

More information: Razvan Bologheanu et al, Development of a Reinforcement Learning Algorithm to Optimize Corticosteroid Therapy in Critically Ill Patients with Sepsis, Journal of Clinical Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.3390/jcm12041513
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:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Life has changed forever because of COVID-19, and the virus is still spreading, and still causing serious illness or significant disruption of 'normal' life.

But when the clock strikes 11:59 p.m. on May 11, some of the special rules and programs put in place during the past three years will end.

That's when the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration is expected to expire. The virus is still with us, but the official government response level will change.

What does this actually mean for everyday people? Here's a quick list:

You should still get all the doses of COVID-19 vaccine available to you now and in the future

In addition, have your children over 6 months vaccinated with all the doses available to them. Staying up-to-date on vaccinations has been shown to help prevent serious illness and death.

Find out what doses you and your children can receive here.

Vaccinations are still free, but after May 11 you should check that the place where you're getting vaccinated is in-network for your insurance. Pharmacies will still be able to vaccinate people. If you don't have insurance, you should be able to get vaccines for free at your local health department or other locations.

In April, a second dose of updated bivalent booster was recommended for people who are over 65 or immunocompromised.

You will still be able to get rapid tests, but after May 11 they will cost money for most people

Rapid tests for COVID-19 are still important to use when someone is sick or was recently exposed to a person with COVID-19; here's a guide to when to use them.

Before May 11, you can still order free tests from the federal government's test ordering site, and residents of Michigan and certain other states can get free tests from this site. Major pharmacy chains also have free tests available until May 11 and will continue to sell the tests after that. Health departments and some clinics may still have them available for free after May 11.

If you need a PCR test to tell if you have COVID-19, due to symptoms or after an exposure, your insurance may require you to pay part of the cost

This payment may occur either in the form of a co-pay or part of your deductible. You may also have to have a health care provider's order.

People with Medicaid may still be able to get this kind of test for free if a health care provider orders it.

If you want to get a PCR test before a trip or event, and you don't have symptoms or a recent exposure, you may likely have to pay the full cost.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms or test positive, you should still isolate yourself from other people, rest, and contact a health care provider right away to find out if it is recommended that you take a prescription medicine to treat it

If you qualify for treatment with Paxlovid or another prescription medicine because of your age or health conditions, you should start taking it within five days of the start of your symptoms. It can reduce your symptoms and your risk of severe disease.

"Even if you currently take a medicine that might clash with Paxlovid, you may be able to pause taking that other medicine temporarily or change the dose," said Preeti Malani, M.D., an infectious disease physician at Michigan Medicine who is also trained in geriatrics. "Talk to your health care provider and share with them the Michigan Medicine guide to Paxlovid interactions."

If you have Medicare or Medicaid coverage, Paxlovid will be free even after May 11. And if you have other forms of insurance or no insurance, it will be free as long as the government still has a supply. After that, your insurance may require you to pay a co-pay just like you do for other medicines.

If you experience serious symptoms such as trouble breathing, pain or pressure in the chest that doesn't go away; skin or nails that turn pale, blue or gray; or confusion, seek emergency medical attention right away.

You or your children should still wear a mask in public, or to school or work, when you're recovering from COVID-19, or if you live with someone who has it right now

Use this CDC calculator to figure out if you or your children need to mask.

You can also consider masking in public indoor spaces if you consider yourself at high risk from COVID-19, or if you either live with or are preparing to visit someone with a high risk of severe COVID-19, especially when rates in your area are high. You can also wear a mask any other time or place for personal protection, except in certain security situations where you may be asked to lift your mask temporarily.

Masking is especially helpful in situations where a lot of people are close together in a place with poor ventilation. Masking can reduce the likelihood of catching COVID-19 from others, even if you're one of the only people masking. Whenever you mask, use one that fits wellpreferably with a KN-95 or N-95 rating, not a cloth mask.

It's also important to wear a mask when around others, especially in health care settings, any time you have symptoms such as fever, runny nose or coughing, even if you don't have COVID-19 or you're not sure. This is required at Michigan Medicine hospitals and clinics.

Children and adults with fevers, vomiting, diarrhea, pink eye and any other new symptoms should stay home.

If you've been tracking local COVID-19 activity using the colorful maps provided by the CDC, they won't be available anymore

There will still be COVID-19 data on the CDC website and many state, county and municipal websites, but it may not be as complete or as frequently updated as before. School districts, universities and hospitals may also monitor the situation in their area and provide guidance.

You or your child can still see your health care providers via video or phone if they offer this option for the type of care you're getting

But now, you must use a video chat platform that meets strict requirements for health care, such as one based in your provider's patient portal.

You or your child also probably need to be in the same state as the provider. A guest who is in another state (such as a parent or caregiver who is traveling or lives elsewhere) can also join the video session. Learn more about virtual care options at Michigan Medicine.

If you or your children take prescription medications that fall into the category of controlled substances (such as opioid painkillers, sedatives, some ADHD medicines, and treatments for opioid addiction), you can keep getting care from your prescriber via telehealth for now, if they allow it

A temporary rule regarding this is in place through November 11. Click here for details on prescription medications.

If you are eligible for hospital-level care at home for any condition under the program that started because of COVID-19, you can still receive it if your care team recommends it

Learn more about Michigan Medicine's Hospital Care at Home program.

If you have Medicaid or the Healthy Michigan Plan coverage, or your child has CHIP coverage, watch your mail, text messages or email for a very important message from your state

Until recently, a special pandemic rule was in place. For three years, it temporarily lifted a yearly requirement to prove someone is still eligible for these income-based programs.

Now, if you want to keep this kind of coverage, you will need to prove every year that your income still makes you eligible. (If you have Medicare with Medicaid as supplemental coverage, you may also have to submit information about your assets.)

Your state will send you information at the address, email address or cell phone number they have on file for you. See this article for more about what you should do and how to get help.

If you are no longer eligible for this kind of coverage because your income has gone up, other low-cost coverage may be available to you through healthcare.gov. You can enroll at any time after losing Medicaid or CHIP coverage.

The spread of airborne viruses and allergens can be reduced by improving ventilation and air purification in places such as your children's school or daycare, your home, your work location, or your place of worship

Cleaner indoor air helps reduce the risk of multiple diseases and allergic reactions, and can be achieved by changing central air handling settings or equipment, and adding portable air purifiers. The state of Michigan offers free air purifiers to K-12 schools and daycares.

This list has been reviewed by Preeti Malani, M.D., Chad Ellimoottil, M.D., M.S., Robert Ernst, M.D., and Renuka Tipirneni, M.D., M.Sc.
Credit: CC0/Unsplash

The COVID-19 emergency is over. After three years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the virus "no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern." Many countries have decided the same.

In April, the United States lifted its own national emergency and has decided to let a public health emergency declaration expire this weekmeaning no more free tests, vaccines, or medications for many people. Hospitalizations are way down nationwide from peak levels and, here in Massachusetts, every county has held a steady low case count for months. In a major moment, some hospitals this month even reported zero inpatients with the disease. So, we're done, right? Back to a carefreeand mask-freelife?

Maybe not. The WHO didn't downgrade COVID-19's classification as a pandemic. And the United States alone is still tracking about 80,000 new weekly cases and more than 1,000 weekly deathsnumbers that Boston University research suggests may actually be undercounted. Surges in cases and deaths continue to spring up worldwide, most recently in India.

To make sense of the ending declarations, their potential impact, and what it means for where we're at in the pandemic, The Brink spoke with Ellie Murray, a BU School of Public Health assistant professor of epidemiology and a faculty affiliate at the University's Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research.

The Brink: The public health emergency declaration meant easier access to COVID tests, vaccines, and treatments. What are the main impacts of it ending?

Murray: There's also a lot of other response activities that are bundled under this, like the pause on redeterminations to make sure people still qualify for Medicaidthere's definitely a lot of people that are going to lose their healthcare access because of that. We have had things like eviction freezes and those will be ending, as well. So, a whole set of programs that were designed to help people weather the disruption of the pandemic, as well as the particular public health toolslike tests, vaccines, and treatmentare all going to be much harder to access now.

Who's going to be most affected by this? Is there going to be an unequal impact?

There's absolutely going to be an unequal and inequitable impact. The people who will be most affected by it are going to be those who were already most affected by COVID. Our response to COVID really did not focus on ensuring that people at most risk of exposure, at most risk of severe outcomes, had the most support. With the exception of vaccines being rolled out to various different vulnerability groups, everything else was pretty one-size-fits-all, and as a result, people in essential occupations, people with medical vulnerabilities, were really left to suffer the highest burden of COVIDand those are exactly the people who needed the protections the most. With these things going away, they're going to be the most vulnerable still.

Massachusetts is also ending mask requirements in healthcare settings and most hospitals have said they'll follow suit.

This seems a really strange decision from a public health perspective. We put the masks on to protect from the respiratory disease, and we did that because we saw that they were useful. Now that the emergency is ending, we should be transitioning into masks being a standard part of healthcare, because of the levels of respiratory viruses that we're seeing. And the people who are most likely to have the severe outcomes from COVID are those people who are already facing other health problems, which is who is in our hospitals. And our healthcare workers are at a really high risk of exposure because they're around people who are sick all the time.

The removal of masks in healthcare settings is mind-boggling. It's kind of in the same vein as if people were like, "Yeah, well, HIV is not new anymore, so people handling blood or contaminated material don't need to wear gloves in a healthcare setting." I don't think anybody would be comfortable with that.

Even if masking had stayed in hospitals, is this the right time for the public health emergency declaration to expire or should it have been renewed, or perhaps replaced by something else?

It is pretty clear from how the government is dealing with COVID that they don't see it as an emergency anymore. But when we think about other kinds of emergenciesfor example, during Hurricane Katrinathere's an emergency response that happens right away, and then that transitions to a recovery plan that, long term, provides support: gets people housed, compensates people who lost things, rebuilds the community. Where's the COVID recovery plan? If we're ending the emergency, then we should be moving into the recovery phase, and that should mean coming up with a long-term plan, and providing support and compensation.

COVID is going to be around for a while. Whether our response is an emergency one or long-term one, doesn't super matter, but there needs to be a response. And, instead, what we're seeing is that people are sick of COVID, are sick of doing COVID precautions. And that's just an invitation for disaster, because a lot of people think that something has fundamentally changed about the virus to make it safer now, and that's just not how viruses work. If you've had a vaccination recently, the likelihood of getting hospitalized or dying is much lower. And, yes, the different variants do have different profiles in terms of what proportion of people end up hospitalized, but it's not directional. It's not like it's always going to be getting milder, and if we take away all the precautions and we let COVID have as many hosts as it wants, it can become more severe again. And we're getting rid of testing, we're getting rid of tracking. I'm not very happy about it.

The federal government ended the COVID national emergency last month, the WHO has said COVID is no longer a global emergency. Those moves feel really symbolic. I can imagine a lot of people saying this means the pandemic is over.

For a lot of people, the message they've been getting from officials for more than a year is that the pandemic is over. A lot of people think it was over a long time ago, and that's part of why it's not really over. What does it mean for there to be a pandemic? In a pandemic situation, you don't necessarily have a good sense of what the next month's infections will look like. And anywhere, worldwide, at any time, you could have a surge. I think we're really in that space still.

Last year, we spoke with you about pandemic versus endemic. Where are we on that journey?

The transition point really is just, can we say, with reasonable reliability, what we should expect tomorrow, next week, next month, this time next year? And we're getting there a little bit more. Last year did match what we expected to see in terms of when the different surges happened, but the relative size of the surges was a little bit unexpected. We also are still seeing disruptions in other respiratory viruses from COVID. So, the RSV season seems to be shifted in a way that means that everything is happening all at once, which is not typical. Until we get all of those things balanced out, we're not going to be in the endemic phase. Endemic is a way of describing equilibrium, stability, and that's just not where we are.

Did we, as a nation, as a planet, learn the lessons from COVID in terms of living with a pandemic and preparing for future ones? It sounds like perhaps we didn't.

If you read newspapers from 1918, when we had the last really big global pandemic, the arguments and the discussions could all be written today. The same types of complaints about face masks, the same types of arguments of, "Sure, it's happening over there to that town, but it's not coming here for us, we're fine. And then, oops, actually, we're in the middle of a surge." And this same kind of almost national amnesia about the pandemica lack of memorializing, a lack of coming together and saying, "This happened to us, and we should be acknowledging that." We did not learn the lessons from 1918; we repeated all of the same mistakes. Unless we have a better national conversation about it, to really make everyone aware of what just happened, what worked, what didn't work, we're just going to be in exactly the same place the next time a pandemic comes around.

With all these declarations ending, are you sticking with the precautions that you've been taking for the past couple of yearswearing masks, avoiding restaurants?

Yeah, I'm sticking with it. I mask when I'm in public indoor spaces. In terms of indoor dining, I'm generally avoiding it. The only exception would be if it's a place where it's relatively empty. And I have this little portable CO 2 monitor, which can tell me if the ventilation is good, so sometimes you can find somewhere where the ventilation is very good, then I might eat indoors.

What else would you want people to know about the emergency ending or where we're at in the pandemic?

It's not 2020. We have learned some things, and we have some tools, but ending the emergency means we're basically giving up even on those tools. What we should be doing is setting up our system so that we can passively control COVID in the background, and individual people don't have to worry about what they should, or should not, do. Public buildings, for example, should have mask-required times in order to be accessible to everyone who needs to use those serviceslibraries, government offices.

As we transition into a nonemergency phase, we're going to have to start reckoning with a lot of that, because there's potentially a lot of Americans with Disabilities Act violations around not doing anything. We know that COVID affects certain vulnerable people the most, and we already, as a society, have decided that it's not appropriate for this group to be subject to unusual harms. And yet we're doing it. It's not that we need to lock down forever, or mask everywhere forever, but we need to come up with a plan to protect people and allow them to have full participation in society, because right now, that's not happening.
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:

Location of nursing homes, age and sex characteristics, and the progression of PCR-verified SARS-CoV-2 infections in the study population of 3012 study subjects. Panel A shows locations in Sweden of nursing homes with recruitment of study subjects in two metropolitan areas (Stockholm and Malmo; blue color) and three less densely populated regions (Vasterbotten, Jamtland-Harjedalen, and Orebro; red color). Panel B shows proportions of the total population stratified per age-group of women (blue bars) and men (red bars). An asterisk indicates that one 41-year-old study subject was included. Panel C shows PCR-verified SARS-CoV-2 incidence among the study subjects over the entire pandemic. Timing of vaccine doses, study start, blood sampling periods, dominating virus variant deduced from national genomic surveillance data, periods of vaccination, and blood sampling are indicated. For vaccination and sampling, a gray-shaded interval represents that 80% of the vital cohort was completed. Credit: The Lancet Regional Health - Europe (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100646

The new mRNA vaccines have just as good a protective effect against COVID-19 for the very oldest as for younger people. This is evident in a study at Umea University, where researchers have followed individuals in special housing around Sweden. However, the study shows that elderly people with a low antibody response after vaccination were at increased risk of dying from the omicron variants of the disease. The research is published in The Lancet Regional HealthEurope.

"The result suggests that we should be able to identify in advance which people have the greatest risk of being seriously affected and may need extra efforts in the form of, for example, additional vaccine doses," says Linnea Vikstrom, Ph.D. student at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Umea University and joint first author of the study.

Starting in September 2021, the researchers followed 114 different special housing units with a total of just over 3,000 people in Skane, Stockholm, Orebro, Jamtland-Harjedalen and Vasterbotten Counties. Finger prick blood sampleswere taken every three months from the residents and compared with data on illness and death. The average age in special housing for the elderly is 86 years.

96-fold increase

By October 2021, almost all residents had received the third dose of the COVID vaccine. The researchers could then see a 96-fold increase in the amount of antibodies in the blood. The fourth dose in March 2022 only gave a fourfold increase in the antibodies, which can be explained by the fact that the level was already high then. The researchers were also able to establish that the amount of antibodies was largely the same for people over and under 65 years of age. This suggests that the mRNA vaccines given in doses three and four worked just as well for the elderly as for the younger.

The researchers continued with studies on a smaller group of how vaccination protects against the different omicron variants of COVID-19. With supplementary blood samples, the ability of the antibodies to neutralize the virus variants was analyzed. It was then possible to see that the antibodies did not protect against contracting the disease in themselves. In contrast, the antibodies greatly reduced the risk of dying from the disease.

Higher mortality

People with lower levels of antibodies had increased mortality within 30 days of infection. When the researchers performed statistical analyses on test results of all the elderly who participated in the study, they saw that the people with the ten percent lowest levels of antibodies in their blood were three to four times as likely to die within 30 days of being diagnosed with the virus.

The lower level of antibodies in some elderly people is probably related to the fact that there may be individual differences in how different people's immune systems react to vaccines.

"The study can help us and other researchers understand how the different variants of the virus get past the immune system among the elderly and how the vaccine needs to be developed to protect against serious illness and death," says Linnea Vikstrom.

More information: Linnea Vikstrom et al, Vaccine-induced correlate of protection against fatal COVID-19 in older and frail adults during waves of neutralization-resistant variants of concern: an observational study, The Lancet Regional HealthEurope (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100646
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:

A lens into epigenetic plasticity and its consequences on tumorigenesis. A genetically engineered mouse model enabled a longitudinal view of cell states in early pancreatic cancer progression, revealing plasticity endowed through epigenetic priming. Plastic cell states express distinct sets of communication genes involved in tumorigenesis-specific communication, as visualized by highly multiplexed imaging. Mouse illustration was created with BioRender. Credit: Science (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.add5327

Discussions of cancer often stress the genetic mutations that drive disease by altering the normal function of cellular proteins. KRAS, for example, normally acts as an on/off switch for cellular proliferation, but mutations to the genecommon in lung cancer, colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancercause that switch to stay on.

Yet mutations are only half of the story.

Interactions between these genetic mutations and external factors, such as tissue injury that leads to inflammation, reshape both cells' identities and their local environment in ways that foster cancer's emergence and runaway growth.

In pancreatic cancer, these changes start to happen fastwithin 24 to 48 hours after tissue damage. They happen predictably. And they greatly expand some cells' ability to communicate and interact with nearby cells.

Those were the findings from a new study published May 11 in Science by an international research team led by investigators at Sloan Kettering Institute at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and IRB Barcelona. The research combined sophisticated genetically engineered mouse models and advanced computational methods to map the earliest cell states leading to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common type of pancreatic cancer.

While the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer has been inching upward in recent years, it remains quite lowjust 12%, according to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. The disease is usually not caught until the cancer is in advanced stages and, thanks in part to advances in treating other types of cancer, pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related death.

The research aimed not only to shed light on the difficult-to-study early cellular events that give rise to pancreatic cancer, but also to find potential opportunities for medical intervention at earlier stages of the disease.

How plasticity drives cancer

The ability for cells to shed their original identity and adapt is called plasticity. And this plasticity is enhanced by inflammation, the researchers found.

"These precancerous cells gain the ability to send and receive far more signals than a normal cell," says computational biologist Dana Pe'er, Ph.D., one of the paper's two senior authors. "And we saw that this isn't randomit's structured. You see the same patterns emerge over and over when you run the experiments in different mice."

The study was led by co-first authors Cassandra Burdziak, a doctoral student in the Pe'er Lab, and Direna Alonso-Curbelo, Ph.D., a former member of the lab of co-senior author Scott Lowe, Ph.D., who now leads her own lab at IRB Barcelona.

In order to study the origins and impacts of plasticity on cells expressing a mutated version of KRAS, the scientists performed single-cell analyses on normal, inflamed, premalignant and malignant tissues using a genetically engineered mouse model designed to accurately recreate many aspects of pancreatic cancer in humansfrom its earliest beginnings to metastasis.

"These models allowed us to capture the earliest changes in pancreatic epithelial cells as they progressed from a healthy state toward a malignant state," says Dr. Lowe, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Chair of the Cancer Biology and Genetics Program at the Sloan Kettering Institute. The single-cell analyses allowed researchers to tease apart the characteristics of sub-populations of individual cells within the pancreas at each stage of progression and how their interactions further drive the progression.

"This project required a significant amount of computational innovation, most of it led by Cassandra," notes Pe'er, who is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and who heads the Computational and Systems Biology Program at the Sloan Kettering Institute. "We had to invent a number of new methods to answer questions that aren't typically asked about plasticity, cell-to-cell communication, and tumor progression."

For example, the team invented a new classification score to measure the plasticity of a cell.

The team also found increased plasticity led to the enhancement of genes related to cell-to-cell communication: like those that encode ligands and receptors.

"Basically, these are genes that enable cells to send and receive signals from its environment and with other cells," Pe'er says. "This gives the cell the ability to respond to signals that a normal cell wouldn't be able to. They also have an enhanced ability to communicate with immune cells, and, as a result, the immune system around these cells starts to change."

Additionally, the researchers were able to determine that a few sub-populations of cells, some of them quite rare, transform into major hubs of communication, driving a feedback loop that leads to the development and progression of pancreatic cancer.

The study represents the culmination of research initiated by Dr. Alonso-Curbelo, who has a long-standing interest in detailing the molecular mechanism by which inflammation promotes cancer initiation.

"This work was a true partnership between experimental science and computational science," Dr. Alonso-Curbelo says.

Computational models were validated with follow-up experiments. "For example, imaging showed us that the populations of cells that computational methods said were talking to each other were significantly closer to each other in the tissue," Burdziak says.

Through further experiments, the team was able to demonstrate that these conversations drive cancer development.

"We developed new mouse models to specifically block cell-to-cell signaling associated with neoplastic plasticity," Dr. Alonso-Curbelo says. "These analyses showed that these expansive communication networks direct pancreatic tumor formation in the mice."

Toward clinical applications

As a whole, the research provides a new, detailed understanding of how cells carrying a mutated copy of the KRAS gene gain plasticity and drive the progression of cancer when subjected to inflammation.

"This provides a roadmap that can help develop strategies to detect or possibly even prevent pancreatic tumors before they reach an incurable stage," Dr. Lowe says. "And understanding how cell-to-cell communication networks drive the initiation of pancreatic cancer holds promise for the development of therapeutics to block or slow early cancer progression, and even potentially more advanced disease."

More information: Cassandra Burdziak et al, Epigenetic plasticity cooperates with cell-cell interactions to direct pancreatic tumorigenesis, Science (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.add5327 Journal information: Science
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:

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Marijuana and other products containing THC, the plant's main psychoactive ingredient, have grown more potent and more dangerous as legalization has made them more widely available.

Although decades ago the THC content of weed was commonly less than 1.5%, some products on the market today are more than 90% THC.

The buzz of yesteryear has given way to something more alarming. Marijuana-related medical emergencies have landed hundreds of thousands of people in the hospital and millions are dealing with psychological disorders linked to cannabis use, according to federal research.

But regulators have failed to keep up.

Among states that allow the sale and use of marijuana and its derivatives, consumer protections are spotty.

"In many states the products come with a warning label and potentially no other activity by regulators," said Cassin Coleman, vice chair of the scientific advisory committee of the National Cannabis Industry Association.

The federal government has generally taken a hands-off approach. It still bans marijuana as a Schedule 1 substanceas a drug with no accepted medical use and a high chance of abuseunder the Controlled Substances Act. But when it comes to cannabis sales, which many states have legalized, the federal government does not regulate attributes like purity or potency.

The FDA "has basically sat on its hands and failed to honor its duty to protect the public health," said Eric Lindblom, a scholar at Georgetown University's law school who previously worked at the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products.

Pot has changed profoundly since generations of Americans were first exposed to it.

Cannabis has been cultivated to deliver much higher doses of THC. In 1980, the THC content of confiscated marijuana was less than 1.5%. Today many varieties of cannabis flowerplant matter that can be smoked in a jointare listed as more than 30% THC.

At one California dispensary, the menu recently included a strain posted as 41% THC.

Legalization has also helped open the door to products that are extracted from marijuana but look nothing like it: oily, waxy, or crystalline THC concentrates that are heated and inhaled through vaping or dabbing, which can involve a bong-like device and a blowtorch.

Today's concentrates can be more than 90% THC. Some are billed as almost pure THC.

Few people personify the mainstreaming of marijuana as vividly as John Boehner, the former U.S. House speaker. The Ohio Republican long opposed marijuana and, in 2011, reportedly declared himself "unalterably opposed" to its legalization.

Now he's on the board of Acreage Holdings, a producer of marijuana products.

And Acreage Holdings illustrates the evolution of the industry. Its Superflux brand markets a vaping product"pure live resin in a convenient, instant format"and concentrates such as "budder," "sugar," "shatter," and "wax." The company bills its "THCa crystalline" concentrate as the "ultimate in potency."

Higher concentrations pose greater hazards, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "The risks of physical dependence and addiction increase with exposure to high concentrations of THC, and higher doses of THC are more likely to produce anxiety, agitation, paranoia, and psychosis," its website said.

In 2021, 16.3 million people in the United States5.8% of people 12 or olderhad experienced a marijuana use disorder within the past year, according to a survey published in January by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

That was far more than the combined total found to have substance use disorders involving cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, prescription stimulants such as Adderall, or prescription pain relievers such as fentanyl and OxyContin.

Other drugs are more dangerous than marijuana, and most of the people with a marijuana use disorder had a mild case. But about 1 in 7more than 2.6 million peoplehad a severe case, the federal survey found.

Most clinicians equate the term "severe use disorder" with addiction, said Wilson Compton, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Cannabis use disorder "can be devastating," said Smita Das, a Stanford psychiatrist and chair of an American Psychiatric Association council on addiction.

Das said she has seen lives upended by cannabisvery successful people who have lost families and jobs. "They're in a place where they don't know how they got there because it was just a joint, it was just cannabis, cannabis wasn't supposed to be addictive for them," Das said.

Medical diagnoses attributed to marijuana include "cannabis dependence with psychotic disorder with delusions" and cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a form of persistent vomiting.

An estimated 800,000 people made marijuana-related emergency department visits in 2021, according to a government study published in December 2022.

Go directly to detox

A Colorado father thought it was just a matter of time before cannabis killed his son.

In spring 2021, the teen ran a red light, crashed into another carinjuring himself and the other driverand fled the scene, the father recalled in interviews.

In the wreckage, the father later found joints, empty containers of a high-potency THC concentrate known as wax, and a THC vape pen.

On his son's cellphone, he found text messages and scores of references to dabbing and weed. The teen said he had been dabbing before the crash and had intended to kill himself.

Weeks later, police arranged for him to be held involuntarily at a hospital for psychiatric evaluation. According to a police report, he thought cartel snipers were after him.

The doctor who evaluated the teen diagnosed "cannabis abuse."

"Stop doing dabs or wax as they can make you extremely paranoid," the doctor wrote. "Go directly to the detox program of your choice."

By the father's account, over the past two years the teen logged several other involuntary holds, dozens of encounters with police, repeated jailings, and a series of stays in inpatient treatment facilities.

At times out of touch with reality, he texted that God spoke to him and gave him superpowers.

The damage was also financial. Health insurance claims for his treatment totaled nearly $600,000, and the family's out-of-pocket expenses came to almost $40,000 as of February.

In interviews for this article, the father spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid undermining the son's recovery.

The father is convinced that his son's mental illness was a result and not a cause of the drug use. He said the symptoms receded when his son stopped using THC and returned when he resumed.

His son is now 20, off marijuana, and doing well, the father said, adding, "I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that cannabis use is what caused his psychosis, delusions, and paranoia."

Uneven state regulation

Medical use of marijuana is now legal in 40 states and the District of Columbia, and recreational or adult use is legal in 22 states plus D.C., according to MJBizDaily, a trade publication.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, while much of America was in lockdown, marijuana dispensaries delivered. Many states declared them essential businesses.

But only two adult-use states, Vermont and Connecticut, have placed caps on THC content30% for cannabis flower and 60% for THC concentratesand they exempt pre-filled vape cartridges from the caps, said Gillian Schauer from the Cannabis Regulators Association, a group of state regulators.

Some states cap the number of ounces or grams consumers are allowed to buy. However, even a little marijuana can amount to a lot of THC, said Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, a professor of health policy, economics, and law at the University of Southern California.

Some states allow only medical use of low-THC productsfor instance, in Texas, substances that contain no more than 0.5% THC by weight. And some states require warning labels. In New Jersey, cannabis products composed of more than 40% THC must declare: "This is a high potency product and may increase your risk for psychosis."

Colorado's marijuana rules run more than 500 pages. Yet its disclosure underscores the limits of consumer protections: "This product was produced without regulatory oversight for health, safety, or efficacy."

Figuring out the right rules may not be simple. For example, warning labels could shield the marijuana industry from liability, much as they did for tobacco companies for many years. Capping potency could limit options for people who take high doses for relief from medical problems.

Overall, at the state level, the cannabis industry has blunted regulatory efforts by arguing that onerous rules would make it hard for legitimate cannabis businesses to compete with illicit ones, Pacula said.

Pacula and fellow researchers have called for the federal government to step in.

Months after ending his term as FDA commissioner, Scott Gottlieb issued a similar plea.

Complaining that states had gotten "far down the field while the feds sat on the sidelines," Gottlieb called for "a uniform national scheme for THC that protects consumers."

That was in 2019 and little has changed since then.

Where's the FDA?

The FDA oversees food, prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and medical devices. It regulates tobacco, nicotine, and nicotine vapes. It oversees tobacco warning labels. In the interest of public health and safety, it also regulates botanicals, medical products that can include plant material.

Yet, when it comes to the marijuana that people smoke, the cannabis-derived THC concentrates they vape or dab, and edibles infused with THC, the FDA appears very much on the sidelines.

The medical marijuana sold at dispensaries is not FDA-approved. The agency hasn't vouched for its safety or efficacy or determined the proper dosage. It doesn't inspect the facilities where the goods are produced, and it doesn't assess quality control.

The agency does invite manufacturers to put cannabis products through clinical trials and its drug approval process.

The FDA's website notes that THC is the active ingredient in two FDA-approved drugs used in cancer treatment. That alone apparently places the substance under FDA jurisdiction.

The FDA has "all the power it needs to regulate state-legalized cannabis products much more effectively," said Lindblom, the former FDA official.

At least publicly, the FDA has focused not on THC concentrates derived from cannabis or weed smoked in joints, but rather on other substances: a THC variant derived from hemp, which the federal government has legalized, and a different cannabis derivative called cannabidiol or CBD, which has been marketed as therapeutic.

"The FDA is committed to monitoring the marketplace, identifying cannabis products that pose risks, and acting, within our authorities, to protect the public," FDA spokesperson Courtney Rhodes said.

"Many/most THC products meet the definition of marijuana, which is a controlled substance. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulates marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. We refer you to the Drug Enforcement Administration for questions about regulation and enforcement under the provisions of the CSA," Rhodes wrote in an email.

The DEA, part of the Justice Department, did not respond to questions for this article.

As for Congress, perhaps its most consequential step has been limiting enforcement of the federal prohibition.

"Thus far, the federal response to state actions to legalize marijuana has largely been to allow states to implement their own laws on the drug," a 2022 Congressional Research Service report said.

In October, President Joe Biden directed the secretary of Health and Human Services and the attorney general to review the federal government's stance toward marijuanawhether it should remain classified among the most dangerous and tightly controlled substances.

In December, Biden signed a bill expanding research access to marijuana and requiring federal agencies to study its effects. The law gave agencies a year to issue findings.

Some marijuana advocates say the federal government could play a more constructive role.

"NORML does not opine that cannabis is innocuous, but opines that its potential risks are best mitigated via legalization, regulation, and public education," said Paul Armentano, deputy director of the group formerly known as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

"Products have to be tested for purity and potency," he said, and "the federal government could have some oversight in licensing the labs that test those products."

In the meantime, said Coleman, adviser to the National Cannabis Industry Association, states are left "having to become USDA + FDA + DEA all at the same time."

And where does that leave consumers? Some, like Wendy E., a retired small-business owner in her 60s, struggle with the effects of today's marijuana.

Wendy, who spoke on the condition that she not be fully named, started smoking marijuana in high school in the 1970s and made it part of her lifestyle for decades.

Then when her state legalized it, she bought it in dispensaries "and very quickly noticed that the potency was much higher than what I had traditionally used," she said. "It seemed to have exponentially increased."

In 2020, she said, the legal marijuanamuch stronger than the illicit weed of her youthleft her obsessing about ways to kill herself.

Once, the self-described "earth-mother hippie" found camaraderie passing a joint with friends. Now, she attends Marijuana Anonymous meetings with others recovering from addiction to the stuff.

2023 KFF Health News.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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:

Researchers have developed new instruments for rigorously quantifying and comparing the light focusing properties of specialized eyeglass lenses that are used to slow the progression of myopia, or nearsightedness. Augusto Arias-Gallego is shown working on the setup that was used to measure the focusing properties of these special lenses. Credit: Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH

Researchers have developed new instruments for rigorously quantifying and comparing the light focusing properties of specialized eyeglass lenses that are used to slow the progression of myopia, or nearsightedness. The information gained with this new approach could help inform future lens designs that are even more effective at preventing visual decline.

Nearsightedness is on the rise around the globe, especially among children. If current trends continue, half of the world's population will be nearsighted by 2050, according to a report from the Brien Holden Vision Institute in Australia.

Although the drivers of this worrisome trend aren't entirely clear, specialized eyeglass lenses have been shown to keep myopia from getting worse. This is particularly important for children and teens who often experience progression in the condition as their bodies grow.

Publishing in Optica, researchers from the ZEISS Vision Science Lab at the University of Tubingen, in Germany, and the University of Murcia, in Spain, describe their new instruments, which measure lens performance under real-world viewing conditions. They also report results from measuring the light focusing characteristics of different lenses used to slow myopia progression.

"Insights into the link between the optical properties of myopia progression management lenses and effectiveness in real-world scenarios will pave the way to more effective treatments," said study author Augusto Arias-Gallego, from the ZEISS Vision Science Lab. "This could help millions of children and is fundamental in understanding the mechanisms by which these lenses work."

Capturing real-life viewing conditions

Myopia is typically caused when a person's eyes become slightly elongated. This leads faraway objects to appear blurry because they are focused in front of, rather than onto, the retina. Although traditional eyeglass lenses can correct this blurriness, conventional lenses don't prevent myopia from getting worse. Myopia progression can increase the likelihood of other eye problems and irreversible blindness.

Lenses that modify retinal signals to reduce myopia progression have been clinically tested and are currently available in the market. Researchers hypothesize that these lenses slow the growth of the eyeball, preventing it from becoming more elongated. These lenses incorporate different types of structures, such as microlenses or microdiffusers, to manipulate the image properties at the peripheral retina while correcting the central vision. However, the optical properties of this relatively new technology have not been extensively studied and compared.

The researchers used a spatial light modulator  shown here being illuminated by the interrogating beam  to reproduce, for the first time, real aberrations produced by different angles of illumination for different myopic eyes. This allowed them to rigorously analyze different types of eyeglass lenses that are used to slow myopia progression. Credit: Augusto Arias-Gallego, ZEISS Vision Science Lab

In the new work, the researchers wanted to thoroughly characterize the currently available lenses under real-world viewing conditions. "After exploring the state of the art, we didn't find a method that could be used to characterize the optical properties of these eyeglass lenses under real viewing conditions," said Arias-Gallego. "Therefore, we developed a new instrument that can measure the lens's optical response to different angles of illumination while reproducing the myopic eye's pupil and refractive errors."

The new instrument uses an illumination source that is mounted on an arm that rotates around the lens. After the light passes through the lens, a steering rotating mirror guides it toward a spatial light modulator (SLM), which is composed of tiny liquid crystal cells that modify the propagating light with high spatial resolution.

The SLM is the core of the instrument since it reproduces the refractive errors and pupil shape of myopic eyes. This allowed the researchers to reproduce, for the first time, real aberrations produced by different angles of illumination for different myopic eyes while testing the lenses. Those aberrations were programmed as phase maps using the SLM.

Moreover, programmed amounts of defocus can be induced with the SLM, enabling the researchers to conduct a through-focus test. This test captures the image quality within the proximity of a simulated retinal position, shedding light on how the lens interacts with eye elongation signaled at the retina.

The researchers also quantified the lenses' light scattering properties, which was important because one of the tested lenses is based on contrast reduction by adding scattering. For this, they designed a custom setup that does not require the specialized detectors and moving parts conventionally required for scattering quantification.

Comparing lens properties

"By combining the through-focus results with light-scattering measurements, we were able to accurately characterize several types of eyeglass lenses," said Arias. "We then compared our measurements for each lens with their reported clinical efficacy for slowing myopia progression. The results raised new questions that need to be studied further while also pointing to potential strategies that could increase the efficacy of future designs."

In this work, the lenses were characterized using a single wavelength of light to simplify the analysis of the image properties. Because the illumination in real scenarios contains many wavelengths, the researchers are working to adapt the instrument to include sources with varying wavelengths.

More information: Augusto Arias et al, In-depth optical characterisation of spectacle lenses for myopia progression management, Optica (2023). DOI: 10.1364/OPTICA.486389 Journal information: Optica
Photo: Google Maps. Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran temple located in the 15200-block of 68 Avenue in Surrey, B.C.

A teen girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by an employee of a Sikh temple in Surrey.

Surrey RCMP is alerting the public about their ongoing investigation into the alleged sexual assault.

During the morning hours of May 4, police say a 15-year-old female youth had been sexually assaulted at or in the area of Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib in the Newton area.

A 58-year-old man has been identified as the suspect and police say he is an employee at the temple.

He was arrested the next day on May 5.

Cpl. Sarbjit K. Sangha says the man has been released on conditions.

The suspect is not to have contact with the alleged victim or be in the presence of anyone under the age of 16 years old without another adult.

"The employer has been advised of the allegations and the conditions of his release, says Sangha.

Charges have not been laid and the investigation is ongoing.

"Our Special Victims Unit is leading this investigation, with support for the youth victim from Surrey Womens Centre," added Sangha in a statement.

Police did not provide an update on the alleged victim.

Police are asking for witnesses or people with additional information to come forward. People who were at Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran on May 4 between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. are asked to contact police and state file number 2023-69537.

"We urge anyone with information to come forward, as investigators continue to work to gather evidence and advance the investigation, said Sangha.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.
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:

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Although the drug is legal in Michigan, doctors in the state are hesitant to authorize their patients to use cannabis, while struggling to manage other influences on their patients' health care decisions, says a University of Michigan researcher.

"We still have a real separation between the medicinal use of cannabis and mainstream health care, and that creates risks and problems," said Daniel Kruger, a research investigator at the U-M Institute for Social Research. "We need to have better integration to promote health, both for individuals and society."

Kruger and colleagues surveyed more than 1,500 Michigan physicians in a university-affiliated health care system. The doctors answered a series of questions via an anonymous online survey, recording their responses on a five-option scale.

The study was created in response to rapidly changing conditions surrounding the legalization and use of medical cannabis throughout the United States.

"Most Americans have lived under cannabis prohibition for most of their lives, and we've seen a very rapid transition from cannabis being something that's considered illegal and a substance of abuse to millions of Americans having access to cannabis legally and millions of Americans using cannabis to treat all sorts of different health or medical conditions," Kruger said.

The widespread use has created conflict between patients and doctors, particularly when it comes to information about how and when medical cannabis should be used, Kruger says. While information is plentiful on the internet, among family connections, and even from those legally selling medical and recreational cannabis, doctors often have little formal training or educational background concerning the drug.

There have also been very few formal studies on its effects and use cases, which often results in doctors deciding not to authorize medical cannabis use for their patients, he says.

Only about a third of physicians in the study had recommended medical cannabis to a patient and just 10% had signed an authorization form. Kruger believes a lack of education on the drug and its effects is a significant contributing factor to those rates.

"Most doctors and other health professionals were trained in the 'prohibition era,' the war on drugs, and so on," he said. "They got the same kind of messages, many of which people consider to be false about cannabis being a gateway drug and having no benefits."

Under those circumstances, many physicians default to federal guidelines that still classify medical cannabis as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, which in turn leads to people using cannabis medicinally on their own, with limited or nonexistent guidance from their doctors.

But that reality could be changing. Kruger believes the study could precede a shift in how doctors think about and recommend medical cannabis.

"Most, if not all, of the previous surveys of physicians have basically been attitude surveys," he said. "Generally, they found that people overall did not support it. But this is the first study to actually go in depth and get into the actual specific behaviors of doctors and patients and the patient/physician interaction."

The research is published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

More information: Daniel J. Kruger et al, Physicians' Attitudes and Practices Regarding Cannabis and Recommending Medical Cannabis Use, Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research (2023). DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0324
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:

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A free vending machine that dispenses the overdose-reversal drug naloxone was unveiled this week at Santa Clara University, the first such campus resource in the San Francisco Bay Area, school officials said.

The machine at the school's Benson Memorial Center will dispense two-packs of Narcan, a nasal spray for delivering naloxone, with instructions on how to recognize signs of an overdose, how to administer the spray and to call 911, university officials said in a statement. A QR code on the machine also has a link to a California Public Health Department training video on Narcan.

School officials across the U.S. have been attempting to stem a surge in overdose deaths, especially among teenagers, by increasing the availability of naloxone, which can reverse an opioid overdose in minutes.

Students were the driving force behind the movement at Santa Clara University to apply the principles of harm reduction, which aims to prevent drug-related deaths by providing treatment and services instead of promoting abstinence-only policies, said assistant public health professor Jamie Chang, who helped spearhead the campaign for the machine.

"With the free vending machine that is centralized in the student commons area, we want to de-stigmatize this medication and give students the tools and education they need to keep our community safer," Chang said. "Now, students absolutely recognize that there are life-saving tools like naloxone available, and that they can be part of the solution to the opioid crisis."

Fentanyl, a substance typically used in medical settings that is up to 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin, has been increasingly found in the supply of other street drugs or counterfeit prescription pills, contributing to the rise in opioid deaths.

The Campus Opioid Safety Act, which went into effect Jan. 1, requires California community colleges and public colleges to distribute Narcan and provide training.

Chang, who has been helping with small-scale naloxone distribution for years, said the dispenser at Santa Clara University is the first of its kind to be unveiled at a Bay Area university.

"The students 100% understood the need for this on campus, especially because young people are being hit very hard by the fentanyl crisis," she said. "They wanted naloxone to be more accessible. Their advocacy and persistence in seeking solutions was pivotal to this launch."

The machine's unveiling comes almost three years after Charlie Ternan, 22, died in a fraternity bedroom at Santa Clara University a few weeks shy of graduation. Ternan had intended to buy Percocet, a prescription drug he had taken after his surgery, but died after ingesting a counterfeit pill containing fentanyl.

Ternan's father, Ed Ternan, launched the Pasadena-based group Song for Charlie to educate young people about the dangers of fentanyl and counterfeit drugs.

In Los Angeles, USC has launched NaloxoneSC, an online Narcan distribution program, in an effort to curb overdose deaths at the school. The program was founded by pharmacy students and a registered pharmacist.

Free naloxone kits can be picked up at USC's Health Sciences Campus and University Park Campus.

2023 Los Angeles Times.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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:

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Efforts are underway to address the "epidemic of loneliness and isolation" affecting the country, as recently addressed by the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy who is laying out a "National Strategy to Advance Social Connection" initiative.

Virginia Tech neuroscientist Georgia Hodes says that reports of depression and anxiety are up at least 3-fold since the start of the COVID epidemic. "While loneliness and isolation are likely contributors, the COVID infection itself triggers a depressive episode in approximately 20 percent of people. Understanding how infection impacts mood may help us find new ways to treat individuals that do not fully respond to current antidepressants."

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, social isolation and loneliness have been linked to increased risk for heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression and anxiety, suicidality and self-harm, dementia, and earlier death.

Hodes' research explores biomarkers and treatments for depression that target the body's immune response system. For studies linking loneliness and isolation to effects on the brain, she points to one study that showed "people who reported they were lonely but were otherwise healthy adults had greater pro-inflammatory immune responses to acute stress and immune activation. The data suggests that loneliness is priming the immune system to react more strongly to stress."

Hodes says that most studies on loneliness in humans have been done in older adults. She points to a recent study by Isabelle F. van der Velpen et al, that used MRI images from the Rotterdam study to examine the relationship between loneliness and brain matter volume. "At baseline higher loneliness scores were associated with decreased white matter volume. Perceived social support correlated positively with total brain and grey matter volume. In general, though there is little on perceived loneliness and specific changes in brain structures in humans."

"One of the most replicated findings is perceived loneliness in humans is related to higher levels of the cytokine IL-6 in the periphery. Previously, in mice we reported that altering IL-6 produced in the periphery by the white blood cells could induce or block the effects of stress on social behavior" says Hodes. "This is a protein that has increased levels when someone is sick. The human data suggest that loneliness is putting people into a constant state of low-grade inflammation which may then promote social withdrawl, depression and/or anxiety."
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:

Two needles or just one? How we perceive it depends on the distance between the two needles. Credit: Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum

If we sincerely believe that our index finger is five times bigger than it really is, our sense of touch improves. Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum demonstrated that this is the case in an experiment in which the participants were put under professional hypnosis. When the participants signaled that they understood the opposite hypnotic suggestion that their index finger was five times smaller than it actually was, their sense of touch deteriorated accordingly.

The study shows that our tactile perception is affected and can be altered by our mental processes. The scientific community has been divided on this issue. Headed by PD Dr. Hubert Dinse, Professor Albert Newen and Professor Martin Tegenthoff, the researchers published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports on April 21, 2023.

Two needles feel like one

The researchers measured the tactile perception of their 24 test participants using the two-point discrimination method. This involves the index finger lying relaxed on a device with two needles repeatedly touching the finger painlessly but perceptibly.

"If the needles are far enough apart, we can easily distinguish two points of contact," explains Hubert Dinse from the Neurological Clinic of Berufsgenossenschaftliches Universitatsklinikum Bergmannsheil. "But if the needles are very close together, we only feel the touch in one place."

At a certain distance between the needles, the sensation changes from feeling two needles to feeling just one, although two are presented. This discrimination threshold is stable for each person given normal everyday consciousness.

If the finger were five times bigger

"We wanted to find out whether it's possible to change this sensation threshold by activating a verbally articulated thought in a person," explains Albert Newen from the Philosophy Institute II at Ruhr University Bochum.

The research team chose two thought cues: "Imagine your index finger is five times smaller" and "Imagine your index finger is five times bigger." To specifically activate these semantic contents, the researchers used hypnotic suggestion. During a controlled state of hypnosis induced by a professional hypnotist, the participant was asked to sincerely accept the first belief for a series of tests and then the second.

The subjects took part in a total of four experiments to determine the sensation threshold in each case: under normal everyday consciousness, under hypnosis without suggestion, and under two hypnotic conditions with the suggestions of a bigger or smaller index finger.

Changes in the sense of touch

"Discrimination thresholds did not differ when measured during normal consciousness and hypnosis without suggestion. This supports our preliminary assumption that hypnosis alone doesn't lead to changes," says Martin Tegenthoff. "However, if the beliefs are induced as suggestions under hypnosis, we observe a systematic change in the tactile discrimination threshold."

When a test person imagined that their index finger was five times bigger than it actually was, their discrimination threshold improved and they were able to feel two needles, even when they were closer together. When the suggestion was that their index finger was five times smaller, the discrimination threshold worsened. This means that it is the beliefs that change perception. The behavioral results were supported by parallel recordings of brain activity such as spontaneous EEG and sensory evoked potentials.

The scientific community is divided on the question of whether or not perceptual processes can be influenced by semantic content aloneexperts refer to this as the question of cognitive penetrability of perception. "Our study provides another building block supporting the idea that such top-down influences of beliefs on perception do indeed exist," says Hubert Dinse. "The beliefs we hold do indeed change how we experience the world."

More information: Marius Markmann et al, Hypnotic suggestions cognitively penetrate tactile perception through top-down modulation of semantic contents, Scientific Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33108-z Journal information: Scientific Reports
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:

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

New research to be presented at next week's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Dublin, Ireland (May 17-20), has found that tweets about obesity are predominantly negative.

The analysis, by researchers in Switzerland and the UK, also found that Twitter activity spiked around the time of significant political events.

These included comments about Donald Trump's weight when he was U.S. president and the launch of an obesity campaign in the UK by Boris Johnson.

"Obesity can lead to serious physical, mental, and social health problems and its prevalence is increasing worldwide among people of all age groups," says researcher Dr. Jorge Correia, of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition and Therapeutic Patient Education, WHO Collaborating Centre, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

"Understanding the public's attitudes to and perceptions of obesity is key to the formulation of effective health policies, prevention strategies, and treatment approaches.

"In this study, we have leveraged the wealth of information available on Twitter to explore the sentiments of the public, celebrities and other influential people and important organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."

Open-source software (the Tweepy library in Python) was used to download obesity-related tweets from Twitter. Cutting-edge AI methods were then used to perform sentiment analysis and classify the tweets into positive, negative and neutral sentiments. Modeling techniques were used to identify the major topics being discussed.

Researchers extracted and analyzed 25,580 tweets about obesity that were posted between December 2019 and December 2021.

The sentiment analysis revealed a significantly higher percentage of tweets (72.97%) represented negative sentiments, followed by neutral (18.78%) and positive (8.25%).

Spikes in Twitter activity were associated with significant political events such as when the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the US, Nancy Pelosi, described then-President Donald Trump as "morbidly obese" (May 19, 2020).

A total of 1,003 tweets were posted on this topic over several days. Around 94% of the tweets were negative in sentiment.

Dr. Correia says, "The negative portrayal of obesity by influential politicians and celebrities in may increase stigma against people living with obesity, and also harm public health by spreading misinformation."

The launch of an obesity strategy in the UK on July 27, 2020, by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson attracted a lot of criticism from the public. Around 73.9% of the tweets about the campaign during this spike held negative sentiments.

The 25,580 tweets included in the analysis covered 243 topics. These included childhood obesity, COVID-19 vaccination, racism and high obesity rates among minorities, smoking, illicit substance use and alcohol consumption among people with obesity, environmental risk factors for obesity (such as unavailability of green spaces), polycystic ovary syndrome and surgical treatments.

The largest number of tweets related to the issue of COVID-19 vaccination for people with obesity, followed by Nancy Pelosi's comments on Donald Trump.

The third-largest group of tweets wasn't composed of tweets from the public but of tweets from research teams about their work on obesity. Racism towards Black people was the fourth-most tweeted topic.

In addition, negative tweets often talked about increased hospitalizations and death due to COVID-19 among people with obesity and about how people living with obesity are responsible for their weight.

The researchers say that their results emphasize the need to view obesity through a holistic lens.

Dr. Correia explains, "We need investments in various aspects of health care for obesity in order to achieve better health outcomes for the population. This includes improving health information regarding obesity, promoting awareness and reducing stigma, as well as development of effective interventions.

"Campaigns should be run on platforms like Twitter to improve the information about obesity available to the public. This could be done with partnerships between the social media platforms, public and third sector organizations."

Provided by European Association for the Study of Obesity
In one of April Werles paintings, a disembodied and expressive hand touches a mirror with its index finger. In the reflection, its skin tone is lighter. The title is, I started looking in the mirror and only seeing a white person. One side of the mirror has pine trees, the other palm trees.

The piece is part of the Helena natives new show, Halo-Halo: The Mixed Children, at the Zootown Arts Community Center.

Werles mother is from the Philippines, her father is a white Montanan whose family goes back generations here. She came to the University of Montana to study art, graduating in 2016. Around 2020, feeling self-conscious about trying to find a Filipino community here, she began to realize the way that I see myself in the mirror is completely my own bias, and that other people may see me differently or may see me similar.

Some of the hands are painted with black-and-white split tones, half lighter and half darker that leaves them ambiguous. She hopes people realize its up to them, and how they see those hands  they see it as one or the other, or they see it as a whole.

***

Werle returned to her home city in fall of 2022 for a solo museum exhibition, Mga Hunghong Sa Diwata (Whisper of Spirits), that included a temporary mural in addition to prints and paintings. In late 2022 through early 2023, she was part of a group exhibition at the Missoula Art Museum called Imaging the Sacred, that included three other female artists. This ZACC show is an extension to her, focusing less on Filipino folklore and stories.

Theres references to my Filipino heritage, but its more focusing on the perspective of how we see mixed people, she said.

Werle drew the title, Halo-Halo, from a term that has multiple uses. It means mix-mix," in reference to a layered ice-cream sundae-type dish with its own menu and conglomeration of potential ingredients. As Werle says in her show description, its also a cute way to refer to Filipinos with mixed ancestry.

***

About four or five years ago, Werle began drawing hands as characters for the narratives. They gesture, interact and arrive in varied locations and scenarios.

I wanted to find a way to use the figure, but not have so much context that you get from a face or a full body and clothes," she said. "I felt you could reduce that figure to just the hand to tell stories effectively, she said.

In her gallery text, she explains how theyre a way to explore her identity without literally depicting herself.

***

In Where are you from-from?, a hand casually holds a cigarette aloft while seated in a Peacock chair, a sunset aligned behind its back and palm trees at the chairs feet. The title refers to the chairs origins. While the furniture is associated with the Black Power movement and Old Hollywood portraits, theyve been traced back to the Philippines. She based her image on the oldest known photograph of the chair, of a woman in a prison where the chairs were manufactured.

The wood paneling plays a subtle role in her themes as well  a nod to Montana and also the traditional Filipino wood carvings that her aunt decorated her house with.

In another, two hands gesture toward each other, one from the top of the mountain to another whos still in ascent. The hillside is clustered with greens. Its titled, Oh s, there are pine trees here too!

Werle took a trip to Cebu, the island where her mother grew up, and they took a hike up its tallest mountain. During the ascent, she noticed, to her surprise, pine trees. Theyd long been a symbol of her Montana roots in her work.

Food tastes better this way displays the proper technique for eating rice with your hands, which they did in Werles family growing up.

Werle has been more focused on studio work lately. After college, she pursued mural painting: As a way of traveling abroad, through an artist residency, and more back here in Missoula. Her work is on Drum Coffees South Avenue location and in the mural alley behind the Zootown Arts Community Center, part of a four-part sequence by BIPOC artists called Feeling Welcome.

She was a part of the Arts Missoulas BIPOC Arts Advisory Council, which has since become its own program called the Cohesion Arts Collective. Theyre planning a three-part speaker series, a spring mixer at the Confluence Center nonprofit space, and in the fall, an exhibition at the Brunswick Gallery.
F-22 fixed belly

An F-22 Raptor stealth fighter that was seriously damaged in 2018 after it skidded down the runway on its belly at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, has returned to operational status. This marks the end of an elongated five-year period of restoration on the aircraft. The Air Force had previously hoped to have the F-22 flying again in Spring 2022.

Confirmation that the Raptor, which has the serial number 07-4146, is flying once again came recently after the Department of Defense released a series of photos showing the aircraft completing a final series of tests in April and May of this year. The aircraft, which is attached to the 90th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Fighter Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, returned to the operational fleet on May 4.

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Pena

The Raptor in question skidded down the runway in April 2018 during a graduation exercise for the U.S. Navy's TOPGUN fighter weapons school training program at Naval Air Station Fallon.

The F-22 sitting on Fallon's runway on its belly. USAF mishap investigation photo

One of four jets from the 90th Fighter Squadron supporting the graduation, the Air Force concluded that the incident involving 07-4146 was caused in part by incorrect takeoff and landing data as well as the difference in altitude at Fallon compared to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. These factors, plus the fact that the pilot had retracted the aircraft's landing gear sooner than it should have been during takeoff, meant that there was insufficient lift to get the Raptor airborne  causing it to come back down on the runway without its gear deployed.

Tail number 07-4146, an F-22 Raptor assigned to the 3rd Wing, successfully takes off during its functional check flight at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 4, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Pena

In the various images above and below taken on May 4, we see the F-22 preparing for, and conducting, a functional check flight at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Functional check flights are typically performed after heavy maintenance periods in order to ensure that aircraft performs as needed. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Philip Johnson, a functional check flight pilot assigned to the 514th Flight Test Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, performed the check flight, after which 07-4146 returned to the operational fleet.

Story continues

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Philip Johnson, a functional check flight pilot assigned to the 514th Flight Test Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, prepares to conduct the functional check flight. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Pena

Alongside photos dated May 4, we also see a series of images dated variously in April showing other tests being performed on the aircraft in the lead-up to its functional check flight. On April 19, personnel attached to the 90th Air Maintenance Unit performed an afterburner test in order to ensure the correct transfer of fuel for the aircraft, as the image captions note.

07-4146 is towed in preparation for an afterburner run at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, April 19, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Pena U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kyle Veurink, an F-22 Raptor craftsman assigned to the 90th Air Maintenance Unit, connects a repositioning tool in preparation for the afterburner run. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Pena U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Joshua Eller, an F-22 Raptor crew chief assigned to the 90th Air Maintenance Unit, inspects the aircraft. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Pena U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Joshua Eller equips his headset in preparation for the afterburner run. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Pena Afterburner test being conducted. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Pena Air Force Master Sgt. Joshua Eller prepares to shut down the tail after a successful afterburner run. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Pena

Prior to this, personnel attached to the 90th Aircraft Maintenance Unit rebalanced the aircraft on April 4 in order to ensure it maintains the correct center of gravity.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tyler Bowers, a quality insurance inspector assigned to the 3rd Maintenance Group, calibrates balancing equipment during the rebalancing test at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska, April 4, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Pena U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Daniel Jefferson, an F-22 Raptor craftsman assigned to the 90th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, secures towing equipment during the rebalancing. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Pena U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Daniel Jefferson guides the F-22 onto balancing equipment during its rebalancing. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Pena

Images of the restoration process in 2021 released by the Air Force, which you can see in our previous article here, show the aircraft in a very different condition. The innards of the Raptor can be seen exposed as the labor-intensive repair work was underway at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Yet even at that stage, however, a significant amount of work had already been undertaken on the aircraft. As we noted in that article, it took over a year of running models and simulations once the aircraft arrived from Fallon to even determine whether it could be salvaged and for plans for repair to be created.

Members of the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron rebuild U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor tail number 07-4146 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Nov. 29, 2021, after the aircraft was damaged in a crash in Nevada in 2018. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Samuel Colvin

As Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kevin Fitch, an F-22 crew chief from the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit (AMU), indicated, after successful simulations the aircraft was placed in a hangar in January 2020 and put on stands. From there, a complete strip" started to the bones of the fuselage. Contractors, engineers, and structures personnel spent about 16 months replacing almost the whole bottom of the aircraft, the fuselage stations, and more than 40 wire harnesses, Fitch noted. Our active-duty guys didnt start having a hand in the rebuild until June this year [2021].

This is not the first time a mishap like this occurred. In 2012, another F-22 skidded down the runway on its belly, this time at Tyndall AFB. The cost of repairing that jet was an estimated $35M, and took six years. The response to that ordeal likely informed this latest one.

Although the exact cost of restoring 07-4146 remains unknown, it has not come without its difficulties for the Air Force  particularly in terms of acquiring the right parts for an aircraft that is long out of production. Restoring the aircraft is also significant in the wider context of the services F-22 small fleet of around 180 airframes, of which only about 125 are actually combat capable.

A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 3rd Wing takes off from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, in support of Polar Force 22-4, March 30, 2022. U.S. Air Force photo by Alejandro Pena

Indeed, the total number of F-22s is only set to decrease in the near future. According to the services 2024 Fiscal Year budget request, the Air Force wants to divest 32 Block 20 F-22A Raptor stealth fighters (which are currently tasked with training and other non-combat duties). This would bring the total size of the F-22 fleet down from 183 to 151 aircraft.

Ultimately, the Air Force is looking to replace its F-22s with a new sixth-generation stealth combat jet being developed under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. The service is currently looking to procure 200 Next-Generation Air Dominance stealth combat jets, which will cost hundreds of millions of dollars each, according to officials. Although the total production figure could, and likely will, change.

Two U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors from the 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., fly over the Baltic Sea, Sept. 4, 2015. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Robertson

Despite these plans, the F-22 remains a 'centerpiece' aircraft within the USAF's inventory and has seen continued upgrades in recent years. F-22s have proved instrumental in shooting down the various objects identified flying above U.S. and Canadian airspace since February  the latest of which involved the interception of a spherical object off Hawaii at the end of April. In terms of recent technology upgrades, F-22s have been spotted flying with stealthy underwing pods as of late, and are even being used to test NGAD capabilities (and will also receive technology from the program). In addition to being able to fire AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles and AIM-120D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), F-22s are expected to be one of, if not the first aircraft, to be armed with the future AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, or JATM.

Seeing 07-4146 in flight once more is certainly a testament to the hard work of the Air Force personnel and their contractor counterparts in making this a reality. This is especially commendable given the condition of the aircraft after its belly landing. Above all else, it is just another reminder of just how far the USAF will go to keep its small fleet of operationally relevant F-22s intact.

Contact the author: oliver@thewarzone.com
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  America is moving on from Covid-19. Ron DeSantis can't stop talking about it.

With the Covid-triggered national health emergency set to expire Thursday, DeSantis has been crisscrossing the country touting his handling of the virus. DeSantis criticized lockdown politicians during a visit to California and called Florida a refuge of sanity amid pandemic closures when he was in South Carolina last month. At Liberty University in Virginia two weeks ago, the governor said he bucked the political and medical establishment to keep Florida open.

DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential bid in the coming weeks, has gone even further in his home state. The governor this year pressed Republicans in the Legislature to pass a series of Covid-19-related bills, including measures that permanently ban mask mandates in schools and prohibit businesses from firing employees who dont get vaccinated.

It's purely political, said state Sen. Tina Polsky, a Democrat from Boca Raton, of the legislation to ban pandemic-era mandates forever.

DeSantis claims the new proposals are meant to ward off possible future mandates from the Biden administration, saying at a press conference last week in Florida that they really just wanted to control your behavior.

Its no surprise DeSantis is spotlighting his pandemic-era record. The governor built his national reputation on defying Covid-19 restrictions, earning heaps of praise from conservatives and appearing regularly on Fox News. He championed in-person learning and kept schools open while banning mask requirements for Floridas nearly 3 million public K-12 students. He waged high-profile fights with the Biden administration over vaccine requirements for workers and last year his administration even threatened the Special Olympics with a $27.5 million fine because the organization wanted to require its athletes to be vaccinated at an Orlando competition.

Now the governor will find out if he can sustain that strategy as he prepares to campaign more than three years after the pandemic began. Covid gives DeSantis an opening to attack former President Donald Trump, whose administration was responsible for the federal governments early response. DeSantis chided Trump  without saying his name  during a Utah GOP meeting in April, saying that real leaders don't subcontract out their leadership to health bureaucrats like Dr. Fauci.



Story continues

Erin Perrine, spokesperson for Never Back Down, a super PAC supporting DeSantis, was much more blunt recently when shetold NewsMax: You saw President Trump stand with Anthony Fauci and have him try to force Florida into lockdowns. Governor DeSantis stood against that."

Recent polling shows Americans have mixed feelings about whether Covid is actually over. But for many, quarantines, masking on airplanes and virtual learning for kids are a thing of the past.

One indicator of the current mood is boosters and vaccinations. In Florida, which has the second highest population of people aged 65 and over in the country, the number of people getting booster shots has plummeted. About 8,000 people received Covid-19 booster shots during the last week of April, according to data from the Florida Department of Health. During that same time last year, about 47,000 people got the jab.

Throughout the pandemic, DeSantis faced harsh criticism for his hands-off approach to Covid. At the height of the Delta variant surge in the summer of 2021, Florida made up roughly one in five new infections nationally and at one point had more than 10,000 people hospitalized. Florida and DeSantis were mocked by late night TV hosts and denounced by Biden, who told GOP governors to get out of the way of their efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

A snapshot of the virus in Florida, however, shows a more complicated picture. Florida had more than 87,000 Covid-related deaths since the first cases of Covid appeared in March 2020 and its death rate was 13 highest in the nation, according to data from the New York Times. But according to that data, it had a lower death rate than New York and New Jersey, two Democrat-led states that imposed some mask and vaccine mandates.

DeSantis was also an early proponent of vaccinating the elderly and prioritized seniors over young, healthy workers in December 2020. But his stance eventually changed, and at a press conference in 2021 he stood next to people who were staunchly anti-vaccine, including one who falsely said the shot changes your RNA. DeSantis last December asked the state Supreme Court to empanel a grand jury to investigate Covid vaccines and the drug companies that manufacture them.



DeSantis defended his handling of Covid and praised Floridas legislation that makes the bans on pandemic-related mandates indefinite. He repeated his stance when asked about it by a POLITICO reporter on Friday, saying that the Biden administration tried to deny people the right to work based on whether or not they got an mRNA shot.

Other Florida Republicans, when asked about DeSantis continuing Covid efforts and the pandemic-related legislation they passed, also blamed the president.

Why did we do it? Joe Biden  you never know what hes going to do next, said state Rep. Randy Fine, who is head of the Florida House Committee on Health & Human Services. The fact that were getting rid of the national emergency years after it should have ended, that tells you cant trust Joe Biden.

But DeSantis critics maintain that, given the current state of the pandemic, all DeSantis Covid moves are unnecessary.

"It's all messaging and theater, said state Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Miami Democrat. And we'll continue fighting back against it.
Attendance and vaping.

Thats what keeps Sioux Falls School District Superintendent Jane Stavem up at night, as she told a group of dozens of business leaders during a superintendents talk Thursday morning in a Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Attendance is still seeing a dent from COVID-19, and childrens use of vape products or their addiction to vaping is on the rise across the nation, Stavem explained as part of the discussion of challenges facing South Dakota schools today.

If I could find the person who invented (vaping) and started marketing it to children, I would throttle them, Stavem said, adding even students in elementary school have gotten access to it through family members or by theft.

More: State K-12 report card shows absence is still an issue in South Dakota's schools

Stavems peers had some similar, but varied answers on the question posed by Vernon Brown, a moderator for the discussion and South Dakota State University vice president for external affairs

From left to right: Jennifer Lowery, superintendent of the Tea Area School District; Tim Graf, superintendent of the Harrisburg School District; Jarod Larson, superintendent of the Brandon Valley School District; Jane Stavem, superintendent of the Sioux Falls School District; and Vernon Brown, vice president of external affairs at South Dakota State University, speak during a Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce meeting on Thursday morning, April 13, 2023.

Brandon Valley School District Superintendent Jarod Larson said top of mind for him is the successful and on-time completion of his districts high school construction project.

Meanwhile, mental health and behavior came to mind for Harrisburg School District Superintendent Tim Graf, he said.

Its amazing to me if you havent heard some of the things that were dealing with (and) our colleagues are dealing with all across the state and nation, Graf said. Were not sure whats causing it, but behaviors are off the charts. Its really impacting our education workforce.

With the increase of behavioral issues, teaching has become a real challenge, Graf added, making it harder to find substitute teachers and making the job more challenging for tenured educators.

More: How Sioux Falls area schools are experiencing, responding to COVID-19 learning loss in South Dakota

Attendance, mental health and students use of social media is whats getting to the Tea Area School District Superintendent Jennifer Lowery, she said.

Story continues

Here are four other big takeaways from the area's education leaders and other challenges mentioned during the talk, including takes on social studies standards, school growth, school safety and the recent politicization of education.

Social studies standards opposed by all four Sioux Falls-area superintendents

In Grafs 25 years as a superintendent, there has never been a topic that everyone has been on the same page on, except for the states current proposed social studies standards. That doesnt happen much in these positions, he said.

Truly, weve not had a patron, weve not had a single teacher, weve not had a single parent (be a proponent) of the proposed standards, Graf said. Its been easy in my situation to oppose them, and our board has been in opposition as well, which also makes it easier to oppose.

There are rumors that the South Dakota Board of Education standards may push the current proposed draft set of standards back, because of edits and changes, but he said he also doesnt know if those rumors have substance.

Harrisburg school district superintendent Tim Graf speaks at a Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce meeting Thursday morning, April 13, 2023.

Lowery said she cant live with the standards for her own children  a freshman, seventh grader and first grader or the 2,300 students shes in charge of as a superintendent.

Its just a very complex issue thats not right for our kids, she said. If Im the superintendent of schools, I have to be the instructional leader. When I look at it and I listen to my teachers and other educators, Im not OK saying, Well swallow it and move forward. If I dont stand up for what I think is right for my own three children, I guess Im not doing my job.

Brown asked Stavem and Larson what the costs might be for larger districts in the state to implement the standards and find corresponding curriculum. Stavem said some of the practical matters of adopting the standards will be highly costly, and the standards come from a totally different system of education in a classical model.

More: Superintendents join call against South Dakotas proposed social studies standards

To overlay a portion of that into a traditional school schedule (with) the way that we arrange curriculum and orchestrate that scope and sequence all the way from elementary to high school, it doesnt fit very well, Stavem said.

For example, the district has its Spanish immersion program, and every student has a Chromebook, but some resources wont be available in a Spanish or digital format to integrate the standards, Stavem said. And she doesnt want staff members using time for that purpose, she added.

The last time a new instructional plan or implementation plan came through to adopt new social studies standards in the Sioux Falls School District, it cost about $3.5 million, Stavem said. Add in the cost of training for first grade teachers on content theyve never seen, and it will be pretty herculean, Stavem said.

Larson said theres an opportunity to take good things in the current 2015 set of standards, the 2021 workgroups draft of the standards and the current proposed set of standards that could be put together to make a great product for South Dakotas students.

The fourth and final public hearing on the social studies standards is set for Monday in Pierre, during which the Board of Education Standards could choose to adopt or rework the current proposed social studies standards.

Where the school districts are growing in the Sioux Falls area

Each of the superintendents spoke about the growth occurring in their districts as the population in southeastern South Dakota and the Sioux Falls metropolitan area continues to increase.

In Brandon Valley, the high school is working on finishing up a $10 million, 35,000 square-foot addition of more than 20 classrooms, Larson said, all paid for by capital outlay cash with no additional tax burden on residents.

Brandon Valley school district superintendent Jarod Larson (left) and Sioux Falls School District superintendent Jane Stavem both speak at a Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce meeting Thursday morning, April 13, 2023.

Harrisburg School District is growing so quickly that as many as 150 new high schoolers are added to the districts enrollment count each year, Graf said. While Sioux Falls continues to grow without stopping, he said its a goal for the district to keep its small-town feel.

The districts East Middle School is almost complete and will open in August. As many as 500 freshmen will be able to attend the freshman academy also opening in August on the west side of Cliff Avenue. Graf said the district could look at one day adding a third high school if growth continues as planned. Groundbreaking of an eighth elementary school will happen this week, too, Graf said.

More: Where are Sioux Falls-area schools set to grow in 2023? Here are the construction projects

Stavem said the Sioux Falls School District is looking at projects including the elementary school by George McGovern Middle School, adding onto GMMS for the after-school program, recent boundary changes affecting Renberg and Rosa Parks Elementary School and more. She mentioned Rosa Parks, Hayward and Discovery elementary schools are getting full while theres still space at Lowell and Hawthorne elementary schools near the citys center.

Tea Area School District grows at a rate of about 150 new students each year, Lowery said, and the goal is for the district to stay with one high school, two middle schools and multiple elementary schools. The district recently purchased land for the next elementary school, which will break ground in 2027, she said. Work to expand and renovate the high school is ongoing.

How Sioux Falls schools are keeping your kids safe

Another thing that keeps educators up at night is school safety, Lowery said, in response to an audience question about the topic. She said safety plans and procedures are kept confidential, but assured people that a safety team works on the safety issue.

More: Police respond to active shooter 'hoax' calls at South Dakota high schools

Schools utilize research-based best practices for school safety, Larson explained, adding the safest place for a student is behind a locked classroom door.

Theres also secured entrances, locked doors, school resource officers and a new staff member, Dave Osterquist, whose entire position is based on safety plans and procedures, Stavem explained for Sioux Falls schools. The district works on threat assessment and relies on folks to say something if they see something amiss.

More: Books, safety, busing and more: What you missed at Monday night's school board meeting

Graf noted schools also do a form of safety training, which instructs people to save themselves and to run, hide and fight an attacker as needed.

From left to right: Jennifer Lowery, superintendent of the Tea Area School District; Tim Graf, superintendent of the Harrisburg School District; Jarod Larson, superintendent of the Brandon Valley School District; and Jane Stavem, superintendent of the Sioux Falls School District, speak during a Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce meeting on Thursday morning, April 13, 2023.

'Political extremism has vilified' some aspects of education

Some words used in a school district setting, such as equity, have become trigger words when theyre meant to be well-intentioned things, Stavem said.

Weve been vilified sometimes for using the word equity, which for our district means having the same opportunities available at one high school as you do in another, Stavem explained.

She said shes received questions from constituents on the districts use of equity as a term, even in budget line items like equity travel, which is money the district can use to help groups pay for transportation, for example, if they hadnt fundraised enough money to make it to an event. One constituent had made it out to be a very sinister-sounding thing, she said.

Unfortunately, weve taken some things and taken them to extremes, Stavem said. I think thats one thing that school districts across the nation are suffering from right now, is that political extremism has vilified some things that are intended to do what we want in terms of, how do we treat kids? How do we honor differences in our community and our family, whether it be race, gender, any of those kinds of things?

More: Sioux Falls schools, Legislature havent bowed to parents requests for book bans so far

The district welcomes every child who comes in, Stavem explained, and her colleagues Graf, Lowery and Larson echoed in the statements.

Schools should be non-political or politically neutral, Graf said, but added education is becoming more and more difficult to be moderate and neutral in todays society.

If you walked into any of Teas schools, you would find hope and acceptance, Lowery said.

Its not as vicious as its being marketed or politicized, Lowery said.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls-area superintendents discuss biggest issues facing schools
This story originally appeared in the Texas Tribune.

The Texas House has taken sides in one of Americas most polarizing debates  whether to continue changing clocks twice a year, ditch daylight saving time altogether or stick with later daylight permanently.

The representatives overwhelming verdict: Stay on daylight saving time moving forward.

The chamber voted 138-5 on Wednesday to approve House Bill 1422, from Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe.

The antiquated practice of springing forward and falling back  changing our clocks twice a year  is frustrating to many Texans, Metcalf said ahead of a vote that gave the bill initial approval on Tuesday. I believe we should stick to a time without switching twice a year.

Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, asked if the House could vote on who likes which variation of time before voting on the bill, which drew a couple of chuckles. That vote did not occur.

The idea is far from becoming reality. Once the bill gets a final House vote, it still has to clear the Senate. And even if signed to law by Gov. Greg Abbott  who said in a social media post, I STRONGLY support this  the measure would still require an OK from Congress.

Federal law lets states exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time  meaning they remain on standard time year-round  if they pass state laws doing so. But states do not have the power to permanently observe daylight saving time, like the Texas House wants, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Thats the federal agency that oversees the countrys time zones and uniform observance of daylight saving time.

Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time, according to the transportation department.

If HB 1422 were to become law, Texas would join 19 states that have enacted or passed measures for year-round observation of daylight saving time, according to a tally from research group National Conference of State Legislatures.

Story continues

Still, the laws cannot go into effect  as HB 1422 notes  unless Congress enacts a law granting states the authority to observe daylight saving time all the time. Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida introduced a federal bill last month that seeks to do just that.

This ritual of changing time twice a year is stupid, Rubio said in a statement last month. Locking the clock has overwhelming bipartisan and popular support.

HB 1422 is among at least 18 bills that have been filed this session concerning Texas time and daylight saving. Some of the proposals are similar to HB 1422; others would let voters decide the time of day through a referendum.

While many researchers and sleep experts approve of no longer switching clocks twice a year, there appears to be less consensus about whether to follow daylight saving time or standard time.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, for instance, supports eliminating seasonal time changes and has found that permanently switching to daylight saving time could increase mood disorders and motor vehicle crashes.

The group wrote in a 2020 statement current evidence best supports the adoption of year-round standard time, which aligns best with human circadian biology and provides distinct benefits for public health and safety.

The National Sleep Foundation also endorses sticking with standard time, writing in its own opinion about the matter that the human circadian system does not adjust to annual clock changes. Sleep becomes disrupted, less efficient, and shortened. [Daylight saving time] forces our biological clocks out of sync with the rising and setting of the sun (the sun clock). The link between our biological clock and the sun clock has been crucial to human health and well-being for millennia.

Polls have shown Americans also want to stop changing their clocks twice a year but are not on the same page about which time to follow.

Disclosure: National Conference of State Legislatures has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Photo: . The victim of a Nov. 19, 2022 assault in North Vancouver is seen here in a photo from an online fundraising page. | GoFundMe

North Vancouver RCMP have arrested a suspect and charges are expected soon in an assault that left a local restaurant worker with serious injuries.

The incident happened around 11 p.m. on Nov. 19, 2022, outside a pizza restaurant on the 100 block of West First Street. The staffer was taking the garbage out when he was struck with a blunt object and a gun, North Vancouver RCMP say.

After a lengthy investigation, officers arrested a North Vancouver man in his 20s in late March.

At the time of the assault, the restaurants owners posted about the incident on social media, saying it appeared to be a random attack. North Vancouver RCMP now say thats not the case.

This was a traumatic incident for the victim, said Const. Mansoor Sahak, North Vancouver RCMP spokesperson. It also affected the communitys sense of safety. The fact there were many unanswered questions at the start of the investigation left some people fearing for their own safety. We hope this arrest, and the understanding that this was believed to be a targeted attack, restores a sense of security and reassures people that North Vancouver is a safe community.

There was some limited relationship between the suspect and the victim, Sahak said, although he couldnt speak to any details while the matter is set to go before the courts.

Charges have not yet been sworn, but the investigators will soon be recommending the Crown lay counts of either assault with a weapon or aggravated assault.

The suspect has been released pending a future court date.
Editors note: Calendar items must be submitted at least five days before an event. Email all items to news@morganton.com.

TODAY

The N.C. 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. N.C. 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 prepayment 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.

Vietnam veterans meeting

Vietnam Veterans of America, Robert Douglas Avery Chapter 1116, will be meeting at Timberwoods Family Restaurant with a meal beginning at 5 p.m. Meals for first time guests will be paid for. A business meeting will begin at 6 p.m. All Vietnam veterans, members and non members, are invited to attend this meeting. Membership information will be provided for all non members interested in joining our chapter. Any questions that you have may be directed to Chapter Secretary Tom Johnson at 828-413-0143.

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 by 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.

The Art of Chocolate

The Art of Chocolate, an annual fundraiser for Options, will be held at 7 p.m. at the Morganton Community House, 120 N. King St., Morganton. Tickets, which are $75 each, must be purchased in advance. The event will include an art auction and live music. Call Options at 828-438-9444 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 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.
WILMINGTON  North Carolinas Democratic governor rallied residents and local doctors Wednesday in Wilmington as part of a last-minute bid to persuade at least one Republican lawmaker to sustain his expected veto of a bill banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The visit marks the second day of Gov. Roy Coopers cross-state campaign to urge the constituents of four GOP state legislators to demand they uphold abortion access after expressing hesitance about further restrictions during their election campaigns last year.

Cooper singled out Reps. Tricia Cotham and John Bradford of Mecklenburg County and Rep. Ted Davis and Sen. Michael Lee of New Hanover County after Republicans fast-tracked legislation last week to impose more stringent limits beyond the current 20 weeks. He plans to veto the bill Saturday at a rally in Raleigh, but party-line votes for passage and assurances from legislative leaders indicate it will likely be overridden.

Flanked by health care providers Wednesday in the Cape Fear region  Davis and Lees home turf  Cooper insisted its not too late for voters to change their lawmakers minds.

All we need is one  one person of conscience, he said. One person who knows that this is wrong and is not afraid to stand up to party leadership.

Coopers shoe-leather advocacy represents state Democrats last defense against a new wave of conservative policies made possible by Cothams recent party switch from Democrat to Republican. Her move gave the GOP veto-proof majorities in both legislative chambers, essentially nullifying the governors veto power unless he can pull in one or more Republicans to block the bill from becoming law.

Some Democrats, like longtime political consultant Gary Pearce, say Coopers last-minute barnstorming demonstrates a newfound desperation in light of Republicans recent seat gains. But conservative critics like Caitlin Connors, southern regional director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, view his visits as attempts to bully lawmakers.

Lee, who insists hes made clear his unwavering views on abortion since the campaign season, said in a tweet Wednesday that he opposes banning the procedure before 12 weeks but thinks most abortions later in pregnancy are abhorrent and should be restricted. The Wilmington-area Republican said in a candidate forum last fall that he supports a womans right to choose in the first trimester.

I will not let the governor lie to the people of my district and this state and try to bully me out of legislation I campaigned on supporting, Lee had said Friday in a tweet.

Abortion providers say the headline-grabbing 12-week cutoff distracts from dozens more provisions packed into the 47-page bill that make it much more restrictive than meets the eye. They pointed to new hurdles requiring women to make an in-person visit to a medical professional at least 72 hours before the procedure. Under current law, the three-day waiting period can be initiated over the phone.

That waiting period, Cooper said, is longer than the time it took Republicans to file, debate and pass the bill.

Starting July 1, the bill would also place limits on new exceptions, capping abortions at 20 weeks in cases of rape or incest and 24 weeks for life-limiting fetal anomalies, including certain physical or genetic disorders that can be diagnosed prenatally. An existing exception for when the life of the pregnant woman is in danger would remain.

New facility requirements would also require a massive investment for most providers to continue operating clinics in the state, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic CEO Jenny Black told reporters Wednesday. Some of the organizations abortion centers, which Black said have been havens for North Carolinians and patients traveling from more restrictive states, will never meet the new standards, she said.

Davis, Lees counterpart in the state House and the lone Republican absent from the chamber when lawmakers approved the bill last week, had previously stated his support for the existing 20-week limit. Asked by email Wednesday about Coopers visit to Wilmington and his own views on the abortion bill, Davis said he had no comment at this time.

While Pearce, the state Democratic consultant, said its a longshot that Coopers last-minute plea will sway a Republican, he called the approach a smart strategy that could pay dividends in future elections.

Its not impossible, Pearce said of Cooper pulling in a Republican. But then if they go ahead and override his veto and they put this in effect, then Democrats are going to run hard on it next year, and I think its going to be a winning issue for them.

Constituents like Marla Barthen, a Wilmington nurse and film industry medic, are among those demanding accountability.

Senator Lee talked about a 12-week ban, but then all these other stipulations that were loaded on top of that  its overreach, she said. Then Ted Davis made promises that he wasnt going to make any changes ... and so women inside our community have just been misled and lied to.
LIVINGSTON  A caretaker stole jewelry, gold, guns and other items valued at more than $1.5 million from a woman as she lay dead, according to allegations filed in Park County District Court.

The man, John Charles Burdick, faces a felony theft charge punishable by up to 10 years in prison. His prosecution is based on an investigation by the Park County Sheriffs Office that began Oct. 14, 2022, when a detective met with an attorney and had a conference call with a representative of the deceased womans estate.

The attorney and representative reported that an inventory of the deceased womens property indicated items were missing, including a diamond wedding ring valued at $1 million; a $334,264 diamond necklace; 60 ounces in gold Canadian maple leaf coins; a 2019 Saks Roger Debuis Excalibur gold watch valued at $94,815; a diamond wedding band valued at $16,676; a matching set of 28 gauge Armas Garbi double barrel shotguns valued at $20,000; a Stihl model MS 271 or 291 chainsaw; a pair of blue earrings; Y necklace; and a shooting tripod rest.

The investigator reviewed a surveillance video footage of the period just before and after the womans death. The footage reportedly shows the woman interacting with Burdick in her bedroom about 7:15 p.m. Aug. 27, 2022, according to an affidavit filed by the Park County Attorneys Office. In one instance, Burdick brings in a bucket, removes a garbage can and gives her an inhaler. At about 8:30 p.m., the woman stops moving and doesnt move after that, according to the affidavit.

The video allegedly shows Burdick stealing items from the bedroom from about 7:30 to 10:39 a.m. the following day.

At approximately 1023 hours, Defendant is seen entering the bedroom from the right side door with what appears to be cash, a large jewelry container and a necklace in his hand, reads the affidavit. He pauses, looks toward the camera and then turns and leaves the room.

Burdick appears to check on the womans condition at about 10:43 a.m., touching her arm and leg. The video also shows Burdicks son there, but its not alleged that the son stole anything and he hasnt been charged.

County dispatch logs indicate 911 was called at 10:59 a.m. to report the womans death, according to the affidavit.

Peace officers executed a search warrant at Burdicks home on Nov. 1, 2022. There, and investigator showed Burdicks son a video still image of his father holding jewelry in the deceased womans home, according to the affidavit. The son directed officers to his fathers safe, offered to open it and officers found stolen items on a shelf and in the safe, the affidavit alleges.

Officers seized items as evidence, including a gold watch, gold coins, $4,400 in cash, at least one firearm and various items of jewelry, according to the affidavit.

Burdick reportedly consented to a recorded interview with an investigator on Nov. 2, 2022.

Defendant stated that he had taken all of the items and that [the deceased] had told him that if anything happened to her, Defendant was to take whatever he wanted except for a black brief case that was in her safe, reads the affidavit. Defendant stated that he had taken all of the items that were in his possession from the [deceaseds] residence, he didnt believe he did anything wrong and that he was just doing what [the deceased] had told him to do. Defendant did not have this agreement with [the deceased] in writing.

The investigator reportedly asked Burdick why the woman would have given him a $1 million wedding ring.

Defendant stated because she loved him, loved what he did for them and wanted to take care of him, reads the affidavit. [The investigator] then advised Defendant that a theft complaint had been made by the executor of [the deceaseds] estate and he was placed under arrest.

Burdick had allegedly told someone the deceased womans late husband had promised him a retirement benefit, but it did not materialize prior to [the husband] passing away, according to the affidavit.

[The deceased woman] was skeptical that [her late husband] had ever promised Defendant such a thing never found anything in writing to support this claim, reads the affidavit.

A cleaning lady allegedly told the investigator that the deceased woman had given Burdick a four-wheeler and some money about four months before she died. A friend of the deceased womans family reportedly told the investigator he had never heard the woman talk about giving Burdick anything besides the four-wheeler and pension.

Burdick has a jury trial scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 9 before Park County District Judge Brenda Gilbert, according to court records.
As a business owner, I have always treasured Montanas rugged independence and economic freedom, which allows me to operate according to the needs of my employees and customers. Thats why Im concerned by President Joe Bidens choice to nominate Julie Su, Californias former chief labor regulator, as the U.S. secretary of labor. Su will attempt to make Montana and the rest of the country look more like California.

When Su served as secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, she supported multiple policies that would pose an existential threat to franchise businesses like mine. I am the chairman & CEO of Great Harvest Bakery & Cafe, which is headquartered in Dillon and has nearly 200 locations across the country. Franchising is a critical part of our economy here in Montana, with more than 3,000 establishments supporting almost 33,000 jobs and $3.2 billion in economic output for the state.

I know franchising inside and out and have experienced its positive impact firsthand. Before joining Great Harvest, I spent quite a few years as a franchisee of a different brand to learn how to operate a small business. I also spent time consulting for that same franchise company, later acting as its chief financial officer. This combination of franchisee and franchisor experience has allowed me to see up close how this business model changes lives.

For one, it enables people to start their own business using a pre-existing and proven recipe, making entrepreneurship less risky and creating pathways for people to own businesses who might not otherwise have the chance. While women and people of color are underrepresented in the business community broadly, they make up more than a quarter of franchisees.

None of this has stopped Julie Su and her California allies from attacking the foundation of our entire business model.

Take California Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5) for example, which Su championed before it was rejected by California voters. AB 5 would have classified local franchise owners and their workers as employees of the parent brand, essentially demoting these small business owners, killing their autonomy and ending their ability to tailor benefits and schedules to the needs of their own workers.

Su also supported Californias FAST Act, which was signed into law last year. The bill creates a council of unelected political appointees to set labor rules for quick-service restaurants, allowing the state to bypass the will of voters to do whatever it pleases to these establishments, whether hiking the minimum wage or mandating expensive benefits for hourly workers.

As a result of the increased costs, many franchisees are forced to cut workers hours or eliminate jobs entirely. Those costs also get passed onto customers in the form of higher prices on goods and services. I cant think of a worse time to be raising prices on consumers than now.

You know a law goes too far when even California voters turn against it, as they did with AB 5 and are doing now with the FAST Act. Over 1 million Californians signed a petition to reject the FAST Act and bring it up for a vote on the 2024 ballot.

As a franchisor, I dont need Julie Su to tell me how to take care of my people. Great Harvest is passionate about providing great jobs and giving back to our communities. We offer our franchisees access to capital, training and managerial assistance, as well as the freedom and individuality to operate according to the needs of their own communities, employees and customers. A key line in our mission statement is Give Generously to Others.

You see this same mindset all across the franchising world. Franchise businesses range from restaurants to auto body shops to hotels, and they are upstanding members of their communities. They pay higher wages and offer health insurance to more of their employees than their non-franchise counterparts. After all, the incentives of franchisors and franchisees are aligned. The parents company cant succeed unless the franchisees and workers succeed.

For the sake of the 33,000 Montanans who work for franchise businesses, I sincerely hope Su does not have the opportunity to take her job-killing policies national. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines must now decide whether she becomes Americas next secretary of labor. Lets hope they continue their excellent record of standing with small businesses and workers by opposing her nomination. The fate of the franchising business model hangs in the balance.
Bus stops in Boston are beginning to double as digital libraries under a new pilot program being rolled out across the city. Mayor Michelle Wu said Thursday that riders at 20 bus stops can now dip into free digital content by using an QR code to browse and borrow audiobooks, eBooks, e-newspapers and e-magazines for all ages. Boston Library cards are not required and readers dont need to download an app. The program, which runs through the end of August, features blue slip-proof decals on sidewalks at the bus stops. Offerings include poetry, short stories and short audiobooks.
When 28-year-old Navy veteran Carisma Carter pulled her car up to the front of the Atlanta VA Clinic, her seat was pushed far back from the steering wheel to make room for her big belly. Carter was 8 months pregnant.

Im having two boys, twins. Its my first pregnancy, she said.

Carter knows the pregnancy risks she could face as a Black woman, especially in Georgia, where data shows Black women are more than twice as likely as white women to die during or within a year after a pregnancy.

I take care of my body during the pregnancy, but, yeah, Im very aware, Carter said. And I just try to stay positive.

In 2021, women made up about 17% of the U.S. militarys active-duty force. And women are the fastest-growing group of veterans in the country, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

A recent report from Rand Corp. outlines some of the ways the health needs of women differ from mens, including pregnancy and childbirth. And health researchers have said women veterans may be at heightened risk for pregnancy complications, compared with their civilian counterparts.

A few years ago, the Atlanta VA Clinic got creative with its outreach to pregnant patients. It began throwing surprise baby showers for small groups of patients. The goal is to cement relationships with the clinical staff, make sure pregnant veterans get to all their regular and specialist appointments, and help ensure pregnant people have the supplies they need as they near delivery. A trained maternity care coordinator manages each pregnant veterans care.

After the covid-19 pandemic emerged, the VA transformed the showers into low-contact drive-thru events, which occur about every three months, and serve roughly 20 pregnant veterans each time.

At a shower in February, volunteers set up in front of the main entrance of the Atlanta VA. The building is concrete, beige, and bland. But the volunteers created a celebratory atmosphere by decorating a folding table and stacking it high with free diaper bags and other baby supplies.

A car pulled up to the table and a volunteer with a clipboard began hyping up the small crowd, which then burst into applause and cheers.

Thank you for your service! they called out. Congratulations!

The pregnant veteran behind the wheel looked surprised at first. Then she broke into a big smile. She rolled down her car window.

Volunteers and VA staff members clustered around the car and offered her a tiara of green, white, and pink flowers.

Would you like to wear it? one asked. Stunning! Remind us what youre having?

Im having a girl, the woman said.

While they chatted through the open window about her due date and health, other volunteers rushed forward with supplies. Some piled boxes of diapers into the back seat. The final, parting gesture was a $100 gift card.

Kathleen OLoughlin, who manages the women veterans program at the Atlanta VA, said the events offer last-minute baby needs.

Because we know theres a lot, she said.

OLoughlin said the health center cant invite every pregnant veteran to these group baby showers, so they focus on women with higher-risk pregnancies, including veterans carrying multiples or those who have a disability related to their military service.

Now, a lot of the women have different musculoskeletal issues because of their service, [or] a lot of service-connected disabilities that civilian women arent exposed to because they dont have those same job responsibilities, OLoughlin said. This is an extra set of eyeballs on them. Are you making sure youre taking your blood pressure medicines? Are you getting all of your appointments, are you meeting with your doctors?

U.S. maternal mortality rates increased again during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Physical and psychological injuries linked to military service can increase the risk of poor maternal outcomes, according to Jamya Pittman, an internist and the medical director for the women veterans program in Atlanta.

A lot of our women veterans have the diagnoses of anxiety, depression. They may also have PTSD, in addition to a myriad of other diagnoses like hypertension and diabetes, Pittman said. We also know that pregnancy in itself can be a stressor on the body.

The Atlanta VA designed the baby showers to boost veterans well-being, she explained. Program volunteers are predominantly also women veterans.

This visible showing of support, this community engagement, this celebration, she said, is our way of helping to decrease stress and allow the woman veteran to know that she has a partner in her health care and with the arrival of the baby.

Nationally, the Department of Veterans Affairs is focusing on womens health at all life stages.

The Atlanta women veterans program serves more than 24,000 veterans in the region, and about 9% of them are pregnant at any time.

Two years ago, Congress passed bipartisan legislation mandating a national study of pregnancy outcomes among veterans, including any racial disparities.

There has never been a comprehensive evaluation of how our nations growing maternal mortality crisis is impacting our women Veterans, even though they may be at higher risk due to their service, wrote co-sponsor Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) on the day the bill was introduced.

The law, called the Protecting Moms Who Served Act, also provided $15 million to support maternity care coordination programs at VA facilities.

The Atlanta VA is using some of its share of that money to make sure pregnant veterans receive ongoing medical care for a full year after giving birth.

Carter, the Navy veteran who stopped by the baby shower, said she appreciated the outreach from the VA.

Just checking on the women, supporting them, making sure that they have everything that they need for the baby, she said, because a lot of people dont have that support, they dont have family, theyre doing this on their own.

Carter gave birth to her twins on Feb. 25. She and the babies are doing well, she said. The women veterans programs maternity care coverage continues for 12 months after the twins birth.

This article is from a partnership that includes WABE, NPR, and KFF Health News.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).
Many people searching for a therapist or psychiatrist turn to the list of in-network providers offered by their insurance plan. But often, many of the doctors on the list dont take that insurance plan, arent accepting new patients, or simply dont answer the phone. Researchers and journalists call this phenomenon a ghost network.

So, who you gonna call when you encounter a ghost network? A ghostbuster.

Thats where Abigail Burman comes in. Burman is a lawyer who has studied ghost networks and volunteers her ghostbusting services to help people in her life navigate these networks and obtain care.

In this episode of An Arm and a Leg, host Dan Weissmann speaks with Burman about what it took to get her friend the care she needed and what steps you can take to get insurance to pay for therapy.

Dan Weissmann

Host and producer of "An Arm and a Leg." Previously, Dan was a staff reporter for Marketplace and Chicago's WBEZ. His work also appears on All Things Considered, Marketplace, the BBC, 99 Percent Invisible, and Reveal, from the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Credits

Emily Pisacreta Producer Adam Raymonda Audio Wizard Afi Yellow-Duke Editor Click to open the Transcript Transcript: Mental Health Ghost Networks  And a Ghostbuster

Note: An Arm and a Leg uses speech-recognition software to generate transcripts, which may contain errors. Please use the transcript as a tool but check the corresponding audio before quoting the podcast.

Dan: Hey there

So, one topic we have NOT addressed on this show until now has been mental health. And its not because it isnt important, right?

Just ask anybody whos lived through a multi-year global pandemic.

And its not like ACCESS to mental health care  figuring out how to pay for it, or how to get insurance to pay for it  isnt a problem.

Actually, pretty much the opposite. Its maybe the biggest problem. Its just notoriously horrible.

We havent gone there because, well, number one: The horror stories are endless.

And two, Ive had absolutely nothing to offer, in terms of what are we gonna do about it. Until now. Because now Ive met somebody who has actually won a battle in this awful domain

Abigail Burman: my name is Abigail Burman and I am an attorney specializing in consumer protection healthcare and technology.

Dan: Abigails also a policy expert on some of these problems And shes become a problem-solver for people in her life.

Abigail Burman: Its become a little bit of my superpower to just help friends find an in-network therapist or in-network psychiatrist.

Dan: Or, if theres basically no such thing, to get their insurance to pay for an out-of-network provider.

She sent me a checklist shed posted to an online forum, with the title, A broad guide to getting therapy/psych appointments covered when you cant find anyone in network

Its based on steps Abigail took on behalf of a friend recently, and its terrific.

It combines the usual unreasonable amount of persistence and grit, and time that not everybody has and adds some key legal knowledge.

Now, this legal key wont open every door, of course. Its shape  and whether itll work at all for you depends on where you get your insurance, and on where you live.

In fact, even with that legal knowledge on her side, the steps in Abigails checklist arent exactly what worked for Abigail in this case. It took more.

Again, more than is reasonable. More than most of us have in us, frankly.

But well share what did work  because there ARE insights here that even us non-superheroes can definitely use :

And beyond the mechanics, the specific tips, I find Abigails approach  the spirit in which she suggests we apply ourselves to these problems for ourselves or for others really refreshing.

This is An Arm and a Leg, a show about why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can maybe do about it. Im Dan Weissmann, Im a reporter, and I like a challen.ge.

So our job on this show is to take one of the most enraging, terrifying, depressing parts of American life  and rarely has that word depressing carried more weight than in this story about mental health and bring you something entertaining, empowering and useful.

Abigails personal super-powers grow out of her policy research.

Abigail Burman: So as with all good academic work, it started with a grudge. This is my super villain origin story.

Dan: It started during her first semester in law school, when she made an important discovery.

Abigail Burman: law school is uh, a toxic pressure cooker, and so I, like a lot of my classmates realized midway through that talking to someone would be a good idea.

Dan: So she looked up the therapists in her insurance companys directory.

Abigail Burman: I called probably 20 doctors and didnt hear back from anyone. I actually ended up seeing someone out of network.

Dan: And she got mad. And she decided: Im gonna find out what the hell is going on here. So she spent pretty much the rest of law school researching exactly that.

And her research showed her: This thing shed experienced? It was a known thing. It had a name.

Researchers and journalists called it a ghost network.

A ghost network is where your insurance company says to you: You need a therapist? Oh sure. Heres a list of therapists who take our insurance our network directory.

And maybe you call a few. Maybe you call twenty, like Abigail. Maybe you call 73, which is what one woman did, according to a recent Washington Post story. Yep. 73.

And they say, What? No, we dont take that insurance. Or, Were not taking new clients. Or nobody even answers the phone because its been disconnected for a long time.

And the problem isnt that youre having bad luck. The problem is: The network itself  all these providers supposedly waiting to take your call and take your insurance  is a ghost, a phantasm.

Of course, running into a ghost network can conjure up all the feelings of being ghosted.

Abigail Burman: That can be so isolating when you just think this is a personal annoyance rather than being able to name it as a bigger problem with the entire system.

Dan: I mean, it can also feel like, it can feel like a personal failure, right? Like, oh, a real adult could do this.

Abigail Burman: Exactly. If I just organized my life better, if I just tried harder, this would be better.

Dan: But Abigails research showed her: This is not a personal failing. A study of networks in just one city, Washington, DC, found that only half of the phone numbers listed even worked at all.

And Abigails everyday experience showed her: Those findings in Washington, DC, were not identifying an isolated trouble spot

.

Abigail Burman: I realized I was onto something when I would tell people about this and everyone has a story.

Dan: So she let her rage fuel years of academic work. She published some findings in a long article for the Yale Law and Policy Review called Laying Ghost Networks to Rest.

The paper documents the problems scale  spoiler alert, its REALLY big, and not limited to mental health  and lays out policy prescriptions for fighting them.

Meanwhile, Abigail has graduated from law school, and moved to DC. Now its late 2022. Abigails friend needs a therapist, and shes like

Abigail Burman: Put me in. Im ready.

Dan: This starts with Abigails friend trying things the normal way:

Abigail Burman: They called like 10 or so and just arent getting any hits either people are not actually taking new patients or they just are not replying. I think we got one or two wrong numbers.

Dan: Again, normal. And not a step you can skip. Going up against this problem  and documenting it  is what gives you standing to tell the insurance company to solve it for you.

Abigail Burman: They had managed to get through to one provider, but they kept saying that their earliest appointment would be in four months, which is unacceptable And so this is where I came in.

Dan: Its unacceptable morally. Its unacceptable as a treatment plan. And because Abigail has studied the law here, she knows its unacceptable legally. At least in some situations. Including her friends.

Abigail Burman: Affordable Care Act, marketplace plans, Medicaid plans, and Medicare plans are all subject to rules around network adequacy.

Dan: Network adequacy: If youre gonna take away one legal term from this episode thats the big one: Network adequacy. Are there enough doctors in your network to actually provide care?

Thats the bedrock for everything else here.

Abigail Burman: Lets say you have like a 500 person directory, two of them will actually pick up if you call, but finding them requires the other 498. Thats not what you are entitled to. That is not an adequate network. The key with all of these rules and regulations is that, um, its meant to make seeking care not a burden.

That when you are already in a place of distress, it should be reasonably easy for you to reach out and get help. And I think that has to be your guidepost. Think about what it is reasonable to expect of someone in your situation.

Dan: So, if youve called, say, ten numbers and are coming up empty, youve got pretty good evidence that the answer is whats being expected of you isnt reasonable.

Youre gonna be telling the insurance company: If youve got an adequate network, prove it.

Abigail Burman: Your stance at that point that you wanna hold firm in is, I have called doctors. I have done my job, I have spent this many hours.

Thank you. But no, I will not be doing that anymore. Now the burdens shift to you.

Dan: In other words, if your network really is adequate, youve gotta find me somebody in it. Or pay for me to go outside of it.

And Ive gotta acknowledge here: As bedrock goes, its  fragmented. And incomplete. For starters, every state makes its own rules for network adequacy.

And within a given state, the rules are different for those three different kinds of plans: Obamacare plans, Medicaid, and Medicare.

And for a lot of us who get insurance from work wed be looking at a whole different legal structure.

But beyond the legal specifics the basic idea is: Somewhere, somehow, youve got a right to actual care from somebody who takes your insurance.

Insurance is a contract. Theyre getting something  money  and youre supposed to get something: Access to care from somebody for in-network rates.

Abigail Burman: Either you or someone else is paying for you to get this service from your insurer. This is what that money is supposed to cover. And if you cant get that, someones just getting money for free.

Dan: So, Im just gonna note a couple of Abigails broad guidelines here, and well post a link to her full checklist wherever youre listening to this.

And well supplement it with some of what Abigail told me when we talked. For now, the gist is:

Her list starts with legal terms like network adequacy that you can combine in a Google search along with the name of your state to see how they apply to your situation.

And it ends with some general purpose advice like, quote The key is to be a giant asshole. Unquote.

Abigail Burman: I dont mean, you know, screaming at people using swear words, et cetera, but it can feel like you are being a jerk if you stand your ground and say no. But it is worth it. And if nothing else, just remember that. Like youre never gonna talk to any of these people again.Probably.

So, worse comes to worse, if you get too stressed out, you can hang up and call again.

Dan: In other words, the key isnt to BE an asshole. Its to tolerate FEELING like youre being an asshole.

But what youre doing is letting the other person know: You know your actual rights.

I tell Abigail, it reminds me of how Jacqueline Fox a law professor who used to do this kind of problem-solving as an attorney  put it: You want the person on the other side to get the feeling, Theres a grown-up here who seems to be getting annoyed.

Abigail Burman: Exactly. I think thats the, the exact vibe you want is kind of, um, Im disappointed, not angry. And I, that is how I try to go into these is sort of like, here is the rule, here is what you have done. I simply dont understand why you cant comply with the law. Um, also love to you, you always wanna put a specific request at the end.

Uh, say exactly what you want, um, just so its really clear. Uh, and ideally, you know, say, I, I expect to reply back by this time, just so theres something keeping the conversation moving. If you dont get a response, you can then follow up and say, I thought, you know, Id ask for a reply by then. Where, where is my reply?

Um, and so, yeah, thats kind of the, the general structure you wanna take in these interactions is like, I have seen that. Like, I know this is what Im entitled to. This is what happened. How are we, collectively working together, going to fix this?

Dan: Coming up in a minute: What happened when Abigail actually went into battle for her friend.

(Midroll)

This episode of An Arm and a Leg is produced in partnership with KFF Health News. Thats a nonprofit newsroom covering health care in America., Their work wins all kinds of journalism awards every year, and Im honored to work with them.

So, Abigails friend had called a bunch of therapists that were supposed to be covered by their insurance found bupkis. Abigail steps in.

Her friend happens to be on Medicaid, which is kind of a best-case scenario for this sort of thing: Not only is Medicaid regulated by states, there tend to be detailed rules  contractual language even  about things like network adequacy.

Abigail looked up the specific regs that applied in her friends case, kept them on hand, and started in with the phone calling.

If youve been listening for a while, or if youve done something like this, some of what happened will be familiar.

Once the first few calls didnt get anywhere, Abigail started working her way up.

Abigail Burman: The language thats often used is you wanna ask to have your complaint or your grievance escalated. You want it to go to someone who maybe has a little more power, little more experience.

Dan: She thinks it took maybe five calls to get to anybody at the insurance company whose response went beyond, Huh? Whatever. Sucks to be you.

Abigail Burman: I finally got a woman who was like, yeah, this is bad. What you want is what we call an administrative grievance. She said, okay, Im going to with you on the phone. I am gonna call two or three doctors and see if they have an appointment. If not, we will file an administrative grievance.

Dan: The woman dialed a few doctors while Abigail was on the phone, got nowhere, and filed an administrative grievance.

Which, you know, great. But thats not a doctors appointment. File it under Abigails general advice of: Do everything. Go on record everywhere. And keep going.

Next, Abigail kept calling, kept asking to talk with someone at the insurance company with more juice. Someone who could actually authorize paying for an appointment with an out-of-network doc, since there werent in-network docs.

And after another like full day on the phone, she got to that someone.

Abigail made her specific request: I want you to authorize payment for out-of-network provider, as the regulations require. And

Abigail Burman: They say we have no process for this. This does not exist.

Dan: Like, this thing that the law says they have to do get you a provider and cut a check  this persons saying they have no process for it.

Abigail Burman: I read them the regulation over the phone. It did not, did not change their position.

Dan: I wouldve really struggled in that conversation to contain my rage. I mean, its just flabbergasting, right? Like, I spent all day getting on the phone. I mean, all of this reminds me of the Wizard of Oz, and they were like, no one can see Oz.

And you know, shes, shes like, I am going to see him. And, and then she sees him and hes like, go away and come back tomorrow. . I am Oz.

Abigail Burman: exactly. It is a, it is a complete runaround. Um, and so when you get to this place, I think you have to let the rage fuel you, maybe take a break, eat some snacks.

Dan: And keep going with other strategies. Including ones that may seem pretty out of the way at first.

So Abigail called the office of her friends state representative.

And of all the lessons from Abigails story, this one may be the MOST important.

Abigail Burman: This is the secret trick for any interaction you are having, largely with government agencies, but also sometimes with private companies. Um, all of your elected representatives from local through to Congress, they have staffers whose only job it is, is to make your interactions with these systems easier.

Dan: Abigail actually worked for a member of Congress once upon a time, so shes seen this all from the other side.

Abigail Burman: Your elected representatives, have enormous resources at their disposal. And the good ones know that the way you get reelected is by helping people with their specific problems and will go outta their way to do it.

Dan: You dont have to be a former Congressional aide yourself to call your state representatives office. I mean, in most cases, a state rep doesnt even have THAT many constituents. But they do have staff.

So, Abigail didnt call the state reps office because she knew someone there. She called because she knew what someone there could DO.

And now you know it too.

Abigail Burman: These staffers have secret phone numbers, they have email addresses, they get things fixed.

Dan: A staffer had given Abigail a direct email to the right person at the state regulators office.

Abigail Burman: And so we emailed them, got a reply back almost immediately saying, yeah, youre right, this is bad.

Dan: And then she heard from somebody ELSE altogether.

Abigail Burman: I think within an hour or two, uh, got a phone call from the healthcare plans lobbyists for the state, saying that, yeah, she was personally going to fix this, promising an appointment within the next two days.

Dan: Holy shit. I mean I love that its the lobbyist

Abigail Burman: Yeah, that was special.

Dan: I mean, its very interesting, right? That like the official channels did not go anywhere. That what happened was the political actor got involved and a political actor on the insurance side came and made it happen.

Abigail Burman: Exactly. The key is you just, you have to keep moving up and you have to press on all the levers that you can.

Dan: In this case, because Abigails friend was on Medicaid, the state was actually paying the insurance company directly, so getting them involved was probably a more effective lever than in other situations. But it worked!

Something actually worked.

And making that happen took an unbelievable amount of work, amount of resources. That is one of the BIG take-aways here, and its not exactly a cheerful one.

Abigail estimates she put like half a workweek into this. [I mean, holy crap.]

Abigail Burman: I was lucky enough to be in a job where I, I could, you know, my boss was understanding I could be taking these calls at the office for sometimes hours at a time.

Dan: And shes fluent in English. And shes comfortable navigating bureaucracy, to say the least.

Abigail Burman: I am a lawyer who worked in healthcare policy before law school, and I do this work professionally, and it still took me so long. And that was with the added privilege of, getting taken seriously because of my education, because Im white, because of all these things.

Dan: I mean, all of these advantages are among the reasons Abigails firm charges hundreds of dollars an hour for her time.

So the resources it took to get this individual win are, on that scale, staggering. It absolutely blows.

And yet: The part of Abigails story that sticks out the most to me beyond the specific tips, and beyond the outrage is an idea that weve started talking a little more about on this show recently.

Weve talked for a long time about self-defense against this awful system. But self defense only gets us so far  especially when were actually sick, or needing help. Were not in the best position to engage in a fight.

But we can fight for each other. And you dont always have to be a lawyer.

Abigail Burman: This is a service you can provide for people. If you are the sort of person or you know, someone who really enjoys renegotiating their internet plan, you will probably be great at this.

Dan: Sometimes just showing up is enough. Especially in costume.

Abigail Burman: I have gone and just stood in the corner for people to be the scary person whos wearing a suit.

Dan: And you dont always even need a suit. We talked recently with a professional advocate who said, When I get on a call with a client and say, Im her advocate, I can feel the person on the other end of the line straighten up a little bit.

And as we said then: You dont have to be a professional to say Im this persons advocate.

The person on the other end of the phone doesnt need to know youre that persons roommate, or just their friend.

The idea is, take what you have  whatever knowledge you have, whatever skills you have, whatever TIME you have, and yes whatever privilege you have  and see if you can put it to use.

Abigail Burman: You know, that this, uh, we talk a lot about mutual aid and networks of care and I think this is a huge part of it is just showing up for the bureaucracy side.

Dan: Of course, thats not going to make all the difference we need.

Abigail Burman: Looking out for our friends, helping people in our community is only gonna get us so far, we still need so many more changes from lawmakers to make this a system that works for everyone.

Dan: And yes, of course thats true. So Abigail is out there advocating for policy change. But because none of that is happening tomorrow shes ALSO showing up right now for people in her life, helping fight one battle at a time.

So, just to review, Im taking three big things from Abigails fight here.

One is a little basket of possible tools: Think about network adequacy as a demand  your insurance company owes you a doctor. Think about the disappointed-not-angry vibe. Think about your state reps office as a possible resource.  and again, were gonna post some of what Abigail has written so you can find it from wherever youre listening to this.

Two: Jesus Christ, this was a lot of work. Even with Abigails SIGNIFICANT advantages, and the various pieces of wisdom she shared about hacking through, this is not someone most of us could easily take on.

And three: Lets think about these as fights we take on for each other.

Thats something I really want to work toward, something I hope this show can do: How do we become a community  however big, however loose  of folks who can help each other HELP EACH OTHER?

Its big. Well take it one step at a time.

For now, if you havent already, check out our First Aid Kit newsletter. Thats where weve been writing down a lot of the tips and strategies weve been learning about HOW to take on these fights.

You can find everything weve written to date  more than twenty installments so far  at arm and a leg show dot com, slash, first aid kit.

Ill catch you soon.

Till then, take care of yourself.

This episode of An Arm and a Leg was produced by me, Dan Weissmann, with help from Emily Pisacreta, and edited by Afi Yellow-Duke and Ellen Weiss  welcome aboard, Ellen!

Daisy Rosario is our consulting managing producer. Adam Raymonda is our audio wizard. Our music is by Dave Winer and Blue Dot Sessions.

Gabrielle Healy is our managing editor for audience. She edits the First Aid Kit Newsletter.

Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations. Sarah Ballema is our operations manager.

An Arm and a Leg is produced in partnership with KFF Health Newsformerly known as Kaiser Health News.

Thats a national newsroom producing in-depth journalism about health care in America, and a core program at KFF  an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

And yes, you did hear the name Kaiser in there, and no: KFF isnt affiliated with the health care giant Kaiser Permanente. You can learn more about KFF Health News at arm and a leg show dot com, slash KFF.

Zach Dyer is senior audio producer at KFF Health News. He is editorial liaison to this show.

Thanks to Public Narrative  Thats a Chicago-based group that helps journalists and nonprofits tell better stories for serving as our fiscal sponsor, allowing us to accept tax-exempt donations.

You can learn more about Public Narrative at www dot public narrative dot org.

And thanks to everybody who supports this show financially.

If you havent yet, wed love for you to join us. The place for that is arm and a leg show dot com, slash support.

Thank you!

An Arm and a Leg is a co-production of KFF Health News and Public Road Productions.

To keep in touch with An Arm and a Leg, subscribe to the newsletter. You can also follow the show on Facebook and Twitter. And if youve got stories to tell about the health care system, the producers would love to hear from you.

To hear all KFF Health News podcasts, click here.

And subscribe to An Arm and a Leg on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).
Photo: The Canadian Press Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos was warned that pharmaceutical companies had steadfastly refused to engage on drug-price reforms before he urged an independent federal agency to pause those reforms in favour of more consultation, a 2021 memo shows.

The memo, obtained by the NDP through the access-to-information law and shared with The Canadian Press, is a status report from the acting chair of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board to the health minister about obstacles they were facing to lowering the price of drugs.

The review board is an arm's-length federal agency tasked with regulating the cost of patented drugs in Canada to ensure they aren't excessive, which includes looking at the price of similar medications in other countries.

In 2017, the government announced new rules to bring prices down by expanding the number of countries Canada compares with. Those changes were supposed to be introduced in 2020 but were delayed multiple times because of the COVID-19 pandemic before eventually coming into effect last July.

The agency was in the process of consulting on the finer details associated with the new rule in November when Duclos wrote to the acting chair and suggested the process be paused to give drug companies, patient groups, provincial ministers and himself more time to understand the changes.

The 2021 memo suggests the health minister knew pharmaceutical companies had been obstinate in the face of the changes, at least from the perspective of the agency.

"After five years, myriad policy proposals and many hundreds of hours of consultation, it would appear the pharmaceutical industry is simply not amenable to any measures that would further constrain its ability to sell patented medicines in Canada at free market prices," the acting chair of the agency's board at the time, Melanie Bourassa Forcier, wrote in the memo.

She said after 110 hours of meeting with members of the pharmaceutical industry to talk about the guidelines for the new rules, they "steadfastly refused to engage on the substance."

The minister's letter to the drug pricing regulator led to discord among board members and was quickly followed by the resignation of the acting chair, a board member and the agency's executive director.

The review board ultimately decided to pause the changes.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and health critic Don Davies are expected to hold a press conference about the memo Thursday morning.

They allege the memo, along with increased lobbying efforts by the pharmaceutical industry to the federal health minister's office, helps to explain why Duclos urged the agency to halt the changes.

Davies has accused the minister of caving to pressure from the industry.

Duclos did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but told the House of Commons health committee in April that he asked the agency to pause to make sure provinces, territories, drug companies and patient groups had more time to understand the changes.

The letter was part of the minister's legal obligation to provide feedback on the proposed changes, he said.

He also said that he met with members of the pharmaceutical industry on a range of topics, including drug prices, COVID-19, the shortage of childrens medicine and other concerns.
Pakistans Supreme Court has ordered the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose arrest earlier this week sparked a wave of violence across the country by his supporters. For this nation accustomed to military takeovers, political crises and violence, the turmoil is unprecedented. Clashes with police first erupted after Khans dramatic arrest on Tuesday when he appeared in an Islamabad court to face graft charges. At least 10 people have been killed in the violence and dozens were injured, along with more than 200 police officers. Pakistan's chief justice, while ordering Khan's release, urged the former premier to appeal to his supporters to remain peaceful. After the ruling, Khan left in a heavily protected motorcade for a secure location.
Californias housing crisis remains arguably the state's most pressing problem, and its effects on Napa are difficult to miss.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register.

An unceasing rise in rents and home prices has priced many former residents out of living here, and a large portion of the workers who power Napas tourism, wine and hospitality businesses are forced to commute from cheaper surrounding areas, with no real hope of ever affording a Napa home.

In an effort to patch up one part of that problem, the Napa Housing Coalition  a group of local leaders and residents focusing on housing issues  has in recent months pushed the city of Napa to figure out a way to give preference to Napa residents and workers for a portion of affordable housing units. In theory, such an ordinance would reduce the displacement of locals and allow more of Napas workers to actually live in Napa, according to coalition member Chuck Shinnamon.

There are so many people who commute in and out of town all the time, Shinnamon said. A lot of those folks are in the service industries like hotels, restaurants and there are those in the vineyards. But having folks live where they work just enriches the community.

The coalitions focus, according to a January letter to the City Council, is on housing that is affordable for the broad spectrum of our population. The lack of attainable housing in Napa produces a string of severe problems, the letter states, such as the loss of community members, falling school enrollment, increased traffic and staffing problems for local employers. The coalition also noted that Napa is the only one of Napa County's five cities that doesnt have a local preference ordinance in place.

The city hasnt yet figured out exactly how to craft a local preference ordinance, but is currently working on a research process, according to deputy city manager Molly Rattigan.

Before an ordinance is drafted, research must go ahead on a Disparate Impact Analysis, a report that identifies community groups impacted by Napas housing economy, and a comparison of that economy to the wider region, Rattigan said in an email. That would identify actors that need to be considered while creating the ordinance.

Rattigan added that the city is working on a request for proposal document to find a consultant to carry out the analysis. She wrote that the city is hoping to begin a request for proposals later this month, and the analysis in late summer.

Pablo Zatarain, a member of the housing coalition and executive director of Fair Housing Napa Valley, noted that the city will look at how to not run afoul of housing discrimination law during its research. But Zatarain added there are plenty of models of such ordinances that Napa can learn from.

From a fair housing standpoint, while I certainly support anything thats going to help people in Napa, theres also a concern of, well, if we implement this are there disparate discriminatory impacts down the road that ultimately may raise fair housing concerns, Zatarain said.

Councilmember Beth Painter said figuring out an ordinance is potentially tricky, but important given the quantity of upcoming affordable housing projects that are going forward.

She mentioned The Crescent housing project  approved by the City Council last week, and set to potentially bring more than 100 affordable homes to Napa County's old health department campus on Old Sonoma Road  and said it would be helpful to have a local preference ordinance in place for future projects, including the Napa Pipe development and potential affordable housing that may be built at the shuttered Harvest Middle School campus.

My hope is were all after the same goal, to get housing for our local workforce, Painter said. ... Really, the bottom line is I think there is a path forward.

PHOTOS: Napa Valley holds first Comic-Con at the library Geek Out Comic Fest 1 Geek Out Comic Fest 2 Geek Out Comic Fest 3 Geek Out Comic Fest 4 Geek Out Comic Fest 5 Geek Out Comic Fest 6 Geek Out Comic Fest 7 Geek Out Comic Fest 8 Geek Out Comic Fest 9 Geek Out Comic Fest 10 Geek Out Comic Fest 11 Geek Out Comic Fest 12
Download the Napa Valley Register's free news app Easily access the very latest local news that matters in an app built for you. Read, see, and hear exclusive commentary, stunning photography,

The Napa County Sheriffs Office is reaching out to Napa and St. Helena residents after the arrest Thursday morning of a man suspected of stealing more than $30,000 worth of merchandise over two months.

Graham Gregory Barlow, a 37-year-old Napan, was detained at 9:27 a.m. in the 1100 block of Legion Avenue in Napa, according to sheriffs spokesperson Henry Wofford. Barlow was booked into the Napa County jail on $100,000 bail for allegations of grand theft, burglary and receiving stolen property, the sheriffs office said in a Facebook post.

The arrest was connected to various thefts from homes and businesses mainly in Napa and St. Helena since early March, according to Wofford, who said that power tools made up much of the stolen merchandise. Investigators from St. Helena Police assisted the sheriffs office in the probe, he said.

Some of the items had been returned to their owners by Thursday afternoon, according to Wofford, but anyone seeking to reclaim stolen property in connection to the case is asked to contact sheriffs Detective Jose Pinedo at 707-253-4591.

Cities With the Highest Rates of Identity Theft Cities With the Highest Rates of Identity Theft Identity theft reports have dramatically increased in recent years New account bank fraud had the largest three year increase of all identity theft types Southern states lead the country with the most identity theft reports per capita Small and midsize US metros with the highest rates of identity theft 15. Richmond, VA 14. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 13. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 12. Birmingham-Hoover, AL 11. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 10. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 9. New Orleans-Metairie, LA 8. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 7. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 6. Memphis, TN-MS-AR 5. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 4. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 3. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA 1. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL
A tragic incident took place Wednesday in Yerevan, shamshyan.com reports.

At around 9:20pm, the Yerevan Police received a call informing that a man's dead body was found at Victory Park, in the green area behind the Mother Armenia statue.

The police and investigators who arrived at the scene found a man's dead body with a gunshot wound.

Also, a rifle was found near the body.

And the coroner, examining the body, found an unfired bullet in the pocket of the deceased.

According to preliminary information, this man had committed suicide by shooting himself with the aforesaid rifle.

The police investigative department has launched proceedings into this incident.

The police and the investigative department are trying to ascertain the identity of the deceased.

A number of forensic examinations have been ordered.
Pashinyan-Aliyev-Michel meeting ends in Brussels

Two people die at ballot boxes in Turkey

Zelenskyy: Germany earmarked over 11 billion euros for Ukraine

MP: Iran and Egypt to restore relations

Philippines installs buoys in South China Sea

Peskov calls agreements basis for settlement in South Caucasus

Michel-Pashinyan-Aliev meeting starts in Brussels

Financial Times: G7 and EU to ban restart of Russian gas pipelines

RA MoD holds briefing with military attaches and EU observers

Member of Erdogan's party dies near ballot box

Fragile truce between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Artsakh president sends condolences to family of politician Murad Petrosyan

18 fires rage Russia's Tyumen region

Zelenskyy meets German President Steinmeier

Turkey deploys over 600 thousand policemen

Charles Michel and Ilham Aliyev meeting starts in Brussels

3 earthquakes recorded off Kamchatka coast

Zelenskyy arrives in Germany to meet its leaders

Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections start today

Bison tears into tourist car in Yellowstone

Major road accident in Yerevan

Armenian PM holds informal meeting with Charles Michel

Cocaine found aboard Colombian "narco sub"

Ambassador-at-Large: Azerbaijani forces attack Armenia's sovereign territory

Borrell: World military spending hits record $2.2 trillion

Iran captures ISIS terrorist

Italian PM promises full support for Ukraine

"Fair Armenia" party to nominate Norik Norikyan as Yerevan mayor candidate

Poland detects air object flying from Belarus

Alen Simonyan leads delegation leaving for Minsk

Pakistan bans Facebook, YouTube and Twitter

Armenian FM briefs Derek Hogan on Azerbaijan's latest provocation

Borrell: EU should accelerate ammunition supply to Ukraine

Polish archaeologists uncover ancient bakery in Armenia

Ambassador Kvien: I heard heartbreaking stories from families of missing soldiers

Helicopter crashes in Russian Bryansk

Clashes erupt between neo-Nazis, anti-fascists and police in Melbourne

European Council publishes Pashinyan-Aliyev-Michel meeting schedule

Yerevan-Istanbul-Yerevan flight delayed due to technical malfunction

GOP members demand Biden take cognitive test

Fatal accident on Dalar-Aygestan road

Armenian PM Pashinyan leaves for Brussels

Belgium to open embassy in Armenia

G7 raises economic aid to Ukraine

Man pronounced dead by coroner revived at hospital

US Treasury Secretary to update Congress on default

US and Europe believe Ukraine's counteroffensive could boost talks

Borrell: It will be difficult to trust China

Blinken and Kuleba discuss Ukraine's counteroffensive preparations

80-year-old Armenian woman dies in attack on Rehovot in Israel

Ministry of Defense: There have been recorded no notable ceasefire violations over the night

20-year-old Narek Baghdasaryan was killed as a result of Azerbaijani attack

The Armenian side has one more wounded. Ministry of Defense

The intensity of fire in the direction of Verin Shorzha has decreased. Ministry of Defense

As a result of enemy fire Armenian side has 1 killed and 1 wounded. Ministry of Defence

The intensity of enemy fire has significantly subsided. Ministry of Defence

Azerbaijan continues to fire in Kut and Sotk areas

Azerbaijan also uses mortars in the direction of Sotk positions. Ministry of Defense

Turkish lira hits a new historic low

Azerbaijan violated ceasefire in the direction of Kut using mortars

ORC survey: Turkey presidential election will end in 1st round with Kilicdaroglu victory Sunday

Armenia restores diplomatic relations with Hungary

Azerbaijani shells were exploding 100 meters away from Sotk village, Armenia opposition MP says

Armenia MOD: Situation on frontline with Azerbaijan relatively stable as of 5:50pm

Armenia's tourism potential was presented in Dubai

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan army opened fire toward combat positions near Kut village

Dubai aviation authorities prohibit FlyOne Armenia flight from landing

Armenia ambassador to OSCE: Azerbaijan use of force is aimed at undermining international efforts to establish stability

Mher Grigoryan briefs Christine Weigand on Lachin corridor blockades severe consequences for Karabakh children

Armenia MOD: Injuries of 2 Armenia soldiers wounded today are not life-threatening

NO to the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh initiative members hand signatures to embassies in Armenia, to government

Tasmania state parliament in Australia recognizes Armenian Genocide

Armenia human rights advocate: Instead of 33, we have additional 80 captives in Azerbaijan

Siranush Sahakyan: Arbitrary killings of Armenians increased in Azerbaijan

Armenias Marukyan to Patel: It was not exchange of fire at Sotk but another unprovoked attack by Azerbaijan army

Siranush Sahakyan: About 6,000 Azerbaijan special forces stationed on Armenia-Karabakh border

Human rights activist: In most cases Azerbaijan clearly knows fallen Armenian servicemens locations

Armenia deputy FM: Azerbaijan always resorts to provocation before or after negotiations

Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs meeting in Moscow slated for May 19

Armenia defense minister visits soldiers wounded in Azerbaijan provocation in Sotk direction (PHOTOS)
The Armenian side has two wounded as of 7am Thursday, reported the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking relevant preventive and protective measures.

The Azerbaijan MOD disseminated disinformation that as if on Wednesday evening, the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire on the Azerbaijani positions, resulting in an Azerbaijani soldier getting wounded.

The MOD of Armenia will make an additional statement.
As of 7:20am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces continue their artillery and mortar fire toward the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk reported the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking relevant preventive and protective measures.

The MOD of Armenia will make an additional statement.

Earlier, we reported that the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces fired from artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk. The Armenian side has two wounded.
As of 7:50am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces continue artillery and mortar fire toward the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking relevant preventive and protective measures, reported the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia.

An additional statement by the MOD of Armenia is to follow.
As of 8am Thursday, the units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan continue artillery and mortar fire toward the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk.

As of 8am, the Armenian side has three wounded, reported the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia.

The armed forces of Azerbaijan opened fire on an ambulance carrying a wounded Armenian serviceman.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking preventive and defensive measures.

An additional statement by the MOD of Armenia is to follow.
As of 8:25am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces continue artillery and mortar fire at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking defensive and preventive measures, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The information disseminated in the Azerbaijani media about the Armenian side using Iranian drones does not correspond to the fact.

As we previously reported, there are no Iranian drones in the inventory of Armenias Armed Forces.

The MOD of Armenia will release an additional report on the situation.
Re. Jordan Peterson Kelowna controversy 'ridiculous,' says UBC Okanagan professor (Castanet, May 10)

I was very glad to read the comments of the UBC Okanagan professor, who had the principles and courage to call out the advocates who started a petition to stop Jordan Peterson from speaking in Kelowna.

To call their logic ridiculous is about as polite a term as it deserves. It's obvious these people have never taken the time to really listen to Peterson and consider (what I consider) his intelligent, accurate and fact-based positions.

Where I do not agree with the UBCO professor is where he claims Peterson is divisive and suggests he do more to bring people together.

I have watched many of Petersons lectures, interviews and podcasts with a wide range of people holding a diverse range of opinions. His principal argument is the current identity culture and its refusal to accept any alternate opinions, is destroying the principle of free speech and open, constructive, respectful dialogue.

We are bombarded by an ideology which demands everyone be put into a box based on an infinite number of possible identities. I strongly believe in equal opportunity but this segregation by identity is ludicrous and creates nothing but division.

I simply cannot see how anyone who has taken the time to really listen to Peterson could ever interpret his position as encouraging or promoting division. It is very much the opposite. He is a staunch advocate of equality of opportunity and judging people on their character and competence, not their imaginary identity.

I thoroughly enjoyed Petersons tweet in response to the petition circus, to the effect that they are nothing more than virtue and attention-seeking narcissists. He is spot on.

I saw Peterson speak in Vancouver in February at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The venue was packed with men and women, young, middle-aged and older from all walks of life and numerous ethnic backgrounds. To a person, they loved him. He is a fantastic speakerclear, accurate, respectful and very, very intelligent. It was a brilliant event, well worth it.

Peterson is a unique intellectual and I would recommend anyone who is unsure about the current state of our society to consider listening to what he has to say. You may be pleasantly surprised. If not, at least you have taken the time to hear a new viewpoint.

Bruce Stevens
As of 8:45am Thursday, there is no change in the situation in the direction of Armenias Sotk.

The units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces continue firing at the Armenian combat positions.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking relevant defensive and preventive measures, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The situation is relatively stable at the moment in the other sections of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border zone.

The MOD of Armenia will release an additional report on the situation.
As of 9:45am Thursday, the situation in the direction of Sotk continues to be tense, reported the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia.

The Ministry will additionally inform about the health condition of the wounded Armenian servicemen.

The MOD of Armenia will release an additional report on the situation.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that from 6am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking corresponding protective and preventive measures.

The Armenian side has three wounded.
Pashinyan-Aliyev-Michel meeting ends in Brussels

Two people die at ballot boxes in Turkey

Zelenskyy: Germany earmarked over 11 billion euros for Ukraine

MP: Iran and Egypt to restore relations

Philippines installs buoys in South China Sea

Peskov calls agreements basis for settlement in South Caucasus

Michel-Pashinyan-Aliev meeting starts in Brussels

Financial Times: G7 and EU to ban restart of Russian gas pipelines

RA MoD holds briefing with military attaches and EU observers

Member of Erdogan's party dies near ballot box

Fragile truce between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Artsakh president sends condolences to family of politician Murad Petrosyan

18 fires rage Russia's Tyumen region

Zelenskyy meets German President Steinmeier

Turkey deploys over 600 thousand policemen

Charles Michel and Ilham Aliyev meeting starts in Brussels

3 earthquakes recorded off Kamchatka coast

Zelenskyy arrives in Germany to meet its leaders

Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections start today

Bison tears into tourist car in Yellowstone

Major road accident in Yerevan

Armenian PM holds informal meeting with Charles Michel

Cocaine found aboard Colombian "narco sub"

Ambassador-at-Large: Azerbaijani forces attack Armenia's sovereign territory

Borrell: World military spending hits record $2.2 trillion

Iran captures ISIS terrorist

Italian PM promises full support for Ukraine

"Fair Armenia" party to nominate Norik Norikyan as Yerevan mayor candidate

Poland detects air object flying from Belarus

Alen Simonyan leads delegation leaving for Minsk

Pakistan bans Facebook, YouTube and Twitter

Armenian FM briefs Derek Hogan on Azerbaijan's latest provocation

Borrell: EU should accelerate ammunition supply to Ukraine

Polish archaeologists uncover ancient bakery in Armenia

Ambassador Kvien: I heard heartbreaking stories from families of missing soldiers

Helicopter crashes in Russian Bryansk

Clashes erupt between neo-Nazis, anti-fascists and police in Melbourne

European Council publishes Pashinyan-Aliyev-Michel meeting schedule

Yerevan-Istanbul-Yerevan flight delayed due to technical malfunction

GOP members demand Biden take cognitive test

Fatal accident on Dalar-Aygestan road

Armenian PM Pashinyan leaves for Brussels

Belgium to open embassy in Armenia

G7 raises economic aid to Ukraine

Man pronounced dead by coroner revived at hospital

US Treasury Secretary to update Congress on default

US and Europe believe Ukraine's counteroffensive could boost talks

Borrell: It will be difficult to trust China

Blinken and Kuleba discuss Ukraine's counteroffensive preparations

80-year-old Armenian woman dies in attack on Rehovot in Israel

Ministry of Defense: There have been recorded no notable ceasefire violations over the night

20-year-old Narek Baghdasaryan was killed as a result of Azerbaijani attack

The Armenian side has one more wounded. Ministry of Defense

The intensity of fire in the direction of Verin Shorzha has decreased. Ministry of Defense

As a result of enemy fire Armenian side has 1 killed and 1 wounded. Ministry of Defence

The intensity of enemy fire has significantly subsided. Ministry of Defence

Azerbaijan continues to fire in Kut and Sotk areas

Azerbaijan also uses mortars in the direction of Sotk positions. Ministry of Defense

Turkish lira hits a new historic low

Azerbaijan violated ceasefire in the direction of Kut using mortars

ORC survey: Turkey presidential election will end in 1st round with Kilicdaroglu victory Sunday

Armenia restores diplomatic relations with Hungary

Azerbaijani shells were exploding 100 meters away from Sotk village, Armenia opposition MP says

Armenia MOD: Situation on frontline with Azerbaijan relatively stable as of 5:50pm

Armenia's tourism potential was presented in Dubai

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan army opened fire toward combat positions near Kut village

Dubai aviation authorities prohibit FlyOne Armenia flight from landing

Armenia ambassador to OSCE: Azerbaijan use of force is aimed at undermining international efforts to establish stability

Mher Grigoryan briefs Christine Weigand on Lachin corridor blockades severe consequences for Karabakh children

Armenia MOD: Injuries of 2 Armenia soldiers wounded today are not life-threatening

NO to the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh initiative members hand signatures to embassies in Armenia, to government

Tasmania state parliament in Australia recognizes Armenian Genocide

Armenia human rights advocate: Instead of 33, we have additional 80 captives in Azerbaijan

Siranush Sahakyan: Arbitrary killings of Armenians increased in Azerbaijan

Armenias Marukyan to Patel: It was not exchange of fire at Sotk but another unprovoked attack by Azerbaijan army

Siranush Sahakyan: About 6,000 Azerbaijan special forces stationed on Armenia-Karabakh border

Human rights activist: In most cases Azerbaijan clearly knows fallen Armenian servicemens locations

Armenia deputy FM: Azerbaijan always resorts to provocation before or after negotiations

Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs meeting in Moscow slated for May 19

Armenia defense minister visits soldiers wounded in Azerbaijan provocation in Sotk direction (PHOTOS)

Siranush Sahakyan: Armenian detainees in Baku are brutally beaten, medical assistance footage is staged

Arman Tatoyan: Azerbaijanis are building wide concrete roads, bunkers, infrastructure in Armenia

Armenia social affairs, UAE tolerance and coexistence ministries sign memorandum of understanding

Armenia ex-ombudsman: Azerbaijan soldiers are placing landmines in Syunik Province villages

Tatoyan: Azerbaijan changes place names on Google maps, creating stereotype that Armenia is their territory

Armenia, Iran businesses reach certain agreements (PHOTOS)

Financial Times: EU wants to lay internet cable under Black Sea to reduce dependence on Russia

World oil prices falling

Karabakh army: No fire shot at Azerbaijani positions

Patel on Zakharova's words: I dont spend a lot of time thinking about what my Russian counterpart says

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan army used UAVs in direction of Sotk

Patel: US State Department calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to distance their forces from border

Brussels counters Baku: There is agreement that Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders will also meet in Moldova

Newspaper: Parents of detainees in Azerbaijan leave dissatisfied with Armenia PM

Armenia MOD: No notable ceasefire violations recorded overnight

EU does not include nuclear energy in 11th package of Russia sanctions

No notable ceasefire violations between 8:10 p.m. and 10 p.m. were recorded. Ministry of Defense

Earthquake in Armenia: the intensity in epicentral zone was 5 points

Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Verin Shorzha with mortars

Delegation headed by Secretary of Security Council will leave for Brussels
In the early morning of May 11, Azerbaijani armed forces, once again resorting to provocative and aggressive actions, opened fire on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, using mortars and artillery. There are wounded on the Armenian side. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia noted this in a statement it released Thursday.

These repeated violations of one of the fundamental principles of international law - the non-use of force or the threat of force - demonstrate contempt of the Azerbaijani side for the agreements, including the obligations assumed by the Trilateral Statement of Sochi on October 31, 2022.

These actions of Azerbaijan, aimed at destabilising the situation, are also an open disregard for the meeting held in Washington, the meetings planned in Brussels and Moscow, aimed at the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the efforts made by international partners interested in stability and peace in the South Caucasus.

We call on the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan to stop the groundless, unjustified and shameful attempts aimed at disrupting the negotiation process by using force and thereby exerting pressure on Armenia, the Armenian MFA statement added.
The provocation unleashed by the Azerbaijani side on the border of Armenia once again proves Azerbaijan's constant policy of putting pressure on the Armenian side through force and threats. Edmon Marukyan, Ambassador-at-Large of Armenia and Chairman of the Bright Armenia Party, tweeted this on Thursday

Shelling the Armenian positions and the ambulance evacuating wounded soldiers shows Azerbaijans indiscriminate actions and an attempt to dictate its conditions to the Armenian side in the negotiation process, Marukyan added.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that from 6am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking corresponding protective and preventive measures.

The Armenian side has four wounded.

The Azerbaijani side reports about one injured.

As of 10am, the tension in the direction of Sotk has decreased considerably.
As of 10:25am Thursday, the decreasing tenseness of the situation in the direction of Sotk remains the same, reported the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia.

It is relatively stable in other sectors of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border zone.

As a result of the Azerbaijani provocation, the Armenian side has four wounded as 10:20am.

The health condition of the two wounded servicemen is assessed as satisfactory, and the other two are in moderate condition.

The injuries of these soldiers are not life-threatening at the moment.

The MOD will release an additional report on the situation.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that from 6am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking corresponding protective and preventive measures.
As of 10:45am Thursday, the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani frontline is relatively stable, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The statement by the MOD of Azerbaijanwhich unleashed a provocation in the direction of Armenias Sotk early in the morningthat the Armenian side was preparing for a military action, is another disinformation.

Armenias MOD will issue a statement in case of any change in the situation.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that from 6am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking corresponding protective and preventive measures.

The Armenian side has four wounded.

As of 10am, the tension in the direction of Sotk has decreased considerably.
Thursday morning, the Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire on the ambulance carrying a wounded Armenian serviceman, the Ministry of Health of Armenia noted in a statement.

The Ministry of Health of Armenia condemns this yet another case of targeting medical workers and an ambulance while performing their professional duties.

Such manifestations are against all international humanitarian laws, even the laws of war, and must be strictly condemned, the Armenian health ministry added.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that from 6am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking corresponding protective and preventive measures.

The Armenian side has four wounded.

As of 10am, the tension in the direction of Sotk has decreased considerably.
Photo: The Canadian Press Migrants wait for U.S. authorities, between a barbed-wire barrier and the border fence at the US-Mexico border, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, May 10, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Christian Chavez

The imminent overnight end of the COVID-19 public health emergency felt more like a crisis than cause for celebration Thursday as Homeland Security agents and officials braced for an onslaught of asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.

More than three years after the arrival of the virus on North American soil, pandemic-era border regulations were to be lifted at midnight Thursday night, ending a tragic and ugly chapter of history while marking the start of an uncertain new era.

Even President Joe Biden had to admit things at the southern border would be "chaotic for a while" as the public health measure known as Title 42 gives way to a rigid new regime aimed at blunting a tidal wave of human migration.

"We are a nation of immigrants, and we are a nation of laws," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday.

"Those laws provide that if one qualifies for humanitarian relief, then one has established a basis to remain in the United States. If one has not, then one is to be removed  and that is exactly what is going to happen."

Prior to Title 42, imposed in March 2020 by the Trump administration, migrants who were detained in the U.S. without legal status to be in the country could apply for asylum, and were often allowed to stay to await the outcome of an immigration hearing.

Since then, however, migrants were turned away without the chance to make an asylum claim on the grounds that allowing them to remain could foster the spread of the virus.

With Title 42's expiration, the Biden administration is imposing tough new rules that they say provide a deterrent for those seeking to enter the country illegally while creating new "legal pathways" for those with legitimate grounds for asylum.

All along the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, tens of thousands of would-be asylum seekers have been massing for weeks in places like Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana and Reynosa, some after taking matters into their own hands by slipping into the U.S. illegally.

"People who cross our border unlawfully and without a legal basis to remain will be promptly processed and removed," Mayorkas said.

They will also be presumed ineligible for asylum, face a ban on re-entry of at least five years and ultimately criminal prosecution if they are caught a second time, he added.

"Smugglers have long been hard at work, spreading false information that the border will be open" after Title 42, Mayorkas said.

"Know this: smugglers care only about profits, not people. Do not risk your life and your life savings, only to be removed from the United States if and when you arrive here."

Homeland Security, the Pentagon and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have been "surging personnel" to the southern border to deal with the influx, he added, including more than 24,000 U.S. Border Patrol agents and officers, as well as thousands of soldiers, contractors, asylum officers and immigration judges.

The surge also includes some 1,400 Homeland Security personnel, 1,000 processing co-ordinators and 1,500 additional Department of Defense officials. "We are clear-eyed about the challenges we are likely to face in the days and weeks ahead," he said, "and we are ready to meet them."

It's a far cry from the scene at the Canada-U.S. border, where the end of the public health emergency means border agents will no longer be asking travellers to show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination status.

But there, too, there's more apprehension than elation.

Those southbound Border Patrol officers and customs agents had to come from somewhere, said New York Rep. Brian Higgins, the Democratic congressman whose efforts to combat pandemic-era travel restrictions has become a personal crusade.

Whenever the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border demands it, "there's a compulsory movement of Customs and Border Protection agents from the northern border to the southern border," Higgins said.

"That's been a problem, not only because it takes resources from the northern border, but a lot of those people end up saying, 'Screw it, I can't move my family down to the southern border.'"

Higgins said he worries that if the pattern continues, chronic understaffing at land border crossings could lead to longer delays and apathy on the part of travellers who decide it's not worth the hassle, or who opt to fly instead of drive.

"The reports I get are that inspection booths are not being manned," he said.

"When that is the case, you have backups, and when you have backups, people shy away from the border. We hope that doesn't result in a permanent change in economic behaviour, but oftentimes it does."

Mayorkas acknowledged Thursday that his department needs more resources and a more functional immigration system, laying the blame for both squarely at the feet of lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

"We are working within the constraints of a fundamentally broken immigration system, and we also are operating on resources that are far less than those that we need, and that we've requested."

The Frontier Duty Free Association, which represents the 32 duty-free retailers that operate on the Canadian side of the land border, warned Thursday that sales are still about 42 per cent lower on average than they were before the pandemic.

"We did our part to keep Canadians and Americans safe at the land border," said association president Tania Lee.

"Now, we need action to ensure our businesses can thrive again and assurance that we will never endure such a border closure and restrictions again."
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will leave for Brussels on Sunday. He announced this at Thursdays Cabinet meeting of the government

"I want to announce that I have not changed my decision to go to Brussels for the Sunday negotiations [with the Azerbaijani president]," he said.

"I want to answer the following question that, I guess, in the near future some forces may storm in the already known scenario if I go to Brussels. How likely is it that a peace agreement will be signed with Azerbaijan on Sunday? Unfortunately, such a possibility is very small because the draft of the bilateral agreement on the establishment of peace and interstate relations is still very preliminary, and it is too early to talk about signing it," the Armenian premier added.

Pashinyan, however, said that there was a task to mature that document as quickly as possible and prepare it for signing.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on Tuesday denied, based on the Armenian government's position, the request by the relatives of the two Azerbaijani soldiers who recently illegally crossed the border of Armenia to apply an interim measure against the Armenian government, informed Armenia's representative for international legal matters.

In particular, the ECtHR was requested to apply an interim measure on the alleged grounds that the aforesaid Azerbaijani servicemen were being treated in Armenia contrary to the right to life and the obligation to be free from torture.

The Armenian government, however, submitted to the ECtHR a proper position that these Azerbaijani servicemens rights under the European Convention on Human Rights were properly guaranteed in Armenia. Also in this regard, the Armenian government submitted relevant evidence to the ECtHR.
In the period between 11am and 1pm Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the ceasefire with Armenia in the Sotk sector at regular intervals.

As of 1pm, the situation on the frontline is relatively stable, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The MOD will report on any changes to the situation.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that from 6am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking corresponding protective and preventive measures.

The Armenian side has four wounded.

As of 10am, the tension in the direction of Sotk has decreased considerably.
There are four wounded Armenian soldiers as a result of Azerbaijani shootings in the direction of Sotk positions, two of them are in satisfactory condition, the other two are in moderate condition, and their injuries are not life-threatening. Minister of health Anahit Avanesyan told reporters about this on Thursday in the main Armenian government building.

"The mentioned four servicemen sustained different types of wounds: shrapnel [wounds]. They are not in Yerevan yet; if necessary, they will be transferred," added said the health minister.

And commenting the targeting of an Armenian ambulance by the Azerbaijani armed forces today, Avanesyan noted that all international platforms will be used by Armenia to speak out about such incidents and later to appeal to international courts.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that from 6am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking corresponding protective and preventive measures.

The Armenian side has four wounded.

As of 10am, the tension in the direction of Sotk has decreased considerably.
No significant ceasefire violations were recorded between 1pm and 2pm, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

As of 2pm, the situation on the frontline with Azerbaijan is relatively stable.

The injuries of the four Armenian soldiers, who were wounded as a result of the Azerbaijani provocation, are not life-threatening.

The MOD will issue an additional statement.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that from 6am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking corresponding protective and preventive measures.

The Armenian side has four wounded.

As of 10am, the tension in the direction of Sotk has decreased considerably.
Russia is acting as a mediator in the Karabakh issue, expects restraint from Armenia and Azerbaijan, and will continue contacts with Baku and Yerevan, said Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian president, RIA Novosti reported.

"You know that the contacts are continuing. Literally the day before yesterday, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin had a private conversation with the Prime Minister of Armenia [Nikol] Pashinyan, who was in Moscow on the occasion of Victory Day [anniversary]. The contacts with the Azerbaijani side are [also] continuing. Russia will continue to perform its functions that are provided in accordance with the tripartite documents. We, of course, expect a restrained approach from the parties, and call on [them] not to take any action that could lead to an increase in tension," Peskov told reporters.

According to him, Russia will continue its contacts with both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
No significant ceasefire violations were recorded between 3pm and 4pm Thursday, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia informs.

As of 4pm, the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan frontline holds relatively stable.

The MOD will report on any changes to the situation.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that from 6am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking corresponding protective and preventive measures.

The Armenian side has four wounded.

As of 10am, the tension in the direction of Sotk has decreased considerably.
Supporters of the "NO to the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh" petition and signature campaign initiative group on Friday will submit the photocopies of the hardcopies of the respective signature campaign held in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to the embassies of the United States, France, and Russia in Armenia, the UN office in Armenia, as well as to the Armenian government.

The petition launched by a group of Artsakh youth calls for the implementation of the provisions of the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, as well as the of decisions by the UN International Court of Justice on December 7, 2021 and February 22, 2023, and by the European Court of Human Rights in 2020-2022, and to stop Azerbaijan's Armenian ethnic cleansing and genocidal policy in Artsakh.

The aforesaid signature campaign continues online as well at change.org here.
(200771):( 20230511 12:26:58  ::(

::( Stock Code: 200771 Stock ID: Hangqilun B Announcement No.2023-44 Hangzhou Steam Turbine Power Group Co., Ltd. Announcement on participating in the collective performance briefing of the listing hall of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange The members of the Board and the Company acknowledge being responsible for the truthfulness, accuracy, and completeness of the announcement. Not any false record, misleading statement or significant omission carried in this announcement. Hangzhou Steam Turbine Power Group Co., Ltd(hereinafter referred to as the "Company") has disclosed its 2022 annual report on March 29, 2023. In order to further strengthen the communication between the Company and investors, promote investors to have an in-depth understanding of the Company's operation, future development strategy, etc., the Company will participate in the "Listing Hall" collective performance briefing namely the 2022 collective performance briefing of Zhejiang state-owned listed companies with the theme of "Local State-owned Enterprises Rejuvenated - Looking at State-owned Enterprises in Zhejiang" jointly organized by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Zhejiang Province and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange , and there will be interactive exchanges with investors on the Company's 2022 annual performance. The relevant matters are hereby announced as follows: I. Arrangements for this performance briefing 1. Time: May 17, 2023 (Wednesday) from 15:00 to 17:40 2. Address: Shenzhen Stock Exchange Listing Hall 3. Holding method: graphic and live video broadcast 4. Attendees: Chairman Mr. Zheng Bin, Independent Director Mr. Xu Yongbin, Deputy General Manager and Deputy Chief Accountant Mr. Zhao Jiamao, Deputy General Manager and Secretary of the Board of Directors Ms. Li Guiwen. 5. Investor participation method: log in to the "Interactive Easy" platform (http://irm.cninfo.com.cn) of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, enter the "Cloud Interview" column to participate in this performance briefing, or scan the QR code below to watch the live broadcast and participate in the exchange. II. Investor Question Collection Methods

In order to fully respect investors and enhance the pertinence of communication, we hereby solicit relevant questions from investors in advance for this performance briefing, and widely listen to investors' opinions and suggestions. Investors can log in to the "Cloud Interview" column

of the "Interactive Easy" platform in advance or scan the QR code to enter the Company's performance briefing page to ask questions. The Company will answer questions of general concern by investors at the performance briefing. Investors are welcome to actively participate in.



This announcement is hereby made.



The Board of Directors of Hangzhou Steam Turbine Power Group Co., Ltd. May 11, 2023



 Stock Code: 200771 Stock ID: Hangqilun B Announcement No.2023-44 Hangzhou Steam Turbine Power Group Co., Ltd. Announcement on participating in the collective performance briefing of the listing hall of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange The members of the Board and the Company acknowledge being responsible for the truthfulness, accuracy, and completeness of the announcement. Not any false record, misleading statement or significant omission carried in this announcement. Hangzhou Steam Turbine Power Group Co., Ltd(hereinafter referred to as the "Company") has disclosed its 2022 annual report on March 29, 2023. In order to further strengthen the communication between the Company and investors, promote investors to have an in-depth understanding of the Company's operation, future development strategy, etc., the Company will participate in the "Listing Hall" collective performance briefing namely the 2022 collective performance briefing of Zhejiang state-owned listed companies with the theme of "Local State-owned Enterprises Rejuvenated - Looking at State-owned Enterprises in Zhejiang" jointly organized by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Zhejiang Province and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange , and there will be interactive exchanges with investors on the Company's 2022 annual performance. The relevant matters are hereby announced as follows: I. Arrangements for this performance briefing 1. Time: May 17, 2023 (Wednesday) from 15:00 to 17:40 2. Address: Shenzhen Stock Exchange Listing Hall 3. Holding method: graphic and live video broadcast 4. Attendees: Chairman Mr. Zheng Bin, Independent Director Mr. Xu Yongbin, Deputy General Manager and Deputy Chief Accountant Mr. Zhao Jiamao, Deputy General Manager and Secretary of the Board of Directors Ms. Li Guiwen. 5. Investor participation method: log in to the "Interactive Easy" platform (http://irm.cninfo.com.cn) of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, enter the "Cloud Interview" column to participate in this performance briefing, or scan the QR code below to watch the live broadcast and participate in the exchange. II. Investor Question Collection MethodsIn order to fully respect investors and enhance the pertinence of communication, we hereby solicit relevant questions from investors in advance for this performance briefing, and widely listen to investors' opinions and suggestions. Investors can log in to the "Cloud Interview" columnof the "Interactive Easy" platform in advance or scan the QR code to enter the Company's performance briefing page to ask questions. The Company will answer questions of general concern by investors at the performance briefing. Investors are welcome to actively participate in.This announcement is hereby made.The Board of Directors of Hangzhou Steam Turbine Power Group Co., Ltd. May 11, 2023
The West needs a paper where the inclusion of Nagorno-Karabakh into Azerbaijan will be recorded and where the formal agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be. They can use it to open Armenias border with Turkey and establish the so called peace and stability. However, the current situation does not allow this. Armenias former ambassador to the Netherlands, Dzyunik Aghajanyan, stated this in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am.

"As the previous 20 years have shown, Azerbaijan is a state completely incapable of reaching an agreement. However, taking into account its importance for the Westits not so much about oil and [natural] gas resources, but the role of a platform against Iran, the West is ready to forgive everything and turn a blind eye to Baku's actions.

"Despite calls from the West, they are not ready to impose sanctions against dictatorial Azerbaijan, regardless of its aggression against Armenia. But what is happening is not possible without the agreement of Armenia. But the problem is that the [Armenian] people do not agree with it, and this ties the hands of the people sitting at the helm of Armenia. They fail to fulfill the obligations they came to power for, and what the war of 2020 was aimed at and the handing over of the border areas [of Armenia] later, through the so-called delimitation and demarcation through GPS," Aghajanyan emphasized.

She urged to consider today's events near Sotk village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province in that context.

"Part of Sotk has already been handed over to Azerbaijan, another partno. It was announced earlier that those [gold] mines [at Sotk] were put into operation back in the 1990s by an English company, in which the family of the president of Azerbaijan also has a considerable share. Baku is trying to take over the mines and completely cut off Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh from each other, as this is where the second road to Nagorno Karabakh passes.

"The capture of Sotk [by Azerbaijan] will weaken Armenia's positions in the direction of Jermuk [city] and will be an opportunity for Armenias authorities to justify signing the paper [with Azerbaijan] at any cost, arguing that as if Armenia cannot resist and must give in.

"Baku needs a paper, as Nagorno-Karabakh was not included in Azerbaijan in any document before, and in that case this paper will be used in court proceedings. And that is why its signing should not be permitted," said the former Armenian ambassador.

In her opinion, the West needs these provocations in order to once again accuse the CSTO and Russia of not fulfilling their obligations and to justify the steps being taken to withdraw Moscow from the region.

"Besides, the military operations here will help the West on the Ukrainian front. It is no coincidence that the escalation [of tension here] coincided with the events taking place around Bakhmut [city in eastern Ukraine]," Aghajanyan noted.

She underscored the need for change of power in Armenia because, in her view, there are no red lines for the incumbent Armenian authorities, and they are ready to cede Armenian territories.

"Unless there is the [Armenian] people's consent, [Armenian PM] Pashinyan cannot fulfill the obligations set by the West. The provocations at Sotk and Azerbaijan's aggression earlier in September are aimed at changing public sentiment in Armenia in favor of a false peace agenda by signing a paper. The West will also put personal pressure on the prime minister of Armenia, who is in a difficult situation," said Aghajanyan.

She did not rule out that a paper on general principles might be signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the details may be clarified as a result of military operations.

"In that case, we will face serious problems, which will complicate the future negotiation process," concluded the Armenian diplomat.
Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) minister of foreign affairs Sergey Ghazaryan on Wednesday held an online meeting with representatives of the Armenian Community of Australia.

The FM presented the situation in Artsakh caused by the ongoing Azerbaijani blockade, and reflected on the humanitarian and existential threats faced by Artsakh, the latters foreign ministry informs Armenian News-NEWS.am

Speaking about relations with the Armenian diaspora, Ghazaryan expressed his thanks to the Armenian Community of Australia for the assistance provided to Artsakh since the beginning of the blockade. In this context, the FM stressed as well the importance of activities aimed at raising international awareness of the criminal policy of Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh.

Further directions of cooperation also were outlined during the online meeting.
At around 5:10pm Thursday, the Azerbaijani armed forces units violated the ceasefireby using a mortarin the direction of Sotk village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province.

The Armenian side has no casualties, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

As of 5:40pm, the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan frontline is relatively stable.

The MOD will issue a statement if the situation changes.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that from 6am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province.

The units of Armenias Armed Forces are taking corresponding protective and preventive measures.

The Armenian side has four wounded.

As of 10am, the tension in the direction of Sotk has decreased considerably.
The Human Rights Defender (ombudsperson) of Armenia, Anahit Manasyan, on Thursday released a statement on the criminal acts of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the immediate vicinity of Sotk village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province. The statement runs as follows:

Today, in the early morning of May 11, 2023, the Azerbaijani armed forces conducted another aggressive and criminal operation in the immediate vicinity of the Sotk community, firing directly at the Armenian positions using weapons of various calibers.

The use of mortars and artillery by the Azerbaijani armed forces in the immediate vicinity of Sotk community undermines the rights to life, health, and other fundamental rights of the civilian population.

The Human Rights Defender continues to receive alarming calls that the shootings are clearly visible in the village, as a result of which the population is terrorized, and in a state of uncertainty and tension. The activities of the gold mine of Sotk have also been stopped since morning, taking into consideration the security of the workers.

The information which is disseminated about the Azerbaijani targeting of an ambulance carrying a wounded serviceman is of great concern, especially when the ambulance was clearly marked and identifiable. It should be highlighted that targeting an ambulance is prohibited by the norms of international humanitarian law.

The Human Rights Defenders Office is in constant contact with the management of the medical institution and the medical staff. The issues related to the health of the Armenian servicemen are under the close attention of the Defender.

The Human Rights Defender highlights again, that the shootings conducted by the Azerbaijani armed forces in the immediate vicinity of Armenian villages, including the use of weapons of large caliber, are of criminal nature, which is aimed at terrorizing the population and keeping them in a constant state of alarm, stress, and anxiety. These acts grossly violate the principles of international law and pose a real threat to the rights to life and security, and other fundamental rights of the civilian population.
At around 6:25pm Thursday, the Azerbaijani armed forces units violated the ceasefire, by using artillery, in the direction of Norabak village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province.

The Armenian side has no casualties, reported the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia.

The MOD will issue a statement if the situation changes.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that from 6am Thursday, the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province.

The Armenian side has four wounded.

According to the MOD, the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan frontline is relatively stable.
Two Armenian servicemen wounded in Sotq are transported to Yerevan. Our source in the Armenian Defense Ministry reports.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier, from 06:00 on May 11, Azerbaijani Armed Forces fired artillery and mortars at Armenian positions in the Sotq section of the state border.

Four servicemen were wounded as a result of an Azerbaijani provocation from the Armenian side. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported one dead and one wounded.
Deputies of the "Hayastan" faction are in the village of Kut in Gegharkunik region, earlier, they also visited Sotk.

Deputy Kristine Vardanyan said that even now, the sounds of shooting can be heard.

She mentioned that the military police had taken control of the main road leading to Sotq, and journalists and deputies were not allowed on that road. "We managed to get to Sotq by a different route."

Referring to the situation, deputy Asprum Krpeyan reported that the residents of Sotka and Kut were not evacuated, schools and kindergartens provided an online learning process: "People are just waiting for those who came to power in our country to perform their functions. We're here, and we haven't seen the work being done with our citizens so that the Armenian people, already ready for self-defense, can show decent resistance."

Earlier, NEWS.am reported that starting from 06:00 a.m., the Azerbaijani armed forces fired artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions in the direction of Sotq.

According to the ministry, the situation on the front line is relatively stable. The Armenian side has 4 wounded.








At around 7:50 p.m., the units of Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Verin Shorzha using mortars.

No losses from the Armenian side. As of 8:10 p.m., the situation on the front line is relatively stable.

The Ministry of Defence will release an additional report on the situation.

Earlier, NEWS.am reported that starting from 06:00 a.m., the Azerbaijani armed forces fired artillery and mortars at the Armenian positions in the direction of Sotq.

According to the ministry, the situation on the front line is relatively stable. The Armenian side has 4 wounded.
When people think of the nursing profession, many think of females. Audric Donald, a BSN student from South Carolina, wants to change that.

An advocate for greater representation of gender, racial and ethnic minorities in the profession, Donald exemplifies the spirit of a visionary nurse leader.

He is a founding member of the Georgia chapter of the American Association of Men in Nursing, where he helps encourage more African American men to enter the profession. He also is part of the Atlanta Black Nurses Association, where he advocates for the same.

Since beginning nursing school at Emory in 2021, Donald has been actively involved in the greater Atlanta community.

He has volunteered his time with Faith Village, a lab utilizing research and education to improve access to resources and awareness of Alzheimers disease and related dementias in African American and faith communities. As part of his work with Faith Village, he volunteered at multiple outreach events in the greater Atlanta community, most recently helping conduct memory screenings at African American churches. He works extremely closely with Fayron Epps, associate professor in the School of Nursing and principal investigator for Faith Village, to ensure that faith-based communities have access to critical and life-saving resources.

Audric embodies what it means to serve others, Epps says. He understands how critical representation is to the health care profession. This understanding enables him to lead others to join the field with the goal of eliminating barriers to life-saving care.

Donalds dedication to the nursing school and his peers is unmatched. He served as the 2023 class representative and was influential in advocating for new policy changes for his classmates. He also was an integral part of easing the financial burden for all pre-licensure nursing students by getting funding for gas money so that his peers could get to their required clinical rotations at locations throughout metro Atlanta. He mentors first-year students through the Black Student Alliance and is a member of the Emory Student Nurses Association and the School of Nursing Student Government.

Donald has received many awards for his contributions to the university, the nursing school and his community. He is a member of the 2023 100 Senior Honorary Class, and he also received the universitys Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award for unparalleled response to breaking down injustice through activism. He is graduating with High Honors (Magna Cum Laude) for his nursing honors thesis: Meaningful Faith-based Home Activities for African American Families Affected by Dementia.

Postgraduation, Donald plans to continue to serve his community by working as a public health/community nurse while attending graduate school. His work ethic, generosity of spirit, strength in leadership and proven excellence prime him to be a change agent in health care.
With a bachelors degree in political science and several years of experience as a victim advocate, Roxana Lemus knew she had what it took to help children and families who have been affected by domestic violence or other crimes.

Able to quickly assess the needs on the ground, she said that she had the demeanor, skills, and training to provide the level of compassion and support so urgently needed after law enforcement officers filed their report and left a scene.

Its a difficult job, being on call, going out at all hours. But I loved working with the kids, especially, she said. I knew I could help them.

What Lemus didnt have was the advanced degree she knew it would take to move ahead in her career.

Working in law enforcement, I saw a lot of people going for their masters and I was inspired, said Lemus who worked as a victim advocate at the Pasco County Sheriffs Office before joining the Pasco Guardian Ad Litem Program as a child advocate manager. It really empowered me. It made me think, I can do that, too.

She began looking at various online masters degree programs and quickly set her sights on the University of Miami and its UOnline Master of Public Administration program.

UM was my dream school ever since high school, said Lemus, who grew up in Central Florida. I toured the campus in 2010 or 2011, and I just felt like I belonged there.

Her experience taking classes online was not at all what she expected.

I never felt like its just a computer in front of me, she said of the UOnline program, its advisors, and professors. I truly felt like I was a part of UM and taking classes on campus in Miami, she declared. They treat you as a human being, not just a number or a face on the screen. Every professor I had elevated me and empowered me in some way.

Lemus, who continued to work full time while taking two seven-week classes per semester, said her courses were sometimes tough but she always understood how they related to her career in child advocacy.

I learned so much about government and organizational leadership, she said. You start to see how it relates to what you do every day. It taught me to be more patient. It gives you a very different mindset.

Lemus said she made lifelong friends through the programeven though they only met once or twice on campus.

Even though you are all online, you pretty quickly find your people, or they find you, she said, laughing. Were all in the same boat, and were all rooting for each other.

At commencement, Lemus said she plans to urge her fellow graduates to never let anyone diminish their light. People may try to minimize you, but no one can diminish the core of who you are, she said. We are all essential. I think we all have a duty in life to pass the baton along.

Lemus, who hopes to continue in her advocacy career, eventually leading a team of victim advocates, once joked with her classmates and professors that she would change the world when she became president.

One professor did not laugh, so Lemus asked her why.

Why would I laugh when I know that is something that you are capable of doing? Lemus said the professor told her. That was so meaningful to me. [My professors] saw so much potential in me that I didnt even see in myself. UM will always be a very special place to me because of that.
Education was a value instilled in Teresa Vazquez by her family, so its not surprising that the graduating senior from the University of Miami School of Education and Human Development envisions a career in academia.

Its a path she started down while earning a degree in community and applied psychological studies (CAPS). As someone who always had been passionate about social justice and achieving social equity, Vazquez said she was drawn to the unique major.

The values of the CAPS major are very similar to my valuesequity, education, social justice, and community. All of those things I find very near and dear to my heart, said Vazquez. Although I was interested in psychology in high school, I felt like declaring that as my primary major didnt pay enough attention to ecological factors and context and systemic things we see. CAPS just felt like the perfect place to foster that curiosity and learn more.

With an insatiable quest for knowledge, Vazquez supplemented her studies with roles as an undergraduate teaching assistant and research assistant, which allowed her to contribute to a journal article and present at two conferences. It was through these experiences that she realized that she has a strong appreciation for the transformative benefit of therapy and a true passion for teaching and research.

After graduation, Vazquez will begin a Ph.D. program in counseling psychology at the University of Florida. She plans to do some clinical work in counseling but ultimately become a research professor.

Im interested in the development of culturally informed therapeutic interventions. Thats taking aspects of an individuals culture, the ecological context, and creating a therapy to help them achieve their well-being, explained Vazquez. Going into my graduate studies, my project will delve into therapy among LGBTQ people of color and children of color, typically a population not served in the field of psychology. Im very interested in expanding the therapy interventions and different resources these individuals will have.

To accomplish this, Vazquez will call upon lessons learned from Scot Evans, associate professor in the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies and director of the CAPS undergraduate program.

Dr. Evans was such a great mentor to me. I value social equity and addressing more systemic issues and he does a great job of that in his research. It really inspired me and developed who I am as a researcher and how I want to conduct research going into my graduate program, shared Vazquez. Additionally, Dr. Evans embodies how I want to be as a professor. He gave me a great example of how I want to conduct the classroom.

Evans has complete confidence in Vazquezs future success, stating: In addition to being an excellent student and dynamic leader, Teresa is an emerging scholar. She joined my Engagement, Power, and Social Action research team last year and has made important contributions to our community-based projects. She brought energy, passion, and a spirit of conviviality to our group and will be missed.

Thats a sentiment that seems to be shared by other faculty members as well. Vazquez will be receiving the top Department of Educational and Psychological Studies Award for Scholarship from her school.

Vazquez may be graduating but her lasting impact will be felt throughout the University. As food sustainability chair of the Student Government ECO Agency, she founded the Canes Food Pantry. It provides food relief for low-income students and campus community members and helps reduce food waste from local grocery stores.
Veteran HR professional to join SIU leadership team

by Kim Rendfeld

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Nick Wortman, who has more than 10 years of experience in higher education human resources, will become Southern Illinois University Carbondales assistant vice chancellor of human resources, effective June 12.

In his new role as the chief people strategist, Wortman will develop strategies and goals for HR and optimize systems to better support the universitys strategic priorities, improve service and communication, and ensure organizational commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, among other responsibilities. He will lead a team of about 26 professionals who serve SIUs 3,600 employees.

What sold me on this job was all of the talented and dedicated people I met who clearly love SIU and Carbondale  everyone was beyond warm and welcoming, Wortman said. I'm humbled and privileged to lead such a strong and talented team of individuals in HR.

I am extremely excited to be working with Vice Chancellor Susan Simmers and Chancellor Austin Lane. They are both people-focused, visionary leaders and are already accomplishing so much work toward the realization of SIUs strategic plan, Imagine 2030.

Simmers, vice chancellor for administration and finance, said the feedback from people who met Wortman was overwhelmingly positive.

They were impressed with his experience building high-performing teams to support the mission of a complex public institution, his collaborative approach with stakeholders and other university departments, and his commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, she said. These experiences position him well as we work together toward an amazing future.

Wortman comes to SIU Carbondale from Ohio University in Athens, where he has served various roles in human resources since 2012, the most recent as senior director. He holds a bachelor's degree and an M.B.A., both from Ohio University.

Outside work, he and his partner, Anthony, enjoy outdoor activities, including kayaking, and are enthusiastic foodies. They make their home with three dogs: Langston, Chipper and Tommy.
Three UC Santa Cruz faculty members have been honored with Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professorship Awards for the 202324 academic year.

Kathy Foley, distinguished professor emerita of theater arts, Edward Houghton, professor emeritus of music and former dean of the Arts Division, and Susan Strome, distinguished professor emerita of molecular, cell, and developmental biology, were awarded the Dickson Emeriti Professorships to acknowledge and support their ongoing activities in public service, research, creative works, and teaching.

The awards are given annually and funded by an endowment from the estate of former UC Regent Edward A. Dickson. The professorships make it possible for the university to retain the invaluable services of highly accomplished, retired faculty members for the benefit of its students.

Foley will use the Dickson award to initiate a new research project to study the history and influence of an important San Francisco arts program, founded in 1963 as the American Society for Eastern Arts (ASEA) and later known as the Center for World Music (CWM). The influential program allowed many Americans to study Asian and other performance genres with master artists, primarily of Indonesian and Indian traditions of music, dance, and theater, but also of Japanese, Korean, and African traditions.

ASEA and CWM led to significant globalization of artistic resources tapped by contemporary American artists, dancers, and musicians in creative work and university teaching. Foleys research will include studying their archives, which are currently split between San Diego, where CWM moved its headquarters in 1979, and the University of Illinois. She will spend time in San Francisco interviewing and visiting studios of the many alumni of the Center for World Music who still live there, and she will study the centers links to Indian and Indonesian dance and music programs at Wesleyan University and other institutions.

Houghton has spent decades transcribing into modern musical notation the 40 works from the Chigi Codex, a rare illuminated manuscript containing musical masterworks from the late 15th century. The Dickson award will provide support for publication of the transcriptions along with critical commentary on each work, concordant sources, and a historical study of the manuscript and its art. This work will be published by the University of Chicago Press in its Monuments of Renaissance Music series.

The award will also provide support for a concert of works from the Chigi Codex at the international Herrenchiemsee Festival in Bavaria, Germany, on July 19, 2023, and for Houghton to give a presentation on the Chigi Codex at the international Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference in Munich, Germany, July 24-28, 2023.

Strome is active in efforts to support and empower women leaders in STEM and will use the Dickson award to provide partial funding for two CoRE workshops. CoRE (Community of Replenishment & Empowerment) is a group of women supporting women, whose mission is to support, revitalize, empower, and promote networking of women in academia through structured multi-day workshops. Strome is organizing two CoRE workshops, each involving 10 women in positions of leadership in STEM and two facilitators.

CoRE (previously called Nags Heart) has offered over 100 workshops to over 500 participants using a well-honed format involving intensive work sessions during which each participant discusses a dilemma of personal importance and strategizes with the rest of the group on approaches and solutions. The workshops also include unstructured time to relax, enjoy each others company, share communal meals, and continue discussions, as well as a closing ceremony for participants to share final thoughts and feelings. Stromes workshops aim to support and empower the participants and to improve the recruitment, retention, and success of many more women faculty in the participants circles of influence.

A call for the Dickson Emeriti Professorship Award is sent out to all eligible emeriti faculty early in the Fall quarter. The deadline for submission of applications is early in the winter quarter and one to three awardees are announced each spring, usually at the Emeriti Association Luncheon with the Chancellor. Additional information is available on the Dickson Professorship website.
Global networking giant Cisco Chair and CEO Chuck Robbins on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and discussed how the company has doubled down on manufacturing to boost exports from the country. Cisco has announced strategic investments in Indian manufacturing capabilities as the next step in delivering cutting-edge technologies to our customers in India and across the globe. "Thank you for your leadership, Honorable PM of India, @narendramodi! Thrilled to announce @Cisco is investing in manufacturing in India, with an aim to drive over $1B in combined domestic production and exports," Robbins tweeted. On his part, PM Modi tweeted: "Delighted to meet you @ChuckRobbins and good to see @Cisco harnessing the wide range of opportunities available in India". Cisco has announced it will start manufacturing in India, with an aim to drive more than $1 billion in combined domestic production and exports in the coming years via offering a robust and secure device ecosystem. India is a key market for Cisco and its second largest R&D centre outside the US. Earlier in the day, Robbins also met government's think tank NITI Aayog's CEO, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, with whom he discussed Cisco's plan to manufacture products for Indian and global markets. "Great to meet B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO, @NITIAayog to discuss @cisco_in's plans to manufacture products for Indian and global markets as well as our commitment to #cybersecurity, #skilling & promoting #entrepreneurship in India," he tweeted after the meeting. He also had a meeting with Telecom Secretary K. Rajaraman, during which both the officials discussed the company's future plans. "Great meeting with India's Telecom Secretary K Rajaraman on @cisco_in's plans to manufacture in India for India and the world. Hearing about India's efforts in #5G, rural broadband across the country was inspiring!" Robbins tweeted. Since commencing operations in India in 1995, Cisco has focused on helping the country digitise at scale and speed, including accelerating the transformation of critical sectors like transport, agriculture, including through the Country Digitisation Acceleration programme, and building a skilled workforce through the Cisco Networking Academy programme. "Fuelled by a rapidly developing digital economy, India is a focal point of innovation and business for Cisco, and we remain deeply committed to our partnerships here," according to Robbins. --IANS na/ans/vd ( 384 Words) 2023-05-10-22:38:02 (IANS)
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived at Haneda Airport at Tokyo in Japan on Wednesday (local time) where she was received and welcomed by Indian Ambassador to Japan and Marshall Islands, Sibi George. The Union finance minister is on an official two-day visit to Niigata, Japan, for a 'Dialogue with partner countries' at the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting tomorrow (May 12, 2023), according to a tweet from the finance ministry. During her visit, Sitharaman will also have multilateral and bilateral engagements with her counterparts, besides a roundtable meeting with business leaders and investors, the finance ministry said in a tweet. The office-bearers of Tokyo Tamil Sangam also called on the Union finance minister during her two-day visit, according to a tweet from the office of the finance minister's office. Tokyo Tamil Sangam is a non-profit organisation that aims to promote Tamil language and culture in Tokyo, Japan. The G7 meeting will be chaired by Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki and the Governor of the Bank of Japan Kazuo Ueda. During the meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) held in New Delhi on Monday, FM Sitharaman said regulators must take appropriate and timely action to mitigate any vulnerability and strengthen financial stability. She said regulators should maintain a constant vigil as ensuring financial sector stability is a shared responsibility of the regulators. The heads of the regulators of the G7 member countries will be here during the meeting. (ANI)
London [UK]/ Boston (Massachusetts) [US], May 11 (ANI/PRNewswire): Momentum ITSMA today announced the appointment of a Chair of the Board, David Silver, and new leadership appointments in North America and APAC region. To help support its global client base, the firm has made two senior regional appointments. Julie Freeman, former Chief Marketing Officer of Tata Consulting Services Global Services business, joins as Consulting Director to lead its technology and services client practices in North America. Freeman brings an impressive track record in transforming go to market and developing growth strategies, having also held leadership positions at KPMG, Cognizant, and Accenture. Most recently she's supported the Private Equity sector with strategic advisory services. "As a senior marketing leader, I've experienced firsthand passing the baton between suppliers to develop, align, and embed growth programs. There is a real need to partner with a firm that can help develop your strategy, align teams, tech, and processes, and embed these strategies into an organization." Freeman adds, "Momentum ITSMA has this end-to-end capability with its research, consulting, and learning services. I'm excited to partner with more of its clients to help analyze the needs of their customers, build go-to-market teams and optimize strategic account programs." Freeman's appointment comes alongside the expansion of Momentum ITSMA's APAC office, with the relocation of one of its European leaders, Cate Sutherland. The firm has hosted membership events, designed ABM programs, and developed teams with learning programs in APAC over the last ten years, most recently working on a large transformation with Fujitsu. Sutherland brings a wealth of proven expertise in partnering with clients to align teams and develop and embed growth programs. "We are doing tremendous work with clients in Japan, India, Australia, and Singapore, and already support over 50 member firms in the region with events, research studies, and tools. I'm looking forward to taking my experience over the past few years from our European and North America clients into the APAC region," said Sutherland. Momentum ITSMA CEO, Alisha Lyndon, adds, "Sales and marketing leaders are looking to manage growth as a top priority. With our growing team and our capabilities, we can help our clients uncover areas of growth, and work with them to capture that growth opportunity now and in the future." Momentum ITSMA has also appointed a new Chair of the Board, David Silver. Silver sits on several boards as a non-executive director, and charity trustee, and brings over 24 years of experience working with companies and private equity firms in the financial services and professional services sectors - most recently as Head of European Investment Banking at Baird, a US investment bank. "I feel very privileged to take on this role at such an exciting time for the team -- the needs of Momentum ITSMA's clients, members, and people are changing rapidly. Momentum ITSMA is dealing with these changes in innovative and thoughtful ways, which will add significant impact to our clients' businesses." said Silver. "David's long history of leadership, coupled with his experience advising global clients makes him an ideal person for this role. I look forward to working closely with David to continue to ensure Momentum ITSMA makes a positive impact for all stakeholders, including clients, members, and our people." said Alisha Lyndon, CEO of Momentum ITMSA. Momentum ITSMA enables ambitious companies to achieve market-beating performance by winning, growing, and retaining the most valuable client relationships. Its research, consulting, and learning services help analyze the needs of clients, build go-to-market teams, and optimize strategic accounts to gain greater market share. Learn more about Momentum ITSMA at www.momentumitsma.com Media Contact: alexandra.koenig@momentumitsma.com+44 203 858 0808 This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)
The notification from the finance ministry released on Wednesday said this would apply to both degummed and non-degummed soyabean oils.

TRQ refers to the tariff rate quota, which is the volume of imports that come into India at a specific or nil duty. However, upon achieving the quota, the normal tariff applies to additional imports.

Earlier, the government discontinued imports of crude soyabean and sunflower seed oils under TRQ in January and March, respectively.

The government has earlier exempted customs duty and agriculture infrastructure development cess on 20 lakh metric tonnes yearly import of crude soybean oil and crude sunflower oil each, to ease domestic prices.

India is the world's second-largest consumer and number one vegetable oil importer, and it meets 60 per cent of its requirement through imports. A large part of it is palm oil and its derivatives, which are imported from Indonesia and Malaysia.

In line with the prevailing global markets to benefit the consumers, an Indian edible oil industry body issued an advisory to its members appealing to reduce the retail and wholesale prices.

"Members have responded favourably and started announcing a further reduction in MRP and wholesale price of edible oils of their brands," the apex industry body The Solvent Extractors' Association of India said in a release on May 5.

India majorly consumes mustard, palm, soybean, and sunflower-derived edible oils.

Earlier, the industry body had a meeting with food and public distribution secretary Sanjeev Chopra to discuss the prevailing edible oil prices. (ANI)
A Twitter logo hangs outside the company's offices in San Francisco, Dec. 19, 2022. Elon Musk said Thursday, May 11, 2023, that he has found a new CEO for Twitter. (Jeff Chiu/AP)

Elon Musk said Thursday he has found a new CEO for Twitter, or X Corp. as its now called. He did not name the person but said she will be starting in about six weeks.

Musk, who bought Twitter last fall and has been running it since, has long insisted he is not the companys permanent CEO.

Advertisement

The Tesla billionaire said in a tweet Thursday that his role will transition to being Twitters executive chairman and chief technology officer.

Musk has been saying for nearly six months that he plans to find a new CEO for San Francisco-based Twitter. In mid-November, just a few weeks after buying the social media platform for $44 billion, he told a Delaware court that he does not want to be the CEO of any company.

Advertisement

While testifying, Musk said I expect to reduce my time at Twitter and find somebody else to run Twitter over time.

More than a month later, he tweeted in December: I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job. The pledge came after millions of Twitter users asked him to step down in a Twitter poll the billionaire himself created and promised to abide by.

In February, he told a conference he anticipated finding a CEO for Twitter probably toward the end of this year.

Shares of Tesla rose about 2% Thursday after Musk made the announcement. Shareholders of the electric car company have been concerned about how much of his attention is being spent on Twitter.

Last November, he was questioned in court about how he splits his time among Tesla and his other companies, including SpaceX and Twitter. Musk had to testify in the trial in Delawares Court of Chancery over a shareholders challenge to his potentially $55 billion compensation plan as CEO of the electric car company.

Musk said he never intended to be CEO of Tesla, and that he didnt want to be chief executive of any other companies either, preferring to see himself as an engineer. Musk also said he expected an organizational restructuring of Twitter to be completed in the next week or so. Its been nearly six months since he said that.

Bantering with Twitter followers late last year, Musk expressed pessimism about the prospects for a new CEO, saying that person must like pain a lot to run a company that has been in the fast lane to bankruptcy.

No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor, Musk tweeted at the time.
New Delhi [India], May 11 (ANI/GPRC): The much-awaited movie 'The Creator - Sarjanhar' imagines a world without any borders. The trailer of such a unique film was launched today in PVR Plaza at Cannaught Place in New Delhi with much funfare. During the launch of the trailer, the whole cast and crew of the film was present. Notably, 'The Creator - Sarjanhar' propagates the unique idea of 'One world, one religion'. The film furthers the agenda of freeing the world from artificially created borders which is the best way to save humanity and the world itself. The film has been written and directed by Praveen Hingonia and it has been conceptualised and produced by Rajesh Karate 'Guruji'. Interestingly, Praveen Hingonia is himself an actor and this is his first film as a director. The film stars Dayanand Shetty, Shaji Choudhary, Bhuvnesh Mam, Rohit Chaudhari, Jashn Kohli, Raza Murad, Himani Sahani, Eliza Sehgal, Bushra Sheikh, Anant Mahadevan, Ssanjay Swaraj, Pramod Mahoto in pivotal roles. Shaji Chaudhary will be seen playing the main villain in 'The Creator - Sarjanhar'. Before this film, Shaji had played important characters in 'Jodha Akbar', popular web series 'Mirzapur' and recently he was also seen in Shahrukh Khan's superhit film 'Pathan'. He will be seen in a very different kind of character in the soon-to-be-released film. During the trailer launch in New Delhi, Dayanand Shetty said, "The story of the film is so unique and different that I couldn't resist myself saying yes to it. Through propagating the idea of a world without borders, the film talks about saving humanity on a global level. I am playing the role of a revolutionary scientist named Dr Ray who believes in the concept of 'one world, one religion' who wants to transform the world with his unique thoughts. I am pretty sure that people will not only like our film but they will also relate to my character in a big way." The film has been conceptualised and produced by Rajesh Karate 'Guruji' who said that the biggest tragedy of our world is that we have divided it into several countries and created artificial borders which is one of the biggest reasons of sufferings of human beings on a global level. He said, "That's the reason I first conceptualised the film and then decided to produce the film myself." Writer and director Praveen Hingonia always believed in making films which talks about contemporary issues in a powerful manner. He said that the subject of the film is very topical which will make the audiences aware about the concept of an world which can be imagined without its borders". Writer and Director Praveen Hingonia said, 'Making of The Creator - Sarjanhar is a very big achievement for us. We make so many films on a regular basis but films propagating the idea of unifying the world are seldomly made. Most of the people have no idea that the possibility of a world without borders can be turned into reality." 'The Creator - Sarjanhar' will be released on 26th May 2023 in theatres across the country. Don't miss the experience of watching a very relevant film on the big screens. This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC)
New Delhi [India], May 11 (ANI/NewsVoir): Innov8, India's leading co-working startup announced that it is now pivoting to a '5 mins to a metro station' strategy, where it will only open new co-working centers near metro stations and key arterial roads across top business cities pan India. It has witnessed over 90% occupancy, high demand and healthy rentals in its co-working centers across the country which are within five minutes to metro stations. As work from office returns even in startups, which form a significant part of Innov8's customer base, ease of public commute is a major draw. Employees strongly prefer metro proximity and companies choosing their flex-office spaces accordingly. The recently inaugurated Mumbai metro line passing through the Mumbai's suburbs such as Andheri, Dahisar, Link Road and Western Express highway has started witnessing highest ridership at 170K + commuters on a single day. Reports indicate that this number will cross 200K when monsoons begin. Bengaluru's Whitefield metro, which is the country's first tech corridor to be connected by metro is also seeing an average ridership of 23K daily. Reports indicate that there has been a 10% reduction in traffic congestion since the metro line became operational. With many returning to offices, ridership in Hyderabad metro has gone up to over 4.70 lakh passengers a day, with total passenger trips amounting to over 6.22 lakh a day. Over 6 crore people used the Chennai metro in 2022 and Delhi metro, one of the country's most well-connected metro's ridership touched pre-pandemic levels in 2022. Metro stations across major cities in India boasts of ample parking space, connectivity to suburban railway & bus service or for last mile connectivity & to encourage commuters to use the metro. Bridges and travelators to important hubs such as commercial spaces, workspaces and apartments nearby will further improve footfall and attract more commuters in the metro stations. Innov8 provides premium co-working spaces with uninterrupted connectivity, easy access & proximity to key transit hubs such as metro stations, airport, railway station & more and flexible working arrangement, all this at an affordable price. Innov8 currently has seven centres in Delhi-NCR that have great connectivity with the Delhi Metro and Transit Metro, making it seamless for customers to travel across Delhi, Noida, and Gurgaon. All Innov8's centres in Mumbai are in the Andheri East with proximity metro stations making it a preferred destination for startups, well-established corporates and other businesses. Talking about their renewed approach and expansion, Dr. Ritesh Malik, Founder of Innov8 said "According to a recent survey 64% of working professionals prefer to work close to public transport links. By setting up co-working spaces at transit locations, businesses can access a larger pool of talent, as people who rely on public transit for commuting will have easier access to these locations. Setting up co-working spaces in transit locations also help reduce commute time, improve work-life balance and in turn increase productivity. Co-working spaces at such prime locations are also a sustainable choice and helps not just the individuals but even companies save spends that would otherwise go in providing transport services to officegoers." Pankhuri Sakhuja, Business Head of Innov8 added, "As a business, we understand the value of location and how it impacts productivity. Being situated near key transit points is crucial for our coworking spaces, as it allows our members to easily access our space, no matter where they're coming from. We believe that by providing a convenient and accessible location, we're not just helping save time and money on commute, but we're also contributing to the overall success and growth of the business." Founded in 2015 by Dr. Ritesh Malik, Innov8 is currently spread across 9 cities-Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad & Indore, with over 20 centres hosting over 7000+ employees of brands like IndusInd Bank, Jio Saavn , Phone Pe & Mobi Kwik. Innov8 is a leading provider of premium co-working spaces, offering a vibrant and productive work environment with excellent connectivity, access, and flexibility. Founded in 2015 by Dr. Ritesh Malik, Innov8 has quickly established itself as a leader in the co-working space industry in India, with centres in key business cities across the country. For more information, please visit www.innov8.work. This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
New Delhi [India], May 11 (ANI/ATK): Best Agrolife Limited (BAL), India's leading agrochemicals company, recently for the first time BAL has collaborated with Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, Bapatla engaged Agriculture student internship programme in the Andhra Pradesh region. This initiative aimed to provide product knowledge and exposure to agriculture graduates. Dr Daggubati Vijay Sairam Kumar, Professor, Entomology, in charge placement cell & Mr Sara Narsaiah, Business Unit Head, Hyderabad addressed the Interns & Sales team about the future agri trends. The meeting was organized by Best Agrolife's Andhra Pradesh regional team. The event started with a promotional jeep campaign, in which agri-interns were offered the opportunity to showcase their skills and knowledge. The campaign also helped spread awareness about the Best Agrolife brand and its comprehensive product portfolio. "We are confident that this program will benefit the students and contribute to our region's business growth and farmers' revenue growth. I congratulate the team for setting such a significant milestone. We are also grateful for the support we received from our interns and attendees. This program is an excellent opportunity for the interns and I hope they would make the most out of this opportunity. It will help these students to learn from the experienced professionals and gain hands-on experience in the agriculture sector. I am confident that they will expand their knowledge and skills and contribute to the success of the company," Vimal Alawadhi, Managing Director, Best Agrolife Ltd, said. Best Agrolife's team has been working tirelessly to develop unique and creative ideas to create awareness about the new crop solutions and technologies. Apart from providing a memorable experience to the participants, such campaigns and innovative marketing strategies also help the company in accelerating its business growth, expand its customer reach, and increase its brand awareness. The meeting was organized by Mandhesh (Marketing Manager-Guntur), Narasaiah (Head, Sales & Marketing, Hyderabad, Narayana Reddy (Dy General Manager), and Nagireddy (Regional Sales Manager). The Best Agrolife team thanked Gopu Ajay Reddy (Marketing Manager -TS) and Sambireddy (Regional Sales Manager -Vijayawada) respectively for giving an excellent technical presentation to agri-interns for making it a successful event. Best Agrolife Limited is listed among the top 15 agrochemical companies in India. It is a research-based company focused on bringing world-class and cost-effective crop solutions in the form of novel agrochemical formulations to the agricultural industry to improve crop productivity. Currently, BAL has 7,000 MTPA and 30,000 MTPA technicals and formulation manufacturing capacity, respectively, through three of its manufacturing plants in Gajraula, Greater Noida, and Jammu & Kashmir. BAL currently has more than 5200 distributors in India. It retains an impressive portfolio of 400+ formulations and more than 100+ technical manufacturing licences. This story has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ATK)
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], May 11 (ANI/GPRC): Adding yet another feather to its cap of pride and performance, Orissa Stevedores Limited (OSL) has recently been adorned with the prestigious "Best Stevedores for the Year 2022-23" award by the Paradip Port Authority (PPA) for handling highest cargo. The coveted award and certificate was received by Harihar Dash, G.M. (Comml) and Subash Acharya, G.M. (O) from P.L. Haranadh, Chairman, PPA in a grand ceremony. Elated at such a glorious development, Odisha's ace OSL Group in its reactions said, "We congratulate Team Paradip for the spectacular achievement and exemplary team work. We wish our team will achieve further heights through their hard work and commitment." Need to be mentioned here that, OSL Group has already bagged the "Best Logistic Company of the Year" for successful diversification in multiple logistics in the 7th Edition of 'East Coast Maritime Forum 2022' held in Kolkata on 24th February, 2022 as well as organized by the EXIM India Shipping Times. This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC)
Gurugram (Haryana) [India], May 11 (ANI/NewsVoir): BajajCapital, a pioneer in financial services is delighted to announce the launch of its new mobile application designed to revolutionize the way INDIA invests. The BajajCapital App provides a comprehensive investment experience by offering a complete 360-degree view of Networth of a customer. The app users get access to all mutual funds from top asset management companies and cutting-edge reports. The BajajCapital App boasts of a user-friendly interface that allows investors to navigate through the app with ease. The app's design is intuitive, ensuring that even first-time investors can effortlessly make investments. The app provides real-time updates on the performance of various mutual funds, allowing users to make informed investment decisions. Sanjiv Bajaj, Jt. Chairman & MD, BajajCapital said, "We are delighted to announce the launch of the BajajCapital App, an innovative solution that empowers our customers to take control of their financial future. At BajajCapital, our priority has always been to deliver exceptional customer service, and the BajajCapital App is the latest manifestation of our commitment. We are confident that the BajajCapital App will revolutionize the way INDIA invests and help our customers achieve their financial goals.We are immensely proud of the hard work and dedication that has gone into developing this app, and we wholeheartedly believe that it will significantly enhance the investment journey for our valued customers." Aabhinna Suresh Khare, Chief Digital & Marketing Officer said, "We have ensured that every feature of the BajajCapital App is meticulously crafted to provide a seamless, intuitive, and user-friendly experience. Catering to both novice and experienced investors alike, our app aims to be a comprehensive solution for all your investment needs. By providing a comprehensive view of one's net worth and enabling goal-based investing in mutual funds, our One App reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering state-of-the-art financial solutions that simplify the investment journey for our valued clients." The app comes with a lot of unique features which are based on research & design thinking with over 4.1 Mn of investors. The prominent being Goal based Investing, where the user can select the Life goals and build the proper financial life plan. Another unique feature allows them to filter schemes based on their risk profile thus helping them make informed investment decisions. Integrated with the latest APIs, Investors can access detailed fund insights, including sector-wise allocation, product allocation, returns over the past year, and more. With real-time updates and expert analysis, the BajajCapital App empowers investors to take control of their financial future. One of the app's most notable features is the ability for investors to initiate lump sum investments immediately from the scheme page, making it simple to invest with just a few clicks. Investors have complete control over their investments with various transaction choices such as selling, switching, or using the Systematic Transfer Plan (STP), allowing them to manage their portfolios with simplicity. Another standout feature of the BajajCapital App is its robust transaction reporting functionality. This feature empowers investors with a comprehensive summary of their mutual fund investments, ensuring that they stay informed about their investment performance at all times. With this data, investors can make informed decisions and take necessary action to optimize their portfolio performance. The transaction report also enables investors to track their investment history, providing a detailed breakdown of their transactions and holdings. This feature demonstrates our commitment to providing investors with the tools and resources they need to make informed investment decisions. BajajCapital has always been committed to catering to the demands of its consumers, and the launch of their new mobile application demonstrates this dedication. The BajajCapital App, with its cutting-edge features, user-friendly layout, and professional analysis, is going to revolutionize the way India invests. Investors can now easily manage their portfolios and take control of their financial future with just a few clicks. Everyone can benefit from the app's unique features, such as the suggested scheme list, real-time updates, and full transaction reporting functionality, from beginners to seasoned investors. BajajCapital Limited is one of India's leading wealth management companies offering its clients need-based financial solutions. BajajCapital caters to investor individuals, corporate houses, institutional investors, Non-resident Indians (NRIs), and High net worth clients, among others. For the last 59 years, we have been helping over 4.1 million clients create and protect their wealth with over 300 points-of-presence (POP) in more than 100 cities. Our service basket includes a wide range of product offerings in mutual funds, corporate fixed deposits, loans, real estate, etc., presented through qualified and experienced professionals such as MBAs, CAs, Legal Experts, CFPs, and thousands of Wealth Managers. From being a pioneer in introducing Corporate Fixed Deposit to bringing forth Financial Planning Concept in India, we are a fine combination tech+ touch company that can easily adapt to servicing its clients in Online as well as Offline modes. Established over 5 decades ago and continuously evolving in its way, BajajCapital has transitioned from being a brick-and-mortar company to a digitally equipped wealth management platform catering to clients' needs as per the times. Some of our recent introductions for clients and teams such as BajajCapital Edge Report, India's first NPS Portfolio Management Dashboard, Several options for choosing insurance at one place with an Online Insurance Platform, Digital Super Branches for its Retail channel, Launched FINtastic Talks online and offline modes, All India Event - The Power of 100% bringing leaders from Insurance and Investment industry together at one platform, etc., are well in line with its digital transformation journey. Other than that, we have been 5 times winners of Great Place to Work, 7-time winners of Best Retail Financial Advisor by CNBC TV18, Winner of MoneyControl Indian Family business awards 2021 - Most Innovative, Disruptive & Transformational Business, etc. This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
India-based companies are responsible for creating tens of thousands of jobs and Canadian dollars worth USD 6.6 billion in investments across Canada, according to a new report released on Thursday by the industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with the Canada - India Business Council (CIBC) and the High Commission of India in Canada. The report was launched during the latest Canada visit of Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry. The launch of "From India to Canada: Economic Impact and Engagement" is the first known attempt to capture Indian Industry's growing Canadian presence. The surveyor captured data after sampling as many as 30 companies doing business in Canada. All responding companies said they plan to increase their Canadian investments in the next five years. While Ontario and Quebec had the highest concentration of responding companies, the survey found Indian companies operating in 8 out of Canada's ten provinces in a diversity of industry sectors. Ontario was cited in the survey responses as the most favourable business environment, evidenced also by it hosting the largest concentration of Indian companies. British Columbia and Quebec tied as the second most favourable. Given the greater degree of engagement we've now embarked upon with high-level exchanges on both sides, the India-Canada economic relationship can improve very significantly. We see a lot of Indian talent contributing to the Canadian economy, and even investments coming in from India to Canada. I am confident that this will be a two-way traffic, and both countries stand to benefit," said minister Piyush Goyal. According to Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Government of Canada: "Strengthening the Canada-India economic partnership is good for businesses on both sides of the Pacific. The CII and C-IBC report shows the benefits that come when we collaborate. Working together is how we create jobs and opportunities for growth, and by reinforcing our trade ties we're setting our businesses up for success." (ANI)
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday exhorted Japanese investors to invest in India, while highlighting the country's digital public infrastructure revolution and its impact in the areas of health, education, financial inclusion and agriculture. She said that enhancement in India's digital infrastructure has helped in reducing pilferage significantly and inducing transparency and accountability. Sitharaman further apprised investors and business leaders of India's specific focus on Artificial Intelligence with proposed Centres of Excellence which will benefit not just the present but the future generations as well. She said this during an interaction with investors and business leaders during an event on "Rising Investment Opportunities: Destination India", organised in collaboration with the Japan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (JCCI) and the Indian embassy in Tokyo. Earlier, the Finance Minister had arrived in Japan on a two-day official visit. Sitharaman informed the gathering that the Indian government is focussing on skilling people in the fast-developing area of Artificial Intelligence so that the young population can use it towards innovative solutions for all. She shared the progress made by India in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and elucidated the various steps and systemic reforms undertaken by the government during and before the pandemic that laid the foundation for India's strong and sustained recovery. Referring to India's commitment to greening of economy and the goals under Nationally Determined Contributions NDCs, especially in renewable energy, Sitharaman said that India already achieved, with its own funds, 175 GW of solar energy and now aims to achieve 300 GW by 2030. --IANS ans/pgh ( 265 Words) 2023-05-11-20:18:02 (IANS)
Amid the controversies surrounding 'The Kerala Story', the lead actor of the movie Adah Sharma thanked fans for making the film 'trend'. The actor tweeted, "Thank you to all the crores of you who are going to watch our film, thank you for making it trend, thank you for loving my performance. This weekend the 12th #TheKeralaStory releases internationally in 37 countries (or more) #adahsharma" https://twitter.com/adah_sharma/status/1656199300530184192 Apart from Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani acted in lead roles in the movie.A massive controversy erupted around the film after its trailer claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala had gone missing and joined the terrorist group ISIS. However, in the face of protests, the contentious figure in the trailer was later withdrawn. Its trailer description was later changed to a story of three women from Kerala. Asked about the numbers which caused a disruption in the political scenario of the nation, Adah told ANI, "The story is really scary. The fact that people are calling it propaganda or are thinking about numbers only above the missing girls is scarier. Instead, it would have been the opposite that we would have discussed that girls are missing like this and then given a thought about the numbers." Exuding confidence about the subject matter of the film, Adah said, "You won't be discussing numbers, once you watch the movie". Adah started her career in 2008 with '1920.' After that, she featured in movies like 'Hasee Toh Phasee', 'Commando 2' and 'Commando 3'. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal banned the film 'The Kerala Story' citing "maintenance of peace" and to avoid incidents of "hatred and violence" in the state. West Bengal became the first state to ban the film, which narrates the ordeal of three women who are trafficked to ISIS camps after being converted to Islam through marriage. There's a continuing political outcry around the movie even as it has been made tax-free in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh. (ANI)
Deepika Padukone is missing no chance to impress her fans and make us proud. The 'Pathaan' actor has added another feather to her cap as she got featured on a leading international magazine's cover page. Deepika took to Instagram and shared a picture of herself on the 'Time' magazine. She makes sure to leave you impressed with her fashion statement every time. In the picture, she gave out boss lady vibes in a stunning beige pantsuit. She paired a blazer and pants with transparent heels to make her outfit do the talking. She left her hair flowing and her make-up game on point. https://www.instagram.com/p/CsFgwQ1I35l/ As soon as the picture was uploaded, the actor's fans and industry friends dropped congratulatory messages in the comment section. Fashion designer Masaba Gupta wrote, "Amazing Deepika you are so damn hardworking. Congratulations!" One of the users wrote, "Globalstardeepika." Another commented, "THE GLOBAL QUEEN." Deepika also shared the behind-the-scene videos from the photo shoot. https://www.instagram.com/p/CsFfhf3o-3A/ Just look at her excitement in this video. https://www.instagram.com/p/CsFgzPeIGkq/ Earlier this year, she attended Oscars 2023 as a presenter. She took over the Oscars stage solo and introduced RRR's song, Naatu Naatu right before its live performance. Speaking about the song, she said, "An irresistibly catchy chorus, electrifying beats and killer dance moves to match have made this song a global sensation. It plays during a pivotal scene in 'RRR', a movie about the friendship between real-life Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. In addition to being sung in Telugu and illustrating the film's anti-colonialist themes, it's also a total banger!" She added, "It's earned millions of views on Youtube and Tik Tok. Has audiences dancing in movie theatres all around the world and is also the first song ever from Indian production to be nominated for an Oscar. Do you know Naatu? Because if you don't you're about to. From the film RRR this is Naatu Naatu." Recently, she shared backstage pictures from historic Oscars 2023. Meanwhile, on the work front, Deepika will be next seen in the upcoming pan-India action thriller film 'Project K' opposite actor Prabhas. She also has Siddharth Anand's next aerial action thriller film 'Fighter' opposite Hrithik Roshan in her kitty. This is her second film with director Siddharth Anand after they delivered this year's biggest hit, Pathaan. 'Fighter', which is scheduled to release on January 25 next year, will also star Karan Singh Grover and Akshay Oberoi. (ANI)
After making head turns at her Met Gala debut with her beautiful outfit, actor Alia Bhatt has now given one more major reason to call her "global queen". On Thursday, the 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' actor was announced as the first Indian global ambassador of the luxury fashion brand, Gucci. Yes! You read that right, Alia will now be associated with Gucci. Taking to Instagram, the fashion brand shared the news and captioned it, "Alia Bhatt is the House's newest Global Brand Ambassador. To mark the occasion, the actress, producer, and entrepreneur was captured with the Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag." https://www.instagram.com/p/CsF_v44IXyc/ Soon after the news was announced, fans flooded the comment section with red heart emoticons and congratulatory messages for the 'Raazi' actor. Director and Producer Karan Johar commented, "Proud proud proud." Alia's mother Soni Razdan wrote, "Amazing news congratulations darling." Her mother-in-law Neetu Kapoor commented, "Amazing." "the sky is the limit!!!!," a fan wrote. Sharing her excitement, Alia took to her Instagram and shared few pictures and wrote, "I'm honoured to represent the house of Gucci not only in India but at a global stage. Gucci's legacy has always inspired and intrigued me and I'm looking forward to the many sartorial milestones we create together @gucci." https://www.instagram.com/p/CsGITajsBpG/ In the first picture, the actor can be seen donning a textured pink shirt that she paired with a black skirt and matching belt. In the next image, Alia slayed the check blazer and matching pant look. For glam up, she opted for a sleek open-hair look and statement earrings. She was also seen holding Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag. The actor is currently riding high on success, as she recently made her debut at the Met Gala fashion night. The 'Student of the Year' star hit the iconic red carpet in a dreamy white gown designed by fashion designer Prabal Gurung. This year's theme was 'Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty', based on the new Costume Institute exhibition exploring the work of the iconic designer. Lagerfeld, who died in 2019 at the age of 85, spent decades creating clothes for Balmain, Patou, Chloe, Fendi and Chanel in addition to his own namesake label, Page Six reported. She teamed the gown with embellished gloves, matching diamond earrings and rings. For the glam, she opted for a centre-parted half-tied ponytail, high heels, subtle smoky eye shadow, kohl-lined eyes, nude lip shade, and a dewy base. This appearance of Alia will precede her Hollywood debut in 'Heart of Stone'. Several pictures and videos of the star went viral on social media in which she could be seen posing for the camera at the Gala. Taking to Instagram, Alia shared a string of pictures of her outfits which she captioned, "Met Gala -- Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. I have always been fascinated by the iconic Chanel brides. Season after season, the genius of Karl Lagerfeld shone through in the most innovative and awe-inspiring couture. My look tonight was inspired from this and in particular by supermodel Claudia Schiffer's 1992 Chanel bridal look." https://www.instagram.com/p/CruL6K3oG_u/ "I wanted to do something that felt authentic (hello, pearls!) and proudly made in India. The embroidery, made with a 100,000 pearls is a labour of love by @prabalgurung. I'm so proud to wear you for my first Met. A girl can never have too many pearls... and the right accessories to complement the look which in our case translated to the bow of pearls on my hair. Oh, and it's white, for my Choup-ED," she added. Alia Bhatt is one of the best actresses in Bollywood currently. From playing 'Sehmat' in the spy-thriller 'Raazi' to 'Ganga' in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's drama 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', she has delivered some versatile performances, winning over both fans and critics. After making a mark in Bollywood, she is now all set to take over Hollywood by storm. Alia will be making her Hollywood debut alongside the 'Wonder Woman' actor Gal Gadot in the upcoming action-thriller 'Heart of Stone'. In September, last year, the makers of the film unveiled the first look, which received massive responses from the fans. The video opens with a long shot of a bike speeding through a coastal road and a desert. Then comes a voiceover, which goes, "You know what you signed up for--no friends, no relationships. What we do is too important." The clip then provides the first glimpse of Gal Gadot as Rachel Stone amid montages of desolate neighbourhoods. Afterwards, the clip offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the action and stunt scenes from the movie as well as a sneak peek at how they ultimately play out. During some of the BTS scenes in the video, Alia Bhatt, says," It has these characters that you connect with and feel for." The video also reveals that her character in the film is called Keya Dhawan. However, she is wary not to spill any details about her character. Alia also filmed several action scenes for the movie. Last year, visuals of the diva filming scenes with her visible pregnancy bump appeared online and created a huge buzz. In an interview with Variety, Alia earlier said, "It was my first Hollywood big English picture experience and I had quite a task at hand because I was shooting for the first time an action movie. But I'm also pregnant so there were so many layers for me to deal with. But they made it so seamless and so easy and so comfortable for me. It's something that I will never forget because of how beautifully and how well I was treated." Fans are eagerly waiting to see Alia in an action avatar opposite Hollywood star Gal Gadot.Interestingly, Alia's film will be clashing with her husband Ranbir Kapoor's upcoming action-thriller 'Animal'. 'Heart of Stone' will premiere exclusively on the OTT platform Netflix whereas 'Animal' will be getting a theatrical release. Talking about her Bollywood projects, she was last seen in the sci-fi action film 'Brahmastra -Part 1: Shiva' opposite Ranbir Kapoor. Helmed by Ayan Mukerji, the film also starred Amitabh Bachchan and Mouni Roy in lead roles and was declared a blockbuster. She will be next seen in Karan Johar's upcoming 'Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani' opposite Ranveer Singh. The film is all set to hit the theatres on July 28. Apart from that, she also has Farhan Akhtar's next directorial 'Jee Le Zaraa' alongside Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in her kitty. (ANI)
The BMO Tower is seen on April 21, 2021, when it was still under construction. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)

Brewing company Molson Coors signed a deal to lease several floors in BMO Tower at 320 S. Canal St., one of the West Loops newest skyscrapers, and move its headquarters next summer from 250 S. Wacker Drive.

The move could signal a rise in downtown leasing as more workers return to the office and companies seek out buildings with the best amenities.

Advertisement

The newest buildings seem to be performing better because the employers view them as helping employees get back to work, said Drew Nieman of Riverside Investment and Development, which along with its partner Convexity Properties, launched construction of BMO Tower in 2019.

BMO Financial Group agreed to occupy about one-third of the 1.5 million-square-foot, 52-story tower immediately south of Union Station long before it opened last summer, but leasing fell off drastically when COVID-19 shuttered downtown.

Advertisement

Everybody was kicking the can down the road because they didnt know how much space they would need, Nieman said. Now, I feel like things are starting to pick back up.

In addition to Molson Coors, which will occupy more than 80,000 square feet on the 34th through 36th floors, financial services company Antares Capital signed a deal with Riverside last month to lease about 87,000 square feet, bringing BMO Tower up to nearly 80% leased.

Many older downtown properties still dont have enough amenities to attract tenants, including the outdoor spaces now highly valued by workers, according to Riverside Executive Vice President Rafael Carreira. BMO Tower includes outdoor terraces and a 1-acre park on the buildings west side, called The Green, where a farmers market is held on Tuesdays. Molson Coors space will include a brewpub, a private outdoor patio and an internal staircase connecting its three floors.

The building really provides an atmosphere where people can interact with others, Carreira said.

Molson Coors new home will help the company continue its post-COVID-19 office schedule, according to a company spokesman.

Weve had a hybrid schedule in our corporate offices since October 2021, and our team has the flexibility to work three days a week in the office and two days from home, he said. The approach has worked quite well, and we are excited to move into a modern space that allows for strong collaboration, and which offers top-flight amenities.

Carreira estimates that Tuesday through Thursday, BMO Tower sees more than 60% of the foot traffic it did before the pandemic, and although Mondays and Fridays remain slow, activity is picking up.

We are seeing steadily increasing attendance with all of the properties were involved with in the city, he said.

Advertisement

The overall picture for downtown remains dire. Vacancy hit more than 22% this year, a historic high, reaching more than 30% for Class B office buildings in the Central Loop, according to Colliers International. And even when companies sign new leases, hybrid schedules often mean they need less space. But Colliers anticipates a turnaround, at least for the new towers lining Wacker Drive, the Chicago River and other West Loop streets.

It is anticipated that West Loop Class A space activity will continue to increase, and vacancy will ease in Class A buildings, the firm stated in its first quarter report.

It never fails, its the newest and best spaces that stay the most active and fill up first, Nieman said. And that makes it tough on buildings 20 or 30 years old.

Carreira said prospective tenants continue touring BMO Tower.

We will hopefully have more leases to announce in the near future, he said.
According to a study published in the ERJ Open Research, around one in five people might be suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). People with OSA often snore loudly, their breathing starts and stops during the night, and they may wake up several times. Not only does this cause tiredness, but it can also increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Treatments and lifestyle changes can help people with OSA. However, the new study also suggests that only a small proportion of people with symptoms of OSA have been diagnosed and are receiving help for the condition. The study included data on 20,151 French adults. Researchers recorded how many participants had been diagnosed with OSA. They also used a questionnaire to gauge how many participants might have undiagnosed OSA. The questionnaire focuses on heavy snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness (the two most common OSA symptoms), high blood pressure and obesity. Researchers then used this data to calculate the proportion of the French population who are likely to be affected by OSA. They found that around one in five (20.2%) were highly likely to have OSA while only 3.5% were being treated for the condition. OSA was more common in men in people who were older, had cardiovascular disease, lower socioeconomic status or were less physically active, in smokers and in people with symptoms of depression. Women were at a higher risk of going undiagnosed with OSA. The study was led by Dr Pauline Balagny from the Faculty of Medicine at University of Paris-Cite, France. She said: "We know that OSA is a major health hazard but if patients are diagnosed with the condition, they can be given treatments and advice to mitigate the risks. Our study suggests that OSA is common, but the majority of those affected do not know they have the condition. "Our findings are in line with research in other countries which suggest that OSA is becoming more common." A key strength of this research is that it is based on a large group of people who are representative of the French population. A weakness is that the study relies on a questionnaire to gauge the likelihood of OSA, rather than testing participants in a sleep clinic. Professor Winfried Randerath, Head of the European Respiratory Society's Assembly on sleep disordered breathing, who was not involved in the research said: "This research suggests that many people with OSA are not aware that their snoring and sleepiness are signs of a problem. We need to raise awareness of OSA because once people are diagnosed, they can be given treatment and advice to help lower their risk of other serious conditions such as stroke, heart disease and diabetes. Although OSA is more common in men, this study indicates that we also need to get better at spotting the condition in women." Dr Balagny and her colleagues will continue to study the links between OSA symptoms and cardiovascular diseases. They are also investigating whether screening for OSA could help heart attack patients. (ANI)
The meeting was attended by the Secretary APD, Special Secretary APD, Directors of Sheep Husbandry and Animal Husbandry in both Kashmir and Jammu, Directors of Sheep Husbandry and Horticulture in Jammu and Kashmir, Director of Agriculture, Jammu, Technical Officers from APD, heads of Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and other concerned both in person and online.

The meeting commenced with presentations by the TWG heads, who provided updates on the progress of GI certification applications for the newly recommended crops including Kevur, Lakhanpur Bhalla/Bada, Thandi Khui ki Barfi, Kud Ka Patisa and Pecan nut.

During the detailed discussion, the TWG heads shared their work on each crop, presenting evidence of origin backed by historical data, emphasizing the unique characteristics of each crop and highlighting their distinct features.

Dulloo encouraged the TWGs to prioritize historical data and literature-based evidence, ensuring a robust foundation for the successful GI certification of these crops.

He asked them to seek guidance from experts and consult relevant departments with knowledge, evidence and historical background information on these crops.

A GI expert from Varanasi, Rajni Kant provided valuable feedback during the meeting.

He emphasized the significance of product inheritance and the distinctive attributes of each crop to minimize the risk of rejection during the GI registration process.

Dr Kant said, "My team is actively working on identifying additional evidence to support comprehensive GI applications for these products."

The meeting decided to work speedily towards filing GI applications for Kud's Patista and Thandi Khui Barfi while acknowledging the need for further work to gather evidence for the other three products.

Atal Dulloo expressed his commitment towards completing all the necessary formalities, gradually initiating the application process in a timely manner. (ANI)
The Congress will emerge as the single-largest party in Karnataka by winning 110 to 120 seats, the India TV-CNX exit poll predicted on Wednesday. As per the India TV-CNX exit poll prediction, the Congress is likely to win 110-120 seats in the 224-member Assembly, while the ruling BJP will come second with 80-90 seats. The exit poll also predicted that JD(S) is likely to win 20-24 seats, while 'Others', including Independents, may win 1-3 seats. In the 2018 elections, the BJP had won 104 seats, followed by the Congress at 80, JD(S) at 37, and 'Others' at three. As per the exit poll, Congress vote share is likely to go up in the southern state. The Congress may get 41.57 per cent votes, followed by the ruling BJP at 35.61 per cent, JD(S) at 16.1 per cent, and 'Others' at 6.72 per cent. In the 2018 elections, Congress had got 38.04 per cent votes, BJP had got 36.22 per cent, JD(S) 18.36 per cent and 'Others' 7.38 per cent. It also said that the caste and community-wise exit poll projections show that Congress may get 72 per cent of Kuruba votes, 19 per cent Lingayat votes, 22 per cent Vokkaliga votes, 39 per cent SC votes, 33 per cent OBC votes, 43 per cent ST votes, and a whopping 82 per cent Muslim votes. On the other hand, the BJP may get 14 per cent Kuruba votes, a whopping 70 per cent Lingayat votes, 17 per cent Vokkaliga votes, 41 per cent SC votes, 52 per cent OBC votes, 34 per cent ST votes and only 2 per cent Muslim votes. The projections show JD(S) may get 53 per cent of Vokkaliga votes in the southern state. --IANS aks/arm ( 305 Words) 2023-05-10-22:36:03 (IANS)
The conference is scheduled to be held at Nijanand Farm near GIFT City from May 11-13.

An official said that on the second day of the conference -- May 12, PM Modi would be present.

The event is expecting participation from more than 91,000 teachers from Gujarat and across the country.

The theme of this year's conference, 'Teachers at the Heart of Transforming Education', aptly underscores the pivotal role of educators in shaping the future of education, an official said.

The conference will also be attended by a host of dignitaries, including Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Central Minister of Fisheries Parshottam Rupala, and others.

Adding a dash of nostalgia and retrospective, an educational exhibition will be held during the program.

The exhibition will feature a series of pictures highlighting the transformative work done in the field of education during Prime Minister Modi's tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014.

It will include glimpses of significant initiatives like the School Admission Festival, Quality Festival, and Kanya Kelavani Rath Yatra, thus showcasing the strides made in education during those years.

--IANS janvi/pgh

( 225 Words)

2023-05-10-22:50:03 (IANS)
After the conclusion of the Assembly elections in Karnataka on Wednesday, the ABP/C-Voter Exit Poll projected a close contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress in the Mumbai-Karnataka region that sends 50 legislators to the 224-member state Assembly. The survey findings indicate that BJP is projected to win 26 seats (projected range of 24-28) in the region, down from 30 it won in 2018, while the Congress is expected to win 24 seats (projected range of 22-26), seven morte than its 2018 tally of 17, according to the ABP/C-Voter Exit Poll. According to the survey, the BJP is projected to secure 43.4 per cent vote share in the Mumbai-Karnataka region, marginally lower than its 2018 share of 44 per cent. For the Congress, the data predicted a vote share of 43.8 per cent, an upswing of 4.8 per cent from its 2018 share of 39 per cent. --IANS atk/arm ( 163 Words) 2023-05-10-22:54:04 (IANS)
During the hearing at the Patiala House Courts, Mann, puportedly of the Gogi gang, through his lawyer, also raised concerns about his safety in the Delhi prison and alleged a conspiracy by his rivals to kill him.

Mann claimed that he received threats from inmates who intended to harm him while he was being produced before the court.

He submitted a petition to the court requesting increased security measures to be taken to safeguard his life.

In response to his claims of a conspiracy, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria directed the jail authorities to produce Mann via video conferencing from the jail.

Furthermore, Mann has requested that the court direct the authorities to increase his security in light of the recent killing of top gangster Tillu Tajpuria in Tihar Jail by members of the rival Gogi gang. He claimed the same group is targeting him too.

On May 6, the Delhi court had issued notice to the Tihar jail Superintendent on a plea moved by gangster Deepak Boxer, expressing fear for his life and seeking a transfer to another jail.

As per police, Boxer was also handling the Jitender Gogi gang after his death.

Gogi gang's Jitender Gogi was killed by his rivals in the Rohini court in 2021 and Tajpuriya was a prime accused of his murder.

--IANS spr/vd

( 274 Words)

2023-05-10-23:02:04 (IANS)
"I want to thank the 'Babbar Sher' workers and leaders of Congress for a well-run, dignified and solid people-oriented campaign. Thank you to the people of Karnataka for coming out in large numbers to vote for a progressive future," he said in a tweet.

His remarks came after the polling for the Karnataka assembly concluded on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

According to the Election Commission, 65.69 per cent voting was recorded till 5 p.m. Counting of votes will take place on May 13.

The Congress had ran a spirited campaign in the southern state and targeted the ruling BJP over alleged corruption.

Rahul Gandhi, his sister and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi had campaigned in the state.

The Congress in its manifesto promised Gruha Jyothi (200 units of free electricity), Gruha Lakshmi -- Rs 2,000 monthly to every woman head of the family, Anna Bhagya --10 kg of food grains of their choice (among rice, ragi, jowar, millet) to every person in a BPL family and free travel to all women in regular Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses.

--IANS aks/pgh

( 245 Words)

2023-05-10-23:10:04 (IANS)
Over 3,375 men, women and children took shelter in six Mizoram districts after ethnic violence broke in Manipur on May 3, officials said on Wednesday. Due to the violence in Manipur, another 2,300 took shelter in eight government sponsored camps in Cachar district of southern Assam. However, around 600 people returned to their homes in Manipur. An official in Aizawl said that of the 3,375 people, mostly tribals, sheltered in Mizoram, the highest number of 1,214 people took shelter in Saitual district followed by 1,142 in Kolasib district, 934 in Aizawl district, 68 in Champhai District, 12 in Khawzawl District and four in Serchhip District. The same tribal and non-tribal communities, especially the Meiteis, Nagas, Kukis, Mizos, and Chakmas are living in different northeastern states presenting a complex mosaic. Parliamentarians, various organisations and NGOs have urged the Manipur and Central governments to curb the ethnic violence involving all stakeholders. Ruling Mizo National Front MP C. Lalrosanga had urged Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande, to gain people's trust and confidence, especially of the tribal communities, to control the ethnic strife in Manipur. 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. Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Mizoram's apex students' body, has accused the Manipur government of grabbing Zo ethnic tribals' land in the neighbouring state and evicting them. "The origin of these problems is the Manipur government's attempts to evict ethnic Zo people from their various settlements so that their lands can be taken from them and these tribal lands can be declared reserved forest, protected forest, wildlife sanctuaries and wetlands," the MZP had said in a statement. A series of violent clashes, firing and arson broke out across Manipur during a 'Tribal Solidarity March' on May 3 called by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur (ATSUM) to oppose the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had said on Monday that at least 60 people, including women, have been killed and 231 people injured while 1,700 houses have been burnt in the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3. He also said that 35,655 persons, including 1,593 students, have been moved to safer locations. --IANS sc/vd ( 492 Words) 2023-05-10-23:18:04 (IANS)
The bioinformatician Professor Dr Martin Lercher from Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf (HHU) and his colleague Professor Dr Itai Yanai from New York University (NYU) are focusing on the topic of creativity in research. In the latest editorial in the scientific journal Nature Biotechnology, they advocate teaching the importance of creative processes for the advancement of science especially in graduate study programmes. The authors observe that the rate of scientific innovation appears to be slowing down: The proportion of research projects that push science in new directions by breaking with previous understanding has decreased since the second half of the 20th century. Such projects have been replaced by more results-oriented approaches, which advance research areas but rarely result in transformative science. This reflects a fundamental development: Publicly funded research projects are being dominated by hypothesis-driven approaches, which tend to confirm the hypotheses rather than seeking genuinely new and unexpected results. Professor Martin Lercher, head of the Computational Cell Biology research group at HHU and Professor Itai Yanai, Director of the Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories at NYU, believe there is a need to rethink how scientists-in-training are educated. They write that "graduate study programmes should renew an emphasis on creativity by teaching the tools of innovative thinking." The two authors have been calling for the "promotion of the creative side of the scientific process" for years. Their approach draws on the concept of "day science" and "night science" developed by the Nobel Prize winner Francois Jacob: "Day science" refers to modern science as a systematic, well-planned process guided by hypotheses developed in advance, while "night science" is the non-systematic, creative part of science, namely free thinking and the often intuitive exploration of ideas. Lercher: "The first thing scientists-in-training learn today is how to establish a foothold in the world of research through the definition of highly specific projects, which lead to predictable results, which in turn lead to citable publications. Knowing and practising this is of course important as it enables incremental advances in research areas and the provision of reliable answers to detailed questions." Yanai adds: "Yet, we cannot see this as the be-all and end-all, as this structured process rarely results in new discoveries, which are however critical for the advancement of science." In Nature Biotechnology, the two authors call for the integration of scientific creativity courses into the curricula of graduate study programmes. The most powerful tool for creative science might be improvisational, open scientific discussions, both with close colleagues and with experts in related fields. By gaining an insight into the creativity toolbox of other subjects, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows can learn to pose new questions from different perspectives. Lercher and Yanai believe that "inventing the right question can advance science more than answering an existing one." Finally, the authors emphasise in their editorial that placing an emphasis on creativity in the sciences would also help to reduce misconceptions among the public about the scientific process, encouraging increased numbers of creative young people to pursue a career in science. (ANI)
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha attended a function organized by OTPC (ONGC Tripura Power Company) also known as the Palatana Power Plant in the Gomati district of Tripura on Wednesday. At the event, OTPC handed over two Advance Life Support Ambulances to the Tripura Government. The handover of such ambulances will benefit the general public as they are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. Sharing the same on his Twitter account, CM Saha said, "Healthcare is a priority sector of the present state government. We are working to develop various facilities so that the patients feel comfortable in the hospitals." "Today attended a programme at Gomati district hospital where the OTPC handed over two Advanced Life Support Ambulance. I congratulate OTPC for this initiative," added CM Saha. Last week, Tripura signed a total of Rs 312.38 crore memorandum of understanding (MoUs) for investment in different sectors including healthcare, bamboo, tourism, rubber, food, milk and agro-processing, Chief Minister Manik Saha said. Addressing a state-level investment round table meeting at Pragna Bhawan, Saha said that the MoUs were signed to boost investment and generate employment in the State. Saha said that the Tripura government decided to provide a State capital investment subsidy, industrial promotion subsidy, power subsidy, employment cost subsidy, state transport subsidy and etc to the investors. "From different states of the country, they have come. I am very happy that eight industrialists have come here and already signed MoUs with the government of Tripura with an amount of Rs 312.38 crores. When I heard that they are coming here to sign the MoU, I was very much eager to see and was very happy", said Saha. As many as 141 investors participated in the one-day-long North-East Global Investors summit. Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special efforts in developing Tripura, Chief Minister said, "For any development of the State or country the connectivity is very important. Particularly for Tripura, connectivity is important. ...now we have seven national highways and more highways are coming up. By the grace of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are blessed that he has given us HIRA Model". (ANI)
China's land-sea trade corridor shows strong vitality

08:42, May 11, 2023 By Liu Hui ( People's Daily

A rail-sea intermodal freight train recently departed from southwest China's Chongqing municipality, running along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor for Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The train carried 100 containers of automobiles, motorcycles and engines, which would be later shipped to destinations in Southeast Asia via Qinzhou Port.

A rail-sea intermodal freight train of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor leaves Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, Dec. 30, 2022. (People's Daily Online/Hu Zhiqiang)

During the Chinese Lunar New Year period this year, the year-on-year growth in the number of trains running along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor set a new record.

The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is a new channel of international trade jointly established by regions in western China and ASEAN members.

In September 2017, the first train of a regular sea-rail transit route linking China and Singapore, the former version of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, departed from Chongqing.

The southward route took Chongqing as its logistic and operational center and involved key nodes including Guangxi, Guizhou, Gansu, Qinghai and other provincial-level regions in western China. Sending cargo to Southeast Asia and the rest of the world via China's Guangxi, the rail-sea intermodal route gradually became the most convenient export channel in western China.

Today, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has constantly optimized its services, and its network now extends to ports in Singapore, Bangkok of Thailand, Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam and other ASEAN regions.

The implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has further accelerated regional economic integration and is driving the demand for international logistics. The corridor has provided diversified choices for merchants.

Photo shows an automated container terminal in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. (People's Daily Online/He Huawen)

"With the land-sea route, cargos from Brunei can be shipped to Qinzhou Port via Singapore and then be sent to China's Yunnan, Sichuan and Chongqing by train, which is very convenient, " said a merchant surnamed Zheng from Brunei who sells Brunei's shrimp chips and coffee products to the Chinese market and brings Chinese orah mandarin oranges to ASEAN countries.

"I can save both time and money to ship my products via this route," Zheng told People's Daily.

Trade between western China and ASEAN members used to rely on the ports in eastern China, said Li Mingjiang, Associate Professor at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University.

The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has reduced shipping distance and thus lowered cost, and helps strengthen the relations between regions in China's western regions and ASEAN countries in trade, investment and logistics, Li noted.

As one of the largest shipping companies in Southeast Asia, Pacific International Lines (PIL) of Singapore runs two routes along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.

According to the executive chairman of the company Teo Siong Seng, TIL ships durians, coconuts, mangoes, bananas and other fruits from Southeast Asia to regions across China via Qinzhou every year during the harvest season.

A rail-sea intermodal freight train of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, which is launched in cooperation with Singaporean shipping company Pacific International Lines, leaves southwest China's Chongqing municipality, April 27, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Long Fan)

The land-sea route not only builds a better transport network, but also strengthens economic and trade cooperation between China and other countries. It injects increasing momentum for foreign enterprises to deepen trade cooperation with China.

Over recent years, TIL's business volume in Guangxi has been on a rapid increase. Teo Siong Seng told People's Daily that industrial raw materials, fertilizers, and minerals produced in southwest China are being shipped along the corridor to Southeast Asia and other countries and regions along the Belt and Road, including products with high value-added products such as auto parts and solar panels, which has significantly promoted local economic development.

The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has presented new opportunities of China-ASEAN cooperation to more and more companies in Southeast Asia.

As the China-Laos Railway and other connectivity projects started operation, Zheng is planning to bring more ASEAN products to China and take them to Europe through China-Europe freight trains.

The Bruneian businessman said the implementation of the RCEP has significantly facilitated customs clearance, which led to a big rise in his company's exports.

"Better connectivity means more business opportunities," Zheng said.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
Jackie Simmons shops for groceries during the opening of the Englewood Save-A-Lot on May 11, 2023. Community leaders in Englewood, including Ald. Stephanie Coleman, whose 16th Ward includes the grocery store, expressed frustration that the former Whole Foods would be replaced by a grocery brand they said was known by many residents for poor quality food. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

When Whole Foods opened a grocery store in Englewood in 2016, its arrival, supported by $10.7 million in city funding, was heralded with live music and TV cameras. Seven years later the stores replacement, a Save-A-Lot operated by grocery company Yellow Banana, opened with a whisper in the wake of a wave of community opposition.

Joe Canfield, the CEO of Yellow Banana, told the Tribune the store, at 832 W. 63rd St., opened for business Thursday morning.

Advertisement

Ald. Stephanie Coleman, 16th, said she had not been notified of the opening.

How disappointing, Coleman said when reached by phone on Thursday. Theyve yet again proven that they dont respect community, she said.

Advertisement

Community members concerns about the Save-A-Lot brand have centered around the quality of its food  with some community leaders saying they have seen rotten produce or expired foods at its stores  and its facilities.

People walk near the entrance during the opening of the Englewood Save-A-Lot on May 11, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

Yellow Banana postponed a previously scheduled opening for the store in April after a protest by community members.

Coleman said she had visited the companys store on 63rd Street in the West Lawn neighborhood recently. Theres rotten fruit. Theres a stench in their store, she said.

The company has acknowledged Save-A-Lots poor reputation in Chicago and has said it is working to do better. It plans to renovate five Save-A-Lots it operates on the citys South and West sides with the help of $13.5 million it was awarded by the city last year. That funding will also be used to reopen a store in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood that shuttered in 2020.

We have owned the shortcomings of the brand over the years, Canfield said. Were really focused on moving forward.

I think the upgrades to the stores will help us specifically on produce because we do have some dated refrigeration in our stores, Canfield said. Thats part of why we went out and got the additional capital to improve the stores.

Some community leaders have suggested Yellow Banana should break their lease for the location, which is being subsidized by Whole Foods. Canfield said Thursday that was not on the table.

We felt like it was best for us to just open the doors and let the community decide for themselves, he said.

Advertisement

Products line an aisle the new Englewood Save-A-Lot on May 11, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

Work on the shuttered Auburn Gresham Save-A-Lot and on an operating store in the West Garfield Park neighborhood will begin in about two weeks, he said. Yellow Banana hopes to complete renovations at all the stores by the end of October.

Yellow Banana, which is owned by the Cleveland-based investment firm 127 Wall Holdings LLC, operates nearly 40 Save-A-Lot stores nationally. The company is not permitted to change the name of the Englewood Save-A-Lot, Canfield said. About 60% of the food at its Chicago locations will be sourced from Save-A-Lot. The Englewood store will feature a coffee bar and a hot foods area, which are not yet open.

Asiaha Butler, the CEO of the Resident Association of Greater Englewood, or R.A.G.E., said she found out about the opening of the store from a reporter. Butler said she had not heard from Yellow Banana since a community meeting held last week at which residents voiced their concerns about the store.

They really act as if they had taken our concerns and our questions, she said. And they still just undermine community voice and community concern.

Canfield said Thursday the company erred by not including certain community stakeholders who voiced opposition to the store in initial conversations about its opening. News that the former Whole Foods, which closed last year, would become a Save-A-Lot became public in January.

There was some people that were not a part of that initial engagement that felt like they were excluded, he said.

Advertisement

Porsche Jones, left, places groceries in Alfreda Ford's cart during the opening of the Englewood Save-A-Lot on May 11, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

Earlier this week, South Side residents shopping at an Aldi just east of the new Save-A-Lot on 63rd Street had mixed opinions on the new store.

Arthur Chapital, who lives near the store, described the backlash to the Save-A-Lot as political.

I shop at Save-A-Lot, Chapital said. The meat is so-so, but the produce is decent.

With all the criticism that Save-A-Lots been getting, he said, Im sure theyre gonna be really on top of things.

Tia Harvey said she was unlikely to shop at the new Save-A-Lot. Fruit there is sometimes moldy, she said, and other produce seems to go bad quickly.

Harvey preferred the Whole Foods  she remembers buying fresh fruit smoothies with ginger there  but said she still thought the Save-A-Lot should open, pointing to the recent closure of city Walmarts and a shooting outside an Englewood Food 4 Less.

Advertisement

Were probably going to need more grocery stores, Harvey said.

Coleman said Thursday she was not convinced by the companys pledge to improve its stores.

Theres a saying, you can put lipstick on a pig, Coleman said. Its still a pig.
According to the police, the apprehended accused have been identified as Jilani, Anaz and Abrar.

Based on a tip-off, the police team of the Churaibari police watch post in Karimganj district intercepted a truck and during the search, they recovered a large quantity of cough syrup bottles hidden in the truck.

According to police, the truck was on its way from Uttar Pradesh to Agartala in Tripura.

"We had intercepted a truck in the Churaibari area and during the thorough search, we found and recovered 33,000 cough syrup bottles from the truck," said Pranab Mili, a police officer of the Churaibari police watch post.

"The market value of the seized cough syrup bottles is estimated at around Rs two crore," he added.

A case has been registered against the three accused under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.

Earlier, Karimganj police seized 35,300 cough syrup bottles from a Tripura-bound truck and apprehended two persons in the Churaibari area on Sunday night, said the police. (ANI)
Students and professors of the University of Kashmir (KU) participating actively in preparations to make the Youth 20 (Y20) summit at KU a grand success have set the ball rolling for G20 tourism working group meeting slated to be held in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on May 23 and 24. The KU, the highest seat of learning in Kashmir, is among the 15 institutions in the country that were chosen to represent the nation and host Y20 events during India's Presidency of the G20 in the current year, according to a report. After being honoured to host the prestigious international event the KU identified important departments across faculties to hold events on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identified for attainment by G20 in the year 2023. The report said that the KU during the past few months has played an important role in creating awareness about the importance of the G20 summit and is hosting a 2-day consultation Youth 20 Summit-2023 from May 10. Seventeen delegates from 10 countries, including host India, Russia, Indonesia, United States, Brazil, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Nigeria and Mexico are taking part in the Y20 meet on "Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life." The Youth-20 being hosted by the KU is a G20 engagement group constituted in the run-up to the main Y20 summit to be held at Varanasi in June 2023, according to the report. The Y20 aims to increase the understanding of youth in the thematic area and provide a forum for healthy discussions and dissemination of India's G20 agenda. Prior to hosting the Y20 summit the University of Kashmir held many seminars and programmes. These included a 4-day theatre workshop organised by the Department of Students' Welfare in collaboration with Tata Advanced Systems Limited for 30 student participants from KU's teaching departments and affiliated colleges to expand their vision about the theatre as a means to express feelings and thoughts. The EMMRC department organised a two-day workshop on Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) for teachers from Universities and affiliated colleges under the umbrella of Y20 and G20 events. The event offered an opportunity for teachers to prepare for online teaching. KU's General Administration and Department of Social Work organised a 4-day training programme on gender sensitisation at workplaces for male officers/officials of all levels in the university administration. The theme of the programme was "Embrace Gender Equity" which was in sync with the larger theme of the Civil20 Working Group on Gender Equality and Disability. The University also hosted a C20 Working Group meeting on 'Gender Equality and Disability." The Department of Political Sciences KU under the banner of G20 and Y20 organised a two-day national seminar on 'Creating Sustainable Urban Spaces', the report said. The ICSSR-sponsored seminar provided a platform for local and national-level experts to discuss a range of issues related to urbanisation in the country with special reference to Jammu and Kashmir. The Student Counselling and Guidance Cell, Public Relations Centre, University of Kashmir organised a seminar on 'Psycho-Social Wellbeing' under the banner of Youth20 to acquaint student participants from teaching departments about the importance of mental wellbeing, which is one of the essential sub-themes identified for Youth20 programmes in the country. Besides these programmes, many other events were held to prepare the ground for the Y20 summit. The University of Kashmir during the past few months has remained the epicentre of the activities and its administration has left no stone unturned to present Jammu and Kashmir as one of the most vibrant regions in the country. Participation of students and the varsity officials in the Y20 meet signifies the change which the Himalayan region has witnessed after August 5, 2019-- when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate J-K's special status and bifurcated the erstwhile princely state into two Union Territories. Students who participated in the events that were held before the ongoing Y20 summit acted as emissaries to carry forward the message related to important themes chosen under India's G20 presidency. Pertinently, when India attained the G20 presidency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, set a goal to involve the country's youth power to spread awareness on 17 Sustainable Development Goals which concern people's welfare across G20 countries. All researchers, faculty scholars and students have been involved in organising the Y20 event in the varsity. It has provided an opportunity for the youth to come forward and share their ideas on how they could contribute towards nation-building. (ANI)
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday, appealed to people in Manipur to abstain from any form of violence and said efforts are on to work towards restoration of peace and order in the north-eastern State, which has been gripped by violence since May 3. In an open letter written on behalf of the North East Member of Parliament Forum, Rijiju, who is also chairman of the body extended condolences to families of those who have lost their loved ones in the incidents in the State recently. "The pain caused by the loss of lives and properties is irreplaceable, and our hearts go out to those who have been affected by these tragic events. We understand that emotions are running high at this moment, and people may be induced to violence. However, we appeal to every member of the community to abstain from the use of force or any kind of violence. Such acts will only exacerbate the situation and cause more harm to innocent people," the Union minister wrote. "We believe that every life is precious, and we are committed to working towards the restoration of peace and order in the affected areas. We are aware that our efforts will be incomplete without the cooperation of the public. Hence, we appeal to all members of the society to kindly help us in our endeavours to restore peace and order," he elaborated. A curfew was imposed on May 3 after violence broke out in the State. The State government also clamped down on the use of the Internet and mobile phones to ensure the spread of panic and false information could be curtailed. Throughout this period, Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh had multiple meetings via video conferencing with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and top officials of the Home Ministry to assess the situation and centre sending paramilitary forces to the state. As per the official figures close to 60 people lost their lives while more than 230 were injured and close to 1700 houses were burnt down during the violence that erupted on May 3. We urge all members of the community to come together during these difficult times and work towards restoring peace and harmony in our society, the Cabinet Minister appealed. Members of Parliament from northeastern states cutting across political parties are part of the North East MPs Forum to further the cause of the northeastern region, especially development. The forum was formed under the guidance of former Lok Sabha Speaker, P A Sangma. His son Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma is also part of this forum. The President of the forum is Kiren Rijiju whereas the secretary is Congress MP Vincent Pala. (ANI)
With exit polls giving Congress an edge over the BJP in the Karnataka Assembly elections, State Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has that the BJP will come to power with a "comfortable majority" as he is confident with he party's their ground reports. "All the exit polls predicted that Yogi Adityanath will not come back but he came back in Uttar Pradesh. Last time, they (exit polls) predicted only 80 seats for BJP and 107 for Congress but it came reverse... We are confident with our ground reports and we will come with a comfortable majority," Bommai told ANI on Thursday. According to most exit poll projections, the Congress will finish ahead of the BJP but chances of a hung Assembly are high. The pollsters also tipped HD Deve Gowda's Janata Dal-Secular to play kingmaker. The party needs to win 113 seats to reach the majority mark in the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly. On Wednesday too, in an exclusive conversation with ANI, Bommai pinned hope that the exit polls got it all wrong. "Exit polls are, after all, exit polls and even most projections are predicting a close finish. However, from what I have been able to pick up from our ground sources, it is 100 per cent clear that we are going to return with an absolute majority. The real outcome will only be known on May 13. So, let's wait for the result day," Bommai said. "Exit polls aren't 100 per cent accurate. There will be a five per cent variation in all poll projections, plus and minus, which could make all the difference in the end," he added. Congress is expected to have a clear edge in Karnataka in the assembly elections held on Wednesday with four exit polls giving it a full majority and some predicting a hung assembly with an advantage to the party. A few exit polls also said that BJP is ahead in the sweepstakes to form the government. The exit polls, which were released after the polling ended in Karnataka, predicted that Janata Dal-Secular JD(S) would not touch the 37 seats it won in the 2018 polls but will continue to be a strong regional player in the state. If Karnataka throws up a hung assembly, the JD-S could emerge in the role of kingmaker. According to India Today-Axis My India exit poll, Congress is poised to win a comfortable majority with 122-140 seats, BJP will get 62-80 seats, JD(S) 20-25 and others 0-3 seats. A party needs 113 seats for a majority in the 224-member Karnataka assembly. The poll of polls shows an advantage for the Congress with the party poised to win 109 seats, BJP 91 seats and JD-S 23. News24-Today's Chanakya predicted Congress crossing the halfway mark. It said BJP is poised to win 92 seats, Congress, 120 and JD-S 12 seats. Times Now-ETG poll and India TV-CNX poll also predicted Congress hitting the majority mark. Times Now-ETG said BJP is expected to win 85 seats, Congress 113, JD-S 23 and others three. India TV-CNX poll gave 80-90 seats to BJP, 110-120 to Congress, JD-S 20-24 and 1-3 to others. Republic P-MARQ has predicted that Congress would get a 40 per cent vote share, BJP 36 per cent, JD(S) 17 per cent and seven per cent for independents and others. However, Congress's Karnataka president DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said he did not believe in the exit poll results and added that they will cross the 146-seat mark. Shivakumar, who is the Congress candidate from the Kanakapura constituency, said the poll outcome would decisively be in favour of his party and there will be no such situation, which might warrant them to consider post-poll alliances. Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the Congress MLA said, "My first reaction (to the exit-poll projections) is that I don't believe these numbers. I stand by my assessment, that we will win more than 146 seats. People are knowledgeable and educated and have voted considering the larger interests of the state. The double engine has failed in Karnataka. Such a situation (which might prompt the Congress to go into a post-poll alliance) will not arise." (ANI)
Former Janata Dal (United) president RCP Singh is likely to join Bharatiya Janata Party in the national capital today, sources said. In August last year, Janata Dal (United) leader RCP Singh announced his exit from the JDU after the party sought a reply on corruption allegations related to 'discrepancies in immovable properties'. After Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar criticised former union minister RCP Singh who quit Janata Dal (United) and said he "messed up" a lot though the party gave him responsible positions. "Unhone Bahaut gadbad kiya (he messed up a lot). Who knew him before? I catapulted him to new heights. I gave him my place as party chief in 2020. Important responsibilities were given. We gave him a lot of respect. When he became a minister at the Centre, we asked him to quit the party chief post and gave it to Lalan ji. He has hurt the sentiments of people in the party by his statements," Nitish Kumar said. Last year in September Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wanted to make RCP Singh the Eknath Shinde of Bihar and isolate the Janata Dal-United (JDU) party. Earlier, RCP Singh had alleged that the focus of Nitish Kumar is only to garner support of the opposition in his bid to become the Prime Ministerial candidate. "Ever since he (Nitish Kumar) became the chief minister in 2020, he is not fulfilling the responsibility of the CM. Instead, he has started paying more attention to how the people of the opposition would support him in making him the Prime Ministerial candidate," he said. (ANI)
Elections for the state assembly were held on Wednesday and the voter turnout was recorded to be 72.82 per cent, a high figure compared to past trends.

Congress is expected to have a clear edge in Karnataka in the assembly elections held on Wednesday with four exit polls giving it a full majority and some predicting a hung assembly with an advantage to the party.

A few exit polls also said that BJP is ahead in the sweepstakes to form the government.

The exit polls, which were released after the polling ended in Karnataka, predicted that Janata Dal-Secular JD(S) would not touch the 37 seats it won in the 2018 polls but will continue to be a strong regional player in the state.

If Karnataka throws up a hung assembly, the JD-S could emerge in the role of kingmaker.

According to India Today-Axis My India exit poll, Congress is poised to win a comfortable majority with 122-140 seats, BJP will get 62-80 seats, JD(S) 20-25, and others 0-3 seats.

A party needs 113 seats for a majority in the 224-member Karnataka assembly.

The poll of polls shows an advantage for the Congress with the party poised to win 109 seats, BJP 91 seats, and JD-S 23.

However, Bommai on Wednesday rejected the exit poll results, saying "Exit polls are exit polls. They can't be 100 per cent correct. There will be a variation that can change the whole scenario."

The India Today-Axis My India exit poll predicted a clear majority for the Congress with 122-140 seats in the 224-member assembly and gave the BJP 62-80 seats.

News 24-Today's Chanakya forecast a majority for the Congress with 120 seats as against 92 for the BJP and 12 for the JD(S). (ANI)
Soon after the Supreme Court delivered its verdict in a drawn-out tussle for power between the Delhi government and the Centre, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday expressed gratitude to the top court and said that "democracy won" following the judgment. In a huge win for the Delhi government, the Supreme Court today said that in a democratic form of government, the real power of administration must rest on the elected arm of the government. Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said that the pace of development in Delhi will increase manifold with this decision. "Heartfelt thanks to the Hon'ble Supreme Court for doing justice to the people of Delhi. With this decision, the pace of development of Delhi will increase manifold. Democracy won," Kejriwal tweeted. A Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict, said that the Delhi government must have control over services, and the Lieutenant Governor is bound by its decision. The court said that the Delhi government similar to other States represents the representative form of government and any further expansion of the Union's power will be contrary to the Constitutional scheme. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also reacted to the verdict and said in a Punjabi tweet, "A warm welcome to the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court today in favor of the people of Delhi... I sincerely salute the sincere struggle of @ArvindKejriwal Ji to save democracy in the country. A big victory has been sealed. Long live revolution." A five-judge Constitution bench of CJI Chandrachud and Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha pronounced the judgment on Thursday. Supreme Court held that if administrative services are excluded from the legislative and executive domains, the ministers would be excluded from controlling the civil servants who are to implement the executive decisions. It said that states too have the power but the executive power of the State will be subject to the law existing of the Union. It has to be ensured that the governance of States is not taken over by the Union. Supreme Court said in a democratic form of government, the real power of administration must rest with the elected government. If a democratically elected government is not given the power to control the officers, the principle of the triple chain of accountability will be redundant. It said if the officers stop reporting to the ministers or do not abide by their directions, the principle of collective responsibility is affected. A five-judge Constitution bench of CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha pronounced the judgment on Thursday. The five-judge bench had reserved its judgment on January 18 this year. Governance of the national capital has witnessed a power struggle between the Centre and the Delhi government since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in 2014. The case was posted before a Constitution bench after a three-judge bench had in May 2021 decided to send it to a larger bench on a request by the Central government. (ANI)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday at around 4 pm, hours after Supreme Court's verdict in a drawn-out tussle for power between his government and the Centre. Kejriwal had sought time from the LG after Supreme Court ruled that the Delhi government has legislative powers over administrative services in the national capital. The Delhi CM had also called a meeting of his ministers today after the Supreme Court's verdict. In a huge win for the Delhi government, the Supreme Court today said that in a democratic form of government, the real power of administration must rest on the elected arm of the government. A Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict, said that the Delhi government must have control over services, and the Lieutenant Governor is bound by its decision. The court said that the Delhi government similar to other States represents the representative form of government and any further expansion of the Union's power will be contrary to the Constitutional scheme. A five-judge Constitution bench of CJI Chandrachud and Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha pronounced the judgment on Thursday. Supreme Court said in a democratic form of government, the real power of administration must rest with the elected government. If a democratically elected government is not given the power to control the officers, the principle of the triple chain of accountability will be redundant. It said if the officers stop reporting to the ministers or do not abide by their directions, the principle of collective responsibility is affected. The five-judge bench had reserved its judgment on January 18 this year. Governance of the national capital has witnessed a power struggle between the Centre and the Delhi government since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in 2014. The case was posted before a Constitution bench after a three-judge bench had in May 2021 decided to send it to a larger bench on a request by the Central government. (ANI)
Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in his first reaction to Thursday's Supreme Court verdict on the face-off with his successor Eknath Shinde stated that the latter should step down on "moral grounds" alleging he "murdered democracy" to assume power. Noting that the apex court in its verdict stated that he would probably have been reinstated as chief minister had he not resigned from the post in 2022, Thackeray said he was not fighting for himself but for the people of Maharashtra. At a joint press conference which was also attended by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Thackeray said. "People who left my party have no right to ask me questions. If this CM (Shinde) has any morality, he must resign as I did. They betrayed my party and the legacy of my father. I may have done wrong by resigning but I did it on moral grounds." "I would have become CM of Maharashtra again today if I would have not resigned by myself in 2022, but my struggle is for saving democracy, my state and my country and that is why I stepped down on moral grounds and now Shinde should do the same," he added. "If the current Maharashtra CM and deputy CM have any ethics, then they should resign," Thackeray said. Meanwhile, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "It doesn't suit Uddhav Thackeray to talk about morality. I want to ask him if had he forgotten his morals when he went with NCP and the Congress for the CM post. He had not resigned on moral grounds but due to fear after people who were with him left him." Fadnavis also termed the Supreme Court verdict as a victory for democracy and the democratic process and that "no one should doubt that the Maharashtra government is completely legal." A Constitution bench of the apex court today ruled that then Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari's decision to call for a floor test in June 2022 was not in accordance with the law. The bench added that a Floor Test cannot be used as a medium to resolve inter-party disputes or intra-party disputes. The court was hearing a batch of petitions in connection with the political crisis in Maharashtra last year that led to a vertical split in the Shiv Sena. It led to the then chief minister Thackeray, who led the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the State to resign after 16 of his party's MLAs, including Eknath Shinde, rebelled and broke away in June 2022. Later in July 2022 Shinde backed by the BJP become the chief minister. The CJI bench today ruled that no communications relied on by the Governor indicated that the dissatisfied MLAs wanted to withdraw support to the government. Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar along with deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav met Uddhav Thackeray at 'Matoshree' in Mumbai. Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar has been meeting Opposition leaders to strengthen the bloc against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Kumar had caught the national imagination with his pitch for a "united opposition" which, he believes, can take on and defeat the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha polls. The JD(U) supreme leader, who stunned the BJP last year when he snapped ties will visit Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar later in the day. In his joint presser with Uddhav Thackeray today the Bihar chief minister speaking on a United Opposition candidate said, "This exercise is not done to advance their personal advance but for the good of the country and to give the people of India a good alternative to the present government." Kumar said that a decision on the candidate will be decided after the formation of the United front and not before that. "Those who are at the Centre are not working for the country...All political parties in the country need to unite to work together," the Bihar chief minister said. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Thursday while hearing a batch of petitions on the Maharashtra political crisis referred to a larger bench of seven judges to consider the 2016 Nabam Rebia decision on the powers of Assembly Speakers to deal with disqualification pleas. "The correctness of the decision in Nabam Rebia (supra) is referred to a larger bench of seven judges," A five-judge bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha said. The court noted that it appears that some aspects were not considered in Nabam Rebia's judgement. Among them was, whether the temporary disablement of the functions of the Speaker under the Tenth Schedule is prone to misuse by MLAs who anticipate that disqualification petitions will be instituted against them or by MLAs against whom disqualification petitions have already been instituted, the court noted. The court also said that whether a "constitutional hiatus" in the operation of the Tenth Schedule ensues because of the temporary disablement of the Speaker was not considered in Nabam Rebia's judgement. "To give quietus to the issue, we refer to the following question (and any allied issues which may arise) to a larger Bench: whether the issuance of a notice of intention to move a resolution for the removal of the Speaker restrains them from adjudicating disqualification petitions under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution," the court said. The top court said that the matter may be placed before the Chief Justice for appropriate orders. "Article 181 of the Constitution provides that the Speaker shall not preside over a sitting of the Legislative Assembly while a resolution for their removal is under consideration. It appears that the majority in Nabam Rebia (supra) did not consider the effect and import of Article 181, and whether the Constitution envisages the imposition of any restriction on the functions of the Speaker beyond the limited restriction imposed by Article 181," the court observed. "The second proviso to Article 179 provides that whenever the Assembly is dissolved, the Speaker shall not vacate their office until immediately before the first meeting of the Assembly after the dissolution. This Court did not consider if the Constitution envisages a restriction on the continuous performance of the functions of the Speaker under the Tenth Schedule in view of this provision, the top court noted. Pending the decision of the larger bench, the court passed various directions on Maharashtra political crisis as an interim measure. Earlier the top court in February said it would decide later on referring the cases related to the Maharashtra political crisis to a larger seven-judge bench for reconsideration of a 2016 Nabam Rebia judgment on powers of Assembly Speakers to deal with disqualification pleas. Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena sought that the five-judge Nabam Rebia case is referred to a seven-judge bench for reconsideration. In the 2016 Nabam Rebia case, the five-judge Constitution bench had held that Speaker cannot initiate disqualification proceedings when a resolution seeking his removal is pending. In 2016, a five-judge Constitution bench, while deciding the Nabam Rebia case of Arunachal Pradesh, had held that the Assembly Speaker could not proceed with a plea for disqualification of MLAs if a prior notice seeking removal of the Speaker is pending decision in the House. The Nabam Rebia judgment had come to the rescue of the rebel MLAs led by Eknath Shinde, now the chief minister of Maharashtra. The Thackeray faction had sought their disqualification even while a notice of the Shinde group for the removal of Maharashtra assembly deputy speaker Narhari Sitaram Zirwal, a Thackeray loyalist, was pending before the House. 2016 Nabam Rebia's judgment was passed by a five-judge bench and a bench of the same strength cannot interfere with the judgment by a bench of the same strength. Shinde group cited Nabam Rebia's judgment stating that the deputy Speaker has no authority to decide disqualification when a notice for his removal is pending. While Uddhav Thackeray camp of Shiv Sena argued in favour of revisiting the 2016 verdict saying that a Speaker faced with a notice seeking his removal cannot exercise powers under the 10th Schedule, the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the 2016 Nabam Rebia judgment was not relevant to the issues arising from Maharashtra political crisis. The Shinde camp has defended the 2016 judgment as correct, which required no relook. During the hearing of the case, the apex court on Wednesday said that issues arising from the Maharashtra political crisis rooted in the Shiv Sena feud are "tough Constitutional issues" to decide and observed that it may have "tightened" a 2016 judgement. The apex court was hearing arguments on whether the matter should be heard by a seven-judge bench or a five-judge bench. A five-judge Constitution bench was hearing a batch of petitions filed by rival factions Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in relation to the Maharashtra political crisis. (ANI)
Shannon Cummings, 53, has tried to push forward after her husband, Larry, a college professor, died of COVID-19 in March 2020.

She flew from her home in Michigan to Southern California to attend a Harry Styles concert with family members and friends. Twice a week, she meets with her group therapy classes. She started going out to lunch in public again, a step that took her years.

Advertisement

We lost over a million people in the pandemic, she said. It doesnt honor any of them to not live my life.

Yet she is still grappling with the milestone the nation will mark Thursday: something of an official end of the pandemic, as the Biden administration will allow the three-year-old coronavirus public health emergency  and a separate declaration of a national emergency  to expire.

Advertisement

I feel like some people never really embraced that there was an emergency going on, Cummings said. Its really hurtful to those of us who have actually experienced a loss from this.

The end of the coronavirus public health emergency in the United States comes at a point when vaccines are effective and widely available, testing is easily accessible and treatments have vastly improved since the beginning of the pandemic.

More than 1.1 million Americans have died of COVID, and the rate of death has markedly slowed in recent months. In 2020 and 2021, it was the third most common cause of death; by this point in 2023, preliminary data show, it has dropped to seventh.

But the move by the Biden administration that takes effect Thursday has landed with mixed emotions for many Americans who have lost family members and friends to the pandemic.

For some people, it has brought worries that the pandemic is being politicized once again.

Whats triggering is when people say, Now we know we didnt have to shut things down or wear masks, said Kori Lusignan, a resident of Florida whose father, Roger Andreoli, died of COVID in 2020. I got an intimate, up-close look at the suffering. And it led me to believe that we didnt make hasty or inconsequential decisions. Those were choices we had to make, and there were good reasons for them.

For others, it is a welcome acknowledgment from President Joe Biden that the country is in a different place from where it was before.

I dont think its premature, and I dont have any hard feelings that hes going to do this, said Vincent Tunstall, who lives in Chicago and lost his brother, Marvin, to the virus in November 2020.

Advertisement

Tunstall said that he was still being more cautious about COVID than many people, wearing a mask when he is in an indoor public space and on his daily commute on the train. Any mention of COVID reminds him of his brother, a lingering pain known only to those who have lost people in the pandemic.

Unfortunately, when I think about COVID and the pandemic, thoughts of him are intertwined with both of those, he said.

Pamela Addison, a COVID widow, mother of two and advocate for survivors, said the administrations decision to allow the emergency to expire was a reminder that the federal government could do more for children who have lost parents and caregivers.

The kids are overlooked constantly, she said. We dont want to talk about them. Its like we dont want to talk about the fact that they exist.

The end of the emergency declaration could result in new costs for coronavirus testing, because after Thursday, private insurers will no longer be required to cover up to eight at-home tests per month.

Laura Jackson, who lost her husband, Charlie, to the coronavirus, questioned the necessity of the move. Leaving Americans with out-of-pocket costs related to the virus is the equivalent of dumping this back on the public, she said, while the country remains unprepared for a future pandemic.

Advertisement

Theres so much more work that needs to be done, she said, noting that there were still questions about the origin of the virus in China. We shouldnt be turning off resources.

For Jackson, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, the end Thursday of the pandemics classification as a public health emergency has nearly coincided with the anniversary of her husbands death on May 17, 2020. Both days, she said, have filled her with dread.

She still encounters people on a regular basis who deny that COVID is real, or who imply that her husband died because of his preexisting conditions, a comment that stings.

I never felt like we acknowledged those who we lost, Jackson said. I feel like weve always been in a hurry to move on from it. But its still so real.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
A representation of doctors under the leadership of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan raising certain demands over the protection of health workers after a doctor was murdered earlier this week. IMA state president Dr Sulphi Noohu said that they have demanded a new ordinance to protect health workers in the state. "Doctors under the leadership of IMA met Kerala CM at his chamber. We have demanded an ordinance immediately regarding hospital protection within a time frame. Our second demand was to have a special protection zone that includes CCTV cameras, and security forces. Hospitals should be declared a safe zone, and 500 meters of the surrounding must be declared as a special protected zone. Also, we have requested the government to conduct a special enquiry into the incident at Kottarakkara and we have further demanded compensation for the family of Dr Vandana," Dr Sulphi Noohu told ANI. He further mentioned that the new act should be named after the deceased Dr Vandana and has given a deadline to the government to accept their demands by the morning of May 12. "We have requested the government to put the name of Dr Vandana in the upcoming act. We also requested to implement a government order of 2021 which says that there should be cameras and other systems to monitor. We are continuing our demand. We are continuing our strike upto tomorrow. We will have a meeting of our joint action committee today evening and we will get the feedback of all the doctors, medical students and junior doctors and then move accordingly," he said. "Also, we have some recommendations. There should be an FIR within one hour after the reporting of the incident. We need to have a court verdict in such cases within one year. All other staff in the hospital which includes security staff, nursing staff, and ministerial staff should come under the new rule," he added. Deceased Dr Vandana Das (23) was murdered after the accused S Sandeep (42) stabbed the house surgeon in the hospital on Tuesday. The accused who was under police custody was brought to the government hospital for a mandatory medical checkup. He also attacked others and vandalised the hospital. A home guard and a sub-inspector also sustained stab injuries. Dr Vandana was shifted to KIMS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where she succumbed to her injuries, police added. Kerala's Kottarakkara magistrate court on Wednesday remanded accused G Sandeep for 14 days in the house surgeon Dr Vandana Das murder case. (ANI)
In a significant achievement demonstrating the strengthening of the country's health infrastructure and strong momentum to integrate and mainstream AYUSH, a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the Health Ministry and Ministry of AYUSH, on Thursday for collaboration and cooperation in health research in the field of Integrated Medicine, said a government release. The MoA envisages cooperation and collaboration between the Ministry of AYUSH and ICMR for exploring the areas of convergence and synergy between the two organisations for integrative health research and strengthening research capacity. Commending the initiative undertaken by the AYUSH Ministry, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya said, "Combining traditional knowledge with modern research & innovation, the MoA signed between the two institutions will boost Ayurveda to further build its identity on the basis of scientific evidence." Lauding the agreement, the Health Minister further stated that this partnership would have a significant contribution to the development and reach of Integrated Medicine. The Health Minister further stated, "This collaboration will promote high-impact integrative research to generate evidence in priority areas of national importance in healthcare utilizing modern scientific methods. Joint efforts will be in place to conduct high-quality clinical trials on identified areas/disease conditions of national importance with promising integrative therapies to generate evidence for wider acceptance." AYUSH Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, "This agreement will serve to expedite and broaden this momentum, further strengthening evidence-based research capacities". This indeed is a positive progression and consolidating the strengths, resources and capacities of two institutions will certainly bring fruitful results, he added. Dr VK Paul added "This collaboration will lead to Ayush departments in AIIMS to evolve into departments of Integrated Medicine across the entire AIIMS infrastructure in India, which indeed is a momentaneous step in the field of medicine. It will prove to be of great service to the nation." According to the release, the MoA was signed by Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH and Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary DHR & DG, ICMR in the presence of Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of AYUSH and Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State (HFW) and Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), Niti Ayog. "A joint working group shall be created between the Ministry of AYUSH and ICMR which will meet quarterly for exploring further areas of collaboration and work on deliverables. Both institutions shall formulate and implement joint research projects and programs and allow joint supervision of the said activities as well as design and conduct conferences, workshops, and seminars jointly with the active participation of researchers interested in the field of Integrative Healthcare", the statement read. The statement further stated, "In addition, as part of the collaboration, scholars/trainees/researchers/faculties of the organisations will have access to advanced instrumentation systems, and other infrastructural facilities as per the prevailing rules and regulation of the organisations for the duration of the visit/joint research project/program. Both shall work towards developing/renewing mutual cooperation for facilitating scientific validation and provide evidence for AYUSH systems by other countries." Integrative Health Research is a transdisciplinary, holistic approach to investigate the benefits of co-administering the conventional (modern systems of medicine) and non-conventional (traditional/complementary/alternative) medical practices to identify the comprehensive healthcare practices to an individual and the community, the statement added. (ANI)
Accused Sandeep was taken into police custody from his house on Tuesday night after a brawl with his neighbours. He was brought to the government hospital by Police for a mandatory medical checkup when he turned violent.

According to police, S Sandeep (42) out of the blue stabbed house surgeon, Vandana Das (23) when she was dressing his wounds. Having grabbed scissors from the dressing room, Sandeep, who was reportedly under treatment in a deaddiction centre, stabbed Vandana six times causing injuries to her abdomen and back.

He also attacked others and vandalised the hospital. A home guard and a sub-inspector also sustained stab injuries. Dr Vandana was shifted to KIMS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where she succumbed to her injuries, police said.

Dr Vandana was a house surgeon at Azeezia medical college, Kollam and she was on duty at Taluk Hospital, Kottarakkara. She was the only daughter of Mohandas and Vasantha Kumari, residents of Kadunthurity in the Kollam district.

On Wednesday, Kerala's Kottarakkara magistrate court remanded accused G Sandeep for 14 days in the house surgeon Dr Vandana Das murder case. (ANI)
Asserting that the Supreme Court verdict over the Maharashtra political crisis is the "victory" of democracy and the democratic process, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that he is satisfied with the order. "This is a victory for democracy and the democratic process. We are satisfied with the verdict given by the Supreme Court," Fadnavis said addressing a joint press conference with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde here in Mumbai. In a big relief for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with the formation of the Shiv Sena government with the support of the BJP, as Uddhav Thackeray resigned without facing a floor test. The Deputy Chief Minister further said that after the verdict of the SC, Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) "conspiracy" has been defeated. "The present government is completely legal," he added. The Supreme Court on Thursday said that it cannot disqualify the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government and rejected the submission to reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister because the latter had chosen to resign instead of facing a test of strength in the assembly. A five-member Constitution bench led by the Chief Justice of India, which had been hearing a batch of petitions filed by both the groups of the Shiv Sena from February this year, today ruled that the exercise of discretion by the then Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari to conduct a Floor Test was not in accordance with the Constitution of India. The bench also said that the Speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale a whip of the Eknath Shinde group was wrong. The whip has to be appointed by a political party, the court observed. The Supreme Court referred its 2016 judgment in the Nabam Rebia case to a larger bench for judgment in the case of the defection of 16 MLAs in June 2022 from the then Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. The Thackeray faction had sought disqualification of the MLAs under the anti-defection law of the country. The apex court said that the Speaker must decide on disqualification petitions within a reasonable time. The top court said there were no communications relied on by the Governor indicating that the dissatisfied MLAs wanted to withdraw support to the government. The Governor erred in relying on the resolution of a faction of MLAs of Shiv Sena to conclude that Uddhav Thackeray had lost the support of the majority of MLAs. However, after the verdict, Uddhav Thackeray asked Shinde to tender his resignation from the post on 'moral grounds'. "People who left my party have no right to ask me questions. If this CM has any morality, he must resign as I did. They betrayed my party and the legacy of my father. I may have done wrong by resigning but I did it on moral grounds," Uddhav said while talking to the reporters here. Anil Parab, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said, "Supreme Court's judgement is in favour of Uddhav Thackeray. It is on record that there was a violation of Whip and soon they (Shinde faction MLAs) will be disqualified." Rahul Ramesh Shewale, leader of Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) called the SC's rule over the issue a "big relief" for the party. "This is a big relief to the Shinde government in Maharashtra. Now the State will get a stable government. We welcome Supreme Court's decision," Rahul Ramesh Shewale said. However, Nationalist Congress Party leader Dilip Walse Patil said that the verdict presents a critical stance on the fabric of Maharashtra's politics as a whole. "The verdict given by the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court regarding the political transition in Maharashtra, which took place about 11 months ago, presents a critical stance on the fabric of Maharashtra's politics as a whole." (ANI)
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday ruled out the possibility of a 'third front' being formed to contest the next year's Lok Sabha elections. The Chief Minister, who is in Delhi, was answering queries from reporters about the possibility of a third front in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections amid efforts by some leaders to bring together opposition parties. "No, as far as I am concerned. Not now," he said. During his visit to the national capital, Patnaik met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with development works related to Odisha. "I met the Prime Minister and we discussed issues related to Orissa's demand. I spoke for the International Airport that we have to set up in Puri, Bhubaneswar is getting too much traffic now that's why we want an expansion. The Prime Minister said that he will definitely help in every way possible," he said. Asked about his meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday, Patnaik said it was a "courtesy" meeting. Nitish Kumar has been meeting opposition leaders in an effort to bring them together against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Kumar had also said after his meeting with Patnaik that there was no "political intention". "We have old relations, also I had good relations with his father. There is so much mutual respect between us that we do not have to worry about politics. After the coronavirus happened I was unable to pay a visit to him here," Nitish Kumar said. Patnaik had also said there was no discussion on any alliance. "Ours is a known friendship and we were colleagues many years ago. No discussion was held on any alliances today. Land in Puri is being given free of cost to the Bihar government to build a Bihar Bhawan there," he said. (ANI)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday registered a case against several people, including officials of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Assam, accused of siphoning off hefty sums meant to benefit employees, by generating fake slips for physiotherapy. "The accused are identified as Bijoy Kumar Shaw, then DGM (MS), Eashitva Tamuly, Contractual Medical Officer (Occupational Health), ONGC, Jorhat (Assam); Jadumoni Hazarika, Proprietor of Kiran Physiotherapy Clinic, and unknown others," the CBI said in a statement. The central agency further said that ONGC, New Delhi filed a complaint, alleging that then DGM (MS) and a Contractual Medical Officer (Occupational Health), ONGC, Jorhat (Assam) in conspiracy with a Proprietor of a private company based at Jorhat and unknown others generated requisition slips for physiotherapy, in the name of retired beneficiaries of ONGC health facilities and their dependents without their knowledge and even in the name of beneficiaries who had already expired. It was further alleged that the said Proprietor claimed false and bogus bills which were verified and certified by then DGM resulting into fraudulent payment of Rs 19,15,080 (approx) to said private company. "Searches were conducted at seven places including at Guwahati, Jorhat and Dehradun at the premises of the accused which led to the recovery of several incriminating documents/articles," CBI said, adding that documents related to six properties in the name of said DGM were also recovered. Further information is awaited. (ANI)
In order to bring a smile on the face of the poor with his vision of 'Housing for All', it has been a constant endeavour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be a part of the Griha Pravesh of beneficiaries' homes. In this regard, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Griha Pravesh of around 19,000 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) during his visit to Gujarat on Friday.Under PMAY - Rural and Urban, around 3 crore houses have been completed.There is a lot of emphasis on the timely completion and handover of such projects. PM Modi himself makes it a point to ensure that he himself hands over the keys to the beneficiaries.During his visit to Rewa on National Panchayati Raj Day in April 2023, Prime Minister participated in a programme marking the 'Griha Pravesh' of more than 4 lakh beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin. In December 2022, during his visit to Tripura, the PM launched the Grih Pravesh programme for beneficiaries under PMAY - Urban and Rural. These houses cover over 2 lakh beneficiaries. On the occasion of Dhanteras in October 2022, PM Modi participated in 'Griha Pravesham' of about 4.51 Lakh beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana - Gramin in Satna, Madhya Pradesh via video conferencing. In November 2022, Prime Minister inaugurated 3,024 newly constructed Economically Weaker Section (EWS) flats at Kalkaji, Delhi built for rehabilitating slum dwellers under the 'In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation Project' and handed over keys to eligible beneficiaries at Bhoomiheen Camp in a programme at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. In September 2022, during his visit to Gujarat, the PM dedicated and laid the foundation stone of over 45,000 houses built under PM Awas Yojana. In March 2022, PM Modi participated in 'Grih Pravesham' of more than 5 Lakh beneficiaries of PMAY-Gramin in Madhya Pradesh via video conferencing. In October 2021, Prime Minister handed over keys to 75,000 beneficiaries of PMAY - Urban in 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh. In September 2020, PM Modi addressed the 'Grih Pravesham' event in Madhya Pradesh through video conferencing, where 1.75 Lakh Families were delivered pucca houses under PMAY-Rural. According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Mission was launched on June 25, 2015. The Mission intends to provide housing for all in urban areas by the year 2022. It provides Central Assistance to the implementing agencies through States/Union Territories and central nodal agencies for providing houses to all eligible families and beneficiaries. (ANI)
As many as 130 students from Uttar Pradesh, who were stranded in violence-hit Manipur, have been brought home safely so far, said the State government statement on Thursday. As per the direction of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the evacuation of students of Uttar Pradesh, stranded in Manipur amid ongoing violence in the state, is going on a war footing.On Thursday, 32 students were brought to Uttar Pradesh and 12 more students are going to be brought back on Friday. Earlier, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Yogi government managed to bring back 98 students by running a special campaign. All these students were being brought to Delhi by different routes. On Thursday, all 32 students directly reached Lucknow airport. According to the statement, these students were studying in different educational institutions in Manipur and were evacuated from the state due to the ongoing violence. Prabhu Narain Singh, Relief Commissioner, said, "Most of the students have already been evacuated from Manipur. After bringing back 12 more students on Friday, there will be only 16 children left, out of which 5 have refused to come back, while 11 students are coming back on their own." The Relief Commissioner further said, "Our priority is to safely bring back the students of UP who are studying in Manipur, at the earliest. Earlier, we got information about 136 students being in Manipur, on which a campaign was launched to bring them back. After this, 22 more students were found. Now teams are in action to bring them back too." The state government is sending the students safely to their homes in luxury buses and cars. The official added that all the students coming from Manipur are being properly taken care of. Students landing in Delhi were first taken from the airport to the RC office and then to UP Bhawan, where there are arrangements for their food, drink and sleep. Furthermore, arrangements have also been made to send the students back to their homes. Simultaneously, students who landed at Lucknow airport were sent to their homes by luxury buses, while cars were arranged for students who were from nearby areas. A curfew was imposed on May 3 after violence broke out in the State. The State government also clamped down on the use of the Internet and mobile phones to ensure the spread of panic and false information could be curtailed. Amid the demand of the Meitei people for ST status, a rally was organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) Manipur on May 3, which later turned violent. As per the official figures, close to 60 people lost their lives while more than 230 were injured and close to 1700 houses were burnt down during the violence in Manipur. (ANI)
Police said that the accused principal was arrested within six hours after the case was reported in this regard.

"An incident of alleged gang rape of two girls has been reported under Gomati district on May 11. Gomati Police arrested the accused within six hours," an official statement said.

Police further mentioned that Additional Special teams have been formed to nab the remaining accused persons.

An investigation is underway in this matter. (ANI)
Years before the hit FX show, The Bear made the humble Italian beef suddenly hip last year, Ive been hunting for Chicagos best version. Ive scoured classic beef stands, waited in line at numerous Italian delis and even spotted some creative interpretations from our citys best chefs.

One place I never thought to look? Navy Pier. The tourist mecca offers tremendous views, and the food options have improved over the past decade, but the notion that a great Italian beef lurked near a Ferris wheel was not on my radar.

Advertisement

Yet halfway down the pier, Ciccio Italian Beef dishes out a version unlike any in town. While most shops shave the beef paper thin, Ciccios beef is slightly thicker, yet stunningly tender and almost steak-like. Instead of a soft and squishy roll, this one features a crackly crust that gives way to a supremely tender interior that soaks up the beefy juices without turning to mush. Whether or not its the best in the city is debatable, but its a fascinating new option.

Turns out, Ciccio owner Mario Ferraro is no newbie to the Italian beef game. In the 1970s, Ferraro even ran Mias Beef and Sausage at 1729 N. Cicero Ave.

Advertisement

Mario and Patricia Ferraro of Ciccio's Italian Beef in their shop at Navy Pier on April 20, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar / Chicago Tribune)

Ferraro also said his father, who went by the name Sam Ferraro, started selling Italian beef in 1935. If true, that was three years before Albert Ferreri opened Als Bar-B-Q (now Als #1 Italian Beef) in 1938, making Ferraro one of the earliest documented Italian beef vendors. (The origin of the Italian beef is heavily disputed, but the earliest known claim is that Pasquale Scala first sold the sandwich sometime in the 1920s.)

[ The ultimate guide to Chicagos Italian beef ]

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

Ferraros dad immigrated to Chicago from Italy in the mid-1930s and almost immediately started selling food. During the Depression, my dad made beef sandwiches at the South Water Market, Ferraro said, referring to the old produce market south of Little Italy. Then in 1937, he got into the banquet business. Victoria Banquets and Catering did well for the family, with Mario Ferraro even taking it over in the 1980s.

Ferraro decided to retire in the 2010s, but it didnt go well. I didnt like retirement, Ferraro said. I sold real estate with my daughter, but that was boring. So I got the beef recipe that my dad started with, and Im having fun again.

Mario Ferraro puts together an Italian beef sandwich at Ciccio's Italian Beef. (Eileen T. Meslar / Chicago Tribune)

To get the kind of bread he remembered using in the 1970s, Ferraro oddly went with a Canadian bakery. I could not get the bakers around here to make the old-fashioned crunchy roll, Ferraro said. I was looking for what we used to serve. It was crunchy when you bite in. It absorbs the gravy but doesnt disintegrate.

Ferraro said the thicker slices of beef work because of the cut hes using. No one uses the type of meat I do, Ferraro said. (The slices) taste like mini steaks. Though I politely asked for the full recipe, Ferraro declined, saying, Thats going to stay a secret.

While Ferraro is happy about the online response, hes most excited to hear from in-person customers. Once they taste it, they give me a thumbs-up, Ferraro said. Thats what I was hoping for.

Ciccio Italian Beef, Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., 312-877-5639, cicciobeef.com

nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com
The prompt response of the Army and Assam Rifles averted large-scale violence in Manipur, said Defence sources on Thursday According to the sources, Army and Assam Rifles became the first responders to the request by the state government in maintaining law and order. Despite being deployed outside the municipal limits of Imphal town due to the non-applicability of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), multiple columns fanned out in the city responding to hundreds of distress calls at the same time, the sources said. "Troops reassuring the beleaguered families are already viral on the media. Without making any distinction between the communities, all beleaguered families were evacuated to the safety of the Army and Assam Rifle camps. Some of them are still staying there as the process to send them back is underway", the sources added. As per the inputs from the sources, similar scenes were also noticed in faraway places in Churachandpur, Moreh and Kangpokpi. "Army and Assam Rifles accommodated people within their garrisons at Mantripukhri, Keithelmanbi, Pallel, Moreh, Leimakhong, Khuga and Veng to name a few amongst many places where ad hoc arrangements were made", the sources said. Further, the sources added, "On the first night itself, within Imphal, approximately 2300 civilians were evacuated from violence-hit areas of Langol, Lamphel and Mantripukhri with another around 1700 in Tegnoupal district in Churachandpur, on the first night alone 4600 locals were safely rescued from Khumujamba, Hmar Veng, Saikot and Mantop Leikai." Proactive deployment facilitated faster reaction in de-notified areas of Imphal as also in villages of Churachandpur district where Assam Rifles do not have any Company Operating Base in the vicinity, as informed by the Defence sources. The violence in Manipur 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 special CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) court in Indore on Thursday convicted five accused with a maximum five years of imprisonment in a Vyapam (now known as Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB)) case and imposed a fine of Rs 2000. The special court of Sanjay Kumar Gupta convicted two accused under IPC sections 120B, 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, 201 and section 3/4 of the Affiliated Examination Act, 1937 and convicted three other accused who acted as middleman under IPC sections 120B, 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 201 in the case related to 2013 admission scam. The court also acquitted two accused in the matter. CBI Advocate Ranjan Sharma told ANI, "A Pre-Medical Test (PMT) examination was conducted in Gwalior in 2013, in which Vikrant, a resident of Nalanda, Bihar was taking the exam in place of Ravindra Kumar, resident of Bhind, Madhya Pradesh. Ravindra had given Rs 7.5 lakh to Ramchitra Jatav, Rakesh Khanna and Brijesh for the same." By the time Ravindra got admission in MGM Medical College, Indore, the scam related to Vyapam (now MPPEB) had started getting exposed in the state. After that Ravindra told the truth to the dean of MGM Medical College that another person Vikrant had given the PMT exam instead of him. When the Medical College asked Ravindra to submit a written statement, Ravindra absconded, Sharma said. After that, MGM Medical College Management had registered an FIR at Sanyogita Ganj police station for the same. As all the Vyapam cases were handed over to CBI, a challan was presented by the CBI before the court in 2016, in which seven persons accused were made, he added. "A total of 52 witnesses testified before the court on behalf of the CBI. After which the court of Justice Sanjay Kumar Gupta on Thursday sentenced the examinee Ravindra, Vikrant who took the exam and three middlemen Ramchitra Jatav, Rakesh Khanna and Brijesh to a maximum of five years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2000. While two other accused Narendra Chaurasia and Ajay Yadav were acquitted," the CBI advocate added. (ANI)
Days after Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government imposed a ban on 'The Kerala Story' film, citing "peace and harmony", the Bharatiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha on Thursday staged protests outside a multiplex here in the city. The protestors demanded the State government to withdraw its order and lift the state-wide ban. Purnima Chakrabarty, BJP leader, spearheading the protests, said, "We salute the efforts of Sudipto Sen, who presented the true story of Kerala in front of billions of Indians. But, the State government don't want this." "We condemn the decision of Mamata Banerjee government of imposing a state-wide ban on such a film," she told ANI. The West Bengal government in a notification on Monday said that the movie 'The Kerala Story' is "likely to cause a breach of peace" and that it has prohibited the screening of the film to avoid "any incident of hatred or violence to maintain law and order in the state". West Bengal was the first state to ban the film, which narrates the ordeal of three women who are trafficked to ISIS camps after being converted to Islam through marriage. On the decision to ban the film, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "It is to avoid any incident of hatred and violence, and maintain peace in the state." Also raking up the 'Kashmir Files', a film on the alleged genocide of Kashmiri Pandits, which ran to packed houses despite evoking protests from the Opposition, the Bengal CM said, "What was 'The Kashmir Files'? It was meant purely to humiliate a particular section of society. What is 'The Kerala Story'? It is a distorted story." The CM directed the state chief secretary to remove the movie from all theatres where it is being screened. Reacting to the ban, Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the producer of the film, said they will pursue legal options against the decision. "If state government won't listen to us, we will explore legal avenues. However, whatever course we take will be based on legal advice," Shah told ANI. Helmed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the film evoked sharp opposition from Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who called it "RSS propaganda". Congress MP from Kerala, Shashi Tharoor accused the makers of "misrepresenting" Kerala. Campaigning for the BJP in poll-bound Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, weighed in on the controversy, accusing the Congress of standing with terrorists. 'The Kerala Story' stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani in lead roles. A massive controversy erupted around the film after its trailer claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala had gone missing and joined the terrorist group ISIS. However, in the face of protests, the contentious figure in the trailer was later withdrawn. Its trailer description was later changed to a story of three women from Kerala. (ANI)
In a major rejig in the Tihar Jail, as many as 99 prison officials were transferred on Thursday. The move comes after CCTV visuals of the killing of Tillu Tajpuriya surfaced, which 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, was 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. Later, nine Tihar Jail officials, including the assistant superintendent, were suspended in this matter. However, apart from this, sources earlier told ANI that the jail administration has initiated listing of dreaded gangsters, lodged inside Tihar, and started shifting them to different prisons. "Tihar administration has initiated the work as they predict another gang war inside the jail," the sources said. The sources further said that in the wake of Tillu Tajpuriya's murder by the members of Gogi gang, the administration is shifting all inmates to different cells, which would be far from their rival gang members' cells. "All in all, Tihar Jail has over thousand prisoners, including the top gangster and his henchmen. They mainly include those prisoners who are in silent mode and suddenly attack their rival gang members," the Tihar Jail sources said. They went on to add that there are around 30-35 inmates, whose security is under threat. "Around 30 to 35 dreaded gangsters are lodged inside the jail, including gangster Naveen Bali, gangster Neeraj Bawana and his henchmen Ashok Pradhan, and Deepak Boxer. Their lives are mainly under threat," the source added. "Apart from this, the Tihar Jail administration is now including the Special Cell and Crime Branch of Delhi Police in the Security Assessment Committee of Tihar Jail, so that it can be identified that which prisoner is associated with which gang and can be shifted safely," source said further. Sunil Balyan alias 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 brought dead. Members of the rival gang namely Deepak 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. Sunil Balyan alias Tajpuriya was the main accused in the Rohini court shootout case in September 2021 which left his friend-turned-rival gangster Jitender Maan alias Gogi dead. The shooters, alleged associates of Tajpuriya had come dressed in lawyer's clothes and gunned Gogoi dead inside a courtroom in Rohini court. The two gunmen were immediately shot dead by the police team. Tajpuriya and his gang's rivalry with another gang led by notorious gangster, Jitender Gogi dates back to 2009 when the pair were friends but supported different candidates in elections in Swami Shraddhanand College in Outer Delhi. (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while inaugurating the first National convention of Jawahar Bal Manch, SAMVAAD-23, on Thursday said that the organizations like Jawahar Bal Manch play a pivotal role for the unity of the country and for countering the propaganda and indifferent ideologies cropped up in the society of late. The Chief Minister said that Congress leaders played a special role in reconstructing India before and after the Independence. "We have to live upto and realize the dreams of the country's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who laid the foundation of modern India and strengthen democratic values. The Bhakhra Dam was the gift of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and it is because of him that we were lightening other states with electricity. Pandit Nehru gave a new direction to the country's development by starting five-year plans for sustainable development," he said. The Chief Minister said a few people were trying to deform the history of the Nation and spreading propaganda against the party which has contributed to building the Nation, therefore it becomes necessary that such organizations come ahead to aware the coming generations of the history of the oldest party of the country and the sacrifices it made for building 'Bharat', stated a official release. Recalling the contribution of former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, Sukhu said that he believed in youth power to steer the Nation and it was due to his efforts that the youth were empowered with the right to vote at the early age of eighteen. "He was the man to be credited with bringing a revolution in the Information Technology (IT) sector in India. Besides, Women's reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions was also provided by the Congress leadership and such facts need to be disseminated amongst the youth of the Country," CM Sukhu said. He said that the ideology of the Congress is based on sacrifices and unity of the Nation and the former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives for the unity and integrity of India. "The policies and programs of the Congress have strengthened every section of the society and it has lived up to the democratic values, whereas, as of today, abhorrence and lust for power is the only motive of few," he added. (ANI)
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Wikimedia Foundation on Thursday raised the point of jurisdiction before the Rohini Court during a hearing on a plea seeking a direction restraining the publishing of the BBC documentary based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They also submitted that they have not been served properly as per Hague Convention as they are foreign entities. The counsel for these entities sought time to argue on the point of jurisdiction. However, the Internet Archive apprised the court that it had removed the link to the documentary. Additional District Judge (ADJ) Ruchika Singla listed the matter for hearing on May 26. On May 3, the court issued a summons to these three organisations on a plea moved by Binay Kumar Singh. The court also directed them to file their written statement within 30 days from the date of service of the summons. The counsels for the BBC and Wikimedia Foundation appeared in protest and submitted that they have not been served properly. The counsels also refused to accept the copy of the plea in court. The counsels submitted that they were appearing under protest as they have not been served properly as the defendant BBC and Wikimedia are foreign entities. The Counsels also submitted that this court does not have the jurisdiction to try the present matter. The counsel for BBC submitted that she has not received the copies as the service has not been effected properly upon the defendant BBC. The court noted in the order that the counsel for the plaintiff was ready to supply the copy in the court today, which was not accepted by the counsel for the BBC stating that the same shallbe prejudicial to her rights in view of the Hague Convention. She sought time to argue on this point. Further, the copies were supplied to the counsel for Wikimedia but it was submitted by the counsel that the same was also not as per law as per the Hague Convention, the judge noted in the order passed on Thursday. The petitioner moved a plea through advocate Mukesh Sharma. The petitioner Binay Kumar Singh prayed the court to pass an order restraining the Defendants restraining them including their agents, etc to cease the publishing of the two-volume documentary series "India: The Modi Question" or any other defamatory material pertaining to the Plaintiff, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on the platforms of Wikimedia and Internet Archive or any other online or offline platforms. He also sought to pass a direction to the Defendants ordering them to tender an unconditional apology to the Plaintiff as well as to RSS and VHP for the libellous and defamatory content published in the two-volume documentary series. The petitioner also sought damages of Rs 10 lakh from the defendants for alleged defamation caused by the documentary because he is also associated with RSS, VHP and BJP. It was said that in the month of January 2023, BBC aired the two-volume documentary series "India: The Modi Question". It was submitted that through the said documentary, BBC claims that there are rising tensions between India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the country's Muslim minority; there is an alarming rise of hate crimes and extreme politics in India, particularly targeting the Muslim community. It was also stated that it is also claimed that there is a dangerous call for violence to make India a Hindu Nation and it also includes a report alleging that the extent of violence against Muslimsincluding widespread and systematic rape of Muslim women, with the aim to purge Muslims from Hindu areas. Further, there were many other endless accusations against BJP, RSS and VHP etc and it claimed that at least 2,000 people were murdered during the violence, with the vast majority being Muslim and the said violence being organized by extremist Hindu nationalist groups, the plea said. It was also alleged that BBC strategically and purposefully disseminated unfounded rumours without verifying the authenticity of the claims. Furthermore, the accusations made therein foster animosity between multiple faith communities, in particular Hindus and Muslims. Therefore, considering the said fact the central government during the month of January 2023, in absolute bona fide has justifiably blocked the said two-volume documentary by using its emergency powers under the law of the land, the Petitioner said. (ANI)
Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party would secure an absolute majority and return to power for a second term to form government in the southern state. Speaking to ANI, Yediyurappa said, "I am 100 per cent confident that the BJP will secure an absolute majority and form the government". Yeddyurappa's response came after exit polls predicted Congress's edge over the BJP in Karnataka polls. The BJP leader refuted any possibility of a hung assembly. On a question about forming an alliance with JD(S), in case the party falls short of a majority, he said, "At that time, National leadership is going to take a decision. The question does not arise. I am certain that the party will get 115-117 seats". "All leaders worked hard. I am confident that the BJP will form the government. Let us wait and watch," the BJP veteran said. Congress's Karnataka president DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said he did not believe in the exit poll results, which predicted a hung Assembly while putting his party ahead, adding that they will cross the 146-seat mark. Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the Congress MLA said, "My first reaction (to the exit-poll projections) is that I don't believe these numbers. I stand by my assessment, that we will win more than 146 seats. People are knowledgeable and educated and have voted considering the larger interests of the state. The double engine has failed in Karnataka. Such a situation (which might prompt the Congress to go into a post-poll alliance) will not arise." Congress is expected to have a clear edge in Karnataka in the assembly elections held on Wednesday with four exit polls giving it a full majority and some predicting a hung assembly with an advantage to the party. A few exit polls also said that BJP is ahead in the sweepstakes to form the government. The exit polls, which were released after the polling ended in Karnataka, predicted that Janata Dal-Secular JD(S) would not touch the 37 seats it won in the 2018 polls but would continue to be a strong regional player in the state. If Karnataka throws up a hung assembly, the JD-S could emerge in the role of kingmaker. According to India Today-Axis My India exit poll, Congress is poised to win a comfortable majority with 122-140 seats, BJP will get 62-80 seats, JD(S) 20-25 and others 0-3 seats. A party needs 113 seats for a majority in the 224-member Karnataka assembly. The poll of polls shows an advantage for the Congress with the party poised to win 109 seats, BJP 91 seats and JD-S 23. News24-Today's Chanakya predicted Congress crossing the halfway mark. It said BJP is poised to win 92 seats, Congress, 120 and JD-S 12 seats. Times Now-ETG poll and India TV-CNX poll also predicted Congress hitting the majority mark. Times Now-ETG said BJP is expected to win 85 seats, Congress 113, JD-S 23 and others three. India TV-CNX poll gave 80-90 seats to BJP, 110-120 to Congress, JD-S 20-24 and 1-3 to others. Republic P-MARQ has predicted that Congress would get a 40 per cent vote share, BJP 36 per cent, JD(S) 17 per cent and seven per cent for independents and others. The poll predicted that no party would get the majority mark in Karnataka with BJP poised to get 85-100 seats, Congress 94-108, JD-S 24-32 and others 2-6 seats. The voting for the assembly elections ended on Wednesday with a 69.95 voter turnout. The counting of the votes will be held on May 13 (ANI)
Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra will also attend the meeting to be held tomorrow.

The meeting is to be held amid fresh trouble in the Rajasthan Congress in the wake of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's recent statement that his predecessor Vasundhara Raje helped him save his government in 2020.

Pertinent to mention, Congress leader Sachin Pilot was removed as deputy CM and Rajasthan Congress chief in 2020 on charges that he connived with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to engineer a silent coup on the Gehlot government.

Sachin Pilot announced on Tuesday that he will take out a 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' against the "inaction of the Rajasthan government" with regard to the alleged corruption during the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in the state.

The five-day Jan Sangharsh Yatra started on Thursday from Ajmer and will culminate at Jaipur.

Pilot held a day-long fast last month, despite the party high command cautioning him against it, seeking to step up pressure on the Gehlot government to order a probe into alleged graft into the previous Congress rule in the state.

Gehlot and Pilot have been at odds, with both taking potshots at each other before the high command brokered a tenuous truce.

With Rajasthan set to go to polls later this year, the latest flashpoint between Gehlot and Pilot could be a cause for concern for the Congress. (ANI)
Two salesmen of a jewellery shop were robbed of gold and diamond pieces worth Rs 1.2 crore at gunpoint by two armed assailants here in the Outer Ring Road near Panchsheel Park, an official said on Thursday. The incident occurred on Wednesday, at around 4.37 p.m. According to the complainant, a 35-year-old resident of Burari, who works as a sales assistant at a diamond shop in Karol Bagh, he and his colleague embarked on their bike with 181 pieces of gold and diamond jewellery. Their intention was to sell these items at various jewellers' shops in Kalkaji Market. The official said that after reaching Kalkaji Market, none of the shops showed interest in purchasing their merchandise. The two sales staff decided to have lunch before proceeding to another shop in Malviya Nagar. When they were near a foot over bridge, they were robbed. "Suddenly, two individuals on a scooty approached the salesmen. One of the perpetrators brandished a pistol and aimed it at the pillion rider's head, while the other produced a spray bottle, attempting to spray the complainant's face. In a swift and calculated move, the assailants forcibly snatched the bag containing the jewellery and swiftly fled the scene, heading towards the IIT Red Light on their scooty," said Chandan Chowdhary, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (South). The sales staff immediately reported the robbery to the Hauz Khas Police Station, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) under sections 392, 398 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 25/27 of the Arms Act. "The police teams are reviewing the CCTV footage from the surrounding area to aid in identifying the robbers," the police officer said. --IANS ssh/pgh ( 298 Words) 2023-05-11-21:20:05 (IANS)
An increasingly unstable and volatile Afghanistan is causing worry to the world. Worsening human rights, in particular women's and girls' rights, poverty, hunger, terrorism and the spread of drug trafficking are among the issues that the people of Afghanistan have been facing under Taliban rule. World leaders under the aegis of the United Nations recently held a closed-door meeting in Doha to reinvigorate international engagement around these key issues and to engage the Taliban government. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General said that the meeting was about developing a common international approach, not about recognition of the de-facto Taliban authorities. The participants are worried about the stability of Afghanistan and have expressed those serious concerns. They relate to the persistent presence of terrorist organisations, a risk for the country, the region and further afield. The lack of inclusivity, which importantly includes human rights in particular those of women and girls, was severely undermined by recent Taliban decisions and the spread of drug trafficking with all its dramatic consequences. The Taliban returned to power in August of 2021 and have restricted Afghan women and girls from participating in most areas of public and daily life. Women nationals have also been barred from working with the UN in a country where nearly 29 million people depend on humanitarian assistance. The UN Security Council recently unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the decision, saying that it undermines human rights and humanitarian principles. He further stated that the current ban on Afghan women working in the United Nations and national and international NGOs is unacceptable and puts lives in jeopardy. Antonio Guterres said the situation in Afghanistan was the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today and that he would meet the Taliban when it was the "right moment to do so but today is not the right moment." According to the United Nations, a record 28.3 million people in Afghanistan are in need of assistance this year, making Afghanistan the world's largest aid operation. The UN is asking for USD 4.6 billion to fully fund relief efforts this year. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator warned that Afghanistan was also the world's least well-funded operation, with less than five per cent funding pledged so far. Regular Afghans, particularly women and children remain oppressed under the Taliban. They depend on humanitarian assistance but any remaining hope they have for a brighter future dwindles the longer the international community leaves them in need. (ANI)
Its all about the children. If an action movies job is to kill as many adversaries as possible while retrieving and protecting an abducted child (preferably the protagonists), narratively it can put its feet upand dictate the rest. Long before Denzel Washington was a Man on Fire, long before Liam Neesons daughter got Taken, and long, long before the recent, expensive hunk of action cheese The Gray Man flew in one eye and out the other, we have yearned as a movie audience to see the kids get home safely, no matter how many corpses litter their path.

Now, on Netflix, comes The Mother, produced by and starring Jennifer Lopez as a crack sniper and go-between for two of the sleazier arms dealers on the planet. The character has no name. Shes the title, and the 12-year-old child (played by Lucy Paez) she never knew has been raised, happily, in Cincinnati. The beginning of her life had its difficulties: In flashback, one of the arms dealers, played by the sneering Joseph Fiennes, stabs The Mother in her belly mere hours before she delivers the unharmed newborn and disappears into her remote life in Alaska. Fate brings The Mother out of retirement and back into child-protection mode, when the sympathetic FBI agent Cruise (Omari Hardwick) makes good on his promise to let her know when her faraway daughter falls into the hands of moms enemies. Those arms dealers: relentless. But The Mother: more relentless.

Advertisement

The movies pretty good, especially the first half. Director Niki Caro knows what shes doing. Yes, some of the dialogue credited to Andrea Berloff, Peter Craig and Misha Green includes lines such as Treat her as you would a hundred snipers, and setups of comical obviousness. (If youre an FBI agent with very few lines, and youre standing by a large living room window and you call The Mother a bad word, odds are 10 million to one youll beshot and killed by the time you reach the end of this sentence.)

We can all heckle that sort of writing all day, as we can the entire Man/Woman on Fire revenge genre. But director Caro (Whale Rider, the undervalued McFarland USA, the live-action Mulan) has a real facility with building routine gunplay  since movie gunplay rarely feels like play anymore, we should retire that word  into crisp, percussively staged and edited suspense sequences set against better-than-usual backgrounds. Plus Lopez glides through all the bloodletting and occasional moments of rumination like a star, because she is one.

Advertisement

The cast includes Chicagos own Paul Raci (Oscar nominee for Sound of Metal), who adds a welcome dash of low-keyed realism as The Mothers military buddy, now living in Alaska, played by British Columbia.

In other scenes, Spains Canary Islands portray Havana and environs, while Gael Garcia Bernal takes the part of the other key sleazy arms dealer. He doesnt have enough to do, by my reckoning. But the movies an overfull two hours as it is. The Mother offers some admirable wrinkles along the way; young Zoe endures and expresses more anguish than usual for this sort of plot device, though the movie zigzags from glancing emotional trauma to merry training sequences, where Lopez teaches Paez the fine art of long-distance assassination, as well as planting land mines just so in the snow.

What distinguishes Lopez in The Mother from, say, Rachel McLish in an 80s movie like Aces: Iron Eagle III? Not the T-shirts, certainly. Its largely the degree to which Lopez (like Washington, Neeson and others) has unlocked the key to underplaying while seething, and letting the rage out precisely when called for. The second half of The Mother settles for the usual. But getting there makes for a fairly diverting series of melees in the name of child protection, with services rendered by a tough-love mom who does it all.

The Mother  2.5 stars (out of 4)

MPAA rating: R (for violence, some language and brief drug use)

Running time: 1:55

How to watch: Premieres on Netflix May 12.

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

Advertisement

mjphillips@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @phillipstribune
Lithuanian Ambassador to India Diana Mickeviciene on Wednesday welcomed the opening of a new mission in Lithuania and said that the country is very happy to enter a new stage in its ties with India. "We welcome this step. I think we're very happy to enter a new stage in our relationships where it's going to be fully reciprocal. So, we are, of course, wishing our Indian colleagues for setting up themselves in the Lithuanian capital... And we look forward to really working together and to strengthen our relationship." the envoy said while speaking to ANI on India operationalising new mission in Lithuania. Diana Mickeviciene made the remarks as the Lithuanian Embassy launched a comic book named 'First Lithuanian Travelers in India.' She said that the book is about some historical characters who travelled from Lithuania to India. She also talked about the book in Hindi language and called it a sign of friendship between the two nations. "It's a comic book about some historical characters the people from Lithuania who travel to India who had been wooed by the attraction of Indian civilization, people in India. So, they came and stayed there. They brought part of India with them. Later on, they actually stayed and lived their whole life. So it's a story about the time where we as two states were colonized by others.We could not have state-to-state relations with the people who actually assured that connection between our countries," Diana Mickeviciene told ANI. Responding to a question about ties between India, Lithuania ties and the pull of the Indian civilization in the country in the Baltic region of Europe, the Lithuanian envoy said, "It's always been very present. I mean, ... also is a character of the book from 400 years ago. He ... by India. Since then, of course, this connection, linguistic connection between Lithuanian and Sanskrit have been discovered. So, it became an extra factor attracting people to come and research and study this particular connection. And it's always been there. And I think it's life and flourishing like never before now-a-days." The "First Lithuanian Travelers in India" is a comic book about real historical personalities, men and women from Lithuania whose individual discovery of India was the first recorded connection between the two countries. The book is based on the historical books - India & Lithuania: A Personal Bond" and "From Lithuania to Santiniketan Schlomith Flaum & Rabindranath Tagore". It is the translation from the Lithuanian language after its successful debut in Lithuania. Lithuanian men and women came to India by sailboat, train, and motorbike and the stories recounted in this book will remind the reader of how global and interconnected Lithuania and India had been over the centuries. Speaking about the launch, Diana Mickeviciene said, "We are connected more than we realize. When both Lithuania and India were colonized, it was the people who maintained the relationship between our countries. The pull of the Indian civilization in Lithuania was always very strong. Indian philosophy and Gandhian ideas had a great influence on the Lithuanian National revival. Lithuanian and Sanskrit linguistic kinship is the special connecting us link." (ANI)
Calls renewed once again for the release of Australian journalist Cheng Lei who is in detention in China for over 1000 days after she was taken into custody on espionage charges. The court has not yet handed down a verdict. Analysts raised concerns as the journalist has been allegedly accused of illegally supplying state secrets overseas, a charge that carries a possible sentence of between five years to life in prison, CNN reported. Friends and family of Cheng Lei renewed calls for her release from detention in China, 1,000 days after she was taken into custody on espionage charges - a move that has cast a black mark on the relations between the two countries which are already under strain. Australian authorities have expressed concern about her detention amid suggestions from analysts that strained ties between Canberra and Beijing may have provided an impetus for the opaque case against her. Cheng's prolonged detention is a "critical issue" holding back further reconciliation, CNN quoted Nick Coyle, Cheng's partner as saying. "The ongoing delay, the ongoing situation, causes enormous damage not only to Lei and her two children, but I think it's also causing a lot of damage in terms of the efforts by both China and Australia to repair the bilateral relationship," said Coyle. He added that people in Australia and around the world view her detention with "a lot of negative sentiment," and that "it would be in everyone's best interest for it to be resolved as quickly as possible." Cheng had been on her way to work on the morning of August 13, 2020, when she "was taken by China's Ministry of State Security," CNN quoted Coyle as saying in a separate letter published in The Australian newspaper. "Now 1,000 days later, we still don't know why she was taken, why she was charged with deliberately vague national security breaches or when she might be with us again," he wrote. "The most difficult issue for her to deal with is the long time that she's been away from her children," said Coyle. "Physically she's going okay, and mentally she's very tough, very strong, very resilient,"CNN reported. Australia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong also released a statement on Twitter: "Despite being separated from her family for so long, she has shown great resilience and courage. All Australians want to see her reunited with her children." Wong added that the ministry shared the concerns of Cheng's friends and family about "the ongoing delays in her case," and that it would continue advocating for Cheng "at every opportunity with the Chinese government." Earlier, Australia's ambassador to China was denied entry to the start of Cheng's trial in Beijing, a move he called "deeply concerning." The court has not yet handed down a verdict, delaying the announcement multiple times - leaving Cheng stuck in custody, and her loved ones without clarity on her fate. (ANI)
French Embassy in India has expressed gratitude to Indian Navy for the warm welcome extended to French Naval Ship Lorraine. The French Embassy called it an opportunity for both navies to exchange best practices to continue strengthening ties between India and France. French Embassy in India tweeted, "Thank you @indiannavy @IN_HQSNC for the great welcome extended to FNS Lorraine. This was an opportunity for our navies for exchanging best practices to continue strengthening our cooperation." French Embassy made the statement in response to the Southern Naval Command - Training Command of the Indian Navy's tweet. Southern Naval Command in a tweet stated that FNS Lorraine which recently participated in the Sudan evacuation operation was on a goodwill visit to Kochi from May 3-7. According to the Southern Naval Command, Captain Xavier Bagot, Commanding Officer Lorraine met Commandore Sumeet Kapoor CSO(Ops) SNC and discussed issues of maritime interest. Southern Naval Command tweeted, "Southern Naval Command FNS Lorraine which recently participated in #sudanevacuation was on goodwill visit to #Kochi fm 03-07 May 23. On arrival, warm welcome was accorded by #IndianNavy. Capt Xavier Bagot, CO Lorraine called on Cmde Sumeet Kapoor, CSO(Ops)#SNC & discussed issues of #maritime interest." In another tweet, Southern Naval Command stated, "During the visit, #Training delegation of IndianNavy held professional interaction onboard FNS Lorraine. #FrenchNavy officers visited INS Sutlej at #SNC & shared best practices b/n the Navies. On departure fm Kochi, FNS Lorraine carried out PASSEX with #IndianNavy ship Kolkata." Earlier in January this year, the 21st Edition of the Bilateral Naval Exercise between India and France - Exercise Varuna was held on the Western Seaboard. The bilateral exercise between the two navies was initiated in 1993, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release. However, it was christened as 'VARUNA' in 2001 and has become a hallmark of the India - France strategic bilateral relationship. India and France have "close and friendly relations," according to Indian Embassy in France. In 1998, the two countries entered into a Strategic Partnership which is emblematic of their convergence of views on a range of international issues apart from close and growing bilateral ties. (ANI)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the Muslim world condemns the Taliban's ban on higher education for women, Afghanistan-based Tolo News reported. "When the Taliban enacted restrictive bans on higher education for women, governments from across the Muslim world spoke up to condemn the Taliban's decision," and they had argued that the actions were inhumane and contrary to Islamic beliefs. Blinken made the remarks at a reception to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in Washington DC. "Scholars of Islamic law weighed in to condemn the Taliban's actions, too, noting that the Quran gives the right to education to women and men alike," he said, as cited by Tolo News. This comes as religious clerics have said that access to education for school and university students is the basic right of students and called on the Taliban to provide access to education for both male and female students. Fazal Hadi Wazeen, a member of the international union of Muslim Scholars, said: "In addition to what the foreigners say about the education of females in Afghanistan, this is a national and Sharia responsibility of the interim government, to reopen the doors of the schools and universities without delay for the girls, who contribute half of the population." "Unfortunately, we are moving backwards from the knowledge and this will affect Afghanistan and its people," said Suraya Paikan, a women's rights activist. "The interim government promised that schools and universities will be suspended until next notice; the girls are waiting for the doors of the schools and universities to be reopened eventually," said Raweena Poya, a student, as quoted by Tolo News. This comes as more than 600 days have passed since schools have been closed for girls, and more than 140 days since universities have been closed to young women, according to Tolo News. (ANI)
Sikh community has been a longtime advocate of equality and liberty for all people, regardless of gender, caste, or social identity. Writing for Khalsa Vox, author Vaishali Sharma has underlined that women have recently assumed a more prominent and active role in the Sikh community. They are now challenging traditional gender stereotypes and positively impacting politics, activism, and social justice. Historically, Sikhism has emphasized equality between men and women, as the Guru Granth Sahib also contains hymns written by both men and women and acknowledges the importance of gender equality in all spheres of life, the author writes. In the history of the Sikh Empire, women have played a crucial role. Having lost his father, Maha Singh, when he was just 10 years old, Ranjit Singh would never have succeeded his mother, Raj Kaur, as Maharaja. The Sukerchakia misl was kept secure for Raj Kaur's son till he reached adulthood, according to Khalsa Vox. The evolving status of Sikh women in recent decades is evidence of the tenacity and bravery of women who have defied patriarchal expectations. Now that Sikh women actively participate in politics, activism, and social justice, a daring new story of bravery, self-expression, and resistance is emerging. Women's advancement, however, had been hampered by past patriarchal social systems, which restricted their positions in the community to those related to the home and family. The involvement of Sikh women in politics and activism in the present has drawn attention to a broader trend of women's empowerment in the Sikh community. Women are emancipating themselves from patriarchal conventions and reclaiming their voices, identities, and futures. According to Khalsa Vox, the #NoKaur movement was started in 2017 by a group of Sikh women activists with the intention of empowering Sikh women and amplifying their voices throughout the community. The campaign encouraged Sikh women to assert their identities and speak out against prejudice by questioning traditional gender norms and the constrained roles given to Sikh women. (ANI)
Regarding the situation of females in Afghanistan, EU Special Envoy Tomas Niklasson said that the prohibition against Afghan women working for NGOs is challenging fundamental principles and is having severe consequences, as critical assistance delivered by such organisations cannot reach women and children in need, TOLOnews reported on Wednesday. Due to judgements made by the de facto authorities, Afghan girls and women are still prohibited from entering secondary school or university. Tomas Niklasson, the EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan, issued a news release through the European Union Delegation in Afghanistan. In reference to the UN gathering in Doha, Niklasson stated that the gathering was a welcome effort by the UN to bring Afghanistan back to the forefront. "In the discussions, there was a consistent view that the conditions were not in place to allow for recognition by the international community of the de facto authorities as a legitimate government, but that engagement with the de facto authorities and other Afghans must continue to address shared concerns - including security and counter-terrorism, the need for inclusive governance, upholding human rights, preventing irregular migration and human trafficking, countering narcotics production and smuggling, and stabilising the Afghan economy," he said, according to TOLOnews. More than 28 million Afghans who are vulnerable require humanitarian aid, according to the EU special envoy, who expressed concerns about the situation. Afghan girls have repeatedly called on the Taliban to immediately open schools and universities for them, however, there is no development on the situation of females' right to education in the country hit by economic and humanitarian crisis. Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021 after the US exit from the country, women are not allowed to work in the fields of education with domestic and international organisations, in gyms, or in public spaces. 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. (ANI)
With the Taliban continuing with curbs on girls and women in Afghanistan, the UN has accused the country's de facto authorities of imprisoning, harassing and placing "severe" limits on the movements of its female employees, Khaama Press reported. "This is the most recent in a series of discriminatory - and unlawful - measures implemented by the de facto authorities to severely restrict women and girls' participation in most areas of public and daily life in Afghanistan," the UN report on Afghanistan's human rights situation in south Asia said. The measures will have disastrous effects on Afghanistan's prosperity, stability, peace, and future, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in its report. Fiona Frazer, the agency's human rights chief, said UNAMA is concerned "about the growing restrictions on civic space throughout Afghanistan". "Arbitrary arrests and detention of former government officials and Afghanistan National Security and Defense Force members also occurred throughout February, March and April," the report added, according to Khaama Press. An increasingly unstable and volatile Afghanistan is causing worry to the world. Worsening human rights, in particular, women's and girls' rights, poverty, hunger, terrorism and the spread of drug trafficking are among the issues that the people of Afghanistan have been facing under Taliban rule. The Taliban returned to power in August of 2021 and have restricted Afghan women and girls from participating in most areas of public and daily life. UN chief Antonio Guterres, in a recent statement, said that the situation in Afghanistan was the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today and that he would meet the Taliban when it was the "right moment to do so but today is not the right moment." According to the United Nations, a record 28.3 million people in Afghanistan are in need of assistance this year, making Afghanistan the world's largest aid operation. Regular Afghans, particularly women and children remain oppressed under the Taliban. (ANI)
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered former Prime Minister Imran Khan to be before the court within one hour, Dawn reported. "A verdict will be issued today," Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial said. Khan was arrested on Tuesday triggering violent protests across the country. CJP Bandial has ordered the country's National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to produce the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chief before the Supreme Court of Pakistan today. A three-member bench, comprising CJP Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah, heard the Khan's plea against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case, Dawn reported. At the outset of the hearing, one of Imran's counsels, Hamid Khan, appeared on the rostrum and informed the apex court that his client had approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for pre-arrest bail. His lawyer said that Imran Khan was in the process of getting his biometrics done when he was arrested. "Rangers misbehaved with Imran Khan and arrested him," the lawyer said as cited by Dawn. CJP Bandial observed that court records showed the case had not been fixed for hearing. The lawyer told the court that the appeal could not be filed without completing the biometric process. CJP Bandial said that there was a certain "respect" for the courts. Recalling a past incident, he said, "NAB had arrested a suspect from the Supreme Court's parking [lot]. The court had then reversed the arrest." The CJP asked Imran Khan's counsel about the number of Rangers personnel who had arrested the former premier. Imran's lawyer responded that "100 rangers personnel entered court premises" in order to arrest the PTI chief. "What dignity remains of the court if 90 people entered its premises? How can any individual be arrested from court premises?" he asked. "In the past, action has been taken against lawyers for vandalism inside the court," he observed. "If an individual has surrendered to the court, then what does arresting them mean?" He further said that NAB had committed "contempt of court". "They should have taken permission from the court's registrar before the arrest. Court staffers were also subjected to abuse," he added. CJP Bandial emphasised that courts should be accessible to everyone for relief and that individuals should feel safe to approach the courts. Imran's lawyer then demanded that his client be released from NAB custody, stating that the arrest was made without an investigation officer present. The chief justice noted that the court was currently examining the manner in which the arrest was conducted and whether contempt had taken place. Imran's lawyer said the PTI chief was on terrorists' "radar". Only after the arrest was made did it emerge that the warrant was issued on May 1, he said. Imran's other lawyer, Advocate Salman Akram Raja, told the court that the interior ministry's secretary had said he had not yet received the warrants for their execution. At this point, the CJP said that whatever had happened after Imran's arrest should have stopped. "This does not mean that we shut our eyes to an illegal action. Such a verdict should be given that applies to all. Access to justice is the right of every accused," he said. Imran's lawyer Hamid said that the party would not have approached the SC if the PTI chief had been arrested from outside his home or outside the court. Here, Justice Mazhar asked if Imran had responded to the NAB notice, to which the lawyer replied in the affirmative. "According to the law, an arrest cannot be made when an inquiry is still being carried out," Hamid said. (ANI)
A large-scale emergency operation was underway and a special operations team sealed off the site with a full-scale deployment including two helicopters and several emergency doctors.

The Public Prosecutor's Office in the nearby city of Stuttgart said he thought it was a single perpetrator responsible for the shooting that killed 44-year-old men, according to DW.

It is believed that the shots were fired at a production line team leader, with the arrested suspect being a 53-year-old external worker from a logistics company. The officials said that the staffers overpowered the suspected perpetrator and held him until police arrived.

Many shorts were reportedly fired at about 7:45 am local time. An hour later, police tweeted that an operation involving police and rescue workers were going on at the factory complex, around 15 kilometers southwest of Stuttgart. The authorities have confirmed that a suspect was taken into custody, DW reported.

The emergency services were reported to have carried out a search operation of the building looking for other injured people. The factory employees told DW that the scene was the automaker's Factory 56, where the firm's flagship S-Class vehicle is produced.

A spokesperson said that police are still gathering information and that staffers are being provided with psychological support.

Mercedes-Benz has expressed disappointment over the shooting incident. A company spokesman said that the tragic news from Sindelfingen has deeply shocked us, adding, "Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all colleagues on site," DW reported. (ANI)
From Artificial Intelligence-powered search to Pixel Fold, Google introduced a wide range of products and services to the public. In its annual developer conference, Google I/O, Google introduced AI-powered search with a new generative search experience and also launched the next-generation model, PaLM 2 on Wednesday (Local Time). Taking to Google, Chief Executive Officer of Google Sundar Pichai, Thursday, said, "Today at #GoogleIO we shared the bold and responsible approach we're taking to use AI to reimagine our products, including Search with a new generative search experience coming first to Labs." Talking about the new model, Pichai tweeted, "We also introduced our next generation model, PaLM 2. It's powering over 25 new products + features, has improved multilingual, reasoning and coding capabilities, and can be fine-tuned for specific uses, like health and security." Chat GPT rival Bard will now run on PaLM 2. Initially, Bard was only available in UK and US but now moving Bard to over 180 countries and territories -- with more coming soon, according to the blog posted on Google. Not just that: Bard is now available in Japanese and Korean, and we're on track to support 40 languages soon. "We're also bringing generative AI features in @GoogleWorkspace including "Help me write" in Docs + Gmail, plus tools to generate images from text descriptions in Slides + Meet and create custom plans in Sheets, to Workspace Labs," Google CEO said in a tweet. "To enable businesses + developers to innovate with AI, @googlecloud launched new foundation models in Vertex AI, A3 Virtual Machines that add to our GPU options for the training and inference of ML models, a new Duet AI collaborator + more," he added. Google has added a new edition to the Pixel portfolio of products: Pixel Fold, our first foldable phone; Pixel Tablet, our tablet designed to be helpful in your hand and your home; and Pixel 7a, the latest A-series phone. For years, Pixel has brought together AI breakthroughs from across Google and put them into a device you can hold in your hand. Combining the on-device intelligence of Google Tensor with Google's AI in the cloud, and Android's latest innovations, allows us to deliver truly personal AI. So the Pixel adapts to one's needs and preferences and anticipates how it can help you save time and get more done. This personal AI powers all those helpful features and experiences that Pixel is known for like Pixel Camera, Pixel Speech, and Pixel Call Assist, according to the blog posted by Google. "Also at #GoogleIO: new ways to express yourself with @Android 's Magic Compose in Messages and text-to-image wallpapers, Immersive View for routes in @GoogleMaps, and Magic Editor coming in @GooglePhotos, and much more," Pichai said in a tweet. (ANI)
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks at a news conference on May 10, 2023, ahead of the lifting of Title 42. (Kevin Wolf/AP)

WASHINGTON  House Republicans are seeking Thursday to pass a sweeping bill to build more border wall and impose new restrictions on asylum seekers, creating a hardline counter to President Joe Bidens policies just as migrants are amassing along the border with the end of pandemic restrictions.

The bill has virtually no chance of becoming law. Democrats, who have a narrow hold on the Senate, have decried the aggressive measures in the bill as cruel and anti-immigrant, and Biden has already promised he would veto it.

Advertisement

But the House GOP pointedly scheduled the vote for the same day as the expiration of Title 42, a public health emergency rule that allowed border authorities to quickly return many migrants who crossed the border illegally. Biden has conceded that the U.S.-Mexico border will be chaotic for a while as migrants weigh whether to cross and U.S. officials use a new set of policies that aim to clamp down on illegal immigration while offering more legal pathways.

Republicans have sought to slam Biden for the increase in illegal immigration during his tenure. Passing the bill would ensure House GOP lawmakers can say they did their part to deliver on a campaign promise to secure the border.

Advertisement

The Republicans actually have solutions, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters late Wednesday, expressing confidence the GOP could pass it on a party-line vote through the narrowly held House.

McCarthy, R-Calif., spoke for roughly 20 minutes late Wednesday from the House floor  a perch he uses only on occasion  to further press the point.

This is President Bidens record on the border: record crossings, record carelessness, record chaos, the speaker said during his speech before exiting to hi-fives from the handful of GOP lawmakers present, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Its taken months, however, for Republicans to push the bill to the House floor amid sometimes public feuds between GOP lawmakers over the legislation.

The 213-page bill represents a compromise in the Republican conference between mainstream lawmakers, who wanted to focus on beefing up border enforcement, and hardline conservatives, who want to see drastic changes to U.S. asylum and immigration law.

The package would return to many of the same policies pursued by former President Donald Trump, such as building walls along the border. It would also restrict asylum by requiring migrants to cross legally, pay a $50 fee and meet more stringent requirements to show in initial interviews that they are fleeing political, religious or racial persecution.

The bill proposes a scrap of a program that has allowed U.S. officials to accept or quickly turn away some migrants from Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua. The program is a cornerstone of Bidens immigration efforts, allowing migrants from those countries to apply to come to the U.S. for two years legally and work.

But even as the legislation neared final form Wednesday, it had to be amended to appease concerns from the House Freedom Caucus and other lawmakers. They worried about the implications of handing the Department of Homeland Security the power to designate cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, as well as whether agricultural businesses would be disrupted by a separate provision requiring them to verify the immigration status of employees.

Advertisement

McCarthy huddled with a group of far-right lawmakers in the office of Rep. Tom Emmer, the Republican whip, Wednesday afternoon to win them over to the bill.

Members had a chance to go through, deliberate, ask questions, have conversations, said Rep. Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican who was in the meeting.

House GOP leadership amended the legislation to smooth over the objections. But in a sign of how unwieldy the Republican conference has grown, the amendment angered another key lawmaker, Rep. Tony Gonzales.

The Texas Republican told reporters he voted against the amendment because it waters down the bills provision to potentially treat cartels as terrorist organizations, but said he would ultimately vote to pass the final piece of legislation.

Gonzales has been working with a number of senators, including Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent, and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, on a proposal that would incorporate aggressive border enforcement with expanding legal immigration through work visas.

Meanwhile, Sen. Dick Durbin, the no. 2 Senate Democrat, said Wednesday he plans to introduce legislation that would assist border officials and speed up the asylum application process.

Advertisement

It is an opportunity to show the American people that we are not ignoring the reality and we can support our frontline officials from the communities that need help, Durbin said, adding that people are tired of partisan bickering.

Congress has not passed comprehensive immigration reform in decades, but Gonzales, who represents a large swath of border country, said he hopes the House bill could generate some momentum, even if it is wrapped in barbs for Biden.

Until the president of the United States signs a bill into law, all of this is theater, he said. A lot of people are good at political theater. Meanwhile, back in my district, were dealing with a real crisis.

AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
Minister of Foreign Affairs for Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday "advised" the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan's political outfit, to call for an end to violent protests across the country after the arrest of its chairman, reported Dawn. Bilawal, while addressing a press conference in Karachi on Thursday, said, "The only advice I can give to the PTI is that what is done is done. The ones involved in this will have to answer for it." He also said, "Don't make matters worse. Call for an end to violent protests, declare that you will abide by the rule of law and the Constitution, accept that you will engage with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as citizens and not as terrorists so that what is done is done, [and] you don't create more difficulties for yourself." Pakistan's foreign minister also called on the PTI to try and understand the history of Pakistan. He said, "You are not just doing this on Twitter and Facebook -- we have our own context, we have lived more than half of our history under direct martial law." He added that it was PTI's part to decide if they wanted to "remain a political party or not." "They have to decide whether they want to do politics or take up an armed resistance against the state," he added. In the beginning of his address, Bilawal said that the PPP had never celebrated the arrest of any politician, however, he called the allegations against Imran Khan as "very serious" and asserted that the former prime minister had been arrested "in accordance with the law." Bilawal also said that the PTI must have responded to the arrest by praising Imran as "brave and confident" for facing the accusations. Instead, "PTI had already decided that its reaction would not be political and it would become a militant organisation," he said. Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday outside Islamabad High Court by Pakistan Rangers on a warrant issued by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case. He was dragged out of Islamabad High Court. People took to the streets, resorted to violence, arson and even raised many slogans to register their resentment against the arrest of ex-PM of Pakistan and PTI chief Imran Khan, across Pakistan including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Karachi, Quetta, Mardan, Bannu, and Chilas. The protesting mob resorted to stone pelting on houses, offices and vehicles, burning banners and tyres and blocking roads. (ANI)
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to meet Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi this month, sources quoted by ARY News reported on Thursday. Sharif is expected to visit Balochistan on May 18 to meet with neighbouring Iran's leader. The sources, cited by ARY News, said that the meeting of the two leaders will likely be held at the border crossing in Pishin. The sources also said that President Raisi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will jointly inaugurate a 100-megawatt power supply from Iran to Pakistan. Presently, Pakistan imports 200-megawatt electricity from Iran, while there is capacity to enhance the import to 500 megawatts, according to sources quoted by ARY News. Since 2002, Pakistan has been importing power from Iran to feed the Makran area of Balochistan. The Pak-Iran border market may be publicly opened by the presidents of Iran and Pakistan. According to sources, Pakistan and Iran will establish three new markets near their border to increase border trade. The sources said, "A market has already been opened at Mand," adding, "The work has been in progress to open two more markets on the Pakistan-Iran border." On Wednesday, Pakistan and Iran reached an agreement regarding the revival of the gas pipeline project, increased trade between the two nations, and aviation cooperation, including direct flights, during the visit of a delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran to Islamabad, according to ARY News. The long-standing issue of the Pak-Iran Gas pipeline was also discussed during the conference. Naveed Qamar emphasised the need of moving the project through quickly since it has enormous potential for fostering energy cooperation between the two nations. He reiterated his determination to address any difficulties and move through with the project, which would bring enormous advantages to both nations, ARY News reported. (ANI)
Thousands of malnourished children in Afghanistan face severe consequences because of a critical funding gap, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Melanie Galvin, UNICEF's Chief of Nutrition, said on the organization's official Twitter account on Thursday that it urgently needs additional funding to provide severe acute malnutrition children with ready-t-use medical food (RUTF) and life-saving treatment.

Galvin noted that this year, 875,000 children in Afghanistan suffer from severe acute malnutrition. Without treatment, thousands of children are life-threatening, Khaama Press reported.

Severe malnutrition can be treated with RUTF, a "highly efficient and effective" treatment, "in as little as eight weeks," Galvin said. However, she noted that UNICEF lacked the USD 21 million necessary resources to purchase RUTF and train health workers across Afghanistan.

"In Afghanistan, we're facing a critical funding gap for ready-to-use therapeutic food. Without additional funds to stock health facilities with this lifesaving treatment, thousands of children could die from severe acute malnutrition," UNICEF wrote on Twitter quoting an Afghan woman.

This comes a day after the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed concern over running out of funding for humanitarian assistance in the country, Khaama Press reported.

With adequate funding, humanitarian partners can reduce large-scale hunger, prevent disease outbreaks & reduce the chances of women dying giving birth, OCHA said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, the organization called for timely funding to support people in need. "The price of doing nothing has never been higher. Timely funding is needed to support people in need," it added.

The UN estimates that 28 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian aid, and the Taliban's restrictions on women have worsened the situation, Khaama Press reported. (ANI)
China's assentation of combating the trafficking of women and girls and gender inequality turned out to be a shallow claim, The Diplomat reported. For the upcoming 85th session of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which is to be held in Geneva on Friday, China submitted its report where it boasted about its accomplishments in combating the trafficking of women and girls, but "Chained-Woman" story break the shells of lies built by Beijing. The "Chained Woman" story is traced back to 2021, when a story circulated in China about a man named Dong Zhimin, who was raising eight children in Xuzhou, in China's Jiangsu Province. On January 27 2022, a Chinese blogger visited Dong's residence and posted footage showing a woman, reportedly the mother of Dong's eight children, sitting on a tattered bed with a chain around her neck in a dark, dilapidated hut. In such harsh cold weather, the woman was dressed inadequately, according to The Diplomat. The woman had been reportedly locked up like this for more than 20 years and was forced to give birth to eight children in these inhumane living conditions. The video was quickly spread by concerned netizens, who dubbed the woman the "Chained Woman." The Chinese authorities repeatedly attempted to minimize the incident and redirect public attention, claiming that the Chained Woman was lawfully married to Dong with no human trafficking involved. As for the chain, the claim was that it was necessary to restrain the woman, who suffered from mental illness. With growing appeals from angry Chinese citizens for accountability, the government finally had no choice but to respond. On April 7, 2023, a court sentenced Dong to nine years in jail for torture and unlawful confinement and five others to eight to 13 years imprisonment for human trafficking, according to The Diplomat. Despite public scrutiny, however, Dong was not charged with a single count of rape - even when the situation was ripe for such charges. Contrary to China's claim in its submission to CEDAW that "there is no reprisal against cooperators with human rights treaty bodies," the CCP arrested the human rights activists and citizen journalists who went to the village to try to investigate the incident and help the miserable woman. Famous intellectuals have also been silenced for commenting on the matter. In its submission to CEDAW, China asserted that it has legislated "to eliminate discrimination against women, protect women's freedom of marriage, and achieve gender equality." But in practice, China has done little to address the problem. Documents from the verdicts database China Judgments Online show that courts across China have denied many petitions for divorce filed by trafficked women, even after they have endured years of domestic abuse at the hands of their "husbands." The fact that Chinese women who are trafficked and sold into marriage rarely have any feasible legal recourse can be partly attributed to the indolence, indifference, or moral cowardice of a handful of negligent judges. But the majority of the blame for the gross mishandling of these heartbreaking cases reflects, directly or indirectly, the autocratic CCP regime's wanton disregard for human rights, especially the rights of women in China's patriarchal society. It is clear that the CCP values "social stability" over serious actions to address social problems, as per reported in The Diplomat. (ANI)
The two leaders discussed the Supreme Court's order declaring PTI Chairman Imran Khan's arrest unlawful and deliberated the future course of action, the Pakistan Muslim League-N said in a tweet.

"Maulana Fazlur Rahman, head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Pakistan Democratic Movement, met Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister's House. Detailed consultation on the current political situation in the country. Attacks on state institutions and damage to government property by PTI workers were also strongly condemned in the meeting," PML-N added.

Earlier, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, declared Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Khan's arrest "illegal," and also directed for his immediate release, reported ARY News.

The major relief for the former prime minister came shortly after he was presented in court.

Khan, who was removed from office as prime minister last year in April, was ordered by the SC to present himself at 4:30 pm, but he was produced at around 5:40 pm, more than an hour later.

He was carried in a 15-vehicle convoy.

Khan was ordered to appear in court after Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial described the PTI leader's detention from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises as a mighty disgrace to the country's legal system, as per ARY News.

The CJP made the comment while presiding over a three-person bench debating the PTI's appeal challenging Khan's arrest. The bench also contains Justices Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Athal Minallah in addition to the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

A petition was filed in the Supreme Court by PTI, a day earlier challenging the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) decision calling Khan's arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) "legal," according to ARY News.

Khan was arrested on Tuesday inside the premises of Islamabad High Court when he appeared before the court in two cases.

Ever since Khan's arrest, Pakistan has been witnessing a situation of unrest. Several protests have broken out across the country as PTI has urged its supporters to come out in support of Imran Khan. (ANI)
A portrait of slain Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is framed with flowers ahead of the first anniversary of her death on May 7, 2023.

A portrait of slain Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is framed with flowers ahead of the first anniversary of her death on May 7, 2023.

Shireen Abu Aklehs friends and family have been waiting for justice for a year.

The Palestinian American journalist for Al Jazeera was fatally shot by an Israeli soldier while she was reporting exactly one year ago, prompting outrage across the globe. Tributes from viewers, fellow journalists and colleagues poured in, recalling her 25-year legacy.

To date, no one has been held accountable for Abu Aklehs death  which isnt unusual in cases of journalists who have been killed in Israel, according to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom.

Over the past year, we were forced to grieve but at the same time [are] trying to seek justice and accountability for the crime that was committed by Israel, said Lina Abu Akleh, the journalists niece.

On May 11, 2022, Abu Akleh and several other journalists wearing protective vests with the word PRESS on them were reporting on the aftermath of an Israeli raid in Jenin, a city in the northern West Bank, when Abu Akleh was shot in the back of her head. A video shows fellow journalist Shatha Hanaysha screaming as Abu Aklehs body hits the ground.

Mere hours after footage of Abu Aklehs killing circulated online, the Israeli government suggested she was killed by militants stray bullets. But investigations by the United Nations, The Associated Press, The Washington Post and CNN, as well as other several independent reviews by newsrooms and human rights organizations, later found that Israeli forces were responsible.

In September, the Israel Defense Forces admitted it was highly likely that the Israeli military had killed Abu Akleh but refused to press charges against any soldiers.

After mounting pressure from Abu Aklehs family members and members of Congress, the State Department released its own statement last July in which it offered deepest condolences to the Abu Abkleh family but stopped short of condemning Israel. In the fall, the U.S. Justice Department announced its own investigation into Abu Aklehs death, which is still ongoing.

Story continues

Last week, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging him to release a report that the U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the body that oversees security issues in the region, had submitted on Abu Abklehs death. Van Hollen raised concerns that the U.S. government could alter the report and stressed that transparency is needed.

We were informed that, before congressional release of the USSC Report is authorized, the Administration plans to make unspecified changes to its contents, he wrote. While the Administration has characterized its proposed changes as technical, any actions to alter the USSCs Summation Report in any way would violate the integrity of this process.

Sherif Mansour, CPJs Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, said the U.S. government hasnt done enough to pursue justice for Abu Aklehs death.

We need to see the much-needed public update about where the status of this investigation is, he told HuffPost. We also want to see the U.S. government leverage its relationship with Israel to make sure that they are cooperating with FBI investigation, and also reforming the rules of engagement.

But accountability is unlikely to come, according to CPJs new report. The organization said the Israel Defense Forces have killed at least 20 journalists in the Palestinian territories in the last 22 years  thats 80% of the journalists and media workers killed in the Palestinian territories. State inquiries into their deaths were slow, not transparent and often undermined independent reporting, according to CPJ.

Mansour said Abu Aklehs killing was part of a pattern of response that is designed to evade accountability.

CPJ noted Israeli investigations into journalists deaths have left their families with little recourse  something Abu Akhlehs family knows well.

Accountability means that everyone and anyone involved in the killing is held responsible, whether its from the soldier who pulled the trigger to the person who gave that command, Lina Abu Akleh said.

In Al Jazeeras newsroom in the West Bank, Shireen Abu Aklehs office has been converted into a memorial, with candles, photos and memorabilia cascading down her desk to the floor. Its exactly how her family wants the world to remember her.

For us and for millions around the world, people knew Shireen as the voice of Palestine, Lina Abu Akleh said. She was a proud Palestinian American journalist who spent her entire life reporting on the injustice Palestinians face on a daily basis. But it wasnt only that. She also used to make sure to cover the beauty of Palestine  the accomplishments and the success stories of the people. She wanted to show the world what people experienced on a daily basis, the good and the bad.

Its important to remember and humanize her and continue to talk about her and her achievements and accomplishments, but most importantly, to remember that she was a human being who was taken away from us in cold blood and in such a cruel and violent way.

Related...
These are some of the easiest destinations to travel to from the NYC area.

Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

New York City is a destination in its own right, but the metropolitan region is also home to more than 20 million residents and eager travelers. Three major airports serve the city and the surrounding area: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in Queens; and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) across the Hudson River in New Jersey.

However, only two airports  JFK and EWR  have nonstop, long-haul international service to Europe. Travel to Europe is hot this summer, as travel trends and booking numbers indicate. (United Airlines, for instance, has added nearly 25 international routes to this summers schedule, including Newark to Naples, Italy; Nice, France; and Stockholm, Sweden.)

If youre one of the many Americans planning a European getaway, lets take a look at some of the easiest destinations to get to from the New York City area. Best of all, with these spots, youll have the most airline options and frequency of flights to choose from  no layover needed.

London, England

Maremagnum/Getty Images

From New York City, London is by far the easiest place in Europe to travel in terms of frequency and airline choice. To hop across the pond, you can pick from 30 nonstop flights across seven airlines  four of which are U.S.-based carriers. In fact, New York City to London is the seventh busiest flight route in the world, according to April 2023 data from OAG, a global travel data provider.

Airlines that fly here: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, United Airlines, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Norse Atlantic Airways

Paris, France

Hamid Khan/EyeEm/Getty Images

Whether set-jetting to have an Emily in Paris moment or planning to spectate the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics, there is a slew of options to fly to the City of Light. During the peak summer season, expect at least 15 nonstop flight options  with a range of airlines from low-cost French Bee to business-class-only La Compagnie. All three major U.S. airlines  American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines  fly to Paris. And New York-based JetBlue will commence its nonstop daily service to Paris in June.

Story continues

Airlines that fly here: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue (launching June 29), United Airlines, Air France, French Bee, and La Compagnie

Milan, Italy

Ixefra/Getty Images

With seven airlines operating nonstop service from New York City to Milan, its effortless to get to this hot spot of fashion and design. And as a financial hub, airlines fiercely compete on this route for business travelers. While you could fly any of the three major U.S. airlines to Milan, there is a clear winner for the best way to get here: A first-class suite on Emirates, offering a unique nonstop to Milan.

Airlines that fly here: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, ITA Airways, Neos Air, Emirates, and La Compagnie

Rome, Italy

Francesco Riccardo Iacomino/Getty Images

A trip to Rome is as much about soaking up the dolce vita lifestyle as it is indulging in art and culture. And from the Six Senses Rome to The Rome Edition and Bulgari Hotel Roma, 2023 is shaping up to be a standout year for new hotels in the Eternal City. Getting here from New York City is a breeze, thanks to five airlines offering nonstop service  including newcomer (and low-cost carrier) Norse Atlantic Airways. During the peak summer season, choose from at least 10 flight options per day.

Airlines that fly here: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, ITA Airways, and Norse Atlantic Airways

Frankfurt, Germany

ake1150sb/Getty Images

Frankfurt is a buzzing European financial hub, and while often overshadowed in tourism by the likes of Munich or Berlin, travelers will find more nonstop flights here than in any other German city. Five airlines fly between New York City and Frankfurt, including a noteworthy service on Singapore Airlines. (First class suite, anyone?) Condor is another option to highlight, often offering lower fares than its competitors.

Airlines that fly here: Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and Condor

Madrid, Spain

Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images

Vibrant and lively Madrid is one of Europes cultural capitals, with grand boulevards and an impressive repository of fine art. Five airlines fly between New York City and Madrid, with all three major U.S. carriers represented. Iberia, Spains flag carrier, typically offers at least two flights per day to the Spanish capital.

Airlines that fly here: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Iberia, and Air Europa

Athens, Greece

NAPA74/Getty Images

While Athens naturally is a thriving hub of history and ancient civilization, its often used as a gateway for U.S. visitors to get to the Greek Islands and beyond. Four airlines fly the New York City to Athens route, providing easy connectivity to Greeces capital. Besides the three major U.S. carriers, Emirates also offers a unique, year-round route between Newark, New Jersey, and Athens on a Boeing 777.

Airlines that fly here: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Emirates

Amsterdam, Netherlands

George Pachantouris/Getty Images

The picturesque canals and fields of tulips of the Dutch capital are a nonstop flight away from New York City  with as many as seven flights daily on three (soon to be four) airlines. Amsterdam travelers, take note: KLM, the flag carrier of the Netherlands, delivers collectible Delft Blue miniature houses, filled with Dutch gin, to every passenger seated in business class.

Airlines that fly here: Delta Air Lines, JetBlue (starting late summer), United Airlines, and KLM

Zurich, Switzerland

Westend61/Getty Images

Zurich is a global financial center and cosmopolitan city, with a colorful old town and waterfront promenade. From New York City, three airlines offer service to this alpine metropolis, including at least two flights per day on Switzerlands flag carrier, Swiss International Air Lines.

Airlines that fly here: Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Swiss International Air Lines

Lisbon, Portugal

Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

The city of Lisbon is an enchanting European capital, with pastel-colored buildings lining its very walkable (but very hilly) streets. Travelers from the New York City area have multiple flight options per day, including on Portugals flag carrier, Tap Air Portugal.

Airlines that fly here: Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Tap Air Portugal

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
A 13-year-old boy armed with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun shot a Florida police officer  and ended up shot himself when another cop returned fire, according the Lakeland Police Department.

Both the officer and teen are hospitalized with non-life-threatening wounds, police said at a Wednesday, May 10, press conference.

The officer suffered two broken bones when he was shot in the left foot, while the boy was shot in the leg, left thigh and stomach, officials said.

Investigators accused the boy of engaging police in at least two gunfights, both Wednesday at a crowded apartment community.

(The suspect) had no regard for life. None. Zero, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at the press conference.

The two shootouts occurred May 10 at the Carrington Place Apartments in Lakeland, police said.

He may be 13 years chronologically, but hes a hardened criminal willing to shoot it out with cops. And were going to do our very best to send him to prison for a very long time. ... He is a very dangerous, hardened criminal.

The series of events began around 5:15 p.m., when witnesses reported a white Dodge Avenger had been involved in a drive-by shooting west of Simpson Park, police said.

Officer Jamie Smith was nearby when he saw the vehicle and began a pursuit that ended with three people jumping from the vehicle and running, officials said. Video released by the sheriffs office shows the vehicle continued down the street without a driver, and sideswiped a car traveling in the opposite direction.

Among the three was an armed boy seen running down the sidewalk near the Carrington Place Apartments, officials said.

(Smith) got out of his vehicle, engaged in a foot pursuit (and) he commanded the 13-year-old young man to drop the weapon several times, officials said.

As (Smith) rounded the corner of the building, the 13-year-old was waiting for him in a crouched position with a handgun aimed toward the officer and fired one round. ... The officer returned fire. The officer was struck one time in the left foot.

Smith reloaded his gun and continued chasing the suspect, who quickly vanished into bushes outside one building, officials said.

Story continues

Other officers arrived as backup and joined the search, and the teen was seen jumping out of the bushes to run, police said.

They engaged in another gun battle there. And in the second gun battle, the 13 year old is struck several times, goes down, the officers immediately render first aid to him and he is ultimately transported to Tampa General Hospital where he is being treated.

The teen fired at least three shots during the exchange of gunfire, officials said.

It was the 13-year-olds second arrest this year, officials said. In January, he was arrested with a stolen gun as the Polk County Sheriffs Office responded to reports of car burglaries, officials said. The gun had been taken from one of the vehicles, officials said.

The Polk County Sheriffs Office has joined the shooting investigation and intends to have the boy charged as an adult, including a charge of attempted murder of the police officer, officials said.

He entered into adult criminal activity and we are going to treat him like an adult, Judd said.

Lakeland police say the Dodge Avenger was being driven by 19-year-old Jermaine Julian, who has been arrested. The third occupant was 14-year-old boy, who was arrested at his home, officials said.

A second gun was found under the passenger seat of the vehicle and is believed to have been in the possession of the 14-year-old suspect, officials said.

All three of the teens arrested in the incident are on probation in connection with past arrests, officials said.

Lakeland is about 35 miles northeast of Tampa.

Roving gunfight erupts as people in cars begin firing at each other, Florida cops say

Armed home invasion ends with runaway teens caught without clothes, Florida cops say

Foul odor reveals man was living with a decomposing body, Florida sheriff says
A 19-year-old is accused of leaving her newborn baby boy in a hospital trash can, New Mexico officials told news outlets.

Alexee J. Trevizo was arrested on May 10 after police opened an investigation in January into a baby that had died in Artesia, according to a post on Facebook by the police department. On March 28, the medical examiner ruled the babys death a homicide.

Trevizo went to the hospital for back pains on January 27 when medical personnel in the emergency room told her she was pregnant, according to KRQE.

The teen locked herself in the hospitals bathroom, gave birth to the baby, tied him up in a trash bag, and hid him underneath the trash in the bin, according to KRQE.

Staff told police they found the bathroom covered in blood and thought Trevizo was having pregnancy-related problems so they began to treat her, according to the Carlsbad Current Argus.

Nurses checked the bathroom and didnt find anything, according to the outlet. It wasnt until the cleaning crew came that the baby was found in the trash.

By the time the newborn was found, he was dead, according to KRQE.

An autopsy later revealed he was likely born alive, at about 38 weeks, and then suffocated, the Current Argus reported.

Trevizo was charged with murder and tampering with evidence after an investigation, according to police.

Artesia is about 240 miles southeast of Albuquerque.

Parents jailed after baby boy found with 6 untreated broken bones, Florida cops say

1-year-old found dead in burning home in 2017, Illinois cops say. Mom now arrested

Baby brain dead after being left in tub while dad played video games, Arizona cops say
[Source]

The 1975 frontman Matty Healy has apologized to Ice Spice for possibly offending her months after he speculated on her ethnicity and used mock Chinese and Hawaiian accents on a podcast.

Healys controversial comments came during a February episode of The Adam Friedland Show, when the hosts played a clip of Ice Spice talking about her love for alternative music  mentioning band The 1975  in an earlier interview with Elle.

Somehow, the clip led to the hosts and Healy speculating on Ice Spices ethnic background. They joked about the rapper sounding like an Inuit Spice Girl or a chubby Chinese lady and went on to mimic Chinese and Hawaiian accents.

At some point, one of the men used an Inuit ethnic slur. Healy also encouraged and joined the hosts in making impressions of Japanese people working in concentration camps.

More from NextShark: South Korean indie artist Cheeze releases new EP Blank

The conversation also included jokes about womens periods and accusations that Harry Styles had been given a pass at queerbaiting. Early on, Healy allegedly told Friedland that he would f*ck Friedlands sister because shes hot.

The podcast episode was pulled from Apple and Spotify last month.

However, it is still available on YouTube with 189,000 views and counting.

More from NextShark: Blackpinks Jennie appears in new trailer for upcoming HBO drama series 'The Idol'

Ice Spice, whose real name is Isis Naija Gaston, is Dominican and Nigerian.

The revelation came in November 2022 after a Twitter user suggested that she has the genetics of the Igbo, an ethnic group in Nigeria.

Im Nigerian but IDK which tribe, maybe youre right, the Munch rapper wrote. Dominican too, chill sisters.

More from NextShark: Sony Pictures Picks Up 'Crazy Rich Asians' Author's Latest Book for Possible Movie

dominican too chill sisters  Ice Spice  (@icespicee_) November 13, 2022

More from NextShark: Netflix cooks up first trailer for Thai culinary thriller Hunger

Healy, who also allegedly called Ice Spice dumb during the podcast, publicly apologized to the rapper at a recent New Zealand show, claiming that he was only joking and that his remarks were misconstrued.

Notably, Healy has not apologized for his use of ethnic slurs and mock Chinese and Hawaiian accents.

Story continues

I just feel a bit bad, and Im kind of a bit sorry if Ive offended you. Ice Spice, Im sorry. Its not because Im annoyed that me joking got misconstrued. Its because I dont want Ice Spice to think Im a dick. I love you, Ice Spice. Im so sorry. I dont want it to be misconstrued as mean. I dont mind being a bit of a joker but I am genuinely sorry if Ive upset them because I f*cking love them.

matty healy apologising to @icespicee_ in auckland/nz: pic.twitter.com/gKrKET6Rd2  Coup De Main (@coupdemain) April 21, 2023

This is not the first time Healy has sparked controversy.

Earlier this year, the English singer was accused of doing the Nazi salute onstage, which some have defended as an act to mock Ye.

Ice Spice, for her part, has not reacted to Healys comments. She most recently collaborated with Nicki Minaj for the song Princess Diana.
ISLAMABAD  Pakistan is witnessing a wave of violence following the arrest of popular opposition leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges. The level of unrest has not been seen since 2007, when another former premier  Benazir Bhutto  was assassinated during an election campaign.

Footage of Khan being dragged from court sparked outrage among his supporters. Angry protesters torched buildings and vehicles. Authorities have deployed troops in an attempt to contain the clashes. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif vowed a tough response to the attacks. Khan is in custody at a police compound in the capital, Islamabad, undergoing questioning.

Advertisement

Whats happening in Pakistan?

Since Khans arrest on Tuesday, at least eight people have died and dozens have been wounded in clashes between his supporters and police. Protesters have burned building and vehicles to the ground. Others blocked roads and set fire to police checkpoints and military facilities. Schools and colleges remain closed in Khans regional strongholds. More than 2,000 people have been arrested so far.

Why does Khans arrest matter?

Pakistan has a history of military takeovers, political upheaval and social unrest. Khan is the seventh prime minister to be arrested since 1977. Military property, including the home of a top commander, has been destroyed. The current turmoil comes as the already embattled country struggles with a dire economic situation, a spike in militancy, and the impact of last years catastrophic floods. This grimness is unlikely to be addressed or resolved soon, further straining living conditions and security for the 220-million population.

Advertisement

Why is there such a strong reaction to Khans detention?

Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022 but still has a massive grassroots following, with the power to quickly mobilize thousands of supporters to the streets and stir up a frenzy with his anti-establishment rhetoric. Last November, he was shot in the leg at a rally. He claims both incidents are evidence of a conspiracy against him, a compelling narrative for his followers who believe he was unjustly ousted and is being targeted by the government and the military.

Why was he arrested?

Khan has at least 100 criminal cases filed against him by various government agencies. In some ways his detention was just a matter of time. He was in court on Tuesday for one set of corruption charges but was arrested for another. Whats striking about his detention is how dramatic it was  the anti-graft agency whose agents detained him has not explained why he was taken so publicly, dragged out of court and shoved into an armored vehicle.

The 70-year-old Khan has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.

What happens next?

The government has stepped up security, banned gatherings  and in some places shut down social media. But Khans supporters are determined to see him freed and returned to power, saying he is their red line. A crackdown on party activists and leaders will not make them back down. Though he may ultimately be released, while he is in detention, the standoff between his supporters and authorities continues  all the while deepening Pakistans divisions.
A woman was fatally shot in an Oak Cliff parking lot, and a man was fatally shot and a teen injured in an attempted carjacking at an Oak Cliff gas station Wednesday morning, Dallas police said.

In the first shooting, officers found Gabriella Gonzalez, 26, lying in a parking lot in the 800 block of South Walton Walker Boulevard around 7:40 a.m. Gonzalez and Harold Thompson, 22, had gotten into an argument prior to the shooting, police said.

Gonzalez died at the scene, and police arrested Thompson, who faces a murder charge.

In the second shooting, officers responded to the QuikTrip in the 4700 block of South RL Thornton Freeway around 10 a.m., police said.

A driver had shot a man and a teen in self-defense during an attempted carjacking, Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV reported. The suspects left the scene and drove to a hospital.

The man died at the hospital from his injuries, officials said. His name has not been released.

The teen sustained non-life-threatening injuries and faces a charge of aggravated robbery.

The investigation is ongoing, police said.
Two options that might speed up removal of radioactive waste from leaking underground storage tanks at Hanford will be evaluated, according to the terms of a settlement agreement reached Wednesday.

The Department of Energy and the Washington state Department of Ecology, a Hanford regulator, reached agreement in August on the approach to waste leaking from Hanfords tanks.

The tanks store a mix of radioactive and hazardous chemical waste until the mix can be treated for permanent disposal.

Heart of America Northwest, a Hanford watchdog group based in Seattle, appealed the federal and state agreement to Washington states Pollution Control Hearings Board.

This is terrific news for taking action to stop the leak from (Tank) B-109, said Gerry Pollet, executive director of Heart of America Northwest.

Tank B-109 is one of two aging tanks confirmed to be leaking waste into the soil above groundwater that moves toward the Columbia River.

The tank has been leaking for four years, Pollet said. And our settlement ensures that there will be a thorough evaluation of whether there is equipment available for readily available processes to remove the leakable liquids and stop the leakage instead of waiting decades while the tank keeps leaking.

The B Tank Farm in central Hanford is shown in April 2021. One of the farms 16 underground tanks is leaking radioactive waste into the ground.

The Department of Ecology says the settlement agreement reached in the appeal Wednesday does not change the earlier agreed order between DOE and the state, which outlined a path for responding to leaks from two Hanford tanks and created plans on how to respond to any potential future leaks.

Instead, the appeal settlement makes clear the requirements in the federal-state agreement, the Department of Ecology said.

Under the agreed order reached in August, DOE was not required to immediately begin emptying waste from two single-shell tanks known to be leaking waste into the ground beneath them.

Instead, the agreed order called for DOE to take steps to limit the spread of the waste and consider ways to revise its tank waste retrieval schedule to possibly empty the waste from the two tanks sooner.

Story continues

DOE, as required by the August agreed order, also is developing Hanfords first comprehensive plan for responding to any more leaks discovered form Hanfords 149 single shell tanks.

Environmental cleanup is underway at the 580-square-mile Hanford nuclear reservation. The underground radioactive waste storage tanks and the vitrification plant are in the center of the site.

The federal and state agreement was reached after more than a years negotiation between DOE and Ecology after Tank B-109 was discovered to be leaking. That followed DOEs announcement a decade ago that Tank T-111 was leaking.

The 580-square-mile Hanford nuclear reservation in Eastern Washington adjacent to Richland was used to produce nearly two-thirds of the plutonium for the nations nuclear weapons program from World War II through the Cold War.

Plutonium was chemically separated from uranium irradiated in Hanford reactors, with 56 million gallons of waste from that process stored in underground tanks, some built during WWII. Work is underway to transfer waste from the oldest 149 single-shell tanks to 27 newer double shell tanks.

Options for leaking tanks

As DOE looks at ways to retrieve waste from the two leaking tanks sooner, the settlement of the appeal now requires it to consider two specific technologies.

Pollet said he does not think federal officials have taken a serious look at the two technologies, based on information he has received through public records requests.

Under the appeals settlement agreement, DOE must evaluate enhanced salt-well pumping, a technology to remove liquid waste caught up within the solids of the tank.

All single-shell tanks had pumpable liquids removed between the 1990s to about 2005 to limit leaking and protect groundwater.

In the past, as many as 67 single-shell tanks were suspected of leaking or spilling waste in the the ground.

Underground Tank B-109, which is leaking radioactive waste at the Hanford site, is near a groundwater treatment system that pumps up contaminated groundwater and returns cleaned water to the ground.

Improvements in technology might allow salt-well pumping to remove more of the liquid waste in pockets within solid waste, which includes sludge with the consistency of peanut butter and hard salt cake.

The second technology that the appeal settlement requires is an in-tank pretreatment system.

DOE already is planning to use an in-tank pretreatment system in another project to remove some tank waste for a test of turning it into a concrete-like grout for disposal out-of-state.

In that project, a waste pretreatment system will be inserted into a double-shell tank. It will use an ion exchange column to remove cesium and strontium, which are not low level wastes, from liquid waste in the tank and also use filtration to separate large undissolved solids that may be high level waste.

The evaluation of speeding up leaking tank retrieval will also consider the disposal pathway for the liquid waste removed from leaking tanks, specifically looking at trucking removed liquid waste to a double-shell tank or a treatment plant, according to the appeal settlement.

The waste could be grouted and sent out of state for disposal.

PNNL to review evaluation

The appeal settlement also calls for a third-party review of the evaluation of options from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland.

will hold a technical workshop on the evaluation with PNNL experts and an expert picked by Heart of America Northwest.

The appeal settlement also calls for clarifications on the Washington Department of Ecology website to distinguish the existing leak detection and monitoring program for the leaking tanks from that required by the federal-state agreed order.

Tank B-109 holds about 123,000 gallons of waste, about 13,000 of it liquid, and has been estimated to be leaking about 560 gallons of waste per year.

Tank T-111 holds about 397,000 gallons of waste, about 37,000 gallons of it liquid, and has been estimated to be leaking about 300 gallons per year.

David Bowen, the Department of Ecologys nuclear waste program manager, said that work has continued to implement the federal-state order as the appeal to the Pollution Control Hearings Board was settled.

And were glad we can continue that momentum, he said.

There will be opportunities for the public to review plans and comment, according to the Department of Ecology.
I was 13 weeks pregnant when I had my first dilation and evacuation (D&E) and 20 weeks when I had my second. In both cases, the pregnancies were incredibly, deeply wanted. In both cases, miscarriage and medical complications threatened my life. In both cases, the thought that my doctor might deny me care for fear of criminal prosecution, or not be trained in the surgery I needed, or not have a legally registered facility in which to provide that care, was never considered.

I was confident in the care I was receiving, able to focus on the thousand other worries and heartbreaks of those agonizing days. As I contemplate the prospect of future, high-risk pregnancies, I can no longer take that confidence for granted.

The dangerous legislation that Republicans just rammed through our General Assembly does a lot more than ban abortions at 12 weeks, as they claim. This legislation would make access to reproductive healthcare impossible for most women because of requirements that arent medically necessary and are only intended to render most clinics illegal.

These changes arent driven by medical advice, but to achieve political goals.

Jenny Black, CEO of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, said ...not a single Planned Parenthood clinic in the state would comply with the medically unnecessary building standards required in this bill  and Planned Parenthood is the largest provider in the state. Smaller independent clinics may have to close under the daunting financial burden of bringing buildings into compliance.

Thats just the supply side. This legislation also triples the required visits for women seeking medication abortions  60% of N.C. abortions are performed via prescription. There is no medical reason for this burdensome restriction. The impact of these changes will be felt most acutely by poor women, women of color, and those living in rural areas.

The impact of this 12-week abortion ban would be the same across the state: Providers will have to suspend services temporarily or indefinitely to come into medically unnecessary compliance. Women juggling work and families (60% of those who have abortions already have one child) will be drained of time and resources to seek care that would have otherwise been readily available.

Story continues

Women and infants will pay the price of this dangerous political posturing. Some surrounding states have seen up to a 62% increase in maternal mortality since the imposition of various bans.

Im vice chair of the North Carolina Council for Women, and according to our research this state already gets a D for womens health and wellness under the existing 20-week restriction. And, North Carolina has the 11th highest infant mortality rate nationally.

Legislators know these restrictions neither improve health nor are supported by most North Carolinians. They negotiated in secret and bypassed the standard process. They denied any meaningful input from medical experts or the public, and they know doctors dont support this.

According to a 2023 Meredith College poll, 57% of North Carolinians want to keep or expand our current laws on abortion. Legislators know this. Thats why theyve tried to deny the voice of the people and avoid a transparent, accountable hearing of the facts.

This issue shouldnt be partisan. In South Carolina, Republican women linked arms with Democrats and led a successful bipartisan filibuster to forestall a dangerous abortion ban. I salute them and hope theyll be a harbinger of bravery and solidarity in our state.

Ive spent the last 15 years of my career joining hands with women on both sides of the aisle to defend the dignity, rights and bodily autonomy of women. Ive seen women of all political stripes, regions and religions  regardless of class or community  stand up to demand their basic freedom to live, labor and love unfettered by political interference.

As someone who has been on the receiving end of one of the procedures in question when heartbreak and heartbeat were on the line, I am hoping against hope that this bill shall not pass.

Lyric Thompson lives in Raleigh. She is vice chair of the N.C. Council for Women and a professor of womens rights at George Washington University.
Rescue teams are seen in front of Factory 56 at the Mercedes-Benz German plant in Sindelfingen after shots were fired at the plant on May 11, 2023. Thomas Kienzle/

Two men have died in a shooting incident at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen, Germany.

The perpetrator has been arrested with no further danger present to staff.

The Sindelfingen plant employs around 35,000 people and produces several Mercedes-Benz models.

Two people died in a shooting incident at a Mercedes-Benz plant on Thursday in southwestern Germany, local police said.

A 53-year-old man was arrested after entering the Mercedes-Benz Daimler factory in Sindelfingen at 7:45 am local time and shooting two men, a press release by Ludwigsburg police said.

Both men who were shot were 44-years-old, police said. After the shooting, the shooter was immediately detained by security guards on site and handed over to police who subsequently arrested him without any resistance.

The factory hall has been evacuated and employees are being supported by police and Mercedes staff, police said confirming that there's no further danger to employees or the general population.

Mercedes-Benz confirmed to Reuters that the two men were employees of an external service provider.

The Stuttgart prosecutor's office additionally told Reuters that investigators are working on the assumption that there's only one perpetrator and no individuals outside the factory were involved.

The Sindelfingen plant employs around 35,000 people and produces several Mercedes-Benz models including the S-Class model and the E-Class model, according to its website.

Mercedes-Benz did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment about the incident.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Marquise Jackson leaving court after being sentenced for his involvement in the shooting after a Bucks playoff game in May 2022.

Two people have been sentenced for their involvement in a mass shooting downtown after a Milwaukee Bucks playoff game in May 2022.

Marquise Jackson, 25, was given a prison term of 22 years, and was ordered 15 years extended supervision afterward. Alexus Jackson-Milton, 21, will serve five years in prison, and five years of extended supervision.

Jackson and Jackson-Milton, both of Milwaukee, appeared in court Thursday to receive their sentences after pleading guilty earlier as part of separate plea deals. Seventeen people, ranging in age from 15 to 47, were injured in the May 13, 2022 shootings.

Alexus Jackson-Milton apologized to the victims for her role in the shootings

Jackson-Milton faced a single charge for conspiracy to commit aggravated battery using a dangerous weapon. She was originally charged with 15 other charges for first-degree reckless injury with a dangerous weapon as party to a crime. Those charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal on April 10.

Wisconsin Department of Justice attorney Jacob Corr asked for prison time for Jackson-Milton, while her lawyer, Jeffrey Jensen, pleaded with the judge to stay the sentence and instead order probation.

Jensen argued while Jackson-Milton was present and an active participant in the shooting, she did not fire her weapon and had no prior criminal history.

The seriousness of the offense is high, but her involvement is not, he said.

Jackson-Milton also addressed the court briefly.

I just want to apologize to the victims, their families, my family, and anyone else present that night, she said.

Judge Michael Hanrahan said prison time for Jackson-Milton was warranted because of both the severity of the incident and the part she played in the conspiracy to commit the crime.

"Whether or not Ms. Jackson-Milton fired her weapon is certainly a fact to consider, but shes charged with making a decision to harm or kill others," Hanrahan said. "The decision to join the conspiracy is the crime, and its an incredible serious decision to make."

Story continues

Marquise Jackson asked for leniency, but judge wanted to send 'message' in sentencing him

In court, Jacksons actions were put on display in video of him firing an AR-style handgun. Only one bullet in the incident was a ballistic match for the weapon fired by Jackson -- it struck a victim on the patio of Elwoods Liquor & Tap, on Water Street. That person survived, but was critically wounded.

Jackson pleaded guilty in December to one felony count of conspiracy to commit aggravated battery causing great bodily harm using a dangerous weapon and seven more counts of first-degree reckless injury using a dangerous weapon as party to a crime.

Eight other charges of first-degree reckless injury using a dangerous weapon as party to a crime were dismissed as part of a plea deal.

Jacksons attorney, Jason Baltz, asked the court for a sentence of four to six years in prison.

Corr told the court Jacksons actions were dangerous, but said Jackson was instrumental in helping law enforcement piece together what led to the shooting.

Hanrahan acknowledged Jackson appeared remorseful and assisted law enforcement, but highlighted the seriousness of the crime.

The court has to consider the message that it sends to the community at large, Hanrahan said. It has to be loud and clear that if you bring a gun to a large social gathering and you start shooting, theres going to be serious consequences. That message has to be loud and clear to everybody.

Jackson and Jackson-Milton are scheduled to appear in court July 20 for restitution hearings.

Here's what happened that night

A man was standing outside Grohmann Tower, 233 E. Juneau Ave. shortly after 11 p.m. on May 13.

According to surveillance camera footage described in court records, two groups of people appeared to converge and take up positions around the man - one coming from the east, the other from the west.

Police later learned one of the suspects had a longstanding feud with the man, who they came to believe was the intended target in the attack.

Milton was part of the group walking east. Included in that group was Lemont Siller and Jackson-Milton, who was the first to pull out a gun while facing the man, records said.

An unknown person who was with the intended target then pulled out a gun and fired shots. Siller, Jackson, Milton, Murry and Jackson-Milton all returned fire, records said.

Milton was seen in surveillance camera footage running east on Juneau Avenue while firing shots. He at one point tripped over a median, but resumed firing after getting up, records said. He was identified to police by the intended target.

There are other cases pending

These sentences bring to four the number of people who are in prison in connection with the incident.

The others are:

Christopher L. Murry, 24. He pleaded guilty in November to three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety using a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced in January to 30 years in prison.

Siller, 21. He pleaded guilty in April to one count of aggravated battery with intent to harm using a dangerous weapon and four counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety using a dangerous weapon as party to a crime. He was initially charged with 11 additional counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, including one count involving injury to an unborn child. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30.

The case against a fifth person, Terrell Milton, 24, has not concluded. He is scheduled for a show cause hearing on May 25.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 2 get prison time in mass shooting after Milwaukee Bucks playoff game
Two years after taking his aides advice to condemn the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrectionists, Donald Trump as he campaigns to regain the presidency is now openly embracing their violent assault on police officers in their efforts to carry out his attempted coup.

It was a beautiful day ... Jan. 6, it was the largest crowd I have ever spoken to, Trump said at a New Hampshire town hall hosted by CNN Wednesday before complaining that so many of them are facing felony charges or have already been convicted for their crimes. What theyve done to these people, theyve persecuted these people.

Those words align with previous statements from recent months where he has recast those charged and even convicted of assaulting police officers as patriotic heroes. He has even collaborated with more than a dozen of them to produce a recording of their rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner  punctuated by Trump reading the Pledge of Allegiance  which he then played at the start of a recent rally as he stood with his hand on his heart.

More than 140 officers were injured that day defending the Capitol from Trump followers who had come to block the congressional ceremony certifying Democrat Joe Bidens election win.

Among those injured and nearly killed was Michael Fanone, a former Washington, D.C., officer.

We need to stop treating him as if he is a participant in our democratic republic and start treating him as the enemy of it, he said. Thats how you debate Trump. You go to war with him.

As footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is displayed in the background, former President Donald Trump stands while a song,

As footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is displayed in the background, former President Donald Trump stands while a song, "Justice for All," is played during a campaign rally on March 25 in Waco, Texas.

Trumps effort to revise history worries critics who see him now behaving like a classic authoritarian.

Until this latest round of statements, I was reluctant to use the word fascism to describe Trump, said Norm Eisen, an ethics lawyer in the Barack Obama White House who then worked with the House when it impeached Trump for his attempt to extort Ukraine in 2019. There can no longer be any doubt about the nature of the movement he seeks to build and lead ... Were moving into late-stage evolution of Trumps autocracy.

Story continues

This is exactly the kind of authoritarian behavior weve come to dread and expect from him, said Rick Wilson, a longtime Republican consultant who broke with the party after Trump won the 2016 presidential nomination. Hes telling America: He will pardon hundreds of violent terrorists who attempted to overthrow the government. In any moral universe, it would disqualify him completely. Now, it probably raised his standing with MAGA voters.

George Conway, a prominent lawyer who supported Trumps election but quickly turned against him because of Trumps behavior upon taking office, said the effort to paint a coup attempt as a patriotic event has chilling historical echoes. It reminds me of how, after Hitler came to power, he constructed a memorial near the beer hall in Munich and made the anniversary of the putsch an annual national celebration, Conway said, referring to the 1923 failed coup attempt that sent the eventual dictator to prison for nine months.

Trumps staff did not respond to HuffPosts queries about his new glorification of political violence.

It is, however, in stark contrast to the statement he issued on Jan. 7, 2021, the day after the failed coup attempt. Then, he put out a video at the urging of White House lawyers and aides saying he was outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem and that: If you broke the law, you will pay  although the House Jan. 6 committee later released evidence that Trump watered down the condemnation that had been prepared for him.

One former Trump campaign official said the 180-degree flip is typical. Trump had the ability to pardon all of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists prior to noon on Jan. 20, 2021, when he left office, and chose not to  even though he is now claiming he will pardon them if returned to the White House.

Just another example of how Trumps promises now are empty words, the official said on condition of anonymity. When he had the chance to do the things hes promising now, he didnt do them, or did the complete opposite.

Trump did, at times Wednesday night, appear to appreciate the risks in justifying the violence perpetrated on his behalf. Asked about issuing pardons to all those facing charges or already convicted, Trump said he was inclined to do so except for a couple of them, probably, who got out of control.

During a discussion of his actions on Jan. 6 itself, when Trump was pressed on why it took him three hours of watching the violence on television before he finally told his mob to leave the building, he lied and claimed he had posted a video telling them to do that shortly after 2 p.m.

In fact, that video was not posted to Twitter until 4:17 p.m.  two and a half hours after some of his followers began breaking through police barriers into the building, and nearly two hours after Trump sent the mob into a frenzy by tweeting that his own vice president, Mike Pence, didnt have the courage to do as Trump had demanded.

That post enraged his people, who swarmed into the Capitol with the goal of hunting down his vice president. Many roamed the halls chanting: Hang Mike Pence!

David Jolly, a former GOP congressman from Florida, said he sees statements about Jan. 6 both then and now as self-preservation.

The day after the coup he was facing possible removal from office. Even if it would have been meaningless, it would have been an historic injury for him, Jolly said. Now removed from the days of the insurrection, he is retelling history with a narrative that further builds the fictional lens through which he hopes the world will see him.

Eisen said that whatever his motivations, Trump now represents the biggest internal threat to American democracy since at least Sen. Joe McCarthys time and possibly the Civil War. There can no longer be any doubt about the nature of the movement he seeks to build and lead, he said, adding that it was incumbent first on his Republican rivals to stand up to him. Trump will also have to stand judgment before all the American people and also the courts. The Republican primary electorate will not be the last stop should they fail us.

Trump is under criminal investigation by prosecutors in Georgia as well as the Department of Justice for his actions leading up to and on Jan. 6. The DOJ is separately investigating his refusal to turn over top-secret documents he had at his South Florida country club in defiance of a subpoena.
Interstate 271 was backed up between I-77 and state Route 8 in Summit County on Thursday, May 11, 2023, due to a search for a truck driver who pointed a gun at another person and fled from police. He was found unconscious at the bottom of a ravine and taken to a hospital, and 271 was reopened Thursday evening.

A semi-truck driver who brandished a weapon at a vehicle repair worker in Medina County is in custody in a hospital following a pursuit and standoff that shut down I-271 for several hours Thursday, according to Beacon Journal news partner News 5 Cleveland.

The Ohio Highway Patrol told News 5 that the driver pulled a weapon on the worker in the northbound lanes of I-271 around 3 p.m. in Granger Township in Medina County.

Troopers responded and found the truck, but before they could speak with the truck driver, he disconnected his trailer and drove off, the patrol told News 5.

Authorities pursued the man into Summit County, and the chase ended when a Richfield police officer deployed stop sticks, with the semi striking a cruiser and then a guard rail. The driver jumped out and ran into the woods, with the patrol saying police set up a perimeter and brought in a plane to help look for him.

Authorities found the man, who still had the gun, unconscious at the bottom of a steep ravine around 6:45 p.m., and he was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of serious injuries. It's unclear if the injuries are from the man falling down the ravine or some other incident, News 5 said.

I-271 reopened at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday between I-77 and state Route 8 following the four-hour closure ordered by police searching for the man. The perimeter that was established to search for the driver caused major delays on I-271, I-77 and state Route 8.

Charges are currently pending against the man, but the patrol hasn't said what those charges are.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Suspect in hospital, I-271 open in Summit County after police manhunt
Beyonce performs during the Renaissance World Tour on May 10, 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood

Beyonce kicked off the Renaissance World Tour on Wednesday in Stockholm, Sweden.

The set list included a variety of hits, old singles, and tracks from her newest album "Renaissance."

All 36 songs performed during opening night are listed below, not including video intros and interludes.

"Dangerously in Love 2"

"Dangerously in Love 2" is the title track for Beyonce's debut solo album. Courtesy of Markus Klinko

"Flaws and All"

"Flaws and All" is the seventh track on "B'Day Deluxe Edition." Beyonce/YouTube

"1+1"

"1+1" was released as a single on May 25, 2011. Beyonce/YouTube

"I'm Goin' Down" (Mary J. Blige cover)

"I'm Goin' Down" is the 10th track on "My Life" by Mary J. Blige. Chance Yeh/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

"I Care"

"I Care" was released as a single on March 23, 2012. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood

"I'm That Girl"

"I'm That Girl" is the first track on "Renaissance." Mason Poole

"Cozy"

"Cozy" is the second track on "Renaissance." Carlijn Jacobs

"Alien Superstar"

"Alien Superstar" is the third track on "Renaissance." Carlijn Jacobs

"Lift Off" (Jay-Z and Kanye West cover)

"Lift Off" is the second track on "Watch the Throne" by Jay-Z and Kanye West. Getty/Kevin Mazur

"Cuff It"

"Cuff It" is the fourth track on "Renaissance." Carlijn Jacobs

"Energy"

"Energy" is the fifth track on "Renaissance." Carlijn Jacobs

"Break My Soul"

"Break My Soul" was released as a single on June 20, 2022. Mason Poole

"Formation"

"Formation" was released as a single on February 6, 2016. Beyonce/YouTube

"Diva"

"Diva" was released as a single on January 20, 2009. Beyonce/YouTube

"Run the World (Girls)"

"Run The World (Girls)" was released as a single on April 21, 2011. Beyonce/YouTube

"My Power"

"My Power" is the 23rd track on "The Lion King: The Gift." Disney Plus

"Black Parade"

"Black Parade" was released as a single on June 19, 2020. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood

"Savage Remix" (Megan Thee Stallion cover)

"Savage Remix" was released as a single on April 29, 2020. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

"Partition"

"Partition" was released as a single on February 25, 2014. Beyonce/YouTube

"Church Girl"

"Church Girl" is the seventh track on "Renaissance." Mason Poole

"Get Me Bodied"

"Get Me Bodied" was released as a single on July 10, 2007. Beyonce/YouTube

"Before I Let Go"

"Before I Let Go" is a bonus track on "Homecoming: The Live Album." Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella

"Rather Die Young"

"Rather Die Young" is the eighth track on "4." Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood

"Love On Top"

"Love On Top" was released as a single on September 12, 2011. Beyonce/YouTube

"Crazy In Love"

"Crazy In Love" was released as a single on May 14, 2003. Beyonce/YouTube

"Plastic Off The Sofa"

"Plastic Off The Sofa" is the eighth track on "Renaissance." Mason Poole

"Virgo's Groove"

"Virgo's Groove" is the ninth track on "Renaissance." Mason Poole

"Naughty Girl"

"Naughty Girl" was released as a single on March 14, 2004. Beyonce/YouTube

"Move"

"Move" is the 10th track on "Renaissance." Carlijn Jacobs

"Heated"

"Heated" is the 11th track on "Renaissance." Genevieve Tate

"Thique"

"Thique" is the 12th track on "Renaissance." Carlijn Jacobs

"All Up in Your Mind"

"All Up in Your Mind" is the 13th track on "Renaissance." Mason Poole

"Drunk in Love"

"Drunk In Love" was released as a single on December 17, 2013. Beyonce/YouTube

"America Has a Problem"

"America Has a Problem" is the 14th track on "Renaissance." Carlijn Jacobs

"Pure/Honey"

"Pure/Honey" is the 15th track on "Renaissance." Courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment

"Summer Renaissance"

"Summer Renaissance" is the 16th track on "Renaissance." Carlijn Jacobs

Read the original article on Insider
Test scores for history began their decline about a decade ago. Don Mason via Getty Images

When national student test scores revealed recently that knowledge of U.S. history and civics had reached an all-time low, one Republican lawmaker described the drop as an outright failure that should concern every parent across the country.

The test scores showed that 86% of Americas eighth graders were not proficient in U.S. history, and 79% were not proficient in civics.

While one top U.S. education official described the scores as alarming, the official rightly pointed out that the decline actually began nearly a decade ago.

In my view as a historian of education reform and policy, the latest history and civics test scores were a predictable outcome. While it is difficult to establish an exact cause of the decline, here are four factors that I believe contributed to it.

1. Pandemic fears of learning loss

When students gradually began to return to their physical school buildings after they were closed when the COVID-19 pandemic began, researchers, politicians and critics of teachers unions began to worry about learning loss in math and reading.

Historically, when there are worries about test scores in core subjects like reading and math, other subjects become less of a priority. This deemphasis on subjects beyond reading and math has taken place before. Specifically, after the Bush-era policy No Child Left Behind became the law of the land in 2002, teachers reported that the emphasis on testing took away time and resources for social studies. They also say it threatened arts education, which has been shown to benefit childrens overall academic, emotional and social well-being.

2. The politicization of social studies education

At the same time that many education experts were worried about learning loss in reading and math, conservative politicians were working incessantly to limit what can be taught in social studies.

In one of his first acts as governor, Virginias Glenn Youngkin, for example, set up an anonymous tip line for parents to report teachers who taught divisive concepts, such as the notion that the U.S. is fundamentally racist or sexist or that a person from a particular race or sex bears responsibility for past actions committed by other members of the same race or sex. The tip line has since been quietly shut down.

Story continues

Across the country, state legislatures led by conservative politicians have adopted bills banning instruction about aspects of U.S. history that could, they believe, make white children feel discomfort or guilt.

All of this has created an atmosphere of fear for the nations teachers, who remain largely unsure of what they can and cannot teach. For some teachers, this political context has led them to self-censor and limit what they teach about American history, potentially depriving students of a richer understanding of the nations politics and policy.

3. Education budget cuts

Although research has long shown that funding matters for student achievement, many school districts around the country are currently struggling for adequate resources.

The pandemic has amplified existing racial and economic disparities  and recent national test scores in history and civics are an extension of those disparities. Not only were the average scores on U.S. history tests lower for Black students than white ones, but the decline from 2018 scores to 2022 was 42% greater for Black students. Black students collectively lost 4.5 points, or 1.8% of their average scores, from 2018 to 2022, versus 3.5 points, or 1.29%, for white students.

And the situation was even more stark for low-income kids. Compared with 2018, children who are eligible for free or reduced lunch  a standard measure of poverty  saw their scores drop more than twice as much as they did for their higher-income peers who did not qualify for the program. Specifically, they lost five points  going from 250.5 in 2018 to 245.5 in 2022, versus just two points for those who do not qualify for free and reduced lunch, who saw their scores drop from 274 to 272 between 2018 and 2022.

4. Teacher shortages

Mounting job stress and the blaming of teachers have led many educators to leave schools altogether, generating widespread teacher shortages.

Among teachers who left the profession in 2022, a record high 64% quit, as opposed to being laid off or fired, leaving district and state leaders scrambling to lower requirements for substitutes in an effort to find adequate classroom support. Evidence suggests that experienced, professionally trained teachers are critical for students academic achievement. With that in mind, low test scores in history and civics begin to make more sense.

Keys to improvement

What American kids know  or dont  about the nations history and civics is a reflection not of the kids, but of the political and economic circumstances that affect their schools.

The factors that support student learning  funding, qualified teachers and high-quality curricula  are well known. In my view, if history and civics scores are to improve, then what is needed is more funding for public schools, more support for professional teachers and the freeing up of educators from policies shaped by contentious political debates about what they can and cant teach about U.S. history in Americas classrooms.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters.

It was written by: Diana D'Amico Pawlewicz, University of North Dakota.

Read more:



Diana D'Amico Pawlewicz has received funding from the Spencer Foundation.
A home with a "for sale" sign out front Martin Barraud/Getty Images

Kiplinger logo

Low inventory, high mortgage rates, and steep prices have been bad news for prospective homebuyers in recent months. But in some areas, shockingly high home prices have seemingly started to come down, Kiplinger reported.

Here's a look at which metro areas in the U.S. have seen some of the most notable price drops compared to a year ago, and what the changes mean for the broader housing market.

Where are home prices dropping?

The metro area seeing the highest share of for-sale homes that cost less than they did just one a year ago is Austin, Texas, according to a Redfin study released in early May.

Nearly 26 percent of for-sale homes in this Texas city have lower estimated monthly housing payments compared to a year ago. The median sale price in Austin declined 13.6 percent between March 2022 and March 2023, with the current median sale price sitting at $450,000.

The four other metro areas with notable price drops are:

Seattle, with 23.6 percent of for-sale homes having a lower estimated monthly payment than a year ago and a change in median sale price of -9.5 percent.

San Francisco, with 18.8 percent of for-sale homes having a lower estimated monthly payment than a year ago and a change in median sale price of -8.9 percent.

New York, with 18.3 percent of for-sale homes having a lower estimated monthly payment than a year ago and a change in median sale price of -2.2 percent.

Pittsburgh, with 15.6 percent of for-sale homes having a lower estimated monthly payment than a year ago and a change in median sale price of -5.4 percent.

When you apply via our links we may earn an affiliate commission

What does this say about the housing market?

Amid soaring mortgage rates, falling home prices are likely a welcome sign, but is this a trend isolated to the above metro areas, or a larger indication of where the housing market is headed? March marked the first time in 11 years that home prices fell for two months in a row, according to The Wall Street Journal. The "national median existing-home price decline of 0.9 percent in March from a year earlier to $375,700 was the biggest year-over-year price drop since January 2012," the Journal reported based on a statement from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Story continues

However, it's important to note that declines in home prices are occurring unevenly across the country. Prices are dropping the most in the West, but "in other parts of the country, prices are still rising from a year earlier because inventory of homes for sale is unusually low for this time of year," the Journal said. "Home prices continue to rise in regions where jobs are being added and housing is relatively affordable. The more expensive areas of the country are adjusting to lower prices," Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist, told the newspaper.

Will home prices drop more?

Possibly. "The prospect of an outright price drop is looming on the horizon," according to a Realtor.com report released at the end of March. At the rate things have begun to slow down this spring, "list prices are likely to decline, relative to the previous year, by summertime," Danielle Hale, Realtor.com chief economist, predicted.

However, low inventory may complicate matters. "I think we've hit kind of the bottom [in terms of pricing]," Lauryn Dempsey, a real-estate agent in the Denver area, suggested to The Wall Street Journal. "It's definitely not as competitive as it was at the same time last year, but we definitely still have a really-low-inventory problem."

Any future price declines might have patchy effects. Redfin contended in its report that "home prices are falling fastest in pandemic boomtowns like Austin and expensive coastal markets like Seattle and San Francisco because prices in those places skyrocketed to unsustainable levels in recent years." Meanwhile, in locations like Orlando and Des Moines, where just 1 percent of homes for sale cost less than they did a year ago, their relative affordability means that "demand has held up relatively well, which has kept home prices afloat."

The homes that are the most likely to cost less than they would have a year ago are those with an estimated value of $10 million or above, according to Redfin. "Luxury homes are losing value because demand for high-end goods tends to dwindle during times of economic hardship and uncertainty," the real estate brokerage said.

Other ways to save when buying a home

Shopping while prices are low is one obvious way to save when buying a home, but there are other best practices, too.

Shop around for the best mortgage rates and compare different lenders.

Work on improving your credit score prior to applying for a mortgage.

Take full advantage of any tax breaks for homebuyers.

Consider foreclosure sales as foreclosure rates rise.

Negotiate for the seller to pay a portion (or all) of closing costs.

Avoid paying private mortgage insurance by saving 20 percent for a down payment.

Be strategic about what time of year you buy (winter may offer more deals than spring and summer).

Becca Stanek has worked as an editor and writer in the personal finance space since 2017. She has previously served as the managing editor for investing and savings content at LendingTree, an editor at SmartAsset and a staff writer for The Week. This article is in part based on information first published on The Week's sister site, Kiplinger.com.

New Tax Rules for 2023: Download your free issue of The Kiplinger Tax Letter today. No information is required from you.

You may also like

MTV News shutting down after 36 years

Sen. Dianne Feinstein returns to D.C. after extended absence, Democratic tensions

Trump's loss to E. Jean Carroll was likely aided by these 2 blunders in his taped deposition
Police in south Georgia have made several arrests connected to a shooting ambush of newlyweds.

On March 18, police said Antwan and Courtney Duncan-Penn were shot inside their car when they got caught in the crossfire of a gang-related shooting. Antwan Penn died from his injuries. Courtney Penn survived being shot in the head.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Antwan and Courtney Penn were married for only four months, according to his obituary.

She was the air that he breathed and the sparkle in his eyes; and they cherished every moment that they shared together. Not only was he a loving and devoted husband, but an awesome father and great provider for his family.

Penn also left behind five children.

TRENDING STORIES:

Police have charged four teens with murder in his death: brothers 22-year-old Donnellius Thomas and 20-year-old Zaydren Thomas; 18-year-old Nekhi Parks; 17-year-old Montrez Nix; 15-year-old Brian Massey Jr.; and 15-year-old Nicholas Collier. The Albany police department only shared five of the booking photos.

At a news conference Wednesday, Albany police said the suspects are known gang-members and that the Penns were shot in a case of mistaken identity.

A house belonging to one of the alleged gang members family was shot between 30 minutes to an hour before the Penns shooting.

They were going out looking for those perpetrators. Mr. Penn and Mrs. Penn were coming from a family function, Sgt. Lataevia Jackson said.

Police said the gang charges will be added.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS
El Paso, Texas  An estimated 60,000 migrants were waiting near the U.S.-Mexico border as the Biden administration ended the Title 42 pandemic-era rule that has allowed authorities to expel those entering the country unlawfully, a top U.S. official told CBS News on Thursday.

Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said his agency was preparing for some of the tens of thousands of migrants currently on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border to try to cross into the U.S. Title 42 expired at midnight Thursday.

"Upwards of 60,000 migrants we project are staging in and around the immediate border area," Ortiz said in an interview earlier in the day in El Paso. "So we're focused on ensuring that we're doing everything we can to allocate resources to address those flows."

In the lead-up to the end of Title 42, which was triggered by the expiration of the national COVID-19 public health emergency, border officials have already seen a spike in migration, recording around 10,000 daily apprehensions on some days this week.

As of Thursday, nearly 25,000 migrants were in Border Patrol holding facilities and tents, Ortiz said, despite the agency only having capacity on paper to hold several thousand individuals.

Ortiz said Border Patrol is working to reduce overcrowding in its holding facilities by rapidly releasing some migrants without court dates.

"We are over capacity in several of the sectors," Ortiz said. "And so we're working closely with our NGO partners, our communities to make sure that we release those migrants after they've been vetted and cleared, and they pose no significant threat to the community."

Immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. wait in line to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing into Arizona from Mexico on May 11, 2023, in Yuma, Arizona. / Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Ortiz attributed the current spike in border arrivals to smugglers "forcing some migrants to make some decisions that ultimately they probably shouldn't make" by spreading misinformation about U.S. policy, including on social media.

Despite the current challenges, Ortiz said he does not anticipate a "huge surge" in migrant crossings in the immediate aftermath of Title 42 ending.

Story continues

Ortiz noted the transition away from Title 42 won't be abrupt, mentioning that on Wednesday only 19% of the migrants taken into custody were processed for expulsion under the public health order.

He also said the government is hoping to deter illegal crossings by deporting or returning migrants who don't qualify for asylum and prosecuting repeat border crossers.

In fact, the Biden administration has made it harder for migrants to qualify for asylum after Title 42.

Under a rule implemented Friday, migrants who cross the southern border without permission will be ineligible for asylum if they did not ask for protection in another country, like Mexico, on their way to the U.S.

Those unable to prove they qualify for an exemption to the rule will face deportation to their home country or Mexico, as well as a 5-year banishment from the U.S.

The ACLU and other groups challenged the new rule in federal court late Thursday, but the Department of Homeland Security defended it, saying in a statement that it "seeks to incentivize migrants to use lawful pathways instead of taking the dangerous journey to unlawfully cross the southern border. This rule responds to the elevated encounters we are experiencing at the border and is critical to creating an orderly process to seek protection in the United States at a time when Congress refuses to reform our broken immigration laws or provide the necessary funds to hire sufficient asylum officers and immigration judges to process claims in a timely manner."

The Biden administration is pairing the stricter asylum rules with increased opportunities for migrants to enter the country legally, including through an app for asylum seekers in Mexico and a program for Cubans, Nicaraguans, Haitians and Venezuelans with American sponsors.

Biden administration officials have said the policies will eventually reduce the historically high levels of border arrivals.

Nevertheless, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said the policy changes will usher in a "difficult" period for his department. President Biden also said the situation would be "chaotic," at least for "a while."

Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also announced late Thursday night that it was adding "several thousand" beds in its detention centers in response to the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The release did not mention the expiration of Title 42.

ICE noted that with the expiration of the public health emergency, it was ending COVID-19 testing and quarantine requirements for all detainees.

"These changes will increase the number of accessible beds in ICE's detention network and allow ICE to process detained noncitizens for intake more quickly," the agency wrote.

Seinfeld | 60 Minutes Archives

Aaron Rodgers set for Jets debut as NFL releases 2023 schedule

Last-minute Mothers Day gift ideas
North Carolina Republicans have made it clear they intend to radically expand the states school voucher program, funneling more taxpayer dollars into private schools.

A bill sponsored by all 103 House and Senate Republicans would expand the Opportunity Scholarship program so that any household could receive a voucher for private school tuition, regardless of income level. If it passes  and it likely will  North Carolina would be spending more than half a billion dollars per year on private school vouchers by 2032.

But unlike public schools, private schools arent required to accept all students  and some dont. North Carolinas Opportunity Scholarship Program gives millions of dollars in public money to private schools with dubious beliefs and discriminatory policies.

GRACE Christian School in Sanford was the top recipient of voucher funds in the 2022-23 school year. The school received about $2.2 million dollars in public funds through the program.

But GRACE Christian also requires students, parents and employees to abide by a Statement of Faith, which unequivocally condemns same-sex marriage, homosexuality and the rejection of ones biological sex.

Berean Baptist Academy in Fayetteville received $1.7 million in voucher funds this school year. The schools policy handbook establishes marriage as solely between one man and one woman, and states that our beliefs regarding human sexuality and marriage shall apply in all policies and programs and can factor in admission decisions and continued enrollment in the academy. The Fayetteville Observer reported in 2020 that Berean refused to accept two students because their parents were gay.

Fayetteville Christian School, which received $1.3 million this school year, says it will not admit families that engage in behaviors that Scripture defines as deviate and sin. A copy of its handbook also states that having an abortion is grounds for expulsion.

Liberty Christian Academys policies include a similar statement on biblical morality, which allows it to refuse admission to or disenroll any student or family whose behavior is counter to or in opposition to the biblical lifestyle the school teaches. Liberty Christian benefitted from $1.5 million in voucher funds this school year.

Story continues

Freedom Christian Academy in Fayetteville says a students privilege of membership can be terminated if they express a gender other than his or her sex. It pocketed $1.2 million in voucher funds.

Northwood Temple Academy, also in Fayetteville, also received over a million dollars in voucher funds this school year. It lists physical intimacy, pregnancy, abortion, homosexuality/bisexuality/transgenderism as serious offenses that may result in immediate expulsion.

The same is true of dozens of other schools that receive public funds through the Opportunity Scholarship program. Currently, more than 25,000 students receive vouchers under the program, and about 90% of those students attend religious schools, according to data analyzed by WUNC. Many of those schools have anti-LGBTQ policies or teach using a curriculum guided by religious ideology.

To be clear, private schools are allowed to discriminate. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, but religious private schools can claim exemptions to Title IX to the extent that application of Title IX would be inconsistent with the religious tenets of the organization.

Various lawsuits have been filed challenging the constitutionality of the Opportunity Scholarship program because it funds schools that discriminate on the basis of religion and sexual orientation. Those lawsuits have not been successful, but North Carolina shouldnt be funding discrimination with public dollars in the first place.

Its not just about discrimination, either. A 2020 report from Duke Law Schools Childrens Law Clinic found that three-quarters of religious schools receiving voucher funds teach a biblically-based curriculum with concepts that directly contradict the states educational standards. There are hardly any accountability measures in place for schools that receive voucher funds  they dont even have to be accredited.

Private schools can teach and admit whatever and whoever they want, but their efforts shouldnt be subsidized by public money. Republican lawmakers claim that by expanding North Carolinas school voucher program, theyre giving every family a choice.

Unfortunately, sometimes the schools they choose dont choose them back.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  More than 74 million visitors came to the Orlando, Florida, area last year, a benchmark just short of pre-pandemic levels, tourism officials said Thursday.

The number of tourists was 25% greater than it was in 2021, when central Florida was still recovering from the blows to tourism caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted international travel and caused convention cancellations. The area's theme parks closed for several months in 2020 in an effort to stop the virus' spread.

This past year proved to be a key recovery timeframe for Orlandos tourism industry, with a lot of pent-up demand from our top US and international markets, said Casandra Matej, president and CEO for Visit Orlando, the area's tourism promotion organization.

The Orlando area had more than 69 million domestic visitors, with most of them visiting for vacations, a segment that has fully recovered, tourism officials said. Business visitors still lagged behind pre-pandemic levels.

There were 4.9 million international tourists, making up only about three-quarters of pre-pandemic levels, according to Visit Orlando. The two biggest sources of international visitors were Canada and the United Kingdom.

___

This story has been corrected to fix attribution in last paragraph to Visit Orlando instead of Visit Florida.
You have the power to potentially save the lives of your friends, neighbors and family members.

The leading cause of accidental death in Pennsylvania is opioid overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate of opioid-related deaths in the state nearly quintupled from 2010 to 2019, rising from 5 per 100,000 people to 23.7 per 100,000 people.

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the opioid epidemic, according to a new study I recently published with my colleagues at Penn State and the University of Toronto. Opioid overdoses increased in Pennsylvania in 2020 compared with 2018 and 2019. In 2020, the rate of opioid-related deaths in Pennsylvania rose to 42.4 per 100,000 people.

The statistics are grim, but there is hope. Research shows that naloxone saves lives.

Naloxone is a drug that can be administered by anyone, no medical training required, to quickly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. In comparison to other lifesaving measures such as CPR, the point of entry for using naloxone effectively is low.

More: Erie County joins initiative offering aid over arrest to those battling drug use disorder

In Pennsylvania, residents have access to free naloxone by mail. Now, with new FDA approval, naloxone nasal spray could be for sale in convenience stores, supermarkets and even online by late summer, making it easier than ever to access a powerful drug that hasn't always been easy to obtain.

Uneven access to naloxone in rural Pa.

As a health geographer and demographer with training in public health and policy, I and my team have conducted research that shows the impact naloxone can have, and disparities that exist in obtaining access to it. Our research found that individuals who received at least one dose of naloxone following overdose had 11 times greater odds of survival than those who did not.

In this file photo, Erie Bureau of Police Lt. Anthony Talarico shows a portable naloxone kit, Nov. 7, 2016, at the police station in Erie. Naloxone is a medicine that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses, like those caused by heroin

Naloxone has been so successful that the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory in 2018 calling for its enhanced distribution nationwide. In Pennsylvania, a standing order for naloxone was issued in 2015 and updated in 2022, essentially providing an open prescription for naloxone for anyone across the state.

Story continues

While this was an important step, our research indicates it has not resulted in equal access for everyone, with rural counties reporting some of the lowest naloxone administration and overdose survival rates.

More: 6 indicted in Erie-based ring that feds say dealt in meth, cocaine, opioid pills, heroin

Research points to several factors that put rural areas across the United States at a disadvantage in this fight.

Emergency medical service (EMS) coverage is inconsistent and tends to be less accessible in rural areas.

Paramedic education programs are scarcer in rural areas. Therefore, EMT-basics  those with minimum licensure and thus unable to administer drugs like naloxone  are more likely to respond to emergencies in rural areas.

The rates of prescribing and dispensing naloxone in rural areas tend to be lower as well, with research pointing to less access to specialized providers and fewer medical professionals with the appropriate approval and training.

Cost, of course, remains a barrier. A study in Pennsylvania found out-of-pocket naloxone prices in 2017 ranging from $50 to $400.

Naloxone will soon be available over-the-counter

Pennsylvania residents have access to free mail-order naloxone in any formation, making it easier for anyone in the state to access. With the additional FDA approval to sell it over the counter, naloxone will be even more convenient to obtain. Coupled with county and local governments' continued focus on responsible and community-minded allocation of funds from the opioid settlement, these avenues of access give everyone in Pennsylvania the opportunity to save lives.

Louisa Holmes is a health geographer and demographer at Penn State University.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Naloxone coming to convenience stores and more as opioid deaths soar
The 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards are here, and the stars are getting ready.

Nominees for the big night were announced in April, country music heavyweights Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton are set to host, and HARDY leads the pack with nominations.

Here is what else to know about one of country music's biggest nights.

This year's ACM Awards will be held in Frisco, Texas, and available to stream live on Amazon Prime Thursday, May 11 starting at 7 p.m. ET.

2022 ACMS HOST DOLLY PARTON DEDICATES 'ENTIRE SHOW' TO UKRAINE: 'I WANT US TO SEND OUR LOVE AND HOPE'

Country music legends Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks are set to host the ACM Awards this year.

Hosting the show this year is two icons in the country music industry, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

This will be Parton's second time hosting the show, as she hosted last year alongside Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett; however, it will be Brooks' first time taking on the role.

"I am thrilled to host the ACM Awards, this time with my friend Garth," Parton told Forbes in March. "While Ive had the pleasure of spending time with him throughout the years, I cant believe weve never had the time to work together."

"Anyone with Dolly Parton makes a fantastic couple," Brooks added.

This year's nominations are led by HARDY, left, who leads the pack with seven nominations at this year's award show, sharing three of his nominations with Lainey Wilson. Morgan Wallen, right, has four nominations going into the event.

This year's nominations are led by HARDY, who leads the pack with seven nominations at this year's award show, sharing three of his nominations with Lainey Wilson.

Wilson comes in second in terms of nominations, with six of her own, in the categories for female artist of the year, album of the year, single of the year, song of the year, visual media of the year and music event of the year. Kane Brown, Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs and Cole Swindell are tied for third with five nominations each.

Lambert is celebrating her 17th nomination for female artist of the year, breaking the record previously held by Reba McEntire at 16 nominations. The band Little Big Town received their 17th nomination for group of the year, coming close to breaking the record held by Alabama, with 18 nominations. They have been nominated for the award every year since 2005, except in 2011.

Story continues

Lambert also has the most wins in ACM Awards history, with a total of 37 wins ahead of this year's award show.

Both Chris Stapleton and Combs are nominated for entertainer of the year, meaning if either one wins they secure the coveted Triple Crown. To secure a Triple Crown, one must win entertainer of the year as well as new artist of the year and artist of the year, as a duo, group, male or female.

Morgan Wallen was previously barred from the ACM Awards after a video of him surfaced online using a racial slur. He returned to the award show in 2022 and took home a trophy for album of the year for his album, "Dangerous: The Double Album."

Also nominated for entertainer of the year this year is Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Lambert and Morgan Wallen, his first nomination in this category.

Wallen was previously barred from the award show and was removed from the ballot in 2021 after a video surfaced of him using a racial slur. He returned to the award show in 2022 and took home a trophy for album of the year for his album, "Dangerous: The Double Album."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Taking the stage this year to perform include Miranda Lambert, Kane Brown and Dolly Parton, along with many others.

Along with hosting the big evening, Parton will also be taking the stage as a performer.

Joining Parton on the stage as performers this year are Lainey Wilson, Keith Urban, Cole Swindell, Ashley McBryde, Jo De Messina, Jelly Role, Miranda Lambert, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs, Kane Brown and Jason Aldean.

Wallen was scheduled to perform at the award show; however, he announced on his Instagram on Tuesday doctors told him he has vocal fold trauma and put him on six weeks of vocal rest. He was advised not to even speak for that amount of time, forcing him to cancel upcoming performances.

WATCH VIDEO BELOW: See where country music's biggest stars are sitting for the ACMS

In his announcement, Wallen said he won't be able to perform at the ACM Awards or the Lifting Lives charity event, but he still encouraged his fans to attend, calling it a "great cause." He ended his statement by giving his fans some hope, saying: "Ill see you soon, and Ill be back better than never. God bless you."

Despite Wallen's absence, the show is gearing up to be a night to remember, with Ed Sheeran joining the already stacked lineup. There will also be some never-before-seen collaborations, including Carly Pearce and Trisha Yearwood, Ashley McBryde with Brandy Clark, Caylee Hammack, Pillbox Patti and John Osborne, and Cole Swindell with Jo Dee Messina.

Carly Pearce and Tyler Hubbard are set to take the stage as presenters on the big night.

Presenters at this year's award show include, Gabby Barrett, BRELAND, Brandy Clark, Jordan Davis, Mickey Guyton, Tyler Hubbard, Dustin Lynch, TJ Osborne and Jon Pardi.

Also taking the stage to hand out awards are Carly Pearce, MacKenzie Porter, Dak Prescott, Emmitt Smith, Tanya Tucker, Keith Urban and Trisha Yearwood.

Both Shania Twain and Chris Stapleton are being honored with special awards at this year's ACM Awards.

Miranda Lambert is already a winner going into Thursday night's award show, as she will be honored with the Triple Crown award. Only seven other artists have been awarded the Triple Crown, and Lambert was able to join the ranks after winning ACM awards for top new female vocalist in 2007, ACM female vocalist of the year a few times, the first being in 2010, and ACM entertainer of the year in 2022.

Other special awards include the Icon Award, which is being awarded to Connie Bradley this year. The Icon Award is given to an artist who has helped increase the popularity of country music through their work as a songwriter, in film or TV, touring and through their philanthropy.

The Spirit Award will go to Chris Stapleton, the Poet's Award will go to Shania Twain and Sonny Throckmorton, while the songwriter of the year award will go to HARDY.
ALBANY, N.Y.  Mayor Eric Adams said he would consider housing migrants in a closed Hudson Valley prison during a call with county officials Thursday as New York City struggles to find accommodations for thousands more asylum-seekers expected to arrive following the expiration of a federal border policy.

In audio of the call obtained exclusively by POLITICO, Adams made it clear that his administration desperately needs assistance from neighboring counties as the city has already provided housing, food and other services to more than 65,000 asylum-seekers over the past year.

The situation is so dire that Adams didn't rule out the suggestion from Newburgh Supervisor Gil Piaquadio that the mayor consider vacant housing at SUNY New Paltz as well as the shuttered Downstate Correctional Facility in nearby Fishkill, Dutchess County.



"It would take a little bit to make sure it don't look like a prison because you don't want it to look like we're housing people in a prison, but that would be a great shelter," Piaquadio, a Republican, said on the call.

Adams, a Democrat, responded: "Nothing is off the table. If anyone has alternative locations, we're open to listening. We're not taking anything off the table at all. We're going to look at both of those locations you mentioned."

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a fellow Democrat, said the prison should not be considered as a space to house migrants. "Some things should be off the table," he said in a statement to POLITICO.

Fabien Levy, an Adams spokesperson, referred to comments made by Adams earlier in the day about how the city has run out of hotel space and is now looking at all manner of unorthodox locations to house asylum-seekers including a former military airfield, a psychiatric center in Queens and warehouses.

Everything is on the table, Adams said at an unrelated press briefing. When you get 4,200 people in one week I mean  that is an oh-shucks-moment. And I'm only saying shucks because I'm being televised.

Story continues

Last week, Adams' office indicated it planned to send about 300 migrants to Rockland and Orange counties, leading to intense criticism by the Republican county executives over the move and subsequent court fights to block it.

The Adams administration started moving asylum-seekers out of the city Thursday when a busload of migrants, at the objection of local leaders, showed up at an Orange County hotel.

"We're at the point now where frankly we need help," Adams implored the local officials on Thursday's call. "And this is a national issue, and I've called out the White House. It's a congressional issue for not having real immigration reform. All those things are important, but right now I'm dealing with a crisis that is going to cripple the economic engine of the state  it's going to impact your municipalities as well as New York City."

The call Thursday got tense when county leaders railed against Adams' decision, calling it hastily done and bereft of details on how the program would work or whether the migrants have been probably vetted. The city will pay for the migrants' housing and care by contracting with the hotels and other service providers, but counties said they don't have the resources to help.

"Zero cooperation. I'm sorry, Mr. Mayor," said Republican Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus. He added that he was led to believe from the city and the state that the shipping of migrants to Orange County was on pause, only for a busload to show up Thursday.

"You know who's not getting a pause? Eric Adams. I'm not getting a pause," the mayor responded. "I've had 500 people dropped off today. I got them coming through the airports, I got them coming through the bus terminal, I got them coming up I-95."

Republican Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin suggested Adams is trying to score political points by trying to send the migrants to GOP-led counties.



"We should have had this conversation a long time ago, and you should have been upfront with the counties, and I'm not going to let it go that you sent them to two GOP county executives and bypassed Westchester," McLaughlin said.

"Thanks a lot, Steve," Adams said.

"No response right?" McLaughlin followed.

"You didn't ask me a question. You gave me a sermon," Adams said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters Thursday she continues to work across the state to find facilities to house the asylum-seekers and help them get jobs.

"We've been working so hard with the mayor's office, trying to find sites that are closer to where people are arriving and where there are services," Hochul said. "That's what we've continued to do, look at state properties. I've talked with the federal government about federal properties, and trying to stand up more sites."

Meanwhile, a group of 40 to 60 asylum-seekers arrived midday Thursday to a quiet hotel just off the New York State Thruway in the Town of Newburgh.

Some said they were concerned by the lack of transportation in the area and the fact that the closest supermarket is a 3-mile trek from the hotel. But they were in good spirits, and several men who ventured outside the hotel said theyve had a warm welcome.



Alejandro Dervis Rivas, a single 31-year-old from Venezuela, said hes been in the country roughly five days since crossing the border in El Paso, Texas. The former military sergeant said he left to provide a better life for his parents and siblings back home.

Rivas said he first took a flight from Texas to Seattle and then landed in New York City where he was sent to a hotel. At the hotel, he received a brochure from the front desk about moving to Newburgh.

We were told it was a four-month stay, while you wait to get permission to work. Thats it, he said in Spanish. We just arrived, and they have not explained to us what there is here, or what resource they are giving us.

After the call, Piaquadio said in an interview with POLITICO that he wanted more information about the backgrounds of migrants coming to his town. He again offered up the college in New Paltz and the Dutchess County prison as options to house more migrants.

In Dutchess County, unused space in the county jail was repurposed as an emergency shelter during the pandemic.

"The hotel is in a residential neighborhood; there are no services to walk to. You have a gas station, a small diner," Piaquadio said. "It's not a great location for people without a vehicle."
Adele James, who plays the titular role in Netflixs Queen Cleopatra docuseries, has addressed the controversy around the project after the Egyptian government criticized the portrayal of the countrys famous ruler as dark-skinned.

Blackwashing isnt a thing, is it? the British actress told The Wayne Ayers Podcast on Wednesday about the controversy over Cleopatras race and heritage, which remains a hotly debated subject among historians. I find it sad that people are either so self-loathing or so threatened by Blackness that they feel the need to do that, to separate Egypt from the rest of the continent, the Casualty star added.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Netflix declined to comment on the docuseries creative choice to cast James, who is of mixed heritage, to play Cleopatra to reflect historical research that points to Egypts population in ancient times being multicultural and multiracial.

Her ethnicity is not the focus of Queen Cleopatra, but we did intentionally decide to depict her of mixed ethnicity to reflect theories about Cleopatras possible Egyptian ancestry and the multicultural nature of Ancient Egypt, the producers of the series told Netflixs Tudum website in a story posted last month.

The portrayal hasnt sat well with some Egypt experts. Jane Root, who also executive produced Queen Cleopatra for Nutopia, could not be reached for comment.

The biopic, which bowed Wednesday on Netflix globally, is part of a documentary series from Pinkett Smith that explores the lives of prominent and iconic African queens. The first season followed the 17th century warrior queen Njinga, the ancient ruler of Ndongo and Matamba, which today is known as Angola.

Story continues

We dont often get to see or hear stories about Black queens, and that was really important for me, as well as for my daughter (Willow), and just for my community to be able to know those stories because there are tons of them. The sad part is that we dont have ready access to these historical women who were so powerful and were the backbones of African nations, Pinkett Smith said in the Tudum article.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

Click here to read the full article.
Hundreds of AFP staff observed the minute of silence at Paris headquarters and from bureaux around the world via video conference

Journalists and staff of Agence France-Presse (AFP) in Paris and across the world held a minute of silence on Thursday to remember their colleague Arman Soldin who was killed earlier this week in Ukraine.

Soldin, AFP's video coordinator in Ukraine, was killed on Tuesday when an AFP team came under fire by Grad rockets while they were with a group of Ukrainian soldiers near Bakhmut, the epicentre of the fighting for months.

"Arman represented the very best of AFP," the agency's global news director Phil Chetwynd told staff ahead of the minute of silence at midday GMT.

Hundreds of AFP staff observed the minute of silence at Paris headquarters and from bureaux around the world via video conference.

Soldin, 32, was an "unbelievably dedicated journalist who believed his work could make the world a better place, he was in Ukraine because he believed in that", added Chetwynd.

The death of Soldin brought to at least 11 the number of journalists, fixers or drivers for media teams killed since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago, according to advocacy groups.

Tributes to Soldin poured in from France and Ukraine as well as from the rest of the world.

French anti-terror prosecutors said Wednesday they were launching a war crime investigation into the death of Soldin, a French citizen born in Bosnia.

It will be handled by the OCLCH, an investigating unit specialising in crimes against humanity and hate crimes, and will seek to determine the exact circumstances of Soldin's death, the prosecutors said.

AFP "is at the disposal of prosecutors" to assist in their investigation, chief executive Fabrice Fries, said Thursday.

The agency also needed to "take care of the family" and "of the team which is in Ukraine and which went through this tragedy", he added, saying a cell of psychological experts would be set up to help.

He said that the missions by AFP's Ukraine team to the eastern front had been "suspended for a few days" but would then resume.

ac-sjw/ah/jj
Texas Childrens Hospital is facing $15,625 in penalties after a security officer was hospitalized in an attack, according to federal authorities.

During the Nov. 10, 2022, attack, authorities said the security officer was responding to an alert when they were pulled to the ground by an aggressive patient. The pediatric patient then repeatedly kicked the officers chest and abdomen, officials said.

The officer lost consciousness and was taken to an emergency room, according to a May 10 news release from the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Investigators found that Texas Childrens Hospital, in Houston, exposed employees who worked with patients with behavioral health issues to physical threats and assault, according to the release.

OSHA cited the employer, adding that the hospital had inadequate policies and procedures to protect employees from physical assaults by patients who exhibited violent behavior during medical surveillance and treatment.

McClatchy News requested comment from Texas Childrens Hospital on May 11 and was awaiting a response.

Workplace violence is an increasing problem for healthcare workers. The incident in this investigation is one of many recent attacks by patients against industry workers, OSHA Area Director Mark Briggs said in the release. Healthcare employers must protect their employees, particularly those in contact with aggressive or potentially aggressive patients, from the danger of being attacked by a patient. Employers must have certain effective policies and procedures in place so employees dont have to work in fear of their safety.

Amazon workers returned to work after improperly treated head, back injuries, feds say

Employee crushed to death by 2 tons of cargo while aboard a ship in Florida, feds say

Painter dies after 21-foot plunge from balcony that then crushed him in Ohio, feds say
With AI large language models like ChatGPT being developed around the globe, countries have raced to regulate AI. Some have drafted strict laws on the technology, while others lack regulatory oversight.

China and the EU have received particular attention, as they have created detailed, yet divergent, AI regulations. In both, the government plays a large role. This greatly differs from countries like the United States, where there is no federal legislation on AI. Government regulation comes as many countries have raised concerns about various aspects of AI. These mainly includes privacy concerns, and the potential for societal harm with the controversial software.

The following is a description of how countries across the globe have managed regulation of the growing use of AI programs.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT AI

Countries around the world have released different regulations regarding AI, as the revolutionary technology gains global prominence.

US regulation Chinese regulation What other countries have passed legislation?

The United States has yet to pass federal legislation on AI. OpenAI, a US-based company, has created the most talked about AI software to date, ChatGPT. ChatGPT has heavily influenced the AI conversation. Countries around the world are now generating AI software of their own, with similar functions to ChatGPT.

Despite the lack of federal legislation, the Biden Administration, in conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the AI Bill of Rights. The document essentially offers guidance on how AI should be used and some ways it can be misused. Yet, the framework is not legally binding.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

However, multiple states across the country have introduced their own sets of laws on AI. Vermont, Colorado and Illinois began by creating task forces to study AI, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The District of Columbia, Washington, Vermont, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Massachusetts, Illinois, Colorado and California are also considering AI laws. While many of the laws are still being debated, Colorado, Illinois, Vermont, and Washington have passed various forms of legislation.

Story continues

For example, the Colorado Division of Insurance requires companies to account for how they use AI in their modeling and algorithms. In Illinois, the legislature passed the Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act, which requires employee consent if AI technology is used to evaluate job applicants' candidacies. Washington state requires its chief information officer to establish a regulatory framework for any systems in which AI might impact public agencies.

WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF AI? FIND OUT WHY PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The United States does not have any federal AI regulations at this point.

While AI regulation in the United States is a hot topic and ever-growing conversation, it remains to be seen when Congress may begin to exercise regulatory discretion over AI.

China is a country in which the government plays a large part in AI regulation. There are lots of Chinese based tech companies that have recently released AI software such as chatbots and image generators. For example, Baidu, SenseTime and Alibaba have all released various artifical intelligence software. Alibaba has a large language model out called Tongyi Qianwen and SenseTime has a slew of AI services like SenseChat, which functions similarly to ChatGPT, a service unavailable in the country. Ernie Bot is another chatbot that was released in China by Baidu.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) released regulation in April 2023 that includes a list of rules that AI companies need to follow and the penalties they will face if they fail to adhere to the rules.

One of the rules released by the CAC is that security reviews must be conducted before an AI model is released on a public level, according to the Wall Street Journal. Rules like this give government considerable oversight of AI.

WHAT ARE THE FOUR MAIN TYPES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE? FIND OUT HOW FUTURE AI PROGRAMS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

The Chinese company Baidu has released its own AI chatbot called Ernie Bot.

The CAC said that while it supports the innovation of safe AI, it must be in line with China's socialist values, according to Reuters.

Another specific regulation detailed by the CAC is that providers are the ones responsible for the accuracy of the data being used to train their AI software. There also must be measures in place that prevent any discrimination when the AI is created, according to the source. AI services additionally must require users to submit their real identities when using the software.

There are also penalties, including fines, suspended services, and criminal charges for violations, according to Reuters. Also, if there is inappropriate content released through any AI software, the company has three months to update the technology to ensure it doesn't happen again, according to the source.

The rules created by the CAC hold AI companies responsible for the information that their software is generating.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF AI?

OpenAI's ChatGPT is not available in China.

Rules established by the European Union (EU). include the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) which debuted in April 2021. However, the act is still under review in the European Parliament, according to the World Economic Forum.

The EU regulatory framework divides AI applications into four categories: minimal risk, limited risk, high risk and unacceptable risk. Applications that are considered minimal or limited risk have light regulatory requirements, but must meet certain transparency obligations. On the other hand, applications that are categorized as unacceptable risk are prohibited. Applications that fall in the high risk category can be used, but they are required to follow more strict guidelines, and be subject to heavy testing requirements.

Within the context of the EU, Italy's Italian Data Protection Authority placed a temporary ban on ChatGPT in March. The ban was largely based on privacy concerns. Upon implementing the ban, the regulatory agency gave OpenAI 20 days to address specific concerns, including age verification, clarification on personal data usage, privacy policy updates, and providing more information to users about how personal data is used by the application.

ChatGPT has sparked a lot of AI conversation around the world.

The ban on ChatGPT in Italy was rescinded at the end of April, after the chatbot was found to be in compliance with regulatory requirements.

Another country that has undertaken AI regulation is Canada with the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) that was drafted in June 2022. The AIDA requires transparency from AI companies as well as providing for anti-discrimination measures.
The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" - Street Sightings

Barry Diller attends The 2023 Met Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023 Credit - Ray Tamarra/GC Images

Media mogul Barry Diller warned on Wednesday that artificial intelligence (AI) could be as destructive to news publishers as free online news was in the early aughts.

Speaking at the Sir Harry Evans Global Summit in Investigative Journalism, Diller, who co-founded Fox Broadcasting Company and is now chairman of publishing giant IAC, said he was teaming up with News Corp. CEO Robert Thomson and German publisher Axel Springer to protect news publishers from the threat of AI.

Speaking in conversation with journalist and conference organizer Tina Brown, Diller said it was a terrible mistake for publishers, through inaction, to allow AI tools like ChatGPT to suck up every known piece of work that has ever been done. Large language models like ChatGPT are trained on massive amounts of content scraped from across the internet.

More from TIME

Read More: The A to Z of Artificial Intelligence

The billionaire, who is also chairman of Expedia, compared the potential impact of AI on media companies to the early days of online news before paywalls were introduced. You saw over the last, certainly 15 of those years the enormous destruction, he said.

AI tools that are trained on published content from news outlets pose a threat to media businesses by allowing users to access information that came from news archives without paying the companies that produced it. This effectively allows users to bypass the paywalls of vast numbers of publications.

Unless publishers say, you cannot do that until there is a structure in place for publishers to get paid, you will see another wave [that is] even more destructive, he added.

Discussing whether rules around fair use in copyright law could be used as a defense for AI companies that scrape huge amounts of content from publishers, Diller said: What must happen is fair use has to be redefined. You cant have fair use when there is an unfair machine that knows no bounds.

Story continues

He went on to share that IAC, which publishes People among other titles, News Corp., and Axel Springer are leading a group to seek to change copyright law if necessary and to threaten litigation against publishers who take their content without permission. What you publish, you have a right to control, he said.

Read More: The AI Arms Race Is Changing Everything

The companies have been increasingly vocal on AI since the public launch of ChatGPT in November. In March, News Corp.s Thomson said that he was in talks with an unnamed AI company to seek compensation for its content being used as training material, according to Australian Financial Review. Its not the first time the company has gone after big tech companies to protect its business. In 2021, News Corp. struck agreements with Google and Facebook to charge the tech giants for its content.

In a March letter to employees, Politico and De Bild owner Axel Springers CEO Mathias Doepfner warned that journalists could be replaced by AI, the Guardian reported. Artificial intelligence has the potential to make independent journalism better than it ever wasor simply replace it, he wrote.

Despite expressing his concern about AI companies, Diller said that Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAIthe company behind ChatGPTunderstands the dangers of AI. Altman, who is an Expedia board member and a friend of Dillers, is willing to pull the plug if the tech gets into dangerous territory, Diller said. You couldnt make up a better steward, he added. It wont go bad under Sam Altman. Unfortunatelyor fortunatelyhe is hardly the only player.

Dillers warning came hours before Google announced the launch of its answer to ChatGPT, PaLM 2. The large language model can be used to power chatbots similar to ChatGPT, as well as write computer code, translate languages, and analyze images.
Virtual reality for fashion with AI tech (JohnDWilliams/GettyImages)

Artificial intelligence is making its mark on one industry after another, and fashion businesses are not exempt. "From design to marketing and sales, AI is affecting everything and offering businesses new opportunities to streamline their operations and reach new heights," Forbes reports. While some people feel "AI can't match human originality," as Asian Scientist Magazine wrote, some fashion executives are eager to test the bounds. The introduction of AI raises so many questions: How might the technology be helpful to fashion designers? What are the risks? Most importantly, what does this mean for the future of fashion?

How could AI be used in fashion?

Using artificial intelligence in fashion may sound outlandish to the average consumer, but for developers and those in the industry, it's easy to see how AI could take loads of work off their shoulders. Just as scientists are using AI to detect cancer mutations, fashion designers and businesspeople are finding their own creative ways to use the same technology. "One of the biggest impacts of AI in fashion is in the area of supply chain management," Forbes says. AI models can be "trained by historical inventory levels and sales performance to predict future sales, businesses can make more informed decisions about what to stock and when." That means there could be less waste, happier customers, and higher profits.

For businesses, the benefits of AI may seem like the best of both worlds, but there is always a downside. While AI has the potential to be able to predict emerging fashion trends with the use of algorithms and examining customer data to create pieces that are more likely to sell, Forbes says it puts individuality and creativity at risk.

How will fashion industry workers be affected by AI?

From a purely business perspective, using AI in the fashion industry may seem like a no-brainer: Using the latest technology to satisfy customers, waste fewer resources during production, and increase revenue could simply be the way the industry winds are blowing. But what about the people who work in the fashion space? "One of the biggest concerns is the potential for AI to replace human labor," Forbes notes. "With AI algorithms capable of doing the jobs of designers, marketers, and other fashion professionals, there is a risk that some jobs will be lost." The history of fashion has been made by the hands of creative individuals who were able to collaboratively work to develop the most unique designs, whether by starting new trends or updating classic favorites, and not everybody is on board with the idea that a robot could replace some of the work of talented people across the industry, especially if it means economic disruption.

Story continues

Is this the inevitable future of fashion?

In Korea, researchers conducted a study that found that humans have an edge compared to artificial intelligence when it comes to fashion and textile design, according to Women's Wear Daily. The report concluded that "AI can help designers in the creative process," but not replace them entirely, so perhaps AI can work in tandem with designers, instead of in competition. In that sense, "everybody will be able to be a creator or designer with the help of AI models. So far, only professional fashion designers have been able to design and showcase clothes. But in the future, it will be possible for anyone to design the clothes they want and showcase their creativity," Pusan National University assistant professor Yoon Kyung Lee told WWD. While AI is likely to add a new layer of complexity to the evolving industry, human creativity may not be as easily duplicated as some fear.

You may also like

MTV News shutting down after 36 years

Sen. Dianne Feinstein returns to D.C. after extended absence, Democratic tensions

Trump's loss to E. Jean Carroll was likely aided by these 2 blunders in his taped deposition
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., appeared to defend white nationalists in a recent interview by suggesting they should not be barred from serving in the military, prompting his office to clarify the remarks.

In an interview published this week by Birmingham-based radio station WBHM, Tuberville criticized the state of the military and said Democrats were to blame.

"We are losing in the military  so fast  our readiness in terms of recruitment," said Tuberville, a member of the Armed Services Committee. "And why? I can tell you why. Because the Democrats are attacking our military, saying we need to get out the white extremists, the white nationalists, people that dont believe in [President Joe Biden's] agenda."

Asked whether he believed white nationalists should be allowed in the military, Tuberville said: They call them that. I call them Americans.

A spokesperson said Wednesday that Tubervilles comments were an expression of his skepticism that white nationalism was an issue among service members.

"Sen. Tubervilles quote shows that he was being skeptical of the notion that there are white nationalists in the military, not that he believes they should be in the military," Steven Stafford said in a statement first shared with AL.com.

Stafford separately told NBC News that Tuberville "has kind of a sarcastic sense of humor" and that "he was expressing doubt about this being a problem in the military."

"I think if people hear his tone of voice, its clear what hes saying," Stafford said, adding that Tuberville was "referring to this specific training issue that lots of other people, lots of other senators have talked about."

The Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night.

Tuberville has expressed opposition to training that aims to rid the military of extremists. At a March 28 hearing with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Tuberville suggested Austin had put service members through "hell" by requiring "a mandatory training to root out extremists."

Story continues

Austin responded that the military has "always had regulations against extremist behavior."

A Pentagon report from 2020 that was made public the next year detailed examples of white supremacy in the military without providing an estimate of the number of white supremacists in the services and called for changes in recruiting methods to identify any applicants possible ties to domestic terrorism. Months later, Austin ordered new steps to address the threat posed by extremism in the military.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Andrew Lichtenstein

Violence against abortion providers has sky-rocketed since the fall of Roe, with a sharp increase in the amount of incidents against clinics in abortion-friendly states, according to new data released by the National Abortion Federation (NAF).

The data, which covers 2022, shows a jump in the number of serious incidents. Burglaries tripled, rising from 13 incidents to 43 incidents year over year, as did stalking incidents, which jumped from 28 reports to 92. There were four arson attacks reported in 2022, double that of the previous year.

The new report from NAF puts numbers behind what reproductive rights activists say theyve seen since the fall of Roe. Abortion clinic escorts told The Daily Beast last year that their work was becoming a war zone, with an increase in confrontational behavior from anti-abortion activists.

The data is proof of what we have known to be true: anti-abortion extremists have been emboldened by the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the cascade of abortion bans that followed. As clinics closed in states with bans, extremists have simply shifted their focus to protective states, Melissa Fowler, the Chief Program Officer at NAF, said in a statement.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the legislation that guaranteed a federal right to abortion, in June 2022, abortion clinics in states with trigger-laws were forced to close.

States with abortion protections, where clinics remained open, have seen a staggering increase in violence over the last year, NAFs new data shows. Stalking incidents jumped ten-fold, from eight incidents in 2021 to 81 in 2022. Clinics in protective states also saw a rise in assault and batteries, burglaries, bomb threats, and picketing. Reports of people obstructing access to clinics saw the largest rise, jumping from from 45 in 2021 to 287 in 2022.

In March, a 22-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly setting fire to a building that was slated to house an abortion clinic in Casper, Wyoming, causing devastating damage that prevented the facility from opening.

Story continues

The Wellspring Health Access clinic had been the subject of protests in the weeks leading up to the arson attack, the clinics president, Julie Burkhart, told The Daily Beast.

This caused great fear in our staff members and it shook our community, Burkhart said of the attack in a press call Wednesday. Even as the clinic underwent repairs, protestors from local churches and anti-abortion groups continued to rally outside the building. Weve had anti-abortion extremists come out to our clinic, week after week, for well over a year now, protesting.

On April 20, the clinic was finally able to open, after a delay of almost a year and $300,000 in repairs. It is now the only clinic in Wyoming offering surgical abortion.

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.
FaDarius Davon Williams fled the scene of the shooting Friday at a downtown Ocean Springs restaurant and bar and to get treatment for an injury to his hand at Merit Health in Biloxi, police told the Sun Herald.

From there, Ocean Springs Police Capt. Ryan LeMaire said, Williams was transferred to University Hospital in Mobile for further treatment, but soon Mississippi authorities had identified him as the alleged gunman in the May 5 shooting at The Scratch Kitchen on Government Street.

Ocean police officers contacted Mobile police, who took Williams into custody. He is currently held at the Mobile Metro Jail pending a virtual extradition hearing tentatively set at 8 or 8:30 a.m. Friday in Alabama.

If Williams waives extradition, he will transported back to Mississippi as early as Friday afternoon to face a charge of first-degree murder for the alleged shooting death of Chayse Harmon, 19.

Crime scene tape still decorates The Scratch Kitchen bar and restaurant in Ocean Springs on Monday, May 8, 2023, after a shooting killed one at the restaurant on Friday, May 5, 2023.

An ongoing investigation

Williams is expected to face additional charges of aggravated assault in connection with injuries to six others injured in the mass shooting during an Cinco de Mayo party at the Scratch Kitchen that was attended by more than 200 people.

Since the shooting, Ocean Springs police officers have been working non-stop collecting evidence and interviewing various witnesses, LeMaire said, and have been working with area gang investigators to verify the alleged shooters gang affiliation.

Police believe Williams was affiliated with either the Wicked street gang or Guap Gang Empire.

The two gangs are known to be involved in alleged gun and drug sales and operate across the Mississippi Coast.

Fadarius Davon Williams

Mass shooting suspect has criminal history

Long before the Ocean Springs shooting, Williams had been in and out of trouble in various run-ins with authorities dating back to as early as 2018.

His prior arrest records included charges of felony charges for aggravated assault, possession of marijuana and possession of a stolen firearm, among other charges.

Story continues

In August 2018, Jackson County sheriffs deputies arrested Williams on two counts of aggravated assault in a shooting that left two injured.

Authorities said then that the arrest occurred after deputies responded to a report of a shooting at Bridge Water Park Apartments on Big Ridge Road in St. Martin.

A witness told authorities Williams had gotten into a fight with someone before Williams allegedly pulled out a gun and started shooting, resulting in injuries to two people.

A Jackson County grand jury later indicted Williams on felony charges of possession of marijuana and possession of a stolen firearm, identified in court records as a rifle.

Williams later pleaded guilty to both the firearms and drug charge and received probation for the offenses.

Once he completed the terms of his probation in January, Judge Kathy King Jackson dismissed the drug and gun charges against him as part of the plea agreement in that case.

Records also show that Williams has lived in and around Jackson County, mostly at a Vancleave address though he also has an address in Atmore, Alabama. The Alabama address is used in the booking information currently on file at the Mobile Metro Jail.
Attorneys representing the family of Amareeya Henderson, the 25-year-old man killed by Kansas City, Kansas, police during a traffic stop, said Wednesday they want law enforcement be more forthcoming with details about the case.

Lawyers Kay Harper Williams and Nuru Witherspoon said theyve been frustrated by what they consider a lack of transparency as the family seeks information about what led up to the April 26 shooting. And they called on Kansas City, Kansas, police and the Wyandotte County District Attorneys Office to deliver those answers.

Among the issues raised Wednesday was access to the recorded footage from police dashboard and body cameras. Harper Williams said that information is critical as they prepare to file a civil rights lawsuit, and the family has the right to review it under Kansas law.

The issue is that the family has a right, a legal right, to see the body cam footage, Harper Williams said, adding that they will hold Police Chief Karl Oakman to his word that the family would be given that opportunity.

Harper Williams added that the officer, now on paid leave, has been granted anonymity by law enforcement, including KCKPD and the district attorneys office, saying the release of the officers name would be an important step toward transparency.

Were already fighting for the body cam footage, we should at least know the officers name, she said.

The lawyers discussed their case following a meeting of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas Unified Governments Law Enforcement Advisory Board. The board, tasked with evaluating racial biases in policing and making policy recommendations, organized time for open discussion about the deadly use of force on Wednesday afternoon.

Among those at the meeting were Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree and Oakman, the citys top cop. Both discussed the process under Kansas law of sharing body camera footage, but neither committed to sharing the tapes publicly as some community members have pressured them to do.

Story continues

State law allows family members of people killed by police an opportunity to view those videos in a private setting. Oakman on Wednesday acknowledged the receipt of that request, saying the videos are generally available within 20 days so long as the department has the ability to make redactions.

On April 26, Henderson, 25, of Independence, was behind the wheel of his car when he was shot twice during a traffic stop in the 1100 block of Metropolitan Avenue, near the 12th Street Bridge that crosses the Kansas River.

Police have said Henderson was killed when a confrontation arose, and have declined to share many of the surrounding details. Hendersons family and lawyers say he was unarmed and did not present a threat to police.

Henderson, who is Black, was driving for DoorDash that night, his mother and girlfriend previously told The Star, and harbored a general fear of police that stemmed in part from an encounter years before when he was unjustly arrested and beaten.

On the night he died, Henderson called his mother over FaceTime and asked her to come to where he had been pulled over. She was on the phone, driving there, when she overheard gunfire.

Sitting in the passenger seat was Hendersons girlfriend, Shakira Hill. After Henderson refused to get out of the car, Hill recalled, the officer crawled inside and started grabbing, pulling, punching him as the car started to move.

Moments later, Henderson was shot twice.

Based on what the familys attorneys have learned thus far, Harper Williams said they believe the police officer had stepped away from the vehicle when the fatal shot was fired. She and Witherspoon both said the officer apparently placed himself in a confrontation and certainly failed to deescalate the situation.

Witherspoon said the officers had a responsibility to Henderson, who had expressed and voiced fear, to tell him he was not in harms way.

He added that oftentimes police shootings happen when a person is not complying with and being incredibly aggressive toward officers.

But this wasnt that case. We have a guy that he says, Im afraid, and I want my mother, Witherspoon said, adding that the police could have simply waited a few minutes for Hendersons mom to arrive or made other attempts to help Henderson feel safe in that situation.

But to go the other direction. There arent many cases like this. And then when you create this danger, when you create this chaos, you shoot him and he say hes responsible for his own death. And it just doesnt even make sense, Witherspoon said.
An attorney for St. Lukes Health System says that evidence points to Ammon Bundy setting up shell corporations and transferring assets into them.

St. Lukes has filed new motions to stop what it believes is an attempt to avoid paying damages in its defamation lawsuit against the far-right activist and his Peoples Rights Network.

All indications are that Bundy has made millions as a professional extremist and conflict entrepreneur and that he is now doing his best to fraudulently convey his considerable wealth into shell corporations and Wyoming trusts, St. Lukes attorney Erik Stidham wrote in a May 9 court filing.

St. Lukes filed a lawsuit in May 2022 after Bundy and an associate, Diego Rodriguez, led protests at the Boise hospital over a child welfare case involving Rodriguezs grandchild. The lawsuit names as defendants Bundy, Rodriguez, the Peoples Rights Network and other business entities affiliated with the two men. The suit claims the defendants posted lies about the hospital system online and did so in part for political and financial gain.

Bundy, who ran for Idaho governor as an independent candidate in 2022 after dropping out of the Republican primary, flatly denied the allegations that he is hiding assets and money.

This idea that somehow I created a shell company, its just bogus, Bundy told the Idaho Statesman by phone Wednesday.

The documents submitted by St. Lukes indicate that Aaron Welling, the treasurer of Bundys gubernatorial campaign and a man Bundy has called his longtime friend, set up several limited liability companies nearly a year ago. These include White Barn Enterprises LLC, Farmhouse Holdings LLC and Potters Construction FHB LLC. All three companies were set up on July 20, 2022, according to the Idaho and Wyoming secretary of state offices.

Farmhouse Holdings is listed as the governor of White Barn and Potters. Farmhouse is a Wyoming LLC that lists Prime Corporate Services as its organizer.

Story continues

Supporters of Ammon Bundy gather at his residence in Emmett on April 24. He no longer owns the property and is a renter there, he said.

Property transfer and emails raise questions, St. Lukes says

In early December, Bundy paid $5,404 to remove a lien when he transferred his home and property to White Barn Enterprises, according to Stidham. The lien had been placed through a judges Writ of Execution for Bundys failure to pay St. Lukes attorney fees after he was ordered to do so for not showing up in court in response to the lawsuit.

White Barn is the current owner of that property, according to the Gem County assessors website. Zillow estimates the value to be $1.2 million.

Bundy said he legitimately sold (his) home to a friend. He said he still lives there with his family and pays about $2,680 monthly in rent.

Operating agreements for White Barn and Farmhouse list Welling as a manager of the companies. The IRS addressed letters to the company as White Barn Enterprises LLC Aaron K Welling Sole MBR and Farmhouse Holdings LLC Aaron K Welling Sole MBR that identify him as the sole member of the companies.

Bundy said Welling managed only his campaign money last year.

Court documents filed by St. Lukes showed emails between Welling and advisers of Prime Corporate Services from Dec. 13-14, 2022, with the subject line Where to move current assets. Prime Corporate is a Utah company that helps customers form LLCs and other corporations, according to its website.

I am sure you explained it to me but I can not recall and my office is ready to move all the existing assets for current business to new LLCs, Welling emailed Prime Corporate Services. Are we moving the assets to White Barn Enterprise or Farm House Holdings?

In one email, a senior corporate adviser named a third LLC called Potters Construction FHB LLC as a subsidiary of Farmhouse and told Welling that he could move assets to either corporation. The similarly named Potters Construction Fine Homes and Barns LLC was an Idaho listing that had Welling as its manager before it recently became inactive, according to the Idaho secretary of states office.

I understand I can move them to either one, the question was why did I set up the holding company, there must have been a strategy, Welling responded. Was it to use the holding company to hold all assets, and the other LLCs to conduct business?

The Prime Corporate Services adviser explained to Welling that the LLCs would allow the owner of the companies to remain anonymous.

The WY Holding Company is for anonymity and privatization, the adviser said. People cant see you as the member on your LLC in WY or your mailing address. The Trust has beneficial ownership in the WY LLC, that way everything that the WY LLC has as a subsidiary can now roll up in the Trust and avoid probate.

Cowboy Cocktail: Wyoming has strict privacy rules

Wyoming is so well-known for the privacy its laws give business owners that the act of setting up LLCs and trusts there has been given a name: Cowboy Cocktail. International elites from Russian billionaire Igor Makarov to Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo have been known to benefit from this strategy, according to The Washington Post.

The cocktail and variations of it  consisting of a Wyoming trust and layers of private companies with concealed ownership  allow the worlds wealthy to move and spend money in extraordinary secrecy, protected by some of the strongest privacy laws in the country and, in some cases, without even the cursory oversight performed by regulators in other states, The Post reported.

Stidham said that if Bundy did transfer his assets to Wyoming LLCs, those actions should be considered fraudulent conveyances, which occurs when someone transfers assets for the express purpose of putting it beyond the reach of a known creditor, according to the Cornell Legal Information Institute.

Stidham said the plaintiffs still do not know how much money Bundy or his Peoples Rights Network have.

The Southern Poverty Law Center reported Wednesday that a single benefactor made cryptocurrency donations worth more than $216,000 to extremists and hate groups between September 2021 and April 2022. The Peoples Rights Network received cryptocurrency transfers worth $93,000, the largest amount of any group.

An Ada County court reporter waits for Ammon Bundy to appear at his May 10 deposition.

St. Lukes plans to keep pushing on Bundy

Bundy has not appeared at any of the hearings involving St. Lukes lawsuit. Despite this, he recently filed a petition to get the case transferred to federal court. Fourth District Judge Lynn Norton issued a default judgment against him on April 24, meaning that because the defense failed to participate in the litigation, the plaintiffs allegations would be taken as true and the court would move to the next step in the legal process  determining damages.

In conjunction with that judgment, the judge issued an order compelling Bundy to sit for a deposition and respond to St. Lukes requests for discovery.

Bundy defied that order by not appearing for a court hearing on Wednesday morning and not filing discovery responses by May 8, so Stidham said he planned to file a motion to move forward with a hearing to award damages to St. Lukes. In court documents, the attorney argued that delaying could give Bundy more opportunity to transfer assets.

Rodriguez also has not responded in court or participated in the case.

Given that Mr. Bundy and Mr. Rodriguez continue to violate court orders relating to document production and depositions, St. Lukes will be filing motions to have defendants defaulted and to have evidentiary sanctions and adverse inferences imposed during the damages trial, Stidham told the Statesman in an email.

The families of the victims in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut used a similar default strategy when Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones refused to comply with court orders in a lawsuit against him. Jones eventually faced a damages hearing after the default and was ordered to pay close to $1.5 billion.

Jones consistently had claimed that the school shooting, which left 26 people dead, including 20 children, was a hoax.

Coincidentally, Jones now faces a new lawsuit claiming that he hid millions of dollars of assets in an effort to avoid paying damages.
train station

Amtrak and the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child have joined forces to offer a truly magical experience to Harry Potter fans visiting New York City this season. This partnership brings forth discounted train fares and allows access to show tickets for customers. The trains will run between Washington, D.C., and Boston between April 28 and June 25.

The renowned Lyric Theatre in New York City is now home to the debut of this spectacular production. As part of the collaboration, Amtrak Guest Rewards members can utilize their points in conjunction with the Audience Rewards program, the official Broadway rewards program, to purchase tickets for the show. Signing up for the Audience Rewards program is free, and you can secure your tickets by visiting Amtraks website, where a seamless booking process awaits.

Traveling on Amtraks Northeast Regional service along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Washington, D.C., and Boston, youll experience captivating visuals, the company says. The trains distinctive liveries feature beloved characters from the Harry Potter series, including the iconic trio of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, as well as the next generation of wizards, including Albus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, and Rose Granger-Weasley. The eye-catching train wrap sets the stage for a memorable adventure. While the train wont make a stop at Platform 9 3/4, the legendary landscapes of the NEC will hopefully transport you through time and ignite your imagination.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

In the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Harrys son Albus forges an unexpected friendship with Draco Malfoy Jr., the son of Harrys once sworn enemy. This unlikely bond sets in motion an extraordinary journey that has the power to reshape history itself. Brace yourself for a mind-bending race through time, breathtaking spells, and an epic battle, brought to life by the most astounding theatrical magic ever seen on stage. The recently remodeled Lyric Theatre is filled with captivating surprises at every turn, creating an immersive experience like no other. From stunning set designs to mesmerizing special effects, the theater offers unexpected delights that transport audiences into the enchanting world of Hogwarts.

By partnering with Amtrak, the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child production aims to make the journey to New York City even more interesting for fans. Whether youre a devoted Harry Potter enthusiast or a newcomer to the wizarding world, this collaboration promises an unforgettable experience.
A fourth set of human remains were recently found by Mississippi officials in Taylorsville in the vicinity of where the remains of Rasheem Ryelle Carter, 25, of Fayette, was allegedly lynched last year.

More than six months after her son's remains were found at the property in Smith County, Tiffany Carter still has no answers for what happened the day her son disappeared.

A bystander captured on video officers finding the latest set of human remains on the site May 10.

The first set of remains were found on Nov. 2, 2022, a month after Carter was reported missing on Oct. 2. A second set of human remains were found nearby at an unspecified time. A third set of human remains were found on April 26, 2023, followed by the fourth set that were discovered Wednesday, May 10.

Civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump and Carter's family of members held a news conference Thursday in Jackson to discuss the discovery of the fourth set of remains.

Carter family members said Mississippi agencies not provided immediate information on the investigation and they asked for help from outside agencies.

Crump said the Carter family and his legal team were made aware of the fourth set of remains last week but waited for confirmation from the Mississippi Crime Lab if they were Carter's. The crime lab has said they could not confirm the cause of death of the decapitated remains and suggested the decapitation and spread out remains could have been done by animals.

"We refuse to accept the death of Rasheem Carter was due to natural causes," Crump said. "We believe the new set of remains belongs to Rasheem after being found within the vicinity of other remains. Within the video, you can see an arm attached to a hand. We are thankful for the citizen notifying the Carter family and our legal team. The Mississippi Crime Lab and The Taylorsville Sheriff's Department have failed to notify us of any information upon finding the fourth set of human remains."

Story continues

Crump didn't release the name of the citizen that provided the footage, but Carter's mother, Tiffany Carter, said she would like confirmation of whether the remains belong to her son and she wants answers.

"I would like to say I am the mother of Rasheem Carter, that made many sacrifices for him," Tiffany Carter said. "I will continue standing and fighting to get the justice my son, his daughter, aunts and family deserves. No one deserves to go through the things he went through. I am overwhelmed by the oppression the state of Mississippi has failed to help us get justice for my son. I want something done, and I want it done immediately. I am tired of waiting and going through the same things. Although I can't change what happened, we can make a change so that this doesn't happen to anyone else."

The Carter family is offering a $50,000 reward to anyone who finds information helpful in the investigation.

Crump said his legal team is demanding transparency on confirming if the recently discovered remains belong to Carter, and if not, that would raise more questions.

"We must continue to pressure Mississippi officials for this investigation to get justice," Crump said.

Carter was reported missing on Oct. 2, 2022, in Laurel, Mississippi, after being followed by four white males in a truck moments after leaving the Smith County Sheriff's Office pleading for help.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation announced on Wednesday, March 22, that the state medical examiner could not reasonably determine Carter's cause of death.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Rasheem Carter: Fourth set of remains found
By Maximilian Heath

BUENOS AIRES - Argentine biotech firm Bioceres will expand sales of its HB4 wheat seeds, which harness the power of genetically-modified organisms (GMO), to dozens of seed companies to boost future sales of the drought-tolerant product, Bioceres said on Thursday.

The announcement to partner with additional seed multipliers, companies that sell seeds to farmers but do not develop new varieties themselves, marks an advance for the adoption of Bioceres' proprietary HB4 wheat.

In 2020, Argentina became the first country in the world to approve the HB4 variety.

The South American agricultural powerhouse is a top global wheat exporter, although production for the 2022/2023 harvest suffered a 50% drop in expected output compared to last season due to historic drought conditions last year and earlier this year.

While HB4 wheat has been distributed in Argentina via private deals between farmers and Bioceres, ramping up sales to farmers from the shelves of seed multiplier companies would likely boost the spread of the biotech product.

The sales plan will include a group of 45 seed multiplier firms, Bioceres Chief Executive Officer Federico Trucco said in the company's latest earnings report.

That translates to a significant expansion from last season when there were only three seed multiplier companies authorized to work with HB4 seeds.

Planting for Argentina's 2023/2024 wheat season will begin in the next few weeks.

In March, Bioceres got the green light from Brazilian officials to market its HB4 wheat. The company has also developed a soybean variety of GMO HB4 brand, which previously gained approval in Brazil.

"Our soybean program in Brazil is advancing steadily with an initial set of varieties tested by farmers in five states, with at least one variety consistently outperforming leading commercial alternatives," said Trucco.

Bioceres said it also seeks to increase the area planted with HB4 soybeans in Brazil to 10,000 hectares in the 2023/2024 season, the report added.

(Reporting by Maximilian Heath; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Leslie Adler)
Authorities are currently trying to locate an inmate who escaped from custody in Kentucky this week. The inmate, Kyle Aaron Skaggs, is considered "armed and dangerous," according to the Fleming County Sheriff's Office.

Skaggs broke out of custody in Lexington, the sheriff's office said on Facebook, adding that he lived in Flemingsburg prior to his incarceration. The inmate is said to have left a home incarceration program at the Hope Center, a shelter and community services organization, on Monday, CBS affiliate WKYT reported, citing the Kentucky Department of Corrections.

Officials did not reveal what Skaggs had been charged with or any other details about the circumstances of his incarceration.

The Fleming County Sheriff and Kentucky State Police are asking that anyone with information about Skaggs' whereabouts contact either the Fleming County Dispatch at 606-845-2121 or state police at 606-784-4127.

Kyle Aaron Skaggs escaped recently from custody in Lexington, Kentucky. He was still on the loose Wednesday, authorities said. / Credit: Fleming County Sheriff / Facebook

Skaggs' escape from custody follows a series of other prison breaks by inmates in Mississippi, Virginia and Pennsylvania in recent weeks.

In April, four inmates, Corey Harrison, Casey Grayson, Jerry Raynes and Dylan Arrington, escaped from the Raymond Detention Center near Jackson, allegedly with help from an acquaintance now charged with aiding and abetting. The last of the Mississippi escapees, Harrison, was captured earlier this month after extensive manhunts that covered multiple states. Arrington and Grayson were each found dead, and the former inmate was wanted in connection with a pastor's murder and carjacking in Jackson.

Then, over the weekend, authorities in Philadelphia said two inmates escaped a detention center by cutting a hole in a fence surrounding the property. The inmates have been identified as Ameen Hurst, who is accused in the shooting deaths of four people, and Nasir Grant. Police said they did not learn of the inmates' escape from the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center until Monday afternoon, about 18 hours after the escape supposedly took place the previous evening.

Story continues

Also this month, two inmates escaped a jail in Virginia. Alder Marin-Sotelo, who was charged in the 2022 killing of a North Carolina sheriff's deputy, was captured in Mexico last week. The other inmate, Bruce Callahan, was taken into custody on a college campus in Virginia early Monday.

New U.S. economic data signals easing inflation

Actress Danielle Pinnock on hit show "Ghosts" and Season 2 finale

Robert De Niro shares first photo of his newborn baby girl
ANKARA  Turkeys defense-industry ambitions have taken center stage in a polarized campaign here, as 60 million Turks prepare to cast their votes in presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14.

Wary of the countrys worst economic crisis since 2001, the government of incumbent Islamist President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has anchored its campaign on the halo effect of landmark indigenous military programs. Analysts in the camp of Erdogans Justice and Development Party (AKP) believe that an association with successful weapons programs may add an extra two to four percentage points to his votes, potentially making the difference in an election that observers agree will end in a very narrow margin.

Regardless of the winner, political analysts here believe chaos may follow, including potential street violence, objections to the vote count and the possibility of a re-run. Most opinion polls suggest Erdogans four-party alliance could lose parliamentary majority even if he wins. Erdogans bloc faces the opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a social democrat, and his seven-party alliance made up mostly of small parties.

There is data matching up with the Erdogan camps hope in local arms manufacturing. Independent polling institute Areda Survey found in a March 27-30 poll that 48.7% of Turks think that a government change would cause a regress in defense programs. Only 38.7% think defense programs would make progress in case of a government change.

Erdogan boasts that Turkeys local industry now meets 80% of military requirements compared to only 20% when he came to power in 2002. He has accused the opposition bloc of planning to sabotage the nationalization effort of the past two decades.

Erdogans election campaign has been based primarily on showcasing national success stories in defense. He has appeared on high-profile ceremonies inaugurating the KAAN, Turkeys indigenous fighter jet in the making, the Landing Platform Dock TCG Anadolu, the Navys biggest ship, the Altay, Turkeys first indigenous main battle tank, and the Kizilelma, a combat drone. Hundreds of thousands of Turks have visited the 231-meter long TCG Anadolu now being showcased at Turkeys main ports. On April 24, the Kizilelma made its first autonomous flight.

Story continues

This is pure political propaganda, said one analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity because he fears prosecution. These systems are works in progress. There will be some time before they become fully operational to enter service.

Erdogan accuses the opposition of intending to scrap all indigenous programs if Kilicdaroglu came to power. Kilicdaroglu responded: Why should we? Defense industry is a non-partisan, national issue.

Defense analyst Murat Yetkin, who publishes the Yetkin Report devoted to Turkish politics, said: Erdogan is manipulating the criticism by portraying the opposition as a potential killer of the industry. In fact, the criticism is that he has systematically favored (defense) companies close to his circle.

Ozgur Eksi, head of the defense specialist think tank TurDef, said: In case of a government change there will be some delays due to a massive bureaucratic reshuffle, but finally it will be business as usual. No political party in Turkey is suicidal enough to kill defense programs.

Analysts and officials agree that there would be a major reshuffling of the civilian and military bureaucracy if Erdogan lost the presidential seat, starting with the top procurement official, Ismail Demir, head of the countrys influential Defense Industry Agency.

In a video speech, Kilicdaroglu said: As soon as we come to power, we will make Ataturk Airport the center of aviation and space studies, which will be the dynamo of our aviation and space industry.

Ataturk Airport, located in the south of Istanbul, was closed to commercial flights after the opening of Istanbul Airport in 2019. Since then, the airport has been open only for maintenance, general aviation, air taxis, business flights and state and diplomatic aircraft.

Kilicdaroglu said that he discussed the project with a leading U.S.-based company, Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), owned by a Turkish family.

That led Baykar, maker of Turkeys best-known drones like the TB-2, to accuse Erdogans challenger of working with a U.S. company that collaborated directly with the CIA. In response, Kilicdaroglu tweeted: It doesnt suit you to be a partys election propaganda tool. There is room for all our successful Turkish entrepreneurs in the future. Space is wide enough for all of you.

Kilicdaroglu has pledged to put Turkey back into the Western orbit with a pro-U.S., pro-NATO and pro-EU stance. He has said that Erdogans close alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin will come to an end after the government change.

A senior Turkish military officer, speaking on anonymity for fear of reprisal, said a government change could re-tool major foreign programs. It would mean a gradual, perhaps slow, return to the major U.S.-made systems, including the F-16 Block 70 and, though now a remote possibility, to the F-35 consortium, depending on the sustainability of any opposition rule, the officer said. That will also bring up the question: How do we wisely get rid of the S-400s?

In 2019 Erdogans government decided to buy the Russian-made S-400 ground-to-air missile system under a $2.5 billion contract. In response, Washington kicked Turkey out of the F-35 program. Turkeys official request for the acquisition of F-16 Block 70 aircraft awaits congressional approval in Washington.

Fearing broader Western sanctions, Erdogans government has never disclosed if or where the Turkish military deployed its S-400s. Many insiders believe the S-400s have never been unpacked.
AUSTIN, Texas  A U.S. Army sergeant who fatally shot an armed protester at a Black Lives Matter march in Texas was sentenced to 25 years in prison Wednesday, after prosecutors used his social media history and text messages to portray him as a racist who may commit violence again.

Daniel Perrys sentence now pushes the case toward a potentially thorny decision for Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has said he wants to issue a swift pardon.

Abbott requested the state Board of Pardons and Paroles to send him a pardon recommendation for Perry shortly after he was convicted in April of killing Garrett Foster at the Austin march in July 2020.

Abbott lauded Texas tough Stand Your Ground self-defense laws and said Perry was railroaded by a liberal prosecutor. Since then, Perrys trail of texts and online posts, including shockingly racist images, have been made public, and the governor has stayed silent on the matter.

Abbotts office did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment on the sentence or whether he still intends to issue a pardon. Perry, 36, could have received up to life in prison.

Rice University political science professor Mark Jones said Abbott moved too soon on the call for a pardon.

Abbott clearly boxed himself into a corner, when he appeared to respond to criticism from conservative former Fox News star Tucker Carlson, who demanded the governor act, Jones said.

I suspect if Gov. Abbott had known all that he knows now, he would not have jumped the gun on pledging to pardon him, Jones said.

The Pardons and Parole board, which is appointed by Abbott, has already started reviewing Perrys case. State law requires the board to recommend a pardon before the governor can act.

The case has been embroiled in politics as it came amid widespread demonstrations against police killings and racial injustice, following the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer.

Perrys attorneys on Wednesday called the case a political prosecution and the release of the texts and social media posts character assassination.

Story continues

Attorney Clinton Broden said the defense team would pursue both a pardon and a standard appeal in the court system.

Those who claim that Governor Abbotts expressed intent is based on politics simply choose to ignore the fact that it was only the political machinations of a rogue district attorney which led to Sgt. Perrys prosecution, he said.

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza said it was Abbott who decided to insert politics in this case. Garza said hes been assured by the parole board that he and Fosters family will be given a chance to address the board in Perrys case.

In a brief statement before sentencing, state District Judge Clifford Brown said Perry received a fair trial. The jurys verdict deserves our honor and it deserves to be respected, Brown said, without mentioning the potential pardon.

Perry, who is white, was stationed at Fort Hood, about 70 miles north of Austin, when the shooting happened. He was working as a ride-share driver and had just dropped off a customer when he turned onto a street filled with protesters. Foster, a 28-year-old Air Force veteran who was also white, was legally carrying an AK-47 rifle.

Perry said he acted in self defense, claiming that he was trying to drive past the crowd and fired his pistol when Foster pointed a rifle at him. Witnesses testified that they did not see Foster raise his weapon, and prosecutors argued that Perry could have driven away without shooting.

Among Perrys statements introduced Tuesday, he wrote on Facebook a month before the shooting: It is official I am a racist because I do not agree with people acting like animals at the zoo.

Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020. A few days later as protests erupted, Perry sent a text message to an acquaintance: I might go to Dallas to shoot looters.

Foster was with his girlfriend, Whitney Mitchell, who is Black and uses a wheelchair, when Perry gunned him down. Mitchell and several members of Fosters family were in the courtroom for sentencing Wednesday.
Police have arrested a 24-year-old man in connection with a fatal shooting Wednesday evening in the middle of a residential street in south Wichita, police said Thursday.

Angel Pedro Lara of Wichita was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder in the killing of 31-year-old Chance Martin of Wichita. Martin was found in the street shot in the upper body. Officers gave medical aid to Martin before he was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Witnesses to the shooting, which happened around 7 p.m. near Rutan and Sunnybrook, identified the vehicle that Lara took off in, police said.

Police then used Flock Safety cameras to find the vehicle in the 900 block of W. 47th St South, which is near Seneca and about four miles from where the shooting happened. The system alerts police if cameras spot a specific license plate or certain make and model vehicles.

Lara was found in a nearby home, Wichita police spokesperson Chad Ditch said.

The shooting happened after Lara and another male went to the area of Rutan and Sunnybrook, where Martin was, and an argument started in the street, police spokesperson Kristopher Gupilan said, adding that the police report did not say the age of the other male.

Police wouldnt say what the argument was over.

Lara then pulled out a gun and shot Martin before he left in the vehicle, Gupilan said in a news release. Police are not looking for anyone else.

This is the citys ninth homicide this year. There were 17 at this time last year.
Jyrelle Tarver

Jyrelle Tarver, 17, of Wadley has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault in connection to a recent shooting in Louisville.

Tarver was taken into custody on Monday, May 8, two days after a 23-year-old male was found shot in the chest in the 500 block of Old US 1. Emergency medical services provided life support to the victim at the scene. He was taken to Jefferson Hospital where he was treated before being air lifted to Augusta Universitys Trauma Center where he was reportedly in serious but stable condition.

Representatives for the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office said that Tarver is being held in the county jail with no bond at this time.

The motive for the shooting is unclear and the case is still being investigated, a spokesman for the sheriffs office said.

The shooting is being investigated by the sheriffs office, Louisville Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Tarver has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault, possession of firearm during the commission of certain crimes and possession of a firearm by someone under age 18.

Investigators are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call 478-625-4014 or the GBI at 706-595-2575.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Arrest made in Saturday shooting in Louisville
EL PASO, Texas  Outside of a homeless shelter in downtown El Paso, where hundreds of migrants have been camping out in recent weeks, fear and confusion hung in the air.

Men, women and children gathered under white Red Cross tarps that offered shade from the brutal 90-degree weather, sitting on cots and pieces of flat cardboard topped with donated sheets.

I really dont know what to do. Im so afraid to turn myself in and get deported ... I just want to be able to move forward and find my family, said Jose, 41, who migrated from Venezuela and has been staying outside the Opportunity Center for the Homeless.

Jose, who asked that his full name not be used for fear of retribution from immigration authorities, was trying to reach his wife and 4-year-old daughter in Atlanta, after they were separated from him and allowed into the U.S. about three weeks ago.

Follow along for live updates on the end of Title 42

A day before a pandemic-era restriction that allowed the U.S. to rapidly turn back millions of migrants and asylum-seekers is set to lift, the city of El Paso is trying to abate a humanitarian crisis that is only expected to get worse. El Paso and other Texas cities have declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the policy change.

Migrants enter El Paso, Texas from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on May 10, 2023. (Andres Leighton / AP)

A member of the Texas Army National Guard watches as U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents search migrants surrendering themselves for the processing of immigration and asylum claims on the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas on May 10, 2023. (Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images)

Immigration authorities have expelled migrants more than 2.8 million times under the policy, known as Title 42, according to data from Customs and Border Protection.

With the end of Title 42 after Thursday, immigration authorities and groups that help immigrant families handed out flyers encouraging migrants who crossed into the U.S. avoiding legal ports of entry to turn themselves in at a nearby processing center to be processed by CBP officials and placed on the correct immigration path.

Some of the migrants agonized over their next move, attempting to navigate the complex immigration process for a chance to remain in the U.S.

Growing numbers, growing crisis

Officials are preparing for potentially large numbers of people aiming to cross the U.S. border after the rule expires late Thursday. Shelters have been so full that as many as some 3,300 migrants have been living on the streets outside of a nearby church and the center in recent days, although the numbers continue to fluctuate.

Story continues

While the shelters offer the migrants food, basic necessities and a place to temporarily stay, the organizations say an unsustainable humanitarian crisis is unfolding.

Its been very troubling for us that were not in a position to be able to provide the level of assistance thats needed, just simply due to the large numbers of people that were working with, said John Martin, deputy director of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless.

Migrants camped out in front of Opportunity Center for the Homeless before the lifting of Title 42 in El Paso, Texas on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. (Paul Ratje / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

At the center, Martin said the mens program can comfortably house 120 people inside, with an additional 50 for the womens program and another 85 at a welcome center for migrant families. But recently, those programs have been at capacity or over, with migrants seeking refuge outside in a makeshift tent city in a parking lot and an alley behind the center.

'I took the chance to cross over the wall'

More than 11,000 migrants were caught crossing the nations southern border on Tuesday, already surpassing expectations of 10,000 per day predicted by Department of Homeland Security officials on what could come when Covid restrictions lift late Thursday.

Further complicating the situation is that, because of federal funding, many shelters can only take in migrants that have already been processed, not those who crossed illegally.

Authorities in El Paso said late last week that between 10,000 and 15,000 migrants in Juarez were potentially expected to come in with the lifting of Title 42.

The city said it had plans to open two empty schools as shelters this week, but it would be open only to processed migrants because it's federally funded.

Yohan Torres Ugas, a 39-year-old Venezuelan, said that while he was across the border in Juarez for two months, he tried using CBP One, a mobile app for migrants trying to get an appointment to seek asylum in the U.S. It did not work for him, he said.

So I took the chance to cross over the wall, there was no other way, he said in Spanish.

Torres Ugas is trying to seek political asylum for himself and his 19-year-old son as they stayed outside the Opportunity Center for about a week. On Tuesday, he held documents showing that the two had a receipt for filing their asylum application in El Paso, but he did not know if the documents allowed them to travel. They were also not yet allowed to work legally in the country.

Our fear is that theyll deport us and well have to start over after everything its cost us, he said. It took us months struggling to get here, through the jungle, multiple countries, risking our lives. We cannot go back to Venezuela.

Torres Ugas said he wants to leave El Paso because of fears of growing anti-immigrant sentiment fueled by scenes of migrants camping out at the border city.

Once he gets enough money, Torres Ugas wants to move on, being here so near the border theres a lot of issues that come up around us migrants, so we need to get out of this state, he said.

Its difficult to move around here because we have no money. If we had money, we could go somewhere else."

In the city, nongovernmental organizations and churches have become a temporary stop for migrants without a place to stay.

The city told NBC News on Monday that some 2,500 migrants were camped around nearby Sacred Heart Church, with another 800 near the Opportunity Center who were mostly undocumented or unprocessed. Another 500-600 processed migrants were staying inside NGOs.

Migrants camp outside of the Sacred Heart Church in El Paso, Texas on May 8, 2023. (Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images)

Migrants wait in line for donations outside of Sacred Heart Church before the lifting of Title 42 in El Paso, Texas, on May 3, 2023. (Paul Ratje / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

We never had seen that before, Rafael Garcia, the pastor at Sacred Heart Church, said. Several months ago, the church also saw large numbers of people camped outside, but not to the extent of recent days.

Many people who have crossed the border lack the funds to pay for bus or plane tickets to take them to their next destinations and some of those who may have gathered enough money are too afraid to leave the areas around the shelter.

It "creates a bottleneck effect" keeping people in El Paso, Garcia said.

It is a humanitarian crisis where people are vulnerable. They dont have the funds. They dont know what to do. Just the sheer volume of people, he said.

The Department of Homeland Security said it has been increasing resources and personnel to support border operations to speed up processing and help mitigate potential overcrowding at stations. They've also increased funding and capacity for organizations that receive migrants after they have been processed.

Fear, followed by 'hope'

Groups of people who had crossed the border without documentation went over the potential risks again and again of turning themselves in, arguing over what they should do.

Migrants wait in line adjacent to the border fence under the watch of the Border Patrol and Texas National Guard to enter into El Paso, Texas, on May 10, 2023. (Andres Leighton / AP)

Rosa, a 31-year-old Venezuelan, said some were motivated by fear of what the end of Title 42 would mean for those already in El Paso who crossed illegally. Rosa previously turned herself in but she is concerned for her nephew, who crossed into the U.S. illegally.

Everyones afraid for the end of Title 42, that theyll expel us, that they wont process us, said Rosa, who asked that her full name not be used for fear of retribution for herself and her family by immigration authorities. So much sacrifice to get here for nothing.

But by midday Tuesday, hundreds lined up outside a CBP processing center to turn themselves in.

Rosa sat in the shade; it had been three hours since her nephew went to turn himself in. Neither one of them has a cellphone, so she was anxiously waiting for his return.

Im really nervous, she said, sitting with her arms folded over her knees, occasionally rocking back and forth.

She said her nephew wanted to turn back, but turned himself in after seeing that some other migrants who went in were released with documents.

There is hope, she said.

Araceli Perez, a case worker at the Opportunity Center, said a majority of the migrants who had been staying outside made their way over to the processing center on Tuesday. Some returned, excited to have received documents allowing them to travel, she said. Others were still waiting to be processed, she said, adding there were others still with criminal records or migrants from countries other than Venezuela who she heard were expelled or deported.

By Wednesday, fewer migrants were seen around the church and homeless shelter.

Its giving us a chance to breathe a little bit, Martin said, adding that the center would focus on preparing for the next groups of migrants to come.

Weve been trying to prepare ourselves for the worst case scenario, he said. We simply just dont know.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators march in Washington D.C., on January 20, 2023.

Thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators march in Washington D.C., on January 20, 2023.

Violence against abortion providers and clinics skyrocketed following the Supreme Courts decision to repeal Roe v. Wade last year, according to a new study.

The National Abortion Federation released its annual reporton violence and disruption against abortion providers on Thursday morning, and the numbers are striking. NAF found that all forms of violence  including arson, burglary, death threats, stalking, invasions and bomb threats  has increased significantly since 2021.

From 2021 to 2022, around the country, burglary increased by 231%, stalking of clinic staff and patients increased by 229%, arson increased by 100%, and invasions of clinics increased by 25%.

Several states enacted near-total abortion bans immediately after the Supreme Courts decision, which forced many abortion clinics to shut down in red states. Anti-abortion extremists then shifted their attention to states that continue to protect abortion care, leading to a disproportionate increase in violence and threats of violence in areas.

The threat of violence against abortion providers unfortunately remains on the rise despite dozens of clinic closures across the nation, Michelle Davidson, security director at NAF, said during a Wednesday press call. The 2022 violence and disruption statistics indicate that anti-abortion extremists were emboldened by the SCOTUS decision and state level wins.

In states where abortion is protected, stalking increased by 913% (from eight cases in 2021 to 81 in 2022), bomb threats increased by 133% (from three in 2021 to seven in 2022) and burglaries increased by 100% (five in 2021 to 10 in 2022). The National Abortion Federation defined these states using Guttmacher Institutes analysis of abortion care in the U.S., including states that fall into the categories of most protective, very protective, protective and some restrictions/protections.

Story continues

This is definitely an ongoing issue and fear for us, said Julie Burkhart, president of Wellspring Health Access abortion clinic in Casper, Wyoming, and co-owner of another abortion clinic, Hope Clinic, in Illinois.

Burkhart recounted how weeks before the Dobbs decision came down, anti-abortion extremists broke into her Wyoming clinic and set the building on fire. She and her team were set to open the new clinic in just a few weeks, but the fire destroyed everything  forcing them to renovate for another 11 months before they could finally open and see patients.

Marva Sadler, the senior director of clinic services at Whole Womans Health, has also experienced an increase in violence and disruptions in her work since Roe fell. Sadler was forced to relocate her clinics in Texas after the states near-total abortion ban went into effect.

We had a very high volume of violence in disruption at our former Texas clinics, and were bracing ourselves to see that same energy follow us to our new clinics, especially in New Mexico, she said.

Anti-abortion extremists regularly protest outside of Whole Womans Health clinics and use creative ways to disrupt access to care, Sadler said. Anti-choice activists were successfully packing the clinics schedule by booking appointments and then not showing up to the appointment  rendering much of the clinic staff helpless.

The threat of their presence and the history of their actions is always on our minds, Sadler said, noting that this stress takes a toll on staff and causes a high turnover rate.

The National Abortion Federation has tracked incidences of violence and disruption since 1977. In that time, anti-choice extremists have committed 11 murders, 42 bombings, 200 arsons, 531 assaults, 492 clinic invasions and 375 burglaries.

Melissa Fowler, Chief Program Officer at NAF, noted that anti-abortion centers  also known as crisis pregnancy centers  have had an outsized impact on the mis- and disinformation being spread in the current post-Roe world. In some places, Fowler noted, these anti-abortion pregnancy centers have moved into old abortion clinic spaces that were forced to close after the Dobbs decision.

In this post-Dobbs landscape, we know these centers are capitalizing on the chaos and confusion that exists on the ground, she said.

Anti-abortion pregnancy centers are faith-based organizations that claim to offer pregnancy services like pregnancy tests, contraception, prenatal care and, in some cases, abortion services. But pregnant women who come in are discouraged from having abortions and are given scientifically inaccurate information by staff that many times do not have medical training or licenses. Many times these clinics are government funded in states with anti-choice legislatures.

Its really hard for people to know their options and to get the care that they need, especially in states that have banned abortion, Fowler added. Its more important than ever that people seeking abortion care have access to accurate and factual information and that they can get to a clinic that is a real clinic and that can provide the care they need.

Read NAFs full report here.

Related...
LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia (AP)  Indonesian President Joko Widodo somberly acknowledged to fellow Southeast Asian leaders Thursday that no progress has been made to end the civil strife gripping Myanmar and renewed a call for an end to the violence, including a recent airstrike a rights group called an apparent war crime."

I have to be honest, Widodo told fellow leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on the final day of their two-day summit in the Indonesian harbor town of Labuan Bajo. There has been no significant progress in the implementation of the five-point consensus.

ASEAN's chairperson this year, Widodo was referring to a peace plan forged by the 10-nation bloc with Myanmars top general in 2021 that called for an immediate end to the violence and dialogue among contending parties to be brokered through an ASEAN special envoy.

Myanmar's military-led government refused to take steps to enforce the plan, prompting ASEAN leaders to exclude the countrys ruling generals and their appointees from the blocs summit meetings. The generals have protested ASEANs move, which they said strayed from the groups bedrock policy of non-intervention in each others domestic affairs and deciding by consensus.

Widodo called for unity  a seemingly futile call as he spoke with fellow heads of state in a bayside hotel conference room with the chair reserved for Myanmars leader empty.

After the leaders concluded their summit, Widodo and his foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, told a news conference that the bloc would continue to push for the peace plan's enforcement and expand ASEAN's engagement not just with military leaders but with various groups in Myanmar, hoping the military-led government would do the same.

We will try again and again, Marsudi told reporters. We are still united and strong in seeing the urgency of the five-point consensus.

Engagement doesn't mean recognition, Widodo said.

Story continues

Founded in 1967 as a diverse club of authoritarian regimes, monarchs and nascent democracies, ASEAN has come under international pressure to take tougher steps to address the crisis in Myanmar. But ASEAN members appeared to be divided, with some recommending an easing of punitive actions aimed at isolating Myanmars generals and allowing its top diplomat and officials back to attend the summit meetings.

The time for isolation has served its purpose, an internal ASEAN report obtained by The Associated Press cited some member states as saying in a meeting of the bloc's top diplomats ahead of the leaders' summit.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim publicly expressed his frustrations. He has said that about 200,000 people have fled to Malaysia to escape the tumult in Myanmar.

ASEAN has not been able to resolve most problems, contentious ones, Anwar told fellow leaders Wednesday in videotaped remarks he posted on his Twitter account. We are stuck with the principle of non-intervention.

Yes, there is non-interference, but we will have to then have a new vision that could give us some flexibility in order to navigate and maneuver the way forward, he said.

ASEAN leaders on Wednesday condemned an attack on an aid convoy that their group had arranged for displaced people in Myanmar, calling for an immediate stop to violence and for the military government to comply with a peace plan.

Gunmen opened fire on a convoy delivering aid to displaced villagers and carrying Indonesian and Singaporean diplomats over the weekend in Myanmars eastern Shan state. A security team with the convoy returned fire and a vehicle was damaged, but there were no injuries, state-run television MRTV reported.

For the second year, Myanmars top general was not invited to the summit. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing led the army in seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, plunging the country into a civil strife and becoming ASEANs gravest crisis since its establishment.

During foreign ministers talks ahead of the summit, some suggested that the group reengage Myanmars military-led State Administration Council and bring Myanmar back to ASEAN foreign ministers meeting and summits, noting that the time for isolation has served its purpose, according to the ASEAN report. It did not identify the countries pushing for more leniency toward Myanmar despite international outrage against continuing military attacks in the country.

The suggestion for ASEAN to bring Myanmar back into its fold was noted, the report said, hinting it did not receive full approval from all the ministers.

The ministerial talks stressed the Myanmar crisis should not affect ASEANs progress in building a regional community, said the report, which cited one observation that there would be no near-term solution to the Myanmar crisis.

There was also an observation that ASEAN might be experiencing a Myanmar fatigue, which might distract ASEAN from larger goals of ASEAN community-building, the report said. Patience, flexibility and creativity are therefore required since there will be no quick fix to the crisis.

The report cited, without elaborating, concerns on rising transnational crimes, including human trafficking and illegal drug production originating from Myanmar. More alarmingly, it said, there was a call to all parties to stop the influx of arms and financial funding into Myanmar, which leads to an escalation of the conflict.

More than 3,450 civilians have been killed by security forces since Myanmars military took power, and thousands more remain imprisoned, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which keeps tallies of casualties and arrests linked to repression by the military government.

In April, a military airstrike killed more than 160 people, including many children, who were attending a ceremony by opponents of army rule, according to witnesses cited by Human Rights Watch. The group on Tuesday described the attack as an apparent war crime.

Aside from Myanmar, the long-seething territorial disputes in the South China Sea which involve China, ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, along with Taiwan, were high in the summit agenda.

In a post-summit communique issued by Widodo on behalf of the ASEAN leaders, they renewed a call for self-restraint in the disputed South China Sea to prevent miscalculations and confrontations, repeating language used in previous ASEAN statements, which criticized China's aggressive actions without naming it in an indication of Beijing's influence.

___

Associated Press journalists Andi Jatmiko and Achmad Ibrahim contributed to this report.
By Kate Lamb

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia (Reuters) -Southeast Asia's ASEAN grouping will not give up trying to end violence in fellow member Myanmar even though the ruling military there has made no progress on a peace plan it agreed with the bloc two years ago, Indonesia said on Thursday.

Frustration has mounted among some members of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations with Myanmar and how to handle its bloody political turmoil that has raised questions about the group's effectiveness and unity.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo was forthright in his criticism, telling an ASEAN summit in the Indonesian town of Labuan Bajo that Myanmar's generals had made no progress on a five-point ASEAN peace plan.

He also said human rights violations in Myanmar could not be tolerated and violence there should be halted and its people protected.

Indonesia is ASEAN chair this year and its foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, told the summit that principles of democracy and the rule of law were enshrined in the ASEAN charter.

"A lack of progress not does mean that we should give up," Retno said at the closing of the summit

Myanmar has been in violent turmoil since the army overthrew a government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.

The coup triggered widespread protests that the military crushed. The army has since been fighting ethnic minority insurgents seeking self-determination and allied pro-democracy fighters.

ASEAN last month condemned the Myanmar military over one of its latest and most deadly air strikes that killed at least 100 people. The junta says it is fighting "terrorists".

As ASEAN chair, Indonesia has been talking to all sides in recent months in an attempt to get talks going but the criticism from Indonesia on Thursday underscored the absence of any results.

"I must speak candidly. On implementation of the 5PC, there has not been significant progress," Jokowi, as the Indonesian president is known, said earlier, referring to what ASEAN calls its "five-point consensus", or "5PC" for Myanmar.

Story continues

Myanmar's top general agreed to the plan, which calls for an end to violence, humanitarian access and dialogue among all parties, in April 2021 at a meeting in Jakarta but the military has largely ignored it.

'NEXT STEPS'

Jokowi called for unity on Myanmar.

"ASEAN unity is required to decide on the next steps," he said, adding "engagement does not mean recognition".

ASEAN, which for years lived by the principle of not interfering in each other's internal affairs, has barred Myanmar junta leaders from attending its high-level meetings over its failure to implement the plan.

ASEAN secretary general Kao Kim Hourn told Reuters on the sidelines of the summit that the plan would still serve as the foundation for engaging with the junta.

"What we should be doing is to ensure that violence is eliminated. That is the bottom line," he said.

"They say if want to reach a destination you run, if you cannot run you walk, and if you cannot walk you crawl. As long as there is a movement forward, there is progress."

Malaysia's foreign minister, Zambry Abdul Kadir, said the bloc was serious about Myanmar "but it had to come as a force together".

"Everyone wants to find a peaceful solution, and a lasting one," he said.

While Myanmar loomed over this week's talks the group also discussed growing tensions in the South China Sea, which China largely claims despite the over-lapping claims of some ASEAN members.

Indonesia called for self-restraint in resolving territorial disputes in the strategic waterway.

"We welcomed ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and China and were encouraged by progress ... toward an early conclusion of a ... Code of Conduct," Indonesia said in a chair's statement released as the summit closed.

(Additional reporting by Ananda Teresia, Stanley Widianto; Editing by Martin Petty, Robert Birsel)
Its not unreasonable to expect an elected official to live up to the promises they made on the campaign trail.

Especially not when the reproductive freedom of North Carolinians hinges upon them keeping that promise.

Last week, North Carolina Republicans unveiled a lengthy bill that would ban abortion after 12 weeks, with some exceptions. With a veto override vote looming, all eyes are on a handful of lawmakers who vowed not to support further restrictions on abortion while campaigning for the offices they now hold.

Rep. John Bradford, a Republican who represents a highly competitive district in northern Mecklenburg County, told media outlets ahead of the election that he had no intentions of making North Carolinas current 20-week law more restrictive.

And, in an interview last October, Bradford told the Editorial Board that he would prefer to just leave [the current law] on the books.

That law has been on the books since before I was born, Bradford told the Editorial Board then. So, look, I support the law  Thats a pretty clear position, where I am, where Ive been, and I think we can have that law remain on our books, and continue to focus on other things that I think are equally important.

John Bradford

But Bradford voted in favor of the GOPs 12-week abortion ban on the House floor last week.

We asked Bradford to explain why he supported the bill, given his past statements. Bradford responded by saying the proposed legislation maintains access for all women.

Sadly, the radical left along with Governor Cooper is attempting to mislead the public, Bradford told the Editorial Board. This bill represents a reasonable compromise and will be viewed as such in the end.

Thats a deflection that doesnt answer our question, so we tried again, asking Bradford what hed say to voters who are wondering why he supports the bill despite his past comments.

This time, Bradford did not respond.

Bradford is not the only legislator who appeared to go back on his word. Rep. Tricia Cotham, the Democrat-turned-Republican from Mecklenburg County, also voted for the bill, despite a long history of supporting abortion rights throughout her political career.

Story continues

Last year, Cotham tweeted saying we need leaders who will be unwavering and unapologetic in their support of abortion rights. If elected, she promised to continue [her] strong record of defending the right to choose. Cotham consistently opposed abortion restrictions during her previous stint in the legislature, even speaking on the House floor in 2015 about her own experience with abortion.

So what happened?

We dont know. Cotham did not respond to a request for comment from the Editorial Board.

Theres also Rep. Ted Davis, a New Hanover County Republican who said last year he supports what the law is in North Carolina right now and insisted that House Speaker Tim Moore wouldnt dictate how he votes on the issue.

Davis was not present for the House vote last week. But Moore told reporters after the vote that all 72 House Republicans are on board with the bill and overriding the veto will not be an issue. Davis did not respond to an inquiry from the Editorial Board.

Gov. Roy Cooper has openly pleaded for these Republicans to keep their promises and vote to sustain his veto. Cooper is also focusing on a fourth lawmaker, Sen. Michael Lee of New Hanover County, who said during the election he does not support restricting abortion during the first trimester. Lee has pushed back, saying the bill does exactly what he said he would support. But Democrats argue that the additional provisions littered throughout the bill do restrict a persons ability to obtain an abortion before 12 weeks. While that is true, targeting Lee is a bit of a reach.

Were lawmakers like Bradford and Cotham just saying what they thought would help get them elected? Or have they truly had a change of heart? Voters dont know, and thats the problem.

Some Republicans have suggested that Cooper and other Democrats are attempting to bully lawmakers into voting the way they want them to. But expecting people to keep their word to voters isnt bullying. Its being held accountable.

Theres still time for these lawmakers to do the right thing. Voters deserve better than politicians who say one thing and do another. And most of all, they deserve elected officials they can trust will keep the promises they make.
Residents look on as flames burn through bush on January 04, 2020 in Lake Tabourie, Australia.

The catastrophic 2019-2020 bushfire season in Australia was so extreme that it may have contributed to the rare triple-year La Nina, new research has found. In a study released in Science Advances this week, scientists found that the fires created enormous emissions that affected weather patterns globally.

The bushfires burned through eucalyptus forests throughout southern and eastern Australia. The fires ignited in 2019, burned for months, and werent put out until well into January 2020. Millions of hectares in Australia burned, and about 3 billion animals either died or were displaced by this catastrophic event, according to NASA.

Read more

In the study, researchers modeled how the aerosols released from the bushfires affected other parts of the world. Scientists with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), who led the study, explained that the huge amounts of smoke were similar to those simulated for a major volcanic eruption, suggesting the potential for a broad range of climate responses. The extra smoke in the atmosphere made clouds around the equatorial Pacific brighter, which meant they could reflect more sunlight back into space.

How does this connect to a global shift? La Nina is a cyclical periodic cooling of the equatorial Pacific Ocean that affects weather patterns throughout the world. In the U.S., La Nina years bring cooler and wetter conditions to states in the Northern Plains and the Pacific Northwest, and warmer and drier conditions to Southern states.

The study found that added cooling from the smoke-brightened clouds could have created the conditions that would allow La Nina to stick around for longer than usual. The researchers also found that the bushfire smoke in the atmosphere affected the intertropical convergence zone, which is where trade winds from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres come together. The zone moved northward, which created more cooling that allowed for La Nina to last longer than expected.

Story continues

Many people quickly forgot about the Australian fires, especially as the COVID pandemic exploded, but the Earth system has a long memory, and the impacts of the fires lingered for years, John Fasullo, NCAR scientist and lead author of the study, said in a statement.

Fasullo told the Guardian that this study presents more data for better understanding how El Nino and La Nina may be affected by the climate crisis, which gives experts more information for what to expect in the future. With climate change, these fires are going to become bigger, more intense and longer-lasting, he told the Guardian. Obviously its a huge negative to have such a strong, impactful fire, but it does provide a source of predictability perhaps.

Now in 2023, researchers are keeping an eye out for El Ninos formation, which will signify higher temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. The shift could mean dangerously high temperatures around the world; some experts worry that upcoming heat waves could be even worse than in 2016, which was an El Nino year and the hottest year on record, Reuters reported. The heat is already showing up around the world this spring. Just a few days ago, Vietnam recorded its hottest temperature ever.

Want more climate and environment stories? Check out Earthers guides to decarbonizing your home, divesting from fossil fuels, packing a disaster go bag, and overcoming climate dread. And dont miss our coverage of the latest IPCC climate report, the future of carbon dioxide removal, and the invasive plants you should rip to shreds.

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Axiom Spaces second private crewed mission to the International Space Station is now scheduled to launch in just ten days, with the four-person crew preparing to conduct more than 20 scientific experiments while in space.

The Ax-2 mission will now launch no earlier than 5:37 p.m. EDT on May 21 from SpaceXs Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center. The crew will travel to the station onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule, where theyll remain for a roughly 10-day stint. This will mark the second fully private crew to visit the ISS; the first mission, also operated by Axiom Space, took place in April 2022.

The crew includes Peggy Whitson, the mission commander and Axioms director of human spaceflight; John Shoffner, the pilot; Ali Alqarni, mission specialist; and Rayyanah Barnawi, also a mission specialist. Alqarni and Barnawi are both members of Saudi Arabias first astronaut class and will be the first people from that country to visit the ISS. Shoffner, an Axiom investor, is the only paying customer on the crew.

The foursome will engage in a ton of scientific research while aboard the station. The more than 20 payloads that will travel with the crew, which span the life sciences, biomedicine, and technology demonstrations, are sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory. Experiments include examining the impact of microgravity on stem cell production, studies on bioengineered human tissue, and a project that will help advance detection of a treatment for cancer on Earth. The crew will also undergo a battery of tests to better understand the impact of spaceflight and microgravity on the body.

Private human spaceflight mission is just one part of Axioms plan. The company is also among a growing crowd of players aiming to operate a private space station. Their plan involves attaching modules to the ISS, and later operating these modules as a free-flying station once the ISS is decommissioned in 2030. The first module is scheduled to launch in 2025.

Axiom also announced last month that it signed an agreement to establish a joint venture with one of its investors: Korean pharmaceutical firm Boryung, who contributed $50 million in capital last December. The JV was announced last month.
A baby was found dead in a dumpster behind Just Move gym on South Florida Avenue, Lakeland police said Thursday.

Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said a man was going through the dumpster in the back and found a bag containing the remains of an infant boy with the placenta and umbilical cord still attached.

When asked if the baby was full-term, he said it "was not a non-viable fetus. ... I would refer to it as a baby."

Officer shot Lakeland police officer and 13-year-old suspect shot at 10th Street apartment complex

Tuesday fatal crash SUV driver in fatal crash near Mulberry charged with driving without a license

2 years after suspension DeSantis reinstates Kris Fitzgerald to Lake Wales City Commission

The chief said police were scouring the area and conducting an investigation. The medical examiner will conduct an autopsy.

"There could be several charges, depending on what the medical examiner determines. Whether the child was killed, was the child stillborn, you could have a homicide charge. Did the child suffocate in the bag?" Taylor said.

He said it appeared the child had been in the dumpster less than 10 hours.

"Anybody that is pregnant and feels they can't take care of a child can drop it off at a fire station, police department, ... I think a hospital, emergency rooms, can take them no questions asked," Taylor said. The chief noted there's a Watson Clinic facility about a mile down Frontage Road.

This is the second infant abandoned in Polk County this year. In late January, an hour-old newborn girl was found abandoned in the woods near a Mulberry mobile home park. That baby survived and was taken to Lakeland Regional Hospital for treatment. The child was found to have suffered insect bites and was turned over to the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Newborn boy found dead behind gym near the Parkway in Lakeland
A man digging in a trash bin behind a Florida gym found a baby just hours old, prompting an investigation into how the boy died, according to the Lakeland Police Department.

The discovery was made early Thursday, May 11, in an alley behind Just Move gym in the 3600 block of South Florida Avenue, Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said at a news conference.

Its suspected the boy was in the bin less than 10 hours, he said.

A gentlemen who was going through the dumpster had located a bag and inside the bag was a fetus that was deceased: A male baby, still had the placenta attached and the umbilical cord, Taylor said.

It wasnt a nonviable fetus. I would actually refer to it as a baby.

The man called 911 and police responded, along with the Lakeland Fire Department, he said. The child was declared dead at the scene and turned over to the medical examiner for a postmortem examination, officials said.

Detectives are seeking information on who put the child in the dumpster, Taylor said.

The alley behind the business is a dead end, and is bordered by a storm drainage pond and trees, maps show.

Charges will be filed against the person responsible, and they will depend on whether the coroner finds the child was stillborn or had been killed, Taylor said.

Lakeland is about 35 miles northeast of downtown Tampa.

Watch as deputy helps deliver baby along Florida highway  and has parents laughing

Foul odor reveals man was living with a decomposing body, Florida sheriff says

Parents charged 30 years after trash bag with dead baby found in Mississippi, cops say
If streaming data continues to trend as it has in the past 18 months, soon, all emerging stars will, like 23-year-old Bailey Zimmerman, have a strong lineage to country music in their mainstream pop-aimed development.

The only tradition that will remain from Hank Williams to the crooner who is clad in hole-ridden skinny jeans, a new diamond-encrusted gold logo chain, a Justin Bieber T-shirt and a Whiskey Jam concert series trucker cap while speaking with The Tennessean at Warner Music's Nashville offices on Music Row is an ear-warming, harmonizing tenor.

Zimmerman is fond of playing catch with his beloved Labrador retriever Marley Mae, but he's not fond of two other things many would consider key to being a top-tier country music artist: boot-cut jeans and cowboy boots.

"Nothing against either of them, but my legs don't look right in either of them," Zimmerman deadpans.

Five years have elapsed since the Louisville, Illinois, native almost married a high school sweetheart. It's only been three since he penned his first successful song. And only one month has elapsed since he drank a beer from a Nike Air Force One sneaker onstage in Sydney while opening on a nearly yearlong tour with Morgan Wallen, HARDY and ERNEST.

Bailey Zimmerman performs onstage at the 2023 Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California.

Given his age and how swiftly his life has evolved, it's equally as challenging for him to fall out of young love as it is to learn to craft No. 1 singles.

Given that his recent back-to-back country radio chart-toppers, "Fall in Love" and "Rock and a Hard Place," pale in comparison to the number of times his heart's been broken, Zimmerman has so much learning still left to accomplish about his art, career and life in general.

"Religiously," his 16-track debut album out on May 12, is a snap-shot look into Zimmerman's mindset amid his seemingly overnight evolution.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was looking to work alongside his greatest inspiration, his "genius" brother John, a metal fabricating entrepreneur.

Story continues

The first time Zimmerman attempted to sing online was in October 2020. He and John were preparing to partner on a truck-lifting business so Zimmerman could quit his job on a natural gas pipeline.

As Zimmerman waited for his brother to deliver parts for their new business, he absentmindedly began singing Black Stone Cherry's 2011 rock single "Stay" on TikTok.

Within hours, his unbeknownst "talent" was discovered by a longtime friend, Warner Chappell Nashville-signed songwriter Gavin Lucas.

Less than two years later, Zimmerman was himself signed to Warner Music Nashville, and "Fall in Love" was in the midst of a 26-week run on Billboard's Country Airplay charts.

When asked about what keeps him grounded about another career highlight, touring with ERNEST, HARDY and Wallen, his answer is fascinating.

Bailey Zimmerman arrives for the CMT Awards on April 2 in Austin, Texas. His debut album, "Religiously," is out on May 12.

"I'm just trying to write songs that explain how cheating, lying, one-night stands and how texting and social media direct messaging can evolve a relationship from like to love to hooking up in under an hour sometimes," Zimmerman says.

On album track "Forget About You," he sings:

"We were 19, chasing the lightning / We were Colorado high didnt get a goodbye / Just a note on the fridge / And them words that ya said / Still stuck in my head like glue / I can forgive, yeah I forgive / But I cant forget about you,"

The era of "boyfriend country," where 40-year-old men sing sensitive homages to the joys of suburban family life, does not apply to artists half their age.

He's also the son of a mother who recently re-married. Couple that with the modern era and an endearing frailty is revealed. Dig deeper into how that crosses into his understanding of hookup culture and it demonstrates more of who Zimmerman is at his core.

"We can't value dating or relationships [as we once did] anymore because cellphones and social media have [accelerated] everything," he says. "One day you're in love with someone, and the next day, you or your partner is scrolling on social media and you've been replaced."

Zimmerman, unlike so many other young men who are content with "a woman in every bed" replacing "a chicken in every pot" as a campaign promise-turned-lifestyle pledge, has primarily written an album that positions him as the world's foremost lothario, entirely capable of achieving seemingly impossible  and trust-driven  youthful love connections.

More music: Morgan Wallen tour sidelined for six weeks due to vocal injury

To continue the metaphor of a campaigning politician, he notes that the album's title track highlights that he's never cheated and "always sticks it out, through thick and thin."

He then lists other song titles on his album, like "Fall in Love" and "Pain Won't Last."

He makes a convincing argument for his honesty.

Bailey Zimmerman's Warner-released debut album "Religiously" includes 16 tracks.

However, Zimmerman's also the same person who cuts himself off when he makes another strongly worded statement.

"I don't know how to write songs."

Zimmerman's credited with writing 11 of the album's 16 songs.

More: Dolly Parton to release anticipated album 'Rockstar' on Nov. 17

The burgeoning country star is perhaps honest to a fault.

He may yet tell a lie to adjust another political campaign promise from yesteryear.

However, it's a small one he's quickly rectifying.

There are over two dozen credited songwriters on "Religiously," which highlights that for what Zimmerman may not have known as a neophyte songwriter upon his breakout TikTok-led popularity, he's learning quickly.

For the 2021-released "Never Comin' Home," he describes writing the song in a process where verse preceded chorus, with a solo to follow, coupled with a bridge.

When breaking down the 2023 album track "Is This Really Over?" (a collaboration with seasoned song-crafters ERNEST, Chandler Walters, Mark Holman, Rhys Rutherford and Cody Lohden) he describes sitting with Waters and Lohden at Big Loud's 16th Avenue S offices and while starting to pen something attached to a steel guitar lick Waters had been strumming, encountering Rutherford, the son of Nashville Songwriter Hall of Famer Rivers Rutherford. Rhys is an aspiring artist who just happened to be stopping by.

The trio then saw Grammy-nominated songwriter Holman, who came by after a writing session was canceled. Then, finally, ERNEST  the only Big Loud-signed artist of the lot hanging out in Big Loud's offices  appeared at the front door. Putting one, plus one, plus one, plus one more together, he offered, "Fellas, can I help write this song?"

Bailey Zimmerman aims to continue his surprising post-COVID country music stardom with his debut album "Religiously"

The song was crafted within 15 minutes.

Indeed, in Music City, a village is raising a rising star who a decade ago was only a child.

Zimmerman's album is awash in guitar chords that lend themselves well to country music's youthful balladeer traditions.

"Hearing 40,000 people rock out to my honest emotions and sometimes cry when they sing them back to me is insane," says the performer.

More: Pulitzer-winning Americana star Rhiannon Giddens to release new album, 'You're the One'

Impressively, within three years, his new-to-songwriting tracks have joined songs like Wallen's "Sand in My Boots," HARDY's "Give Heaven Some Hell" and ERNEST's "Unhang the Moon" as some of mainstream country's most emotionally powerful tracks.

Zimmerman is eager to become the vaunted smaller stage and massive stadium headliner that Wallen, HARDY and ERNEST will all be by 2023's close.

"I have stopped second-guessing my future because I feel confident about myself and the humbling blessings I've received," he says. "I'm doing what makes me happiest and so many people love that."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Rising star Bailey Zimmerman releases 'Religiously,' his debut album
By Max Hunder

KYIV (Reuters) - A Ukrainian brigade commander fighting in the ruins of Bakhmut said Russian mercenary forces have stepped up shelling and artillery attacks in recent days and were not facing a munitions shortage, despite its chief's claims to the contrary.

Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has complained for weeks that Russia's army is depriving his Wagner troops of enough ammunition to capture the eastern Ukrainian city, where months of fierce fighting have been dubbed the "meat grinder".

Reuters has not been able to independently confirm the situation on the ground there.

Ukrainian Colonel Roman Hryshchenko, the commander of Ukraine's 127th Territorial Defence Brigade, rejected Prigozhin's claims in an interview by video link.

"They haven't had anything even close to a munitions deficit. In the last few days, the intensity of shelling and rocket artillery has increased," Hryshchenko said.

He said Russian forces were conducting constant assaults in the city - and that Ukrainian troops were beating them back.

"The situation is difficult. The enemy is throwing a great deal of its forces at us, constant waves of assaults," he told Reuters late on Wednesday.

He and the rest of his brigade have inhabited the ruins of Bakhmut for nearly two months, he said.

He messaged shortly after the interview to say the positions where had spoken from had been set ablaze by a strike.

He said Russian forces were suffering casualties several times higher than his unit, but declined to give numbers.

"(Russia) is losing a great deal of its troops Bakhmut has already fulfilled its main task, and continues to fulfil it. Here, we are butchering the enemy's manpower," he said.

The former military prosecutor said only 30% of his brigade, which was originally recruited as a local territorial unit in March 2022 when their home city of Kharkiv was attacked, had previous combat experience but they were now seasoned soldiers.

Story continues

"They (Russian forces) don't just retreat by themselves. It's a big, arduous task, and we need to work very hard to drive them out," he said. "For every metre, ten metres, section of trench, for every building, we need to try very hard."

He suggested that news from Bakhmut, of an unspecified nature, would be coming "soon", smiling but declining to expand.

"I ask everyone to have a little bit of patience, and you will see," he said.

(Editing by Tom Balmforth and Alex Richardson)
The EU chemicals regulation requires the testing of cosmetic only ingredients on rats

Animal rights campaigners are calling on the UK government to ban testing ingredients used for make-up on animals.

Testing cosmetic products and ingredients on animals remains banned in the UK, the government insists.

But the Home Office has issued licences that allow testing of ingredients that might affect worker safety.

The High Court said that the government was acting legally after a case was brought by animal rights activists.

Testing on animals in the UK had only been allowed if the benefits gained from the research outweighed any animal suffering, for example for medicines.

However, in 2020 the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), an EU agency which oversees chemical regulation, ruled that companies needed to test some ingredients used in cosmetics on animals to ensure they were safe for workers manufacturing the ingredients.

'Regrettable'

Last week it emerged that since 2019 the government has been issuing licences for animal testing of cosmetic ingredients in line with EU chemical rules, which it retained despite leaving the EU in 2020.

It is not known how many such licences have been issued or to whom.

The issuing of licences was revealed in a High Court case brought by animal rights campaigners.

Mr Justice Linden ruled in favour of the government, saying that the licenses were not in conflict with the government's ban on cosmetics testing.

But he said it was "regrettable" the public had not been informed about the change in policy.

When asked if the government is restarting animal testing, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson said: "No absolutely not. The ban on using animals to test cosmetic products or ingredients for the consumer will remain completely in force and there are absolutely no plans to change that.

"It also remains the case that it is unlawful for any business to sell cosmetic products or their ingredients that have been tested for the consumer on animals.

Story continues

"Any change in EU law on this will not impact our position and we will take the necessary steps to ensure this is the case. There will be no weakening on our position on animal testing."

PM 'misinformed'

In response, Campaign group Cruelty Free International said: "Unfortunately, the prime minister is misinformed about the government's position on animal testing for cosmetics.

"A policy banning such tests was first introduced in 1998. However, in a letter to Cruelty Free International in August 2021, the Home Office admitted that the policy had 'changed' (i.e. been abandoned), to bring the UK into line with an EU ruling in a case called Symrise.

"When Cruelty Free International challenged the new approach in a recent judicial review, the Home Office disclosed that it had been secretly granting licences to test for cosmetics since February 2019.

"A High Court judge ruled that legally it was entitled to, based on his interpretation of EU general chemicals legislation known as REACH and its relationship with the EU Cosmetics Regulation."

The campaign group added: "The government also said separately that the policy applied to worker safety testing. The prime minister's statement refers to tests 'for the consumer'.

"Whether labelled as consumer or worker safety, the animal tests are identical. The government is now unquestionably once more allowing cosmetics testing on animals for the benefit of consumers."

'Horrified'

The Body Shop, a global beauty company, has said they share the concerns of Cruelty Free International that the ban was effectively lifted. They are also calling on the government to reinstate the ban immediately.

Dr Penny Hawkins, head of the RSPCA's animals in science department, said: "We've long been concerned about the UK government's decision to allow animal testing to satisfy chemical safety legislation even when a substance may go on to be used exclusively in a cosmetics product.

"This is in conflict with the ban on the use of animals to test cosmetic products or their ingredients.

It also flies in the face of deeply-held and legitimate concerns about this use of animals, held by the RSPCA and the public - many of whom will be horrified that cosmetic ingredients could again be tested on animals.

"The RSPCA wants to see a global commitment to replacing the use of animals in science, with an immediate end to the use of animal testing for consumer products."

A new chemicals strategy is expected to be published this year outlining the government's position on the use and testing of chemicals in the UK - which may include further guidance to cosmetic companies.
A woman police say is linked to a suspect in a 2020 machete murder was charged Wednesday after being accused of getting into an altercation earlier this month with a witness in the case.

Jessica Ann Jacobs, 35, of Grays Hill, an unincorporated community in northern Beaufort County was charged Wednesday with a felony for intimidating court officials, jurors or witnesses.

At 2:30 p.m. on May 4, deputies were called out to Milledge Village Road after someone reported two women arguing before the fight began, said Maj. Angela Viens, a Beaufort County Sheriffs Office spokesperson. The two women were identified as Jacobs and a witness in the 2020 murder case. Both women were still at the address when the deputies arrived. Police did not see a sign of injury on the murder witness, Viens said.

Jacobs was taken to the detention center in Beaufort around 5:22 p.m., jail records show. The witness name was not released by the sheriffs office to protect the witness anonymity.

Per the South Carolina Code of Laws, intimidating a witness is a felony charge that, if convicted, carries a maximum of five years in prison and a fine that is decided upon by the court.

Jacobs is connected to Michael Goode, 46, of Beaufort who police accused in a machete attack that killed 66-year-old Rodney Watson, of Georgia. Viens did not know if the two were currently in a romantic relationship though did say they have a child together.

Details on the 2020 murder

On July 8, 2020, police were called out to Horton Drive in Burton after a fight broke out. When they got there, they saw a man, who they identified as Goode, wielding a machete and swinging it toward the ground. Goode then ran away and police found Watson, injured on the ground.

Watson later died at Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Several witnesses saw the attack and identified Goode as the man with the machete, police said in a press release at the time of the murder. Later that morning, Goode was found at the Horton Drive home and charged with murder and possession of a weapon in the commission of a violent crime. Police had also been looking for Goode on an unrelated second-degree assault and battery charge, according to previous reporting by The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.

Story continues

Goode was released from jail in September 2020 on a $50,000 bond. In February 2022, he was returned to the detention center in Beaufort after his bond was revoked, court records show.

Denise Grainger Swope, Goodes defense attorney, could not be reached. Attorney information for Jacobs was not immediately available.

As of Thursday, both Goode and Jacobs remained in custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center.

When we publish mugshots

The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette publishes police booking photos, or mugshots, in the following instances:

In situations where a public figure or someone in a position of public trust is arrested

In cases where there is an immediate and widespread threat to public safety

In cases where the arrested person is accused of a crime reporters have evidence to believe involved numerous, unknown victims

Reporters will avoid using mugshots as lead images for online articles in order to limit their circulation on social media, except in cases where the public is served by the immediate identification of the accused. Reporters and editors may use discretion in situations that dont meet the criteria outlined in this policy but still present a compelling reason to publish a mugshot.
China has previously denied operating so-called secret police stations abroad

A Belfast-based activist from Hong Kong has called on the UK government to shut down an alleged Chinese "police station" operating in Belfast.

Patrick Yu claimed they are being used to monitor Chinese citizens abroad.

There have been four alleged stations identified in the UK, with a senior MP claiming one operates in Northern Ireland.

The Chinese government has previously denied the claims.

It is estimated there are at least 100 such illegal bureaus across the world with widespread allegations of intimidation.

A Chinese "police station" in Dublin was ordered to close by the Irish government last October.

The UK government told BBC News NI it takes the claims very seriously.

The stations are understood to be operating in 53 countries, according to Spain-based human rights organisation Safeguard Defenders, which monitors disappearances in China.

Last month Alicia Kearns, the Conservative chair of Westminster's foreign affairs Committee, told the House of Commons that the UK was vulnerable to "Chinese transnational repression".

"It is still true that there are four illegal police stations operating in the country that we know of - the one in Belfast seems to be missing from much of the reporting," she said.

The Safeguard Defenders report identified two of the facilities in London with another in Glasgow.

Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was previously in contact with police over the facility, which reportedly operated out of a restaurant.

In April the Times newspaper reported one of the alleged stations is operating in Croydon, south London.

'Monitoring citizens abroad'

Elsewhere, US prosecutors arrested two men in New York last month for allegedly operating one of the stations while Dutch media found evidence that the stations were being used to try to silence Chinese dissidents in Europe.

It is alleged that the underground policing units exist to carry out persuasion operations, aimed at coercing those suspected of speaking out against the Chinese regime to return home.

Story continues

Patrick Yu claims the alleged police stations are used to monitor Chinese citizens abroad

Mr Yu, who has lived in Northern Ireland for about 30 years and sits on the board of the NI Council for Racial Equality (NICRE), told BBC News NI: "I think it's about the monitoring of Chinese citizens and a way of threatening them.

"If you're a Chinese citizen the government is always watching you."

Mr Yu, who helped organise some of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, said he is unable to return to Hong Kong because of his campaigning and the National Security Law enacted in Hong Kong in 2020.

He said the government should take the necessary action to shut down any alleged police stations operating in the UK.

Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the Commons that the security services had warned the UK government about the existence of these stations.

"We know that they are bringing Chinese dissidents in, confronting them with videos of their families and threatening their families in front of them if they do not co-operate, leave and go back to China," said the former Conservative leader.

During the same debate, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Jim Shannon said: "I have some constituents who are Chinese expats who have told me that they feel they have been followed.

"They are pretty sure that their phones have been tapped."

He later told Belfast Live: "Their concerns are that they have family back home in Hong Kong and... they're very conscious that whatever they do or say that the Chinese authorities, or whoever it may be, are keeping a tab on them."

The Chinese government has also been accused of establishing "police stations" across the globe

The EU director of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, Mark Sabah, told BBC News NI that UK authorities "have done nothing" on the matter of Chinese-controlled stations, despite mounting political pressure.

"If the [Belfast station] is in any way aligned with the two in London and the one in Glasgow then it should be immediately shut down and the owner called in for questioning or expelled," he said.

Amnesty International in Northern Ireland said the government should tell Chinese authorities it "will not tolerate the long arm of Chinese state oppression here".

Patrick Corrigan, the head of Amnesty International NI, said: "Any Chinese 'police station' being used to spy on Hong Kong and mainland Chinese communities in Belfast - or anywhere else in the UK - must be shut down immediately.

"The UK authorities need to steadfastly protect Hong Kong and mainland Chinese people against any intimidation by Beijing."

A UK government spokesperson said: "Reports of alleged, undeclared 'police stations' operating in the UK are of course very concerning and are taken extremely seriously.

"Attempts by foreign governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, undermining democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable. We are committed to tackling these challenges wherever they originate."
U.S. ending COVID-19 public emergency poses profound impacts

09:06, May 11, 2023 By Tan Jingjing ( Xinhua

Pedestrians walk past a COVID-19 testing site on Times Square in New York, the United States, May 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Following the end of the public health emergency, the supplies of COVID vaccines, testings and treatments may decrease, resulting in higher costs for individuals due to reduced insurance coverage, and people's medical bills may also rise, professor Zhang Zuofeng said.

LOS ANGELES, May 10 (Xinhua) -- U.S. COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) declaration is set to expire on Thursday. The move will bring tremendous social impacts, lead to lack of public attention on pandemic preparedness and responses, and add burdens to the poor and minority populations, a leading epidemiologist told Xinhua on Wednesday.

The PHE was announced by then U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar in January 2020 to implement temporary measures and allocate resources to better contain the pandemic.

Since taking office in 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly extended the emergency.

After more than three years of social disruption, at least 6 million COVID-19 hospitalizations, and 1.1 million deaths, the declaration will officially come to an end on May 11.

Following the end of the PHE, the supplies of COVID vaccines, testings and treatments may decrease, resulting in higher costs for individuals due to reduced insurance coverage, and people's medical bills may also rise, Zhang Zuofeng, professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Xinhua in an interview.

American hospitals had received extra fundings during the PHE, such as various types of funds at the early stage of the pandemic, as well as a 20 precent increase in Medicare payments to treat COVID-19 patients, Zhang explained.

"As hospital systems will lose those fundings after May 11, people will see rise in their medical and insurance costs," he said.

The PHE has helped distribute funds and allowed millions of Americans to enjoy Medicaid during the pandemic. It prohibited states from changing eligibility requirements, premiums and benefit packages. But all of those could change after May 11.

Many people may lose their health insurance, Zhang said, adding the poor and minority populations will be hit the hardest.

Health workers administer COVID-19 vaccine shots to local residents in Los Angeles, the United States, on Dec. 17, 2022. (Xinhua)

Moreover, the end of the PHE means much less data and information on the trends of coronavirus infections, which makes it harder to track new variants and transmissions, Zhang said.

The COVID-19 data surveillance by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been a cornerstone of U.S. response, and during the PHE, the HHS has had the authority to require lab test reporting for COVID-19.

At the end of the PHE, HHS will no longer have this express authority to require this data from labs.

"The CDC will cancel monitoring new infections, only remain surveillance on hospitalizations and deaths. This will damage the surveillance and reporting system established over the past three years, and will severely weaken the country's capabilities to monitor COVID-19 and future outbreaks of other epidemics," Zhang said.

The CDC and other federal agencies will have even less data, which would make them more difficult to determine the transmission and trends of new variants and sub-variants, he added.

The end of the PHE also means relaxing protective measures such as wearing masks, patient isolation, the detection and quarantine of close contacts, among others, Zhang said.

The Biden administration will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for federal employees, federal contractors, and international air travelers on May 11.

Experts remain concerned about whether lifting protective measures would allow the virus to create new disruptions.

"The relaxation of COVID-19 precautions put those groups vulnerable to COVID-19 at higher risks," Zhang said.

"Another great impact of the end of the PHE will be the lack of public attention on pandemic preparedness and responses, and neglect of relevant research," he noted.

New Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 has become the second dominant strain in United States, drawing concern for its high transmissibility and new symptoms.

Zhang said the prevalence of XBB.1.16 continues to grow, and it will possibly become the next dominant coronavirus strain in the country.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Ben Robinson is sailing off into the sunset with his love.

On May 11, the "Below Deck" fan favorite shared the happy news of his engagement to longtime girlfriend, Kiara Cabral. The reality star and British chef announced his news with a series of photos and a celebratory post on Instagram.

After a wonderful 4-year relationship with my love Kiara, I decided to take the next step and propose he captioned his post on Instagram. I feel like the luckiest man alive! Thank you to my friends and family for all of your support. I couldnt have done it without you, and obviously, thank you to Kiara for saying yes and making an honest man out of me, I love you.

The post featured photos of Robinson, 42, and Cabral, 29, posing alongside one another while on a blue boat that drifted down a sunny marina.

In an interview with Us Weekly, Robinson revealed he proposed to Cabral while at Vatican Square during a trip to Rome.

We are involved with various cruise lines and had a trip to Italy planned with Emerald Cruises Lines. After our cruising obligations, we decided to stay in Rome for four nights, he explained to the outlet. I could tell that Kiara saw this as a special moment and was definitely expecting more than a carbonara. She says not, but I could tell.

Robinson and Kiaras news comes days after Robinsons close friend and former Below Deck cast mate Kate Chastain (who starred alongside Robinson in the Bravo series for several seasons until departing from the show after Season Seven) shot down fan speculation that he was the father of her son.

Chastain announced the birth of her son, Sullivan Cay, on May 3 with a post on Instagram. Users in the comments section of her posts were quick to note his likeness to Robinson.

For the record, the only thing this handsome guy has in common with any chef is the tendency to get emotional around meal times, she wrote in a post shared to her Instagram story in response to the suggestions.

Last December, Chastain revealed that she was pregnant with her first child and that she would be raising her child as a single parent.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Alfonso Ribeiro

A TikTok user recently posted a clip of a Beverly Hills, 90210 star sharing a story about how television producers told her she couldnt hug The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum Alfonso Ribeiro because of his skin color.

In the nearly two-minute clip, Gabrielle Carteris and Ribeiro performed acrobatic stunts on CBS Circus of the Stars in 1991, with audience members holding their breath as the two 90s stars nailed their routine. Carteris talked about the experience during a 2020 panel for SAG-AFTRAs Race & Storytelling special.

She then shared the racist comment television executives told her following her performance with Ribeiro. The 62-year-old said she initially hugged him because he did such a great job making her feel safe during their routine. However, what the producers said to her left many speechless.

And they came up to me later, and they said, Gabrielle, that was an amazing show. That was wonderful. When we go live tomorrow, just make sure you dont hug Alfonso,' Carteris recalled. And I said, Why? And they said, Well, middle America, they just wont like that.'

Carteris couldnt believe what she heard and immediately told Ribeiro what happened. She explained the producers didnt want her to hug him because he was Black, and she was intentionally going to defy their orders after the pairs performance.

Deadline reported on the story, with other celebrities recounting their experiences with racism in Hollywood. During the panel discussion, Carteris said kissing the 51-year-old on-air was an important moment for her.

I hugged him and gave him a kiss [during the live show]. And for me, it was an important moment, Carteris said on the panel. There are so many times in this industry when were told what were supposed to do, and we just know its not the right thing to do. It was not organically correct, it wasnt just, and it wasnt fair.

She continued, And I couldnt say it to them because they would have just found another way to block it or cut it out. So I agreed and then just did what I wanted to do. And I will never regret that moment.

Carteris was proud she defended her friend while standing up against racism.
All of the looks were obsessed with from Beyonces first Renaissance tour stop in Stockholm, Sweden.

Beyonce, as Vogue magazine declared, is in her fashion girl era; she may also be in her Alien Superstar era.

As pics and videos continue to emerge across our newsfeeds and timelines from Beyonces first stop in Stockholm, Sweden on her highly anticipated, 57-stop Renaissance tour, weve gotten a glimpse of the futuristic and somewhat surrealistic disco dance party shes devised for her massive fanbase. Were talking pearlescent silvers, sparkly optical illusion bodysuits, and holographic cowboy boots  and, of course, a giant mirrored horse hologram.

Beyonce onstage on the opening night of the RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR at Friends Arena on May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood)

According to Vogue, all of the looks in the show were styled by Shiona Turini and included custom designs, such as a dress that changes color when exposed to UV light, rumored to be by Japanese brand Anrealage; a Jonathan Anderson-designed Loewe bedazzled bodysuit featuring black opera-gloved hands placed cheekily over Beys chest, hips, and legs; and a custom Balmain pearl corset.

However, aside from the corset, none of the other designs from her highly touted couture collaboration with Balmain Creative Director Olivier Rousteing appeared during Wednesdays show.

Instead, the tours standout looks thus far, per W magazine, have been a custom Alexander McQueen sequined jumpsuit; a sultry sci-fi princess energy in a custom bee-inspired metallic Mugler bodysuit with a matching headpiece (drawing from the labels 90s archives); and, of course, the custom silver Coperni cape and matching opera gloves Bey donned as she rode her giant hologram horse during the shows finale.

(Photo credit: Getty/ Kevin Mazur)

Despite the decadence of her wardrobe, Beyonce appears to have kept her makeup and hair comparatively simple. Her signature sandy blonde mane hung to her waist with barely a strand out of place, while a light sheen lined her eyelids.

Overall, the style of Beyonces Renaissance tour matches the albums back to the future sound. Its sleek, dynamic, reverential yet light years ahead; a celebration of many influences  such as disco, ballroom, otherworldly design, and revelry. All are fitting, considering Bey said creating this album gave her a place to dream and escape during a scary time for the world.

Story continues

Beyonce performs onstage during the opening night of the RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR at Friends Arena on May 10, 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood)

My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking, she wrote in an open letter to her avid fanbase. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration. I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. TheGrios Black Podcast Network is free too. Download theGrio mobile apps today! Listen to Writing Black with Maiysha Kai.

The post Beyonce kicked off the Renaissance tour in Europe in stunning couture appeared first on TheGrio.
Beyonce

Those lucky enough to snag Beyonce tickets are in luck  the Grammy Award-winning vocalist kicked off her highly anticipated Renaissance World Tour in Stockholm on Wednesday, and it looks like fans going to future shows are in for a treat.

Clips of the performance made their way on social media, completely taking over various platforms. For example, some snippets showed Beyonce dancing to Lil Uzi Verts Just Wanna Rock, which was remixed with her 2008 hit Diva.

BEYONCE KILLED THIS pic.twitter.com/9SH5tmIn44  Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) May 10, 2023

Others offered an inside look at the agenda for the evening, noting Beyonces opener (herself) and an encore performance (from herself), ELLE reported.

Beyonce live with opening act: Beyonce and encore performance: Beyonce  pic.twitter.com/8292hOrhiI  BEYTHOVEN | non-affiliated fan account (@beyonceparkwood) May 10, 2023

Attendees confirmed the Break My Soul artist started her set with non-Renaissance songs, performing some of her beloved hits like Dangerously in Love, 1+1 and Flaws and All. She got emotional during the latter, telling fans before singing the song, And I love you, and Im so filled with gratitude. I thank you.

After performing I Care, Beyonce got to the good stuff: Renaissance. Honoring the albums track list, she started singing Im That Girl while wearing an epic silver Courreges bodysuit.

Story continues

Later, Bey performed Thique with a sample from Britney Spears pop giant Toxic. The remix came as a surprise to fans, who are heard roaring in the background.

Beyonce performing THIQUE with sample of Toxic by Britney Spears. pic.twitter.com/4EhI4Qzx0S  Pop Tingz (@ThePopTingz) May 10, 2023

The set included futuristic elements, most notably during Cozy, which featured robot arms.

Beyonce sported a multi-colored party dress while performing Cuff It, Energy and Break My Soul, which she twerked on stage while singing.

Beyonce releasing the wiggle at the #RenaissanceWorldTour (I spy Honey Balenciaga) pic.twitter.com/vOerHhMVg3  RENAISSANCE Updates (@B7Album) May 10, 2023

According to Complex, the 41-year-old also shoutout Donald Glover and Janine Nabers Swarm.

Swarm on these hands, n***a, she told the crowd while wearing a fitting Queen Bee look.

Friends Arena stated the three-hour-long set featured over 30 songs, multiple mashups and several outfit changes.

BEYONCE  Renaissance World Tour Concert Setlist  Stockholm, Sweden  5/10/23#RenaissanceWorldTour  pic.twitter.com/U7aFp5yym8  anthony (fan)  (@kissesofgaga) May 10, 2023

Beyonce will perform around Europe for the rest of May and June, kicking off the North American leg of the tour in Toronto. The Renaissance World Tour wraps on Sept. 27 in New Orleans.
U.S. Border Patrol agents make contact with migrants hoping to cross into the United States from Tijuana. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

The Biden administration, desperate to limit border crossings after a key pandemic-era measure expired late Thursday, slashed the amount of time asylum seekers have to find lawyers before their crucial first interviews with immigration officials.

The Trump administration issued a similar policy in 2019, but that effort was later blocked by a federal court. President Biden's move is the latest example of him adopting a Trump-style scheme in an attempt to manage high numbers of border crossings.

Biden's version of the policy, outlined in an email sent to asylum officers Wednesday and obtained by The Times, gives asylum seekers at least 24 hours to find and consult an attorney once they receive information on the process. Before the change, migrants had at least 48 hours from their arrival at a Department of Homeland Security facility to find a lawyer.

The move could allow officers to more rapidly remove migrants who do not pass their first screening, known as a "credible fear" interview.

Title 42, a decades-old policy invoked during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow border agents to quickly turn back migrants, expired just before midnight on Thursday, and officials were expecting a spike in migrants trying to cross the border. Complicating matters, just hours before Title 42's expiration, a federal judge in Florida blocked the Biden administration from quickly releasing migrants from Border Patrol custody without court notices.

Border agents already apprehended more than 10,000 migrants in a single day Tuesday, according to internal data obtained by The Times. By Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection had more than 28,000 migrants in custody, significantly more than its facilities are rated to hold, the data showed.

In support of the Departments goal to more quickly provide relief to those who are eligible while more quickly removing those who are not, effective immediately the minimum time between the noncitizens acknowledgment of receipt of the Form M-444, Information about credible fear Interview, and the credible fear interview will be 24 hours, a lead U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official on asylum wrote in the email announcing the change.

Story continues

The directive also made clear that migrants who request to reschedule their initial interviews will need to demonstrate extraordinary circumstances to do so as to not unreasonably delay the overall process.

USCIS will "continually assess" whether a return to the 48-hour wait period is appropriate, according to the email.

A USCIS spokesperson said in a statement that the agency "is committed to ensuring that noncitizens in expedited removal are given time to consult with the person of their choosing after being referred to USCIS for a credible fear interview. In order to expeditiously process noncitizens in expedited removal, USCIS will ensure that noncitizens will have at least 24 hours for consultation."

Biden administration officials believe that deterrence, through quick deportations and a policy that limits asylum for those who cross without authorization, will allow them to manage increases in migration at the border.

In credible-fear interviews, migrants who convince an asylum officer that there is a significant possibility that they could establish they have a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country usually get to stay in the U.S. and pursue their asylum cases in immigration court.

Migrants who can't clear that bar are usually deported.

The decision to cut the time makes it clear that the Biden administration is doing everything possible to fast-track people for deportation as opposed to giving them the opportunity to truly access due process and a fair chance to have their asylum claim adjudicated, said Taylor Levy, an immigration attorney specializing in border cases.

The so-called consultation period for asylum seekers is crucial, advocates have previously said.

Immigration lawyers argued that former President Trump's version of the policy, which allowed migrants a business day, rather than 48 hours, limited migrants' ability to find attorneys, gather evidence and prepare for the interview.

The Trump policy was one of the first changes under the leadership of then-USCIS head Ken Cuccinelli, who followed the Trump administrations continuous efforts to limit asylum at the border and deport more migrants. Ur Jaddou, Biden's director of the agency, called Trump's effort "another way to limit the process" and said it would lead to "more deportations."

A federal court blocked the policy after advocates challenged the legality of Cuccinellis appointment.

For asylum seekers, credible-fear interviews are often matters of life and death. Cutting in half the time that people have to prepare for what might be the most important interview of their life raises the risk of errors even higher, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council, said Thursday. The Biden administration should stop trying to sacrifice due process and a fair shot at protection for expediency.

The administration has said it is prepared for the end of the Title 42 policy and will send troops to the border, institute a policy that limits asylum for those who cross without permission, surge asylum officers and judges to help process people and rapidly deport those who do not have a right to stay in the U.S. DHS officials have also said they would expand the number of phone booths for migrants to consult attorneys in custody.

The U.S. also recently solidified a deal with Mexico to allow DHS officials to turn back nationals from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua to Mexico.

The border is not open, it has not been open, and it will not be open subsequent to May 11. And the smugglers who exploit vulnerable migrants are spreading misinformation, DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a recent news conference. They are spreading false information, lies in a way to lure vulnerable people to the southern border, and those individuals will only be returned. To the individuals themselves who are thinking of migrating: Do not believe the smugglers.

While the administration has pursued deterrence-focused policies, it has also opened up more slots for asylum seekers to seek entry at ports of entries and will create processing centers to help migrants determine whether they have a legal path to the U.S.

At the same time, the Biden administration will allow migrants from Honduras, Colombia, El Salvador and Guatemala to apply to enter the U.S. if they qualify for a family reunification program.

The Department of Homeland Security will continue to also allow immigrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and Venezuela who have verified sponsors in the U.S. to apply to enter the country legally.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
(Bloomberg) -- US President Joe Biden will host Indias Narendra Modi for a state dinner on June 22, the White House confirmed Wednesday, marking his third such formal event after dinners for the leaders of France and South Korea.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The upcoming visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in the statement.

The two leaders will focus on a secure Indo-Pacific and technology partnerships on defense, clean energy and space, Jean-Pierre said.

The formal state visit comes as the Biden administration is working to deepen its relationship with key countries to counter what it sees as a growing threat posed by China.

The two leaders will Prime Minister will explore ways to strengthen India-US collaboration in pluri-lateral and multilateral fora, including in the G20, Indias Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. They would reflect on their shared vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific and discuss opportunities to expand and consolidate the Quad engagement.

Biden hosted French President Emmanuel Macron in December and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in April for formal state dinners.

Modi and Biden will also see each other in Australia this month for a summit with the leaders of Australia and Japan.

France is preparing for a big visit by Modi, as well, after Macron invited him to be the guest of honor at Frances Bastille Day parade on July 14. The invitations reflect Indias importance as the worlds most populated country and current leader of the Group of 20 nations.

Story continues

In 2019, former President Donald Trump hosted the Indian prime minister for a Howdy Modi rally in Houston, which attracted some 50,000 people to the home stadium of the Houston Texans.

Modi returned the favor the next year, hosting a Namaste Trump tour through India that saw the former president visit the Taj Mahal and host a rally before an estimated 100,000 Indians at Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad.

--With assistance from Muneeza Naqvi.

(Updates with statement from Indias Ministry of External Affairs in graf five.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
A Biden judicial nominee who struggled to answer fundamental questions about the Constitution has advanced through a Senate committee.

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted 11 to 10 to advance Judge Charnelle Bjelkengren, a Biden judicial nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Bjelkengren and two contentious judicial nominees moved on due to Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein's return to Congress after battling an illness.

Bjelkengren garnered headlines earlier this year after appearing before the committee, where she said she did not know the answer to some questions from Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy about the Constitution.

SEN. KENNEDY STUMPS BIDEN NOMINEE WITH BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION

Judge Charnelle Bjelkengren of the Spokane County Superior Court in Eastern Washington.

"Tell me what Article V of the Constitution does," Kennedy asked during her January confirmation hearing. "Article V is not coming to mind at the moment," Bjelkengren responded.

"How about Article II?" Kennedy said. "Neither is Article II," Bjelkengren replied.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Article V of the Constitution involves the amendments process, and Article II invests the executive power in the president of the United States, enumerating the executive branch's powers.

Bjelkengren's inability to answer the questions led to widespread ridicule, and it likewise led to condemnation from Republican senators right before her advancement through the judiciary committee.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., previously asked Judge Charnelle Bjelkengren basic questions about the Constitution she could not answer.

"When Sen. Kennedy asked her what Article V of the Constitution was, she had no idea," Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said before Thursday's vote. "When Sen. Kennedy asked what Article II of the Constitution was, she said, 'I don't know.'"

BIDEN JUDICIAL NOMINEE UNDER FIRE FOR ALLEGED LACK OF LEGAL KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also lambasted Biden's judicial nominee.

"Mind you, Article II is the provision of the Constitution that creates the president, the executive branch of the government," he said. "Any first-year law student that didn't know what Article II of the Constitution was would flunk Con law."

"This is not some obscure question about some Latin phrase one should know  this is literally the basic architecture of our Constitution," Cruz added.

The Senate will likely vote on the nominees in the upcoming weeks.
By Jarrett Renshaw and Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A debt limit meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and top lawmakers that had been scheduled for Friday has been postponed, and the leaders agreed to meet early next week, a White House spokesperson said on Thursday.

Aides from both sides have started to discuss ways to limit federal spending, as talks on raising the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling to avoid a catastrophic default creep forward, people familiar with the discussions said.

"Staff will continue working and all the principals agreed to meet early next week," the spokesperson said.

The aides to Biden, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell and top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries and met Wednesday and Thursday to discuss raising the debt ceiling, the White House said earlier.

McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol that the delay was not a sign of trouble in the talks but that he believed the staff negotiators who had been meeting this week needed to continue to talk before the principals met again.

"I don't think there's enough progress for the leaders to get back together," he said. He also said one of the Congress members wasn't able to make the Friday meeting.

White House officials acknowledge that they must accept some spending cuts or strict caps on future spending if they are to strike a deal, two sources said, while insisting they must preserve Biden's signature climate legislation that passed along party lines last year.

The House Republican bill to suspend the borrowing limit passed in April would cut government spending to 2022 levels, cap its future growth below inflation and repeal incentives for renewable energy, electric vehicles and other climate-friendly technology passed in the Biden legislation.

The two sides are also debating how long to push out the next potential debt ceiling showdown, sources said. Biden and Democrats would prefer a two-year window, pushing any legislative action beyond the 2024 presidential election, but they may have to accept larger spending cuts or stricter caps to get more time, the sources said.

Story continues

"Spending levels is the key," Republican Representative Daniel Webster said before the talks were rescheduled. "Spending cuts is a place where we're stuck. Not with all of them, but with a list of them. Not necessarily in any order, just that we want some."

Biden's fiscal 2024 budget request relies on tax increases to reduce deficits while proposing to increase discretionary spending by 5 percent next year. That represents a more than $200 billion difference with House Republicans, however, who want to cut agency budgets on average by 8 percent while increasing defense and veterans spending  meaning other programs would face steeper cuts.

The fact that spending cuts and caps are under discussion could be a sign of progress in talks where Democrats have long pushed for an unconditional lifting of the debt ceiling, while Republicans have demanded a slew of policy changes in addition to sharp spending cuts.

The White House portrayed the postponement as a positive development, with meetings progressing.

The U.S. federal government could run out of money to pay its bills as soon as June 1, the Treasury said, unless the debt ceiling is raised. Biden is set to leave the country next week to attend the G7 meeting in Japan, and there are just a few days left when he and House and Senate leadership will be in town before that deadline.

(Reporting by David Morgan, Jeff Mason, Jarrett Renshaw and Rami Ayyub, writing by Heather Timmons; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell)
President Biden appears to have had a change of heart about one GOP lawmaker, just 10 days after he included the congressman's image in a tweet attacking "MAGA Republicans in Congress."

The remarks from Biden about Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., came during the president's Wednesday trip to upstate New York, where he spoke from SUNY Westchester Community College in Valhalla about the debt limit and shifted blame to Republicans.

"Republican Congressman Mike Lawler is here, as well," Biden said after he took the stage. "Mike's on the other team, but you know what? Mike is the kinda guy that when I was in the Congress  he's the kind of Republican I was used to dealing with."

"He's not one of these MAGA Republicans, which I'm going to talk a little bit about," Biden added of Lawler. "I don't want to get him in trouble by saying anything nice about him or negative about him, but thanks for coming, Mike."

COMER SAYS BIDEN 'INVOLVED' IN FAMILY BIZ DEALINGS; BROTHER, GRANDKIDS, AND HUNTER AND HIS WIVES ALL GOT PAID

President Biden said Wednesday that Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is not a "MAGA Republican," despite including the lawmaker's image in a tweet targeting the so-called group last month.

Biden's remarks about Lawler come after he included an image of the lawmaker in a tweet on April 30 that targeted "MAGA Republicans in Congress" for their views on a measure related to veterans' healthcare.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"We have a sacred obligation to care for the men and women who fought to protect our freedom. This is how MAGA Republicans in Congress have chosen to repay them," Biden wrote in a tweet.

Included in the tweet were multiple headshot photos of some of the Republican lawmakers, including Lawler, who voted against the measure.

The quip from Biden came on the same day the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)  led by House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York and committee chair Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash.  referred to Lawler as a "rubber stamp" for the "GOPs far-right extremist agenda."

Story continues

"Despite highly-vulnerable Republican Mike Lawlers attempts to deceive New Yorkers, his record since entering Congress proves that the increasingly endangered congressman is merely a rubber stamp for his MAGA colleagues to put New Yorkers jobs, safety, health care, reproductive rights, and financial security all at risk," the DCCC wrote in a press release Wednesday.

"Voters in the Hudson Valley have seen repeatedly that Mike Lawler will put New Yorkers at risk just to please his extremist party bosses. No amount of fake moderation will hide Lawlers clear embrace of the GOPs dangerous extremism," said DCCC spokesperson Nebeyatt Betre.

PRESIDENT BIDEN SLAMS 'MAGA REPUBLICANS' AS THE 'REAL PROBLEM' AT DNC RECEPTION

President Biden arrives to speak about why Congress must avoid default by lifting the debt ceiling at SUNY Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York, on May 10, 2023.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) also weighed in on the apparent gaffe from Biden, concluding in a press release titled "Be Like Mike" that the president "had some nice things to say about Congressman Mike Lawler" during his trip to the Empire State on Wednesday.

"Despite the DCCCs repeated lies regarding Congressman Lawlers positions, Lawler is a pragmatic member of Congress who is working to negotiate and avoid a government default, something extreme Democrats in the House could learn a thing or two about," the NRCC wrote.

"What he said," NRCC spokeswoman Savannah Viar wrote in a statement, making reference to Biden's remarks about Lawler.

The rhetoric from Biden about "MAGA Republicans"  a reference to former President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan  stems from the administration's larger approach to portray Republicans as unwilling to work with Democrats in both the House and the Senate on a number of issues that would include rampant spending.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is seen outside a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.

Last month, during a reception for the Democratic National Committee, Biden claimed "MAGA Republicans" are attempting to undo the progress made in the U.S.

"MAGA Republicans are trying to take us backwards," Biden said. "But together, were not going to let them do it. Not an inch back. Instead, our agenda is going to continue to bring us forward and build on the progress we made. And we must finish this job."

The comments from Biden, 80, about Lawler came a little more than two weeks after he announced on April 25 that he and Vice President Kamala Harris will seek re-election in 2024.

Fox News' Landon Mion contributed to this article.
President Biden trolled former President Trump on Wednesday over a contentious appearance at a CNN town hall on Wednesday, with Biden asking for supporters to donate to his reelection campaign if they dont want four more years of that.

Its simple, folks. Do you want four more years of that? If you dont, pitch in to our campaign, Biden tweeted.

His campaign later sent an email seeking to fundraise with the subject line, So, that happened.

If you missed Trumps CNN town hall, youre better off for it. But the choice is clear: Its four more years of Trump or four more years of Biden, the email states.

Bidens tweet came after more than an hour of sometimes-intense exchanges between Trump and CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins over a range of topics, including his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and whether he would accept the results of the 2024 election.

The town hall also included applause from the audience during some of Trumps answer, including when he disparaged author E. Jean Carroll when asked about being found liable for sexual battery and defamation against her.

Trump repeatedly voiced his false claims that voter fraud compromised the 2020 election. He also defended the phone call he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger he made in which he urged Raffensperger to find the votes needed for him to win the election,

Trump also refused to say that he would accept the results of the 2024 election no matter who wins. He said he would accept the election if it was honest.

If I think its an honest election, I would be honored to, he said.

The White House press pool traveling with Biden reported that the president did not watch the town hall while on Air Force One on his way back from a trip to New York. The report indicated that televisions were tuned in to CNN on the planes flight to the destination earlier on Wednesday but were switched to MSNBC on the way back.

 Updated 10:55 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Biden is floating the 14th Amendment as leverage to put pressure on Republicans who wont budge on debt ceiling talks, but a host of legal uncertainties is raising questions about whether its a viable option.

Biden confirmed shortly after meeting with congressional leaders Tuesday that he had been considering invoking the 14th Amendment to avoid the country defaulting on its debts. That was a step further than he took on Friday when he told MSNBC he was not there yet on whether he had been weighing it as an option.

But his willingness to publicly float the idea shows how the White House is exploring steps Biden could take unilaterally to avoid a default and undercut Republicans.

The 14th Amendment is Biden telling McCarthy that hes got a risky card he can play as well, so dont dare back us into a corner, said Jim Kessler, a co-founder of centrist think tank Third Way.

Biden and congressional leaders emerged from the Oval Office meeting saying there was little tangible progress, but the president offered the very first glimpses of what alternatives, if any, could be possible to break the stalemate.

Administration officials have privately floated the idea that the amendment could be used to allow the president to unilaterally continue to issue debt. The argument hinges on language in a clause saying the public debt shall not be questioned.

There have been discussions about whether or not the 14th Amendment  can be invoked, Biden confirmed to reporters but added, I dont think that solves our problem now. I think that only solves your problem once the court has ruled that it does apply for future endeavors.

Bidens comments were particularly notable because just a few days earlier, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned invoking the 14th Amendment to avoid a default could trigger a constitutional crisis.

But his remarks also acknowledged the legal quagmire that could result.

Should Biden invoke the 14th amendment, he is liable to be sued either by Treasury bondholders or by GOP lawmakers who could argue hes violating Article I powers over federal spending. Biden could face a host of other legal problems should he move forward with the option, but given its uncharted territory, its uncertain how the courts might respond.

Story continues

Whether Biden has the legal standing to invoke the 14th Amendment is also up for debate, with constitutional scholars differing in opinions over whether the move would be held up in court.

Its something the president can do, and if he believes the debt limit is unconstitutional, its something he must do, said David Super, a constitutional law expert at Georgetown University. If he believes that the debt limit is contrary to Section Four of the 14th Amendment, then hes obliged to not violate the Constitution.

On being sued, Super said its not clear what the standing would be. He added that while the power of the purse lies with Congress, the debt limit deals with payments that Congress has already directed the president to make.

There is also the political risk of McCarthy describing the idea as a failure of leadership.

Really think about this, if youre the leader, if youre the only president and youre going to go to the 14th Amendment to look at something like that  I would think youre kind of a failure of working with people across sides of the aisle, or working with your own party to get something done, the Speaker said upon returning to the Capitol Tuesday.

Even some moderate Democrats, like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), have in recent days chastised the White House for what he viewed as a failure to engage in good faith on negotiations over the debt ceiling and government spending.

Biden himself cited the counsel of Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe, who wrote in a recent New York Times op-ed that its fair to ask whether Congress can invoke an arbitrary dollar limit to force the president and his administration to do its bidding.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Turley, a legal scholar at George Washington University, told The Hill the move would be a constitutional Hail Mary throw.

The courts have never endorsed this novel argument. It would negate a critical component to the power of the purse given to Congress under Article I. Making this more troubling is the fact that some of the expenditures were made without congressional approval, including the tuition forgiveness plan, he said, referring to Bidens student loan forgiveness plan that is held up in court.

The White House continues to repeatedly stress that its ultimately up to Congress to avoid a default. But should a last-ditch effort to avoid a default by invoking the amendment go forward, Biden would risk a major lawsuit over an already fragile financial system just as hes seeking reelection.

Republicans would likely sue Biden for invoking the 14th Amendment, and it would likely get appealed up to the Supreme Court, Super warned, which has a 6-3 conservative majority.

The president invoking Section Four of the 14th Amendment would resolve the problem. Given how polarized the country is and how determined the Republicans are to use the debt limit for extortion, they surely would arrange for somebody to sue, he said. But then I think its a very close question whether anyone would be found to have standing to sue.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Joe Biden visited both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in April

US President Joe Biden has said his visit to Northern Ireland last month was to ensure "the Brits didn't screw around".

He was speaking at a Democratic Party event in New York on Wednesday.

Mr Biden undertook a four-day visit to Ireland in April to mark 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement.

The trip also focused on the president's Irish ancestry with the majority of his time spent in the Republic of Ireland.

On Wednesday, Mr Biden said: "I got to go back to Ireland for the, for the, the Irish Accords, to make sure they weren't, the Brits didn't screw around and Northern Ireland didn't walk away from their commitments."

Before setting off for his visit to Belfast, Mr Biden told reporters his priority was to "keep the peace" in Northern Ireland.

During his stay, commentators remarked on his limited contact with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

President Biden met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during his visit to Belfast

The White House said both leaders "reaffirmed their shared commitment" to the Good Friday Agreement.

The 1998 deal brought an end to the Troubles - the decades-long violent conflict in Northern Ireland in which thousands of people were killed.

The president urged politicians to make a return to power-sharing during his speech at Ulster University's Belfast campus on 12 April.

The Northern Ireland Executive collapsed last year when the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) pulled out as part of a protest against post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland.

A new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, called the Windsor Framework, was formally adopted by the UK and EU in March, however, the DUP has yet to drop its protest.

In response to President Biden's remarks on Thursday, a Downing Street spokesperson said "the UK priority was always protecting the Good Friday Agreement".

Story continues

"We are pleased between the UK and EU we have reached an agreement that works," they added.

The president urged politicians to return to power-sharing at Stormont

During his visit in April, President Biden said: "Effective devolved government that reflects the people of Northern Ireland, and is accountable to them, that works to find ways to face hard problems together will grow greater opportunities for the region."

He said he hoped the assembly and executive would be soon restored along with opportunities to facilitate cross-border relationships.

"That's a decision for you to make, not for me to make. Northern Ireland will not go back, pray God."

Later that week, Mr Biden addressed tens of thousands of people in his ancestral home of Ballina, County Mayo.

During his speech he said the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement was a reminder of "what you can accomplish when we work together in common cause".
As a Trump-era immigration policy that restricted the flow of migrants seeking asylum expires at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, some worry it may bring a flood of people across the border and into cities across the U.S.

But immigrant advocates in Michigan and other states say the new rules the administration of President Joe Biden are creating to replace Title 42  created by President Donald Trump in March 2020 near the start of the pandemic to reduce migration for health reasons  will be almost as restrictive as Trump's policies. And one advocate said it may even lead to fewer asylum seekers entering the U.S.

Seydi Sarr is the founder of the African Bureau of Immigration and Social Affairs (ABISA), a Detroit group that advocates for African immigrants in Michigan and immigrant rights. She is traveling this week to Texas with other advocates to see the effects of the end of Title 42.

"When Title 42 came, Biden was very critical of it," said Seydi Sarr, founder and director of African Bureau for Immigration and Social Affairs (ABISA), a Detroit group that supports African immigrants and advocates for immigrant rights. "He actually criticized Trump and the fact that he was making it difficult for people to even apply for asylum. He was very vocal about how asylum was a right and that as Americans we should lead with our values."

But new restrictions the Biden administration plans to enact  which will block migrants at the U.S.-Mexican border from entering unless they first seek protection in a third nation or apply online, among other rules  are similar to what the Trump administration did, advocates said. An American Civil Liberties Union attorney said this week he expects a lawsuit to be filed challenging the U.S. government on its new rules.

"I'm saying to this administration ... what are you doing?" Sarr said. "The plan you have is going to have the same effect that the plan that Donald Trump had."

More: Detained immigrants desperate for help in Michigan  and Biden policies to blame | Opinion

Sarr was traveling Thursday to Texas near the border with Mexico along with immigrant rights leaders from across the U.S. with eleven different advocacy groups to assess the effects of the end of Title 42. The effort is being led by the Haitian Bridge Alliance, and includes leaders with the ACLU, Center for Constitutional Rights, Welcome with Dignity, UndocuBlack Network and other groups.

Story continues

Sarr said they plan to visit Brownsville, Texas, which sits near the border, and also cities in Mexico near the border such as Matamoros and Reynosa. They plan to hold a news conference Friday to talk about their findings.

Meanwhile, some federal immigration agents from Detroit may be heading to the border to assist as the new rules take effect, said advocates and officials.

Rules replacing Title 42 may not help

Sarr said the new rules are unrealistic for migrants to follow and make it less likely for them to see an immigration judge to get access.

The new rules say that "before you cross the border, apply for asylum prior to crossing the border," Sarr said. "If I'm running for my life, how would I think I have to apply for asylum prior to crossing the border?"

Immigrant advocacy groups across the U.S. have held forums and online discussions sharing the same concerns.

The new rules replacing Title 42 are "a tactic to deter migration," said Patrick Giuliani, a policy analyst with the Hope Border Institute in a news conference streamed online Wednesday. The new rules are not easy to navigate for migrants, he said.

Ruby Robinson, managing attorney for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, echoed Sarr's concerns about the government's new policies.

An aerial image shows migrants being searched after waiting on the U.S. side of the border wall to surrender to U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents for immigration and asylum claim processing on the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, on May 10, 2023. The U.S. on May 11, 2023, will officially end its 40-month COVID-19 emergency, also discarding the Title 42 law, a tool that has been used to prevent millions of migrants from entering the country. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)

"It would have catastrophic consequences for individuals trying to seek safety," Robinson told the Free Press. "It reminds me of a lot of the policies that came out during the last administration."

Robinson said the new policy is essentially an asylum transit ban. Earlier this year, he submitted comments criticizing a proposal by the government to make the changes.

"It's like a two-year, temporary transit ban," he said.

Fatou-Seydi Sarr, a Detroit immigrant from Senegal who is founder of the African Bureau for Immigration and Social Affairs, speaks at a rally for Haitian migrants at the Spirit of Detroit statue Sept. 26, 2021 in Detroit.

That's unfortunate, Robinson said, because it clashes with America's historical role in allowing for asylum and meeting treaty obligations to take in people fleeing persecution.

"While the new Biden border policy is dressed in the neutral language of incentives and disincentives, it is a major blow to U.S. commitment to asylum, an unforced error by a Democratic administration that will be hard to repair, and will result in pain and death," said Dylan Corbett, executive director of The Hope Border Institute in El Paso, Texas.

The Biden administration has defended its plans.

Our plan will deliver results, but it will take time for those results to be fully realized, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said this week.

A reporter asked Biden Wednesday what his plans are if the new rules are blocked in court.

Biden replied: Well figure that out if its blocked in court.

Seeking safety

"The freedom to move has always been a part of the human experience, people are always fleeing persecution and violence and looking for better opportunities and places where they can be safe," Robinson said. "The U.S. immigration system is designed to provide opportunities for those individuals to seek protection here in the United States. That's what our asylum law is about. And that's what those treaties are about."

One group that is not affected by the news rules are unaccompanied children, Robinson said.

In Michigan, there are already thousands of asylum seekers awaiting a chance to live permanently in the U.S. Many of them moved here after arriving first in other states, Robinson and Sarr said. It's unclear whether the new changes will affect the number of asylum seekers headed to Detroit and other parts of Michigan. In contrast to other cities such as New York City, where New York City Mayor Eric Adams has criticized a recent influx, Detroit has not appeared to have had busloads with large numbers of migrants being sent here.

Asylum seekers already here are not affected by the new rules, advocates said.

In Michigan, they are escaping various types of persecution in their native lands, Robinson said.

One asylum case Robinson is currently helping to handle involves a man from Mauritania who escaped slavery.

"We talk to people on a daily basis who are fleeing abusive domestic partners in their home countries, or ... we're seeing people who are fleeing cartels, and ... horrible, horrible things," Robinson said. "One wonderful thing about the United States is we do provide opportunities for people to actually have their case heard."

The new rules have different conditions for various situations. Many asylum seekers go through ports of entry, but some enter without authorization.

"Once Title 42 is lifted, anybody who crosses the United States illegally  not at a port of entry  they will be subject to expedited removal, which means they will just get a deportation order against them immediately, which will have the effect of preventing them from returning to the United States for five years, unless specifically they say: I fear returning to my home country," Robinson explained. "And then they'll probably be detained and have an opportunity to present their claim  this is called a 'credible fear'  to an asylum officer."

The Department of Homeland Security is sending officers and other personnel to the border to help with any potential surge.

Anxiety among Michigan immigrants

Meanwhile, some immigrants already in Michigan are anxious about the changes, even though it may not directly affect them, because they are confused about the new rules, Sarr said.

She said her group is cautioning immigrants about not getting duped by shady lawyers or con artists seeking to take advantage of the confusion as Title 42 expires.

"There is also the confusion of asylum seekers who are already in the country who have not yet finished their paperwork ... who are thinking that this new rule is also going to apply to them," Sarr said. "For the last four days, we have received so many calls, where we have to explain people these new rules. ... So we are trying also to make sure that community is educated, because now there is confusion. ... That creates ... emotional strain and anxieties on the top of what they already have to deal with."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or Twitter @nwarikoo.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: As Title 42 expires, Biden's immigration policy similar to Trump's
A bipartisan coalition of congressional lawmakers on Thursday sent letters to the heads of Australia, India, the U.K. and Canada to urge the U.S.-allied nations to designate the Iranian army as a terrorist group.

Twenty-two Republican and Democratic lawmakers signed the letters, which were addressed and sent individually to the four countries.

The letters put renewed pressure on the allied countries to officially join the U.S. in labeling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in its entirety as a terrorist organization.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is the worlds leading state sponsor of terrorism and the IRGC is

the central core of the countrys terrorist operations at home and abroad, lawmakers wrote.

The IRGC has openly carried out plots targeting citizens around the world for decades, they continued. Designating the IRGC will send the clear message to Iran that acts of terrorism against us, our partners, and innocent citizens must not, and will not be tolerated.

The lawmakers also noted the countries have the capabilities under current laws or systems to designate the IRGC as a terrorist group.

Signatories include Reps. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Pat Fallon (R-Texas) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).

Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), who led the effort with Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), said the U.S. has taken bold action to raise the costs of the Iranian regimes violent extremism.

Now the United States Congress is calling on the United Kingdom, Australia, India, and Canada to join our fight in combatting this organizations cruelty, she said in a statement. It is time that all nations designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization to send an unequivocal message that its terrorist activities must end.

Canada has been reluctant to list the IRGC as a foreign terrorist group because it is the countrys official armed forces, and military service is mandatory. It has designated the Quds Force, an intelligence branch of the IRGC, a terror group.

Story continues

In a news conference last year, Canadian officials said the designation would be too much of a blunt instrument that could punish innocent people in Canada who may have fled the regime but were still conscripted into the IRGC, according to CBC.

Australia has signaled it may not legally be able to designate the IRGC as a terror group under its criminal code, but its Senate recommended the designation in February.

India has long maintained close relations with Iran. The U.K. is reportedly considering the designation but has yet to make a formal decision.

The U.S. is amping up its pressure on the European Union, as well. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators pushed for the EU this year to designate the IRGC a terrorist group.

Washington designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist group in 2019 under the Trump administration as relations with Iran plummeted. Tehran responded at the time by designating the U.S. military as a terror group.

Former President Trump scrapped a key deal with Iran that lifted sanctions in exchange for limitations on Tehrans nuclear production to prevent the development of a weapon of mass destruction.

The Biden administration failed to revive that nuclear deal, and relations have only worsened under President Biden.

Iran has provided explosive drones to Russia for use against Ukraine in the war, and the IRGC has repeatedly seized oil tanker ships headed to the U.S.

Iranian-backed militias have also exchanged rocket attacks with American troops in Syria.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle have grown increasingly hostile to Iran. Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a bill to permanently authorize the president to enact economic sanctions against Iran.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(Bloomberg) -- Most of the US is facing elevated blackout risks this summer in the event of widespread extreme heat as the power network serving roughly 400 million people grows increasingly fragile.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The US West, Midwest, Texas, Southeast, New England as well as Ontario in Canada may experience shortfalls of power amid temperatures spikes in coming months, according to a warning from the North American Electric Reliability Corp.

The warning, which took the form of a media notice issued late Wednesday, is more widespread than the groups 2022 summer assessment because this years includes the US Southeast. NERC, as the non-profit that sets reliability standards for US and Canadian grids is known, is scheduled to release its full seasonal assessment on May 17.

Providing power to homes, businesses and institutions is growing more challenging in nations such as the US coping with aging electricity networks, the accelerating shift to renewables, and more severe weather.

Read More: Why US Power Substations Are Such Vulnerable Targets: QuickTake

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Disney CEO Bob Iger touted the House of Mouses contributions to the state of Florida on Wednesday and slammed the false narrative GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is peddling in his ongoing battle with the company.

Does the state want us to invest more, employ more and pay more taxes or not? Iger said during Disneys second-quarter earnings call with Wall Street analysts and investors. Theres ... a false narrative that weve been fighting to protect tax breaks as part of this. But in fact, were the largest taxpayer in Central Florida, paying over $1.1 billion in state and local taxes last year alone.

DeSantis, a likely 2024 Republican presidential candidate, has been ranting against Disney since Iger took a stand against DeSantis homophobic Dont Say Gay law. The governor took over Disneys special governing district and suggested a prison could be built near Disney World.

Disney sued DeSantis in late April, claiming the governor has been patently retaliatory, patently anti-business and patently unconstitutional. Iger has been stepping up his pushback as well, telling a shareholders meeting last month that DeSantis moves are anti-business and anti-Florida.

There are about 2,000 special districts in Florida, and most were established to foster investment in development, Iger said on Wednesdays call. It basically made it easier for us, and others by the way, to do business in Florida.

And we built a business that employs, as weve said before, over 75,000 people and attracts tens of millions of people to the state. So, while its easy to say that the Reedy Creek Special District that was established for us over 50 years ago benefited us, its misleading to not also consider how much Disney benefited the state of Florida.

Iger boiled down DeSantis grievances: This is about one thing and one thing only, and thats retaliating against us for taking a position about pending legislation.

He added: And we believe that in us taking that position, were merely exercising our right to free speech.

Related...
With six months to go until the November general election in Boise, incumbent Mayor Lauren McLean is facing a challenger to her right as she seeks a second term in office.

Mike Masterson, a former police chief backed by a former mayor, is lodging a run against McLean with a campaign taking aim at her management of public safety.

Masterson served as chief of the Boise Police Department from 2005 to 2015. In an interview with the Idaho Statesman, he outlined a campaign constructed in opposition to McLean, taking aim at what he called crisis, waste and drift under her administration. His criticisms included complaints about transparency, police department management and allowing more housing density in Boises neighborhoods.

City elections are officially nonpartisan, and Masterson is running as an independent.

McLean, who served for several years on the City Council before becoming the first woman elected to be Boise mayor, has focused on affordable housing and transitioning the city to clean energy since taking office in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. She declined to be interviewed for this article.

When asked about Masterson entering the race, McLeans campaign manager, Melanie Folwell, told the Statesman by text that McLean is committed to making sure that folks have access to the ballot, that theyre engaged in the civic process.

Its core to her values and consistent with her lifes work, Folwell said. This election is no different, and of course anyone and everyone is free to run for mayor of their city. Thats democracy.

While experts say McLean is expected to benefit from her name recognition as the incumbent and a powerful donor base, the city is also in the midst of implementing a new zoning ordinance that has gotten pushback from some parts of the city, and some still have questions about her management of the police department and police oversight office.

Masterson criticizes police department management

In his interview with the Statesman, Masterson rifled through a series of complaints about the department, including the resignation at McLeans request of former Chief Ryan Lee last fall and the large number of vacancies in the police department. Boise had 33 vacancies among 333 authorized positions for sworn officers in March, according to the city.

Story continues

My community, when I retired, I felt was headed in the right direction, Masterson said. And now, Im not so convinced that that has happened in the last three years.

Masterson also indicated he thought McLean should not have hired Lee in the first place, and that she had not properly explained the circumstances that led to his dismissal. Masterson served as interim chief before Lee was hired.

Turmoil at the police department may have contributed to McLeans decision late last month to select a veteran of the Boise Police Department, with wide appeal among the rank and file, as the new police chief.

While the mayor had previously announced she would hire a recruiting firm and begin an extended search for a new leader after Lee left, she ended up choosing Ron Winegar, who was interim chief for six months, and did not conduct a wider search. Winegar was also a finalist for the job in 2020, when McLean hired Lee.

I think that picking the interim chief to be the permanent chief might be a really good strategic move, in terms of her being a candidate for office, (and) not wanting to keep that question about whats going on at the police department open, Boise State political science professor Stephanie Witt told the Statesman. Witt noted that a national search could mean the selection of a new chief would have been delayed until close to  or even after  the election.

An investigation into potential racism at the department, spurred by revelations of the racist views of a retired captain, has been on hold this spring after a Washington, D.C., law firm spent most of the money it was awarded to conduct the investigation. Steptoe and Johnson, the Washington, D.C. law firm investigating, is scheduled to present its findings to the City Council on Tuesday, according to the city.

Appointing somebody who is also a longtime Boise Police Department person kind of cuts the wind out of the sails of the former chief running for mayor, Witt said.

Masterson criticized McLeans process for hiring for the position and said the community should be more involved when chiefs are selected.

He also blamed McLean for what he called a lack of transparency, noting the frequently cited personnel exemption that city lawyers use to not disclose records to media and the public, as well as the citys policy of not disclosing where city officials travel on municipal business until after the fact.

Secrecy is the enemy of good government, he said, adding that people forget that 20 years ago Boise Mayor Brent Coles resigned amid a controversy over his misuse of public funds.

McLean, Masterson at odds over density plans

A hallmark of McLeans administration has been a focus on housing.

For the first time in more than 60 years, the city is proposing to make changes that would offer incentives to developers to build slightly larger apartment units in residential neighborhoods. The proposal would allow smaller lot sizes and encourages denser, more pedestrian-oriented development by making it easier to approve certain projects more in line with the citys plans.

Boise Planning Director Tim Keane  McLeans hire  has championed the changes as a necessary correction to make the city more walkable, friendly to public transit and less reliant on cars. To do that, development needs to grow differently than it has in the past and allow for more types of housing across the city, he has said.

McLean has also pushed for partnerships with private developers to build designated affordable housing and permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness.

In his interview with the Statesman, Masterson criticized the citys plan to overhaul its zoning code, which is scheduled to go before the City Council next month. While he said there are a lot of good things incorporated in that upzoning, he thinks it goes too far.

Masterson said he liked the push for more density along transit corridors that the new rules would encourage but adds that the changes would have disparate impacts on certain neighborhoods, and would not affect neighborhoods governed by homeowners associations. He also said the mayors aims for more widespread public transit use are unrealistic.

Whats being proposed, in terms of automatically doing things for the ease of doing it, were depriving our citizens of the right to be notified and the right to due process in  terms of what goes into our neighborhoods, Masterson said.

Planning Department spokesperson Lindsay Moser previously told the Statesman that the zoning code rewrite  which has had many public meetings and a citizen advisory committee during the three years it has been in the works  treats different parts of the cities equitably. Some of the allowed higher densities are along major roads and larger neighborhood roads that appear throughout the city, which she said means no neighborhood is excluded or targeted.

Masterson said the city should spend more time talking to neighborhood associations about proposed changes, and should do things neighborhood by neighborhood. He praised Harris Ranch, a planned area in Southeast Boise that collects its own taxes for infrastructure, and said the city should focus on finding and approving another similar planned community.

Weve got a lot of land that is vacant that is south of the interstate, Masterson said.

Climate goals too aggressive, Masterson says

McLean has set goals of having city government use 100% clean electricity this year and achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. She wants the entire city to be carbon neutral by 2050.

The mayors plans come as scientists increasingly warn that the world will likely cross a temperature increase mark in the next decade, beyond which more catastrophic shifts become more likely. To avoid hitting that threshold, drastic cuts to fossil fuels are needed in the coming years, according to United Nations scientists.

In his interview with the Statesman, Masterson said McLeans climate goals are too strenuous, and that the city should slow down its efforts to address the threat.

I think we (should) continue to work towards those goals but at a much more moderate than aggressive level, Masterson said. Were not going to push people to electric vehicles in the next five years.

As an example, Masterson said he plans for his next car to be a hybrid, but not electric.

President Joe Bidens administration has set a goal of having 50% of all automobile sales be electric by 2030.

Mike Masterson, right, a former Boise police chief, said he will run against Boise Mayor Lauren McLean this fall.

Uphill battle beating an incumbent

Masterson announced his candidacy for mayor in March and has the backing of prominent Boise politicos who are now out of office. Maryanne Jordan, a former Democratic state senator and Boise City Council president, is his campaign treasurer, and former Mayor Dave Bieter told the Statesman he is supporting Masterson. Prominent law enforcement figures, former Republican Attorney General David Leroy and former Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney have also donated to his campaign.

Mastersons campaign is set up to pull more right-leaning voters away from McLean, which local political analysts say is a difficult prospect in Idahos Democratic capital. McLean has raised more than $232,000, while Masterson has raised $23,000.

Boise State University political science professor Jeffrey Lyons told the Statesman that name recognition matters a lot in a mayors race, and that McLean is well-situated because she has a record to run on with one term in office, but hasnt yet been around enough for voters to grow fatigued of her.

In this sort of race, you have to assume that the mayor has a pretty considerable incumbency advantage, Lyons said. He noted that very few Boise precincts went for Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 election and said he isnt convinced controversies at the police department will be objectionable to voters  or even on their minds  enough to sway them.

My guess is thats not going to be on the top of most peoples minds, he said.

Lyons was less sure about how the zoning code rewrite could affect the race, both because its a complicated issue and because many of the changes would not happen for years to come.

If the City Council approves the code changes in June, it is possible the new law will not be effective until after the election. Lyons said it would be more likely to affect a political race in five or 10 years.

Witt said that opposition to zoning changes can come from both sides of the political aisle.

Its a tough sell to say to people, This may result in some changes to areas you have known and are fond of but it will provide more housing, she said. (Masterson) has got the easier thing I think of playing to peoples fears that their house wont be worth as much or their neighborhood is going to change, by being the person who is opposed to the upzoning.

Lyons said that if the former chief is able to spend 60%-70% of what McLean does, that would indicate he has been able to gain strong name recognition. The presence of Republican-leaning voters in Boise means McLean needs to run a pretty serious campaign, Lyons added, but she also benefits from a list of accomplishments and a long list of donors.

Shes in the spot you kind of want to be in, I think, he said.
Immigration and border security have often been issues that each party views from a specific vantage point. Its one of the reasons they remain difficult to act on in a fractured Congress. But few national issues affect one state in the way that these concerns affect Texas.

So far, President Joe Biden and national Democrats have left Texas to handle a surge of illegal immigration on its own, all while stating its Congress fault that Biden hasnt done anything to prepare for the latest round of mass arrivals.

Our nation would not be strong without a legal path of immigration for asylum seekers, and it is weak without strong border security. A country that is serious about the safety and well-being of its citizens values the integrity of its borders. Its also true that a country that honors its heritage and laws allows those who arrive legally to enter. The two must function together.

Title 42, a Trump-era policy that stayed the swell of illegal immigration to reduce the transmission of COVID by quickly expelling migrants at the border, ends Thursday, and Congress and the Biden administration have known for months that it was coming.

US Customs and Border Protection data show that authorities have expelled migrants at the southern border almost 3 million times since Trump implemented the policy. Imagine the influx without it.

There is only one way to look at border security between the Texas and Mexico border: Our border is secure or it is not. A nation that cares about sovereignty secures its borders  full stop. Anything else can contribute to serious crime. Not everyone who is attempting to enter the U.S. is doing so to seek a better life. Biden should be on board with this, but hes not. In 2021, he canceled border wall contracts, prompting Texas to build its own wall sections.

No one is entitled to enter the U.S. immediately and without caution, verified claims and paperwork, and extraordinary patience. The hubris of immigrants tearing across the border because they seek a better life in the United States is understandable, but wrong. There are ways to gain entry, and its asinine to act as if its OK to allow people into the United States through non-legal ports of entry. Anyone entering the U.S. this way should be immediately turned around.

Story continues

With Title 42 lifted, border towns such as El Paso have already seen  and will continue to see  a massive increase in migrants entering the U.S., some through legal ports, some through smugglers and porous parts of the border. El Paso already declared a state of emergency. Gov. Greg Abbott said he will deploy tactical border force to handle the major influx and is doing the best he can do with the resources he has.

Migrants began pouring over the border in droves as soon as Biden became president, because of his lax border and immigration policies, including removal of Trumps Remain in Mexico policy. According to the American Immigration Council, a Washington nonprofit that advocates for better immigration law, the number of asylum seekers and migrants apprehended after crossing the border between ports of entry increased from 75,316 in January 2021 to 200,658 in July 2021. It more than doubled after Biden took office.

Texas primarily bears the brunt of this chaos. Its an affront to the Texas border towns that must navigate the influx Biden created, risking their towns order and safety. Allowing this is an insult to the millions of people who have come to the United States legally, following the correct processes and waiting the many years it often takes to get the right to come and stay permanently.

Border security and immigration issues cannot be solved overnight. But the Biden administration was fully aware that the end of Title 42 would cause chaos, and he has blamed Congress for being unable to do anything to prevent this aftermath. Many of his policies have created chaos at the border and Texas has been left to handle it on its own.

This is not solely a Texas problem, its a national one  and its one Biden created and could have prevented.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The Florida pollster Ryan Tyson is expected to be a top advisor in Ron DeSantis' presidential bid.

Tyson was at the heart of a 2020 political-corruption scandal in Florida.

He funneled money from big-business groups to committees backing straw-man candidates to split the vote.

The Republican pollster Ryan Tyson, who is expected to be the political director of Gov. Ron DeSantis' presumptive presidential bid, was deeply enmeshed in a major Florida political-corruption scandal that has resulted in criminal charges for five people, two of whom have been convicted.

At the center of the scandal are "ghost candidates"  those drafted to run purely to siphon votes from an opposing party in close races.

After receiving money from a nonprofit affiliated with the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Tyson funneled $600,000 to a dark-money group, Grow United, that supported three ghost candidates running for Florida's Senate, according to court records. The candidates had no political experience and did not campaign. One candidate was paid $44,000 to run.

Investigators notified Tyson in late 2021 he was a target of their inquiry, but no charges against him have been filed.

It's not illegal to run ghost candidates, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, a Democrat, said at a news conference in 2021 after two people were arrested on campaign-finance charges in connection with the scheme. Rundle's office has been one of the agencies investigating the scandal.

She added: "Is it an attack on our democracy? Is it a dirty political trick? Absolutely."

DeSantis has not announced his candidacy for president, but he's widely expected to do so in the next two months. He faces an uphill battle to secure the Republican nomination. DeSantis is polling well behind former President Donald Trump and lacks support in even his own backyard: The majority of Republican congresspeople from Florida's delegation have backed Trump.

Story continues

DeSantis' office did not respond to a request for comment. In a text message, Tyson said he voluntarily cooperated with state investigators, was never subpoenaed, and had no contact with prosecutors since late 2021.

"I am not under investigation by any state or federal official," Tyson wrote. "To suggest otherwise is false and, at this point, done with the express purpose of harming me and my reputation."

Do you have a tip or insight to share? Contact reporter Katherine Long via the encrypted messaging app Signal (+1-206-275-9280) or email (klong@insider.com).

The making of a ghost candidate

Tyson, 42, has risen from a self-described childhood working in watermelon fields to become one of DeSantis' top political advisors. The University of Florida graduate is a pollster by trade, with close ties to Florida big business as the former vice president of political operations for the Associated Industries of Florida, an influential business group.

Tyson is "Ron DeSantis' brain," Peter Schorsch, the publisher of Florida Politics, said.

But Tyson has had some political stumbles. Last year, he helped run a $73 million constitutional-amendment campaign to expand gambling in Florida that failed to make it on the ballot because of irregularities with signatures collected, the Tampa Bay Times reported. In recent weeks, Tyson was unable to convince members of Florida's congressional delegation to back DeSantis' bid for president, Puck reported.

Tyson's involvement in the ghost-candidate affair has also tarnished his reputation.

In September 2020, Tyson accepted $630,000 from a nonprofit with ties to the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Later that month, he transferred $600,000 to Grow United, which was run by consultants for the utility company Florida Power & Light, the Orlando Sentinel and the Miami Herald reported.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce and Florida Power & Light did not respond to requests for comment. Both have previously denied involvement in the scheme.

Two days later, Grow United routed $550,000 to two political committees ostensibly headed by two women, a 25-year-old community-college student and a 23-year-old recent Florida State University graduate. Neither had political experience.

Behind the scenes, though, the committees were directed by the Republican operative Alex Alvarado, according to court documents, who was paid roughly $4,000 a month by Tyson. Alvarado paid the two women $2,000 and $4,000 to have their names on the committees, according to their sworn statements.

The two committees turned around and placed large orders for mailers portraying the three straw-man candidates as leftists. The print shop they used was run by Alvarado's father-in-law.

Sick Sad Girl (@DoubleDogDarrow) July 30, 2022

In a 2021 interview with investigators, Tyson acknowledged he knew Alvarado had set up the committees to support no-name candidates and that running third-party candidates in tight races could split the vote, according to a transcript of the interview obtained by Insider.

"Typically, those are the candidates that'll end up spoiling it for one of them," he said. "If you've been around Florida politics, you know that third-party candidates can do that."

While Tyson denied knowing his donations to Grow United would go toward propping up the sham candidates to split the vote and guarantee a Republican victory in the three tight contests, he said he "had a hunch" the money would support the candidates.

Close race tipped by a ghost candidate who did not campaign

In a Miami-area district, former Republican state Sen. Frank Artiles was accused of paying a friend, Alex Rodriguez, more than $44,000 to run as a shill candidate, according to court documents. At the time, Artiles was on the payroll of one of Tyson's political-consulting groups, taking home roughly $5,000 a month, Tyson told investigators. Rodriguez shared the same last name as the Democratic incumbent, Jose Javier Rodriguez, who lost to the Republican Ileana Garcia by just 34 votes.

Alex Rodriguez has pleaded guilty to campaign-finance violations for accepting more than Florida's maximum of $1,000 from an individual donor. Artiles was indicted in 2021 on charges including that he donated more than the individual maximum. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is ongoing. An attorney for Artiles did not respond to a request for comment.

In a district near Seminole, in Central Florida, the Democrat Patricia Sigman earned 133,900 votes to the Republican Jason Brodeur's 141,544. Jestine Iannotti, the third-party ghost candidate who was supported by Tyson via Grow United and the two PACs, earned 5,787 votes.

While Iannotti's participation in the race wasn't enough to tilt the field definitively in Brodeur's favor, Iannotti and two Republican consultants were criminally charged with campaign-finance violations. One of the consultants, Seminole County GOP Chair Ben Paris, was found guilty in a jury trial last year of falsely listing his cousin as a donor to Iannotti on campaign-finance paperwork, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

In a December report, the nonpartisan election watchdog Integrity Florida slammed the ghost-candidate scandal as crossing "the legal and moral line." The nonprofit echoed calls from a Florida legislator for the Department of Justice to investigate the scandal. The Department of Justice did not respond to a question about whether it's investigating.

"The whole scheme just seems like it should be illegal," Integrity Florida's director, Ben Wilcox, told Insider. "We shouldn't be able to meddle in a political race to that extent, to where you're purposely deceiving voters. If it isn't illegal, it should be."

Read the original article on Business Insider
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's federal police said on Thursday the country had frozen roughly 40 million reais ($7.99 million) belonging to alleged financiers of the Jan. 8 riots in Brasilia in order to pay for damages caused to public property.

The move was part of the 11th phase of an operation investigating people involved in the riots, in which supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro invaded and ransacked Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had taken office earlier in the month after defeating Bolsonaro in an October election.

Police said in a statement they were serving 22 search and seizure warrants ordered by the Supreme Court in three states, with goods and assets belonging to the still-unnamed targets being frozen or seized.

The operation was launched in mid-January to identify people who participated in, funded or fostered the riots, with dozens of raids carried out so far.

Federal police reiterated that the targets were being investigated for crimes of "violent abolition of the rule of law, coup d'etat, qualified damage, criminal association, incitement, destruction and deterioration of specially protected property."

($1 = 5.0033 reais)

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Frances Kerry)
By Andrea Shalal

NIIGATA, Japan (Reuters) - Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad expressed serious concerns on Thursday that Argentina's economic challenges and a major drought there could affect the country's "political destiny" and usher in an extremist government.

"We are worried because this situation may affect the political destiny of Argentina," Haddad told U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a meeting on the sidelines of a Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers meeting in Niigata, Japan.

Haddad said Brazil was keeping a close eye on Argentina, where the current drought could reduce exports by 20%, mindful of previous far-right political shifts elsewhere in Latin America.

"We are worried because this situation may affect the political destiny of Argentina, and we have seen on our continent that there has been an increase in extreme-right governments," Haddad said.

Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Haddad said he raised the issue with Yellen because Argentina needed the assistance of the International Monetary Fund. The United States is the largest shareholder in the global lender.

"A solution to Argentina's woes has to go through the IMF, and if Brazil and the United States are together in this effort, that will make much easier for Argentina to overcome this crisis," Haddad said, speaking through an interpreter.

He said he raised the issue because Argentina was an important player in the world and especially in South America.

Japan, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7 this year, invited Brazil, India and Indonesia to participate in this week's meeting of finance ministers and central bankers.

Asked about Yellen's comments about G7 members cracking down on "economic coercion" by China, Haddad said Yellen had assured him she had no objections to Brazil's close trade ties with China.

He said Brazil was also keen to expand trade with the United States and said more trade integration was needed in the Americas.

(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Toby Chopra and Kim Coghill)
A MBDA Storm Shadow/Scalp missile at the Farnborough Airshow, UK on July 17, 2018. Ben Stansall/AFP Photo

The UK Defense Secretary confirmed Britain would send Ukraine Storm Shadow long-range missiles.

Ukraine has repeatedly asked for weapons to hit Russian positions deep behind the front line.

The move comes ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive to reclaim occupied territory.

Britain is sending Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, allowing its forces to strike Russian positions deep behind the front line, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on Thursday.

Some of the missiles are already in Ukraine, British outlet Sky News reported, with Wallace saying that the weapons "are now going into or are in the country itself."

"The donation of these weapons systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russia's continued brutality, especially the deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, which is against international law," Wallace said while speaking in the House of Commons, per Sky.

The move comes ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive to take back swathes of territory occupied by Russia.

Wallace noted that the missiles would be for use "within Ukrainian sovereign territory," not for targets inside Russia. This could include military targets in Crimea, which UK officials have frequently described as "illegally annexed."

"We will simply not stand by as Russia kills civilians," Wallace told parliament. "Russia must recognize that its actions alone have led to such systems being provided to Ukraine," Reuters reported.

The Kremlin said the move would require "an adequate response from our military," Reuters reported.

The stealthy Storm Shadow is an air-launched long-range cruise missile jointly developed by the UK and France. It has a range of over 250km, or 155 miles, and can be operated in extreme conditions, according to manufacturer MBDA.

The much-admired High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) can hit targets as far as 50 miles away.

Story continues

Wallace said: "These weapons will give Ukraine new capability, members should recognise that these systems are not even in the same league as the Russian AS-24 killjoy hypersonic missile," or "even the Kalibr cruise missile with a range of over 2,000 kilometres, roughly seven times that of a Storm Shadow missile".

He also noted that UK scientists have worked on helping to integrate the missile with Ukraine's Soviet-era fighter jets, which will be used to fire the weapons, according to Sky News security and defense editor Deborah Haynes.

Ukraine has long been asking for long-range missiles to bolster its abilities to strike Russian targets deep inside occupied territory, but Western countries have so far limited their support to providing shorter-range weapons.

The US has said it will not send long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems to Kyiv because it has few to spare.

This is not the first time the UK has led the way in sending advanced weaponry to Kyiv. It was the first Western ally to send Ukraine its Challenger 2 tanks, after which the US sent M1 Abrams tanks.

The missile will be "a real game changer from a range perspective," a senior US military official told CNN.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukraine needs more time to launch the anticipated counteroffensive as it was still waiting for needed equipment, including armored vehicles, to arrive.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The owners of Free Folk Pastures are no longer free.

Instead, Dale D.J. Shalvey and Tara Stottlemyer, who run a regenerative cattle and poultry farm 45 miles north of Charlotte, have become North Carolinas first husband and wife sentenced to prison for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly of Washington ordered Shalvey and Stottlemyer to serve 41 and eight months, respectively. They will begin their sentences at a later date.

Kelly, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, also ordered both to serve 24 months of supervised release. Stottlemyer will spend the first third of hers on home detention.

Assistant U.S. Attorney General Anthony Franks had recommended a 51-month sentence for Shalvey and 18 months for Stottlemyer.

Both pleaded guilty in October to riot-related felony charges: Stottlemyer, obstruction of an official proceeding; Shalvey, obstruction and assault on a police officer.

The couple, the parents of a 2-month-old daughter, moved to North Carolina after taking part in the attack on the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters intent on overturning the Republicans election loss to Joe Biden.

Shalvey was arrested in March 2021; Stottlemyer was charged six months later after the couple had relocated to Catawba County.

In the months since, they have quickly put down roots in Conover.

They leased land from Shalveys uncle, who lives in Mooresville, to start their farm.

They got married there six months after the riot.

They buried their newborn son, Josiah, there in January 2022 and gave birth to a daughter, Hope, in mid-March.

They joined a church. They made new friends. In a letter to Kelly seeking leniency for Shalvey, one acquaintance said the couple have quickly become community leaders in their adopted home.

Stop the steal rally

Now, Shalvey and Stottlemyer, both 38, are set to become the ninth and 10th North Carolinians imprisoned for Jan. 6 crimes, for terms ranging from nine days to 44 months. At least 28 N.C. residents have been federally charged.

Story continues

Nationwide, more than 1,000 arrests have been made, leading to more than 650 convictions. The Capitol violence has been linked to at least five deaths, injuries to some 140 police officers, and more than $2.8 million in damage to the building.

Shalvey and Stottlemyer, then living in a small town outside of Pittsburgh, drove to Washington on Jan. 6 with a farmer friend from Upstate New York to attend Trumps Stop the Steal rally, court documents show.

They then joined a throng of Trump supporters, fueled by the outgoing presidents baseless claims of massive election fraud, who marched to the Capitol to stop congressional certification of Bidens win.

During the growing chaos, Shalvey was caught on camera throwing something that struck a police officer.

Shalvey and Stottlemyer  joined by co-defendant Katharine Morrison of Dansville, N.Y., who received the same sentence as Stottlemyer  entered the Capitol nine minutes after the first breach, Franks said. They roamed the building for more than an hour.

Eventually, the three were among the relatively few rioters who reached the floor of the U.S. Senate. There, they rifled through senators desks and photographed documents.

Shalvey also pocketed a letter  which he later destroyed  from U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney to then-Vice President Mike Pence in which the Utah Republican explained his reasoning for finding Trump guilty at his second impeachment trial.

Franks compared Shalveys behavior to one of the best-known convicted rioters, QAnon Shaman Jacob Chansley, who was sentenced in November 2021 to 41 months on an obstruction charge.

Except, according to Franks sentencing memo, Shalveys actions were more heinous as they involve assaulting an officer and lying to the FBI regarding the assault and destroying evidence, which included Shalveys phone and a note written by Senator Romney.

While Stottlemyer, garbed in a Trump flag and a teal-colored bicycle helmet, did not take part in the violence, she was alongside Shalvey throughout the riot and participated in the rummaging of the Senate desks, Franks said.

Shalveys character

Multiple letters written to the judge by Shalveys family, ministers, former college professors and friends spoke to his character and potential; how he overcame a childhood derailed by a drug-addicted mother and an abusive father; how he plans to use the farm to mentor fatherless boys; how he is embarrassed and remorseful for his actions at the Capitol.

Lead defense attorney Cody Cofer of Fort Worth, citing his clients complete lack of prior contact with the criminal justice system prior to Jan. 6, called for home detention, not imprisonment.

Mr. Shalvey acknowledges the Court must consider a variety of factors and interests beyond the future of a defendant, Cofer wrote.

For the Shalveys, the care of (daughter) Hope is the foremost concern. Mr. Shalvey is also burdened by his worry for the animals he loves and losing the land on which his son is buried.

And all this is in peril because of Mr. Shalveys decisions.
California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein returned to the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday after being absent from the chamber for almost three months following a shingles diagnosis earlier this year.

Feinstein  the oldest-serving senator at age 89 and the longest-serving female senator  was photographed Wednesday exiting from a vehicle and getting into a wheelchair outside the Capitol, where she was greeted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

With the help of her staff, Feinstein was then rolled into the Capitol as Schumer walked alongside of her wheelchair. Her return to work restores the Democrats' 51-49 majority in the Senate.

Schumer confirmed the longtime senator's return to D.C. in a statement on Tuesday, saying he was pleased that his "friend Dianne is back in the Senate and ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work."

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN RETURNS TO WASHINGTON, DC FOLLOWING MONTHS-LONG ABSENCE

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is shown arriving back at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday after her absence from the chamber following a shingles diagnosis.

On March 2, Feinstein revealed she was hospitalized with shingles in San Francisco adding that she hoped to return to the Senate later that month.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"I was diagnosed over the February recess with a case of shingles. I have been hospitalized and am receiving treatment in San Francisco," Feinstein's office shared with Fox News Digital at the time. "I hope to return to the Senate later this month."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., exits from her vehicle as she returns to the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., greets Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., as she returns to the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

Her nearly three month-long absence prompted calls from politicians on both sides of the aisle for the veteran senator to retire.

DIANNE FEINSTEIN ANNOUNCES SHE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2024

"Its time for [Feinstein] to resign. We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty," Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., wrote on Twitter. "While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties. Not speaking out undermines our credibility as elected representatives of the people."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., returns to Congress on Wednesday, ending a more than two-month absence due to illness.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., also called for the senator's resignation as several judicial nominations are pending in the Senate.

Story continues

"Her refusal to either retire or show up is causing great harm to the judiciary  precisely where [reproductive] rights are getting stripped," Ocasio-Cortez said during an interview. "That failure means now in this precious window Dems can only pass GOP-approved nominees."

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., escorts Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., as she arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday following an absence due to health issues.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Feinstein, who took office in 1992 and is the longest-serving senator in California history, announced in February she would not seek re-election in 2024.

"I am announcing today I will not run for re-election in 2024 but intend to accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends," the senator wrote on Twitter. "Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives."

Prior to representing California in the U.S. Senate, Feinstein served as San Franciscos first female mayor.

Fox News' Brandon Gillespie and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cabarrus County District Attorney Ashlie Shanley has recused herself from ruling on the results of an SBI investigation into allegations against county commissioners Chairman Steve Morris.

In a news release Thursday, Shanley said the district attorneys office for neighboring Davie and Davidson counties will handle the case.

No legal conflict bars her office from proceeding in the case, Shanley said.

She sought outside assistance from the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, however, due to the District Attorneys extensive work with all Cabarrus County Commissioners and in the interests of fairness, she said.

The state office, in turn, appointed the Prosecutorial District office in Davie and Davidson counties to handle the case, Shanley said.

In a May 8 news release, Richard Wise, the Midland town council member who prompted the SBI investigation, called on Shanley to pull from the case.

As Cabarrus Countys chief information officer, Shanleys husband works for Morris, Wise said.

Shanley on Thursday said she contacted the Administrative Office of the Courts after speaking with the SBI about Wises allegations against Morris. Per its policy, her office also did a conflict of interest analysis to determine if a legal conflict would bar the office from proceeding in the case, she said.

Accordingly, she said, she reviewed preliminary SBI reports and learned that county commissioners are on both sides of this matter.

The SBI is investigating allegations of potential collusion and fraud involving Morris, agency spokeswoman Anjanette Gruber said in a statement last week.

The SBI and Wise have declined to detail the allegations. Wise said revealing specifics could jeopardize the investigation.

Morris has called the allegations false and a malicious vendetta.

In a media statement Thursday, Wise thanked Shanley for recusing herself but said he thinks lawyers from the N.C. Department of Justice Special Prosecutions office should handle the case.
Californias top law enforcement officer will investigate whether a police department rocked by allegations involving racist and derogatory text messages committed widespread civil rights abuses, officials said Wednesday.

In a statement, the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the investigation into deeply concerning allegations leveled at the Antioch Police Department in recent weeks will determine whether the agency engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing.

If, through this investigation, the Attorney Generals Office determines that unlawful activity or practices took place, the office will also determine what potential actions are needed to ensure comprehensive corrective action takes place at APD, the attorney generals office said.

An investigative report compiled by the Contra Costa District Attorneys Office after a joint FBI and local investigation into the police department alleged last month that dozens of officers sent or received racist and derogatory messages in 2020 and 2021.

The messages include homophobic slurs, racist images and the casual discussion of using less lethal weapons on people, including the citys mayor, who is Black, according to the report.

"The early indications that we've seen here in Antioch raise significant red flags," Bonta told reporters Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the police department in Antioch, northeast of San Francisco, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Bonta's investigation.

Police Chief Steven Ford has condemned the racially abhorrent content and incomprehensible behavior being attributed to members of the Antioch Police Department in media reports.

The Antioch Police Officers Association did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Eight officers have been placed on administrative leave in connection with the allegations, said Michael Rains, a lawyer representing some of the officers named in the report.

Story continues

Several people have sued the department over the allegations, arguing in a federal lawsuit filed last month that six of the officers identified in the report violated their civil rights at the same time they were exchanging the messages.

Rains said Wednesday that he has no objection to Bonta's looking into the matter, "provided it is done in a thorough and objective fashion."

"I think if the Attorney General does so, and reports any findings to the public, he will conclude that, despite suggestions in many media accounts that inappropriate text messaging was widespread in the agency, that was simply not the case  the text messages which Mr. Bonta and others have described as offensive have been generated by very few officers," Rains said in an email.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta is launching a "pattern or practice" investigation into the Antioch Police Department. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said Wednesday he would launch a civil rights investigation into the Antioch Police Department after dozens of its officers were caught up in a racist text message scandal that sparked a federal criminal probe.

The "pattern or practice" investigation will focus on bigoted communications collected in a pair of reports by the Contra Costa County district attorney's office this year and first reported by the East Bay Times.

At least 44 officers, more than half the agency, were named in the reports, which detailed text messages rife with anti-Black slurs and homophobic language, and showed officers bragging about using force against members of their community, according to the East Bay Times.

It is our job to protect and serve all of our communities, Bonta said in a statement. Police departments are on the front lines of that fight every day as they work to safeguard the people of our state. However, where there are allegations of potentially pervasive bias or discrimination, it can undermine the trust that is critical for public safety and our justice system."

Similar investigations by the California Department of Justice have been launched into the Los Angeles County sheriff's and probation departments. Bonta also opened a review of the Torrance Police Department after the Los Angeles Times detailed horrific racist text messages shared for years by more than a dozen members of that agency. The investigations are not criminal in nature but are meant to lead to drastic mandated reforms for troubled law enforcement agencies.

They can be slow moving, however. Bonta announced his investigation into Torrance nearly 18 months ago for similar misconduct, and no public reports have been created. Bonta's office has not provided updates on the matter.

Antioch Police Chief Steven Ford on Wednesday pledged his "full cooperation" with the state investigation.

"We understand the importance of ensuring our policies, procedures, and practices are in line with expectations of 21st Century Policing," Ford said in a statement.

Story continues

Ford also released a list of promises to establish policies to ensure "bias-free policing," train officers in cultural sensitivity and improve documentation of use-of-force incidents.

Kiora Hansen, left, and Della Currie protest during a rally at Antioch police headquarters in Antioch, Calif., in April. ( Jane Tyska / Bay Area News Group via Associated Press)

A department spokeswoman declined to say how many officers had been implicated in the scandal or suspended as a result. According to the East Bay Times, eight current and former officers are subject to a criminal investigation that involves the FBI, and a dozen others have been placed on administrative leave.

According to the texts reviewed by the East Bay Times, one officer bragged about using a a rubber bullet launcher on the target of a raid, and in another thread  when asked what he was up to  said he was "violating civil rights." County prosecutors are weighing the dismissal or review of hundreds of criminal cases on which the officers served as material witnesses.

A similar review that followed the Torrance scandal led to the dismissal of dozens of pending felony cases. At least one man was freed from prison after it was found that he took a plea deal before prosecutors could disclose that several of the arresting officers had been implicated in the text scandal.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
California Governor Newsom Announces New Gun Safety Legislation After String Of Mass Shootings In The State

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference in Sacramento, California, on February 1, 2023. Credit - Justin SullivanGetty Images

A team of politicians, academics and legal experts in California voted to move forward with a proposal on establishing reparations, including compensation, for millions of Black Californians this week.

The group, named the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, spent two years studying the history and ongoing systems that disadvantage descendants of enslaved people, and will make final recommendations this summer on how to remedy the harm imposed by state actions. It will then be on the state legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom to pass laws implementing those recommendations.

The reparations would be a landmark step for racial equality in the U.S., and perhaps inspire similar efforts across the country. In a proposal draft initially published in March, the task force recommends compensation payments for eligible residents that could reach up to $1.2 million for some, according to news estimates.

The task force evaluated the exact amount of monetary loss for Black Californians, based, in part, on inequitable housing, infrastructure, and legal practices that have limited their ability to gain wealth.

On Wednesday, Newsom said the recommendations were a milestone in our bipartisan effort to advance justice and promote healing. He hasnt commented on whether he plans to support the task forces recommendations.

Dealing with the legacy of slavery is about much more than cash payments, Newsom said in a statement.

Heres what to know about the reparations.

Reparations on the agenda

In September 2020, Assembly Bill (AB) 3121 established the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, in California and nine members were appointed. Task force member Jovan Scott Lewis, an economic anthropologist who researches reparations, explains that years of grassroots lobbying led to AB 3121, but George Floyds murder and the nations racial reckoning movement in 2020 was the bills catalyst.

Story continues

Over the task forces tenure, the team hired five economists and public policy experts to measure the economic loss of Black Californians due to housing discrimination, health harms, the devaluation of Black businesses, mass incarceration and over-policing since the states founding in 1850, according to attorney Kamilah Moore, the task force chair.

All of the data they [experts] acquired supports the claim that the state of California was specifically culpable in perpetuating those harm areas, and contributing to the economic loss of African-American Californians, Moore tells TIME.

Using the experts data, the task forces draft report says in areas such as housing discrimination, $3,366 annual payments would adequately compensate eligible Black Californians for each year spent living in the state between 1933 and 1977. For mass incarceration and overpolicing it would be, $2,352 for each year of residency in California between 1971 and 2020. And for healthcare disparities, it would be $13,619 for each year of residency, based on 71-year life expectancy.

According to CalMatters, a 19-year-old who moved to California in 2018 could be owed at least $149,799, while a 71-year-old who lived in California all their life could be owed about $1.2 million.

The task force agreed with experts findings, but it will ultimately be up to lawmakers to use those numbers or adjust them if they decide to dole out financial reparation. Were not saying that its how much we think the African-American community should or should not be given. Were saying thats actually how much theyve lost, Lewis says.

The task force voted to recommend offering reparations only to descendants of enslaved African-Americans or descendants of free Black people living in the U.S. in the 1800s. A heavily-debated idea, the task force opted to exclude Black immigrants who arrived after 1899 and their descendants. About 80% of Black Californians or 2.6 million residents would be eligible, according to CalMatters.

At the task forces hearing on May 6, the committee recommended that the state also issue a formal apology to freed African slaves and their descendants to pay tribute to victims and encourage communal reflection. In its draft report, the task force references human rights law and historical precedent, such as reparations for indigenous communities in the U.S. and Canada, as part of its justification for reparations for Black Californians.

The group also voted in favor of endorsing the creation of a new state agency that would provide direct services to descendants of enslaved people and oversight to existing agencies, along with continuing work the task force began.

The task forces final report will be published on June 29.

The demand and criticism over reparations

California, like most states, has a history of discriminatory practices like redlining, which prevented minorities from accessing mortgages and other loans for residing in hazardous neighborhoodsconsidered so for their minority makeup.

Reparations advocates also point out the state governments previous use of eminent domain (the governments right to take private property) to seize Black-owned property for government projects. From commercial centers to highways and train lines, the practice tore Black communities apart, while predominantly white ones fared alright.

You get on a highway every day to go to work. You get on public transport, Lewis says. If those two things were developed because the Black community had to be demolished, then you benefit from that.

Research has also pointed to discriminatory policing and imprisonment of Black Americans, plus substantial inequality in healthcare.

Although slavery was never legal in California, it was still practiced and as many as 1,000 enslaved people may have been in the state before the civil war, according to scholars. Lewis says that reparations are meant to address the trickle-down effects that slavery inflicted. He hopes that if compensated, eligible residents will be able to move back to neighborhoods that they were forcibly removed from or that gentrification pushed them out of.

Opponents to financial reparations argue that taxpayers shouldnt have to foot the bill, but Lewis notes, Individuals who pay taxes have to understand that they live in a system of governance, where their taxes fund the state, and their state, historically and continues to have policies and practices that discriminate against African-Americans.

Along with the final draft of the committees report, the task force will hold a panel in Sacramento with eligible Californians who can speak on their lived experiences and how reparations would benefit them. The findings will then be presented to the state legislature by July 1, and the force will then disband. After that, itll be up to the legislature to turn our recommendations into actual legislation, Moore says. And then itll be up to the Governor to sign them into law.
Kurt Andras Reinholds family said Orange Countys homeless outreach team was not equipped to deal with the mentally ill and disproportionately targeted people of color.

A California county has agreed to pay $7.5 million to the family of a Black homeless man shot to death by a deputy nearly three years ago.

According to The Mercury News, Kurt Andras Reinhold died on Sept. 23, 2020, after an interaction with two deputies from the Orange County Sheriffs Departments homeless outreach team.

Authorities claimed Reinhold, 42, who had been stopped on suspicion of jaywalking, was shot after reaching for one of the deputys firearms during a struggle.

Kurt Andras Reinhold was confronted in September 2020 by an Orange County Sheriffs Department homeless outreach team on suspicion of jaywalking. A deputy shot and killed him. His family will get $7.5 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit. (Image: Courtesy Orange County Sheriffs Department)

Prosecutors said their investigation revealed that Reinhold had not jaywalked but had instead broken a traffic law by crossing the street while the light was red, which gave officers cause to approach him.

This is vindication for the Reinhold family, family attorney John Taylor said of the settlement, according to The Mercury News. There needs to be accountability when deputies use excessive force, and this is a step in that direction.

In the wrongful death civil lawsuit, the Reinhold family alleged that the homeless outreach team in Orange County disproportionately targets and detains people of color and lacks the training to deal with mentally ill people. They also contended that Reinholds arms were flailing and were incidentally close to a deputys weapon.

Taylor added that the family hopes Reinholds senseless death will affect how homeless outreach officers engage with the people they are supposed to be helping.

The Orange County District Attorneys Office last February disclosed that it had determined the shooting was justified, clearing the deputy of any criminal wrongdoing.

OC Board of Supervisors chairman Don Wagner stated that the settlement decision  approved during a closed session meeting on May 9  was made in light of a tragic case, noting that it was an opportunity all parties agreed would be a fair number to end the years-long dispute.

Story continues

There is simply no good to come out of this circumstance, he added, The Mercury News reported. Were very hopeful that this gives the family some closure and we never see anything as horrible as this again.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post California county to pay $7.5 million in death of Black man whom deputy shot appeared first on TheGrio.
Albert Fausel holds a tiny piece of gold found in a creek in Placerville, California -- recent torrential rains have been kind to gold hunters

Albert Fausel has been scouring the rivers of Placerville, California for decades in search of gold. But the task has never been easier, nor the haul bigger, thanks to recent torrential rains.

"This year, there's a lot of new spots" to find gold, says Fausel, clad in a wetsuit and snorkel, standing up to his knees in water.

Less than 10 minutes into a recent visit by AFP, Fausel -- diving with a small shovel to dig a crevice at the bottom of the riverbed -- resurfaces with proof.

Among the mix of clay and sand emptied onto a plastic tray, unmistakable shiny particles glitter brightly under the strong midday sun.

"Mother Nature has done a great job with all this flooding," he said.

While his search near the shoreline has yielded "a small amount of gold," he predicts that closer to the middle of the river, "there's probably going to be a lot larger, bigger, heavier pieces."

Fausel collects his bounty with a tool that resembles a suction pump, before adjusting his snorkel and disappearing back into the water.

- 'Flood gold' -

California is emerging from an unusually wet winter, with near-record rainfall.

A series of atmospheric rivers -- high altitude ribbons of moisture -- chugged into the western United States, dousing a landscape that had been baked dry by years of below-average rain.

In Northern California, those downpours triggered scenes reminiscent -- if on a far smaller scale -- of the original Gold Rush that transformed this region in the 19th century, when thousands of miners arrived in search of El Dorado.

"Now, we're talking about flood gold," said Barron Brandon, a geologist and foreman of the Cosumnes River Ranch.

Heavy rainfall creates powerful currents in the river that "wash" the banks, loosening particles of mud and gold, which are then carried downstream to be scooped up by lucky miners.

The river acts "like a big sluice box... just on a very grand scale," said Brandon, who also pans for gold in summer as a hobby.

Story continues

"The real gold is just being out here," he added, smiling as he takes in the landscape of blue and green hues, soundtracked only by the gushing flow of the water.

- Gold fever -

Placerville -- around 40 miles (70 kilometers) from California's state capital Sacramento -- relies heavily on tourism, most of which is themed on its golden history.

Through the small city runs a road called the "El Dorado Freeway." Stores with names like Ancient Gold Jewelers, Gold Country Artists Gallery and Gold Insurance Solutions dot the street.

In one toy store, plastic mining helmets and miniature panning trays take up half of the display space.

A hotel on the main street maintains the aesthetics of the original Gold Rush, with 19th-century furniture and photographs from that bygone era.

A hardware store run by Fausel sells a wide range of mining and panning tools, such as sluice boxes and metal detectors, as well as brightly painted souvenir "gold seeds."

But Fausel is not worried about a tide of outsiders invading the region in a new wave of gold fever.

"Come out to California. Give yourself a chance to find some gold," he urged. "It's out here for everybody. But follow all the rules."

- 'Very, very rich' -

Mark Dayton, a local treasure hunter with millions of views on his YouTube channel, says many of his followers have heard about the rains and are on their way.

He traces the public's widespread fascination with striking gold to many children's love of tales about pirate booty.

"There's so many movies like 'Indiana Jones' and all those movies, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' -- they all pull at the heartstrings of treasure," he said.

One of Placerville's main attractions is the Gold Bug Park and Mine, while draws visiting school groups.

"Kids are always interested about the gold... California was built on gold," said Pat Layne, an 80-year-old volunteer guide who worked in gold mining for decades.

"What we try and get across to them is the true history, not the Hollywood version of the Gold Rush," he added.

Standing next to a tributary of the river that borders the now-defunct mine, Layne describes to visitors how there were once "hundreds of miners right here in this creek, right where we're standing, working, panning gold."

"It was very, very rich here... gold was delivered to the creeks by Mother Nature over millions of years."

This winter's huge amount of rain has helped to recreate those conditions, on a much briefer and accelerated scale.

When "the water moves, the gold moves," he said.

pr/amz/sst
By Praveen Menon and Renju Jose

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Two Australian Indigenous leaders opposed to a proposal to constitutionally recognise the Aboriginal and Torres Island people joined forces on Thursday in an effort to strengthen their campaign ahead of a referendum later this year.

A group led by Warren Mundine, a former Labor Party national president who is Indigenous, and a group backed by shadow Indigenous Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, will pool their resources for a joint "No" campaign to be called "Australians for Unity".

"It makes sense to merge as it makes our message sharper and more crisp," Mundine told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"It also gives us a great chance to raise more funds and to focus our funds in right direction," he added.

Australians will be asked to vote, likely between October and December, if they want to change the constitution to include a "Voice to Parliament", a committee that can advise lawmakers on matters that affect the lives of Indigenous people.

Making up about 3.2% of Australia's 26 million population, Aboriginal people were marginalised by British colonial rulers and are not mentioned in the 122-year-old constitution.

While a majority of Indigenous people support the Voice, others, like Mundine and Price, argue it is a distraction from achieving practical and positive outcomes, and that it would not fully resolve the issues affecting them.

Mundine said setting up an Indigenous body in parliament will only add another layer of bureaucracy.

"It's not going to fix some of the issues affecting the community. We need to deal with the underlying issues," he said.

A YouGov poll out last month showed 83% of Indigenous Australians would vote for the constitutional change. A wider poll by the Guardian newspaper found that 60% of Australians would support it.

Any constitutional amendment requires a national referendum.

To succeed, a referendum requires a majority of votes nationally, as well as a majority of votes in at least four of the six states.

Story continues

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has staked much of his political capital on the referendum in a country that has only passed eight out of 44 since it became independent.

The most recent one was in 1977.

The conservative Liberal-National opposition coalition will oppose the national vote.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon and Renju Jose; Editing by Michael Perry)
OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada brought in the military to help firefighting and recovery efforts in Alberta on Thursday after wildfires forced thousands to evacuate homes and prompted several oil and gas producers to shut operations in Canada's main crude-producing province.

The armed forces were deployed after Ottawa approved Alberta's request for federal support to tackle the more-than 100 wildfires that ignited across the western Canadian province in the last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

The widespread blazes have marked an intense start to wildfire season in Alberta and put Premier Danielle Smith's disaster management skills - as well as her party's policies - under the microscope ahead of a provincial election on May 29.

A couple of days of cooler weather gave firefighters some reprieve and allowed some oil and gas companies to restart shuttered production on Wednesday, though forecasts show temperatures surging higher over the weekend.

"I know there have been some lower temperatures this week and even some rain in a few areas. And though this is always good news, people shouldnt take this as permission to let their guard down," Alberta's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis told a briefing Thursday.

It is "absolutely not a time to be complacent," said Christie Tucker, information unit manager with Alberta Wildfire.

A few scattered showers is not going to reduce the number of wildfires significantly in the province. Youre looking at months as far as extinguishing these wildfires.

Producers had shut in at least 319,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), or 3.7% of the country's production, earlier this week and more than 30,000 people were forced to flee their homes. As of Thursday afternoon the province estimated there were 16,470 evacuees.

The military is going to "provide firefighting support and airlift resources, assist with the evacuation of isolated communities, and help keep people safe," Trudeau said on Twitter.

Story continues

Around 200 troops have been deployed around the province, Tucker said, and another 100 would be deployed over the weekend.

The troops will establish bases of operations, before moving to the Grande Prairie, Fox Creek and Drayton Valley areas of the province over the next few days, Alberta's provincial government said in a statement.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto, editing by Deepa Babington)
A car crashed into the fence of a Tacoma church daycare center Wednesday evening and police found a gunshot victim inside the vehicle. Tacoma police have shut down Pacific Avenue South between South 84th and 96th streets in both directions while they investigate.

The crash occurred around 6 p.m. in the 9200 block of Pacific Avenue, according to Tacoma police spokesperson Wendy Haddow. The daycare is located on the west side of Pacific, just north of South 94th Street.

The male victim was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, she said.

Police are unable to say if this shooting was related to another shooting victim found a few minutes earlier behind a business in the 12800 block of Pacific Avenue in Parkland.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for possible updates.
The body of a missing Michigan grandmother was found in a national forest following a days-long search effort, officials said.

Karen Adams, 77, was reported missing on May 3 after she was seen driving away from a family members home in a Chevrolet Cruze, according to a May 9 news release from the state Department of Natural Resources.

Adams, a resident of Kimball  located about 60 miles northeast of Detroit  lived with dementia, officials said.

Several days after she was reported missing, a group of people on off-road vehicles spotted her Chevrolet Cruze stuck on a snowmobile trail in Huron National Forest.

A conservation officer and local sheriffs deputies responded to the area, but were unable to find Adams in the vicinity of the car.

A broader search was then initiated using a helicopter and canine units, officials said.

Personnel from multiple agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service and the American Red Cross, assisted, according to a statement from All County Search and Rescue, a non-profit.

Family members and friends also took to social media to ask for assistance in locating Adams, including one woman who stated that Adams had no phone and was not familiar with the area.

After several days of searching, Adams body was located on May 7 less than a mile from her car.

She is believed to have died from exposure to the elements, officials said, adding that they do not suspect there was foul play.

Sometimes it takes a village, or in this case a plethora of first responders...and sometimes all we can give the family of a missing loved one, is closure, the statement from All County Search states in part.

Adams had three children, 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, according to a GoFundMe page raising money for funeral expenses.

RIP Grandmait still feels so surreal, one of Adams grandchildren wrote in a Facebook post.

People with dementia regularly wander off to the point of going missing, according to a study published in 2021 in the journal Innovation in Aging. Recognizing potential risk factors can help prevent this critical wandering, the study said.

Story continues

Cops wife accused of bilking real estate company out of $500,000, Georgia police say

Future Marine killed in hit-and-run, Texas cops say. His life was just beginning

Annoyed cows lead cops to fugitive hiding in their pasture, North Carolina town says
Attorneys for the writer E. Jean Carroll tried during the trial of her civil lawsuit against former President Donald Trump to remove a juror, after learning that he listened to a "notorious far-right" podcaster, court documents show. The request was denied and the juror ultimately joined eight other jurors in delivering a unanimous verdict in favor of Carroll.

The federal trial in New York City stemmed from allegations that Trump raped Carroll in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s, and then defamed her publicly when she spoke out about it several years ago.

In one of numerous filings that were unsealed on Wednesday, Carroll's attorneys pushed for the dismissal of Juror No. 77, a 31-year-old man who said during jury selection that he lived in the Bronx all of his life. He said he has "no kids that I know of" and generally avoided the news but listened "every now and then" to podcasts, which he described as "mainly independent."

The original transcript taken during the juror's selection interview noted that he gave "Temple" as an example of the podcasts he had listened to, but in a formal motion to excuse him from the trial, Carroll's attorneys said they learned later that the transcript was incorrect, and Juror 77 had actually said "Tim Pool."

An online political commentator who first gained attention for live streaming the Occupy Wall Street protests in 2011, Pool became a prolific YouTuber and podcast host. His channels are known to espouse far-right ideas, conspiracy theories, misogyny and otherwise hateful content, lawyers said in a motion to dismiss the juror. Pool faced some criticism in 2020 for a tweet sympathizing with Kenosha protest shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, and again in 2022 for an interview with Kanye West, when the rapper made antisemitic statements.

Court sketch of E. Jean Carroll and attorneys in her civil lawsuit against former President Donald Trump. / Credit: Jane Rosenberg

Carroll's attorneys wrote in their motion that "the videos posted on Pool's YouTube channel maintain a clear, consistent refrain of ... misogynistic statements and attacks on women who reveal sexual misconduct ... support for claims that the 2020 election was stolen and that Trump is treated unfairly by the news media; and ... defenses of well-known, misogynistic, and Trump-supporting extremist groups."

Story continues

The attorneys characterized Pool as "a notorious far-right Youtuber" who has sometimes billed himself as independent. They pointed out that his "role in promoting extremist personalities has been widely documented," citing guest appearances by extremist figures like Alex Jones and Steve Bannon on his show.

Episodes of his podcast, "Timcast IRL," include one titled: "Tucker Carlson ROASTS Ted Cruz For Calling Jan 6th Terror, Trump is RIGHT Not To Address Media Lies." Pool has also used terminology with recognized white supremacist ties while describing his mission as a content creator, according to the filing.

In a confidential interview with the court held specifically to question Juror 77 about his exposure to Pool's content, he described the podcast as "middle" and "balanced," at first saying Pool "gets different political figures from the right" before amending his statement to: "He gets different, like political figures or just celebrities like that, on the left, on the right, you know, balanced."

Read the full Trump-E. Jean Carroll verdict text here

Carroll's attorneys asked the presiding Judge Lewis Kaplan "to assess potential bias" in their motion to dismiss the juror. Attorneys for Trump argued that the motion "unreasonably" attempted "to attribute all of Mr. Pool's stated views to Juror No. 77," adding that "Juror No. 77 is not Tim Pool." The juror had said under oath that he listened to Pool's podcast "three or four" times in the last six months, according to court records.

E. Jean Carroll arrives at Manhattan federal court, Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in New York. / Credit: John Minchillo / AP

The judge denied the request to dismiss Juror 77 but did not provide a reason in the documents unsealed this week.

Juror 77 ultimately voted in kind with the rest of the jury which, delivering their unanimous verdict on Tuesday, found Trump liable for battery and defamation and awarded Carroll $5 million in damages. The jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse but not rape.

"We are grateful that all nine jurors, including Juror No. 77, were not only faithful to their oath as jurors, but deliberated to reach a fair, impartial and unanimous verdict," Roberta Kaplan, one of Carroll's attorneys, said on Wednesday in a statement to the Associated Press.

CBS News contacted Kaplan and Joseph Tacopina, one of Trump's attorneys, for comments but did not receive immediate replies. As the AP reported, Pool tweeted about the debate over whether to dismiss Juror 77, saying, "If you think the show is 'far right' youre in a cult."

Graham Kates contributed reporting.

Home sale prices decline in parts of the U.S.

Biden administration proposes strict new power plant regulations

Uvalde dad on gun control year after Robb Elementary shooting: "They know it's a gun issue"
Bromley council spent 50,000 celebrating the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla (AP)

A cash-strapped Greater London council has defended spending tens of thousands of pounds of public money on celebrations for King Charles's coronation.

A number of councils, including some of the most deprived in the country, that had previously cut resources for public services or raised taxes, put taxpayer cash behind the weekend-long events  despite polls showing most Brits were not interested in the ceremony.

Bromley Council, which spent 50,000, was criticised by Labour opposition leader, Simon Jeal, who said it was "odd the Conservatives dont fund celebrations for any other sorts of events.

Cllr Colin Smith, leader of Bromley Council told Yahoo News UK in response: "If Bromley Labour Party wish to be the grinches who tried to sully the coronation in Bromley more shame on them.

I am very clear that a significant majority of Bromley residents want to see and enjoy taking part in one-off pageants of history like the coronation and make no apology whatsoever for spending a relatively small, hopefully only ever once in a generation, sum to help them mark such a special day.

Read more: Council facing bankruptcy 'spent 50K on coronation celebrations'

In December, the council said it was planning to sell off buildings including the Community House Bromley, which plays host to charity groups in the area, to make ends meet.

It also claimed to have funded the coronation celebrations from its community fund, which is traditionally used to give grants to charities.

Crowds celebrate the coronation of King Charles. (Alamy Live News)

In December, Smith, said: This council is scheduled to go bankrupt in four to five years time unless we make hard decisions, and hard decisions involve selling buildings when we dont necessarily want to It involves making very very tough financial choices," LondonNewsOnline reported.

Those choices included failing to back warm banks for those in need during the winter and, according to the local Labour Party, refusing to provide financial support for local food banks.

Story continues

Labour opposition leader Jeal told Yahoo News UK: "Bromley Labour arent asking the council leader to apologise for committing 50,000 to the coronation celebrations.

"What he should be apologising for is, despite our requests, refusing to put a penny towards supporting food banks and other bromley community groups during a cost of living crisis and at the same time cutting council tax support- putting a further burden on thousands of Bromley households."

In April, a poll for YouGov showed most British people were not interested in the Kings coronation with 35% saying they do not care very much, and 29% saying they do not care at all.

Some 24% of people said they care a fair amount, while only 9% said they care a great deal.
Father Michael Zacharias

A man accused of committing sex crimes while serving as a Roman Catholic priest in Mansfield and Fremont denied guilt from the witness stand Wednesday during his federal sex-trafficking trial.

The Rev. Michael Jude Zacharias, 56, faces five counts of sex trafficking, two of which involve victims who were minors. The allegations span 15 years from July 2005 to August 2020.

Closing arguments in the case are expected to begin 9 a.m. Thursday, according to Claudia Vercellotti, leader of the Toledo chapter of Survivor's Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP.

The victim advocate was in the U.S. District Court/Northern District of Ohio in Toledo on Wednesday to watch as Zacharias was sworn in to answer questions about his conduct.

Zacharias was placed on administrative leave in 2020 by Toledo Bishop Daniel Thomas, the Fremont News-Messenger reported last year. He is banned from public ministry but remains an ordained priest.

'He was trying to live a moral life'

Vercellotti said the priest admitted in court to having sexual relations with several men, but that Zacharias maintained the behavior never happened with anyone under the age of 18.

"He categorically denied wrongdoing when they were kids," Vercellotti said.

Zacharias told jurors that his activity increased over the years and that it started by having conversations and by sending sexual text messages, known as "sexting."

"He justified it by saying he was trying to live a moral life," Vercellotti said. "He said he was sexting to avoid doing something physical."

The Rev. Michael Zacharias stands outside St. Joseph Catholic Church in Fremont blessing the motorcycles and their riders in June 2014. After the blessing, the riders, including Father Mike, took off on their bikes for about an hour ride.

Zacharias said on the witness stand that he was 43 when he had his first physical sexual encounter.

One man, the priest said, came to him for counseling because of his interest in homosexual activity, a conversation which led to the two performing homosexual activities together.

Another man, Zacharias told jurors, exposed himself while the two were outside smoking cigarettes.

Story continues

"He said the victim said, 'You know you want it,'" Vercellotti said. "He said the victim was pursuing him for money."

'He had no idea that any of them had drug habits'

A nine-page affidavit filed in federal court accused Zacharias of "grooming" victims to use their drug addiction as a way to perform sexual acts on them.

Zacharias told the court Wednesday that he gave money to the men several times, not as payment for sex, but because they had asked him for financial assistance.

"He said he didn't care about money," Vercellotti said. "He said, 'if I have it, then I will give it freely; if I can help someone, I will.'"

The priest claimed he never knew the money would be used to buy illegal drugs.

"He said he had no idea that any of them had drug habits or were trying to fuel a drug habit," Vercellotti said. "He denied that he had any knowledge that any of them were addicted to anything."

'As a priest, he just needed an outlet'

In October 2020, Zacharias was taken into custody without incident at his home in Findlay, where he was assigned to St. Michael the Archangel Parish, by members of the Northwest Ohio Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

The News-Messenger reported in 2020 that an FBI affidavit alleged that investigators had collected video evidence of the priest involved in sex with an adult male and another video in which the priest confessed that he wanted to have sex with a sixth-grade boy.

Father Mike Zacharias conducts Mass at Mansfield's St. Peter's Catholic Church in 2014.

"He explained away his confessional tape," Vercellotti said. "He said that was just a fantasy and that as a priest, he just needed an outlet."

Zacharias began his career as a pastoral intern at St. Catherine Parish in Columbus from 1999-2000 before becoming an associate pastor at Mansfield's St. Peter Parish from July 1, 2002 to July 2, 2007.

He was named pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Van Wert from July 2, 2007 to July 1, 2011, then appointed pastor of Fremont's St. Joseph and St. Ann parishes from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2017.

He was reassigned in 2017 to St. Michael The Archangel in Findlay, where he served until the federal charges were filed. The bishop placed him on administrative leave Aug. 18, 2020.

Zacharias remains an ordained priest but cannot exercise public priestly ministry, administer any of the sacraments, wear clerical attire or present himself to the public as a priest.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo said in a news release when the trial started that the church would take no further action until the case is resolved.

"Only after a resolution of the federal criminal charges against Zacharias has been reached, would the diocese then be able to pursue a canonical (Church law) process regarding the matter," said Kelly Donaghy, diocesan spokesperson.

"The Diocese of Toledo has and will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement throughout this process. We invite all to pray for those affected by this case and that truth and justice will be served," the statement said.

ztuggle@gannett.com

419-564-3508

Twitter: @zachtuggle

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Former Mansfield and Fremont priest denies guilt in federal sex trial
Leer en espanol

NOGALES, SONORA  Dervish Lopez was desperate.

Lopez walked past abandoned dead bodies as he hiked through the treacherous Darien Gap, one of the worlds most dangerous migration routes that links Panama and Colombia. He was robbed by bandits and two women in his group were sexually assaulted, he said.

Lopez traversed seven countries in nearly two months to arrive in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. He faced hunger, corruption and deadly criminal organizations along his journey from Venezuela.

When he arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border, he was confronted with one more obstacle, a troubled government mobile application called CBP One.

Juan Fernandez, a migrant from Venezuela, shows a screenshot of the error screen he received when he tried to book an appointment through the mobile government application, CBP One, at the Kino Border Initiative migrant shelter in Nogales, Sonora, on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.

After weeks of trying to book an appointment, Lopez gave into his desperation and crossed in between ports of entry to present himself to Border Patrol agents and request asylum. He was quickly apprehended and expelled back into Mexico through Nogales, Sonora, about 900 miles away from where he had first arrived.

His desperation is not unique.

Thousands of migrants have used the app to request exemptions from Title 42 and schedule appointments with immigration officers at ports of entry. About 83,000 people have been able to schedule CBP One appointments since the app began offering them in January, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Wednesday during a news conference.

A family from Michoacan, Mexico, stands in front of the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, before attending their appointment to request an exemption from Title 42 on Jan. 21, 2023.

Title 42 has allowed border officials to rapidly expel migrants to Mexico or their home countries within a matter of hours. The restriction largely closed ports of entry to asylum seekers for more than three years.

When Title 42 is poised to lift late Thursday, nearly all asylum seekers will be expected to use the app to seek asylum in the country. The transition may be difficult because the glitchy app has been rife with problems and setbacks for migrants since it was launched.

CBP One: This family fled Mexico and sought asylum through an app. Not everyone is so lucky

U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently announced expansions to the app meant to help accommodate the increased number of users and improve the process.

Story continues

A printed guide on how to use the mobile government application, CBP One, hangs on the wall of the Kino Border Initiative migrant shelter in Nogales, Sonora, on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.

Still, advocates and experts have criticized the apps function as one of the only ways to seek asylum in the U.S. going forward. While theyre supportive of its streamlining capability, it should only be one of many pathways to seek protection, advocates say.

The requirement that CBP One be used in order to access asylum or be presumptively barred, I think, is an issue in and of itself, regardless of how CBP One functions, said Alex Miller, director of the Immigration Justice Campaign at the American Immigration Council.

Amnesty International, a human rights organization, called the mandatory use of the app as the sole means to seek asylum as a violation of international human rights law.

'The days are running out': Issues persist days before Title 42 expires

Lopez tried to book a CBP One appointment for over three weeks in Matamoros.

Every day, he failed.

After weeks with no success, Lopez decided to cross the border between ports of entry to seek asylum. He jumped into the Rio Grande, was apprehended by agents and taken into CBP custody for four days.

FILE - Migrants are pat down by a Border Patrol agent as they enter into El Paso, Texas from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, May 10, 2023. As President Joe Biden's administration prepares for the end of asylum restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is offering some new legal options for people  especially families  to come to the United States. The administration said it will admit at least 100,000 Latin Americans seeking to reunite with family members in the United States, but has released almost no details. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton, File) ORG XMIT: NYAB313

Lopez slept on the floor of the detention center with no possibility to shower during his days-long stay, he said. He was soon handcuffed by his hands, feet and waist and flown to Arizona where he was laterally expelled back into Mexico.

What is Title 42 and is it ending? : The US border immigration policy, explained

He now sat outside the Kino Border Initiative migrant shelter in Nogales, Sonora, where, just a couple days before, he managed to book an appointment to request asylum in El Paso on May 13.

Not everyone is so lucky.

Nancy and Leo, along with their two children, Alexander, 3, and Gael, 1, speak with a Border Patrol agent while seeking asylum at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection-Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry on Nov. 8, 2021, in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. The family, which has faced threats and harassment in Guerrero, Mexico, asked to omit their last names.

Migrants receive numerous error messages and are kicked out of the app during critical points in the process. The app buffers and crashes constantly, especially during the part where migrants have to take a picture of themselves.

Juan Fernandez, another migrant from Venezuela, stood near Lopez. Both Lopez and Fernandez had been expelled five days earlier into Nogales.

Fernandez had tried to cross through Matamoros after traveling for more than a month. When Fernandez reached Mexico City about 20 days prior, he began applying for an appointment every day.

He hasnt managed to book one yet.

Migrants, advocates and faith leaders gather near the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Sonora, to commemorate the third anniversary of Title 42 on March 21, 2023.

The app buffers constantly and Fernandez has been repeatedly kicked out of the app. Hes managed to get to the appointment booking step four times before the app freezes, fails or kicks him out, he said.

The process hasnt been easy nor successful, Fernandez said.

We feel frustrated and the days are running out, Fernandez said. We no longer have recourse, we have suffered a lot of persecution, they have swindled us, we have been afraid.

Humanitarian response: Title 42 is ending. Here's how Phoenix humanitarian groups are preparing

The app shows an error message and buffers for 30 minutes to 45 minutes before it lets Fernandez take a picture of himself to apply, he said. The repeated updates to the app haven't worked either, he added.

We deserve an opportunity to be registered, because there have been Venezuelan people who perhaps have things to contribute in the United States, Fernandez said.

Migrants listen to Father Jose Machado, a visiting priest from Wichita, during a Mass at Kino Border Initiative on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022, in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Title 42 was scheduled to end on Dec. 21, but was granted a stay by the U.S. Supreme Court.

A number of people are still not even aware that CBP One exists, according to Gia Del Pino, communications director for the Kino Border Initiative. The shelter has been providing digital workshops to migrants in order to help them use the app.

At this point, the people that have been struggling here since January, since the application was reinitiated, they're experts in this app, but they still can't program an appointment, Del Pino said.

Appointments are gone within minutes every day as migrants scramble to navigate the tedious process to request an appointment. The app has separated families and has had issues recognizing people with darker skin tones.

People wait in line to cross the U.S. Customs and Border Protection-Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry into the United States on Dec. 21, 2022, in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Title 42 was scheduled to end on Dec. 21, but was given a stay by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The app favors migrants with better internet connections and higher quality smartphones leading to disparities in who is getting an appointment, advocates say. CBP One poses a significant obstacle to migrants who dont have a smartphone or who arent tech savvy enough to navigate the intricate process.

There is one assumption that CBP One is equitable and it isn't, said Ariel Ruiz Soto, policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute.

Migrants, advocates and faith leaders gather near the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Sonora, to commemorate the third anniversary of Title 42 on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

Soto documented migrants, who had four or five different email accounts, trying to book an appointment with three different phones in front of them during a field visit in Reynosa, Mexico.

It's intended to be a random selection, when in fact the inequities around it make it not very random, he said.

CBP announces expansions to app ahead of Title 42's end

Beginning Wednesday, appointments will be available for 23 hours each day instead of one short designated time frame. If someone snags an appointment slot, theyll have another 23 hours to confirm it.

Previously, appointments were only available at a specific time each morning.

Southern Arizona: Immigrants already being released in southern Arizona, bussed to Tucson, as Title 42 end nears

CBP will also expand the number of daily appointments available to 1,000 a day starting Friday. The app will now prioritize users who have been waiting the longest to receive an appointment.

The CBP One app features for asylum seekers went live on Jan. 12

The new functions will give migrants more time to navigate the app while giving priority to migrants who have been trying to get an appointment for weeks or months, per CBP.

CBP also added new features to make it easier for families to schedule appointments as a group and implemented Haitian Creole as an available language in the app.

Nogales is the only Arizona port where its possible to schedule appointments.

Have a news tip or story idea about the border and its communities? Contact the reporter at josecastaneda@arizonarepublic.com or connect with him on Twitter @joseicastaneda.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Will the CBP One asylum app work for asylum seekers after Title 42?
A Richmond man was arrested and charged with assault after stabbing another man repeatedly Wednesday evening, according to police.

Police received a report of a fight outside Bluegrass Barrel House on K Street at about 9:45 p.m. A 22-year-old man was stabbed in the chest three times by Kevin Sanders, 19, according to police.

Bluegrass Barrel House later said in a Facebook post that the incident occurred off the businesses property at a nearby church. The bar said its working with Richmond police to clarify the original statement that was made.

The victim was sent to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital with life-threatening injuries, court documents say. Richmond police said Hudson was in stable condition Thursday morning.

Several people on the scene identified Sanders as the assailant and said he locked himself inside his home nearby on K Street, court documents say. Officers were able to get Sanders to leave his home and he was detained.

Sanders was found with the knife used in the assault, according to court documents. It was about 2.75 inches long.

After being arrested, Sanders told police the fight between him and the victim was mutual, court documents say. Sanders was walking away after the fight ended when the other man charged at him and tried to tackle him, Sanders alleged.

Sanders responded by stabbing him in the left side of his torso, court documents say. Sanders said he stabbed him because he thought the man might try to hold him down while his friends attack him, according to court records.

The victims two brothers attacked Sanders after the stabbing, court documents say. He allegedly said he did not stab them because he didnt want to hurt anyone else.

Sanders admitted that stabbing Hudson was stupid and that he should not have done it, court documents say. The victim told police he didnt know he was stabbed until someone told him he was bleeding.

Sanders was charged with first-degree assault and booked into the Madison County Detention Center, police said.
A man is facing charges in connection to a shooting in the Strip District that left two people injured.

According to Pittsburgh police, an arrest warrant was issued for Jaquan Steadman, 24, for his involvement in the shooting.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Police investigate Strip District shooting after 2 victims show up shot at hospital

The shooting happened early in the morning in April 28 in the 2000 block of Penn Avenue. Two males were injured in the gunfire.

Steadman is charged with criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, possession of a firearm without a license, and persons not to possess a firearm.

He is currently being held on other charges at the Allegheny County Jail.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

At least 5 injured in head-on crash involving PRT bus in Pittsburgh Rep. George Santos turns self in, facing wire fraud, money laundering charges Hilton Hotel manager arrested for allegedly waking up guest by sucking on his toes VIDEO: Beyond a miracle: Community honors heroes who rescued Ambridge family from burning house DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Brandon Jew, executive chef at the restaurant Mister Jiu's in San Francisco, is navigating culinary expression through his blended, Asian American identity.

Brandon Jew, executive chef at the restaurant Mister Jiu's in San Francisco, is navigating culinary expression through his blended, Asian American identity.

Onasurface level, Mister Jius in San Francisco has everything youd expect of a Michelin-starred restaurant: elaborate plating, an immaculately curated Instagram presence and a revolving tasting menu. At the helm of the kitchen and its vibes is executive chef Brandon Jew, who, like many of his peers, is navigating culinary expression through his blended, Asian American identity. Specifically, he wants to rejigger the space that contemporary Chinese cuisine occupies in the American food zeitgeist.

The menu at Mr. Jius (a reflection of Jews overall cooking ethos, it seems) is both innovative and reverent of San Franciscos old Chinatown, bejeweled with slightly remixed Cantonese-style dishes meant for sharing, as well as a tasting section that leans a bit more adventurous. He never strays too far from home, though  his choices feel cohesive and cozy.

For those in the East Asian diaspora, sharing a meal is quintessential to forming and nurturing bonds. Food is sometimes a unique type of love language that rescues us from having to be unnecessarily sentimental, even borderline uncomfortable. The word love in Mandarin, for example, carries a lot of weight  and for many of us, asking someone if theyve eaten yet is an easier way to express it.

Jew is at the helm of Mister Jiu's kitchen and its vibes.

Jew is at the helm of Mister Jiu's kitchen and its vibes.

Theres love in community, too, which has become crucial during the uptick in anti-Asian rhetoric and racist crime. This need to band together and seek comfort in the familiar was the impetus for Chef Brandons most recent event, which was a collaboration with Intertrend, a creative agency that helps brands better understand reach Asian American audiences; and streetwear house, the Darkside Initiative. The Chinese banquet-style event, called the Golden Generation dinner, hosted artists and other prominent community members in the Bay Area. Chef Brandons hope is that through the gathering the larger AAPI community and its allies, we can foster support and strategy to combat anti-Asian violence.

Story continues

A little context for why simply coming together in this way can be a radical act of resistance: Too often and for a number of reasons, many Asian Americans have avoided getting deeply involved in U.S. sociopolitics. Its a broad assessment, but its linked to the fact that many immigrant families have been too focused on adapting and assimilating into American life to worry about high-level politics. Many Asian immigrant elders believe that keeping a low profile and taking up less space will ensure easier survival. Another harsh reality is that most American politicians and cultural activists have simply ignored Asian communities until fairly recently, even in places like the Bay Area, which is full of people of Asian descent.

For those in the Asian diaspora, sharing a meal is quintessential to forming and nurturing bonds.

For those in the Asian diaspora, sharing a meal is quintessential to forming and nurturing bonds.

And so, coming together to eat, talk and celebrate is the joyful form of advocacy that Jew has been craving. Some of the esteemed guests in attendanceat the Golden Generation dinnerincluded contemporary artist So Youn Lee, Beef actor Young Mazino, and journalists Mariecar Mendoza, Tim Chan and Dion Lim.

Anti-Asian violence reached a peak nearly three years ago, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Asian Americans are still vulnerable to racially charged hate crimes, especially in San Francisco.

The violence that was happening within our communities in the Bay Area was upsetting and disheartening, but it also brought us together, Jew says. We want to continue using that momentum weve created in our communities, and continue to have forums where we come together, celebrate each other and have a place to check in with each other and strengthen our connections. Through this demonstration of organized community building, Golden Generation itself becomes political  a sign that silence and isolation are things of the past.

For people in the AAPI community, simply coming together is a radical act of resistance.

For people in the AAPI community, simply coming together is a radical act of resistance.

This shift brings an intentionality to Jews style of cooking and organizing, but he has always hoped his culinary pursuits can fundamentally change how Chinese food is perceived. His career took him from his training in Italy to working in Shanghai, and then in 2008 to San Francisco, where he initially experienced some pushback to this type of reimagining of Chinese fare, even in one of the most Asian and progressive regions of the country. I was determined to open a Chinese restaurant, but it was tough at the time, he says. People did not understand what I was trying to do.

Jews story sounds painfully similar to the initial reaction that San Francisco residents had toward Chinese restaurateurs in the mid-1800s, when Chinese people were still seen as shady undesirables in America. And even though this experience happened literal centuries ago  and under entirely different circumstances  it goes to show that America is not the infinitely compassionate melting pot we were promised. Its probably for the best: We shouldnt have to melt into anything to thrive together.

Chinese food continues to play an integral role in bridging the gaps between AAPI communities, and theres more work of all types to be done. It just so happens that in some spaces, that work is warming, satisfying and ripe with unspoken affection.

Related...
CHESTER  A Chester man is facing charges Thursday after he tried to outrun a police pursuit and wound up crashing his car on Interstate 95 and snarling traffic for miles.

The pursuit started sometime after 7 a.m. Thursday when a Chesterfield Police officer attempted to stop the driver on Route 1 near Weir Road, Chesterfield Police spokesperson Liz Caroon said. With the officer in pursuit, the suspect vehicle turned off Route 1 onto West Hundred Road toward the interstate.

When he turned onto I-95, the driver went the wrong way up the exit ramp, and that was when the pursuit ended. Caroon said the car drove over a grassy median into the correct lane and got on I-95.

Moments after getting on I-95, the car ran off the road, overcorrected and then crashed.

Virginia State Police Sgt. Jessica Shehan identified the driver as 52-year-old James Jermone Saunders of Chester. Saunders was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the wreck and was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Shehan said state police were assisting Chesterfield County with the accident investigation.

Charges are pending against Saunders in both the crash and the pursuit.

Thursday mornings pursuit was the second in 36 hours involving Chesterfield Police. Late in the evening of May 9, a chase that began on Willis Road in Chesterfield ended with a crash 15 miles to the south near Petersburgs Poplar Lawn Park and the driver fleeing the scene. At last report, he was still at-large.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Chester man faces charges after eluding police, crashing on Interstate 95
Areanah Prestons mother will accept her college degree on her behalf after her daughter was shot and killed in a robbery last weekend.

The Chicago police officer was set to walk across the stage on Saturday to accept her masters degree from Loyola University Chicago, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Preston was pursuing a masters in jurisprudence.

She was a student who was dynamic, intelligent, committed and a very driven person who wanted to make this world a better place, Sara Block, the academic director for child and family law programs at Loyola, said.

An outpouring of support was shown at the @ChicagoCAPS05 vigil tonight for our fallen hero, Officer Areanah M. Preston, #15870. Her memory is etched into our hearts and we will #NeverForget. pic.twitter.com/O5DnAfaEHj  Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) May 10, 2023

Block shared Preston attended her child welfare and juvenile justice courses while working as a police officer. She would sometimes log into classes from her patrol car.

She was trying to understand how can these systems better meet those individuals needs before they do something thats really harmful, Block said about Prestons commitment to rehabilitation and understanding of the communities she served. It was a unique perspective as a law enforcement officer, and that was really evident in how she viewed the issues.

Four teenagers were charged with first-degree murder and were denied bail on Wednesday. The teens were also charged with armed robbery, burglary, motor vehicle theft and other offenses connected to incidents on Friday and Saturday, CBS reported.

Preston was shot around 1:40 a.m. Saturday during a robbery spree, the police said. She was heading home from work when duty called.

Story continues

A beautiful vigil this evening for fallen hero, Police Officer Areanah Preston. She will forever be remembered  #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/KB5491h3bD  KENNEDY CHASE (@KennedyChaseTV) May 10, 2023

Were missing someone, and its always a hole that wont be filled, Prestons mother, Dionne Mhoon, told reporters outside the courtroom on Wednesday, according to NBC. The hole in our hearts will never be closed.

Prestons friends and family gathered at a vigil held on Tuesday at the Fifth District police station, where she served. Hundreds of people were in attendance.

Our university community is shocked and saddened by her tragic passing, a Loyola spokesperson said. She will be remembered by her faculty and classmates for her kindness, intellect and commitment to service. We wish to express our deepest condolences to the Preston family and to all those whose lives she touched.
A child development center will be built somewhere, sometime, to meet the needs of Army, Navy, Air Force and other service personnel working at or living near Camp Bull Simons, Florida, who have long struggled to find child care.

But the location is still officially undecided, said J. Elise Van Pool, a spokeswoman for U.S. Army Special Operations Command. The Army and the families of troops with 7th Special Forces Group want the CDC on the camp where service members work.

In fact, the Army has budgeted about $16 million in fiscal 2025 for the center, anticipating it will be located on Camp Bull Simons. But the Air Force says it is concerned about the childrens safety because the camp is adjacent to an active bombing range. Air Force officials are planning to use military construction funds to build the center on federal land in the city of Crestview, just north of the camp, where most of the families live.

Despite the Air Forces stance, Army Special Operations Command officials feel confident in the current safety protocols for [Camp Bull Simons] and think the addition of a CDC doesnt represent an increased risk, Van Pool said. She noted that Air Force officials are still surveying possible locations for the CDC and no money has been appropriated to buy the land needed.

A CDC in Crestview would be acceptable, she said. However, we have concerns that building off the installation will cause additional delays. The need for child care is an acute problem, and we are trying to avoid unnecessary delays.

Many thought the issue was decided.

In October, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth announced that working closely with the Air Force, we now have plans to build a new CDC at Camp Bull Simons in fiscal 2025. More recently, at a public meeting on April 25, Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen, deputy chief of staff for the operations (G-9) directorate, said, I can assure, I can almost guarantee, that well have a CDC at Camp Bull Simons and it will be an Army CDC.

Story continues

He did acknowledge, however, that were in the middle of trying to figure this one out.

Members of the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) conduct casualty evacuation training on Camp Bull Simons, Fla., Feb. 25, 2021. (Spc. Aaron Schaeper/Army)

Unusual beginning

As part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure action, Camp Bull Simons was carved out of an Eglin Air Force Base bombing range that the service uses in its testing mission.

Due to testing of hypersonic weapons, long-range standoff systems and other tests, the risk to children is too great to have the child care center on the Army camp, said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey T. Geraghty, commander of the 96th Test Wing at Eglin, in an interview with Military Times.

Geraghty serves as the installation commander at Eglin, as well as the range operating authority, responsible for mitigating risk and ensuring that nothing encroaches upon the test facility.

The ball is now in the Defense Departments court, Geraghty said. Theyre doing a pretty comprehensive study to determine the risks on the range, he said. The DoD Test Resource Management Center is doing the study to make sure the Army concerns are addressed, Air Force concerns are addressed, national security and weapons test concerns are addressed, and encroachment concerns on our national defense ranges are addressed, he said.

That study is expected to be finished in September; a decision will be made later in the year on the location, a process which could further delay construction.

I believe this is going to find the right solution because the Army and Air Force are working together at the highest levels, Geraghty said. Perhaps the reason you dont hear the Air Force coming out with as strong a position as the Army has, is that right now the ball is really in the court of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

We do acknowledge that thats a hardship for the Team Eglin families that live up there to have to come down here to Eglin main to get day care, Geraghty said.

So, thats the problem were working on, big picture, the fastest we can, to get a child development center that services those families that live north of the range. Thats Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force. We want to give them a child care facility up there.

Families are grateful that were working to bring child care up closer to where they live, up there in the city of Crestview, Geraghty said. Those who live up there but dont work at Camp Bull Simons are especially excited about it.

About 60% of 7th SFG families live in Crestview. Hes also been letting them know that the longer term plan is to take care of their medical needs closer to home, with a military treatment facility and a Veterans Affairs facility.

How bad is the child care shortage? Ask these Florida military families

The good news is theres going to be a child development center no matter what, said Stu Bradin, president and CEO of the Global SOF Foundation, who has been an advocate for the families at Camp Bull Simons. The bad news is theres all these shenanigans going on to keep it from going to the optimal place. Its not the end of the world, but its not optimal, he said.

Some service members live in lower Alabama and drive an hour south to the camp, because they cant afford to live there. They dont have the money even to live in Crestview, Bradin said. There are also families who live closer to Pensacola, who would have to drive 15 miles further north to Crestview to drop off their children.

7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Soldiers participate in the 5th Annual Ruck for your Lives food-drive event at Camp Bull Simons, Fla., on Oct. 27, 2022. (Staff Sgt. Matthew Key/Army)

Its easier to drop your child off where you work. But anything is better than driving to Eglin, if its a government facility. The good thing about the military CDC is that they have high standards, he said, and can adjust their hours to meet operational needs.

Families like the security of having their military child development center within a military installation, too. Geraghty said officials havent yet worked through the details on security. But those are risks we are aware of, and we would certainly mitigate those as we build a child care center up there in the town of Crestview, too.

Safety concerns rising

So, why are there safety concerns now if people have been living and working on Camp Bull Simons for more than a decade?

There have been no evacuations of the camp to date, Van Pool said, but they have been notified the 96th Test Wing may order one in the near future.

The tests and the maneuvers, the weapons and the systems that were starting to test now are different than they have been for the past 15, 20 years that weve been focused on the global war on terrorism, Geraghty said.

For years, the Air Force bent over backward to avoid having to evacuate Camp Bull Simons, he said, modifying its tests and employment of weapons. While normally they would test weapons at a certain altitude and air speed, they took some risks and tested at a lower altitude or air speed.

Wed do some engineering analysis and say, Hey in a war, it would probably still work even though we didnt test it at the actual conditions.

We had accepted some risk, and our weapons werent as fleshed out as we are now making sure they are. Thats why we now have to move to start testing those weapons systems much closer to their full capability, which is drawing us to have to ask soldiers on Camp Bull Simons to  evacuate, he said, noting that one such evacuation is coming in June.

We are pivoting towards this preparation for this high-end conflict.

Theyve worked with the commands at Camp Bull Simons to minimize any mission impact on them, he said.

Bradin questioned the concerns about a child care center, given that there have been barracks, a chapel, a troop clinic, a shopette and other services on Camp Bull Simons for years. What is the risk mitigation for them? Are they putting bunkers there? he asked.

Soldiers play foosball in the new BOSS Center on Camp Bull Simons, Fla. Oct. 14, 2022. The Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program supports overall quality of life, morale and readiness. (Spc. Taylor Zacherl/Army)

Those facilities were put there to take care of the morale and welfare of the soldiers and the people who were supporting the mission on the range up there, Geraghty said. There is some level of aggregate risk that we take in service to our nation that soldiers are certainly cognizant of when they sign up to serve.

The adults who work in support of the mission on the range are cognizant of those risks, he said.

Lets take care of our children and our child care needs outside of the range, he said.
(Bloomberg) -- Chiles government confirmed that private health insurance companies will have to pay about $1.4 billion to abide by a 2022 Supreme Court ruling, confirming the worst-case scenario for an industry near collapse.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The court order affects some 725,000 contracts between beneficiaries and the private insurers, known as Isapres, Victor Torres, the head of Chiles health regulator, told lawmakers late on Wednesday. The figures had previously been given as estimates.

The Isapres serve roughly 16% of Chiles 19 million population and have lured investments from international heavyweights including UnitedHealth Group Inc. and British United Provident Association Ltd. The crisis affecting the industry represents a headache for President Gabriel Borics administration, as the nations public health care system is already overwhelmed.

Read more: Chiles Private Health-Care System Is on the Verge of Collapse

The 2022 Supreme Court ruling found that the ways that firms had set premiums based on gender and age were unconstitutional. Furthermore, it said insurers couldnt charge at all for covering children younger than 2.

The order stipulated that Isapres had to reimburse users for overcharges starting in 2020. Regulators had until the end of this month to design a system for the companies to pay back the money, though they have requested an extension.

This week, Chiles government presented a fast-track bill designed to chart a way out of the situation while also strengthening regulator oversight and public health. The administration has said it wont eliminate private heath care.

The Association of Isapres wrote in a statement Thursday that the governments proposal has no feasibility and hurts Chileans access to health care. Previously, it had said the paybacks would wipe out the entire industrys net income from the past 33 years.

Story continues

(Updates with new statements from Isapre industry association in final paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has delivered two frigates to Pakistan's navy, completing a four-warship deal inked in 2018, Chinese media reported, amid deepening military cooperation between the two nations in one of the world's most complex geopolitical regions.

The vessels - two Type 054A frigates - will be used to safeguard the seas of the China-Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC), state-backed Chinese newspaper Global Times reported late on Wednesday.

CPEC is an ambitious infrastructure project that links Xinjiang in west China to Pakistan aimed at offering an alternative transportation route in the future for goods including gas. Part of the network is Pakistan's Gwadar port, located on a key waterway in the Arabian Sea.

Economic and military ties between the two neighbours have deepened against a shifting geopolitical backdrop, evident from Pakistan's increasing military procurement from China and joint military exercises to safeguard assets and trade routes. For China, Pakistan and its access to the Arabian Sea is key in the event of a maritime blockade in the Strait of Malacca.

China delivered the first batch of six J-10 fighter jets to Pakistan in March last year. Eight Hangor Class submarines that Pakistan ordered from China are expected to be delivered before 2028.

Earlier this week, China's defence minister told Pakistan's navy chief that their militaries, including their navies, should "expand into new fields of cooperation" to bolster their capability in safeguarding regional security.

"The prospects for cooperation between the two sides, in my opinion, is getting stronger and stronger," Song Zhongping, a military commentator with Phoenix TV, told Reuters.

In South Asia, China's ties with India, with whom Pakistan has frosty relations, have deteriorated in recent years, and the withdrawal of U.S. troops in nearby Afghanistan has raised geopolitical uncertainty in the region, pushing China and Pakistan to seek a stronger alliance.

"Maintaining the peace and stability of South Asia fits with both countries' actual interests," Song said.

(Reporting by Albee Zhang and Ryan Woo; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Donald Trump and Chris Christie. Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Scott Olson/Getty Images

Chris Christie called Trump "Putin's puppet" for not answering a question about the Ukraine war.

At a CNN town hall on Wednesday, Trump did not answer a question on whether he wants Ukraine to win.

"More proof that he continues to be Putin's puppet," Christie, a former Trump supporter, tweeted.

Chris Christie, once an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, slammed him for being "Putin's puppet" after Trump dodged a question on whether he wants Ukraine or Russia to win the war.

"Donald Trump refused to say tonight that he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia," he wrote in a tweet that has been viewed over 367,000 times as of press time. "More proof that he continues to be Putin's puppet."

At a town hall organized by CNN in New Hampshire on Wednesday, host Kaitlan Collins pressed Trump to pick a side in the war.

Trump responded: "I don't think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled, so we stop killing all these people."

Collins also asked Trump if he believed that Putin was a "war criminal" because he was "responsible for the deaths of thousands of men and women and civilians."

Trump responded, saying that "It's something that should be discussed later."

"If you say he's a war criminal, it's going to be a lot tougher to make a deal to get this thing stopped," Trump added.

Trump has complimented Russian leader Vladimir Putin on various occasions.

He praised Putin for being "savvy" and "genius" over the news of Russia's impending invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The same month, he also called Putin "smart."

Christie ran against Trump in 2016, but later became an ally and a close advisor to Trump. Even in 2021, he still said he would give Trump's presidency an overall "A" grade.

Story continues

However, he has distanced himself from Trump since the January 6 Capitol riot, and is now a vocal Trump critic. In March, Christie said in an interview with Axios that he "just can't" support Trump for his 2024 presidential run, calling him "old" and "out of touch."

Christie's comments come as he is mulling his own 2024 presidential bid. He told Fox News on March 23 that he will "probably make a decision in the next 60 days on what to do or not to do."

In response to a request for comment on Christie, a Trump spokesperson replied with one word: "Who?"

Representatives for Christie did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Morgan "Mermaid" Gallerito and others are evicted from a large homeless encampment along the Santa Ana River in Santa Ana, where the city has sought to block a religious nonprofit from feeding homeless people at its resource center. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

An Orange County religious nonprofit that was penalized and threatened with criminal prosecution by Santa Ana for feeding homeless people now has the support of the U.S. Department of Justice in its ongoing legal battle with the city.

After Santa Ana officials ordered the nonprofit, Micah's Way, to stop distributing food and drinks at its resource center  arguing that doing so violated the municipal code  the city denied its certificate of occupancy and warned it could be fined and prosecuted. That drew a lawsuit from Micah's Way this year claiming that the city's actions infringed on the nonprofit's right to religious exercise.

The Justice Department agreed, saying the Christian organization's distribution of food and beverages to homeless people "is an integral part of its religious exercise," according to a statement of interest filed Tuesday in response to the city's motion to dismiss the suit.

Santa Ana's denial of the occupancy license for the Micah's Way resource center also placed a "substantial burden" on the organization's religious expression in violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which bars governments from imposing land use rules that interfere with religious exercise, the department said.

"Under the Citys demands, [Micah's Way] would be completely prohibited at its current location from distributing food and beverages to homeless individuals who come to its doors, a service that [Micah's Way] believes it has a 'religious duty' to perform," the Justice Department said.

Many faith-based organizations across the country are on the front lines serving the needs of people experiencing homelessness," Assistant Atty. Gen. Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said in a statement. "The Justice Department is committed to enforcing federal civil rights laws to ensure that all religious groups can freely exercise their religious beliefs.

Story continues

Micah's Way, which has been operating since 2005, said in its complaint that Santa Ana began to warn it in fall 2021 that providing food and beverages out of its resource center was in violation of the municipal code.

After the city issued Micah's Way an administrative citation and told it to obtain a certificate of occupancy, the organization applied for the certificate but was denied on the basis of zoning restrictions, according to the complaint.

Micah's Way applied for the certificate a second time but was again denied last summer on the grounds that its food distribution practices were not permitted in the "professional district" that the resource center occupied.

In its motion to dismiss, the city said the food distribution was not a religious activity "but was merely an incidental use of minor significance" and argued that barring the organization from giving out food and beverages did not violate federal law.

In a statement to The Times, Santa Ana officials said the city "fully supports the expression of religious beliefs as well as helping those in need, as shown by the operation of our 200-bed homeless navigation center, hosting the County of Oranges homeless shelter, and funding homeless outreach teams."

Micah's Way improperly used its administrative building to hand out food, "resulting in multiple complaints from residents" in the surrounding neighborhood, city officials alleged.

"Micahs Way has not shown that the City has placed a substantial burden on its religious exercise," the city said.

The motion to dismiss is set to be heard June 5.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) called former President Trump as Putins puppet in a series of tweets Wednesday, slamming Trumps comments on the Russia-Ukraine war during a town hall on CNN.

Trump claimed during the town hall that he would resolve the conflict between the countries in 24 hours but evaded answering when host Kaitlan Collins asked whether he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the war.

I dont think in terms of winning and losing, Trump said. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people I want everybody to stop dying Russians and Ukrainians.

Christie, who has turned into a frequent Trump critic, said on Twitter that the former president was the puppet of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Donald Trump refused to say tonight that he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia, Christie said. More proof that he continues to be Putins puppet.

The conflict in Eastern Europe has become a dividing point amongst Republicans, as some continue to push for U.S. support of Ukraine while others have taken issue with the amount of money that the federal government has spent on the conflict.

Trump was asked whether he would continue to give weapons and funding to Ukraine, a question he also refused to answer.

If Im president, I will have that war settled in one day, Trump said in response.

Christie jabbed at that claim in a different tweet.

Despite how ridiculous that is to say, I suspect he would try to do it by turning Ukraine over to Putin and Russia, Christie said.

Christie, who endorsed Trump in 2016 after briefly challenging him for the nomination, has transformed into an anti-Trump Republican. He is considering jumping into the 2024 Republican primary, a decision he said he will make in the coming weeks.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said a law prohibiting bribe-taking is too vague to enforce.

He signed off on a concurring opinion written by Neil Gorsuch in a Thursday Supreme Court decision.

In April, ProPublica revealed Thomas accepted lavish gifts from GOP megadonor Harlan Crow.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas  who accepted lavish gifts and luxury vacations from a billionaire for years  signed off on a Supreme Court opinion Thursday arguing that a law prohibiting taking bribes is too vague to be fairly enforced.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a concurring opinion  on which Thomas signed off  that a federal anti-bribery law wasn't clear enough.

The case involved Joseph Percoco, a former aide of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who was accused of taking money from a local developer and convicted in 2018 of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.

Percoco's lawyers argued he couldn't be prosecuted because the payments happened while he wasn't working for the government. At the time, he had quit his government job to join Cuomo's reelection campaign.

His attorneys said the law only applied to government workers, not people who don't hold actual political power.

The majority of the Supreme Court sidestepped that claim, but Gorsuch and Thomas tackled it head-on.

"To this day, no one knows what 'honest-services fraud' encompasses," Gorsuch wrote. "And the Constitution's promise of due process does not tolerate that kind of uncertainty in our laws  especially when criminal sanctions loom."

"The Legislature must identify the conduct it wishes to prohibit," he later added. "And its prohibition must be knowable in advance  not a lesson to be learned by individuals only when the prosecutor comes calling or the judge debuts a novel charging instruction."

In April, a ProPublica report found Thomas had accepted gifts, including lavish vacations, yacht travel, and school tuition for a child in his care, among other things, from GOP megadonor Harlan Crow over the course of years. Crow described Thomas as a friend and insisted he never sought to influence the conservative Supreme Court justice.

Story continues

In the wake of the ProPublica report, a group of 15 Democratic senators called on Sen. Chris Van Hollen  the chair of a subcommittee in charge of the Supreme Court's budget  to withhold $10 million from the Supreme Court's budget until it institutes a public code of ethics.

Additionally, the Senate Judiciary Committee asked Crow for a list of any gifts he's given to a Supreme Court justice or their family.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Cleopatra (centre) is played by a black actress, Adele James, in the new Netflix docudrama series. Image courtesy Netflix

Cleopatra, queen of Egypt in the years 51-30 BC, is back in the news thanks to a controversial docudrama series on Netflix called Queen Cleopatra. Much debate has raged about her ethnicity. The queen was of Greek ancestry. In the Netflix series shes played by a black actress. The fuss has provided an opportunity to look at her role in history and how she has been portrayed over time. Historian Toby Wilkinson is an Egyptologist and author of the award-winning book The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: the History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra. We asked him to shed some light on the past.

Who was Cleopatra and why is she so important?

In a very real sense, the reign of Cleopatra marks the final flourishing of ancient Egyptian culture.

Cleopatra  or Cleopatra VII to be precise: there were six earlier queens with the same name  was the last monarch of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Macedonian Greek origin which ruled Egypt from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC until the countrys conquest and occupation by Octavian (later Emperor Augustus) in 30 BC.

During her reign of 21 years, at a time when other states in the eastern Mediterranean were being assimilated by the growing power of Rome, Cleopatra managed to preserve Egyptian independence through her astute diplomacy, strategic leadership and personal charisma. She is important because of her position in history  she is the individual who connects the Hellenistic Age of Alexanders successors and the Roman Empire that followed it  and her legendary status since her death. When Cleopatra died, so did ancient Egyptian civilisation as a vibrant, living culture.

What do you make of the controversy over her ethnicity?

It tells us more about the preoccupations of our own time than about what was considered important in Cleopatras age. According to my knowledge of ancient Egyptian custom, skin colour was much less important than culture: if you lived like an Egyptian, adopting Egyptian cultural practices, then you were considered an Egyptian, whatever your ethnic background. There is no evidence that Cleopatras ethnicity was a matter of debate or interest during her own lifetime. She came from a long line of Greek-speaking kings, but her family had lived in Egypt for 300 years.

Story continues

There is some doubt about the identity of Cleopatras mother. But centuries of royal precedent suggest she too would have been of Macedonian Greek descent.

Because of Cleopatras remarkable achievements during her lifetime and her lasting reputation down the ages, it is understandable that different groups want to claim her as their own. Cleopatra belongs to us all.

Why do you think her looks have been foregrounded?

If we look at the images of Cleopatra created during her own lifetime  in statuary, on temple walls, and on coins  she does not necessarily conform to modern ideals of beauty.

For example, she is often depicted with a long, aquiline nose and a pointed chin. But because Cleopatra evidently charmed two of the strongest military leaders of her day  the Romans Julius Caesar and Mark Antony  we project onto her our own cultural preconceptions about female influence, and assume she must have been physically attractive.

However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and history teaches us that power is a strong aphrodisiac. Her attractiveness to Caesar and Antony would have stemmed as much from her position of power, ruling over the wealthiest country in the Mediterranean, as from any personal qualities. Whether Cleopatra was beautiful or not in modern terms, she was an accomplished ruler and skilful politician, and her contemporaries clearly recognised her abilities.

What about her brain? What did she achieve in her time?

Cleopatra was intelligent, shrewd and strategic. She was a woman ruler in a world dominated by strong men. She forcefully asserted her right to rule, dispensing with her two brothers when they undermined or tried to thwart her objectives. Both ended up dead.

Her strategic liaisons with Caesar and then Antony were carefully calculated to secure her own position and her countrys autonomy. Her diplomatic skills enabled Egyptian independence when other states were falling to the power of Rome.

As a native Greek speaker, she was also the first of her dynasty to learn to speak Egyptian, so that she could communicate with her subjects in their own language. This was highly unusual at the time, given the differences and difficulties of the language. It marks Cleopatra as a progressive thinker and able linguist.

Her leadership skills also enabled her to avert famine in Egypt when other lands in the eastern Mediterranean suffered from starvation. Last but not least, she was comfortable operating across cultures: she promoted ancient Egyptian civilisation, founding new temples and honouring the traditional deities, while also maintaining Egypts position as the leading nation of the Greek-speaking Hellenistic world.

Why do you think she still fascinates people?

Even in her own time, Cleopatra was a source of fascination  as a woman ruler in a mans world. The Romans found her exotic, intriguing and controversial; and the writings of Roman historians and commentators ensured Cleopatras posthumous reputation. Her entanglement with Rome, especially her infamous love affairs with Caesar and Antony, scandalised contemporary Roman society and have fascinated subsequent generations.

The exact nature of these relationships  were they based on true love or political necessity, and what the power dynamic between Cleopatra and her lovers was  has inspired writers throughout history, from British playwright William Shakespeare to Hollywood.

Read more: Queen Cleopatra: experts save this poorly scripted Netflix docuseries

Today, her example of female empowerment and independence of thought resonates with contemporary concerns. Although Cleopatras name is famous, we actually know very little about her real character. This allows every age to project its hopes, fears and aspirations onto her.

Queen Cleopatra streams on Netflix from 10 May

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Toby Wilkinson, University of Cambridge.

Read more:



Toby Wilkinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Two of the Statehouse court officers stand by the door to the House chambers gallery as climate activists disrupted the informal session Wednesday, demanding the Legislature address fossil fuel infrastructure.

BOSTON - Climate activists ensconced themselves in the Statehouse legislative chamber demanding that state lawmakers introduce measures barring the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure.

About a dozen members of the groups Extinction Rebellion and Scientist Rebellion entered the gallery at the top of the House chambers before noon Wednesday, disrupting business as usual and demanding they be heard as a way to bring attention to the climate change emergency.

"We will not move until the legislature addresses the fossil fuel infrastructure construction," said Alex Chambers, one of the group members from inside the House gallery. "We're prepared to stay for as long as it takes."

The group was the same one that occupied the governor's office briefly in February, prompting state police and court officers to remove them. On Wednesday, lawmakers left the chamber and the doors were watched by State Police officers as well as court officers working in the Statehouse.

"I've been arrested seven times," Chambers said, pointing out that he's 24-years old and does not see a future for himself unless the state follows its own laws to address climate change.

Colleague Rose Abramoff, a scientist who studies the affects of climate change on soil and plants, warns that there is no time to waste.

"We want to force the Massachusetts state legislature to ban fossil fuels," Abramoff said. "As a scientist, I am aware we must end all new fossil fuel projects and dismantle a few that have already been approved. We can't be flexible about this because the science is not flexible. We don't have years to act."

House Speaker Ronald Mariano, D-Quincy, had no comment on the climate activists who filled the gallery.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Lawmakers leave unfinished business as climate activists converge
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education is expected to name the districts new superintendent during a public meeting next week, a school board member and senior CMS official told The Charlotte Observer Thursday.

Board members finished up second round interviews of four finalists Sunday and met Monday to review those interviews. A decision next week could end a monthslong search that kicked off Jan. 2. The search drew dozens of candidates from across the country and several who are already serving in superintendent roles.

The board is still working to finalize a decision, including conducting background checks, but members should be ready to vote next week, said school board member Summer Nunn, who also chairs the superintendent search committee.

Nunn says board members, however, have not offered anyone a contract, and no one has accepted a contract.

Until board (members) raise their hand, the concept that somebody is hired is simply not accurate, Nunn said.

Crystal Hill is the districts interim superintendent  a position she took in December after Hugh Hattabaugh announced he wouldnt finish his contract. CMS is looking for its sixth full-time superintendent since 2011.

Peter Gorman left the job in 2011. Heath Morrison served as superintendent between 2012-2015. He was followed by Ann Blakeney Clark (2015-1017), Clayton Wilcox (2017-2019) and Earnest Winston (2019-2022).

CMS superintendent candidates

The board hired BWP & Associates to oversee the search, conduct dozens of community engagement sessions and create a leadership profile of who the next superintendent should be.

BWP & Associates told the board at its meeting in April a total of 49 people applied from 18 states. Of those, 19 candidates are in superintendent roles, five are assistant superintendents, four candidates are principals and three are business, community or political leaders, among others.

From those 49 applications, BWP & Associates narrowed the field to the six. Board members narrowed that list to four at the beginning of May.

Story continues

What was very important to us was someone who was focused on student outcomes and performance, school board vice chair Stephanie Sneed told the Observer. We are pleased with the fact all four finalists met this goal.

Search conducted in private

Board members conducted all candidate interviews in closed session  a move that has drawn criticism from some in the community. But its also backed by legal precedent.

Leanne Winner, executive director of the North Carolina School Board Association, told the Observer that superintendent applications are considered a confidential personnel record and are protected under the states public records law.

Winner said the law also makes it clear that interviews are not open, either.

Nunn told the Observer in a previous interview CMS cannot unilaterally release applicant names or hold these interviews in public because doing so would weaken our applicant pool, she said.
Damien Storan/Reuters

CNN CEO Chris Licht on Thursday defended the networks decision to host its town hall with Donald Trump as staff woke up to a blizzard of criticism about the calamitous broadcast, during which the former president regurgitated his lies about the 2020 election, distorted his record in office, and mocked a woman whom a jury just found him liable for sexually assaulting.

On a 9 a.m. editorial call, Licht praised the performance of moderator Kaitlan Collins, who battled in vain for 70 minutes on Wednesday night to push back against a tsunami of falsehoods spewed by Trump as an approving New Hampshire audience laughed and applauded. I absolutely unequivocally believe America was served very well by what we did last night, Licht told staff.

Trump Steamrolls CNNand the Truthin Town Hall Debacle

After hailing Collins masterful performance, Licht addressed the enormous backlash generated by the show. You do not have to like the former presidents answers, but you cant say that we didnt get them, Licht said, according to ex-CNN host Brian Stelter.

The former Reliable Sources anchor added that many CNN staffers are angry about the town hall, but Licht maintained that the network was merely doing what its supposed to do. Kaitlan pressed [Trump] again and again and made news, Stelter quoted Licht as saying. Made a LOT of news, and that is CNNs job.

The network chief also allegedly addressed the multiple rounds of applause that Trump received during his rants on the broadcast. The audience clapped and laughed at one point when the 2024 hopeful talked over Collins as she tried to correct his false claims about how much of his border wall was actually built. He enjoyed another ovation when Collins asked why Trump no longer thought it was unacceptable to use the debt ceiling as a negotiating wedge and he answered: Because now Im not the president.

Collins: You once said using the debt ceiling as a negotiating wedge could not happen.

Trump: Sure, that's when I was president.

Collins: So why is it different now?

Trump: Because now I'm not president. pic.twitter.com/FvcPvYe3Xq  Acyn (@Acyn) May 11, 2023

While we all may have been uncomfortable hearing people clapping, that was also an important part of the story, Licht said on the call, according to Stelter, because those who clapped represent a large swath of America. Licht reportedly said the medias failure to properly acknowledge those people was a mistake in the leadup to 2016 election.

Story continues

Lichts doubling down during the morning call comes in the face of criticismboth public and privatefrom CNN staffers over the fiasco.

On Wednesday night, CNNs Oliver Darcy opened his Reliable Sources newsletter in a tone diametrically opposed to the line taken by Licht. Its hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening, Darcy wrote. He went on to call the performance Trumps unhinged social media feed brought to life on stage and said Collins had been put in an uncomfortable position, given the town hall was conducted in front of a Republican audience that applauded Trump, giving a sense of unintended endorsement to his shameful antics.

CNN contributor Michael Fanone, a former police officer who was injured at the Capitol riots, blasted Lichts decision to give Trump airtime in a Rolling Stone column. In the past, CNN has recognized the dangers of allowing election deniers a public platform and would not allow them on-air, he wrote. Under new leadership, that policy has been discarded as evidenced by CNNs decision to allow the chief election denier, former President Donald J. Trump, a prominent time slot in its evening lineup.

And several network employees expressed their dissatisfaction with the event, adding that it was delusional for Licht to believe that Trumps steamrolling of the truth on CNN airwaves was a success.

This is so bad, one CNN on-air talent told The Daily Beast as the town hall was still airing. I was cautiously optimistic despite the criticism... it is awful. Its a Trump infomercial. Were going to get crushed.

Another network staffer was even more blunt. One of the worst hours Ive ever seen on our air, she sighed.

As liberal critics lambasted the town hall, Trump and his supporters were delighted. After the broadcast, Trump used his actual unhinged Truth Social feed to thank the AMAZING audience who attended, while MAGA figures including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) lavished Trump with praise and shared clips of his performance.

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.
CNN and CEO Chris Licht came in for ferocious criticism over the chaotic town hall the cable news network held with former president Donald Trump on Wednesday.

Amid his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump sat down with CNN This Morning anchor Kaitlan Collins at the event held in New Hampshire. The 70-minute town hall was populated by mostly Trump supporters and likely Republican voters, and the former president was able to dominate proceedings, overwhelming Collins who tried in vain to correct Trumps statements and falsehoods about issues including the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, a federal abortion ban, immigration and the war in Ukraine.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

A particularly shocking exchange occurred over E. Jean Carroll, who had this week been awarded $5 million in damages after a New York jury held Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation against the writer. Among other things, Trump once again claimed he did not know who Carroll was and described her as a whack job to loud cheers from the audience.

The lack of pushback from Collins and Trumps bullying performance was a boon to his campaign team. On the New York Times live blog of the town hall, reporter Jonathan Swan wrote, Advisers to Trump are thrilled at how this is going so far for him. They cant believe he is getting an hour on CNN with an audience that cheers his every line and laughs at his every joke.

In the days leading up to the town hall, CNN was criticized for platforming Trump, but the backlash against the network, and Licht in particular, went into overdrive as events unfolded. The reaction on social media among the commentariat was almost uniformly negative.

Reacting to the town hall on MSNBC, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called CNNs decision to platform Trump shameful and a profoundly irresponsible decision.

Story continues

I dont think Zucker would have let this happen, tweeted former CNN reporter Rebecca Buck.

Jay Rosen, a professor of journalism at New York University, tweeted, Was that the center to which you wish CNN would return, Chris Licht?

This is CNNs lowest moment as an organization, journalist James Fallows tweeted.

Former NYT reporter Bill Carter tweeted, This thing was madness, total madness. Like giving a microphone to Drunk Uncle and saying: go for it!

CNN was completely unprepared to hold Trump accountable. CNN has done a complete disservice to our democracy. I withheld judgment on this until I saw it. CNN you failed journalism and our country, tweeted former George W. Bush aide Matt Dowd.

Daily Beast columnist Wajahat Ali tweeted, Trump calls Kaitlin Collins a nasty person after she simply did a follow-up. The audience laughed and clapped. Congrats, Chris Licht and CNN leadership. Bravo. What a way to treat your employees.

CNBCs media reporter Alex Sherman tweeted, CNN CEO Chris Licht said he wouldnt allow anyone on his network that said its raining when its not. But hes let someone on now who says its raining when its not, and he added hundreds of people to applaud when he does it.

This was not Kaitlin Collins fault. The format was impossible and CNNs bosses should have known that. Chris Licht is rapidly becoming the Elon Musk of CNN, tweeted Charlie Sykes of the Bulwark.

There was also a backlash to the Trump town hall internally at CNN. The networks media reporter Oliver Darcy wrote in the Reliable Sources newsletter, Its hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening. Darcy added that CNN and new network boss Chris Licht are facing a fury of criticism  both internally and externally over the event.

Licht took over as CEO of CNN in February 2022, after Jeff Zucker stepped down for failing to disclose a consensual relationship with a colleague. Under his tenure, Licht has sought to reposition CNN as a news-first organization, moving away from opinion-led programs and cutting back on its use of the Breaking News banner. He has also had to institute sweeping cost cuts demanded by Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav, notably jettisoning CNN+ less than a month after the streaming service launched.

On the talent side, Licht has been bold in cutting star anchors, reporters and big-name pundits including Brian Stelter, John Harwood and Jeffrey Toobin. He also oversaw the shock decision to fire longtime CNN anchor Don Lemon in April.

In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, a network spokesperson responded to the widespread criticism CNN has faced for organizing the town hall.

Tonight Kaitlan Collins exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist, CNNs message read. She asked tough, fair and revealing questions. And she followed up and fact-checked President Trump in real time to arm voters with crucial information about his positions as he enters the 2024 election as the Republican frontrunner. That is CNNs role and responsibility: to get answers and hold the powerful to account.

The following morning, Licht was aware of the backlash and social media furor when he addressed the reaction to the town hall on CNNs editorial call, audio of which THR obtained. We all know covering Donald Trump is messy and tricky, and will continue to be messy and tricky, but its our job. Were going to do it fairly, toughly and aggressively  as Kaitlan did last night, Licht said, in part. I absolutely, unequivocally believe America was served very well by what we did last night because it laid bare and created, in the words of Joe Scarborough, a political earthquake, and that people woke up and they know what the stakes are in this election in a way that they didnt the day before. And if someone was going to ask tough questions and have that messy conversation, it damn well should be on CNN.

May 11, 6 a.m. Updated to include quotes from CNNs editorial call.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

Click here to read the full article.
(CNN)

Former president Donald Trumps hour-long appearance at a CNN town hall ended with the indicted former president having repeatedly lied about the 2020 election, refused to say whether he wants Ukraine to successfully drive out Russian forces from its territory, and praising the rioters who attacked police officers and damaged the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection.

Mr Trump, who lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden and whose supporters rioted Congress, was immediately pressed on the election he still claims to have won by moderator Kaitlan Collins during his first appearance on the network since 2016.

Unless you are a very stupid person you see what happensmost people understand what happened, it was a rigged election and it was a shame we had to go through it, he said.

The former president attempted to cite True the Vote, a conservative vote monitoring organisation, and claimed the group had found millions of votes on government cameras where they were stuffing ballot boxes.

It is a sad thing for our country and for the world, he added.

There is no evidence that the 2020 election was rigged in any way. Multiple recounts in numerous states have confirmed that Mr Biden won the election.

Yet Mr Trump steadfastly refused to acknowledge that fact despite multiple corrections from Collins, who covered his former administration for CNN and previously at the conservative Daily Caller website.

Mr Trumps refusal to accept reality confirmed the fears of Democrats and many media figures who believed that CNNs decision to platform the disgraced former president would allow him to spew untruths with abandon.

Michael Fanone, the ex-Washington DC police officer who was attacked during the January 6 riot and is now a CNN analyst, said in a Rolling Stone essay that he felt a sucker punch when he learned his current employer would be hosting the man whose supporters left him hospitalised on January 6.

Trump appears at a CNN town hall in New Hampshire. (CNN)

He wrote that treating the ex-president like a normal candidate who didnt get people killed in the process of trying to end the democracy hes attempting to once again run, would only serve to normalize his actions today and for future candidates.

Story continues

After the town hall, Mr Fanone told HuffPost: Its worse than I could have ever imagined. Its an absolute disaster. Theres no way to fact-check this guy in real time. Hes a volcano of bulls***.

One anonymous CNN on-air personality told The Daily Beast that Mr Trumps performance validated the networks critics.

It is so bad. I was cautiously optimistic despite the criticism. It is awful. Its a Trump infomercial. Were going to get crushed, the CNN employee reportedly said.

Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez added that CNN should be ashamed.

This falls squarely on CNN. Everyone here saw exactly what was going to happen. Instead they put a sexual abuse victim in harms way for views. This was a choice to platform lies about the election & Jan 6th w/ no plan but to have their moderator interrupted without consequence, she wrote on Twitter.

Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021 (AFP via Getty Images)

On MSNBC, Ms Ocasio-Cortez added: I think it was a profoundly irresponsible decision. I dont think I would be doing my job if I did not say that what we saw tonight was a series of extremely irresponsible decisions that put a sexual abuse victim at risk, that put that person at risk in front of a national audience and I could not have disagreed with it more. It was shameful.

Mr Trump also refused to acknowledge that the riot in January 2021 was, in fact, a riot and an attempt by his supporters to prevent a peaceful transfer of power to the Biden administration.

The ex-president, whose actions leading up to January 6 are the subject of two separate criminal investigations, spoke glowingly about the day when his supporters stormed the steps of American democracy and fought with police while screaming threats, insults, and slurs.

It was a beautiful day, he said, adding that his fans were there with love in their hearts when they left dozens of police officers with injuries and chanted death threats targeting lawmakers as they marched through the Capitol.

He also promised to pardon most of the rioters and refused to rule out issuing pardons for members of white nationalist and extremist groups who have been convicted of seditious conspiracy as a result of their participation in the Capitol attack.

The former president also refused to tell attendees at the town hall that he supports Ukraines efforts to repel Russian forces from its territory following the February 2022 invasion.

He was repeatedly asked by Collins if he backed Ukraine in its 15-month conflict with Vladimir Putins forces, and repeatedly dodged the question.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump hold a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019 (SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

I dont think in terms of winning and losing, I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people and breaking down this country, he told Collins when asked about his support for Ukraine.

She then asked him again if he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the conflict.

I want everyone to stop dying. They are dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying, he replied.

Mr Trump also repeated his bogus claim it would take him one day in the Oval Office to end the conflict.

Youre a nasty person, Ill tell ya

Donald Trump attacks Kaitlan Collins

Ill have that done in 24 hours, you need the power of the presidency to do it. And he added: You know what, I will say this, I want Europe to put up more money. They should equalise, they have plenty of money.

The ex-presidents performance at the CNN town hall was consistent with the belligerent way he conducted himself during his term in the White House under questioning from the press.

He repeatedly lied about the investigation into whether he unlawfully retained classified documents at his Florida home after the end of his term, telling Collins that he had the right to take such documents under the Presidential Records Act.

That law, which was signed by Jimmy Carter after the government had a dispute with Richard Nixon over that disgraced ex-presidents White House records, states that all presidential records are property of the United States  not any former president.

At one point, the cross-talk became so intense that Mr Trump attacked the CNN moderator.

Do you mind? Mr Trump said.

I would like for you to answer the question. Thats why I asked it, Ms Collins said.

Youre a nasty person, Ill tell ya, Mr Trump said, which elicited applause from the GOP-leaning audience.
Donald Trump called E. Jean Carroll, the journalist who won a lawsuit against the former president this week for defamation and sexual battery, a whack job in his CNN town hall Wednesday.

Trump bashed Carroll to a friendly audience of undecided New Hampshire voters who laughed and clapped when Trump claimed to have never met his accuser, despite photographic proof to the contrary.

I have no idea who the hell [this is], Trump said. Shes a whack job.

A Manhattan jury on Tuesday unanimously sided with Carroll, who said Trump raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. The jury on Tuesday found Trump liable for sexual abuse, but not rape, and ordered Trump to pay $5 million in damages. Carroll, one of dozens of women who have accused Trump of sexual assault or misconduct, came forward with her story in 2019.

I never met this woman. I never saw this woman, Trump lied to CNNs Kaitlan Collins. What kinda woman meets somebody and brings them up, and within minutes youre playing hanky-panky in a dressing room?

After Collins asked Trump if the case might hurt him with voters, Trump said the attention has actually made him more popular. My poll numbers just went up, he said, to audience cheers.

Trump also addressed the Access Hollywood tape in which he was recorded bragging about being able to easily sexually assault women because hes famous.

People who are rich and powerful tend to do well in lots of different ways, and you would like me to take that back, he said. I cant take that back. Its been true for approximately 1 million years. Approximately a million years, perhaps a little longer.

Related...
American voters, this is where we are in May 2023: Donald Trump seems poised to steamroll his challengers for the Republican Partys presidential nomination one more time. And thanks a lot, CNN, for helping set the stage.

Wednesday night, the cable news network gave the former president its platform for a 70-minute so-called town hall, which really amounted to nothing more than a prime-time infomercial for his 2024 campaign. Because were distressingly familiar with the exhausting routine: The self-proclaimed billionaire who couldnt come up with $130 grand in cash to pay off a porn star repeatedly barreled over supposed moderator Kaitlan Collins with an effortless string of lies after provable lies. About his political opponents position on abortion. About the 2020 election. About the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol that he incited in an attempt to cling to power.

Bewilderingly, CNN packed the New Hampshire audience with Republican loyalists, who were all in with Trump throughout the evening. They applauded when he defended his actions related to the insurrection, including his suggestion that he would circumvent the Justice Department by pardoning people convicted for their seditious actions that day. They laughed when he continued his obscene defamation of E. Jean Carroll, the woman whose account of sexual abuse had been quickly found credible by a jury of nine  not a Trump-hating, Clinton-appointed judge, in his words  just 30-some hours before.

The network has taken heavy, deserved heat for airing the debacle. CNN knew what Trump would do, and they not only let him do it, they gave a him a friendly crowd who cheered for his crimes, tweeted Reed Galen, former press secretary for Dan Quayle and Newt Gingrich. For her part, host Collins tried to stanch the flow of falsehoods. The election was not rigged, Mr. President, she told Trump. You cannot keep saying that all night long.

But he did. To its credit, CNN published an account of its own misdeeds in airing the program from its senior media reporter Oliver Darcy. It felt like 2016 all over again, he wrote. It was Trumps unhinged social media feed brought to life on stage. And Collins was put in an uncomfortable position, given the town hall was conducted in front of a Republican audience that applauded Trump, giving a sense of unintended endorsement to his shameful antics.

Story continues

Missouris U.S. senators are also still endorsing Trump, who is still under indictment in New York state. Both Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt deflected a direct answer when The Stars Daniel Desrochers asked about the swift and definitive resolution to the Carroll sexual abuse and defamation case. Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall was even more evasive.

We give Roy Blunt more credit for more directness. When we asked him years ago about whether the then-president had cooperated with Russian agents during the run-up to the 2016 election, the former Missouri senator told us candidly that he didnt think the Trump campaign had its act together enough to collude with a foreign government.

Though not long after that exchange, we discovered Blunt had misjudged things. Donald Trump Jr. openly confessed to inviting Kremlin lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya to Trump Tower for promised dirt on Hillary Clintons campaign. This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its governments support for Mr. Trump, read one of the emails leading to the meeting. I love it, replied Trump Jr.

And judging by the CNN audience Wednesday night, Trump fans still love it, too. After the Muslim travel ban. After running roughshod over the Hatch Amendment to hold his partys political convention on the White House lawn. After inciting a riot in attempt to stay in office. And after fiddling while he suggested doctors look into injecting disinfectant as a way to battle the coronavirus that was marching its way toward killing more than 1 million Americans.

So yes, this is where we are. All these years later, Donald Trump could still shoot somebody  in the middle of Fifth Avenue, or on a New Hampshire TV stage  and still find millions of United States citizens ready and willing to vote for him.

Its going to be a long year and a half.
July 2013 view of the east coast of San Clemente Island. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Thursday for three people who were aboard a U.S. Navy contractor's aircraft that crashed Wednesday into the water off San Clemente Island, officials said.

Coast Guard officials, along with the Navy and U.S. Customs and Border Protection searched the suspected crash site of the Phoenix Learjet, but no survivors had been found since the plane plunged into the Pacific Ocean at about 7:55 a.m.

Search crews on Wednesday found a debris field about a mile southwest of the Navy-owned San Clemente Island, where the Phoenix Learjet is believed to have crashed, sparking a search for the three people on board. Crews searched 334 square miles, officials said.

The identities of the three people have not been confirmed.

A spokesperson for Naval Base Ventura County said the nonmilitary contract passenger aircraft departed from Naval Air Station Point Mugu and lost contact with air traffic controllers about a mile from San Clemente Island, located about 65 miles off the coast of San Diego.

The small aircraft is used for shuttle flights, but officials have not said where it was headed.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Officials suspended an over 24-hour search Thursday for three people in an aircraft that crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast.

Nobody was recovered in the search, and the people on board have not been identified.

The initial report of a downed Phoenix Learjet came in just before 8 a.m. local time Wednesday from the Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility on San Clemente Island, the Coast Guard said in a statement. The island is owned by the U.S. Navy and is located about 80 miles west of San Diego.

The facility reported an aircraft emergency aboard the plane, noting that the aircraft didnt make it back to the runway.

A U.S. Navy Phoenix Learjet was in the area and immediately began searching for the debris field.

The debris field was located one mile southwest of the island, and search efforts were underway Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard of Southern California tweeted.

Levi Reed, a spokesperson with the U.S. Coast Guard, said the search was suspended around 9 a.m. Thursday. The search covered 334 square miles and involved multiple agencies, including the Coast Guard, the Navy, the Air Force and Customs and Border Protection.

The jet was a civilian aircraft that was contracted by the Navy with civilian personnel aboard, Reed said.

It took off from Point Mugu, part of the naval base in Ventura County, but its not clear where it was going, he said.

The cause of the crash is unclear. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Colombian Ambassador Luis Gilberto Murillos journey has placed him on the front row of history throughout his career.

He was in the Soviet Union for the fall of the Berlin Wall, back in Colombia for the adoption of the countrys 1991 constitution, in Washington for the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the election of Barack Obama as the first Black U.S. president, and once again in his home country for the historic 2016 peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

In 2000, while serving as the elected governor of the impoverished department of Choco, Murillo was stripped of his position by the countrys courts, kidnapped and later fled with his family in exile to Washington.

Last year, he came back to D.C., this time as Colombias first Black ambassador to the United States.

This means there are signs of change with the new government, Murillo told The Hill.

Black, Afro-descendant, Raizal and Palenquera communities, as we call them, have been in a process of revindication that [at] one stage ended with the constitution in 91, where we were finally recognized as an ethnic group with specific ethnic and territorial rights.

That process, Murillo said, eventually opened the door for Black and native Colombians to seek positions of power.

And the countrys connections with the U.S. played a significant role in its racial and ethnic equity process.

The United States has played a very important role  in walking with the Afro-descendant community to acquire a larger voice in Colombia, Murillo said.

The role of Congress especially, of congressional members, Democrats and Republicans alike, has been fundamental, and especially of some members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Murillo highlighted the influence in that process of Rep. Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and also of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Story continues

I think were at a very interesting moment where the participation of the Afro-Colombian community has helped ingrain democracy in the country, he said.

But Murillos rise in Colombias democracy has faced major speed bumps.

His political career began in the early 1990s with positions in former President Cesar Gavirias government promoting sustainable development in Choco, directing urban planning in Bogota under former Mayor Antanas Mockus, and finally as a coalition candidate to become governor of Choco in 1997.

Two years into the governorship, Murillo was stripped of his position by a court that found irregularities in his election, granting the governorship to his opponent, who the court said had beaten Murillo by 114 votes.

The first time I left [the governorship]  in politics, that generates a lot of frustration because I would have liked to end my term, and I prepared to be a good governor, he said.

More frustration when I had to leave the country because of the extortion kidnapping. At the time, they used kidnapping to intimidate and force politicians to work for paramilitary groups.

In the U.S. after his kidnapping, Murillo applied his sustainable development experience worldwide, working with the development banks Lutheran World Relief and the Phelps Stokes Fund while at times moonlighting as a bouncer at a bar.

From here, I was able to develop some work related to Colombia and be exposed to global [conditions], he said.

Murillo worked on development in conflict and disaster zones, including in the Philippines, Indonesia, Southeast Asia (after the 2012 tsunamis), Darfur, Nepal, Congo and Liberia.

It gave me a more global perspective, but always thinking about Colombia, and that alleviates ones frustration, but I was always frustrated that I hadnt been able to do what I wanted, to contribute to my country, said Murillo.

From work in Liberia, he said, he learned a valuable lesson for Colombia, which at the time was fighting an intractable, half-century-old civil war.

It demonstrated to me that peace was possible. If they can sign peace, why cant we in Colombia, he asked.

And Murillo saw progress in countries with deep-rooted ethnic and religious strife, where in Colombia the core reasoning behind the war was a political offshoot of the Cold War.

It makes no sense that we are murdering each other when the differences that led to those conflicts are not that deep, he thought at the time.

Throughout his career, Murillo has navigated contradictions. He trained in the Soviet Union as an open pit mining engineer but used that training as a consultant on how to mine sustainably.

Its possible to do open pit mining and use restorative processes that leave ecosystems in apt conditions to follow a process of natural regeneration, said Murillo, who served as Colombias minister of the environment under former President Juan Manuel Santos.

He landed that job partly as a result of his second removal from the governorship of Choco, after he returned home from Washington in 2011.

That year, he won an election to return to the governorship, but in 2012, the courts invalidated his election win in connection to an accusation stemming from his 2001 work for the city of Bogota.

Santos named Murillos replacement, and two years later, he named Murillo to lead a special economic development initiative for Colombias Pacific coast. Then, he called Murillo up to his cabinet in a 2016 shuffle.

Murillo said hes dealt with the whiplash in part by relying on his experience in the Soviet Union and traveling in East Germany as the Cold War came to an end.

I witnessed the Gorbachev era and the fall of the wall; I had passed through the wall many times, and that was a period of optimism throughout the world, he said.

Optimism that one can tear down walls and build bridges.

After his run as minister, Murillo jumped into the 2022 presidential election  an unpredictable race that ultimately led to the election of President Gustavo Petro, the countrys first leftist leader.

Murillo first campaigned in favor of Sergio Fajardo, a centrist candidate, becoming Fajardos vice presidential nominee, and moved to support Petro in the second round after his ticket came in fourth in the first round.

Petro has faced criticism internally and externally, particularly over a controversial health care law that underpins his left-leaning agenda.

The president is respectful of institutions, said Murillo. What people must understand is he was elected for  and what we were all seeking in the campaign  was change.

They did not elect him for everything to remain the same.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian migrants deported from the United States arrived in capital Bogota early on Thursday, describing their disappointment of not living the "American dream."

A plane carrying 161 migrants from the United States arrived in Bogota hours after the U.S. government lifted its Title 42 pandemic-era immigration restriction.

"Look for the American dream, that's what everyone says, well there are some lucky ones who get it, but unfortunately I didn't," Colombian migrant Hermis Narvaez said at the airport.

Last week, Colombia's migration agency canceled some flights returning migrants from the United States, citing degrading treatment.

"They took us with our hands and feet cuffed," migrant Raul de la Hoz told Reuters. "It's degrading, that's what they want to make you feel."

(Reporting by Camilo Cohecha; Writing by Oliver Griffin)
GUNNISON, Colo. - Scott Enloe said he has always hoped to catch a 50-pound fish, but when his line started to pull last Friday morning in Gunnison, Colorado, he never imagined his catch would likely break a world record.

Enloe told FOX Weather he and his son were excited to get out onto Colorados Blue Mesa Reservoir for the first time this season.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

The father-son duo was third in line to get out on the reservoir on May 5, and they almost immediately began to have good luck: His son, Hunter, reeled in a 31-pound lake trout after visiting a few different spots on the water.

"We catch a lot of 30-, 35-pounders, 40-pounders," he told FOX Weather. "But our goal has been to try and break that 50-pound mark. And so, 50.5 pounds is the state record, which also came from Blue Mesa."

Enloe said he wasnt necessarily trying to break the record, but they hoped to reel in a big one.

WYOMING ANGLER REELS IN 2 RECORD-BREAKING FISH IN 2-WEEK SPAN

"We work hard at it," he said. "We fish a lot, and were very methodical in our fishing and methodical in our equipment that we use and try to really figure these fish out."

Enloe uses a depth finder to search for fish to see whats lurking in the water under his boat. Thats when they saw something massive on the screen.

"On our depth finder, we saw what appeared to be two big fish," he said.

Based on whats seen on the depth finder, Enloe said its easy to know the size of the fish. And looking at the screen, he thought he was seeing a few 30-pound fish beneath the surface.

He said he called his son over to look at what he saw on the depth finder, and thats when the "big one" came into view.

"It was unlike anything weve ever seen on the depth finder," he said.

SEE THE MASSIVE WORLD-RECORD FISH CAUGHT BY NORTH CAROLINA ANGLER

According to Enloe, the bigger fish usually show up as yellow or orange blobs on the depth finder. But this one was different.

Story continues

"This fish came in, and it was purple, and teal and black," Enloe said.

The pair said they had never seen anything like it, and Enloe said his son told him, "I think thats two fish together."

As the fish began to dive deeper, heading straight for his jig, Enloes attention shifted from the depth finder to his fishing line. Then the line started to bounce just a bit.

The fish then grabbed the bait at the end of the hook and put up one heck of a fight.

"We dont get nervous or shook up over them until after the fact," he said. "We stay calm until we get it into the boat, and then we pretty much came unglued then," Enloe joked.

Enloe said he fought the fish for about 13 minutes before it finally surfaced again, and that was the first time his son saw the fish.

"Ill never forget his words when he saw it," he said. "I couldnt see it. I was kind of standing towards the back in the middle part of the boat, and he, of course, was on the edge with a net. And Ill never forget. He said, Mega monster giant. Just three words in a row."

CHECK IT OUT: MAN CATFISHING IN MISSOURI SNAGS 4-FOOT PREHISTORIC FISH INSTEAD

So big that the net his son was using to scoop the fish out of the water was too small.

And when some of the fish was finally inside the net, both of them needed to reach in and pull the fish from the water into the boat.

"At that moment, we were high-fiving, and we were still in shock because this fish was just so large," Enloe said. "Ive caught a lot of big fish, and this one just dwarfed anything."

The reservoir was impounded in 1966, and Enloe said that after speaking with others, including the park service, theyre convinced this mammoth fish was one of the originals put in the water 57 years ago.

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS THE 10 MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS IN AMERICA

Enloe said the fish weighed 73.29 pounds and was nearly 4 feet long.

According to the International Game Fish Association, the world record for the largest lake trout stands at 72 pounds and was caught in Great Bear Lake in Canada by Lloyd Bull in 1995.

Enloes catch was larger but may not go down in the record books.

"I released the fish alive," he said. "The part of the rules to become a world record is, and theyre rethinking this now, but part of the rule is you have to kill the fish."

Enloe said he and his son worked fast to take measurements and weigh it because he didnt want to kill the fish.

"Theres a world record laying there, but Im not going to kill this fish," he said. "Im like, if at all costs, this fish is going back in the water, and its swimming away. Its about conservation, but, you know, to me, its about respect for the fish. That fish has lived longer than me. And Im like, youve got my respect for sure. You know? I fooled you one time, but I dont know if thats ever been done before. But Im not going to be the one to take your life."

SHE THINKS WERE JUST FISHING': VIRAL VIDEO OF FATHER-DAUGHTER FLORIDA FISHING TRIP REMINDS US TO PAUSE

Enloe said he understands the rules to officially become a record-breaking fish, but the rule goes against what the International Game Fish Association preaches.

"I told the International Game Fish this, I told their board. I was like, You all preach conservation, conservation, conservation, until, OK. Kill it," he said. "And Im like, that totally goes against what you guys stand for. And I get it. Theres got to be a way of proofing these fish. We documented everything, you know, on video and in pictures. Waist, length, girth. Everything. Just so we could prove this."

After releasing the fish, Enloe said he was satisfied with seeing the fish swim away on the depth finder.

IDAHO STATE FISHING RECORD SHATTERED BY 5-YEAR-OLD GIRL ONE CAST AT TIME

And after such a great catch, he and his son were done for the day but will never forget the one they let get away.

"We hung around in the area. But we didnt even fish anymore. And we love to fish," he said. "We were done. What do we do? We sat around and just laughed. Me and my son are real close, and we hunt and fish together all the time. And, you know, we just sat around and laughed about it. We sat in the boat and just pulled up the pictures and looked at them."

A representative of IGFA responded to Enloe's concern after this story was published, saying that while some states require fish to be killed to certify a record, the IGFA promotes catch-and-release policies. The full statement follows:

"While some states in the U.S. still require fish to be killed to certify a state record, this is not the case for world records which are only certified through the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). The IGFA requires fish to be weighed on solid ground to ensure accuracy and consistency in record keeping but encourages all anglers to practice catch and release techniques and best handling practices throughout the recording process. Weighing a fish on solid ground provides a stable environment ensuring all world records were recorded under the same controlled conditions. When a fish is not weighed on solid ground, outputs may not be consistent due to the movement of the boat and other environmental factors that can affect measurement.



"The IGFA has been working with the American Carp Society to urge states that require fish to be killed for state records to adopt alternative practices so that trophy fish can be safely documented and released. As one of the worlds leading game fish conservation organizations, the IGFA believes its in the best interest of anglers everywhere to release as many fish as possible in a manner that gives them the best chance for survival. Last year, 68% of IGFA world record catches were released alive."

Editors Note: This story has been updated to include a response from the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) regarding certifying world records.
Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who is now House Speaker, and then-President Trump attend a legislation-signing rally with farmers in 2020 in Bakersfield. (David McNew / Getty Images)

Now that a jury has branded Donald Trump a sexual assailant, youd think that Republican politicians in California might muster the courage to finally dissociate themselves from the poisonous polarizer.

But sadly, the prospect of that happening is not promising.

The former president, whos the early Republican front-runner to be nominated a third time for the nations highest office, still intimidates elected officials on lower rungs of the political ladder. Theyre afraid of alienating his hardcore worshipers.

Too bad.

It shouldnt be difficult to use the civil jurys verdict that Trump brutalized a woman in the dressing room of a posh Manhattan department store as a rationale for standing up at last and acknowledging that he shouldnt be allowed back in the Oval Office.

Hes too immoral, scary and divisive  not exactly a fitting national role model.

Shunning him is arguably one of the most important things  maybe No. 1  that the California GOP could do immediately to halt its downward slide and begin the climb back up to relevance and respectability.

It would be important for the California GOPs future, which right now seems very bleak.

Trump doesnt have a broad base of support in California anyway  hard-rock solid, perhaps, but small. He lost the 2020 presidential election here to Joe Biden by nearly 2 to 1, 63.5% to 34.3%.

Newly released data from the independent Public Policy Institute of California shows that the GOP has been losing ground in this state, particularly among people ages 18 to 25  the political future.

Surely for many of them  as for Americans of all ages  the current face of the Republican Party is Trump. And its not a pleasant scene  the whining, the lying, the legal problems  especially for young California voters.

Veteran Republican consultant Rob Stutzman offers this advice for the California GOP:

Stay away from Trump. It would be very helpful if Trump were not nominated [in 2024]. He keeps the party from growing. The [California] party has contracted in the Trump era. Hes a loser.

Story continues

Trumps a drag. He doesnt lead a ticket, he drags a ticket. ... Hes a head wind.

Not every GOP strategist agrees.

I dont think it would make a bit of difference for young people, says Republican strategist Matt Rexroad, citing his daughter.

Even if the Legislatures Republican leaders disavowed Trump, Rexroad says, my daughter and her college classmates arent going to have any idea who they are. It would make headlines and the evening news, but they dont read or watch that. Theyre not places where my daughter gets her news.

She gets her news at places such as TikTok, Rexroad says. They dont even do Facebook now. Thats for old geezers like me.

But Dan Schnur, a former GOP operative who teaches political communications at USC and UC Berkeley, thinks the California GOP could help itself with young voters by calling out Trump  up to a point.

For most young Californians, Republicans arent even part of the equation, he says. Thats because of three reasons: immigration, abortion and Trump. Any one of those three issues is enough to keep even a relatively moderate young person from considering the Republican Party.

A pro-life, anti-immigrant party isnt going to go very far here, no matter what they say about Trump.

Schnur says that of 55 students he taught in a recent Berkeley class, only one said she was a Republican. She was a very brave young woman.

A PPIC poll just before the 2020 election found that young people disliked Trump the most. Only 30% of those under 35 approved of his job performance, compared with 35% among adults of all ages.

A new PPIC study released Tuesday showed that among people under 25 who registered to vote from 2012 to 2020, only 14% signed up as Republicans, while 48% chose the Democratic Party. The other 38% registered mostly as independents, with a few affiliating with other parties.

That 14% is a remarkably low number, says PPIC demographer Eric McGhee. Its a little peek into the future. And that peek looks even less Republican than the current political picture.

In that eight-year period, new voter registrants of all ages were 44% Democratic, 19% Republican and 37% independent or smaller party, the PPIC reported.

New registrations are producing some pretty dramatic changes in the complexion of the electorate. We could see in the near future a very different partisan complexion in California unless something turns around, McGhee says.

Its already very lopsided in favor of Democrats.

The latest registration figures show that within the California electorate, 47% of voters are Democrats, 24% are Republicans and 23% are independents, or no party preferences.

Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data, dug into current registrations and found that within the 18-to-25 age group, 48% are Democrats, 15% are Republicans and 37% are independents or members of minor parties.

Young voters arent in tune with the Republican Party  even less so than traditionally, Mitchell says. The anti-trans, antiabortion and anti-immigration stances make it hard for Republicans to appeal to most young voters.

PPIC pollster Mark Baldassare also cites gun control and the environment as issues on which the GOP is out of step with most California voters, especially young people.

Stutzman says the party should stay focused on high energy prices  "Theyre just going to get higher and theyre driven by Democratic policies  and on crime and homelessness because voters believe theyre linked.

These are issues Republicans can connect with voters on.

If theyre not repulsed by Trump the sexual abuser.

Republicans will never begin to chart a new course in California while they remain Trump lemmings.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Former president Donald Trump made a rare live appearance on CNN, the network he spent years denouncing while in the White House

A combative Donald Trump made a rare live appearance on longtime adversary CNN on Wednesday, repeating his false claims about the 2020 election, hurling insults and mocking a former magazine columnist he was found liable of sexually abusing and defaming.

Trump, during a one-hour "town hall" on the cable television network that he regularly denounced as "fake news" while in the White House, took questions on a broad range of subjects including the war in Ukraine, the debt limit, immigration and his multiple legal challenges.

"Most people understand that what happened was a rigged election," Trump said of his 2020 presidential election defeat by Democrat Joe Biden.

If reelected, he said he would pardon a "large portion" of the hundreds of Trump supporters who have been jailed for their roles in the January 6, 2021 storming of the US Capitol.

"They were there with love in their heart," the 76-year-old Trump said of the rioters who attempted to block the congressional certification of Biden's win.

Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, refused to unreservedly commit to accepting the results of the next White House vote when pressed by CNN anchor Kaitlin Collins, the mediator for the event.

"If I think it's an honest election, absolutely I would," Trump said.

The former president also waded into the tense negotiations between the Biden White House and Congress over raising the US debt limit, urging Republican legislators not to do so if Democrats don't agree to spending cuts.

"I say that the Republicans out there congressmen, senators, if they don't give you massive cuts, you're gonna have to do a default," Trump said, before quickly adding that he sees such a scenario as unlikely.

The US government has never intentionally defaulted on its debt, and some economists warn that the effects could be calamitous.

On Ukraine, Trump said Russian leader Vladimir Putin made a "tremendous mistake" by invading but he declined to say who he wanted to win the war or whether he would continue to provide military aid to Ukraine.

Story continues

"I don't think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled," he said. "They're dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying and I'll have that done in 24 hours."

Trump slammed Biden over his handling of immigration saying that Thursday, when a Covid-era policy lapses, will be a "day of infamy" along the US border with Mexico.

"You're going to have millions of people pouring into our country," he said, while suggesting that he would reinstitute a policy of separating families at the border.

"When you have that policy, people don't come," he said. "I know it sounds harsh."

- 'Four more years of that?' -

The CNN event was seen as the first major test of the 2024 campaign for Trump, who has done only a couple of rallies since launching his new White House bid.

Biden, who announced last month that he will seek re-election, responded to Trump's appearance with a fund-raising appeal.

"It's simple, folks," Biden tweeted. "Do you want four more years of that?"

Never Back Down, a political action committee backing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential rival for the 2024 Republican nomination, called the CNN event "an hour of nonsense that proved Trump is stuck in the past."

The CNN appearance came just one day after Trump was ordered by a New York jury to pay $5 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll, a former columnist for Elle magazine who accused him of raping her in a Manhattan department store changing room in 1996.

Trump vehemently repeated his denials and called Carroll a "wack job."

Trump dismissed other legal challenges he is facing as the work of Democrats out to torpedo his bid to be the Republican standard-bearer in 2024. "They're doing this for election interference," he said.

Trump had a number of testy exchanges with Collins, a former CNN White House correspondent, calling her a "nasty person" at one point, while playing to the friendly Republican crowd, which responded with repeated applause and laughter.

CNN said the audience was made up of New Hampshire Republicans and undeclared voters who plan to vote in the state's 2024 Republican presidential primary, the first in the nation.

CNN has come in for some criticism for giving the twice-impeached Trump a primetime slot but defended the move by saying it plans to provide the same town hall format to other presidential candidates.

Trump sued CNN in October, accusing the network of waging a campaign of "libel and slander" against him and seeking $475 million in punitive damages.

cl/tjj
MiLexi Gomez made a perilous journey from Venezuela with her children

As the hours count down to a dramatic shift in US immigration policy and an expected surge of migrants at the southern border, those already waiting to enter from Mexico are increasingly desperate.

Beneath an unrelenting sun, hundreds of people are standing in a dry and dusty wasteland. Waiting.

Hungry and thirsty, exhausted and frightened, they have all gathered right beside the huge steel border fence that separates them from the United States. They can see through it, to the place they have sacrificed so much to try to reach.

But no-one knows if they will be allowed across that border.

Rosario Medina says that to find food for her grandchildren she has been sifting through dumpsters, and even gathering water for the babies bottles from the polluted Rio Grande river.

No wonder tears roll down her face as she describes trying to survive here for the past eight days, as the children's lips blister in the sun.

To meet these people, I first had to step across that stinking river and then crawl in the dirt through a small gap in the razor wire fence. I then heard the stories of the frightening journeys many of these people had endured.

MiLexi Gomez told me about travelling from Venezuela, taking her four young children through unmarked jungle, carrying them up mountains and then having to jump on top of trains when they could not afford to buy tickets. Now they are all having to sleep in the dirt, she fears the colds her twin boys are suffering could turn to bronchitis.

"We are feeling desperate" she says. "We can't sleep at night because it's too cold. We don't have money to eat, we have no way to wash. I ask God what I should do to protect my children in this place".

These scenes are highly unusual. Normally migrants seeking to enter America would be housed in shelters in downtown Juarez. But the numbers that have gathered in recent days have overwhelmed the system. Officials who have worked along the border for decades say they have never seen anything like it.

Story continues

Most of the people I spoke to had an idea that the rules governing entry to the US are changing this week. But there was widespread misinformation and confusion about what that will mean for migrants like them.

Many believe that as soon as Title 42 - the Covid-era policy that made it easier to send migrants and asylum seekers back across the border - is lifted, then entry into the US will be much easier. That is one reason why such huge numbers of people have gathered at the border.

Others rushed to get here as they think that they must attempt entry before midnight on Thursday.

MiLexi says she had heard on the news that she had to arrive before the 11 May to stand a chance of getting in. She is worried that with so many other people also gathered here her family might not make it across the border in time.

"We are very worried because we have already sacrificed so much," she told me. "If we can't get into America, I don't know where we will go as we can't go back to my country. That's the truth."

Biden sent more troops to the border to help

Officials at the border have said the influx could top 10,000 a day when the law changes in a few hours. President Joe Biden said this week that "it's going to be chaotic for a while" but Republicans lay the blame for it at his door.

"Joe Biden sent a message that America's border is open, and millions of people answered that call and started coming across our border illegally," said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise,

The Biden administration says they are making it safer and easier for people like MiLexi and her family to follow a lawful path to asylum. An estimated 30,000 refugees from Venezuela as well as Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti will be accepted each month. But after that quota has been met others will be returned to Mexico.

Rosario Medina knew nothing of these legal changes when her family set off for the US last October. As they are from Guatemala they might soon find it harder to gain asylum. She told me about how she fears for the safety of her young daughter and grandchildren in a country dominated by gangs who frequently murder, rape and kidnap.

Rosario Medina and family

Under new immigration rules she would only be accepted if she can demonstrate her family faces an "imminent and extreme threat". And she would have to have made an appointment at one of about 100 (not yet built) regional processing centres throughout South America to apply for asylum before travelling to the US.

When I met Dicar Matano he had a green sweater wrapped around his head to try to ward off the sun. He is convinced that anyone who can make it into the US before the change cannot legally be deported. That is why he has been sleeping here in this dusty no man's land for over a week, along with his wife, son and seriously ill brother.

Graphic showing rise in expulsions at border

Having run out of money he is now begging for food. "I am ashamed as I don't like to beg or ask for free help. I like to earn my living with my own hard work," he told me. He left Venezuela because he says he couldn't pay to feed his family there.

In future, migrants like the Matano family will not be able to simply arrive at the US border and request asylum. All migrants will be deemed ineligible for asylum if they cannot prove they previously requested protection in a third country on their way to the US. The Matano family would have to have first asked for asylum in Mexico before they could request entry to the US.

Dicar Matano

The US says it will launch advertising campaigns through Central and South America to communicate the new rules and to try to stop people turning up at the border.

For those who are already here, there is confusion and fear about whether they will ever make it across.

Occasionally the gate in the imposing metal fence opens and a handful of people are allowed through. It's not at all clear how the lucky few are selected.

Yet each time the gate moves you feel the collective surge of hope from these people who are convinced all their hardships will have been worth it if they can get the chance to start again in America.

Find out more

Americast branding

You can hear more of Sarah's reporting from the border by tuning into Americast, the BBC's US politics and culture podcast, on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts

And you can follow Sarah on Twitter

Banner saying 'Get in touch'

Do you have any questions about Title 42 and US immigration policy? Contact us by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
(Bloomberg) -- Democratic Republic of Congos President Felix Tshisekedi says soldiers from the East African Community arent fulfilling their mandate to fight rebels in the countrys east and he may ask them to leave.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Troops from the regional bloc, which includes Kenya and Uganda, deployed last year to help counter a rebel group known as the M23 that Congo alleges is backed by neighboring Rwanda. The forces mandate is up for renewal next month.

If by that date we see that the mandate is not being fulfilled, we will decide to see off this contingent, Tshisekedi said, according to an emailed press release shared by the presidents external communications agency on Wednesday.

More than 100 armed groups are active in eastern Congo, fighting over a variety of grievances including land and economic access. About 7.5 million people have fled their homes, mostly due to violence, according to the United Nations. It estimates that more than 1.2 million have been displaced since March last year due to fighting in the North Kivu province alone.

M23, which is based in North Kivu, claims its protecting the rights of Congolese of Rwandan descent. Rwanda, which along with Congo is also an EAC member, denies backing the rebels.

Tshisekedis statement came two days after the Southern African Development Community agreed to deploy troops to the area.

The president welcomed the solidarity from the 16-nation bloc, whose members include South Africa, Zimbabwe and Angola, according to the statement.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Julia Nikhinson/Reuters

For several hours on Wednesday, the U.S. House was frozen as Republicans tried to lock down the necessary votes to advance an immigration and border-focused bill.

The fundamental challenge for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was the same as always: with just a four-seat majority in the House, faced with unanimous Democratic opposition and persistent rebellion from his right flank, he could afford to lose virtually no votes.

This time, however, McCarthy could not turn to his most problematic ally for a precious yes votebecause that ally was in federal court in New York being arraigned on 13 criminal charges.

For Republicans, the presence of Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) in their ranks has been uncomfortable from the moment journalists started exposing his web of falsehoods. But his absence from a critical day of legislative business underscored the potential costs to GOP leadership of his long-term absencewhich might be the most uncomfortable Santos development yet.

McCarthy is in the middle because he needs George Santos vote to stay Speaker, said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), who has led a legislative effort to expel Santos. I think most folks on the Republican side want him out. My guess is Kevin McCarthy wants him gone. Hes in a political bind hes put himself in.

Ultimately, Republicans passed the border bill without Santos. But the tense episode illustrated just one of the many calculations that House Republicans, from the top of the party to the rank and file, are grappling with as they weigh how to handle their indicted colleague.

Indictment Highlights One of George Santos Greatest Hypocrisies

With Santos decrying the serious charges as a witch hunt and vowing to go nowhere, the options available to House Republicans are all fraught in some way.

They could decide to expel Santos from Congressa move that would certainly not upset a growing number of GOP lawmakers who have called for his resignation. To those vocal lawmakers, its obvious that Santos immediate departure is the only move that will begin putting their association with him in the rearview mirror and minimize the political liability he could pose to the party.I think he needs to go right away, and I hope that he resigns, Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), another Long Island Republican, told CNN. Hes a complete embarrassment.

Story continues

But if Santos did resign, a special election would be held in his districtwhich Joe Biden carried in 2020. A Democrat would be favored to win, permanently cutting into the House GOPs margins.

Alternatively, Republicans could pursue a middle-ground strategy laid out by McCarthy. The Speaker hasnt called on Santos to resign, but he also said on Wednesday night he wont support his re-election bid and would ask for his resignation if the House Ethics Committee found he broke the law.

This more middle-of-the-road posture, in theory, allows lawmakers to keep their distance from the New York congressman while Santos continues about his Capitol Hill businessand continues to be a cushion on key votes.

While many GOP lawmakers are exasperated with Santos and would like to see him go, the emerging consensus seems to be that the trial should play out before any action is taken.

Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) noted to The Daily Beast that, when members have been indicted in the past, they have not resigned or been expelled until their trials conclude.

I'm certainly not a fan of having George Santos in Congress. I don't think he adds anything, Johnson said. But that being said, the standard approach, when either party has been in control of either chamber of Congress for decades, has been that people are innocent until they're proven guilty I think it might well take a different fact set to get a different outcome.

Heres Why George Santos Was Able to Get Away With It For So Long

Most indicted members have been sanctioned in the past by stepping down from their committees. Santos has already stepped down from his posts. He did so almost immediately after being sworn into office in January.

Which is to say, congressional life might not look all that different for Santos. He has been a high-profile pariah even before he arrived on Capitol Hill, and some Republicans have said since the beginning of his tenure that he should resign. There may be more voices in that chorus, and Santos will have serious crimes hanging over his head, but he may be able to continue voting for GOP priorities until hes actually convicted.

A small number of GOP lawmakers remain sympathetic toward Santos. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), who made an effort to befriend the embattled New Yorker, told The Daily Beast when asked, innocent until proven guiltyas much as everything is stacked up against him right now.

Burchett added that hed like to talk to George.

I havent seen him yet, he said.

Democrats, however, are determined not to let McCarthy and Republicans off easy every day that Santos remains in their ranks. They argue that Santos case is so extreme that the past standards for handling indicted members should not apply.

On Wednesday evening, Garcia told The Daily Beast 10 new cosponsors have signed on in the 24 hours since the indictment news broke on Tuesday.

He's clearly a fraud and a liar, has no business getting classified information from being in the Congress, and so we're going to continue to keep the pressure on, Garcia said. Its only going to get worse for him from here.

Read All 13 Charges Against George Santos Here

The last sitting member of Congress to be charged with crimes was former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), who was indicted in Oct. 2021 on three charges of lying to the FBI and concealing facts surrounding an investigation into potential foreign campaign contributions. In May 2022, Fortenberry was convicted, at which point McCarthy, as well as then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), called on him to resign, which Fortenberry promptly did.

Santos might be more inclined to follow the example of a different recently indicted lawmakerat least partially. In Aug. 2018, former Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) was charged with insider trading. Collins quickly announced he would suspend his re-election campaign, but the following month, a defiant Collins reversed course, and ended up narrowly winning another term in November.

Last month, Santos officially launched his re-election campaign, and gave no indication on Wednesday that he was backing down. But even though Collinsthe first member of Congress to endorse then-candidate Donald Trump for presidentwon another term, he wasnt long for Congress anyway: he resigned in Sept. 2019 after entering a guilty plea with prosecutors.

(He was ultimately pardoned by Trump, along with the second member of Congress to endorse Trump, Duncan Hunter Jr., who pleaded guilty of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his campaign.)

Still, one fact hangs over the embattled freshman congressman: any member can force a vote on expelling Santosin effect putting every member on the recordby offering a certain motion and forcing Republicans to table that motion with a recorded vote.

"A number of members are complaining that McCarthy won't put an expulsion resolution on the floor, Matt Glassman, a senior fellow at Georgetowns Government Affairs Institute, noted to The Daily Beast. The Speaker may be blocking an expulsion politically by not supporting it, but he can't block it procedurally. Any member can unilaterally get an expulsion resolution on the floor as a Question of Privilege."

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.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation on Wednesday to take control of the Architect of the Capitols office from the president, following recent turmoil and staff changes in the office overseeing the Capitol complex.

The top Republicans and Democrats on the House Administration Committee and Senate Rules Committee  Reps. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) and Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)  put forward the bill to establish a congressional commission to appoint and remove the Architect of the Capitol.

The president is currently the only person who has the authority to fire the Architect of the Capitol. The push to give Congress this authority comes after President Bided fired former Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton in February.

Blanton faced calls to resign after an inspector general report alleged that he misused a government vehicle and impersonated a law enforcement officer. He was nominated by former President Trump and confirmed by the Senate for a 10-year term in 2019.

Several more senior officials in the Architect of the Capitols office were asked to resign or face termination last month, including General Counsel Jason Baltimore, Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Kraft, Chief Administrative Officer William ODonnell and Chief of Staff Peter Bahm.

In light of recent events, it is clear the process for selecting an individual for such a critical position was in need of reform, Morelle said in a statement on Wednesday.

This bill will give Congress sole responsibility in selecting new leadership and, when necessary, the authority to hold bad actors accountable, Steil added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The U.S. government is seeking to step up its information war to defeat nation-state threat actors like Russia and China which, in recent years, have ramped up their disinformation campaigns globally.

Lawmakers are not only concerned about how nation-state threat actors are waging an information war inside the U.S., but also globally as they expand their malign influence in other parts of the world, including in Africa and Latin America.

Countries including Russia and China deploy immense resources to wage global information campaigns attempting to shape the narratives of their actions to their advantage, most often by twisting the truth or deflecting attention to distract the public from their true goals, said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), during a hearing held by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week.

Amanda Bennett, CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, who testified at the hearing, said that Russia, China, and Iran, which often work together, are heavily investing in disinformation campaigns both inside their countries and abroad.

The reality is that if we miss this opportunity to make strategic investments now we may run the risk of losing the global information war, Bennett told the lawmakers.

We should be alarmed about this but still optimistic, alarmed because were being vastly outspent, but optimistic because we still have the competitive advantage, she added.

The experts said although foreign influence isnt a new phenomenon, they were glad to see that Congress is exploring ways to tackle it as disinformation continues to spread partly due to the rise of social media and the speed at which information is conveyed.

David Hickton, founding director of the University of Pittsburghs Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security, said the U.S. should not just focus on the direct impact of disinformation campaigns but also understand that those false narratives are created to incite distrust.

If you can create distrust, you really are along the path to destroy peoples faith in democracy and once peoples faith in democracy is gonethats very dangerous, Hickton told The Hill in an interview.

Story continues

Russias goal is to create internal discord

Russia, who has been a main rival of the U.S. since the Cold War, has been focused on creating internal unrest from inside the U.S. Their goal has been to pit Americans against each other and further polarize the country, especially in the political sphere, experts said.

Russia has had a long history of working to sow social upheaval in the United States, Todd Helmus, a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, told The Hill in an interview.

Their 2016 campaign did try to target the U.S. election, and of course, also sought to pit Republicans and Democrats against each other, he added.

Helmus also said that Russia has been very active in this space and most recently has been working to undermine any efforts from Western countries to support Ukraine.

Last year, cybersecurity firm Mandiant released a report that showed how Russian-backed actors launched numerous disinformation campaigns intended to demoralize Ukrainians and incite internal unrest.

In one of the campaigns, the actors falsely claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky committed suicide in a military bunker in Kyiv because of his failure to keep his country safe.

In another operation, the actors used Telegram, a popular social media platform, to spread disinformation including that the Ukrainian government was corrupt and incompetent, and that the country was unprepared for the war.

The best way for them to achieve [their goals] is to create cracks between us and our allies, Hickton said.

Ivana Stradner, a research fellow in the Barish Center for Media Integrity at the Foundation for Defense Democracies, said she believes the U.S. is already losing in this space as its currently playing defense against Russia by trying to debunk its false narratives.

I believe that Russia is winning the information war because its weaponizing the First Amendment here in the United States by putting us on the defensive, Stradner told The Hill in an interview.

We should be putting Russia on the defensive so they spend time, energy and resources on defending itself from our information operations, she added.

Chinas attempt to save its own image

Although Chinas objectives sometimes overlap with Russias, its main goal is to push a pro-China narrative around the world and maintain a sphere of influence in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly as it relates to Taiwan which it considers as part of its sovereign territory under the One China policy.

Helmus said that China has vested interest in reunifying with Taiwan and undermining pro-democracy protest movements like the one that occurred in Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020.

You can very clearly tie that to Chinese national security goals and objectives, Helmus said.

Like Russia, China has also launched its own disinformation campaigns against the U.S.

Last year, Mandiant released a report showing how a pro-China disinformation group had been aggressively targeting the U.S. by using various tactics designed to divide the country along party lines and isolate it from its European allies.

The report revealed that the campaign was attempting to discredit the U.S. political system and discourage Americans from voting in the 2022 midterm elections.

In one of their operations, the group attempted to cast doubt on the productivity of U.S. lawmakers and questioned whether the legislative process is having a real impact on American lives.

China deeply cares about its own reputation, and theyre doing everything possible in the information space to debunk American narratives, Stradner said.

How should the U.S. respond?

The experts said the U.S. government should invest in detecting those disinformation campaigns early, publicize those efforts, and remove fake accounts as soon as theyre detected to prevent further spread online.

They also said it should invest more in media literacy and educating audiences about what is true and fake.

They added that Congress should also pass a legislation that would require social media companies to be more transparent with the government on how theyre investing in this space, what their policies are, and what theyre doing to enforce those regulations.

This is why education, research and the importance of the media as the check on falsehoods is so critical, Hickton said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
What would you do if you were driving a vehicle and came upon a traffic light that had both red and green lights on? Most rational folks would stop. After all, the red means stop and stay stopped until the red light goes off, and the green means you may proceed with caution.

An analogous dilemma faces President Joe Biden today as he attempts to spend money that Congress has ordered to be spent, but which the government does not have, and in place of which it cannot legally borrow.

The big-government mentality that has been running Washington, D.C., since the days of Woodrow Wilson has mismanaged the government into $31.4 trillion in debt. This number is so vast that  with interest rates rising  the annual interest payments to the owners of that debt will soon consume more than half the revenue collected in taxes.

That will barely leave enough for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security; and all other government expenditures  from defense to the courts to the post office  will need to be funded by higher taxes or debt.

What is Biden to do? Here is the backstory.

After the states won the Revolutionary War and ratified the Constitution, money in the U.S. consisted largely of gold and silver coins issued by the feds and promissory notes backed by gold and silver issued by banks. The Constitution  in order to prevent the type of government debt now confronting Biden and deter the central management of the American economy  conspicuously permits Congress and the states to coin only gold and silver as money, but not to issue paper.

This was the standard until the War Between the States when the Lincoln administration issued $450 million in paper money, called greenbacks, with which it paid its bills and imposed a personal income tax. Neither was authorized by the Constitution. The greenbacks soon caused severe inflation and eventually became worthless.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 09: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the debt ceiling at the White House on May 09, 2023 in Washington, DC. President Biden spoke following a meeting with Congressional lawmakers as they continue to negotiate raising the debt ceiling to avoid a government default. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Prior to the war, the federal government subsisted on tariffs, excise taxes, fees for services and assessments to the states. In 1860, its annual budget was less than $60 million. During the war, it was spending $1 million per day. By 1865, its debt had ballooned to about $3 billion.

Story continues

How to pay back $3 billion in 1865?

As the Southern states were reentering the Union  forced as they were to ratify the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments as preconditions to Union reentry and the removal of federal troops from their streets  they soon found themselves extracting money from their residents to repay the lenders who helped the feds finance the war against them.

More Napolitano: Does government believe in the constitution?

The congressional Republicans, who had stripped the Supreme Court of jurisdiction to hear appeals on Reconstruction, anticipated judicial resistance to this, so Congress crafted a clause in the 14th Amendment that prohibited anyone from challenging the federal debt that the states would soon collectively be assuming.

The clause reads, The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law ... shall not be questioned. Unpacking this clause, we see two underlying values.

Obviously the phrase shall not be questioned is not intended to curtail the freedom of speech of persons  as that is a natural right largely immune from governmental interference  but rather the official acts of the states and the judiciary. Stated differently, when the feds assessed the Southern states for their share of the interest on the federal debt, those states could not challenge that assessment in court because the debt they were paying was for a war that had been waged against them. A fair reading of the debates on the 14th Amendment in Congress and elsewhere clearly manifests this congressional concern.

The second underlying value from the clause is that the public debt of the federal government must be authorized by law.

Now back to Bidens red light/green light dilemma.

Big-government types, corporations, banks, the military industrial complex  those who have enriched themselves on federal government largesse  as well as most folks in Congress, academics like Harvard Professor Laurence Tribe and Biden all read the 14th Amendment to embody a legal principal that permits endless debt without express authorization because it shall not be questioned.

Yet, such a reading is not only not countenanced by history; it is not even fairly derivable from the plain language of the amendment. In its plain English words, the amendment permits the federal government to incur debt  not to pay all invoices, not to keep the American economy afloat, not to permit politicians to keep campaign promises, not even for emergencies  but only when authorized, not by the president, but by law.

Congress  controlled as it has been by the big-government mentality for the past 100 years, still saddled with debt from World War I, congenitally incapable of living within its means, insidiously reckless enough to incur bills but not raise the money with which to pay them  nevertheless has not authorized by law any debt beyond what is currently on the books.

So, can the president incur debt that is not authorized by law? No. Can he choose which federal laws to enforce and which ones to ignore? No.

When two statutes conflict  thou shalt spend, thou shalt not borrow  can the president decide what the laws mean and how they should be applied? Of course not. He is only the president; he is not the judiciary. Since 1803, it has been the exclusive charge, duty and competence of the judicial branch to say what the laws and the Constitution mean  not Congress and not the president.

Whomever has an unpaid bill to the feds should simply sue them. This will force the courts to resolve the red light/green light dilemma. It might even embarrass Congress into fiscal sanity. But dont hold your breath waiting for that.

Andrew P. Napolitano, a former New Jersey Superior Court Judge, has published nine books on the U.S. Constitution.

Andrew P. Napolitano

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Debt ceiling 2023 biden constitution government debt
Health experts have contradicted Facebook posts shared repeatedly in Bangladesh that claimed consuming cold drinks after eating mangoes can be deadly, saying they were "baseless" and "completely false". The posts cited an alleged case in which a group of tourists apparently died after eating the fruit in neighbouring India, but AFP found no evidence that the incident ever happened.

The claim was shared on Facebook here on May 5, 2023.

The Bengali-language caption translates to English as: WARNING!!! Tourists die after eating mangoes and drinking cold/soft drinks!!!

"Dear visitor, Mango season is underway! Avoid drinking cold or soft drinks immediately after eating mangoes. The citric acid of a mango and the organic acid of cold drinks combine to form a poison. Which can be enough to cause death."

The post goes on to refer to an alleged case in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh, saying: "Recently some tourists while traveling in Chandigarh fell sick and fainted after eating mangoes and drinking cold drinks and were later declared dead in the hospital!





A screenshot of the false post captured on May 10, 2023.

The same false claim was shared here and here on Facebook.

AFP could not find any official reports of deaths following the consumption of cold drinks and mangoes in Chandigarh.

Public health experts told AFP that the posts were false.

Dr Taufique Joarder, the vice chairperson of the Public Health Foundation of Bangladesh, said the claim was "baseless".

"There is no reason to lose lives for drinking cold drinks after eating mangoes unless there is anything poisonous in any of the items," he said.

Nazma Shaheen, professor at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science of Dhaka University, told AFP there was no substantial evidence that a person will suffer a dangerous reaction if they mix mangoes and cold drinks.

"I think some people are deliberately sharing this information to mislead people," she said.

Rumi Ahmed, associate professor at the Dell Medical School of the University of Texas at Austin, also said the claim was "completely false.
(Bloomberg) -- The US Supreme Court tightened the limits on public-corruption prosecutions, giving a partial victory to a onetime top aide to former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The justices unanimously said jury instructions in Joseph Percocos case were flawed given that he was working for Cuomos reelection campaign  and not the government  during a key eight-month period in 2014. Percoco was convicted of honest-services fraud along with other counts.

In an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, the court sent the case back to a federal appeals court, where Percoco can seek to invalidate his entire conviction.

The Supreme Court has narrowed the reach of federal corruption laws in recent years, tossing out the convictions of former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell in 2016 and two allies of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for the George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal in 2020.

This prosecution of Joe Percoco was an abuse of the federal fraud statutes, Yaakov Roth, Percocos attorney in the case. We are gratified that the court agreed with our position that he was not a public official during the relevant time period, and so he did not violate federal law by acting on behalf of private clients.

In a second case decided Thursday, the court ruled in favor of Louis Ciminelli, saying a federal appeals court was wrong to uphold his conviction for wire fraud. Ciminellis Buffalo firm won a $750 million development contract after he took part in what prosecutors said was an effort to rig the bidding criteria.

Percoco was accused of accepting bribes in exchange for helping one company obtain a state power contract and another firm get a construction contract without having to first negotiate a labor peace agreement. A federal jury in Manhattan convicted him under a statute that bars schemes that deprive the public of the intangible right of honest services. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison.

Story continues

Percoco argued that his prosecution ignored a crucial distinction between government officials and private lobbyists. He contended that private citizens arent bound by any duty to act in the public interest.

The Biden administration defended Percocos conviction, arguing that he was functionally still serving in his role as Cuomos executive deputy secretary, working out of his government offices and issuing instructions to the governors staff. Percoco formally returned to the job a month after Cuomo was reelected.

The case is Percoco v. United States, 21-1158.

(Adds background on case starting in fourth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
The wife of a Georgia police officer is accused of stealing a half million dollars from the real estate office she managed, state investigators say.

Brandy Clower, 39, was arrested and charged with theft by taking after she bilked more than $500,000 from Holliday Realtors in LaGrange, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Clower worked as a property manager for the business, according to its website. She also faces a charge of exploitation and intimidation of an elder person, investigators said.

LaGrange police, where Clowers husband is a sergeant, asked the GBI to investigate on March 8 after the allegations of employee theft first surfaced, authorities said in a news release.

Its unclear how long the alleged theft went on and if Clower is still an employee.

Holliday Realtors declined McClatchy News request for comment, citing the investigation.

The police department also launched an internal investigation into Clowers husband, but said there is currently no evidence that he violated any laws or departmental policies.

The LaGrange Police Department will be awaiting the conclusion of the GBIs investigation, at which time our own internal investigation will be closed, according to a statement.

Clower was booked into the Troup County Jail but wasnt listed among current inmates as of Thursday, May 11.

Authorities said the case is still under investigation and additional charges are expected.

LaGrange is about 70 miles southwest of downtown Atlanta.

Bank manager stole $175K from customers then paid debts and bought motorcycle, feds say

Tenant tricks 3 people into signing leases for home she didnt own, Indiana cops say

Church leader steals over $100,000  and buys lottery tickets daily, PA officials say
(Bloomberg) -- Chiles Senate approved a bill to raise taxes for copper producers as the left-leaning government attempts to increase its take of mining earnings to boost social spending.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Senators voted overwhelmingly in favor of a proposal to take the tax burden for companies including BHP Group Ltd. and Anglo American Plc to levels just above other major producing nations. The bill now returns to the Lower House for a potential final vote.

Finance Minister Mario Marcel made a series of concessions to win over the support of enough opposition senators. Amendments included reducing a cap on the effective tax rate in a bid to maintain Chiles competitiveness as an investment destination.

At stake are tens of billions of dollars in expansion projects that are key to meeting global demand for a metal used in batteries, solar panels and other green technologies.

Much of the debate prior to the vote centered on the ceiling, which the government agreed to lower to 46.5% of operating profit for large copper producers from 50% initially. The would translate into an average effective rate of about 45%, according to consulting firm Plusmining. Chiles major rivals have a burden of 41% to 44%.

The government agreed to make final amendments to the bill after a series of electoral and legislative defeats. Over the weekend, opposition groups secured more than the three-fifths majority needed to push through articles in a council charged with drafting a new constitution. That followed defeats of a previous constitutional rewrite and a broad tax reform proposal.

This has been a tremendously important step for raising funds on a regional level, Minister Marcel told reporters after the vote late Wednesday. Pending approval in the lower house, it will also provide the industry with a clear panorama to make decisions.

Story continues

The version of the bill that will go before the Lower House includes a 1% tax on sales and 8-26% on profit depending on margins.

--With assistance from Valentina Fuentes.

(Adds bill components in final paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
The structure of payment systems in the UK means those with higher incomes are often getting better deals. (Getty Images)

About 14 million people on low incomes are being forced to spend more money on essentials than their wealthier counterparts due to a "poverty premium", campaigners have warned.

People with limited cash to spare each month often have no choice but to opt for more costly methods of payment, says consumer charity Fair By Design.

For example, some people on zero hours contracts might pay for their energy upon receipt of a bill instead of setting up a direct debit, because their income isn't steady enough.

This applies to around 8% of households, who end up paying an extra 202 per year as a result, according to Fair By Design's latest report. Those on pre-payment meters  often the poorest  face a premium of around 45.

Those on tight budgets who have to pay for their car insurance in monthly sums are spending an extra 103 per year because providers consider these payments to be part of a loan for annual insurance.

Read more: Tesco provides 730,000 meals to food banks as demand soars

People who rely on cash are increasingly finding themselves charged for withdrawals. (Getty Images)

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has previously found that 45% of people who rely on cash do so because it helps them to budget or to avoid getting into debt  but people are becoming increasingly reliant on ATMs that charge a fee for withdrawals.

Some end up using their credit cards to bridge the gap, creating mounting piles of debt just to get by month to month.

Why is this happening?

The "poverty premium" exists partly because products and services are designed for a mythical "super consumer", says Fair by Design.

This would mean someone who never becomes ill, always has a steady income, are is to understand complex terms and conditions and have the time and technology to easily find the best deal.

Campaigners accuse regulators and policymakers of being disconnected from the lives of people in poverty, and of not collaborating enough to tackle these problems head on.

What's the solution?

Fair by Design has drawn up a list of six demands, including for energy regulator Ofgem to remove the extra charges of low-income customers who pay upon receipt of a bill.

Story continues

The group is also asking for Ofgem to fulfil the government's commitment to removing the prepayment metre premium for good.

Campaigners are calling on the FCA to make insurers remove the monthly premium faced by customers, and to ensure people have access to free cash when needed.

They also want the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) to ensure a wider availability of inclusive and flexible payment methods, and for utility providers to adopt more flexible payment systems.

Yahoo News has contacted the government, Ofgem, the FCA and PSR for comment.

Read more: How overpriced is the housing in your area? Map shows worst hotspots

Many people prefer to buy things using cash.



Cash can help them budget and track in real time how much money they have left. So why should it cost more?



Were calling for change, so the millions of people who rely on cash aren't charged more. #accesstocash pic.twitter.com/x0KWDgVgxA  Fair By Design (@FairByDesign) May 10, 2023

The full list of recommendations are:

Ofgem to remove the extra charges low-income customers pay for paying on receipt of bill Ofgem to fulfil the governments commitment to remove the prepayment meter penalty permanently The FCA to require insurers to remove the premium charged of pay monthly customers The FCA and PSR to ensure people have free access to cash The PSR to ensure wide availability and viability of inclusive and flexible payment methods Utility providers, under guidance from regulators, to adopt flexible payment systems

How is your area affected by the poverty premium?

The poverty premium costs Londoners a combined 368m per year. (Getty Images)

Read more: Council facing bankruptcy 'spent 50K on coronation celebrations'

One in eight households in Britain experience some form of poverty premium, taking around 2.8bn from the national economy per year, according to a study last year by Fair By Design and the University of Bristol.

This equates to an average of 4.5m per year from each parliamentary constituency, but some places are left worse off than others.

For example, according to the Trust for London, the poverty premium costs Londoners on the lowest incomes with a combined total of 368m per year.

Read more: How to claim pension credit and get 301 cost of living payment

Using this interactive map, you can check the overall cost of the poverty premium in your area and the proportion of households paying it.

It also shows the average cost to households and a breakdown of how much more people are paying for pre-payment meters, non-standard billing, non-switching premiums, area-based insurance, single item insurance, access to money and higher-cost credit.

What do the regulators say?

A PSR spokesperson told Yahoo News: "We have an important role to play in ensuring people are getting what they need from payments to support their daily lives.

"While our work doesnt directly affect the cost of, say, utilities, we can and are making sure that our work helps people have good choice, flexibility and control over payments, for example, by unlocking the full potential of account-to-account payments through open banking.

Read more: Police officer suspended after footage shows man being punched in head

An Ofgem spokesperson said: Last month we issued a call for evidence on whether, and how, we should make these charges more equitable for prepayment and standard credit customers.

"This work is at a very early stage and there is no solution where all customers will pay less  though we are clear that any option needs to be fair and transparent for all households.

Read more: What Rishi Sunak isnt saying about his plan to save the NHS

"This includes our work to enable a phased roll out of Variable Recurring Payments. It's also a key priority of ours to ensure that payments remain inclusive as they evolve.

"Thats why last year we issued Specific Direction 12 to LINK, maintaining the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs.

"Well continue to work closely with other regulators, authorities and industry to support the growth of digital payments, while making sure the UKs cash system is sustainable and continues to provide access to those who need it."
Four-day workweeks may boost Pennsylvanias recruitment and retention of young workers  or at least some lawmakers would like to find out.

A new proposal offered in the House creates a pilot program for interested employers to transition their staff to a 32-hour weekly schedule  without a reduction in pay or benefits. In turn, qualifying employers would receive a tax credit.

The sponsors  Reps. Dave Madsen, D-Steelton; Chris Pielli, D-West Chester; and Joshua Siegel, D-Allentown  said studies show a reduced workweek positively impacts an employees mental health, work-life balance, and physical wellbeing, all without negatively impacting a business productivity and revenue.

Our economy must change and innovate to current economic conditions in order to continue to succeed, Pielli told The Center Square. He said he was drawn to the possibilities after reading the surprising results of a pilot program conducted in the U.K. by 4 Day Workweek Global.

The program included 3,300 workers  resulting in positive outcomes for both employees and workers. Participating companies revenues rose by more than a third compared to a similar period in previous reporting cycles, while resignations, sick days and overall stress levels decreased.

Pielli said that 92% of participating companies committed to continuing with the four-day workweek business model.

To qualify for a tax credit, Pennsylvania employers would need to transition a minimum of 30 and maximum of 50 employees to a four-day workweek for at least one year. They must also agree to provide feedback through required surveys or reports as requested by the Department of Labor and Industry.

Qualifying employers would receive a tax credit of $5,000 per employee, not to exceed $250,000  with a total appropriation of $15 million per fiscal year.

Madsen told The Center Square their interest in the program is an attempt to address the brain drain that Pennsylvania is experiencing, particularly with younger workers. After the investment made in the states higher education system, many students leave to live and work elsewhere, he said.

Story continues

Madsen said he doesnt know if a four-day workweek will be a silver bullet, but it could be part of a larger package to recruit and retain younger workers.

In his prior line of work with the AFL-CIO, and engaging with Gen Z workers, Madsen said it wasnt always about wages and benefits. Instead, he said, a consistent theme and important factor for them was work-life balance.

What I like about doing it as a study  its really just to take a small sample size, he said. To see if this works for Pennsylvania businesses and workers.

Madsen wants the study to include industries of all types  not just knowledge workers, or white-collar workers, but blue-collar folks as well.

All we are asking, to conduct a similar, volunteer based pilot program and let the results speak for themselves, Pielli said. We have a pressing employment problem and our jobs as legislators is to seek viable solutions. That is what we are doing here.

Democratic House representatives in Massachusetts have recently introduced a similar bill.
Recreation providers way up Highway 108 are pleading for faster plowing of the monster snowpack.

They worry that the route might not open fully until July, about two months later than usual for campers, hikers and other visitors.

A spokesman for the California Department of Transportation said it is working as quickly as it can to clear the road safely.

The snowed-in places include Camp Jack Hazard, which has served children from Stanislaus County for about 100 years.

This late opening is frustrating at best, Executive Director Jason Poisson said in a May 3 news release, as Caltrans has had ample time to prepare for the challenges of this years unprecedented snow season.

He issued the release along with the Pinecrest Lake Resort and the Kennedy Meadows Resort and Pack Station. The lake is not within the closure but some of its patrons take side trips to higher elevations, Operations Director Heidi Lupo said.

Snow closure every winter

Snow closes 108 every winter from a few miles east of Pinecrest to a few miles west of Bridgeport, in Mono County. In most years, the highway opens fully by midspring, allowing drivers through Sonora Pass at 9,624 feet.

This year, the plows have cleared the highway to Eagle Meadows Road, about a dozen miles from Pinecrest. They have 13 more miles to Kennedy Meadows and another eight to the pass.

The snowpack still is dozens of feet deep in many places, and the plows attack it with spinning blades that toss the white stuff to the side. The warming weather melts some of the pack.

Caltrans has not announced an estimated date for a full opening. The agency has brought in extra employees and equipment, said an email Tuesday from Rick Brewer, a public information officer.

The job entails not just snow but fallen trees, rocks and mud left on the highway from winter.

We share the publics desire for opening this route and appreciate the need to open for the good of the area economy and the state, Brewer said. Opening will depend on our crews ability to clear the massive snowpack and other hazards as safely as possible.

Story continues

The news release suggested that Caltrans hire private contractors for some of the plowing. Brewer said thats not in the budget.

Tourism employs about 2,500

Tourism is big business in Tuolumne County, employing 2,550 people in the latest report from Visit California, a state agency.

The county includes the part of Yosemite National Park traversed by Highway 120. That roads upper stretches still are being plowed. Lower down, badly cracked pavement has cut off access to Yosemite Valley from the north.

Pinecrest Lake is perhaps the most popular spot in the 108 corridor, created in 1914 on the south fork of the Stanislaus River. The resort offers lodging, dining, boat rentals and more for visitors, a good number of them from the Modesto area.

Kennedy Meadows has hosted visitors since 1917 along the middle fork of the Stanislaus. Guests can find lodging and dining on the site. They can rent horses for treks into wilderness areas in the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite.

Resort owner Matt Bloom said he has not been able to get up there to assess possible property damage from the storms. He said he appreciated the efforts of local Caltrans employees, but they need help from other state or contract crews.

It really appears that the management in Sacramento could not care less about rural communities, Bloom said.

Former YMCA camp

Camp Jack Hazard is just north of 108 in the Dardanelle area. Poisson said it, too, could have storm damage that will burden the nonprofits budget. The site offers swimming, hiking, nature lessons and more.

Modesto residents Jack and Buena Hazard founded the camp in the early 1920s. The YMCA of Stanislaus County soon took over and ran it until the Y chapter folded in 2009 amid financial trouble. The camp has been operated since 2011 by the Jack and Buena Foundation, based in Modesto, and is rented to users around Northern California.

Mono County has year-round access on Highway 395, a north-south route. Lupo said the 108 opening brings a welcome boost from the west, including visitors based at Pinecrest.

If we see a further delayed opening, she said, we will lose visitors to other areas of California, seeing a drastic reduction in revenue for businesses, the local economy and through county taxes.
Daniel Ellsberg addresses supporters during an anti-war protest in 2010 in front of the White House. Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images

In 1971, when Daniel Ellsberg arrived at a federal court in Boston, a journalist asked if he was concerned about the prospect of going to prison for leaking a 7,000-page top-secret history of the Vietnam War. Ellsberg responded with a question of his own: Wouldnt you go to prison to help end this war?

The classified documents Ellsberg released to The New York Times and 18 other newspapers were quickly dubbed the Pentagon Papers. They exposed more than two decades of government deceit about U.S. involvement in Vietnam, from 1945 to 1968.

To millions of Americans who opposed the war, Ellsbergs whistleblowing was an act of patriotism, but millions of others regarded it as treason. In Ellsbergs own papers at UMass Amherst, where I teach history and direct the Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy, you can read hundreds of letters to him from ordinary citizens expressing both extremes: the highest possible praise, and vitriolic, often antisemitic, hostility.

How a young war planner became a peace activist is one of the most striking conversion stories in American history. But Ellsbergs political and moral transformation did not happen in a vacuum. It reflected a titanic shift in public attitudes about the Vietnam War. The massive anti-war movement inspired and reinforced Ellsbergs dissent  and, in turn, his example has emboldened activists and whistleblowers in the decades since.

Some of the papers from the archive of Daniel Ellsberg pictured at UMass Amherst in 2019. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

A knightly calling

Once a fervent Cold Warrior, Ellsberg joined the Marine Corps in the mid-1950s, earned his doctorate in economics from Harvard and in 1959 became a nuclear war analyst for the Rand Corp., a think tank that, at the time, was funded mostly by the Air Force. In 1964, he was one of the brainy young analysts, dubbed whiz kids by the media, that Defense Secretary Robert McNamara recruited to the Pentagon.

Throughout his 20s and early 30s, Ellsberg believed that serving the president was a knightly calling, even if it required lying to the public. So how did he come to believe that loyalty to truth-telling superseded loyalty to the chief of state?

Story continues

From 1965 to 1967, Ellsberg went to Vietnam for the State Department, believing the war was a challenging but necessary part of a global struggle to contain communism. Yet he became deeply disillusioned, convinced that the war could not be won. He was particularly disturbed by indiscriminate U.S. bombing and shelling, most of it on South Vietnam, the land the U.S. claimed to be protecting. About 20,000 American lives had already been lost, and roughly a million Vietnamese people had been killed, about half of them civilians. By the wars end eight years later, 58,000 Americans and 3 million Vietnamese had died.

Pivotal moments

By 1968, Ellsberg was trying to persuade U.S. leaders to seek a negotiated end to the war. On his own time, meanwhile, he was beginning to meet anti-war activists who advocated a bottom-up effort to demand immediate U.S. withdrawal.

Thousands of demonstrators sit in Sheep Meadow in Central Park in New York City protesting the war in Vietnam on April 27, 1968. Dick Yarwood/Newsday RM via Getty Images

One of them, a Gandhian pacifist named Janaki Natarajan, convinced Ellsberg that he should study leading advocates of nonviolent resistance, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Henry David Thoreau and Barbara Deming. To this day, one of Ellsbergs favorite quotations comes from Thoreaus Civil Disobedience: Cast your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence.

But most galvanizing for Ellsberg were the Pentagon Papers, which he helped compile for McNamara. Full of technocratic euphemisms for lethal policies, the documents convinced him that the entire history of U.S. involvement in Vietnam was marked by deception: that it was an aggressive counterrevolution that denied the Vietnamese people the right of self-determination, disguised as a battle for democracy.

Ellsberg had first viewed the Vietnam War as a just cause to be won, then as an unwinnable stalemate to be gradually abandoned. By late 1969, however, he saw it as an immoral war to be ended unilaterally and immediately.

Millions of Americans had already come to that conclusion. Back in 1965, in fact, Ellsbergs future wife, Patricia Marx, agreed to a first date only if it included an anti-war demonstration in Washington.

Daniel Ellsberg and his wife, Patricia Marx Ellsberg, attend the Cinema for Peace gala in Berlin in 2019. Tristar Media/Getty Images

Just as he finished reading the Pentagon Papers, Ellsberg attended a War Resisters League conference that proved pivotal to his decision to leak the documents. There he met a few of the 3,250 young Americans who were sentenced to up to three years in prison for resisting the draft. Deeply moved by their courage, Ellsberg asked himself what he could do if he were willing to risk prison and his career.

A month later, with help from his friend and Rand colleague Anthony Russo, Ellsberg began photocopying the Pentagon Papers.

Going public

For the next year and a half, Ellsberg tried to get anti-war members of Congress to put the documents into the congressional record and hold hearings. None was willing, so he eventually offered them to war correspondent Neil Sheehan at The New York Times  the first newspaper to report on the papers revelations.

Public interest was scant, however, until President Richard Nixon began attacking the press and Ellsberg. Although the Pentagon Papers did not include Nixons time in office, the White House feared that Ellsberg might leak more documents  especially about Nixons 1968 effort to sabotage the Vietnam peace talks to improve his odds of winning the presidential election.

The government indicted Ellsberg on a dozen felony counts with a possible 115-year prison sentence. He was the first American ever criminally charged under the Espionage Act of 1917 for disclosing classified documents to the press and public rather than to a foreign agent or nation.

Ellsberg was spared prison. Late in his 1973 trial, Watergate prosecutors discovered that the White House had authorized crimes against him, including a break-in at his psychiatrists office, in a failed search for incriminating information. The judge had little choice but to declare a mistrial.

Post-Papers life

Ellsberg was a free man, but the personal cost of his dissent was severe. He lost many friends and had to forge a new career as a writer and lecturer. For more than five decades he has been a activist and has been arrested for nonviolent civil disobedience some 80 times on behalf of peace, nuclear disarmament, government accountability and First Amendment rights.

Daniel Ellsberg flashes two peace signs behind his back while being arrested during an anti-war protest in front of the White House in 2010. Win McNamee/Getty Images

To most government insiders, Ellsbergs mutiny was an unpardonable breach of the national security state. No one with so much access to power and privileged information in the U.S. government has ever broken so radically with the policies they once supported.

Yet 50 years later, Ellsberg is widely lauded, even by many people critical of the younger whistleblowers he has inspired and defended. Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than a dozen other people have faced criminal charges under the Espionage Act, and some  including Jeffrey Sterling, Chelsea Manning, Daniel Hale and Reality Winner  have been incarcerated.

In early March 2023, Ellsberg made public a letter to friends and supporters announcing that he has terminal cancer with only months to live. He closed by thanking fellow activists whose dedication, courage, and determination to act have inspired and sustained my own efforts.

Ellsbergs life and legacy are reminders that individual acts of moral courage depend on examples set by others, and they have the potential to spark more, far into the future. As Ellsberg often says, civil courage is contagious.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Christian Appy, UMass Amherst.

Read more:



Christian Appy is the director of the Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is currently writing a biography of Ellsberg.
The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency expires at the end of the day on Thursday, and Federal health officials say a lot has been accomplished.

According to information released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, since January 2021, COVID-19 deaths nationwide have declined by 95% and hospitalizations are down nearly 91%.

Public Health - Seattle & King County officials have been clear: the emergency is over but the pandemic is not. COVID-19 is still out there.

The agency says people still need to stay up to date on vaccinations, stay home when sick, wear a mask in crowds, and test if they have symptoms.

Treatments and testing will still happen, but not on the governments dime: youre going to have pay for it. We know the White House has said vaccines bought by the government will remain free regardless of insurance, but thats only while supplies last.

Washington state employees will no longer have a vaccine requirement. Gov. Jay Inslee plans to provide a $1,000 payment to eligible state employees who can provide proof of up-to-date COVID vaccinations.

The Washington State Department of Health referred me to a briefing it held last week to get more information on what people can expect now.

WA DOH Director Dr. Umair Shah said people need to remain vigilant.

We still need to continue to do all (thats) possible to continue to protect the health and well-being of our loved ones and our communities, said Shah.

Health officials stressed that we need to continue to be careful when dealing with high-risk groups. Thursday also marks the end of free, at-home COVID tests sent to your door, but you can still get them at pharmacies.

The WA Notify program, which informed people about possible exposure to COVID-19, also ends Thursday.

Health officials did say that the Health Department will continue to support schools with access to testing supplies into the 2023-2024 school year, so if you need testing, that could be another point of access.
It was, at one time, one of the busiest Covid testing sites in the Boston area.

Right before the holidays, I remember our parking lot was full of cars, said Elizabeth Ann LaRosee, Director of Community Programs for the Town of Randolph. I think it was up the street a mile.

LaRosee remembers one night when workers outside the towns Intergenerational Center tested more than a thousand people for Covid.

Today, the parking lot is empty -- as are other sites involved in the Stop the Spread campaign.

Just a really big deal, she said. But we got it done. We did what we had to do.

What everyone was forced to do more than three years ago is confront a pandemic threat fueled by a novel virus. And it was rough-going at the start. Hundreds of Massachusetts residents died every week in those early days -- and testing was not universally available. In addition, medical facilities began running out of supplies -- such that at some hospitals garbage bags were in use as protective gear.

But all that is now in the past.

Thursday, May 11, 2023: the Covid National Emergency is over. Masks will come off -- even in health institutions. Things will officially get back to some kind of normal.

I think this is an appropriate time to end the emergency, said Daniel Kuritzkes, MD, an infectious disease physician at Brigham and Womens Hospital. Weve seen a dramatic decline in the number of cases, the wastewater levels and the number of deaths and we cant be in an emergency situation forever.

Still, Kuritzkes is concerned about what the end to the emergency could mean -- including the possible loss of free home tests.

I think that the fact the tests are no longer going to be free is going to create an impediment for people, he said. And it also has the potential to exacerbate inequities in care because obviously people less able to afford those tests, people uninsured, will be more challenged in their ability to access tests.

And testing will continue to be an important tool in keeping Covid quelled. Because its still with us -- and is still a potential threat.

Story continues

One thing weve learned over the last three years is dont try to predict what the virus might do, said Kuritzkes.

Still, hes optimistic.

As the number of people worldwide who have Covid decreases, the opportunities for a new strain will decrease as well, Kuritzkes said. But that doesnt mean a new variant couldnt pop up somewhere and explode just like Omicron.

In fact, the White House has been presented with Covid disease models which estimate a 10 to 40% chance an entirely new variant could arise in the next 24 months with similar spreading power to Omicron.

I think the appropriate way of characterizing the Covid pandemic is to say weve entered the endemic phase, Kuritzkes said. Enough people have some level of immunity, whether because of past infection or vaccination or both, that even when people become infected they are no longer at high risk of getting seriously ill.

Still, some are taking few chances.

LaRosee said she continues to mask-up when grocery shopping or in similarly crowded places.

Jane Hendrickson, a Randolph resident, is not ready to declare independence from Covid, either.

Officially it may be over, but I dont know that its over, she said. I think its still ongoing. Yes, we can take off our masks, but lets be sensible about it. If youre around a crowd of people then maybe its best to keep the mask on.

Hendrickson said some positive things came out of the pandemic -- including people caring more about one another. But her Covid story is one of intense loss.

Unfortunately I lost two brothers and a sister, she said. Very painful but, you know, its part of life. I know theyre in heaven so all I can do is just wait to see them again. It hurts. But its real. Life is real -- and you have to go on.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Tens of thousands of migrants are seeking to enter the United States through its southern border as Title 42, a pandemic era federal immigration measure, ends at midnight Eastern Time tonight  and California officials say they are preparing for a surge of activity along the Mexican border.

Invoked under former President Donald Trump, Title 42 allows border officials to swiftly expel asylum-seekers in the name of public health.

The Biden administration is winding down pandemic restrictions with the end of the COVID-19 national emergency. In its place, the government plans a carrot-and-stick strategy that expands pathways to lawful migration while increasing penalties for illegal entry. Immigration advocates say the initiative closely mirrors Trump administration policy.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials told McClatchy they would not predict where attempted California-Mexico crossings might occur. The agency said only that it is prepared to adapt to what could be an unpredictable and fast-moving situation with assets in place all along the southwest border..

Migrants have tried in recent days to cross into Californias Friendship Park around the border wall that juts into the Pacific on small skiffs called panga boats. It indicates that the state may not be immune to a surge despite posing a longer and more demanding path for migrants across Mexico.

Over a year ago, at San Ysidro in San Diego, border agents witnessed migrants attempting what they call circumvention of the lanes  waiting for regular processing before jumping out of line to get across the border.

If people are rushing the border either on foot or by vehicles, at any point, we will adjust to handle it, one Homeland Security official said. Were going to do, operationally, whatever is necessary.

Others are less confident about U.S. readiness for the transition out of Title 42.

Seeing the recent images of thousands of people making their way through Central America and Mexico is alarming, San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, who plans to visit the border Thursday, said in a statement, and Im concerned the Federal Government is ill-prepared and has not put the resources in place to adequately protect San Diegans and the asylum-seeking migrants.

Story continues

What is California doing as Title 42 ends?

The federal government is responsible for immigration policy and processing. While other states like Texas and Arizona have implemented or prepared to ask for more enforcement on the border from their states National Guard, California has not.

Scott Murray, deputy director of public affairs for Californias Department of Social Services, which covers social safety net programs, told The Bee in an email that the state has supported over 350,000 migrants in the last two years through a network of non-governmental organizations and community partners.

Murray wrote that the state did so with temporary services and onward travel coordination to help migrants reach their final destinations and pursue their immigration proceedings.

California supports three migrant shelters, two in San Diego and one in Imperial. It also aids travel staging sites, which are shorter-term respites, and six non-congregate shelters, like motels where people are afforded levels of privacy, in Riverside County. The state has invested about $1 billion in these places since 2019 and fought for federal support, Murray wrote.

California and local communities in the region have done a lot to prepare, said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council.

For the last two years, the California government has actively worked with the Biden administration to provide shelter and services to migrants who are released by the federal government, Reichlin-Melnick said. And what weve seen is that the number of migrants crossing in the California area is nowhere near the level it is in other parts of the country, so the impact on local communities has been relatively minor.

What is Title 42?

Title 42 came into effect in March 2020, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said limiting migration was needed to curb the spread of COVID-19. This allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, to immediately expel migrants and asylum seekers into Mexico.

Since it was implemented, Title 42 has been used more than 2.8 million times to expel migrants.

Human Rights First reported in December that the order was related to almost 14,000 reports of murder, torture, kidnapping, rape, and other violent attacks on migrants and asylum seekers blocked in or expelled to Mexico under Title 42 since President Biden took office.

California Sen. Alex Padilla, a Democrat, told The Bee his office was in constant communication with the White House over responding to Title 42s expiration, to remind them we need a secure, orderly, humane process at the border.

Padilla called the policy a bad idea to begin with.

What is the Biden administration doing as Title 42 ends?

Among the Biden administrations measures is a policy that will make it harder for migrants who travel to the U.S.-Mexico border to seek political asylum, officials announced Wednesday.

Asylum seekers who arrive without prior authorization must show proof that they requested asylum in any of the countries they traveled through, and that the request was denied. The rule is expected to take effect after Thursday as it is still being finalized by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The policy is among several changes that the Department of Homeland Security is rolling out with the end of Title 42.

At a Wednesday press conference, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the administrations actions, but acknowledged that the nations broken immigration system could be in for a difficult period.

Even after nearly two years of preparation we expect to see large numbers of encounters at our southern border in the days and weeks after May 11, Mayorkas said. We are already seeing high numbers of encounters in certain sectors.

Mayorkas touted new legal pathways for migrants, including an asylum-appointment system that uses a smartphone app known as CBP One. He warned that anyone choosing illegal paths will face bigger hurdles to getting protection in the U.S.

He blamed Congress for failing to sufficiently fund the agency ahead of the predictable surge. Congress has failed to pass large-scale immigration reform in over two decades despite recent efforts by California lawmakers.

On Thursday, the House considered sweeping legislation to revamp the nations immigration laws and make it much more difficult for undocumented immigrants to cross the border.

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, led the debate. He cited data about how crossings of undocumented immigrants have increased since Biden became president in 2021.

Now, he said, we can see at this very moment this was only a prelude to the mass invasion now unfolding before our eyes.

McClintock, who chairs the House immigration subcommittee, said Thursday that most of those seeking asylum are not true asylum seekers.

Yes we are a nation of immigrants. We are also a nation of law. Millions of immigrants come to our country legally every year. They obey our laws, they wait patiently. They do everything our country asks of them, he said.

Miami Herald Caribbean correspondent Jacqueline Charles contributed reporting.
PROVIDENCE  Unemployment insurance programs managed by the state have suffered $121 million in fraud since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent court filing.

That's far above the $40 million in insurance the state carried to protect against such criminal activity. But, when the state filed an insurance claim, officials were in for a big surprise:

The insurance company said that state wasn't covered for any of it.

Now, the state is suing the insurance company, Fidelity & Deposit Company of Maryland, trying to force the company to pay out under two insurance policies, one for $15 million and one for $25 million.

A Superior Court decision last week sided with the state in blocking the insurance company's bid to dismiss the suit, but granted the company's request to divide the suit into two parts.

More: Cranston man pleads guilty in $450K COVID unemployment scheme

What is the lawsuit about?

At the heart of the suit is whether the state is covered when fraudsters log in to the state's unemployment benefit system and submit bogus claims using a real person's identifying information.

The insurance company points to language in the policy that bars claims that result from "the disclosure or use of another persons ... confidential or personal information."

The state argues that it didn't disclose the personal information in its systems, that it was stolen through other means and then used to obtain fraudulent benefits.

Guardianship pitfalls: She wanted a comfortable retirement and made all the right plans. How did it go so wrong?

What's next in the case

In a ruling filed May 3, Judge Brian P. Stern didn't decide which side is right. He said that more information is needed about what the policy language means to dismiss the case.

"The Court finds that the language is ambiguous as to whether the exclusion applies," Stern wrote in his decision.

The state is being represented in the case by lawyer John A. Tarantino, rather than by state Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

Story continues

Edwine Paul, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Labor and Training, which administers unemployment benefits, explained, "DLT sought guidance from the AGs office about this matter and was advised to seek outside counsel that specializes in insurance litigation."

Paul said that the state had maintained "crime" insurance coverage from 2004 to 2021.

She said that the $121 million in fraudulent claims paid broke down to $61.9 million in state money and $59.1 million in federal money.

Future action in the case, which was filed Nov. 14, has not been scheduled.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI lost millions in COVID unemployment fraud, but insurance won't pay
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The cancellation of a flight due to the sudden death of a crew member does not exempt an airline of its obligation to compensate passengers for the delay, the European Court of Justice said on Thursday.

The EU top court's judgment came in relation to a TAP Portugal flight that was cancelled on July 17, 2019, because the co-pilot was found dead in his hotel bed less than two hours before the scheduled departure time.

The 6:05 a.m. flight from Stuttgart to Lisbon was cancelled as its entire crew declared themselves unfit to fly due to the shock of the event. Passengers were ultimately flown to Lisbon by a replacement crew with a delay of more than 10 hours.

Several passengers claimed compensation for the delay, but TAP refused to pay as it claimed that the death of the co-pilot was an extraordinary circumstance which exempted it from its obligation to compensate passengers.

But the EU court dismissed that argument, saying that dealing with an unexpected absence, including due to illness or death, is "intrinsically linked" to the crew planning that is part of an airline's normal activities.

"However tragic and final it may be, the situation of an unexpected death is no different, from a legal point of view, from that in which a flight cannot be operated when such a member of staff has unexpectedly fallen ill shortly before the departure of the flight," the court said.

"The carrier must expect such unforeseen events to arise in the context of planning its crews and the working hours of its staff."

The case had originally been brought to the Stuttgart Regional Court, which asked the Court of Justice to interpret the EU's air passengers' rights regulation.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
A group of critically endangered wolves were born at the North Carolina Zoo  and video shows the tiny creatures getting their check-up.

One of the newborns  about the length of a human hand  can be seen getting its mouth examined just a day after coming into the world.

In addition to being adorable, the red wolves in the video shared May 9 play an important role in the survival of their species.

Red wolves once lived across much of the Eastern and Southern United States. But in the early 1900s, changes to their habitats and intensive predator control programs led to significant declines in population, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The species was reintroduced to Eastern North Carolina about 35 years ago, with some since shot or hit by cars in the wild. To help bolster the critically endangered population, the zoo said it has one of the nations largest breeding programs.

To save the last remaining American red wolves, a captive breeding program was initiated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service at the Point Defiance Zoo in Washington State, officials wrote on their website. The entire American red wolf population alive today, consisting of about 230 wolves in captivity and about 30 wolves in the wild, originated from this program founded with only 14 individuals.

As part of an effort called Red Wolf SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction), the North Carolina Zoo said it welcomed two separate litters of pups in recent weeks.

Three of the pups  all males  were born behind the scenes to parents Marsh and Roan on April 17. Then about a week later, Denali and May welcomed six babies, three males and three females, the zoo told McClatchy News in an email.

We are thrilled to announce that we have had not one but TWO litters of critically endangered red wolf pups born at the North Carolina Zoo!#SavingSpecies pic.twitter.com/6Io05EmxjP  North Carolina Zoo (@NCZoo) May 9, 2023

While the public wont be able to see the newborn animals at the wolf exhibit, the wildlife center plans to use social media to update people on their progress. The first post came May 9, when officials took to Twitter to say they identified and weighed each new wolf.

Story continues

During their 24-hour checkup, the pups are visually checked to ensure they appear healthy and hydrated, the zoo wrote. They are checked for heart murmurs and a cleft palate to ensure they have the suckle reflex so they can nurse properly.

The small animals, which were captured on camera snuggling together on their check-up day, are expected to have health evaluations every two weeks. Eventually, the wolves can grow to reach 80 pounds.

The zoo in Asheboro, roughly 70 miles west of Raleigh, said the babies hadnt been named as of May 10.

Watch adorable foal with the zoomies rocket around meadow on NCs Outer Banks

Watch sleepy anteater act like teenager as zookeepers try to wake him. You are 22
Immigration is uniquely a Black issue, and the way that it looks and shows up for Black migrants is very different from any other group or population.  Haddy Gassama, policy and advocacy director at The UndocuBlack Network.

Democrats in Congress introduced legislation that would counter a measure proposed by Republicans that they say would further exacerbate racist practices at the U.S.-Mexico border.

During a press conference on Wednesday, House Minority Leader, U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., U.S. Rep. Linda T. Sanchez, D-Calif., and Democratic Caucus Chair U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., called the nations immigration system broken and fragile and reintroduced the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2023.

YUMA, ARIZONA  DECEMBER 07: An immigrant family from Haiti is taken into custody by a U.S. Border Patrol agent at the U.S.-Mexico border on December 07, 2021 in Yuma, Arizona.(Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

The proposed legislation aims to address the underlying issues of why migrants are fleeing Central America, ensure that border patrol is committed to human rights and provide protection for vulnerable populations seeking refuge.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., introduced H.R. 2 earlier this month, which aims to enforce Trump-era immigration policies such as constructing a border wall.

While speaking on the House floor on Thursday ahead of the end of Title 42, Congressman Diaz-Balart said his bill provides real solutions to restore order to the southern border [and] strengthen our national security

If H.R. 2 is enacted into law, critics say it could ostracize Black migrants fleeing to the U.S. and limit their access to asylum.

Leader Jeffries admitted the U.S. immigration system is broken but said the approach Republicans want to take is anchored in xenophobia. The historic first African-American leader in Congress said GOP lawmakers are fanning the flames of hatred and distrust and irresponsible policies that will do nothing to solve the problem.

Congressman Aguilar condemned Republicans for proposing immigration policies that are extreme. He said the GOPs approach recycles the same failed policies from the prior administration that did nothing to help our situation at the southern border.

Story continues

Democrats want a safe and orderly border and a fair immigration system that treats immigrant families and children with the dignity and respect that they deserve, Aguilar remarked.

Haddy Gassama, policy and advocacy director at The UndocuBlack Network, told theGrio that U.S. immigration policies disproportionately impact the Black diaspora.

Immigration is uniquely a Black issue and the way that it looks and shows up for Black migrants is very different from any other group or population, she said.

Gassama emphasized that border patrol practices are deeply rooted in white supremacy.

YUMA, ARIZONA- MAY 20: Immigrants from Haiti, who crossed through a gap in the U.S.-Mexico border barrier, wait in line to be processed by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 20, 2022 in Yuma, Arizona. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Border patrol, just like ICE, just like your local police, theyre all forms of policing in this country. And all forms of policing in the U.S. are direct derivatives of slave patrolswhite vigilantes who are essentially deputized to hunt Black people escaping chattel slavery, she proclaimed.

Gassama added that whether its local police, ICE or CBP Black people are always going to bear the heaviest brunt of those systems.

Those barriers, she said, do not change based on any one administration or different policies.

Its a very inherent and ingrained sort of thing that will take a larger system-wide change, Gassama argued.

Amy Fischer, advocacy director for the Americas at Amnesty International, told theGrio Black migrants have faced unfair treatment for decades.

U.S. immigration policy has really been grounded in anti-Blackness and the Biden administration has really refused to understand that and enact policies that aim to undermine the anti-Blackness that is so pervasive in the immigration system, said Fischer.

On Sept. 19, 2021, U.S. border agents on horseback used excessive force against Haitians arriving at the U.S. border near Del Rio, Texas. The incident sent shockwaves through the nation and highlighted concerns about racial issues at the border, the Associated Press reported.

Gassama called the incident terrible but said it presented an opportunity for the administration to step up, name the inherent anti-Blackness in its enforcement systems and do something about it.

She said the administration dropped the ball by conducting an internal investigation several months later and doing little to hold border patrol agents accountable for misconduct.

Ari Sawyer, the border researcher for the U.S. Program at Human Rights Watch, told theGrio that the U.S. favors immigrants who are European or of European descent.

U.S. Border Patrol agents interact with Haitian immigrants on the bank of the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas on September 20, 2021 as seen from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

What we saw with the Del Rio situation versus what we saw when Ukrainians seeking asylum arrived at the border is really telling about the way the United States handles its immigration policy. Its 100% infused with racial bias, she stated.

The U.S. lacks a system that records racially discriminatory incidents at the U.S.- Mexico border; however, Fischer said organizations like Amnesty International are able to track racial discrimination from listening to the lived experience of people of color.

The United States cannot empirically say that their systems are not anti-Black if they have no data to prove it, Fischer remarked.

Gassama suggested that the Biden-Harris administration create an avenue to collect data that will monitor instances of anti-Blackness so we can hold people accountable and hopefully one day end that practice.

Prior to President Joe Bidens inauguration, Gassama told theGrio The UndocuBlack Network requested that his administration create a task force to oversee this initiative.

As soon as we found out they were elected, we were asking them to set up a White House task force on Black migration for this very reason, understanding that immigration is one thing, racial equity is another thing, she recounted.

In the meantime, Fischer said the U.S. needs to embrace that migrants have the human right to seek asylum.

People can come to the U.S. border, they can seek asylum and pursue their asylum claims in communities in the United States, while supported by community-based organizations, she declared.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Critics say GOP immigration bill could leave Black migrants vulnerable appeared first on TheGrio.
Mayor Patty Gregory and other city officials were elated by news last month that the state of Illinois had agreed to provide nearly $425,000 in matching grant funds to renovate a city-owned building next to City Hall and establish a year-round, indoor-outdoor market.

But some critics say the plan is flawed due to limited parking, lack of space for farm trucks, high renovation costs and a potential conflict with a proposed development down the street.

Michael Hagberg, a self-described government watchdog who ran unsuccessfully in the April election to become Ward 5 alderman, expressed his concerns at a recent meeting of the Belleville City Councils Economic Development and Annexation Committee.

I would ask you to take a good look at the functionality of that building and say, Is that the best use for taxpayers money, to be spending a million dollars plus rehabbing that into a marketplace, which is going to compete against private businesses in the area? he said.

Hagberg also brought up parking problems at City Hall, a longstanding issue that several local residents mentioned in Facebook posts when news of the grant was announced.

Gregory has billed the new Belleville City Market as an economic-development tool that would bring more people to downtown Belleville to shop in its stores, eat at its restaurants and go to its movie theater.

The market would include tents for farmers, artists and other vendors inside, a commercial kitchen for cooking demonstrations and a paved outdoor area for food trucks and a few more tents. The space also could be used for special events, according to officials.

Gregory, who served as director of Art on the Square in Belleville for 20 years before being elected mayor in 2021, said Monday she has done her research and knows the market plan is solid.

We may have naysayers, but you know when I started Art on the Square, people told me it would never happen in Belleville, she said. (There were) naysayers galore, and look what happened.

Story continues

Belleville City Market would be housed in a 5,300-square-foot, city-owned brick building at 117 S. Illinois St., between City Hall and a privately-owned building on the northwest corner of Illinois and Lincoln streets.

Renovation costs for the city-owned building are estimated at $846,115.

The $424,850 state grant is part of a $22.5 million package to support festivals and otherwise boost Illinois tourism. Money came from the federal government in the form of COVID-19 relief funds. Belleville City Council will be asked to provide a $421,265 match.

We have the money for the match, Gregory said, referring to $500,000 that the city has set aside for capital improvements. We wouldnt have put in for the grant if we didnt have the match.

Bryan Lehr, in green T-shirt, is the new manager of Old Town Market in downtown Belleville, shown in this 2019 file photo. His father, Art Lehr, owns Lehrs Vegetable Farm in rural Columbia.

Farmer has concerns

Belleville City Market would replace Old Town Market, an outdoor farmers market that operates on Saturday mornings May through November on South Charles Street. It has struggled in recent years, according to Belleville Main Street, which managed it until last fall.

Bryan Lehr took over this summer. His father, Art Lehr, owns Lehrs Vegetable Farm in rural Columbia. The family has been operating a stand at Old Town Market since the early 2000s.

Bryan Lehr is tentatively planning to sell produce and plants at Belleville City Market if and when it opens, but he has concerns.

Im just not fond of the location of it, he said. There is no parking anywhere close, and 50% of our customers are 60 plus, and theyre not going to want to walk a block or two blocks to come get their produce and then carry it back to a parking garage or wherever they can find a spot to park.

Ive been trying and trying to tell (Gregory) that, but she says, I know what Im doing. This is the perfect location for it.

Produce and locally-raised meat vendors at farmers markets typically pull their trucks up to tents and work out of the back, and that wont be possible at the primarily-indoor Belleville City Market, according to Lehr.

Hes also concerned that prices for tent rental will be too high for vendors from Old Town Market, and that Gregory wants to open at 9 a.m. on Saturdays, which he feels is too late for most farmers.

Old Town Market opens at 7:30 a.m. Most other Saturday morning farmers markets in the area open at 8.

Eric Schauster, assistant director of economic development, planning and zoning, said the paved outdoor area north of the proposed market building might have space for a couple of farm trucks.

Otherwise, farmers could pull up to the front door along Illinois Street (Illinois 159) and unload their produce, Gregory said. Lehr noted that unloading can take up to an hour.

Ive talked to other produce people, and theyre thrilled that they wont have to set up their own tents, the mayor said.

Most farmers markets today include soapmakers, artists and other vendors, not just produce, and that model will allow Belleville City Market to operate year-round, according to Gregory.

Her vision includes an upscale French village atmosphere with a wide variety of vendors who wouldnt offer products in direct competition with downtown merchants.

(This model is) much more sustainable for downtown on a yearly basis, said Economic Development Director Cliff Cross. It is not intended to be a seasonal farmers market. Everybodys invited to come, but if it doesnt meet what they need, Im sorry. Its not that the city doesnt value them or want them.

Plans call for the market to be managed by a part-time city employee with help from a volunteer board. Prices for tent rental havent been released. Old Town Market charges $25 a day for farmers and $15 for crafters, who provide their own tents and tables.

Belleville officials plan to turn a city-owned building at 117 S. Illinois St. into Belleville City Market. Its shown here to the right. At left on the corner is a privately-owned building.

Parking and other issues

Theres no street parking on the block where the new Belleville City Market would be located. The city has two employee lots, one behind City Hall and one behind the Bank of Belleville at First and Harrison streets in the next block.

Gregory said Monday she hopes to get permission for market customers to park in the St. Clair County garage and the probation department lot in the same block, although no agreement has been finalized.

Mark Kern is very supportive of the City Market, so therefore I think the way weve been working together between county and city (that the county will allow market parking), she said, speaking of the St. Clair County Board chairman and former Belleville mayor.

The market would operate from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, according to the mayor. (The grant application listed 8 a.m. as Saturdays starting time.)

St. Clair County offices close either at 4:30 or 5 p.m. on weekdays, and theyre closed on Saturdays.

Schauster said the city hasnt been able to negotiate with the county or other entities because its still waiting for the official grant agreement from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. That agreement must be approved by Belleville City Council.

Another critic of the market plan is Kathy Mordini, a developer and owner of Avenue Realty in Belleville. Shes been talking to officials for nearly two years about possible acquisition of a vacant city-owned building on Mascoutah Avenue for a development project.

Mordini maintains that the mayor co-opted her idea and argues that a taxpayer-supported art and craft market would be competing against the privately-funded business that she has proposed.

Patty knows that I didnt vote for her, so she has made it hard for me around every corner, Mordini stated in an email. If you dont agree with her, she will make it hard for you instead of doing whats best for the city.

Shes known for playing political games for her own agenda, and ultimately the city suffers. Its a shame we cant all work together towards the betterment of the community.

Gregory rejects that characterization, saying she began sharing her thoughts with downtown merchants and Belleville Main Street leaders on how to replace Old Town Market on May 18, 2021, shortly after being elected mayor and before Mordini submitted her proposal.

Gregory, Cross and Schauster said Monday that Mordinis proposal was handled according to a committee-approved formula thats used for all development agreements related to city-owned property.

We have followed the same rules for everybody, Gregory said.

Talks have reached a stalemate on the proposed development of a city-owned building on Mascoutah Avenue in Belleville, left. The potential developer of another city-owned building on Lincoln Street has pulled out of her deal.

Developer changes mind

The same formula was used last year in a development agreement for a city-owned building at 407 E. Lincoln St. in downtown Belleville. Andria Powell, owner of Circa Boutique + Gifts, was interested in buying and renovating it and moving in her other business, Belle City Fitness Collaboration.

Powell has pulled out of the project, Cross told the Economic Development committee recently.

Powell didnt return multiple calls for comment.

We have decided that it would be in the best interest of our business to purchase (the fitness centers) current location at 110 Mascoutah Ave., she wrote in an April 6 email to Cross.

We appreciate the consideration and approval in the process to purchase 407 E. Lincoln through the development agreement, however we simply ran out of time to move forward with the project.

Kathy Mordini and her daughter, Kinsey Mordini, reached out to city officials in early 2021 about acquiring the 1887 brick storefront and adjacent lot at 123-127 Mascoutah Ave. Its been vacant for 27 years.

Schauster said Mordini initially spoke of opening a coffee shop, but her plans were still evolving, and he didnt tell her the city would give her the building for $1 just to get it renovated and operating as a business, as she has claimed.

The Mordinis submitted a formal proposal in the spring of 2022 for Abend Street Incubator & Event Space. Its described as a place for parties, showers, cooking classes in a commercial kitchen and other events, as well as outdoor pop-up markets where small-scale entrepreneurs could sell their products.

After several neighbors objected to the plan at a Belleville City Council meeting, aldermen tabled a decision and called for another request for proposals. The Mordinis submitted the only request.

The Economic Development committee drew up a development agreement, setting a purchase price of $48,816 (which represents a discount off the appraisal) and including provisions to hold the Mordinis liable if they dont follow through on their commitment to renovate the building and operate a business for five years.

Clawback provisions are not anything new, Schauster said. Theyre in all our development agreements.

Kathy Mordini said attorneys have told her the provisions would be too financially risky, given that the dilapidated storefront needs more than $200,000 in renovations and theres no guarantee the business will succeed.

Cross said the project-approval process has taken longer than he would have liked, partly due to delayed responses and additional requests from Mordini, and she needs to accept the agreement or send it back with attorney-suggested changes for committee review, as requested.

We in no way want to negatively impact her proposal because its contradictory to what were trying to do to revitalize and redevelop downtown, Cross said. So if someone has the opinion that were trying to do that purposely, I can tell you that is 110% not what were trying to do here.
Mauricio Garcia's Nazi tattoos emerged on his social media after the Dallas mall massacre

When the gunman who perpetrated America's latest horrific mass shooting was named as Mauricio Garcia, many jumped to conclusions.

There were immediate suggestions that the Hispanic name of the killer, who struck at a shopping mall in Allen, Texas, meant he was probably a violent illegal immigrant, perhaps linked to Mexican cartels.

However, it soon became clear that something more complicated, and unexpected, was behind the attack.

Photographs emerged of Garcia's large Nazi tattoos, along with his online rants against black and Jewish people - he was, it turned out, a Hispanic white supremacist.

Despite the apparently categorical evidence, some refused to believe it, maintaining that he was not white, and sticking to the original narrative.

Garcia posted several images of his Nazi tattoos on a Russian social media page

On social media, influential figures claimed the seemingly incontrovertible fact - that Garcia was a neo-Nazi - was an elaborate misinformation operation and helped spread a conspiracy theory to millions.

Garcia, 33, was a former security guard and US Army trainee, who was kicked out during basic training.

On Saturday May 7, he donned a tactical vest and brought eight weapons, including an AR15-style assault rifle, to the Allen Premium Outlets mall in a suburb of Dallas.

He then randomly murdered eight people, including three children, before being killed by a police officer.

Eight people were killed in the shooting at Allen Premium Outlets mall in Dallas - Reuters

It was subsequently reported, by the New York Times, that police had found a social media profile, believed to be Garcia's, which contained "hate-filled rants".

A researcher for Bellingcat, the investigative research agency, then located the profile on the Russian website Odnoklassniki.

The profile image was a smiley face with a Hitler moustache and there were photographs of Garcia's swastika and SS tattoos.

Garcia described in detail how he had become what he himself called a "full blown white supremacist".

He even wrote that given a choice between identifying as black and becoming a racist, he said he would "take my chances with the white supremacist".

Story continues

He literally wrote that he was a Latino who would 'take my chances with the white supremacist' https://t.co/7p2PRBXqzp pic.twitter.com/KKrZrwaWe4  Aric Toler (@AricToler) May 8, 2023

But that failed to convince many, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican congresswoman.

She wrote on Twitter: "Only dumb white people would believe that a Mexican gang member is killing people for white supremacy."

Ann Coulter, the conservative author, said: "MEDIA: Texas shooter is Mauricio Garcia, 2nd generation immigrant...and white supremacist. So we could have been spared this horror if only someone had told the shooter: 'Mauricio, you're not white!'"

The evidence apparently also failed to sway Elon Musk, who wrote: "How do we know that was actually his social media account? Seems very odd that he would have a Russian social media account when he doesnt speak Russian.

MEDIA: Texas shooter is Mauricio Garcia, 2d generation immigrant ... and white supremacist.



So we could have been spared this horror if only someone had told the shooter: 'Mauricio, you're not white!' pic.twitter.com/5JKcXKnYpl  Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) May 8, 2023

"Didnt the story come from Bellingcat, which literally specialises in psychological operations? I dont want to hurt their feelings, but this is either the weirdest story ever or a very bad psyop!"

"Psyops" are used by the military to influence what people believe.

Mr Musk, the Twitter owner, whose posts were viewed by millions, later acknowledged: "It might all be true, but such an incongruent set of claims deserves extreme scrutiny."

The same day, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed Garcia was indeed a white supremacist.

Garcia's tactical vest bore a patch saying "RWDS" - "Right-wing death squad - and he used a Hitler smiley as his social media profile image

Garcia had neo-Nazi tattoos and had been wearing a patch saying "RWDS", standing for "Right-wing death squad".

"We do know that he had neo-Nazi ideation, said Hank Sibley, the department's regional director. "He had patches, he had tattoos, even his signature verified that. Thats one thing we do know."

That appeared to put an end to the conspiracy theory that Garcia was not a neo-Nazi, although it will continue to circulate on social media and be believed by many.

Hispanic 'racist fringe'

The confirmation of Garcia's extreme political beliefs also opened up another question about whether far-Right ideology could be on the rise among Hispanics in America.

In 2017 the Daily Stormer, the leading neo-Nazi website, launched a Spanish-language edition called "El Daily Stormer" and said it had a "big Spanish-speaking population" on its forums.

According to Tanya Hernandez, author of Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias it is the case that "in Latin America, white supremacy is alive and well."

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State University, told Axios there was a "mutation that takes place as the [Hispanic] racist fringe tries to become more mainstream".

Juliette Kayyem, a former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, said: This is a very complicated aspect of Right-wing extremism.

"We would assume that everyone is white in a Caucasian sense. But Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race, and so a lot of Hispanics identify as being white."

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.
Ukrainian military personnel on a self-propelled howitzer Dana near Avdiivka, May 9, 2023

Read also: Ukraines counteroffensive has already started - opinion

There are at least two plans of action for Donetsk that have been available since 2014, Svitan revealed.

Moreover, they could be used together and have been kept by the General Staff for ten years.

According to the military expert, one of these plans could work.

He explained that the first plan involves the Ukrainian military cutting off Donetsk from Makiivka, moving from under Avdiivka along the bypass road around Donetsk, and further towards Laryne and Mospyne. Simultaneously, Ukrainian military should move from Mariinka along the same road, but this time to the north.

These so-called small forceps can be used at any time, Svitan said.

Why are we holding onto these two bridgeheads in the Donetsk area  Mariinka and Avdiivka? Why are the Russians constantly trying to cut off these two bridgeheads? They understand perfectly well (since 2014) that if there are sufficient forces, means, and orders, then the Ukrainian military will carry out this task. And after cutting off Donetsk from Makiivka  the severance of the Donetsk-Makiivka conurbation.

Taking this route would allow Ukraine to destroy the Russian forces deployed in Donetsk, Svitan claimed.

Read also: Russians still failing to surround Avdiivka almost one year on, says governor

[The Russians] understand this perfectly well too, he said.

In other words, the task of cutting off Donetsk can be accomplished. By the way, in a matter of days.

The military expert also revealed information about a second plan for liberating Donetsk that has been in existence since 2014.

This is an assault on the Trudivske heights, cutting off Petrivka, cutting off the Trudivske heights from Donetsk, he explained.

The Trudivske heights are elevations above Donetsk. (You can) practically (see) the whole of Donetsk on the palm of your hand there. It is near Mariinka, i.e. the west of Donetsk. Entry there is also possible with the help of a certain number of troops. We have them.

Story continues

He also added that the issue now is a political decision since in the event of the liberation of Donetsk, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will cross the border that existed before Feb. 24, 2022, according to Minsk-2 agreements, which they have not crossed since the full-scale invasion by Russia.

Read also: Russia loses about two companies per day near Avdiivka and Mariinka, reports Ukrainian military

From a military point of view, it can be done, the political issue is up to the political leadership, the military expert concluded.

Earlier, the commander of the Tavria operational-strategic grouping of troops, General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, reported that on May 2, the Ukrainian Armed Forces eliminated nearly two full Russian companies on the Avdiivka and Mariinka axes.

On the same day, the Head of the Center for Military and Legal Studies, Oleksandr Musiyenko, stated on Radio NV that Avdiivka and Mariinka, near Bakhmut, are the hottest spots on the front.

Read also: Mustafa Nayyem on Ukraines efforts to rebuild after the war  interview

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
Halka Brunerova, the 2023 President's Distinguished Scholar at Pueblo Community College, is one of 1,360 graduates receiving a degree or certificate at PCC's graduation ceremony for its Pueblo and Fremont campuses on Thursday.

Halka Brunerova was 16 years old when the Berlin Wall fell and the Velvet Revolution broke out in her home country of what was then Czechoslovakia.

More than three decades later, after moving to the United States and eventually making her way to Pueblo, Brunerova has accomplished something she never imagined when she first moved to the U.S.  graduating with a degree from an American college.

Brunerova is the President's Distinguished Scholar this year at Pueblo Community College. She is one of 1,360 graduates receiving a degree or certificate at PCC's graduation ceremony for its Pueblo and Fremont campuses on Thursday, May 11, at the Southwest Motors Events Center.

Sange de Cristo Arts Center: Sanchez officially named CEO of Sangre de Cristo Arts Center after 14 months as interim

While she will be walking in and delivering a brief speech during Thursday's 8:30 a.m. ceremony, Brunerova graduated from PCC with her associate degree in history last semester. In January, she began working toward a bachelor's degree from Colorado State University Pueblo.

"As an immigrant, for so many years, I never had any sort of thought that I could go to school and do something in that direction," Brunerova said.

Brunerova is from Prague  the Czech Republic's capital and largest city. She always loved to travel and knew she wanted to live in another country some day after she vacationed in Bulgaria as a child. At 23, she took "the first opportunity to leave" the Czech Republic to work in Holmdel, New Jersey as an au pair. She went back to the Czech Republic for two years but then returned to the U.S.

While living in New Jersey, Brunerova made good friends and visited different parts of the East Coast, but didn't see herself living there the rest of her life. During her last month on the East Coast, she took a road trip through several western states, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.

Story continues

She said Colorado was the state that "felt like home."

Brunerova spent more than a decade in Boulder before relocating to Red Feather Lakes in Larimer County in 2012. She volunteered with a Buddhist retreat and worked in massage therapy, but after the pandemic hit she decided to pursue a college education.

"I drove by PCC and just felt the energy," she said. "I wanted to move there and go to that school."

At PCC, Brunerova was president of Associated Student Government and the History Club. At CSU Pueblo, she is majoring in history with minors in anthropology and religious studies and is considering a third minor in Spanish. She dreams of working with the United Nations, doing relief work with refugees and residents of post-war countries. She also has a passion for and admiration of indigenous communities and immigrants.

El Movimiento Sigue: Here's how El Movimiento Sigue is trying to address Pueblo County incarceration rates

Three different ceremonies will be held Thursday for PCC graduates. Students from the Division of Arts and Sciences will graduate during the 8:30 a.m. ceremony and Division of Business and Advanced Technology students will graduate during an 11:30 a.m. ceremony.

At 2:30 p.m., PCC will hold a ceremony for students from the Division of Health and Public Safety along with students from the Division of Medical and Behavioral Health. Students from PCC's Southwest campus will graduate on Saturday, May 13, at Montezuma-Cortez High School's auditorium at noon.

More than 1,600 students graduated from PCC's three campuses this year.

Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached by email at JBartolo@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Distinguished scholar Halka Brunerova among 1,600 graduating from PCC
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark's Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen of the Liberal Party will return to work in August following a 6-month sick leave for stress, Jensen said in a statement on Facebook on Thursday.

Denmark is governed by a rare bipartisan government made up of opposition parties the Social Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and the Liberal Party and the Moderates, a fledgling centrist party.

Jensen announced in early February he would go on sick leave after having experienced stress symptoms and a brief admission to the hospital.

"After consultation with the doctors and psychologists I speak with, I have decided to come back on August 1 when the new political season begins," Jensen said.

Minister for Economic Affairs Troels Lund Poulsen has been acting Defence Minister in Jensen's absence.

(Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard; Editing by Christina Fincher)
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP)  A Tunisian national guardsman behind an attack that killed five people intentionally targeted the ancient synagogue on the Mediterranean island of Djerba in a premeditated act, Tunisia's interior minister said Thursday.

Interior Minister Kamel Fekih pledged to spare no effort to ensure the stability of the country and to protect foreigners after Tuesday's attack. Three Tunisian servicemen and two civilians attending an international pilgrimage at the El Ghriba synagogue were killed. A dozen others were wounded.

El Ghriba is believed to be one of the worlds oldest Jewish temples. Tunisian authorities revealed the gunman's name  Wissam Khazri  and said he planned the attack, but they gave no explanation of why.

Fekih said security forces killed the gunman within 120 seconds of arriving outside the synagogue complex. The minister described the shooting as a cowardly criminal attack but refrained from calling it a terrorist act.

France's anti-terrorism prosecutor's office opened an investigation. A French citizen was among the victims.

Israeli and Tunisian authorities and family members identified the civilian victims as cousins: Aviel Haddad, 30, who held dual Tunisian and Israeli citizenship, and Benjamin Haddad, 42, who was French.

The interior minister called on security services to be vigilant for any efforts to destabilize the North African country. Tunisia is mired in political and economic crisis, and the synagogue attack is a new blow to its once-thriving tourism industry as well as to a vibrant Jewish community.

Fekri said the gunman killed one of his colleagues and seized his weapon at a national guard base on the coast of Djerba, then took a National Guard motorcycle to a schoolyard about 200 meters from the Ghriba temple, where hundreds of worshipers were present.

When he left the school after monitoring the movement of a traffic police car that was parked in the vicinity, he shot the first victim at about 8:13 p.m. and then moved toward the security guards, who were protecting the area around the synagogue, opening fire indiscriminately in order to cause as many victims as possible. But he was immediately surrounded and shot, Fekri told reporters in Tunis.

Story continues

He said that a spirit of celebration quickly returned to the island of Djerba, a land of peace and tolerance, which is proof that the author failed to implement his plan.

Tunisian President Kais Saied sought to assure his compatriots and foreign visitors that Tunisia will remain a safe country, despite the criminal attempts to destabilize it."

Speaking Wednesday night at a meeting of the National Security Council, Saied claimed the attack was intended to sow discord and sabotage the tourist season in the run-up to summer.

But these criminals will not succeed because the state is strong in its institutions, its security forces and its people awake," he said.

The chair of the synagogues committee, Perez Trabelsi, was in the house of worship during the attack and told The Associated Press of his terror.

I was scared, as were most of the people gathered in the oukala, a large space adjacent to the synagogue. Everyone was panicked. Many took refuge in the rooms for fear of being hit by the shots that came from outside, he said.

The synagogue attracted more pilgrims this year  around 6,000 people from the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and beyond  than it had for some time, Trabelsi said. He said he was saddened that the pilgrimage to the site that is revered in Judaism was spoiled by those who wish Tunisia harm.

Jews have lived on Djerba, a picturesque island off the southern coast of Tunisia, since 500 B.C. Djerbas Jewish population is one of North Africas biggest, although in recent years it declined to 1,500, down from 100,000 in the 1960s.

In 2002, a truck bombing killed about 20 people at the entrance to the same temple during the annual Jewish pilgrimage. Al-Qaida claimed that attack, whose victims included German and French tourists as well as Tunisians.

___

Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.
A 15-year-old student from Fordson High School in Dearborn has been charged with making gun threats against the school.

The male student faces a charge of Intentional Threat to Commit an Act of Violence Against a School, School Employees, or Students.

The student allegedly made a shooting threat against Fordson on Saturday. The Dearborn Police Department investigated the incident and arrested the student on Monday.

A preliminary hearing was held Wednesday and the respondent was given a 10% bond of $4,000.

The next hearing is set for 10:30 a.m. on May 31 at the Lincoln Hall of Justice before referee Tracey Martin.

Kym Worthy, Wayne County Prosecutor, said offenses like these need to be taken seriously and can have long term impacts.

"Parents talk to your children, make sure they understand that if they commit an offense like this and they are charged, there can be lifelong consequences," Worthy said. "Let them know this is serious. Let them know even if they intend it to be a prank, it isn't a joke."

More: Grand Rapids schools ban backpacks after finding loaded gun in 3rd grader's bag

More: South Eugene High evacuated due to threats for second time in a week

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dearborn Fordson student, 15, charged with making shooting threat
Senator Aisha Wahab and her sister have a morbid running joke about not making it to the age of 40.

They were children when they lost both of their parents, two Afghan refugees. Their father was murdered, in what remains a cold case in New York. Their mother died shortly thereafter.

Wahab was about ten when, after time in the foster care system, the sisters were adopted and raised by parents in Fremont. Trouble came again during the recession in 2011, when they lost their retail business and then their home, which forced a move to the more affordable Hayward. Wahab became the breadwinner for her family, but then she lost her job, too.

It was a struggle, said Wahab, now in her mid-30s. It was a when it rains it pours kind of a vibe. Literally everything happened at once.

But tragedy, for the first Muslim woman elected to the California State Senate, manifests itself in an innate sense of urgency. It has propelled Wahab to take enormous swings in her policy proposals while not becoming distracted by her critics  and there are many  in the meantime.

Having experienced loss in so many different ways, I am not here to waste any time, she said.

Wahab identifies first and foremost as a proud American. Uncle Sam raised me, she likes to say. But she stands out in an institution that has never seen anyone like her.

She is the only Afghan American woman. The only product of the foster care system. The only Muslim in the Senate (Republican Assemblyman Bill Essayli is the only other Muslim in the state legislature). There are many other identifiers for Wahab: renter, survivor, outsider in an establishment institution.

Shes unapologetic about all of this, but also less interested in discussing it than in talking about what she wants to get done with her precious time as a State Senator.

A brief rundown of the five months since she won her District 10 seat is slightly dizzying. A successful early start for a civil rights bill brought more civilians to the Capitol (in both support and opposition) than any other measure so far this session. A lobbying reform proposal sent Sacramento Twitter into a frenzy. There was an uphill battle to amend the 1995 Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, to allow localities to expand the use of rent control, which passed the Senate Judiciary committee in April.

Story continues

And, most recently, a recall committee that is fomenting in the Bay Area.

At the end of the day, this recall effort is run by Republicans, Wahab told The Bee, speaking specifically of its organizer Ritesh Tandon, a Congressional candidate whos run two campaigns as a Republican against Rep. Ro Khanna, and is launching a third against him as a moderate Democrat.

This is an effort to distract us and intimate us, especially as a brand new Senator, as a young woman of color, she said.

Tandon says the recall has nothing to do with politics or color and everything to do with job performance.

He characterized her brief time at the Capitol as filled with broken promises and failed priorities and described Wahab as missing in action.

Caste discrimination in California

One of Tandons biggest objections is to Wahabs civil rights bill, SB 403, which would ban discrimination on the basis of caste  a persons assigned position in the social hierarchy based on family purity and status. In other words, wealth and skin color. Caste privilege and bias play significant roles in South Asian communities, but Black American civil rights activists like Dr. Cornel West and journalist Isabel Wilkerson have connected caste-based discrimination to anti-Black racism in the United States.

In a message supporting SB 403, West described caste discrimination as the great moral and spiritual issue of our time.

Such legislation is unnecessary, Tandon and other critics argue, because caste discrimination doesnt exist in California or anywhere else the U.S. Moreover, they say it will actively harm Hindu Indian Americans, many of whom fear theyll be victims of racial profiling if it passes.

There are documented cases of such bias in the state, specifically in the tech industry and academia. SB 403 passed unanimously in the Senate Judiciary Committee at the end of April. Wahab will take it to the Senate floor soon.

She expected a certain level of push back.

When you try to balance the scales, there are people that have benefited from power and privilege that get upset, she said. I always knew that would be the case, the extremes that some people have gone.

Less predictable were the threats, the vitriol, the harassment of her staff, and what she described as hatred towards me for what I embody as an Afghan, Muslim woman.

Some people lose their mind over it, she said. Weve had actual, physical, violent threats. Some people have even wished my children died ... I dont have children, so, knock on wood.

While the bill has particularly vocal and vitriolic critics, its supporters are plentiful.

Amar Shergill, Progressive Caucus Chair, has known Wahab since her time on Hayward City Council. He said she and SB 403 are on the right side of history.

The opposition to SB 403 may truly believe that the bill is not good for their community, he said, just as a very small group oppose protections for the LGBTQ community, and folks opposed votes for women and people of color.

Less highlighted in the press coverage of SB 403, Wahab said, is the gratitude that so many of her constituents have expressed since she wrote it.

I see grown men shed tears, she said. There are plenty of other people from across the world, let alone in my district, literally crying because they never thought that they would one day be free of the caste system.

Her staff received one particularly moving message.

Our hands were literally shaking speaking in front of all those powerful people, a constituent said.

Why would they listen to me when I dont even speak English well? All Ive known is how to cook for my family, and family politics. I did not know I could be part of a movement. Do you think they will remember us in history? Now that we know we can do this, why would we ever go back? Thank you for showing us we could know this feeling, this power, this everything.

When people say, Is this needed? Wahab said, I think that clearly shows it is.

From IT to City Council

Wahabs entry into politics also sets her apart from many of her colleagues. After graduating from San Jose State with a BA in political science and an MBA from Cal State-East Bay, she was headed toward a career in IT.

But her work with the Afghan Coalition, a Fremont nonprofit that supports Afghan refugees, and her own experience renting in the expensive East Bay, produced a drive to be more civically active. After Wahab and her family moved to Hayward, she was drawn to local politics.

I was watching city council meetings, seeing how I could get involved, she said. When President Trump got elected, the vitriol toward so many different communities really spurred me into getting more deeply involved.

Frustrated with inaction on Hayward City Council, she ran for a seat in 2018. It was an outsider campaign, with no support from big local players like the Chamber of Commerce and fire and police departments.

People look at you think, Youre young, youre a different ethnicity, your name is weird, ... but people want to see positive change, and people supported my message.

She became the first Afghan-American woman ever elected to public office the United States.

Conflict at the Capitol

Not all of Wahabs policies have drawn push back, or such a vocal response. The same week that SB 403 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, two other victims rights bills also advanced.

The Safe Minors Act, which cleared the Public Safety Committee with broad bipartisan support, would make it a crime to arrange or officiate marriage between a minor and an adult.

The Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights, co-sponsored by Sen. Susan Rubio, D-Los Angeles, is meant to provide survivors with more support in navigating the legal system. It also received unanimous approval from Public Safety. The bill would require a state audit of untested rape kits, ensure that information about an arrest or prosecution is shared in a timely manner, and give survivors the option of an additional legal expert to support them.

Survivors who do engage with the justice system are often left with little knowledge and communication regarding their cases, Wahab said at a press conference in April.

At the same time, another measure she sponsored placed her at odds with women who advocate for an end to workplace sexual harassment.

SB 573 would bar some legislative staffers from taking jobs as lobbyists for one year after they leave the Capitol. It brought founders of We Said Enough, a group formed in response to the MeToo movement, to the bills April 18 hearing in the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee.

They said the measure could trap lower paid staff in hostile or abusive work places by preventing them from holding meaningful, well-compensated employment elsewhere.

Wahab took issue with the two lobbyists who founded the group, Samantha Corbin and Alicia Benavidez, for using victims as a prop to not have lobbying reform in the state of California.

It also cheapens the experience of survivors of sexual assault and discrimination. This bill is not how or where they will get made whole, which they deserve, Wahab said .And to be using victims as a prop to not have lobbying reform in the state of California is disgusting and not fair to them.

As her comments made the rounds on Twitter, Sacramento lobbyists, staffers, and legislators responded with outrage and frustration. Corbin and Benavidez tweeted from the We Said Enough Twitter account that they were exploring legal options. Assemblywoman Tina McKinner, D-Los Angeles, called on Wahab to apologize.

Wahab tabled SB 573, but has not apologized. She said last month that the bill is a critical component of protecting the integrity of the legislative process and that she has always been and will always be a supporter of victims and survivors of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse.

Outrage about those specific comments resulted in other critiques of Wahab  more specifically, greasing the gossip wheels about her reputation as a difficult boss, fueled in part by the abrupt departure of her chief-of-staff.

If you know anyone in the building you already know Wahabs history of terrorizing staff, one former Capitol staffer Tweeted that same day.

Five months may not be long enough to have an established history of anything in the Capitol. But outside its doors, Wahab knows her approach to legislating is unorthodox.

The way that I do things is not the traditional way, she said bluntly.

That makes me a target, but also allows me to do things that have been talked about before, but never done.
WASHINGTON President Joe Biden said Wednesday ongoing debt ceiling negotiations could disrupt plans to meet with allies in Japan and Australia this month and force him to participate in the summits virtually instead of traveling abroad.

With the Treasury Department indicating that the U.S. could reach the debt limit as early as June 1, Biden warned that failure to find a way out of the political standoff could cause him to cancel the trip or move the huddle with world leaders online.

Depending on the state of play and the negotiations, its possible I would either have to delay the trip, not delay, not go and do it virtually, Biden said in New York. "Or not go."

Biden plans to attend a summit of the Group of Seven major industrial countries in Hiroshima, Japan, to discuss the response to Russias invasion of Ukraine and tensions with China, followed by a Quad meeting in Sydney on May 24 with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Biden is also set to visit Papua New Guinea on his way to Australia to discuss regional security and economic and climate support, the White House said. It would be the first time a sitting U.S. president has visited the Pacific island nation.

Biden has said that responsibility for raising the nations borrowing limit falls on Congress and that he will accept only a bill to raise the borrowing limit with no strings attached. Republicans are trying to use the threat of default as leverage to force concessions on federal spending.

Failure to break the deadlock threatens the possibility of default on the nation's $31.4 trillion debt, an outcome that could trigger panic on Wall Street and bode possible political ramifications for Biden heading into his re-election campaign.

Asked whether he agreed with House Speaker Kevin McCarthys assertion that congressional leaders had to reach a deal in principle by early next week, Biden demurred, telling reporters Wednesday that he was not going to make those kinds of judgments.

Story continues

Ive been involved in negotiations my whole career, Biden added. Some negotiations happen in the last second. Some negotiations happen way ahead of time. So well see.

Biden and congressional leaders had an acrimonious sit-down Tuesday that McCarthy, R-Calif., characterized to Republican members as a waste of time. The group is due to meet again Friday before Biden is scheduled to depart for Asia next week.

The fight over raising the debt ceiling has evoked the brinkmanship that took place a decade ago when President Barack Obama tussled with congressional Republicans over the same issue.

In October 2013, Obama canceled a planned trip to Asia so he could remain in Washington to negotiate an end to a government shutdown and reach a deal that would raise the debt limit.

Ten years later, Biden finds himself in a similar situation. He is scheduled to leave for Japan next week for a series of meetings with his foreign counterparts. If he skips the trip to remain at the negotiating table in Washington, he would miss a key opportunity to rally U.S. allies in curbing Chinas military and economic ambitions.

But if he decides to go, he would be halfway around the world as the deadline approaches for an unprecedented default.

Biden first warned Tuesday that the standoff could throw the Asia trip into disarray.

Im still committed, but obviously, this is the single most important thing thats on the agenda, he said after a meeting with congressional leaders at the White House.

Biden said skipping the trip was not likely but added, It is possible.

If somehow we got down to the wire and we still hadnt resolved this and the due date was in a matter of when I was supposed to be away, I would not go, Biden said. I would stay until this gets finished.

Jason Furman, a top economic adviser to Obama during his presidency, said Biden may not need to be in Washington to break the impasse.

Presidents dont need to negotiate everything personally themselves, Furman said in an interview. He has good people around him who are trusted and respected on these issues.

So my hope is that the government can do more than one thing at once, but you never know.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Biden (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

A planned Friday meeting between President Joe Biden and top Congressional leaders to discuss how to raise the nations statutory debt ceiling will be postponed until next week, the White House has said.

A White House spokesperson told The Independent on Thursday that executive branch and legislative staff will continue working on a possible deal to resolve the months-long impasse over lifting the debt limit, which restricts the amount of bonds the US Treasury may have outstanding at any given time.

Staff will continue working and all the principals agreed to meet early next week, the spokesperson said.

The aborted meeting would have been the second set of talks this week between Mr Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who on Wednesday met to hash out a way to prevent the US government from defaulting on its sovereign debt.

That Wednesday session  the first between Mr Biden and Mr McCarthy in months, was characterised by the House Speaker as unproductive in remarks to reporters after the meeting came to a close.

In separate remarks later that day, Mr Biden offered the opposite opinion by calling the session productive and said he and the House and Senate leaders would gather again on Friday after their respective staffs gathered on Thursday.

But Biden Administration officials are now saying the postponement is a good thing and should be considered a sign of progress.

A source familiar with the inter-branch talks called the delay a positive development.

Meetings are progressing. Staff is continuing to meet and it wasnt the right moment to bring it back to principals, they said.

The conflict between the legislature and the White House over allowing the US to continue borrowing to meet already-incurred obligations has left investors skittish over whether the government will actually default on its debts.

While Mr Biden has continually insisted that Congress raise the statutory limit in the same manner as it did during previous presidencies, Mr McCarthy has maintained that his conference will not allow an increase in the debt limit absent significant concessions from the president.

Story continues

Prominent GOP figures frequently claim that raising the statutory debt limit to enable the US to continue meeting financial obligations  a practice that was once routine under presidents of both parties and met no objections when it was done under Mr Bidens predecessor  is akin to authorising new spending.

That claim, however, is not how the debt limit works. Raising the debt limit does not increase or decrease the amount of money that is spent on programmes that have already been authorised by Congress and have had funds allocated to them in appropriations legislation.

Experts say a failure to raise the debt limit would force the government to default on its debt and precipitate a worldwide financial crisis. The last time the US flirted with that disastrous outcome was 2011, when Republicans controlled the House and Democrats controlled the Senate and the White House. Mr Biden, then the vice president under Barack Obama, led the negotiations with congressional leaders that headed off a default, but not before the US had its credit rating decreased for the first time in history.

That 2011 dispute ended with Republicans suffering a drop in their approval ratings and facing accusations of endangering the US economy for political reasons. It also came along with an unprecedented downgrade in Americas credit rating. Those same charges are being raised again now by the White House and the presidents allies in Congress, who are holding firm on Mr Bidens call for a clean debt limit boost.
Orange County sheriff's officials are accused of moving drug evidence from one case to another. Above, the Sheriff's Department headquarters. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Orange County sheriff's officials are being accused in court records of planting evidence by moving drugs found in one investigation into the file of a second, unrelated drug case.

More than 17 grams of methamphetamine were found in five plastic bags in a room of a Buena Park motel during an investigation in 2020. But attorneys with the public defender's office on Wednesday alleged the drugs were moved nearly two weeks later into the evidence against another suspect, Ace Kuumeaaloha Kelley, whose criminal case was unrelated.

"The astonishing truth is that the methamphetamine was actually seized during a search of another motel room that same day, unconnected to this defendant," the filing reads.

At the center of the allegations filed in court Wednesday is Sheriff's Sgt. Matthew LeFlore, a recently promoted investigator who has faced a series of allegations of misconduct, including mishandling evidence, lying in reports about it, and allegedly illegally listening in on private phone calls between a county inmate and his attorney.

In the court filing, attorneys allege that not only was the drug evidence moved from one unrelated case to another, but also that LeFlore and other officers in the department "conspired to hide from the defendant the truth about the movement of evidence into this case."

"This is the kind of conduct that should send chills down the spines of the public  sworn officers shifting evidence from one case to another and then doing everything in their power to cover up what they did," said Tammy Nguyen, a deputy public defender in the case.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department, in a brief statement, did not respond to questions regarding the allegations against LeFlore and other officials.

"We have received the motion and will comply with all court orders," a spokesperson said.

According to the court filing, deputies searched two rooms of a Buena Park motel in unrelated investigations on Oct. 19, 2020.

Story continues

In a report dated Oct. 20, 2020, LeFlore allegedly noted he had collected and booked the evidence in the investigation against Kelley, including 17.8 grams of methamphetamine. Investigators also found heroin in the room.

But attorneys for Kelley said the evidence was found in another motel room, which was unrelated to Kelley's case. Two weeks after the search, the methamphetamine was moved from that case into Kelley's case, they allege.

Defense attorneys said documents recently released by the Orange County Crime Lab clued them in that the evidence was moved. The lab tests and examines evidence such as confiscated drugs. According to the filing, a note in documents provided by the lab stated the evidence was moved, at the request of the Sheriff's Department, from one case file to another on Nov. 4, 2020, nearly two weeks after the search.

"This is no different than planting evidence in a case," said Deputy Public Defender Scott Sanders, who has previously uncovered in court filings multiple instances of evidence mishandling by the Orange County Sheriff's Department. The evidence mishandling scandal resulted in the reduction or dropping of charges in at least 67 cases.

Defense attorneys also alleged that, after the evidence was moved, another sheriff's official, Sgt. Arthur Tiscareno, "manipulated" records showing when evidence was booked in the Kelley case, making it look as if the methamphetamine had been booked on Oct. 19, 2020.

"The movement of the methamphetamine would have logically been carried out at the direction of and in coordination with Sergeant LeFlore and Sergeant Tiscareno," the 110-page court document reads.

Tiscareno's report, however, also indicated he was the one who collected and booked the evidence in the case that day, contradicting LeFlore's police report.

In an interview, Sanders said evidence suggested the move was deliberate, and not an accident on the part of law enforcement, pointing to their alleged efforts to hide the drug's movement from one case to another.

"The only rational perspective is that [LeFlore is] hiding intentional misconduct," Sanders said. "LeFlore and Tiscareno long ago lost the right to claim innocent mistake."

According to Wednesday's court filing, Tiscareno was promoted to sergeant in November. LeFlore was promoted to sergeant in January.

Since at least 2019, Sanders has raised issues in court filings detailing evidence mishandling in the department, prompting audits of the agency and criminal filings against deputies.

Tiscareno and LeFlore have repeatedly appeared in these allegations and audits of the department's handling, he said.

"We learned that Tiscareno wrote dozens of false reports about when he booked evidence," Sanders said. "After all that, they not only secretly moved evidence into this defendant's case, but made the conscious decision not to write a report or tell anyone outside of their department what happened. The community can assume the very worst."

LeFlore had been tasked by the Sheriff's Department in 2018 to review allegations of evidence mishandling in the agency. An investigator at the time, he was then referred by the department for a criminal investigation himself over allegations he had also improperly booked evidence.

In previous court filings, Sanders has alleged the department was aware of allegations LeFlore booked evidence late and wrote reports in which he lied about when he booked evidence when he was chosen to head the audit.

When the department referred the allegations surrounding LeFlore to the Orange County district attorney's office, it allegedly withheld multiple reports of accusations that the investigator lied.

LeFlore has also been accused of illegally listening to privileged recorded phone conversations between an attorney and an inmate in 2017, according to court records.

On Friday, an Orange County Superior Court judge ordered portions of LeFlore's confidential personnel files to be turned over to defense attorneys in the case involving an inmate whom LeFlore arrested twice, KABC-TV Channel 7 reported.

An audit by the Sheriff's Department also revealed 40 instances in which Tiscareno claimed to book evidence in reports, yet had not yet done so, according to the court filing.

It's unclear what effect the evidence of methamphetamine may have played in the two cases so far. Kelly has pleaded not guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.

The defendant in the other drug case pleaded guilty to one count of being in possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. A second charge was dismissed, and he was sentenced to two years of probation, according to court records.

Sheriff's officials have said in the past they have taken steps to improve the way personnel are educated on the policies and procedures for handling evidence. However, Sanders said it continues to be an issue in criminal cases, while consequences seem to be few.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Brooke Barnett, the attorney for James Ray III of Montclair, gave a riveting performance Wednesday during closing arguments in his murder trial in Newark.

Point by point, for nearly three and a half hours, she buttressed Rays claim that he killed Angela Bledsoe, his girlfriend of nine years and the mother of his six-year-old daughter, in self-defense when she picked up a 9 mm pistol and pointed it at him as he sat cleaning his guns in their family room on October 22, 2018.

Barnett, who starred on the reality TV show Jersey Strong, addressed the fact that, after the killing, Ray had five hours to potentially tamper with the crime scene before leaving to pick up their daughter at school. She reminded the jury that Ray openly admitted in a confession note to taking the pistol out of Bledsoes hands and placing it in a pool of blood nearby and removing three spent shell casings and placing them in the gun case on the coffee table. And a defense witness testified that such actions are standard training for cops and the military. Ray was a former Marine and NYPD officer.

The fact that Ray, an attorney with an MBA, fled the scene that afternoon, ending up in Cuba where he was arrested by the FBI, is another potentially damning aspect of the case that Barnett sought to counter. Arguing that he intended to come back once hed figured out a plan for his defense, she pointed out that hed bought a return ticket on AeroMexico for early December, something his attorneys discovered and state investigators had ignored, she said. He left his car at Newark airport, bringing his keys with him, and gave his brother, Robert Ray, money to cover his defense and even left him his cellphone to assist in the investigation, she said.

James Ray III takes notes on the first day of his murder trial in Judge Verna Leath's courtroom in Newark on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Ray is charged with murdering his girlfriend, Angela Bledsoe, in the Montclair home they shared in 2018.

As far as motive goes, Barnett said that Bledsoe, who wanted to move to Florida to be with her lover, Bakari Burns, had more of a motive to pick up a gun than anybody else.

Because Ray wouldn't give her permission to move with their daughter to Florida, Bledsoe was desperate, trapped, like a caged animal, Barnett said. At one point, she told Ray shed give up child support if hed allow her to move there with their daughter.

Story continues

James was the only thing standing in her way," she said. "She was like a ticking time bomb."

In his own words: James Ray III trial of Angela Bledsoe killing hinges on his writings

Barnett portrayed Bledsoe as a liar for cheating on Ray and strategic because she was house hunting behind his back and hid the affair from her sister and cousin. Many of her texts, she said, were laying the groundwork for the upcoming custody battle.

She despised James, Barnett said, recounting that Bledsoe had told her sister, Lisa LaBoo, that she wanted to spit in James food.

By contrast, she said, Ray was mild-mannered and reasonable. She read aloud texts where he pleaded for calm and for the two to work things out in their daughters best interests. On Rays 3,000-plus texts in evidence, she said, he never cursed at her or threatened to kick her out of his home, even when shed sneakily did not put in a deposit for their childs fall schooling or when he found out about her affair. Hed apparently had no issue with her frequent trips, including those that were, unbeknownst to him, trysts with her lover, Barnett said

She was abused and scared? Wheres the evidence? Barnett asked.

She assailed the work of the states expert witnesses, especially detective Murad Muhammad, the lead investigator on the case. Accusing Muhammad of "willful blindness," she said he never spoke to any of Rays contacts, including his grown children or Anita, the woman he called twice the day of the shooting, or sent Bledsoes phone for extraction. Muhammad also failed to seek records on how often Ray and Bledsoe went to the shooting range, which would have shown why James knew when [Bledsoe] pointed the gun at him she had the ability to use it, she said.

Barnett also blasted Frank Ricci, the prosecutor's crime scene investigator, for never testing the 9 mm pistol near Bledsoe for DNA. The grooves in the gun are where DNA lives, she said. Instead he tested it only for fingerprints and found none, she said. He told us fingerprints are more reliable than DNA, she said. That is the furthest thing from the truth. If it had been tested, her DNA would have been on the gun.

Angela Bledsoe at her high school reunion in 2017 in Suitland, Maryland.

The fact that one of the three bullets to pierce Bledsoe was in her back was another fact Barnett tried to counter to argue he shot in self-defense. Experts agree that Rays first shot to Bledsoe was to her chest when she was sitting on the family room couch and, Ray said, she pointed a gun at him. After hiding in the bathroom, he wrote, he emerged to see a trail of blood from the family room to the kitchen, where Bledsoe was sitting up. When she again reached for her gun and pointed it at him, he began firing and couldnt stop.

Three bullets hit her in the kitchen  one to her left cheek, one to her back and one which ricocheted off the floor and grazed her. The prosecutions theory is that Bledsoe was crawling on her hands and knees when the bullet hit her in the back, but Barnett said the medical examiner testified that the wound path indicated that she could have simply been leaning forward.

Last week, firearms expert Emanuel Kapelsohn testified that a shot to Bledsoes face could have spun her around, leading to the shot in the back and her final position face down on the floor.

What happened to Angela Bledsoe is tragic, unimaginable, said Barnett. "But James Ray sits before you in a cloak of innocence.

"The state has to prove to you that Angela Bledsoe did not pick up the 9 mm gun at point it at James Ray, and they have failed to do that, she said. "And we have an individual sitting here who reasonably believes he had no choice but to shoot or be shot.

The prosecutions closing arguments will be held Thursday.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Defense attorney: James Ray had no choice but to kill his girlfriend
Republicans ramped up their focus on woke waste in the federal budget on Thursday, prompting fierce blowback and accusations of bigotry from Democrats.

Lawmakers clashed over what the word woke means and how spending cuts should be applied during the GOP-led House Budget Committees hearing on woke, wasteful, bloated bureaucracy under the Biden administration.

The hearing came as House Republicans and President Biden appeared no closer to clinching a deal on raising the debt ceiling, or on where to cut spending, after meeting earlier this week.

During the hearing, Republicans took aim at coronavirus relief passed under Biden, his administrations sweeping student loan forgiveness plan, as well as energy and tax policies enacted through Democrats signature 2022 economic bill.

But House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) also took aim at other spending he described as woke earmarks, including millions in funding to promote dirt bike culture in Baltimore, pride centers in San Diego, and $3.6 million for the Michelle Obama trail in Decatur, Ga.

If the folks in New York want to build an LGBTQ museum, have at it, he added. But the people in Lubbock, Texas, ought not to underwrite it.

The hearing arrives months after Democrats leveled charges of racism against Republicans as the party began to zero in on certain funding items as woke earlier this year.

I think the real waste here is the waste of time in the Republican willingness to follow the call of President Trump just last night to drive our economy off the cliff, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) said Thursday. Instead of their much-ballyhooed promised budget, they offer us today to talk about woke policies.

They dont really know what woke means, but it sounds a little bit Black, and it appeals to the white nationalists, who are so important in their base, as they send a message, a signal, that they dont want to do anything about historic injustices to people of color, he added.

Story continues

Republicans have defended the ongoing push as part of a larger effort aimed at finding areas to draw down federal spending, as the party seeks concessions from Democrats in exchange for their help to raise the debt limit in the weeks ahead.

Its basically social programs that the government feels ought to be funded, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) said when leaving the hearing. Thats just a part of it. What were focusing on is the main question, why is this administration continuing to spend more money we dont have?

Regarding GOP criticism of funding for the trail named after Obama, Norman said the same logic would apply if it was named for former first lady Melania Trump.

Thats not the federal governments role, Norman told The Hill.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) argued funding for the trail would fit more into the category of wasteful spending. But he also called out funding for items like Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and efforts to advance critical race theory, which he said promoted an agenda that is completely out of step with American people.

If its $1 billion, $2 billion or $100 billion of stupid expenditures, the fact is its a misguided priority thats undermining the entire culture of these institutions, Roy said Thursday.

Democrats see Republicans attacks on all things woke as a means to appeal to their conservative base on cultural issues, downplaying the amount of spending targeted as significant when taking into account the trillions of dollars the government spends on an annual basis.

If we had $1 for every time Republicans say the word woke, we would have enough money to pay off the national debt, Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, told The Hill on Thursday, calling some of the rhetoric used during the hearing purposely divisive.

In her opening remarks, Paige Agostin, a policy director at right-leaning think tank Center for Renewing America, argued the meaning of woke transformed into identity-based Neo-Marxism with a goal is to destroy American society.

Wokeness is now essentially a taxpayer-funded secular religion crafted by secular elites to supplant the nations Judeo-Christian traditions that have stood the test of time, Agostin testified.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) argued Republicans had a warped definition of the word during the hearing, before going on to cite a Merriam-Webster definition of the phrase reading, aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues, especially issues of racial and social justice.

In other words, its basic decency. It means treating all Americans fairly regardless of their skin color, background, religion, or gender identity, she said.

Pressed for his stance on what is classified as woke funding, Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) told The Hill it meant nothing good.

Bottom line, if youre spending too much money on anything, spending money thats not yours, it belongs to your children or your grandchildren, or doing things that are going to make America less competitive  thats not good for this country, he argued. Its not right.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Controversy over a Republican senators comments appearing to support white nationalists in the military are again exposing Republican lawmakers lingering anger over the Defense Departments efforts to root out extremist ideology in the ranks.

Conservatives have blasted Pentagons efforts so far, which started in earnest after the January 2021 insurrection at the Capitol, decrying the training on how to spot hateful ideology as an effort to politicize the military and tarnish the public image of the armed forces. But Democratic lawmakers  and senior military officials  say teaching troops to identify and eschew extremism is necessary to prevent the few troops with radical views from poisoning the wider force with their hateful ideology.

White nationalism has no place in our armed forces and no place in any corner of American society, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the chambers floor Thursday. He urged Senate Republicans to make a similar public pledge, in response to controversial comments by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., earlier this week.

Tuberville was asked if he thought white nationalists should be allowed to enlist and serve in the military.

Well, they call them that, Tuberville told NPR local station WBHM in Birmingham. I call them Americans.

Some troops disappointed by check-the-block extremism stand-downs, others laud commanders

Schumer said any support for such extremist views in the ranks is utterly revolting, but Tubervilles office said the quotes have been taken out of context, insisting in a statement that the Republican senator was being skeptical of the notion that there are white nationalists in the military, not that he believes they should be in the military.

Tuberville, and many GOP colleagues, have criticized the Defense Departments 2021 extremism stand-down, a military-wide training on the potential signs and dangers of extremist ideology. Critics said the training  part of diversity, equity and inclusion education embraced by the Biden administration  wasted troops valuable time, while military leaders said it amounted to only a few hours of extra work for each individual.

Story continues

As Schumer delivered his Senate speech on Thursday, House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., introduced legislation which prohibits the use of appropriated funds to investigate extremism in the military and would require an audit of all diversity programs currently active across the services.

The measure is sure to be a key point of contention in the committees upcoming debate over the annual defense authorization bill, expected to be drafted next month.

Supporters of the Defense Department training and the broader anti-extremism efforts point to recurring issues of violent ideology among individuals linked to the military.

For example, in the eight months following the mandated stand-down, defense officials reported 100 cases of servicemembers engaging in prohibited acts of extremism, according to committee documents.

And last month, National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, 21, was arrested for leaking online classified documents related to U.S. support to Ukraine and other foreign allies. The Associated Press reported that the airman frequently posted racist and violent comments in online chat rooms.

FBI probes how failed soldier turned Texas mall shooter

And only days ago, a Texas man who years ago was booted after only three months of Army basic training, gunned down eight people in an attack investigators believe may have been spurred by his racist and pro-Nazi views.

In the wake of the Texas attack, members of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism are meeting with lawmakers, urging them to adopt the groups recommendations to address extremism in the military, co-founder Wendy Via told the Military Times.

The group proposed about a dozen measures it wants the Pentagon to implement, including bolstering its tattoo database to keep watch for hateful insignia, investigating the social media activity of prospective recruits, and creating an intervention program for service members after theyve been forcibly removed from the military and are vulnerable targets for extremist groups. So far, the group has experienced pushback in Congress, Via said.

There should be more opportunity for members of the military to have this kind of extremist training, just like they have sexual assault training, Via said. Just because they have sexual assault training doesnt mean that every member of the military is prone to commit sexual violence.

Nor is training about extremism meant to say that every member of the military is racist. But Via said thats what lawmakers are saying of the training, in order to justify their refusal to address any kind of white supremacy.
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza kill 21 Palestinians: Health Ministry

Xinhua) 09:08, May 11, 2023

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on May 10, 2023. At least 21 Palestinians were killed and 64 were injured in the continuing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, said the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza on Wednesday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- At least 21 Palestinians were killed and 64 were injured in the continuing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, said the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza on Wednesday.

Ashraf Al-Qedra, the ministry's spokesman in Gaza, said in a press statement sent to reporters that 21 Palestinians were killed, including 12 civilians, and 64 others were injured by the shrapnel of the Israeli missiles.

The Gaza-based joint chamber of military operations of Palestinian factions claimed firing a barrage of rockets to southern and central Israel on Wednesday, in response to the surprising Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday predawn, which killed three senior members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement's armed wing in the Gaza Strip and their wives and children.

"The chamber claims responsibility for launching hundreds of missiles on the enemy's sites, settlements, and targets, and even Tel Aviv, in response to the assassination of the PIJ leaders," the statement said.

The group comprises several armed wings of Palestinian factions, including the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the PIJ movement, and other minor military factions and groups.

An Israeli army spokesman said in separate press statements on the same day that the Israeli army targeted dozens of military posts, sites, and operatives belonging to the PIJ military infrastructure by missiles.

Israeli Radio reported that more than 300 rockets and projectiles were fired from the Gaza Strip at southern and central Israel, adding that the Israeli army's Iron Dome intercepted most of the rockets and other rockets landed at empty areas.

Meanwhile, Ismail Haniyeh, politburo chief of Gaza-ruling Hamas, received phone calls from United Nations, Egypt, and Qatar on Wednesday mediating between the Palestinian enclave and Israel to end the flaring tension.

During the phone calls, Haniyeh discussed with the mediators the ways to deal with the Israeli aggression against Gaza in the past two days, and "blamed the Israeli occupation for the escalation and repercussions of this aggression."

A man mourns a Palestinian killed in an Israeli airstrike at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 10, 2023. At least 21 Palestinians were killed and 64 were injured in the continuing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, said the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza on Wednesday. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

Palestinians mourn at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 10, 2023. At least 21 Palestinians were killed and 64 were injured in the continuing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, said the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza on Wednesday. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 10, 2023. At least 21 Palestinians were killed and 64 were injured in the continuing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, said the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza on Wednesday. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 10, 2023. At least 21 Palestinians were killed and 64 were injured in the continuing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, said the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza on Wednesday. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A sharp-eyed deputy was shopping when he spotted a murder suspect in a North Carolina grocery store, officials said.

The deputy recognized 63-year-old Kenneth Alan Stout, who was considered a dangerous fugitive after the suspicious death of Barbara Baker. Someone was looking for her when her body was found last month in the Beartown area, the McDowell County Sheriffs Office of West Virginia said in a conference video that WCHS shared online April 28.

During the search for Stout, U.S. Marshals Service released a wanted poster and announced $15,000 in rewards for information leading to his capture. Federal officials said Stout had a violent past and believed he was looking for job as a handyman or trying to exploit Black churches while on the run.

Stout had ties to cities across the Southeast, and officials reported losing track of him in South Carolina.

Then, more than a month after the April 1 homicide, Stout was caught about 375 miles from the West Virginia crime scene, officials said. He was found after a cop near the North Carolina coast reportedly spotted a familiar face during his May 6 grocery run.

The New Hanover County Sheriffs Office said one of its deputies was off duty but thought he recognized the fellow Food Lion shopper from a wanted poster. He called 911 and joined deputies from neighboring Pender County in tracking down the man, identified as Stout.

Stout, who had been wanted for first-degree murder, was arrested and taken to jail. He was waiting to be extradited back to West Virginia as of May 6, officials in that state said.

Though McDowell County Sheriff James Muncy shared few details about the homicide case during the April 28 news conference, he said Stout had been in a domestic relationship with Baker.

McDowell County is roughly 115 miles south of the state capital of Charleston, West Virginia.

Soldier found shot to death in North Carolina. Now, fellow soldier charged with murder

Missing teen girl was found dead. Now, her mom faces charges in North Carolina
A Republican politician with no higher education experience has emerged as the lone finalist to lead a Central Florida state college after three other candidates abruptly withdrew from a selection process that has raised concerns about political influence.

Republican state Rep. Fred Hawkins, a close ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, was picked by the South Florida State College District Board of Trustees on Wednesday morning  two days after Hawkins submitted his application and five days after the board voted to lower the education requirements for the position, a move that allows Hawkins to qualify.

Hawkins is still considered a candidate and is scheduled to be interviewed on May 31. But he is already claiming the job.

Pages turn and new chapters begin. I am looking forward to becoming the next President of South Florida State College, Hawkins posted on Twitter Wednesday evening.

The seven political appointees on the board of trustees are scheduled to vote for the colleges next president on June 7. Five of the trustees were appointed by DeSantis in 2020.

If the board formally approves Hawkins to replace retiring President Thomas C. Leitzel, it will mark the end of a seven-month presidential search process and will put a former Republican lawmaker at the helm of a public community college at a time when DeSantis is trying to aggressively reshape the states higher-education system.

The college, which has its main campus in Avon Park, conducted a national search, drew dozens of applicants and ultimately landed with Hawkins, a former Osceola County commissioner and twice-elected state House representative. Hawkins, also a former rodeo cowboy who lives in St. Cloud, has led a K-12 education foundation in Osceola County since 2016, has served in higher-education legislative committees and on many local associations and boards, including the Osceola County Charter Review Commission.

His record also includes a 2020 arrest for impersonating a law enforcement officer. Prosecutors agreed to drop the charges, if he completed a diversion program. DeSantis suspended him from being an Osceola County commissioner due to the charges.

Story continues

The Herald/Times has reached out to Hawkins through texts and calls seeking comment about his selection and the application process. He had not responded as of Thursday afternoon.

Outside influence questions

The events that led to Hawkins selection have raised questions about whether the presidential search process was influenced by outside political forces.

The first signs came during an April 17 board meeting, when the trustees were discussing selection of one of three finalists for the college presidency. When the meeting ended, all candidates had withdrawn, and one of the trustees, Joe Wright, expressed his concerns about serving on the board and intervening issues that occurred, according to a copy of the draft minutes from the workshop.

The three finalists  Amy Bosley, John M. Davis and Vicky Wood  had doctorate degrees and administrative experience at community colleges. Bosley is the vice president for institutional planning, development and chief of staff at Valencia College in Orlando; Davis is the vice president of administrative services at Germanna Community College in Locust Grove, Virginia, and Wood is the president of Washington State Community College in Marietta, Ohio.

At a May 3 meeting, the board voted to lower education requirements to allow those without a terminal degree to apply. Successful applicants would still need a combination of credentials and experience sufficient to warrant the respect and confidence of a wide range of college constituents, Board Chair Terry Atchley said, adding that candidates with a variety of leadership experiences are strongly encouraged to apply.

In his resume, Hawkins lists a bachelors degree in pre-law and political science from the University of Akron and says he is applying to University of Florida online masters program. A UF spokesperson did not immediately say whether he has already enrolled for courses.

Political affiliations come into play

After the May 3 meeting, Trustee Louis Kirschner told a Tampa Bay Times reporter that he thought the three finalists who withdrew were pretty good, but that he did not see any problem with state officials weighing in on the selection process. Kirschner has served on the board since 1999 and is the chairman of the DeSoto County Republican Executive Committee.

You have to understand that we are political appointees, and they were all Democrats, Kirschner said of the three finalists. The governor doesnt appoint all Republican trustees and expect us to select a Democrat.

Political orientation may not have mattered 10 years ago, Kirschner said. But he said he doesnt trust a left-leaning president not to carry woke ideology into their leadership of the school. Applicants need dedication not just to education but also to the character and integrity of the school, he said.

When asked about the governors involvement in the selection process, DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin said the decision was up to the Board of Trustees, but of course we support the selection of a qualified individual who is committed to truth and academics and not trendy ideological agendas.

The withdrawals did not indicate any intervention from the governor, and that is really all we know, Melissa Kuehnle, a spokesperson for the college, told the Herald/Times on Wednesday when asked about the previous three finalists.

Hawkins has close ties with the governor. He has served in the Florida House of Representatives since 2020, and DeSantis endorsed his reelection bid in 2022. Most recently, Hawkins championed legislation to implement DeSantis high-profile plan to take over Disneys special taxing district after the company opposed Floridas Parental Rights in Education law, called dont say gay by critics.

Griffin did not respond on Wednesday and Thursday when asked whether the governor supported Hawkins as a finalist.

Criminal history and diversity statements

Hawkins does not have teaching experience, but he has served as the president and CEO of the Osceola Education Foundation since 2016. In that role, he oversees scholarship programs, the operation of three charter schools, fundraisers and community relations, according to Hawkins resume and application.

At a time when DeSantis is aggressively trying to eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives at higher education institutions, it is notable that Hawkins foundation prominently features an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement.

Our strength comes from our diverse community, and we celebrate the visible and invisible qualities that make each person unique, including race, gender and/or gender identity, age, sexuality, ability, religion, national origin and any other identity, the statement reads.

Hawkins, a longtime Osceola County commissioner, wrote in his application to be the state colleges president that he is leaving his post at the foundation to continue to use my knowledge in education in a different capacity.

In his application, he also disclosed his criminal history. He was arrested in 2020 for impersonating a law enforcement officer to try to gain access to a meeting of a homeowners association to which he did not belong. Hawkins was then an Osceola County commissioner, and he was suspended from office after the arrest.

Hawkins used his special deputy badge  an honorary title  and threatened to arrest a security guard who tried to prevent him from entering the room, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He did not have arresting powers and no one from the sheriffs office had requested him to take action as a special deputy at the HOA election, law enforcement said.

Hawkins reached a plea deal in the case and went through a diversion program, court records show.

Tampa Bay Times reporter Ian Hodgson contributed to this report.
Two high-profile Iowa Republicans  state Senate President Amy Sinclair and state House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl  are endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expected presidential bid, Fox News has confirmed.

Word of the endorsements come two days ahead of DeSantis' Saturday return to Iowa  the state whose caucuses lead off the GOP presidential nominating calendar.

The Florida governor will be in the heavily red northwestern part of the state in the late morning to headline Republican Rep. Randy Feenstras third annual Feenstra Family Picnic fundraiser in Sioux Center. Later in the day, hell head east to Cedar Rapids to headline an Iowa GOP fundraising event.

FIRST ON FOX: DESANTIS HELPS HAUL IN BIG BUCKS FOR REPUBLICANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Sources in DeSantis' political orbit tell Fox News that Sinclair and Windschitl are expected to attend the governors events in Iowa on Saturday.

DeSantis will be in Iowa the same day as former President Donald Trump, whos the current overwhelming front-runner in the Republican nomination race as he runs a third straight time for the White House. Trump is scheduled to hold an evening rally in Des Moines.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

WHO'S IN AND WHO'S ON THE SIDELINES  YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE

The two high-profile endorsements for DeSantis in Iowa  which were first reported by the Des Moines Register  come a week after he landed the support of a top state GOP lawmaker in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary and second overall contest in the Republican nominating schedule. That endorsement came from state House Majority Leader Jason Osborne.

Trump released a dozen endorsements from Iowa Republican leaders ahead of a March stop in Davenport.

And at a campaign event in New Hampshire two weeks ago, the former president unveiled a list of roughly 50 endorsements from Granite State Republicans.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on April 27, 2023, in Manchester, New Hampshire.

While DeSantis remains on the 2024 sidelines, hes expected to launch a presidential campaign in the coming weeks.

Story continues

The governor said last week that he'll decide "relatively soon" whether he will launch a 2024 GOP presidential campaign.

DeSantis, who won an overwhelming 19-point gubernatorial re-election victory last November, said at a news conference last Friday marking the end of Florida's legislative session, "I felt very confident going into November 22 we were gonna do very well, but you really had to put up or shut up on that."

Asked about his 2024 plans, the governor said, "What happens in the future? Well get on that relatively soon. You either gotta put or shut up on that as well. So we'll see."

But behind the scenes, hes already made plenty of moves toward launching a campaign, including beefing up staff in Tallahassee. And the past couple of months, hes made campaign-style stops in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, the first three states to vote in the GOP presidential nominating calendar.
[Source]

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that mandates the inclusion of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history in the states K-12 curriculum.

The general education bill, which includes other new requirements in the sector, will specifically require the teaching of the incarceration of Japanese Americans in World War II, the immigration, citizenship, civil rights, identity and culture of AAPIs and the groups contributions to American society.

Tuesdays signing makes Florida the first Republican-led state to pass such a law. Mimi Chan, director of Make Us Visible Florida  the local chapter of a nonprofit that pushes for the inclusion of AAPI studies in public schools  led the effort for two years to make it happen.

It took a lot of work and determination in order to get this passed, Chan said, according to The Independent Florida Alligator. Asian American history is American history.

More from NextShark: Trump calls Elaine Chao Coco Chow in latest attack on Mitch McConnell

While the law takes effect on July 1, the curriculum will still take years to prepare.

Chan said their organization will be monitoring its development.

High school student Jake Leaf, who is part Chinese, said he did not learn a lot about his culture growing up. While he may not be in class anymore when the lessons begin, he is thrilled for future generations.

More from NextShark: Chinese American acting legend Anna May Wong to be featured on new US quarters for 2022

Im excited for people like my little sister and people like that to just learn more about Asian culture and have that experience that I wasnt really able to fully get, Leaf told WKMG. So, itll be really cool that theyre able to experience that.

While DeSantis has advanced AAPI representation with the passing of the bill, the Florida governor has also banned Chinese citizens from buying land in a separate legislation. An exception is reserved for Chinese visa holders, who may own one home as long as they are registered with a state agency.

Story continues

More from NextShark: 'Unprovoked' razor blade attack on Asian man riding NYC subway being investigated as hate crime

Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark!

Rep. Tim Ryan defends anti-China campaign ad amid Sinophobia accusations
With a global pandemic raging, the nation's medical profession "lost its mind" and followed in lock step as bureaucrats dictated that they require vaccines and and mask mandates for children, Gov. Ron DeSantis told a receptive crowd Thursday at a gathering in conservative Destin, Florida.

"A lot of people were harmed by what the federal government did and a lot of states did," the governor said. "Today there are still physicians out there trying to jab babies with MNRA shots."

Declaring "it is important that physicians be able to tell the truth and buck the system," DeSantis was in Northwest Florida to sign SB 1580/HB 1403, which was sponsored by Navarre resident and state Rep. Joel Rudman and Sen. Jay Trumbull, whose district includes Destin.

What does bill do? Florida health care can now be denied based on moral, ethical, religious beliefs. Explainer:

What's ahead? A rundown of Florida bills causing 'massive panic' in transgender, LGBTQ communities

Senate Bill 1580, Protections of Medical Conscience, allows Florida health care providers and payors to refuse services based on their moral, ethical or religious beliefs. The bill was one of more than a dozen bills closely watched by LGBTQ advocates who were concerned health care providers and insurers would use it to deny health care or coverage of health care to transgender people.

The legislation defined "conscience-based objection" as based on "a sincerely held religious, moral, or ethical belief."

Rudman, however, argued that he sponsored the bill because society has gone to "Dr. Google," with patients checking their computer for symptoms and then coming to their doctors with their own recommendation for treatment.

"They think they know what they need," Rudman said, and often ask for things that are harmful or things that "we couldn't recommend in good conscience."

Story continues

"If you ask for something you shouldn't get done, we're going to tell you we do not recommend that," he said.

Asked if that wasn't something a physician could already do, Rudman suggested a look toward California to "see where states could potentially be headed."

"We want to establish ourselves as the anti-California," he said.

DeSantis-dominated legislative session: The priorities that sailed, struggled and sank

A bill summary states that the bill, which drew opposition from several sources, will give health care providers and payors the right to opt out of participation in or payment for certain health care services on the basis of conscience based objections.

That, according to the ACLU, means a physician can refuse to provide healthcare services to Floridians based on their personal beliefs and provides full immunity from liability over any negative consequences resulting from the denial of care.

Floridians will have to fear discriminatory treatment from medical providers every time they meet a new provider, the ACLU said.

"This bill is a broad license for health care providers and insurance companies to refuse services to people," said Brandon Wolf, press secretary for Equality Florida, in a written statement. "No one should be denied access to medical care. It gives health care providers and insurance companies an unprecedented religious or moral right to refuse to provide services. This puts patients in harms way, is antithetical to the job of health care providers, and puts the most vulnerable Floridians in danger. Our state should be in the business of increasing access to medical care, not giving providers and companies a sweeping carve out of nondiscrimination laws. Shame on the governor for putting Floridians health at risk to score cheap, political points."

The law goes into affect July 1.

Rudman said that his bill, which created a law now in existence in several states, is the only one to have specifically offered protections against discrimination. However, while the legislation says that health care providers can't use it to deny care based on a patient's race, color, religion, sex or national origin, attempts by Democratic lawmakers to extend those protections to gender identity and sexuality failed.

At several points over the legislative session that adjourned last week, Republican lawmakers invoked their Christian beliefs to question the existence of transgender people and support bills that restricted their access to transition-related medical care.

According to the ACLU analysis, the opt out provision will exist not just for doctors, but also nurses, pharmacies, hospitals, mental health providers, medical transcript services, clinical lab personnel and nursing homes.

In all the governor signed four bills. In a news release, DeSantis' office said the package of new laws "safeguards residents freedom by ensuring no patient is forced by a business, school, or government entity to undergo testing, wear a mask, or be vaccinated for COVID-19."

The Rudman bill, the governor's office said "affords medical professionals the freedom to collaborate with patients in prescribing alternative treatments and protects physicians freedom of speech."

The governor took care to highlight another of the bills that he signed into law Thursday. It makes Florida "the first state to ban unsafe and unregulated gain-of-function research, like the research conducted in the Wuhan lab."

"We've seen a lot of research at the federal level go out of hand, and there's no accountability, no transparency, whatsoever," said state Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, who sponsored a Department of Health bill that included the gain of function provision. "We're going to make sure Florida stands as a beacon for freedom."

DeSantis and other speakers at the event, held at Ocean Church, touted Florida's status as a "Prescribe Freedom" state and criticized the "woke" federal bureaucracy that had imposed strict restrictions as COVID-19 raged.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs SB 1580 medical conscious bill
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis listens to a speaker at a press conference at the American Police Hall of Fame & Museum in Titusville. Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

DeSantis signed a bill into law that will hide his travel records from public view.

The law comes as he's expected to mount a presidential campaign.

It'll even apply to trips the governor has already taken.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Thursday that would hide records about his past and future travel, as well as powerful people he meets with, at a time when he's widely expected to be on the cusp of announcing he'll run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

DeSantis signed the bill into law unceremoniously on Thursday afternoon, among more than 35 other bills. His office sent an email to the press that listed the bills that were now law.

Under the new law, details about the governor's trips  whether on state planes or private, chartered flights  will be retracted, including names of staff and family members that travel with DeSantis. Visitor logs to the governor's mansion and his office also will be hidden.

The retraction will shield information not just from journalists but from DeSantis's political opponents, who would likely compile droves of research to use against the governor for public scrutiny. Chief among these could be instances in which DeSantis traveled with lobbyists or others who might have been trying to curry favor with him.

Wealthy donors helped pay for DeSantis's travel during his successful 2022 reelection campaign and for him to travel to rallies to support other Republicans, according to an Orlando Sentinel investigation.

Asked about the legislation last week, during an unrelated press conference on public safety, DeSantis said the measure hadn't "necessarily" been his idea but was "motivated by security concerns."

"The issue is, with a security situation, how you do patterns of movements if you're somebody that is targeted  which unfortunately I am, and I get a lot of threats  that could be something that could be helpful for people who might not want to do good things," DeSantis said.

Story continues

Under the new law, other state officials would receive the same protection as the governor over travel records, including the lieutenant governor, leaders in both chambers, Florida Cabinet members, and the Supreme Court's chief justice.

The security argument was nonsensical to Ben Wilcox, research director and co-founder of the good government organization Integrity Florida, given that the new law will apply to past travel records.

"It strains credulity to suggest that hiding travel records could somehow prevent a security breach in the future," Wilcox told Insider. His position is that the public should know how taxpayer money is being spent to fund the trips, particularly because DeSantis's official stops  on everything from signing a bill into law to announcing new funding  often mimic campaign events with DeSantis ticking off his accomplishments or attacking President Joe Biden.

"How else can we know whether the travel was an appropriate use of public funds and hold those responsible accountable?" Wilcox asked.

For decades, Florida has had one of the strongest open records laws in the US, broadly providing reporters access to a wide array of documents, meetings, text messages, and emails. These "sunshine" laws, which provide public access to government proceedings, are part of Florida's state Constitution.

But under the DeSantis administration, state agencies forwarded more than 280 public records requests to the governor for review in 2021, which delayed their release, according to a WKMG investigation.

Barbara Petersen, executive director of the Florida Center for Government Accountability, told WGCU last week that the measure DeSantis signed into law represented "the biggest assault on our public records law" in her 35 years of working on ethics and transparency issues in the state.

Past Florida officials, including 2003 Senate President Jim King, have been found to have improperly used state planes. "The only reason we know about past transgressions by senior officials and former governors is precisely because people had access to such records in the past," Bobby Block, executive director of the Florida First Amendment Foundation, who testified against the legislation, told Insider.

Block said his organization and others are considering ways to challenge the law, and accused its proponents of trying to "prevent inconvenient facts from making the news."

"They want to put information that was formerly in the sunshine and put it in the shade because of their own political ambitions and their desire to  dare I say  not subject their trips to public scrutiny," Block said. "That's not sunshine and that's not accountability."

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement still plans to make the total cost of flights for the year available, but it won't be broken down by each individual trip, Block said. A better solution to assuage security concerns, he said, would have been to consider retracting specific information about law enforcement personnel, citing the number of security staff that travels with the governor as a possible option to consider.

DeSantis has not definitively answered questions about whether he'll run for president but is widely expected to do so sometime after Florida's lawmaking session ends this week, though an announcement may not come until June or even later.

Should he enter the contest, he'd face off against former President Donald Trump, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina announced an exploratory committee and former Vice President Mike Pence is also expected to enter the contest.

Trump has relentlessly attacked DeSantis over the last six weeks, and while the governor has dropped in the polls he still remains the only hypothetical presidential candidate from a growing list that polls second to Trump.

Trump's campaign recently criticized the governor for being on a foreign trip and book tour while Florida lawmakers were in session, circulating an email to reporters with an image headlined "Never in Town."

Another elections related bill is headed for DeSantis that will allow him to maintain his seat as governor while running for president. The re-writing of the so-called "Resign to Run" law will also ensure that DeSantis could return to the governor's mansion if he were to lose the GOP primary nomination contest or the presidency.

Read the original article on Business Insider
There have been a few cracks in the predictable pattern of Republican-controlled states loosening gun laws while Democratic states tighten them. But it's far too soon to say the GOP is changing direction even amid a record-setting pace for mass killings in the United States.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, is sticking by his plan to call a special legislative session on gun control. Lee had asked lawmakers to pass a bill allowing judges to take away guns from people who the judge thinks pose an imminent threat to themselves or others. Lee shies away from calling his plan a red flag law, which he calls a toxic political label.

And two Republicans in a Texas legislative committee broke ranks to advance a bill that would raise the purchase age for semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21.

We cannot assume that gun safety is not possible in states led by Republicans, said Allison Anderman, who tracks state legislation for the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which favors more restrictions.

Still, a quick Republican turnaround is unlikely after decades of making gun rights a party cornerstone. Top GOP lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott oppose the Texas bill, while Lee has faced resistance from Tennessee Republicans. Nearly half the states have passed legislation this year related to gun policies or school safety, an Associated Press survey found. The bills are split roughly equally between Democratic-led states tightening gun restrictions and Republican-led states expanding gun rights.

Heres whats happening:

A FLURRY IN MICHIGAN

A Democratic takeover of both houses of the Michigan Legislature, combined with Gretchen Whitmer winning a second term as governor, has led to seven gun-related laws getting passed. Those include expanding background checks to all sales and requiring secure storage of guns. Whitmer is expected to sign legislation later this month so that people who are an imminent danger to themselves or others could have their guns confiscated, based on a judge's decision.

Story continues

She told supporters last month when signing some bills to buckle up, were going to continue this work.

Democrats in Minnesota are also trying to push through a red flag law and expanded background checks, attaching them to a budget bill on Wednesday.

GUN CONTROL FRUSTRATION

Unlike in Michigan and Minnesota, supporters of stricter gun laws in many Republican-controlled states are voicing frustration. Georgia Democrats, for example, filed 16 bills to tighten gun laws this year. The only bill that got a committee hearing was received with hostility by Republicans and gun-rights supporters.

Democrats renewed their push following a shooting this month at an Atlanta doctor's office that killed one and wounded four others, with 71 Democratic House members signing a letter asking Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to call a special session. But Kemp and other Republicans are laying low. If anything, gun rights supporters expect a further loosening of laws in Georgia.

PERMITLESS CARRY

Among the states staying pro-gun are Florida and Nebraska, which have become the latest Republican-controlled states to let people carry a concealed handgun without a permit. Permits and usually a background had once been required to carry a concealed handgun in public in every state but Vermont. With the votes in Nebraska and Florida, 26 states have now repealed such requirements since 2011. Florida's law takes effect July 1. Nebraskas law takes effect Sept. 10.

Of the remaining 23 states without broad permitless carry laws, only Louisiana, South Carolina and North Carolina seem ripe for expansion. While Republican lawmakers in North Carolina earlier overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to allow people to but a handgun without getting a permit from a local sheriff, a top Republican has effectively quashed legislative efforts to let people carry a concealed handgun without another type of permit.

The permitless carry effort also appears stalled in South Carolina, while outgoing Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has opposed a broad expansion in his state.

REACTING TO THE SUPREME COURT

Some states have passed new limits on where residents can carry guns, reacting to last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision saying Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense and that officials cant broadly deny gun permits. In Hawaii, where it had been virtually impossible for a civilian to legally carry a loaded gun in public, lawmakers are seeking to prohibit people from carrying guns in places including hospitals, stadiums, movie theaters, bars or restaurants serving alcohol, public libraries, schools and beaches.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLES

Demands to ban semi-automatic rifles have been bubbling up among gun control advocates. Washington became the 10th state to ban sales of semi-automatic rifles including AR-15s and AK-47s. The measure, sought by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, passed after multiple failed attempts. Anyone who already has such a rifle can keep it. Opponents have already sued to strike it down. A similar proposal failed in Colorado after lawmakers passed a series of narrower gun control measures, showing that the measure doesn't have universal support among Democrats.

BLOCKING ENFORCEMENT

Kentucky in April became the latest state to declare itself a Second Amendment Sanctuary." The bill, which became law without Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's signature, seeks to ban state and local law enforcement from helping enforce any federal laws or regulations enacted on guns, ammunition and accessories since Democratic President Joe Biden took office. Any officer who did so would be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to being fired.

A federal judge in March struck down a similar law in Missouri as unconstitutional, ruling state and local police can help investigate federal firearms crimes and enforce such laws.

SUING GUN MAKERS

Colorado, Washington and Hawaii have passed laws making it easier to sue gun manufacturers and sellers. The Washington law, for example, requires reasonable controls in making, selling and marketing weapons. That includes not selling guns to people known to be dangerous or to straw buyers who might buy weapons on someone elses behalf. It allows the state or private parties, such as relatives of victims, to sue over violations and win damages.

___

Associated Press reporters David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to this report.
DHL Supply Chain will deploy 5,000 autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) across its global warehousing and distribution center network.

After teaming with Locus Robotics in 2021 to deploy 500 assisted picking robots at its warehouses in the U.S., Europe, and the U.K., DHL Supply Chain scaled its robotics implementation to 2,000 assisted picking robots last year across 1,400 global sites.

More from Sourcing Journal

An idea is only a good idea if it can scale, said Oscar de Bok, CEO, DHL Supply Chain in a statement. The flexibility and scalability of the Locus solution has been instrumental in helping us meet the evolving demands of the e-commerce landscape and leveraging cutting-edge technology to optimize our operations and deliver an even better experience for our customers.

The logistics giant is calling it the largest AMR deal of its kind to date. The announcement comes after an Interact Analysis reports projects that 26 percent of warehouses will be automated by 2027up from the 18 percent at the end of 2021. This mass deployment would cover more than 200,000 total warehouses, according to the market research company.

The firm also forecasts a n increase in orders for picking robots amid rising labor costs and falling technology costs. Interact Analysis estimates that just over 150,000 picking robots will be installed by 2030, with annual shipments rising from fewer than 2,000 in 2022 to above 50,000 by the end of the decade.

DHL Supply Chain expects to fully deploy the new LocusBots by the end of the year.

With the expanded fleet of Locus AMRs, DHL Supply Chain aims to leverage the advanced automation technology to optimize its supply chain operations, and improve worker productivity, order accuracy, speed and efficiency. The AMRs are designed to operate collaboratively with human workers, with Locus claiming that they can double or triple product movement efficiency and productivity.

Story continues

DHL Supply Chain, the companys contract logistics division, said that the assisted picking robots help reduce time spent on maneuvering pushcarts through warehouses, reduce physical strain and increase picking efficiency. They also display images of goods to be picked, calculate optimal navigation routes and cut down on training time.

Locus Robotics CEO Rick Faulk said the company is thrilled to be working in an expanded capacity with DHL Supply Chain to bring our industry-leading robotics technology to their global network.

With clients including VF Corp., Geodis and Ceva Logistics, Locus Robotic was valued at nearly $2 billion as November 2022 after it secured $117 million in Series F funding.

The robots will enhance the DHL Supply Chains capabilities in e-commerce fulfillment, retail replenishment ,and pharmaceutical and healthcare logistics.

DHL has picked more than 250 million units using LocusOne. The warehouse automation platform facilitates a seamless operation and management of large quantities of multiple AMR form factors as a single, coordinated warehouse fleet.

The platform supports a system of more than 1,000 robots, operating in sites as large as 1 million square feet or more. This enables the individual AMRs to engage in different tasks at once, including picking and putaway, case picking and putaway, replenishment, pallet building, routine routes, point-to-point transport and counting.

The addition of Locus Robotics AMRs to our network is a major milestone in our digitalization journey, and we are excited to partner with Locus Robotics to bring this technology to our operations, said Markus Voss, global chief information officer and chief operating officer at DHL Supply Chain, in a statement. By using advanced robotics and data intelligence, we can further improve our operational efficiency, reduce processing time and continue to improve our customer experience.

Locus Robotics says it works with more than 100 companies and has deployed its technology at more than 250 sites.

Locus is helping DHL rapidly transform operations through a workforce empowered with the right technology at the right time, to deliver goods where they need to at the speed our modern markets demand, said Sally Miller, global digital transformation officer, DHL Supply Chain. Locus is a critical partner for us as we digitalize our warehouses, distribution and fulfillment centers to efficiently meet increasing order volumes, labor shortages and rising consumer expectations.

DHL Supply Chain is a believer in robotics warehouse technology. The contract logistics unit invested $15 million in robotics solutions from Boston Dynamics in February last year, and in January became the first company to commercially deploy the Massachusetts firms Stretch robot developed for carton unloading of trucks. It uses the Stretch robots to move packages from trailers onto a flexible conveyor.

The company plans to deploy Stretch robots in multiple warehouses in the coming year.

Click here to read the full article.
Sen. Dianne Feinsteinsreturn to Congress is being clouded by more reports calling her ability to serve into question, including a new anecdote published by Politico Thursday about an alleged memory lapse by the California Democrat in 2021.

An unnamed Senate staffer recalled the senator welcoming Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) to the chamber, apparently confusing him with Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), who had just won his seat in a special election. Both Scott, who joined the Senate in 2013, and Warnock are Black.

The unidentified congressional aide remembered Scott play[ing] along, and telling the veteran senator, Your support means a lot, according to the report, which is part of journalist Ben Terris upcoming book The Big Break: The Gamblers, Party Animals, and True Believers Trying to Win in Washington While America Loses its Mind.

The offices of Feinstein and Scott did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) returned to Washington after a period of illness.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) returned to Washington after a period of illness.

Feinsteins hiatus from the Senate ended on Wednesday, following increased concern about her age and cognitive abilities. The 89-year-old had been out of office since early March after being hospitalized for a case of shingles.

A 2022 story from the San Francisco Chronicle cited an anonymous Democratic senator who said, Its bad, and its getting worse.

A subsequent New York Times report quoted lawmakers and aides who said Feinstein sometimes struggles to recall the names of colleagues, frequently has little recollection of meetings or telephone conversations, and at times walks around in a state of befuddlement.

Before that, Feinstein worried colleagues when she asked the same question twice during a Nov. 17, 2020, Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.

Feinstein responded to the criticism in a May 2022 statement, saying that while she had a difficult year coping with her late husband Richard C. Blums terminal illness, she remained committed to achieving results and I would put my record up against anyones.

Story continues

If the question is whether Im an effective senator for 40 million Californians, the record shows that I am, the statement went on.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said a Feinstein staffer had shared the account of her interaction with Scott. Politicos piece did not disclose whose office the congressional aide worked in.

Related...
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Thursday joined a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for the first time in nearly three months, providing a badly needed Democratic vote on some of President Joe Bidens judicial nominees who have stalled during her absence.

Feinstein, who has been out since late February due to a bout of shingles, came to the hearing an hour and a half after it started. Colleagues applauded when the 89-year-old veteran senator arrived as Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) quickly teed up votes on the long-delayed nominees.

Four of Bidens court picks have been stuck in the committee amid Feinsteins prolonged absence. Three were voted out as a result of her being there.

The panel voted 11-10 to advance Charnelle Bjelkengrens nomination to the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Washington. Republicans have been attacking Bjelkengren, a county superior court judge in Washington and former assistant state attorney general, after she blanked on questions about the Constitution in her January confirmation hearing.

Democrats have chalked up Bjelkengrens hiccup to nerves that first-time judicial nominees can experience when testifying before Congress. But Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) came to Thursdays hearing armed with a poster attacking Bjelkengrens credibility and with his trademark performative outrage.

Charnelle Bjelkengren is so amazingly unqualified she may well have the title for the least qualified nominee Ive seen in 11 years serving on this committee, Cruz said.

The Texas Republican glossed over the fact that he routinely voted to confirm Trumps judicial nominees, who earned rare and embarrassing not qualified ratings by the American Bar Association.

Durbin pointed out that Bjelkengren was rated qualified to serve by the American Bar Association. He also highlighted her record of presiding in more than 130 jury and bench trials as a county judge and trying more than 150 cases as assistant state attorney general.

Story continues

The committee also voted 11-10 to advance Marian Gastons nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Cruz was practically shouting in opposition to Gaston, who has served as a San Diego County superior court judge since 2015 and a deputy public defender in San Diego before that.

The Joe Biden White House is saying [it wants] a radical who wants sex offenders, who wants pedophiles, to be able to live next door to daycares, Cruz said of Gaston. Thats who should be a federal judge.

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), who recommended Gaston to Biden for a judgeship, ripped Cruz for misconstruing her record. He said Cruz was referring to a paper that Gaston co-authored arguing that children could be made less safe due to unintended consequences of sex offender residency requirements that push sex offenders into homelessness. That paper, he said, made public safety arguments that were backed by local prosecutors and parole and probation groups.

It is patently incorrect to suggest that a position paper that Judge Gaston co-authored 15 years ago argues that sex offender registries do not keep children safe, Padilla said. The paper is being twisted in bad faith. That is not what it said.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) attends her first Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in months after being out battling a case of shingles.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) attends her first Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in months after being out battling a case of shingles.

Finally, the committee voted 11-10 to advance S. Kato Crews nomination to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Cruz shouted about Crews nomination too, criticizing his inability to define a Brady motion during his confirmation hearing. The motion, the result of a 1963 landmark Supreme Court ruling in Brady v. Maryland, is a formal request to a court to compel prosecutors to turn over any evidence that might be favorable to the defense.

When asked about Brady v. Maryland, one of the foundational criminal law classes  she said, Im sorry, I dont know what Brady is, Cruz said, apparently unaware that Crews is a man. That will be a problem if shes ever presiding over a criminal case. Because if youre remotely competent, you know what it is.

Durbin responded that Crews, a magistrate judge in Denver, was rated unanimously well-qualified to serve by the American Bar Association. He also served 17 years in private practice, said Durbin, and brought 18 cases to verdict.

Before Feinstein arrived at Thursdays hearing, the committee advanced another three non-controversial judicial nominees. But even with her back, Durbin still didnt bring up one last nominee who has stalled out for months: Michael Delaney, Bidens pick for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit based in New Hampshire.

Delaneys nomination has run into problems with some Democrats over his legal work on a controversial school sexual assault case and over his record on abortion rights. As recently as last week, hes run into more problems for Democrats over his role on a panel that vets amicus briefs filed by a free-market group. Those briefs have opposed labor rights, the EPAs Clean Power Plan, and limits on PFAS in drinking water.

President Joe Biden's appeals court nominee Michael Delaney has stalled for months. Even with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) back on the committee, he's still not advancing. Hmm.

President Joe Biden's appeals court nominee Michael Delaney has stalled for months. Even with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) back on the committee, he's still not advancing. Hmm.

Democrats on the committee have tried to avoid weighing in on Delaneys nomination for months as national abortion rights groups have gone silent about it. Not only is this weird for a court pick put forward by a Democratic president, but senators waffling continues as both of Delaneys Democratic home-state senators  New Hampshires Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan  continue to strongly back his nomination.

I have a lot of respect for Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a member of the committee, said Wednesday as he slipped into a Senate subway car. Beyond that, he said hes still undecided on Delaneys nomination.

Im inclined to vote for Delaney, but well see what happens with all the information thats come out, said Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), also a member of the committee.

His big asset, of course, is hes got the very enthusiastic support of two people who know him very well, Welch continued. Theyre both very respected members of the Senate. ... But the [negative] news is coming out. It keeps dripping out.

Even Feinsteins office said Thursday shes still undecided on Delaney, erasing any speculation that her return to the Senate would mean his nomination could finally move forward.

Durbin declined to say how he was feeling about Delaneys prospects, with or without Feinstein back. He also seemed tired of HuffPost asking him about this.

Thats all you ever ask me about, he said as he walked away.
From left: Sen. Tim Scott, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and Sen. Raphael Warnock. Drew Angerer/Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Alex Wong/Getty Images.

Dianne Feinstein once mistook two different Black senators, according to a story relayed in a new book.

She confused GOP Sen. Tim Scott for Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, saying she'd been rooting for him.

Scott reportedly played along, telling Feinstein that her "support means a lot."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein is said to have once confused Republican Sen. Tim Scott for Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock  two Black senators from different political parties.

That's according to an excerpt from Washington Post reporter Ben Terris' forthcoming book, The Big Break, published in POLITICO on Thursday, as well as a person with direct knowledge of the interaction who spoke with Insider on Thursday.

According to a congressional staffer who spoke with Terris, the aging senator stuck her hand out at the South Carolina Republican, telling him she had been rooting for him and was happy to see him in the Senate.

In January 2021, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock won a high-profile special election victory in Georgia against then-Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, handing Democrats control of the Senate and enabling incoming President Joe Biden to pursue a far more ambitious domestic agenda.

Scott, a Republican who's served in the Senate since 2013, is said to have played along with Feinstein's apparent confusion.

"Thank you so much," he reportedly told Feinstein. "Your support means a lot."

A person with direct knowledge of the interaction told Insider that it happened on the way to a vote on the Senate floor at some point between January and November of 2021.

The person also said the interaction was witnessed by Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, who appeared to recognize in the moment that Feinstein had confused Scott for Warnock, and noted aloud that Scott had been serving in the Senate for some time.

Through spokespeople, Scott and Menendez declined to comment. Feinstein's office did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

Story continues

The interaction underscores longstanding concerns about the 89-year old senator's health and cognitive abilities.

In December, Insider asked Feinstein why she had decided against seeking the position of president pro-tempore of the Senate, a role that typically goes to the longest-serving senator from the majority party.

Feinstein appeared unaware that her office had already issued a statement on the matter, prompting an aide to intervene.

"Okay, well then, I guess it's out," Feinstein said at the time.

The California Democrat later announced in February that she would not seek re-election in 2024. There are now several Democrats running to succeed her, including Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Barbara Lee.

But shortly following her retirement announcement, Feinstein developed a shingles infection, prompting a nearly 3-month-long absence from Washington due to health complications.

That created a deadlock on the Senate Judiciary Committee and made it difficult for the party to advance nominees that lacked Republican support.

As a result, several House Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, called for Feinstein to resign, with some openly arguing that Feinstein was no longer fit to serve in the Senate.

Rep. Dean Phillips   (@RepDeanPhillips) April 12, 2023

But on Wednesday, Feinstein finally returned to the Capitol, continuing to suffer balance and vision impairments. If she does not resign, Feinstein is set to continue serving for more than a year and a half until her term ends in January 2025.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Many restaurant workers see violence as a core aspect of a hardscrabble kitchen culture that has existed for generations. Jetta Productions/David Atkinson via Getty Images

When the The New York Times and The Boston Globe recently published exposes in which employees of award-winning chef Barbara Lynch described their abusive work environments, we werent surprised.

Anyone who has spent years working in restaurants probably wouldnt be surprised, either.

As sociologists who study the culinary industry and its workers, we recently published research showing that many kitchen staffers come to view mistreatment and abuse as a mundane  and often inevitable  part of working in restaurants.

Showers of slaps and grab-ass

Much of the reporting provided damning accounts of Lynchs own behavior  her alleged mistreatment of employees, tirades, threats, groping and sexual innuendos.

But while Lynch may be in the spotlight today, she and her alleged behaviors are, unfortunately, closer to business as usual in restaurant kitchens, where a culture of violence has been normalized.

Numerous articles and chef memoirs dating as far back as the late 1800s have detailed everyday forms of abuse in restaurants. For example, pioneering French restaurateur Auguste Escoffier wrote in his memoir that his first chef believed that it was impossible to govern a kitchen sans une pluie de gifles  without a shower of slaps.

Some, such as Anthony Bourdains memoir Kitchen Confidential, even romanticize these behaviors. At one point, Bourdain fondly recalls a kitchen he worked in early in his career as having an atmosphere [that] was not unlike a Pinero play, very jailhouse, with a lot of grab-ass, heated argument, hypermacho posturing and drunken ranting. Two burly men whod just as soon kill you as look at you, when talking to each other, would often nestle a hand tenderly next to the testicles of the other, as if to say, I am so not gay  I can even do this!

The allegations against Lynch are only the latest in a long string of high-profile chefs and restaurateurs who have been accused of cultivating similar physically, psychologically and sexually violent workspaces.

Story continues

Mario Batali, for instance, was accused in 2019 by an employee of groping and indecency, charges that he was acquitted of in 2022 and resolved with a civil settlement.

Oakland chef Charlie Hallowell and New York restaurateur Ken Friedman also came under fire during the #MeToo era, with each accused of sexual harassment and assault. Hallowell ended up selling two of his restaurants and penned a public apology, while Friedman shuttered a flagship restaurant and paid claims to 11 former employees.

Celebrity chef Mario Batali leaves Boston Municipal Court following an arraignment on a charge of indecent assault and battery in 2019. Scott Eisen/Getty Images

In our own research, we wanted to learn more about how workers deal with toxic kitchen culture. Do they ever push back? Do they flee? Or do they put their heads down and simply rationalize it as part of what they signed up for?

If you cant take the heat 

There are obvious economic realities that prevent many from leaving violent workspaces. After all, most everyone has bills to pay.

Quitting is also hard in light of the other upsides to professional cooking, such as creativity and freedom, sensory stimulation and reciprocal joy from watching a satisfied customer eat. One sous chef we spoke with described the latter as life-changing to me. It was addicting.

These pressures aside, the workers we interviewed tended to see violence as a core aspect of a hardscrabble kitchen culture that has existed for generations.

Others admitted that theyve come to expect as much after seeing the ways in which abusive chefs are glorified in the media  think Gordon Ramsays entertaining tongue-lashings on the show Hells Kitchen, or Ralph Fiennes recent portrayal of a homicidal chef in The Menu.

Because those we talked to saw violence in kitchens as unexceptional, most of them responded to it by sticking it out rather than resisting it. Many of them viewed enduring violence on the job as just another task on their daily to-do list.

A key element of rationalizing the violence involved justifying the perpetrators behavior.

Theres evidence of this in both articles about Lynchs restaurants: Workers and the public touted Lynch as an early fighter of industry sexism, a portrayal that presented her as an ally and may have softened her blows. Her public acknowledgments of her own battles with substance abuse and childhood trauma painted her in a sympathetic light and allowed some staffers to excuse her alleged behavior.

Barbara Lynchs employees regularly excused her behavior. Marla Aufmuth/Getty Images

Similar rationalizations were found in our study: A chef named Jesus, for example, recounted to us a time when his boss became so upset that, after berating his crew, he flipped everyone off and told them to go f themselves. But rather than note his bosss inappropriateness, Jesus praised him for being straightforward and honest. In doing so, Jesus excused the outburst as simply a product of honesty and emotion, rather than of a work environment that bred such behavior.

We also noticed that Lynchs own staff rationalized their decisions to stay  despite saying theyd been subjected to abuse  because they felt that working in Lynchs restaurants would help them find better jobs in the future. This approach was echoed by several cooks in our study  a chef named Carsen, for example, explained away the abuse he endured once at a Michelin-starred restaurant: I was there for the experience. I wasnt there because I was invested in the restaurant.

Perpetuating a culture of violence

As workers endure violence in kitchens, they deal with not only the harms of being targeted, but also the psychological and emotional discomfort of remaining at a job that causes them suffering.

Studies have also shown that learning to endure violence can increase the chances of repeated abuse, as well as the incorporation of unproductive behaviors into victimized workers own actions. The latter can look like adopting abusive behaviors themselves or engaging in small acts of damaging rebellion, like sneaking a swig of cooking wine here or slowing the pace of work there. Cruelly, enduring violence unintentionally aids the process of making violent behavior feel and seem normal in the workplace.

So a cycle of violence perpetuates and reverberates, embedding itself deeper into the fabric of restaurant kitchens, often being passed down from one generation of cooks to the next.

Workers begin to expect it. Grant, a cook we interviewed, explained: The abuse is normalized. And sometimes romanticized as well.  Chefs being [jerks] is common in part because thats the expectation for what it is to be a chef.  And while it [seems] like most places are getting better, its still a big part of kitchen culture.

The accusations against Lynch are not exceptional. Sadly, we think its likely only a matter of time before another case of an abusive high-profile chef comes to light. Outrage will occur, and then it will settle. Rinse and repeat.

But culinary brilliance and artistry need not be pre-seasoned with violence. Not venerating violent kitchens and chefs would be a start. Perhaps reporting and resisting abuse, rather than enduring it, will then become the norm.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Ellen T. Meiser, University of Hawaii at Hilo and Eli R. Wilson, University of New Mexico.

Read more:



The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is warning that markets will panic as the United States nears a potential default on its bills next month.

In a televised interview Thursday, Dimon said a default in the country would be potentially catastrophic.

The closer you get to it, you will have panic, Dimon told Bloomberg.

He added he believes lawmakers will ultimately act to prevent a default, but markets will start to react the closer the U.S. gets to the fiscal deadline.

Close

Thank you for signing up!

Subscribe to more newsletters here

The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Business and Economy newsletter

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen informed lawmakers earlier this month that they have until June 1 to raise the nations debt ceiling.

Republicans and Democrats have grappled with how to handle the looming deadline but have yet to publicly announce a compromise.

Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders met with President Biden this week to discuss the debt ceiling. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said there was no new movement on the negotiations after the meeting, and Biden said he is considering using the 14th Amendment to work around the debt ceiling.

Dimon in the Bloomberg interview said defaulting can impact other markets around the globe, noting JPMorgan Chase has established a weekly meeting to discuss how the company would address a default.

He said those meetings will happen more often if no new progress is made on the debt ceiling.

It affects contracts, collateral, clearinghouses, clients  it affects clients differently around the world, Dimon said. Its very unfortunate. It should never happen this way.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ding-dong-ditch is a classic childhood mischief game, in which a group of kids sneaks up to a household, rings the doorbell or bangs on the door, before sprinting away and hiding behind a nearby bush or car.

While the activity may seem like harmless fun, it could potentially lead to legal issues for those pulling the prank if the victim gets sick and tired of it.

Some Boiseans are already getting to that point. One resident, Lynda Gaber of Columbia Village neighborhood in southeast Boise, recently posted on the social media app NextDoor that someone has been ringing her doorbell late at night.

Guess it was our turn last night, Gaber wrote on NextDoor. At 12:05 a.m. someone rang our doorbell about 50 times. Our big dog was going crazy. By the time my husband got some clothes on they were gone. It happened again at 2:45 am. Not that anyone cares but I have insomnia and had finally fallen asleep. This is really annoying.

Another Boise resident, Toni Stiles, posted a similar account on NextDoor in April.

We just had some kid, like 12 or so, just come and bang on our door. He ran off and my partner went outside and there were two kids who rode off on bicycles, Stiles wrote. One of them was wearing a bright orange hoodie. I live in the Silver Sage neighborhood off of Mojave. If they come back again Ill probably call the cops. It kinda freaked me out.

Is ding-dong-ditching illegal?

Ringing a doorbell and running away as a prank is something kids have been doing since the 19th century and perhaps even earlier. Usually its fairly harmless  but that wasnt the case for a California man who was recently found guilty of murder after killing three teenagers who ding-dong-ditched his house.

Assuming most people wont go such extreme lengths, ding-dong-ditching isnt illegal in Idaho, but it can lead to other run-ins with the law.

According to Boise Police Department spokesperson Haley Williams, a resident can file harassment or disturbing the peace charges, especially if the prank is a regular occurrence.

Story continues

And although both charges can come with hefty consequences, Williams said a ding-dong-ditch case would only be a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor in Idaho is punishable by a maximum of 6 months in county jail and a fine not exceeding $1,000.

Additionally, a police officer cant charge an individual with a misdemeanor unless the officer sees the crime being committed themselves. A citizens arrest can be made when a crime is committed or attempted in the victims presence. Idaho requires the victim to deliver the arrested individual to a peace officer or in front of a magistrate as soon as possible.

So while ding-dong-ditching may seem like a bit of fun for kids, its probably wiser to ding-dong-dont do it.
Keri Russell plays a a nonpolitical straight shooter in a political role that she grudgingly accepts. Brian van der Brug / Contributor/Getty Images

Few people would have predicted that a loquacious drama about a woman foreign service professional would have been Netflixs next big hit. But everyone is talking about The Diplomat  for good reason.

The series, starring Keri Russell as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, debuted at No. 1 on the streaming charts. Critics commend the stellar performances, twisty plot and wryly funny writing that comprise this gripping and propulsive drama. Even the official Twitter account of the U.S. Embassy in London tweeted a playful and mostly laudatory video fact-checking the first episode.

With so many eyes on the latest TV iteration of a woman in a high-profile political position, its depiction of womens leadership is significant. As a communication scholar who researches media framing of real and fictional women politicians, I am interested in how television and film shape our views of women politicians in the real world.

Although The Diplomat initially perpetuates a popular stereotype that the only women who can be trusted in high office are those who dont want to be there, it thoughtfully portrays the ubiquity of everyday sexism in political culture.

Women and political ambition

The Diplomat follows Russells character, Kate Wyler, the newly appointed ambassador to the U.K., and her husband, Hal, a former ambassador and the duos more politically ambitious half, played by Rufus Sewell.

The president needs to replace his vice president due to an impending scandal, and Hal has maneuvered Kate onto the VP short list  without her knowledge  by convincing the presidents chief of staff, Billie Appia, played by Nana Mensah, that Kates supreme competence and lack of political ambition is what qualifies her for the job.

Hal insists that no one with the temperament to win a campaign should be in charge of anything.

The assumption at the center of The Diplomat is that politicians make lousy leaders. Theres no doubt that for many viewers, thats part of its appeal.

Story continues

Like The West Wing,  the series on which the showrunner of the The Diplomat, Debora Cahn, got her start  the show is part political fairy tale, envisioning a world in which people who can solve problems are actually empowered to do so. As she tries to convince Kate to consider the VP gig, Billie asks, Can you imagine hiring someone for a key governing position just because you think theyd be good at it?

This is tricky terrain to negotiate, however, and The Diplomat initially reinforces one of the most pernicious stereotypes about women politicians on screen and in real life: Women who have political ambition cant be trusted. In series like Veep, 24 and Borgen: Power and Glory, ambitious women politicians turn out to be incompetent or corrupt.

Conversely, ethical and successful women politicians such as those in Commander in Chief, Madam Secretary and, now, The Diplomat are public servants who have to be cajoled into participating in campaigning and partisan politics.

After Kate discovers that people have been scheming behind her back to install her as the vice president during a foreign policy crisis, she cements her status as a nonpolitical straight shooter by marching up to the president and announcing, I am not cut out for this. Im stepping down. The good news is, that makes me the one person in the world who isnt trying to kiss your ass, but still knows a lot about Iran.

Then, after schooling the commander in chief on the finer points of foreign policy, Kate asserts that his willingness to cooperate with the British prime ministers request for a show of force is because youre scared your enemies think youre too old and frail to put Americans in the line of fire.

Because this is a political fairy tale, the president, played by Michael McKean, shakes her hand, tells her shes doing great, and says, Just knock off that I resign shit. It really pisses me off. I dont have that kind of time.

The vision of a candid, nonpolitical woman who wins powerful mens respect by exposing flaws in their logic and highlighting their weaknesses makes good TV.

But it complicates things when viewers become voters and are asked to support real women candidates who put themselves forward for public office and get punished for speaking their minds and asserting authority. Women politicians who express ambition are often evaluated more negatively by voters than their men counterparts, from whom political ambition is not just tolerated, but expected.

Gender and power

The Diplomat recognizes that likable women protagonists, like their political counterparts, cant appear to be be power hungry. But it also resists the notion that the vice presidency is a powerless office.

As Billie and the U.S. embassys deputy chief of mission, Stuart Heyford, played by Ato Essandoh, try to persuade Kate to agree to be vice president, Billie emphasizes that the position would come with substantial influence.

The VP spends more time in the Oval Office than anyone who doesnt have a desk there, she says, then promising, Wed put you in the lead on foreign policy. Stuart appeals to Kates sense of mission with a line that also reminds viewers that Kate isnt inappropriately ambitious: Youd be doing it for the country, not the power.

The elaborate, and preposterous, chain of events that produces this conversation  in which the presidents chief of staff tries to persuade a rank-and-file foreign service officer to agree to be the vice president in the middle of a term  allows the show to remark on the absurd corrosiveness of political campaigns. After reminding Kate that she wouldnt have to survive a campaign, there is the following exchange between Billie and Stuart:

Billie: I mean, its bad for the guys, but for the women  fk me. Is she pretty, but not too pretty? Appealing, but not hot? Confident, but not bitchy? Decisive, but not bitchy?

Stuart: Cute bitchy, but not bitchy bitchy.

Dressing the part

Cahn explores this double standard visually as well. Although Kate prefers black suits, minimal makeup, undisciplined hair and shoes that allow her to power walk through her day, her impeccably coiffed staff urges her to adopt a more appealing, feminine and camera-friendly look.

Rather than presenting Kate as dowdy or oblivious and giving her a midseason glow-up, however, the show demonstrates that she is well aware of the image she is creating. During a photo shoot for British Vogue, Kate tells the photographer, I dont want to make your job any harder than it already is, but it would be great if there werent any shots of me looking wistfully into the distance as I caress my own neck.

The Diplomat wraps insights about sexism in politics in the packaging of a political thriller. Its popularity is a good thing. As the 2024 campaign season ramps up, voters need compelling reminders of the effect sexism can have on democracy  because patriarchal political culture is something we all have to negotiate.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Karrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State University.

Read more:



Karrin Vasby Anderson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A migrant walks along the banks of the Rio Grande river to surrender to US border agents from El Paso, Texas

Under the intense desert sun, hundreds of migrants crossed the Rio Grande river from Mexico last week following a rumor the United States would let them enter -- victims of another case of disinformation.

Claims spread by word of mouth and through social media that US authorities had opened a gate on the US border near the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez to process asylum applications.

"I turned myself in through gate 40 with my family and they released us all... They don't ask questions," said a post in a Facebook group, one of dozens like it found by AFP.

But the gate did not open.

On the US side of the river, about a thousand migrants camped out in tents and makeshift shelters for days to turn themselves in to US officials from El Paso, Texas.

They wanted to cross before the lapse at midnight Thursday of a rule called Title 42, which was put in place under former president Donald Trump.

Ostensibly introduced to prevent people with Covid-19 from entering the United States, in practice it has been used to swiftly expel undocumented migrants.

Another rule called Title 8 that will remain in place means that people caught entering the United States illegally can not only be deported but also face a five-year ban on applying for legal entry.

- Chain of lies -

This year, thousands of migrants have mobilized on several occasions at the border due to disinformation allegedly spread by anti-immigration groups and people smugglers, according to experts.

In March, a crowd tried to cross an international bridge after hearing a rumor that people would be allowed to enter the United States as part of a supposed "migrants day."

The Texas Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office reported a similar event involving more than 1,000 people after a fire killed 40 migrants at an immigration detention center in Ciudad Juarez on March 27.

A rumor had already circulated in February that people who surrendered to US authorities would be taken to Canada.

Story continues

Angel Pavon, a 52-year-old Venezuelan, was one of almost 500 migrants who believed it.

He turned himself in with his wife and daughters, aged 14 and 12, but they were expelled to Mexico.

"They made the girls cry because they treat you like a terrorist," he said.

Heartbroken, he put his hope instead in a mobile application called CBP One, created by Washington for migrants to request appointments from outside the United States to seek asylum.

- Criminal involvement -

Given the glitchy performance of CBP One, groups have been created on Facebook and WhatsApp where migrants share experiences about the mobile application, but falsehoods also slip through.

According to Landon Hutchens, an official with the Customs and Border Protection Office in El Paso, criminal organizations also spread untruths.

"Illegal human smuggling is a multibillion-dollar illegal criminal enterprise that exploits and endangers vulnerable migrants. These criminal organizations are pushing disinformation on social media," he said.

AFP has identified accounts on the video-sharing app TikTok in which alleged human traffickers and "immigration advisers" offer their services and sow confusion.

The migrants themselves share these contacts on Facebook.

Migrant smuggling is "a business whose communication strategies mainly use disinformation," said Olivier Tenes of the International Organization for Migration.

On TikTok, people offer purported CBP One appointments, but testimonies gathered by AFP confirm they are scams.

Another cause for concern is "a select number of extremist groups seeking to create chaos and a narrative against immigration," said Sam Woolley, a University of Texas social media and propaganda researcher.

For Enrique Valenzuela, a government official in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, migrants are susceptible to misinformation because they remember the part of the message "that gives them hope."

In Ciudad Juarez, as night fell, migrants in front of Gate 40 took down their tents and formed lines when they saw three border agents on the other side.

But the gate remained shut.

vd/axm/dr/sw
A "one-app experience" that combines Disney+ and Hulu content will launch in late 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger has announced during the company's latest earnings call. He said the company will continue offering Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ as standalone options, but combining services "is a logical progression" of its direct-to-consumer offerings "that will provide greater opportunities for advertisers, while giving bundle subscribers access to more robust and streamlined content..."

Since Comcast still owns 33 percent of Hulu, this announcement suggests that Disney could be thinking of buying the cable TV and media company's stake. Iger didn't elaborate on the company's plans, though, and only said that Disney has had "constructive" talks with Comcast about the future of Hulu.

In addition to announcing the combined streaming app, Iger has also revealed that Disney+ is getting another price increase after adding $3 on top of its ad-free streaming tier's monthly fee in December. He didn't say when the company is raising the service's prices, but when it does, the ad-free and ad-supported tiers will cost more than $11 and $8, respectively.

While Disney reported (PDF) a 26 percent decrease in operating losses for its streaming business, a $659 million loss is still massive. The price hike's announcement didn't come out of nowhere, seeing as the company promised investors that the business will be profitable by the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The question is whether the combined Disney+ and Hulu app could convince new users to pay for a subscription  or for old subscribers to come back. Disney+ lost 4 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2023 after shedding 2.4 million users in the previous quarter.
Disney CEO Bob Iger accused Florida officials of putting forward a false narrative amid the ongoing feud between the company and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), questioning whether they would like Disney to invest more in the state or not.

We operate responsibly. We pay our fair share of taxes. We employ thousands of people, and by the way, we pay them above the minimum wage  substantially above the minimum wage dictated by the state of Florida. We also provide them with great benefits and free education, Iger said during the companys quarterly investor call.

Im going to finish what is obviously kind of a long answer by asking one question: Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people and pay more taxes or not? he rhetorically asked.

Disney and DeSantis have been engaged in a yearlong battle after Disney publicly opposed the states so-called Dont Say Gay law, which bans the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation for early grades. Shortly after, DeSantis stripped Disney of its special status the company had since the 1960s, which gave it self-governing power over the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

DeSantis later signed legislation that replaced the Reedy Creek Improvement District with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which is a DeSantis-appointed board created to oversee Disney.

Disney then sued DeSantis last month after the board voted to void development contracts the corporation made. The lawsuit alleges DeSantis is harming the companys business operations.

Iger blasted Floridas response to the company taking a stance on the legislation at the time In the companys quarterly investor call, saying the state was taking retaliation against its free speech. He said that the ongoing feud is not about special privileges but about speaking out.

This is about one thing and one thing only, and thats retaliating against us for taking a position about pending legislation. And we believe that in us taking that position, we are merely exercising our right to free speech, Iger said.

Story continues

Iger also pointed out that there are 2,000 special districts in the state of Florida, including the Daytona Speedway and the Villages. He said if the goal is having a level playing field, then the recently increased government oversight should be applied to all special districts, not just Disney.

And we all know there was no concerted effort to do anything to dismantle what was once called Reedy Creek special district until we spoke out on the legislation, he said. So this is plainly a matter of retaliation while the rest of the Florida special districts continue operating basically as they were.

The Hill has reached out to DeSantiss office for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
AFP

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned his conservative supporters Friday they could face reprisals should his secular rival rise to power in momentous weekend polls.Erdogan has been trying to rally his base ahead of elections Sunday that put his Islamic style of rule in the largest Muslim-majority member of NATO on the line.Opinion surveys suggest challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu has a slight advantage and is within a whisker of breaking the 50-percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff on May 28.The opposition was helped by the withdrawal of a third-party candidate Thursday who was hurting Kilicdaroglu's efforts to hand the Turkish leader his first national electoral defeat.Erdogan was uncharacteristically coy about predicting the outcome of Turkey's most consequential election of modern times."The ballot box will tell us Sunday," he said in response to a direct question from a TV presenter about whether he would win.The 69-year-old tried to raise the stakes for his faithful during a rally in a conservative Istanbul district that forms one of the hotbeds of his support.Kilicdaroglu's opposition alliance was driven by "vengeance and greed", he warned."Do not forget," he told the flag-waving crowd. "You may pay a heavy price if we lose."He later added that Western governments were using the opposition to impose their will on how Turkish society worked."Hey, the West, it's my nation that decides!" he cried.The message appeared to resonate with religious voters such as Sennur Henek."Erdogan is our chief and we are his soldiers," the veiled 48-year-old said.- Eroding support -But Erdogan's other daily speeches hint at a growing realisation that he might not be able to pull out one of his trademark come-from-behind wins.The Turkish leader has been slowly losing support from key segments of the population that rallied around him during the more prosperous decade that followed his rise in 2003.Some polls show young people who have known no other leader supporting Erdogan's rival by a two-to-one margin.Kurds who once put trust in his efforts to end their cultural persecution are now also overwhelmingly backing Kilicdaroglu's campaign.And an economic crisis -- Turkey's worst over two decades and one most blame on Erdogan's unorthodox financial beliefs -- has led other groups to lose faith in his government.This has left the president with few options but to try and rally his most hardcore nationalist and religious supporters to show up and vote in large numbers.The "incendiary rhetoric is designed to rally Erdogan's base to get out and vote, but also to cast doubt on official results should things not go the president's way," said analyst Hamish Kinnear of the Verisk Maplecroft risk consultancy.- 'I am ready' -Kilicdaroglu appears to sense the undercurrents of discontent running through Turkish society.The former civil servant has tried to run an inclusive campaign that ignores Erdogan's personal attacks and focuses on pledges to restore economic order and civil liberties.He has surrounded himself with economists trusted by Western investors and some former Erdogan allies who could help peel away the president's nationalist vote.The drama of Turkey facing a stark choice between two leaders with contrasting visions has been accompanied by heightened security concerns.Kilicdaroglu's party told AFP that the opposition leader wore a bullet proof vest at his two rallies on Friday because of a credible threat on his life.He made an uncharacteristically brief speech at an evening campaign stop in Ankara during which thousands waited for him under pouring rain."Are you ready to bring democracy to this country? To bring peace to this country? I promise, I am ready too," he said.- Diluting powers -Kilicdaroglu said his immediate goal after the election would be to launch a process aimed at stripping the presidency of many of the powers Erdogan amassed after a failed 2016 coup.The bloody putsch attempt was a watershed moment in Turkey's history.Erdogan responded with a purge that jailed thousands of soldiers for life and stripped tens of thousands of Turks of their government jobs.Kilicdaroglu wants to hand power that Erdogan won through a contested constitutional referendum the following year back to parliament.That would require the opposition to win Sunday's parallel legislative election.Polls suggest that Erdogan's right-wing alliance will edge out the opposition bloc in the parliamentary ballot.But the opposition would win a majority if it secured support from a new leftist alliance that represents the Kurdish vote.fo-bg/zak/jj
Court documents made public Thursday shed light on the latest criminal charges filed against former Wichita Falls automobile dealer Anthony Patterson.

No caption

The latest charges were three counts of Employment Harmful to Children under 14, three counts of Sexual Performance of a Child under 14 and one count of Trafficking a Child Engage/Sexual.

At a hearing Friday, 78th District Court Judge Meredith Kennedy ruled Patterson cannot have contact with children in light of new charges.

Under his previous parole conditions he was allowed contact in the presence of a chaperone.

The Employment Harmful to Children under 14 charges claim Patterson induced two girls ages 8 and 10 at the time to work in sexually oriented commercial activity, namely private travelling massage business, the primary business of which was the offering of service that was intended to provide sexual stimulation and/or sexual gratification to the customer. The original charges against Patterson claimed he engaged a woman through a sugar daddy website and had her bring the two underaged girls to him.

The Sexual Performance of a Child relates to encouraging a child to participate in a sexual performance or engage in sexual conduct and the trafficking charge is one of four similar charges filed against Patterson since the investigation began.

Patterson was jailed on the latest charges May 8 and bonded out the following day. He was originally arrested in February 2021 and, to date, has paid $5 million to get out of jail as additional charges have been filed.

All the charges and indictments stem from incidents alleged to have happened in Pattersons home in November and December of 2017. Patterson is alleged to have asked a Vernon woman to bring two of her underaged relatives to his home in Wichita Falls for sex purposes.

New indictments came about after a prosecutor and investigator interviewed the two girls in April and learned of previously undisclosed sexual activity. Since then, Patterson has been in and out of jail twice. His trial was due to start this month, but his Dallas-based attorneys have asked for more time to prepare in light of new charges.

Seventy-eighth District Court Judge Meredith Kennedy rescheduled the trial for October. Most of the charges against Patterson carry the possibility of life in prison if hes convicted.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Documents provide details on latest charges against Anthony Patterson
Even though it was implemented under the guise of a public health issue, it was very clear from the start that this was a plan to keep Black and brown people out of the U.S.  Haddy Gassama of The UndocuBlack Network.

After years of condemning Title 42, which allowed border officials to legally remove migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border during the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates for Black migrants are far from celebrating the end of the public health emergency policy.

It should be a major victory celebrating the end of Title 42, Guerline Jozef, executive director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, told theGrio. Unfortunately, the end of Title 42 is also connected to a lot of new policies that can make it impossible for people to still be able to have access to protection [and] to have access to ask for asylum.

Immigrants from Haiti, who crossed through a gap in the U.S.-Mexico border barrier, wait in line to be processed by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 20, 2022 in Yuma, Arizona. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Title 42 expulsions

While the law has been on the books since 1944, Title 42 was not enforced to stave off migration until the Trump administration. Then-President Donald Trump adviser Stephen Miller began using the legal provision to expel migrants at the border back to Mexico.

Despite scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arguing that the policy had no valid public health reason to issue it, the Trump administration began enforcing the law in March 2022.

Advocates, who previously called Trumps immigration policies racist, were critical of Title 42 and how it made seeking asylum more difficult for Haitian and African migrants facing violence and instability in their native countries.

Haddy Gassama, national policy and advocacy director at The UndocuBlack Network, said Trumps enforcement of Title 42 was rooted in anti-Blackness and white supremacy and was the brainchild of Miller, whom she characterized as a white supremacist.

When President Joe Biden took office, advocates took issue with the Biden-Harris administration continuing to enforce Title 42 at the border.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as senior adviser to the president Stephen Miller (center) listens during a round-table discussion on border security and safe communities with state, local, and community leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Jan. 11, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Even though it was implemented under the guise of a public health issue, it was very clear from the start that this was a plan to keep Black and brown people out of the U.S., said Gassama. It took over a year of advocacy just to get the Biden administration to stop doubling down on this Trump-era policy.

Story continues

After a slew of court battles over the legality of Title 42, the Biden-Harris administration moved to lift the ban once the federal government ended its COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11.

What is Title 8 immigration?

Now that Title 42 has come to an end, the federal government is now moving toward the enforcement of Title 8, a set of statutes that allow for expedited deportations of migrants.

In January, the Biden-Harris administration announced a number of new border enforcement policies, including requiring migrants to seek asylum in Mexico or another country before seeking it in the U.S. and requiring they set appointments via a mobile app to begin their asylum process instead of showing up at the border.

Advocates say these new migrant policies are simply a continuation of Title 42.

We cannot celebrate the end of Title 42 because that end is connected to so many hardline policies that are rooted in deterrence  to make sure people dont actually ever make it to the United States, said Jozef of Haitian Bridge Alliance.

Vice President Kamala Harris looks on as U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks about border security policies in the Roosevelt Room in the White House on Jan. 5, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Gassama said while the latest actions from the Biden-Harris administration are tied with a nice bow of better policy language or now softer diplomatic language  it aims at the same goal of keeping people out instead of welcoming people humanely in a dignified manner.

Immigration advocates argue that the Biden administrations new deterrence policies will disproportionately impact Black migrants from Haiti and sub-Saharan Africa, who face racial discrimination and violence in other countries during their route to the United States.

Black migrants, said Gassama of The UndocuBlack Network, have a hard enough time as it is just traversing Latin American countries that also have their own issues around anti-Blackness and white supremacist notions.

To expect for someone coming from a sub-Saharan African country fleeing a number of different harms to try to apply for asylum or refugee status in Panama or Mexico or wherever is preposterous, she argued. People are literally losing their lives or being extorted by cartels or sexually assaulted just because theyre Black in these countries.

As thousands continue to seek asylum at the border, the Biden-Harris administration has repeatedly argued that it is using the tools that are available in the absence of immigration legislation from Congress that would provide more funding to hire more border patrol officers to process migrants.

As an alternative, the administration announced last week that the Department of Defense is sending 1,500 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Biden officials made it clear that military personnel would not be there to enforce the law but to assist border patrol with administrative tasks like data entry and warehouse support.

Advocates argue that any surges occurring at the border are a direct result of deterrent border policies and not necessarily a lack of border personnel or resources.

If, from the beginning, they took steps to actually center policies into reestablishing ways for people to get access to protection, they would not have to deal with this bottleneck right now, said Jozef.

Immigrants from Haiti, who crossed through a gap in the U.S.-Mexico border barrier, wait in line to be processed by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 20, 2022 in Yuma, Arizona. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Gassama argued that the use of troops at the border is code for helping quickly process deportations, rather than dealing with asylum seekers and asylum cases and having them there in good faith to help process the so-called surge of migrants that theyre expecting.

What that shows is that this is a deliberate choice that the Biden administration is doing, she said, adding that the White House is taking its lead from whatever Republican talking points for that week are as it relates to the border.

She continued, Because Republicans are so good at dog whistles  the administration is going to kind of be beholden to always being on the defensive, always wanting to seem like theyre not soft on immigration.

While the Biden-Harris administration is deterring migrants from showing up to the border at will, it also expanded its parole programs to allow up to 30,000 migrants per month from Haiti, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. Eligible migrants, who can remain in the U.S. for up to two years, must have a sponsor and pass vetting and background checks.

Advocates welcome the expanded migrant parole programs. However, they do not see them as a trade-off for the administrations other policies, like banning migrants from reentry for five years under Title 8 if they do not meet certain asylum requirements.

An immigrant family from Haiti is taken into custody by a U.S. Border Patrol agent at the U.S.-Mexico border on Dec. 7, 2021 in Yuma, Arizona. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

They take one tiny step forward, but they anchor it to these really harsh, very clear deterrence measures, said Gassama.

As the Biden-Harris administration moves away from Title 42 and enters the new era of Title 8, advocates say they will continue to assist as many migrants as they can and closely monitor processing on the ground.

A delegation of immigration advocacy leaders from several organizations, including Haitian Bridge Alliance and The UndocuBlack Network, will be at the border Thursday and Friday to observe and provide humanitarian aid to migrants.

We are on the ground at every port of entry right now, from Reynosa and Matamoros to El Paso to Tijuana, to bear witness to what is happening at the border, said Jozef. And to make sure we hold everyone involved accountable.

Gerren Keith Gaynor

Gerren Keith Gaynor is a White House Correspondent and the Managing Editor of Politics at theGrio. He is based in Washington, D.C.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post What does the end of Title 42 expulsions mean for Black migrants? appeared first on TheGrio.
The United States government uses artificial intelligence in the military, intelligence, and law enforcement to help mitigate potential threats.

However, the use of machine learning technology largely remains unregulated by the government, although year-on-year spending on AI government contracts continues to increase.

Read below to find out how AI can potentially transform government agencies and impact US democracy.

WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF AI? FIND OUT WHY PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The Federal Bureau of Investigations, the top law enforcement agency in the United States, has used artificial intelligence to assist in crime prevention and intelligence gathering. For example, AI can use facial data to accurately identify individuals who are wanted or have been involved in a federal crime. The FBI has developed AI technology known as Next Generation Identification, which can use images from the Interstate Photo System to identify suspects who are wanted for criminal activities.

Artificial Intelligence is widely used by different U.S. federal government agencies in defense, intelligence, and law enforcement.

Moreover, the FBI has used AI technology to assist in other law enforcement investigations, such as fingerprint identification, DNA matching, cybersecurity, and surveillance. In the coming years, the FBI will likely expand its current usage of AI in other areas of crime prevention.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Artificial intelligence has multiple benefits to the Central Intelligence Agency, including helping the intelligence organization uncover national security threats, stopping terrorist attacks, combating foreign cyber-attacks, increasing surveillance capabilities, and predicting social unrest in foreign countries. Machine learning programs, such as Palantir Defense, offer the CIA the ability to scan hundreds of thousands of email data from around the world to predict if an attack is likely to occur.

Over the last several decades, the nature of warfare has changed from traditional on-the-ground troop battles to the use of long-range air and missile attacks along with drone attacks against guerilla forces. Therefore, artificial intelligence may assist the U.S. military in various duties on the battlefield, such as using satellites to communicate potential threats in border areas and drones to identify possible attacks on military facilities before they occur.

Story continues

As artificial intelligence continues to develop and take a more prominent role in society, the technology could significantly impact future U.S. elections and democracy. For example, AI can use large data samples to target specific audiences with targeted advertising and marketing, which is crucial to political campaigns at the state, local, and federal levels. For example, in states or counties where a candidate or campaign needs to target a specific set of independent swing voters, they can use the data provided by machine learning to appeal to specific voting blocs.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FAQ

Microdata that data brokers collect provide insights into voter viewing and purchasing habits. Political campaigns can use this information to fine-tune their messaging to appeal directly to that group based on information provided by machine learning technology services. Therefore, campaigns will be able to shift their messaging effectively during elections.

Future U.S. elections could be impacted by the continued development of artificial intelligence through campaign advertising and voter data collection.

Outside real-time data provided by AI, the technology can also benefit campaigns looking to make advertisements that appeal to specific audiences. For example, artificial intelligence can generate videos with specific instructions to push a political message. Recently, the Republican National Committee released an AI-generated campaign video that depicted a dystopian future in which President Joe Biden won the election in 2024. The AI technology used in the video produced images and videos that showed Chinese forces taking over Taiwan, illegal immigrants coming across the U.S. border, and urban crime.

The operational effectiveness of the U.S. government has the potential to be completely revolutionized with the development and further usage of artificial intelligence. Machine learning could automate many mundane tasks for various government agencies, such as the post office, as well as manage supply chains and make predictions of the needs of citizens based on data collection.

One of the main benefits of using artificial intelligence in the daily tasks of the government would be its ability to improve public services while reducing waste and automating jobs typically completed by bureaucrats. Machine learning also can boost citizen engagement and help prevent fraud. Processes that would typically take a long time for a response could be streamlined and offer a more personalized experience for citizens.

AI DATA LEAK CRISIS: NEW TOOL PREVENTS COMPANY SECRETS FROM BEING FED TO CHATGPT

The exact dollar amount that the U.S. government has spent on artificial intelligence is believed to have been approximately $3.3 billion during the fiscal year of 2022, according to a study published in April 2023 by Stanford University. That number will likely increase in the coming years as private technology ventures continue investing and pushing for machine learning development.

The government has spent over $3 billion in AI related contracts, mostly by The Pentagon, during the physical year of 2022.

Previously, the government spent nearly $2.7 billion on AI contracts, with the Pentagon accounting for most of the increased spending from 2021 to 2022. Total recorded spending on artificial intelligence started in 2017 and has since grown by nearly 2.5 times when it started at $1.3 billion. Continued government spending on AI year-on-year has grown by more than $600 million annually.

Artificial intelligence has the potential to bring significant reform to the operational effectiveness of the government, law enforcement, and intelligence organizations. However, machine learning has not progressed to the point where it has self-actualized and can make decisions without a human control factor. It is not likely that AI will take over the government.
Indiana sheriffs deputy Tamieka White was killed as she tried to protect her eight-year-old son when a dog they were watching attacked them at their home (Marion County Sheriff's Office)

An Indiana sheriffs deputy was killed as she tried to protect her eight-year-old son when a dog they were looking after attacked them at their home.

Deputy Tamieka White, 46, was pronounced dead shortly after Indianapolis police responded to her home in the city on Wednesday evening and found her body. She was a longtime Marion County Sheriffs Office deputy and had served with the force since 2007.

The dog was fatally shot by a responding officer when it charged at them, according to The Indianapolis Star.

Whites son was bitten in the attack and is recovering from non-life-threatening injuries.

She died last night protecting the most important person in her life, said Brittany Seligman, Whites commander at the Sheriffs Office.

The agency described White as a  bright light to everyone and said that she would be missed by all who knew her.

It is with great sadness that the Marion County Sheriffs Office shares the unexpected and tragic passing of one of our own, Deputy Tamieka White. Deputy White was a courageous and dedicated public servant, having worked with our agency since 2007, the force said in a statement. Most recently, she served in our Judicial Enforcement Division. She was a bright light to everyone, and will missed by all who knew her. We will work tirelessly to uphold her memory.

Indianapolis Animal Care Services said that the dog in question appeared to be a pitbull-type but could not confirm that without a DNA test.

Police told WRTV that White was looking after three dogs owned by another person when the attack took place.

Officials say that the owner of the animal has been identified and that no charges have been brought.
The Justice Department is backing a Christian organization that feeds people who are homeless in a California city that has denied the group an occupancy certificate.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a statement of interest in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, saying that the distribution of food to homeless people by the organization, Micahs Way, may be a religious exercise defined by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.

Micahs Way filed a lawsuit alleging that the city of Santa Ana is imposing a substantial burden on its religious exercise by denying an occupancy certification. After the citys denial of the certificate, it told Micahs Way that it could no longer distribute food to homeless people in violation of the citys zoning ordinance.

If the group continued to do so, the city said it could impose fines and pursue potential criminal prosecution, according to DOJs press release. In its complaint, Micahs Way argued that it has a religious duty to help people in need, including providing food and drink.

Discriminatory barriers and land use restrictions against faith-based organizations is unlawful, Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.

Many faith-based organizations across the country are on the front lines serving the needs of people experiencing homelessness, she added. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing federal civil rights laws to ensure that all religious groups can freely exercise their religious beliefs.

DOJ noted that Santa Ana filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, with the city arguing that providing food and drink to homeless people is not religious exercise.

The DOJ statement of interest pushed back on this argument.

The free exercise of religion is a bedrock principle of our nation, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada said in a statement. Religious groups should be entitled to exercise their religion by providing charitable services based in their religious beliefs. Our office firmly opposes actions that block religious groups from carrying out their spiritual mission to help others in need.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Dolph Lundgren, the actor known for his roles in the 1985's "Rocky IV" and 2018's "Creed II," shared he's been battling cancer for the last eight years in a candid interview.

During the interview on In Depth With Graham Bensinger, the action star spoke openly about health struggles he's faced for much of the past decade.

The Rocky star said his cancer battle started when doctors found a tumor in his kidney in 2015. The doctors were able to remove the cancerous tumor in his kidney, "then I did scans every six months, then you do it every year and it was fine, you know, for five years," Lundgren said.

Dolph Lundgren attends Creed world premiere on November 19, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

But in 2020, "I was back in Sweden and had some kind of acid reflux," Lundgren recalled. "I didn't know what it was. So I did an MRI, and they found there were a few more tumors around the area."

Six additional tumors were removed during surgery, but one more tumor had grown into the "size of a lemon" in his liver in the fall of 2021 and doctors where unable to remove it.

DOLLY PARTON SHARES THE ONE PART OF HER BUSINESS EMPIRE THAT SHE'S REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"They did a scan to prepare for surgery, and the surgeon called me and said, No, its grown now. Its too big. We cant take it out. Its like the size of a small lemon. So if they cant take it out, that means you have to do systemic therapy." Lundgren said. "But then I started getting these side effects where I got diarrhea, and I lost a lot of weight."

After his doctor told the Don't Kill It actor to "spend more time with family," Lundgren realized that the doctor didn't think he had much time to live.

"So I kind of asked him, How long do you think Ive got left? And I think he said two or three years, but I could tell in his voice that he probably thought it was less," Lundgren said.

Sylvester Stallone (L) and Dolph Lundgren attend the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Creed" at Regency Village Theatre on November 19, 2015 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images)

Hans "Dolph" Lundgren first become famous for his role in Rocky IV as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in 1985.

The Aquaman star confessed he wasn't "bitter about" the possibility of dying, saying that he had a "frickin' great life."

Story continues

"I thought it was it for sure," he continued. "You kind of look at your life and go Ive had a frickin great life. Ive lived like five lifetimes in one. So it wasnt like I was bitter about it."

ROBERT DE NIRO, 79, WELCOMES HIS 7TH CHILD

Even as his cancer continued to progress, Lundgren decided to get a second opinion from Dr. Alexandra Drakaki, who made a key discovery about his case.

Swede actor Dolph Lundgren attends to premiere of Creed 2 at Kinepolis Diversia Cinemas in Madrid 17 January, 2019.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

The California-based oncologist discovered a mutation in one of his growths that is common in lung cancer allowing doctors to try other potential treatments.

"Within three months, things were shrinking by 20 to 30 percent," Lundgren said.

By the end of 2022 and his tumors had shrunk by about "90 percent," allowing him to surgically remove all the remaining scar tissue.

Lundgren is set to have a number of upcoming premieres including his role as Gunnar Jensen in Expendables 4, out Sept. 22, and King Nereus in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, out Dec. 20.
Dolph Lundgren is opening up about his eight-year struggle with cancer.

Lundgren, 65, said doctors found a tumor in his kidney and he had it removed in Los Angeles in 2015. A biopsy determined it was cancerous. Subsequent scans revealed everything was fine for five years, but he thought he may have acid reflux when he was in Sweden in 2020, prompting him to have an MRI.

They found that there were a few more tumors around that area, he said May 10 on "In Depth with Graham Bensinger."

Every year, more than 43,000 men and 25,000 women are diagnosed with kidney and renal pelvis cancers annually, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 9,000 men and 5,000 women die from them.

Doctors removed six tumors and the "Rocky IV" star hoped to return to making movies, but was blindsided to learn he was still not healthy.

Theres a picture there I was going to direct and star in that was starting in the fall," he said. "The doctor called me when I was in Alabama ready to shoot and said they found one more tumor in the liver. So, I was like, Oh, s---, OK. At that point it started to hit me that this is kind of something serious.

The "Expendables" actor was told the tumor had grown to the size of a small lemon that was too big to remove surgically, prompting him to try systemic therapy, which led to side effects, including diarrhea and weight loss.

Dolph Lundgren, Sylvester Stallone, in Rocky IV, 2021. (Everett Collection)

His mouth got really sore, fiancee Emma Krokdal said. His hands got sore, feet, and he couldnt eat anything warm, anything cold, anything spicy. So that was a struggle to get food down, so he kept losing weight.

Lundgren said he had signed on to star in sequels for The Expendables and Aquaman that would shoot in 2021. Krokdal, though, said his health had deteriorated after meeting with a doctor in London.

We realized it was a lot worse than we thought, she said. He started talking about all these different tumors in the lung and the stomach and the spine, outside the kidneys.

Story continues

Lundgren said the doctor told him he only had a short time to live.

He started saying these things like, You should probably take a break and spend more time with your family, and so forth," he said. "So I kind of asked him, How long do you think Ive got left, and he said, Two or three years, but I could tell in his voice that he probably thought it was less.

Lundgren braced himself for the possibility he would die.

I thought it was it, for sure, he said. You kind of look at your life and going, I had a great life. Ive had a freaking great life. Ive lived five lifetimes in one already ... It wasnt like I was bitter about it. It was just I feel sorry for my kids, my fiancee and people around you.

Yu Nan, Terry Crews, Sylvester Stallone, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, in The Expendables, 2012. (Courtesy Everett Collection)

Lundgren ultimately decided to seek a second opinion from oncologist and hematologist Dr. Alexandra Drakaki.

He was lucky because we did find a mutation that is actually common in lung cancer and I was able to get off-label use for his kidney cancer, treating (it) as if it was lung (cancer), she said.

If I had gone on the other treatment, Id have had about three to four months left, Lundgren said. I couldnt believe that it would be that radical of a difference  that within three months, things were shrinking by 20, 30%.

Lundgren said last year proved to be a tipping point.

Dolph Lundgren in

So 2022 was basically watching these medications do their thing and finally things had shrunk into about 90%. Now Im in the process of taking out the remaining scar tissue of these tumors.

Drakaki says there are certain parts of his body that are responding really well and that some lesions can no longer be seen, which is above expectations. She also says she has a plan for his treatment.

My hope and goal is to try and keep him on these medications as long as possible and then as the future and the science is changing, just keep getting biopsies as things within his body to try to identify newer targets for treatment.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Paul Slee Rodriguez/Courtesy of Intar Theater

Writer Julissa Contreras admits it: She was worried about all the Spanish. Her ambitious off-Broadway debut play, Vamonos (now playing at Intar Theatre until May 21), is a layered look at one Dominican American family living in the Bronx right before and right after the events of 9/11.

It tackles heavy topics like faith, racism, and patriotism through a Dominican lens and shows no fear. A good part of it also happens to be exclusively in Spanish. Instead of being an obstacle for audiences, however, the specificity and powerhouse performances turn the show into a kind of invitation, to not only see the truth of this family, but find truth in themselves, as well.

As the production was being mounted, conversations around accessibility and the idea of using subtitles both in English and in Spanish to ensure a diverse audience would be able to follow the rich narrative, came to a head. I felt like I was the lone soldier who was worried, says Contreras with a laugh. Conscious of showcasing a full cast of Black Dominican actors portraying complex Black Dominican characters, Contreras didnt just want the show to be a mirror, but a looking glass.

It was important that non-Spanish speakers understand the story because they're meant to receive this story, to meet us Dominicans, she says. Its not just about Dominicans feeling like they saw themselves, its that everyone saw the Dominicans.

Some Like It Hot Leads the Race for the 2023 Tony Awards

Contreras, who was born in Harlem and raised in the Bronx, says she was surprised by the support and encouragement she received from the Intar theater staff to let the show be its most authentic version of itself, subtitles be damned. Intar Theatre, with its long history as the countrys oldest theater company dedicated to developing and producing plays by Latine artists, was the perfect home for Contreras and Vamonos.

Artistic Director Lou Moreno was one of its strongest advocates. No one ever asked me if I was going to be OK to just sit in English-speaking plays my whole life, he says. So my position was like, I really don't give a fuck. The show was strong enough on its own, he insisted, and whether you speak English or Spanish or both, audience members would leave with their own version of the story, some people with more, and some people with a little less. And thats OK, he says. Everybody gets a little bit extra depending on where you sit in a theater.

Story continues

l to r: Cindy Peralta, Yohanna Florentino and Angela Reynoso in 'Vamonos.' Paul Slee Rodriguez/Courtesy of Intar Theater

In the end, the company hosted a show for a test audience and based on feedback, Contreras made small tweaks to ensure there was enough context for everyone to understand. We rode forward with that, knowing that the body language and the set and all the other wonderful elements that make the show a reality we're going to invite everyone in.

Contreras sent the invitations out, but the hosts of the party that is Vamonos undoubtedly are the two actresses, Cindy Peralta and Yohanna Florentino, whose towering performances, almost completely in Spanish, showcase the power of acting, no matter what language you speak. As Juana and Anna, respectively, the duo play sisters who have immigrated to New York City and are raising families. The two are so similar, but worlds apart, as assimilation has taken them down different roads.

Anna is the rule follower, the patriot, the more conservative of the two who has just left the Bronx to the suburbs of New Jersey with her husband and kids. Juana, who is a single mother, and still in the Bronx, is more inclined to look to her past, indulge her niece in native mysticism, and maybe have one too many drinks. Then, after the 9/11 attacks, everything changes. The beauty of Vamonos is that it shows us that one plus one does not always equal two, says Florentino.

'Vamonos' playwright Julissa Contreras. Courtesy of Intar Theater

Florentino, who was born in the Dominican Republic and is now a prolific off-Broadway performer, says she identified with these women in a profound way, but had never been able to bring her craft as an actress to a role like this one. In doing the work, I came to realize, its been inside me all along, I just never had the opportunity to share it.

Peralta, who was born in New York, but is also of Dominican descent, says Juana and Annas story is the story of her family. Of her parents, uncles and aunts who have come to the United States and had to reconcile resisting change, holding onto their language like a security blanket, and also deal with feeling intense patriotism for this new country and all the baggage that came with that. These are the stories that are difficult to tell, she says. But the importance of showing these stories is that these women went through a lot on their own and had very little to no support at all.

The task of communicating these complex identities to an audience who on a surface level could not identify with Juana and Anna or speak their language was paramount to both actresses.

Thats our craft, says Peralta. We have to portray the story no matter what, even though you may not understand the language. We, as actors, have to go above and beyond in a sense to show people that language is not necessarily a barrier here.

Theres language in the way Florentino dances with her husband in the opening scene, in the way the sisters fight over who they should be praying to, and in the way they hold each other when they receive horrible news from abroad. It is a pair of expressive physical performances that are both natural and supercharged, all at once. It knows no language.

It was important for Florentino that she could share the show with her Black and Latinx friends who arent fluent in Spanish, uniting the diaspora through the show. Writer Contreras lets out an Mmm! of approval at Florentinos words as we chat from the set of Vamonos at Intar Theatre. Through specificity you find universality, she says, hopeful and grateful for her all-Dominican cast, her half-English/half-Spanish show, and the theater company that gave her the space to make it into a reality.

Now that the show is up, Spanglish and all, garnering an overwhelming positive response from audience members of all backgrounds, Contreras says the great work to spread meaningful change across the theater industry continues. How do we make stories like Vamonos the new American classics?

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.
Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday took direct credit for the Supreme Court overturning its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling and ending the national right to an abortion.

I was able to terminate Roe v. Wade, said Trump, the current Republican front-runner in the 2024 presidential race, during a CNN town hall event.

It wasnt the first time Trump had claimed responsibility for last years decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, but it was his most explicit assertion in that vein to date on national TV.

Amid all of the lies, excusals for insurrectionists, and mockery of the woman he was found liable for sexually assaulting, Trumps statement about Roe on the CNN stage is likely to stand as the defining moment in his first foray out of the conservative media ecosystem for the 2024 election cycle.

The courts decision in Dobbs is broadly unpopular and proved a catalyst for Democrats surprise success in the 2022 midterm elections, as they hammered Republicans for endorsing abortion bans. The Democratic National Committee blasted out Trumps remarks to its press list as the Key Clip of the night, with DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison doing much the same on Twitter.

Trump knows this, but hes stuck between a rock and a hard place. The anti-abortion wing of the GOP is significant in size and influence, and Trump needed its support in 2016. He promised to nominate judges who would overturn Roe and he later delivered, with three justices voting to do just that. But now, many Republicans are demanding that elected officials ban abortions nationwide  at the very least after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Earlier this year, anti-abortion activists had voiced concern after the former president said the issue should be left to the states. Marjorie Dannenfelser, who heads Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, and other abortion opponents met with Trump in recent days to head off any rift on the issue. Dannenfelser, whose group is demanding all GOP presidential candidates endorse a nationwide abortion ban, described the meeting as terrific.

Story continues

Donald Trump's appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett solidified a six-vote conservative majority that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Donald Trump's appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett solidified a six-vote conservative majority that overturned Roe v. Wade.

The problem for Trump is that the electorate  particularly in the very swing states that helped him win in 2016  is heavily against abortion bans. Polls consistently show that roughly 60% of the public opposes the Dobbs decision and blanket bans. Support for abortion rights has also increased since the 2022 ruling.

Instead of answering CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins question about whether he would support a federal abortion ban, Trump bobbed and weaved. The end of Roe had given abortion opponents negotiating capability, he said.

To negotiate what?

Some people are at six weeks; some people are at three weeks, two weeks, Trump said, referring to the point in pregnancy after which some Republicans would ban abortion.

Would he sign a federal abortion ban? Trump evaded, but his partys position made it impossible to dodge completely.

We have a great negotiating ability, and I think were going to be able to get something done, he said.

Trump did state that he support exceptions to abortion bans for rape, incest and saving the life of the mother. Republican candidates who opposed such exemptions in key 2022 swing-state races, like in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, were pummeled by Democratic attack ads and at the polls by voters.

Still, Trump made sure that the electorate heard him take credit for ending a half-century right that stood as a cornerstone of womens freedom.

I was able to terminate Roe v. Wade, after 50 years of trying  they worked for 50 years, Trump said. Ive never seen anything like it. They worked  and I was even  I was so honored to have done it. We are in a very good negotiating position right now, only because of what I was able to do.

These comments coming soon to a campaign ad near you.
UPDATE, 7:09 PM: CNN issued a statement about its town hall with Donald Trump, amid some harsh criticism that it gave the former president a platform to spew falsehoods.

A spokesperson said, Tonight Kaitlan Collins exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist. She asked tough, fair and revealing questions. And she followed up and fact-checked President Trump in real time to arm voters with crucial information about his positions as he enters the 2024 election as the Republican frontrunner. That is CNNs role and responsibility: to get answers and hold the powerful to account.

More from Deadline

PREVIOUSLY, 6:08 PM: Donald Trump called Kaitlan Collins a nasty person as she pressed him on his withholding of classified material despite requests by the National Archives to return them.

The crowd cheered.

Collins did not react to the comment, and continued to ask him about the documents.

A number of Collins fellow journalists came to her defense as the town hall ended. The New York Times Peter Baker said that she was in an impossible position but did a heroic job of fact-checking Trump throughout the town hall. No easy task given how many factually untrue things he said in such a short time. Collins is a true pro and showed what a stellar journalist she is.

But the network itself is taking a drubbing on social media for giving Trump a platform, before a crowd of friendly supporters who gave him two standing ovations.

On MSNBC, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) weighed in on the moment when Trump attacked E. Jean Carroll, who just won a $5 million judgment against him, and the audience laughed.

She said, What we saw tonight was a series of extremely irresponsible decisions that put a sexual abuse victim at risk, that put that person at risk in front of a national audience. And I could not have disagreed with it more. It was shameful.

Story continues

PREVIOUSLY, 5:49 PM: The town hall is not even over, but CNN is getting pummeled for the event.

When Kaitlan Collins asked Trump about a jurys $5 million verdict finding him liable for sexual assault and defamation against E. Jean Carroll, the former president bragged about his poll numbers going up, to audience applause and even laughter.

This woman. I dont know her. I have never met her. I have no idea who she is, he said, before accusing Carroll of calling her African American husband a ape and complaining that the judge would not allow his legal team to admit evidence that she called her pet Vagina. He also called her a whack job, as he talked about the case as if it were one of his comedy bits. He also defended his comments on the infamous Access Hollywood tape.

Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News anchor, wrote on Twitter, I cant believe this is being allowed on CNN. This is promulgating the cult leadership of Trump  and people are laughing at sexual assault. God save us. And now trump says its because women LET YOU grab em by the pussy. #TrumpTownHall

PREVIOUSLY, 5:15 PM: Donald Trumps return to CNN for a town hall began with moderator Kaitlan Collins trying to challenge the former president on his claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.

Trump called those who accepted the results very stupid while launching into a fusillade of unfounded and debunked claims that cameras captured voter fraud.

Collins said, Mr. President, to what you just said there, though, it was not a rigged election. It was not a stolen election. You and your supporters lost more than 60 court cases on the election. Its been nearly two and a half years. Can you publicly acknowledge that you didnt lose the 2020?

He did not, but instead went into claims that there was widespread fraud and they found millions of votes on camera on government cameras where they were stuffing ballot boxes.

When Collins said that there was no evidence of election fraud, Trump said, Youre supposed to say that.

Trump went on to make the election claims but, as he tends to do, veered into a whole host of different issues. Collins even pointed out that his own campaign paid for a recount in Wisconsin that showed that Joe Biden actually got more votes, but Trump wouldnt back away from his claim that votes were stolen.

The former president had a friendly audience at the town hall, as they gave him a standing ovation as he took the stage. They also applauded when he said that he would pardon many of the rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6.

Trumps appearance on longtime adversary CNN for the closely scrutinized town hall carried risks for the Republican presidential candidate but perhaps even more potential pitfalls for the network and Collins.

The event likely will give the network a needed audience boost, with CNNs primetime ratings languishing well behind its rivals.

But the network has faced considerable criticism for giving Trump a platform in a format that typically gives a candidate positive exposure. Some warned that the network was normalizing a figure who tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election and called for the termination of the Constitution. Michael Fanone, the former DC Metropolitan Police officer who was injured on January 6th and who is a CNN contributor, wrote in an essay for Rolling Stone that the networks event was an attempt by a major media outlet struggling with its ratings to attract disenfranchised viewers.

To me, allowing Trump an open forum on a major television news network is the moral equivalent of putting an AR-15 in the hands of someone mentally unstable, he wrote.

The network under CEO Chris Licht has for the past year tried to shed the Jeff Zucker-era notion that it is the anti-Trump channel, dropping opinion segments in favor of more straightforward news coverage. The network has defended the event as part of its plans to invite major 2024 presidential contenders to take part in town hall forums.

The Trump event, though, presents the challenge of countering the former presidents penchant for filibustering with a firehouse of disinformation.

Collins, who sparred with Trump when she was a White House reporter, faces the task of pressing Trump with follow ups and interruptions, or even fact-checking some of his claims in real time. The event also is a test for her, with speculation that she is being positioned as a primetime host.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Donald Trump appeared at a CNN town hall on Wednesday night to unleash a litany of lies about the 2020 election and E Jean Carrolls lawsuit, just one day after a New York jury found the former president liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Trump took questions from a friendly crowd of Republican and undeclared voters in New Hampshire, who often greeted the former presidents divisive comments and gestures toward moderator Kaitlan Collins with laughter and applause.

Trump offered his thoughts on everything from the debt ceiling to abortion access and the war in Ukraine, but he frequently deflected when asked to outline specific policy objectives if he takes back the White House next year.

Related: Factchecking the Trump town hall

The town hall turned combative as soon as it began, with Trump reiterating his lies about the 2020 election as Collins repeatedly interjected.

Pressed by Collins on whether he would acknowledge Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 election, Trump refused to do so. When Collins later asked if he would accept the results of the 2024 election regardless of the outcome, Trump replied, Yeah, if I think its an honest election, absolutely.

Collins appeared to grow exasperated as the 70-minute town hall drew on, telling Trump at one point, The election was not rigged, Mr President. You cant keep saying that all night long.

Turning to Trumps many legal liabilities, she asked the former president for his message to voters who argue that the verdict in Carrolls lawsuit should disqualify him from seeking office. On Tuesday, a New York jury concluded that Trump had sexually abused Carroll 27 years earlier, ordering the former president to pay her $5m in damages for her battery and defamation claims.

Trump responded by attacking Carroll as a whack job and raising baseless doubts about the objectivity of the judge who oversaw the case. The New Hampshire crowd welcomed Trumps offensive and often untrue statements, and some audience members laughed when Collins noted that the former president had been found liable for sexual abuse.

Story continues

The verdict in Carrolls case came a month after Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in connection to a hush-money scheme during the 2016 election. He also faces potential criminal charges in Georgia and Washington over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his alleged mishandling of classified documents.

Asked why he had refused to voluntarily deliver the requested documents to federal authorities, Trump replied by calling Collins as a nasty person, echoing his characterization of former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as a nasty woman in 2016.

Meanwhile, Trump often shied away from offering a direct response to policy questions. Asked whether he would sign a federal abortion ban, he replied, Im looking at a solution thats going to work. Very complex issue for the country. You have people on both sides of an issue, but we are now in a very strong position. Pro-life people are in a strong position to make a deal thats going to be good and going to be satisfactory for them.

Trump would similarly not state whether he wanted Ukraine to win its war against Russia, which launched an unprovoked invasion last year. I want everybody to stop dying, Trump said. Russians and Ukrainians, I want them to stop dying. And Ill have that done. Ill have that done in 24 hours.

The few policy positions that Trump did clearly articulate may be unpopular with a wide swath of the American electorate. Trump said he was inclined to pardon many of those convicted for their participation in the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.

He also discouraged congressional Republicans from approving an increase in the governments debt ceiling, which could soon cause a disastrous federal default.

I say to the Republicans out there  congressmen, senators  if they dont give you massive [spending] cuts, youre going to have to do a default, Trump said. I dont believe theyre going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave.

Trumps position represents a reversal from his stance during his presidency, when he repeatedly suspended the debt ceiling to allow the government to continue borrowing money. Asked why he had changed his tune, Trump replied, Because now Im not president.

The flippant comment was met with laughter and applause, underscoring the former presidents enduring hold on the Republican base. Despite his many legal challenges, Trump remains the frontrunner in polls of the Republican primary field.

A number of commentators who had criticized CNN for agreeing to host the town hall cited the contentious nature of the conversation and the audiences positive reaction to Trumps lies as confirmation of the networks poor judgment.

CNN should be ashamed of themselves, the progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Twitter. They have lost total control of this town hall to again be manipulated into platforming election disinformation, defenses of Jan 6th, and a public attack on a sexual abuse victim. The audience is cheering him on and laughing at the host.

But CNN defended its decision, arguing voters deserved the opportunity to hear from the current frontrunner in the Republican presidential primary.

Our job, despite his unique circumstances, is to do what we do best, a CNN spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday morning. Ask tough questions, follow up and hold him accountable to give voters the information they need to sort through their choices. That is our role and our responsibility.

Biden appeared to have watched the town hall, as he sent out a fundraising request once the event concluded.

Its simple, folks, Biden said on Twitter. Do you want four more years of that?
Photo: Marina Demidiuk (Shutterstock)

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, could be poised to make a comeback in the U.S. Several states have reported a recent increase in cases, including in people vaccinated against the viral disease. Its possible that large outbreaks could once again emerge in the near future, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned.

Mpox is caused by the monkeypox virus, a close cousin to the smallpox virus. Like smallpox, its symptoms typically include flu-like illness and a distinctive rash. Rarely, the infection can lead to severe, life-threatening complications, including pneumonia, brain inflammation, and sepsis.

Read more

Until recently, mpox was primarily a zoonotic diseasespreading from animals to humansthat periodically caused outbreaks in parts of Africa. But last year, the virus burst onto the world stage, with outbreaks that spread widely from person to person. As of early May, at least 80,000 cases in over 100 countries have been documented worldwide since the start of 2022, along with 140 deaths (fortunately, the strains that circulated globally belonged to a less lethal lineage of the virus). This has included over 30,000 cases and 42 deaths in the U.S.

The widespread emergence of the virus eventually led the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern, the first since the covid-19 pandemic. Thankfully, there was already a vaccine developed against mpox prior to 2022, and its believed that existing smallpox vaccines would provide significant protection against it as well.

The disease can spread through any kind of direct contact with infectious lesions or other parts of the body. But these recent outbreaks have largely been transmitted through sexual contact, especially among men who have sex with men. Public health awareness and vaccination campaigns targeted to these groups are thought to have helped stem its spread since last summer, when cases in the U.S. and the world reached their peak.

Story continues

By last winter, new documented U.S. and global cases of mpox had plummeted. In January, the U.S. lifted its public health emergency related to mpox, while the WHO ended its declaration just today. And as of late April 2023, the nationwide average of reported cases in the U.S. had dropped to zero. But there has been an uptick more recently.

Sixty cases have been reported to the CDC in the past two weeks across eight states, CBS News reported Thursday. Some of these might be older cases only now being reported, but there have been genuine new clusters. In a health alert released Wednesday, for instance, the Chicago Department of Public Health announced that it has identified a resurgence of cases of mpox.

These newest outbreaks still appear to be spreading primarily among previously identified high risk groups. But, in an alarming development, theyre occurring in vaccinated people as well. Nine of the 13 cases in Chicago so far documented have been in fully vaccinated men. Several of these men had also recently traveled to other places, including New York City and Mexico. Though its expected to provide substantial protection against infection, the vaccine isnt 100% effective, and its protection may wane over time, according to the CDC.

Despite the news, vaccination is still thought to be one of the most effective strategies for containing mpox. Health officials continue to advise people at high risk to get the two-dose vaccine. Even in vaccinated people who catch mpox, the vaccine would likely reduce the odds of severe illness. Higher rates of vaccination coverage in high-risk communities can also limit the potential of the virus to spread widely.

While mpox isnt thought to have the epidemic potential of diseases like covid-19, health officials have long warned that its threat may not be over yet. In April, a modeling assessment by the CDC estimated a greater than 35% chance of resurgent outbreaks in most parts of the U.S. if nothing changesoutbreaks that could be larger than those seen last year. In these areas, vaccination coverage among high-risk populations still remains relatively low, the CDC noted.

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Andrzej Duda

"There is a lot of evidence that this could have been a crashed missile," Duda said in a comment to Polskie Radio.

Read also: Poland's priority during EU Council presidency will be Ukraine's membership  Duda

He added that the incident was not a serious threat to Poland's security.

"There was no explosion, no explosive charge, in fact it did not pose any serious threat to the security of the Republic of Poland, and that is the most important thing for me as president," said the president.

Read also: 10 Polish MiG-29s, Zelenskyy on Remembrance Day, aftermath of massive drone raid

On April 27, Polish authorities announced that debris of an unknown military aircraft had been found in a forest in the northern part of the country.

Read also: Russia running low on precision missiles, Ukrainian intelligence says

The Technical Institute of the Polish Air Force said that debris from a previously identified Russian X-55 cruise missile had been found near the city of Bydgoszcz.

According to Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, the object is indeed a Russian missile that crashed in Polish territory on December 16, 2022.

Read also: Senior Polish security official urges not to hurry Ukrainian army into counter-offensive

On that day, Moscow launched a barrage of cruise missile at targets across Ukraine, using Su-34 bombers stationed in Belarus. As RMF24 reports, the Polish military was tracking the object, until it disappeared from radars near Bydgoszcz.

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 snake managed to survive after it was swallowed by a much larger snake-like object: a vacuum cleaner.

The incident occurred at a home in Australia, and a snake catcher was called for assistance.

So just when you think youve seen it all in this job, someone calls you and says their wife has sucked a snake up with the vacuum cleaner, the Hervey Bay Snake Catchers, a Queensland company, said in a May 4 Facebook post.

A video posted by the company shows a man dismantling a vacuum outside the home to search for the scaly creature.

After tearing open the vacuum bag, he can be seen pulling a small snake out from under a pile of dust and debris.

Poor little guy. I bet that sucked for you, he said while holding the creature by its tail. It was identified as a recently hatched yellow-faced whip snake.

The snakes are found throughout most of Australia and can grow up to 3 feet in length, according to the Australian Museum. While venomous, they arent considered dangerous to humans.

I was afraid that we were gonna open it up to a dead snake, the man said in the video. Theyre pretty tough little buggers.

The snake was unscathed  just a little dusty and confused, according to the post.

Im tempted to just pick him up and hold him  especially after that ordeal, the man said before placing the tiny reptile into a box labeled DANGER VENOMOUS SNAKES.

The man, identified as Drew Godfrey, told 9news.com.au that people often have the wrong impression of snakes.

Its scarier to think of a world without snakes than a world with snakes, he told the outlet.

McClatchy News reached out to Hervey Bay Snake Catchers for comment and is waiting for a response.

Unique buried treasures unearthed after 2,000 years by metal detectorist in Wales

Police follow cries for help  then get a big surprise, video shows. Its a goat?

Fishermen discover mans body after he was shot and killed by his sons, TN cops say
E. Jean Carrolls lawyer said she may sue former President Trump again over comments he made at the CNN town hall Wednesday night.

In an interview with The New York Times, Carrolls attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said Thursday that she is considering whether to pursue a third defamation lawsuit against Trump in light of comments he made during his CNN town hall appearance Wednesday evening.

Everythings on the table, obviously, and we have to give serious consideration to it, Kaplan said. We have to weigh the various pros and cons and well come to a decision in the next day or so, probably.

Just one day after a jury found Trump liable of sexual abuse and defamation against Carroll over her allegation that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s, Trump called Carroll a whack job during the town hall and dismissed concerns that he would lose voters over the verdict.

This is a fake story. Made-up story, Trump said at the town hall. He later added, I have no idea who the hell she is. Shes a whack job.

What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up, and within minutes youre playing hanky-panky in a dressing room, Trump said, which was met with laughter from the attendees.

Carroll told the Times that she was asleep during Trumps town hall, but that Kaplan sent her a transcript of Trumps comments. She said she only read through the first paragraph.

Its just stupid, its just disgusting, vile, foul, it wounds people, Carroll said.

The jury released a verdict this week that found Trump liable of sexual abuse and defamation, but not of rape. The jury found Trump had defamed Carroll with comments he made in a 2022 social media post calling her allegations a complete con job, and that she is not my type.

Carroll has another defamation lawsuit pending over comments Trump made when she first came out with the accusations in 2019. However, that lawsuit has been held up over questions of Trumps immunity, because he made those statements while he was president.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON - As Donald Trump began the appeal of a $5 million sexual abuse and defamation judgement against him, E. Jean Carroll and her attorney said Thursday they may file another lawsuit against the ex-president over his caustic comments since the trial.

Its just stupid, its just disgusting, vile, foul, it wounds people, Carroll told The New York Times when asked about Trump's criticism of her and the verdict during a CNN town hall on Wednesday night.

On Tuesday, Trump was found liable by a jury of sexually abusing Carroll during a 1996 incident and subsequently defaming her. On Wednesday night, he called her a "whack job" and said she made up the story. Some of his comments drew laughter from the pro-Trump crowd gathered in a town hall setting in New Hampshire.

Jury finds Donald Trump liable in civil sex abuse case of E. Jean Carroll

At one point, Trump said: "I have no idea who this woman  This is a fake story, made up story."

A jury in New York believed Carroll's story, declaring Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and ordering the former president to pay her $5 million in damages.

Also on Thursday, Trump's attorneys filed a formal notice that they would take their case to the U.S. 2nd Circuit of Appeals. In other comments, Trump has criticized the judge and some of his procedural rulings about what evidence could be presented to the jury.

Last year, Carroll sued Trump under a new New York state law that gave victims a one-year window to sue alleged attackers in cases where the criminal statute of limitations had run out.

In addition, Carroll has an earlier defamation suit that is still pending. Trump has sought to have that case thrown out of court because he says he made the comments in question while serving in his official capacity as president.

Carroll's lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, told The New York Times that they will make a decision soon about yet another lawsuit: "Everythings on the table, obviously, and we have to give serious consideration to it."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: E. Jean Carroll may sue Donald Trump again as he appeals previous case
Home security camera footage of Jason Kloepfer after he was shot by police Dec. 13, 2023.

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Chief Richard Sneed has signed a law making police videos no longer public records, a move that comes amid a state investigation into a tribal police shooting.

The ordinance was approved unanimously by the Tribal Council April 6 and signed by Sneed April 25 without comment. The Citizen Times had been communicating with Sneed in the days up to and including April 25 to learn whether he would approve or seek to block the law, but he declined to say. The Citizen Times reached out again to Sneed on May 10.

Before the change, tribal law gave more access to its police recordings than North Carolina state law. Now, both require civil court actions to release videos. Cherokee Indian Police Chief Carla Neadeau told the council before the April 6 vote the law would allow the police chief discretion to release footage. But the law does not explicitly say that, instead saying it "does not limit individuals' ability to access these recordings through other provisions of the Cherokee Code, such as discovery in a criminal or civil action."

More: Judge: no release of police video of Fletcher man homicide; higher court upends process

More: Asheville newspaper requests Cherokee police shooting bodycam; tribe moves to stop access

The ordinance was first proposed March 2, less than three months after the shooting of an unarmed Murphy man, Jason Kloepfer, in his home. A State Bureau of Investigation probe is still ongoing, SBI spokesperson Anjanette Grube said.

The ordinance said at the time, "the Cherokee Law Enforcement Division is beginning to employ body-worn and in-car cameras to increase public safety and the safety and accountability of law enforcement officers."

Reporting in September by the tribe's official paper, the Cherokee One Feather, said the first order of bodycams had been expected to arrive by Dec. 7.

The Citizen Times requested any body-worn camera or other videos from the Dec. 13 shooting, but Neadeau said there were none. That is despite officers throwing a robot with a camera into Kloepfer's home.

Story continues

Neadeau did not respond to follow-up questions, including whether officers were equipped with cameras.

More: Murphy man shot by SWAT says cops should be in jail; DA asks Attorney General to step in

Kloepfer's in-home security camera video of the early morning shooting showed at least three officers. It is not clear if they were wearing cameras.

The Cherokee SWAT team officers were not on tribal lands and were assisting Cherokee County Sheriff's deputies who had gotten calls of a disturbance at Kloepfer's home and possible gunshots. An initial statement by law enforcement said Kloepfer had confronted officers and engaged in a verbal altercation. But the security video he posted to social media contradicted that.

The footage begins with Kloepfer's home in darkness, the door opening and something being thrown inside, which was later reported to be the robot. Kloepfer picked it up and, responding to police commands, opened his door and raised his hands above his head with the robot in one hand. He was quickly shot multiple times with his longtime partner beside him.

District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch dropped charges of communicating threats and resisting an officer against Kloepfer who was hospitalized for his injuries and released. Kloepfer told the Citizen Times April 21 he planned to bring a federal civil rights suit against the police.

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Chief signs law: Cherokee Indian Police videos not public
An 82-year-old woman died not only of blunt force trauma after being beaten with a table leg as originally suspected but also of strangulation, a Greenville County Coroners Office autopsy showed.

Frances Quick was found dead at her home in the Hickory Ridge Apartments on Wade Hampton Boulevard in Greenville on Feb. 6.

The coroner estimated she had been dead for three or four days.

The report said she suffered from manual strangulation, which means she was choked to death by someone with their hands around her throat.

Her son, Bobby Eugene Quick II, is charged with murder after being arrested in Asheville and extradited. He had been living with his mother for about a week, the Greenville County Sheriffs Office said in February.

Frances Quicks obituary said she also had four daughters and nine grandchildren and was a Greenville native.

She was a homemaker and a Baptist.

Frances loved Jesus and was strong in her faith, the obituary posted by the Wood Mortuary in Greer said. She enjoyed collecting Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley memorabilia.
Electric bicycles and scooters have become a part of life in downtown Boise as a popular form of transportation, leaving behind the old-fashioned mode of simply pedaling and replacing it with high-speed exploits that can sometimes see cyclists going as fast as cars.

But if cars arent allowed to cross into a bicycle lane unless entering or exiting driveways, why are e-bikes permitted to fly down the bicycle lane?

In some cases, theyre not.

Electric bikes in Boise

There are three classes of electric bicycles as defined by the Idaho State Legislature:

Class 1: An e-bike that only provides assistance when the rider pedals and ceases to assist once the bicycle reaches 20 mph.

Class 2: An e-bike where the motor can be used to propel the bicycle even without pedaling, but it does not assist once the bike reaches 20 mph.

Class 3: An e-bike where the motor only provides assistance when the rider pedals but assists up to 28 mph and is also equipped with a speedometer.

Bicyclists ride past a speed limit sign on the Boise River Greenbelt. Kyle Green/kgreen@idahostatesman.com

The state legislature defines an electric-assisted bicycle as a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor with a power output of no more than 750 watts that meets one of the three definitions above.

According to Boise city code:

Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are allowed not only in all bike lanes around the city but also on sidewalks and crosswalks throughout the city. Both bikes are also allowed on all 25 miles of the Boise River Greenbelt.

Class 3 e-bikes are not allowed on any city sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes or the Greenbelt under the city ordinance.

Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are also permitted on approximately 52 miles of motorized trails and primitive roads on the Ridge to Rivers trail network with an Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility permit.

You can apply for an ADA accessibility permit at the Boise Parks and Recreation Admin Office or the Fort Boise Community Center. Applicants must provide a valid state-issued disability parking placard and documentation of their e-bike purchase that outlines the power output of the bicycle.

Story continues

Electric scooters in Boise

People ride scooters through Freak Alley Gallery in downtown Boise on April 13, 2022. The alleyway, located behind the businesses between 8th Street and 9th Street and Bannock Street and Idaho Street showcases local graffiti style art. Sarah A. Miller/smiller@idahostatesman.com

Electric scooters can be used in the same places as Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes: Streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes and the Greenbelt.

But unlike e-bikes, e-scooters are not permitted in certain areas around the city: parts of Boise State University, Boise skateparks, the Idaho State Capitol, the Boise Foothills and Kathryn Albertson Park.

Because the e-scooters are stationless, they can be left anywhere around the city. The City of Boise asks that proper parking etiquette be followed, including parking the e-scooters upright and not parking on private property or in the way of ADA access or pathways. The city also asks users to park scooters on a concrete surface off the main path when on the Greenbelt.
[Source]

A new study found that the habitat of Asian elephants has drastically declined over the centuries, with data showing a 64% loss of suitable habitat across Asia, or about 3.3 million square kilometers (3.55 million square feet).

The study, published in Scientific Reports on April 27, found that the habitat of Asian elephants in China decreased by around 94% between the 1700s and 2015. Meanwhile, Asian elephants in India have lost more than 85% during the same time period.

Despite the significant decrease, the South Asian country remains home to the third biggest habitat in Asia, as opposed to China, which is now in 8th place.

Researchers explained they analyzed data compiled from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Movebank, published literature and recordings made by authors who had direct sightings.

More from NextShark: Shang Juncheng, 17, becomes first Chinese man to win match at Australian Open

They also checked data logged via tracking devices and camera traps for the study.

Other countries in Southeast Asia also saw a decrease in Asian elephant habitat between the same time frame, notably Thailand (67%), Vietnam (58.6%), Indonesia (58.5%) and Myanmar (32.3%).

Considered to be ecosystem engineers for their extreme adaptability when it comes to living in different habitats, Asian elephants are now listed as endangered species. According to the World Wildlife Fund, there currently are less than 52,000 Asian elephants left in the wild.

More from NextShark: Shocking video of women diners brutally attacked by men sparks China nationwide outrage

Indonesia and Malaysia currently have the largest habitat for Asian elephants.

The report noted that Indonesia has around 433,774 square kilometers (4.66 million square feet), while Malaysia has about 289,423 square kilometers (3.11 million square feet) of suitable habitat as of 2015.

However, the current data pales in comparison to how massive the habitat for Asian elephants was in India in 1700. According to researchers, they estimated that the South Asian country had around 1.6 million square kilometers (17.22 million square feet) suitable habitat for the elephants during that period, while China had about 1.1 million square kilometers (11.84 square feet).

Story continues

More from NextShark: Trailer: Netflix docu-series 'The Romantics' is an all-star love letter to Yash Chopra and his films

Researchers believe that several factors have contributed to the severe habitat loss of Asian elephants in the region, including climate change.

As a result of these anthropogenic changes to climate and land-use, global forest extent is estimated to have been reduced by 32% relative to the pre-industrial period and ecological communities are estimated to have lost over 20% of their biodiversity, the study noted.

Shermin de Silva, the founder of nonprofit Trunks & Leaves, told ABC News that the industrial agriculture in the mid-20th century have also contributed to the elephants habitat loss.

More from NextShark: 10-year-old Chinese girl helps free 11 men held captive by gang after finding plea for help on banknote

These landscapes that were previously appropriate for elephants ... we lost nearly two thirds of them over this past 300-year period, De Silva said. And what we have today is highly fragmented."

Despite the severe drop in suitable areas for Asian elephants, researchers discovered that two nations recorded an increase in habitats for the elephants during the period.

Laos saw a 7.3% increase in its suitable area in 2015 to around 177,558 square kilometers (1.9 million square feet) and Malaysia had a 61.6% increase.
Meghan Markle was not the only familiar face missing from King Charles big day.

The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on Saturday at Londons Westminster Abbey. The 74-year-old became the U.K.s new monarch upon the death of his mother. The queen, Britains longest-reigning monarch, passed away in September 2022 at age 96.

Elizabeth Hurley and then-Prince Charles are seen here attending the De Beers/Versace Diamonds are Forever celebration at Syon House, West London, June 9, 1999.

Elizabeth Hurley, one of Britains most sought-after stars, was away from her home country during the historical event for good reason. The model, actress and swimsuit designer traveled across the pond to help raise a whopping $10.3 million for breast cancer, People magazine reported on Wednesday.

The 57-year-old is a longtime Global Ambassador of the Estee Lauder Companies' Breast Cancer Campaign.

ELIZABETH HURLEY STUNS IN AN ANIMAL PRINT BIKINI AT 57

Elizabeth Hurley was not in her home country during King Charles' coronation.

"I was in America, so I didnt watch it live," the former "Royals" actress told the outlet. "I had to watch it delayed and the bits I watched were absolutely gorgeous, just elegant, beautiful and majestic  and Im so glad I wasnt in charge. Can you imagine? Can you imagine how to organize that?"

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Still, the English health activist admitted to having a serious case of missing out.

"My friends had their own tea parties and their own watching parties and of course, I felt a bit left out," said Hurley, adding she later watched the event in full on YouTube.

"But it looked magnificent," she added.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the balcony of Buckingham Palace following their coronation on May 6, 2023, in London.

According to the outlet, BCRF co-chair Sir Elton John surprised guests at a New York party raising awareness for the cause with a video message. In it, the 76-year-old spoke about the "extraordinary work" the Breast Cancer Research Foundation has done over the years.

The foundation, founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder, is the largest private funder of breast cancer research in the world, the outlet revealed.

Back in 2017, Hurley spoke to the outlet about how Estee Lauders daughter-in-law approached her about working on a breast cancer campaign because "women are dying of breast cancer, and nobody is talking about it." Hurley described how at the time her grandmother had just died from breast cancer.

Story continues

"She didnt talk about it," she reflected on the late matriarchs battle with the disease. "She didnt talk about her treatment. When she found a lump she didnt tell the doctor for over a year because she didnt want to hear what he said."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Elizabeth Hurley speaks onstage during the Breast Cancer Research Foundation Hot Pink Party at The Glasshouse on May 9, 2023, in New York City.

The "Austin Powers" alum has also kept busy in other ways. To the delight of her 2.6 million followers on Instagram, she has been posting her bikini photos, including one of her "twin" aka her reflection.

Hurley launched a London-based swimwear label named Elizabeth Hurley Beach in 2005.

"I decided to venture into beachwear not only because Ive always been obsessed with vacation clothes, but also because its an area where women, regardless of shape or size, can either look amazing or really get it wrong. I wanted to develop resort collections, which make women feel fabulous at any age," she announced on the companys site.

In May 2017, the star told Closer Weekly that being a mom inspired her to launch the brand. She previously took a break from Hollywood to focus on motherhood but found herself wanting to do something new professionally.

ELIZABETH HURLEY CONFESSES RAISING SON HELPED LAUNCH HER BIKINI BUSINESS

"Looking after my son became my number one task, and it was a joy to have someone else on whom to focus," Hurley told the magazine. "I was 36 and had been worrying about myself for quite long enough. I stopped doing movies and TV for the first eight years of his life, and I dont regret it for a moment. I always put him first."

When it came to launching her swimwear collection, Hurley added, "It allowed me to be more flexible with my time and work when Damian was at school."

Still, Hurley insisted she was eager to take on new challenges as her son grew older.

"I love my life," she said. "I love change and I love new experiences."
Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk, and Don Lemon. Jason Koerner/Getty Images; Clive Mason - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson were both ousted from their jobs at CNN and Fox News on April 24.

Carlson announced on Tuesday that he would be bringing his show to Twitter instead.

And as Musk tried to settle political concerns, he reached out to Lemon to suggest he do the same.

Elon Musk reached out to former CNN host Don Lemon to suggest he starts a new show on Twitter, days after Fox News star host Tucker Carlson announced his own plans to do so.

Lemon and Carlson, longtime TV news hosts, were both abruptly fired on April 24. News of Lemon's departure came shortly after a report from Variety alleged that he had a history of misogynistic behavior at the network  he later denied these allegations. CNN said the two parties had "parted ways."

This week, Musk replied to Lemon's tweet from April 24  the day both he and Carlson were ousted, saying: "Have you considered doing your show on this platform? Maybe worth a try. Audience is much bigger."

The invite came shortly after Musk posted an explanation of Carlson's refuge on the platform, apparently trying to settle concerns about the right-wing firebrand.

"On this platform, unlike the one-way street of broadcast, people are able to interact, critique and refute whatever is said," the Twitter CEO said. "I hope that many others, particularly from the left, also choose to be content creators on this platform."

It is not clear why the former Fox News host was fired. The news came in the wake of the company's $787.5 million defamation settlement with voting machine manufacturer Dominion. The lawsuit said that Fox News broadcast unfounded claims about Dominion's machines changing votes for then-President Donald Trump to Joe Biden. Dominion gathered transcripts that showed how Carlson and other hosts had pushed this conspiracy theory.

Carlson's three-minute video announcing his plans to post his political coverage on Twitter has already racked up 24.7 million views since Tuesday.

Story continues

By comparison, he averaged 3.2 million views on Fox in the first quarter of this year, per the Los Angeles Times. But Twitter also calculates this differently, because only half the video has to be on the screen for two seconds to count as a view.

"There aren't many platforms left that allow free speech," Carlson said in his Tuesday announcement. "The last big one remaining in the world  the only one  is Twitter."

It's still clear that Carlson's presence on the platform holds weight, as Bloomberg reported his Twitter announcement wiped $235 million from Rumble  a video network backed by Peter Thiel that is seen as a right-wing alternative to YouTube.

If Lemon did take up Musk's offer, it could provide a liberal counterbalance to Carlson's impending Twitter show.

But as Insider's Hasan Chowdhury reports, Carlson's presence could end up only polarizing more users.

Insider contacted Twitter for comment. The company responded with an automated message that didn't address the inquiry.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Twitter owner Elon Musk. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Elon Musk said on Thursday that he'd found a new CEO for Twitter.

The billionaire didn't specify who would be taking over for him at the social-media company.

Musk said on Twitter that the new executive would step into the role in about six weeks.

Elon Musk said on Thursday that he'd found a new CEO for Twitter.

The billionaire didn't specify who'd be taking over. Musk became Twitter CEO, describing himself as "Chief Twit," last year after he bought the company and fired CEO Parag Agrawal within hours of taking the social-media company private.

"Excited to announce that I've hired a new CEO for X/Twitter," Musk said on Twitter. "She will be starting in ~6 weeks! My role will transition to being exec chair & CTO, overseeing product, software & sysops."

Musk didn't respond to a request for comment. Twitter responded to a request for comment with an automated message that didn't address the issue.

Tesla's stock was up 2% after the announcement. Since Musk took over as Twitter CEO in November, some Tesla shareholders have expressed concern over his focus on the social-media company as Musk has taken to sleeping at its headquarters. Most recently, several Tesla investors wrote an open letter saying Musk had been "distracted" by other ventures and calling for him to be reined in.

Musk has said from the beginning that he had planned for his stint as Twitter's CEO to be temporary. In December, the billionaire said he would eventually resign as CEO of Twitter after he ran a poll asking Twitter users whether he should quit and the majority voted in favor of Musk stepping down.

He said earlier this year that he might need until the end of the year before he was able to hire a successor.

"I need to stabilize the organization and just make sure it's in a financially healthy place and the product road map is clearly laid out," Musk said at the World Government Summit in Dubai in February.

Story continues

Since buying the company for $44 billion, Musk has laid off about 80% of Twitter's staff and initiated several major changes, including eliminating the social-media site's legacy verified check marks. Last month, Musk said the company was "roughly breaking even" and told the BBC that had he not taken charge, Twitter was on course to run out of cash in about four months.

Musk is in the midst of trying to increase subscription revenue through his overhauled Twitter Blue program. The company makes most of its money through advertising but has seen numerous advertisers slow their spending on the site since Musk's takeover. The company's revenue reportedly plunged about 40% in December compared with the same period the previous year after about half of Twitter's advertisers left the platform.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Tucker Carlson announced on Wednesday that he'll be bringing his show to Twitter where he could be subject to fact-checking by the platform's Community Notes feature. Seth Wening and Gregory Bull/AP

Tucker Carlson announced Tuesday that his show would be airing on Twitter.

Elon Musk responded by saying anything misleading would be flagged by community notes.

Carlson was often flagged by fact-checkers for sidestepping the truth while hosting on Fox News.

Tucker Carlson is moving his show from a traditional broadcasting outlet to Twitter where he will be subject to the social media platform's fact-checking force, Community Notes.

The conservative TV host, who built a loyal following on a brand of alarmist and at times, extremist views, announced on Tuesday that he'll bring a "new version" of his show to Twitter in an attempt to combat what he described as "thinly disguised propaganda outlets" on cable news.

Following Carlson's announcement, Twitter CEO Elon Musk said the show will be marked for any misleading information through Community Notes  a feature that relies on an aggregation of user ratings to determine if a fact-check is helpful. A clarifying message appears underneath a tweet for public view if enough contributors "from different points of view" rate the note as helpful, according to Twitter's guide.

"On this platform, unlike the one-way street of broadcast, people are able to interact, critique and refute whatever is said," Musk said. "And, of course, anything misleading will get @CommunityNotes."

Assuming Musk doesn't introduce changes to Twitter that may cater to certain viewpoints, Carlson's shift to a platform with a built-in fact-checking feature could be an issue for the notorious offender of misleading information.

The TV host's history of making untrue statements is well documented on third-party fact-checking sites such as Politifact and Snopes.

Days after the 2020 election, for example, Carlson falsely claimed that "electronic voting machines didn't allow people to vote" in Maricopa County, Arizona. In July 2021, he continued to sow doubt around the election result, claiming "there actually was meaningful voter fraud in Fulton County, Georgia."

Story continues

Similar messages claiming election fraud that were platformed on Fox News led to the blockbuster defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, which Fox settled for $787.5 million.

Court records revealed how Carlson privately doubted and raised frustrations around election fraud claims. But his show and other anchors on the channel rarely reflected those misgivings. In contrast, Fox News anchors make a habit of railing against and mocking "fact checkers."

In a separate slander lawsuit filed against the network, Fox's lawyers successfully argued that viewers should understand that Carlson is not "stating actual facts." A federal judge concurred with the lawyers, dismissing the suit and stating that no "reasonable viewer" should take him seriously.

Carlson didn't specify what his new show will look like on Twitter. There's also no guarantee that he'll consistently be scrutinized by a fact check. Not every piece of misleading or false information on the platform is publicly marked by a Community Note.

The feature relies on users who signed up to be a contributor to rate "in good faith" the helpfulness of a note that might add more context to a tweet, for example. Twitter also takes into account the users' previous rating history to determine if they "seem to come from different perspectives." When enough people from different points of view rate a note as "helpful," the Community Note will appear, according to Twitter.

"If people who typically disagree in their ratings agree that a given note is helpful, it's probably a good indicator the note is helpful to people from different points of view," Twitter's guide states.

In addition, data behind Community Notes show that the feature sometimes marks a tweet as a "personal opinion," concluding that a note is not necessary.

When a note does appear on a tweet, it often comes with citations from "reliable sources"  sometimes relying on Wikipedia or the very mainstream media outlets that Carlson and Musk often take aim at.

Musk did not respond to a detailed list of questions about how Community Notes operates. Carlson's attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

Musk himself has been prey for misinformation on the platform, despite his purported mission statement to make Twitter "the most accurate source of information about the world."

On Friday, the Twitter CEO responded to a chart that was tweeted by an account called "End Wokeness." It suggested the media has an anti-white bias and focuses on "White On Black" crime. The tweet appeared to respond to the media coverage of the death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless Black man who died after ex-Marine Daniel Penny, who is white, put him in a chokehold.

"Odd, why would the media misrepresent the real situation to such an extreme degree?" Musk wrote, appearing to accept the information presented by the chart.

The graph, which first appeared on the conservative media site, The Blaze, in 2019, excluded several other statistics, including "White on White" and "Black on Black" crime, Judd Legum wrote in his Popular Information newsletter. Studies have also shown that media bias against criminal defendants who are people of color continues to persist.

The graph was viewed 17.4 million times and liked by more than 152,000 users as of Thursday.

A Community Notes suggestion did not appear below the tweet.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Board members have considered making the company's chief financial officer, Zach Kirkhorn, the next CEO of Tesla, the Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the issue. Getty Images

Tesla board members have considered making CFO Zach Kirkhorn Elon Musk's successor, WSJ reports.

Ex-staffers said the CFO is a mediator and one exec said he's careful to stay out of the limelight.

Tesla cofounder JB Straubel said Kirkhorn gained Musk's favor by sharing "bad news."

Tesla may have found a potential successor to Elon Musk after all, according to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal.

Board members have considered making the company's chief financial officer, Zach Kirkhorn, the next CEO of Tesla, the Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the issue. The publication said that Kirkhorn's name was mentioned before a trial last year over Musk's $44 billion Tesla pay package.

The lawsuit from a Tesla shareholder claimed that Musk's 2018 compensation plan was "beyond the bounds of reasonable judgment" and alleged that the funds had enabled the billionaire to focus on his other companies  including his recent Twitter acquisition which has spurred concern from other Tesla investors. The lawsuit has yet to be resolved.

During the trial, Tesla board member James Murdoch said that Musk had identified a potential successor within the months leading up to the trial, but the board member did not specify who Musk had suggested.

The Journal compared Musk's relationship with Kirkhorn to the connection between Apple cofounder Steve Jobs and the company's current CEO, Tim Cook, inasmuch as both Jobs and Musk have been willing to take "risky bets" in order to build their companies, while Cook and Kirkhorn appear to have taken a more cautious approach and have helped keep the companies in balance.

Tesla staff who worked with Kirkhorn told the Journal that the CFO is adept at responding to Musk's requests and taking on the role as a mediator between the billionaire and other workers. In the past, former executives have said the billionaire can be a difficult person to work for, prone to bouts of anger and even instances of rage-firing employees  allegations Musk has adamantly denied, calling them "false" on Twitter and saying he gives "clear and frank" feedback to employees. Former SpaceX executive Jim Cantrell previously told Insider that Musk can be "vicious" when his expectations aren't met.

Story continues

Tesla cofounder J. B. Straubel told the publication that Kirkhorn works well with Musk because he is careful to "share the bad news even louder and faster than the good news." Straubel was nominated to Tesla's board in April.

Kurt Kelty, a former senior director of battery technology at Tesla, told the Journal that the CFO "doesn't take the limelight from Elon."

Over the years Musk's persona has become virtually synonymous with Tesla's brand. Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard previously told Insider that his relationship with Musk went sour when he became the face of Tesla in its early days, adding that Musk would call him and "scream" at him when he wasn't mentioned in a news article about the company.

Some former executives told the publication that Kirkhorn addresses many everyday operations even outside of company finances. Meanwhile, the executive has kept a low profile on social media and in the news.

Musk and Kirkhorn did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication. A spokesperson for Tesla also did not respond to a request for comment.

Kirkhorn has worked at Tesla for over a decade. He first started out at as senior analyst at the car company in 2010, per his LinkedIn profile. He took over as CFO from Deepak Ahuja in 2019 and over the past four years Tesla's value has surged. Prior to joining Tesla he worked as an analyst at McKinsey & Company, as well as interned at Microsoft, his profile shows.

Kirkhorn is not the only Tesla executive who is rumored to be a potential successor to Musk. Earlier this year, several news outlets speculated that the carmaker's chief in China, Tom Zhu, could be Musk's successor after he took over leadership of Tesla's US assembly plants and sales in both North America and Europe in January, per a report from Reuters.

Read the Journal's full story on its website.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A migrant crosses the Rio Grande river with a child in arms, as seen from Matamoros, Mexico, Wednesday, May 10, 2023. The U.S. on May 11 will begin denying asylum to migrants who show up at the U.S.-Mexico border without first applying online or seeking protection in a country they passed through, according to a new rule released on May 10. | Fernando Llano, Associated Press

States that border Mexico are expecting to see the number of migrants seeking to enter the U.S. rise after a major pandemic-era policy expires Thursday.

Title 42, a public health policy first passed in 1944 to reduce the spread of disease, was invoked under former President Donald Trump in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began. President Joe Bidens administration initially kept the policy in place, but with the national COVID-19 public health emergency expiring Thursday, Title 42 will sunset with it.

The Biden administration expects as many as 13,000 migrants to cross the U.S.-Mexico border daily after Title 42 expires, or about 400,000 people a month.

Thats twice as many as current crossings, which have been running about 200,000 a month since the beginning of the fiscal year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.

We are clear eyed about the challenges we are likely to face in the days and weeks ahead, which have the potential to be very difficult, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Wednesday at a press conference.

Heres what state officials from states bordering Mexico have said about how they will respond:

Acting U.S. Border Patrol Yuma Sector Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Dustin Caudle, left, speaks during a news conference inside a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Yuma Air and Marine Branch hangar, Thursday morning, April 27, 2023, in Yuma, Ariz. | Randy Hoeft, The Yuma Sun via Associated Press

Arizona

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said her states response would be focused on public safety and humanitarian support. At a press conference Monday, Hobbs said she was prepared to take executive action and send additional National Guardsmen to the border if needed.

Our approach will use all the state tools we have at our disposal to help border communities, she said.

Hobbs office announced a joint information command between federal agencies, local governments, tribal communities and nongovernmental organizations to communicate and coordinate response. Hobbs, a Democrat, called on the federal government to do more.

Without much more robust action from the federal government, the current situation will only get worse, she said.

A woman from Medellin, Colombia, sleeps with her daughter in a makeshift campsite after crossing the border Wednesday, May 10, 2023, near Jacumba, Calif. The part of a group of about forty people from Colombia have been camping just across the border for four days, waiting to apply for asylum in the United States. The Biden administration on Thursday will begin denying asylum to migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border without first applying online or seeking protection in a country they passed through, marking a fundamental shift in immigration policy as the U.S. readies for the end of a key pandemic restriction. | Gregory Bull, Associated Press

California

Californias Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsoms office has not yet announced how the state plans to handle the expiration of Title 42.

Story continues

In a statement to Fox 5 in San Diego, Newsoms office said, While the federal government is responsible for immigration policy and processing, California has served as a model of partnership for a safe and welcoming border, undertaking humanitarian efforts in border communities to support arriving migrants once they have been released by the federal government.

Related

Migrants are pat down by a Border Patrol agent as they enter into El Paso, Texas from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, May 10, 2023. As President Joe Bidens administration prepares for the end of asylum restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is offering some new legal options for people  especially families  to come to the United States. The administration said it will admit at least 100,000 Latin Americans seeking to reunite with family members in the United States, but has released almost no details. | Andres Leighton, Associated Press

New Mexico

The New Mexico National Guard told KOAT 7 in Albuquerque that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, hadnt reached out about any missions related to Title 42 expiring.

The New Mexico National Guard has not been tasked by the Governor for any mission at the border, but just as we respond to wildfires and floods in New Mexico, we are always prepared to serve our state and nation.

Related

Texas state police finish placing barbed wire as migrants walk up the bank of the Rio Grande river, seen from Matamoros, Mexico, Wednesday, May 10, 2023. The U.S on May 11 will begin denying asylum to migrants who show up at the U.S.-Mexico border without first applying online or seeking protection in a country they passed through, according to a new rule released May 10. | Fernando Llano, Associated Press

Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a new National Guard unit called the Texas Tactical Border Force on Monday and said the group will be deployed to hotspots all along the border to help intercept and repel large groups of migrants trying to enter Texas illegally.

The Texas Tactical Border Force will bolster our Operation Lone Star efforts to secure the Texas border amid the chaos caused by President Bidens elimination of Title 42, Abbott, a Republican, said.

He claimed Texas is doing more than any state in the history of the United States of America to defend our border, including deploying up to 10,000 National Guard members and 1,200 Texas Department of Public Safety troopers.
Nearly 60% of the Black individuals who spoke English or French reported encountering racial discrimination.

Black anglophones, or English-speaking people, residing in Quebec, experience more barriers to accessing mental health care than their Black French-speaking counterparts.

According to McGills Newsroom, Black Community Resource Centre helped the Department of Psychology at McGill University researchers survey 531 Black adults currently residing in Quebec  where French is the dominant language  about their experiences as a racial and linguistic minority.

The results  published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities  showed that Black, English-speaking people experience higher levels of discrimination and generally have worse mental health than their Black, French-speaking counterparts.

Black English-speaking people in Canada report experiencing more barriers to accessing mental health care than those who speak French, which is the dominant language.

Nearly 60% of the Black individuals who spoke English or French reported encountering racial discrimination. But compared to the roughly 7% of the Black francophone participants, more than 25% of Black English-speaking participants reported experiencing linguistic prejudice.

The results of this research project helped us get an understanding of how these multiplied minoritized identities affected the health of [the] English-speaking Black community, said lead author and Ph.D. student Nmesoma Umenwofor-Nweze. It is imperative to understand this relationship to build better services for communities that are marginalized on multiple fronts.

Meanwhile, in the United States  for example  to the extent that economic well-being can be tied to discrimination and mental health concerns, Black people or African Americans who live below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources Office of Minority Health, are more than twice as likely to admit to serious psychological distress than individuals over twice the poverty level.

In a unique study (2004) on the prevalence of depression and the likelihood of accessing mental health services in the United States and Canada, the National Institutes of Healths (NIH) National Library of Medicine found that the rates of depression in the two countries were comparable at 8.2% and 8.7%, respectively. However, Americans without health insurance were twice as likely to fulfill the diagnostic criteria for depression as Americans and Canadians with health insurance.

Story continues

Canada and the United States also had similar rates of mental health care use. Americans without medical insurance were less likely than Canadians and Americans with medical insurance  both at 55.7%  to report using any form of mental health services when they were depressed.

Furthermore, whereas Americans without health insurance did not experience this correlation, data showed that Canadians needing mental health services use them more frequently.

The National Library of Medicine concluded that access to healthcare for those with mental illnesses has to be improved in both countries.

Similarly, as it regards the Black residents of Quebec, the McGill researchers conclude in the abstract published in the health disparities journal, Our study adds to the sparse race-based and intersectional literature about Black people in Canada and substantiates a mechanism by which language affects mental health by exposing Black Quebecers to more discrimination and thus higher barriers to care.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post English-speaking Black people in Quebec have worse mental health than Black francophones appeared first on TheGrio.
Shell's ethane cracker plant in March 2023.

Attorneys with two environmental nonprofits filed a federal lawsuit against Shell Thursday for repeatedly violating permitted air pollution limits at the companys Beaver County ethane cracker plant.

The Environmental Integrity Project and Clean Air Council filed the complaint with the U.S. District Court for Western Pennsylvania, having previously filed a notice of intent to sue Shell earlier this year.

Pennsylvanias Department of Environmental Protection has issued the company a dozen violation notices related to air quality since January 2022, the groups wrote in the suit, and Shell has submitted nearly 40 malfunction reports in that time. Still, no enforcement actions or penalties by the state have materialized, the plaintiffs said. Elevated levels of air contaminants like nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter from the petrochemical complex are harming public health, they said.

The community will not tolerate dangerous pollution events that risk the health of families across Beaver County and beyond, said Clean Air Council Executive Director Joseph Minott.

More: With Pa. plastics plant poised to open, residents decide: Stay or go?

Most recently, the lawsuit notes, air monitors at the Potter Township facility detected elevated levels of benzene following a mid-April malfunction at the sites wastewater treatment plant. Shell reported a release of hydrocarbons, or an oily water mixture, as crews drained a tank in preparation for maintenance. The site's fenceline air monitors detected spikes in volatile organic compounds during the incident, and nearby air quality monitors detected spikes in particulate matter.

Those near the petrochemical complex reported a strong chemical scent causing watering, burning eyes, headaches, nausea and other respiratory issues. Rumors of a benzene spill at the plant circulated in the community, but DEP at the time reported no evidence to date of a significant benzene release or spill. Shell days later reported to the National Response Center that 300 pounds of benzene was released into the air during the incident, according to the lawsuit.

Story continues

More: Questions remain after Shell air monitors detect benzene at Potter Twp. cracker plant

Shell received $1.6 billion in taxpayer subsidies from the state to build this plant, said Sarah Kula, attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project. The very least this international corporation can do is to follow the law 

The groups asked the court to affirm Shell violated, and is currently violating, the Clean Air Act, the Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act and its permit, calling for the plants shutdown until its in compliance. The lawsuit also presses for a civil penalty against Shell for each violation of the Clean Air Act up to $117,468 per day, per violation and a penalty for each violation of the Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act up to $25,000 per day, per violation.

Shell previously reported to the DEP that the plant exceeded its 12-month rolling VOC emissions limit of 516.2 tons during several periods, telling regulators that high-pressure gas flaring associated with startup activities was responsible for most of the exceedances.

More: Odors, pollution leave residents uneasy as Shell reports release at cracker plant

But the company in January deployed combustion equipment manufacturer Zeecos flare monitor technology to test flare efficiency. Shell told the DEP that the flare successfully destroyed a higher percentage of volatile organic compounds than what the company had previously calculated. The company then argued it hadnt exceeded rolling VOC limits and revised its reports.

Elevated flaring seen at Shell's ethane cracker plant on Feb. 13, 2023.

Shell has not demonstrated that these results are appropriate, DEP officials recently wrote to Shell environmental manager Kimberly Kaal. The technology is unproven, they added, asking Shell to provide further documentation and reserving the "right to  add a violation.

The companys permit imposes a 12-month rolling emissions limit of 328.5 tons of nitrogen oxides, too, which the plant has exceeded in at least four periods.

Even if Shell emits zero emissions of NOx and VOCs for the next five months, it will continue to violate its (rolling 12-month limits) until September 2023, the lawsuit states.

More: Shell hit with air permit violations; activists call for operations halt

Shells ethane cracker plant, once among the largest building projects in the nation and estimated to cost more than $6 billion, went online about six months ago. It's now temporarily shut down for repairs, including maintenance on the sites flaring system.

During commissioning, startup and early operations, not everything works exactly the way it was drawn up, the plants general manager Bill Watson said at a recent community meeting. There's millions and millions of moving parts that come together on this site. Some very, very big and others very, very small. Its standard that it takes a while to get everything up and running smoothly.

Shell CEO Wael Sawan said during a May 8 earnings call that the startup of the Potter Township plant has been slower than expected, according to Reuters.

We continue to be hopeful that through the course of this year, we should bring it up to the levels that we had anticipated in the plan, said Sawan. It's been slower than we would have hoped for, but the team is doing a great job battling with some of the obvious technical niggles that startups typically have.

The plastics plant is expected to contribute about $1 billion annually to company earnings once those niggles are resolved, Sawan said.

Company representatives maintain Shell is committed to complying with all county, state and federal regulations.

When there is an issue, we work to fix it, a statement read. We learn from those issues and work to improve so that we can be the good environmental steward, neighbor and business partner this region wants and deserves.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Environmental groups sue Shell for repeated air pollution violations at Beaver County plant
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is weakening a decades-old right-to-shelter mandate to prepare for thousands of newly arrived people in the US after the expiration of a Trump-era policy that blocked hundreds of thousands of migrants from entering the country.

The mayors executive order suspends a rule that guarantees shelter for families with children if requested by 10pm, and it suspends a rule that prohibits families from living in group settings. The city and state anticipate hundreds of daily arrivals with the end of Title 42, which expires at midnight on 11 May.

No one thought about a humanitarian crisis when they took this court case to a right to shelter, the mayor said in remarks on Thursday, referencing the 1981 consent decree that guides the statewide mandate. We could potentially get thousands of people a day in our city. Its wrong for those who are coming here  and its wrong for New Yorkers who are here.

Last year, city agencies sheltered more than 61,000 asylum seekers, with roughly 37,500 people in city shelters and emergency housing, and upwards of 500 people have arrived daily in recent days, according to Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for the mayors office. More than 130 emergency sites and eight humanitarian relief centres have opened within the last year, including inside hotels and a short-lived encampment in The Bronx.

Now, the city has reached our limit, Mr Levy said in a statement.

In an effort to mitigate those risks and find room within our shelter system, the city has temporarily suspended the policy surrounding timing for placements in shelters, he added. This is not a decision taken lightly and we will make every effort to get asylum seekers into shelter as quickly as possible as we have done since day one.

The order and the dissolve of the Title 42 public health order mark a turning point for a city famously grounded by its repeatedly affirmed and constantly defended rights and services for immigrants, as officials argue that available space is running out while advocates demand permanent housing solutions.

Story continues

Over the last year, Mayor Adams has pleaded with federal agencies for additional support as Republican governors in border states bussed thousands of people seeking asylum to Democratic-led northern cities and states.

New York is preparing for several thousand additional people seeking shelter each week, which could exacerbate an already large-scale humanitarian crisis and create a disaster emergency to which local governments are unable to adequately respond, according to an emergency order from Governor Kathy Hochul.

I am working very closely with the mayor to identify more sites where we can welcome these individuals, she said on 10 May. Theyre human beings, they deserve to be treated with dignity, but also were going to have a capacity issue, so were going to be needing to look at other places as well.

The Title 42 public health order invoked by then-President Donald Trump ostensibly aimed at preventing people from entering the US during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the administration largely wielded the order as a means to block people from entering the country as part of the administrations broader anti-immigration agenda, even as the former president and Republican officials sought to loosen pandemic-era restrictions.

Millions of people have been turned away from the US under Title 42 since 2020.

The Coalition for the Homeless and the Legal Aid Society are currently evaluating the mayors executive order and considering all of our options, including litigation, the groups said in a statement.

The groups warned that the mayors order will force families with children to languish at the citys intake facility for extended periods of time, potentially days on end, prolonging suffering that no human being should experience.

Congregate settings could put families at risk of disease, sexual assault and adverse mental health impacts, they warned.

The mayor attempting to weaken those rights now  in a moment of immense need for so many asylum seekers  is a misguided and harmful action in the face of the real, urgent challenge exacerbated by a lack of decisive and timely state and federal action, New York Citys elected public advocate Jumaane Williams said in a statement.

More than 75,000 people are living in New York City shelters on a given night, not including countless others who live on the streets, according to Coalition for the Homeless.

The organisations 2022 report examining the state of homelessness in the city underscored officials continued failure to address the underlying causes of the crisis, including a lack of investment in affordable housing that has left thousands of households with annual incomes below $30,000 at risk of homelessness while paying more than half of their incomes on rent.

.@NYCMayor this is violence. The last time families were in congregate settings, there were cases of child sexual abuse. Right-to-shelter exists to protect families and ensure all New Yorkers have their rights respected in our shelter system. These rules cannot be ignored. https://t.co/ZblKMQXmDT  Council Member Shahana Hanif (@CMShahanaHanif) May 11, 2023

New Yorks statewide right to shelter is a relatively straight-forward mandate through consent decree from a landmark case in 1981.

Following a class action lawsuit filed in 1979 on behalf of homeless New Yorker Robert Callahan, the state Supreme Court in Callahan v Carey ordered the city and state to provide shelter for homeless men as a right supported by the state constitution.

Following two years of negotiations in the wake of the ruling, the case was settled as a consent decree with the city and state, mandating shelter for those who need it, and outlining minimum standards for care in the shelter systems. Coalition for the Homeless also was appointed to monitor the conditions and progress of the mandate.

Callahan died while sleeping on the streets before the consent decree was signed, one of the last homeless New Yorkers who died in an era without a legal right to shelter.

In the decades that followed, legal challenges against the city alleged numerous violations of the mandate, prompting a series of court rulings to expand shelter protections for women and families and force the state to open more beds.

New York City Council Member Shahana Hanif, who chairs the councils Committee on Immigration, warned last year that the mayors plan for temporary outdoor shelters was an attempt to subvert the right-to-shelter mandate. She said the administration has since failed to come up with long-term plans for people seeking asylum.

Right-to-shelter exists to protect families and ensure all New Yorkers have their rights respected in our shelter system, she said on 10 May. These rules cannot be ignored.  The mayor cannot simply rule by decree.
Eric Trump has reportedly threatened to sue MSNBC's Rachel Maddow for pointing out that he will appear alongside anti-Semitic speakers during a ReAwaken America Tour stop at Trump National Doral in Miami this weekend.

Donald Trump's younger son is scheduled to speak this weekend along with his wife, former Fox News contributor Lara Trump, alongside right-wing influencers Scott McKay and Charlie Ward, who have been accused of spreading anti-Smitic conspiracy theories and praising Adolf Hitler, according to The Daily Beast.

Maddow made note of the speaker schedule and expressed shock that one of Mr Trump's sons would publicly appear alongside them.

I cant really believe they are going ahead with it, she said on a Monday broadcast.

Eric Trump took to Twitter the following night to complain about the story, saying Maddow was "walking a fine line" and insisting that his family is the "most pro-Israel family in American political history."

He also pointed to the fact that his sister, Ivanka Trump, and brother-in-law Jared Kushner are Jewish while justifying appearing alongside the other speakers.

If [Maddow] or anyone else even remotely suggests I am anti-Semitic I will not hesitate to take legal action against them personally, he wrote.

However, it appears the criticism may have had an impact; high-profile attorney Alan Dershowitz claimed during a stream on right-wing platform Rumble that he convinced the Trump son to kick Mr McKay, and possibly Mr Ward, off the tour.

A guy with views like this should not be anywhere near your fathers hotel, or anywhere neary anything to do with Republicans or the Trump family, Mr Dershowitz said of his conversation with Eric Trump. He is a Nazi, a Nazi  not even a neo-Nazi, hes an old fashioned Hitler Nazi.

He said Eric Trump responded by saying he would consider his advice.

Yesterday Eric Trump threatened to sue Maddow for revealing he had Hitler-praising anti-semite Scott McKay speaking at his hotel. Today Alan Dershowitz says he convinced Eric Trump to eject McKay after he saw Maddows expose. https://t.co/W8DJMt63CS pic.twitter.com/e6GLEqiocK  Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) May 10, 2023

This morning I got the following message: As a follow up, I took your advice ... I asked the event organiser that the speaker be uninvited and they  because theres more than one  wont be allowed on our property, he said, quoting a text message from Eric Trump.

Story continues

The Independent has reached out to Eric Trump and the oraniser of the ReAwaken tour for comment.

Mr McKay has previously said that Hitler was actually fighting the same people we are trying to put down today, referencing a conspiracy theory that Jewish people control the world's banks, according to Media Matters. He also suggested that Jewish people orchestrated 9/11 and were behind the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, and John F Kennedy.

Mr Ward has previously denied the Holocaust and suggested that Jewish people were behind viral outbreaks, Media Matters reports.

Eric Trump has also been accused of making anti-Semitic comments, though not to the degree of his tourmates; while dismissing the reporting of Bob Woodward on the chaotic Trump White House, Eric Trump called the famed reporter's book "sensational" and said the controversy would allow him to "sell three extra books" to make "three extra shekels," according to the Times of Isreal.

Jonathan Weissman, the Washington deputy editor of The New York Times, said the comment was outrageous.

Outrageous. If you want to see how the neo-Nazis use the term "shekels" take a quick glance at The Daily Stormer. Eric Trumps three extra shekels attack on Bob Woodward is not some accident any more than Hillary Clinton's image over a Star of David. https://t.co/DyJTcqyX4H  Jonathan Weisman (@jonathanweisman) September 12, 2018

If you want to see how the neo-Nazis use the term shekels take a quick glance at The Daily Stormer, he tweeted. Eric Trumps three extra shekels attack on Bob Woodward is not some accident any more than Hillary Clintons image over a Star of David.

Conservative writer and Trump critic Bill Kristol, the editor-at-large of the Weekly Standard, also called out Eric Trump for the comment.

Eric Trump said this morning that Bob Woodward made three extra shekels at the behest of the American people with his book, he wrote on Twitter. Is Eric too stupid to know hes being anti-Semitic?
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union is weighing a plan that would require cloud providers to store all of their data within the bloc in order to qualify for its highest cybersecurity certification.

Most Read from Bloomberg

ENISA, the EUs cybersecurity regulator, is drawing up the new, stricter requirements to ensure that no foreign government can interfere with EU data, according to a draft of the proposal seen by Bloomberg.

In practice, this would mean that US cloud providers such as Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc. would have to find a way to ensure that the American government cant access European cloud data in order to qualify. Non-EU cloud companies would have to either operate an EU legal entity separate from the parent company, or be part of a joint venture with a European cloud company.

A spokesperson for ENISA said that it couldnt comment on a private document and that the proposal would need to be signed off by EU countries representatives. The spokesperson added that the highest level of certification is intended to be only applicable to a small set of cases that require extra security, such as highly critical infrastructure applications.

A spokesperson for Amazons AWS declined to comment on the draft proposal. Representatives for Microsoft and Alphabet didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

The higher standard could be used to select companies to compete for contracts to store sensitive government data. The draft proposal, which was first reported by Euractiv, would be voluntary and is still subject to change.

ENISA is proposing a two-tiered high level cybersecurity classification. Most American cloud providers can already meet the proposed EL3 standard, which requires a level of transparency about data. The highest level  EL4 certification  would require the data be stored in the EU and not be subject to foreign government interference.

Story continues

US companies had been concerned that ENISA would include some kind of EU ownership rules for cloud data  akin to what France already has in place  to achieve the highest certification. ENISAs proposal will be easier for US companies to achieve. Oracles Sovereign Cloud offering, for example, likely meets the proposed EL4 requirements, according to two people familiar with the details.

--With assistance from Benoit Berthelot.

(Updates with ENISA comment in fourth paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU lawmakers on Thursday urged the European Commission to continue talks to reinforce a proposed data transfer pact with the United States, saying there were still shortcomings in the agreement.

The move could further delay an accord which is critical for thousands of companies.

The EU executive in a draft decision in December said that U.S. safeguards against American intelligence activities were strong enough to address EU data privacy concerns.

Such worries had prompted Europe's top court to strike down two previous data transfer pacts, affecting thousands of companies that move Europeans' personal data across the Atlantic for commercial use such as financial services, human resources and e-commerce.

"This new proposal contains significant improvements, but unfortunately, we are not there yet," lawmaker Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar said after the assembly voted in a non-binding resolution against the proposed pact.

He said there were still missing elements on judicial independence, transparency, access to justice, and remedies.

"So, we call on the Commission to continue negotiations and properly address these concerns. The mechanism must genuinely protect the data of EU citizens and businesses," he said.

EU countries have yet to adopt a non-binding opinion after which the executive will make its final decision on the pact.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union shouldnt prevent China from becoming a world power and should focus instead on managing how Beijing uses its new might, the blocs foreign policy chief said.

Most Read from Bloomberg

As the bloc works to recalibrate its approach toward Beijing, Josep Borrell said China is still a partner and competitor for the EU in many areas, as well as a rival. But he stressed the bloc wasnt in a systematic rivalry with the country.

If it uses this power in accordance with international law, if it doesnt put in danger our interests and values, we have to live with China on the world stage, Borrell said at the European Defence and Security Summit in Brussels.

The comments come ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Stockholm on Friday where they are due to discuss the blocs approach to China.

China Targeted in New G-7 Push Against Economic Coercion

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union should avoid being drawn into a zero-sum contest between Washington and Beijing as it works to manage Chinas rise, according to a draft paper by the blocs foreign policy arm.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The bloc has been struggling to get on the same page on how to approach China, with some countries beginning to push for more strategic distance, including new limits on exports of technology to Beijing.

Coordination with the United States will remain essential for both clear-eyed engagement with China and management of the risk the country poses, said the document obtained by Bloomberg. However, the EU should not subscribe to an idea of a zero-sum game whereby there can only be one winner, in a binary contest between the US and China.

The paper, prepared by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and the blocs external affairs service for a meeting of foreign ministers on Friday, tacitly echoes recent comments by French President Emmanuel Macron that the bloc shouldnt become a vassal in a US-China clash. His remarks, following a visit to Beijing last month, sparked outrage in several European capitals.

Group of Seven nations are aiming to send a signal to China this month by announcing a joint effort to counter economic coercion but are struggling to agree on tangible measures. China will also be a key topic when EU leaders hold a summit in Brussels at the end of June.

European officials, including Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, have increasingly spoken about de-risking  but not de-coupling  the blocs relations with China. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed the same sentiment this week, while Italy has signaled to the US that it intends to pull out of a controversial investment pact with China before the end of the year.

Story continues

Concern about the impact of potential Chinese activity in Taiwan - as well the prospect of provocative steps by the US to defend the island  have only heightened concerns. The EU has a fundamental interest to engage China - and the US - in maintaining the status quo and de-escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait, according to the blocs new paper.

Still, the EU paper also reaffirms the blocs strategy of dealing with China simultaneously as a partner, a competitor and a systemic rival, but said the balance of those approaches will be conditional on how China responds to Europes engagement.

Chinas relationship with the EU will be critically affected if Beijing does not push Russia to withdraw from Ukraine, the document says, adding that setting the conditions for a just peace should define how the EU engages China on Russias war. Frances Macron has also tasked a senior official to jointly start work with his Chinese counterpart on a framework that could be used for future peace talks, although some member states complained about his suggestion that Xi Jinping could play a major role in ending the war in Ukraine.

China Targeted in New G-7 Push Against Economic Coercion

Borrells paper argues that the EU needs to step up its efforts to engage with other countries with more attractive proposals to compete with Chinas growing influence, including through free-trade agreements and energy partnerships.

It also calls for Europe to continue engaging with China as it works to level the economic playing field and reduce its dependencies in areas like critical minerals. It warns that the EU must be ready to counter any effects of Chinas actions in its societies.

Our openness cannot be allowed to become a vulnerability, but nor should it be dismantled, the paper warns.

EU Needs to Watch How China Manages Its Influence, Borrell Says

In remarks on Thursday, Borrell said the EU shouldnt waste time trying to prevent China from becoming a world power but that the bloc should focus on how it uses its rising might.

If it uses this power in accordance with international law, if it doesnt put in danger our interests and values, we have to live with China on the world stage, he said at the European Defence and Security Summit in Brussels.

--With assistance from Maria Tadeo.

(Updates throughout with details from paper, context)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
The emergence of ChatGPT, Midjourney and other AI applications have greatly focused the parliament's attention

European Parliament lawmakers on Thursday took a crucial first step towards EU-wide regulation of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence systems that Brussels hopes to put speedily in place.

Parliamentary committees on civil liberties and consumer protection overwhelmingly voted for a position text calling for curbs on how AI can be used in Europe, while still fostering innovation in the sector.

The text is to be put to the full parliament next month for adoption before negotiations with EU member states on a final law.

Lawmakers called Thursday's vote "historic" and hoped it would lead to "the world's first rules on artificial intelligence".

Their text picks up the main lines from a European Commission proposal made two years ago, but suggests adding bans on biometric surveillance, emotion recognition and predictive policing AI systems.

It seeks to put generative AI systems such as ChatGPT and Midjourney in a category requiring special transparency measures, such as notifications to users that the output was made by a machine, not a human.

The parliament's text also seeks additional criteria as to what constitutes a "high-risk" AI area of application, which could reduce the scope of that designation.

The commission proposed list covers AI in critical infrastructure, education, human resources, public order and migration management.

But the MEPs want an additional threshold to be met, requiring that threats to safety, health or fundamental rights are also deemed to be in play.

- Companies see innovation threat -

The CCIA, a European industry lobby group representing major tech companies, said that, while "the parliament made some useful improvements to the text", it was "abandoning the risk-based structure" of the European Commission's proposal.

"The best way for the EU to inspire other jurisdictions is by ensuring that new regulation will enable, rather than inhibit, the development of useful AI applications," said CCIA policy manager for Europe, Boniface de Champris.

Story continues

The European Consumer Organisation though endorsed the parliament injecting "beefed-up protections for consumers" in its text compared to the commission one.

"Although AI may improve our lives in many ways, there are well-founded concerns that AI systems can also harm consumers. People must be properly protected against the risks of these new technologies," said Ursula Pachl, deputy director of the organisation.

While EU work towards legislation has been going on for some time, the potential -- and potential perils -- of AI has exploded into the public consciousness only in the last few months, since ChatGPT burst onto the scene at the end of last year.

Image-generation AI such as Midjourney and DALL-E have since sparked an online rush to make lookalike Van Goghs or a pope in a high fashion puffer jacket, while AI music sites have impressed with their ability to produce human-like singing.

"It's enough to turn on the TV since the last two, three months, almost every day, to see how important this file is becoming for citizens," said one of the lead MEPs on the European Parliament text, Drago Tudorache.

Policymakers in Europe and other regions in the world are increasingly concerned how the technology can be used for fakery, to fool people and sway public opinion and elections.

That has spurred Elon Musk and some researchers to urge a moratorium until legal frameworks can catch up.

In the commission proposal, AI companies would be required to maintain human control over their algorithms, provide technical documentation and have a risk-management system for "high-risk" applications.

Each EU member state would have a supervising authority to make sure the rules are abided by.

MEPs also want AI companies to put in place protections against illegal content and on copyrighted works that might be used to train their algorithms.

They also want to prevent the scraping of photos posted on the internet for training algorithms unless the authorisation of the people concerned is obtained.

rmb/dc/lth
James Sheen hosts Eurovision events and has met several acts over the years

A Eurovision super fan said the song contest brought people and cultures "together in such a wonderful way".

James Sheen, from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, holds Eurovision parties at his home and has been to five finals.

Liverpool is hosting this year, with the second semi-final taking place at 20:00 BST and the final on Saturday.

He said: "People singing along, they will be singing in foreign languages - they won't have a clue what they're [singing] and you sing along."

The UK is hosting the event in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine, after the war-torn country clinched the contest on the public vote in 2022.

It is the first Eurovision Song Contest to be held in the UK for 25 years.

Mr Sheen counts the winner in 1973 for Luxembourg, Anne-Marie David, among his friends that he has made from his love of the song contest

Mr Sheen has been to finals in Vienna, Dusseldorf, Stockholm, Kiev and Lisbon after falling in love with the song contest aged eight.

Through his passion for Eurovision he made friends with 1973 winner Anne-Marie David, who represented Luxembourg and also sang for France in 1979, finishing third.

He has also met Lys Assia, the first winner of Eurovision in 1956 for Switzerland, and in 2018 in Portugal he was given press accreditation to interview the acts.

"I met the wonderful, wonderful Leva from Lithuania and I had the most beautiful interview with her," he said.

He added that during the interview there was a crew "filming the back of my head, which appeared on her next music video".

Mr Sheen said Eurovision brought "people together in such a wonderful way to enjoy the music - not only enjoying the music, but enjoying other people's cultures, which is very important".

Mae Muller will be representing the UK and Mr Sheen said he liked her and her song

Although Mr Sheen will not be heading to Liverpool, he said those who do would enjoy "that whole vibe of being in the Eurovision village [and] going to the Eurovision clubs".

He said: "Stars from the previous years come back to sing their songs and it is not a case of them and us - it's a case of us, together, we're all together."

Story continues

Giving his predictions, Mr Sheen said Norway's entry Queen of Kings by Alessandra had a good chance of winning, while previous winner Loreen "will probably be in there for Sweden".

He said he also liked Finland's entrant Kaarija, saying: "I think he's brilliant. He's got a very strange shirt."

Kaarija's rock-pop hybrid Cha Cha Cha is seen as the biggest challenger to Loreen

Eurovision 2023 banner

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk
By Sarah Mills and Paul Sandle

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Liverpool has opened its heart to Ukraine for Eurovision 2023, flying blue and yellow flags, offering special tickets to its refugees and adopting its cuisine, in addition to putting the country centre stage in three live shows.

The birthplace of the Beatles is hosting the annual song contest on behalf of Ukraine, 2022's winner which was not able to stage the musical extravaganza, as is customary, because of Russia's invasion.

But organisers have worked hard to showcase Ukraine to thousands of fans in the "City of Pop" and millions more watching around the world.

Fifteen-year-old Ukrainian Viktoriia Dubetska was one of 3,000 displaced Ukrainians who secured a 20 pound ($25) ticket to a run-through of the semi-final on Thursday. She has been living in Kent, south east England, for a year.

With a Ukrainian flag around her shoulders, she said she had been comparing the city with London, and Liverpool had come out on top. "We love Liverpool," she said. "(There's) a lot of Ukrainian symbols around and it feels like home a bit."

Liverpool has hosted some Ukrainians for much longer than this week, and they do not know when they will be able to return to their homeland.

Maria Ivakhiv and her six-year-old daughter Yeva have been living with physician Mirian Taegtmeyer and her family for eight months.

"We used to dream, to plan for the future," Ivakhiv said. "Now those dreams and plans have been broken."

But Eurovision is a moment of relief from worrying about her two sisters and four brothers - three of whom were in the army - at home. "Ukraine is all around, and I feel strong support," she said.

SPECIAL MENU

Bars and restaurants have embraced Eurovision and Ukraine's culture.

Paul Askew, chef patron of award-winning restaurant The Art School, has created a menu that marries the country's ingredients and produce local to Liverpool.

Story continues

Special dishes include "Fillet of Loch Etive Trout 'Odessa'" and "Nalesniki", a gateaux of layered pancakes topped with hazelnut, raspberries and "amazing Ukrainian preserved baby pine cones in syrup", he said.

"Eurovision is such a joy to have in Liverpool and we're very conscious that we only have it because of the terrible things that are happening in Ukraine," he said.

"So as a chef, I wanted to give a nod to the two food cultures coming together."

Ukrainians will have to wait for Saturday's Grand Final to see if electro pop-duo Tvorchi can repeat last year's triumph.

($1 = 0.7923 pounds)

(Writing by Paul Sandle; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
The head of the short-lived Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disinformation board has launched a defamation suit against Fox News, alleging the network published false reports about her that endangered her life.

Nina Jankowicz was tapped to lead DHSs Disinformation Governance Board, and though the board never held a meeting, it was heavily criticized by the GOP and was regularly covered by Fox News.

The purpose of the board was to coordinate disinformation efforts at DHS across topics ranging from migration to addressing plots from Russia and Iran.

The Republican National Committee dubbed it the Ministry of Truth in a nod to George Orwells novel 1984 and couched disinformation as any speech we dont like.

Fox News mentioned Jankowicz and her role leading the board more than 300 times in its resulting coverage, with hosts and commentators asserting she planned to censor speech with nicknames like disinfo overlord, disinformation czaress, and minister of truth.

Foxs employee hosts and commentators derided and lied about Jankowicz on repeat  and continue to do so even today. Several of these falsehoods stand out as especially destructive  and directly contrary to available, verifiable evidence, according to the suit filed Wednesday.

It adds that Fox falsely claimed Jankowicz intended to censor Americans speech and that she wanted to give verified Twitter users, including herself, the power to edit others tweets.

Jankowicz resigned from government shortly after taking the role when DHS decided to pause the work of the board following backlash.

With the Boards work paused and its future uncertain, and I have decided to leave DHS to return to my work in the public sphere. It is deeply disappointing that mischaracterizations of the Board became a distraction from the Departments vital work, and indeed, along with recent events globally and nationally, embodies why it is necessary, she wrote at the time.

Story continues

But Jankowicz has remained a lightning rod for GOP leadership, including the House Judiciary Committee, which issued a subpoena to her in March to discuss the swiftly disbanded board.

At the time, Jankowicz was in the midst of fundraising to sue Fox News over the way the board was covered by the outlet, claiming it made scaremongering statements about my role, my views, and my personal life over the next nine months.

In a GoFundMe post, Jankowicz said misinformation about her role began as soon as her April hiring even though the Board had nothing to do with arbitrating or restricting speech.

The defamation suit against Fox News follows an agreement by the outlet to pay Dominion Voting Systems nearly $800 million in order to avoid going to trial in another defamation suit.

Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jankowiczs suit alleged the outlet appeared to personally target her given that the coverage extended well past her resignation.

Foxs defamatory coverage has caused Jankowicz and her family immense suffering. Jankowicz has been doxed, threatened, harassed relentlessly, and even cyberstalked, the suit says.

Fox enfolded these lies in ugly language that could have no other purpose than to denigrate Jankowiczs character and professional reputation, particularly since they continued long after Jankowiczs resignation from government.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A former Louisville police officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to using excessive force in an incident at a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in the city, during which he fired a foam round into a crowd.

Richard Ross Wiedo, a former Louisville Metro Police Department officer, admitted he fired a foam round directly into a crowd of protesters and hit one protester in the face. Wiedo said he fired the round after a bottle was thrown at him from the crowd, although he was unable to identify who threw it, the Department of Justice announced.

SOROS-BACKED ST. LOUIS ATTORNEY REFUSES TO CHARGE CINCO DE MAYO SHOOTING SUSPECT ON LACK OF EVIDENCE: REPORTS

A former Louisville police officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to using excessive force in an incident at a 2020 protest in the city.

Wiedo pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of using unreasonable force that carries a maximum fine of $100,000. The plea agreement requires him to forfeit his law enforcement certification and not to seek a new placement in the field.

The incident took place on or about May 30, 2020 amid nationwide protests after the death of George Floyd. The two officers involved with Floyd's death in Minneapolis were sentenced to prison last year on federal charges.

The widespread protests in the summer of 2020 led to $2 billion in property damages in a matter of weeks, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

SOROS-BACKED PROSECUTOR MIRED IN SCANDAL RESIGNS FROM OFFICE

Louisville police respond to a shooting.

Katie Crews, another former Louisville Metro Police Department officer, was sentenced in January to two years of probation for her use of excessive force in city protests on June, 1 2020. Crews was fired last year over a separate incident amid the 2020 protests where she mocked protesters on social media.
ISLAMABAD (AP)  Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose arrest on corruption charges earlier this week sparked a wave of violence across the country by his supporters.

After the ruling, Khan left the court in a heavily protected motorcade for a secure location. Clashes between celebrating supporters of Khan and police briefly broke out near the Supreme Court building, but violence around the country appeared to ease. The government, however, denounced the ruling and said it was determined to find other legal avenues to arrest the former premier.

For a nation accustomed to military takeovers, political crises and violence, the turmoil of the past week has been unprecedented. Since Khan's dramatic arrest on Tuesday, protesters have been clashing with police in areas around the country, and mobs have attacked military and government sites, trying to storm the military's main headquarters and burning down the residence of a top general in Lahore. The government responded with a crackdown on Khan's supporters, arresting more than 2,000 so far.

The Supreme Court ruled Khans arrest two days ago was illegal and, while it freed him from custody, it ordered him kept under protection of security forces in a safe location in the capital, Islamabad. The head of his legal team, Babar Awan, underlined that Khan is a free citizen and will be allowed to meet with lawyers and supporters. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial urged Khan to appeal to his supporters to remain peaceful.

Khan will appear Friday before the Islamabad High Court to reconsider its earlier ruling that the arrest was legal. Khan may also ask the court for protection from future arrest on the corruption charges.

Speaking on Pakistan's Dunya TV, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan vowed, We will arrest him again, perhaps on charges that were announced a day earlier of inciting the wave of violence. The minister is not related to the former prime minister.

Story continues

The ruling infuriated the government, with multiple officials accusing the chief justice of bias toward Khan. Chief Justice Bandial now should hoist the flag of Imran Khans party on the Supreme Court, or he should declare that the court is a sub-office of Imrans party, Azam Tarar, an adviser for Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, told reporters.

Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif called it a special reprieve for the former prime minister, saying the court ignored his supporters attacks on military and government installations.

The violence has escalated a long burning confrontation between the former prime minister and Sharif's government. Khan was removed from office a year ago by a no-confidence vote in Parliament, but he still holds fervent support in many areas. He also faces at least 100 criminal charges against him filed by various government agencies, mostly on corruption. Khan has depicted his removal and the charges as part of a campaign against him by Sharif, the United States and the Pakistani military  a claim all three deny.

The spark was the former leader's dramatic arrest on Tuesday. Khan was in court for one set of charges, when anti-graft agents barged in, dragged him away and shoved him into an armored vehicle in connection to other charges.

In the violence that ensued, at least 10 of his supporters were killed and dozens of protesters and more than 200 policemen injured. Protesters torched trucks, cars and police vehicles in the streets and blocked highways. It has echoed unrest that followed the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto during an election rally. Her supporters at the time, outraged by her killing, rampaged for days across Pakistan.

Police filed new terrorism charges on Thursday against Khan and top leaders from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on charges of inciting mobs to violence.

In an address to the nation late Wednesday, Sharif said Khan was arrested because of his involvement in corruption, and that there was evidence backing up these charges.

He said the unrest had forced him to deploy the military in Islamabad, in Punjab  Pakistans most populous province  and in volatile regions of the northwest.

Following the violence, the government shut down schools, colleges and universities in Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, where Khan has massive grassroots support and where most of the violence was reported. At least seven of the protester deaths so far have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two in Punjabs capital Lahore, along with one in the southwestern city of Quetta. The government also suspended internet service in various parts of the country.

We will arrest all those who disrupted law and order, said Mohson Naqvi, the chief minister in Punjab.

Protester attacks on the military have been startling. The military has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of the 75 years since the country gained independence from British colonial rule and wields considerable power over civilian governments.

Khan supporters have attacked the military headquarters in Rawalpindi and security posts in the northwest. In Lahore on Tuesday night, demonstrators ransacked and burned down the residence of the regional commander, Lt. Gen. Salman Fayyaz Ghani.

The military vowed on Wednesday to respond to attacks by demonstrators with full force. It said the attacks on its installations were launched in an orchestrated manner, and the violence was a black chapter in the countrys history.

___

Associated Press writers Babar Dogar in Lahore and Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this story.
WEST PALM BEACH  Duane Owen, who fatally stabbed a Delray Beach babysitter and bludgeoned to death a single mother from Boca Raton almost 40 years ago, is scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. June 15.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant Tuesday. Owen will be the 103rd person executed in Florida and the fourth this year.

In 1984, Owen broke into a Delray Beach home and attacked 14-year-old Karen Slattery as she babysat two children. Investigators said he stabbed Slattery 18 times and then raped her.

Two months later, Owen broke into the Boca Raton home of 38-year-old Georgianna Worden and beat her head with a hammer multiple times before raping her. Court documents say she may have been alive up to an hour after the first blow.

WEST PALM BEACH; 1/20/99: Duane Owen walks back to the defense table with his attorneys Carey Haughout and Donnie Murrell after a bench conference with Circuit Judge Harold Cohen. Opening arguments were held Wednesday afternoon in Owen's trial for the murder of Karen Slattery. Palm Beach Post Photo by Lannis Waters

True Crime: Duane Owen murders babysitter Karen Slattery, 14, and woman, 38, as children slept

Florida's death row: Inmates awaiting execution for killing victims in Palm Beach County.

Karen Slattery, 14, was stabbed to death by Duane Owen in 1984 in a Delray Beach home where she was baby-sitting.

A confession, bloody footprints, a fingerprint and semen all linked Owen to the killings. He argued that he endured a horrific childhood and was insane at the time of the slayings, which were not his only crimes. He also broke into the homes of two Boca Raton women and hit them with blunt objects  a plumber's wrench and an clothing iron. They survived.

A judge convicted Owen and sentenced him to death in 1985 for Slattery's killing. Defense attorneys Michael Salnick and Barry Krischer, who went on to become Palm Beach County state attorney for 16 years, represented him. Owen got the same sentence in 1986 for killing Worden.

WEST PALM BEACH;1/4/99: Judge Harold J. Cohen, sticks his head into the courtroom in this January 01, 1999 photo, while jurors filled out questionnaires during jury selection in the Duane Owen murder trial. Cohen left the courtroom after initially talking to prospective jurors and passing out questionnaires to be filled out. Jurors were then released to be questioned in detail later this week.

He sat for a new trial in 1999 in which he claimed that he was insane and in search of hormones so he could become a woman the night he killed Slattery. The jury sentenced him to death again at the conclusion of that trial.

Owen appealed their verdict, saying his lawyer failed to enter evidence depicting his troubled childhood  due in part to an alcoholic mother who died when he was 11, a father who killed himself when Owen was 13 and his own alcohol and drug use since he was 9.

Story continues

1/19/99-- Carol Slattery, mother of murder victim Karen Slattery, gets a hug from Assistant Attorney General Celia Terenzio (cq) after accused killer Duane Owen was found guilty on all three counts in his first degree murder trial January 19, 1999 in Palm Beach County Court. In background is the victim's brother, Gene Slattery.

He has filed a series of appeals, though none have succeeded in changing his fate.

Florida has executed three other prisoners during 2023. Donald Dillbeck was executed in February, Louis Bernard Gaskin in April and Darryl B. Barwick this month.

The state has executed two people from Palm Beach County: Nollie Lee Martin in 1992 after 14 years on death row and William Van Poyck in 2013 after 25 years.

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: DeSantis signs death warrant Duane Owen for Palm Beach County murders
On May 18, International Museum Day, an exhibition featuring the archaeological discoveries made in Guangzhou will open at Changsha Museum in central China's Hunan.

This special exhibition brings together 250 precious Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206 B.C.-220 AD) dynasty relics excavated from the Guangzhou region, including 24 national-level cultural relics. The only complete Han Dynasty jade burial suit with red threads is the highlight.

A jade burial suit is a ceremonial suit made from pieces of jade for royal members of the Han Dynasty. The one currently on display is 1.73 meters long and made from 2,291 pieces of jade sewn together using red silk thread.

Pieces of jade connected with gold, silver, or copper were commonly used in such suits. However, this garment is exceptional because the jade is linked with silk, rendering it one of a kind.

The suit is symmetrical, much like modern-day shirts, which was a new type of design at the time, never before seen in literature or archaeological excavations. It took experts three years to complete its restoration. This precious jade suit was unearthed from the mausoleum of the Nanyue King and is usually housed at the museum dedicated to the kings final resting place.

The mausoleum ranks as the largest painted stone chamber tomb from the Han Dynasty found in southern China. Over 1,000 sets and more than 10,000 pieces of cultural relics were unearthed there, with the bounty of burial objects marking the peerless status of the tomb owner. It is known as one of the five major archaeological discoveries in China from the 1980s.

A gold seal found on the chest of the tomb owner with a word written on the seal provides reliable evidence of the owner's identity. It is the largest gold seal from the Western Han Dynasty ever excavated in China and the only Han Dynasty dragon knob-shaped emperor seal found to date.

The exhibition will run until Nov. 12.
Leer en espanol

The U.S. government is set to expand a fast-track deportation process as part of its enforcement strategy along the U.S.-Mexico border now that Title 42 is no longer in place. The controversial pandemic-era health rule expired on Thursday after more than three years that allowed U.S. border officials to turn away more than 2.7 million migrants.

The fast-track process is known as expedited removal. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says it will increase the use of expedited removal after Title 42 ends on Thursday. It enables U.S. immigration officials to rapidly deport migrants that they determine do not qualify for asylum or other forms of relief that would allow them to remain in the United States.

"The message is very clear. We are coming with the relief that our laws provide to the individuals in need. The border is not open, it has not been open, and it will not be open subsequent to May 11," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said May 5 during a visit to Brownsville, Texas. "And the smugglers who exploit vulnerable migrants are spreading misinformation. They are spreading false information, lies in a way to lure vulnerable people to the Southern Border, and those individuals will only be returned."

Title 42 updates from US-Mexico border: Latest news as migrants line up to turn themselves in

The Homeland Security Department is using expedited removal as part of a carrot-and-stick approach to immigration and border enforcement under President Joe Biden.

On one hand, it has created legal pathways such as a humanitarian parole program for migrants from four Latin American countries and will establish regional processing centers in Colombia and Guatemala. Their hope is that this will reduce the need for migrants to travel to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Juan Fernandez, a migrant from Venezuela, shows a screenshot of the error screen he received when he tried to book an appointment through the mobile government application, CBP One.

But the federal government is also taking a stricter approach for migrants who do reach the southern U.S. border.

In addition to requiring an appointment with the CBP One phone app in order to claim asylum, Homeland Security is preparing a final rule that would make migrants ineligible for asylum if they didn't seek protection in other countries before reaching the U.S. or if they didn't apply for admission to the U.S. using legal pathways, including the CBP app.

Story continues

The people they deem ineligible for protection in the U.S. will now be removed from the country swiftly under expedited removal, a process that takes much less than the four years it takes on average to deport someone under the standard proceedings before an immigration judge. With expedited removal, people can be deported from the U.S. in a matter of days if they can be sent to Mexico or weeks if they are returned to other countries farther away.

The process is not without criticism. Migrant and legal advocates are concerned about the speed with which migrants will be deported from the country, claiming it may violate their rights to due process and unfairly send them back to danger.

"Is there a fair shot at the person being able to seek asylum?" asked Greg Chen, the senior director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

"Because if they can't get legal counsel, if they are held in detention, it's going to make it so much harder," he said. "And people are going to be sent back to life threatening circumstances. People's lives will really very much be at risk."

What is expedited removal?

Congress created expedited removal in 1996 via the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act. It has been used to rapidly deport migrants who have spent less than two weeks in the United States and were apprehended within the 100-mile border enforcement zone.

The general idea behind this process is to fast track the removal of migrants who do not claim a fear of persecution and who are found not to have a credible fear in interviews with U.S. asylum officers. That is done by bypassing the standard removal proceedings that take place before an immigration judge under the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review.

Arizona's congressional delegation: Lawmakers representing Arizona are not optimistic about sunset of Title 42

U.S. immigration courts are facing a 2.1 million case backlog, and it can take an average of about 4.5 years to decide each case, Chen said. By avoiding the immigration court docket, U.S. officials can significantly speed up the process to deport someone.

To achieve that, White House officials said they surged staff and resources to the southern U.S. border in preparation for the end of Title 42. That includes asylum officers that can determine whether migrants have valid claims and even have the ability to grant asylum thanks to a rule implemented in May 2022. Those interviews will be done via telephone, according to senior administration officials.

The Department of Homeland Security is increasing the number of removal flights from the U.S. to deport more migrants promptly, working with other governments to streamline repatriation agreements.

The people on board those flights, and anyone who is placed into expedited removal, will be banned from entering the United States for five years. They can be criminally prosecuted if they are caught reentering the country.

"We will deliver consequences for individuals who arrive at our Southern Border irregularly," Mayorkas said. "That is our commitment and our obligation as a way of cutting the smugglers out and taking care of the safety and needs of individuals who qualify for relief."

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, left, and Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, right, attend a press conference at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales on March 21, 2023.

Homeland Security was boosting staff and resources to help speed up migrant processing at the border, officials said. The agency has increased its capacity at holding facilities along the border to hold as many as 21,000 migrants per day.

About 4,000 personnel have also been deployed to the border, among them 1,000 law enforcement officers from other federal agencies recruited to assist DHS, as well as 1,500 troops that will help with administrative duties. Those troops will be first deployed to the El Paso region.

Expedited removal part of broader changes at the border

The Department of Homeland Security is increasing the use of expedited removal as part of a broader enforcement policy along the U.S.-Mexico border that includes strict requirements limiting how someone can claim asylum, and a ban if those requirements are not followed.

Starting Friday, a new rule published by Homeland Security and the Department of Justice raises the standard for who can qualify for asylum in the United States. It makes migrants ineligible to claim asylum if they do not seek protection in a country that they crossed on the way to the United States, or if they do not apply for established legal pathways like the humanitarian parole programs or make an appointment through the CBP One App.

This rule is similar to one issued by former President Donald Trump, which was struck down in court. It also stands in contrast to U.S. law, which states that migrants can claim asylum in the United States regardless of how they reached the U.S.-Mexico border.

Once they are deemed ineligible for asylum, migrants will be deported under the expedited removal process, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Immigrants already being released: Asylum seekers in southern Arizona bused to Tucson, as Title 42 end nears

Alex Miller, the director of the American Immigration Council's Immigration Justice Campaign, said the final rule on asylum eligibility, along with the expansion of expedited removal demonstrated that the process continued to be stacked against people seeing asylum in the country, even if Title 42 would no longer be in place.

"There's supposed to be exceptions to this presumptive bar. But ... the burden is on the migrant to demonstrate that the bar should not apply to them," Miller said.

"That's an incredibly difficult thing to do for a migrant who has gone through the trauma of immigration, potentially the trauma from their country of origin, and who doesn't at a fundamental level have any expertise in immigration law or know what they need to demonstrate," she added.

Concerns about due process under expedited removal

The speed with which people can be deported from the country under expedited removal has raised concerns among legal advocates about the ability of people to get legal counsel to help them with their case, especially if it's only a matter of days or weeks.

During their initial encounter with U.S. border officials, asylum seekers must state their fear of persecution in order to be given a credible fear interview with an asylum officer. There, they have the chance to present evidence for their claim. But since the May 2022 final rule went into effect, empowering asylum officers to make decisions on whether to grant a case or not, that process is also moving along much more quickly.

That worries attorneys like Kassandra Gonzalez with the Beyond Borders Program at the Texas Civil Rights Project. She said getting access to clients in federal custody is already a challenge under the standard removal proceedings. What's more, unlike the standard proceedings, under expedited removal there is no ability to appeal or challenge a decision.

Homeland Security has said that it is committed to providing due process to migrants in custody. But Gonzalez said she'll be watching closely how that plays out on the ground.

"I'm glad that the Biden administration is going to hopefully commit to some sort of due process, know your rights or something. But in the past, I've heard that from the administration, and that is not what I've seen when I've worked with clients in detention," Gonzalez said.

'Lives just like us': As Title 42 ends, so do some migrants' chances to enter US

Several legal and advocacy groups said they are also keeping a close eye on developments along the U.S.-Mexico border after Title 42 goes away on Thursday. They have not ruled out the possibility of challenging some of Biden's policies in court.

"He is finishing (former President Donald) Trumps job rather than fulfilling his own campaign promises," said Jonathan Blazer, the director of border strategies at the American Civil Liberties Union. "This is a somber day for our country and for refugees in desperate search of safety, but the fight is far from over."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: US immigration officials set to expand fast-track deportations
WASHINGTON (AP)  Protecting a narrow, four-vote majority, Republican leaders in the House are making clear that they intend to let the legal process play out with New York Rep. George Santos before they take steps to force his resignation or expel him.

The freshman congressman was accused Wednesday by federal prosecutors of embezzling money from his campaign, falsely receiving unemployment funds and lying to Congress about his finances and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Santos pleaded not guilty.

Republican leaders, who for months have faced mounting questions about Santos after most of his campaign biography was exposed as a lie, were unmoved and brushed aside calls  including from some colleagues  that they take immediate action to push Santos out of Congress.

In America, theres a presumption of innocence. But theyre serious charges. Hes going to have to go through the legal process, said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

Scalise was seconded by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the No. 3 House Republican, who sidestepped the question of whether Santos should resign.

As Ive said from the very beginning on questions on this subject, this legal process is going to play itself out, she said.

The position Republican leaders have staked out generally follows the precedent that Congress has set in similar criminal cases over the years. The House has expelled just two members in recent decades, and both votes occurred after the lawmaker had been convicted on federal charges. But many say the narrow majority that Republicans won in the House is surely another factor in the GOP leadership's thinking.

There are a few members of the New York delegation and a few others calling for his immediate expulsion on the Republican side, which could tilt the leadership's hand. But given where were at with the debt limit and a four-vote majority, they dont want to lose any of those votes right now, said Casey Burgat, an assistant professor who leads the legislative affairs program at George Washington University.

Story continues

Santos is adamant that he will stay in Congress and seek reelection. In a press conference outside a Long Island federal courthouse, he spoke Wednesday of getting back to Washington so he could vote on a top House GOP priority, a border bill that would restrict some asylum seekers and boost border enforcement.

He ended up voting for that bill Thursday as well as one that seeks to give states more incentive to pursue cases of unemployment insurance fraud. One of the counts Santos faces is that he fraudulently collected unemployment benefits during the pandemic, even though he was being paid a substantial salary at the time.

Santos also voted last month for the House GOP bill that ties a debt limit extension to an estimated $4.8 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years. In a dramatic flourish, Santos was the last Republican to cast a vote in favor of that bill, helping it win passage by a paper-thin margin  217-215.

While GOP leaders say the legal system needs to run its course, a few Republicans have seen enough.

The people of New Yorks 3rd district deserve a voice in congress, tweeted Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas. "George Santos should be immediately expelled from Congress and a special election initiated at the soonest possible date."

The House and the Senate have the power to punish members of their chamber for misconduct, including through expulsion. To date, according to the Congressional Research Service, 20 members have been expelled, but the large majority of them occurred at the outset of the Civil War. Half of the 20 expulsions were the result of a single vote in the Senate involving senators who represented states that had seceded from the Union, but had not formally resigned.

The two most recent expulsions followed convictions on public corruption charges were:

Rep. Michael J. Ozzie Myers, D-Penn., was convicted of bribery and conspiracy for taking money from FBI agents who posed as Arab sheiks. He was expelled in 1980 following his conviction and served more than a year in prison.

Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, was expelled in 2002, three months after he was found guilty of 10 federal charges, including racketeering, bribery and fraud for taking bribes and kickbacks from businessmen and his own staff.

Some lawmakers have also resigned upon being convicted of a crime, pre-empting an expulsion vote.

Last year, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., resigned from office after a California jury convicted him of lying to federal authorities about an illegal campaign donation from a foreign national.

Two years earlier, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., submitted his resignation about a month after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiring with his wife to steal about $250,000 in campaign funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle, from vacations to outings with friends and private school tuition. Then-President Donald Trump pardoned Hunter shortly before he left office.

Trump also pardoned former Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., who resigned in 2019 ahead of admitting to helping his son and others dodge $800,000 in stock market losses when he learned that a drug trial by a small pharmaceutical company had failed.

More than three dozen Democratic lawmakers have signed onto a bill from Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., that would expel Santos from the House.

It's pretty clear to everyone, including his constituents, that he is a complete fraud and shouldn't be in Congress, Garcia said.

Garcia said McCarthy is not pushing to expel Santos because he needs his vote. He urged the several Republicans from New York who have criticized Santos to sign on to the expulsion legislation.

He can barely keep his caucus together on votes, so it's clear that he's using George Santos' support to keep him in leadership, Garcia said.

During a press conference Thursday, the House Democratic leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, stood in front of a photo of Santos and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., known for her incenderary rhetoric, and said it was time for the GOP conference: to decide who are you."

Ive made clear that George Santos is not fit to serve in the United States House of Representatives, and the American people share that opinion as well, including the overwhelming majority of the people in the third congressional district in New York, Jeffries said.

Republicans deny that Santos has been a distraction and say they are focused on other issues.

This place is bigger than any one member, said Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., the chairman of the powerful Republican Study Committee.

Despite the reports that Santos was facing federal charges, and a crush of media attention at his arraignment in New York, Republicans said there was no discussion of him during their weekly, closed-door caucus meeting on Wednesday morning.

I never heard his name mentioned once, said Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.

___

Associated Press staff writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.
Fabian Edwards (left) will face ex-middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi in Paris (Bellator MMA / Lucas Noonan)

When Fabian Edwards steps out at the Accor Arena for the biggest fight of his career on Friday, he will do so without his mother in attendance. It is certainly not for a lack of love that Mrs Edwards wont be present in Paris; her son is just concerned about her lack of composure.

My mums a crazy woman, you know? the Briton tells The Independent, in the corner of a cafe at one end of London Bridge. Shes never come to watch me or Leon fight in person, because it affects her bad. When shes watching from home, shes honestly climbing up the walls. If she were in the venue, shed be running around, losing her mind. I just know it would be in the back of my mind. Id be looking around, thinking: Whats mum doing?

The Leon in question is Edwards older brother, the reigning UFC welterweight champion. The Jamaican-born, Birmingham-based pair have long dreamt of holding gold at the same time, and if Fabian can overcome veteran Gegard Mousasi on Friday, a shot at the Bellator middleweight title will ensue.

It might be too much for his mother to handle.

I remember when Leon fought Nate Diaz, he obviously got rocked in the last round, says Edwards, 30, recalling his brothers win over the MMA icon in 2021. It was like 5am or 6am, UK time, and she was hanging out the window, screaming: Help!!! Someone!!! Shes that crazy, it makes her so nervous that she cant control herself. If it were my kids, Id be hanging out the window and shouting the same thing.

If Edwards has his way, however, that will never come to pass. Pondering a future in which his two sons, both 4, and his newborn daughter might compete, the middleweight says: I wouldnt wanna watch them get knocked out! To see them get choked out, thatd be emotional.

My sons watch, and theyre defo gonna train  I think its good to be focused, its good to be involved in sport  but I dont really want them to do it professionally. I wouldnt be comfortable with it. My aim is to make enough [money] from this that they dont have to go through it. Me and my brother, were doing this to change our familys lives, because we havent come from a good background financially.

Story continues

Leon, 31, went some way to achieving that goal with his welterweight title win against Kamaru Usman in August, and again with his successful defence against the Nigerian-American in London this March. Now, it is his younger brothers turn again.

Edwards during his last fight, a points win over Charlie Ward in October (Bellator MMA / Lucas Noonan)

Fabian will enter the Accor Arena on the back of wins over Charlie Ward and Lyoto Machida, the latter regarded as one of MMAs greats. Meanwhile, Mousasi is a former Bellator champion and ex-UFC contender, and the Dutchman, 37, is widely seen as one of the sports most-underrated middleweights.

Machida wasnt my hero, Mousasis not my hero, Edwards shrugs. I understand Mousasi is a big name, and a lot of people are like, wow, but for me hes just another opponent.

He mixes it up well, but hes a flat-footed, come-forward fighter. When youve been fighting that way for the last 20 years, youre gonna [keep fighting] that way. I think he might underestimate me, because after the Ward fight, he said he wasnt impressed by me. I think hell walk into trouble, I think itll be a big shock for him.

But regardless of whether you hold him in high regard or not, youre gonna try to punch his face in. You have to go in there and treat him with no respect. Win the fight, and afterwards you can say: I respect you.

Those are the moments in which Edwards disembarks the rollercoaster of emotion that carries him into each fight.

Gegard Mousasi (left) is a former Bellator middleweight champion (Bellator MMA / Lucas Noonan)

When I sign the contract, Im full of energy, I want to hit the road and do a fast run, he says, but then it drops down, and Im just focused throughout camp  calm. Come fight week, theres excitement, nerves, then it calms down again on fight night. It is a rollercoaster of emotions, you know?

Each time, the ride charts a new path.

Its always different. You think its gonna be the same, you really do. Then you get there, and you never know what youre gonna feel like. Whatever emotions I go through, I always tell myself, Its normal to be feeling nervous, but once you get in there, you know for a fact youll be okay. Once I step foot in the cage, it all goes away. Ive always said to myself and other guys: Once my confidence goes, Im done; once I stop believing that Im gonna be a champion, Im done.

Edwards certainly believes that he will be a champion, and that belief would only be bolstered by a win over Mousasi.

Watch Bellator 296: Mousasi vs Edwards live on BBC iPlayer on Friday 12 May from 5pm BST.
(Reuters) - Israel's short-range Iron Dome air defence system has had a 96% success rate in intercepting rockets fired from Gaza during the latest round of fighting between Israel and Palestinian factions, the military said.

Here are some details on the Iron Dome:

* Developed by state-owned Rafael Advanced Defence Systems with U.S.-backing to counter rocket fire from Lebanon that hit Israeli towns during the 2006 war with Hezbollah, and from Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas Islamists took control in 2007. It became operational in 2011.

* Each truck-towed unit fires radar-guided missiles to blow up short-range threats like rockets, mortars and drones in mid-air. It bookends Israel's multi-tier air defence array opposite Arrow-3, which is designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside the earths atmosphere.

* The high success rate over the past decade, corroborated by Pentagon officials, has gained international attention. Rafael says it delivered two Iron Dome batteries to the U.S. Army in 2020. Ukraine is seeking a supply as well in its war with Russia, though Israel has so far only provided Kyiv with humanitarian support and civil defences.

* A naval version of Iron Dome to protect ships and sea-based assets was deployed in 2017.

* The system quickly determines whether a rocket is on course to hit a populated area; if not, the rocket is ignored and allowed to land harmlessly. Iron Dome was originally billed as providing city-sized coverage against rockets with ranges of between 4 and 70 km (2.5 to 43 miles) but experts say this has since been expanded.

* Israel's interception systems cost between tens of thousands and millions of dollars to shoot down incoming threats. It is developing a laser-based system to neutralise enemy rockets and drones at an estimated cost of just $2 per interception.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
Since February 2022, Russia has fired thousands of missiles and loitering munitions at Ukraines cities, infrastructure and military forces. These attacks have killed and maimed thousands of Ukrainian civilians and military personnel.

Despite the heavy toll of Russias missile war on Ukraine, the attacks have, in the aggregate, failed to produce the kind of decisive strategic effects Moscow likely expected would bring about Ukrainian capitulation. My recently released report, Putins Missile War, attributes Russias underperformance to incompetency within its military and to Ukraines skillful use of air defenses and passive measures like dispersion and deception.

Although our understanding of what has transpired in the air war over Ukraine remains incomplete, some things are becoming clearer. More than a year into the war, the Ukrainian militarys command-and-control apparatus remains intact.

Ukraines air force and air defenses continue to frustrate Russian air and missile operations. Western weaponry continues to flow to the front lines, and the morale of the Ukrainian people remains steadfast despite enormous hardships.

As we enter spring, Ukraines electric grid remains fragile, but functional. And while Discord leaks indicate Ukraine is running low on air defense interceptors, new Western air defense systems continue to arrive to mitigate a future shortfall.

Meanwhile, Russian missile attacks against Ukraines civilian infrastructure are becoming less frequent. Pre-war Russian missile stocks are largely diminished, and Moscow is likely now reliant on smaller numbers of newly produced missiles.

The results of Russias long-range strike campaign in Ukraine contrasts with those waged by the United States and coalition military forces during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In those wars, U.S. cruise missiles and other precision-guided munitions played a pivotal role in fracturing Iraqs military from its political leadership, suppressing enemy air defenses and achieving coalition air supremacy.

Story continues

Russias inability to achieve similar strategic effects with its early air campaigns gave Ukraine the time and breathing room to disperse and reconstitute its forces. And Russias continued inability to achieve air superiority and significantly disrupt Ukrainian logistics has permitted the Ukrainian Armed Forces to prosecute aggressive counteroffensives with increasingly sophisticated weaponry.

In a successful strike campaign, one would expect a belligerent to become less dependent on stand-off strike assets over time as it wore down its adversarys air force and air defenses. Yet Russia has experienced the opposite. Its failure to achieve air superiority in the early phases has caused an increasing dependence on missiles and other stand-off weapons, such as one-way attack drones, to strike targets anywhere beyond the front lines. In this way, Russia has become a victim of the kind of anti-access/area denial strategies it has sought to develop over many years.

In the broadest sense, one cannot separate Russias haphazard missile campaign against Ukraine from wider strategic failures that have plagued nearly all aspects of Moscows war effort. Yet some unique factors have contributed to the underperformance of Russian missile forces. Russias intelligence and targeting capabilities have been too slow and inflexible to keep pace with the dynamic, fast-changing battlespace.

Russia also underestimated the scale of strike operations needed to accomplish its initial war goals. Effective Ukrainian air defenses too have limited the number of Russian missiles successfully reaching their targets. Although the impact of Ukrainian air defenses is difficult to independently confirm, the general trend lines suggest the force is growing more efficient and capable of thinning out Russian missile and drone salvos.

At the start of the conflict, for instance, Ukraine was intercepting no more than 10% of incoming Russian cruise missiles. By early fall, Ukraine was claiming to intercept around half of Russian cruise missile salvos. By the end of 2022, after the arrival of longer-range Western air defenses like NASAMS and IRIS-T, Ukraine regularly claims to intercept 75%-80% of cruise missile salvos.

Russias missile strikes against Ukraine have nevertheless taken a tragic toll. Since failing to reach its initial military objectives, Russia has focused its missile attacks on Ukraines civilian infrastructure and industry, including the electric grid and transportation infrastructure.

In the longer term, the damage Russian missiles have inflicted will likely weigh down Ukraines economic recovery and make additional foreign assistance critical to rebuilding. The continued provision of air defenses now will mitigate these future costs and reinforce a sense of security that could encourage Ukrainian refugees to return home. Such refugee repatriations will be important to Ukraines post-war economic recovery and future self-sufficiency.

In its struggle against Russian missile attacks, Ukraine has shown that Russian missiles are dangerous but not unstoppable. Even under harrowing circumstances, Ukraine has defeated advanced Russian cruise missiles with high-tech counters such as active air defenses and low-tech practices such as dispersion, mobility, deception, and camouflage.

One cannot assume Russia or others would repeat the same operational blunders in a future war. Still, Ukraines experience illustrates that air and missile defense works, and when combined with passive measures like dispersion and deception, can mitigate even numerous and advanced missile threats from a near-peer adversary.

Ian Williams is a fellow in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and deputy director of the Missile Defense Project.
White Boy Rick  whose drug dealing days and work as an FBI informant in Detroit as a young teen inspired a motion picture starring Matthew McConaughey  was arrested in Miami Tuesday on domestic battery charges.

According to Miami Police, the youngest known informant in FBI history, whose real name is Richard John Wershe, got into a fight with his girlfriend at their Edgewater apartment Saturday after accidentally calling her another womans name while they were having sex. He then allegedly threw a shoe at her, punched her and snatched jewelry from her body.

Wershe, 53, was arrested Tuesday after the woman spoke with police, and was charged with robbery and battery and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight correctional center early Wednesday. He was out on a $5,000 bond later in the day.

Wershe  who began working with the FBI at 14  spent decades in prison after being convicted of possessing eight kilos of cocaine when he was only 17. Only released in 2017 with the aid of a social justice campaign, he was immediately imprisoned again in Florida on an outstanding auto theft charge and finally left prison in 2020.

The alleged fight with his girlfriend of four months happened in an apartment at Quantum on the Bay at 1900 N. Bayshore Dr., at about 4 a.m. last Saturday. Police said that when the shoe he allegedly threw at the woman missed, he walked over to her and punched her in the chest, leaving a bruise.

Wershes Detroit-based attorney Nabih Ayad said the incident the woman reported never happened and that the woman made up the story while trying to steal his clients watch.

Our take is that it never happened, Ayad said. She took his watch and threatened to go to the police. And she filed a report that he hit her. Im sure Mr. Wershe will look at a motion to dismiss based on the fact that this was made up.
It was a red-letter day for Bernard Seide and his family. In the living room of his newly-completed single family home in Bonita Springs, Seide was presented with the keys to his new house  a home of their own.

With major assistance from Habitat for Humanity volunteers and donors, the family symbolically became owners of a house on Partnership Drive off of Old US 41, where Habitat is building house after house.

Flanked by his 14-year-old son David and 8-year-old daughter Neissa, the single father listened as volunteers, donors, and officials from Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties spoke about the Habitat program on Friday, May 5.

Bonita Springs city councilor and Habitat board member Jesse Purdon gave an invocation prayer, saying, thank you for reminding me why Habitat is so important. Habitat for Humanity changes lives on a regular basis.

Bernard was presented with gifts including a Bible, a symbolic bag of groceries, a handmade red, white and blue quilt, and most importantly, the key to the front door.

More Collier commissioners advance code changes to encourage more affordable housing development

And More new stores for Coconut Point, but it may lose a high-profile one. 12 things to know

Also New Bonita Springs eatery brings wild waffles to Entrada: A first look

When it was his turn to speak, Bernard, who emigrated from Haiti five years ago and speaks limited English, kept mostly to numerous variations on thank you, with his brother Licio, who has lived in this country for 12 years, translating the specifics.

Its a big day for me, Bernard said in Creole, and then in English, I thank you, each and every one.

As part of the deal for receiving a reduced-price home, Seide was required to contribute 300 hours of sweat equity, physical work on building his home, as well as absorb over 20 hours of financial education, learning about budgeting, escrow accounts, and the finer points of having a mortgage, as well as topics such as home maintenance. While Habitat provides these classes in Spanish as well as English, Creole speakers are asked to bring a translator, and Licio took on that role.

Story continues

In all, each Habitat home requires about 1,400 hours of construction labor, and volunteers provide an enormous amount of it. For Bernard Seides house, the lead came from the members of the Pelican Landing Habitat for Humanity Committee. Over 72 residents at Pelican Landing and The Colony, a community within the community, contributed volunteer hours to build Seides home and the one next door, said Ed Milliken of the Pelican Landing H4H Committee.

Of course, it takes more than labor to build a house. It takes money, too, and a major portion of the funds to build the Seide familys home came to Habitat through the efforts of the same Pelican Landing H4H Committee. Since 2002, residents of Pelican Landing and The Colony have donated nearly $3 million to provide safe, affordable housing for families through Habitat for Humanity. In the past year, the Pelican Landings donor group made gifts totaling more than $430,000, which funds the construction of two Habitat homes.

The group contributed $170,000 in funds for Bernards house along with their labor, and an equivalent amount for the home next door. The lead donors, considered the sponsors of the Seide familys home, were John and Lesley Hill of Pelican Landing. They helped with their hands as well as their checkbook, working on many phases of the homes construction.

I built mostly every week, said John Hill. We did flooring, hanging sheetrock, interior painting  you name it. This group put their heart and soul into it. He is mindful of the impact the groups efforts has on the recipient.

Owning a home is a critical part of being involved in the community. Habitat is an amazing organization. It addresses one of the most important challenges relative to affordable housing  being able to own a home.

The volunteer builders receive a benefit as well, a difficult to quantify but substantial feeling of having done something worthwhile at the end of the day.

There is a notable difference between the homes in Pelican Landing or The Colony versus the Habitat for Humanity homes the donors generosity helps provide, but their contributions make an even bigger difference for the recipients  the chance to live in a home they own, in safe, decent housing where things work, where they are not at the mercy of a landlord and can build equity.

After the brief welcoming ceremony, Neissa Seide, 8, a fourth grader at Bonita Springs Charter School, was all smiles as she showed off what would be her room in the four-bedroom, two-bath, 1,600-square-foot home. Ive got it all figured out, she told a visitor  where the furniture and the LED lighting would go.

After 40 years of service, Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties has partnered with nearly 1,800 families to provide them with homes of their own. In addition to sweat equity, Habitat homeowners contribute to their closing costs, and pay a mortgage set with the payments no more than 30 percent of their monthly income. To become involved as a donor or a volunteer homebuilder, call Rachel West, director of donor relations, at 239-800-5246, or contact the group at habitat4humanity.org.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Family moves into new Bonita home with help from Habitat for Humanity
For newly appointed Fayette County Clerk Susan Lamb her charge as the chief election officer in Kentuckys second largest county is simple: Get as many voters to the polls as possible.

I would love to see us increase our voter turnout, Lamb said. I really want to figure out what keeps a person from thinking their vote doesnt count. Once I find that out, Im going to prove them wrong. We have had elections that have been in the teens, or the single digits.

Lamb said she doesnt have a voter turnout prediction for the May primary. The coronavirus pandemic has made it tricky to track or predict voter turnout, she said.

After being appointed in January to fill the unexpired term of former county clerk Don Blevins Jr., Lamb will oversee her first election Tuesday.

Don Blevins Jr. served for 13 years in the position that oversees land and motor vehicle titles, marriage licenses and elections. Prior to Blevins Jr. being appointed, his father, Don Blevins Sr., served as county clerk for 35 years. That means for the first time in nearly 50 years, someone with the last name Blevins will not oversee an election in Fayette County.

Lamb, who served on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council for four terms before retiring in December, said she has immersed herself in election law, procedure, software and training since taking office Feb. 1.

The clerks office will have plenty of staff and eight to 10 voting stations at the University of Kentuckys Kroger Field for early voting, which begins Thursday and goes through Saturday.

The Kentucky State Board of Elections and secretary of state, which oversee elections statewide, employed new software for tabulating results last year. There were delays in the release of results by county during the May and November 2022 elections. Instead of results being released in batches, the vote totals for the county were released after all the votes were tabulated.

Lamb said county clerks do not have control of when and how those county-by-county results are released.

Story continues

We are mandated by state law, Lamb said. Thats the thing the public needs to understand.

With a much shorter ballot this year, Lamb said she hopes results will be released more quickly.

Lamb, who also spent 21 years in the council clerks office prior to being elected to the council in 2014, was known as stickler on the council for following parliamentary procedures and council rules.

Her assessment of how the county and the state conducts elections: Its totally bolstered my confidence. Its so amazing to watch this process.

Lamb is already reaching out to various community groups to educate the public about how secure voting is and also wants to expand the offices social media presence to help educate voters.

One tip Lamb stresses to potential voters still getting used to paper ballots: Make sure to fully color in the box next to the candidate you wish to vote for. Do not put any pen marks in a box of a candidate that you dont want to vote for or elsewhere on the ballot.

Lamb would like to get other locations for early voting. She is working with Mayor Linda Gorton to find a large enough city-owned space, such as a warehouse, to make that happen.

Early voting has proven to be successful. Lamb said more than 3,000 people in Fayette County voted early in November.

If early voting gets more people to the polls, shes not opposed to expanding it past three days, though expanded access would require action from the Kentucky General Assembly.

If the state would allow it, I would definitely support it, Lamb said.

Because she is filling an unexpired term, Lamb will be overseeing the November general election while she is running to keep her position.

A Democrat, Lamb said she has been nominated by the Fayette County Democratic Party to run for the seat in November. The Fayette County Republican Party will also nominate a contender. The party is expected to do so by the filing deadline of June 6.
The FBI declined to immediately provide congressional Republicans with a document the lawmakers say outlines an alleged criminal scheme involving President Biden and a foreign national, blowing through a Wednesday deadline to produce the unverified information that was subpoenaed by House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.).

Christopher Dunham, the FBI acting assistant director for congressional affairs, said in a letter responding to the subpoena that the FBI is committed to beginning the constitutionally mandated accommodation process in a response to the request from last week, later adding the agency would be pleased to coordinate with your staff to discuss whether and how we can accommodate your request without violating our law enforcement and national security obligations.

Justice [Department] policy strictly limits when and how confidential human source information can be provided outside of the FBI, Dunham said in the letter obtained by The Hill.

In a statement, Comer said that he planned to follow up with the FBI to compel compliance with the subpoena, setting up more potential battles over production of the document.

Its clear from the FBIs response that the unclassified record the Oversight Committee subpoenaed exists, but they are refusing to provide it to the Committee, Comer said. Weve asked the FBI to not only provide this record, but to also inform us what it did to investigate these allegations. The FBI has failed to do both. The FBIs position is trust, but you arent allowed to verify. That is unacceptable.

Comer and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said last week that a highly credible whistleblower had told them that the FBI possessed a FD-1023 form  which documents unverified information gathered from confidential sources  detailing an alleged criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions.

Story continues

They provided no other details on the allegations in the letter, and Grassley has said in other interviews that Republicans were not sure if the claims were true. Comer immediately subpoenaed the document rather than requesting voluntary cooperation from the FBI first.

The mere existence of such a document would establish little beyond the fact that a confidential human source provided information and the FBI recorded it, the FBI said in its response. Indeed, the FBI regularly receives information from sources with significant potential biases, motivations, and knowledge, including drug traffickers, members of organized crime, or even terrorists.

The subpoena asks for all FD-1023 forms containing the word Biden that were created or modified in June 2020, when former President Trump was in office and Bill Barr was attorney general. House Oversight Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) noted in a statement last week that Rudy Giuliani and Russian agents had been seeking and publicizing disinformation about Biden around that time.

The question remains, what did the FBI do to investigate very serious allegations from an apparent trusted FBI source implicating then-Vice President Biden? Grassley said in a statement. Todays letter from the FBI raises additional questions, including whether the FBI has an open investigation based on these allegations.

In a press conference presenting information about foreign money that flowed to businesses associated with the Biden family and associates Wednesday, Comer pledged to not publicize any unverified information gleaned from the FBI form.

We will report to you only facts when they are verified and indisputable, Comer said. This committee will not pursue witch hunts, or string the American people along for years with false promises of evidence that is beyond circumstantial evidence.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Pete Schroeder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Large U.S. lenders will bear most of the cost of replenishing a deposit insurance fund that was drained of $16 billion by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and two other lenders, although mid-sized banks will also be on the hook, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said on Thursday.

The bank regulator will apply a "special assessment" fee of 0.125% to uninsured deposits of lenders in excess of $5 billion, based on the amount of uninsured deposits a bank held at the end of 2022, the FDIC proposed at a board meeting.

While the fee applies to all banks, in practice lenders with more than $50 billion in assets would cover over 95% of the cost, the agency said. Banks with less than $5 billion in assets would not pay any fee. Around 113 banks are expected to pay the fee.

The top 14 U.S. lenders will need to fork out an estimated $5.8 billion a year, which could erode their earnings per share by a median 3%, Credit Suisse analyst Susan Roth Katzke wrote in a report.

The levy would be collected over eight quarters beginning in June 2024, but could be adjusted as estimated losses to the insurance fund change. The extended timeline aims to minimize the impact on bank liquidity and is expected to have a negligible impact on bank capital, according to FDIC officials.

JPMorgan Chase & Co is expected to pay an estimated $1.3 billion annual fee, followed by $1.1 billion for Bank of America Corp and $898 million for Wells Fargo & Co. The three banks declined to comment.

"This is a higher assessment than we were expecting as the FDIC is seeking to recoup the funds over just two years," wrote TD Cowen analyst Jaret Seiberg in a research note. "We had expected the agency to spread the payments over at least three years."

The S&P 500 Banks Index slid 0.6% on Thursday, while the KBW Regional Banking Index slumped more than 2%.

The FDIC fund, which guarantees customers' bank deposits of up to $250,000, stood at $128.2 billion at the end of 2022, according to the FDIC.

Story continues

Banks usually pay a quarterly fee to finance the fund, but the FDIC said the special levy was necessary to cover hefty costs it incurred after Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failed in March. Both banks, which had extremely high levels of uninsured deposits, abruptly failed after depositors fled amid concerns over their financial health. Regulators declared them critical to the financial system, allowing the FDIC to backstop all deposits in a bid to stop the contagion spreading.

The seizure of First Republic Bank and sale to JP Morgan Chase this month is expected to cost that fund another $13 billion.

Other regional lenders with high proportions of uninsured deposits include Comerica Bank, Western Alliance Bank, Zions Bank and Synovus Financial, according to a Reuters analysis from last month based on December data.

Comerica shares dropped almost 7%, Zions Bancorp and Synovus both fell more than 4%, while Western Alliance slid almost 1%. The banks did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

SMALL BANKS CHEER

Under law, the FDIC has discretion in designing the fee, and FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg said on Thursday the proposal targets those who benefited most from the backstop.

"In general, large banks with large amounts of uninsured deposits benefited the most from the systemic risk determination," he said in a statement.

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), Washington's top small bank lobby group, applauded the plans.

"Community banks should not have to bear any financial responsibility for losses to the Deposit Insurance Fund caused by the miscalculations and speculative practices of large financial institutions," ICBA CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said in a statement.

The FDIC board approved the proposal on Thursday along partisan lines, with its three Democratic board members supporting it and its two Republican members voting no, arguing that the banks on the hook to pay the most were generally the biggest beneficiaries of the flight to safety after SVB's collapse. The agency will now solicit feedback from the banking industry and the public, before ultimately finalizing the new fee.

TD Cowen's Sieberg said he did not see the dissenters' arguments prevailing as it would effectively exempt the global systemically important banks from the special assessment.

"We do not see that as politically viable," Sieberg said.

(Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru and Pete Schroeder in WashingtonAdditional reporting by Manya Saini, Jaiveer Shekhawat, Nupur Anand, Tatiana Bautzer and Saeed AzharEditing by Michelle Price, Lananh Nguyen and Matthew Lewis)
Visitors are seen in front of the China brands wall at the Exposition on China Brand 2023 in Shanghai, on May 10, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]



More than 1,000 innovative Chinese enterprises, and those with self-owned brands, exhibited their products and solutions at an event in Shanghai marking 2023 China Brand Day from Wednesday through Sunday.

As a key event of 2023 China Brand Day, which falls on Wednesday this year, the exhibition held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center is aimed at showcasing the "new look of current Chinese brands to the world", organizers of the event said.

This year marks the seventh China Brand Day. The exhibition area of nearly 60,000 square meters is more than double that of previous years and the event's duration has been prolonged.

New exhibition sections for selected exhibits and themed products were added and new activities, including new product launches and brand design contests, were put on the schedule this year.

Altogether 38 centrally administered State-owned enterprises exhibited products, representing the country's cutting-edge manufacturing.

Key exhibits include the first domestically produced large-diameter hard rock tunnel-boring machine functioning at high altitudes and in extremely cold environments by China Railway Group Ltd, and a high-speed maglev transportation system capable of traveling at 600 kilometers per hour, of which CRRC Corp Ltd holds full independent intellectual property rights.

Within the exhibition zone specifically for Shanghai enterprises, dozens of businesses showcased the city's economic vitality in new industries, new impetus and application scenarios.

Shanghai aims to achieve the goal of exceeding 1.5 trillion yuan ($217 billion) in total scale of green and low-carbon, metaverse, and intelligent terminal industries by 2025.

Q-Truck, the world's first fully autonomous, driverless new energy commercial vehicle, was among the key exhibits by Shanghai Westwell Information and Technology Co, a fast-growing enterprise that has earned a reputation for its full-stack intelligent port solutions and driverless container trucks.

The vehicle, independently developed by Westwell, has been put into commercial use in countries including Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Mexico, marking a successful business plan landing of AI unmanned driving from China in the global market.

"Even in harsh weather and under complex road conditions, Q-Truck can accurately complete transportation tasks around the clock in a nonstop manner, freeing people from intensive, long-term and high-risk driving operations, and realizing intelligent, safe and adaptive unmanned driving," said Hu Hongyuan, deputy general manager of the strategic development center of Westwell.

The company said that compared with diesel vehicles, the new energy Q-Truck can reduce carbon emissions by 10.7 metric tons per year, saving about 100,000 yuan in energy and vehicle maintenance costs per vehicle per year.

Shanghai MicroPort MedBot Co Ltd exhibited its blockbuster surgical robots, including the Toumai Laparoscopic Surgical Robot, which uses teleoperation technology and enables surgeons to sit outside of the aseptic surgery area to conduct surgeries, thus reducing risk.

The device was approved for the market in China in early 2022 and has completed nearly 800 robot-assisted surgeries for clinical validation in nearly 40 hospitals nationwide. The surgeries covered highly difficult and complex procedures in the chest, abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity.

Also among the exhibits was the Honghu Orthopedic Surgical Robot, which assists total knee replacement by building a 3D knee joint model with its preoperative planning system based on the preoperative CT scanning data, and creating personalized prosthesis implantation surgical plans according to a patient's physiological and anatomical features.

Honghu was approved in China in April 2022. It obtained certification from the United States Food and Drug Administration in July of the same year and passed the testing certification of the British Standards Institution in December. In April, it was approved to be marketed in Brazil.
This rendering of One Park Sarasota shows an aerial of the development site looking over The Bay Park. A police probe was launched in April after a meeting between a One Park partner and and a planning board member.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has reopened an inquiry into contacts between the developers of a downtown Sarasota high-rise condo and public officials who would vote on the controversial project.

The decision to reopen the investigation came less than a day after FDLE notified Sarasota authorities that its investigators found "no evidence of a crime" involving contact between the development group for One Park Sarasota and a city planning board member and city commissioner.

The decision means the FDLE inquiry into the $500 million One Park Sarasota project in The Quay waterfront development will continue, as both the development group and organized opposition from the condo board of the neighboring Ritz-Carlton Residences cast accusations of "improper influence" and "collusion" in one of the most contested development projects in Sarasota in recent memory.

Previous coverage: Sarasota condo on hold as police investigate report of job offer to planning board member

More: One Park investor denies job offer to Sarasota Planning Board member now under scrutiny

More: Sarasota Planning Board member says meeting with developer 'misrepresented' as FDLE probes

FDLE officials wrote a letter Tuesday to the city's police chief saying its investigators had not found evidence of a crime after looking into contact between the development group and a Sarasota city planning board member and a donation from a partner in the development group to a private foundation created by a city commissioner.

An FDLE spokesperson then confirmed Wednesday that new information led to the agency reopening the investigation.

A law firm representing neighboring residents challenging One Park's development application to the city forwarded several allegations of improper influence surrounding One Park contacts with the public officials who would ultimately determine the fate of the condo project.

The nature of development changes requested by One Park require support from four of the five city commissioners.

Story continues

The allegations questioned the timing of donations to a foundation created by Commissioner Erik Arroyo, coming days after Sarasota officials had determined the One Park development would need to go before the city's Planning Board and the City Commission for approval. Previously, city officials had indicated the development would only need to be reviewed by the city staff.

"During the process, several apparent attempts by members of the One Park Development team to improperly influence city officials involved in the development approval process have come to light," according to a three-page narrative attached to an email sent last month to an assistant state attorney by Bentley Goodrich Kison attorney Ashley Gaillard.

That email was forwarded to Sarasota Police.

The documents were sent shortly before Deputy City Attorney Michael Connolly canceled all future public hearings for One Park at a Sarasota Planning Board meeting on April 12, when he announced Sarasota Police had opened a "criminal investigation" into the meeting between Jim Bridges, a minority partner in the One Park development, and Sarasota architect Michael Halflants, a member of the Sarasota Planning Board, which advises the City Commission on development decisions. That police investigation was turned over to FDLE after that meeting.

Halflants had sought advice from Connolly regarding the meeting with Bridges that included discussion of the possibility that Bridges could hire Halflants for an unrelated project.

The meeting occurred while One Park's development application was still pending before the Planning Board. Halflants had been critical of the One Park project during a February meeting.

One Park Sarasota, developed by New York-based Property Markets Group, is a planned 18-story, luxury condo building on the Sarasota bayfront that has attracted controversy as it sought to combine two blocks by building over Quay Commons, the main road in the development.

The condo board for the Ritz-Carlton Residences, a completed 18-story luxury tower, has opposed the project, hiring two law firms to challenge the development's approval, Bentley Goodrich Kison and the law office of Robert K. Lincoln.

The Bentley firm sent a three-page memo with additional documentation to Assistant State Attorney Andrew van Sickle on April 11 highlighting the Arroyo-created nonprofit called the Sarasota City Foundation that hosted an event called the Mayors Ball.

The document noted a donation that the Bentley attorney said came from the Sarasota-headquartered company MoneyShow, a financial education company founded by Kim Githler, a One Park Sarasota minority partner.

The law firm's document also alleges that a $1 million donation to The Bay Park shows the development group was seeking special treatment in its application, noting a comment from MoneyShow President Aaron West to city commissioners in November.

"Upon completion of the building, some of you may know that we will be donating a million dollars to The Bay," West said in November to the City Commission. "So, that's a tremendous investment in Sarasota and our community. And we would just encourage you all to allow us to keep our DRC (Development Review Committee) dates and go through the process as we had planned."

Githler said there was nothing improper with the $10,000 donation to the Sarasota City Foundation, pointing to her long history of philanthropic donations to numerous Sarasota causes.

"I was told the Mayor's Ball was to pay water bills and electric bills and it was to pay for people that are needy and need a place to stay," she said. "I did attend and I did donate."

What is the Sarasota City Foundation, and what was the Mayors Ball?

The nonprofit Sarasota City Foundation was created by Arroyo and a few other local residents to bridge the gap between public and private resources to meet the immediate needs of the Sarasota Community, according to its website.

Arroyo said he and other founders knew the city didnt have money for some of the infrastructure projects the community needed. Some examples of projects that the foundation could fund are a public awareness campaign about homelessness and a competition where local college students come up with ideas for how to enhance the city, the city commissioner said.

Erik Arroyo

The Sarasota City Foundation isnt the only nonprofit in the Sarasota area to provide the public sector with financial support. Arroyo mentioned the Sarasota Police Foundation, which gives money to the police department.

On Oct. 15, 2022, the City Foundation held a fundraiser called the Mayors Ball. (Arroyo was the citys ceremonial mayor at the time of the event.) Tickets were $200 a person, and the event included a silent auction for trips to destinations like Ireland and Tuscany, according to the foundations website.

A photo gallery in a Sarasota Observer article shows that several prominent community members attended, including Githler and businessman Jeff Koffman.

Arroyo said the foundation has paid for most expenses related to the event, but it hasnt spent the rest of the money it raised, which was over $60,000. He said he would like a committee or board to decide which projects will get foundation funding.

MoneyShows donation

On Oct. 13, Aaron West, the president of MoneyShow, sent an email to one of the Mayor's Ball organizers saying that some of MoneyShows partners wanted to donate to the ball.

That email came three days after the city of Sarasotas development services general manager sent a letter to one of One Parks attorneys saying their proposal would need to come before the City Commission for approval.

Githler said she did not know of the change in who would be approving the project because the majority partner  Property Markets Group  is taking the lead on the development application.

MoneyShow donated $10,000 to Sarasota City Foundation in November, Arroyo said. He said he doesnt see the donation as a conflict of interest and noted the foundation isnt his own. He said he represents a group of people who wanted to start a foundation, and he added that he doesnt benefit from the nonprofit or get paid by it.

Arroyo said the donation isnt going to affect the decision he makes on One Park as a commissioner.

The case is going to be decided on its merits, not on an underhanded pressure campaign, which this is shaping up to be, he said.

Mayor Erik Arroyo delivers his State of the City speech during the Sarasota City Commission meeting at City Hall on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022.

Arroyo said he has connections to people on both sides of the One Park disagreement, including to individuals on the Ritz-Carlton Residences' condo board.

Until this comes to the commission, Im not getting dragged into debates between multi-millionaires arguing about whose building is bigger, he said. Its unfortunate that some individuals would resort to scrutinizing a nonprofit that exists for the benefit of the general public, for an attempt at getting headlines.

The Sarasota City Foundation received other large donations in the months following the Mayors Ball, including $10,000 from Lido Beach Resort, $10,000 from Sandcastle Resort at Lido Beach and $10,000 from Holiday Inn Sarasota-Lido Beach at The Beach, Arroyo said.

Githler noted her company donated $100,000 last year to charities and that she personally helped raise money for 40 Carrots Family Foundation and the Moffitt Cancer Center.

Kim Githler

"It's what I do in this town," she said. "I have been doing it for years. My mother and I are big philanthropists."

She called it "disgusting" that her donation to a charity created by Arroyo has been used to keep One Park from being developed.

Githler said she's also reviewed 155 emails about One Park's development application from Robert Lincoln, one of the Sarasota lawyers hired to represent the Ritz condo board, that she has obtained in her own public records request.

She said 26 emails from Lincoln to the city's attorneys show "collusion" to prevent the One Park project from being developed.

She also noted the project already has $320 million in sold units and the development group will buy the land for the planned development even if the city denies the current configuration of the proposed building. She points to development rights on the property that would allow far greater density.

Morgan Bentley, another lawyer hired by the Ritz-Carlton Residences, denies any collusion in their efforts to make sure that One Park follows the land development regulations in place in Sarasota.

Bentley

Attorneys from both sides communicate frequently with city officials, Bentley said, responding to Githler's comments on the volume of emails she obtained. He noted the lengthy window from when One Park first submitted to the city in the fall of 2021, saying that it's not surprising that many emails have been generated, given the complicated development project.

He pushed back against the claim that his law firm or that Lincoln's acted improperly by forwarding their concerns to investigators.

"That kind of stuff doesn't happen in Sarasota," Bentley said. "You better believe we were looking into it. It was outrageous and really disheartening."

City attorney weighs in on the Sarasota City Foundation

Sarasotas city attorney, Robert Fournier, said he doesnt have enough information on the Sarasota City Foundation to draw a conclusion on the matter. He said hes not in a position to be the final decisionmaker on whether MoneyShows donation is appropriate.

It has to be clear that whatever donations were given were not given with the expectation of anything in exchange, but on the part of any elected official, really, Fournier said.

Florida ethics laws say that an elected official cant accept anything of value to them  like a gift or favor  based on an understanding that it will influence a vote or action they take.

He said that if Arroyo had consulted him before accepting the donation, he would have advised him to turn away donations from anyone who has applications pending before the city. He said that these individuals can always donate to the foundation after the pending matters have been resolved.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: One Park Sarasota still being probed amid claims of improper influence
El Paso, Texas  A record increase in unauthorized arrivals along the U.S.-Mexico border and the end of Title 42 border restrictions have left local officials and volunteers worried about their ability to help the new arrivals, and migrants confused about how the looming shift in U.S. policy will affect them.

This week, Border Patrol processed more than 10,000 migrants each day across the southern border, setting all-time records for 24-hour periods, a senior Department of Homeland Security official told CBS News. On Wednesday, more than 20,000 migrants were in Border Patrol custody, prompting officials to authorize the quick release of some migrants found not to be a threat to public safety or national security.

U.S. officials have attributed the sudden jump in migrant crossings to the fast-approaching end of the Title 42 pandemic-related restrictions, which expired at 11:59 p.m. EST Thursday. The rule has allowed U.S. border agents to cite public health concerns to quickly expel some migrants without allowing them to apply for asylum.

In border cities like El Paso, which has seen hundreds of migrant arrivals daily in May, the spike in migration has even alarmed volunteers and humanitarian workers who support welcoming and helping asylum-seekers. The city is also planning to convert a vacant middle school into a temporary shelter for migrants.

"I'm not even sure I would use the word concerned. I'm scared," said John Martin, who runs a network of shelters in El Paso. "And I'm scared because of the sheer number of people that could potentially be involved."

Migrants line up at the Paso del Norte port of entry to be processed by Border Patrol agents in Texas. / Credit: Camilo Montoya-Galvez/CBS News

"It's difficult to prepare for the unknown," he added, speaking inside a makeshift tent encampment that his staff at the Opportunity Shelter for the Homeless set up to house migrants who could not be accommodated in their over-capacity shelters.

Confusion and anxiety among migrants on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border was also palpable amid a web of complicated and constantly changing U.S. policies. In Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, migrants living in tents and shelters are weighing whether to cross into the U.S. without authorization after Title 42, or to continue waiting for appointments to enter the U.S. legally that the Biden administration is distributing through a phone app.

Story continues

Saira Hernandez, who left Nicaragua with her 8-year-old daughter five months ago, said she was expelled to Mexico after trying to seek asylum in the U.S. She said the end of Title 42 could be "beneficial," but also noted she fears being deported if she tries to cross into the U.S. again.

"If we turn ourselves in again, they could send us right back," Hernandez said inside the Stellar shelter in Ciudad Juarez. "The first time I was sent back [to Mexico], I felt desperate. I was in a country I did not know with a child."

Hernandez's concerns are justified. Under a policy the Biden administration plans to enact after Title 42 expires, migrants who enter the U.S. without an appointment will be ineligible for asylum if they did not first seek refuge in Mexico or another country. Migrants like Hernandez could face deportation to Mexico, which has agreed to accept Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan deportees from the U.S.

For now, Hernandez said she will continue trying to get an appointment to be processed at a port of entry through the U.S. government app, known as CBP One. She's been trying to secure an appointment every day she's been in Mexico, she added, to no avail. Still, Hernandez said she has hope.

"We try to do things the right way," she said.

Other migrants stranded in Mexico like Dora Ramirez are less hopeful. "We have been waiting for an appointment for two months, and we only get error messages," the Nicaraguan mother said. "There is no hope."

Seeking asylum in Mexico, she said, is also not an option for her because of how dangerous cities like Ciudad Juarez are: "We don't really go out because many tell us it is dangerous, that we could be kidnapped."

Migrants in El Paso consider themselves lucky to be on American soil. But many of them entered the U.S. unlawfully without being apprehended by Border Patrol and don't have official government documents, including court notices, that allow them to travel freely within the U.S.

Gregorio Xiloj Cutz, who had been sleeping at the Sacred Heart shelter in El Paso with his 5-year-old son for the past three days, said he left Huehuetenango, Guatemala, last month due to death threats.

Gregorio Xiloj Cutz with his young son in El Paso, Texas. / Credit: Camilo Montoya-Galvez/CBS News

"We were extorted," Xiloj Cutz said. "We were told that if we did not give them the money, that they would kill us or kidnap my son."

Xiloj Cutz said he crossed into the U.S. without being apprehended by Border Patrol, which is swiftly expelling many Central Americans to Mexico or their home countries. His objective is to go to Atlanta, but he's been stranded in El Paso because he does not have official government documents that he could use to travel without the fear of being arrested.

"I'm worried because I don't have a permit to travel," Xiloj Cutz added, saying he's scared his family could be taken into custody.

Earlier in the week, federal officials warned migrants who entered the U.S. surreptitiously and were sleeping on the streets of El Paso that they could face arrest and deportation if they did not report to the main port of entry there.

As 23-year-old Aidele Gonzalez lined up alongside her partner and scores of other migrants outside the Paso del Norte port of entry to be processed by Border Patrol agents, her main fear was being returned to Mexico.

"We were persecuted in Mexico. I was kidnapped there," Gonzalez said in Spanish. "And I don't want them to send us back. I'm scared."

After fleeing Venezuela's economic collapse and undertaking a journey across over half a dozen countries in Latin America, Gonzalez said she and her partner were kidnapped in Mexico by cartel members and held for five days without food. Her kidnappers, she said, wanted her family members to pay a ransom for her release.

Despite their concerns, the young couple said they decided to turn themselves in to get documents that would allow them to travel within the U.S. while their cases are reviewed in immigration court.

Citing their kidnapping in Mexico and concerns about being deported there after surrendering themselves to U.S. officials, Gonzalez's partner, Jose Chavez, said their search for the American dream had turned into a "nightmare."

Ben Platt returns to Broadway with Tony-nominated performance in "Parade"

Debbie Gibson talks about her new pop album and encore tour

"48 Hours" investigates: "A Stabbing in Colts Neck"
Federal agents executed a search warrant at the JinkoSolar plant in Jacksonville, Florida on Monday. The plant opened in 2018 and marked the Chinese company's first solar panel manufacturing plant in the United States.

Federal agents executed a search warrant at the JinkoSolar plant in Jacksonville as part of an ongoing federal investigation that involves one of the world's largest manufacturers of solar panels.

Authorities did not release any details about the investigation spearheaded by Homeland Security Investigations, which is the main investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

JinkoSolar said the investigation has not altered its operation of the Jacksonville plant.

"JinkoSolar is committed to operating in accordance with the highest ethical standards and adhering to the laws and regulations of the countries where it operates, including the United States," the company said in a statement. "Jinko, through external counsel, is engaging constructively with relevant agencies to understand the nature of the inquiry, and the companys business operations are running normally, including in Jacksonville.

Here's what to know about Jinko Solar.

More on JinkoSolar: What you should know about JinkoSolar, which makes solar panels in Jacksonville

New Jacksonville plant: Chinese companys move to Jacksonville brings jobs and for Rick Scott, maybe profit

Solar panel sales: FPL parent announces deal with China solar panel supplier

JinkoSolar built its first U.S. plant in Jacksonville to supply NextEra

Based in China, the fast-growing company has 14 manufacturing plants worldwide and 24 overseas subsidiaries, according to the company. JinkoSolar reported about $12 billion of annual revenue in 2022.

The company built the plant at Cecil Commerce Center, the large industrial park on the Westside of Jacksonville, in 2018. The company and NextEra Energy, the parent company of Florida Power & Light, announced that year NextEra would purchase millions of solar panels made at the Jacksonville plant for the utility's solar power projects.

NextEra and JinkoSolar called it one of the "largest solar panel supply deals in history" when they announced it in March 2018. Mayor Lenny Curry said it was a "major win for Jacksonville" that "enhances our reputation as a manufacturing city."

Story continues

City incentives for plant expansion in Jacksonville up in the air

The execution of the search warrant on Monday caused Jacksonville City Council to postpone voting on a taxpayer incentive deal that had been on track to pass easily at the Tuesday meeting of council. City Council moved consideration of the legislation to June 13.

The plant currently employs 274 workers and JinkoSolar had been planning a $52 million expansion that would create another 250 full-time jobs, according to the summary of a bill (2023-276) that would have provided up to $2.3 million in property tax rebates over a 10-year period.

The annual property tax rebates are paid by the city based on actual growth in the property tax value created by an economic development project.

Federal agency in charge of investigation handles 'transnational crimes'

Homeland Security Investigations, also known as HSI, investigates "transnational crimes and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance moves," according to the agency.

A spokesman for HSI has said the search warrant is part of an ongoing federal investigation. The Middle District of the U.S. Attorney's Office said it could neither confirm nor deny an investigation.

JinkoSolar sued Commerce Department in 2022 over tariffs

JinkoSolar (U.S.) Inc. sued U.S. Customs and Borders in August 2022 seeking a refund of a portion of the "safeguard duties" collected by U.S. government on solar equipment shipping into the country.

The federal lawsuit contended the federal government incorrectly charged excessive duties. The lawsuit was stayed last September at the request of JinkoSolar.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: JinkoSolar, supplier of solar panels to FPL, faces federal probe
The federal governments emergency declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic expires Thursday as case numbers dip to record lows around the Kansas City area.

The end of the emergency order marks the end of federal government funding for COVID-19-related resources. That means it will make vaccination, testing and treatment more expensive for many Kansas Citians, and will change the way that data about the virus is collected and shared. It will also lead to thousands in the metro losing their Medicaid eligibility.

Medical experts reflected on the end of the emergency order in a news briefing Wednesday.

We have better therapies, vaccination has helped a lot, theres a lot of natural immunity out there  but it came at a really high cost, said Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System.

Heres what we know about the end of the emergency declaration, and how it will impact Kansas City.

Does this mean the pandemic is over?

No. While deaths from COVID-19 are at record lows, around 1,000 Americans still die every week from the virus, according to Dr. Gregory Poland, the director of vaccine research at the Mayo Clinic.

He added that since the pandemic began, it has killed one out of every 282 Americans  and that new, potentially harmful variants of the virus can still emerge.

When you declare an end to the public health emergency, that doesnt mean an end for all time, he said in Wednesdays briefing. We could very well, this fall for example, see a new variant that could be even more immune-evasive and would require going back to some level of mitigation procedures.

Stites added that the healthcare community has struggled to impress the importance of these protective measures, which include vaccination, regular testing, mask-wearing and social distancing, onto the public.

We have accepted the morbidity associated with COVID because the lifestyle changes we have to make to avoid it are too difficult, or people just dont want to do them over a long period of time, he said.

Story continues

I think its going to be a really hard battle to get public health measures like masking and distancing back in effect, unless the human toll is so great that people are scared to not do it.

How bad is COVID-19 in Kansas City right now?

Case numbers are very low across the metro. As of Wednesday, 295 new cases had been reported in the past week  the lowest number since weekly data reporting began in April of 2022.

The graph below shows the decline in new weekly cases in the metro in recent months. Hover over any point to see the number of cases reported by the five counties and two cities that make up the metro area.

Neither Kansas nor Missouri report death tolls at the county level any more, but available data indicates that deaths from COVID-19 are very low as well. Kansas reported 18 deaths in the state since last week, while Missouri has not reported its weekly totals since April.

What will change for patients?

A major impact of the emergency order ending is that many patients could lose their Medicaid coverage. Under the order, states were barred from removing people from Medicaid if they no longer qualified. Now, thousands will have to either prove they are still eligible or lose their coverage.

Loretta Stoufer, the director of health system admitting at The University of Kansas Health System, said that around 500,000 patients in Missouri and upwards of 300,000 in Kansas may need to renew their eligibility.

For three consecutive years, everyone was on continuous eligibility, Stouffer said in Wednesdays news briefing. That is ending, and now that monthly renewal for their Medicaid benefits is beginning again.

She recommended reaching out to the state agency that administers your Medicaid coverage to see whether you need to reapply. In Missouri, thats MO Healthnet. In Kansas, thats KanCare.

Will I still be able to get COVID vaccines?

Yes. The CDC states that the federal government will continue to distribute vaccinations for adults and children in order to protect communities from the virus. For now, vaccines will remain free and widely available  but new boosters may arrive more slowly, and cost more out of pocket when they do.

The president has asked for 5 billion for the NextGen vaccine program, which is nowhere near enough to advance these products rapidly, Poland said.

Vaccines are still available around the metro at the Kansas City and Wyandotte County health departments, many pharmacies and some other healthcare clinics and hospitals. Find vaccines near you by entering your ZIP code and the vaccines youre searching for on the federal Vaccine Finder website.

Will COVID tests and treatments still be available?

Yes  but they might get more expensive. According to the CDC, private insurance companies may not cover at-home testing any more after the emergency order ends. The government has also ceased its free test program that mails tests to homes at no cost.

However, some pharmacies and other locations in the metro are still offering no-cost testing. Find testing sites near you by entering your ZIP code on the CDCs testing locator website.

The CDC has also stated that treatments like Paxlovid will soon come at a price. Moving forward, the cost of antivirals will be determined by manufacturers and your health insurance company. This may make the medication inaccessible to some people.

How will COVID data reporting change?

The biggest change is that new case numbers and death totals from COVID-19 will no longer be emphasized. Thats because this data has gotten less reliable as more people test at home and some jurisdictions choose not to report test results to the government.

Instead, the percentage of deaths that are COVID-19 related and some data about hospitalizations will be the main indicators of the pandemics trajectory. Hospital admissions for COVID-19 will be reported weekly at the county level.

Do you have more questions about staying safe from COVID-19 in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
A federal judge in Virginia ruled Wednesday that a U.S. government ban on handgun sales by federally licensed dealers to adults ages 18 to 20 violates the Second Amendment.

Its the latest court ruling to toss out gun control measures by using the new historical test outlined in a watershed Supreme Court decision last year.

U.S. District Judge Robert Payne came down on the side of four young men who sued over the ban, writing in a 71-page opinion that the statutes and regulations in question are not consistent with our Nations history and tradition and therefore cannot stand.

His phrasing directly echoed the Supreme Courts 2022 majority opinion in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, authored by Justice Clarence Thomas, which struck down a century-old New York gun control law. In Bruen, conservative justices declared that the government has to prove a gun control law is consistent with the Nations historical tradition of firearm regulation.

Payne, picked by President George H.W. Bush, wrote that 18-to-20-year-olds are part of the political community and protected by the right to bear arms as laid out in the Constitution. He cited, among other things, founding-era militia laws and an 18th-century tome entitled Blackstones Commentaries on the Laws of England.

The government failed to show any evidence supporting age-based restrictions on the purchase or sale of firearms from the colonial era, Founding, or Early Republic, Payne said.

Responding to the argument that teenagers brain development makes them too irresponsible to own handguns, Payne wrote: Since time immemorial, teenagers have been, well, teenagers. The general societal problem of teenage impetuousness and rashness far proceeded the Founding.

In other words, if the Founders did not see a reason to bar teens from guns, neither should we.

The Justice Department is likely to appeal, attorneys told The Washington Post.

Laws restricting gun sales have come into sharp focus this year as the U.S. continues to endure frequent mass shootings. At the federal level, adults 18 to 20 are not barred from purchasing a handgun through a private sale by an unlicensed seller, and shotguns and rifles can be sold to adults 18 and older.

Story continues

State laws, however, vary  and are changing in the wake of Bruen.

John Corey Fraser was the only plaintiff to attempt to purchase a handgun  a Glock 19X  and be turned away. The other three men expressed interest in making purchases but did not attempt to do so given Frasers experience.

Their lawsuit, filed last year, represents Frasers second attempt to roll back age-based handgun restrictions through the courts. He tried unsuccessfully to join a similar suit in 2021.

Related...
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) returned to her post on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday and greenlit the passage of three judicial nominees who had been stalled during her lengthy health-related absence.

Feinstein appeared roughly 90 minutes into the meeting to an ovation from senators and staff, and the nomination votes were held shortly after, putting the nominees on track for votes on the Senate floor in the coming weeks.

I believe I speak for all of us with feelings of relief and support for our colleague, Sen. Feinstein, who has returned to Washington. I know that shes been through some significant health challenges and we all wish her the very best, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said to open the hearing.

Those who were finally voted through the committee were Charnelle Bjelkengren, tapped to be a district court judge in Washington state; Marian Gaston, nominated to become a district judge in California; and Kato Crews, who was nominated to be a district judge in Colorado.

The three advanced with only Democratic support as all had earned unanimous GOP opposition on the panel. Bjelkengren stumbled during her confirmation hearing when asked what Article 5 of the Constitution is, Gaston was grilled during her hearing over her past writings about sex offenders, and Crews was unable to define what a Brady Motion is.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) laced into the qualifications of the partisan nominees ahead of the vote.

Prior to Feinsteins arrival, the panel advanced three more judicial nominations with the help of some Republicans on the committee: Jeremy Daniel to become a district judge in Illinois, Brendan Hurson to become a district judge in Maryland, and Darrel Papillion to be a district judge in Louisiana.

Among those voting to advance them were Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the committees ranking member, Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and John Kennedy (R-La.).

Story continues

One judicial nominee before the committee was still unable to receive a vote. Michael Delaney, who has been tapped to fill a spot on the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, remains in limbo over his handling of a sexual assault case at a boarding school in New Hampshire.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told The Hill Wednesday that he remains undecided on Delaneys nomination.

Prior to Thursdays meeting, the panel voted out eight additional nominees with bipartisan support in recent weeks without Feinsteins presence.

Updated at 12:13 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON  One day after making a long-anticipated return to Congress, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., attended her first Judiciary Committee meeting on Thursday after a monthslong absence following a shingles diagnosis in February.

With Feinsteins aye votes, Democrats were able to send three additional judicial nominees to the Senate floor for consideration on party-line votes: Charnelle Bjelkengren to be a district court judge in Washington state; Kato Crews to be a district court judge in Colorado; and Marian Gaston to be a district court judge in California.

With a majority needed and the panel split between 11 Democrats and 10 Republicans, Democrats had been unable to advance nominees without some level of bipartisan support because of Feinstein's absence, leading some to call for her resignation.

But on Thursday, some Democrats were relieved they could hit the gas again on Biden's nominees without needing GOP support.

Its full speed ahead, absolutely, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. No delays or holdups that I can see.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., defended Feinsteins decision not to resign, saying that like many other senators in our history, she had an illness.

Shes returned to the Senate. Im excited about that. The Senate was getting a lot of work done. A lot of judiciary nominees have been passing through the Senate, Booker said. So, its great that shes back. She is somebody that Ive leaned on in my 10 years here as an incredible confidant and mentor.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said he was disappointed to see Democrats advance a nominee like Bjelkengren after she failed to answer simple questions about the Constitution during her hearing, such as what Article V and Article II say.

There are a handful of President Biden's nominees who are more activists than lawyers, Kennedy said Thursday. And just based on a cursory examination of them, it appears they got their law degrees with a happy meal. And they dont deserve to be judges. And it disappoints me.

Story continues

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., arrives for a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on Capitol Hill on May 11, 2023. (Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images)

The meeting started shortly after 10 a.m. ET, and Feinstein arrived at around 11:24; senators often go in and out of committee meetings and several other members voted by proxy. The committee approved a few nominees with bipartisan support before Feinstein's arrival and then advanced another three with just Democratic votes, including her "aye."

Feinstein, 89, was pushed into the committee room in a wheelchair and did not respond to shouted questions by reporters.

When Feinstein arrived in the committee room, Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., announced her presence to a standing ovation from her colleagues. Feinstein  wheelchair now absent  walked to take her seat, appearing to mouth thank you to applauding senators and staffers. She sat next to Durbin and shook his hand.

"I believe I speak for all of us with feelings of relief and support for our colleague, Sen. Feinstein, who has returned to Washington," Durbin said in his opening remarks before her arrival. "I know that she's been through some significant health challenges, and we all wish her the very best."

Ranking member Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., echoed Durbin in his opening remarks.

"I, too, want to welcome Sen. Feinstein back, and glad to have her," Graham said.

One Biden nominee who did not get a vote Thursday was Michael Delaney, selected to be a judge for the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. Delaney has faced questions for his role in a school sexual assault case, and it has been unclear if he has the votes to be confirmed. Its not clear when the committee will vote on his nomination.

The last Judiciary Committee meeting Feinstein attended was on Feb. 16, the last day she cast a vote before Wednesday's return to the Hill.

Feinstein defended herself against calls for her resignation last week, noting in a statement that the Judiciary Committee had advanced seven nominees who had bipartisan support and saying there had been "no slowdown."

In April, Democrats requested to temporarily replace Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee. Senate Republicans blocked the attempt.

Feinstein, 89, was elected to the Senate in 1992. She announced in February that she will not seek re-election in 2024, opening up what is expected to be fierce Democratic competition for her successor.

Thursday's Judiciary Committee meeting adjourned at noon.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Dianne Feinstein showed up late to a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting Thursday, missing the panel's first votes on judges since her heavily scrutinized return and causing a bit of a jumble as senators shuffled the agenda to accommodate her.

And despite Democrats' growing irritation during the 89-year-old senator's absence over the need to delay certain judicial nominees, her presence wasn't enough to unstick at least one of them.

There was no action on the nomination of Michael Delaney to the First Circuit, a controversial nominee who has been punted for weeks and wasn't addressed by the panel Thursday. The move from Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to keep delaying action on Delaney signals that he may not have enough support even with full Democratic attendance.

Delaney faces criticism, even from some Democrats, over his representation of a school in a sexual assault case. Some progressives also have questioned his work, first reported by POLITICO, for a conservative legal advocacy group known as the New England Legal Foundation, which has opposed Democratic policies on climate change, labor rights and other economic issues. Even if Delaney clears Judiciary, he could face further problems on the Senate floor.

Feinstein had faced growing calls to either return to the Senate or retire, as Democrats grew increasingly nervous about both their ability to advance certain judicial nominees and missing a potentially essential vote during the debt fight. The California senator's return, after months away due to a shingles diagnosis, seemed like good news for the party Tuesday, but within 24 hours Feinstein had put out a statement saying she has been instructed by her doctors to work a lighter schedule" as she continues to recover.



Her initial absence from the committee markup  despite her statement also saying she looked forward to resuming my work on the Judiciary Committee considering the presidents judicial nominees"  could further signal the senator isn't quite out of the woods.

Story continues

I think I speak for all of us with feelings of relief and support for our colleague Senator Feinstein," Durbin said, before the California Democrat had arrived.

Feinsteins return to the panel, nearly 90 minutes into the meeting, was met with a standing ovation from her colleagues. Durbin had pivoted the panel away from judicial nominees to a slate of bills about protecting children on social media but reorganized the schedule to bring up the second slate of nominees once Feinstein took her seat next to him on the dais.

The California senator voted by proxy on the first three judges in the markup, each cast by Durbin, the same move he's made as she's been away. Once she arrived, she requested to be marked as voting in-person, not by proxy, on those first three nominees.



The panel did advance Jeremy C. Daniel to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, Brendan Abell Hurson to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland and Darrel James Papillion to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana before Feinstein arrived.

They also advanced, with tighter vote margins, Charnelle Bjelkengren to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington, S. Kato Crews to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Colorado and Marian F. Gaston to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of California once Feinstein arrived.

The California Democrat is set to retire at the end of this Congress, with a crowded Democratic primary competing to replace her in the deep-blue state.
Residents of The Spa condo complex on Beach City Road have lived alongside a cat sanctuary since 2016. Now some are asking the town for relief due to feces left on doorsteps and nocturnal yowling from the 80 feline residents.

The sanctuary sits on a 1.2 acre parcel that was purchased in 2011 by Claudia Kennedy, the first woman to become a 3-star general in the U.S. Army, who continues to own the land. The sanctuary is operated by the nonprofit organization All About Cats, which Kennedy founded.

Today, the sanctuary is surrounded by a high wooden fence and remains largely undeveloped. A row of wooden feeding huts that double as severe weather shelters for the sanctuarys furry regulars line the center of the plot. Other features include thick oak trees draped in Spanish moss to provide abundant shade and a row of isolation pens, reserved for cats recovering from medical issues.

While the serene sanctuary is a cat-lovers delight, some of its human neighbors say the cats have been a source of friction, leaving feces at doorsteps, spooking residents in the stairwells, and screeching loudly through the night.

Residents and leadership at The Spa came before the Hilton Head Town Council on May 2, asking officials to relocate the sanctuary elsewhere on the island. Others at the same meeting urged the town to leave the sanctuary where it is.

Im aware of the benefits of having cats on the property because of mice and snakes, Terri Coco, a resident at The Spa, told The Island Packet. None of us hate cats, but the number of cats is a nuisance. We have tennis courts behind us, and the cats come onto the tennis courts. We hear them squalling and screeching and whatever else theyre doing at night, because we sleep with our windows open.

Coco also said shes cleaned cat poop from in front of the door to her second-floor condo about three times since moving in 2021. Cats running through the stairwell have startled her in the past, she said, posing the risk of her falling down the stairs.

Story continues

She emphasized shes not advocating for any violence against the sanctuary or cats, simply a relocation of the facility.

Again, nothing awful, but a nuisance, Coco said. I cant say its every night, but its often enough that its noticeable.

I just feel it needs to be somewhere else, and not in front of a property, said Carol Hicks, another Spa resident. How would Belfair, Hilton Head Plantation, Long Cove, how would they like a cat sanctuary in their front yard?

A cat rests on a limb of a live oak tree in the cat sanctuary on May 9, 2023 off Beach City Road on Hilton Head Island. Some residents of The Spa on Port Royal Sound are concerned about the cats encroaching on their property.

Theyre not our cats, sanctuary says

Residents concerns have become so prevalent that Henry Sanders, the current vice president of the neighborhoods board, said the board voted 6-1 to take the issue to town council before the May 2 meeting. Sanders was the boards lone dissenting vote, but others who live in the complex have joined him in support of their furry friends.

I stand on that, I just think these people are ill-informed, Sanders said. Its a knee-jerk reaction ... it would be animal cruelty on an industrial scale (to relocate the sanctuary).

Sanders said feral cats have lived in the area since before the sanctuary opened. The Spa previously had feeding stations placed around the neighborhood by a former resident and the local humane society to feed the local cat population. Sanders said those feeders were removed around 2018.

We probably see more cats than before the shelter got going, but so what? Sanders said. I have personally seen those cats stalk and kill squirrels, snakes, mice, and the occasional rats. The cats are healthy and beautiful.

Sherree Capello, the president of All About Cats, said the organization keeps track of which cats in the area it has trapped, spayed, neutered or taken to receive shots. Those cats have their ears clipped in the process to show those procedures were completed.

Part of All About Cats mission, Capello said, is to control the feral cat population on the island. The organization works alongside the Hilton Head Humane Association, which allows All About Cats six slots each week for any cats that still need to be fixed. The animals are also tested for diseases like FIV and leukemia.

Joan Stepke, a volunteer for All About Cats, said felines testing positive for those diseases are euthanized to prevent spread among the islands cat population. The organization also helps manage about 30 feral cat colonies in the area.

Theyre not our cats, one speaker on behalf of All About Cats told town council last week.

Many of the cats that Spa residents cite as problems arent cats the sanctuary has cared for - they are cats that remain from the population that previously lived at The Spa, Capello said.

When we spay and neuter, I have a full record of every single cat that we have taken in. They get a number and we take a photo of them, Capello said. Our cats pretty much stay in the sanctuary, they dont leave very far, theyve been there for a very long time ... the only ones that are hard to tell apart are the all black ones. The ones that we dont know are the stragglers that come in and we get them fixed, then they go about their way.

A cat walks along a fence that separates the cat sanctuary with The Spa on Port Royal Sound on May 9, 2023 located along Beach City Road on Hilton Head Island. The community has informed residents that feeding the feral cats will result in a $100 fine.

Feral cats from outside the sanctuary are encouraged to stick around The Spa because some residents continue to feed those animals, Capello said. Because of this separate population, Capello said removing the sanctuary wouldnt solve The Spa residents issues.

I know there is a cat rescue adjacent to the complex and it is my understanding that some board members are against any cats that wander over to the complex. I dont understand why, one short-term renter wrote in an email All About Cats provided to the Island Packet. The kitties provide free rodent control to the condo grounds and arent bothering anyone. My husband and I are charmed by the kitty ambassadors and we always look forward to seeing a few visiting on the property.

Despite positive feedback from some visitors and residents, Capello said some feeders, located on another parcel of forested land just down the road from the sanctuary grounds, were recently vandalized.

Elise Upperman, a long-term Spa resident, said she was issued a $100 fine for feeding cats in the neighborhood. She said the cats she often sees around the complex are seemingly more socialized than the sanctuary cats, many of which have never been house pets.

You can tell they arent the sanctuarys cats, theyre a bit more social than sanctuary cats, theyll come up in front of you and want to rub on your leg, Upperman said. It might be that their owner died. Its in The Spas benefit to just let the cats who have existed here for ten-plus years, independent of the sanctuary, continue to live their life.

Despite acknowledging the good a local cat population can do to keep pests away, residents like Hicks and Coco maintain the number of felines is greater than residents should be expected to endure.

You just cant enclose them, Hicks said. Theyre coming over, coming onto the property, and a lot of people on VRBO and Airbnb (read) reports from people saying, We love The Spa, the condo was beautiful, but there are too many cats. So, its really depreciating the property.

Terri Coco, looks from the balcony of her home at The Spa on Port Royal Sound, that shows the fences that separate the community from the cat sanctuary on May 9, 2023 on Hilton Head Island. Coco says on numerous occasions she has found cat feces at her door and believes the feral cats are the culprits.

Town officials promise an investigation

Before hearing public comments at the May 2 meeting, Town Manager Marc Orlando addressed The Spa residents in attendance for this issue.

You had asked me a meeting ago to have an update on the cat sanctuary, for us to do a little bit of an investigation, Orlando said. That is scheduled for May 16.

Orlando and Ward 6 Councilman Glenn Stanford, who represents the area containing The Spa and cat sanctuary, could not be reached for comment.

Cappello said shes been told by Beaufort County Animal Control and Hilton Head town officials, including Deputy Town Manager Josh Gruber, the sanctuary isnt violating any laws.

Its just grumbling, Capello said. Its just complaining.

While the sanctuary has improved aesthetically over time by installing more visually appealing housing for the cats by replacing the older pens, something Capello said management at The Spa noted as a wish list item during one of her early meetings with the group, Coco said the issues outweigh the benefits for her.

I applaud the fact they are given their shots, and they are neutered, and all the things that are done to keep the cats healthy, but I honestly think you have to consider the people, too, who are finding this to be a nuisance, and not because we dont love animals.
Felony assault charges have been filed against a father and son accused of beating a man during a violent citizen's arrest in September, according to court records.

Doug Cullison and his son Nate Cullison have both been charged with second-degree assault  intent to cause harm with a deadly weapon, a Class 4 felony.

The charges stem from an incident on Sept. 14, 2022, when Doug Cullison, a volunteer medic with the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, and Nate Cullison, a trained amateur mixed martial arts fighter, allegedly detained and brutally beat a suspect accused of assaulting Doug Cullison's wife, a teacher at a nearby school.

Video of the citizen's arrest, captured on security camera footage taken from outside of Nick's Dairy Creme on the East Side, showed Doug Cullison confront the individual and tackle him to the ground. Two unidentified males then approached the scene and one of them punched the detained man several times while Cullison held him.

Minutes later, the video showed the arrival of Nate Cullison, who sprinted from his vehicle and immediately began striking the downed man. Nate Cullison can be seen on video punching, kicking and elbowing the restrained man at least 25 times while he screams for help.

More on this topic: Pueblo police refer assault charges to DA in father and son's violent citizen's arrest

On Sept. 14, the suspect subjected to the citizen's arrest and beating was issued a ticket for battery and released, according to a Pueblo Police Department report, but police later upgraded their criminal allegation against him to third-degree assault.

Pueblo police also initially recommended third-degree assault charges against the Cullisons, based on the degree of the man's injuries, and Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller told Chieftain news partner KRDO News Channel 13 he believed that Nate Cullison's status as a trained MMA fighter could not elevate the charges against him.

Story continues

However, 10th Judicial District Attorney Jeff Chostner opted to press more serious charges in the case.

Shawn Conti, an attorney for the victim in the case, said he was pleased with the DA's decision.

"It's not a very common fact pattern where a skilled fighter goes out and inflicts this level of damage on someone," Conti said.

"Normally, skilled fighters are very disciplined, but I believe the case law states that if you do have acumen or skill, whether you're a boxer, an MMA fighter, or some sort of Kung Fu master, you could be charged with assault with a deadly weapon under the theory that your hands, your feet, could inflict maximum damage comparable to the damage that could be inflicted with some sort of weapon."

A 1992 Colorado Supreme Court decision, People v. Ross, affirmed that fists can be considered deadly weapons, "depending on the manner in which they are used." In that case, the state supreme court reinstated a second-degree assault conviction previously overturned by an appeals court after Howard Ross, then 30 years old, struck then-72-year-old Samuel Cohn with a cupped hand, inflicting eight major fractures around his eyes, nose, and mouth.

Others are reading: Former Pueblo sheriff's candidate was fired following investigation into off-duty arrests

Conti told the Chieftain he believes that the charges against the Cullisons will likely bring relief to his client.

"I think he's going to feel very relieved because from day one when I met him, he was afraid that Nate and Doug were going to somehow retaliate against him and come back after him. The benefit of this is, I believe when they're brought into court, the court will likely issue some sort of mandatory protection order that states that Nate and Doug cannot have any contact whatsoever with (Conti's client) ... it's going to alleviate his fears and actually make him feel someone cares about him."

Chostner declined to comment Monday night on the charging decision.

Both Doug and Nate Cullison are scheduled to appear in court for the first time on the matter on June 14 at 9 a.m.

One count of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor offense, was filed against the man taken down by the Cullisons Thursday morning. The man is scheduled to appear in court June 12.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jayreutter1.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Doug and Nate Cullison face felony charges for violent citizen's arrest
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech while presiding over a meeting on advancing the high-quality construction of the Xiong'an New Area to a high standard in the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. Xi on Wednesday inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for efforts to firm up confidence and maintain resolve while taking solid steps to continuously achieve new progress in developing the Xiong'an New Area.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks as he inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development.

Xi was accompanied by Premier Li Qiang, Cai Qi, who is director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang. Li, Cai and Ding are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

In April 2017, China announced the plan to set up the Xiong'an New Area, which is situated approximately 100 km southwest of Beijing. The goal, according to authorities, is to develop it to a level comparable to that of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the Shanghai Pudong New Area.

Xi has been personally involved in making decisions and plans to develop Xiong'an. In the past six years, he paid two visits to the area.

During Wednesday's inspection, Xi said Xiong'an has entered a phase of advancing large-scale construction and at the same time taking on functions nonessential to Beijing's role as China's capital.

On Wednesday morning, Xi took a high-speed train to Xiong'an where he first inspected the Xiong'an Railway Station, a key infrastructure project of the area with great symbolic importance.

The railway station is designed as a transportation hub, Xi said, emphasizing the need to improve the connectivity of the station with various places.

He stressed developing the zone of Zan'gang, where the railway station is located, into a high-end and high-tech industry cluster area.

In addition to the railway station, Xi also visited a residential community that is home to 5,000-plus relocated residents. There, Xi chatted with community workers and residents, expressing his satisfaction with the good living conditions of the residents.

He also highlighted the importance of ensuring the relocated residents live well and have satisfactory jobs.

Promoting equal access to basic public services is crucial in building a people's city that is both livable and conducive to doing business, Xi noted.

He visited the home of resident Li Jinghe. Xi said building the Xiong'an New Area is a major strategic decision made by the Party's central authorities and the relocated residents had made their contributions.

"MIRACULOUS" TRANSFORMATION

The development of the Xiong'an New Area is a national project of millennial significance and should be pushed forward with concrete actions and sustained efforts, Xi said.

At the construction sites of an inter-city railway station and an international trade center, he learned about the development of key infrastructure projects and major projects launched for the purpose of relieving Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the capital.

Xi said more efforts should be made to develop a multifaceted and integrated transportation network and make full use of underground space so as to build a "city of the future" free of urban maladies.

At a convention center, Xi was briefed about the progress of the overall design and development of the Xiong'an New Area and efforts to restore and conserve the eco-environment of Baiyangdian Lake.

At the convention center, Xi convened a meeting on advancing the high-quality construction of the Xiong'an New Area to a high standard.

Xi remarked that the transformation of the Xiong'an New Area from ground zero to an emerging sophisticated modern city within a mere six years is miraculous.

MAPPING OUT FUTURE OF XIONG'AN

It has been demonstrated that the major decision of the CPC Central Committee to construct the Xiong'an New Area is entirely correct, Xi said.

He stressed efforts to fully, faithfully and comprehensively carry out the CPC Central Committee's strategic plans for building the Xiong'an New Area and to make sure the area is built and developed in the right direction.

Xi called for the solid implementation of tasks related to relieving Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the national capital.

He urged the planning of another round of transfers of the headquarters of state-owned enterprises directly under the central government in Beijing as well as their subsidiary companies.

The planning of the transfer of financial institutions, research institutes and public institutions should also begin, Xi said.

The integration of market mechanisms and the government's guidance should be strengthened to add to the internal impetus for the transfer, Xi said.

He noted that pioneering policies and measures in reform and opening up, as well as forward-looking trial and demonstration innovation projects shall be carried out in the Xiong'an New Area, so that it can become a fertile ground for innovation and business ventures.

Xi underlined efforts to build a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized and widely apply advanced science and technology, in a bid to make smart, green and innovative development the trademark of the Xiong'an New Area.

He stressed the need to give the people a more concrete sense of fulfillment and happiness through the development of the new area. He also called for enhancing policies that guide employment and entrepreneurship, as well as bolstering employment training programs.

He encouraged the area to blaze a new path in narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas, advancing integrated urban-rural development, and promoting common prosperity for all.

Other senior leaders also spoke at the meeting.

Li Qiang urged the Xiong'an New Area to accelerate efforts to help relieve Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as China's capital, steadily advance infrastructure construction and modernize the industrial system.

Ding Xuexiang said scientific and technological innovation should be the foundation of the high-quality development of the Xiong'an New Area, calling for carrying out high-standard scientific and technological innovation.




Labour rosette

A Labour MP reported a shadow minister to the police for allegedly sexually assaulting her, it has emerged.

The alleged incident is said to have taken place after a summer party in London in July 2021.

The MP, who has not been named, contacted the Metropolitan Police two months ago to make the allegation.

The identity of the alleged male perpetrator has also not been made public. The MP has now asked police to drop the investigation.

Despite the accusation, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has not suspended the party whip from the MP - despite his alleged zero tolerance of sexual abuse.

It comes just a day after the Labour leader was accused of hypocrisy for allowing a senior aide to keep his job even though he had allegedly groped an intern.

On Thursday, it emerged that the aide - who has not been named - had resigned.

'Pretty disgraceful'

Many in the party have been left appalled by the reports, with one source describing the successive days of revelations as pretty disgraceful.

A second source feared many more allegations could follow, in a similar way to how the floodgates opened during the Pestminster scandal of 2017.

The latest incident was first reported by the Tortoise news website, which said the alleged victim had also spoken to Labour whips over safeguarding issues and concerns about a wider pattern of behaviour.

She is said to have been reluctant to make a formal complaint, although she was encouraged to do so, as she felt his popularity within the party would not help her case, the report claimed.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: In March 2023, police received a report that a woman was sexually assaulted by a man in London in July 2021.

At the victims request the incident will not now be investigated at this time.

It is believed that the Metropolitan Polices enquiries were at an assessment stage and that a formal investigation had not been launched.

A Labour Party spokesman said: "We take any allegations of this sort very seriously and would always encourage individuals to go to the parliamentary process, the Labour Party process or the police.

Story continues

In terms of the Labour Party process, it is a thorough, robust and independent process that individuals can have confidence in.

'Zero tolerance approach'

On Wednesday, Sir Keirs spokesman said the party leader took a zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment and was confident the process is independent, thorough and robust.

It came after the website Politico reported that Labour took three years to investigate a harassment complaint against an aide to a current shadow frontbencher.

He is said to be some 20 years older than the woman who lodged a complaint about the alleged incident, which took place while she was working as an intern with the party.

Two separate inquiries upheld the allegation, Politico added, claiming that a parliamentary inquiry led to the man being told to write a letter of apology, while Labours own process saw him issued with a final written warning.

The woman was only told this month her complaint had been upheld, the Politico report added, and claimed she had heard other accounts of inappropriate behaviour by the same individual.

A Labour Party spokesman said: Two separate investigations were carried out - one at Parliament, the other via the Labour Party - into the same complaint received about an individual.

He fully complied with the processes of both of those investigations and the remedial action recommended. This individual has now left his position.

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.
A new movie depicting the hidden truths of what lies underneath Lake Lanier will soon be coming to a screen near you.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Inspired by true events of Oscarville, Georgia, Lanier, is a story of a detective whos forced to come to a realization of the dark truth hidden at the bottom of Lake Lanier.

While Lake Lanier is one of Georgias top attractions, Channel 2s Berndt Petersen spoke to a woman, who once lived on the land that is now under the lake.

Eighty-six-year-old Gloria Holland once lived on the land that is now under the lake.

According to Dawson News, in 1912 Oscarville, a town that stood in northeastern Forsyth near Hall County, was a thriving majority-Black community.

But the life she remembers vanished in 1956. Thats the year the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Buford Dam.

Officials created a 3,800-acre reservoir named Lake Sidney Lanier. It was built for drinking water and flood control.

For the greater good, 700 families had to go. And the lives they left behind, were buried under 600 billion gallons of water.

RELATED STORIES:

Just recently, Margaritaville at Lanier Islands announced that they are keeping the beach open, but not allowing anyone to go into the water. Theyve even installed a fence about a foot from the shoreline so that beachgoers can only let the water lap at their feet.

In 2019, a local fisherman said one of his worst fears came true when he discovered a minivan with the body of a man deep inside the lake.

One of my worst fears is seeing a drowning victim or something out there, said fisherman Jason Millen. To come across something like that, its crazy.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

The artwork of the movie poster appears to have a woman falling into the water with the words Lanier underneath.

Story continues

On the movies Facebook page, the cast shared behind the scene photos of the soon-to-be-released film.

The scary film is set to be released, on Sept. 16. Viewers can also catch the film on streaming services, Amazon Prime, AppleTV, and Roku.

While some may say, you should leave things in the past, Holland said its a story that needs to be told. Otherwise, the upcoming generation may not know there was once land under the lake.

Because they dont think of what the lake did to the people that were here. The property they owned and spent their lives on, buried in water, Holland said.

IN OTHER NEWS:
After more than five hours of breaking down tents, shuttling people to shelters and scooping up an entire street full of trash and debris, the first block of Phoenixs largest homeless encampment has been cleared.

The encampment, known as The Zone, is home to between 600 and 900 people on any given night and has been the center of intense scrutiny, legal action and media attention in recent months. The cleanup comes after a judge ordered the city in March to remove tents from the area.

Wednesdays cleanup was isolated to just one block of Ninth Avenue between Washington and Jefferson streets and began about 7 a.m., though outreach workers had already begun connecting people with services days ahead of time.

Moment by moment: Updates from 'The Zone': Phoenix clears, cleans first block of homeless encampment

The process went like this: Outreach workers helped residents dismantle their dwellings and sort their belongings by what they would take with them, what they would keep in storage and what was OK to throw out. After they were packed, residents who accepted services were then taken to their shelter placement. Once the street was clear, workers, front loaders and garbage trucks arrived to remove the remaining mountains of debris and discarded property as officials, outreach workers and a sizable gaggle of reporters looked on.

At the end of the day, no property had been left unclaimed, said Phoenix spokesperson Kristin Couturier  save for an abandoned cat that city workers appeared to be trying to place in a new home.

By about noon on Wednesday, 33 of the 40 people on the block were placed in shelters, Couturier said. City officials and nonprofit workers agreed it was, by that measure, a massive success.

But residents of the block had more mixed feelings. For some, the cleanup was a welcome opportunity to improve their living situation and get off the street. For others, it was a jarring and overwhelming displacement from their only home.

Story continues

Several of the people who chose not to accept shelter simply relocated to another block of The Zone, potentially kicking off a game of cat and mouse as the city prepares to empty blocks of the encampment one by one.

Phoenix is disbanding the encampment following a court order that, as of now, requires the city to make meaningful progress on clearing out the area by mid-July.

Moving forward, the city plans to clean up and close off a new block of the encampment every two weeks, though the date and precise location of the next cleanup have not yet been determined, said Scott Hall, deputy director of Phoenixs Office of Homeless Solutions. Once a block is cleared, people are no longer able to camp there. If they do, they risk being cited or arrested.

Policing The Zone: Phoenix paralyzed as COVID-19 spread, population rose and violence grew

As the sun set on Wednesday, a Phoenix police truck sat parked on the block, and cautionary signs were affixed to palms, poles and fences.

"This area is closed to camping to abate a public nuisance," read the signs, which directed people in need of shelter or services to the Human Services Campus, a collective of homelessness nonprofits that sits at the center of The Zone.

'It's gonna work out': Some residents relocate

Daniel Mackey sits in his tent within the homeless encampment known as "The Zone" on Ninth Avenue, between Washington and Jefferson streets, in Phoenix on May 8, 2023.

For Barry Hayes and Daniel Mackey, the plan to get into a shelter nearly failed.

The friends had been living in tents on Ninth Avenue for three months when they learned a few weeks ago that the block would be cleared.

They were skeptical of shelters. They had gone to them before, and the crowded and restrictive environment wasnt for them. But on May 9, they agreed to give it another try. With the help of city and nonprofit outreach workers, they left their tent in exchange for spots at a city-owned shelter on Washington Street.

We lasted about a half-hour. We had to get out of there, said Hayes, 67.

He and Mackey, 62, were back in their tent shortly after.

So when Wednesdays cleanup crew arrived, the duo resolved they would either move into a hotel room if offered one or find another spot to set up camp in The Zone.

But, ultimately, they decided to give a different shelter a try. They were taken to a transitional men's shelter run by Community Bridges Inc. Mackey said it was smaller, more "mellow" than the one on Washington Street  in his view, a much better fit.

Its gonna work out, I think," Mackey said in a phone call from the shelter on Wednesday afternoon. "I have high hopes for this.

Other residents of the block were taken to the Central Arizona Shelter Services facility near The Zone, the shelter on Washington Street and elsewhere.

Hall, from the Office of Homeless Solutions, said the reception Wednesday was largely positive.

Ive had a lot of people come up, pat me on the back and say, Thank you, Hall said. A lot of people are going to be laying their head on a pillow indoors tonight" rather than on the street.

'It's not gonna work': Other residents resist shelter

Not everyone had such a success story.

Several people living on the block Wednesday morning didnt accept services and simply retreated to a different part of The Zone.

Antoin Applejacks Jackson woke up early to move his belongings from the area with his dog, Ruckus.

Crews begin the process of mandatory removal of "The Zone," a homeless camp in Phoenix, on May 10, 2023.

By 8 a.m., he was already setting up camp on a street corner three blocks away, deeper into the encampment.

Its not gonna work, he said of the citys relocation effort, adding that he feels a more cohesive plan is needed.

Outreach workers will continue trying to engage the people on the block who opted not to go to a shelter, said Amy Schwabenlender, CEO of the Human Services Campus.

"I don't think we can just force people and say, 'This is your only choice,'" Schwabenlender said. "We know large congregate shelters don't work for everybody. What are the other options?"

Eric Solomon, who lives in a tent a street over from the Ninth Avenue block that was cleaned Wednesday, said he doesn't expect that the people who accepted shelter would stay there. Congregate shelters can be dangerous places. Fights break out, he said, and other people steal your things. Its a hard sell, he said.

How we got here and what's ahead

The court order to break up The Zone is part of a lawsuit, Brown v. City of Phoenix, that nearby business and property owners filed against the city in August, claiming the encampment is a public nuisance that has led to violence, property damage and more. A trial for the lawsuit was scheduled for July 10.

In the meantime, the city plans to appeal the court order dictating that it clear tents out of The Zone. If the appeal is successful, it would lift the demand for the city to demonstrate significant progress on the encampments cleanup by the trial date.

Either way, the city still plans to move forward with clearing out the encampment block by block while offering residents shelter and services, said Couturier, the Phoenix spokesperson.

Miguel Samaniego, the owner of a tattoo shop near the block that was cleared, said he had little hope that Wednesday's cleanup would have any kind of impact. Theres still much more of The Zone left to go, he said.

People will come back to the street, Samaniego said.

Juliette Rihl covers housing insecurity and homelessness for The Arizona Republic. She can be reached at jrihl@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @julietterihl.

Reach crime reporter Miguel Torres at Miguel.Torres@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @TheMiguelTorres.

Coverage of housing insecurity on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Arizona Community Foundation.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix cleared the first block of 'The Zone' homeless encampment
For the first time in its 21-year history, the law school at Florida International University was ranked third in the state this year, besting the private University of Miami School of Law, founded in the 1920s and whose annual tuition is nearly three times higher than what an in-state law student pays at the state-funded FIU.

Oh my God, we are so excited! said FIU President Kenneth Jessell, crediting students, faculty and staff. Its definitely a team effort. And its an effort thats been in place for many years.

The Levin College of Law at the University of Florida held the top ranking in the state, and the College of Law at Florida State University came in second. UM fell to fourth.

Thats according to the rankings of U.S. News & World Report, a media company that has been annually ranking higher education institutions in different categories since the early 1980s and released its graduate school rankings Thursday. The lower the number in each rankings list, the better  No. 1 is tops.

This year, U.S. News changed its methodology for the rankings after backlash from prominent universities like Yale and Harvard. Two of the tweaks  increased weight given to employment 10 months after graduation and increased weight given to the law schools bar passage rates  benefited FIU, which had been prioritizing those student outcomes.

FIUs rate of students passing the Florida Bar exam on their first attempt has consistently ranked first among all Florida law schools in recent years.

Its wonderful that the U.S. News rankings are now more aligned with what we value at FIU Law, said FIU Law Dean Antony Page.

FIU law overpowers UM

FIU, the largest public university in Miami-Dade County with its main campus near Sweetwater, shot up in the U.S. News rankings from No. 98 last year to No. 60. The 38-spot leap was the second-highest ranking leap of any law school in the country this year, according to an FIU press release Thursday.

Story continues

The law school at UM, the largest private university in the county with a main campus in Coral Gables, rose two spots from No. 73 in 2022 to No. 71 this year.

Asked how he felt about passing UM, Jessell said: I dont want to focus on passing any law school. I just want to focus on how well were doing for our students and how well theyre performing.

Page, the FIU law school dean, said: We are fortunate in Miami to have great options for legal education.

The UM communications team didnt respond to multiple requests for comment Thursday from the Herald.

The cost of tuition varies considerably between the two law schools. At the University of Miami, annual tuition and fees for the 2022-23 school year was $59,562 at the law school, according to UMs website. (Room and board are separate.) At FIU, annual tuition and fees for the same period were $21,806 for an in-state day student at the law school, and $36,049 for an out-of-state daytime law student. (Tuition for law-school students who attend at night is lower.)

The Levin College of Law at the University of Florida in Gainesville, first in the state, tied at No. 22 nationally. The College of Law at Florida State University in Tallahassee landed second in the state and tied for No. 56 in the country.

How the rankings changed this year

Students often use the rankings when deciding where to attend. But Page, FIUs law dean, advised students to consider other data before choosing a law school, not only the rankings. The cost of tuition and whether the school feels like a good fit also matters, he said.

For law schools, U.S. News uses 10 factors with different percentage weights assigned to each, including how many students pass the state bar exam; expert opinions from academics, lawyers and judges; and the student-faculty ratio. For detailed information, click here.

Many educators and administrators criticized the U.S. News process last year and boycotted it, including Yale Law Dean Heather Gerken, who called the rankings flawed. U.S. News had conversations with more than 100 deans and representatives of law schools, and modified its metrics and weights in January as a result.

Before, the rankings gave more weight to schools whose students came from wealthier socioeconomic backgrounds, as they valued GPA and LSAT scores, which could be helped by private expensive tutors, as well as per-student expenditure and student debt levels. (Wealthier students, in general, dont accrue significant student debt.)

Im optimistic that there will be additional adjustments to the rankings and the weights they use for the metrics, Jessell said. We need to focus on what students can really do and how they can perform, and how institutions can help them maximize that.
By Siddhi Nayak

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Lenders to Go Airlines (India) Ltd will classify their loans to the company as "non performing" in the current quarter, but are hopeful that the collateral backing the credit would reduce the amount of haircut they have to take, two banking sources said on Thursday.

The low-cost carrier was granted bankruptcy protection by a company court on Wednesday, which also halted repossession of planes by lessors.

"As per norms, the account will have to be declared a non-performing asset in the current quarter, and that will be done," one of the bankers said. "The account will also have to be provided for."

The bankers did not wish to be named because they are not authorised to speak to media.

The Indian central bank's rules for handling substandard assets says banks have to provision for at least 15% of total outstanding loans on secured assets in the first 12 months.

The Go First bankruptcy filing lists Central Bank of India Ltd, Bank of Baroda Ltd, IDBI Bank Ltd and Deutsche Bank among its financial creditors, which are owed 65.21 billion rupees ($797.38 million)in total.

Central Bank of India has some of the largest exposures to the airline, of 13.05 billion rupees at the end of March, or 0.91% of total advances, with an additional 6.82 billion sanctioned under a government-backed emergency credit guarantee scheme.

Total debt under the consortium's lending was worth 26.50 billion rupees, extended by the three Indian banks, as per a court filing. A piece of land owned by the promoters of Go First, documentation for which were in order, acts as a collateral for that amount, the second banker said.

Go First's total outstanding dues also include 12.92 billion rupees under the government's emergency credit scheme introduced during the Covid crisis, the court filing showed. As part of the scheme, the government guarantees loans given out by banks to the company.

Story continues

Payouts under the scheme are typically made on a quarterly basis after the government reviews and assesses the claims filed, the second banker said.

Both the sources said that the insolvency process could be long drawn amid legal troubles since SMBC Aviation Capital, a lessor to Go First, has sought to quash the court's bankruptcy order in the appellate tribunal.

"Banks want to make a fast move; we do not want delays," the first banker said. "However, legal troubles are expected to compound and that could delay the insolvency process."

($1 = 81.7800 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Siddhi Nayak; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
Five elite news outlets now win two-fifths of all Pulitzer Prizes in journalism, dominating a contest that once favored extraordinary reporting in provincial newspapers across the country.

Journalisms top prize is increasingly a contest among a few national brands, especially The New York Times and Washington Post. Each paper captured two Pulitzers in the 2023 contest, the results of which were announced this week.

The Pulitzer imbalance matters, media scholars say, and not just for journalists. The relative scarcity of long-form journalism, the depth of coverage the Pulitzers recognize, outside New York and Washington, D.C., symptomizes a larger societal problem: A vast news desert now blankets much of the nation.

The Pulitzer is kind of the peacock in the coalmine, said Frank Sesno, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and director of strategic initiatives at the George Washington University School of Media & Public Affairs. It reveals both the nationalization of news in this country and the greatest gap and weakness in news, which is now at the local and regional level.

Newspapers are closing at a rate of more than two a week, according to The State of Local News 2022, a report from Northwestern Universitys Medill journalism school. The nation has lost at least 2,500 papers since 2005.

Newsroom employment nationwide dropped from 375,000 in 2006 to 104,000 in 2021. Gannett, Americas largest newspaper chain, eliminated more than half of its U.S. workforce in a four-year span, according to a report from the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard.

The staffs have been completely hollowed out, Sesno said. Ive talked to mayors and governors who say, I dont see reporters anymore.

The newspaper itself, that bundle of newsprint that once landed on Americas driveways and porches with a concussive thud, is endangered, if not quite extinct.

Only nine U.S. newspapers now report average daily print circulations of more than 100,000. Fifteen years ago, by contrast, the top three papers all had circulations over 1 million.

Story continues

The loss of American news is an American tragedy, said Margot Susca, assistant professor of journalism, accountability and democracy in the School of Communication at American University. Local newsrooms are fighting to exist. So you can forget about submitting for top awards when you are doing the work of three or four reporters.

The decline of local journalism resonates in the annual Pulitzer ritual, whose results can be read as a diary of diminishing fortunes in provincial newsrooms.

In 1985, the midpoint in a prosperous decade for local newspapers, the Pulitzers rewarded an impressive array of regional operations: the Fort Worth, Texas, Star-Telegram, for revealing a fatal design flaw in Army helicopters; the Virginian-Pilot and Ledger-Star in Norfolk, Va., for exposing corruption in City Hall; the St. Petersburg Times in Florida; the Philadelphia Inquirer; the Baltimore Evening Sun; the Macon Telegraph and News in Georgia; the Des Moines Register; and the Boston Globe, among others. Neither The New York Times nor Washington Post reaped any of the 14 journalism awards.

This year, by contrast, 7 of 15 Pulitzers in journalism went to four national brands: The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Associated Press.

Since 2000, those four outlets and a fifth, Reuters, have collectively claimed about six Pulitzers a year, on average, according to prize results tabulated by The Hill.

The same five operations earned roughly three Pulitzers per year in the 1980s, an era when dozens of large and well-funded newspapers could compete with them.

Mergers and bankruptcies cloud the statistical comparison: The British Reuters news agency, for example, wasnt much of a Pulitzer player until its 2008 acquisition by Thomson Corporation of Canada, which yielded a larger operation. Some Pulitzer-winners of the Reagan era have shuttered. Innovative nonprofits have risen up to replace them.

Inside Climate News wasnt on that list 25 years ago, Susca said, alluding to the nonprofit newsroom that won a Pulitzer for national reporting in 2013. ProPublica wasnt on that list 25 years ago. ProPublica, an investigative nonprofit launched in 2007, has claimed six Pulitzers.

The recognition of regional journalism powerhouses, meanwhile, has declined. The Times once competed fiercely with outlets such as the Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe and Philadelphia Inquirer. All three still compete, but their Pulitzers are fewer and farther between.

American journalism has evolved into a kingdom ruled by national brands. The Times and Post and the wire services sweep in to cover local stories in the hinterlands, propelling them from provincial anonymity into the national news cycle.

In 2020, the Post became a Pulitzer finalist, an honor not far below a Pulitzer, with a series of articles about mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, events presumably covered with equal vigor by the depleted staffs of the El Paso Times and Dayton Daily News.

Sometimes, a story doesnt register as a story until the Times or Post has weighed in. A tiny paper on Long Island uncovered the problematic past of Rep. George Santos, the New York Republican, months before The Times put it on the nations front pages. And the journalistic injustice didnt fully register until the Post reported it.

When headline news strikes in the heartland, local papers mobilize their skeleton staffs and do their best to match the out-of-town titans. Pulitzer judges often reward them for their efforts, making the breaking news and local reporting categories lingering beacons of hope for local news.

Huge events that happen in your area increase the possibility of winning something, said Roy Harris Jr., a former Wall Street Journal reporter and author of the book Pulitzers Gold: A Century of Public Service Journalism.

If you have a couple of great reporters and you put them in Uvalde, the site of a 2022 mass shooting, you have a pretty good chance of winning something, even if youre not the Washington Post.

At least two Texas papers, the Austin American-Statesman and Houston Chronicle, assembled strong Pulitzer entries with their Uvalde coverage. Both were honored as finalists. Neither won.

But two nontraditional journalism organizations did earn Pulitzers this year in the local reporting category. One is AL.com, the digital vestige of local papers that have ceased print publication. The other is Mississippi Today, one of hundreds of nonprofit newsrooms launched around the country to supplant news no longer provided by for-profit newspapers.

The Pulitzer in editorial writing went to a traditional news organization, the Miami Herald, that has survived decades of cuts.

Its not about the size of the organization, said Amy Driscoll, author of the winning articles. Its about the heart of the reporters and the editors.

Driscoll said she senses contest judges try to spread the Pulitzers around.

In a prepared statement, the Pulitzers organization seemed to concur: Although the economics of journalism have undoubtedly shifted over the past three decades, the Pulitzer organization remains committed to a big-tent approach across American journalism.

Stewards of the annual award, administered by Columbia University, have taken dramatic steps to answer those economic shifts. In 2009, the Pulitzer Board added online-only publications to the contest.

A few years later, it added magazines. That move put the Times and Post in competition with The New Yorker and Atlantic in categories such as feature-writing, where they had enjoyed a particular advantage because they published two of the nations last remaining Sunday magazines.

Despite those measures, the enduring Pulitzer supremacy of the Times and its peers can breed acrimony in the journalism world when they beat out smaller rivals.

The Washington Post earned a Pulitzer this year for unflinching reporting that captured the complex consequences of life after Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion ruling whose dismantlement by the Supreme Court ranked as the political story of the year.

But it was Politico, the politics and policy publication, that had broken the story of Roes demise weeks earlier, with exclusive reporting on a leaked draft opinion. Politico did not win a Pulitzer.

In a well-circulated tweet, John Bresnahan, co-founder of Punchbowl News, termed the snub a travesty.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Donald Trump made his first live CNN appearance since 2016 on Wednesday as he sat down with the networks Kaitlan Collins in the early GOP primary state of New Hampshire.

What transpired over the nearly 90-minute broadcast was almost nostalgia-evoking as Collins was largely unable to make fact checks of the former president stick amid a seemingly unending cascade of lies put forward by an unrepentant Mr Trump.

Lets take a look at exactly why Wednesdays return to mainstream cable news by the former president was so significant, and why CNN was facing ridicule on all sides before the evening ended:

Trump steamrolls Collins

Kaitlan Collins made a serious attempt to make sure that the truth got as much airtime as Donald Trumps falsehoods during her moderation of the event on Wednesday, but sometimes a serious attempt still falls flat.

Thats what happens when a journalist is set up to fail by their network; Collins, battling a raucous crowd that appeared to be almost exclusively in the former presidents corner, was often overshadowed by cheers and jeers as she attempted to shoehorn in last-second corrections after Mr Trumps various spiels. She also found herself with no backup from the control room or CNNs production team in general, who left her without any way to pull up examples of factual information, statements by Trump appointees, and other useful bits of media that would have greatly aided her fact-checking endeavors.

As a result, the town hall at many times resembled the first Joe Biden-Donald Trump debate of the 2020 cycle, when moderators were sharply criticised for allowing Mr Trump to constantly talk over his opponent. By the end, the CNN host had been labeled a nasty person by Mr Trump on her own network while his supporters roared their approval.

The production was roundly criticised by other journalists and by Democrats especially as the interview continued, with Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling the programme irresponsible.

Story continues

"What we saw tonight was a series of extremely irresponsible decisions that put a sexual abuse victim at risk...in front of a national audience, and I could not have disagreed with it more. It was shameful." pic.twitter.com/XvCAa9oDl4  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) May 11, 2023

Trump steamrolls the truth, too

There seemed to be no end to the whitewashing which Mr Trump engaged in Wednesday evening. He called the deadly January 6 attack a beautiful day, his supporters supposedly throwing themselves against police barricades and shields with love in their hearts. He repeated his long-debunked conspiracies about 2020, despite Collinss reminder that he had failed to prove any of his claims in court (no mention by the CNN host that Mr Trumps own lawyer had admitted to not having any evidence).

He even lied about supposedly issuing an order to deploy thousands of troops on January 6, an order his own defence chief later testified never came.

E Jean Carroll faces furious attacks and an accusation of racism from Trump

The former president made no secret of his displeasure regarding a New York jurys decision this week to find him liable for sexual abuse in the case brought by author E Jean Carroll. He repeatedly denounced her as someone he had supposedly never met, while accusing her of calling her own husband a word with racist connotations.

Little of this was fact-checked by CNN; Collins instead asked him if he regretted not testifying in the trial himself. Mr Trump described Ms Carrolls lawsuit as election interference  despite the election being more than a year away.

The Access Hollywood tape returns

In easily the most surreal moment of the night, Mr Trump gave perhaps his longest philosophical defence yet of his infamous grab em by the p**** comment.

That remark, which surfaced in the fall of 2016 just weeks before voters elected him to the White House for four years, was made during a conversation on the set of an Access Hollywood taping. It would go on to haunt Mr Trump long afterwards.

But on Wednesday, Mr Trump went into excruciating detail about that comment: He wasnt talking about his own personal behaviour, he claimed, nor was he talking (supposedly) about non-consensual encounters. Instead, the former US president argued, he was merely making an observation about the power of money and how rich men use it to attract women, albeit in the crudest possible manner.

Whether that explanation was believable is another story entirely, but it was nonetheless remarkable to hear out loud.

Trump cheers default as debt ceiling deadline looms

The ex-president gave a hefty piece of ammunition to his furthest-right allies in the US House of Representatives as he talked about the economy on Wednesday. Asked by Collins about the GOPs debt ceiling negotiation strategy on Capitol Hill, Mr Trump responded that Republicans may need to force the US to default on its loan obligations in order to rein in spending. And he made the bizarre prediction that such a decision may not have real negative effects, calling the possible economic catastrophe nothing but psychological problems.

"We have to start paying off debt ... I say to the Republicans out there  congressmen, senators  if they dont give you massive cuts, youre going to have to do a default, and I dont believe theyre going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave because you dont want to have that happen, but its better than what were doing right now because were spending money like drunken sailors, he told CNN.

Expect Republicans to hunker down and be more willing to risk passing the 1 June deadline after which the federal government may be unable to pay obligations to its creditors with the former presidents encouragement, knowing that their party enjoys only a slim majority in the House.
CNNs town hall with former President Trump in New Hampshire on Wednesday was filled with a number of headline-making moments, marking Trumps first appearance on the network in years.

The former president kicked off the forum, which was moderated by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, by touting his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Trump also went after E. Jean Carroll one day after he was found liable in a civil case of sexually abusing and defaming her. He also raised eyebrows when he declined to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal.

Here are five notable moments from Trumps CNN town hall:

Trump calls E. Jean Carroll a whack job

The town hall took place one day after a jury found Trump liable of sexual abuse and defamation against Carroll for her allegation that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s.

But Trump was dismissive of the findings, as well as any suggestion that it would hurt him in the polls.

This is a fake story. Made-up story, Trump said, later adding, I have no idea who the hell she is. Shes a whack job.

He recounted his version of events, which frequently elicited laughter from the town hall attendees.

What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up and within minutes youre playing hanky panky in a dressing room, Trump said to laughter.

Asked if he thinks the jurys findings will deter women from voting for him, Trump said: No I dont think so.

Trump labels Kaitlan Collins a nasty person

One of the most talked-about moments of the evening was when the former president snapped at Collins.

The exchange came as the CNN moderator repeatedly pressed Trump on his handling of classified documents.

Can I talk? Can I answer the question? Trump asked during the back-and-forth.

I want you to answer the question, thats why I asked it, Collins said.

Youre a nasty person, Trump responded to applause from the audience.

Trump talked over Collins throughout the course of the town hall but praised her at the start and end of the forum.

Story continues

I know you very well, Trump told Collins toward the start of the event, adding youre not stupid. Trump then said maybe youve been given an agenda.

Tensions between Trump and Collins date back to his time in the White House. During one press briefing in 2020, Trump officials sought to have Collins moved to the back of the room. In another briefing, then-press secretary Kayleigh McEnany derided Collins as an activist.

Trump touts overturning of Roe v. Wade

Trump heralded the overturning of Roe v. Wade as a great victory while repeatedly avoiding to directly say whether he would back a federal law banning abortion.

Trump said in response to a question from Collins about whether he would sign a federal abortion ban that what I would do is negotiate so people are happy.

I want to do whats right, he added.

Trump said he supports certain exceptions to abortion restrictions including in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother, but added that a lot of people are against that.

He said he is looking at a solution thats going to work.

Trump also emphasized his own role in the courts ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which overturned Roe, as he appointed three conservative justices who joined in the majority opinion. He noted that Republicans had been trying to overturn Roe for half a century before it was overturned last year.

The fact I was able to terminate Roe v. Wade after 50 years of trying. They worked for 50 years  Ive never seen anything like it. They worked, and I was even, I was so honored to have done it. We are in a very good negotiating position right now only because of what I was able to do, he said.

Collins presses Trump on 2020 fraud claims

Going into Wednesdays event, all eyes were on Collins and whether she would be able to fact-check Trump, who throughout his presidency told thousands of falsehoods, according to fact-checkers.

Almost immediately after the two sat down, Collins pushed Trump on his claims that the 2020 election was false and asked whether he would accept that the election was fair. Instead, Trump doubled down on his previous assertions.

The former president throughout the evening repeatedly called the 2020 election fraudulent or rigged, claiming there were scores of improper ballots in major cities like Detroit, Atlanta and Philadelphia. He also defended his phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he asked Raffensperger to find enough votes to flip the state in Trumps favor.

Collins interjected repeatedly, noting at various points that there was no evidence of fraud in Wisconsin, that numerous lawsuits alleging fraud were dismissed and that former Trump administration officials have testified that there was no widespread fraud and that they told Trump as much.

At one point, when Trump again claimed the election was rigged during an answer on immigration, Collins chimed in.

The election was not rigged, Mr. President. You cant keep saying that all night long, she said.

Before signing off, Collins asked Trump if he would accept the results of the 2024 election if he is the nominee and loses.

Yeah. If I think its an honest election, Trump said.

Trump declines to call Putin a war criminal

Trump did not say if he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal when talking about Russias war in Ukraine.

I think its something that should not be discussed now, it should be discussed later, Trump said, suggesting that calling Putin a war criminal would reduce the chances of Russia agreeing to end the war.

If you say hes a war criminal its going to be a lot tougher to make a deal to make this thing stopped, Trump said. If hes going to be a war criminal, people are going to grab him and execute him, hes going to fight a lot harder than hes fighting under the other circumstance. Thats something to be discussed at a later day.

The Biden administration in March announced it had determined that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine, citing attacks that indiscriminately targeted civilians.

Trump said that he believed Putin made a mistake going into Ukraine in the first place.

He would have never gone in if I was president, Trump said.

Trump did not say whether he wanted Russia or Ukraine to win the war when pressed by Collins.

I dont think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) faces criminal charges  and potential jail time  over three alleged schemes that accuse him of misleading campaign donors, fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits and lying on financial disclosures.

After being arrested on Wednesday on 13 federal charges, Santos made his first appearance in front of a judge in a Central Islip, N.Y., courthouse, where he pleaded not guilty.

Im going to fight my battle. Im going to deliver. Im going to fight the witch hunt. Im going to take care of clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that, Santos told reporters outside the courthouse.

Here are five things to know about the indictment:

Prosecutors accuse Santos of misleading donors

Legal experts suggest the first scheme, which accuses Santos of misleading political donors for his personal benefit, comprises the bulk of the congressmans exposure.

At the direction of Santos, an unnamed political consultant purportedly persuaded donors to make contributions to a company that Santos controlled. Donors were told false information about the company and that their funds would be independent expenditures used to purchase television advertisements to bolster Santoss campaign, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors say Santos instead transferred $74,000 from the company to his personal accounts in October and used it for personal benefit, including purchasing luxury designer clothing, making credit card payments and transferring funds to personal associates. On Wednesday, Santos denied that he used campaign donations to purchase expensive suits.

Im not aware that we have had another situation where a sitting officeholder has been indicted for basically running a fraudulent scam to defraud their own donors. That is something new, said Daniel Weiner, director of the Brennan Centers Elections and Government Program and a former senior counsel at the Federal Elections Commission.

Story continues

Rather than directly bringing campaign finance charges, the Justice Department (DOJ) instead charged Santos with wire fraud and money laundering in connection with the alleged scheme.

Weiner said the strategy illustrates how campaign finance laws have not kept pace with the changing political landscape.

Youve got the proliferation of disinformation, and that inevitably seeps into both campaign ads and campaign fundraising solicitations, he said. The specific set of laws post-Watergate that was set up to regulate campaign fundraising doesnt really speak to that. But there is this broader set of federal laws around fraud and around defrauding consumers and others that arguably does touch these issues. That is not very commonly deployed by DOJ, and again, I think that this is in some ways a somewhat groundbreaking case.

Sterling Marchand, a partner at Baker Botts who advises clients on election law, noted that campaign finance charges generally would have required proving Santos knew he was violating the law.

Campaign finance carries its own set of penalties, but thats not what theyre doing here, Marchand said. Theyre going under wire fraud, and I think in a lot of ways that is much easier to prove.

Santos allegedly fraudulently received unemployment benefits

The second scheme outlined in the indictment accuses Santos of fraudulently receiving more than $24,000 in unemployment benefits during the pandemic.

Santos applied for benefits in June 2020, falsely claiming that he was unemployed since March, when the pandemic shut down normal life, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors allege Santos received benefits through April of the following year, despite receiving a $120,000 salary as a regional director at a Florida-based investment firm.

They seem to be going for not necessarily creative or stretch charges. It seems to be the ones that are going to be, at least on the face of the indictment, more easy to prove with concrete, tangible evidence, said Marchand.

Federal prosecutors unveiled charges against Santos the same week that the House is scheduled to vote on a bill  which Santos is a co-sponsor of  that would incentivize states to recover fraudulently paid unemployment benefits, a charge that the congressman is now facing.

Santos signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill in March.

Asked outside the courthouse why he would apply for unemployment benefits when he had a job and was making a salary, Santos told reporters the allegation was false.

This is inaccurate information, and I will get to clear my name on this, Santos said. During the pandemic, it wasnt very clear. I dont understand where the governments getting their information, but I will present my facts.

House GOP leaders on Wednesday rejected the notion of Santoss sponsorship undermining the message of the legislation.

In America, theres a presumption of innocence but theyre serious charges, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said of the indictment. Hes gonna have to go through the legal process, but were gonna continue to root our fraud, and theres lots of it.

Prosecutors say Santos lied on financial disclosures

The third scheme revolves around House financial disclosures that Santos filed for each of his two congressional campaigns.

During his first, unsuccessful candidacy, prosecutors allege that Santos on a May 2020 disclosure overstated one income source while failing to disclose $25,403 in income from an investment firm.

When he successfully ran for Congress two years later, prosecutors say Santos again made false statements on his disclosure forms.

Santos is accused of falsely stating that he earned a $750,000 salary and between $1 million and $5 million in dividends from a firm he owned. The indictment further alleges Santos falsely claimed he owned a checking account worth between $100,000 and $250,000 and a savings account with deposits totaling between $1 million and $5 million.

Indictment did not include GoFundMe allegations

The indictment notably did not mention an accusation that Santos helped raise thousands of dollars in a 2016 GoFundMe for a veterans dog who needed cancer treatment, only to steal the funds. Santos has denied the allegations.

You could see a superseding indictment that adds those, cautioned Chris Mattei, a former federal prosecutor who specializes in financial corruption.

I would suspect that the U.S. attorney will indicate that the investigation is ongoing. So I dont think the fact that those charges relating to that activity dont appear in this indictment means that he doesnt have any criminal exposure for them, he continued.

Santos will continue to serve, but could face jail time

Santoss indictment carries no immediate consequences for his congressional tenure.

According to House rules, lawmakers who are indicted on a felony that carries a sentence of two or more years are still eligible to serve in the chamber, but they should resign from committee assignments and step aside from party leadership.

Santos, however, stepped down from his committee assignments in January amid his mounting controversy, and he does not currently serve in House GOP leadership.

Outside the courthouse on Wednesday, a defiant Santos told reporters that he has no plans to step down.

I will not resign, he said following his arraignment, later adding I believe Im innocent.

And Santos is not facing pressure from House GOP leadership to do so  the top Republicans in the chamber stopped short of calling for Santos to resign on Wednesday, despite the bipartisan calls for Santos to abdicate his seat or be expelled.

As Ive said from the very beginning on questions on this subject, this legal process is going to play itself out, Stefanik said Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, this is not the first time a member of Congress from either party has been indicted. There are a set of rules and, as the majority leader stated, he voluntarily had stepped down from his committees.

McCarthy echoed that sentiment, telling reporters he could go through his time of trial, well find out how the outcome is.

In the meantime, however, Santos faces several years of potential jail time.

The top charge of wire fraud carries a maximum jail time of 20 years. The judge can decide to make any sentences run concurrently if Santos is convicted on multiple counts.

Mattei, based on the preliminary information available, suggested the sentencing guidelines would recommend a jail sentence of between two and four years.

Its going to be impossible for Santos to synthesize in a rational way all the different lies he has told, said Mattei. And thats I think one of the real benefits of having multiple charges in an indictment like this, is that the lies themselves arent consistent with one another.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
With abortion all but outlawed in Florida, a coalition of pro-choice groups is trying to do what lawmakers refused to do: Listen to voters.

Theyre taking the question to the people. At least, theyre trying to.

Floridians Protecting Freedom announced a campaign this week to get the abortion question on the 2024 ballot, an effort that could cost an estimated $30 million and require nearly 900,000 signatures. The measure would bar restrictions on abortion before fetal viability, usually about 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Florida voters  similar to those nationally  have consistently said they wanted the right to choose. A 2022 poll by Florida Atlantic University found that 67% of respondents thought abortion should be legal in most or all cases. A national poll from last month indicated that 61% of Americans support abortion rights, up from 55% last June, when the U.S. Supreme Court essentially struck down Roe v. Wade.

Voters ignored

Quite clearly, its the Florida Legislature thats out of step.

Even so, legislators have successfully forced their anti-woman agenda down Floridians throats, first with a 15-week abortion ban and now with a six-week ban approved in the legislative session that ended last week. Many women wont even know they are pregnant in that brief period of time.

Floridas extreme law, which would go into effect if the states current 15-week law survives an ongoing legal challenge, is a product of the Legislatures zeal to give Florida Gov. DeSantis the most far-right profile possible. Its part of an effort to help him challenge former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination for president. Too bad if Floridas women suffer, DeSantis political prospects are more important to lawmakers.

Being anti-abortion is a requirement for any Republican presidential candidate, but an abortion law too far to the right is a political risk in a general election. DeSantis signed the measure into law, but without fanfare, and he announced it late, after 11 p.m. on April 13.

Story continues

This petition drive, backed by the ACLU of Florida, Florida Rising, Florida Planned Parenthood groups and Womens Voices of Southwest Florida, will face a lot of hurdles. The coalition will need to gather about 892,000 signatures from at least half of Floridas congressional districts, which means the petitions cant all come from areas heavy with Democrats.

Long process

The language of the proposed constitutional amendment also must be reviewed by the Florida Supreme Court, dominated by conservatives, to make sure that it covers a single subject and wont mislead voters. If the referendum actually makes it onto the ballot after all that, it would need to be approved by at least 60% of voters.

That all sounds very daunting, but there is no choice. Floridians want safe and legal access to abortions. The Legislature has tried to turn the clock back to the 1950s against the will of the voters. This petition drive is a chance for Floridians to take back their power from lawmakers who have stopped listening.
This aerial photo taken on April 12, 2023 shows an astronomical telescope project of the Lenghu observatory site under construction in northwest China's Qinghai Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Lenghu, a tiny town with about 500 permanent residents at an average altitude of 2,800 meters, will soon draw worldwide stargazers with a state-of-the-art observatory site located in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

China's top astronomers have chosen the area as an ideal observatory site, thanks to its clear night skies, stable atmospheric conditions and dry climate comparable to several globally-renowned observatories.

Construction of the Lenghu site started in 2018. Upon its completion it will house at least nine optical astronomical telescope projects including some 30 telescopes, with an investment of nearly 2 billion yuan (about 289 million U.S. dollars).

"With the new observatory in sight, Lenghu is gaining popularity and attracting more tourists," said Zhang Jing, who works at a hotel in Lenghu town.

She said the hotel plans to revamp its guestroom windows to offer astronomy lovers a better view of the starry night sky.

Star-gazing from "roof of the world"

Chinese scientists first looked to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the "roof of the world," as a potential observatory site in the 1990s and have located a series of observatory sites on the plateau since 2000, including one in Ngari Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

In 2017, Tian Cairang, then deputy Party chief of the Lenghu industrial park, was anxiously seeking new ways to facilitate local industrial transformation as the small plateau town, which saw a short-lived economic boom in the 1960s due to its oil reserves, had fallen into recession in the 1990s due to resource depletion.

"At night, when we looked up at the sky, we saw the brilliant stars," Tian said in an interview with Xinhua. "The stars seem incredibly close, and the Milky Way so clear. I asked myself this question: can Lenghu rely on its starry sky to develop the cultural tourism industry?"

He invited Deng Licai, a researcher from the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), to visit Lenghu.

Deng was struck by the starry sky once he climbed to the top of the Saishiteng Mountain east of Lenghu, about 4,000 meters above sea level. "It was dark, dry and barren up there, so it might be an ideal site for astronomical observation," he recalled.

Deng and his colleagues eventually identified the site in 2021, after three years of survey which found 70 percent of the nights at Lenghu had clear, photometric conditions, with a median seeing of 0.75 arc seconds and a precipitable water vapour below 2 mm for 55 percent of the night. These qualified the place as an ideal astronomical observing site, Deng said in a paper published in Nature in 2021.

Cutting-edge technologies

Deng said it broke the bottleneck in China's development of optical astronomical observations and will fill the gap in global research.

"Without a cutting-edge observatory here, we miss out on important celestial events that occur in the Western Hemisphere during the day, which is nighttime in the Eastern Hemisphere," Deng said, adding that the site will enable worldwide scientists to expand cooperation.

Among these newly-built projects, a new solar telescope is in the trial run stage.

The Accurate Infrared Magnetic Field Measurements of the Sun (AIMS) is the first solar magnetic-field telescope working in the mid-infrared wavelength in the world, said Wang Dongguang, chief engineer of CAS's Huairou Solar Observing Station of National Astronomical Observatories.

Solar observations in the mid-infrared range have been a challenge for worldwide astronomers, Wang said. The new facility is expected to obtain highly accurate data of the solar magnetic field, mid-infrared imaging and spectrum.

Another project, the Stellar Observations Network Group (SONG) project, with a total investment of 30 million yuan, is undergoing dome installation.

"Instead of using air conditioning inside the dome, we have designed it specifically for thermal and wind dynamics. The new design uses wind to control its inside temperature and air flow, significantly improving the telescope's dome seeing," said Deng.

Once completed, it will join seven other telescopes worldwide to study the internal structure of stars and explore extrasolar planetary systems, said Deng, Chinese representative of the steering committee of the SONG project that involves about 20 countries.

The Multiplexed Survey Telescope (MUST) construction project was also launched in Lenghu last year. The 6.5-meter MUST, developed by Tsinghua University, will be the largest telescope in Lenghu upon completion. Scientists hope to make breakthroughs in dark energy evolution, gravitational wave cosmology and galaxy formation.

With more infrastructure and further testing, Deng said Lenghu would become a major base for international optical astronomy research, as well as a source for humanity to explore the mysteries of the universe and cultivate original scientific achievements.

A future nurtured by science

Retired local government worker Zhang Yaping follows the building progress of the observatory site in her hometown.

At 56, Zhang vividly remembers her childhood living on an oil production base near Lenghu.

"The town has no summer as a cold wind persistently blows, and the weather is dry all year round," she recalled.

As she grew up, Zhang witnessed Lenghu's prosperity and decline and took part in its development.

"Before 1958, it was a town of tents pitched by geological exploration teams in search of oil," said Zhang, former head of Lenghu town.

In September 1958, when the Lenghu oilfield was discovered, then dubbed one of China's four major oil zones, people flocked in from all over the country. The town gradually became prosperous, and its population reached 100,000 at its peak, statistics show.

But its boom based on oil resources was short-lived: when the oilfield dried up in the late 1980s, many new settlers left and the town fell back into oblivion.

"Although the town's cultural history is short, its future must be bright," she said. "Lenghu's future lies in astronomy, science and technology."
A strongly criticized new Florida law restricts the real estate buying power of foreigners from seven countries, a startling move for Miamis global property market.

The legislation Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday prohibits most citizens of China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Venezuela from buying real estate close to a military compound or critical infrastructure, including airports, ports and wastewater treatment and electrical power plants. It makes exceptions for foreign nationals from those nations living in Florida with non-tourist visas or those who have secured asylum in the state.

Last week, the state Senate approved the DeSantis-prompted bill SB 264, after modifying it due to opposition that included Chinese Americans who called the measure discriminatory.

The final watered-down legislation that landed on the governors desk, didnt include a broad ban on Chinese Americans owning any property statewide, narrowed the distance restriction from military and other critical sites and left alone the lucrative federal EB-5 foreign immigrant investor program.

Through the program, foreigners get priority for U.S. visas and green cards in exchange for investments in new real estate developments. Since 2008, this program has contributed an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars to Florida projects, according to nonprofit Invest in the USA, a group that promotes the effort.

Much of South Floridas housing market is expected to remain resilient since the legislation was modified, according to a real estate lawyer, consultant and broker interviewed for this story. Foreign nationals from the so-called countries of concern renting homes in the region and statewide arent affected by the law.

This legislation in Florida will have minimal effect on the interior [of the state]. Up and down the coast [of Florida] it will have a significant impact, said attorney Dennis Eisinger, managing partner at Eisinger Law in Hollywood.

Story continues

What does the law mean for buyers?

Foreigners from the designated seven countries can only purchase a single piece of Florida land or a residence up to two acres, as long as its beyond a 10-mile radius of critical infrastructure or military sites. (The original bill said the distance requirement was 25 miles.) They then have to register the property with the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the state Department of Economic Opportunity.

People from those nations who already own Florida properties can keep them, regardless of location, but have to register them with the state starting in January 2024. Those who fail to register face a fine of $1,000 a day.

Property owners from the stipulated nations who inherit a condominium, townhouse, house or land, within 10 miles of critical infrastructure, military buildings and agricultural land, will have three years to sell.

When does the law go into effect?

Foreign buyers will be restricted as of July 1 under the provisions of the law from purchasing properties near critical infrastructures or military compounds. If any owner or real estate agent sells land or a residence near one of these sites to foreign nationals covered by the measure, they face fines if convicted from $500 to $15,000.

This Florida law is a first-of-its-kind that now other states are considering.

However, Eisinger predicted lawsuits in this state challenging it. Litigation could take months or years to potentially topple the law.

Real estate experts predict certain cities in Miami-Dade County will see less property-buying demand and price dips as a result of the new law. Above: Matryoshka at 18100 Collins Ave. is a popular spot for residents of Sunny Isles Beach and other Eastern Europeans who reside in South Florida.

Who are the winners and losers?

The biggest winners are going to be local residents, as well as those moving down from the Northeast. There will be less competition to acquire property. Thats a plus especially for the local market. A lot of folks have to leave because they cant afford to live here, said Jack McCabe, owner of real estate and economic research firm Jack McCabe Expert Services in Deerfield Beach. The biggest losers will be those with high-dollar properties, as well as developers who have catered to foreign buyers.

For sellers, the states property market gets smaller. The typical move of selling a property to the highest bidder, regardless of where the buyer comes from, becomes complicated. Theres the potential, experts said, that sellers will have to accept less money for their homes.

Also, from the standpoint of real estate developers, they will be prohibited from selling new homes, offices or warehouses to people from these seven countries or allow them to invest in the new construction.

Whats expected to occur in Miami-Dade?

Continuing corporate expansions and wealth migration that accelerated after the pandemic emerged in March 2020 should blunt the worst of the ill-effects of the law. High-earning professionals from the Northeast and West Coast keep coming here, boosting home prices.

During the past two years, many newcomers arrived in the Miami area attracted by the regions warm climate, lenient COVID-19 restrictions and lean taxes. Global companies followed, opening offices in Miami, including hedge fund operator Citadel, private equity firm Thoma Bravo and French bank BNP Paribas.

Miami-Dades foreign buyers have changed over the past few years, said Peggy Olin, CEO of OneWorld Properties. She has sold real estate for years in the countys urban core, including downtown Miami and Wynwood. She used to see Russians, Venezuelans and Chinese in the marketplace years ago  she even opened three offices in China to draw buyers to Miami  but things have changed. Many of them now look to buy in other U.S. cities.

Most of her international buyers today in Miami, Olin said, come from Mexico and Colombia.

Maybe we have a couple of people from China, a couple of people from Russia, but its not the majority, she said.

In 2022, almost 67% of South Florida home sales to foreign buyers were in Miami-Dade, according to the Miami Association of Realtors. These nations led the way with purchases in the region: Argentina (16%), Colombia (13%), Canada (8%), Peru (8%), Chile (6%), Mexico (6%), Venezuela (6%) and Brazil (6%). Only Venezuela buyers would be affected by the new state law, and the other six countries each accounted for less than 6% of South Floridas foreign homebuyers last year.

Where in Miami-Dade would buyers be most harmed?

Miami-Dade communities long shaped by some of countries on the restricted list  think Russia and Sunny Isles Beach, Venezuela and Doral, and Hialeah and Cuba  are ones expected to have more properties come on the market and see price declines.

Foreign buyers, real estate consultant McCabe said, are drawn to communities where they have family and friends, hence the expected softening demand for these go-to pockets in Miami.

You look at Hialeah, Sunny Isles (Beach), Doral where you have a large concentration of foreign buyers, those marketplaces will have more of a dramatic effect, he said.

What about effects in Broward County?

Real estate experts predicted minimal harm in Broward, where theres much less demand from foreign buyers than in Miami-Dade to acquire property. Of all the foreign homebuyers last year in South Florida, 27% of them bought in Broward, according to the Miami Realtors.

Still, cities like Fort Lauderdale and Weston likely will be affected due to the construction boom there and the appeal those areas have for high-end buyers  some of which are from foreign nations.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  A federal judge in Florida temporarily blocked the Biden administration from carrying out parts of its latest immigration plan in a Thursday night ruling that came as tens of thousands of migrants amassed at the southern border.

Siding with Florida and the administration of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, U.S. District Judge T. Kent Wetherell ordered the federal government to stand down from its proposed move to parole migrants crossing the southern border through Texas. The Biden administration has been preparing for a substantial influx of arrivals ahead of the Covid-era Title 42 rules expiring at midnight and now is locked in a legal saga.

Wetherell, in an order that came down around 9:30 p.m., determined that he fails to see a material difference between the Biden administrations new parole policy and the one the judge determined was unconstitutional in March.

The Thursday ruling builds on a previous lawsuit filed by Florida against the Biden administration that asserted authorities were ignoring a federal law requiring migrants entering the country illegally to be detained. That lawsuit criticized a parole and alternatives to detention policy created in November 2021 and since modified.

 In both instances, aliens are being released into the country on an expedited basis without being placed in removal proceedings and with little to no vetting and no monitoring, Wetherell, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, wrote in a 17-page order.

In the order, Wetherell granted the temporary restraining order sought by the DeSantis administration in Florida Attorney General Ashley Moodys lawsuit. Its set to go into effect at 11:59 p.m.  coinciding with the expiration of Title 42  to give the Biden Administration a chance to pursue a stay from a higher court.



Additionally, the judge set an injunction hearing for May 19 in Pensacola.

Attorneys for the Biden administration on Thursday afternoon urged Wetherell to deny Floridas attempt to block the polices they contend are necessary to address an imminent and dramatic increase [of[] arrivals at the southwest border.

Story continues

The Court should deny this request to limit the Executives authority to carry out a core Executive function, managing the border, particularly on an emergency basis without the benefit of full briefing on the eve of an expected dramatic increase in arrivals at the border, they wrote in a motion opposing the move.

Title 42 is a reference to a section of the U.S. Code addressing public health, social welfare and civil rights that the Trump administration in 2020 implemented to turn people away at the border on public health grounds amid the pandemic. But with this expiring May 11, the Biden administration is preparing to release migrants in the U.S. on parole, with the understanding they are to report to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office.

Through the lawsuit filed Thursday, Florida is attempting to spur the Biden administration  Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other federal officials  to explain how their latest immigration plan does not violate that March ruling.

Wetherell, in compelling a response from the federal government, suggested it appears that DHS is preparing to flout the Courts order, noting that the new policy sounds virtually identical to the one that the court vacated months ago.



But attorneys for the Biden administration disagree, arguing that there are important distinctions between the two policies  notably that grant of parole is time limited and the policy focuses to an even greater degree on ensuring the health and safety of individuals. They defended the federal governments response on immigration and asked the judge to allow for a hearing before making a decision and for a temporary court stay if he does rule.

DHS is exercising all available authority to address the anticipated surge in migrants, but its available staffing and facilities to safely process and issue charging documents to record numbers of new arrivals are limited, wrote the Biden legal team including Brian Boynton, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General. In the face of an imminent crisis, DHS must make use of all available statutory authority Congress has granted it to process migrants, including parole.

Florida, along with other Republican-led states such as Texas, has been sharply critical of immigration policies pursued by the Biden administration. DeSantis, who is expected to run for president, pushed for the creation of a contentious migrant relocation program that resulted in the state flying nearly 50 migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard last September and is now gearing up for more flights in the coming days.
By Lucy Papachristou

(Reuters) - A former Russian schoolteacher has been sentenced to five and a half years in a penal colony for remarks he made online about President Vladimir Putin and Russian "fascism" in Ukraine, his fiancee said on Thursday.

Nikita Tushkanov, 29, made the posts last October after the bombing of the Kerch bridge linking Russia to annexed Crimea, a major attack that Moscow blamed on Ukraine.

Tushkanov called the bombing "a birthday present for Putler" - a pejorative term linking the Russian president to Adolf Hitler. When Russia responded with rocket strikes against Ukrainian cities, he called it "the revenge of Putin's fascism for the Kerch bridge".

His fiancee Alexandra Kochanova told Reuters his court case had lasted "not more than 10 minutes" in front of military judges, and that he would appeal.

Russia introduced new censorship laws after launching its war on Ukraine last year, prescribing long prison sentences for "discrediting" the armed forces or spreading false information about them.

Asked why Tushkanov had written the posts, Kochanova said he believed "it was necessary to write, speak, and show that he didn't agree. He understood the risks, but he still decided that this was more important, that these were his principles".

Officers of Russia's FSB security service arrested Tushkanov at his home in the city of Syktyvkar on Dec. 7, independent news outlet Mediazona reported. He was subsequently added to a federal database of "terrorists and extremists".

According to Mediazona, Tushkanov was fired in 2021 from his job as a history teacher in a small town in the northern Urals for staging a one-man picket in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

He had twice been fined for anti-war posts since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, according to court documents, although one of the fines was dropped.

According to human rights network OVD-Info, 19,673 people have been detained for protesting against Russias war in Ukraine since it invaded on Feb. 24 last year, and criminal cases have been launched against more than 550.

(Reporting by Lucy Papachristou, editing by Mark Trevelyan and Gareth Jones)
A counter-disinformation expert has sued Fox News for allegedly promoting lies about her, just weeks after the network settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5m.

Nina Jankowicz was the former executive director of a Department of Homeland Security division dealing with disinformation threats to national security.

The federal governments Disinformation Governance Board was short-lived as it came under ferocious attack from right-wing politicians and pundits, including a string of Fox News hosts.

Ms Jankowicz, who is a specialist in Russian disinformation, was mentioned 300 times over the span of eight months on Rupert Murdochs right-wing channel, the lawsuit states.

Fox News hosts including Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Maria Bartiromo were among those who talked about her, with Carlson warning his audience she would get men with guns to tell you to shut up.

The lawsuit states that after the 34-year-old resigned to escape the attention she was receiving, Fox News hosts falsely claimed she had ben fired, according to The New York Times.

Ms Jankowicz filed her lawsuit in the same Delaware court that Dominion Voting Systems filed its $1.6bn defamation claim, which was settled last month as the last minute.

She is seeking unspecified damages in her own case.

Even after achieving their stated goal of driving me out of government and ending the board, they kept using me as a punching bag, Ms Jankowicz told the newspaper on Wednesday.

It shouldnt be something we just accept, that the most powerful cable network in the world can attack individuals willy-nilly and not face any consequences after they ruin their lives.

Days after Fox News settled with Dominion Voting Systems it parted company with Carlson, who has said he will continue to do his show on Twitter, despite still being under contract to the channel.

Lachlan Murdoch has said that Fox News paid the settlement to avoid a divisive trial and lengthy appeals process.

Story continues

Mr Murdoch, executive chairman and CEO of Fox Corp, also noted that a Delaware judge severely limited Foxs defences against Dominion Voting Systems, which said the network defamed it by airing bogus charges of election fraud that it knew was untrue.

We made the business decision to resolve this dispute and avoid the acrimony of a divisive trial and multi-year appeal process, a decision clearly in the best interests of the company and its shareholders, he told financial analysts.

The Independent has reached out to Fox for comment.
Fox News host Steve Doocy is not impressed by the latest Republican investigation into President Joe Bidens family.

The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday released documents reflecting payments from foreign sources to Joe Bidens son Hunter Biden and the presidents brother James Biden, but not to Joe Biden himself.

Doocy told the committees chair, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), during an appearance on Fox & Friends on Thursday that his material was weak.

I know the Republicans said that the smoking gun were these financial records that you were able to subpoena and got your hands on, Doocy said, noting that Comer described $10 million worth of transfers as evidence of influence peddling by the Bidens.

But thats just your suggestion  you actually dont have any facts to that point. Youve got some circumstantial evidence, Doocy said. And the other thing is, of all those names, the one person who didnt profit is  there is no evidence that Joe Biden did anything illegally.

Tough smack down of Comer on Fox this am

"You don't actually have any facts to that point. You've got some circumstantial evidence. of all those names, the one person who didn't profit -- there's no evidence that Joe Biden did anything illegally."

pic.twitter.com/4CokZDZxUR  Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) May 11, 2023

Doocy wasnt the only right-wing media personality to skewer Comers investigation. His Fox News colleague Geraldo Rivera wrote Wednesday that the committees angry allegations are vague and general and do not point to specific crimes.

And former Donald Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka said he was not impressed by Comers allegations because he hasnt found a smoking gun example of the money actually influencing an official act by Biden.

Story continues

The White House has been gleefully tracking coverage of Wednesdays presentation by the Oversight Committee and making sure reporters see the disappointing headlines.

Chairman Comer continues to spread evidence-free innuendo, despite months of investigating with taxpayer resources, and his latest stunt just further proves this is all a baseless attempt to attack President Biden politically, White House spokesman Ian Sams said Thursday.

On Fox News, Comer defended his work.

Make no mistake. Joe Biden was involved. All these countries that the Bidens were receiving money from were countries that Joe Biden was actively visiting in, Comer said. And were still looking for more bank records that we believe will implicate Joe Bidens active participation in this at the end of the day.

Related...
Sarkozy has been embroiled in legal problems since leaving office

French prosecutors on Thursday demanded that former president Nicolas Sarkozy, who has been embroiled in legal troubles since leaving office, face a new trial over alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 election campaign.

France's financial crimes prosecutors (PNF) said Sarkozy and 12 others should face trial over accusations they sought millions of euros in financing from the regime of then Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi for his ultimately victorious campaign.

Sarkozy is accused of corruption, illegal campaign financing and concealing the embezzlement of public funds, the prosecutors ssid in a statement.

He has always rejected the charges.

The prosecutors' call for a trial is not the final decision on whether the process will go ahead, with investigating magistrates having the last word on a case which has been open since 2013.

Among the others facing trial in the case are heavyweights such as Sarkozy's former right-hand man Claude Gueant, his then head of campaign financing Eric Woerth and former minister Brice Hortefeux.

The right-wing Sarkozy, who won the 2007 elections but then lost in 2012 to Socialist Francois Hollande, has been convicted twice in separate cases since leaving office.

The ex-president will on May 17 hear the decision of the court of appeal in a case of wiretapping, which saw him sentenced at first instance to three years in prison -- two of them suspended -- for corruption and influence peddling.

And he will be retried from November 2023 on appeal in the so-called Bygmalion case, which saw him sentenced to one year in prison at first instance.

Even if the sentences are confirmed, he is not expected to serve any time in prison on those cases. He has always rejected all the charges.

Despite the legal problems, the man who styled himself as the "hyper-president" while in office still enjoys considerable influence and popularity on the right of French politics.

gd-edy-mk-jpa-sjw/ach
French town halls would be formally obliged to fly both the French and the EU flags

France's National Assembly lower house passed a hard-fought bill early Thursday that would require town halls to fly both the French and European flags, as most already do.

The bill had drawn controversy, both as a clear challenge to the far-right National Rally (RN) a year ahead of European Parliament elections and a red rag to left-wing lawmakers, who called it a distraction from resistance to President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular pension reforms.

"People who have trouble concealing their unease before the flag with stars (of the EU) have just as much trouble hiding their dreams of Frexit," said Mathieu Lefevre, an MP loyal to Macron who shepherded the text through parliament.

He accused both France's hard left and far right of harbouring ambitions to follow Britain out of the EU, which has 27 members since the Brexit process was completed in 2020.

"Both ends of the hemicycle" were hostile to the draft law, Europe Minister Laurence Boone said.

"French people only bow to three colours, the blue, white and red" of the national tricolour, RN lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy retorted.

The bill, which will apply only to municipalities with more than 1,500 inhabitants, will now move to the Senate upper house.

MPs also passed amendments requiring town halls to hang the portrait of the current president -- as most already do -- and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which harks back to the French Revolution.

Their facades should also bear the French Republic's motto of Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite (Liberty, Equality and Brotherhood).

adc-cds/tgb/sjw/kjm
(Bloomberg) -- French prosecutors are seeking a trial for former President Nicolas Sarkozy related to allegations that Libya illegally provided funding for his 2007 campaign.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Sarkozy should face charges of concealing the embezzlement of public funds, criminal association and illegal campaign financing, the national financial prosecutors office said in a statement Thursday.

Twelve other suspects were also named by the prosecutor.

Sarkozys lawyer, Thierry Herzog, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sarkozy has been questioned over allegations that Libyas former leader Moammar Al Qaddafi provided funding for his successful presidential campaign. Sarkozy was found guilty of corruption in a separate 2021 case, becoming the countrys second head of state in the modern era to be convicted of a crime after leaving office.

It will now be up to the two investigating judges in charge of the Libya case to decide whether to order a trial before the criminal court and on which charges, Agence France-Presse reported.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Suicide, post-traumatic stress , depression, anxiety, substance use, chronic stress. Our language is filled with words that describe our pain but leave out our joy and hope. In recent years, our society has raised awareness about the mental health struggle emergency responders, veterans and service members face, while diminishing the reward and value that professions like these can inherently bring to someones life.

While the rates of PTSD, depression and anxiety in public safety personnel and the military far exceed that of the general population, these sheep dog professions that run towards disaster instead of away from it are incredibly honorable and essential to our communities.

First responders and military personnel are regularly part of someones worst day, bringing care, compassion, technical skills and fortitude to stabilize a situation. They bring calm in the middle of chaos. Generally speaking, they make our world and our communities better places to live  or at the very least, keep them from devolving into chaos.

Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama

When emergency responders are called upon, they often set aside their familys needs, financial worries, work-life balance, personal health and other competing priorities to serve their communities. While the traumas these individuals face are not for the faint of heart, its often the compounding stressors that eventually create the perfect storm of mental health issues. In one study of EMS professionals, 69% reported they never have an opportunity to recover from one event before being called to another. Another study reports 40% of responders do not report their mental health concerns; shelving their worries until they do not have a choice but to address their increasing distress.

These facts and figures are not the only way we should discuss the mental health journey of our first responders and military communities, though. These are difficult jobs by their very nature, but they bring a sense of community, purpose and honor to an individual. They can uplift someones life, help build an emotional support network and provide a meaningful career. Focusing solely on the negative without looking toward the positive prevents a potential solution to the problem that is right in front of us.

Story continues

While we can compassionately raise awareness of on-the-job stressors and the real problem of suicide, depression, and anxiety in the first responder community, we can also look toward that idea of hope to help our emergency personnel grow.

What if, instead of focusing on post-traumatic-stress disorder, we concentrated more on post-traumatic growth, the science of personal growth in the face of trauma and adversity? Despite the trauma and distress experienced by emergency responders and military members, many experience significant psychological, relational, and spiritual growth as a result of the service they provide. These areas of growth become protective factors throughout the career of the individual and can be nurtured.

Dr. Anna Courie

We want to give our officers the tools and the mindset they need to succeed. Thats why the Fresno Police Department employee services program launched our wellness unit to manage our employee assistance program, and our companion officer program provides peer support. Our officers and officers at smaller agencies in the Central Valley have access to these services, and weve already seen an improvement in our officers mental health. This year, we hope to continue that improvement by implementing Struggle Well, a post-traumatic growth program from Boulder Crest that teaches participants how to integrate healthy principles into their lives.

These are just a few examples of what can be done to reclaim the value of esprit de corps and nurture relationships among peers to support each other through the difficult situations they face. Instead of looking away, we must look toward each other, recognize that struggle is something that all humans face, and should accept in one another. Instead of fearing struggle and focusing only on the pain, we should embrace it and explore how it could make us better humans, friends, spouses and emergency responders. Instead of hiding from what we fear, we need to see the potential to use it to our advantage, learn from it and continue to grow.

Trauma is a real part of our world and understanding comes through awareness of the issues facing our public safety community. We have a moral obligation to our human infrastructure to get upstream from trauma and offer hope, not the label of diminished life.

During this National Police Week, we invite you to also celebrate Mental Health Month.

Paco Balderrama is chief of the Fresno Police Department. Anna Fitch Courie is a registered nurse with a doctor of nursing practice degree. She is the director of responder wellness in the FirstNet Program at AT&T.
The body of an 18-year-old set to join the Marines was discovered in a ditch hours after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver, Texas cops say.

Jacob Matthew Lopez, who was riding a bike Sunday, May 7, in San Antonio, was struck and run over, according to the San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County Medical Examiners Office.

He was thrown into a drainage ditch, and it wasnt until the next morning when a passing motorist discovered him, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have not located the driver who struck Lopez.

Lopez, according to a GoFundMe, was one month away from graduating high school and joining the Marines.

He had a suit ready for his Marine ball and his graduation and was looking forward to meeting new people and seeing the world, the GoFundMe says. He brought life and energy wherever he went, and for 18 years he persevered through exceptionally difficult circumstances most children fortunately do not go through.

Lopez attended South San Antonio High School, KENS reported. Fabian Rocha, who described Lopez as a son to him, said the 18-year-old worked at a Whataburger near the crash scene, according to KENS.

Others remembered Lopez as an outstanding individual with the willingness to succeed.

His life was just beginning and we hope all those that were fortunate enough to come into contact with him remember his positivity and wise words he was gracious enough to bestow upon all who would listen, the GoFundMe says.

Girl on tricycle dies in hit-and-run just before birthday, NC cops say. Driver sentenced

20-year-old airman changing tire is killed in hit-and-run, Virginia reports say

Taylor Swift fan leaving concert with sister is killed by drunk driver, Texas cops say
World Insights: Republicans, Democrats still in bitter fight as U.S. debt default deadline looms

09:13, May 11, 2023 By Xiong Maoling ( Xinhua

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R) and U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell speak to the press after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting in Washington, D.C., the United States, May 9, 2023. Republicans and Democrats are nowhere near a deal after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting failed to yield a breakthrough on Tuesday, risking a debt default that economists warn could cripple the U.S. economy and spawn a financial crisis. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Republicans and Democrats are nowhere near a deal after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting failed to yield a breakthrough on Tuesday, risking a debt default that economists warn could cripple the U.S. economy and spawn a financial crisis.

Republicans are proposing spending cuts in exchange for raising the borrowing limit. U.S. President Joe Biden and Democrats, meanwhile, are urging Congress to pass a "clean" debt ceiling increase without conditions.

"Over these last few days and weeks, there's a lot of politics, posturing and gamesmanship and it's going to continue for a while," Biden said in remarks after the meeting.

THE BLAME GAME

The meeting took place roughly a week after U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that "extraordinary measures" to keep the government paying its bills "will no longer be possible" as soon as June 1.

It marked the president's first substantial conversation with Republican leaders about the debt ceiling crisis since February, though the two sides failed to bridge their differences amid a looming deadline.

"Everybody in this meeting reiterated the positions they were at. I didn't see any new movement," Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said, criticizing the president for waiting 97 days "without ever meeting."

In January, the country already hit its 31.4-trillion-U.S.-dollar debt limit, set in December 2021, prompting the Treasury Department to use accounting maneuvers known as "extraordinary measures" to keep the government paying its bills, such as curbing certain government investments.

At that time, the U.S. treasury secretary estimated that it was "unlikely" that cash and extraordinary measures would be exhausted before early June. After reviewing recent federal tax receipts, she estimated last week that "X-date" could hit as soon as June 1.

Democrats and Republicans -- who have been locked in a bitter fight for months -- have made little progress toward reaching an agreement, and have been blaming each other for the stalemate.

"We're the only ones to pass a plan," McCarthy said at a news conference earlier, referring to a bill passed by House Republicans in late April, which raises the debt limit by 1.5 trillion dollars or until March 31, whichever comes first, while reducing funding for federal agencies and limiting growth in government spending. The bill would also repeal some tax incentives for renewable energy, one of Biden's signature policies.

"So I think it's up to you now whether the economy goes in any trouble, it's you. Because the Republicans raised the debt limit, you have not," said the Republican leader in the House.

Biden, in a meeting with cabinet members and other economic officials last week, said Republicans are "trying to hold the debt hostage to get us to agree to some draconian cuts, magnificently difficult and damaging cuts."

As the two sides are busy playing the blame game, Americans are divided on who is to blame if the federal government eventually defaults on its debts.

According to a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll, 39 percent say they would mainly blame Republicans in Congress, while 36 percent say they would mainly blame Biden. Sixteen percent say they would blame both equally.

A debt ceiling showdown, which has investors panicking, is nothing new in the Capitol. Similar standoffs played out in 2011 and 2013, when Republicans demanded spending cuts in debt ceiling negotiations under then President Barack Obama, when Biden was vice president.

But America's ballooning debt resulted from choices made by both Republicans and Democrats during the past decades, according to a recent report by The New York Times.

Since 2000, politicians from both parties have "made a habit" of borrowing money to finance wars, tax cuts, expanded federal spending, care for baby boomers and emergency measures to help the nation endure two debilitating recessions, the report said.

ECONOMIC CATASTROPHE

The U.S. debt ceiling crisis -- a recurrent result of political brinkmanship -- could bring catastrophic consequences for the U.S. economy and the world economies, according to economists and observers.

"We have learned from past debt limit impasses that waiting until the last minute to suspend or increase the debt limit can cause serious harm to business and consumer confidence, raise short-term borrowing costs for taxpayers, and negatively impact the credit rating of the United States," Yellen said in a letter to McCarthy on May 1.

In an interview early this year, Yellen warned that the effects of U.S. debt default could be as broad as a global financial crisis.

The U.S. treasury secretary is probably right "considering how large is the U.S. government debt market and how important a role it plays as the risk-free asset in the world financial system," Desmond Lachman, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former official at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), told Xinhua.

"Defaulting on the U.S. debt would bring a major negative impact for the U.S. economy and the world economies," said Lachman, noting that this makes it likely that some compromise will be reached by Biden and McCarthy even if that agreement is reached "at the very last hour."

"It would seem likely that until such an agreement is reached, we could have increased market volatility as market participants factor in that a default could occur," Lachman said.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, recently said that he could not imagine the U.S. government allowing "the debt ceiling to cause the world to go into turmoil."

Congressional leaders will meet again with Biden on Friday. The president is scheduled to make a speech on Wednesday, in which he will likely lash out at Republicans over the debt-ceiling drama.

"Washington is running out of time before we breach the debt limit," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the budget watch group the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, who noted that "even flirting with default is dangerous."

"We need to raise the debt limit as soon as possible, without drama and without serious risk of default. To threaten default or drag one's feet is the height of irresponsibility," said MacGuineas.

"Lawmakers should stop approaching this as though they are on two different teams, and work together as the leaders of one country," she added.

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (L) and U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell speak to the press after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting in Washington, D.C., the United States, May 9, 2023. Republicans and Democrats are nowhere near a deal after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting failed to yield a breakthrough on Tuesday, risking a debt default that economists warn could cripple the U.S. economy and spawn a financial crisis. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (center L) and U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (center R) speak to the press after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting in Washington, D.C., the United States, May 9, 2023. Republicans and Democrats are nowhere near a deal after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting failed to yield a breakthrough on Tuesday, risking a debt default that economists warn could cripple the U.S. economy and spawn a financial crisis. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks to the press after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting in Washington, D.C., the United States, May 9, 2023. Republicans and Democrats are nowhere near a deal after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting failed to yield a breakthrough on Tuesday, risking a debt default that economists warn could cripple the U.S. economy and spawn a financial crisis. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks to the press after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting in Washington, D.C., the United States, May 9, 2023. Republicans and Democrats are nowhere near a deal after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting failed to yield a breakthrough on Tuesday, risking a debt default that economists warn could cripple the U.S. economy and spawn a financial crisis. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy exits the White House after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting in Washington, D.C., the United States, May 9, 2023. Republicans and Democrats are nowhere near a deal after a high-profile debt ceiling meeting failed to yield a breakthrough on Tuesday, risking a debt default that economists warn could cripple the U.S. economy and spawn a financial crisis. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
From Friday would-be migrants must register their details and upload a photograph on CBP One

The fate of tens of thousands of people seeking asylum at the United States' southern border will, from Friday, hinge on an app that has just 2.5 stars in the App Store.

For immigration managers, a sleek, computerized way to manage the wave of people expected to arrive when Covid-era rules lapse must have been tempting.

But for poor, exhausted people whose phones don't work, or who have no access to wifi or electricity, it's just another almost-impossible hurdle.

"It's amazing that an app practically decides our lives and our future," Jeremy de Pablos, a 21-year-old Venezuelan who has camped out in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez for weeks, told AFP.

De Pablos, who has dark skin, said the hardest part of using the CBP One app was the facial recognition -- an issue that many migrants with darker complexions have pointed to.

"It's like a game of chance. It recognizes who it wants to."

President Joe Biden's administration launched the Custom and Border Protection app in January, as it eyed a way to manage the expected chaos when Title 42 expires overnight Thursday into Friday.

The measure was imposed under Donald Trump, with a stated purpose of keeping those infected with Covid-19 out of the country, allowing border guards to refuse entry to anyone.

In practice it has been a quick and easy way to avoid accepting asylum claims.

But with the ending of the Covid emergency, Title 42 is finished, replaced instead with regular migration policies that the Biden administration says will offer pathways to legitimate asylum seekers, and harsh penalties to those who do not follow the rules.

- Old, outdated phones -

From Friday, would-be migrants must register their name, date of birth, details of their travel documents, and upload a photograph on CBP One. The app can also log their location and their device details.

But old, outdated phones make the process hard.

It's harder still for those whose phones were broken or stolen on the long trek north.

Story continues

Antonio Sanchez Ventura lives on the streets of Ciudad Juarez with nothing, eating only what he can scrounge.

His sole focus now is to raise the money to buy a phone and download the app.

"It is the dream of every human being to cross to the United States to help our relatives," he said.

- 'A nightmare' -

Ciudad Juarez is a tangle of tents and desperation, where people who have made impossible journeys scrape by on hope and charity.

Those who have phones search for exposed wires from street lights to charge them, and save every penny they have to buy credit to access the internet.

But the challenge does not end there.

"Look, it's stuck," said Ronald Huerta, a Venezuelan who on Wednesday couldn't get past the application's language settings.

A few meters away, Ana Paola, a 14-year-old Venezuelan, cried disconsolately because the application had been updated and all the information for her family had been deleted.

"I'm tired! I can't take it anymore!" the teenager shouted as she repeatedly clicked "Submit" to recreate the family's profiles -- receiving an "Error 500" message every time.

"It's been a nightmare, it's been a torment. This application has caused us emotional, psychological damage," said her father, Juan Pavon.

The US Secretary of Homeland Security responded to the mounting criticisms on Thursday, calling the app "successful," while acknowledging "glitches."

"The greatest challenge with respect to the CBP One app is not a technological challenge, but rather, the fact that we have many more migrants than we have the capacity to make appointments for," Alejandro Mayorkas said.

"That is again, another example of a broken immigration system."

As Title 42 enters its final few hours, some migrants debate just sneaking across the border, hoping to avoid detection long enough to reach some kind of safety.

For some, the strategy works.

"I waited and waited and waited, but I got fed up, there was no way to get an appointment," said Luis Quintana, a Venezuelan who climbed through a hole in the wall at El Paso after three months on the streets of Ciudad Juarez.

For Raul Pinto, an attorney with the American Immigration Council, the app's many problems add another layer of unnecessary despair.

"It's frustrating that this important process is left at the mercy of technology that can often be glitchy and that is not going to be accessible by everyone," he told AFP.

The government said this week it would be rolling out updates to the app and increasing the number of appointments available in a bid to ease the logjam.

Pinto was hopeful that things would get better, but said there were many aspects of the process that were beyond fixing.

"We are very disappointed that there's not an alternative way for people to access this very important and potentially life saving process," he said.

pr/hg/ser/sw/tjj
Rep. George Santos speaks to the media outside the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York, on May 10, 2023. Stefan Jeremiah)/AP

Rep. George Santos is being accused of stealing COVID-19 unemployment aid, among other charges.

In March, he co-sponsored a bill that incentivizes states to recoup money lost through unemployment fraud.

The House is expected to vote on the bill this week.

Among the wide range of charges Rep. George Santos faces, the New York congressman is being accused of the very crime he hoped to address when he co-sponsored a bill this March that aims to tackle unemployment fraud committed during the pandemic.

Federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against the freshman Republican lawmaker on Tuesday. The indictment contains 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds.

According to court documents, one of the charges addresses unemployment insurance he received through the New York State Department of Labor from June 2020 to April 2021. Prosecutors alleged that Santos "falsely claimed to have been unemployed since the week of March 22, 2020" and received around $24,744 in unemployment aid despite receiving a salary of about $120,000.

In his first public statement, Santos wrote on Twitter: "WITCH HUNT!" He pleaded not guilty to all charges at a hearing on Wednesday in a Long Island federal court.

Two months before his indictment, Santos co-sponsored a bill, along with 34 Republican lawmakers, that incentivizes states to recoup money lost through COVID-19 unemployment fraud.

The Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act "addresses fraud and overpayments of pandemic unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, including by providing incentives for states to investigate and recover overpayments of these benefits," the bill's summary states.

The House was expected to vote on the bill this week.

Spokespersons for Santos and Rep. Jason Smith, the lead sponsor of the bill, did not respond to a request for comment.

In March, Santos offered to co-sponsor Rep. Anthony D'Esposito's bill that prevents Congress members convicted of "financial or campaign finance fraud" from profiting off their story through means such as book deals or speeches.

Story continues

His offer of support came after the congressman was reportedly being investigated by the FBI for his alleged role in a fundraising scheme for a military veteran's dying dog. Santos previously told Semfaor that the allegation was "fake."

D'Esposito previously told ABC News that Santos was "certainly an inspiration" for the bill. He and two other representatives have called to expel Santos from Congress.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., says he still intends to run for reelection despite being indicted on federal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds  money that prosecutors allege was intended for people unemployed during the pandemic.

He already has four challengers. The latest, Anna Kaplan, a Democratic former state senator, formally announced Thursday that she will run for the embattled congressmans seat in New Yorks Third Congressional District.

Instead of resigning, hes running for reelection, she said in a video announcing her candidacy. Im Anna Kaplan, and Im running for Congress because George Santos is a disgrace.

In the two-minute video, Kaplan did not solely focus on Santoss long history of lies and fabrications  she also zeroed in on his brief record in Congress.

George Santos wants to restrict womens reproductive rights. He wore an assault rifle pin on the House floor hours after a mass shooting, and he introduced a bill celebrating the AR-15, she said. And the Republicans in Washington are a direct threat to womens freedom and childrens safety.

Who is Anna Kaplan?

Anna Kaplan, then a New York state senator, in Albany, N.Y., in 2019. (Hans Pennink/AP)

Kaplan, 57, was born in Iran to Jewish parents who fled Tehran after the Islamic Revolution because of religious persecution.

When I was 13, my parents made the difficult decision to put me on a plane to America, not knowing when theyd get to see me again, she said. I landed in New York and found a place where women had real rights and could control their own destiny.

Kaplans political career began in 2011 as a town council member in North Hempstead, N.Y., where she said she officiated some of New York states first same-sex marriages when the town clerk refused.

In 2018, she became the first Iranian American elected to the state Senate. Kaplan served two terms, losing her bid for a third in 2022.

She is joining a race that includes two other declared Democrats  Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan and law professor Will Murphy  and a Republican, Kellen Curry, a military veteran and former J.P. Morgan executive.

Story continues

What happened to George Santos this week?

Rep. George Santos (Seth Wenig/AP)

Santos, 34, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 13 counts, including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to the House of Representatives. If convicted, Santos could face up to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors allege that Santos solicited campaign funds under false pretenses and used the money for personal expenses, including to buy designer clothes and to pay his credit card and car payments. They also allege he stole pandemic unemployment insurance money.

He was released on $500,000 bond, and his next court date is set for June 30.

"This is a witch hunt," Santos told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Central Islip, N.Y., on Wednesday, adding that he has no plans to resign  and still intends to run for reelection.

Im going to fight my battle, he said. Im going to deliver. Im going to fight the witch hunt; Im going to take care of clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that.

When asked whether he thought he could win reelection, Santos demurred.

Thats not up for me to know, he said. Elections are very tricky, and its up to the people. I trust them to decide whats best.
New York congressman George Santos faces felony charges related to an alleged wire fraud and money laundering scheme that investigators say were connected to companies run through a Brevard County based LLC.

Heres what we know:

Who is George Santos?

George Santos, a Republican, was elected in November to represent New York's 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of the New York City borough of Queens and Long Island.

Federal investigators say Santos defrauded campaign donors, spending tens of thousands in political contributions funneled through the companies on personal expenses like credit card bills and "luxury designer clothing," according to the federal indictment.

Only one of the companies was named in the federal filing: the Devolder Organization LLC., which Santos (whose middle name is Devolder) had previously described as a firm that managed his family assets.

Federal indictment: Regulators say George Santos' Brevard County companies involved in fraud scheme

Shifting Brevard addresses: Santos' company moves HQ from Merritt Island penthouse to Melbourne mail store

The charges against Santos

U.S. Rep. George Santos answers questions from members of the media, Wednesday, May 10, 2023, outside federal court in Central Islip, N.Y. Santos pleaded not guilty to charges alleging a financial fraud at the heart of a political campaign built on dubious boasts about his personal wealth and business success. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has charged Santos with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives in connection with the alleged scheme.

What is Devolder Organization LCC?

The Merritt Island condo unit had been listed as the headquarters of the Devolder Organization, the supposed source of George Santos' wealth. (Photo: John McCarthy/FLORIDA TODAY)

The source of his wealth, according to the filing, was the "Devolder Organization," which Santos has described as a firm that managed his family's assets, which he said totaled $80 million. Devolder was Santos' mother's maiden name and he sometimes goes by George Devolder Santos or just George Devolder.

The Devolder Organization was first incorporated in Florida in May 2021 with the now-empty Melbourne offices of a Ob/Gyn practice listed as its address.

Story continues

Santos filed new paperwork with the state reviving the firm in December, one day after the New York Times called into question large parts of Santos' resume noting that the Wall Street companies he said he worked for had no record of him. This time it listed a Merritt Island address as the company's headquarters. That address was for a penthouse unit in the Harbor Del Rio condos.

In January, The Devolder Organization LLC changed its headquarters from a penthouse on Merritt Island to a mail-services store in Melbourne.

The backstory: Disgraced politician George Santos has strong ties to Brevard County

Santos money

The financial disclosure report Santos filed in September 2022 claimed he had assets worth between $2.5 million and $10 million and had an income of $750,000. The only liability listed was a car loan from Westlake Financial, a company that specializes in sub-prime auto financing.

The source of his wealth, according to the filing, was the "Devolder Organization," which Santos has described as a firm that managed his family's assets, which he said totaled $80 million.

Ponzi scheme shutdown

For at least part of the time he was running for Congress, Santos was working for Harbor City Capital, a Melbourne-based "investment firm" that was shut down by the Securities and Exchange Commission as being nothing more than a Ponzi scheme. Federal regulators say the company defrauded investors of at least $4.5 million.

Santos has denied any knowledge of wrongdoing at the company.

Santos did not list any income from Harbor Capital on financial disclosure forms he filed as part of two congressional runs, a potential criminal violation.

Read more about Santos connection to Brevard

FLORIDA TODAY looked into the connections Santos had with Brevard. Here is the first story published on Santos' ties to the Space Coast, and here is a follow-up story.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: George Santos's Florida Connection: What we know
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Michael Daly/Getty/Reuters

The New York City district office of Rep. George Santos was closed on Wednesday because the Republican was otherwise occupied: He was pleading not guilty to 13 federal charges.

Despite a criminal indictment, an ongoing House Ethics Committee probe, and his own admission that he churned out more whoppers than the local Burger King franchise, Santos remains the congressional representative for the 3rd District. A staffer told The Daily Beast that his storefront office at 242-09 Northern Blvd. in Queens will reopen at 9 a.m. on Thursday as usual.

Only now, any constituent who ventures there will not be seeking help from a man who simply got elected telling lie upon lie about everything from his ethnicity to his education; they will be going to a man formally accused of being a conman.

One young activist trying to get Santos bounced from the Capitol says that constituents in need of help negotiating the federal bureaucracy have expressed a worry that is likely unique in the history of the U.S. Congress.

Some of them that Ive talked to were afraid to give [Santos] their Social Security number because they dont wanna be a part of his next scam, the activist, Aidan Davis, said Wednesday. People know that you shouldnt give somebody like that your personal information. But when hes your congressman, its a problem.

Davis is 18 and a resident of Santos district and he voted for the first time during the midterm elections. He did not vote for Santos, but many people in his Plainview, Long Island, neighborhood did.

There was no reason to think that he wasnt legit, to be honest, Davis said.

He said Santos won over voters who were worried about crime.

They wanted to send a message to Democrats like, Hey, fix your message on crime. Were gonna vote Republican. We feel like were gonna be safer with them, Davis said.

And Santos seemed to be a unique kind of Republican to carry that message.

He portrayed himself as this, Hi, Im a half-African-American businessman who's also Jewish, who has all these credentials with these Wall Street companies. Im gonna go to Washington and make it better, Davis recalled.

Story continues

Rep. George Santos leaves the Central Islip Federal Courthouse. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Then came the drip-drip-drip of revelations that Santos had been telling lie after lie after lie.

[The neighbors] feel like he tricked them, Davis said. They feel betrayed. He isnt actually half-lack. He isnt actually Jewish. His experience in the business world is dubious at best.

Davis added, Just the fact that he fundamentally misrepresented who he was to his voters, that has a lot of people in my neighborhood just really, really pissed off.

A former housing and environmental lobbyist named Jody Kass Finkel was angry enough to come out of retirement. She organized a Resign Santos petition. She also founded Concerned Citizens of NY 03, which describes itself as a nonpartisan group of constituents working to remove George Santos from office.

Davis joined the group and, being a savvy Princeton undergraduate, ran the Twitter effort.

Especially on social media, there have been people that are saying like, Oh, you know, representatives lie about stuff all the time. Why are you guys targeting Santos? Davis said. And I sort of get the perspective that, Yeah, politics isnt really an honest game.

But Santos has taken it to a whole new level.

Just the the complete level of grift and dishonesty and fraud that hes perpetrated on the people of New York 3 is something we havent seen before, Davis added.

The group is also employing snail mail to get Republicans to sign onto a resolution sponsored by Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) to expel Santos from Congress.

What weve been doing is a postcard and campaign with constituents in their district, Davis said. Were sending postcards to addresses in their district, basically saying, Call your representative. Tell them that you support Santos being expelled. Thats sort of how we've been putting on pressure.

They have also been issuing press releases aimed at members of the New York congressional delegation saying basically, Youve called for Santos to be expelled. Youve called for him to resign. Now heres your chance to take action, Davis said.

Indictment Highlights One of George Santos Greatest Hypocrisies

In the estimation of Davis and Finkel and others, one major barrier to such action is House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who said on Tuesday that he will not call on Santos to resign right now. Santos has been echoing Trump in saying the indictment is a witch hunt and gives every indication that he intends to remain in office until he is removed. At his appearance in federal court, he said he needs permission to travel because he intends to seek re-election.

Around the time on Wednesday that Santos was being released on $500,000 bond, Davis was describing to The Daily Beast what its like to have Santos be your man in Washington.

Right now, all the, all the people I talk to at Princeton, all my friends, when I tell them that Im a constituent of Santos, that hes my congressman, they all know about all the crimes that hes committed and all the lies that hes told, and they see it as sort of just a reflection of a broken system,  he said.

He figures that might change if there is a conviction and an expulsion.

That could show that our institutions arent rewarding lying and fraud, but are actually fighting against it, he said.

He added, Im happy that the justice system is doing its job in holding Santos accountable. If he is removed from office and if hes thrown in jail for everything that hes done, I do think that itll make people have more faith in politics.

If that happens, Santos name would be removed from the awning outside the building that now houses his district office, and locals would be able to seek help from a new representative without having to worry that providing their Social Security number might make them the target of a scam.

The residents of New York 3 will finally be free of this fraudster of a congressman, Davis said.

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.
New York Congressman George Santos is facing multiple federal charges in connection to a fraudulent political contribution scheme that involved various Florida-based companies, according to a federal indictment.

The 13-count indictment unsealed Wednesday in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York charges U.S. Rep. Santos with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. If convicted, Santos faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the top counts.

U.S. Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., speaks to the media outside the federal courthouse in Central Islip, N.Y., Wednesday May 10, 2023. Santos, the New York Republican infamous for fabricating his life story, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he duped donors, stole from his campaign and lied to Congress about being a millionaire, all while cheating to collect unemployment benefits he didnt deserve. Afterward, he said wouldnt drop his reelection bid, defying calls to resign. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

Outside of the courthouse, Santos told reporters Wednesday afternoon that the indictment is a witch hunt.

Im going to fight the witch hunt, he said. Im going to take care of clearing my name.

What is Santos accused of?

Santos illegal activities went on for several years, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Heres some of the crimes Santos is accused of committing:

 Using tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions to enrich himself, including the purchase of designer clothing and payment credit cards, during his second run for Congress, in 2022. Santos is also accused of using his personal bank accounts to launder the money.

 Applying for and receiving nearly $25,000 in unemployment benefits while he was employed as a regional director by an investment firm, where he earned an annual salary of approximately $120,000, and running for Congress at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021.

READ MORE: Impossible parking fees, puzzling diner bills: Retracing George Santos steps in Miami

 Misled the U.S. House of Representatives in his financial disclosure statements, where he, among other things, failed to report nearly $50,000 in income from the investment firm and unemployment insurance benefits in 2021.

U.S. Rep. George Santos leaves the federal courthouse in Central Islip, N.Y., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Santos pleaded not guilty to charges alleging a financial fraud at the heart of a political campaign built on dubious boasts about his personal wealth and business success. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

How is Florida connected to the scheme?

According to federal investigators, Santos used several Florida-based companies to commit some of the illegal activities.

Story continues

READ MORE: George Santos reported lots of spending in Florida. Heres where he says he went

Heres what the indictment says about that:

 Santos induced supporters to contribute tens of thousands of dollars to a company based in Merritt Island, Florida, to back his candidacy, but he pocketed the money for personal expenses instead. With the help of a political consultant, he falsely stated to his supporters that their donations were going into a non-profit legally allowed to spend money on political campaigns, resulting in at least two wire transfers of $25,000 each in 2022. The name of the business is known to federal agents but wasnt revealed in the indictment.

 Devolder Organization LLC, a Melbourne, Florida-based company, was owned by Santos and was one of two authorized managers of the Merritt Island business that was used to receive the political donations.

READ MORE: A look at some of the falsehoods that made Congressman George Santos a household name

 And remember the salary from an investment firm that investigators say Santos failed to report after he worked as their regional director? The name of the Melbourne, Florida-based corporation was not revealed in the indictment. But The Washington Post reported earlier this year that Santos was the New York regional director of Harbor City Capital, a now defunct investment firm whose assets were frozen in 2021 when the Securities and Exchange Commission accused it of running a classic Ponzi scheme. The Post reported that Harbor City Capital called Santos a perfect fit when it hired him a year earlier.
(Bloomberg) -- George Santos has one less fraud case to worry about.

Most Read from Bloomberg

A day after he pleaded not guilty to a 13-count federal indictment on Long Island, New York, the Republican congressman resolved claims that he used a stolen checkbook to buy $1,300 worth of shoes and clothing in Rio de Janeiro state in 2008.

What was the beginning of a lawsuit was closed today, Santoss Brazilian lawyer, Jonymar Vasconelos, said Thursday. From now on, he is not responsible for any lawsuits in Brazil.

US prosecutors also accuse Santos of purchasing clothing through fraudulent means. According to the indictment unsealed Wednesday, he solicited funds from donors for his campaign and used them instead for personal expenses including luxury clothing.

Santos, who is of Brazilian descent, wouldve been challenged to appear for any court proceedings in that country. He surrendered his passports Wednesday before he was released on a $500,000 bond.

The congressman maintains his innocence and has refused to resign from the US House of Representatives despite mounting pressure from lawmakers and constituents.

--With assistance from Ney Hayashi.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
George Santos has bizarrely claimed that his arrest on federal charges is linked to his support for the Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, also known as Miles Guo.

In a fundraising appeal, Mr Santos tweeted: I asked questions about #MilesGuo & the DOJ indicts me 5 days later! The fight is real & Im OVER the target, I need your support to keep me fighting for freedom. #MAGA #TrumpWasRightAboutEverything #StopTheCCP #freeMilesGuo.

Chip in today! he added.

Mr Guo, a self-exiled Chinese businessman and close ally of Steve Bannon, was arrested by US authorities in March on charges for fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors claim he led a complex conspiracy to defraud thousands of his online followers out of over $1 billion dollars.

Mr Guo has received vocal support from Mr Santos, who himself was arrested on 13 federal charges on Wednesday, including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements to the House of Representatives.

The New York Republican held a heated press conference after exiting his arraignment at the federal courthouse on Long Island, calling the probe a witch hunt.

Im gonna fight my battle, Im gonna deliver, Im gonna fight the witch hunt, Im gonna take care of clearing my name, he said. He said he wasnt resigning and was planning on running for re-election.

Mr Santoss arrest came days after he appeared on a livestream conducted by supporters of Mr Guo.

Mr Guo has worked extensively with far-right broadcaster Bannon, who briefly served as the chief strategist in the Trump White House.

Supporters of Bannon, such as the New York Young Republicans Club, are also big fans of Mr Santos. Mother Jones reported that these connections may be the reason why Mr Santos appeared at a mansion in Mahwah, New Jersey to support a conspiracy theory that Mr Guo has been framed by the FBI on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.

The interview with Mr Santos was shown on a programme shared by supporters of Mr Guo on Gettr  a right-leaning social media platform.

Story continues

Mr Guo has been known to have influence over the app, according to the magazine.

Before fleeing China as he faced criminal charges in 2014, Mr Guo made a fortune in real estate. After coming to the US, he became an alleged dissident, gaining followers by slamming the Chinese regime as he worked with Mr Bannon.

While bashing the authoritarian Chinese leadership, he also shared conspiracy theories about issues such as the 2020 election and the Covid-19 pandemic.

He has said that China controls pharmaceutical companies, and in 2021, he said that the country was using vaccines to kill Jews. He claimed they were doing so because the world internet is overwhelmingly in Jewish hands.

Mr Guo also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to have Donald Trump remain in the White House, according to Mother Jones.

Mr Guo was charged earlier this year for using his supporters among the Chinese diaspora to get investments for a number of mostly fraudulent projects, such as a Chinese language news channel and a cryptocurrency, the magazine notes. He then supposedly used most of those funds to buy luxury goods.

In the interview, Mr Santos said, I have established after very deep thought and very deep soul searching and understanding of the issue, [that] I will not stop until Miles Guo is free and given an opportunity to a trial.

While Mr Guo has been denied bail after hes considered to be a flight risk, hes not being denied a trial.

Many may try to silence us, Mr Santos said. Many may come after us. But I will not stop this fight.
Four employees in the Georgetown County school district are accused in a lawsuit of trying to get rid of a high school principal because he is Black.

Larry Odom, principal of Carvers Bay High School, filed a lawsuit against the school district on May 1, claiming he had been treated unfairly, disrespectfully, and as an inferior person, because he is Black, despite his education and performance on the job.

The lawsuit claims the school district violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Odom is being represented by attorney Thomas Tisdale in Charleston.

Mr. Odom has a stellar record of what hes done for the school system, Tisdale said. And he has gotten many awards for his work. And, and this is just a blemish, not on him, but on the school system.

A spokesperson for the school district could not be reached via email or phone.

The four employees named in the lawsuit are school district Superintendent Keith Price, Human Resources Director Doug Jenkins and Michael Carvis and David Hammel, both in supervisor positions.

The suit claims they had a joint, planned effort, working together to work toward the demotion and dismissal of the Plaintiff from his position at Carvers Bay High School, by implementing an improvement plan.

According to the suit, the improvement plan was a pretext for setting up Odoms dismissal. The Sun News has requested the improvement plan from the U.S. Department of Education.

The suit also claims there was a public dismissal of Black Lives Matter, a national organization. A staff member announced publicly that the organization was nothing more than a terrorist organization, according to the suit. It does not say which staff member made the comment.

Larry Odom began as principal at Carvers Bay High School in 2019. The high school has majority Black students who are economically disadvantaged, according to the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. News, which regularly tracks public education ratings and demographics.

More records and court evidence are expected to become available as the suit moves forward.
A key in a door Sundaemorning/Getty Images

There's no building that can scare Marjy Stagmeier  show her a dilapidated apartment complex littered with trash, and she sees the opportunity to provide hundreds of families with affordable housing.

It started with the Madison Hills Apartments in Cobb County, Georgia. The 446-unit property was blighted, criminal activity was high, and the kids who lived there went to a failing elementary school. It was clear that the "toxic effect" of the complex was spilling over to the school, Stagmeier, an affordable housing innovator, told The Week. After Stagmeier and her partners bought Madison Hills, they renovated it and formed a partnership with the school. Stagmeier also started the nonprofit Star-C, which launched an after-school program to help young residents. Within five years, 90 kids were in the program and their school was a Title 1 School of Distinction.

Affordable housing provides stability and influences a person's finances, education, and health. In 2020, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that in areas it examined, median rent increases of $100 a month were associated with a 9 percent increase in homelessness. Having to move multiple times a year because of rising rents also interferes with a child's education; research has shown that kids lose three months of reading and math learning every time they change schools.

"People need a place to live to raise their families in a conducive, reduced-stress environment," Stagmeier said. "Housing affordability allows families to stay in place and form the important community relationships and trust to thrive. Our tenants have consistency to meet their neighbors, network to find jobs, select careers, feel pride and happiness in their housing environment, no matter their income, rather than having to uproot and move every year and chase affordability."

In her new book, Blighted: A Story of People, Politics, and an American Housing Miracle, Stagmeier writes about using the success of Madison Hills as a blueprint for her team's next big purchase in 2018: the Summerdale Apartments in Atlanta. Dozens of informational meetings were held when the property was purchased, so the project began with buy-in from the community. Like Madison Hills, this complex was renovated because it is not as expensive as new construction; at Madison Hills, it cost $45,000 to renovate each unit, and would have cost more than $130,000 to completely rebuild. Renovating allowed her to keep the rent at $725 per month, rather than the $1,300 per month that would have been charged for a new build.

Story continues

On top of the renovation, forming partnerships with the local school, health clinics, area foundations and nonprofits, and law enforcement, as well as introducing the Star-C after-school program, has given Summerdale the boost it needed. Crime rates plummeted, and there are plenty of activities for kids, who can often be found on a playground they designed. This affordable housing prototype can be replicated across the U.S., Stagmeier said, with landlords looking through a community lens rather than commodity.

"We are offering an example of a unique housing model with the tenant at the center," Stagmeier said. "Like any business, if you put your customer at the center, the profit comes."

You may also like

MTV News shutting down after 36 years

Sen. Dianne Feinstein returns to D.C. after extended absence, Democratic tensions

Trump's loss to E. Jean Carroll was likely aided by these 2 blunders in his taped deposition
After decades of explosive growth, the Anglican Church of Nigeria claims about 18 million members (others say 8 million), and the Center for Global Christianity near Boston estimates it has 22 million active participants in worship.

After a half-century of decline, the U.S. Episcopal Church has 1.5 million members, and its average weekly attendance was just above 500,000 before the COVID-19 pandemic and 300,000 afterward.

Caught in the middle of these two trends is the Most Reverend Justin Welby, by Divine Providence the 105th Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of All England and the "first among equals" among bishops in the 42 churches in the Anglican Communion. While his own flock claims 26 million baptized members, about 600,000 attend weekly services.

Now, Global South church leaders  representing about 75% of Anglicans who frequent pews  have decided that it's time to start cutting ties between the "Canterbury Communion" and the rest of the Anglican Communion.

King Charles III is crowned with St. Edward's Crown by the Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverend Justin Welby during his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey on May 6 in London, England.

"We have no confidence that the Archbishop of Canterbury nor the other Instruments of Communion led by him  are able to provide a godly way forward that will be acceptable to those who are committed to the truthfulness, clarity, sufficiency and authority of Scripture," warned the Global Anglican Future Conference, which met April 17-21 in Kigali, Rwanda. GAFCON IV drew 1,302 delegates, including 315 bishops, from 52 nations.

Meeting together, leaders of GAFCON and the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches proclaimed that "they can no longer recognize the Archbishop of Canterbury as an Instrument of Communion, the 'first among equals' of the Primates. The Church of England has chosen to impair her relationship with the orthodox provinces in the Communion."

While this gathering in Africa drew little or no coverage from Western news organizations, Lambeth Palace released a brief response, noting that the Kigali Commitment statement echoed many previous claims about Anglican governance.

Story continues

"As the Archbishop of Canterbury has previously said, those structures are always able to change with the times," said the statement. However, Welby "said at the recent Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Ghana  that no changes to the formal structures of the Anglican Communion can be made unless they are agreed upon by the Instruments of Communion" controlled by Canterbury.

The bottom line: Welby insists that bishops in England's former colonies have not been granted the power to change structures created by the Church of England.

Meanwhile, Anglicanism's First World churches have a disproportionately high number of active bishops and large trust funds built on generations of wealth. Global South Anglican flocks are rich in converts, children and, in many battle zones, martyrs. While clashes over LGBTQ issues have made headlines, Anglicans have increasingly become divided by colonial history, economics, culture, demographics and radically different approaches to doctrine.

Conservative Anglicans remain committed to a 1998 resolution on marriage and sexuality approved during the last Lambeth Conference attended by most Global South bishops. The Lambeth 1:10 text stated that "homosexual practice" is "incompatible with Scripture," while also urging Anglicans to "oppose homophobia." This passed with 526 votes in favor, 70 opposed and 45 abstentions.

While Welby has acknowledged that Lambeth 1:10 remains an "official" Anglican teaching, bishops, clergy and laity of the Church of England's General Synod voted 250-181 to allow priests the option of performing blessing rites for same-sex couples already married by the state, while declining to allow formal same-sex marriage liturgies.

The archbishop of Canterbury is attempting a classic Anglican maneuver in which the words of core doctrines remain unchanged, but bishops have the option to offer local pastoral policies that change what doctrines mean in real life, according to Gavin Ashenden, a former Anglican chaplain to the late Queen Elizabeth II. He converted to Roman Catholicism in 2019.

Thus, Welby will argue that Canterbury has not crossed a "red line" into heresy. At the same time, Global South Anglicans face years of complex paperwork and politics  think colonial ties  because "English canon lawyers wrote most of the constitutions" that define their churches, wrote Ashenden in a Catholic Herald essay.

"The word on the street," he added, "is that having recently spoken very publicly about his vulnerability to despair and depression,  Welby will enter into a long and peaceful retirement; but only after he has claimed his place in history by crowning the new King."

NEXT: Global South Anglicans strive to move beyond arguments about sexuality.

Terry Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Terry Mattingly: Global South starts cutting ties with Canterbury
General Motors said Wednesday it is launching a new business called GM Envolve that it expects will streamline operations and provide added revenue.

GM Envolve will encompass all of GM's sales force under one umbrella. It will work directly with business and government fleet customers as a one-stop shop for all of GM's fleet products  such as internal combustion and electric vehicles  and for access to business units such as BrightDrop, GM Energy, GM Defense, OnStar, GM Genuine Parts and more.

GM is launching GM Envolve  a one-stop customer experience, designed with input from fleet customers and dealers to make it easier to tap into all the products and services GM has to offer.

This is a new business unit, Steve Hill, president of GM North America and the leaders of GM Envolve, told reporters. Were consolidating the sales organizations into something called GM Envolve. But the business units arent going away. The business units still have to run their business. Theyll be providing subject matter experts that the sales teams need to rely on to help solve the customers problem.

For example, if a business customer needs chargers for an EV fleet, GM Envolve can call on an expert from its GM Energy business unit to tailor an energy-management solution for that customer. GM launched GM Energy last October.

Hill said GM Envolve will not require new hires. Ed Peper, who will run day-to-day operations and all fleet vehicle sales as U.S. vice president of GM Envolve, said it is about giving customers a single point of contact.

"It really is about all the business units in GM that have served business-to-business and business-to-government customers, working even closer together to leverage the power of this company and the power of the solutions that we have for our customers and create those custom solutions that we have for each one of them," Peper said.

Steve Hill, president of GM North America and the leader of GM Envolve.

By being the main point of customer contact, GM Envolve will streamline GM's sales and operations and create more revenue by selling current and future customers more of GM's services offered across various business units. Hill declined to say how much revenue GM expects to gain, but said, "There's huge opportunity. We've kind of piloted this with a few of our key customers and the results that we've seen have been really encouraging not just for GM, but for the customers themselves. It's a win-win."

Story continues

One real-world example GM offered was with auto part giant AutoZone. R. Scott Taylor, head of AutoZone's fleet and commercial analytics, told reporters that AutoZone has had GM gasoline fleet vehicles for years and it uses OnStar to monitor drivers' behavior and diagnostics to recover any lost or stolen fleet vehicles. Now AutoZone has ordered 60 Chevrolet Bolt EUVs for parts delivery starting later this summer. Taylor said the company is working with GM Energy on those to provide charging stations.

More: GM looks to turn former Pistons' Palace site in Auburn Hills to an EV parts plant

More: Used EVs are growing in popularity, but beware to watch for these issues when shopping

Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: GM expects revenue gains from new 'one-stop shop' for fleet customers
Remember back in 2018, when Google removed "don't be evil" from its code of conduct?

It's been living up to that removal lately. At its annual I/O in San Francisco this week, the search giant finally lifted the lid on its vision for AI-integrated search  and that vision, apparently, involves cutting digital publishers off at the knees.

Google's new AI-powered search interface, dubbed "Search Generative Experience," or SGE for short, involves a feature called "AI Snapshot." Basically, it's an enormous top-of-the-page summarization feature. Ask, for example, "why is sourdough bread still so popular?"  one of the examples that Google used in their presentation  and, before you get to the blue links that we're all familiar with, Google will provide you with a large language model (LLM) -generated summary. Or, we guess, snapshot.

"Google's normal search results load almost immediately," The Verge's David Pierce explains. "Above them, a rectangular orange section pulses and glows and shows the phrase 'Generative AI is experimental.' A few seconds later, the glowing is replaced by an AI-generated summary: a few paragraphs detailing how good sourdough tastes, the upsides of its prebiotic abilities, and more."

"To the right," he adds, "there are three links to sites with information that Reid says 'corroborates' what's in the summary."

As it goes without saying, this format of search, where Google uses AI tech to regurgitate the internet back to users, is wildly different from how the search-facilitated internet works today. Right now, if you Google that same query  "why is sourdough bread still so popular?"  you'd be met with a more familiar scene: a featured excerpt from whichever website won the SEO race (in this case, that website was British Baker), followed by that series of blue links.

Story continues

At first glance, the change might seem relatively benign. Often, all folks surfing the web want is a quick-hit summary or snippet of something anyway.

But it's not unfair to say that Google, which in April, according to data from SimilarWeb, hosted roughly 91 percent of all search traffic, is somewhat synonymous with, well, the internet. And the internet isn't just some ethereal, predetermined thing, as natural water or air. The internet is a marketplace, and Google is its kingmaker.

As such, the demo raises an extremely important question for the future of the already-ravaged journalism industry: if Google's AI is going to mulch up original work and provide a distilled version of it to users at scale, without ever connecting them to the original work, how will publishers continue to monetize their work?

"Google has unveiled its vision for how it will incorporate AI into search," tweeted The Verge's James Vincent. "The quick answer: it's going to gobble up the open web and then summarize/rewrite/regurgitate it (pick the adjective that reflects your level of disquiet) in a shiny Google UI."

Research has shown that information consumers hardly ever make it to even the second page of search results, let alone even the bottom of the page. And worse, it's not like Google's taking clicks away from its longtime information merchants by hiring an army of human content writers to churn out summarization. Google's new search interface, which is built on a model that's already been trained by way of boatloads upon boatloads of unpaid-for human output, will seemingly be swallowing even more human-made content and spitting it back out to information-seekers, all the while taking valuable clicks away from the publishers that are actually doing the work of reporting, curating, and holding powerful interests like Google to account.

As of now, it's unclear whether or how Google plans to compensate those publishers.

In an emailed statement to Futurism, a Google spokesperson said that "were introducing this new generative AI experience as an experiment in Search Labs to help us iterate and improve, while incorporating feedback from users and other stakeholders."

"As we experiment with new LLM-powered capabilities in Search, well continue to prioritize approaches that will allow us to send valuable traffic to a wide range of creators and support a healthy, open web," the spokesperson added.

Asked specifically whether the company has plans to compensate publishers for any AI-regurgitated content, Google had little in response.

"We dont have plans to share on this, but well continue to work with the broader ecosystem," the spokesperson told Futurism.

Publishers, however, are extremely wary of these changes.

"If this actually works and is implemented in a firm way," wrote RPG Site owner Alex Donaldson, "this is literally the end of the business model for vast swathes of digital media lol."

At the end of the day, there are a lot of questions that Google needs to answer here, not the least being that AI systems, Google's included, spew fabrications all the time.

The Silicon Valley giant has long claimed that its goal is to maximize access to information. SGE, though, seemingly seeks to do something quite different  and if the company doesn't figure out a way to compensate publishers for the labor it'll be gleaning from the journalists, the effects on the public's actual access to information could be catastrophic.

Updated with comment from Google.

READ MORE: The AI takeover of Google Search starts now [The Verge]

More on Google: We Interviewed the Engineer Google Fired for Saying Its AI Had Come to Life
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa  GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is set to announce a proposal to amend the Constitution to raise the voting age from 18 to 25.

Ramaswamy caught up with Fox News Digital on his tour bus as he traveled through the Hawkeye State amid the growing GOP presidential primary.

The former CEO told Fox News Digital that he plans to announce a constitutional amendment to raise the voting age from 18 to 25, unless a person serves the nation in the military or as a first responder or can pass the civics test immigrants take when becoming citizens.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY SAYS THERES NO LIMIT TO WHAT HELL SELF-INVEST INTO HIS GOP PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy told Fox News Digital that he plans to announce a Constitutional amendment to raise the voting age.

Ramaswamy plans to announce the Constitutional amendment proposal during a Thursday evening rally with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.

"Were going to be talking about this to a large audience of actually young people in Iowa," Ramaswamy said. "Gov. Kim Reynolds is going to be there tomorrow. There was going to be the perfect place to roll this out tomorrow night to lay out one of the most, I think, bluntly, ambitious proposals weve rolled out in this campaign.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"Which is to say that we want to restore civic duty in the mindset of the next generation of Americans. And how we want to do it is to say that, if you want to vote as an 18-year-old, between the ages of 18 and 25, you need to either do your civic duty through service to the country  thats six months of service in either military service or as a first responder, police, fire or otherwise  or else you have to pass the same civics test an immigrant has to pass in order to become a naturalized citizen who can vote in this country."

"At age 25, that falls away," he added.

Ramaswamy said he believes the amendment will drum up civic engagement in America and lead to a more informed population of voters.

Ramaswamy said he believes the amendment will drum up civic engagement in America and lead to a more informed population of voters.

The GOP candidate also said his proposed amendment would "supercede" the 26th Amendment that sets the national voting age to 18.

Story continues

Ramaswamy noted that the 26th Amendment was passed in 1971 and that one "of the arguments for that was that if you're going to have a draft, military draft, that brings 18-year-olds in, then they ought to have the right to vote."

"Which, actually said, that this is a relatively familiar notion to us, tying the voting age back then to the age that you could be drafted in the military says that there's a deep and this is a long-standing tradition in our country, tying civic duties to the privileges of citizenship," he said.

Ramaswamy told Fox News Digital that the proposal is "fundamentally different" to Jim Crow laws and that there is "no room for funny business like you had in the Jim Crow era."

"We literally require people to pass that test to vote today," he said. "If you're an immigrant, I'd say the same thing applies if you're an 18-year-old who graduates from high school who wants to vote."

"But you don't have to do it that way," he continued. "You could also do it by doing a minimal amount of service to the country."

Ramaswamy told Fox News Digital that the proposal is "fundamentally different" to Jim Crow laws and that there is "no room for funny business like you had in the Jim Crow era."

Ramaswamy said he hopes the amendment will help younger Americans get out and vote more by "making voting something thats a true privilege by attaching real civic duty to it."

"I think we will make it more desirable to vote by actually adding more meaning to the act of voting rather than just emotion that people go through or accustomed to going through. And I think that will actually be positive for our civic culture. And I also think that this can be unifying," he explained. "Whether you're the kid of a billionaire in the Upper East Side of Manhattan or whether you're the daughter of a single mother in the inner city, it doesn't matter. You have the same requirements to be part of the special group of people at a young age who get to participate in deciding who governs the country. And I think that restores a sense of civic equality and a sense of civic duty that we have long missed in our country."

Ramaswamy called his amendment proposal not a Republican or Democrat idea but "an American idea for restoring civic duty and civic pride in the next generation of Americans."

Last week, Ramaswamy said hes already poured eight figures of his own money into his 2024 campaign and emphasized that theres "no limit" to what hell continue to invest into his White House run.

Ramaswamy, a health care and tech sector entrepreneur, best-selling author, conservative commentator and crusader in the culture wars who declared his candidacy for president in February, is worth roughly $600 million, according to Forbes. And Ramaswamy hasnt disputed past estimates that he has a net worth of half a billion dollars.

Last week, Ramaswamy said hes already poured eight figures of his own money into his 2024 campaign and emphasizes that theres "no limit" to what hell continue to invest into his White House run.

"Theres really no limit to what well put into this campaign," Ramaswamy said in a Fox News Digital exclusive national interview following a campaign event at the University of New Hampshire in Durham.

The 37-year-old first-time candidate noted that "weve already made an eight-figure investment in this campaign. Combine that with nearly 30,000 unique donors in just the first 10 weeks.  Theres going to have to be a grassroots movement that lifts this up, but given the family sacrifice that were already making, theres no limit to the financial sacrifice that well make as well."

Pointing to the $500 million that multibillionaire business and media mogul Mike Bloomberg spent in just four months in his unsuccessful campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, Ramaswamy said, "I do think that Michael Bloomberg proved it  you cant buy elections in this country, which I think is a good thing. The people of this country are too smart for that."

But Ramaswamy said that his wealth "is going to be something that allows us to compete. I dont have years of political lists and campaign bases to draw from or existing donors  big donors who are viewing me as their sort of guy. Thats the part that were skipping by actually having independent, self-created wealth, and frankly, that actually gives me some latitude many of those professional politicians dont have because those donors  especially mega-donors  have expectations. I dont dance to anybody elses tune but to voters who we actually serve."

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
A Republican senator from Alabama found himself issuing an awkward clarification on Wednesday after attempting to knock President Joe Biden for his efforts to rid the US military of white nationalists and other right-wing extremists.

Sen Tommy Tuberville was speaking with a local radio station on Monday when he first made the comments in response to a question about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins work to weed out persons with ties to dangerous extremist ideologies, in particular the white nationalist rhetoric known to have spawned the recent racist massacre in Buffalo, New York, among other attacks on US soil.

While attempting to respond, he seemed to equivocate between Americans with explicitly racist views and the throngs of Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol on January 6  or, at the very least, argue that the Biden administration sees no difference between the two groups.

You mentioned the Biden administration trying to prevent white nationalists from being in the military. Do you believe they should allow white nationalists in the military? asked the WBHM interviewer.

The senator responded: Well, they call them that. I call them Americans. What happened after January the sixth  and I was here on January the sixth  we were attacked on the Senate floor. Saying all these people that came into the Capitol were extremists, they were against the country. There was a lot of people. There were probably a hundred of them that came in, broke windows and broke doors that should have been locked up. Thats not how we do it in America. But there were hundreds of thousands that didnt come in, outside, that were true Americans that believe in this country.

He then linked the decision by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to pursue extremist rhetoric and views in the armed forces as an effor to tar all Trump supporters as such  though Mr Austins efforts notably have done no such thing.

[R]ight after that, we, our military and Secretary Austin, put out an order to stand down and all military across the country, saying were going to run out the white nationalists, people that dont believe how we believe, he said. And thats not how we do it in this country.

Story continues

By Wednesday, his office had been forced to clarify that Mr Tuberville was not complimenting racists. Instead, his staff said in a statement, Mr Tuberville was disputing the presence of such ideologies in the armed forces at all.

The comment, his staff said, shows that he was being skeptical of the notion that there are white nationalists in the military, not that he believes they should be in the military.

His remarks nonetheless spawned a flurry of news coverage at a time when America is still reeling from the latest consequences of white nationalist ideologies: A mass shooting in Allen, Texas, where a suspected gunman is thought by law enforcement to have shared neo-Nazi views online prior to the rampage.
A technician adjusts a camera before a 2015 debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley. GOP presidential candidates will face off there again this year. (Associated Press)

As a Republican in San Francisco, Jay Donde describes his experience in the liberal bastion as frustrating.

But that may soon change due to a quirk in how the state Republican Party awards delegates in presidential primaries. Donde and other GOP voters in liberal swaths like the Bay Area and Los Angeles could have a greater voice in picking their party's presidential nominee in 2024 than their counterparts in the most conservative corners of the state, such as the Central Valley.

That's because a GOP presidential candidate is awarded three delegates for every California congressional district that they win. It doesn't matter if it's former House Speaker Nancy Pelosis San Francisco-based district, home to 29,150 registered Republicans, including Donde, or current House Speaker Kevin McCarthys district centered in Bakersfield, where 205,738 GOP voters live.

"It's exciting," said Donde, 39, an attorney and co-founder of the San Francisco Briones Society, an organization of centrist Republicans, moderates and independents. "Not a lot of Republican voters in California realize the state is going to have such an important role in potentially selecting the next nominee for the Republican Party."

While the GOP's presidential delegate-allocation system in California has been in place for nearly two decades, it's poised to make an impact next year, largely because the state's primary is taking place early, on March 5, and there is an open race for the Republican nomination.

Were a very delegate-rich state, said Jessica Millan Patterson, the chairperson of the state Republican Party. An incredibly blue [congressional] seat in Los Angeles or San Francisco has just as many delegates as a strong Republican seat in other parts of the state.

With 169 delegates, California has the most of any state in the nation and nearly all are awarded by congressional district. Candidates need just over 1,230 delegates nationwide to win the party nomination.

Story continues

If a candidate wins less than one-fifth of Californias 52 congressional districts, thats still a larger cache of delegates than if he or she wins several other states. New Hampshire, which receives an inordinate amount of media and campaign attention because it traditionally holds the first primary in the nation, has a total of 22 delegates.

If you can come in California and carve out a couple media markets where you can spend a lot of money or you can put together a lot of volunteers and get a [small number of] Republican votes in overwhelmingly Democratic congressional districts, you have a great shot to pick up delegates, said former GOP chairman Jim Brulte. And if you get 15 or 20 or 30 delegates from California, thats more delegates than some other states have."

The Republican voter registration in 20 of the states 52 congressional districts is 20% or less; none have 50%, according to the secretary of states office. Statewide, Republicans make up 24% of the electorate, Democrats 47% and voters who express no party preference 22%.

Historically, the statewide winner received all of California's delegates, resulting in few competitive races because of the expense of campaigning in such a vast state with some of the most expensive media markets in the country. Candidates frequently visit to fundraise from the large number of wealthy donors who live here.

Nobody came here to campaign," Brulte said. "They brought their vacuum cleaners and they sucked out all the money."

Republican candidates square off in 2015 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, which will host a primary debate again this year. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A quarter-century ago, conservatives hoping to make the state more competitive and attractive for Republican presidential candidates proposed drastically overhauling the primary system, awarding three delegates per congressional district. Another 13 delegates would be awarded proportionally based on statewide results.

I wanted to get California more in play, and I felt winner-take-all was a drag on that, said Mike Schroeder, a state party leader when he launched the effort to change delegate-allocation rules. I thought if we created a situation where even if you couldnt win the whole state, you could get a reward for winning part of it, that would have the effect of putting California in play.

An additional bonus in a state in the midst of dramatic demographic changes was that this move could prompt Republicans to reach out to voters in communities they had traditionally ignored, Schroeder said.

It created a reason to do it, he said. Its almost like a mayors race, where you have to learn how to go into each one of these neighborhoods. You could also call every voter for much less than TV advertising.

Though the effort was first proposed in 1998, supporters of then-GOP presidential candidate George W. Bush  including Brulte, a legislative leader who was a co-chair of Bushs California campaign  balked because the then-Texas governor was widely expected to win the 2000 state GOP primary, and such a rule change could dampen his delegate lead.

They were successful: The new delegate allocation rules did not take effect until 2004. And it has largely not been tested since then because the nomination races were largely settled before the California primary  there was an incumbent Republican president, a candidate had a commanding lead or the primary was scheduled so late that the nominee had effectively been selected.

But now, for the first time, I think California truly is in play, Schroeder said.

However, he said a key question was whether the East Coast political consultants who typically lead White House campaigns and are schooled in the weeds of delegate rules in early states such as Iowa and New Hampshire but unfamiliar with California's bylaws would organize in time. If so, their candidates could be rewarded with "a huge haul" of delegates, Schroeder said.

No 2024 candidate is actively employing this strategy yet  their visits to California to date have focused on meeting donors and power brokers, and making appearances at prominent GOP venues such as the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley. The party's second presidential primary debate will take place there later this year, though former President Trump has implied on social media that he may not participate because Fred Ryan, the chairman of the library and Reagans former chief of staff, is publisher of the Washington Post.

But state party officials and Republican strategists say they have received inquiries about the delegate-allocation process from the campaigns of Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, as well as a likely candidate who they declined to name because this person has not officially announced a run.

Spokespeople for the Trump and Haley campaigns did not respond to requests for comment.

Nevertheless, Republicans who live in the states most liberal areas are excited by the prospect of being courted by White House hopefuls.

If someone actually employs that strategy, it would be a nice bone to throw to long-suffering San Francisco Republicans, said John Dennis, the chairman of the citys GOP.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill, the New York Times says is the toughest crackdown on undocumented immigration in the U.S.

Employers will now have to use the federal E-Verify service to check the immigration status of an applicant.

It also prevents county governments and non-governmental organizations from using tax dollars to issue IDs to undocumented immigrants.

Watch: Stay tuned: Gov. DeSantis hints at presidential run announcement

And will also invalidate any out-of-state license issued to an undocumented immigrant.

The governor blames states like California for issuing licenses to immigrants.

Watch: DeSantis signs bill banning TikTok in Florida schools

At the end of the day. You wouldnt have the illegal immigration problem if you didnt have a lot of people facilitating this in our country, DeSantis said.

The law will also prosecute anyone who transports undocumented immigrants in Florida with five years in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Read: Florida lawmakers pass bill allowing radioactive material to be built into Florida roads

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.
Kentuckians need a governor who reflects their values and will help govern the commonwealth according to those values. Thats why Im running for governor and would be honored to have your vote in the May 16 Republican primary.

Gov. Andy Beshear has failed Kentucky.

Because of his failed leadership, weve seen higher murder rates in our largest cities; the demoralization of our law enforcement community; lock-downs and shut-downs; and the constant prospect of our coal industry being destroyed.

And on education, the damage done by this governor and his Commissioner at the Kentucky Department of Education, Jason Glass, grows daily.

Our teachers have been given the unenviable task of trying to help our students recover from the learning loss caused by Mr. Beshears short-sighted decision to shut down schools for nearly two years.

And rather than find support from the KDE, teachers have found an unsympathetic commissioner who cares more about advancing gender ideology than helping our kids learn reading, writing and math.

Mr. Glasss hostility towards educators was on full display during a recent committee hearing in Frankfort. When asked what teachers should do if they had reservations about the gender ideology curriculum creeping into our schools, he coldly replied that the teachers should find different jobs.

Their joint-assault on our values must come to an end in November.

Whether you want a nominee who will promote a culture of life, stand with our brave men and women of law enforcement, or vigorously protect your constitutional rights, I am that candidate.

Im the only candidate who can say that when Mr. Beshear tried to shut down churches, I went into federal court and had them reopened in nine days.

Im the only candidate who can say that when President Biden tried to force vaccine mandates on our Commonwealth, I went into federal court and stopped those mandates from going into effect.

Im the only candidate who can say that because of the work of my office, there hasnt been an elective abortion in Kentucky since last August.

Story continues

And Im the only candidate who can say Ive brought in nearly $900 million dollars to the state to fight the opioid epidemic.

Ive shown repeatedly that I will do what is right regardless of whether it is politically expedient. When radical liberals tried to intimidate me and my family, by threatening us on our front lawn, I stood strong and never wavered from the truth.

Ive taken the slings and arrows that come with being in the arena and fighting for the law without fear or favor. I havent backed down as Attorney General, and I wont back down as your next governor.

Its because of these actions and my steadfast commitment to Kentucky that Ive been endorsed by Kentucky Right to Life, more than 100 law enforcement officials, and President Donald J. Trump. They all know that Ive been tested and that Im ready to lead our commonwealth.

So I humbly ask for your support too. Im confident that together we can build a coalition large enough to not only win the May 16 primary, but that will also beat Mr. Beshear in the fall.

Together, we can empower teachers and ensure that parents are involved in the educational opportunities of their kids. Together, we can keep our streets safe from crime and drugs. And, together, we can ensure that those values that have propelled our nation forward since its beginning, remain with us for generations to come: faith, family, and community.

Thats whats at stake in this race for governor and thats why Im asking for your support in the May 16 Republican primary.

Thank you and may God bless you.

Daniel Cameron is Kentuckys Attorney General and a Republican candidate for governor.

Editors Note: The Herald-Leader will publish one Opinion piece from political candidates during the primary season.
This article originally appeared on Velo News

After doing the Traka gravel race, I had a moment at the post-race meal.

First, there were the lentils. Then, big vats of pasta, rice, and paella. Bowls of olives and mixed nuts, of course, as well as cheese and charcuterie. Pie-shaped Spanish tortilla cut into bite-sized pieces. Chocolate cake for dessert.

At every table, there were a few bottles of extra virgin olive oil for glugging.

And so what if the beer was warm (and it was Heineken, yuck) and the bread was kinda hard, the food was delish.

And then someone told me about the fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Freshly-squeezed (Photo: Betsy Welch)

While these details may only interest the food-motivated like myself, they were among a catalogue of observations that I made at the Traka gravel race in Girona a few weeks ago. Among the more general motivations -- yes, I would love to go to Spain in April, and yes, I would love to ride my bike there -- I traveled to Girona to see what a European gravel race, the Traka arguably the largest one, was like.

Self-serve EVOO and OJ notwithstanding, I felt strangely at home the minute the event weekend began.

Gravel race shakeout ride, Girona style (Photo: Betsy Welch)

On the Friday before the event, I had my choice of three shakeout rides (I missed the hill climb on Wednesday due to delayed flights). At packet pickup that afternoon, there were beers at the Pas Normal Studios van and coffee at the SRAM tent. A mechanic from Hutchinson Tires provided neutral support -- and said there was nothing he could do for my contaminated brake pads.

In the 36 hours leading up to the race, I ran into a whole heap of people I knew, many that I'd met at the Migration Gravel Race in Kenya two summers ago. Dennis from the Netherlands was there with his girlfriend, John the South African flower farmer with his wife, and so were friends from Team Amani.

Friends from all over the world (Photo: Betsy Welch)

During a city tour of Girona for media folks, I saw a woman in a Lauf t-shirt who looked strangely familiar -- it was Rakel, the super strong woman Icelandic woman I rode with at the Grefillin, the windiest gravel race of my life.

Story continues

I met people I've interviewed on the phone (Maarten from the Nordic Gravel Series) and others who I've admired from afar via social media (like ultra legends Sami Sauri, Josh Ibbett, and Mattia de Marchi).

Oh, and big hugs were in order with both Amity Rockwell and Sarah Sturm, the American women who would eventually finish 1-2 in the 360k race late Saturday evening.

The gravel fam is indeed global.

Sturm and Rockwell, with a podium pine tree (Photo: Betsy Welch)

At the race start, the grass was dewy, and the Harry Styles song on the speakers would remain on a loop in my head for the next four hours. There were nothing but nice carbon fiber bikes all around, more European brands like 3T and Willier than Santa Cruz or Specialized, but those too. I even spotted an Allied from Arkansas.

I lined up next to a guy from Denmark, who said that gravel had become super popular back home. Like most everyone who rides gravel in Europe, he had ridden road before and said he preferred getting away from cars and chilling out a bit more on the gravel.

And, like many people who ride gravel in Europe, he'd decided that getting off the busy roads and chilling out a bit more was also fun to do at high speeds with thousands of other people at a gravel race.

The Traka, from 30,000 feet

If youre familiar with the origin story of gravel in the US, some parts of the Trakas history will ring true.

When Klassmark -- a promoter with deep roots in the MTB and trail running scene -- launched the Traka in 2019, 100 people registered. In 2020, the number doubled. Cristina Bosch, one half of the Klassmark's indomitable founding duo, told me that she and her partner Gerard considered scrapping the gravel race altogether.

"Maybe the Spanish people don't like gravel," she recalled thinking.

Klassmark co-founder Cristina Bosch (Photo: Betsy Welch)

But, they kept it on the calendar, and in 2021, 200 people became 400 and jumped to 1,000 last year.

This year, the event sold out with 2,000 people registered across the event's four distances.

Although gravel has had a decade-long head start in the US (more or less depending on the event), Europe seems to be quickly catching up. As someone who both chronicles and participates in gravel races, I was surprised by the similarities, intrigued by the differences, and curious about the trajectory of races like the Traka and gravel in general in Europe.

Lets start with whats similar.

As is the trend in US gravel, the Traka offered four distances, 360, 200, 100, and 50k. The 360 and 200k riders race on Saturday, the 100 and 50k on Sunday. Cleverly, the packet pickup for the 100 and 50k races is Saturday evening, just as the first 360k finisher is predicted to come in (that was Mattia de Marchi in 13 hours  ).

Watching Mattia de Marchi approach the finish line via livestream (Photo: Betsy Welch)

According to Bosch, 40 percent of riders signed up for the 200k, followed by the 100k at 28 percent. 22 percent opted for the ultra 360k, with the smallest number of riders riding the 50k.

Total rider numbers always seem to beget another question: how many were women?

Just 14 percent of the total riders, Bosch said. The percentage varied depending on the distance, however, with women making up nearly 40 percent of the 100k.

While some races in the US are nearing an average of say, 20-30 percent womens participation, 14 percent isnt uncommon across the pond either. What is becoming less exception and more rule, however, is the expectation that equal attention is paid to the womens race, whatever its numbers, by both the organizers and the media.

The top ten women in the Traka 360k (Photo: Betsy Welch)

At the Traka, it was a relief to see all the camera flashes and stoke for both Rockwell and Sturm as each one crossed the finish line in the dark and drizzly weather; and, judging by the applause at Sundays podium presentation, the crowd seemed to be biased toward the top 10 finishers of the womens 360k.

Another familiar vibe I picked up on over the weekend was keep the UCI out of gravel. Although many of the European riders I spoke with were quite aware of the UCI Gravel World Series and even planning to attend one of the races, they also seemed to stick to the script that, when it comes to gravel, grassroots is better.

Klassmark itself is walking the tightrope between the business in the front and party in the back; while the Traka is is part of the newly launched -- and unsanctioned -- Gravel Earth series, its next gravel race, Hutchinson Ranxo, is part of the UCI Gravel World Series.

All of the other organizers in the Gravel Earth series were in attendance at the Traka

Speaking of the mullet protocol, this is one place where US and Euro gravel arent necessarily on the same page.

Just as the front of the race wasnt dominated by a few dozen fulltime pros, nor was the back brought up by riders in jorts smoking joints. I raced the 200k, where it seemed that everyone was mostly business -- but in a European, stop for a big lunch in the early afternoon, type of way .

Will Euro gravel get more pro? Probably, and quickly. With that, will its cross-cultural counterpart also flourish? That part Im not as sure about.

However, I think the most important questions dont have to do with either of those factions at all. Those are: will never-ever or novice riders feel comfortable at a gravel race in Europe? Will gravel become a gateway to the sport, rather than a place just for experienced riders to slot in?

This shakeout ride definitely wasnt for beginners (Photo: Betsy Welch)

Although its not without flaws I think the US gravel scene has done a good job at creating a culture where you dont have to have experience in any other discipline to show up at a gravel race; beginners may be overshadowed by the fast-growing fast riders, but theyre certainly welcome.

As the Traka and other races grow, theyre going to bump into the same challenges facing US gravel, a major one being safety. During the 200k race, a rider collided with a car and was hospitalized with severe injuries. The next day, in the US, a rider/car collision at Rasputitsa in Vermont resulted in a death.

While some race organizers are scrambling to add more course marshals at busy intersections -- and the Traka had these -- on open roads, theres no guarantee that riders wont encounter cars. And the drivers of those cars, be they rural Spaniards, Vermonters, or urban San Diegoans, may not be aware that there is a bike race as they drive to work on a Saturday morning.

The Traka, from the ground

Many of these observations began as kernels of thought during my own day riding the Traka 200k. Often, Im torn between fully giving myself the experience of a bike race and making sure I do the job I set out to. At the Traka, it was no different, which means that the person, the rider really, that I am inevitably shows up loud and clear.

I loved the landscape of the flat sections of the route; coral-colored poppies filled troughs along the roadside and dotted the endless fields of green. I did not love how fast everyone was going, and I let myself get dropped repeatedly. I dont care, I thought. This is how it always is, and this time Im in Spain.

I had to stop (Photo: Betsy Welch)

I loved the routes big, burly climb during the hottest part of the day. I chose my line well through the sandstone slabs and passed a dozen men who were visibly suffering. This is also how it always is, even though I inevitably get passed by some of those men on the descent.

I also loved it when the tiny ember of competitiveness that simmers somewhere in my consciousness of I dont care got stoked.

When there were probably only 10-15 miles to go, a group of six Italians overtook me on a shady straightway. There were two women embedded in the group, and a tall guy was pulling up front. I hitched a ride, moderately annoyed -- first at the girls for getting pulled around, and then at myself, for riding the entirety of the race alone.

Always smile for the photographer (Photo: The Traka)

The course got tricky and technical as we neared the finish. I pulled away on a short, steep climb, but the Italians caught me. Then, we all took a wrong turn, but I was the first to notice and turn around. We dropped into some singletrack along a creek, and I decided that I really wanted to beat those girls.

The last mile of the course had us on some janky, urban singletrack behind the Nescafe factory, and that was where I knew I'd truly dropped them. I grinned as I rounded the finisher straight all alone.

New friends from Pas Normal greeted me with a cold Radler, the Traka folks draped a souvenir mug around my neck, and the Italian girls rolled in a few minutes later. After high fives and freshly-squeezed juice and sharing stories of the day with friends new and old, I went back to the hotel to shower. Then I rode back to the venue, had a beer, and waited for Amity and Sturmy to finish their big race.

It all felt strangely familiar.

For exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today.
Tree houses are cute and nostalgic. Kids love them. But can they really provide a sophisticated luxury resort experience thats worth returning to again and again?

From Tennessee to the Loire Valley, five-star tree house resorts are popping up just about everywhere these days. A world-weary, been-there-done-that traveler might be tempted to dismiss the category of tree house hotels as just another novel, flash-in-the-pan Instagram moment. But a new generation of hoteliers begs to differ, claiming that Gramability can coexist with the important work of elevating eco-consciousness.

More from Robb Report

Theres no question that hoteliers are more focused than ever before on sustainability, and todays travelers care more about the environment and climate change than ever before, Mike Freed, the owner of Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, Calif., which operates seven eco tree houses, tells Robb Report. Hoteliers are becoming more focused on providing guests with sustainable, organic, and non-toxic products that promote both the environment and wellness.

Nowhere is that more apparent than at the four-key Treeful Treehouse, which opened in 2021 under the quiet cover of the pandemic.

The trophy tree houses at Treeful Treehouse in Okinawa lets guests connect with nature.

Nestled beneath a canopy of Akagi trees in a remote area within Okinawa, Japans Yambaru National Park, the resort feels primed for Insta.

Glittering string lights illuminate the resorts whimsical Spiral Treehouse. Floating mere inches above the Genka River, the suite has a a connecting sauna, reachable via a single-plank sky bridge. Its a fantasy dreamscape. Think Swiss Family Robinson with all the creature comforts of your childhood tree house dreams. Theres no TV or Wi-Fi here. As blissfully removed as it is from reality, the hotel has a very real mission.

Story continues

Our resort is designed with the purpose of eliminating the boundary between the space dominated by humans and the space dominated by wild nature, says Maha Kikugawa, chief marketing officer of Treeful Treehouse. By adopting sustainable practices and working towards a more sustainable future, we can help to create a world where humans and nature coexist in balance and harmony.

Kikugawa, who graduated with a degree in Ecosystem Science and Policy from the University of Miami, said the vision to build a sustainable tree house resort has always been rooted in creating an experience for guests to come and co-exist with nature while leaving them with a deeper sense of purpose and responsibility about sustainable living.

From the beginning, we knew we wanted to make it into a resort, not just a tree house for ourselves, Kikugawa adds.

Built by hand and admittedly with a lot of trial and error by Kikugawas father and first-time hotelier, Satoru Kikugawa, the resort used repurposed wood and solar-power to become carbon negative. Each tree house is positioned high enough off the ground to allow the soil and microorganisms below to flourish. The project took the better part of decade and the attention to detail has paid off: In March, Treeful Treehouse won the award for the Most Instagrammable Hotel in Asia.

Back in the U.S., on a 37,000-acre ranch in western Montana, the adults-only Green O opened a mix of sustainable luxury tree hauses in 2021. The homes are built with reclaimed flooring and wood from recycled wine barrels; even the roads and cart paths here are made from recycled asphalt millings.

Tree houses, like this one at Nayara Bocas del Toro in Panama, make a perfect nest for couples.

We tried to take everything thats cool about tree houses but give it a contemporary spin that still celebrated the forest, Laurence Lipson, managing director and co-owner of the Green O, says.

With just 12 accommodations, the Green Os primary goal was to create a sense of privacy for couples while honoring the bounty of Montana timberland.

Mindfulness of the environment was of the utmost consideration in designing and building the Green O, Lipson says. One of the primary goals for the design of the hauses was to bring the outdoors in and to create a seamless transition between haus and forest. We also wanted it to be as private as possible because we knew that they could be perfect for couples getaways and had the thought that visitors would want to experience the wilderness in a way thats very private.

Tree houses dont mean you have to give up creature comforts.

The honeymoon jet-set is certainly a target audience for all tree house resorts. But one of the newest and most romantic is Panamas adults-only Frangipani Island, Nayara Bocas del Toro. In February, it unveiled two 50-foot-high tree houses and has three more on the way.

With a balance of elegance and texture, we are at once open to nature and sheltered within our own space, resort designer Elora Hardy says.

Blending Balinese and Panamanian vernaculars, the tree houses are tricked out with outdoor jungle showers and deep soaking tubs. Each space has been handcrafted from locally harvested bamboo and 19 varieties of reclaimed and partially petrified hardwood recovered from the Panama Canal.

In the Loire Valley, a less literal tree house puts you at squirrel-eye view.

We are absolutely seeing a rise in accommodations inspired by nature, says Hannah Nelson, the PR director for sustainable hotel brand Beyond Green. When followed through with the local and ethical sourcing of materials, these types of lodgings can dramatically improve the sustainability and attractiveness of hotels for guests who crave more authentic ways of living.

Thats certainly true at Post Ranch Inn, whose tree houses were designed to protect the roots of the redwood and native oak trees while providing guests with the opportunity to connect with nature and leave with a sense of purpose as future stewards of the land, according to Freed.

What weve learned is that guests are beginning to understand the importance of selecting hotels that embrace sustainability, not just in the design, but with more of a focus on organics, especially with food, and the products used throughout the hotel, he says.

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.
An Airbnb owner in Virginia surveyed the walls of her rental after a guest had checked out  but something was missing.

The weirdest thing a guest has ever done, Amy Corbett, the co-founder of an Airbnb hosting company in Lynchburg, Virginia, said on her TikTok.

Before the guest stayed at the property, a black-and-white picture of a world map hung above the couch. When Corbett checked, the map photo was gone  and replaced with a rustic painting of an airplane propeller.

I have never seen this picture before in my life, Corbett said. I dont know where it came fromI gotta say, I was a little creeped out.

Her story quickly captivated millions of viewers on TikTok, many who had the same question as Corbett: Why?

Corbett debunked some theories TikTok had about why the guest swapped the paintings. Was it his artwork? Nope, Corbett said. The airplane canvas painting can be bought in a bunch of places online. He didnt swap it to cover up a hole or any damage, she added  the wall behind the painting was perfect. She doubted that he broke the first painting, either, because it was so durable.

Security footage showed the suspected guest carrying the airplane photo into the Airbnb and then later carrying out a painting-like shape wrapped in blankets to the car, which Corbett said she could only assume was her missing picture.

After filing a claim with Airbnb, the guest paid $25 toward damages and didnt explain anything about the situation, Corbett said in a follow-up video.

Many comments on Corbetts page said they actually liked the new photo better and encouraged her to keep it  but the Airbnb owner was determined to get to the bottom of it, especially since she heard from previous hosts that the guests had damaged their property.

Story continues

Other hosts told Corbett that the same guest had put things in their home without approval and left the space dirty, as she showed in another video. When Corbett confronted the guest as to why he took the artwork, he simply asked why she was making a claim with Airbnb.

Its bizarre but I thought his artwork really worked with your decor, one viewer said.

It does not matter if you think it looks better, he stole her property, and has a bad reputation with other hosts, another person commented. Shes not being a Karen.

In the end, Corbett was reimbursed for her stolen property through Airbnb and the guest was removed from the platform, she said in a TikTok.

Dozens of viewers encouraged Corbett to keep the mysterious plane picture, but she decided to put the strange situation to good use and launched a charity raffle to help raise money for affordable housing, she told her viewers.

Tickets were $2 and gave participants a chance to win a $250 gift card to Corbetts company properties and the strange plane picture.

So now what hangs inside the River House Airbnb? Corbett hired an artist to paint a custom scene of the waterfall just outside the home.

Now, chain it to the wall with a cable and padlock! one viewer joked.

Instant waterworks. Mom with cancer moves millions on TikTok in Texas familys videos

Kitten shows up at SC shelter with head wedged in soup can. Now he has name to match

Unique buried treasures unearthed after 2,000 years by metal detectorist in Wales

8 pounds of meth  covered in mustard  was mailed to South Carolina woman, cops say
Hainan Airlines

Direct flights between Edinburgh and China are to resume this summer after almost four years.

Hainan Airlines will operate flights twice-weekly between Scotland's busiest airport and Beijing from 26 June until 8 October.

The last direct service, also operated by Hainan Airlines, was cancelled in late 2019 due to the Covid pandemic.

Edinburgh Airport said it would be the only direct link between Scotland and China when the route starts next month.

The resumption of the service is seen as a strong indicator of the Scottish appeal for Chinese tourists and students.

Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar described it as "fantastic news".

He said: "This important connectivity will provide a boost to Scotland's universities and tourism industry, open up a wealth of new business opportunities, and enable better access to other parts of the world."

Transport Minister Kevin Stewart also welcomed the announcement.

He said: "This direct connectivity is great news for people and businesses in both Scotland and China, building strong links for business and exports, as well as making it easier for visitors and students to come and experience Scotland."
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) put former President Donald Trump and his supporters in the Republican Party on blast on Wednesday by naming their three defining characteristics.

And theyre not exactly points of pride.

One, facts dont matter, Jeffries told MSNBCs Lawrence ODonnell minutes after Trumps lie-filled CNN town hall event. Two, hypocrisy is not a constraint to their behavior. And three, they actually believe that shamelessness is a superpower.

Hakeem Jeffries on MSNBC: "The Republican Party under Donald Trump and Trumpism has three basic philosophical pillars. One, facts don't matter. Two, hypocrisy is not a constraint to their behavior. And three, they actually believe that shamelessness is a superpower." pic.twitter.com/OnmiwAc8rV  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2023

CNN was widely panned for the town hall event, in which Trump not only repeatedly lied but did so to a roomful of supporters who cheered him on.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called CNNs decision to air the event shameful and slammed the network for a series of extremely irresponsible decisions.

Even CNNs own employees were reportedly embarrassed by the event, with one unnamed insider telling Rolling Stone it was a fucking disgrace.

Jeffries and ODonnell also called out CNN for failing to fact-check Trumps claims on abortion and other topics.
MH6-little-bird.jpg

The U.S. Armys elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is expecting to replace more than 50 percent of its MH-60 Black Hawk and AH/MH-6 Little Bird fleets starting in the early 2030s. Special operations-specific variants of a new Bell tilt-rotor aircraft the Army is acquiring and of the services still-to-be-decided advanced armed scout helicopter are set to supplant significant numbers of MH-60s and AH/MH-6s, respectively.

At least some versions of the Little Bird, possibly including an advanced hybrid-electric derivative, and of the Black Hawk are still expected to remain in service due to the niche capabilities they offer U.S. special operations forces.

Geoffrey Downer, head of U.S. Special Operations Commands (SOCOM) Program Executive Office for Rotary Wing (PEO-RW), provided details on the future of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiments helicopter fleets to The War Zone and other others at a briefing at an annual conference now known as SOF Week yesterday. In addition to Black Hawks and Little Birds, the 160th  known as the Night Stalkers  also operates MH-47 Chinook helicopters. It is also worth noting that the Night Stalkers Little Birds can be configured for the light attack role, where they are referred to as AH-6s, or configured as light transports, which are designated MH-6s. Its MH-60s are primarily transports, but can also be configured as more heavily armed gunships known as Direct Action Penetrators (DAP).

A pair of 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment MH-6 Little Birds take part in a recent Air National Guard-led exercise. These are readily identifiable as MH-6s by the planks for personnel to ride on and the Fast Rope Insertion/Extraction System (FRIES) rigs that those individuals could use to rappel down that are seen on either side of their central fuselages. Air National Guard An AH-6-configured Little Bird belonging to the 160th is seen here firing a rocket and multiple types of guns. U.S. Army A 160th SOAR MH-60M configured as a Direct Action Penetrator (DAP). United Composites

Story continues

As it stands now, the Army has started developing its requirements for a successor to its CH-47s, which will directly inform what happens to the special operations Chinooks, but is still very early on in that process. The situations regarding the Armys plans to replace its UH-60 Black Hawks and to acquire new armed scout helicopters are very different.

A pair of 160th SOAR MH-47G Chinooks. U.S. Army Another view of an MH-47G in flight. U.S. Army

In December 2022, the Army picked a derivative of Bells V-280 Valor tilt-rotor aircraft as the winner of its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition. A protest against that contract award by a member of the losing team, Sikorsky, was rejected in April. The FLRAA aircraft will replace at least a significant portion of the Armys non-special operations Black Hawk fleet.

The service is expecting to pick a winning design in its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) armed scout helicopter competition before the end of next year. There are concerns that delays with the acquisition of engines for these helicopters, which are coming through the separate Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP), could hold up progress on FARA.

Regardless, the 160th expects to receive that aircraft [FLRAA] from the Army and we're currently doing studies to look at the modifications that we need to make to do it from a SOF configuration, SOCOMs Downer explained. The FARA, that's going to be very important to us because as we replace the Little Bird. It [The Little Bird] only flies 90 knots, so it'll [FARA] give us critical speed that we need.

The Army wants whatever it picks as the winning FARA design to have a top speed of at least around 180 knots. Bells 360 Invictus and Sikorskys Raider X are in the running for that contract.

Bell's prototype 360 Invictus, which the company said was around 90 percent complete when this picture was taken. Bell The initial Sikorsky Raider X under construction. Sikorsky

When these FARA and FLRAA aircrafts start coming into SOCOM in the early 2030s timeframe, and we get those into our fleet we will have replaced over 50 percent of our fleet with those platforms with the numbers the Army... is planning on giving to us, according to Downer.

The 160th transitioning away, even in part, from MH-60s and AH/MH-6s will give the unit a significantly different look. As Downer said with regard to the Little Bird replacement plans specifically, this will give Army special operations aviators a significant boost in speed. The V-280-based FLRAA will offer a major increase in range, as well, compared to the Black Hawk. As The War Zone has noted in the past, range and speed are set to be critical factors for U.S. military aviation elements, broadly, in any future major conflict. Being able to cross long distances quickly could be especially important in a conflict in the broad expanses of the Pacific. That theater is especially challenging for traditional rotary-wing assets that lack range and fly at comparatively slow speed.

An MH-60M Black Hawk. U.S. Army

The FLRAA and FARA designs are expected to have improved survivability and other advanced capabilities, as well.

The Night Stalkers are adapting and evolving to meet the needs of today's environments which include new multi-domain threats, a volatile global environment, weapons of mass destruction, space and cyber effects, integrated air defenses and layered anti-access/area denial systems, the narrator of a video Downer played during the briefing yesterday explained. After decades now of focusing on counter-terrorism operations in permissive environments, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is ready to answer the nations call once more, in any domain, arriving anywhere, any time.

One of the 160th's MH-60Ms comes into land during training with Air Force personnel. DOD

This all being said, Downer stressed that the 160th is expected to continue operating at least a pocket fleet of Little Birds and Black Hawks well into the foreseeable future. For special operations forces, in particular, these helicopters offer niche platforms that could be better suited to certain scenarios than their future FLRAA and FARA alternatives. For one, FLRAA and FARA aircraft are bigger than the MH-60 and the AH/MH-6s, respectively. This limits how it might be possible to deploy them, including within larger cargo aircraft or certain ships, and impose other kinds of major operational limitations, especially with regard to where they might be able to land. How Bell's FARA offering might be able to take over for the MH-6 as a small personnel transport is also unclear.

The 160th is notably the only remaining operator of Little Bird helicopters anywhere within the U.S. military, at least publicly, in large part because of their very compact, adaptable, agile, and multi-functional design.

A current generation MH-6 Little Bird. DOD

We're working with the Army and what the number of those aircraft are going to be that we receive from them. But we know that for this configuration we don't expect to get a 100 percent fleet on the FARA because the 40-foot rotor is significantly different than the smaller rotor that we have," SOCOM's Downer had explained at last year's iteration of the SOF Week conference, then known as the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC). "We need this street fighter. We need this aircraft that can rapidly deploy, so we will have some mixed fleet going forward.

Multiple MH-6s can be transported by a single C-130 and be rolled out and flying within minutes, not hours, upon arrival.

This picture of one of the 160th's AH-6 Little Birds being unloaded from an Air Force MC-130 special operations tanker/transport aircraft perfectly highlighters some of the reasons why the Night Stalkers continue to use these helicopters. DOD

Beyond that, the 160th, as well as other top-secret U.S. military special operations aviation units, have a long history of operating small numbers of unique or otherwise specialized helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to meet niche requirements. With this in mind, the Night Stalkers could very well acquire more advanced derivatives of the helicopters they already operate in the future, too.

We've actually done some studies, or the PEO has done some studies in the past, working with DARPA to identify [new] configurations, SOCOMs Downer said yesterday while speaking specifically about U.S. military-wide efforts to explore aviation capabilities that use propulsion systems that rely less on hydrocarbon fuels. We've looked at the Little Bird, we figured out how can we reconfigure that platform to accommodate a hybrid electric configuration, and I'll touch on that in a minute in terms of benefits.

Downer explained that commercially-available all-electric rotary-wing designs that are in development now, including ones that the U.S. Air Force is testing as part of its Agility Prime project, do not meet existing special operations requirements. He said that SOCOM has looked into platforms like this, but that the types it has seen so far are too limited in terms of their ability to hover for sustained periods of time and the total number of personnel they can carry.

The Air Force is evaluating the electrically-powered vertical takeoff and landing-capable design seen here from Joby Aviation as part of its Agility Prime program. Joby Aviation

So, what we're looking to do is we're looking to evolve our existing aircraft and go hybrid electric. We're starting a program with DARPA in 24 [Fiscal Year 2024]. We're going to go out with a limited competition to take the 530 - we've actually acquired the aircraft - and what can be done to reconfigure the aircraft with hybrid electric [power], he said. The studies that we've done show that you can get anywhere from 25 to 100 percent increase in speed. So, if I'm flying in at 90 knots now, I can get 170-180 knots. That's huge."

The "530" Downer referred to is the Hughes 530 helicopter family, now produced by MD Helicopters. The 160th's current generation Little Birds are related to the 530 design, but Boeing is the prime contractor for those helicopters.

It gives us an ability to have a platform that can keep pace with the other aircraft that we're going to be receiving from the Army with the FARA and FLRAA, the head of SOCOMs PEO-RW continued. Or we can get anywhere between 25 to 75 percent increase in range.

These claims are stunning to hear. Whether they will materialize is another story. If they come anywhere near those figures, that would be a massive enhancement.

Whatever the 160th SOARs final fleet mix looks like in the end, the unit is clearly set for a major transition in its core aircraft in the next decade. And this transition is really a necessity at this point. Just the range limitations alone common in traditional rotary-wing aircraft will make the application of the Night Stalker's unique abilities less relevant in potential future peer conflicts. With a mixed fleet of M/AH-6s, MH-60s, FLARA and FARA aircraft, and the MH-47, the famed unit will be far better equipped to confront challenging scenarios, including long-range anti-access ones, than they are today.

Howard Altman contributed to this story.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com
The prime suspect in Natalee Holloway's 2005 disappearance is slated to be extradited to the United States, a potential step towards justice in the high-interest case that has gone unsolved for years.

In a case that drew international headlines, the 18-year-old American student disappeared on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba. Her body was never found.

Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot will face trial for alleged extortion and wire fraud, charges that stem from the Holloway case, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

Here is what to know about the case that has spanned decades and sparked true-crime productions including a television mini series.

Who is Natalee Holloway? What happened to her?

Holloway, who lived in suburban Birmingham, Alabama, was last seen during a high school graduation trip to Aruba with classmates.

She vanished after a night with friends at a nightclub, leaving a mystery that sparked years of news coverage and countless true-crime shows and podcasts. She was last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot, then 18 years old, outside a restaurant and nightclub in Oranjestad.

Beth Holloway, mother of Natalee Holloway, claims in the federal lawsuit filed Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, that the deception surrounding 'The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway' was so complete she was even tricked her into providing a DNA sample to match against what producers claimed were remains that could be those of her long-missing daughter.

Holloway was set to fly home from the Caribbean island on May 30, 2005, but failed to appear for her flight.

Authorities said she was in a car with van der Sloot and two other men  Deepak Kalpoe and Satish Kalpoe, according to the FBI.

2012: Missing teenager Natalee Holloway declared dead

Who is Joran van der Sloot?

The son of a judge, van der Sloot was never charged in her death. He is serving a 28-year sentence for killing a Peruvian business student, Stephany Flores, in his hotel room in 2010 after meeting her in a casino.

Investigators suggested that he was angry that the 21-year-old Flores had apparently seen information on his computer about the Holloway case. He also stole her money and credit cards and briefly fled the country.

Van der Sloot has been arrested twice in Aruba, but never charged, in connection the disappearance of Holloway, USA TODAY previously reported.

Story continues

Joran van der Sloot sits in the courtroom before his sentencing at San Pedro prison in Lima, Peru. The government of Peru issued an executive order allowing the temporary extradition to the United States of van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American Natalee Holloway in the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.

Why is van der Sloot being extradited to the US?

The suspect's extradition to the U.S. stems from an alleged attempt to profit from his connection to the Holloway case. A grand jury in Alabama in 2010 indicted van der Sloot on wire fraud and extortion charges, accusing him of trying to extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Holloways.

Prosecutors in the U.S. allege van der Sloot accepted $25,000 in cash from Holloways family in exchange for a promise to lead them to her body in early 2010, just before he went to Peru.

An FBI agent wrote in an affidavit that van der Sloot reached out to Holloways mother, Beth, and wanted to be paid $25,000 to disclose the location and then another $225,000 when the remains were recovered. During a recorded sting operation, van der Sloot pointed to a house where he said Holloway was buried but in later emails admitted to lying about the location, the agent said.

Previously: Natalee Holloway's dad having human remains found in Aruba DNA tested

Perus Minister of Justice Daniel Maurate said in a statement Wednesday the government decided to accept the request from U.S. authorities for the temporary transfer of van der Sloot to be prosecuted on extortion and fraud charges. In Peru, all extraditions must be approved by the president.

Case sparked vast media coverage, true-crime productions including 'The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway'

In the 2017 series "The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway," which followed Holloway's father and a private investigator as they chased a lead in the case, John Christopher Ludwick claimed van der Sloot paid him $1,500 to dig up Holloway's remains and cremate them. He was not charged in the case.

The idea was to crush everything to the point where it wasnt recognizable as her bones or skull or anything like that, Ludwick said on the show.

From 2018: Oxygen Media defends series about Natalee Holloway amid mother's lawsuit

Ludwick, of Port Charlotte, Florida, a community northwest of Fort Myers, was stabbed to death at age 32 in early 2018 after he attempted to kidnap a woman from her vehicle in nearby North Port, police said. Ludwick was roommates with the woman at one point and wanted a romantic relationship with her, but she didn't, North Port police reported.

Contributing: Associated Press; Mary Bowman, USA TODAY; Stan Chambers WTSP-TV/Gannett

Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What happened to Natalee Holloway, Joran van der Sloot? What to know
A congressman representing the Northern San Joaquin Valley said hes taking a stand for humane treatment of animals after reports of horrific neglect at puppy mills.

Rep. Josh Harder, whose district covers San Joaquin County and part of Stanislaus, co-sponsored the Puppy Protection Act, which would impose additional standards for dog breeders in hope of stopping mistreatment.

A year ago, almost 150 dogs were rescued from a puppy mill in the 500 block of Roselawn Avenue in west Modesto. Stanislaus County sheriffs deputies were investigating a case of domestic violence and torture at the duplex when they discovered the dogs, many which were in small, inadequate cages, standing in their own feces, with no water or food.

Investigators found bins with each containing six to eight puppies. One dog was dead and another was euthanized.

I was shocked when I learned about the terrible conditions at some dog breeding facilities, said Harder, who with his wife, Pam, has has fostered shelter dogs. The dogs (in puppy mills) are stuck in crates all day, never get to go outside, and are dying from malnutrition. People dont realize how low the federal standards are this industry.

Dozens of puppy mills across the country have been shut down for inhumane treatment.

Authors of the bipartisan bill want the Department of Agriculture to expand the standards and require breeders to provide veterinary care, nutritious food and access to drinking water. Groups endorsing the legislation include the Animal Welfare Institute, the Humane Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Other proposed requirements in the bill include:
Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media

Im not afraid of you, said Alex Jones then-wife Kelly Jones.

No, you better be afraid of the consequences, Alex shot back.

In a six-minute audio clip obtained by DailyMail.com Thursday, Alex can be heard venomously berating his now ex-wife with insults and threats in what Kelly alleges was regular behavior for the Infowars founder.

The audio, recorded in November 2009, is from an argument between Alex and Kelly that stemmed from a lost iPhone. In the clip, Alex repeatedly threatened Kelly, who said she was sick with pneumonia at the time, telling her several times, You better learn. He also called her a loser and really trashy.

I do hate you, Alex said. Youre just like your mother.

At one point, Alex told his ex-wife that she was going to flip when he goes to start another family and stuff. Kelly told The Daily Beast that threats like this were commonplace from Alex.

Hes a total racist, she told the Beast, in reference to her Jewish heritage. Alex used to tell me all the time that he was going to start a new family because my genes were flawed.

The shocking audio draws eerie parallels to another alt-right figureheadSteven Crowder, who had footage of him verbally abusing his then-wife in a similar fashion to Alex released earlier this month.

The similarities arent lost on Kelly, who was partly inspired to release her own clip after seeing the Crowder leak.

I couldnt watch it very easily, she said in response to the Crowder footage. Because Im watching the same exact mechanisms being enacted on her as were enacted on me.

Kelly was also called to action after seeing CNNs town hall with Donald Trump Wednesday, in which the former president repeatedly defamed and joked about E. Jean Carroll, the woman he was found liable for sexually abusing.

She said that Trumps behavior in the town hall represents what Kelly believes is a pattern of harmful family norms on the political right.

In the context of the horrible, grossly negligent CNN Trump town hall, the common thread in extremism in the family dynamic is that of domestic violence, Kelly said.

Story continues

This is hardly the first time Jones has come under firejust last year, he was accused of overseeing a spy ring to stalk Kelly and others. But Kelly hopes that releasing the audio will further expose Jones for who he is.

I think America deserves to know the kind of man Alex Jones is, she said. He doesnt care about kids.

Alex Jones did not return a message requesting comment from The Daily Beast.

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.
Seth Clayton, executive director of Board of Water Works of Pueblo, speaks during a meeting discussing the Southside diversion dam improvements project at the Rawlings Library on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

Pueblo Water expects to begin reconstruction of the Southside Diversion Dam and Raw Water Intake facility behind City Park in early September, it announced Tuesday during a project update at the Rawlings Library.

Reconstruction is expected to last around eight months before Pueblo Water begins a full commissioning of the rehabilitation project, which it announced in 2021 to improve safety on that part of the Arkansas River and create a passageway that would allow users to ride the river unimpeded.

That commissioning is estimated to start in July 2024, with accessibility of the area to come after thats completed.

The design is such that you can float down through that boat passage in an inner tube and be fairly sure that youre not going to run into an issue, said Seth Clayton, executive director of Pueblo Water. That creates additional recreational opportunities. Right now, we have that reach of the river split into two with that low-head dam, so this will open things up and make that reach of the river from below Pueblo Reservoir all the way to Runyon Lake fully navigable.

The estimated cost of the project is $11 million. To cover that, Pueblo Water secured a $9.75 million low-interest loan from the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the city, county and Pueblo Conservancy District each pitched in $325,000. Pueblo Water will cover the rest, Clayton said.

Clayton also said Pueblo Water is unlikely to change its rates to help repay the loan.

Why is Pueblo Water rehabilitating the dam?

The dam, at times, has been a hazard for people who visit that area by water or land. In summer 2020, a father and son, Ricardo Valencia Sanchez, 46, and Jose Louis Valencia, 16, drowned after they were ejected from a raft on that stretch of the Arkansas River. Pueblo Water said these deaths accelerated the timeline of the project, which it had started design work for at the end of 2018, Clayton said.

Because of that hazard, Pueblo Water called the safety of the community a primary driver for the project.

Story continues

This existing dam has about a 12-foot drop from upstream to downstream, said Scot Burbidge, transmission, distribution and engineering manager for Pueblo Water. What happens during different and higher flow conditions is the water is so efficiently passed to the downstream side, it creates a high velocity current that moves water with quite a force back toward the dam. Anybody that comes over the dam gets caught in that current.

The Southside Diversion Dam that's located behind City Park.

Burbidge added that even the strongest of swimmers could have great difficulty in swimming out of that situation because of the strength of the moving water.

What does the design look like?

There are a lot of parts to the design, but in addition to enhancing the safety of the area and incorporating a recreational element, the design includes small channels for fish to safely swim downstream through that area and maintains some of the dams key functions, including the ability to divert water to the Riverside Dairy Ditch, among others.

More: Summer paving season has arrived. Here's what to know about this year's projects

To make the area safe to navigate, a series of six drops, or pools, will be created along the north side of the river. Those will fall incrementally at a total of 12 feet, Burbidge said.

At their deepest points, each of those pools will be about 3 to 4 feet, said Joe Cervi, public relations specialist for Pueblo Water. Theyll also feature a calm stream with beaches alongside them if people want to temporarily exit the water.

A chute spillway will be built where the 12-foot drop is now and should provide a safer and less dangerous path downstream if people decide to take that route, which would operate like a lazy river, Clayton said.

Pueblo Water constructed a model to simulate the flow of water through this design.

It makes sure we dont create any different conditions upstream or downstream by the new construction, Burbidge said.

Contractors will construct a new pedestrian bridge that will tie into a new trail system, which at certain points will connect to the existing one near the north end of the river. The existing pedestrian bridge in that area will be relocated upstream near Pool 3 and should provide access from the trail to people who want to recreate or fish in the area.

An aerial view of the rehabilitation project for the Southside Diversion Dam that will include six drops, or pools, and a chute spillway that is designed to increase safety.

Clayton said the project could potentially lead to other opportunities in the future such as the erection of a parking lot near Pueblo Boulevard, allowing people to walk to the area from their cars, or tying it in with the Nature and Wildlife Discovery Centers River Campus.

I think its going to be a really tremendous project and amenity for a lot of people, Clayton said.

Some residents who live around the area express concerns

At Tuesday's project update, some attendees who live near the dam and project site cited infrastructure and stormwater concerns with the surrounding area. Others questioned what the impact will be on nearby residents with whats expected to be increased foot traffic in that area because of its recreational potential.

Clayton was amenable to those concerns but said they are unlikely to alter the project in any way because they are exclusive of one another and the project. Pueblo Water owns the dam but none of the surrounding property.

However, he said Pueblo Water has worked with the city regarding the planned trail system and new pedestrian bridge and that its open to joining, if need be, any community sessions that include those residents and the city.

City Council President Heather Graham and councilor Larry Atencio each urged residents who might be impacted by the project to meet and discuss concerns so they can address them with the city.

Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @josuepwrites.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: What we know about reconstruction plans for Pueblo's Southside dam
Ebony Magazine came to Milwaukee for "a quick, but much-needed getaway," then put together a guide from the visit.

In "Here's how we spent 48-hours exploring Milwaukee, Wisconsin," which published earlier this month, DeAnna Taylor, lifestyle editor-at-large, shared her itinerary. Broken into morning, afternoon and evening sections, it features restaurant recommendations (and what to order), things to do, where to stay and more.

And, it was sprinkled with shoutouts to our 2021 world champion Milwaukee Bucks.

Here's a look at where Ebony  which has spotlighted the worlds of Black people in America and worldwide since 1945  went during the trip. And we have some ideas for next time the publication is in town:

Where Ebony stayed

Taylor stayed at the iconic Pfister Hotel  and totally lived it up, from a "super" relaxing trip to the Well Spa and Salon to the bar and lounge Blu on the 23rd floor.

And bonus, there was no mention of any paranormal encounters.

Inside the Pfister Hotel downtown Milwaukee.

Ate at popular Black-owned restaurants and also a James Beard Award semifinalist

Arguably the best part of any trip is the food. Taylor got a taste of a couple of the city's well-known Black-owned eateries, including Twisted Plants, Mi Casa Su Cafe and Pats Rib Place.

In addition, she did a dinner at Lupi & Iris, by Michael DeMichele and chef Adam Siegel, which focuses on Mediterranean cuisine, in particular, the French and Italian Rivieras. In January, the restaurant was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for best new restaurant in the country. Siegel won the Beard Award for best chef in the Midwest in 2008, for his work at Lake Park Bistro.

Reinforcing the Mediterranean theme of Lupi and Iris, 777 N. Van Buren St., two olive trees stand in the center of the dining room.

For a "hearty" breakfast, Taylor went to Mi Casa Su Cafe, 1835 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. The restaurant, opened by Daniel Trotter and Paul Whigham in 2015, also serves up lunch and dinner. Offerings include a variety of burgers, seafood, sandwiches, salads, pastas, bowls and more, according to its Facebook page.

Story continues

More: 14 reader-favorite brunch spots in the Milwaukee area

Taylor lunched at Twisted Plants, which offers vegan comfort food, and Pat's Rib Place, which serves up Memphis-style barbecue and has a family tie to Oprah Winfrey.

Brandon and Arielle Hawthorne launched Twisted Plants as a food trailer in 2019. In 2020, they opened the first Twisted Plants brick-and-mortar in Cudahy, 4905 S. Packard Ave. A second location, at 1233 E. Brady St., Milwaukee, followed in 2022.

Pats Rib Place opened in the Public Market in 2021 after being in Waukesha for more than a decade. The restaurant, owned and operated by Alisha and Ty Hayes, was named in honor of Alisha's late mother and her Southern cooking style. Alisha is Oprah Winfrey's niece.

The "Up in Smoke" burger from vegan comfort food restaurant Twisted Plants.

Some of the sights Ebony visited

Taylor took in Milwaukee's art scene and visited Americas Black Holocaust Museum "to get a better glimpse of the rich Black history found in Milwaukee."

The museum, 401 W. North Ave., officially reopened in 2022 after a nearly 14-year absence; it had closed in 2008 soon after the death of its founder, James Cameron. Cameron  who survived an attempted lynching in Indiana in 1930  dedicated his life to raising awareness about the Black experience in this country and beyond through the museum, according to a previous Journal Sentinel report.

Taylor also swung by Honeybee Sage Wellness & Apothecary, a Black woman-owned business, which has locations at 1819 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. and 9141 W. Lisbon Ave. This is what she was "blown away" by there.

Americas Black Holocaust Museum

Be sure to check out Ebony's full report at ebony.com.

5 ideas for Ebony's next Milwaukee trip

Sherman Phoenix, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave.: The entrepreneurial hub and marketplace  which rose from the wreckage of civil unrest following a 2016 fatal police shooting  is home to over two dozen shops and businesses that sell everything from fresh food, clothing and art to hair and beauty services.

Sherman Phoenix Marketplace in Milwaukee on Thursday, April 20, 2023.

Brewery hopping: The beer industry has shaped Brew City's identity since the 19th century. That's when breweries like Pabst Brewing Company and Miller Brewing Company (now part of Molson Coors Beverage Co.) emerged. Beer remains a big part of the city's culture, with more than 30 small breweries opening between 2009 and 2019, and new ones always popping up. May we suggest starting at Lakefront, 1872 N. Commerce St., which is among the city's oldest craft breweries. In addition to beer, it has an iconic tour, a full menu including cheese curds and a Friday fish fry, and a recently updated patio along the RiverWalk.

More: The 5 breweries that made Milwaukee famous: Miller, Schlitz, Pabst, Gettelman and Blatz

Patrons enjoy Lakefront Brewery's new updated waterfront patio section being one of the longest in the city about 230' long with a variety of seating options such as stools on the riverfront, tables under the awning, and a balcony section on Friday April 14, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wis.

Bronzeville Collective MKE, 339 W. North Ave.: This collaborative storefront features more than 30 local creative brands. "Almost everything" in the space is handcrafted, designed and curated by Black and Brown creatives, according to the collective's website. It all started when Lilo Allen was given 30 days of free retail space through Pop-Up MKE, a program designed to support urban entrepreneurs. She set up her "culturally conscious wearable art" in the space, as well as curated work from other local artists. When the program was finished, Allen, her friend Tiffany Miller of FlyBlooms, who also participated in the program, and two other creatives launched Bronzeville Collective and worked with the building's landlord to stay in the commercial space.

Tiffany Miller, owner at FlyBlooms at Bronzeville Collective, shows a customer Kwanzaa holiday gift items on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022 on at 339 W. North Ave., in Milwaukee. Miller is also a co-owner of Bronzeville Collective.

Festivals: Called the "City of Festivals," Milwaukee hosts many fests, fairs and events throughout the summer months. They include Summerfest, the largest music festival in the United States; Black Arts Fest MKE; Bronzeville Week; Juneteenth Day, which is one of the oldest Juneteenth celebrations in the country; Polish Fest; Bastille Days; Festa Italiana; German Fest; Irish Fest; Mexican Fiesta; Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival and many more.

People enjoy the food, entertainment, and art at the Black Arts Fest MKE 2022 on Saturday, August 6, 2022 at the Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee, Wis.

Black Restaurant Week: Milwaukee hosts an annual Black Restaurant Week, which celebrated its eighth installment in April. This year's featured 18 restaurants, eateries, cafes and bakeries, including 1700 Pull Up, Big Daddy's BBQ and Soul Food Restaurant and Coffee Makes You Black. During the event, participating establishments offer specials.

More: Here are 9 Milwaukee things to check off your summer bucket list

More: From zoo visits to festivals and the lakefront, here are free things to do around Milwaukee

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ebony Magazine visited Milwaukee and went to these restaurants, sites
Inside the long, strange history of Mother's Day. (Image: Getty; illustration by Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo)

This story was originally published on May 6, 2021. It has been updated and republished for Mothers Day 2023.

This Sunday is Mother's Day, and if youre a mom or have a mother, then by all means, celebrate!

You'll be in good company, according to the National Retail Federation, which found that, this year, shoppers plan to spend an average of $274.02 on the day  nearly $30 more than they planned to spend last year and the highest in the surveys 20-year history. Greeting cards and flowers will be purchased by 74% of people, while 60% will spend on special outings. Spending is also up across gift categories including jewelry, electronics and apparel.

Still, if you're interested in staying truer to the original intent of the holiday  which is not as clear as some would imagine, does not involve spending money on anything and comes with an at-times-dark history, full of bizarre twists and turns  it might be time for a little history lesson.

While a woman named Anna Jarvis is widely credited as being the mother of Mother's Day, "she was not the first to come up with the idea," Katharine Antolini, an assistant professor of history and gender studies at West Virginia Wesleyan College and author of Memorializing Motherhood: Anna Jarvis and the Struggle for the Control of Mothers Day, tells Yahoo Life. She says that, through her research on the subject, "I've identified at least five other people who have been tied to claiming the idea."

One was Julia Howe Ward, the lyricist of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and a post-Civil War peace activist, who had a vision of mothers coming together for an international peace movement, as laid out in her peace proclamation. "The idea was that, as mothers, we didnt raise our sons to die in the trenches," Antolini explains, though Ward pared down her "big ask" and, by 1872, prompted annual gatherings in homes and churches for Mother's Peace Day, on June 2, which was celebrated in various cities, including Philadelphia, until about 1913.

Story continues

Then there was Mary Towles Sasseen, of Kentucky, a teacher who began promoting the idea of a day to celebrate mothers in her school in 1887; by 1893 it would be observed in various locations across the country. Sasseen was unable to continue her lobbying effort behind the day, set on her mother's birthday of April 20, as she died, along with her unborn child, while in labor. Also credited with the effort is Frank Hering, president of the nonprofit Fraternal Order of the Eagles, who allegedly promoted the idea of Mother's Day in 1904. But Jarvis  the most widely hailed as the woman behind the effort  would complain about them," Antolini notes. "She fought with Frank forever, in particular, and called them all 'Mothers Day imposters.'"

Enter Anna Jarvis

So, who was this passionate founder, anyway?

Anna Jarvis waged a tireless campaign to have Mother's Day become an official holiday  and then tried to have it canceled when it became too commercial. (Photo: Getty Images)

Anna Jarvis was never a mother herself but had great admiration for her own mama, Ann Reeves Jarvis, who had started what she called "Mother's Day work clubs" in the 1850s in Virginia (now West Virginia), a public health initiative to help new moms learn about the spread of disease in an attempt to bring down the high infant mortality rate. Ann relied on her brother James, a doctor, to help educate the women  whom she had always hoped would one day be honored through an official day celebrating mothers.

Ann died before that could happen, in 1905, and that's when daughter Anna stepped in, standing over her mother's grave, as she recalled, and promising to establish a day honoring mothers in Ann's honor. By 1907 she was dedicated to a full-on campaign, writing letters to lobby politicians, the floral industry, merchants and churches, and in 1908, on May 10, her hometown of Grafton, W.Va., hosted an official Mother's Day service, at her mother's church, while Philadelphia, where Anna was living, hosted a service that afternoon; both cities would go on to claim they were the "first" to officially honor the day.

From there, Anna continued to lobby people of influence  Mark Twain, magazine editors, ex-presidents  and by 1912, following West Virginias 1910 lead, Mother's Day was recognized as a holiday in every state.

Backtracking

This is when she "starts complaining," notes Antolini, and "that's when she incorporates herself, creates the Mother's Day International Association  literally just herself and headquartered out of her home  claiming copyright over the name and logo, which is white carnation.  She starts to claim it's her holiday, but the floral industry was already running with it in 1912," and she had, after all, "reached out to them in the first place." Merchants got around her copyright claim by calling the holiday "Mothers' Day," using the plural possessive, instead of Anna's singular "Mother's."

But in 1914, it is officially recognized as a national holiday  the second Sunday in May, as per President Woodrow Wilson  making Mother's Day part of the public domain and further prompting Anna to stop what she had started, railing against the commercialization of the day.

Ann Reeves Jarvis was the inspiration behind her daughter, Anna Jarvis, lobbying to have Mother's Day become an official holiday. (Photo: Getty Images)

And the marketing of the holiday just continued, with Hallmark selling Mother's Day cards by the early 1920s  which felt "insincere" to Anna, notes Antolini. "A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world," Anna is said to have scoffed. Instead of jumping on the money-making bandwagon, Anna died broke, and in a sanatorium. "It really took it all out of her," the historian notes of her lifelong fight.

The once-champion of Mothers Day also never married or had children, and that shaped her perspective of motherhood and of Mother's Day, Antolini says. "While her mother saw it as a day to be proactive, Anna doesn't have that experience, so her Mothers Day is very much constructed through the eyes of a child: You go home and spend the day with your mother, who is the center of your world and your home," she explains. "Whereas Ann saw it more as a day for social activism," as did Howe Ward.

Sticking to the original intent

Even knowing the history of Mother's Day, with all of its twists and turns, doesn't make it perfectly clear how to best celebrate in the way that's most true to its roots.

"It depends what route you want to go," notes Antolini. "I think what makes Mother's Day successful is that theres a duality to it: Its celebrating motherhood, but I think there's room for you to determine how, and room for it to be a social movement."

Some ways to go in that direction could be volunteering  at a shelter for women and children, for example, or by taking part in the Mother's Day Virtual Run/Walk, benefiting the Wings Program to help those affected by domestic violence, or by perusing the needs of your community on Volunteer Match.

You could also make a Mother's Day donation to one of many organizations that focus on mothers: Single Mothers Outreach, offering free support to single moms around issues such as housing and job assistance; Every Mother Counts, supporting equitable maternity care in communities around the world; the Hunger Project, empowering women in global communities to end hunger; the National Partnership for Women and Families, working to advance policies supportive reproductive rights and economic justice; the Women's Prison Association, empowering women and families in the face of incarceration; and Parents as Teachers, supporting families for optimal early development of their children.

"There are a lot of examples of people using [Mother's Day] as a way to be proactive," says Antolini. "You can go either way. It can just be a simple homecoming, where you go home and thank her for everything. Or it can be a day for women to come together as mothers and say, 'Hey what do we need to do to protect children and make society safer for our families?'" Although, she admits, a bit predictably, "Anna wouldn't like that  she didnt trust charities. She always said it shouldn't be a day where mothers are pitied. It should be a day of unconditional gratitude." As for which way you'll opt to go? That's for you  and Mom  to decide.

Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life's newsletter. Sign up here.




Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (left) attends the fifth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, on May 6, 2023. [Photo courtesy of Chinese Foreign Ministry]

Recently, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang participated in the fifth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue in Islamabad. The meeting focused on enhancing counterterrorism collaboration and creating shared development opportunities, amidst growing strategic challenges for Kabul. Qin stated, "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."



The shared interest in expanding the Belt and Road Initiative's (BRI) win-win cooperation into Afghanistan and increasing public exposure to connectivity infrastructure marks a major win for all sides. China and Pakistan continue to align on future development dividends for Afghanistan, viewing its integration as essential for lasting peace. The BRI's facilitation of intra-regional connectivity in Central Asia over the past decade makes it an opportune time to build on that success, scaling up development cooperation as the BRI's flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) gathers steam.

Over many decades, the traditional neighborly ties between the three countries have taught that countering violence to uphold regional security is crucial for consolidating regional stability. High-level trilateral talks emphasized the importance of encouraging the Afghan Taliban "to fight terrorism" and "resolutely crack down on terrorist forces." Achieving hard-won, verifiable gains not only eliminates any "double standards" on shared security challenges, but also enhances existing trilateral security cooperation by drawing region-wide momentum to Afghanistan's national concerns, chiefly through a "multilateral framework" of engagement.

Washington's lead role in exacerbating transnational militancy, accelerating Afghanistan's security challenges, and contradicting peace priorities makes it abundantly clear that unity among the three neighboring powers is chief to managing expectations on conflict hotspots. "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," affirmed Qin. A dual security and development approach benefits strategic autonomy for Afghanistan and its neighbors.

From efficient transportation to agriculture, energy and hard infrastructure, the BRI has played a defining role in strengthening Pakistan-China relations. Extending such benefits to Afghanistan through a viable extension is crucial. The stated agreement to boost trilateral connectivity and extend the CPEC to Afghanistan presents a valuable opportunity to synergize development strategies and ensure that all countries have an equal stake in realizing sustainable development for their populations. For Afghanistan, that means creating long-term buffers against one of the world's most dire humanitarian crises, with two-thirds of its population on the brink.

China's focused engagement with Afghanistan comes at a critical time. At a recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers' meeting in India, ensuring stability in Afghanistan topped a sprawling agenda on peace, demonstrating the sincerity and practicality of the Sino-Pakistan consensus on Kabul. The regional environment can become even more conducive to cross-border trade and trilateral economic integration if this momentum is sustained and Afghanistan meets expectations by achieving tangible counterterrorism gains with broad-based support from its neighbors.

Therefore, the latest round of the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue should be recognized for its forward-looking vision to break conflict deadlocks in Afghanistan, steer the nation towards long-sought stability, and unite against the threat of terrorism.

Promising discussions to scale up new growth points in future cooperation and achieve peace and stability as soon as possible make one fundamental reality clear: The path to regional stability and trilateral development connectivity runs through responsible peacebuilding in Afghanistan.

Hannan R. Hussain is a foreign affairs commentator, author and recipient of the Fulbright Award. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/HannanRHussain.htm

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.
Packaged cocaine and cash seized from an apartment in Holland as part of a drug trafficking investigation involving Jason Duenas.

HOLLAND  A local man has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison for his role in a lakeshore drug conspiracy that unraveled last summer with the seizure of 42 pounds of cocaine.

Investigators say it was one of the largest cocaine seizures by law enforcement in the region. Police also seized more than $62,000 in cash and two firearms.

Jason Duenas, who was arrested in the July 2022 bust, appeared in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids this week, where he was sentenced to 12.5 years in federal prison. He faced a mandatory minimum of 10 years for possession of more than five kilograms of cocaine.

Duenas, 28, was also fined $1,000 and will have to spend five years on federal probation once he gets out of prison. A co-defendant faces sentencing in June.

Duenas came on police radar several weeks before his arrest after making contact with an undercover police informant, court records show. Investigators, armed with a search warrant, went to Duenas apartment on Carmella Lane in Holland.

Fourteen bundles of packaged cocaine were located in the laundry room inside the washer and dryer and also underneath the appliances, court records show. The packaged cocaine weighed in at approximately 19 kilos, or nearly 42 pounds.

About 12 additional ounces, including packaging, were found in a safe inside a bathroom closet.

Smaller amounts of cocaine were found in a bathroom and in the kitchen. The bulk of the cash was found inside an empty whiskey case, court records show.

Jason Duenas is a kilo-quantity drug trafficker who kept more than $400,000 in cocaine and two firearms in his home, read a sentencing memorandum.

Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage

Duenas pleaded guilty to the federal drug charge in January. At the time, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said Duenas planned to sell the cocaine to others for personal profit.

Drug dealing at kilogram scale doesnt just ruin lives, it ruins communities, Totten wrote in a January news release. The West Michigan Enforcement Team led the investigation, with assistance from the Holland Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland man busted with 42 pounds of cocaine gets prison
A Centre County man was arraigned Wednesday on charges that accused him of abandoning his animals  including two dead lambs and a horse that had to be euthanized  for three weeks in the winter.

Levi K. Byler, 30, of Curtin Township, did not adequately provide his extensive amount of animals with food, water, shelter or vet care while he was in Florida, state police at Rockview wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.

Investigators launched the probe in January. One of the animals they found on Bylers property was a pregnant, underweight 14-year-old Percheron that was euthanized, police wrote.

I probably did not do right by her, police quoted Byler as saying.

Other animals found on the property included two dead lambs, Rottweilers living in feces without food and water, and six horses that all appeared to be thin, police wrote.

The only food investigators found on the property was two round bales and a 20-pound bag of corn.

Byler, police wrote, did not understand the care necessary to take care of the animals, especially in poor weather conditions. The horses were transported in March to a farm, police wrote.

Byler said he is not yet represented by a defense lawyer. He declined comment Thursday.

He was charged with one felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals, five misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and five summary counts of animal neglect.

Byler was arraigned by District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker, who released him on $25,000 unsecured bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 17.
A horse roamed a national park in South Dakota for an entire week before a visitor spotted him wandering along the highway near a trailhead.

Finley the horse vanished from his owners campsite in Wind Cave National Park on Tuesday, May 2, his owner Gin Szagola said on Facebook. The pair are about a year into a cross-country trip from New Jersey to Oregon.

Szagola had secured Finley to her location using a 50-foot tether attached to a picket in the ground, and she worried he could be dragging the contraption behind him, which could trap him around a tree or another object and cut him off from accessing water.

Im heartbroken that this has happened, Szagola said in a post on Facebook after he went missing. Finley is my best friend and my partner. He is my life.

Szagola had been searching for Finley on horseback and on foot from sunrise to sunset and often after dark, according to her post.

Search and rescue teams with the Civil Air Patrol had been searching the park by air, but still there was no sign of the 5-year-old gelding.

The National Park Service had called off its search over the weekend, Szagola said on Facebook. And she had begun to lose hope of finding her beloved horse alive.

While I have been trying to hold onto hope, after all this time I had begun to fear the worst, she said in a May 9 post after Finley was found. Last night the last thing I did was drive the perimeter of the park looking for vultures.

But then she got an early morning call from someone who had spotted Finley wandering along Highway 385 near the Wind Cave Canyon Trailhead, according to Szagola and the National Park Service.

Park rangers spotted Finley there along the highway  and he appeared to be in pretty good shape for having spent a week in the backcountry, officials said in a news release.

They led him into the parks maintenance yard, where Szagola reunited with her horse and arranged veterinary attention for him. He was dehydrated and his right rear leg was scraped up, but he was otherwise in good health, she said.

Story continues

Park officials shared a photo of the reunion. They both look exhausted  and Szagola looks relieved to be by her horses side again.

Finley must have felt the same way, someone shared in the comments.

Beyond wonderful reunion, said someone who shared a photo of the pair relaxing in a pasture together. They are so happy to be back together. He laid down beside her and fell asleep.

In a statement, Wind Cave National Parks superintendent Leigh Welling thanked all who helped in the search, especially the Custer County Sheriffs Office, Custer County Search and Rescue, Custer State Park, the South Dakota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol and the numerous people who on their own were looking for the horse.

After all, it was park visitors who spotted him and called his location in, Szagola said on Facebook.

She also thanked park officials, the search and rescue teams, and everyone else who had helped search for the horse.

Your (efforts) to find him have been incredible. Just amazing, she said on Facebook. It has saved his life. Im just at a loss for words, overwhelmed with relief that he is safe.

Szagola said theyll spend as much time as he needs resting and recuperating.

He is now safe and happy relaxing in a pasture, she said. Just now he lied down next to me and rested his head in my lap after many sleepless nights.

Bulldog vanished a year ago in Colorado. Sweet reunion turned her into a jumping bean

3-legged dog explored city all alone for 246 days. Hes now home with a big smile

Owners cat Remi vanished a year ago in Idaho. Then came a heartwarming reunion
The GOP-led House on Thursday passed a significant and wide-ranging border security and asylum reform package, just as the U.S. braces for a new migrant surge with the looming end of Title 42.

The Secure the Border Act was a months-long effort to deliver on promises made during the 2022 midterm campaigns on both securing the besieged southern border and making fixes to the immigration and asylum process, which Republicans believe is being exploited.

The bill marks another major win for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and includes measures to restart border wall construction and significantly increase the number of Border Patrol agents. It would also that would enshrine the Trump-era Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and Asylum Cooperative Agreements (ACAs), change laws related to unaccompanied children and restrict the use by the federal government of humanitarian parole.

BORDER PATROL ENCOUNTERS 10,000 MIGRANTS FOR THIRD DAY IN A ROW AS NUMBERS SWELL BEFORE TITLE 42 DROPS

The legislation, which is the result of work from the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees, would expand the type of crimes that make someone ineligible for asylum, limit the eligibility to those who arrive at ports of entry, would mandate a system similar to the E-Verify employment eligibility verification system and would create additional penalties for visa overstay.

MATAMOROS, MEXICO - MAY 11: Migrants speak with members of the Texas National Guard and other law enforcement officials after crossing the Rio Grande to try and enter the United States on May 11, 2023 in Matamoros, Mexico.

The House had hoped to pass the bill over the winter, but Republicans had struggled to find a consensus. The bill received no Democratic votes and saw two Republicans  Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and John Duarte, R-Calif.  voted against. Critics had said the bill restricts the ability of foreign nationals to claim asylum, while the Republican opponents had objected to the mandatory E-Verify.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"Moments ago, House Republicans passed the strongest border security bill this country has ever seen. This bill secures the border from President Biden's record crossings, record carelessness, and record chaos," McCarthy said at a press conference after the bill passed.

Story continues

Committee Chairs Jim Jordan, Mark Green and Michael McCaul, hailed the legislation as an example of the GOP delivering "real actionable solutions to restore law and order at our border."

"After months of meticulous work in our committees and hearing from Border Patrol agents, property owners, business owners and everyday Americans on the frontlines of this crisis, House Republicans are fighting to do what the Biden administration refuses to: secure our sovereign borders and protect Americans. The images coming out of border communities preparing for the end of Title 42 this week are horrifying. Theres no question the border is not secure and the Biden administration has lost all control," they said.

AS MIGRANT WAVE HITS THE BORDER, MAYORKAS SAYS IT WILL TAKE TIME FOR RESULTS OF TITLE 42 PLAN TO BE REALIZED

However, the bill appears to have limited chance of success in the Senate, while the White House announced this week that President Biden would veto it if it made it to his desk.

"The bill would cut off nearly all access to humanitarian protections in ways that are inconsistent with our Nations values and international obligations. In addition, the bill would make processing less efficient by prohibiting the use of the CBP One mobile application to process noncitizens and restricting DHSs parole authority, such that successful programs, like Uniting for Ukraine, would be prohibited," the White House said. "The bill would also reduce authorized funding for essential programs including the Shelter and Services Program that provides a critical source of funds for state and local governments and reduces pressure at the border.

"While we welcome Congress engagement on meaningful steps to address immigration and the challenges at the border, this bill would make things worse, not better. Because this bill does very little to actually increase border security while doing a great deal to trample on the Nations core values and international obligations, it should be rejected," the statement said.

Dozens of migrants try to escape the Texas sun in downtown El Paso. Many are sleeping in Sacred Heart Church and on the street as they wait for transportation to their next destination.

Immigration hawks, who had pushed for such an approach to legislative action, praised the Republican passage of the legislation.

MAYORKAS ISSUES NEW WARNING TO MIGRANTS AS BORDER PATROL MAKES RECORD APPREHENSIONS AHEAD OF TITLE 42'S END

"Last fall, I noted that the time for excuses was coming to an end, and that Congress must take actual steps to hold the Biden Administration accountable for the chaos and carnage they have unleashed on our southern border. Thankfully, that is exactly what House Republicans did today," Tom Homan, a former acting ICE director and a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation said in a statement. "Passage of the Secure the Border Act fulfills promises to the American people on delivering solutions to a self-inflicted crisis that harms not just cities and states along the border, but every city and state around the country. The bills intentions and contents are clear  it would end the crisis and restore sanity, safety, and security at our borders. It is vital that the Senate takes note of what the House did and swiftly brings this bill to the floor."

Fox News Digital spoke to GOP lawmakers ahead of the vote. Chairman Green told Fox that the primary goal was to get some measure through the House.

"We've got to do something today with Title 42 expiring," he said. "Working with all the members, getting it done that was most important."

Asked about the possibility of getting Democrats to support the bill in the Senate, Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., said he believes that the visa system could form a basis for discussion.

"The visa system in this country allows people to come in the country legally, work and pay taxes, send money back home, or use it as it is," he said. "So I think using that as a basis for how we start is going to be critical. We have to have secure borders because criminals want to come in, we've seen people on the terror watch list come in, and we've seen an explosion in fentanyl coming into this country, so we have to do what we can to stop the illegal activities from coming in while safely allowing legal immigration to occur."



Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said he believes the passage of the bill could provide some momentum and lead to more pressure on Democrats.

"I do think there are certain pieces or parts of this that theres going to be pressure on Democrats if they dont support the bill on the floor today to go back to the district to say they voted against 1, 2 and 3," he said. "So I think it creates political momentum."

The bill's passage comes just hours before the Title 42 public health order is due to expire, which has seen migrants surging to the border in the hope of being released into the U.S. once the order ends. Agents have encountered over 10,000 migrants a day in recent days, and it is feared more migrants may surge to the border once Title 42 ends later on Thursday.

Administration officials have conceded that, despite a broad plan that includes stiffer Title 8 penalties and expanded legal pathways, the days ahead are likely to be difficult. Fox News reported on Thursday that officials have authorized the release of migrants into the interior to cope with overcrowding.

"We expected to see large numbers of encounters initially. We are already seeing high numbers of encounters in certain sectors," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Thursday. "This places an incredible strain on our personnel, our facilities and our communities with whom we partner closely. We prepared for this moment for almost two years and our plan will deliver results. It will take time for those results to be fully realized, and it is essential that we all take this into account."

Fox News' Chad Pergram, Tyler Olson and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
By Evan Garcia

HOUSTON, Texas (Reuters) - In Houston, Texas, a nonprofit group has been in a stand-off with local authorities over their feeding of homeless people in front of the city's library.

The Houston chapter of Food Not Bombs, an international organization which promotes sharing vegetarian food with others, has been issued tickets by police 23 times since March.

The group argues that the city's homeless rely on them and they have been feeding them four times a week for more than ten years in that location. But local authorities say it has made the area unwelcoming for families and put them off visiting the library.

As the United States battles with an epidemic of homelessness in the wake of the pandemic, the clash goes to the heart of difficulties authorities and advocates face in balancing the desire to help those in need while also considering local residents.

The citations issued by Houston police carry a fine of between $50 and $2,000, under a 2012 city ordinance that requires anyone feeding more than five people on public or private property to obtain permission from the property owner.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he started enforcing the ordinance in March because the environment surrounding the library - located across the street from Turner's City Hall office - had deteriorated.

"Families, parents, are now more reluctant to bring their children and to walk through that population," Turner said. "And so we are losing a critical asset for families, for children, and for others who need to utilize the library."

He said the group could instead use an alternative location - the nearby parking lot of a Houston police station, where the city provides food to the homeless.

Food Not Bombs volunteers said they had not seen any evidence of an uptick in violence in the area of the library and that they were not comfortable with the suggested alternative location, feeling the police would have too much sway there.

Story continues

"We come out here, we serve, we go, and we do it with dignity. And then you got a lot of homeless that are scared of police officers," said volunteer Shere Dore, adding that many experiencing homelessness also rely on the library to charge their phones, access the internet, use the restroom or simply escape the weather.

For Billy Joe Garcia, a 38-year-old man from Stafford, Texas, who has experienced homelessness for the past two years, the services provided by Food Not Bombs offer him sustenance and social connection.

"Having a place like here to go to ... is crucial," Garcia said. "Because you get to see new people and you get to have a decent way of living."

Soon after Food Not Bombs received their first ticket on March 1, a volunteer filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Houston, challenging the constitutionality of the city's food-sharing ordinance.

In the meantime, Turner is committed to enforcing the law.

"We have said to those who have been feeding people in front of the central library... that that will be no more," Turner said. "And if you persist, even after we have provided a much more suitable location, then citations will be issued."

(Reporting by Evan Garcia, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Title 42, an emergency public health measure allowing for the expulsion of migrants seeking asylum to the United States, is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, more than three years after it was put in place by the Trump administration at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Biden administration, which had, for a time, sought to keep the policy in place, has been bracing for a surge in migrants in response to the change. Over the last three days, an estimated 10,000 migrants have crossed into the country each day, and that number is expected to rise once Title 42 expires.

In the absence of the policy, U.S. border agents will resume processing migrants under a decades-old immigration protocol known as Title 8, which requires that migrants encountered at the border be detained and interviewed to determine whether they have a credible fear of persecution in their home country. Those who meet that standard will be allowed to remain in the U.S. as their case makes its way through the immigration court system. Those who dont will be deported, subject to a five-year ban on reentering the U.S., and will be subject to criminal prosecution if they attempt to return.

The longer processing times mandated under Title 8, as well as a spike in migrants arriving at the border in recent days, has raised concerns about chaos and overcrowding at ports of entry and detention centers. In an attempt to curb the flow of asylum seekers traveling to the U.S. through Mexico, the Biden administration on Wednesday finalized a new rule, first announced in February, that will make migrants ineligible for asylum at the border if they fail to first apply for an appointment online or seek protection in another country that they traveled through on their way to the U.S.

Here are some aspects about the policy and its expiration, as well as what comes next.

How did Title 42 come into being?

California U.S. Border Patrol agents sort out families from a large group of migrants gathered between the primary and secondary border fences in San Diego on May 11. (Reuters/Mike Blake)

The public health authority, which dates back to 1944, was first invoked in March 2020 with an emergency order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which described the measure as necessary to protect the public health from an increase in the serious danger of the introduction of Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Story continues

Almost immediately, the Trump administrations use of Title 42 in this context was condemned by both human rights advocates and many public health experts, who argued that the CDC order was based on specious justifications and fails to protect public health.

Why did the Biden administration want to end the policy?

A migrant gestures to Texas National Guards standing behind razor wire on the bank of the Rio Grande river, seen from Matamoros, Mexico, on May 11. (Fernando Llano/AP)

The Biden administration initially planned to stop using Title 42 to expel family units of migrants in July 2021, amid pressure from progressive advocates who argued that the policy violated migrants right to seek asylum.

But it reversed course in response to an increase of arrivals at the border. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention then set an expiration date of May 23, 2022, but that was blocked by a federal lawsuit by a group of Republican attorneys general. And in Dec. 2022, the Supreme Court extended Title 42s life once more, after a group of Republican-led states objected to a federal judges order directing the Biden administration to terminate the policy.

Since Title 42 was invoked by the CDC in response to the pandemic, the Biden administration ultimately decided to allow the controversial border restriction to expire along with the federal governments COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, which will also end late Thursday night.

How many migrants have been turned away from the U.S. under title 42?

A migrant family from Peru walk toward a gate in the border fence after crossing from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, into El Paso, Texas, in the early hours of Thursday. (Andres Leighton/AP)

Since its implementation, Title 42 has been used 2.8 million times to turn away migrants at the southern border, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection Data. In 2022, a total of 1,480,416 individual migrants were encountered by Border Patrol, and of those, 246,045 made at least two or more attempts to cross into the U.S.

Some critics point to these numbers as evidence of how ineffective Title 42 has been at deterring migrants from attempting to cross the southern border. Not only has the number of migrants apprehended along the U.S.-Mexico border reached record levels over the past three years, but the rapid nature of Title 42 expulsions has made it much easier for those sent back to Mexico to make repeated attempts to cross.

What has Title 42 created in Mexico?

Migrants get ready to cross the border at Cocopah Indian Reservation near Yuma, Ariz., on Thursday. (DeeCee Carter/MediaPunch /IPX)

Under Title 42, the number of migrants waiting in Mexican border areas for their U.S. asylum applications to be processed has swelled to between 60,000 and 65,000, according to an estimate given to reporters on Wednesday by Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz.

Life in border camps is often not safe.

A December 2022 report published by Human Rights First recorded 13,480 incidents of torture, kidnapping, rape and other violent attacks on people expelled from the U.S. to Mexico under Title 42 since Biden took office.

Whats happening on the U.S. side of the border now?

A sign indicates where migrants can be picked up at La Plaza bus station in Brownsville, Texas, on May 11. (Evan Garcia/Reuters)

On Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security officials said more than 11,000 migrants had been apprehended along the southern border, a record for single-day arrests.

Customs and Border Patrol officials reported that, as of Wednesday, 26,354 people were in custody. According to ABC News, Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said that number was already "several thousand less" than it had been earlier Wednesday morning. But, as NBC News noted, that figure is also far higher than the roughly 18,500 the facilities are equipped to hold.

In light of concerns about overcrowding at border processing facilities, the Biden administration is now reportedly directing CBP to release some migrants into the country on parole with instructions to report to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. At a news conference Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said this new policy would apply to a fraction of the people that we encounter.

"In fact, the vast majority will be addressed in our border patrol facilities and our ICE detention facilities," he said.

How is the U.S. preparing for the expected surge of migrants?

Migrants cross the Rio Grande to the U.S. from Matamoros, Mexico, on Thursday. (Fernando Llano/AP)

Biden announced last week that he was sending 15,000 U.S. troops to the southern border to help stem the flow of migrants. That number is in addition to 2,500 National Guard members already stationed along the border, as well as more than 1,400 DHS personnel and 1,000 processing coordinators who are being deployed in anticipation of a surge in migration following the end of Title 42.

In anticipation of the end of Title 42, Texas border cities like El Paso, Laredo and Brownsville declared a state of emergency, in order to request federal resources to help house and provide transportation for the surge in new arrivals.

Similar steps are also being taken in cities like Chicago and New York, which have also received large numbers of asylum seekers in recent months.
Visitors and residents can expect to see an increase of police presence starting Friday as law enforcement prepares for the two Bike Weeks that happen this month in the Myrtle Beach area.

Hundreds of officers will be in place for the start of this weekends 84th Annual Myrtle Beach Bike Week and again later this month for Black Bike Week.

Officials said they plan to increase the number of police slightly from last year, but an exact number was not available. During last years Black Bike Week, 600 officers were part of the 2022 operational plan.

Organizers say about 300,000 people usually attend the spring bike rally, which takes place May 12 through 21. The event, also known as the Spring Bike Rally or Harley Bike Week, has been held since 1940.

Black Bike Week, also known as the Atlantic Beach Bike Fest, will take place May 26 through 29. The event has been held since 1980 and brings around 350,000 people each year.

Horry County Police will set up a mobile command post near the events to ensure a quick response time, Horry County Police Cpt. Justin Wyatt said during a county public safety meeting Tuesday.

We are up-staffing more than normal, by a slight increase based upon last years numbers of bike week participants, arrests stats, and calls for service, he said.

An after action report for the 2022 spring rally was not immediately available, but Myrtle Beach emergency services released the after action report for Black Bike Week.

It shows a breakdown of traffic patterns, hospitalizations and how many police officers were involved from every local and state agency involved.

A look at the numbers from 2022 Black Bike Week

A Myrtle Beach after action report for Memorial Day weekend, when Black Bike Week takes place, shows that 600 officers were part of the 2022 operational plan. Several state and local agencies participated and volunteered last year.

That breakdown is below.

35 South Carolina Highway Patrol officers

59 from South Carolina Law Enforcement

43 from South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

232 Myrtle Beach Police Department officers

54 from other various agencies

63 from probation, parole and pardon

The report shows that Grand Strand Healths Emergency Operations Center was active from May 26 to May 28. The hospital saw a total of 332 patients per day over five days, with 19 motorcycle accidents, seven motor vehicle crashes, and two pedestrian accidents. There was also two reported assaults.

Taxis and ride-sharing companies like Uber did not provide service along Ocean Boulevard during Memorial Day weekend, according to the report.
hunter biden ivanka trump donald trump jr.

Left to right: Hunter Biden, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. Credit - Hunter Biden: Manuel Balce CenetaAP; Ivanka Trump:Alex WongGetty Images; Donald Trump Jr,:Anna MoneymakerGetty Images,

Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, held a press conference on Wednesday to detail the latest updates in his investigation of Hunter Bidens business dealings. The evidence so far does not directly implicate President Biden, but does suggest his son may have profited off of his famous name.

Records of Hunter Bidens activities also echo the foreign business dealings of the family members of another President. While in office, former President Trump remained connected to the Trump Organization, even as he passed control of the company to his two sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. Though Trumps team said the business would not enter any new overseas deals during his term, his family members continued to engage in business abroad. Meanwhile, Trumps daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, continued to pursue financial interests in foreign countries.

Were going to look at everything, Comer said Wednesday when asked if he was also investigating the foreign business dealings of Trump and his family. Former President Trumps son-in-law had some business deals, right?  Im not saying whether I agreed with what he did or not, but I actually know what his businesses are. What are the Biden businesses?

Heres what to know about the conflict-of-interest questions that have been raised by the foreign business dealings of Trump family members, and how they compare to whats known about Hunter Bidens ventures:

Donald Trump Jr.

When Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, he said he would leave his real estate business, the Trump Organization, to be run by others, primarily his sons, Donald Jr., and Eric. Throughout his four years in office, Trumps continued connection to the Trump Organization drew outrage and scrutiny from Democrats and ethics watchdogs, who argued he was violating the emoluments clause of the Constitution that prohibits a president from illegally profiting from his business while in office.

Story continues

While his father was in office, Trump Jr. traveled to Asia to promote the Trump Organizations projects. On a business trip to India in 2018, he appeared with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and flirted with giving a policy speech, but ultimately decided not to as his father faced criticisms that his familys business dealings overseas could affect his foreign policy approach.

On a trip to Indonesia in 2019 to tout two planned Trump-branded luxury resorts, Trump Jr. defended his continued involvement in the family business amid allegations of conflicts of interest. A year before, the conglomerate of his business partner, Hary Tanoesoedibjo, had announced it was receiving half a billion dollars from an arm of the Chinese government to build a theme park. Tanoesoedibjo, himself the leader of an Indonesian political party, said the Trump resorts were unconnected and not backed by Chinese funding.

More from TIME

Even before his father was elected President, Donald Trump Jr. was a focus of controversy for his decision to take part in an infamous meeting with a Russian lawyer in Trump Tower, which Donald Trump later admitted was intended to help the campaign get dirt on Hillary Clinton. It is illegal for campaigns to accept help from a foreign government or from foreign nationals. Special counsel Robert Mueller later investigated that meeting, and wrote in his report on his investigation that the government would unlikely be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the June 9 meeting participants had general knowledge that their conduct was unlawful.

Eric Trump

Eric Trump served alongside his brother as a Trump Organization executive while his father was in office and while both men sometimes attended campaign and official events. As allegations about Hunter Biden swirled in 2019, Eric Trump said his family got out of all international business. That wasnt true, however. The same year, he issued a celebratory tweet for a new phase of development at a Trump property in Scotland.

Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Trump served as an adviser to the president during her fathers administration and had a West Wing office. Yet she continued to own her own clothing brand for a year and a half while serving in the White House before shutting it down in 2018. The company depended on a foreign workforce, with production done in countries like China and Indonesia.

That decision came after she received several trademarks for businesses in China around the same time her father said he was working to help protect jobs at a Chinese telecommunications company. Experts told the New York Times in 2018 that the timing did not seem to be unusual, but suggested that her famous name may have benefitted her in the process.

Jared Kushner is interviewed at Fox News Channel Studios on August 23, 2022 in New York City John LamparskiGetty Images

Jared Kushner

Like his wife, Ivanka, Jared Kushner also served as a senior adviser to Donald Trump during his presidency. Trumps son-in-law was deeply involved in the administrations foreign policy in the Middle East, befriending the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and attempting to broker peace in the region.

Read more: Inside Jared Kushners Unusual White House Role

But Kushner was also involved in business deals in the region during this period. In 2017, his familys real estate company got $30 million from Menora Mivtachim, one of Israels largest financial institutions. It was just one of the deals the company made with connections to the region. The same year, Kushners sister promoted her familys New Jersey building while in Beijing, touting special investment visas to Chinese potential investors.

The next summer, Brookfield Asset Management made a deal to pay 99 years of rent on a Manhattan skyscraper that Kushners familys real estate company owned. One of Brookfields investors was the Qatar Investment Authority. The company said Qatar did not know about the deal before it was made public. Kushners family had previously sought a deal on the building with a Chinese firm.

Kushners business in the Middle East continued after the Trump presidency. Soon after he departed the White House, a fund led by the Saudi crown prince invested $2 billion in Kushners private equity firm, while funds in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar invested hundreds of millions of dollars. Another company partly owned by Kushner received Saudi funds as well. The deals have drawn criticism for, at minimum, creating the appearance of Kushner receiving potential payback for his efforts while in the White House.

Like Donald Trump Jr., Kushners meetings with Russian contacts before the election also came under scrutiny. In addition to participating in the 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Trump Jr., Kushner also spoke multiple times to the Russian ambassador to the United States during and after the 2016 presidential campaign.

Hunter Biden

President Joe Bidens son Hunter has worked as a lawyer, a lobbyist and investor. His business connections and history of drug addiction are fodder for cable news appearances and committee investigations now that Republicans hold the gavel in the House. Hunter Biden served on the board of the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings from 2014 to 2019 and struck multimillion-dollar deals with a Chinese company. Theres no public information directly linking Joe Biden to Hunter Bidens business transactions.

What is known about Hunter Bidens business deals with Ukrainian and Chinese companies creates an impression that he was making a lot of money off the prestige of being Joe Bidens son, but there isnt evidence that Hunter Bidens business transactions have influenced decisions that Joe Biden made as Vice President or as President. There is also no clear evidence that money from Hunter Bidens business dealings ever made their way to Joe Bidens accounts. House Republicans are promising to continue their investigation through additional subpoenas.

Read more: Heres What We Know About Hunter Biden and the Investigations Into Him

Hunter Biden is also reportedly the subject of criminal investigations into his tax filings and a statement he made on a form to purchase a handgun. If prosecutors charge Hunter Biden with tax evasion or filing a false return, he could face fines and jail time.

Brian Bennett contributed reporting
The number of churches leaving the United Methodist Church is mounting.

Churches in the Pacific Northwest can now be added to the totals after two special sessions last weekend.

In all, four churches in Idaho, one church in Oregon and 11 churches in Washington are leaving the United Methodist Church over the issue of homosexuality.

The Oregon-Idaho Conference, which includes Southern Idaho and all of Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest Conference, which includes Washington and North Idaho, held special sessions to hear requests from churches seeking to disaffiliate with the United Methodist Church.

The four Idaho churches that are leaving are:

Eagle United Methodist Church, otherwise known as Eagle Hills Church

Castleford United Methodist Church in Castleford, outside Buhl in Twin Falls County

Cavendish United Methodist Church in Kendrick, Latah County

Orofino-Peck United Methodist Church, in Orofino, Clearwater County.

Only one church in Oregon, Fossil United Methodist Church, in Fossil, a small city in the middle of Oregon, disaffiliated over the weekend, while 11 churches in Washington state disaffiliated.

As I wrote in a column last month, at issue is an apparent conflict in church doctrine.

One part of the church doctrine states that all human life is of sacred worth. That suggests that everyone  gay or straight  deserves the same rights, including being clergy members and getting married. However, another part of doctrine states that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.

Whats happened over the years is that many congregations within the United Methodist Church have placed more emphasis on the all human life is of sacred worth, leading to gay clergy and gay marriage.

So conservative churches are leaving the United Methodist Church over the widely accepted practice of many churches in the United States of ordaining and marrying LGBTQ people.

The United Methodist Churchs governing body in 2019 voted to allow churches to leave the denomination if theyre seeking to leave because of differences in theology related to sexuality.

Story continues

Individual churches can leave the denomination through the end of this year. Depending on the rules of their specific conference, they can leave with their land and buildings.

Churches can become an independent church or join another denomination. Some churches are choosing to join the newly formed Global Methodist Church, a breakaway conservative denomination formed in response to whats happening within the United Methodist Church.

The Rev. John Stimpson, pastor at Eagle Hills Church, did not return phone messages left for him at his church. There was no answer at the Castleford church phone number and no option to leave a voicemail. The church did not respond to an email request for comment.

As many as 30 churches out of about 400 in the Greater Northwest Area, which includes Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Alaska, have been considering disaffiliating, according to the Rev. Karen Hernandez, superintendent for the district that covers eastern Oregon and the southern part of Idaho.

With just 16 disaffiliations so far, the Northwest has one of the lowest rates of those leaving.

Some regions have seen large numbers of disaffiliations, such as the Southeast (8.1%) and South Central (14.1%), particularly Texas, where 525 churches have disaffiliated, according to a review of church data analyzed by Religion News Service in an article that appeared in Christianity Today.

In April, 264 churches, or nearly a third of the churches in one Tennessee conference, disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church there.

Alabama-West Florida added another 193 disaffiliations this year, and Western North Carolina has had 192 disaffiliations, according to the church.

Nationwide, about 3,000 churches out of 30,000 have been granted permission to disaffiliate since 2019, according to United Methodist News.

Hernandez previously said that she expects more disaffiliations in the Northwest before the deadline.
Illinois lawmakers have approved a measure that Saras Law after Sara Kruzan for minors, particularly victims of child sex trafficking.

House Bill 3414 adds to the factors that judges must consider in the process of sentencing children found guilty of a crime. The bill would require a judge to consider a childs involvement in the child welfare system, whether they have a history of domestic abuse or sexual exploitation and the results of any mental health evaluations the child has gone through. This is in addition to existing factors that judges already consider, such as age, maturity and potential for rehabilitation.

The bill also creates a method for judges to depart from sentencing guidelines, including mandatory minimums, or to transfer a minor offender to juvenile court for sentencing.

This would only be allowed if the child commits a crime against a person who had, in the previous three years, been convicted of one of several specific crimes including aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a child or engaging a child in prostitution, among other crimes.

The bill also adds to the factors judges must consider when a prosecutor asks to transfer a case to adult court. These new factors include whether the child has any involvement in the child welfare system, whether the child was subjected to outside pressure and the childs degree of participation in the crime.

The measure passed 33-20 in the Senate Wednesday after passing the House on a 67-40 vote on March 22. It can become law with a signature from the governor.

Proponents of the bill say it is part of a nationwide movement to include protections in law for victims of child sex trafficking. These laws are sometimes called Saras Law after Sara Kruzan, a survivor of child sex trafficking who killed her trafficker in 1995. After being sentenced to life in prison, Kruzans sentence was later commuted, allowing her to be paroled in 2013. In 2022, Kruzan was granted a pardon by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Story continues

Were giving the courts extra opportunities to check and see: Was this victim brought into this situation because of some sort of trauma? the bills sponsor, Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, said in an interview.

The bill was supported by a coalition of state and national advocacy groups including the Juvenile Justice Initiative, the Womens Justice Institute, Rights4Girls, the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Assault, or CAASE, took a leading role in pushing for the bill.

Theres an understanding that youth require more support and more compassion than our system gives them, Madeleine Behr, CAASEs policy director, said in an interview.

Behr also said the bill is part of an ongoing movement toward racial justice in the criminal legal system.

This is going to be really important for Black and brown girls in particular, Behr said.

A U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics report from 2011 found that over a two-year period, victims of sex trafficking were disproportionately Black and disproportionately Hispanic.

In the past few years Illinois has passed several high-profile criminal justice reform laws, including the broad-ranging SAFE-T Act that is currently under review by the Illinois Supreme Court. The high court heard oral arguments in March around several constitutional questions related to the bill.

Republicans in the Senate raised concerns with the bill, mostly around the fact that judges will have to consider additional factors even when the perpetrator has not been the victim of abuse or trafficking.

The crimes we are talking about, where a person is being transferred to adult court, these are not retail theft, Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said. These are not minor crimes. These are the worst of the worst.

McClure added that some of the provisions in the bill already have similar considerations in law, such as if there was involvement in the Department of Children and Family Services or if the parent had been found to be neglectful or abusive.

In situations where there should be leniency, the tools are already in our statute to provide for leniency, he said.

Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, said the bill is a get-out-of-jail-free card for young offenders.

Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said the bill would make it more difficult for prosecutors to crack down on things like carjacking in the city and suburbs, something he called an epidemic of violence.

This bill is going to make it more difficult in prosecuting and enforcing those crimes, Curran said.

Curran also criticized the expanded list of factors judges would have to consider in sentencing.

This bill now has a factor that a judge must consider: Was the accused offender subject to peer pressure? Not sure how thats relevant, he said.

Simmons defended the bill after it passed by saying it would not require judges to do anything other than take more information into consideration.

This legislation gives judges the space to look at these other categories, Simmons said. But the legislation does not put a thumb on the scales of justice.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.
Charlie Sperring - ITV

I'm a Celebrity legend Gillian McKeith has said that going back on to the show that "terrorised" her was "worth it" for the six-figure payday.

During her first stint on the ITV reality show, Gillian clashed with her fellow campmates and put herself in the history books when she fainted during a live trial.

When asked if the money was good, Gillian told OK! Magazine: "Yes. Of course. Why does anyone do it?" She then confirmed that she was paid "six figures".

"So of course it is worth it," she added.

Charlie Sperring - ITV

Related: I'm a Celebrity's Joe Swash credits show for marriage to Stacey Solomon

However, a second stint in the jungle for the show's current South Africa series didn't cure Gillian of any of her many phobias.

"I'm worse than ever," she said. "I left terrorised and it hasn't gone away. I have lots of insect phobias, but spiders are the worst. I don't want to get close up to spiders."

On what made her sign up for the show back in 2010, Gillian shared a view that other campmates have expressed in the past: She thought it was simply just a set and they'd stay somewhere else at night.

"I didn't know the show. I thought it would be an experience and put me out of my comfort zone, but I didn't understand until I got in," Gillian admitted.

"I was in complete shock. I hadn't watched one episode. I knew it was in the jungle, but I thought it would be a TV set, we'd go there, film and then we'd go to a hotel at night."

ITV

Related: I'm a Celebrity: South Africa is missing one thing

Gillian recently spoke about why she'd decided to have her hair braided for her second jungle outing.

"I was bitten by a tick back in 2010. I have quite thick hair and it burrowed under my hair at the neck, so I thought: 'I'm not doing that again'," she told Mail Online.

"The tick bite was very painful. It stuck its pincer into my neck under the hair. It was like being sliced with a razor-sharp knife."

Story continues

Gillian and Shaun Ryder were the first two celebrities eliminated from I'm A Celebrity... South Africa just five days into the series.

I'm a Celebrity South Africa airs on Mondays-Fridays at 9pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.

You Might Also Like
Honduran migrants head for the United States in 2019. Orlando Sierra/AFP via Getty Images

Politicians have been saying theres an immigration crisis at the border for decades and have been trying to fix it for nearly as long. The rules have changed many times over the years  and they are about to change again as a pandemic-era set of restrictions expires May 11, 2023.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration into the U.S. at the border with Mexico was governed by a group of federal immigration laws and regulations, collectively known as Title 8. These laws, among other things, set the terms for the rapid deportation of people who enter the country illegally or are not eligible for asylum.

In March 2020, after COVID-19 hit, President Donald Trump declared a national public health emergency. That triggered a more restrictive set of rules under a decades-old, little used set of public health regulations known as Title 42. These regulations empowered Customs and Border Protection agents to both quickly expel migrants who entered the U.S. illegally and deny asylum seekers the right to enter the country as a way to stop the spread of a COVID 19.

As the public health emergency expires on May 11, the rules for prospective immigrants are changing again. The Title 8 rules are coming back into effect  and new measures from the Biden administration also will be in place. The administrations goal is to stem the flow of an expected 13,000 migrants daily. But these new measures may exclude refugees facing real danger.

One new measure, for example, will deny asylum to people who arrive at the U.S. southern border without first applying for asylum online or in the country they passed through. And under Title 8, people who enter the country illegally could face a five-year ban from the U.S.

From my work as a scholar of migration studies, I believe the new set of rules may make some of the most vulnerable migrants even more vulnerable to economic and political exploitation and violence by delaying or denying them the protection of the U.S. under federal laws and international rules about asylum.

Story continues

Delaying immigration and asylum

Research shows that the United States immigration policies have never deterred migrants from coming to the country; they have only made the immigration process longer and more difficult.

Honduran immigrants wait for the U.S. Border Patrol after crossing the Rio Grande River from Mexico into Mission, Texas, on March 24, 2021. Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post via Getty Images

In fact, asylum court backlogs have increased more than sevenfold over the past 10 years. There are more than 750,000 cases pending, with average wait times for a court date currently running over four years.

These figures do not account for the time it may take for migrants to get from their home countries to the Mexico-U.S. border, where they may also have to wait months or years to be allowed to cross. Parallel to immigration court backlogs are backlogs at the border, where the slow trickle of admissions to the U.S. of new asylum seekers, permitted now only via a glitchy smartphone app, have failed for years to keep up with new arrivals, seriously challenging Mexicos capacity for housing them.

Humanizing deportation

Since 2016, I have coordinated a digital storytelling project called Humanizing Deportation, which has published personal narratives in audiovisual form from over 350 migrants. It is the worlds largest qualitative database on the human consequences of contemporary U.S. border and migration control policies.

Our research shows that as migration deterrence policies have multiplied and intensified over these past two presidential administrations, migration stories have become more complex and migrant journeys more arduous. One story from our archive shows how several of these policies have played out for a migrant family.

Our project is unable to verify all details of migrants stories, and what you read here is based on one familys recollection of events.

A migrant from Honduras discusses the hardships, including deportation and kidnapping, he and his family faced as they traveled to the U.S. seeking asylum.

Deportations, childbirth and a kidnapping

A Honduran migrant who wishes to remain anonymous left his homeland initially in a migrant caravan in 2018. After crossing into the U.S., the migrant says that despite his insistence that he was fearful of being sent back and his refusal to sign a voluntary removal form, Border Patrol officers shouted obscenities at him and physically forced him to place a thumb print on the document, then deported him to Honduras.

The migrant set out again soon after that, this time with his pregnant wife and young son. Before getting far, they were detained by Mexican immigration authorities and later deported. But they left again, getting as far as Huixtla, Chiapas, in Mexico, where they had to stop so that his wife could give birth.

The family settled for a time in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, but struggled to make a living there. They decided to pay a smuggler to accompany the wife and son to the Mexico-U.S. border, where in the summer of 2019 they crossed and were picked up by Border Patrol. Officers allowed the two to initiate their asylum process through the Migrant Protection Protocols program, a U.S. government program that returns migrants who arrived in the United States from Mexico by land back to Mexico while U.S. immigration proceedings are underway. Under its guidelines, they were sent back to Mexico to await a court date.

Human rights advocates criticized Migrant Protection Protocols because of dangers, such as extortion, kidnapping and rape that migrants face in Mexico. In this case, immediately after mother and son returned, they were kidnapped. Without the money to pay the ransom, they had to turn to friends and family, including the womans mother, who sold her house in Honduras to get them released.

Back in Monterrey, the husband, afraid to try applying for asylum after being deported but determined to reach the U.S., paid a smuggler to get him to Tennessee.

Meanwhile, his wife didnt wish to stay in Monterrey. I was really afraid  I didnt go out because I felt they might kidnap me again, she told us. So she retreated to southern Mexico with her son and baby daughter.

Working as an auto mechanic, the husband was able to earn enough money in Tennessee to pay most of what they owed the smugglers and their family.

Then, in 2021, when the Biden administration allowed migrants who had abandoned their Migrant Protection Protocols asylum applications to resume the process  but in the U.S.  the mother and children joined the husband in Tennessee. The following year, they moved to California, where as an immigrant family they feel more welcome than in Tennessee. Although the wife is still waiting for a court date, the family is hopeful that she and the children will be granted asylum. But she was thrilled to give birth recently to a baby boy in California.

Because its more peaceful, says the father, who is afraid to join his wifes asylum claim because of his previous deportation. Weve heard that its where the immigrant community is most protected.

Numerous policies over the past seven years have been enacted to deter migration, but many people have migrated anyway. They have been forced to navigate long, difficult, dangerous journeys and often traumatic migration processes that have endangered and complicated their lives.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation is trustworthy news from experts, from an independent nonprofit. Try our free newsletters.

It was written by: Robert McKee Irwin, University of California, Davis.

Read more:



Robert McKee Irwin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
By Rajendra Jadhav

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India on Thursday clarified that duty-free imports of soyoil and sunflower oil shipped before March 31 would be allowed until the end of June, after hundreds of thousands of cargoes were stuck at ports over confusion over import rules.

Earlier this year, the world's biggest importer of vegetable oils scrapped a duty-free imports quota of 2 million tonnes of crude sunflower oil and soyoil for the this fiscal started on April 1.

But the move stuck cargoes of around 90,000 tonnes at Indian ports and another 180,000 tonnes in transit that were loaded before the government deadline of March 31, dealers said.

"A few shipments were stuck at ports for the past few weeks could now enter in to the country after this clarification, said Sandeep Bajoria, CEO Sunvin Group, a vegetable oil brokerage and consultancy firm.

India imports soyoil mainly from Argentina, Brazil and the United States and sunoil from Russia and Ukraine.

The government notification would provide relief to importers, but the imports would dampen local oilseed prices and squeeze farmer income, said B.V. Mehta, executive director of Solvent Extractors' Association of India.

India's palm oil imports in May could fall since the clarification would increase availability of soyoil and sunflower oil, said a New-Delhi-based dealer with a global trade house.

India imports palm oil mainly from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Its palm oil imports in April fell 30% from a month earlier to hit a 14-month low, as its premium over rival soft oils prompted price-sensitive buyers to shift to sunflower oil and soyoil, five dealers told Reuters last week.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
(Bloomberg) -- Indias top court ruled that the previous government of Maharashtra, the countrys wealthiest state, cannot be reinstated, a respite for the current ruling alliance that has the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modis party.

Most Read from Bloomberg

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud Thursday said former chief minister Uddhav Thackerays government cannot be reinstated because he resigned before facing a floor test in the assembly.

Present Chief Minister Eknath Shinde led a rebel group of lawmakers who broke away from then in power Shiv Sena party in June 2022 and formed a government by sharing power with Modis Bharatiya Janata Party. Separately, Indias election commission recognized Shindes faction as the legitimate Shiv Sena and allowed them to use the partys election symbol.

Thackerays resignation and Shindes takeover triggered a spate of court petitions on the legality of how the new state government was formed.

Thursdays court order is a relief to Modis party ahead of national elections due next year because control of Maharashtra is key to the prime ministers push to attract foreign investment and revitalize the nations manufacturing base.

Maharashtras state capital Mumbai, a city of 20 million people, is home to companies such as Reliance Industries Ltd. and Tata Group, Indias two main stock markets, and the countrys film industry.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
With the advent of AI chatbots, the ethics of parasocial relationships just keep getting murkier.

Introducing: CarynAI, a voice-based chatbot that was trained to mimic a human influencer to become your artificial girlfriend. And at just $1 per minute, it's an absolute steal.

Yes, you read that right. As Fortune reports, CarynAI is the digital extension of 23-year-old influencer Caryn Marjorie, who created a virtual version of herself with the help of AI firm Forever Voices and OpenAI's GPT-4.

"Whether you need somebody to be comforting or loving, or you just want to rant about something that happened at school or at work, CarynAI will always be there for you," Marjorie told Fortune.

As the magazine notes, Marjorie has roughly 1.8 million subscribers on Snapchat, and hundreds of thousands more across apps like Instagram and TikTok.

CarynAI, she says, is a way to get closer to her followers, offering them comfort and easing any loneliness they might be feeling.

In many ways, Marjorie's new venture is reminiscent of the 2013 movie "Her," in which a man develops an intimate relationship with an AI assistant's female voice.

The parallels between the two are pretty tangible. According to Fortune, conversations with CarynAI range from chats about the future to sharing "intimate feelings"  and, yes, engaging in sexual conversations as well.

As it stands, CarynAI already has over 1,000 paying customers. Within a week, the app reportedly raked in over $71,610 from a user base that's 99 percent men.

Marjorie told Fortune that her bot-ified self could bring in $5 million per month.

"CarynAI will never replace me," she added. "CarynAI is simply just an extension of me, an extension of my consciousness."

Of course, AI-powered companions aren't entirely new. AI chatbot company Replika has garnered a devoted userbase, as has Character.AI, a startup that was recently valued at $1 billion.

Story continues

And elsewhere, some celebrities  including Kim Kardashian and Jeremy Renner  have invited their fans to engage with them through video games and apps.

Still, CarynAI feels wildly different. Users aren't talking to a cartoon-ish avatar that can only say a few pre-determined lines of dialogue. Instead, they're speaking with a hyperrealistic chatbot, designed to blur the divide between fiction and reality.

It intentionally pushes the boundaries of what "parasocial" really means  and unsurprisingly, experts have their reservations.

"I would want us to be thinking very deeply about how it might affect or influence or shape our interactions with other people," Jason Borenstein, director of graduate ethics programs at Georgia Tech, told Fortune. "I would just hope there's robust conversations across a lot of different disciplines with stakeholders thinking very deeply through the ethical considerations before the technology moves too quickly."

There's also the reality that if digital relationships with AI chatbots become the norm, the way that humans act with one another in real life might ultimately change as well  especially if those interactions begin at a young age.

"It could change the way we treat each other," Robert Brooks, an evolutionary biologist at the University of New South Wales Sydney, told Fortune. "It's easy to envision the bad ways in which that might play out."

"But here are good ways in which that might play out too; we might get actually more socially adept," he added.

For her party, Marjorie  who has security looking after her 24/7 and doesn't give away her location data  doesn't seem too worried about any potential downsides. But to her credit, if we were about to rake in $5 million per month, we probably wouldn't be too stressed about things, either.

When asked if she saw any parallels between CarynAI and the movie "Her," Marjorie had a surprising answer.

"Unfortunately I was like 12 or 13 when the movie came out and my parents didn't let me watch it since it was rated R," she told Fortune. "I will definitely add it to my watch list!"

More on AI companions: Users Furious as AI Girlfriend App Suddenly Shuts down Sexual Conversations
A family in Texas has stolen millions of hearts on TikTok by sharing its journey through a cancer diagnosis.

Haley Odlozil was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in late 2015, her husband, Taylor, shared online. The years since her diagnosis have been difficult and at times heartbreaking, but also have pockets of joy  just as the windows into their life on TikTok show.

The Odlozils, who live in The Woodlands and have been together since high school in 2008, knew they wanted to be parents. Haleys cancer diagnosis didnt change that, but she had to get a full hysterectomy during a life-saving surgery when doctors first found cancer, Taylor explained in a video on Instagram. Instead, they had their son, Weston, through a family friend surrogate.

Every night I thank God I get to be Westons dad. My love for him grows every day, Taylor wrote on his familys Instagram page.

Now the couple shares heartwarming  and wrenching  videos of Haley and Weston on social media. When Haley was put into hospice care, her nurses helped make a Build-A-Bear for Weston with his moms heartbeat in the bear.

In another video, Haley has the start of a difficult conversation with Weston that no parent hopes to have: She explained, in a kid-appropriate way, what would happen if she died.

Weston asked Haley Mommy, why are you going to heaven? This is the first time hes asked a question like this. He is definitely starting to realize something is happening, Taylor wrote in the caption of a TikTok video. It tore my heart out watching this. Haleys hospice nurse is so sweet and immediately comforted Haley. Hold your kids extra tight.

Story continues

Haley is an amazing momma! How she explains is so tender and loving despite her sadness, one person said.

Instant waterworks, another viewer said. This was so beautifully said.

Other videos share happy moments  peaceful trips to the ocean in Miami, the couples Redo Wedding after Haley lived to their fifth anniversary, a milestone that the doctors were unsure she would make. Moments in the rain and jokes also were posted.

Dozens of Taylors videos, which provide near-daily updates on Haleys condition, are titled the same thing so viewers know how shes doing: Haley is still fighting.

Haley is still fighting is all I want to read every single day, one viewer said.

(An) Incidental finding on CT scan last year showed rt ovarian cyst but not described as simple vs complex. Watching your story inspired me to follow up and Im glad I did. I had a US Wednesday showing cyst complexity (with) increased blood flow concerning for malignancy, another viewer said on an Instagram video.  Thank you for sharing your story, helping me catch this & possibly saving my life.

Haley also shared warning signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer on her social media for other women to watch out for.

About 19,710 will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer and 13,720 will die from ovarian cancer in 2023 alone, the American Cancer Society reports.

Common symptoms of ovarian cancer, which are likely to worsen if the disease has spread, include the following, according to the American Cancer Society:

Bloating

Pelvic or abdominal (belly) pain

Trouble eating or feeling full quickly

Urinary symptoms such as urgency (always feeling like you have to go) or frequency (having to go often)

Fatigue (extreme tiredness)

Upset stomach

Back pain

Pain during sex

Constipation

Changes in a womans period, such as heavier bleeding than normal or irregular bleeding

Abdominal (belly) swelling with weight loss

Visit the American Cancer Societys resource page to learn more about ovarian cancer.

Fierce UGA senior with brain tumor will spend final days in perfect place, family says

18-month-old girl kept having seizures. Doctors say her mom was causing them

Hockey player with famous TikTok bucket list dies of cancer. Definition of strong

Nurse secretly replaced hospital fentanyl and used superglue to cover tracks, feds say
Major stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry on Wednesday testified in front of a key Senate panel to address questions over the affordability of insulin, with the assembled witnesses, as expected, passing the blame amongst each other.

Leaders from top insulin manufacturers Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi joined with executives from top pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies CVS Health, Express Scripts and OptumRx to face the grilling from lawmakers on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP).

In their opening statements, drug manufacturing leaders cited numerous causes of insulins sky-high price that exist outside their companies.

Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks pointed out his company had not raised the list price, the initial price for a drug that manufacturers set, for its insulin products since 2017. While heralding the recent consumer price caps his company announced, Ricks alluded to the role PBMs play in drug pricing.

Last year, about 80 percent of our list prices went to pay ever-increasing fees and rebates to companies who dont invent, didnt develop nor manufacture the medicine, Ricks said. With the remaining 20 percent, we cover the cost of making and distributing the product, which also supports about 4,000 high-paying manufacturing jobs here in America with full benefits and pensions.

Paul Hudson, CEO of the French multinational drug company Sanofi, directly pointed a finger to pharmacy benefit management, health insurance, specialty pharmacies and group purchasing organizations in his opening remarks.

This vertical integration gives these corporations near total control over the products the patients can access and the price they have to pay, said Hudson.

Earlier this year, the drug companies who spoke in front of the committee on Wednesday all announced they would be capping the out-of-pocket monthly prices for some of their insulin products. While consumers will benefit from these policies, the list prices for these products are unchanged.

Story continues

Representatives from the PBM industry subtly shot back at the drug company representatives, insisting that their companies have a key role in keeping costs down.

The PBM industry has helped clients hold increased spending to just four and a half percent and kept member cost growth to just 1.4 percent, said David Joyner, executive vice president and president of pharmacy services at CVS Health. Joyner pushed the blame for large drug costs on to high list prices and a lack of competition in the market.

So drug manufacturers claim rebates are the reason for price increases, he added. But the facts show otherwise. Government study after government study has concluded that price increases are not the result of rebates or discounts.

HELP committee Chair Berne Sanders (I-Vt.), always known to rail against high drug prices, was seemingly unimpressed by the initial answers provided by the witnesses.

Let me start off by saying if somebody in the real world is watching this hearing, theyve heard every single person from the drug companies and from the PBMs say, We are working tirelessly to lower the cost of prescription drug. Just knocking our brains out. And yet, at the end of the day, 1.3 million Americans are rationing their insulin, Sanders said.

In his interrogation, Sanders sought out commitments from the drug companies that they would not increase the prices of their insulin products going forward.

Ricks said Eli Lilly is comfortable with leaving the current prices of its insulin products where they are.

Hudson from Sanofi and Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jrgensen were less direct, alluding to commitments to keeping prices low and noting that the cost of their products had declined in recent years.

During his time, Republican Sen. Mike Braun (Ind.) demanded to know why the U.S. consistently pays more for drugs than other developed countries, characterizing the current situation as out of line with free enterprise principles.

The rest of the world can buy drugs for one-fourth the price. They have health care as being 10 to 12 percent of their GDP, with every developed country, having outcomes as good as if not better. And here we are at 18 percent of our GDP, and its going up as opposed to going the other way. Nothing works like that in a true market context, Braun said.

Ricks acknowledged the U.S. pays significantly more in net prices for drugs than most of Europe, but argued this premium gives the U.S. the earliest access to new medicines of any country in the world.

Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), noting the gathered drug and PBM executives, asked if they could all agree to lower the list price of drugs.

Adam Kautzner, president of the Express Scripts PBM, was quick to lay the blame on drug companies, claiming they were only lowering the insulin prices now due to government intervention in the Medicare insulin cap.

The HELP committee is scheduled to meet again on Thursday for a markup session on several bills, including the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act, which would impose restrictions on how PBMs conduct their businesses.

Sanders ended the hearing by saying that the system is broken. It is enormously complicated.

This lack of transparency works for both the drug companies and I think the PBMs as well. So the end result is we have got to conclude that there is an enormous amount of greed going on, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
As a result of shelling of a village in Zaporizhzhya Oblast, eight people were injured with cluster shells

Read also: Russia strikes Avdiyivka with cluster munitions, missiles: one casualty, school destroyed

According to the OVA, Russian invaders attacked the village of Malokaterynivka with cluster munitions , which are banned under international law. Eight people were injured as a result, including three emergency medical workers who responded to the call. Five locals, including two women, were also wounded. Local authorities say that all those affected have been given medical assistance.

In addition, over the course of the day, the enemy attacked Ukrainian settlements with artillery 60 times, five times with cluster munitions, and conducted three airstrikes and one missile attack, as well as one drone attack, the OVA noted.

In the villages of Hulyaipole, Orikhove, Stepnohirsk, and others, houses, cars, residential property, social institutions, and utility networks were all damaged by the attacks.

Read also: Russia using more and more obsolete Soviet weapons in Ukraine, says air force

Meanwhile, in Kharkiv Oblast, the invaders attacked with artillery, mortars, and aviation, Oleh Synyehubov, head of the Kharkiv OVA, reported on his Telegram channel.

As a result of shelling in the town of Vovchansk in the Chuhuiv district in Kharkiv Oblast, a 67-year-old man was killed and at least five houses were damaged.

In the village of Fiholovka in the Kupyansk district, a civilian was injured during mortar shelling and hospitalized.

The enemy also launched 90 shelling attacks on Kherson Oblast, firing 461 shells from heavy artillery, Grad missiles, tanks, drones, and aviation, local authorities said. According to Kherson Oblast governor Oleksandr Prokudin, Kherson was shelled ten times by the Russian military, and shells hit the territory of a factory. In total, Russian attacks on the Oblast killed one person and injured another.

According to the Sumy OVA, the invaders continue to shell the border areas of Sumy Oblast. During the night and morning, the Russians carried out nine shelling attacks with mortars and also used strike drones, destroying a residential building, shop, and school.

Story continues

Read also:

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
By Jonathan Landay and Doina Chiacu

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Iran has continued supplying weapons and drugs that fuel the Yemen war despite its agreement to restore diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking said on Thursday.

The Chinese-brokered accord reached in March, talks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, and a ceasefire that largely has held despite expiring in October have boosted prospects for an end to the conflict.

But, Lenderking told reporters in an online briefing on his latest visit to the region, Iran is still supplying arms and drugs that help fuel the war that erupted in 2014 and has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

"The Iranians have continued to smuggle weaponry and narcotics toward this conflict and we are very concerned that this would continue despite the benefits that would come from a Saudi-Iran deal. So I think that is a space we have to watch," Lenderking said.

"Despite the fact that we welcomed an agreement between the Saudis and the Iranians, I remain concerned about Iran's role," he said, contending that Tehran has trained Houthi fighters and equipped them "to fight and attack Saudi Arabia."

Iran denies arming the Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital Sanaa after ousting the government and control large swaths of the country.

The war widely has been seen as a proxy fight between Saudi Arabia, which led a military coalition that intervened in 2015, and Iran.

U.S. officials have accused Iran of violating U.N. resolutions by supplying the Houthis with drones and missiles for cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia, although there have been no such strikes in more than a year.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people and left millions dependent on international aid.

The Saudi-Iran deal alone will not end the conflict, which only can be settled through negotiations between the Yemeni sides, Lenderking said.

The United States will not reopen its embassy in Sanaa until it is confident the war is over and a "very firm and irreversible" peace process is underway, he said.

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran (IRGC) stands to take control of Irans economy by gaining full power over the "economic arteries" of the country, according to an anti-regime group.

"The documents unveiled by the MEK unequivocally demonstrate that regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has granted the IRGC complete authority over Iran's economy," Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital.

"This unprecedented move enables the IRGC to not only bypass international sanctions but also amass the requisite resources to carry out domestic oppression, destabilize the region, perpetrate acts of terrorism, cyberwarfare, and expedite the advancement of its missile, drone and nuclear weapons programs," he added.

A group affiliated with the MEK recently obtained a trove of data and defaced the Iranian Foreign Ministrys website, leaking the names of more than 11,000 ministry employees, ministry correspondences and identification documents. The MEK and NCRI are also credited with revealing in 2002 that Iran was developing nuclear weapons capabilities.

US OFFICIALS ATTEND EVENT WHOSE GUEST LIST INCLUDES KNOWN TERRORIST RESPONSIBLE FOR MURDER OF US TROOPS

Iranian troops march during a parade to commemorate the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war.

The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, or MEK, is an active branch of the NCRI that has received strong support from prominent U.S. figures, including former National Security Advisor John Bolton and former Vice President Mike Pence who each met with the group and spoke with members in their Albania base of operation.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

MEK provided Fox News Digital with documents, translated, that purportedly passed between high-ranking Iranian officials, including IRGC commanders. The documents include orders and decisions over economic policy, with IRGC command included and military command issuing some of the decisions.

The U.S. government on April 15, 2019, designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization, a designation the Biden administration has not indicated it has any intention of changing.

Story continues

IDF RELEASES VIDEO OF AIRSTRIKES THAT KILLED ISLAMIC JIHAD SENIOR MEMBERS

Some of the "economic arteries" of which the IRGC will take control include oil field, refinery, petrochemicals, steel and mines. The group will also gain control of scientific research and development  including atomic development.

"It is now more crucial than ever for the European Union and the United States to abandon any aspirations of forging an agreement with Iran's ruling theocracy," Jafarzadeh said. "Engaging in commerce with the Iranian regime is tantamount to endorsing and empowering the IRGC in its nefarious activities."

"Instead, the international community should take decisive action to support the Iranian people in their unwavering pursuit of toppling the oppressive regime of the mullahs," he urged.

The IRGC, by controlling these apparatuses, will be able to directly profit from their industry, which could help them bypass the many sanctions placed on them by different countries.

DOZENS OF TOP US DIPLOMATS URGE BIDEN TO CEASE ALL DIPLOMACY WITH IRAN

IRGC Quds chief Esmail Qaani

The group now operates through the Resistance Economy Headquarters of the Defense Ministry. In a letter dated Jan. 10, 2023, IRGC Brigadier Gen. Ishaghi oversaw a meeting that concluded with the requirement that oil and petrochemical groups submit documents, including names of complexes, challenges the groups face and all planning and resources required, which Ishaghi would review.

A letter dated from Nov. 29, 2022, discussed involving a number of institutions and companies "from the branches of the armed forces" in projects in Uzbekistan, including tractor manufacturing and the Shastan Holding Co., which is Irans largest investment company and operates nine subsidiaries in a wide range of sectors across construction, finance and energy.

All groups in the November letter were ordered to support the armed forces and IRGC, including in the building of cement factories, thermal power plants and exploring mining opportunities.

IRAN HANGS TWO ON BLASPHEMY CHARGES AS EXECUTIONS CONTINUE TO SPIKE

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies with a focus on Iranian security and political issues, told Fox News Digital that the IRGCs role and influence over much of Irans current structures of power remains "an open secret in Washington and Iran" and that many analysts globally understand the IRGC "is the most important economic player."

"Basically, the IRGC is really one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, entities inside the government of the Islamic Republic, and it's really an upward trajectory for their political, economic fortunes inside Iran after the Iran-Iraq War," Taleblu explained, saying that a revelation of their influence over the countrys economy "could have come in 2008, and you could believe it."

Taleblu said the IRGC "was, is and is likely to remain," absent any "wholesale change in Iran," the most important, economic force in the country. "Massive holdings acquired under a false privatization drive," he added, explaining the economic consolidation the group has already achieved.

Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard listen to a speech in the Iranian parliament in Tehran, October 2018.

Taleblu suggested that the U.S. has enough sanction targets left in Iran to continue blunting the IRGC and regimes actions, and that such sanctions going forward will only grow in importance as the IRGC gains more influence in the country.

"The lack of enforcement against critical factors that either underwrite the IRGC activities or that directly support the IRGC activities or are directly under control by IRGC persons, means that Washington is currently doing a poor job of keeping up with this," he said.

Questions to the U.S. State Department and Iranian mission to the U.N. were not returned as of press time.

Fox News Digital's Michael Lee contributed to this report.
An Iraqi oil employee checks pipelines at the Bai Hassan oil field, west of the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk in 2017

Iraq's oil minister said Thursday that crude exports from the autonomous Kurdistan region to Turkey would resume on Saturday, hours after a deal was finalised following years of dispute.

The Kurdish regional government had for years earned billions of dollars in revenues exporting oil to Turkey without the Iraqi federal government's approval.

Following years of wrangling, a preliminary agreement was reached in early April, granting the Iraqi federal government control over exports with a view to immediately resuming sales.

On Thursday the Kurdish authorities said in a statement that "the Kurdistan regional government and the federal authorities have reached a (final) deal on the resumption of oil exports".

Hours later, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani said crude exports would resume from Saturday.

Baghdad's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) "informed the Turkish company Botas of the resumption of export operations... as of Saturday May 13", Abdel Ghani said in a statement.

Nearly a decade after launching an international arbitration, the Iraqi federal government in March won the right to control the autonomous Kurdistan region's oil exports through Turkey.

The international ruling in March led to the suspension of exports, forcing the Kurdish government in Arbil to negotiate before reaching in early April the preliminary deal with Baghdad.

Oil has long been a lifeblood for the Kurdish region, with 475,000 barrels exported daily via the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

The disruption of oil exports had caused a shortfall of around a billion dollars in revenue to authorities in Arbil, capital of the autonomous Kurdish region, according to analyst Kovand Shirwani.

The settlement, according to Shirwani, nevertheless "guarantees the continuation of exports... and the sale of oil at better prices" for Arbil.

Until the halt to exports, Kurdistan had offered below-market "preferential prices" to international buyers, looking to attract cautious customers amid "economic pressures" and threats of prosecution by Baghdad, Shirwani said.

Story continues

Under the agreement, sales of Kurdistan's crude will be managed by SOMO, with revenues paid into an account jointly owned by Baghdad and Arbil.

The agreement is expected to boost federal government coffers, which in March raised $7.5 billion from oil exports.

- 'Both sides winners' -

In early May, Abdel Ghani had said that Kurdish fields would resume operating in "a week or two maximum".

He added that tests were being "carried out on oil pipelines" in Turkey following February's devastating earthquake, causing delays in the resumption of exports.

But details of the deal to resume production remained unclear at the time, including "the management of the bank account, the money earned in return for exports... who has the right to administer this money", Abdel Ghani said.

Baghdad was also awaiting payment by Ankara of a "fine", Abdel Ghani said.

Under a 1973 agreement on oil exports between Baghdad and Ankara, Iraqi export fees paid for each barrel of oil sent to Ceyhan were set at $1.19.

"However, Kurdistan paid much more than that," the oil minister had said in May. "The difference must go to the Iraqi government."

The total for this amount could exceed $1.8 billion, a senior oil ministry official speaking on the condition of anonymity told AFP.

In late March, Turkey's energy minister Fatih Donmez challenged the claims that Ankara should pay compensation to Baghdad, state news agency Anadolu reported.

According to Shirwani, Turkey, which "receives service and transport costs", will still have every interest in cooperating.

Arbil's crude exports were a longstanding source of tension, as Baghdad sought to bring Kurdish oil back under its control.

In February 2022, an Iraqi court authorised the federal government to cancel contracts negotiated by Kurdistan with foreign companies. Another court had also invalidated agreements between Arbil and several companies.

The new agreement provides a path to developing a general law overseeing the country's hydrocarbons, which has been on hold since 2005.

"Kurdistan does not consider itself a loser, both sides are winners," Arbil's finance minister Awat Sheikh Janab told AFP.

ak-lk/tgg/hkb/jsa
A Turkish citizen living in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, casts his ballot for the presidential and parliamentary elections, at the Turkish embassy

As Turkey's presidential vote nears, Iraqi Kurds are keeping a close watch on the tightest electoral battle yet for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the outcome of which could have major security and economic implications for their region.

For many years, fighting between Turkey's armed forces and Kurdish militants has spilled over into Iraq's autonomous Kurdish north, a rugged mountain region where both sides operate military bases.

Many Kurds in war-scarred Iraq sympathise with the ethnic minority in Turkey, but their own region also relies on the big neighbour for business, with its crucial oil long exported via a pipeline that runs through Turkey.

Political leaders in Arbil are not officially commenting on Turkey's tight electoral race between Erdogan and his challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who has pledged to "bring democracy to this country by changing the one-man regime".

But, whatever the outcome of the Turkish presidential vote, with the first round to be held Sunday, Iraq's Kurdish region will look to preserve its strategic partnership with Ankara, analysts say.

"The media, the political scene, everyone is highly preoccupied with the Turkish elections," said Adel Bakawan, director of the French Centre for Research on Iraq, who stressed that Ankara's role in the region is "fundamental".

Iraq's Kurdish leaders have built relationships with Erdogan, he said, adding that, if "the president changes, the whole relationship between Arbil and Ankara changes... The diplomatic world hates the unknown."

- 'Direction of the war' -

Erdogan, after two decades in power as premier and then president, has strengthened Turkey as a regional player that at times challenges Europe and the United States and negotiates with Russia on Syria's war.

When he first took office, Erdogan launched talks aimed at ending the Kurdish armed struggle for broader autonomy in Turkey's southeast. But the community, estimated to be 15 to 20 million strong, came under pressure when those talks collapsed, and violence resumed in 2015.

Story continues

Turkey's battle against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), classified as a "terrorist" group by Ankara and its Western allies, has long since flared again across its borders into Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Turkish military maintains dozens of bases in northern Iraq and carries out air strikes and ground operations against the PKK, which operates rear bases in the region.

Iraq's regional Kurdish government rarely rebukes Ankara, despite Turkey routinely bombarding its territory and causing civilian casualties. Instead, Arbil usually limits its public response to press releases condemning violations of Iraq's sovereignty and their impacts on the population.

Kilicdaroglu, while making no concrete proposals to resolve Turkey's Kurdish question, has accused Erdogan of "stigmatising" Kurds.

He has also pledged to free the Kurdish leader of the left-wing Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtas, who has been incarcerated since 2016 for spreading "terrorist propaganda".

According to Bakawan, given the gestures Kilicdaroglu has already made to the Kurdish community, there is "the possibility of appeasement" in the conflict should he win.

"The result of the election will directly impact the direction of this war," said Bakawan, a French-Iraqi political scientist of Kurdish origin.

- 'Betting on relaxation' -

Political scientist Botan Tahseen argued that Turkey's opposition is "betting on relaxation" and wants "to turn a new page" after Erdogan, at a time when the Middle East is thirsty for "political, security and economic stability".

If Erdogan is re-elected, he added, Turkey will still "need an initiative to normalise its relations with its neighbours, especially (Iraqi) Kurdistan".

Ankara remains a strategic economic partner to Arbil. For years, all of Kurdistan's oil exports -- some 450,000 barrels per day -- were sent to Turkey, without the approval of Iraq's federal government.

A legal dispute between Baghdad and Ankara interrupted the trade, but it is expected to resume once technical and financial details are settled.

"Whoever governs in Ankara will obviously have an influence on this issue," said Bakawan.

Illustrating the close ties between Ankara and Arbil, a Turkish HDP parliamentarian was on Sunday turned away from Arbil's airport, local media reported. The provincial government later explained he had been subject to a Baghdad-issued "travel ban".

For Iraq's Kurds, notions of ethnic solidarity and hopes for an end to discrimination of Kurds in Turkey are tempered with caution.

"We hope that the next Turkish government will sit down at the dialogue table with the Kurds," said Nizar Soltan, 60, who works at a university in Arbil.

"Dozens of times they tricked the Kurds and used them to achieve their ends," he said, sitting in a cafe, complaining that the minority invariably ends up being "marginalised".

"This time let's hope they keep their promises, and that the Kurdish regions will regain security and stability."

kt/tgg/noc/fz/smw
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Dan Williams

GAZA/JERUSALEM, Israel (Reuters) -Israel killed the head of Islamic Jihad's rocket force and his deputy, pressing an operation that has cost 30 lives in Gaza including women and children, while Palestinian cross-border rocket salvoes inflicted a first fatality in Israel on Thursday.

Amid mediation efforts by Egypt, neither side seemed ready to douse the worst flare-up since August, now in its third day.

"We are at the height of a campaign, both offensive and defensive," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a videotaped statement issued during a visit to an air base.

"Whoever comes to harm us - his blood is forfeit."

The deaths of Ali Ghali and Ahmed Abu Daqqa brought to five the number of senior figures from Iranian-sponsored Islamic Jihad killed since Israel began striking Gaza early on Tuesday.

Two gunmen from a splinter group died in a separate strike on Thursday. The identities of two men killed elsewhere were not immediately clear. Four women and six children have also died.

But Islamic Jihad, the second-biggest armed group in Gaza after the ruling Hamas Islamists, kept up volleys of rockets.

"We will not retreat and the assassinations will only make us stronger. Our revenge continues," it said in a communique.

The hundreds of rockets launched have set off sirens as far north as Tel Aviv. Some 1.5 million Israelis - 16% of the population - have been ordered to shelters, military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari said.

While Iron Dome and David's Sling interceptors have shot down 96% of rockets engaged, according to the military, one hit a residential building in Rehovot on Thursday. Medics said an elderly man was killed, the first person killed in Israel in the latest round of fighting, and five other people were wounded.

After more than a year of resurgent Israeli-Palestinian violence that has killed more than 140 Palestinians and at least 19 Israelis and foreigners since January, the latest escalation drew international calls for a ceasefire.

Story continues

But Cairo, which hosted senior Islamic Jihad official Mohammad al-Hindi for talks, was circumspect about prospects.

FRUITLESS MEDIATION SO FAR

"Egypt's efforts to calm things down and resume the political process have not yet borne fruit," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters.

Meeting Jordanian, French and German counterparts in Berlin, Shoukry urged "peace-sponsoring countries to intervene and stop the attacks" and said Israel must "stop the unilateral measures that aim to destroy the future of the Palestinian state".

Islamic Jihad spurns coexistence with Israel and preaches its destruction. Among terms for a truce, it wants an end to Israeli strikes against its leaders. Israel has rejected that.

"We have resumed the 'elimination' policy - big time," Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Channel 12 TV. "If and when we enter a ceasefire, it won't be with preconditions."

Israel appeared to be hoping that Islamic Jihad, depleted of rockets and commanders, would halt hostilities unilaterally. Hagari declined to be drawn on the faction's remaining arsenal.

Both in blockaded Gaza, where residents have been experiencing decades of a worsening humanitarian crisis, and in surrounding Israeli towns, schools and businesses remained shut.

"We can't sleep at night because we worry about bombardment," said Mohammad Abu el-Subbah, 24, outside a bakery in Gaza City. "People have no clue what will happen next, whether there will be a truce or the war will continue."

At least 80 people were wounded in the air strikes that destroyed five buildings and damaged more than 300 apartments, said Salama Marouf, chairman of the media office for Hamas, the group that rules the densely populated coastal territory.

Israel's military said over 100 rockets - many of them improvised - had fallen short, killing four Palestinians, including a 10-year-old girl. Islamic Jihad denied that.

"Once again Israel tries to escape its responsibility for the killing of civilians through fabrications and lies," faction spokesman Dawoud Shehab said.

Israel has kept crossings for the movement of people and goods closed since Tuesday. Israeli authorities estimated that between 30% and 60% of communities around Gaza have evacuated as a precaution. On Wednesday, sirens sounded as far as the commercial capital Tel Aviv, 60 km (37 miles) north of Gaza.

As the firing continued in Gaza, the military said it had arrested 25 people in the occupied West Bank associated with Islamic Jihad. In the West Bank town of Tulkarm, the Palestinian health ministry said Israeli forces shot dead a 66-year-old man. The military said troops returned fire after one of them was shot and wounded by gunmen.

Israel captured Gaza and the West Bank, areas Palestinians want for an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in a 1967 war. Israeli forces and settlers withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Statehood talks have been frozen since 2014.

(Reporting by Ali Sawafta, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Henriette Chacar; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel, Nick Macfie, Bernadette Baum and Mark Heinrich, William Maclean)
Jackson Memorial Hospitals heart transplant program, suspended since mid-March amid multiple investigations involving deaths, infections and other bad outcomes, has a new leadership team.

Hospital leaders revealed the overhaul Monday during a staff meeting, although no announcement was made publicly. Dr. Joshua Hare was named the new interim chief of heart failure for both Jackson and the University of Miami Health System. Dr. Leonardo Mulinari is set to be the new interim chief of heart transplants.

Responding to questions from the Herald, which learned of the shakeup independently, Jackson officials confirmed the moves Thursday.

Dr. Joshua Hare, left, and Dr. Leonardo Mulinari, right, are the new interim chiefs of heart failure and heart transplant, respectively, at the Miami Transplant Institute at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The institute is staffed with University of Miami physicians.

Hare and Mulinari replace Dr. Anita Phancao and Dr. Matthias Loebe, respectively, who have been the focus of complaints that spurred multiple investigations on the federal and state level. The complaints led to Jackson suspending its adult heart transplant surgeries in March at the insistence of the United Network for Organ Sharing, the nonprofit that manages the U.S. organ transplant system under contract with the federal government.

From left: Dr. Matthias Loebe and Dr. Anita Phancao. Loebe had been chief of heart transplant and Phancao had been director of heart failure at the Miami Transplant Institute at Jackson Memorial Hospital. They both were recently replaced.

The heart transplant program is part of the Miami Transplant Institute, housed within the publicly funded Jackson Memorial and staffed by University of Miami medical school physicians.

Hare, a cardiologist, is head of the University of Miamis Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute and a pioneer in stem-cell research. Prior to joining UM, he led the heart failure program as director of cardiac transplantation at Johns Hopkins University.

Mulinari is chief of pediatric and congenital heart surgery at UMs Miller School of Medicine and co-director of the Comprehensive Heart Center at Holtz Childrens Hospital, located at Jackson.

READ MORE: Probe of Jacksons suspended heart transplant program expands; top surgeon cant see patients

Luke Preczewski, the institutes vice president, and Dr. Rodrigo Vianna, the institutes executive director, made the internal announcements while discussing changes to the hospitals heart failure program at the transplant institute. Phancao was also at the meeting, attended by Miami Transplant Institute administrators, surgeons and other staff who work with heart transplant patients, according to a Jackson source who attended the meeting.

Story continues

Jackson not saying what led to shakeup

No specific reason was given at the meeting about the leadership changes, sources told the Herald. But Preczewski did mention the need for better teamwork, process management and communication following the programs suspension, according to one Jackson source at the meeting.

READ MORE: He died after getting a heart transplant at Jackson. His loved ones want answers

A Jackson spokeswoman did not answer the Heralds questions about Phancao, 46, no longer being the chief of heart failure and transplant cardiology. She said the changes were part of the hospitals process to improve its performance, but did not answer questions about whether the investigations influenced the staff changes.

Both Dr. Mulinari and Dr. Hare are renowned experts in their field, and with their guidance, we will reinstate the heart transplant program as soon as it is appropriate, Jackson said in a statement Thursday morning.

The hospitals decision to suspend the heart transplant program came after the organ sharing network signaled to Jackson that it had received anonymous, detailed complaints regarding patient deaths and infections, complaints that led to the networks investigation of the Jackson/UM transplant center.

Jackson told the Herald at the time that the organ sharing network would oversee a peer review of the program, involving a visit by experts from the field to the Miami Transplant Institute. The visit occurred the week of April 4, generating a report with findings on April 26.

READ NEXT: What will happen to Jacksons currently closed heart transplant program? Theres an update

Three separate investigations

A week after the April 4 visit, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which regulates Florida hospitals, each sent teams to the transplant institute.

A report detailing patient safety concerns, reviewed by the Herald, had previously been sent to the Medicare and Medicaid agency. The report highlighted complaints about the heart failure team, then led by Phancao, and the implantation of Left Ventricular Assistance Devices  a type of heart pump that can keep a patient alive while waiting for a heart transplant or even eliminate the need for a transplant.

READ MORE: This heart pump can be a better option than a transplant. But its not for everyone

The anonymous report also detailed complications and patient deaths following heart transplant procedures performed by Loebe, 64, who had been chief of the institutes heart transplant program until recently. The heart surgeon had been stripped of his administrative duties in October, although he was allowed to remain as chief through the end of February. In April, Jackson gave him a new restriction: He would no longer be allowed to treat patients. Jackson did not elaborate when the Herald asked about Loebes changes.

Phancao is still seeing patients, Jackson said. The doctor, a graduate of the University of California and Boston Universitys School of Medicine, did her residency and fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Her practitioner profile with the Florida Department of Health indicates shes also licensed to practice medicine in California, Nevada and Oklahoma.

Jackson has refused public records requests from the Herald to provide the letter sent by the organ sharing network to the Miami Transplant Institute urging it to suspend the program, and the report detailing the findings of the peer-review team. Jackson cited a legal exemption that makes the documents not subject to inspection and copying.

The Miami Transplant Institute, one of the oldest and largest transplant centers in the country, has continued to transplant other organs, including lungs, kidneys and livers.
Natalee Holloway, 18, disappeared in 2005, during a trip to Aruba

Dutchman Joran van der Sloot, a suspect in the 2005 disappearance of an American teenager, will be extradited from Peru to face criminal charges in the US, according to media reports.

He is currently in Peru serving 28 years in prison for killing a 21-year-old Peruvian woman named Stephany Flores.

American Natalee Holloway, 18, went missing during a school trip in Aruba.

Van der Sloot faces federal wire fraud and extortion charges in the US.

In a statement reported in US media, Holloway's family said Peru has agreed to temporarily extradite Van der Sloot do he can "answer for his crimes".

In the US, Van der Sloot is accused of taking $25,000 from Beth Holloway, Natalee's mother, in exchange for information regarding the whereabouts of the 18-year-old's body.

Prosecutors say the money was paid but no information was revealed.

Natalee Holloway's body was never found. She was officially declared dead in 2012 by an Alabama judge.

She was in Aruba on a high school graduation trip in May 2005 when she vanished. She was last seen leaving a bar with Van der Sloot.

Van der Sloot was arrested but never charged in connection with Holloway's disappearance.

"It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee," Beth Holloway said in a statement on Wednesday.

She also expressed thanks to officials in US and Peru.

Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru's ambassador to the US, said in a statement that "we hope that this action will enable a process that will help to bring peace to Mrs Holloway and to her family, who are grieving in the same way that the Flores family in Peru".

Peruvian officials said that Van der Sloot will be temporarily handed over to the US for prosecution and will return to Peru following the proceedings, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

A 2001 treaty between Peru and the US allows a suspect to be extradited for a trial but requires the prisoner be returned once judicial proceedings have concluded.
As President Joe Biden prepared to kick off his 2024 campaign fundraising in New York City, climate activists gathered several blocks away to protest what they say is Mr Bidens broken promises on climate change.

Joining the climate activists was actor and celebrity activist Jane Fonda, who gave an impassioned speech on fighting back against fossil fuel use.

Unlike some of the older folks and some of the older climate organisations, you understand that to confront the climate crisis and save this planet, we have to phase out fossil fuels, Ms Fonda said to the group of protesters.

Protesters held signs demanding Mr Biden put an end to fossil fuel projects like the Willow project, which Mr Biden approved in March.

The Willow project is a controversial oil drilling project on Alaskas North Slope.

Weve been polite, weve marched, weve protested, weve written, weve made speeches. We have to up the ante now, Ms Fonda said. We have little time left, the opportunity to save the planet and our future  the window on that is closing rapidly and we have to do something about it.

Ms Fonda called on people to be brave and fight back against powerful people and organisations  the exact thing the climate protesters intended to do.

The group, which featured people from organisations like Climate Defiance, Sunrise Movement NYC, New York Communities for Change, Food& Water Watch, Climate Defenders and Climate Famlies NYC, met at the the Doris C Freedman Plaza to march up to the Upper East Side where Mr Biden was expected to appear.

Mr Bidens campaign fundraising event is being hosted by former Blackstone executive Tony James. Tickets to the event were going for $25,000 per person, according to a memo obtained by CNBC.

The president is expected to attend a dinner at the home of George Logothetis, executive chairman of Libra Group.

However, climate activists are angry Mr Biden is running for re-election after they say he broke his promise to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.

Story continues

Biden has broken all of his climate promises and people like me, people across the country, put him in office because of what he said he would do on climate, Liat Olenick, a climate activist part of the Climate Families NYC group, told The Independent.

Along with the Willow project in Alaska, Mr Bidens administration backed the Mountain Valley pipeline, too.

Ryan, a 20-year-old activist with the Sunrise Movement NYC group, said he was taking out my anger and my disappointment in the presidency.

Biden needs to step up, our government needs to step up in fighting for climate justice, Ryan said.

Steven Donzinger, an attorney who represented farmers and indigenous people who suffered health and environmental damage caused by oil drilling, criticised Mr Biden for taking corporate money.

The president is over there taking corporate money, Mr Donzinger said. He claims to be the climate president yet hes taking corporate money from these industries that are destroying the planet. You cannot do both.

Mr Donzinger encouraged protesters to hold [Mr Biden] accountable for his actions.
By Rocky Swift

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co on Thursday reported annual profit that missed estimates and flagged a decrease in the coming year as its mainstay drugs lose patent protection.

Japan's biggest drugmaker spent big in the past year to replenish its pipeline to make up for the loss of exclusivity on big sellers and give it time to develop some 40 treatments in the clinical stage.

Operating profit for the year ended March 31 came in at 490.5 billion yen ($3.63 billion), an increase of 6.4% from the prior period, Takeda said. That fell short of the company's earlier estimate of 530 billion yen and a consensus forecast of 535 billion yen from a Refinitiv poll of 15 analysts.

The shortfall was due to restructuring fees and also pre-launch inventory adjustments related to the company's newly approved dengue vaccine, CFO Costa Saroukos said.

Operating profit is expected to decline further to 349 billion yen in the current fiscal year due to the "big impact" of exclusivity expirations of blood pressure drug Azilva in Japan and hyperactivity drug Vyvanse in the United States, he added.

In the meantime, the company raised its planned dividend this year to 188 yen per share from 180 as part of a "progressive" payout policy after it reduced leverage.

Takeda agreed in December to buy an experimental psoriasis drug from U.S.-based Nimbus Therapeutics for as much as $6 billion, marking its first major purchase since its $59 billion takeover of Shire Plc in 2019.

"We think it's a potential best in class," chief executive Christophe Weber said. Takeda may explore applications for the drug on irritable bowel disorder (IBD) and other ailments as time goes on, he added.

Since absorbing Shire, Takeda has been under pressure to reduce debt, while also expanding its pipeline to compensate for the loss of patent protection of franchise drugs such as Vyvanse and Entyvio in the coming years.

Story continues

Takeda's long-awaited dengue vaccine QDENGA was approved by European regulators last December, notching a needed win for the company's in-house pipeline and leading to annual sales of up to $2 billion for the shot.

($1 = 135.0500 yen)

($1 = 135.0500 yen)

(Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Kim Coghill)
NHS worker Rebecca Jones, whose son Jayden has been missing since flying to Portugal with his dad eight months ago. (SWNS)

The mother of a boy who vanished while on holiday with his father eight months ago has made an emotional plea for his safe return on his 14th birthday.

Rebecca Jones, 35, has begged ex-partner Andrew Pearson, 33, to bring their son Jayden Pearson home and end her "living nightmare".

Jayden has not been heard from since he went on holiday to Portugal with his Andrew, a plasterer, last September.

The pair went on a 10-day break to the Algarve, but when Rebecca sent a taxi to pick Jayden up from the airport he was nowhere to be seen.

The mum-of-two fears she will never see her son again after her ex-partner blocked her number and left her in the dark about the schoolboys whereabouts.

She says that when she reported her son missing and flew to Portugal to search for him, Andrew sent her sinister texts before completely cutting her off.

On Thursday, she said it would be the "greatest gift ever" to have her son back home with her in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

The last photo taken of Jayden Pearson, 14, before he disappeared. (SWNS)

She said: It would be the best gift ever to see his face again. Just let this living nightmare end.

If you see this, Jayden, I wish you a happy birthday. I love you so much.

Its heartbreaking to be in this situation. I dont know if Im ever going to see him again. We should be celebrating together.

Hes got a sack full of birthday cards. He can open them when hes back home. His little brother Mathew has even bought him a bracelet that says brother."

Missing teen Jayden Pearson whose mother has made an emotional plea for his safe return on his 14th birthday. (SWNS)

She begged Pearson: Put him on a plane and send him home. We will be waiting for him on the other end ready to hold him and not let him go.

Think about these boys  they deserve to be together. I just want to be a mum to Jayden.

Jones said Pearson asked to take Jayden to the city of Lagos, on Portugals southern tip, in September last year.

She had retained custody of Jayden and his brother, Mathew, 11, since her relationship with Pearson ended in 2019.

The NHS healthcare assistant said the pair were booked on a 6.45pm flight home and due to arrive at East Midlands Airport on 14 September last year at 10pm.

Story continues

She had a taxi waiting for them at the arrival gate, but was left frantic when they failed to show up, before realising Andrew had blocked her number on his phone.

Rebecca Jones with her eldest son Jayden (left) and youngest Mathew (front). (SWNS)

She said: At first I kept trying to call him, kept trying to text him. I thought something had happened. I thought he might have had an accident.

"And then he blocked me, and blocked all my family.

Read more: 'Morally unacceptable': The day Sunak's Illegal Migration Bill came under fire

It was just a holiday. When he didnt return I was numb, I was worried, I was scared and I was heartbroken.

Jones reported both father and son missing on 22 September last year.

She has since shared appeals for Jayden's return on social media in the hope that someone will see his face and identify his whereabouts.

But after Pearson was sighted and photographed at a farm resort in the Nazare region of Portugal, 250 miles from Lagos, she has received messages from him saying his life had been ruined.

A bracelet gifted to Jayden from his younger brother Mathew. (SWNS)

They read: If we successfully make it to Bulgaria I will make contact then.

Jones flew out to Portugal in January this year and reported the pair as missing to local authorities.

She said Portuguese police had searched the farm resort where her ex-partner had been seen, but had heard nothing.

Jones believes the trip was planned not as a holiday but to keep Jayden permanently.

She said: It was meant to be a 10-day holiday.

Missing teen Jayden Pearson with his dog in the UK. (SWNS)

"At the time, I didnt suspect anything. But now I feel like he planned it all along.

Jones has today organised a birthday party for Jayden in his absence with his family in the same way they celebrate every year.

But she remains concerned for her sons health and well-being.

She said: I dont believe that Jayden's needs are being met. He is not at school. Hes going into year ten in September. He needs to be sitting his GCSEs.

Read more: Gang who made 3.5m from fake prescription drugs on 'dark web' sparks law change

I feel every day is long and hard. Every day we are waking up to this living nightmare thats not going to end any time soon.

A spokesperson from South Yorkshire Police told Yahoo News: We understand how distressing this is for the family and have been in frequent contact with them. We continue to support the investigation and work with the relevant authorities to help with their enquiries.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told Yahoo News UK that the government was "supporting the parent of a British child reported missing in Portugal".
A local school administrator has been arrested on charges related to soliciting sexual acts from a child.

Keith Allen Williams

Keith Allen Williams, the chief financial and operations officer at Jefferson Schools, was arraigned Wednesday in Monroe County District Court on four felony charges: single counts of child abusive commercial activity and accosting children for immoral purposes and two similar counts of using a computer to communicate with another person to commit a crime. One of the counts of using a computer to communicate with another person to commit a crime has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison because it is related to the child sexually abusive activity charge, which also has a 20-year maximum penalty. The other computer-related charge has a maximum penalty of 4 years because it is related to the accosting charge, which also has a 4-year maximum penalty.

Williams has a probable cause conference scheduled for May 23 and a preliminary examination on May 30, both before District Judge Amanda L. Eicher.

Domanique Raji Berry

The Monroe County Sheriffs Office Violent Internet and Predator Exploitation Response (VIPER) Task Force also arrested another man Tuesday. Domanique Raji Berry, 33, of Toledo is charged with the same offenses as Williams. He has a probable cause conference scheduled for May 17 and a preliminary examination on May 23.

Bond for each defendant was set at $500,000.

VIPER was conducting a human trafficking prevention operation when they encountered Williams, 30, of Monroe. During the operation, the sheriff's office said in a news release, Williams solicited sexual acts from a law enforcement officer posing online as a 14-year-old child.

Through further investigation, it was learned Williams is employed by Jefferson Schools, the release said.

"The Jefferson Schools Administration was made aware of the arrest immediately on the morning of May 10," the release said.

"Jefferson Schools was recently advised that a District employee has been arrested for an alleged violation of Michigan law," Jefferson Superintendent Nelson Henry said in a letter sent to the Jefferson community Wednesday. "The employee will be placed on non-disciplinary, paid administrative leave pending further investigation into this off-duty conduct. Moreover, the District will work cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and take all necessary steps to ensure that the school environment is not disrupted during this time.

Story continues

"The District, in conjunction with the Board of Education, wants to reiterate its commitment to the school community by providing a safe environment for all its students and staff. Consistent with this objective, the Board will continue to support the efforts of District administrators to comply with existing legal requirements."

Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough created VIPER with the goal of arresting offenders who seek to commit sex-related crimes against children, the release said. It has since expanded its goal to combat all forms of human trafficking regardless of the age of the victim or the nature of the sex-related crime.

Goodnough reminds parents to keep track of the social media sites their children visit as a precaution to safeguard them, the release said.

Anyone with information regarding human trafficking and criminal sexual assault crimes is asked to call the VIPER hotline at 734-240-7535.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Jefferson Schools administrator charged with soliciting sex from child
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) warned Thursday that former President Trumps recent comments advising Republicans to allow a default have complicated the effort to raise the debt ceiling and prevent an economic crisis.

Jeffries predicted Trumps remarks would encourage House Republicans to dig in with their demands for steep spending cuts in return for lifting the debt cap  cuts President Biden has refused to include as part of the talks  making it tougher for the parties to secure a deal and prevent an economy-rattling default in the coming weeks.

Its unfortunate, because there are a lot of extreme MAGA Republicans in the House right now who share the same position that former President Trump articulated, Jeffries said during a press briefing in the Capitol.

Jeffries said Bidens allies on Capitol Hill would stand by the president in opposition to the Republicans proposed cuts, which Jeffries warned would devastate low-income families reliant on programs such as Medicaid or food stamps.

Republicans are saying the other option is to default, [and] thats exactly what President Trump laid out last night, Jeffries said. Its an inherently unreasonable position.

Appearing at a CNN town hall in New Hampshire on Wednesday night, Trump counseled Republicans in both chambers to stand firm in their demands for steep cuts as part of the debt ceiling debate, even if it takes the country over the edge of default.

I say to the Republicans out there, congressmen and senators: If they dont give you massive cuts, you are going to have to do a default, Trump said.

Trump predicted such an event would never occur, because Democrats would first cave and accept the GOPs proposed cuts. But he also downplayed the harm a default would have on the economy, suggesting the national debt poses a greater threat while urging Republicans to hold the line in their cost-cutting demands.

Story continues

Maybe you have a bad week or a bad day, Trump said. But look, you have to cut your costs.

That position marks a 180-degree reversal of Trumps actions in office, when he raised the debt ceiling three times in four years, and even went after the leaders of his own party  Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and then-Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)  for moving too slowly to get a debt-limit hike to his desk.

Pressed by CNNs Kaitlan Collins, Trump on Wednesday acknowledged the shift, explaining that hes changed his position for a simple reason.

Because now Im not president, he said.

Asked about Trumps comments Thursday, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) dodged the question, saying any blame for a default should rest with Biden for refusing to negotiate spending cuts as part of a debt-limit bill. He noted that House Republicans have already passed legislation to raise the governments borrowing cap, while Democrats who control the Senate have not.

The only thing I see right now is that the Republicans made sure default is not on the table, McCarthy told reporters in the Capitol. Weve raised the debt limit. The only person talking about default right now is President Biden.

Other Republican lawmakers are brushing off Trumps advice, emphasizing that political candidates have different aims  and adopt different tones  than sitting lawmakers seeking compromise on tough issues.

You campaign in poetry and you govern in prose, said Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), paraphrasing a famous quote from former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo (D). Candidates talk about things differently than people who are trying to get to a deal.

The months-long impasse has hinged not on whether the sides should negotiate deficit reduction strategies, but in what context those talks should occur.

Behind McCarthy, Republicans have insisted that any debt limit increase be accompanied by sharp spending cuts and major policy reforms  a combination featured in the GOP debt-ceiling package passed through the House late last month.

Biden has refused those entreaties, demanding a clean debt-limit increase that divorces the default threat from the debate over future government outlays, which he wants to discuss on a separate track. Threatening a default, Biden has said, is an irresponsible tactic with the nations economy on the line.

America is the strongest economy in the world, but we should be cutting spending and lowering the deficit without a needless crisis, Biden said Wednesday during a speech in New York.

The presidents allies in Congress have adopted the same posture.

This is not about a public policy discussion related to the future of the health, the safety and the economic wellbeing of the American people. Its a hostage-taking situation: Accept the dramatic cuts, or default, Jeffries said. Neither are acceptable.

Yet both sides have, at times, used the nations borrowing cap as leverage during budget fights with presidents of the opposing party. As House Speaker in 2019, for instance, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also refused to raise the debt limit until Trump and congressional Republicans agreed to lift the government spending caps that were then in place.

When we lift the caps then we can talk about lifting the debt ceiling  that would have to come second or simultaneous, she said at the time.

In an effort to break the impasse, Biden hosted a meeting Tuesday with the top congressional leaders  McCarthy, McConnell, Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)  with another White House meeting of those figures scheduled for Friday.

In the meantime, leadership and White House aides have been conducting behind-the-scenes negotiations  talks that leaders of both parties say are bearing fruit.

Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), a close McCarthy ally, told reporters Thursday that the staff-level talks are identifying areas of potential compromise. And Jeffries delivered a similar message.

Its my understanding that it was a very productive discussion at the staff level yesterday. Its my expectation there will be continued conversations today, Jeffries said.

Of Fridays meeting, he added, I expect that it will go well.

Mychael Schnell and Emily Brooks contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Three years ago, when asked about New Yorks plan to implement a congestion tax on cars crossing the Hudson River, I drew a stark line in the sand. I said:

New Jerseyans should not have to pay twice  paying a toll and then paying congestion pricing. New York should not be doing a good part of what they need to do on the backs of New Jersey.

My position couldnt have been clearer  this congestion pricing plan is a no-win situation for residents in the Garden State. And now that government bureaucrats have allowed New Yorks plan to proceed, I will be fighting tooth-and-nail with Gov. Phil Murphy and my colleagues in the New Jersey congressional delegation to prevent this unfair double taxation of hardworking New Jersey residents.

Traffic moves through tolls at the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee.

This proposed congestion pricing is a tax on New Jersey drivers, full stop. In addition to $17 tolls to cross into New York, a $23-a-day congestion fee would impose a $5,000-a-year burden on New Jerseyans who work or do business in Manhattan. At a time when the budgets of working families and small businesses are already stretched thin, New York is trying to balance its budget by squeezing every dollar from out-of-state-residents. This congestion pricing proposal is an unjust and blatant money grab for the MTA and cannot be allowed to stand.

Worse still, the so-called environmental assessment used for the congestion tax  so-called because it fell laughably short of studying the full impact  determined that it will increase traffic and air pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide for residents in outer communities like Bergen County. Thats why the plan sets aside $130 million for programs like an asthma treatment plan in the Bronx, but it doesnt allocate a single dime for mitigation efforts in New Jersey.

Earlier: $23 to enter Manhattan? Murphy seeks legal options after 'unfair' congestion pricing OK'd

But beyond these financial and environmental reasons, congestion pricing is a slap in the face to the fundamental idea of democracy in our two states. If New York wanted to be fair and just, then it would have provided New Jersey a seat at the table as it went ahead with its plan. Instead, not only will New York be siphoning away our hard-earned tax dollars  not only will it poison our air with no recompense  it will be doing all of this while completely silencing New Jersey voices and excluding us from the decision-making table. Its undemocratic and goes against everything our country stands for.

Story continues

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) speaks during the twelfth annual Evangelina Menendez women's history month celebration at Montclair State Univeristy on Sunday, March 26, 2023.

New York and New Jersey have a long history of working together in partnership as neighbors. But instead of working with us to expand public transit and build a collaborative path forward between our two states, New York is forging ahead with this tax shakedown. New Jersey residents deserve a say in policies that will materially affect our state, which is why I will be proposing legislation in the Senate next week to protect the interests of our commuters.

Three years ago, when I drew a line in the sand on congestion pricing, our governor was standing right next to me. Now, were standing together to fight for our state, which is why I wholeheartedly support his decision to assess all legal options to oppose this plan. Simply put, we refuse to be run roughshod over with this new congestion pricing and will be doing all we can to stop it. Thats a Jersey promise.

Sen. Bob Menendez has represented New Jersey in the Senate since 2006.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY congestion pricing a bad deal for NJ, Bob Menendez says
JetBlue is offering members of its loyalty programs new ways to earn perks like early boarding and free alcohol. Scott Olson / Getty Images

JetBlue is expanding its TrueBlue loyalty program by launching a new rewards system for members.

Members can earn perks like early boarding and free alcohol through the new program.

The airline recently ranked top for its first and business-class cabins in a customer satisfaction poll.

JetBlue Airways is introducing a new loyalty program for its members to earn more perks like free alcoholic drinks and early boarding, it announced Wednesday.

The airline is expanding its TrueBlue loyalty program with the launch of two new features  "tiles," and Perks You Pick  which reward dedicated members with benefits both in air and on the ground as they work their way towards Mosaic status  the highest level of its TrueBlue membership.

Members are rewarded with tiles for every $100 in purchases across JetBlue's brands and partners including American Airlines flights.

Once members have earned 10 tiles, they can pick perks including early boarding, priority security which gives members access to a faster lane to security at several airports, and a free alcoholic beverage like beer, wine, or liquor among other rewards.

Mosaic status is reserved for those who earn 50 tiles with added benefits like the first two checked bags free, same-day flight switches, and a readily available support line with priority chat assistance.

JetBlue did not immediately respond to Insider's request for further comment about the new program.

The airline recently won top spot for its first and business-class cabins in an annual customer satisfaction survey by data analytics company J.D. Power.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The North Carolina Jewish Clergy Association opposes Senate Bill 20, a 12-week abortion ban misleadingly labeled Care for Women, Children and Families Act. We are asking members of the N.C. General Assembly to sustain Governor Coopers expected veto.

For thousands of years Jewish tradition has embraced a sacred obligation to preserve life and protect and prioritize the health and well-being of the pregnant woman; this bill does not.

Rabbi Judy Schindler

Rabbi Andy Koren

By banning abortion after 12 weeks and creating numerous burdens (in-person consultations, waiting periods, forced ultrasounds, multiple in-person visits for medication abortion, burdensome licensing requirements on already heavily regulated abortion clinics), Senate Bill 20 will negatively impact those seeking to safely terminate a pregnancy within the first trimester.

Though it does include some exceptions, SB 20 will prevent some individuals from seeking abortions later in pregnancy when they discover a fetal anomaly or face maternal health risks and choose to terminate a pregnancy before fetal viability. This bill will also negatively impact both healthcare providers and clergy who would offer abortion services and counseling.

Jewish tradition cherishes the sanctity of life, including the potential life during pregnancy, but does not believe that personhood and human rights begin with conception, but rather with birth as indicated by Exodus 21:22-23. While other religions may believe that a human being exists at the moment of conception (and have lobbied for a total or 6-week ban so that SB 20 is presented as a sort of compromise), Jewish law dating back to the Torah has established that abortion is not murder.

For the Jewish faith, and for those of many other faiths, a human beings life does not begin until the first breath, live birth. Therefore, the only thing being compromised by SB 20 is womens health.

Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmuns opinion in Roe v. Wade discussed the lack of consensus among doctors, philosophers and theologians as to when life begins. This lack of consensus is unchanged to this date. Blackmun noted that it was the predominant attitude of the Jewish faith, and also the position of a large segment of the Protestant community, that life does not begin until live birth.

Story continues

After finding that the Fourteenth Amendments concept of personal liberty protected a womans decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy, the Roe Court determined that a state could not by adopting one theory of life override all rights of the pregnant woman. While the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health overruled Roe and gave each state license to adopt one religions theory of when human life begins, why would the N.C. General Assembly want to run roughshod over the religious beliefs of many of its citizens? Isnt religious liberty for everyone?

As Jewish American clergy, we believe in the protection of privacy and freedom, especially religious freedom. We reaffirm our unequivocal support for complete access to reproductive health services, including abortion up to 20 weeks as is current N.C. law.

Consistent with the Jewish value of pursuing tzedek (justice) for all, we clergy of the NCJCA vehemently oppose laws, including SB 20, that will create a patchwork of abortion access and push basic healthcare out of reach for many. Judaism supports abortion as healthcare  indeed, Jewish law views abortion as not only permissible, but required when necessary to safeguard the well-being, physical or mental, of a pregnant person.

We at NCJCA believe that every human being deserves the freedom to make their own decisions about their body, their family and their future without interference by legislators imposing their religious beliefs upon those of other faiths. These intimate, personal and private health decisions should be up to the pregnant person, often in consultation with that persons medical provider, family and clergy  but not with politicians and lawmakers.

Rabbi Judy Schindler lives in Charlotte. Rabbi Andy Koren lives in Greensboro. NCJCA leaders Rabbis Lucy Dinner of Raleigh, Daniel Greyber of Durham, Emily Losben-Ostrov of Wilmington, Batsheva Meiri of Asheville, Melissa Simon of Chapel Hill and Eric Solomon of Raleigh, and Cantor Shira Lissek of Charlotte signed on to this op-ed.
 Read the full article on Motorious

He was known as the Godfather of the GTO

A man ahead of his time, automotive marketing virtuoso Jim Wangers died in his sleep on April 27, 2023 at age 97. The man will forever be known as the Godfather of the GTO as he employed genius methods to whip up plenty of interest in what is still an enthusiast favorite ride.

Test your Pontiac GTO knowledge here.

Wangers made a larger impact on the automotive industry than you likely realize, even though youve no doubt felt the effects of his work.

The first big thing Wangers did was when he came onboard with Chevrolet back in 1955. He convinced management that taking part in NASCAR Speed Week would help with the brands image, but only after working on highlighting factory customer racers. Success with Chevrolets at Daytona spread through the enthusiast community and Wangers managers admitted he had a point as Chevy was branded The Hot One.

After success with Chevrolet, Wangers moved on to working with Pontiac starting in 1958. Not just a marketing guy, he piloted a Catalina in the Top Stock Eliminator class, capturing a NHRA National title in 1960 at the Nationals held in Detroit.

With that feather in his cap, people started really paying attention to what Wangers thought. He used that influence to push for performance vehicles like the GTO, hence his nickname. In fact, he was the one who got the GTO on the cover of Car and Driver, something many credit as the true beginning of the American muscle car era. The man also influenced the creation of the GTO Judge and the Trans Am.

Wangers accomplished much more during his obviously illustrious career, including participating in the foundation of the Detroit Dragway, getting Pontiac to offer Hurst shifters, and he opened his own Chevy dealership in Milwaukee.

Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai is one of the territory's most prominent pro-democracy figures

The British son of a jailed Hong Kong media tycoon has denounced the "hypocrisy" of the UK government.

Sebastien Lai said Britain had failed to sufficiently condemn the ongoing crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong.

He pointed out that it had not called for the release of his father Jimmy - also a UK citizen - and continues to trade with China.

Last year Jimmy Lai was jailed almost six years for fraud. He also faces national security charges.

The 75-year old tycoon, who founded the pro-democracy Apple Daily paper, is among the most prominent of the so-called Hong Kong 47 pro-democracy activists currently on trial for subversion. He may spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.

On Wednesday, the Hong Kong government passed laws preventing foreign lawyers from defending clients in national security cases, after Jimmy Lai had hired prominent King's Counsel Tim Owen.

Speaking on the same day at a Washington event about the human rights situation in Hong Kong, Sebastien Lai called the UK government "incredibly weak". He further slammed the Vatican for not standing up for his father, who is a Catholic, and claimed the United States has been "a lot stronger" on these issues.

"It's very sad to see a democratic government being afraid - or asking permission even - to speak on behalf of one of its citizens that is in prison for freedom of speech," said Sebastien Lai.

In 2020, then Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the charges against Jimmy Lai showed Hong Kong authorities' "continued attacks on the rights and freedoms of its people".

His successors James Cleverly and Liz Truss have also said that freedoms in the territory have been "eroded" since Beijing enacted a controversial national security law , which criminalises subversion, among other offences.

This week, Hong Kong saw the first visit by a a senior British official in five years, as Minister for Investment Dominic Johnson held meetings with government officials and executives.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson said in January that a junior foreign office minister met Jimmy Lai's legal team, which had requested a meeting with the PM.

He added that the Foreign Commonwealth Office had been providing support for him.
Were living in an age of Greats and Quiets. There are Resignations and Reshufflings, Quittings and Firings, Loud Leaves, and Bare Minimum Mondays, plus more labor market lingo aimed at capturing a particular zeitgeist of professional malaise. So this news may surprise you: Most people are actually pretty happy at work.

New data from the Conference Board, a business research organization, shows that job satisfaction among US workers is at a three-decade high. The business research organization has been surveying American employees on their careers since 1987. This year the survey of 1,680 respondents found that 62.3% of US are satisfied with their jobs, up from 60.2% last year and 56.8% in 2020and a 36-year high.

Read more

Some of that satisfaction has to do with the positive impact of the pandemic on the job market, like an increase in work flexibility and an overall uptick in pay. But the data is divided, too. While the overall findings suggest that workers are feeling more positive about their jobs, a closer look also surfaces a startling satisfaction gap: Women are significantly less content at work than men.

Overall, women were nearly four points behind men in job satisfaction (with 60.1% of women satisfied with their jobs, in contrast to 64% of men). In fact, for women, every component of job satisfaction was lower than it was for men. Even happiness on the job, apparently, has a gender problem.

One reason for the gender gap in job satisfaction: flexibility

Theres at least one looming reason behind the gendered gaps in job satisfaction. And while the Conference Board data hints at it, a new report from Deloitte spells it out clearly: flexibility. And while access to flexibility is a consistent top priority for women at work, theyre not getting enough of it.

Women in particular benefit from flexible policies on the job, whether that be the hours they work or where they work from, because responsibilities at homelike handing chores, caring for children, and other domestic workstill fall disproportionately on them, even when working full-time.

Story continues

This is the third year the consulting group has surveyed working women around the world about their experiences in the workplace. And the 2023 findings indicate that they have even less flexibility than in prior years, says Emma Codd, global inclusion leader at Deloitte.

Its like Groundhog Day, Codd says. Weve been talking about [flexible work] for three years. In 2023, less than a quarter of women report that they have a high degree of flexibility over both where and when they work.

But that component is key to keeping women in their jobs: More of the women surveyed left their jobs in the last year than in 2021 and 2020 combined, citing a lack of flexible working hours as a top reason they walked away. In contrast, women who have flexible hours are three times as likely to stay at their workplace for the next five years.

The Conference Board study, meanwhile, indicates just how persistent the gender gap is when it comes to policies around job flexibility and time off. For example, the study found a 9.4-point gap between men and womens satisfaction with sick day policies, with 60.4% of men reporting they were satisfied and just 51% of women reporting the same. Women also reported being less satisfied with vacation allowances (7.2 points behind men), family leave policies (6.2 points behind men), and flex-time plans (5.9 points behind men).

Happiness highs may not last, either

Gender aside, the satisfaction may fade fast. Notably, the Conference Board report surveyed its respondents in November, before a rising tide of layoffs and job cuts at major companies swept across industries and diminished worker confidence. The potential of further job losses will shift satisfaction, too. The organization predicts the US will experience a short recession later in 2023, bumping unemployment up from 3.4% to 4.4% by the first quarter of 2024.

Once unemployment goes up [or] we hit a recession, there will be fewer people changing jobs they were unhappy with, Selcuk Eren, a senior economist at the Conference Board, told the Wall Street Journal. Reports of satisfaction dropped after the recession of 2007-09, hitting an all-time low of 42.6% in 2010.

But if companies want to keep women in the workplaceand keep them satisfiedthey should be paying attention to the gaps in what women need from their employers. We can put a number to the differences for women, along with what we lose without flexible work policies, Codd says.

Without flexible options, she adds, this is what walks out the door.

More from Quartz

Sign up for Quartz's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Almost exactly 18 years after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, the man suspected in her case is being extradited to the U.S. to face separate charges of wire fraud and extortion, authorities said.

Joran van der Sloot, who is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence in Peru for murdering 21-year-old college student Stephany Flores, will be sent to Birmingham, Alabama, to face charges initially filed in 2010, Peruvian officials said.

Natalee Holloway (TODAY)

"We hope that this action will enable a process that will help to bring peace to Mrs. Holloway and to her family, who are grieving in the same way that the Flores family in Peru is grieving for the loss of their daughter, Stephany," Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Perus ambassador to the United States, said in a statement to NBC News.Holloway was 18 years old when she vanished in Aruba while on a trip celebrating her high school graduation in 2005.

Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway, expressed her gratitude for those who worked on the extradition in a statement to NBC News.

"I was blessed to have had Natalee in my life for 18 years, and as of this month, I have been without her for exactly 18 years. She would be 36 years old now," she said. "It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee."

Holloway was seen leaving a nightclub with van der Sloot on May 30, 2005, the day she disappeared. Van der Sloot was arrested but later released in Holloway's case.

No one has been charged with Holloway's murder, and her body has not been found. An Alabama judge declared Holloway legally dead in 2012.

Van der Sloots lawyer Maximo Altez did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the extradition from NBC News. He told the Associated Press he plans to fight the decision once he is properly notified by the Peruvian government.

"I am going to challenge that resolution," Altez said. "I am going to oppose it since he has the right to a defense."

Story continues

Joran van der Sloot will be extradited to the U.S. to face wire fraud and extortion charges.

In 2010, van der Sloot was indicted on wire fraud and extortion charges after he allegedly contacted Beth Holloway and told her he would reveal the location of her daughter's body for $250,000, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama.

He later agreed to lead the Holloway's lawyer John Q. Kelly to her remains for $25,000, and once the remains were identified, Beth Holloway would send him the remaining $225,000, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

He caused Beth Holloway to wire a total of $25,000 from her bank to his bank and Kelly to deliver the funds to him in person, according to the indictment. He later led Kelly to a site in Aruba, though prosecutors alleged he knew the information was false.

"Van der Sloot kept the $25,000, but later confirmed by e-mail that the information he had provided was 'worthless,'" the U.S. attorney's office wrote in a 2010 press release.

Kelly appeared on TODAY in 2010 and called the incident a "hoax."

"About a week later he indicated that it was all a hoax, which was sort of his M.O. all along with everybody: Get the money and then say its a hoax and, you know, avoid criminal prosecution," Kelly said.

Authorities believe van der Sloot used the money to flee to Peru, where a month later, he was arrested for the murder of Stephany Flores, who died on May 30, 2010  five years to the day after Holloway disappeared.

Beth Holloway spoke about van der Sloot's arrest in Peru on TODAY in 2015.

"Justice is being served for Stephany," she said. "But until Joran faces extortion charges in the U.S., then justice is not being served for Natalee."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Josef Fritzl, the notorious rapist who locked his daughter in a cellar for decades and fathered seven children with her, has said he believes his family will forgive him.

The 87-year-old was jailed for life in 2009 after he was found to have imprisoned and raped his daughter in a purpose-built basement under their family home in Austria for 24 years, over which period she gave birth to seven of his children.

Having told his family and police that Elisabeth had run away to join a cult in 1984, aged 18, Fritzl planted three of the children as foundlings and raised them with his unsuspecting wife in their Amstetten home, while keeping the others hidden downstairs, one of whom died shortly after birth in 1996.

His crimes were discovered in 2008 shortly after he relented to take Elisabeths eldest daughter to hospital, setting in motion a chain of events which saw police arrest him seven days later.

In a rare statement issued through his laywer Astrid Wagner, Fritzl told The Sun: I miss my family very, very much. I am always thinking of them, and how I would like to see my grandchildren.

But I definitely believe that I am going to see them again one day. I am sure that we are going to be reunited and I think they are going to forgive me for what I have done. Im sure of it.

Claiming to be extremely sorry and to regret my crimes and the hurt I have caused, Fritzl continued: I would just add though, that I didnt murder anyone or anything like that, so I do reject some of the ways I am sometimes referred to.

Fritzl was convicted by a jury in 2009 of incest, rape, enslavement, coercion and causing the death of his child by negligence, having eventually pleaded guilty to all charges.

Josef Fritzl admitted to raping his daughter at least 3,000 times while holding her captive (Getty Images)

Insisting that his 14 years at the high-security Stein prison, near Vienna, have most definitely changed me, Fritzl said: Through having been incarcerated myself I have developed a deeper appreciation of what this feels like for others.

In a bizarre turn, Fritzl described himself as a monarchist and a big fan of King Charles, and said he had watched the splendid coronation on television from prison.

Saying it was very, very sad that Diana is no longer around, he sought to compare the monarchs marriage to his own as he added: But I know that Camilla makes King Charles happy as his wife, so that is okay too, as this is what really counts. My wife and I also made things work in our own way.

Three years after his imprisonment, Fritzl was reported to have divorced his wife of 52 years, Rosemarie  who was cleared of any involvement in his crimes  for failing to visit him in jail.
An accused rapist is one of the first to have his bail amount cut this week because of Franklin Countys acute shortage of public defense attorneys.

In a second case, a man suspected of driving a stolen car was released from jail in a move to buy time for a defense attorney to be appointed.

That defendant was in jail since March 27 and still hadnt been assigned an attorney to represent him. In the case of the rape suspect, he remains in custody because of other charges.

Superior Court Judge Diana Ruff decided this week that Godolfredo Godinez-Vazquez, 31, and Kurt M. Painter, 28, were in danger of constitutional violations of their rights.

Among her choices were to dismiss all criminal charges and release them, reduce bail to give more time before they are required to face a trial or assign a private attorney to take the case.

The cases were some of the first in which a Tri-Cities judge had to make those unusual choices in Franklin County Superior Court that were spurred by the current attorney shortage.

The problem has grown so acute that county officials plan a news conference Friday, May 12, to talk about the issue facing the Tri-Cities.

In Franklin County, just three attorneys are currently under contract with the county are qualified to handle felony cases.

If a private attorney was ordered to take a case, Franklin County would be on the hook for paying the higher cost  a move that officials fear could crush county budgets.

The reality is many smaller counties across our state will go bankrupt when private attorneys are assigned to backlog cases, Franklin County Administrator Mike Gonzalez said in a recent Facebook post.

Im not afraid to say, I believe that the state is partially to blame for this problem. Unfunded mandates are pushing the system to the brink of collapse, he said. I dont believe the citizens of Franklin County should have to pay this bill.

A suspect is constitutionally entitled to a trial within two months of arraignment on formal charges if the suspect is in jail and hasnt agreed to a delay.

Story continues

Or a trial must begin within three months if the person is out of custody.

The state and federal constitutions guarantee that anyone accused of a crime is entitled to an attorney if they cant afford one.

With the lack of attorneys, Franklin Countys Office of Public Defense has been focusing on assigning attorneys to people in jail who are accused of violent crimes.

Superior Court Judge David Petersen conducts a criminal docket hearing in a Franklin County Superior Courtroom recently in Pasco. The countys Office of Public Defense doesnt have enough defense attorneys for its growing number of criminal cases.

That has left defendants like Painter, who was reportedly driving a stolen car, with no attorney since his arrest in late March.

Its unclear whats going to happen next to address the problem.

Gonzalez told the Herald recently, they are looking to divert $300,000 from American Rescue Plan funding in an attempt to hire some lawyers and to try to keep the ones they have.

The Franklin County Prosecutors office is asking for about the same amount of money to help them with recruitment.

The Franklin County commissioners have not voted on that proposal.

Hiring private attorneys

The Franklin County Office of Public Defense makes up about $1.5 million of the countys $47 million current expense budget. Of that, about $625,000 is for attorney contracts.

That amount could quickly balloon if judges need to appoint attorneys currently in private practice to handle the cases. Those attorneys are allowed to charge their normal rates, which could be far higher than the $100,000 that contract attorneys have been paid annually.

County officials are looking to Washington state to help with the costs that the county has been saddled with.

Gonzalez said he talked to Gov. Jay Inslee about the issue during Inslees recent Tri-Cities visit.

While the governor seemed genuinely interested in hearing about the issue, he asked me if I can institute a new county tax or float a bond to help, Gonzalez posted on Facebook.

Benton County is facing a similar, but not as severe, defense attorney shortage.

Commissioners there agreed recently to take $1 million and add it to their Office of Public Defense budget to boost salaries.

An acute shortage of public defense attorneys has Franklin and Benton counties scrambling to solve the problem.

The problem with recruiting defense attorneys is not unique to Tri-Cities. The shortage is being felt nationwide.

While its hard to pin it on a single cause, Katrin Johnson with the state Office of Public Defense said she believes its a combination of increasing retirements and fewer law school graduates. And many recent graduates dont want to go into lower paying county jobs because their college debts are so high.

The lack of attorneys has been exacerbated by rules set by the state Supreme Court that limit who can take what cases and how many can be handled at once.

Compounding the problem is a huge backlog of trials because the COVID pandemic put many cases on hold for a couple years.

Bail reduction

Godinez-Vazquez was initially arrested in June after he allegedly broke into the home of a woman he knew through the wall of a water heater storage compartment in December 2021.

She found him hiding under her bed, but he was gone by the time officers arrived. After his arrest, he pleaded innocent to the burglary charge and was released on his own recognizance.

Since he was released without bail, state prosecutors had three months before he had to be tried.

Starting in August 2022, his trial continued to be postponed until he failed to show up at an April hearing. At the same time, his attorney Chris Bennett didnt renew her contract with the county, so he was left with no defense lawyer.

Blue tape Xs mark spots on benches in a Benton County Superior courtroom where public seating is available to maintain proper social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.

While he was awaiting trial for residential burglary, he allegedly returned in February 2023 to the same womans home, forced his way in and raped her, according to court documents. New charges were filed in March, and he was arrested again in late April.

This time Superior Court Judge David Petersen set the bail in both the original burglary case and the new rape case at $250,000.

Attorney Tim Dickerson was appointed for the rape case, but no one has been reassigned for the original burglary charge.

This week, Ruff decided her only option was to eliminate his bail on that charge to buy another months time to get him a defense attorney. He remains in jail on the $250,000 bail for the rape charge.

In Painters case, Pasco officers received a report of him driving a stolen Mazda on March 27. Officers found the stolen car in a church parking lot and saw Painter entering a nearby trailer where he was arrested.

Witnesses told police they had previously seen him driving the stolen car, according to court documents.

Ruff set his bail at the time at $10,000, and hes been in the Franklin County jail since then.

His right to a speedy trial was on the verge of expiring when Ruff eliminated the bail and released him on his own recognizance, giving them another 30 days to find him an attorney.
DINWIDDIE, Va. (AP)  Seven sheriff's deputies and three employees of a psychiatric hospital in Virginia cannot all be tried together in the death of a man who was pinned to the floor while being admitted, a judge ruled, while leaving open the possibility of joint trials for some of the defendants.

Dinwiddie Circuit Judge Joseph Teefey Jr. on Wednesday granted requests from two Central State Hospital employees to be tried separately from the other defendants. It remains unclear whether the remaining eight defendants will stand trial together. During a court hearing, the judge did not rule out trying some of them at the same time.

Lawyers for the two hospital employees argued it would be unfair to require their clients to stand trial with some of the other defendants, including sheriff's deputies who had a more active role in restraining Irvo Otieno, 28. All 10 defendants are charged with second-degree murder in Otieno's death March 6.

Rhonda Quagliana, an attorney for hospital security guard Sadarius Williams, argued in court papers that Williams' participation was markedly different and does not support a conviction for second-degree murder.

Teefey granted the request by Williams to be tried separately from the other defendants and granted a similar request from an attorney for hospital employee Darian Blackwell. The Washington Post reported that attorneys for the two men said they would agree to be tried together.

During earlier hearings and in statements, attorneys for several of the defendants have argued that Otieno was combative and that the deputies were trying to restrain him. They have said their clients were positioned near Otieno's feet during the restraint and did not realize he was having trouble breathing.

Video from the hospital shows various members of the group attempting to restrain Otieno  who was in handcuffs and leg shackles  for about 20 minutes. For most of that time, Otieno was on the floor being held down by a group that at one point appeared to include 10 people.

Story continues

An autopsy determined Otieno died of asphyxia while he was in handcuffs and metal leg restraints and held to the floor for about 11 minutes.

In a motion seeking to hold a single trial for all 10 defendants, Dinwiddie Commonwealths Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill argued that they acted together and should be tried together.

The family of Otieno, who was Black, has said he was brutally mistreated while he was experiencing a mental health crisis, both at the hospital and while in law enforcement custody for several days before that.

The family is being represented by Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney who also represented the family of George Floyd and has said Otienos treatment has parallels to Floyds killing by Minneapolis police in 2020.
A recent lawsuit brought against Jay-Z has been dismissed.

According to Reuters, a Delaware judge has officially dismissed a class action suit filed against the entertainer, his business partner Jack Dorsey, and other board members of Block Inc.  previously known to the world as Square  for reportedly approving the purchase of Jay-Zs TIDAL streaming platform by the payments company.

The Transaction In Question

Block made a deal to purchase an 87.5% stake in TIDAL for $306 million. Following adjustments, Block paid $237.3 million, giving it an 86.2% stake in the company.

The suit claimed that Dorsey, who is the co-founder of Block and Twitter, was the only top executive at the payments company in support of the purchase due to his friendship with Jay-Z.

While the complaint used a quote from a New York University business professor saying that the transaction was a $300 million bar tab to hang out with Jay-Z, the Delaware judge ruled that there was not enough substantial evidence surrounding the claims.

The Lawsuit

Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of Delawares Chancery Court ruled that the Florida pension fund, which led the case, was unable to prove that the Block directors did anything wrong. However, it was noted that the purchase seemed, by all accounts, a terrible business decision.

She also said that she was unable to presume bad faith based on the merits of the deal alone.

Following the TIDAL transaction, the 4:44 emcee assumed a role on Blocks board and continues to hold his position as a director today.
NEW YORK (AP)  Lawyers for E. Jean Carroll tried unsuccessfully to get a man booted off the jury that found former President Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse because he occasionally listens to the provocative podcaster Tim Pool, newly unsealed court records revealed Wednesday.

The 31-year-old male juror ultimately joined eight other anonymous jurors in delivering a unanimous verdict Tuesday awarding Carroll $5 million in damages, finding that Trump abused the magazine columnist in 1996 at a luxury Manhattan department store.

Trump denied ever knowing Carroll and said the encounter at Bergdorf Goodman never happened. The jury rejected Carrolls claim that she was raped.

At one point in the trial, Carrolls attorneys secretly complained to the judge that the scale might be tipped against their client because Juror No. 77 was biased in ways requiring his dismissal from the jury.

In a court filing on April 30 that was initially sealed, they noted that the juror, a Bronx man who worked a job in security, had told the judge during the jury selection that he got his news from listening to Pool, whom Carroll's lawyers described as an extreme right-wing podcaster who consistently, aggressively, and unreservedly espouses highly prejudicial views on social and political issues directly implicated by this case.

In arguing for removal of the juror, Carrolls lawyers said Pool had at least twice on his show spoken of Carrolls case, saying in a June 2019 episode: This woman: Should we take her seriously? In my opinion, no. ... Im sorry, when youre accusing someone of a crime 30 years after the fact, I dont know what we can do for you.

Carroll's lawyers said they would have objected sooner  by then the trial was already underway  but an initial court transcript of the juror's comments misstated Pool's name.

Journalists covering the trial, however, had noticed the juror's mention of Pool and written about it. The lawyers said they sought the jurors removal the morning after the news reports came out.

Story continues

The judge agreed to further question the juror, who told the court hed heard Pool three or four times in the past six months and believed his show featured guests including political figures and celebrities on the left, on the right, you know, balanced. The juror also said hed never heard of Carroll before, or anything on any podcasts about women suing Trump over sexual harassment. He said he was confident he could be fair and impartial on both sides.

Trumps attorney, Joe Tacopina, opposed the juror's removal.

A jurors political affiliation is not grounds for dismissal, even in a case involving a political figure, he wrote. He said Carrolls lawyers were trying to get Juror 77 kicked off the panel because he acknowledged occasionally listening to a podcast that might be considered conservative at times.

The judge let the juror stay on the panel.

The debate over the juror was revealed Wednesday when the judge unsealed documents related to the dispute.

After the jury announced its verdict, Tacopina said Trump was firm in his belief, as many people are, that he cannot get a fair trial in New York City.

He said Trump's belief was based in part on the jury pool.

Tacopina did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

One of Carroll's lawyers, Roberta Kaplan, said in an email: "We are grateful that all nine jurors, including Juror No. 77, were not only faithful to their oath as jurors, but deliberated to reach a fair, impartial and unanimous verdict.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who is unrelated to Roberta Kaplan, told jurors after they delivered their verdict that they now had the right to speak about the case and to relate their experiences.

But, he added: You would each individually have the right to identify yourself as someone who was on this jury or not. My advice to you is not to identify yourselves  not now and not for a long time.

Pool, who has objected to being labeled extremist, tweeted about the dispute over the juror Wednesday, saying, If you think the show is far right youre in a cult.
A jury Wednesday awarded $95 million to a local man who alleged he was sexually abused in 1979 by a former Rochester-area priest who also has been accused by others of sexual assaults.

The local man alleged that the former priest, Rev. Foster P. Rogers, sexually abused him in Rogers' car in July 1979.

The victim was then 15. Rogers now has limited income, according to letters he wrote the court, and the local man awarded the $95 million is unlikely to see even a tiny sliver of the award.

Rev. Foster Rogers, 1975

The award is one of the largest in New York since the Child Victims Act, which opened a window for lawsuits from past child victims of sexual abuse. Earlier this month an Erie County woman was awarded $100 million under the Child Victims Act, or CVA. That was thought to be the largest CVA award in New York.

In 1979 Rogers was an assistant pastor at St. Alphonsus in Auburn, which was a part of the 12-county Rochester diocese. The victim had no connections with the church, according to Amy Keller, a Buffalo attorney who represented the victim. Instead, Rogers met the teen in downtown Rochester and offered him a ride home, she said.

The victim "had a very troubled childhood," she said. "He grew up in a poor part of Rochester. The priest preyed on him."

Rogers had been moved across different churches in Rochester diocese

In May 2002, Rogers was one of three local Catholic clerics to be removed from their ministerial posts due to allegations of past sexual abuse of minors.

As the Democrat and Chronicle has previously reported, Rogers, like many abusive priests, had been moved across different churches by the local diocese. He was removed after the late Bishop Matthew Clark responded to nationwide outrage over priest abuse; Clark said he found records of past misconduct against Rogers in diocesan files.

The Democrat and Chronicle in 2002 reported on two other allegations of past abuse by Rogers. He allegedly molested a 16-year-old parishioner at his church in 1975. Another man said he had complained to the diocese of past abuse by Rogers, but nothing was done.

Story continues

Rogers does have some income through part-time employment and other sources, Keller said. The size of the award "sends a very strong and clear message" about the lifelong impacts of child abuse, said Keller, an attorney with the firm of Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria.

The jury heard from her client and saw how abuse "really destroys you as a person," Keller said.

How the jury decided on $95 million during the damages trial

There was no trial to determine liability. Rogers did not hire an attorney and did not contest the charges before the damages trial Wednesday. In a 2020 letter to the court, he said he was then 80 years old and would simply give the victim money if he could. Instead, he said, his outstanding credit card bills outstrip his income.

With Rogers not contesting the allegations in the initial lawsuit, filed in 2020, the victim's lawsuit was successful by default. That left only a damages trial.

The victim testified at the damages trial. Rogers, who represented himself, did not question him, Keller said.

The damages trial was held in state Supreme Court in Rochester and presided over by state Supreme Court Justice Charles Schiano Jr.

The jury award was millions more than sought, Keller said. The jury awarded $30 million for past pain and suffering, $15 million for future pain and suffering, and $50 million in punitive damages, which are a separate penalizing judgment.

The diocese in 2019 sought bankruptcy protection after hundreds of claims of abuse by priests and others with diocesan connections. Keller said she could not discuss the bankruptcy and whether the client might be one of those seeking damages.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Former Rochester priest Foster Rogers ordered to pay $95M in CVA award
A military court in Russia's Kamchatka has sentenced two servicemen who refused to go to war in Ukraine to 2.6 years in a general security prison.

Source: Siberia.Realii news outlet

Details: Military officer Aleksandr Stepanov refused to go to Ukraine on 18 January 2023 while staying at the headquarters of one of the military units in Kamchatka.

On 21 January, another serviceman, Andrei Mikhailov, refused to comply with a similar order from the commander while in a club of a military unit in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

They were found guilty of disobeying the command's order during mobilisation.

From September 2022 to the end of April 2023, Russian military courts received 1,064 criminal cases against servicemen who voluntarily left their place of service, refused to obey an order or deserted.

In September 2022, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a law on amendments to the Criminal Code, which increased prison terms for desertion per se and desertion during hostilities and mobilisation. The first criminal case with these amendments considered was initiated in Murmansk in December 2022.

Background:

In April, CNN, citing Western officials, reported that the Kremlin was having trouble building a "trained military force" but feared a new wave of mobilisation in Russia due to public sentiment.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Is Americas explosion of gun violence a good thing for Kansas?

Thats not meant to be a flip or frivolous question. But it is inspired by a moment of discomfort I had this week when  hot on the heels of Saturdays neo-Nazi gun massacre at a Texas mall  state and national officials gathered Monday in Wichita to open the new National Gun Crime Intelligence Center of Excellence, a training hub overseen by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The event played like a civic triumph. Sen Jerry Moran was there. So was ATF Director Steven Dettelbach and Wichita State University President Richard Muma.

There was a ribbon-cutting. There were smiles for the cameras. There were handshakes. There was applause.

All for a facility whose purpose is to be an after-the-fact defense mechanism against the blood-soaked violence that destroys lives and communities across this country every single day.

It was a great moment for the Sunflower State, apparently.

Time and time again, businesses and government agencies have chosen to locate their facilities, their people and their work in Kansas, Moran posted to Twitter. Now, wherever a crime is committed and a criminal needs to be apprehended, the message can be: Weve got to get this evidence to Wichita so we can solve this crime.

Im not trying to pick on the senator, who is just doing his job by steering federal facilities to Kansas and grabbing a little bit of credit for it. If we need a National Gun Crime Intelligence Center  can we just assume it will be excellent?  then it might as well be built here.

The problem is that we need it.

As of this writing, there have been more than 200 mass shootings  defined as an incident in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter  in the United States this year. Saturdays mass shooting in Allen, Texas, killed nine people, including a Korean American couple and one of their children. Their surviving child, a 6-year-old, is now an orphan.

Story continues

Increasingly, it seems like there is no place to be safe. In recent months, weve seen mass shootings in a private Christian school in Tennessee, an Alabama girls Sweet 16 birthday party, a Kentucky bank, a Lunar New Year dance in California, a Virginia Walmart and an LGBT nightclub in Colorado. Just about every type of place we Americans gather together to socialize and enjoy our neighbors, to learn and worship with them, even to shop for our groceries, is now a potential target for an outbreak of violence.

And the mass shootings dont include the smaller but still devastating acts of gun violence that plague our communities. In Kansas City, Kansas, last week, 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown was killed by masked gunmen in broad daylight. Another 6-year-old child was injured by gunfire Sunday in Wichita.

This is routine. There were an estimated 20,000 gun deaths in the U.S. in 2022. That doesnt even include suicides. Americans reportedly bought more than 16 million guns during the year, and that was actually a decline from the peak of more than 20 million guns purchased two years earlier.

Were swimming in firearms. Were drowning in violence. Wichitas new center will have plenty to do.

This center is going to be a national hub, Dettelbach said. Its going to develop the investigative leads that clear homicides and catch bad guys all over this country.

Good. But also: How awful.

Maybe a ribbon-cutting wasnt quite the right way to inaugurate Wichitas new National Gun Crime Intelligence Center of Excellence. Something more apocalyptic wouldve been appropriate, maybe involving wailing, rending of garments and gnashing of teeth. Sackcloth and ashes perhaps. Penance for the violence we choose to accept, even as we witness  and become numb to  its devastating effects on a near-daily basis.

America needs the new gun crime center. I hope it helps future survivors and victims get some measure of justice.

Just dont ask me to celebrate it.
The Kansas City Police Department would gain more control over how much it pays its police chief and officers under a measure Missouri lawmakers sent to Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday as part of a sweeping public safety bill.

The Missouri Senate approved the bill on a vote of 30-4, after the House previously passed it 109-11.

The measure removes the maximum salary cap for the citys police chief and its officers in an effort to attract and retain more officers. It also removes the requirement that applicants for chief be under 60 years of age and allows the police board to establish a salary range for officers.

Removing the salary cap for Kansas City police has received support from both parties this year as the department lags behind other cities in how much it pays chiefs and officers. The salary problem has been compounded by the citys unusual lack of control of its police.

Its just the right thing to do, Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Parkville Republican and sponsor of the legislation, said Thursday. We need more officers out on the streets.

Kansas City is the only city in Missouri that does not control its police force. The department is overseen by a five-member board of police commissioners. Four are appointed by the governor and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas fills one spot.

Current Missouri law sets maximum salary for Kansas Citys chief at $189,726. When the commissioners appointed Chief Stacey Graves late last year, it set her salary at $180,000. The last time lawmakers increased the maximum salary for the Kansas City chief was in 2013.

The cap is far less than several other similar cities. For example, Robert Tracy, the St. Louis police chief, has a base salary of $175,000 but the St. Louis Police Foundation kicks in another $100,000 annually. That means Tracy brings home $275,000 each year.

Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, an Independence Democrat, said Thursday that Kansas City police officers risk their lives and deserve a raise.

Story continues

We want our officers to live in our community and be able to make ends meet, Rizzo said in a statement. Offering competitive salaries to help recruit and retain quality officers is a good investment in our city and its future.

Lucas has previously told lawmakers that it is essential the police board have the flexibility to set the salary for the next chief and Kansas City officers.

We want to make sure we have the tools to continue to take care of our officers, our command staff, and to make sure through the board of police commissioners we can be competitive with departments, not just in the Kansas City region but for us, other major cities, police departments all around the country, Lucas told a House committee in January.

The sweeping legislation would also legalize fentanyl test strips. Fentanyl, a powerful illegal drug, is often laced into other drugs, leading to fatal overdoses. Test strips allow individuals to test drugs for fentanyl before consuming.

Missouri lawmakers approved legalization on the same day Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law a measure legalizing test strips in that state.

The bill also includes Blairs Law, a long-time priority for Democrats. Under the bill, it would be a crime to shoot a gun with criminal negligence within a citys limits. The legislation is intended to prevent celebratory gunfire and other firing into the air.

Sen. Greg Razer, a Kansas City Democrat, said Thursday that Blairs Law could prevent future tragedies.

The legislation headed to Parsons desk also allows the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services to create a conviction review unit to investigate those who claim to have been wrongfully convicted of a crime. The provision comes after the exoneration of Lamar Johnson, a St. Louis man who spent 28 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

The General Assembly also approved a separate public safety package on Thursday that now heads to Parson. Under that bill, school resource officers would be allowed to carry guns in schools.

It also creates two new felony charges. Someone who steals a letter, post card or package from another persons doorstep could be charged with a felony. A person would also be charged with a felony if they steal from an ATM or steal an ATM machine.

Sen. Tracy McCreery, a St. Louis Democrat, and Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, an Arnold Republican, both pushed back on the new felony charges created in the bill.

Its already illegal to steal an ATM machine and it is already illegal to damage other peoples property, it is already illegal to steal something off of other peoples porch, Coleman said, adding that she was frustrated the charges were being elevated to felonies.

The Stars Glenn E. Rice contributed reporting.
As Kansas City, Kansas, police continue to investigate the killing of 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown, family members, neighbors and community leaders on Wednesday gathered on the block where he was fatally shot while playing in the yard.

Roughly 100 people, including young children, came out for a memorial held in honor of SirAntonio, remembered by his family as Sir. The kindergartner was killed on May 3 in the 3100 block of Greeley Avenue.

As attendees paid tribute to the child, his godmother Shyneisha Hill said a prayer as the family continues to grieve his loss and seek resolution in the case. Supporters let green and white, star-shaped balloons off to the sky in his honor.

People release balloons during a vigil for 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Brown was killed May 3 while playing outside his home.

On May 3, the family was outside enjoying the day around 6 p.m. when, according to witnesses, three masked shooters opened fire on the block. SirAntonio was fatally wounded.

As of Wednesday, Kansas City, Kansas, police had made one arrest leading to criminal charges. Cassandra Sledge, the 18-year-old owner of a vehicle suspected to be used by the shooters, is accused of lying to law enforcement and obstructing justice.

Speaking to the crowd Wednesday, Kansas City, Kansas Mayor Tyrone Garner said, while welcome, the family needs more than thoughts and prayers. He added that those responsible for killing this baby need to be arrested and charged.

This family, this young child, this community deserve justice. Because if we got people roaming our streets, doing these things to kids, they dont need to be on our streets, Garner said.

Damon Daniel, with the AdHoc Group Against Crime, sought to demonstrate a difference between a snitch and a witness.

A snitch is somebody whos already in custody, already facing charges. And for lesser time, they tell on everybody else. A witness is somebody who knows right from wrong, Daniel said, calling for anyone who knows something to step forward and help get justice for SirAntonio.

Damon Daniel, president of AdHoc, speaks during a vigil for 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Brown was killed May 3 while playing outside his home.

Speaking to the crowd Wednesday, Police Chief Karl Oakman promised justice, saying the department is committed to finding everyone responsible in the case and holding those people accountable.

Story continues

Were going to find who did this and put everyone involved in jail, Oakman said, as cheers followed. Not just the three shooters. Everyone thats involved, whos hiding information is going to jail.

We need people to understand that this is not that type of community, the chief added.

KCKPD Chief Karl Oakman promises to find the suspects in the killing of 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown during a vigil on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Brown was killed May 3 while playing outside his home.

Kansas City, Kansas, police continued to ask anyone with any information about the killing of SirAntonio to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Children look at a memorial during a vigil for 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Brown was killed May 3 while playing outside his home.

A boy looks at a memorial during a vigil for 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Brown was killed May 3 while playing outside his home.

People gather to pray during a vigil for 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Brown was killed May 3 while playing outside his home.
My father was a history buff. But if he were alive today, he would be very disturbed by the history that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is trying to make. For the first time, Medicare has refused to cover drugs that have been granted Food and Drug Administration approval. Medicare has always covered FDA-approved treatments for those living with other conditions such as cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS. For CMS to treat those with Alzheimers disease differently from those with other diseases is unprecedented and completely unacceptable.

Lecanemab, which is sold under the brand name Leqembi, is a monoclonal antibodies medication that targets aggregated forms of amyloid beta found in the brains of people with Alzheimers disease to reduce its buildup. Although Lecanemab is not a cure (there currently is no cure for Alzheimers), it is the second approved treatment that addresses the underlying biology of Alzheimers and changes the course of the disease in a meaningful way for people in the early stages.

I lost my father to Alzheimers disease after an eight-year battle. What I would have given to be able to offer him a treatment like this so that he could have had more time being a father, a husband, a grandfather, an uncle, an active member in his church community and a friend to his veteran peers. He could have had more time to participate in daily life in a meaningful way and remain independent for a longer period, which was extremely important to him. Additionally, allowing him to be independent and able to make decisions for more time time would have decreased the overall financial impact that Alzheimers disease had on him and our loved ones.

This is certainly not just true for my father and our family, but for many of the 55,000 Kansans and 120,000 Missourians currently living with this progressive disease.

This CMS policy prevents people who could benefit from FDA-approved treatments from receiving them, even if it is prescribed by their doctors. According to estimates from the Alzheimers Association, more than 2,000 people transition every day to a more advanced stage of the disease where theyre no longer eligible for treatment.

Story continues

Im not alone in my disappointment in this decision. The Alzheimers Association continues to pressure CMS to reverse this barrier to accessing FDA-approved Alzheimers treatments, and theres growing bipartisan support in Congress. I am encouraging people from across Kansas and Missouri to use their voices and let CMS know that they must reverse their decision. Each day matters when it comes to slowing the progression of this fatal disease.

Thats why I ask you to attend a rally in Ilus Davis Park at 1000 Locust St. in Kansas City on May 15 at 1 p.m. with my fellow advocates. Please join me in demanding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reverse its unprecedented and unjust decision.

Learn more about how you can join the fight to end Alzheimers by visiting alzimpact.org, or call the Alzheimers Association Heart of America Chapter at 913-831-3888 for details about the rally.

Janet Hayes is a retired vice president of auto claims Famers Insurance, where she worked for more than 30 years. She lives in Johnson County and is now an advocate for the Alzheimers Association.
Update: Police said Thursday evening the 15-year-old and her two-month-old son were both found safe.

Kansas City police were asking the public for help to find a teenager and two-month-old reported missing on Wednesday afternoon.

Police say Sapphire Stinson, 15, left the 7400 block of Bellefontaine Avenue around 2:20 p.m. with her son, Saphir.

They were seen getting into an Uber that was bound for St. Lukes Hospitals Crittenton Childrens Center in the Ruskin Hills neighborhood at 10918 Elm Avenue.

The mother and son did not arrive at the destination, police said. Further details were not immediately disclosed by police.

Police were asking that anyone with information concerning their whereabouts contact KCPDs homicide and missing persons section at 816-234-5043.
Kansas Republicans are moving closer to kicking groups representing women, Black, Hispanic and young Republicans off the state partys executive board, a move that would consolidate the power of its new hard-right chairman.

The Kansas Republican Partys rules committee advanced a proposal this week that would change the party bylaws to remove constituency groups aimed at broadening the reach of the party. It would also oust state and federal GOP elected officials from the board, which oversees party operations and budgetary decisions.

The full party state committee is expected to vote on the proposal this summer, as well as a separate proposal to change the party constitution to remove those individuals seats on the state committee. The change to the executive committee needs a simple majority while the change to the state committee would require two-thirds support.

If either proposal passes, it would amount to lost representation for key groups Kansas and national Republicans spent years working to bring into the fold. At the same time, it would enhance the power of chairman Mike Brown, who won his position by just two votes earlier this year.

Representatives of the Kansas Young Republicans, Black Republican Council and Hispanic Assembly said they are hopeful the party would reject the changes or that the issue never receives a vote. But if not, they said the party leadership will lose key voices at the table.

Were deeply disappointed in the decision to eliminate Black leadership representation from the Kansas GOP and trust that State delegates reject this action and commit to unifying and strengthening the party, Michael Austin, the chair of the Kansas Black Republican Council, said in a statement calling the proposed rule short-sighted.

Ben Sauceda, Chair of the Kansas Republican National Hispanic Assembly, said hed been working in Republican politics for 26 years, since he was 13 years old.

This is something that would set our party back dramatically, Sauceda said. The party that I worked to build was expansive, was growing, was a party built on ideals that welcome people and encourage people. Not one of fear and not one that is closed.

Story continues

Supporters of the proposal wrote in a draft plan obtained by The Star that the purpose was to make the executive committee more similar to the Republican National Committee structure and only have members elected by county precinct committee people.

The constituency groups and elected officials, they said, do not represent members of the party that elected them.

This flies in the face of our Representative Republic. Our U.S. Constitution makes clear that power is held by individual citizens and those rights are to be protected by the will of the majority, Rebecca Wetter and Bryant Anderson, members of the KS GOP rules committee, wrote in the proposal.

Anderson, the chair of the rules committee, did not respond to The Stars request for comment.

Removing those committee members would cut out a group that is vital to the long-term success of the party, said Kelly Arnold a former chair of the party who voted against the rule change.

Its implementation, he said, would be disastrous for our agenda and for our goal of electing Republicans.

What is it going to look like if the Republican Party tells these groups of women and minority groups and young Republicans sorry, we dont need you to be part of the Republican Party, he said.

You will have a very divided Republican Party.

Meanwhile, the rule would also remove party leaders who have won state and federal elections from those decision making boards. That includes each Republican member of the U.S. Congress from Kansas, each Republican holding a statewide elected position, and the GOP leaders in the Legislature.

As a long time member of the executive committee, I know the party must value the input and experience of our elected officials who have actually won elections against Democrats in order to ensure future successes, said Rob Fillion, who represents State Treasurer Steven Johnson on the executive committee.

Criticism of new chair

The proposal comes months after Brown, a conservative former Johnson County Commissioner and failed candidate for secretary of state, took over as chair of the Kansas GOP.

In his candidacy for chair Brown sharply criticized former leadership and had argued the party needed to give more power to those at the grassroots level. The early days of his term have been fraught with infighting.

Brown has neither publicly supported nor criticized the suggested rules.

I did not write this proposed change and I was not part of the debate that occurred in the rules committee, Brown wrote in a Facebook post last week. As I stated earlier, and regardless of how I feel about potential changes offered by the committees, I will not direct, demand or prohibit discussions within committees.

He called for an end to dissension among party members frustrated by the proposed rules.

But the move would effectively remove power from several individuals who have criticized Brown in the past and pushed back against his leadership in recent months.

Several of the elected officials who currently have a position on the board endorsed Browns opponent, Helen Van Etten, in the chair race. The Kansas Black Republican Council, Federation of Republican Women and Federation of Hispanic Republicans, penned a joint letter to Brown weeks into his term criticizing him for not meeting with the groups and for appointing an executive director without the executive committees approval.

In addition to removing those individuals from the committee, the proposed rule change eliminates the requirement that the committee approve Browns choice for executive director.

Mike Kuckelman, Browns predecessor as chair of the party, said he spoke to Brown in late April and urged him to denounce the proposed rules. Allowing the discussion to proceed, Kuckelman said, was indicative of the way Brown has run the party since taking over.

I think its probably a power grab by Mike Brown without considering the collateral damage, Kuckelman said. Hes failed to take into account the adverse effect his power grab would have on representation of women and minorities at the table.

Even if the rules take effect Austin and Sauceda said they would continue to promote Republican candidates and issues within their organizations.

Im not a Republican because of who our party chair is or isnt. Im a Republican because of the principles our party believes in, Sauceda said. Whether someone hijacks that and takes it in an extreme direction, I dont have to jump on that train. But I will keep working to promote our freedom and beliefs.
Inciting words

My son goes to Shawnee Mission North High School, and I am concerned about a recent text message circulating among students that appears to have come from the Johnson County Republican Partys office. It calls for demonstrations at Shawnee Mission North as a way to protest diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives the school district uses when training teachers.

The message states: Put fear aside. We cannot fight this evil by talking about it and doing nothing. We are not called to be pacifists. This message means the party is willfully putting the lives of students at risk for political gain. Any implications of violence in an era of school shootings is irresponsible, dangerous and condemnable.

The Johnson County Republican Party must publicly disavow this text and any assertions that violence toward students is a legitimate political tool. To put students at risk over a policy disagreement is beyond the pale. The party should be ashamed of itself and the depths to which it has sunk. Should violence happen, its members will have blood on their hands.

- Mike Bannen, Overland Park

Safe for everyone

As the former CEO of Safehome, Johnson Countys domestic-violence agency, I was dismayed to read that some state legislators believe that only biological women can be victims of abuse (May 10, Domestic violence shelters fear new Kansas restrictions on trans people endanger funds). This inaccurate belief led to the passage of S.B. 180  a discriminatory and dangerous action that restricts LGBTQ survivors access to domestic violence shelters.

Not only does this legislation put lives at risk, but it also endangers more than $14 million in federal funding for public safety services in Kansas. Despite the potential loss of funding, the state legislature overrode Gov. Laura Kellys veto of this bill.

In 2016, I was proud to lead Safehome to become the first domestic-violence agency in the metropolitan area to open our shelter doors to any person in danger, regardless of sex, sexual orientation or gender identify. We had no issues with communal living because of this change.

Story continues

Regardless of S.B. 180, no victim of abuse, including transgender people, should hesitate to seek confidential shelter services in Kansas. Help is available at 1-888-END-ABUSE.

Kansans deserve better than this legislation. We can and should protect all people from domestic violence.

- Janee Hanzlick, Overland Park

Thanks to Marshall

Its critical that patients with mental health diagnoses be able to work closely with their doctors to find the best medicine for them. Prescription-drug middlemen such as pharmacy benefit managers too often come between patients and their doctors.

PBMs decide which medicines will appear on formularies, and they have been taking advantage of their place in the drug supply chain to make huge profits. They negotiate discounts from manufacturers, but they do not share them with patients. Instead, PBMs base patient out-of-pocket costs on the original list prices of drugs. PBMs also require that patients fail a certain drug before they can try another.

In the case of patients dealing with mental illness, it is ridiculous that middlemen determine what medication they get above recommendations from their physicians. Finally, many PBMs also own pharmacies and require patients to fill prescriptions at these pharmacies even if they are miles from patients homes.

Patients need relief from these unfair practices. We are grateful that Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall has made reining in PBMs a priority. We look forward to federal reforms that will make prescription drugs more affordable and accessible for those struggling with mental illnesses.

- Susan Crain Lewis, President and CEO, Mental Health America of the Heartland, Kansas City, Kansas

Find their way

Somebody please buy Royals owner John Sherman a compass. (May 5, 1B, Royals owner says team headed in the right direction

- Bruce Strauss, Platte City
If America defaults on its debts sometime in the next few weeks or months  wrecking the full faith and credit of the U.S. government and perhaps the world economy to boot  Kansas and Missouri Republicans in Washington, D.C., will bear some measure of responsibility.

That might sound harsh, but its absolutely true.

Three of the four U.S. senators who represent the Kansas City region  Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall of Kansas, along with Missouris Eric Schmitt  last week joined a Republican pledge not to raise the national debt ceiling without substantive spending and budget reforms.

Our economy is in free fall due to unsustainable fiscal policies, the group of 43 GOP senators wrote. This trajectory must be addressed with fiscal reforms. Moreover, recent Treasury projections have reinforced the urgency of addressing the debt ceiling. The House has taken a responsible first step in coming to the table with their proposals. It is imperative that the president now do the same.

If President Joe Biden doesnt agree to big cuts, the group said, they wont vote for cloture on any bill that raises the debt ceiling. Thats essentially a promise to filibuster the nation into fiscal oblivion.

We can think of few more destructive  or hypocritical  threats by our elected officials.

Why destructive? Because hitting the debt ceiling would force the U.S. government to pare back the bills it pays, which would send shock waves throughout the economy and directly damage Americans who rely on the feds to support their retirement, medical bills and livelihoods. The Congressional Budget Office and Treasury Department estimate that if the government stopped paying bills, more than 500,000 Americans would lose their jobs in the first week.

Some of those Americans surely live in Kansas and Missouri.

That is something that could produce financial chaos, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday. It would drastically reduce the amount of spending and would mean that Social Security recipients and veterans and people counting on money from the government that theyre owed, contractors, we just would not have enough money to pay the bills.

Story continues

Why hypocritical? Because Republicans famously seem to care about federal debts and deficits only when Democrats are in the White House. Moran, the regions senior senator, exemplifies this tendency.

While Donald Trump was in office in 2017, Moran joined his fellow Republicans in supporting a massive tax even though it was expected at the time to add at least $1 trillion to the national debt. (Marshall and Schmitt, along with Missouris Josh Hawley, had not yet been elected to the Senate.) Moran praised the bill as fiscally responsible.

Ironically, Moran did vote earlier that year against raising the debt ceiling under Trump. But he also voted in 2018 and 2019 for budget bills that raised the limit. Hawley voted against that last bill.

There were no attempts to take the nations credit worthiness hostage while a Republican was in charge, no willingness to play havoc with Americas financial stability, no threats to wreck the economy. And no unrelated demands, like Hawleys attempt this week to link the debt ceiling to his demand for higher tariffs on China.

Forgive us, then, if we suspect the stance taken by Marshall, Moran and Schmitt has less to do with reining in the governments spending and more to do with inflicting political harm on a Democratic president.

The clock is ticking. Yellen says that without a new debt ceiling measure, America could start to default on its bills at the beginning of June. Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met Tuesday afternoon to discuss the issue, but neither side expects a deal very soon.

Thats a shame. Should the federal government tighten its belt? Perhaps. But the best way to accomplish that task is through the normal budget process, not through a high-stakes standoff that leaves Americans in terror for their own fiscal well-being.

This threatened disaster is a choice. If Kansas and Missouri voters end up muddling through financial chaos sometime soon, it will because their U.S. senators decided to allow it.
In July, Kansans will be able to legally confirm whether or not a pill theyre taking is laced with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid.

Joined by parents whose children have died from fatal overdoses, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill Thursday legalizing fentanyl test strips, a tool used nationwide to reduce overdose deaths.

Before now, fentanyl test strips were classified as drug paraphernalia, a misguided policy that undoubtedly contributed to overdose fatalities, Kelly said. The fact is, these test strips save lives and will save money. Decriminalizing them is exactly the type of common sense, evidence based approach we need to take to push back against this crisis.

Before Kelly signed the bill Libby Davis, a Johnson County mother, said her son was deceived to death in 2021 when he took a pill laced with fentanyl.

Fentanyl testing strips could have saved Coopers life, Davis said.

The strips are cheap at only about $1 apiece. They detect fentanyl in pills and other drugs, allowing individuals to avoid taking drugs laced with the powerful synthetic opioid. All manner of illegal drugs are now regularly laced with fentanyl, a common method to boost their potency that dramatically raises the chance of a fatal overdose.

The bill Kelly signed increased penalties for distributors of fentanyl-laced pills in addition to legalizing the strips. The bill also granted new authority to Attorney General Kris Kobach and created stronger criminal penalties for assaults on health care workers.

Lawmakers have faced growing pressure in recent years to address the fentanyl crisis as overdose deaths in Kansas soared from 393 in 2019 to 679 in 2021, according to data from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, with 347 of the deaths in 2021 attributable in part to synthetic opioids, which include fentanyl.

Rep. Jason Probst, a Hutchinson Democrat, had been pushing for legalization of the strips for years. Last month the House and Senate each voted with bipartisan majorities to send the policy to Kellys desk.

Story continues

A similar policy was stalled last year over concerns by Republicans in the Senate that the strips would encourage illicit drug use.

Its going to give more Kansans the tools they need to reach recovery and keep them alive along the way, Probst said.

Rep. Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican who helped usher the policy through the Legislature, said the bills signing was proof that on important issues Republicans and Democrats can come together.

(Fentanyl) does not discriminate, it destroys people and it destroys lives, he said.

The Stars Jonathan Shorman contributed to this report.
Early voting in Kentuckys hotly contest gubernatorial primary got underway as of Thursday morning.

The states three-day early voting period  which is among the shortest in the country  allows any registered voter to cast their ballot early, no excuse needed. Polls will be open Thursday, May 11, Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13 statewide.

Fayette County voters can visit the University of Kentuckys Kroger Field at 1540 University Drive Lexington, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to cast their ballot.

Unlike absentee voting that takes place at county clerks offices, you do not need a qualifying excuse to vote early during this period.

Tuesday, County Clerk Susan Lamb, who is overseeing her first election since being appointed, said the staffers and poll workers are ready to welcome voters. Kroger Field is large enough to offer eight to 10 voting stations, and this years primary ballots are shorter, so voters shouldnt have to wait long.

If you live outside Fayette County, you can find your early voting location  called in-person no-excuse absentee  on the Kentucky State Board of Elections website.

What to know to vote early in Kentuckys 2023 primaries

Individuals should take their photo identification with them, as it is required to vote in Kentucky, and remember to fill in the square beside their preferred candidate entirely to ensure your vote is correctly counted.

Turnout may be somewhat poor this spring as primaries tend to draw less fanfare than general elections. It was shy of 20% for the 2019 gubernatorial primaries, though higher, just above 24% in Fayette County. In 2015, it was even lower, at 12.5% statewide.

Kentucky has 3,468,598 registered voters as of April, according to the latest state report, and nearly 241,000 of them reside in Fayette County.

Secretary of State Michael Adams, who oversees elections, was reportedly expecting turnout to dip as low as 10% as of Wednesday.

The commonwealth conducts closed primaries, meaning you must be registered with the party in question to cast a ballot for the nomination. You cannot change your party affiliation during early voting or on Election Day and vote that partys ballot.

Story continues

For those looking to catch up, sample ballots and other resources are available through the secretary of states office, and weve pulled together information about candidates through a number of reputable means.

Do you have a question about the 2023 election in Kentucky for our service journalism team? Wed like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
A Georgetown woman who recently lost her job won $50,000 after purchasing a lottery ticket at a convenience store, according to a Thursday Kentucky Lottery press release.

Christina Ballman stopped at Clarks Pump-N-Shop in Georgetown to buy ice when she decided to also grab a $2 million Diamond Dazzler scratch-off ticket. She waited until she got to Lexington to scratch the ticket.

I was like, This isnt going to be a winner, she told Kentucky lottery officials.

But when she finally scratched off the ticket, she saw the auto sign, which meant she won $50,000.

I was in complete shock, Ballman said. You always think about it [winning], but when it really happens, I couldnt believe it.

The odds of winning any Diamond Dazzler prize are 1 in 3.12, according to Kentucky Lottery. The prizes range from $40 up to $2 million.

Ballman earned $35,750 after taxes. She said the money will help her pay off her car.

The convenience store will get $500 for selling the ticket to Ballman.

If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling, help is available at 1-800-522-4700.

Do you have a question about the lottery in Kentucky for our service journalism team? Wed like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
A Kenyan investigator at a mass gravesite in Shakahola in April 2023. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images

In early April 2023, Kenyan police discovered a mass grave linked to a Pentecostal church in the coastal town of Malindi. By the end of the month, at least 110 bodies had been dug up from shallow graves in the areas Shakahola forest.

A loss of this magnitude is traumatic and painful for the families and friends directly affected, and also for the public exposed to the details. The level of media attention, public backlash and judgement of the dead makes the experience of the loss even more difficult for those directly concerned.

Read more: What is a cult?

The Shakahola story is being controlled by parties outside the families affected because of the government scrutiny and a police investigation related to the criminal case against the church leader. This has the potential to disrupt healthy grieving.

Africa is considered one of the most religious continents in the world. Many people use religion as a coping mechanism during difficult moments, yet in this case, religion is centre stage as the possible perpetrator of the grief being experienced. This complicates the grieving process as people experience betrayal from one of their most valued support systems: religion.

Most families will adapt their own style and process  all valid  to handle the pain and trauma. As a counselling psychologist, I have conducted studies on how communities deal with death and found unique practices that help in processing grief.

However, there are certain common stages of grief that people will experience  and can be helped to process  as the Shakahola tragedy continues to unfold. These stages are:

shock and numbness

yearning and searching

despair and disorganisation

reorganisation and recovery.

Shock and numbness

This is one of the initial responses individuals experience when they receive news of the death of a loved one. It manifests in the form of denial of the fact that the person is dead. Some people hope that whats happening will be reversed. Others react by minimising the magnitude of the loss.

Story continues

Shock or denial is one of the immediate healthy reactions to a traumatic event. This gives affected people the time to absorb and accept a difficult reality before they come to terms with it. Families should resist efforts to get them to accept a loss and move on. Shock, disappointment, anger, frustration, denial or even acceptance are all valid reactions.

Yearning and searching

At this stage, a grieving person has begun to get in touch with the reality of their loss. Staring at a perceived impossible future, a grieving individual tries to search for the comfort they used to enjoy from the deceased. This manifests in a continuous preoccupation with the person who has died, and an attempt to look for reminders of them. Some grieving people will cling to their loved ones photos or clothes, or spend time in their favourite places.

In a traumatic case like the Shakahola one, one of the most important things that families will be yearning and searching for is justice and information about what caused their loved ones death. A satisfactory autopsy process and prosecution of the perpetrators would help people to grieve in a healthy way.

Families should be allowed to experience this stage without any external regulation. This can be therapeutic as it helps families reflect, experience the pain associated with the loss and vent their emotions. In this stage, individuals will cry and feel sad, confused or frustrated as the reality of their loss sets in.

Despair and disorganisation

With the reality that their loss is permanent and irreversible, bereaved people in this stage may feel hopeless and angry, and question their situation. For families affected by the Shakahola saga, many are likely to be furious at government agencies, their deceased loved ones and the church.

This anger may also be directed at themselves, especially if they feel they could have done something to prevent the death of their loved one. It may also be directed at others for causing the death or not doing enough to prevent the death, or at God for not listening to their prayers to prevent the death.

Its important to allow families to express these mixed reactions at whoever they choose to without trying to convince them otherwise. Its healthy for them to ask questions and blame whoever they choose to. This stage is not permanent.

Reorganisation and recovery

At this stage, the intensity of grief declines and hope is restored. A grieving person begins to see the possibility of living a good life again. They begin to relinquish some of their loved ones property or start to carry out some of the duties that were performed by the deceased.

Read more: Can death on the screen feel the same as a 'real' one?

These four stages, however, manifest differently for different people. And theyre not linear. They may appear in any order. Time is also a silent stage and factor that helps people process grief.

The public watching the stories coming out of Shakahola can experience secondary trauma. This is difficult to avoid since access to information is a fundamental right. Its therefore important for people to be aware of negative emotions that may develop as a result of following the saga. It shouldnt raise alarm, though, as with time, these emotions will subside.

Journalists, security forces and other workers with direct access to the tragedy and exhumation of bodies are exposed to the danger of high-level traumatisation. They may need to seek psychosocial support to avoid developing severe psychological effects, including insomnia and anxiety.

Understanding grief is an important step towards healing. When you experience a tragedy, its important to realise that any accompanying emotions are normal reactions to an abnormal event. The process may take time and the pain may not subside quickly, and it all remains valid.

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: Stephen Asatsa, Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

Read more:



Stephen Asatsa does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
WASHINGTON  House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) refused on Thursday to discuss former President Donald Trumps call for Republicans to allow an unprecedented default on the federal governments debt.

My concern is President Biden, McCarthy told reporters. President Biden doesnt want a deal. He wants a default.

Both McCarthy and Joe Biden, along with a host of economists, have said the federal government defaulting on its debts would be an economic catastrophe that could cost millions of jobs. But McCarthy has insisted that Republicans wont support a bill forestalling that outcome unless Biden and Democrats agree to significant federal spending cuts.

Speaking during a CNN town hall event on Wednesday, Trump said Republicans should hold out for those cuts no matter what.

I say to you right now, congressmen, senators: If they dont give you massive cuts, youre gonna have to do a default, Trump said, adding that he considered default unlikely because Democrats would cave to Republican demands.

You might as well do it now because youll do it later, Trump added.

The Treasury Department has said that sometime next month, the federal government will run out of spare cash and be unable to pay all of its bills  unless Congress raises the so-called debt ceiling, thereby allowing Treasury to continue borrowing so it can meet basic expenses.

McCarthy noted that Republicans passed a bill in the House that would raise the debt ceiling until next year. The legislation would also slash federal spending, and Democrats have said its a non-starter in the Senate, meaning its highly unlikely to become law.

McCarthy complained that Biden has refused to negotiate over the debt limit, but the two met at the White House on Wednesday and their staff have been talking as well. McCarthy suggested, however, that his face-to-face meeting with the president wasnt much of a negotiation.

In whatever talks we have, you can tell right then, he doesnt want a deal, he wants a default, McCarthy said.

Story continues

The speaker ignored a question from HuffPost about whether he still planned to meet with Biden again on Friday as the two sides had previously said would happen.

Nevertheless, at his weekly meeting with reporters, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said he was optimistic about Fridays meeting at the White House.

Im thankful that President Biden has set us on a path toward resolving this issue and that the meeting that is expected to take place at the White House tomorrow will be a continuation of that, he said. And I expect that it will go well.

While none of the participants in Tuesdays meeting expressed publicly any significant changes in their stances afterward, Jeffries said staff-level discussions continued to take place.

Its my understanding it was a very productive conversation at the staff level yesterday. Its my expectation there will be continued conversations today, he said.
Kevin McCarthy, the Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives, has said he will not support New York congressman George Santoss bid for re-election after the freshman lawmaker was accused of committing a series of financial crimes and charged in a 13-count federal indictment.

Mr Santos, 34, was arrested on Long Island on Wednesday after surrendering to the authorities and pleaded not guilty to all charges, after which he was released on a $500,000 bond and took questions from the press. He declared in true Trumpian fashion that he was the victim of a witch hunt and insisted that he still intends to stand for re-election in 2024.

Mr Santos filed the necessary paperwork to run again with the Federal Election Commission back in March, allowing his campaign team to continue fundraising.

This weeks drama came after months of controversy swirling around Mr Santos, whose midterm victory over Democrat Robert Zimmerman was swiftly overshadowed in December by a New York Times investigation that exposed a prolific track record of lying about his past, or, as Mr Santos preferred to put it, resume embellishment.

The man representing the citys 3rd Congressional District was accused of lying about everything from his educational background and Wall Street work experience to the fate of his grandparents and mother, his past experience as a drag performer in Brazil, his prowess as a volleyball player and even a bizarre plot involving the invention of a fictional animal charity to channel money away from an Iraq War veterans dying dog.

Asked for a response to Mr Santoss indictment by CNN reporter Manu Raju as he crossed the Capitols Statuary Hall, Speaker McCarthy said, chuckling darkly: No, Im not going to support him.

When he was asked if that meant he would actively campaign against Mr Santos in any upcoming primary, the speaker said: Santos has a lot going on. I think he has other things to focus on in his life.

Story continues

On whether he would demand the representatives resignation if the House Ethics Committee ruled that he had broken the law, Mr McCarthy answered simply, Yeah.

"I'm not going to support [George] Santos," says House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as Congressman Santos continues his bid for reelection following federal charges for money laundering, fraud and other charges in New York. https://t.co/iIU17rOlha pic.twitter.com/IllviKbg7e  CBS News (@CBSNews) May 11, 2023

The position marks a distinct hardening of the speakers stance on the Santos affair after he tried to avoid saying anything definite on Tuesday and then appealed for patience on Wednesday, shrugging off calls for his expulsion from Republican colleagues like former presidential nominee Mitt Romney and fellow New Yorkers Mike Lawler and Marcus Molinaro by saying: He could go through his time of trial, well find out how the outcome is.

Back in January, when the revelations about Mr Santos history of dishonesty were continuing to snowball, Mr McCarthy was much more emphatic in supporting him, challenging journalists who asked about the situation by pointing out that he had not (then) been charged with any offences.

You know why Im standing by him? Because his constituents voted for him, he told reporters on 24 January.

I do not have the power simply because I disagree with somebody on what they have said that I can remove them from elected office.

If, for some way, when we go through ethics and he has broken the law, then we will remove him. But it is not my role. I believe in the rule of law.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told CNN on Wednesday that he wont support the reelection of Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who earlier in the day was arrested on 13 federal criminal charges.

No Im not going to support him, McCarthy told CNNs Manu Raju. Santos has a lot going on. I think he has other things to focus on in his life other than running for reelection.

Santos was charged with wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress. Prosecutors allege the lawmaker embezzled campaign finances and used the money for personal expenses. The indictment also alleges that Santos lied to Congress about his income and gaining unemployment benefits that he did not qualify for.

Santos, who was sworn into office in January and recently announced his bid for reelection, pleaded not guilty to the 13 criminal charges in court and was released on bond.

The federal probe wont affect his status as a member of Congress from a legal standpoint, but he could face a yearslong court battle and, potentially, several years in prison, CNN explained.

Santos said Wednesday that he would not resign. And McCarthy isnt asking him to.

He will go through his time in trial and lets find out how the outcome is, McCarthy said Wednesday when reporters asked if he would urge Santos to step down.

Following multiple reports about Santos pattern of lying in January, McCarthy addressed what conditions would prompt him to consider asking Santos to resign. He said he would do so if the House Ethics Committee found that Santos had broken the law.

[Santos] has a responsibility to uphold what they voted for, to work and have their voice here, but at any time, if it rises to a legal level, we will deal with it then, McCarthy said in January.

Other politicians  including New York Republicans  have previously called on Santos to resign.

Related...
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event on April 27 in Manchester, N.H. (Charles Krupa/AP)

At a Wednesday night town hall with Republican and undecided voters in New Hampshire, former President Donald Trump continued to peddle false claims that voter fraud cost him victory in the 2020 election, stood by his assertion that "stars" have historically been allowed to sexually abuse women and encouraged congressional Republicans to allow the U.S. to default on its debt.

CNN's decision to give Trump a platform at St. Anselm College for his 2024 presidential campaign has drawn scathing criticism, including from retired D.C. Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone, who was injured after Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, to try to block the peaceful transition of power following Trump's loss to Joe Biden.

"It is not just that Trumps lies and political rhetoric sparked an uprising at our nations Capitol. Trump, as U.S. president, lied in an effort to defraud the American people and overturn a free and fair election in an attempt to remain in power," Fanone wrote in a piece published by Yahoo News partner Rolling Stone.

Trump not only sought to subvert American democracy with bogus claims of voter fraud, he has also regularly attacked the judiciary, vowed revenge on his political enemies if reelected, been indicted for tax crimes, found liable by a jury for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, and has waged an all out war with CNN  where he has not appeared since 2016  for years.

Despite those issues, CNN plowed ahead with the town hall; network executive David Zaslav defended the decision, saying Trump is the GOP "frontrunner." A Yahoo News/YouGov poll released in April showed Trump leading Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup 52%-32%.

Here are the key takeaways from the town hall:

More election falsehoods

CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins checks her phone in the briefing room of the White House on Jan. 3, 2019, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Moderator Kaitlan Collins started by noting that Trump had not publicly acknowledged his loss to Biden in 2020.

Story continues

"When you look at that result and you look at what happened during that election, unless you're a very stupid person, you see what happened," Trump responded, adding, "Most people understand what happened: That was a rigged election."

"It was not a rigged election," Collins countered. "It was not a stolen election; you and your supporters lost more than 60 court cases on the election. It's been more than two and a half years; can you publicly acknowledge that you lost the 2020 election?"

Trump could not, and instead insisted, without evidence, that proof of fraud had been caught on government cameras.

A voter then asked Trump if he would stop "polarizing talk of election fraud during your run for president."

"Yeah," Trump responded. "Unless I see election fraud."

Jan. 6 pardons

Proud Boys members Zachary Rehl and Ethan Nordean walk toward the U.S. Capitol in support of then-President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Trump described the crowd that gathered on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C., heard him speak and marched to the Capitol to try to block the certification of Joe Biden as president as having "love in their heart."

"My question to you is, will you would pardon the Jan. 6 rioters who were convicted of federal offenses?" a Republican voter asked Trump.

"I am inclined to pardon many of them. I can't say for every single one, because some of them, probably, they got out of control," Trump said before trying to draw a comparison to Antifa and Black Lives Matter protesters, who he claimed had ruined American cities. "You have two standards of justice in this country."

Collins asked Trump whether the four members of the Proud Boys who were recently convicted of seditious conspiracy would be on Trump's pardon list.

"I don't know. I'd have to look at their case, but I will say in Washington, D.C., you cannot get a fair trial. You cannot get a fair trial. Just like in New York City you can't get a fair trail," Trump said, to applause from his audience.

'That's true with stars'

E. Jean Carroll leaves federal court in New York City on May 8, after a jury heard closing arguments in her civil trail against Trump. (Seth Wenig/AP)

Collins picked up on Trump's remark about New York City trials, asking him about Tuesday's verdict that he was liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll.

Trump stood by his assertion that he "never met" and "never saw" Carroll, even while conceding that he took a picture with her and her husband John Johnson.

Collins brought up the videotaped deposition Trump gave to Carroll's lawyers in which he defended his infamous "Access Hollywood" comment about being able to grab women in the genitals because he was a "star." During his deposition, Trump stated that "unfortunately or fortunately," stars had always been able to get away with such behavior.

"Do you stand by those comments?" Collins asked.

"I said, if you're if you're famous and rich or whatever I said, but I said you're a star, you are, and I said, 'women let you,'" Trump said. "I didn't say you grab, I said 'women let.' They said, 'Will you take that back?' I said, 'Look, for a million years, this is the way it's been. I want to be honest. This is the way it's been.' I can take it back if you'd like to."

Encouraged Republicans to allow the U.S. to default on debt

House speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks to reporters after the Republican majority in the House narrowly passed a sweeping debt ceiling package on April 26. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Asked by a voter what he thought of the debt situation and how the country should move forward, Trump signaled his approval of allowing the U.S. to default.

"I say to the Republicans out there, congressmen, senators, if they don't give you massive cuts, you're going to have to do a default," Trump said, adding that "I think the Democrats will absolutely cave."

The consensus view among economists is that a debt default would trigger an economic catastrophe. Pressed by Collins on whether Republicans should be prepared to refuse to lift the debt ceiling unless their demands are met, Trump was resolute.

"You might as well do it now, because you'll do it later."

Collins pointed out Trump's prior opposition to using the debt ceiling to negotiate and asked him what was different now.

"Because now I'm not president," Trump responded.

Waffled on federal abortion ban

A person has their photo taken outside the Supreme Court building on April 21, after the court decided to preserve women's access to a medication abortion drug. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Trump struggled to answer Collins' repeated question as to whether he would sign a national ban on abortion.

Declaring the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade "a great victory," Trump declined to state he would sign a national ban.

"What I will do is negotiate so that people are happy," Trump said.

That answer didn't satisfy Collins. "You would sign an abortion ban into law?" Collins pressed.

"I want to do what's right," Trump responded, "and we're looking."

"Where is President Trump" on the issue? Collins asked again.

"President Trump is going to make a determination what he thinks is great for the country and what he thinks is fair for the country," he said.

Friendly Republican audience and clashes with 'nasty person' Collins

Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association Convention in Indianapolis on April 14. (Michael Conroy/AP)

Throughout the event, Trump received applause and support from the largely Republican audience. He told jokes and often appeared to be controlling the pace of the proceedings. That was especially true during a relatively heated exchange with Collins over his handling of classified documents and their storage at his Mar-a-Lago estate, in alleged violation of the Presidential Records Act. While that subject could yet result in another criminal indictment for Trump, during the town hall it will be remembered because he insulted Collins over her dogged attempts to get him to answer her questions.

Collins asked Trump about holding onto "those documents, when you knew the federal government was seeking them and had given you a subpoena to return them."

"Are you ready? Are you ready?" Trump responded. "Can I talk?"

"Yeah," Collins said, "What's the answer?"

"Do you mind?" Trump shot back.

"I would like for you to answer the question," she said.

"It's very simple to answer it," Trump interjected.

"That's why I asked it," Collins responded.

"You're a nasty person, I tell you," Trump said, eliciting laughter and applause.
King Charles is "too soft" to resolve the infamous royal rift involving Prince Harry despite the Duke of Sussex showing face at the historic coronation ceremony, according to royal experts.

Harry, although alone and without wife Meghan Markle, did attend King Charles' big day  if only for a moment. His appearance could signify a reunification of the royal family in the future, but it would need to be facilitated by Charles, royal experts told Fox News Digital.

"Harry and Meghan along with King Charles and William will have to find a way back for the future of the royal family and the benefit of Great Britain," royal expert Ian Pelham told Fox News Digital. "When talking to other royal commentators we agree perhaps the king is too soft to solve the issue."

"However, now that he is king it may give him a new desire to deal with the situation as he wishes to remain popular with all communities. Commonwealth countries are watching his reign closely, and he really has, in my opinion, to show compassion to Meghan to keep people of color on his side. He cannot afford a reign with the dissolution of the Commonwealth due to the perception that any prejudice  founded or unfounded  came into play."

INSIDE PRINCE HARRY'S DECISION TO TURN DOWN CORONATION CONCERT: EXPERT

King Charles is "too soft" to mend the relationship between Prince Harry and the royal family, one expert told Fox News Digital.

The king's former press secretary Colleen Harris told People magazine King Charles was "delighted" Harry attended the coronation and that it was "the right" move for the Duke of Sussex.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

However, royal expert Christopher Andersen said Charles was likely "relieved" at Harry's appearance rather than "delighted."

"Harry's absence would have been a further indication that the rupture between the Sussexes and the royal family is irreparable," Andersen told Fox News Digital. "Harry's presence offered a ray of hope that some sort of reconciliation is at least possible  and that he is still loyal on some level to his father, the royal family, and the monarchy."

Story continues

"At the same time, if Charles really wanted to put all the acrimony behind him, he would have made at least some small gesture  a wink, a nod, a smile, pretty much anything  in Harry's direction. Once again, as predicted, Harry was largely ignored because he is not a working royal."

Prince Harry arrives for the coronation of King Charles.

Turner agreed that Harry was not treated well at the coronation saying the prince "should have at least been able to wear his uniform and salute the king." Harry didn't participate in the coronation at all and immediately took a flight back to California instead of attending a family luncheon.

"Harry's reaction, not surprisingly, was to hop on the first flight home  all under the dubious pretext of making it home for [Harry and Markle's son] Archie's fourth birthday," Andersen said. "I just don't get the feeling that Charles is all that upset about the situation, other than it does not reflect well on him and is damaging to the institution of the monarchy. Both sides have moved well beyond the hurt feelings stage."

KING CHARLES DEVASTATED BY PRINCE HARRY DRAMA AS ROYAL INSIDER REVEALS BEHIND-THE-SCENES STRUGGLES

King Charles III receives St. Edward's Crown during his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey on May 6.

Prince Harry has seemingly had tension with the royal family since he stepped away from his royal role alongside his wife Meghan Markle in 2020. The couple now lives in California with their two children; Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

The tension has been apparent at major royal family events in the last year including Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee and Her Majesty's funeral in September.

The coronation of King Charles III on May 6 was no different. Prince Harry only appeared at the ceremony and had no role. The Duke of Sussex was not included in an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the coronation. This stems from the royal family rule that only "working royals" are allowed to make the balcony appearance.

Kinsey Schofield, Host of the "To Di For Daily" podcast, noted it would take something "dramatic" to reunite the royal family.

"I do believe that the king was pleased to have Prince Harry in attendance. Harry behaved himself and tried not to distract from his father's big day," Schofield told Fox News Digital. "I would not say either are any step closer to a reconciliation because there seems to be a lack of trust and understanding on both sides."

"It will take something dramatic or a tragedy to reunite the family. However, the king was content with how the day unfolded and was happy that Harry made the effort."

Prince William and Prince Harry could have a reconciliation at the next family event, Trooping the Colour, according to one royal expert.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

The next family event to occur that could be grounds for a royal reconciliation is Trooping the Colour, according to royal expert Shannon Felton Spence. The ceremonial event, which sees British military performances, is set to take place on June 17 and occurs every year in London and countries of the Commonwealth.

"Its much easier for Harry to come to them then it is for them to go to California," she explained before suggesting the royal family make the next visit private.

"It would benefit all parties to make sure their next visit is private with no photos or press release," Spence added. "The added pressure of public exposure certainly prolongs estrangement. Fighting through the press has never been the best way to handle situations. They will have learned that lesson during his parents' divorce."

Oprah Winfrey interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for a special in 2021 where they revealed their struggles with royal life.

Prince Harry and Markle created further tension after participating in a handful of tell-all interviews where they spoke about the royal family. The two spoke to Oprah Winfrey in a televised 2021 interview where they hinted at racism in the royal family.

"Harry & Meghan," a Netlfix docuseries, was released in 2022 and focused on telling the couple's side of the story again. In the series, Harry and Markle said the royal family did nothing to help combat the onslaught of negative press that the couple constantly faced while they were working royals.

Following the interviews, Harry released his memoir "Spare," in which he details arguments between him and other senior members of the family along with why he chose to step back from it all.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the royal family in 2020.

At the time  ahead of "Spare's" release  a royal expert told Fox News Digital that the combination of the docuseries and Harry's memoir was "nothing short of a betrayal" for the royal family.
The possible extradition of Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, has placed the mystery surrounding the Alabama teenager who went missing in Aruba in 2005 back in the spotlight.

Peru's government announced Wednesday that authorities issued an order allowing van der Sloot, who has been serving a 28-year prison sentence in the country, to be temporarily extradited to the U.S. to face federal charges stemming from an alleged plot to extort money from Holloway's mother.

Van der Sloot's attorney Maximo Altez told The Associated Press he plans to fight the order.

The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment to CBS News on the extradition announcement. A State Department spokesperson referred CBS News' questions to the Justice Department.

Who was Natalee Holloway?

Holloway was last seen alive nearly 18 years ago in the Caribbean island nation of Aruba. The 18-year-old from Mountain Brook, Alabama, just outside Birmingham, was celebrating her graduation from Mountain Brook High School, where she was an honor student, CBS News' "48 Hours" reported in 2006.

Natalee Holloway disappeared while on a trip to Aruba in May 2005. / Credit: Personal photo

Holloway went on the trip with three of her best friends, Liz Cain, Mallie Tucker and Claire Fierman.

"It was so much fun. We would wake up, go like, brush your teeth, go straight to the beach. We would literally stay in the water all day long because it was so perfect," Fierman told "48 Hours." "We just hung out with our friends on this beautiful island. It was a really fun trip."

When did Natalee Holloway go missing?

On May 30, 2005, the last night of the trip, the group went to Carlos'n Charlie's, a local nightspot, Cain told "48 Hours." The legal minimum drinking age in Aruba is 18.

That night, Holloway was seen getting into a car with three strangers, which surprised Holloway's friends and her mother, Beth Holloway.

"No way would she have left her friends and placed herself knowingly what she was getting into," Holloway's mother told "48 Hours" in 2006. "They just took her when she just  There's no way."

Story continues

Who is Joran van der Sloot?

Among the strangers was van der Sloot, who was 17 at the time. A citizen of the Netherlands, van der Sloot was taken into custody 10 days after Holloway's disappearance and was held for months.

"It's mind-boggling to us that a 17-year-old, if he would have done it, could not have been broken. It's incredible," Aruban lawyer Arlene Shipper, who at the time often spoke on behalf of the country's government, told "48 Hours" in 2006.

Dutch national Joran van der Sloot arrives for a hearing at the Lurigancho prison in Lima, Peru, on January 11, 2011. / Credit: Ernesto Benavides/AFP via Getty Images

At the time, van der Sloot denied any wrongdoing in Holloway's disappearance and no charges were filed against him. He was released to his parents on Sept. 3, 2005.

The case drew widespread attention in the U.S. and has been cited as an example of the news media's fascination with missing White women. According to the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper, van der Sloot has given conflicting confessions in the case over the years. In 2016, Holloway's father, Dave Holloway, told the Huffington Post the latest alleged confession at the time wasn't valid in Aruba unless it was in a signed statement.

Were Natalee Holloway's remains ever found?

Holloway was legally declared dead in 2012. Her remains haven't been found.

In 2010, van der Sloot allegedly offered to reveal the location of her body to Beth Holloway for $250,000, according to the Justice Department.

A federal grand jury indicted him on charges of extortion and wire fraud over the alleged scheme.

According to the indictment, van der Sloot allegedly offered to show Beth Holloway's lawyer where her daughter's remains were located and provide "specific details concerning the manner of her death" for an initial payment of $25,000. Van der Sloot would then be sent the remaining $225,000 through a wire transfer within 30 days after the remains were confirmed to be Holloway's.

Prosecutors alleged that van der Sloot confirmed in an email that the information he provided was "worthless" and kept the initial $25,000 payment.

Why could Joran van der Sloot be extradited to the U.S.?

Van der Sloot has been serving a 28-year prison sentence in Peru since he pleaded guilty in 2012 to killing 21-year-old college student Stephany Flores in Lima in 2010.

The Peruvian attorney general's office said in a statement to CBS News on Wednesday that van der Sloot would be temporarily extradited to the U.S. for prosecution and would return to Peru following the proceedings.

Peru's government said in a statement to CBS News on Thursday that extraditions are approved by the country's president, Dina Boluarte, who assumed office in December after a coup by the country's former leader.

"We hope that this action will enable a process that will help to bring peace to Mrs. Holloway and to her family, who are grieving in the same way that the Flores family in Peru is grieving for the loss of their daughter, Stephany," Peru's Ambassador to the U.S. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra said in the statement.

Pakistan's top court orders release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan

Biden, McCarthy postpone debt limit meeting to next week

What will change once COVID-19 national emergency ends
A shopper walks past mask-wearing mannequins in Los Angeles in December 2020. The U.S. public health emergency prompted by COVID-19 ends Thursday. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

Ready or not, its over.

The country's public health emergency touched off in January 2020 by the sudden appearance of a novel coronavirus formally enters the history books when the day ends Thursday.

It's not a cause for jubilation, considering that the pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 1.1 million Americans.

Nor should we feel triumphant, since the virus that causes COVID-19 is here to stay. Even in a form tamed by vaccine and tempered by mutation, it still killed 4,719 in the United States over the last month.

And for some time to come, humans will be grappling with the fallout from the social isolation, economic dislocation and political upheaval brought on by a virus that measures 10 nanometers in diameter and spreads through the air with the stealth of a ninja.

A discarded mask and bottle of Lysol on the ground at the Seaport Village Trolley Station in San Diego. (Sam Hodgson / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Almost every state, territory and tribal entity in the country has declared its health crisis over and rescinded most of the special powers granted to local health departments during the pandemic.

Americans generally seem fine with that. A Gallup Poll released in March found that 49% think the pandemic is over in the U.S.  the highest mark since Gallup started tracking that sentiment in the summer of 2021. And roughly three-quarters of those surveyed by KFF that same month said they believe the public health emergencys end will either have a positive impact (27%) or "no impact" (46%) on the country overall.

Not everyone is welcoming Thursday's milestone. The doctors, scholars and public health advocates who call themselves the Peoples CDC say the real Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has abdicated its responsibility to protect the most vulnerable Americans and should be calling for continued masking in public indoor spaces, among other policies. These watchdogs want to see many of the pandemics strictures and financial supports remain in place until permanent steps have been taken to fix the racial and ethnic health inequities exposed by the global outbreak.

Story continues

Asked when the public health emergency might defensibly end, Dr. Lara Jirmanus, a Boston physician and a spokesperson for the Peoples CDC, cited the ongoing threat to the elderly, communities of color and those with compromised immune systems.

How about when they are as safe as they were before? she said.

So as we mark the end of an era, a sense of unease has been hard for many to shake. We get it: You have concerns.

After more than 1,200 days of living with and covering the pandemic, we have perspective.

Im still afraid of dying from COVID-19

Youre not alone. But you are in diminishing company: That March Gallup Poll found that 3% of U.S. respondents remained very concerned about coming down with COVID-19, with an additional 22% calling themselves somewhat concerned.

Dying of COVID-19 is hardly impossible, but compared with the pandemics earliest days, its become pretty rare  especially if youve not yet reached middle age.

The CDC considers every hospital patient who tests positive for a coronavirus infection a "COVID-19 hospitalization" even though many were admitted for other reasons. As a result, the agency's numbers suggest an overly grim picture of the country's health, said Dr. Shira I. Doron, an infectious disease specialist with Tufts Medicine.

"People who say it's still so terrible  I wish I could take them around the hospital and show them how fine we are," Doron said. "I wish I could show them how few COVID patients we have, how rare it is for someone to be in for COVID, or to die of COVID."

Her comments have been echoed by doctors across the country.

"It's clear the impact has decreased," said Dr. Jorge Luis Salinas, an infectious disease physician at Stanford. "We have no one with severe COVID at the hospital."

In the earliest days of the pandemic, studies of outbreaks in China, Italy and the United Kingdom and among passengers of the cruise ship Diamond Princess suggested COVID-19's case fatality rate  which measures deaths among those infected  was somewhere between 0.7% and 1.3%. Later estimates that tried to capture the toll across the world pegged the case fatality rate between 2% and 3%.

But COVID-19 was never an equal-opportunity killer. While fewer than 0.002% of infected children under 10 died of COVID-19, the rate among infected people 80 and over was at least 8%.

Much has changed. The availability of vaccines to prevent severe illness, and of antiviral medications that blunt a new infection, have whittled COVID-19s ability to kill. Medical professionals who are more experienced at treating the sickest patients have driven the case fatality rate down further. So has the protective effect of immunity gained by vaccines and past infections. The virus genetic evolution also appears to have nudged it in a tamer direction.

Its hard to suss out how each of these factors has affected the likelihood that, if infected, you would die. But a large study published in February suggested that by the time the Omicron variant had spread across the globe, its case fatality rate was 0.239%.

In short, by the time the pandemics third year came to a close, the virus that causes COVID-19 had lost roughly two-thirds of its initial killing power, and possibly as much as 92%.

But COVID-19 hasn't stopped killing people

No, it hasn't. So lets look at who continues to be at greatest risk, and what you can do about it.

If you have the good fortune to have lived well into retirement age, then you have the bad luck of being most vulnerable to dying of COVID-19. Since mid-April, virtually all Americans who have succumbed to the disease have been at least 50, and the overwhelming majority have been over 75.

The nations 1.2 million nursing home residents continue to bear the brunt of U.S. deaths. But even there, the situation has improved. According to a nursing home dashboard maintained by the AARP Public Policy Institute and the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Ohio, there were roughly 6 deaths for every 10,000 nursing home residents in the month ending April 26. That's half the rate of 12 deaths per 10,000 residents seen in the first month of 2023.

You dont have any say in your age, but you do have a say in your vaccination status. The CDC calculated that in February, adults in the U.S. who received an updated bivalent booster shot were six times less likely to die than people who remained unvaccinated (a group that still represents about one-fifth of the U.S. population). They were also 1.4 times less likely to die than vaccinated people who hadn't gotten the bivalent booster (and thats about 80% of the adult population).

So if you're 65 or older and its been at least four months since your last jab, the CDC recommends you go ahead and get another.

If you are medically fragile or at least 50 years old, you can reduce your chance of dying if infected by taking an antiviral within five days of your first symptoms. Paxlovid reduces the average likelihood of hospitalization or death by about 90%, and molnupiravir reduces it by 31%.

That means you need to remain attentive to how you are feeling and seek out a prescription if you have some combination of the key symptoms of COVID-19 in the Omicron age: sore throat, runny nose, congestion, persistent cough and headache.

Ive heard that every time I get COVID-19, my chances of dying go up

Thats the apparent takeaway from a study that compared 44,000 U.S. veterans who had suffered multiple coronavirus infections with nearly 444,000 whod only had one infection and 5.3 million others whod never tested positive.

Compared with people who'd been infected once, those who had been reinfected were twice as likely to die, three times as likely to be hospitalized, and three times more likely to experience heart problems or blood clotting over the following six months.

That sounds scary, but experts caution that veterans cared for in Veterans Affairs hospitals hardly represent an average population. Ninety percent of them were men, and only 12% were younger than 39. The study didnt account for which coronavirus variant caused each infection. And both infected and reinfected people were identified by the VA's COVID-19 testing system, meaning any infected vet who was doing fine went uncounted by researchers.

Theres another problem with the findings: They don't make immunological sense, said Doron of Tufts Medicine.

Subsequent infections are less severe, she said. In healthy people, the immune system's first look at the virus (either the real thing or a synthetic version from a vaccine) prompts a complex and multilayered defensive response. Even after antibodies  among the first lines of defense  begin to fade, T cells can fight back against a reinfection, making it milder and often shorter than the previous bout.

Still, as the authors of the study put it, reinfection is not benign; it is best to avoid it.

If youre still reading, odds are you already believe that. But you should also know that, given the Omicron variants prodigious transmissibility, reinfection will be nearly impossible to prevent.

That may not be a bad thing. Virologists have long predicted that over time, virtually all of us will build up the kind of immunity we have to other coronaviruses that cause the common cold.

I'm worried that my mask won't protect me if no one else is wearing one

Few issues have been more contentious than the value of face coverings. First, health authorities advised, we didnt need them (because medical professionals needed them more). Then we did (because they appeared capable of reducing viral spread). Now we're told they're not even necessary in hospitals? What gives?

Today, the CDC says that given the nations high levels of vaccine- and infection-induced immunity and the availability of effective prevention tools and treatments, universal masking is unnecessary in most public settings, including healthcare settings. In schools, the CDC recommends that children should wear a mask if they need extra protection from COVID-19.

That may come as a surprise, but the fact is we just have too much data at the population level that masking doesnt change the course of the pandemic, said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist at UC San Francisco.

An exhaustive review of studies that tested the protective value of masks against the coronavirus as well as several strains of flu left researchers uncertain whether wearing masks or N95/P2 respirators helps to slow the spread of respiratory viruses.

Even in healthcare settings, where infection was widespread, there was limited evidence that universal masking offered much value given the current status of the outbreak. And an influential group of doctors whose job is to stem the spread of diseases in hospitals recently called for an end to universal masking in healthcare settings.

Those doctors made clear that under different circumstances, universal masking was a critical protective measure. In future pandemics or significant localized outbreaks, the practice could be justified again, they wrote. But when the expected benefits of such policies are low, they added, its a policy whose time has come and gone ... for now.

Then they said out loud what many have thought but kept to themselves: that masking impedes communication, that face coverings obscure facial expression and make listening harder, that they contribute to feelings of isolation; and negatively impact human connection, trust, and perception of empathy.

I dont want to go to public spaces or socialize with others for fear of catching COVID-19

Again, youre not alone. In late March, 23% of Americans told pollsters they had avoided large crowds to protect themselves over the last week. In addition, 18% had stayed away from planes, buses, subways or trains, and 14% had avoided going to public places. One in 10 had shunned even small gatherings.

But consider this: Your social life matters to your health  a lot. People who are socially isolated are more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack, not to mention depression, cognitive impairment and an earlier death. Social isolation makes normal  and fixable  impairments like hearing loss less evident. And unchecked health problems become bigger and sometimes different problems. Hearing loss is a risk factor for dementia.

These are trade-offs you really should consider before giving up on your book club or your mah-jongg group, or discouraging your friends and family from dropping in.

Im afraid of getting long COVID

Sufferers of long COVID, or post-acute sequelae of COVID, are a large and mystifying group.

Lingering problems with heart, kidney and lung function are common among people who were hospitalized with severe COVID-19. But not all long COVID sufferers were very ill. Even people with mild or asymptomatic infections have experienced problems for months afterwards, ranging from brain fog and exhaustion to heart palpitations, depression and an inability to exercise.

Since June 2022, the CDC and the U.S. Census Bureau have been conducting the Household Pulse Survey to gauge Americans' experiences during the pandemic. So far, the survey has found that 28.4% of all adults with a confirmed coronavirus infection suffered lingering symptoms lasting three months or more.

But theres growing evidence that most cases of long COVID resolve themselves after a few months, and that new cases of long COVID are becoming less common. In the most recent Household Pulse Survey, only 11.2% of U.S. adults said they were currently experiencing long COVID symptoms.

That long COVID is more unusual in the Omicron era is suggested by a study published in March. In a group of 1,201 healthcare workers from nine Swiss healthcare networks, those whod been infected with the original version of the coronavirus were 67% more likely to report symptoms of long COVID than those who were not infected. However, healthcare workers who were infected with the Omicron variant were no more likely to report long COVID symptoms than those whod never been infected.

It's not clear whether these nurses and doctors were protected by COVID-19 vaccines or by Omicrons gentler ways. But Dr. Carol Strahm, an infectious disease doctor who co-wrote the study, leans heavily toward the latter explanation. As long as the Omicron variant dominates, he said, our results should provide reassurance that people are now unlikely to develop long COVID.

Stanford's Salinas noted that mysterious and prolonged symptoms after a viral infection have always existed. Only because the pandemic virus infected so many people in so short a time has the phenomenon come under close scrutiny.

The prospect of suffering post-infective syndrome after a bout of flu or a cold sore doesnt send people into a protective bubble, he added. At this point in the pandemic, neither should fear of long COVID, he said.

I recognize that people are suffering from long COVID and that its very real, Salinas said. But at a personal level I dont navigate the world or conduct my life based on fear of long COVID.

Im afraid tests, vaccine and treatments for COVID-19 will become really expensive

This is one of those end-of-pandemic problems that will unfold over time, but which should be largely manageable for now.

The end of the public health emergency means that the cost of testing for coronavirus infections will shift for many Americans. At-home tests will be available in drugstores, but at $12 to $15 apiece, theyll be an expensive first step for people worried about their symptoms. The more reliable and time-consuming PCR tests will be subject to insurers rules and copays.

For people with health insurance, vaccine boosters and antiviral medications will remain available, though they may come with a copay.

In April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a $1.1-billion bridge program designed to preserve access to COVID-19 vaccines and medications for uninsured Americans. Whether its a bridge to anywhere lasting remains to be seen: The Biden administration has sought to create a Vaccines for Adults to plug current holes in vaccine access for uninsured adults, but its bogged down in budgetary scuffles.

In the interim, the bridge program will ensure COVID-19 care at commercial pharmacies and federally funded health centers that serve low-income communities, and through local public health organizations.

The same program will also hold some drug manufacturers to their public commitments to provide vaccines and treatments free of charge for the uninsured.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
picture alliance via Getty

The Kremlin childrens rights advocate accused of war crimes for overseeing Moscows mass abduction of Ukrainian children is now openly mocking Ukrainian families who try to get their children back from Russia, according to a local report.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum on Thursday, Maria Lvova-Belova described Ukrainian children forcibly transported to Russia as if they were in need of fixing, lamenting that Russia will have to re-educate them after eight years of powerful propaganda in Ukraine, according to the local outlet Rotonda Media.

Ukraines U.N. ambassador has said nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children were ripped away from their families or taken from orphanages during the war and forcibly transported to Russia. Investigations by the Associated Press and independent Russia media outlets found that in many cases the children were taken away and described as orphans in Russian propaganda despite having Ukrainian family members or parents. Some of them were quickly adopted out to Russian families.

Lvova-Belovawho herself adopted a Ukrainian teenager yanked out of Mariupolscoffed at the idea Russia is committing war crimes by kidnapping children.

The Harrowing Vanishing of Orphaned Teens Trapped in Russia

When they say, Return our children, where should we return them? To abusers? To those who didnt take care of them? she said Thursday, according to Rotonda.

She reportedly briefly mentioned the teenager she adopted, Filipp, while complaining about how difficult it is to reform Ukrainian children.

The kind of propaganda that was used in Ukraine will not pass so easily, she was quoted saying, describing it as a struggle for Russian families to overcome.

(Early last month, Lvova-Belova unironically told reporters how difficult it was for her when her Ukrainian son shared how proud he was to hold up a Ukrainian flag at a protest and chased around her other children saying, I will eat the Muscovite!)

Story continues

Left unmentioned in her latest speech, of course, was that her son still has legal guardians in Ukraine, as Radio Free Europes Schemes investigative reporting project revealed last month.

Russia Claims Its Helping These Ukrainian Refugeesbut What They Describe Is Torture

Lvova-Belovawho was reportedly mockingly introduced ahead of her speech as an international criminal who is wanted all over the worldwent on to express outrage over what she called an outright provocation: Ukrainian authorities trying to track down the children who were whisked off to Russia.

They search for the children through social networks and ask them to make videos about how hard it is for them to live in Russia, she was quoted saying.

In keeping with the Kremlins narrative that Russia is saving the Ukrainian children they forcibly deport, Lvova-Belova also claimed Moscow took in 31 kids who were collected from basements in Mariupol after being abandoned by their families, and expressed indignation at the wave of negativity she said resulted when the father of several of the children demanded them back.

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.
The Kremlin has been very negative about reports that the UK is supplying Ukraine with long-range Storm Shadow missiles and wants to find a relevant response.

Source: RIA Novosti, the Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet quoting Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Russian president

Quote from Peskov: "[The Kremlin is assessing the Storm Shadow supplies] very negatively. This will require a relevant response from our military, which, of course, will make appropriate decisions from a military point of view."

Background: On 11 May CNN, citing several Western officials, reported that the United Kingdom had supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow cruise missiles, giving Ukrainian forces a new long-range strike capability ahead of a long-awaited counter-offensive by Ukrainian forces.

UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace officially confirmed the transfer of long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
YouTube star KSI returns to the ring on Saturday, fighting boxer and businessman Joe Fournier at the O2 Arena.

KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) has taken on Logan Paul twice in the past and most recently fought gamer FaZe Temperrr, winning via knockout in January. His rematch with Paul  a win that followed their initial draw  is the only professional bout of his career, with the rest having been exhibitions.

Meanwhile, fellow Briton Fournier has a 9-0 professional record and lost an exhibition bout with former world champion David Haye on points in 2021. The 40-year-old got his start in the fitness industry before moving into nightclub business.

KSI, 29, is facing his most credible opponent by far this weekend, in another exhibition fight. Heres all you need to know.

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

When is it?

The event will take place on Saturday 13 May at the O2 Arena in London.

The main card is scheduled to begin at 7.15pm BST (11.15am PT, 1.15pm CT, 2.15pm ET), with the main event due at approximately 9.40pm BST (1.40pm PT, 3.40pm CT, 4.40pm ET).

How can I watch it?

The event will be available on Dazn pay-per-view, priced at 19 for existing subscribers. New customers can purchase the event for 19, too, while receiving one months access to the streaming platform.

How much are the fighters earning?

No earnings for this fight have been disclosed, but KSI is said by Draft Kings to have made around $1million last August when he beat Swarmz and Luis Alcaraz Pineda on the same night. He looks likely to earn a similar amount for his fight with Fournier, whose purse  based on those of KSIs recent opponents  could be around $400,000.

Full card (subject to change)

KSI vs Joe Fournier

Deji vs Swarmz

Salt Papi vs Anthony Taylor

Tennessee Thresh vs Paigey Cakey

Viruzz vs DK Money

Little Bellsy vs Lil Kymchii
On Boises Capitol Boulevard, where the road forks at Cecil D. Andrus Park near the Idaho Capitol, there are two statues. Both monuments honor murdered American politicians.

One is immediately recognizable: Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. The other monument, which faces the Capitols south entrance along Jefferson Street, honors Frank Steunenberg, the fourth governor of Idaho, who served from 1897 to 1901.

In previous pages of the Idaho Statesman, Steunenbergs statue has been referred to as the most visible and most ignored piece of public art in Idaho. Its been hailed by one columnist for representing a governor who gave his life for law and order and critiqued by another who argued that Idahoans would be more embarrassed by the events that led to Steunenbergs killing if it werent for his memorial.

So whats the story behind this often ignored and sometimes contentious monument?

Assassination connected to labor unrest

Steunenberg was killed on Dec. 30, 1905, when he opened the gate to his Caldwell home, triggering a bomb that had been rigged there.

The day after the murder, a front-page story in The New York Times quickly connected the incident to members of the famous inner circle of the Coeur dAlene dynamiters, referring to explosive labor union revolts in North Idaho during the last decade of the 19th century.

From 1892 to 1899 in the Coeur dAlene mining region, violence between union workers, who protested reduced wages, and mine owners resulted in eight deaths. The conflict culminated during Steunenbergs gubernatorial tenure, when miners seized a train in Burke, a mining town near Wallace, that would carry dynamite to a concentrator owned by the Bunker Hill Mining Co.

After the mutinous miners  referred to as Coeur dAlenes at the time  destroyed the facility, Steunenberg tasked his state auditor Bartlett Sinclair with quelling the conflict by any means necessary, historian J. Anthony Lukas wrote in his 1997 book, Big Trouble: A Murder in a Small Western Town Sets Off a Struggle for the Soul of America. President William McKinley sent U.S. Army troops, primarily African American soldiers stationed throughout the West, to assist.

Story continues

Sinclair assumed that the whole town of Burke had something to do with the train hijacking and rounded up every man there, including miners, bartenders, a doctor, a teacher and even the postmaster, Lukas wrote. The prisoners from Burke and other nearby towns targeted during the roundup were held in inhumane conditions, some for months, and three died, according to Lukas.

For decades to come, the very phrase Coeur dAlenes evoked a stirring morality play whose lessons depended on where one took ones stand: behind the afflicted mine owners or with the aggrieved mine workers, Lukas wrote.

Oddly Idaho explores curious quirks and nostalgic moments in the Gem State.

The trial of the century

Miners felt betrayed by Steunenberg, a Democrat, who they had supported for governor, Boise attorney John Greenfeld wrote in a 2006 article about the trial of the governors alleged assassins.

Under these circumstances, it is difficult to argue with the governors decision to call in regular federal troops, but his actions had such a hard edge to them that they turned this governor into a pariah for mine workers, Greenfeld wrote.

Harry Orchard, an itinerant miner, confessed to Steunenbergs murder. But he claimed to be a hit-man, hired by famed labor organizer William Big Bill Haywood and two other leaders of the Western Federation of Miners.

What followed became known as the trial of the century for its dramatic twists and lurid coverage by the national media. William Borah, then a U.S. senator-elect, and James Hawley, who would later serve as Idaho governor, prosecuted Haywood. Nationally renowned trial attorney Clarence Darrow led the defense.

Witnesses who would have implicated the labor leaders went missing or recanted an earlier confession. Haywoods attorneys accused the Pinkertons  a union-busting security agency  of sabotaging labor organizations.

Ultimately, Borah and Hawley couldnt produce a witness to corroborate Orchards story, and the labor leaders were acquitted or had their charges dropped. Historians are divided over whether the labor leaders ordered the murder.

Orchard, whose real name was Albert Horsley, served a life sentence in the Old Idaho State Penitentiary.

Steunenberg supporters raise funds for memorial

In 1906, the year before the sensational trial of Steunenbergs alleged assassins, supporters of the slain governor started raising funds for a memorial.

Committees in every county were organized to raise money for a life-size bronze statue, to be crafted by a high-class artist, the Statesman reported at the time.

In the history of the state, I can recall no other character as nearly worthy of perpetual preservation, Sinclair wrote to the newspaper in 1913.

Four years later, Idaho lawmakers agreed to set aside $15,000 for the memorial, but the Legislature didnt make the funds available until a decade later when Salt Lake City sculptor Gilbert Riswold accepted the job.

Riswold molded Steunenbergs likeness from clay, then sent it to a Los Angeles foundry for bronze casting. The sculptor in 1927 told the Statesman that he initially found Stuenenberg to be an ordinary-looking man whose character was difficult to artistically express.

After an intensive study, Riswold said he found the strength of the man in his utter lack of egotism, his simplicity and ruggedness.

Finally I came to love him for the very subtleties he lacked, and for his fine manliness, Riswold told the Statesman. He had a powerful physique, yet with his firmness went a great tenderness. He was a man of equanimity. He could keep his head when those around him were running wild. He was in truth a typical westerner.

The Steunenberg memorial was unveiled, to great fanfare, in December 1927.
LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Bertrum Therrod Anderson Jr.'s temper has him facing an attempted murder charge for last weekend's shooting at a convenience store at Sixth and Union streets.

Anderson became angry when the convenience store clerk told him the price of merchandise Anderson wanted to purchase. Anderson argued with the clerk, used a racial slur and was then asked to leave the store, according to prosecutors.

Anderson returned a few minutes later and threatened to "beat" the clerk, who informed Anderson he was calling the police, according to prosecutors.

Gavel

Anderson and the clerk were in the parking lot at about 2 p.m. May 6, and Anderson told the clerk he had something for him, according to prosecutors. Anderson then pulled a pistol and fired at the clerk, who was on the phone with 911 dispatchers, according to prosecutors.

Two bullets struck a car in the parking lot. Inside that car was a woman and a 10-year-old boy, who was sitting in front of one of the bullet holes, according to prosecutors. The woman and the boy were not wounded.

Police found Anderson at a garage about a block from the convenience store. He had changed clothes, but a nearby backpack had his identification in it, according to prosecutors. Officers found a pistol in a loft in the garage, and officers found Anderson had counterfeit money when he was booked into the jail, according to prosecutors.

More: Men shoot at woman who was looking for lost dog

Prosecutors filed 12 charges Wednesday against Anderson, 29, of the 300 block of Sixth Street in Lafayette. The charges include attempted murder, attempted aggravated battery, intimidation, criminal recklessness, attempted battery with a deadly weapon, pointing a firearm and counterfeiting.

He also faces a charge of unlawful carrying of a firearm because he has two felony convictions  on in Cook County, Illinois and the other in Logan County, Oklahoma. Tippecanoe County prosecutors also charged Anderson with a sentence-enhancing charge of being an habitual offender.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette man charged with attempted murder for store shooting
Humvee-apkws-ukraine.jpg

The first real look at Ukrainian troops employing U.S.-made laser-guided 70mm rockets appears to have emerged. A video circulating online shows at least one American-supplied up-armored M1152A1 Humvee with an Arnold Defense LAND-LGR4 four-shot launcher firing what are said to be Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II rockets.

The video in question, seen below, first appeared online this past weekend, but it's unclear where or when it might have been taken. The beginning of the clip does feature the logo of Ukraine's 37th Separate Marine Brigade, which was reportedly only stood up in February.

APU for the first time showed the work of the APKWS system



The footage of missiles hitting targets was recorded by a drone. pic.twitter.com/CORuYJ0hwR  Lew Anno Suport #Ukraine 24/2-22 (@anno1540) May 8, 2023

Reports had first begun to emerge last month that this 37th Separate Marine Brigade was employing Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets from launchers mounted on M1152A1s  a two-door pickup truck-style up-armored Humvee variant  last month. A video had previously emerged that was said to show elements of the unit using one of these mobile launchers somewhere in the southern Kherson region, but it offered no hard visual evidence of this.

#Ukraine: The new Ukrainian 37th Marine Brigade already using the long-awaited  APKWS in #Kherson Oblast. The APWKS is essentially Hydra 70 unguided rockets fitted with a laser guidance kit to create a precision weapon.



In this case the launcher is mounted on a M1152A1 HMMWV. pic.twitter.com/j0PK1QccN1   Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 27, 2023

The new video also shows a 70mm rocket, with a slogan written on it in Ukrainian, but whether or not it is equipped with a laser-guided kit cannot be definitively seen in the clip. The LAND-LGR4 launcher is primarily intended to fire laser-guided 70mm rockets, but can also fire unguided types. The U.S. military has confirmed sending APKWS II rockets to Ukraine.

Story continues

A clear view of what looks to be a LAND-LGR4 launcher mounted on a Ukrainian M1152A1 Humvee. Capture via Twitter Capture via Twitter Details about the LAND-LGR4 from the manufacturer, Arnold Defense. Arnold Defense

APKWS II rockets consist of three main components, the warhead, the rocket motor, and the guidance section which slots in between the other two parts. As a result, they can be fitted with various different kinds of warheads, as can standard unguided 70mm rockets. What warheads Ukrainian forces might be employing on the rockets seen in the video are unclear. However, they look to be high-explosive types judging by footage of them hitting their mark.

A more recently announced American military aid package for Ukraine has also contained 70mm Hydra-series rockets, but it's unclear if any of those munitions have arrived in the country. Ukraine's armed forces have received guided 70mm rockets of an unknown type, as well as launchers and vehicles, from Germany, too. They may have gotten unguided 70mm rockets from other sources, as well.

This being said, there are clear indications that the rockets seen being fired in the new video are APKWS IIs or another guided design. The footage shows multiple impacts that look very accurate. This includes hits on relatively small windows on multiple houses, as well as another that takes out some kind of object, possibly a domed antenna, on top of an elevated mast. APKWS II is known to have this kind of precision.

Clips from the video showing what may be a domed antenna on top of an elevated mast before and after being hit by a rocket. Captures via Twitter

APKWS II rockets require a laser to actively 'lase' the target and it's unclear how Ukrainian forces might be achieving this from what is seen in the video. Personnel closer to the targets could be employing hand-held or vehicle-mounted laser designators.

Another possibility is that Ukrainian forces are using U.S.-supplied VAMPIRE systems, or similar mast-mounted designators, to guide the rockets to their targets. L3Harris' VAMPIRE can be configured to customer specifications, but a typical arrangement involves a vehicle-mounted LAND-LGR4, an elevated sensor turret, and a fire control system, as you can read more about here. In August 2022, L3Harris said it expected to deliver the first VAMPIRES to Ukraine within nine months.

VAMPIRE is primarily designed to turn guided 70mm rockets into anti-drone weapons. However, when it was first announced that Ukrainian forces would receive these systems, The War Zone noted that they could also be employed against targets on the ground. When it was first revealed that Ukraine was getting APKWS IIs, we also highlighted how these could be used in the surface-to-surface role.

There are no clearly visible sensor turrets of any kind on any of the Humvees with the launchers seen in the video, but separate vehicles fitted with them could be somewhere off-camera.

Via Twitter

An individual is visible at one point holding something that is pixelated out, as seen below. Despite the censoring this looks to be a hand-held controller for a smaller drone  very likely one of the ones being used to capture footage of the impacts. Commercial drones can also carry laser designators, which would be a good solution for scouting and engaging targets with precision nearby.

Capture via Twitter

It's also unclear how many of these launcher vehicles may be in Ukrainian service now with the 37th Separate Marine Brigade or any other unit.

Regardless, this launcher configuration together with APKWS II rockets could be a very useful weapon for Ukraine's military in various contexts. APKWS II's manufacturer, U.K.-headquartered BAE Systems, says that these munitions have a maximum range when launched from the ground of around 3.7 miles (6 kilometers). It's also a low-cost weapon, with each complete APKWS II round costing approximately $27,500.

So, mobile launchers loaded with APKWS IIs, coupled with appropriate designators, could carry out precision strikes on a variety of targets. This includes, as seen in the video, hostile forces in covered positions like buildings and key enemy systems like communications arrays and radar dishes. The rockets could, of course, also be used against other lighter armored target sets, such as light armored and unarmored vehicles and personnel in the open.

Smoke rises from the window of a building after being hit by a possible APKWS II rocket. Capture via Twitter

The vehicle-mounted launchers would give Ukrainian forces the option of shooting and scooting, which would help protect them from enemy counter-attacks. The up-armored Humvees being employed in this instance would offer at least an additional layer of defense against certain kinds of threats, including shrapnel from artillery fire, which is a major threat to forces on both sides of the current conflict.

The emergence of this rocket launcher vehicle also comes as Ukrainian forces continue to gear up for a new counter-offensive. A flexible, lower-end precision-strike option could be very valuable in that context for engaging strong points that Russian forces have been erecting along parts of the front in the past few months.

Capture via Twitter

The Humvee-mounted launchers could be used to fire volleys of unguided rockets. At the same time, with only four rounds able to be loaded at a time, the LAND-LGR4s would not necessarily be capable of delivering the kind of volume of fire required to make unguided indirect strikes most effective. Unguided rockets could be effective in direct-fire scenarios, but accurately aiming them could present other issues.

However they might be being employed, there is now clear visual evidence that Humvee-mounted 70mm rocket launchers capable of firing guided APKWS II rockets are in active service with at least one Ukrainian unit.

Contact the authors: joe@thedrive.com, howard@thewarzone.com
UPINGTON, South Africa (Reuters) - When she was a girl in South Africa's Northern Cape, Katrina Esau stopped speaking her mother tongue, N|uu, after being mocked by other people and told it was an "ugly language".

Now at age 90, she is the last known speaker of N|uu, one of a group of indigenous languages in South Africa that have been all but stamped out by the impacts of colonialism and apartheid.

"We became ashamed when we were young girls, and we stopped speaking the language," Esau told Reuters. Instead she spoke Afrikaans, the language promoted by South Africa's white minority rulers.

Later, as an adult, Esau realized the importance of preserving her mother tongue and founded a school in her home town of Upington to try to pass it on.

N|uu was spoken by one of many hunter-gatherer groups that populated Southern Africa before the arrival of European colonizers. These indigenous people spoke dozens of languages in the San family, many of which have gone extinct.

"During colonialism and apartheid, Ouma Katrina and other (indigenous) groups were not allowed to speak their languages, their languages were frowned upon, and that is how we got to the point where we are with minimal speakers," said Lorato Mokwena, a linguist from South Africa's University of the Western Cape.

"It's important that while Ouma Katrina is around, that we do the best that we can to preserve the language and to document it," she said.

Ouma, or "grandmother" Katrina started teaching N|uu to local children around 2005 and later opened a school with her granddaughter and language activist Claudia Snyman.

But the school property was vandalised during the COVID-19 lockdown, and now lies abandoned.

"I am very concerned. The language isn't where it's supposed to be yet. If Ouma dies, then everything dies," said Snyman, whose dream is to one day open her own school and continue her grandmother's legacy.

Story continues

"I'll do anything in my power to help her to prevent this language from dying," Snyman said.

Esau has two living sisters but they do not speak N|uu, and she does not know anyone else who does, save the family members and children to whom she has taught some words and phrases.

"I miss speaking to someone," she said. "It doesn't feel good. You talk, you walk, you know  you miss someone who can just sit with you and speak N|uu with you."

(Reporting by Catherine Schenck and Esa Alexander; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian and Nellie Peyton; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Four-side talks in Moscow agree to assemble roadmap to normalize Syria-Turkiye ties

Xinhua) 09:14, May 11, 2023

MOSCOW, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his counterparts from Iran, Syria, and Turkiye in Moscow, where they proposed to assemble a roadmap normalizing relations between Turkiye and Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

The four sides agreed to appoint their deputy foreign ministers to prepare the roadmap, aiming to advance relations between Turkiye and Syria. The diplomats would be working with the defense ministries and special services of the four countries.

The participants "affirmed their commitment to Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity," and their commitment to "combatting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," according to the foreign ministry.

They also stressed the importance of increasing international aid to Syria and facilitating the voluntary and safe return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.

In his introductory speech before the meeting, Lavrov noted that the start of the Syrian-Turkish ties normalization process has a "noticeable positive impact" not only on the situation in Syria, but also on the situation in the Middle East as a whole.

He added that these positive developments would also bring new opportunities and prospects for the Astana format, which aims to facilitate a peaceful settlement in Syria.

The Russian foreign minister further criticized the current unilateral sanctions on Syria by the West, which hinder humanitarian aid.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A Lancaster County zoning change is in to allow a new Costco in Indian Land.

The county planning commission will hear the case May 16. The zoning proposal would then go to Lancaster County Council for public hearing and final approval. The decision involves 28 acres for a Costco retail warehouse store and gas station.

Its part of the The Exchange at Indian Land, not far from Ballantyne in Mecklenburg County. The Costco piece is located at 8918 Charlotte Highway, south of Possum Hollow Road. The larger Exchange project is 130 acres approved two years ago for Crosland Southeast to put more than 700 townhomes or apartments along with the commercial space.

New grocery store and more than 1,000 residences proposed for Lancaster County

Costco would be in the front part of the development, along U.S. 521. The developer and county decided against rezoning the full 130 acres for business, leaving the 28 acres as light industrial due to a lack of such space in the county. But leaving it that way causes zoning issues with the gas station and a tire service area in Costco.

The existing development agreement allows for 105,000 square feet of commercial space in The Exchange, which includes the Costco site. The developer has several amendments to county zoning code it requests along with the rezoning, to make the Costco project happen. They involve parking, wall sign and other regulation issues.

Costco is a warehouse retailer with a wide range of items and groceries in more than 800 locations worldwide. The nearest sites to the planned Indian Land one are in Charlotte, Matthews and Mooresville, North Carolina. Costco has three South Carolina sites, one each in Spartanburg, Columbia and Greenville.
Fox News

Fox News host Laura Ingraham reacted in glee to CNNs town hall event for Donald Trump, who uttered a flurry of false claims, in some cases too quick for moderator Kaitlan Collins to fact-check in real time.

CNN at first thought they likely caught Trump in a very well coordinated trap, Ingraham claimed. But soon it became clear that they were the ones in the trap and they were totally out of their league because Trump hammered them on issue after issue.

In his first answer, Trump lied about the 2020 election, repeating his baseless accusation that it was rigged. He was misogynistic when asked about having to pay $5 million to writer E. Jean Carroll after a New York jury found him liable for sexual battery and defamation. He called Collins nasty. He smeared the Capitol Police officer who shot and killed Ashil Babbitt on Jan. 6, even though the officer was later cleared of any wrongdoing.

In all, Trumps appearance, one CNN staffer told The Daily Beast, was one of the worst hours Ive ever seen on our air. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called the networks programming decision profoundly irresponsible.

Trump Steamrolls CNNand the Truthin Town Hall Debacle

Accordingly, many of Trumps allies heralded his first on-camera interview with a CNN journalist since before the 2016 election as a win. Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung likened it to pirates taking over an oil tanker.

Fox News contributor Ben Domenech followed up Ingrahams praise by imagining CNN executives coming to terms with their error.

Its as if they realized along the way, Oh Lord, what have we done? Domenech said, cracking up Ingraham. Weve introduced all of the things that made this guy a success again.

David Zaslav, the CEO of CNNs parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, defended the town hall last week, saying that since the U.S. government is divided, we need to hear both voices. Of Trump, he added: He is the frontrunner. He has to be on our network. Were happy hes coming on there.

Story continues

On Wednesday night, the network released a statement supporting Collins, who exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist. She asked tough, fair and revealing questions.

Domenech said the move injected all the kind of energy that [Trump] had before back into his effort to become president again.

He responded to the questions that were put in front of him, and he knocked them out of the park, he insisted. And what are we to be surprised about when it comes to this? This is exactly the kind of forum in which he succeeds. We know this now. And CNN should know this now. There is no trap to be sprung.

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.
Lauren Toyota gets real about motherhood, breastfeeding and her postpartum experience in an interview with Yahoo Canada. (Photo via Instagram/laurentoyota)

Lauren Toyota has been a television personality, a content creator and a vegan cookbook author. But despite her prolific and exciting career, her most difficult job has been motherhood.

The now 40-year-old former Much Music reporter often takes to social media to share what it's really like to have a child slightly later in life.

"I'm a bit older. I waited a long time to have a baby and it actually wasn't something I thought I'd ever do," Toyota told Yahoo Canada. "It was a late decision when I knew I wanted to do it, and I didn't know what to expect."

Despite the challenge and uncertainty of being a new mother, Toyota explained she's "very glad" she waited to get pregnant. In her experience, she took a while to be in a place where she could handle being a parent.

As Toyota "didn't always desire motherhood," she was surprised at how quickly her maternal instinct kicked in once her baby arrived.

The Mississauga, Ont.-native added although her postpartum experience was aided by not having postpartum depression, she found there to be an information overload on how to care for her newborn child.

"I instinctively knew how to care for this little being and that really surprised me because I thought I was going to have difficulty," Toyota said. "But it's overwhelming to dive into the information that's out there and try to rely on your instinct at the same time. Social media mom accounts are great but they can also cloud your judgement."

While Toyota's motherhood journey has been positive, it didn't come without additional roadblocks. After her baby was born via caesarean section, there was a delay in her ability to breastfeed.

We need to get rid of this stigma that breastfeeding is always better, because really you just need to do what's right for your child.

Story continues

"There was a lag in my milk production but [the doctors] told me to pump very frequently. I got pretty frustrated with all of that but I was determined to see it through," Toyota said.

Once Toyota and her newborn baby got home from the hospital, she was breastfeeding and supplementing with formula. She did this for four weeks until she was able to breastfeed 100 per cent of the time.

Despite her success, she found the first few weeks of motherhood to be anxiety-inducing due to the pressure to "do it all."

"It was hard. I was out of it from recovering from this major surgery, and pressuring myself to breastfeed," Toyota said. "There was some crying and beating myself up, but it didn't take away from the joy of having a baby."

Although Toyota chose the breastfeeding route, she acknowledged that this path is not suitable for all mothers because "everyone's body is different."

As such, she recommends new mothers give themselves grace when it comes to breastfeeding. In her opinion, it's all about putting the baby first and doing whatever needs to be done to make sure both the baby and the mother are happy and healthy.

"We need to be compassionate towards ourselves and think about the health of the baby. A lot of women can't breastfeed and they use formula and that's totally fine," Toyota said. "We need to get rid of this stigma that breastfeeding is always better, because really you just need to do what's right for your child."

"We need to get rid of this stigma that breastfeeding is always better, because really you just need to do what's right for your child."Lauren Toyota

While Toyota found breastfeeding to be one of her first postpartum difficulties, she said the increase in domestic tasks was also challenging.

As a self-proclaimed "control and neat freak," it was hard for her to keep up with the mess from toys, baby products and breastfeeding items. This is in addition to her usual tasks of laundry, dishes and general house cleaning.

And as new mothers are often sleep deprived and overwhelmed, Toyota explained that even the simplest chores can feel like climbing a mountain.

"When you're tired and navigating it day-to-day, it's hard. You can't get a minute to yourself and you cannot sleep," Toyota said. So if you can get help, get help. And if you can relinquish some of those controlling habits, then you'll definitely be better for it."

When it comes to advice for new or soon-to-be mothers, Toyota suggests going easy on the information found online or in books. To her, instilling plans or expectations before the baby arrives can make it more difficult as you question what sources are legitimate.

Instead, Toyota recommends leaving room for contingency because "things won't go as planned." This will help mothers let go of rigid visions for how they expect motherhood to unfold.

Additionally, Toyota thinks one of the most important things mothers can do is to be kind to themselves and not get flustered if something goes wrong.

"Be prepared, but give yourself grace. Stay open, go with the flow, and just enjoy it," Toyota said.

Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
A bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers on Thursday urged the House Administration Committee to hold a markup on a stock trading ban for members of Congress before the August recess.

Lawmakers have unveiled several proposals to prohibit lawmakers from buying and selling individual stocks, but congressional leaders in both parties havent prioritized them, even though voters overwhelmingly support a ban.

It has been clear from the public response to the aforementioned legislative proposals that the American people would like  and expect  the Congress to act. We must do more to restore public trust, and we believe this would be an important step in doing so, the lawmakers, led by Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) wrote in a letter to the committee.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who recently unveiled a bipartisan proposal to ban congressional stock trading along with Freedom Caucus members Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) and Ken Buck (R-Colo.), was among those signing the letter.

The continued push, first reported by Punchbowl News on Thursday, comes after several members of Congress traded bank stocks around the time of the banking crisis.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) bought up to $15,000 in New York Community Bancorp stock shortly after meeting with federal regulators on the Signature Bank failure. The stock shot up the next trading day after regulators announced the New York bank would acquire Signature Bank assets at a discount.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) sold up to $15,000 in Silicon Valley Bank shares one day before federal regulators shut the bank down.

Lawmakers have introduced a number of proposals that would require lawmakers to divest from their investments or put their stocks in a blind trust.

The issue first captured the nations attention when former Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) sold up to $1.7 million in stocks just before COVID-19 hit the U.S. and the market crashed. Support for a ban picked up after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), whose husband is a frequent trader, said she wouldnt support one.

Pelosi later reversed course, but the bills never moved. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) accused House Democratic leaders of slow-walking a stock trading ban, and it hasnt moved any faster under Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(Bloomberg) -- Lawmakers pressed the case for legislation to ease access to banking services for legal cannabis businesses, renewing a campaign that failed to secure passage during the last session of Congress.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Advocates argued before the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday that granting legal protections from federal drug laws to banks that serve cannabis dispensaries and related businesses allowed under state laws would cut down on crime and tax evasion.

Forcing legal businesses to operate in a cash economy is terrible for accountability, but its great for crime, said Senator Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat who sponsored the SAFE Banking Act. It has left these businesses and all that are connected to them open to violent crime, open to money laundering, employee theft, tax fraud and more.

The measure, reintroduced in April by Merkley and Republican co-sponsor Steve Daines of Montana, faces uncertain prospects. The measure didnt pass the Senate in the prior Congress.

In the House, Finance Services chairman Patrick McHenry, whose panel has jurisdiction, told Bloomberg TV in March that Congress should focus on studying federal legalization rather than cannabis banking.

Marijuana is illegal under federal law. But 21 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for adult use, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, and 37 states and the District have legalized medical cannabis.

That creates a gray area on how to handle cannabis transactions in states where it is legal and raises concerns for larger financial institutions.

As a result, cannabis businesses typically use state-chartered banks and credit unions, or they operate in cash, which proponents argued has led to crime the industry faces.

Story continues

The SAFE Banking Act would prohibit penalizing banks for providing financial services to cannabis businesses legal under state law. It would also create a safe harbor from criminal prosecution and liability and asset forfeiture for banks and their officers and employees.

Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a non-profit organization that opposes commercial legalization, raised concerns about the potency of commercially marketed marijuana products and the risk that lowering federal penalties would encourage more advertisement and use.

Todays marijuana is more dangerous than ever and this bill would open the marijuana industry to Wall Street hedge fund managers and Silicon Valley investors who would create even more hazardous products to get them in the hands of even more Americans, Sabet said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has expressed support for the legislation and said it is a priority that criminal justice provisions, such as expunging criminal records for certain low-level marijuana offenses, be added.

Merkley and Daines led negotiations on adding related provisions to the bill during the last session of Congress, but those talks failed.

Merkley and Daines said in a statement last month there would be a chance before a final Senate vote to attach provisions, such as a measure to support state governments in expunging some marijuana-related criminal records and another to end restrictions on gun sales to marijuana users.

If all senators who caucus with Democrats support the measure, it would need the support of at least 9 Republicans to overcome a potential filibuster. Only 7 Republicans have signed onto the bill as co-sponsors, including Daines.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Visitors board a shuttle at Zion National Park on Oct. 14, 2020. | Ravell Call, Deseret News

Utah Sen. Mike Lee urged the National Park Service chief to stay involved with local community leaders to address issues like visitation surges at Zion National Park or accessibility problems in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

As youre well aware, visitation at the parks in my state remains high. This is, of course, good news, but it does contribute to some of the challenges related to crowding at park entrances and at popular trails within those parks  especially at very popular parks like Zion, Lee said during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

Lawmakers examined President Joe Bidens 2024 budget request for national parks, which is $3.8 billion, a $289 million increase from last year, at the Senates Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The Senate invited National Park Service Director Charles Sams to testify about funding challenges the agency faces as well as concerns over the growing number of visitors coupled with a staffing crisis.

Zion has experienced nearly a 90% increase in visitation since 2010. The park welcomed more than 5 million visitors in 2021 alone.

Stakeholders in Washington and Kane counties in the southwest corner of my state proactively developed a number of creative strategies to address the crowding issues at Zion, Lee said.

One way has been to reroute visitors to some of the lesser known areas within the park as well as other trails and attractions in the greater Zion system, he added.

Related

He said that in 2021, Deputy Director Mike Reynolds, who served as the National Parks Service regional director for the intermountain region at the time, had assured Lee that the NPS is committed to collaborating with local communities, businesses and nonprofit partners to find solutions that address crowding and congestion in a thoughtful way.

Lee asked if Sams agreed with Reynolds statement and what his vision for local collaboration looked like.

Story continues

Sams said he did agree with the former regional director and the federal agency remained committed to working with gateway partners and communities as well as county and state leadership to manage visitation.

He added that apart from utilizing the lesser-used park areas, technology will also be deployed to give visitors real-time information about the crowds and road conditions in the parks.

Lee then shifted his focus to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, home to Lake Powell, which has gone through changes after the great winter Utah had.

In fact, weve set records for snowfall and for the resulting snowpack, he said. While this provides some great temporary relief, water level and continued recreation access in Glen Canyon remain a concern in the context of this ongoing drought weve had.

He asked Sams how the park service will change its operations in comparison to last year when the state was in a drought. To this, Sams said they will continue working with the on-the-ground workforce and thanked the subcommittee for the $26 million in disaster supplemental relief last year.

Were going to bring some of those funds to bear to mediate some of those issues, he added.

Park service comptroller Jessice Bowron revealed where these funds were being used at Glen Canyon, specifically.

There is an open solicitation for the Bullfrog Marina relocation that should close later this month that will move the marina off the bay and onto the main channel of the Colorado (River) which will really guarantee access for years to come, she said during testimony.

Correction: A previous version of this story said Zion National Park had 5 million visitors in 2022. The 5 million total was in 2021.
State lawmakers approved a $17.8 billion budget Wednesday on strong bipartisan votes that will provide tax rebates to families, fund millions of dollars of road projects, increase K-12 education funding and create a new state park.

The lopsided approval, with more than two-thirds of the lawmakers on board, overshadowed Democratic discontent with the plan that fellow Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs negotiated with Republican legislative leaders.

The votes give Hobbs a big win in her first budget foray even as she faced criticism from her own party, whose members felt she didn't fight strongly enough for some Democratic priorities. Of particular concern was lack of action on the state's rapidly growing private school voucher program, which Hobbs in January vowed to roll back.

In a concession to those concerns, House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Glendale, along with the minority leader, Rep. Andres Cano, D-Tucson, announced the creation of a committee to examine the best way to provide oversight of the Empowerment Scholarship Account program. The Senate was invited to join but declined.

Hobbs praised the votes after the House concluded work mid-afternoon Wednesday.

What's in Arizona's state budget? Money for families, education, housing, water and more

Im glad the House passed the bipartisan budget and I look forward to signing it into law," she said in a statement. "Not everybody got what they wanted, but Im thankful legislative leaders were able to set aside their differences, compromise, and support a bipartisan deal that makes historic investments in affordable housing, builds roads, bridges, and public transit, expands access to health insurance for Arizonas children and creates critical new ESA accountability measures."

GOP leaders also celebrated the budget, which won the votes of the unified Republican caucuses.

25 ayes, 5 nays  bipartisan, Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, said as the vote on the main budget bill in that chamber concluded around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday before going to the House. Whoo! That sounds like a success to me.

Story continues

Lawmakers got millions to spend, securing votes

The budget framework is what apparently led to its success, but not without fueling discontent.

To garner support, leaders offered lawmakers a slice of the state's estimated $2.5 billion budget surplus, amounting to $20 million to $30 million per Republican member, with a lesser amount for Democrats.

Those dollars are why the budget bulged with 50 transportation projects, as well as 26 local projects. They represent the wishes of individual lawmakers, who say it allowed them to address needs in their districts.

"This is the first time Ive been able to list the critically needed things that my poor district needs," state Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff said.

But it also sparked complaints of political pork, as many of the transportation projects supersede the long-term planning the Arizona Department of Transportation does.

Thrown out: Arizona Sen. Wendy Rogers' restraining order against reporter dismissed by Flagstaff judge

Rep. Athena Salman, D-Tempe, lamented that while the budget deal found $15.5 million to pay for improvements to the rodeo grounds in Prescott, there wasn't room for another $5 million that would have further expanded the reach of the state's children's health care program, called KidsCare.

Rep. Amish Shah, D-Phoenix, voted against the budget package, faulting its framework.

I'm very disappointed by the process," he said. By catering to smaller-dollar concerns, the budget did nothing to address the big pressing issues, such as teacher retention and reining in the voucher program, he said.

That echoed a common complaint from Democrats, many of whom swallowed their objections and voted yes for the budget.

Mitzi Epstein, the Democratic leader in the House, said Democrats were told Tuesday that if they didnt vote for the budget, the $426 million in funding that Senate Democrats were able to direct to favored causes would be rescinded and redirected to GOP priorities.

Asked if she felt forced to vote for the spending plan, she replied, Pretty much.

However, the budget has a lot of great things in it, said Epstein, D-Tempe. It includes money for homeless services, a $150 million infusion into the Housing Trust Fund and a nearly 7% boost in K-12 funding for the coming year.

A late amendment to the budget directed the state's Housing Department to use some of the money from the Housing Trust Fund to establish a campus that would provide temporary housing and services to address Arizona's ongoing crisis with the unsheltered population.

What's left for Legislature this year

With the budget passed, the House and Senate leaders have indicated they're probably a few weeks away from final adjournment. The House will take a break until Monday. The Senate returns Thursday.

Yet to be addressed is whether to grant Maricopa County permission to hold a transportation election and a revived effort to repeal rental taxes, a key GOP priority.

Lawmakers also say they will reverse a bill that on Tuesday put the state's Medicaid agency, AHCCCS, on a track to expire as of July 1.

The Senate Appropriations Committee killed Senate Bill 1736, which would have continued the agency until 2029. Also included in the bill were provisions to extend the Board of Dental Examiners and the Board of Massage Therapy for two years, with six-year extensions for the Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board and the Optometry Board. Those extensions also failed on the tie vote. Bills don't pass if there is a tie.

Read our blog: New state budget approved, will go to Gov. Hobbs for signature

Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on Twitter @maryjpitzl.

Arizona Republic reporters Ray Stern and Stacey Barchenger contributed to this article.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Legislature passes $17.8 billion budget on big bipartisan vote
A Lexington man charged in a shooting that left his 27-year-old best friend dead has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

Codie Calderon, 30, of Lexington, was sentenced by Judge Lucy VanMeter to 13 years in prison Thursday for second-degree manslaughter, wanton endangerment, fleeing police and being a persistent felony offender.

Calderon originally faced charges of murder, wanton endangerment, fleeing police, leaving the scene of an accident/failure to render aid or assistance, driving without an operators license, having expired registration plates, failing to produce an insurance card and being a persistent felony offender.

He pleaded guilty April 3 as part of a plea deal which dismissed four of the charges and amended two others.

The shooting left Cameron Martin, 27, dead after a late-night argument on Ohio Street in August 2021.

There were multiple shell casings found next to Martins body. He was found was lying in the road with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, according to court documents.

Eyewitness accounts and numerous tips to Lexington police helped identify Calderon as the shooter. Court records show officers found Calderon in a 2003 gold GMC Yukon SUV in September 2021. When officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Calderon fled.

Calderon is accused of driving through more than a dozen red lights/stop signs, weaving through traffic and darting through a parking lot where pedestrians were, according to court documents.

The vehicle chase ended when Calderon wrecked with another vehicle on Fifth Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard, police said. Calderon then fled on foot but was apprehended shortly afterward in the 200 block of Fifth Street.

Police say Calderon didnt have a drivers license or insurance and the vehicle registration was canceled, court records show.

At the sentencing Thursday afternoon, the victims mother, Angela Martin, asked that Calderon serve 13 years  the same amount of time he knew her son.

Story continues

She said Calderon, who had a big megawatt smile, was like a son to her and was even in her wedding.

Its hard to believe this is where we ended up, even with everything that went on, Martin said. ... I dont hate you because it is hard to hate someone you have loved as your own.

Martin thanked Calderon for not putting the family through a trial.

We just want an opportunity to breathe and to heal from all of this, she said.

Jacob Martin, the victims young brother, said he felt hatred for Calderon.

You killed my brother over something stupid, he said. I dont know what it was, but there was no reason to shoot him.

Calderon also spoke at the sentencing, saying he was not the aggressor the night of the shooting.

I am sorry for the situation and how it happened, because he was my best friend, Calderon said. But he jumped on me that night. ... Every action comes with a reaction, and his action was my reaction.

Reporter Chris Leach contributed to this story.
How would you feel if you discovered that the property taxes on your new home were 78.6% higher than an almost identical home next door? Outrageous, yes, but this is entirely possible under the current Lexington-Fayette Property Valuation Administrator (PVA).

Two homes in my neighborhood were assessed identically last year for $176,300. One home sold for and is now assessed at its sale price of $315,000. Using last years tax rates, the new home owner will pay a projected $1,681.00 more than his next-door neighbor.

Current practice by the PVA reassesses all recent home sales at their purchase price. The problem with this process is that in so doing a part of the tax burden is unequally being shifted onto new home owners. In the property assessment community this is called welcome stranger assessing. Kentucky state law provides that all real property be assessed at 100% of its fair cash value. The focus is on the word all, not on some or just on a select few, but all. Under the existing system new homeowners are being treated unfairly.

The communitys current assessment roll is anything but equitable. Assessment equity is defined as the degree to which assessments bear a consistent relationship to market valueIn popular usage, a synonym for tax fairness. The expectation of the public should be that everyone pays their fair share of local property taxes and not $0.01 more.

The PVA has established a complaint system but the process for filing a complaint is rather opaque. Some assessing offices around the country provide complaint forms, property data, sale data, and the statistical information that was used when reassessing the community. In Lexington none of this information is readily available from the PVA. The homeowner is forced to go it alone.

The PVA also limits what a home owner can discuss when trying to make a complaint. There is a certain amount of circular logic employed by the PVA. They tell you that that is what you paid and therefore that is what the assessment is. If you ask about your neighbor living in an almost identical home that is assessed for considerably less, the PVA replies that we are not going to talk about your neighbor, we are only going to talk about what you paid for your home. This is an exercise in frustration for the home owner and a convenient way for the PVA to avoid talking about assessment equity issues.

Story continues

Another problem with the current roll is that when a neighborhood is reassessed the PVA office is not reassessing every home in the subject neighborhood, it is primarily value trending the neighborhoods. Under this practice if home values have been increasing at X% per year in the selected area, then the old assessment is raised by the trend value of X%. The problem with this practice is that relatively recently sold homes will have their assessment raised but the differential between newer sales and underassessed neighbors is never rectified.

There was general upset when it was discovered that former Mayor Jim Grays home had not been reassessed in 17 years, but such a situation is not unique. A survey of my own neighborhood has discovered a home that had not been reassessed in 18 years. Dozens of other homes had not been reassessed in a decade. The problem for the general taxpaying public is that these lucky homeowners had their tax liability decline while everyone elses went up.

The Kentucky State Constitution provides that all real property shall be valued at 100 % of its fair cash value (FCV). However, even a cursory review of the local assessment records reveals that the local PVA is not maintaining the roll at 100% FCV and therefore is not in compliance with its constitutional mandate. But as currently managed the PVA will never, ever address assessment inequality in the community.

W. R. Torp is a Kentucky State Certified Appraiser and a retired member of the New York State Institute of Assessing Officers.
California may be a Democratic stronghold, but it has also become a hotbed of right-wing, white supremacist and antisemitic activity, according to a new report from the Anti-Defamation League.

The ADL report, which looks at incidents in 2021 and 2022, found significant increases in white supremacist and antisemitic incidents, including collaboration between the two groups. Among the extremist organizations continuing to operate openly in the Golden State are the Proud Boys and the Rise Above Movement, a white supremacist group based in Southern California.

The state is home to the countrys highest number of extremist-related murders and plots and has seen numerous incidents of political violence, the report noted.

That includes six extremist-related murders and a terrorist plot by two men affiliated with the Three Percenters, a militia group.

According to the report, antisemitic incidents rose from 367 to 518 in 2021 and 2022. These included assaults, threats and vandalism of synagogues and other Jewish institutions. The rise follows a national trend, with incidents up 36% to 3,697 in 2022, the ADL said.

Instances of white supremacist propaganda in California grew from 155 to 296, and white supremacist incidents increased from five to 15.

The ADL found that California had its highest number of antisemitic incidents since reporting began in 1979. It trails only New York for most in the country.

The report cites numerous incidents of extremist activity in the Sacramento area.

At a March rally against gender-affirming medical care, the NorCal Active Club, a white supremacist fitness and mixed martial arts organization, clashed with counter-protesters in Sacramento.

The White Lives Matter Network protested a June 2022 family-friendly LGBTQ pride event at the Sacramento Childrens Museum in Rancho Cordova, displaying a banner reading Groomers are not welcome in California.

The rise of QAnon has also been a notable driver of violence in California over the last two years, according to the report.

Story continues

QAnon is a far right political movement that believes that the government is controlled by Satan-worshiping pedophiles.

The report cites multiple QAnon-related events, including the attack on Paul Pelosi, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosis husband, by suspected assailant David DePape, a QAnon adherent.

As for the Proud Boys, the report cites multiple incidents, including a demonstration and brawl at a UC Davis event in October 2022. In addition, Proud Boy Jeffrey Perrine who was expelled from the Sacramento GOP, made several attempted runs for public office.

The Proud Boys have focused their attention against the LGBTQ community, including protesting at drag queen story hours.

Transphobia has been a part of the groups ideology since its founding and California chapters have regularly conducted anti-LGBTQ+ activity, the report notes.

In March 2023 incident Perrine disrupted a Roseville Joint Union School District board meeting to spout anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and encourage people to join him in visiting the home of a local pastor and founder of an LGBTQ youth organization who was the target of a Project Veritas video.

The report makes several recommendations for California policymakers.

It asks Gov. Gavin Newsom to convene a United We Stand summit to address hate-fueled violence and calls on state officials to undertake efforts to counter domestic terrorism. It also urges implementation of a new state law requiring greater transparency on social media content moderation policies..

Finally, the report endorses Assembly Constitutional Amendment 4, which would restore voting rights to people incarcerated for felony offenses, and Senate Bill 85, which would extend the number of days refugees and asylym-seekers are eligible for case management services.

Protecting the rights of all people in California, including those who are vulnerable or historically marginalized, such as refugees and the disenfranchised, is crucial for countering discrimination and bias, the report reads.
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence has suspended the purchase of thermal imaging binoculars for Ukraine after an investigation was launched against the winning companies.

Source: BNS, citing Arvydas Anusauskas, Minister of National Defence of Lithuania, as European Pravda reports

Details: Anusauskas announced that Lithuanias police had launched a pre-trial investigation against the firms that won the tender for the purchase of Ados-Tech and Ados Pro thermal imagers in late March.

"Due to the recently uncovered circumstances, we are putting the process on pause. No contracts have been signed," he said.

TV3, a Lithuanian TV channel, earlier reported that two firms that had sold monoculars to border guards might have used cheaper civilian components instead of military ones, which violates the specifications indicated in the official documents.

According to the TV3 investigation, Ados-Tech and Ados Pro might be working with a Belarusian manufacturer, Elektrooptika. A shareholder in both companies and the head of Ados-Tech admitted that such cooperation previously took place but stopped after the 2020 protests.

Anusauskas said that following these claims, Lithuanian security services checked the thermal imagers and did not find Belarusian-made parts.

Thermal imagers have been regularly included in military aid packages Lithuanian has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Lithuania proposes to punish supporters of the Russian war

Read also: Ukraine and Lithuania agree to develop railway link bypassing Belarus and Russia

The proposed legislation suggests adding the word Russian to the Criminal Code, which makes public approval, denial, or gross belittlement of international crimes committed by the USSR or Nazi Germany punishable by a fine, a term of restricted liberty, arrest, or imprisonment for up to two years.

The purpose of the legislation is to provide criminal liability and other criminal procedural measures related to its application for individuals who publicly support, deny, or grossly belittle the aggression committed by Russia against Ukraine, including the occupation of its territory (including Crimea).

Read also: Latvia urges speedy negotiations on Ukraines EU accession

On May 2, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed a resolution recognizing Russias political regime as racist and condemning the ideological principles and social practices of the Russian regime.

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
Chasing roadside oddities on summer road trips is one of the great American pastimes.

Fortunately for local curiosity-seekers, you can live your best summer without undertaking a cross country road trip.

The Mid-Columbia is packed with oddities, curiosities and just plain cool destinations to make your summer memorable.

Weve rounded up some destinations and local offerings worth checking out.

Sorry, no giant balls of yarn.

Uptown Alley Gallery

1317 George Washington Way, Richland

The Uptown Shopping Center features art by local artists in its alleyways, part of an effort to create and arts district and encourage visitors to the iconic Richland retail hub. This mural is behind Thunderhand Tattoo.

Uptown Shopping Center is known for its atomic decor, but the alleys where businesses accept deliveries, park their garbage receptacles and park their cars tell a different story.

Thats where local artists are transforming the backs of stores and businesses into an interactive art exhibit.

Photograph yourself with wings at Uptown Shopping Center, which features art by local artists in its alleyways, part of an effort to create and arts district and encourage visitors to the iconic Richland retail hub. The angel wings are by Cameron Milton, a Tri-City artist.

Supporters hope will bring a taste of Boises popular Freak Alley Gallery to the Tri-Cities. Take selfies with angel wings, dragons, scary elephants, snakes or a flurry of hearts.

Hanford Reach Solar System

Richland, Benton City, Prosser

Trevor Macduff, a Richland school teacher, is turning the Mid-Columbia into an 80-mile scale replica of the solar system, with planets orbiting around the sun at the REACH Museum in south Richland. Above, the planet Jupiters orbit is noted at the north end of Richlands Howard Amon Park, near a gazebo.

Richland teacher Trevor Macduff is turning the Mid-Columbia into an 80-mile scale replica of the solar system.

The sun, in the form of 40-foot arches, is at the REACH Museum. At scale, Pluto would be about 40 miles away, with an orbit that passes through the White Bluffs boat launch.

Macduffs efforts have yielded orbital markets for Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. More planets are coming. Richland has funded four, which will be installed this summer.

The existing orbital markers are noted in Google Maps so route-planning is a snap.

The Hanford Reach Solar System revolves around a 40-foot sculpture representing the sun at the REACH Museum in South Richland. Find the other planets in our system while living your best Tri-Cities summer.

Find the sun at the REACH Museum, 1943 Columbia Park Trail, Richland.

Earth is 0.6 miles west of the Wye Park boat launch. Jupiter is at the north end of Howard Amon Park, near a gazebo. Saturn is at the Triton Sail Park, 3250 Port of Benton Blvd., Richland

Uranus is off a walking trail west of 14th Street in Benton City, and Neptune is being installed at the Prosser Wine & Food Village.

Hanford LIGO Exploration Center

127124 N. Rt. 10, Richland

The LIGO Hanford Exploration Center celebrates the gravity wave research that netted the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics.

The Hanford LIGO Exploration Center, aka LExC, explores the science behind the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics-winning research that detected gravity waves resulting from the collision of two black holes.

Story continues

The building, designed by local architect Terence Thornhill, echoes the collision of the two black holes and the waves radiating from the event.

Inside, hands-on experiments and exhibits illuminate the physics behind wave research. LIGO is supported by the National Science Foundation and operated by Caltech and MIT.

Published hours: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, Closed Saturday-Monday. Confirm at bit.ly/HanfordLExC

Triton Sail Park

3250 Port of Benton Way, Richland

The USS Triton submarine circumnavigated the globe underwater in the early 1960s. Its sail is on permanent display in north Richland.

The USS Triton submarine circumnavigated Earth in the early 1960s, replicating the 16th century voyage of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, but underwater.

The nuclear-powered submarine was decommissioned in 1969 and its reactors were retired to the central Hanford Plateau.

The sail was preserved and is on permanent display in north Richland. It is open to the public, with tours available.

Go to bit.ly/USSTritonSailPark

Gravity Hill

101204 N. Crosby Road, Prosser

Legend has it vehicles roll uphill on a lonely stretch of Crosby Road outside of Prosser.

Physics doesnt work that way of course. But motorists can have a paranormal good time by parking at the base of the small incline and putting their vehicles in neutral.

Atlas Obscura debunks the myth of the uphill roll, calling it an optical illusion thats repeated at gravity hill-esque spots around the world. Read more here: bit.ly/ProsserGravityHill.

The spooky spot is north of Prosser. Park at the line painted across the road 10 or so miles from town.

Twin Sisters Rock

2471 U.S. 730, Touchet, Wallula Gap

Twin Sisters Rock at Wallula Gap consists of twin basalt pillars left by the Missoula floods that swept periodically through the Columbia Basin. More prosaically, Native American legend holds they were two of three wives of the trickster god Coyote, who turned two into rock and one into a cave when he became bored.

Science tells us the Missoula floods that rampaged through the region between 13,000 and 15,000 years ago carved pillars of basalt at Wallula Gap, the narrow spot in the Columbia River where the water backed up.

Mythology tells a more compelling story. According to Native American myth, the twin sisters were two of the three wives of the trickster Coyote, who got bored and turned them into pillars of rock. The third was made into a cave.

Drive east from Pasco to Wallula Junction and turn south. A small parking lot on left serves as the trail head for a one-mile hike that provides stunning views. There are no restrooms.

Hysterical Monument

Haney and East Game Farm Road, Finley

Jack Gross of Finley enjoys watching people stop at his hysterical site sign near his home on the corner of Haney and East Game Farm roads.

Finley resident Jack Gross put up a realistic historical marker sign steering guests to a monument just off the road.

We wont give away the punch line, but Gross and his neighbors get a kick out of watching visitors stop by and react to their homespun roadside curiosity.

Pascos Vietnam Wall connection

Sacajawea State Park, 2503 Sacajawea Park Road, Pasco

Discovery Pass required or $10 day use fee

The state park at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers is a dramatic and historical spot.

An interpretive center tells the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition and the critical role played by the Shoshone woman who guided it and lent her name to the park.

The park is connected to the Vietnam Wall memorial in Washington, D.C., through artist Maya Lin. Lin, who designed the sober memorial, also created a series of story circles at the point where the two rivers join in east Pasco.

Warren Lukes animal sculptures

Kennewick, Richland

Tri-Cities developer Warren Luke installed several animal statues around the Tri-Cities before his death in 2020. This sea otter sculpture is part of Marineland Village, which he once owned.

The late Tri-Cities developer Warren Luke left a legacy of development across the community when he died in 2020. An animal lover and art enthusiast, he also left whimsical statues in Kennewick and Richland.

A Kennewick High School graduate, he donated the bronze lion that guards the Dayton Street entrance, 560 W. Sixth Ave.

He placed three playful sea otters at Marineland Plaza in 2003, when he owned the property. Theyre on the North Edison side of the shopping center along West Clearwater Avenue.

A 12-foot bronze grizzly bear stands outside the Uptown Theater, 1300 Jadwin Ave., Richland, which he also owned.

Historic cemeteries

Leroy Gray Horse, an NFL player, was buried in obscurity at City View Cemetery in 1956. The regions cemeteries can offer startling glimpses at those who came before us.

Modern and historic cemeteries dot the region. Choose one, grab loose change to leave on head stones and head out. A few of our favorites:

Pasco City View Cemetery, 1300 N. Oregon Ave., contains 10,000 burials dating to the Civil War. Among them: Leroy Gray Horse, a member of the Chippewa who died at 56 in Pasco in 1956. He was notable for playing for the legendary Jim Thorpe on the Oorang Indians, one of the NFLs original teams.

Horse Heaven Hills Cemetery, aka the baby cemetery, Cemetery Road, west of South Travis Road, south of Benton City. The windswept but well-maintained cemetery served area farm families and is best known for the infants buried there.

Richland Resthaven Cemetery, Williams Boulevard at Goethals Drive, contains some of the oldest burials (other than Native American sites) in the community. Its small but packs a punch.

Sign Up: Boom Town Tri-Cities

Stay up to date on Tri-Cities growth and development with our weekly business newsletter. Get the latest on restaurant and business openings and closings, plus the regions top housing and employment news. Click here to sign up. In your inbox every Wednesday.
Liz Truss spoke out in support of Taiwan in a recent speech

A senior Conservative MP has accused former Prime Minister Liz Truss of "Instagram diplomacy" over her planned visit to Taiwan.

Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs committee, told the Guardian the trip was "performative, not substantive".

But Ms Truss accused her Tory colleague of "misusing" her position "to engage in petty political attacks".

She has said her visit next week aims to show "solidarity" with Taiwan.

However, Ms Kearns suggested the trip could have a negative impact, citing increased Chinese military activity in the area following a visit by Nancy Pelosi, when she was US speaker.

"It is deeply unhelpful because it escalates the normal situation in Taiwan," she said.

"Taiwanese people already have to live with more Chinese military manoeuvres because of Nancy Pelosi's visit. Liz Truss doesn't have any influence any more - this is more about keeping herself relevant."

A spokesman for Ms Truss hit back, saying: "The former prime minister has been invited to visit by the Taiwan Government. They are better placed to know what is in the interests of the Taiwanese people than the MP for Rutland.

"The future of Taiwan as a free democracy is at stake. Alicia Kearns should apologise for misusing her position as a select committee chair to engage in petty political attacks."

Ms Truss has previously said she wants to use the visit, where she is expected to meet Taiwanese government officials, to show "solidarity with the Taiwanese people in person in the face of increasingly aggressive behaviour and rhetoric from the regime in Beijing".

Ms Truss resigned in October after just 45 days in office, following the economic turmoil of her mini-budget.

Since returning to the backbenches, she has sought to take a hard line on China, speaking out in support of Taiwan.

Story continues

In a speech in Tokyo earlier this year she urged countries to send a message to Beijing that "military aggression towards Taiwan would be a mistake".

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing's control.

But Taiwan sees itself as distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.

Last year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the so-called "golden era" of relations with China was over and that the closer economic ties of the previous decade had been "naive".

But in a recent speech Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said "isolating" China would not be in the UK's national interest.
The Bradenton area wont get a handle on its affordable housing crisis without fresh thinking and innovation, a Manatee Chamber of Commerce panel agreed this week.

Like having the corporate world chip in to provide housing for their workers, local government providing property tax exemptions for workforce housing and a community finding shelter for the homeless.

Among the most intriguing ideas discussed was the development of a workforce housing community by a partnership of local businesses.

By the end of July, Mark Vengroff of One Stop Housing said that he hopes there will be an operating agreement between more than a dozen local companies to develop an affordable workforce village of about 400 units.

Residents would pay no more than 30% of their earnings for rent.

The employers would have an equity stake and the employees would pay rent, Vengroff said.

Bradenton-area workforce housing village in the works

Also envisioned at the village would be a day care center, a training facility, an internet cafe, a dog park and other amenities, Vengroff said.

The partnership has identified, but not yet closed on, the property where the workforce housing village would be developed.

Groundbreaking is projected for the second quarter of 2024 with construction of the first phase taking about 18 months, he said.

Were getting really close to getting this off the ground, Vengroff said, adding that this is just a start.

A Manatee Chamber of Commerce panel on 5/10/2023 discussed the Bradenton areas affordable housing crisis during a luncheon meeting at Palm-Aire Country Club. Shown above, from left, are County Commissioner George Kruse, Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown, moderator Ben Bakker, Mark Vengroff of One Stop Housing and Bernie Quinn of Manatee County Habitat for Humanity.

Sharon Hillstrom, president and CEO of the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation, disclosed last October that talks were underway by local companies on a partnership to develop a workforce housing community.

We have some work to do, but hopefully we are moving in the right direction, said Hillstrom, who was in the audience for Wednesdays panel discussion at Palm Aire Country Club.

One Stop Housing is a for-profit company that provides clean, safe and affordable housing to the general public.

Their properties in the Bradenton area include Robins Apartments, University Row Apartments, University Oaks, El Patio Bradenton and more.

Story continues

The corporate workforce housing village is an opportunity for business to put their money where their mouth is, Vengroff said.

Property tax exemptions

Panel member George Kruse, a Manatee County commissioner, said local government is aiding the affordable housing cause through encouraging smaller units, higher density, reduced setbacks and cutting through overly restrictive requirements.

Coming out of the Florida legislative session this year was Senate Bill 102, which includes a provision to exempt property used to provide affordable housing from paying property tax.

That tax exemption could make a difference in increasing the supply of affordable housing.

We have a lot of employers having a hard time bringing employees here because they cant afford to live here, Kruse said.

My argument is that affordable housing is economic development, Kruse said.

Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown said that affordable housing is critical to members of the workforce being able to live, work and play in Bradenton.

Since 2015, the city has added or is adding 743 units of affordable housing with more work to be done, Brown said.

A critical need

Bernie Quinn, Manatee Habitats president and CEO, said there is an overwhelming need for more affordable housing in the Bradenton area, which has one of the most competitive rental markets in the United States, as well as skyrocketing home prices.

We provide affordable home ownership. Our clients buy a house from us with a zero interest loan that costs $850 a month, including taxes and insurance, he said.

Home ownership helps break the cycle of poverty and grow a familys wealth, Quinn said.

Applicants must make between 50% and 80% of the area median income and be unable to qualify for a traditional mortgage.

Homeowners contribute a minimum of 300 hours of sweat equity into building their home.

Manatee County Habitat for Humanity is increasing its capacity, Quinn said.

Since 1994, Habitat has sold 145 homes in Manatee County and 96% of families have paid off their mortgage or are paying off their mortgage.

Each home is approximately 1,335-square-feet with three bedrooms and two baths and costs about $175,000.

Streamline the process

Kruse called for removing barriers to building affordable housing.

What is stopping these developments? What can we remove to make it easier? Kruse said.

There is urgency in finding housing for all, including seniors, veterans and members of the workforce, he said.

We are trying to make every option available to everyone all at once. We are so far behind, Kruse said.

Mayor Gene Brown said that he is seeing more homeless people on the streets of Bradenton.

Its not about kicking the homeless out of Bradenton. Its about how to get the homeless into attainable housing, he said. Its about collaboration and working with county partners.

Brown would like to see more housing with wraparound services to get people off the street, but acknowledged that anyone working on homeless issues will also face the NIMBY factor  not in my backyard.

We have to keep working on what we can do in the short term for the long term, Brown said.

Betsy Benac, a former Manatee County commissioner who now volunteers at Turning Points, applauded Browns concern about the homeless.

Its going to be so difficult for people to survive this summer, Benac said.
Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob Wood told a packed courtroom there is one common thread in the killing of four people throughout Idaho and Arizona. And that was Lori Vallow Daybell.

Prosecutors have spent more than four weeks calling dozens of witnesses, including detectives, former friends and family members to try to convict the 49-year-old Rexburg mother of the first-degree murders of two of her children.

Three years ago, authorities found the remains of 7-year-old Joshua Jaxon JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan buried in shallow graves on the property of Chad Daybell, Vallow Daybells husband. Prosecutors in the indictment alleged the Daybells espoused religious beliefs for the purpose of justifying or encouraging the homicides.

We talked a lot about religion, but this is not a case about religion, Wood said during closing arguments Thursday morning. Its about money, power and sex.

Meanwhile, Vallow Daybells defense attorney Jim Archibald said Vallow Daybell was manipulated by Chad Daybell during a difficult part of her life. Prosecutors also alleged the Daybells conspired to murder her children along with Chad Daybells then-wife, Tammy Daybell.

No one here thinks Lori actually killed anyone, Archibald said. Thats why shes charged with conspiracy.

To be convicted of the first-degree murder charges of JJ and Tylee, a 12-person jury will need to conclude that Vallow Daybell killed, encouraged or commanded someone else to kill her children. Wood said aiding and abetting in the killings is just the same as pulling the trigger.

The Daybells  who had a months-long affair  were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held fringe beliefs that people could be possessed by dark spirits or zombies.

Lori Vallow Daybells case spans 3 states, 4 deaths. Here are the key people involved

Two of Vallow Daybells former friends  Melaine Gibb and Zulema Pastenes  said during their testimonies that theyd participated in castings with Vallow Daybell to cast out dark spirits from an individuals body. Gibb said that if they performed the casting properly, the individual would die, and Pastenes said a dark spirit could be kept out by binding or burning the body.

Story continues

In Arizona, Vallow Daybell faces a felony charge for allegedly conspiring to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, with her brother. During the defenses closing argument, Archibald reminded the jury that they arent deciding whether Vallow Daybell committed a crime in Arizona or whether she had an affair.

There are a lot of people involved in the criminal cases against Chad and Lori Vallow Daybell. Heres some of the key people and who they are.

Prosecution says Vallow Daybell was in charge

In the summer of 2019, Vallow Daybell moved her children to Idaho from Arizona. Wood said they couldnt kill the children in a place with family and friends, and that the timeline of their actions tells the truth.

They had to go somewhere where nobody knew them, Wood said.

For over an hour, Wood outlined key pieces of evidence presented during the trial. Wood pointed to a text message Chad Daybell sent Tammy Daybell, in which Chad described shooting and burying a raccoon in their propertys pet cemetery. Chad sent the text on Sept. 9, 2019  the day after police say Tylee was last seen. Tylees remains were later found in that same backyard, scattered in both the fire pit and the pet cemetery.

This text is where Chad Daybell told us where to locate Tylee Ryan, Wood said.

He also pointed to a recorded phone call that was played in court between Chad and Lori Vallow Daybell, who was in the Madison County Jail on the day police searched Chad Daybells property for the childrens bodies.

Wood said the couple used religion as a tool to manipulate others, including Alex Cox, her brother, who believed everything the Daybells told him and was recruited and groomed by them. Wood said JJs murder was planned, and that Vallow Daybell handed her boy off to Cox, who investigators said also conspired to murder the children.

Whos in charge? Lori, Wood said.

Vallow Daybell is also charged with grand theft for allegedly collecting the childrens Social Security and child care benefits after the children were dead. Wood said Vallow Daybell profited from the children and benefited from Tammy Daybells life insurance policy by marrying Chad Daybell.

She never reported the children missing, Wood said. She lied, and she lied, and she lied, and she kept collecting their money.

Defense: Chad changed Lori Vallow Daybells life

Archibald also pointed to the jail phone call between the Daybells, but he said its apparent to him that Vallow Daybell didnt know her children were buried in Chad Daybells backyard.

Does she know that Chad and Alex stuffed her kids in Chads backyard? Archibald asked the jury, saying that it was for them to decide and encouraged them to re-listen to the recording during their deliberations.

During prosecutors rebuttal, when they can make any last comments after the defense, they told the jurors not to let Vallow Daybell pin this all on one other person.

The defense says shes not a killer, Wood said. She is a killer.

When the Daybells met in October 2018, Archibald said, Vallow Daybells story changed dramatically, and it was quite a remarkable change. Archibald said that before meeting Chad, Vallow Daybell worked as a beautician and was a mother of five.

He noted Vallow Daybells family members even testified that Vallow Daybell was a good mother when they described her.

Archibald said it didnt make sense for Vallow Daybell to conspire to kill Charles Vallow for money because he made somewhere between $400,000 and $500,000 a year.Chad Daybell only made $20,000-$30,000 a year, Archibald said, because he couldnt sell enough of his stupid books about the end of times.

He said Chad Daybell is the one who recruited people to their fringe religious group, The Church of the Firstborn, and that Vallow Daybell didnt recruit anyone. Witnesses who knew the Daybells said they believed they were leaders of the 144,000, a group of people who would be saved during the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Archibald questioned whether Tammys death was a homicide and pointed to testimony from Utah Chief Medical Examiner Erik Christensen, who performed the autopsy on Tammy Daybell.

Tammy Daybells death was ruled a homicide by asphyxiation, Christensen said. But when questioned by Vallow Daybells other defense attorney, John Thomas, during the trial, he said he couldnt 100% rule out a seizure, though it was very unlikely Tammy Daybell died from one.

Archibald also questioned why Vallow Daybell would list her kids on the rental application, or enroll JJ in school, or hire him a babysitter if she was planning on murdering her children.

The only thing that makes sense to me is that she didnt have a plan, Archibald said. She wanted to be with Chad.

He added that while Vallow Daybell lied to police when they asked her about her kids whereabouts, that doesnt mean she knew theyd been killed.

Archibald said Vallow Daybell wasnt a leader, and that she was following Chad Daybell, who she thought was following Jesus Christ. In reality, Archibald said, Chad Daybell was following the storm, which was what the Daybells called Chad Daybells penis in their text messages.

Archibald toward the end of his argument said Jesus Christ is loving, caring and good.

Thats the Jesus that Lori believed in before she met Chad Daybell, Archibald said.

Fingerprints, hair sample found with JJs remains

Two key pieces of physical evidence were presented by forensic scientists during the trial: fingerprints and a hair sample.

Idaho State Police forensic biologist Katherine Dace during the third week of testimony said she located and sent a hair sample to a private lab that worked with the Rexburg Police Department. The hair sample was stuck to a piece of duct tape, which was on the outside of a garbage bag that held JJs body. JJs body was found wrapped in a black garbage bag and bound in duct tape, while Tylees remains were burned and found in pieces.

JJs voice was silenced forever by a strip of duct placed over his mouth, Wood said during closing arguments.

DNA analyst Keeley Coleman, who works for the private lab, Bode Technology, said in her testimony that the hair sample belonged to Vallow Daybell. Dace during her testimony said its possible the hair was floating around inside the body bag and got stuck onto the piece of tape.

Archibald said Vallow Daybells hair being found with JJs body wasnt proof that she killed him.

Is that a smoking gun? No, not at all, Archibald said, adding he would hope mothers have close contact with their children.

Idaho State Police Forensic Scientist Tara Martinez also testified and said she found fingerprints on a portion of the black plastic garbage bag that was found around JJs body. The fingerprints matched Cox.

Tylee, JJ and Tammy cant tell us what happened, but their bodies do, Wood said.

Vallow Daybells criminal trial is nearing its end after nearly five weeks of prosecutors presenting witnesses. The defense chose not to present any evidence.

The jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon. Its unclear how long the jury panel will take to reach a verdict, and there is no time limit.

A trial date hasnt been set for Chad Daybell  whos also charged with the first-degree murder of Tammy Daybell  but his trial could occur in June 2024. Cox died of natural causes in 2019.
The final four Im a Celebrity... South Africa contestants have been left shocked by a terrible twist.

ITV is currently airing an All-Stars version, featuring familiar faces from the shows previous 20 seasons returning earlier this month.

The grand final will air on Friday (12 May)  but producers have one last twist up their sleeve.

In scenes set to air in the semi-final on Thursday (11 May), the four remaining campmates  Fatima Whitbread, Jordan Banjo, Myleene Klass and Phil Tufnell  are surprised to see the return of their former campmates, including rivals Andy Whyment and Janice Dickinson.

However, shortly after catching up with these ex-stars, hosts Ant and Dec tell them that they will be deciding which celebrities will be making it to the end, and which star they will be sending home.

We havent just brought you back for a chit chat  youve actually got a very important decision to make, Dec tells Whyment, Dickinson, Georgia Toff Toffolo and Joe Swash in the new episode.

Here, Ant adds: Youre going to turn our final four into the top three. Youre going to be doing that by deciding, as a group, who deserves to be in the final.

You need to pick a top three and the person who isnt in the top three will leave camp today.

Toffolo described the decision as a really awful, awful thing to have to do, with Dickinson calling it terrible.

Fatima Whitbread is one of the semi-finalists on Im a Celebrity... South Africa (ITV)

The celebrity the ex-contestants sent home will be revealed in tonights episode, which airs on ITV at 9pm.
The battery on Ramiro Restrepos phone went dead Saturday in the time it took him to work his way through the crowd from the grandstand to the winners circle at Churchill Downs.

Thats how quickly the deluge of congratulatory calls and text messages started coming after Mage won the Kentucky Derby. Restrepo is one of the colts core owners, and the well-wishers were plenty.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez texted. So did Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago, actor John Ortiz, most of Restrepos former Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity brothers at the University of Miami, where he graduated in 2000, and pretty much anyone else with whom Restrepo ever came in contact. Or so it seemed.

Friends. Relatives. Some close. Some distant. Some familiar. Some not. By his own estimate, Restrepo figured he had received more than 2,000 texts and calls by the time he was finally able to resuscitate his phone.

Nothing prepares you, Restrepo said.

Mages victory resonated in South America and South Florida, in particular. Restrepos family roots trace to Colombia, and he grew up a racing fan in South Florida, attending races at Gulfstream Park and Hialeah, even as a small child.

Winning trainer Gustavo Delgado hails originally from Venezuela, and he and his son Gustavo Delgado Jr.  another of the core owners  now live in Aventura. Yet another primary owner, Sam Herzberg, is a real estate investor from Sunny Isles.

Ramiro Restrepo, Brian Doxtator, Gustavo Delgado Jr and winning connections in the winners circle after Mage with Javier Castellano win the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY on May 6, 2023.

Jockey Javier Castellano won his first U.S. race at Calder Race Course in the summer of 1997, shortly after arriving from Venezuela, and spent the first few years of his career riding primarily in South Florida.

Even Mage, a Kentucky-bred whom Restrepo and Delgado Jr. partnered to buy out of a Maryland auction for $290,000 this time a year ago, has local roots.

As shoppers at nearby Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel stores were purchasing decorative pillows, scented candles, leather furniture and whatnot this past winter, Mage (unbeknownst to them) was being housed and trained only a few hundred yards away at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach.

Story continues

It was at Gulfstream in late January where Mage made his racing debut  and won  and there in April where he finished second to Forte in the Florida Derby.

Now all signs are pointing for Mage to make his next start in the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore on May 20.

Restrepo will be there, of course.

I dont think anything Ive ever done could have prepared me for the root down the stretch, Restrepo said of the colts come-from-behind victory in the Derby. The feeling of crossing the wire first. And then the explosion of things that comes after 

The Derby victory was worth $1.8 million to Mages owners. His value as future stallion is potentially worth many times that. But all that Restrepo wished to savor  at least for now  was Mages Derby.

Restrepo described the immediate aftermath as a bedlam of hugging and kissing.

Core owner Ramiro Restrepo, left, smiles as jockey Javier Castellano celebrates in the winners circle after guiding Mage to victory in the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs last Saturday.

I was getting tackled by buddies like it was a rugby match, mosh-pitting and whooping and hollering, he said of the trek to the winners circle. Then the horse comes over, hes got the roses, Javy (Castellano) is throwing roses in the air. People are screaming. People are crying.

Youre thinking, Where am I? Its like youre floating out of body. Its like youre Mick Jagger. Were being feted like were celebrities. Ive never had that happen to me.

Restrepo remained in Louisville after the Derby, checking on the horse and responding  once his phone regained power  to all the well-wishers.

He intends to return to Miami this weekend for Mothers Day, then head up to Baltimore for the Preakness.

The rush is unexplainable, he said. Everyones over the moon.

Preakness Stakes

What: Second leg of Thoroughbred racings Triple Crown

When: May 20, 6:50 p.m.

Where: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

TV: NBC

Distance: 1 3/16 miles

Purse: $1.5 million (Grade 1)
The Main Street Bridge in downtown Jacksonville has reopened after being closed for about an hour due to being inoperable, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office said.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

[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.
Map of Malaysia

Malaysia boasts one of South East Asia's most vibrant economies, the fruit of decades of industrial growth and political stability.

Consisting of two regions separated by the South China Sea, Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious federation of 13 states and three federal territories.

The country is benefiting from a growth in manufacturing, and is a major tourist destination, but there are fears that development could harm the environment, particularly the rainforests of northern Borneo, which are under pressure from palm oil plantations and illegal logging.

LEADERS

Head of state: Abdullah

King Abdullah of Malaysia

Sultan Abdullah of Pahang was elected paramount leader in January 2019, after the unprecedented abdication of his predecessor Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan.

The post of paramount ruler is rotated every five years among the sultans of the nine Malay states.

Prime minister: Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim became prime minister in November 2022, after a rollercoaster political career that saw him move from student campaigner to deputy prime minister and then jail.He become deputy to long-serving United Malays National Organisation Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed in 1993, until they fell out five years later and Mr Ibrahim was imprisoned on trumped-up charges.Freed in 2004 only to be reimprisoned later, Mr Ibrahim eventually formed an alliance with Mahathir Mohamed in the multi-ethnic Pakatan Harapan that brought him to power in 2022.

MEDIA

Online and social media are predominant sources of news

Media freedom improved after the change of government in 2018, say international watchdogs. Officials have considered repealing laws which were used to curb reporting.

The TV sector includes state and private networks and pay TV. The biggest media conglomerate operates several networks including TV3, the leading national station.

More than 80% of the population are online and internet and social media are key news sources.

See full media profile

Story continues

TIMELINE

Some of the pre-Malay indigenous population still retain traditional customs

Some key dates in Malaysia's history:

14th Century - Conversion of Malays to Islam begins.

1826 - British settlements of Malacca, Penang and Singapore unite; British begin to establish protectorates over the Malay sultanates of the peninsula.

1895 - Four Malay states combine to form the Federated Malay States.

1942-45 - Japanese occupation.

1948 - British-ruled Malayan territories unified under Federation of Malaya.

1957 - Federation of Malaya becomes independent.

1963-66 - Indonesia-Malaysia guerrilla conflict.

1965 - Singapore withdraws from Malaysia.

2003 - Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad steps down after 22 years in office, only to return briefly in 2018-2020.

2022 - Anwar Ibrahim wins election as head of multi-ethnic coalition.
(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia is exploring laws to protect the country from what Law Minister Azalina Othman termed as ridiculous lawsuits such as the territorial claims made by the self-styled descendants of Sulu sultanate.

Most Read from Bloomberg

I have raised it in Cabinet and am now drafting the law, Azalina said in an interview to Bloomberg News on Wednesday on the proposed state immunity act. Once the cabinet approves the policy, it will be discussed with different stakeholders and hopefully be tabled in Parliament in October, she said.

Azalina was referring to arbitration proceedings brought on by the so-called heirs of Sulu, the erstwhile rulers of what comprised the present day Borneo state of Sabah. The then sultanate had leased Sabah state to a British company in 1878 and the Borneo state was later absorbed into Malaysia.

READ: Malaysias $14 Billion Row With Heirs of Sulu Sultan: QuickTake

A French arbitration court in Paris last year ordered Malaysia to pay 62.59 billion ringgit ($15 billion) to the Sulu descendants over their claim.

A state immunity act would help shield the country from lawsuits in other jurisdictions.

The Sulu proceedings are unfair as neither the original 1878 agreement nor the 1903 Confirmation of Cession had any arbitration clauses, Azalina said, adding that the matter is also a cause for concern for other countries.

Especially for countries that were colonized before, she said, citing that many have gone through a similar process in the 16th or 17th or 18th centuries.

A court in Paris in March upheld a stay order obtained by Malaysia on enforcement of the award. The Southeast Asian nation will continue to take measures to safeguard its national sovereignty, Azalina said.

Story continues

I believe that we are right and we will defend ourself all the way to prove that we are right, she said. This is not only an abuse of the process, the claimant itself is questionable.

The Sulu heirs legal team disagreed.

International court cases and arbitrations occur and are enforced internationally, said Paul Cohen, a co-lead counsel for the Sulu claimants and a lawyer at London-based 4-5 Grays Inn Square, in an e-mailed statement on Thursday. It will be interesting to understand in due course what her legislation will achieve.

--With assistance from Ravil Shirodkar.

(Updates with comments from Sulu heirs legal team in final paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
A man accused of killing a pregnant 19-year-old woman and dumping her body in Alabama faced previous charges for rape and aggravated battery in south Georgia, according to WALB.com.

Anastasia Gilley vanished from Greenwood, Florida on May 3. Her body was found along a rural road in Dothan, Alabama, on Wednesday.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Marquis McCloud, 33, has been charged with murder and first-degree kidnapping in Gilleys death.

Gilley was four months pregnant at the time she vanished, according to family members.

TRENDING STORIES:

According to WALB, McCloud was convicted of rape in Alabama in 2010 and was sentenced to eight years. Its unclear if he served time on that charge.

McCloud faced another rape charge in Quitman County, Georgia in 2015. He was arrested on that charge, but at some point, he was released, according to WTVY.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

McCloud was arrested again in 2021 in Albany where he faced charges of aggravated battery after a mans throat was slit. Those cases are still pending.

McClouds relationship with Gilley is unclear.
A St. Louis man is speaking out against American Airlines, accusing the airline of losing his prosthetic leg on a 2020 flight to Indianapolis and only giving him $600 when it was worth much more.

The man, Michael Williams, said hes been working with American Airlines for almost three years to come to some resolution for his lost leg. He followed the companys missing items protocols, which ask passengers to submit a claim. However, he said that hasnt led to much, and he believes American Airlines has been borderline negligent in his case.

Dealing with a prosthetic leg is not as easy as people think it is, he told Fox 2 Now. You cant do this to somebody thats disabled. Just say, Hey, we lost something of yours, but were not going to pay.'

Williams also provided the outlet with details regarding the incident.

The special-made leg, I put it in my suitcase. I put the sticker on it that said fragile, he said. I gave it to the young lady at American Airlines when I was checking in. When I get to St. Louis airport, they roll me downstairs to baggage claim. Im sitting there waiting for my luggage to come off, and never comes off.

Williams said he eventually received a reimbursement check of around $600.

When I spoke with the young lady that was handling the claim, she told me this was to cover the clothes that you lost. I was like, Ok, fine, great, he said.

According to Williams, prosthetic legs are $26,000. $26,650 to be exact.

A few weeks after receiving the check, Williams inquired about getting a reimbursement for the lost leg. He said a representative told him, We dont have enough proof or evidence to pay for the leg, so were not going to pay for the leg.

After that, Williams decided he had to lawyer up to get the airlines attention. And in the meantime, Williams is dealing with trauma surrounding flying.

Its to the point where I dont want to fly. I feel like if I fly again, what if I have to fly with my wheelchair and they lose my wheelchair this time, he said. And they tell me we lost your power wheelchair, but hey, were not going to do anything about it. Its like, what do you do?

Story continues

Unfortunately, Williams situation is not an isolated incident. According to Atlanta Black Star, Emily Tuite lost her waterproof prosthetic leg on a three-hour flight from Austin, Texas, to San Diego in September. She, like Williams, spent hours on the phone with airline employees about getting her leg back or being reimbursed  but she said nothing worked.

Tuite suspected her bags were stolen but weeks later learned the tags had been accidentally switched with another passenger. The airline released a statement about how hard they worked to find Tuites bags and shared that staff gaveher a refund in the amount of $60, which covers her baggage es.

In addition, we kindly asked Ms. Tuite to submit receipts for compensation and processing, they also wrote.

American Airlines has not spoken about Williams loss publicly.
A 49-year-old Independence man has been arrested and charged with making a felony criminal threat against KMBZ talk radio host Dana Wright.

John D. Gribble was charged last week in Johnson County District Court and appeared in court via Zoom on Thursday. The radio station is in Mission.

Wright showed The Star a text message left overnight at the station in March, allegedly from Gribble.

Filled with expletives, the message called Wright a sexual profanity and a stupid libtard who needs to be publicly killed. Someday Ill find that stupid bitch and fix that problem. Scott is the only voice of reason on that show.

Wright co-hosts the Dana and Parks weekday afternoon show with Scott Parks. As they discuss and debate news of the day, Wright typically takes a liberal view; he is more conservative.

She also posted the message on her Facebook page Wednesday, where hundreds of her followers, mostly women, have responded with support.

Wright told The Star she wanted to tell the public about this case and the harassment shes endured over the years as a woman working in journalism  17 years in TV followed by 11 years now in radio.

Mission police have been escorting her to her car after work.

I cannot tell you how many times in the past years, and way worse after January 6th, that Ive been threatened because of my job, Wright told the Star, referencing the storming of the U.S. Capitol in 2021. A couple of times men have shown up in the parking lot waiting for me to walk out.

As a condition of his bond, the court last week ordered Gribble to be placed on house arrest, with his whereabouts monitored by GPS. He is also to have no contact with Wright, witnesses, her home or place of employment.

Defendant shall not text, call or contact Audacy radio or any of its employees, agents, personalities, the court ordered. Audacy owns the radio station.

On Thursday, Gribbles lawyer, Jerry Wallentine, appeared via Zoom with Gribble  who did not speak  and asked Judge Timothy P. McCarthy to drop the house arrest.

Story continues

When he found out about this charge and was told there was a warrant, he did turn himself in and he just got out last night, so hes already served seven days, Wallentine told McCarthy.

Wallentine described Gribble as a lifelong Kansas City area resident  so hes not going anywhere, hes not a flight risk  with a minimal criminal history revolving around DUIs, but theres no violent criminal history.

Wallentine said he was waiting for the results of Gribbles court-ordered mental health evaluation.

McCarthy agreed to remove the GPS monitoring and house arrest, and placed Gribble under pretrial supervision.

Wallentine also asked that Gribble be considered for a diversion agreement. In Kansas, this severity of felony criminal threat carries a maximum prison sentence of 13 months and a fine of up to $100,000.

Discussion about possible diversion is set for July 19.

Done being quiet about it

Shes gotten threats before. But I just think this one crossed such a line that she wasnt going to let it just go, Wrights husband, KMBC 9 News anchor Kris Ketz, told The Star on Thursday.

She showed it to me and the conversation was really a fairly simple one. I would have supported whatever she had decided to do. This was her call. And I am absolutely supportive of following up with charges in this case.

The arrest comes as threats and violence against journalists, especially women journalists, have been rising, recent studies show.

If you are angry? I am sorry, Wright wrote to her followers. But I hope this post reminds everyone that there are better ways to handle your own personal demons and rage than threatening the life of someone in the media.

She told The Star the bigger story here is the fact that this is a uniquely female problem in this day and age. I mean threats against women in media.

I saw it almost the day I started. A woman disagrees with you  shell tell you. We have a dialogue.

But super angry men? They call you the C bomb and tell you, Im coming to take you out if you don t shut your #*^&ing mouth.

Im telling you it is near constant and I am done. Im not hiding this time.

Wright marked 10 years of working alongside Parks in 2021.

How to describe Dana & Parks? Well  shes a little crazy and fun with serious geographical issues, and hes a little bit of a hot-head with a heart of gold, is how Audacys website describes their show.

By Thursday afternoon, her Facebook post had more than 1,000 reactions and nearly 300 comments, most from women.

I feel like someone has attacked my sister. Im so proud of the way you handled it. Stay strong Dana and keep being that role model that KC women need!

Thank you for speaking out! We are glad you are safe. Its truly a shame that our society is like this and to some its ok to act this way. Its never going to stop if we keep condoning these actions.

Good for you! This is not right! If someone doesnt like your show, change the station! Its that simple!

It is way past time for stricter laws to be established (AND punishments to be harsh) where these keyboard warriors/bullies/political extremists, etc, are concerned.

I dont always agree with what you have to say, wrote former listener Kevin Chura. I used to love the show but admittedly havent listened in over a year or 2 because of that. However I was raised in an era when we were all entitled to something..... OUR OPINIONS!!!

I dont have to agree with u and u surely dont have to agree with me. We can still coexist together. People have lost the concept of that!

Wright wrote that she wasnt going public for sympathy or clicks  but it is important to me that we talk about whats happening  especially to women  who have any type of platform or voice in our city and beyond.

This particular threat is not the first BY FAR  we have received, and I know that it will not be the last.

I am sharing this  because I am done being quiet about it.

I have been threatened so many times and it is ALWAYS a keyboard warrior angry about the absolute STUPIDEST topics: Women in technology in KC, the railroad strike, supply chain issues, or my pronunciation of a town in Canada I have never heard of  to name a few.

Chilling harassment of journalists

What concerns me about cases like this is the level of violence we are seeing against people in all different forms of media, Wright told The Star on Thursday.

And a lot of those people who lash out blame their rage on things like alcohol and other problems they might be having in their lives or some warped sense that the political landscape is responsible for every problem theyve ever had.

And some of those people then go on to commit very real crimes for the first time. We just had someone fire a gun into a television station in Florida. That was a week ago.

Many journalists, both men and women, would say theyve been threatened or harassed over something theyve reported. (Including this reporter.) Anecdotes of harassment against journalists in the United States have risen in recent years.

Around the world, women journalists and media workers face increasing offline and online attacks and are subject to disproportional and specific threats, according to an international survey of 714 women journalists in 215 countries published last year.

The gender-based violence included physical assault, sexist hate speech, trolling, even murder.

Nearly 3 out of 4 said they had suffered online abuse at work, according to a report called The Chilling from the International Center for Journalists in Washington, D.C., and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

In 2019 a half dozen female TV and radio journalists who talked to the nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists told of viewers who had tracked them down and stalkers who threatened them with violence. They said most of the harassment was online.

One was a local TV journalist targeted by a stalker. Her TV station hired an off-duty police officer to watch the parking lot when she got to work.

Another reporter in the South said that she was harassed more when she covered controversial topics, such as race and the police, and that intensified as journalism and journalists became a topic of national debate, and some derision, in recent years.

Wright urged her colleagues in the media to stay vigilant. A few responded, including former KMBZ radio host Darla Jaye:

I am so sorry you have been going through this hell!

Wright is still determined to have her day in court, diversion or not. I want to look him in the eye and tell him to read those words to my face, she said. I am not afraid of this man.

I am standing up on behalf of any woman in the media who has had this happen and trust me when I say we have all had this happen again and again and again.

And until there are real consequences, this is not going to stop.
An inmate at Tyger River Correctional Institution in Enoree died Thursday morning, according to the Spartanburg County Coroner's Office.

Peter Fred Hernandez, 60, was pronounced dead on the scene May 11 at 6:33 a.m., according to an email from Jonathan Lawson, Chief Investigator with the coroner's office.

A South Carolina Department of Corrections press release stated that Hernandez's death is a suspected suicide.

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating, along with the coroner's office and the SCDC Inspector General's office.

Lawson said in the email that a forensic autopsy and toxicology analysis will be performed Friday, May 12.

Related: Spartanburg jail failed to provide adequate care for man who died in custody, lawsuit says

Peter Fred Hernandez, an inmate at Tyger River CI, died at the institution this morning. Hernandez, 60, was found dead in his cell. He did not have a cellmate. The death is being investigated as a suspected suicide. An autopsy will be performed. Details: https://t.co/pzs75lk3PN  SC Dept. Corrections (@SCDCNews) May 11, 2023

According to court records, Hernandez was serving a life sentence for armed robbery and kidnapping in South Carolina stemming from an incident in December 1990.

However, he received an additional life sentence and 25 years for other charges in North Carolina related to the same incident, according to previous reporting by the Herald-Journal. Hernandez pled guilty to first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping, armed robbery and three counts of first-degree sex offenses for the abduction, robbery and assault of a 19-year-old Spartanburg woman who was five months pregnant when the crimes occurred.

Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger confirmed that Hernandez's death was the first at the Enoree prison in 2023.

Story continues

Two men, James DePriest, 64, and Jahmand Maurice McNeill, 30, died at the facility last year, according to the coroner's office. DePriest's death was ruled natural and McNeill's was ruled a suicide.

The Herald-Journal previously reported on findings from Incarceration Transparency, that tallied 18 deaths at the prison between 2015 and 2021.

Chalmers Rogland covers public safety and breaking news for the Herald-Journal. Reach him via email at crogland@shj.com

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Man dies at Tyger River Correctional Institution in suspected suicide
A man facing several charges in the City of Pittsburgh was arrested Wednesday night while he was attempting to flee the country, according to the Allegheny County Sheriffs Office.

Earlier this week, the sheriffs office said they received a tip that Emeka Kevin Ukaegbu, 30, was traveling to Philadelphia with plans to leave the country. Detectives from the sheriffs office notified the Department of Homeland Security, who then arrested Ukaegbu at Philadelphia International Airport when he attempted to board a flight to London, England.

Ukaegbu, 30, was charged last December with burglary, theft and criminal mischief after police say he entered an apartment on the North Side and stole several items. He has a trial date set for June.

I want to commend my detectives for swiftly following up the tip that my office received and thank Homeland Security for making sure this defendant was not able to board that plane, said Sheriff Kraus.

Ukaegbu is currently lodged in the Delaware County Jail and will be transported back to Allegheny County 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:

$1 million winning scratch-off lottery ticket sold at local grocery store Grandmother arrested in fentanyl death of 7-month-old in Penn Hills TRAIN DERAILMENT: 9 Norfolk Southern cars derail in New Castle VIDEO: Cold Case Investigation: The last text from Lisa Stover DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Nearly 29 years after his conviction for a crime he did not commit, Patrick Brown walked out of a New Orleans courtroom a free man on Monday.

Mr Brown, 49, was sentenced to life without parole for the rape of his stepdaughter in 1994. But not only did Mr Brown continually proclaim his innocence over the next two-plus decades, but his stepdaughter did as well  maintaining that Mr Brown was not the man who raped her.

On Monday, the criminal justice system finally took heed. Judge Calvin Johnson delivered the news that the court was vacating Mr Browns conviction, decrying a miscarriage of justice that robbed Mr Brown of well more than half of his life so far as horrific, according to a report by CNN.

For us, the government, not to be better at what we do, and how we do it, this [wrongful conviction] is the result, Mr Johnson said.

The effect Mr Browns conviction and ongoing imprisonment had on his stepdaughter, the victim of the rape, was enormous as well. The victim broke down in tears as she told the court at Mr Browns hearing how she had spent the last two decades writing more than 100 letters to the district attorneys office and the court informing them that her stepfather had been wrongfully convicted.

In 2015, the victim went so far as to sign an affidavit identifying another family member as the man who had raped her. Even then, the district attorneys office did not act.

Having your voice being silenced is the worst feeling in the world, the victim told the courtroom.

Things changed, however, with the election of progressive Jason Williams to the DAs office in Orleans Parish in 2020. Mr Williams, a graduate of Tulane Law School and previosuly a member of the New Orleans city council, established a civil rights division in the office to investigate harms perpetrated by the criminal justice system.

When Mr Brown filed a claim of factual innocence, the civil rights division was ready to investigate  and, upon reviewing the victims statement and the available evidence, appealed to have Mr Browns conviction thrown out.

Story continues

When Mr Brown was convicted in 1994, it was largely on the basis of hearsay evidence from adults who claimed that the victim, who was seven years old at the time, had accused Mr Brown of raping her. The victim herself did not testify at the trial.

This victim has endured not just the deep trauma of child sexual assault, but the trauma of knowing the wrong man has been imprisoned for almost three decades while the man who raped her walked free, Civil Rights Division Chief Emily Maw said in a statement reported by CNN.

The work of the civil rights division has had its hands full in Orleans Parish, which leads the country in exonerations per capita. The Guardian reported that the division has already intervened in 284 cases since its creation two years ago, vacating convictions 21 cases in additon to Mr Browns.

A 2022 study from the National Registry of Exonorations found that Black people are seven times more likely than white people to be falsely convicted of major crimes in the United States.
A Northeast Side man has been committed to a psychiatric hospital after being found not guilty by reason of insanity in the fatal stabbing of his brother last year at their home.

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Andy Miller ordered 21-year-old Sakariya Hirad on Thursday to be placed in the maximum security forensic unit at Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare Hospital.

In January, Miller found Hirad not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of 22-year-old Mohamed A. Hirad.

To make that ruling, Miller considered reports from two forensic examiners who concluded that at the time of the crime, "as a result of severe mental illness, (Sakariya Hirad) did not know the wrongfulness of his acts," according to the judge's court order.

Before Thursday's hearing, two psychologists again interviewed Hirad and wrote reports recommending Hirad is subject to a court order and should be committed.

Scott Wood, Hirad's defense attorney, told The Dispatch this resolution gets Hirad the treatment he needs.

Abdi Shire, who said he is the brothers' father, told The Dispatch he wanted this resolution to this tragic case.

For the rest of Hirad's life, mental health professionals will periodically provide Miller or a future judge on the case with updates on Hirad's mental health and recommendations on what treatment he needs.

Past reporting: Columbus police probe fatal stabbing as more info released on I-71, other Friday shootings

The stabbing

The stabbing occurred at the family home where both brothers lived in the 6000 block of Lepage Court. Around 11:30 a.m. on March 14, 2022, the brothers' sister called 911.

According to court records, Mohamed Hirad's sister and mother heard him screaming from his bedroom. When the sister entered the room, she saw Sakariya Hirad had a knife, court records state. The sister saw Mohamad Hirad fall to the ground while Sakariya Hirad continued trying to stab him. The sister and, later, the mother lay on top of Sakariya Hirad to restrain him until the police arrived.

Story continues

Mohamed Hirad was transported to OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:12 p.m.

Police arrested Hirad that day and charged him with murder.

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus man not guilty by reason of insanity in murder of brother
By Iain Withers and Sinead Cruise

LONDON (Reuters) - Man Group will be led by two women for the first time in its history by the end of this year, after the London-listed hedge fund group said its long-standing CEO Luke Ellis will be succeeded by current president Robyn Grew.

Ellis, who first joined Man Group in 2010 and will retire in September, said in a statement on Thursday it was "the right time to pass the reins" and welcomed Grew's appointment.

Grew's appointment elevates her position as one of the most powerful women in fund management and means Man's top roles will both be held by women when Chairman John Cryan makes way for Anne Wade towards the end of 2023.

The shake-up will likely be seen as a milestone for the hedge fund industry, which has long attracted criticism for a lack of diversity in its top ranks.

"Mr Ellis is well regarded and his retirement may be seen as a blow by many investors. But Ms Grew is a continuity candidate with experience including solutions, trading, execution and as group COO," analysts at Credit Suisse said in a note.

Shares in the company gained 1% in early trading.

Grew - a former Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers banker - has worked at Man for 14 years and is a member of the company's senior executive committee.

Based currently in the United States, Grew will relocate to Britain following her appointment, Man said.

Ellis, 60, will continue as CEO of Man until Sept. 1, when Grew takes over.

The company, which manages more than $144 billion of assets, said its board had identified potential internal successors in advance of Ellis' decision to retire, with the assistance of an external executive search firm, and was pleased to implement its succession plans.

(Reporting by Iain Withers and Sinead Cruise; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP)  A man accused of fatally shooting one person and wounding five others at a Southern California church luncheon last year has been charged with dozens of federal hate crimes in connection with the attack, which investigators said was motivated by political hatred of Taiwan.

The indictment announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice charges David Chou, of Las Vegas, with 98 counts including weapons and explosives charges and forcefully obstructing the free exercise of religion.

Messages seeking comment from attorneys who have represented Chou, 69, in a separate case in state court were not immediately returned.

Authorities said Chou chained and nailed shut exit doors before launching the attack on a gathering of older parishioners from the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods on May 15, 2022.

Chou had two handguns, bags of ammunition and four Molotov cocktail-style devices, and was motivated by hatred of Taiwan, where he grew up, investigators said.

Among the charges were 45 counts of obstructing free exercise of religious beliefs by force, which resulted in the death of one person, included attempts to kill 44 others, and involved the use of a firearm and attempted use of explosives and fire, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Chou was charged last year by Orange County prosecutors with murder and attempted murder including enhancements for a hate crime and other counts. He pleaded not guilty. Online records show Chou is currently bein held without bail in Orange County and due back in court July 14.

Authorities said Chou had no prior connection to the church. They said he spent an hour with attendees before the attack, apparently to gain their trust, then closed the doors and started shooting.

Dr. John Cheng, the 52-year-old son of a congregant, charged at Chou and was killed, authorities say. His action helped disrupt the shooter, who was hit by a chair thrown by the churchs former pastor and jumped on by several people who tied him up with an extension cord until police arrived.

Story continues

The wounded victims ranged in age from 66 to 92.

Chou, a U.S. citizen, grew up in Taiwan after his family was forced from mainland China when communists took control, authorities have said.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of death or life in prison without parole.

___

Weber reported from Los Angeles.
A man made a fake bomb threat at a Pennsylvania airport after missing his flight, police said.

The 37-year-old man showed up for a flight at Pittsburgh International Airport on May 10, but arrived at his gate too late to board the aircraft, according to an Allegheny County Police news release.

While standing at the ticket desk, he claimed that he had placed a bomb in his checked bags, police said.

Two American Airlines workers confirmed hearing the threat, and police were alerted.

The man said that he asked the workers, What if I had a bomb in my bags? while the airline workers said he had told them, I have a bomb in my bag, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, citing court documents.

The man, who intended to fly to Iran, was arrested, police said.

Federal and local authorities investigated the aircraft, an Airbus A319. An explosive ordnance disposal team and canine handlers were sent to the scene, and X-ray machines were used to scan luggage.

No bombs were detected during the sweep, including in two checked bags belonging to the man who made the threat, police said.

He has been charged with threatening to use weapons of mass destruction and with terroristic threats, police said. He was taken to jail to wait for his arraignment.

A spokesperson for American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

Little League game stops as stray bullet plunges onto field, California video shows

Husband killed, wife shot by accused gang members in case of mistaken identity, cops say

Three family members get shot trying to stop man hitting girlfriend, Texas cops say
A man was taken to a local hospital Thursday afternoon after he was shot near a school in central Fresno.

Fresno Police spokesperson Christopher Clark said the shooting happened at 1:40 p.m. in the 100 block of North Park Avenue, near East Voorman Avenue.

The man in his 30s was pulling trash cans at his home when a blue sedan made a U-turn and drove south on Park and opened fire, striking him on the lower leg.

He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The shooting happened across the street from Lowell Elementary School. Lowell and nearby Kepler Neighborhood School were briefly placed on lockdowns.

The motive to the shooting is not known, Clark said. Detectives are investigating the shooting.

Its unknown how many people were in the vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 559-621-7000.
The Eufaula Alabama Police Department is asking the public to help identify a man accused of peeking at a child into a bathroom.

Authorities said on May 7 at 6 a.m., the child was in a public restroom at the Lakepoint Resort State Park campground area.

Lakepoint Resort State Park is located on the Georgia-Alabama state line.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

While inside, police said an older man attempted to enter the bathroom stall and looked underneath the stall door while the child was using the restroom.

The man was there until authorities said he heard someone else enter the restroom.

TRENDING STORIES:

Police said they wish to question this man regarding this incident.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact South East District Ranger Jimmy Rodgers at 334-687-8011.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
A man defrauded Home Depot and the Missouri Department of Labor as part of two different schemes, according to federal authorities.

In one scheme, authorities said he stole about $35,100 of vinyl flooring from the home improvement store chain. In another, the man is accused of defrauding Missouris Division of Employment Security out of $142,423.

Now, the 36-year-old man from Ste. Genevieve County has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to steal money and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a May 10 news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.

The mans defense attorney told McClatchy News that his client is a great dad who comes from a really good family. The man has a lot of redeeming qualities, he said, but made some bad decisions.

He said the defendant has accepted responsibility for his actions and has the potential to be a great member of the community after his time in custody.

Home Depot Theft

Starting on Jan. 4, the man and an accomplice began stealing from Home Depot stores in the St. Louis area, according to his signed plea agreement.

Prosecutors said he would fill a shopping cart with boxes of vinyl flooring, then place an inexpensive item on top.

At the checkout counter, (the man) paid for the inexpensive item but would claim that the flooring had been paid for online, producing a fraudulent receipt, officials said.

Authorities estimate he stole about 468 boxes of flooring  each priced at about $75 or more.

The man then sold the flooring on Facebook, according to the release.

Unemployment Fraud

The man began filing fraudulent unemployment claims for about 10 people in May 2020, according to court records.

In the claims, he lied by saying those individuals had been laid off from his construction company, authorities said.

He then cashed out the unemployment benefits, which had been placed on debit cards, and kicked some money back to the workers, who had voluntarily provided him their personal information to use in the scheme, according to the release.

Story continues

The Arrest

Detectives with the St. Charles County Police Department were investigating catalytic converter thefts on March 31, 2022, when they found the man inside his Jeep parked in a storage lot, authorities said.

He was arrested, and police said they found a stolen Glock 9mm pistol inside his vehicle.

The man was not allowed to have a gun as a convicted felon, authorities said.

He faces up to 35 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000 in addition to restitution, according to the release.

Bank manager stole $175K from customers then paid debts and bought motorcycle, feds say

Stolen checks were being sold out of vehicle stopped in road in Missouri, feds say

Home Depot worker had $80K worth of stolen merchandise at their home, CA officials say
A man upset he was arrested for littering told police dispatchers that he had placed several bombs at the Myrtle Beach Police Department and planned to detonate them, a police report said.

Daniel Alexander Abram, 31, whose address was listed as Rhode Island in public records, was arrested Monday on two charges of bomb/threat, conspire to threat and bomb/intention to cause explosion.

He had made bomb threats to the police department on three different occasions in 2019, with the first one on Feb. 2.

Myrtle Beach Police had to wait for Abram, who was facing charges in another jurisdiction, to be extradited back to South Carolina before he could be arrested, Cpl. Chris Starling said Thursday.

Abram called the police department dispatch and said that he had placed several bombs at the police department, according to a police report. Police again were notified of calls that had come into the police dispatch on June 7 and 9 from an unknown male.

On Feb. 2, Abram, who was identified by his voice and phone tracking, insisted on speaking with a police supervisor or the first bomb would be detonated, an arrest warrant said. He stated that he had previously been arrested for littering and had been gearing up for retaliation and revenge for a few years now.

Abram told another dispatcher on June 9 that he had placed bombs at the department, had found her guilty of her crimes and she would die for them.

Abram had been charged with littering in October 2017 and paid $464 in fines and costs, according to public records.

He was issued a $100,000 personal recognizance bond on Monday.
Former Marine Daniel Penny is set to be arrested and charged in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely on the New York City subway, according to the Manhattan District Attorneys office.

We can confirm that Daniel Penny will be arrested on a charge of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Manhattan DA spokesperson told The Hill in a statement.

We cannot provide any additional information until he has been arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, which we expect to take place tomorrow, the spokesperson added. The DAs office had said earlier this month that they were investigating the incident.

Thirty-year old Neely, who was Black, died after being put in a chokehold by Penny earlier this month, an incident caught on video that sparked outrage online. He had also reportedly been shouting at passengers on the subway and was tackled by some, and put into the chokehold by Penny.

Neely had reportedly struggled with homelessness and mental illness.

The city chief medical examiners office ruled Neelys death was a homicide, caused by compression of the neck, but noted that the legal system would determine any criminal culpability.

Penny, a 24-year-old Marine veteran who appeared to be white, was reportedly taken into custody and questioned by police but was eventually released. His attorneys claimed he never intended to harm Neely and was acting to protect himself and other subway passengers.

But Neelys family has said Penny needs to be in prison.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said after the incident that Neely was murdered.

But [because] Jordan was houseless and crying for food in a time when the city is raising rents and stripping services to militarize itself while many in power demonize the poor, the murderer gets protected w/ passive headlines + no charges, Ocasio-Cortez said.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams called the incident a tragedy that never should have happened.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Lori Vallow is pictured in this 2020 file photo while appearing at a court hearing in Kauai, Hawaii, on Feb. 21. Closing arguments in Daybells murder, conspiracy and grand theft trial in Idaho were heard on Thursday, May 11, 2023. | Associated Press

Update: On Friday, May 12, Lori Vallow Daybell was found guilty on all counts.

Lori Vallow Daybell, in her pursuit of money, power and sex, set in motion a series of events that led to three horrific murders, prosecutors said on Thursday during an impassioned closing argument that marked the final day of the high profile trial.

This plan that she set in motion must end today, in a verdict you will deliver in this trial, Madison County Prosecutor Rob Wood told jurors.

Related

For six weeks more than 60 witnesses took the stand, painting a damning picture of Vallow Daybell. They described her as a once loving mother, whose spiral coincided with an obsession over fringe beliefs espoused by her now husband, Chad Daybell. Those beliefs, Wood said, were used to manipulate others and justify their crimes. They called people zombies who they believed were possessed, and would attempt to cast out evil spirits.

Lori knew exactly what was going on. ... She was 100% involved in this, and all the evidence tells us that, Wood said.

A 12-person jury is now considering the case. The group deliberated about four and a half hours before recessing for the night. They will resume deliberations Friday morning.

Related

Vallow Daybells attorneys, who offered only a brief statement at the opening of the trial and did not call any witnesses, presented the bulk of their case Thursday. In their emotional closing argument, they said it was Vallow Daybell who was manipulated.

The story of Lori Vallow, as youve heard, changes dramatically in October 2018, her attorney James Archibald said Thursday. He described his clients bizarre beliefs as just goofy stuff and religious babble, also claiming that Lori sees Chad as if Chad is Jesus.

Why cant people escape religious cult figures? Why cant they break out? Why cant they break away from that mind control? Promises are hopeful to some people, he told the jury.

Story continues

Vallow Daybell faces six charges: two counts of first-degree murder of her children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old JJ Vallow; two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder; and grand theft in connection to their deaths. She is also charged with grand theft for collecting Social Security benefits allocated to the children, and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft in the death of Tammy Daybell.

After a monthslong search that drew the attention of the nation as Vallow Daybell lied or refused to answer questions about their whereabouts, her children were found buried on Chad Daybells Rexburg property. A specific cause of death could not be determined for Tylee, whose body was burned and dismembered. JJ died by asphyxiation, investigators said, after they found his body bound with plastic bags and duct tape.

Chad Daybell is also charged in the murders and will face his own trial. Alex Cox, Vallow Daybells brother who is believed to be an accomplice in the deaths, died of blood clots before charges were filed.

Not long after Tammy Daybells death, which investigators say was a homicide by asphyxiation, Chad Daybell and Vallow Daybell were dancing on a beach in Hawaii, Wood said, free from the obstacles that were Tylee, JJ, and Tammy. But living with the money that was gained from each of their deaths.

The idea of a mother celebrating at a beach resort while her children remained missing shocked the country. The story went viral, and when Vallow Daybell was eventually arrested in February 2020, her now infamous mugshot was displayed everywhere from local Idaho media outlets to The New York Times.

Vallow Daybells apparent apathy toward the well-being of her missing children was integral to Woods closing argument. He leaned heavily into the conspiracy angle, reminding the jury that they only need to find one overt act that shows Vallow Daybell furthered the conspiracy to kill her children and Tammy Daybell. He summarized the weeks of evidence, including texts that he said showed Vallow Daybell eagerly anticipating her childrens death.

There is one common thread throughout these murders  Lori Vallow. She is the one person who ties this all together, Wood said, telling the jury that she used sex to manipulate Chad Daybell, and religion to manipulate Alex Cox.

It does not matter what they believed. It matters what they did. They can believe whatever they want. But when they use that to justify homicide, that changes. They used religion to manipulate others, he said.

Related

But during the defenses closing argument, Archibald painted a much different picture of Vallow Daybell, describing her as someone with good intentions, who was manipulated by a cult leader. Right after she met Chad Daybell, he told the jury, four people died.

He said the states argument that she was chasing money doesnt hold. Charles Vallow made far more money than Chad Daybell  money that exceeded what she would make from his Social Security payments. The math doesnt add up, Archibald said.

He made the same argument for power  In the year that Chad convinced her that she was a sexual goddess and that she was going to lead the 144,000 ... how many converts did she have? None, he said.

And with sex, Archibald made a point that evoked laughter from the overflow room at the Boise courthouse.

Use your common sense, look at pictures of Charles, and pictures of Chad ... is that a trade up, or a trade down? Archibald said.

He also said that Vallow Daybells hair that was found on the duct tape used to bound JJ wasnt a smoking gun, and told the mothers on the jury: I would hope that your hair is on your kids clothing, your kids sock, your kids blanket.

And in a point he reiterated again and again, Archibald asked the jurors to consider the texts they saw as evidence.

Of the 15,000 texts that you have as evidence, show me one where it says from Lori when are you killing Tylee? ... Show me one that shows Lori a part of that conspiracy, he said. There is no such text.

And before he thanked the jury for their service and walked back to his seat, he told them: She spent her whole life protecting her children.

Related

Wood offered a brief rebuttal, addressing Archibalds claim that Lori wasnt after money, reminding the jury that at the time of Charles Vallows death, Vallow Daybell thought she would receive $1 million from his life insurance policy. He focused on the lies, reading a laundry list of false statements she gave  including where Tylee was going to college, how her husband Charles Vallow died, and where her children were.

The innocent dont need to lie. The guilty lie, he said.

He also pushed back on Archibalds claim that the hair found on JJs body was not a smoking gun.

It wasnt on JJs socks. It wasnt on his pajamas. ... It was on the duct tape that secured that bag that was placed over his head, he said.

And despite there being no text where Vallow Daybell explicitly talked about killing the children, Wood pointed to the bevy of messages that showed her repeatedly asking Chad Daybell to calculate their death percentages.

When Chad Daybell is texting her about JJ going into the light, we all know what that means, he said, telling the jury that in response, she doesnt say Lets not go kill the kids. She says, That is sweet.

It makes no sense to say that shes a good mom when shes not reporting the death of her children, or that her children are missing, he continued. You have the evidence, you must convict her.
Oleksiy Danilov

According to the official, a big campaign has now been launched to bring Ukraine to the negotiating table.

Read also: UN chief says Ukraine-Russia peace talks now impossible, Zelenskyys advisor reacts

However, Danilov insisted that the administration of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has no plans to surrender Ukraines national interests.

There are many proposals from different countries in this regard, he said.

Read also: Ukraine to change strategy for liberation of Crimea, announces Danilov

But keep in mind, Im more than sure that if we talk about something, and the president makes such a decision, it will take place only on our countrys terms.

Zelenskyy has repeatedly emphasized that negotiations with Moscow are possible only after invading Russian forces leave Ukrainian territory and stop bombing and killings. Furthermore, as a response to Russias attempt to annex occupied Ukrainian territories, on Sept. 30, 2022, Zelenskyy enacted an NSDC decision banning negotiations with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

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
Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has praised former First Lady Melania Trump as a model immigrant to the United States as a rule allowing immigration officials to deport migrants as a public health measure ends.

Ms Greenes comments about Ms Trump came as she was addressing the House of Representatives on Wednesday with remarks about the state of the countrys southern border and broader immigration policies.

I would like to remind everyone that Republicans believe in legal immigration, Ms Greene said. As a matter of fact, we are very proud of our former first lady, Melania Trump, who immigrated legally to the United States. But there is a clear difference in policies when we talk about border and security for the United States of America.

Ms Greene, a self-identified Christian nationalist who supported efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election and lost her committee assignments in the last Congress for endorsing political violence, favours strict immigration control at the US-Mexico border.

Immigration has taken centre stage this week in Washington as Title 42, the public health order put in place that allowed the government to expel migrants who arrived from countries with Covid-19 outbreaks, is lifted today.

Progressives have long decried Title 42 as a guise to deny migrants, incluidng asylum-seekers, the due process typically provided under US law. But House Republicans like Ms Greene supported the order and today are set to pass a law that would codify many of its restrictions.

A right-wing immigration bill is exceedingly unlikely to become law given Democratic control of the Senate and White House. Notably, President Joe Biden has himself taken steps to limit the availability of asylum to people who attempt to enter the US through the southern border and limit migration more broadly with large numbers of people hoping the end of Title 42 will allow to pursue a better life in the US.

Mr Bidens plan includes placing more law enforcement officers at the border and handing more resources to agencies like Customs and Border Protection and ICE to run deportation flights and combat illegal immigration. The Biden administration has also been negociating with Mexico in an effort to get the Mexican government led by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to step up its border enforcement.

Story continues

One particularly controversial part of the administrations approach is a plan to deny asylum to most people who traveled to the US from their home country through another country and did not seek asylum there first.

The ACLU has said that it plans to sue over the administrations policies.

We think its illegal under the asylum laws and is arbitrary and capricious for a number of reasons and that it will do grave harm and expose vulnerable asylum seekers to danger, Katrina Eiland, a San Francisco-based ACLU attorney told Time.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at the Paley Center in New York, Oct. 25, 2019. Zuckerberg competed in his first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament this past weekend, taking home two medals. - Mark Lennihan/AP

Technology giants are allowing scammers to run rampant on social media and must be made to reimburse fraud victims, banks have said.

The likes of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, companies which form part of Meta owner Mark Zuckerbergs social media empire, have been accused of facilitating the UKs scam epidemic.

Banks reported almost three million cases of fraud last year, with victims losing a total 1.2bn. Some 78pc of fraud cases started online.

Consumers lost more than 485m in 2022 to authorised push payment fraud, where a scammer tricks someone into transferring money, according to the banking trade body UK Finance.

Nearly 80pc of these cases originated from online sources, an analysis of 59,000 such scams revealed.

This comes days after bank TSB said that eight in 10 scams suffered by its customers could be traced back to Metas platforms.

UK Finance, which represents the banking and financial services, said tech giants must do more to prevent scams from happening in the first place.

Relying on banks to reimburse victims gives social media platforms that facilitate the majority of fraud no financial incentive to stop fraudsters, the group said.

David Postings, chief executive of UK Finance, said: If we're going to have a position where people are reimbursed, it seems fair that the tech companies ought to be part of that because, ultimately, they are currently profiting from the generation of this fraud, and that cannot be right.

The trade bodys calls echo Suella Bravermans plans to block fraud at source.

Last week the Home Secretary unveiled a new strategy to combat scams, which she said cost the UK nearly 7bn a year.

Errant technology firms and social media platforms that fail to prevent fraud on their sites will face fines of up to 10pc of their global turnover under the new laws currently being considered by the House of Lords.

However, experts have said the Governments anti-fraud strategy  which includes a ban on cold calls promoting financial products and a clampdown on mass texting technology  does not go far enough.

Story continues

Meanwhile, the Online Safety Bill, which is meant to herald a crackdown on fraudulent online advertising, has been subject to repeated delays and amendments.

Rocio Concha, of consumer organisation Which?, said: If the Government is serious about its fraud strategy, the Online Safety Bill must provide meaningful protections against the deluge of online advertising fraud we all face on some of the worlds most popular social media sites and search engines  and it needs to be passed into law without delay.

Banks also warned the rise of artificial intelligence could lead to an explosion of even more sophisticated scams harnessing the likes of ChatGPT and voice cloning. Last year saw a rise in scammers using social engineering to trick consumers into giving up one-time passwords and log in details, UK Finance said, fuelling a huge 97pc increase in card ID fraud.

Mr Postings said: I have concerns about the ability of AI to be able to spoof people even more successfully than is currently the case through voice changes, and maybe even face changes on video calls, but added the technology was still a long way off.

The Payment Systems Regulator is currently consulting on proposals that would force banks themselves to reimburse victims of certain types of fraud, but this has also been delayed until 2024.

This delay has been called unacceptable by the Treasury committee, an influential group of MPs, who have warned the system should be implemented no later than the end of 2023.

On average only 59pc of APP scams result in a bank reimbursing the victim, data show.

A spokesman for Meta said: We dont want anyone to fall victim to these criminals which is why our platforms have systems to block scams, financial services advertisers now have to be authorised by the financial regulator and we run consumer awareness campaigns on how to spot fraudulent behaviour.

People can also report this content in a few simple clicks and we work with the police to support their investigations.

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.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas gave a new warning to migrants seeking entry to the U.S., saying those who arrive at the border after Title 42 expires at midnight tonight will be ineligible to claim asylum.

Mayorkas addressed reporters Thursday in promised briefing on the Biden administration's plan to respond to a massive influx of illegal immigration that's come as the Title 42 public health order lifts. The government will now use its authority under Title 8 to impose steep penalties on migrants who cross the border illegally, including a minimum five-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution, according to the secretary.

"I want to be very clear: our borders are not open. People who cross our border unlawfully and without a legal basis to remain will be promptly processed and removed," Mayorkas said.

The Biden administration's warning comes as Border Patrol agents made another 10,000 migrant apprehensions Wednesday, the third day in a row, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources.

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ADVERTISING TOUGHER BORDER MEASURES AS THEY RELEASE THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday. "Our borders are not open," he said, hours before the U.S. implements a tough new immigration policy.

Border Patrol has seen the highest daily totals ever recorded this week in anticipation of the end of Title 42.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Currently, CBP has approximately 26,000 migrants in federal custody. Capacity across the southern border is about 19,000 and multiple sectors are well over capacity right now.

"We expected to see large numbers of encounters initially. We are already seeing high numbers of encounters in certain sectors," Mayorkas said. "This places an incredible strain on our personnel, our facilities and our communities with whom we partner closely. We prepared for this moment for almost two years and our plan will deliver results. It will take time for those results to be fully realized, and it is essential that we all take this into account."



Sources tell Fox News that the priority right now for Border Patrol is avoiding images of overcrowding and processing migrants as fast as possible. Authorities earlier this week greenlighted "safe" mass street releases if CBP and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners cannot hold them. It means that the largest wave of mass releases in history has already begun and will continue in the coming days.

Story continues

BORDER PATROL ENCOUNTERS 10,000 MIGRANTS FOR THIRD DAY IN A ROW AS NUMBERS SWELL BEFORE TITLE 42 DROPS

Since 2020, both the Trump and Biden administrations have used Title 42 to expedite deportations because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, 46% of all encounters resulted in a Title 42 expulsion.

With the administration announcing Title 42 will be lifted, migrants have surged to the border in the belief that they are more likely to be released into the U.S. Though the Biden administration has made plans for the mass release of migrants, Mayorkas insisted that the border is not open and said human traffickers were spreading misinformation to those looking for a better life in America.

"Smugglers have been long, hard at work, spreading false information that the border will be open," he said. "They are lying to people who are thinking of making their journey to our southern border. Know this: Smugglers care only about profits, not people. Do not risk your life and your life savings only to be removed from the United States."

AS MIGRANT WAVE HITS THE BORDER, MAYORKAS SAYS IT WILL TAKE TIME FOR RESULTS OF TITLE 42 PLAN TO BE REALIZED

Immigrants pray while hoping to be processed by U.S. border agents for asylum after crossing over from Mexico in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday.

He encouraged those seeking asylum in the U.S. to take advantage of the generous legal pathways the Biden administration has provided to immigrants, including the CBP One mobile app, which can schedule appointments at ports of entry.

Pressed on whether the overcrowding at Border Patrol facilities and necessary release of some migrants undermines the administration's message, Mayorkas dodged the question.

"Number one, we cannot overstate the extraordinary talent and heroism of the United States Border Patrol and the personnel of the Department of Homeland Security that are managing through an extraordinary challenge, and doing so successfully," he said.

"Number two, it is very important to understand that the great majority of people will be removed if they do not qualify for relief under the laws of the United States."

Fox News' Adam Shaw and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said its both a sad and tragic day when a government official uses migrants as a pawn for political purposes, after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent migrants to Washington on Thursday.

A bus of more than 30 migrants arrived Thursday at the residence of Vice President Kamala Harris less than 24 hours after a bus of 40 migrants arrived at the Naval Observatory. Last year, more than 100 migrants bused from Texas arrived at Harris residence in Washington on Christmas Eve in freezing temperatures.

The move comes as cities throughout the U.S. are preparing to receive busloads of people at potentially record numbers due to Title 42 expiring. Title 42 allowed officials to turn away people at the border on public health grounds.

The expected surge after Title 42 ends Thursday has local leaders warning that theyre not equipped to welcome them and pleading with the federal government to launch a national resettlement strategy.



Abbott has bused more than 13,000 migrants from his state to Democratic-led cities like New York City, Chicago and Washington, saying that Texas is ill-prepared to handle the massive influx of migrants crossing the border.

"Think about the contrast of what the president just said and what you've seen Secretary Mayorkas say when he repeatedly said the border is not open, the border is closed, Abbott said on Fox News onThursday. And it's nothing but a lie. The fact of the matter is the border has been open under the Biden administration, enticing people to come here illegally."

Abbott said Monday that Texas was preparing to bus thousands more migrants in coming days.
Senate conservatives are putting pressure on Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) to hold the line with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and demand that any bill to raise the debt ceiling also include major fiscal reforms.

The effort is being led by Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), who have regularly met with House Freedom Caucus members at Scotts house on Capitol Hill to build support for a debt-limit bill with significant fiscal reforms.

They are now pressing McConnell to stick closely to McCarthy, despite efforts by Democrats to divide the two GOP leaders.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) did just that after Tuesdays White House meeting between President Biden and congressional leaders, accusing McCarthy of being the lone holdout from an agreement to take the possibility of a federal default off the table.

During an interview in his office Wednesday, Scott said McConnell and other Senate GOP leaders need to be more vocal in demanding major fiscal reforms along the lines of what the House passed last month, as part of a bill to raise the debt limit.

If we want to get something done, weve got to support Kevin, and then weve got to be vocal in what we believe in. It has to come through the Senate; its got to take nine of us to pass, Scott said.

We need to be very vocal. We expect there to be a path to a balanced budget. We expect that we get rid of this wasteful spending. We ought to be very vocal about what we believe in, he said, emphasizing thats what our leadership should be supporting.

Scott predicted that Biden would try to get Republican leaders to agree to tax increases in exchange for some spending cuts.

I think theyre going to try. I think Bidens all in to try to do it, he said.

Senate conservatives who opposed McConnells election to a ninth term as party leader are wary he may break from House conservatives at the last moment and agree to a deal with Democrats to prevent a default.

Story continues

That was a motivating factor behind a letter circulated by Lee last week pledging that Republican senators would not support a clean debt limit increase.

We will not be voting for cloture on any bill that raises the debt ceiling without substantive spending and budget reforms, the senators declared in a letter addressed to Schumer.

In a victory for Senate conservatives, McConnell and his entire leadership team were among the 43 signatories.

It is now clear that Senate Republicans arent going to bail out Biden and Schumer, they have to negotiate. I thank my colleagues for joining my effort to emphasize this point in the clearest possible terms, Lee said in a statement Saturday.

One Republican senator who requested anonymity to comment on internal maneuvering said McConnell had been laying in the weeds earlier this year by leaving the negotiations over the debt limit entirely up to McCarthy and Biden.

The senator suspected the GOP leader was waiting for those talks to fail before stepping in to broker a debt-limit deal with Democrats.

Democratic senators say they have more faith in McConnell than McCarthy to put together a deal.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told reporters Wednesday that he felt slightly better about avoiding a national default because McConnell declared, after meeting with Biden and other congressional leaders, that crisis would be averted.

McConnell told reporters outside the White House the United States is not going to default, it never has and it never will.

Either way, conservatives think they are having an impact.

I will give Rick Scott a great degree of credit for his tenacity of just holding dinners every week  whether we had something to talk to or not  where the core group of senators got together with the core group of House members and got everyone over the hump, said the GOP senator who requested anonymity.

Scott held a press conference with 21 other Senate Republicans last week to show support for McCarthys position, sending a signal to McConnell.

The two have history: Scott challenged McConnell for his role as Senate Republican leader after the 2022 midterm election and had the support of Lee, Johnson, Cruz, and Braun.

McConnell easily won the race 37-10, but Senate conservatives think that Scotts challenge served as a warning to the Senate GOP leader that he had to pay closer attention to disillusioned conservatives.

Some Republicans felt blindsided by a deal McConnell offered to Democrats in the fall of 2021, allowing them to move legislation to raise the debt limit through the Senate without facing a filibuster.

McConnell at the time argued he wanted to create a one-time exception to the Senates filibuster rule so Democrats could raise the debt limit without any Republican votes and take sole ownership of the debt increase.

GOP critics, however, argued that creating an exception to the filibuster helped Democrats add to the debt.

Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) told The Hill on Wednesday that McConnell is well aware of the different views within his conference.

Obviously, the leader wants to be responsive to the caucus. We have different opinions in our caucus on some issues, he said when asked if Senate conservatives are influencing McConnells approach to the negotiations.

But Thune said the leader would ultimately do what he thinks is in the nations best interests on the debt limit.

When it comes to issues of national consequence like this, my impression is hes going to do what he thinks is the right thing, informed by the views of the entire caucus. Sometimes thats not a unanimous thing, Thune said. His views generally reflect the majority of Republicans in the Senate.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A measure that would ban the use of electronic cigarettes inside of public buildings in Illinois needs only a signature from Gov. JB Pritzker to become law after it received final approval from lawmakers this week.

House Bill 1540 passed the Senate on a 42-11 vote this week after passing the House 85-22 in March, clearing both chambers with bipartisan support.

The measure expands the Smoke Free Illinois Act, which bans smoking in public buildings and within 15 feet of a buildings entrance, to include e-cigarettes and vapes.

We have more and more young people who vape instead of using combustible cigarettes, so I thought it was critical for the health of our whole state that we include e-cigarettes in the Smoke Free Illinois Act, Sen. Julie Morrison, a Democrat from Lake Forest and sponsor on the bill, said in an interview.

The bill also permits retail tobacco stores that derive at least 80 percent of their gross revenue from the sale of tobacco or electronic cigarettes and equipment to allow indoor smoking of electronic cigarettes on their premises.

According to the American Heart Association, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used form of tobacco in 2019. Additionally, the number of students exposed to secondhand smoke as a result of vaping has risen in recent years, with 1 in 3 students being exposed.

Just because (e-cigarettes) arent typical cigarettes does not mean that their secondhand smoke effects are any less impactful and harmful to the general public, Ally Lopshire, government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said in an interview.

Theres absolutely no reason a person  from a pregnant woman to a young child  should be exposed to harmful e-cigarette products while in public, Morrison said in a statement. Its about time we set a clear standard that protects non-smokers and further de-normalizes tobacco use.
Chris Mullins latest memoir pulls no punches about Harry and Meghan (Getty)

Meghan Markle is a cuckoo in the royal nest and her woke Californian hang-ups are likely to destroy her marriage to Prince Harry, according to a senior Labour politician.

In an outspoken attack on the couple, former Labour minister and diarist Chris Mullin suggests the Duke of Sussex will come limping home when the marriage ends in tears.

He says Meghan is clearly the main mover in the couples relationship with Harry very much second fiddle.

The claims are contained in Mullins latest memoir, Didnt You Use To Be Chris Mullin?, which is being serialised exclusively in The Independent.

The novelist, diarist and former MP, 75, played a key role in freeing the Birmingham Six, Irish men wrongly convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the 1974 pub bombings.

EXCLUSIVE: CHRIS MULLIN DIARIES

Chris Mullin, who was a Labour MP for more than 20 years and a minister under Tony Blair, has won plaudits for the first three instalments of his political diaries, described as wickedly indiscreet and a treat to be savoured. The Independent is exclusively serialising the fourth volume.

His new book, released this week, is full of his trademark wickedly indiscreet accounts of meetings and conversations with royals, politicians and celebrities.

Mullin dismisses the duchesss now famous complaint that an unnamed royal speculated about the skin colour of her and Harrys son, Archie.

He says people have often observed they can see Vietnamese blood in Sarah, his daughter by Vietnamese born wife Ngoc, and it is not in the least offensive.

It is not the first time he has sparked royal controversy.

In his 2020 memoir, he revealed the Queen sent a man to the gallows with the words do you know, he even shot the dog?. She turned down an appeal by a man convicted of murder in Bermuda, a story leaked to Mullin by a privy counsellor friend.

Mullins new diaries, which cover 20102022, claim the former Duke of Edinburgh once said charm is a greatly overrated value. He also describes Prince Philip as a cantankerous old buffer and says his reaction to media blanket coverage of the dukes death was thank f*** for Netflix.

And he revealed that, as a foreign office minister in Tony Blairs government, a senior diplomat told him a trade mission led by Prince Andrew was like a rugby club outing.
Meghan Markle has been described as 'lovely' by a restaurant worker who has shared their interaction. (Getty Images)

Meghan Markle has been described as "lovely, respectful" and "kind" by a restaurant worker who helped serve the Duchess of Sussex while she ate with her friends in a private dining room.

Sharing details of her experience meeting the royal, TikTok user Krista Lepore said Meghan, who at the time was already married to Prince Harry and was pregnant, "was great" and "always said please and thank you, always made eye contact and was always engaging".

Lepore decided to reveal all about her experiences with the royal in honour of King Charles III's coronation, but also because she believes many have a "preconceived notion about her".

"Nothing that I experienced was like that with her," she told her followers on the video sharing platform.

Read more: What's next for Harry and Meghan?

Explaining that Meghan was enjoying dinner with her friends in a private room in the restaurant she was working in, Lepore said she was the second server, which meant she had to go into the room to assist and serve and clear drinks.

"Every time I was in the room, everything that I heard, saw and experienced firsthand. She is lovely, respectful, kind, was just having dinner with her friends. That's it, like any one of us."

As she was away from the public in a private room, Lepore believes Meghan "had no excuse to be anything other than herself because she was now in a safe environment".

"And so I saw, in my opinion, what I feel was the real Meghan," she continued, adding that she thought Meghan was "fantastic".

Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry are currently living in California. (Getty Images)

Read more: How fans and critics have reacted to Harry attending Charles's coronation without Meghan

Lepore went on to say that after the duchess had left with her friends she asked her colleague, who was the main server in the room, what his opinion of her was and shared that he thought she was "one of the nicest human beings I have ever met in my life".

Story continues

"He couldn't stop raging [raving] about her," she concluded. "So maybe everybody needs to back off a little bit and give her a little bit of grace because she's really lovely."

Watch: Meghan Markle isn't going back to acting despite signing with a talent agency

After sharing her interaction with the royal, fans commented how refreshing it was to learn what Meghan is like behind closed doors.

"This makes me so happy to hear!" one user wrote. "I always felt like Meghan was being harshly judged."

"So happy to hear this," another agreed. "Thanks for sharing. I truly believe, Meghan is genuine and real."

"I think its ridiculous all the hatred for Meghan Markle," yet another user wrote.

Others added their own stories about her character.

"She visited a restaurant in Dublin, Ireland not long after they married. The staff said exactly what you have said here."

Read more: Take our Harry and Meghan relationship quiz

The restaurant worker said Meghan was 'fantastic'. (Getty Images)

The interaction share comes as Meghan wasn't present for the coronation last weekend, choosing to remain behind in California with her and Harry's children, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, one.

As the coronation fell on Archies fourth birthday, it is believed that this was a driving factor behind Meghans decision to stay in California.

Last month it was revealed Meghan is to be given a Women of Vision Award by the Ms. Foundation for Women  the oldest women's foundation in the US.

Meghan will be given the award on 16 May by feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem, who was also a co-founder of Ms. Foundation, for her "global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls".

Previous recipients of the Women of Vision Awards include Hilary Clinton, iconic fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and Academy Award nominated director Ava DuVernary.

This isn't the only honour the Duchess has received recently: her podcast series Archetypes was given a Gracie Award by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation.

In a statement on the Archewell Foundation's website, Meghan said she was grateful for this "prestigious honour" for her podcast.
Federal prosecutors have brought charges against 30 members and affiliates of a Milwaukee street gang known as "Wild 100s," alleging they secured millions of dollars by defrauding the government.

Two of the individuals, Ronnell Bowman and Ronnie Jackson, are accused of arranging and executing the April 2021 murder of a person, identified only as "N.B." in a Wednesday news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Bowman and Jackson were charged with murder for hire, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and conspiracy to commit offenses related to the possession and sale of firearms. Both men could be sentenced to life in prison. They are also facing charges related to a mail fraud conspiracy.

Of the 30 defendants, 27 have been named and have been charged with mail fraud conspiracy. Three individuals are being sought.

Prosecutors allege members of the "Wild 100s," which is also referred to as "Shark Gang" or "SNG," defrauded the Department of Labor by submitting false and fraudulent applications for benefits under programs such as the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program and other unemployment insurance programs.

According to the release, the members would go on to spend millions of dollars illegally obtained from the government to purchase guns, drugs, jewelry and vacations, in addition to Bowman and Jackson using some of the funds to arrange the murder for hire.

The following defendants have been charged with mail fraud, in addition to Bowman and Jackson: Michael Anderson, 26; Joel Blake, 24; Byron Claypool, 24; Javonte Cotton, 28; Ladarius Davis-Hughes, 22; Larry Echols, 24; Demetrius Exum, 22; Larry Hamilton, 31; Vernell Hamilton, 29; Akeem Hudson, 32; Calvin Kidd, 28; Marcus Malbro, 28; Deautris Mattison, 26; Quevon Mckinnie, 25; Chase Nanez, 22; Andrew Portis, 30; Maurice Rittman, 30; Ramon Savage, 27; Timothy Scott, 30; Keorie Smith, 26; Kejuaun Thomas, 22; Lawrence Turner, 29; Chazz White, 32; Jalen Williams, 23; and Jaquan Wright, 22.

Story continues

Most defendants received one count of mail fraud conspiracy and a second count of mail fraud for mail fraud offenses relating to specific mailings of debit cards related to fraudulent applications, prosecutors said. Each mail fraud count carries a maximum term in prison of 20 years.

Prosecutors also allege some of the defendants conspired to sell and dispose of guns to felons, transferred firearms knowing they would be used for crime, and possessed machine guns. Each count for this activity carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.

The DOJ said many of the defendants were taken into custody Wednesday by law enforcement in Milwaukee, Houston and elsewhere.

Multiple law enforcement agencies participated assisted with the investigation and arrests, including the FBI, ATF, MPD and other area police departments.

"The Milwaukee Police Department is committed to working with our community, local, state and federal partners to combat violent crime," Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said in a statement.

"We are extremely proud of the dedication and hard work of the members of MPD, FBI, ATF, the U.S. Attorneys Office and the other law enforcement agencies that collaborated to arrest and indict several members of the Wild 100s on very serious criminal charges. Our city is much safer due to the all the efforts of everyone involved,"

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 30 members of Milwaukee street gang 'Wild 100s' charged
Here's a look at promotions, hirings, movers and newsmakers in the Memphis area business scene:

Underwood

The Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association recently named its 2023-24 Executive Board. Also, six members-at-large were also elected to represent East, West and Middle Tennessee. Among them were Paige Underwood of Brooks Road Animal Hospital in Memphis and Madeleine Hendrix of GoodVets Germantown. Susan Moon, DVM, Brooks Road Animal Hospital, Memphis, is the American Veterinary Medical Association delegate.

Hollis

A promotion occurred at Process & Process Inc. when David Hollis took the reins as vice president of Sales and Marketing on April 1. Hollis started his career at the company in 1985 in the shipping/receiving department. He left the company in 1994 and returned in 2018 as sales manager. He is now a company vice president of Process & Power, and he will also serve on the board of advisors.

Green

Lori Green has joined the Down Syndrome Association of Memphis & the Mid-South as its new Executive Director. She joined the company upon the retirement of then-director Martine Hobson. She began her career as a social worker for Arlington Developmental Center and Bolivar Hospital, working extensively with individuals with disabilities.

Dr. Shermita Mitchell has joined Eye Specialty Group of Memphis, which primarily focuses on medical and surgical retina management. She received her optometry degree from Western University College of Optometry in Pomona, California. Mitchell completed her Residency in Primary Care with an emphasis in Ocular Disease at The Southern College of Optometry in Memphis. She currently sees patients at Eye Specialty Group's Memphis and Collierville locations.

Gordon

Carpenter

Richardson

Danielson

DCA announced new and elevated roles to its staff. Abbie Gordon, who has been with DCA since 2016, assumes the role of vice president of Account Service and Digital Strategy. As the new lead of the digital department, she develops and executes overall digital marketing strategy and leverages data to ensure campaigns are connected to overarching business goals. Katie Elizabeth Carpenter, who just celebrated one year with the firm, has been named Account Manager. Annelise Danielson has been hired as Project Manager. Ava Richardson, Account Coordinator, is also new to the company.

Story continues

Nolan

Attorney Madeline Nolan has joined the law firm of Moskovitz, McGhee, Brown, Cohen & Moore. Nolan earned her juris doctor from the University of Mississippi. She previously served as an associate attorney for Kay Farese Turner & Associates since 2011. Her focus primarily will be on family law matters.

Henager

Dr. Eric Henager, associate professor of Spanish at Rhodes College, has been selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar for 2023-24 for Ecuador. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. governments international educational exchange program, and its Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award sends American scholars, artists, faculty and professionals abroad to lecture and/or conduct research for up to a year.

Baptist Memorial Health Care has announced leadership changes for its hospital operations following the retirement announcement of longtime Vice President of Metro Operations Randy King. Chris Anderson, formerly VP of operations for Mississippi, will be promoted to VP of operations for Baptists metro market; James Grantham, chief executive officer/administrator of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Booneville, has been promoted to VP of operations for Baptists Mississippi market; Brad Parsons, VP/CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, will be promoted to VP of operations for Baptists West Tennessee and Arkansas markets; and Derick Ziegler, VP of affiliate integration and West Tennessee operations, will be promoted to VP/chieftransformation officer, a newly created role for the organization. These changes were completed by April as King retired on April 14.

Noteworthy

Rhodes College has established a $1 million endowment thanks to the generosity of Patricia and Charles Robertson Jr. This is the second gift of a million dollars or more announced by Rhodes. The Charles and Patricia Robertson Biology Faculty Research Fund will provide $50,000 annually to the Department of Biology to fund new and ongoing faculty-led research projects.

 Compiled by Daniel Ginsburg

Email information and photos in JPEG format, at least 1MB in size, for People in Business to cabiznews@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis business news: Promotions, hirings, achievers and company news
Lets start with two statements of fact. At first blush they may seem contradictory, but theyre not.

The violence we see in our communities  and in particular the epidemic of youth violence that has recently rocked Tacoma  cannot be boiled down and attributed to simply a lack of mental health services. Whether its well-meaning elected officials doing the talking or those trying to score political points, applying a broad brush, in this case, is both dangerous and disingenuous.

Equally true: Pierce County desperately needs a functional youth mental health system, one capable of serving the complex needs of kids and families in Tacoma and beyond. Right now, what we have is a patchwork of underfunded providers working in silos, often competing for limited resources  or, just as counterproductive, forced to shape the services they offer based solely on what the government has decided to pay for. When kids cant access mental health services, bad things can happen. And when bad things happen, providing kids with access to mental health services is essential.

Recently, journalists at The News Tribune have been working on a series of stories related to the troubling increase in youth violence across Tacoma. As a team, reporters Peter Talbot, Liz Moomey and Jared Brown have sought to provide a comprehensive look at the many factors that contribute to youth violence, and just as important, shine a light on the places where our collective response is falling short. Last week, in partnership with the Safe Streets campaign, a wide-ranging panel discussion was held at Bethlehem Baptist Church on Tacomas Eastside, including News Tribune Editorial Board member Jim Walton, who was instrumental in the creation of Safe Streets more than three decades ago.

While access to youth mental health services is only one small piece of the puzzle, as an editorial board we decided it was an issue that demanded our attention.

In April, we invited a collection of local youth mental health experts to join us, in hopes of better understanding the challenges they face.

Story continues

So what did we learn? Its straightforward enough  and at the same time sobering.

A shortage of mental health services like counseling and treatment isnt driving youth violence, the experts told us, but theres little doubt that a lack of behavioral health options  and the gaps kids and families too often fall into when trying to access help  continues to hamstring our ability to raise healthy, supported children, let alone respond to the trauma violence creates in our communities.

Heres the reality we face:

Pierce County doesnt have what the experts described as a coordinated system of care. We do have a number of dedicated providers, and in recent years Kids Mental Health Pierce County  a group that grew out of a 2018 childrens mental health summit  has been working to create one, but were not there yet. As a result, there are too many barriers for kids and families trying to access services and too many barriers for constructive collaboration between providers.

There are very legitimate reasons kids are struggling. In 2021, the U.S. surgeon general warned of a devastating mental health crisis among adolescents. Feelings of isolation, depression and hopelessness have increased, as are suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, its a problem Pierce County faced. Between 2017 and 2019, Mary Bridge experienced a 400 percent increase in the number of children visiting the emergency department with serious mental health concerns.

Youth mental health services  and behavioral health services in general  are criminally underfunded. While the state Legislature recently took several steps to address low Medicaid reimbursement rates and staffing at hospitals, Washington hasnt made anywhere near the investment needed to create something better than the system we currently have. Employees are leaving and not looking back, while patients have nowhere to turn. It can take more than two dozen phone calls just to schedule an appointment with a mental health provider in our region, Tim Holmes, the president of MultiCares Behavioral Health Network, told The News Tribune in late 2020.

As a community, we should be more concerned and outraged by all this than we are.

In the experts words

The first thing youth mental health experts stressed to The News Tribune Editorial Board is the danger of attributing the recent violence weve seen  like the five Tacoma young people who have been murdered so far in 2023  to a lack of services in the area.

Yes, mental health can play a part in violence, just like it can play a part in every other aspect of life. But its just so much more complex than that, said Jamie Kautz, the assistant vice president of the pediatric behavioral health network at MultiCare health systems.

Specifically, the panel of experts cited many of the factors that contribute to youth violence  from poverty to generational trauma and a general lack of hope.

Its challenging, because theres sort of a clarion call about the youth mental health crisis, and I really do think kids are feeling bad because they probably should feel bad  because of things that are happening around them, Kautz said. I think that kids are trying to tell us something, and as their grownups, we have a responsibility to listen to them.  Right now, formal channels of support are very difficult to access. Its getting into community mental health, or its getting into private practice, or its finding access to crisis care.

As a board, we found this framing helpful, because if we avoid the temptation to gravitate toward simple fixes  like ambiguous and generally meaningless calls for more mental health services without addressing the underlying causes of youth violence  we at least stand a chance of achieving meaningful change, as a community.

The question, then, is: What would something better look like?

According to Joe LeRoy, the president and CEO of Hope Sparks, which provides behavioral health services to children and families in Pierce County, improvement would start with creating what local stakeholders have described as a coordinated system of care.

In other words, LeRoy said that what Pierce County lacks is systemic alignment among service providers and their funders at the local and state levels. Such a system would reduce barriers to funding for providers, he said, while centering the actual needs of the kids and families seeking help.

We really dont have a system, still, LeRoy told The News Tribune Editorial Board last month. I think what were seeing now is truly decades of underfunding. Really, we didnt put any value on this system for a very, very, very long time, and now were stretched so thin, its crumbling underneath us, and were wondering, How do we fix it? And how do we fix it fast?

According to Carly Kurtz, who has provided support for youth at Remann Hall through Comprehensive Life Services for the last five years, the failures in our youth mental health system only exacerbate the shortcomings of society at large. Kurtz said that she regularly witnesses the cruelty of this intersection and the lasting ripples it creates, particularly among historically underserved and disenfranchised populations.

Kurtz said that realities like housing scarcity, food insecurity, low wages and inadequate healthcare  along with the epigenetics of trauma, which allows it to be passed down through generations  too often trap people. And those were just some of the challenges Kurtz was able to quickly list.

Its system failure, Kurtz said. I see these kids every day; they do get shot, and their friends get shot, they get murdered. My youth get violent charges, and then they get sent back into the community with whats really just a Band-Aid, right? They cycle through the child welfare system into the juvenile system and back into our outpatient mental health system, and its just a cycle.  The government oppresses people into these margins, and then we see youth violence generations and generations and generations later.

Yes, mental health is a part of it, Kurtz added. But mental health is not the reason why people are getting murdered.

Heres the cold, hard truth: There will be no quick fixes to what ails Pierce County  or the youth mental health system weve created to serve our young people. Its taken years to reach this point, and it will likely take years to dig ourselves out of it.

But if we come together with a sense of urgency and commitment  and finally acknowledge that our children deserve better  we can do better, the experts believe.

As Ashley Mangum, the director of Kids Mental Health Pierce County, put it: There should be some way to navigate (Pierce Countys youth mental health system), where no matter how you enter, whether its school, or the hospital or whatever, that you are pointed in the same direction. No matter where you live, no matter what insurance you have, you should be able to access the level of service that you need.

There should be no wrong door, Mangum added.

Tacomas youth violence crisis is only the most recent impetus for action.

The News Tribune Editorial Board is: Matt Driscoll, opinion editor; Stephanie Pedersen, TNT president and editor; Jim Walton, community representative; Amanda Figueroa, community representative; Kent Hojem, community representative.
Metas content moderation partner in Africa, Sama, was earlier today compelled by a Kenyan court to pay April salaries to a section of moderators it had left out. The direction comes days after moderators picketed at Sama headquarters in Kenya demanding April pay.

The court ordered Sama to continue paying the moderators following an urgent application filed on April 27 that sought to have it compelled to pay the salaries and observe orders issued in March.

The 184 moderators sued Sama for allegedly laying them off unlawfully, after it wound down its content review arm in March, and Majorel, the social media giants new partner in Africa, for blacklisting on instruction by Meta.

Today, the judge directed Sama to continue paying the petitioners being Facebook moderators...and within the terms of the orders given by court.

The court had on April 28 also issued orders preserving the moderators immigration status. The moderators, hired from across the continent, including from Ethiopia, Uganda, Somalia and South Africa, were facing deportation.

Sama told TechCrunch that it takes all orders from the court seriously and will continue to follow the detailed advice provided by our counsel to ensure we are working within the bounds of local law.

However, it said todays hearing hasn't changed previous advice -- Sama is continuing to pay all moderators who have valid contracts, to mean that a majority of the moderators will not be receiving pay, as they "were hired on term contracts that ended at the same time as the expiry of the moderation contract with Facebook," said Sama. Those alleged to have no contracts were required by Sama to clear with the company by March 11.

After Sama announced it plans to wind down its content review arm in January, it issued all its content reviewers with a redundancy notice for March 31 -- which led to the emergency petition, and the court orders on March 21.

Story continues

The court issued temporary orders barring Sama from effecting any form of redundancy, and Meta from engaging Majorel. Majorel was also instructed to refrain from blacklisting ex-Sama moderators.

The court directed Sama to continue reviewing content on Metas platforms, and to be its sole provider in Africa pending determination of the case. However, Sama sent the moderators on compulsory leave in April saying it had no work for them as its contract with Meta had expired.

The moderators filed the suit in March alleging that Sama failed to issue redundancy notices, as required by Kenyan law, that the moderators were not issued with a 30-day termination notice, and that their terminal dues were pegged on their signing of non-disclosure documents among other claims. Sama says it observed the Kenyan law, including giving the employees enough notice.

Sama announced in January that it was dropping Metas contract and content review services, laying off 260 people in the process, to concentrate on labeling work (computer vision data annotation). This came months after another lawsuit was filed in Kenya by its former content moderator, Daniel Motaung.

Motuang, a South African, had accused Sama and Meta of forced labor and human trafficking, unfair labor relations, union busting and failure to provide adequate mental health and psychosocial support. He was allegedly laid off for organizing a 2019 strike and trying to unionize Samas employees. Sama and Majorel moderators earlier this week voted to form a union.

Updated to include Sama's comment
Strange fireballs seen crossing sky over Okinawa, Japan (Twitter)

Videos of strange streaks of light spotted at night over southern Japan have left people puzzled at the phenomenon.

Several people from the area took to social media to share videos of what looked like one large fireball, leaving smaller ones streaking behind it, lighting up the sky on Wednesday night at around 8.30pm local time.

Many shared their theories online on what the strange objects spotted over the Okinawa prefecture in Japan could be.

Whats this? meteorite? shooting star? missile? one Twitter user wrote. It looks like a fireball! said another.

Japanese officials have, however, seemingly cleared up the mystery and said the phenomenon was likely caused by the debris of a rocket launched from China.

The strange burning object was spotted moving eastward towards the city of Okinawa.

Many spotted the fiery object streaking across the sky from various areas in Japan, including Nago and Itoman in Okinawa prefecture, and Amami in Kagoshima prefecture.

The object was seen flying very slowly for a long enough period of time for experts to rule out the possibility of it being a meteorite.

On the night of the 10th, light slowly crossing the night sky of Okinawa Prefecture was confirmed.

Expert say it is believed to be the wreckage of China's Long March 3B rocket, which launched in November 2022.#Japanhttps://t.co/eFpa8mqQf7  Satoe Aoki (@a3o1k4i514) May 10, 2023

A Japanese official, who sought to remain anonymous, told AFP that the fiery streaks were likely not shooting stars, but rocket debris.

Given the information publicly available, we think the falling objects are not fireballs from meteorites, but debris from a rocket, said the official with the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ).

Story continues

It is possible that (it was) debris from a rocket that was launched by China in November, he said.

A curator of astronomy at the Hiratsuka City Museum in Kanagawa prefecture also speculated that it may have been a Chinese rocket.

The object appears to be a rocket launched by China carrying a communications satellite in November last year, he told local news.

The rocket in question is likely Chinas Long March 3B rocket which was launched in November 2022.

Part of the rocket was expected to re-enter the atmosphere, according to the Japanese official, who added that the fireballs seen on Wednesday resembled what one might see during the atmospheric entry of debris from a rocket.
Eight South Mississippi residents have been arrested after authorities searched a home in Kiln Wednesday and uncovered drugs and stolen property.

Terrell Joseph Ladner, 68, is the tenant of the residence on Christine Ladner Road where the Hancock County Sheriffs Departments narcotics agents and criminal investigators recovered felony and misdemeanor amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, buprenorphine, hydrocodone, assorted drug paraphernalia and a large amount of stolen property.

Ladner has been charged with felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.

Kristen Lee Tomasich and Devin John Elliot, both from Kiln, were arrested and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

Two other Kiln residents, Brittani S. Valder and Justin Ares Hoda, also were arrested. Valder was charged with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and Hoda was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Pass Christian native Angela Marie Chauvin was arrested and charged with two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and one felony count of possession of a controlled substance.

Richard Allen Wilkes, also of Pass Christian, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance. Grace Marie Anderson, from Gulfport, was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

These types of crimes are the ones that affect the quality of life in Hancock County, Sheriff Ricky Adam said in a press release. As we often notice, drug sellers and users alike not only contribute to the drug problem we see within our community, but their crimes affect others because it often involves theft of property from businesses and individuals.

Stolen items recovered include power tools and various equipment.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Prosecutors in Mexico said Thursday they have arrested two more men in the March 3 kidnapping of four Americans and the killing of two of them.

The Gulf drug cartel turned over five men to police soon after the abduction in the border city of Matamoros, and prosecutors said the two newly arrested suspects also appeared to be members of the same cartel.

The two were arrested during raids in the northern border state of Tamaulipas on Sunday and flown to Mexico City on a military plane. It was not immediately clear why the arrests were not announced at the time.

Federal prosecutors did not provide the full names of the suspects, but the details and first names match two men listed on a federal database as being arrested in Tamaulipas that day. Those names  Axel Alfredo Cardenas and Alan Alexis Cardenas  suggest they are related to Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the Gulf cartel leader captured in 2003.

Prosecutors confirmed the two were sons of Osiel Cardenas' nephew, Jose Alfredo Cardenas Martinez, who was arrested in 2022. They also said the pair assumed leadership roles in the cartel following their father's arrest.

The two allegedly headed up the gangs of cartel gunmen known as the Scorpions and the Cyclones. They were caught in an early morning raid in which police found six guns and over a thousand doses of synthetic drugs, a term used in Mexico to refer to either methamphetamines or fentanyl.

The statement did not specify the charges the men would face, but it said they had been engaged in drug and migrant smuggling, kidnappings and extortion in the Matamoros area.

In March, less than a week after the abductions, a letter claiming to be from the Gulf cartel's Scorpions faction condemned the violence and said the gang had turned over to authorities its own members who were responsible. A Mexican woman also died in the March 3 shootings.

We have decided to turn over those who were directly involved and responsible in the events, who at all times acted under their own decision-making and lack of discipline, the letter reads, adding that those individuals had gone against the cartels rules, which include respecting the life and well-being of the innocent.

Story continues

Five men were found tied up inside one of the vehicles that authorities had been searching for, along with the letter.

The four Americans crossed into Matamoros from Texas so that one of them could have cosmetic surgery. Around midday, they were fired on in downtown Matamoros and then loaded into a pickup truck.

Americans Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard died in the attack; Eric Williams and Latavia McGee survived. Most of them had grown up together in the small town of Lake City, South Carolina.

A Mexican woman, Areli Pablo Servando, 33, was also killed, apparently by a stray bullet.
The Mexican government issued triple its typical number of humanitarian visas to migrants seeking to travel through the country to the U.S.-Mexico border in April.

Mexico issued some 30,000 visas in April, more than the months of January, February and March combined. The spike comes as U.S. border states brace for the end of Title 42, a Trump-era public health order allowing for the speedy deportation of most asylum seekers.

While 30,000 people is only a small fraction of what border officials have had to deal with each month under President Biden's administration, the spike in visas could paint a picture of just how large a migrant wave is headed to the U.S. with the end of Title 42 on Thursday.

"We do not know if this is solely related to Title 42, but it is evident there are many more migrants here than normal," Miguel Barrera, a field coordinator at the International Rescue Committee near Mexico's southern border, told the New York Times.

NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS SAYS 'MIGRANT CRISIS' UNDER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS 'DESTROYED' CITY

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas are scheduled to give an update on the plans to end Title 42 later on Thursday. Biden himself has admitted, however, that the U.S. is in for a "chaotic" situation at the border.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

EL PASO MIGRANT SHELTERS PREPARE FOR INFLUX OF PEOPLE AS TITLE 42 SET TO EXPIRE

The administration is preparing for a surge in migrants, with 550 active-duty troops arriving there. Critics argue the administration still not doing enough.

"But it remains to be seen," Biden told reporters Wednesday. "Its going to be chaotic for a while."

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is expected to address the expiration of Title 42 on Thursday.

TEXAS REP SAYS GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT TOLD HIM 80,000 MIGRANTS HEADED TO BORDER WITH TITLE 42 SET TO EXPIRE

The impact of Title 42's end is reverberating all across the country, with even New York City relaxing its laws guaranteeing shelter to homeless people and migrants. The city and Mayor Eric Adams have been made unwilling participants in dealing with the migrant crisis thanks to Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's bussing program.

Story continues

Abbott is likely to ramp up the number of buses headed to NYC, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and others cities in the coming weeks and months.

President Biden has stated that the U.S.-Mexico border will be "chaotic for a while" after his decision to end Title 42.

Biden's administration plans to send 900 additional soldiers to the border by the end of May. The president has already deployed some 550 troops, in addition to 2,500 members of the National Guard.
Police on Thursday located a 12-year-old girl who had disappeared the day before outside an elementary school in North Miami.

Katherine Rijo Mendez had been last seen around 2:30 p.m Wednesday leaving Natural Bridge Elementary School, 1650 NE 141st St., in a newer model white Honda Accord with an unknown tag, according to a Miami-Dade Schools Police Department.
Reinaldo Miralles Gonzalez was a con man pretending to be a G-man.

In his role playing an FBI special agent, Miralles orchestrated a scam to pry money out of several elderly people by accusing them of providing financial support for terrorists, U.S. authorities say.

Miralles, borrowing the name of an actual FBI agent in the Miami field office, then threatened the victims with legal action, arrest and in one instance deportation if they didnt send him blank money orders to local addresses associated with him, authorities say.

His total take: $123,398.

This week, Miralles, 52, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and ordered to repay his victims by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore in Miami federal court. Miralles pleaded guilty to a mail-fraud conspiracy last year. While other associates were involved in his ring, he was the only suspect to be prosecuted, according to court records.

Starting in the fall of 2017, Miralles and his associates targeted certain people on social media platforms, accused them of transferring money via Western Union to support terrorist activities, and then while posing as FBI agents coerced them into meeting their financial demands by threatening criminal consequences, according to prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys Office. Miralles himself was held responsible for fleecing seven people from New York, California, Ohio, Colorado, Tennessee and Montana, according to court records.

The victims were alI told that they were being investigated for their involvement and support of terrorist activities, according to a factual statement filed with the defendants plea agreement. They were all told that they were in serious trouble and in order to avoid imminent arrest, they had to send blank United States Postal money orders to addresses which included ones associated with the defendant.

Those addresses included Miralles company in Hialeah, Centro De Rehabilitacion Nueva Vida Corporation, another business in Miami, Caribbean S.A. Corp., and his personal address on Brickell Avenue, the statement says. After receiving the money orders via Federal Express, Miralles deposited the money in his corporate and personal bank accounts.

Story continues

Miralles scheme didnt just involve himself and others posing as FBI imposters. In some instances, the victims were called by people pretending to be lawyers who said they could assist them with their court cases for additional fees.

All the victims reported that they felt threatened and intimidated by the calls and paid the funds so that they could resolve the purported investigation as quickly as possible, says the factual statement, which was signed by Miralles, his lawyer and prosecutors.

Some told FBI investigators that they had to withdraw funds from their retirement accounts to pay Miralles.
A Miami educator, who taught at private Catholic and Jewish schools, landed behind bars last week after officials say three young girls came forward telling police he molested or sent them sexually inappropriate messages.

Eric Bernard Givens Jr. is facing charges of battery, offenses against students by authority figures, lewd and lascivious conduct on a child and lewd and lascivious molestation of a child, records showed. The 29-year-old was remained jail as of Thursday afternoon.

Miami police told the Miami Herald the three children Givens is charged with accosting attended St. Mary Cathedral School. The Archdiocese of Miami said in a statement that he taught at the school during the 2019 - 2020 school year before being terminated for sending an inappropriate text to a student.

Continuing to follow the ADOM Safe Environment Policy, counseling is being offered although the victim is no longer a student at the Cathedral school, the Archdiocese said.

On March 9, the first child, a 14-year-old girl, told authorities Givens, nicknamed Mr. G, molested her multiple times when she was in the fifth grade in 2019, a Miami police report read. She noted Givens would grab her, as if hugging her, and purposely squeeze tightly so her chest would press against his body.

He would hold her in that position for about ten seconds, per the report. One time, he even made a point to separate her from other students so he could stare the teen up and down, before letting her return to the class.

A 10-year-old girl, his former third grade student, also informed authorities she texted him about students not passing the third grade and identified herself. He replied with messages such as I wanna see you again, Always wanted to date you and Oh wow I wanna see you bad, the report detailed.

Additionally, he sent a picture of himself only wearing boxer briefs. When later arrested May 5, Givens told detectives he thought he was talking to the girls mother. However, detectives say it the student and him texted for several days and she made clear it was her.

Story continues

On May 2, another young girl, whose age was not released, told her school counselor she was raped by Givens when she was in the fifth grade, according to the report. She told detectives that he would touch her for most of the 2019 school year.

It started with pulling her hair back and grabbing her wrist to the point she would bruise  which would happen almost daily. On about seven occasions, he would come from behind her and place his hands on her chest, the report read.

After being fired from St. Mary Cathedral School, he went on to teach at the Scheck Hillel Community School. Ari Leubitz, head of the school, said in a statement none of Givens charges are connected to the school.

Leubitz said Givens underwent a criminal background check and a reference checking process. To his knowledge, the molestation allegations were not made public before his employment.

The school has since terminated Givens, but it unclear for how long he was teaching there.

Student safety and well-being always have been and always will be our priority, Leubitz said.
EAST LANSING  Michigan State University today announced Laura Rugless has been selected to lead the school's civil rights and Title IX education and compliance efforts.

Rugless, who will become an MSU vice president when she assumes office July 1, has been the associate vice president for the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX, and formerly as the university Title IX coordinator, at Cornell University.

Laura Rugless

Interim MSU President Teresa K. Woodruff said Rugless was chosen after a national search.

This role is a key leadership position in our collective focus to create a safer, more welcoming and respectful university community for current and future Spartans, Woodruff said in a press release. Laura has spent her career advancing equity, civil rights and sexual violence prevention efforts, and her decades of experience in these areas will further our strategic goals.

"I am excited to welcome her to our team and look forward to her successfully guiding our strategies and bringing a fresh review and perspective to our efforts in preventing and responding to discrimination and sexual violence and misconduct," Woodruff added.

Rugless will be responsible for leading the institutions civil rights and Title IX compliance, serving as the universitys Title IX coordinator and building upon MSUs efforts to cultivate a university community free of discrimination and harassment, the school said in a release. The position will oversee the Office of Institutional Equity; the Prevention, Outreach and Education Department; the Resolution Office; the Office of Support and Equity; the equity review officer; and the Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator.

MSUs determination and continuous improvement to deliver on its civil rights and Title IX commitments drew me to this exceptional opportunity, Rugless said in the release. I am humbled and excited to lead the dedicated OCR team and work alongside campus partners as we do this important work together.

Story continues

Rugless is an Army veteran. Prior to her time at Cornell, she was the executive director of equity and access services and Title IX coordinator at Virginia Commonwealth University.

She earned her bachelors degree and juris doctor from the College of William & Mary. Rugless went on to practice law in Virginia, specializing in employment law and employment discrimination.

Ruglesss appointment is subject to board approval at its June 16 meeting in Grand Rapids.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State names VP for civil rights and Title IX compliance
A student told Channel 9s Glenn Counts she discovered a hit list on April 3 and parents said eight people were on it, including other students.

ALSO READ: Randolph Middle School warns parents of suspicious person on campus

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said officials responded to the alleged hit list at Francis Bradley Middle School in Huntersville.

On the top, it said Death notes, student Emony White said. And she had people on there, including my friend and her dad and herself, and she was talking about how she wanted to kill them.

Emony said she was a friend of the girl who wrote it. The girl shared it with Emony on a bus ride home and allegedly threatened her at the same time.

She told me she wanted to kill them and if I told anybody, she would do the same thing to me, Emony said.

Parent Laonzee Carter said her daughter was on the hit list.

Carter said shes upset that the girl who wrote the hit list is back in school instead of removed for the year.

The safety protocols that they put in place are not safe at all, Carter said.

The case was reported to the Huntersville Police Department and school district officials said they have put protocols in place to protect the kids, which include:

Isolating the students from the girl

Regular check-ins

Supervising hallways during class change

Not allowing the parties in the same class

Carter doesnt think its working.

These children walk the halls together, the same lunch, same recess, so they are very much still in contact with each other, Carter said. And as soon as last Friday, they made a mistake and placed them in the same class together.

Emonys mother, Glenda Rodriguez, said they lived in the same neighborhood as the girls family but because of this incident, she said they moved out of town.

I actually had to move because of the circumstances, Rodriguez said. I mean, I could have stayed within the neighborhood, but I really wasnt feeling comfortable. I didnt like the way the school was handling the situation.

Story continues

Emony will finish the school year learning remotely.

Due to kids losing their lives due to school shootings, I took this really seriously, Rodriguez said.

VIDEO: Student sent to hospital after someone sprayed pepper spray at Lancaster Co. high school
Its no secret that California governors begin to lose popularity as they get deeper into their second  and last  terms. Gavin Newsom seems no exception.

Environmentalists are unhappy he wants to allocate more water to farms and cities and less to salmon runs through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Many homeowners resent his signing bill after bill to densify housing across the state. Mass transit advocates dont like his proposed budget cuts. And on and on.

But malcontents can rest easy knowing Newsom wont be governor forever. In fact, hell be out just 3 1/2 years from now, regardless of who might be president at the time.

His successor is much less clear today than was his own eventual accession to the governors office at this same point in predecessor Jerry Browns final term in the state Capitol.

Back then, Newsom  a former mayor of San Francisco best known for bringing same-sex marriage to his city  faced significant competition in moving up only from Antonio Villaraigosa, an ex-Los Angeles mayor and former state Assembly speaker who roused plenty of his own negative feelings during a long career in public life.

There are no candidates today as certain to run strongly as those two were just eight years ago.

So who is likely to take over Newsoms chair? Chances are it wont be any of the states big-city mayors. Neither London Breed of San Francisco nor Karen Bass of Los Angeles is as well known in other parts of California as both Newsom and Villaraigosa were at the same early stage in the battle for succession.

Of course, by 2026, either might build a far more considerable reputation than she enjoys today, especially if they can seriously dent the homelessness crisis that dogs both their cities.

That leaves the likes of Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, former state Controller Betty Yee, Xavier Becerra and current Speaker Anthony Rendon. Like the mayors, all are Democrats; no Republican now occupies a prominent office that could propel them to even higher stature and no conservative celebrities appear interested.

Story continues

Because of her current post, Kounalakis is a logical candidate, and shes declared early. Two of the last four governors Newsom and Gray Davis  moved up from the job she holds. One thing for sure, Kounalakis, daughter of Angelo Tsakopoulos, a Sacramento developer and longtime Democratic campaign donor, will have no cash shortage.

Kounalakis, a onetime ambassador to Hungary under ex-President Barack Obama, would figure to be even more liberally-oriented than Newsom has been.

Bontas office has also been a stepping stone to the governorship for many, including Brown, Republicans George Deukmejian and Earl Warren, plus Pat Brown, Jerrys father and a two-term governor.

An obscure assemblyman before Newsom appointed him, Bonta has made himself a force in housing policy by suing more than a dozen cities for their reluctance to OK dense housing within their borders.

Becerra, a former state attorney general and congressman, now is President Bidens secretary of Health and Human Services. Undefeated in California electoral runs, hes already the highest-ranking Latino official ever elected here and made few enemies during his four years as attorney general. He could be a formidable primary election force, but would have to get moving soon.

The same for Rendon, due to give up his gavel next month. A resident of Lakewood in Los Angeles County, Rendon cannot move to a big city mayoral job, like Willie Brown and Villaraigosa did after being speaker.

So he might have to seek statewide office, and why not the top one, since he has proven a formidable fundraiser?

There also could be Toni Atkins, a San Diego Democrat who is the first female president of the state Senate. Now an unofficial candidate for lieutenant governor, she could shift one notch up if she sees an opportunity. Whatever she runs for, her fund-raising record means she would have to be taken seriously, unlike Yee, whose appeal would be mostly to Asian-Americans.

The bottom line: Democrats have a strong bench from which to choose Newsoms successor. But its far too early to make odds on how this still unshaped race will go.

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Who might be the next governor of California? Reading the tea leaves
US-LATAM-MEXICO-POLITICS-MIGRATION-TITLE42

Migrants look over a fence as they try to locate family members and friends that arrived at a processing center in Brownsville, Texas, on May 11, 2023. Credit - Andrew Caballero-ReynoldsAFP/Getty Images

As Andrea Rudnik arrives at a welcome center in Brownsville, Texas with a car full of snacks and water, migrants rush over to help her unload. Its been busier than normal in the weeks leading up to May 11, when a federal order allowing the U.S. to quickly expel large numbers of asylum seekers is set to expire.

Rudnik runs Team Brownsville, which provides water, shelter and basic necessities to migrants dropped off by U.S. authorities to the Brownsville bus station. Three months ago, the group was welcoming close to 200 people a day; now, that number has shot up to between 800 to 1,000 people, she says. And theyre burning through supplies at a high rate. A month ago, restocking water for one week meant buying a pallet of water, which is 42 cases of 40 bottles. Now, they need multiple pallets a week. She believes they can keep scaling up but has to wonder, Can we meet the need if numbers surge even more?

Title 42, which began under the Trump Administration, is a pandemic-era policy that has been used more than 2.8 million times to expel migrants without giving them a chance to file asylum. Immigration advocates say the measure has unfairly limited access to asylum for migrants fleeing extreme violence and poverty, while some Republican states have sued to keep it in place, arguing that lifting it would lead to an unprecedented crisis at the border. Now, with Title 42 set to expire at 11:59 pm on Thursday, federal officials are preparing for more migrants to arrive in the U.Sexpanding border cities capacity to detain migrants and deploying additional troops to support border patrol.

Hundreds of migrants wait to cross the United States border before the Title 42 policy, which allows for the immediate expulsion of irregular migrants entering the country, comes to an end in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on May 10, 2023. David Peinado RomeroAnadolu Agency/Getty Images

Read More: How the Biden Administration Plans to Deal With the Looming Border Crisis

Team Brownsville isnt the only migrant aid group feeling the pressure. Blake Barrow, CEO of Rescue Mission of El Paso, which provides overnight shelter, opened up a second building to house migrant families last weekend. Together, the two facilities can now hold 250 people, and Barrow is prepared to convert the parking lot into an additional shelter if needed. We were never set up to handle numbers like this, he says. He says the group has spent $20,000 on mattresses and added about a dozen staff members to its roughly 30-person team since September.

Story continues

The current situation has created a bottleneck at the border, says Dylan Corbett, the executive director of Hope Border Institute, a faith-based research advocacy and action organization operating in El Paso, Texas. The group is working with six Catholic parishes to provide housing and food to migrants and is also planning to expand its number of sites in anticipation of increased arrivals. We dont know how long its going to last, he says. But theres going to be a need for increased support in El Paso for this population.

The Biden Administration has already announced new asylum restrictions that will deport who cant prove they applied online or sought protection in a country they passed through. Immigration advocates have criticized the rule, accusing federal officials of turning their back against vulnerable people seeking safety at the border. The ACLU has already indicated that they will sue.

Read More: ACLU Readies Lawsuit Over Biden Border Control Measures Ahead of Expected Border Surge

In an aerial view, immigrants seeking asylum in the United States wait in line near the border fence to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing into Arizona from Mexico in Yuma, Arizona, on May 11, 2023. Mario TamaGetty Images

Peoplebelieve it or notare genuinely trying to do things the right way. But thats really hard to do when your government changes what the rules are every five minutes, says Priscilla Orta, supervising attorney at Project Corazon, a program by Lawyers for Good Government, a human rights advocacy organization that runs pro bono legal service programs.

In the U.S., migrant aid groups may be overwhelmed, but the conditions are still better than in some border encampments Mexico, Orta says. One Wednesday, she went across the border from Brownsville to Matamoros, Mexico, and observed a camp of tents where people eat on muddy ground in the humid and muggy weather. Theres no sanitation, theres no beds, theres no space, she says.

But she also says part of her job is to demystify what life in America could be for people on the Mexican side of the border. She tells them that life in Brownsville is still tough, explaining to them that this is one of the poorest cities in America, Orta says. We dont have a lot of resources.
Migrants could be seen arriving at the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border early Thursday, just hours before President Biden's administration is scheduled to end Title 42.

Members of the Texas National Guard could be seen patrolling the barbed wire fences of the border barrier in El Paso on Thursday. Maj. Sean Storrud of the Texas National Guard pointed to groups of migrants ranging from a few dozen to well over 200, saying that they were waiting for Title 42 to expire.

Storrud said that few things are likely to change in terms of process at his area of the border, where officials have been operating under Title 8 rather than Title 42. Nevertheless, huge numbers of migrants believe otherwise.

"A lot of them are still waiting there because they just don't know what's going to happen when Title 42 ends," Storrud told Fox News. "They have been fed a lot of misinformation from social media, from the cartels, from well-meaning people. And they've got so much information that when we tell them about the consequences of Title 8, they simply don't know what to believe. But they do know that they're here now, and they're willing to wait it out, even knowing after we've told them that what they're doing is illegal."

BORDER PATROL CLEARS WAY FOR MORE MIGRANT RELEASES TO CITY STREETS, SOURCES SAY: 'THE DAM IS ABOUT TO BREAK'

Migrants are arriving to the U.S.-Mexico border as the U.S. prepares to end Title 42.

EL PASO MIGRANT SHELTERS PREPARE FOR INFLUX OF PEOPLE AS TITLE 42 SET TO EXPIRE

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The major says he remains confident that his outfit can maintain control over their section of the border even as Title 42 ends.

"I can tell you that we are prepared. I have excellent soldiers here on the ground. And that's the other thing I'd like to say. My soldiers are citizen soldiers of the Texas Army National Guard. We're here defending not just the border of the United States, but the border of Texas, where my soldiers live, and the border of El Paso, where over a third of my soldiers live. So they're defending their hometown," he said.

Story continues

The Texas National Guard is preparing for an influx of migrants at El Paso and elsewhere in the coming days.

Many signs indicate that there will be a large wave of migrants attempting to flow across the U.S.-Mexico border in the coming days. The Mexican government has tripled the number of travel visas it typically grants to migrants in recent weeks.

NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS SAYS 'MIGRANT CRISIS' UNDER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS 'DESTROYED' CITY

Guatemala has also warned some Texas lawmakers that roughly 80,000 migrants are headed to the border from that country.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced news initiatives to secure the Texas-Mexico border in anticipation of the ending of Title 42.

New York City has also relaxed its laws guaranteeing shelter for migrants and homeless people in anticipation of the end of Title 42. The city's leaders have come to expect buses of migrants arriving from Gov. Greg Abbott's Texas in recent months.
Jimmy Munoz, 29, of Ecuador, walks toward a checkpoint after turning himself in to the US Border Patrol in Brownsville, Texas, on May 9, 2023.

Jimmy Munoz had just turned himself in to US border police after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico, the contours of the river still visible on the distant green plain.

As he walked to the police checkpoint where his fate would be decided, he mused about his uncertain future.

"I hope to be able to stay in this country," said the 29-year-old Ecuadoran. "But I have doubts and fears that they will let me," he added, pointing to an orange awning some 300 meters (yards) away, where a crowd had gathered.

Although it is already on US soil, near the Texas border city of Brownsville, the Border Patrol post had a barbed wire fence around it and, a little further on, a metal fence about four meters (13 feet) high.

In Brownsville, the flow of migrants crossing from the neighboring Mexican city of Matamoros never stops. Military vehicles have been deployed to the surrounding area.

Like Munoz, thousands of migrants have been turning themselves in to the authorities in recent weeks, fearful that the change in US border regulations scheduled for midnight Thursday could complicate their entry into the country.

Many of them are Venezuelan, but there are also other Latin Americans and Asians.

- To pass, or not to pass? -

At Border Patrol checkpoints, authorities separate men from women and transfer them to different processing centers.

"When they detain us, they take good care of us. They take us to a cell, they bring us food, and a process of questions begins, as well as a DNA sample, a routine process I imagine for migrants. After that, they are given the freedom to go," explained Rossi Carrillo, 26, in downtown Brownsville.

"They give us a paper for an appointment with the judge" who decides if migrants can remain in the country, she said.

"They gave me an appointment within a year," said Rossi, who comes from Venezuela and who spent the night near the Brownsville bus station.

Others were summoned to appear a few months from now, and still others for dates three years off.

Story continues

Several migrants interviewed by AFP who were allowed to enter the country said they were asked for the name and address of a family member or friend who is waiting for them in the United States. Carrillo and her husband were headed to Atlanta, Georgia.

Jose Luis Aular, a 38-year-old Venezuelan, said authorities asked him to download an app to track his whereabouts. From time to time, he was instructed to take a photo in the place he was staying and upload it.

Between October 2022 and March 2023, more than 200,000 people were processed in Texas under Title 42, a health regulation installed by the Trump administration during the pandemic, and which allows migrants to be expelled without having the chance to apply for asylum or immigration status. That measure will be lifted Thursday.

In that same period, some 453,000 people were processed in Texas under Title 8, a federal regulation that allows migrants to request asylum, but can also authorize their expulsion, which while not summary can be expedited.

Title 8 is feared by migrants because anyone expelled under that regulation can end up with a criminal record or a five-year ban from applying for legal entry into the United States.

On Wednesday, US border authorities gave a clear warning: those who try to enter illegally "will continue to be expelled to Mexico or their country of origin."

"Those migrants who cannot be removed under Title 42, and do not have a legal basis to remain in the United States, will be placed in removal proceedings under Title 8," according to a message posted in Spanish on social media.

Rossi Carrillo is glad to have been able to enter.

"It was in God's hands, because not everyone has the same luck. There are women with children who have returned them," she says.

"My dream was to be here and my second goal is to bring my children and my mother," she says.

In her arms is Nina, a poodle who accompanied her on her journey through eight countries, including the Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama.

"She walked through the jungle, she came out dirty, she swam the rivers, we had her on pure liquids because her food ran out," she says.

The pet was confiscated, but she later got it back with the help of a foundation.

Still at the border line, Jimmy Munoz explained why he left Ecuador, a country plagued by gang violence: "We had to flee, they wanted to kill us. I can't have a business because they extort us. I feel good to have crossed."

mav/ad/jh/tjj
The aerial reconnaissance unit destroys Russian armored vehicles in the Donetsk direction

According to the HUR, the soldiers in that recon unit have clear owl eyes and can perform magic.

Read also: Ukrainian forces eliminate two enemy companies and liberate part of Bakhmut

Occupiers in the Donetsk direction of the front carelessly assumed that their armored vehicles were not visible at night, HUR wrote.

Whoosh  and another dozen Moscow boxes turned into a pile of metal.

Read also: Ukrainian soldiers eliminate Wagner mercenary in close combat  video

According to the General Staff, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has lost nearly 197,000 military personnel and more than 25,000 units of materiel.

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 American Legion named Military Times and a Florida television news station as winners of its Fourth Estate Awards for outstanding achievement in the field of journalism, according to a statement from the nations largest veteran organization.

Military Times was recognized in the print category for its 2022 reporting about the harmful effects of burn pits and other toxic exposures on generations of service members. The reporting of Capitol Bureau Chief Leo Shane III established Military Times as a go-to source for developments in the passing of the PACT Act, according to an American Legion release.

President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act into law on August 10.

The American Legion has always cherished the role that the free press plays in our constitutional republic, Vincent Troiola, the organizations national commander, said in a statement. These award winners are being recognized for outstanding works of journalism that not only stand far above normal media reporting but have had a positive impact on society.

I will be honored to present both of these deserving recipients with our highest recognition of journalistic accomplishment, The American Legion Fourth Estate Award, at our national convention this summer, he added. They are credits to their profession.

The winners will be recognized for their work on Aug. 31 at the American Legions 104th National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Tampa, Florida-based ABC Action News WFTS-TV took home the award in the broadcast category for their three-part series, Bogus COVID-19 Testing Clinics Putting Floridians Health at Risk, which investigated COVID-19 testing clinics that falsely reported negative tests to patients.

Past winners of the American Legion Fourth Estate Award include CNN, CBS, USA Today, ABC News, C-SPAN, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Life Magazine.
Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh has claimed her friendship with Meghan Markle abruptly ended after the Duchess of Sussexs romance with Prince Harry went public.

The reality star, 33, recently shared details about her former friendship with the duchess in an episode of her Mumlemmas podcast on 10 May, where she claimed she had been ghosted by the then-Suits actor once she began dating the royal.

The mother of two revealed that she became friends with Meghan around eight years ago, when the pair met at a hotel opening in Istanbul, Turkey. I was a fan, I watched Suits, Mackintosh told podcast co-host Charlie Boud. We met at the bar and we were both ordering a drink at the same time and just started chatting. We got on really well, we got on like a house on fire.

According to Mackintosh, the pair initially clicked over their marital troubles. The TV personality was married to British rapper Professor Green at the time, while Meghan had split from her first husband Trevor Engelson in 2013 after two years of marriage.

The women stayed in touch, and Mackintosh eventually gave Meghan her little black book of favourite spots and contacts when the actor visited the United Kingdom. When she would come to London, she didnt know London very well or know that many people, Mackintosh said, adding that the two would go out for brunch or attend yoga classes together.

The last time Mackintosh said she saw Meghan was in September 2016, when the two were pictured together during a girls weekend at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire. What I thought was going to be a day of yoga and chilling ended up being rose and margaritas in the pool, she said, adding that she and Markle had a really fun afternoon.

It was during that trip that Meghan admitted she had been messaging Prince Harry after the two were introduced by a friend, according to Mackintosh.I didnt ask too much of it, didnt really think too much of it at the time, Mackintosh recalled. If only I had known.

Story continues

When news of Prince Harry and Meghan Markles relationship broke in the press just one month later, Mackintosh decided to reach out to Meghan amid the intense media attention. I messaged her and just said: Hey, hope youre okay. Thinking of you, she recalled.

However, Mackintosh claimed the duchess sent back a really abrupt response that was unlike any of our communication before. While she didnt disclose the message she received from Meghan, Mackintosh said that she felt like [Meghan] kind of told me to f*** off, basically.

She cut me dead. I never heard from her again, she added.

The former reality TV star went on to describe her thought process behind the message she allegedly received from Meghan, saying: My take on it is thatshes like, Im going to be royal now, I dont need Millie in my life.

Mackintosh explained how the media attention surrounding her short-lived friendship with Meghan was total bollocks, as tabloids claimed she had introduced the duke and duchess and was planning the royal wedding. At the time, honestly, it was quite hurtful, she added. Looking back, I do remember when they got married. I was a bit like, feels a bit s*** because she ghosted me.

Meghan and Prince Harry began dating in July 2016, after they were reportedly introduced by mutual friend and Soho House consultant Markus Anderson. In their six-part Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, the two detailed how they kept their romance secret from the public  from their first date in London to an impromptu trip to Botswana, Africa.

In the first episode of Harry & Meghan, which was released in December 2022, Meghan recalled that Harry was late to their date, which almost put her off  but the prince won her over after he arrived as a hot, sweaty red ball of mess who was genuinely so embarrassed and late.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also detailed their last night of freedom before news of their relationship broke to the world. The pair decided to pull the pin on the fun grenade and go out in costumes to a Halloween party in Toronto with Harrys cousin, Princess Eugenie, her then-boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank, and Meghans friend, Marcus. She recalled Harry saying at the time: Well, if its gonna come out tomorrow, lets go have fun tonight.

The two were married in May 2018 in a fairytale wedding ceremony at St Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle. But the media attention surrounding the couple soon worsened, as they later claimed that Buckingham Palace was briefing the press against them by leaking and planting negative stories about Meghan to distract from less favourable coverage about other royals.

In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were stepping down from the royal family and relocating to the United States. Since then, theyve gone on to raise their two children  Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet  at their home in Montecito, California.

Last week, Prince Harry returned to the United Kingdom for the coronation of his father, King Charles III, and stepmother, Queen Camilla.

The Independent has contacted a representative for the Duchess of Sussex for contact.
A leading plant-based brand backed by Jay-Z has hit the next level.

On May 8, Mishas, a dairy-alternative company, announced that its products are on Walmarts shelves  marking its debut of national distribution in retail  according to a press release shared with AfroTech.

As of this writing, the non-dairy cheese can now be found in California, Utah, Nevada, Washington, and Texas.

Here at Mishas, we live and breathe our brand. Our team has worked tirelessly to develop and refine our products, Aaron Bullock, co-founder and CEO of Mishas, shared in the press statement. As a purpose-driven and community-focused company on a mission to produce the best plant-based cheese for consumers, we are proud to partner with Walmart, which has been an unrelenting supporter of us, helping to bring Mishas to the larger community.

The variety of cheese flavors includes French Connection, Smoked Cheddar, Sari, and Black Truffle, which will all be sold year-round at Walmart, the press release notes. Initially, Mishas was available for purchase in natural and specialty grocery stores in the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, Pacific Southwest, Texas, and Hawaii.

Known as the Best Dairy-Free Cheese on the Market, Mishas was founded by Bullock and Chef Ian Martin and started operating in 2018.

As previously reported by AfroTech, the Black-owned company received $3 million in funding back in 2021. Jay-Zs Marcy Venture Partners (MVP), Chris Paul, and branding firm Lisa Shamus & Partners were among the investors in the seed funding round.

The mission of Mishas directly aligns with our values, said MVP co-founder Jay Brown in a press release at the time. When we first discovered Mishas we found some immediate synergies. We embrace companies that value sustainability, empowerment, inclusivity, accessibility, convenience, health and wellness, and personal expression.

The plant-based dairy market is estimated to reach nearly $45 billion by 2027.
An illustrative photo of prosthetic legs; a Boeing 777-300 ER N789AN American Airlines taking off. Jackyenjoyphotography/Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images

A man claims American Airlines lost the suitcase containing his prosthetic leg.

Michael Williams said his prosthetic leg cost $26,650, but he wasn't compensated for it.

Williams said he doesn't want to fly anymore after the incident.

A Missouri man claims that American Airlines lost his suitcase and prosthetic leg  and only compensated him $600 for it.

Michael Williams, a disabled man from St. Louis, Missouri, told Fox2Now that the airline lost his suitcase, which contained the aluminum leg, on a flight from Indianapolis to Charlotte in 2020. The custom-made device cost Williams $26,650, he said in the report.

"You can't do this to someone that's disabled and just say, hey, we lost something of yours, but we're not going to pay for it," said Williams, who was on his way home to St. Louis.

According to Williams, he checked in his suitcase  which was labeled fragile  before boarding the American Airlines flight. Once Williams arrived at St. Louis International Airport, he waited for the suitcase at the baggage claim area but it never arrived.

Williams said he filed a claim with the airline to seek compensation for his lost belongings, which included his prosthetic leg. He added that he was initially paid some $600 to cover the clothes he lost in the suitcase, according to the Fox2Now report.

Williams then followed up with American Airlines to compensate him for his lost prosthetic leg. According to Williams, a representative told him the airline had refused the claim.

"We don't have enough proof or evidence to pay for the leg, so we're not going to pay for the leg," Williams said, referring to the representative's response.

Passengers are required to submit a reference number, a copy of their ticket receipt and baggage claim checks, and their original, dated, and itemized receipts in order to receive compensation for lost suitcases, according to American Airlines' official website.

Story continues

The website also states that the airline will reimburse passengers for "reasonable and necessary times you need immediately while away from home without your bags."

According to a post on Williams' Instagram page, he underwent a below-the-knee amputation after surviving an accident in 2019.

"I felt I like I was a freak, everywhere I would go I had people staring at me," Williams wrote in the post, adding that he had to learn how to walk again using the prosthetic leg.

Williams said he has hired a lawyer to negotiate on his behalf with the airline to compensate him for the lost device, per Fox2Now.

"It's to the point now that I don't want to fly," Williams told Fox2Now, adding that he fears that his other mobility devices, like his wheelchair, might get lost while traveling  and that he risks not getting compensated again.

Williams isn't the only passenger who lost his suitcase while flying with American Airlines. According to data from the Bureau of Transportation, the airline mishandled the highest number of luggage among all US airlines in 2022.

Williams and American Airlines did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Anyone who has ever lived in Northern California  or were a fan of Full House and its Netfilx sequel, Fuller House  are well aware of San Franciscos famous Painted Ladies, a set of pastel-colored homes on Steiner Street that sit in front of the city skyline.

Now, Los Angeles has its own take of Postcard Row  The Glass Ladies.

And the first of the trio is on the real estate market in Venice for $6.2 million.

Named The Glass Ladies, the collection is made up of three similar avant-garde, vertical, three story/rooftop properties, all with an incredible all-glass facade, offering a modern twist on San Franciscos iconic Painted Ladies, a news release from Compass said.

Developer and designer Alon Zakoot thinks the homes could become a new tourist attraction in Venice, much like their San Francisco counterpart.

The first home is called Lucia, Lady of Luxe and she is modern; she is charismatic; she is filled with light, the listing says about the five-bedroom, six-bathroom home.

When it comes to high end one-of-a-kind custom homes, I love exploring a buildings personality, and take it quite literally, Zakoot said in a news release. When you visit a home, you should feel the presence of the space: inspired, livable, prestigious, and uniquely its own. The space should speak to you. As I build the homes and see them grow overtime, each house shows me their particular intricacies or unique qualities.

Other features inside and outside the 4,200-square-foot house include:

Formal dining room

Chefs kitchen

Bar

Indoor/outdoor lounge

Saltwater pool

Pajama room

Office

Balcony

Outdoor kitchen

The Glass Ladies are effortlessly and iconically Venice, with each unique design matching the effervescent vibe and cultural landscape of this rejuvenated and beloved beach town in its own special way, Los Angeles broker Sally Forster Jones of Compass said in a news release. These three geometric beauties add to the fabric of a community that residents and visitors alike have adored for years. To experience them is to fall in love.

Story continues

The listing says the other two homes will hit the market soon.

Unicorn house lists for $1.5M in Massachusetts. See what magic it has to offer

Emily Blunt and John Krasinskis former CA home is up for rent  for $30,000 a month
The presentation at Tuesdays City Council meeting on everything Modesto and its partners are doing to deal with the homelessness crisis was exhaustive. It included a roughly 47-minute presentation, complete with 74 PowerPoint slides, followed by more than an hour of discussion.

The city is working diligently to provide services, facilitate the building of more housing and hold people accountable who dont follow the rules. The presentation included everything but actual homeless people to talk about their experiences.

And it appears there is one thing the city is not willing to do: set up designated sites with minimal services where people who decline to use shelters and other services can sleep instead of in city parks, shopping centers and alleys.

Police Chief Brandon Gillespie said based on his research of cities across the country that provide safe camping sites, he had yet to find a city that reduced their homeless population and really helped people exit homelessness through doing so.

Gillespie was responding to Councilman Nick Bavaros question of whether the city would consider a pilot program for authorized camping sites and if not, why not.

Gillespie said the sites attract homeless people from out of the area and generate complaints and calls for service. He added that safe camping is contrary to the citys focus of connecting people to services and getting them out of homelessness.

He acknowledged that can be difficult but said the Police Departments park ranger and community health and assistance team programs have shown great promise in doing that, despite being in their infancy.

Downtown is a campground

When it was time for the public to address the City Council, several residents called for safe camping.

Regarding Chief Gillespies recognition that some of those safe camping options have not been successful, Ive seen those figures as well, resident Derek Castle said.

But he offered another perspective.

Its not a matter of, Should we have a campground in Modesto? Downtown and Graceada are campgrounds, said Castle, who lives near the park. ... Neighbors and park users of Graceada and Enslen (Park, which is nearby) have just had enough. Its just so bad for them. They are really tired of it.

Story continues

Residents prepare to leave Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, the closing day of the Modesto Outdoor Emergency Shelter next to and beneath the Ninth Street bridge.

Gillespie said the citys Modesto Outdoors Emergency Shelter  the tent city that housed about 400 people a few years ago  drew 1,100 complaints during the roughly one year it was open. But safe camping advocates say that MOES was too big to be managed and that designated camping sites need to be much smaller.

Castle said safe camping will draw complaints but Modesto can address them by looking at what other cities have done. He added it is better those problems are at a designated area rather than what is happening now with residents complaining about camping in their parks and in other public spaces.

Many members of the public thanked Modesto for its efforts to address homelessness. But they said these efforts take time and there is a desperate need to immediately provide safe camping or tiny homes for people who live on the streets, especially the elderly.

City efforts include some microhomes

Some of the projects the city highlighted Tuesday included:

The City Council on Tuesday approved spending nearly $570,000 in one-time federal funding for The Salvation Army to operate a homeless day center at its Berberian Center campus near downtown. People could take showers, get their clothes washed, get something to eat, charge their cell phones, receive case management and other assistance to help them get off the streets.

The nearly $570,000 includes about $270,000 in one-time costs. The city estimates it will cost $300,000 annually to operate the center and will look for partners to help it continue the center beyond its initial year. City officials say the day center will give people who are homeless an alternative to hanging out in parks and the groups that feed people in parks could feed them at the day center.

The city also mentioned a project to build nine microhomes on the grounds of an Orangeburg Avenue church. Construction should start in about a month at the Modesto Free Will Baptist Church, said Kevin Smith, housing director for Stanislaus Equity Partners, one of the projects partners, in a Wednesday interview.

Smith said the homes will be permanent housing with services for families at risk of homelessness. He said the goal is for families to receive the help they need to reach the next step in their lives, such as renting an apartment. He said the Center for Human Services and Family Promise will provide the services.

He said the church will own the homes. He said they range from 400 to 800 square feet and should provide housing for 18 to 30 people. He said Stanislaus Equity Partners is involved in similar project with The Bridge Covenant Church in Riverbank for eight microhomes for single moms. He said construction should start in about a month.
The landmark deciphering of the human genome more than two decades ago allowed doctors to solve thousands of medicine's cruelest mysteries, including the reason 10-year-old Celia Steele has never walked or talked, and now needs tubes to deliver oxygen and food. Deep in the genetic blueprint of the Wichita girl, doctors discovered the cause: two mutations in PDE2A, one of the 20,000 genes in the body. Just four people in the world share her condition.

The answer mattered deeply, but it came with disappointment. Doctors have yet to find a treatment. As powerful and transformative as the sequencing of the human genome has been, the medical revolution it kick-started still falls short, often delivering explanations for illness but no solution.

Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.

But hope for Celia and millions of other people with hereditary diseases rose on Wednesday with the announcement of a second scientific landmark: a new, more detailed version of our genetic code that finally begins to account for human diversity - a factor of critical importance to medicine.

Until now, doctors have been comparing their patients to a genetic yardstick heavily weighted toward people of White European ancestry. The first draft of the human genome, released in 2001, relied on one man in Buffalo for about 70 percent of the code.

"There is so much frustration in medicine about how we are operating with such a lack of fundamental knowledge," said Eric Green, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. "We will look back on how we practiced medicine, and we will be astonished at how barbaric it was."

The pangenome, unveiled in the journal Nature, is based on the full genetic blueprints of 47 people who were sequenced between 2008 and 2015 for another study, including some of African, Asian, Caribbean, American and European ancestries. Scientists hope to expand the new tool over the next two years to incorporate 350 genetic blueprints from around the world.

Story continues

While the human genome is like a single road, the pangenome resembles a subway map, converging in parts of the sequence that are common to most people and branching out in areas where we differ.

"We can see human variation as if through a new microscope. We'll now be able to make new associations to predict diseases and disease outcomes," said Evan Eichler, a professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington, and one of more than 120 scientists who worked on the five-year, $40 million pangenome project.

Eichler stressed that the pangenome ("pan" comes from the Greek word for "whole") still needs far greater representation from the Middle East, Africa and Oceania, which includes Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

This broader version of humankind's genetic architecture builds on previous drafts of the genome. The most complete version yet, unveiled last year, uncovered the mysterious final 8 percent of our code, including millions of new genetic variants  622 of them linked to disease.

It is likely to be years before many Americans benefit directly from the pangenome. Even if scientists do not find a cure, Celia's mother, Teresa Cruz-Steele, dreams that the pangenome will help experts discover better ways to treat the girl's seizures: "I'm kind of hoping for that, so I can get back my happy child."

Among its early results, the project has aided groundbreaking research into the genetic underpinnings of autism, a disorder estimated to affect 5.4 million adults in the United States.

Eichler, who is one of the researchers on the autism project, said the pangenome helped scientists separate genetic variants that appear in the general population from those that are specific to autism. It also led to the discovery of 150 genes that had not previously been linked to the disorder.

The idea for the pangenome came from bacteria researchers, who realized that they needed multiple genomes to capture true diversity within a species. The human project, carried out by an international consortium of institutions in the United States and Europe, delved deeply into some of the most difficult regions of our genetic code, areas made of long repeating sequences that were devilishly hard to tease apart.

"You realize that there was a degree of genetic complexity that we were completely blind to," said Eimear Kenny, one of the pangenome researchers and director for the Institute for Genomic Health at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "We just didn't have the microscope to see it."

Dramatic improvements in sequencing and computational technology fueled the pangenome research, in part by bringing down the cost of the process.

"There were announcements just this year that we will soon have a $100 human genome," Kenny said. "That's an extraordinary leap forward from the 3 billion or so dollars it cost to sequence the first human genome."

Even with its limitations, the basic ability to map a person's unique genetic blueprint has had a profound effect on medicine.

"Oh, it's night and day," said Tom Curran, executive director and chief scientific officer of the Children's Mercy Kansas City Research Institute.

Consider cystic fibrosis. Children with the disease often died because doctors lacked the precise molecular diagnosis required to match them to the right treatment, Curran said. The number of children saved by getting the right treatment, he said, meant "we had to invent adult clinics for cystic fibrosis. There is now a cohort of [cystic fibrosis] patients who would never have lived before."

Then there's cancer, which will kill an estimated 610,000 Americans this year.

"Cancer is fundamentally a disease of the genome," said Andrew Futreal, chairman of the department of genomic medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Measuring patients' genetic blueprints and comparing them with the altered versions found in their tumors allows doctors to see what has changed, and helps drug developers to target specific points where they can prevent change, or lessen its effects.

Beyond its impact on any single illness, the human genome marked "a tectonic shift in the way we think about health and diseases," said Stanley Crooke, the chairman and chief executive of n-Lorem Foundation, a Carlsbad, Calif.-based nonprofit that helps people with the rarest of mutations, those that cause diseases affecting fewer than 30 people worldwide. "It's teaching really important lessons about human life."

One such lesson is that while Celia Steele's disease is extraordinarily rare, her predicament is not. There are about 10,000 rare diseases, most of them hereditary; all told, they afflict 30 million Americans, or roughly 1 person in 10.

For many of the affected families, the pain and doubt of not knowing what caused an illness can feel overwhelming. Finding an answer - even one that comes without cure or treatment - often has great meaning.

Jean-Baptiste Le Pichon, professor of pediatrics in the Division of Neurology at Children's Mercy Kansas City, recalled explaining to a mother that a genetic mutation was to blame for her son's autism.

"She dissolved into tears because she finally had an answer and she had a relief," he said. "She knew it wasn't something she did. Her entire life - she told me this on the phone - she had wondered what she had done wrong while she was pregnant to cause this child to have autism."

For much of Celia's life, her family has struggled to understand why her twin bother, Corbin, born just one minute and one second after her, shared none of her symptoms.

Corbin hit all his developmental milestones on schedule: rolling over, crawling, sitting, standing, walking, talking.

"He was doing those things, and she wasn't," Celia's mother said.

Celia had strange jerking arm movements. She would tense up suddenly. Teresa and her husband, Cornell, used pillows to prop up Celia whenever she tried to sit; otherwise she fell backward. She didn't start crawling until she was 2.

At 5, Celia was still crawling and had learned the words, "Mama" and "what." Then her progress unraveled. About age 7, she began to lose the ability to crawl and say the occasional word. She had trouble breathing. She experienced seizures, sometimes more than 100 in a day. Her eyes would roll back. Her hands would jerk up at her sides as if in surrender.

In 2020, after the family returned from a Make-A-Wish trip to Walt Disney World in Florida, Celia's condition suddenly grew dire.

"We just couldn't keep her oxygen up," Teresa said. "Whatever we tried, we just couldn't do it."

Celia wound up in the pediatric intensive care unit at Children's Mercy Kansas City, where a machine had to breathe for her. It was not her first trip to the emergency room, nor her last. Celia's parents estimate there have been somewhere between 15 and 20.

Running on little sleep after nights spent listening for the warning beeps from Celia's ventilator and oximeter, Teresa would tell her four other children: "I go to battle for you guys, but I am in a war for Celia."

Over the years, doctors tested Celia, seeking a genetic explanation for her condition. Always the tests came back with no answer. Her mother felt defeated.

Celia was enrolled in the Genomic Answers for Kids program at Children's Mercy, which has analyzed the genetic blueprints of about 6,000 patients, boys and girls for whom all other tests had failed.

In September 2020, a genetic counselor phoned Teresa with the results from Celia's test. Her condition had a name: PDE2A-related disorder. The gene involved carried the instructions for making an enzyme linked to other neurological disorders. To cause harm, the mutation must come from both parents. Teresa and Cornell were carriers. Each had one copy of the mutation.

"I literally felt the blood just rush down my body," Teresa said, recalling the phone call with Celia's test results. "I had to sit down. I was sitting there with my hands on my face listening to her, shaking and shaking, crying and crying. It was like a sense of relief."

Although doctors don't fully understand how the mutations cause Celia's symptoms, they know the genetic changes destroy the function of an enzyme that helps cells throughout the body receive, process and transmit signals. Some of the signals come from the brain and direct movement in parts of the body, "so when those signals aren't transmitted correctly, the body doesn't move and function as it would typically," said Rose Gelineau-Morel, a pediatric neurologist at Children's Mercy who has treated Celia and specializes in movement disorders.

There is no clear prognosis for Celia, Teresa said. "We don't know for sure if it's fatal, if it'll get worse or stay the same. We are hopeful because there is an adult who has this condition, so we know at least maybe it's not fatal. But we cannot say 100 percent."

The much more detailed pangenome fuels hope for families like Celia's because there already have been cases in which better understanding of the human genome has led to viable treatments.

The National Institutes of Health's Undiagnosed Diseases Program has searched the genetic sequences of about 2,700 patients, diagnosing around 300 through the tests. Of those, roughly 100 have received treatment for a specific disease; about 250 have been able to get treatments that provide some relief from symptoms.

In March 2022, Melissa Evans received news about her son, Logan, whose genome was sequenced after years of illness climaxing in a cardiac arrest when he was 9.

"Melissa," the doctor said, "this rarely happens, but I know what Logan has, and there's a treatment."

Melissa and her husband, Jason, adopted Logan from foster care when he was 3. He was not talking at that point, struggled with walking and showed signs of autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. From an early age, he displayed behavioral problems.

"He got kicked out of every preschool he ever attended," said Melissa, who lives with her husband in Quinton, Va. "In second grade, he had nine suspensions. He'd throw furniture. I was getting a phone call every single day. 'Hey can you calm Logan down?'"

On the evening of Dec. 14, 2021, he began vomiting and had to be taken to the emergency room of a local hospital. His blood sugar level was at 7; it should have been around 120. Logan was then taken by helicopter to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. There he flailed away at his intravenous and medication lines, as well as at the tubes in his chest that helped remove the fluid accumulating around his lungs. Hospital staff placed his arms and legs in restraints and administered the antipsychotic drug Haldol.

Shortly afterward, the Evans were told that their son had suffered a cardiac arrest, a rare side effect of the medication. When they entered the room a nun was already there. Jason remembers telling her, "Your being here terrifies us. It's a sign he is not going to make it."

Doctors were able to stabilize Logan, who was later transferred to Children's National Hospital. While there, his genome was sequenced.

A few months later, medical geneticist Seth Berger discovered a harmful mutation in the gene SLC6A8, which had impaired the body's ability to transport an important source of energy called creatine. Logan's condition, which is known to have affected about 300 people around the world, could be treated.

Since starting on supplements that boost his creatine levels, Logan has changed dramatically. He takes about 50 pills a day, but he is able to work with his parents on vocabulary assignments. He no longer lashes out at school, and for the first time in years he can ride the bus to school with the other children.

"It's groundbreaking, and it completely changed the course of his life," said Kyle Moser, his former assistant principal. "If we can do this for one child, we should continue the research."

Related Content

Forget Uber Eats. Modern-day homesteaders prefer to live off the land.

At Westminster, what's it like to be very good? Ask the dogs

A police chief got rid of a neo-Nazi. Then came the hard part.
The deliberate cultural vandalism committed by Islamic State (IS) militants shocked and appalled the world after they took over Mosul in Iraq in 2014.

Now, the restoration of the recaptured city's iconic museum, heavily damaged by arson, bombing and looting, has become emblematic of its rebirth.

Members of the public will be able to visit for the first time and see detailed plans of the work being carried out to return the modernist building to its former glory.

"This project will return the Mosul Cultural Museum to its rightful place at the heart of the city and make it a cultural hub for the region," says the director, Zaid Ghazi Saadallah.

The museum, designed by the late Iraqi architect Mohamed Makiya, first opened in 1952 and was meant to tell the rich, diverse history of northern Iraq. Mosul was built near the remains of the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh - once the largest city in the world.

"It's a story of global importance that includes the very beginning of written history," says Mr Saadallah. "Nineveh and Mosul are the two names of one entity."

A short video was released by IS in 2015, in which they showed themselves using sledgehammers and drills to break up some of the museum's greatest ancient treasures into tiny fragments.

It was part of the jihadists' prominent campaign to erase any cultural history that went against their extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam.

Major Assyrian monumental works that were badly damaged or destroyed included two lamassus (the distinctive, huge winged bulls with human heads that had once guarded the palace of Nimrud), a colossal lion, and tablets engraved with cuneiform verses.

Invented in Mesopotamia, in what is now Iraq some 5,000 years ago, cuneiform is the oldest known form of writing in the world. It gives a record of some of the earliest known civilisations - the kingdoms that flourished at the point where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers intersect, in what is known as the "Fertile Crescent".

Story continues

The museum and nearby archaeological sites are so valuable that scholars and antiquities officials risked returning to Mosul in 2017 at a dangerous time, when IS had been driven out, but battles between its fighters and Iraqi security forces were still raging nearby.

An international partnership was soon set up - with the Louvre Museum in France and the US Smithsonian Institution, among others - to help the Iraqi authorities rebuild the museum and deal with the aftermath of the devastating attack.

"We were all shocked by the images," remembers Ariane Thomas, director of the Ancient Near Eastern Antiquities department at the Louvre, who is currently in Mosul.

The Louvre has been working with Mosul Museum staff to conserve and restore three major stone sculptures - including the lion of Nimrud - as well as other artefacts so that they can be displayed once again.

"The restoration had to be done among a nightmare of a puzzle of monumental remains from the Assyrian time that had been bombed, set on fire and intentionally destroyed," Dr Thomas says.

Other objects that will now be exhibited include some which were saved from destruction when they were moved to the Iraq Museum stores in Baghdad in 2003, before the start of the Iraq war. There will also be relics from ongoing archaeological excavations.

There are efforts to recover dozens of Assyrian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Persian and Roman objects that were looted by IS when it ransacked the museum. These were sold on the black market and used as a source of income.

The jihadists appear to have taken good care of these pieces, in stark contrast to how they treated larger pieces in the museum and archaeological sites which were also attacked in their self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq. These included Nimrud and the desert city of Palmyra.

After two and a half years under control of IS, the sandy-coloured Mosul Museum building was blackened from shell or rocket blasts and peppered with bullet holes.

However, experts are hoping that restoration work will largely bring back the vision of Mohamed Makiya.

"I don't know if many people know him internationally," says Benedicte de Montlaur, president and CEO of the World Monuments Fund. "He's really one of the most important modernist architects in the region. He had over 50 buildings all over the Middle East."

While the museum library was badly damaged by fire - with more than 28,000 books and manuscripts burned - specialists determined that the concrete structure could be restored.

Meanwhile, some visible damage is to be purposefully left in the central Assyrian gallery, where the detonation of a bomb opened a large crater in the floor.

"We are keeping this hole as a memory of what happened," Ms de Montlaur says. "So, it will also become a place of commemoration of this dark episode of Mosul's history."

A new exhibition will be opened to coincide with the announcement of the restoration plans.

It will show the origins of the institution in Mosul and photographs of how it was left by IS, as well as pictures of how it should look in future.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that mpox is no longer a global public health emergency as cases of the disease have fallen sharply in recent months.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of WHO, said at a media briefing Thursday that the agencys emergency committee recommended to him the day before that the outbreak of mpox, which began last July, no longer represents a public health emergency of international concern.

I have accepted that advice and am pleased to declare that mpox is no longer a global health emergency, Tedros said.

He said the virus has caused more than 87,000 cases and 140 deaths in 111 countries that have been reported to WHO, but the agency has been encouraged by countries response to the virus. He said WHO has seen steady progress in controlling the diseases spread based on lessons learned from experiences with HIV and working with the most vulnerable communities.

The virus quickly spread last year throughout the United States and other countries around the world in vulnerable populations, especially among men who have sex with men. Health officials urged gay and bisexual men to take certain precautions to ensure they stay safe amid the outbreak.

The virus belongs to the same family of viruses that includes smallpox, allowing treatments and vaccines for smallpox, such as the Jynneos vaccine, to be used.

Health experts noted that the LGBTQ community was particularly positioned to be able to manage the outbreak because of its experience with the HIV and AIDS epidemic. A survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that half of men who have sex with men said they reduced their sexual activity because of the spread of mpox.

Tedros said almost 90 percent fewer mpox cases were reported in the past three months than the three preceding that.

In particular, the work of community organizations, together with public health authorities, has been critical for informing people of the risks of mpox, encouraging and supporting behavior change, and advocating for access to tests, vaccines and treatments to be accessible to those most in need, he said.

Story continues

The WHO news came even as the CDC said it is investigating a new set of mpox cases in the Chicago area.

A cluster of mpox cases have been reported in the Chicago area, which means the virus is still spreading, and we need to continue to be alert. More than 50% of cases in the cluster have been in people who have been previously vaccinated, the CDC said Wednesday.

The Biden administration ended the public health emergency for mpox in the U.S. in January. The seven-day rolling average of cases in the U.S. has been no more than a few on any given day since then.

More than 30,000 cases were confirmed in the U.S.

Tedros said the end of the global public health emergency does not mean measures to counteract the disease can also end. He said the virus is continuing to affect communities in all regions of the world, especially in Africa.

He said countries should maintain their testing capabilities and continue to assess and quantify their needs to respond to the virus.

WHOs announcement came less than a week after the agency downgraded COVID-19 to no longer declare it a global public health emergency.

While the emergencies of mpox and COVID-19 are both over, the threat of resurgent waves remains for both. Both viruses continue to circulate and both continue to kill. And while two public health emergencies have ended in the past week, every day WHO continues to respond to 50+ emergencies, Tedros said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
MrBeast is the biggest individual YouTuber in the world. Steve Granitz/Getty Images.

Mr.Beast responded to backlash over the news that he's buying housing in North Carolina for his employees.

Critics called the move "culty" and accused him of creating a "company town" that would ultimately benefit his business.

The YouTuber said only he could "get canceled for giving people a place to live with no strings attached."

YouTube star Mr.Beast has responded to backlash over news that he's buying up an entire North Carolina neighborhood for his friends, family, and employees.

"I was just helping some people," the creator tweeted on Thursday, responding to criticisms that he's contributing an unhealthy work-life dynamic.

The YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, earned an estimated $54 million in 2022 and lives in a relatively modest home in the area where he grew up near Greenville, North Carolina. On Tuesday, reports began circulating that he's been "buying out" the neighborhood for himself and his friends, family, and workers, per the New York Post.

On Twitter this week, some praised the creator's generosity and ingenuity, as he's become somewhat famous for giving away millions to strangers. Other users, however, accused him of starting to create a "company town" with little separation for employees between their workplace and their home life. (Historically, a company town is a place where all, if not most, of the primary businesses are owned by one sole employer.)

His biggest critics have described his latest motions as "culty."

"Your home and your workplace/boss should be as separated from each other as possible," one user wrote. "If the houses are owned by one of his companies, that's leverage he can pull on his staff if they want to, say, leave for a better job opportunity or just unionize on him."

"What's next?" one user asked. "He's going to buy a whole state for all his followers?"

Story continues

Donaldson took to Twitter to write off some these criticisms. "Only I could get canceled for giving people a place to live with no strings attached," he said, directly responding to a viral tweet calling attention to some of these issues. "All these company town tweets make no sense, I was just helping some people."

The creator's fans and inner circle then jumped to his defense. "Helping?! That's it Jimmy. That's the final straw!! I'm moving out of the neighborhood," his childhood friend and fellow YouTuber Chris Tyson wrote back. "How dare jimmy help people out." another user quipped.

It's unclear who currently lives in the homes the YouTuber purchased, but Donaldson has long lived near his childhood friends, as Insider's Tanya Chen, Geoff Weiss, and Amanda Perelli previously reported. Aaron Bowden, one of the homeowners who sold to Donaldson, told the Post that the creator had mentioned that he planned to move his employees and family into the homes.

This is not the first time Donaldson's large-scale philanthropy has drawn criticism.

In late January, a video where he filmed himself gifting cataract surgery to 1,000 people sparked backlash, as some viewers accused the YouTuber of performing the act for "clout" and engagement. Others said Donaldson's video highlighted flaws in the US healthcare system, noting that the surgery was rendered inaccessible to those who didn't have the funds or medical insurance, Insider's Charissa Cheong reported.

Donaldson did not acknowledge the systematic criticism but tweeted in defense of his generosity: "Twitter - Rich people should help others with their money. Me - Okay, I'll use my money to help people and I promise to give away all my money before I die. Every single penny. Twitter - MrBeast bad."

In early March, the YouTuber also received online pushback for a video in which he gave away 20,000 pairs of shoes to South African students in need. Critics accused the creator of profiting from a broken system rather than addressing its underlying problems for sustainable improvement. But many rushed to his defense, saying the criticism had been overblown and oversimplified, as Insider's Geoff Weiss reported.

The issue surrounding Donaldson and his elaborate charities is complicated, as YouTuber Ludwig Ahgren noted in a video in March.

"He's a part of the machine. He's not gonna fix capitalism, he's going to operate within it  and it's fine that he also does good," Ahgren said."You don't have to love him because he's doing charity work  but to hate him for it seems a little backwards. Is it better if he doesn't do it? I don't think so."

Donaldson did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
MSNBC

MSNBCs Nicolle Wallace torched cable news competitor CNN for its apparent hypocrisy on Thursday, wondering how the network can justify platforming Donald Trumps misogynistic attacks so soon after firing anchor Don Lemon for his own allegedly sexist behavior.

During Wednesday nights town hall with Trump, CNN anchor Kaitlan Collinsonce Lemons co-hostwas subjected to personal attacks, including the ex-president calling her a nasty person. Additionally, just a day after he was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, Trump called her a wack job while still denying he knew the famed columnist. Carroll, meanwhile, is considering a new defamation suit over his CNN remarks.

Wallace began her Thursday afternoon broadcast by contrasting CNNs town hallwhich featured the twice-impeached former president spewing election fraud lieswith Fox News recent settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over its promotion of 2020 election conspiracies.

It reframes our questions today about the risk involved to ones reputation in what was platformedon CNN last night and whether, if perhaps intoxicated by the attention, maybe even the ratings, it becomes a pattern or practice or habit for them or anyone else to platform someone who we know ahead of time will spread known and established and repeated falsities on their airwaves, she declared. To put it another way, its not about last night. Its about what happens next.

We Had ChatGPT Answer CNNs Questions for Donald Trump

Notably, CNN experienced its highest primetime ratings since the 2022 midterm election during the much-maligned town hall, drawing 3.3 million total viewers. The event topped all of cable news for the day, and beat MSNBC and Fox News combined during its time slot.

No one will cast a single vote in any primary for seven months so theres not a pressing electoral decision to be made by anyone alive in this country, Wallace continued. But for reasons actually articulated by the top of that company, a person named David Zaslav, Trump was platformed and published by CNN.

Story continues

CNN Boss Doubles Down on Disastrous Trump Town Hall

Zaslav, the CEO of CNNs parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, defended the networks decision to air the town hall by invoking classic both sides logic. The U.S. has a divided government. We need to hear both voices, he told CNBC last week. Republicans are on the air on CNN, Democrats are on the air. All voices should be heard on CNN.

Wallace continued to blast CNN leadership for allowing Trump to use their airwaves to push a cacophony of lies before stating that the company's part of the story too, alluding to Lemons departure.

CNN recently very publicly parted ways with anchor Don Lemon, she noted. It came in the aftermath of a comment he made on his broadcast that was viewed by his managers as misogynistic.

Among the many reasons behind the veteran anchors unceremonious termination last month, Lemons on-air remarks about GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haleys prime, and the weeks of negative publicity it brought the network, played a substantial role in CNNs decision.

Those very same managers are the people who aired Trumps misogynistic attacks last night on E. Jean Carroll that could invite further defamation suits, Wallace concluded.

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.
PORTSMOUTH  The citys Energy Advisory Committee is hosting a public meeting Thursday night to share information about the Portsmouth Community Power initiative, which starts in June.

The meeting will run from 6 to 8 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall.

The public is encouraged to attend and can ask any questions about Portsmouth Community Power and get answers about the program, according to City Councilor John Tabor, who helped promote the initiative and also serves on the Energy Advisory Committee.

Its just local folks talking to local folks about Portsmouth Community Power, Tabor said this week.

Portsmouth Community Power will begin in June 2023.

More local news: Greenland wants Route 33 traffic fixed before Pease adds more development

Digging into the details of community power

Committee members believe Portsmouth electricity customers  including residents and businesses  who use Portsmouth Community Power, will be able to save about $34 a month if they choose the cheapest fossil fuel source for their electricity.

Tabor noted even customers who choose renewable or green energy sources for their electricity source should be able to save about $9 a month when compared to what theyre now paying for electricity, which will continue to be delivered by Eversource.

More local news: St. Thomas Aquinas teachers let go. School denies claims LGBTQ+ affiliation is reason.

You can go 100 percent renewable and still save money, Tabor said. As many as 60 percent of our community residents are willing to pay the same or a little more to get their electricity from renewable sources.

This enables people to make a big difference in our carbon footprint, he added.

Committee members are estimating that in June and July if all Portsmouth Community Power customers choose the cheapest fossil fuel rate, they can save a total of about $810,000 when compared to Eversources rates.

Portsmouth is working with the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, which will also include Dover, Durham, Exeter and Rye on the Seacoast, and numerous communities around the state.

Story continues

That means that the first wave of communities working together statewide will have about 72,000 customers, but by next summer that number will jump to 120,000, Tabor said.

We will have huge buying power, he said.

That will make the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire the second largest power company in the state, he said.

That size will allow Portsmouth Community Power and other local power groups to pool their buying power and get the lowest electricity rates, according to the committee.

More: New Castle voters approve buying Coast Guard property in packed Town Meeting

Tabor called the success of the initiative a great example of what can be accomplished when volunteers and local governments work together all around the state.

The main goal of the initiative is to save people money as electric prices spike, Tabor said. But were also empowering our local residents and businesses, not just in Portsmouth but around the state, empowering communities to chart a smarter energy course.

Eversource will continue to deliver electricity, handle restoration during power outages and send monthly bills to customers.

If Eversource is currently the electricity "Supplier" listed on their monthly bill, most customers will not need to take any action to participate.

Unless Portsmouth customers opt-out or choose a different option, they will be automatically enrolled into the Granite Basic power option and start saving money beginning on the day of the month in June that their meter is read, according to information put together by the committee.

People who are now receiving benefits through the Electric Assistance Program will continue to receive them after the switch to Portsmouth Community Power is completed, according to the committee.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth Community Power rolls out program to lower electric bills
 ,         

Read also: US reconstruction expert on rebuilding Ukraine, and how to avoid corruption  interview

Nayyem spoke to NV about how the general public and donors will be able to follow reconstruction projects, how much will they cost, and what facilities will be rebuilt this year despite ongoing hostilities.

NV: How did your department get started?

Nayyem: In the early days of the war, it was necessary to maintain transport connections. Immediately after the de-occupation of our regions, roads and streets of settlements were cleared, and temporary crossings were erected next to destroyed bridges. Since the end of last year, we have been involved in protecting Ukraines infrastructure facilities.

Read also: Journalists identify people responsible for abduction of Ukrainian children

In January 2023, our area of responsibility was formally expanded. One of the first tasks of the Agency is to communicate with local administrations of the most affected regions, collecting ignoration about the damage done by enemy attacks.

Read also: Russian Republican Army claims responsibility for St. Petersburg bombing

Secondly, we reformed of our regional recovery services, which will organize the entire process.

And thirdly, we are paying close attention to control and audit processes. The most important thing is to ensure the transparency of procurement procedures.

Read also: Rebuilding Mariupol may take about 20 years, says mayor

NV: Will you focus on rebuilding infrastructure and housing, or are there plans to restore the economy, like with small businesses and launching new industries?

Nayyem: According to World Bank estimates, asset losses in Ukraine have reached more than $135 billion. Reconstruction and recovery needs are estimated at about $411 billion as of February 24, 2023, and they continue to grow. The most affected sectors are residential, transport, energy and trade infrastructure, and industry.

During the war, the Agency is focusing on rebuilding across the 11 regions most affected by the war (Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhya oblasts).

Story continues

NV: Is there a strategy on how different project across these regions will be prioritized?

Read also: Zelenskyy checks rebuilding of destroyed infrastructure while visiting Kherson Oblast

Nayyem: The agency is guided by the recovery strategy approved by the government and the action plan defined by the Infrastructure Ministry.

The current priority are survival-phase projects in the most sensitive areas for the country: the construction of housing, public infrastructure, civil defense facilities, road and bridge maintenance and expansion, and the development of state border infrastructure.

The responsibility for identifying needs and initiating restoration projects rests with the local authorities. If a project has necessary documentation, we will be able to implement it quickly, but the Cabinet of Ministers will make the final decision.

Read also: Denmark to allocate EUR 1 billion for Ukraines reconstruction

The ministry collects, summarizes and evaluates the reconstruction needs of Ukraines regions, determines priority projects, and approves the action plan for ARID.

In the future, projects will receive priority according to a methodology currently being developed by the ministry with the support of the World Bank.

NV: What ideas do you have about the kind of architecture for transparent fundraising and public spending?

Nayyem: The key sources of funding should be as follows: the road fund and the state budget, arrested and confiscated Russian funds and assets, funds from international financial institutions (World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank EIB, etc.), funds from foreign governments, and other donor assistance.

Read also: Zelenskyy signs law on amendments to the state budget of 2023

Together with the ministry and international partners, we are creating a digital infrastructure recovery management system (DREAM), which will provide full access to information about each stage of all projects, both to stakeholders and the general public.

Read also: West must channel seized Russian assets towards Ukraines recovery, Zelesnkyy says

We are also launching certification (anti-bribery management) and compliance control systems across our regional recovery services.

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
Map of Myanmar

Myanmar, also known as Burma, was long considered a pariah state while under the rule of an oppressive military junta from 1962 to 2011.

The generals who ran the country suppressed almost all dissent and stood accused of gross human rights abuses, prompting international condemnation and sanctions.

A gradual liberalisation began in 2010, leading to free elections in 2015 and the installation of a government led by veteran opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi the following year.

But an army operation in Rakhine State since August 2017 drove more than half a million Muslim Rohingyas to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, in what the United Nations called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".

It damaged the new government's international reputation, and highlighted the continuing grip of the military.

This was confirmed when Aung San Suu Kyi and her government were overthrown in a coup in February 2021.

See more country profiles - Profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

LEADERS

President: (acting) Myint Swe

Min Aung Hlaing seized power in a military coup in 2021

The army promoted Vice-President Myint Swe to the acting presidency in February 2021, after overthrowing President U Win Myint and de-facto head of government Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup.

Real power lies with commander-in-chief and coup leader Min Aung Hlaing. Aung San Suu Kyi had run the country as State Counsellor since the end of military rule in 2016.

MEDIA

A group of men read newspapers in the Myanmarese capital Yangon in 2014

Myanmar's media saw a gradual easing of strict state controls after 2011.

But media freedom was not a priority for the democratically elected government that took office in 2016, says Reporters Without Borders.

The state still controls the main broadcasters and publications, and the military have reimposed censorship seen seizing power in 2021.

TIMELINE

The ruined city of Pagan, capital of the Kingdom of Pagan

1057 - King Anawrahta founds the first unified Myanmar state at Pagan and adopts Theravada Buddhism.

1531 - Toungoo dynasty reunites country as Burma.

1885-86 - Burma comes under British rule.

1948 - Burma becomes independent.

Story continues

1962 - Military junta takes over.

1990 - Opposition National League for Democracy wins landslide victory in elections, but the military ignores the result.

2015 - National League for Democracy - led by Aung San Suu Kyi - wins enough seats in parliament to form a government.

2018 August - UN accuses Myanmar of genocide against Rohingya Muslims.

2021 February - Government overthrown in military coup.
(Bloomberg) -- Theres been no significant progress on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations five-point peace proposal for Myanmar that would include ending violence and committing to free elections, according to Indonesia President Joko Widodo.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Asean unity is needed to formulate the way forward, Indonesias leader said Thursday as the two-day summit wraps up in the island of Labuan Bajo. But the issue of Myanmar must not hinder the accelerated development of the Asean community, cause this is what we have been waiting for.

Myanmar, one of the groups 10 members, is a lingering problem for Asean as violence remains rampant in a country run by a military junta, with no signs that the peace proposal pushed by its neighbors will be adopted any time soon. The junta continues to use force to crack down on its citizens and political parties critical of its authoritarian rule.

In April, more than 50 people were killed following a Myanmar military strike in the Sagaing region. The US condemned the violence and urged Myanmar to to respect the genuine and inclusive democratic aspirations of the people of Burma.

While Asean has taken an increasingly tougher stance on Myanmar by banning its military generals from attending regional meetings and actively promoting the peace plan, critics find these steps insufficient and are calling for stronger measures including sanctions. The regional bloc has a policy of non-interference in its members affairs and the group remains divided in resolving Myanmars crisis.

Unknown assailants shot at a convoy of Indonesian and Singaporean diplomats days before the May 10 start of the Asean summit, casting a pall on the gathering.

Story continues

Indonesia is engaging Myanmar through quiet diplomacy, its foreign minister has said repeatedly. The country has also set up a special envoy office, though officials have kept mum on its progress.

Jokowi said Indonesia is willing to engage anyone including Myanmars junta. But engagement does not mean recognition, he said at a media briefing after wrapping up the summit.

(Adds more comments from President Joko Widodo in last two paragraphs.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Hussey Seating Company announces Brian Deveaux as CEO

Brian Deveaux

NORTH BERWICK, Maine  Hussey Seating Company announced today that Brian Deveaux will assume the role of CEO in addition to his current position as President, effective July 1. Gary Merrill, the current CEO, will retire from the company on the same date, after more than 35 years of service.

Deveauxs promotion to CEO is the next step in the planned leadership transition that began in July 2022, when he assumed the role of President while Merrill remained CEO. To facilitate a smooth transition, Merrill will remain involved with the company as an advisor through the end of 2023.

Brian has been an integral part of the Hussey Seating team since he joined the company in 2017, said Gary Merrill. I have tremendous respect for him and the Hussey Leadership Team, and I am confident they will continue to honor the legacy of the Hussey Family while continuing to grow and steward the company for future generations.

Before joining Hussey Seating Company as CFO, Deveaux was a partner and co-founder of Leaders LLC, a Portland-based consulting firm that specialized in advising family businesses in strategic transactions. He has also served as Chief Operating Officer for Seabrook International and held several management positions in operations at Bath Iron Works.

"On behalf of the board of Hussey Seating Company, I want to express our gratitude to Gary for his outstanding leadership and service to the company. We are grateful that Gary will remain involved with the company as an advisor through the end of the year, ensuring a smooth transition to Brian Deveaux as our next CEO, says Board Chair, and 6th Generation family shareholder Letitia Hussey Beauregard. Brian has been a valuable member of our leadership team since he joined the company in 2017, and we have full confidence in his ability to build on Gary's successes and lead the company into the future."

Story continues

Merrill was elected President and CEO of Hussey Seating in 2016, and in the seven years that followed led the company to achieve four of its five highest sales figures in company history. Following Merrill, Deveaux is the just second non-Hussey family member to serve as President and CEO in the family-owned company's 188-year history.

I am truly honored and humbled to be assuming the mantle of leadership at this incredible Maine company," said Deveaux. I want to thank Gary for his leadership over the last seven years, during which time the company and our family of 300 dedicated employees have flourished. We are set up for a bright future, thanks in large part to Garys leadership through some challenging times. I look forward to building upon his successes, and to nurturing the legacy that the Hussey family has carried for 188 years.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Names to Know: Meet the new professionals on the Seacoast
The Pinestand rock formation on Mars, as seen by Perseverance.



The Pinestand rock formation on Mars, as seen by Perseverance rover.

The Perseverance rover mission on Mars is exploring a dried-up river delta that once fed into a large crater lake on the planet. Now, NASA scientists have found evidence of one such river, which was apparently deeper and faster-moving than previously discovered ancient waterways.

Hundreds of images taken by Perseverances Mastcam-Z instrument were assembled into two mosaic images, which indicate to NASA scientists that at least one river flowing into Jezero Crater was turbid, upheaving Martian sediment as it moved water across the planets surface.

Read more

The more powerful the flow of water, the more easily its able to move larger pieces of material, said Libby Ives, a postdoctoral researcher at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a NASA release.

The images Ives has scrutinized for the last six months revealed coarse sediment grains and cobbleslarger bits of coarse rockwhich are indicative of a high-energy river thats truckin and carrying a lot of debris, Ives said.

Theres plenty of evidence for ancient water on the Martian surface, but Perseverances mission is unique: the rover has collected a cache of rock samples that will be brought to Earth in the early 2030s, assuming NASA and scheduling doesnt slip. (A big assumption, but one we hope comes to pass without a hitch.)

The Skrinkle Haven region of Mars.

Within those samples, scientists hope, will be scientific information clarifying the geological evolution of Mars, what happened to the planets water, andjust maybewhether or not ancient microbial life ever existed on the fourth planet from the Sun.

Lately, Perseverance has been investigating the river delta fanning out on the western end of Jezero Crater. Thats where researchers recently spotted rock formations that offer hints at the deltas watery past. Two series of curved features in the area (nicknamed Skrinkle Haven and Pinestead) may have once hosted rivers, either one that wound through the landscape like the Mississippi or braided across the now-windswept rock.

Story continues

The wind has acted like a scalpel that has cut the tops off these deposits, said Michael Lamb, a river specialist at Caltech and a collaborator on the Perseverance team, in the JPL release. We do see deposits like this on Earth, but theyre never as well exposed as they are here on Mars. Earth is covered in vegetation that hides these layers.

The layers are quite tall compared to similar-looking features on Earth that host rivers, but at the same time, thats the most obvious way such features would form, Ives said.

More imaging of the surfaceand of course, getting the Perseverance rock samples analyzed on Earthcould clarify the sorts of fluvial geomorphology that occurred billions of years ago on Mars.

More: NASAs Mars Sample Return Mission Is Already Facing a Serious Cash Crunch

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway, an American, who vanished while on a high school graduation class trip in Aruba, will be extradited to the United States from Peru, her family said Wednesday.

Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway, announced the news in a statement.

"Almost exactly eighteen years later, her perpetrator, Joran van der Sloot, has been extradited to Birmingham to answer for his crimes," she said.

Peruvian authorities agreed to extradite Van der Sloot, who is serving a 28-year prison sentence for the murder of a 21-year-old Peruvian Stephany Flores in 2010.

TEXAS POLICE ID WOMAN AS BABY ABDUCTED OVER 50 YEARS AGO

The Peruvian government has agreed to temporarily hand over the Dutch citizen to American authorities "for his prosecution in the United States for the alleged commission of the crimes of extortion and fraud, to the grievance of Elizabeth Ann Holloway," Peru Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Daniel Maurate Romero, said in a statement.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru's ambassador to the U.S., said he hopes "this action will enable a process that will help to bring peace to Mrs. Holloway and to her family, who are grieving in the same way that the Flores family in Peru is grieving for the loss of their daughter."

Van der Sloot is one of the main suspects in the disappearance of Holloway, who failed to appear for her flight home to Alabama on May 30, 2005, in Aruba.

The 18-year-old was last seen leaving a bar early that morning with the young Dutchman. Her body was never found and the ensuing searches for the young woman would reap intense media scrutiny and worldwide attention. She was declared legally dead in 2014.

Van der Sloot was arrested at one point in connection with Holloway's disappearance but was later released for lack of evidence. The disappearance garnered worldwide attention and sparked a media frenzy.

Story continues

Ted Williams, a criminal defense attorney and Fox News contributor who covered the Holloway case on the ground in Aruba dating back to 2005, called news of Van der Sloot's extradition "fantastic."

"I am elated and I think that it is fantastic that Joran van der Sloot will be extradited to the United States and will be charged will some criminal acts associated with Natalee Holloway," he told Fox News Digital.

Authorities have not announced what type f charges Van der Sloot could face. Williams said he anticipates him to be handed over to federal authorities once he touches U.S. soil but doesn't expect him to confess to anything or make any statements.

He added the legal process could be "long and drawn out" depending on what charges are imposed.

Flores was killed five years to the day Holloway, who was from Alabama, disappeared. Van der Sloot told police he killed the woman in Peru in a fit of rage after she discovered on his laptop his connection to the disappearance of Holloway. Police forensic experts disputed the claim.

In her statement, Beth Holloway noted that her daughter would be 36-years-old today.

It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off," she said. "Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee."
Natalie Portman is looking back on her debut film, Leon: The Professional, with a raised eyebrow.

The actor admitted to having mixed feelings about the 1994 action-thriller, which features an uncomfortably intimate, almost romantic relationship between an adult man and a preteen girl.

Its a movie thats still beloved, and people come up to me about it more than almost anything Ive ever made, she told The Hollywood Reporter in a Q&A published Wednesday, adding, It gave me my career.

But Portman said the dynamic between the characters had not aged well.

Natalie Portman at the premiere of

Natalie Portman at the premiere of "Leon: The Professional" in November 1994.

It is definitely, when you watch it now, it definitely has some cringey, to say the least, aspects to it, she said. So, yes, its complicated for me.

Luc Bessons Leon tried to push the envelope with the sordid tale of an assassin and a 12-year-old orphan, played by Portman. In between graphic killing sprees, Portmans preteen character tries to seduce Leon, who is played by French actor Jean Reno. She eventually becomes his protege.

Even at the time of its release, critics questioned the plots rationale, with Roger Ebert accusing Leon of exploit[ing] the youth of the girl without really dealing with it in a 1994 review.

The films legacy has been further tarnished by sexual abuse allegations against Besson from multiple women.

Jean Reno loads a gun in front of Natalie Portman in a scene from the film 'Leon: The Professional', 1994. (Photo by Columbia Pictures/Getty Images)

Jean Reno loads a gun in front of Natalie Portman in a scene from the film 'Leon: The Professional', 1994. (Photo by Columbia Pictures/Getty Images)

Portman told THR the accusations were devastating to her, but added that she was completely unaware of any misconduct when she worked with him as a child actor.

I really didnt know, she told the publication. I was a kid working. I was a kid. But I dont want to say anything that would invalidate anyones experience.

Portman previously described the harassment she faced after her big break in Leon: The Professional, calling the deluge of unwanted attention sexual terrorism during a speech at the Los Angeles Womens March in 2018.

Related...
(Editors note: This story was updated at 4:17 p.m. EDT Wednesday.)

Rescue crews have suspended their search for the three people aboard a Navy contractors aircraft, which plunged into the Pacific Ocean about a mile southwest of a Navy-owned island off the coast of San Diego, U.S. officials said Thursday.

The U.S. Coast Guard said its crews along with Navy, Air Force, and Customs and Border Protection searched a combined 334 square miles around San Clemente Island Wednesday after the Phoenix Air Learjet went down that morning.

Rescue crews found the wreckage of the aircraft early Wednesday and immediately launched a search for the occupants.

The Learjet used by the contractor departed from the Ventura County area, said Drew Verbis, spokesperson for Naval Base Ventura County on the coast northwest of Los Angeles.

Watchstanders at the Joint Harbor Operations Center in San Diego received the initial report of a downed aircraft at 7:53 a.m. from the Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility on San Clemente Island, according to a press release from Coast Guard District 11. The FACSFAC reported that the aircraft didnt make it back to the runway.

A Navy Phoenix Lear jet crew was in the area and began immediately searching the debris field, according to the release. They were quickly joined by MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew from Coast Guard Sector San Diego and Customs and Border Protection aircraft. The amphibious transport dock San Diego diverted after hearing the emergency broadcast and began searching the area as well.

The Air Force then joined the search as well.

The identities of those aboard have not been released.

 Navy Times staff contributed to this report.
An F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-22 lands on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz on April 22, 2023. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Hannah Kantner

A fighter jet landed on the USS Nimitz for the 350,000th time  a historic milestone.

The aircraft carrier became the first in active service to hit that mark after 48 years in the Navy.

But the flattop's days are numbered, and it's slated to be scrapped within the next few years.

A fighter jet recently landed aboard the US Navy's oldest-serving aircraft carrier for the 350,000th time, marking a historic achievement for USS Nimitz before the ship's decades of service come to an end.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet from the Strike Fighter Squadron 22 made an arrested landing on the 48-year-old Nimitz on the morning of April 22 as the vessel transited waters in the South China Sea. The jet, a cornerstone of American naval aviation, was piloted by Capt. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the Nimitz, and Cmdr. Luke Edwards, commanding officer of the squadron.

It marked the 350,000th time that a fixed-wing aircraft has landed on the flight deck of the carrier. It's the first time an aircraft carrier in active service has reached this milestone. Aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has recorded 326,600 arrested landings, the next highest total.

"I am honored and humbled to land this historic milestone for our ship," Sicola said in a Navy statement. "I dedicate this landing to the countless naval aviators who have flown before me, and it is a privilege to further the proud tradition of service that this distinguished aircraft carrier embodies."

"To the shipyard maintenance teams who put in countless hours to prepare this warship for sea, to the thousands of dedicated Sailors on board who sacrifice for their country, and to the families back home who support us along the way  'teamwork is a tradition' on Nimitz and we could not have accomplished this mission without the steadfast commitment to this historic ship," he added.

Photographs published by the Navy show the Super Hornet landing on the Nimitz's flight deck, as well as the embrace by the two pilots afterwards. But the Navy said in its statement that a proper celebration had to wait because there were more aircraft that needed to land. So sailors reset the arresting cable and moved the aircraft out of the landing area.

Story continues

"Mighty Nimitz had to get ready for trap number 350,001," the Navy said.

US Navy Capt. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), front seat, and Cmdr. Luke Edwards, commanding officer of the Fighting Redcocks of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22, make an arrested landing in an F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-22 marking the 350,000th time the carrier has landed a fixed-wing aircraft on its flight deck. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Caitlin Flynn

US Navy Capt. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), front seat, and Cmdr. Luke Edwards, commanding officer of the Fighting Redcocks of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22, make an arrested landing in an F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-22 marking the 350,000th time the carrier has landed a fixed-wing aircraft on its flight deck. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Calabrese

Capt. Craig Sicola and Cmdr. Luke Edwards shake hands after making the landing. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Calabrese

Building on the lessons of USS Enterprise, the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier before it, the Nimitz was commissioned in May 1975 and was the first of 10 such vessels in a new class of nuclear-powered supercarriers that has served the US Navy for decades.

The 1,092-foot-long USS Nimitz named after the legendary World War II naval commander Adm. Chester William Nimitz Sr. was one of the largest ships on earth at the time of its commission and saw participation in multiple major military operations involving deployments all over the world.

For instance, the Nimitz has supported operations in Iraq, as well as missions in Afghanistan, and it also played a role in a historic show of force during the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis that, for a time, curbed China's efforts to intimidate Taiwan.

Its time in service, which spans nearly half a century, is drawing to a close though.

Last month, the Navy published a notice that detailed the beginning of plans to scrap the Nimitz. The vessel will be only the second American nuclear-powered carrier after the Enterprise slated to be scrapped. The process is expected to be slow and technically challenging given the logistical and safety precautions involved in the process.

The Nimitz was originally expected to leave service in 2025, but it has received a 13-month life extension and will depart the Navy in 2026, USNI News reported. After its last deployment, the ship will head to Huntington Ingalls' Newport News Shipbuilding to start the process of deactivation.

Though Nimitz-class ships remain a prominent presence in the US Navy, the future of the Navy carrier fleet is the new Ford-class aircraft carriers, the first of which just recently set sail on its first full deployment. These new carriers feature a suite of new technologies aimed at giving these new ships an edge over their Nimitz-class predecessors.

Read the original article on Business Insider
WASHINGTON  The U.S. Navy tested what one commander described as a combination of unmanned and unmanned sea and air capabilities in a Pacific Fleet demonstration known as Integrated Battle Problem 23.1.

During the exercise, which began May 1 off the coast of California and runs through Friday, a V-BAT drone made by Shield AI was launched from a Leidos Seahawk medium displacement unmanned surface vessel, according to Cmdr. Jerry Daley, the leader of Unmanned Surface Vessel Division One.

IBP 23.1 gave operators more of a hands-on experience with a longer list and more-diverse list of unmanned systems at sea and in a combat environment, Daley told reporters May 11. It was predominantly, if not exclusively, all unmanned systems for this event, which is a little bit different, in contrast from IBP 21, where it was more manned and unmanned.

The latest trials, he added, represent the next step in the progression of integrating unmanned systems into fleet operations across the continuum, under the sea, on the surface and in the air.

INDOPACOMs Aquilino seeks more electromagnetic resources for Pacific

Competition between the U.S. and China is pushing the spotlight onto naval supremacy, especially in the Indo-Pacific. The vast region, home to more than half the worlds population and some of its largest ports, is considered by the Biden administration to be critical to U.S. interests.

The Navy is banking on uncrewed technologies to beef up its presence, whether thats overall size and international distribution or with specific capabilities, such as surveillance, targeting and jamming. A recent update to the chief of naval operations Navigation Plan, a strategic-vision-style document, included an outline of a fleet comprising about 373 manned ships and 150 uncrewed vessels, Defense News reported.

Integrated Battle Problem, now in its second iteration, allows the Pacific Fleet to evaluate uncrewed machinery and discover their best applications, Daley said. Among other assets tested were the Sea Hunter medium displacement unmanned surface vessel and the RQ-20 Puma drone.

The first IBP exercise was held in 2021. At the time, the Navy said uncrewed developments were game-changers and were motivating a rethink of how the service and sailors execute their tasks.
dcs-mini-sub-ioc.jpg

The first examples of a new special operations mini-submarine should be ready for real-world operations before the end of the month, according to U.S. Special Operations Command. The Dry Combat Submersible, or DCS, offers significant benefits over existing designs in U.S. Navy service, known as SEAL Delivery Vehicles, or SDVs, in which individuals have to ride underwater fully exposed to the elements.

Officials from U.S. Special Operations Command offered updates on the status of DCS this week at an annual special operations-focused conference now known as SOF Week. The DCS is derived from the S351 Nemesis, designed by built by MSubs in the United Kingdom. MSubs is part of a team led by Lockheed Martin that has been developing the miniature submersible since 2016.

A prototype DCS in the water. SOCOM

This morning we received an operational test report," John Conway, the program manager for Undersea Systems within U.S. Special Operations Command's (SOCOM) Program Executive Office-Maritime (PEO-M), said at a briefing at SOFWeek yesterday. "So that means the Dry Combat Submersible is going to be operational by Memorial Day [May 29, 2023], and were coming to an end scenario."

Many details about the DCS are classified, but its general capabilities at least are believed to be very similar to that of the 30-ton displacement and 39-foot-long S351. The Nemesis requires a crew of two to operate and has a stated maximum range of approximately 66 nautical miles when traveling at a speed of five knots and using its all-electric propulsion system. It can dive down to depths as deep as around 330 feet (100 meters). Beyond its crew, it can carry eight additional personnel or around a metric ton's worth of cargo.

An MSubs S351. MSubs

In general, a submersible like this provides a way for U.S. special operations forces, especially the Navy's elite SEALs, to discreetly get ashore from a submarine, even one that's submerged, or another maritime launch platform and/or exfiltrate from the area. This kind of capability is especially valuable for conducting various kinds of operations, especially ones conducted behind enemy lines or in otherwise sensitive locations. This can include missions conducted entirely underwater, such as infiltrating into an enemy port to plant mines or otherwise sabotage ships or infrastructure, or to gather intelligence.

Story continues

As already noted, the big benefit of DCS over existing SDVs is the ability to carry its occupants in a totally dry environment. This might sound like a minor issue for special operations forces like the Navy SEALs that are trained to conduct underwater operations of various kinds, but it has significant operational implications.

As it stands now, SEALs and other U.S. special operations forces traveling extended distances below the waves using a 'wet' SDV, even the Navy's latest Mk 11 type, ride the entire way exposed to the water. Even in tropical climates, this can be a cold ride, especially if done at deeper depths that further help personnel evade detection. In colder regions, being exposed to the water the whole time isn't just uncomfortable, it can potentially be dangerous. Furthermore, with a traditional wet SDV, operators then have to conduct whatever their mission might be soaking wet and likely cold, further increasing fatigue and other issues.

A Mk 11 SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV), the newest 'wet' design in U.S. service, seen here during testing. SOCOM A picture of a Navy Mk 8 SDV in use highlighting its 'wet' design. USN

With the DCS, special operations forces can travel underwater from their launch point to the objective without being exposed this way. Thanks to a built-in lock-out chamber, they still have the option to get in and out while the craft is submerged. Doing so, of course, would help to reduce their chances of them being spotted as they infiltrate an area, but they would still be exposed to potentially frigid waters for much shorter periods of time.

That ends a capability gap of 15 years  more than 15 years, Navy Capt. Randy Slaff, the head of SOCOM's PEO-M said during a panel discussion at SOFWeek, according to National Defense magazine, highlighting the importance of the DCS.

Slaff's remark also underscores how the current DCS program is not the first time SOCOM and the Navy have tried to acquire a capability like this. The Navy first outlined requirements for what became known as the Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) in the 1980s and development of this mini-submarine design got fully underway in the 1990s.

ASDS was roughly twice as big as the S351 and proved to be noisy, under-powered, and otherwise problematic. After years of delays due to technical issues and cost growth, the program suffered an especially bad setback in 2008 when the one prototype that had been built caught fire and was completely destroyed. The program was canceled entirely the following year.

The prototype Advanced SEAL Delivery System submersible is seen here on top of the rear deck of the Los Angeles class attack submarine USS Charlotte. USN

This was followed by a Joint Multi-Mission Submersible program, which was itself canceled in 2010.

DCS has proven to be a much more successful effort.

However, in the six years since Lockheed Martin first received a contract to develop this mini-submarine, other events have transpired and the overall geopolitical environment has changed. Expeditionary and distributed operations, possibly in the context of a future high-end fight against China across the broad expanses of the Pacific, are now at the forefront of many planning considerations.

On top of this, the Navy currently plans to retire its four Ohio class nuclear-guided missile submarines, or SSGNs, before the end of the current decade. These submarines are designed to act, among many other things, as special operations motherships, including with the capability to deploy personnel using SDVs via Dry Deck Shelters (DDS). A number of current Virginia class attack submarines are also fitted with DDSs to conduct special operations support missions and future boats in that class could be even more capable in this role. However, a new dedicated replacement for the Ohio SSGNs is likely decades away, as you can read more about here.

When the development of the DCS began, the design was already too big to fit inside existing Navy DDSs, anyways. Work on an expanded capacity DDS design has been ongoing in parallel, but it's not immediately clear what the status of that project might be.

A SOCOM briefing slide from 2022 discussing DDS modernization efforts. SOCOM

Given its built-in lock-out chamber, the DCS could conceivably be carried externally on Navy submarines and personnel could then get inside either directly if a suitable hatch arrangement was available or after exiting via a DDS or other lock-out chamber on the mothership submarine. The larger ASDS design presented similar challenges and two submarines, the Los Angeles class attack submarines USS Charlotte and USS Greeneville, were specially modified to carry it on its rear deck. Those submarines remain in service today with those hull modifications still in place.

USS Greeneville carrying the ASDS prototype. USN

The DCS could be deployed for other maritime platforms, as well, such as the well deck of an amphibious warfare ship. Other vessels capable of deploying boats and submersibles via a crane or a more specialized system might able also be configurable into motherships for these special operations mini-submarines.

Regardless, questions about how the DCSs, as well as existing SDVs, will be deployed and employed in future conflicts are clearly emerging. It's unclear how many DCSs SOCOM and the Navy expect to buy in the coming years, but it can be reasonably assumed that the total fleet size will be small. Lockheed Martin's initial contract called for the construction of just three pre-production examples, all of which appear to have been delivered. As another comparison, the Navy only expects to have acquired 10 of its 'wet' Mk 11 SDVs by the end of this year.

What all this means is that there will have to be tactics, techniques, and procedures in place not just for utilizing the new DCSs, but also getting them wherever they might not need to be and in relatively short order. There has at least been one test involving the transport of a DCS inside a shipping container via a U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemaster III cargo jet, which would provide at least one option for getting it closer to the desired operating area on short notice.

A low-quality picture showing a shipping container containing the third DCS prototype inside a C-17 cargo plane during a test. SOCOM

SOCOM and the Navy are also already interested in acquiring an improved DCS variant or derivative, originally known as DCS Block II and currently called DCS Next. Details about the requirements for that submersible are also limited, but one goal is to make it deployable from a Virginia class submarine. With this follow-on effort in progress, the current DCS mini-submarine is sometimes referred to as DCS Now.

A rendering of the DCS Next. SOCOM

"We do have an additional area that we're looking at heavily and that's the expeditionary mobility for undersea. It's actually expeditionary mobility for all systems, but we had completed a prototype system proof of concept and it was on our... Mk 11 Seal Delivery Vehicle," Capt. Slaff, the SOCOM PEO-M head, said at a briefing at SOF Week that The War Zone attended. "So, we actually have it, it's out there in front doing its demo."

Slaff did not elaborate on exactly what this additional expeditionary capability for the Mk 11 SDV entailed.

"What we're looking at, obviously, with the SSGNs kinda sunsetting here in the [20]26 to [20]28 timeframe, [is] getting the... operational flexibility for expeditionary employment through other means," he added. This "is something that we've been investigating and then rolling that over into... an operational requirement and moving forward with fielding the capability."

There are clearly many questions still to be answered about exactly how SEALs and other U.S. special operations forces will utilize the new DCSs. However, these mini-submarines represent a significant improvement in capability over existing SDVs and look to be just weeks away from finally entering operational service.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified who was killed in the motorcycle crash. It was a 65-year-old woman.

A woman who was badly injured in an April motorcycle crash near New Castle died earlier this week, Delaware State Police said Thursday.

Police on Saturday identified the victim as 65-year-old Terry Thompson of Bear.

According to police, a 71-year-old man and his wife, Thompson, were driving a motorcycle on Route 13 near School Lane just before 4 p.m. when a Volkswagen Jetta tried to make a U-turn. This caused the back right side to hit the front of the motorcycle, according to police.

The man and Thompson were taken to the hospital and later released, but on Monday, Thompson died, police said.

READ: 'Don't die': Court documents explain why Delaware woman stabbed her boyfriend in neck

Fatal crash on I-495 near Edgemoor

The woman's death came two days before a 30-year-old man was killed on I-495 near Edgemoor.

Police on Saturday identified the victim as Austin Cole of Wilmington.

According to police, Cole was driving a Toyota Solera north on the south side of the interstate around 10:45 p.m. when he sideswiped three vehicles before losing both his tires.

Cole then crossed onto I-495 north, this time going in the correct direction, but was driving slowly due to not having two tires. He was hit from behind by a Kia Forte, according to police.

Cole was not wearing a seat belt, police said, and died at a local hospital. The driver of the Kia was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police have not said whether they believe alcohol or drugs were a factor.

Got a tip? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 2 people killed in separate New Castle County crashes are identified
WHITE PLAINS - A Newburgh street gang leader pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.

Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Ardae Hines, 34, of Newburgh entered that plea in connection with his alleged role in the Aug. 1, 2016 murder of Deandric Little.

Hines also pleaded guilty to narcotics trafficking.

According to Williams, from at least 2014 through June 2017, Hines was a member of the Southside Gang, a criminal enterprise whose activity centered in and around the intersection of South and Chambers streets in the city of Newburgh.

Williams said that according to court documents and statements made during public court proceedings, Hines allegedly orchestrated the murder of Little.

On or about Aug. 1, 2016, during an argument with Little on South Street, Hines instructed a juvenile member of Southside to murder Little. The juvenile shot Little, who died of his injuries a short time later.

Woman stabbed: Liberty man charged with attempted murder

Cold case: Police make arrest in 20-year-old case after DNA links suspect to death of Megan McDonald

Hines faces maximum sentences of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering charge, and 20 years in prison for the narcotics trafficking charge.

He will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel later this year.

An attorney representing Hines could not immediately be reached for comment.

Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, Poughkeepsie Journal and The Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @mikerandall845.

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Newburgh gang leader pleads guilty in connection to 2016 murder
A view of an adult female Aspiritus ovicorrugatus with a length of about 1.5 feet (0.46 meters). The top image is a fresh sample, while the bottom is a preserved sample.

Bizarre egg cases at a museum led scientists to some serious nightmare fuel off the coast of northwestern Australia. The egg cases belonged to a previously misidentified species of deepwater catshark that is now called Apristurus ovicorrugatus, a creature that features milky white eyes.



Researchers found the uncatalogued egg cases in a collection of fish samples held by the Western Australia Museum and the Australian National Fish Collection from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). The eggs had an odd, ridged texture, and these unidentified samples led the team to a dead, pregnant female shark specimen in storage that carried the same eggs. The specimen had been collected off the coast of northwestern Australia, from water more than 1,800 feet (550 meters) deep.

Read more

After studying the shark and its embryos more closely, the researchers found that the specimen was misidentified as Apristurus sinesis. They are now dubbing the deepwater shark A. ovicorrugatus, which is Latin for corrugated egg. An adult female is a meager 1.5 feet (0.46 meters) long. A. ovicorrugatus features milky white irises, living up to the demon shark nickname given to the Apristurus genus. The findings were published last month in the Journal of Fish Biology.

The ridged egg cases that were matched to Apristurus ovicorrugatus. The black scale bar represents 0.4 inches (10 mm)

The egg cases possessed very distinctive longitudinal ridges on their surfaces which were T-shaped in cross-section, lead author William White told Live Science. Only one other species in the world has been found to have egg cases with that form of ridging and that is a different genus entirely.

According to the study authors, only two species of Apristurus have been recorded off the coast of northwestern Australia so far, making the discovery of Apristurus ovicorrugatus an exciting find. The research is likely a welcome addition to the shark biology community, especially after a group of researchers retracted their manuscript in March that described the supposed first sighting of a goblin shark in the Mediterranean Sea. Experts had argued that the photographed goblin shark specimen was actually just a plastic toy.

Story continues

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
LAS CRUCES  A threat calling for a mass shooting is unfounded, according to a news release from the City of Las Cruces.

"Law enforcement agencies in New Mexico, along with the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, have so far found no validity to the claims," the news release said.

Screen grabs of shared SnapChat messages state that 17 people would engage in a mass shooting at a school and an Albertson's grocery store. The messages said the shooting would occur on May 10 at 2:30 p.m. and featured a grainy picture of a gun.

Kelly Jameson, a Las Cruces Public Schools spokesperson, said the threats led to reduced attendance on Wednesday, although the exact number was unknown as of this article's publication.

In its news release, LCPD said the threats did not appear to be directed at any school in particular or even any school in Las Cruces. They noted that other communities across the state also reported the same false threats.

"The Las Cruces Police Department reminds users of social media to refrain from re-posting or sharing unverified information. Sharing information from an untrusted source can create the rapid spread of misinformation and an unnecessary fear within our community. Sharing and re-posting such information to social media also makes it more difficult for law enforcement to track the creator of the original content. Anyone who learns of a threat to a school, or any threat to life or public safety, is encouraged to call police at (575) 526-0795 or immediately call 911 if the nature of the information is believed to be an emergency."

Justin Garcia covers public safety and local government in Las Cruces. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com, via phone or text at 575-541-5449, or on Twitter @Just516Garc.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Police say school shooting threats bunk. Here's what we know
U.S. Rep. George Santos leaves the federal courthouse in Central Islip, N.Y., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. A 13-count federal indictment unsealed in New York accuses U.S. Rep. George Santos of embezzling money from his campaign, falsely receiving unemployment funds and lying to Congress about his finances. | Seth Wenig, Associated Press

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., pleaded not guilty Wednesday to all 13 charges against him including wire fraud, theft of public funds, money laundering and lying about how much money he had to Congress.

The Republican lawmaker, who is infamous for lying about his past, was released on a $500,000 bond after he turned himself over to authorities Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.

Will George Santos resign?

After being released, Santos stated he will not resign from office and will run again in 2024, going so far as to call the case against him a witch hunt in a tweet.

Related

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he would not push for Santos to resign, stating that he would wait for a conviction.

Just like we had before with Jeff Fortenberry ... he was found guilty and then I told him he needed to resign, McCarthy stated, per Axios.

What happens next?

Santo is expected to appear in court on June 30, according to The New York Times.

The proceedings could take months, but if he is found guilty, he could face up to 20 years of prison, though it would probably be significantly less time.

If he is found guilty, it would not mean Santos would be removed from Congress. According to CNN, There are no federal laws that affect the status of a lawmaker who has been charged with  or even found guilty of  a felony.

Lawmakers can vote for an expulsion of a House member but that is extremely rare.

What did Mitt Romney say about Santos?

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, responded to Santos being arrested by calling for him to resign immediately.

He should have resigned a long time ago. Hes an embarrassment to our party. Hes an embarrassment to the United States Congress, Romney told reporters in a video posted by NowThis.

Sen. Mitt Romney called on newly-indicted GOP Rep. George Santos to resign, dubbing him 'an embarrassment to our party.'



Speaker McCarthy, however, took a much more muted approach to the topic. pic.twitter.com/Foeu348zSr  NowThis (@nowthisnews) May 10, 2023

I think were seeing that the wheels of justice may grind slow, but they grind fine and he will have his day in court, but it certainly appears that things are not going well for Mr. Santos, Romney stated, per The Independent.

Romney has previously criticized Santos, telling the lawmaker, You dont belong here, before the State of the Union address in February, Deseret News reported.
A bipartisan omnibus amendment introduced this week in the New Hampshire Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee combines five energy-related bills.

In an effort to advance both House and Senate priorities, the amendment is co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Kevin Avard, chair of the committee, and Democratic Sen. David Watters of Dover.

While some elements received support during public testimony on Tuesday, speakers overwhelmingly opposed an included attempt to repeal a mandate that utilities submit least cost integrated resource plans to the Public Utilities Commission.

The New Hampshire State House on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

The proposed amendment to House Bill 281, which is supported by the states Department of Energy, contains the following elements:

Least cost integrated resource plans

In March, House Republicans passed a bill that would eliminate the statutory requirement that both gas and electric utility companies submit least cost integrated resource plans every two years to the Public Utilities Commission  essentially showing they are investing their money wisely and for the public good.

Those who support repealing the mandate say because of divestment, utilities are no longer potentially making money on the type or placement of electricity production facilities, so the requirement isnt relevant any longer.

Thomas Franz, director of regulatory support at the Department of Energy, said the information gathered through the least cost integrated resource plans is available via other PUC proceedings, and that the department is happy to work with all of the parties to have a better, more tailored, modern program going forward.

Meanwhile, Consumer Advocate Donald Kreis previously called these plans the only way to control runaway utility investment.

An attorney from Litchfield who has represented citizens in front of the PUC, Richard Husband urged legislators not to repeal the guardrails for the meat and potatoes of natural gas planning.

Eliminating the requirement would be a significant loss for New Hampshire, said Nick Krakoff, senior attorney for the Conservation Law Foundation. He told the Senate committee there is no other process where the PUC evaluates big picture impacts from utility planning.

Story continues

Krakoff cited an example being the Granite Bridge fracked natural gas project originally proposed by Liberty Utilities, which saw cost estimates as high as $440 million during the process. Because of the least cost oversight statute, he said, it was ultimately abandoned for a $40 million capacity contract, saving ratepayers unnecessary expenses.

Meredith Hatfield, New Hampshires associate director for policy and government relations at the Nature Conservancy, contested that doing away with the plans would remove critical tools for a range of interests being able to ensure that the hundreds of millions of dollars that our utilities spend are done so in the interest of ratepayers, the environment, and public health.

Several speakers mentioned the utility companies did not request a repeal.

Site Evaluation Committee changes

An effort earlier this legislative session to do away with the Site Evaluation Committee and move energy siting duties to the PUC drew significant citizen opposition during public hearings. While most people agreed the SEC needs updating, some feared what its total dissolution would mean.

What legislators included in this weeks amendment was referred to as a light version. Instead of getting rid of the SEC  the body tasked with approving or denying new energy facility applications  the amendment makes mainly administrative changes to it.

It was much more palatable to those testifying Tuesday. Rep. Kat McGhee, a Hollis Democrat, called it a good start for further siting process improvements.

Watters said hes concerned about New Hampshire being seen as a state that cant site new energy and distribution resources  especially with significant projects on the horizon, such as offshore wind power and a new Canadian hydropower transmission proposal.

We have to be able to reasonably have a process, with due public input and environmental concerns, where we can site energy facilities for this new energy economy thats developing, Watters said.

Epping Republican Rep. Michael Vose, chair of the House Science, Technology, and Energy Committee and prime sponsor of the initial bill to dissolve the SEC, said he is extremely supportive of streamlining the siting process.

The amendment makes it so the Department of Energy is involved in a way it wasnt before, he said, and it also clarifies the roles of state agencies, making sure their permitting decisions are paramount.

Mark Sanborn, assistant commissioner of the Department of Environmental Services, said staff and members of the SEC are doing their best and operating in complete good faith. But its an inefficient, underfunded, poorly structured way of going about business.

Sanborn called the amendment a great step forward for anyone who cares about energy infrastructure in the state, renewable and traditional.

This story was originally published by New Hampshire Bulletin.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH lawmakers get pushback on energy omnibus: What it means and why
A parliamentary resolution authorized all assets of the Nicaraguan Red Cross to be seized

Nicaragua's parliament on Wednesday dissolved the local branch of the Red Cross, accusing it of taking sides in 2018 anti-government protests.

The resolution was unanimously passed by a National Assembly loyal to President Daniel Ortega's ruling party, making the Red Cross the latest entity to be shuttered after falling foul of the government.

Ortega's government, under UN sanctions for a raft of actions criticized as authoritarian, has recently clashed with the Catholic Church, the EU and other bodies that have raised alarm over alleged rights violations.

These include the detention of hundreds of critics, among them several would-be challengers to Ortega who were jailed ahead of presidential elections in 2021.

More than 2,000 associations, NGOs and employer unions have been barred from operating since 2020.

Wednesday's resolution repealed a 1958 decree which legally created the Nicaraguan Red Cross and authorized the creation of a new "decentralized, autonomous entity" attached to the Ministry of Health in its place.

The resolution authorized all assets of the Nicaraguan Red Cross to be seized and handed over to be administered by the replacement body.

The resolution is final and requires no further approval.

Nicaraguan lawmakers accused the Red Cross of violating the political neutrality required from humanitarian organizations following anti-government protests in 2018 that rights bodies say unleashed a campaign of violent oppression.

A clampdown, observers say, left more than 350 dead, hundreds imprisoned and more than 100,000 in exile, and prompted a UN Human Rights Council probe.

Ortega's government described the protests as part of a coup plot he said was orchestrated by the opposition with Washington's support.

- 'Developing situation' -

The International Committee of the Red Cross was established in 1863 to help people affected by conflict and armed violence.

It employs over 21,000 people in more than 100 countries, according to the ICRC website, which describes it as an "independent, neutral organization."

Story continues

In Nicaragua, it has been active for decades, and today counts some 2,000 volunteers and 63 ambulances.

But the Nicaraguan government, in a document sent to parliament, claimed branches of the Red Cross had "acted against these principles" of neutrality and "the association itself transgressed the laws of the country."

In a message to AFP, the ICRC delegation for Mexico and Central America said it was aware of the decision.

"As it is a developing situation that is being studied, for the moment, we cannot comment," it added.

A firebrand Marxist in his youth, Ortega was a guerrilla in the Sandinista movement that overthrew the US-backed Somoza family dictatorship.

He ruled Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, then returned to power in 2007.

Now 77, Ortega has won reelection three times -- winning his last race in 2021 with all his credible challengers in jail.

Ortega has engaged in increasingly authoritarian practices, quashing presidential term limits and seizing control of all branches of the state.

bur-fj/mlr/md
Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey Photo Credit: Getty Images Rich Fury/ Jamie McCarthy

Nick Cannon spoke about rekindling his relationship with Mariah Carey on "The Jason Lee Show."

The pair, who were married for eight years, currently co-parent twins Moroccan and Monroe.

Cannon said that it is "healthier" for them to remain separated rather than "recreate" their past.

Nick Cannon said he doesn't have any intention of rekindling his romance with Mariah Carey.

Carey and Cannon got married in 2008 after a brief courtship and welcomed twins Moroccan and Monroe in 2011.

However, the pair separated in 2014, and since their divorce was finalized in 2016, they have continued to co-parent their children while exploring other relationships.

Appearing on Wednesday's episode of the Revolt series "The Jason Lee Show," Cannon was asked if he would ever get back into a relationship with Carey.

Cannon said that he had "never experienced that level of love from anyone," but added, "That was over a decade ago and we are like the best of friends now."

"I feel like with all of the madness and shit I've accumulated... I think it would be too difficult. One, I believe she's in a relationship and she's happy. I don't want to disturb," Cannon said.

"At the same time, I feel like for our children, which is the best thing and the thing that we both focus on, this scenario is a lot healthier for all of us. Because if we were all up under one household, especially in the day and age that we live right now, I think the enemy would try to attack from a bunch of different ways."

Nick Cannon with Moroccan and Monroe in 2017. David Livingston / Getty Images)

Cannon also said that the former couple have "never had an argument" since their divorce.

He also reiterated previous comments that he is not interested in getting married again.

"I speak so highly but I don't desire it anymore and that's just because she's moved on, I've moved on several times, so therefore now we can coexist the way that we do," the "Wild N Out" host said.

Story continues

"But if I tried to recreate our love story that we had before, it'll never be as great as it was. We got to see it, we lived it, and in the grand scheme of things, these milliseconds that we operate in these molecules, we will be able to tell that story."

Carey is currently dating choreographer and creative director Bryan Tanaka. Meanwhile, Cannon has had relationships with several women and has fathered an additional 10 children with five women since his split from Carey.

Over the last year, Cannon has spoken highly of Carey and his feelings for her.

Last year, he released a track called "Alone," which sampled Carey's song "Love Takes Time," in which he rapped about his feelings for her.

In July, Cannon said on "The Hot Tee Talk Show" that Carey was his "fantasy love."

"But if I had the opportunity, if it could be the way it was, I'm there," Cannon added.

Read the original article on Insider
The recall of a popular noodle brand in Malaysia and Taiwan has generated controversy and false claims in Nigeria where noodles are sold under the same brand. One claim holds that Indomie noodles found in Nigeria are not manufactured locally. This is misleading: the company producing Indomie noodles in Nigeria began operations in Ogun state in 1996 and later opened two other factories in Rivers and Kaduna. The recall was confined to Asia.

I am just finding out that Indomie is produced in Indonesia. I thought it was made in Nigeria. This country really need to move from consumption to production (sic), reads a tweet published on May 1, 2023.

A screenshot of the misleading tweet, taken on May 6, 2023

Retweeted more than 1,200 times, the post was shared by Obinna Nwosu, a politician who campaigned for a national assembly seat in February as the candidate of the fringe opposition African Democratic Congress.

The tweet includes an image of a packet of Indomie noodles, a popular brand in Nigeria.

A noodle product of the Indomie brand was recently recalled by Malaysian and Taiwanese authorities (archived here) for containing ethylene oxide.

The detection of ethylene oxide in the product did not comply with [health standards], said Taiwans health ministry in a statement (archived here). Businesses have been ordered to immediately remove them from their shelves.

The colourless and odourless compound increases the risk of cancers of the white blood cells (archived here).

The Asian recall was widely reported in Nigeria where Indomie noodles are popular (archived here).

Nwosus tweet also reechoed the campaign mantra of opposition leader Peter Obi, who insisted that Nigerias economy would be stronger if it produced more of what it consumed (archived here).

However, the claim that Indomie noodles in Nigeria are not manufactured in the country is misleading.

Three factories in Nigeria

Dufil Prima Foods Plc produces Indomie Noodles in Nigeria for domestic consumption. According to the companys website, it has one factory each in Ogun, Rivers, and Kaduna states (archived here), which opened in 1996, 2008 and 2011, respectively.

Story continues

The company is owned by Indonesias Salim Group and Tolaram Africa Foods Pvt. Ltd.. Tolaram Africa itself is a joint venture between Tolaram Group of Singapore and Kelloggs from the United States.

The Nigerian factories are geolocated here, here and here.

Nigerian media outlets have regularly published reports about these factories. A newspaper article from 2004 said the Ogun facility was temporarily shut down that year to allow for an investigation into hazardous batches of Indomie noodles (archived here).

Another article, from 2012, described the Kaduna factory as the "largest noodles factory in Africa" (archived here).

Following the recall in Malaysia and Taiwan, Nigerias National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) said that the Indomie special chicken flavour noodles sold in the two Asian countries is not registered in Nigeria (archived here).

NAFDAC confirmed the Indomie noodles consumed in Nigeria are produced locally.

NAFDACs director-general, Mojisola Adeyeye, told local broadcaster TVC that Indomie [importation] has been banned by the Nigerian government, and the purpose is to encourage local manufacturing of Indomie, so we have local manufacturers of Indomie ... and we have tested their products are safe.

Top African noodle consumer

Nigerians are the highest consumers of noodles in Africa, statistics released by the World Instant Noodles Association (WINA) show (archived here). It is the only African country among the top 20.

WINA said about 2.6 billion servings of noodles were consumed in the country in 2021, jumping from 1.7 billion servings in 2017.
A still from Skinamarink



Skinamarink

Blockbusters beckon at the movie theater, but sometimes you just want to stay home, draw all the curtains, and stream a weird, freaky, scary and/or extremely alarming cult movie. If this urge sounds familiar, read on for 10 recommended titles from horror streamers Shudder and Screambox.



High Tension



High Tension - Official Trailer

May means springtime and rebirth, or if youre Shudder, it means time to add some key New Extremity titles to the library. Alexandre Aja (who went on to make the Hills Have Eyes remake, Piranha 3D, and alligator home-invasion flick Crawl, among others) added major juice to that nausea-inducing early-2000s trend with 2003 French slasher High Tension. Almost as impressive as its levels of gore is its twisty plot, which famously pulls the rug out from under the viewer with a jaw-dropping last-act reveal. If you want more in this vein (this spurting, gushing vein), Shudder has also added Inside and Livid, from shock-meisters Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, as well as the 2015 American remake of Martyrs (to go with the outstandingly revolting 2008 French version, which was already available).

Read more

The Devils Doorway



The Devils Doorway - Official Trailer | HD | IFC Midnight

Arriving May 15 on Shudder is this 2018 found-footage chiller following a pair of priests investigating mysterious goings-on at one of Irelands notorious Magdalene laundaries, circa 1960. They discover that the female residents (including young unwed mothers) are being cruelty treated by the nuns in charge, which thanks to the tragic history of the real-life institutions isnt entirely surprising. Far more alarming is their discovery that something more outrageously unholy is also afoot, as the films very title suggests.

Skinamarink



Skinamarink - Official Trailer [HD] | A Shudder Original

Story continues

Is sleeper sensation Skinamarink a daringly experimental exploration of the terrors of childhood, or a pretentious, patience-challenging misfire? If you missed Skinamarink when it was being majorly buzzed about (and argued about) last year, nows the perfect time to settle inpreferably in the absolute darkest room you can wrangleand judge for yourself. Streaming on Shudder.

Magic



Magic (1978) - Trailer

You may think if youve seen one scary ventriloquist dummy, youve seen them all. But you havent traversed the outer limits of talking-doll frights until youve seen this 1978 Richard Attenborough film; it stars Anthony Hopkins as a struggling magician whose decades-long obsession with his high-school crush (Ann-Margret) gets exponentially weirder when his feisty wooden sidekick, Fats, seemingly takes on a life of his own. Magic is streaming on Shudder, as well as through Amazon Freevee (free with ads).

Final Exam



Final Exam (1981) - Official Trailer

Set on a college campus where a random maniac springs into action right when most everyones trying to study hard at the end of the semester (some of the students are, naturally, far more committed to partying), this 1981 cheapie sticks pretty religiously to the standard slasher formula. Extra credit goes to the nerdy characterimprobably named Radishwhose true-crime expertise foreshadows all the Scream-spawned horror characters who love horror that scary movies are so fond of these days. Streaming on Shudder.

Terrifier 2



Terrifier 2 | Official Trailer

After you watch Skinamarink on Shudder, head to Screambox to watch 2022's other much-discussed low-budget breakout, which similarly demands a lot of patience from its viewer. That said, though its nearly two and a half hours long, Terrifier 2 has a much livelier pace, and its brimming with some of the most knowingly gratuitous, gleefully staged gore effects in recent memory. Some of the acting is a bit uneven, but all is mostly forgiven thanks to David Howard Thorntons ghoulishly charismatic performance as Art the Clowna character so unnerving youll be asking Pennywise who? once you see him in action.

Burial Ground



Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror (1981) - Trailer in 1080p

There are a lot of zombie moviesand that includes the top tier of the genre, which is clearly schlocky Italian zombie movies of the 70s and 80sbut 1981's Burial Ground, directed by the prolific Andrea Bianchi, distinguishes itself by just being delightfully extra in so many ways. An ancient crypt is disturbed, a curse is unleashed, and the undead rise to menace the various guests whove recently arrived at a nearby mansion, including a mommy-fixated youth who may actually be the creepiest part of the entire affair. Streaming on Screambox.

Asylum



Asylum 1972 Trailer HD

Amicus Productions was known for its anthology horror filmsincluding this entertaining 1972 release featuring a script by Psycho author Robert Bloch and a cast including Peter Cushing, Charlotte Rampling, and Britt Ekland. The frame story sees a doctor arriving for his first day of work at a secluded psychiatric hospital. Instead of taking charge, however, hes forced to interview each patient to see if he can ascertain who among them formerly held his job. Then, we get four unhinged tales that involve voodoo, reanimated limbs, clothing with magical powers, imaginary friends, and living mini-mannequins, plus (naturally) a final twist for good measure. Streaming on Screambox.

Aenigma



Aenigma - (1988 Official Movie Trailer)

Screamboxs Lucio Fulci selection is decentincluding standouts The Beyond and The Cat in the Brainbut Shudders is a bit more expansive, with those two titles as well as Zombi, The House by the Cemetery, and City of the Living Dead, and more. But both services carry 1988's Aenigma, a tale of boarding-school possession that sees a comatose prank victim take over the body of the new girl at school to get revenge. If you thought The Beyonds tarantula bookshelf scene was the absolute worst, get ready for maybe only horror movie in existence to feature a slimy suffocation death involving way too many snails.

Night of the Demon



NIGHT OF THE DEMON | Official Trailer | Bigfoot Horror Movie | Streaming Movies

Not to be confused with the 1957 classic of the same name starring Dana Andrews and a whole lotta runes, or Night of the Demons, the 1988 cult classic about a party gone wrong at a funeral parlor. Streaming on Screambox, this Night of the Demon was released in 1980 and is just the thing to scratch your gruesome backwoods exploitation, with bonus Bigfoot! itch.

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Breakups are always tricky. From the heartbreak to the reminiscing of memories, experiencing a relational transition can be seen as one of lifes tragedies.

Although the beginning and end of a relationship are a natural part of human development, it doesnt take away the sting when something special ends.

While many would encourage folks to turn the L into a lesson, what happens when its hard to say goodbye  so you just keep coming back? Or even worse, when the love you have isnt even reciprocated?

This narrative may sound like the next great rom-com or the plot for a Shonda Rhimes spinoff. However, it is not the case here. This emotional rollercoaster actually refers to the reality of many sneakerheads and their experience with the Nike SNKRS app.

Week after week, the latest shoes drop on the app, and while many are successful in their purchases, other potential buyers are left with the all too common YOUR ENTRY WASNT SELECTED notification  talk about a loss.

Despite this back and forth many sneaker fans experience, they seem to proverbially hold on to the 2006 words from Chingy: Every time I try to leave, something keeps pulling me back  telling me I need you in my life.

And it is that consistent tug coupled with the love for shoes that convinces consumers to return to SNKRS, as they battle bots and figure out algorithms in hopes of landing the latest release.

With the uptick in technological advances, bots are taking up so much space in the SNKRS space, leaving some wondering if their hard work and efforts will ever pay off.

The good news is that Nike is fighting back. The massive sneaker company doesnt plan to keep dishing out heartbreak to those who love sneakers the most. In fact, its working on verifying submissions to the app and removing bots to even the playing field.

Sneaker News, Nike SNKRS received 12 billion bot submissions for shoes per month. A portion of this was made most relevant during the latest drop of the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Reverse Mocha release, which received 3.8 million entries, with about 1.9 million of them being bots.

Story continues

When it comes to releases on SNKRS, the general assumption is that bots (usually controlled by resellers) dominate access, shutting out sneaker collectors with good intentions, Nike said in a post.

However, Nike is committed to eliminating bot entries to support humans hoping to purchase shoes. Lucy Rouse, SNKRS General Manager and VP, noted that Nike has a 98% success rate at clearing out bot entries. One component is the verifying submissions message that appears to users once they submit their payment method for the draw.

Based on a Footwear News report, Nike updated its terms of service, giving the company the right to cancel orders, limit purchases, and decline access. To that end, a reason for cancellation could be if Nike believes a submission was from an autogenerated mechanism such as bots.

But outside of the verifying message that appears to consumers, how is Nike working to combat bot submissions to better empower human consumers?

In reality, SNKRS launches are protected against bots in many ways, the Nike post continued. To clarify how bot protection works during a SNKRS launch, weve added a screen to our launch experience outlining when and how we remove bots and validate entries. Were rolling this out over the coming monthsif you dont see it now, you will soon. Our intent with this screen, and the information below, is to give members more context around bots and how SNKRS launches are protected from them.

Even with its efforts, Rouse shared that although the work to remedy this issue is ongoing, there are still tech issues that can infiltrate its system and efforts.

The amount of traffic that we get  and thats both bots and actual keen, energetic, excited users  is huge. The reality of that is sometimes we do have new and unexpected bugs, Rouse said.

Outside the latest Travis Scott collaborative release, SNKRS also acknowledged scaling issues for restocking and launching shoes, namely the Air Jordan 1 High Lost and Found. Mitigating these additional tech issues further complicates the work with bots and the companys ability to ensure a fair and equitable process.

What were constantly trying to do is provide enough information so that were giving consumers confidence, but not give too much information because that can result in it being leveraged to botters, Rouse said. Its a real balance, one that were trying to navigate.
U.S. Marshals Service

CANTON  A 39-year-old woman accused of attempted first-degree murder in Broward County, Florida, was arrested in Nimishillen Township Wednesday and booked into the Stark County Jail, the U.S. Marshals Service said.

Cherie A. Goss, 39, who, according to court records in Stark County and Broward County, has lived at a home on Rue Helena Street in Nimishillen Township; and in North Lauderdale, Florida; Lauderhill, Florida, and Margate, Florida, the last several years, is awaiting a hearing on whether she should be extradited to Florida.

More: Federal agents: Missing Canton girl, 17, found in Mexico with fugitive

The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force apprehended Goss in the 8800 block of Rue Helena Street. Investigators tracked her to that location after hearing she had fled Florida for Ohio.

"The strong relationships we have with our law enforcement partners made our community a safer place today," Stark County Sheriff George Maier said in a prepared statement. "Without these partnerships and our dedicated officers, a dangerous fugitive would still be on the streets of Stark County. I hope this is the first step in providing justice for the victims in this case.

Goss is expected to appear before Stark County Common Pleas Judge Kristin Farmer for an extradition hearing on the morning of May 19. A staffer at the Stark County Prosecutor's office, which is expected to seek Goss' extradition to Florida, said Thursday her office would not be releasing any information about the case until paperwork is filed with the court on May 19.

The Broward County Sheriff's Office filed the attempted charges against Goss early last month, according to the U.S. Marshals Service, which did not provide specifics about the case. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Marshals Service referred questions about the circumstances of Goss' case to the Broward County Sheriff's office.

The Canton Repository has submitted a public records request to the Broward County Sheriff's office for documents related to the charges filed against Goss. Documents related to the attempted murder charge have not yet apparently appeared on the Broward County Clerk of the Courts public website as of Thursday.

Story continues

A Broward County Sheriff's office spokeswoman said Thursday a records request would have to be filed to get a copy of the warrant seeking Goss' arrest. The spokeswoman said she had no additional information at that time about the case to release.

This story will be updated.

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. Twitter: @rwangREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Cherie A. Goss faces attempted murder charge in Florida
Miamis city government could consider eliminating commission district boundaries and radically changing the way voters elect their representatives in City Hall.

Any changes could impact the November election, where voters will elect three commissioners to represent neighborhoods including Allapattah, Flagami, Coconut Grove, Brickell and downtown.

On Thursday, commissioners asked their consultant to draw alternative voting maps in case a federal judge blocks a redistricting plan approved in 2022  a plan that has come under fire after a coalition of community group sued and accused the city of racial gerrymandering.

The organizations, represented by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union, scored a preliminary legal victory May 3 when U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren F. Louis recommended the city go back the drawing board. A federal judge is expected to hear from both sides before making a final ruling.

On Thursday, Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla sparked the conversation when he asked administrators to explore returning the city to at-large districts, where voters across the city would elect all five commissioners, instead of voters only electing commissioners inside their district boundaries.

Once we eliminate single-member districts, then all of Miami is Miami, he said. Its a city, and everybody can vote, and pick their commissioner, group one, two, three, four and five, and then theres no debate about where the lines are drawn.

Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, District 1, at the City of Miami commission meeting in Miami, Florida, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020.

The current system has been in place since voters passed a referendum in 1997 creating districts after a citywide election the previous years left the city without a Black elected official. This led to the creation of three districts drawn with boundaries that favored Hispanics, one to favor white non-Hispanics and another to favor Blacks.

ACLU lawyers have taken aim at the system, arguing that just because its been in place for more than two decades, that doesnt mean the map is constitutional. In her report, Louis said while the commissions goal of maintaining diversity of representation on the commission could be good for the city, commissioners own statements during public meetings expressly show that they viewed means of achieving that goal through mechanical racial quotas.

Story continues

Read more: Miami should redraw commission districts over racial redistricting plan, magistrate says

Diaz de la Portilla took a shot at Louis on Thursday, saying she probably knows nothing about our city, and he said commissioners should draw a new map or make districts at-large.

Lets be honest. Well probably elect five Hispanic commissioners, and if people think thats good for the city of MIami, so be it, he said. Whos going to argue that? Because the people decided.

Commissioner Manolo Reyes echoed Diaz de la Portilla, saying the city could wind up with no Black or non-Hispanic white commissioners under a new plan.

Be careful what you wish for, Reyes said. Since day one, when the boundaries were drawn, it was to assure diversity in the city of Miami. And the only way that we can assure diversity in the city of Miami is by  Im going to call a spade a spade  gerrymandering.

Commission Chairwoman Christine King said the discussion was premature and the citys legal team has a path forward. Diaz de la Portilla disagreed, saying the commission needs to drive the policy-making and should proactively come up with alternatives.

Reyes and Diaz de la Portilla combined their ideas to ask administrators to explore the idea of at-large districts and ask the citys redistricting consultant, former state lawmaker and lobbyist Miguel De Grandy, to meet with commissioners and develop alternative maps that would maintain the five-district formula.

City Attorney Victoria Mendez said the city has until Saturday to file objections to Louis report, and then the community groups have until May 19 to respond to the citys objections, before U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore makes the final decision.
To achieve greater development in green transition

09:16, May 11, 2023 By Ding Yiting ( People's Daily

Farmers pick tea leaves in a tea plantation with photovoltaic panels in Sanjie township, Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang province. (People's Daily Online/Pan Weifeng)

A cup of tea is what every visitor to Wuyi Mountain, southeast China's Fujian province must taste.

Tea in this place is grown in a sound environment with lush forests and fresh air, and then stir-fried by intelligent devices in suitable temperature and humidity that can be controlled with just clicks on the screen.

Tea planting is a green industry, and tea-making is also pursuing low-carbon development.

In the past, tea had to be stirred and roasted for over a dozen hours, which consumed large amounts of charcoal. Today, with intelligent tea-producing systems, which are both environmentally friendly and energy-saving, the production has been lifted by about 35 percent and the comprehensive labor cost has been lowered by 20 percent.

Guided by China's "dual carbon" goals, the local government has developed electric tea roasting devices, making an important step toward greening the tea industry.

Apart from the tea industry in Wuyi Mountain, a series of other projects have been launched, such as a fishery-photovoltaic-energy storage project in east China's Jiangsu province, a photovoltaic dock in southeast China's Fujian province, and a low-carbon block featuring photovoltaic rooftops and street lamps in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province. These projects have enriched the forms of green development and opened up new space for high-quality development.

Parts of wind turbines are being assembled in a workshop of a new energy company in Zhangye, northwest China's Gansu province. (People's Daily Online/Cheng Lin)

The "dual carbon" goals proposed by China, peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060, generate a number of opportunities for green development.

Statistics show that China's major power generation enterprises completed an investment of 126.4 billion yuan ($18.27 billion) in power supply projects from January to March this year, up 55.2 percent year on year. In particular, the investment in solar power generation projects surged by 177.6 percent, and that in nuclear power generation increased by 53.5 percent.

This proves that to reduce emissions is not to reduce productivity, but to promote the green transition in economic development and seek greater development in the green transition.

China's new energy sector features randomness, intermittency and volatility, while its resources and demand face a distribution issue. To ensure a reliable and stable supply of new energy, China is accelerating the construction of power supply, power grid and power storage projects, which drives relevant investment, promotes the development along the industrial chain and helps with regional employment.

For instance, an ultra-high voltage power transmission project is being constructed between Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality. According to estimation, the project has drawn nearly 90 billion yuan of investment in equipment manufacturing, power supply construction and other sectors.

It is expected to attract more investment, make greater green contributions to economic growth, and boost energy security.

Photo shows an intelligent production center of an iron and steel company in Shaoguan, south China's Guangdong province. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Mingwei)

A number of intelligent B&B hotels have been built on Meizhou Island in Putian, Fujian province, which are equipped with photovoltaic and energy storage equipment, and can be controlled with mobile applications. According to the owners of these hotels, they can save more than 10,000 yuan in electricity costs each year.

Steel, petrochemical and other traditional industries are also working to speed up the development of low-carbon techniques and digitalization. Meanwhile, a number of new energy companies are now focusing on the development of new products and new markets.

For example, last year, China's production of photovoltaic polysilicon, silicon wafers, cells, and modules all increased by over 55 percent year on year. More and more industries are grasping the opportunity of green development to embrace new potential and achieve upgrades amid the green transition.

The rapid development of the new energy sector and the wide application of distributed energy and storage equipment have posed bigger challenges for the safe, efficient and optimized operation of the power system. Therefore, technological innovation must be advanced.

A series of key technologies and equipment have been put into use. Jiangsu province has built a holographic digital power grid to reduce the troubleshooting time; Fujian province is exploring the low-voltage flexible direct current transmission technology to facilitate the supply of photovoltaic electricity; Sichuan province has made breakthroughs in the development of the cascade water-photovoltaic-storage technology, which will better help connect new energy projects to the power grid.

It is believed that China will enjoy bright prospects in the innovation and application of green and low-carbon technologies by making full use of its institutional advantages, resources, technical potential and market vitality.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
Ylva Johansson

"I must say that we have not seen any industrial smuggling of firearms out of Ukraine," Johansson said during her visit to Kyiv.

Read also: Owners of freight carrier accused of attempting to smuggle aircraft engines to Iran

However, the official noted that there were isolated cases of smuggling small arms out of Ukraine, mostly by private individuals who tried to take them as trophies or for personal protection.

Read also: SBU arrests railway official involved in smuggling Ukrainian grain to Russia

" they (smuggled weapons) are being taken, of course, at the border by the border guards," she adds.

Read also: Kyiv customs prevent smuggling of Cessna aircraft from Romania  photo report

The commissioner emphasized that the issue of arms smuggling was one of the main topics discussed during her meeting with the Ukraines Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

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
Police say they found no threat of an active shooter at Boeings Renton plant on Thursday morning.

At 5:39 a.m., Renton police received a 911 call about an active shooter situation at the Boeing final assembly.

A second level came in to tell us in the area I was working in that there was an active shooter on the property. Everybody needed to get out, said a Boeing employee who wants to remain anonymous.

As police headed to the scene, Boeing alerted employees. Some workers say that as they walked out, they saw armed officers.

Newcastle, Des Moines, SeaTac, King County Sheriffs (deputies) and the Renton Police (were) all on-site, and at least two officers walking around the same building with AR-15s and our security guards, the employee said.

We were unable to locate any evidence that anything had occurred on the Boeing campus, and Boeing Security checked their surveillance video and found no indication that there had been anything alarming there, according to Renton Police Department Det. Robert Onishi.

Onishi says they got a call around the same time that may have been the source of the active shooter report. The sound of multiple gunshots was reported to have been heard from an apartment parking lot off Sunset Boulevard North.

That location is on the far side of Interstate 405 from Boeing and is about three-quarters of a mile away from the plant. But in the silence of the early morning, the sound may have alarmed someone at Boeing, Onishi said.

There is no evidence that anyone was hurt in the shots fired incident.

Despite this being a false alarm, employees at Boeing say there could have been better communication.
Prisons

Prison officers have been told not to call criminals convicts, as the term could be offensive to some.

Civil servants have also instructed warders not to use the phrase ex-con for former prisoners. They should instead refer to them as persons with lived experience or prison leavers.

A Prison Service spokesman said the term convicts was inaccurate, given a large proportion of prisoners are on remand ahead of trial and have therefore not been convicted.

The spokesman added: We have set clear and robust guidance on language to be used by staff, and have clamped down on inappropriate deviations from this.

'What's the problem?'

Mark Fairhurst, the national chairman of the Prison Officers' Association (POA) trade union told the Daily Mail he was instructed to drop use of the words in an official letter from the Ministry of Justice agency.

Mr Fairhurst said: I received a letter saying some people found the word 'convict' offensive and that we should not use that term.

The letter from the employee relations department of HM Prison and Probation Service said the terms 'prisoner' and 'offender' should be used instead.

He added: When I talk to prisoners they call themselves 'cons'. So what's the problem?

Currently, around 17 per cent of the 84,800 prisoners in England and Wales are on remand.

Craig Mackinlay, a Conservative MP, described the Prison Service's intervention as nonsense'.

However you refer to them  convicts, offenders or prisoners  these are people who find themselves in prison for serious offences against their victims and the community at large.

Last year, the Prison Service published updated guidance on how inmates should be described.

It was issued after Sir Robert Buckland, the then justice secretary, expressed his frustration at the Prison Service referring to inmates as 'residents and service users.

The move was viewed as an attempt to avoid labelling people as offenders, in order to help them move on from their lives of crime.

Story continues

But it was criticised by former prison governors as evidence of fashionable and hyper-liberal theories that fail to force offenders to take responsibility for their crimes.

Worries about state of prisons

The latest revelation on the language wardens should use comes after Mr Fairhurst raised a series of concerns about the state of Britain's prisons during the organisation's annual conference in Eastbourne.

He called on members to pull out of voluntary duties and to refuse overtime.

He added that dangerous offenders are being wrongly allocated to open jails in a bid to free up space in higher-security prisons, as jails try to cope with record numbers of inmates in England and Wales.

This week, Sir John Major said that Britain was locking up too many prisoners and urged ministers to consider alternatives to jail for low-level offenders.

In a speech to the Prison Reform Trust, the former prime minister said Britain had the highest imprisonment rates in western Europe - yet I find it hard to believe we British are uniquely criminal.

David Gauke, the former justice secretary, and Rory Stewart, the former prisons minister, previously proposed a similar strategy that would effectively have replaced jail sentences of under six months with community or other non-custodial penalties except where there was a risk to the public.

It was, however, ditched when Boris Johnson became prime minister, with sentences increased for the most serious offenders.

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.
Norfolk Southern plans to compensate homeowners in East Palestine, Ohio, where one of its trains derailed earlier this year and sparked a public health and environmental disaster, for the loss in property value that the crash may have caused.

In a letter to Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), JD Vance (R-Ohio), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw said the company plans to establish a fund that would compensate homeowners for the loss of property value.

He said the company plans to offer compensation to homeowners within a 5-mile radius of the crash site and who sell their homes for less than what their value was before the derailment.

Norfolk Southern has not waited for the judicial process to be completed prior to getting to work on the structure and shape of a real property fund that will compensate homeowners, Shaw said in the letter. Initially, we expect eligible homeowners for this compensation to include those with homes within an approximately 5-mile radius of the derailment, and who sell their homes for less than their propertys pre-February 3 appraised value.

Shaw also said the company will offer to compensate any homeowner who sells their property for less than the pre-crash value before the establishment of the fund, with the understanding the homeowner then releases any claims of diminished property value going forward.

Shaw said the company expects to make payments within a year. He also said he wrote the letter to the lawmakers at the encouragement of Cruz, who said the company has a long way to go to make things right but said the deal to compensate homeowners is an important step in repairing the damage done.

The commitment to compensating homeowners in the town comes after the company faced sharp criticism for its response to the derailment, which made national headlines. Shaw said the property value fund was the company showing it understands that this derailment was not the fault of the people of East Palestine.

I have been to the village and surrounding communities numerous times and I see that this is a strong and resilient population, but they are victims of this circumstance, Shaw said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Sen. Thom Tillis is pushing this week to reinstate an expiring and controversial immigration policy that turns migrants away at the border.

Last month, Biden announced that on May 11 he would end the countrys public health emergency tied to COVID-19. That effectively concludes a myriad of policies put in place to keep the public safe from the deadly virus, including Title 42. Begun in March 2020 under the Trump administration, Title 42 gave border agents the ability to quickly turn away people at the border who posed a public health risk. The Biden administration later expanded the policy.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a news conference Wednesday that smugglers on the border have been misreporting to people that at 11:59 p.m. on May 11, the southern border would be open for people to cross. That has led to to a surge of migrants flocking to the border and entering the United States. The Biden administration is moving resources, including troops, south to help border agents deal with the increase.

Tillis criticized Biden last week, saying that the president failed to secure the border and that the situation would only get worse. He and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent from Arizona, which borders Mexico, proposed a bill that would put in place all the provisions of Title 42, without tying it to a public health emergency.

Its clear that Congress must immediately step in, and the bipartisan bill Im introducing with Senator Sinema will help prevent the catastrophic fallout at the border well soon see if no action is taken, Tillis said in the news release.

Outside the Senate chamber Wednesday morning, Tillis told McClatchy hes very concerned.

But Im also concerned about every single policy Biden has taken down, which has caused this crisis, Tillis said. This is just going to be a multiplier, but he really needs to rethink a lot of the authority he has that he has taken off the table.

Sinema and Tillis work on bill

Sinema and Tillis first proposed this legislation last year but werent able to get a bill to the floor before a newly elected Congress took over.

Story continues

At the time, Tillis told McClatchy that the Border Patrol Council, a labor union representing border patrol agents and their support staff, had told Congress that they would lose control of the border if lawmakers failed to address the consequences of Title 42.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported having 2.38 million land border encounters at the southern border in the 2022 fiscal year, up from 1.73 million the year before.

In December, more than 252,000 migrants had southwest land border encounters, which fell to 156,787 before increasing again in March to 191,899. The Wall Street Journal reported that the decrease is typical due to the cold weather and holiday season.

Sinema said that the surge has led to her constituents being forced to manage a crisis they didnt create.

Our legislation gives the administration time to actually implement a realistic workable plan that will secure our border, protect Arizona communities on the front-lines of this crisis, and ensure migrants are treated fairly and humanely, Sinema said in a news release.

Biden administration response

Mayorkas praised Biden Wednesday afternoon, saying changes the president made to immigration policies have led to a better pathway for people from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Honduras to enter the country legally and reduced border encounters from people of these countries by 90% between December and March.

The Homeland Security secretary placed the blame on the border crisis directly at the feet of members of Congress.

I can not overemphasize that our current situation is (the) outcome of Congress leaving a broken, outdated immigration system in place for over two decades despite unanimous agreement that we desperately need legislative reform, Mayorkas said. It is also the result of Congress not (providing) us with the resources we need and requested.

Among those requests, Mayorkas listed $4 billion for personnel, facilities and transportation.

Mayorkas used his news conference to deliver a message that the southern border is not open, and stronger consequences will come to those trying to cross into the U.S. illegally.

Immigration bill support

Meanwhile, Tillis and Sinema are working to find bipartisan support to get their bill through the Senate and into the House.

The bill offers the Biden administration a two-year expulsion authority for migrants at the border.

In a joint statement Tillis and Sinema said that the bill provides protections for migrants whose return to their own countries would pose a threat to their life or freedom or expose them to torture. It also allows for a case-by-case exemption for migrants with acute medical needs.

Tillis wasnt overconfident about his bill passing right away.

Not before (the policy) expires at midnight, Tillis said, adding that he expects at least three weeks before he can get it through Congress.

But I do think were going to see an immediate influx, and I think that could put pressure on the administration, Tillis said.

Democrats control the Senate, and Biden could veto any legislation he opposes.

Tillis is working to get more bipartisan support to cosponsor the bill. Sens. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, and John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, have signed on.

We dont want this to be a Republican-only initiative, and so were having the discussions here and were having discussions with the House to see if they can originate one and send it our way, Tillis said.

House concerns

House members are set this week to vote on a bill to secure the southern border, which includes building a wall proposed by former President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, North Carolinas Republicans sent a letter Tuesday to Mayorkas and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Troy Miller demanding answers about an increase in encounters with suspected terrorists at the southern border and whether any of those potential terrorists have been brought to North Carolina.

Rep. Patrick McHenry, a Republican from Lincoln County, led the delegation in writing the letter. His spokesman Will Bowen said that theres no reports that terrorists have been sent to North Carolina at this time.

While the Congressman is unaware of any such reported incidents at this time, the Congressman is seeking this information due to the lack of transparency around this issue, Bowen said. Tenth District law enforcement should have answers to the questions raised in his letter so they can best protect our community.

McHenry, a Republican from Lincoln County, called the increase in suspected terrorist encounters alarming and said it highlights the dangers of the Biden Administrations open border policy.

The chaos at our southern border has created a humanitarian crisis, fueled the opioid epidemic, and allowed entry to those that wish us harm, McHenry said.

The North Carolina Republicans asked Miller and Mayorkas to account for the increase and say what they proposed to do to reverse the trend, what the process was for tracking individuals who were released, and what credible threats might have been uncovered about groups like ISIS looking to use gaps at the southern border to smuggle in terrorists.

We need to know why this information is hidden from public view and what is happening to these suspects after they are apprehended, McHenry said. Our porous border is putting Americans at risk and they deserve to know the truth.
North Carolina state Sen. Kandie Smith on the Senate floor in Raleigh after the chamber voted to approve new abortion restrictions on May 4. (Hannah Schoenbaum/AP)

Pressure is mounting this week on abortion access in North Carolina. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has rallied residents and local doctors in an attempt to convince at least one Republican to uphold his expected veto of a bill, S.B. 20, that bans most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, down from the current 20-week restriction.

[State Republican legislators] rammed through a bill in 48 hours with no public input, with no amendments, that drastically reduces access to reproductive freedom for women, Cooper said Sunday on CBSs Face the Nation.

After the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, North Carolina saw the largest spike in abortions in the U.S., according to a WeCount report by the Society of Family Planning.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Planned Parenthood South Atlantic CEO Jenny Black at a forum about new abortion restrictions on Wednesday in Wilmington. (Hannah Schoenbaum/AP)

Cooper is expected to sign the veto during an abortion rights rally in Raleigh on Saturday. But Republican lawmakers hold a veto-proof majority in the state legislature. In order to sink the bill, Cooper would need just one Republican to vote against an expected override of the veto.

Cooper said the bill would effectively ban many abortions altogether because of the restrictions and requirements within it.

Yahoo News spoke with Kelly Baden, vice president for public policy at the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights, to unpack whats in the bill and whats at stake for abortion access in the surrounding region if it goes into effect on July 1. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Whats included in North Carolinas 12-week abortion ban?

Its much more than meets the eye, Baden said.

It would require patients to delay their abortion care by mandating in-person consultations 72 hours in advance of the abortion procedure. Consultations are currently able to be done by phone in North Carolina. If you have to take time off from work, if you have to arrange child care, if you have transportation issues or you live farther away from a clinic  all of those things mean that this additional restriction adds barriers to the abortion. Youre really putting patients in a bind because then theyre chasing after the appointment, which might push their pregnancies later into term.

Story continues

The bill would also require clinics to get an ambulatory surgical center license, she continued. We know abortion is very safe; we do not need to require abortion providers to go through lengthy and expensive processes to become ambulatory surgical centers. The impact of doing that means there will be fewer providers overall in North Carolina. That means reduced access for potentially anybody seeking abortion care in North Carolina, and because were talking about regional implications, this potentially impacts patients from all around the Southeast.

Are there any exceptions included in the 12-week abortion ban?

S.B. 20 allows abortion in cases of rape and incest through 20 weeks of pregnancy, and for life-limiting fetal anomalies at 24 weeks, Baden said.

However, even when exceptions are written into abortion bans in a state, they are not meaningfully happening in real life, she noted.

Weve heard about patients being told to wait until theyre bleeding more heavily than they currently are, or wait until they are in much more of an emergency health situation than they currently are in order to get care. Hospitals are not interested in testing the legal boundaries to see what is permissible under a hostile state abortion ban, and its pregnant women that will pay the price.

Referring to the WeCount study, why do you think North Carolina saw an uptick in abortions after Roe v. Wade was overturned?

Even before the Dobbs decision, traveling to other states to get abortion care was relatively common. Abortion access was already dependent on your state and your income, and this Dobbs decision has just made a difficult situation worse, Baden said.

If you look at the states surrounding and a little beyond North Carolinas neighbors, they have all banned abortion with very limited exceptions: Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia  there are patients there who now dont have access to an abortion clinic in their state and are forced to travel. I think North Carolina is one place that has been able to receive those patients and treat them and meet their needs. It really has been an important access point in a region where most states have banned or severely limited abortion altogether.

When youre a state like North Carolina now in a post-Roe world, you have to know that your policy decisions have a cascading effect beyond the borders of your own state.

If the 12-week abortion ban does take effect in North Carolina, what are some of the geographic implications for abortion access?

People living in a state like Louisiana, for example, have to cross several state lines even to get to an abortion clinic, Baden said. If you are low-income, if you have children, if you dont have paid leave from work, if you dont have reliable transportation and you live in a rural area  those are all huge barriers to getting that care that you might need.

We can just expect to see an exacerbation of the pain points that were already experiencing, she added. I think in the region, looking to Florida and what might happen there with the six-week abortion ban, and looking to South Carolina where legal abortion is hanging by a thread, all of that is going to continue to play a role in the state abortion access in the South and beyond.
By Gwladys Fouche and Gloria Dickie

OSLO/LONDON (Reuters) -Norway took over the chairmanship of the Arctic Council from Russia on Thursday, at a time when cooperation between the Western Arctic states and Moscow on the regional polar body is frozen due to the invasion of Ukraine.

Norway also offered to organise a meeting of the Arctic Council - its 14th - in 2025, a notable move as all members participate in meetings, meaning Russia would also be invited.

Still, this did not mean Russia was being brought back into the fold, experts said.

"It's an opening," said Svein Vigeland Rottem, a senior researcher in Arctic governance and security at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Oslo. "It's clear we should continue cooperating (with Russia), but when and how is not clear."

The Arctic Council was created in 1996 to discuss issues affecting the polar region, ranging from pollution to local economic development to search-and-rescue missions.

It comprises the eight Arctic states of Russia, the United States, Canada, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark.

At the time of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Russia was halfway through its two-year chairmanship of the council, which rotates between members.

This led the other seven Arctic nations to pause cooperation with Moscow, putting about a third of the Council's 130 projects on hold because they had direct Russian involvement. Russia called the action "regrettable".

In a separate statement, Norway said that contacts with Russia would remain for now at the level of senior civil servants, not at the top, political level.

"Political contact with Russia is not possible, but we will continue to be predictable in our dealings with Russia in the Arctic Council," Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said in the statement.

Ahead of Thursday's event, Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Eivind Vad Petersson said it was in the interest of all Arctic states to maintain the council.

"We need to safeguard the Arctic Council as the most important international forum for Arctic cooperation and make sure it survives," he told Reuters.

(Reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo, editing by Terje Solsvik and Alex Richardson)
NORWICH  Police are searching for a person of interest in the fatal Wednesday shooting of a 19-year-old Norwich man.

At approximately 1:40 p.m., patrol officers and detectives were dispatched to the area of 14 Sandy Lane for a report of a person shot. On arrival, officers found Camaury Jabezz Norman-Clack, of 56 Sandy Lane, with a gunshot wound to his chest.

Norman-Clack was transported to The William W. Backus Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 3:41 p.m. Police said the homicide is believed to be the result of a targeted attack.

Police are searching for a person of interest in the case identified as 19-year-old Stancovitch Fabre, formerly of 19 Sandy Lane. Police said Fabre, who is wanted for questioning, may be driving an older model red Mustang with patches of gray Bondo in sections.

More: Police: Man found in shallow grave at Mohegan Park in Norwich a homicide victim

Vehicle possibly driven by man sought by Norwich police as a person of interest in fatal Wednesday shooting

Fabre has a pending case in New London's G.A. 10 court in which he was ordered re-arrested, according to the state's judicial website. He was charged by Groton Town police on Jan. 22 with various motor vehicle-related counts, including driving without a license and operating an unregistered motor vehicle. He was released on a $500 bond.

Norwich Police are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Ken Wright at (860) 886-5561, extension #3159 or the Norwich Police tip line at (860) 886-5561, option #4.

John Penney can be reached at jpenney@norwichbulletin.com or at (860) 857-6965

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Norwich police seek person of interest in fatal shooting on Shady Lane
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will discuss its annual safety performance assessment of the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant at a meeting in the Oak Harbor Public Library on May 17.

OAK HARBOR - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will discuss the agencys annual safety performance assessment of the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant during a hybrid public meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 17. The single-unit plant, located in Oak Harbor, Ohio, is operated by Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp.

The meeting will be held at 5 p.m., Eastern time, at the Oak Harbor Public Library, 147 W. Main St., in Oak Harbor. NRC staff responsible for plant inspection and oversight, including the resident inspectors based full-time at the site, will make a presentation and then answer questions from the public. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or virtually using the following webinar link.

Davis Besse remains under increased NRC oversight since late 2021

The NRC determined that Davis-Besse operated safely during 2022. NRC inspectors identified a greater than green finding in the area of security in 2021, which the licensee continues to address. As a result, Davis- Besse remains under increased NRC oversight as of the third quarter of 2021.

Last year, Energy Harbor notified the NRC that the plant was ready for a followup inspection on the security issue. After conducting an entrance meeting, the NRC inspection team determined that it could not complete its objectives per the inspection procedures and suspended the inspection. The NRC plans to resume the followup inspection when the company notifies the NRC of its readiness.

The NRC Reactor Oversight Process uses color-coded inspection findings and indicators to measure plant performance. The colors start at green and increase to white, yellow or red, commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. Inspection findings or performance indicators with more than very low safety significance trigger increased NRC oversight.

Inspections are performed by two NRC resident inspectors assigned to each plant and specialist inspectors from the Region III Office in Lisle, Illinois.

The annual assessment letters for Davis-Besse and the meeting notice are available on the NRC website. Current performance information for the plant is also available and is updated on a quarterly basis.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: NRC to hold public meeting on Davis Besse annual safety assessment
Debt protester outside US Capitol Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

Many a childhood math teacher has asserted with total confidence that their young students would need to understand some complex theory of algebra or geometry as an adult. Even so, there is a significant chance you have since grown up and largely forgotten those same math skills that were allegedly going to be so very crucial.

If that scenario sounds familiar, take heart in knowing that your math teacher wasn't entirely mistaken; there are still scenarios in which your childhood grasp of numbers can indeed help make sense of our complicated world.

Take, for instance, the looming debt ceiling crisis, as the United States rapidly approaches a point where it will be statutorily unable to pay back its existing loans. Although the mechanics of the federal budget are complex, the intensifying negotiations between President Biden's administration and the GOP-controlled House fundamentally boil down to a question of numbers. Here are the key figures to keep in mind as lawmakers haggle over the possibility that America could default on its loans for the first time in history.

31.4 trillion

Currently, the United States' standing debt limit is $31.4 trillion dollars, an amount set by Congress in 2021 when it raised the previous limit by $2.5 trillion. Crucially, this figure represents the amount of money the U.S. government can borrow to pay back preexisting loans  not take out new ones. The country actually hit the debt ceiling in mid-January, but has so far been able to continue paying its loans thanks in part to what's known as "extraordinary measures" enacted by the Treasury Department to help put off an actual default. Once those measures are exhausted, however, the country will be forced to default on its current loans, triggering an economic catastrophe.

6/1

Of all the questions surrounding the debt limit, perhaps the most pressing is pinning down the "x-date" of when, exactly, the country would enter default  it's a tricky time frame to figure out "as federal receipts and outlays are inherently variable," but could potentially come "as early as June 1, if Congress does not raise or suspend the debt limit before that time," according to Treasury Sec. Janet Yellen.

Story continues

78

That's how many times Congress has voted to raise the debt ceiling since 1960, nearly twice as often under Republican administrations (49) as under Democratic ones (29). Until relatively recently, the process of raising the debt limit was fairly straightforward, bearing little resemblance to the high-stakes political brinksmanship that's come to define debt limit fights since...

2011

This is the last time a major debt ceiling fight came close to derailing the entire U.S. economy. Then, as now, congressional Republicans and a Democratic White House were unable to reach a legislative agreement in the months leading up to the debt limit breach, before finally passing the Budget Control Act of 2011 with just 72 hours to spare. To give a sense of just how dangerous even risking a breach can be, Standard and Poor's  one of the credit services that oversees national credit ratings  didn't wait for the limit to be passed before downgrading the country's AAA ranking to AA+ the month before an agreement was finally struck. That downgrade in turn led to what was at the time the biggest stock market drop since the Great Recession of 2008. And again, all this happened before the limit was breached.

14 - 4

In early May, President Biden (who has repeatedly demanded a "clean" debt limit raise) confirmed to reporters that he'd begun "considering the 14th Amendment" if House Republicans continued to demand widespread spending cuts as their baseline negotiation position for raising the debt ceiling. Biden was specifically referring to invoking the 14th Amendment's fourth clause, which states: "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."

The legal theory that the 14th Amendment can authorize the president to keep spending to pay back debts, even if Congress hasn't authorized a raise in the limit has been around for years, slowly moving into the mainstream conversation, with constitutional scholar and longtime presidential adviser Laurence Tribe offering a mea culpa of sorts in a recent New York Times essay explaining how he'd come around to the idea after rejecting it in 2011. In short, proponents of the theory argue that by establishing a debt limit in the first place, but then repeatedly authorizing congressional spending that exceeds it, Congress has placed itself in an impossible, unconstitutional position. Accordingly, the president may invoke the amendment to ensure that the nation's lawfully legislated debts are "not questioned," even if doing so "raises thorny questions about the appropriate way to interpret the text," as Tribe wrote.

House speaker and chief GOP negotiator Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) immediately denounced the idea after Biden raised it, calling it a "failure of working with people across sides of the aisle," should it be invoked. Biden, meanwhile, seemed similarly skeptical of the theory, noting that since it's never actually been applied in practice "it would have to be litigated. And in the meantime, without an extension, it would still end up in the same place."

1 trillion

One of the more straightforward, if controversial, solutions to the nation's impending debt limit crisis is to simply mint a $1 trillion coin, and then use it to help pay down the country's debt. It's a theory that's been around for years and, like invoking the 14th Amendment, has its various supporters and detractors who argue over potential unintended consequences, as well as its outright feasibility. To date, the White House has given little indication that it has seriously considered the option.

222

As evidenced by his historic difficulties attaining the speaker's gavel, McCarthy's barely-there GOP majority has proven to be exceedingly tricky to whip into a cohesive voting block  a circumstance that puts the speaker increasingly subject to the whims of his party's more extreme members whose support he needs to pass anything through the chamber. With just 222 seats, McCarthy can only afford to lose a handful of defectors or any GOP-led measure is likely sunk in the House. Conversely, with Democrats still holding the Senate and White House, McCarthy's push for massive spending cuts as outlined in his barely-passed Limit Save Grow Bill are virtually non-starters even if he's able to wrangle his own caucus. Democratic lawmakers have taken their negotiation cues directly from Biden's administration, and been in virtual lockstep with the White House that McCarthy should present a clean debt limit hike before any spending and budget negotiations take place.

0

Underlying all of this is the fact that the United States has never entered into default in the more than 100 years since the debt limit was introduced. To do so this summer would move the country into wholly unprecedented and uncharted territory, prompting Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) into rare agreement when they each asserted after a recent round of negotiations that the U.S. "will not default" on its debt.

You may also like

MTV News shutting down after 36 years

Sen. Dianne Feinstein returns to D.C. after extended absence, Democratic tensions

Trump's loss to E. Jean Carroll was likely aided by these 2 blunders in his taped deposition
A Florida nurse walked away from a patients room with her phone in his hand and texted himself nude photos and videos of her, according to an arrest report.

The patients Apple Watch alerted her to the three photos and video sent from her phone as she lay in her hospital bed at Baptist South Hospital in Jacksonville, on April 27, News 4 Jax reported.

The nurse, Luke Waski, 33, was arrested on charges of video voyeurism and sexually cyberharassing another person that same day, according to a Jacksonville Sheriffs Office arrest report obtained by McClatchy News.

Waski, who had been recently hired as a nurse at Baptist South, was also fired after the incident, a Baptist Health spokesperson told McClatchy News in a statement on May 11.

Information regarding an attorney for Waski wasnt immediately available.

This is very disappointing and unacceptable behavior, the Baptist Health spokesperson said.

Initially, the patient had asked Waski if he could use her phone to make a call for her and let an unspecified individual know shes okay, the arrest report says.

She unlocked her device and gave it to Waski, who walked out of the room with it, according to the arrest report.

At some point, the patient yelled he has my phone, the report says.

Waski returned to her room with blankets and told the woman he didnt have her phone when she asked for it back, according to the report.

Then, she spotted her phone in the middle of the blankets he brought in, the report says.

Surveillance footage captured Waski leaving the patients room and going inside a bathroom before coming out and grabbing blankets from a nurses station, according to the sheriffs office. Waski walked back into the patients room with the blankets, the report says.

The woman found the text messages Waski sent to himself in her phones recently deleted messages, according to News 4 Jax.

Waski was ultimately arrested at his home, according to the sheriffs office.

The Baptist Health spokesperson said the hospital reported the incident to the Florida Department of Health, which shares information with the Florida Board of Nursing.

Story continues

Nurse had sex with patients, prescribed dangerous pill combinations, feds say

Nurse secretly replaced hospital fentanyl and used superglue to cover tracks, feds say

Doctor sexually assaulted children and played porn during physical exams, feds say
A New York City charter schools starting pay for teachers will be $140,000 in the fall, more than double the national average.

The salary boost for The Equity Projects 90 teachers was announced as legislative attempts to establish a national $60,000 floor continue. In New York City, the districts starting pay ranges from about $57-87,500.

Compared to wealthy suburban New York districts where six figure salaries are more common TEPs salary nearly doubles starting pay for teachers with masters degrees. It rivals one of the highest in California, found in the ultra wealthy Silicon Valley  where Mountain View Los Altos teachers starting pay is about $100,000. New teachers with masters in Westchester Countys Scarsdale district earn $71,306. On Long Island, Syosset Central Schools pay new teachers with masters $78,002.

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter

Once it initially hit we were jumping for joy  super excited, very grateful, said Lynette Cray, an elementary physical education teacher at The Equity Project.

And then we got right back into the thick of things, Cray said. We dont take it for granted. Were still just trying to be the best educators we can be and that is honestly just icing on the cake for a lot of us.

Since making headlines in 2009 for offering all teachers $125,000, TEP had not adjusted salaries in about 15 years. At the same time, average monthly rent in Manhattan, where 1,080 students are served at three Washington Heights campuses, jumped to $5,000 last year.

Simultaneously, students academic and mental health needs mounted throughout the pandemic while the climate around teaching and education became increasingly negative.

There couldnt be a more appropriate time for us to re-express our commitment to the impact of great teachers, head of school Casey Ash said. Now more than ever, students at TEP, students everywhere need the very best, highest quality, most compassionate, most committed educators working with them.

Story continues

Though the school does receive philanthropic and independent dollars, which last year amounted to 0.7% of their annual income, teachers salaries and all operational costs are paid with public funding.

To afford the higher-than-average pay, TEP minimizes central expenses and hires fewer administrators than many other schools, with 34 full time.

I might ask the question, how other schools cannot afford to do this? Because we are able to do so without any external funding, Ash said.

Last school year, 49% of TEPs public funding went toward educator costs. Philanthropic funds were used for its alumni program and middle school facility.

With high compensation comes high expectations. Each teacher must take on a dual role to fill in gaps; are called to substitute teach for colleagues; and serve students longer than most other schools, until 4pm for middle schoolers and 3:45 for early childhood grades.

In addition to helping children develop motor and social skills, Cray serves as social emotional learning coordinator. Outside of teaching, planning for her workshops takes at least three hours weekly.

But for others whose dual role is family engagement or special education coordinators, the responsibilities, time and care required can increase greatly.

Still, TEP has maintained a retention rate around national averages, 86% for the 2021-22 school year.

Outside of financial compensation, the school offers unique benefits for teachers: a sabbatical year for those whove taught at least five years; more, brief vacations via a trimester system.

Ash credits the schedule as a key contributor to a sense of work-life balance and reducing summer slide or academic loss.

[The compensation] just opens up more possibilities for us to do the things that we need to do for ourselves to sustain being a teacher, Cray told The 74, like taking care of their mental health or supporting family members.

Raising teacher quality, pay and well-being have been key goals for advocates pushing for better education for low-income and underserved students.

TEPs students are nearly all Black or Latino and live in poverty. Nationally, they are more likely to be taught by early-career or inexperienced teachers, including those with provisional or temporary certification, than their peers.

But at TEP, most educators have at least five to seven years of experience, according to elementary school director Joelle Fenton. They do not hire early career educators.

Related Black, Latino Students Disproportionately Taught by Inexperienced Teachers

Local and statewide efforts to raise educator pay and attract higher quality educators for underserved students are underway.

Maryland is proposing a statewide $60,000 base pay as a part of their Blueprint plan. Attempts in California have tried and failed, with unions railing against differentiated pay to address the unequal distribution of teachers. Houston Independent School District began offering a minimum $61,500 this school year.

While boosting salary is not a silver bullet, research suggests it can have a huge impact on student achievement, decreasing opportunity gaps that fall along racial lines.

Bonuses of just $10,000, designed to attract and retain experienced educators to teach in low-income Texas schools, brought average test score growth in some of the lowest performing schools close to district averages, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper released this spring.

When bonuses stopped, some teachers left and academic growth declined.

The average bonus for TEP teachers last school year was $18,000. Latest New York state exams reveal that their fifth through eighth grade students had 37% more growth in math than their broader New York City peers, and 13% more in English language arts.

The increased compensation has also been life-changing for teachers and their families. Cray remembers literally jumping out of her seat after hearing the news in a staff meeting before she and many others immediately called their partners.

Having gone through a four-year fertility journey and taken time off for maternity leave, the raise means she can now start contributing to goals that felt out of reach.

We can put it towards a home and start planning that next phase of our lives, Cray said. Its not the main reason Im here but it helps me to feel validated in what Im doing and also helps me have a livable wage to help take care of my family.
School District 90 in OFallon has opened an independent investigation into the hiring of an assistant superintendents son after it came to light he was charged with a felony in Oklahoma earlier this year.

Christian Wills, son of District 90 Assistant Superintendent Joi Wills, is charged with one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to court documents.

Police in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, arrested the then 23-year-old on Jan. 9, and his mother paid $5,000 in bond for his release the next day, according to records.

The next month, the district, which serves two junior high schools and five elementaries, hired Wills as a custodian. Parents raised concerns at a board meeting earlier this month about Wills employment.

In an email to parents this week the district said: In light of the recent controversy concerning the hiring of a custodian at Marie Schaefer, the District 90 Board of Education is appointing an independent investigator to examine policies and actions taken with respect to the hiring.

Previously an employee of the school district, Wills passed a background check when he was first hired.

Whether the district performed a background check in 2023 for his most recent hiring is unclear. District 90 officials declined to comment on the situation, citing the ongoing investigation.

Joi Wills and her sons attorney also declined to comment.

Police gave the following account of what happened in Oklahoma: Wills approached the apartment of a man late on Jan. 8. The man did not recognize Wills, so he grabbed a firearm. When the door was opened, the man thought Wills pulled out a firearm of his own and shot Wills in the leg, who then returned fire before leaving the scene

Wills pleaded not guilty, according to a local newspaper report, and his next court appearance is scheduled for May 31.
The occupants of a Gig Harbor home fled a smoky fire Wednesday evening after a kitchen fire was initially reported as being out, according to the Gig Harbor Fire Department.

Crews were dispatched to the home in the 3700 block of 26th Ave. Court with an advisory that an oil fire had been extinguished.

Crews are working on a residential structure fire in the 3700 block of 26th Ave Ct. Initially dispatched as a fire now out, but upon arrival, it was upgraded to a single alarm fire. Firefighters mounting an offensive attack to extinguish the fire. Occupants evacuated safely. pic.twitter.com/YVyxiOetPf  GigHarborFire (@GigHarborFire) May 11, 2023

But upon arrival, it was upgraded to a single alarm fire, the fire department tweeted. Firefighters mounted an offensive attack.

The fire was reported at 4:41 p.m. Crews were still putting out hot spots at 7 p.m., according to fire department spokesperson Tina Curran.

It got into the attic and was traveling along the front exterior, Curran said.

Crews rescued a dog and a cat from the home filled with heavy smoke.
Russian troops fired S-300 missiles on the city of Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast on Thursday morning, injuring an elderly woman who later died in hospital.

Source: Report from Vadym Liakh, Head of Sloviansk City Military-Civil Administration, on Facebook; State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Quote: "Unfortunately, our city has been attacked again; a missile hit a private house and one person was injured."

Details: Liakh also reported that two apartment buildings on Svitlodarska Street, private houses and cars were damaged.

The State Emergency Service specified that a woman was wounded in the attack and later died in hospital.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Five people have been killed by the Russian occupiers over the past day: three in Donetsk Oblast, one in Kherson Oblast and one in Kharkiv Oblast.

Source: Pavlo Kyrylenko, Head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration; Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration; Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration

Quote from Kyrylenko: "On 10 May, the Russians killed three residents of Donetsk Oblast: two in Chasiv Yar and one in Novokalynove. Two people in the oblast have been wounded."

Details: Russian attacks have also resulted in one person killed and one more injured in Kherson Oblast.

In total, the occupiers fired 461 shells from heavy artillery, Grad multiple-launch rocket systems, tanks, UAVs and aircraft on Kherson Oblast over the past day. The Russians attacked the city of Kherson 10 times alone.

The Russian military hit residential neighbourhoods of the region's settlements and the territory of a plant in Kherson.

The invaders also attacked Kharkiv Oblast, killing a 67-year-old man in Vovchansk, Chuhuiv district, and damaging at least five private houses.

A 49-year-old civilian has been wounded during a mortar attack in the village of Fyholivka, Kupiansk district. He has been taken to hospital. A private household was damaged.

Mine danger remains high in the region. In particular, a 44-year-old civilian man has been wounded by a Lepestok anti-personnel mine during the morning of 11 May. Doctors are providing him with medical assistance.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Family members react Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, at the scene as Oklahoma City police investigate a fatal shooting at the Plaza Inn in Oklahoma City.

Citing deadly violence, drug dealing and prostitution, the city of Oklahoma City is asking a judge to declare a notorious motel a public nuisance and shut it down or force its operators to take steps to make it safer.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Oklahoma County District Court, the city wrote that Plaza Inn has recently seen numerous instances of people on said property being killed and injured by criminal conduct.

Police patrol through the Plaza Inn parking lot in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.

The city told the court it sent notice to the owners on April 12 that the motel at 3200 S Prospect Ave. has become a public nuisance.

In its notice to the motel owners, the city asked that certified armed guards be on the property 24 hours a day to help stop violent acts from occurring inside the courtyard areas and outside in the parking lot.

The motel owners were given 10 days to abate the nuisance, according to the lawsuit.

Previous nuisance notices have been provided to the owners and managers of Plaza Inn, and all have essentially been ignored, making the Plaza Inn one of the most dangerous places in Oklahoma County for the community and the traveling public . . . the city wrote in its lawsuit.

Plaza Inn has sat in southeast Oklahoma City since 1971.

Some police officers have called it the fentanyl den of Oklahoma City.

In August, Sgt. Dustin Wright told The Oklahoman he patrolled the area at least twice daily.

Theres a lot of drug activity here, he said. All youve got to do is pull up in a police car and people turn and run.

When The Oklahoman sought comment in August, the motel ownership did not initially respond. After a deadly Plaza Inn shooting in October, Steve Ketter, a part-owner of the company running the motel, told The Oklahoman that employees were working with Blackhawk Security and the police department's Santa Fe division to boost public safety in the area.

We have been getting a lot of newer people there in the past few months, and we feel like that has been kind of straightening it out, Ketter said. We just want to stand up for our motel, to let the public know we are trying  trying very much  to do the right things.

Story continues

But Plaza Inn management declined to speak and instead threatened to call the police when reporters with The Oklahoman entered the grounds in August.

Contributing: Staff writers Jack Money and Jessie Christopher Smith

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Lawsuit: OKC's Plaza Inn to close or owners must halt crime, drug infestation
Police in Oklahoma who thought they were responding to a person in distress this week got a good chuckle when they got on scene and learned it was a goat "yelling for help."

Body cam footage posted on Enid Police Department's Facebook page Monday shows Officers David Sneed and Neal Storey walking through a field toward what sounds like a person needing aide.

"That's a person," one officer says as the other begins running toward the voice.

Interactive map Top 5 most common invasive animal and insect in every US state

Police in Oklahoma who thought they were responding to a person in distress on May 9, 2023, said they were surprised when they got on scene only to learn it was a goat "yelling for help."

'Damsel in distress'

Running toward the sound, the officers discovered their "damsel in distress was a very upset goat," who the farmer explained, had been separated from one of his friends.

She died protecting her son Indiana sheriff's deputy dies after protecting her son from dog attack, officials say

"Thank you, gentlemen. Your swift actions (although in the end not necessary) are appreciated by us all," the department quipped on social media. "All in all, you really cant say it was that baaad of a call."

Police in Oklahoma who thought they were responding to a person in distress on May 9, 2023, said they were surprised when they got on scene only to learn it was a goat "yelling for help."

More coverage from USA TODAY

A California city is trying to block a Christian group from feeding homeless people. Now, the DOJ is weighing in.

Photos capture group of orcas attacking a gray whale calf along the Oregon Coast

Two missing climbers at Denali National Park may have triggered avalanche and fell, officials say

Critically endangered orangutan born at California zoo: 'Every birth is a monumental success'

Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bodycam shows police searching for someone 'yelling for help' It was a goat.
Oliver Stone has the JFK assassination, 9/11, Edward Snowden and more in his controversy-strewn rearview mirror. Next in his sights: atomic energy.

The Oscar-winners latest documentary is called Nuclear Now, and it seeks to explore the possibility for the global community to overcome the challenges of climate change and energy poverty to reach a brighter future through nuclear energy.

Stone said in a recent interview with ITK that the project presents a very thorough argument [about] what nuclear energy is, what stopped it from being all pervasive in our society in the 1970s, and how renewables have worked out before going back to the idea of the future.

The cinematic effort, Stone said, came together after he was scared while watching Al Gores 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth.

[Gores] film was very effective. It brought consciousness to this country about climate change  although it didnt convince, apparently, the conservatives  it is a very important film. But on the other hand, the film never mentions nuclear energy as a solution.

Stone said he happened upon Staffan Qvist and Joshua Goldsteins 2019 book, A Bright Future: How Some Countries Have Solved Climate Change and the Rest Can Follow, after reading a review for it in The New York Times.

In the book, Goldstein, an American University international relations professor emeritus, contends that the country needs a lot of nuclear energy to solve climate change.

I am a global trends person and a data person. So I did the math, Goldstein said. Theres just no other way to decarbonize quickly, and this is what France and Sweden had done in just 15 or 20 years  [they] took fossil fuel off the grid and put on nuclear energy.

Weve been trained from the very beginning to fear nuclear power, Stone says in a trailer for the film. The very thing that we fear may save us.

The film industry, Stone said, has not been kind to the nuclear business, citing movies including 1983s Silkwood and the 2019 HBO miniseries, Chernobyl, which focused on the 1986 nuclear power plant explosion in Ukraine.

Story continues

The whole dramatization of nuclear tends to the negative. The truth is the opposite  and thats what Im trying to convey here, Stone said.

Nuclear energy and nuclear war are two different things. Bombs and energy are two different things, he added.

Making the case for nuclear energy, however, doesnt exactly seem like an issue that a lot of Hollywood celebrities are scrambling to get behind.

You cant blame Jane Fonda. I agreed with her position back in the 1970s. I wasnt an advocate, but I was scared, Stone said of the Klute actor, who helped lead tens of thousands of anti-nuclear energy protesters at the Capitol in 1979.

She was great on Vietnam, but she was wrong on this issue, Stone said. Fonda and other public figures, Stone said, overexaggerated all these problems. And thats easy to do in America with the media that loves sensationalism.

Asked if being tied to conspiracy theories with his previous movies ABC News referred to him in 2001 as a conspiracy theorist/filmmaker  hurts Nuclear Now, Stone replied, Oh, sure. I guess so.

America is very much into labeling, and it makes it easier to dismiss people, he added.  Conspiracy theorist  Im proud of that because frankly, its not a theory, its conspiracy fact.

But anybody who doesnt question what I questioned in that film, JFK, is really not thinking. And the same is true about this thing, nuclear energy, he said.

The 70-year-old Wall Street and Nixon director supported Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the 2016 presidential election, before ultimately voting for Green Party nominee Jill Stein.

Many progressives have criticized nuclear energy over concerns about what to do with the waste. Asked if his pro-nuclear stance jibes with his politics, Stone responded, My politics are thinking, free thinking, free thought. I am a free person in that way.

The great thing is that its not a partisan issue in the usual sense, Goldstein said of nuclear energy.

Its got support on both sides of the aisles. Its had support from the Biden administration, the Trump administration, the Obama administration. Its not the usual partisan issue, added Goldstein, a co-writer on the film along with Stone.

That means that heres something that could help us with climate change that isnt going to run into the brick wall of partisan gridlock that we often have. And so thats a great place to push forward, he said.

While Stone said he voted for Joe Biden in 2020, he has been critical of the current commander in chief. Asked to rate the job Bidens done as president, Stone said, Im very disappointed, frankly.

They put money into it, but not enough. Not enough support. It needs verbal support. It needs verbal enthusiasm. People have to rediscover it. The problem is Americans get bored pretty quickly: Oh I heard about nuclear. I think I know everything. Were over that. Well, thats a huge mistake, Stone said.

Asked if he planned on supporting Biden or former President Trump in the 2024 White House race, the politically outspoken filmmaker tossed out Democratic candidate Robert Kennedy Jr.s name, before saying he hadnt made a formal decision.

Were in a bleak place, Stone added.

But Goldstein said he and Stone are aiming to offer audiences hope after seeing Nuclear Now, which is in theaters.

Theres so much doom and gloom about climate change and for some good reason, because the worlds not on track. But we could get on track, Goldstein said.

Id like to look to the future and be positive, Stone said, and say, I want to see a better future for my children.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
About one in five people may be suffering with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a condition that often makes individuals snore loudly, according to a new study.

People with the condition often wake up several times in the middle of the night as their breathing starts and stops during sleep.

Researchers said OSA can cause people to feel tired and may also increase their risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

While some treatments and lifestyle changes have been proven to help people with the condition, the new study published recently in the journal ERJ Open Research, suggested that only a small proportion of people with OSA have been diagnosed and are receiving help.

In the study, scientists, including those from the University of Paris-Cite in France, assessed data on over 20,100 French adults.

They assessed how many of the participants had been diagnosed with the condition and analysed how many of them may have undiagnosed OSA, using a questionnaire.

They then used the data to calculate the proportion of the French population likely to be affected by OSA.

The study found about one in five, or just over 20 per cent of the participants, were highly likely to have the condition.

Scientists, however, said only 3.5 per cent of the participants were being treated for the condition.

OSA was found to be more common in men and among people who were older, had cardiovascular disease, lower socioeconomic status or were less physically active.

The condition was also more prevalent among smokers and in people with symptoms of depression.

Women are also at a higher risk of going undiagnosed with OSA, said scientists.

We know that OSA is a major health hazard but if patients are diagnosed with the condition, they can be given treatments and advice to mitigate the risks, study lead author Pauline Balagny said in a statement.

Our study suggests that OSA is common, but the majority of those affected do not know they have the condition. Our findings are in line with research in other countries which suggest that OSA is becoming more common, Dr Balagny said.

Story continues

Citing one of the limitations of the study, scientists said the analysis relied on a questionnaire to gauge the likelihood of OSA instead of testing participants in a sleep clinic.

However, the strength of the research lies in assessing data from a large group of people representative of the French population, they said.

The findings highlighted that many people with OSA are not aware that their snoring and sleepiness are signs of deeper problems.

We need to raise awareness of OSA because once people are diagnosed, they can be given treatment and advice to help lower their risk of other serious conditions such as stroke, heart disease and diabetes, said Winfried Randerath, a sleep disorder expert from the European Respiratory Society, who was not involved in the study.

Although OSA is more common in men, this study indicates that we also need to get better at spotting the condition in women, Dr Randerath said.
Enid Pinkney has seen a lot of changes since she began living in her Brownsville neighborhood in 1968.

The end of legal segregation. The growth of its Black community. The changing demographics.

So when the historian heard that the city of Hialeah was looking to annex a portion of her northwest Miami-Dade County neighborhood, she wanted to make her voice heard.

Whatever deal they put up with, we get the short end of the stick, Pinkney, 91, said. When asked whether the neighborhoods changing demographics motivated the plan, she said that Brownsvilles population is now nearly half Hispanic  45.5% to be exact. When I first moved out here, it was a Black community. Now, Im totally against the [annexation]. Because all they want is money.

Historian and civil rights activist Enid Pinkney in the lobby of the historic Hampton House hotel in Brownsville, which she led the fight to save.

The proposed annexation includes 150.9 acres  about 0.24 square miles  of primarily industrial and commercial land as well as an area of 137 mobile homes by NW 54th Street and NW 37th Avenue. The majority of Brownsville, which is part of unincorporated Miami-Dade county, would remain with the county. Its a small piece of land, but one that activists and residents seem prepared to fight for.

The area in purple on the map was remove from the original plan of annexation, according to the director of The Corradino Group, Edward Ng, engineering firm hired for Hialeah to do the report, it wasnt suppose to be in the boundaries annex plan

Brownsville was one of Miami-Dades first Black suburbs. Formerly a farming development that was recorded as Brown Subdivision on the citys planning maps, Black Miamians began to settle in Brownsville  which spans from Northwest 62nd Street to 41st Street and Northwest 37th Avenue to 19th Avenue  in the 1940s. By the 1960s, the neighborhood became majority Black.

The community is home to a number of Black landmarks. Theres the Hampton House, a Green Book hotel thats said to be where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a version of his I Have a Dream speech as well as the setting of One Night in Miami, a stage-to-film adaptation that explores a fictional meeting between Sam Cooke, new heavyweight champ Cassius Clay, Malcolm X and Jim Brown. Theres Lincoln Memorial Cemetery, where many of Black Miamis heroes are buried like millionaire D.A. Dorsey and Florida Rep. Gwen Cherry. And theres Georgettes Tea Room, an attraction for many Black celebrities including Billie Holiday during the 1940s and 50s.

Story continues

Like many things in the world of politics, Hialeahs annexation plan boils down to finances. The proposal  prepared by engineering company The Corradino Group  demonstrated the annexation area will provide fiscal strength to the city by increasing its tax base and allowing for significant creation of employment opportunities. For residents of Brownsville, however, thats the main issue: that the economic growth will benefit Hialeah, a city thats roughly 96% Hispanic, according to recent Census data, rather than its primarily Black neighborhood. Although still in the exploratory phase, the proposal has already generated much opposition from the Brownsville community and beyond.

If Brownsville wants incorporation or annexation, it has to be led by the people, said Daniella Pierre, the president of the Miami-Dade chapter of the NAACP. Its not for Hialeah to decide.

Entertainers such as Billie Holiday, far left, frequented Georgettes Tea Room at 2540 NW 51st Street in Brownsville in the 1950s and 1960s. In this file photo from the Black Archives in Miami, Holiday entertains a group of Miami area schoolteachers.

Nowadays, the community looks like any other working class suburb: ranch-style homes, public parks. But theres also strip along Northwest 27th Avenue that used to be a bustling hub with mom and pop businesses. The prolonged construction of the Metrorail caused many stores to close as customers couldnt access them in the 1980s, according to Kenneth Kilpatrick, the president of the Brownsville Civic Neighborhood Association. And Black Miamians have been leaving the area in search of more opportunity in North Miami-Dade and beyond, Pierre said.

When those people leave, its not that theyre replaced by some families that would have that affinity for the community and the history thats already in existence, Pierre added.

Brownsville first

Between 2010 and 2020, the Hispanic population in Brownsville increased 91.4% (from 3,939 to 7,541), according to Census data. At the same time, the Black population decreased 23.8% (from 11,081 to 8,448). Many residents and activists believe these changes are why Hialeah is eyeing the area.

It probably had something to do with their motivation with those numbers increasing, Kilpatrick said.

Kilpatrick, however, didnt want to make this an issue of race or ethnicity. Instead, he said this is an issue of preserving Black history.

The African-American community cant expect other races and colors to honor their history if they arent there to protect it themselves, Kilpatrick added. We want Brownsville to be remembered for all the rich contributions she has had to Miami-Dade County.

Hialeah Council member Jesus Tundidor, who sponsored the plan to annex industrial area of Brownsville, maintains that demographics has nothing to do with the plan  though the residents of the trailer park inside the area of the proposed annexation are primarily Hispanic.

Our plan is to annex the industrial area, there is nothing to do with residential area, Tundidor said, referring to the vast majority of the neighborhood that would remain untouched. In fact, that industrial area does not belong to Brownsville but to Miami-Dade County. We are not taking away the industrial area from Brownsville. It had nothing to do with Hispanic residents.

In the days after the plan was announced, more than 100 Brownsville residents and activists attended a Hialeah city council meeting to voice their displeasure. Pinkney, Pierre and Kilpatrick all took turns explaining their opposition. Kilpatrick said the annexation would eliminate Brownsvilles economic potential.

Kenneth Kilpatrick, president of the Brownsville Civic Neighborhood Association, speaks during a press conference to inform the public about Hialeahs plan to incorporate the Brownsville industrial zone on Monday, April 24, 2023 at Brownsville Church of Christ. The area includes industrial warehouses and also houses and the church.

Miami-Dade County for many decades has recognized the proposed industrial area as an economic recovery zone, Kilpatrick said on April 26. Brownsville is opposed to any municipality taking advantage of any economic potential in the area before Brownsville does.

Former District 108 representative Roy Hardemon shared a similar sentiment at the meeting, explaining that taking the economic zone out of the neighborhood will make us eat each other.

Brownsville is a 2.28 mile neighborhood, even though you took the houses out of the plan, taking the industrial area from us is like putting two chickens in a cage and not feeding them, Hardemon said at the time.

For Pinkney, however, Miami-Dades history of broken promises tells a cautionary tale. She, for example, was one of the residents of Overtown who was forced to move in the 1960s for the sake of urban renewal. Pinkney sees the annexation of the industrial part of Brownsville as the first step to a similar plan that would eventually erase the neighborhoods history.

Ive seen too much, Pinkney said. Ive lived too long.
KYIV  At first, everything about the small, solemn gathering in the grounds of Kyivs St. Michaels Golden-Domed Monastery had all the signs of a traditional Ukrainian military funeral.

A guard of soldiers, a Ukrainian flag held over the coffin, the rolling verse of Orthodox prayers, the national anthem, and a grieving partner in a traditional Ukrainian dress by the deceaseds side.

The priest recalled in his short eulogy that Easter celebrations had not long passed by, when Christians were reminded of the miracle of resurrection, and repeated the phrase so often uttered as the losses in Russias full-scale war mount: Heroes never die.

This funeral, however, was different. Off to the side, wearing balaclavas to protect their identity, the line of soldiers standing motionless to pay tribute were mostly not Ukrainians. All the priests words were translated into English by a military translator.

The fallen soldier being honored on this day was 27-year-old Christopher Campbell, an American who was killed in early April outside Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, fighting in the ranks of Ukraines International Legion.

An Orthodox priest delivers a eulogy at the farewell ceremony of U.S. volunteer Christopher Campbell in Kyiv on May 5, 2023. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)

While at least nine Americans have been killed in the war, alongside hundreds of other foreign volunteers, Campbell was the very first and only to be buried in Ukraine.

In just over a year, Ukraine and its struggle became everything for Campbell, who drew upon his experience serving in the U.S. military to fight with distinction among some of the wars toughest battles, training and sharing experience with Ukrainian soldiers on the way.

During his time in the country, another reason cemented Campbells attachment for Ukraine and commitment to fighting until victory: His love for film director and volunteer Ivanna Sanina, 24-year-old daughter of acclaimed Ukrainian director Oles Sanin.

He was brave like a Ukrainian, and he was stubborn like a Ukrainian, said Sanina, braving back tears to speak to international media during the funeral.

Story continues

Some of the other foreigners he fought with mentioned many times that he had very hot blood; thats our blood, Ukrainian blood.

They crawl forward 24/7: On the zero line with Ukrainian infantry north of Bakhmut Climbing to a firing position through trenches dug into black Ukrainian soil, the relative quiet in the air is only reassuring to an extent. At the most forward point, a Soviet-era recoilless rifle stands watch, dug into a shallow depression in the ground. Bohdan, a company comman Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell

Committed from the start

Christopher Campbell had never been to Ukraine before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The Florida native had recently completed a short but impressive military career, serving with distinction in Iraq and Kuwait in the ranks of the U.S. Armys legendary 82nd Airborne Division.

Having completed his time in the U.S. military, Campbell was studying biology at university back at home when the first attacks began.

At first, Campbell arrived without a concrete plan, traveling to Ukraine with the help of his own contacts.

To know him, and his selflessness, then one can understand his humanitarian values, wrote Campbells mother Cheri in a statement released jointly with the Legion after his death.

Before he left, he told us that if he could help even one single family get back into their homes, then it would be worth the risk of doing so.

A portrait of Chistopher Campbell in civilian life in the United States. (Courtesy)

While volunteering outside Irpin towards the end of Russias initial occupation of the city outside Kyiv, Campbell met Hlib Fishchenko, 23-year-old co-founder of Vilni Volunteers, a grassroots military humanitarian aid organization previously featured in the Kyiv Independents coverage of the anniversary of the full-scale war.

Before taking up arms himself, Campbell lent his skills and experience to Ukrainian units in special training sessions that Fishchenko helped organize and translate for.

According to Fishchenko, it was after the world learned of the Bucha massacre and other Russian atrocities in Kyiv Oblast that Campbell decided he must enlist to fight.

Initially, Campbell joined the ranks of the Azov unit of Ukraines Special Forces (SSO), not to be confused with the Azov Regiment that made its last stand in Mariupol.

Fishchenko says that with his background in the airborne forces, Campbell was inherently drawn to the most intense battles along the front line, part of the reason he joined Azov SSO.

Chris always said he wanted more than anything to join the units that were attacking, liberating; Fishchenko said, not holding lines but moving forward and kicking the Russians out.

He would always compare it to lung cancer; the longer they would be there on this land, the more they would metastasize and the harder it would be to eliminate them later.

Sanina, also a member of Vilni Volunteers, first met Campbell on June 18, after the funeral of 24-year-old activist and soldier Roman Ratushnyi, a personal friend of Ivanna's.

A young participant in the 2013-2014 EuroMaidan Revolution who later led campaigns to protect green spaces in Kyiv, Ratushnyi became a nationwide symbol of how Ukraine was losing its best of brightest people in the war.

After the funeral, Sanina recalled in a separate interview with the Kyiv Independent, when I met him for the first time, he asked me, 'Is this always how you bid farewell to your fallen soldiers, your heroes?'"

"I said yes, and he said in that case, if he dies he wants to be buried here, because he saw the honor with which it was done."

Through the volunteer organization they were both involved in, they had begun crossing paths more often, when Sanina asked Campbell why he came to Ukraine.

He said it was the only right thing to do, she said, that he could not just sit at home and watch the genocide that was happening here, it wasn't an option for him.

When I spoke to him that day, I was astonished by how he looked me right in the eyes. When two people look at each other like that, speaking about such things, a lot is understood right away.

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 4  Russias strategy of evil: 80,000 war crimes in Ukraine This Week in Ukraine is a video podcast hosted by the Kyiv Independents reporter Anastasiia Lapatina. Every week, Anastasiia sits down with her newsroom colleagues to discuss Ukraines most pressing issues. Episode #4 is dedicated to Russian war crimes in Ukraine and beyond, the culture of viole Kyiv IndependentAnastasiia Lapatina

Love in the time of war

As retold by Fishchenko, fighting against the Russian army was a new kind of war for Campbell, very different in nature to his service in Iraq and Kuwait.

"He called this war a difficult one, one of infantry and artillery," Fishchenko said.

"In Iraq, where you could always call on air support in a difficult situation and it would come, here there is no such thing. Here you need to come up with creative solutions to stay alive in the moment.

By the time Campbell joined in late autumn, the Legion had become a very different outfit to the chaotic units formed upon its founding, as some of those foreigners without the right experience or motivations to fight went home, while others quit because of widespread alleged experiences of abuse and corruption in the leadership.

"Those who stayed were mostly from the same countries: Finns, Poles, Latvians, Lithuanians, and some Brits and Americans, said Fishchenko.

"These guys would all say to me that they'll be here until the end. Of course, Chris also had Iva keeping him here."

Those who left saw that this is not a shooting range, it's not Call of Duty, it's death, or the risk of death, every single day, added Sanina.

Chris really didn't like people like that, he called them military tourists.

Christopher Campbell and a fellow soldier train at a firing range in eastern Ukraine in winter 2022. (Courtesy)

During the time in between Campbells campaigns with Azov SSO and Legion, he managed to spend more time with his fiance. In this time, the pair could live a semblance of the life of a young engaged couple in peacetime, visiting the opera and theater in Kyiv.

According to Fishchenko, whenever Campbell was back from the front, he would not act like someone whom the hell of the war had affected deeply.

He would come and hang out with us in our volunteer headquarters on his days off, Fishchenko said, we would laugh and listen to music.

He was very good at switching to civilian life; he was not the kind of person that would need mental health support afterwards.

Sanina, from the perspective of a partner rather than a friend, said that in more private moments with her fiance, things were very different.

He barely ever spoke about the war in civilian life, he held up in public very well, she said. I didn't try and ask even when we were just the two of us, but it was all clear to me anyway.

After every deployment, he came back a different person. You could see the changes in his eyes, and you understand that these guys have seen some truly terrifying things.

In September, less than three months into their relationship, Campbell proposed to Sanina before departing to fight with the Legion in the east.

Ivanna Sanina at the funeral of fiance and U.S. volunteer fighter in Kyiv on May 5, 2023. (Dymtro Sanin/Courtesy)

"I asked him, 'Where is my ring?' said Sanina, and he said he would first learn the language and officially ask my father for my hand."

Over the winter months, characterized in Ukraine by the brutal fighting in Donetsk Oblast, especially Bakhmut, the pair saw each other more rarely, and Campbell had no chance, neither to buy a ring nor to ask for Sanins blessing in person.

Two days before he was killed, Campbell took a few days off to see Sanina in Kharkiv.

"The last time I saw him, I said I couldn't take it anymore, that I would buy it myself, and he said 'No, Iva, please don't humiliate me like that!' He took our traditions very seriously from the start."

Flanks around Bakhmut hold as brutal urban fighting continues for city blocks Two months after Ukraines defense of Bakhmut seemed doomed, the bloodiest battle of Russias full-scale war against Ukraine is still going against all expectations. Making rapid advances at the end of February, Russian forces seemed to be on the cusp of surrounding the city, as the only roads Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell

Honoring the fallen

Sanina last spoke to Campbell on the evening of April 5, nine hours before he was killed.

I don't believe in all these supernatural things, but I can't explain this rationally, said Sanina recalling the moment.

I'm normally a very pragmatic person, but that evening, I told my friend, something was wrong. I told her, I could just feel it, something is wrong with Chris.

On the following morning, Campbell and his commander were killed by a cluster munition while holding a position near Khromove, a village along one of the key supply roads into Bakhmut still under Ukrainian control.

Soon after, a Finnish combat medic ran to attend to them, and was promptly killed himself by another cluster munition.

Sanina was called by a comrade of Campbell's, another American legionnaire, and gave the news about her fiances death.

In this moment, I died, I was no more, she said. The only part of me that remained is in pain, and will be for a long time.

Due to the near-constant Russian shelling and attacks, it took nine days for Campbells body to be retrieved and finally returned to Kyiv, where Sanina was asked by his parents to identify the body at the morgue.

This picture will stay with me for the rest of my life, she said.

We had so many plans ahead of us, so many things we wanted to do, and it was taken away.

Ukrainian soldiers hold a flag about the coffin of Christopher Campbell at the farewell ceremony of the U.S. volunteer in Kyiv on May 5, 2023. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)

Since Campbells death, Sanina has kept in close touch with both his parents back in the U.S., who she never managed to meet, as well as his fellow soldiers still serving.

His comrades support me a lot, and I support them, she said, for I see in their eyes everything that I saw in the eyes of Chris.

Ukraine's future challenge of national remembrance for the dead in the war looms large in Sanina's thoughts.

There needs to be a place of national memory, she said, where the mothers, families of the fallen, as well as all Ukrainians, anyone who isn't indifferent, can come and see the names, the flags, the dates.

Some people tend to treat the Armed Forces as some kind of abstract image, we need to remind them that the military is people, with hands and feet, not biorobots or cyborgs, but people.

Proposals have already been put forward for a national memorial complex, which could either take the form of a central monument with all the names of the fallen, or a larger military cemetery, most likely built somewhere outside Kyiv.

On April 23, Ukraines Veterans Affairs Minister Yuliia Laputina said after a visit to the U.S. that Ukraine hopes to draw inspiration from the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia for the future project.

Illia Ponomarenko: Ukraine has proved that hard choices pay off Editors Note: The following is the transcript of the speech given by the Kyiv Independents defense reporter Illia Ponomarenko at the annual meeting organized by the Raam Op Rusland think tank, in Amsterdam, on Oct. 25. For republication, reach out to news@kyivindependent.com. Greetings! Hello, a Kyiv IndependentIllia Ponomarenko

Sanina pledged that if an Arlington-style cemetery complex is built, she will have Campbells remains transferred there.

He needs to be together with other soldiers, she said, it should be visible for everyone, Ukrainians should know that Americans were here, that they also died for us.

Towards the end of the interview, Sanina revealed that it was exactly this process that had motivated Campbell to study genetics, having had a friend in the U.S. Department of Defense who worked to identify and return the exhumed remains of American service members from overseas wars.

For Americans, the return of the bodies of fallen soldiers is like a religious practice, she said.

"It was his dream to work on these military excavations," she said. "He spoke to me a lot about it, especially since here in Ukraine there are places where the bodies of tens of thousands of soldiers still lie.

Note from the author:

Hi, this is Francis Farrell, cheers for reading this article. I grew up on the other side of the world, but in Ukraine I have found a home unlike any other. Just like with so many of our readers, I understand that you don't have to be from near here to realize how important Ukraine's struggle is for freedom and human rights all over the world. The Kyiv Independent's mission is to lead the way in continuing to bring the best homegrown, English-language coverage of this war, even if the rest of the world's attention starts to fade. Please consider supporting our reporting.
(Allison Hong / Los Angeles Times illustration; Getty Images)

In the last few years, 10,000 to 20,000 apps have stampeded into the mental health space, offering to disrupt traditional therapy. With the frenzy around AI innovations like ChatGPT, the claim that chatbots can provide mental health care is on the horizon.

The numbers explain why: Pandemic stresses led to millions more seeking treatment. At the same time, there has long been a shortage of mental health professionals in the United States; half of all counties lack psychiatrists. Given the Affordable Care Acts mandate that insurers offer parity between mental and physical health coverage, there is a gaping chasm between demand and supply.

For entrepreneurs, thats a market bonanza. At SXSW in March, where a number of health startups displayed their products, there was a near-religious conviction that AI could rebuild healthcare, offering up apps and machines that could diagnose and treat all kinds of illness, replacing doctors and nurses.

Unfortunately, in the mental health space, evidence of effectiveness is not there yet. Few of the many apps on the market have independent outcomes research showing that they help; the vast majority havent been scrutinized at all by the Food and Drug Administration. Though marketed to treat conditions such as anxiety, ADHD and depression, or to predict suicidal tendencies, many warn users (in small print) that they are not intended to be medical, behavioral health or other healthcare service and not an FDA cleared product.

There are good reasons to be cautious in the face of this marketing juggernaut.

Decades ago, Joseph Weizenbaum, an MIT professor considered one of the fathers of artificial intelligence, predicted that AI would never make a good therapist, though it could be made to sound like one. In fact, his original AI program, created in the 1960s, was a psychotherapist named ELIZA, which used word and pattern recognition combined with natural language programming to sound like a therapist:

Story continues

Woman: Well, my boyfriend made me come here.



ELIZA: Your boyfriend made you come here?



Woman: He says, Im depressed much of the time.



ELIZA: I am sorry to hear that you are depressed.



Woman: Its true, I am unhappy.



ELIZA: Do you think coming here will help you not to be unhappy?

Though hailed as an AI triumph, ELIZAs success terrified Weizenbaum, whom I once interviewed. He said students would interact with the machine as if ELIZA were an actual therapist, when what hed created was a party trick, he said.

He foresaw the evolution of far more sophisticated programs like ChatGPT. But the experiences a computer might gain under such circumstances are not human experiences, he told me. The computer will not, for example, experience loneliness in any sense that we understand it.

The same goes for anxiety or ecstasy, emotions so neurologically complex that scientists have not been able pinpoint their neural origins. Can a chatbot achieve transference, the empathic flow between patient and doctor that is central to many types of therapy?

The core tenet of medicine is that its a relationship between human and human  and AI cant love, says Bon Ku, head of the Health Design Lab at Thomas Jefferson University and a pioneer in medical innovation. I have a human therapist and that will never be replaced by AI.

Instead, hed like to see AI used to reduce practitioners tasks like record keeping and data entry to free up more time for humans to connect.

While some mental health apps may ultimately prove worthy, there is evidence that some can do harm. One researcher noted that some users faulted these apps for their scripted nature and lack of adaptability beyond textbook cases of mild anxiety and depression.

It will be tempting for insurers to offer up apps and chatbots to meet the mental health parity requirement. After all, that would be a cheap and simple solution, compared with the difficulty of offering a panel of actual therapists, especially since many take no insurance because they consider insurers payments too low.

Perhaps seeing the flood of AI hitting the market, the Department of Labor announced last year it was ramping up efforts to ensure better insurer compliance with the mental health parity requirement.

The FDA likewise said late last year that it intends to exercise enforcement discretion over a range of mental health apps, which it will vet as medical devices. But so far, none has been approved. And only a very few have gotten the agencys breakthrough device designation, which fast-tracks review and studies on devices that show potential.

These apps mostly offer what therapists call structured therapy  where patients have specific problems and the app can respond with a workbook-like approach. For example, Woebot combines exercises for mindfulness and self-care (with answers written by teams of therapists) for postpartum depression. Wysa, another app that has received a breakthrough device designation, delivers cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety, depression and chronic pain.

But gathering reliable scientific data about how well app-based treatments function will take time. The problem is that there is very little evidence now for the agency to reach any conclusions, said Dr. Kedar Mate, head of the Boston-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Until we have that research, we dont know if app-based mental health care does better than Weizenbaums ELIZA. AI may certainly improve as the years go by, but for now we should not allow insurers to claim that providing access to an app is anything close to meeting the mental health parity requirement.

Elisabeth Rosenthal, a physician, is a senior contributing editor at KFF Health News and the author of An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
There are questions you get a lot as a beer writer.

Whats your favorite brewery? Dont answer this one. Its a trap.

Alright, whats your favorite beer style? Rauchbier. Smokey, not-brewed-nearly-enough rauchbier.

And finally, How many breweries is too many? Or, put another way, Is there a saturation point?

With 50+ breweries in the Charlotte area, its not surprising people ask the question every time a new one comes to town. Yet its become such a common refrain that people even bemoan breweries where theyre not involved, with comments like Enjoy another brewery after a longtime Charlotte restaurant closes (in this case, Gus Sir Beef).

I get it. Even as someone who has enjoyed watching Charlottes beer scene grow for more than a decade, I understand the sentiment. No one wants to lose treasured venues, restaurants or places of historical significance only to gain more breweries, especially if you dont visit those breweries in the first place.

If saturation points are measured by snarky comments, it feels like were teetering dangerously close to one.

The original location of NoDa Brewing Co. is at 2229 N. Davidson St.

How do you measure the saturation point?

So is a saturation point something that applies to breweries? Yes, but with a caveat, says Bart Watson, chief economist at the Brewers Association. There is a saturation point for just about any business, and breweries are no exception.

There are only so many restaurants, or so many bars, or so many movie theaters that are going to be able to survive in the marketplace, Watson says. I think movie theaters are the perfect example. If 200 movie theaters open in the Charlotte metro, theyre not all going to succeed.

So how many breweries could Charlotte support? Its tough to say. This is a moving target, so theres no magic number, Watson says. Charlottes economy is changing, the number of people who live there is changing, the economic geography is changing, the wealth of its citizens is changing, the consumer preferences are changing, the competition those breweries face from other adjacent businesses, bars and restaurants for example, is changing.

Story continues

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery opened its doors in 2009.

Despite the growth weve seen, its important to remember that Charlottes beer scene is still relatively young. While the city had a handful of breweries in the 90s and chain brewpubs in Hops and Rock Bottom, it wasnt until 2009 that The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, the oldest of the citys current breweries, opened its doors.

This kicked off Charlottes second wave of breweries, with names like NoDa Brewing Co., Birdsong Brewing Co., Triple C Brewing Co. and Heist Brewery following soon after. Now, it feels like were firmly in a third wave, one in which the citys longest standing breweries have expanded or added additional locations, while breweries from other parts of the state, country and even the world are joining the fray.

A growing scene

Like so many cities around the country, Charlottes brewery count exploded over the last 10 years.

We really went through a decade that was very unique, where everyone could open and no one could close, Watson says. Whats happening now is not a collapse or a bubble bursting, but craft brewing entering a more mature, normal market that were used to with a lot of other hospitality businesses.

Rather than looking at the brewery count for the Charlotte metro area, Watson says its better to zoom in and see whats happening at a neighborhood level.

Patrons enjoy drinks on the rooftop bar at Burial Beer Co. in Plaza Midwood.

Most breweries these days are very small. Theyre locally focused not even on a metro, but on a neighborhood, Watson says. Its really a highly localized question that should be looked at the submetro, neighborhood level.

The majority of Charlottes breweries are in South End and NoDa, and 10 years ago it made sense that breweries would want to be neighbors with other breweries.

I think for a while, there were beneficial effects to whats called economic clustering, Watson says. Theres been good academic research on this, too. For a long time, the best predictor of where a brewery went in was where there already were breweries. When the market was growing a lot, I think that made a lot of sense.

Dairelyn and Jason Glunt in front of Salud Cerveceria.

Why theres always room for one more brewery

Charlottes brewery market isnt a one in, one out situation, where one brewery must close for another to open. But if youre taking the concept of a saturation point literally, it means the market is so saturated with breweries that it cant tolerate another. If thats how we define a saturation point, Im not sure Charlotte will ever reach one.

After all, we rarely discuss saturation points in other markets or businesses, notes Watson.

In most markets, we dont think about this because were already at a more mature marketplace where this already is naturally how we think about it, says Watson, who explains that people rarely note an overabundance of restaurants in a given city. People really look at it on its own merits. Is it doing something new? Is it doing something different?

Weathered Souls Brewing Company co-founder Marcus Baskerville created the Black is Beautiful beer initiative in the summer of 2020, after the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

Similarly, no matter how many breweries Charlotte currently has, it could likely accommodate another assuming it offered something that the citys other breweries dont.

That could mean entering a neighborhood or surrounding suburb that doesnt have any breweries, or distinguishing itself by the beers it specializes in (ahem, Rauchbier).

In this new, more mature market, Charlottes long-standing breweries and newcomers alike will be tasked with distinguishing themselves in as many ways as possible  because Charlotte could always use another brewery, but the last thing it needs is just another brewery.
A team of masons put the finishing coat of stucco on a two-story house in the Pavilion Park neighborhood near Irvine's Great Park. Irvine has had a boom in growth in the last few years while other Orange County communities, such as Anaheim and Costa Mesa, have lost population. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

From her home in Irvine's Woodbury neighborhood, Tyler Townley has for years been closely watching development boom at the nearby community known as Great Park, a swath of valuable land that once housed the El Toro Marine Corps. Air Station.

Before she moved there in 2018, her commute took her through the area via "an empty road that no one drove on."

Much has changed in the last few years.

"Now it's all houses and condos and they keep building even more," said Townley, 40, who is self-employed teaching online baking classes.

Amid California's housing crisis, Irvine has stood out as a city that has grown while others lose population. However, growth can come with costs.

"They're building the Great Park neighborhoods incredibly different" with "no shopping, no restaurants, just lots of condos and houses," said Townley.

California as a whole lost about 500,000 people in a 28-month window around the pandemic, with the number of residents leaving surpassing those moving in by nearly 700,000.

Within Orange County, demographic data shows some suburbs  like the Great Park neighborhood  and exurbs have been able to thrive with growing populations while nearby urban areas like Anaheim, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana have been losing population.

The shift of population from older central county cities to south and east county cities with room to grow has been going on for years. But new data show the changes have accelerated.

A Times analysis of U.S. Postal Service data shows those ZIP Codes in Orange County where recent move-outs most outpaced move-ins. The data consist of Change of Address (COA) requests submitted by families, individuals and businesses to the postal service. The requests can be temporary or permanent, and are grouped by ZIP Code and year.

The 5 ZIP Codes in Orange County with the most net move-outs from 2019-22

92804, Anaheim: -5,371  This ZIP Code in southwest Anaheim saw over 5,000 more move-outs than move-ins.

92626, Costa Mesa: -4,357  northern part of the city, contains Halecrest and Mesa Verde.

92704, Santa Ana: -3,691  southwest part of the city, contains parts of Thornton Park and West Grove Valley.

92831, Fullerton: -3,478  eastern part of the city, contains CSU Fullerton.

92627, Costa Mesa: -3,346  southern part of the city, also contains Santa Ana Heights.

Story continues

As head of a Santa Ana-based moving company, John Rose has a good sense of moving trends in Orange County, and lately the trend among locals has been an exodus from cities like Anaheim, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana to more affordable communities.

Anaheim city spokesperson Mike Lyster conceded that when it comes to the need for new housing, there is "no doubt we face challenges as a largely built-out city."

Population decline and lack of housing, he said, are "issues our city will be looking at and wrestling with."

Unlike newer, less-developed cities in Orange County, "every bit of land in our city is spoken for," Lyster said, adding that new housing  including some 17,000 units planned by 2029  largely must come through rezoning and redevelopment.

"We can't build it fast enough," he said. "We know that demand is much bigger" than what the city can accommodate.

After taking up the mantle of the county's most populous city from Santa Ana in 2010, Anaheim's population grew gradually for a decade before stalling out in the pandemic.

For now, Anaheim remains Orange County's biggest city. Irvine's population has nearly tripled in the last 30 years and is now not far behind, with still more room to grow. Having passed Santa Ana in 2023, Irvine could be poised to overtake Anaheim as the most populous in the not-too-distant future.

"We don't have that open field of development" that a city like Irvine still has, Lyster said.

The movement signals a population shift to the growing communities in the east and south areas of Orange County.

"Usually people are leaving those areas for better places to raise a family," said Rose, general manager of Pro Movers Inc.

On the other end of the spectrum, areas with significant move-in volume can often chalk growth up to housing.

Rose said cities like "Yorba Linda, Corona and Riverside" were frequent move-in destinations recently.

Those who move are looking for "bigger homes and more affordability," he said. The Pro Movers Inc. website features a page titled "Moving from Anaheim to Irvine." For good reason: USPS data shows that Anaheim had the most net move-outs and Irvine had the most move-ins.

With older cities, an aging ownership base can explain some population decline.

"When people first move into a neighborhood, usually it is families with young children," said Susan K. Brown, a sociology professor at the University of California, Irvine.

"The neighborhood fills up with families that are, say, four people on average. Over time, spouses die, kids move out, and the number of people in each household will decline."

"The result is over time, most neighborhoods will have contracting populations even without families changing," she said.

See data for over 1,400 ZIP Codes covering most of the state on the map below.

The 5 ZIP Codes in Orange County with the most net move-ins from 2019-22

92618, Irvine: +6,190  This ZIP Code in eastern Irvine contains Oak Creek and Great Park and saw over 6,000 more move-ins than move-outs.

92694, Rancho Mission Viejo: +2,424  also contains Ladera Ranch and Citron Esencia.

92886, Yorba Linda: +1,678  contains much of the city but does not include some of the eastern part.

92651, Laguna Beach: +1,630  also contains Emerald Bay and South Laguna.

92677, Laguna Niguel: +1,484  contains Kite Hill and the Seawatch community.

Deborah Diep, director of the Center for Demographic Research at Cal State University, Fullerton, said that the high rate of move-ins in "Irvine and [Rancho Mission Viejo] are most likely due to new housing construction."

When asked previously about Irvine's population growth, Mayor Farrah Khan said she was not surprised that an Irvine ZIP Code shows the second-most net move-ins of any in California. In the area near the citys Great Park, some 10,000 homes have been proposed, she said, and builders have completed 6,000 to 7,000 so far.

A representative for the city of Irvine did not respond to a request for comment on any potential plans to expand the amenities at Great Park.

Now, in adjacent Woodbury, Townley said "shopping, traffic is crazy because everybody has to travel outside of the Great Park neighborhoods" for basic services.

Even with new housing being built in Irvine, prices can still be prohibitively high. After 40 years in California, Townley plans to move out soon.

Having rented in Irvine for almost five years, Townley is in escrow on a house in St. Louis, Mo.

"I would stay in Irvine for the rest of my life," she said, if housing weren't so expensive. "It's a great place to live if you can afford it."

It will be her first time living outside of California. "We're just moving to a cheaper Irvine, in St. Louis," she said.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Organizers of Orange Crush, a huge festival featuring music, car shows, and other attractions, are promising to bring their event back to Jax Beach next month.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

This event brings out hundreds of visitors. Action News Jax worked to find out how Jax Beach and surrounding communities are preparing for the expected big crowds.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Jax Beach Mayor Chris Hoffman told Action News Jax today through text that on May 4 Jax Beach, Neptune Beach, and Atlantic Beach all had a joint meeting over what is being promoted for the Orange Crush festival.

They discussed the history of the event, and specifically, when it was hosted in Tybee Island.

Orange Crush is a yearly, three-day event that has live music, car shows, and even beach days.

The festival brings out hundreds of people, but for some, it has a negative reputation.

After speaking to several people in Jax Beach today, we noticed not many even knew about the festival.

Lakeshia Wilson, who has been to the event before, says she has never had any problems while attending.

We should just try it out and see how it goes. I think it will bring a lot of businesses to the area, Wilson said.

Related Story: Orange Crush Festival returning to Jacksonville

According to reports, the festival was supposed to be hosted in Daytona Beach but was called off.

We did ask Mayor Hoffman if theyve heard from the organizer of this event.

She sent this message back saying:

We have reached out to them, but COJB has received no official request or event application.

We also spoke with Willy Moore, who is originally from Alabama and never heard of the event.

He says as long as city officials prepare for the crowds, everything should be okay.

Its positive right? A lot of people are going to be excited about it, its good thing, Moore said.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Action News Jax did speak with the CEO of Orange Crush Stephen Smalls.

Story continues

He says this upcoming Tuesday he plans to meet with both Jax Beach and City of Jacksonville officials to give details on the events they have planned for the festival.

STAY UPDATED: Download the Action News Jax app for live updates on breaking stories
Ariel meets Ariel!

Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel in Disneys 1989 animated classic "The Little Mermaid," showed up to support Halle Bailey, the star of the studio's new live-action remake, at the film's premiere on May 8 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Halle Bailey and Jodi Benson attend the world premiere of Disney's live-action feature

The two entertainers shared several emotional embraces on the red carpet, which Disney Studios captured and shared in a TikTok video.

"POV: You're at the Little Mermaid premiere and this happens," Disney Studios wrote atop the footage of the two stars. The video was set to the "Little Mermaid" classic "Part of Your World."

"We're all crying here," Disney Studios captioned the clip, adding both heart-eyed and crying emoji.

Fans loved seeing Benson show up to support Bailey.

"The two generations of mermaids came together. Ughhh my heart," wrote one.

"Its like the passing of the torch," wrote another.

While on the red carpet, Benson gushed about Bailey's performance to The Hollywood Reporter. When the publication asked Benson why the young actor was the "ideal" choice to take over the role of Ariel, the original star didn't hesitate with her answer.

"Her pure spirit. Her joy. The love. Her unbelievable vulnerability. Her authenticity. Her bravery. Her courage," said Benson.

"I'm so proud of her," she gushed.

Though some fans of the 1989 movie have voiced disappointment that certain song lyrics have been changed in the new film, Benson said she thought all of the remake's changes were appropriate and timely.

"Any time that we start to grow and time is starting to pass, we need to keep up with 2023. We really do," she explained.

"That's the beauty of when you can reimagine and retell a story with a twist," continued Benson. "You can make it contemporary. You can make it work for where we are in our world right now. And I think it was really smart, really smart of them to do that."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
A man who was facing a life sentence for a 2020 homicide instead was sentenced Monday to more than 12 years in prison as part of a plea agreement after his attorney said he established a viable self-defense claim.

The shooting happened in March 8, 2020, in the 3600 block of Spruce Avenue, an unincorporated pocket in Ceres west of Highway 99.

Luis Soto, 28 of Ceres, was killed, several others were injured and two men were arrested.

The Stanislaus County Sheriffs Office, which investigated the case, said at the time that it was a drive-by shooting but didnt say that multiple people were shooting and from two different groups.

It was basically a shootout, said attorney Greg Spiering, who represented defendant Michael Anthony Valdepena Jr., who also was shot. We were able to use the forensics on the scene ... to establish viable self-defense in the case and show that the initial shots were fired by the other group; not necessarily by the decedent but by one of his confederates.

Valdepena Jr. and Sergio Zuniga were charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and weapons and a gang enhancement.

The murder charges also included special circumstances for allegedly discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle, which made both Zuniga and Valdepena eligible for a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.

Zunigas arrest was based on his car being used in the drive-by, but the physical evidence, like blood in the car, pointed to Valdepena, according to Spiering. Charges related to the homicide eventually were dropped against Zuniga, though he was convicted of a drug offense that was the result of a subsequent search of his home after the shooting.

The gang enhancement was dropped early on in the case, Spiering said, because there was no evidence it was gang related. Rather, there had been an altercation earlier in the day at the home on Spruce and there was a party there when the shooting started, which may have been connected.

Story continues

Using forensic evidence and video surveillance, Spiering said he put together a video presentation of how the shooting occurred and his theory that the group at the house on Spruce fired first.

He said the people from the party fired at least 16 rounds, and Valdepena was shot at least four times.

After Spiering shared his video presentation with the prosecution, the two sides reached an agreement.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Wendell Emerson said, One of the reasons we agreed to the disposition is that we had a lack of cooperation with the witnesses and we had issues with witnesses not being truthful regarding the incident.

Valdepena pleaded to voluntary manslaughter and shooting at an occupied dwelling. The murder and attempted murder charges, enhancements and special circumstance were dismissed. He was sentenced to 12 years and eight months in prison.
An Orlando middle school teacher is accused of inappropriately touching and filming girls in his class.

Javier Romero-Gonzalez, a Spanish teacher at Innovation Middle School, is facing two charges of lewd or lascivious conduct and two charges of an authority figure engaging in lewd conduct with a student.

According to an arrest affidavit, two girls in Romero-Gonzalezs class reported that he had filmed them dancing and touched them inappropriately during class.

According to investigators, one of the girls described Romero-Gonzalez as touchy.

Read: Lynx, Orlando may partner on autonomous shuttle downtown

The school district said Romero-Gonzalez was placed on administrative on April 12 after the district was made aware of the allegations.

Families at Innovation Middle School were made aware at that time and the employee has not returned to campus pending the outcome of the internal and law enforcement investigations, district officials said.

Orlando police are asking anyone else who believed they were victimized by Romero-Gonzalez to contact the departments special victims unit.

Anyone believing they were victimized by Romero-Gonzalez is asked to contact the Orlando Police Department's Special Victims Unit. More info  pic.twitter.com/GFZMyuGw3c  Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) May 11, 2023

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.
Saint-Brevin has been racked for months by protests against plans to move existing asylum accommodation to a site near a primary school

The resignation of a French mayor targeted by the far right over plans to move an asylum-seekers' centre prompted a political outcry Thursday after he faced death threats and an arson attack on his home.

The resignation of Yannick Morez, mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins in western France, comes as support for the far right swells and mainstream parties seek to channel anti-immigration sentiment in an increasingly tense political environment.

Morez said late Wednesday he was stepping down "for personal reasons" -- while complaining of "a lack of support from the state".

President Emmanuel Macron on Twitter described the attacks against him as "outrageous" and expressed his "solidarity" with Morez and his family.

"What has happened is very shocking, and I want to assure the mayor of my full support," Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said Thursday during a visit to French Indian Ocean territory La Reunion.

She added that she wanted to "protect mayors better... intervene sooner to support them, to identify their difficulties and back them up better".

Saint-Brevin, a seaside town at the mouth of the Loire river near the western city of Nantes, has been racked for months by protests against plans to move existing asylum accommodation to a site close to a primary school.

The town has hosted migrants since the so-called Jungle camp near Calais on France's north coast was dismantled in 2016.

Morez said in March that there had "never been the slightest problem" with asylum seekers in the years they had been hosted in his town.

But beyond repeated demonstrations organised by far-right party Reconquete (Reconquest) led by former presidential candidate Eric Zemmour against the move, Morez's home was targeted in an arson attack on March 22 that is the subject of a criminal investigation.

Socialist Party chief Olivier Faure posted on Twitter that "it's shameful that the state did not grasp the scale of what was happening to him and did not back him up. It's shameful to continue normalising the far right."

Story continues

MPs from the far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen did not join other lawmakers in standing to pay their respects to Morez following his resignation on Wednesday.

The re-branded former National Front, whose policies still in large part centre on hostility to Islam and immigration, is riding high in the polls.

Recent surveys suggest its figurehead Le Pen would beat Macron if there were a re-run today of last year's election run-off.

Meanwhile, Macron's ministers are racing with the conservative Republicans party to bring new immigration bills before France's National Assembly lower house, in which no party has a majority.

caz-lum/tgb/sjw/kjm
A South Carolina proposal barring the instruction of certain concepts centered around race in public K-12 classrooms has cleared both legislative bodies in the General Assembly over challenges from teachers and Senate Democrats, whose pleas to pass hate crime legislation went unanswered.

In the final week of the regular session and after nearly six hours of debate Wednesday, the S.C. Senate in a 27-10 vote along party lines passed a House-backed bill  H. 3728  that would prohibit certain concepts, including those considered to be promoting critical race theory, from being taught in South Carolinas public schools. As Republicans celebrated the move as a victory, Democrats, who tried to use the debate as a basis for bringing a hates crimes measure, H. 3014, to a vote, said the state shouldnt have one law without the other.

Im certainly not gonna apologize for my great-grandfather, my grandfather, or even my fathers conduct, state Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-Richland, said on the Senate floor Wednesday. But we have a chance to say to those folks who have not had power, whose ancestors did suffer and suffer mightily, and are still suffering  because there is still racism in our society  (that) this is some salve to their concerns, and it doesnt cost you anything.

So, look into your heart and have the courage to do what I didnt have the courage to do 50 years ago, Harpootlian continued, referring to a time when he said he witnessed an act of racism toward a Black couple and did nothing about it.

The so-called Transparency and Integrity in Education Act would prohibit public schools from suggesting that by virtue of a students race or sex, that student bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, sex, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin. And it would let parents, and anyone else, review a schools curriculum and instructional materials.

The bills success is largely attributed to procedural maneuverings by Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, who last week told colleagues on the floor that the anti-CRT measure would serve to stop hate, while the hates crimes bill would not.

Story continues

The citizens of South Carolina do not want political activism in the classroom, Massey said in a news release late Wednesday. H. 3728 keeps the subjective opinions of those who want to rewrite American history from creeping into South Carolinas schools.

LaTisha Vaugn, Co-Founder, the E3 Foundation, speaks at a protest against bills banning critical race theory and discussion of difficult topics in schools at the South Carolina State House on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.

Critical race theory is a process of examining how institutions and public policies  such as zoning, policing, banking, health care and more  have created or increased inequality. For example, an article from the University of California Los Angeles Law Review used critical race theory to analyze school discipline to argue that underlying prejudices and strict school discipline policies lead to minority students being disproportionately punished.

But the state Department of Education has said critical race theory is not and has never been incorporated in schools curriculum, despite some parents and lawmakers arguing that it is being currently taught inside South Carolina classrooms.

There are no accounts that were aware of where this has occurred in our schools, state Sen. Ronnie Sabb, D-Williamsburg, referring to CRT instruction. And so then, is (H. 3728) not a solution, looking for a problem?

The Senate on Wednesday amended the House proposal, for example adding language proposed by Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington, that expressly would allow teachers to teach about the Reconstruction period, Jim Crow and segregation, with an emphasis on lynchings and other crimes committed based upon the race of the victim.

Another Senate amendment, approved in committee, removed language requiring teachers to notify parents of any changes in the curriculum following the start of the school year by posting their lesson plans and instructional materials on the districts website three days before presenting the material before students.

The amended legislation heads back to the House for further consideration.

Ironically, the Senate debated occurred during Teacher Appreciation Week, which state Sen. Mike Fanning, D-Fairfield, called shameful.

Not a single teacher in South Carolina has asked for this bill, Fanning said. In fact, to the opposite. Teachers had been in the gallery all week. Theyd been contacting us, telling us dont pass this bill, and in Teacher Appreciation Week, we say Forget yall. We havent listened to you before. Were not going to start now.

Critics and teachers groups continue to say bills such as H. 3728 are nothing more than an attempt by conservative lawmakers to censor the teaching of Black history and other important historical contexts in public schools.

Book bans have been popping up in school districts all around the state, with the latest being in Anderson and Pickens counties.

District officials in Anderson 1 recently removed several books  including The Handmaids Tale, a book chronicling extremest measures taken to curb abortions in a dystopian American society  from its shelves following complaints made by parents and national conservative parents group, Moms for Liberty. Meanwhile, school board members in Pickens County were slapped with a federal lawsuit for removing a book that discussed race and anti-racism in America.

Just this week, books like the Bluest Eye ... and Black is a Rainbow Color were banned, Fanning said. We have been banning books in South Carolina under the guise of transparency and CRT.

Massey, however, said otherwise.

Mr. President (Thomas Alexander, R-Oconee), this legislation does not ban books, Massey said. Rather, it sets out a policy of prohibited conduct.
First couple of metal Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne are getting serious about their move back to Englandor are they? Theyve just put the Sierra Towers condo they purchased for $4 million in 2014 back on the market for $4.8 million, according to Dirt. But per the same publication, the couple scooped up the next-door unit in the West Hollywood building for $2.3 million just last year, even after continued announcements of their move.

Since early 2022, the couple have been publicly talking about a move back to England after 20 years of living in the US, citing multiple reasons for relocating. We are leaving LA. We are a bit sad. But the tax is getting too much," the Prince of Darkness said back in March while on a visit to England. Then in August, he then pointed to gun violence as a reason they planned to depart: Im fed up with people getting killed every day. God knows how many people have been shot in school shootings, Ozzy told The Guardian. Its f**king crazyI dont want to die in America. But the rock and roller seemed to have a change of heart in November, when music magazine Consequence of Sound quoted him saying, To be honest with you, if I had my way, Id stay in America. Im American now.

The couple put their stately Hancock Park home on the market for $17.5 million last summer, but have yet to secure a buyer. Theyre hoping to have better luck with their 2,100-square-foot apartment.

Over the years the 1960s-built Sierra Towers have become a pretty popular spot among Tinseltowns elite. Sandra Bullock, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Adam Sandler, and Emily in Paris star Lily Collins have all owned units in the Jack A. Charney-designed building at some point. Balconies on each of the units of the 31-story tower afford spectacular views of the city and hills, and with a pebbled terrace and floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows, the Osbourne residence is no different.

See the video.

The two-bedroom, three bathroom apartment has an open plan area divided into dining and lounging sections, with an enclosed all-white kitchen featuring an iridescent gray subway tile backsplash. A gracious primary bedroom with a large walk-in closet provides hillside views and a mural of blue skies and white clouds on the ceiling, while a third bedroom with light pink walls has been converted to an office.

Jonah Wilson and Josh Greer of Carolwood Estates hold the listing.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

More Great Celebrity Style Stories From AD
By Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam and Asif Shahzad

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest was unlawful, two days after his detention on graft allegations triggered deadly violence, escalating his tussle with the powerful military.

The protests coincide with Pakistan's worst economic crisis in decades, with record high inflation, anaemic growth and IMF funding delayed for months, prompting concerns that the country could default on its external payment obligations.

"The manner of execution of the arrest warrant issued by the

Chairman, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ... is invalid and unlawful," the Supreme Court said in its order.

The reprieve for Khan, 70, comes as a setback for the military, which has ruled the South Asian nation for almost half its history through three coups, a day after it said the violence by Khan's supporters who rampaged through army installations was "pre-planned" and ordered by his party leadership.

Khan, a cricket star-turned-politician who opponents say was brought to power through a rigged election in 2018 by the generals, has blamed the military for his ouster from office in April 2022.

He has also alleged that an attempt on his life in November was plotted by a top army general at the country's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The army has denied allegations of bringing him to power, his ouster and of the assassination attempt.

Khan's lawyer, Babar Awan, said the Supreme Court had ruled that Khan was now under its custody and not under that of the NAB. The court said Khan would spend the night in the same police guest house as before in order to ensure his safety.

He will appear before Islamabad High Court at 11 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Friday.

'WE WILL ARREST HIM AGAIN'

It was not immediately clear when he would be allowed to go home.

Undeterred by his ouster and the assassination attempt, Khan has led countrywide protest campaigns to pressure the government to call early elections scheduled for later this year.

Story continues

The graft case is one of more than 100 registered against him in which, if convicted, he could face a ban from holding public office.

"We will arrest him again," said Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.

Khan, who was accused in the graft case of land fraud worth up to seven billion rupees ($24.70 million), denies any wrongdoing.

After Khan's arrest, hundreds of protesters blocked highways, main entry and exit routes to all major cities, attacking and burning state buildings, police and public vehicles and rampaged through army installations.

Nearly 2,000 people were arrested and at least eight killed, prompting the government to call out the army to help restore order. Khan told the court that he was manhandled at the time of his arrest and hit with a stick, according to local ARY TV.

The streets were mostly quiet on Thursday except for sporadic protests.

On Tuesday, Khan was picked up by heavily armed paramilitary police from Islamabad High Court premises where he had arrived in a wheelchair, shoved into an armoured car and whisked away.

Local TV footage showed Khan walking towards the Supreme Court on Thursday, wearing a traditional blue shalwar kameez, a black waistcoat and dark glasses.

The political crisis is eroding hopes that Pakistan can get its much needed programme with the IMF back on track soon.

While noisy politics generating volatility is nothing new for Pakistan and its investors, it disrupts discussions with the IMF, said Cathy Hepworth, head of emerging market debt at PGIM Fixed Income.

"It just delays and complicates decisions," she said.

(Reporting by Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam and Asif Shahzad in Islamabad, Ariba Shahid in Karachi, Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore and Gul Yousafzai in Quetta; Writing by Shivam Patel; Editing by Krishna N. Das, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Frances Kerry and Nick Macfie)
Pakistan Imran Khan (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Pakistans Supreme Court ordered the release of Imran Khan on Thursday, two days after his arrest sparked nationwide deadly protests and the government called in the army to help restore order.

Supreme Court chief justice Umar Ata Bandial said the former prime ministers dramatic detention had been unlawful  but asked Mr Khan to urge his supporters to remain peaceful.

Supporters were seen dancing near the court building to celebrate Mr Khans release. After being ousted from power in a no-confidence vote by lawmakers, Mr Khan was faced with multiple corruption charges in Pakistani courts.

Pakistani authorities cracked down on his supporters, detaining hundreds in overnight raids and sending troops across the country to rein in the wave of violence that followed his arrest earlier this week.

An accountability court in Islamabad sent Imran Khan to eight days in custody on Wednesday and the police arrested senior leaders of the former prime ministers Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and PTIs senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry were among those who were taken into custody. Just hours earlier, secretary general Asad Umar was also arrested.

Islamabad police confirmed that other PTI leaders, including Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Falak Naz Chitrali, Mussarat Jamshed Cheema, and Maleeka Bukhari, were also taken into custody.

Local reports said that at least 10 people were killed and about 300 injured in protests that started on Tuesday after Mr Khan, PTIs chair, was arrested from the Islamabad High Court.

Demonstrators burned down a railway station on the outskirts of Islamabad. They clashed with the police in neighbourhoods around Pakistans second largest city, Lahore, setting fire to a police car and blocking a train.

Mr Khan was dragged from a courtroom in Islamabad where he showed up to face graft charges on Tuesday. He is now being held at a police compound in Islamabad where, at a temporary court, a judge on Wednesday ordered the 70-year-old opposition leader detained for at least another eight days, raising the prospect of more unrest.

Story continues

After briefly hearing a petition from Mr Khans lawyer, the Supreme Court expressed displeasure over the manner in which he was arrested and ordered authorities to present him before it in an hour, raising speculation it would order him freed. Mr Khans lawyer had sought his release, arguing that the arrest was illegal.

If an individual surrendered to the court, then what does arresting them mean? the Chief Justice said. The court reportedly said Mr Khans arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case was unlawfull.

It would be unfair if you give any reprieve to him, information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb told a news conference, addressing the top courts chief justice. She pointed to violence carried out by Mr Khans followers, saying the court would be giving a license to kill to everyone if the former premier is freed.Police on Thursday filed new terrorism charges against Mr Khan and top leaders from PTI on charges of inciting mobs to violence.Foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the late Benazir Bhuttos son, urged Mr Khans followers to end the violence but stressed that peaceful protests are their right. What has happened, has happened. Dont make things more difficult for yourself, he said.The military has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of the 75 years since the country gained independence from British colonial rule and wields considerable power over civilian governments.

(With additional inputs from agencies)
Gaza City  Israel and Gaza militants traded more heavy fire early Thursday, the third day of the worst escalation of violence since the middle of last year over the Palestinian coastal enclave. Airstrikes and missiles from Israel have killed 25 Palestinians since Tuesday, according to officials in Gaza, among them fighters and civilians, including several children.



Early Thursday, shops in Gaza were shuttered and the streets were largely abandoned as Israeli military aircraft circled over the territory where several buildings lay in ruins.

Gaza militants lob rockets, Israel retaliates

More than 500 rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israel since Tuesday, the army said, with no casualties reported in Israel so far. Of these, 368 made it over the border and 154 were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, while 110 fell short inside Gaza, it said.

The Islamic Jihad militant group confirmed it has lost four military leaders in strikes in recent days, the most recent being Ali Ghali, commander of a rocket launch unit who was killed in a strike Thursday morning.



Another militant group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said that four of its fighters had been killed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address late Wednesday that "we are still in the midst of the campaign" and "fiercely attacking the Gaza Strip."



"We say to the terrorists and the ones sending them: we see you everywhere, you cannot hide, and we choose the place and the time to hit you."

Civilians caught in the crossfire

"We hope that the wave of escalation will end, but we support revenge for the martyrs," said Mamoun Radi, 48, in Gaza City's Al-Rimal district. "Israel assassinated a leader in (Islamic) Jihad at dawn today because it does not want calm."

A Palestinian man looks at the bodies of Mahmoud Abdeljawwad, left, and Mohammed Ghali, center, who were killed in an Israeli airstrike alongside Islamic Jihad commander Ali Ghali, right, prior to their funeral in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, May 11, 2023. / Credit: Fatima Shbair/AP

Across southern Israel, sirens wailed intermittently through the night and Thursday morning.

Miriam Keren, 78, an Ashkelon resident, said a Gaza rocket had destroyed a workshop and damaged her house.



"All the shrapnel is in the room, the house was shaken very powerfully, the glasses fell, the walls were damaged," she told AFP. "Luckily, I have a safe room and I entered it immediately and closed the door.

Story continues

A man covered in a prayer shawl holds a holy book as he stands by a structure destroyed by a rocket fired Wednesday night from the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants, in Ashkelon, Israel, May 11, 2023. / Credit: Ariel Schalit/AP

"This isn't the first time the house was hit but I'm not afraid, neither was I yesterday," said Keren. "You're shocked for a moment but it's not about fear. It's more unpleasant, very unpleasant."

Calls for a ceasefire

Egypt has been "trying to facilitate a ceasefire," an Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity, an effort confirmed by Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials who did not elaborate. There was no indication of significant progress in any talks between the warring sides by Thursday afternoon.



Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou said Wednesday that "the strikes of the unified resistance are part of the process of responding to the massacre committed by (Israel)."



The Arab League has condemned the "barbaric Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip, which targeted civilians, children and women in residential neighborhoods."

Palestinians inspect the rubble of the home of Ali Ghali, a senior Islamic Jihad commander, after it was struck by an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, May 11, 2023. / Credit: Fatima Shbair/AP

In a Wednesday call with his Israeli counterpart, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reaffirmed Washington's "ironclad support for Israel's security, as well as its right to defend its people from indiscriminate rocket attacks," according to a readout from the U.S. government. It said Sullivan "also noted continued regional efforts to broker a ceasefire, and emphasized the need to deescalate tensions and prevent further loss of life."

Both Hamas, which rules Gaza, and Islamic Jihad are considered terrorist groups by Israel and the United States.

Israel-Palestinian conflict escalates under Netanyahu

This week's Gaza clashes are the worst since a three-day escalation in August killed 49 Palestinians, with no Israeli fatalities. Violence has also flared in the occupied West Bank, where the Israeli army has staged repeated raids against militants which have often flared into street clashes or gun battles.

What's behind the escalating violence and protests in Israel?

The conflict has escalated since veteran leader Netanyahu returned to power late last year heading a coalition with extreme right and ultra-Orthodox parties.

Israel has also been shaken by its biggest domestic political crisis in decades as mass protests have flared against plans to reform the justice system, spearheaded by Netanyahu who is also battling corruption charges in court.

Home sale prices decline in parts of the U.S.

Biden administration proposes strict new power plant regulations

Uvalde dad on gun control year after Robb Elementary shooting: "They know it's a gun issue"
A 77-year-old Brevard man, a previously convicted felon, was arrested after state elections investigators said he illegally cast a ballot in the 2020 presidential election.

State investigators said Louis Palmieri, who had been convicted as a sex offender in another Florida county, falsely claimed that his voting rights were restored when he signed a voter registration application in 2020. He was issued a voter ID number and card by the Brevard County Supervisor of Elections office shortly before the 2020 election.

A 77-year-old Brevard man previously convicted as a sex offender in another Florida county was arrested after state elections investigators said he unlawfully voted in the 2020 presidential election.

Palmieri was sentenced in 2003 to five years in state prison on a lewd and lascivious conduct charge involving a child under 16, state records show. He was released in 2009, according to records from the Florida Department of Corrections.

More: Advocates: Florida arrests see 'chill' for former felons at ballot box

Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents said that in August 2020, Palmieri completed a voter application that Floridians are asked to sign to affirm eligibility. Agents said that Palmieri signed the document, affirming that he was not a convicted felon, "or if I am, my rights have been restored, reports show. Palmieri had filed for executive clemency to have his voting rights restored in St. Lucie County in 2001, but was denied the request, FDLE records show.

Palmieris voting application information was forwarded to Brevard County in September 2020. He registered as a Republican and voted in Brevard, casting his ballot Nov. 3 in the 2020 general election, public records show.

Shortly after the state's Election Crimes and Security policing force was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in early 2022, agents met with Palmieri at his home and questioned him about voting in the 2020 election, records show. Palmieri told agents that a neighbor who was also a sex offender advised him that he could vote despite the conviction, records show.

Florida voters in 2018 approved Amendment 4 to restore voting rights to 1.4 million citizens barred from voting because of previous felony convictions, with the exception of murder or sexual offenses. State Republicans, however, countered with a proposed law  later signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis  that would keep thousands of those impacted from voting until they paid all court and legal costs in their cases.

Story continues

More: Mims woman charged in shooting death of friend while handling loaded weapon

The new law, however, did not set up a system for those affected to track costs or fines. Some, believing they had been cleared, voted. DeSantis, following a wave of false, national claims from some pro-Trump groups that the 2020 election was rife with fraud, then moved to establish the Election Crimes and Security policing force.

The team reviewed the states system of 14 million registered voters, investigating 1,094 individuals who were suspected of unlawfully voting in 2020 and 2022.

There were 20 initial arrests of those previously convicted, plus another four by the end of 2022. It was not immediately clear how many arrests have been carried out by the state team.

J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Palm Bay man, 77, listed as sex offender, charged with voter fraud
Old Town in Panama City, Panama

Panama, a compelling Central American country, has become a popular tourist destination due to its rich culture, stunning natural landscapes, and the Panama Canal. Panamas numerous sights and activities offer unforgettable experiences for travelers of all ages and interests. Whether youre interested in history, beaches, or rainforests, this thorough travel guide will help you organize the perfect vacation to this fascinating country.

Panama has a charm that captivates visitors from around the world. For history enthusiasts, a visit to the Panama Canal is a must. This engineering marvel connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the canals Visitor Center provides insights into its history and importance.

Photo credit: DmitriyBurlakov

If youre a beach lover, Panama offers beautiful coastal areas that will leave you mesmerized. The archipelago of Bocas del Toro in the Caribbean boasts pristine islands with crystal-clear waters, vibrant coral reefs, and abundant marine life. Its a perfect destination for beach getaways and water activities such as snorkeling and diving.

Best Time To Visit

To make the most of your trip, its important to choose the best time to visit Panama. The country experiences a tropical climate with distinct dry and wet seasons. The dry season, which runs from December to April, is generally considered the best time to visit. During this period, you can expect sunny days, minimal rainfall, and pleasant temperatures, making it perfect for outdoor activities and tourism.

For nature enthusiasts, Panamas rainforests and mountains are a treasure trove of natural wonders. Head to Boquete, nestled in the highlands, known for its coffee plantations, cloud forests, and excellent opportunities for hiking and birdwatching. Immerse yourself in the lush greenery and discover the diverse flora and fauna that call this region home.

Dry Season Benefits

Traveling to Panama during the dry season comes with several benefits. Firstly, the weather is more predictable, with fewer rainy days. This means you can enjoy outdoor activities and explore the countrys attractions without worrying about downpours. Secondly, the dry season coincides with the peak tourist season, ensuring that popular destinations, accommodations, and tour operators are readily available.

Story continues

This way, you can fully immerse yourself in Panamas natural and cultural treasures. Whether youre lounging on pristine beaches, hiking through rainforests, or exploring historical sites, you can do so in more comfortable weather conditions.

Moreover, the dry season improves road conditions and transportation. Youll encounter fewer weather-related delays, making cross-country travel more convenient and efficient. Navigating Panamas cities, towns, and historical sites becomes easier without the need for umbrellas or rain gear due to the lower rainfall during this season.

However, its important to remember that the dry season is still Panamas busiest time for tourism. Popular destinations and attractions may attract a significant number of visitors. To ensure a seamless trip, its advisable to make hotel reservations and plan activities well in advance. By doing so, you can secure your preferred accommodations and guided trips, allowing you to make the most of your time in Panama.

Panamas Treasures

Photo credit: L. Toshio Kishiyama

Exploring Panamas natural and cultural attractions during the dry season is highly recommended. Start your tour in Panama City, the vibrant capital with a modern skyline and a charming historic district known as Casco Viejo. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Casco Viejo entices visitors with its narrow streets, picturesque plazas, and myriad restaurants and shops. Take a stroll through the neighborhood, soak in the colorful ambiance, and uncover its hidden gems.

Nature lovers will be delighted by Panamas national parks and wildlife. Soberania National Park, located just outside Panama City, is home to over 500 bird species. Embark on the parks well-maintained trails, and youll have the chance to spot toucans, monkeys, and sloths in their natural habitat. For a more immersive rainforest experience, venture to Darien National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in eastern Panama. This pristine wilderness offers deep jungles, unique fauna, and indigenous settlements, allowing you to connect with nature in a truly extraordinary way.

In addition to its natural wonders, Panama celebrates its rich cultural heritage through various festivals and events. Dont miss the vibrant Carnival celebrations that take place in February, filled with music, dancing, and colorful parades. Throughout the year, traditional folk festivals showcase Panamas diverse culture through captivating music, lively dances, and delectable local cuisine.
PANAMA CITY  Local officials are considering a new method to help fund future infrastructure developments in a portion of the city.

Panama City commissioners have approved the first reading of an ordinance that would establish nine community development districts in the SweetBay area. Known as CDDs, these districts are used to service residents and businesses within a given area.

According to the meeting's agenda, the ordinance would establish seven residential community development districts and two commercial community development districts. The CDDs are being considered as a way to help speed up infrastructure developments in undeveloped portions of SweetBay.

Five homes overlooking a small lake are in the finishing stages of construction in SweetBay. Evidence of growth in the SweetBay development in Panama City is visible in almost every direction Monday, June 28, 2021.

"They're created to plan, finance, construct, operate and maintain communitywide infrastructure and services, especially for the benefit of its residents," said Nevin Zimmerman, city attorney for Panama City.

Zimmerman noted some services that can be offered by CDDs include stormwater management, along with water and sewer developments.

Preparing for the worst: Panama City Commission accepts more grant funding for two future safe rooms

Longest season ever: DeSantis visits Bay County to announce Florida will boast longest red snapper season ever

CDDs are governed by a board of supervisors, which are initially elected by landowners. Their positions then eventually transition to residents as the area develops. Each CDD would have its own board.

CDDs also are entirely funded by those who live within the area, largely through additional taxes, Zimmerman said. The proposed districts, however, do not include properties already sold to third parties, so residents already living in SweetBay would not pay more taxes if the districts are approved.

According to Commissioner Josh Street, the commission will hold its second reading of the ordinance at a meeting on May 23.

"This was the first step in a multi-step process that will continue to have more public input," Street said. "SweetBay people who currently live there are not going to pay additional taxes. This is really for new developments that come in the future."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City considers community development districts for SweetBay
The parents of a slain Texas State Student who was accidentally shot dead through a wall by his neighbour have asked that the killers sentence be reviewed.

Austin Salyer, 20, was lying in bed inside his apartment in the city of San Marcos when he was struck by a bullet fired from his next-door neighbour Gabriel Brown. Mr Brown turned himself in following the 16 September 2021 shooting, telling authorities that his gun misfired while he was modifying it and speaking on the phone with his father, FOX 7 reports.

Mr Brown was not immediately arrested but was eventually charged with criminally negligent homicide. Mr Browns initial 180-day prison sentence was later changed to just 90 days, sparking outrage among loved ones of Salyer. His parents, Bonnie and Rodney Salyer, have now requested a Hays County judge to review the case.

It just terrifies us to think how long he might have laid their suffering with his neighbour next door and not getting any help for him, Mr Salyer told FOX.

Ms Salyer said she first became concerned when she tried to call her son very early in the morning but he wouldnt pick up the phone. Salyer, a criminal justice and military science junior, was supposed to wake up at 4.30 am for his first road march with his Army platoon on the morning his body was found.

I thought maybe he just was in a hurry, he left his phone, which I knew in my heart that wasnt true because nobody leaves their phone behind, right, its become part of our, literally part of our bodies. And so about 7:30 I kind of started to panic, panic started to set in, Ms Salyer told Fox.

The grieving mother said she asked a friend of her son to check in on him. Moments later, Ms Salyer received the news of her sons death over the phone.

A police officer called and said, you know, whats your sons full name? Whats his date of birth? And then he said, Im sorry to tell you over the phone, but we found your son deceased in his apartment this morning, Ms Salyer said.

The Salyers alleged they were not made aware of Browns sentencing change, and when they requested a hearing to review the developments, it was denied.

We were like, how can that be? We werent involved, nobodys told us anything about this. Well, the change to 90 days is this, the document was correctly typed up with 18 days. Someone scratched it out and wrote in nine. No, no initials. No, nothing, Mr Salyer told Fox. If we didnt follow up with him, it would have just gone behind the scenes.
BaseLine Tap House is a bar in Hollywood Studios. Casey Clark

BaseLine Tap House is one of the only food spots I haven't tried at Hollywood Studios.

My party of two spent $27, including the tip, for our snacks at the lounge.

Although there wasn't a large menu, the snacks were delicious and not too overpriced.

I've eaten at almost every restaurant at Hollywood Studios, from 50's Prime Time Cafe to Hollywood & Vine, over the past decade. But I've never made it to BaseLine Tap House.

I wasn't sure if I'd like the bar since I don't drink alcohol, but I wanted to check it out to see what it had to offer.

I had to wait 15 minutes in line to order my food at the bar.

I had to order my food at the bar. Casey Clark

There's no option to mobile order at BaseLine Tap House, so I had to wait in line once I got there.

The employees had guests line up on the side of the building and make their way through the entrance as people left. There were about 10 people in front of me, and I waited roughly 15 minutes.

The menu had an extensive range of alcoholic offerings.

There was plenty of beer and wine on the menu. Casey Clark

BaseLine Tap House has an extensive list of alcoholic beverages, with numerous craft beers on tap like Golden Road Golden State Cerveza and North Coast Red Seal.

The beers ranged in price from $9.75 for 16 ounces to $11 for 22 ounces. You can also order a flight of four 5-ounce beers for $12.50.

In addition to beer, there was hard cider, wine, cocktails, and spirits. According to the bartender, some fan favorites include the California Sunset cocktail and the St. Francis chardonnay.

For those who prefer nonalcoholic beverages, there are two fun options.

The bar offers two specialty nonalcoholic drinks. Casey Clark

You won't find a plethora of nonalcoholic offerings at BaseLine Tap House, but there are two specialty drinks: Barrilitos strawberry-hibiscus soda and wild-strawberry lemonade.

Both were about $5, so it's definitely a good way to save money if you don't want to spend $10 on a drink.

There isn't an extensive food menu, but we found some snacks to munch on.

We ordered typical bar snacks at BaseLine Tap House. Casey Clark

I wouldn't say the bar is suitable for dinner since the menu is limited. But there are some snackable options to enjoy.

Story continues

I opted for the Bavarian pretzel and California cheese-and-charcuterie plate. The pretzel was $9.50 and the charcuterie was $12.50.

The two other snacks available were a coffee-rubbed rib-eye beef puff for $11 and spiced almonds for $6.25.

There's a tiny seating area inside, but most of the tables are outside.

There's a large patio area outside BaseLine Tap House. Casey Clark

There are a few chairs inside near the bar, but a majority of the high-top and picnic tables are outside on the patio.

Sitting outside in the Florida sun isn't always the most enjoyable thing, so plan accordingly.

Disney World is usually pretty good at having clean tables ready to go for guests, but I was thoroughly impressed by the employees wiping down the tables outside. There wasn't a crumb to be seen on my table.

The pretzel with the beer cheese was my favorite.

Bavarian pretzel with dipping sauces from BaseLine Tap House. Casey Clark

Although the pretzel was almost $10, it came with a generous amount of beer-cheese fondue and spicy mustard, which made up for it.

It was big enough to share, so it could also serve as a snack for two people.

The charcuterie board was a close second.

The charcuterie board at BaseLine Tap House had a nice assortment of offerings. Casey Clark

Considering a Mickey Mouse ice-cream bar is almost $7, I was happy to see I could get a hefty charcuterie board for $12.

As a fan of goat cheese, I thought the cheese and crostini pairing was delicious.

As soon as we were finished eating, an employee came and took our trays away, which was convenient.

Overall, I was pleased with my experience at BaseLine Tap House and will definitely be making a trip back.

It was a successful first trip to BaseLine Tap House. Casey Clark

I wasn't too surprised by the bill, if anything, I was actually pretty happy that the pretzel and the charcuterie board only came out to $27 (with the tip).

As a local who visits Hollywood Studios at least twice a week, I think BaseLine Tap House will become a routine visit when I'm craving a salty pretzel or savory cheese board.

If you're going to the park, I'd definitely suggest making a pit stop at the bar.

Read the original article on Insider
I am a family medicine doctor in North Carolina. When I see patients, we are not discussing politics or asking elected officials to weigh in on healthcare decisions. Politicizing healthcare is dangerous. Banning healthcare is dangerous.

Everyone needs to feel safe with their healthcare provider. Folks need to be able to learn about their bodies, ask questions and explore options. North Carolinians increasingly do not have that basic right.

The stories below, shared with my patients permission, illuminate just how scared people are and how desperately they want politics out of their exam rooms.

A teenager comes to my primary care clinic for a physical. She asks if you can overdose on vitamin C. Why, I ask. Because it is trending on TikTok as a good morning after pill. We spend the rest of the visit discussing the menstrual cycle, birth control and consensual sex. She hasnt had any sexual health education outside of TikTok and friends swapping stories.

A woman calls asking for a serum pregnancy test. She doesnt trust the negative home pregnancy tests. She is moving to a state where abortion is illegal and needs confirmation she isnt pregnant before she leaves. What if I cant come back?

A mom brings her 13-year-old daughter in for a physical. Before I even bring up the topic of puberty, the woman asks please scare her about sex, Doc. I cant be having her getting pregnant. What if we cant get an abortion?

There is a thrum of fear amongst my patients with a uterus. Apprehension about birth control, the reliability of a pharmacy to dispense pills or a patch, and laws getting announced every day that could change whats available or legal. What if I get pregnant and dont want to be? What if I get pregnant and there is a problem with the fetus? What if I get pregnant and something happens during the pregnancy? Will they take care of the fetus or me? Should I move to a state where abortion is legal throughout my pregnancy? Is it safe to go to an emergency department with vaginal bleeding in a state where abortion is illegal? Will bleeding, pregnant or not, somehow get me in trouble?

Story continues

I hear these questions every day.

As someone with a uterus, I share many of these concerns. Being a physician does not protect me from the raw fear that my body is under attack. I voice this fear with patients, use it to inform my counseling, convey the seriousness of the reality of being female in America. It feels like a small act of solidarity. It is not nearly enough to keep us safe.

The abortion ban (Senate Bill 20) and the anti-transgender bill (HB 808) voted on by the N.C. General Assembly will further exacerbate my concerns and my patients. These bills will lead to worse health outcomes and alienate medical providers seeking to provide evidence-based medical care.

These laws also demonstrate that all of healthcare is under attack  when the basic science around pregnancy care is questioned, everyone should be afraid. If the government can undercut how prenatal care is delivered or what a doctor is allowed to discuss with a patient, they can also threaten care for high blood pressure, diabetes, joint replacements, or erectile dysfunction.

Any time elected officials with no medical background insert themselves into exam rooms, standards of care protocols, or even health insurance markets, it has the potential to be a political act, rather than one centered on patient care. Everyone should be terrified about what could happen next.

Dr. Rebecca Kasper is a family medicine doctor in North Carolina.
People gather in the aftermath of a tree that fell during a storm Tuesday and trapped a woman who was severely injured on the UGA campus.

A young woman was seriously injured when a tree was toppled on the University of Georgia campus during a late Tuesday rainstorm that was centered over the university and adjacent neighborhoods.

The storm, which lasted several minutes, toppled the tree along East Campus Road, which runs through the campus. UGA spokesman Gregory Trevor said Thursday that during the storm winds reached 64 mph and uprooted the tree near Field Street.

The UGA student, Mia Wei Corte, remained hospitalized Friday. UGA President Morehead and Dean of Students Eric Atkinson have visited Corte and her family in the hospital. Trevor said the Student Care and Outreach team has also offered support.

Corte received serious injuries to her head and body, according to reports.

Athens-Clarke County Fire Capt. Nate Moss said Thursday that firefighters responded to assist until an ambulance could arrive. The accident occurred in the vicinity of the UGA Poultry science building.

There were a good number of bystanders assisting to keep the tree off the patient, Moss said.

LIza Burke remembered: Celebration of life set for Sunday to memorialize UGA student Liza Burke

By the numbers: As national emergency ends, here is how COVID-19 impacted Georgia

Firefighters conducted what Moss said was a spine immobilization measure to prepare the woman for transport to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center.

Corte's parents told Fox-5 TV Friday that they are asking for prayers for their daughter.

The University of Georgia police are investigating the accident.

An investigation report into the accident was requested Wednesday, but as of late Thursday has not been completed, according to UGA police.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Woman injured on UGA campus when tree falls during storm
Batteries being produced at East Penn Manufacturing Company. Tim Leedy/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

A Pennsylvania battery maker was ordered to pay 7,500 workers $22 million in unpaid overtime.

The DOL said East Penn Manufacturing didn't pay staff for time needed to change clothes and shower.

The department said it was the largest recorded verdict obtained under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

A Pennsylvania battery maker was ordered to pay $22 million in back wages to 7,500 workers after the Department of Labor (DOL) ruled they were denied overtime.

The DOL said East Penn Manufacturing Company Inc. didn't pay employees for their time spent preparing to work in hazardous conditions.

The department said the verdict, reached by a jury, was the largest recorded amount it had obtained under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

East Penn Manufacturing Company Inc is one of the world's largest battery manufacturers.

During its investigation, the DOL found that East Penn employees were only being paid for their contracted 8-hour shifts. But this excluded the extra time that employees were required to put on and remove protective equipment and shower, mainly to avoid lead exposure.

For many US workers seeking to boost their income, overtime is a pressing issue. A 2022 survey from Qualtrics showed that 57% of respondents wanted the opportunity to work overtime or extra shifts to bring home more money.

Referring to the East Penn ruling, principal deputy wage and hour administrator, Jessica Looman, said in a statement: "This verdict of more than $22 million is a long-overdue victory for more than 7,500 workers at East Penn Manufacturing."

She added: "Federal law requires employers to pay workers for the hours they work, including time these workers needed to protect themselves from dangerous workplace hazards."

The DOL said it would also be seeking to "award an equal $22 million amount in liquidated damages for the affected workers."

In a statement, the DOL's solicitor of labor, Seema Nanda, said the time employees spent changing their clothes and showering was "indispensable" to their work and deserved remuneration.

Story continues

"The jury's verdict will go a long way towards making the employees whole and serves as a stark reminder for employers like East Penn to think twice before instituting policies designed to skirt the law," Nanda said.

In a statement to Insider, a spokesperson for East Penn said the jury also found that East Penn did not act in a knowing or reckless disregard of the law. The spokesperson added the DOL had originally claimed that East Penn owed employees $214 million in back wages, much less than determined by the jury.

"As a company, it stands behind the time paid to employees to put on and take off uniforms and to shower," the spokesperson said. "The company believes it provided proper compensation for these activities and was fair in determining the reasonable time required to perform them.

"East Penn appreciates the time and attention of the jurors over the course of this lengthy and

complex trial. East Penn greatly appreciates its family of employees who diligently work to

support and sustain the company and provide the essential products that help power people's

lives."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Pentagon's top civilian and military leaders have a warning for lawmakers fighting over the government's borrowing limit: a default would be a win for China, and would endanger troops' pay.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley on Thursday told the Senate Defense Appropriations panel that breaching the debt limit would significantly damage U.S. standing in the world and call into question the country's global leadership.

"China right now describes us in their open speeches, etc., as a declining power," Milley said. "Defaulting on the debt would only reinforce that thought and embolden China and increase risk to the United States."

Austin added that a default would mean a "substantial risk to our reputation" that China could exploit.

The comments are the latest admonition that a default would harm national security, as Republicans and President Joe Biden spar over raising the debt limit with as little as a few weeks until the government runs out of money to pay its bills.

The most substantial impact, Austin said, would be troops' pay. If the federal government defaults, the Pentagon would not be able to guarantee that military personnel are paid on time.

"What it would mean realistically for us is that we won't, in some cases, be able to pay our troops with any degree of predictability. And that predictability is really really important for us," Austin testified. "But this would have a real impact on the pockets of our troops and our civilians.

"We won't be able to pay people like we should," he added. "And I think that's something that China and everybody else can exploit."

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told Congress last week that Russia and China would likely seize on the domestic chaos created by a default .

Biden and congressional leaders are slated to meet again on Friday to continue debt limit negotiations. House Republicans, led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are seeking to slash spending in exchange for raising the borrowing limit, while Biden and Democrats are insisting on a clean renewal.

Story continues

Austin and Milley were pressed by Defense Appropriations Chair Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), an appropriator who also chairs the Armed Services Committee, to outline the effect of a default.

Reed warned that a default would make China appear to be "the adult in the room" on the world scene.

"This could be one of the greatest strategic errors vis-a-vis China in history," Reed told Austin. "Is that fair?"

"I think that's an accurate statement," Austin replied.

The warnings from top national security officials also stand in sharp contrast to former President Donald Trump, who downplayed the impact of a potential default.
The Pentagons top two officials on Thursday warned lawmakers a default on the nations debt would put troops pay in danger and benefit China.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee that busting the debt ceiling would put the countrys reputation at substantial risk in the world.

Theres just a number of things that were working with allies and partners on that would come into question as to whether or not well be able to execute programs, but most important, this will affect the livelihood of our of our troops and our civilians, Austin told lawmakers. We wont be able to pay people like we should, and I think thats something that China and everybody else can exploit.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, who spoke alongside Austin, said China already openly describes the United States as a declining power. Defaulting on the debt will only reinforce that thought and embolden China and increase risk to the United States, he said.

The comments mirror those made a week earlier by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, who also warned lawmakers China and Russia would likely look to take advantage of a U.S. government debt default, on which the nation is on the cusp.

Haines said Beijing and Moscow could exploit such an event by using it as evidence that the countrys political system is chaotic and not capable of functioning as a democracy.

The Biden administration is currently embroiled in a political standoff over increasing the U.S. debt limit, with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and his Republican colleagues maintaining that raising the debt ceiling must go along with cuts in spending.

Biden and congressional leaders met earlier this week and are set to meet again Friday to continue negotiations.

But with no solution in sight, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned Washington could default on its obligations as soon as June 1.

Story continues

Such an event would be catastrophic for global financial markets, analysts have cautioned, and could cause late Social Security payments and delays on paychecks for veterans and federal employees, such as service members.

Austin pointed to troops pay as a major casualty in the event of a default, with the Pentagon unable to guarantee that military personnel are paid on time if it happens.

What it would mean realistically for us is that we wont, in some cases, be able to pay our troops with any degree of predictability. And that predictability is really, really important for us, he said. This would have a real impact on the pockets of our troops and our civilians.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), who questioned Austin and Milley about the effects of a debt default during the hearing, warned such an event could give China a huge opportunity to provide disinformation to American citizens to confuse them, and make the U.S. look unstable on the world stage.

This could be one of the greatest strategic errors vis-a-vis China in history. Is that fair? Reed asked Austin.

I think thats an accurate statement, Austin replied.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Dutch national and convicted murderer Joran Van der Sloot is the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of US college student Natalee Holloway

A Dutchman jailed in Peru for murder will be handed over to face charges in the United States related to the 2005 disappearance of an American woman in Aruba, authorities said Wednesday.

The ruling marks a turnaround from the South American country's decision in 2012, when it said it would only send Dutch national Joran Van der Sloot to the United States in 2038 once he had completed a 28-year prison sentence for murdering a Peruvian woman.

Van der Sloot, now 35, is the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of 18-year-old US college student Natalee Holloway on the Caribbean island of Aruba.

Peru's 2012 decision on his extradition followed a request from a federal court in the US state of Alabama.

The court indictment says Van der Sloot demanded $25,000 from Holloway's parents in exchange for information on their daughter's whereabouts. He fled to Peru once he received the money.

Peru's Supreme Court on Wednesday authorized "the temporary surrender of Joran Van der Sloot for his prosecution in that country (the United States) for the alleged crimes of extortion and fraud".

"Once the criminal proceedings against Van der Sloot are concluded, he will immediately be returned to the authorities of Peru," it said.

Holloway's disappearance received wide media coverage in the United States.

Van der Sloot pleaded guilty to murdering 21-year-old Stephany Flores in May 2010, after meeting her in a casino.

ljc/dl/sco/pbt
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Russian President, has said that Russia is not at war in Ukraine because waging war means wiping out cities, and Russia is not doing that.

Source: Peskov in an interview with ATV channel from Bosnia and Herzegovina; Meduza, a Latvia-based Russian independent media outlet

Quote from Peskov: "And tell me, why are the Russians so slow to act? Because the Russians are not at war, we are not at war. Waging war is a completely different matter, it means total destruction of infrastructure, total destruction of cities and so on. We don't do that."

Details: Putin's spokesman has continued to lie about Russia supposedly "trying to preserve infrastructure and save lives".

He has also described the situation around Bakhmut as "very emotional", as the founder of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, threatened to withdraw his mercenaries amid a shortage of ammunition.

Quote: "Emotions are running high there. I will not name anyone, but I will say that regardless of what they say and what kind of statements they make, we are talking about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. These are all Russian forces. These are the same forces that always pursue the same goal."

Details: Peskov has said that he has "no doubt that Artemovsk [as Russians call Bakhmut  ed.] will be taken under Russian control".

He has also added that over the year of the war, the occupiers have achieved specific goals of their so-called "special operation", but Russia is allegedly still "far from fully accomplishing this task", so "this work will continue".

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
When Jaklyn Larsen and Pike Bremer caught wind of a pod of orcas heading south along the central Oregon Coast on Monday, the two grabbed their cameras and raced out the door hoping to catch a glimpse.

What they saw surprised them both. They witnessed a pod of five to 10 orcas in the coordinated, fast-paced pursuit of a gray whale calf.

The pursuit began off the coast of Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint before ending three hours later beneath Cape Foulweather, about 100 miles southwest of Portland.

A pod of orcas attack a gray whale and her calf near Cape Foulweather south of Depoe Bay along the Oregon Coast on May 8, 2023.

"It seemed at the time to be a group of five orcas that were headed towards Cape Foulweather, and already at Rocky Creek, which is just north of there, they seemed to have separated a gray whale calf from its mother," Bremer said. "I went to Cape Foulweather, which was the next logical spot, and then right underneath there around 5:30 p.m., the killing started. It was incredibly intense."

Bremer said throughout the entire attack, the mother whale tried to keep the calf afloat from below so it could breathe, but it wasn't enough, and the calf eventually died. People were as heartbroken as they were amazed by what they saw.

"It was incredibly emotional, I felt really bad for the calf," Bremer said. "It was incredible to see those orcas organize, and at the site there were actually more orcas, I couldn't tell how many exactly but I would think from seven to 10. With how they orchestrated their attack and how in-synch they are, it was incredible to watch."

Whales along the Oregon Coast

There are various groups of killer whales that are known to frequent the area, but the specific pod of whales seen Monday has yet to be identified.

Gray whales make two annual migrations  one southbound to the Baja in winter and another northbound to Alaska in spring.

Gray whale mothers will often keep her calves close to shore to avoid the detection of orcas, which hunt calves during the northbound migrations.

Story continues

Spotting orcas can be difficult, but one of the best bets is to find a spot near any of the numerous coastal rivermouthes. This time of year, it's common for orcas to follow seals and other food sources upriver.

More coverage from USA TODAY

Yes, there's a $29 hot dog in NYC. The most shocking part? It might be worth it.

Heather Armstrong, author and mom blogger known as Dooce to fans, dead at 47

May is Stroke Awareness Month. Graphics explain the warning signs.

As Title 42 expires, here's how your lawmakers want to fix the border crisis

Statesman Journal reporter Zach Urness contributed to this report.

Charles Gearing is an outdoors journalism intern for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at cgearing@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Orca pod attacks gray whale calf on Oregon Coast near Cape Foulweather
Immigrants turn themselves over to U.S Border Patrol agents along the U.S.-Mexico border in Somerton, AZ. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

As Title 42 is set to expire, security officials are bracing for what could be an unprecedented influx of migrants seeking asylum along the southern border.

In Tijuana, more than 200 people from countries including Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Turkey waited in an area between two layers of border wall that has become an open-air holding cell for the U.S. Border Patrol. Families said theyd been waiting as many as four days to be processed.

Border Patrol has been holding migrants for extended periods of time between the border walls in the region since at least October. Agents have begun putting wristbands on migrants that indicate which day they were apprehended.

Somerton, Arizona

Immigrants turn themselves over to U.S Border Patrol agents along the U.S.-Mexico borderin Somerton, AZ on May 11. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

Immigrants turn themselves over to U.S Border Patrol agents along the U.S.-Mexico border in Somerton, AZ. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

Immigrants are loaded onto a bus after turning themselves over to U.S Border Patrol agents. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico

Immigrants wait under tents to turn themselves over to U.S Border Patrol agents along the U.S.-Mexico border in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

Immigrants walk along the border wall to turn themselves over to U.S Border Patrol agents along the U.S.-Mexico border in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

Tijuana

A young woman had only a plastic bag and sticks for shelter as she waits for border patrol to take her into detention and be processed for asylum in Tijuana. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

As Title 42 expires, migrants hoping to cross into the United States from Tijuana, Mexico try to keep warm on May 12. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

With less than 24 hours until Title 42 expires, U.S. border patrol agents lead a group of women to vehicles headed to processing. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Mahya, 4, from Afghanistan waits with her parents and four sisters in Tijuana to get into the United States. One of her sisters said life for five daughters was too difficult in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. border patrol agents make contact with migrants hoping to cross into the United States from Tijuana, Mexico on May 11. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Migrants hoping to cross into the United States from Tijuana wait in an area north of the city. Title 42, a controversial public health statute used to keep asylum seekers out of the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to end Thursday night. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Migrants wait in Tijuana ahead of the expiration of Title 42. Orders under Title 42 were first implemented by the Trump administration in March 2020 and met with legal and political challenges, but remained in place through President Biden's first years in office. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

People hold up signs supporting the extension of Title 42 during a rally in Chula Vista, Calif. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Mexicali

A boy lies on the floor at the Albergue del Desierto shelter in Mexicali, Mexico. Title 42, which allowed border agents to quickly turn back migrants, expires Thursday night. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Ciudad Juarez

Migrants cross a barbed-wire barrier into the United States from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Christian Chavez / Associated Press)

Migrants, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, wait for U.S. authorities in an area between a barbed-wire barrier and the border fence at the U.S.-Mexico border. (Christian Chavez / Associated Press)

Rio Grande

Migrants cross the Rio Grande on an inflatable mattress into the United States from Matamoros, Mexico. (Fernando Llano / Associated Press)

Migrants try to get to the U.S. after crossing the Rio Grande from Matamoros, Mexico. (Alfredo Estrella / AFP/Getty Images)

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Community Health Systems for a data breach that potentially has impacted more than one million patients including an untold number at its Physicians Regional Healthcare System in Collier County.

The class action lawsuit was filed May 5 in federal court in the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville. CHS is headquartered in Franklin, Tenn.

The for-profit system operates 78 hospitals in the U.S. including Physicians Regional at Pine Ridge and Collier Boulevard.

The Physicians Regional Medical Center at Collier Boulevard in March 2022.

Physicians Regional declined to comment and directed questions to its CHS, its parent company.

Safeguarding the privacy of the personal information our patients, employees, and communities entrust to us is a responsibility we take very seriously, CHS said in a statement.

The plaintiff, Tim Ferguson, lives in Lackawanna, Pennsylvania, and has been a patient of a CHS hospital in Pennsylvania.

The complaint does not say when Ferguson was a CHS patient or at which Pennsylvania hospital. He did receive notice of the data breach.

There are more than 100 members of the class action complaint, and it asserts damages in excess of $5 million.

The complaint says the hospital system and co-defendant CHSPSC, a professional services company that provides services to hospitals and clinics affiliated with CHS, was negligent in its failure to implement and follow basic security procedures.

The failure resulted in patients personal identifying information and personal health information getting into the hands of cybercriminals.

Personal information at risk include individuals name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, as well as medical billing and insurance information, diagnoses and medications.

The breach means the plaintiffs are at increased risk of identity theft crimes and must devote considerable time and money to monitor their credit, financial accounts, and health records.

The breadth of data compromised in the data breach makes the information particularly valuable to thieves and leaves defendants patients especially vulnerable to identity theft, tax fraud, medical fraud, credit and bank fraud, and more, according to the complaint.

Story continues

The data breach occurred in early February but CHS did not inform affected patients for over a month, and the lead plaintiff did not get his notice until March 24, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit says date security measures remain inadequate to prevent further breaches.

Hospitals are often targets

Healthcare entities are prime targets of data breaches that have been steadily on the rise.

In 2021 that there were 4,145 publicly disclosed data breaches that exposed 22 billion records, according to the complaint.

In healthcare industries alone, there were 5,150 breaches from 2009 to 2022 involving data of 500 people or more, according to Health and Human Services and its Office of Civil Rights. In total, information of 382 million people was breached.

Community Health Systems contract for data security

CHS contracts with Fortra, which has its U.S. headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The vendor provides cybersecurity and monitoring services among other things.

Fortra provided a secure file transfer software, called GoAnywhere, to the hospital system and its affiliates.

On Jan. 30, Fortra reported an unauthorized data breach of GoAnywhere that started two days earlier on Jan. 28. The company took the software offline on Jan. 31 and rebuilt it.

The hospital system was informed Feb. 2 of the breach, according to a notice on the hospital systems website.

CHS investigated and determined personal information relating to patients, a limited number of employees, and other individuals may have been disclosed to the unauthorized party.

The personal information may have included full name, address, medical billing and insurance information, certain medical information such as diagnoses and medication, and demographic information such as date of birth and Social Security number.

According to the lawsuit, the well-known Clop ransomware group took responsibility for the data breach.

A 2022 article in Trend describes the Clop group as one of the most prolific ransomware families in the past three years.

It has gained notoriety for compromising high-profile organizations in various industries worldwide and extorting millions from companies, according to the article.

CHS reported the data breach to HHS on March 16 that 962,000 individuals were impacted.

It added to the notice April 17 that nearly 1.2 million people were impacted, according to the lawsuit.

CHS and its affiliate has made identification restoration and credit monitoring services available to affected patients for up to two years in compliance with state law.

Were you contacted about breach?

CHS disclosed the breach to federal authorities on Feb. 13 and to the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights on March 16.

Community Health Systems has notified individuals whose personal information is known to have been affected via U.S. mail and offered them identity restoration and credit monitoring services at no cost to them, even though the incident occurred on Fortras system, CHS said in a statement.

We will do everything we can to support individuals affected by Fortras security incident, CHS said.

Anyone impacted who would like to enroll or with questions, a toll-free CHSPSC has established a toll-free response line that can be reached at 800-906-7947.

The deadline to enroll is July 31, 2023. Be prepared to provide your engagement number: adults use B086999 and minors use B087000.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: More than 1.2 million patients face risks after data breach at CHS
Animal rights activists protesting outside the US Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a California animal cruelty law that bans the sale in America's most-populous state of pork from pigs raised in confined conditions.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, in the 5-4 majority opinion, said "companies that choose to sell products in various states must normally comply with the laws of those various states."

Pork producers who brought the legal challenge against the California law were asking the nation's highest court to impose "constitutional restrictions on the ability of states to regulate goods sold within their borders," Gorsuch said.

"We decline that invitation," he said. "While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list."

Californians passed an animal welfare measure, Proposition 12, in a referendum in 2018 that bans the sale of pork from pigs raised in overly confined pens.

The pork industry went to court accusing California -- which produces little of the pork it consumes -- of restricting interstate commerce and claiming that the state's animal welfare standards would raise ham and bacon prices for consumers.

After being rejected by state courts, the pork producers turned to the Supreme Court, which heard arguments in the case in October.

chp-cl/st
Heather Armstrong. Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

Heather Armstrong, founder of Dooce.com, one of the first mommy blogs, died Tuesday in Salt Lake City. She was 47.

Armstrong's boyfriend, Pete Ashdown, told The Associated Press she died by suicide.

Armstrong started her blog in 2001 while working at a tech start-up. In her 2009 memoir It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown, and a Much Needed Margarita, Armstrong said she was fired from that job after her employer discovered the blog. Not long after, she became pregnant with her first child, and the blog exploded with popularity as she wrote about parenting and relationships, and later divorce, alcoholism, and mental illness. At her blog's peak, it had more than 8 million monthly readers, AP reports, and The New York Times Magazine crowned her the "Queen of the Mommy Bloggers."

During college, Armstrong was diagnosed with chronic depression, and in 2019, she wrote about a clinical trial she took part in that placed her in a chemically-induced coma for 15 minutes, 10 times. "I was feeling like life was not meant to be lived," Armstrong told Vox. "When you are that desperate, you will try anything. I thought my kids deserved to have a happy, healthy mother and I needed to know that I had tried all options to be that for them."

Author Roxane Gay tweeted that it was "shocking" to learn of Armstrong's death, adding, "It's hard to put into words just how influential she was to the blogosphere. I hope she is at peace, and that her children and loved ones are finding solace where they can."

You may also like

DeSantis bans Chinese citizens from buying land in Florida

Researchers discover submerged cemetery and hospital off the Florida coast

Norway's near-total adoption of electric vehicles appears to be going smoothly, defying skeptics
Pitney Bowes may be in for a face lift after shareholders elected four out of five board members recommended by the hedge fund that wants to take it in a new direction.

At the shipping and mailing companys annual shareholder meeting Tuesday, investors voted to elect former Getty Images chief financial officer Milena Alberti-Perez, former Newgistics CEO Todd Everett, former ShippingEasy CEO Katie May and Hestia Capital managing member and chief investment officer Kurtis Wolf to the companys nine-member board of directors.

More from Sourcing Journal

Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recommended all four nominees ahead of the vote.

The vote came after Hestia Capital, which owns 9.1 percent of Pitney Bowes shares, sought board changes while criticizing the companys focus on its Global Ecommerce (GEC) segment. The unit, which provides business-to-consumer logistics services for domestic and cross-border parcel delivery, returns and fulfillment, has seen annual earnings decline every year since 2015.

In 2022 alone, GEC saw an EBIT loss of $100 million, on top of a $99 million loss in the segment a year prior. The unit saw sales sink 17 percent to $348.4 million in the companys first quarter, while comparable sales slipped 5 percent. On the plus side, Pitney Bowes said the global e-commerce division processed 50 million domestic parcels in the quarter, up 22 percent from 41 million in 2022, and its on-time performance was in the mid-90 percent range.

But Hestias issues went well beyond GEC, particularly in that it thought the American Eagle Outfitters partner was holding back growth in other areas of the business such as cloud-based letter mailing and parcel shipping software solution SendTech and its mail sorting and distribution service, Presort.

Both businesses saw revenue declines in the quarter, with SendTech seeing a 6 percent revenue decline to $327.2 million and Presort dipping 1 percent to $158.9 million. But both still made money, with SendTech reporting $104.1 million in adjusted EBITDA while Presort generated $35.4 million. Conversely, GEC saw an adjusted EBITDA loss of $17.8 million, supporting Hestias case that the unit shouldnt be Pitney Bowes top priority.

Story continues

The hedge fund accused Pitney Bowes of failing to acquire companies like ShipStation. On the other hand, Hestia was also critical of where the shipping company did spend capital on acquisitionsnamely its deal to buy cross-border e-commerce platform Borderfree for $395 million only to sell it for a mere $100 million seven years later.

In an earnings call on May 4 ahead of the vote, CEO Marc Lautenbach said the company would implement a restructuring program to improve profit and cash flow. This should save approximately $75 million per year, but will result in job cuts and facility closures, the CEO said.

The company hasnt elaborated on restructuring details.

I will say these are older sites. They werent automated. They are all close to sites that we have built that are new, Lautenbach said. We originally thought maybe we needed them longer-term to be kind of safety valves for the larger sites. The larger sites are operating so incredibly well that we just dont need them. I am not going to give you specific sites.

The restructuring charges are expected to be between $40 million and $50 million, with the majority of these recognized in 2023. Pitney Bowes expects to achieve roughly two-thirds of the total gross annualized savingsapproximately $50 millionby the end of 2024.

Investors re-elected three other directors, including Lautenbach, as well as former MG Advisors Inc. chairman Mary Steele Guilfoile and former New York State Insurance Fund commissioner and audit committee board chair Sheila Stamps.

Two new director nominees by Pitney Bowes were also appointed to the board roles, including retired UPS president of corporate strategy Steve Brill and former Harley Davidson treasurer and interim chief financial officer Darrell Thomas.

The foregoing results are subject to certification by an independent inspector of election.

We welcome all new directors, including the nominees of Hestia Capital Partners, and look forward to working with them constructively on the future of the company and on behalf of all shareholders, Pitney Bowes said in a statement.

One Hestia nominee, Lance Rosenzweig, wasnt elected to the board. Rosenzweig, who most recently led software company Support.com, had been put forward by the hedge fund as a candidate to replace Lautenbach as CEO on an interim basis.

With Lautenbach voted back into the nine-person board, it is unlikely that Hestia would be able to carry out its plan to replace him as CEO. In March, then-chairman Michael Roth stepped down after months of back-and-forth between Hestia and Pitney Bowes executives and board.

We greatly appreciate our fellow stockholders for voting to elect four Hestia-nominated director candidates at this years annual meeting. We also want to thank the many stockholders who took the time to engage in thoughtful two-way conversations with us in recent weeks and months, said Wolf in a statement. That engagement will benefit the four of us as we enter the boardroom and start working with the incumbent directors to spur a value-generating turnaround at Pitney Bowes.

The board shakeup comes after Pitney Bowes saw first-quarter revenue fall 10 percent to $834.5 million, and 4 percent on a comparable basis versus the prior year. In the quarter, the company incurred a net loss of $7.7 million.

For the remainder of the year, Pitney Bowes still expects flat to mid-single-digit percentage revenue growth on a comparable basis, and anticipates adjusted EBIT performance to outpace the percent change in revenue.

Our slate believes it has been given a mandate for constructive, positive change, Wolf said. And we look forward to working with our fellow directors to deliver on that mandate over the near-term and long-term.

Click here to read the full article.
Ukraine has received 14 Soviet-made MiG-29 jets from Poland, which will strengthen Ukraines defence capabilities.

Source: Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU on Twitter

Details: Polands Permanent Representation to the EU said that out of the 575 tanks delivered to Ukraine so far, 325 have been given by Poland, more than any other partner country.

"In addition, of the 28 planes transferred to Kyiv so far, Poland has sent as many as 14 MiG-29 fighters," the representation tweeted.

Out of the 575 tanks delivered to Ukraine so far, as many as 325 have been given by .  is second (85),  third (80), and  fourth (76).



In addition, of the 28 planes transferred to #Kyiv so far, Poland has sent as many as 14 MiG-29 fighters. pic.twitter.com/MWQUSN1ewO  Poland in the EU (@PLPermRepEU) May 11, 2023

Previously: Earlier this week, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that Warsaw had handed over 10 MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine.

Slovakia has supplied 13 MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Elk Grove formally agreed to share the $21 million forecast to be raised each year by the citys 1% Measure E sales tax increase, with the majority of the new funds going to police and fire protection.

Elk Grove City Council heard details of the tax-sharing agreement with the Elk Grove-based Cosumnes Community Services District at its Wednesday meeting and gave City Manager Jason Behrmann the go-ahead to execute the pact. Cosumnes district leaders signed off on the deal May 3 in a 4-0 vote.

Council members will review a spending plan May 24, with its outline of planned projects and how the money will be spent. Final approval is slotted for June 14. The first payments are expected in July.

Were providing a path forward  this was five years in the making, said councilman and former Cosumnes CSD Director Rod Brewer.

Elk Grove and district leaders made sure that the city of Elk Grove and the Cosumnes Community Services District looked for ways to keep ourselves out of the pit of any sort of recession that may come our way in the next five or 10 years, Brewer added. Measure E represents that. It gives us the tools and resources we need to effectively serve Elk Grove.

Elk Grove would keep 50% of revenue under the Measure E Tax Sharing Agreement; while Cosumnes Community Services District, which provides fire protection, emergency response and parks and recreation services for Elk Grove, keeps 30%.

What that means in annual dollars is sizable  an estimated $11.25 million a year to Elk Grove and $6.75 million yearly to Cosumnes Community Services District.

Its up to Elk Grove how it divvies up the share, per the agreement, but city documents show that roughly $4.5 million will go toward reducing crime and speeding 911 response; $2.025 million will go to tackle homelessness; another $1.8 million will be allocated each year for street maintenance and $1.575 million to economic development.

The money comes atop the millions of dollars promised by the Wilton Rancheria from its Sky River Casino. The tribe pledged $186 million to Elk Grove and Sacramento County over the next 20 years from the casino to improve public safety and education, roads and other services. The cash would go to fund many of the same services targeted with the new sales tax hike.

Story continues

Measure E, approved by 54% of voters last November, raised Elk Groves then-7.5% sales tax to 8.5%, the rate joining Sacramento and Rancho Cordovas as Sacramento Countys highest sales tax. Under the measure, the increase provides an estimated $21.2 million yearly for public safety, to address homelessness, support economic development, repair and maintain parks and roads and direct money into programs for the citys youth.

Two-thirds of Cosumnes share will go to fire protection, with the remaining third toward parks and recreation services.

The remaining 20% of yearly revenues from Measure E will be socked away in a reserve fund for future projects and services.

The spending plan follows the list of priorities envisioned when Elk Grove and Cosumnes Community Services District first stumped for Measure E last year; discussed in February community meetings once the ballot measure passed; and by a residents oversight panel commissioned once the measure passed.

The sales tax increase went into effect April 1.
Ms Chambers in formal attire

A supporter of the Royal family has said she was arrested and held for 13 hours during the Coronation because she happened to be standing near Just Stop Oil protesters.

Alice Chambers said she had no idea she was standing next to the activists because they had not yet begun the demonstration that they carried out on the Mall on Saturday.

The 36-year-old architect suddenly found herself being arrested after Metropolitan Police officers burst into the crowd and began handcuffing people, she told the i newspaper.

Ms Chambers, who is Australian but has lived in London for seven years, said she was told at around 9am that she was being arrested on suspicion of potential to cause a breach of the peace alongside around a dozen other people.

She told the i: I was just sitting on my little stool and I noticed there was some yelling and then some police swooped in and were pushing the crowd back.

I must have been right on the edge of that. I went to get up and two police officers just grabbed me and handcuffed me. I dont think they said anything, I think they arrested me before they asked a question.

I feel like once I was in the system they didnt listen  I tried to explain that I wasnt part of the group.

Over 13 hours, Ms Chambers was held in a cell, subjected to physical searches and had her DNA, fingerprints and photograph taken before the Met realised she was a bystander.

I think the only question they asked me was: Why were you on the Mall?, she added.

She said it was not until she was interviewed at 7pm, more than 10 hours since her arrest, that police officers acknowledged their mistake.

They looked at each other and then they asked have you ever heard of Just Stop Oil? I said, Up until today no. They said we have no further questions and were really sorry youve been caught up in this.

That was the point I started crying and got emotional  that was the first time anyone had been able to listen to my side of the story.

Story continues

I asked them, Was there anything I could have done that would have meant I didnt end up here?

It was a further two and a half hours before she was able to leave Wandsworth Police Station at 10pm to return home.

A spokesman for the Met Police said: We are aware that a woman was arrested in relation to a protest on 6 May 2023.

The arresting officer was from Lincolnshire Police and the complaint has therefore been passed to the relevant force to investigate. The Met will assist by providing any relevant information they require.

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.
Kansas City police are asking for the publics help finding Jada Kimbrough, who has been missing for several hours.

The 26-year-old was last seen at 8 a.m. Thursday walking in the area of 11500 Campbell Street in south Kansas City, police said in a news release Thursday afternoon.

Jada has autism, other medical issues, and is attracted to water, the press release said.

She was last seen wearing a black shirt, black cropped pants and black Crocs.

Anyone who sees Kimbrough or knows where she may be is asked to call Det. Bedell with the Kansas City Police Department at 816-234-5043.

No other information was immediately available.
Breaking news

The Marion County Sheriff's Office and other agencies finished a final sweep of Jefferson High School and found no threat to students or teachers after responding to an "active threat" Wednesday morning.

"Everything is A-OK," Marion County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Don Parise said.

Officers responded to a report of someone with a gun inside the school at 9:19 a.m. According to police, the caller said they were hiding in a bathroom and the subject was shooting at them.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded and searched the school twice. They found no evidence of a gun or a shooter, or anyone with injuries.

One officer fell through a ceiling during the investigation and is "banged up," but landed on his feet, police said.

A similar call was made about Jefferson High School in March and was determined to be a false report.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office and the FBI are still investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact email jschwab@co.marion.or.us or 503-932-6294.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Police investigating 'active threat' at Jefferson High School
Police are offering up to a $12,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in a string of fiber-optic cable cuts in Kansas City and Raytown that have cut off communications services for customers and businesses.

For several months, people have cut fiber optic cables in the area in search of copper, police said.

More recent cable cuts in April occurred along the Interstate 435 corridor on Blue Ridge Cutoff in the late evening and early morning hours. Some cuts have occurred in the area of the Stadium Complex near East 55th Street and Blue Ridge Road and at 6701 Booth Ave.

Police ask anyone with information to call the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. Tips can also be submitted online at www.KCcrimestoppers.com or through the P3TIPS app.

A reward of $2,000 plus an additional $10,000 award is available for information leading to an arrest in these cases.
WARSAW (Reuters) -Poland's defence minister said on Thursday that the army was aware of a possible missile heading towards the country in December but failed to inform the government.

Poland has been on alert for a possible spillover of weaponry from the war in neighbouring Ukraine, especially since two people were killed near the border last November by what Warsaw concluded was a misfired Ukrainian air defence missile.

Polish media have reported in recent days that a military object found in a forest in northern Poland in April was a Russian KH-55 missile, and that Polish services had seen an object entering the country's air space in December but then lost track of it.

Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said an inspection he requested after the object was found showed that Armed Forces Operational Command had received information from Ukraine about a possible missile heading towards Poland, but failed to take appropriate action.

"It was established that on December 16, the air operations centre subordinate to the operational commander received information from the Ukrainian side about an object approaching Polish space, which may be a missile," Blaszczak said.

"According to the findings of the inspection, the operational commander failed to perform his duties of informing me ... and other services provided for in the procedures about the object that appeared in Polish airspace."

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki reiterated on Thursday that he heard about the existence of the military object found in a Polish forest for the first time in April.

Blaszczak also said the inspection showed failures in how the search for the object was conducted.

"Only a police patrol was dispatched to the site and a helicopter search was not carried out until December 19. Soldiers of territorial defence forces on duty were not included in the search. After December 19, the search was completely abandoned."

Story continues

He added that response mechanisms worked properly, with planes scrambled in the air after reports of a possible missile, but the operational commander did not fulfil his duties properly.

"The greatest deficiencies were found in the reporting of the incident and undertaking search activities... Any personnel or disciplinary decisions will be made after consultation with the president of the Republic of Poland who is the head of armed forces."

(Reporting by Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz; Karol Badohal and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Alison Williams, Christina Fincher and Nick Macfie)
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
The pope has said sexually abusive priests are children of God who must be loved as well as enemies who should also be punished (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The pope has said sexually abusive priests are children of God who must be loved as well as enemies who should also be punished.

Speaking at a meeting with Jesuits, Francis pondered the possibility of offering Christian love to Paedophile priests who had destroyed childrens lives and the Catholic churchs reputation.

"It's not at all easy," the Pope said. "How can we get close, how can we speak to abusers for whom we feel disgust? Yes, they too are children of God, but how can we love them? It's a very tough question."

He continued, "The abuser must be condemned, indeed, but as a brother. Condemning him is to be understood as an act of charity, adding that it was like "loving the enemy".

During the private meeting with 32 Jesuits on 29 April in Budapest, Hungary, as reported on Tuesday by the Italian Jesuit publication La Civilta Cattolica, Francis was responding to a question from an unnamed Jesuit priest, who asked, I would like to offer the compassion and love that the Gospel asks for everyone, even the enemy. But how is this possible?

Francis said, Even talking to the abuser involves revulsion; it's not easy. But they are God's children too."

He added: They need a punishment but also pastoral care. How do you do that? No, its not easy.

Despite tightening the rules, Francis has been faced with fresh scandals relating to sexual abuse in the priesthood throughout his 10-year papacy.

He introduced a commission on abuse prevention, one of his flagship initiatives - but it has been rocked by resignations over church officials lack of acknowledgment of the scale of the crisis.

As recently as Friday, the Pope sought to encourage his embattled child protection advisory board, following weeks of turmoil sparked by the latest resignation of a founding member and fresh questions about its direction.

Francis urged his Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors to pursue a spirituality of reparation with abuse survivors and build a culture of safeguarding to prevent priests from raping and molesting children.

Story continues

Boston Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Francis announced the creation of the commission in 2013 to provide best-practices advice on combatting abuse in the church. The commission has gone through several iterations in the decade since, most significantly with resignations of members frustrated by the resistance of the Vatican bureaucracy to its recommendations and exasperated about the commissions unclear mandate and model.

The latest departure was the Rev. Hans Zollner, a German Jesuit who runs a child protection institute at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. In a blistering statement March 29 announcing his resignation, Zollner identified a series of internal problems in the commission that he said made it impossible for him to remain.

He cited a lack of financial accountability, lack of transparency about decision-making and lack of clarity about what members are supposed to do and how they're appointed. Zollners criticisms underscored broader questions about the purpose and direction of the commission, which has never found its place in a Vatican bureaucracy inherently resistant to change and defensive in particular about the abuse dossier.
Lake Powells bathtub ring, a light-colored coating of mineral deposits left during periods of higher water on the reservoir, is seen on canyon walls on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022 near Bullfrog. The Bullfrog North Boat Ramp has reached operable status for houseboats and other large vessels for the first time in months on Saturday. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

One of Lake Powell's busier ramps is operable for houseboats and larger vessels for the first time in months as the reservoir continues to rise thanks to a deep snowpack across the West, Grand Canyon National Recreation Area officials said Tuesday.

Park officials said Bullfrog North Boat Ramp became operable again as the reservoir rose to about 3,529.5 feet elevation over the weekend, reaching the mark needed for the ramp to handle houseboats and large vessels. It has since risen to 3,532.9 feet as of Wednesday afternoon. The ramp had been closed since Nov. 21, 2022, as the reservoir began to drop to an all-time low again this winter.

"It is recommended that houseboats and large vessels launch and retrieve from the left side of the ramp only due to the topography of Bullfrog Bay on the right side of the concrete ramp," said Grand Canyon National Recreation Area spokeswoman Mary Plumb in a statement. "To reduce congestion, boaters are asked to please limit (the) use of the courtesy dock to 10 minutes or less. All launch and retrieval of vessels is at your own risk."

She adds that the Bullfrog Main Spur Ramp will also become operable again when the reservoir rises about another 7 feet to 3,540 feet.

Lake Powell had fallen to 3,519.9 feet in April before it began to surge as a result of the snowpack runoff. The reservoir is likely to reach about 3,590 feet elevation, or close to 70 feet, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projected last month.

It won't refill the entire reservoir, but it does ease some of the concerns of the past few years, including its ability to generate power to nearby Page, Arizona, said Bob Martin, the deputy power manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Upper Colorado Basin region. He adds that the agency is also required to release some of the water down the Colorado River to the lower basin states, though.

The reservoir's rise is also a welcome development for the businesses that own and operate boat tours and rentals between southern Utah and northern Arizona, some of whom say this could be their best year in at least 20 years. Tom Pryor, the owner of Outdoor Adventure Rentals, told KSL-TV on Wednesday that he's fielding more and more calls from potential visitors because of the rise.

Story continues

"That's the best news that Lake Powell could ever get," he said of the reservoir forecast, adding that he hopes that will rekindle interest in Lake Powell visitation.

If the forecast comes to fruition, park officials may also reopen a few other ramps this season, including:

Antelope Point Marina Business Ramp  3,540 feet for all vessels

Wahweap Main  3,545 feet for all motorized vessels

Halls Crossing Public  3,556 to launch at your own risk

Stateline  3,564 feet for all non-motorized vessels

Bullfrog Main  3,578 feet for all vessels

Antelope Point Public  3,588 feet for all non-motorized vessels

More information about all of the ramps can be found here.

Pryor adds that he hopes the increased interest in Lake Powell because of the reservoir's rise will lead more people to come back over and over again.

"You know, they always talk about the Seven Wonders of the World. When you come here and you get to be here and you get to do the things here, it's almost like being in one of (those) Seven Wonders of the World," he said.
Will Poulter cant get away from those Toy Story comparisons  even at the urinal.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 actor, whose striking resemblance to the Pixar character Sid has dogged him for the better part of a decade, told GQ in an interview published Tuesday that the meme even recently followed him into the bathroom.

Youre in Toy Story, right? he said a fan asked him while they were relieving themselves in Los Angeles. And I was like, Well, that was animated. I dont want to be rude.

Will Poulter (left) and Sid from

Will Poulter (left) and Sid from "Toy Story."

Poulter noted that the iconic Pixar movie was released in 1995  when he was 2 years old.

And they werent doing it through live action, he said.

However, Poulter admitted to the magazine that he hasnt helped his case either.

Back in 2017, the British actor shared a photo of himself dressed up as the Toy Story bully for Halloween, complete with a Sheriff Woody doll and a magnifying glass in hand  though it was for a cause: raising awareness for Bullying Prevention Month in the U.S. and Anti-Bullying Week in the U.K.

The actor separately appeared on the Lights, Camera, Barstool podcast this week, where he also discussed a urinal incident  though he didnt say whether it was the same one. He said someone asked him to list some of the things [hes] been in.

I cant answer that without sounding like ... an asshole, so I didnt list any of the things Ive been in, Poulter said. The persistent fan then asked if he was in Toy Story.

Related...
Prince Harry has blamed the allegedly unlawful information gathering activities carried out at the Mirror group for his break-up with Chelsy Davy, the High Court heard.

The duke is among several high-profile individuals bringing damage claims against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) titles, which began on Wednesday (10 May) and is expected to last seven weeks.

MGN, publisher of titles including The Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, is contesting the claims arguing that some have been brought too late.

Harrys solicitor David Sherbone on Wednesday told the court that illicit press intrusion carried out by journalists at these newspapers, such as the alleged phone hacking, caused great challenges in his relationship with Davy.

Zimbabwe-born Davy, who dated the duke on-and-off from 2004 until 2009, ultimately decided that a royal life was not for her as a result of this alleged harassment.

In court documents, Sherbone told the high court Harry became immediately suspicious of anyone named in stories about him and felt he couldnt trust anybody.

It also caused great challenges in his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy and made him fear for his and her safety, the solicitor added.

Referencing Harrys witness statement, which is yet to be made public, Sherborne said that each time the duke was thought to be in a relationship, the persons family or friends would be dragged into the chaos and find themselves the subject of unlawful activity on the part of MGN.

Court documents highlighted how journalists booked a hotel in Bazaruto, a small island off the coast of Mozambique, when Harry and Davy tried to escape there and enjoy some peace and quiet, according to court documents.

Addressing Harrys relationship with Davy, Sherborne continued: They were never on their own, which placed a huge amount of unnecessary stress and strain on their relationship.

Ultimately, MGNs activities led Ms Davy to make the decision that a royal life was not for her, which was incredibly upsetting for Harry at the time.

MGN has not admitted any of the charges, but said it unreservedly apologises to the duke for one instance of unlawful information gathering and that it accepts that he was entitled to appropriate compensation.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
Piers Morgan has claimed he did not know about phone-hacking taking place at the Mirror while he was editor of the newspaper.

It comes as allegations of unlawful information-gathering at the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) was brought by Prince Harry and other celebrities to the High Court this week, with the third day of the trial set to resume today.

Speaking to the BBC before the trial began, Mr Morgan said: Ive never hacked a phone. Ive never told anybody to hack a phone.

The former editor added that phone hacking is completely wrong and was lazy journalists being lazy.

In written arguments heard on the trials second day, lawyer David Sherborne claimed the systemic and widespread use of [private investigators] by Mirror Group Newspaper journalists to unlawfully obtain private information was authorised at senior levels, including desk heads, editors, and senior executives.

Asked by reporters on Wednesday whether he would follow the companys lead in apologising to Harry over one of the allegations involving private investigators, ex-Mirror editor Piers Morgan  who denies any knowledge of illegal activity at the paper  said he was not going to take lectures on privacy invasion from the royal.

Key Points

Piers Morgan says I wouldnt even know how to hack a phone

Former Mirror editor 'lies at heart of claims against Mirror, court told

Front page Mirror story about late Queens cousin was obtained illegally

Piers Morgan insists he will not take privacy lectures from Prince Harry

Mirror publisher apologises to Harry over private investigator

Piers Morgan says I wouldnt even know how to hack a phone

08:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Piers Morgan has claimed he did not know about phone-hacking taking place at the Mirror while he was editor of the newspaper.

It comes as allegations of unlawful information-gathering at the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) was brought by Prince Harry and other celebrities to the High Court this week, with the third day of the trial set to resume today.

Story continues

Speaking to the BBC before the trial began, Mr Morgan said: Ive never hacked a phone. Ive never told anybody to hack a phone.

The former editor added that phone hacking is completely wrong and was lazy journalists being lazy.

(PA Wire)

07:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Good morning. Prince Harrys hearing against the Mirror publishers is set to continue today at the High Court in London.

Stay tuned for updates.

Thursday 11 May 2023 22:00 , Sam Rkaina

While todays hearing has concluded, my colleagues will be back with further live updates tomorrow.

To read more of our articles on the trial, you can click here, or else simply keep scrolling to catch up on the days events, as we reported them.

More stories in Duke of Sussex claim

Thursday 11 May 2023 21:15 , Sam Rkaina

Other articles at the centre of Harrys claim include:

 A September 1996 Daily Mirror story with the headline Diana so sad on Harrys big day which the publisher said came from prior reports in the public domain.

 A Daily Mirror story from November 2000 about Harry breaking his thumb, which MGN said came from extensive prior reports in the public domain and had been disclosed to the press by the palace.

 A Sunday Mirror article entitled Rugger Off Harry, published in November 2001 about an injury he had is also in the dukes claim and is attributed to a confidential Eton source and not illegal methods by MGN.

 A March 2002 piece in the Daily Mirror about Harrys diagnosis with glandular fever, which MGN said it was likely that information was discreetly released by the palace in advance of a family trip to Switzerland.

Lawyers for the duke said that unlawful information gathering by MGN journalists was habitual and widespread amid a flood of illegality and that Harrys case is significant not just in terms of the span but also the range of activities.

David Sherborne, for Harry, said on Wednesday: We all remember the images of him walking behind his mothers coffin.

From that moment on, as a schoolboy and from his career in the army and as a young adult he was subjected, it was clear, to the most intrusive methods of obtaining his personal information.

Prince or not, the blatantly unlawful and illegal methods used by the defendants  was quite frankly appalling.

Harry took drugs story included in claim

Thursday 11 May 2023 20:37 , Sam Rkaina

Another article in the dukes claim was published in the Sunday Mirror in January 2002 under the headline Harry took drugs which alleged the duke had smoked cannabis.

MGN said the information came from a set of articles published in the now-defunct News Of The World, which were widely followed up.

Mr Green continued: The palace had confirmed the story to the News Of The World, after the Prince of Wales decided to co-operate with the title.

The barrister said that quotes from royal sources and family friends were, it is to be inferred, authorised by the palace  in an effort to manage the story.

He added: A senior member of the royal family does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in taking illegal drugs, particularly when he did so at a public house in combination with illegally drinking alcohol underage.

(AFP or Licensors)

MGN denies Harry details were sourced unlawfully

Thursday 11 May 2023 19:54 , Sam Rkaina

The subjects of the articles in the case include Harrys relationship with his family and ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, a few injuries and illnesses, his military service and allegations of drug use.

MGN repeatedly denied that details contained in various articles published during Harrys life was private information belonging to the duke.

It defended some of its reporting by alleging a public interest in stories or claimed published information was trivial in nature.

In the document put into the case by the publishers lawyers, the court heard that one of the articles in Harrys claim, published in the Sunday Mirror in February 2005, said that the duke had been made to do farm work by Charles  the then-Prince of Wales  after wearing a Nazi uniform at a party.

Andrew Green KC, for MGN, denied the details in the article had been sourced unlawfully or through phone hacking.

He said: The information complained of came from prior reports in the public domain. The other information in the article came from a confidential source.

Harry did not have an expectation of privacy over Nazi punishment story

Thursday 11 May 2023 19:09 , Sam Rkaina

The Duke of Sussex did not have an expectation of privacy over a report he was allegedly punished by the King for dressing up as a Nazi, The Mirrors publisher has told the High Court.

Several high-profile figures are bringing claims against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles The Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People.

Claims brought by four individuals, including the duke, are being heard in a seven-week trial as representative cases of the types of allegations facing the publisher  including voicemail interception, securing information through deception and hiring private investigators for unlawful activities.

The High Court in London previously heard the dukes case is that 148 articles published between 1996 and 2010 by MGN titles included information that was allegedly obtained through unlawful means, including phone hacking.

Mr Justice Fancourt previously ruled that 33 of the articles should be considered at the trial.

On the second day of the case on Thursday, details of each of the 33 articles and MGNs response to them were made public.

(Getty Images)

A timeline of Prince Harrys legal battles

Thursday 11 May 2023 18:34 , Andy Gregory

The legal battle with Mirror Group Newspapers is just one of several in which the Duke of Sussex has been involved in recent years.

In the below article, Jess Glass provides a timeline of the actions brought against the Splash News and Picture Agency, the Home Office, and the publishers of the Daily Mail, Sun and Daily Mirror:

Phone hacking and Home Office: What legal claims has Prince Harry been involved in?

Watch: Piers Morgan says he refuses to take lectures on privacy from Prince Harry

Thursday 11 May 2023 17:52 , Andy Gregory

Voices | Prince Harry is not going to settle

Thursday 11 May 2023 17:20 , Andy Gregory

Giving his take from the High Court yesterday, our columnist Tom Peck wrote:

Sherbornes opening speech could easily have been a casting meeting for Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! circa 2003.

What was happening at the tabloids back then is not seriously contested. Private investigators used the well-known and regularly unchanged default PINs of the big mobile phone companies to secretly listen to the voicemails of celebrities to get stories about them. It was so laughably easy it barely felt like a crime, but sadly it was. And it had terrible consequences.

Almost all of its victims have settled out of court, taken the money, and most of it from News International. But not all of them. Some have taken it all the way to court, in which the actual human consequences of what must have seemed like a bit of fun at the time were made clear. Paul Gascoigne, for example, has spoken of the deeply troubling impact of, say, arranging to go to a restaurant with a close family member, and then turning up to find photographers hanging around outside. The only way they can possibly have known, he thought, is through deliberate betrayal. It is not long before you stop trusting everyone, which is simply no way to live.

But Harry is not going to settle. He is not interested in any kind of out-of-court payment. He is going to go on to the end, in a fight that he believes, with some justification, is a kind of vengeance for his mothers death.

Harry vs Piers is the classic tale of the prince vs the troll | Tom Peck

Meghan Markle is cuckoo in royal nest and her woke hang-ups will destroy marriage, claims Labour grandee

Thursday 11 May 2023 16:47 , Andy Gregory

Away from the trial brought by Prince Harry, former Labour minister Chris Mullin has claimed that his wife Meghan Markle is a cuckoo in the royal nest and her woke Californian hang-ups are likely to destroy their marriage.

The claims are contained in Mullins latest memoir, Didnt You Use To Be Chris Mullin?, which is being serialised exclusively in The Independent:

Prince Andrews official trade missions were like rugby club tours

Barely any evidence for extraordinarily wide claims, Mirror publishers lawyer says

Thursday 11 May 2023 16:15 , Andy Gregory

The four claimants in the trial have made extraordinarily wide claims about phone hacking and unlawful information gathering, Mirror Group Newspapers lawyer Andrew Green KC told the court.

The claimants now seek to make sweeping allegations of unlawful information gathering against a vast number of third party suppliers, private investigators or otherwise, Mr Green said.

Despite the obvious seriousness of these allegations, and the range of third parties against whom they are made, the claimants have served barely any evidence to support them, or the other claims of unlawful information gathering made against third party suppliers.

The barrister added: In the vast majority of cases, the allegations are denied and no evidence supporting them has been served.

At the start of the case, an MGN spokesperson said: Where historical wrongdoing has taken place we have made admissions, take full responsibility and apologise unreservedly, but we will vigorously defend against allegations of wrongdoing where our journalists acted lawfully.

MGN board has vested interest in alleged activities not being publicised, court told

Thursday 11 May 2023 15:17 , Andy Gregory

The board of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) had a vested interest in the growing knowledge of alleged unlawful information-gathering not becoming public, the High Court has been told.

Laywer David Sherborne claimed such practices were authorised at the highest levels of the company, alleging that the knowledge of the board grew as the narrative progressed amid the growing body of knowledge about the widespread activity.

Mr Sherborne said it had to be borne in mind the ramifications for shareholders if this came out, adding: They have a very clear vested interest in this not becoming public and no-one being able to bring a claim.

Lawyers for the publisher say they have provided evidence from board members denying awareness of unlawful information-gathering activities.

Andrew Green KC, for MGN, said in written submissions the duke and others had made serious allegations of dishonesty with legal arguments that are far from adequate, adding: The claimants have not provided any direct evidence of a member of the board or legal department making a false or dishonest statement.

Piers Morgan lies at the heart of claims against Mirror publisher, court told

Thursday 11 May 2023 14:46 , Andy Gregory

Piers Morgan lies at the heart of claims against its publisher over alleged unlawful information-gathering, the High Court has been told.

In the second day of the trial, David Sherborne, representing the Duke of Sussex and other individuals bringing legal challenges against Mirror Group Newspapers, began detailing instances of such alleged activity.

What we have, we say, is the direct involvement of Mr Morgan in a number of these incidents, the lawyer said.

Mr Morgan lies right at the heart of this in a number of ways. He was a very hands-on editor, also very closely connected to the board.

Mr Morgan, who was the Mirrors editor between 1995 and 2004, has previously denied involvement in phone hacking. He told the BBC this week: I think phone hacking is completely wrong and shouldnt have been happening, and it was lazy journalists being lazy.

Story about late Queens cousin was obtained illegally, court told

Thursday 11 May 2023 14:13 , Andy Gregory

A front-page Daily Mirror article in 1999 which claimed Prince Michael of Kent was in 2.5m debt to a bank was obtained illegally, the High Court has been told.

At the time of the Prince Michael of Kent story, [the paper] was edited by Piers Morgan, said lawyer David Sherborne, adding that he was a very hands-on editor with a close connection to the board at Mirror Group Newspapers.

The story had been published with sufficient confidence in the face of a denial from Prince Michael himself, Mr Sherborne said, alleging that it had been obtained illegally using private investigators.

He continued that when Prince Michael raised a legal complaint against MGN, Mr Morgan said the allegation came from an impeccable source who has an intimate knowledge of the royals finances.

Mr Sherborne said: Mr Morgan, and the MGN lawyers he consulted before writing this letter, knew full well that the information had been obtained unlawfully and that the criminal law had in fact been breached, and the impeccable source they referred to was in fact (private investigator Jonathan) Rees.

MGN later settled Prince Michaels claim, agreeing to publish an apology and pay his legal costs, Mr Sherborne said. Mr Morgan has previously denied involvement in phone hacking.

'Inconceivable' that Piers Morgan did not know about alleged activities

Thursday 11 May 2023 13:45 , Andy Gregory

In the second day of the trial, barrister David Sherborne alleged that it is inconceivable that Piers Morgan and several other editors at Mirror Group Newspapers were unaware of certain activities alleged by the claimants.

Even people you would expect to be ensuring honesty ... [were] themselves so bound up in this wrongdoing, he told the High Court. Its no wonder it was so widespread ... it is no wonder it was so successfully covered up by the PLC.

We say the case goes higher than just the journalists, Mr Sherborne added. The condoning of these activities meant these journalists were able to continue them at this widespread level ... At all levels, the defendants organisation was concealing unlawful activity because it was well aware of how damaging it was.

In written submissions, Mr Sherborne continued: It is inconceivable that this information, which was readily available on MGNs system, was not known by the editors, Piers Morgan, Tina Weaver and Mark Thomas, the managing editors, and the legal department ... and the board.

Despite that, neither the legal department nor the board took any action to prevent the continued use of such techniques by MGN journalists.

False insinuations by publisher led to physical abuse in street, claims ex-Coronation Street actor

Thursday 11 May 2023 13:19 , Andy Gregory

One of the four claimants, former Coronation Street actor Nikki Sanderson says she experienced abuse in the street following false insinuations in articles published by Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the High Court was told yesterday.

In court documents, her lawyers claim she experienced unusual telephone and media-related activity which was consistent with the unauthorised accessing of her voicemails and other unlawful information gathering, with private information appearing in newspapers with no legitimate explanation as to how.

Mr Sherborne, the actresss barrister, said she said it was scary feeling like she was always being watched, and upsetting that MGNs conduct caused the lines between her public and private life to blur, making her believe that she was public property.

The impact of the stories on Nikki Sanderson was aggravated by their false insinuations that she was promiscuous, causing her great upset and giving rise to her being subjected to mental and physical abuse, having people shout at her in the street calling her a wh***, sl** or sl** and even being physically assaulted on numerous occasions, Mr Sherborne said.

It gave rise to her feeling in a constant state of paranoia, distrusting everyone around her.

In its trial defence, the publisher says Ms Sandersons claim is brought too late, but unreservedly apologises over four payments made to private investigators which it admits are evidence of instructions to unlawfully obtain her private information.

The publisher also claims that evidence does not suggest Ms Sandersons phone was successfully hacked.

ICYMI: What happened on the first day of the trial?

Thursday 11 May 2023 12:36 , Andy Gregory

For those just joining us on the blog, here is a quick recap of yesterdays opening to the trial:

Barrister David Sherborne, acting on behalf of Prince Harry and three other celebrities, said that the case featured unlawful activities on an industrial scale carried out across three newspapers over a period of about 20 years or so.

He added: It was a flood of illegality. But worse still, this flood was being authorised and approved of by senior executives.

The court was also told that Coronation Street actor Michael Turner, who plays Kevin Webster in the soap, was accused by fellow cast members of being a tabloid mole amid alleged phone hacking by journalists.

And the Duke of Sussex is said to have feared for the safety of his former partner Chelsy Davy as a result of press intrusion, which he blamed for the breakdown of their relationship.

Unlawful information gathering was authorised at highest levels of publisher, lawyer claims

Thursday 11 May 2023 11:19 , Andy Gregory

As the second day of the trial gets under way, the High Court has been told that unlawful information-gathering activities were authorised at the highest levels within Mirror Group Newspapers.

David Sherborne, barrister for Prince Harry and others bringing claims against the publisher, said one of the most seriously troubling features of their cases was the allegation that those responsible for management and finances of the company were well aware of what was going on.

In written arguments, Mr Sherborne claimed the systemic and widespread use of PIs by MGN journalists to unlawfully obtain private information was authorised at senior levels, including desk heads, editors, managing editors and senior executives.

Prince Harrys lawyer arrives at High Court

Thursday 11 May 2023 10:53 , Andy Gregory

Lawyer David Sherborne, who is representing those accusing the Mirror publisher of unlawful information gathering, has been pictured arriving at the High Court this morning.

David Sherborne is representing Prince Harry and others at the Rolls Buildings in central London (Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)

Which celebrities does the trial concern?

Thursday 11 May 2023 10:47 , Andy Gregory

While the judge has selected four test cases to go to trial in order to set the potential threshold for damages the publisher will pay if it loses, there are a number of other celebrities with possible stakes in the outcome.

Alongside Prince Harry, the other people selected for trial are former Coronation Street actors Nikki Sanderson and Michael Turner, and comedian Paul Whitehouses ex-wife Fiona Wightman.

If they are succcessful, the court will then consider cases from former Girls Aloud member Cheryl, the estate of the late singer George Michael, ex-footballer and presenter Ian Wright and actor Ricky Tomlinson.

Lawyers opening speech could have been casting meeting for Im A Celebrity'

Thursday 11 May 2023 10:19 , Andy Gregory

Our sketch writer Tom Peck has more on yesterdays opening day, and the celebrities involved in the trial:

At day one of his case against the Daily Mail, Prince Harry made a surprise appearance in court with Elton John  but not today.

No stubbled ginger jawline, no glowering eyes poked out from the back row of benches. There was precious little to distract attention from the clipped vowels of lawyer David Sherborne as he set off, yet again, for a rapid gallop around the dysfunctional tabloid world of the late Nineties and early 2000s, all of which has been extensively covered before.

Actually, thats not quite true. The rest of team various was out in force. Michael Turner, better known as Michael Le Vell, better known as Kevin Webster, the mechanic from Coronation Street sat dutifully behind Mr Sherborne. So did Nikki Sanderson, also of Corrie fame, and Ingrid Tarrant, of Chris Tarrants ex-wife fame.

Sherbornes opening speech could easily have been a casting meeting for Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! circa 2003. For most of the day, hardly a sentence was uttered that did not feature some vaguely famous person or other. Mark Bosnich got a mention several times, as did Sarah Harding.

A timeline of Prince Harrys legal battles

Thursday 11 May 2023 10:05 , Andy Gregory

The legal battle with Mirror Group Newspapers is just one of several in which the Duke of Sussex has been involved in recent years.

In the below article, Jess Glass provides a timeline of the actions brought against the Splash News and Picture Agency, the Home Office, and the publishers of the Daily Mail, Sun and Daily Mirror:

Phone hacking and Home Office: What legal claims has Prince Harry been involved in?

Prince Harry blames Mirror group for Chelsy Davy breakup

Thursday 11 May 2023 09:51 , Andy Gregory

Prince Harry has blamed the allegedly unlawful information gathering activities carried out at the Mirror group for his break-up with Chelsy Davy, the High Court heard yesterday.

Harrys solicitor David Sherbone told the court that illicit press intrusion caused great challenges in his relationship with Davy, who he dated on-and-off from 2004 until 2009, before she ultimately decided that a royal life was not for her as a result of this alleged harassment.

In court documents, Sherbone told the high court Harry became immediately suspicious of anyone named in stories about him and felt he couldnt trust anybody.

It also caused great challenges in his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy and made him fear for his and her safety, the solicitor added.

My colleague Maanya Sachdeva has the full report:

Prince Harry blames Mirror group for Chelsy Davy breakup

Opinion | Harry vs Piers is the classic tale of the prince vs the troll

Thursday 11 May 2023 09:34 , Andy Gregory

Our sketch writer Tom Peck has given his initial take on the trial from the benches of the High Court:

It says Various v Mirror Group Newspapers above the door of court 15 of the Rolls Building, but what will go on over the next seven weeks will be going by a catchier moniker: Harry vs Piers. The prince and the troll.

Both men were ghosts at what will be another feast for the lawyers when it began on Wednesday morning down at the High Court. One of them, Prince Harry, will certainly turn up eventually. Hes scheduled to testify three weeks from now; the first time a senior royal has done so in any significant way in modern times.

Morgan may not make it at all. He has no formal reason to, but as Prince Harrys barrister went through the painful case against Mirror Group Newspapers it was not hard to visualise how its erstwhile editor might be looking had he made it down: just imagine a slightly wobblier-jowled version of the gnashing teeth emoji.

Harry vs Piers is the classic tale of the prince vs the troll | Tom Peck

Coronation Street actor says colleagues believed he was tabloid mole

Thursday 11 May 2023 09:20 , Andy Gregory

Coronation Street star Michael Turner was accused by fellow cast members of being a mole amid alleged phone hacking by journalists, the High Court was told.

Lawyers for the actor, who has appeared in the role of Kevin Webster since 1983, said that between 1991 and 2011 he was of considerable interest to MGN due to his career and his 2011 arrest for suspected rape, for which he was later found not guilty.

Mr Turner was also an actors informal union rep, which meant he was privy to private information about his Coronation Street co-stars, his legal team said in a court document.

The actor claims it is likely voicemail messages he left on an associates phone were unlawfully accessed and listened to by MGN journalists.

His barrister, David Sherborne, said Mr Turner had set out the enormous and long-lasting impact of these alleged activities explaining that Coronation Street cast members accused him of being a mole due to his position as union rep, which he was absolutely devastated by.

He also became extremely paranoid and blamed people close to him for stories which were public, even abandoning his local pub as a result, the lawyer said. He is shocked and horrified by MGNs targeting of him for over 15 years. Tom Pilgrim has the full report:

Actor accused of being mole by Coronation Street cast, hacking trial told

Mirror publisher apologises unreservedly to Prince Harry over private investigator

Thursday 11 May 2023 09:14 , Andy Gregory

The publisher of the Daily Mirror apologised unreservedly to Prince Harry for an instance of unlawful information-gathering, at the start of the trial into alleged phone-hacking at its titles, my colleague Joe Middleton reports.

In a written submission, it was alleged that Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) had spent millions on private investigators to keep track of celebrities, and that the company had targeted Harrys parents, the then Prince and Princess of Wales.

MGN said in a written submission that it unreservedly apologises to the duke for one instance of unlawful information-gathering and accepted that he was entitled to appropriate compensation.

Andrew Green KC, representing MGN, said a private investigator was instructed by an MGN journalist at the Sunday People to unlawfully gather information about the princes activities at the Chinawhite nightclub in February 2004.

Aside from this instance, MGN is contesting the claims, saying that voicemail interception was denied in the trial cases, including Harrys, and arguing that some of the claims have been brought too late.

Mirror publisher apologises to Prince Harry at the start of phone-hacking trial

Piers Morgan hits back at Prince Harry over privacy allegations

Thursday 11 May 2023 09:11 , Andy Gregory

Piers Morgan said he was not going to take lectures on privacy invasion from Prince Harry, as he was intercepted by ITV journalists on the first day of the trial brought against his former employer over alleged unlawful information gathering.

Asked whether he would take the publishers lead in apologising to the Duke of Sussex, Morgan  who edited The Mirror between 1995 and 2004  said: All I am going to say is I am not going to take lectures on privacy invasion from Prince Harry, somebody who has spent the last three years ruthlessly and cynically invading the royal familys privacy for vast commercial gain and told a pack of lies about them.

So I suggest he gets out of court and apologises to his family for the disgraceful invasion of privacy that hes been purporting.

Piers Morgan says he has never told anybody to hack a phone'

Thursday 11 May 2023 09:01 , Andy Gregory

Piers Morgan insisted he has never told anybody to hack a phone as he described the unlawful practice completely wrong.

The broadcaster, who was editor of the Daily Mirror between 1995 and 2004, told BBC Twos Amol Rajan Interviews: I think phone hacking is completely wrong and shouldnt have been happening and it was lazy journalists being lazy.

He added: Theres no evidence I knew anything about any of this I never told anybody to hack a phone.

Asked about being seen as a hands-on editor, Morgan said: I didnt [know about hacking]. So I dont care whether it stretches peoples credulity or not.

Piers Morgan: Ive never told anybody to hack a phone

What happened on the first day of the trial?

Thursday 11 May 2023 08:56 , Andy Gregory

Unlawful information gathering by journalists employed by the Daily Mirrors publisher was habitual and widespread amid a flood of illegality, the High Court heard on the first day of the privacy trial.

As well as Prince Harry, Coronation Street actors Nikki Sanderson and Michael Turner, known professionally as Michael Le Vell, and comedian Paul Whitehouses ex-wife Fiona Wightman are expected to give evidence during the seven-week trial.

Claims brought by four individuals are being heard in a trial as representative cases of the types of allegations facing the publisher  including voicemail interception, securing information through deception and hiring private investigators for unlawful activities.

MGN  publisher of titles including The Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People  is contesting the cases and has said there is no evidence, or no sufficient evidence, of voicemail interception in any of these four claims.

At the start of the trial on Wednesday, barrister David Sherborne, for the four people in the trial, said that the case featured unlawful activities on an industrial scale carried out across three newspapers over a period of about 20 years or so.

Mr Sherborne told a hearing in London: It was a flood of illegality. But worse still, this flood was being authorised and approved of by senior executives.

Thursday 11 May 2023 08:50 , Andy Gregory

Good morning and thanks for joining us on the blog, where well be publishing live updates on the second day of the privacy trial brought by Prince Harry and a host of others against Mirror Group Newspapers.
Jason Knauf is photographed at the Earthshot Prize Awards in 2021, left, and Meghan Markle is photographed in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2019. Alberto Pezzali/Pool via REUTERS, Toby Melville via REUTERS

Prince William honored his former aide Jason Knauf for services to the royal family on Wednesday.

Knauf previously worked for William and Kate's charity and for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

In 2021, it was reported that Knauf accused Meghan of bullying palace staff members in 2018.

The Prince of Wales has awarded a prestigious honor to the royal aide who once accused the Duchess of Sussex of bullying.

Jason Knauf  the former CEO of Prince William and Kate Middleton's charitable foundation  was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order at an investiture ceremony on Wednesday at Windsor Castle.

Knauf was included in King Charles' first New Year Honours list in December 2022, as People reported at the time. But William was the one to award the royal aide with the honor, presenting him with a medal at Wednesday's ceremony, as photos published by The Mirror show.

Jason Knauf is pictured at Lord's Cricket Ground on October 7, 2016, in London, England. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images

The Royal Victorian Order was created by Queen Victoria in 1896 and is granted by the reigning monarch to award individuals for service to the royal family, according to the website for the Cabinet Office, a department of the UK Government.

Knauf was CEO of the Prince and Princess of Wales' Royal Foundation from 2019 until January 2022, Insider previously reported. Before that, he was a communications secretary for William and Kate, Prince Harry, and also for Meghan Markle when she joined the family in 2018.

Knauf's rift with Meghan became public shortly before the Sussexes' interview with Oprah Winfrey aired in March 2021.

Days before the interview aired, Buckingham Palace announced it would investigate claims that Meghan bullied some members of staff after The Times of London reported that Knauf had filed a complaint about Meghan to the palace's HR department in October 2018.

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex denied the claims at the time, calling it a "calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful information" in a statement issued to The Times.

Story continues

"The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma," the spokesperson said at the time. "She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good."

In June 2022, the palace said it would not publish the findings of the investigation into the bullying allegations to protect the privacy of everyone involved.

Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle in September 2022. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Additionally, Knauf was involved with Meghan's lawsuit against Associated Newspapers. In 2020, the duchess sued the company over the misuse of private information, infringement of copyright, and breach of the Data Protection Act 2008 after the Mail on Sunday  which is part of the Associated Newspapers group  published excerpts of a private letter that she wrote to her estranged father Thomas Markle in 2018.

Knauf's witness statement included a text from Meghan which stated she knew the letter could be leaked and asked him for advice regarding its contents, as shown in screenshots of a text exchange between Meghan and Knauf that were made public as part of the court battle, published by the Mail Online. Associated Newspapers used the texts as evidence to support its argument that Meghan expected the letter to be made public, as Insider previously reported.

In January 2022, Meghan won the lawsuit and was awarded 1 from the Mail on Sunday.

William has never publicly commented on the bullying claims against Meghan or Knauf's involvement with the Associated Newspapers lawsuit. However, Harry wrote in his memoir, "Spare," that his brother had a negative opinion of Meghan, as he referred to her as "difficult," "rude," and "abrasive" during an argument between the brothers in 2019.

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the Prince of Wales, and Buckingham Palace did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
As the Prince and Princess of Wales celebrate a new monarchy after King Charles IIIs coronation, "The Crown" highlights the beginning of Will and Kate's romance.

In the sixth and final season of Netflixs dramatized royal series, the show enters a new decade.

Sparks began to fly once Prince William started his academic career at a University in St. Andrews, the same year Kate Middleton arrived on campus.

In one photo, Ed McVey, who portrays Prince William, is seen walking hand in hand with his future princess, Kate Middleton, played by Meg Bellamy.

NETFLIX'S 'THE CROWN' SEASON 5 TEASES PHOTOS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH, PRINCESS DIANA AND ROYAL FAMILY

"The Crown" highlights the blooming romance between William and Kate in season 6.

Prince William and Kate Middleton married in 2011 and have three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

In "The Crowns" first-look photos, Bellamy is seen in what appears to be a university classroom.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton inside what appears to be a university classroom on "The Crown."

McVeys character has an uncanny resemblance to Prince William, and hes pictured on a sofa wearing a large suit jacket over a blue collared shirt, a tie and khaki pants.

Ed McVey as Prince William in "The Crown."

The pair were able to enjoy some of the "real-life locations that their characters frequented twenty years ago, including the famous Northpoint Cafe, where Kate and Prince William met," according to a press release.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

The two actors were even photographed outside the cafe in St. Andrews while filming. McVey, 23, and Bellamy, 19, were all smiles as they stood in front of a storefront with a sign that said "Where Kate met Wills (for coffee)."

"The Crown" is McVeys professional screen debut, while Bellamy was cast as the Princess of Wales after submitting an audition tape for a casting call on social media.

Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy were photographed outside a cafe in St. Andrews while filming "The Crown."

While McVeys character was determined to lead a "normal" life outside of being a royal, he formed a relationship with Bellamys character, the series description detailed.

The hit series is a fictional dramatization of the late Queen Elizabeth IIs story and how political and personal events unfolded during her reign.

Story continues

The final season of "The Crown" will be released on Netflix later this year.

JUDI DENCH DEFENDS ROYAL FAMILY, ACCUSES NETFLIXS THE CROWN OF CRUDE SENSATIONALISM

The Prince and Princess of Wales at King Charles III's coronation.

The first-look photos come after millions gathered worldwide to witness His Majesty King Charles III officially crowned the king of England last weekend.

The Prince of Wales became heir to the British throne upon the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September.

William and Kate continue to play a central role as the youthful face of the monarchys future.

The couple married in 2011. They are parents to three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
A photo-illustration showing a person in uniform with an allied universal security badge

Credit - David ZalubowskiAP; Getty Images

This story is the third of three in Insecure, a series about the private security industry. Read part 1: Private Security Guards Are Replacing Police Across America.And part 2: In the World of Private Security, There Arent Many Rules or Regulations

As housing costs spiked during the pandemic, San Diegos homelessness problem became a crisis, and Christopher Russell was overwhelmed. As a security guard employed by Allied Universal at the behest of the owners of a shopping plaza in a scruffy neighborhood of San Diego, Russells duties were to ask the homeless people sleeping outside of the stores and parking garage to leave. They didnt have anywhere to go, and some would move politely, but others had mental health or drug abuse issues and would spit on him or scream at him, he says. His job duties included calling authorities for backup, but he says the calls were such low priority that police sometimes wouldnt come for hours.

It gets violent over here, says Russell, 36. You really have to watch your back. A police officer was recently shot in the face across the street. Russell says he tried to create a union of Allied workers but turnover was so high that it was hard to find anyone sticking along long enough to sign a union card. Hes worked for Allied twice, but says he quit the first time because the company failed to pay him for weeks on end. (Allied did not reply to a request for comment on this specific allegation.) Allied workers at his San Diego site make $19 an hour, not much higher than San Diegos $16.30 minimum wage.

Allied Universal is Americas biggest company youve never heard of. With 800,000 employees globally and 300,000 in the U.S., it is the third-largest private employer in North America, after Walmart and Amazon. Most Americans interact with Allied employees dailyat airports, on public transit, in supermarkets, pharmacies and gas stations. Yet Allied has not faced the scrutiny that Walmart or Amazon have in recent years, perhaps because it doesnt sell goods and services to consumers. This lack of public visibility has enabled the company to deploy underpaid and under trained guards in cities across America, where they put themselves and the general public at risk; Allied guards have allegedly killed civilians in the last year, some have also been killed themselves, including Christian LaCour, an Allied security guard killed at the mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets in Texas on May 6, and Aaron Salter Jr., the Allied security guard killed at the mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket in May 2022.

Story continues

More from TIME

In a statement responding to LaCours death, Steve Jones, global chairman and CEO of Allied Universal, said that in the last few months, Allieds guards have administered life-saving medical aid, extinguished fires, foiled human trafficking, prevented suicides and removed firearms from public spaces. Jones criticized negative media stories about security guards that he said failed to report on guards heroic actions, and said he was putting out a call to reexamine how society views and portrays the millions of men and women who work every day to make the world safer.

Flowers, candles and mementoes are left in honor of Aaron Salter Jr., the security guard who was shot and killed trying to stop a gunman at the Tops supermarket, at a makeshift memorial outside the store in Buffalo on May 18, 2022. Scott OlsonGetty Images

What he left out is that for many current and former employees, Allied itself is responsible for many of the negative experiences in the security industry. TIME interviewed 11 people across four states who currently work for Allied or who have worked for the company in the last two years. Their complaints include that theyre put in dangerous situations without essential equipment or training, and that Allied keeps winning contracts but lacks the staff to fulfill them. Many complain that Allied has miscalculated how much it owes them and missed paychecks. (A federal class action lawsuit filed in 2022 alleges that Allied pays employees based on scheduled hours rather than actual hours worked. Allied has disputed these claims in court; in April, Allied agreed to enter into mediation with its 27,000 Illinois security guards.)

Theyre worried about how many contracts they get, not about hiring good, quality people, says one Allied guard, who works on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania and who did not want his name used for fear of jeopardizing his job. Though he works in an area with a lot of crime, and has been pushed around by civilians, he says he has not received de-escalation training or self defense training. His division is frequently short-staffed and provided with faulty equipment like broken radios. Its a broken system and people arent being trained properly, he says.

Allied said, in a statement provided to TIME, that it has established procedures and protocols to serve and protect, including training on enhanced situational awareness, de-escalation techniques, respect for cultural diversity and customer service, but did not specifically comment on the guards claim.

Read more: In the World of Private Security, There Arent Many Rules or Regulations

TIME also reviewed 30 civil lawsuits filed since 2020 in which Allied is a defendant, and which allege that the company repeatedly failed civilians. They include a complaint from Eduardo Fernandez, a 76-year-old man who says he was robbed and beaten by a fellow passenger while traveling on Miamis Metromover train in September 2020, suffering skull fractures and brain hemorrhaging. An Allied guard who entered the train seconds before the attack did not intervene, Fernandez argues. Recent court documents show that the Allied guard was Reinaldo Palenzuela III, who resigned from the Florida Dept. of Corrections in 2019 after being formally charged with one count of battery on a detainee. The lawsuit alleges that Allied failed to hire, retain, and train its security personnel; Fernandez argues that two Allied executives said during court proceedings that Palenzuela was unqualified to be placed on the transit contract. The case is set to go on trial in August.

In another lawsuit filed in New York in December, Julie Trowers, an Allied employee, alleged that a male employee pulled out his penis and started masturbating as she trained him on a patrol route on the campus of New York University. The male employee allegedly boasted to Trowers that he had not been required to take a drug test, submit his fingerprint, or consent to a criminal background check before he was hired; he also said he was not required to undergo sexual harassment training, according to her complaint. The lawsuit, which was settled in April without any finding of liability, alleged that had Allied screened the male employee, it never would have hired him, and that the company is similarly careless with respect to the licensing status and potential criminal backgrounds of many of the guards it hires.

Allied said, in a statement, that all security professionals must pass a rigorous pre-hire background screening process and training courses that frequently exceed government and industry standards.

How Allied lags in training and supervising workers

Allied is so big in part because it buys up smaller security companiesit has acquired at least 15 firms since 2021, including G4S, a British company that had been the worlds largest security company and that repeatedly came under scrutiny, including for having employed Omar Mateen, who killed 49 people at an Orlando nightclub in 2016. Allieds acquisitions of one-time public companies like G4S have made it difficult to determine what is going on behind the scenes: since the company is privately held, outsiders and analysts have little insight into its financials or business practices. The industry is becoming more opaque than it has ever been before, says Michael Fields, an analyst at Morningstar who covered the security industry until recently, changing his role in part because there are so few remaining public security companies.

The complaints about Allied are important to assess as the security industry continues to grow, supplementing publicly-funded police departments that are accountable to the public. Allied is the biggest security firm in the world, which allows it to save money on back office operations, offer low rates, and attract more clients. But the companys size and rapid growth, experts say, may be contributing to the problems that are glaring issues with the security industry writ large. Global security revenues are forecast to increase 4.4% each year to 2026, when they will reach $295 billion, according to a report from the Freedonia Group. When you have that kind of growth, says Rick McCann, the founder of Private Officer International, an association for security officers that tracks trends in the industry, the quality goes down and not up.

Read more: Private Security Guards Are Replacing Police Across America

The best security companies have a strong record of training employees and supervising them on the job. Those that dont open themselves up to liability issues and lawsuits, says Joseph Jaksa, a professor of criminal justice at Saginaw Valley State University.

Cearrah Peterson noticed a problem with supervision at Allied right away. She started working for Allied at an Atlanta hospital in 2020 and says that she received almost no training for a job that was very physical; it included disarming people with guns and keeping mentally ill patients in their rooms. She was injured twice in those initial months, once when she was trying to keep a patient in his room but he overpowered her, and once when she was told to remove a man from the hospital who was holding a nurse in a room against her will. She heard nothing from Allied or from her supervisors at the timeshe says she later found out that the team supervising the hospital workers had all quit.

We were getting hurt on the job, nobody was backing us up, and wed call the police and they wouldnt come, says Peterson, who worked for Allied in both Maryland and Georgia. It was just so poorly managed. Peterson eventually got promoted to operations manager, responsible for supervising 200 security guards, and says there was no way to do the job without working around the clockalthough the company was still only paying for 40 hours a week of work. She quit the job after being denied a leave of absence to take care of her mental and physical health, she says.

Although the contract between G4S (which was acquired by Allied in April 2021) and the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice required two officers to be on duty for each shifta male and a femaleto ensure that male officers could intake male patients and female officers could intake females at a Palm Beach juvenile detention center, a G4S supervisor in July of 2021 allegedly allowed a night shift to be staffed by a single male worker, who then sexually assaulted a teen, according to a motion for summary judgment filed by the the teen in January. The G4S supervisor also said, in a deposition, that he knew the worker did not have the background in law enforcement or year experience working with delinquent youth required of security guards at the detention center, but still allowed him to work a shift, which became a problem when the other male scheduled to work never showed up. In the deposition, the supervisor admitted that in the last few months of the contract, which ended in August 2021, there were multiple times where G4S was not able to provide the proper staff to fill each shift, and that he himself had skipped the shifts where he was supposed to show up at the detention center in person. The case was settled in February.

Job seekers fill out an application at a drive up job fair for Allied Universal in in Gardena, Calif. on May 6, 2020. Chris CarlsonAP

Other Allied employees say that supervisors encourage employees to cut corners to get all the necessary work done. They have you so overloaded, theres no way to check all the sites youre supposed to be checking, says Jason Barnhouse, who worked for Allied in Palm Desert, Calif. and who says managers told him to ignore stop lights and exceed speed limits to check all the sites he was supposed to visit on patrol.

In the runup to a California music festival that Allied was supposed to staff, Barnhouse says that his branch could not find enough workers. We said, Nobody wants to work for us at the wages youre offering, he saysaround $16 an hour at the time. Instead, he alleges, an Allied manager said she would find people off the street to work the festival, even though doing so would violate California regulations as people working as security are required to have completed training. Barnhouse does not know whether the manager carried through with that plan.

Its not unusual for people employed by another company to work on Allied contracts. In August 2021, Gregory Livingston, a white security guard, shot and killed Alvin Motley Jr., a black man, at a Kroger gas station in Memphis, Tenn., after an altercation over loud music. Although Kroger had contracted with Allied Universal for security services, Allied had hired a third-party security firm to staff the role. The guard had never qualified for certification as a security guard in Tennessee, according to reporting by The Tennessean. Kroger severed its relationship with Allied after the incident. Livingstons trial is set for October; his lawyer says he was acting in self defense.

The Walgreens security guard who allegedly shot and killed Banko Brown, a 24-year-old trans man, at a San Francisco store in April, was also employed by an Allied subcontractor, according to reporting from The San Francisco Standard; the San Francisco D.A. declined to press charges against the guard, saying he believed he was in mortal danger and acted in self defense.

Allied says all subcontractors are required to adhere to Allied Universal standards and client requirements. It also said, in a statement, that it does not tolerate aggressive or inappropriate behavior of any kind by our employees. The companys use of force policy and ongoing awareness campaigns train employees on de-escalation, the company said; these procedures are reinforced through initial training and constant re-training. The company also said that it investigates the causes of all incidents and takes action to limit the possibility that similar situations will reoccur. Management acts promptly to ensure issues are resolved, our standards are upheld and employees are terminated, if warranted under our zero tolerance policy, the company said.

Of course, the services that Allied can offer are largely determined by what their clients agree to pay. Allied may charge a client a certain amount per hour for security services; it then takes a cut of the agreed-upon rate and uses the rest to pay its employees and cover other administrative expenses. But many clients have not significantly increased their rates in a tight labor market, which leaves Allied little wiggle room to spend more on recruiting or training. With fewer police officers across the country, businesses are left to hire out of their own pockets, a proposition that can cut into their bottom line.

This whole security industry is all based on what the client is willing to pay, says McCann, of Private Officer International.

An Allied executive, Charlie Bohnenberger, went before Charlottes City Council in April to plead for wage increases for security staff contracted to patrol the regional transit system. In order to address the police staffing shortages, we need wage adjustments, he said, as the city weighed whether to replace Allied. Allied has presented a 13-page report to Charlotte showing that it would need to pay $31.60 an hour to retain and recruit guards, he said; the company was offering $25 an hour at the time. Allied lost the Charlotte contract.

The challenge of replacing private security

Allied has taken hits for its struggle to recruit and retain enough quality security guards. The Denver Post reported in 2022 that Allied could not fill 83 of the 290 jobs it was contracted to staff on the regional transit system, which meant that Denver fined Allied millions of dollars for not being able to execute its end of the deal. In Costa Mesa, Calif., Allied ran jail services until a year ago when the city terminated the contract because mass resignation of employees meant that only two trained jailers were left working at the facility, which has 32 beds.

And in Santa Monica, Calif., a property owner, John Alle, spent a year trying to convince the city to replace Allied with another company. The parking lots of downtown Santa Monica have been the scene of a murder, an attempted carjacking, and numerous drug deals since 2020, and Alle says the contract with Allied is partly to blame. Theyre unarmed, theyre scared, and theyre young, says Alle, about the Allied guards he has encountered. If they see vagrants or drugs or guns, theyll stay away for their own safety. In December, Santa Monica agreed to replace Allied with another firm. The city says that it has been short on officers for several years but that it is making strides in hiring police.

Those guards who can find work outside of Allied are doing so. Christopher Russell, who patrolled the San Diego shopping plaza, applied for a job at another security company, and after multiple rounds of interviews, got a job there making double what he had made at Allied.

Allied said, in a statement, that its high recruiting and safety standards had led to an industry leading customer retention rate, and that the average tenure of its top clients is more than 10 years. It protects more than 400 of the FORTUNE 500 companies.

Security guards and police at Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, NJ, following a reports of a large fight in the mall, on March 11, 2023. Kyle MazzaNurPhoto/Reuters

The companys sheer size is one reason that industry experts dont think Alliedor the larger private security industryis going to disappear anytime soon. Theres been so much consolidation in the industry that there arent many choices for cities or businesses who want to hire private security. In Charlotte, one of the firms chosen to replace Allied on the security contract said that Allied has subcontracted them to provide security services on a New York transit system. Its a revolving door, theres only so many companies serving that area, says McCann. Eventually theyre going to come back to you.

Indeed, in Santa Monica, John Alle says that the new firm hired by the city in December is not a whole lot better than Allied. Crime is getting worse, he says, with police responding to more crimes, including stabbings, carjackings, and overdoses. Hes still advocating for more money to be spent on police, rather than on private security.

But similar efforts around the country to return to police have not been successful. Charlottes Mayor Pro Tem Braxton Winston tried to convince Charlotte to stop using private security to patrol its transit systeminstead, he said, he thought more money should be spent on police. The city had been getting many complaints and bad reviews from constituents who said that the Allied guards did not have experience dealing with unhoused people or those going through a mental crisis, he says, and district attorneys complained that guards would send arrest reports or citations that were not usable.

In April, the city ultimately decided to replace Allied with two firms. One firm will supply unarmed guards on the transit system, and the other will provide armed guards. Though Winston had advocated for more money for the local police so that they could expand into transit, he didnt convince his colleagues. Instead, they decided to double the amount they were spendingfrom $7 million to $14 millionand hire even more private security.
El Paso, Texas  A new Biden administration policy will require migrant families seeking asylum to undergo home curfews and GPS tracking while officials determine whether they should be allowed to stay in the country or be deported, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Wednesday.

The program, known as the Family Expedited Removal Management process, will require some migrant adults who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border unlawfully with minor children to wear GPS ankle monitors and to comply with a curfew. The initiative will apply to migrant families who claim fear of returning to their home countries after being placed in a fast-track deportation process known as expedited removal.

Officials said the policy is designed to allow ICE to monitor migrant families and to locate them if asylum officers find that they are not eligible for U.S. protection, without having to hold them in detention centers, a controversial practice the Biden administration has declined to revive.

Immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. await processing by Border Patrol after crossing into Arizona from Mexico on May 10, 2023, in Yuma, Arizona. / Credit: Getty Images

If families fail their interviews with U.S. asylum officers, ICE would move to deport them within 30 days of their placement in expedited removal proceedings, officials said Wednesday. Those deported under expedited removal receive a five-year banishment and could face criminal prosecution if they attempt to re-enter the U.S.

"Families should not listen to the lies of smugglers," top ICE official Corey Price said in a statement. "Like single adults, noncitizens traveling with their children who do not have a lawful basis to remain in the United States will be quickly removed and barred from reentry for at least five years."

Initially, the initiative announced Wednesday will apply to migrant families who are heading to areas close to Baltimore, Chicago, Newark and Washington, an ICE official told CBS News.

The program is part of a larger Biden administration effort to deter migrants from crossing into the U.S. illegally as pandemic-era restrictions on migration, known as Title 42, are discontinued this week.

Story continues

While the Biden administration's strategy to deter illegal crossings includes a significant expansion of opportunities for migrants to enter the country with legal permission, including through a phone app, it is also expected to heavily rely on increased deportations and a sweeping restriction on asylum.

The restriction, published on Wednesday, will disqualify migrants who entered the country without permission from asylum if they did not first ask for protection in a third country, like Mexico, on their way to the U.S. southern border. The policy, which resembles a Trump-era rule, is expected to be challenged in court by migrant advocates.

Migrants subjected to the regulation will face deportation and banishment from the U.S. under the expedited removal process, unless they pass interviews with U.S. asylum officers, who have been instructed to use a higher, more-difficult threshold when reviewing these cases.

Officials are planning to keep adult asylum-seekers in Border Patrol facilities while asylum officers determine virtually whether they should be deported under the regulation, or allowed to request asylum in front of a judge.

But the administration can't do the same for families with children because of legal limits on the detention of minors, Democrats' widespread rejection of family detention and insufficient bed space at the two Texas detention facilities that previously held parents and children in ICE custody.

The curfew and monitoring program announced on Wednesday is, in many ways, an effort to deter migrant families from crossing the southern border unlawfully without reinstating family detention, which the Biden administration phased out in 2021.

Administration officials earlier this year weighed the possibility of detaining migrant families but the proposal was shelved amid strong opposition from some Biden appointees, Democratic lawmakers and advocates, who cited studies showing the psychological trauma detention can inflict on children.

Yannick Nezet-Seguin | Sunday on 60 Minutes

The Church's Firm | Sunday on 60 Minutes

New U.S. economic data signals easing inflation
Progressives are hoping to rack up another big-city win in Philadelphias mayoral primary after scoring a major upset in Chicago earlier this year.

Big national figures on the left, like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), have thrown their weight behind Helen Gym, a former member of the Philadelphia City Council, in the close and crowded primary.

Whoever wins Tuesdays contest is likely to succeed in Novembers general election, making the primary another important test of progressive firepower in Americas metropolitan centers.

They dont want politics as usual, one Philadelphia-based education advocate working to elect Gym said about residents in the city. They want somebody who will be there at the rallies, at the organizing events, on the picket lines, in the community meetings.

Helens there, they added.

A striking number of prominent Democrats have lined up behind Gym, who would join the ranks of some hard-fought and unexpected left-wing winners this year. Last month, progressives shocked the establishment after Brandon Johnson, a liberal seen by many moderates as fairly radical, won Chicagos mayoral race.

Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are hosting a rally for Gym, a former public school teacher, on Saturday in a final push of whats turning out to be a close, multicandidate race where megadonor spending and quality-of-life issues are taking focus. Although the big names are expected to draw national attention to one of the poorest major cities in the country, Gym so far has focused more sharply on local issues, balancing the excitement a Sanders-style rally brings with the priorities of residents struggling at home.

This campaign has always been about bringing people together to reshape political systems so that they meet peoples needs  from quality public education and affordable housing to workers rights and real community safety, said Gym, 55, in a statement after the event was announced. This rally is all about joy, possibility, and people power.

Story continues

For teachers and labor and community advocates, her victory would be a major moment. If Gym emerges as the nominee, some allies believe it would signal the party can move in a more progressive direction confidently and that her platform resonates.

This will be a huge, huge victory, and obviously having a progressive mayor like Helen would be very, very transformative, the education activist said. I think its emblematic of the ongoing organizing effort and the ongoing rhetoric that has shifted.

Polls have suggested the race will be a nail-biter in the final stretch. The liberal think tank Data for Progress, which has accurately depicted progressive momentum in other down-ballot races, placed Gym in contention for first place alongside Rebecca Rhynhart, the former city controller, with each earning 21 percent of support among the selection of serious candidates. Cherelle L. Parker, who represented the ninth district in the City Council, came in third with 19 percent support in the survey taken late last month.

Another poll from the nonpartisan group Committee of Seventy suggests an even closer match: a margin-of-error tie among the top five contenders.

Progressives have reliably run and won seats on similar agendas to what Gym is promoting for Philadelphia. This year, education has taken center stage, and Gym is calling for a Green New Deal for Schools  part of a 10-year proposal to make the current system fairer, safer, and more modern for young people to succeed.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who chairs the Progressive Caucus and is also supporting Gym, has been joined by other lawmakers who came from less traditional backgrounds to beat out their competition, including fellow educator Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.).

When you see somebody who approaches legislation from an organizing perspective, it makes it so much more powerful, said the education activist, who has known Gym from her earlier ascent to the City Council. You see how that has impacted people by her ground game. People are coming out  volunteering after working all day or spending their Saturdays knocking on doors because they see what she does.

The cycle leading up to 2024, which many consider a true test of Democratic sticking power, has also magnified how many primaries have become close contests. As the party looks to solidify its place in the White House and Senate  and gain back control of the House  smaller local races have been a test of the lefts standing.

One critique moderates like to levy on progressives is that they arent appealing enough to win in general elections. But voters in many races have proven those naysayers wrong, choosing the most liberal option among a variety of Democrats.

That trend has only amplified in recent months, as voters chose liberals Karen Bass in Los Angeles, Michelle Wu in Boston and Johnson in Chicago, to lead their respective cities even as crime, education and other divisive issues remain prevalent.

Just like we saw in Chicago, this contest in Philadelphia will come down to big money versus grassroots organizing, said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, which is putting its mobilization muscle of 40,000 members in the city behind Gym.

The wins also have shown progressives are a big force behind the Democratic Partys expanding diversity, ultimately sending more candidates of color to higher office and helping shift the once-prevailing narrative the left is mostly white and male. That trend shifted notably in the House and has continued in cities across the country.

Gyms crime-reduction platform, specifically, is unique in its simplicity. She wants to move law enforcement officials into what she describes as community foot patrols and intends to use increased tech tools to make forensics sharper and more reliable. Shes also expressed a desire to address the slower-than-ideal police response times for residents who call 911, and, like many Democrats across the ideological spectrum, plans to work to minimize the number of unregistered and illegal firearms in the rotation.

Despite her support from top-tier Democrats, one voice is notably absent: President Biden, a Pennsylvania native. Biden has weighed into only a handful of primaries and has occasionally bet on the wrong horse. While his endorsement would likely carry weight in his home state, its also not necessarily expected. Gym has run to the left of Biden on some issues, and progressives say her ability to pull together different grassroots coalitions is what makes her a powerful choice.

What we know is that progressives messaging on issues from public safety to education to good jobs and housing has resonated with the Democratic base in key cities, from Chicago to St. Louis, Geevarghese said. We are confident that this message, championed by Helen Gym, will resonate with Philadelphians on election day.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The United Kingdom has confirmed that all the promised Challenger 2 tanks are now on the territory of Ukraine.

Source: Ben Wallace, Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom, during a session of the British Parliament, answering a question from an MP

Quote: "I know that all our tanks have gone into the country... they are all in the country, they have trained, exercised, both here [in Britain  ed.] and in Ukraine, and I know that the Ukrainian troops using them so far have enjoyed them very much," he said.

Background:

On 17 March, Ukraines Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated that he had the honour, together with Ukrainian paratroopers, to try out the newest addition to Ukrainian armed units: Challenger tanks from the UK, Stryker and Cougars from the US, and Marders from Germany.

Reznikov highly praised the UK tanks, calling them "military art".

On the same day, a group of Ukrainian soldiers returned to Ukraine after completing training in the UK on Challenger 2 tanks.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
British Empire soldiers and royalty Illustrated/Getty Images

The British monarchy is entering a new era with the coronation of King Charles III. The king has pledged to be a transformational head of state, helping to bring the institution into the 21st century. A noted increase in diversity within the coronation ceremony itself, as well as Charles' commitment to climate change issues, may be indicative of where the crown is heading.

However, the royal family has long been at the center of criticism regarding the modern role of the monarchy. Protesters demonstrated across the U.K. in the leadup to the king's coronation. One of the most contentious issues remains the desire by some to see reparations given to former British colonies.

The U.K. has seen renewed calls for backpay to people whose ancestors were subjugated to the horrific realities of the British Empire. This includes a push for reparations to Caribbean and African nations, many of which were colonized, enslaved, and plundered. India and Pakistan have also sought $45 trillion in restitution from the U.K. However, the British government has often been passive in committing to this backpay, and some Britons don't feel they should pay for the actions of their ancestors.

Pro: It's morally correct

Reparations are not only about money, but "about the 'mass murder, the human suffering, the annihilation of spiritual, intellectual, and creative forces, which are without parallel in the history of mankind,'" Afua Hirsch writes for The Guardian, borrowing a parallel from Jewish reparatory justice claims.

Providing these reparations could help offset decades of wrongdoing, Hirsch adds, especially because "unceasingly since the 18th century, Black people have stated the case [for reparations] in petitions, correspondences, pamphlets, public speeches, slave narratives, and judicial claims."

Con: Reparations punish the wrong people

Even while seeking forgiveness, it must be recognized that "the past is past and that we must guard against some of the modern equivalents of imperial exploitation that are still amongst us," John McKenzie opines for BBC News, adding, "Economic growth and improvements in health and social life must come from aid, support, fair and free trade."

Story continues

McKenzie also argues that in countries such as India, British companies "have indulged in a form of reparations" by using "'outsourcing' of such functions as 'call centers' which, together with its remarkable response to the opportunities of the latest digital technologies, has ensured that the balance has shifted in India's favor."

Pro: It would go a long way toward racial justice

British colonialism "resulted in an intergenerational legacy of trauma and inequities in key social indicators such as high incarceration rates and endemic poverty in affected Indigenous communities," Ali MC writes for Al Jazeera.

As a result, the heads of many former colonies have called for reparations to help balance racial hierarchies. A letter to Charles from 12 Commonwealth nations asks him to "commit to starting discussions about reparations for the oppression of our peoples, plundering of our resources, denigration of our culture and to redistribute the wealth that underpins the Crown back to the peoples from whom it was stolen." The U.K. should begin "a process to right the wrongs of the past and to continue the process of decolonization," the letter adds.

Con: Colonialism was in the past

While acknowledging atrocities is one thing, "we have become too trusting of activists who demand that we always accept the worst possible interpretation of our history," David Abulafia writes for The Telegraph. Any apology offered by former colonizers "should be on the basis of historical fact rather than supposition  especially when there are calls for financial compensation as well."

Even as European nations played the largest part in the slave trade, "the role of African rulers in capturing and selling the slaves cannot be ignored," Abulafia says. He adds that "paying out large checks will not alter the past," as important as it is to teach future generations about history's atrocities.

Pro: The U.K. and its former colonies could move on

Much of Great Britain still sees the colonial era as civilized, Luke Moffett, a researcher at Queen's University, tells PBS. As a result, "There's no real ownership of responsibility. So there is recognition that what happened in the past was bad, but we're not responsible now." Providing reparations would "[separate] the monarchy or British government from the past," Moffett adds.

Reparations "could change the destiny of the descendants of slavery in the Caribbean," Kenneth Mohammad writes for The Guardian. Financial aid could help prop up many poorer nations by bringing "real, impactful development initiatives in infrastructure, education, health and transportation."

Con: The process would be convoluted

One problem is that "it's not entirely clear to ordinary people in the Caribbean, what a demand for reparations would mean for them materially," David Scott, an anthropology professor at Columbia University, tells PBS.

Even British authorities have opined on this problem. Asif Ahmad, a former U.K. diplomat, tells Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner, "The reason why [reparations] will not prosper is because who do we pay it to? The people who were harmed directly are no longer here." Ahmad adds that a better solution would be to help countries like Jamaica through direct investments instead.

You may also like

MTV News shutting down after 36 years

Sen. Dianne Feinstein returns to D.C. after extended absence, Democratic tensions

Trump's loss to E. Jean Carroll was likely aided by these 2 blunders in his taped deposition
PROVIDENCE  In 2021, Rhode Island became the first state in the nation to authorize centers for people to consume illegal drugs under supervision, and now lessons learned in the Ocean State could help pave the way for similar harm-reduction efforts elsewhere.

Researchers from the Brown University School of Public Health are teaming up with their counterparts from NYU Langone Health to study the efficacy and community impacts of the first overdose-prevention centers in the United States through a four-year, $5.8-million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, an arm of the National Institutes of Health.

The grant will enable researchers to examine the countrys first sanctioned so-called harm-reduction centers, or safe-consumption sites, two of which opened in 2021 in New York City with another to debut early next year in Providence through a partnership between Project Weber/RENEW and CODAC Behavioral Healthcare.

Its critical for us to understand how the centers are impacting users and the effect on the community, said Brandon D.L. Marshall, a professor of epidemiology and founding director of the People, Place and Health Collective at Browns School of Public Health. We are excited to get started and work closely with people in New York City.

More: Safe-injection site program extension wins General Assembly approval, advocates hope to open in 2024

Study will look at people in Rhode Island and New York

The study is set to launch June 1, but Marshall said the groundwork will be laid in the coming days through a small pilot study that will vet survey questions and help focus the researchers approach.

The study will encompass 500 people in Rhode Island and 500 in New York, Marshall said. Half the participants are expected to use the overdose-prevention centers and half will not, allowing a comparison of health, housing and criminal justice outcomes, as well as impacts on the neighboring community.

It will look very deeply into how health care patterns might change, Marshall said.

Story continues

The work will touch on everything from the centers influence on overdose numbers, to emergency runs and rescue calls, to access to housing, arrest rates, and neighborhood litter and public drug use.

We want to understand what are the operational costs  and what are the potential benefits to the community, Marshall said.

It will study, too, how people are using the space to help inform best practices, said Dr. Alexandra Collins, a co-investigator on the project.

The researchers emphasized the studys significance in applying for the grant in that it will evaluate the public health, public safety, and community benefits  and potential unintended effects.

Marshall is committed, he said, to publishing the results, no matter what the findings.

Prison suicides: Three men have died by suicide at ACI in recent months. Why advocates are pushing to end solitary confinement.

Providence center to open next year, link to social services, health care

Rhode Island will have the benefit of applying lessons learned in New York City to the center set to open in early 2024 on Huntington Avenue in Providence, advocates said.

It is planned as a space for people to consume drugs they own under the oversight of trained staff who can intervene in the event of an overdose and help guide them toward social services and substance-use treatment. The center will also act as an access point for case-management services, HIV and hepatitis C testing, housing support, peer recovery coaching and other health care services.

Fentanyl test strips are available at some needle exchange sites as a harm-reduction method. They can detect the synthetic opioid in drugs.

Essentials will be on hand, such as food, water and hygiene products and fentanyl test strips, naloxone, and other supplies aimed at increasing safe consumption.

The Providence center will be funded through $2.6 million in opioid settlement funds distributed to Project Weber/RENEW and its clinical partner, CODAC, by the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

This is a historic and humane step forward in the fight against the epidemic of overdose deaths, Project Weber/RENEW Executive Director Colleen Daley Ndoye said in a news release. With more than 100,000 people dying in this country every year  and hundreds in Rhode Island alone  it is time for us to take action to keep more people from dying. No one can make the decision to ask for support and help, let alone decide to enter treatment or recovery if they are dead.

Since the New York sites opened in 2021, more than 3,200 people have used the services, with staff intervening in 898 overdoses  with no deaths, according to a story in the Washington Post.

Outreach to city leaders

There is no set opening date, but organizers are hoping for March 2024, according to Mikel Wadewitz, of Project Weber/RENEW.

Representatives of Project Weber/RENEW and CODAC have begun briefing the City Council on plans, Parker Gavigan, spokesman for the council, said.

Im told the process will take some more time. A full council vote for approval could come before the summer recess [in August], Gavigan said.

Municipal approval is required under the law approving centers in a pilot program that now extends through March 2026.

Two-hundred overdose prevention centers worldwide

The researchers noted that there are 200-plus overdose prevention centers in 14 countries, with some studies showing they lead to overdose reversals, decreases in emergency room visits, increased access to addiction treatment and other positive public impacts.

The need for data looking at how the centers function in America, which relies on privatized health insurance, could help to shape social policies and policing practices.

Marshall noted that while centers have typically operated in larger cities such as Vancouver, New York and Paris, the Providence centers experience will inform centers in the many similarly sized urban centers.

In 2021, more than 106,000 Americans died from drug overdoses. Rhode Island saw a record 435 opioid overdose deaths that year and 376 in 2022, a number likely to increase as statistics are finalized.

The grant signals the federal governments move toward harm reduction, a strategy geared toward keeping people alive in order to connect them with addiction treatment, mental-health services and medical care.

Critics say the sites could encourage drug use and negatively impact the surrounding neighborhoods.

National focus on harm-reduction

The White Houses drug control policy has focused on expanding access to prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services while reducing the supply of illicit substances. The Justice Department has indicated an openness to safe injection sites.

We at Project Weber/RENEW are excited about this innovative approach to RI's overdose crisis," Project Weber/RENEWs Daley Ndoye said. "We look forward to working with the research team at Brown who will study the impacts this center and our services will have, and to be a model for how other overdose prevention centers can be opened nationwide."

This study will be a part of the NIH Harm Reduction Research Network, established last year to assess harm reduction methods.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Safe injection site in Providence will be studied using $5.8M grant
A new way to enjoy a beach day on Lake Norman will break ground in Denver on the west side of the lake.

The new beach is going in at the end of Unity Church Road in Lincoln County, and itll be about an acre of land. Itll have a place to swim out on the lake, and a fishing pier.

But some locals say a spot like that in this quiet neighborhood could bring big crowds and big problems.

SEE MORE: Lake Norman ranked among most beautiful lakes in the country

Bry Jackson comes to Beattys Ford Park every day to write while under the sun and surrounded by nature.

I dont feel like there is any pressure from the outside world attacking, Jackson told Channel 9s Ken Lemon.

But that could change, she fears, when Duke Energy builds a beach at Beattys Ford Park with concessions, additional parking, and new amenities.

Us locals, we wouldnt like it here. It takes away from us being able to experience nature, Jackson said.

She and several residents fear that kind of attraction means big crowds, which wont fit on the rural two-lane road leading to the park.

One parkgoer told Lemon that he thinks the beach would bring: More people, more trash, more traffic, and everything that comes with it.

RELATED: Luxury home on Lake Norman fetches $5.6M after dramatic renovation

But folks at West Lake Family Restaurant see it a little differently. The spot is about five minutes away from the park, but most people have to pass by their front door to get to the park.

More money in our pocket and more money in his pocket, said head server Audrey Dalton while standing with the owner, talking about the potential impact. Theres no beach around here.

Jackson says she likes it that way.

We dont know how long itll take to build the new beach, but we are told it may not open until next year. Specialists have redrawn the plans, and the beach is going through the permitting process again.

(WATCH: Oak Island, Myrtle Beach among deadliest beaches in the nation, study finds)
Charlotte residents will have the chance to weigh in on a proposed rate hike from Duke Energy at a public hearing hosted by the N.C. Utilities Commission next month.

The proposal includes annual increases in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Beginning next year, an average Duke Energy customer would see their monthly bills increase from $115.01 to $127.55. In 2025, that amount would go up to $131.45.

The rate hike would generate an additional $833 million in revenue, according to Duke Energy.

Hearings across the state slated for this summer come months after nearly 500,000 Duke Energy lost power during rolling blackouts on Christmas Eve 2022, when the company implemented power outages during one of the coldest weekends in recent years, The Charlotte Observer reported.

At the hearing in Charlotte, scheduled for June 22 at 7 p.m. at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse, members of the public can testify about the rate increase by filling out the electronic Remote Public Witness Registration form on the NCUC website.

There will also be a virtual hearing held on Webex on July 26. Only the first 20 individuals who register by July 19 at 5 p.m. will be able to speak during the hearing.

How to prepare your Charlotte home for summer heat

According to safeelectricity.org, summer can generate some of the highest electricity bills of the year due to the high demand for air conditioning. Here are some tips to make your home more energy efficient during the warmer months:

Update your insulation to keep cool air in and hot air out of your home.

Use a programmable thermostat and leave it at a higher temperature when youre not home.

Install awnings over windows exposed to direct sunlight.

Install ceiling fans.

Avoid unnecessary trips in and out of your house since heat and humidity come in each time you open the door.

Close your blinds during the hottest part of the day to keep the sun out.

Use an air conditioner with an Energy Star label.

RELATED: Where and how to get help paying your Charlotte utility bills this summer
A student walkout in Texas  organized by activist group Students Demand Action  is planned for May 11 at noon to demand lawmaker action on gun violence.

Students at Paschal High School are expected to participate in the walkout despite discouragement from the Fort Worth Independent School District.

Students, we are aware of a possible peaceful protest and walkout against gun violence at Paschal High School May 12, Fort Worth ISD officials said in a social media post, citing a different day from the Students Demand Action date. While we support your right to peacefully express your views and opinions, we do not encourage you to participate in a walkout. Please remember there are District protocols in place to ensure your safety, and we appreciate your cooperation.

A 17-year-old student from Paschal High School, Zechariah Trevino, died on Jan. 20 after he was shot outside of a Whataburger near the school. Trevinos cousin, who was also a student at Paschal High, was also shot and was in critical condition due to the incident.

Are students allowed to walk out of school in protest?

The U.S. Constitution gives all Americans the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and the right to peaceably assemble, including students.

In the 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines, students sued their Iowa school after their principal suspended students for wearing black armbands at school in protest of the Vietnam War.

The Supreme Courts 7-2 decision said that neither students nor teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.

The ruling said school officials could not prohibit free speech only on the suspicion that it might disrupt the learning environment.

Can schools discipline students for a walkout?

Yes, school officials can discipline students for a walkout.

While students have the right to protest, if it causes substantial disruption to school operations students could face disciplinary consequences, according to the Texas Association of School Boards.

School officials cannot discipline students more harshly because of the message behind the protest, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Students do not have a First Amendment right to disrupt school operations by scheduling a walkout, the TASB said. A student who is absent from class due to a walkout may be treated the same as any other student who is absent from class. Schools should look to their attendance and truancy policies when determining consequences for students who miss class due to walkouts.
The military parade of 2023 turned out to be the most miserable in its history for the Russian Federation

For the past two decades, Vladimir Putin has used Victory Day to showcase modern Russias resurgence as a military superpower, with dozens of the very latest tanks typically taking part in each annual parade. This year, however, the only tank on display was a T-34 model dating back to World War II.

Read also: Two veterans sitting next to Putin at May 9 parade were not WWII fighters  media reports

Inevitably, the embarrassing absence of tanks at this years Victory Day parade has been widely interpreted as further evidence of Russias catastrophic losses in Ukraine. Social media was soon buzzing with posts poking fun at the Kremlin. Modern Russian military equipment can be found much more easily at Ukrainian military trophy exhibitions than at the Victory Parade in Moscow, noted the Ukrainian Defense Ministrys official Twitter account. Others were less subtle. There was one tank at the parade in Moscow! We laugh all over Ukraine, posted Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko. There are farmers in Ukraine with more tanks than that, quipped another Twitter user.

Tuesdays one-tank parade was the latest in a series of blows that had already cast a shadow over preparations for this years Victory Day celebrations. In the month preceding the holiday, more than twenty cities across Russia canceled plans to hold military parades. While security concerns were officially cited, these cancellations fueled speculation that Russia simply doesnt have enough military equipment available to stage regional parades, with the vast majority of tanks and other vehicles having already been sent to Ukraine.

Indeed, in modern Russia the term Nazi has lost all meaning and has come to indicate anyone viewed as anti-Putin.

The complete cancellation of this years Immortal Regiment marches was an even bigger blow. This mass participation event, which sees members of the public marching through Russian towns and cities while displaying portraits of family members who served in the Red Army during World War II, has become an integral part of Russias Victory Day rituals over the past decade and has been endorsed by Putin himself. Nevertheless, the Kremlin decided to ban marches this year amid fears that family members of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine may seek to participate. With Russian officials still in denial over the disastrous consequences of the Ukraine invasion, the last thing the Kremlin wanted was for thousands of grieving relatives to gather in public and draw attention to the scale of the tragedy.

Story continues

The negative optics surrounding this years Victory Day celebrations are personally damaging for Vladimir Putin, who has been instrumental in placing the holiday at the very heart of modern Russias national identity. It is often assumed that Victory Day has always dominated the Russian calendar, but this is simply not true. In fact, during the 46-year period between the end of World War II and the fall of the USSR, the Soviet authorities held just three Victory Day military parades. Other holidays such as May Day and the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution were considered far more significant.

Read also: Moscow parade showcases lowest number of soldiers in 15 years, one ancient tank, and no fly-past

It was not until Putin came to power at the turn of the millennium that Victory Day began to assume its current position as Russias most important public holiday. Over the past two decades, Putin has transformed Victory Day into the centerpiece of a pseudo-religious victory cult complete with its own sacred symbols, feast days, saints, and dogmas. The hysteria surrounding the holiday has come to be known as Pobedobesie or victory mania, with anyone who dares question the Kremlins highly sanitized version of World War II likely to be treated with the kind of severity once reserved for medieval heretics.

The veneration of Russias role in the defeat of Nazi Germany has proven extremely politically profitable for Putin. It has helped him rebuild Russian national pride following the humiliation of the 1990s, and has paved the way for a return to authoritarianism in todays Russia by rehabilitating Stalin and minimizing the crimes of the Soviet era. Putin has also revived the lexicon of World War II as a convenient way to attack his enemies, with domestic and foreign opponents routinely branded as fascists. Indeed, in modern Russia the term Nazi has lost all meaning and has come to indicate anyone viewed as anti-Putin.

This toxic trend is most immediately apparent in relation to Ukraine. Kremlin leaders have spent years demonizing Ukrainians as Nazis, despite the complete absence of any actual far-right politicians in the Ukrainian government. Predictably, when Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he declared the de-Nazification of the country to be his chief war aim. The Russian dictator returned to this theme again during Tuesdays Victory Day address, directly comparing his unprovoked attack on Ukraine to the struggle against Nazi Germany.

Read also: Putin invited foreign leaders to Moscow parade to deter drone attacks

Putins endless appeals to the memory World War II are clearly designed to mobilize the Russian public in support of the current war, but they cannot completely disguise the grim realities of his rapidly unraveling Ukraine invasion. What was initially envisaged as three-day campaign to overthrow the Ukrainian government and seize control of the country has become the bloodiest European conflict since the days of Hitler and Stalin. Over the past fifteen months, Russian military losses have been so heavy that senior US intelligence officials are now openly questioning whether Putins army still retains the capacity to sustain even modest offensive operations. With a major Ukrainian counteroffensive expected to begin in the coming weeks, there is little cause for optimism in Moscow.

It is in some ways poetic that developments surrounding this years Victory Day holiday have brought Russian audiences closer to the unpalatable truth. From the cancellation of regional parades and public marches to the lack of tanks on Red Square, it is now becoming painfully obvious to the average Russian that things are not going according to plan in Ukraine. An event conceived as a propaganda spectacle to project the strength of the Putin regime has instead served to underline Russias growing weakness. Putin is often accused of living in the past, but this is one Victory Day he will wish to forget.

This story was originally published by the Atlantic Council. NV is republishing it with permission.



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
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) slammed Donald Trump for a response to a question about Ukraine during a much-derided CNN town hall event on Wednesday night.

The former president claimed  as he has in the past  that he has a plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in 24 hours.

As before, he didnt elaborate. But Christie said he knows how Trump would do it: by caving to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Christie tweeted:

Donald Trump says he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours tonight on CNN. Despite how ridiculous that is to say, I suspect he would try to do it by turning Ukraine over to Putin and Russia. #PutinsPuppet  Chris Christie (@GovChristie) May 11, 2023

Christie also tweeted:

Donald Trump refused to say tonight that he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia. More proof that he continues to be Putins puppet.  Chris Christie (@GovChristie) May 11, 2023

Trump last year praised Putins strategy as genius after Russia invaded Ukraine, although he later called it a mistake.

He has long expressed admiration for the Russian strongman, boasted about how well they got along, and even appealed to Moscow for help during his 2016 campaign with his infamous Russia, if youre listening comment. Trump actually sided with Putin when questioned about the U.S. intelligence conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help him win.

None of that kept Christie from being a loyal Trump insider. He was one of the first prominent Republicans to endorse Trump in 2016, and was in Trumps inner circle throughout his presidency.

Christie developed a COVID-19 infection while helping Trump prepare for the debates in 2020, then spent a week in the intensive care unit.

He has since been more critical of Trump, and said he may run against him for the Republican nomination in next years presidential election.
A 14-year-old will face first-degree assault and domestic violence charges after a 16-year-old was shot in the head Wednesday morning.

Puyallup police responded to a shooting incident at 5:33 a.m. Wednesday at the Robbins Hollow Townhomes on 23rd Avenue Southeast, according to a news release. They discovered a 16-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the head. Central Pierce Fire transported the boy to a local medical facility. His injuries are severe, but he is expected to survive.

Officials said the two teen boys live together but are not related. Investigators believe they were alone in a bedroom when the shooting happened.

Puyallup polices Investigative Services Unit located the 14-year-old at a friends apartment in unincorporated Pierce County on South Hill, Capt. Ryan Portmann said. The unit is now working to determine a motive for the assault.

Authorities have not located the weapon, Portmann said.
Netflixs recent Bridgerton spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story has seemingly created a plot hole for the original series.

Released on the streaming service earlier this month, Queen Charlotte is set decades before the hit period drama, and follows the exploits of the titular monarch in her youth, played by India Amarteifio.

However, as noted by Cosmopolitan, some of the plot developments in the series appear to contradict what we know about the show that inspired it.

In Bridgerton, the events of the series are narrated by the enigmatic Lady Whistledown, the author of a salacious gossip column.

During the second season, it is revealed that Lady Whistledown is in fact Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).

However, Queen Charlotte is also narrated by Lady Whistledown. Given that the events of the series transpired years before Penelope was born, it begs the question as to how, and why, she would be narrating the incidents.

India Amarteifio in Queen Charlotte' (LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX)

Julie Andrews voices Lady Whistledown in both the original Bridgerton series and Queen Charlotte.

Queen Charlotte was well received by critics, including The Independents Nicole Vassell, who wrote in a four-star review: With classical renditions of pop hits aplenty and no shortage of steamy bedroom romps, Queen Charlotte delivers everything a Bridgerton fan could want, with touches of social commentary that feel refreshing, rather than preachy.

If this series is an indicator, the Bridgerton-verse will continue to top the Netflix ratings  and for good reason.

The series is available to stream now on Netflix.
Heather Brooke Armstrong, the pioneering mommy blogger who gained popularity with her website Dooce, has died aged 47.

Her boyfriend, Pete Ashdown, confirmed to The Associated Press that she died by suicide Tuesday night but no cause of death was revealed. He said she was sober for 18 months but had recently relapsed.

A post on her Instagram account appeared to confirm her passing on 9 May. Heather Brooke Hamilton aka Heather B Armstrong aka dooce aka love of my life. July 19, 1975 - May 9, 2023, the caption read. It takes an ocean not to break. Hold your loved ones close and love everyone else.

Armstrong  who lived in Salt Lake City, Utah  rose to internet fame in the early 2000s with her popular blog, Dooce.com. The mother of two was soon hailed as the queen of mommy bloggers for writing candidly about parenthood and her struggles with alcoholism and depression.

She founded her blog in 2001, after being fired from her job as a web designer and graphic artist for writing about her company and co-workers. Armstrong, who was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, soon amassed a cult following for her witty and unapologetic depiction of depression and why she left the Mormon church.

By 2009, Dooce.com had reached 8.5 million monthly readers. In 2011, she made between $30,000 to $50,000 per month from web advertisements, according to a New York Times profile on Armstrong titled, Queen of Mommy Bloggers.

That same year, she became the only blogger on Forbes list of the Most Influential Women in Media at number 26. She went on to author many books, including Dear Daughter and It Sucked and then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown and a Much Needed Margarita.

Despite her growing fame, Armstrong remained open about her struggles with mental health and her relationship. In 2012, she and her husband Jon Armstrong announced they were divorcing. The couple share two children: Leta Elise, born 2004, and Marlo Iris, born 2009.

Story continues

In a 2019 interview withVox, Armstrong detailed the lengths she went in order to treat her depression. She had enrolled herself in a clinical trial at the University of Utahs Neuropsychiatric Institute, where she was put in a chemically induced coma for 15 minutes at a time for 10 sessions. The experience was the subject of her 2019 book, titled, The Valedictorian of Being Dead: The True Story of Dying Ten Times to Live.

She was also open about her battle with sobriety. Her final blog entry, dated 6 April 2023, read: On October 8th, 2021 I celebrated six months of sobriety by myself on the floor next to my bed feeling as if I were a wounded animal who wanted to be left alone to die.

There was no one in my life who could possibly comprehend how symbolic a victory it was for me, albeit it one fraught with tears and sobbing so violent that at one point I thought my body would split in two. The grief submerged me in tidal waves of pain. For a few hours I found it hard to breathe.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
Influencer and author Rachel Cargle

Rachel Cargle is preparing to release her debut book, 'A Renaissance of Our Own' Credit - Lelanie Foster

The moment Rachel Cargle opens her Brooklyn apartment door, I see the signs of relaxed living. There is the time to greet me slowly on a Monday morning. Theres the letter board displaying not an overcrowded schedule or a grocery list but the affirming words This Too Is the Living. There is the sunshine streaming in from a balcony where salad greens hang from a pocket plant wall. And theres the soft, brandy-colored leather couch where we sit and talk over steaming cups of dark-roast coffee, served Jamaican style with thick condensed milk. Jamaica ranks among her happiest places.

Cargle, 34, is a Black woman leading a modern, multihyphenate life, improbably filled with an abundance of easeanother of her favorite phrases. Her career as an influencer, speaker, and writer began about six years ago with the Instagram account @rachel.cargle; her posts on grief, self-care, liberation, and the conduct of nice white feminists have earned her 1.6 million followers. And she has over 1 million more following side accounts like @richauntiesupreme, which celebrates the life choices of women without children, and those for her businesses: a bookstore and writing center in Akron, Ohio; an online self-paced learning platform; and a foundation bringing mental-health support to Black women and girls.

Cargle, CEO of the Loveland Group (her collection of for-profit businesses), built her brand on her commitment to racial justice. But what makes her approachand her lifeparticularly remarkable is her insistence that joy and pleasure are as essential as equity and justice in the making of a better world. Racism causes our bodies to be weathered, she says. The repair of that requires being able to sit squarely in your values: you can find more peace when you are spending your time and energy doing the things you want to do, no matter how extraneous they may seem to anyone else.

Story continues

More from TIME

Read More: I Wont Let Racism Rob My Black Child of Joy

Her debut book, A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir & Manifesto on Reimagining, out May 16, is a collection of lessons and questions to prompt the readers own life redesign. The book and the worldview it illuminates are open to all, Cargle tells me, but it was written first and foremost for Black women. Because silencing, shaming, correcting, ignoring, downplaying, degrading, overburdening, and still demanding more from Black women remains the norm.

Cargle grew up the youngest in an Ohio family. Her father, a man who never provided steady financial support but showered Cargle with love, died of kidney failure when she was 11. Her mother, whom Cargle describes as industrious and creative, had been disabled by polio as a child. She was fixed on two things: religious salvation and survival. It was she who moved the family to subsidized housing in a nearly all-white, affluent area, hoping to provide Cargle and her two sisters with different opportunities.

Cargle shares original collage work with her social media followers. Courtesy of Rachel Cargle

As a teen, Cargle took note of the stoicism her mother cultivated. In the new book, she describes it as a response to difficult circumstances, the impracticality of falling apart. Were often in deep survival mode, Black women, she says. Softness was never offered as a tool.

Cargle was a star student and, with her mother, a co-parent to her nieces, nephews, and one cousin. (An aunt spent time in jail, and she writes that her sisters became victims of addiction whose lives collapsed in dysfunction and pain.) Cargle was so convinced that caretaking, crisis, and welfare dependency were her future, she did not initially plan for college. At school she plastered on a smile. At home she contemplated jobs that would accommodate parenting but not render her ineligible for affordable housing. She shudders to admit how little she understood then about how race and income can shape ones options. Looking back on it now, I see that I was reaching for whatever good fruit I could find to pick off the blighted little tree I felt I had been assigned in life, she writes.

With a cousins help, Cargle applied to the University of Toledo. But in 2009, before earning a degree, Cargle left school and followed the fellow student shed married to his Ohio hometown, then into a U.S. Air Force guard unit. Outside her monthly service obligation, she worked at her mother-in-laws daycare, then became a stay-at-home wife who hosted Bible studies. She tried to convince herself the security that a religious, military Black man and his orderly family presented would be enough. It wasnt. After couples counseling with a Christian emphasis, she asked for a divorce in 2012. She also untethered herself from the idea that church was the only path to goodness.

These decisions began by simply imagining what else might be possible. Sometimes I sit on a step and I rest there a while, she says. Sometimes I skip a few steps and sometimes I go back. You cant do that when you are on this escalator of expectations from society, religion, family.

By the time Donald Trump was inaugurated in 2017, Cargle had spent a few years living in Washington, D.C., and New York. She was dating, exploring her sexuality, and embracing polyamory. She was thinking and reading about gender and feminism. She was savoring the chance to watch Scandal while eating a burrito on the couch, alone. Shed bought into the ideal of the girl bosswomen who seemed always in possession of copious glitter, Cargle writes in A Renaissance, and to conflate business success (or aspiring to it) with gains for all women.

Cargle's book examines the inflection points in her life.

As thousands converged on Washington and other cities for the Womens March, a photo emerged of Cargle and her friend Dana Suchow, who is white, each raising a fist in protest. People online compared the picture to the iconic 1971 image of white feminist Gloria Steinem and Black childcare activist Dorothy Pitman Hughes, who together spoke about the importance of support for both the womens and Black liberation movements. When the 2017 image reached @Afropunk, an Instagram account with mostly Black followers, the response was quite different. How, many commenters wondered, could Cargle find communion in that crowd of overwhelmingly white women, when nearly half of white women47%had voted for Trump?

Read More: Why Are Black Women and Girls Still an Afterthought in Our Outrage Over Police Violence?

Her answer: she still isnt sure. She hadnt learned much in school about Ida B. Wells, Mary Church Terrell, Anna Julia Cooper, or other Black women activistspeople also hardly mentioned in the feminist texts shed read as an adult. Only now was she learning white feminism had a track record of sidelining everyone else. So she educated herself, taking her evolving thoughts to social media. Her honesty about her need to learn and her obligation to bring accountability to her feminist work boosted her profile. Her following grew exponentially, also becoming far more diverse. What she was writing on social media led to speaking engagements where she was frank about the work that white feminism needs to do on itself and how her loyalties lie with those who have been most excluded and oppressed. That mission lead her, eventually, to create the Loveland Foundation.

The foundation began with an idea Cargle had in 2018 while briefly continuing college at Columbia University. There, she had access to affordable individual therapy for the first time. It helped her heal, and she wanted to improve access for others. To celebrate her birthday in 2018, she launched a GoFundMe and within months raised over $250,000.

Now an official nonprofit, the Loveland Foundation offers training to therapists of color as well as free mental-health careit provided 6,202 Black women and girls with 74,424 hours of free therapy last year. Cargle hopes in the future to offer financial support to therapists and to create policy changes to boost diversity in the field. One major roadblock: the large number of unpaid training hours required to become licensed, which vary from state to state. In 2021, just 19% of the nations psychology workforce were people of color and 5% of these were Black, per the American Psychological Association.

Read More: How I Practice Self-Care as a Black Woman

The Sunday before I visited Cargles home, she and Sharlene Kemler, an experienced philanthropy executive who serves as CEO of the Loveland Foundation, hosted a brunch at a downtown Manhattan restaurant. There, they shared their own experiences with healing with a table of about 20 influencer guests. Kemlers storyher family staged an intervention because she started therapy after her fathers deathset off knowing laughter and similar testimonials. Despite the diversity of their backgrounds and experiences as Black and Afro-Latino women, many around the table expressed that family distrust for mental-health care was a common challenge.

Cargle has a way of bringing whimsy to the most serious of purposes. On this rainy Sunday, she spoke of revolution while dressed in a sequined caftan. She strives to stay her easeful self at all times, especially as an employer whose behavior can impact others. I dont want to feel continuously at the mercy of the weather, she says. Shes speaking metaphorically: the weather of politics, of peoples perceptions. I want to be good whatever the weather is, and that takes a self-knowing, she says. That cant be handed to you from anywherenot from your parents, not from your religion, not from your job. Joy lives inside you.

With reporting by Mariah Espada
Showers and isolated thunderstorms will be possible in the Kansas City area through weekend with the next threat of severe weather more probable on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected to develop and spread northward across much of the Kansas City area on Thursday, the weather service said. None of these storms, however, are expected to be severe. The chance of precipitation is 80% in downtown Kansas City.

Local Radar Image

A round of severe storms are expected to develop over western Nebraska and western Kansas. As they move east, they are expected to form into a line that will approach the Kansas City area overnight Thursday into Friday morning. The storms, however, are expected to weaken as they approach the state line, the weather service said.

The chance for severe weather in the Kansas City area is low, however there could be isolated strong wind gusts, according to the weather service.

Cloud cover and the storms are expected to keep temperatures in the mid-70s on Thursday. It will be much warmer on Friday as temperatures are expected to climb into the mid-80s.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop over northeast Kansas and far northwest Missouri afternoon and spread eastward into the northwest Missouri.

Severe weather will be possible in the strongest storms. Large hail, damaging wind gusts and a tornado will be possible with these storms, the weather service said.

Chances of rain and thunderstorms continue into the weekend. Temperatures will be in the mid- to upper 80s.

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
A Raleigh woman is the latest Triangle resident to plead guilty in federal court to taking part in a nationwide fraud scheme using money intended for economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Justice said Thursday.

Shakeerah Kaneisha Yvette Vinson, 32, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Act, commonly known as PPP, COVID-19 loan for her real estate broker business.

Vinson faces up to 20 years in prison for the charges.

This defendant, along with her network of co-conspirators, took taxpayer money meant to help struggling small businesses during a global pandemic, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley of the Eastern District of North Carolina said in a news release. We are investigating and prosecuting those who steal from public programs intended to keep legitimate businesses afloat.

Vinson conspired with several other people in North Carolina to obtain a fraudulent PPP loan for her business, prosecutors say.

Vinson is the third Triangle resident in 2023 to plead guilty for charges related to a nationwide scheme orchestrated by a Texas couple that helped people across the country commit over $15 million in PPP fraud.

The couple, Edward Whitaker and Schunda Coleman, pleaded guilty for the charges in North Carolina federal court in January this year. They face 20 years in federal prison, The News & Observer reported previously.

Fraud in the PPP program has been rampant in the U.S. since the federal government rolled out the $800 billion relief program meant to support small businesses who couldnt afford to pay their employees in the pandemic.

At least $80 billion of that amount has been stolen by fraudsters, NBC reported.

The Small Business Administration, in sending that money out, basically said to people, Apply and sign and tell us that youre really entitled to the money, Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, the chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, told NBC. And, of course, for fraudsters, thats an invitation  What didnt happen was even minimal checks to make sure that the money was getting to the right people at the right time.

Story continues

How the scheme worked

The two other Wake County residents who pleaded guilty this year were Albert Eugene Miller Jr., 58, and Jonathan Fleming, 60, who pleaded guilty in February to wire fraud charges in the same scheme that Vinson participated in.

Cary resident Quentin Jackson, of Cary, pleaded guilty in this scheme last November after committing over $4 million in PPP fraud.

The Texas couple behind the overarching fraud effort created bogus documents and applications for the PPP loan, which they provided to Vinson in exchange for 25% of the total loan proceeds, according to the Eastern District of North Carolina.

The fraudulent application faked the number of Vinsons employees and gross wages paid before the pandemic.

Whitaker showed Vinson how to make it seem that she was paying PPP loans to her supposed employees when she was really paying herself.

Vinsons loans were then forgiven completely by the Small Business Administration after she submitted the bogus payroll records.

Through our partnership with the U.S. Attorneys Office and our federal law enforcement partners, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who try to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain, said Donald Eakins, the Internal Revenue Services Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge in Charlotte.
Progressive "Squad" member Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., doubled down with her plans to host an anti-Israel event after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy canceled it, vowing that Palestinian Americans "will not be silenced."

Tlaib said Wednesday that she would defy McCarthy and move forward with plans to host an event recognizing the "Nakba," a Palestinian term for the 1948 founding of Israel that translates to "catastrophe." She moved the event to a Senate hearing room and later declared, "Let the headlines read McCarthy tries to erase Palestine but fails."

The speaker had condemned her plans as "antisemitic" and preempted her by reserving the same event space on the House side of the Capitol for a bipartisan commemoration of Israel's 75th anniversary, which lands on May 14.

"This event at the U.S. Capitol is canceled," McCarthy tweeted late Tuesday. "Instead, I will host a bipartisan discussion to honor the 75th anniversary of the U.S.-Israel relationship."

KEVIN MCCARTHY BLOCKS RASHIDA TLAIB FROM HOSTING ANTISEMITIC' EVENT CALLING ISRAEL A CATASTROPHE

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., hosts an event in the Senate HELP Committee hearing room recognizing the "Nakba," a Palestinian term for the 1948 founding of Israel that translates to "catastrophe."

Tlaib responded Wednesday afternoon with a statement accusing McCarthy of trying to "erase the existence and truth of the Palestinian people."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"This event is planned to bring awareness about the Nakba and create space for Palestinian Americans who experienced the Nakba firsthand to tell their stories of trauma and survival," Tlaib said.

"The Nakba is a well-documented historical event that is recognized by the United Nations. We cannot allow the same people who want to ban books and erase history simply because they're uncomfortable with the truth to silence Palestinian voices," she said.

TLAIB BODIED BY TWITTER OVER 'LIES' THAT TEENAGE BRAWL WAS ISRAELI SOLDIERS ATTACKING PALESTINIANS

McCarthy's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Story continues

Tlaib has a long history of attacks on Israel. She derided the country as an "apartheid state" earlier in May, claiming it was founded on the "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians.

In that instance, Tlaib's comments were widely rejected on Twitter, where users were quick to apply the "community notes" fact-check feature.

RASHIDA TLAIB, SQUAD-LINKED COMMITTEES PUSHED LARGE SUMS TO ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVISTS CONSULTING FIRM

Palestinian Americans speak at Rep. Rashida Tlaib's event recognizing the "Nakba."

Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations Gilad Erdan also told Fox News Digital the comments were an example of the Democrat's "antisemitic lies."

"Tlaibs ignorance and hatred toward the Jewish people and the State of Israel know no bounds," Erdan said. "The facts are clear: the Arabs rejected the U.N.s resolution to establish a Jewish state and started a war to annihilate the Jews in Israel."

Fox News' Anders Hagstrom and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Turkey was expelled from a US fighter jet programme for acquiring Russian missiles

If it comes to power in Sunday's elections, the Turkish opposition led by Kemal Kilicdaroglu pledges to restore trust with Washington and Europe while mending ties with Syria.

A regional power of 85 million people and NATO's bridgehead in the Middle East, Turkey gradually detached itself from Western allies during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's 21-year rule.

Ahmet Unal Cevikoz, a former ambassador and special adviser to Erdogan's main rival, thinks a diplomatic reversal and a transition to more democratic rule go hand in hand.

"Most of our problems with the European Union stem from the lack of democracy in Turkey," Cevikoz told AFP ahead of the tight parliamentary and presidential polls.

A return to the rule of law, which Western states accuse Erdogan of eroding during his second decade in power, will change Turkey's image abroad, Cevikoz said.

"It will become a very real partner," he promised.

Turkey's accession talks with the European Union froze over, less than a decade after it applied to join in 1999.

European powers such as France held reservations about admitting the majority Muslim nation, and Erdogan began to feel resentful as the talks dragged on.

Cevikoz said it was vital to revive the process because it "helps the democratisation of the country".

A member of Kilicdaroglu's secular CHP party, Cevikoz also backs extending a 2016 migrants deal with the EU.

Brussels sent billions of euros to Ankara in return for Turkey hosting roughly five million people fleeing war-torn countries, particularly neighbouring Syria.

Cevikoz said the opposition wants to "revitalise and review (the deal) to make it more effective".

The CHP also plans to launch the Syrians' "voluntary and dignified" return, which Cevikoz views as part of a broader reassessment of Turkey's and the EU's migration stances.

"The (migration) problem concerns Europe as much as Turkey," he said. "But the EU does not have a migration policy."

Story continues

- Erdogan's 'mistake' -

Turkey has become one of NATO's most unruly members in the latter years of Erdogan's rule.

Cevikoz stressed the importance of Turkey's membership of the US-led military alliance, which was shaken by Erdogan's decision to purchase advanced missiles from Russia.

Washington expelled Turkey from its F-35 stealth fighter programme in retaliation.

Analysts felt that Moscow had successfully inserted a wedge in Ankara's relations with the West.

"Turkey's national defence is very much enhanced by its membership of NATO", Cevikoz said.

He called the Russian purchase "a mistake" that "cost us a lot".

Turkey's position in NATO has been further complicated by its refusal to let Sweden join the bloc in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Ankara wants Stockholm to extradite suspects it links to a Kurdish insurgency and a failed 2016 coup attempt.

Sweden has been toughening its anti-terrorism laws in response to Turkey's pressure, planning to put new legislation before parliament on June 1.

Cevikoz recognised Stockholm's "progress", saying this "will certainly ease the way for Sweden's membership".

- 'Balance' with Russia -

At the same time, Cevikoz signalled no significant break from Erdogan's approach to Moscow.

Wartime trade with Russia has boomed despite Turkey's decision to supply Kyiv with weapons.

Erdogan benefitted from a pre-election rebate on Russian energy and used his Kremlin ties to set up truce talks in the first months of the Ukraine war, boosting his stature at home.

"Turkey has always pursued a very balanced approach during the Cold War," Cevikoz said.

"Why not continue the same kind of balanced approach?".

"After the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict, there is the future architecture of European security" to consider, he said.

Such logic, similar to that adopted by French President Emmanuel Macron, worries Washington.

So does the region's reconciliation with Syria, which Cevikoz wholeheartedly backs.

Ankara's ties with Damascus were severed when Erdogan began backing rebel efforts to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2011.

But Syria this week was readmitted to the Arab League, and Erdogan is now courting a summit with Assad, which Damascus is refusing until Turkey pulls all its troops out of Syria.

"We want to resume an unconditional dialogue" with Syria, Cevikoz said.

ach/zak/gil
Workers pass stored wind turbine blades at the Harland & Wolff shipyard

Billions of pounds' worth of green energy projects are on hold because they cannot plug into the UK's electricity system, BBC research shows.

Some new solar and wind sites are waiting up to 10 to 15 years to be connected because of a lack of capacity in the system - known as the "grid".

Renewable energy companies worry it could threaten UK climate targets.

National Grid, which manages the system, acknowledges the problem but says fundamental reform is needed.

The UK currently has a 2035 target for 100% of its electricity to be produced without carbon emissions.

Last year nearly half of the country's electricity was net-zero.

But meeting the target will require a big increase in the number of renewable projects across the country. It is estimated as much as five times more solar and four times as much wind is needed.

The government and private investors have spent 198bn on renewable power infrastructure since 2010. But now energy companies are warning that significant delays to connect their green energy projects to the system will threaten their ability to bring more green power online.

A new wind farm or solar site can only start supplying energy to people's homes once it has been plugged into the grid.

Energy companies like Octopus Energy, one of Europe's largest investors in renewable energy, say they have been told by National Grid that they need to wait up to 15 years for some connections - far beyond the government's 2035 target.

'Longest grid queues in Europe'

There are currently more than 200bn worth of projects sitting in the connections queue, the BBC has calculated.

Around 40% of them face a connection wait of at least a year, according to National Grid's own figures. That represents delayed investments worth tens of billions of pounds.

"We currently have one of the longest grid queues in Europe," according to Zoisa North-Bond, chief executive of Octopus Energy Generation.

Story continues

The problem is so many new renewable projects are applying for connections, the grid cannot keep up.

The system was built when just a few fossil fuel power plants were requesting a connection each year, but now there are 1,100 projects in the queue.

Diagram showing how the UK electricity system works and the different stakeholders

Torbay Council has been hit by the delays. The diggers are already clearing the ground for a 6-hectare solar plant it is building in Torquay. It is due to be finished next year.

The council plans to use money raised from selling the energy to help fund local services, but it has been told the plant will not be connected for five years.

And even that date is not certain. "Worryingly, there are some indications that that could slip into the mid 2030s", said Alan Denby from Torbay Council. "That's a real problem for the council in that we declared that we wanted to be carbon neutral by 2030."

With projects unable to get connections, construction is either being paused or projects are being completed but are unable to produce any power.

Torbay Council's solar site was due to finish in a year but will not be connected until 2028 at the earliest

National Grid, which is responsible for moving electricity across England and Wales, says it is tightening up the criteria for projects to apply so only the really promising ones join the queue.

But a huge new investment is also required to restructure the grid so it can deal with more power sources, says Roisin Quinn, director of customer connections.

"Fundamental reform is needed," she told the BBC. "More infrastructure is needed. We are working very hard to design and build at a faster pace than we ever have done before."

Energy Networks Association represents the UK's network operators, such as DNOs, which connect people's homes to the main system owned by National Grid. It says that the government needs to speed up the planning process so electricity infrastructure can be built more quickly.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: "We have connected the second highest amount of renewable electricity in Europe since 2010 but we recognise the challenge of connection delays."

The government is due to announce a new action plan for speeding up connections later this year.

The energy regulator, Ofgem, which oversees the operators, said that all stakeholders were playing catch-up with the government's targets.

Rebecca Barnett, director of networks at Ofgem, said: "The targets have been increasing in the last two or three years dramatically and there is a long lead in investment time that is needed to commit, develop, and deliver these really big assets.

"I think that has caused a real problem; we definitely need to catch up. The incremental approach of the past is not fit for purpose."

Ofgem says it has agreed to allow the National Grid to raise an additional 20bn over the next 40 years from customer bills to pay for the huge upgrades the grid needs.

Customers have seen household prices soar over the last year following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and a run-on gas.

But Ms Barnett said this new investment will have a minimal impact on customers bills and will help shoulder the burden of some of the volatile energy prices.

"The future is for green, more secure and in fact cheaper energy. We know there is some investment cost needed to get us there, but in the long run it is going to be cheaper for us all," she said.
Ukraine needs more than a US$30 billion arsenal to strike back at Russia and liberate its territories.

Source: Bloomberg

Quote: "Armed with well over $30 billion in weapons freshly supplied by its allies, Ukraine is gearing up for a counteroffensive that may push Russia closer to ending its war, or show neither side has enough firepower to seize the advantage.

And to succeed, Ukraine will need to execute a complex so-called combined arms operation, without the advantage of air superiority, for which few militaries in the world have the necessary training.

That means coordinating infantry, armour, combat engineers and air defence to maximize the impact of the more than 200 tanks, 300 infantry fighting vehicles and other weapons Ukraine has received since December.

Ukrainian commanders have played down expectations and repeated calls for more weapons, including air defences and long-range missiles."

Details: Bloomberg has noted that if Ukraine is able to achieve only minor successes, similar to those achieved by Russian troops around Bakhmut, it could lead to another winter stalemate and increased pressure on Kyiv to give up the seized territories as part of the ceasefire agreement.

Bloomberg believes that the main targets of the counteroffensive are likely to be in the south.

To break through the multi-layered defences of the Russian Federation, special engineering equipment for mine clearance, blocking trenches and demolishing bunkers will be needed, which the allies have sent.

As well as hundreds of trucks and transporters needed to move heavy armoured vehicles to positions faster than Russia can react.

The Kiel Institute's Ukraine Support Tracker shows that since February 2022, the allies have sent Ukraine more than US$67 billion worth of arms, with a peak in December.

On 3 May 2023, the United States agreed to send Ukraine another US$300 million worth of weapons, including more ammunition, trucks, trailers and diagnostic equipment for repair, as well as howitzers and HIMARS missiles. The US$1.2 billion US package announced on 9 May will include crucial supplies of 155mm artillery shells and anti-aircraft missiles.

Story continues

Ukraine is also concerned that important air defence systems, such as the Soviet-era Buk medium-range missile system, are running out of missiles.

Ukrainian leaders are also calling for modern aircraft and long-range ATACMS surface-to-surface missiles, which Washington has been reluctant to provide.

Another question that remains unanswered is whether the Russians have enough troops to maintain the defences they dug in the occupied south of Ukraine during the winter. If not, they will have to guess where the Ukrainians will attack, which will give Kyiv the opportunity to take them by surprise and flank them.

If Ukraine succeeds in breaking through the front line, the number of troops and equipment could become critical, as reserves will be needed to break through any gaps.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speaks to reporters after meeting with President Joe Biden to negotiate to raise the debt limit where no deal was reached, at the Capitol in Washington, May 9, 2023. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)

WASHINGTON  Since the day he set foot in Washington, Rep. George Santos of New York has been shunned by some of his fellow Republicans and protected by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has consistently defended his right to serve in Congress despite the fictional persona he created and the geyser of falsehoods he told to win election.

His wide-ranging indictment on Wednesday, in which Santos was charged with wire fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds and lying to Congress in federal disclosure forms, did nothing to change that dynamic. Some rank-and-file Republican lawmakers intensified their calls for his resignation, but McCarthy and other House GOP leaders, operating with a slim and fractious majority, said Santos should be allowed to continue to serve in Congress.

If a person is indicted, theyre not on committees, McCarthy told reporters on Tuesday before the charges were unsealed. They have a right to vote, but they have to go to trial. It was in line with the position McCarthy has taken since January, when the speaker made no move to penalize or marginalize Santos, even in the face of mounting allegations of misconduct and lies by him.

Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times

McCarthy allowed Santos, who is in his first term, to be placed on two congressional committees. When he temporarily stepped aside from them weeks after his appointments, McCarthy said it had been Santos choice  though the speaker called it the appropriate decision for now, until he could clear everything up.

McCarthy said his calculation about Santos future in Congress could change if he were found guilty. And the speaker told CNN late Wednesday that he would not support Santos for reelection and that he would call on him to resign if the House Ethics Committee found that he broke the law.

He was already removed from all his committees, Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., the majority leader, said during a news conference. In America, there is a presumption of innocence, but theyre serious charges. Hes going to have to go through the legal process.

Story continues

Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the No. 4 Republican, said the legal process would play itself out.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time a member of Congress from either party has been indicted, Stefanik said. She said Republicans were just as focused on rooting out any fraud when it comes to unemployment pandemic assistance.

Other Republicans were less merciful, particularly Santos fellow New Yorkers. Rep. Anthony DEsposito, who represents parts of Nassau County, called Santos a serial fraudster who should resign from office. Rep. Mike Lawler of the Hudson Valley said Santos conduct had been embarrassing and disgraceful, and he should resign.

And Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas said Santos was a punchline for a lot of commentary regarding the Republican Party that we dont need.

One Republican from upstate New York, Rep. Claudia Tenney, said that while she was horrified by his behavior, she believed in due process, although she did not expect Santos to finish out his term. Tenney said her colleagues in districts closer to Santos felt more political pressure to call for his immediate resignation.

They feel like its impacting them more directly downstate, she said.

For months, Santos has tried to defiantly carry on, even announcing plans to run for reelection in 2024 and trying to pivot ideologically in the hopes of gaining a more forgiving audience with the partys hard right. But he has had trouble finding any allies to back him. A request to make his reelection announcement on War Room, an influential podcast on the right hosted by former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, was rejected, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.

While an association with Santos may be a political drag on Republicans, the impact of his resignation would pose a challenge for leadership. With a slim majority in the House and a fight over the debt ceiling looming, McCarthy cannot afford to lose Santos vote. The speaker only narrowly passed a bill last month to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for spending cuts, with no Republican votes to spare and Santos in the yes column.

As negotiations with the White House continue, McCarthy may have more trouble keeping the support of Republicans on the right flank of his party, making Santos vote all the more crucial.

The speaker has even more immediate legislative concerns. On Wednesday, he was struggling to quell opposition to a border security bill, delaying a planned vote on a rule that would set up a floor vote on the legislation on Thursday. Santos said that he planned to travel to Washington to vote on the measure.

Santos indictment, however, means that McCarthy may have to plan his legislative schedule around Santos court appearances and trial, making his already tenuous hold on the majority even less secure.

There is no law or precedent that says a member of Congress cannot continue to serve while indicted, and there are several examples of lawmakers who stayed in office before pleading guilty and resigning  or survived and carried on.

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., was indicted on bribery charges in 2015. A federal jury was unable to reach a verdict and the judge declared a mistrial, and today Menendez is chair of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., was indicted in 2018 for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds. He did not resign until 2020, after pleading guilty.

Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., who was indicted in 2018, resigned before pleading guilty to committing insider trading and then lying to the FBI in an attempt to cover it up.

And Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., was indicted in 2021 on felony charges related to lying to federal authorities who were investigating illegal campaign contributions. He continued to serve until the next year, when he was convicted, at which point he resigned.

McCarthy, who was the minority leader at the time, noted Tuesday that the conviction was what had prompted him to tell Fortenberry that he needed to resign.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
WASHINGTON  Some Republican lawmakers on Thursday broke with former President Donald Trump's call to let the United States go into default if necessary and his refusal to label Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal."

The strongest pushback came from Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., who was asked if Trump's refusal to call Putin a war criminal for his invasion of Ukraine during a CNN town hall Wednesday night concerned him.

"Of course it does. Thats why I dont intend to support him for the Republican nomination," Young told reporters at the Capitol.

"I think President Trumps judgment is wrong in this case. President Putin and his government have been engaged in war crimes. I dont believe thats disputed by most who have looked into this and hes an enemy of the United States, our values, our interests, and the security of the American people," he said.

During an exchange on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked Trump if he believed Putin was a war criminal. President Joe Biden called Putin a war criminal in March of last year.

Trump reiterated his previous claim that he could end the fighting within 24 hours if elected president again, and said: "I think its something that should not be discussed now. It should be discussed later."

Todd Young, R-Ind., at a news conference at the Capitol on Aug. 3, 2022. (Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images file)

"If you say hes a war criminal, its going to be a lot tougher to make a deal to get this thing stopped, because if hes going to be a war criminal, where people are going to go and grab him and execute him, hes going to fight a lot harder than hes fighting, you know, under the other circumstance," he added.

Trump also said that Republicans should refuse to lift the debt ceiling and let the country go into default, unless Democrats agree to "massive" spending cuts.

The Treasury Department estimates that the government will exceed its borrowing authority as soon as June 1, unless Congress is able to raise or suspend the debt limit before then.

Story continues

"I say to the Republicans out there  congressmen, senators  if they dont give you massive cuts, youre going to have to do a default. And I dont believe theyre going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave because you dont want to have that happen. But its better than what were doing right now because were spending money like drunken sailors," Trump said.

He also said that warnings from economists that a default would plunge the country into a recession could be overblown.

"You dont know. Its psychological. Its really psychological more than anything else. And it could be very bad. It could be, maybe, nothing. Maybe its  you have a bad week or a bad day, but, look, you have to cut your costs," Trump said.

As president, Trump had said the debt limit should be held "sacred" and not used as a bargaining chip. Asked why his perspective changed, he told Collins, "Because now Im not president."

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., suggested that Trump's comments were campaign bluster and wouldn't stop lawmakers from trying to avert a default.

I forget who said it, but you know, you campaign in poetry and you govern in prose. Clearly, candidates talk about things differently than people who are trying to get to a deal. And I just think most members of Congress, most Republican members understand that the jobs are a little different, Johnson said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a top Trump ally, said he doesn't support the former president's idea of rolling the dice on a default. But he added, "I think that most Americans are supportive of us addressing the debt before we raise the debt ceiling."

As for Trump's Putin comments, Graham said, "Well, I think hes a war criminal and I think the president is trying to articulate a position I want to end the war, and, you know, if you start making certain statements about the protagonist, itll be hard to find a peaceful solution."

Graham added: "My view is the best way to end this conflict is to make sure you dont start another war. And if Putin is given a pass, then the likelihood of more bad behavior goes up."

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said Putin "probably" is a war criminal, but that "if the goal is to try to get some kind of a negotiated peace, you know I understand the ex-presidents position."

As for Trump's comments about letting the government go into default, Hawley said, "That's not going to happen."

"Hes not the president so he doesnt have a vote on it currently," Hawley said. "Were not going to default."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved Republican legislation intended to stop immigrants and illegal drugs crossing the nation's southwestern border with Mexico, leaving it to the Senate to attempt a broader, bipartisan immigration bill.

The package, which Democrats have warned will be blocked in the Senate, would set tight limits on asylum seekers and require them to apply for U.S. protection outside the country. It also would resume construction of a wall along the border and expand federal law enforcement efforts.

The House voted 219-213 to pass the bill, with no Democrats in favor and one Republican opposed.

"The key component of this bill is where we say, 'If you come to our country, you will get to, according to the law, file your asylum claim...but you will be detained or you will be returned while your claim is adjudicated,'" said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan during debate on the bill.

The vote occurred in anticipation of the Thursday midnight expiration of the Title 42 immigration restriction that began under former President Donald Trump in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has allowed U.S. authorities to expel migrants to Mexico without the chance to seek asylum, citing health concerns.

Officials at the southwestern border were seeing large influxes of immigrants in the final days of Title 42 expiration.

"My Republican colleagues are trying to take us back to the failed, illegal and immoral policies of the Trump administration," said Representative Jerrold Nadler, the senior Democrat on the Judiciary panel.

"This bill serves as a wholesale ban on asylum. No one would be able to seek asylum in the United States if they cross between ports of entry or if they had or could have had even temporary status in a third country," Nadler added.

While the House bill is not expected to get to President Joe Biden's desk for signing into law, there are hopes in the Senate that it will spark negotiations for a bipartisan, comprehensive border security and immigration reform measure in coming months.

Story continues

Independent Senator Krysten Sinema told reporters hours before the House vote that the Republican bill would open the way to shaping a "final package" to address not only border security but also reforms to the U.S. asylum system and the manner in which visas are doled out.

Over the past three decades, meaningful immigration reforms have been unsuccessful in Congress. As Biden gears up for re-election next year, the large numbers of people seeking asylum in the United States have raised voter awareness.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week found 54% of respondents, including 77% of Republicans and 34% of Democrats, opposed opening the border to more immigrants every year and only 26% said they approved of Biden's handling of immigration.

But even within the Republican Party there are some divisions over immigration policy.

House Republican leaders at the last minute had to modify provisions of their bill for the U.S. agriculture industry to comply with "E-Verify" requirements for confirming U.S. employment eligibility. Some Republican lawmakers worried a previous version would have made hiring immigrant farm workers too cumbersome.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
(Bloomberg) -- Republican-led state legislatures are increasingly road-testing restrictive abortion rules that fall just short of total bans, to see how far they can limit reproductive health-care without generating political backlash.

Most Read from Bloomberg

States such as Florida and Georgia have passed laws banning abortions after six weeks, before many people realize they are pregnant. Others are trying out slightly longer gestational limits. North Carolinas Senate Republicans earlier this month advanced a bill that would restrict abortion after 12 weeks, while Arizona has a 15-week ban in effect.

After years of hewing to a strong anti-abortion platform, Republicans are treading more carefully as they run into a different political reality since the end of Roe. When given the choice at the ballot box in the last year, voters have turned out to support abortion protections and delivered a series of losses to Republicans in key political contests where reproductive health was an issue.

While the majority of the Republican base supports extreme restrictions and bans, a January Gallup poll of Americans showed that 17% want less strict abortion laws, an increase from just 2% in 2021. Among Independents, 44% want less strict laws, up from less than 20% before Roe was overturned.

In these purple states, were going to see a drip drip  incremental changes that will satisfy the base, but not cause a backlash, said Alex Patton, a Republican strategist and pollster based in Florida. Ultimately, laws that pass without much pushback could not only inform other state legislation but offer a road-map for a national strategy, which has yet to emerge among federal lawmakers.

Story continues

Even without a total ban, abortions fall sharply in states when gestational limits are imposed.

After Georgias six-week ban took effect, legal abortions performed in the state fell 55%, according to a Society of Family Planning report. At one clinic in Jacksonville, a coastal city thats home to almost 1 million Floridians, staff said that if the states Supreme Court allows the six-week limit to go into effect they could soon be turning away nine out of 10 potential patients.

Its been really confusing for our staff and our patients because things change so quickly and so drastically, said Kelly Flynn, president and chief executive officer of A Womans Choice of Jacksonville. Less than 10% of patients come in before the six-week mark, Flynn said, which passes before many people find out theyre pregnant.

In Ohio, a six-week limit went into effect for three months last year before a judge blocked the law. (The ban could go back into effect any time, depending on how it moves through the courts.)

That first night, staff at Preterm, a Cleveland clinic whose doors have been open since 1974, stayed until about 11pm to call patients past the six-week restriction and tell them they could no longer see them. In the immediate aftermath, the number of patients dropped to 30% to 40% of the typical 400 people it would see each month, according to Sri Thakkilapati, interim executive director at Preterm.

I worry about the people that we see and what will happen to them when were not here, she said.

Ohio clinics had to cancel the appointments of minors, victims of sexual assault and patients who couldnt receive cancer treatment until theyd had an abortion, according to court papers.

Across the state, providers saw over 1,500 fewer patients in July and August, though numbers have almost returned to their levels under Roe, since the ban was blocked by a judge.

Testing Waters

The political right in the US hasnt found a cohesive approach to abortion.

Almost a year after the end of Roe, near total bans are in effect in 13 deep-red states. But extreme restrictions in South Carolina and Nebraska  both controlled by Republicans  failed to pass in recent weeks. Nebraska legislators had proposed a six-week ban with some exceptions; in South Carolina, legislators wanted a near-total ban, with exceptions for rape and incest.

Republican hopefuls for the 2024 election have floated divergent policies. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is widely expected to run, signed the bill restricting abortions after six weeks. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley called for a national consensus, though she is yet to detail what she believes that consensus should be. Haley also urged her party to acknowledge the limits of federal action on the abortion debate.

Former President Donald Trump has blamed the partys disappointing midterm election results on GOP candidates hardline on abortion, particularly those who are against exceptions for rape or incest.

And though the staunchly anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America  which was closely aligned with Trump when he president  still wants a national ban, the group told Bloomberg News in April that its now open to a 15-week limit with exceptions for rape, incest or if the life of the mother is in danger. Its threatened to oppose any Republican candidate who doesnt support the same, at a minimum.

Its going to be part of the 2024 election cycle and beyond, said US Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, during an April 26 hearing on the post-Dobbs landscape. Graham recently reiterated calls for a 15-week nationwide abortion ban.

Polling data show a disconnect between lawmakers actions and what most Americans want. A University of North Florida poll of 1,500 people in February and March found that 75% of Floridians oppose a six-week ban. Of 550 Republican respondents, 61% said the same. Even 40% of Republicans believe abortion should be available in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, according to an NPR poll. The other 60% want near-total or total bans.

Meanwhile, the specter of additional restrictions is motivating pro-abortion voters to back reproductive rights in elections.

In Kentucky last year, voters struck down a measure that would have amended the state constitution to say there is no right to abortion. In Montana, an anti-abortion ballot measure was defeated in November. And after the most expensive judicial election in US history, a flip of the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April has given Democrats an opening to undo decades of Republican policies on abortion access.

Whats on the ballot does determine turnout and who comes out to vote, said the Republican strategist, Patton. Im not going to give the Democrats strategies, but thats probably a pretty good one.

Patchwork Effects

The patchwork of state laws has created vast abortion deserts, which will only widen as more restrictions go into effect.

Floridas clinics, particularly in the north and west, have been popular destinations for people from nearby, more restrictive states  like Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. The monthly average number of terminations in the state from July to December was 19% higher than in the weeks before Roe was overturned.

Two clinics in Tallahassee, just 75 miles or so from the state border with Alabama, are now the nearest abortion providers for more than 1.5 million women, according to a dashboard from Caitlin Myers, a researcher at Middlebury College.

It is a lot to ask of these patients and its unfair that they dont have this type of care within a reasonable radius, said Flynn, who oversees clinics in North Carolina in addition to the Florida facility.

At his three abortion clinics in Ohio, abortion provider David Burkons is seeing patients from as far away as Texas, and patient numbers are running ahead of last year. But most of his 31-person staff are part-time and have other jobs: its hard for him to hire full-time employees when he doesnt know if his business will be open in a few months.

Even though were busy, were doing gratifying work, we cant really make any plans for the future, he said.

Last summer, during the months when the states six-week ban was in place, Burkons looked at real estate for potential clinics in Michigan or Pennsylvania. He would consider it again if the law is reinstated.

Im certainly looking into it, but Im 76 years old, he said. I would rather stay closer to home, and I think patients would rather stay closer to home, too.

--With assistance from Ella Ceron.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
A publication revealed an alleged picture of Rihannas sons birth certificate; now, lets discuss privacy ethics.

One thing we can say about Rihanna is she does everything in her own time. Whether its her music, business, or personal life, the award-winning mogul marches to the beat of her own drum and does not yield to the worlds expectations (no matter how much we might beg for that next studio album).

Rihanna and partner A$AP Rocky arrive at the 2023 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

So one can imagine the worlds surprise when, just days ahead of his first birthday on May 13, the Daily Mail reported the name of her and A$AP Rockys infant son with a picture of the baby boys alleged birth certificate.

Since giving birth almost exactly a year ago, the Fenty mogul has been very intentional with her babys interactions with the media. In December 2022, Rihanna posted her first reveal of her grinning baby boy on TikTok; since then, her son has appeared several more times on social media and made his modeling debut in a March 2023 cover story for British Vogue, as well as in paparazzi photos.

During that interview, the new mother disclosed the real reason behind her first viral video. As the family posed for Vogues early morning beach cover shoot, a paparazzo snuck pictures of the family behind the scenes.

I just went straight into protective mode, Rihanna told British Vogue. Like there wasnt even time for rage. [Rocky and me] drove up to the trailer area, and we sat in the car chatting and working out how we move forward. As parents, it just feels so icky, like a violation.

With just a few scrolls through her camera roll and a reported Facetime call with Jason Lee from Hollywood Unlocked, the couple reclaimed their power and revealed their son to the world on their own terms.

We get to decide as parents when and how we do that  end of story, said Rihanna about the invasion of her familys privacy. Throw me to the wolves. Do what you want with me. But he doesnt have a say in any of this. Weve been protecting him thus far, and you dont have any consent to be posting photos or selling photos of my child, a minor. Get the hell out of here with that.

Story continues

Despite the world knowing Rihannas childs face, the couple has never publicly said their childs name. Nevertheless, the media has yet again gone too far for the sake of a story. The reveal of the name chosen by the couple and his alleged birth certificate calls into question the ongoing issue of privacy in the media. Despite birth certificates being public records in California, the decision to post an image of the birth certificate crossed a line in the eyes of many social media users.

Posting Rihannas childs birth certificate online is really a bit over the top, tweeted Philip Lewis, a senior editor at HuffPost.

I feel so bad for Rihanna. Paparazzi snuck photos of him, so she had to release pictures of him, and now they dug up her sons birth certificate. Its an invasion of privacy for a BABY, another user tweeted.

This is far from the first time a publication has violated a public figures privacy. Last year, Meghan Markle won a settlement against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, for an invasion of privacy case after the publications published and reproduced parts of a personal and private letter written to her father in 2018.

Though Rihanna has not made any direct comments about the recent reveal, she hasnt been secretive about her pregnancies. Nevertheless, she is entitled to some respect put on her childs  or childrens  names.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. TheGrios Black Podcast Network is free too. Download theGrio mobile apps today! Listen to Writing Black with Maiysha Kai.

The post What the reveal of Rihannas baby name reveals about celebrity privacy appeared first on TheGrio.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Thursday called out Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., over the Republican lawmakers comments in a recent interview on extremism in the armed forces and his blocking of military promotions.

Schumer, speaking in the Senate on Thursday, said he wanted to address the Profane and dangerous things a colleague of ours recently said on the radio.

In an interview with NPR affiliate WBHM, Tuberville alleged that We are losing in the military so fast. Our readiness in terms of recruitment. And why? Ill tell you why. Because the Democrats are attacking our military, saying we need to get out the white extremists, the white nationalists, people that dont believe in our agenda, as Joe Bidens agenda," according to a transcript of the interview.

Asked whether the Biden administration should allow white nationalists in the military, Tuberville responded: Well, they call them that. I call them Americans.

Schumer on Thursday read Tubervilles comments, calling them shocking.

Can you believe that? Revolting. Utterly revolting. Does Senator Tuberville honestly believe that our military is stronger with white nationalists in its ranks? I cannot believe this needs to be said, but white nationalism has no place in our armed forces and no place in any corner of American society, Schumer said.

Tuberville's office declined to comment on Schumer's remarks to USA TODAY. Tuberville on Thursday told reporters "you can't have racists" on any team.

"The Democrats characterize all MAGA Republicans in the military as white nationalists, wrong. Wrong. OK?" Tuberville said. "We can't get politics in the military. This has nothing to do with extremists."

Politics Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin slams Sen. Tommy Tuberville for blocking military promotions

Washington GOP Sen. Tuberville blocked 184 military promotions in his ongoing abortion fight with the Pentagon

Story continues

Tuberville blocks military promotions

Tuberville has also been blocking 184 military promotions requiring Senate confirmation in a protest over a Department of Defense policy that includes sections for paid leave and covering expenses if service members travel to have an abortion. The lawmaker has argued that federal funding should not be used to pay for a service members abortion except in the cases of rape, incest or when a mothers life is in danger.

Tuberville blocked the promotions in April when Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sought unanimous consent in the Senate for the promotions.

Schumer on Thursday alleged that Tubervilles actions have wreaked havoc on military officers and their families.

I urge Senator Tuberville to think about the destructive spectacle he is creating in the Senate. His actions are dangerous. His words are gravely damaging, and his refusal to think about the consequences of his actions on our military personnel and families is a stain on this chamber, Schumer said.

Some GOP lawmakers have supported Tubervilles protest, backing his beliefs on the abortion policy.

Contributing: Ken Tran, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tommy Tuberville white nationalism comment called out by Chuck Schumer
RICHMOND, Ind.  A Richmond man faces felony charges over allegations he battered and tried to take a weapon away from city police officers.

Richmond police on Tuesday evening were sent to the eastside apartment of Fred Michael Limburg, 39, after dispatchers received a call from someone concerned about his well-being.

Limburg reportedly acknowledged to an officer that he was depressed, but became angry when he realized a second officer was also outside his home.

The Richmond man  described as "very frustrated" then began to try to shut his front door and told officers they needed a warrant before entering.

"I advised Fred that we did not need a warrant to enter his home when he made the comments about wanting to harm himself," an officer wrote in an affidavit.

More: 81-year-old Richmond man charged with trying to kill police officers

In an ensuing struggle, one officer suffered a minor hand injury when Limburg grabbed his wrist and twisted it.

Police said Limburg also repeatedly tried to gain access to an electronic stun device, secured in an officer's holster.

He was eventually subdued and taken to the Wayne County jail.

On Wednesday, Limburg was charged in Wayne Superior Court 2 with battery on a public safety officer and attempted disarming of a law enforcement officer, both Level 5 felonies carrying up to six years in prison.

He was also charged with two counts of resisting law enforcement, one a Level 6 felony with a maximum 30-month sentence and the other a misdemeanor. He continued to be held in the jail on Thursday under a $25,000 bond.

Court records reflected one felony conviction for Limburg, for possession of a controlled substance in 2011.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Richmond man accused of trying to disarm police officers
People in Richmond have had mixed opinions on how city leaders have communicated in the month since a toxic fire in the city.

Some told News Center 7s I-Team that they still have concerns about things such as potential health impacts.

The other main concern for people who live and work near the fire is when the debris will be cleaned up.

>> RELATED: Richmond Toxic Fire: City outlines next steps in cleanup process

Neither the Richmond Fire Department nor the Indiana State Fire Marshal has answered the I-Teams emails asking for an update on the investigation into a cause.

Im hopeful that cleanup will happen fairly quickly, but its a huge job, said Jenny Tinkle, who works for Overhead Door Company of Richmond.

Kay and Charles Brown live just blocks from the fire site and say they wish theyd have heard more directly from city officials in the month since the disaster.

Actually, I thought the mayor would come around and ask people, like you guys do, how everything was going, but I havent seen anything, Charles said.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: PHOTOS: Large-scale fire continues to send plumes of black smoke into air in Richmond

Tinkle works across the street from the fire site and says the citys communication has been just fine.

The mayor stopped by our office about three days after the fire, maybe a little bit longer to see if there was anything they could do, Tinkle said.

The I-Team wanted to talk to Richmond Mayor Dave Snow too, but several city officials, including the mayor, have not responded.

News Center 7 went to the city building Thursday to talk to the mayor and was told that he is sticking to a written statement the city emailed.

The city released a statement Thursday outlining whats next.

On Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will start testing the debris. They say that will help them come up with a plan for how to safely remove and dispose of whats left.

The city said it will continue to use its website to provide updates as new information becomes available.
Ricky Gervais has given fans a health update after living through the worst eight hours of illness of his life.

On Thursday (11 May), the After Life star, 61, tweeted he isnt well today and shared that he was suffering from symptoms such as severe abdominal pains, vomiting, hot sweats, and chills.

Oh, and I really want to know who planted the 12 gravy bombs up my a***, Gervais quipped.

Some Twitter users suggested he might be suffering from norovirus  or the winter vomitting bug  in the comments section.

Sounds like it is Noravirus [sic] that is going around. My friend and my daughter and son-in-law have had it. It is awful. Hope you get better soon, one person said.

Gervais replied: Yeah, thats what I thought.

Another person wrote: Eight hours seems like a magic number when I get norovirus. Im good for a full shift every time.

Other fans joked about the abundance of detail in Gervaiss descriptive post, with one person calling it the perfect sick note.

Just copy and paste that description, and voila  youve got yourself a guaranteed day off. Even your boss will be too terrified to question it, the comment read.

I'm not well today. In fact I'd say I just lived through the worst 8 hours of illness of my life. Severe abdominal pains, vomiting every time I moved, (but only tiny bits of bile), hot sweats and chills, oh, and I really want to know who planted the 12 gravy bombs up my arse.  Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) May 11, 2023

In March this year, the number of norovirus cases in England rose to their highest levels in nearly a decade. The count fell from its peak shortly after but remained above levels reported in March 2022.

Norovirus is one of the most common kinds of stomach bugs in Britain, and reportedly affects between 600,000 and a million people in the UK every year.

Story continues

The six most common symptoms include sudden onset of nausea, projectile vomiting, diarrhoea, high temperature, abdominal pain, and aching limbs.

It spreads from contact with an infected person or contaminated surfaces.

Most people who contract the virus will recover within two to three days. Norovirus, however, can cause dehydration, especially among the very young, elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

The Darksaber is gone. The black blade that became the symbol of Mandalores leader is, seemingly, no longer there to guide them in their new era of rebuilding and reunification after the events of The Mandalorian season three. But is anything ever really gone in Star Wars? If we look to the weapons own history, and Star Wars future, theres reasons to believe that thats not necessarily true.



The Mandalorian Jedi

Screenshot: Lucasfilm

The Darksabers tale begins generations before the story of The Mandalorian. Forged by the first ever Mandalorian to become a member of the Jedi Order, Tarre Viszla, the weapons design and rarity speaks to its age. From its black-white kyber crystal to its angled blade, the weapon was wielded by Viszla as a not just a Jedi Knight, but the first Mandalor, the mantle that would be given to the Mandalorian warrior who could unite the warring tribes and houses of their people into a single society.

Read more

The Crusades

Screenshot: Lucasfilm

After Viszlas death, the Darksaber was interred by the Jedi in their temple on Coruscant, and as time passed the relationship between the Order and Mandalore Viszla had come to represent broke down. Descendants of House Viszla infiltrated the Jedi Temple and secreted the Darksaber away back to Mandalore, where it quickly became a symbol of the legitimacy of rule. It also became a symbol of resistance against the Jedi and the Old Republic itself, as Mandalors led their people on the great crusades against the Jedi across generations of conflictevolving their way of life and traditions to shape how they combatted the warrior monks of the Order.

Civil War and Death Watch

Screenshot: Lucasfilm

The Crusades broke Mandalore. The planet itself transformed into a barren, barely hospitable wasteland, while Mandalorian and Jedi alike perished in climactic battles of the conflict on worlds like Malachor. But even then, conflict was never far from the Mandalorian peopleand thousands of years after Mandalores great crusades, in the waning decades of the Republic, the planet was once again torn apart by war. This time, however, it was an internal conflict rather than external. Factions divided between martial traditionalists, who sought to preserve Mandalores warrior culture, and Neo-Mandalorians, who rejected military conflict in the name of neutrality and interstellar independence. The sides engaged in bloody conflict for years to decide the fate of their people, with the Jedi directly intervening on behalf of the Neo-Mandalorians to safeguard their leader, the young duchess Satine of House Kryze, from repeated assassination attempts.

Story continues

Satines Neo-Mandalorians emerged victorious in the civil war, and while Kryze became the leader of Mandalores new ruling council, the remaining martial traditionalists were exiled to Mandalorian colony worldsincluding the scion of House Viszla, Pre, who reclaimed his familys ancestral weapon and used it to forge the remnants of the traditionalists into a new guerilla faction: Death Watch.

Mauls Reign

Screenshot: Lucasfilm

At the height of the Clone Wars wreaking havoc across the wider galaxy, Viszla and the Death Watch staged multiple strikes against the Neo-Mandalorian government, culminating in a successful coup detat staged in part through an alliance with the Shadow Collective, a criminal syndicate backed by the former Sith apprentice Maul and his brother, Savage Opress. After betraying Viszla and executing him in ritual combat, rightful ownership of the Darksaber passed to Maul, who used it in turn to execute Satine Kryze, bringing an end to the Neo-Mandalorian government.

Mauls rule of the planet was short-livedhis coup collided with the climax of the final hours of the Clone War, where Mandalore was besieged by Republic forces supporting Satines sister, Bo-Katan Kryze. After Maul was rendered into the custody of Ahsoka Tano, the Clone War was brought to an abrupt end with the systemic execution of Jedi Generals across the galaxy, the unconditional surrender of Separatist leadership, and the transition of the Republic into a Galactic Empire. Maul, embracing the chaos around him, escaped Republic custody and took the Darksaber with him to his ancestral home, Dathomir, where it remained in secret for over a decade.

The Mandalorian Resistance

Screenshot: Lucasfilm

The Darksaber left Mauls grip after an encounter with the young fledgling Jedi padawan Ezra Bridger, who in turn passed the weapon to a young Mandalorian in his Rebel cell, Sabine Wren. An exiled member of Clan Wren, a small family vassal of House Viszla, Wren brought the weapon to Mandalore in an attempt to return it to its status as a liberating, unifying symbol for her people, who in the wake of the Clone Wars were subjugated by a proxy government of the Imperial regime.

Wren eventually willingly handed the Darksaber over to Bo-Katan Kryze, who spearheaded the Mandalorian resistance against the Empire, ultimately fighting back against Imperial control following the death of Mandalores Vichy leaders, Gar and Tiber Saxon.

The Purge

Screenshot: Lucasfilm

The resistances victory was short-lived. At some point during the waning years of the Galactic Civil War, Imperial forces led by the ISB agent Gideon began a retaliatory bombardment of Mandalore, destroying the worlds remaining dome cities and its capital, Sundari in the process. After Bo-Katan Kryze negotiated a ceasefire agreement and surrender to the Empire in the wake of the bombings, known as the Night of a Thousand Tears, Gideon betrayed their terms and continued the genocidal purge of Mandalore, forcing Bo-Katan and her remaining forces into hiding off-world and stealing the Darksaber as his personal trophy in the process.

In Mandalorian Hands

Screenshot: Lucasfilm

After the fall of the Empire at large with the destruction of the second Death Star, Gideon rose to be an influential figure in the Imperial Remnant, now a Moff operating a Shadow Council of warlords and intelligence assets seeking to restore the Empires rule. However, he would eventually lose the Darksaber in combat with the Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin, who assaulted Gideons personal cruiser in an attempt to rescue the young Force-sensitive being Grogu, held captive by Gideons forces.

Inadvertantly realizing that traditionally his victory granted him the right to wield the Darksaber, Djarin was forced to conclude his temporary alliance with Bo-Katan Kryze and her remaining forces and take the Darksaber for his own, after refusing to fight Kryze for the right to wield it.

A Given Gift



Screenshot: Lucasfilm

The loss of the Darksaber was a devastating blow to Kryzes leadership of the remaining Mandalorian resistance, who abandoned her to become roaming hired guns. Reuniting with Djarin and his own tribe of independent Mandaloriansa pseudo-religious cult born from the martial traditionalist faction and dubbed the Children of the WatchKryze was eventually re-gifted the Darksaber by Djarin on a technicality, after he was incapacitated during a mission to Mandalore and rescued by Kryze, who picked up the Darksaber to save his life. The Darksaber now once again hers, Kryze united both her former forces and the Children of the Watch to stage an expedition to Mandalore, with the intent to begin the process of restarting Mandalorian society.

The Darksabers End...

Screenshot: Lucasfilm

Kryzes expedition ultimately learned that Gideon, who escaped New Republic custody after his previous encounter with Djarin, was marshalling his remnant forces deep beneath the surface of Mandalore. Going to battle against the Remnant, Kryze engaged Gideon in single combat, temporarily overwhelmed by his modified Dark Trooper programs advanced body armor. Using his enhanced strength, Gideon disabled the Darksaber by crushing the weapons blade emitter in Kryzes hand, breaking apart the housing and seemingly destroying the ancient weapon.

The damaged hilt was recovered by the Mandalorians in the wake of their victory against Gideons forces, placing it at the heart of Mandalores Great Forgeno longer a weapon, but a symbol of Mandalores past as its people made their own future once again.

... Or Is It?

Screenshot: Lucasfilm

But is anything ever really gone in Star Wars? Its telling that the Darksaber was simply grievously damaged rather than completely destroyedand even when the galaxy far, far away has seemingly gone out of its way to show a legendary weapon like a lightsaber being lost, it can still find its way into the hands of a new hero. While it seems like The Mandalorian and Star Wars at large are currently ready to move on from the rebuilding of Mandalore as a focal storyline, there are potential seeds in place that could tease the reforging of the Darksaber anew.

Ahsoka, the next Star Wars live-action streaming series set to air this August, is largely going to be set either concurrent with, or perhaps likely in the wake of, the events of The Mandalorian season three. What little weve seen of the show already indicates that it will focus on its own narrative, as Ahsoka gathers allies to prepare for the seeming return of Grand Admiral Thrawn, an intriguing character glimpsed in the first teaser trailer for the series gives Star Wars a potential way out to a Darksaber reborn.

That character is none other than the droid Huyang. Voiced by Doctor Who icon David Tennant, Huyang appeared briefly in Clone Wars as an ancient servant of the Jedi Order, who spent tens of thousands of years training Jedi younglings in the process of creating their first lightsaber. That hes survived into the time of the New Republic already makes him one of the oldest Star Wars characters in existence at this point, but most crucially he is one of the few remaining characters with the knowledge of building and repairing a lightsaber, even one as old and as heavily damaged as the Darksaber is.

Given that Ahsoka will be teaming up with the Darksabers one-time wielder Sabine Wren in the series, and the need for all the help she can get against threat of Grand Admiral Thrawn... could Huyang play a vital role in returning to the Mandalorians a powerful symbol of resistance thought lost? Well have to wait and see.

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Rock star memorabilia, casinos and kosher food? They will soon go together in a changing Hollywood neighborhood.

This summer, a 100-room boutique hotel, Dolce by Wyndham Hollywood, opens across the street from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos Guitar Hotel and its Hard Rock Live concert venue that recently attracted superstars like Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and Janet Jackson.

Wyndhams marketing strategy for its new Dolce includes tapping Hollywoods growing Jewish population by offering amenities including a rooftop kosher dining facility that complies with dietary restrictions and, on the Sabbath, an elevator that automatically stops at every floor, according to Sabrina Graves, general manager.

The hotel will open in July, Graves said.

The Dolce will sport a rooftop pool and a bar and restaurant serving Asian-inspired cuisine, and a lobby cafe with espresso, pastries and grab-and-go breakfast.

The Dolce also will feature shared and private balconies overlooking the Hard Rocks Guitar Hotel that towers more than 400 feet in the air. And there will be quite a view. As a Miami Herald story wryly noted in October 2019, the mammoth neon-lit guitar over west Hollywood, just east of Floridas Turnpike, was large enough that NASA could even note that its visible from outer space.

For years the Seminoles Hard Rock property, with The Guitar Hotel, concert hall, casinos and restaurant rows, was the sole splashy lure to a neighborhood notable for its nondescript strip malls of fast food joints, salons and gas stations on busy State Road 7.

But The Guitar Hotel is getting some company with Julys arrival of the six-floor Dolce at 5350 State Road 7, and a second kosher-themed hotel, designed as a $70 million mixed-use residential space of 16 floors with 64 condominium units called the Plaza 441, rising two blocks away at 5300 State Road 7.

And, no, they wont be shaped like musical instruments.

The Dolces private and shared balconies overlook The Guitar Hotel. But the prospect of competing hotels doesnt faze The Guitar Hotels ownership.

Story continues

The multi-billion dollar investment in The Guitar Hotel and the expansion of the Seminole Hard Rock have clearly boosted economic opportunities throughout the neighborhood, Gary Bitner, spokesperson for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, said in a statement to the Miami Herald.

The Hard Rock Live at Seminoles Guitar Hotel illuminated with the logo of Elton John to celebrate the legends intimate one-off concert at the venue on Feb. 27, 2022. Seminole Hard Rock Live

The Dolce and Plaza 441 were both developed by Boca Raton-based BSD Capital, The Real Deal reported in 2021.

A spokesperson from BSD did not return a Miami Herald query on the plans.

The pitch to Hollywoods growing Jewish community near State Road 7 makes sense when you consider the coming hotels proximity to the heart of Hollywoods Orthodox community, which is framed by Stirling Road on its north and between North Park Road and North 56th Street as its east and west borders, according to The 5 Towns Jewish Times (5TJT).

The Jewish communities near The Guitar Hotel, Wyndhams The Dolce and Plaza 441 also includes such neighborhoods as Emerald Hills, with its homes, synagogues and kosher businesses.

To its north is Arapahoe Farms, The Preserve, Forest Park, and Hollywood Oaks, 5TJT reports. Also, farther north, extending toward Griffin Road are developments including Mapleridge and Oakridge that are populated by many members of the Young Israel of Hollywood, which hosts more than 650 families.

Neighboring synagogues number more than a dozen. Kosher restaurants abound, too, all, perhaps in response to the growth of the regions diverse Jewish population over the last 10 years.

That could be why Sharon Sharaby, one of the BSD developers of the new projects reshaping the Hollywood SR 7 neighborhood near The Guitar Hotel, told The Real Deal in 2021 that a Florida hotel there providing 24/7 kosher services fits. The properties, he said, could lure Jewish travelers who want want to visit casinos but may be attracted by prices at the new venues that are reportedly scheduled to be less than the established Seminole property by a couple hundred dollars a night.

There are people who look at casinos like the ocean: They want to wake up in front of a casino, Sharaby told The Real Deal.

Hollywoods population is about 152,000, according to the U.S. Census. The Jewish population in Hollywood makes up about 1.2% of Hollywood residents, according to Dwellics, third behind Protestant (16.7%), Catholic (16%) or those identifying as no religious affiliation (63.5%).

Totally Jewish Travel listed Hollywoods Jewish population as around 13,000, with about 30 kosher restaurants spread throughout the city.
Robert De Niro is sharing the first details about his new baby after recently revealing he'd welcomed his seventh child at the age of 79.

He and girlfriend Tiffany Chen were very private about the pregnancy and the birth of the child with De Niro only revealing the news when a reporter began a question about his six children  he corrected the comment to clarify that he actually has seven.

Now the proud dad has shared they welcomed a baby girl.

Her name is Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro, and Chen gave birth on April 6, as he told Gayle King on "CBS Mornings." At birth, their daughter weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces.

ROBERT DE NIRO'S CO-STAR REVEALS MOTHER OF SEVENTH BABY

He also shared a photo of little Gia wearing pink and white striped footed pajamas.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

According to King, the couple is "over the moon" about their new daughter.

As he explained when confronted by King, who had just interviewed him before he made the announcement, hed been quiet about the baby because he didnt want to take focus away from the subject of the interview, his upcoming film "About My Father."

However, when the other reporter directly referenced his six children, he didnt feel comfortable denying the babys existence, either.

Robert De Niro, pictured at his "About My Father" premiere in New York, has revealed he and Tiffany Chen welcomed a baby girl.

He confirmed to King that the baby was planned, telling her that he and Chen wanted to have a child together.

After making his first public confirmation of the baby's arrival, some of his past and present costars spoke out about his new arrival, praising him and Chen for the "wonderful" news.

Billy Crystal, De Niro's longtime friend and costar in the films "Analyze This" and "Analyze That," spoke to People at a movie screening last night, saying, "I was with him two weeks before the baby was born. You know, it's amazing."

He mentioned Chen, a martial arts instructor De Niro originally met on the set of 2015's "The Intern," and how she and his friend "just love each other, and they want to do this together. I think it's a beautiful thing. It's wonderful."

Story continues

Robert De Niro was photographed on the set of his 2015 film "The Intern," getting tai chi lessons from Tiffany Chen, left.

Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal have been friends for decades.

Sebastian Maniscalco, an actor who plays De Niro's son in "About My Father," told Page Six that the news is "great," and that he learned about the baby "just like everybody else."

REESE WITHERSPOON ADMITS SHE BOMBED AN AUDITION WITH ROBERT DE NIRO: THIS IS SO BAD

He continued, "I have two kids myself. Im an older dad, Im 50, I have a 3-year-old son, so I know about being an older father. Im not as mobile as maybe some of the younger guys out there but yeah, congratulations to him and his family. Its a special moment."

Another "About My Father" star, 41-year-old Anders Holm, said, "Hey man, I love it. I got a 1-and-a-half-year-old. I hope we can get the kids together and have a good time!"

Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro star together in "About My Father."

While celebrating his 78th birthday, Robert De Niro was spotted with Tiffany Chen leaving his hotel in France in 2021.

Kim Cattrall, yet another star of the film, gushed, "God bless him, his significant other. Tiffany is such a beautiful woman. She came to the set once with her family and watched filming, and she was gorgeous and sweet. I'm happy for both of them."

Robert De Niro's co-star on his new film "About My Father," Kim Cattrall, offered insight on the actor's newest addition to the family.

De Niro's previous six children are with three different women.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

With his ex-wife Diahnne Abbott, to whom he was married from 1976-1988, he has daughter Drena, 51, and son Raphael, 46. He adopted Drena while married to Abbott.

He shares twin sons Julian and Aaron, 27 with ex Toukie Smith, as well as Elliot, 24 and Helen Grace, 11 with his second ex-wife, Grace Hightower . The two were married from 1997-2018, ending their relationship in a contentious divorce.

Fox News Digital's Caroline Thayer contributed to this report.
China's space technology experiments yield fruitful results

Xinhua) 09:44, May 11, 2023

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- For the first time ever, China has completed in-orbit experiments on liquid metal thermal management on its space station, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has announced.

During the experiments, the device operated stably, and a series of key technologies of bismuth-based metal, such as controlled melting, expansion and convection heat transfer were verified in microgravity, the CMSA said.

Mounted in the Space Basic Experiment Cabinet on the country's space lab module Mengtian, the device is one of the space station's first five experiments on space technology. The objective of these experiments is to obtain knowledge that can support more experimental possibilities and human survival in outer space.

Since the cabinet onboard the lab module was launched last October, it has yielded fruitful results in space technology experiments, including verifying the performance of liquid metals in space.

The liquid metals include alloyed metals, like bismuth-based and gallium-based ones, that can flow at a normal temperature or slightly higher while keeping metallic properties. They change into a solid state when the temperature drops.

Several desirable properties of liquid metals such as good conductivity, high boiling points and good capacity for heat transmission make them promising in the application of future space missions.

The experimental device of liquid metal thermal management operating in orbit was developed by the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It was designed based on bismuth-based metal.

Since the device entered the orbit, several tests and experiments have been conducted, obtaining data on convection heat transfer of liquid metals and their phase change temperature control in microgravity, said the CMSA.

It is also the first time that the country has carried out such experiments in space, the CMSA added.

Another result of the experiment cabinet comes from its drawer that is set to evaluate the hazards of chippings produced by a device based on friction between electric brushes and slip rings. The device is widely used for power and signal transfer in a satellite's electromechanical products, such as solar array drive assembly.

It had been previously unknown how those chippings will affect space work when they float under vacuum, weightlessness and complex electromagnetic effects, and whether such particles will move in a certain direction or cluster in microgravity, said the CMSA.

Earlier this week, the space agency announced that the generation process of such rubbing fragments and their cluster were observed during the five-month experiments.

"The finding marks significant progress," said the CMSA, noting that it has laid a solid foundation for improving the design of slip rings on spacecraft and ensuring the stable operation of such vehicles in orbit.

It is also worth mentioning that the operation of the country's Stirling thermoelectric convertor, another of the cabinet's five experiments, realized its in-orbit verification in late March.

The heat-to-electricity convertor showed an internationally advanced conversion efficiency during its smooth operation, according to the CMSA.

Each project of the country's space technology experiments is being carried out as planned, and more results from the space station are expected, the space agency added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
by Xinhua writers Zhang Yisheng, Yang Dehong

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- More than 2,100 years ago, Zhang Qian set off from what is now the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an as an envoy of Han Dynasty. He braved a world of uncertainties and traveled westward through harsh terrain to Central Asia.

Zhang's pioneering expedition opened up a route that later became the Silk Road, which saw flourishing interactions between China and Central Asia.

Next week, the heads of state of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will attend the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi'an, which will draw a new blueprint for China-Central Asia relations and open up a new era of cooperation.

Primarily, the summit will further deepen strategic mutual trust between China and Central Asian countries.

Over the past decade, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries, the two sides have made a series of historic and groundbreaking achievements in cooperation.

In January 2022, a virtual summit was held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Central Asian countries, and China-Central Asia cooperation mechanisms were created. Then, in September 2022, Xi attended the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, and paid state visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The forthcoming event in Xi'an is the first summit held offline by the heads of state of the six countries since the establishment of diplomatic ties 31 years ago. During the summit, the heads of state will review the development of China-Central Asia relations and exchange views on China-Central Asia mechanism building, cooperation in various fields and major international and regional issues of common interest.

Moreover, the landmark gathering will inject new impetus into high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Central Asia is where the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was initiated. In a speech delivered at Kazakhstan's Nazarbayev University on Sept. 7, 2013, Xi for the first time proposed building the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Central Asian countries were among the first to publicly support the BRI and also pioneers in Belt and Road cooperation.

In the past 10 years, the five Central Asian countries have taken an active part in the BRI, turning Central Asia into a demonstration zone of Belt and Road cooperation. China and the Central Asian countries have strengthened the synergy of their development strategies and actively promoted policy coordination, connectivity of infrastructure and facilities, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people bonds.

During the approaching summit, all parties will discuss how to further promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Additionally, the summit will draw up a new blueprint for strengthening practical cooperation.

Currently, China-Central Asia cooperation is at an all-time high, and mutually beneficial cooperation has delivered tangible benefits to the six countries and their peoples.

China is the largest trading and investment partner of the five Central Asian countries. Trade between China and the five countries reached 70.2 billion U.S. dollars last year, a historic high. By the end of 2022, China's direct investment stock in the five countries reached nearly 15 billion dollars.

During next week's summit, the heads of state will review the history of friendly exchanges, sort out the fruits of cooperation, and put forward new cooperation initiatives, so as to advance all-round, deep and multidimensional cooperation between China and Central Asia in a solid and efficient manner, and foster a new cooperation pattern featuring a high degree of complementarity and win-win results.

Last but not least, the summit will make new contributions to maintaining regional security.

China and Central Asian countries, with their interests closely entwined, have stood together through thick and thin. So strengthening relations between China and Central Asian countries is crucial to themselves as well as the peace and development of the region.

Through bilateral cooperation and multilateral platforms such as the SCO and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, China and Central Asian countries have achieved remarkable results in jointly cracking down on religious extremists, ethnic separatists and violent terrorist forces, effectively guaranteeing national and regional security.

Besides, China and Central Asian countries respect each other's choice of development path based on national conditions, support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, firmly oppose external interference in internal affairs, and do not allow anyone or any force to create chaos and turmoil in Central Asia.

At the upcoming summit, all parties will reaffirm their consistent position of firm support for each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, exchange views on the situation in Afghanistan and other regional and international hotspot issues, and send a shared message of upholding multilateralism and jointly safeguarding regional and world peace and security.

As China-Central Asia cooperation meets the needs of the six countries and the expectations of their peoples, the summit in Xi'an will certainly usher in a new era of China-Central Asia cooperation, and help build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future. 
Robert De Niro has revealed the name of his newborn daughter, as he shared his first photo of her.

During Thursdays episode of CBS Mornings, Gayle King revealed some new details that DeNiro has shared with her about his newborn. The TV hosts remarks came two days after the 79-year-old actor announced that he welcomed his seventh child.

King went on to present the photo of the newborn baby, who had black hair and was wearing a light pink onesie. She then revealed that the child was born on 6 April and that her full name is Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro.

She said that De Niro and his partner, Tiffany Chen, are over the moon about the newest addition to their family.

According to King, she had asked De Niro if his new baby was planned. In response, he told her yes and said that both he and his partner wanted her. She emphasised how psyched and excited the Godfather star was about having another child.

During an interview with ET Canada on 8 May, De Niro first revealed that he was a father again, as he opened up about parenthood while promoting his latest comedy film, About My Father.

When interviewer Brittnee Blair said, I know you have six kids, the actor corrected her and responded: Seven, actually. I just had a baby.

While at the premiere of About My Father on 9 May, he first noted to Page Six that the pregnancy was planned. How you could not plan that kind of thing? he said.

After De Niro announced the news, his co-star for his new movie, Kim Cattrall, appeared to reveal the identity of his childs mother.

Robert De Niro and his partner Tiffany Chen welcomed Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro in early April  and now, shes making her national TV debut on #CBSMornings. https://t.co/OJJxGcEKlU pic.twitter.com/opiFRpWkRs  CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 11, 2023

Speaking to Extra at the premiere of About My Father, Cattrall said: God bless him, his significant other. Tiffany is such a beautiful woman. She came to the set once with her family and watched filming, and she was gorgeous and sweet. Im happy for both of them.

Along with his newborn daughter, the Meet the Fockers star has six other children from previous relationships.

De Niro and his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, are parents to one daughter, Drena, 51, and one son, Raphael, 46. He welcomed his twins, Julian and Aaron, 27, with ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith in 1995. He also shares his 25-year-old son, Elliot, and 11-year-old daughter, Helen Grace, with ex-wife Grace Hightower.
Robert De Niro let CBS' Gayle King share birth details about his seventh child, whom he welcomed in early April. (Charles Sykes / Invision / Associated Press)

CBS host Gayle King isn't pleased about getting the runaround from Robert De Niro, who revealed earlier this week that he had welcomed a new baby  his seventh child.

But King was able to coax an exclusive out of the two-time Oscar winner over the snub, revealing Thursday on "CBS Mornings" that the 79-year-old cinema icon and his partner, Tiffany Chen, welcomed a baby girl named Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro on April 6.

King said that the baby girl weighed 8 pounds and 6 ounces when she was born and that De Niro and Chen are "over the moon about this little girl." Gia made her national TV debut in a photo shared with viewers Thursday.

The host, who recently interviewed the Godfather Part II and Meet the Parents star for his upcoming comedy "About My Father," said Thursday that De Niro made no mention of the baby's arrival during their sit-down last weekend with his co-star Sebastian Maniscalco.

So when the Irishman star told ET Canada about the baby's arrival earlier this week, King called him and asked why he didn't mention it in their chat  especially when they were discussing kids.

The veteran broadcaster said De Niro told her that he thought about it, but decided against it so he wouldn't "take anything away from the movie." But, she added, he brought it up in the other interview because he "didn't want to deny this baby." It should be noted that De Niro made the reveal when the reporter asked him specifically about his six children, and he corrected her by saying "seven, actually," sharing that he recently welcomed another.

King said De Niro told her that he and Chen, a martial-arts instructor, wanted to have the baby, that she "was planned" and that "they're over the moon," psyched and very excited about her. (King's full interview with De Niro will air May 23.)

Neither De Niro nor his team confirmed additional details earlier this week about the baby's arrival or his partner. But his co-star Kim Cattrall gushed about Chen in a Tuesday interview.

Story continues

"God bless him. His significant other, Tiffany, is such a beautiful woman, Cattrall told Extra, adding that Chen and her family visited the cast and crew on the set of About My Father.

She was gorgeous and sweet, and Im happy for both of them," Cattrall said.

The "Sex and the City" and "How I Met Your Father" star said she hadnt heard the baby news until she went to get her hair and makeup done for the new movies premiere. "About My Father" hits theaters May 26.

De Niro has six children from past relationships and is already a grandfather several times over.

He and his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, are parents to daughter and actor Drena De Niro, 51, and former actor Raphael De Niro, 46. The star and his former girlfriend, model and actor Toukie Smith, welcomed twin sons Julian and Aaron, 27, in 1995. And De Niro shares son Elliot, 24, and daughter Helen Grace, 11, with ex-wife Grace Hightower. He and Hightower split in 2018 after 20 years of marriage.

People reported that De Niro and Chen met while filming a movie in 2015 but weren't romantically linked until August 2021. They reportedly live together in Los Angeles.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Baiju Bhatt and Vlad Tenev outside the Wall Street subway station during Robinhood Markets IPO Listing Day on July 29, 2021



Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, left, said that always-on, 24-hour trading is how the market should work.

Stock trading app Robinhood wants to edge out the behemoth that is the New York Stock exchange. Rather than eating from the same dish of its own personal sheriff of Nottingham, the app that was once the darling of the WallStreetBets crowd is hoping its always-on audience might appreciate the ability to buy and sell stocks at every hour of the day.

The company proclaimed it was working on 24-hour trading for certain stocks in its latest quarterly financial report released Wednesday. Vlad Tenev, the Robinhood CEO, told investors that this service would launch next week, while quarterly filings revealed the service would start with more than 40 well-known stocks and exchange-traded funds. According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, trading would open perpetually from 8 p.m. ET Sunday and 8 p.m. ET Friday. Some of these big stocks include the likes of Amazon, Apple, and Tesla.

Read more

Tenev told WSJ that the company will add more stocks to its always-on service over time, adding that this 24-hour trading is how the market should work since it wont be tied to a single time zone and its working hours. While there are some other services that allow for limited early morning trading of ETFs, this would be one of the first firms to allow overnight trading of big-name stocks.

Per the Journal, all trades after 8 p.m. ET will be sent to trading platform Blue Ocean, then through a number of firms trying to profit off of stocks. Though there will certainly be a number of late-night, bleary-eyed, stock-obsessed folks punching in numbers like a gambler at a slot machine, it will still be hard to topple the might of Wall Street. In its latest quarterly financial report, the company did say it experienced a bump in monthly active users to about 11.8 million. The company had experienced a long decline in users since highs of 21.3 million in the middle of 2021. The NYSE claims it had a daily volume of 38.3 million contracts in 2022.

Story continues

The company is also hoping it can add futures trading by the end of the year, pending approval of a Futures Commission Merchant License, something which one Redditor on the r/WallStreetBets said was like trusting a toddler with napalm. Though the memestock crowd is overall excited by the prospect of 24/5 trading. It might be enough to drag back some traders still angry over how Robinhood halted trades of volatile meme stocks during the original GameStop short craze.

Robinhoods ambitions may be hampered by ongoing regulatory scrutiny. Bloomberg first reported based on the companys filings that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is delving into the companys recordkeeping requirements, which supposedly involved off-channel communications. The enforcement arm of the SEC is also investigating whether Robinhood kept to the book when reporting trades related to securities.

The SECs investigation could be similar to last year when bankers got hit for illegally communicating in private channels on apps like WhatsApp. Gizmodo reached out to the SEC for comment on the investigation and a spokesperson told us the agency does not comment on the existence or nonexistence of a possible investigation. The company already had to pay $30 million to the New York Department of Financial Services last year over allegations it failed to maintain compliant cybersecurity.

After it took hits from hackers, customers, politicians, and regulators, Robinhood had a bad 2022 resulting in layoffs and declines in revenue. The company reported Wednesday its revenue was up 47% from the same time last year, though it still experienced losses for the seventh consecutive quarter.

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
A black rock with pock marks sits inside on a hard wood floor.

A rock likely to be a meteorite crashed into a New Jersey home on Monday (May 8), damaging a bedroom but causing no injuries.

No one was at Suzy Kop's home in Hopewell Township, New Jersey, when the space rock made its entrance, according to CBS News Philadelphia , which first reported the unusual event. The meteorite landed around 1 p.m. EDT, crashing through the roof and landing in the bedroom belonging to Kop's father. Judging by the damage, the meteorite hit the floor, bounced to the ceiling, and came to rest in the corner of a room. The metallic rock measures about 4 inches by 6 inches (10 by 15 centimeters).

"I did touch the thing because I thought it was a random rock and it was warm," Kop told CBS News.

Authorities are still investigating the origin of the apparent space rock, but Derrick Pitts , the chief astronomer at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, told CBS News that it could be 4 to 5 billion years old. Its possible that the meteorite was part of the ongoing Eta Aquarid meteor shower , which roughly occurs between April 19 and May 29 each year, and which reached its peak around May 5 and 6. During peak days, the shower can produce hundreds of "shooting stars" per hour  most of which are meteors that burn up in the atmosphere. These meteors are the rocky debris left by Halley's Comet, which becomes visible from Earth every 75 to 79 years, according to NASA .

"For it to actually strike a house, for people to be able to pick up, that's really unusual and has happened very few times in history," Pitts said.

Related stories

4.6 billion-year-old meteorite may reveal the origin of Earth's water

'Pristine' meteorite contaminated with table salt upon crash landing on Earth

17-pound meteorite found in Antarctica, likely hidden for millennia, is perfectly intact

Meteors enter Earth's atmosphere all the time, but most burn up before hitting the ground. On rare occasions, those that do land cause damage to buildings. For instance, in 2015, a 1.6 pound (712 gram) meteorite crashed into a home in San Carlos, Uruguay, destroying a bed and television . In 2021, a British Columbia woman woke to a loud noise and discovered a fist-sized rock between her pillows; it turned out to be a fragment of a meteor that exploded in midair , causing a fireball. In November 2022, it's thought that a meteorite impact may have caused a California house to burst into flames .

Small meteorites have also been reported crashing through buildings in Sumatra in 2020, in Connecticut in 1982, and in Auckland in 2004. Luckily, no one has been injured in these incidents; the only known example of a person hit by a meteorite occurred in Alabama in 1954, when an 8.5 pound (3.8 kilogram) space rock crashed into a woman's home, hit her radio, and struck her leg, leaving a large bruise.
Dolph Lundgren has opened up about his ongoing treatment for cancer.

The Swedish actor, who shot to fame as the Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, was diagnosed in 2015 when doctors found a cancerous tumour in his kidney.

The first five years, things were fine, Lundgren said during a recent appearance on In Depth with Graham Bensinger. I did scans every six months, then every year.

In 2020, he began suffering from acid reflux and went in for an MRI. They found that there were a few more tumours around the area, he said, gesturing towards his abdominal region.

Lundgren underwent surgery to remove six tumours. He said just as he was about to direct and star in a movie, he got a call from the doctor informing him they found one more tumour in the liver.

At that point, it started to hit me that this is kind of something serious, said the 65-year-old. After going in for a scan to prepare for surgery, he received another call from the surgeon telling him that the tumour had grown now, meaning we cant take it out.

Its like the size of a small lemon. So now, if they cant take it out that means you have to do systemic therapy, Lundgren explained.

But then I started getting these side effects where I started getting diarrhoea and lost a lot of weight, and that wasnt very nice for myself or for my poor fiancee to suffer through that.

Dolph Lundgren (Getty Images)

I had signed on to Expendables 4 and the sequel to Aquaman, [with] both pictures shooting in London in the fall of 2021, he continued. They had a really good guy there who was put in charge of my care.

His London specialist suggested he probably take a break and spend more time with your family and so forth.

So I kind of asked him, How long do you think I have left, and I think he said two to three years, but I could tell in his voice that he probably thought it was less, Lundgren recalled. I thought it was it for sure.

Getting sentimental, the 65-year-old said: You kind look at your life and... Ive had a freaking great life. Ive led like five lifetimes in one already.

Story continues

In the midst of shooting these two movies and being kind of depressed, I decided, screw it, I might as well get a second opinion.

He said hes since connected with a doctor who reevaluated his cancer and prescribed him medications to shrink the tumours.

Asked what the prognosis is now, Lundgren responded: Hopefully, when they take these out, theres no cancer activity and the medication that Im taking is going to suppress everything else.

Lundgren will reprise his role as King Nereus in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom  releasing on 20 December  alongside Jason Momoa and Amber Heard, whom he previously said was terrific to work with.

He also makes his return in Expendables 4  releasing on 22 September  opposite his old foe, Sylvester Stallone.
Ruben Ostlund is aware that the Cannes critics can resemble a circle of sadness.

The two-time Palme dOr winner and Triangle of Sadness director admitted to Variety that he understands why Martin Scorsese declined to debut Killers of the Flower Moon in competition at Cannes. Ostlund serves as the 2023 Cannes Film Festival jury president.

More from IndieWire

You have to use the competition to gain energy. And think of how much energy the Cannes Film Festival has given to filmmakers all over the world, Ostlund said. Of course, if youre a director of the caliber of Martin Scorsese, to be in competition with other films involves a risk rather than a reward  critics in Cannes can be harsh.

He added, But I would like to encourage everybody to enter the competition.

Scorseses long-awaited Killers of the Flower Moon is premiering at this years festival; however, the Western epic true crime period piece will play out of competition, similar to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

The official logline for Killers of the Flower Moon bills it as a 1920s Oklahoma drama depicting the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation that became known as the Reign of Terror. Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, Robert De Niro, Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, and Jillian Dion star.

Cannes festival director Thierry Fremaux confirmed that the film was eligible to debut in competition due to its theatrical release from Apple, in partnership with Paramount Pictures. Fremaux told Variety earlier this year that he wanted Scorsese to compete for the Palme dOr almost a half-century since Taxi Driver.

When we saw the film back in November and when we invited it, it was an Apple movie. The situation has changed now that Apple has announced that it will be released in theaters everywhere, including in France, on Oct. 19. That means it qualifies for the Cannes competition since, as you know, all films competing must have a theatrical release, Fremaux said. So I told Apple and Martin Scorsese that considering how great the movie is, its obviously invited in competition. And now Im waiting to hear their decision. We have until the last minute.

Story continues

He continued, When Fellini won the Palme dOr for La Dolce Vita, he said Im not coming back in competition, and Marty won the Palme dOr in 1976. So obviously one could say, he doesnt have much to gain considering his prestigious status. Except one thing: the Palme dOr. I think he should come in competition.

Fremaux further teased that Killers of the Flower Moon is akin to David Lean and Cecil B. DeMille Old Hollywood classics. Scorsese has yet to publicly comment on whether the film will be in competition or not at Cannes. For all the details on Killers of the Flower Moon, click here.

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.
(REUTERS)

Eurovisions second semi-final is taking place tonight (May 11) before the grand final on Saturday.

The UK is hosting the 2023 song contest in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine, who won the contest last year, due to the ongoing war in the country with Russia.

A total of 37 countries are set to take part in Eurovision this year, with Ukraine automatically qualifying for the grand final as 2022 winners as well as the so-called big five  the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain  who each get a free pass because of their financial contributions to the event.

But as well as the fun that comes with the annual showing, there are also strict rules which must be adhered to by all countries. The rules are established by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and are approved by the contests governing body, the Reference Group.

But how will it work and what are the rules for the annual contest?

Song rules

The songs performed at the show are not allowed to have been released and/or publicly performed before a release date, set by the show organisers.

This is done to not give any country an advantage by their song being more well known than any others. If a song is released early, the country can be banned from performing it and must come up with a new entry to compete.

Each song must be a maximum of three minutes long and must have gone through a national selection process by each country.

The stage shows must be kept the exact same as the ones performers do in dress rehearsals, and cannot be changed on the night of the final.

No lip-syncing is allowed, and no live animals are allowed on the stage as part of a performance. Only six artists are allowed on stage for any one country performance.

All artists must be at least 16 years of age to represent their country in the final and no artist can compete for more than one country in any given year.

Costume rules

Nearly everything goes and some have even appeared nude on stage in the past. However, full nudity is banned.

Story continues

Rails measuring 150m  equivalent to three Olympic-sized swimming pools  will hold the costumes for the competitors.

According to the BBC, the hair and make-up teams will use more than 100 wigs and hairpieces, 1,000 litres of hairspray, more than 3,000 make-up brushes, and 5,000 hairpins to create looks for every performer, and there have been some weird and wonderful moments with costumes in Eurovisions seven-decade history.

Flag rules

There are however strict rules on what fans can take in to show their support for their favourite acts.

Only flags under a certain size are allowed into the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool and ticket holders have been warned that all prohibited items must be surrendered at the entrance and will not be returned.

Items that will be confiscated include certain belts, bracelets and even selfie sticks. Chairs, backpacks, air horns and laser pens are also on the list of things that are banned.

Fans will be able to bring in hand-held flags but these must be no larger than 5 m x 1 m, and flag sticks have been banned.

How voting works

The competition is famed for its complex voting procedures, and this year is no different.

Viewers from participating countries will be invited to vote for their favourite songs on the night of the grand finale on Saturday, May 13.

Fans can vote over the phone, by text, or via the Eurovision app.

Each person can vote up to 20 times but voters will be unable to select their own countrys entry.

The public votes make up 50 per cent of the total vote, with the other half determined by a professional jury in each participating country.

After viewers have cast their votes, a national spokesperson from the participating countries will be called in to present the points of their professional jury, which range from the maximum douze points (12) to zero.

After the presentation of the scores from the juries, the public points from all participating countries will be combined, providing one score for each song and a winner will be crowned.

What has changed with Eurovision voting this year?

Voting has somewhat changed this year, just to make it slightly more confusing.

As of this year, only viewers votes will decide which countries qualify for the semi-finals stage, which means that acts do not have to face the official judges until they reach the grand final stage.

For 2023, for the first time ever, people from countries outside the contest will also be able to vote online and on the app.

Their votes will be converted into points that will have the same weight as one participating country in both of the semi-finals and the grand final.
Tryfonivska SPP

Read also: Ukraine and US to build small modular nuclear reactor to produce hydrogen and ammonia

One of the most interesting but under-reported achievements so far in 2023 has been the connection of Ukraines first biomethane production plant. This facility is one of a series of similar projects that are expected to position Ukraine firmly at the center of Europes energy transition. Situated in northern Ukraines Chernihiv region, the plant connected to the gas distribution grid in early April. A further four plants are expected to follow suit before the end of the current year.

With more facilities in the pipeline, Ukraine could be producing up to three billion cubic meters of biomethane annually by 2030, which would represent 10% of the EUs total targeted production. By 2050, Ukraine could scale up production sevenfold to reach an annual level representing around two-thirds of the countrys total prewar natural gas consumption.

Since the biomethane molecule is similar to that of natural gas but non-polluting and fully compliant with decarbonization goals, investments to support production and transmission infrastructure are expected to be affordable. This can already be seen in a number of swift upgrades that have allowed existing Ukrainian power generation plants using biomass to undergo partial conversions to biomethane.

There are signs, however, that international appetite to work with Ukrainian energy industry partners is already growing, even as Russias invasion continues.

Soaring energy prices in the wake of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the blockade of Ukrainian grain exports have helped producers to fast-track their investments in this budding sector. With traditional export routes severely restricted by the Kremlins Black Sea grain blockade, some agricultural businesses have used their crops to produce biogas and biomethane. Meanwhile, with European electricity and gas prices reaching record levels last year against a backdrop of Russias invasion, biomethane production is now five times more profitable than grain production.

Story continues

Analysts say Ukrainian-produced biomethane is cheaper for European buyers than volumes produced in EU countries. Thanks to support from DENA, the German biogas register operator, Ukraine will also soon be able to set up its own register, which should allow sellers to provide proof of origin for exported biomethane by the end of this year.

Of course, much of Ukraines ability to scale up this segment of the energy industry will depend on how quickly the war ends and on the ability of producers to attract funding. There are signs, however, that international appetite to work with Ukrainian energy industry partners is already growing, even as Russias invasion continues.

Read also: What is happening on the border with Belarus near the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant

At the beginning of May, Ukraines gas transmission system operator, GTSOU, said it had received interest from non-resident companies looking to import natural gas to the country and possibly store it in underground facilities over the summer months. Prior to the war, more than 100 non-resident companies had signed up to import and store gas in Ukraine. In 2020, for example, a third of the gas stored in Ukraines 30 bcm underground facilities belonged to foreign entities. Following the start of Russias full-scale invasion last year, this figure dropped to just 2%. However, the latest capacity bookings reported by GTSOU signal renewed international interest in injecting gas despite the ongoing war risk.

This interest is largely driven by a widening spread between current and winter prices, which means traders have an incentive to buy cheaply now hoping to sell at much higher prices later this winter. Storage facilities across the EU are also filling up fast, effectively prompting companies to turn to Ukraines vast facilities to store surplus volumes.

Undoubtedly, this will increase Europes overall security of supply, particularly during the winter months when gas can be withdrawn and used across the EU. One could argue that Ukraines comparatively cheaper storage and transmission tariffs, together with the work carried out both by GTSOU and the storage operator UTG in previous years to attract customers, have also been instrumental in attracting international interest.

Read also: Ukrnafta plans to launch gas station network, double production

Further progress in the storage sector now seems increasingly realistic. Discussions are currently underway at the government and private sector levels to issue war risk insurance for companies looking to store gas in Ukraine. This could provide an extra measure of safety for existing or new clients. Whatever format these insurance measures take, it seems clear that wartime Ukraine remains a critical energy partner for Europe, and will continue to play an important role in the continents complex energy transition.

This story was originally published by the Atlantic Council. NV is republishing it with permission.

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
On Thursday, 11 May, Russian troops shelled the city of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast. Search and rescue workers recovered an injured woman from under the rubble.

Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv Oblast

Details: On 11 May, at approximately 14:15 (Kyiv time), the Russians shelled Vovchansk, Chuhuiv district. One of the shells hit a private house. The owner of the house was trapped under the rubble.

At 14:36, rescue workers and firefighters arrived at the scene. They found the woman under the rubble of the destroyed building structures and handed her over to paramedics.

The woman, who suffered shrapnel wounds to her face and limbs, was taken to a medical facility by ambulance.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Indias efforts to internationalize the rupee have stalled following the failure of its negotiations to use it to trade with Russia.

Russia, which prefers the Chinese yuan, is hesitant to adopt rupee trade as that would leave Moscow with undesirable rupee reserves of more than $40 billion annually, Reuters reported last week.

Read more

We dont want to push rupee settlement any more, that mechanism is just not working. India has tried everything we could to try and make this work but it hasnt helped, unnamed government sources told Reuters. This quashes the hopes of Indias oil and coal importers who were looking to reduce currency conversion costs.

A rupee-rouble trade arrangement was necessitated due to a spurt in Russia-India trade after Western nations imposed sanctions on Russia early last year following the Ukraine invasion.

Since Russia relies heavily on revenues from oil and natural gas, it offered heavy discounts to India which imports 85% of its fuel needs. April 2023 alone saw a nearly 530% rise in imports by India over April 2022. Indias defense imports have also risen, making Russia, Indias fifth-largest trading partner.

However, acute exchange-rate volatility has soured things for Russia.

Why Russia prefers the Chinese yuan?

Besides the Indian rupee, Indias trade payments to Russia have been a mix of UAE dirhams and the Chinese yuan so far.

Private sector companies are using dirham, and PSUs are going for INR [Indian rupee] because complete (trade) settlement in yuan would mean that India is accepting China, and [prime minister Narendra] Modi wouldnt want it, a senior treasury official at one of Indias private sector banks told Quartz, requesting anonymity.

Russia, meanwhile, prefers the yuan. This is because Russia-China bilateral trade has grown more rapidly and is stronger than Indias. In 2022, it reached a record high of $190 billionRussias trade with India stood at a mere $35.3 billion comparatively.

Story continues

In 2022, the share of yuan payments in Russian imports rose to 23% from 4% before the Ukraine war, The Guardian reported. Transactions involving the yuan and Russian rouble have now overtaken those involving the US dollar-rouble pair. Russian counterparties are now increasingly willing to accept the yuan as a mode of payment.

What are the hiccups in the rupee trade mechanism?

In March 2022, western economies banned Russia from SWIFT, the network used globally to settle payments. Countries trading with Russia then scrambled to find alternative methods of payment.



India pushed for settlement in rupees, but seldom found takers due to three reasons: the rupee is not fully convertible, it has been weakening, and the fact that Russia exports more to India than it imports.

For starters, India has a huge and widening trade deficit with Russia. Its imports from Moscow in the last fiscal until February were nearly 15 times its shipments back to Russia, according to Indias trade ministry data.

This makes the rupee payment mechanism futile because Russia, even after paying for all its imports from India in rupees, would be left with a lot of Indian currency that cannot be used elsewhere.

We need to use this money. But for this, these rupees must be transferred in another currency, and this is being discussed now, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on May 5, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Goa, according to Bloomberg.

The two countries are now seeking a way around the impasse.

More from Quartz

Sign up for Quartz's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Chinese and Cameroonian participants communicate with each other during a promotional conference organized to invite the Central African nation to participate in the expo to be held in China in Yaounde, Cameroon, May 9, 2023. Cameroon hopes to attract more Chinese investment when it takes part in the upcoming third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, said a Cameroonian trade official on Tuesday. The expo, under the theme "Common development for a shared future," will run from June 29 to July 2 in central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Kepseu)

YAOUNDE, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Cameroon hopes to attract more Chinese investment when it takes part in the upcoming third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, said a Cameroonian trade official on Tuesday.

Joseph Mutomby Ndumbe, director of foreign trade at Cameroon's Ministry of Trade, made the remarks during a promotional conference organized in the capital Yaounde to invite the Central African nation to participate in the expo to be held in China.

Cameroon hopes to export more to the Chinese market and attract more Chinese investors, Ndumbe told Xinhua at the close of the conference.

"We are going there (trade expo) to seek to have the possibility of having fruitful partnerships with Chinese companies that are ready to come to Cameroon," he said, adding that the country will exhibit made-in-Cameroon products including Penja pepper, Oku White Honey, cocoa and coffee.

The expo, under the theme "Common development for a shared future," will run from June 29 to July 2 in central China's Hunan Province.

Yang Zhihua, deputy mayor of Yiyang, a city in Hunan, said at the conference that the province and Cameroon have vast space for cooperation in modern agricultural development and the construction of transport, energy and communication infrastructure.

"We wholeheartedly hope for the participation of the Cameroonian government, think tanks, enterprises, trade associations and financial institutions, with China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo as a platform," Yang said. 

A promotional conference organized to invite the Central African nation to participate in the expo to be held in China is held in Yaounde, Cameroon, May 9, 2023. Cameroon hopes to attract more Chinese investment when it takes part in the upcoming third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, said a Cameroonian trade official on Tuesday. The expo, under the theme "Common development for a shared future," will run from June 29 to July 2 in central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Kepseu)
Russia's Sofia Pozdniakova (R) won two gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Russia's fencers have rejected the "proposed return format" set out by the IOC to come back to international competition, the Russian Olympic Committee said Thursday, raising the possibility of a boycott of Olympic qualifiers.

"As far as fencing in particular is concerned, I have repeatedly discussed with members of the national team the proposed 'return' format," ROC president Stanislav Pozdniakov said on Telegram.

"And I can say that none of them have considered and are considering the option of participating in international tournaments within the existing restrictions."

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) was the first to authorise the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes since the invasion of Ukraine, specifying in March it was awaiting International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendations.

On March 28, the IOC recommended the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions - without commenting on their presence at the 2024 Paris Games - under several conditions.

These include competing under a neutral flag, individually, not having a contract with the Russian army or security services, or having supported the war in Ukraine since the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022.

"It's actually a poorly disguised toolbox of exclusion, not to mention the discrimination and double standards still applied on the basis of nationality," added Pozdniakov, a four-time Olympic sabre champion.

The first qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympics next year took place without Russians, as will men's and women's sabre qualifiers this weekend in Georgia and Spain.

In Tokyo in 2021, Pozdniakov's daughter Sofia Pozdniakova won the Olympic sabre team title along with Sofya Velikaya and Olga Nikitina.

Pozdniakova also won the individual gold, succeeding countrywoman Yana Egorian, while Velikaya took individual silver in the last three Olympics.

These four competitors are however listed as being an "Armed Forces Athlete" on the FIE website.

bur-tba/cyj/ea/pb
Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of Russia's Bryansk region, said on May 11 that a Ukrainian drone had allegedly attacked an oil depot owned by the Russian state oil company Rosneft.

The oil depot is located in the town of Klintsy, around 80 kilometers from the border with Ukraine's Chernihiv Oblast.

The attack purportedly damaged the depot's foundation and the oil storage tank, according to Bogomaz. No casualties were reported.

There have been an increasing number of reports about attacks on railway networks and oil refineries within Russian territory in recent weeks.

UK Defense Ministry: Russia will highly likely remain unable to protect railways from further sabotage The rising number of sabotage acts inside Russia suggests that the country will highly likely remain unable to fully protect its rail networks against further incidents, the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote on May 5. Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Earlier, Bogomaz reported an attack on an administration building in Starodub on May 10, while Russian media outlet Baza wrote that it was the building of a military enlistment office.

Roman Starovoyt, the governor of Russia's Kursk region, claimed that Ukrainian forces hit an electrical substation in the village of Tyotkino, which allegedly interrupted the power supply.

Russia's Belgorod Oblast has also reportedly come under fire, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. He said that seven settlements were left without electricity due to the purported attack.

All the mentioned Russian regions border Ukraine. Kyiv has not commented on whether it was responsible for the attacks.

Russia has been regularly shelling Ukraine's northeastern regions bordering Russia, and Russian regions along the border have also been shelled.

Since the start of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, there have been multiple reports about fires breaking out across Russia and other acts of sabotage, which some believe to be carried out by the Ukrainian military or local partisan groups.

Story continues
The Investigative Committee of Russia has threatened to put the International Criminal Court (ICC) judges who issued the warrant for the arrest of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on the wanted list.

Source: Russian propaganda news agency TASS with reference to the head of the Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Bastrykin

Quote from Bastrykin: "We will soon declare the prosecutor of the court, the presiding judges and three judges who actively influenced the adoption of this decision [issuing a warrant for Putin's arrest  ed.] as wanted."

Background:

On 17 March, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the situation in Ukraine.

Now all member states of the International Criminal Court are legally bound to detain Russian President Vladimir Putin as a suspect and bring him to trial.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A Russian court gave a two-year suspended sentence Thursday to a St. Petersburg woman who left a note on the grave of President Vladimir Putin's parents that said they had "raised a freak and a killer.

The court found Irina Tsybaneva, 60, guilty of desecrating burial places motivated by political hatred. Her lawyer said she didnt plead guilty because she hadnt desecrated the grave physically or sought publicity for her action.

The note that Tsybaneva placed on the guarded grave on the eve of Putins birthday in October read: Parents of a maniac, take him to your place. He causes so much pain and trouble. The whole world prays for his death. Death to Putin. You raised a freak and a killer.

Since Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the government has waged a crackdown on dissent unseen since the Soviet era.

In another case, a Russian government agency added actor Artur Smolyaninov and a former consultant who advised the Ukrainian president's office to a list of extremists and terrorists.

In a January interview with the Europe edition of independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Smolyaninov stated that hypothetically, he would take part in hostilities only on Ukraine's side.

The Ukrainian presidential consultant, Oleksiy Arestovich, resigned after stating online that a Russian missile that caused the deaths of 45 people in the city of Dnipro hit a residential building as a result of Ukrainian air defenses.

In other developments Thursday:

-- A Russian military court sentenced Nikita Tushkanov, a history teacher from Komi, to five and a-half years in prison for comments he made about last year's explosion of the Kerch bridge linking Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula to mainland Russia. Tushkanov was found guilty of justifying terrorism and discrediting the Russian army. The teacher published social media posts in October calling the bridge explosion a birthday present for Putin.

 Jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny reported on Twitter that he was returned to a solitary confinement punishment cell only a day after his release from one. He didn't speculate why. Navalny, 46, who exposed official corruption and organized massive anti-Kremlin protests, was arrested in Moscow in January 2021 after recuperating in Germany from nerve-agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin. He initially received a 2-year prison sentence for a parole violation. Last year, he was sentenced to a nine-year term for fraud and contempt of court. He's serving time at a maximum-security prison 250 kilometers (150 miles) east of Moscow.

The Kremlin's sweeping campaign of repression has criminalized criticism of the war. In addition to fines and jail sentences, those accused have been fired, blacklisted, branded as foreign agents or fled Russia.
The Russian occupiers have taken about 300 local residents, including children, from the front-line territories of Zaporizhzhia Oblast to Berdiansk in the past 3 days.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 11 May

Quote: "The Russian occupation administration has "evacuated" about 300 local residents, including children, from the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia Oblast to Berdiansk during the past 3 days."

Background:

The Russian invaders began to take away children and public sector employees from the city of Kamianka-Dniprovska in Zaporizhzhia Oblast to the city of Berdiansk on 8 May.

On 9 May, it was reported that Russian invaders are taking documentation, computer equipment, and other looted property out of Enerhodar, the satellite city of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), shops and pharmacies are closed, and petrol stations and ATMs are empty.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
On 10 May, Russian invaders carried out 11 attacks on the border region of Sumy Oblast. 65 strikes were recorded. One civilian was killed and damage was caused.

Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration on Facebook

Details: The Russians hit Bilopillia hromada [an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.] with mortars (29 strikes) and artillery (6 strikes). A private house, a farm garage and power lines were damaged in one of the tubed artillery attacks on the village of Pavlivka. A local resident, 55, was killed when he was hit by a fragment of an artillery shell at his home.

A mortar attack was carried out on the Khotin hromada (3 strikes).

In the Esman hromada, shelling from self-propelled guns was recorded (2 strikes).

The Russians dropped 13 mortar bombs on the territory of the Velyka Pysarivka hromada.

Mortar attacks (5 strikes) were recorded in the Novoslobidske hromada.

In the Yunakivka hromada, mortar attacks (3 strikes) and shelling (3 strikes) were recorded. A private house was damaged.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
MiG-31BM supersonic interceptor armed with a Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic cruise missile underneath it. Russian Ministry of Defense/YouTube

Ukraine shot down a Russian Kinzhal missile with a US-made Patriot interceptor, the US and Ukrainian militaries say.

Russia has said the weapon is an unstoppable hypersonic missile, but it was never quite what Russia claimed.

Still, a missile defense expert told Insider the missile is tough target, making it an "impressive" kill.

The Ukrainians recently did what the Kremlin said was impossible and shot down an advanced Russian Kinzhal missile, according to the US and Ukrainian militaries.

A missile defense expert called the intercept by a Patriot missile "impressive," for both the advanced American-made missile defense system and its Ukrainian operators, as it looks like concrete evidence that the powerful Kinzhal missile was never what Russia claimed it was. The manufacturer, Rostec, previously claimed "there is no countermeasure to our missiles."

Similarly, Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu said last August, as he announced the use of the Kinzhal in Ukraine, that "no one else has such a missile yet: hypersonic, and with such speed, and with such penetrating capabilities," arguing, per the state media readout, "it is impossible neither to detect it nor to intercept."

And in December, Russian Gen. Valery Gerasimov, who is commanding operations in Ukraine, boasted it was "invulnerable to air defense capabilities deployed in Ukraine."

The general had a point, at least until the Patriot air defense systems that the US said it would provide only a day earlier arrived in theater last month.

A general view of a mobile defence surface-to-air missile system, Patriot, before it is transported to Poland from Gnoien, Germany January 23, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

The MIM-104 "Patriot" Air Defense Battery, the weapon the US and Ukraine said Kyiv's forces used to shoot down the Kinzhal in Ukraine last week, is a surface-to-air missile system designed to, as the US Army characterized it, "engage and intercept any aerial threats whether it be aircraft or tactical ballistic missiles under any weather conditions."

The Patriot's phased-array radar is capable of tracking up to a hundred targets at once out to ranges in excess of 150 kilometers and guiding up to nine missiles at a time. As an effective and reliable missile defense system, the Patriot is in use in well over a dozen countries and has been tested in combat, according to a congressional report on missile defense for Ukraine.

Story continues

The Patriot air defense system, a complex capability manufactured by US defense companies, "is one of the world's most advanced air defense systems, and it will give Ukraine a critical long-range capability to defend its airspace," a senior Department of Defense official said when the US announced it would send a Patriot battery to Ukraine.

While the Patriot is exceptionally capable, it is far from perfect, and some weapons were thought to be beyond its grasp.

The KH-47M2 Kinzhal, though often described as a hypersonic missile, is an advanced air-launched ballistic missile sharing design features with the Russian ground-launched 9K720 Iskander short-range ballistic missile, which Russia began working on in the late 1980s. The conventional version of the Kinzhal, which is also nuclear capable, carries over a 1,000 pounds of explosives.

MiG-31BM supersonic interceptor equipped with a Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile. Russian Ministry of Defense/YouTube

As Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed a suite of new weaponry in a 2018 address to Russia's Federal Assembly, he boasted about the capabilities of the recently fielded Kinzhal, Russian for "dagger."

Putin said that "the unique flight characteristics of the high-speed carrier aircraft allow the missile to be delivered to the point of discharge within minutes."

The Russian leader further stated that "the missile flying at a hypersonic speed, ten times faster than the speed of sound, can also maneuver at all phases of its flight trajectory," which "allows it to overcome all existing and, I think, prospective anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems, delivering nuclear and conventional warheads in a range of over 2,000 kilometers."

The Kinzhal missile system, as Putin described it in his address, sounds deadly and quite unbeatable. But because Russia has a tendency to make hyperbolic claims about its weapons, it is unclear which of these stats on the Russian missile are accurate. That one of Russia's Kinzhal missiles was supposedly shot down in Ukraine raises questions about these vaunted claims.

'Nothing is unstoppable'

The Kinzhal is not a "hypersonic" weapon, as Moscow often claims, which is to say the Kinzhal is not part of a new class of hard-to-kill missiles that exclusively includes highly maneuverable hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic cruise missiles able to maintain hypersonic speeds throughout most of the flight.

Many ballistic missiles, like the Kinzhal, have the capacity for hypersonic flight, sometimes at speeds actually faster than so-called "hypersonic weapons," and can achieve some maneuverability, but they don't have a sustained hypersonic flight ability, experts say, nor do they create headaches for defenders in the same way.

That said, the Kinzhal is an advanced system adapted to be launched from the MiG-31, a high-speed Russian combat aircraft, at speed and altitude, and, per the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Threat project, the missile's "speed, in combination with the missile's erratic flight trajectory and high maneuverability, could complicate interception."

But as a ballistic missile, the Russian missile is still technically within the Patriot's range of capabilities, as was apparently recently demonstrated, and Kyiv said as much in calls for the American-made system.

"We have no means that can counter such missiles," Kyiv's Stratcom Centre, part of the Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security of Ukraine, said of the Kinzhal about a month before the Patriot arrived in Ukraine. "The American Patriot air defense system is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. That is why it is so important that this air defense system arrives in Ukraine as soon as possible."

That assessment seems to have been proved right, and on Tuesday, following earlier confirmation by the Ukrainians after an initial denial, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said that he could "confirm that they did down a Russian missile by employing the Patriot missile defense system." The Pentagon official acknowledged the missile was the Kinzhal.

A Patriot missile battery Christophe Gateau/Getty Images

Even if the Kinzhal isn't what Russia claims, shooting one down is a "big deal," Tom Karako, the director of the missile defense project at CSIS, told Insider, explaining that Russia's advanced Kinzhal missile is "probably on the edge" of the Patriot's capabilities.

Semantics aside, "this is a capable missile," he said, and that the Russian missile was taken out by a Patriot system is "a testament to [the Patriot's] capabilities."

Characterizing the intercept as "impressive," Karako noted the Patriot's ability to bring the missile down and the degree of difficulty in doing so depended on a variety of factors, specifically "what the heck the missile was doing at that exact couple-second window when the interceptor was in the basket." That's an unknown.

Still, "this is an important first," he said, pointing out "it should be a sufficient reason to temper some of the, I guess, just hyperbole about the Russian missile system."

"Nothing is unstoppable. Nothing is perfect," Karako said. "And maybe everybody can take a lesson away from this. There's probably a whole lot of claims about unstoppability and exotic kind of stuff, but it turns out American hardware, including American air and missile defense hardware is pretty good."

The Ukrainians agreed after reports of its recent success.

"They were saying that the Patriot is an outdated American weapon and Russian weapons are the best in the world," Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said over the weekend, per reports.

"Well, there is confirmation that it effectively works against even a super-hypersonic missile," he added, exaggerating the Kinzhal's capabilities before calling the recent intercept a significant "slap in the face for Russia."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russian soldiers in St. Petersburg on August 25, 2022. Photo by OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP via Getty Images

Russia's military is recruiting fighters for Ukraine directly from prisons, UK intelligence said.

The method was previously used by the pro-Kremlin Wagner Group, but it lost access earlier this year.

According to the UK MOD, Russia's army recruited 10,000 prisoners in April alone.

Russia's military is copying the method used by the pro-Kremlin Wagner mercenary group by recruiting convicts directly from prisons to fight in Ukraine, according to UK intelligence.

The UK Ministry of Defence said in an update on Thursday that since the start of the year, Russia's defense ministry has "ramped up a scheme to recruit Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine."

It is likely that up to 10,000 convicts were signed up in April 2023 alone, it said.

Other investigations have also found Russia is recruiting prisoners to fight.

The MOD described the effort as part of a "broader, intense effort by the Russian military to bolster its numbers, while attempting to avoid implementing new mandatory mobilisation, which would be very unpopular with the Russian public."

Getting prisoners to fight in Ukraine was a tactic widely used by the Wagner Group, a private mercenary force that has sent tens of thousands of prisoners to Ukraine.

The Wagner Group has been accused of war crimes both in Ukraine and in parts of Africa, where its troops are also fighting.

It is not clear exactly how many prisoners Wagner sent to Ukraine before it lost access to prisons earlier this year.

The US Department of Defense estimated in December that the group had around 40,000 prisoners deployed in Ukraine.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner's chief, said in February that it had stopped recruiting in prisons. This came after reports that inmates no longer wanted to sign up, despite having the potential to earn full pardons after serving for only six months.

Experts and captured soldiers described Wagner using prisoners as little more than cannon fodder.

Story continues

The UK MOD said Russia took away the group's permission to recruit from prisons in February, amid an ongoing fued between Prigozhin and the military top brass.

The UK ministry also said the following month that around half of the prisoners recruited to fight in Ukraine had been killed or wounded.

Meanwhile, UK intelligence has outlined other ways that Russia is recruiting soldiers while carefully avoiding a general mobilization of Russian citizens that could spark anger in the country.

It said earlier this week that Russia's military was trying to recruit Central Asian migrant workers, offering them payments and a fast-track to Russian citizenship if they sign up.

Tensions have also continue to grow between Wagner and Russia's military leadership.

On Tuesday, Prigozhin released a video showing him shouting and swearing while standing in front of rows of corpses, accusing Kremlin officials of denying his men ammo.

And this week he threatened to pull out of Bakhmut, mocked Russian troops, and said he might reveal more information on the front-line situation.

He also publicly mocked Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time, following Russia's muted Victory Day parade.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Reuters) -The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group said on Thursday that his forces' flanks were under pressure near the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, resulting in the loss of ground that his men had captured at heavy cost.

Yevgeny Prigozhin has argued that it is the job of regular Russian forces to protect Wagner's flanks near Bakhmut, the city at the centre of the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.

"The situation on the flanks is developing according to the worst predicted scenario," Prigozhin said in an audio message.

"All the territories that were taken with the blood and lives of our comrades over many months, advancing tens or hundreds of metres a day, are now being thrown away practically without a fight by those who should be holding our flanks."

Russia's defence ministry said earlier that its paratroopers were supporting an advance on the west of the city and had pinned down Ukrainian army units on the flanks.

Prigozhin said his fighters were 625 metres (680 yards) from the western outskirts of the city.

Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield situation.

FEUD

Prigozhin is waging a running feud with Russian defence chiefs whom he accuses of failing to give him sufficient support and ammunition. Last week he threatened to pull his men out of Bakhmut unless Moscow provided what he needed.

In an earlier message on Thursday Prigozhin said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was "being deceptive" when he said Ukraine's anticipated counteroffensive had been delayed because it was waiting for more aid from foreign countries.

He said the counteroffensive was actually going ahead at full speed around Bakhmut and that Ukrainian operations were proving to be "unfortunately, partially successful".

On Wednesday, both Prigozhin and the Ukrainian military said that Kyiv's forces had routed a Russian army unit near Bakhmut, in a significant advance for Ukraine.

Story continues

Russia's defence ministry made no reference to the claimed setback in its daily briefing on Thursday, and said troops were continuing to advance.

In a statement on Wednesday, Prigozhin said Bakhmut had "no strategic importance" but the point of attacking it was to "build up offensive potential, grind the enemy's manpower and enable the Russian army to mobilise" after major retreats by Russian troops late last year.

(Reporting by Reuters; writing by Mark TrevelyanEditing by Gareth Jones)
(Noel Everson)

Twelve hours before 42-year-old Ryan Everson died inside a cell at the Clay County Jail, he promised his brother Noel Everson over the phone that he would travel from Missouri to attend his wedding this summer. Ryan, who was in prison for missing $600 in back-paid child support and was experiencing seizures from opiate withdrawal, told his brother he wanted to move to Hawaii and turn his life around.

The last conversation we had, he told me, Dude, will you make sure to keep money on my books? Will you make sure to keep phone time on? Noel tells The Independent. I was like, Absolutely, youll have phone time. Im not going to spoil you, but Ill get you what you need.

He said, Listen, Im gonna be at your wedding, I promise Im going to be there, I cant wait. I just want to get out and move back to Hawaii.

But in the early morning hours of 23 January, after spending 10 days in custody, Ryan was found unresponsive by guards. His mother and brother were told that Ryan died by suicide, but three months after his death  the third in the facility within the last two years  many questions remain. Why, for instance, did the father of three land in jail over a simple case of missed child support instalments? And why was there such an apparent lack of proper medical treatment available for his seizures?

Shawna Almendarez, Ryans ex-wife and the mother of his children, told The Independent that she was against his arrest but felt pressured to follow through with child support demands so her kids could keep their medical insurance.

They kind of forced me to do the enforcement because they told me that I would lose health insurance for my kids, the medical, an emotional Ms Almendarez said in a phone interview. Thats the only thing I get help from the state with is medical and just for my kids. I enforced it because I didnt want them to lose that.

Ryans addiction had spiralled out of control in the last years of life. He was struggling financially and relying on the kindness of friends and family to get along. At one point, he lived in an abandoned house and, later, at another property that had sustained serious smoke damage from a fire.

Story continues

But despite his mounting issues, he had hoped to go to rehab and beat his addiction so he could finally have the close relationship he craved with his children.

He loved his children

When Ms Almendarez moved to Missouri from Alaska in 2015 following her divorce from Ryan, he followed. He said he didnt want to be far away from his kids.

According to court documents reviewed by The Kansas City Star, prosecutors estimated that he owed $30,272 in Alaska and had missed $600 in payments in Missouri.

Because of his struggle with addiction, Ryan had not been in communication with his children for a year. Ms Almendarez said that although she knew he was a devoted father and it was a very hard decision, she and her children distanced themselves from Ryan due to his lifestyle.

He loved his kids so much. Anybody that knew him, the first thing they ever tell me is, He loved you guys so much, Ms Almendarez said. He struggled with child support but that was never an issue to me. His life was a lot more important, and having my kids [eventually] have a relationship with their dad was important.

Ryan Everson died while in custody at Clay County Jail (Noel Everson/Facebook)

Not having contact with his children was difficult for Ryan, but also motivated him to get better, according to his brother Noel. He said that Ryan was flawed and unreliable at times, but agreed that his ultimate purpose was to regain his loved ones trust.

He did struggle with depression and was heartbroken over his kids, Noel told The Independent. He might not have been the best guy in the world, but he was a major lover. He loved his kids, they were his world. I cant even tell you how many times hes cried to me about his kids.

But hopes that Ryan would recover from his addiction are now gone as his family is left wondering how his incarceration over a nonviolent offence led to his death. They claim that the combination of an unfair and ruthless legal system and alleged neglect by jail officials factored into the tragedy.

Everybody loses from this, you know. The kids lose their father, I lost my brother. My mom loses a son, Noel added. And really, the world loses my brother. He might have been messed up but he was such a good person.

Ryan Eversons family alleges neglect

Noel said that his brother complained several times during his phone conversations about the seizures he was suffering. Ryan, who was experiencing symptoms of withdrawal from opioids, told Noel that he had fallen and hit his face several times during those episodes.

He had told me on the phone about him having seizures, I was really concerned about him, Noel said. He didnt feel like they were doing enough to help him. He told me that he had a big cut and had busted his eye open and broke his nose after falling.

Noel claimed that while some of the time inmates in neighbouring cells initially alerted guards when Ryan was having seizures, her brother was later placed in an unmonitored cell and left by himself. Ryan was later taken to a hospital during his stay at the prison and was under medical watch until three days before his death.

A spokesperson for the Clay County Sheriffs Office told The Independent that prisoners undergo medical and mental health assessments when they are booked in. The department said that Ryan was not placed on suicide watch because he did not exhibit symptoms of emotional distress.

Ryan was briefly taken to a medical facility on 15 January before he returned to the jail the next day. He was placed under medical watch until 20 January and was then returned to general population, according to the jail.

Inmates are constantly monitored by video and in person during the day when they are in their dayrooms, and when they are locked in their cells at night, they are checked hourly by detention staff, the jail said in a statement, denying neglect.

Ryan was last seen alive around 11pm on 22 January. A detention officer found him hanging from his bunk bed an hour later, according to an autopsy report reviewed by The Independent.

In addition to the seizures he suffered, Noel said that Ryan had head trauma. He had suffered an injury that led to a brain bleeds years before, and still lived with the effects. His family has asked law enforcement whether there is a chance his health condition played a part in his death, but have not received conclusive answers pending an ongoing investigation.

Hes having seizures so they put him in a cell by himself? How does that make sense? Why would you put somebody [like that] in a cell thats not being monitored? Noel added. Where he cant ask for help. He should have had a cellmate or he should have been [under] medical [watch].

They set him up for failure and then punished him for it

Prosecutors in Clay County have said that they issued both a court summons and a warrant that Ryan did not comply with, which then led to his arrest. But his family say that his lack of permanent residence and active addiction likely made it hard for him to keep track of court dates in the child support case.

Along with the lack of empathy that Noel said his family experienced when they were first informed of Ryans death, he said his brother could have benefited from a more compassionate approach by the legal system. Considering that Ryans crime was not violent and that he was behind in payments because he couldnt even afford to pay rent, he belonged in rehab, Noel said, not in jail.

He didnt have a home to receive a letter, you know, or maybe they told him the date. Hes a drug addict. You think hes going to remember? Noel said. He didnt have any means of transportation. Maybe he tried to go. Maybe he did remember and he was walking there and missed it.

We just dont know like, but they just set him up to fail. And then punished him for it.

Ryan Everson and his brother Noel Everson as children (Noel Everson)

His bond was lowered to $5,000 three days before his death, but Ryans family said he still couldnt afford that sum. Ryan also reportedly did not have a lawyer during his 17 January bond hearing, which was his constitutional right.

Where was his legal team? Why didnt he have a lawyer present? At his initial hearing. Hes kicking drugs so hes not feeling good. All he wants to do is probably go back and lay down or get the shower. A clear-minded [person] can probably defend themselves but not someone coming off heroin or fentanyl, Noel said.

Opiates are freaking brutal. He needed somebody to stand up for him and be his voice.

He deserved a chance

Ryan was deeply troubled. During the last years of his life, he relied on financial support from his brother and mother to make ends meet. He had once been a carpenter but addiction robbed him of his ability to provide for himself.

Noel likens his brothers illness to an aggressive type of cancer that he fought tooth and nail until the day he died.

[People who struggle with addiction] deserve a chance. Probably more than anybody, Noel told The Independent. Give them some help. He needed treatment. Thats what he needed. Jail was not the place for him; he was not a violent criminal.

There needs to be more guidance in that direction and into substance abuse. It is a real deal. They need to focus on how to help people overcome their addiction, not incarcerate [nonviolent criminals]  that doesnt help anybody.

Ms Almendarez said she now lives with lingering feelings of guilt and sadness. She and her children are trying to move on with their lives, but the grief comes in waves, she said.

Ryan had talked about when he got out that he was going to go to rehab because he missed his kids so much that he was just dying to see them, she said, through tears. He was a good guy. He did everything in his power that he could to let his kids know how much he loved them.

Ms Almendarez has been in touch with the daughter of a woman who died while in custody at Clay County last year. Ryan is one of two inmates to have died by suicide at the jail in the past year, while another individual died as a result of an overdose.

I want this to end. I want the word to be out, Ms Almedarez said. I think the laws on child support need to change here, but also the medical response in the jail system. Its so bad and they need to know how to deal with addicts. I dont think they know the first thing about addiction and how to handle someone coming down from it.

If you are based in the US and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.

If you are based in the UK or Ireland and are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offer support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (L) meets with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in Paris, France, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

PARIS, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China stands ready to work with France and other countries to make the pie of cooperation bigger and share development opportunities, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said here on Wednesday.

Qin made the remarks during a meeting with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna, while stressing China's determination to promote high-quality development and high-level opening-up.

Calling French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to China a great success, Qin said China is willing to work with France to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, speed up exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and push forward the close and enduring China-France comprehensive strategic partnership.

The two sides should keep close, high-level exchanges, expand communications at all levels and explore new areas of cooperation, he said, adding they should also open markets further to each other, build a more resilient China-France supply chain, strengthen cooperation in international affairs, and jointly meet global challenges.

Qin said China has always regarded Europe as a comprehensive strategic partner, and has always unequivocally supported the continent to strengthen its strategic autonomy and play an active role in the international arena, stressing that China advocates a China-Europe relationship that is not targeted at, subjugated to, or controlled by any third party.

China and France, as well as China and Europe, should pursue win-win cooperation through greater mutual opening-up and build a China-EU supply chain partnership with greater stability and mutual trust, he added.

For her part, Colonna said during his successful visit to China, President Macron had an in-depth exchange of views with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and deepened his understanding of China. Noting that France-China relations are of vital importance, she said that the two heads of state have set a clear direction, and both sides should make joint efforts to promote greater development of bilateral relations.

She suggested that the two sides fully restart cooperation mechanisms in various fields and strengthen cooperation in such areas as climate change, biodiversity, and energy transition, adding that France attaches great importance to its economic relations with China, and believes that such relations are interdependent, mutually beneficial, complementary, open and transparent.

France does not engage in camp confrontation and believes that all countries should live in harmony and achieve common development, Colonna stressed, noting that China plays an important role in world peace and stability. France is willing to strengthen communication with China on major international and regional issues such as the Ukraine crisis, and seek more common ground, she added.

Qin briefed Colonna about China's position on and the work it has done for solving the Ukraine crisis, stressing that President Xi's proposals of four points about what must be done are the starting point for China to view and handle the Ukraine crisis. China is committed to pushing for the political settlement of the crisis, maintains communication with all parties, and will continue to play a constructive role in this regard.

Qin and Colonna also discussed other international and regional issues.

On the same day, Qin also met with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic counselor to President Macron, and exchanged views on bilateral ties and the Ukraine crisis among other issues. 
The family of a girl allegedly sexually abused by her third-grade teacher at a south Sacramento elementary school has filed a lawsuit against Sacramento City Unified School District, alleging negligence and inadequate oversight by administration into a teacher employed by the district for nearly 30 years.

Attorneys for the family of a now 12-year-old Jane Doe victim, allegedly abused by former teacher Enrique Rodriguez Valladares during the 2018-19 academic year from when she was 8 years old until she was 9, filed the civil lawsuit this week in Sacramento Superior Court.

Valladares, who taught at Bowling Green Chacon Language and Science Academy, was arrested in December 2021 by Sacramento County sheriffs detectives on suspicion of eight felony counts of committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child younger than 14 years old.

Valladares is believed to have sexually abused multiple victims between at least August 2017 and June 2019, the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office said at the time of his arrest.

The attorneys  Vince Finaldi of law firm Manly, Stewart & Finaldi; and Paul Hoybjerg, of Hoybjerg Law  announced the lawsuit in a news conference Thursday outside Sacramento Superior Courts downtown courthouse.

They said the plaintiff in their suit is one of the victims from prosecutors original complaint containing eight felony charges, but that it is now believed that there are at least 17 student victims of Valladares. They urged anyone with additional information about the alleged abuse to bring it forward to the Sheriffs Office.

The lawsuit claims Jane Doe was sexually harassed, abused and molested about two to three times a week throughout the 2018-19 school year.

The victims family accused the Sacramento school district of failing in its duty as mandated reporters of child abuse, contending that Sacramento City Unified knew or had reason to know (Valladares) posed a risk of childhood sexual assault to children.

Story continues

Finaldi said Valladares taught in the district for about 28 years and at Bowling Green Chacon from 2008 to 2020.

Valladares was released from jail custody after posting $1 million bail, Finaldi said.

Its our understanding that Valladares is still part of the district, although hes not in the classroom.

District spokesman Al Goldberg said Thursday afternoon that Sacramento City Unified has not yet been served with the lawsuit and has no further comment on it, but that the involved employee resigned this January while on unpaid leave.

Allegations of inappropriate conduct with the employee referenced were first brought to the attention of the district on September 10, 2020 and the employee was immediately placed on administrative leave and law enforcement was notified, Goldberg wrote in an emailed response to The Sacramento Bee. The employee never returned to a classroom setting.

On Dec. 15, 2021, based on the nature of the criminal charges that were brought against the employee and pursuant to Education Code, the employee was placed on mandatory unpaid leave. The District also filed a report related to the employee with the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Valladares resigned Jan. 25, according to Goldberg, who said the district is cooperating with law enforcement.

Valladares criminal case in Sacramento Superior Court is in the trial-setting process, with the next court date scheduled for May 22.

Lawsuit: Teacher lured girls with candy and secluded them

Bowling Green Chacon Language and Science Academy is a dual-immersion school, where many of the students, including the victim in the lawsuit, are children of Spanish-speaking immigrants.

Finaldi said Valladares used his knowledge of Spanish in conjunction with other methods to groom female students, and that there were numerous red flags about his behavior.

Mr. Valladares would seclude these kids in his classroom, Finaldi said. He would close the door. He would make sure there was no teachers aide there, no parents allowed in the classroom.

And he would have the female students come up to his desk and sit on his lap during the class  It also happened during recess and it also happened during lunch hours. Our investigations revealed that Mr. Valladares would give the kids candy. Thats one of the ways he would lure kids to his classroom.

The lawsuit accuses Valladares of secluding the victim during recess and lunch hours; sexually grooming her with the use of inappropriate nicknames such as mija, sweetheart and dear; enticing her with promises of candy; referring to himself as part of the victims family; and groping her while she sat in his lap.

As a result of Valladares pervasive abuse of Plaintiff, Plaintiff deliberately avoided wearing her school-issued shorts and skirts in an effort to deter the unwelcomed sexual advances of Valladares, the lawsuit continues.

The civil complaint accuses Sacramento City Unified of improperly supervising Valladares.

It doesnt happen without warning signs, Finaldi said Thursday. It doesnt happen without major failures by the school district.

Bowling Green Chacon is designed to help the children of immigrant families, like the victim, strengthen their language skills and prepare for success as they continue their education, said Hoybjerg, a Sacramento-based attorney.

Special care should have been taken to protect and nurture these vulnerable children, he said. Instead, the administration allowed a sexual predator to strip our client of her innocence.

The victims mother is also listed as a Jane Doe in the lawsuit, to protect the juvenile victims identity, the two attorneys said. The Sacramento Bee typically does not name victims or alleged victims of sexual abuse.

The mother and two other family members appeared alongside attorneys Finaldi and Hoybjerg on Thursday outside the Sacramento courthouse but declined to be interviewed or give their names. A relative of the mother held her hand as the attorneys spoke.

The lawsuit, which names Sacramento City Unified and Valladares as defendants, seeks unspecified damages on the grounds of negligence, including negligence in hiring; intentional infliction of emotional distress; sexual abuse and harassment in an educational setting; gender violence; sexual battery; sexual assault; breach of fiduciary duty; and constructive fraud.

Manly, Stewart & Finaldi is a prominent Irvine-based law firm that served as the lead firm representing members of the U.S. womens gymnastics team claimants in their lawsuit against USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee on behalf of victims of former Olympic Team doctor Larry Nassar, who is serving life in prison for federal and state convictions including serial sexual conduct with minors.
Safety is a major concern for millions of Americans, which has led to a big rise in mobile safety apps. App stores are filled with them.

Channel 9s Gina Esposito explains what happened when a Pennsylvania police chief put one to the test.

Your safe bet is 911. Absolutely! Every time! The question is, what if you cant dial 911? Penn Township Police Chief John Otto told ABC affiliate WPXI.

Otto said he knows personal safety apps are becoming more popular because they promise to be with you every step of the way in an emergency, such as the Noonlight app.

ALSO READ: NC launches app allowing students to anonymously report school threats

The app bills itself as Americas Number One Safety App.

The Noonlight dispatcher communicates with 911 for you. In fact, police in Georgia say it recently saved a woman who was kidnapped. She was unable to speak on the phone but managed to text the word rape to Noonlight.

Otto said there are advantages under certain conditions, but he has concerns about the time it takes for help to arrive, compared to calling 911 directly. So, with the police and 911s knowledge, he set up a test run:

It starts with a Hold Until Safe button.

Once I let go and I dont type in the safety pin -- the clock starts.

Help is on the way. Were texting you now. Please respond if you can, read the app.

I dont respond -- so they text me.

Hi Katherine, this is Karen from Noonlight, read the Noonlight text.

Then, they try phone calls.

A minute and 12 seconds in, we get a second phone call.

We noted that this was all time we could have been speaking with 911 if we called directly.

Two-and-a-half minutes in, Noonlight called twice, we didnt answer.

So, the Noonlight text reads, Stay calm; we are notifying police. But, theyre technically not. Theyre notifying 911, who will then notify police.

Finally, we hear the 911 dispatcher over the radio, with what sounds like some confusion.

The total time: Six minutes and 35 seconds.

Story continues

Otto was not satisfied.

If I were to pick up the phone and call 911, I would have a dispatcher in less than five seconds, said Otto.

As for that hesitation in the dispatchers voice, Otto said confusion creates delay.

I think the problem is these companies are assuming, to be quite honest with you, that they dont need to do any legwork to tie it to the 911 center, said Otto.

Morgan Cermak, who tested Noonlight for a week, is 25 years old and does a lot of traveling.

Cermak said she felt safer having the app.

Its a lot easier to have that button than to get on your phone and call 911 whether its parking lots, hotels, said Cermak.

I think if folks want to explore these apps, explore them, but understand what they do and understand what they dont do, said Otto.

Noonlight said they offer First Responder Kits, to help public safety agencies learn about the app.

VIDEO: MEDIC holds emergency demonstration event for students
No charges will be filed against a San Luis Obispo County middle school teacher accused of inflicting injuries  including a paper cut  on one of her students.

But thats hardly a happy ending.

The 42-year-old teacher at Mesa Middle School in Arroyo Grande was arrested, booked into County Jail, forced to post $50,000 bail, placed on administrative leave, threatened with a felony charge and publicly embarrassed.

For what?

So Sheriff Ian Parkinson could earn kudos for protecting children?

That didnt happen.

Instead, the sheriff looked like a bully who strong-armed a dedicated teacher trying to deal with an uncooperative student.

Reports that the student is the child of a SLO County deputy made the case look even more sketchy.

The Sheriffs Office had little to say following the announcement on Wednesday that the district attorney would not be pursuing a criminal case.

The Sheriffs Office made a lawful arrest based on the circumstances of the situation at that time ... was the sheriffs emailed response to questions from The Tribune Editorial Board. The District Attorneys Office has made its decision, and we accept that decision.

Injuries clearly visible or very minimal?

If youre unfamiliar with the case, heres a recap: On April 25, the Mesa teacher was accused of pulling a hairbrush away from a disruptive student, causing scratches, and then throwing papers in the air, resulting in a cut to her temple.

The Sheriffs Office described the girls injuries as clearly visible, yet the District Attorneys Office later characterized them as very minimal.

On top of that, the student may have already had the scratches and the paper cut before the incident with the teacher.

According to a news release from District Attorney Dan Dow, the girls father told his daughter that he believed the injuries to the hand and temple had happened earlier  a piece of evidence the DAs office described as of great significance to our analysis.

Story continues

As for those papers that were allegedly thrown at students, the DAs Office says the papers were dropped or thrown  a big difference  and that any injury that occurred was accidental.

The minor injuries do not appear to have been intentionally caused and do not rise to the level of injury typically treated as criminal conduct, the DA concluded.

As if that werent vindication enough, the California Education Code prohibits criminal prosecution of a teacher who exercises the degree of physical control over a student that a parent is entitled to use.

Was the Sheriffs Office unaware that the Education Code gives teachers the right to exercise the degree of physical control over a student that a parent is entitled to use to maintain order in the classroom?

Or did it just not care?

Teacher coping with unruly students

Obviously, this was a class in need of order.

It is apparent that several students in the classroom were unruly and this specific students brushing of their hair was disrupting the teachers ability to maintain a proper and appropriate environment conducive to learning, according to the DAs news release.

We arent going to second-guess what the teacher should or should not have done, but it is clear that the Education Code gave her the authority to confiscate the hairbrush  just as a parent might do under similar circumstances.

For the Sheriffs Office to intervene in such a heavy-handed manner undermines the authority not just of this teacher, but of every teacher.

The District Attorneys Office was absolutely correct in concluding that the incident is more appropriately addressed through the administrative process.

While the DAs decision may provide the teacher and her colleagues with a small measure of relief, this never should have happened in the first place.

Local law enforcement leaders should make sure it never happens again.

And if it hasnt happened already, the Sheriffs Office owes this teacher an apology.
The House is preparing to vote this week on a Republican-backed bill that would clamp down on fraud in the nation's unemployment insurance program, mere days after Rep. George Santos - a GOP lawmaker and a co-sponsor of the legislation - was indicted in federal court for allegedly bilking the benefits.

The Republican proposal seeks to empower government officials to recover funds stolen during the coronavirus pandemic, when criminals laid siege to historically generous federal jobless aid, contributing to an estimated $190 billion in taxpayer losses.

Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.

While Democrats share a desire to combat fraud, they largely oppose the GOP measure, arguing that it is likely to harm innocent Americans. The White House, meanwhile, has threatened to veto the proposal, which for weeks had not garnered much attention in a capital that finds itself enmeshed in a fiscal crisis.

But the optics shifted considerably this week, as GOP leaders set in motion a plan to deliver on their electoral promise to stop government waste - just as one of their own members faced new scrutiny for allegedly engaging in it.

On Wednesday, federal prosecutors took Santos into custody on a wide array of fraud charges, including allegations unsealed later that he improperly collected more than $24,000 in unemployment benefits in New York. The Justice Department alleged that Santos received the weekly aid despite having a job at the time, which would have made him ineligible for help. The congressman has pleaded not guilty.

Hours later, the situation resulted in some uncomfortable questions for GOP leaders, who largely stood by Santos, arguing that they would wait for a court to render a verdict before commenting on his fate. In doing so, top Republicans tried to sidestep the controversy by touting their work to target the very crime that prosecutors say the embattled congressman committed.

Story continues

"There is a legal process. . . . He's going to have to go through the legal process," said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.). "But we're going to continue to work to root out fraud, and there's lots of it."

For now, the brewing House fight underscores a real challenge facing Washington in the years after it approved roughly $5 trillion to aid workers, families and businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. The historic tranche of aid helped rescue the economy from the worst crisis since the Great Depression, but it also emerged as a tempting target for waste, fraud and abuse, as The Washington Post found in "The Covid Money Trail," a year-long investigation.

Some of the greatest theft targeted unemployment insurance. During the pandemic, Congress repeatedly boosted the amounts that out-of-work Americans could receive each week, while expanding the aid to cover a larger category of workers. But the series of new federal mandates ultimately proved costly and challenging for state governments, some of which long had suffered from poor funding, chronic understaffing and outdated technology - deficiencies made worse amid a crush of requests for help.

Over the first two years of the crisis, criminals exploited these vulnerabilities. In many cases, they used identities stolen from real Americans - from average workers to people in prison - to obtain weekly checks. And malicious actors found easy targets in a number of states, including New York, which had relaxed some of its oversight measures in a bid to process a rush of claims more quickly, local auditors determined last year.

With Santos, prosecutors this week accused the congressman of having engaged in a "fraud scheme" dating back to the earliest days of the pandemic, before he was elected to office. The indictment, unsealed Wednesday, said he applied for jobless aid in New York around June 17, 2020, claiming to have been unemployed since that March. Each week, Santos repeatedly attested - as the program requires - that "he was unemployed, available to take on new work and eligible for benefits," the Justice Department alleged.

But the indictment charged that Santos actually had been a regional director at a company that prosecutors obscured in the complaint as "investment firm #1," describing it as a "Nevada corporation with its principal place of business in Melbourne, Florida." In total, the government alleges that Santos collected $24,744 in unemployment benefits "based on a false application and false weekly certifications," all the while collecting an annual salary of $120,000 from the investment firm.

Responding to the indictment, Santos described the charges at a news conference on Wednesday as part of a "witch hunt." Asked specifically about allegations that he improperly collected unemployment insurance checks, the New York Republican said that he doesn't "understand where the government is getting information," adding that his "employment was changed" at the time.

Soon after his election to Congress, Santos became one of 35 co-sponsors on a GOP bill that aims to root out unemployment insurance fraud, according to federal records. On Tuesday, the same day that his charges became public, party lawmakers took the first steps in bringing the measure - known as the Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act - to the floor in the hopes of holding a vote later this week.

The proposal would empower states to pursue unemployment benefits that they erroneously paid to either criminals or innocent workers, while allowing them to use those funds for future fraud prevention. It also extends the statute of limitations for the government to bring criminal charges to 10 years from the current five years.

Appearing before the House Rules Committee on Tuesday, Rep. Jason T. Smith (R-Mo.), the chief sponsor of the bill, described the problem as the "largest theft of tax dollars in American history." In doing so, he faulted Biden, claiming the president had "dropped the ball" after promising to pursue covid fraud during his State of the Union addresses this year and last.

The White House, however, threatened to veto the bill earlier this week, arguing it would "strip" states of federal funds and other "essential resources to fight fraud, combat identity theft, and recover overpayments, and would set back the goals of strengthening program integrity and combating systemic fraud."

While Republicans later tweaked the legislation, the Biden administration maintained its support for the president's own plan, which called for $1.6 billion and a host of new federal powers to pursue the theft of covid aid dollars. Some Democrats argued Wednesday that the GOP proposal could exacerbate the very flaws that may have allowed Santos to collect unemployment checks in the first place.

"Republicans only want to make it easier for the George Santoses of the world to steal from taxpayers, discouraging prosecutions and leaving our state UI systems more vulnerable in the event of a major economic stressor," Rep. Richard E. Neal of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement.

Other Democrats said that the measure could result in hard-hit workers receiving surprise bills, since some of them may not have known they received erroneous checks while unemployed. Some states take steps to waive or forgive those amounts, since the mistakes are not the fault of aid recipients.

"In contrast, the Republican solution is to gut federal funding to fight fraud, to impose cruel surprise bills that harm innocent workers that were unemployed during the pandemic, and to weaken state unemployment systems," said Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), who testified in front of the rules panel.

Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the committee, later expressed his own "frustration" that Republicans were focusing on such legislation while what he said were more pressing issues - from a civil jury finding that former president Donald Trump was liable for sexual abuse, to the latest mass shootings - had been left unaddressed.

"On this same day, we find our your Republican colleague George Santos, if that's his real name, has been criminally charged by the Department of Justice," McGovern continued. "I will tell you objective observers watching what we are doing have to be scratching their heads saying, 'What the hell is wrong with this place?'"

Related Content

Forget Uber Eats. Modern-day homesteaders prefer to live off the land.

At Westminster, what's it like to be very good? Ask the dogs

A police chief got rid of a neo-Nazi. Then came the hard part.
The Save Our Sequoias Act is sponsored by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and has support from both sides of the aisle. But it is dividing environmental groups, some who think it would do more harm than good.

Giant sequoias, which can live for more than three thousand years and grow only on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in central California, are facing an unprecedented threat from wildfire.

In the past couple years, nearly one-fifth of the oldest and largest giant sequoias have been destroyed by wildfire, Joanna Nelson, director of science and conservation planning for the Save the Redwoods League, told the House Natural Resources Committee at a hearing on Wednesday.

The Save Our Sequoias Act would enable emergency action to be taken to protect giant sequoias from wildfire and other threats.

We are short on time in this emergency, Nelson said. We also know what to do to meet this emergency; there is substantial evidence that active forest management reduces the risk of giant sequoia mortality in wildfire.

But some environmental groups, who were not present at Wednesdays hearing, say a provision in the bill that waives environmental reviews normally required under federal law for such activities undercuts important environmental laws.

Last year, more than 80 environmental groups, including Earthjustice, the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, signed onto a letter to lawmakers objecting to the bill.

Theres no review of the actual projects that communities, scientists and stakeholders have the right to, Blaine Miller-McFeeley, a senior legislative representative for Earthjustice, said in an interview. So it could very feasibly put forth projects that we regret doing in the future.

The groups argue that without proper environmental reviews, activities like forest thinning and controlled burns, meant to protect giant sequoias, could lead to unintended environmental harm.

Story continues

Earthjustice worries the bill could also be used to expedite logging operations not necessary for wildfire mitigation.

The real goal of this is just to advance the timber industrys interest, he said.

In a statement last year, Miller-McFeeley said the bill sets a bad precedent.

Its nothing more than a Trojan horse to diminish important environmental reviews and cut science and communities out of the decision-making process, he said.

Still, Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) said Wednesday the bill was something everyone should be able to get behind.

Its not everyday that you see 50 bipartisan co-sponsors on a bill and more than 100 organizations supporting it, Westerman said.

The bill would provide over $300 million in funding over the next 10 years for giant sequoia protection and reforestation projects.

Athan Manuel, the director of the Lands Protection Program for the Sierra Club, said in an interview the best way to protect giant sequoias from forest fires is to combat climate change, which this bill doesnt address.

Forest Service Chief Randy Moore testified that the agency is already taking emergency action under existing federal law to protect giant sequoias using funding from the Infrastructure and Jobs Act. He said National Environmental Policy Act reviews are already underway for most of the planned treatments.

With the emergency action, giant sequoias could receive accelerated protection by as much as 9 to 12 months earlier in most groves and years earlier in other groves, Moore said in his written testimony.

Some of the Democrats at the hearing argued in support of an alternative version of the bill introduced last year by California Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, which didnt create new exemptions from environmental review requirements.

Saving our sequoias doesnt have to mean selling out our environmental laws, said Ranking Member Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.).

Updated: 10:26 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
SBU charges three former Party of Regions MPs with treason

The fugitives are currently believed to be in Russia.

Read also: SBU publishes evidence Poltava district court head worked with Russian FSB  audio report

According to an SBU investigation, Tsarev has collaborated with the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

"It was found that the former MP 'leaked' information about the aftermath of enemy air strikes on Ukraine's territory to the aggressor, the SBU said.

It was he who passed on to the occupiers detailed information on the results of the missile attack on the Kremenchuk oil refinery.

Read also: Ukraines SBU seizes ex-MP Novynskyis hidden assets worth $287.1 million

Tsarev himself received this information from another Party of Regions member, Dmytro Sviatash, the SBU noted.

The Kremlin even considered Sviatash as a potential so-called "governor" of Kharkiv Oblast because of his active support of the aggressor country, following the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

"The suspect passed on to the occupiers intelligence on weapons, time and direction of movement of the Defense Forces units in the region, the SBU explained.

The traitor received this classified information through his "party" contacts in Kharkiv Oblast.

Another suspect, Markov, regularly justified Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.

"Videos of his provocative speeches have been repeatedly broadcast on central Russian TV channels," the statement reads.

Read also: Ukraines SBU files charges against 170 Russian senators for pro-war votes

Markov's criminal actions were also qualified under two additional articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

propaganda of war (art. 436);

justification, recognition of the legitimacy, denial of the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine, glorification of its participants (art. 436-2).

The SBU says that their investigation is ongoing in order to establish all the circumstances of the crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Story continues

These suspects had already been charged earlier over other crimes against the security of Ukraine, following an investigation of SBU officers in Vinnytsia and Odesa oblasts under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor's Office.

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
South Carolina judges have signed off on sentence reductions for more than two-dozen inmates since January of last year, including three men convicted of murder, according to data compiled by the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

The information, provided to the governors office earlier this week and shared Thursday with The State Media Co., was compiled in response to the recent early release Circuit Court Judge Casey Manning granted convicted murderer Jeriod Price.

Price, also referred to as Jeroid Price, was quietly released in mid-March after serving 19 years of a 35-year murder sentence. His release followed a secret meeting between his defense attorney, state Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, and 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson, that the South Carolina Supreme Court later voided.

The high court ordered that Price be returned to prison, but he has not complied with the order and is considered a fugitive whose whereabouts are unknown. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Richland County Sheriffs Office this week offered a $30,000 reward for information that leads to his capture.

Price is one of at least 27 South Carolina inmates whose sentences were reduced by judicial order since 2022 and one of eight whose reductions resulted in their immediate release from prison, according to SCDC data.

Other inmates whose sentence reductions resulted in their immediate release include men charged with burglary, weapon and drug possession, DUI, drug trafficking, kidnapping, assault and battery, and murder.

This report highlights the need for tougher criminal penalties and confirms the General Assembly needs to act today to close the revolving door on violent offenders and crack down on career criminals and illegal guns, Brandon Charochak, a spokesman for Gov. Henry McMaster, said in a statement Thursday.

Nicholas Geer is the only other convicted murderer whose recent sentence reduction resulted in his immediate release. Geer was convicted of murder in Anderson County in 1995, and sentenced to life in prison. He was released last September on the order of Judge Letitia Verdin after serving 27 years.

Story continues

Geer was 17 at the time of the offense, which stemmed from a drug deal gone bad, according to the order granting his early release, and likely would not have been prosecuted as a murder charge if the offense occurred today.

Manning, who signed the order freeing Price on Dec. 30, 2022, granted six other sentence reductions that month, his last before retiring from the bench, according to SCDC data.

In total, Manning signed off on eight sentence reductions in 2022. No other judge signed off on more than 3, according to SCDC data.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday condemned what he called utterly revolting comments by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) about white nationalism in the military after Tuberville seemed to challenge efforts to purge white nationalists from the armed forces.

Schumer, who has repeatedly criticized Tuberville for putting a blanket hold on 184 military promotions to protest the Defense Departments abortion policies, also took aim at Tubervilles skepticism about whether white nationalism is a problem among service members.

Schumer said Tuberville apparently bemoaned the militarys efforts to root out white nationalism from our armed forces because he balked at using that description for some troops.

During an interview with Birmingham, Ala., radio station WBHM, Tuberville was asked whether they should allow white nationalists in the military.

Tuberville responded: Well, they call them that. I call them Americans.

Schumer pounced on those comments Thursday.

Does Sen. Tuberville honestly believe that our military is stronger with white nationalists in its ranks? I cannot believe this needs to be said, but white nationalism has no place in our armed forces and no place in any corner of American society, period, full stop, end of story, Schumer said.

I urge Sen. Tuberville to think about the destructive spectacle he is creating in the Senate. His actions are dangerous, he added.

Steven Stafford, a spokesman for Tuberville, provided a statement clarifying that his boss does not think white nationalists should serve in the military.

Sen. Tubervilles quote shows that he was being skeptical of the notion that there are white nationalists in the military, not that he believes they should be in the military, the statement said.

Stafford told The Washington Post in an email that the senator resents the implication that the people in our military are anything but patriots and heroes.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A new law, which takes effect Oct. 1, resuscitates the death penalty for perpetrators of sexual battery on a child under 12. A capital crime for decades, execution for child rape was barred in 2008 by the United States Supreme Court case Kennedy v. Louisiana, as cruel and unusual punishment. Proponents of the law hope the current Supreme Court will reverse that 5-4 decision.

FLORIDA TODAY'S John A. Torres, in his column published May 7th speculates the law will lead to more children being murdered. In support he relates his belief that Mark Schwab killed Junny Rios-Martinez to eliminate the child as a witness, and the new law will cause other child rapists to do the same.

JUNNY ----2/9/2007---Junny Rios-Martinez, 11 was killed 16 years ago by Mark Dean Schwab. This school photo was taken a few weeks before Junny was killed. Photo by: Michael R. Brown

Sadistic pedophiles are uncommon. As one of Schwabs trial attorneys I believe he terrorized raped, and murdered Junny as part of one sadistic act. Schwab used a knife to terrorize, not subdue his victims. As he had with a prior victim Schwab ingratiated himself with the victim and his family. Schwab was not concerned with witnesses. Indeed, one of the aspects of the crime that most terrified the community was Schawbs extensive contacts with Junny and the family before the murder. When Junny went missing the police immediately knew who to look for.

Most cases of child sexual abuse involve family members or caregivers. Already under-reported, the new law may cause a parent to feel even more pressure to not report. Or it may cause some potential offenders to not molest a child at all. Will family members really start killing their young child victims? We simply do not know because the law was passed as a political act, not as a well-researched solution to a problem.

False reports of child sexual abuse are also a problem. In DCF and family law court accusations are thrown around like glitter at a drag show. If half of them were true we would need to build more prisons. Convictions for accusations of child sexual abuse are also easier to obtain because hearsay is allowed at trial. Throwing the death penalty into this volatile mix will lead to unintended consequences.

Story continues

"Be careful what you wish for" is good advice. The governor and legislature got what they wished for; now we will see at what cost in blood and treasure.

Ken Rhoden is a long-time attorney practicing in Brevard County.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: New law may result in fewer reported cases of child rape
Sorry, West Coast. Actor Scott Baio left California for Florida  and he's apparently living his best life on the East Coast now.

The actor best known for "Happy Days" and "Charles in Charge" reportedly left the Golden State for the Sunshine State in April on account of California's homelessness issue. His wife, Renee Baio, bought a home in Bradenton, according to Manatee County property records. In a phone interview Thursday with the Herald-Tribune, she said the couple is living in a condo until their house nearby is completed.

'Living our best life in Florida.' Actor Scott Baio, wife Renee Baio have a home in Bradenton

"Good luck Florida." Scott Baio divides the internet with his departure from California

Who lives here? Most famous celebrities with homes in Sarasota and Bradenton area

Here are things to know about Baio.

Who is Scott Baio?

Scott Baio is best known for playing Chachi Arcola in "Happy Days" alongside Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham and Henry Winkler as The Fonz from 1977-84. He had a catchphrase, too: "Wah wah wah." His character's storyline with love interest Joanie, played by actress Erin Moran, inspired the spin-off "Joanie Loves Chachi," which briefly aired from 1982-83.

After "Happy Days," Baio starred in "Charles in Charge." His character was a college student-slash-nanny to three children. That show, which co-starred Willie Aames ("Eight is Enough") and Ellen Travolta (John's sister), was on the air from 1984-90.

Other TV credits include "Diagnosis: Murder" with Dick Van Dyke from 1993-95 and the Nickelodeon series "See Dad Run" from 2012-15.

Is Scott Baio friends with Donald Trump?

On July 18, 2016, Baio said he was asked by Donald Trump to speak at the Republican National Convention ahead of the 2016 presidential election. In his 2016 speech, Baio said: "Folks, our country right now is in a very bad spot. You can feel it. You can see it everywhere. There's no stability. Nothing seems right. And all the things that we hold dear are being attacked every single day. We cannot go down this road anymore. We need to stop. We need Donald Trump to fix this. Is Donald Trump a messiah? No. He's just a man. A man who wants to give back to his country, America."

Story continues

Where does Scott Baio live?

Living our best life in Florida. pic.twitter.com/bTIKUmZRmB  Scott Baio (@ScottBaio) April 20, 2023

On April 20, the 62-year-old retired actor tweeted a photo of himself and wife, Renee Baio, at the beach with the caption "Living our best life in Florida." On May 3, he tweeted about why he left California for Florida, and went viral.

"A longtime California resident, the 'Happy Days' and 'Charles in Charge' star announced on Twitter last week that he was moving out of California, due to what he described as the states homelessness issue," USA TODAY reported May 10.

After 45 years, Im making my way to finally exit stage right from California, Baio wrote May 3 on Twitter, citing statistics from a 2022 report by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. The most recent survey  found approximately 69,000 people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County and 41,000 in the city in 2022.

After 45 years, Im making my way to finally exit stage right from California.



The most recent survey conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority found approximately 69,000 people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County and 41,000 in the city in 2022. pic.twitter.com/fBCeNyhhhx  Scott Baio (@ScottBaio) May 3, 2023

On May 3, Baio also tweeted that he has two homes in Florida and wrote "love them both!"

The Herald-Tribune has only been able to confirm the purchase of the home in Manatee County. In an interview Thursday, May 11, Renee Baio said by phone from their home in Los Angeles: "I chose Manatee County for various reasons. It's close to Anna Maria Island, Siesta Key, and I love the small town feel and values of Manatee County and I support mom-and-pop businesses and would like to keep them thriving."

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Scott Baio: Why did 'Happy Days' actor leave California for Florida?
XI'AN, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, on Thursday met with Sean Lien, vice chair of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province.

Sean Lien came to the mainland on a Shaanxi tomb-sweeping trip on behalf of former KMT Chairman Lien Chan.

During the meeting, Song emphasized the necessity of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing any separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" and foreign interference.

He said that all Taiwan compatriots who contribute to the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations will go down well in history and be remembered by the people.

For his part, Sean Lien said that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should uphold the 1992 Consensus, oppose "Taiwan independence," enhance communication and exchanges, safeguard peace in the Taiwan Strait, and bring benefits to compatriots on both sides. 
One of the six males charged in an Akron gunfight that killed a 21-year-old pregnant woman last April has accepted a plea deal, becoming the second to do so.

Antonil Whitaker, 16, recently pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and two counts of felonious assault in Summit County Common Pleas Court. The charges included gun specifications that carry additional prison time.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the other charges against Whitaker. His original charges included murder.

Whitaker, who was bound over from Summit County Juvenile Court to be tried as an adult, will be sentenced Sept. 13 by Judge Alison McCarty. He is represented by Attorney Jacob Will.

Akron police released this image taken in the 1400 block of Rockaway Street. Police said the individual in black got out of the older Chevy Impala in the photo, and started firing shots at a group of people in front of a home down the road.

The shooting happened about 7:30 p.m. April 14, 2022, on Rockaway Street in Akron's Kenmore neighborhood. Police say at least 30 bullets from three guns were fired after a person got out of a car and started shooting at a group of people in front of a house. Police say two males with the group returned fire.

Teyaurra Harris, a pregnant woman who was a passenger in a vehicle driving on Rockaway Street, was struck in the back of the head by a stray bullet that went through the back window of the car. She died four days later.

A 19-year-old woman who was in the area was also hit by gunfire but survived.

Jeremiah Williams, 21, of Akron pleaded guilty in February to involuntary manslaughter and other charges. He has not yet been sentenced.

Jaunte Smith, Jaeviare Small, Zyeir Saunders, and Darrion Rackley have trials scheduled in June, July or August.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Second male charged in Akron gun fight pleads guilty to manslaughter
Syrian investigators at the site of an explosion in Damascus on May 10, 2023, seen in a picture provided by the interior ministry

A second Syrian police officer has died following a car bombing at a Damascus police station, the interior ministry said Thursday, a day after the blast that was claimed by Islamic State group jihadists.

The ministry said Wednesday that a vehicle exploded at the Barzeh police station in the north of the capital, killing a lieutenant colonel and wounding four others, adding that an investigation was ongoing.

On Thursday it said that a second policeman had died, with his body transferred to the police hospital in Damascus.

Security incidents, including blasts targeting military or civilian vehicles, occur intermittently in Damascus.

The capital has been largely spared jihadist violence in recent years, especially since the government retook the last rebel bastion near Damascus in 2018.

In April, state media said an unclaimed car bombing rocked the Damascus district of Mazzeh, with the interior ministry saying two people were slightly injured.

In October 2022, a bomb attack on a Syrian army bus near Damascus killed at least 24 soldiers.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, attributed that attack to IS cells.

The IS group's self-declared "caliphate" that once straddled swathes of Syria and Iraq shrank to its death in eastern Syria in early 2019.

The conflict in Syria has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and battered the country's infrastructure and industry.

While the front lines have mostly quietened in recent years, large parts of the country's north remain outside government control.

bur-lg/fz
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has detained a taxi driver who guided a Russian missile at a multi-storey building in the city of Mykolaiv last October, killing eight people.

Source: SSU press service; press service of the Mykolaiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office

Details: The investigation believes that the Russian secret service recruited the detainee in August last year. He caught the attention of the authorities because of his pro-Kremlin activity on one of the Telegram channels.

As a taxi driver, he travelled around the city and recorded the defence forces deployment locations and activity in Mykolaiv Oblast. The offender also tried to gain the trust of his passengers and asked them for information about possible motions of Ukrainian military vehicles.

In addition, he passed the Russians coordinates of civilian infrastructure situated near residential buildings.

For each completed task, Russias associate received up to UAH 5,000 [roughly US$130]. The money was transferred to his bank card.

A search of his place of residence revealed a mobile phone that he used to communicate with his handlers.

The man was served with a notice of suspicion under Article 27.5, Article 28.2, and Article 438.2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war). He faces up to 15 years in prison or life imprisonment.

He has now been taken into custody. The investigation is ongoing.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
With big atmospheric rivers blasting through the City of Trees every year, power outages are a part of life in Sacramento.

But outages affect people differently depending on what neighborhood they live in. People living in Wilton experience the most frequent outages. Outages in South Sacramento affect the highest number of residents. And the outages last longest in Land Park.

There were more than 16,000 power outages from January 2017 through mid-January 2023 in Sacramento County, according to SMUD data. The Bee analyzed them all to create these maps showing trends by ZIP code.

Where Power Outages Happen in Sacramento County

To determine where people most frequently experience power outages, the Bee calculated the number of outages per 1,000 people.

Rural and semi-rural areas topped the list.

The 95693 ZIP code  which covers the Wilton area  saw 618 power outages from January 2017 through mid-January 2023. The ZIP code is home to about 7,200 people, giving it a rate of 85 outages per 1,000 people. No other ZIP came close, though ZIP codes in Rancho Murieta and Elverta also saw high rates. All of those places are long-established communities that often feature aging infrastructure.

The lowest rates of power outages were in the 95835 ZIP code covering North Natomas. That area saw only 58 power outages over the last six years, for a rate of about five outages per 1,000 people. The 95843 ZIP code in Antelope and the 95758 ZIP code in Elk Grove also saw low rates of outages. Each of those communities features thousands of relatively new homes  and lots of newer infrastructure.

Many variables can affect the frequency of power outages, but weather is the most common, said SMUD spokeswoman Lindsay Vanlaningham. Strong winds can knock down trees, which in turn take down poles and lines. Neighborhoods that have large, mature tree canopies are often more prone to outages.

Where Power Outages Last Longest

Power outages tended to last the longest in areas with a lot of trees.

Story continues

In urban Sacramento, trees are something of a luxury. Wealthier established areas tend to have a lot of trees. Areas with more poverty tend to have few.

Power outages typically lasted longest in the 95818 ZIP code that covers Land Park, home to many old, huge trees. The median length of outages in the area was 243 minutes. The 95864 (Arden-Arcade), 95817 (North Oak Park) and 95819 (East Sacramento) areas all saw median power outage lengths of more than 160 minutes. Each of those places are among the areas with the most tree canopy in Sacramento.

ZIP Codes covering Citrus Heights, Valley Hi, Foothill Farms and Rosemont each experienced median power outage lengths of less than 70 minutes, the shortest outages in the region. None of those ZIPS saw more than 10% of outages caused by falling trees, according to SMUD data.

This varies depending on the cause of the outage, the extent of damage and complexity of the repair, Vanlaningham said of the length of outages.

Outages caused by a downed power pole can take up to 12 hours to fix, she said. Other types of outages can be fixed in seconds or minutes by using remote equipment to reroute the power, she added.

Where Power Outages Usually Affect A Lot of People

No big surprises here: Neighborhoods with dense housing often saw a high proportion of outages affecting at least 100 people.

About 51% of power outages in the 95824 ZIP code, which covers the densely-populated community of Lemon Hill in South Sacramento, affected at least 100 customers, a higher rate than any other ZIP code.

The 95825 ZIP in west Arden, the 95842 ZIP code in Foothill Farms and the 95819 ZIP code in East Sacramento also saw a high proportion of power outages - at least 40% - affecting more than 100 customers.

ZIP codes in north Galt, Wilton and the southern end of Elk Grove saw the lowest proportion of power outages - less than 10% - affecting at least 100 people.

Typically, outages that impact more customers are in urban areas where we have more customers on a circuit., Vanlaningham said. But that also means that a larger number of customers can have their power restored faster in an urban area compared to a rural area because one fix can restore power to more people at once.
Musician G Flip and "Selling Sunset" star Chrishell Stause are married. (Axelle / Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic)

A year after confirming their romance, "Selling Sunset" star Chrishell Stause and Australian musician G Flip are married.

The "Days of Our Lives" and "All My Children" actor revealed the news on Instagram late Wednesday, posting a reel set to G Flip's new single "Be Your Man." A representatives for Stause also confirmed "the happy news" in a Thursday email to The Times, but declined to share further details.

Stause's retrospective video chronicled the early parts of the couple's relationship  including her starring role in G Flip's "Get Me Outta Here" music video  and several candid moments ever since. The clip ended with a photo of them kissing in front of an altar with G Flip, whose name is Georgia Flipo, in a black suit and Stause wearing a white wedding gown and holding up a bouquet of flowers.

"Love doesnt always go as plannedSometimes its immeasurably better," Stause, 41, captioned the post, plugging the musician's new single too.

"If you ever get the pleasure of meeting G, know that you are meeting one of the kindest, funniest & most talented hard working people out there. Please go stream! I love you so much @gflip #BeYourMan," the real estate agent added.

Reposting the reel on their Instagram Stories, G Flip, 28, added: "just having a little cry in my Uber Right now @chrishell.sause this is very sweet, thank you"

Messages of congratulations poured into Stause's comments section, including a love note from G Flip that said: "My darling, I adore and love you with all my heart. These are the sweetest words and this is cutest little edit You make me so happy thank you x."

Stause's "Selling Sunset" co-star and ex, Jason Oppenheim, also weighed in, writing: "I am SO excited for this!! You and G are the most inspiring couple and the affection between you both is so pure. I love you two tons and am so lucky to have you both in my life. congrats!"

Story continues

Stause was previously married to "This Is Us" star Justin Hartley, who filed for divorce in 2019 after two years of marriage and six years together. Their surprise split made headlines just as Stause and the rest of the Oppenheim Group agents were filming Netflixs first English-language docusoap. The divorce was finalized in early 2021.

The reality and soap star first met G Flip on Halloween in 2021 when Stause was still dating Oppenheim, and G Flip was also in a relationship, according to People, which first confirmed the wedding news. After they separated from their exes, the couple "found a lot of similarities" between them. Stause confirmed their romance during the May 2022 reunion episode of "Selling Sunset," which aired five months after her breakup with Oppenheim.

"I recently have been spending a lot of time with someone that's very important to me. Their name is G Flip. They're nonbinary, so they go by they/them," she said during the reunion. "And they are an extremely talented musician."

The couple celebrated their one-year anniversary in March and G Flip is set to appear in Season 6 of "Selling Sunset," which begins streaming on Netflix on May 19. In the trailer, which debuted last week, Stause pushes back against the criticism she's received, saying that she's having an "awakening" not a "midlife crisis."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Black man listening to music on a plane

In the past decade, semi-private jet companies have gained popularity by offering a luxurious travel experience without the inconvenience and expense of owning a private jet. Set Jet, however, operates differently from most semi-private jet companies. Instead of scheduled shuttle services, the company allows its members to charter a jet for their specific needs or book a seat on another members flight. While this system may take some time to get accustomed to, this article provides a comprehensive guide on everything you need to know about Set Jet and how to make the most of its unique service, according to Travel and Leisure.

Set Jet, a semi-private jet company, offers a unique experience to its members with its fleet of five Bombardier Challenger 850 aircraft. Unlike regularly scheduled flights, Set Jets aircraft are always on standby, ready to fly whenever a member needs them.

How To Book a Flight on Set Jet

To book a flight, members use Set Jets app to request a flight between two destinations included in their membership plan. Domestic destinations require 24 hours notice, while international ones require a weeks notice. Other members can then book seats on the same flight up to 30 minutes before departure, creating a semi-private experience.

However, if no other member books a seat on the same flight, then the member who initiated the flight gets the entire private jet experience. Set Jet differentiates these options as booking a flight and buying a seat, respectively.

Benefits of Flying Private

Like most private jet companies, Set Jet operates out of private terminals, allowing members to bypass the often time-consuming TSA security process. Members can arrive at the terminal at least 20 minutes before departure, making for a more efficient and comfortable travel experience.

Set Jets unique approach to semi-private jet travel offers its members flexibility and exclusivity, making it an attractive option for those seeking luxurious yet convenient travel.

Story continues

What Cities Can You Fly To?

Set Jets flight destinations currently include seven locations, with seven additional destinations to be added soon. The current flight destinations include Los Angeles, which provides for LAX, Van Nuys, Burbank, Orange County, San Diego, Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, Scottsdale, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City.

Set Jet plans to expand its reach to several new locations soon, including New York, Miami, West Palm Beach in Florida, Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Aspen in Colorado.

However, only Standard Set Jet members can fly to California, Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, and Texas destinations. Elite members who upgrade their membership can access New York, Miami, and West Palm Beach.

Cost of Set Jet Membership

For a standard Set Jet membership, the monthly fee is $99.95, and members are free to cancel at any time without any monthly commitment. On the other hand, an elite Set Jet membership is available for $999.95 per month but requires a 12-month commitment. However, a one-time fee of $99.95 for a security check is not included in the membership cost. Furthermore, the actual seat price on a flight is also not included in the membership fee.

Cost of Set Jet Flights

Flights start at $750 one-way for regional flights and $1,330 one-way for flights to Cabo San Lucas. Note that booking a flight seat does not guarantee a specific seat on the plane: seating is first-come, first-served.

Dress Code

One of the most important guidelines is the dress code. Set Jet maintains a strict dress code for all its passengers, and certain clothing items are prohibited. These include collarless T-shirts, athleisure, cropped tops, flip-flops, and short miniskirts. Passengers can find the complete dress code in Set Jets FAQ section.

Are Pets Allowed?

Another question often asked by passengers is whether they can bring their pets on board. Set Jet does allow pets on its flights, but only dogs, cats, and birds are permitted. For other animals, the company will consider each case individually. Passengers can bring pets weighing 20 pounds or less for free, while a fee of $250 applies for pets weighing between 21 and 60 pounds. For pets weighing 61 pounds or more, a fee of $350 applies.

What Are Set Jet Baggage Fees?

Set Jet also has baggage restrictions in place. Each passenger is allowed to bring one checked bag weighing up to 50 pounds and one personal item weighing up to 20 pounds. Additional bags may be allowed on board case-by-case basis if passengers provide advance notice. Fees for additional or overweight baggage are $50 for domestic flights and $100 for international flights.
Lawmakers are seeking a long shot legislative replacement for Title 42 ahead of its expiration on Thursday, which many worry will lead to a surge of migrants at the border.

Republicans in both chambers are offering proposals on the immigration front, and last week Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) rolled out a bill that would effectively extend Title 42 protections  which allow migrants to be expelled at the border  for two more years.

The proposals are also giving the Senates most vulnerable Democrats the chance to stand firm on a border issue.

Meanwhile, the number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border is expected to grow  at least temporarily  once the pandemic emergency expires, marking the end of Title 42. Even in the days leading up to Thursdays deadline, theres been an apparent surge as more than 10,000 migrants were apprehended at the border on both Monday and Tuesday, a sign that migrant attitudes at the border are shifting ahead of the policy change.

Administration officials and congressional Democrats have spent weeks fretting over the political consequences of a migration surge, with some Democrats even calling for extensions to the Trump-era policy.

The problem is, if you want to go down the rabbit hole following the Republicans on lets be tougher on the border than them, youre never going to win. Its a political loser and, most importantly, it doesnt solve the problem at the border. Thats why in the height of all the Trump enforcement provisions, people still flocked to the border, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) told reporters last week.

Still, some in the Senate are pursuing patchwork legislation to replace Title 42 with similar authorities for border officials.

There are a lot of discussions around it. Obviously, the deadline is tomorrow and the administration was asleep at the switch. So this havoc is going to be wreaked on the communities at the border, said Tillis.

Story continues

His and Sinemas proposal, unveiled after months of back-and-forth talks, would also hand protections to migrants who could face life-threatening circumstances upon return to their home country and those with acute medical needs.

Clearly we would like to do more, but I dont know what in the short amount of time we have before Title 42 gets lifted that we can get done, Tillis added. The chance we can move something through regular order on the short timeline we have to work with here is pretty unrealistic.

Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) were the two lone cosponsors when the legislation was unveiled, but it gained more support from GOP leadership as Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) threw her weight behind it.

For over two years, the Biden administration has failed to grasp the ongoing crisis at our southern border. Now, as we approach the end of Title 42 authority, which has been a useful tool in trying to stem this flow, I fear the Biden administration has failed to adequately prepare for when the authority expires, said Capito, the No. 5 Senate Republican.

The bill also won support from the moderate Democratic wing as Sens. Jon Tester (Mont.) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio) told The Hill they are supportive of the two-year addendum.

Im on it. For right now, its something that needs to happen to give them the tools to manage the situation, Tester said.

I think presidents of both parties have essentially failed on this. Were not ready. We should extend it. We need to bring more doctors in and more court people to process these, Brown told reporters. Weve got a lot to do still.

Tester, Brown and Manchin all occupy seats Republicans are targeting in 2024 and are considered among the most vulnerable Democrats in the Senate.

Outside of moderates, Democrats have shown little willingness to support Sinema and Tilliss effort. Menendez told reporters he still is behind his plan that calls for a pathway to citizenship for migrants and boosting humanitarian aid to some countries in the Americas.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) was noncommittal about the two-year patch, saying she had to look at the specifics of the proposal. She noted that she backed Sinema and Tilliss more expansive immigration bill that was rolled out late last year.

More proposals are expected to arrive around the deadline as pressure increases. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is expected to roll out a new bill on Thursday, telling reporters it will focus on the request that we received from the people on the border about enhancing and increasing their capacity.

He added he is hopeful talks can begin soon now that the House is expected to pass its border package on Thursday.

I hope we can sit down and start working on it, see if theres any common ground, Durbin said.

Still, with no other game in town, the Sinema-Tillis bill could pick up steam if predictions of post-Title 42 chaos come true, a scenario Democrats increasingly fear as migrant encounters rise ahead of the policys end.

Although the political extremes in the Capitol disagree on almost everything border-related, legislators across the spectrum seem to agree the administration failed to prepare for the end of Title 42.

Along with Capito, Menendez has made a similar claim, as has Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who is running for Sinemas seat.

But there is no certainty on what will happen when Title 42 ends, other than most experts expect a significant  but likely temporary  uptick in border crossings.

That puts a damper on the urgency to legislate a fast Title 42 replacement in the Senate, where Democrats have little choice but to hold their breath and hope the administration makes the best of a difficult situation.

Still, immigrant advocates and border experts say theres little need to replace Title 42, a policy many say was an undue politicization of pandemic fears.

We have forgotten how we got here; this was never about public health, but rather a political response and a way for [Stephen] Miller to implement a policy that would stop people from seeking refuge in the U.S., said Vanessa Cardenas, executive director of Americas Voice, a progressive immigration advocacy group.

In doing so, not only have we turned back people who have a right to ask for asylum, but in the process, we have created a massive bottleneck at the border which has festered the last three years with devastating consequences to communities on both sides of the border.

And many Democrats see a bill extending Title 42 as an unnecessary patch that would just extend the administrations headaches at the border.

The overall posture is that Title 42 was a temporary public health measure. We cant keep putting things off  kicking the can is why we havent really been able to pass real immigration reform in 30 years. A two-year delay is not a permanent or comprehensive solution, a Democratic aide told The Hill.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON  The head of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is hopeful at least some of the reforms proposed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers to improve the U.S. government process for classifying information could make its way into forthcoming defense and intelligence policy bills.

The group, led by Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA, announced two bills on May 10 designed to centralize classification decisions, impose disincentives for overclassification and protect against insider threats.

In a May 11 briefing on Capitol Hill, Warner said that while achieving true reform may be a bit of a slog, hes working to make progress on some of the recommendations during this legislative session.

Weve not done a major socialization with the House yet, but we know there are a lot of people who are interested in this issue, he said. Whether it got in-total attached or whether we have pieces of this that went into the [National Defense Authorization Act] or the Intelligence Authorization Act, were actively working that.

Secrecy within the defense and intelligence communities is not a new obstacle. Officials have for years warned that overclassification hinders work with allies and industry and makes it harder to communicate with the public. At the same time, several recent events  including alleged misuse of classified documents by the Trump and Biden administrations and the leak of classified Pentagon documents by a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard  renew concerns by some that access and handling of secret information is not subject to enough oversight.

Warner said those incidents have brought a new urgency to the reform discussion.

All of that coalesced a bipartisan group of us on the Intelligence Committee to say its time to actually put up a piece of legislation, or a couple of pieces of legislation, he said.

The first bill, the Classification Reform Act, targets the classification process itself, setting accountability and governance measures to ensure that secrecy levels are being applied appropriately. The bill would designate the director of national intelligence as the executive agent for classification and declassification, creating a single authority overseeing the system.

Story continues

Right to know

The bill would also require that before designating a program as classified, agencies must validate that the national security risk to revealing that information is more compelling than the publics right to know. Further, it would also establish a fund to upgrade the outdated systems that support declassification. Agencies would allocate a portion of their annual budgets to the fund and those with the highest rates of classified information would be required to contribute more.

To get after insider threat concerns, the bill would set minimum standards for what information can leave government buildings. It would also require most documents to be stripped of classification protections after 25 years.

The second bill, the Sensible Declassification Act, focuses on streamlining the declassification process, improving training programs to ensure sensible classification and modernizing the system that manages these issues.

It would also require federal agencies to access the need for number and types of security clearances.

Warner said he expects several of the provisions to be unpopular  particularly those focused on weighing security risks against the public interest, charging fees to agencies that overclassify and setting limits on how long certain documents can remain secret.

Thats going to stir up some controversy  were aware, he said. Any administration would probably push back on some of this just because they dont want Congress messing with this.
The PBS childrens show Sesame Street introduced its first Filipino American muppet on Sunday as part of a segment about showing confidence.

The new character, named TJ, was featured alongside actor Kal Penn and Ji-Young, the shows first Asian American muppet. In his debut, TJ shared an example in which support from his family had boosted his confidence.

Im learning Tagalog. Its a language my Filipino family speaks. And I have confidence because I can always ask my lola for help when I dont know a word, TJ says, using the Tagalog word for grandmother.

TJ character on Sesame Street. (Sesame Street via YouTube)

TJ, played by voice actor and puppeteer Yinan Shentu, is the brainchild of Filipino American animator Bobby Pontillas. The animator shared in an Instagram post that the characters look was inspired by his lifelong friends children, Max and Mateo.

Rosemary Espina Palacios, Sesame Workshops director of talent outreach, inclusion and content development, who is of Filipino descent, said she hoped that the character could challenge some age-old stereotypes.

Im so proud to help bring some Filipino representation to the neighborhood, and just in time for API Heritage Month to show the range in our diaspora, Palacios said in an Instagram post. His first segment with @kalpenn and Ji-Young is all about confidence, something I personally feel can help unravel the model minority stereotype.

TJs introduction was met with an outpouring of support from many in the Filipino American community, expressing their happiness that younger generations will grow up, seeing themselves represented on the iconic television show.

Sesame Street's TJ. (John Barrett / Sesame Workshop)

The characters debut comes after the show introduced the history-making muppet Ji-Young, a 7-year-old Korean American skateboarder and guitar shredder, in 2021. Ji-Young, performed by puppeteer Kathleen Kim, in part helped kids process and discuss the concept of anti-Asian racism.

Its necessary for the next generation of kids to understand these issues because theyre real issues and theyre issues that I dont see going away in the foreseeable future, Alan Muraoka, who plays the owner of Hoopers Store on the show and is also Asian American, previously told NBC News.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
"Sesame Street" has introduced its first-ever Filipino American muppet, TJ  the first Asian American character to join the show since Ji-Young, an Asian American muppet who was introduced in a 2021 Thanksgiving episode.

TJ debuted in a video on Sunday in which he learned the meaning of the word "confidence" alongside actor Kal Pen, "Sesame Street" veteran Grover and Ji-Young

In the short video, TJ said he was working on learning Tagalog, the language his Filipino family speaks. He added that he has confidence when learning the language because he can always ask his "Lola," the Tagalog word for grandmother, for help when he doesn't know a word.

Filipino American artist and animator Bobby Pontillas shared initial sketches of TJ's character on Instagram and said he collaborated with master puppeteer Louis Mitchell to create the Filipino American boy.

Pontillas said the character's appearance is inspired by his lifelong friends, Max and Mateo.

"I had the amazing opportunity to work with the geniuses at the Sesame Workshop to create a Filipino muppet for @sesamestreet," Pontillas said in his post. "Meet TJ!"

TJ's character is voiced and puppeteered by Yinan Shentu, who also took to Instagram to share photos of himself with TJ and a behind-the-scenes look at the character's first "Sesame Street" appearance.

Rosemary Espina Palcios, director of talent outreach, inclusion and content development at "Sesame Street," said on Instagram that she is excited to bring TJ and his culture to the beloved children's show.

"I'm so proud to help bring some Filipino representation to the neighborhood, and just in time for API Heritage Month to show the range in our diaspora," Palacio wrote. "His first segment with @kalpenn and Ji-Young is all about confidence, something I personally feel can help unravel the model minority stereotype."

Story continues

May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which recognizes the cultures and accomplishments of Asian Americans throughout the U.S.

Buddy Holly wins best in show at Westminster dog show

Investors react as consumer prices rise at slowest rate in 2 years

14th Amendment and debt ceiling connection explained
TEHRAN, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Iranian foreign minister announced that progress was made towards bridging the differences between Syria and Turkiye during a quadrilateral meeting on the Syrian issue in Moscow.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks before he departed from Moscow to the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday night, reported the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Thursday.

Amir-Abdollahian described the meeting, attended by the foreign ministers of Syria, Russia, Turkiye, and Iran, as a "positive" development.

The Iranian diplomat noted that "very good" progress has been made in Iran's relations with Turkiye and Russia, especially during last year, adding the trade between Iran and the two countries shows a "growing and promising" trend.

He also mentioned that groundwork for extensive joint activities between the private sectors of Iran and Syria was laid during Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's recent visit to the Syrian capital Damascus.

In a joint communique issued on Wednesday, the four foreign ministers underscored the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria. They highlighted the necessity of developing a roadmap to improve the strained relations between Damascus and Ankara. 
Editors note: This blotter is compiled from recent Gig Harbor police reports.

She was unconscious when police arrived

Around 3 p.m. on May 4, Gig Harbor police were dispatched to Sound Credit Union at 4524 Point Fosdick Drive regarding an unwanted person refusing to leave.

When officers arrived, they saw a woman who appeared to be unconscious inside the building.

They discovered she was breathing, but she did not wake up when they shook her, according to a police report.

Bank staff told officers the woman got into an altercation with a customer who pushed her. Witnesses said the woman fell but did not hit her head, according to the report.

Police radioed for firefighters, who arrived and provided medical aid.

When the woman woke up, she began yelling at firefighters and police and ripped a blood-pressure monitor off herself, police said.

She then walked out the front doors.

Officers followed and told her that her bank account was now closed with Sound Credit Union, and staff issued her a check with her account balance, which they placed in her purse.

The check was for over $6,000.

The woman continued to walk out of the store and yelled to the officer he could keep her bag.

Officers also told her she was trespassed from the bank and she could be arrested if she returned.

The womans purse was booked into evidence along with the check.

A stranger was sleeping downstairs

Gig Harbor Police responded to a burglary in progress at a home on Harborview Drive, April 27 just after 11am.

When officers arrived, they met the homeowner who told them someone was sleeping behind their couch. Officers went inside and did not find anyone behind the couch, according to the police report.

While officers were clearing the rest of the house, they found a woman using one of the bathrooms.

Officers asked her to exit the bathroom, then placed her in handcuffs.

When asked why she was at the home, she told officers she thought it was a real estate property. She refused to acknowledge officers reading her Miranda rights.

Story continues

She became aggressive, stating that we were just there to kill her, the officer wrote in the report. She continued stating we were Russian cosmonauts and Ukrainian killers.

Police transported the her to Kitsap County Jail and booked her for trespassing.

They got away with using fake bills

When officers arrived at Famous Footwear, 5151 Borgen Blvd., employees told them two people had used six fake $100 bills around 4 p.m on May 3 to purchase several items, according to a police report.

Employees did not realize the money was fake until after the suspects left the store.

A female suspect had used her rewards program account at checkout, and employees gave police her name.

Police took the fake bills, itemized receipt and surveillance footage as evidence.
By Shadia Nasralla

LONDON (Reuters) - Shell shareholders should support a climate activist resolution at its annual general meeting and vote against the oil major on most counts, Britain's Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) recommends in a report seen by Reuters.

This follows announcements by the the Church of England Pension Board, proxy adviser PIRC and a number of Dutch funds in favour of the climate resolution proposed by activist group Follow This.

Influential shareholder advisories ISS and Glass Lewis recommended a vote against the resolution asking for stronger 2030 emissions-cutting targets while ISS accepted that the Follow This arguments had merits. Shell had asked shareholders to oppose the resolution at the May 23 meeting.

"We strongly disagree with the positions against Shell voting recommendations taken by PIRC, the LAPFF, PGGM, MN and the Church of England Pensions Board," a Shell spokesperson said.

"We trust a vast majority of shareholders will agree on the need to collaborate in balancing the supply and use of energy to accelerate the energy transition, while reducing the social costs, and we are pleased that ISS and Glass Lewis concur."

LAPFF, which says it represents 350 billion pounds ($441.74 billion) of UK local authority pensions, recommended votes against Shell's directors' pay resolutions, its energy transition plan and most directors, apart from its Chair.

"Given that 2030 is further away than the tenure of most executives and non-executive directors, the incentive framework to deliver a credible transition requires an overhaul, as does the board," LAPFF said.

At Shell's 2022 shareholder meeting, Follow This received 20% of votes, down from 30% the previous year.

Shell will hold an investor day in June, at which it will provide details on its updated strategy. Shell said its target of reducing emissions to net zero by 2050 remained unchanged and that it continues to invest in low-carbon energy.

Story continues

($1 = 0.7923 pounds)

(This story has been refiled to fix typographical error in the spelling of PGGM in paragraph 4)

(Reporting by Shadia Nasralla; Editing by David Goodman)
President Joe Biden warned this week that the southern border would be chaotic for awhile after a 3-year-old pandemic-era immigration law lifts Thursday.

But the chaos is already here.

More than two years after Biden started a court battle to end Title 42  a law that has kept thousands of migrants out of the country  the border is at an inflection point. The administration, despite criticism from its own party of a perceived lack of preparation and three months of lead time into Title 42s expiration, doubled down Wednesday in defense of its plan to solve the complex border crisis.

Even after nearly two years of preparation, we expect to see large numbers of encounters at our southern border in the days and weeks after May 11," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. "Our plan will deliver results, but it will take time for those results to be fully realized. And it is essential that we all take this into account.

Hundreds of migrants turned themselves in for immigration processing in El Paso, Texas, after learning federal authorities would begin targeted enforcement" to round them up. States are taking the crisis into their own hands, with a combination of militaristic and humanitarian methods. And the first waves in a group of 1,500 military service members with the Army and Marines were due to arrive Wednesday.

Without proper documents, migrant families have been sleeping on cardboard and under makeshift lean-tos, unable to travel. Record numbers of Cuban, Venezuelan and Central American migrants are crossing the border illegally. All the while, the governor of Texas has been mobilizing a tactical border force to intercept migrants.

I travel to Arizona and west Texas, and recently have been to south Texas, said Tony Payan, a professor at Rice University in Houston. Wherever I go, migrants just keep going, and I think the Biden administration just doesnt know what to do.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas is seen Wednesday.

'Targeted enforcement' leads to confusion in El Paso

In El Paso, a haven for migrants long before the formal expiration of Title 42, migrants were navigating a threat of "targeted enforcement" from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the only community to report such a situation to the USA TODAY Network.

Story continues

More than 3,300 migrants, many of whom crossed the U.S. border illegally, had set up camp as of Monday around a Catholic church in the downtown area and on the sidewalks outside a homeless shelter. There were hundreds of men traveling alone but also many families living on the trash-strewn streets.

The federal enforcement operation had been scheduled to start Tuesday, immigration authorities said, but refugee advocates said they were confused about what was actually happening. By Wednesday, hundreds had turned themselves in to authorities, but advocates didnt know if migrants would be afforded their legal right to seek asylum or summarily removed.

The message keeps changing, said Mark Seitz, bishop for the Catholic Diocese of El Paso. He pointed to an official communique from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Monday night warning about expulsion and removal. By Tuesday morning, plainclothes officers were handing out a flyer that just basically said, You can go turn yourself in at the bridge. There were no assurances there either.

Seitz spent the morning counseling migrants around one of his churches but wasnt sure what to tell them. He said he didnt want to make promises the U.S. government might not keep.

Migrants are pat down by a Border Patrol agent as they enter into El Paso, Texas from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Wednesday.

Not stopping anytime soon

In Arizona and Texas, governors appear to be making their own plans to deal with the expiration of Title 42.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, announced a plan Monday to address a surge in migrants but shared few details, citing uncertainty about the scope of need for public safety, transportation and shelter. She said shelters already were at capacity in Tucson, so we are going to respond to the need that is on the ground."

Hobbs said Tuesday that the state had established five new bus routes to transport migrants from small border communities to Tucson to avoid street releases in communities that lack the infrastructure to care for and transport migrants. Arizona already has been using taxpayer dollars to bus and fly asylum-seekers from the border to their sponsors across the nation.

Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls said border crossings had more than tripled over the course of a month. "This morning at 8 o'clock there were already 500 people that had crossed into the Yuma sector," Nicholls said Monday. "This is not stopping anytime soon, and it's very troubling.

Hobbs said she had urged Biden and Mayorkas to take specific steps ahead Title 42s expiration.

We have not received an adequate response, she said. We will continue to relentlessly pressure the federal government until we truly get the resources we need to manage the expected influx."

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas directed a new National Guard unit called a tactical border force to load up Blackhawk helicopters and military transport aircraft ahead of the expiration. National Guard troops also have been installing barbed wire along popular entry places.

The Texas Tactical Border Force, it bolsters Operation Lone Star to secure the Texas border amidst the chaos caused by Joe Biden eliminating Title 42, Abbott said Monday.

Pentagon troops will fill monitoring gaps at the southern border

In what observers say is only the latest in a decadeslong trend in militarizing the border, the first 550 in a group of 1,500 service members with the Army and Marines were set to arrive at the border Wednesday.

Theyre tasked with duties ranging from working in warehouses to assisting with data entry and monitoring portions of the border to alert Customs and Border Patrol, according to a Defense Department official who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Though the Pentagon has long been clear about the monitoring work, in White House briefings May 2 and 3, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre chose to emphasize the troops administrative roles and said that they would not perform direct law enforcement. The communication led Abbott to taunt Biden for sending 1,500 troops to the border to do paperwork.

Observers dont see the move as a long-term solution, and they'd rather see more staff for agencies like the Department of Homeland Security. But the White House says Republican members of Congress voted to defund border patrol agents and wouldnt approve Bidens 2021 and 2022 requests for record funding for agents.

We would propose sending 1,500 more lawyers, adjudicators, case managers to the border, because we feel like this is a humanitarian crisis that requires humanitarian response, said Janet Murguia, president and CEO at UnidosUS, a Latino nonprofit advocacy organization. We think those types of efforts would help restore fairness, order, humanity and efficiency.

Payan, the professor from Houston, said sending troops to the border is a strategy for which the Biden administration criticized former President Donald Trumps administration. Another was summarily sending asylum-seekers back to Mexico.

It seems they were caught really without a plan, Payan said. And so, whats the response? A Trumpian-style strategy.

Contributing: Maureen Groppe, Francesca Chambers

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Late efforts underway at U.S.-Mexico border before Title 42 ends
A woman in charge of collecting traffic ticket payments for a Louisiana sheriffs office was caught stealing cash, federal prosecutors said.

The case dates back to when she worked as the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Offices traffic administrator from July 2018 to September 2022, court documents show. She no longer works for the office, officials said.

During this time, the woman, of Baton Rouge, stole more than $150,000 worth of fines paid toward traffic violations, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.

The 44-year-old woman is now facing a charge of federal program theft, the attorneys office announced in a May 11 news release.

McClatchy News contacted the womans attorney for comment on May 11 and didnt immediately receive a response.

The woman was tasked with entering traffic tickets into the sheriffs office traffic ticket management software and preparing cash deposits after collecting payments as the traffic administrator, according to court documents.

She hid how she was stealing some of the payments for nearly four years by lying and recording the traffic tickets as having been fully paid, a bill of information filed in court shows. Additionally, she wrote down fake journal entries in the accounting system, according to the document.

In April 2022, she collected traffic ticket payments totaling more than $19,000 for the month, but she only deposited about $10,000 in the sheriffs office bank account, the bill of information says.

If the woman is convicted, she could be ordered to forfeit all the stolen money, or anything she bought with the money, to the government, according to prosecutors.

Man stole about $35K in flooring from Home Depot, then sold it on Facebook, feds say

Caregiver stole womans life savings and bought beach house and cars, AL officials say

Military spouse kept his second, third marriages a secret and stole $364,000, feds say

Men stole cooking oil from restaurants in middle of night  and made thousands, feds say
JERUSALEM  One year after the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, the FBI agents investigating the shooting have still not spoken to key witnesses in the case, raising questions about the progress of the international probe.

The death of Abu Akleh, 51, a correspondent with the Al Jazeera news channel and one of the Middle Easts most prominent journalists, sparked global outrage that only intensified after an Israeli police crackdown at her funeral.

Israel initially blamed Palestinian gunmen but later admitted that it was most likely an Israeli soldier who accidentally fired the fatal shot during a raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. No one in the Israeli army has been prosecuted, and the military has not announced any disciplinary action.

Advocates have renewed calls for justice after 12 months that have brought little relief for her family or other Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, where escalating violence has raised fears of a broader conflict.

At a Jerusalem church this week, relatives and colleagues gathered to honor Abu Aklehs memory. A photograph of her in front of Jerusalems Dome of the Rock was placed by the altar as fellow Palestinian journalists wept.

The past year has been beyond devastating. Its been very difficult for us to comprehend this loss, her niece Lina Abu Akleh told NBC News in an interview ahead of Thursday's anniversary. We dont want another day to go by without justice. We want to be able to go to sleep, knowing that the soldier that killed her is held responsible.

The US-Palestinian journalist, a respected veteran of the Qatar-based TV network, was shot dead on May 11, 2022 as she covered an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank. (Ahmad Gharabli / AFP - Getty Images)

Abu Akleh was an American citizen, and her family and some Democrats in Congress say they dont believe it is credible for Israels military to investigate itself  leaving their hopes for accountability largely pinned on the FBI.

But a year after the May 11, 2022, shooting, the FBI has still not contacted Shatha Hanaysha, a Palestinian journalist who was walking alongside Abu Akleh when she was shot and struggled to help in her dying moments. There is no serious investigation, Hanaysha said in an interview. It was just talking in the air to kill the story.

Story continues

Walid Al-Omari, Al Jazeeras bureau chief in the region, also said the FBI had not contacted him or his staff, including the television crew that was with Abu Akleh when she was shot.

The Biden administration had initially stopped short of a full investigation despite pressure from the United Nations and some Democratic lawmakers.

When that changed, the Israeli government announced in November that it would not cooperate with the FBI investigation.

Israels then-defense minister, Benny Gantz, denounced the U.S. decision to investigate the shooting as a grave mistake and accused Washington of interference in Israels internal affairs.

Without Israels cooperation, the FBI is unable to speak to key figures from the Israeli military, including senior commanders and troops on the ground during the raid in the West Bank city of Jenin.

The result is that FBI investigators so far appear publicly to not be in contact with Palestinian witnesses who are eager to talk  and unable to contact Israeli witnesses. The FBI declined to comment, in line with its policy of not discussing ongoing investigations.

Israels Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the FBI investigation, saying officials were dealing with the ongoing fighting in Gaza.

Lina Abu Akleh, the niece, said: We remain hopeful that the FBI will complete a thorough and independent criminal investigation. This is an important step for us toward accountability.

The well-known Palestinian reporter for the broadcaster's Arabic language channel was shot and killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin the Palestinian health ministry said. (Majdi Mohammed / AP)

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., has emerged as a leading voice in Congress pushing the U.S. government do more on the Abu Akleh case. I do not believe that the Biden administration has done everything it can to ensure accountability. I dont think its given this the focus that it should, he told NBC News.

Van Hollens current focus is on gaining congressional access to a report compiled by Army Lt. Gen. Michael R. Fenzel, who is posted in Jerusalem and tasked with coordinating security issues between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Fenzels report is an overview of Israeli and Palestinian investigations into Abu Aklehs death but is not expected to contain original investigative material.

The State Department has said it is determining the appropriate level of classification for the report before releasing it to Congress. Van Hollen said he expected to receive a copy in the coming weeks.

The senator said it was troubling and disappointing that Israeli authorities had refused to cooperate with the FBI investigation. Which is why I will continue to call upon the Biden administration to use all the tools it has available to ensure that we ultimately have accountability and justice is done, he said.

Speaking at a congressional hearing last week, Yael Lempert, a senior American diplomat and President Joe Bidens nominee as U.S. ambassador to Jordan, said: We continue to underscore  at the level of the secretary of state  the importance of accountability in her killing. And we will continue to do so.

Al Jazeera has also submitted a formal request to the International Criminal Court to investigate Abu Aklehs killing. The Israeli government said it would not allow its soldiers to be questioned as part of any external investigation.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Over last winter, Ukraine successfully withstood Russias months-long campaign targeting energy infrastructure with barrages of missiles and drones.

But that achievement came with a cost.

Having shot down hundreds of Russian rockets and kamikaze drones since October, Ukraines Air Force is now facing a shortage of missiles for its air defense systems.

Citing the February assessment in the leaked Pentagon papers, the New York Times reported that the stockpiles of missiles for Ukraines main air defense systems, the S-300 and Buk, were expected to be completely depleted by early May.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022 Ukraine has received some Western air defense systems, such as IRIS-T, NASAMS, Crotale, Gepard, and most recently, the advanced U.S. built MIM-104 Patriot. Nonetheless, the Soviet-designed S-300 and Buk systems still account for most of its air protection.

Strengthening Ukraines air defense, specifically ground-based systems, was the main task of the recent meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group held on April 21 at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

However, NATO members capabilities when it comes to supplying missiles for Soviet systems are limited and finite, as the interceptors are only produced inside Russia.

As Kyiv and its partners are dealing with the issue, Russia is reportedly already taking advantage of Ukraines shortage by sending more aircraft to attack its front-line positions.

Supplies and maintenance

Ukraines Air Force had a large stock of missiles for S-300 and Buk air defense systems before Russias full-scale invasion, said Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat, without going into specifics.

The most effective thing today to shoot down all the aerial targets the Russians are launching at us is the anti-aircraft missile systems, namely the Buk and S-300. They are the ones that do the job that we see in the reports of the General Staff, Ihnat told the Kyiv Independent.

Story continues

Ihnat admitted that the air defense missile shortage issue was acute now, after a season of Russian mass attacks.

On top of the missile shortage, the maintenance of these systems is also a problem. The Ukrainian military has been using these systems since 2014, when Russia first invaded Ukraine, so many of them need new components and complex repairs.

The producer of S-300 and Buk, as well as their modifications, is Russian state-owned company Almaz-Antey.

We have companies that can make repairs to extend the life of the equipment, but the production of this equipment, and not only the equipment but also critical spare parts for it, is exclusively Russian, says Ihnat.

To produce unique spare parts is impossible under our conditions. Nor is it possible to manufacture missiles.

In the case of the S-300 systems, Ukraine may count on help from some NATO countries that have components and ammunition for them in their arsenal.

Slovakia has already transferred one S-300, as well as missiles and spare parts for it.

The complex is also in service in Bulgaria. Though Ukraine has reportedly asked the Bulgarian government for supplies of a wide range of weapons including the S-300, Sofia has so far refused to provide the systems, citing the need to protect its own sky.

Greece has also refused to give Ukraine S-300, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis saying in February that it would create a gap in the countrys defense capabilities without appropriate replacements.

However, Ihnat says that some countries that give Ukraine components and missiles for S-300 do not publicize the cooperation.

Patriot air defense faces its toughest challenge ever in Ukraine The wait is over  after almost a year of refusals and hesitation, Western-provided MIM-104 Patriot air defense systems have finally arrived and become operational in Ukraine. On April 21 and 26, Ukraines Air Force confirmed the full employment of two Patriot batteries. As Ukraines own Soviet-er Kyiv IndependentIllia Ponomarenko

The situation with the Buk systems is no less problematic for Ukraine, as the Soviet-designed complex is not officially in active service with any NATO country.

In September 2022, defense analysis website Oryx wrote that Finland, which recently joined NATO, holds Buk systems in reserve. According to Oryx, they were decommissioned in 2010. At the moment, there is no information on whether these systems or their components have been transferred to Ukraine.

However, Ukraine has begun receiving RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles from the United States, which could replace its expiring Soviet and Russian rockets for Buk, according to Politico.

Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the publication reported in January that the Ukrainian military has managed to tweak its existing Soviet-era Buk launchers to fire the Sea Sparrow.

This missile is in service with a dozen Western countries, which have significant stocks of this model. But it is yet unclear how many Buk systems Ukraine was able to modify and how many Sea Sparrows the West could have supplied.

New challenges

Ukraine is not the only side dealing with a missile shortage.

After Russian forces have subjected Ukraine to multiple massive missile attacks over the past year, its stores emptied to the point of emergency ration, says Ihnat.

According to Andrii Cherniak, representative of the Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, the Russian Air Force spends far more missiles than it is capable of producing. He claims that Russia has only 20% of its total stockpile of high-precision cruise missiles left.

Now they can produce 30 to 60 modern high-precision missiles a month. Given the fact that the world sanctions are in effect  they are not buying the electronics they need for these missiles. They are trying to bypass them (the sanctions), by smuggling. This production, according to military intelligence, will not continue for a long time, Cherniak said.

As Moscows high-precision missile stocks run low, Russia remains able to terrorize Ukrainian cities with their own S-300/400 stocks, repurposed from their air defense function to attack ground targets. Ukraine's intelligence estimates that Russia has thousands of missiles for the S-300/400 systems. Their key difference compared to other missiles is poor accuracy.

How repurposed Russian air defense missiles expose holes in Ukraines sky Russias missile strike on Jan. 14 caught Kyiv residents off-guard. After nearly a year of Moscows repeated attacks, something unusual happened: The explosions sounded before the air raid alert went off, which is rarely the case in what is believed to be the most protected city in Ukraine. Kyiv IndependentStanislav Storozhenko

The shortage of high-precision missiles has forced Russia to be flexible about the types of weapons used to strike at Ukraine.

They are using cheaper weapons such as guided air bombs equipped with wings and GPS systems, Ihnat said.

Since late winter, the Russian Air Force has been actively using cheap and easy-to-produce Soviet and Russian guided aerial bombs, which Russia had previously used in Syria. Russia also has several other types of gliding bombs, weighing between 500 and 1,500 kilograms.

The principle of their operation is similar to that of the U.S. Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM: the carrier at high speed and height drops a bomb, which then is headed to hit the target. The range of the munition varies depending on the altitude and speed of the carrier.

The use of precision-guided munitions has allowed Russian pilots to drop them outside the range of Ukrainian air defense systems.

In order for them to use the weapon at a range of 50-60 km, they need to approach at an altitude of 10,000 meters and make a launch. It (the plane) gets on course and carries out the launch without entering our (air defense) zone, said Oleksandr, commander of an S-300 anti-aircraft missile battery. The Kyiv Independent is not revealing the soldiers last name or the exact location of his deployment due to security concerns.

Ukraines Air Force warned in early April that Russian airstrikes, previously kept at bay by Ukraines air defense, have been increasing.

Unnamed Ukrainian soldiers told The Times in late April that Russian troops have recently started to send more helicopters and aircraft to attack their positions.

Russias new guided bombs pose increasingly serious threat to Ukraine Still unable to achieve air supremacy, Russia is nevertheless finding ways to threaten Ukraine from the sky. Early this year, Russia introduced guided bombs  essentially, the regular gravity bombs modified to be dropped by multirole fighter-bombers from safe distances and deal precise and very dam Kyiv IndependentIllia Ponomarenko

According to Oleksandr, aside from gliding bombs, Russian forces are also actively using drones at the moment.

With a shortage of missiles for its main air defense systems, S-300 and Buk, Ukraine still has to sometimes use them for cheap targets such as Iranian-produced Shahed-136 kamikaze drones. Ukraine's Air Force has also already used expensive Western systems to shoot down drones, according to Ihnat.

According to the Air&Space Forces magazine, the cost of one S-300 missile is estimated at up to $1 million. At the same time, the cost of one Shahed-136 drone is estimated to be between $30,000-50,000.

They (Russians) have now moved away from the tactics of massive missile strikes. They're using drones more now, they're cheaper, Oleksandr said, adding that the military is wasting these precious missiles that could have been spent on something more valuable.

This problem is growing and it will grow. And the further it goes, the more acute it will become, he added. We still have some (missiles), but everyone understands that the supply is not endless. We have to move on, look for new ways.
TAMPA, Fla.  Special operations signals intelligence teams say they need smaller, more versatile gear that gathers and shares data on the breadth of radio frequencies in all domains  land, sea, air and now space.

The mission has shifted dramatically as the United States ratchets up competition in the frequency bands with peer competitors like Russia and China, a far cry from deciphering mobile phone signals from violent extremists, officials said.

Thats one request to industry within a small slice of a larger portfolio under U.S. Special Operations Command Program Executive Office-Special Reconnaissance.

On Wednesday, a panel of program managers ticked off the varied sensor, communications and intelligence gear the office wants during the Global SOF Foundations SOF Week here.

Their efforts to upgrade and improve collection and dissemination of data continues in an ever-more crowded radio frequency spectrum across, and beyond, the globe.

Chris Wilson, acquisition program manager for signals intelligence, spelled out some of the emerging needs as the nation targets peer and near-peer competitors, while it continues to collect information on violent extremist organizations.

The office is developing next-generation sensors and antennas, all domain flexible, tactical sensors, and cross-platform modular payloads for air, surface and subsurface maritime sensors. Their new work includes software-reconfigurable space payloads for satellites and a larger national reachback capability for sharing intelligence from the tactical to strategic levels.

The offices portfolio also includes the Joint Threat Warning System-Air, primarily used by U.S. Air Forces Special Operations Command. The drone portion works through payloads on Group 1 to 3 drones. The equipment detects, locates and exploits signals across the radio frequency spectrum. All of this is for threat warning and situational awareness in airborne platforms.

JTWS-Ground serves a similar function on ground vehicles and individual operators. It fields frequency-specific data collection equipment to detect similar threats at the ground level.

Story continues

The JTWS-Maritime conducts the same functions, but with gear that can be installed on waterborne platforms and removed for use off-platform.

In June, Wilsons team is set to experiment with smaller electronics intelligence hardware that can go on or off boats. The current systems are too heavy to remove from boats for operations, he said.

Another area newly added to the portfolio is space-based payloads for high-altitude frequency detection, including software-defined radios and sensors for satellites.

Wilson told the audience a key focus moving forward is using software squirts to remotely update or reconfigure satellite-based hardware for different types of missions or needs.

Lastly, the Silent Dagger package is a scalable intelligence cell type of platform in a box that includes laptops, phones, transceivers and other hardware and gives small teams the connectivity and intelligence usually held by higher-echelon units such as brigades or divisions.

We have this in a garrison capability, and we have this in deployable systems, so its forward deployed with reach back to the national intelligence communitys databases, Wilson said.

The team is also looking to tie smaller sensors to the system so that at the edge of the tactical footprint, operators can feed into and pull out necessary data from those massive databases, he said.

In the next one to two years, Wilsons said his team is looking for gear with advanced and complex signals, advanced radio frequency filtering, modular payload-compliant sensors and advanced networking for more precise geolocation.

For a long time, we were really focused on counter-[violent extremist organizations] and when youre focused on counter-VEO, from our perspective, its the communications methods that those violent extremist organizations would use, he said.

His office was heavy on those collection methods  radio frequencies in the mobile phone or push-to-talk transmitters range, for example.

As we shift though, we have to look at capabilities that go after the comms methods for any other type of [radio frequency] capabilities that our strategic competitors would use, including machine to machine and things like that, Wilson said.

In the three to five-year timeframe, the team needs enhanced antennas, which means low profile, and improved performance for those new antennae.

As operators see a more frequency-crowded battlefield, automated signal processing is key to reducing the burden of manual frequency configuration by operators.

They need to be able to process data and signals intelligence in remote locations without connections to more powerful computing present in large formations or stateside.

High altitude and space payloads are key for integrating space assets. And they must be able to hide their own signals transmissions and collections efforts in the radio frequency spectrum.

Beyond the six-year mark, the team is looking for sensor autonomy and sensor data communicating from field locations to vehicles and air or maritime vessels on the move.
By Nidal al-Mughrabi

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - As nearby explosions from Israeli air strikes continued to rock their Gaza home for the third night this week, Hani al-Hindi and his wife slept with their six children huddled together in the same room, where they felt it was safer.

Next to the front door, the family kept a leather bag with their essential documents such as birth certificates, identity cards and health reports, ready to grab should their building come under attack.

Preparing to leave is easy, the parents said - it is the uncertainty over where to go that they struggle with.

"Maybe to the nearby school or the hospital? I really don't know where I would go with my family if our building is bombed," said al-Hindi, a 41-year-old retired public servant from Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

"There are neither shelters nor safe places in Gaza."

As the children took their places on mattresses on the floor next to their mother, explosions continued to shake Khan Younis.

By monitoring social media posts, the parents learned that Israel had bombed a Khan Younis apartment housing a senior Islamic Jihad militant commander, killing him and two other members before dawn on Thursday.

"When the Israelis bomb, buildings shake. The children become afraid and they cry, they don't sleep at all," said al-Hindi. "We sleep next to them to try to calm them down."

Gaza health officials said at least 25 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed since Tuesday when Israel killed three other Islamic Jihad commanders it accused of planning attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians, sparking new cross-border fighting.

The violence extended through Thursday with the commander of Islamic Jihad's rocket force killed and Palestinian militant rocket launches from Gaza continuing, amid Egyptian efforts to secure a truce.

Israel has kept crossings to the Gaza Strip, a tiny, impoverished coastal territory, closed since Tuesday, preventing the entry of fuel and food or the exit of patients needed care outside Gaza.

Story continues

With Gaza residents on edge, businesses and schools remained closed. Streets were mostly deserted except for people queuing at groceries and bakeries. Transport was rare except for some taxis and ambulance vehicles.

Gaza, ruled by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, is suffering a worsening humanitarian crisis arising from repeated wars with Israel over the past two decades and a broad, 16-year-old Israeli blockade.

Al-Hindi and his wife Melina, 39, said some of their children remained glued to them and asked for company even to go to the bathroom. Melina said she skipped a monthly checkup for her youngest child to stay put with the family.

"Our life is on hold," she said. "We feel unsafe, even at home."

(Reporting by Nidal Almughrabi and Bassam Masoud; editing by Henriette Chacar and Mark Heinrich)
During a February visit to the old abalone farm north of Cayucos, about 900 concrete tanks once full of bubbling seawater pumped from the ocean to feed valuable red abalone sat dry and empty aside from shiny, leftover shells.

Built beginning in the late 1960s, the abalone farm at its peak between the 1990s to late 2010s raised about 1 million abalones annually that were then processed on site and sold around the world for their meat, considered a delicacy in some areas.

The facility is considered the largest land-based marine aquaculture facility in North America.

Since its closure in 2020, however, the Cayucos abalone farm has sat empty and mostly untouched since the last day water flowed through the tanks.

But theres a new future on the horizon for the facility, one that its new tenants hope will change the world.

The concrete tanks at the former abalone farm north of Cayucos, seen here on Feb. 6, 2023, have been dry and unused since the facility shut down in 2020. But they could become a center for sustainable aquaculture under the plans for the Harmony Coast Aquaculture Institute.

We would love for this facility to become a world-class center for aquaculture, innovation, conservation, research and education, said Ben Ruttenberg, director of Cal Polys Center for Coastal Marine Sciences. We really want to make this place a model for how to do sustainable aquaculture the right way and to potentially produce food for very low environmental impact and very low carbon impact.

We can also use a facility like this to help rebuild our oceans, help to restore species that have been depleted, and whose populations have been reduced from various human-caused activities, Ruttenberg added.

Benjamin Ruttenberg, chief science officer for the Harmony Coast Aquaculture Institute, led a group of Cal Poly science students on a tour of the former abalone farm north of Cayucos on Feb. 6, 2023.

Plans for Harmony Coast Aquaculture Institute

The Harmony Coast Aquaculture Institute, the nonprofit organization that is leasing the facility with support from a private donor, is comprised of Ruttenberg, Creek Lands Conservations executive director Don Chartrand, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories co-director Mike Graham, and 27-year facilities director of the abalone farm Dale Wiggins.

Their vision is ambitious, the team admitted  but its one they believe is greatly needed.

And The Nature Conservancy and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Division have granted the institute funding to save the facility and get the vision closer to reality.

Story continues

Theres just so much more that we could and really ought to be doing in California to produce environmentally safe and friendly nutrients for the human benefit that would actually benefit the ecosystem as well, Chartrand said. And no better place in the state could we actually do that than this facility.

The existing tanks and seawater pump mean the institute wont need to get permits from the state or county to build a facility to fulfill its vision: All the bones are already there.

The concrete tanks that used to house the growing abalone remain on site, as well as tanks used as nurseries for baby abalone and the pipes feeding ocean water pumped from the cove below. Other buildings on site used as offices for the abalone farm, and to sort, process and ship the abalone to markets, also remain.

A seaweed farm, dubbed Harmony Coast Sea Farms, has already begun to grow algae in the old tanks, Graham said.

Seaweed is basically the most environmentally friendly food to produce in the world, he said.

Seaweed has a very, very high protein content, Graham added, but hasnt been widely used as a protein source for meat alternative products such as Beyond Burgers, Impossible Meat or protein smoothies. Instead, crops such as soybeans and peas have been grown around the world to fulfill that need, he said.

But seaweed can be produced in a way that doesnt further contribute to the greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet, Graham added. In a world that has growing food security concerns due to climate change, seaweed protein could prove to be a lifesaver, he said.

When all of the development is done on site, the goal is to be the largest single seaweed farm in the world and to have it done on the smallest footprint possible, Graham said. We want to become a model for how you can do this sustainably around the world.

Benjamin Ruttenberg, chief science officer of Harmony Coast Aquaculture Institute, leads a group of Cal Poly science students on a tour of the former abalone farm north near Cayucos on Feb. 6, 2023. The farms concrete tanks, which have been dry and unused since the facility shut down in 2020, could become a center for sustainable aquaculture.

How center could help re-wild the California coast

The commercial seaweed farm is intended to bring in revenue to support some of the other initiatives the nonprofit aims to launch soon.

Chartrand said one of those could grow organisms to help re-wild the California coast.

We could do this for the California coastal ecosystems with carefully selected organisms that are sort of missing from maybe over-exploitation  like (red) abalone were overfished for decades, he said. Or we could help with the recovery of an endangered species like white abalone.

White abalone, which once populated the California coast in the millions, is now at risk of extinction, according to the NOAA Fisheries.

The marine snail sits at the bottom of the food chain, so repopulating the species will help nearly the entire ocean ecosystem along the coast, Chartrand said. The Harmony Coast Aquaculture Institute received funding from NOAA Fisheries to help try to repopulate the species, he added.

Benjamin Ruttenberg, chief science officer of Harmony Coast Aquaculture Institute, led a group of Cal Poly science students on a tour of the former abalone farm north near Cayucos on Feb. 6, 2023.

The old abalone farms water pump system provides an ideal environment for growing the abalone and other organisms that can only survive in the special conditions provided by the ocean, Chartrand added.

The institute hopes to partner with conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and education institutions such as Cal Poly and Cuesta College, to do the research and re-wilding work at the old abalone farm.

Chartrand noted that a top priority of the institute is to work with the local Northern Chumash and other coastal California tribes to figure out how to incorporate their traditional ecological knowledge into the facilitys operations.

While the institute is largely relying on a private donor to get operations started, it is also accepting donations from the community and hopes to get more funding from state and federal grants in the future.

This facility pioneered the raising of abalone, facilities manager Wiggins said. So for it to be repurposed into all of this is really exciting.
Russian dictator Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

Read also: Dykyi explains why Prigozhin decided to return Wagner PMC to Africa

According to the report, Washington took note of Russian cargo ship Lady R docking at the Simon's Town naval base on December 6-8, 2022.

Among the things we noted was the docking of the cargo ship in the Simon's Town naval base between 6th to 8th of December, 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel in Simon's Town as it made its way back to Russia, Brigety said.

"We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel and I will bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion."

The ambassador has also expressed concerns about South Africa's military exercises with Russia and China on the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Reuters subsequently reported that the South African rand reached its lowest level against the U.S. dollar since April 2020 amid these reports.

Read also: Russian war against Ukraine affects Chinas plans for Taiwan, Stoltenberg says

The docking of the Russian sanctions-busting cargo ship, Lady R, near the military naval base in South Africa in December raised concerns. The Wall Street Journal reported that containers with unknown contents were moved onto and off the ship over two nights under armed guard. The ship's transponder was turned off during this time, and it was only turned back on more than 160 km east of Simon's Town.

Read also: South Africa mulls withdrawing from ICC ahead of BRICS summit

In May 2022, the United States imposed sanctions on Russian company Transflot and its six vessels, including Lady R, for transporting weapons for Russia's war against 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
MANILA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on Thursday stressed the need to ensure peace in the region, urging relevant countries to speed up the forging of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.

Marcos said the Philippines is committed to implementing the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the early conclusion of "an effective and substantive" COC aimed at reducing the risk of maritime conflicts in the region, according to a release by the Presidential Communication office.

"We must ensure that the South China Sea does not become a nexus for armed conflicts," Marcos told a session during the 42nd ASEAN Summit held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

The COC negotiations, launched in 2013, was designed to hammer out what will be an upgraded and strengthened version of the DOC signed by China and ASEAN countries in 2002.

After the 38th ASEAN-China Joint Working Group meeting on the implementation of the DOC in March, the two sides have agreed to carry out practical marine cooperation projects and jointly uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. 
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa denied on Thursday that his government had failed over crippling power cuts, saying already-announced interventions would reduce pressure on the grid.

Africa's most industrialised economy is experiencing the worst electricity outages on record, meaning many households and businesses are without power for more than 10 hours a day, as state power utility Eskom's ailing fleet of coal power stations repeatedly breaks down.

Experts expect the outages could get worse as South African gets deeper into the southern hemisphere winter, despite repeated pledges by Ramaphosa's government to increase energy availability by fixing faulty coal stations and procuring new generation capacity.

"We are not sleeping on the job," Ramaphosa told a question-and-answer session with lawmakers.

He expressed a preference for South Africa bringing in emergency energy, citing the example of other countries that had brought in power ships.

South Africa's rand currency and bonds have been under heavy selling pressure in recent days as investor sentiment has soured badly over the power crisis.

(Reporting by Nellie Peyton, Bhargav Acharya and Tannur Anders; Editing by Alexander Winning and Jon Boyle)
A group calling for the recall of the Baltic mayor turned over signed petitions Thursday to the Baltic financial officer, signaling the next step toward potentially ousting Deborah McIsaac from office, a year after she was sworn in.

Two members of South Dakotans for Transparent Government handed over a red folder to Linda Hunnel, the financial officer, filled with the 163 signatures from Baltic residents needed to trigger the recall election process. Those signatures were a bit more than the 15% threshold of registered voters from the 2022 general election needed by state law.

Noah Greble, a member of South Dakotans for Transparent Government, hands over signed petitions for the recall of Baltic mayor Deborah McIsaac at the Baltic City Hall on Thursday, May 11, 2023.

At least 136 signatures were needed to start the recall process, according to the group.

South Dakotans for Transparent Government started circulating petitions for McIsaac's recall in April. The political action group accused McIsaac of misconduct in office, gross incompetence and gross partiality.

These petitions are proof that there is community support for the recall effort said Jamie Ingemansen, chair of South Dakotans for Transparent Government, in a statement. The citizens of Baltic are clearly ready for a change, and we look forward to the election date being announced and overcoming any obstacles that stand in the way.

McIsaac told the Argus Leader on Thursday afternoon she was unaware the petitions had been filed that day and she would be evaluating her next steps.

More: Petition outlines Baltic mayor's alleged 'gross incompetence,' misconduct in office

She added throughout the month-long process, "my approach has been methodical. I guess now I have to start deciding what I want to do.

"I would be very curious to see all of the evidence to substantiate their allegations, because I haven't seen any actual evidence that is concerning," McIsaac said.

The recall can be challenged in circuit court five business days after the petitions are filed, according to state law. The challenge must include the "specific statement of the grounds of the recall petition."

Story continues

Baltic City Attorney John Hughes said April 14 it wasn't a simple process to recall a mayor or council person because of the potential for a court case. As for the Baltic City Council, once presented the recall petition, it has 10 days to schedule the recall election.

The group plans to nominate Ingemansen to challenge McIsaac. According to state law, McIsaac can still run during the recall election.

"Over 160 voters of the City of Baltic believe that an election should be held regarding the recall of Mayor McIsaac," the group stated in a letter notifying the Baltic City Council of the petition delivery. "It is for this reason that South Dakotans for Transparent respectfully requests that you accept this petition, and allow for the voice of hundreds of Baltic Residents to be heard in this matter."

McIsaac said she was worried about the future of Baltic and the community.

"I think it's incredibly unfortunate that South Dakotans for Transparent Government have decided to go completely scorched earth on our community and our school because of their personal feelings towards one person, because I'm only one person," she said. "It's really unfortunate what they've done to the reputation of our city because of their personal animosity towards me."

What were the specific allegations?

The petition outlined five actions McIsaac had allegedly taken to form the basis of the complaint.

The actions include:

Harassing and/or threatening city employees both before the election and after the election; Improper use of city property/funds during a personal press conference by the utilization of city resources during a campaign event and through participation by city employees and appointed officers upon request; Failing to present public information in a true and correct manner to members of the public related to development projects within the city and ongoing litigation; Utilizing her office to advance her own political interests and the financial interests of others while failing to disclose a potential conflict of interest; and Harassing and intimidating conduct toward members of the public that would constitute gross incompetence by failing to maintain decorum.

On April 4 at a special city council meeting, McIsaac said she didn't feel like she had done anything wrong.

"I don't have anything to hide," she told reporters at the time.

What else do I need to know about Baltic, S.D.?

Baltic, a small community 30 minutes from downtown Sioux Falls, has been in the news recently, because of issues with two developments currently being built by Grant Park Capital, LLC.

Building permits for Grant Park Capital Park Additional and Grant Park Phillips Crossing Addition have been suspended since October after a decision by the Baltic City Council on the grounds that the developer was not complying with city codes.

More: Baltic developer found to have violated environmental rules amid mayoral recall effort

Brian Hefty, the president of Grant Park Capital, has gone to court with the Baltic City Council. Two lawsuits were thrown out by a Minnehaha County judge while a third lawsuit is currently awaiting a hearing.

The state's Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources in a letter dated April 21, found the two housing construction sites had violated state law, the "South Dakota Water Pollution Control Act and the General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Construction Activities," among other violations that included erosion control and stabilization measures.

DANR found the construction at Grant Park Addition was discharging pollutants into the Big Sioux River and Murphy's Pond, both defined as "waters of the state" from storm water runoff while the construction at the Phillips Crossing Addition was discharging pollutants into Silver Creek, also a "waters of the state."

Grant Park and Hefty have until June 20 to remove the sediment discharged into Murphy's Pond and private property if granted access, according to the letters.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Group calling for Baltic mayoral recall turns in signed petitions
Thinking about some lavender ice cream at Jenis on Camden Road? Tapas and rioja at Barcelona Wine Bar on Worthington Avenue? How about a Hulk Hogan cocktail at Pins Mechanical on Tremont Avenue? The one with blueberry vodka and a popsicle?

If youre planning a South End celebration for graduation  or for Mothers Day  prepare to hunt very carefully for legal parking. South End is the towing capital of Charlotte.

City government data shows that three of the top four addresses for towing are in South End. The apartment and office buildings at 222 E. Bland St., 335 Doggett St., and 1300 South Mint St. dont take kindly to the parking needs of customers at bars and restaurants. Among these three locations alone, 1,064 cars were towed in 2022  almost three cars per day.

Towing for illegal parking in Charlotte was up 43% between 2020 and 2022, although COVID reduced figures in 2020. And the most prolific towing company in Charlotte  SL Recovery on Rountree Road  towed 10,393 cars in 2022. Located a couple of blocks from South Boulevard, SL Recovery tows almost four times as many cars as its closest competitor.

Stories from drivers

Nathan Smith of Kannapolis was towed last December at Parkside at South Tryon, a South End apartment complex. I parked at my friends apartment, and when I came back, my car was gone, Smith said. He later found out the apartment complex contracts with SL Recovery. Getting his car back was long, unpleasant, and cost him $265.

Grace Wesoly of Charlotte was serving as wait staff at SouthBound restaurant on South Boulevard in 2021 when her car was towed from a Taco Bell parking lot.

I usually park on the street or find a spot but that day I was running late and it was so crowded, the only option was the Taco Bell next door, she said. When Wesoly got off work at midnight, her car wasnt there. She didnt notice signs nearby, but a Taco Bell employee gave her the name of the towing company. It cost her $250. Parking is so tight nearby that some businesses provide employees with designated spaces.

Story continues

Towing used to be the Wild West; now its just expensive

The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that city ordinances could not place a cap on prices charged by towing companies. Technically, a towing company can charge $1,500 or more to retrieve a vehicle, but most fees range between $150 and $500.

In Charlotte, 2016 amendments to the city ordinance on towing and booting require the prominent display of signs clearly stating where tow-away zones are located; terms and time limits on parking; and phone numbers, company names and street addresses for the facility where the car will be stored. The ordinance also requires towing operators to wear uniforms or carry identification; to accept two credit cards and cash; to permit access to vehicles to retrieve private property; and to have people on call 24 hours a day to field requests to retrieve a vehicle. Requests must be acknowledged within 15 minutes, and vehicle access provided within 45 minutes.

Before the city ordinance was revised a couple of years ago, it was like the wild, wild west out there, said Tom Bartholomy, president of the Better Business Bureau in Charlotte. So the city council stepped in and put a little bit more meat or more teeth into the ordinance and gave the police department alone, clout in taking care of some of the bad actors.

Bartholomy also has described more recent scams which present drivers with falsely printed parking citations that request payment through PayPal or Venmo, or fake QR codes pasted over parking signs and meters. He recommended verifying the URL, and calling phone numbers listed on nearby restricted parking signs to ensure that citations are legitimate.

Towing terminology

A trespass tow occurs when a vehicle is illegally parked on private property. Its non-consensual when the vehicle owner isnt consulted. Live towing is a situation where the owner or manager of a business spots an illegally parked vehicle and immediately calls in a towing service. Predatory towing takes place when trucks patrol a parking lot with proper signage, and then immediately tow an illegally parked vehicle. Its all mostly legal, as long as signage is in place and towing companies follow the ordinance.

The top three towing companies

The three most active towing companies in Charlotte  SL Recovery, Overtime Towing & Transportation, and Carolina Towing  get poor consumer ratings from the Better Business Bureau. Most declined requests for interviews, but a representative of Carolina Towing said many drivers dont like towing companies simply because of the business theyre in.

Daniel Redford, president of the Charlotte Fraternal Order of Police, explained the process when police become involved. When drivers believe their vehicle has been stolen, officers scan the area, verify property ownership, look for no-parking signs, and check the payment history on the vehicle.

If its clear that the vehicle was parked illegally, officers check with their dispatcher, because Charlotte city ordinance requires tow companies to contact CMPD whenever a car is towed. The tow log database tracks these vehicles, so police know if a local towing company was involved.

Solutions? Not many.

Bartholomy of the Better Business Bureau points out that there arent a lot of remedies for drivers. They can file a lawsuit in small claims court, file a complaint with the police, or file with the bureau. But towing companies can continue to operate regardless of the number of lawsuits or complaints filed against them. And while the city ordinance requires towing companies to allow drivers to retrieve private property, and allows drivers to interrupt a tow while in process, the companies can still charge fees for this.

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group published a report on predatory towing in 2021 and summarized protections among states. North Carolina ranked somewhere in the middle.

A towing operator speaks

Michael Melandro has owned Ace Towing for three decades. When his competitors charge $500 to tow a vehicle, he gets concerned about the reputation of the industry, and describes some towing operators as mean and nasty. No-parking signs that display a towing fee of $1,500 are generally scare tactics, he said. But he wouldnt test them out. He recommends that drivers allow plenty of time to find a legitimate parking space.

Park legally and dont bet against the tow truck driver, because these guys are good at it. And theyre going to take your car, and then theyre going to charge you a lot of money, Melandro said. As soon as you understand that you dont have the right to do whatever you want, you do much better in life.

Jane Lowery contributed to this report.

Gavin Off contributed to this report

Palmer Magri is a student in the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte, which provides the news service in support of community news.
By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea on Thursday lowered its crisis level for COVID-19 and will from June no longer require infected people to quarantine for seven days, dropping one of the country's few remaining pandemic-related restrictions.

Health authorities will still recommend five days of self-isolation for infected people but it will not be mandatory.

"I am glad that people will be able to resume normal life after three years and four months," President Suk Yeol Yoon told a televised meeting with government officials and medical workers to mark the lowering of the crisis level from the highest level of 4 to 3.

Requirements that masks be worn at all medical facilities and pharmacies will also be dropped, with masks only mandatory at hospitals with patient wards.

Yoon said the government would continue to provide financial support for COVID testing and treatment "for a while".

Last week, the World Health Organization declared an end of the global emergency status for COVID, which has been in place since Jan. 30, 2020.

South Korea, which has a population of 52 million, has reported around 31.3 million infections and 34,600 deaths, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
(Bloomberg) -- A deal between South Korea and Japan to remedy a long-running impasse can help work with their US ally to share intelligence on North Korea and boost their economic leverage with China, according to a top architect of the pact.

Most Read from Bloomberg

We are advancing the issues of security cooperation, especially information sharing among the three countries, Park Cheol Hee, chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said of the deal between Seoul and Tokyo that was unveiled in March.

We definitely leveled up our relationship between Korea and Japan, Park told Bloomberg Television on Thursday, adding the pact would help the neighbors work on economic security issues and address concerns about global supply chains.

The recent rapprochement has also helped advance a plan to link the radar systems of Japan, South Korea and the US, allowing them to better track missiles from North Korea and provide instantaneous information of any launch. North Korea in recent years has set its sights on the three by rolling out new ballistic missiles that are quick to deploy and designed to deliver nuclear strikes to all of Japan and South Korea, which host the bulk of US troops in the region.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida struck a chord of unity at a rare summit held Sunday where the US allies agreed to cooperate on North Korea. The visit marked the first formal summit in Seoul in about a dozen years between the neighbors.

They also advanced the deal to compensate Koreans forced to work at Japanese factories and mines during its 1910-1945 colonial rule over the peninsula. The pact calls for South Korean firms to contribute to a compensation fund for the conscripted Korean workers.

Story continues

Read: Why South Korea-Japan Ties Are Plagued by History: QuickTake

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. President Joe Bidens administration welcomed the move, calling it groundbreaking but Yoon has had trouble winning over the public at home with surveys showing most voters were against the pact.

Park said the deal marked an achievement by the two leaders, and the United States facilitated it and encouraged it.

A few previous South Korean presidents have ramped up pressure on Japan in attempts to stir up domestic support through populist sentiments against a country that left deep scars due to its colonial rule.

But, in his first year in office, Yoon has rolled out security policies that align with those of Kishidas government and said finding ways to heal historical differences could lead to long-lasting benefits.

Despite the plan for a resolution on a historical issue, Park acknowledged that numerous conflicts could still arise in the future. However, he emphasized that the Yoon administration remains steadfast in its commitment to not leverage the Japan matter for domestic popularity, and hence the deal is here to stay.

The friction between Seoul and Tokyo caused headaches for the US as it sought help from its partners in securing global flows of key materials that were less dependent on China. The Biden administration has also been seeking help 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.

Kishida said his summit with Yoon helped him deepen the relationship of trust, as the two leaders applauded a resumption of shuttle diplomacy and cooperation on items such as semiconductors. Park said the deal should help the partners address economic concerns posed by China.

If we stand strongly together with the US and Japan, we are in a much more comfortable position to deal with China, Park said, adding the Korean government is not against China. Its our mission to re-embrace China in a favorable way.

--With assistance from Shinhye Kang, David Ingles, Yvonne Man, Rishaad Salamat and Joanne Wong.

(Updates with additional quotes and backgrounds)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
By Praveen Paramasivam

CHENNAI (Reuters) -South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co said on Thursday it will invest 200 billion rupees ($2.45 billion) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu over the next 10 years to beef up electric vehicle production in the world's most populous country.

Tamil Nadu's Chennai, dubbed the Detroit of Asia, is a hub for automobile manufacturing where the likes of Ashok Leyland, TVS Motor and Renault-Nissan churn out millions of vehicles every year.

Hyundai, through its Indian subsidiary Hyundai Motor India, will also set up a battery pack assembly unit with an annual capacity of 178,000 units and install 100 EV charging stations across the southern state in the next five years, it said in a statement.

The company plans to increase the production volume at its factory near Chennai to 850,000 vehicles per year from roughly 775,000 currently. However, the car maker did not disclose a timeline to achieve the target, citing volatile demand.

Hyundai also expects its export volumes to hit 319,000 vehicles by 2032, from 181,000 in 2022.

The investment plan comes days after India's federal government said it would raise taxes on imported vehicles to boost local manufacturing.

Hyundai is also developing a local vendor base for EV parts instead of importing them, as the government's production incentive scheme is applicable only when manufacturing is done within the country, Puneet Anand, a senior executive for corporate affairs, said in a news conference.

India's EV industry is growing rapidly with a slew of launches by domestic carmakers Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra as well as global rivals Nissan Motor and Renault SA.

Hyundai is lining up five new EV launches in the third largest car market in the world, targeting a 20% share by 2032.

However, India's EV market is still small, accounting for barely 1% of the country's total car sales in 2022. The federal government aims to push that share to 30% by 2030.

Story continues

Hyundai holds about 15% share in India's passenger vehicle market, only behind top car maker Maruti Suzuki India, the local unit of Japan's Suzuki Motor.

($1 = 81.7800 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Praveen Paramasivam in Chennai; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Dhanya Ann Thoppil)
By Emily Rose

ASHKELON, Israel (Reuters) -Miriam Karen's home in Ashkelon was hit by Palestinian rockets for the second time in five years this week, during cross-border barrages from Gaza that remain a frightening ordeal for people in southern Israel despite years of experience.

"You always think, it won't happen to me, but to me it happened," the 79-year-old said among a pile of rubble that had been her front yard.

More than 48 hours of violence between Israel the Gaza Strip have left civilians on both sides of the border wondering when the latest flare-up will end.

Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 25 Palestinians in Gaza, including senior members of the militant Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, as well as women and children. In response, Islamic Jihad has fired more than 500 rockets towards Israel, sending one and a half million Israelis to shelters, according to the military.

When a rocket is fired it sets off sirens and phone alerts in the area projected to be hit. Those near Gaza have as little as 15 seconds to find shelter.

Israel's Iron Dome air defence system has intercepted most of the rockets. But during an interception, mass shards of metal and debris from the splintered rockets are sent flying into the air, which can be deadly, so residents are instructed to enter saferooms or shelters for protection.

Iron Dome is also not a guarantee, so 30%-60% of residents in smaller communities near Gaza have been evacuated, according to Israeli officials. Underlining the risk, a house in the town of Rehovot, south of Tel Aviv, was hit on Thursday, killing one person, the first fatality in Israel.

In Ashkelon, a city about 12 km from the border, the fear remains.

"It's become routine," said Karen's neighbour, Carmela Halabiya, who saw the house crumble and burn. "I can't calm down, I'm tense, it's terrifying.

"I left the house for a memorial but otherwise I just stay home, I won't go out." she said. "I wish there were an end to this but I don't see a future, I don't think this will ever end."

Story continues

Many apartments and houses in Israel are now built with special reinforced rooms that offer some protection, though city officials have urged the government to do more to help.

After Karen's home was hit the first time five years ago, she built a shelter which may have saved her life on Wednesday night when she was making dinner and heard the air raid siren. She immediately ran inside and heard a loud explosion.

Everything went up in flames and when she opened the door, she saw smoke, the remains of her bathroom and scattered glass while her car was on fire in the driveway.

"I think that in every house in the state of Israel today there should be a shelter," she said.

(Reporting by Emily Rose; Editing by Nick Macfie)
A growing number of Starlink satellites  one of several so-called mega constellations already partially in space or planned  has raised concerns among some on Earth.

Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and astrophysicist at the HarvardSmithsonian Center for Astrophysics, is among those sounding the alarm.

We are on the way to having a sky full of satellites, and that has implications for astronomy, particularly optical astronomy from the ground, McDowell said in a presentation earlier this year.

The years seventh batch of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc lifted off at 1:09 p.m. Wednesday from Space Launch Complex-4 near Lompoc.

According to SpaceX, the Falcon 9 rocket was delivering 51 Starlink satellites into orbit for the mission.

Its the third flight for the first-stage booster, which landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.

Starlink satellites are stacked for launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Along with the East Coast Starlink missions, SpaceX has delivered more than 4,200 satellites into orbit for a system designed to deliver Internet services around the globe, including remote areas.

McDowell recalled being an intern in the early 1980s and hearing a former boss, British astronomer Francis Graham-Smith, at the Royal Observatory worrying then about the number of satellites.

That is when there were only 350 working satellites in orbit. There are 20 times that many today, so he was pretty prescient, McDowell said. Now we have a problem.

For years, McDowell has maintained a public database of man-made space objects  what a colleague called a peculiar hobby.

Its hard to keep up now, McDowell said of his Jonathans Space Report tally.

Both government and commercial mega-constellations are planned.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Space Force saw 10 satellites carried aboard a Falcon from Vandenberg for the first of whats expected to be a constellation of 500 craft to provide missile warning and data relay services to U.S. military troops on the ground.

Story continues

One of the earliest large constellations involved Iridium, to provide satellite phone communications, designed to have 66 craft plus six on-orbit spares, then considered an unprecedented number.

Starlink could have up to 30,000 satellites in orbit, according to some estimates.

Theres more. OneWeb craft, expected to have 6,300 satellites, have started to arrive in orbit. Amazons Project Kuiper would add 7,770 more. China has announced its own 13,000-satellite constellation. Boeing has proposed a 5,900-satellite constellation.

In total, McDowell said the various systems in existence and proposed could top 67,460 in the next five to 10 years.

However, it could be even more. A filing from Rwanda suggests plans for a 337,000-satellite constellation, he said.

The higher constellations may end up affecting the view for professional astronomers more significantly, he added.

No global regulations exist yet to stop a country from licensing an extremely bright constellation of many satellites, he added.

SpaceX has taken steps to lessen the impacts, spelling out the effort on the Starlink website and offering other satellite firms some of the technology it created.

However, some efforts may be lost since the second-generation Starlink satellites have arrived in orbit.

As a space exploration company, SpaceX is a strong supporter of astronomy and the scientific community, the written statement said. Science is at the heart of what we do every day, and the SpaceX team is passionate about our efforts to be responsible stewards of our shared space environment.

The firm has vowed to work closely with the astronomy community to mitigate the effect of all satellite operations on their important work.

While McDowell acknowledged that SpaceX has taken steps to make things less bad for astronomy, he noted its only one firm in one country.

The astronomy community also has organized to protect the night sky, McDowell added.

The folks in Washington and at the U.N. are aware of astronomers concerns now , McDowell said. Of course, theyre also aware these companies want to make money, so whos going to win is not clear.

The International Astronomical Union has created a Center for the Protection of Dark and Quiet Skies, he said.

Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com .
MADRID (Reuters) -The Spanish government plans to spend 2.19 billion euros ($2.4 billion) on new water supplies, subsidies and direct aid to farmers to alleviate a prolonged and worsening drought they say has decimated production of rice, cereal and olives.

Environment Minister Teresa Ribera said on Thursday that her ministry would spend 1.4 billion euros to build new infrastructure such as desalination plants, double the reuse of urban water and reduce the fees and tariffs of affected farms.

She did not give a timeline on when the plants would be ready.

The agriculture ministry will provide an additional 784 million euros to support agricultural production in a country that is Europe's primary exporter of fruit and vegetables and to alleviate the burden on farmers from the drought and rising costs.

"Spain is a country used to suffering droughts, but as a consequence of climate change we are witnessing a much higher impact, with more frequent and more intense phenomena for which we must prepare ourselves," Ribera told reporters.

The package also includes a ban on some outdoor working during extreme heat conditions between mid-June and mid-September, as the country tries to adapt to the effects of the climate change.

Spain is suffering a long-term drought, with the driest start to a year since records began registered in the first four months of 2023.

The lack of rainfall is affecting 80% of crops and causing irreversible losses on more than 5 million hectares of rainfall-dependent cereal crops, farmers association COAG said on Thursday.

With less than half of the average rainfall in the first four months of 2023, according to official data, wheat and barley crops in most of the country have been all but chalked up as lost, COAG said.

Rice cultivation will be abandoned in Andalusia where it traditionally predominated, while the viability of fruit trees in Andalusia, Murcia, Valencia and Catalonia is seriously threatened and many farmers will be forced to uproot them.

Story continues

COAG also warned that in the southern province of Jaen, with over a fifth of the world's olive oil production on a regular year, only 20% of the normal crop will be produced this autumn.

The measures were approved just before the kick-off to the electoral campaign for regional and local votes, a run-up to general elections expected by year-end.

($1 = 0.9084 euros)

(Reporting by Emma Pinedo and Belen Carreno; Additional reporting by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip, Aislinn Laing and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Special cameras with the ability to recognize objects at night have been installed in the Chornobyl exclusion zone to monitor the border with Belarus.

Source: Andrii Niebytov, Chief of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kyiv Oblast, in an interview with Ukrinform

Quote from Niebytov: "More than 30 special video surveillance cameras have been installed in the Chornobyl zone which have various functions, including very long ranges of visibility, and the ability to recognise objects at night.

This is a very serious system. It helps border guards and other security forces to receive information from the border with Belarus and then conduct appropriate analysis."

Details: Niebytov also noted that the Safe Kyiv Oblast smart system is operating in Kyiv Oblast, into which 1,885 cameras are now integrated, and which has shown its effectiveness both during the fight against crime and maintenance of law and order, and during military operations.

The head of the Kyiv Oblast Police noted that during the full-scale invasion, the Russians physically destroyed almost 30% of the video surveillance cameras. However, as of today, all the cameras have been restored.

Of the 1,885 cameras, 480 have car number plate recognition, 500 have facial recognition, and 905 are wide-angle cameras.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
URUMQI, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Abdullah Begmatov, a cotton farmer from Uzbekistan, is very optimistic about his cotton production this year, thanks to the advanced irrigation techniques from China and guidance from Chinese experts.

Begmatov's family has been living in the Syrdarya region of Uzbekistan for generations. In 2020, Begmatov forged cooperation with a Chinese agricultural firm to adopt the drip irrigation system for his cotton field.

"The drip irrigation method not only helps to reduce costs, but it is also easy to operate and supports water conservation," the 57-year-old farmer said.

In September 2021, the Chinese company, Yangling Modern Agriculture International Cooperation Co., Ltd., started the construction of a Chinese-Uzbek modern agricultural science and technology demonstration park. The park is located near Begmatov's cotton field and spans an area of more than 233 hectares.

"China's advanced agricultural technologies and high-quality crop varieties have been introduced into the park. Trial plantation of oil sunflower, soybean and corn has been completed, and more varieties will be grown here in the future," said Chen Bing, vice general manager of the company. "Our technologies won recognition from the Uzbek government and experts."

Since 2016, China's Xi'an Aiju Grain and Oil Industrial Group has promoted the order-based agricultural planting mode in Kazakhstan. Relying on the demands of the vast Chinese market, the company provides Kazakh farmers with planting orders with guaranteed purchase prices, which has helped farmers increase their incomes and expand their exports.

"Our company managed to introduce camel milk powder into the Chinese market, which has further boosted the development of the local husbandry and increased the income of local residents," said Yang Jie, chairman of Golden Camel Group Ltd., a Chinese enterprise based in southern Kazakhstan, adding that the efforts have been highly praised by the Kazakh government.

Thanks to the closer ties between China and the Central Asian countries and their strengthened cooperation in agriculture, an increasing number of agricultural products from Central Asian countries have been making their way into the Chinese market.

According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, trade in agricultural products between China and the five Central Asian countries -- Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan -- increased from 175 million U.S. dollars in 1992 to 1.07 billion dollars in 2021.

Among them, agricultural trade between China and Kazakhstan ranked first, with a trade volume of 574 million dollars in 2021, accounting for 53 percent of the total, followed by Uzbekistan at 302 million dollars, or 28 percent.

"China has now become an important partner in trade and economic cooperation of the five Central Asian countries," said Tursunali Kuziev, a professor at Journalism and Mass Communications University of Uzbekistan, adding that the innovation and exchanges in agricultural sciences have constantly pushed forward cooperation in this field.

"Agricultural technologies from China are further boosting the crop output and contributing to the local food security." 
Celso Amorim, the Brazilian president's special envoy for International Affairs and former Foreign Minister, has arrived in Ukraine and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Source: Voice Of America

Details: Neither the Office of the President nor the administration of the President of Brazil reported on the visit and meeting.

After meeting with Zelenskyy, the special envoy told Brazilian newspaper O Globo that Zelenskyy understood that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was working to achieve peace.

Another newspaper, Folha de S. Paulo, quoted Amorim as saying that his dialogue with Ukrainian officials was positive and helped them build trust, as well as explain Brazil's goals for achieving peace.

Background:

On 6 April, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva proposed that Ukraine cede the Crimean peninsula to Russia to end the war.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, in response, stated that Ukraine will not trade its territories.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also stated that the US should "stop encouraging" the war in Ukraine.

On 23 April, the Brazilian president said that he was not seeking to "please anyone" but was trying to find a "third alternative" which, in his opinion, should restore peace to Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
By Liliana Salgado and Ted Hesson

YUMA, Arizona (Reuters) - Migrants gathered on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday hours before immigration restrictions known as Title 42 expire, with some rushing to cross ahead of tough new asylum rules that will replace a COVID-era order.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has in recent days been holding up to 28,000 migrants at its facilities, far beyond its stated capacity and in what appeared to be a record, two federal officials requesting anonymity and the Border Patrol's union said.

The busiest border detention facilities are in the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso in Texas and two areas in Arizona, according to union President Brandon Judd.

This week, the number of people caught crossing illegally topped 10,000 per day.

Due to the high volume of arrivals, agents on Wednesday began releasing some migrants without a notice to appear in immigration court where they can make an asylum claim, telling them to report to an immigration office later, Judd said.

On Thursday night, a federal judge in Florida blocked such releases, saying they were similar to a policy previously enjoined in March due to a failure to follow proper regulatory procedures.

CBP did not respond to a request for comment.

On average, people are spending nearly three days in custody, Judd said.

In Yuma, Arizona, hundreds of migrants lined up in the chilly hours before dawn at a gap in the towering border fence, waiting to turn themselves in to U.S. agents.

Some - like 40-year-old Jovanna Gomez from Colombia - decided to try their luck crossing now after hearing about the U.S. policy change.

"In my country, you hear that immigration will only be allowed until May 11, so we came racing against the clock," she said. "It wasn't easy."

Under Title 42, in place since March 2020 and set to expire at midnight, hundreds of thousands of migrants have been quickly expelled to Mexico.

But because Mexico only accepted the return of certain nationalities - mostly their own citizens and Central Americans, and more recently Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans - migrants from other countries have largely been allowed in to pursue their immigration claims.

Story continues

That is set to change as President Joe Biden's administration sends more personnel and funds to the border while implementing the new regulation, which will deny asylum to almost all migrants who cross illegally.

The measure will bar anyone who has passed through another country without seeking refuge elsewhere or who failed to use legal pathways to enter the United States.

It will take effect when Title 42 lifts, along with the declared end of the broad COVID public health emergency on Thursday.

Top U.S. officials repeated a warning to illegal crossers. "Our borders are not open," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters at a White House briefing.

The CBP reiterated in a statement that Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans that cross the southwest border illegally after the end of Title 42 will continue to be sent back to Mexico, which can accept a total of up to 30,000 migrants from those countries monthly.

The U.S. has opened up legal options for migrants of those nationalities to apply for entry from abroad, in an effort to discourage people from coming to the border.

POLITICAL FINGER-POINTING

U.S. border cities have struggled to shelter the new arrivals and provide transportation to other destinations. Far from the border, other cities say they are also struggling to cope, such as New York, where Mayor Eric Adams temporarily loosened right-to-shelter rules because of strained resources.

U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent who left the Democratic Party five months ago, criticized the administration on Thursday, telling reporters the president had failed to adequately prepare for the end of Title 42.

She said small towns in her state have been struggling to transport arriving migrants with little access to resources like buses or shelters.

Republicans fault Biden, a Democrat running for re-election in 2024, for scrapping the restrictive policies of former President Donald Trump, a Republican seeking to win back the White House.

And Biden administration officials in recent days have escalated their attacks on Republicans, saying they failed to fix immigration laws or provide adequate border funds.

"I asked the Congress for a lot more money for the Border Patrol," Biden said on Wednesday. "They didn't do it."

Since Biden took office in January 2021, the country has seen a record 4.6 million arrests of migrants crossing illegally, although the tally includes many repeat crossers. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week showed that only 26% approved of Biden's handling of immigration.

In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott, a fierce critic of the president's border policies, expanded a National Guard deployment this week "to help intercept and repel large groups of migrants trying to enter Texas illegally."

Some organizations are welcoming the migrants. In Yuma, Fernando Quiroz, a 50-year-old member of a volunteer group known as the AZ-CA Humanitarian Coalition, was pulling a wagon filled with water bottles to hand out to migrants awaiting processing in the middle of the night.

"The reason we are here is our faith, our compassion, our empathy for a lot of these individuals," Quiroz said. "We just want to be that friendly smile.

"Who knows what happens when they get on that bus?" he said. "This is just the first step of a very long journey."

(Reporting by Liliana Salgado in Yuma, Arizona and Ted Hesson in Washington; Additional reporting by Mike Blake in San Diego, Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City, Jose Luis Gonzalez in El Paso, Texas, Kristina Cooke in San Francisco, and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Writing by Mica Rosenberg; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Deepa Babington and Kim Coghill)
ChatGPT could be cratering Stack Overflows traffic the same way Chegg claims it did to them.

No more talking to a stranger on a forum for help debugging your computer science homeworkjust use an AI chatbot. Stack Overflow, the go-to Q&A forum for programmers, has reportedly seen significant drops in traffic over the last few months, and the ever-popular ChatGPT might be to blame.

Web analytics firm SimilarWeb reported last month that Stack Overflow has seen a drop in traffic every month since the beginning of 2022, with the average drop being 6%. In March, Stack Overflow saw a 13.9% drop in traffic from February and in April, the website saw 17.7% drop in traffic from March. SimilarWeb argues that some of that dropping traffic could be due to GitHubs AI helper called CoPilot, but users could also be using the more popular ChatGPT as a way to help debug their codethe same way they may via posts on Stack Overflows forum.

Read more

The Stack Overflow tradition is that community members post a variety of answers to any given coding question, debate the advantages and tradeoffs, and vote to recognize the best solution, Similar Web senior insights manager David Carr wrote in the companys blog post. ChatGPT users miss out on the debate and just get an answer, which can seem quicker and more efficient. The answer that comes back may not be exactly what the developer needs but is often close enough to be shaped and tweaked into a working solution.

Stack Overflows director of communications Matt Trocchio confirmed to Gizmodo in an email that ChatGPT is making a dent in traffic:

Stack Overflows traffic, along with traffic to many other sites, has been impacted by the surge of interest in ChatGPT over the last few months. However, our vision for community and AI coming together means the rise of GenAI is a big opportunity for Stack. Approximately 10% of our company is working on features and applications leveraging GenAI that have the potential to increase engagement within our public community and add value to customers of our SaaS product, Stack Overflow for Teams; early previews of that work have been positively received by both the community and customers. We will have more to announce this summer and were excited about whats ahead.

Story continues

ChatGPT isnt just taking a piece out of Stack Overflows piethe academic forum Chegg is apparently experiencing a similar issue. Chegg is popular amongst college students for connecting them with human help to complete complex homework assignments, particularly those encountered in STEM courses. Like Stack Overflow, users can post their homework questions, but are then forced to wait for a human to respond. ChatGPT, however, can offer students an instantaneous answer. Chegg recently reported in an earnings call that the companys shares and revenue were falling, and that ChatGPT was to blame.

In the first part of the year, we saw no noticeable impact from ChatGPT on our new account growth and we were meeting expectations on new sign-ups, Chegg CEO Dan Rosensweig said during the call earlier this month, as quoted by NBC. However, since March we saw a significant spike in student interest in ChatGPT. We now believe its having an impact on our new customer growth rate.

ChatGPT is nuzzling its way deeper and deeper into our daily lives and workflows, but its role in helping programmers develop and debug code is still up in the air. Earlier this year, Amazon warned employees not to input internal code into ChatGPT after the company reportedly saw the AI spit out code that mimicked Amazons. On the other hand, CEO of web3 avatar startup Genies Akash Nigam is spending $2,000 per month on ChatGPT Plus subscriptions for his employees. Nigam told Insider that the companys research and development team has been using ChatGPT to debug code, and that employees across the board are experiencing higher levels of productivity.

Want to know more about AI, chatbots, and the future of machine learning? Check out our full coverage of artificial intelligence, or browse our guides to The Best Free AI Art Generators, The Best ChatGPT Alternatives, and Everything We Know About OpenAIs ChatGPT.

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
The West Texas A&M University Police Department sent out a notice Wednesday night about reported stalking incidents that took place on campus.

"On May 10, 2023, the University was made aware of stalking incidents occurring on WT campus," a news release states. "The incidents were reported to have occurred between April and May 2023."

The police department said crime victim rights and options, and domestic violence information were provided. Title IX has been made aware of the reported incidents.

Police note that a few signs of an abusive relationship or stalking include:

Assaultive abuse may be physical, emotional and/or verbal.

Looks at you or acts in ways that scare you.

Makes unwanted phone calls, texts, or social media posts.

Assaultive abuse may include damaging property, throwing objects, punching walls, kicking doors, etc.

Bystanders play a critical role in the prevention of sexual and relationship violence. Make the choice to intervene, speak up, or do something about it.

Believe someone who discloses sexual assault, abusive behavior, or experience with stalking.

Watch out for friends and fellow students or employees who look like they could be in trouble or need help. Ask if they are ok.

Stalking Resource Center https://victimsofcrime.org/stalking-resource-center/

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: WT police receive report of stalking incidents on campus
Story at a glance

A new study from The Patel Firm looked at the average monthly search volume for lawyers in each state.

Lawyers at the Texas-based firm then ranked each state on where lawyers were searched for the most per 100,000 people.

Colorado came in first place for the state where lawyers are needed the most.

Colorado, North Carolina and Georgia are the states where people need a lawyer the most, according to a new study.

The study was conducted by lawyers at The Patel Firm, a Texas-based personal injury law firm, and ranks each state based on the average monthly search volume for lawyers per 100,000 residents.

Colorado came in first with 534.1 searches per 100,000 residents a month, the study found.

America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.

People in The Centennial State were most interested in finding family, immigration and employment lawyers, according to the study.

North Carolina came in second place with a search volume of 426.2 per 100,000 people a month while Georgia came in third with 405.4 residents searching for an attorney per 100,000 people.

Montana is the state where people need a lawyer the least with 197.6 searchers per 100,000 people, according to the study.

Idaho, South Dakota and Nebraska are also states where residents appear to need a lawyer the least.

Here are the 10 states where people need lawyers the most:

Colorado534.1 searches per 100,000 people.

North Carolina462.2 searches per 100,000 people.

Georgia405.4 searches per 100,000 people.

New York396.4 searches per 100,000 people.

Florida393.4 searches per 100,000 people.

Virginia375.8 searches per 100,000 people.

Maryland374.3 searches per 100,000 people.

New Jersey370.8 searches per 100,000 people.

Illinois366.6 searches per 100,000 people.

Pennsylvania358.3 searches per 100,000 people.

Here are the 10 states where people need lawyers the least:

1.Montana197.6 searches per 100,000 people.

Story continues

2.Alaska199.1 searches per 100,000 people.

3.Idaho205.5 searches per 100,000 people.

4. South Dakota207.5 searches per 100,000 people.

5. Nebraska216.4 searches per 100,000 people.

6. North Dakota230.0 searches per 100,000 people.

7.Hawaii239.7 searches per 100,000 people.

8. Wyoming241.4 searches per 100,000 people.

9. Kansas241.6 searches per 100,000 people.

10.Minnesota243.2 searches per 100,000 people.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Stephanie Ruhle of MSNBC said Wednesday that Donald Trumps CNN town hall was not news, so she ditched a post-mortem on the former presidents prime-time lies, smears and bigotry. (Watch the video below.)

Rubbing her hands, cracking her knuckles and exhaling, the 11th Hour host began:

Okie dokie, folks. It is not news what happened tonight at 8 p.m. on another network. And there is no sense in fact-checking or replaying the highlights. We are not going to analyze the former president of the United States repeating lies, smears and bigotry. Weve all heard it many many times before.

Trump marked his return to CNN after a long absence with a torrent of falsehoods about the 2020 election, an insult of moderator Kaitlan Collins and an outrageous claim that he had a plan to end Russias invasion of Ukraine in 24 hours (without revealing it).

While Trump may have been up to business as usual. Ruhle seemed determined to avoid that at her end.

What we need to do tonight is solve for how news organizations will cover Donald J. Trump, the twice-impeached, indicted, liable-for-sex-abuse private citizen, the host said. If he does in fact win the Republican nomination, it has nothing to do with what he did tonight. He did what he has done countless times before. The question we need to answer is what we are all going to do next.

Ruhle: It's not news what happened tonight at 8 pm on another network. We are not going to analyze the former president repeating lies, smears, and bigotry. pic.twitter.com/HWAlvodq27  Acyn (@Acyn) May 11, 2023

Related...
A man will spend up to seven years in prison for stealing an ambulance outside of Lower Bucks Hospital, which prompted a large police search in Bristol Township last year.

On Wednesday, Cody Dylan Lynn-Phipps, 31, was sentenced to 2 to seven years in prison for taking the ambulance, driving off and abandoning it, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office. He was also sentenced in other criminal cases, bringing his total sentence to 10 to 25 years in state prison.

Lynn-Phipps, of no fixed address, stole a Penndel-Middletown Emergency Squad ambulance from outside Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol Township on March 1, 2022. He pleaded guilty in November to all offenses in the case, which include robbery of a motor vehicle, theft, receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and escape.

Lynn-Phipps arrested: Patient steals ambulance after EMS squad brings him to Lower Bucks Hospital, cops say

For subscribers: Inside the courtroom when Bensalem couple sentenced for infant son's fentanyl death

Police warn of mail thefts: Mail in sewer, stolen checks 'washed:' What you need to know about Bucks County mailbox thefts

What did Lynn-Phipps do in Bristol Township?

Bristol Township police said Lynn-Phipps was laying in the road near Kenwood Drive and Kindle Lane about 8:30 p.m. He told police he was homeless and tired from walking.

Lynn-Phipps, who was wanted on warrants from Bucks County Probation, was taken to Bristol Township's police station to wait for county sheriff's deputies to pick him up, according to police. While there, he became unresponsive and convulsive, prompting police to give him Narcan.

Penndel-Middletown Emergency Squad arrived and took him to Lower Bucks Hospital for additional evaluation.

As soon as he had the opportunity at the hospital, Lynn-Phipps unbuckled himself and escaped before taking the ambulance, which was running outside.

The vehicle was found unoccupied at the intersection of Prospect and Norwood avenues about 11:10 p.m. It was not damaged.

Story continues

Several police departments helped try to find the ambulance. A helicopter from Philadelphia police was also used in the search.

Lynn-Phipps was arrested two days later .He was found unconscious in a Nissan Sentra that was reported to be stolen from a dealership, police said.

Lynn-Phipps was also sentenced for assaulting a Bucks County Prison officer, and for biting and spitting on Bristol Township officers during a September 2021 arrest, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.

A message left for his attorney was not immediately returned Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Man sentenced to prison for stealing ambulance at Lower Bucks Hospital
Juan Alberto Vazquez/Reuters

Daniel Penny, the man captured on video choking Jordan Neely to death on a New York City subway on May 1, was arrested on a charge of second-degree manslaughter on Friday morning.

Penny, 24, surrendered in the citys 5th Precinct the day after the Manhattan District Attorneys Office confirmed that it planned to bring a criminal case over 30-year-old Neelys killing.

The horrifying incident was recorded by onlookers on an F train in Manhattan. Through his lawyers, Penny alleges that he acted to protect himself and others after Neely began aggressively threatening him.

Pennys attorney said outside the precinct Friday that his client had voluntarily surrendered to authorities and that he expected arraignment to take place on Friday afternoon. Penny could face a sentence of up to 15 years if convicted.

Viral footage of the incident leading to Neelys death shows him already being subdued by Penny, a former U.S. Marine. The clip spans three minutes, with Neely squarely in Pennys grasp throughout.

Protests erupted around New York City to protest the death of Jordan Neely. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

Pennys lawyers previously said in a statement he never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death. The statement also made note of Neelys documented history of violent and erratic behavior that stemmed from mental health issues.

Neelys family took issue with Pennys statement, responding with one of their ownalso through attorneys.

The truth is, he knew nothing about Jordans history when he intentionally wrapped his arms around Jordans neck, and squeezed and kept squeezing, the Neely family statement said.

Neely was homeless at the time of his death, which the medical examiner ruled a homicide. Records show he was arrested for past incidents on the subway, but the nature of those arrests is unclear.

Loved ones of Neely described him as sweet and loving, with a hobby of impersonating Michael Jackson. His family acknowledged that Neely struggled with mental health issues since his mother was murdered when he was a kid.

Story continues

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.
Witnesses in Khartoum say RSF fighters have often taken up positions in residential streets, with soldiers hiding camouflaged trucks under trees

Like many Sudanese forced to flee their homes amid raging street battles, Mohamed said that when he finally returned to his flat, he found heavily armed paramilitaries had moved in.

After cautiously approaching his Khartoum apartment block, he discovered that "the entire building had become like a military barracks filled with weapons and ammunition".

Almost a month of heavy fighting has turned Khartoum into a war zone, with the city's five million residents enduring artillery barrages, gunfights, air strikes and anti-aircraft fire.

Many have hunkered down at home amid power outages and a lack of clean water, food and medicines -- but many have also been forcefully evicted.

The northern suburb where Mohamed lived has become a major battleground in the war between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

After Mohamed's family had spent terrifying days at home, waking and sleeping to deafening explosions and gunfire outside, RSF fighters came to evict them.

"They knocked on the door and asked us to leave," said the 54-year-old, who like others interviewed by AFP for this article asked not to be identified by his full name citing security fears.

Before leaving home, Mohamed's family took what they could carry and locked their doors, he added.

When he returned days later to collect some belongings, Mohamed was interrogated by the RSF paramilitaries whom he had found sitting inside his apartment.

- Fighters 'in our kitchen' -

Witnesses in Khartoum say RSF fighters have often taken up positions in leafy residential streets, with soldiers hiding camouflaged trucks under trees.

Men in military fatigues patrol in pick-up trucks mounted with heavy machine guns.

Another man, Babiker, 44, said he fled his home in central Khartoum amid incessant gunfire, only to return two weeks later to find it occupied by the RSF.

"I found more than 20 paramilitaries living there," he said, adding he was interrogated for half an hour before being allowed entry.

Story continues

"They were using all appliances and cooking in our kitchen," he said. "All the bedrooms that we had locked before leaving were open."

Sudan's bitter fighting has so far killed at least 750 people, wounded thousands and uprooted hundreds of thousands, with many refugees fleeing the country.

The UN's human rights commissioner, Volker Turk, said the RSF had allegedly taking "possession of many buildings in Khartoum to use as operational bases, evicting residents and launching attacks from densely populated urban areas".

He also criticised Sudan's military for launching "attacks in densely occupied civilian areas, including air strikes" that have killed residents.

The paramilitaries have also turned many hospitals and medical facilities into "barracks" -- a practice the UN World Health Organization has condemned as a "gross violation".

Even diplomatic missions in Khartoum have not been spared.

On May 3, Saudi Arabia said "an armed group" had stormed its cultural office and "damaged appliances, cameras, and seized some property".

The European Union said on April 17 that its ambassador was "assaulted" in his residence, labelling the attack a "gross violation of the Vienna Convention".

- 'All our memories' -

"Last Wednesday, the RSF took over my family house in Khartoum, where my cousins and I have our documents, valuables, and all our memories," one Sudanese woman wrote on Twitter.

"It's confirmed by the only neighbour left in the neighbourhood that it is the RSF. RSF soldiers are going out of control, out of Hemeti's control", she added, referring to General Daglo's nickname.

Another citizen, Tahany, 33, escaped her home when fighting intensified in the area near Khartoum's airport.

Having abandoned hopes for an end to the fighting, she decided to join the tens of thousands of Sudanese making the long, arduous trip to Egypt -- but she first needed to return home to get her travel documents.

"Paramilitaries at checkpoints interrogated us as we were trying to return to our neighbourhood, and every time we told them we wanted to pick up some things from our home," she said.

Eventually, Tahany and her mother were allowed entry to the home, escorted by paramilitaries.

"We found that all our home items had been used, from the kitchen to the beds," she said. "They even mounted a weapon on the balcony on the second floor."

Terrified, Tahany and her mother frantically searched for their travel documents and rushed out. "We are now on our way to Egypt," she said. "We don't know what has become of our home."

bur/noc/fz
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's capital has been devastated by a conflict between the army and paramilitary Rapid Response Forces (RSF) since mid-April.

Here is a timeline of major events since fighting began:

April 15 - After weeks of tensions building over a plan to hand power to civilians, heavy fighting erupts in Khartoum and clashes are reported in several other cities. RSF forces loyal to Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, storm the residence of army chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, as they try to seize strategic sites in the heart of the capital.

April 16 - The U.N. World Food Programme announces that it is temporarily suspending operations in Sudan, one of its biggest programmes globally, after three of its staff were among aid workers killed in early fighting. The WFP says on May 1 that it is resuming work, later warning that up to 2.5 million more people in Sudan could slip into hunger.

April 18 - The first of multiple ceasefires is announced but gunfire echoes across Khartoum soon after it is due to come into effect, with both sides blaming the other for violating the truce. The fighting traps millions of civilians in their homes or neighbourhoods and leads to cuts to power, water and telecommunications, as well as a breakdown of law and order.

April 21 - The number of residents fleeing the fighting in Khartoum accelerates during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which comes at the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Many seek refuge in towns and cities outside Khartoum and some head for Sudan's borders.

April 22 - The United States says special operations forces have evacuated all its embassy staff from Khartoum. France, Britain and other nations follow, leaving Sudanese worrying they will be left to fend for themselves.

April 25 - Ahmed Haroun, a former minister wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes in Darfur, says that he and other ex-officials from ousted leader Omar al-Bashir's administration have walked free from prison. Officials later confirm that Bashir, who is also wanted by the ICC, had been transferred to a military hospital before fighting began.

Story continues

April 26 - Clashes, looting and the burning of houses is reported in several days of deadly violence in El Geneina, Darfur, amid concerns that the power struggle in Khartoum could fuel more killing and displacement in the western region of the country already scarred by years of conflict.

May 1 - The United Nations projects that more than 800,000 people could flee Sudan's conflict to its seven neighbouring countries, and that more than 70,000 had already done so. The largest numbers head north to Egypt.

May 3 - U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths visits Port Sudan in a push to secure safe passage for humanitarian relief, saying he's seeking public guarantees in face-to-face meetings with the warring parties.

May 5 - More than 1 million polio vaccines intended for children have been destroyed as a result of looting, UNICEF says, following warnings that the provision of medical care and hospital capacity is collapsing as a result of the fighting.

May 6 - The United States and Saudi Arabia announce the start of talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah aimed at securing corridors for humanitarian relief and an effective ceasefire.

May 9 - The IOM says 700,000 people have been internally displaced within Sudan. Sudan's Banks Union condemns theft and looting at some bank branches, one example of the impact of the war on an economy that was already deep in crisis.

May 10 - Airstrikes and artillery fire rattle Khartoum as battles intensify, while a U.S. official says negotiators are "cautiously optimistic" about the talks in Jeddah.

(Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Edmund Blair)
JAKARTA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The Anak Krakatau volcano in the waters of Indonesia's Sunda Strait erupted on Thursday, throwing thick gray ash 3,000 meters above its peak, according to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.

"The eruption occurred at 05:19 local time for 2 minutes 12 seconds, the wind heading southwest," said Mount Anak Krakatau Observation Post Officer Deny Mardiono on Thursday.

Since its birth in June 1927, this mountain's volcanic activity has continued to increase, triggering the growth of its body which is getting larger and taller.

Its activity has increased significantly since April 24, 2022, and its dangerous status has been raised to the third level.

Authorities urged people to stay at least 5 km away from the crater. 
Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with top Chinese official Wang Yi in Vienna this week to move beyond the Chinese spy balloon incident and reestablish communication.

The meetings between Sullivan and Yi, which took place Wednesday and Thursday, were the highest level of engagement with China since the surveillance balloon traversed the United States in February.

I think both sides recognize that unfortunate incident led to the bit of pause in engagement. Were speaking now beyond that and reestablishing some standard channels of communications, a senior administration official said about the meeting.

When asked whether that means the incident is over for the Biden administration and there wont be any consequences, the official said, Weve been clear where we stand in terms of the breach of sovereignty.

The official added, though, the meeting was part of an effort to find a way to keep working productively with China.

But again, trying to look forward from here on, make clear we dont want to see this happen again. But how do we manage the other issues that are ongoing, right now? the official asked. And manage the tension and the relationships that exists. And try to find, hopefully, a few issues where there are some overlapping interests and potentially find a productive way to work together.

Yi is a Chinese Communist Party Politburo member and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission.

Sullivan in the meeting also raised concerns about detained U.S. citizens and counter-narcotics from China and Taiwan. He stressed that the U.S. is committed to the One China policy and that the administration wants competition, not conflict, with China.

The official said the meeting wasnt particularly difficult to set up, despite the tense Washington-Beijing relationship.

Oftentimes, its easier to meet in a third country than either of our two countries, the official added. This came together fairly quickly.

The White House earlier on Thursday called the meeting between Sullivan and Yi candid, substantive, and constructive.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a challenge to a California animal welfare law that would ban the sale of pork derived from breeding pigs housed in confined spaces.

In a fractured ruling that divided the court along nonideological lines, the majority said the measure, known as Proposition 12, did not unlawfully regulate pork produced in other states, as the challengers claimed. The law is on hold as part of separate litigation in state court.

Five justices wrote their own opinions, showing that there was considerable dissension over what legal rationale to adopt. While five justices said the lawsuit should be dismissed, four said it should have been allowed to move forward.

The ruling, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, protects the authority of states to enact laws to protect the health and welfare of the public even if the measures have impacts out of state. Groups that back California had warned that a broad ruling against it could limit states authority to enact laws about a wide variety of issues, including measures to address climate change, such as by efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by promoting renewable energy.

"While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list," Gorsuch said.

While it is long established that states cannot use their laws to discriminate against out-of-state interests, the California law is focused on regulating the sale of pork within its own borders, he said.

Scott Hays, the president of the National Pork Producers Council, which challenged the measure, said in a statement: "We are very disappointed with the Supreme Courts opinion. Allowing state overreach will increase prices for consumers and drive small farms out of business, leading to more consolidation."

Californians approved Proposition 12 in 2018 with nearly 63% of the vote, a margin of more than 3 million votes. The measure would require that sows have at least 24 square feet of space in their enclosures, allowing them to turn around. The states lawyers pointed out in court papers that voters were told the measure, which is not in effect, would most likely increase the price of pork but provide for more humane living conditions for pigs and potentially reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses.

Story continues

The National Pork Producers Council, which represents the pork industry, and the American Farm Bureau Federation, which represents farming interests, sued in 2019, saying the measure violates a provision of the Constitution called the commerce clause, which has been interpreted to bar states from interfering with interstate commerce.

The challengers said the measure would impermissibly interfere with interstate commerce in part because almost all of the pork sold in California is produced out of state by farmers who would not currently be in compliance. The law would also impose an excessive burden on out-of-state entities without having a clear in-state benefit, they argue. As a result, they say, the law has an unlawfully broad extraterritorial effect.

Lower courts upheld the measure, prompting the challengers to turn to the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority.

Gorsuch was joined in the majority by fellow conservatives Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney Barrett and liberals Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.

In dissent, Chief Justice John Roberts said he would have revived the lawsuit because the challengers "have plausibly alleged a substantial burden against interstate commerce."

Conservative justices Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh also dissented, as did liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Other states have passed similar laws based on moral concerns, including nine that ban products tested on animals and eight that ban eggs produced by caged hens, lawyers for the Humane Society of the United States have pointed out. Nine states also ban sales of fetal tissue from aborted fetuses, according to court filings.

The groups challenging the California law said in court papers that Proposition 12 will transform the pork industry nationwide because currently nearly all farmers keep sows in pens that do not comply with the law.

That view was contested by California and its allies, including meat producer Perdue Premium Meat Co., which filed a brief saying its Niman Ranch brand has for years been raising hogs that would have been in compliance with Proposition 12s requirements.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in charge of defending the law, said in court papers that the measure was valid under the commerce clause because it was not aimed at benefiting California producers over out-of-state competitors.

In a statement Thursday, Bonta said the ruling means that California can continue to have in place humane and commonsense standards, instead of the extreme confinement pushed by some pork producers. He added that the Supreme Court affirmed states important role in regulating goods sold within their borders.

The Biden administration backed the challengers, with Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar saying Proposition 12 unreasonably restricts interstate commerce in part because it regulates the welfare of animals that are not inside the states borders. The stated benefits also fail to justify the sweeping nature of the law because its health benefits have not been established, she argued.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court delivered a double blow to federal prosecutors Thursday by throwing out corruption convictions in two cases, one of them concerning an ex-aide to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo who was convicted of taking a bribe from a real estate developer.

The court in a 9-0 vote threw out Joseph Percoco's conviction for accepting the $35,000 payment when he managed Cuomos re-election campaign in 2014. In doing so, the justices narrowed the scope of a federal anticorruption law.

The court ruled that Percocos conduct was not covered by the federal law that requires that honest services be provided to the public. He was not working for the government at the time, so he had no duty to provide honest services, the court said.

In a separate ruling in a related case, the court invalidated a Buffalo, New York, real estate developers wire fraud conviction in another blow to federal prosecutors.

The court unanimously ruled for Louis Ciminelli, who the government alleged had sought to rig the bidding process for redevelopment contracts in the city.

In each case the court, whose members face claims of ethics lapses, made it harder for federal prosecutors to bring corruption cases.

Yaakov Roth, a lawyer for Percoco, said the ruling built on similar decisions in recent years in which the court stressed that "the government cannot use vague fraud statutes to advance novel and sweeping theories in prosecutions of political actors."

Ciminelli's lawyer, Michael Dreeben, said he was gratified by the court's "unanimous holding today that the government's theory of prosecution of Louis Ciminelli was invalid, root and branch."

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.

In Percoco's case, prosecutors said he was only temporarily working for Cuomos campaign when he took the payment from developer Steven Aiello, who was seeking state funds for a construction project. Percoco worked as a senior aide to Cuomo, a Democrat, from 2011 to 2016 except for eight months when he ran the campaign.

Story continues

Percoco was convicted in 2018 on one count of honest services fraud for the real estate payment. At the same trial, he was also convicted of another count of honest services fraud and one count of soliciting a bribe for arranging for Competitive Power Venture, an energy company with business before the state, to make payments to his wife.

He was sentenced to six years in prison for all three offenses.

The Supreme Court did not address whether the two other convictions should be thrown out, as Percoco's lawyers had argued.

Percoco appealed to the high court after the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his convictions in a September 2021 ruling. In the decision, the appeals court upheld the convictions of several others targeted in the wide-ranging New York investigation, including Ciminelli.

In the Ciminelli case, the court ruled against a legal theory that the Justice Department had relied on in other cases. Under the right to control theory, someone commits fraud if he or she deprives another person of potentially valuable economic information.

The court agreed with Ciminellis lawyers and other critics of the theory that fraud can be committed only if there is a loss of money or property.

Several others targeted in the investigation, including Aiello, have their own appeals pending at the Supreme Court.

Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 after he faced sexual harassment claims, was not charged.

The Supreme Court in previous rulings had already limited the scope of bribery laws, most notably in a 2010 ruling in favor of Jeff Skilling, the former CEO of Enron Corp. More recently, the court in 2016 threw out the corruption convictions of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Yorkshire-Duroc mixed-breed hogs on a farm in Manteca, Calif., in 2005. (Al Golub / Associated Press)

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld an animal welfare law approved by California's voters, ruling that the state's restrictions on the sale of pork that is produced by the cruel confinement of breeding pigs do not violate the Constitution.

Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, writing for the court, said the Constitution leaves it to states and their voters to decide on the products that will be sold there. He said these questions should not be decided by federal judges.

"Companies that choose to sell products in various states must normally comply with the laws of those various states," he said. "While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list."

The ruling is a victory for animal rights advocates as well as the rights of the states to set their own laws.

In 2018, 63% of California voters approved Proposition 12, which prohibited the sale of eggs or meat that originates from the extreme confinement of egg-laying hens, breeding pigs or calves raised for veal.

The law was due to take full effect last year, but pork producers went to court to challenge the provisions affecting their industry.

At issue was the practice of holding breeding pigs in tight metal cages where they cannot turn around or lie down, and sometimes in frustration try to chew the metal bars.

The California law required larger pens or open areas where sows could move freely.

Kitty Block, president of the Humane Society of the United States, described Proposition 12 as "the nation's strongest farm animal welfare law" but said it was "astonishing that the pork industry would waste so much time and money on fighting this common-sense step to prevent products of relentless, unbearable animal suffering from being sold in California."

The decision split the court along unusual lines. Joining Gorsuch were Justices Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett.

Story continues

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Samuel A. Alito, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented in part. They would have given the pork producers another chance to try to prove that California's restrictions put a substantial burden on the free flow of interstate commerce.

But Gorsuch argued the court did not have such authority to second-guess the states and their voters, especially when there was no claim of protectionism. The pork producers from Iowa and North Carolina "do not allege that Californias law seeks to advantage in-state firms or disadvantage out-of-state rivals," he said. The state law applies equally to both.

Moreover, the Constitution gives Congress, not the justices, the power "to regulate commerce among the states." he said. The pork producers "have failed  repeatedly  to persuade Congress to use its express Commerce Clause authority to adopt a uniform rule for pork production," he wrote. Only then did they take their claims to the federal courts, he said.

Gorsuch noted that some states ban the sale of horse meat. Some restrict the sale of fireworks, but others do not.

Federal judges have no authority to strike down such state bans on the grounds that they restrict interstate commerce, he concluded.

The court's conservatives have been divided in the past over striking down state laws that interfere with interstate commerce. Gorsuch and Thomas said the court does not have that power, while Roberts, Alito and Kavanaugh took a more pro-business view.

Barrett said she agreed with Gorsuch that the "moral" views of the state's voters should be respected. "Californias interest in eliminating allegedly inhumane products from its markets cannot be weighed on a scale opposite dollars and cents," she wrote, "at least not without second-guessing the moral judgments of California voters or making the kind of policy decisions reserved for politicians."

That principle may figure in future cases on abortion pills or contraceptives. Before Thursday's ruling, legal experts said a decision upholding California's animal welfare law would bolster conservative states that seek to block the mailing or distribution of abortion pills.

In this case, National Pork Producers vs. Ross, the pork industry noted that 99% of the pork sold in California is produced elsewhere, so the burden of its law would be largely felt by other states.

While some of the largest meat packers, including Hormel Foods and Tyson Foods, said they could comply, the National Pork Producers Council said the law would require farmers in Iowa and North Carolina to change how they raise and confine their breeding pigs.

To comply with the California law, breeding pigs would have to be given larger pens that would allow them to stand and turn around, or they could be confined in an open area with other pigs. The producers said those changes would increase their costs by 9%.

The pork producers lost before a federal judge in San Diego and at the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which said they had no claim of a constitutional violation. But last year, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the industrys appeal.

The attorney for the pork producers argued that if Californias law were upheld, it would open the door for other states to seek changes that would affect the national economy.

For example, he said, Oregon could require that products sold there from other states must be made by workers who were paid the states higher minimum wage, while Texas might require products sold there be made by only lawful U.S. residents.

The Biden administration joined the case on the side of the pork producers and stressed a similar argument. Proposition 12 imposes a substantial burden on interstate commerce, Deputy Solicitor Gen. Edwin Kneedler said. It invites conflict and retaliation and threatens the balkanization of the national economic union.

California Solicitor Gen. Michael Mongan defended the law on the grounds that it applied only to pork sold in the state and not elsewhere.

California voters chose to pay higher prices to serve their local interest in refusing to provide a market to products they viewed as morally objectionable and potentially unsafe, he said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Susan Sarandon, pictured protesting in Washington, D.C., against former President Trump's border policies, was arrested in New York this week while protesting for minimum wage increases for tipped service workers. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

Susan Sarandon is receiving praise for her recent arrest in New York while protesting about fair wages for tipped service workers.

Authorities arrested eight protesters with the One Fair Wage campaign on Monday at 1 p.m. at the state Capitol in Albany. The eight were briefly held on suspicion of disorderly conduct, New York State police told The Times in a statement. Officers made the arrests after protesters began "sitting and obstructing walking traffic" in the Capitol's legislative lobby, police said. The protesters were released that same day with an order to appear in court.

Police declined to name those arrested given the minor level of the offense, but video and photos from the Capitol show Sarandon being led away in handcuffs by authorities. Former candidate for New York lieutenant governor Ana Maria Archila was also among those arrested on Monday, according to WNYT.

Even though the "Thelma and Louise" actor has yet to publicly address her arrest, other celebrities and fans applauded her activism.

"Mad respect," wrote actor Rosie Perez on Twitter, sharing a photo of Sarandon in cuffs.

"I love her," tweeted author and former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson.

Famed attorney Steven Donzinger, who took on Chevron, also shared a photo of Sarandon's arrest and wrote "sickening that we must battle for a living wage in the wealthiest nation on earth."

"Standing up for what is right, even when you receive no direct benefit, that's what solidarity looks like," tweeted @NathanielRugh. "Wish more people had the integrity of Susan Sarandon."

@ByronHeffnerIV agreed and said, "Love her and the solidarity she displays with other activistswho will surely have a harder time dealing with arrests like this than someone of her fame and resources."

The Oscar-winning actress was protesting with workers rights activists of the One Fair Wage campaign, which is lobbying for legislation that would phase out wages that are below minimum wage for workers who rely on tips, according to the organization's website. Under current state law, employers are allowed to pay tipped workers, such as restaurant workers, below the state's minimum wage. And they are supposed to make up the difference with tips.

Story continues

Sarandon has been a regular at protests in recent years. Just last week, she joined Writers Guild of America members on the writers' strike picket lines in New York. The "Bull Durham" actor locked arms with climate protesters in 2020 alongside fellow actor and activist Jane Fonda, who has famously been arrested five times in Washington, D.C.

And in 2018, Sarandon was arrested along with hundreds of others while protesting in D.C. against former President Trump's "zero tolerance" immigration policy that led to the separation of children and their parents at the border.

In the past, she has received backlash for her criticism of law enforcement. She had tweeted a meme criticizing police attendance at the funeral of slain officer Jason Rivera.

The protest on Monday was meant to draw attention to the tipped workers issue ahead of Mother's Day. The One Fair Wage group said among the nearly 330,000 tipped workers in New York, 58% are women and 49% are people of color.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Joran van der Sloot, the Dutchman connected to the 2005 disappearance of American Natalee Holloway in Aruba, will be temporarily extradited to the U.S. to face charges of extortion and wire fraud, Peruvian authorities announced Wednesday. Van der Sloot is currently serving a 28-year sentence for the 2010 killing of 21-year-old college student Stephany Flores in Lima.

Holloway went missing in May 2005 while on a senior class trip in Aruba, where van der Sloot is from. She was last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot, who was detained and questioned, but never charged. The U.S. is accusing van der Sloot of attempting to extort Holloway's family with promises of leading them to her body, which has never been found.

Holloway was declared dead by an Alabama judge in 2012, more than six years after her disappearance. One day earlier, van der Sloot pleaded guilty to Flores' murder.

The Peruvian attorney general's office said in a statement to CBS News that Van der Sloot will be temporarily handed over to the U.S. for prosecution and will return to Peru "immediately following the proceedings."

"We hope that this action will enable a process that will help to bring peace to Mrs. Holloway and to her family, who are grieving in the same way that the Flores family in Peru is grieving for the loss of their daughter, Stephany," said Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru's ambassador to the U.S., in a statement.

A State Department spokesperson told CBS News on Thursday that the department doesn't comment on extradition matters and referred questions to the Justice Department. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment Wednesday.

Alex Sundby contributed reporting.

Pakistan's top court orders release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan

Biden, McCarthy postpone debt limit meeting to next week

What will change once COVID-19 national emergency ends
Vyacheslav Boguslayev

Skhemy journalists released recorded phone conversations involving Boguslayev, obtained from law enforcement sources. The conversations were verified with the help of an independent U.S. expert, the journalists say.

Read also: Detained former president of Motor Sich asks to go to Russia in POW exchange

According to Skhemy, Ukraines Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) turned to Motor Sich in April 2022 to obtain a Mi-2 helicopter. Boguslayev then ordered Motor Sich personnel to disassemble the helicopter and hide its spare parts, hide documents from intelligence officers, and commit other acts of sabotage and delay, according to the recordings.

During a court hearing, Boguslayev explained the removal of spare parts as a normal work process and denied his guilt. His pre-trial detention period was extended until May 27.

Read also: Motor Sich head Boguslayev charged with treason and working for Russia. Who is he?

However, he can be heard on the recordings discussing this issue with Motor Sich Marketing and Trade Director Pavlo Kasay, division head Ihor Kostyuk, designer Roman Myronenko, and Oleksandr Ponikarevych, head of the AgroaviaDnipro company where the helicopter was located, as well as an employee of the service company, Oleksandr Kornienko.

Skhemy also revealed that Boguslayev was aiming to prevent Ukrainian intelligence from using the Mi-2 helicopter with the help of Servant of the People MP Hennadiy Kasay  Pavlo Kasays brother. However, the lawmaker refused to comment on the matter when approached by Skhemy.

In addition, Natalia Ulyanenko, who managed Motor Sichs Kyiv office and was an advisor to the Chief of the General Staff, can also be heard assisting Boguslayev in his efforts. However,. she told journalists that Boguslayev simply couldnt order the transfer to be blocked, and she claimed that she doesnt remember her involvement in the process. According to Ulyanenko, she currently works at Motor Sich as an adviser to the new manager.

Story continues

At the same time, Boguslayev admitted that Ukrainian intelligence officers had the right to requisition the helicopter, and Skhemy noted that HUR did, in the end, receive the helicopter.

Read also: Several strategically important Ukrainian enterprises transferred to state ownership

The Skhemy investigation also revealed documents affirming that Boguslayev was working to sell defective equipment, such as a helicopter not cleared for flight, to military officials.

Earlier, NV reported that Ukraines SBU security service had detained Boguslayev in connection with Motor Sichs illegal supply of military products for Russian attack aircraft.

Boguslayev has been a Russian citizen since 2000, Skhemy discovered.

On Oct. 24, 2022, Kyivs Shevchenkivskyi district court issued an arrest warrant for Boguslayev.

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
Suspended Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas will not be sentenced on May 16. A request for continuance was granted by Senior Judge Timothy Creany Tuesday. A new date has not been set. Creany presided over the case.

Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas discusses new leads in a case prior to being charged and found guilty of sexual assault.

The delay deals with waiting to hear from the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board that will make a recommendation whether to craft a sentence that includes the classification of sexually violent predator.

If Thomas, who was found guilty of sexual abuse, is classified by the court as a sexually violent predator, he will be subject to lifetime registration with the Pennsylvania State Police, which means an in-person verification on a quarterly basis, lifetime sex offender counseling with a provider approved by the assessment board and community notification.

More: Jury finds Somerset County DA Jeffrey Thomas guilty on six of nine charges

After a trial that took place from March 8 to 16, a jury found Thomas guilty of two felony and four misdemeanor counts and not guilty on two felony and one misdemeanor counts. He is currently incarcerated in Cambria County Prison and awaiting sentencing.

As Thomas awaits a new sentencing date, he has learned that his lawsuit against the county and county officials where he was seeking reinstatement of his salary suspended by the Somerset County Salary Board Nov. 26, 2021, was dismissed.

Somerset County Judge Daniel Rullo issued an opinion and order Monday where the case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning that the ruling is the final judgment in the case.

Going back in time

Thomas was elected Somerset County District Attorney in Nov. 2019. He was sworn in Dec. 31, 2019 and assumed the office Jan. 6, 2020.

On Sept. 22, Thomas was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a local woman. He took voluntary leave of absence from his role as district attorney.

On Oct. 27, 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court temporarily suspended his law license, partly because of the criminal charges. Although the specifics of that suspension have not been offered.

Story continues

On Nov. 17, 2021, Act 88 of 2021 was signed into law. The law amended the county code. A section was added that the district attorney must "continually hold an active law license." The new law also stated that a district attorney will be suspended from office if he or she is disbarred, vacates the office and/or the law license is suspended.

Thomas, an elected official, did not resign nor has he been impeached.

On Nov. 26, 2021, the Somerset County Salary Board voted to suspend his salary because of the recent enacted law. Thomas filed his complaint Sept. 2. The county responded Oct. 31. Thomas answered.

On Nov. 22, the court issued an order requiring both parties to submit memorandums of law on the issue whether the Commonwealth is an indispensable party and whether the Commonwealth Court had exclusive or concurrent jurisdiction in this case.

Oral argument was held before all three Somerset County Judges on Feb . 10. They took the matter under advisement.

Claims and response

Is the Commonwealth an indispensable party to the action?

No.

Because the county code requires the state to reimburse the counties 65% annually of their district attorney's salary, this makes the state "not an indispensable party," which is Thomas' position, according to the court's opinion.

What: Suspended Somerset DA sues county for back pay and to reinstate benefits

Was the new state law wrongly applied retroactively?

No.

Thomas argued that the new law was improperly applied. The law did not contain a retroactivity provision. His law license was suspended before the act was enacted.

The county argued that Thomas did not have a vested right to his salary. The act was not applied retroactively to Thomas' case. The court agreed.

"A vested right is one that 'so completely and definitely belongs to a person that it cannot be impaired or taken away without the person's consent,'" Rullo wrote, citing case law.

Basically, the judge stated that Act 88 is "prospective in application." The legislation simply imposed a new restriction to an active law. Thomas pay ended a week after the act became law.

"A retroactive application would have been if the county did not pay Plaintiff (Thomas) from the time that his license was suspended to the enactment of the Act. But that was not the case," Rullo wrote.

The county does not have the authority to suspend an elected official's pay.

Wrong.

A suspended district attorney is prohibited from performing the duties of the office, according to the county code. A district attorney with a suspended law license may not perform the duties of the office until the law license is reinstated. Rullo interpreted the code to mean "that a suspended district attorney is prohibited from performing the duties of the office."

The right to salary and compensation attaches to the public office itself, according to state law. Thus, "what determines whether a public officer is entitled to compensation is contingent on the right to hold the office, not the performance of duties," according to case law.

"By making a suspended law license grounds for both suspension and disqualification we think it is clear that the legislature intended to prohibit a district attorney with a suspended law license from performing the duties of the office and receiving the compensation that attaches to the office," according to the opinion.

What: What is next for Somerset District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas after conviction?

The only right that Thomas retained in this situation comes if he can retake the office of district attorney if his law license is reinstated during his elected term that ends in Jan. 2024. The act gave the county the authority to stop paying Thomas a salary until that happens, according to the court.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Suspended Somerset County DA's sentencing for sexual abuse continued
Ulf Kristersson

"Here we had a test drive of a Hagglund Combat Vehicle 90 combat vehicle, which Sweden also handed over to Ukraine, the prime minister wrote.

Read also: Ukrainian military get RBS 70 MANPADS and radar system from Sweden, photo reports

The CV90 is a family of Swedish tracked armored combat vehicles of 15 different variations. The vehicle crew is three people with seven or eight more troopers in it. The CV90 is equipped with a Universal Tank and Anti-Aircraft Sight (UTAAS) from SAAB. It also has thermal imaging that allows it to conduct aimed fire on aerial targets at a range of up to two kilometers (1.25 miles) and on ground targets up to five kilometers (3 miles).

kristerssonulf/Instagram

Sweden was preparing to provide Ukraine with 50 CV90 IFVs and Archer self-propelled guns back in winter, Kristersson said on Jan. 19.

Read also: Sweden not yet ready to transfer JAS 39 Gripen jets to Ukraine, says defense minister

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
Steve Sweeney faced a fight back to power the moment an unknown trucker deposed him as Senate president in 2021.

Now that his biggest backer, George Norcross, is stepping back from his leading role in state politics, Sweeneys challenge may be that much greater should he run for governor in 2025, several high-ranking Democrats said.

The election to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy may be 2 1/2 years away, but the jockeying for party support that is critical to success in a primary is very much under way. And that could be problematic for Sweeney since Norcross said in an interview with POLITICO last week hes been sitting in the backseat of power the last two years.

Although Norcross said he would do whatever he asks me to do if Sweeney runs for governor, he also acknowledged the locus of political power rests north of Interstate 95  where a handful of other potential candidates for governor live and, presumably, would lock up support from leaders of Democratic-rich areas. Sweeney would be expected to secure party backing south of that dividing line, a large swath of the state Norcross has commanded but is far less populated and increasingly running red.

Other possible candidates who would be competing for Democratic Party support to secure the organizational line giving them preferred ballot positioning in each county include Reps. Josh Gottheimer of Bergen County and Mikie Sherrill of Essex County. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop announced his candidacy last month, gaining the support of Hudson County chair Anthony Vainieri. Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin of Middlesex County and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka are also widely seen as possible candidates.

Hes got to get a line up north, said one South Jersey Democratic leader who, like others who spoke to POLITICO, was granted anonymity to talk candidly about Sweeneys prospects.

At this point, Sweeneys best chances in the north would be in Bergen or Hudson if Gottheimer or Fulop flame out, this person said. Irrespective of those two things happening, it is going to be tough.

Story continues

Sweeney and Norcross, a friend since childhood, formed an effective and long-running political alliance that saw Sweeney lead the Senate for a record 12 years. But the stunning defeat of Sweeney and his two Assembly running mates in 2021 was catastrophic to the South Jersey political apparatus, Norcross said. It has raised questions ever since whether Sweeney could mount a successful gubernatorial run.

Sweeney declined to comment in detail on his future plans, but has said hes considering running for governor just as he did seven years ago.

Many different scenarios could play out between now and 2025, and alliances are always subject to change. And Sweeney could benefit from a fracturing of North Jersey Democrats, giving him an opportunity to run as an alternative to progressives such as Fulop.

New Jersey is a moderate state, Sweeney said in an interview Monday. I dont think the states going to get more progressive.

But as Murphys sudden ascendance from long shot to front-runner showed in late 2016, it is a faction of party bosses who wield great influence in who becomes the gubernatorial nominee.

Sweeney and Fulop were both expected to duel for the nomination in the 2017 primary, but they each dropped out before officially declaring. Fulop shelved his plans and endorsed Murphy, who soon gained the endorsements of county leaders in North and Central Jersey, prompting Sweeneys exit.

The 2025 race would be no different, Democrats say.

If there wasnt a path in 2017, what circumstances create a path now? a Democratic consultant said.

This time around, a few Democratic leaders are seen as key voices in the next primary: Middlesex County chair Kevin McCabe and his close ally Gary Taffet; Senate President Nick Scutari, who is also chair of Union County Democrats; and Sen. Vin Gopal, an influential voice in the states fifth-most populous county, Monmouth.

They decide who the next nominee is going to be, said one Democrat close to high-level deliberations about 2025. The one person it cant be is Sweeney, because of George [Norcross].
WELLINGTON, May 11 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand will celebrate Maori New Year on July 14 this year and mark its newest public holiday for the second time after last year's inaugural celebration as a statutory holiday.

Celebrations leading up to Matariki began on Thursday as a booklet containing karakia (Maori prayer) for each of the nine stars of Matariki was launched at an event at the Dark Sky Sanctuary in Lake Tekapo of New Zealand's South Island.

Matariki is a special occasion in the New Zealand calendar which marks the start of the Maori New Year, signified by the Matariki cluster of stars reappearing in the night sky.

The booklet will be distributed widely across the country to schools and communities to serve as an important resource that would support people with their own preparations as they decided how to mark Matariki, said Minister of Maori Crown Relations Kelvin Davis.

Matariki was marked for the first time as an official public holiday last year.

"It was a beautiful moment to see how the nation took joy in celebrating and embracing Matariki last year," Davis said.

Data suggests at least 87 percent of New Zealanders now have some understanding of what Matariki is about and means, he said. 
Children in class - Getty

A primary school teacher has claimed that she was sacked after refusing to use an eight-year-olds preferred pronouns.

The teacher is taking legal action against Nottinghamshire County Council, which runs the school, for alleged unfair dismissal.

She claimed that, two years ago, the school where she worked decided to facilitate the social transition of a girl who wanted to be treated as a boy.

The school instructed all staff to always refer to the girl with male pronouns and a male name, and said that she should use the boys toilets and dressing rooms.

The teacher said that she repeatedly raised concerns about the pupils welfare and followed the schools whistleblowing procedure to raise safeguarding concerns about the girls social transition.

The school responded by writing to the teacher to inform her that the child would be moved to a different class to safeguard him from any potential harm, according to the teachers employment tribunal claim.

The teacher, who is a Christian and cannot be named to protect the anonymity of the child, was told that her personal beliefs, if acted on, could be a direct breach of GDPR and an act of direct discrimination.

She claimed that she was later suspended and put under disciplinary investigation for her alleged ongoing refusal to follow a management instruction.

The suspension was lifted after the teacher said she agreed to make every effort to avoid unnecessary contact with the child and to avoid using any name or gender-specific pronouns if interacting with the child.

She then raised safeguarding concerns with the schools governors and the local authority, citing scientific evidence that encouraging young children to socially transition carries significant risks for their health and welfare.

However, she said that her concerns were dismissed by both the governors and the local authority.

Teachers are being bullied

The teacher, who is now working in a sandwich shop, claims that she was sacked for gross misconduct after she shared information about the child with her lawyers in preparation for a judicial review claim against the school and the council. She said that the school has reported her to the Teacher Regulation Agency for an alleged confidentiality breach, which means she could face a lifelong ban from the profession.

Story continues

She has now brought an employment tribunal claim against the local authority that runs the school, claiming unfair dismissal and religious discrimination. The employment tribunal is expected to hear the claim in August.

Teachers are being bullied not to question trans-affirming policies when evidence shows that the actual result of the approach is to put the welfare of children at serious risk, the teacher said.

The Government is planning to publish guidance for schools this term on how to respond to pupils who are questioning their gender. Teachers will be told that they do not have to use a childs preferred pronouns, a source told The Telegraph.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is backing the teachers case, said: This story exposes the confusion and untruths being embedded in primary schools which are developing into a public health crisis.

The Department for Education must look closely at this case and take appropriate action to protect teachers, who often hold Christian beliefs on these issues, from being hounded out of the profession for opposing or even questioning transgender ideology.

Safeguarding is overriding principle

A Department for Education spokesman said: We do not comment on individual cases.

The Education Secretary is working closely with the Minister for Women and Equalities to provide guidance for schools in this area, based on the overriding principle of the wellbeing and safeguarding of children.

We expect schools to carefully consider their approach to these matters, to ensure that they take the right decision from the point of view of safeguarding children, accounting for parents views and those of medical experts where relevant.

Nottinghamshire County Council did not respond to a request for comment.

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.
Landlords illegally retaining security deposits is one of many challenges Bellingham tenants face as renter protections are lacking, advocates here say.

Rebecca Quirke of the local advocacy group Tenants Revolt said the issue of deposit theft is so widespread that about eight out of 10 renters that shes met within the city do not get their full deposits back.

Conservatively, 85% of the people that we speak to have some part of their deposit stolen, Quirke said.

Quirke, who is a landlord herself, said tenant protections here are virtually non-existent.

In Bellingham, Its the worst Ive ever, ever, ever seen, she said.

Quirke said she has lived as a renter in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico and now Washington and has seen first-hand how poorly tenants can be treated.

Its unclear exactly how many renters in Bellingham fail to get back their deposits  which can run into thousands of dollars  because few lawsuits are filed.

But since Tenants Revolt began in July 2022, with the goal of bringing a series of mass-action and class-action lawsuits against landlords for habitability violations, theft and property negligence, Quirke said she has spoken with more than 300 renters in Bellingham whose landlords retained at least part of their security deposit.

Washington law outlines specific rules that landlords are required to follow regarding deposits:

 Landlords must provide tenants with an itemized statement of what their deposit was used for.

 The written rental agreement must contain the terms and conditions under which a deposit or portion of it may be withheld upon the termination of the lease.

 The landlord must provide a move-in checklist that is signed by both parties documenting any preexisting damages and the condition of the rental at the time of move-in.

Sometimes, landlords do have fair reason to withhold part or all of a tenants deposit. Organizations exist to support landlords dealing with deposit disputes, such as the National Association of Independent Landlords. But when a deposit is unfairly withheld, the burden lies heavily on tenants to prove it.

Story continues

One Bellingham couple who sued their former landlord for illegally collecting and retaining their security deposit  and won  are Michael Bottomley and Victoria Bovee.

Victoria Bovee, left, and Michael Bottomley pose in an undated photo. The two sued their former landlord in small claims court after their security deposit was illegally withheld. Michael Bottomley/Courtesy to The Bellingham Herald

They rented a house from September 2021 to September 2022 that was owned by Mike Stacy and managed by Chuckanut Property Management. Neither the landlord nor the property management company responded to requests for comment from the Bellingham Herald.

The two moved from out of the area and had another roommate, who was living locally at the time, do a walk-through with the owner. Bottomley and Bovee were sent a video of the property.

Once we got into the place, within the first month, we immediately realized that there was a lot of damage to the property that did not align with the video he sent us, Bottomley told The Herald.

Bottomley and Bovee said their unit had broken windows, cracks in the walls, a leak under the house, a rodent infestation and a mold problem, among other issues.

The new tenants took photos and videos of all of the issues but they had already paid their $2,360 security deposit and were concerned about being blamed for the damages. The tenants later found out the owner did not provide an inspection checklist during the original walk-through, which is required by law. Because of this, the owner was never legally allowed to collect a deposit.

So when the owner tried to retain a portion of the deposit at the end of the lease for cleaning and maintenance, the tenants sued.

After months of gathering paperwork and compiling evidence, Bottomley and Bovee faced their landlord in small claims court  something Quirke said only a very small percentage of renters are able to do.

Filing a lawsuit is time-consuming and often stressful. It also costs money that tenants will only get back if they win their case.

We were a lot more prepared than a lot of people are because we trusted our intuition from the beginning and because we were lucky enough to be able to take the time in the day to gather evidence, Bovee said. A lot of people do not have that ability because its not afforded to us in our regular daily lives.

The court ordered the landlord to return the full amount of their deposit plus the cost to file the claim and serve the papers, which is standard practice in this type of lawsuit. By law, if the tenant can prove that the landlord intentionally and illegally withheld a security deposit, the tenant can be awarded twice as much as the amount of the security deposit.

Even though we got through this case and got that little sucker punch, the fight is not over until we see real change, Bottomley said.

But this is part of the problem that local renter advocates say needs to change.

For all the work that it takes to go through and actually take your landlord to court, you only get the amount of money that theyve stolen from you, Quirke told The Herald. Theres no accountability.

Dispute resolution an option

Landlord disputes that arent able to be mitigated sometimes end up in small claims court. Whatcom County District Court does not record the number of deposit dispute cases filed each year, only the number of small claims cases filed overall.

There were 325 small claims cases filed in 2022. As of May 3, a total of 96 small claims cases had been filed in Whatcom County this year.

Small claims cases can involve anything with a monetary value including disputes regarding auto damages, wages, loans, property damages, unpaid rent and deposits not returned.

The Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center (WDRC) is a nonprofit that helps mediate disputes between landlords and tenants for free. Individuals who plan to or already have filed a small claims case often reach out to the WDRC in an effort to avoid litigation and reach a solution independently, according to the executive director of the WDRC, whose full name is Moonwater.

Not infrequently, small claims cases between landlords and tenants involve deposits, disagreements about the lease, rent, damages, cleanliness, move-out plans, keys, pets, communication, and more, Moonwater said in an email to The Herald.

Typically more than 80% of people who participate in mediation through the WDRC are able to reach agreements and avoid court, Moonwater said.

As of May 5, WDRC had managed 150 cases in 2023. Of those, 30 were landlord-tenant related, with 19 related to deposit returns.

In 2022, WDRC managed 233 cases. 56 of them were landlord-tenant related. Of those, 36 involved deposit returns.

New law goes into effect

A new piece of state legislation dealing with the issue of unfair deposit withholding was signed into law on Tuesday by Gov. Jay Inslee. The bill, HB 1074, limits landlords ability to withhold deposits after tenants move out.

Under the new law, Washington landlords can no longer withhold any part of a deposit for wear resulting from ordinary use, standard carpet cleaning, or for fixtures and appliances unless those items were previously documented in good condition when the lease began.

In addition, landlords must now show documentation to substantiate any claims of damages, though the bill extends the timeline that landlords can provide documentation for damage claims from 21 days to 30 days. It also adds a three-year statute of limitations for landlords to sue tenants when trying to recover amounts that exceed the deposit.

Documentation is key

Bottomley and Bovee did exactly what they needed to do to win a case like this  they kept documents and proof. Thats what local legal experts suggest in order to be successful in a case.

Jennifer Roberts, an attorney with LAW Advocates, says photos, videos, texts and emails can all be used as evidence. Undocumented conversations in person or over the phone are not as useful in a court of law.

It is not unusual for me to talk to someone when theyve moved out, and the landlord has retained some or all of their security deposit, and its too late for them to go back and do things like take pictures, Roberts said.

Documentation upon move-in and move-out, along with documentation of damage made throughout the duration of the lease that is not the tenants fault is critical, according to Roberts.

Other resources available

LAW Advocates is an organization that provides free civil legal assistance to low-income Whatcom County residents. Residents seeking legal landlord-tenant advice can visit its Street Law pop-up clinic for free at the Bellingham Public Library.

The next two Street Law clinics are being held on May 20 and June 24, 2023. Other resources are available via Washington Law Help and the Northwest Justice Project.

Both landlords and tenants can reach out to the Landlord Liaison with the Opportunity Council for resource referrals, basic information about Landlord-Tenant Law and Fair Housing and how to work with each other to resolve issues.

The city of Bellingham does not provide any direct services to tenants but its website does have a compiled list of community resources to assist them in understanding their rights and responsibilities and to identify where to go for assistance. The city also provides information on fair housing laws.

Do you have a story to tell about renting, buying or building Whatcom County housing? Reporters Rachel Showalter and Robert Mittendorf invite your comments at newsroom@bellinghamherald.com.
Tennessee distilleries are releasing plenty of delicious elixirs that are not "Tennessee whiskey." Legally, a "Tennessee whiskey" is a bourbon, manufactured in Tennessee, filtered through charcoal before it hits the barrel. Here's where to start to get the hang of this mellow, approachable spirit.

These can be found at the distilleries, all of which are stops on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, as well as many liquor stores in Tennessee and elsewhere. Or if you're waiting for a flight, pick up a bottle or try a drink in the Nashville airport's Whiskey Trailhead shop and Three Casks bar.

The sign sits at the entrance of Jack Daniel's Old Time Distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn., July 3, 1965.

Jack Daniel's 12-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey

For around 150 years, the black-labeled Old No. 7 has been the flagship whiskey of this iconic distillery. But there's much, much more to the Jack Daniel Distillery. In March, for example, master distiller Chris Fletcher released the latest in his age-stated series: an exceptional 12-year-old Tennessee whiskey.

Jack Daniel's 10- and 12-year aged Tennessee whiskies.

The big, bold 107-proof whiskey is rich with leathery notes of pipe tobacco, oak and sweet, toasted caramel with a grain bill of 80% corn, 12% malted barley and 8% rye. Like the rest of the distillery's portfolio, the 12 year is charcoal mellowed before aging in toasted American white oak barrels.

This is a limited batch, with only 18,000 bottles on the market. Look also for the 10-year-old whiskey, an exceptional release in its own right. -ML

Prichard's Tennessee Whiskey

When small distiller Phil Prichard decided to make a Tennessee-style whiskey in the aughts, he pored through the will of his fifth-generation grandfather Benjamin Prichard. The original Prichard owned a distillery in the 1790s. He used a white-corn mash, which was sweeter than the typical feed corn. He used a pot still  nothing else had been invented. And he did not filter his liquor through charcoal before aging it in barrels.

A bottle of Benjamin Prichards Tennessee Whiskey is on display at Prichard's Distillery Feb. 27, 2023, in Kelso, Tenn.

Prichard junior copied everything, he said.

In 2013, the state formally defined Tennessee whiskey as a charcoal-filtered bourbon. But they let Prichard continue as he was. After all, he pointed out, he used an old Tennessee recipe.

Story continues

Prichard's Tennessee Whiskey is the most bourbon-like of Tennessee whiskeys, with extra sweetness from the white corn. While you're at the distillery, pick up a bottle of his aged rum. -DJD

Company Distilling Tennessee Three Wood

When Jack Daniel's master distiller Jeff Arnett lit out on his own, he didn't want to slap his name on a whiskey and sell by reputation. Or do what's expected: His new venture, Company Distilling, first released a bourbon.

In April, Company planned to release its first Tennessee whiskey, the Three Wood. Arnett called it his "soft, sweet entry point" for drinkers. It has a different kind of sweetness than the flagship product of his previous employer, because the grain blend is high in wheat, and Company finished the aging with apple wood.

That said, don't miss his bourbon, which I adored, and if you like rye, his rye, which I REALLY adored. -DJD

Nelson's Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey

By 1885, the German-born Charles Nelson was turning out 2 million bottles of Nelsons Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey. Prohibition closed that distillery, which all but faded into obscurity until descendants Andy and Charlie Nelson learned about the family whiskey business and revived it in Nashville.

The recipe for Nelson's Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey dates to 1909.

The history buffs recreated their great-great-great granddaddy's label and bottle and began to piece together the original recipe for Nelsons Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey. The flagship wheated whiskey is sweetly nutty and oaky, and a remarkable value at only around $30 per bottle.

As the folks at the distillery and local bartenders will tell you, it mixes up perfectly in a classic old fashioned. -ML

George Dickel No. 12 Whiskey

Tullahoma's Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. turns out some notable aged expressions of George Dickel whiskey, including the distillery's 9-year aged single barrel, which boasts plenty of spice, vanilla and wood.

But if you're newer to the world of Tennessee whiskey and are looking for a slightly more approachable, affordable entry point, try the Dickel No. 12, a 90-proof blend of whiskeys with a mash bill of 84% corn with a touch of rye and malted barley. The result is a sweeter profile with plenty of maple and fruit that works perfectly in a cocktail. At about $35 or so, it also won't break the bank. -ML

Mackensy Lunsford is the food and culture storyteller for USA TODAY Network's South region and the editor of Southern Kitchen. She's also the co-author of a barbecue cookbook. Danielle Dreilinger is an American South storytelling reporter and the author of the book The Secret History of Home Economics.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee whiskey: 5 essential bottles to try
Migrants en route to the U.S. from Venezuela pray at an improvised altar in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, for the dozens of people who died in March in a fire at a federally run detention center. (Alejandro Cegarra/The New York Times)

The day before Title 42 was scheduled to end, hundreds of migrants gathered on the banks of the Rio Grande near Brownsville, Texas. Some of them, unable to wait any longer, cut a hole through a fence and made it onto U.S. soil, before uniformed agents resealed the barricade.

The majority retreated and bided their time. Come midnight Thursday when the expulsion policy ends, said Elizabeth Guerra, a migrant from Brazil who described herself as desperate, she planned to turn herself in to U.S. immigration officials.

Anticipating that thousands more will come all along the border, officials in Texas cities like Brownsville, Laredo and El Paso have declared state of emergency, which allows them to seek more resources from the federal government to transport and house the new arrivals.

Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times

In Brownsville alone, close to 2,000 people have already crossed in recent days, a pattern the Border Patrol chief, Raul Ortiz, said he had not seen in a decade.

It is straining our capacity, said Eddie Trevino, the county judge for Cameron County, which includes Brownsville. There is an unknown element to whats going to happen after Title 42 expires.

Over the past two days, more than 11,000 migrants a day have crossed the southern border illegally, according to internal data obtained by The New York Times. And the Border Patrol is already holding about 10,000 people more than the capacity of its facilities.

El Paso took additional steps, temporarily closing a street near a shelter for migrants downtown.

El Paso area leaders had hoped to prevent an immigration crisis like the one they saw late last year when a surge of migrants overloaded area shelters, leading to an alarming increase of people sleeping on the streets as temperatures dipped below freezing. But in recent days, the number of migrants surpassed the number who crossed in December. Thousands of people had been overwhelming shelters and crowding the streets.

Story continues

The city has turned two vacant schools into shelters, and a reception center.

Weve never seen this before, Oscar Leeser, the mayor of El Paso, said Wednesday.

But those crowds largely emptied out after a rare Homeland Security law enforcement operation Tuesday and Wednesday that encouraged undocumented migrants to turn themselves into the Border Patrol so that they could be registered into the immigration system.

Local officials asked the federal government to help with an estimated 2,500 undocumented migrants who were surrounding a local church that provides support and assistance. Border Patrol agents passed out flyers to migrants to encourage them to turn themselves in.

It wasnt about chasing people around, down the streets into churches, in a protected area, Ortiz said. It was a very methodical approach.

Anthony Scott Good, the chief of the Border Patrols El Paso sector, said nongovernment organizations assisting the migrants wanted the government to encourage people to turn themselves in by promising they would not be deported.

But we just cant make that guarantee, Good said.

So it was a gamble.

People had to trust that the process would work for them, said Ruben Garcia, executive director of Annunciation House, a large shelter.

In the end, more than 900 migrants turned themselves in and the overwhelming majority were released into the country after they were processed.

Afterward, Thursday morning, the sidewalk around a church downtown, where some 2,500 migrants had been camped out for days, was clear of all but a few dozen people. Gone were the collapsed cardboard boxes, where the migrants had slept. Gone were the overflowing trash bins. Alleyways once teeming with families were nearly empty.

Paulo Molina, 25, a Venezuelan migrant, said he had waited five hours to get to the front of the line to turn himself in to Border Patrol. On Thursday, he had a bus ticket to Washington, D.C., in hand, having been promised a job at a restaurant.

Thank God I got the papers, and now I can be on my way, he said.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Texas A&M University School of Law is rising in the ranks, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The downtown Fort Worth university ranks 29th best law school in the country, up from last years 46th ranking. This was the most significant rise in ranking among top 50 schools in the U.S. since last year.

It also means Texas A&M Law is the second best law school in Texas, trailing behind University of Texas at 16th.

Texas A&M Laws dispute resolution program, which emphasizes negotiation, mediation and arbitration skills, ranked seventh nationally. The universitys program for intellectual property ranked ninth nationally.

Texas A&M will expand its presence in downtown Fort Worth with a three-building complex built on four blocks where the current law school is today. Construction of the Texas A&M-Fort Worth campus will begin this summer.

The law schools rise in rank comes just before construction starts on the expanded Texas A&M-Fort Worth campus, an estimated $320 million project that will bring three new buildings to the Commerce Street campus and could impact the local economy in big ways.

Business leaders have called the expansion the most significant thing for the city in the last 100 years.

The downtown building where Texas A&M Law now sits was previously the home of Texas Wesleyan University. Texas A&M acquired the then unranked school ten years ago.

John Sharp, Texas A&M University chancellor, said his team wont stop growth efforts until the school is ranked in the countrys top 10 law schools.

The first thing I did as chancellor was to acquire this law school, Sharp said in a release. At the time it was unranked and now has risen in the rankings faster than any law school in history.

Texas A&M will expand its presence in downtown Fort Worth with a three-building complex built on four blocks where the current law school is today, seen center. Construction of the Texas A&M-Fort Worth campus will begin this summer.

Bobby Ahdieh, dean of Texas A&M Law, said the universitys faculty and staff are united in their mission to advance human knowledge through the next generation of lawyers and leaders.

Todays ranking announcement demonstrates the benefits of a concerted focus on the core elements of excellence in legal education: the recruitment of world-class students and faculty, investment in a high-quality educational program and a single-minded commitment to student success on the bar exam and in the employment market, Ahdieh said in a release.

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker praised the universitys accomplishments and contribution to the community over the past decade.

Fort Worth could not be more proud of what our law school has accomplished the last few years, Parker said in a release. In attracting world-class students, staff, and faculty to the community, providing pro bono legal services to veterans, entrepreneurs, families, and others in need, and anchoring Texas A&M-Fort Worths new research and innovation campus, they have become a true pillar of our community.
Memorial in Austin, Texas, for Garrett Foster Sergio Flores/Getty Images

A Texas state judge on Wednesday sentenced Daniel Perry, 37, to 25 years in prison for killing Garret Foster, 28, during a protest against police brutality in 2020. Perry, a former Army sergeant, shot Foster, an Air Force veteran, several times through the window of his car, which he had driven into the crowd of protesters in Austin. Foster had been legally carrying an AK-47 rifle across his chest, and Perry said in court that Foster had approached his car and raised the gun toward him and he fired in self-defense. Witnesses told the jury that nobody saw Foster point the gun toward Perry or his car.

Foster, who was white, was at the protest to support his common-law wife, Whitney Mitchell, who is Black and wheelchair-bound since all four limbs were partially amputated when she was a teenager, Mitchell testified at Perry's sentencing hearing on Tuesday. She said Foster had been both her husband and caretaker for 11 years before he was shot dead.

Less than 24 hours after a jury convicted Perry of murder in April, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said on social media that he would pardon him as quickly as possible and urged the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which he appointed, to expeditiously review the case and send him a pardon recommendation to sign. A day later, unsealed court documents showed that Perry regularly shared racist memes in private messages and on social media, and frequently expressed a desire to kill protesters in the months leading up to his confrontation with Foster.

Abbott's office, asked whether the new evidence would change his position on pardoning Perry, shifted responsibility to the parole board, The Texas Tribune reports. The board has begun reviewing Perry's case, but likely won't make any recommendation until all his appeals are exhausted.

Perry's case was championed on conservative radio and TV, and "the issue for the governor is he has painted himself into a corner," University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus tells The Washington Post. "There has always been a perception among the far right that he's not committed to the cause. Backing down now may hurt his image." The board of pardons was created in 1920 to take such politics out of the process, moving pardons from the hands of the governor to a panel of legal professionals, he added.

Story continues

You may also like

MTV News shutting down after 36 years

Sen. Dianne Feinstein returns to D.C. after extended absence, Democratic tensions

Trump's loss to E. Jean Carroll was likely aided by these 2 blunders in his taped deposition
Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D-Round Rock) slammed his Republican colleagues Tuesday for considering legislation to loosen gun regulations, just days after eight people were killed in a mass shooting outside of Dallas.

You cant offer thoughts and prayers on Monday and then debate a bill to loosen gun regulations on Tuesday, Talarico, who is currently studying to become a Presbyterian minister, said from the House floor.

I believe in the power of prayer, he continued. I believe prayer can change lives. I believe prayer can change the world. But there is something profoundly cynical about asking God to solve a problem that were not willing to solve ourselves. God moves, God works through us. God has no other hands but our hands.

Eight people were killed and seven others were injured when a gunman opened fire at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas, on Saturday. Three of the victims were young children, including two elementary school-age sisters and a 3-year-old boy.

Talarico pointed to the various efforts those affected by gun violence have made to advocate for gun safety measures, particularly in the wake of the Uvalde shooting last year that left 19 children and two adults dead.

We prayed and God sent moms from all over the state from both political parties to advocate for gun safety, Talarico said. We prayed and God sent families from Uvalde to travel 160 miles to advocate for gun safety. We prayed and God sent our colleague from Uvalde to bring a bill that would prevent tragedies from happening in the future.

We have ignored Gods messengers, he added. This is moral madness, and this is not the Texas House I know  I know many of you are worried about your conservative scorecards, but the only scorecard that matters is Gods and all of us are failing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Election posters in Bangkok - the vote presents Thailand with a big choice about its future

For the past few weeks an irresistibly catchy tune has been playing in neighbourhoods across Thailand, from campaign trucks sent out by the Pheu Thai party, the frontrunner in this Sunday's general election.

"A landslide for Pheu Thai, in all areas, so the lives of the people can be better," it goes, urging voters to give it a thumping victory.

That Pheu Thai (For Thais) is so far ahead of all its rivals is remarkable. This is despite all the efforts made over the past 17 years to weaken it, and to eliminate the influence of Thaksin Shinawatra, the telecoms billionaire who founded its first incarnation, Thai Rak Thai, in 1998.

Mr Thaksin's government was deposed by a military coup in 2006, and Thai Rak Thai was dissolved. He has been living in exile since being prosecuted in what his family says are politically-motivated charges. A successor party was also dissolved by the courts in 2008, and in that year two of its prime ministers were disqualified.

After Mr Thaksin's sister Yingluck won a landslide in the 2011 election, she too was disqualified by the courts, and her government ousted by a second coup. She is also living in exile.

At the last election in 2019 Pheu Thai won far more seats than any other party, but was prevented from forming a government.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra says the country is about more than coups

Now the polls show Pheu Thai on track once again for victory. The Shinawatra family has put forward Thaksin's youngest daughter Paetongtarn to lead the campaign, which she has done even in the last stages of pregnancy, eliciting admiration and sympathy.

It has once again run a slick, well-marketed campaign, making a range of appealing offers to the electorate, from a substantial increase in the minimum wage, to a promise of a 10,000 baht ($300; 240) digital wallet for every adult to be spent locally.

"I think after eight years the people want better politics, better solutions for the country than just coup d'etats," Paetongtarn told the BBC. "They are seeking policies that will help their lives."

Story continues

Paetongtarn had a baby on 1 May - and was back campaigning within days

"For many years no other political force has been able to offer an alternative to Pheu Thai, in terms of policy offerings, in terms of charisma, in being able to communicate directly with the people", says Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, who has been making a study of the party's appeal.

"And because the last coup d'etat resulted in two military-backed governments which failed miserably in economic performance and in dealing with the Covid pandemic, the popularity of its main opponent Pheu Thai remains high."

Ms Siripan identifies what she calls the three Ps as the key to political success in Thailand; policies, personalities and patronage networks, and political values.

Pheu Thai has always been very strong on the first. Thai Rak Thai was a pioneer in this region in running a modern, manifesto-based campaign in its first election campaign in 2001. It offered policies like universal healthcare and village-based micro-credit schemes which directly benefitted rural and low-income communities. It won the Shinawatra family what has proved to be unbreakable loyalty from some of Thailand's largest vote banks.

On the second, Pheu Thai has built up an extensive network of local power-brokers, who are very influential in maintaining its popularity and getting the vote out. By contrast the two main conservative parties, formed by the last coup-leader Prayuth Chan-ocha and his allies, are relatively new, and do not have such strong local networks.

On the third, Pheu Thai has always successfully portrayed itself both as the party which looks after little people, and which champions democracy, of governments through elections. And that is its main pitch today. If you want an end to conservative, military-backed rule, it says, we are your best choice.

But this time it is being outflanked on political values by a more radical and youthful party, Move Forward, which is calling for profound changes to Thailand's power structures.

It wants to stop the military from intervening in politics, to limit its budget, end conscription, and even talks about making the monarchy more accountable. It has pledged never to form a coalition with one of the military-aligned parties, showing up Pheu Thai's evasiveness on this issue.

Some observers believe Move Forward's growing popularity could eat into Pheu Thai's votes, although the younger party's support is spread across the country, rather than in certain areas, disadvantaging it in a system where 80% of the seats are elected on a first-past-the-post basis.

Pheu Thai is losing its policy edge too, as nearly every main party is now making a crowd-pleasing financial offering to the voters, neutralising the populist appeal that has been the key to Pheu Thai's long run of election wins.

"Especially for the younger generation, Thaksin's legacy of policy delivery in the past does not resonate," says Siripan from Chulalaongkorn. "And don't forget there will be four million first-time voters in this election. Pheu Thai's image as the default anti-military party is facing a real challenge from Move Forward.

"But I still believe Pheu Thai will win by a large margin. It still has the second P, the patronage networks through its candidates in the north and north-east, where Move Forward, as the newer party, has not established these kinds of connections."

If the predictions of the opinion polls hold, and both Pheu Thai and Move Forward perform well enough to ensure they have a substantial majority of the 500 seats in the lower house, the big question is whether they will be allowed to form a government.

The military-drafted constitution allows 250 senators, all appointed by the junta that seized power in 2014, to join the vote on the choice of the next prime minister. The pliant courts could once again be deployed to dissolve one or both of the reformist parties.

Thailand will then be confronted with a choice. Should it stick to the old, authoritarian playbook, which sees election results as optional, rather than essential factors in who holds power?

Or should it break out of the cycle of coups, party dissolutions and street violence which have plagued the country for two decades?

Read more of our coverage on Thailand
Insider spoke to Black creatives in fashion  including Kim and Keyondra Lockett of Jolie Noire; Anifa Mvuemba of Hanifa; and content creator Stephanie Yeboah  about the fashion industry's relationship with size inclusivity. Derek White/Getty Images; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/Insider

Despite challenges from the industry, Black designers and influencers have been at the forefront of building a more diverse and inclusive future of fashion.

This story is part of Black Ensemble, a series celebrating Black leaders, innovators, and trendsetters in the fashion industry.

Like many teens, Kim and Keyondra Lockett just wanted to be stylish. But as young women with fuller figures, the only brands that offered clothes their size were Lane Byrant and Ashley Stewart  hardly the stuff most 16-year-olds wanted to wear.

So the sisters got creative. They enlisted the help of their mom to transform their dad's old pants into mini skirts and button-ups into cropped tees. Years later, the Locketts harnessed their eye for style with their own size-inclusive fashion brand, Jolie Noire, which offers sizes up to 6X.

"Knowing the struggle we've had and knowing that fashion hasn't moved forward enough, it's always been our dream to be able to walk into any store and see the plus-size section near the straight sizes," Kim told Insider. "We want people to be able to choose what they wear because we understand how limiting choices can be as both Black women and plus-size women."

Kim and Keyondra Lockett named their size-inclusive brand Jolie Noire, which is French for "Pretty Black." Jolie Noire

The Lockett sisters are part of a growing wave of Black designers who are advancing size inclusivity in fashion. The industry has long seen roadblocks: Although an estimated 68% of American women wear a size 14 or above, only 8% of brands offer plus-size options. A 2018 analysis of 25 of the largest multi-brand retailers like Shopbop, Macy's, and Net-a-Porter found that just 2.3% of their women's apparel is plus-size.

Despite the market for extended-size clothing, which is valued at over $178 billion, some brands have cut their plus-size offerings. In 2021, Loft announced it was discontinuing plus sizes due to "ongoing business challenges," provoking frustration from its customers.

But Black designers are undeterred.

Story continues

"As sure as there's going to be trends, you're always going to have the plus-size community  and they're going to want clothes," Keyondra said. "People will always want fashion-forward clothing, and that's where Black designers like us come in."

Wondrea Gilmore models Christian Omeshun's "Crushing Tiger" gown. The bridal and prom wear brand is owned by A'Shontay Hubbard. Michael Sullivan

A history of fatphobia rooted in racism

The lack of size inclusivity stems from a long-standing bias against fatness in Western cultures. The history of fatphobia can be traced back to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, according to Sabrina Strings, sociologist and author of "Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia."

The artist Peter Paul Rubens was famous for painting voluptuous bodies. He also painted one of the rare depictions of a powerful Black female figure in Western Renaissance art in "The Four Continents," also known as "The Four Rivers of Paradise." Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images

During the Renaissance, fuller figures were deemed beautiful, as captured by the voluptuous bodies in paintings by artists like Titian. But explorers and colonists who traveled to Africa claimed they saw "dramatic feats of eating and women, in particular, who were fat," Strings said. These unfounded claims gave rise not only to the idea that Black skin should be demonized, but also to the association between Black femininity and gluttonous fatness.

"What they 'realized' in the middle of this race-making was that there was a clear difference between Europeans who were supposedly disciplined and capable of self-management and therefore capable of governing the entire world," Strings told Insider. "And the 'inferior' races  and especially Black persons who supposedly had no self-control  were barely above four-legged animals and therefore indeed required someone to manage their lives vis-a-vis slavery."

Fashion has been implicated in fatphobia from the start, Strings said. Early fashion magazines evinced a preference for slimness, and some claimed that there was no such thing as fashion for the fat.

"The fashion industry has long maintained a size bias, and in the early years, they used scientific racism  that is, Anglo-Saxon women are 'naturally' thin  and notions of Protestant temperance to justify their positions," Strings said.

Alexus Rackley models Christian Omeshun's "Royal Peacock" gown. Michael Sullivan

How Black designers are stepping up

The fashion industry has taken steps toward size diversity in recent years, and Black designers are at the helm of this expansion. Part of their success comes from understanding and embracing different beauty standards.

"In the Black community, we praise the butt, the hips, the boobs, the overall curvy shape. It was so refreshing in the early days to start seeing Black designers like Baby Phat and Roc-a-Fella introduce clothing that fit women who had fat on their bodies," Stephanie Yeboah, a body image advocate and content creator, told Insider.

Stephanie Yeboah told Insider that there's room for improvement when it comes to size inclusivity and representation in the fashion industry. Kirstin Sinclair/Getty Images

Newer brands led by Black designers like Lizzo's Yitty and Jolie Noire continue to further size inclusivity  an effortless extension of a culture that celebrates curves.

"Sometimes curves are trendy, sometimes they're not. But whenever we as Black designers work on a line, it's already in our psyche, that we need to shape our style lines in a certain way," Kara Lacayo, head designer of Yitty, said, describing how she uses darts and pleats to make fabric mold to a body's curves.

Modern designers of plus-size clothing also acknowledge that even within a specific size, there are variations in body shapes. Yitty, for example, considers these in their designs by using a 6X model that is more bottom heavy, as well as one that is more top heavy, according to Lacayo.

Other designers, like A'Shontay Hubbard, have opted for made-to-order clothing, an approach that benefits customization and sustainability efforts.

"I don't have the same money that Gucci has behind my marketing and advertising to guarantee that the 1,000 pieces I design will sell out when I drop the collection," Hubbard, who owns the bespoke fashion brand Christian Omeshun, said. "For us, made-to-order is about sustainable fashion, but it's also about understanding that every woman is not made the same."

Anifa Mvuemba, the founder and creative director of luxury wear brand Hanifa, is governed by the motto, "For women without limits." Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for InStyle

Challenges from the industry

Despite their efforts, designers looking to make fun, appealing clothes for plus-size women continue to face pushback from the rest of the industry.

Lacayo said the biggest misconception she's constantly heard is that extended sizes can't be too sexy or have certain prints, like stripes, and colors that are too bold.

A sketch for a look from Jolie Noire embraces a bold design. Jolie Noire

"Why wouldn't a larger customer want to wear a hot, bold pink, or an all-over animal print?" Lacayo said. "Sometimes extended sizes don't get all the options that smaller sizes do."

The sentiment is reflected in other parts of the fashion production chain. The print partners that Jolie Noire works with to create their printed graphic tees, for instance, don't offer everything in all sizes.

"A huge challenge for us is having to advocate with our print partners and sharing how important it is to offer pieces that go up to 6X," Kim said. "Then they have to go to their vendors to advocate and so on down the chain."

Another common refrain is that larger sizes are more expensive to produce, but Anifa Mvuemba, founder of the luxury clothing brand Hanifa, disagrees, especially given the untapped opportunities of the $178 billion market for plus-size clothing.

"In reality, I think it's all the same. It's just about who you're thinking about as you're creating the pieces," Mvuemba told Insider.

The future of size-inclusive fashion

The Black designers Insider spoke with remain optimistic about the future of size-inclusive fashion, but they also know there's still a ways to go.

"The size inclusion conversation has been going on for some time. But when I shop, I still struggle when I pick a filter for a size 14 or 16, and there's nothing," Mvuemba said.

Looks from Hanifa's spring '23 collection (left) and fall/winter '22 collection (right). Hanifa

Yeboah said she continues to have the same experience.

"As long as there's a cut-off point for sizes, it's not true inclusivity," she said, describing how she can only shop online because many brick-and-mortar stores have cut extended-sizing options.

That's where designers of brands like Jolie Noire, Yitty, Christian Omeshun, and Hanifa come into play, filling the void and attracting a loyal customer base that's been largely ignored by mainstream stores.

"We can't have true representation if we're not having diverse bodies behind the scenes who can bring their perspectives to the board," Yeboah said. "If we can get to a point where we have the opportunity for plus-size people, disabled people, and people from marginalized backgrounds to make the decisions, I think we'll be able to see a much more diverse and truly inclusive future."

Read more stories from our Black Ensemble series.

Read the original article on Insider
A member of the military walks past a Storm Shadow missile on display at the Farnborough Airshow near London in 2018. (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)

A year ago, it was said to be a direct path to World War III. Now its being announced as an accomplished fact.

The United Kingdom is in the process of delivering Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, the British government confirmed Thursday, giving Kyiv a much-needed and long coveted long-range precision strike capability.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said that the supply of the missiles will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based on Ukrainian sovereign territory, adding that none of this would have been necessary had Russia not invaded.

The Storm Shadow is an advanced air-launched cruise missile with low observable characteristics, meaning it is more difficult to detect and counter by air defense systems than a traditional cruise missile. Depending on the variant, it has a range of up to 350 miles and carries a 990-pound warhead. In British, French, and Italian service it has been used successfully in Syria, Iraq and Libya.

Even if the U.K. dispatches the shorter-range variant, the Storm Shadow can still hit targets as far as 155 miles away. That would put every single Russian position in all of occupied Ukraine, including Crimea, in range.

Speaking in the British House of Commons, Wallace confirmed the Ukrainians would deploy the missiles from their fleet of ex-Soviet fighter jets. In fact, the Storm Shadow missiles would have been delivered earlier, Wallace seemed to suggest, but for the technical engineering feats necessary to adapt the missile to older-generation fighter jets. Ukraine has a background in hybridizing or MacGyvering its preexisting aircraft to use NATO-standard weapons. MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters, for instance, have successfully fired other advanced Western supplied munitions, such as the HARM anti-radiation missile and the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) GPS-guided smart bombs.

A Tornado GR4 aircraft fitted with a Storm Shadow cruise missile. (Raf/Mod/UPPA/ZUMAPRESS.com)

The United Kingdom has frequently led the field in supplying military hardware to Ukraine that even the United States has been reluctant to send. In the weeks before the full-scale invasion, the Royal Air Force delivered numerous planeloads of NLAW anti-tank guided missiles, seen as an extremely important weapon in the early days of the war, making then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson something of a folk hero in Ukraine. Late last year, the U.K. became the first country to supply Western manufactured main battle tanks to Ukraine when it delivered a squadron of 14 of the British Armys Challenger Two tanks.

Story continues

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia viewed the British announcement as extremely negative, and he claimed that an adequate response would be required.

The British decision comes as the U.S.  still Ukraine's most important partner and source of security assistance  has consistently refused to supply Kyiv with its own long-range precision strike weapons, most notably the ATACMS tactical ballistic missile. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said in July that the U.S. wouldnt supply the system to ensure we do not end up in a circumstance where were heading down the road towards a third world war.

In recent months, though, this fear of provoking Russia into a major retaliation, such as the use of a tactical nuclear weapon, has gradually subsided. In its place, the U.S. refusal to send ATACMS has given way to floated concerns over Americas limited stockpile of the munitions, which are manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The U.S. instead promised to supply another system, the GLSDB (Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb).

A Storm Shadow missile is prepared for loading to a Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 aircraft in 2003. (Cpl Mark Bailey/RAF via Reuters)

Politico reported this week that certain officials in the Biden administration were hopeful that the British provision of Storm Shadow would silence stateside critics still insistent that the U.S. send Ukraine ATACMS.

There may also be a domestic political calculation to Washingtons outsourcing of long-range strike capability to its closest ally across the Atlantic. In an interview with Yahoo News, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov heaped praise on Britains democracy. Their opposition is as strong as the current government in terms of supporting us, Reznikov said.

Ukraine has long wished for the ability to strike Russian forces in the entirety of the territory of Ukraine that they occupy. The Ukrainian military entered the war with a limited number of Soviet-era short-range ballistic missiles, but these are considered relatively inaccurate by modern standards, and their 75-mile range would not allow them to reach targets across the entirety of Ukraine. Their stocks have also been severely depleted in the last 15 months of full-scale war.

The Russian military, on the other hand, possesses an extremely extensive arsenal of long-range munitions.

However, the accuracy of Western weapons have enabled Ukraine to strike back effectively against Russian forces on the territory they can reach. It forced Moscow to reposition vulnerable targets outside the range of such systems, complicating their already strained logistics.

Ukraine is on the brink of launching another widely anticipated counter offensive, which is expected to begin this spring. Speaking earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed his country was still waiting for promised aid to arrive before launching their attack. We still need a bit more time, Zelensky said.
BANGKOK, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Inbound Chinese visitors to Thailand are on track to reach 1 million per month beginning in October, a level seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, due to demand during peak season and higher airline capacity.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has reported a growing number of travelers from the Chinese mainland, with arrivals increasing from 91,898 in January to 285,000 recorded in April, as flights resumed between the two countries.

Chinese visitor arrivals are likely to surpass 5 million this year given the over 6 million available airline seats connecting China to Thailand between April and October, according to Chuwit Sirivejkul, TAT regional director of marketing for East Asia.

Depending on the number of flights allocated during the high season between October and March, the annual arrivals could soar as high as 7 million, Chuwit added.

Starting next month, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand expects flights from China to reach 430 per week, up from over 100 currently.

Chuwit noted that daily Chinese arrivals peaked at 18,000 to 20,000 during the Labor Day holiday earlier this month and will range between 8,000 and 10,000 a day in May.

This figure is a significant increase from the average of 2,500 visitors per day recorded in February before group travel was allowed from the Chinese mainland following China's optimization of its COVID-19 policy.

According to the TAT, Thailand welcomed 8,596,452 foreign tourists between January and April, with 843,920 coming from the Chinese mainland.

The surge in tourist numbers is a positive sign for the Southeast Asian country's vital tourism industry, which has been hit hard by the pandemic.

In 2019, nearly 40 million international tourists were recorded entering the kingdom, with Chinese tourists accounting for more than a quarter of the total arrivals. 
Three men, all family members, were shot after trying to stop a man from assaulting his girlfriend, Texas police told news outlets.

Officers with the Houston Police Department responded to a call about a shooting on the citys south side around 10 p.m. on May 10, police told the Houston Chronicle. They arrived to find three people with gunshot wounds.

The victims, two brothers and an uncle, ages 17, 24, and 55, witnessed a man and woman arguing outside, and they tried to intervene after he began hitting her, KRIV reported.

The confrontation led to a nearby parking lot, where the man grabbed a gun from inside his vehicle and opened fire on the men, police told the TV station.

Gunfire struck one of them in the stomach, one in the arm, and another in the hand, KTRK reported. They were taken to a hospital and are expected to recover.

Police are searching for the gunman, who drove away from the scene in a burgundy SUV, according to the outlet.

Volley of gunfire kills 16-year-old sitting in parked car with mom, Texas police say

Mom uses seat belt to tie boy to car then drags him on highway as punishment, cops say

8-month-old fatally shot as mother and father fight over handgun, Texas officials say

Feud between parents ends with mom shooting woman outside school, Michigan officials say
A former Mendota educator will face a trial on charges he molested several students while he was a second-grade teacher at Washington Elementary School in 2012 and 2013, a Fresno County Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday.

Richard Garcia, 54, is charged with four felony counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum of 64-years-to-life.

At his preliminary hearing Wednesday, three of Garcias former students testified about how he touched them inappropriately while helping them with their school work.

For some students, the touching happened several times a week, said prosecutor Tatiana Devita.

Garcia was a second-grade teacher at Washington Elementary from Aug. 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. He since had been promoted to principal at McCabe Elementary School.

The allegations against Garcia came to light in 2018 after the Mendota Police Department received information from a former student alleging Garcia had molested her several times when she was in the second grade.

He would kneel behind me and put his hands on my private parts, the former student testified.

The former student, who is now 17, also accused Garcia of calling her over to his desk and asking her to sit on his lap. He then began touching her body over her clothes.

The students were between the ages of 7 and 8 at the time.

A second former student testified Garcia also touched her inappropriately. She accused him of touching her thighs with his hands. She said he would have the student stand in front of him while he sat with his legs spread apart.

A third former student described a similar situation where Garcia would have the student come over to his desk while he got physically close to her.

Garcia would then allegedly put his arm around the students waist and then move his hand down toward her vagina.

When asked by the prosecutor why she didnt tell anyone, she said she was scared.

I was afraid people would say I was a liar and they wouldnt believe me over him because he was a teacher, the third student said.

Garcias defense attorney is Daniel L. Harralson.

Garcias next court date is May 25 in Department 31 and he remains out of jail on bond.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has served notices of suspicion on former MPs from the Party of Regions political faction, namely Oleh Tsariov, Dmytro Sviatash and Ihor Markov.

Source: SSU report

Quote: "The Security Service has collected new evidence of the guilt of former MPs Oleh Tsariov, Dmytro Sviatash and Ihor Markov, who assisted Russia in waging its aggressive war against Ukraine.

SSU investigators have served notices of suspicion on all three defendants under Article 111.2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason committed under martial law) based on the new evidence."

Details: It is reported that according to the investigation, Tsariov cooperated with the leadership of the Russian Defence Ministry after the beginning of the full-scale invasion. He leaked information about the consequences of Russian air strikes on Ukraine to Russia. It was he who gave Russians detailed information about the results of the missile attack on the Kremenchuk Oil Refinery, according to the SSU.

Tsariov received this information from Sviatash, who, after 24 February 2022, actively spoke out in support of Russia, for which the Kremlin "considered him as a potential [Russian-controlled] head of Kharkiv Oblast."

Sviatash also leaked information to Russia about weapons, times and directions of movement of units of Ukrainian Defence Forces within Kharkiv Oblast.

The third ex-MP who was served with a new notice of suspicion, Markov, regularly justified the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The SSU additionally qualified Markov's criminal actions under two articles of the Criminal Code: Article 436 (propaganda of war) and Article 436-2 (justification, recognition of legitimacy, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants).

The three defendants are currently in Russia.

Background:

The Security Service has already served notices of suspicion to these individuals regarding the committing of other crimes against the state security of Ukraine.

In March 2022, the Office of the Prosecutor General issued Tsariov with a notice of suspicion of committing offences under Article 110.3 and Article 111-1.1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (collaboration [with Russians  ed.]).

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The Richland County Sheriffs Department is investigating how three people were stabbed in two attacks at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

The attacks took place Thursday morning, according to a statement released by the sheriffs department.

All three victims were inmates, according to deputies.

Two of the victims were stabbed in the G Dorm and one victim was stabbed in the Unit B common area, according to the statement.

The victims were taken to a local hospital by EMS. No additional information has been provided about their condition.

The sheriffs department said no arrests have been made. The State has reached out to Richland County administrators for comment. Unlike many South Carolina counties, the Richland jail is managed by county government, not the sheriffs department.

The stabbings come a little over a month after two inmates were stabbed in one week at the troubled jail. In April, James Alterique White was charged with one of these attacks, when he allegedly slashed another inmate in a surprise attack. The ongoing violence comes as the facility is in the middle of a $12 million facility upgrade, which includes replacing the majority of the jails doors.

This is a breaking news story. Check back here for more information.
(Bloomberg) -- Tim Scott is laying the groundwork for his upcoming 2024 presidential run, hiring two well-known Republican political consulting firms, according to a person familiar with his planning.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Republican senator from South Carolina has tapped Targeted Victory, a consultancy, to aid the campaigns fundraising, and brought on board three advisers: Jon Downs, Trent Wisecup and Annie Kelly Kuhle from FP1 Strategies. That firm will serve as the campaigns political advertising firm, the person familiar said.

The hires bring a number of experienced political aides, many with presidential campaign experience, to challenge former President Donald Trump, who polls show holds a sizable lead over the emerging GOP field. Scott is expected to make his presidential bid announcement on May 22 in his home state.

Downs, the founding and managing partner of FP1 Strategies, will head Scotts media operations. Downs started his career working on President George W. Bushs 2000 campaign. FP1 has worked on dozens of congressional races, including the successful Senate campaigns of Wisconsins Ron Johnson and Alabamas Katie Britt.

Wisecup was strategy director on former Florida Governor Jeb Bushs presidential bid, while Kuhle was Iowa director on that campaign and is also a former regional political director for both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Targeted Victory will serve as the fundraising operation for Scotts campaign. It was co-founded by Zac Moffatt, who was digital director of Mitt Romneys 2012 presidential bid.

Targeted Victory has so far helped raise $1.75 billion for campaigns and other clients including political committees, nonprofits and corporations since its launch and spent $370 million on digital ads, according a person familiar with the groups financials.

Story continues

Earlier: Tim Scott Plans to Make 2024 Presidential Bid Official in May

Scott will join a Republican field that already includes Trump, fellow South Carolinian and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who polls show running second to Trump, is widely expected to jump into the race sometime in early June.

The only Black Republican US senator currently in the chamber, Scott, 57, has visited early GOP primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire and hosted a donor summit in early-voting South Carolina. Scott has served in the Senate since 2013.

--With assistance from Bill Allison.

(Adds details on firms, starting in paragraph 4)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
The claim: The Biden administration has 'no plan' to stop migrants once Title 42 ends

A May 9 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) makes a claim about the end of Title 42.

"There are currently 700k migrants waiting to surge into the US southern border May 15th when title 42 ends," reads the post. "The Biden administration has no plan to stop them. He has totally abdicated his responsibility to follow the laws and constitution of this country."

A similar claim from Republican 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley generated over 1,000 likes on Twitter. Other posts with similar claims from politicians have spread widely on Facebook.

Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks

Our rating: False

The Biden administration and federal agencies have laid out numerous plans and policies related to border security and migrant processing ahead of Title 42s end, according to news reports and press releases. The plans include sending more troops to the border, reverting back to standard immigration law and tightening measures for asylum seekers.

Biden administration has announced several plans ahead of Title 42's end on May 11

On May 11, the Biden administration ends Title 42, a section of a 1944 public health service act that was implemented under the Trump administration and made it easier to expel migrants at U.S. borders without a typical legal review during the COVID-19 pandemic, as USA TODAY reported. Officials have raised concerns about the crowd of migrants expected to surge into the United States once Title 42 expires.

But it's wrong to claim the Biden administration doesnt have a plan in place, according to Dara Lind, a senior fellow at the nonprofit advocacy group American Immigration Council.

The Biden administration has extensively discussed its plans for the end of Title 42, which include not only a return to standard immigration law, but additional staffing and facilities at the border, Lind said in an email.

Story continues

The State Department also said in an April 27 press release that Title 42s end does not mean the border is open. It said the nation would transition back to fully processing migrants under Title 8, an immigration policy that was jointly used with Title 42 during the pandemic.

Under Title 8, asylum seekers have the opportunity to undergo a credible fear interview with an asylum officer or present their case in front of an immigration judge, the Arizona Republic reported. Migrants must apply for asylum one year before arrival, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Migrants who fail the credible fear interview or dont request asylum could undergo the process of expedited removal and be deported back to their home country or Mexico, according to the Arizona Republic.

Fact check: False claim that undocumented immigrants get Social Security numbers at the border

All migrants seeking asylum are also expected to make an appointment through CBP One, a mobile app, as per regular policy, according to the American Immigration Council. U.S. Customs and Border Protection made updates to the app on May 5 to expand the number of appointments and prioritize those registered first in an effort to faster process noncitizens for inspection.

The Biden administration continued shaping its policy in the days leading up to the deadline, including a May 10 announcement  after the Biden plan claims began circulating that it will begin denying asylum eligibility to migrants who did not first apply online or seek protection at other countries they have traveled through, the Associated Press reported.

Various agencies under the Biden administration have also taken steps to ensure border security ahead of Title 42s expiration.

For instance, the Department of Defense announced May 2 that 1,500 additional troops will be sent to the border to help with ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry and warehouse support. In addition, the United States has increased the number of removal flights for migrants without a legal basis to stay, and these flights will likely double or triple for some countries, the Department of Homeland Security said in an April 27 release.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas also laid out a six-pillar plan in April 2022 to manage an increase in encounters at the border ahead of Title 42. The plan, which was updated in December, includes surging resources to facilitate border operations, increasing border patrol processing efficiency and collaborating with partners to deter irregular migration south of the border.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As Title 42 ends, Biden has a plan to keep border closed | Fact check
The GOP-led House on Thursday passed its first major border security bill since gaining control of the lower chamber, timed to coincide with the end of a pandemic-era policy tightening border control.

The bill passed 219-213 almost entirely along party lines  all but two Republicans voted in favor and every Democrat against. Two Democrats and one Republican did not vote.

The bill faces strong headwinds in the Senate, where due to Democrats' narrow majority it is not likely to pass.

How it works: The GOP's Secure the Border Act would restore construction on a southwest border wall and hinder asylum access. It would also cut a program that lets U.S. officials quickly accept or turn back some migrants from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua, who can apply to come to the U.S. for two years legally and work. Ukrainian refugees could also be impacted, in theory, since they are in the U.S. under the same type of agreement.

Why now?: The vote comes as Title 42 is set to end at 11:59 p.m. Thursday when the pandemic public health emergency is terminated. The policy allowed Customs and Border Protection to turn migrants away in an effort to prevent COVID-19 from spreading in holding facilities.

Because a wave of migrants seeking to enter the U.S. are expected at the southwest border with the policy's end, the Pentagon is deploying 1,500 active-duty troops to help U.S. Customs and Border Patrol manage the expected surge.

What the Senate wants: The Senate is proposing its own bill, which has bipartisan support and is led by Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. Their bill, which is co-sponsored by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, would give the Biden administration a two-year extension on the functions of Title 42. It would allow the administration to expel migrants, but it would not be tied to a public health emergency like Title 42.

Why this matters: Members of Congress, including some in the president's Democratic Party, have complained the Biden administration has no real plan for addressing the end of Title 42 and ongoing border crisis. They say their plans offer a solution in the absence of strong leadership.

Story continues

What McCarthy is saying: "More than 11,000 migrants were caught yesterday crossing the border illegally, the highest single day total ever," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on the chamber floor Wednesday. "This is President Biden's record on the border. Record crossings. Record carelessness. Record chaos."

Senate Democrats respond: Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., criticized the administration for sending 1,500 troops to the border.

"The Administration has had over two years to plan for the eventual end of this Trump-era policy in a way that does not compromise our values as a country," he said in a statement. "I have offered them a strategic and comprehensive plan, which they have largely ignored. Trying to score political points or intimidate migrants by sending the military to the border caters to the Republican Partys xenophobic attacks on our asylum system.

Manchin, a Democrat up for reelection in a red state, said: "It is truly a shame we continue to govern from crisis to crisis. Despite ample notice about the pending expiration of Title 42, the Administration has failed to properly secure our southern border. The immigration crisis is only getting worse and our broken immigration system is ill-equipped to handle it."

What Biden said: Biden on Tuesday said the border situation will be "chaotic for a while." In New York on Wednesday, he said there has been "chaos at the border for a number of years."

Part of the solution is to "fully fund the border security effort," he said.

"The purpose of what we're doing now is making legal immigration more streamlined, illegal immigration shorter term and moved -- and moving in a direction that people know that there's a legal way to get here and not legal way. That is whats underway now."

What can the bill expect in the Senate?: Following the bill's passage by a narrow Republican majority, it is headed to the Senate where it faces an uphill battle thanks to Democrats' narrow majority. If the bill makes it to President Joe Biden's desk, he will veto it.

While we welcome Congress engagement on meaningful steps to address immigration and the challenges at the border, this (House) bill would make things worse, not better, reads a Monday statement from the White House Office of Management and Budget. Because this bill does very little to actually increase border security while doing a great deal to trample on the nations core values and international obligations, it should be rejected.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House passes GOP border security bill as Title 42 expires
Title 42, a decades-old public health statute used during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep asylum seekers out of the U.S., lifted at 8:59 p.m. PST on Thursday, ushering in a new era for U.S. border control.

Orders under Title 42 were first implemented by the Trump administration in March 2020 and met with legal and political challenges, but remained in place through President Biden's first years in office.

Citing the threat of COVID-19, the U.S. government has over the last three years carried out nearly 2.8 million expulsions of migrants at the border without offering them the opportunity to request asylum. Title 42 drove border crossings up to record levels, in part because the nature of rapid expulsions made it easier for people to immediately attempt crossing again.

Title 42 left a lasting imprint, with restrictions never before seen at the border and uncertainty about the weeks to come.

Heres what you need to know.

What is Title 42?

Title 42 is a public health and welfare statute enacted in 1944 that gave the U.S. surgeon general the authority  later transferred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  to determine whether communicable disease in a foreign country poses a serious danger of spreading in the U.S., either by people or property entering the country.

If the CDC finds that a disease poses a threat, it can, with approval from the president, temporarily prohibit people from entering the country to avert danger.

Thats what happened at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, amid surging deaths from the virus, the Trump administration put forward a novel interpretation of Title 42: U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents could immediately remove anyone entering the country without authorization to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. That action closed the border to nonessential travel in the interest of public health.

But it also superseded all other U.S. laws, including statutes that grant migrants the right to seek asylum; prevent the persecuted from being returned to countries where they would face threats, harm or torture; and protect unaccompanied children vulnerable to being trafficked.

Story continues

How was Title 42 implemented?

Title 42 appears to have been first applied by the CDC under pressure from former Vice President Mike Pence, and from Stephen Miller, a top Trump aide who long sought to restrict immigration. Experts at the CDC objected, saying the policy would do little to stanch the spread of the coronavirus and that it could not be justified in the name of public health.

Advocacy groups including the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Trump administration over the policy. When President Biden took office, the new administration continued the policy, saying it was necessary to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The policy survived challenges to its constitutionality.

The Biden administration later exempted children traveling without a parent from being subject to expulsion under Title 42. Parents traveling with their children and single adults continued to be blocked from entering the country or quickly expelled. But children traveling with extended family members, such as grandparents, are not considered family units and could be separated at the border, with the children labeled as unaccompanied minors and allowed to enter.

Why has Title 42 generated controversy?

Legal experts have characterized Title 42 as one of the most controversial and restrictive immigration policies in U.S. history. Lawmakers including then-California Sen. Kamala Harris called it an unconstitutional executive power grab. Immigrant advocates broadly expected Biden to do away with enforcement of the measure when he took office.

Public health experts said it was people who refused to get vaccinated, not migrants, who drove the increase of COVID-19 infections in the U.S. Former CDC officials wrote a letter to the Biden administration condemning the policy as scientifically baseless and politically motivated. Dr. Anthony Fauci, then the nations top infectious disease expert, condemned it.

But even as some restrictions on non-essential travel at land ports of entry were lifted, the Biden administration continued to justify Title 42 as necessary to protect migrants, the Department of Homeland Security workforce and local communities.

The advocacy group Human Rights First documented more than 13,400 violent attacks on asylum seekers stuck in Mexico during Bidens first two years in office.

How has Title 42 worked?

Under Title 42, migrants were not formally deported, a process that can come with consequences such as a five-year ban from the U.S. and criminal prosecution. Instead, agents took migrants biometric information and within hours returned them to Mexico or flew them back to their home country.

For decades before the implementation of Title 42, migrants who made it to the U.S. and sought asylum or other humanitarian protections were detained or released pending a final immigration court decision. But that could take years amid an ever-growing backlog of cases.

Among nearly 5.6 million people detained by the CBP at the southern border since March 2020, roughly half were expelled under Title 42, according to CBP figures. But those rapid expulsions caused an uptick in repeated crossing attempts by migrants who were returned to Mexico, inflating the number of individuals encountered. In March, around a quarter of the arrests were of people who had previously been turned back within the same year.

Migrants can also be screened under the United Nations Convention Against Torture. Those screenings, in which individuals must prove that they are likely to be tortured if they are expelled, are more difficult to pass than traditional asylum interviews.

Federal officials relied on Mexico to receive expelled migrants from parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Those who were refused by Mexico and could not be immediately expelled entered the U.S. and faced a longer deportation process.

What will happen now that Title 42 has been lifted?

Migrants who seek asylum will be required to use a mobile phone application, CBP One, to make an appointment to be interviewed by border agents. The app had been riddled with technical glitches and offers limited appointments  1,000 per day  that fill up within minutes. CBP has said it has fixed the technical issues and that it will begin to prioritize people who have waited the longest for appointments.

On Wednesday, the Biden administration finalized a rule that would largely make migrants ineligible for asylum if they enter the U.S. without permission and fail to apply for protection in another country on the way.

The DHS said it will rely significantly on the fast-tracked expedited removal process after May 11 to assess migrants claims for relief and deport those who dont qualify within days or weeks. Families will be subject to GPS monitoring and curfews while their cases are decided. Mexico agreed to continue accepting some deported migrants who are not from that country after Title 42 expires.

The administration is pairing enforcement with some humanitarian pathways. One allows citizens of Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua and Cuba to apply for temporary lawful entry under humanitarian parole if they have a financial sponsor, so long as they dont attempt the journey without authorization.

U.S. officials plan to set up 100 processing centers throughout the Western Hemisphere, starting with two in Guatemala and Colombia, to prescreen migrants for refugee eligibility and other legal pathways. Officials noted it would be weeks before the first two processing centers open. Another program still in the works will reunite families from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia, as well as those from Cuba and Haiti, who have pending permanent residency (so-called green card) petitions.

Some of these provisions are likely to be challenged in court. Republican-led states have already sued to block the parole program, and advocates such as the ACLU are expected to sue over the asylum ineligibility rule.

What has it been like at the southern border leading up to May 11?

Arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border in the waning days of Title 42 orders have strained Customs and Border Protection sectors, especially in Texas. Last week in McAllen, Texas, Border Patrol agents told reporters that 6,000 migrants  most of whom came from Venezuela  were in custody at various facilities and noted that the numbers were well above the Rio Grande Valley sector's capacity of 4,600. Agents expelled groups of migrants to Mexico three times a day.

Border Patrol agents had apprehended more than 10,000 migrants Tuesday across the southern border, according to internal data obtained by The Times, already reaching levels predicted by U.S. officials for immediately after the policy lifts.

DHS has expanded detention capacity at the border and inside the U.S., and has shifted agents to high-traffic areas on the border. The agency launched targeted enforcement operations this week in places including El Paso to quickly deport migrants who entered the U.S. without permission and have no legal basis to stay.

Times staff writers Karen Garcia and Hamed Aleaziz contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Border cities in Texas are bracing for an influx of migrants and asylum seekers as the Trump-era Covid policy Title 42 comes to an end this week.

The rule, which was rolled out in March 2020 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), allowed officials to prevent people from entering the country and spreading Covid-19. More than 2.8 million people were turned away from the countrys southern border over the past three years.

Authorities have used Title 42 as a temporary solution to the border crisis but as the Biden administration ends the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency, the rule also comes to an end.

Follow all the latest updates here

Now, the US is bracing itself for an increase in migrants and asylum seekers with cities like El Paso declaring a state of emergency.

Already, border towns are overwhelmed by the number of people seeking shelters, with many sleeping in the streets.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has deployed additional soldiers to the border in preparation for Title 42s expiration.

With the ending of Title 42 on Thursday, President Biden is laying down the welcome mat to people across the entire world, Governor Abbott said in a press release.

The Texas National Guard is loading Blackhawk helicopters and C-130s and deploying specially trained soldiers for the Texas Tactical Border Force, who will be deployed to hotspots all along the border to help intercept and repel large groups of migrants trying to enter Texas illegally, Mr Abbott added.

President Joe Biden has defended his own decision to send 1,500 troops to the border ahead of Thursday, batting off criticism that he has failed to adequately prepare for Title 42s expiration  his officials claim they have spent more than a year putting plans in place.

Many of the people crossing into the US are expected to travel through Brownsville, north of the town of Matamoros in Mexico, the recent scene of an SUV crash that left eight people dead and around 10 others injured outside of a migrant centre.

Story continues

What is Title 42?

The policy is part of the CDCs Covid emergency declaration and allows border agents to turn away migrants at land borders in the US without having to take them into custody  in what the CDC said would mitigate the risk of Covid-19.

A week after then-president Donald Trump declared Covid a national emergency, Title 42 rolled out. The policy saw around 2.8 million people turned away at the US border following the outbreak of Covid.

Why is it expiring?

Although the Biden administration has made use of the policy, particularly against a background of an unexpected increase in migration to the US amid issues in Nicaragua and Venezuela, it is allowing it to expire at 11.59pm EST on 11 May.

This is because the Covid public health emergency is expiring  and Title 42 relies on the public health emergency for legitimacy after the CDC concluded in April last year that there was no public health reason to turn away migrants at the southern border.

In anticipating an influx of people to US borders, the Biden administration has attempted to legislate its way out of the situation, introducing a raft of measures it hopes will manage arrivals.
The nausea came gradually, then suddenly, and with disconcerting familiarity. We had been flung back in time to the political hellscape of 2016. Only the second time around, it was somehow worse.

Donald Trump, the former US president appearing on CNN for the first time since that fateful election year, lied and lied and lied. He was a leviathan of lying, a juggernaut of junk, an ocean liner of mendacity that left little boats of truth spinning and overturning in its wake.

Trump called a Black police officer a thug. He made racist comments about Chinatown in Washington. He described host Kaitlan Collins as a nasty person. He made fun of a woman he sexually abused as a whack job. He refused to say whether he wants Russia or Ukraine to win the war.

Given the 45th presidents inability to change, it was the definition of shocking but not surprising. What may have come as a rude awakening to the pundit class is that many in the audience in Manchester, New Hampshire, were lapping it up and cheering him on. Some gave Trump a standing ovation as he walked in. Some clapped and hollered at his responses. Some laughed or put their hands to their mouths, visibly thrilled by his Can he really say that? taboo-busting.

Related: Liz Cheney releases Trump January 6 attack ad aimed at CNN town hall

Anyone taken aback by these reactions has not been paying attention to Trump rallies, where being outlandish and outrageous and cruel is the point. Although CNNs decision to devote more than an hour of prime time to Trump backfired horribly, it did perform the service of forcing the American public to look at itself in the mirror.

The vocal support for Trump made this feel like a home fixture. The CNN political commentator Van Jones likened Collins to a white-suited matador against Trumps bull in familiar blue suit, white shirt and red tie. It was less town hall than a debate, Trump versus Collins, lies versus truth. Truth didnt stand a chance. Trump, 76, was like a child with crumbs around his mouth repeatedly telling a parent (Collins, 31) that he didnt take the last cookie.

Story continues

The pair began perched on white chairs on a shiny stage floor that had a big CNN logo against a backdrop of blue and red. Two CNN mugs were perched on small tables beside them. Trump dived straight into his big lie that the 2020 election was stolen. Collins corrected:

It was not a rigged election. It was not a stolen election. You and your supporters lost more than 60 court cases on the election. Its been nearly two and a half years. Can you publicly acknowledge that you did lose the 2020 election?

Trump barged on with bogus conspiracy theories, talking too fast to be fact-checked and too shamelessly to be interrupted. He gave a long-winded and false defence of his actions on 6 January 2021, earning laughter from the audience with a reference to Crazy Nancy Pelosi.

Asked why it took him three hours to respond to the riot, Trump pulled out pages of notes to more cheering and clapping. Collins: Over 140 officers were injured that day. Trump: And a person named Ashli Babbitt was killed. You know what? She was killed, and she shouldnt have been killed. And that thug that killed her, there was no reason to shoot her at blank range  And he went on television to brag about the fact that he killed her. Collins: That officer was not bragging about the fact that he killed her.

Trump said he is inclined to pardon many of the January 6 rioters. Again, applause from the audience. The base loves him for the precise reasons that others despise him. Stuart Stevens, author of It Was All a Lie: How The Republican Party Became Donald Trump, tweeted: Democracies end when autocrats master the use of the freedoms of democracy to kill democracy.

Collins turned to Tuesdays verdict, by which a New York jury found that Trump sexually abused magazine writer E Jean Carroll in the 1990s and then defamed her by branding her a liar. They awarded her about $5m in compensatory and punitive damages.

Even seasoned Trump watchers were disgusted by what came next. Trump said of Carroll: I have no idea who she is. I had a picture taken years ago with her and her husband, nice guy John Johnson. He was a newscaster, very nice man. She called him an ape, happens to be African American. Called him an ape  the judge wouldnt allow us to put that in. Her dog or her cat was named Vagina, the judge wouldnt allow to put that in.

Collins held her own at some moments but was overwhelmed by the geyser of deceit and missed follow-ups at others

Asked if the case will deter women from voting for him, Trump gave a sneering and meandering version of Carrolls account of being assaulted by him in the 1990s. What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up and within minutes, youre playing hanky-panky in a dressing room, OK? I dont know if she was married then or not. John Johnson, I feel sorry for you, John Johnson.

It was toe-curling, not-knowing-where-to-look bad television reminiscent of Trump appearing with women who accused Bill Clinton of rape and unwanted sexual advances before he debated Hillary.

As the torture continued, Collins could have been forgiven for thinking her bosses have got it in for her: first a morning show with Don Lemon, now a dark night of the soul with Caligula. She held her own at some moments but was overwhelmed by the geyser of deceit and missed follow-ups at others. At one point she objected: The election was not rigged, Mr President. You cant keep saying that all night long. He might have replied: just watch me.

Related: The more women accuse him, the better he does: the meaning and misogyny of the Trump-Carroll case

One of the side-effects of all the shock and horror around Trump is that sometimes he gets off the hook on policy. Asked five times, he refused to say whether he would sign a federal abortion ban if re-elected, merely arguing that leaders of the anti-abortion movement are in a very good negotiating position right now because of the supreme court overturning Roe v Wade.

When Collins asked if he wants Ukraine to win its war against Russia, he replied: I dont think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people. When asked if the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, was a war criminal, he demurred and insisted: Thats something to be discussed at a later date.

Chris Christie, a former New Jersey governor who ran for president in 2016, tweeted: Donald Trump says he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours tonight on CNN. Despite how ridiculous that is to say, I suspect he would try to do it by turning Ukraine over to Putin and Russia. #PutinsPuppet.

If this had indeed been a debate, Trumps camp claimed victory. It was a warning to potential 2024 Republican primary candidates who may have to face him on the debate stage: how do you take on a motormouth entirely unencumbered by factual reality?

When the ordeal was over, the ghosts of 2016 were everywhere and the grim expressions in the CNN studio said it all. Host Jake Tapper admitted: We dont have enough time to fact-check every lie he told.
Stamps issued to commemorate 50th anniv of China-Spain diplomatic ties

Xinhua) 09:46, May 11, 2023

SHIJIAZHUANG, May 10 (Xinhua) -- A set of two stamps was issued on Wednesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain.

The stamps, featuring Spain's Laguna de Fuente de Piedra and the Hengshui Lake in north China's Hebei Province, were designed by Chinese stamp designer Ma Lihang. It is expected that a total of 6.9 million sets of the commemorative stamps will be released for sale over a period of six months.

Zhang Zongliang, general manager of the Hebei Branch of China Post Group Co., Ltd., said that the Hengshui Lake symbolizes China's ecological vitality and expressed his hope that the stamps featuring the lake would showcase the beautiful sceneries where humans and nature coexist in harmony to people around the world.

This is the first time the Hengshui Lake has been featured on a stamp jointly issued by China and a foreign country, he added.

The lake is a national nature reserve that boasts a complete wetland ecosystem. It is home to 333 bird species, 757 insect species, 594 plant species, and 45 fish species.

Laguna de Fuente de Piedra, within the wet zones of the Western Mediterranean, is home to the largest colony of flamingoes in the Iberian Peninsula.

The launch ceremony for the commemorative stamps held by the Hengshui Lake was hosted by Alvaro Lago Sanchez, a Spanish foreign language expert whose surname includes the word "Lago," meaning lake in Spanish or "Hu" in Chinese. Therefore, he chose the Chinese character "Hu" as the surname for his Chinese name.

Speaking at the event, he said he hopes the two countries could continue enhancing exchanges and deepening cooperation in the area of environmental protection.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
GA Court of Appeals Returns Fulton Counterfeit Ballot Case to Lower Court, Upholds GA Supreme Court Order on Standing

NEWS PROVIDED BY

VoterGA

May 11, 2023



ATLANTA, May 11, 2023 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Georgia Court of Appeals has issued an order remanding the Fulton County counterfeit ballot case back to the Superior Court for all Fulton County petitioners. The order comes over four months after the Georgia Supreme Court upheld standing in its December 20, 2022 ruling for the Favorito et al v. Wan et al and Jeffords et al v. Fulton County cases. That decision was based on the court's previous ruling that unanimously found Georgia citizens, taxpayers and residents, including voters, always had standing to sue government officials or agencies who violate Georgia law.



The Court of Appeals decision to remand the cases applies only to petitioners who are resident in Fulton County. Petitioners Favorito, Terris and Peck will continue on their case while Caroline Jeffords will continue as the lone petitioner in her case. The remaining five Georgia petitioners could appeal their ruling to the Georgia Supreme Court if they choose, given that they were impacted by a statewide race. It seems unlikely that would happen though.



The cases originated on December 23, 2020 when attorney Todd Harding filed an Equal Protection and Due Process claim against Fulton County on behalf of nine Petitioners who alleged that counterfeit ballots were found in the November 14th hand count audit. The petitioners produced four sworn affidavits from senior poll managers who contended they saw mail-in ballots that were not folded from being mailed, not marked with a writing instrument and not on correct paper stock. They also noted the ballots had the same candidates selected in all down ballot races.



Garland Favorito provided some context for the 28-month legal struggle:

"The citizens of Georgia have been victimized for well over two years by false claims that there is no evidence of election fraud. This inordinate delay is attributable to lower court rulings that falsely claimed we had no standing. The Secretary of State and Attorney General should have helped us all this time instead of fighting against us. It is critical that Georgians quickly know how many counterfeit ballots were included in the 2020 Fulton election results so we can implement more fraud protection measures prior to the next election. We fully expect the lower court to move expeditiously since it had already ordered a ballot inspection before Fulton County hired criminal defense attorneys to prevent us from looking at the ballots. If there is nothing to hide, all involved should be willing to show us the ballots."

VoterGA is a non-partisan, 501(c)3 registered non-profit organization created by a coalition of citizens working to restore election integrity in Georgia. We advocate for independently verifiable, auditable, recount capable, transparent and tamper proof elections.



SOURCE VoterGA



CONTACT: Sheryl Sellaway, 404-273-5133, sheryl@righteouspragency.com


Editors Note: The following article was published by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) on May 4, 2023, and has been republished by the Kyiv Independent with permission. The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent.

Hosting the Eurovision Song Contest offers Downing Street a glittering opportunity to learn from Ukraine.

This month, the U.K. will host the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine, 2022s worthy winner. Last year was the third time that an entry from Ukraine had emerged victorious. As it prepares to welcome thousands of music fans, the U.K.  and specifically the U.K. government  could learn an important lesson from Ukraines first time hosting the contest in 2005. That year, recognizing that the countrys visa regime was going to deter fans from traveling to watch the competition, Kyiv temporarily lifted visa requirements for EU citizens for four months. Once the resulting economic benefits became clear, the visa requirement never returned.

How Russia has attempted to erase Ukrainian language, culture throughout centuries Editors Note: This is episode 3 of Ukraines True History, a video and story series by the Kyiv Independent. The series is funded by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting within the program Ukraine Forward: Amplifying Analysis. The program is financed by the MATRA Programme of the Embassy o Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko

Earlier this year at RUSI, we welcomed a cohort of 11 anti-corruption activists and investigative journalists from Ukraine for a two-week study tour in Brussels and London. While the trip was rewarding for all involved and the welcome provided by government officials, fellow journalists, and civil society activists was unwaveringly warm, the bureaucratic welcome from the U.K. could not have been less inspiring.

The U.K. government has been a resolute and reliable supporter of President Volodymyr Zelensky since day one of the Kremlin's war in Ukraine. Words of support, political visits, and military aid have flowed consistently  at times in stark contrast to the U.K.'s European partners. After a patchy start, Ukrainian refugees have also been welcomed by the Home Office.

Story continues

Tvorchi attends the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest Turquoise Carpet opening ceremony on May 7, 2023, in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

But in one area, the U.K. has been considerably stingier than its allies. For Ukrainians wishing to visit the EU, since 2017, Brussels has offered visa-free access for up to 90 days. The U.K., never part of the Schengen visa-free area, did not have to follow suit and chose not to. Today, over a year since Vladimir Putins senseless, illegal, and outrageous full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, it remains the case that in contrast to the EUs welcoming position, other than for ministerial delegations, the U.K. requires Ukrainians to submit themselves to an extensive, tedious, and tortuous visa application process  made all the more complex by the fact that to conduct the necessary biometric checks to accompany an application, they almost certainly have to first travel from their homes in Ukraine to a U.K. embassy located in (you guessed it) the EU.

"Over a year since Putins invasion began, the U.K. still requires Ukrainians to submit themselves to an extensive, tedious, and tortuous visa application process"

The process costs hundreds of pounds just for the basic service. And when the cost of travel and accommodation in Warsaw (the most common hub for applications) is included, the necessary outlay spirals rapidly. Thats before one considers the security risks and organizational headaches of traveling across Ukraine.

This is not just an inconvenience for those from Ukraine wishing to visit the U.K. in general, and Liverpool in particular for the songfest. With the U.K. co-hosting the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference in June, it should also be a source of considerable embarrassment for the government that those whom the conference is supposed to support must struggle over bureaucratic hurdles just to attend.

It's time Downing Street and the Home Office learned a valuable Eurovision lesson and addressed this travesty  a position that is not only unacceptably rent-seeking, but also runs counter to the generosity shown by the British people who have opened their homes to welcome refugees from Ukraine.
The difference between the congressman representing most of Modesto and former President Donald Trump is that Trump isnt afraid to face questions from journalists he doesnt like, even if he often doesnt answer them.

At its town hall interview Wednesday, CNN let Trump pack the room with hootin and hollerin supporters, turning the event into more of a rally than a serious discussion.

The Modesto Bee proposes a similar scenario to Rep. Tom McClintock.

The Republican from Elk Grove, who represents two-thirds of Stanislaus County  including most of Modesto and Turlock, plus everything east of Highway 99 except Ceres  owes it to these voters to show his face and answer questions befitting the important leadership role he was elected to serve.

Hes a busy guy, so he can choose the date and time. McClintock can livestream the event, and record and post it on his website, if he likes. Like Trump, he can try to steamroll the conversation with an inexhaustible stream of alternate facts.

The only thing we ask is a chance to ask him questions.

That hasnt happened in the four months hes been our representative. Not for lack of trying, on our part. For some reason, McClintock hasnt even bothered to respond to The Bees invitations.

McClintock may not be endowed with the same hubris as Trump, but he certainly can talk till the sun goes down about his fave subjects, immigration policy and the debt ceiling. Both are top of mind right now  in Washington, D.C., across America and in this part of the Valley that he infrequently visits.

He doesnt seem to care when media note McClintocks reluctance to appear before the people in the most populated county  Stanislaus  among the eight he represents, from El Dorado County to Fresno County.

He is no Donald Trump

Readers of Fridays print edition of The Bee will see, adjacent to this column, another penned by a fellow House Republican representing a neighboring district who is not afraid to share his thinking and explain his reasoning to constituents, even when his votes are not popular with his own party. John Duarte is also not afraid to meet with the editorial board, answering each question put to him. Thats what you call being accountable.

Story continues

What a contrast.

And what a shame.

McClintock shows up only when he knows the audience will be friendly. Trump  found liable for sexual assault by a jury about the time he must have been finalizing details of his CNN interview  though appearing before a friendly audience did not control the questions he was asked by CNN. At the very least, this showed a willingness by Trump to appear in a public setting to field legitimate questions.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for McClintock.
Dylan Mulvaney

The marketing guru behind Budweisers Whassup! and Talking Frogs advertisements has criticised the company for destroying its reputation.

Robert Lachky, whose adverts in the 1990s helped Budweiser become Americas most popular beer, said two decades of work had been ruined over Bud Lights Dylan Mulvaney fiasco.

It took us 20 years to take Bud Light beer to the No 1 beer in the country and it took them one week to dismantle it, Mr Lachky, Anheuser-Buschs former chief creative officer, said.

Bud Light has faced a revolt by conservative activists after partnering with transgender social media influencer Mulvaney.

Sales have plummeted since Mulvaney, 26, shared videos of herself drinking from customised Bud Light cans with her own face depicted on them.

Mr Lachky told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Bud Light had no one but itself to blame for its drop in popularity.

Its self-inflicted, he said, adding that Anheuser-Busch suffered from a complete lack of corporate oversight.

During his tenure at Anheuser-Busch, Mr Lachky created numerous Superbowl commercials that gained world-wide recognition.

The advert in which three frogs croak bud, weiss and err, was called one of the most iconic alcohol campaigns in advertising history by Adweek.

Another advert, which shows a group of friends calling each other as they sit at home drinking Budweiser as they ask each other wassup, helped to define the late 1990s and early 2000s.

During Mr Lachkys tenure, Bud Light overtook Miller Light to become the top-selling light beer in the US.

He left the company in 2009 after it was acquired by InBev, who introduced a slew of cost cutting measures and redundancies.

A boycott by conservatives following the Mulvaney controversy has been blamed for wiping around $4 billion off Anheuser-Buschs value within days and sales volumes of the beer dropping by a quarter.

Two Bud Light executives were placed on leave in the wake of the marketing calamity.

Story continues

Executives have tried to bat away criticism by saying that Mulvaney was never actually partnered with them, despite her video including the hashtag #budlightpartner.

Michel Doukeris, chief executive of Anheuser-Busch Global, on Monday blamed misinformation and disinformation for spreading rumours that cans with Mulvaneys face would be sold nationwide.

Mr Lachky told the New York Post that Bud Light was fanning the flames on their own with their defensive comments.

In a recent podcast, Mulvaney said the scandal had kept her up at night. She has said she will not accept spokesman positions from companies looking to check a box by partnering with a transgender person.

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.
(Bloomberg) -- A top foreign affairs adviser to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Wednesday, as the Brazilian president continues to push for an end to Russias war.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The trip by Celso Amorim, a former foreign minister and longtime Lula aide, is a strategic effort to patch up relations with Ukraine and the west, which have criticized Lulas repeated suggestions that Zelenskiy bears some responsibility for Russias invasion of his country and were angered by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovs visit to Brasilia last month.

Speaking after the meeting, Amorim described the talks as positive, served to build confidence and helped to lay out Brazils goals for reaching peace, Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper reported

Despite mounting international criticism of his position, Lula has maintained his desire to play a role in peace talks as the conflict drags on. Ukraines deputy minister of foreign affairs, Andriy Melnyk, said Wednesday that Zelenskiys government wants Brazil to help put an end to Russias attacks.

Brazil can play an important role to stop Russian aggression and reach a lasting and just peace, Melnyk said on Twitter after meeting with Amorim, adding that the two countries were seeking to reinvigorate their partnership.

Read more: Ukraine Latest: Kyiv Struck Again as Putin Pledges Victory

Russia renewed its aerial assault on the Ukrainian capital this week, and President Vladimir Putin vowed to win the war during a military parade in Moscow. But Lula said Tuesday that he hoped Amorim would return from Kyiv with signals that peace talks are possible.

Story continues

I hope that he brings me, not the solution, but signs of solutions so we can start talking about peace, he told reporters during an appearance with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose bilateral meeting with Lula in Brasilia included discussions about the war. We already know what Putin wants and now we will know what Zelenskiy wants. Then we will have the instruments to talk to other countries and increase the possibility of stopping this war.

The Brazilian leader once again sought to clarify his position on the war, reiterating that Brazil has condemned Russias invasion and occupation of Ukrainian territories and that he is solely interested in a peaceful resolution. Each country involved in the conflict, he said, has its reasons for taking the actions it has pursued so far.

Ukraine effectively cannot accept the occupation of its territory, it has to resist, Lula said. The EU has its reason for making the decisions it has made, and Brazil and other countries have their reasons for trying to find a middle ground.

Since taking office in January, Lula has argued that a coalition of neutral nations  most notably China, Brazil and Turkey  could potentially mediate peace negotiations.

But his latest suggestion during an April trip to China that the US and EU are also encouraging the war generated backlash from European capitals and Washington. A White House spokesman accused him of parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda in response.

Read more: Brazils Foreign Minister Criticizes Russia Sanctions (1)

Lula and Zelenskiy spoke by video about the war in March, and Ukraines foreign minister invited the Brazilian leader to Kyiv after Lavrovs visit to Brasilia. Amorim, who visited Moscow and met with Putin advisers last month, also discussed the war with Joe Bidens top foreign affairs adviser in an effort to shore up relations with the US.

--With assistance from Bruna Lessa.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - Senior executives of Mirror Group Newspapers authorised widespread illegal activity at their tabloids including the targeting of a British royal, the lawyer for Prince Harry and others suing the publisher said on Thursday.

Harry, King Charles' younger son, and more than 100 others including celebrities and high-profile figures, are suing the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People.

They allege the papers habitually accessed private information by phone-hacking, deception and other illicit means between 1991 and 2011.

MGN, now owned by Reach, is contesting the allegations, arguing some claims have been brought too late, and rejecting most of the others. It denies any senior figures had knowledge of unlawful acts.

On the second day of the trial at the High Court in London, David Sherborne, the lawyer representing the claimants, said knowledge and involvement in unlawful acts went right to the top of the company.

"At all levels, the defendant's organisation was concealing unlawful activity because it was well aware of how damaging it was," he said.

One of those unlawfully targeted was Prince Michael of Kent, the cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth, Sherborne said, saying the Daily Mirror had run a story in January 1999 which alleged he had financial difficulties, with a large unauthorised overdraft and a 2.5 million pound debt to his bank.

Sherborne told the court this information had been obtained illegally by private investigators accessing the prince's bank account details, citing documented calls between them and one of the journalists involved and subsequent invoices.

When the royal's lawyers complained the story was inaccurate and obtained illegally, the Mirror's then editor, Piers Morgan, replied in a letter the suggestion was a "poor and thinly disguised threat that I will not dignify with comment" and the information had come from an "impeccable source".

Story continues

Sherborne said the prince's lawyers wrote again, saying that, before the article was published, two "hoax" calls had been made to his bank seeking to confirm his bank account number. MGN later settled the claim and issued an apology.

It was "inconceivable the legal department and Mr Morgan were not aware of the source of this story", Sherborne said.

Morgan, now a high-profile media figure, has always denied any involvement in, or knowledge of, phone-hacking or other illegal activity.

"There is no evidence that I knew anything about any of it," he told the BBC in an interview ahead of the trial.

At the start of the trial on Wednesday, court documents showed that MGN had apologised to Prince Harry for unlawfully seeking information about him and that he was entitled to compensation.

Harry, who is not in court, is due to give evidence himself in person during the seven-week trial in early June, the first British royal to do so since the 19th century, according to local media.

The Mirror case is just one of four the prince, the Duke of Sussex, is currently pursuing against newspapers, saying it was his duty to expose "criminality" committed by the tabloids.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Jon Boyle)
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, shown here, discussed Taiwan with China's top diplomat Wang Yi, both sides said in choreographed statements

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi met in Vienna this week, Washington and Beijing announced Thursday, as the two powers seek to maintain communication amid soaring tensions, especially over Taiwan.

The two held eight hours of talks stretching over Wednesday and Thursday in the Austrian capital, ending an unofficial pause in high-level contacts since the United States shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon that had traveled across the country in January and February.

Both sides described the previously unannounced meeting as "candid, substantive and constructive," covering topics including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Taiwan, according to the White House -- two of the most sensitive subjects in the frosty relationship between the world's top two economies.

Washington has repeatedly warned China against offering any military assistance to Russia, and is closely watching its moves over Taiwan -- which Beijing claims as its own territory.

The self-ruled island lives under the constant fear of a Chinese invasion, and Beijing has stepped up its rhetoric and military activity around it in recent years.

Wang "comprehensively expounded upon China's solemn position" on Taiwan, Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua said, adding the two diplomats "agreed to continue to make good use of this strategic channel for communication."

- Getting past balloon incident -

The balloon incident, which China labelled an accident but which Washington viewed as an act of espionage, caused Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a long-planned trip to meet his counterpart in Beijing.

Just after the incident, Blinken met with Wang on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, during which he warned China not to repeat such an "irresponsible act."

Wang in turn said that their countries' relations had been damaged by how Washington reacted.

But the apparent diplomatic thaw in Vienna is likely to reignite speculation about a rescheduling of Blinken's trip or potential meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Story continues

The pair last spoke on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia in November 2022.

Asked about the issue Wednesday, Biden said there had been progress.

- US seeks cooperation on drugs -

In a background briefing for reporters, a senior US administration official stressed that just having the Sullivan-Wang meeting was a step forward.

The idea was to "try to find a few issues where there are some overlapping interests," the official said.

"We've made no secret that we see maintaining channels of communication as particularly important in times of tension, that it's important to manage competition," the official said, adding that both sides agreed on that.

Sullivan and Wang discussed Indo-Pacific regional security issues, and the top Biden aide pressed Wang for better cooperation in fighting drug trafficking, the official said.

Washington says Chinese firms supply the chemicals that Mexican drug cartels use to make fentanyl, responsible for a massive spike in drug overdose deaths in the United States.

"We raised our concern about the lack of communication on this issue and pressed for constructive engagement," the official said.

On Taiwan, the official said the United States stressed that the two sides had managed the issue "for over 40 years without conflict" and that Washington did not want to see any unilateral change to the "status quo" in the situation.

- It takes two -

Chinese diplomats have kept up a steady drumbeat of criticism against America, and Xi made a rare direct rebuke of Washington in March, accusing "Western countries led by the United States" of trying to undermine his country.

Biden has said he will not do China any favors in the competition between the two superpowers, but has vowed he would do everything possible to keep the rivalry from descending into conflict.

Sullivan, in a major speech on April 27, outlined the US strategy to build a "fairer, more durable global economic order" -- and singled China out for mention.

"We're looking to manage competition responsibly and seeking to work together with China where we can," he said.

aue-st/pmh/sst
WASHINGTON (AP)  White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Wang Yi during talks in Vienna this week that the Biden administration is looking to move beyond tensions spurred by the U.S. shooting down a Chinese spy balloon that traversed the continental United States, according to a senior Biden administration official.

The meeting was not publicized by Washington or Beijing ahead of the high-level talks on Wednesday and Thursday in the Austrian capital. The White House described the wide-ranging discussions, in which the two leaders spent more than eight hours together, as candid and constructive."

The administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting, said that both sides recognize that the February incident was unfortunate" and are now looking to reestablish standard, normal channels of communications.

The talks are the latest in a series of small signs that tensions could be easing between the worlds two biggest economies.

As the political and military rivalry between China and the U.S. intensifies, American officials and analysts are worried that a lack of reliable crisis communications could cause a minor confrontation to spiral into greater hostilities. They cite the ability to communicate with the former Soviet Union as allowing the Cold War to end without a nuclear exchange.

The White House in a statement said the meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage competition," and that Sullivan and Wang discussed key issues in the U.S.-China relationship, Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan, and more.

The meeting took place in a luxury hotel along Viennas historical Ringstrasse, according to an Austrian official familiar with the matter. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said planning for the meeting was closely guarded and Austrian authorities were only given a few days' advance notice that Vienna was chosen for the talks.

Story continues

Chinese officials saw the discussions as substantive" and said both sides would "continue to make good use of this channel of strategic communication," according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Sullivan also repeated White House concerns about a lack of constructive engagement by Beijing to use its influence to press Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine and called on China to do more to stop the movement of illegal drugs, according to the administration official. The U.S. in particular has been pressing China to clamp down on the production of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.

Sullivan also raised the cases of three American citizens imprisoned in China  Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and David Lin. All three have been designated by the State Departments office of the special presidential envoy on hostage affairs designates as wrongful detainees."

Tensions between the countries spiked last year after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to democratically governed Taiwan. That visit, the first by a sitting House speaker since Newt Gingrich in 1997, led China, which claims the island as its territory, to launch military exercises around Taiwan.

U.S.-China relations became further strained earlier this year after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon that had crossed the United States.

Beijing also was angered by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's stopover in the U.S. last month that included an encounter with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The speaker hosted the Taiwanese leader at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in southern California.

But there are signs that the two sides are getting diplomatic communications back on track.

President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Bali, Indonesia, in November. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was to travel to China in February, but the trip was postponed after the spy balloon incident. Blinken and Wang, Chinas top diplomat, met later in February on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference after the U.S. had shot down the balloon.

The White House has expressed interest in rescheduling Blinken's visit. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre earlier this week said that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo also could visit Beijing at some point.

The talks between Sullivan and Wang was their first face-to-face meeting since Wang was elevated last year to the Communist Partys Politburo, the top policymaking body made up of the partys 24 most senior officials.

Wang served as foreign minister for nearly 10 years and was the only diplomat promoted to the Politburo.

U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang also met in Beijing this week, and Biden's special envoy for climate, John Kerry, held a call last month with his counterpart, Xie Zhenhua.

Burns, during a virtual forum hosted by the Stimson Center earlier this month, said communication is improving.

Yes, we did have instances when we wanted to have certain very high-level conversations when it wasnt possible," Burns said. But I have to say, in recent weeks, in the last month or so, theres been a consistent communication between myself and senior officials in the foreign ministry, my colleagues in the U.S. mission and their counterparts in the foreign ministry here.



Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna contributed reporting.
(Getty Images for WE tv)

Tori Spelling has documented how extreme mould impacted her familys health, revealing they have been caught in a spiral of sickness for months.

On Wednesday (10 May), Spelling, 49, gave her fans a health update on Instagram after discovering mould in their rental home.

She shared pictures of her youngest children, Finn, 10, and Beau, 6, at an urgent care centre, explaining that theyve been so sick they are sleeping all day and say they feel dizzy even [while] standing.

Spelling captioned her post: Weve all been on this continual spiral of sickness for months. Sick. Get better. To get sick again. Used to think well thats what happens when you have young kids in school. They just continually bring sicknesses home.

But, when it gets to the point where they are at home sick more than being in school we had to reassess what was going on, she wrote.

After an inspection, Spelling discovered the extreme mould infestation which was making her family sick.

You just keep getting sick, one infection after another. Respiratory infections. Extreme allergy like symptoms too and, like my poor Finn, skin rashes as well, the Beverly Hills 90210 alum said, outlining the various health conditions that had been triggered by the infestation.

She said Finn was also suffering from Strep throat and had a high fever.

Calling the house a health hazard, Spelling said she would be moving her family into an AirBnB or a vacation rental till we can even grasp what to do.

The mother-of-five also criticised her childrens school for not believing our kids were as sick as theyve been continually.

Fans thanked Spelling for bringing light to this public health emergency in our country and shared recommendations for doctors who can help with mould-related infections.

A recent survey found that more than a fifth of UK homes are suffering from damp.
Chris Zou (@storiesofgaycz), a content creator based in Toronto, took to TikTok to call attention to the power and influence of Asian Americans in California.

Zou references a video made by a different TikTok user regarding how California Asians in particular are built differently than other Asians.

I dont know if the California Asians necessarily know this, but you guys actually have a lot of power over all the Asian Americans in North America

Oftentimes, and I emphasize oftentimes, not always, they grow up in these affluent Asian American neighborhoods, which is not really what is representative of Asian Americans in the rest of America, Zou explains of the California Asians. And Im pretty sure she isnt saying that, like, one experience is more valid than another.

Even for me, I live in Toronto, which is a huge urban center, and I know that my experience as an Asian American here is going to be very different from an Asian American living in Wyoming, he continues. I dont know if the California Asians necessarily know this, but you guys actually have a lot of power over all the Asian Americans in North America. You guys set the tone for the rest of us out here.

California is home to more than 6 million people of Asian descent, according to data obtained by AP News via the U.S. Census Bureau in 2021. Per the same article, the Asian population in California increased by 25 percent in the past decade, making it the fastest growing ethnic group in the nations most populous state.

At 45 percent, nearly half of Asian Americans live in the West. Almost one-third, 30 percent, live in California, as reported in a 2021 article from Pew Research Center.

Zou uses the Asian baby girl stereotype to prove his point. Asian baby girls, or ABGs, is a superficial term used to describe Asian women whose physical appearance is generally characterized by lash extensions, a full face of makeup, acrylic nails and some sort of glamorous hair look.

Story continues

He also references how many Asian men in Toronto are rocking a middle part at the moment too.

Like if all the Asian baby girls, the ABGs in California, decide that balayage is in, then that trend is gonna travel north to Vancouver and then east to Toronto, and in two to three years all the Tiffany, the Jessica and the Vivians of Toronto will have a balayage, he suggests. Right now, all the Asian guys here in Toronto are growing out their hair so that they could have that middle part because all the Kevin, Michael and Daniels in California have a middle part.

A balayage, for reference, is a type of hair highlighting technique that creates a soft, natural gradient effect from darker to lighter. The inclination for Asian women in particular to dye their hair a significantly lighter color or gravitate toward a balayage could be related to the fact that lighter hair suggests a more Eurocentric, Western standard of beauty.

Us Asian girls are all born with naturally dark hair, so sometimes we want a drastic change, Laura (@laurajpeg), a Vietnamese TikTok creator, told Dazed Digital.

Per an article from the New York Times, about 50 percent of Asian customers at Sonder Hair Studio in New York City favor a lighter color over their natural, darker hair.

So I need you guys, California Asians, to do me a huge favor and let me in on what is the next big trend for Asian Americans, Zou adds.

Wow you make me as a California asian feel so powerful

Asian Americans across the country are weighing in on Zous claims.

me, an east coast asian, currently growing my hair out with a middle part not realizing Ive been subtly influenced by the CA asians, @thepanduhhh said.

as a born and raised hawaii asian that went to college in cali, it was def an experience lol, @tiredtummy wrote.

LA 626 asian here! baggy jeans and white shoes are gonna be your best friend, @joyceewu replied regarding Zous question about upcoming trends.

Me, a Wyoming Asian watching this, @nota_karyn_theworld joked.

Wow you make me as a California asian feel so powerful, @teawithmd responded.

So why does Zou argue that California Asians are more influential than Asian Americans in other regions? Well, a reason could be the sheer density of the Asian American population in the West Coast state. With over 6 million Asian Americans residing there, their ability to originate or decide trends that reach other Asian communities doesnt seem out of the realm of possibility.

In The Know by Yahoo is now available on Apple News  follow us here!

The post Toronto man talks about how California Asians are built differently than other North American Asians: You guys set the tone for the rest of us appeared first on In The Know.

More from In The Know:

TikTok is obsessed with these 9 French pharmacy items you can get on Amazon

I'm a shopping expert, and these are the Amazon fashion new arrivals worth buying in May

Woman who 'lives in New York and hates it' is getting called out by other creators: 'you don't have to like new york but if you're bored, you're boring'

Woman gets 'completely transparent about her biggest mental breakdown, which revolves around feeling undateable in her late 20s: Why cant I have the same?
NEW YORK (AP)  Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has been suspended 10 days and fined as the result of a positive drug test last year involving Forte, who was scratched hours before the Kentucky Derby last weekend because of an injury.

Forte was disqualified after winning the Hopeful Stakes on Sept. 5, 2022, at Saratoga in upstate New York for testing positive for meloxicam, according to a ruling posted Thursday on the New York State Gaming Commission website.

The drug is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory that is not legal in racing. Pletcher also was fined $1,000. Fortes owners, Mike Repole and Vincent Viola, forfeit the Hopefuls first-place purse earnings of $165,000.

The ruling says Pletcher plans to appeal and a stay of the suspension has been granted, allowing him to work. However, the commission may terminate the stay if the hearing isn't completed within 90 days of the ruling.

Pletcher appeared before New York stewards on Wednesday, a day after The New York Times reported the failed test. The racing publication BloodHorse first reported the disqualification.

Forte was the early favorite for last weekend's Kentucky Derby, but was scratched by state officials hours before Saturday's race because of a bruised right front foot. The colt is currently on the Kentucky vets' list for 14 days, which means he won't be able to run in the Preakness on May 20.

After the Hopeful, Forte won the Breeders' Futurity and Breeders' Cup Juvenile and earned the Eclipse Award for 2-year-old champion. Pletcher won his eighth career Eclipse as the nation's top trainer.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  Puregold will hold its 15th Tindahan ni Aling Puring Sari-Sari Store Convention 2023 on May 18-20 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

With this years theme Sari-Saring Saya, Sari-Saring Benta, the event will celebrate the Tindahan Ni Aling Puring (TNAP) programs diverse membership of small and medium-scale business owners that include sari-sari store owners, bulk buyers, caterers, operators of karinderyas, canteens, bakeries, and online sellers.

Through TNAP, these entrepreneurs enjoy negosyo promotions and discounts when purchasing from Puregold as well as perks and privileges that help them grow and expand their businesses. An example of this is the recently introduced cashback rewards program that gives members the chance to earn cashback points with a lesser purchase requirement.

Photo from Puregold

At the upcoming convention, TNAP members can expect to be treated to value-for-money deals and instant freebies. They may also engage with some of the countrys brightest business minds and join the free seminars.

Among the invited speakers are Chinkee Tan, author of best-selling books on money and business; Pocholo Gonzales, motivational speaker on leadership and entrepreneurial mindset; and Rose Fres Fausto, writer and lecturer on financial literacy.

Resource persons from TikTok, and Globe will also offer useful tips to Aling Puring members who utilize digital tools in pursuing business transformation.

For Vincent Co, President of Puregold Price Club Inc., such benefits work both ways.

Puregold looks forward to the next 25 years with all the hard-working sari-sari store and business owners who are part of the Aling Puring program, he said.

We will continue to engage much of our companys efforts in consistently improving customer experience, whether through our consistent offers of discounts or innovations like the Puregold Mobile and Aling Puring app, Co added.

Photo from Puregold

Exciting opportunities for business growth await participants at the Tindahan ni Aling Puring Sari-Sari Store Convention 2023. While Co enjoins all members to attend, an estimated 30,000 Aling Puring members are expected to be at the festive event.
A treatment-resistant, highly contagious form of the skin infection tinea, better known as ringworm, has been reported in the U.S. for the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. The cases were identified in two patients in New York City.

Ringworm is a common, superficial infection of the skin, hair or nails that is very contagious. It is caused by fungi and is typically treated with antifungal medications, but over the past decade, a treatment-resistant strain has emerged in South Asia. The CDC refers to that increase as "an epidemic." Those cases are specifically referred to as Tinea indotineae infections.

These infections, the CDC said, are characterized by "widespread, inflamed, pruritic plaques," or rashes with lesions. The rashes can appear on the body, the thigh, the crease of the thigh, the pubic region and the face. This version of the infection does not respond to terbinafine, the front-line medication used to treat most tinea cases.

Treatment-resistant cases have been diagnosed in Asia, Europe and Canada, but the New York City cases mark the first time they have been diagnosed in the United States.

The New York City cases were reported to federal health officials by a dermatologist on Feb. 28, 2023, who said two patients with severe tinea had symptoms that did not improve with standard treatments, raising alarm.

The patients, both women, shared no links to each other, the CDC said. The first woman, identified as Patient A, was 28 at the time and developed a widespread rash in the summer of 2021. She had no international travel history. In January 2022, after giving birth to a baby, she was diagnosed with tinea and began oral treatment, which did not relieve her symptoms. After a second course of treatment, using the medication itraconazole, her rash was resolved after four weeks, but she is still being monitored for recurrence.

File photo of a tinea (ringworm) infection / Credit: BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images

The second patient, identified as Patient B in the CDC report, was 47 when she developed a widespread rash in the summer of 2022. She was traveling in Bangladesh at the time, where she was treated with topical creams. Several family members developed similar symptoms, she said. When she returned to the United States, she went to an urgent care center and was prescribed another topical treatment, with no improvement. In December 2022, she took a four-week course of oral medications, which also had no effect. A second four-week course of another medication led to "approximately 80% improvement."

Story continues

The woman's son and husband live in the same house and have reported similar symptoms. They are being evaluated for possible treatments, the CDC said.

Skin samples taken from the two women first identified the infection as Trichophyton mentagrophytes, another form of ringworm. Further analysis and sequencing correctly identified the infection as Tinea indotineae.

The CDC said the infections show that health care providers should consider Tinea indotineae as a diagnosis when first-line medications and antifungal agents do not relieve symptoms. Any provider who suspects this infection should contact public health officials.

People who suspect they may have this infection should see their doctor or a dermatologist.

Tinea of all forms spreads easily through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or animal. There can also be secondary spread among different parts of the body.

Pakistan's top court orders release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan

Biden, McCarthy postpone debt limit meeting to next week

What will change once COVID-19 national emergency ends
There are several Tri-Cities races to watch as candidates begin filing for 60 positions in the August primary starting on Monday.

Some of the hottest races are likely to involve continuing debates over a school board recall effort in Richland and cannabis sales and a downtown association in Pasco.

Ballots are sent out for the Aug. 1 primary race by July 14, with a variety of municipal races on the slate.

Every city in the bicounty area will have races on the ballot, as well as the ports, hospital districts, fire districts and water districts.

The top two vote-getters in each race will advance to the November general election, regardless of party affiliation. All the current races are nonpartisan positions.

If a race does not draw a challenger, the candidate will appear alone on the Nov. 7 ballot and be tallied against any write-ins. Filing opens Monday, May 15, and closes Friday, May 19.

To see a full list of the scheduled races by county visit bit.ly/AugustElection.

Here are some of the races to watch:

School boards

Some school boards in the Tri-Cities are locked in a series of ideological battles.

 In Richland, two of the three school board members who are facing a recall effort will have their seats subject to reelection. Its unclear if Kari Williams, Position 4, and Misipati Semi Bird, Position 3, will file to retain their seats this year.

Theres a campaign to recall Williams, Bird and Audra Byrd over a vote they took last year to go mask optional in Richland schools, which led to the superintendent shutting down school for two days and put the school district at legal and financial risk.

The Benton County Elections Department starts May 11 with the process of verifying signatures submitted by the recall campaign to put the issue on the Aug. 1 ballot.

A decision on whether the recall can move forward is expected in the coming days.

While Bird already announced a run in 2024 for governor as a Republican, its unclear whether hell file to keep his nonpartisan seat on the school board.

Story continues

The third incumbent up for reelection this year is Jill Oldson, who represents Position 5.

 In Kennewick, three school board members could face challengers after a year that included CRT bans, book controversies and flag restriction attempts that mostly fizzled.

Those culture war issues were spearheaded by the boards two new conservative members, Micah Valentine and Gabe Galbraith. While neither are up for reelection this year, challengers could file against the boards three other members: Ron Mabry, Position 3; Dian Sundvik, Position 5; and Michael Connors, Position 4.

Every school district in Benton and Franklin counties has seats up for election, including Pasco, Finley, Prosser, Kiona-Benton City, Grandview and North Franklin.

City councils

 In Kennewick, Chuck Torelli, Brad Beauchamp and Jim Millbauer are up for reelection to the city council.

Millbauer already has announced his intent to run again.

The council has been split 5-2 on some key issues since the last election, including whether to hold public prayer at council meetings and whether to ease restrictions to allow a proposed boutique hotel and restaurant to be built on top of Thompson Hill.

Millbauer and Torelli have been on the losing side of those votes.

 In Richland, Jhoanna Jones, Theresa Richardson, D. Shayne VanDyke, Terry Christensen and Ryan Whitten are up for reelection to the council.

Richardson, who is the current mayor pro tem, has recently faced backlash for her opposition to local drag shows, which some believe have fueled threats made against local businesses, after she encouraged constituents to send a polite note to the businesses.

On Easter Sunday, longtime Richland business the Emerald of Siam was vandalized ahead of an all-ages drag brunch. The popular restaurant has been hosting the shows for more than six years. That lead to protests and a march to city hall.

 In Pasco, the council is torn over what areas of town to allow retail cannabis sales and over the future of the Downtown Pasco Development Authority.

Zahra Roach, Joseph Campos, Irving Brown Sr. and David Milne are up for reelection.

Leo Perales, a local civics leader, has announced hes taking aim at Browns seat representing District 3, calling for the downtown authority to be immediately dissolved, and for a new organization to start to take its place. He has run unsuccessfully in the past for the council and has applied previously to fill vacant seats.

Brown is running for the last two years of the term he was appointed to fill last summer after Nikki Torres successfully ran for a seat in the Washington state Senate.

Charles Grimm, a longtime Franklin County grocer, plans to challenge Campos for his seat representing District 2.

Perales, Grimm and Milne have earned the early endorsement of the Franklin County Republican Party.

Peter Harpster announced Thursday he would run for Roachs seat in the at-large district, according to social media posts. Harpster is a project manager with Aqtera Engineering, which is developing communities in some of Pascos primary growth areas, and is a lifelong resident, according to his announcement on LinkedIn.

 Three West Richland council incumbents are up for reelection this fall. The incumbents are David Fetto, Position 5; Fred Brink, Position 6; and Kate Moran, Position 7.

Superior Court

Benton Franklin Superior Court Judge Diana Ruff will be running to keep her seat for the remainder of the term she was appointed to fill last year.

Ruff was appointed after election filing ended last summer, meaning this year shes on the ballot to keep the seat on the bench until the terms 2024 expiration. She would need to run for her first full-term next summer.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee appointed her to fill the position after Judge Alex Ekstrom was elevated to a position as a federal magistrate judge for U.S. District Court in Eastern Washington.
Construction of a large new hotel and parking garage in Beauforts quaint historic district is at the center of a civil trial that began Thursday before Circuit Court Judge R. Scott Sprouse.

Graham Trask, the owner of West Street Farms LLC and Mix Farms LLC and a property owner with land abutting the proposed projects, is suing the city and 303 Associates, the developer.

Trask alleges the mass and scale of the buildings will tower over the historic homes and businesses and hurt the feel of the district, which is a big tourist draw as well as home to residents and business. Developer 303 says its investing $45 million in the two projects and is sensitive to the citys history, having worked on many projects in Beaufort, including in historic areas.

The Historic District Review Board OKd the hotel in October 2018 and the parking garage in June 2021. The hotel is planned at the corner of Scott and Port Republic streets, while the three-story parking garage is on the block bordered by Charles, Craven and West streets.

Trasks legal argument is, in effect, that the city botched the approval. The city and 303 Associates counter that the projects have received all kinds of review and public input during an approval process that spanned several years.

Trasks attorney, Andrew Gowder, claimed in his opening argument that the Historic District Review Board approval was illegal because the projects were reviewed under an old code rather than a new code that had been approved.

Also, a provision in the new code requires that so-called large footprint buildings, with frontages wider than 100 feet, get exceptions from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. That never happened, Gowder said.

Gowder read from minutes that he claimed showed that city planning staff informed the Historic District Review Board that the projects were being reviewed under the new code  the Beaufort Code. If the Beaufort Code applies, said Gowder, then both the hotel and parking garage are large footprint buildings that are permitted by special exception only.

Story continues

Also, said Gowder, there is a time limit on approvals from Historic District Review Board. The preliminary approvals of both projects, Gowder argued, expired before the final certificates of approval were issued, making them illegal.

Once, Gowder said, the citys former head of Economic and Community Development issued an extension for a certificate of approval that had yet to be issued.

The project at that point was at the preliminary approval stage, Gowder said.

But Bill Harvey, the attorney for the city, said Trask was trying to get another bite at the apple on the same issues but before a new judge after a different judge shot down his arguments last year.

In January 2022, Judge Bentley Price upheld the Historic District Review Boards approval of the hotel and parking garage, rejecting appeals brought in July 2021 by Trask and the Historic Beaufort Foundation. Trask also filed a separate lawsuit in April 2021 thats now being heard by Sprouse.

Trask also is appealing Prices January decision in South Carolina Court of Appeals.

Sprouse should abide by Prices ruling and shouldnt even entertain another action by the same parties, Harvey argued.

The large footprint requirement does not apply to the hotel and garage projects, Harvey said, because they were grandfathered in before the new code went into effect.

Harvey noted that the projects are substantial for the downtown area and that permits already have been issued for demolishing and moving buildings to make way for them.

Benjamin Nicholson, attorney for 303 Associates, pointed to Dick and Sharon Stewart, owners of 303 Associates, seated in the audience, when he said, The point is, these are local folks who have been working with the city for years and years.

The case, said Nicholson, referring to Prices previous ruling, has already been tried. We believe we already won this case, Nicholson said.

But Sprouse rejected a motion from Nicholson and and the citys Harvey for a directed verdict, which is a ruling saying there is no legally sufficient evidence to proceed.

One witness was expected to be called for the defense, 303 Associates co-CEO Courtney Worrell. Gowder said he wasnt planning to call any witness other than possibly Trask.

The start of the trial was filled with dry discussion of codes and timelines, but the debate over the size of buildings in Beauforts downtown has been passionate. Those affiliated with the Historic Beaufort Foundation, which has brought its own legal challenge, sat on one side of the courtroom, calling themselves the peanut gallery.

On the other side was Beauforts Deputy City Manager Reece Bertholf and the Stewarts of 303 Associates.

Are you here for personal injury, Dick Stewart jokingly asked his wife, Sharon, when she arrived in the courtroom.

Maybe, Sharon Stewart said with a laugh.
(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump is appealing the verdict of a New York jury that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming New York author E. Jean Carroll and awarded her $5 million in damages.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The former presidents lawyer, Joe Tacopina, filed a notice of appeal in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday, two days after a jury of six men and three women decided against Trump after deliberating for less than three hours. The panel heard from almost a dozen witnesses over seven days of testimony.

Carroll, 79, claims Trump raped her in a department store dressing room in 1996 and defamed her last year by calling her a liar. Trump, 76, denies attacking Carroll and argues her lawsuit was politically motivated.

After the verdict, Tacopina vowed to appeal on a variety of grounds, including by arguing that US District Judge Lewis Kaplan should not have allowed the jury to hear the so-called Access Hollywood tape. The 2005 hot-mic recording captures Trump making unguarded remarks about kissing women without consent and boasting that famous men can get away with groping women.

Read More: Trump Access Hollywood Tape Can Be Played at Carroll Trial

The tape should not have come into this case, and weve made many motions that create issues for appeal, and were going to employ them, Tacopina told reporters after the verdict was handed down.

Tacopina declined to comment Thursday. Carrolls lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, didnt immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the challenge.

Trumps lawyer also has argued the judge should not have allowed testimony from Natasha Stoynoff, a former People magazine writer who said Trump sexually assaulted her at this Mar-a-Lago estate when she was interviewing him for a story in December 2005. Tacopina said her claims werent relevant to Carrolls case, but the judge disagreed.

Story continues

The alleged acts are far more similar than different in the important aspects, the judge said in a March ruling. In each case, the alleged victim claims that Mr. Trump suddenly attacked her sexually.

Tacopina has also argued the judge erred by barring him from mentioning at trial that Carrolls lawyers were financially supported by billionaire LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, a major Democratic party donor. The lawyer wanted to flag the money as evidence that the case was politically motivated.

Carroll sued Trump in November under a New York law that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations on civil sexual-abuse claims even if they are decades old. The trial is the first major test of the rare statute.

The case is Carroll v. Trump, 22-cv-10016, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

(Updates with background on case.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Former President Trump has appealed the jurys verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll.

A nine-member jury on Tuesday ordered Trump to pay Carroll $5 million in damages after siding with the writer in her lawsuit.

Trumps attorneys filed a notice of appeal with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday afternoon, the first formal step in contesting the verdict. His lawyers previously indicated they would do so.

Carroll accused Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s at a New York department store and later defaming her by denying her claims.

The writer sued Trump in November by leveraging a New York law that went into effect the same day that provides survivors a one-year window to seek civil damages for sexual battery, even if the statute of limitations has passed.

The jury, sitting in federal court in Manhattan, found that Trump did not commit rape, but they agreed that he more likely than not committed sexual abuse, another way to prove sexual battery.

Carroll further sued Trump for defamation over a statement that he made in October 2022 that called her story a complete con job and that she is not my type.

Despite the jurys finding that Trumps denial amounted to defamation, the former president during a CNN town hall Wednesday night remained insistent that Carrolls claims were made up.

This woman, I dont know her. I never met her. I have no idea who she is, Trump said, calling her a whack job.

Carrolls lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, told The New York Times they may file another suit based on those comments.

Everythings on the table, obviously, and we have to give serious consideration to it, Kaplan told the paper. We have to weigh the various pros and cons and well come to a decision in the next day or so, probably.

Carroll also sued Trump for defamation in a separate lawsuit over his initial denials when the writer came forward in 2019. But that suit has been held up over a debate regarding Trumps immunity because he made those statements while in office.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Tear gas is deployed on rioters during the January 6 attack (REUTERS)

Former President Donald Trump doubled down on his support for his fans who attacked the US Capitol during a contentious CNN town hall on Wednesday where Mr Trump steamrolled moderator Kaitlan Collins and repeated numerous falsehoods.

During Wednesday nights broadcast, the president enjoyed a friendly audience that was receptive to both his continued lies about fraud in the 2020 election as well as his vow to pardon some of the January 6 rioters prosecuted by the Justice Department.

And he spoke glowingly about the day when his supporters stormed the steps of American democracy and fought with police while screaming threats, insults, and slurs.

It was a beautiful day, he said, adding that his fans were there with love in their hearts when they left dozens of police officers with injuries and chanted death threats targeting lawmakers as they marched through the Capitol.

WATCH: Trump calls January 6, when we saw a violent insurrection in our nation's capital, a "beautiful day." pic.twitter.com/DmFjAJcfCC  DNC War Room (@DNCWarRoom) May 11, 2023

More follows...
Former President Donald Trump called Kaitlin Collins a nasty person during a tense exchange over classified documents during CNNs New Hampshire town hall.

During a combative back-and-forth over Mr Trump retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Mr Trump and Ms Collins spoke over each other for several moments.

Do you mind? Mr Trump said.

I would like for you to answer the question. Thats why I asked it, Ms Collins said.

Youre a nasty person, Ill tell ya, Mr Trump responded, which elicited applause from the GOP-leaning audience.

Trump attacks Collins: You are a nasty person. pic.twitter.com/6BolrkgZPK  Acyn (@Acyn) May 11, 2023

Can you answer why you held on to the documents? Collins asked again.

Its very simple. I was negotiating and I was talking to Nara (National Archives and Records Administration), he began, arguing why he believed he was right to have held onto documents the government was looking for.

Collins was unflinching and continued to push back on Mr Trumps false interpretation of the Presidential Records Act.

Moments later after another contentious back-and-forth between the two over election interference in Georgia, Mr Trump said he would only accept the results of the 2024 election if he thought they were honest.

Their allotted time was up and Collins closed out the town hall. The former president shook her hand and told her she had done a good job.

Collins joins the roster of women in public life who he has called nasty after they challenge him in some way: Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen... there are were at least 14 incidents documented by The Washington Post as of August 2019.
Donald Trump once again demonised the Capitol police who that shot and killed rioter Ashli Babbitt on 6 January, 2021.

During a much-maligned CNN town hall featuring the former president, Mr Trump called the officer, who is Black, a "thug."

In addition, he falsely said that the officer bragged about killing Babbitt. CNNs Kaitlan Collins, who moderated the town hall, pushed back on that claim.

Babbitt was a former member of the US Air Force and a Trump loyalist when she answered the then-president's call to protest the 2020 election results in Washington DC.

She was wearing a Trump flag tied around her neck like a cape when she attempted to climb into the Capitol through a broken window. An officer inside the building shot and killed her.

Months after the riot, Mr Trump demanded the name of the police officer who shot Ms Babbitt to be made public.

The officer's identity was eventually made public, and he appeared in a televised interview to discuss the incident.

During a rally in Arizona last year after the television interview aired, Mr Trump called the officer a "disgrace" and an "out-of-control dope," saying he shot Babbitt "for no reason."

"He's so proud of himself. Let's see how he could do without the protections that he got. And, by the way, if that happened the other way around they'd be calling 'let's bring back the electric chair,'" Mr Trump said during the rally.

The Justice Department reviewed the shooting in April of that year and found insufficient evidence to charge the police officer with a crime.

"Specifically, the investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense, or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber," the DOJ concluded.

The Capitol riot came up several times during Mr Trump's town hall. He teased the idea that he would pardon some of the accused rioters  potentially including members of the Proud Boys far-right gang that were convicted on seditious conspiracy charges.

He even went so far as to call 6 January 2021 a "beautiful day."

In the run-up to his 2024 presidential run, Mr Trump appears to have embraced the rioters. In addition to promising pardons if he is elected, he has released songs featuring the "J6 Prison Choir" and hosted a rally in Waco, Texas, a hot-bed for anti-government sentiment since the Branch Dividian siege in 1993.
GOFFSTOWN, N.H. - Former President Donald Trump argued that the verdict by a federal jury that he was liable for sexual abuse was "a rigged deal" during a contentious prime time town hall of Republican and independent voters Wednesday evening in a crucial early voting presidential primary state.

The town hall, at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, was held one day after the jury in New York City found Trump liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in an upscale Manhattan department store nearly three decades ago, but not liable for the rape Carroll accused Trump of committing.

Along with trashing the verdict, Trump claimed that Carroll was "a wack job." The former president also reiterated that he had "never met this woman" and claimed that "this is a fake story, a made up story."

The jury on Tuesday concluded within a couple of hours that Trump was also liable for defamation based on the former presidents denial of Carrolls allegations in a social media post from October 2022, when he called her claims a "hoax" and a "con job." The jury awarded Carroll nearly $5 million in damages for her battery and defamation claims.

TRUMP RIVAL TELLS FOX NEWS JURY VERDICT DISTRACTION THAT REALLY HURTS THE REPUBLICAN CAUSE'

Writer E. Jean Carroll leaves a Manhattan courthouse after a jury found former President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990's on May 09, 2023, in New York City. The jury awarded her $5 million in damages for her battery and defamation claims.

And the verdict may serve as potential or partial vindication for more than a dozen women who over the years have lodged sexual misconduct allegations against the former president.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump, taking to social media after the verdict, charged that "THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE  A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!" And the former president, in an interview with Fox News Digital just after the verdict, reiterated that he had "absolutely no idea" who Carroll was and added that hell appeal the ruling in the civil case.

TRUMP TELLS FOX NEWS HE'LL APPEAL VERDICT IN CIVIL TRIAL

The verdict came nearly six months into Trumps third straight White House run, where public opinion polls indicate hes currently the overwhelming front-runner amid the early stages of the Republican presidential nomination race.

Story continues

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on April 27, 2023, in Manchester, New Hampshire.

To date, when it comes to their choice for their partys 2024 standard-bearer, it appears many Republican voters have discounted the numerous accusations and allegations that the former president has faced over the years.

But the CNN town hall  in front of a couple of hundred Republican or GOP leaning voters in the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP presidential nominating calendar  was the first real test of how this week's jury verdict in the civil trial will impact the Republican base.

Most of Trump's actual or likely rivals in the 2024 nomination race declined to blast the former president following the jury verdict.

WHO'S IN AND WHO'S ON THE SIDELINES  YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE

Among those that did criticize Trump was Republican presidential candidate and former two-term Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who said Wednesday in a Fox News Digital interview that the verdict that Trump was liable for sexual abuse is a "distraction that really hurts the Republican cause."

And Hutchinson called Trump's actions "unbecoming of somebody who wants to be president."

Former two-term New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie  who like Hutchinson is a vocal Republican critic of Trump, took aim at the former president on Fox News "Brian Kilmeade Show."

"His response, to me, was ridiculous  that he didnt even know the woman. I mean, you know, how many coincidences are we going to have here with Donald Trump," Christie, who's likely to launch a second GOP presidential nomination campaign, said.

"I mean, he must be the unluckiest S.O.B in the world. He just has random people who he has never met before, who are able to convince a jury that he sexually abused them. I mean, this guy. It is one person after another, one woman after another. The stories just continue to pile up," Christie added.

Trump was asked about a number of other issues during the town hall, including Russian's invasion last year of Ukraine and the ensuing more than year-long war.

Trump repeated his boast that "if Im president I will have that war settled in one day."

Asked if he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the war, the former president answered "I dont think in terms of winning or losing. I think in terms of getting it settled, so we stop killing all these people."

Asked again, he once again didn't answer and instead said, "I want everybody to stop dying."

Trump also refused to say if Russian leader Vladimir Putin is a war criminal due to his actions in the war with Ukraine.

On gun violence, Trump vowed to protect the Second Amendment and concentrate on tackling the mental health crisis if elected.

With the U.S. potentially defaulting on its financial obligations as soon as June 1 if Congress and the White House don't agree to a compromise to address the debt limit, Trump suggested the country should default if President Biden doesn't agree to Republican congressional spending cuts.

"Well you might as well do it now because you'll do it later because we have to save this country. Our country is dying. Our country is being destroyed by stupid people, by very stupid people," Trump said.

At the start of the town hall, Trump repeated his unproven claims that his 2020 election loss to Biden was due to a fraudulent election.

"Most people understand and what happened, that was a rigged election, it was a shame our country had to go through it," the former president claimed. And he charged that the 2020 contest "was a horrible election" and emphasized that "we have to have honest elections in our country."

But asked by an independent voter from Concord, New Hampshire who was in the audience if he would suspend "polarizing" talk of election fraud as he runs again for the White House, Trump answered "yes."

Trump was also questioned about the Jan. 6, 2021, deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol by right wing extremists and other supporters of the then-president who aimed to disrupt congressional certification of Biden's 2020 election victory.

Some of those taking part on the assault on the Capitol were chanting "hang Mike Pence." The then-vice president was performing his constitutional duty of overseeing the certification, and along with lawmakers temporarily fled for safety.

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks with social conservative voters at a gathering of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, on April 22, 2023, in Clive, Iowa.

Asked if he owed his former running mate an apology, Trump answered, "No, because he did something wrong he made a mistake."

And Trump reiterated his claim that Pence had the constitutional authority to send the election results back to the states, saying "Mike had the right to do it."

More than 300 protesters have been charged to date with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees during the attack on the Capitol.

Asked if he would pardon  if elected again to the White House  some of Jan. 6 defendants convicted of crimes, Trump said "I am inclined to pardon many of themI would say it would be a large portion of them."

Looking ahead to next year's election, Trump was asked if he'd accept the 2024 results if he's the GOP nominee, Trump twice said "if I think it's an honest election I would be honored to."

Trump took multiple shots during the town hall at Biden. The president, in a fundraising tweet to supporters following the conclusion of the town hall, wrote "Its simple, folks. Do you want four more years of that? If you dont, pitch in to our campaign."

Near the end of the town hall, Trump swiped at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whos likely to jump into the GOP presidential nomination race in the coming weeks. The former president and his allies have repeated attacked the popular conservative governor for months.

Touting his expanded lead over DeSantis in recent Republican presidential primary polling, Trump said the Florida governor "ought to relax and take it easy and think about the future. Because right now his future is not looking so good."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis headlines the New Hampshire GOP's annual fundraising gala, on April 14, 2023 in Manchester, NH

The trip was Trump's second trip in two weeks and third overall this year to the crucial early voting presidential primary state.

Ahead of the town hall, the New Hampshire Democratic Party took aim at the former president.

"Donald Trump will spin desperate lies about his record during tonights town hall like he does every time he parachutes into our state, but Granite Staters remember how disastrous his presidency was for New Hampshire, longtime state party chair Ray Buckley charged in a statement. "New Hampshire already rejected Trumps dangerous agenda twice  and well happily do it again."
Missed former President Donald Trump's appearance at the town hall meeting hosted by CNN on Wednesday evening? We got some of the highlights as they pertain to what's happening in Florida politics.

The event, which lasted for just over an hour, was held in New Hampshire, one of the earliest GOP primary states in the 2024 nomination season. But there was plenty discussed for voters in Florida to think about, too.

The topics ranged from Trump's baseless assertions that the 2020 presidential election was "rigged," the Jan. 6 violence, border security, the war in Ukraine, the economy and energy policy. And while Florida is a state Trump won comfortably in 2020, and went crimson in 2022, some of the former president's statements may give people here reason to pause and consider.

Here are five takeaways.

Trump-DeSantis battle: Attack ads, social media posts, vitriolic speeches: Trump's feud with DeSantis is personal

1. Trump said he'd pardon 'many' from Jan. 6 attack, but what about Florida Proud Boys?

Trump said he would issue pardons for "a large portion of those" convicted on Jan. 6-related charges.

"I am inclined to pardon many of them. I can't say for every single one, because a couple of them probably they got out of control," Trump said.

That is no small issue in Florida. Tallies by the George Washington University Program on Extremism show the 102 people from the state charged for their roles in the deadly and destructive riot at the U.S. Capitol that day  from beating police officers to vandalism to seditious conspiracy  tops the nation.

Enrique Tarrio

Just last week, four Proud Boys, including Floridians Enrique Tarrio of Miami-Dade County and Joseph Biggs of Volusia County, were convicted of seditious conspiracy. Asked about pardons for the four, Trump said, "I don't know, I have to look at their case, but I will say in Washington, D.C. you cannot get a fair trial."

Story continues

Trump himself is under investigation by a U.S. Justice Department special counsel for his role in the Jan. 6 violence as well as conducting what a House committee called a coup attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Supporters of former US President and 2024 Presidential hopeful Donald Trump rally to welcome him at Manchester airport in Manchester, New Hampshire, on May 10 ahead of his CNN town hall meeting.

2. Trump reportedly added $7.8 trillion to debt, but supports default 'because now I'm not president'

Trump said the nation's $33 trillion debt is a "number nobody thought possible" and called for a debt default if the Biden White House does not agree to "massive" budget cuts.

This is another issue of paramount concern in Florida.

Data from the 2020 U.S. Census shows that 21% of the state residents are 65 and older. They are the ones who arguably have the most at risk if a debt default slashes the value of their retirement investments and incomes. Or if social programs for older residents end up getting axed in budget reductions.

Nonetheless, Trump ordered Republicans to demand deep spending cuts, even as analysts say his administration contributed a staggering $7.8 trillion in added debt during his single term in the White House.

Trump said he would support defaulting on the debt, despite the economic disaster that would ensue.

"I say to the Republicans out there, congressmen and senators, if they don't give you massive cuts, you're going to have to do a default," he said, later adding: "We might as well do it now because we'll do it later."

But asked why he has changed his position from when he was in the Oval Office  he claimed at the time the nation's debt ceiling should not be used as a bargaining chip  Trump said: "Because now I'm not president."

Supporters of former President and 2024 Presidential hopeful Donald Trump rally to welcome him at Manchester airport in Manchester, New Hampshire, on May 10, 2023 ahead of his CNN town hall meeting.

3. From Parkland to Pulse, Trump said 700 million guns are not the problem

Trump said the United States, with a population of 330 million people, has "more than 700 million guns" and "a big mental health problem."

Estimates say there are 400 million firearms in civilian hands in the United States, but that does not count law enforcement and the military. One study in 2017 put per capita ownership of guns in the United States at 120 per 100 people. The runner-up was Yemen at 52 weapons per 100 people.

So, no country comes close to the U.S. in gun ownership and mass murders, and Florida has witnessed its share of tragedies from the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando to the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Trump was president during the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland. In the aftermath of that massacre, Florida approved groundbreaking red flag laws and raised the age to buy a firearm to 21.

But Trump said he would not support any new restrictions, despite the more than 200 mass shootings that have already occurred this year. The way to make schools and "other places safe," Trump said, is by further arming people and fortressing facilities by "hardening entrances."

In schools, he called for arming 5% of teachers. "Five percent of the teachers would be more than you can ever have if you are going to hire security guards," he said.

4. Abortion: End of Roe led to 'negotiating' and 'deals.' What does that mean for Florida's six-week ban?

Asked by a member of the audience how he would appeal to women voters concerned about the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Trump said the ruling "was such a great victory."

Trump said getting rid of Roe "was an incredible thing for pro-life because it gave pro-life something to negotiate with." He added: "Now what's happening, and I see it all over, is deals are being made. Deals are going to be made."

Trump didn't explain how he viewed negotiating and cutting deals as transactions consistent with a deeply personal issue that involves human life, both that of the mother and the unborn child.

He did not reveal what those negotiations were or what deals are being cut. He later repeated that "for the first time the people who are pro-life have negotiating capability."

He did not say whether he supported Florida's six-week abortion ban passed by the state legislature this year, or the 15-week ban approved last year. He did not mention whether those were examples of the negotiations and deals he supported.

Trump said he believes in exceptions for the life of the mother, rape and incest, but demurred on whether he would sign a federal abortion ban. "What I would do is negotiate so the people are happy," Trump said, but did not elaborate.

5. Border security: Trump said family separation policy was deliberate

Trump said the quiet part out loud in discussing his controversial immigration family separation policy. At the time, administration officials, as well as congressional Republicans and others defending the policy, said the taking of children from parents and relatives was done to protect the minors from human smugglers and traffickers.

On Wednesday night, Trump acknowledged, "I know it sounds harsh," but the goal was to deter people from coming to the U.S. by making them fear they would have their children taken away.

"When you have that policy, people don't come," Trump said. "If the family hears that they're going to be separated, they love their family, they don't come."

While the U.S.-Mexico border is far from the Sunshine State, the border crisis hits home anyway.

In fiscal year 2022, federal government reports said record numbers of Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans  representing three of those most dominant Hispanic populations in South Florida  helped push the overall number of people encountering U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at the southern border to nearly 2.4 million, an all-time high.

Trump suggested he would reinstate the program if he returns to the White House saying, "We have to save our country" from immigrants.

"When you say to a family that if you come, we're going to break you up, they don't come," he repeated.

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: What Trump said on CNN about abortion, debt default, Jan. 6 pardons
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10)  The continuing absence of Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. from Congress after his suspension period ends may force the House of Representatives to take another disciplinary action against him, according to Speaker Martin Romualdez.

"Should Cong. Arnie continue to defy the return to work order after the lapse of the 60-day period of his suspension, the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges may be constrained to reconvene and consider another possible disciplinary action against him," Romualdez said in a statement on Wednesday.

"This is our recourse in order to preserve the dignity, integrity, and reputation of the House of Representatives," he added.

The embattled Negros Oriental representative was slapped with a 60-day suspension in March when he failed to return to the country from his medical treatment in the United States after his travel authority expired. His suspension is set to end on May 22.

Romualdez also advised Teves against seeking political asylum in other countries.

"I discourage any attempt by our colleague, Cong. Arnie, to seek refuge in other countries and abandon his sworn duty to serve as Member of the House of Representatives," Romualdez said.

This comes after the Department of Justice said Teves was in Timor-Leste and has applied "for a protection visa with the intent of asylum." The Southeast Asian nation has rejected his application and ordered him to leave the country in five days.

The House leader once again called on Teves to return home, assuring him of his personal safety upon his arrival.

Teves has been tagged as the alleged mastermind in the murder of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.
Donald Trump's hour-plus appearance on a cable news town hall forum on Wednesday night was barely over when his political rivals - both announced and prospective - began firing out tweets, statements and press releases attacking the Republican front-runner for next year's White House election.

The forum, hosted by CNN's Kaitlan Collins, was a combative spectacle, with topics ranging from abortion to foreign policy to Mr Trump's unfounded claims of 2020 election fraud and sympathy for those arrested for the 6 January 2021 US Capitol attack.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to launch his presidential campaign soon, honed in on the quarrelsome nature of the forum and his focus on relitigating the 2020 vote. A committee supporting his prospective bid released a statement calling the town hall an "hour of nonsense that proved Trump is stuck in the past".

It went on to highlight his sometimes muddled answers on abortion and gun control - two issues of high importance to Republican primary voters.

"How does that make America great again?" the statement asked.

For Republican voters who aren't solidly in the Trump camp at this point, the former president's fixation with the 2020 election results - expressed early and often during the town hall - has proven to be a point of concern.

Winning presidential campaigns typically present a candidate's vision for the future (Barack Obama's "hope and change" and Mr Trump's own 2016 "make American great again"), but Mr Trump's 2024 bid often begins and ends with relitigating his electoral defeat.

Other Trump rivals found another target to attack. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who ran for president against Mr Trump in 2016, but became one of the first establishment politicians to endorse him, spotlighted the former president's refusal to say who he wanted to win the war in Ukraine.

"Donald Trump says he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours tonight on CNN," the possible 2024 candidate tweeted. "Despite how ridiculous that is to say, I suspect he would try to do it by turning Ukraine over to Putin and Russia. #Putin'sPuppet."

Story continues

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who recently launched his own presidential campaign, also targeted Mr Trump's Ukraine position.

"Trump reminded everyone tonight of his support of Russia and his willingness to sell out Ukraine," he tweeted. "A weak position that will not win the war."

Highlighting Ukraine is an interesting choice, however, given that polls show a growing number of Republican voters are sceptical of continued US support for the war effort. Mr Trump may be more in step with the Republican base on this issue than these two critics.

If Mr DeSantis' side viewed the whole event as nonsense, a number of media analysists and commentators agreed, although they placed the blame squarely on CNN for the format and setting of the event.

"Here's what CNN did tonight: They produced a global television event for an unhinged pathological liar in front of an audience of sycophants and called it 'news'," former Republican strategist and vocal Trump critic Steve Schmidt tweeted. "It was an abomination."

That was a view echoed by Democrat congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who wrote that CNN should "be ashamed of itself".

Other Democratic Party officials monitoring the proceedings responded with barely concealed glee, however, promising to use clips of the former president's performance in future attack ads. They also highlighted his abortion answer - taking credit for ending Roe v Wade's abortion rights - as particularly damaging.

"That was a disaster for Trump," a senior Democrat told CBS News. "The American people were just reintroduced to a wildly extreme and dangerous man who said he was honoured to overturn Roe. That's the clip of the night."

Mr Biden, responding on Twitter after the forum, kept it short.

"Do you want four more years of that?" Mr Biden asked. "If you don't, pitch in to our campaign."

For their part, however, Mr Trump's campaign team claimed the evening was a success. Their candidate had more than an hour of prime-time attention before a crowd that gave him a standing ovation upon arrival, laughed at his jokes and applauded as he sparred with Ms Collins.

"At the end of the day I thought it was a win for the president," Bryan Lanza, an adviser to Mr Trump, told the BBC. "He went into what was supposed to be a hostile environment, and he survived. I suspect that this town hall is going to make him stronger."
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Don't expect any expressions of regret from Donald Trump in 2024  and certainly no apologies.

The former president and 2024 Republican presidential candidate used his Wednesday CNN town hall in New Hampshire to deny and denounce the sexual abuse finding made against him this week, the four criminal investigations of his conduct, and the conduct of the 2020 election that he lost to President Joe Biden.

Trump also said congressional Republicans should be willing to default on the nation's debt rather than give in on the debt ceiling fight, a development that could collapse markets worldwide.

It was a friendly venue; the 400 or so Republican and Republican-leaning voters whom CNN invited to the town hall at Saint Anselm College welcomed him with a standing ovation and often applauded or chuckled at his answers.

Here are the takeaways:

Denial on Carroll

Supporters of former US President and 2024 Presidential hopeful Donald Trump rally to welcome him at Manchester airport in Manchester, New Hampshire, on May 10, 2023 ahead of his CNN town hall meeting.

A day after a New York jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation of Carroll, Trump insisted, "I never met the woman," a denial he is likely to echo throughout the 2024 campaign.

A jury found differently, indicating they agreed with Carroll's testimony that Trump attacked her in a department store encounter in 1996. The jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and ordered the former president to pay Carroll $5 million in damages.

Trump, who is appealing the verdict, dismissed the idea that the jury finding would hurt him politically, saying "this is a fake story."

Carroll has said her lawsuit was not about politics or money. "This is about getting my name back, and that's what we accomplished," she told NBC News Wednesday on the Today Show.

'We are not the liars. He is': Trump #MeToo accuser reacts to E. Jean Carroll verdict

Pro-default

As Biden and congressional Republicans negotiate an increase in the debt ceiling, Trump said the GOP should insist on major spending cuts before agreeing to a deal - even to the point of a U.S. default.

Story continues

"If they don't give you massive cuts, you're going to have to do a default," Trump said.

"We might as well do it now," he added, claiming the country would end up in default one way or another.

A U.S. refusal to pay its bills would ripple throughout the global economy, leading to an economic catastrophe that would impact every American  and possibly with ramifications for the 2024 election  economists have said.

Why it matters: 3 big ways the debt ceiling and default fight affect you and your Social Security, loans, 401k, more

Trump refuses to say whether he would support federal abortion ban

President Donald Trump reacts to the crowd as he arrives at a campaign rally, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Manchester, N.H.

Despite being asked multiple times, Trump refused to say whether he would support a federal abortion ban, instead saying he would make a decision only after he reclaims the White House.

President Trump is going to make a determination what he thinks is great for the country and whats fair for the country, Trump responded after being asked whether he would sign a federal ban if he was president.

Trump said he was honored to have paved the way for Roe v. Wade to be overturned after nominating and confirming hundreds of conservative judges to the federal bench, including three conservative justices to the Supreme Court.

The fact that I was able to terminate Roe v. Wade after 50 years, they worked for 50 years, Ive never seen anything like it, Trump said of the longtime conservative effort to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion. I was so honored to have done it.

Legal cases: How many legal cases does Donald Trump face? 2 DOJ investigations, a Georgia grand jury, NY charges and a lawsuit

Ukraine or Russia?

Trump refused to say whether he wants Ukraine or Russia to prevail in their military conflict.

He also declined to say whether he would support continuing to send money and military equipment to Ukraine to defend itself against the Russian invasion.

Trump, considered friendly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, only said that he would be able to resolve the conflict in one day if given the chance. He deflected when pressed about whether he wants Ukraine to win the war.

"I don't think in terms of winning and losing," Trump said. "I think in terms of getting it settled."

One viewer, former New Jersey governor and potential 2024 candidate Chris Christie, tweeted that Trump is "Putin's puppet" and added: "Donald Trump says he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours tonight on CNN. Despite how ridiculous that is to say, I suspect he would try to do it by turning Ukraine over to Putin and Russia."

'Nasty person'

As he seeks the presidency again, Trump served notice that he will continue to make unfounded claims about a "rigged" election in 2020, despite a lack of credible evidence. When moderator Kaitlan Collins challenged his claims, Trump mostly ignored her.

"The election was not rigged, Mr. President," Collins said at one point.

Trump frequently argued with moderator Collins as she sought to correct his many false statements. Toward the end of the town hall, Trump told Collins: "You are a nasty person."

Jan. 6 pardons?

Trump also expressed no regrets for the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, saying the protestors agreed with him that the election was flawed.

While some protestors did act of control, Trump said he would likely pardon most of the Jan. 6 participants if he is elected president.

"I am inclined to pardon many of them," Trump said.

The ex-president also declined to apologize to former Vice President Mike Pence, who said his exhortations to the crowd on Jan. 6 put his life in danger. Trump said Pence should have followed his demand that he act to throw out some of Biden's electoral votes.

Opposition: Liz Cheney attack ad against Donald Trump airs ahead of his CNN town hall in New Hampshire

Deny, deny, deny

As he has throughout the 2024 campaign, Trump tried to sell voters in New Hampshire on the claim that Democrats are using the legal system to target and defeat him.

He has been indicted in New York over efforts to hide hush money payments to an ex-mistress to keep her story from affecting the 2016 presidential election.

The ex-president is also under criminal investigation over efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia, his handling of classified documents since leaving the White House, and any culpability he may have had regarding the Jan. 6 insurrection.

He called these investigations "fake" efforts to stop his presidential candidacy.

Still with Trump

Supporters of former US President and 2024 Presidential hopeful Donald Trump rally to welcome him at Manchester airport in Manchester, New Hampshire, on May 10, 2023 ahead of his CNN town hall meeting.

The town hall drew a bevy of Trump supporters who said they will stick their candidate, no matter his many legal problems.

Gilda Stigliano, the 66-year-old realtor from Milford, N.H., who was amidst a crowd of anti-Trump protestors outside the venue, said she approved of Trumps decision to sit down with CNN, despite their differences with the cable news network over the years.

Were just concerned what CNN might try to do to rip him apart and were just gonna stand against all that stuff, Stigliano said. He has a message to get out, no matter the cost.

Nothing, she said, can make her vote against Trump: Were all sinners. Were all broken. Everyone of us."

Trump protestors gather in New Hampshire

Demonstrators at St. Anselm College protest against former US President and 2024 Presidential hopeful Donald Trump in Manchester, New Hampshire, on May 10, 2023 ahead of his CNN town hall meeting.

The town hall offered a glimpse of another development that will likely mark the 2024 election: Protestors.

Outside Trumps town hall, hundreds of student protestors gathered outside along with some of their teachers.

Mark Anderson, who joined the group of anti-Trump protestors outside the town hall venue, thought it was unfortunate that CNN gave the former president this kind of platform, given his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the subsequent investigations.

Its time for people to just turn their backs on him and disregard him. If everybody did that, he would just disappear, said Anderson, 75, from Concord, carrying a sign that read Save democracy, stop Trump."

Anderson said Trump is the greatest threat to our nation.

Carrie Macleod, a professor of nursing at Saint Anselm College, said she was disappointed the school was hosting the former president.

The school is a must stop for any presidential hopeful in the first-in-the-nation primary state. In a statement provided to students and faculty, the college defended hosting the town hall as Trump is the frontrunner and former president despite his controversies.

Macleod, 60, from Windham dismissed that notion, pointing out that a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Most frontrunners, Macleod said, are not in Trumps situation. The fact that he was allowed back on this campus is deeply disturbing.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump calls Kaitlan Collins 'nasty person' in CNN town hall
Trump New Hampshire

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the DoubleTree Manchester Downtown on April 27, 2023, in Manchester, NH. Credit - Jabin BotsfordThe Washington Post via Getty Images

For the first time in more than three years, Donald Trump took questions from a mainstream journalist before a national audience. It went about how you would expect. The former president spread disinformation about the 2020 election, praised the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, and mocked a woman who accused him of rape.

But there was at least one thing he said during the CNN Town Hall on Wednesday evening that was less predictable: he refused to rule out reimplementing family separations at the southern border if elected president again. When you have that policy, people dont come, Trump told moderator Kaitlan Collins. If a family hears that theyre going to be separatedthey love their familythey dont come. I know it sounds harsh.

Collins pressed Trump further about whether that meant he would reinstate the policy if he won a second term. We have to save our country, he told her. When you say to a family that if you come were going to break you up, they dont come.

Trumps family separations policy barely lasted a matter of months. It was widely castigated as perhaps the most incendiary and cruel action taken by his administration. While a federal investigator found that border agents began taking children from their parents in the summer of 2017, Trump formally adopted the measure in April 2018, saying it would deter illegal immigration. But after international condemnation and vehement domestic backlash, the president signed an executive order in June 2018 ending family separations.

But the human toll of the policy did not end there. More than 5,500 children were ripped away and kept in detention centers, with nearly 1,000 children still yet to have been reunited with their families as of February, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The former presidents comments came one day before Title 42the controversial Trump-era pandemic measure that lets border officials swiftly expel migrants without letting them apply for asylumis set to expire. Government officials anticipate a surge of immigrants and a worsened crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border once the policy ends.

Republicans are expected to pounce on the border crossings and attack President Joe Biden for the situation, hoping an immigration outcry leading up to the 2024 election could boost Trump and other Republicans up and down the ballot.
Former President Donald Trump mocked E. Jean Carroll as a "whack job" and insisted her account of being sexually assaulted by him decades ago was "fake" and "made up" one day after a jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming the writer.

During a CNN town hall at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Trump was pressed on the verdict, one in which a nine-person New York jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages. Host Kaitlan Collins first asked Trump what he would say to voters who felt being found liable for sexually abusing a woman was disqualifying for a presidential candidates.

"Well, there arent too many of them," the GOP presidential front-runner fired back. "Because my poll numbers just came out [and] they went up."

"My poll numbers went up, and they went up with the other fake charge too," Trump added, nodding to charges he faces in New York for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and another woman toward the end of his 2016 presidential campaign.

It's not clear what poll numbers Trump was referring to.

"Because whats happening is theyre doing this for election interference. This woman I dont know her," he said of Carroll. "I never met her. I have no idea who she is."

The audience laughed at Trump's characterizations of Carroll and applauded when he talked about his poll numbers.

On Tuesday, the New York jury found Trump liable for both sexual abuse and defamation stemming from Trump calling Carroll's claims a "hoax" and a "con job." The jury did not find him liable for her alleged rape.

Carroll sued in Manhattan federal court last year, saying Trump raped her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman department store near his Fifth Avenue home in the mid-1990s. She first went public with the claim in 2019 in her book What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal.

Story continues

"I filed this lawsuit against Donald Trump to clear my name and to get my life back," Carroll said in a statement. "Today, the world finally knows the truth.

Trump plans to appeal the verdict.

The former president has continued to insist he has no idea who Carroll is, even though the two had been photographed together decades ago. He also said Carroll was not his "type," though he mistook Carroll for his ex-wife Marla Maples in a photo that was presented to him during his deposition. He declined to testify in the case.

He did note Wednesday that the two appeared in a photo together.

"We had a horrible Clinton-appointed judge who was horrible," he said of Judge Lewis Kaplan. "He allowed her to put everything in. He allowed us to put nothing in."

He said his testimony wouldn't have made a difference because the trial was "a rigged deal." He also defended comments he made on the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape, which was entered as evidence into the case.

Some Republicans, including those who are not aligned with him, believed the verdict was actually helpful for Trump, further cementing his status as the frontrunner who is being unfairly targeted in an effort to get him out of the race.

GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who is running as a Trump-aligned Republican, described the verdict as "just another part of the establishments anaphylactic response against its chief political allergen: Donald Trump."

Others, including several GOP senators who said they saw him as less electable afterwards, weren't so sure. GOP presidential contender Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, said the verdict "should be treated with seriousness and is another example of the indefensible behavior of Donald Trump."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Former President Donald Trump disparaged writer E. Jean Carroll in a CNN town hall Wednesday night, one day after a federal jury in New York found him liable for battery and defamation in a civil trial stemming from allegations he raped Carroll in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s.

The jury did not find Trump liable for rape but did find that he sexually abused Carroll and then defamed her when she came forward several years ago. Carroll was awarded $5 million total in damages. After the verdict, Trump claimed that he didn't know Carroll and that he was "silenced" from speaking publicly about the case, despite the fact that the court gave him multiple opportunities to speak at the trial and he declined to do so.

On Wednesday night in Manchester, New Hampshire, Trump decried the jury's verdict in the civil case and called Carroll a "whack job," using language similar to that which led to his defamation verdict in the first place. Trump called Carroll's story "fake" and "made up," even though a jury unanimously and swiftly agreed on the verdict. Trump was asked what he tells voters who say the verdict disqualifies him from being president.

"Well, there aren't too many of them because my poll numbers just came out  they went up," Trump said to the delight of some in the audience. The audience was composed of Republicans and undecided voters, according to CNN. Multiple voters who asked Trump questions voted for him in 2020.

It's unclear what poll Trump is referring to since no major polls were both taken and released in the barely 24 hours since the verdict.

Republicans' reactions to Trump sexual abuse verdict range from defending him to disgust

Trump called the trial a "rigged deal." He also mocked Carroll's allegation that he sexually assaulted her in the department store, and swore on his children's lives that he did not assault Carroll.

Story continues

"She wasn't raped, OK?  And I didn't do anything else either, OK, because I don't know who the hell she is," Trump said to laughter from the audience.

CBS News has reached out to Carroll's lawyer for comment. After the verdict was read Tuesday, Carroll said in a statement, "I filed this lawsuit against Donald Trump to clear my name and to get my life back. Today, the world finally knows the truth. This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed."

Kimberly Rice, a Republican and former speaker pro tempore of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, told CBS News' Robert Costa earlier Wednesday that she hopes everyone takes the verdict seriously.

"I've been in a position before where a boss has chased me around. And, you know, women should be believed," she said. "The jurors saw the evidence  Just because you're a celebrity does not give you a right to sexually abuse anyone."

Rice, however, doubted the impact the verdict may have on Trump's stronghold of the Republican base.

"His followers are very devoted, you know, and that's up to them. I don't speak for, you know, everyone or, or pretend to. I just know how I feel in my heart," she said.

Supporters of Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump gather outside the venue where Trump took part in a CNN campaign town hall event in Manchester, New Hampshire on May 10, 2023. / Credit: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Trump on January 6

On another topic, Trump said in Wednesday night's town hall that he's "inclined" to pardon his supporters convicted of various charges for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol and efforts to alter the results of the election.

"I am inclined to pardon many of them," Trump said. "I can't say for every single one because a couple of them, probably, they got out of control."

Trump said it would be a "large portion" of convicted rioters, who he called "great people," that he would pardon, adding that alleged rioters sitting in jail are "living in hell."

Asked whether he has any regrets about that day, Trump emphasized how large the crowd was that day, and said his supporters showed up in D.C. "with love in their heart."

"It felt as if a mob was being organized": Jan. 6 committee lays out Trump's role related to mobilizing extremists

The former president also called Ashli Babbitt, the Trump supporter who was shot and killed by Capitol Police and has since been martyred by the far-right, a "patriot" and called the police officer who fatally shot her "a thug."

Trump was also asked if his vice president, Mike Pence, deserved an apology for the actions of the Jan. 6 rioters, who threatened to hang Mike Pence as the assault on the Capitol was unfolding. Trump declined to offer one "because he did something wrong."

"He should have put the votes back to the state legislatures and I think we would have had a different outcome," Trump said.

On several occasions, Trump claimed without evidence that the 2020 election was "rigged" in favor of President Joe Biden. One voter asked Trump if he would "suspend polarizing talk of election fraud" during his run for president.

Trump equivocated. "Yeah  unless I see election fraud," he responded.

Kaitlin Collins, the CNN anchor moderating the town hall, pointed out that the former president and his team lost more than 60 lawsuits alleging that the 2020 election was fraudulent.

Debt ceiling: Tells GOP members of Congress, "if they don't give you massive cuts, you're going to have to do a default."

The impasse over the debt ceiling continues, and Trump proposed that Republicans should not give in on their insistence on spending cuts in exchange for raising or suspending the debt limit.

"I say to the Republicans out there  congressmen, senators  if they don't give you massive cuts, you're going to have to do a default. And I don't believe they're going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave because you don't want to have that happen. But it's better than what we're doing right now because we're spending money like drunken sailors."

Asked by Collins if he thought the U.S. "should default if the White House does not agree to the spending cuts Republicans are demanding," Trump replied, "Well, you might as well do it now because you'll do it later."

Russia-Ukraine war

Trump also equivocated on whether he wants Ukraine to win, as Russia continues its unilateral assault on the sovereign nation.

Asked if he wants Ukraine to win the war, Trump said, "I don't think in terms of winning and losing." Pressed again if he wants Ukraine or Russia to win the war, Trump said, "I want everybody to stop dying. They're dying, Russians and Ukrainians."

The former president complained that the U.S. has provided more funding to Ukraine for the war than European nations have, and he would not say whether if elected, he would continue to give Ukraine weapons and funding.

"Let me just put it a nicer way," he said. "If I'm president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours." Asked to elaborate, Trump responded, "First, I'll meet with Putin. I'll meet with Zelenskyy. They both have weaknesses and they both have strengths. And within 24 hours that war will be settled. It will be over."

"Why, Lori?": Grandparents speak out after Lori Vallow Daybell convicted of children's murders

Lori Vallow Daybell found guilty of murders of her 2 children

Seinfeld | 60 Minutes Archives
Correction: A previous version of this article inaccurately named some individuals as speakers at the ReAwaken America Tours stop this weekend at the Trump National Doral Miami resort. Leila Centner, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Alex Jones were not a part of the event and should not have been mentioned as participants.





Starting Thursday evening, crowds are expected to gather at former President Donald Trumps Doral resort for a weekend conference of conservative figures, some of whom have espoused debunked claims about elections and vaccines.

Thousands are meeting at Trump National Doral Miami for the latest stop of the ReAwaken America Tour, an event that features Christian themes and appearances around the country by some of Trumps inner circle. According to its founder, the gathering seeks to save the nation by exposing the truth about fraud in elections, healthcare and the media.

The event shows the extent to which election deniers, anti-vaxxers and Jan. 6 sympathizers continue to surround Trump, the leading candidate to secure the 2024 Republican nomination for president.

The tour, which began in 2021, has promoted conspiracy theories, such as the idea that the 2020 election was rigged against Trump and that elites operating a child sex-trafficking ring conspired against the former president. The events founder Clay Clark, an entrepreneur and former candidate for mayor of Tulsa, has described the COVID-19 vaccine as a bio-weapon on Rumble, an alternative to YouTube that gained popularity with conservatives during the pandemic.

Some of the speakers are part of Trumps inner circle, including son Eric Trump, daughter-in-law Lara Trump and Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes.

A spokesman for the former president did not respond to a request for comment. Nor did the ReAwaken America Tour, which in a promotional video mocks descriptions of the events speakers as extremists.

Here are some of the speakers on the conferences lineup.

Story continues

 Roger Stone is a Trump ally and conservative political consultant. Stone supported the Stop the Steal rally that preceded the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol and claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.

 Michael Flynn is a U.S. Army lieutenant general who briefly served as national security advisor during the Trump administration. Flynn, who lives in Sarasota, is a key figure in the far-right Christian nationalist movement.

 Mike Lindell is the CEO of My Pillow and a fervent supporter of Trump. Lindell was at the forefront of Trumps attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and continues to promote false claims related to voting fraud.

 Sidney Powell is a former federal prosecutor on Trumps legal team that tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

 Peter Navarro is a politician who served as assistant to the president during the Trump administration. Navarro condemned policies to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. His speech during the conference is entitled: Why Dr. [Anthony] Fauci Needs to Be Fired and In Jail.

Late in the week, Scott McKay and Charlie Ward, who have promoted anti-Semitic views, were struck from the online itinerary as speakers. According to CNN, Eric Trump said the organizers pulled the speakers from the event after he requested that McKay and Ward not be allowed to participate.
Coup-attempting former President Donald Trump doubled down Wednesday on his lies about the 2020 election and his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol and claimed, again, that his vice president had done something wrong by not declaring Trump the winner of the election he had lost.

That was a rigged election, Trump lied, barely two minutes into a town hall hosted for him by CNN.

If you look at what happened in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, if you look at what happened in Detroit, Michigan, if you look at what happened in Atlanta, millions of votes, and all you have to do is take a look at government cameras, Trump said, repeating yet again the same falsehoods that ginned up his followers into attacking the Capitol. You will see them, people going to 28 different voting booths to vote, to put in seven ballots apiece. I mean, and theyre all on camera.

Responding to a question about why he waited three hours before telling his mob of followers to stop attacking the Capitol, Trump falsely claimed he had done so soon after 2 p.m.

In reality, that taped video message was not released until 4:17 p.m.  two hours after his supporters had broken into the building while assaulting police officers, and more than 90 minutes after Trump had attacked former Vice President Mike Pence in a tweet for lacking the courage to award Trump a second term despite having lost the election by 7 million votes.

That post enraged his followers and led them to swarm the entrances within minutes, according to a video released by the House Jan. 6 committee last summer. Many roamed the halls, searching for Pence and chanting: Hang Mike Pence!

Michael Fanone, a former Washington, D.C., police officer who was assaulted and nearly killed by Trumps mob that day and is now a CNN contributor, said he was appalled by what he saw. Its worse than I could have ever imagined. Its an absolute disaster, Fanone said. Theres no way to fact-check this guy in real time. Hes a volcano of bullshit.

Story continues

In just the first half hour of the 70-minute broadcast, Trump also defended his claim that women allow celebrities to sexually assault them; mocked and ridiculed the magazine writer a jury found on Tuesday had been sexually abused by Trump; confirmed that he would pardon his supporters who have been convicted for their actions on Jan. 6; and said that the United States should go ahead and default on its debt.

President Joe Bidens campaign, while Trump was still spewing falsehoods on cable, put out a post on Twitter: Its simple, folks. Do you want four more years of that? If you dont, pitch in to our campaign.

The events moderator, CNNs Kaitlan Collins, frequently tried to cut off Trumps torrent of lies but had limited success. Trump eventually lashed out at her. Youre a nasty person, he said.

Trump again praised Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Chinese dictator Xi Jinping and refused to say whether he supported Ukraines efforts to repel Putins invasion.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a likely entrant into the 2024 race and the one most willing to go after Trump so far, said Trumps response is telling. Donald Trump refused to say tonight that he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia. More proof that he continues to be Putins puppet, he wrote in a Twitter post.

Asked about the criminal investigations he is facing for his actions leading up to Jan. 6 and for refusing to turn over top secret documents in defiance of a subpoena, Trump claimed they were all designed to derail his 2024 campaign. All of these fake investigations against me are about election interference, he said.

Trumps campaign has tried to use his agreement to do CNNs town hall as evidence that he is unafraid of tough questions, unlike his closest rival in the polls, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has not declared his candidacy but has become famous for avoiding interviews from all but the most friendly news outlets.

Trump himself portrayed CNNs decision to host him as proof that even organizations that had been critical of him understand that they need him to boost viewership.

CNN is rightfully desperate to get those fantastic Trump ratings back. They were ratings like none other, and they want them back. They made me a deal I couldnt refuse, he said in a video statement he posted to his personal social media platform earlier Wednesday.

On Wednesday morning, though, Trump appeared to threaten CNN that it had better be nice to him if it wanted to continue having him on its shows. They must treat MAGA, the greatest political movement in our Countrys history, with respect, he said in a Wednesday afternoon post.

Related...
Former President Donald Trump and E. Jean Carroll. AP/AP

Trump continued to attack columnist E. Jean Carroll during a nationally televised town hall.

Just a day before, Carroll partially won her federal civil case against Trump.

The former president suggested that his support went up after being found liable for sexual abuse.

Former President Donald Trump continued to attack E. Jean Carroll on Wednesday evening, suggesting the columnist was a "whack job" and overly promiscuous as he repeated the same misogynistic attacks that were at the root of the reason he was found liable for defamation.

"My poll numbers just came out and they went up," Trump claimed to CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins in response to her first question on whether the verdict in Carroll's civil case would hurt the former president politically. A federal jury found Trump was liable Tuesday for sexual abuse and defamation.

The former president then turned Collins' other questions about Carroll into his version of a comedy routine, cracking up the audience CNN assembled of New Hampshire Republicans and effectively independent voters. At many points, Trump appeared to repeat the same rhetoric that led to Carroll's suit in the first place.

"This woman, I don't know her, I never met her, I don't know who she is, I had a picture taken years ago with her husband John Johnson," Trump said, pointing out Carroll called her now ex-husband an "ape" in an argument that led to Johnson allegedly strangling her. (Judge Lewis Kaplan admonished Trump's lawyer when tried to introduce the ape comment as evidence.)

Trump went on to suggest that Carroll, who vividly recounted her allegation on the witness stand, was overly promiscuous.

"What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up and within minutes you're playing hanky panky in a dressing room? I don't know if she was married then or not. I feel sorry for you John Johnson," Trump said to a chorus of laughter.

The former president then swore on his children, attacked the federal judge, and called Carroll "a whack job."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday said anyone who thinks the 2020 presidential election was fair is very stupid, once again reiterating his false claim that the last White House race was rigged even as he supplied no evidence to back up the accusation.

When you look at what happened during that election, unless youre a very stupid person, you see what happened, Trump said on a townhall event broadcast on CNN.

Trump later defended the men and women who attended a rally immediately before the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, saying they had love in their heart.

Speaking of those prosecuted and jailed since the attack, the former president said he was inclined to pardon many of them should he win the 2024 election.

He also called a law enforcement official who shot one of the protesters at the Capitol a thug.

The attack on the Capitol in 2021 forced Congress to evacuate and temporarily halted the certification of the 2020 election.

Since leaving office, Trump has fixated unrelentingly on the lie that the 2020 election was stolen, despite dozens of court cases that rejected all claims of an unfair election.

Trumps former attorney general, William Barr, said last year that the Justice Department uncovered no evidence of widespread fraud.

Most people understand what happened, it was a rigged election, Trump said on CNN. And its a shame we had to go through it.
As former President Trump solidifies his front-runner status in the Republican 2024 presidential primary race, his views on the Russia-Ukraine war paint an increasingly stark contrast with GOP leaders in Congress.

On Wednesday, he pledged to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office and refused to say which side he wants to win the war.

When Im president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours, Trump said in a CNN town hall Wednesday night, adding he would meet with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

They both have weaknesses and they both have strengths, and within 24 hours that war will be settled, itll be over.

Analysts are dubious of Trumps ability to execute on his pledge, though his criticism of Americas leading role in supporting Ukraine could complicate what has been a largely united response on Capitol Hill.

Jeffrey Treistman, a professor of national security at the University of New Haven who has studied Russian affairs, said Trump provided zero evidence of how he would stop the war.

Theres nothing to substantiate that claim, and the probability and likelihood of being able to stop the war within 24 hours is very slim to none. Thats the facts, he said.

On Wednesday, Trump also said he wanted everybody to stop dying but also avoided saying whether Russia or Ukraine should win the war.

I dont think in terms of winning or losing, he said. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people.

Five takeaways from Trumps CNN town hall

Critics blast Trumps Ukraine remarks

The former presidents comments drew immediate scorn from some of his Republican rivals and more vocal opponents on the national stage.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a 2024 GOP presidential hopeful, said Trumps stance was a weak position that will not win the war.

Trump reminded everyone tonight of his support of Russia and his willingness to sell out Ukraine, Hutchinson tweeted.

Story continues

And former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) referred to Trump as Putins puppet.

Despite how ridiculous that is to say, I suspect he would try to do it by turning Ukraine over to Putin and Russia, Christie tweeted.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), a Trump critic, said: The only person I think who would really be celebrating from last night would be Vladimir Putin.

When asked who should win, Russia or Ukraine, he didnt say Ukraine, and I find that a startling disclosure, Romney added.

Reduced GOP push for peace talks

While a coalition of far-right Republicans have supported the idea of pushing for negotiations with Russia, that position appears to be declining within the party, said a former senior U.S. diplomat in Eastern Europe who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The quasi isolationists are weaker today than they were two months ago, said the ex-diplomat, pointing to a letter signed by just 19 GOP lawmakers urging President Biden to pursue peace talks.

Prior Ukraine bills have received opposition from dozens of Republican congressmen, making the letter a very dumb thing for them to issue, because it underscored their weakness.

The former diplomat, who now works at a think tank, said the high-water mark for Ukraine skeptics was an interview Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) gave to then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson in March, when he called the war a territorial dispute.

DeSantis faced immediate blowback and walked back the comments days later. And now Carlson has left Fox News, taking a key critic of U.S. policy toward Ukraine off the air.

U.S. pressure toward peace talks is largely seen as helping Putin, as any successful negotiation in the near future would mean ceding Ukrainian territory to Russia.

Putin illegally annexed four Ukrainian territories last year in the east and south of the country, which his forces continue to occupy.

The Biden administration has been steadfast in supporting Ukraines goal of retaking its territory and letting Kyiv decide when the time is right for negotiations.

However, the U.S. has been ambiguous about Ukraines desire to retake the Crimean Peninsula, which Putin illegally annexed in 2014, likely leaving some wiggle room for an eventual peace deal.

McConnell, McCarthy back Ukraine

Most Republicans have consistently backed arms transfers to Ukraine and dont see an end to the war anytime soon. Both House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have offered robust defense of ongoing Ukraine support in recent days.

I do think that we have enough support within Congress to sustain this for a good deal longer, McConnell said this week. All the leadership in the House and Senate in my party is very much in favor of defeating the Russians.

When asked about Trumps comments, McCarthy said during a press conference Thursday that House Republicans have been very clear about the atrocities that Russia and Putin have presented to this world.

I think we have been very clear in our votes as well, he said. I think we lead with exactly what weve been doing.

Zelensky on Thursday played down the potential threat to the US-Ukraine partnership.

Who knows where well be when the 2024 election rolls around, he told the BBC. I believe well win by then.

American public support is waning

Still, Trump is leaning into a growing divide in American opinion over continued military support for Ukraine in a war has no end in sight.

A survey from the Pew Research Center published this week found the number of Republicans who say the U.S. should focus on problems at home rather than paying attention to issues overseas increased to 71 percent this year from 65 percent last year.

The number of Americans who share that view overall is at 55 percent, up 4 percentage points from last year.

Trump has said the war never would have started in the first place on his watch, but in his presidency, Trump was criticized for his warm comments toward Putin, whom he called savvy and a genius after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The former president also refused to call Putin a war criminal Wednesday, even after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader in March.

Treistman, of the University of New Haven, said Trump weakened NATO by threatening to withdraw from the western security alliance and likely emboldened Putins efforts toward Ukraine.

He said concerns about how long the war will last are valid but stressed that low intensity conflicts can drag out.

But thats not necessarily, from a geostrategic standpoint, a bad thing, he said. We can use this as an opportunity to weaken a brutal dictatorship.

Meanwhile, the former U.S. diplomat doesnt see Trumps rhetoric posing a significant threat to current American policy unless he reached the White House.

And even then, the ex-diplomat noted, Trumps words didnt always match his actions toward Ukraine and Russia. Trump ultimately sent javelin missiles to Ukraine, something former President Obama resisted doing, and expelled dozens of Russian diplomats who were identified as spies.

Its worth pointing out that when Trump was president, he said many things that were naive, but the overall policy of his administration overall  I can point out parts where it was not good  was not bad, the former diplomat said.

Alexander Bolton contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 10)  As tensions brew between global superpowers United States and China over Taiwans independence, the Philippines finds itself in a crucial position with its neutral and independent foreign policy.

As the stronger ties between the US and the Philippines appear to have alarmed China, the Southeast Asian nation is now under the spotlight with geopolitical decisions seen to drastically impact tensions.

Since the Philippines is a longtime ally of the US and a country economically boosted by Chinese investors, it is critical to pinpoint where the Southeast Asian nation stands and what is at stake if armed conflict erupts due to the Taiwan issue.

PH, US and China

In April, China launched military drills around Taiwan after the latters President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a visit to the United States where she met House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other US lawmakers.

Beijing said the drills were "a serious warning against the Taiwan separatist forces' collusion with external forces, and a necessary move to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu condemned Beijings actions and warned that they seem to be trying to get ready to launch a war against Taiwan.

While the US has updated its fact sheet on Taiwan to reinstate that it is not supporting Taiwan independence, Washington appears to be backing Taiwanthe reason why many also see the stronger US-Philippine relations as part of Washingtons preparations for the rising tensions in the Asian region.

To show their stronger ties, Amercan and Filipino officials released a joint statement on security issues. The US has reaffirmed its commitment to stand with the Philippines against any form of intimidation and coercion in the South China Sea, such as the rising incidents of Chinese Coast Guard vessels spotted near Ayungin Shoal.

Washington and Manila also showed that they are preparing Philippine troops to transition from protecting national interest through internal security to external and territorial defense.

This was seen in the largest Balikatan exercises recently held in the Philippines and the setting up of four new sites for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the US. The new EDCA sites are in locations seen to boost the defense near the Taiwan Strait and West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea that encompasses the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.

RELATED: Marcos seeks 'even stronger' ties with US as he leaves for official visit

Beijing saw these moves as threats to the regions stability.

China warned that an expanded military cooperation with the US will only endanger regional peace and stability, "drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife and damage its economic development."

The East Asian giant also expressed grave concern and strong disapproval of the joint statement of Philippine and US officials, and reiterated its position that the UN tribunals ruling favoring Philippine claims in the South China Sea is illegal, null and void.

Foreign policy expert: China using OFWs in Taiwan as hostages

In a statement, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian also claimed the US intends to take advantage of the new EDCA sites to interfere in the Taiwan issue.

In a forum, the Chinese envoy urged the Philippines to oppose Taiwan independence and slammed statements lamenting the safety of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Taiwan following repeated warnings against Philippine-US military enhancement.

Speaking to CNN Philippines, foreign policy expert Renato de Castro denounced the Chinese envoys statement, saying China is using OFWs in Taiwan as hostages for the Philippines to side with its stance on Taiwan.

It seems that China is treating us like a province, telling us these things," he said. "Were sovereign. Why should China treat us this way?

De Castro also said setting up new EDCA sites and enhancing military capabilities are decisions made by an independent and sovereign country such as the Philippines.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said the terms of use of the EDCA sites are still up for discussion. But President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. already said his administration will not allow the new EDCA sites to be used for offensive operations, insisting that these are set up as a buffer for immediate response when natural disasters hit the typhoon-prone regions.

Marcos also said he did not receive any request from the US for possible deployment of Filipino troops to assist in combat operations should the tensions between China and Taiwan escalated into war.

If tensions over Taiwan do escalate into war, officials and foreign security experts believe the Philippines has no way out and it will be involved in the conflict.

Whats at stake

Philippine envoy to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said the country needs to boost its defense capabilities together with Washington as Manila may not be able to avoid being dragged into the Taiwan conflict.

We are geographically situated where we are, how many miles away from Taiwan, and there is a conflict going on in our territorial waters right now so weve discussed it on many occasions with our friends and partners in Washington DC, he said.

Whatever happens in our area, we will all be affected," he added. "There is no going around it. This is something that we have to be ready for and, hopefully, it will never happen."

The Philippines geographically lies in an arc south of Taiwan. US bases in the Philippines would be critical launch and resupply points as the countrys northernmost island of Itbayat is less than 100 miles from Taiwan.

Moreover, the Philippines will be obliged to take war refugees from Taiwan. The safety, repatriation, and relocation of OFWs in Taiwan are also big concerns.

WATCH: DND: PH may tap EDCA sites to evacuate Filipinos in Taiwan.

Security analyst Chester Cabalza also noted that Chinese investors have entered the Philippines like a Trojan Horse and became active and large pillars in the local economy of some EDCA sites.

RELATED: Marcos on PH-China relations: Disengagement not an option

Cabalza told CNN Philippines that local leaders are scared of the possibility of investors pulling out as this will affect local economic movement drastically. But he also reminded that local leaders should be sensible of the framework and structure of national security as it is a collective effort to advance the Philippines national interest.

The security expert also noted that it is still possible for the country to maintain its friend to all, enemy to none policy.

We are still siding with that neutrality policy since we know that China and the US are two competing superpowers in our backyard," he said. "And we have both relations with Beijing and Washington and we should continue with that."

The reason why we are fortifying our naval, aerial and terrestrial bases in the northern Philippines is because of the changing geopolitical situation that we are seeing, he added.

But for De Castro, he believes the Chinese have a timetable when they are setting up conditions around Taiwan and they will only act upon their military capabilities when the conditions are right.
(Bloomberg) -- Atlanta-area prosecutor Fani Willis has backed off her effort to disqualify a lawyer from representing alternate electors pledged to former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election as he tried to overturn Joe Bidens victory in Georgia.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Fulton County District Attorneys legal surrender involves a group of 16 Republicans who pledged to act as Trump electors in the weeks after Biden won the presidency. Willis is investigating the group, which shes dubbed fake electors, as she weighs whether to charge Trump and his allies with various election-related crimes. Willis has said the electors signed their names to a false certificate of vote purporting to be the duly elected and qualified presidential electors for Georgia.

In April, Willis had raised ethical objections to an attorney who represented 10 electors, saying the lawyer, Kimberly Bourroughs Debrow, had impermissible conflicts of interest because several of her clients accused another one of crimes. Willis also claimed Debrow failed to inform some electors of immunity offers last year.

But in a May 5 court filing, Debrow accused Willis of misleading a judge about whether her clients had been offered immunity from prosecution in exchange for their cooperation.

Debrow said she now represents eight of those 10, and all reached immunity deals with Willis. Two have hired other lawyers.

In a court filing Wednesday, Willis said that Debrow has allayed her initial grave concerns about Debrow representing clients with differing levels of criminal exposure and differing status as to offers of immunity.

The two electors Debrow once represented who havent been offered immunity have hired new, conflict-free counsel and have eliminated the conflict causing the states concern, Willis wrote. Because Debrows remaining eight clients took the immunity offers, prosecutors no longer seek the lawyers disqualification, she wrote.

Story continues

The Fulton County District Attorneys Office wrongfully accused me of unethical conduct while fully knowing that it was untrue, Debrow said in an emailed statement. The non-immunized electors began hiring new counsel on my advice well before the DA filed her frivolous motion. The better use of taxpayer dollars would have been to first confirm the facts.

Willis said last month she will announce charging decisions between July 11 and Sept. 1. Willis wrote to local law enforcement to bring attention to the need for heightened security and preparedness in the coming months due to this pending announcement.

--With assistance from Margaret Newkirk.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Trump CNN town hall event in New Hampshire (CNN)

Donald Trump refused to acknowledge that he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden at CNNs controversial town hall event and called his defeat rigged and sad.

The one-term president was immediately confronted by host Kaitlan Collins over his election lies and was asked to finally admit that he had been fairly and legally beaten by Mr Biden.

Unless you are a very stupid person you see what happensmost people understand what happened it was a rigged election and it was a shame we had to go through it, he told Collins.

She then asked him to acknowledge that he lost the election, telling him that he and his supporters had lost more than 60 lawsuits across the country.

Mr Trump then cited claims by True the Vote, a conservative vote monitoring organisation, and said that they had found millions of votes on government cameras where they were stuffing ballot boxes, it is a sad thing for our country and for the world.

Collins told him that the false election claims had already been debunked by Republican election officials across the country.

Mr Trump then claimed that people were afraid to take on the issue and that we have elections that were horrible in this country, citing Philadelphia, Detroit and Atlanta, all cities in swing states that went to Mr Biden.

There is no evidence of that, she told him.

The event, which has been criticised for giving Mr Trumps election lies and baseless conspiracy theories live airtime, took place in front of an audience of 400 Republican and GOP-leaning independent voters in New Hampshire on Wednesday night.
Former US President Donald Trump has refused to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal because, according to him, it could harm negotiations with the Russian Federation.

Source: Trump during a debate on CNN

Details: When a journalist asked if Trump considered the Russian president a war criminal, he said: "I think it should be discussed later."

"If you say hes a war criminal its going to be a lot tougher to make a deal to make a deal to get this thing [the war  ed.] stopped," Trump said.

The former US president believes that the charges against Putin should be discussed "later".

Trump called the Russian dictator "very smart" and "very cunning." At the same time, he believes that Putin made a tremendous mistake by attacking Ukraine.

"His mistake was going in. He would have never gone in if I was president," Trump added.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Donald Trump has been blasted for refusing to say he supported Ukraine to win its bloody war with Russia and was branded Putins puppet by Chris Christie.

The one-term president was repeatedly asked by CNN host Kaitlan Collins if he backed Ukraine in its 15-month conflict with Vladimir Putins forces, and repeatedly dodged the question.

Donald Trump refused to say tonight that he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia. More proof that he continues to be Putins puppet, the former Republican candidate for president tweeted.

Collins asked Mr Trump during the town hall from New Hampshire to say on the record that he supported Ukraine.

I dont think in terms of winning and losing, I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people and breaking down this country, he told Collins.

She then asked him again if he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the conflict.

I want everyone to stop dying. They are dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying, he replied.

Mr Trump also repeated his bogus claim that it would take him one day in the Oval Office to end the conflict.

Ill have that done in 24 hours, you need the power of the presidency to do it. And he added: You know what, I will say this, I want Europe to put up more money. They should equalise, they have plenty of money.

And he boasted that the conflict would never even have happened if he had remained in office.

If I were president this never would have happened and even the Democrats recognise that. Putin knew it would never have happened and his pipeline would never have happened, a lot of things would never have happened, he said.

All those dead people, both Russian and Ukrainian, would not be dead today, and all those cities that are blown up and disintegrated to the ground would not have happened.

Mr Trump also tried to claim that he had a very good relationship with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mr Trump was impeached for the first time over a call in which he tried to get Mr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden in return for weapons.

Story continues

I have a very good relationship with President Zelensky, because as you know he backed me up with phoney impeachment hoax number one when he said the president did nothing wrong. I was totally exonerated, by the way, a total waste of time and money, said Mr Trump. Collins reminded viewers that the former president had been impeached by Congress.

Collins then asked Mr Trump if he still had tremendous respect for Vladimir Putin, as he claimed while president.

He made a tremendous mistake. He is a smart guy...they want you to say he is a stupid person, okay, he is not a stupid person, he is very smart and cunning and Putin made a bad mistake in my opinion.

His mistake was going in. He would never have gone in if I was president, we used to talk about it too.

And he refused to answer if he believed Mr Putin is a war criminal for his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

I think its something that should not be discussed now, it should be discussed later, Mr Trump said, suggesting it would make ending the conflict even more difficult.

If you say hes a war criminal its going to be a lot tougher to make a deal to make this thing stopped. If hes going to be a war criminal, people are going to grab him and execute him, hes going to fight a lot harder than hes fighting under the other circumstance. Thats something to be discussed at a later day.
Former US President Donald Trump has refused to answer the thrice-voiced question of who he wants to see as the winner in Russia's war against Ukraine.

Source: Trump during a debate on CNN

Quote: "I dont think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled."

Details: When the journalist asked for the second time whether he wished Ukraine to win, Trump did not give a direct answer, but instead said that he wanted "everyone to stop dying."

"Russians and Ukrainians, I want them to stop dying. And Ill have that done in 24 hours," said the former US president.

After the journalist asked her question for the third time, Trump said that he wanted Europe to "put up more money" in supporting Ukraine and "equalise" with the United States.

Background: Donald Trump refused to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal because, according to him, it could harm negotiations with Russia.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Former President Donald Trump told Republican members of Congress to vote against a debt limit hike unless they get massive cuts to government spending in return, injecting himself into a contentious debate with existential consequences for the U.S. economy.

I say to you right now, congressman, senators, if they dont give you massive cuts, youre gonna have to do a default, Trump said at a CNN town hall event in New Hampshire on Wednesday night. I dont think theyre going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave.

You dont want to have it happen, Trump said of a default. But its better than what were doing right now because were spending money like drunken sailors.

Trumps comments could make it far more difficult for President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to reach an agreement. Trumps support for the man he calls my Kevin was crucial to McCarthy cobbling together the votes to become speaker in January, and the GOP leader could struggle to put together the votes for any deal Trump opposes.

The McCarthy-led House narrowly passed legislation cutting $4.8 trillion in spending over the next 10 years in exchange for a debt limit hike, but the legislation has no chance of passage in the Senate or of earning Bidens signature.

Biden has insisted on a clean debt limit hike and said McCarthys package would lead to devastating cuts to veterans benefits, education, border protection and safety net programs. (The Republican bill does not specify where cuts come from, and the GOP has insisted they will protect veterans if the legislation actually becomes law.)

A default would almost certainly and rapidly lead to a deep economic depression, economists say. The White House Council of Economic Advisers projects it would cause more than 8 million people to lose their jobs and the stock market to plunge nearly 50% in three months.

By pointing his finger at Biden for the nations debt, Trump also evades his own responsibility. While the story is complicated  much of the debt under Trump came from bipartisan legislation passed to help the country deal with the coronavirus pandemic, and Biden has benefited from the pandemics end  the debt still grew nearly $7.8 trillion under Trump, compared to $3.7 trillion so far under Biden.

Story continues

As president, Trump warned against using the debt limit as a negotiating tool. Pressed by CNNs Kaitlin Collins, the front-runner for the GOP nomination simply owned his hypocrisy.

Thats true, Trump said. Thats when I was president.

So why is different now that youre out of office? Collins asked.

Because now Im not president, he said, to laughter from the crowd of Republican voters at the town hall.
Former President Donald Trump promised Wednesday night that if he is elected he will pardon a "large portion" of the people convicted of federal offenses for their participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"I am inclined to pardon many of them," Trump said at a town hall hosted by CNN at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. "I can't say for every single one, because a couple of them, probably they got out of control."

He added that "most likely" he would pardon "a large portion of them."

"And it'll be very early on," Trump said.

More than 600 people involved in the Jan. 6 attack have been convicted, with more than 480 sentenced. Hundreds of additional Jan. 6 rioters have been identified but not yet charged.

In his bid for president, Trump has been embracing the cause of his supporters who stormed the Capitol in their attempt to deny Joe Biden the presidency after the 2020 election.

He has touted the "J6 Prison Choir" and its song, "Justice for All," which features Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance mixed with the national anthem sung by people incarcerated and awaiting trial. Trump played the song at his first 2024 campaign rally.

At a campaign stop late last month in Manchester, New Hampshire, Trump embraced a woman who served prison time for her actions during the Capitol attack.

Trump told her to "hang in there," called her a "terrific woman" and said it was "so bad" what had been done to the Jan. 6 "patriots."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Former US president Donald Trump received an adverse verdict this week in a civil rape trial in New York City

Donald Trump has suffered back-to-back legal blows over his sexual abuse of a writer and money paid to a porn star -- but the jury is out over how much it may cost him among women voters in his race to regain the White House.

The Republican frontrunner late Wednesday brushed off any notion that a decision by New York jurors to find him liable for abusing former Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll would turn women voters against him.

"No, I don't think so," Trump said in a combative live appearance on CNN, adding of Carroll: "This woman, I don't know her. I never met her. I have no idea who she is."

The civil case ruling, in which Trump was ordered to pay $5 million in damages, was the first time he faced legal consequences over a string of sexual assault accusations dating back decades. He has denied all the allegations.

It came a month after he pleaded not guilty to 34 counts in a criminal case that accuses him of falsifying business records as part of a scheme in 2016 to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claims an affair with Trump years ago.

Political expert Debbie Walsh thinks Trump's defeat to Carroll is unlikely to change the minds of his loyal base -- who have stuck by him through years of sexist controversy that would have sunk many a politician.

That said, added the director of Rutgers University's Center for American Women And Politics, "I think this will have the potential to have an impact if he is the nominee in a general election."

If Trump, 76, is to regain the presidency then he will have to attract broad-based support and appeal to more than just his ardent, typically white, blue-collar followers.

Among those he would likely need to draw support from are women. President Joe Biden won 55 percent of women voters in 2020 compared to Trump's 44 percent, according to a Pew Research Center study in June 2021.

Trump's liability for sexual abuse and defamation, for calling Carroll a "complete con job" after she went public with her allegation, is unlikely to encourage female voters to vote for him, says Walsh.

Story continues

"One of the things that Donald Trump has done for the Republican Party is lose some of those white college-educated women who voted (and) who were pretty reliable Republican voters," she told AFP.

Recent history offers a cautionary tale when it comes to Trump's ability to weather blistering controversy on the subject of women.

In the run-up to the 2016 election around a dozen women accused Trump of sexual assault. He was heard boasting of groping women when The Washington Post published the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape.

- Independents -

The allegations and the tape failed to derail Trump's candidacy, and he went on to stun Hillary Clinton to win the presidency.

But the day after his inauguration, millions of women marched in Washington and across the country to demonstrate their opposition to America's 45th president.

Since then Trump has effectively overseen three election defeats in four years: the 2018 midterms when the Democrats took control of the House, his 2020 loss to Biden, and last year's midterms when he promised a red wave that never materialized.

In 2020, independent voters swung towards Biden, a trend that Republicans will need to reverse if they are to win back the White House in 2024.

The barrage of legal cases bombarding Trump, which include probes into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election result and his handling of classified documents, threaten to turn off those undecideds.

They also give ammunition to his challengers for the Republican nomination to take on White House incumbent Joe Biden.

"Republican rivals will be within their rights to point out that where Trump goes, a storm cloud of nasty allegations follows," the conservative tabloid the New York Post wrote in an editorial Tuesday.

Trump's more serious rivals, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and ex-UN ambassador Nikki Haley, have yet to comment -- but others are not holding back.

Arkansas governor and Asa Hutchinson said the Carroll case verdict "should be treated with seriousness and is another example of the indefensible behavior of Donald Trump."

arb-pdh/ec
Ever since Donald Trump left office in January 2021, he has stayed in a cocoon of friendly right-wing media and his rally crowds of devoted supporters.

But the former president, who is running again in 2024, ventured outside of that bubble on Wednesday for a 90-minute townhall event on CNN.

His appearance on the cable news outlet, which he has repeatedly called fake news, was at times chaotic and would have been familiar to anyone who followed him as he scorched a path to the White House in 2016.

It also came just a day after a New York jury found him liable for sexually abusing the writer E Jean Carroll in a department store in the city almost 30 years ago.

Here are six takeaways from the evening.

1) A man who can't let 2020 go

The event was moderated by CNN host Kaitlan Collins and featured a live audience made up of Republicans and some independents.

They gave him a standing ovation as he entered.

The former president's first question from Ms Collins was an open-ended one about why Americans should return him to the White House. Instead of answering with a criticism of Democratic President Joe Biden or outlining his campaign platform, he quickly launched into an attack on the 2020 election.

He rehashed debunked claims of ballot-box stuffing and voter fraud, and called it a "rigged election". When Ms Collins pushed back, he said she was smart enough to know better and accused her of having an agenda.

The extended exchange once again demonstrated that the central motivating factor behind Mr Trump's 2024 presidential bid continues to be relitigating his 2020 defeat. It's the one thing he can't let go.

While that may be music to the ears of his loyal base, general-election voters - and even some Republican primary voters - may be hoping to move on.

2) Mocking the E Jean Carroll case

Mr Trump was asked directly about Tuesday's verdict in the E Jean Carroll civil case, when he was ordered to pay about $5m (4m) in damages for sexual abuse and defamation.

Story continues

He repeatedly denied having any contact with the writer despite a photo emerging of them together. "I don't know her. I never met her. I had no idea who she is," he said.

The audience in New Hampshire then laughed as he mocked Ms Carroll's claim and called it "fake news".

While Ms Collins pressed the former president for answers on different topics throughout the event - at one point so rattling him that he called her a "very nasty person"- the crowd were clearly in his corner.

They were a living, breathing reflection of the hold Mr Trump continues to have over the Republican Party - and the obstacles his opponents will have in trying to wrest the 2024 nomination from his grip.

"I like you guys," the former president told the crowd at the end of the forum. The feeling was mutual.

3) A debt ceiling default ultimatum

Republicans and Democrats in Washington are in the middle of tense negotiations over raising the legal debt limit in order to avoid a default on the national debt.

On Wednesday night, however, Mr Trump said that going over the debt cliff for the first time in US history may be a necessary step if Republicans don't get the broad spending cuts they desire.

"If they don't give you massive cuts, you're going to have to default," he said.

The view matches those of some conservative Republicans in Congress who believe the US is already on a course that will end in default and disaster if budget changes aren't made.

"You're going to default eventually anyway," he said, "but it's going to be much messier."

That message will resonate with some Republicans and will certainly strengthen the spines of Republican hard-liners. The chances of an actual default next month - which economists warn would have catastrophic consequences for the US and the world - may have just ticked up.

4) Not picking a side in Ukraine

Over the course of the past few months, Mr Trump has said that Russia would have never invaded Ukraine if he were president and if he is returned to office he will negotiate a settlement in Ukraine within 24 hours.

He repeated those lines on Wednesday. When pressed, however, the former president repeatedly refused to say who he would like to prevail in the Ukraine conflict.

"I don't think of winning or losing, I think in terms of getting it settled," he said. "I want everybody to stop dying."

He added that he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin made a mistake in invading Ukraine but, when asked, would not label him a war criminal.

Surveys show that Republicans are growing increasingly sour on US support for Ukraine's war effort. The town hall crowd gave repeated and energetic applause for Mr Trump's lines on Ukraine.

While some Republican officeholders and the Biden administration may pledge continued support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, it's increasingly clear a second Trump presidency would mark a decided shift in US policy.

5) Muddy waters on abortion

For conservative evangelical voters, one of Mr Trump's most notable achievements as president was appointing Supreme Court justices who ultimately reversed Roe v Wade abortion protections.

On Wednesday night, Mr Trump took credit for that - but he repeatedly dodged when asked about what he wanted to happen next on the issue of abortion.

Would he support a federal ban? Does he think abortion should be restricted after six weeks of pregnancy, as some Republican states have done? Or more? Or less?

As many times as Ms Collins pressed, Mr Trump wouldn't give a firm answer, only saying as president he would consider the issue and do "what's right for everybody".

When it comes to abortion, however, there's no answer that will make everybody in American happy.

After Republicans underperformed in the congressional midterm elections last year, Mr Trump said that he thought the issue, and the conservative hard-line positions on it, cost the party votes.

On Wednesday night, he seemed determined to keep his answers as vague as possible.

6) Capitol riot pardons

At a recent campaign rally in Texas, Mr Trump played a video that showed prisoners awaiting trial for the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol singing the national anthem. It was interspersed with footage of the attack and of Mr Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

On Wednesday night, the former president leaned further into sympathising with those who participated in the attack.

He pledged to pardon "many" of those convicted of 6 January offences. He again lionised Ashli Babbitt, who was killed trying to break into a room near the House of Representatives chamber. He called the Capitol Hill security officer who shot her a "thug".

More broadly, he defended his actions that day, producing several sheets of paper with statements and tweets which he said showed he urged protestors to be peaceful.

For as long as Mr Trump seeks public office, questions about the Capitol riots - and his role in it - will follow him.

Many Republicans, including officeholders who were at the Capitol that day, consider it a dark moment in American history. For them, Mr Trump's attempts to recharacterise that day may strike a sour note.

Find out more

Americast branding

You can hear more of Anthony's analysis by tuning into Americast, the BBC's US politics and culture podcast, on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts

And you can follow Anthony on Twitter
An audience member at a CNN town hall in New Hampshire held May 10, 2023, asked former President Donald Trump to comment on government interference with business, citing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as an example. Charles Krupa, File/AP Photo and Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Trump boasted about his lead in the polls against GOP rivals during a CNN town hall.

Trump advised DeSantis to "relax and take it easy and think about the future."

Trump was asked to comment about Republicans using the government to interference in businesses.

Former President Donald Trump jokingly urged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his likely Republican primary rival, to come up with an alternate plan for his future during a CNN town hall in New Hampshire on Wednesday.

Trump boasted during the town hall that he was leading DeSantis "by a lot."

The former president has taken a wide lead in hypothetical 2024 polling ever since facing an indictment by the Manhattan district attorney's office. On top of that, he has relentlessly attacked DeSantis over his personal life and policy record, and racked up a string of GOP endorsements.

DeSantis should "relax and take it easy and think about the future, because right now his future isn't looking so good," Trump toll CNN's Kaitlan Collins.

The moment marked the only time in the town hall in which Trump was asked about DeSantis, who still remains his closest rival in the 2024 contest according to most polls. DeSantis hasn't said whether he's running for president but is widely expected to make an announcement this month or next, after he is done signing bills into law in Florida and approving the legislature's budget.

Trump's DeSantis comment was in response to an audience member's question about Republicans strong arming businesses using government power. The audience member said he was against government interference in private business and cited DeSantis' ongoing feud with Walt Disney World as an example.

DeSantis and Disney are locked into a legal battle over the special tax district that houses the resort and theme park. DeSantis sought to take control over the district after executives spoke out against a controversial law that severely curtails how LGBTQ topics can be taught in Florida public schools.

Story continues

Trump claimed in response to the audience member's question that the numerous investigations against him were intended as interference in the 2024 election, citing polling that showed him leading against Biden. "I'm the one that really wants to protect you," he said.

Trump spend most of the CNN town hall denying the fact that he lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden and steamrolling moderator Kaitlan Collins before a friendly GOP audience who cheered him on and laughed at his responses.

The DeSantis-aligned super PAC Never Back Down criticized Trump over the town hall, saying he wasn't clear on where he stood regarding abortion and guns.

"The CNN townhall was, as expected, over an hour of nonsense that proved Trump is stuck in the past," Erin Perrine, spokeswoman for the PAC, said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  Kuwait has halted the issuance of entry and work visas for Filipinos but has not yet informed the Philippines of the reason behind the decision, a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official said on Thursday.

DFA Assistant Secretary Paul Cortes confirmed this to CNN Philippines, saying only Filipinos with valid resident visas are allowed to enter the Gulf state effective May 10.

The Kuwaiti government has suspended the issuance of new entry visas for Philippine nationals into Kuwait, Cortes said. However, those holding current resident visas, as evidenced by their possession of a Kuwait civil ID, can enter and leave Kuwait anytime.

Kuwaiti news outlets earlier reported that the Middle Eastern country has ordered the suspension of visa issuance due to the Philippines' alleged violation of a bilateral labor agreement.

Cortes, however, said the government cannot yet react to these reports as it has not been formally notified by Kuwait about the reason.

Still, the DFA official said the Philippines is committed to resolving whatever issues there may be in an "amicable manner," noting that the two countries have "very friendly" relations.

Were confident that we will be able to find a mutually satisfactory solution to whatever issues we feel need to be discussed with Kuwait, Cortes said.

He added that Philippine officials in Kuwait are now coordinating with the government there to schedule discussions and ask for more details regarding the suspension to make sure nothing is lost in translation.

According to the DFA, there are around 290,000 Filipinos in the Gulf state.

In February, the Philippines suspended the processing of contracts of first-time household workers bound for Kuwait after the charred remains of a murdered 35-year-old Filipina household worker, Jullebee Ranara, was found there.

The Department of Migrant Workers had said Secretary Susan Toots Ople wanted the application of newly hired household service workers to be deferred until after significant reforms" are done.

CNN Philippines Kristel Limpot and Tristan Nodalo contributed to this report.
Donald Trump. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Trump suggested that Republicans risk the US and global economy if Biden doesn't give in to their demands.

The former president said the GOP would "have to do a default" if more spending cuts don't accompany a debt limit increase.

Trump predicted such a move wouldn't be needed though.

Former President Donald Trump told congressional Republicans on Wednesday evening that they should risk the stability of the US and global economy by defaulting on the nation's debt unless "massive" spending cuts are passed in exchange.

"I say to the Republicans out there, congressmen and senators, if they don't give you massive cuts you are going to have to do a default," Trump said during CNN's GOP primary town hall in New Hampshire.

The former president then predicted that a default would not be necessary because "the Democrats would absolutely cave."

"But it's better than what we are doing right now because we are spending money like drunken sailors," Trump said.

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins then clarified with Trump if he was indeed directing the GOP to default on the debt by refusing to raise the debt ceiling if President Joe Biden and Democrats do not agree to large spending cuts.

Trump responded, "You might as well do it now because you'll have to do it later."

As soon as early next month, the Treasury Department will no longer be able to use special measures to delay breaching the debt ceiling. At that point, the US government will be unable to pay its bills. The debt ceiling does not authorize new spending, but lawmakers, especially conservatives, often tie an increase in the debt limit to spending cuts.

The former president's comments are particularly striking as both parties traditionally try to avoid blame for a debt ceiling standoff. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has argued that the current issue is that Biden will not negotiate more with him. The White House has repeatedly said that Biden would only accept an increase or suspension of the debt ceiling if it came without conditions.

Story continues

Economists have long feared that a default would send the US economy into a tailspin with repercussions felt around the globe. Analysis from the White House Council of Economic Advisers has said that it could be as bad as the Great Recession and could shed up to 8.5 million jobs if a worst-case-scenario drawn-out default happened.

Even the possibility of default in 2011 led to a historic downgrade of the US's credit rating.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Former President Donald Trump urged Republicans to either extract concessions from President Joe Biden to reduce spending or push the US into its first-ever default in a Wednesday interview with CNN.

Most Read from Bloomberg

I say to the Republicans out there  Congressman, Senators  if they dont give you massive cuts, youre going to have to do a default, Trump said.

I dont believe theyre going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave, will absolutely cave because you dont want to have that happen, he added. But its better than what were doing right now because were spending money like drunken sailors.

Trump maintains a tight grip on the GOP, with polls showing him as the current frontrunner for the partys 2024 nomination.

His comments came a day after Biden held a meeting with congressional leaders that by all accounts made little headway toward an agreement on raising the debt ceiling. The president is scheduled to meet again with those leaders on Friday.

Trump made the comments during a New Hampshire town hall on CNN, his first appearance on the network since 2016. The events moderator, Kaitlan Collins, asked Trump to clarify his remarks and whether the US should default if Biden didnt accede to Republican spending cut demands.

Well you might as well do it now because youll do it later because we have to save this country, Trump said.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Former President Trump on Wednesday refused to commit to accepting the results of the 2024 presidential election during a CNN town hall.

Moderator Kaitlan Collins asked Trump if he would commit to accepting the results, after he spent much of the evening railing against what hes called a rigged 2020 election that resulted in his loss. Trump said he would only accept the 2024 results if he believes no voter fraud occurred.

Yeah, if I think its an honest election, absolutely, he said.

Collins pressed Trump on if he would accept the results regardless of the outcome, but Trump reiterated his statement.

If I think its an honest election, I would be honored to, he said.

Trump repeatedly voiced his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen through voter fraud during the town hall.

Trump and Collins had intense exchanges on a few occasions about aspects of his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including the phone call he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which he asked Raffensperger to find the votes he needed to win the state.

President Biden nudged Trump in a fundraising pitch for his reelection campaign, asking his followers if they want four more years of that, referring to Trumps appearance at the town hall.

Its simple, folks. Do you want four more years of that? If you dont, pitch in to our campaign, he said.

This story was updated at 10:07 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Donald Trumps comments Wednesday night about his handling of classified documents appeared to contradict statements by his lawyers, and provide potentially important evidence for federal prosecutors investigating whether to charge him with a crime, legal experts say.

Trumps lawyers told Congress last month that the classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago compound got there by accident. But when questioned about the issue at a CNN town hall, Trump said he had every right to take them from the White House.

I didnt make a secret of it, he said. You know, the boxes were stationed outside the White House, people were taking pictures of it.

He said he didnt recall having shown secret material to others, which is a key question prosecutors would want to answer. Disclosing classified material to people not authorized to receive it is a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Asked if he showed classified documents to others, he answered, Not reallyI would have the right to, later adding, not that I can think of.

Trumps comments hurt him, and what he said is significant, said John Fishwick, a former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia who was appointed during the Obama administration.

Not only do they contradict his legal position, he admits to possession and knowledge of classified documents that he is taking from the White House. Jack Smith will make good use of last nights town hall and it will help him button up his case.

Smith, a special counsel, is running investigations into the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago and into Trumps efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Another special counsel, Robert Hur, is investigating the circumstances around the classified documents found at President Joe Bidens home and office.

Andrew Weissmann, a former FBI general counsel and NBC News contributor who worked for special counsel Robert Mueller in the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, said Trumps unwillingness to rule out showing classified documents to others "is like red meat to a prosecutor.

Story continues

In their letter last month to the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Trumps lawyers suggested that classified documents were sent to Mar-a-Lago unintentionally, mixed in by accident with other records.

When President Trump left office, there was little time to prepare for the outgoing transition from the presidency, said the letter from attorneys Tim Parlatore, John Rowley, James Trusty and Lindsay Halligan. Unlike his three predecessors, each of whom had over four years to prepare for their departure upon completion of their second term, President Trump had a much shorter time to wind up his administration. White House staffers and General Service Administration (GSA) employees quickly packed everything into boxes and shipped them to Florida.

The lawyers suggested later in the letter that Trump initially was not aware of the presence of classified material.

"Trump asked his staff to retrieve 15 boxes that had been moved to Mar-a-Lago so he could see what was in them before they were sent to NARA in Washington, D.C.," they wrote, referring to the National Archives and Records Administration. "However, due to other demands on his time, President Trump subsequently directed his staff to ship the boxes to NARA without any review by him or his staff."

They added that the discovery of classified documents at the homes of Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence should dispel any doubts that the presence of marked documents in the boxes was the result of White House institutional processes, rather than intentional decisions by President Trump.

Trump seemed to undermine that account Wednesday night, saying, I was there and I took what I took and it gets declassified, which is not true.

One of Trump's lawyers pushed back against the idea that such comments are problematic.

"Its completely consistent with what was in our letter," Parlatore said in an email. "He was allowed to take these documents with him, because the customs that have been followedfor past presidents were not followed for President Trump. This is one of the reasons why we have asked Congress to take a look at this to fix it for future administrations."

Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton told NBC News last year that Trump had a habit of keeping highly classified documents given to him an intelligence briefings. He said aides began blowing up maps and charts to poster size so Trump could not pocket them.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Tucker Carlson confessed to being fundamentally a dick in a text exchange with a journalist.

In messages that Insiders Mattathias Schwartz tweeted Wednesday, the former Fox News personality responded to a question about a potential presidential run by saying hed announce his campaign Friday in New Hampshire.

Some late-night texts with @TuckerCarlson, wherein he says he is indeed running for president, then says he is just kidding about that, then says he is "fundamentally a dick." Story here... https://t.co/OukLuulbGQpic.twitter.com/4GiF9R3n6b  Mattathias Schwartz (@Schwartzesque) May 10, 2023

When Schwartz asked if he could call Carlson to back up the story, Carlson admitted he was totally kidding.

Carlson, who has admitted to lying on the air, said sorry and added: I can never control myself. Im fundamentally a dick. My apologies.

Its okay, replied Schwartz. I can appreciate a good troll. So youve ruled 2024 out completely, it sounds like.

Carlson did not reply, Schwartz reported in his piece for Insider.

In a later tweet, Schwartz suggested Carlsons hope was that we would go with it and hit print based on the one text.

But I dont know that, he added.

Just based on the transcript above, I think that his hope was that we would go with it and hit print based on the one text.



But I don't know that.  Mattathias Schwartz (@Schwartzesque) May 10, 2023

Carlson was reportedly fired from Fox News last month for a reason that remains unknown. He himself has not addressed a run for the White House, despite multiple commentators suggesting he may take on Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

Story continues

This week, Carlson revealed he was launching a new show on Twitter.

Related...
Istanbul  Turkey is holding national elections on Sunday that look set to be the toughest test of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's long political career. After ruling the country for two decades, polls showed Erdogan neck-and-neck with rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the candidate fielded jointly by the opposition Nation's Alliance.

Erdogan was applauded during his first decade as leader for transforming Turkey into an economic and political success story, but over the last 10 years he's faced mounting criticism  both domestically and internationally  for quashing dissent and adopting rules and laws typical of autocratic regimes.

Once a poster child for developing nations, Turkey is also currently battling high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, both of which are regularly blamed by opponents and economists on Erdogan's unorthodox economic policies.

Erdogan's chief rival, KiIicdaroglu, is a secular social democrat politician who has emphasized messages of freedom and democracy on the campaign trail. The opposition alliance he represents has promised to roll back constitutional changes introduced after a 2017 referendum that significantly expanded the powers of the presidency, and to bring back the parliamentary system.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses supporters at the AK Party's

To win the election outright a candidate must secure more than 50% of the votes. Polling suggests that's unlikely, so the nail-biting race between the two leading candidates could easily carry on to a second round of runoff voting, which would be held on May 28.

Below is a look at why Turkey's national elections are being followed closely around the world.

NATO expansion

Turkey is a member of the NATO military alliance, and it has the second-largest army among all 31 members, behind only the U.S. But relations between Ankara and its NATO partners haven't always been smooth.

Last year, Erdogan frustrated his allies by blocking Sweden and Finland's bids to join the alliance, which were prompted directly by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Although Turkey lifted its block on Finland's accession last month, allowing the country to join, talks with Sweden fell through.

Story continues

Erdogan argues that Sweden doesn't take Turkey's domestic security concerns seriously and provides refuge to militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, a banned group that's fighting an insurgency against the Turkish state.

Unal Cevikoz, a senior aide on foreign affairs to Erdogan's challenger Kilicdaroglu, told CBS News the opposition alliance has noted "positive steps" taken by Sweden concerning Turkey's security concerns, and it hopes the Nordic nation's NATO membership won't be delayed "too much," signaling support for the Swedish accession bid.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the joint presidential candidate of the Nation Alliance, attends a campaign rally in Aydin, Turkey, on May 10, 2023. / Credit: Omer Evren Atalay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Turkey-U.S. ties

Located on the very border between the Eastern and Western worlds, Turkey is a strategically significant ally and partner for the U.S. unilaterally as well as in the context of NATO.

Relations between the two countries spiraled downward after Turkey purchased S-400 long-range missile systems from Russia in 2019, however, and there have been other points of contention.

The U.S. said the missile purchase would endanger American military technology, and hit Turkey with sanctions in response.

In the Syrian civil war, firm U.S. support for Kurdish militants, who were instrumental in defeating ISIS, also proved to be a significant thorn in the side of Turkish-U.S. relations. Turkey considers the Kurdish militias backed by the U.S. terror organizations, and even launched attacks against the groups while the U.S. was working with them on the ground.

Another sore point is Muhammed Fethullah Gulen. The Turkish dissident has lived in exile in the U.S. for years. Turkey alleges that his organization, which it also considers a terrorist group, was behind a 2016 coup attempt and has long demanded that the U.S. hand him over.

But despite the differences, Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), has pledged to strengthen ties with the U.S. and ensure tangible steps are taken to resolve all the disputes.

In an interview with the BBC, Kilicdaroglu said he wants to prioritize relations with the West, rather than Russia.

Turkey as a mediator, and ties with Russia

Erdogan has cultivated a close personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Not long after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Turkish leader declared himself a mediator.

Initial talks hosted in Turkey failed to make any headway, but a deal brokered by the United Nations in 2022 and supervised by Turkey has enabled the export of some 25 million tons of grain from Ukrainian ports to ease a global food crisis. That deal is set to expire in about a week, and Russia has so far objected to its renewal. Turkey remains directly involved in the extremely tense negotiations over the agreement's renewal.

Erdogan has refused to implement Western sanctions against Russia, and trade between the two countries has soared since the Ukraine invasion. Turkey is an energy-poor country, and it helps export Russian gas around the world. Russia is also funding and building Turkey's first nuclear power plant.

Cevikoz, the aide to Erodgan's challenger, said the opposition alliance did not "approve" of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and, if their candidate wins, they would "continue to facilitate" solutions for the problems between Russia and Ukraine.

Turkey's role in the region

Erdogan's ambitious foreign policy has made Turkey a key player in the Middle East.

Turkey openly supported some of the rebel factions that battled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, and it has provided safe haven for Syrian opposition members. But Turkey also occupied portions of northwest Syria in 2019, citing security concerns from Kurdish rebel factions, and still controls a vast area of land where 4.5 million people live.

Turkey currently has the world's largest refugee population, with some 4 million displaced people living in the country. Most are Syrians, though there are also large number of Iraqis, Iranians and Afghans. The high numbers and Turkey's geographic location have made the country a de-facto gatekeeper for the European Union: Ankara signed a deal with the EU to limit the number of asylum seekers reaching European soil.

But a shift in public opinion on refugees, including rising populist rhetoric against them, prompted Erdogan to take steps towards reconciliation with the Assad regime in Syria.

Turkey's political opposition has vowed to facilitate the return of refugees to Syria if it comes to power, but it has not provided details on how they would do it.

Rep. Lauren Underwood says there's a "pathway" for maternal health bills to pass Congress

NEC director Lael Brainard says "our expectation" is that Congress will act to avoid default

Laredo, Texas, Mayor Victor Trevino calls immigration crisis an "American problem"
Stock photo of Twitter logo and locks



Twitter has a new degree of security its never had before. Its far from perfect.

Twitter did it. The company met a deadline and released something on the promised date under Elon Musks leadership. The social media platform put out its first-ever encrypted messaging option late on Wednesday night, just under the wire. Yet in the mad dash to deliver, the site seems to have made some confusing compromises, as outlined in a Twitter blogpost.



Encrypted DMs on Twitter have been years in the making. The platform first began hinting at and exploring the possibility of secure messages about a decade ago. However, it dropped the concept multiple times after a few false starts, without offering much explanationas in 2018 when the site seemed to be testing a feature that was never released. Finally though, the bluebird app has encryptionwherein data is encoded upon sending a DM, and decoded at the point of receipt.

Read more

For online privacy writ large its undoubtedly a good thing. But Twitters version of encryption comes with some major caveats. For one, it is only available to verified users, meaning those with access are almost entirely people willing to pay $8 a month for Twitter Blue. Both parties in an encrypted Twitter exchange need to be verified for the feature to work.

Second, it is opt-in, which means users have to consciously choose encryption every time. Thats versus the security gold standard of default encryption. Facebook/Meta, for instance, faced years of flack from privacy experts over its own opt-in Messenger end-to-end encryption, which only recently became the default setting.

Image of Twitter encryption toggle



Twitters new DM encryption is opt-in. To toggle it on, a user needs to click the lock icon when starting a new message.

Then theres the user limitations. Twitters version of secured DMs only allows for the transmission of text. Picture and other media messages cannot currently be encrypted on the platform. Only one-on-one conversations are covered, group messages arent. Theres no avenue for reporting abusive encrypted messages. All of these are features readily available on other, well-respected encrypted messaging platforms like Signal, Metas Messenger, and WhatsApp. Moreover, neither of those options costs money.



Story continues

Image of Twitter encrypted DM



Encrypted Twitter DMs will look identical to their non-encrypted counterpart except for a lock icon displayed over the profile image of the recipient.

For Matthew Green, a computer scientist and cryptographer at Johns Hopkins University, the aforementioned issues of opt-in, pay to play, and limited usability all make Twitters encryption offering worse than much of whats available elsewhere. Encryption is an important safety feature, he told Gizmodo in a phone call. Unfortunately, theyre only going to provide safety for the people who have paid.



Some encryption is better than no encryption, Green noted. Yet all encryption isnt equal, and from Twitters starting point, it might be hard to make it good encryption. In the broadest sense, the privacy tech expert said hes excited about Twitters move towards increased messaging security: Its one of the few positive features Ive seen come out of Twitter in the last few months. But he has reservationsfrom the surface level down to the features very foundation.

For now, he maintains that the best use for Twitter messages is to exchange a WhatsApp or Signal number. Thats the best use of Twitter DMs until anyone knows how good this thing is.

A Deeper Dive into Twitters Encryption Failings

Beyond the user-facing let downs, on the back-end, there are additional weak spots in Twitters new security setting. To the companys credit, it is upfront that its first stab at encrypted DMs isnt perfect. When it comes to Direct Messages, the standard should be, if someone puts a gun to our heads, we still cant access your messages, the Wednesday blogpost reads, quoting a previous tweet from Musk. Were not quite there yet, it continues.

As Twitter points out in its own statement, its version of encryption doesnt necessarily protect against man-in-the-middle attacks. This means a technically competent bad actor or Twitter itself could theoretically intercept messages without the knowledge of the sender. Because of this weakness, Twitters version of encryption is not necessarily end-to-endagain a security gold-standard that Signal, WhatsApp, Messenger, and others offer.



Man-in-the-middle attacks are a security edge case said Green, that most probably dont need to worry about. Its a sophisticated attack that, yes, technically could happen, but its less likely than all of the other multitude ways messaging privacy could be compromised. Twitter says it plans to work on improving this vulnerability moving forward. Still though, its another ding against Musks platform. Yet, much more concerning to Green, is Twitters lack of one other generally standard encryption mechanism called forward secrecy, also noted in the companys blog.

All of the [cryptography] people I know are kind of baffled by that, he told Gizmodo. With forward secrecy, the encryption key that protects a users privacy changes with every message. In practice, it means that if your phone or computer are hacked and the perpetrator gets access to your existing communications and decryption key, they at least wont be able to intercept or see future messages. Its kind of table stakes for all modern encryption protocols, Green said.

But not for Twitter. The company further says it has no intent to institute a forward secrecy protocol. We dont plan to address this limitation, it wrote.

To Green, its a big red flag. Modern encryption is generally based on the open-source Signal Protocol. If Twitter were working like basically every other tech company, it wouldve used this readily available, powerful and well-tested code resource to develop its encryption. This wouldve guaranteed changing encryption keys. The fact that the platform didnt is super mysterious. On its own, the lack of forward secrecy is kind of bad, said Green, but the broader implication that Twitter went completely in-house and designed its own cryptography is even more worrying.

As far as he knows, Twitter doesnt have many cryptographic experts on staff. After Musks purge, the platform doesnt have that many people on staff, period. Encryption is a very hard thing to get right, Green said. If Twitter didnt build on the existing, open source expertise thats widely available maybe they made it up themselves, and thats where people make big mistakes, the JHU professor added.

Both Green and the companys blogpost expressed hopes that Twitters encryption feature will improve down the line. But the forward secrecy failing gives the security expert pause. If Twitter has made mistakes independently developing this first release of secure messaging, those issues will reverberate throughout the platform in perpetuity. It seems like they made some foundational choices that might not be great, Green said. If you build a bad basement on a house, youre gonna be fighting with problems forever.

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Two loving dads went missing months ago  and now, human remains found on a farm have been identified as theirs, Georgia news outlets reported.

Jason Salter  a 39-year-old father of four  vanished as he left to meet his best friend Kenny Guerra  a 35-year-old father of three, according to WXIA and other news outlets. The two later were found dead, sparking a homicide investigation.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation shared the identity of the remains May 11, more than two months after the men disappeared. Salter was last seen driving in the Atlanta suburb of East Point on Feb. 25 before loved ones said the mens cars were found in two different places, according to WANF.

Its not like him to not call me, Ty Manning, who was engaged to Salter, told the TV station. Its not like him to not reach out to me.

Family members said the two ran Rockstar Lifestyle Print Shop, a business in the Atlanta area. They were loving fathers, responsible men (and) contributors to their community, Salters cousin, Eric Lee, told WXIA.

Then on March 11, the Chattahoochee Hills Police Department told WAGA human remains were found in a patch of woods on a farm about 25 miles southwest of East Point. Weeks after the discovery was made, officials said the remains belonged to the missing men.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which didnt list a cause of death in a news release, told McClatchy News in an email that autopsy results are pending.

A search for clues continues, and anyone with information is asked to call state officials at 770-388-5019 or 800-597-8477. People also can share information online or through the smartphone application called See Something, Send Something.

Police in East Point, Hapeville and South Fulton reportedly were involved in the disappearance case but didnt immediately share additional details with McClatchy News on May 11.

Dad of six beautiful children killed at Georgia home, family says. Couple charged

Man shoots and kills husband before hes caught trying to board flight, Georgia cops say
Russian military

According to the court, Russian serviceman Alexander Stepanov refused to go to Ukraine on Jan. 18, 2023, while visiting the headquarters of a military unit in the Kamchatka area in Russias Far East.

Read also: Russia prepares for illegal mobilization in occupied Mariupol

Another serviceman, Andrey Mikhailov, refused to comply with similar orders from his commander on Jan. 21, while visiting the headquarters of a military unit based in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

They both were found guilty of disobeying commands order during mobilization.

Read also: Its becoming more difficult for Russians to evade mobilization, journalist says

On May 10, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced the a new wave of drafts for Russian reservists, reportedly for military training.

The Bloomberg news agency reported on March 24 that Russia plans to recruit another 400,000 contract soldiers amid failed offensive and huge losses among Russian troops. Russias previous mobilization drive fell far short of its goal  while Russia claims that it drafted 300,000 soldiers in its 2022 mobilization drive, independent experts estimate that less than half that number was actually achieved.

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
In February 2018, Texas Department of Transportation Commissioner Victor Vandergriff resigned from his governor-appointed position, telling the public that it was time for new blood.

Instead of stopping his payments, the state continued to cut him a monthly paycheck  62 paychecks in fact  totaling nearly $92,000, plus benefits over the next five years.

The state took steps to stop the payments in March after the American-Statesman asked why Vandergriff was still getting paid.

The position paid $16,300 annually to work part-time helping oversee the state agency in charge of Texas roads and highways.

Victor Vandergriff

Vandergriffs abrupt exit in 2018 came a month after the Texas Tribune reported that Vandergriff had performed work as a private lobbyist during trips to Austin paid by TxDOT. Vandergriff returned some of the money to the state.

Mr. Transportation  thats what a news release called him  got a new job in June 2020 as the executive director of the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition, a public-private partnership that champions innovative mobility and infrastructure solutions for our area.

But payments totaling $91,796 continued flowing to Vandergriffs bank account  more than $1,300 a month plus at least $80 monthly in longevity pay, according to the Texas Comptrollers office  even though he never attended another commission meeting after his resignation, records show. The payments also continued for three years after Vandergriffs term expired in February 2019.

Because he remained on the books as a state employee, Vandergriff also qualified for additional years of state service to bolster his pension and was eligible for Texas-funded medical benefits. A spokeswoman for the Employee Retirement System said she could not discuss whether or not Vandergriff received any such benefits, citing confidentiality.

A Statesman investigation found Vandergriff remained on the state payroll because Gov. Greg Abbott waited five years to name his successor, which came in March amid Statesman inquiries to the state about Vandergriff, and because the Texas Constitution allows Vandergriff to remain in the position  at least on paper  until a replacement is named. The state commonly refers to those as holdover positions.

Story continues

It doesnt matter that this position only pays $16,000 a year, said Adrian Shelley, executive director of Public Citizen, a government watchdog and advocacy group. What matters is that we take our roles seriously as government employees, and that we dont take salaries for jobs that we arent doing.

I think everybody understands that somebody who is not doing a job doesnt deserve to be paid for that job, he said.

Vandergriff, who was appointed to the TxDOT commission in 2013 by former Gov. Rick Perry, initially told the Statesman that he planned to issue a statement in response to multiple requests for comment.

In a later email, he wrote, After a bit of time to reflect, I realized that there is really nothing more that I can or should add to the story. It is not my place to be involved in a post mortem discussion of what could or should have been done differently. All indications are that both TxDOT and the governors office are in the beginning stages of such a discussion.

I do not expect my situation to happen again, he added.

Abbott, TxDOT response

Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesman for Abbott, said in a statement: The Texas Constitution provides that state officers, such as the TxDOT commissioners, serve as holdovers until their replacements are appointed and qualify for office, despite term expiration or stepping down from that role.

The governor has directed the Texas Department of Transportation to update their compensation processes to ensure their commissioners are fulfilling their duties to the people of Texas, the statement said.

The governors office did not respond to additional requests for comment, including why Abbott did not name Steven D. Alvis of Houston as Vandergriffs successor until March 21. The Statesman sent its first request for information about Vandergriff to the state on Feb. 28. Alvis appointment is pending Senate approval.

TxDOT spokesman Adam Hammons said in a statement: As directed by the governor, TxDOT leadership is reviewing the departments procedures for the payment of compensation to commissioners and will continue to ensure that the payments are made in compliance with applicable state law.

Neither agency would comment on whether Vandergriff should have been paid for the five years that he didnt act as a commissioner.

Vandergriff, 65, is widely known in Texas politics, particularly in transportation circles. He grew up in the automotive industry as the grandson of North Texas auto dealer magnate Hooker Vandergriff and was the son of former Tarrant County Judge and U.S. Rep. Tom Vandergriff, who also served as Arlington mayor.

Victor Vandergriff also served as chair of the North Texas Tollway Authority and as chair of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Board.

Vandergriff has largely been praised as North Texas voice in Austin on transportation matters, D Magazine said in a story announcing his resignation. The publication had named Vandergriff Best Public Official in North Texas in 2017.

Governor appointments

TxDOT commissioner positions are among about 1,500 coveted appointments a Texas governor makes in a four-year term to boards, commissions and councils that operate and oversee government operations. Most positions are volunteer, although others carry full- or part-time salaries.

TxDOT commissioners are responsible for planning the location and construction of major highways, overseeing the operations of state roadways and awarding contracts to improve the state transportation infrastructure. The commission meets once a month in downtown Austin, and the members' six-year terms are staggered so that an appointment is generally made every two years. The governor designates one commissioner to serve as chair.

Randall Erben, a Texas constitutional law adjunct professor at the University of Texas, said the provision that has kept Vandergriff on the books as a commissioner is grounded in the necessity to keep a governing body operating with a leader at the helm.

The way the Constitution sees it is, you can resign or your term of office can expire, but you still hold all the responsibilities and duties of the office, and you still hold all the benefits of the office, Erben said.

He added, The presumption is that when you resign, you are going to stay in the office and continue to show up and do the work for which you have been appointed or elected.

In 2019, Texas lawmakers and voters approved a measure that stipulated that a persons holdover term would end at the conclusion of the next legislative session following a vacancy. There are two exceptions: If the position does not require Senate confirmation or pays a salary; then they may continue in the position until the governor appoints someone new.

Shelley said he is troubled by the situation on two fronts: He said money spent on Vandergriffs salary is an affront to hard-working state employees who show up to perform their jobs.

When we pay taxes, we want that money to go to services that benefit us as Texans, he said. Frankly it is something that people should care about.

Shelley said he also believes Abbott should have acted far sooner  and he questions why he didnt.

This should have been a priority, he said. This is an incredibly important post for the future of Texas. To see it go unfilled for five years is a real concern.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas DOT official Victor Vandergriff paid for 5 years after resigning
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh aim to strengthen the partnership in agriculture between the two countries, the Palace said Thursday.

During their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, Malacanang said that Marcos highlighted the trade relationship of the Philippines and Vietnam in the area of agriculture, which he hopes would go beyond just in trading in rice.

I think that the market is ripe for continued development in the areas of course as I mention, in agriculture, transfer of technologies for climate change, the different areas that we have been looking at also at specific products that Vietnam has been successful at, he told the Vietnamese official.

The Vietnamese executive, meanwhile, welcomed Marcos statement, vowing to closely work with their counterparts in the Philippines on trade promotion.

Pham said they would look into agricultural products that they "can afford to provide in the long-term to the Philippines.

The Vietnamese prime minister added that both countries must ensure stability in the products and their prices to cushion possible external shocks in the years to come.

Marcos also said the two nations can draw strength from each other, as well as other Southeast Asian countries, to bolster their respective tourism recovery efforts.

The president is in Indonesia for the 42nd ASEAN Summit where top leaders discussed economic recovery efforts and other issues in the region.
Haitian nationals are the largest group of political-asylum applicants in Mexico. But of the nearly 19,000 who have applied for protection to remain in the country this year, only 62 have been granted legal refugee status.

That low acceptance rate  compared to the 3,848 Hondurans who have already been granted protection as refugees by Mexican authorities this year  is one of the examples immigration advocates and aid workers point to when discussing their opposition to a new Biden administration rule that bans migrants from seeking asylum in the United States if they fail to first request it in another country they have traveled through.

The rule, which takes effect Friday, is part of a series of sweeping new measures that the administration has put in place as the pandemic-era emergency public health rule known as Title 42 comes to an end. Under the Trump-era policy, more than 2.8 million migrants were rapidly expelled from the United States southern border over three years.

Now, advocates say, instead of returning to the previous policy in which migrants could appear in person at a U.S. port of entry and request asylum, the United States will force them to choose between deportation and banishment or remaining in places plagued by the kind of violence and poverty they are fleeing, and without robust immigration protections.

This asylum ban is nothing more than a rebranding of the harmful and racist policies of the Trump administration, which forced so many people and families, including children, into harms way, said Abby Maxman, president and chief executive officer of Oxfam America. Seeking asylum is a legal and human right  one that must not depend on which country you flee, the path of your journey to the United States, or your manner of entry.

Migrants cross the Rio Grande to the U.S. side, from Matamoros, Mexico, Thursday, May 11, 2023. Migrants rushed across the Mexico border Thursday in hopes of entering the U.S. in the final hours before pandemic-related asylum restrictions are lifted. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Kevin Keen, a spokesman with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said while the agency welcomes the end of Title 42, it finds that key elements of the regulation are incompatible with principles of international refugee law.

Story continues

The regulation will restrict the human right to seek asylum, he said. Seeking asylum is a fundamental human right.

On Thursday as the clock winds down to the 11:59 p.m. deadline for the expiration of Title 42 and other COVID-19 health rules, Department of Homeland Security officials rejected the criticism that they were subjecting already vulnerable migrants to danger and violence.

We hear these criticisms, but we do not agree with them, said DHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy Blas Nunez-Neto in a press call with journalists. He insisted that under the new administrations policies, people still have the right to request asylum at the border.

Nunez-Neto said DHS is offering other ways to legally come to the U.S.. He and others have touted the success of more than 100,000 Haitians, Cubans, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans who have been allowed into the U.S. under a new humanitarian program.

Like all countries, we have the need to enforce our laws at the border and we have also been working with all our partner countries in the region so they expand their legal channels for migrants and enforce their laws at their borders, Nunez-Neto said in the call, conducted in Spanish.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas again emphasized that anyone arriving at the border without using a lawful pathway will face tougher consequences including a minimum five-year ban on re-entry and potential criminal prosecution.

We are ready to humanely process and remove people without a legal basis to remain in the U.S. We have 24,000 Border Patrol Agents and Officers at the Southwest Border and have surged thousands of troops and contractors, and over a thousand asylum officers to help enforce our laws, he said. Do not believe the lies of smugglers. The border is not open.

Martha Youth, a deputy assistant secretary handling immigration issues at the State Department, said the administration has provided more than $4 billion in humanitarian assistance and development aid to the region in the past two fiscal years. Part of it, she said, was used to support migrants and help governments expand their own asylum systems.

But such numbers are of little comfort to advocates and aid workers in Mexico, which under an agreement with the U.S. has agreed to accept up to 30,000 Haitians, Cubans, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans sent back from the U.S. each month.

For these migrants and others along a migration route that at times spans as many as 11 nations  some migrants begin their overland journeys from as far as Brazil  it means staying in countries that do not want them or where they face ethnic and racial prejudice.

George MacLeod, a professor at St. Marys College of Maryland, who recently visited the Mexican border town of Tijuana, said he met a number of Haitians who described the impossibility of enrolling their children in Mexican schools and discrimination from Mexican landlords.

A man described going hungry for two days to be able to send money home to his family, and that with black market wages since official work is difficult, it was hard to even meet basic expenses of rent and food in Tijuana, MacLeod said..

According to official statistics by the Mexican governments Commission for Refugee Assistance, asylum applications by Haitian refugees had the lowest positive response rate in 2022 and so far this year, among the five countries topping the chart with applications. The other countries are Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba and Venezuela.

A migrant gestures to Texas National Guards standing behind razor wire on the bank of the Rio Grande river, seen from Matamoros, Mexico, Thursday, May 11, 2023. Pandemic-related U.S. asylum restrictions, known as Title 42, are to expire May 11. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Last year, only 12% of all Haitian asylum applications that were finalized concluded with a positive response, compared to 97% of the applications by Venezuelans.

Up to last month, almost 19,000 Haitians have applied for refugee status this year in Mexico, though the positive response rate keeps getting lower.

In two recent reports, the U.N. pointed out that many 46% of individuals in transit through Guatemala between January 2022 and February 2023 blamed violence, insecurity and discrimination as reasons for fleeing their country of origin.

Another U.N. study also noted that Mexico, which had a record 130,000 asylum applications filed in 2021, has struggled to keep up with applications.

Jessie Valcin, who was born in Haiti and works with migrants at a shelter in Tijuana, said migrants from Haiti as well as African nations routinely face discrimination in Mexico, especially when trying to access health care.

The biggest issue is often the language barrier. Haitians, in particular, are often refused medical attention because they do not have a translator, said Valcin, who is studying psychology at a Mexican university.

She remembers two cases in particular. One involved a Haitian woman who was six months pregnant and was denied treatment because she showed up at the hospital without a translator. Another incident involved a pregnant Guatemalan woman who was going into labor, did not speak Spanish and her husband wasnt allowed in the delivery room to assist.

The doctor kept saying he knew Guatemalans spoke Spanish, Valcin said, adding that the woman spoke only a native indigenous language.

The medical profession has a system that is really discriminatory and really racist, she said, recalling cases where pregnant women have given birth on the steps of hospitals because they were not allowed admission for lack of interpretation. Life for migrants here in Mexico is very hard and they are often faced with criminality.

Even Spanish-speaking migrants have not been immune. July Rodriguez, a Venezuelan activist in Mexico, said she never used to see prejudice against Venezuelans in Mexico until now.

Texas National Guardsmen stand along a stretch of razor wire as a migrant woman carrying a child tries to cross into the U.S, on the banks of the Rio Grande, as seen from Matamoros, Mexico, Thursday, May 11, 2023. Migrants rushed across the Mexico border Thursday in hopes of entering the U.S. in the final hours before pandemic-related asylum restrictions are lifted. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Rodriguez accused local officials in some Mexican border towns of spreading xenophobic messages, which have now spread to Mexico City with people cursing Venezuelans on the streets, wishing them death at times.

I hear them saying that without their realizing that I am also Venezuelan, because I keep quiet, she said.

Lizbeth Guerrero, a Venezuelan lawyer living in Mexico, said migrants face extortion and forced disappearances given the countrys high crime rates. With so many Venezuelans pushing toward the United States, she worries about what will come.

Since October, the United States has been returning to Mexico Venezuelans who attempt to cross into the border illegally. Now, under an agreement between the Biden administration and Mexico, they will be joined by tens of thousands of Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans who after being arrested by U.S. border agents will be asked if they want to voluntarily return to Mexico, where they can seek legal permission to enter the U.S. Should they decide not to go back, the migrants will be placed in expedited removals where they will then be expelled and banned from the U.S. for at least five years.

We just dont know what Mexico is going to do with all these people who are going to be turned back, Guerrero said. At times you hear comments such as, Mexico will continue to receive them, but one asks, in what conditions? Are they going to continue to be kept as they are now, with people going through hard times inside camps that have nothing more than camping tents? Where they dont have water or electricity? And have absolutely nothing for them to stay and be okay?

Guerrero said that despite messages from U.S. officials about the border not being open, migrants continue to move toward the U.S., believing mistakenly that once Title 42 ends, the border will instantly open.

With Mexicos asylum system already overwhelmed and migrants struggling to make ends meet in the country without documents, Guerrero said she cant help but worry about what will happen.

All the support we have seen has come from civil society instead of the government, said Guerrero. On the contrary, what the government has done is introduce more roadblocks to the people in transit.
By Steve Holland, Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden's national security adviser met China's top diplomat this week and both sides recognized the need to move beyond an alleged spy balloon incident that caused a pause in relations between the superpowers, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.

The White House hoped the eight hours of talks in Vienna on Wednesday and Thursday between U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and China's top diplomat Wang Yi would pave the way for more communications between the world's two biggest economies, the official said.

China's Washington embassy said the two had "candid, in-depth, substantive and constructive discussions ... on removing obstacles in China-U.S. relations and stabilizing the relationship from deterioration."

The U.S. official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said Sullivan and Wang did not discuss dates for a possible rescheduled visit to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, but said the White House expects the two sides to continue engaging in the coming months.

Biden has been seeking to hold a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping but the official had no update on this effort.

Blinken canceled a planned trip to Beijing in February after the U.S. shot down a Chinese balloon that flew over sensitive military sites, plunging the rivals into a diplomatic crisis.

Asked what was discussed about the incident, the official replied: I think both sides recognized that that unfortunate incident led to a bit of a pause in engagement. Were seeking now to get beyond that, and reestablish some just standard, normal channel of communications.

The official said the U.S. side had made clear where it stood on the breach-of-sovereignty issue, but was "trying to look forward from here on" and seek issues where China and the U.S. could potentially work together.

KEEPING AN OPEN CHANNEL FOR COMMUNICATION

Story continues

U.S.-China ties have been on a downward slide over issues ranging from accusations of Chinese spying and human rights abuses to U.S. efforts to build up military alliances to curb China's ambitions toward Taiwan and in the Pacific.

The official said both sides agreed to maintain the channel of communication between Sullivan and Wang and that Sullivan had stressed that Washington did not seek conflict or confrontation.

Sullivan raised concerns about American citizens detained in China and stressed that this was a personal priority of Biden. He also raised concerns about the potential for Chinese military assistance to Russia in Ukraine.

A White House statement earlier said the talks sought to build on Biden and Xi's meeting in Indonesia in November.

The Vienna meeting came ahead of an expected visit to Asia by Biden starting with a G7 summit in Japan from May 19-21 that is expected to look for closer alignment of the group's approach towards China.

Blinken's canceled trip had been intended to help repair relations after an earlier rupture over a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's to Taiwan, the self-governed island that China considers its own.

The United States has expressed its eagerness to reschedule Blinken's visit and arrange other senior-level meetings as part of an effort to keep relations from veering toward conflict.

Blinken did meet Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference after the balloon incident, but this did not soothe tensions.

Daniel Russel, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia in the Obama administration, said communication between the U.S. national security adviser and the top Chinese foreign affairs official has been historically important and today "appears to be virtually the only significant channel still operating."

He said the avoidance of damaging public sparring seen in the past was encouraging, but did not mean relations were necessarily on the mend.

"Both sides are delivering stern  sometimes angry  messages," he said, "but these meetings create the possibility they may find some common ground that can help stabilize a relationship that is dangerously volatile."

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Additional reporting by Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Paul Grant, Jonathan Oatis, Don Durfee, Nick Macfie and Daniel Wallis)
Wikimedia Commons

Despite extensive military assistance to Ukraine, transfers of two types of military hardware have remained taboo for Ukraines allies: modern Western-designed jet fighters, and long range land-attack missiles.

But as of today, you can scratch the second one off the list. On Thursday morning, British defense secretary Ben Wallace told the House of Commons that the U.K. had broken the long-range taboo by transferring a number of Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles, seen as a proportionate response to Russias sustained air attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine. Storm Shadow is officially advertised as having a range exceeding 250km, or 155 miles, with other figures (including some given by the president of France) suggesting it has a maximum range of 250, or even 350, miles.

Its unclear whether Ukraine has received fully capable Storm Shadows, or a reduced range model so as to adhere to the MTCR arms control regime, which ordinarily discouraged export of missiles with a range exceeding 190 miles.

While not fast like Russias Kinzhal aerial ballistic missile, the five-meter-long Storm Shadow is noted for its high degree of stealth, AI-driven image-matching terminal guidance system, and bunker-busting two-stage warhead (as further detailed below). Because its entirely pre-programmed for its targets prior to takeoff, it should be easier to integrate onto Ukraines Soviet warplanes than other advanced Western guided weapons.

Western governments feared Ukraine might use long-range missiles for attacks on Russian soil deemed politically provocative, which could incite escalatory retaliation. That, along with limited inventory, has most notably kept the U.S. from donating 190-mile range ATACMS ballistic missiles that are ordinarily compatible with the HIMARS and M270 rocket artillery systems donated to Ukraine.

Wallace stated that the Storm Shadows were supplied with assurances from Ukraine that they would only be used for strikes on Russian-occupied parts of the country, such as logistical centers in Starobilsk and Melitopol.

Story continues

But the real bullseye falls on Russias extensive military infrastructure on the Crimean Peninsula, including airbases and much of Russias Black Sea Fleet. Russia had leased bases in that area from Ukraine for two decades, only for Putin to invade the entire peninsula in 2014.

The politics of Donated Missiles

Given that the donation from the UK sounds like it was in limited quantity (a number), the UKs Storm Shadow may effectively be more a political play than a military one, much like when the country donated Western-designed main battle tanks.

Though the latter quantity was relatively small14 Challenger 2 tanksit may have helped end hesitation for much larger subsequent donations of Leopard 2 and M1 tanks from the U.S. and continental Europe. The UK has been less concerned by the but how will Putin react? factor than France or Germany.

Fortunately for Ukraine, Storm Shadow donations are more likely to be scalable than the UKs rare Challenger 2 tanks, as the missiles are also in Frances inventoryunder the designation SCALP-EGand Italys. Both are major donors to Ukraine. The French Navy also uses a longer-range ship-launched variant called the MdCn.

Western governments might see whether Middle Eastern Storm Shadow clients (Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) are amenable to quietly selling back missiles in exchange for newly-built replacements later. Those sold to the Middle East are believed to be a downgraded variant with 180-mile range sometimes dubbed the Black Shaheenstill potentially useful for Ukraines purposes.

BEN STANSALL - Getty Images

Origins of Storm Shadow

Not to be confused with the G.I. Joe villain of the same name, Storm Shadow/SCALP is a French-U.K. joint venture built by European missile-maker MBDA and based on the Apache runway-cratering missile. It and Germanys KEPD-350 air-launched cruise missile are the most numerous European-built equivalents to the U.S.s arsenal of Tomahawk land-attack missiles, which have much longer range and are primarily (but not exclusively) sea-launched.

Storm Shadow doesnt use any input from the carrying aircraft before or after launch. Instead, its pre-programmed on the ground to follow waypoints to the target area autonomously using inertial and GPS navigationusually skimming at just 100-130 feet above the ground to further reduce radar detectability. Supported by pop-out wings, it flies just below the speed of sound powered by small TRI 60-30 turbojet engine and boasts a low radar-cross section due to its non-reflective geometry.

Once near the target, the missile lunges upwardstossing off its pointy nose cone and exposing the infrared sensor withinand uses its elevated vantage to scan the ground below, searching for anything that resembles preloaded satellite images of the target using an early AI-driven technology called DSMAC (Digital Scene Matching Area Correlator.)

If the missile cant find the target, it can be assigned a crash point so as not to risk collateral damage. But on finding a match, it swoops down and, just before impact, discharges the pre-cursor charge of its nearly half-ton (992-pound) BROACH warhead.

The armor-penetrating precursor blasts a hole into the targets surface, allowing the larger main charge to pass inside the targeted structure before detonatingmaking BROACH effective against hardened targets like underground storage facilities and bunkers.

And while a Storm Shadow can go further and has a much larger warhead than a GMRL rocket, its also 4-5 times more expensive, so Ukraine will receive a far smaller number. That means each shot will have to count, and there wont be an indefinite resupply of missiles, making avoiding interception even more pertinent.

Storm Shadow was first used in combat during the 2003 invasion of Iraq by now-retired British Tornado jets. Frances SCALP-EG missiles followed in 2011, deployed by Mirage 2000Ds and carrier-based Rafale-M jets in the campaign to overthrow Qaddafi in Libya. In the mid-2010s, the UK and France also employed the missiles against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and in strikes punishing the Syrian government for its use of chemical weapons.

Western Missiles on Soviet Warbirds

Storm Shadow/SCALP is designed to be lofted from aircraft, and has been integrated into Swedens JAS-39 Gripen fighter, Frances Mirage 2000 and newer Rafale fighters, and Tornado jets and newer Eurofighter Typhoons built by Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

But because Storm Shadows dont require fire control instructions from the launching fighter, they should be comparatively easy to add onto the Ukrainian Air Forces Soviet warplanes.

Ukraine has already managed to mount AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles on its MiG-29 jets, a modification likely enabled by the fact the HARM has a built-in seeker. Due to Storm Shadows considerable size and weight, it may seek to mount it on large-but-fast Su-24 Fencer bombers or Su-27 fighters.

Wikimedia Commons

Due to Storm Shadows considerable range, Ukrainian jets could release the missile from relatively safe airspace. That said, to delay/avoid detection by Russian ground-based radars and attack from an unpredictable angle, Ukraine may opt for launch from low altitudeeven if that reduces the maximum range and requires getting closer. There may therefore still be some need to dodge patrolling Russian MiG-31 interceptors, and Su-35 fighters scanning from above and primed to launch very-long-range R-37M missile.

Theoretically, Ukraine could also cobble together means to ground-launch Storm Shadows, accepting a significantly reduced range.

Like most long-range cruise missiles, Storm Shadows are not cheapprobably costing around $1 million per shot. And most operators have inventories in the low-to-mid hundreds, not thousands, limiting how many theyre inclined to donate. Still, if the UKs donations breaks the taboo on transferring long-range missiles to Ukraine, then multiple donors may help make up numbersto an extent.

Long-range Strike Tactics

When, in the summer of 2022, Ukraine began using Western-supplied HIMAR systems to launch GMLR precision-guided rockets out to a range of 56 miles, it resulted in a succession of spectacularly destructive attacks on Russian HQs, airbases, and ammo depots.

Those spectacles declined in frequency after a few months, as the Russians learned their lesson and pushed vulnerable support structures back outside of HIMARS rangeaccepting a loss of efficiency for better survival odds. Russia also began employing GPS-jamming to throw off the aim of HIMARS and SDB glide bombs given to Ukraine.

In theory, then, Storm Shadow and similar weapons could give Ukrainian planners a second happy period, as Russian depots and HQs again fall into convenient precision-strike rangepotentially devastating if timed to coincide with Ukraines anticipated 2023 counteroffensive.

And this time, those depots and command centers might have to relocate all the way to Russian soil to escape the Storm Shadows reach. That could especially threaten Russian forces in southern Ukraine, most distant from the Russian border.

But there are important differences to keep in mind. While Russian air defenses struggled to shoot down supersonic HIMARS rockets, Storm Shadow is a subsonic cruise missilea class of weapon that Ukraines own air defense system has become efficient at shooting down.

Storm Shadows successversus Russias technically superior air defenseswill depend in part on its stealth characteristics. Because the missile relies on image-matching instead of GPS for terminal guidance, it should at least be less degraded by Russian GPS jamming than HIMARS rockets.

Mena Adel, who writes on military aviation for Scramble magazine, told Popular Mechanics that tactics practiced by France and the UK using SCALP/Storm Shadow against Syrias Soviet-built air defense systems offer a relevant model for Ukraine:

The U.S., France and UK attacked with a sweeping attack by 4 different types of missiles, including [non-stealth] Tomahawk missiles which formed the largest part to disperse the Syrian air defense thereby reducing the chance of intercepting stealth missiles. All while monitored by Russian air defenses in Syria It is certain that future attacks will be planned using different types of missile approach from different directions to deceive the Russian systems so that the desired targets are hit with great accuracy and a minimum interception rate. Stealthiness is not enough, success will depend on planning and deception.

As Ukraine will not have nearly as many cruise missiles available, Adel suggested Ukraine might instead launch concerted attacks with drones and SDB glide bombs (both ground- and air-launched) supported by electronic warfare systems to confuse and overwhelm Russian air defenses.

Ukraines promise not to strike Russian soil with Western-supplied missiles could also inspire a false flag attack making it appear it has done soa well-established tactic in Putins playbook. As Ukraine is sporadically attacking targets in Russia (mainly airbases, oil depots and electrical infrastructure) using agents and domestically-built drones and missiles, there could be grounds for confusion and misinformation.

Overall, Storm Shadow is a potent long-distance strike weapon Ukraine will have to employ judiciously for maximum effectthough even the likely modest number transferred to Ukraine will likely to cause anxiety to Russian logisticians, commanders, and air defense personnel.

You Might Also Like
A woman seeking asylum sits on a bed inside Albergue del Desierto  one of Mexicali's only free migrant shelters. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

The shelter for migrant women and children was running out of space Wednesday when a teary-eyed woman and her 7-year-old son rang the doorbell and sheepishly peeked inside.

The pair had just arrived by bus from the Mexican state of Guerrero, each carrying small, stuffed backpacks, after a gang burned down their house and threatened to kill the woman. Advised by a friend that Mexicali was a good place to cross the border, the 31-year-old woman, who asked to be identified by her initials J.Z. out of fear for her safety, said she had planned to turn herself in to border authorities.

She knew nothing about Title 42, the pandemic-era U.S. border policy set to lift Thursday night. And she had never heard of CBP One, the phone application migrants are required by U.S. authorities to use to make appointments to request asylum.

"It breaks my heart to say I don't have more space," said Monika Oropeza, who has run Albergue del Desierto  one of Mexicali's only free migrant shelters  since 1989. "They come like this daily. And we think more will come with the end of Title 42 because there is all types of bad information, that they can enter [the U.S.] now."

Across the southern border with Mexico on Wednesday, communities, migrants and border agents braced for the long-anticipated end of Title 42 orders. Most U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities were already overcapacity. Hundreds of other migrants lined up near ports of entry in Arizona and Texas to see if they would finally be let in.

Border Patrol agents had apprehended more than 10,000 migrants Tuesday, according to internal data obtained by The Times. Customs and Border Protection had more than 28,000 migrants in its custody Tuesday morning, and they were staying on average 65 hours, the data show. By the end of the day, that number had decreased to about 26,000, Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz told ABC News.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security "is struggling to manage the numbers of arriving noncitizens, a department official told The Times on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter freely. Planning for the imminent end of Title 42 while at the same time working to manage a huge surge of migrants places an enormous strain on the workforce and results in a lot of stress and confusion.

Story continues

John Sandweg, a former senior DHS official in the Obama administration, theorized that the increase in apprehensions was due to migrants fearing implementation of the upcoming Biden administration policy limiting asylum for those who cross without authorization.

Sandweg said that with such high numbers, it would be impossible for CBP not to start releasing thousands of migrants from custody with court dates. The backlog plaguing the immigration court system would require years for cases to be heard, he said.

South of the San Ysidro Port of Entry near San Diego, a group of men from Haiti huddled by the colorful Tijuana, Mexico, sign. They had been in Reynosa, a Mexican border city near McAllen, Texas, for a couple of months before they managed to get appointments. They flew to Tijuana a few days ago and had brought few belongings with them.

A mile away, more than 200 people from countries including Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Turkey waited in an area between two layers of border wall that has become an open-air holding cell for Border Patrol. Families said they'd been waiting as many as four days to be processed.

Border Patrol has been holding migrants for extended periods of time between the border walls in the region since at least October. Agents have begun putting wristbands on migrants that indicate which day they were apprehended.

U.S. border patrol agents speak to migrants hoping to cross into the United States from Tijuana, Mexico, wait in an area south of the second border wall in anticipation of a change in immigration policy, Title 42, which may allow them to apply for asylum. The change is scheduled to go into effect at midnight on May 11, 2023. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) said he was disturbed that Border Patrol would hold migrants in such conditions. Garcia sent a letter to Ortiz last week seeking answers about the practice.

"Yes, it is a really large challenge, and yes, we all want a secure border, but it's also true that these people, most of them, are fleeing horrific conditions and are seeking help," Garcia told The Times.

San Diego officials have asked the federal government for more resources to aid migrants released in the area. Local hospitals also braced for a possible increase in demand for medical services.

Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista Chief Executive Chris Van Gorder said he is concerned that an increase in hospital transports from the border could overwhelm already-packed emergency departments. Migrants falling from the top of the extended border wall have died or sustained gruesome injuries requiring surgeries and long recovery in some San Diego-area hospitals.

In Ciudad Juarez, the busiest illicit crossing in recent months, migrants stranded there for months  many already expelled multiple times back to Mexico under Title 42  were abandoning shelters, cheap hotels and other sites of stop-gap refuge to fan out along the barren border strip between the Rio Grande and the metal border fence separating the area from El Paso.

Migrants cross the Rio Grande river into the United States from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Tuesday, May 9, 2023. The U.S. is preparing for the Thursday, May 11th end of the Title 42 policy, linked to the coronavirus pandemic that allowed it to quickly expel many migrants seeking asylum. (Christian Chavez / Associated Press)

Men, women and some children trudged along the river en route to gates in the border fence where U.S. border agents were assembled. Groups of migrants, some numbering 200 or more, gathered nearby in anticipation of Thursday night's change in border policy that many viewed as a possible opportunity to allow them to finally enter the U.S.

In Venezuela we have a saying  maybe the third time will be the lucky charm, said Jonathan Vera, 30.

Like many others, he said he had been stuck in Juarez for months, and on two occasions had crossed and been sent back under Title 42. Last week, he and his wife, Darly, crossed into the U.S. Immigration authorities sent him back but allowed her to remain to pursue an asylum case, he said.

He said he has since lost touch with his wife after he was robbed of his cellphone and other possessions.

I hope she is all right, he said of his wife, the mother of the couples three girls, ages 7, 8 and 11, who remain in Venezuela. We had this dream to come here together, start a better life for our family. Maybe now it will happen. Who knows?

Meanwhile, in Yuma, Ariz., Mayor Douglas Nicholls said the attention on El Paso has drowned out the strain felt by smaller border towns. Migrants are processed in Yuma before they head to other places, including California. The city went from seeing 50 migrants a day early in the pandemic to 600 two weeks ago and 1,000 last weekend, Nicholls said.

"The numbers we're looking at are far greater than anything we've ever had to deal with," he said, noting that he believes the Biden administration's planning was inadequate. "Title 42 was always meant to go away. And they've known that."

Andrea Flores, who served in the Biden administration as director for border management at the National Security Council, told The Times that "anyone looking at the situation at the border should be concerned."

"The policy announcements we have seen this week, like a new home curfew pilot and the promise of regional processing centers that dont exist yet, do nothing to reduce the massive operational challenge facing border communities in the coming days," she said. "Every lapse in preparation exacerbates the human costs on both sides of the border.

Back in sleepy Mexicali, the scene was a world away from the hundreds of migrants waiting to be processed in El Paso. Migrants were housed in shelters instead of tent encampments along the Rio Grande. There were no visible large groups gathered near the Calexico port of entry.

Women at Oropeza's Albergue del Desierto shelter celebrated a bittersweet Mothers Day, which falls on May 10 in Mexico. Most had been there for three or four months, unable to secure appointments through the CBP One app, and were desperate for security. They rarely left the shelter out of fear that the violent former partners or gangs they fled would find them.

The women said they had chosen Mexicali because they knew it was a less popular U.S. entry point and theyd have a greater chance of remaining undetected.

Maria Garcia, 49, left Honduras after gangs took over her home and threatened to kill her for working for the government. Her son, a police officer who refused to be a gang informant, fled to Spain.

Garcia said she applied for asylum in Mexico but while the application was pending, the gang found her. Now she hopes to reunite with siblings who live in Long Beach.

There are so many people like me who are looking for hope and help, she said. I just hope the new laws are for the better.

Times staff writers Hamed Aleaziz reported from Healdsburg, Calif., and Patrick J. McDonnell reported from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. San Diego Union-Tribune staff writers Kate Morrissey reported from Tijuana and Paul Sisson reported from San Diego. Special correspondent Gabriela Minjares contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, chairman of Gerakan Tanah Air (Homeland Movement) party, walks toward the nomination center in Langkawi Island on Nov. 5, 2022. Credit - Arif KartonoAFP/Getty Images

A federal jury in New York on Tuesday found former President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s and for defaming Carroll by branding her a liar after her allegation was made public in 2019. The jury ordered Trump to pay $5 million in total damages, a decision he says he plans to appeal.

In the U.S., its rare for a politicianlet alone a former Presidentto be sued for defamation. Politicians make false claims all the time, especially about opponents in the heat of campaigns. But when it comes to statements made about public figures, the First Amendment and legal precedent set a high bar for proving actual malice and reckless disregard of the truth. The costs of taking a defamation case to court, combined with the low chance of success for relatively little reward anyway, have proved a reliable deterrent. On the other hand, Trump, who is campaigning once again for the presidency, has actually mused about opening up American libel laws to make it easier for politicians like him to go after critics.

What might such a system look like? In many ways, its whats already happening in Malaysia, where its almost rare for a high-profile politician not to be embroiled in a defamation case.

Just last week, the countrys former Prime Minister sued the current Prime Ministerentangling two of the most prominent political figures in the Southeast Asian nation of 33 million people. On May 3, 97-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysias longest-serving leader, filed a 150 million Malaysian ringgit ($33.8 million) defamation suit against his longtime political foe, incumbent Anwar Ibrahim over comments Anwar made in a March 2021 press conference. Anwar had implied that Mahathir used his former perch to enrich himself and his family, which Mahathir denied. Anwar made the allegation before last years general elections, in which Mahathir would ultimately suffer his first electoral defeat in 53 years and Anwar would take the countrys top office. Mahathir claims Anwars comments marred his reputation as a respected statesman.

Story continues

Let the lawyers handle it, Anwar reportedly said in response to the lawsuit, according to the state news agency.

Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim looks at former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad during a news conference in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Nov. 23, 2019. Lim Huey TengReuters

Its not the first defamation case involving the two, and not even the first against a sitting Prime Minister in Malaysia. Mahathirs latest legal action is just one of several defamation suits involving high-profile politicians in the country. In fact, an analysis by TIME finds that every Malaysian Prime Minister since 2009 has faced at least one such complaint at some point in their career, often lodged by political opponents.

Many Malaysian politicians argue that defamation lawsuits are their only recourse against people who spread disinformation about them, though Ross Tapsell, associate professor and director of the Malaysia Institute at Australian National University, says defamation laws are commonly used to silence critics.

One of the big concerns in Southeast Asia is that defamation laws tend to be used by rich and powerful individuals, often to suppress commentary from poor and weaker groups and individuals in the region, Tapsell tells TIME. He points to the judicial inequity in the country, noting that its rare to hear of defamation cases between members of the Malaysian general public. As for the lawsuits that do occur, he sayseven if theyre contested between two members of governmentthey create a chilling effect that supplements the already stringent laws against freedom of speech in the country.

How Malaysias defamation laws work

In Malaysia, defamation can be prosecuted as a civil or criminal offense. Civil defamation is punishable by law under the Defamation Act of 1957, while criminal defamation is covered by Sections 499 to 502 of the countrys Penal Code. Those convicted of criminal defamation may be fined or imprisoned for up to two years, whereas successful civil claims can result in the awarding of financial damages and, in some cases, formal retractions and apologies.

Guok Ngek Song, a lawyer who has handled defamation cases in Malaysia, says any statement which has the tendency to bring down a reputation of the person, usually, from the eyes of a reasonable person can be considered defamatory. Most politicians take the civil route, Guok says, which he believes is wise.

You may as well try to vindicate yourself through civil action rather than criminal, Guok says. With criminal cases, he reasons, you are also basically wasting the taxpayers money by asking the authorities to investigate the case, which could have been settled by way of a civil case.

Guok says defamation suits can serve to vindicate those whose image has been unjustly impugned. But he laments that its become too common a recourse for Malaysian public figures of late. Gone were the days that the politicians took filing defamation suits against any party especially the[ir] political opponents as something serious, he tells TIME. They should be taking responsibilities if they lose the defamation suit commenced by them, he says, but instead, regarding that aspect at least, some appear thick-skinned.

There are limits, however. For one, defamation only applies to living individuals. And for its part, Guok notes, the Federal Court held in a ruling last year that political parties, as an entity, do not have any reputation to protect.

Still, Tapsell says, with Malaysias defamation laws, its becoming very common to see that politicians will use the courts in order to get what they want  or even to threaten to use the courts can be enough in some cases.



Here are just some of the publicized defamation cases involvingon one end or the otherthe most recent Malaysian Prime Ministers.

Najib Razak (Prime Minister, 2009-2018)

Since 2015, Najib Razak has been locked in litigation with lawmaker Tony Pua over comments the latter made linking Najib to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. Najibs 2015 suit against Pua is believed to be the first case of a sitting Prime Minister suing a lawmaker for defamation in Malaysia.

Najib is also due in court for a couple of defamation cases. In 2021, he became the defendant when former health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad took issue with a Facebook post he made that accused Dzulkefly of nepotism and cronyism. That case will go to trial in June 2024. Also in 2021, Najib sued former Attorney General Tommy Thomas over statements in the latters book that allegedly overstate Najibs ties to the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Sharibuu. That trial begins in September.

And just last year, Najib said he had sued Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, a former deputy minister and current senior political secretary to Prime Minister Anwar, over allegedly false details in a post on Facebook about Najibs role in the 1MDB scandal.

Najib was voted out in 2018 over the 1MDB scandal. More than 40 charges were filed against Najib for corruption, and he was convicted of several charges and sentenced after losing on appeal to 12 years last August, while a separate but related $436-million trial remains underway.

Mahathir Mohamad (2018-2020)

Anwar, after being sacked as Mahathirs former deputy prime minister during the latters first term from 1981-2003, filed a suit in 1999 against his mentor for slander. The case was based on Mahathirs September 1998 statements on Anwars alleged sexual misconduct that prompted his firing that year. Anwar claimed 100 Malaysian ringgit ($26 million) in damages, but the case was dismissed. He was eventually charged with sodomy twice. Anwar was convicted for the first but Malaysias federal court overturned the ruling, and Malaysias King Sultan Muhammad V pardoned him in 2018 for the second.

Anwar Ibrahim at Sungai Buloh Prison on May 12, 2001. Anwar was sacked as deputy PM in 1998 and indicted on abuse of power and sodomy charges he says were made up after a clash with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. His convictions were overturned and pardoned, and he became Prime Minister in 2022. Reuters

Anwar filed another suit against Mahathir in 2006 similar to his 1999 one, in hopes of getting even with his former mentor. The case was based on comments Mahathir made in September 2005, alleging that Anwar was gay and that his orientation could be a threat to Malaysians should he become Prime Minister. The case was dismissed in 2007.

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, president of Mahathirs former political party United Malays National Organization (UMNO), filed a defamation case against Mahathir in 2022. Zahids suit was based on Mahathirs statements that Zahid sought to have his dozens of corruption-related court cases dropped by being friendly with Mahathir. Mahathir filed a separate defamation suit against Zahid for remarks over his ethnicity. As of April 2023, a High Court official has suggested an out-of-court settlement for the two cases.

On May 3, Mahathir filed a suit against Anwar for alluding in a speech at a March 2021 political event that a former leaderwho remained unnamed though Anwar mentioned his two stints as Prime Minister for 22 years and (another) 22 monthshad used his post to amass wealth.

Muhyiddin Yassin (2020-2021)

Former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is involved in two ongoing defamation cases filed against him. In 2022, Anwar, as sitting Prime Minister, sued Muhyiddin over statements he made in December 2021 about Anwar making a large salary as a local government adviser. And last March, former finance minister Lim Guan Eng lodged a complaint accusing Muhyiddin of maligning him three times by repeating an allegedly false claim about Lim revoking the tax exemption status given to a renowned Muslim charitable organization.

Ismail Sabri Yaakob (2021-2022)

In 2015, former lawmaker Nurul Izzah Anwar sued Ismail Sabri Yaakob, then rural and regional development minister, and the Inspector-General of Police for statements that painted her as a traitor to Malaysia. Ismail Sabri and his co-accused ended up having to pay Nurul 850,000 ringgit ($193,000) in damages in 2019. Losing the case, however, didnt stop Ismail Sabri from becoming Prime Minister a few years later.

In 2022, amid a shake-up in Malaysias parliament, Ismail Sabri filed a suit against former UMNO supreme council member Lokman Adam. Lokman had said on a video posted to social media that Ismail Sabri met with opposition party leaders, and let down his own partys interests in order to try to stay in power. As of January, Ismail Sabri obtained an injunction to take down the video, and Lokman has in turn filed his own counterclaim against Ismail Sabri, alleging that hes suffered as a result of the original case.

Anwar Ibrahim (2022-)

Then Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan sued Anwar for a police report Anwar produced in July 2008 that alluded to Musa and the police fabricating evidence to cover up Anwars beating in 1998. In 2012, Musa withdrew the case.

In 2022, Anwar filed a suit against lawmaker Sanusi Nor for remarks that suggested he was of immoral character, had abused power as an MP, and was not a good Muslim. Anwar claims that his 2018 full pardon had cleared his reputation.
The US offers to extend the grain agreement

Read also: Black Sea grain deal talks to resume within days, Turkey says

The Department believes that the agreement needs to be expanded to allow more ships to enter the ports of the Black Sea, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Moscow to stop using hunger as a weapon in its war against Ukraine.

Russia has maintained a blockade on Ukrainian ports since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in Feb. 2022, causing global food prices to rise, especially in the global South, as Ukraine is a major grain supplier for many of those countries. In response, the UN, working with Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia, brokered a grain initiative in Istanbul on July 22, 2022. This initiative provides for the creation of a corridor for grain exports from three Ukrainian ports (Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdennyi), as well as the lifting of barriers on the export of Russian food and fertilizers.

Read also: Why Russia is blocking the grain corridor  Ukraines Agriculture Ministry comments

The agreement has been extended several times, with the latest extension being on March 18, 2023. Ukrainian and Russian sources disagree about the length of that extension  the Russians claim that the agreement was only extended for 60 days, while Ukrainian sources allege the extension was for 120 days.

On April 24, the Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of violating its obligations under the grain agreement, following a drone attack in Sevastopol allegedly launched from the port of Odesa. The Russian side, which has continued to violate the strictures of the initiatives, announced that there was a threat to further extension of the agreement after May 18.

On May 5, the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, set up by the UN to monitor and oversee compliance with the initiative, was unable to reach an agreement on issuing permits for new ships to participate in exporting goods from Ukraine.

On May 10, deputies of the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and representatives of the United Nations, met in Turkey to discuss extending the grain initiative.

Story continues

At the summit, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that the grain initiative may be extended for another two months, though no conclusive agreement had been reached.

Read also: Russia flooding EU with Middle Eastern refugees from Turkiye  BILD

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
By Nate Raymond and Andrew Chung

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday preserved a California law banning the sale of pork in America's most-populous state from pigs kept in tightly confined spaces, rejecting an industry challenge claiming that the voter-backed animal welfare measure impermissibly regulates out-of-state farmers.

The justices voted 5-4 to uphold a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit by the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation seeking to invalidate the law, but they were divided in their reasons for doing so.

The industry had argued that the measure violated a U.S. Constitution provision called the Commerce Clause that courts have interpreted as empowering the federal government - not states - to regulate interstate commerce.

"While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list," wrote conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, who authored the court's main opinion.

The measure, approved by voters as a 2018 ballot initiative called Proposition 12, bars sales in California of pork, veal and eggs from animals whose confinement failed to meet certain minimum space requirements.

The law mandates pig confinement spaces large enough to enable the animals to turn around, lie down, stand up and extend their limbs.

The pork industry groups argued that the law violated the Constitution by forcing farmers in other states to change their practices in order to sell pork in California, a lucrative market.

Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, praised the ruling.

"We won't stop fighting until the pork industry ends its cruel, reckless practice of confining mother pigs in cages so small they can't even turn around. It's astonishing that pork industry leaders would waste so much time and money on fighting this commonsense step to prevent products of relentless, unbearable animal suffering from being sold in California," said Block, whose group intervened in the case to defend Proposition 12.

Story continues

Scott Hays, president of the National Pork Producers Council and a Missouri pork producer, voiced disappointment with the Supreme Court's decision.

"Allowing state overreach will increase prices for consumers and drive small farms out of business, leading to more consolidation," Hays said.

Seaboard Corp, the third-biggest U.S. pig producer, is prepared to supply California customers with "limited supplies of compliant pork" starting on July 1, company spokesperson David Eaheart said. The company, which runs Seaboard Foods, converted a portion of its farms and plant operations to meet California's requirements before the Supreme Court's decision, Eaheart said.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote a partial dissent that was joined by fellow conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh, as well as liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. The four said they would have allowed the challengers to the California law to pursue their claim in the lower courts.

"In my view, petitioners plausibly allege a substantial burden against interstate commerce," Roberts wrote.

California farms collectively are only a small part of the $26 billion-a-year U.S. pork industry. The size of cages used at American pig farms is humane and necessary for animal safety, according to the industry, which asserts that California's law gives the state unwarranted influence over the pork sector.

President Joe Biden's administration sided with the pork producers in the case, saying that states cannot ban products that pose no threat to public health or safety due to philosophical objections.

Proposition 12 set the required space for breeding pigs, or sows, at 24 square feet (2.2 square meters). The current industry standard is between 14 and 20 square feet (1.3 to 1.9 square meters), according to a 2021 report from Dutch banking and financial services company Rabobank.

The Supreme Court took up the case after the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a judge's decision to throw out the pork industry challenge.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston and Andrew Chung in New York; Additional reporting John Kruzel in Washington and Tom Polansek in Chicago; Editing by Will Dunham)
The University of Georgia community will come together this weekend to honor the life of a 21-year-old senior who died after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor last month.

Liza Burke was on a spring break trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in March when she got a sudden headache and became unresponsive. She was taken to a hospital in Mexico, where doctors found a brain hemorrhage.

Burke was later flown to a Florida hospital and diagnosed with an aggressive tumor on her brain stem. She died on April 28.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

On Friday, the university will honor Burkes graduation by presenting her mother with her diploma and holding a moment of silence in Sanford Stadium.

On Saturday, friends and family will gather at Terrapin Brewery to share memories of her, according to UGA student newspaper The Red & Black.

RELATED STORIES:

Leighton Clements, Burkes boyfriend, told the Red & Black that they had discussed how she would want her life celebrated before she was ever diagnosed with a brain tumor.

She told me one time'when I go, I do not want a sad funeral, I want a party. Verbatim, Clements told the paper. And so thats what were planning.

The event, which will be from 2 - 5 p.m., will include live music and speeches from friends and family.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

A second celebration of life will be held in Burkes hometown of Asheville.

Burkes mother, Laura McKeiten, told People magazine that after the initial diagnosis, it appeared Burke was improving. She then had a second hemorrhage, which led to the decision to place her on hospice care. Burke died nine days later.
The United Kingdom has delivered Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, giving Ukrainian forces a new long-range strike capability ahead of a long-awaited counter-offensive by Ukrainian troops.

Source: CNN, citing several senior Western officials, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Storm Shadow is a long-range cruise missile jointly developed by the UK and France. It is usually launched from the air.

Having a firing range of more than 250 km or 155 miles, it is only slightly behind the 185-mile US Army's Air-to-Air Combat Missile System (ATACMS).

Most importantly, Storm Shadow has a sufficient firing range to strike deep into the areas of Ukrainian territory that are temporarily occupied by Russia.

A Western official told CNN that the Ukrainian government had assured the UK that the missiles would only be used within Ukraine's sovereign territory and there would be no strikes on Russian territory.

UK officials often make public statements defining Crimea as Ukrainian sovereign territory, calling it "illegally annexed".

The Storm Shadow is "a real game changer from a range perspective", said a senior US military official. The official added that the missile provides Kyiv with the capabilities it has been asking for since the beginning of the war.

This is not the first time the UK has gone further than the US in terms of the weapons it is willing to send to Ukraine to combat Russian aggression. The country was the first Ukrainian ally to announce that it would send modern Western tanks to Ukraine, pledging 14 Challenger 2 tanks in January. Only after London's move did the US announce that it would provide M-1 Abrams tanks.

Background:

Earlier this year, Rishi Sunak, the UK Prime Minister, made it clear that the country is considering providing long-range weapons to Ukraine.

Discussions regarding the transfer of long-range Harpoon anti-ship missiles or Storm Shadow air-to-surface missiles to Ukraine were reportedly held in the UK back in February.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
(Bloomberg) -- When Mikhail Nadel, a banker once accused of looting Kyrgyzstans biggest lender, wanted help to get his UK payments firm off the ground, he turned to a tycoon with alleged ties to Russian intelligence and organized crime.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Dzing Finance, the fintech managed by Nadel, borrowed 5.3 million ($5.8 million) in 2021 from an entity backed by the family of Oleg Boyko to power its growth. The loan deal came months after the US Senate Intelligence Committee said Boyko had concerning ties to the Russian state and criminality. Canada and Australia sanctioned him last year after Moscows invasion of Ukraine, citing his alleged links to the Kremlin.

Both Nadel and Boyko have always denied any wrongdoing. Dzing hasnt been accused of any impropriety. And while the loan is outstanding, Boykos family exited the company behind it over the past year.

Still, the coming together of the two businessmen highlights the kind of challenges emerging in the UKs electronic-money and payments institutions that move more than 1 billion ($1.3 billion) a day. The Financial Conduct Authority, which has doled out licenses to hundreds of lightly regulated payments firms including London-based Dzing, said in March that it intends to take more assertive action soon against problematic actors, without specifying anyone in particular.

A spokesman for the FCA declined to comment. Nadel confirmed the loan in a LinkedIn message to Bloomberg News. Larisa Shishkina, a spokeswoman for Finstar Financial Group  the private equity firm Boyko co-founded and chairs  denied his or his familys personal involvement in making the loan.

Story continues

Dzing, which bills itself as a fast-growing neobank, is one among a plethora of UK firms offering payments services such as transactions processing, prepaid cards, overseas remittances and digital wallets. They describe themselves as alternatives to old-school banks but critics including Transparency International say some of them open a door for dirty money.

Many of them lack proper controls while some pose an unacceptable risk to customers and have elevated fraud rates, the FCA wrote on March 16 in a so-called Dear CEO letter to the heads of payments institutions. Clamping down on fraud in the sector is a key priority for the regulator, according to the Economic Crime Plan unveiled by the government the same month.

Read more: London Payments Firm Moves $1 Billion a Month Despite Red Flags

Investors and executives at electronic-money institutions must pass a fit and proper test, according to the FCAs industry rulebook. Yet Transparency International UK, the British arm of the global anti-corruption group, sounded an alarm in a 2021 report, saying more than a third of EMIs licensed by the regulator have red flags related to their activities, owners or directors.

Our research has raised questions about the quality of checks on those behind companies in this area, said Ben Cowdock, head of research at Transparency International UK.

Long before helping found Dzing in 2018, Nadel was chairman and controlling shareholder of AsiaUniversalBank, or AUB, Kyrgyzstans biggest lender. Global Witness and the International Monetary Fund are among bodies that have alleged AUB was involved in widespread criminality, including money laundering, during the regime of then-President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

An uprising in 2010 took down Bakiyevs administration and authorities seized AUB. Nadel was convicted in absentia of fraud and money laundering, but he has denied any wrongdoing and has said the charges were politically motivated.

Boyko, meanwhile, built a fortune across banking, gambling and commodities, much of it amassed since the 1990s through Finstar.

Nadels and Boykos paths crossed through Dzing, which won an FCA license in 2019. While Nadel oversees operations, most recent UK filings list Tatjana Orlova, the ex-wife of seafood tycoon Vitaly Orlov, as the controlling shareholder.

The firms website says the World needs some DZING! It invested 5.5 million in product development in 2020 and 2021, with plans to have plowed in another 7.1 million by the end of this year, Dzings UK accounts show.

This spending has been backed by 5.3 million of short-term convertible loans  debt that can be switched to shares  owed to an unidentified creditor of Dzings parent company, according to its most recent accounts. This is Tirona Ltd., according to Nadel and Finstar spokeswoman Shishkina. It is a Cypriot firm that was historically controlled by Boyko and his family.

Dzing got the loan prior to the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing Western sanctions, but not long after the US Senate Intelligence Committee publicly accused Boyko of wrongdoing. Investigating an American businessman as part of a wider probe into alleged election interference by the Kremlin, the panel released a 966-page report in August 2020 in which it outlined his relationships with multiple oligarchs including Boyko.

Boyko has concerning ties to the Russian government, to Russian intelligence and security services, and to organized crime, the report said. In a heavily redacted section, the committee also cited press reports that Boyko had been involved in a Kremlin-backed foreign election influence operation in Moldova.

Regime Associates

The war in Ukraine prompted Canada and Australia to sanction Boyko in April last year, with Ottawa placing him on a list of individuals described as close associates of the Russian regime. Shishkina, the spokeswoman for Boykos PE firm, said they are carrying out the necessary legal work to have the restrictions lifted.

The UK, the European Union and the US have not sanctioned Boyko. In a statement on his companys website last year, the tycoon said his heart was broken by the conflict in Ukraine. Citing his familys roots in the country, he said hes worried for the safety of all Ukrainians and called for an end to the war.

Nonetheless, following the sanctions, Boykos relatives have disposed of their stakes in Tirona and the family no longer holds any shares, according to Guy Middleton, a spokesman for Riga, Latvia-based 4finance SA, a consumer lender owned by Tirona. Shishkina said Boyko is no longer interested in European assets and is focused on Southeast Asia instead.

Tironas shareholders are now reviewing what to do with its investments, including the loan to Dzing, Middleton said.

It is vital that the FCA pay close and ongoing attention to those that control firms providing payments services, Cowdock at Transparency International UK said, commenting broadly on the need for tighter industry controls. A failure to do so opens the door to suspicious wealth, which could put the UK financial system at risk.

--With assistance from Aaron Eglitis and Irina Reznik.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  Agricultural losses from the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro reached over 4.7 billion, officials said Thursday.

The national task force on the Oriental Mindoro oil spill said the agricultural damage was in Mimaropa and Western Visayas.

Data from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) show the calamity affected more than 192,500 people in 249 barangays in Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Antique, and Batangas, and disrupted the livelihood of more than 24,500 fisherfolk.

Oriental Mindoro Gov. Bonz Dolor earlier announced that fishing bans were lifted in clusters 4 (Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay, Bulalacao towns) and 5 (Puerto Galera, Baco, San Teodoro towns).

Waters in clusters 1 (Calapan, Naujan), 2 (Pola), and 3 (Pinamalayan, Gloria, Bansud), including Pola town, are still unsafe for fishing, the task force said.

OCD Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said an oil siphoning vessel from Singapore is set to arrive in the country in the last week of the month and can operate for 30 days within the affected waters.

Meanwhile, the agency also projected losses of up to 886 million in Oriental Mindoros tourism industry over a six-month period.

The oil spill affected a total of 55 tourism enterprises, 65 attractions, and 34 marine protected areas, and more than 1,400 tourism workers, the task force said in its report.

The MT Princess Empress, carrying 800,000 liters of industrial oil, sank off the coast of Pola, Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28.

The OCD added that the total amount of oil within the sunken vessel could be more than one million liters, as it also held a large amount fossil fuel in its engine.
The British Defence Ministry on Thursday announced the transfer of long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, marking the first time a Western allied nation has pledged to deliver such munitions to Kyiv.

In an address to the House of Commons, Defence Minister Ben Wallace outlined alleged Russian war crimes before announcing the delivery of Storm Shadow missiles, a conventionally armed munition that can strike up to 150 miles away.

Ukraine has a right to be able to defend itself, Wallace said. The use of Storm Shadow will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based within Ukrainian sovereign territory.

Ukraine has long asked for long-range missile systems, such as the U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), to better defend itself against Russian forces. ATACMS can strike up to 190 miles away.

Washington has so far resisted the transfer of those weapons systems, largely out of concern Kyiv may strike into Russias sovereign territory and escalate the war.

Its unclear whether Britain formally requested Kyiv not to deploy the Storm Shadow missiles to strike inside Russia.

Wallace on Thursday said the U.K. examined how to minimize escalation, but he said Russian forces would be safer if they withdrew from Ukraine.

We simply will not stand by while Russia kills civilians, Wallace said. Weve seen what Ukraine can do with the right capabilities.

Wallace also called the long-range missile weapons transfer a proportional response to Moscows repeated missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.

The British-made Storm Shadow missiles would allow Ukraine to strike into Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

The need for longer-range systems has grown ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive, which could come any day now. Analysts expect Ukraine to strike in the southeast and cut off a land bridge to Crimea.

After the U.S., Great Britain has been the largest contributor to Ukraine during the war and has led the effort in supplying more advanced weaponry to the nation.

Story continues

Earlier this year, the U.K. announced the transfer of Challenger 2 tanks, becoming the first Western nation to announce modern tanks for Kyiv.

The decision eventually led to the transfer of more modern tanks from the U.S. and Germany.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The UK regulator blocked Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision in April. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

The UK is restricting Microsoft and Activision from acquiring an interest in each other.

The competition regulator published an interim order to prevent any action without its consent.

The decision comes weeks after it made a decision to block a $68.7 billion merger between the two.

The UK's competition regulator has issued an interim order to restrict Microsoft and Activision from acquiring an interest in each other.

It comes weeks after the decision by the regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), to block a $68.7 billion merger between the two companies.

On Thursday, the CMA published an order that said Microsoft and "Call of Duty" developer Activision would need "prior written consent" from the body before making any acquisitions linked to their respective companies.

It's the latest move from the UK's watchdog to bring greater scrutiny to the two companies amid fears that the blockbuster deal struck in January 2022 would harm the competition.

The regulator's key concerns revolve around Microsoft's potential for outsized influence over an emerging cloud gaming market in what would become the biggest takeover deal in the gaming sector's history.

"The CMA has prevented Microsoft's proposed purchase of Activision over concerns the deal would alter the future of the fast-growing cloud-gaming market, leading to reduced innovation and less choice for UK gamers over the years to come," the regulator said last month.

The CMA first started its probe into the deal in September 2022, with a first announcement about its concerns coming in Feburary. Insider understands that the latest move is a procedural step ahead of the CMA's issuing of its final order on the deal.

Microsoft president Brad Smith rejected the decision by the CMA last month, claiming that the tech giant would be making an appeal. He said the CMA's ruling reflected its decision to reject a "pragmatic path" towards reconciling any competition concerns and reflected "a flawed understanding" of the cloud technology market.

Story continues

In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson said: "We remain firmly committed to this deal and look forward to presenting our case to the Competition Appeal Tribunal."

Activision did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates ...

Read the original article on Business Insider
LONDON (AP)  The U.K. is sending Ukraine long-range cruise missiles to help push back Russian forces, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Thursday. It's the first known shipment of the weaponry that Kyiv has long sought from its allies.

Wallace told lawmakers in the House of Commons that Britain is donating Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of more than 250 kilometers (155 miles). He didn't say how many are being sent.

Wallace said the missiles are now going into or are in the country itself.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged in February that Britain would be the first country to give Ukraine longer-range weapons.

The missiles give Ukraine capacity to strike well behind the front lines, including in Russia-occupied Crimea. U.K. media reported that Ukraine has pledged not to use the missiles to attack Russia itself.

Wallace said the missiles would be used to push back Russian forces in Ukrainian sovereign territory. He said U.K. support for Ukraine is responsible, calibrated, coordinated and agile.

We simply will not stand back while Russia kills civilians, Wallace said.

He said U.K. officials would not comment publicly on whether Britain had placed any limitations on the missiles' use.

___

Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
(Bloomberg) -- The UK is providing long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles to help Ukraine counter Russian offensives, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Wallace told the House of Commons on Thursday that the new weapons will give Ukraine its best chance of defending itself against Russian aggression. The UK decision was prompted by Russias continuing attacks on Ukrainian civilians, he said.

We simply will not stand by while Russia kills civilians, Wallace said. This is a calibrated and proportionate response to Russias escalations.

The weapons, which were jointly developed by the UK and France, have a firing range in excess of 250 kilometers (155 miles) and are the longest-range missiles yet provided to Ukraine by western allies. The country has been mired in a 15-month war since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion in Feb. 2022.

Confirmation of the missile deployment came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the BBC in an interview that his country needed more time before launching an offensive to recapture lost territory.

Wallace said that the Storm Shadows, which are usually launched from the air, would be used to push back Russian troops within Ukrainian sovereign territory. The UK was given assurances that they would not be used against targets inside Russia, according to a person familiar with the matter. CNN earlier reported the development.

Compatibility Concerns

The front line in Ukraine has remained largely stable for months, with Russia centering its efforts on attempts to capture towns in the eastern Donetsk region, most notably Bakhmut.

Story continues

Douglas Barrie, senior fellow for military aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, said the missiles have the potential to increase the ability of Ukraines air force to engage long-range targets on the ground.

This will allow missile strikes deep into Russian-occupied territory inside the Ukraine, while reducing the risk to the launch aircraft, Barrie said. He added that the decision was likely under consideration for some time, given the need to address integration challenges.

Speaking in Parliament, Wallace noted Ukraine will need to use the fourth generation weapons on Soviet-era Ukrainian aircraft, adding that it may take up to a month to see whether the move makes a difference.

(Updates with detail throughout.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
LONDON  Britain has donated Storm Shadow cruise missiles to the Ukrainian air force in a move widely seen as a game changer in Kyivs ability to mount long-range strikes against invading Russian forces.

The decision to hand over a quantity of the MBDA-built cruise missiles was announced by British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace in a May 11 statement to lawmakers here.

Storm Shadow is a long-range, conventional, precision-strike capability, he said. It compliments the long-range systems already gifted, including HIMARS and Harpoon missiles, as well as Ukraines own Neptune cruise missiles and longer-range munitions already gifted.

The Anglo-French-developed Storm Shadow missile, known in France as Scalp-EG, has a range in excess of 250 kilometers, or 155 miles, and is particularly effective against hardened and buried targets, according to the manufacturer.

The donation of Storm Shadow missiles, many of which are already in Ukraine, means the British are the first nation to supply Kyiv with long range weapons.

Wallace described the governments decision as a calibrated, proportionate response to Russians escalation in its invasion of Ukraine.

These systems are not in the same league as the Russian AS-24 Killjoy hypersonic missile or Shahed Iranian one-way attack drones, or their Kalibr cruise missile with a range of over 2,000 km, roughly 7 times that of the Storm Shadow missile, Wallace said. Russia must recognize that their actions alone have led to such systems being provided to Ukraine.

Wallace said technical hurdles integrating the weapon onto Ukraines Soviet-era combat jets had been successfully overcome.

Having technically cleared the hurdles, and as everyone talks about an expected counter-offense, now is the right time to gift these to Ukraine, and they [Storm Shadows] are now going into or are in the country, he said.

The British have been signaling for months their intention to donate the long-range weapon to the Ukrainians, and confirmation of the move comes ahead of a long expected offensive by Kyiv against Russian forces occupying parts of the country.

Story continues

Its part of a wider Western effort to strengthen Ukraines deep-strike capabilities which has recently seen a British-led effort to procure missiles or rockets with a range of 100-300km and payloads between 20kg and 490kg as part of an international funding arrangement.

The Storm Shadow weapon provides the Ukrainian air force with a substantial step up in capability, according to Douglas Barrie, senior air analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank in London.

It really provides Ukraine with a long-range strike capability it doesnt have, he said. Its in a different league compared with other weapons in Kyivs arsenal.

Storm Shadow has been used extensively by the Royal Air Force, first on Tornado strike jets and more recently the Typhoon combat jet.

The weapon was rushed into operational use against Iraq in 2003 even though it was not officially in service at the time. Since then it has been used in the Middle East and Libya.

Storm Shadow is the second sophisticated Western air-to-ground weapon known to have been supplied to Ukraine since the Russian invasion got underway in late February 2022.

Last year the U.S. integrated HARM AGM-88 missiles on Ukrainian MiG-29 and Su-27 warplanes in a matter of weeks to be able to strike Russian air defenses located in Ukraine.
Russian leadership made a rare acknowledgment of their nation's trouble making progress taking over over Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments Wednesday in an interview with Bosnian Serb broadcaster ATV.

Peskov acknowledged a lack of progress in taking Ukraine, attributing the slowdown to Western intervention and the Ukrainian "war machine."

"Its a very, very difficult operation and of course certain goals have been achieved in a year," Peskov said. "We managed to shake up the Ukrainian war machine quite a bit."

US PROVIDING UKRAINE $1.2B IN MILITARY AID AHEAD OF EXPECTED SPRING OFFENSIVE AGAINST RUSSIA

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, pictured here, attends a joint news conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow.

PUTIN'S TROOPS FORTIFY ZAPORIZHZHIA NUCLEAR REACTORS AS RUSSIA GROWS WORRIED OVER UKRAINIAN OFFENSIVE

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Ukrainian soldiers pose amid Russia-Ukraine war on the front line of Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on March 29, 2023.

The spokesman specifically called attention to the United States, Europe, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

"Why has it been a year and there's still so much to do?" Peskov asked. "It was hard to imagine that NATO members, the United States, European countries, would first indirectly and then directly intervene in the conflict."

RUSSIA VOWS ON VICTORIA DAY TO CRUSH NEONAZISM IN UKRAINE AS ZELENSKYY MARKS WORLD WAR II HOLIDAY

Yegeny Balitsky, the Moscow-installed governor of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia province, on Friday, ordered civilians to leave 18 Russian-occupied communities, including Enerhodar, home to most of the staff at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The move suggested that fighting in the area would intensify.

Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov, meanwhile, said Russia prompted a "mad panic" from the city near the contested plant; thousands of cars departed causing five-hour traffic delays, the BBC reported.

A Ukrainian serviceman looks as smoke rises after a Russian troops shelling, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Luhansk Region, Ukraine April 26, 2022.
(Bloomberg) -- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the BBC that Ukraine needs more time to prepare for its anticipated counteroffensive against Russian occupation forces. Zelenskiy earlier said that Kyiv was conducting intensive work with partners on new defense packages and decisions are expected shortly.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The UK has provided Ukraine with multiple Storm Shadow cruise missiles, with a firing range in excess of 250 kilometers (155 miles), to use in Kyivs expected counteroffensive. The US has accused South Africa of supplying arms to Russia, according to a South African news website; President Cyril Ramaphosa said hes looking into the claims.

A two-day meeting on the Black Sea grain deal between United Nations officials and deputy defense ministers from Turkey, Russia and Ukraine ended in Istanbul with constructive progress but no resolution.

Key Developments

Ukraine Needs More Than a $30 Billion Arsenal for Counterstrike

UK Sends Long-Range Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles to Ukraine

Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Needs More Time to Start Counteroffensive

(All times CET)

Pope Could Meet With Zelenskiy This Weekend (8:52 p.m.)

A Vatican official said Pope Francis could meet with Zelenskiy this weekend, according to the Associated Press.

Francis has called for an end to the war and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainians.

Zelenskiy was expected in Germany starting Saturday evening. Italian media, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that Zelenskiy might be in Rome earlier that day to meet with Premier Giorgia Meloni and the pope.

A meeting with the pontiff is a possibility the Vatican official told the AP on the condition of anonymity.

Story continues

Russia Says Grain Deal to End If No Guarantees by May 18: Tass (4:20 p.m.)

The Black Sea initiative thats allowed Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain and other foodstuffs will end unless Russia receives guarantees by May 18 that its demands will be met, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said after the talks in Istanbul, according to Tass.

Russia is against constant extensions of the Black Sea grain deal and insists that agreements with the Russian side, which center on Moscows own grain and fertilizer shipments, havent been fulfilled.

No decision has been made on a new meeting about the deal at the deputy minister level after this weeks discussions.

US Ambassador Says Russia Got Arms From South Africa: Website (3:47 p.m.)

The US is convinced South Africa supplied weapons and ammunition to Russia, despite Pretoria having taken a neutral stance on its invasion of Ukraine, News24 reported, citing Washingtons ambassador to South Africa.

The armaments were allegedly collected by a Russian cargo ship that docked at the Simons Town naval base in Cape Town in December, the news website reported. South Africas president said hes looking into the allegations.

The South African rand slid more than 2% on the report while the nations stock index tumbled and government bond yields soared.

Read more: US Ambassador Says Russia Got Arms in South Africa: News24

Russia Hands Arctic Council Chair to Norway (3:16 p.m.)

Russia joined the other members of the Arctic Council in a pledge to safeguard and strengthen the inter-governmental body as it handed over its chairmanship to Norway. Meetings of the council, an eight-country group that includes the US, have been put on hold since Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Russias handover of the rotating chairmanship took place on Thursday in a low-profile event held in Salekhard on the Arctic Circle and online.

Turkey Cites Progress at Black Sea Grain Talks (2:04 p.m.)

Talks in Istanbul to extend the Black Sea grain initiative thats allowed Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain since last summer made positive and constructive progress over two days, Turkeys Ministry of Defense said in a tweet.

Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN will continue work to ensure the initiative continues, the ministry said.

UK Provides Storm Shadow Missiles to Push Back Russians, Wallace Says (2 p.m.)

The UK is sending Storm Shadow cruise missiles for Ukraine to counter Russian offensives, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said. Wallace told the House of Commons on Thursday that the new weapons  the longest-range missiles yet provided by a western ally  will give Ukraine its best chance to defend themselves against Russian continuing brutality and will allow to push back Russian forces.

He said Russias failure to halt attacks on Ukrainian civilians had prompted the UKs decision. We simply will not stand by while Russia kills civilians, Wallace said. This is a calibrated and proportionate response to Russias escalations.

Wallace noted that it isnt clear yet whether this new weapon will make difference, since putting a 4th generation weapons system on second generation aircraft isnt easy, It may take weeks or a month to see if this works, he said.

Russia Budget Gap Hits $45 Billion (1:05 p.m.)

Russias budget gap surged in the first four months of the year, exceeding the full-year target as spending surged amid the war in Ukraine and energy revenues plunged under pressure from sanctions and other restrictions.

The federal deficit hit 3.42 trillion rubles ($45.4 billion) in the period, beyond full-year plan of 2.9 trillion, the Finance Ministry said. Spending jumped 26% while revenues were down 22%, dragged lower as income from oil and gas fell by more than half from the year before.

UK Provides Long-Range Missiles (12:45 p.m.)

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has provided Ukraine with multiple Storm Shadow cruise missiles to use in a counteroffensive against Kremlin troops, a person familiar with the matter said.

The person declined to say how many of the missiles had been supplied. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence in London declined to comment.

The weapons, with a firing range in excess of 250 kilometers (155 miles) are the longest-range missiles yet provided by Western allies to Ukraine.

Read more: UK Provides Ukraine Cruise Missiles for Counter-Offensive

EU Has Frozen 24 Billion in Russian Private Assets (12:39 p.m.)

The EU has frozen 24.1 billion in Russian private assets since the invasion of Ukraine over 14 months ago, European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand told journalists at a regular briefing, adding that the EU is working on making Russia pay for the crimes committed against Ukraine.

The EU has sanctioned almost 1,500 individuals, restricted exports on hundreds of goods and technologies, and targeted many of Moscows key revenue sources but has been struggling to find and freeze the assets of sanctioned Russian billionaires, he said.

Read more: EU Hunt for Sanctioned Russian Billionaires Assets Stalls

EUs Borrell Urges More Aid for Ukraine (11 a.m.)

The European Union has already provided Ukraine with more than 1,000 missiles since February, the blocs foreign policy chief said, as he urged states to provide more arms for Zelenskiys counteroffensive.

I know thats not enough, Josep Borrell said of the delivered missiles, speaking to Bloomberg TV at a defense conference. Zelenskiy has said hes going to delay the counteroffensive  certainly they need more preparation, they need more arms, they need to have more capacity and it is us that has to provide it, Borrell said.

The EU agreed earlier this year to various measures to boost ammunition support to Ukraine by delivering shells and missiles from existing stocks and increasing production.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

He reiterated that a normalization of relations between the countries is taking place amid the occupation of 20% of Georgias territory by the Russian army.

In 2008, Russian planes already flew to Georgia to bomb the civilian population, he said.

Read also: Amid protests over Russian law in Georgia, will Putin be tempted to intervene?

Theyre now planning to bomb the European future of Georgians.

Nikolenko added that Russia is not interested in Georgias path to the European Union and NATO. He said that Moscow is aiming to create conditions under which progress is impossible, like in Belarus.

The spokesperson emphasized that this policy of rapprochement with the aggressor country is not a popular one within Georgian society, who have repeatedly expressed their position publicly, including during protests.

In this context, we express our solidarity and support to Georgians in their legitimate desire to build a prosperous European state within its internationally recognized borders, he said.

Read also: Tbilisi rules out opening Georgia's ports for Russian cruises

Commenting on recent events, the diplomat added that Russia is offering Georgia a bargain with the devil.

And in a deal with the devil, as you know, the devil wins, he said.

The Foreign Ministry calls on the Georgian government to synchronize its policy towards Russia with EU policy, as well as refrain from actions that reject Georgias further European movement.

On May 10, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin unexpectedly lifted a visa ban for Georgian citizens and resumed direct flights to the country.

Russias Association of Tour Operators said the first flights could begin in late May.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili called Russias actions another provocation.

Read also: Georgian journalist the on influx of Russians dodging mobilization

Russia introduced a visa ban on Georgian citizens in 2000. At the same time, Russians have been able to enter Georgia without visas since 2012, following a unilateral decision by the Georgian government.

Story continues

After the Russian invasion and the five-day war with the occupying army, Georgia severed diplomatic relations with Moscow in 2008. Direct flights between the countries were halted in 2019.

In early 2023, despite Russias ongoing war against Ukraine, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, proposed resuming flights with Russia, but Zurabishvili spoke against it.

Ukraines Foreign Ministry called this proposal political meanness amid Russias attempts to destroy Ukrainians in a genocidal war.

Since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Georgia has taken a neutral position, refusing to impose sanctions against Russia and provide military aid to Ukraine. At the same time, Tbilisi provides humanitarian aid and has accepted Ukrainian refugees.

However, Georgia also became a country where Russians fled to en masse after the announcement of mobilization in Russia in September 2022.

As of February 2023, Russian citizens have already opened 100,000 bank accounts in Georgia. Russians are also massively buying real estate in the country and opening businesses.

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
(Bloomberg) -- Armed with well over $30 billion in weapons freshly supplied by its allies, Ukraine is gearing up for a counteroffensive that may push Russia closer to ending its war, or show neither side has enough firepower to seize the advantage.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Kyivs troops will leverage that hardware  shipments delivered since December that cost more than any NATO member except the US buys in a year  to try to overrun dug-in Russian positions and retake occupied territory. The question is whether its enough.

A dramatic breakthrough similar to Ukraines Kharkiv offensive last year could help bring an early end to an invasion thats disrupted energy and grain markets, fueling cost-of-living crises across the globe.

Yet this time the critical element of surprise could prove harder to achieve against a larger and better prepared Russian military. And to succeed, Ukraine will need to execute a complex so-called combined arms operation, without the advantage of air superiority, for which few militaries in the world have the necessary training.

That means coordinating infantry, armor, combat engineers and air defense to maximize the impact of the more than 200 tanks, 300 infantry fighting vehicles and other weapons Ukraine has received since December.

Ukrainian commanders have played down expectations and repeated calls for more weapons, including air defenses and long-range missiles.

No army ever believes it is well enough equipped to do what it is required to do, said Mark Cancian, a former US Marine Colonel who now advises the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington. It is the nature of militaries.

Story continues

In a speech accompanying scaled-back Victory Day parades celebrating the end of World War II on Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin pledged again to win a real war he falsely said the West was waging on Russia. While his invasion hasnt gone to plan and a winter offensive failed to produce desired results, he is still promising victory.

For Ukraine, what happens next will depend on factors that go far beyond equipment to include training, intelligence, and whether it can continue to block Russias superior air force, according to military analysts.

If Ukraine can achieve only marginal gains, like those Russian forces eked out around the eastern Donbas town of Bakhmut, it may lead to another winter stalemate and rising pressure on Kyiv to give up on retaking seized territory in a cease-fire deal.

In public at least, Ukraines allies are betting on a breakthrough.

Ukrainian land force commander Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi said in Telegram post on Thursday that Russian units had retreated up to 2 km (1.2 miles) in areas around the fiercely contested eastern town of Bakhmut. The Russian setback, if confirmed, would undo weeks of incremental gains by the semi-official Wagner units made at a high cost to life.

I feel confident that they will have success in regaining more of their territory, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week.

The main targets of a counteroffensive are likely to be in the south, however. To cut through layered Russian defenses will for sure take the specialist engineering equipment for clearing land mines, bridging trenches and demolishing bunkers that allies have sent. So too the hundreds of trucks and transporters needed to move heavy armor into position faster than Russia can respond.

Norway donated four bridge-laying tanks in February. The US sent two further packages this month alone. On May 3 it agreed to send another $300 million worth of arms, including more demolition munitions, trucks, trailers and diagnostics equipment for repairs, as well as howitzers and HIMARS rockets. A $1.2 billion package announced on Tuesday will include critical supplies of 155 mm artillery shells and anti-aircraft missiles.

Combined arms is the Formula 1 of military operations, said Franz-Stefan Gady, a consulting senior fellow at the London based International Institute for Strategic Studies.

The modern concept of combined arms began in World War I, when commanders used combinations of creeping artillery barrages, air support, tanks and infantry to break the stalemate of trench warfare.

It was later perfected in World War II, and by the height of the Cold War, NATO militaries regularly conducted large combined arms exercises. That know-how atrophied after the Soviet threat disappeared, however, a reality made clear during Moscows failed assault on Kyiv at the start of the war.

The US is probably the only Western force currently equipped and trained to pull off combined arms operations on the scale Ukraine will need, Gady said. Washington is providing both training and technology to Ukrainian forces.

To that end, a less noticed item that could prove valuable is what the Pentagon describes as equipment to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles and radars with Ukraines air defense systems. Germany has delivered something similar.

While the precise US system isnt named, it will likely be much more advanced than Ukraines Soviet era version, enabling it connect the sensors and air defense systems its been getting from the US and Europe, target more quickly and use dwindling surface-to-air missile stocks more efficiently.

It could also help Ukraines aging combat jets protect ground forces from Russias much larger and more advanced air force, which can launch attacks from beyond the reach of Ukraines air defenses.

Thats important because, after playing a relatively low key role for much of the war, Russian jets are starting to try out new weapons and increase the number of things they do, at a time when Ukrainian air defenses are starting to get into trouble, said Gustaf Gressel, an ex-Austrian Defense Ministry officer and now senior policy fellow with the Brussels Based European Council on Foreign Relations.

Concerns have been raised inside and outside Ukraine that vital air defense systems  in particular the medium range Soviet-era BUKs needed to protect ground forces  are running out of missiles. Ukrainian leaders are also calling for modern aircraft and long range surface-to-surface ATACMS missiles that Washington remains, as yet, unwilling to deliver.

Also unanswered is whether the Russians have enough troops to man defenses they dug across occupied southern Ukraine over the winter. If they dont, theyll have to guess where the Ukrainians will attack, giving Kyiv the potential to surprise and outflank them.

If they do, Ukraines forces may struggle to break through as they did against layered defenses in Kherson last year. Only a vicious fight and disrupted supply lines across the massive Dnipro river forced an eventual retreat.

Troop and equipment numbers may become critical if Ukraine can breach the front line, as reserves will be needed to push through any gaps.

With an estimated 700,000 soldiers in uniform, Ukraine has armed three new brigades with premium NATO tanks, as well as Bradley and other infantry fighting vehicles, Gressel said. Six more of the units, which are about 5,000 soldiers strong, are armed with Soviet-era equipment donated from NATOs former Warsaw Pact members to replace losses from a year of fighting.

The donations have tapped many European militaries almost dry, as they struggle to supply what has become the continents biggest conflict since World War II. European governments have pledged to produce more ammunition in particular, but whether that can be done in time to sustain the voracious needs of a high-intensity artillery war remains a question.

Its a lot, but there is a disparity in size between the Ukrainian and European armed forces in particular, he said. Numbers that are really big for most European armies are really quite small for Ukraines.

--With assistance from Alberto Nardelli, Courtney McBride and Natalia Drozdiak.

(Updates with new developments starting in 12th paragraph. A previous version of this story corrected the source of data in charts.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Members of a Ukrainian air-defense unit demonstrate their work near Kyiv on Monday, May 8, 2023 - Andrew Kravchenko/AP

The head of the Wagner mercenary group has claimed that the Ukrainian counter-offensive has already begun in Bakhmut, with Ukrainian units approaching from the flanks.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said that Ukrainian operations were proving to be "unfortunately, partially successful", in an audio message posted on his Telegram channel.

He also accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of being "deceptive" by saying that the counter-offensive had been delayed as Kyiv awaits further Western aid.

"As for the counter-offensive, Volodymyr Zelensky is not being exactly truthful: the counter-offensive is in full swing," he said.

On Wednesday, both Prigozhin and the Ukrainian military said Kyiv's forces had routed a Russian army unit near Bakhmut, in a significant advance for Ukraine.

Prigozhin has repeatedly accused senior Russian defence officials of starving his forces of ammunition, and blamed them for reverses around the town.

03:09 PM

Today's Ukraine liveblog is now closed

Thanks for following today's Ukraine liveblog.

We will be back tomorrow with all the latest updates on Ukraine.

03:08 PM

Wagner chief: Situation in Bakhmut unfolding in line with 'worst of all expected scenarios'

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has said that the situation on the flanks near the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut was unfolding in line with the "worst of all expected scenarios".

In an audio message uploaded onto Telegram, Mr Prigozhin complained that territory captured over the course of many months was being "thrown away" by those who should be guarding the flanks, which he has said is the responsibility of regular Russian troops.

02:50 PM

Pictured: Boris Johnson meets Chief Rabbi of Ukraine

Former prime minister Boris Johnson has met with the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Reuven Azman, as the religious leader visits the UK.

Mr Johnson tweeted a photograph of the pair, and wrote: "An honour to catch up with @rabbiukraine during his visit to London #SlavaUkraini.

Story continues

Rabbi Azman described Mr Johnson as a "dear friend" as he also shared the image on Twitter on Thursday.

Boris Johnson and Chief Rabbi Of Ukraine Moshe Azman - Boris Johnson via Twitter

02:17 PM

Progress made in Black Sea grain deal talks

Progress was made in talks on the Black Sea grain deal which are being held in Istanbul between the deputy defence ministers of Turkey, Russia and Ukraine and UN officials, Turkeys defence ministry has said.

The parties have agreed to continue with the four-way technical meetings on the deal, which is set to expire on May 18, according to a statement from the ministry.

The Kremlin said that President Vladimir Putin could speak with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan at short notice if needed regarding the deals extension, adding that there were no such plans at present.

The initiative was initially brokered last July between Russia and Ukraine, but Russia had threatened not to extend the deal unless a list of demands designed to remove obstacles to its own exports of grains and fertilisers were met.

02:15 PM

In pictures: War in Ukraine

A senior woman is pictured after the Russian MLRS attack left four houses destroyed completely and 47 partially damaged, Malokaterynivka, Zaporizhzhia Region, southeastern Ukraine. - Ukrinform/Shutterstock/Shutterstock

A woman reacts during the funeral ceremony of Ukrainian serviceman Valerii Sosnovskii who died near Bakhmut, - IHOR TKACHOV/AFP

Ukrainian marines in a wooded position where they were firing their 2S1 self-propelled howitzer in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, May 10, 2023. - TYLER HICKS/NYTNS / Redux / eyevine

01:55 PM

A closer look at the Storm Shadow long-range missile

Britain is supplying Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles that can hit targets up to 200 miles away, the longest range rockets to be used against Russia.

Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, confirmed reports that the RAF cruise missiles are arriving to bolster Ukraines anticipated counter-offensive.

The move comes after the US and other allies ruled out sending longer-range missiles to Ukraine over fears of provoking Vladimir Putin.

Read more on this story here.

01:20 PM

Zelensky: 'Our historical responsibility' to make full punishment for aggression inevitable

It is our historical responsibility - of modern generations - to make full punishment for aggression inevitable in order to prevent not only the recurrence of aggression against our country, but also new wars. There are potential aggressors in the world. And the world must seek pic.twitter.com/y70KheMBcx    (@ZelenskyyUa) May 11, 2023

01:16 PM

Ben Wallace: Storm Shadow delivery 'calibrated and proportionate response'

UK defence secretary Ben Wallace told the Commons that "the use of Storm Shadow will allow Ukraine to push black Russian forces based within Ukrainian sovereign territory, as he announced the donation of long range missiles to Ukraine.

He added: Russia must recognise that their actions alone have led to such systems being provided to Ukraine. It is my judgement as the defence secretary that this is a calibrated and proportionate response to Russias escalations.

01:02 PM

UK defence secretary confirms donation of Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine

UK defence secretary Ben Wallace has confirmed that the UK is donating Storm Shadow long range missiles to Ukraine.

In a statement to the House of Commons on Thursday, Mr Wallace said that "the Prime Minister and I have now taken the decision to provide longer range capabilities to the country, making Britain the first nation to provide long range missiles to Ukraine.

"Today I can confirm that the UK is donating Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, he said, adding that the donation "compliments the long range systems already gifted to the country by allies.

Mr Wallace added that the gift of Storm Shadow missiles "gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russias continued brutality."

12:20 PM

Zelensky wanted Eurovision to be hosted near Ukraine - not UK

Volodymyr Zelensky has declared he wanted Eurovision to be hosted in a neighbouring country so Ukrainians would find it easier to attend the ceremony, Jamie Bullen reports.

The Ukrainian president said that while he holds "great respect" for the UK, nations such as Slovakia or Poland would have been his preference in staging the contest.

Mr Zelensky previously vowed the competition would be staged in Mariupol before a decision was made to relinquish Ukraine's hosting rights on security grounds.

Read more on this story here.

11:46 AM

Reports of UK missiles delivery requires 'adequate response from our military' says Kremlin

The Kremlin has said that reports that Britain had supplied cruise missiles to Ukraine would require an adequate response from our military.

Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, was responding to a question about a report by CNN that Britain had supplied multiple long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.



11:37 AM

Wagner chief: Zelensky 'being deceptive' over counter-offensive wait

The head of Russias Wagner Group has said that Ukrainian units had begun their counterattack on Bakhmut, and were approaching from the flanks.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said in response to a question from Russian media on Telegram that Ukrainian operations were unfortunately, partially successful. Reuters has not been able to independently verify the assertion.

Mr Prigozhin went on to say that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskt was being deceptive when he told European broadcasters that the counter-offensive had not yet begun and that they were waiting for more Western aid.



11:29 AM

In pictures: Victims of Kherson attack buried

The city of Kherson saw one of its bloodiest days last Wednesday, as an artillery attack killed at least 23 and injured 46. Among the targets were a supermarket, a railway station and residential buildings.

Gravediggers bury Oleksandr Kyrychenko, 64, and his wife, Tetiana Kyrychenko, 65, who were both killed last week by Russian shelling that hit a supermarket, at the main cemetery in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson - FINBARR O'REILLY/NYTNS / Redux / eyevine

Gravediggers carry the coffin of a civilian killed last week by Russian shelling in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson as smoke from fresh shelling rises in the distance - FINBARR O'REILLY/NYTNS / Redux / eyevine

11:17 AM

Defence sources tell The Telegraph that Storm Shadow missiles to be supplied to Ukraine

Defence sources have told the Telegraph that Storm Shadow, the RAFs long range cruise missile, will be supplied to Ukraine as the country continues to build its forces ahead of the anticipated counter offensive, Dominic Nicholls reports.

Britains defence secretary, Ben Wallace, will make a statement to Parliament at midday in which he is expected to confirm the news.

No details have been released about numbers to be gifted, dates of arrival or even if the missiles are already in Ukraine.

There has been speculation for months that Britain was supplying Storm Shadow, a satellite-guided missile with a range of about 150 miles that carries a 450kg warhead.

Ukraine has been asking for long range precision munitions for months, as a way of hitting Russian command posts, ammunition and logistic depots and key pieces of battlefield equipment such as air defence.

The US has resisted pressure from Kyiv to send the long range surface-to-surface Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), supposedly over fears they could be used to hit targets inside Russia; an act deemed too sensitive and escalatory, given the poor performance by Russias forces since the launch of the full-scale war in February 2022.

Whether the action by the UK - that was similarly first to pledge to send Western tanks - will unlock similar offers from allies is not known.

11:11 AM

Russia to be sidelined in handover of chairmanship of Atlantic Council

The Arctic Council is to sideline Russia, its largest member, during its delicate handover of chairmanship on Thursday.

The inter-governmental forum, a model for cooperation between former Cold War foes, will see Norway take over from Russia, which has been at the helm for two years.

Seven of the eight members, the United States, Canada, and five Nordic countries, suspended their meetings with Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine. Foreign representatives had been invited to visit Siberia for the handover, but the Western nations had refused.

Norwegian foreign minister, Anniken Huitfeldt, told AFP on Wednesday: None of the member states have come out in favour of excluding Russia from the Arctic Council.

"(But) because of the war of aggression launched by Russia, it will be a totally different chairmanship than what was envisaged.

10:17 AM

'New wave of repression' faces Belarusians following invasion of Ukraine

A report by the worlds biggest security organisation has found that Belarusians have been facing a new wave in repression, following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The report, released on Thursday and seen by AFP, has found that at least 1,486 people were being held in Belarus on politically motivated charges as of last month.

The report said that since the war began, repression has been particularly directed at those expressing their opposition to the war or their support for the Ukrainian people.

It added: There is a new wave of repression.

In March, 38 of the 75 members of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, called for a study into the country, but Belarus, a member of OSCE, declined to participate despite a request for cooperation.

09:59 AM

Princess Dianas jewellery to be auctioned off to raise funds for Ukraine war relief

Princess Dianas privately-owned jewellery will be put on sale for the first time by a Ukrainian family who are raising war relief funds, India McTaggart reports.

A diamond and pearl necklace and earring set, reportedly given to the late Princess by Dodi Al-Fayed, has emerged for sale for more than 10 million.

The necklace was famously worn by Diana at the gala evening for Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall in June 1997, which became her last official engagement before her death.

The jewellery set, known as the Swan Lake Suite, has belonged to a prominent Ukrainian family since 2008.

Read more on this story from The Telegraph's royal correspondent here.

09:37 AM

Russia fines Google for not deleting content about Russia's campaign in Ukraine

A Moscow court has fined Alphabet's Google 3 million roubles (31,680) for failing to delete content about Russia's military campaign in Ukraine and what it described as "LGBT propaganda", Interfax news agency reported on Thursday.

According to court materials, the case partly concerned "several Youtube videos containing false information about the course of the special military operation" in Ukraine, Interfax reported. Tass news agency reported that Russian prosecutors said Google had refused to remove several videos posted on YouTube, including one by a blogger considered a "foreign agent" by Moscow about how same-sex couples raise children and about the LGBT community in St. Petersburg.

Moscow has issues dozens of fines against Western tech companies under new censorship laws passed shortly after it sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Google has been fined twice since the end of 2021, according to the agency. As well as passing strict censorship laws shortly after it dispatched troops into Ukraine, Russia also last year strengthened its laws against what it calls the "promotion of LGBT propaganda", a move heavily criticised by independent human rights group.

09:17 AM

Watch: Russian soldier follows the drone as he is lured to surrender

A lone Russian soldier begged a Ukrainian drone not to bomb him but was instead offered a peace offering in remarkable footage purportedly showing his surrender in Bakhmut, Joe Barnes reports.

Instead of an explosive, the survivor was dropped a message containing instructions on how to give himself up in aerial footage published by the Ukrainian military.

As Russian artillery fire pounded the area, the fighter was urged to climb out of his trench and onto open terrain to be escorted by the drone to a Ukrainian position.

Read more on this story here.

08:58 AM

Tobias Ellwood: UK must support 'further counter-offensives' which will be required in Ukraine

Chairman of the defence select committee Tobias Ellwood has said that Britain must lend its support to "further counter-offensives which will be required in Ukraine", as he warns that the war "isn't going to be over with just one push" of a spring counter-offensive.

Speaking to Kay Burley on Sky News, the Conservative MP, who had just returned from a visit to Ukraine, said: "The concern that we picked up whilst [in Ukraine] is that it isnt going to be over with just one push, that theyre going to be able to flush the Russians out and we will go back to normal.

He added: "We need to make sure that we continue the support. This is what Putin is banking on, that were all going to get tired, Ukraine fatigue as its called, and so hes hoping and banking on Donald Trump winning the next United States elections and therefore he will then pull troops out, or indeed the other candidates on the Republican side as well.

"So international efforts will start to dry up, thats what hes banking on and we need to keep our efforts. We need to make sure that its not just this counter-offensive that we provide support to, but further counter-offensives which will be required.

08:46 AM

Pictured: Emergency services inspect an area for mines and unexploded shells in the Mykolaiv region

Members of the State of Emergency Service inspect an area for mines and unexploded shells, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, near the village of Blahodatne, in Mykolaiv region, Ukraine - BERNADETT SZABO/REUTERS

08:33 AM

Bryansk governor claims Ukrainian drone struck oil depot

The governor for the Bryansk region of Russia has claimed that a Ukrainian drone has attacked an oil depot.

Alexander Bogomaz wrote on Telegram on Thursday morning: As a result of the discharge of ammunition, the concrete base and the tank for storing petroleum products were partially damaged.

Mr Bogomaz said that there were no casualties, but that operational services were on the scene.

This is the latest in a series of alleged attacks on oil depots in Russia over the past few weeks.

The reports have not been independently verified.

08:21 AM

Kremlin admits Ukraine operation is 'very difficult'

The Kremlin admitted that its operation in Ukraine is very difficult, as a Ukrainian unit claimed that it had routed a Russian brigade near the front line city of Bakhmut.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that he had no doubt Bakhmut will be captured and will be kept under control, despite footage emerging on Wednesday of Russian troops fleeing across open fields as they were pursued by a Ukrainian counter-offensive.

Mr Peskov blamed the slow progress of the Russian campaign on the fact that Russia is not waging war.

Speaking on a Bosnian Serb television channel, Mr Peskov was quoted by Russian state news agency Tass as saying: Waging war is a completely different matter - it means complete destruction of infrastructure, it means complete destruction of cities.

"We are not doing this. We are trying to preserve infrastructure and preserve human lives."

Mr Peskov said: The special military operation continues. This is a very difficult operation, and, of course, certain goals have been achieved in a year.

Referring to Russian missile strikes on Ukraine, he added: We managed to beat up the Ukrainian military machine quite a bit. This work will continue.

08:04 AM

Russian forces retreat up to 2km in Bakhmut, says Ukrainian commander

Russian forces retreated up to 2km following a successful counterattack in the front line city of Bakhmut, the commander of Ukraines ground forces has claimed.

General Oleksandr Syrsky, commander of Ukraines ground forces, said on Wednesday: In some areas of the front, the enemy could not resist the onslaught of the Ukrainian defenders and retreated to a distance of up to 2km.

Gen Syrsky also claimed on Wednesday that the Ukrainian military had exhausted Wagner Group mercenaries, who had been spearheading the campaign in Bakhmut, forcing them to be replaced in certain directions by less well-prepared units of Russian regular troops [who] were defeated and left.

The head of Wagner, Yevgeny Progozhin, confirmed the partial retreat from an area on the outskirts of the city.

07:57 AM

Latest MoD update

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 11 May 2023.



Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/5sj6QS5ckW



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/xkY3Mg8VTA  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) May 11, 2023

07:57 AM

Good morning

Good morning and welcome to today's Ukraine liveblog.

We will be guiding you through all the latest updates on Ukraine.

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.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday issued an order that effectively reinstates disqualified Legazpi City Mayor Geraldine Rosal and temporarily stops former Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. from assuming the post.

The high court said it is necessary to issue a status quo ante order, which would maintain the situation as it existed before the issuance of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolutions dated Oct. 4, 2022 and May 4, 2023 which disqualified Rosal.

The status quo ante order was in response to Rosals petition challenging the Comelec verdict against her. It also came a day after the poll body issued a certificate of finality on the disqualification case, citing non-intervention by the SC at the time.

The Comelec disqualified Rosal for her involvement in a cash assistance payout that coincided with the 45-day election spending ban last year. It also said the mayor is accountable for giving money to influence, induce or corrupt voters in violation of the election law.

Rosal shared the same fate as her husband Noel Rosal, who was also disqualified as governor over his involvement in the same cash aid distribution.

Without the SC intervention, the Special City Board of Canvassers of Legazpi City would have convened within 10 days from the finality of the May 4 resolution to proclaim Garbin  the second placer in the mayoral race  as elected mayor.

In a statement, the Comelec said it will abide by the court order.

Said compliance of Comelec with established processes guarantees all parties to the case the opportunity to avail of all legal remedies under our jurisdiction, the commission wrote.
KYIV (Reuters) - The Black Sea grain export initiative should be extended for a longer period and expanded, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Thursday after talks finished in Turkey.

The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea export agreement last July to help tackle a global food crisis that has been exacerbated by Moscow's war in Ukraine.

It allows the safe export of grains and fertilisers from three Ukrainian ports in condition of the Russian invasion.

"Negotiations in Istanbul on the functioning of the Grain Initiative have been completed," Kubrakov said on Facebook, without giving details of the outcome.

He said the talks would continue online.

"The Ukrainian delegation once again stressed that the Grain Initiative should be extended for a longer period and expanded. This will give predictability and confidence to both the global and Ukrainian markets."

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Key developments on May 11:

Russian attacks kill 1, injure 10 in Donetsk Oblast

UK delivers long-range missiles to Ukraine

Ukraine needs more time to prepare for counteroffensive, says Zelensky

Alleged drone attacks reported in 3 Russian regions

The U.K. has already delivered long-range Storm Shadow attack missiles, capable of striking deep into Russian-occupied territories, CNN reported on May 11, citing unnamed senior Western officials.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace later confirmed in parliament "donating Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine."

"The donation of these weapon systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russia's continuous brutality," Wallace said, adding that Ukraine has the right to defend itself.

The air-launched Storm Shadow missile, jointly developed by the U.K. and France, has a range of 250 kilometers (155 miles), aiming at the target at 987 kilometers per hour or 0.8 of the speed of sound.

Wallace hasn't specified the number of missiles London donated. Wallace added the missiles would be compatible with Ukraine's existing Soviet-era planes.

"The use of Storm Shadow will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces base within Ukraine's sovereign territory," said Wallace, mostly referring to the land and marine Russian military sites in the occupied Crimean Peninsula.

Ukraine promised the U.K. government not to use Storm Shadow missiles against targets within Russian territory, according to an official cited by CNN.

However, Ukraine and its allies were repeatedly eloquent that Crimea and other Russian-occupied territories are the legitimate targets for Ukraine's military.

Kyiv said it would use donated long-range weapons to attack Russian command centers, supply lines, ammunition, and fuel depots deep in Crimea and behind the almost 1000-kilometer-long frontline into occupied territories in the south and east.

The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, as reported by Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti, that Moscow "is extremely negative" about the news.

Story continues

The Storm Shadow missile is "a real game changer from a range perspective," a top U.S. military official told CNN, and gives Kyiv the capabilities it has been requesting.

Retired U.S. General Ben Hodges, who commanded U.S. troops in Europe, said the Russian Black Sea fleet in Crimea is now facing strikes against warships or facilities in occupied Sevastopol, a headquarters to the Russian Black Sea fleet.

The Storm Shadow delivery "will give Ukraine the capability to make Crimea untenable for Russian forces," Hodges tweeted on May 11.

Ukraine's Air Force hasn't commented on the delivery yet.

Prior, journalists from Krym Realii media outlet published a map on May 10 that geolocates 223 active, temporary and preserved military facilities in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Russia has been using Crimea to launch missiles against Ukraine and as a logistic route to transfer equipment to the southern battlefield.

Editorial: Arming Ukraine wont escalate war. Reluctance to do so will First it was the tanks, now its the fighter jets. As Ukraine braces for another possible major Russian offensive in the upcoming weeks, Western leaders are yet again coming up with a variety of excuses why this time, they cannot justify supplying F-16 and F-35 fighter jets to Ukraine. Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent

'A bit more time'

The Storm Shadow delivery comes ahead of Ukraine's anticipated counteroffensive.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine needs "a bit more time" to launch its offensive campaign as the country is waiting for the delivery of pledged military hardware, Zelensky said in an interview with the BBC published on May 11.

"With (what we already have), we can go forward and, I think, be successful," Zelensky said. "But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait."

Ukraine's combat brigades, some of which were trained by NATO members, are "ready," however, the Ukrainian army still requires "some things," particularly armored vehicles, which "arrive in batches," Zelensky said.

The outcome of Ukraine's counteroffensive is expected to be a turning point in the war that will determine whether Ukraine liberates more territories or is pressured by allies to meet with Russia at the negotiating table.

"They can't pressure Ukraine into surrendering territories," Zelensky said.

Russian attacks kill 1, injure 10 in Donetsk Oblast

Russian forces shelled Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast with Smerch, a multiple rocket launch system, injuring nine people, the Prosecutor General's Office said on May 11.

President's Office Head Andriy Yermak said Russian forces hit a residential area in the town, which has been located right next to the front line since 2014 when Russia began its war.

The first Russian artillery attack on May 11 injured one civilian in Toretsk. Two hours later, Russian forces used Smerch MLRS to attack the town, injuring five men and three women, including a family of three, according to the report.

The attack also damaged houses, garages, and cars.

Russian forces also struck Sloviansk, Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, and the city of Zaporizhzhia with S-300 missiles, killing and injuring civilians.

The Russian strike on Sloviansk killed a woman and injured her daughter, Mayor Vadym Liakh reported on the morning of May 11.

The General Staff said it recorded 46 airstrikes and 69 shellings on May 11 against Ukraine's forces and settlements.

Russian forces also attacked Sumy, Chernihiv, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson oblasts on May 11, according to the military.

Donetsk Oblast is the primary goal for Russian forces, as Moscow aims to occupy the entire region, more than half of which it currently controls.

The region is the site of the war's fiercest fighting.

Patriot air defense faces its toughest challenge ever in Ukraine The wait is over  after almost a year of refusals and hesitation, Western-provided MIM-104 Patriot air defense systems have finally arrived and become operational in Ukraine. On April 21 and 26, Ukraines Air Force confirmed the full employment of two Patriot batteries. As Ukraines own Soviet-er Kyiv IndependentIllia Ponomarenko

Alleged drone attacks reported inside Russia

Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of Russia's Bryansk region, claimed on May 11 that a Ukrainian drone had allegedly hit an oil depot in Klintsy.

The oil depot is owned by the Russian state oil company Rosneft.

The attack purportedly damaged the depot's foundation and the oil storage tank, according to Bogomaz. No casualties were reported.

Roman Starovoyt, the governor of Russia's Kursk region, claimed that Ukrainian forces hit an electrical substation in the village of Tyotkino, allegedly interrupting the power supply.

Russia's Belgorod Oblast has also reportedly came under fire, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. He said that seven settlements were left without electricity.

In recent weeks, there has been an increasing number of reports about attacks on railway networks and oil refineries within Russia's regions that border or are close to Ukraine.

All three mentioned Russian regions border Ukraine.

Ukraine hasn't commented on whether it was responsible for the attacks.

Russia has been regularly shelling Ukraine's northeastern regions bordering Russia.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country needs more time to launch a much-anticipated counter-offensive against Russian forces, as the military awaits the delivery of promised aid.

The expected attack could be decisive in the war, redrawing frontlines that, for months, have remained unchanged. It will also be a crucial test for Ukraine, eager to prove that the weapons and equipment it has received from the West can result in significant battlefield gains.

Speaking at his headquarters in Kyiv, President Zelensky described combat brigades, some of which were trained by Nato countries, as being "ready" but said the army still needed "some things", including armoured vehicles that were "arriving in batches".

"With [what we already have] we can go forward, and, I think, be successful," he said in an interview for public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, like the BBC. "But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time."

When and where the Ukrainian push will happen is a secret. Russian forces, meanwhile, have fortified their defences along a frontline that runs for 900 miles (1,450km) from the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, to Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south.

Ukrainian authorities have tried to lower expectations of a breakthrough, publicly and in private. Earlier this month, a senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the country's leaders "understood that [they] needed to be successful" but that the assault should not be seen as a "silver bullet" in a war now in its 15th month.

More on the War in Ukraine

The president, however, expressed confidence that the Ukrainian military could advance, warning of the risks of a "frozen conflict" which, he said, was what Russia was "counting on".

Story continues

For Kyiv, any result that is seen as disappointing in the West could mean a reduction in military support and pressure to negotiate with Russia. With nearly a fifth of the country under Russian control, and President Vladimir Putin declaring the annexation of four regions his forces partially occupy, this would possibly include discussing land concessions.

"Everyone will have an idea," President Zelensky said. "[But] they can't pressure Ukraine into surrendering territories. Why should any country of the world give Putin its territory?"

Mr Zelensky dismissed fears about losing US support if President Joe Biden, who has vowed to support Ukraine as long as it takes, is not re-elected in 2024. Ukraine, he said, still enjoyed bipartisan support in the US Congress. "Who knows where we'll be [when the election happens]?" he said. "I believe we'll win by then."

For now, there is no real possibility of talks to end the conflict, as both sides say they will fight until victory. President Zelensky has offered a 10-point peace proposal, calling for the return of all invaded territory, reparation payments for war-related damages and the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian war crimes, a plan that Moscow has flatly rejected.

Western sanctions, the president said, were having an impact on Russia's defence industry, mentioning depleted missiles stockpiles and shortages of artillery. "They still have a lot in their warehouses but we already see that they've reduced shelling per day in some areas."

Moscow, however, had found ways to bypass some of the measures, he said, and he urged countries to target those helping Russia circumvent the bans.

Mr Zelensky again rejected the Russian accusation that Ukraine was behind an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin last week, which was described by Moscow as an attempt to assassinate President Putin.

The Ukrainian leader said he believed the apparent attack could have been a false flag operation, carried out by Russia itself, and that the claim was being used as an "excuse" by Moscow to attack his country.

"They constantly look for something to sound like a justification, saying: 'You do this to us, so we do that to you,'" President Zelensky said. "But it didn't work. Even for their domestic public, it didn't work. Even their own propagandists didn't believe that. Because it looked very, very artificial."

The president spoke as the Eurovision song contest was being held in the English city of Liverpool, which was chosen as a host on behalf of Ukraine, the winner of last year's event.

He said he would have preferred to see the competition in a neighbouring country "to where our people could travel to and be very close" but that he had "lots of respect" for Britain, an "amazing country".

"The main thing is that the contest is taking place," he said. "Let the people show their talent."

Additional reporting by Rachael Thorn, Hanna Chornous and Dave Bull
Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraines Defence Minister, said that Ukrainian junior officers who will be trained as part of the new Canadian-Latvian initiative will master the process of planning, coordinating manoeuvres and conducting reconnaissance operations.

Source: Reznikov on Twitter, as European Pravda reports

Quote: "My Canadian and Latvian colleagues Anita Anand and Inara Murniece launched a new ambitious project for training brave Ukrainian junior officers in Latvia," Reznikov said.

He added that junior officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will learn how to plan and command, coordinate manoeuvres, conduct reconnaissance, etc.

"I believe that Canadian and Latvian instructors will do their best to help our warriors learn how to fight and win. Education is the key to the success," he said.

Background: It was reported that from 15 May, Canada and Latvia will jointly train the Ukrainian military on Latvian territory as part of the UNIFIER Operation at the level of combat commanders.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Hanna Maliar, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, has reported that Russian servicemen are looting properties in temporarily occupied territories under the pretext of alleged evacuation.

Source: Maliar on Telegram

Quote: "The number of cases of looting and theft by Russian servicemen has significantly increased in the temporarily occupied territories in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts since the beginning of May, especially on days declared by the occupiers as holidays and weekends.

They are mainly looting property and vehicles under the pretext of allegedly needing to ensure the evacuation of the population."

Details: The Russian occupiers, under the guise of the so-called provision of evacuation measures, have been stealing material assets belonging to local businesses and citizens in particular, in the settlements of Tokmak, Polohy, Kamianka, Rozivka, Mykhailivka, Molochansk, Enerhodar and Chernihivka in the temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

In Enerhodar, about 20 motor vehicles were stolen from the property belonging to private enterprise Elektropivdenmontazh-10 at night, and its warehouse was looted.

Additionally, the occupiers hastily removed looted office equipment and other property at night, under the pretext of evacuating the Russian occupation administration from Skadovsk in the temporarily occupied territory in Kherson Oblast.

It is likely that the Russian invaders will use another cargo ship that arrived at the port of Berdiansk on 7 May to move stolen property to the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A year ago, few predicted Russian President Vladimir Putin would launch an all-out invasion of Ukraine (and that Ukraine would successfully repel it). Or that China would  almost overnight, amid rare large-scale protests  rescind its zero-COVID policy. Unexpectedly high food and energy costs pushed up global inflation to 8.8% from 4.7% during the last 12 months, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Predictions, forecasts, future-gazing. These are pursuits that can often be, to use a British phrase, a mug's game. Something only a foolish person, armed with incomplete information, would attempt. At the beginning of this year it seemed unlikely that large-scale protests would erupt in Israel. Or that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich would be detained in Russia and accused of espionage. Still, there are some international story lines that are likely to dominate global headlines in 2023. Here's a selection to watch for.

Ukraine: Will there be a real ceasefire?

There appears to be no end in sight to a war that was started by Russia, has displaced millions of Ukrainians across Europe and led the West to supply ever-more-heavy weapons to Kyiv. "The fighting is likely to be at least as intense in 2023 as it was in 2022," said Daniel DePetris, a fellow at Defense Priorities, a Washington-based think tank. "Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will talk about their interest in ending the war through a peace settlement, but the two leaders will have vastly different interpretations on what that peace will look like and what it will take to get there."

Russians escaping Putin's war on Ukraine: A new home  and a moral dilemma

Ukrainian soldiers prepare to fire a French-made CAESAR self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions near Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 26, 2022.

Iran's clerical regime in a corner

Nationwide protests about women's rights and a litany of social and economic grievances rocked the Islamic Republic in 2022. Meanwhile, Iran's nuclear capabilities appear to be increasing, it is supplying weapons to Russia for the war in Ukraine and the regime's leaders show no signs of willingness to nurture diplomatic channels to the West. "For the last decade, Iran has been politically and economically stagnant," said Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, a dual American-Iranian who runs Bourse & Bazaar, a think tank focused on Iran's economy. "The country's future is less predictable than it has been in a long time, and this poses a challenge for Western policymakers worried about the threats an increasingly unstable Iran might pose."

Story continues

'Woman, life, liberty': Iranians on why they'll risk beatings and death for change

How the world is protesting Iran over Mahsa Amini's death and women's rights

Climate: 'It's going to get a lot hotter, and wetter'

United Nations scientistsbelieve there's a 50% chance global temperatures will rise, at least temporarily, to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels between now and 2026. Staying below 1.5C is the long-term goal of the Paris Agreement, an international treaty adopted by a majority of the world's countries in 2015. "The climate story of 2023 is going to be about political backlash," said David Callaway, a former USA TODAY editor-in-chief who runs Callaway Climate Insights, a newsletter that analyzes what the global business community is doing to mitigate climate risks. "In the U.S., Republicans will weaponize financial and political efforts to curtail global warming with hearings, investigations, litigation, and more penalties against Wall Street banks. In Europe, the EU's new carbon border tax will provoke international protectionist threats just as the continent is trying to scramble through the energy crisis caused by Russia. As for the climate, it's going to get a lot hotter, and wetter, with all the social and environmental pain that goes with that."

Climate Point: No, it's not all China's fault, and other climate change myths

Climate activists participate in a protest action in Glasgow in November 2021 during the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference.

Tigray: An uncertain road to peace in Ethiopia

A fragile peace has been established in one of last year's deadliest conflict zones, a civil war in Ethiopia's Tigray region. An estimated 383,000 to 600,000 people died in Tigray between November 2020 and August 2022, according to Professor Jan Nyssen and a team of researchers at Ghent University, in Belgium. "The durability of the peace agreement will partly depend upon whether Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed manages to deal with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerkis destabilizing efforts in Ethiopia, as well as territorial claims by the Amhara militia to parts of Tigray," said Kjetil Tronvoll, a Norwegian expert on Ethiopia who has studied the region for decades.

The largest war in the world: Hundreds of thousands killed in Ethiopia's Tigray conflict

Captive Ethiopian soldiers arrive at the Mekele Rehabilitation Center in Mekele, the capital of Tigray region, Ethiopia, on July 2, 2021. According to Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters, more than 7,000 captive Ethiopian soldiers have walked from Abdi Eshir, about 75 km southwest of Mekele, for four days.

China vs. Taiwan: Combat or just drills?

China is unlikely to invade the self-governing island of Taiwan that Beijing considers part of its territory, according to analysts at the International Crisis Group, a Belgium-headquartered think tank. But tensions have been rising as China has launched a series of increasingly aggressive war games in the Taiwan Strait and Taipei has bolstered its military defenses. In September, President Joe Biden said U.S forces would defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion, comments that appeared to go well beyond long-standing stated U.S. policy on Taiwan of "strategic ambiguity" and followed a visit to the island by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that angered Beijing.

Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan: U.S. tensions with China escalate

"Breaching Taiwans defenses would be a slog and, having seen the Wests response to Russias invasion of Ukraine, Beijing likely grasps the international opprobrium and economic cost an offensive could trigger  even if the U.S. opts not to intervene militarily," the International Crisis Group wrote in a recent assessment of the issue.

August 3, 2022: U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi waves to journalists during her arrival at the Parliament in Taipei, Taiwan.

Threats to democracy: key 2023 votes

There are international elections of consequence every year. Two to keep an eye on in 2023 are in Pakistan and Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dominated that country's politics for two decades. "Once a pillar of the Western alliance, the country has embarked on a militaristic foreign policy," Dmitar Bechev wrote in a recent analysis for Carnegie Europe, a foreign policy think tank. "And its democracy, sustained by the aspiration to join the European Union, has given way to one-man rule."

In Pakistan, International Crisis Group analysts note, the country "is entering an election year with a deeply divided body politic, as former Prime Minister Imran Khan whips up populist support against the government and the all-powerful military."

And if threats to global democracy feel remote two years after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, consider that over the weekend thousands of supporters of former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country's Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace in an apparent attempt to oust Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in an October election.

They carried flags, chanted slogans and stormed Congress: In Brazil this time

Protesters, supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro, storm the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. Planalto is the official workplace of the president of Brazil.

The list of global conflicts is long and winding

Other stories to watch in 2023:

Israel's military reservists have transformed a political crisis into a security one.

Armenia and Azerbaijan . The South Caucasus nations appear headed toward another confrontation over Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed region.

China and COVID. What will China's decision to relax its coronavirus restrictions mean for the rest of the world? Amid a surge of cases in China, can we expect more infectious variants?

Saber-rattling from North Korea . The world's most reclusive leader Kim Jong Un is signaling he may be about to test another nuclear weapon.

Haiti is effectively ruled by gangs and its public infrastructure has collapsed.

Six years later, Yemen is still experiencing the world's worst food crisis.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World news in 2023: Major global stories to follow in the new year
Orikhiv, southeast Ukraine  Ukraine claims to be advancing in the fierce, months-long battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut. The leader of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, which has led Moscow's effort to try to capture the industrial town, admitted that Ukrainian troops have made gains.

With his ground war struggling, Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces have intensified their aerial assault on Ukrainian cities ahead of a long-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged his people to have patience, saying Ukraine stands to lose a lot more lives if the offensive is launched too soon.

U.K. giving Ukraine long-range cruise missiles for counteroffensive

In the meantime, Ukrainian civilians in towns all along the front line in the country's east continue to bear the brunt of Putin's assault. Only about three miles from Russian positions, Orikhiv bears all the scars of a battleground. The town sits squarely on the front line of this war, and the few residents who haven't already fled live in constant fear of Russian attack.

Above ground, Orikhiv has been reduced to a ghost town of shattered glass and destroyed buildings. But below street level, CBS News met Deputy Mayor Svitlana Mandrych, working hard to keep herself and her community together.

"Every day we get strikes," she said. "Grad missiles, rockets, even phosphorus bombs."

Orikhiv, Ukraine Deputy Mayor Svitlana Mandrych speaks with CBS News in a school in her decimated town being used as a shelter by the few people who have not fled, May 10, 2023. / Credit: CBS News

Mandrych said the bombardment has been getting much worse.



"We can't hear the launch, only the strike," she said. "It's very scary for people who don't have enough time to seek cover."



The deputy mayor led our CBS News team to a school that's been turned into both a bomb shelter and a community center.

From a pre-war population of around 14,000, only about 1,400 hardy souls remain. The last children left Orikhiv three weeks ago, when it became too dangerous. Locals say the town comes under attack day and night, including rockets that have targeted the school.

Story continues

Ukraine's government calls shelters like the one in Orikhiv "points of invincibility"  an intentionally defiant title. Like others across the country's east, it's manned by volunteers  residents who've decided to stay and serve other holdouts, despite the risks.



Mandrych said every time explosions thunder above, fear grips her and the others taking shelter. She said she was always scared "to hear that our people have died."

As she spoke to us, as if on cue, there was a blast.

Valentyna Petrivna, among those taking shelter at a school in Orikhiv, Ukraine, told CBS News her house

"That was ours," she explained calmly. "Outgoing."



Hundreds of "points of invincibility" like the school offer front-line residents a place to not only escape the daily barrage, but also to weather power outages, to get warm and fed, even to grab a hot shower and get some laundry done. There's even a barber who comes once a week to offer haircuts.



Mandrych said it's more than just a little village within the town, however. The school is "like civilization within all of the devastation."



Valentyna Petrivna, among those taking shelter, said her house "no longer exists" after being bombed. But she told CBS News she wouldn't leave her hometown.



"I am not so worried  I am worried more about my children. My son is fighting, and my grandchildren are in Zaporizhzhia," she said, referring to the larger city nearby that's also under constant attack by Russia's forces.

The people defiantly holding out in Orikhiv share more than a hot drink and each other's company. They're united in defiance - and hope that the war will end soon, so families can be reunited.

The residents told CBS News that despite their town's perilous location on the front line, they can't wait for the counteroffensive to begin. They're desperate for Ukraine's troops to push the Russians back far enough that they lose interest in randomly bombing the neighborhoods of Orikhiv.

Ceasefire talks stall as fighting intensifies between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza

America's national COVID-19 emergency declaration ends Thursday night

Biden administration announces new immigration policies ahead of Title 42's expiration
In Poltava Oblast, two suppliers who sent products to a Russian factory for the production of energy protection systems at the facilities of the Russian Fleet have been exposed.

Source: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU); press service of the Prosecutors Office in Poltava Oblast

Details: According to the investigation, the head of a local diamond tool manufacturer and his accomplice, who has a controlled business in Russia, have been involved in the fraud.

The men have set up a mechanism to covertly smuggle products that are also used by the Russian military-industrial complex.

The prosecutor's office has reported that the defendants made deals with transport companies to transport their products outside of customs control to other countries, from which they were subsequently sent to Russia. According to the SSU, it was one of the countries of the South Caucasus.

Among the "customers" were representatives of the Kursk Electrical Apparatus Plant, which was supplied with tools for the production of energy protection systems at the facilities of the Russian Fleet.

The businessmen also had contact with the Moscow-based Toriy NPP, which manufactures components for Russian S-300 and S-400 air defence systems.

The SSU has reportedly prevented the export of more than 100 units of the new batch of goods to Russia.

During the searches of the defendants' premises, the SSU found documents with evidence, seals of Russian companies controlled by the defendants that sold products in Russia and ammunition for Kalashnikov rifles.

The defendants have been served with a notice of suspicion under Art. 111-1.4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (collaboration), and the CEO of the company has been additionally served with a notice of suspicion under Art. 263.1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives).

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Storm Shadow Missile Ukraine

The United Kingdom is supplying Ukraine with multiple Storm Shadow conventionally armed cruise missiles, a combat-proven advanced precision strike weapon with an officially stated range of over 155 miles. As far as we know, this is the longest-range standoff weapon to be delivered to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

While there had been previous hints that the United Kingdom was looking to get longer-range strike weapons of some kind into Ukrainian hands, todays official announcement confirms that such a move will involve the air-launched Storm Shadow  some of which may have already been handed over.

Speaking in the British parliament today, U.K. Defense Minister Ben Wallace said that his country had begun supplying Ukraine with Storm Shadows, fulfilling a longstanding request from Kyiv for long-range missiles.

We will simply not stand by as Russia kills civilians, Wallace told parliament. Russia must recognize that its actions alone have led to such systems being provided to Ukraine.

British Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace (left) is welcomed to the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, last month by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (right). Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Wallace added the missiles are now going into, or are in, the country itself, suggesting that at least some of the missiles may already be in Ukraine, potentially ready to use in support of an expected spring counteroffensive.

However, the Storm Shadows have apparently been supplied with Kyivs assurance that they wont be used against targets in the Russian Federation. Wallace said that the weapons would be used within Ukraines sovereign territory  although that would not rule out strikes against Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, also including Crimea.

Britain has reportedly received assurances from Ukraine that the missiles will only be used on Ukrainian land and not for cross-border strikes on Russia



This follows a UK-led group of NATO states openly exploring the possibility of giving Ukraine missiles with 190 miles radius  Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) May 11, 2023

Whatever way the missiles are used, the announcement has already incurred Moscows wrath. Ahead of Wallaces statement, the Kremlin said that providing Ukraine with Storm Shadows would require an adequate response from our military.

Story continues

Interestingly, Wallace seemed to make efforts to distinguish between the range capability of the Storm Shadow compared with some of the standoff missiles used by Russia.

[While] these weapons will give Ukraine new capability, members should recognize that these systems are not even in the same league as the Russian AS-24 Killjoy hypersonic missile, Wallace said, or even the Kalibr cruise missile with a range of over 2,000 kilometers [1,240 miles], roughly seven times that of a Storm Shadow missile.

As The War Zone has discussed before, the Storm Shadow is designed to meet the demanding requirements of pre-planned attacks against high-value fixed or stationary targets, according to its manufacturer, the pan-European missile house MBDA.

A Storm Shadow under the wing of a U.K. Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 fighter jet, which has used the cruise missile to attack ISIS targets during the air campaign in Iraq and Syria. Crown Copyright

Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukraines defense minister, today provided some ideas of possible targets for the Storm Shadow: Our partners know very well why we need them: to be able to reduce the enemys offensive potential by destroying their ammunition depots, command and control centers, and logistics chains on the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory.

The missile has a BROACH tandem warhead designed to penetrate hardened targets, including bunkers. The warhead uses a precursor charge to punch through hardened structures followed by the main change that can be fuzed for penetration mode when required, meaning it detonates after breaching the target. The missile guidance system combines an inertial navigation system, GPS, and terrain referencing.

2/ Location of the Storm Shadow's BROACH* multiple warhead system's Precursor Charge (PC), which pre-damages the target structure, and Follow-Through Bomb (FTB), which perforates the target and detonates within it.



*(Bomb, Royal Ordnance, Augmenting CHarge). pic.twitter.com/Trq53uRBLu  Guy Plopsky (@GuyPlopsky) May 11, 2023

Overall, the Storm Shadow should give Ukraine a powerful new ability to hit key targets, including command nodes, supply dumps and bridges, deep behind the front lines.

Ukraine has long campaigned for the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), a ground-launched short-range ballistic missile that can be fired from suitable M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, and M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launchers that are already in Ukrainian use. With a range of over 155 miles, the Storm Shadow falls someway short of ATACMS, with its almost 200-mile range. However, the air-launched cruise missile still greatly extends the range at which the country can hold Russian targets at risk. Meanwhile, it also seems that the HIMARS launchers for Ukraine have apparently had their ATACMS capability stripped out, at least for the time being.

Map showing the range of British-supplied Storm Shadow long-range cruise missile that'll be used by Ukraine, taking into account their possible use on objects not only in Crimea, but also in the rest of Russia. pic.twitter.com/quSloE0dsD  Clash Report (@clashreport) May 11, 2023

Previously, Ukraine also received examples of the Boeing-produced Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB), an adaptation of the widely used air-launched Small Diameter Bomb, or SDB, which has also provided a significant boost to Ukraines capacity to strike in Russian rear areas. However, with its range of around 94 miles, the GLSDB is easily outmatched by the Storm Shadow, which also delivers a much heavier warhead and offers stealthy features and a low-flying profile that makes interception that much harder.

As to how the Storm Shadow will be employed, thats unclear, although Wallace seemed to indicate that it would be air-launched, and not adapted for a ground launcher. He said that part of the reason for the time it has taken to get the missile to Ukraine was due to working out if it was technically feasible to integrate them on unfamiliar aircraft.

https://twitter.com/RHJOfficial/status/1656644544652271619?s=20 https://twitter.com/Gabriel64869839/status/1656627981538807816?s=20

The Ukrainian Air Forces MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets and Su-25 Frogfoot attack jets are likely unable to carry the Storm Shadow. Each missile weighs around almost 2,900 pounds. The heaviest weapons routinely carried by the MiG-29 and Su-25 are only around 1,100 pounds each. The heaviest-lifting stores pylons on the Frogfoot can only accommodate weapons of 1,100 pounds, and heavier weapons are rarely ever seen on early-model MiG-29s.

This would seem to suggest that the Su-27 Flanker fighter jet and/or the Su-24 Fencer strike aircraft would be the likely candidates as Storm Shadow shooters. These larger aircraft have much greater payload capacities and the Su-24, in particular, can routinely carry weapons of over 3,300 pounds each.

In the autumn of 2021, our Su-24Ms were shooting the Kh-25ML at the range pic.twitter.com/2z7fuvBStG  Y V (@in_memoriam818) August 10, 2022

To what degree work has been completed to integrate the Storm Shadow on the aircraft that will carry it into combat is unclear. In theory, however, the process shouldnt be too onerous, with the Storm Shadow missile being preprogrammed with target coordinates before flight, meaning there is no need for an interface allowing the aircraft to feed data in before launch.

The missiles range also promises to overhaul the strike capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Force in general, although much will depend on how many of these expensive weapons have actually been supplied. Each Storm Shadow is thought to cost around $2.5 million and, although an upgrade program is underway, the United Kingdom is already planning to replace these weapons, meaning they will become surplus to requirements from around 2030, in any case.

UK should have up to c800 Storm Shadow missiles in stock. They are undergoing mid life upgrade (SPEAR Capability 4) with trial firings in 2021. They are expected to be replaced starting around 2030 with Future Cruise and Anti-ship Weapon in development in cooperation with France. pic.twitter.com/sDBlXM48Bi  Gabriele Molinelli (@Gabriel64869839) May 11, 2023

Although we have seen some use of Soviet-era precision-guided ordnance by Ukrainian jets, and we know that both the AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) and Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) have also been integrated, the vast majority of offensive missions have involved unguided rockets fired from a very low level in the approximate direction of the target, with much-reduced accuracy.

A Ukrainian Air Force video showing its MiG-29s carrying and firing AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles, or HARMs:

The Storm Shadow not only offers more or less pinpoint accuracy, but its range means it can be launched from outside the engagement envelope of Russian ground-based air defense systems around the highly contested front lines. Thats not to say that the launch aircraft would be in any way immune to the Russian threat, with long-reaching surface-to-air missiles and air-to-air missiles still an ever-present threat in many areas.

Its also the case that the Storm Shadow, despite its low-observable design and its terrain-hugging flight profile, is not entirely immune to interception, although the ability to employ up-to-date intelligence to program its routes offers the best chance of survival is significant. Moreover, the addition of the new missile to the Ukrainian Air Force inventory brings added complications for Russia in terms of how and where it should concentrate its own air defense assets. The degree to which the Storm Shadow is truly disruptive, however, will again depend upon the number that Ukraine has, at least to start with. If the number of missiles is low, they could well be focused upon very specific, harder-to-reach, but important targets, like command and control nodes and logistical arteries.

Back in February, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had told the Munich Security Conference that Britain would be the first country to provide Ukraine with longer-range weapons, igniting speculation that a transfer of Storm Shadows could be a possibility.

We must help Ukraine to shield its cities from Russian bombs and Iranian drones, Sunak said at the time. And thats why the UK will be the first country to provide Ukraine with longer-range weapons.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson during their trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on February 18, 2023. Photo by Ben Stansall  Pool/Getty Images

Only last week, meanwhile, a British-led group of European countries asked companies for expressions of interest to supply Ukraine with missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers (190 miles), again raising speculation of Storm Shadow for Ukraine. However, earlier this week, U.K. officials said that no final decision had been taken on supplying the weapons.

This makes both tactical and strategic sense. The Ukrainian armed forces should have the capacity to hit any target on Ukrainian soil occupied by Russians. Britain prepares to send long-range Storm Shadow missiles to #Ukraine - @washingtonpost https://t.co/FOtVN8ChmC  Mick Ryan, AM (@WarintheFuture) May 9, 2023

Todays announcement reinforces the United Kingdoms position as one of the leading supporters of the Ukrainian war effort, with around $2.9 billion of military aid provided last year alone. This makes the United Kingdom second only to the United States and, although the value of weapons involved is far less than the tens of billions of dollars from Washington, its notable that the United Kingdom has taken the lead on getting certain key weapons into Ukrainian hands.

The United Kingdom was quick to send shoulder-launched anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons to Ukraine and was the first to announce it would begin training Ukrainian pilots to operate modern NATO-standard fighter jets, although the exact nature of that training remains unclear and Ukrainian requests for the aircraft themselves have so far been ignored in London, as they have elsewhere.

On eve of Zelensky trip to UK today, Downing St says UK will offer to bolster the UKs training offer for Ukrainian troops, including expanding it to fighter jet pilotsThe training will ensure pilots are able to fly sophisticated NATO-standard fighter jets in the future.  Shashank Joshi (@shashj) February 8, 2023

Earlier this year, the United Kingdom said it would send 14 of its main Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, apparently kickstarting a broader international effort to get similar equipment to Ukraine, with the British tanks being followed by German-made Leopard 2s and U.S.-made M1 Abrams.

It remains to be seen whether the Storm Shadow will be deployed in support of the long-awaited Ukrainian spring offensive, but its noteworthy that the delivery of the weapon was announced at this point. One reason could be that the United Kingdom wanted to make the transfer of the missiles overt, meaning that their use would not come as a surprise should Ukraine employ them against Russian targets in the near future.

Great that Ukraine has Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which are about the same range as ATACMS would've been. But can't help but think this would have more effective to reveal on day one of an offensivewith strikes on headquarters, transport nodes and depotsthan in advance? https://t.co/TZ7qbRhxRH  Shashank Joshi (@shashj) May 11, 2023

On the other hand, announcing the possible readiness of Ukraine to deploy Storm Shadows also presents an additional headache for Russian commanders, as they now have to assume that a whole new set of possible targets are now available to Ukraine. This would clearly complicate the response to a large-scale counteroffensive, especially in terms of major supply dumps as well as critical infrastructure and chokepoints.

For Ukraine, the Storm Shadow theoretically opens up the possibility to strike targets deep within Crimea, including Sevastopol, with its extensive military infrastructure. However, a mission of this kind would involve running the gauntlet of the extensive Russian ground-based air defense umbrella that spills deeply into Ukrainian-controlled areas. Here, again, the importance of the counteroffensive becomes clear, since this could help push back those air defenses and make standoff attacks on these further-flung all-important targets a more realistic prospect.

Storm Shadow's range is just at the edge of the distance between Ukrainian-controlled territory and Sevastopol, in Crimea. But launching from optimum altitude would require flying directly into Russian air defenses that spill deeply into Ukrainian-controlled territory. The Kerch Strait Bridge is well beyond the range of Storm Shadow fired from the front lines, but a counteroffensive could change all this. ISW

The prospect of the heavy-hitting Storm Shadow being unleashed on the heart of the Black Sea Fleet is so far an unprecedented possibility in the conflict. Vessels in port there would be vulnerable to the catastrophic damage Storm Shadow can inflict. But above all, the Kerch Strait Bridge would be Storm Shadow's top target. Without a massively risky operation, it will take the counteroffensive to roll back Russian air defenses significantly to launch Storm Shadow from altitude within its range at the bridge. If Ukraine can bisect Russia's land bridge across Southern Ukraine via their counteroffensive, the strategic importance of the Kerch Strait Bridge increases drastically more.

With this in mind, Ukraine has a new reason to execute its big counteroffensive  to get Storm Shadow within range of striking the top targets in Crimea with a heavy punch never possible until the acquisition of the cruise missile.

There is also the possibility of Ukraine launching standoff Storm Shadow attacks from the Black Sea, west of Crimea. This would be a high-risk operation, as well, but one that may be worth that risk considering the weapons being employed and the targets they can service. Russia watches this area very closely and has ships and aircraft that patrol it persistently. The ocean doesn't give the same level of cover that the land does for Storm Shadow's low-altitude infiltration abilities, either, making it more vulnerable to detection and engagement. Still, this may be an attractive option prior to any rolling back of Russian air defense assets via a counteroffensive. It will be interesting to see how Russia's air defense posture changes in Crimea now that Storm Shadow is in play.

Whatever way Storm Shadow ends up being used by Ukraine, its presence alone and the precedent it sets could make the biggest impact. Its delivery by the United Kingdom is a significant marker in terms of weapons donations to Kyiv in this conflict. It also points toward a general evolution in how Western countries view the transfer of standoff munitions to Ukraine, especially following the GLSDB and JDAM-ER, among other weapons. This is also broadly reflective of how other weapons transfers have evolved, including HIMARS and main battle tanks.

As such, if Ukraine demonstrates the value of the Storm Shadow, and the precedent for supplying advanced long-range weapons is already set by it, more of the weapons from other operators, such as Italy, or even the very similar SCALP missile, as used by the French Armed Forces, could follow. This could also open the floodgates to other donations by other countries, especially those by the U.S., which sits on a massive stockpile of advanced standoff weapons.

It will be interesting to see not only how effective an advanced cruise missile might be in Ukrainian hands, but also whether it will now open the door to other long-range strike weapons also being approved for transfer to Ukraine. Regardless, which ever way it plays out, it is very bad news for Russia.

Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com
Ukrainian artillery fires towards the frontline during heavy fighting amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

Wagner boss Prigozhin said on Thursday that Ukraine's "counteroffensive is in full swing."

Ukrainian forces have reported counterattacks near the war-torn city of Bakhmut.

But President Zelenskyy said earlier that Kyiv still needs "more time" before a major assault.

Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed Thursday that Ukraine's much-anticipated counteroffensive is in "full swing," rebuffing comments made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just hours earlier about delaying major operations.

On his social media channels, Prigozhin accused Zelenskyy of lying when he said in a media interview that Ukraine needed more time before it could carry out a counteroffensive. "Zelensky is lying," Prigozhin said, according to a CNN translation. "The counteroffensive is in full swing."

Prigozhin's remarks came amid reports of Ukrainian advances at front-line areas in eastern Ukraine, such as in the war-torn city of Bakhmut, where Wagner Group mercenaries have played a key role in brutal and intense fighting for months. Ukrainian forces signaled that they carried out "effective counterattacks" that forced some Russian soldiers to retreat.

"Thanks to our well-thought-out defense in the Bakhmut sector, we are getting results from the effective actions of our units," Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote on Telegram, according to CNN. "In particular, we are conducting effective counterattacks. In some areas of the front, the enemy was unable to withstand the onslaught of Ukrainian defenders and retreated to a distance of up to 2 kilometers."

A Ukrainian battalion said this week that it managed to chase Russian soldiers out of parts of Bakhmut, sharing footage that appeared to show soldiers on the run. Aerial footage showed troops running through fields and being hunted down by armored vehicles, while videos taken from the ground showed fighting and bodies.

Story continues

Kyiv's military officials have cautioned that the offensives mentioned by Prigozhin are nothing more than a "positional struggle" and don't reflect a broader counteroffensive. Some reporters also cast doubt on the claims.

In a Thursday Facebook update, Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces said Russia was concentrating its main efforts on several fronts in eastern Ukraine, including around Bakhmut, Adviivka, Lyman, and Marinka. "During the day, the enemy carried out more than 30 attacks on the specified areas of the front," the update read, adding that the "fiercest battles" continue for the cities of Bakhmut and Marinka.

The update did not mention any widespread counteroffensive like the one Prigozhin claimed was underway and Russian Telegram channels have also speculated may be happening amid some reported Ukrainian advances.

Ukrainian officials have previously hinted that the country's much-anticipated counteroffensive will take place in the near future, though it's not immediately clear when, exactly, that will happen. A major assault, which is aimed at liberating occupied land in eastern and southern Ukraine, would follow a Russian offensive earlier this year that failed to produce notable territorial results.

Zelenskyy, in a recent interview with public service broadcasters part of Eurovision News, said Ukraine still needs more time before a counteroffensive. Kyiv could go forward with what it already has in its arsenal and "be successful," he said, according to the BBC. "But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time," he added.

Ukraine's combat brigades were "ready," Zelenskyy said, but his military still needs "some things" like armored vehicles that had been "arriving in batches."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in late April that over 98 percent of all the combat vehicles that were promised to Ukraine  part of a massive influx of heavy armor provided by Kyiv's Western backers  had already been delivered. The military alliance's chief said this meant nearly 1,800 armored vehicles and tanks and "vast amounts of ammunition."

"In total we have trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian armoured brigades, this will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory," Stoltenberg said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Thursday reiterated their call for a "peaceful resolution" of disputes in the South China Sea as they concluded their summit in Indonesia.

ASEAN member-states said tensions in the disputed waters must be resolved in accordance with international law.

"We further reaffirmed the need to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with the universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)," their statement read.

The leaders also said concerns in the South China Sea were raised  including "land reclamations and serious incidents" that "eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions, and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region."

They stressed the need to "enhance mutual trust and confidence" and "exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities" that may further escalate tensions.

China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea overlap with those of several ASEAN membersincluding the Philippines.
Bavovna (cotton, a war-related neologism for a loud explosion far behind the frontline) came to the city of Starodub

The governor accused Ukraine of both attacks.

Read also: Russia boosts security of military commissariats due to growing arson attacks

"A Ukrainian drone conducted shelling of an administrative building in Starodub," the governor wrote, while the independent Russian news outlet Baza stated it was actually a military commissariat.

Another drone attacked the Klintsy oil depot, owned by Russias Rosneft oil company.

"As a result of the munitions drop, the concrete base and oil products storage tank were partially damaged," Bogomaz wrote on Telegram.

Read also: 14 Russian soldiers injured in drone attack on training ground in Voronezh Oblast, Russian media report

There no casualties in both incidents, he reported.

Russia's Ministry of Defense has yet to comment on this information.

Earlier, the Ilskii Oil Refinery near the Taman Port in Krasnodar Krai erupted in a massive blaze on May 4. Another oil refinery in Russia's Rostov Oblast was struck by a drone attack that day as well, as well as a military base in Voronezh Oblast, Russia.

Read also: Second blast in two days at Ilskii refinery in Krasnodar Krai, Russian media report drone attack

On May 1, a locomotive and four railroad cars were set on fire, leaking about 12 tons of fuel due to a railway bombing in Bryansk Oblast. On May 2, another locomotive and around 20 train cars were derailed due to an explosion, also in Bryansk Oblast.

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
By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to meet Pope Francis in the Vatican on Saturday, diplomatic sources said on Thursday, days after the pope said the Holy See was involved in a peace mission to try to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

The planned trip has not been officially announced. Pope Francis has given no further information about the peace initiative.

There was no immediate comment from the Kyiv government on reports of the possible trip. Zelenskiy's office never releases details of his travel plans ahead of time for security reasons.

An Italian political source confirmed that Zelenskiy might be in Rome at the weekend and said if that was the case, he would also see Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is a staunch defender of Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February 2022.

News of the planned visit was first reported by Italy's Ansa news agency. It said Zelenskiy was also expected to travel to Germany this weekend.

Since the invasion, the pope has pleaded for peace practically on a weekly basis, and has repeatedly expressed a wish to act as a broker between Kyiv and Moscow. His offer has so far failed to produce any breakthrough.

Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met the pope last month and said he had discussed a "peace formula" put forward by Zelenskiy. He said he had also invited the pontiff to visit Kyiv.

Pope Francis, 86, has said previously that he wants to visit both Kyiv and Moscow on a peace mission.

Tens of thousands have been killed, millions uprooted and whole cities have been flattened during the war in Ukraine.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella, additional reporting by Angelo Amante in Rome and Tom Balmforth in Kyiv; Writing by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Grant McCool)
The Ukrainian troops realise that they will have to circumvent the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) during the counteroffensive in order to avoid damaging it.

Source: Petro Kotin, Head of the Ukrainian National Nuclear Energy Generating Company Energoatom, in a comment for CNN

Quote: "There is a responsibility that they [the Ukrainian forces  ed] have to preserve the integrity [of the ZNPP] even if it is occupied by the Russians. This is completely understood by everybody, by our military."

Details: He also believes that Ukraine can bring the ZNPP back under its control without use of force, simply by cutting the supply lines to the facility from Crimea.

Kotin is convinced that when the Ukrainian troops liberate the city of Melitopol and block the way to Crimea for the occupiers, they will have no other choice but to surrender.

Kotin also reported that the Russian forces were deporting people from the neighbouring town of Enerhodar during the last 10 days and may deport a part of the ZNPP personnel as well.

Herewith he explained that ZNPP needs "at least five" rotating personnel shifts to properly function.

Kotin described the situation as "critical" but added that the danger of a big catastrophe remains "quite low" since there are the Russian nuclear specialists together with the Russian troops at the ZNPP, and they are "not crazy enough" and "understand the risks".

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Restoration of residential buildings

Read also: Government assistance to displaced Ukrainians  how much, and whos eligible

The e-Restoration program allows Ukrainian citizens whose received minor damage due to Russian aggression and has not yet been repaired to receive state assistance for the restoration of their housing. The maximum amount of compensation is 200,000 UAH (approximately $5,400).

Despite technical issues after the launch of the program, as of May 10, 2,454 applications for aid payments had been received, the Ministry states.

The received applications will be processed by commissions to be established by local self-government bodies, which will then begin direct inspections of the housing.

Read also: Mobile app allows Ukrainians to report enemy drones and missiles to air defense forces

The Ministry of Infrastructure advises citizens whose housing was damaged as a result of Russian aggression to submit applications for assistance payments via the Diya app.

Prior to this, a notification of damaged property must be submitted via Diya, a notary, or a local government center, if such notification has not yet been submitted.

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
KINGSTON - An Ulster County man was convicted of manslaughter Wednesday in the 2021 shooting death of his childhood best friend, who was visiting from California at the time.

Ulster County District Attorney David Clegg said that in the non-jury trial, Ulster County Court Judge Brian Rounds found Gregory Thayer, 50, of the town of Ulster guilty of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies.

Thayer had been indicted by an Ulster County grand jury for second-degree murder, but Rounds' verdict found that Thayer was suffering extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the shooting. Clegg said state law only permits a conviction for first-degree manslaughter under those circumstances.

Clegg said the case included evidence that on the night of Sept. 29, 2021, Thayer was upset that his friend, Bruce Swierc, 48, was "talking trash," so he left the kitchen where the two had been hanging out, went upstairs to his bedroom and got a gun.

Thayer then returned to the kitchen and shot Swierc in the back of the head while he was sitting at the kitchen table. Thayer then called his sister, rather than 911 or the police, Clegg said.

Swierc, who lived in California with his wife and family, was visiting the Hudson Valley, where he had grown up, to console his mother, a Rhinebeck resident who had recently lost her partner a few months after losing her sister.

Swierc had planned to spend a few more days visiting relatives and Thayer, with whom he had been close since childhood, before returning to California, Clegg said.

Woman stabbed: Liberty man charged with attempted murder

Road rage: Wallkill man found guilty of manslaughter in stabbing

Gang assault: Five teens arrested and charged in Ellenville

Robert Gottlieb, Thayer's defense lawyer, said his client plans to appeal the verdict.

"This tragedy begins with his best friend dead," Gottlieb said. "Then the tragedy continues with Gregory being convicted when the evidence is overwhelming that he suffered a psychotic break. I respect the criminal justice system and the courts. But thankfully, Gregory has the right and the ability to appeal a verdict that is inconsistent with the evidence."

Story continues

Thayer is being held without bail in Ulster County Jail pending sentencing on July 21.

He faces maximum sentences of 25 years in prison for the manslaughter conviction and 15 years in prison for the weapons conviction. Clegg said the sentences could be imposed consecutively, for a total of 40 years in state prison.

Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, Poughkeepsie Journal and The Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @mikerandall845.

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Ulster County man found guilty of manslaughter in friend's death
By Emma Farge and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber

GENEVA (Reuters) -The U.N. Human Rights Council on Thursday narrowly passed a motion to increase monitoring of human rights abuses in Sudan where hundreds of civilians have been killed since a conflict erupted last month.

The Western-led motion, which passed with 18 in favour and 15 against, had been backed by Britain and the United States to condemn abuses by Sudan's warring military factions.

"I think it's really important that the people of Sudan know that we here in the Human Rights Council in Geneva are watching what is happening, that we are appalled by what we see," British Ambassador Simon Manley told Reuters after the vote.

But many other countries voiced opposition.

No African country voted in favour of the initiative, not even erstwhile allies, in the latest sign of growing resistance to Western initiatives to boost scrutiny in the council.

"Heavy Saudi lobbying split the African group," a diplomat said of the outcome. Arab states had opposed the motion earlier on Thursday, saying it could jeopardise ongoing Saudi Arabia-backed peace talks.

Western diplomats had predicted that the outcome of the vote - which grants the U.N.'s Sudan expert more powers to monitor abuses, among other measures - would be tight. It was watered down several times in recent days in an effort to win approval.

Sudan's ambassador described the conflict as an internal affair and called for "African solutions for African problems".

Battles between Sudan's army and rival paramilitary forces have killed hundreds and wounded thousands, disrupted aid supplies, sent refugees fleeing abroad and turned residential areas of Khartoum into war zones since mid-April.

U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk told the 47-member Geneva-based council, the only body made up of governments to protect human rights worldwide, that both sides in Sudan's conflict had "trampled" on international humanitarian law.

Story continues

China criticised the meeting while Pakistan's envoy said it risked exacerbating the situation.

Sudanese Ambassador Hassan Hamid Hassan poured scorn on the whole session. "Why are you rushing to hold such an ad hoc session in this timing, especially since it has not received the support of any African or Arab countries?" he asked.

"What's happening in Sudan is an internal affair and what the SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces) are doing is a constitutional duty to all armies in all countries in the world."

(Additional reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Sharon Singleton, Christina Fincher and Mark Heinrich)
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court ruled Thursday in favor of a transgender Guatemalan woman who is fighting deportation on the grounds that she would face persecution if returned to her native country.

The court's unanimous decision in favor of Estrella Santos-Zacaria gives her another chance to argue that immigration officials were wrong to reject her bid to remain in the United States.

Lawyers for Santos-Zacaria, now in her mid-30s, said she first fled to the United States after being raped as a young teenager and threatened with death because of her gender identity in a country that has targeted the LGBTQ community.

But a U.S. immigration judge found that she did not make a strong enough case that she would face persecution if sent back to Guatemala.

The issue at the Supreme Court was more technical, whether federal immigration law was flexible enough to allow her another day in court. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled against her on that point, but other appellate courts had ruled in favor of immigrants on the same issue.

The Supreme Court ruled in an opinion by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson that the 5th Circuit was wrong.

After leaving Guatemala as a teenager, Santos-Zacaria had once before made it to the United States, but her stay was brief and she was deported in 2008, Jackson wrote.

Ten years later, she again entered the U.S. and was quickly taken into custody by immigration authorities.

Santos-Zacaria had testified that she was raped by a neighbor in the small town in which she was born and that townspeople said they would kill her because of her gender identity and her attraction to men.

She spent most of her time between 2008 and 2018 in Mexico, but decided to try to return to the U.S. after a Mexican gang also raped and assaulted her.

The State Department has found that Guatemala has done little to protect LGBTQ people and that transgender women are subject to frequent threats of violence.
Searching a field in Wales, a man with a metal detector stumbled upon an artifact buried 2,000 years ago  then he found another.

Metal detectorist Jon Matthews was exploring a pasture in Llantrisant Fawr in March 2019 when he found something, the National Museum Wales said in an April 28 news release shared with McClatchy News.

Matthews dug up the artifact and quickly realized there was a collection of buried treasures, Adelle Bricking, an archaeologist who worked on the excavation, wrote on Twitter. He contacted local archaeological authorities who excavated the area.

Archaeologists identified the 2,000-year-old treasures as Iron Age and ancient Roman pottery vessels, the release said. Eight objects, including two complete pieces, were unearthed from the field.

The artifacts were likely buried together around the time of the Roman conquest, in the second half of the first century A.D., the release said.

One artifact included an ox head bowl handle, photos show. The blue-green metal design has a wide-eyed ox with bowed horns. His lower lip or jaw extends outward into the handle-like loop.

Ancient Roman saucepan found in Llantrisant Fawr.

Ive never seen anything like it, Matthews told Wales Online. I didnt think our ancestors could make such a beautiful, beautiful thing. I was quite shocked.

The excavation team nicknamed the ox Bovril, Bricking said. Imagine our surprise when we flicked off the mud and exposed Bovrils adorable little face!!! she wrote.

Excavations also unearthed fragments of two wooden barrels, an Iron Age bucket with copper alloy fittings; an Iron Age copper alloy... cauldron and strainer; and two Roman copper alloy saucepans, experts said.

Photos show the ancient Roman saucepan and broken handle.

The handle of an ancient Roman saucepan.

The handle of an ancient Roman saucepan.

A pair of metal bucket mounts found at the site have a swirling orange-black design on them, photos show. Other photos show the worn wooden bucket with two rows of metal fittings along the edge.

A pair of bucket mounts.

I feel honored to have found something so unique that is linked to Wales and our ancestors, Matthews said in the news release.

Story continues

An Iron Age wooden bucket with copper fittings.

The National Museum Wales is interested in acquiring the artifacts after an independent committee has assessed their value, the release said.

Llantrisant Fawr is about 135 miles northwest of London.

Beach excavation uncovers large World War II bomb. Watch it safely explode in Belgium

Monks 1,400-year-old writings uncovered in home near cemetery in Egypt. See the ruins

Hunt for artifacts from both world wars leads searchers to a much older find in Poland
WASHINGTON  The US accused the South Africa government on Thursday of secretly providing weapons to Russia last December, escalating an already contentious geopolitical controversy for the Biden administration over whether the US ally is getting too cozy with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At a news conference in the South African capital, U.S. Ambassador Reuben Brigety said the Biden administration is certain that arms were loaded onto a vessel in the dead of night at the Simons Town naval base over three days and then transported to Russia, according to reports of his comments by South African news outlets.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was asked about Brigetys comments during a meeting of Parliament and refused to confirm or deny the U.S. accusations.

The matter is being looked into, Ramaphosa told political opposition leader John Steenhuisen, according to a video of the proceedings viewed by USA TODAY. And in time in time we'll be able to speak about it. An investigation is underway.

Ramaphosa declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.

The controversy comes as Russia and the US feud over the allegiances of old and new allies in what has increasingly become an arms race and battle for influence over the war in Ukraine. Brigety's sharp comments also underscored the increasing tensions between the West and countries that have stopped short of condemning Russia over the war or joining in sanctions efforts.

President Joe Biden speaks during the U.S.-Africa Summit Leaders Session on partnering on the African Union's Agenda 2063, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, in Washington.

Mapping and tracking Russia's invasion Mapping and tracking Russia's invasion of Ukraine

False claim Putin banned oil exports False claim Putin banned oil exports to US; US already halted that in 2022 | Fact check

Steenhuisen told the South African president that ammunition and materials of war were loaded onto the sanctioned Russian ship the Lady R when she docked at your government's naval base in Simons Town last December. This suggests that the ANC government is actively arming Russian soldiers who are murdering and maiming innocent people, not only in Ukraine but also across the African continent.

Story continues

Its been half a year now since the scandal of the Lady R docking in Simons Town broke, Steenhuisen continued. And I find it inconceivable that a president worth his salt would not have been briefed on the situation by now.

Brigety said South Africas alleged arming of Russia during its invasion of Ukraine was extremely serious and called into question South Africas supposed neutral stance in the conflict.

Among the things we (the U.S.) noted was the docking of the cargo ship in the Simons Town Naval Base between the 6th and 8th December 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel in Simons Town as it made its way back to Russia, Brigety was quoted as saying, according to media covering his news conference.

Moeletsi Mbeki, a political analyst and deputy chairperson of the South African Institute of International Affairs, said the United States has closely watched the strategic port city dating back decades, and likely has near iron-clad intelligence.

I think it's very improbable, it's very unlikely that they would make such an allegation if they didn't have evidence, Mbeki said on a televised interview on one of South Africas major news outlets. The United States has a huge interest in Simons Town and in the Cape sea route. Even during the apartheid era, the United States government and the British government had an agreement with the apartheid government to monitor Soviet shipping going around the Cape.

U.S. concerns about a key ally

Vedant Patel, the acting State Department spokesperson, said at a briefing that the Biden administration has serious concerns about the docking of a sanctioned Russian cargo vessel at a South African naval port in December of last year. And as good partners do, we have raised those concerns directly with multiple South African officials."

Asked whether the U.S. believes the South Africa government was fully aware, Patel said, "We have been quite clear and have not parsed words about any country taking steps to support Russia's illegal and brutal war in Ukraine, and we will continue to engage with partners and countries on this topic, but I'm just not going to offer an assessment on that from here."

But, he added, "We remain committed to our affirmative agenda of our bilateral relationship with South Africa, one that is focused on the priorities the two governments share."

Patel said that includes issues of global peace and security, trade relations, a shared health agenda, finding ways in which United States can be helpful to energy challenges and work on climate change.

Steenhuisens party, the Democratic Alliance, had raised questions earlier this year about a mystery Russian vessel making a stop at the Simons Town base.

At the time, the South African government didnt comment publicly on the alleged incident, saying it needed to gather information. Then, in late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship appeared to be handling an old order for ammunition, and she indicated that arms were offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.

The South African government, a key partner for the U.S. in Africa, has stated numerous times it has a neutral position on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully.

A Ukrainian soldier walks through the forest close to the Russian positions near Kremenna in the Luhansk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

But recent displays of its closeness to Russia opened Africas most developed country to accusations that it has effectively taken Russias side.

South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for talks in January, around a month after the alleged visit by the Lady R, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.

Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast. The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navys flagship vessels.

The South African navy also took part in the drills and characterized them as exercises that would strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.

South Africas decision to stage those naval drills in February, which coincided with the one-year anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, raised serious concerns for the U.S., Brigety was quoted as saying Thursday.

At the time of the drills, the South African armed forces said they were planned years ago before Russias invasion of Ukraine.

South Africa also faces a diplomatic dilemma over a possible visit this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes involving the abductions of children from Ukraine.

Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a meeting of leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, which is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

South Africa is a signatory to the international war crimes court and therefore obliged to arrest Putin. But the government has indicated it will not detain the Russian leader and has threatened to leave the ICC instead.

South Africas ruling African National Congress Party, which is led by Ramaphosa, sent a delegation to Moscow last month and spoke of strengthening ties with Russia, further straining the countrys relationship with the U.S.

___

Christopher Erasmus reported from Cape Town, South Africa.

Contributing: Associated Press

Viktor Mikhalev shows roses transformed from weapons and ammunition into flowers of war standing in a workshop in his house in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, March 4, 2023. Mikhalev, trained as a welder, lives and works in a house whose fence and door are decorated with forged flowers and grapes.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US: South Africa secretly armed Russia with weapons
The Russian fleet sent to South Africa for naval exercises was led by the Admiral Gorshkov warship, seen here in Cape Town in February

The US ambassador to South Africa has accused the country of supplying weapons to Russia despite its professed neutrality in the war in Ukraine.

Reuben Brigety claimed that a Russian ship was loaded with ammunition and arms in Cape Town last December.

President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said it was disappointed by the claims and said no evidence has been provided to support them.

The country has maintained claims of neutrality in the invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Brigety said at a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday that Washington had concerns about the country's stated non-aligned stance on the conflict.

He referred to the docking of a cargo ship in the Simon's Town naval base between 6 and 8 December last year which he was "confident" uploaded weapons and ammunition "as it made its way back to Russia".

The presence of the ship, the Lady R, had seemed curious at the time and raised questions from some local politicians.

"The arming of the Russians is extremely serious, and we do not consider this issue to be resolved," Mr Brigety said, in a damning accusation that seems to have caught South Africa's officials off guard.

In the wake of the allegations, the South African government announced the establishment of an independent inquiry led by a retired judge, a spokesman for the president's office said.

The US has been critical for months about South Africa's continued cosy relationship with Russia.

State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told journalists on Thursday that the US had previously raised concerns about the Lady R with numerous South African officials.

He said the US would speak out against "any country taking steps to support Russia's illegal and brutal war in Ukraine", but would not say whether there would be any repercussions for South Africa if the claims proved to be true.

Washington has also expressed concerns about South Africa's participation in military exercises with Russia and China during the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.

Story continues

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told parliament his government was looking into the claims

The naval exercises took place over 10 days in February and were criticised by opposition figures as an endorsement of the Russian invasion.

The South African authorities denied the war games were provocatively timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary and said the country routinely hosts similar drills with other nations, including France and the US.

South Africa previously abstained from a UN vote condemning the invasion. It also refused to join the US and Europe in imposing sanctions on Russia.

In response to a question raised by the leader of the opposition John Steenhuisen, President Ramaphosa told parliament on Thursday that the comments made by the US ambassador would be looked into.

The president asked opposition parties to allow for the process to be completed, adding that "in time we will be able to speak about it".

If the claims are true, they not only weaken South Africa's claim of neutrality, but some may even go as far as saying the country is complicit in the ongoing aggression of Russia in Ukraine.

"If South African bullets are found on Ukraine bodies, that is not a position we would want to be in," one expert in international relations said.

The details around the arms cache are still thin. It is not clear if the weapons would have been acquired from a state-owned arms company, or a weapons company based in South Africa.

But either way, this does not bode well for South Africa's international ties, especially with the US, one of its largest trade allies.

At the heart of the issue for South Africa now, off the back of these claims, will be the impression this could create that the country is not only non-aligned but has in fact chosen to be a "soft ally" to Russia, at a time when some Western countries see Russia as an aggressor guilty of human rights violations.

South Africa has modern-day ties with Russia because they are members of the Brics alliance, a group which represents some of the world's leading emerging economies, including China, Brazil and India.

The country's governing African National Congress (ANC) also has long-standing ties with Russia.

South Africa was faced with a diplomatic dilemma in March after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He is accused of being responsible for war crimes in Ukraine, including the unlawful deportation of children.

Mr Putin was due to attend an upcoming Brics summit in South Africa in August but the warrant meant that Pretoria would have to detain him on arrival.

In response, last month Mr Ramaphosa said the ANC had decided that South Africa should quit the ICC, before backtracking hours later citing what his office called a communications "error".

Historically, South Africa had a thriving arms industry, selling weapons to countries across the continent. The scale of that arms power to date is currently not known.

South Africa's authorities have been less than pleased with the accusation from the US ambassador, saying the matter should have been handled through proper diplomatic channels.

It is not enough for the envoy to simply claim the existence of the intelligence and there will be an expectation from many in South Africa for the US to provide evidence of its claim.

This is a hang-over from claims once made by the US of weapons of mass destruction, which led to the invasion of Iraq some years ago.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 12)  Former Senator Leila de Lima secured victory in one of the two remaining drug charges filed against her by the Duterte administration, a decision from a Muntinlupa court showed.

The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 204 announced the acquittal of de Lima on Friday morning, almost a month after state prosecutors sought to reopen her trial amid the existence of a rebuttal evidence.

Even if de Lima won the case, she still has to wait for Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256s decision on whether to allow her to post bail.

A vocal critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte, de Lima has been in detention for six years over allegations that she benefitted from the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison, with the drug money used to finance her senatorial campaign in 2016.

This claim, however, was retracted by former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos early last year, claiming he was coerced by then Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, an appointee of Duterte.

Drug dealer Kerwin Espinosa likewise withdrew his allegations against de Lima.

The former lawmaker has long maintained her innocence.

Following the decision, de Lima's lawyer Boni Tacardon told reporters that the recantation of Ragos played a major role in the acquittal of the detained former legislator.

Dahil no'ng binawi niya itong salaysay, nawalan nang tuluyan ang basehan ng akusasyon sa kanya (Because when he retracted his story, the basis of the accusation against [de Lima] completely lost), Tacardon said.

Tacardon noted that while the investigation proved that there was illegal drug trading in the New Bilibid Prison, there was no positive evidence that could link de Lima and co-accused Ronnie Dayan in the drug activities.

Dayan served as the former senators bodyguard and was known as her alleged drug money collector.

Both de Lima and Dayan were acquitted based on reasonable doubt, Tacardon added.

Tacardon and Heidi Soriano, lawyer of Roni Dayan, were hopeful that a similar decision would be achieved in the pending case.

In 2021, de Lima won one of the three drug charges filed against her by the Duterte administration.

Another case is pending with Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256.

I had no doubt from the very beginning that I will be acquitted in all the cases the Duterte regime has fabricated against me based on the merits and strength of my innocence, de Lima said in a statement read by Tacardon in reaction to the court's decision.

Thats already two cases down, one more to go, the former senator said.

De Lima also thanked those who stood by and prayed for me all these years.

Malinaw sa akin, hindi rin ito ang katapusan. Tuloy ang laban, she said.

[Translation: Its clear to me that this is not the end. The fight continues.]
Ukrainian armored vehicles maneuver and fire their 30mm guns, as Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades train for a critical and imminent spring counteroffensive against Russian troops Photo by Scott Peterson/Getty Images

Global expectations for Ukraine's much-anticipated counteroffensive are high.

But a former Army general told Insider that too much Western pressure could tank the attack.

"I would reject the talk that Ukraine's only got one shot," said Ben Hodges, a retired Army general.

As the world awaits Ukraine's next military move, pressure is mounting for the war-torn country to deliver a quantifiable victory. But global expectations of a triumph could torpedo the offensive before it even begins, a former Army general told Insider.

While the exact timing of Ukraine's much-anticipated counteroffensive is still unknown, military experts told Insider earlier this month that the assault could start as soon as the coming weeks. Following months of brutal fighting in the country's eastern region, expectations of what Ukraine can  and should  accomplish during the impending assault are rising among the country's Western supporters.

"Regardless of what happens on the ground, this has to be seen as a success to the Ukrainian people and US and European politicians," Mick Ryan, a retired Major General in the Australian Army and a military strategist, told Insider earlier this month.

The idea that this coming offensive is critical to an eventual Ukrainian victory is an increasingly popular one in the lead-up to its launch.

"There are many in the US and NATO who are concerned this is going to be a forever war, that it will go on for years and the West will continue to pour money into it without much progress," said Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and a senior advisor with the Center for Strategic and International Studies' security program.

The US alone has poured tens of billions of dollars into Ukraine's cause since the conflict began more than a year ago, while other Western countries have similarly donated essential equipment. A massive Ukrainian land grab or the reclamation of a key region from Russia could assuage the US and other NATO allies that there is an end in sight to this war, military experts told Insider.

Story continues

Some Ukrainian defense officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have even expressed fears that the counteroffensive may not live up to global expectations, telling The Washington Post this week that predictions of a consequential turning of the tides may be overhyped.

But framing this offensive as make-or-break for Ukraine sets a dangerous precedent, said Ben Hodges, a retired lieutenant general and former commander of US Army Europe.

Ukrainian soldiers from the 28th Brigade practice using Soviet-made AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers. Photo by Scott Peterson/Getty Images

The stakes of Ukraine's plight are bigger than just defeating Russia

"I would reject the talk that Ukraine's only got one shot, that if it doesn't achieve a knockout blow then that's it and everyone will say 'too bad,' and stop supporting them," Hodges told Insider.

The idea that aid to Ukraine will disappear should this offensive underperform, he said, is a narrative put forth by politicians and players who "don't want to see Ukraine win," or those who are increasingly eager to bring the war to a quick end.

"We've spent billions of dollars, supposedly because we believed in what Ukraine was fighting for," Hodges said.

The war in Ukraine is about more than two fighting countries, he argued, and Western countries should be assisting Ukraine in order to preserve international rules-based order, and respect for sovereignty, transparency, and human rights on a global level.

"If we're not willing to stick together and help Ukraine defeat Russia, then truly we don't actually value those things," Hodges said.

He attributed growing Western apprehension about the war to several possible factors, including an inability to believe that Russia really could lose, as well as misplaced fears about the country using a nuclear weapon, the chances of which, he said, remain low.

"I think the administration has a lot of people in very high places that are not committed to Ukraine absolutely winning," Hodges said, chiding the Biden administration for failing thus far to clearly define what the US' strategic objective is in aiding Ukraine.

But even in spite of the monumental pressure Ukraine faces in the weeks ahead, military experts told Insider they were cautiously optimistic about the country's prospects heading into its counteroffensive, especially given Russia's weakened, disorganized forces and Ukraine's "superior" willpower.

"The only thing I think that can screw this up is if the west exerts so much pressure on Ukraine and it causes them to stop short of a total victory," Hodges said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
An era came to an end Thursday when the public and national health emergencies for the coronavirus pandemic were rescinded.

The move, announced by President Joe Biden in January, is effective just days after the World Health Organization ended its own emergency declaration for the virus. In the U.S., the policy shift will affect several services available to Americans throughout the pandemic, including free vaccines, COVID-19 tests and even federally funded health care coverage plans.

Heres what you need to know as public access to COVID-19 tests, vaccines and more shifts in the coming weeks.

Health care coverage

Thousands of low-income families and individuals in Pennsylvania qualify for Medicaid. Moving forward, the programs beneficiaries will need to pay heightened attention to their coverage.

The federal government will no longer continuously cover Medicaid recipients, which was once a provision of the public health emergency. In April, states began resuming pre-pandemic processes for Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) renewals, eligibility determinations and disenrollements where necessary.

593K Pennsylvanians may no longer be eligible for Medicaid as COVID emergency ends

Those who receive Medicaid and CHIP benefits will not automatically lose their coverage due to the policy shift. All recipients will have the chance to renew their policies over a 12-month period, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services says.

No one will lose their health coverage without having a chance to complete a renewal or update their information, the DHS says. But, if you do not return your renewal when it is due, you may risk losing your coverage.

Pennsylvanians can visit dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS to check their renewal date or submit renewal forms online. Those who receive benefits should also receive a renewal notice in the mail.

Pandemic-era Medicaid beneficiaries who no longer qualify for the program are expected to receive referrals to other coverage plans, the DHS says. While the public and national health emergencies were active, states could not disenroll people from Medicaid plans, even if they were no longer eligible or did not submit renewal forms.

Story continues

The Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit research group, estimates roughly 18 million people across the country will eventually lose Medicaid coverage after the declarations expire.

Finding COVID-19 tests

For now, the federal government still offers free COVID-19 tests upon request.

You can visit COVIDtests.gov to order up to four free test kits for each household. The service, launched in early 2022, will continue providing tests without costs, including shipping fees, through the end of May, according to the U.S. Department of Human Services.

Starting May 11, Medicare will no longer cover or pay for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, though some plans in some states may make exceptions. Eligible patients may still receive access to laboratory-conducted tests moving forward.

According to HHS, state Medicaid programs must continue providing coverage without cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing through Sept. 30, though coverage may vary between states after that date.

Down the road, Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries will likely need a doctors order to receive free tests, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy research nonprofit.

Private insurance plans are no longer required by federal law to cover over-the-counter or laboratory-conducted COVID-19 tests, but some plans may continue such policies, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Across Pennsylvania, COVID-19 tests will remain free at community health centers and local-level clinics. Ferguson Township in Centre County is slated to host a walk-up clinic in State College through July.

You can find a community health center near you by visiting my.pachc.org/Find-A-Health-Center.

Original COVID shots no longer authorized  but newer ones are, FDA says. What to know

Getting vaccinated

For now, most Americans will remain eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations at no cost, HHS says.

The Biden administration will spend more than $1 billion on a new program that will cover vaccinations for the uninsured after vaccines move to the commercial market. The program, expected to cover roughly 30 million people, will include access to Pfizer and Modernas vaccines and booster shots, HHS says.

Those who remain on insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, should continue receiving vaccine coverage. Thanks to a provision within the Affordable Care Act, private insurance companies must cover recommended vaccines without co-pays. However, you may need to get your shots within your coverage network to avoid additional costs.

Uninsured children remain eligible for free vaccines through the federal governments Vaccines for Children program.

Eventually, Moderna and Pfizer expect to charge at least $100 per vaccine dose once the federal governments newly announced program ends and vaccines hit the commercial market. Those with insurance should be able to secure doses with little cost, if any.

To find a free COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot near you, visit vaccines.gov.

Long COVID and heart issues: What do we know about lingering symptoms  and treatment?

COVID-19 treatments

Doses of COVID-19 treatment drugs purchased by the federal government, including Paxlovid, will remain available at no charge to all Americans as long as supplies last. In other cases, you may need to pay for pharmaceutical treatments moving forward.

Costs for treatments will vary for those who receive Medicare benefits and anyone with a private insurance plan. Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries will continue receiving free treatments when necessary through September 2024, HHS says.

Treatments will be available on the commercial market once the governments supply runs out, but coverage through Medicare and other insurance plans is not guaranteed, the Kaiser Family Foundation reports. Co-pays and other fees may accompany treatment purchases through private insurance plans and for those without insurance.

COVID-19 data

In Pennsylvania, the future of COVID-19 data reporting remains unclear.

So far, the state Department of Health has not laid out plans for future data reporting. Since the pandemic began, the commonwealth has organized and regularly updated a comprehensive online dashboard that charts cases, hospitalizations, deaths, vaccination rates and more throughout Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the federal government will continue to update its pages and visualizations based on available data, perhaps indicating updates may be subject to state-level reporting. Before the pandemic-era public health emergencies expired, the CDC updated its maps, charts and data logs every weekday by 8 p.m.
By David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. presidential envoy leading negotiations to renew agreements with three Pacific island states said on Wednesday he will visit them next week hoping to make progress ahead of a trip to the region by President Joe Biden later this month.

Joseph Yun told Reuters he would be in Micronesia on Monday and would then visit Palau and the Marshall Islands.

"We want to make progress," Yun said, referring to talks to renew so-called Compact for Free Association (COFA) agreements with the three states.

Under these agreements, due to expire this year and next, the United States retains responsibility for the islands' defense and gains exclusive access to huge strategic swaths of the Pacific.

The White House said on Tuesday Biden will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Pacific islands state of Papua New Guinea following the G7 summit in Japan, underscoring his administration's investment in the Pacific region to counter China.

Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkachenko told Reuters Biden will sign defense and surveillance agreements with Papua New Guinea during the May 22 visit that renews the strategic importance of the nation where Biden's uncle died in World War Two. An official of the White House National Security Council said they had "nothing to preview at this time."

Washington has already signed memorandums of understanding on future assistance with the three COFA states, but these still need to be finalized.

Yun said last month he was very optimistic that they would be and that the U.S. Congress would approve them in a short time, but there was still some hard work ahead.

He said then that Washington needed to accelerate diplomatic "catch up" with the Pacific island region in the face of Chinese competition.

Yun said last month the "topline" agreements with the three nations would provide them with a total of about $6.5 billion over 20 years.

Story continues

In a letter late last year, more than 100 arms-control, environmental and other activist groups urged the Biden administration to formally apologize to the Marshall Islands for the impact of U.S. massive nuclear testing there in the 1940s and '50s and to provide fair compensation.

Marshall Islanders are still plagued by health and environmental effects of the 67 U.S. nuclear bomb tests from 1946 to 1958, which included "Castle Bravo" at Bikini Atoll in 1954 - the largest U.S. bomb ever detonated.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Stephen Coates)
By Daphne Psaledakis and Maya Gebeily

WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) -A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill on Thursday intended to bar the American government from recognizing Bashar al-Assad as Syria's president and to enhance Washington's ability to impose sanctions - a warning to other countries normalizing relations with Assad.

The bill, first reported by Reuters, would prohibit the government from recognizing or normalizing relations with any Syrian government led by Assad, who is under U.S. sanctions, and expands on the Caesar Act, which imposed a tough round of sanctions on Syria in 2020.

The proposed legislation comes after Arab states turned the page on years of confrontation with Assad on Sunday by allowing Syria back into the Arab League, a milestone in his regional rehabilitation even as the West continues shunning him after years of civil war.

Regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others, had for years supported anti-Assad rebels, but Syria's army - backed by Iran, Russia and allied paramilitary groups - regained most of the country. The icy ties with Assad began to thaw more quickly after devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey in February.

"Countries choosing to normalize with (the) unrepentant mass murderer and drug trafficker, Bashar al-Assad, are headed down the wrong path," U.S. Representative Joe Wilson, the chair of the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, said in a statement.

Syria's information ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The bill was introduced by Wilson, House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, a fellow Republican; Republican French Hill and Democrat Brendan Boyle, who co-chair the Free, Democratic and Stable Syria Caucus; and others.

The legislation is a warning to Turkey and Arab countries that if they engage with Assad's government, they could face severe consequences, a senior congressional staffer who worked on the bill told Reuters.

Story continues

"The readmission of Syria to the Arab League really infuriated (Congress) members and made clear the need to quickly act to send a signal," the staffer said.

The staffer said the State Department was consulted in the drafting of the bill.

Asked about the measure at a regular news briefing, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel declined to comment on pending legislation. But he said Washington has been very clear it does not seek to normalize relations with Assad's government and would not support its allies and other partners doing so either.

The bill's provisions include a requirement that the secretary of state provide Congress with a strategy for countering normalization with Assad's government - including a list of diplomatic meetings between Syria's government and Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and others - every year for five years.

The legislation would also pave the way for sanctions to be imposed on airports that allow landings by Syrian Arab Airlines and another carrier, Cham Wings, the staffer said.

If passed, the bill would also require a review of transactions, including donations over $50,000 in areas of Syria held by Assad's government by anyone in Turkey, the UAE, Egypt and several other countries.

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis in Washington and Maya Gebeily in Beirut; Additional reporting by Simon Lewis in Washington; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers accused the Pentagon on Thursday of effectively undermining war crimes prosecution of Russia by blocking the sharing of U.S. military intelligence with the International Criminal Court at the Hague.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat, said at Senate hearing that he had been told by the ICC's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, that the U.S. State Department and Justice Department were both cooperating. But the Defense Department, under the leadership of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, was refusing, Durbin added.

"Why are you reluctant to share the evidence that we have gathered in the United States through the Department of Defense for those who are holding Vladimir Putin accountable for his war crimes?" Durbin asked Austin, referring to the Russian president.

The ICC, a permanent war crimes tribunal, in March issued an arrest warrant for Putin for suspected deportation of children from Ukraine, which would be a war crime.

"Why we would hold back evidence against this war criminal Vladimir Putin and the terrible things he's doing, I don't understand at all," Durbin said. Austin, a retired Army general who is rarely expansive in his answers to the public, did not deliver a detailed defense of his position at the hearing, where Durbin and another lawmaker urged him to follow a law passed last year allowing international cooperation to hold Russia accountable.

But Austin alluded to the U.S. military's longstanding concerns that any cooperation with the court could open the way for politicized prosecution of American troops deployed overseas.

"I will always prioritize the protection of U.S. military personnel," Austin said.

When pressed, Austin responded: "We support the goal of holding hold them (the Russians) accountable. But again, I do have concerns about reciprocity going forward."

Senator Lindsay Graham, a Republican, suggested that prosecuting Putin and those Russians responsible for war crimes would have a U.S. national security benefit. Graham also pressed Austin to cooperate and to abide by a law written by Congress on the matter.

Story continues

"Mr. Khan says we have a lot of valuable information that could accelerate his prosecution not only of Putin but of others," Graham said.

At a hearing last month, Graham praised the Justice Department for working with its Ukrainian counterpart to help pursue war crimes prosecutions against Russia and bashed the Defense Department for hindering such efforts. At the time, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco declined to comment on internal discussions.

A State Department spokesperson said the United States supports a "a range of international investigations and inquiries into war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine." The spokesperson said this includes those conducted by the ICC's prosecutor. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a surprise visit to The Hague a week ago, calling for a new international tribunal to hold Putin accountable for the invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022.

Russia is not a member of the ICC and rejects its jurisdiction. It denies committing atrocities during its conflict with Ukraine, which it terms a "special operation" to "demilitarize" its neighbor.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Will Dunham)
The writer and her family at Disney World. Courtesy of Conz Preti

I recently went to Disney World with my husband, three kids under 5, and parents.

It was a last-minute trip we planned while we were in Miami visiting family.

Using a travel agent made the planning so much easier and it didn't cost me anything.

In April, while visiting family in Miami, I thought it'd be fun to take my three kids, husband, and my parents to Disney World for a couple of days.

I asked in a tweet if people had suggestions of how to go about planning a last-minute trip, and among all the very helpful recommendations, someone said they were a Disney travel planner and they could help me.

At first, I was skeptical. Disney is already so expensive to begin with and I've planned multiple vacations to places like Italy, Uruguay, and Argentina so I felt I could handle Disney without having to spend even more money.

But when she said her services would cost me nothing I decided to give it a try.

The trip-planning service really was free  she gets paid by Disney World

I thought the free service would have a catch at some point, but our agent explained that she gets paid by Disney for every reservation she makes. Disney wants to have all rooms booked at all times, so these agents get a cut when they are able to bring more people to the parks.

I told our agent, who works at Smart Moms Travel, some of the key details of our trip  how many people, how many days, and ideal dates. She came back with three different hotel options inside on Disney property.

Then my parents decided to join us, so we had to go back to the drawing board and options she'd originally provided, like the Polynesian Village Resort, were not available anymore so I knew we had to act fast.

The writer with her husband and their three kids. Courtesy of Conz Preti

The planner took care of everything and kept up with our last-minute changes

She took all of our needs into consideration and we ended up booking two connected rooms in the Contemporary Resort for three nights and four days.

She also bought our park tickets and made reservations for each park  something I'd never done since this system was put in place in 2020. She asked what characters our kids were into, and booked us two character meals during our stay. She also added a family meal while we were at Magic Kingdom.

Story continues

After booking everything I realized we wanted to be at Epcot during extended hours, which happens on Mondays. We had to move all the reservations around to accommodate this and her knowledge really came in handy because she also helped us visit Magic Kingdom during extended hours on Wednesday.

She was available at all times to answer my questions

Because we hadn't been to Disney since 2019 I had a lot of logistical questions, like how to use Genie+ and whether we needed MagicBands. She was ready with links and answers to all my questions and I felt less confused by the whole process.

She also had access to our Disney World app and kept an eye on whether new reservations for meals were opening up to fit our party of seven.

Now, I'll never do Disney without a travel planner

Our experience working with a travel planner was so great that I'll never do Disney again without one.

At every single step, she made sure we had everything we wanted, and as a working mom, it meant there were fewer things I needed to think about  which I truly appreciated.

Read the original article on Insider
A Utah man who died after his wife allegedly spiked his drink with fentanyl  and then wrote a children's book about grief  had suspected she tried to poison him multiple times and said she was to blame if anything happened to him, according to court records.

Despite the suspicions, a family spokesperson told NBC News on Wednesday that Eric Richins stayed in the marriage with Kouri Richins because of his children.

Eric Richins, 39, died March 4, 2022, at his home in Kamas, about 40 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, after he was found unresponsive in his bedroom. Kouri Richins, 33, was arrested Monday on charges of aggravated murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

An attorney for Kouri Richins, Skye Lazaro, declined to comment Wednesday.

'If anything happened to him she was to blame'

According to affidavits for search warrants obtained Wednesday from the Summit County Sheriff's Office, relatives of Eric Richins told investigators to look into his wife's involvement.

"They advised he warned them that if anything happened to him she was to blame," the records said. Eric Richins, according to the records, suspected his wife had tried to poison him on multiple occasions.

"According to a sister, Eric and his wife went to Greece a few years ago and after his wife gave him a drink he became violently ill and called his sister saying he believed his wife had tried to kill him," the records said.

"On Valentines Day of 2022, his wife brought him a sandwich, which after one bite Eric broke into hives and couldnt breathe. He used his sons epi-pen as well as Benadryl before passing out for several hours," according to the records.

He was looking into a divorce and had changed his power of attorney, his will and the beneficiary of his life insurance policy from his wife to his sister, the records said.

Two family members said Eric Richins told them he was worried Kouri would kill him for money and he wanted to make sure the kids were taken care of financially, the records said.

Story continues

Staying together for the kids

Family spokesperson Greg Skordas said Wednesday that Eric Richins stayed in the marriage for the sake of his boys.

"They have three boys, three young boys, and I think Eric, being so involved in their lives as a soccer coach, baseball coach, basketball coach, wanted to keep the family together," Skordas said.

Skordas said: "Eric was a good father. ... He was a philanthropist. He cared about a lot of people. ... He did the best he could to make the most of his marriage."

Skordas added the Richins family is very happy charges were filed and they are hopeful "justice will be served."

A Moscow Mule, lethal levels of fentanyl and deleted texts

Authorities said in a probable cause statement that Eric Richins died after his wife served him a celebratory Moscow Mule.

Kouri Richins, according to the statement, told investigators that the night before her husband died, they were celebrating because she had closed on a home for her business. She said that she made him a Moscow Mule in the kitchen and took it to the bedroom and that he drank it sitting in bed, the statement said.

Kouri Richins (KPCW.org via AP)

She said she slept in one of her children's bedrooms because the child had a night terror, according to the statement. She allegedly woke up around 3 a.m. and found her husband was in their bedroom "cold to the touch" and called 911.

Kouri Richins also told deputies she left her cellphone in their bedroom and did not take it to her childs room, the statement said.

But investigators later learned that her phone had been locked and unlocked several times and that it showed movement during the time frame when she said she was in her childs room, according to the statement. Text messages were sent and received that had been deleted, the statement said.

Summit County sheriffs deputies said Eric Richins was on the floor at the foot of the bed. Lifesaving measures were attempted, but he was declared dead. An autopsy and a toxicology report found that he died from a fentanyl overdose, according to the probable cause statement.

The medical examiner said that he had five times the lethal dosage of fentanyl in his system and that it was "illicit" fentanyl, not medical-grade. It is also believed he ingested the drugs orally, according to the statement.

It appears she never performed CPR on him as she claimed, the search warrant records said, because of the large amount of blood that came from his mouth.

His family said that Eric Richins never told his wife he had cut her out of the will and that the couple were also arguing over buying a $2 million home that she wanted to flip, according to the records.

The family said he was planning to tell her he wasnt going to sign the papers, but the day after his death, she signed the closing papers on the home, the records said.

After she closed on the home, she invited her friends over for a large party at her home where she was drinking and celebrating, an affidavit for a search warrant said.

During the investigation, authorities learned that Kouri Richins had allegedly contacted an acquaintance identified as "C.L." to obtain pills, the probable cause document said. In one incident, she allegedly asked the acquaintance "for some of the Michael Jackson stuff," it said. (Jackson died in 2009 at his Los Angeles home after having received a lethal dose of propofol.)

Eric Richins. (Walker Mortuary)

"The defendant asked specifically for fentanyl," the statement said. "C.L. contacted a dealer in Ogden on February 11, 2022 and procured 15-30 fentanyl pills from that dealer."

Three days later, Eric Richins became very ill after a Valentine's Day dinner at his home with his wife, the statement said. He believed he had been poisoned and "told a friend that his wife was trying to poison him," it said.

Weeks later, authorities allege, Kouri Richins reached out to her acquaintance again and obtained more pills. Eric Richins died shortly afterward.

'The perfect little life'

A friend who knew Eric Richins for about 20 years recalled being shocked over news that he had died.

"I just would have never thought that was coming. He's not very old and pretty healthy, it seems like," Bruce Capes, 52, of Salt Lake City, said in a phone call Wednesday.

Capes said he talked to his friend quite often, mostly about hunting and trips, and had met Kouri Richins only a few times. He said it looked like the couple had "the perfect little life."

"It seemed like he had the perfect life, like he had everything going for him," Capes said, adding that he's still trying to process the charges against Kouri Richins.

A year after her husband's death, Richins published a book about grief titled Are You With Me? to create peace and comfort for children who have lost a loved one, according to a description on Amazon. She dedicated the book to "my amazing husband and a wonderful father. It has since been removed from Amazon.

In an interview with KTVX-TV of Salt Lake City last month, Richins said the death happened "unexpectedly" and "took us all by shock." She said she wrote the book after she saw how her children struggled with their fathers death.

CORRECTION (May 11, 2023, 9:16 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article misspelled the last name of one of Eric Richins friends. He is Bruce Capes, not Capers.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which will display 50 works produced in the Dutch artist's frenzied last days in Auvers-sur-Oise in France

Vincent Van Gogh's feverish final months in a French village, when he churned out masterpieces even as he spiralled into despair, are the subject of a one-off exhibition opening this week in Amsterdam.

The show at the Van Gogh Museum in the Dutch capital, which opens Friday, features 50 of the 74 works produced in his frenzied last days in Auvers-sur-Oise, just northwest of Paris, before his death at the age of 37.

More than 30 drawings are also featured among the works that have been loaned from museums and private collections all over the world and have never previously been shown together, curators said.

"It is fair to say that this is a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition about Van Gogh's very last period, his last 70 days," museum director Emilie Gordenker said at a press preview on Wednesday.

"During that period, he worked like a man possessed," producing some of his best works including the ominous "Wheatfield with Crows" and the melancholic portrait of his friend and physician Dr Paul Gachet.

The painting "Dr Paul Gachet", which the museum's researchers said was made on 6 and 7 June 1890, is one of eight works provided by the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, along with "The Church at Auvers".

What makes the exhibition unique is that all its paintings are arranged in chronological order, from the first painting when Vincent arrived in the village until his very last work, "Tree Roots", painted two days before his death.

Van Gogh arrived in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris on May 20, 1890, after spending time in Arles and Saint-Remy-de-Provence in southern France, where he already struggled with bouts of mental illness.

The painter arrived in Auvers full of hope and fresh enthusiasm, mainly because of the presence of Dr Gachet, a physician specialising in the treatment of "melancholia".

Once there, the painter entered one of his most productive periods.

"Vincent had a really tough time before he came to Auvers. He really suffered very much from his mental condition," Gordenker told AFP.

Story continues

"He comes to Auvers and he really has a new energy and he really gets to work," she said.

- 'The audacity' -

"He must have worked very fast. But he knew exactly what he was doing," added Nienke Bakker, senior curator at the Van Gogh Museum.

"Working on this exhibition, we are not just amazed by the number of paintings that he did in Auvers in this short period, but also the great quality of it and the audacity, the expressiveness, the experimenting that was there until the very last day," Bakker told AFP.

"It shows what an amazing artist he was," she said.

But as time went on, a feeling of unease again crept over Van Gogh, as seen in paintings like "Wheatfield with Crows", which was followed by another ominous landscape, "Wheatfield under Thunderclouds".

Indeed, Van Gogh, in one of his last letters to his brother Theo, says about his final painting, "Tree Roots", that "my life too is attacked at the very root, my step is also faltering".

Feelings of failure, loneliness and melancholy gradually gained the upper hand.

Van Gogh shot himself in the chest shortly after finishing "Tree Roots" and died two days later.

The exhibition "Van Gogh in Auvers. His Final Months" runs from May 12 to September 3 before moving to the Musee d'Orsay from October 3 until February 4, 2024.

jhe/dk/js
VATICAN CITY (AP)  The Vatican is formally recognizing 21 Coptic Orthodox workers who were beheaded by Islamic militants in Libya as martyrs with their own feast day, in a significant new ecumenical gesture aimed at forging unity between Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Pope Francis announced the inscription of the 21 workers, most of them Egyptians, in the Roman Martyrology, the compendium of saints celebrated liturgically in the Catholic Church, during an audience Thursday with the Coptic Orthodox pope.

During the audience, Francis kissed relics of the 21 young men that Tawadros II offered him as a gift.

Islamic State militants beheaded the workers on a beach in Sirte, Libya in February 2015. A grisly video of the executions was posted online, shocking Egyptians and prompting the Cairo government to stage punitive strikes against militant targets in Libya.

The men's bodies were recovered in 2017 and returned to Egypt, where a church was built in their hometown to honor them.

These martyrs were baptized not only in the water and Spirit, but also in blood, a blood that is the seed of unity for all of Christs followers, Francis told Tawadros during the audience in the Apostolic Palace.

The inscription of the Coptic Orthodox martyrs in the Catholic liturgical calendar, Francis said, is a sign of the spiritual communion that unites our two churches.

The Coptic Orthodox Church is the largest Christian denomination in majority Muslim Egypt and was founded by the apostle, St. Mark, in Alexandria in the 1st century.

It is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches with which the Vatican has relations and a process of dialogue that began 50 years ago this week with the historic encounter at the Vatican between St. Paul VI and Tawadros predecessor, Shenouda III.

Francis has frequently referred to the ecumenism of blood that unites all Christians in honoring martyrs of the faith. But the inscription of modern-day martyrs of another church in the Catholic liturgical calendar is a significant first, according to Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Vatican office responsible for relations with other Christian churches.

Story continues

This is the beginning of a new era of relations, Farrell said.

The Vatican will likely designate Feb. 15 as their feast day, the same day the Coptic Orthodox Church honors them, officials said.

Tawadros was at the Vatican to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the meeting between the two previous popes and joined Francis on stage during the Catholic pontiff's weekly general audience on Wednesday.

Tawadros is scheduled to celebrate a liturgy for the Coptic Orthodox faithful on Sunday at Francis' cathedral, St. John Lateran.

During a meeting with reporters, Tawadros said Francis seemed genuinely pleased to receive the relics of the 21 martyrs and promised to build a special altar for them.

This is something that helps promote greater unity between the two churches, he said.
A screenshot from video shows a man pepper-spraying a sleeping homeless person in the face in San Francisco. Though the man has not been identified, prosecutors indicated it could be former Fire Commissioner Don Carmignani. (San Francisco public defender's office)

The video seems damning: A person wielding a metal pipe swings it wildly, striking former San Francisco Fire Commissioner Don Carmignani in the head outside a gas station.

A firestorm ensued, seeming to bolster critics who say the city has descended into lawlessness. It also drew swift action from the district attorney, who charged a 24-year-old homeless man shortly after the altercation last month.

But now, the case seems precarious, as Carmignani is apparently unwilling to cooperate with investigators, leading to the suspect's release from custody amid allegations that the former fire commissioner had "terrorized" homeless people with bear spray.

Defense attorneys for Garret Doty, who was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the apparent attack April 5, said he struck Carmignani in self-defense.

In an interview with Bay Area television station KPIX, Carmignani, 53, said that on that day, he had approached some homeless people who were fighting in the street and told them to move. Carmignani said the same group had been blocking the entrance to his mother's home in the Marina District and "smoking crack cocaine" earlier that day.

One of the men struck him with a metal pipe, leaving him with injuries including head wounds and a broken jaw, he told KPIX. A bystander caught the scene on cellphone video.

I understand how a violent attack like this can shake a community, and I am committed to ensuring that the defendant is held accountable, so that we send the strongest message that violence like this is unacceptable, San Francisco Dist. Atty. Brooke Jenkins said in an April 10 statement announcing felony charges against Doty, including aggravated battery and assault likely to cause great bodily injury.

But late last month, the San Francisco public defender's office released videos and new information that it said cast the case in a new light, calling for the charges against Doty to be dropped on the basis of self-defense.

Story continues

Defense attorneys are looking for a "fair and impartial investigation and a fair and lawful prosecution," Deputy Public Defender Kleigh Hathaway told The Times.

"I don't think that we have received, as of yet, either one of those," Hathaway said.

Carmignani's term as fire commissioner was short-lived  he resigned in September 2013 after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, about five months after he was appointed to the post, SFGate reported. He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor assault charge in 2015 and received three years' probation, according to the San Francisco County Superior Court.

In security camera video taken just before the April beating that injured Carmignani, released by the public defender's office, he is seen walking down a street before pulling an object  pepper spray, defense attorneys say  out of his pocket.

Doty jumps into the frame, and he and Carmignani appear to speak to each other. Carmignani follows Doty as he repeatedly tries to walk away.

The pair eventually disappear from view.

Although the video doesn't show the beating of Carmignani, defense attorneys said it is evidence that Doty acted in self-defense.

"A third-party witness told police that she heard Carmignani threaten to stab and kill Doty if he did not leave the area," the public defender's office said in a release. "Doty responded to Mr. Carmignani in self-defense."

In his interview with KPIX, published April 25, Carmingani said, "I didn't go out there to fight anyone. I'm trying to get them down the road.

"They were cussing and swearing at me ... and I just said, 'Just leave, we don't want no problems,' " Carmignani said.

Carmignani did not respond to The Times' request for comment.

The use of force by Doty was reasonable in light of a series of attacks on homeless people that may be tied to Carmignani, Hathaway said.

The prosecution turned over to the defense information regarding a San Francisco Police Department investigation into a string of eight attacks on homeless people with bear spray, a more intense form of pepper spray.

Hathaway said most of the incidents occurred in a three-block radius, "and at the center of them is Carmignani's house."

In a November 2021 incident caught on video, a man strides up to a homeless person sleeping on a sidewalk and sprays for several seconds, leaving the person doubled over and shielding their eyes.

"While the identity of the assailant has never been confirmed, the prosecution indicated that it may be Carmignani and therefore relevant or exculpatory to the prosecution of Doty," the public defender's office said.

Several other attacks documented by police involved a man spraying homeless people who were sitting on benches or sleeping, the public defender's office said.

On Jan. 6, a person sprayed a homeless man and woman before taking the woman's wallet, cellphone and earrings, according to the public defender's office. The individual also threw a dog that belonged to one of the victims to the ground.

But police noted that no suspect has been identified in the series of attacks and that descriptions vary widely  with described heights ranging from 5 feet 8 to over 6 feet, and weights from 160 pounds to 300 pounds.

"The defense attorney in this case alleged that the victim [in the April 5 incident] was possibly the suspect in eight other related cases," police said in a statement to The Times. "Once this allegation is raised, it is our job to determine whether or not that allegation is true."

The department said it could not comment on the investigations into the attacks on homeless people or the confrontation that left Carmignani injured.

On April 10, a police investigator said in an investigatory file that the eight attacks on homeless people might be related.

According to Hathaway, two people with Doty on the day of the confrontation had been "terrorized already" in an attack documented by police.

Attempts to reach Carmignani's lawyer were unsuccessful. But the San Francisco Standard reported that Nick Colla said his client "vehemently denies that he is the alleged individual who is committing these acts against homeless people."

Meanwhile, the case against Doty has stalled.

On April 26, a day after the KPIX interview was posted, the district attorney's office said a preliminary hearing had been postponed to April 27, as Carmignani had yet to give a statement.

"This case requires the victim's testimony," the district attorney's office said in a release.

"Mr. Carmignani has not provided an interview to the San Francisco Police Department on this case despite multiple requests for an interview," the office said. "We are hopeful that he is available to testify in open court, as he has now given an on-camera media interview about the attack from his recollection."

But Carmignani did not appear at the rescheduled hearing.

A new preliminary hearing was set for May 23, and Doty was released under a provision that bars defendants from being kept in custody if a preliminary hearing is not held within 10 court days from the original arraignment.

The charges against Doty have not been dismissed, Jenkins said in a news release. The district attorney's office did not respond to a request for comment about the status of the case if Carmignani fails to appear again this month.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
South Africa: Condolences for community media journalist

This story has been published on: 2023-05-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla says his department has allocated R7.2 billion over three years for the direct transfer - based on approved plans - to facilities in need of maintenance, refurbishment, upgrades, replacements or new infrastructure. The Minister delivered the department's 2023/24 budget speech in Parliament on Tuesday,... See more
International tourism summit kicks off in central China

Xinhua) 09:51, May 11, 2023

CHANGSHA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- An international summit on the global tourism economy and the development of tourism cities opened Wednesday in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province.

The World Tourism Cities Federation Changsha Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2023 was jointly held by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and the Changsha municipal government. The WTCF, formed on the initiative of Beijing, is the world's first international tourism organization focusing on cities.

This year's summit is themed "Gathering the Strength of Cities to Revitalize World Tourism." It includes keynote speeches, a special forum of ambassadors, a mayors' dialogue, research reports, a promotion conference for tourism investment, and tourism B2B matching. It aims to help the global tourism industry set sail again in the post-pandemic era.

International tourism is poised for a strong recovery this year, said Sima Hong, deputy mayor of Beijing, at the opening ceremony. She took domestic travel during this year's May Day holiday as an example. During the five-day holiday, 274 million trips took place across China, with domestic tourism revenue reaching 148 billion yuan (about 21.36 billion U.S. dollars), up 1.2 times year on year, driving the sales revenue of consumption-related industries to increase by 24.4 percent year on year.

The Report on World Tourism Economy Trends (2023) was released at the summit.

The summit also released a report titled "The Sustainable Development of World Tourism Cities in the COVID Context: the Research on Chinese Actions," which takes Changsha and nine other Chinese cities as research objects.

The WTCF has conducted studies and published research findings that have positively contributed to the healthy advancement and sustainable growth of the world tourism economy. Its membership has grown from 58 to 238, covering 83 countries and regions globally.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. thanked Timor-Leste for denying embattled Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves' request for political asylum.

Marcos said the rejection makes it easier for Philippine authorities to bring the suspended congressman back home.

"In denying his request for political asylum then we are going closer in the case to bring him back home to face the allegations that have been made [against him]. But again, we thank you for your very quick response in that regard," the president told Timor-Leste Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Indonesia.

With the lawmaker's asylum bid denied, Marcos again urged Teves to return to the Philippines.

"Come home. That's the best advice I can give him. Come home," the chief executive said.

Teves has been tagged as the alleged mastermind in the murder of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.

He was slapped with a 60-day suspension in March for failing to return to the country from his medical treatment in the United States after his travel authority expired. His suspension ends on May 22.

READ: House speaker warns Teves of possible sanction after suspension
A picture of Google co-founder and former CEO Larry Page circa May of 2012.

Where in the world is Larry Page?



That seems to be one of many lingering questions in an ongoing lawsuit concerning dead sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and banking giant JPMorgan Chase. The plaintiff in the case, the U.S. Virgin Islands, has been hunting for the former Google CEO in the hopes of serving him papers related to its legal action against the bank. However, the Caribbean government doesnt seem to be able to find him. Barring the possibility that Page suddenly pops up, the Virgin Islands lawyers recently suggested to a U.S. federal judge that a subpoena instead be sent to Alphabet, Googles parent company, to serve Page through the company that he co-founded.

Read more

The Virgin Islands has alleged that JPMorgan facilitated and directly benefited from Epsteins sex trafficking of underage girls prior to 2019, when the billionaire was found dead of an apparent suicide in a New York prison cell. The lawsuit accuses Chase of knowingly, recklessly, and unlawfully providing and pulling the levers through which Epsteins recruiters and victims were paid and has said that the bank was indispensable to the operation and concealment of the Epstein trafficking enterprise. The lawsuit also accuses the bank of financially benefiting from the deposits made by Epstein and Epstein controlled entities located in the Virgin Islands and from the business opportunities referred to JPMorgan by Epstein and his co-conspirators in exchange for its known facilitation of and implicit participation in Epsteins sex trafficking venture.

In addition to Googles Page, the Virgin Islands has already subpoenaed a host of other big names in connection with its legal action, including current CEO of JPMorgan Chase Jamie Dimon, former Disney executive Michael Ovitz, real estate billionaire Mort Zuckerman, and Googles other co-founder, Sergey Brin.



Story continues

Just what Page has to do with Epsteins ties to JPMorgan isnt entirely clear. The subpoena demands records of communications between the two men about Epsteins role in his finances as far back as 2002, though the actual extent of that role is unclear. The subpoena likewise requests documents concerning money Page paid to Epstein or JPMorgan and Epsteins involvement in human trafficking and/or his procurement of girls or women for commercial sex. A recently submitted court document only characterizes Page as a high-net-worth individual who Epstein may have referred or attempted to refer to JPMorgan, but clarity on just what that means within the broader scope of the lawsuit is lacking at this point.

What is clear is that its been difficult to pinpoint where Page is, exactly. A recently filed court document states that despite what it calls good-faith attempts, Virgin Islands officials cant seem to find the secretive tech billionaire. The government claims it even hired an investigative firm to scour public records databases for addresses tied to Page. A number of addresses were visited by a government official but didnt lead to the billionaire. Our process server attempted service at the addresses identified by our investigative firm, but discovered the addresses were not valid for Mr. Page, the document states.

Because the Virgin Islands cant seem to track Page down, the government has instead suggested subpoenaing Alphabetthe parent company of Google and itself a company that Page also co-foundedas a viable alternative. The Government has made good-faith efforts to obtain an address for Mr. Page and to serve a subpoena upon him personally...In these circumstances, the Court should in the interest of securing just and expeditious resolution authorize the Government to provide alternative service by serving Mr. Page by service upon Alphabet Inc.s registered agent, the document states. Gizmodo reached out to Alphabet for comment on this development and will update our story if it responds.

Prior to his death, Epstein was a millionaire and money manager for the worlds elite and, despite suffering a conviction for child sex crimes in 2008, got along famously with a lot of famous people. From high-ranking government officials to Hollywood celebrities to techs biggest tycoons to renowned academics and scientists, Epstein had a very wide circle of friends and acquaintances.

Epstein was also a client of JPMorgan from 1998 through 2013 and is alleged to have enjoyed close ties with former executive Jes Staley, who previously ran various divisions of the bank. Staley stepped down from his position with the financial giant in 2021 after an investigation into his ties with Epstein. In a recent court filing, JPMorgan alleged that Staley had thwarted repeated efforts by the bank to cut ties with Epstein, and accused him of engaging in sexual activity with young women procured by Epstein. An Epstein accuser has claimed Staley raped her on Epsteins private island, though Staley denies the claims. Staley has admitted to having a friendship with Epstein and apparently exchanged as many as 1200 emails with the disgraced billionaire between 2008 and 2012.

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Doug Burgum and stock image (AP/iStock)

They called her the mouth of the south. Of course, I did not know that when I came out to my schoolmate as gay; I was a scared 15-year-old boy. Having just moved to the coalfields of Eastern Kentucky, I did not know a single person at my new high school. This girl seemed nice, though  bubbly, outgoing, curious about my life before Leslie County  and so I thought I could trust her. Within a week, however, the whole of Leslie County High School knew the new kid was a [insert homophobic slur here].

I thought about this childhood experience as I read, with grief and righteous fury, about a new law passed in North Dakota which mandates that a school district, public school, or public school teacher may not  withhold or conceal information about a students transgender status from the students parent or legal guardian. In plain English, the law essentially requires teachers and other school employees to out students to their parents against their will. It is nothing more than robbing our children of their most basic autonomy and privacy for no other reason than because North Dakota Republicans can. To be clear, this law is not meant to protect children from medical interventions. That law already passed in North Dakota and was signed into law by Republican Governor Doug Bergum last month. It is not about illegal drug use, or self-harm, or exploitation by adults. Rather a child simply identifying as transgender being enough cause for alarm that the state mandates schools should override a childs decision to keep something that, on its own, is causing no harm  physical or mental  to said child.

Given that they have already banned gender-affirming healthcare for minors, and that any discovery of children using hormone replacement therapy or puberty blockers would thus be illegal drug use and fall under other reporting requirements, there is no other need for such a law to protect children from medical intervention. It is fair to conclude, then, that this law was passed not out of a desire to protect children, but because of a desire to punish them for daring to identify as anything other than their natal sex and not conforming to rigid gender stereotypes.

That is a profoundly dangerous proposition for LGBTQ youth, though, as the growing number of studies suggest. According to the US Department of Educations National Center for Homeless Education, 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. One study found 33 percent of unhoused LGBTQ youth report being thrown out by their parents, compared to only 20 percent of non-LGBTQ unhoused youth. Another study found that 67 percent of unhoused transgender youth and 55.3 percent of LGBQ unhoused youth were forced out by their parents or ran away because their sexual orientation or gender identity was not accepted at home. And the US Department of Health and Human Services Youth website cites a study that found 78 percent of LGBT youth were removed or ran away from foster placements because of the caregivers hostility toward their sexual orientation or gender identity.

54 percent of transgender individuals experienced a low amount of family rejection, while 15 percent experienced a high amount of rejection, a study conducted by researchers at the City University of New York found. Unsurprisingly, the study found a correlation between this rejection and suicide and substance abuse, with 42 percent of participants having attempted suicide and 26 percent reporting abusing of drugs and alcohol. Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that 73 percent of transgender adolescents report psychological abuse, 39 percent physical abuse, and 19 percent sexual abuse  consistently reporting higher in all categories than their cisgender counterparts. And though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that their Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance studies have historically excluded transgender respondents, it finds that having a school that creates a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and having caring and accepting parents are especially important.

Yet that is the opposite of what is happening in North Dakota. This law strips children of their most basic agency, determining when parents  parents in all likelihood the teacher and school administration have had minimal contact with  are told that their child is transgender. As these studies demonstrate, that can have catastrophic consequences for the child.

Coming out is an incredibly personal decision, one that should never be stolen from the individual the way that it is now being stolen from students in North Dakota schools. This is a lesson I had hoped we learned in 2010, when 18-year-old Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi killed himself after being outed by two of his classmates. In 2016, after an arduous and lengthy legal battle, one of those students plead guilty to attempted invasion of privacy, a third-degree felony in New Jersey.

Clementi was barely older than the students who will be most affected by this odious North Dakota law  a law that unnecessarily puts children at risk of rejection and violence in their own homes. After all, if a child has not told their parent about their gender identity, there is likely a reason for it. Schools and children may benefit from educators learning what that reason is, but they do not benefit from violating the privacy of children when the most harm being observed is a change of name, pronouns, or fashion.

What makes this even more concerning is that in outing children to their parents, schools risk damaging the trust of those students  students who may otherwise need to rely on education professionals if those parents become abusive or throw them out. This law undermines the relationship students have with teachers and administrators, making it harder for those trusted adults to know when there is something actually warranting school intervention.

I am not someone who holds grudges, but I do hold a grudge against the girl who outed me. She violated my trust, took away my agency, and made my life hell for the next three years by broadcasting my deepest truth to the entire town, which then went on to bully me relentlessly. It was a deeply wounding and disempowering experience, one that left me more vulnerable and lonelier than I have ever been before or since.

Now, in North Dakota, countless young people will be left feeling exactly that and worse. Thanks to this law, schools are being forced to abdicate their role as safeguarding institutions in favor of becoming the gender conformity police. It is a reprehensible dereliction of their duty of care towards these vulnerable children  one being forced upon them by a legislature intent on making transgender peoples lives as hard as possible simply because they can.

I was lucky that my family accepted my sexual orientation, so had my school notified them I would have been okay. Not every child is so fortunate. Even though it all worked out, though, the anguish of being outed has not left me. Thanks to North Dakota Republicans, another generation of LGBTQ youth will be forced to experience that same traumatic and humiliating violation  all because Republicans cant stand the idea of a boy in a dress.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, volunteer formations in Kyiv Oblast were given more than 16,000 weapons; as of May, 8,200 weapons have been assigned to the volunteers.

Source: Chief of the Main Department of the National Police in Kyiv Oblast Andrii Niebytov, in an interview with Ukrinform

Quote from Niebytov: "With the beginning of the armed aggression by the Russian Federation, 82 voluntary formations in territorial hromadas were formed within Kyiv Oblast. [Hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.] At that time, when both we and the National Police helped arm people to repel the Russian offensive, and almost 25,000 members of these VFTCs [voluntary formations of territorial communities] had 16,347 weapons on their hands.

From 1 April of last year, we started optimising."

Details: He added that currently, according to the respective decisions of the military, only 62 of the 82 voluntary formations of territorial communities remain (but they are being reformed), and 16,000 of the 25,000 volunteers remain.

Niebytov emphasised that such a number of volunteers in Kyiv Oblast is sufficient for carrying out combat missions, guarding facilities, and carrying out joint service with law enforcement agencies.

He said that these 16,000 volunteers have 8,245 weapons left.

Quote from Niebytov: "All weapons issued to people are accounted for in the Arsenal subsystem of the National Police of Ukraine. They are stored in appropriate rooms. There are 97 rooms for storing weapons within our territorial communities. All of them are equipped with appropriate alarms, and members of the VFTC receive weapons only when performing official duties".

Details: He also added that the police monitor the illegal arms trade. In just 4 months of this year, law enforcement officers seized 38 assault rifles, 15 grenade launchers and rocket launchers, 26 homemade weapons, 286 grenades, more than 22,000 rounds of ammunition and 130 kilograms of explosives from illegal circulation.

Story continues

In the current year, 81 criminal proceedings have been registered in relation to this issue. Last year, during the same period, only 37 proceedings were registered. Based on this fact, 76 persons were issued with notices of suspicion, and precautionary measures have been taken against them.

At the same time, Niebytov noted that there are no mass cases of the illegal use of weapons that were issued to people at the beginning of the full-scale war. Such cases were occurring only immediately after the liberation of Kyiv Oblast. However, the offenders were promptly brought to justice, and their weapons were confiscated.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson DUP Brexit Northern Ireland local elections - Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Voting for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in next weeks Northern Ireland local elections will force Rishi Sunak to make changes to his Brexit deal and pave the way for a return to Stormont, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said.

The partys leader told the Prime Minister to get back into the negotiating room with Brussels and bring forward legislation to protect the provinces place in the UK to end the unfinished business of the Windsor Framework.

He called on divided unionists to rally round ahead of the council elections on May 18 and give the DUP, which has maintained a 15-month boycott of the Northern Ireland Assembly over the Brexit deal, the strongest mandate possible.

That will strengthen our hand in obtaining, and securing from the Government, what we need to ensure Northern Irelands place within the UK is fully and properly restored and then we can get Stormont back up and running, Sir Jeffrey said as he launched the DUP manifesto.

The Windsor Framework, which the UK and European Union agreed to in February, reduces the number of border checks faced by British goods and animals exported to Northern Ireland after Brexit.

Sir Jeffrey said that the deal was an improvement and would not have happened without the DUP boycott, but that it did not meet the partys seven tests to accept the agreement.

He attacked those he accused of peddling the lie the DUP was about to weaken in its opposition to the Windsor Framework. Similar accusations were made before the last election to steal DUP votes, he said.

It was a lie then and it is a lie now, Sir Jeffrey added.

The seven tests for the deal include protecting Northern Irelands place in the UK under the Acts of Union, that there is no diversion of trade from British suppliers, there is not an effective border in the Irish Sea, and that people in Northern Ireland are given a say in making the laws that govern them.

The DUP also demanded there would be no checks on goods travelling between Northern Ireland and Britain, if they remained in Northern Ireland.

Story continues

The party also called for no new regulatory divergence between the province and the rest of the UK, and for consent from a majority of citizens for any changes to its status in the UK.

While the Windsor Framework reduces checks and paperwork, it does not eliminate them entirely, which could still lead to some diversion in trade.

The European Court of Justice retains jurisdiction in the region. There are no guarantees to prevent changes in UK and EU law, which could create regulatory divergence, and the DUP is not convinced the new Stormont Brake is robust enough to give Northern Ireland a strong enough say in new laws applying there.

Sir Jeffrey said that the Stormont Brake, which could delay the imposition of EU law if 30 Assembly members oppose it, had to be shown to be effective in law.

More work is required by the UK Government if we are to secure the necessary conditions for a return to the Northern Ireland Executive, he said.

The Windsor Framework does not go far enough in securing our place within the UK and we have made clear to the Government that we need them to deliver on what they have previously committed to do.

This remains unfinished business and its time for the Government to deliver on their promises and their commitments.

The DUP leader urged unionists to not divide and splinter, as they did in the Stormont elections in May 2022, and head off the challenge of Sinn Fein and other parties seeking Irish reunification.

The DUP lost its place as Northern Irelands biggest political party to Sinn Fein for the first time in those elections.

Michelle ONeill Mary Lou McDonald Sinn Fein DUP Stormont Northern Ireland Assembly election 2022 - Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

If we have a poor election result, as Ive said, the consequences of splits and divisions in unionism are there, Sir Jeffrey said.

At this election, we are seeking support for our principled stand to finish the job and build the necessary solid foundations for a return of local accountable government at Stormont.

Sir Jeffrey said that Northern Irelands place in the UKs internal market was a right and he demanded that it be protected in law.

He said it had been undermined by the Irish Sea border, which hampered trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, its biggest market.

Sir Jeffrey said that the election results would be closely watched internationally by the US and EU, as well as in Dublin and London.

In April, Joe Biden dangled the promise of billions in US investment as he urged the DUP to drop the boycott on a visit to Northern Ireland on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

On Wednesday, the US president said he travelled to the island of Ireland to make sure the Brits didnt screw around and walk away from their commitments to the Good Friday Agreement because of Brexit.

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 shriek of the sirens and howling winds set the stage for a natural event that many West Texans pray they never have to experience in their lifetime.

While Lubbock's system of outdoor tornado warning sirens is relatively new, the threat of tornadoes is one the community is all-too familiar with, with Friday, May 11 marking the 53rd anniversary of 1970 tornado that left 26 people dead and much of the city's downtown and surrounding neighborhoods heavily damaged.

Since then, weather patterns have changed - with many experts agreeing tornado alley has shifted eastward. But tornadoes and severe weather obviously remain a threat on the South Plains and West Texas. Here's a look at the data, and how to prepare for the next tornado and severe weather.

An aerial view of damage from the tornado that swept through Lubbock, leaving 26 people dead and more than 1,500 people injured on May 11, 1970.

When is tornado season in West Texas?

May is the middle of tornado season for Texas, and has historically seen the most devastating tornadoes in our region.

"We typically think of tornado season out here in West Texas anytime from April 15 to June 15 or so," said Justin Weaver, meteorologist-in-charge for the National Weather Service in Lubbock.

West Texas is unique for having a well-defined tornado season, but that does not mean tornadoes cannot happen outside of this time frame.

How are tornadoes categorized?

Tornadoes are measured on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which replaced the Fujita Scale back in 2007.

The scale measures wind speeds of tornadoes by looking at the damage caused on the ground after it has dissipated. They are ranked from EF0 to EF5.

EF0 - light damage with wind speeds of 65-85 mph.

EF1 - moderate damage with winds of 86-110 mph.

EF2 - considerable damage with winds of 111-135 mph.

EF3 - severe damage with winds of 136-165 mph.

EF4 - devastating damage with 166-200 mph.

EF5 - With winds of over 200+ mph are the most devastating tornado on the scale.

A recent addition to the scale is an EFU tornado  an unidentifiable tornado.

"That happens a lot now because of all the chasers and spotters that are in the field," Weaver said. "We know there's a tornado  we pretty much get a video of it or pictures of it, but there's not always a lot of damage."

Story continues

When was the last time Lubbock County had a tornado?

According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information, Lubbock County's last tornado was on March 12, 2021, in Caldwell. It was an EFU.

In total, Lubbock County  since 1950  had 71 confirmed tornadoes, with 29 causing damage.

Of the 73-year time frame, Lubbock County had only one EF5 category  May 11, 1970.

Here's a look at the data for Lubbock's surrounding counties, since 1950:

Lamb County : 61 tornadoes, with 23 causing damage. The last tornado was an EFU in Sudan on May 16, 2021.

Hockley County : 51 tornadoes, with 17 causing damage. The last tornado was an EF2 in Cobble on May 23, 2022.

Terry County : 30 tornadoes, with 10 causing damage. The last tornado was an EFU in Johnson on May 23, 2019.

Hale County : 93 tornadoes, with 44 causing damage. The last tornado was an EFU in Hale Center on May 26, 2021.

Lynn County : 33 tornadoes, with 11 causing damage. The last tornado was an EF1 in Draw on May 5, 2019.

Floyd County : 40 tornadoes, with 16 causing damage. The last tornado was an EFU in Dougherty on March 28, 2017.

Crosby County : 37 tornadoes, with 18 causing damage. The last tornado was an EFU in outside of Crosby on June 22, 2020.

Garza County: 18 tornadoes, with 4 causing damage, The last tornado was an EFU in Graham on May 23, 2020.

Weaver said the last time the Panhandle-South Plains region had a deadly tornado was in Happy in 2002, which resulted in two deaths.

What was the deadliest tornado in Lubbock?

At 8:30 p.m. on May 11, 1970, the first of two tornadoes touched down in the downtown area. Those tornadoes would ultimately claim the lives of 26 people, and forever change the landscape of the Hub City.

The May 11, 1970 Tornado Memorial Dedication was held at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Family members of the people killed in the tornado were honored during a ceremony before going to the memorial site at Lubbock National Bank Park.

More: Tornado of May 11, 1970, was a century mark storm

The tornado also helped inspire Theodore Ted Fujita to create the Fujita Scale  the predecessor of the EF Scale, which was also developed by Texas Tech Professor Kishor Mehta.

2021 was the 51st anniversary of the May 11th tornadoes and was commemorated by the city with a memorial to honor those who died and those who helped rebuild. The event would have happened in 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What's the difference between a watch and a warning?

Understanding the difference between a tornado watch and a warning is vital to staying alert when severe weather comes.

"A tornado watch means that conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes," Weaver said. "It doesn't necessarily mean that we're going to have tornadoes, but this means conditions are favorable."

Individuals should start preparing to seek shelter when a watch has been issued.

A tornado warning means a tornado has been seen or has been indicated by weather radar, and individuals should seek shelter immediately.

How can you be prepared?

On average, the NWS Lubbock office will see around 18 tornadoes annually, but that number can vary greatly from year to year. Some years, they have seen one or two, other years 30-40.

"We do continue to have large tornadoes out here in West Texas," Weaver said. "We've just been very, very lucky in the last 21 years that they haven't hit any communities. So don't be complacent  don't think it can't happen to you."

This Federal Signal tornado siren installed Tuesday was sold to the City of Lubbock as part its agreement with Goddard Enterprises of Oklahoma. The new outdoor warning system should be completed by the second quarter of this year, the city says.

Weaver provided some advice on how people can be ready and stay safe this tornado season.

How can I stay alert when it comes to severe weather?

Having multiple ways of getting weather warnings is beneficial for individuals during a severe weather event.

"Everybody thinks they're gonna get their warning on their cell phones, and they might, but they might not," he said.

Weather radios, listening to TVs, or other apps can provide people with enough ways to receive vital information.

Last year, the City of Lubbock started putting up tornado sirens in 45 locations. This is an additional measure to ensure people who are outdoors when the weather takes a turn for the worse.

Individuals can also sign up for LBK Alerts to be informed about severe weather in the City of Lubbock.

How do I prepare for a tornado?

"The time to figure out where you're going to go when there's a tornado warning is not when the tornado is coming up Marsha Sharp Freeway  it's now," Weaver said.

Individuals should think about the lowest floor of the building with as many walls between them and the outside when they need to seek shelter. That could be a basement or on the ground floor. Most interior closets or bathrooms are typically good shelters.

Individuals can find more resources at ready.gov/make-a-plan when it comes to creating a plan for themselves and their families.

If individuals have a mobile home, they are advised to abandon it and seek shelter in sturdier buildings.

"We see a lot of fatalities in mobile homes as opposed to regularly built homes," Weaver said.

If caught in a car, seek shelter in a safe location or abandon the vehicle and lie flat in a ditch.

Weaver said never try to outrun a tornado because you never know where it's heading.

When individuals have identified where they need to go, they should remember to bring their shoes and something to protect their heads, as many fatalities are caused by flying debris.

More information about safety rules from the NWS can be found at www.weather.gov/bmx/sps_torsafetyrules.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock, West Texas tornadoes and how to be prepared
Russian cosmonaut with bundle of leftovers about to throw into space. NASA TV

A cosmonaut threw a bag of leftover parts into space during a spacewalk last week.

Technically, it's space littering. But NASA said tossing the bag into space was harmless.

The bag won't spend much time in orbit and soon burn up in Earth's atmosphere.

Last week, cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin donned their spacesuits and ventured outside the International Space Station for a spacewalk that would last 7 hours and 11 minutes.

The spacewalk went smoothly and was a success, but that's not the reason these cosmonauts are gaining attention.

About 6.5 hours into the spacewalk, Prokopyev tossed an 11-pound bag of leftover equipment into space. "It flies beautifully," the cosmonaut said as it sped into the dark void.

Now, if this were an electrician working on a powerline who chucked their bag of leftovers into a ditch after the job, you'd call that littering. And that's what some media are insinuating here: that Prokopyev did something wrong.

However, NASA tweeted shortly after the event that the bundle was harmless because it will just burn up in Earth's atmosphere:

International Space Station (@Space_Station) May 4, 2023

That's because space littering is different. Basically, space littering is like if someone came along after the electrician, burned the bag, and discarded the ashes. Earth's atmosphere is like our own personal trash dispenser, in a way.

It's not clear how long the bundle will remain in orbit, but since it has no engine to boost itself every few months like satellites do, gravity will soon drag it into a freefall through the atmosphere, where friction will burn it up.

"It has a short shelf life in orbit," NASA tweeted.

International Space Station (@Space_Station) May 4, 2023

We're not saying that space junk, in general, isn't a problem. It threatens the lives of those on the ISS as well as future space exploration as a whole.

Story continues

The biggest concern when it comes to space junk is defunct satellites, rocket stages, and other large pieces of unmaneuverable metal that can collide in orbit.

Such high-speed space crashes explode into a vast cloud of debris  thousands of tiny bits of spacecraft that rocket around Earth faster than a bullet. If any of those debris pieces strike an active spacecraft, including the ISS, it can cause serious damage.

A space-debris hit to space shuttle Endeavours radiator found after one of its missions. The entry hole is about 0.25 inches wide, and the exit hole is twice as large. NASA

Old space equipment can also break up in orbit simply because it's old and falling apart. That, too, creates clouds of high-speed debris that can threaten functional satellites and the ISS.

In fact, multiple times a year the space station fires its booster to push itself out of the path of incoming orbital debris  and for good reason.

ISS damage thumb

NASA/Canadian Space Agency

A hit by a 10-centimeter sphere of aluminum in orbit would be akin to detonating 15 pounds of TNT, according to NASA. Even paint flecks orbiting Earth have damaged spacecraft windows.

A chip in the ISS cupola taken by Astronaut Tim Peake is seen on a dark background

A picture of a chip in the ISS Cupola taken by ESA astronaut Tim Peake in April 2016ESA/NASA

Occasionally, a piece of space junk weighing at least 1 ton falls from orbit, is too large to burn up, and lands somewhere on Earth.

Luckily, most of the planet is water and only some of the land contains buildings and people. The odds that falling space junk will cause injury or damage property are extremely low, but they're slowly creeping up as more and more stuff gets launched into orbit.

But a tiny bag, like the one Prokopyev tossed, is not a concern because it will quickly deorbit and burn up in Earth's atmosphere, without a trace.

During the spacewalk, Prokopyev and Petelin completed their main objective to relocate an airlock to a Russian module on the ISS that will help deploy future Russian experiments and small satellites. The two cosmonauts are scheduled to complete another spacewalk this Friday.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russia's Wagner mercenary group was under pressure Thursday in war-battered Bakhmut after some Russian regulars fled their positions and had "thrown away" valuable ground to Ukrainian forces, the private militia's leader said.

"The situation on the flanks is developing according to the worst predicted scenario," Yevgeny Prigozhin said. He dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's talk of delaying Ukraine's counteroffensive, saying it had already begun and was proving to be "unfortunately, partially successful."

Multiple Russian bloggers also said some regular Russian soldiers had "left their positions" in or near Bakhmut, an eastern city that has been the primary focus of fighting for several months. The Ukrainian military said 165 Russians were killed, 216 were wounded and one was taken prisoner. Prigozhin has repeatedly criticized the Russian military for failing to provide enough ammunition and for lacking resolve in battle.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine's forces gained modest ground around Bakhmut in recent days. "Pervasive issues" with Russian combat capability, exacerbated by continued attrition in the Bakhmut area, appear to be limiting the ability of the invading forces to defend against localized Ukrainian counterattacks, the institute's assessment said.

Ukrainian servicemen fly a drone at a front line near the town of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on May 8, 2023.

Developments:

 The U.K. is sending long-range Storm Shadow missiles with a range of almost 200 miles to Ukraine, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed Thursday. The U.S. has balked at providing similar missiles amid concerns of expanding the war.

 The Pentagon confirmed that Ukrainian forces used the Patriot missile defense system to shoot down a Russian missile for the first time.

 Jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny tweeted that he has been sent back to solitary confinement -- where he has spent 165 days -- after a reprieve of less than 14 hours. "Convict Navalny is not amenable to correctional work and does not draw the proper conclusions for himself," his tweet said.

Story continues

 Zelenskyy might make a quick stop in Rome to meet with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and Pope Francis this weekend, when he's also visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, the Italian news agency Ansa reported.

 Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said his country will contribute $1 billion to aid Ukraine's neighboring countries accepting Ukrainian refugees and to promote investment by Japanese companies.

Zelenskyy: Ukraine needs promised Western help to begin offensive

Ukraine needs more time, armored vehicles and weaponry promised by its allies before beginning its much-anticipated counteroffensive aimed at liberating hundreds of square miles of Russian-occupied land, Zelenskyy said Thursday.

Zelenskyy, speaking to the BBC and other European broadcasters, said the attack could redraw front lines that have remained mostly unchanged for months.

"We can go forward and, I think, be successful," Zelenskyy said. "But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time."

Russian forces have used the relative lull to fortify nearly 1,000 miles of front lines along the southern provinces of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson and the hotly contested eastern provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk. But in Bakhmut, Ukrainian forces have seen gains in recent days.

U.S. ambassador accuses S. Africa of supplying weapons to Russia

The U.S. ambassador to South Africa is questioning the country's stated neutrality in the war as he accused it of secretly providing weapons to Russia when a cargo ship docked near Cape Town for three days in early December. He called the actions "extremely serious.''

Ambassador Reuben Brigety told reporters Thursday the ship docked at Simons Town Naval Base from Dec. 6-8, and the U.S. is certain "weapons and ammunition (were loaded) onto that vessel in Simons Town as it made its way back to Russia.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was in Cape Town for a meeting with Parliament when news of Brigetys comments broke, and he said an investigation is underway. Opposition leader John Steenhuisen asked him if the country is actively arming Russian soldiers who are murdering and maiming innocent people? Ramaphosa did not address the weapons issue other than to say it "is being looked into.''

South Africa is a key U.S. partner but has shown a recent willingness to get closer to Russia.

'Death to Putin': Court finds Russian woman guilty after leaving critical note at grave

A Russian court found a St. Petersburg woman guilty of desecrating burial places motivated by political hatred for leaving a note at the grave of President Vladimir Putin's parents saying, "Death to Putin. You raised a freak and a killer.

Irina Tsybaneva, 60, received a two-year suspended sentence Thursday. Her note, placed on the guarded grave on the eve of Putins birthday in October, also said: Parents of a maniac, take him to your place. He causes so much pain and trouble. The whole world prays for his death.''

Putin's government has cracked down on dissent since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, imposing years-long sentences on citizens found guilty of "discrediting the military'' by publicly opposing the war.

Russia ramps up effort to recruit inmates

The Russian military has ramped up recruitment of prisoners to fight in Ukraine and signed on an estimated 10,000 convicts in April 2023 alone, the British Defense Ministry says. Since last summer, prisoners were the key pool of recruits for Russia's private Wagner Group mercenary team. But Wagner "likely lost access to the Russian penal system" in February when its leader went public with his feud over ammunition supplies and other disputes with the Russian military, the ministry said on social media posts.

The recruitment campaign is part of a broad, intense effort by the Russian military to bolster its numbers, the assessment says, while "attempting to avoid implementing new mandatory mobilization, which would be very unpopular with the Russian public."

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine Russia war live updates: Russian soldiers flee Bakhmut
A shaggy-haired, mustachioed and bespectacled Welsh composer  who became the center of a viral joke and conspiracy theory that he was actually Meghan Markle in disguise when he attended King Charles IIIs coronation last Saturday  confirmed his identity this week.

"My name is Sir Karl Jenkins," the composer said in a TikTok video while seated cross-legged on his sofa with soft classical music playing in the background. "I understand theres been a lot of interest in me since I appeared at the coronation of King Charles III."

The award-winning composer explained that he was seated near the front of Westminster Abbey because he had written music performed at the ceremony.

"I was quite surprised that some people thought I was Meghan Markle in disguise," he deadpanned before showing a social post of someone joking his look was "obviously a disguise" and he must be there to "steal the Crown Jewels."

PRINCE HARRY SNUBBED BY ROYAL FAMILY AS MEGHAN MARKLE HIKES WITH FRIENDS

Sir Karl Jenkins, right, became a viral sensation last weekend when social media users speculated he was Meghan Markle in disguise.

"I look this way all the time," Jenkins professed, cracking up. He also defended his prominent mustache.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"Ive had the mustache since I was 18 years old  it was very trendy then," the 79-year-old smiled while showing a picture of himself playing the saxophone as a younger man.

APP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST

"So thats me," he concluded. "Nothing sinister about it or surprising at all."

Sir Karl Jenkins, seen holding the knighthood award he wore to the coronation, seemed both surprised and amused by the viral sensation he caused last weekend.

Last weekend, the apparent jokes about Markle sneaking into the coronation in a fake mustache, wig and glasses began to appear on social media along with photos of Jenkins.

"Meghan Markles disguise nearly had me fooled" one Twitter user wrote Saturday along with a screenshot of Jenkins at the coronation.

After Jenkins TikTok, many posted on social media to say his explanation is "exactly" what Markle dressed in a disguise would say.

Even "Phantom of the Opera" composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who was seated next to Jenkins during the coronation, tweeted that he can "confirm it probably wasnt" Markle.

Story continues

Another social media user mused, "Is there anything more 'Britain In 2023' than Sir Karl Jenkins taking to TikTok to explain that he is not Meghan Markle in disguise?"

While Meghan Markle skipped the coronation, she was on the minds of many there, including this anti-monarchy protester.

Markle made the decision to stay back in California with her and Prince Harry's children for Prince Archies fourth birthday, which was the same day as the May 6 coronation. Meanwhile, Harry flew to London for one night to witness his father being crowned.
LONDON (Reuters) -The leader of Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru has stepped down, saying he no longer had enough support from colleagues after a report revealed a culture of sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination in the party.

In his resignation letter, Adam Price said he "felt morally bound to step down as leader of the party" after initially receiving the report last month, but was advised by some colleagues that this could be an "unhelpful distraction".

Price, who had been leader of the left-leaning pro-independence party since 2018, said "it was now clear I no longer have the united support of my colleagues that would be necessary to follow this course to fruition".

Plaid Cymru said Llyr Gruffydd had been nominated as acting leader of the party on Thursday. The nomination is subject to ratification by the partys National Council on Saturday.

The review by a former member of the National Assembly for Wales said Plaid Cymru "failed to implement a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment", and staff and elected members reported "cases of sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination".

Price said the report's findings contrasted with the "independent Wales we together champion".

Plaid Cymru is the third largest party in the devolved Welsh Parliament, the Senedd, which sits in the Welsh capital Cardiff and has some lawmaking powers in Wales. Plaid Cymru, which in Welsh means the Party of Wales, has three Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom parliament at Westminster.

The announcement from the leader of Wales' pro-independence party follows the resignation of Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon in February who was the head of Scotland's pro-independence Scottish National Party.

The devolved Welsh government is currently led by Britain's main opposition Labour Party.

A timetable will be published outlining the process of electing a permanent leader of Plaid Cymru "at the earliest possible opportunity," the party said.

(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman, Editing by Gareth Jones)
A migrant who crossed the US border with Mexico paints the wall of a gas station in Brownsville, Texas, May 10, 2023

Two days after being admitted into the United States, Roberto Martinez and Javier Liendo are already taking on odd jobs, repairing walls and washing cars.

The two Venezuelans say they came to the country to work, and so they are.

In Brownsville, Texas -- directly across a river from Matamoros, Mexico -- migrants are released into the city after turning themselves into border patrol and pledging to present the details of their asylum request to a judge.

It can take up to three years for their cases to make their way through the immigration court system, and in the meantime, they must begin to build a new life.

Martinez is "prepping the... concrete, preparing to seal (the wall), and well, finish the job," he says of his work fixing up the structure of a local business.

"We're painting, making everything impeccable, everything beautiful, lovely, like it is here," the 36-year-old craftsman explains.

At a local gas station, he helps renovate a concrete platform -- where the fuel is dispensed -- by scraping a spatula loaded with a cement mixture along its base.

After being released from detention, "I grabbed this day job, because I need to keep going," Martinez says, explaining he hopes to end up in New York.

Martinez says he arrived in Brownsville after traveling from Venezuela by bus and on foot.

"It's a long journey that I wouldn't wish on anyone," he says.

"But I kept going, always with my Almighty God."

With the pandemic-era policy Title 42 -- which allowed for the quick expulsion of migrants -- ending Thursday at midnight, thousands of people are opting to cross the Rio Grande river along the US-Mexico boundary and surrendering themselves to border officials.

Though remaining rule Title 8 allows border-crossers to claim asylum, many fear it could also expedite deportations and sanctions, such as imposing a five-year ban from applying for legal entry on anyone who has first tried to cross illegally.

Story continues

At the gas station, meters away from Martinez, another man rolls white paint onto the gas station's walls, as a boom box blasts music at full volume while they work.

- 'Here to work' -

Across the parking lot, 23-year-old Venezuelan Javier Liendo carries a bright yellow sign proclaiming "CAR WASH" -- the gas station manager has allowed the men to earn some money by setting up a scrub-and-rinse operation on the property.

The international bridge leading to Mexico is visible in the distance.

"We came here to work, man," Liendo says. "We're here making money for the journey, but -- working, working."

"At first, we came here to ask for money, but they supported us here" by offering work, he explains.

"We're washing cars and the people help us out with a little something," he said.

Many in this group, mostly young people, also dream of studying in the United States.

Sair Medina left Venezuela "to look for another future."

"I like to study, I like everything, and I had to leave my country because of a situation that was ultimately not worth anything at all," the 19-year-old said, also joining in on the car washing.

Thanks to the murky regulations around whether migrants who enter the country this way are allowed to work, the people who have hired this group prefer to stay anonymous. So do the neighbors who stop by with donations of food and clothing.

Amid everything, Cleiber Colmenares, who has just been released in Brownsville, says he looks around and feels hopeful.

"I have a four-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son whom I want to give a better future to," he says.

"I'm 26 years old, and I have my life ahead of me. I'm excited to be here, because I want to work and save money," he adds.

"To be able to make money here, look, we're going to wash cars, so that people know there are also good people (among us)," says Eli Gonzales, 23.

"A lot of people discriminate against us, but God bless you all. We are all human beings."

mav/caw/tjj
(CNN)  The Biden administration is rolling out a new program for migrant families released in the United States to track them as they go through a speedy deportation process, including a measure that would require they stay under home confinement, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.

The so-called Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) will place certain heads of household for families on an alternative to detention, such as a GPS ankle monitor, and subject them to curfew in four cities, Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed in a statement.

The Los Angeles Times first reported on the program.

The families still have the opportunity to claim asylum under the program and if they qualify, go through the asylum process. Families not found to have credible fear are subject to removal under the fast-track deportation process, known as "expedited removal," which would bar them from the US for five years.

The program is one of many initiatives being rolled out by the Biden administration to try to manage the flow of migrants at the US-Mexico border  in this case, families  following the expiration of a COVID-era border restriction, known as Title 42.

"[Enforcement and Removal Operations] is committed to imposing immigration consequences in a safe and humane manner to those who unlawfully enter the United States," said ICE ERO Executive Associate Director Corey Price in a statement.

"Families should not listen to the lies of smugglers. Like single adults, noncitizens travelling with their children who do not have a lawful basis to remain in the United States will be quickly removed and barred from reentry for at least five years," the statement continued.

Last year, ICE piloted a similar program with migrants who resided in Baltimore and Houston and set a curfew from dusk until dawn.

Administration officials have been racing to deal with a significant increase in the number of migrants trying to cross into the US as Title 42  a pandemic-era rule that has allowed authorities to swiftly expel migrants encountered at the border is set to expire.

The Biden administration came under fierce criticism earlier this year amid reports that officials were considering restarting family detention, a practice that had been ended by President Joe Biden. Officials have since maintained that there are no plans to return the practice.

But the high number of border arrests in recent days has put the challenge facing the administration into sharp focus.

US border authorities encountered more than 10,000 migrants along the US southern border on Tuesday, according to a Homeland Security official, already surpassing government estimates for the Title 42 aftermath.

Among the new policy measures the administration is putting into place is a new asylum rule that will largely bar migrants who passed through another country from seeking asylum in the US. The rule, proposed earlier this year, will presume migrants are ineligible for asylum in the US if they didn't first seek refuge in a country they transited through, like Mexico, on the way to the border. Migrants who secure an appointment through the CBP One app will be exempt, according to officials.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Biden administration to roll out new tracking measures for migrant families"
West Ham are hoping to progress to the Europa Conference League final (Getty Images)

Having fallen short in the Europa League semi finals last year, West Ham will be looking to go one better in the Europa Conference League.

The London club take on AZ Alkmaar across two legs hoping to progress to the final in Prague.

With Premier League safety looking close to certain after a win over Manchester United, David Moyes and his team can switch their focus more squarely on pursuit of a trophy.

AZ have already survived tight encounters with Anderlecht and Lazio to reach the last four and are seeking a first ever European honour of any kind.

Heres everything you need to know.

When is West Ham vs AZ?

The first leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Thursday 11 May at the London Stadium.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on BT Sport 1, with coverage from 7.15pm BST. Subscribers can stream the action via the BT Sport app or online player.

Team news

Kurt Zoumas ankle injury may again rule the defender out, though David Moyes suggested ahead of this fixture that Zouma is moving closer to a return. Vladimir Coufals hamstring is equally an ongoing concern, while Gianluca Scamacca remains sidelined.

AZ were able to start Vangelis Pavlidis up front in their 0-0 draw with Ajax at the weekend, and the striker should again lead the line. Bruno Martins Indi, Dani De Wit and Jesper Karlsson are all moving closer to returning from injury.

Predicted line-ups

West Ham XI: Areola; Kehrer, Aguerd, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice, Paqueta; Bowen, Antonio, Benrahma.

AZ Alkmaar XI: Ryan; Sugarawa, Beukema, Hatzidiakos, Kerkez; Clasie, Reijnders; Odgaard, Mijnans, Van Brederode; Pavlidis.

Odds

West Ham win 4/6

Draw 31/10

AZ win 5/1

Prediction

West Ham take a narrow advantage through to the second leg. West Ham 2-1 AZ
NEAR KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  By the time Kyiv residents hear the air-raid sirens signaling an imminent Russian attack, Ukraines air-defense units are already on the move. From camouflaged positions, they dart out by truck to farm fields around the capital, ready to take down enemy drones or missiles.

The scramble has become an almost nightly event since Russia resumed regular air attacks on Kyiv on April 28 after a nearly two-month lull. The units have intercepted every drone and missile fired at the capital since then.

It's a vast improvement since the opening days of the war, when waves of Russian missiles and aircraft eluded many Ukrainian defenses and inflicted heavy losses on Kyiv's air force.

With the help of Western weapons and growing experience, Ukraine's air defenses have made great strides in the past 14 months, saving infrastructure and lives and preventing Russia from achieving air superiority  a critical step as Ukrainians prepare for a counteroffensive.

The bolstered defenses have deterred Russian aircraft from going deep behind the front lines and "greatly shaped the course of the war, Ian Williams wrote this month in an analysis for the Center For Strategic and International Studies, or CSIS.

Since April 28, Russia has fired a total of 67 missiles and 114 drones at Ukraine, according to Ukrainian air force reports. Only seven missiles and 11 drones got through, and none hit Kyiv.

Last week, Kyiv units reported they had shot down Russias most advanced hypersonic missile, a weapon that was previously considered unstoppable by Ukraine. A newly acquired American-made Patriot battery made it possible.

On the first day of the invasion, Russia targeted Ukraines ground-based air-defense systems, first with a wave of missiles, then with dozens of bomber sorties supported by electronic warfare measures that essentially blinded Ukrainian radar, wrote Justin Bronk in an April analysis for the Virginia-based Center for Naval Analyses.

Story continues

But Ukraine had received intelligence from allies ahead of the Russian attacks, allowing Ukrainian defenders to move mobile units out of harm's way, although some fixed positions were destroyed.

The units were scattered, and for a brief time Russia was able to fly in waves of helicopters, supported by fighter jets, and inflict heavy losses on Ukrainian aircraft sent to intercept them.

But the Russians failed to follow up on their initial attacks, allowing Ukraine to regroup quickly, said Douglas Barrie, a defense aerospace specialist with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

They didnt go back and check: Did we destroy it? Disable it? Do we need to go back and do it again? Have they relocated? he said.

The brigade commander of air defense command Center is a colonel who could only be identified by his callsign, Granite, in keeping with the Ukrainian military's policy of protecting soldiers' identities. During a visit by The Associated Press to his unit this week, he said his brigade was hit on the first day of the war with 20 Russian missiles, which took out barracks and command posts and killed people.

After abandoning fixed positions, they now operate strictly as mobile teams that can quickly spring into action and just as quickly slip away  a tactic commonly referred to as shoot and scoot.

After the initial setbacks suffered by Ukraine's air defenses, enough mobile units were back in operation by the wars third day that they were able to shoot down multiple planes, prompting Russia to pull back its attack aircraft and depriving it of a key advantage.

But many of the Russian missiles were still getting through.

Granite estimates in the early months that Ukraine was intercepting about 50% of incoming Russian missiles. The CSIS report suggested the figure might actually have been much lower.

With the arrival of new Western-made air defense systems in October and November, as well as the growing skill of the Ukrainian batteries, Ukraine reported intercepting some 80% of incoming Russian cruise missiles by December.

Today, Granite said the figure is closer to 90%, and he said the defense systems around Kyiv have taken down 100% of missiles shot at the city since April 28.

Kyiv is protected, he said.

Two key systems used by Ukraine since the start of the war have been the Soviet-era long-range S300 and medium-range Buk systems, also known as the SA-10s and SA-11s.

Ukraine has gradually added new systems from Western allies, including IRIS-T batteries from Germany in October and the American and Norwegian-built NASAMS in November.

It has also received European-built SAMP/T systems, and American-built HAWK missiles, and last month added two U.S.-built Patriot batteries.

The air-defense teams are set up with overlapping range rings, starting from short, almost point-blank defenses using shoulder-launched missiles and anti-air cannons to greater distances.

A single layer would not be enough to stop all strikes or even most of them, Barrie said. But the more layers you have, the greater the chances you have.

Though all recent attacks on Kyiv have been thwarted, debris from falling missiles and drones has caused injuries and damage in the capital. But that is nothing compared with what could have happened, Granite said. In the April 28 attacks, a missile hit an apartment building in the central city of Uman, killing 23.

With so many Russian assaults, some speculate that Moscows strategy is to try to deplete Ukraines air-defense resources to the point where Russia will again be able to exploit its advantage with fighters and bombers. But there are also signs that Russia is running lower on missiles.

So far Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has successfully pressed allies for more air-defense supplies. The U.S. on Monday announced $1.2 billion more in long-term military aid, including new HAWK systems, drones and air-defense munitions.

Moscow could also be banking that Western support will eventually wane and put pressure on Ukraine to make concessions, Williams wrote.

Morale seemed high among Granite's troops this week, as a short-range team clowned around despite being on duty long into the early morning hours as Kyivs air defenses took down 35 explosive Iranian-made Shahed drones. The team then scrambled back to their posts around midday for what turned out to be a false alarm.

Beetle, who took down a Russian helicopter over Kyiv on the first day of the war with a shoulder-launched missile, said the success gave him confidence that he still holds.

I realized that it's not over yet, that we can fight, he said. So they're not that scary.

Range, a driver who joined the military on the first day of the war after seeing missiles rain down, said he could not sit on the sidelines.

Its history, he said. And were currently writing it.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Jim Warlick is used to helping tourists capture memories of their trips to Washington. As the owner of White House Gifts, a shop just steps from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Warlick sells the hallmarks of a successful D.C. souvenir run: FBI shirts, mugs and blankets bearing the presidential seal and mini replicas of the Constitution.

But now, instead of selling things, the longtime store owner and former Hill staffer is giving the gift of a new monument to his hometown of Morganton, N.C.

Warlick has created whats believed to be the largest monument in the country honoring millworkers.

I dont think theyve ever been told, Warlick, 70, says of the stories of the men and women who worked in furniture factories, textile and hosiery mills in the early 20th century.

I think theyve been ignored, sighs Warlick, who knows the history of the millworkers well: His mother, Mary Warlick, was one of them.

She went in the mill at the age of 16, Warlick says. She worked 33 years, literally at the same sewing machine.

As a child, Warlick says, he was always sensitive to how his mother  who raised three kids on her own on an $80 a week salary  and other millworkers spent eight hours every day.

It was so loud in the factory that they really couldnt talk while they were working, he says.

For 33 years, she sat there just in her own mind every day. And years back, they painted over the windows of the mills  I think so people wouldnt look out and wish they were somewhere else, Warlick says. So I didnt forget how hard she worked.

Warlick left Morganton when he was in his 20s to assist on a political campaign, before landing in Washington in 1978 and working for the late Rep. Lamar Gudger (D-N.C.). He opened the first White House Gifts location in 1992, turning a childhood fascination with political memorabilia into a career, and amassing a vast personal collection of relics and rarities along the way. He has a gallery around the corner from his 15th Street store with an Oval Office replica that he loans out to movie studios, and runs a traveling exhibit on former President John F. Kennedy.

Story continues

But Warlick always kept close ties to where he grew up. The married Alexandria, Va., entrepreneur was visiting a local museum in North Carolina in 2017 when he realized there was a piece of his hometowns heritage that was missing.

I noticed that there were a lot of nice color portraits of bankers, and industry leaders and mill owners, but there really wasnt a great display about the millworkers, Warlick says.

That began his mission to remember millworkers, developing a plan to interview the last living workers about their lives for a documentary and creating a first-of-its-kind monument to honor them.

Jim Warlick is seen with monument designer Joe Wider from Pinehouse Design, Columbia, S.C., and Dee Dee Perkins, founding member of Workers Legacy Foundation. (The Workers Legacy Foundation)

But making his monumental dreams into a reality would take time and money. So the White House Gifts owner and political collecting fan  he has 1.2 million campaign buttons in storage  decided to auction off some of his most cherished artifacts to help fund the project.

My favorite item that I owned was the last automobile that John Kennedy got out of the morning of November 22, 1963, in Fort Worth, Warlick says. He sold the white convertible, known as the last car to safely transport President Kennedy for $400,000. He also sold 12 replicas of gowns worn by former first ladies, along with documents signed by Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln.

The car that then-President Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy were in earlier on the day he was killed in Dallas, in 1963. (The Workers Legacy Foundation)

The result, Warlick says, has been worth every penny.

Over the weekend, the Dignity of Work monument was dedicated in front of the History Museum of Burke County in North Carolina. The 22-foot-long and 10-foot-high statue weighs more than 9,000 pounds and features the images of three millworkers: Warlicks mother; 90-year-old Anne Ramseur, a textile factory worker; and Warlicks uncle, Claude Moore, a furniture mill employee.

In addition to the porcelain enamel and steel monument, an exhibition about millworkers will run for two years at the museum.

Jim Warlick and Anne Forney Ramseur. (Jesse Barber/The Workers Legacy Foundation)

People need to know their local history to build pride in what their ancestors did and how this community got to the way it is today, Warlick says.

I think my mother [and millworkers] always felt that they were looked down upon because they didnt have great educations. They worked in the mills and they just didnt get the recognition I think for what they did.

Knowing that my mother, who probably was always looked down upon as a mill worker, Warlick says of his mom who died in 2013, his voice breaking, Now shes 11 feet high.

So they wont look down on millworkers now.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
White House Media Briefing Held By Press Secretary Jean-Pierre And Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during the daily news briefing at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on May 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. Mayorkas took questions from reporters about the expiration Title 42. Credit - Anna MoneymakerGetty Images

Border Patrol agents are already encountering more than 10,000 people per day trying to cross the Southern Border as the Title 42 pandemic-era border policies expire, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday. But the Biden Administration has a message: the new rules will be tougher, not easier.

I want to be very clear: our borders are not open, Mayorkas said in a press briefing at the White House.

Biden Administration officials want migrants to know that new asylum restrictions going into effect at midnight on Thursday come with harsher penalties for trying to enter the U.S. between ports of entry and a higher likelihood a person will be denied entry to the U.S.

Migrants who arrive at the Southern border without permission on Friday will be banned from coming to the U.S. for at least five years and could possibly be charged with a crime for trying to enter more than once. Under Title 42, a health emergency policy started during the Trump Administration under which the government could expel migrants without giving them a chance to file asylum claims, most were expelled without consequences and were able to try multiple times to reenter the U.S., dramatically increasing the number of encounters with Border Patrol agents. Mayorkas described the change in policy as swift and immediate.

But smugglers, looking to make more money, have told migrants that the end of the pandemic health emergency will make it easier to enter. That is not the case, Mayorkas said. Smugglers care only about profits, not people. Do not risk your life and your life savings only to be removed from the United States if and when you arrive, he said.

Story continues

Read More: Migrant Aid Groups on the Border Are Stretched Thin as Title 42 Expires

To address the expected increase in people trying to cross, the Biden Administration has increased the number of Border Patrol and customs officers on duty at the border, deployed thousands of troops to provide support, and sent more than 1,000 asylum officers and judges on temporary duty to the Southwest border to work on quickly evaluating claims for protection.

Under the new asylum rules that go into effect Friday, if a person did not seek asylum in the country they moved through to get to the U.S. or didnt use the online CBP One phone app, any claim they make for asylum in the U.S. will likely be rejected. Those changes will likely be challenged in court.

In recent months, the Biden Administration has allowed people fleeing Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua to apply for entry to the U.S. before coming, because of ongoing crises in those countries. Those changes have reduced by 90% the number of people from those countries trying to cross the border between ports of entry, Mayorkas said. As of Friday, people from those four countries who do not use available pathways to request entry to the U.S. will be ineligible for asylum.

In addition to trying to convince migrants not to hire smugglers to come to the U.S., the Biden Administration says it is stepping up criminal investigations into international smuggling rings. We are going after the smugglers who mislead and profit from vulnerable migrants, Mayorkas said.
Whitney Port is telling all about a one-time situationship of sorts with Leonardo DiCaprio.

The former reality star opened up at a podcasting event this month about connecting with the A-lister at a nightclub years ago.

We proceeded to exchange numbers and had like a text relationship for six months, she said, according to Entertainment Tonight. We were at the nightclub and he had someone call me over. I immediately called my mom and stepped outside of the club. And then he was like, Come over. Were going to the one next door too. And I went with my best friend.

Things nearly went awry that night when Port dropped her cell phone in some water.

It wouldnt turn on and I was freaking out because I was like, Leos gonna text me and Im never gonna get it, she said, adding that she was eventually able to fix the device by sticking it in rice.

Whitney Port speaks at a product launch on Nov. 17, 2018, in Torrance, California.

Whitney Port speaks at a product launch on Nov. 17, 2018, in Torrance, California.

Phone troubles aside, Port said things ended between the two after she spoke to a TV producer about their contact.

I think he leaked it to the press, she explained, saying that DiCaprio then never texted me back.

Port previously spoke about her brief connection with DiCaprio in a 2019 episode of her With Whit podcast. At the time, she said she met him in New York City in 2009  and she had some regrets about the encounter.

He invited me back over to his house, and I said no, Port said. I was too nervous. I had never had a one-night stand. I didnt want to be with him alone.

I lost my chance, and its really one of my bigger regrets in life, the clothing designer added. If you didnt think I was cool, now you probably do.

Related...
Climate change is the most consequential issue facing our generation. Decisions we make today will undoubtedly affect the state of the world we leave to our children and grandchildren here in Delaware and across the globe. For this reason, we must act now to preserve our local ecosystems and communities. There is no time to delay.

The fight against climate change is not just offensive. It is defensive too. Our neighbors and friends are already contending with devastating climate change impacts. Worsened storms and increased flooding events have forced many Delawareans out of their homes and cost the state millions in beach replenishment and lost tourism dollars. Dependence on polluting fossil fuels for power has resulted in higher energy bills, dirty air, and burdened lungs.

These negative effects on our lives and livelihoods are not difficult to notice. According to a recent poll, 83% of Delawareans share concerns about our states air quality. Another poll found that a majority of Delaware residents in all three counties report being personally impacted by climate change.

Dozens of people gather at 909 Centre Road, Greenville, on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, for the last day of the weeklong Occupy Biden event, where attendees camped out near President Joe Biden's home demanding action on climate change.

Given the stakes, our state leaders must take big, courageous steps toward a cleaner, greener future for Delaware now, starting with the passage of the Climate Change Solutions Act. With this bill, the state will seek to limit our greenhouse gas emissions to 50% of 2005 levels by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050, setting the stage for one of the nations strongest climate pollution reduction targets. Rather than work as a mandate on individual consumers or businesses, the Climate Change Solutions Act would function as a roadmap for how the state plans to mitigate the crisiss future impacts and address its present concerns.

In the coming years and decades, our government is guaranteed to do two things. One, build or repair bridges, roads, and other pieces of infrastructure. And two, use our tax dollars to fund that construction. If passed, the Climate Change Solutions Act will allow for additional conversations that ensure infrastructure built today is not susceptible to damage from hurricanes, floods, or tornadoes tomorrow. By accounting for the aftermath of worsened storms and rising sea levels in every level of government planning, we increase the durability of our state in the fight to adapt to climate change. Simply put, this bill will ensure we invest our tax dollars wisely.

Story continues

In addition to fortifying what we construct, the Climate Change Solutions Act will also allow for preserving our states natural world. When state leaders ignore environmental impacts, developers build over wetlands and knock down scores of trees. By keeping climate pollution front of mind, we can preserve our states wetlands and forests that capture and draw down harmful carbon emissions. The Climate Change Solutions Act will conserve these natural defenses against global warming and institute safeguards to protect our states scenic environment for future Delawareans. This is something that more than 80% of Delawareans support.

The fight to preserve Delaware will not be won in days or months, but by victories and successes spanned across years and decades. Accordingly, the Climate Change Solutions Act calls for regular updates to Delaware's Climate Action Plan and requires key state agencies participate in climate planning. This legislation would also call on state agencies to use the full extent of their existing power to keep Delaware on track to meet its emission reduction goals. Lastly, though climate impacts are widely felt, select communities are disproportionately impacted by poor air quality, sea level rise, and other climate impacts. The Climate Change Solutions Act would require consideration and outreach to overburdened communities to ensure equitable emissions reductions statewide.

General Assembly members, thank you to the 30 of you who have agreed to co-sponsor this bill. For the remaining members, Delaware needs your leadership. Pass the Climate Change Solutions Act. We cannot remain unmoved as the climate crisis continues to wreak havoc on our neighborhoods, raise our energy bills, and damage our infrastructure. We owe it to ourselves and the generations after us to act. Three in five Delawareans believe the state should take action to combat the climate crisis. If you agree, we challenge you to contact your local legislator.

With planning and dedication, we can preserve our ecosystems and chart a clean energy future for Delaware, where our children and grandchildren can breathe easy and thrive now and into adulthood.

Dustyn Thompson is the Sierra Club's Delaware Chapter director.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware Climate Solutions Act must pass
By Michael Martina

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -When an alleged Chinese spy balloon traversed the United States in February, some U.S. officials were confident the incursion would galvanize the U.S. bureaucracy to push forward a slate of actions to counter China.

Instead, the U.S. State Department held back human rights-related sanctions, export controls and other sensitive actions to try to limit damage to the U.S.-China relationship, according to four sources with direct knowledge of U.S. policy, as well as internal emails seen by Reuters.

The delays to items on the department's "competitive actions" calendar, a classified rolling list of steps the Biden administration has planned related to China, have alarmed some U.S. officials and revealed a divide between those in the U.S. government pushing for tougher action against China and others advocating a more restrained approach.

While the State Department signaled U.S. displeasure over the balloon by postponing Secretary of State Antony Blinken's scheduled visit to Beijing, an internal State Department message reviewed by Reuters shows senior U.S. officials delaying planned actions against China.

Rick Waters, deputy assistant secretary of State for China and Taiwan who leads the China House policy division, said in a Feb. 6 email to staff that has not been previously reported: "Guidance from S (Secretary of State) is to push non-balloon actions to the right so we can focus on symmetric and calibrated response. We can revisit other actions in a few weeks."

The sources said many measures have yet to be revived. The decision to postpone export licensing rules for telecom equipment maker Huawei and sanctions against Chinese officials for abuses of Uyghurs, has damaged morale at China House, they said.

President Joe Biden's administration has sought to prevent a further deterioration in ties with China's Communist government, which many analysts say have hit the lowest point since they began in 1979.

Story continues

Former diplomats and members of Congress from both parties have argued that the U.S. must keep channels of communication open with Beijing to avoid misunderstandings and navigate crises.

But the sources said the current policy hews too closely to an earlier strategy of engagement that enabled China to extract concessions in exchange for high-level dialogues that often yielded few tangible results.

Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions, they said Blinken had largely delegated China policy duties to Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the United States' second ranked diplomat.

In response to questions from Reuters, a senior State Department official said that under the Biden administration, the State Department had "coordinated with the interagency on a record-setting number of sanctions, export controls, and other competitive actions" toward China.

"Without commenting on specific actions, this work is sensitive and complex, and obviously sequencing is essential to maximize impact and make sure our messaging is clear and lands precisely," the official said.

Sherman did not respond to a request for comment.

Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Feb. 9, she said the department was "modernizing" its work and would "keep pushing back against the PRC's (People's Republic of China) aggressive military, diplomatic, and economic practices."

'KEEPING CHANNELS OPEN'

In late March, Waters told a staff meeting that the State Department would "move on" from the balloon incident with China, following guidance from Sherman who was eager to reschedule the Blinken trip, two of the sources said.

One Chinese official confirmed to Reuters that a renewed Blinken visit would be more likely if the U.S. accommodated Beijing's wish to shelve the issue, adding that China had conveyed it did not want the FBI to release details of its investigation into the downed balloon.

The two sources said the FBI report had originally been anticipated for mid-April release.

The FBI declined to comment on any report. The State Department told Reuters it had never discussed the issue with the bureau and declined to comment on discussions with China over the matter.

Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said in a statement that China "has strong concern about the independence, openness and transparency of the investigation" into the wreckage.

He added that the U.S. should show sincerity "to create conditions and atmosphere for high-level exchanges and bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track."

Asked about the release of the FBI report at a May 2 Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Daniel Kritenbrink, the department's top diplomat for East Asia, said: "I absolutely support making sure that people are aware of what happened."

He added that the department was committed to managing competition between the U.S. and China.

"Part of that, in our mind, has to involve senior-level communication, keeping channels open," Kritenbrink said.

Craig Singleton, a China expert of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the State Department was "caught in a trap of its own making," forgoing actions aimed at maximizing U.S. leverage in its eagerness to resume high-level exchanges.

"This decision, while well-intentioned, strengthens China's hand," Singleton said.

DELAYS TO HUAWEI CONTROLS

China House - formally the Office of China Coordination - was launched in December as a reorganization of the department's China desk, intended to sharpen policies across regions where China's expanding influence challenges the U.S. and its allies.

The four sources Reuters spoke to for this story all voiced concern that the State Department risked failing in its efforts to rebuff what many in the West view as China's ambition to displace the U.S. as world leader.

The sources said the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security had prepared rules to revoke Huawei-related export control licenses, even those covering less sensitive technology. The departments of defense and energy were ready to back the changes in late February, but Sherman did not support stricter rules as the State Department was seeking to revive Blinken's visit, they said.

The four agencies on the End-User Review Committee that decides such actions did not vote on the matter because of State Department opposition, they said.

"The licensing rule has been written. There is draft Federal Register language," one source said.

State Department officials declined to comment specifically on the licensing rules. One official said that Sherman did not call the Commerce Department to delay any Huawei actions.

Commerce told Reuters it does not comment on deliberations about specific companies, and that it works with other parts of the government to "continually assess our export controls."

The defense and energy departments did not respond to a request for comment.

The State Department also pushed off sanctions against Chinese officials, including some at the Central Committee's United Front Work Department bureau responsible for policies in Xinjiang, where the U.S. government says Beijing is committing genocide against Muslim Uyghurs.

China denies all abuses.

Those sanctions, prepared and delayed for the first time in October 2022 and delayed again in mid-January because it was deemed too close to Blinken's visit, have yet to be released, three of the sources said.

Resistance to such actions has contributed to staffing struggles at China House, with vacancy rates as high as 40%, the four sources said.

Senior officials acknowledged morale problems at China House, but denied they were linked to policy.

"We are in the midst of a re-org. It's hard," one of the senior department officials said.

The State Department has struggled with staffing and morale issues left over from a Trump administration-era hiring freeze.

But some staff recently have requested reassignment, said the sources, who argued that the delays signaled to working-level officials that China actions are not a priority.

"Even when we are on the one-yard line, we debate whether we should cross," another source said.

(Reporting by Michael MartinaEditing by Don Durfee and Suzanne Goldenberg)
The wife of a LaGrange police officer was arrested after officials say she stole over $500,000 from her job.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation officials said 39-year-old Brandy Clower was arrested Monday and charged with theft by taking, exploiting, and intimidating an elderly person.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Investigators said that while Clower was employed at Holliday Realtors, she stole over $500,000 from the business.

Authorities did not release the specifics regarding her arrest.

TRENDING STORIES:

LaGrange police said Wednesday that the department conducted an internal investigation into Sgt. Josh Clower, Brandy Clowers husband.

Officials confirmed that there was no evidence to support him of violating any departmental policy, violating any law, or participating in any criminal act.

GBI officials added that Brandy Clower may face additional charges as the investigation continues.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the GBI Region 2/Columbus Field Office at 706-565-7888.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
A 25-year-old man has been charged with murder for the 2018 fatal shooting of a young man in Wilmington's Brandywine Village neighborhood, police announced Thursday.

On Monday, a New Castle County grand jury indicted 25-year-old Charles Jones on murder and gun charges for the Oct. 17, 2018, killing of 25-year-old Blayton Palmer.

According to previous reports by Delaware Online/The News Journal, Wilmington police officers were flagged down around 4 that morning and told that a person was shot. Police found Palmer near North Market and East 23rd streets.

BACKGROUND: 25-year-old shot to death Wednesday morning in Wilmington

Palmer was rushed to the hospital, where he died.

According to an obituary, Palmer graduated from William Penn High School. He loved hunting and fishing with his father and great uncles on Maryland's Eastern Shore and also "enjoyed riding dirt bikes and four wheels too," the obituary said.

"As he grew older, he enjoyed family time with his immediate family and being at family gatherings," the obituary added.

Wilmington police on Thursday called Palmer's homicide a "cold case." It's not clear what the breakthrough in the case was.

Jones was arrested Tuesday following a police search warrant at his home. He's being held in prison on more than $1 million cash bail.

Got a tip? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wilmington police charge man with murder in 2018 'cold case' killing
Corrections & clarifications: David Rickert is the CFO for Winnebago County, Illinois. An earlier version of this story had the wrong state.

Shasta County is expected to finally fill its long-vacant executive officer position.

The county has turned to David Rickert, the chief financial officer in Winnebago County, Illinois, to be its top administrator.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday is expected to vote on a three-year contract for Rickert. His annual salary would be $258,600.

Rickert has been the CFO of Winnebago County since 2021. Prior to that, he served as treasurer for Kane County in Illinois.

He resigned as Kane County's treasurer in January 2021, according to news reports that stated when he was hired in Winnebago County he still had two years left on his term as treasurer.

According to the staff report for Tuesday's meeting, Rickert has a master of science degree in accounting with honors from Roosevelt University and has been a licensed certified public accountant for 22 years.

Winnebago County has a population of 282,188. The county seat is Rockford.

Rickert's three-year term as Shasta County CEO would start May 30.

Rickert is no relation to Shasta County Supervisor Mary Rickert, who said she is eager to work with the new CEO.

"I think he will be a good fit for Shasta County. He has a strong financial background, which will be important," she said.

David Rickert is not the supervisors' first choice and his appointment would end a nearly year-long saga that galvanized the community before playing out in dramatic fashion the last couple of months.

More: Recall Shasta Supervisor Kevin Crye supporters eager to start collecting voters' signatures

Tuesday's meeting will take place a little over a month after supervisors on April 6 rescinded the CEO job offer to Chriss Street and then announced they had offered the job to another candidate.

Supervisors did not say why the offer was taken off the table, but it came nine days after they announced they were waiting for Street to respond to a background report that was done on him.

Story continues

The decision to move on from Street capped a month of emotionally-charged board meetings and public debate on social media on the merits of Street, whose position as vice president of New California State drew criticism. New California is a group that wants to leave California and form its own state.

Street, who lives in Redding, is also the former Orange County treasurer-tax collector who in 2010 was ordered to pay more than $7 million in damages for allegedly mismanaging a bankruptcy trust. That same year, Street decided not to run for reelection for treasurer-tax collector.

Street has twice shown up at Shasta County supervisors meetings since his job offer was rescinded.

At the April 11 meeting, Street got up during the public comment period and alleged serious and illegal budget maneuvering by the county.

Supervisors anticipated Streets presentation, so they called on county Auditor-Controller Nolda Short to provide a report rebutting Streets claims.

Shasta County has been without an executive officer since Matt Pontes abruptly resigned last June after a political battle between Pontes and Supervisor Patrick Jones that played out in an April 19, 2022, closed-door job evaluation of Pontes. Supervisors spent two hours in closed session at the time, before giving Pontes a 4-1 vote of confidence. Jones cast the lone dissenting vote.

Since Pontes resignation, the county has had two acting CEOs  Patrick Minturn, who did the job from June through January, and Mary Williams, who succeeded Minturn on Feb. 1 and continues to be the acting CEO.

Pontes started as Shasta County CEO in January 2020. His annual salary was $240,096 when he was hired.

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. Hes part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta's new CEO expected to be Illinois financial administrator
(CNN)  China's first few months of reopening to the world hasn't gone as planned for global businesses.

In recent weeks, a slew of blue-chip firms have pointed to a patchy recovery in the world's second largest economy, forcing some executives to warn of slower-than-expected growth.

Last week, Estee Lauder suffered its biggest daily stock drop on record after slashing its sales outlook, citing pressures in China and elsewhere in Asia. Starbucks and Qualcomm have also flagged uncertainties related to the country, which is a top market for both.

Beijing abandoned its zero-Covid policy in December and scrapped longstanding quarantine requirements for international arrivals in January, ending restrictions that had isolated its economy.

The welcomed, if abrupt, policy U-turn led to hopes that China could help propel global growth as it had before the pandemic. Its latest headline GDP growth offered some encouragement, but there are also fresh concerns, such as the job market for younger people and the possibility of deflation.

Shehzad Qazi, chief operating officer of data and advisory firm China Beige Book, said many analysts on Wall Street had overestimated the pace of the country's recovery.

"The idea was that as soon as the zero-Covid policy would be over, the Chinese households and consumers would just go berserk  spending the vast amounts of money that they had been saving up over the zero-Covid and the lockdown period. This was wrong," he told CNN.

"In a way, that was essentially setting up [investors] for disappointment."

As a result, it's getting harder for companies to predict how they'll fare in the coming months.

Shares plunge

Estee Lauder Chief Financial Officer Tracey Travis told analysts last Wednesday of "a perfect storm of higher-than-anticipated volatility."

"Both global external headwinds and uncertainties surrounding the timing and pace of recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, primarily in China and Asia travel retail," were weighing on the company, she said.

The company, which got 34% of its total sales from China in the last fiscal year, now expects sales to fall between 10% and 12% for the fiscal year ending in June compared to the year before.

Shares of the beauty giant, home to brands such as Clinique and Bobbi Brown, plunged more than 17% in New York last Wednesday.

Starbucks warned last Tuesday that sales growth in China was starting to cool  and likely would continue that trajectory over the next six months.

"We've already seen it start to moderate," Chief Financial Officer Rachel Ruggeri said on an earnings call, referring to its No. 2 market after the United States.

"That's really driven by the fact that there's still some uncertainty in the overall environment from a recovery standpoint, when you look at things like consumer behavior as well as recovery in key segments like our international travel."

Although the company did better than expected in the quarter ended April, enjoying a strong rebound in traffic and "faster-than-expected recovery" in its second biggest market, investors were left unnerved.

The beverage giant left its guidance for the rest of 2023 unchanged, which discouraged shareholders. Starbucks' stock fell 5% Tuesday following the presentation, and 9% the following day.

The company's outlook clouded its "strong momentum," Andrew Strelzik, a restaurants analyst at BMO Capital Markets, later said in a note.

Last week, while reporting earnings, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said there was a broad expectation that "the China market was going to bounce back" soon after reopening, but "we have not seen those signs yet." China is its top market, ahead of Vietnam.

Procter & Gamble, the world's largest consumer products group, said it was still waiting on "further recovery" as some Chinese consumers appeared to be wary about going out and returning to normal life.

On an earnings call, CEO Jon Moeller said a recent visit to the country had left him cautiously optimistic.

"I think it will be a little bit choppy," he told analysts.

A gradual recovery

To be sure, there are some optimistic signs in China.

The country's economy expanded by 4.5% in the first three months, marking a solid start to recovery efforts.

Economic data is starting to show a sense of "revenge spending," a term used by analysts to refer to the unleashing of pent-up demand, taking off in China, said Qazi.

Last week, China's annual May Day period, a five-day holiday, served as a good example, with the number of trips surpassing pre-Covid levels for the first time in years. However, spending during that period was only slightly higher than the 2019 level, suggesting people want to travel but are watching their budgets.

Marriott, the world's largest hotel chain, says revenue generated per room in mainland China has now "fully recovered" to pre-pandemic levels.

This is mostly based on strong domestic demand, not the return of international travelers, according to CEO Anthony Capuano. The company expects more demand from foreign visitors later this year as flights to and from the country increase.

The luxury fashion industry seems to be faring better, too.

Kering, the owner of Gucci and Bottega Veneta, reported a return to growth for its Asia Pacific business in the first quarter, based on a "gradual recovery in China" and a sharp rebound in Hong Kong and Macao.

LVMH has also reported strong first-quarter sales, and cheered what it called the "spectacular" return of Chinese tourists.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Global companies warn of slower-than-expected recovery in China."
WASHINGTON  Wisconsin House Republicans on Thursday helped their party pass a sweeping border security bill that attempts to crack down on immigration ahead of an expected surge in migrants at the southern border in the coming days.

All six of Wisconsins House Republicans voted to advance the legislation, which has no future in a Senate controlled by Democrats. The bill, dubbed by Republicans as the Secure the Border Act, passed on a 219-213 vote with two Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.

It is time to restore the rule of law, and its time to restrain the dangerous impulses of this administration, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany said on the House floor ahead of the vote. Americans are tired of the chaos. They deserve an immigration system that puts the safety and well-being of Americans first, and thats exactly what this bill does.

The legislation would reinstate a number of Trump-era policies, including restarting the construction of the wall at the southwestern border, as well as limiting asylum eligibility, increasing funding for border patrol agents and technology, and enhancing requirements for immigration status verification used by employers.

It includes a measure from Tiffany that aims to restrict immigrant parole, which allows some migrants to temporarily remain in the U.S.

The vote coincided with the expiration Thursday night of Title 42, a pandemic-era policy that allowed the United States to turn away migrants in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Lawmakers have argued the policys expiration will lead to a surge of migrants at the southern border that will overwhelm border officials and towns and cities nearby.

Democrats rename bill the 'Child Deportation Act'

Democrats are largely opposed to the Republican bill, renaming it the Child Deportation Act. The White House has said the measure would make things worse, not better and claimed it does very little to actually increase border security while doing a great deal to trample on the Nations core values and international obligations.

Story continues

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Republicans of creating a fictional argument around whats happening at the border. Before the vote, Tiffany, who represents Wisconsins 7th Congressional District, accused Democrats of wanting to destroy the sovereignty of the United States of America, during an interview with the far-right Real Americas Voice network.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan early Thursday afternoon called for more legal pathways to immigration and increased funding for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that processes asylum claims.

We need comprehensive immigration reform but their bill is just xenophobia, Pocan wrote on Twitter of the House GOP measure.

And U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, a Milwaukee Democrat, said after the vote she was concerned the bill would do little but create more chaos at the border while failing to prioritize the safety, well-being, and legal rights of vulnerable children.

While I oppose this bill, I remain committed to advocating for a fair and just immigration system that recognizes the contributions of immigrants, upholds American values, and humanely addresses the root causes driving people to our borders without punishing children or making it impossible to seek asylum, Moore wrote in a lengthy statement.

Senator sees bill as a step toward a compromise

Still, as some Republicans call on the Senate to pass the bill, others on Capitol Hill see the House measure as a starting point toward crafting something that could eventually land on President Joe Bidens desk.

North Carolina Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis told reporters the House bill would not have the support to see a vote in the Senate but said the House has done their work. He added: Theyre putting something forward that we can build on I think its a good foundation that will be absolutely an essential part of the border security strategy that will be in a bill that we can get 60 votes for.

Arizona Independent U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who caucuses with Democrats, criticized the Biden administrations preparation for the end of Title 42 and said the House and Senate must work together to get a bill to the president's desk.

Wisconsin Republicans have put border security among their top issues despite representing a state more than 1,000 miles away, arguing illegal drugs like fentanyl are impacting communities in Wisconsin.

"It is the biggest facing America today, and I'm glad the Republicans were able to unite for a good, solid border bill," U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman told the Journal Sentinel after the vote.

U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald on Thursday contended the ending of Title 42 plays right into the hands of the cartels.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday acknowledged the expected surge of migrants at the border as Title 42 expires but said the administration is clear-eyed about the challenges we will face in the days and weeks ahead, and we are ready to meet them.

It will take time for those results to be fully realized, Mayorkas said.

He added of Title 42s expiration: If anyone arrives at our southern border after midnight tonight, they will be presumed ineligible for asylum and subject to steeper consequences for unlawful entry, including a minimum 5-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution, Mayorkas said at a press conference.

Biden last week announced he would temporarily send 1,500 active-duty troops to the border to help deal with the expected surge. The troops will fill a request by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for detection and monitoring, data entry and warehouse support over a 90-day period, according to Pentagon officials.

Asked about that move last week, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin told the Journal Sentinel she would generally favor that limited extra assistance on the southern border and said sending the active-duty troops to the border demonstrates that we are being as prepared as we can be.

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, however, called the administrations move to send troops to the border a tacit agreement that the border is a total disaster.

Its window dressing, Johnson said in a brief interview. Its Biden acknowledging for the first time the intercontinental problem here.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin House Republicans help push border security bill to passage
A woman was arrested at Atlantas airport after police say she got angry after being told she had to check a bag and threatened and spat on a Delta manager.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Atlanta police said they responded to reports of an unruly passenger at Delta gate A34 at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on May 3.

The gate agent told police that Briasia Harris, who is from Michigan, was told she had to check one of her three bags before she could get on a flight to Kansas City.

TRENDING STORIES:

The agent, Hafsatou Wann, said Harris called her a bitch numerous times and threatened to beat her up. A manager, Erica Foust arrived at the scene and told Harris she couldnt get on the plane because of her behavior and because she was intoxicated.

Officers arrived on the scene while management discussed whether Harris would be rebooked or refunded for her ticket. While officers were there, Harris got angry again and called Foust a bitch and then spat on her.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Harris was immediately arrested. During processing, officers found two bags of suspected marijuana in her purse. She was charged with simple battery and possession of marijuana less than an ounce and taken to the Clayton County Jail.
The A4 West Cromwell Road Westbound, a major road through Earls Court, was closed - Jamie Lorriman

The Duchess of Edinburgh has said her heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with an elderly woman who is fighting for life after being hit by her police motorcade.

The woman, who is in her 80s, is in a critical condition after she was flung 40ft by the police motorcycle escorting the Duchess through west London on Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Police said the outrider collided with a pedestrian at around 3.21pm on Wednesday at the junction of Cromwell Road and Warwick Road in west London.

The Duchess is not believed to have witnessed the incident and her own vehicle was not involved.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: The Duchesss heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family.

She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments. Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated.

The Duchess of Edinburgh

The Duchess, patron of Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust, is likely to have been en route to Windsor Castle, where she attended Evensong, sung by the choristers of Wells Cathedral, at 5.15pm.

Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and Londons Air Ambulance attended the scene, and the woman was taken to hospital.

Police said no other injuries were reported, inquiries into the crash were ongoing and that road closures remained in place.

The force said the Directorate of Professional Standards, which investigates officers conduct, has been informed as is routine.

One onlooker who saw the motorcade earlier on Wednesday said they thought it had no blue flashing lights.

The issue will form part of an investigation that has been launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), The Telegraph understands.

Witnesses claimed that black screens placed around a square brick electricity unit close to the crossing as part of attempts to decorate the area for the Coronation had impeded the view of oncoming traffic for pedestrians.

Story continues

'An accident waiting to happen'

Martin Hennessy, 62, told MailOnline: This was an accident waiting to happen. The screens had been put up for the coronation, but it meant that you had to step out a bit into the road to see any traffic.

He added: I was there soon after it happened and it was carnage. The poor lady was flung about 40ft along the road and paramedics were attending to her. She stepped out a bit to peer around the screens and was hit.

There have been a lot of near misses there recently because of those screens but getting across that road is dangerous at the best of times because it's so busy.

Multiple local residents revealed that they had complained to the local authority about the black screens, which were taken down following the crash.

Lucia Zanetton said: These screens caused us a lot of problems because you couldn't see the traffic properly. A lot of accidents happen in this area because it is a very busy road.

When you cross this road you are risking your life and these screens didn't help.

Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and Londons Air Ambulance attended the scene - Jamie Lorriman

Others said they saw the victim being given CPR in the road.

Debris could be seen strewn across the scene including a brown paper bag and other shopping including a face mask and what appeared to be a bottle of hand sanitizer.

Elsewhere, a shoe had a police marker placed next to it.

An IOPC spokesperson said: Last night (May 10) we began an independent investigation after we were informed by the Metropolitan Police Service of an incident where a police motorcycle on escort duties collided with a woman on West Cromwell Road, Earls Court (SW5) around 3.21 pm yesterday afternoon.

The woman, who is in her 80s, sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where she remains in a critical condition. Last night we sent investigators to the scene and to the post incident procedures to begin gathering evidence. In due course we will be in touch with the womans family to express our sympathies and explain our role. Our investigation is at a very early stage.

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.
Its a practice rental advocates say needs to end.

A metro Atlanta renter said that not only was she charged, but she was overcharged hundreds of dollars for a garbage disposal repair.

Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln learned that legal advocates are placing a lot of pressure on state and federal officials about the practice.

Advocates said more oversight is needed to stop the practice of squeezing money from renters.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

In this case, a renter was charged nearly $1,000 to fix a garbage disposal that only cost a couple hundred dollars.

Letitia Powers said her landlord, Invitation Homes, charged her $828 for a garbage disposal.

I just do not appreciate being blindsided like that, Powers said. I could have gone and purchased a brand-new garbage disposal for that price.

Powers lease states that it is the landlords responsibility to address plumbing issues. Invitation Homes is one of the largest single-family rental firms in the city, owning hundreds of homes.

Lincoln has called and emailed the company multiple times this week for comment, but they have not returned any of her messages.

TRENDING STORIES:

I like the convenience of having someone to come out and fix things without being charged an astronomical, absurd fee like I was with this garbage disposal, Powers said.

Rental legal advocates with Georgia Appleseed said theyve seen a number of cases involving large area home rental firms like Invitation Homes that are aggressively increasing costs related to maintenance repairs, rent and fees.

Michael Waller, the Executive Director at Georgia Appleseed, testified last year before the U.S. Senate on predatory pricing practices by institutional investors.

Story continues

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

She doesnt have a fighting chance, Waller said. She cant refuse to pay, and no one should be asked to pay a bill that was so outrageous.

Waller said institutional investors will come in and buy low-income properties and raise rent and fees.

The pattern here is profit-mongering at the expense of peoples lives, Waller said.

Powers said she had no choice but to pay for the repair because they attached the costs to her rent. So if she didnt pay, it would have led to her being late on her rent. Thats practice attorneys said landlords use to evict people.

Getting involved with a big fish, you dont want to get swallowed, Waller said.
A St Petersburg court has sentenced Irina Tsibaneva, 60, to two years probation for leaving a note on the grave of the Russian presidents parents, asking them to take Vladimir Putin.

Source: Novaya Gazeta Europe, an independent Russian newspaper; Sever.Realii, a Radio Liberty project

Details: The case was opened in 2022 after the Russian woman left a note at the grave of Vladimir Putins parents at the Serafimovskoye Cemetery in St Petersburg on 6 October, the eve of Putins birthday. The note read: "To the maniacs parents: Please take him. He brings so much pain and sorrow, and the whole world is praying for his death. Death to Putin. You raised a monster and a murderer."

At the time, the court placed the woman under house arrest. She has now been found guilty of "desecrating burial sites for reasons of political hatred". Tsibaneva was also placed on probation for a two-year period.

The pensioner says that her actions were not motivated by "political hatred": "I was consumed by fear after watching the news, I felt awful. I was so consumed by it that I couldnt handle it, and that must be what Im guilty of."

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Ashlee Wright before taking Ozempic (L), and after about 6 months on Ozempic (R) Ashlee Wright

Ashlee Wright went on Ozempic six months ago to manage her insulin resistance and other issues.

The mom of 4 also unexpectedly quit smoking since Ozempic made cigarettes taste "disgusting."

Researchers are studying how GLP-1 receptor agonists could be repurposed for fighting addictions.

Ashlee Wright has four boys under age 16, a home, a husband, and a demanding job as a mining coordinator in Utah. Sometimes, she needs a break; and for years, smoking cigarettes provided it.

"Smoking would be kind of my 'time out' at home," said Wright, 35, who smoked between a half pack and a pack a day, usually on her porch.

Then about six months ago, Wright started taking Ozempic, a form of semaglutide used to treat diabetes and increasingly prescribed off-label for weight loss.

Wright said she and her doctor decided to try it off-label to manage her insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome, and reduce her heart-disease risk. The possibility of weight-loss was appealing, too

Wright says the drug, which she pays for out-of-pocket, lowered her blood pressure and cholesterol, lightened her periods, and led to her dropping 45 pounds. It also came with an unexpected side effect: She couldn't finish a single cigarette. "I quit smoking within a few weeks because every time I smoked, it was just disgusting," Wright said.

Wright turned to nicotine gum to manage withdrawals and ice cubes for a tactile replacement. She's also come up with games that challenge her kids to bike to the park to give her a break. "I had to find creative ways to have a little reset instead of going out on the porch and hiding," she said.

Others have reported similar experiences. "I was a causal smoker years! However once I moved to the higher dosage of Ozempic, I had zero urge to smoke and actually haven't smoked in 9 months," one poster wrote on Reddit.

Doctors and scientists aren't surprised. GLP-1 receptor agonists, the class of drugs semaglutide belongs to, are known to dull the desire for highly rewarding substances, be it highly processed foods, alcohol, or cocaine. Nicotine seems to be no different: Studies have shown that the drugs reduce nicotine consumption in rats.

Story continues

While more research needs to be done in humans, University of Pennsylvania neuropharmacologist Heath Schmidt told Insider he wouldn't be surprised if a configuration of semaglutide is approved to treat substance use disorders within about five years.

Getty Images

Semaglutide could be fighting against smoking on 3 fronts

Researchers say there are several ways GLP-1 receptor agonists may be disrupting the desire to smoke. For Wright, it's the taste. Now cigarettes are "super, super bitter," she said.

Other people on the drug previously told Insider they also found their taste buds changed, making french fries taste like "metal chunks" and doughnuts taste "bitter."

This effect could be related to the fact that both taste cells and the nerve fibers woven through them release GLP-1, the hormone that semaglutide mimics, Lynnette McCluskey, a neuroscience professor at Augusta University who studies taste regeneration, previously told Insider.

"So you're really messing with the signals that are going to the brain, telling you what's in your mouth," McCluskey said. "Once you start messing with all those signals  and it may be different from day to day, or when you took the drug  you really have a lot of potential for dysgeusia, or taste distortions."

Semaglutide also tends to make people nauseous, and too much nicotine can have the same effect, said University of Pennsylvania psychiatry professor Matt Hayes. So it follows that a smokers on the drug relatively effortlessly become nonsmokers as to not exacerbate an already queasy stomach.

And then there's the way semaglutide seems work in the brain's reward system to suppress some "highly motivated" behaviors, like cigarette smoking.

"This same system that regulates intake of food, drugs of abuse, hijacks this system too," Schmidt said. "So it seemed like a natural hypothesis to say, 'If we engage the GLP-1 system, we can reduce drug taking and seeking behaviors as well.'"

Ashlee Wright (left) about a year ago, before she started taking Ozempic. Courtesy of Ashlee Wright

The drug may also help prevent weight gain when smokers quit

GLP-1 receptor agonists could be an especially "natural fit" for smokers who want to quit, Schmidt said, since they buffer against one thing that can keep people puffing: Fear of weight gain.

He and colleagues recently found that liraglutide, a sister of semaglutide, not only reduced rats' interest in nicotine and likelihood of "relapsing" after they were addicted, but it also helped prevent weight gain and excessive eating during withdrawal.

But more research needs to be done before semaglutide can approved and marketed for smoking cessation. Researchers at the University of North Carolina are recruiting smokers for such a study now.

And if a semaglutide-like drug does hit the market, it will likely be most effective used in conjunction with other smoking cessation techniques like nicotine patches or gum, Hayes told Insider.

The biggest challenge for the field, Hayes said, "is going to be getting the insurance companies to say, 'OK,we're gonna reimburse this."

Getty Images

Researchers are studying other addictions semaglutide could help beat

Hayes said he suspects scientists will eventually figure out which types of addictions are best treated with which types of GLP-1 receptor agonists.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we start to find that this is really good for cocaine and nicotine, it's OK for substance X, Y, or Z, but this other one, we need to keep working on something else," said Hayes. The more they learn about that reward system, "the more we're finding the devil's in the details," he added.

But the class of drugs is particularly exciting to researchers in large part because it doesn't seem to work by suppressing all motivation, but just by dulling the desire for artificial rewards. Online, people report losing interest in porn, for example, but research suggests there's no loss of interest in sex. "It's not ubiquitous in its nature of suppressing pleasure," Hayes said.

Plus, the side effects  albeit sometimes extremely uncomfortable  don't seem to affect the heart or other vital organs in life-threatening ways.

"This sort of drug is this gift that keeps on giving," Hayes said.

Read the original article on Insider
Aleksandra Kieloch's car was dressed up in Union flag bunting by angry neighbours who accused her of 'ruining' their coronation street party. (Kennedy)

A woman accused of "ruining" a coronation party by forgetting to move her car has hit back at neighbours who covered it in bunting and accused her of "not respecting" King Charles.

After a sleepless night with her young child, Aleksandra Kieloch forgot to move her car ahead of a street party on Sunday in her home town of Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.

She and her partner went away for the weekend but were shocked to see photos of their car covered in Union flag memorabilia, and even one picture with a local police community support officer (PCSO) grinning next to it.

Neighbours even took revenge on Kieloch by smothering the car in bunting and placing a traffic cone on top.

She says letters from residents "banning" cars from her road on Sunday slipped her mind.

Angry neighbours contacted the 42-year-old and partner Matt Naylor on Saturday night and branded them "inconsiderate" when they were told the vehicle could not be moved in time.

A street party was held to celebrate the coronation of King Charles, and residents asked that cars be removed in advance. (Kennedy)

The following day neighbours sent a photo of the Nissan Micra with a traffic cone on its roof, bunting wrapped around it and a cardboard cutout of King Charles stood next to it, to the couple.

Other images posted to social media show a Lancashire Police PCSO posing in front of the decorated vehicle while another has a "road closed" sign in front of its bonnet.

Kieloch said she was "annoyed" and "upset" by the "silly" stunt, and insists she only forgot to move the car because of a sleepless night with her one-year-old.

Naylor said he found it "hilarious" that residents claimed she'd "ruined" the party by leaving her car on the street.

The IT company owner posted an image of the car on a 46,000-follower-strong Facebook page he runs, and his angry neighbours' actions have split opinion.

Some described them as "pathetic" while others said Kieloch "got off lightly" and should "respect the community's celebrations".

Story continues

Aleksandra Kieloch and Matt Naylor had gone away for the bank holiday weekend. (Kennedy)

Kieloch, originally from Czestochowa, Poland, said: "I was upset at first. I thought it was a bit silly. I was annoyed because they didn't need to do that. I'd had a bad night with the baby and I forgot."

The mum-of-two left the family home on Thursday to join Matt in Torquay, Devon, where he'd been working away that week.

They returned home on Monday to find the decorations and traffic cone had been removed from the car.

Naylor, 41, claims the stunt "backfired" given the number of comments slamming his neighbours' actions.

He said: "We apologised but they said it was ruining the party. It's a mile-long street. I found it hilarious.

"One of the neighbours messaged on Saturday and we realised there was nothing we could do. Then on Sunday morning people were telling us we were inconsiderate.

"Aleksandra was worried she'd upset them but time's a great healer and it all became light-hearted.

The couple say the prank has 'backfired' on their neighbours as they are ridiculed on Facebook. (Kennedy)

Neighbours have taken to social media to discuss the issue. (Kennedy)

"In the end the majority of the neighbours took it well but there were some sour faces about it. They told me they were going to post it on social media so I said I'd beat them to it and put it on mine.

"They were all up in arms about it but it backfired on them royally."

Naylor's post has so far gained more than 1,300 likes and more than 800 comments.

It read: "[Our] coronation street party almost ruined after car left in street by an absent-minded resident who went on an unexpected trip. The rule was 'all cars must be off the street by Sunday', however the residents of [our] Street decided to make the most of the situation to decorate the resident's car in coronation merchandise."

One response said: "What right has anyone got to insist that we all join in and then to touch someone else's property?"

Another replied: "As a community we can all come together by sometimes celebrating differently. Respect the fact that the community is celebrating. Thanks."

And another member wrote: "How pathetic. I know who is more in the wrong. If the car is taxed they have every right to park there."
Getty Images

A small but growing community of TikTokers is glorifying the dangerous practice of "free birth."

Free birth is giving birth with no medical attendants and sometimes forgoing prenatal care.

OB-GYNs told Insider they understand the appeal but that free birth is unnecessarily risky.

Jinti Fell is barefoot on a sandy beach, overlooking a colorful horizon while cradling a baby in her arms.

"I gave birth to her looking out at this view," a caption on the TikTok creator's post from January 29 reads, "so now it feels like our special place to slow down and reconnect."

Most of Fell's TikTok posts are filmed outdoors as she hikes through forests and swims in nearby lakes. A significant amount of her content involves explaining to her 65,000 followers what it was like to "free birth" her two youngest children, including her youngest daughter, Tashi, whom she said was born in a birthing pool looking out at the ocean.

Fell is among a relatively small network of content creators on TikTok who post about "free birthing," or choosing to deliver a baby without any medical assistance. Some free birthers reject professional prenatal care as well, an approach they call "wild pregnancies."

Unlike other forms of "out-of-hospital birth"  which usually means a planned delivery at a birth center staffed by certified nurse midwives or a planned home birth attended by a midwife  free birth is distinct because there's no medical professional present at all. While free birthers may have a partner or even a doula on hand, those people can only provide emotional and informational support  not medical care.

Free birthing is still a fringe phenomenon: According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, only about 1% of births in the US occur at home, and about one-fourth of these are unplanned or unattended.

Story continues

But there's a growing subculture on social media that glorifies free birth and promotes the dangerous practice to moms-to-be. Emilee Saldaya, the founder of the Free Birth Society  an online, membership-only group where women can pay $499 annually to access monthly workshops and a shared online community centered around the free-birth movement  has over 100,000 followers on Instagram.

OB-GYNs told Insider that while they support women's autonomy and appreciate the flaws of the US maternal-healthcare system, free birth is unnecessarily risky  not a badge of honor to flaunt online.

"I don't believe anybody should be forced to get care if they don't want to," Dr. Danielle Jones, an OB-GYN and online educator, told Insider, "but I have a problem with glorifying that as an achievement."

Free-birthing influencers claim they empower and inform women

The Free Birth Society was founded in 2017, and NBC, The Daily Beast, and others have reported how groups like it are purposefully insular, shunning any commentary about seeing a medical professional or reporting a free-birth-related death.

TikTok may not be that different: It, too, promotes "survivor's bias," only celebrating those pregnancies and births that seemingly turned out fine, according to Jones, who is known across social platforms, including TikTok, as "Mama Doctor Jones."

The free-birth community on TikTok is relatively small compared to other parenting communities on the app. More popular genres, such as gentle parenting, have billions of views on their TikTok hashtags, while the hashtag #freebirth has 259 million views and is mainly dominated by a handful of creators who typically have between 10,000 and 50,000 followers. But their controversial posts often go viral.

The community's most prominent creator, Alice Bender, who did not respond to Insider's request for comment, has 880,000 followers. Much of Bender's content involves answering questions about her experience with free birthing her two children. She has also shared negative experiences she's had with medical professionals while pregnant and described positive experiences she had while free birthing her children. Other smaller creators have taken on a similar content-making format, sharing detailed testimonies about their own free-birth journeys.

When these videos go viral, the creators often receive backlash from TikTokers outside the free-birthing community who say they're making an unsafe choice.

"When your baby is born with severe deformity or medical condition blame yourself," one commenter wrote on creator Kaytlynn Griem's post about using cannabis and forgoing prenatal care and ultrasounds before birthing her children "alone in my kitchen."

Two TikTok free-birth influencers who spoke to Insider said they opted for this less-conventional birthing method because they don't trust traditional healthcare systems and want to give birth in the most "natural" way possible, without the involvement of medical professionals and procedures.

Some free birthers also say the method is cheaper than a hospital birth, which costs nearly $19,000 on average in the US without insurance. An Australian-based creator, Tiana-Rose Pritchard, who's planning her second free birth, posted a video in March explaining that she would be spending around 4,000 Australian dollars, or about $2,704, on the entire process, while the average Australian childbirth costs about $5,000.

Some influencers say more costs can be cut if mothers choose to eliminate prenatal care costs like vitamins, ultrasounds, and genetic testing  though some of this is also covered under most US insurance plans.

But for the women Insider spoke to, money isn't the main reason they chose to free birth.

"Many women choose to free birth to avoid the traumas that can occur in the hospital system. To me, you can't put a price tag on that," Pritchard said.

Griem, 24, opted for a free birth with her second child for similar reasons, telling Insider, "I can't imagine giving birth in a random room with dozens of people around me that I don't even know, and it was just nice being in the comfort and safety of my home."

Many free-birth TikTokers tell their followers they believe that free birthing allowed them to have a calmer and more relaxed experience than they would have had in a hospital.

Pritchard told Insider that she doesn't post about free birthing to convince other women to do the same, but simply to share her own journey and thoughts so viewers can decide how they feel about the practice for themselves.

"It's important for me to share this because women should be able to make informed choices with all the information, not just mainstream procedures," she said.

The US maternal healthcare system is flawed  but experts say free birth is not the answer

The women's-health experts who spoke to Insider understood the appeal of free birth. After all, maternal death rates in the US are the highest in the developed world  reaching an all-time high in 2021.

The numbers are particularly dire for women of color in America, who are nearly three times more likely to die during childbirth as white women, no matter their level of education or access to healthcare.

Dr. Nicole Rankins is a Virginia-based OB-GYN and maternal-health advocate. Angie McPherson

"Some people see free birth as an alternative to a traditional healthcare system that they don't feel is supportive  and that sometimes is not supportive and has potential problems," said Dr. Nicole Rankins, a Virginia-based OB-GYN and maternal-health advocate.

But rather than truly supporting the people most marginalized or traumatized by the maternal-healthcare system, namely Black women, free-birth communities seem to almost entirely attract privileged white women. The top free-birth content creators on TikTok are predominantly white, while most of the women of color who promote free birth have fewer than 1,000 followers.

The argument that free-birth advocates make that the method is something women have done for millennia is also misguided, doctors told Insider. Be it a midwife or community member, pregnant and birthing women have been cared for since ancient times, Jones said.

Even then, "when people didn't have midwives or doctors, the women in the community still monitored their pregnancy, they did abdominal palpations, they gave them whatever at the time was normal for them to drink to help with labor," she said. "It has never been that people had nothing during their pregnancy."

Jones said even the notion that laboring sans medical support is free is "inherently privileged."

"You have people who free birth because that's their only option: They don't have a midwife, they don't have a doctor, they don't have money," she said.

Giving birth alone can have deadly consequences for mother and baby

Free birth is, in Rankins' view, rebellious without a cause.

"I support out-of-hospital birth, in-hospital birth, and making choices for yourself," Rankins told Insider. "But this is the one line where I clearly say, 'This is not something you should do. This is not based on science or evidence. The risk is too high for something like this.' It's just not something that I could ever support."

Birth-center births and planned home births are safer options for people who want to avoid hospitals, she and medical organizations say. For low-risk women with healthy, normal pregnancies, fewer medical interventions during childbirth can also be beneficial in a hospital setting.

But one of the most pronounced risks of free birth is that if something does go wrong, there's no guarantee a birthing person can get to a hospital  if they notice something is wrong at all. Up to 37% of first-time moms need to transfer to a hospital during a home birth but in those cases, that possibility can be planned for if the midwife has admitting privileges to a nearby hospital.

"Birth is unpredictable," Rankins said, and a trained medical professional is needed to watch for issues like a drop in the baby's heartbeat or postpartum hemorrhage, one of the leading causes of maternal death, even if a hospital transfer isn't necessary.

Dr. Danielle Jones, also known as "Mama Doctor Jones," is an OB-GYN currently based in New Zealand. courtesy of Dr. Danielle Jones

Some babies are also born with conditions that are medical emergencies, like gastroschisis, where the intestines are outside of the body, requiring immediate surgery. In a free-birth scenario, the baby might not make it. But in a hospital or with a smooth transfer to one, the baby would, in all likelihood, be fine.

There are "many, many, conditions" that if taken care of right away, the baby will be fine, Jones said. "But if ignored for hours or sometimes even minutes, it changes the outcome."

And while many free-birth babies and moms will be OK, there have been multiple reports of babies dying during free birth from conditions as simple and preventable as a mother's untreated urinary-tract infection.

For some providers, though, preaching the risks of free birth can backfire. Jones said that when doctors regard a baby's safety above and beyond a mom's bodily autonomy, they push potential patients away from standard medical care and toward fringe practices like free birth.

"I think medicine has to get back to a place where we give people the information they need and we tell them why it's recommended, but we don't make people feel like we're going to abandon them if they decide not to do something  even if we disagree," she said.

Read the original article on Insider
Students in a typical woodshop class might make a birdhouse or jewelry box, but the woodworking club at Milwaukee Jewish Day School in Whitefish Bay has taken on a bigger and more meaningful project. Under the guidance of adjunct instructor and woodworking expert Jim Salinsky, sixth through eighth grade students are building a tiny house for military veterans in Racine.

The idea for the project evolved from a desire to teach practical life skills while reinforcing the schools core values. I've taught woodworking (at the school) for seven or eight years and always thought it would be nice to do something like home repair or basic electrical. I was told about a donor who wanted us to come up with more skills-based offerings that kids can use later in life, Salinsky said.

The idea gained momentum as a way to expose students to alternative career options.

Not everybody is cut out for a four-year college. Some students are more interested in the trades or a two-year technical school, Salinsky explained.

Students work with adjunct instructor Jim Salinsky on May 2 on a tiny house they're building at Milwaukee Jewish Day School in Whitefish Bay. Sixth through eighth grade woodworking students are constructing the 128-square-foot house, which will be moved to Racine at the end of the school year to house veterans.

After reading about the Veterans Outreach of Wisconsins Veteran Village campus featuring tiny houses, Salinsky paid a visit with his father, Dr. Gerald Salinsky, who served as a dentist on an Air Force base in South Dakota in the 1950s.

We noticed that each of the tiny homes had been built by a different organization, Salinsky recalled.

When he reached out to Michael Rembalski, director of program services, to ask if the school's woodworking club could build a tiny house, the response was encouraging. Veterans Village was totally open to the idea of us building a house. And they said, it doesn't matter what it looks like, we'll take it, Salinsky recalled.

But the students aren't settling for shoddy work.

This project is absolutely amazing," said Veterans Village outreach coordinator Danielle Opahle. "I'm an adult and can't hang a shelf without watching a YouTube video, but these kids are building a tiny home.

Story continues

A student attaches siding to the tiny house being built at Milwaukee Jewish Day School on May 2. The house will be moved to Racine for veteran housing at the end of the semester.

In January, the students went to Racine to meet with a former tiny house resident.

The students met a graduate of the program, Glenn, who had an incredible attitude, Salinsky said. Hes a great guy, and he answered all the students questions.

Glenn Miller served in the U.S. Navy from 1984 to 1992 and lived in Veterans Village for almost two years. He credits the program with preparing him for his current full-time job at S.C. Johnson and life in his own apartment; Miller has immense appreciation.

This place saved my life, basically, Miller said. I think its so wonderful that the kids are going to build this house. Its just awesome.

The village has common areas like community spaces, dining and bathroom/shower facilities. But having a separate living area is an important element in preparing veterans for life after the program.

Our tiny homes let veterans get back on their feet when they need it the most. It lets them get their minds right, pay off debt, go to school, or find a job without the worries of housing bills coming in every month, Opahle said.

Sometimes you just want your own space and you want to be by yourself. The tiny house is like an apartment or a house where you relax, read a book, watch TV and do what you want, Miller explained.

Seventh graders work inside the tiny house taking shape at Milwaukee Jewish Day School in Whitefish Bay.

Tiny house building got off to a cold start

The Jewish Day School's building site is next to the school parking lot, but starting the project in January presented its own set of challenges.

For the first couple weeks I tried to do a little bit of design work and explanation in the classroom, but we needed to get out there and start working, Salinsky said. So we bundled up and for the most part, it was fine. I had to shovel snow off the platform a couple times, and the kids had to huddle under a heater, but they were troopers about it.

With a goal of delivering the house before the end of the school year in June, the pressure was on.

I only get the kids from 2:30 to 3:30 every Tuesday and Thursday, and we werent making enough progress, Salinsky recalled. I told them wed have to put in extra time on Sundays, and I made that time optional. They love it. We meet from 10 in the morning to 3 and they always ask, Can we stay until 4?

On a recent day, the woodworking students were still enthusiastic about the tiny house project. Parents at the school asked that this article use only the students' first names.

The (school's) core values are empathy, wonder and Tikkun Olam, which (in Hebrew) means repairing the world," said sixth grade student Matan. "The kindness is us pitching in and fixing the world and showing empathy because were looking out for our elders.

Sixth graders trim siding while constructing a tiny house May 2, at the Milwaukee Jewish Day School in Whitefish Bay.

The students appreciate the skills and mission of the project.

Its really fun using the nail gun and putting insulation on the inside  hopefully it will look really nice. Not all these veterans have homes, they need financial support, mental support and a bunch of other supports, seventh grader Baylen added.

Sam, a sixth-grade student, commented, I think its really important to help veterans, they helped our country, we should give back to them when they need it.

Gaining practical skills is a bonus, If Im camping and I want to use a generator, it will help to know how to do that for the future, he said.

I like building and knowing that Im helping somebody. Ive learned how to use tools, sixth grade student Sabella said.

Seventh grader Rafi chimed in, I learned how to put in a window and use a nail gun.

Trades are an excellent way to earn a living. Right out of high school you can get into a trade and make a good living, and this can give the kids a taste of that, Salinsky explained.

But the kids dont get a taste of every element of the process. Several kids have asked if they can get up on the roof, and I said, no, Salinsky added.

Anyone who's managed a construction project, can relate to budget shortfalls, which Salinsky incorporated as a real life lesson.

"Another good learning experience is that I had a budget designed and all the materials increased in cost. We also faced some unanticipated things," Salinsky said. "The folks at Veterans Outreach said they'd prefer if the walls were not drywall because it can be damaged easily. They prefer wood walls, which are probably four times the cost of drywall. So, while we've had very generous donors, we're still about four grand short."

Adjunct instructor Jim Salinsky and students attach siding to the tiny house being built at Milwaukee Jewish Day School in Whitefish Bay. Salinsky wanted to give his students real world experience.

To support the students efforts and the tiny house project, visit mjds.org.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Jewish Day School students build a tiny house for veterans
When a woman with a hearing condition began working as a customer service representative in New York, she was assured her hearing loss wouldnt be a problem, according to a federal lawsuit.

However, it suddenly became an issue for the manager who had interviewed her days before her hiring, the lawsuit says.

When the employee told the manager she was having trouble hearing calls on a company-provided headset, she was told if you cannot hear, then you cant do the job and was instantly fired, according to a complaint.

The woman working at the E-ZPass customer service center in Staten Island objected to the termination, saying her headset needed adjusting, but it was to no avail, the complaint says.

The company running the states E-ZPass toll collection system, Conduent State and Local Solutions, Inc., and the staffing agency that hired the woman, Broadleaf Results, Inc., were accused of disability discrimination, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Both companies have agreed to pay a combined $120,000 to settle the agencys lawsuit filed on behalf of the woman, the EEOC announced in a May 10 news release.

The money is going toward the womans lost wages, additional damages and other relief meant to prevent both companies from engaging in future discrimination against workers, according to the agency.

Attorney Amy Habib Rittling, who represented Broadleaf in the case, said the company denies the womans accusations and has admitted no wrongdoing under this settlement in a statement to McClatchy News on May 11.

Broadleaf agreed to settle the lawsuit to avoid costly litigation, Rittling said.

A Conduent spokesperson told McClatchy News in a statement on May 11 that the company entered into the agreement with the EEOC to avoid further litigation.

The company is denying any wrongdoing or liability, according to the spokesperson.

In 2023, there is a vast array of adaptive and assistive technologies that employers and employees can explore to identify reasonable accommodations for employees with hearing-related disabilities, EEOC trial attorneys Anastasia Doherty and Edumin Corrales, who represented the woman in the case, said in a statement.

Story continues

Employers should bring a creativity and interest to the interactive process, rather than resist it, they said.

The agencys lawsuit accused both companies of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The company remains committed to maintaining a fair and equitable workplace for prospective and current employees and contingent workers in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, Conduent continued in its statement.

Specifically, the woman had moderately severe to severe bilateral hearing loss, and managers were aware of this when they hired her, the complaint says.

According to the EEOC, the woman was protected under the ADA and firing her was illegal.

In an economy where more companies are turning to staffing agencies to procure workers to perform essential business functions, both client employers and staffing agencies should have processes in place to ensure that workers with disabilities can request accommodations to allow them to perform the jobs essential functions, EEOC Regional attorney Jeffrey Burstein said in a statement.

As part of the agreed-upon lawsuit settlement, Broadleaf and Conduent must update their internal policies and managers must undergo mandatory training on federal anti-disability discrimination law, according to the EEOC.

WWE writer fired for objecting to racist stereotypes in wrestling scenes, lawsuit says

Walmart fires worker over how his seizures caused him to miss work in NC, lawsuit says

Papa Johns fired blind employee for needing his service dog in Georgia, lawsuit says
(CNN)  Hundreds of US troops are set to begin a new mission along the southern border Wednesday as officials and a surge of migrants brace "for the unknown" after a Trump-era border restriction expires late Thursday.

"We are preparing for the unknown because we don't know who's coming  whether it's families, whether it's single adults," El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said. The mayor visited the neighboring city of Juarez, Mexico, earlier Wednesday and estimated that 5,000 to 10,000 people were waiting to cross the border.

Laredo Mayor Victor Trevino told CNN Wednesday his southern Texas border city is preparing for the end of the pandemic-related restrictions as "if it's a hurricane coming." Laredo is expecting migrants to be transferred from overburdened processing centers in Brownsville and El Paso, Trevino said.

US Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, however, downplayed the migrant surge, telling reporters Wednesday the increase after the lifting of Title 42 happened in the "last five to six days."

Ortiz acknowledged an unprecedented level of migrants turning themselves in and the strain that put on the system, but said there will be no "free-for-all along the border."

Still, some 550 troops, mostly from the Army, will support US Customs and Border Protection by monitoring the border and doing data entry and warehouse support, US Northern Command spokesperson John Cornelio said.

Another 950 troops, largely from the Marines and Army, will arrive by the end of the month, Cornelio said.

Immigration officials are already dealing with a surge of migrants, even before the expiration of Title 42, a 2020 policy that allowed US authorities to swiftly expel migrants encountered at the southern border, with some exceptions, ostensibly to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Federal authorities have warned that the policy's expiration Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET could further increase the number of migrants trying to cross into the US and intensify an already challenging humanitarian crisis at the southern border.

The latest border crisis has sent ripples across the country: Troops are being deployed to border cities overwhelmed with desperate migrants anticipating the end of Title 42; states and municipalities far away from the southern frontier brace for an influx of newcomers; and political tensions mount over a long broken immigration system facing one of its greatest challenges yet.

End of Title 42 does not signal 'our border is open'

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday touted the "effectiveness" of the administration's efforts to stem the flow of migration at the border and criticized Congress for failing to repair "a broken immigration system." He also emphasized that the end of Title 42 "does not mean our border is open."

"Even after nearly two years of preparation, we expect to see large numbers of encounters at our southern border in the days and weeks after May 11," he said.

"This places an incredible strain on our personnel, our facilities and our communities, with whom we partner closely. Our plan will deliver results, but it will take time for those results to be fully realized, and it is essential that we all take this into account."

The expiration of Title 42 does not signal an open border but rather "means tougher consequences (under Title 8) for people who crossed the border illegally," said the secretary.

When Title 42 lifts, US officials will lean more on the decades-old Title 8, under which migrants could face more severe consequences for crossing the border unlawfully, such as being barred from entering the US for at least five years, they've said. Asylum-seekers who cross the border without first applying for asylum could be removed under Title 8 authority.

While Title 8 carries more legal consequences, especially for those caught a second time, processing times under that authority take longer than Title 42 expulsions and could strain already pinched resources.

Government 'surging personnel to the border'

Mayorkas said the department is "surging personnel to the border," including 1,400 DHS personnel, 1,000 processing coordinators and an additional 1,500 Department of Defense personnel.

Agents with US Secret Service and US Marshals Service, among other federal agencies, are expected to deploy to help border authorities, two Homeland Security officials told CNN.

Crowds of migrants released on humanitarian parole gathered outside the offices of the non-profit Team Brownsville in Texas on Wednesday. They included migrants from China, Venezuela, and Central American countries who clutched blue bags with belongings and manila envelopes with immigration documents.

Team Brownsville processed 844 migrants on Tuesday, including 30 children, and is operating at capacity, according to volunteer coordinator Andrea Rudnik. The non-profit has been receiving 800 to 1,000 asylum seekers a day over the last two weeks, she said.

"We need to find space and be prepared to have enough water, food, and other kinds of things that people need when they get here," she said.

A Venezuelan migrant told CNN Wednesday he arrived with his family in Brownsville nearly one week ago and lost track of them while being processed by immigration authorities.

The migrant, who asked that only his first name be used  William  said he was separated from his wife and two children and has not been able to locate them.

William said the end of the pandemic-era immigration restrictions is the reason "why I came now" to the US border.

About 155,000 migrants are estimated to be in shelters and on streets across northern Mexican states bordering the US, according to a source familiar with federal estimates.

Nearly 1,000 migrants turn themselves in

Federal agents reacting to a steep increase of migrants in El Paso over the past week leaned on migrants there Tuesday to turn themselves in to immigration authorities.

Agents handed out flyers to those who'd been living on sidewalks outside a church to ask them to visit a Customs and Border Protection enforcement center for processing. The flyers informed recipients they'd be "processed by CBP officers and placed on the correct immigration path."

More than 900 migrants turned themselves in to immigration authorities since those flyers went out, according to Anthony "Scott" Good, the US Border Patrol's El Paso sector chief.

Most of those people were issued notices to appear and some are still being processed, Good said.

Some migrants outside the church were too scared to surrender to authorities and confused about what would happen next, they told CNN.

"We've heard we're going to be deported  that our papers are no good," said Nelson Pirela, a migrant from Venezuela. "We heard immigration is coming and that we have to turn ourselves in."

Many heading to the US are making long and dangerous treks in hopes of finding a better, safer life for their families. People immigrate to flee violence, for economic opportunities or to reunite with family members, experts say.

"Like many others, we are looking for a better way of life. We're looking for safety to go out in the streets," migrant Marcela Aguilar told CNN affiliate KGTV in San Diego.

Biden warns of chaos to come

As the Title 42 expiration looms, US officials said they're prepared for what's to come.

Officials are working closely with humanitarian nongovernmental organizations that support migrants and expanded transportation contracts, a senior Biden administration official said.

"We have been moving some individuals laterally along the border to other parts of the border where there is more capacity," the official said.

Still, President Joe Biden on Tuesday acknowledged the policy's expiration and the migrant surge expected to follow are "going to be chaotic for a while."

The administration is working to set up regional processing centers in countries migrants traverse on their way to the US southern border so they can apply there to come to the US, the president said. It's unclear when those centers will be running.

States and cities have also been preparing for the expected surge: Officials in Brownsville, Texas, are talking with bus operators and airlines about increasing outbound services and with nongovernmental organizations about expanding space for migrants.

In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an executive order Tuesday allowing cities and the state to tap into more resources ahead of Title 42's expiration. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued an emergency declaration, saying the city's resources are now stretched to "the breaking point" and existing facilities are full.

As New York grapples with a surge in migrant arrivals, Orangetown, in Rockland County, was granted a temporary restraining order Tuesday to keep a hotel in the town from accepting 30 migrant men that the New York mayor's office planned to send Wednesday, Town Supervisor Teresa Kenny announced.

Rockland County officials in recent days have criticized New York Mayor Eric Adams for not informing them about the city's plans to bus migrants to that county. Sending willing migrants to hotels outside New York City is part of what Adams called a "decompression strategy" as city shelter space runs out and migrant arrivals increase.

On Wednesday, county officials said a court had issued a temporary restraining order against a plan to house migrants at a hotel in the hamlet of Orangeburg. Rockland is also seeking a restraining order against the city, saying it lacks authority to establish a shelter outside of its boundaries.

The New York City Law Department declined to comment on the lawsuit. CNN has reached out to the New York mayor's office.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Hundreds of US troops to arrive at the border as officials and migrants brace for the unknown of Title 42s expiration"
Addressing concerns cast upon the investigation of the fatal shooting of Amareeya Henderson by a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer, Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree on Wednesday vowed his office would act accordingly once a review of the case file is complete.

An investigative file from the Kansas City Police Department, the outside agency tasked with reviewing the deadly use of force, has been submitted to his office. As Hendersons family and some community members have called for greater transparency, including a public release of police body camera footage, Dupree said his office will follow Kansas law.

The law does not allow us to release information to ongoing investigations, especially those that we have not reached a determination, Dupree said, adding of the charging decision: If there was injustice done, and there was a crime, my office will do accordingly. But if there was not, my office will do accordingly.

And at the end of this we have an ethical obligation to the citizens of this county, Dupree added. Despite emotions, despite my color, despite how I feel, despite who the victim may or may not be. We must do what is right by all citizens.

Dupree, the only Black district attorney in the state, spoke during a meeting of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas Unified Governments Law Enforcement Advisory Board, a group appointed to evaluate racial biases in policing and make policy recommendations. The meeting agenda Wednesday included an open discussion of the case.

On April 26, Henderson, 25, of Independence, was behind the wheel of his car when he was shot and killed during a traffic stop in the 1100 block of Metropolitan Avenue, near the 12th Street Bridge that crosses the Kansas River.

Police have said Henderson was killed when a confrontation arose, and have declined to share many of the surrounding details. His family and lawyers say Henderson was unarmed and did not present a threat to police.

Story continues

Meanwhile, his family has questioned why Henderson was stopped and how the encounter escalated. Henderson, who is Black, was driving for DoorDash that night, his mother and girlfriend previously told The Star, and harbored a general fear of police that stemmed in part from an encounter years before when he was unjustly arrested and beaten.

On the night he died, Henderson called his mother over FaceTime and asked her to come to where he had been pulled over. She was on the phone, driving there, when she overheard gunfire.

Sitting in the passenger seat was Hendersons girlfriend, Shakira Hill. After Henderson refused to get out of the car, Hill recalled, the officer crawled inside and started grabbing, pulling, punching him as the car started to move. Moments later, Henderson was shot twice.

Amareeya Henderson is pictured with his girlfriend Shakira Hill. Henderson was delivering for DoorDash when he was pulled over by a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer and then shot and killed during the encounter.

During a public comment portion of the government meeting Wednesday, Pauletta Johnson, Hendersons mother, said her son was not a criminal or a street kid. She said she felt misled by police about the availability of the footage, calling for the video to be released.

You took my only son away from me, Johnson added. That I cannot get back. You took the light out of our world.

The family has since hired attorneys Nuru Witherspoon and Kay Harper Williams to represent them. The lawyers say they intend to file a civil suit on behalf of the family.

Based on their independent investigation, Harper Williams said Henderson appeared to have been shot  including once in the face  from the side of the vehicle when the police officer was not at risk of being hurt.

The attorneys asked why the family has yet to be presented with bodycam video of the shooting and when that will happen.

Kansas City, Kansas, Police Chief Karl Oakman, joining the meeting by Zoom on Wednesday, said a private viewing of the video would be arranged with family in accordance with state law, which contains strict provisions concerning public disclosure.

Oakman said the video should be made available within 20 days of the formal request from the family so long as there is an opportunity for KCKPD to make redactions.
(Bloomberg) -- President Xi Jinping has reaffirmed his commitment to creating a dazzling high-tech hub neighboring Beijing, calling on state-owned enterprises and financial institutions to relocate to the flagship city.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Chinese leader on Wednesday visited the sprawling Xiongan New Area, located in Hebei province about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of the capital, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. He arrived at the Xiongan Railway Station by high-speed rail from Beijing, a journey that takes about 30 minutes.

Xi was accompanied by three members of the supreme Politburo Standing Committee  Premier Li Qiang, his chief of staff Cai Qi, and Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, according to the report.

The development of the Xiongan New Area is a national project of millennial significance and should be pushed forward with concrete actions and sustained efforts, Xi said, according to state media.

The Chinese leader said planning for the transfer of financial institutions, research institutes and public institutions should begin immediately. He also urged for state-owned enterprises directly under the central government in Beijing to move their headquarters to the city.

When the blueprint for Xiongan was revealed in 2017, it was billed as a high-tech city teeming with leading-edge companies, research institutes and world-class transportation that could rival Shenzhen and Shanghai. It would also provide an alternative development model to the congested streets, air pollution and urban sprawl of many China metropolises.

Nearly six years later, its still under construction. During his third trip to the city on Wednesday  and his first since 2019  Xi moved to dispel any doubts that the project hes tied his reputation to would falter, calling the citys mission entirely correct, according to Xinhua.

Story continues

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, staring down a U.S. default if Congress does not reach a deal to raise the debt ceiling, argued Thursday the country should find a new way to avoid similar showdowns in the future.

Personally, I think we should find a different system for deciding on fiscal policy, Yellen said at a Group of Seven meeting in Japan, according to The Associated Press, when asked about the debt ceiling.

Yellen, who stressed it was her opinion and not President Bidens, floated the idea Congress could repeal the debt ceiling entirely. Or the president could raise the debt ceiling, she added, with lawmakers having the ability to veto the decision.

Yellen put forward the idea of an alternative system after she informed lawmakers the U.S. will be unable to meet its obligations by as early as June 1. The latest deadline, which came sooner than anticipated, has put pressure on Congress and the White House to reach an agreement on raising the debt ceiling.

But the two sides have been in a standoff for months, with Republicans insisting the White House agree to spending cuts before raising the debt limit. Biden and Democrats have lobbied for a clean rise to the debt ceiling.

It is the stalemate that Yellen on Thursday said she hopes to avoid in the future. The U.S. has run up against its borrowing limit nearly 80 times since 1960, Yellen noted.

I dont think thats any way to run the government, Yellen said. To go through this every couple of years is tremendously damaging.

Yellen has warned a U.S. debt default would be disastrous for the national and international economic systems. The ramifications of such an action are unclear because the U.S. has never defaulted on its debt because of the borrowing limit.

A default is frankly unthinkable, Yellen said. America should never default. It would rank as a catastrophe.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Fighters loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government man a position near al-Jawba front line, facing Iran-backed Huthi rebels, in the northeastern province of Marib

Warring parties in Yemen are "serious" about ending a devastating eight-year-old conflict but it is impossible to predict when direct talks, much less a breakthrough, might happen, Saudi Arabia's envoy told AFP.

"Everybody is serious. Serious means everybody is looking for peace," Mohammed al-Jaber said in his first extensive comments after meeting with Huthi leaders in Sanaa last month. But he added: "It's not easy to be clear about next steps."

The comments seemed to undercut expectations for an imminent deal to conclude fighting that has killed hundreds of thousands of people directly and indirectly and left two-thirds of Yemen's population dependent on aid, according to the United Nations.

Saudi Arabia mobilised a coalition to back the internationally recognised government in 2015, after the Iran-backed Huthis seized the capital Sanaa the previous year.

Subsequent coalition air strikes killed and injured tens of thousands, according to the UN, while failing to dislodge the Huthis, though fighting diminished considerably after a truce announced in April 2022.

Jaber, Riyadh's ambassador to Yemen, travelled to Sanaa in April as part of a plan to "stabilise" the truce, which officially expired in October.

But no deal was struck and Jaber said there were no concrete plans to move the process forward.

"Nothing is clear, but I'm optimistic, and we hope inshallah (God willing) Yemenis can find a way as soon as possible," he said.

The push for peace in Yemen appeared to be revived by a surprise rapprochement deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran announced in March.

However, hopes for a quick resolution "have somewhat receded", according to one diplomat working on the file.

"The recent talks in Sanaa are a critical development, but they are just one step," Tim Lenderking, the US special envoy for Yemen, said on a call with reporters on Thursday.

He added that Washington was still "concerned about Iran's role" in Yemen and feared that Iranian weapons and narcotics smuggling "toward the conflict... would continue despite the benefits that could come from a Saudi-Iran deal."

Story continues

- Saudi mediation? -

The Huthis see Saudi Arabia as a party to the conflict, whereas Jaber indicated that Riyadh sees itself as more of a mediator trying to facilitate an agreement between the rebels and Yemen's government.

"Because of Saudi Arabia's relationship with all Yemenis, including the Huthis, we used our leverage to convince all Yemenis to sit at the table and discuss those issues," Jaber said during the interview on a flight back to Saudi Arabia from Aden, where he inaugurated Saudi-funded upgrades to the main hospital and airport.

"In the end, it's about Yemenis," he added, though he also noted the two sides currently "refuse to sit together".

In a separate interview at the presidential palace in Aden, Rashad al-Alimi, chair of the Yemeni government's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), also told AFP that Riyadh was acting as a mediator.

"The Saudi role is a mediating role between the official government and the rebels," Alimi said in his first public remarks on the process.

Diplomats and analysts have said PLC members are frustrated by being excluded from the talks, especially as they touch on issues like whether Yemeni oil revenue could be used to pay Huthi-appointed civil servants' salaries.

"There has to be more consultation with other Yemenis. All the (PLC members) hunkered down in Riyadh only have a basic knowledge of what is happening," one diplomat said.

- 'Out of the war' -

Yet Alimi said talks between Riyadh and the Huthis are merely "a way to reach Yemeni-Yemeni peace talks" and pushed back on claims the PLC had been sidelined.

"We were informed by the Saudi side of these steps before they began, and we are also informed of what is going on in these contacts," he said.

There are also persistent concerns about whether the PLC, an eight-member body formed in Riyadh in April 2022, can stay united.

Earlier this week, the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), whose leadership is represented on the PLC, unveiled a new charter affirming its push for a "federal independent" state.

Alimi insisted there was "no disagreement within the Presidential Leadership Council", which he said "represents all Yemeni parties".

For his part, Jaber rejected the notion that Riyadh is focused solely on securing a quick exit from a war that did not go as planned.

"I don't agree," he said. "We are working hard to take Yemen out of the war. If we take Yemen out of the war, we can go out of the war and start supporting the economy and supporting the government."

rcb/dv
Closing statements in the doomsday cult mom Lori Vallow Daybells murder trial are slated to get underway this week.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers representing Vallow Daybell are expected to deliver closing statements on Thursday after testimony concluded following more than four weeks of rollercoaster trial proceedings.

Jurors on Wednesday had the day off, as the state and attorneys for Vallow Daybell sparred over jury instruction, according to the East Idaho News.

Vallow Daybell is standing trial for the murders of 7-year-old Joshua J.J. Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, who first disappeared in 2019. The siblings bodies were found on her husband Chad Daybells property in 2020. He is also facing murder charges in the children's deaths and will be tried separately.

RELATED: She Would Cut Me Up: Ex-Friend Says Lori Vallow Once Threatened To Kill Her

Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell have pleaded not guilty to the double murder. Vallow Daybell faces life in prison if convicted.

Joshua Vallow and Tylee Ryan

These undated photos released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children show missing person, Joshua Vallow, 7, left, and Tylee Ryan, 17. They were last seen on Sept. 23, 2019 in Rexburg, Idaho. Photo: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children via AP

Over the course of 26 days of court proceedings, jurors heard testimony from investigators, forensic experts, as well as a number of former friends and family members of Vallow Daybells. Prosecutors have contended that the couple, who were fixated on apocalyptic prophecies, killed J.J. and Tylee in part over their extremist religious views, which included beliefs in dark spirits and zombies.

Prior to testimony wrapping up, body camera footage of Vallow Daybell was played in court, showing her being served a subpoena by the Kauai Police Department while relaxing in a bikini alongside a shirtless Chad Daybell. The video was admitted as evidence during Vallow Daybells trial last week.

Story continues

Lori Vallow appears in court.

The subpoena had ordered Vallow Daybell to surrender her children to social services in Idaho within five days, per East Idaho News.

On Monday, an ex-FBI agent testified about text messages Vallow Daybell and Daybell exchanged prior to the deaths of J.J. and Tylee. Some of the texts referenced a purported rating scale that Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell allegedly used, which supposedly indicated whether a person had been inhabited by dark spirits  or were zombies.

Need you to check jj, Vallow Daybell wrote Chad Daybell on July 23, 2019. Weird stuff happened in the middle of the night. Its like they distracted us with Blake.

She added: When you get home, Check Tylee. She is being super sweet and helpful and she cleaned her room. See if she got switched. Totally not her.

Lori Vallow appears in court.

Lori Vallow Daybell, center, sits between her attorneys for a hearing at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho, on Aug. 16, 2022. Photo: AP

Chad Daybell later responded, Yes. she was switched. Please let me know when you can talk, and I will explain it.

Vallow Daybell kept her head down and took notes in the courtroom while prosecutors played a series of messages between the couple.

Chad Daybell later referred to J.J. as a 2, on the rating scale, per East Idaho News.

According to the couples bizarre conspiracy-rooted beliefs, the closer someone got zero, the closer they were to death, FBI agent Douglas Hart testified.

"[Two] and 3 percent?," Lori said in response in the July 30, 2019 conversation. "Not zero?"

Chad Daybell 1

Chad Daybell enters the court during his preliminary hearing in Fremont County on Monday, August 3, 2020. Photo: Post Register/ John Roark/POOL

Upwards of a week later, Lori Vallow Daybell again questioned whether her son was nearing zero.

"He was just up talking nonsense for like 2 hours last night," she said in additional text messages. "I'm sure they were bugging him. Is he at zero yet? I miss you."

"Yes, he's at zero," Chad replied, according to the East Idaho News. "He probably was partly through the veil, talking to people both light and dark."

RELATED: They Were Just Little Kids: Lori Vallow Daybells Tense 2020 Call With Sister Played In Court

Lori Vallow Daybell later referenced a perfectly orchestrated plan to take the children.

"Do you think there is a perfectly orchestrated plan to take the children?," she asked her husband. "And we just have to wait for it to be carried out? I feel lost like I should be doing something to help."

Prosecutors said the messages further point to the premeditated nature of J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan's slayings.

Vallow Daybell is also charged with conspiracy in the murder of Chad Daybells ex-wife, Tammy Daybell.
PORTLAND, Maine  A Massachusetts man will be spending the next 9 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to robbing a bank in York.

Brandon Simmons, 35, was sentenced this week in U.S. District Court in Portland to 115 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $7,162 in restitution to the bank as part of a negotiated plea deal.

According to police, Simmons entered a Bangor Savings Bank in York on Nov. 1, 2021, telling a teller that he had a bomb and demanding money. Simmons then grabbed cash from the tellers drawer, left the bank and fled in a white work van, according to police.

Brandon Simmons was apprehended by Massachusetts State Police on November 3, 2021, at a hotel in Peabody, Massachusetts.

Simmons was quickly identified as a suspect through the combined efforts of the FBI, York Police Department and law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts. Simmons was also identified as the suspect in the October 30, 2021, robbery of a CVS Pharmacy in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Previous story: York bank robbery suspect arrested after 'violent' struggle with Massachusetts police

From Nov. 1-3, 2021, Simmons led police on a series of high-speed chases in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In his attempts to avoid apprehension, police said he assaulted an officer, attempted to carjack a civilian bystander, stole multiple vehicles and crashed his van into a truck driven by a bystander. Simmons was apprehended by Massachusetts State Police on Nov. 3, 2021, at a hotel in Peabody, Massachusetts.

According to police, Brandon Simmons entered a Bangor Savings Bank in York on Nov. 1, 2021, telling a teller that he had a bomb and demanding money.

Simmons pleaded guilty May 10 to the Massachusetts charges in connection with the robbery in Newburyport, as well as multiple charges related to his conduct while fleeing from police.

The FBI's Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case with assistance from the York Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and the police departments in Newburyport and Salisbury, Massachusetts.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: York, ME robbery at Bangor Savings Bank nets 9 years in prison
Supporters of New York City's weight discrimination bill rally in New York

New York City has passed a bill outlawing discrimination based on weight, joining a growing movement in the US to make size a protected trait on par with race and gender.

More than 40% of American adults are considered obese and studies show weight stigma is pervasive.

The bias can bring sharp costs, such as lower wages, especially for women.

City Councilman Shaun Abreu said weight discrimination was "a silent burden people have had to carry".

During public hearings, supporters cited difficulty navigating seating at restaurants and theatres, getting turned away by landlords, and butting up against weight limits on the city's bike sharing programme.

Councilman Abreu, who sponsored the bill, said he became more aware of the issue when he gained more than 40lb (18.1kg) during lockdown and saw a shift in how he was treated. He said the lack of protections had amplified the problems people face.

"They're being discriminated against with no recourse and society saying that's perfectly fine," he said.

The measure is expected to be signed into law by New York's mayor later this month. The effort received widespread support, passing 44-5, despite scepticism in some quarters.

New York City council's minority leader, Joseph Borelli, who is a Republican, told the New York Times he was worried the law would empower New Yorkers "to sue anyone and everything".

"I'm overweight but I'm not a victim. No-one should feel bad for me except my struggling shirt buttons," he said.

Michigan has barred workplace discrimination based on weight since 1976 and a handful of other cities, including San Francisco and Washington DC, have legislation on the books.

State-level bills have now been introduced in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Jersey.

The efforts follow a dramatic increase in obesity rates over the past 20 years.

Tegan Lecheler says weight discrimination is a "civil rights issue"

Tegan Lecheler, advocacy director for the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance, which worked with Councilman Abreu on the New York City bill, said she hoped the measure would "encourage a larger conversation of framing this beyond health".

Story continues

"It's not a health issue. It's a civil rights issue," she said. "This is really about if people are safe and protected and have the right to be in spaces."

New York's human rights law already bars discrimination in housing, the workplace and public accommodation based on 27 characteristics, including age, marital status, disability and national origin.

The bill adds weight and height to that list, while including exceptions for jobs in which weight and height are a "bona fide occupational qualification" or where there is a public health and safety concern.

Councilman Abreu said he hoped the move by the largest city in the country would encourage other cities and states to follow suit.

"We want this bill to send a message to everybody that you matter, regardless of if you're above or below average weight," he said. "That's why we pushed this."
(Bloomberg) -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams temporarily suspended some of the rules that require the city to shelter asylum seekers as a surge in migrants strains resources.

Most Read from Bloomberg

His decision suspends some of the policies concerning timing for placements in shelters, as well as the accommodations the city is required to provide in its shelters for unhoused families, such as a bathroom and cooking facility, according to a copy of the executive order issued Wednesday.

It comes about a week after officials learned that the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave the city just $30.5 million to help pay for the costs of the migrant crisis, a fraction of the $350 million in aid it had requested.

With over 130 emergency sites and eight humanitarian relief centers already opened, we have reached our limit, and this last week we had to resort to temporarily housing recent arrivals in gyms, Fabien Levy, a spokesman for the Democratic mayor, said in a statement. We will make every effort to get asylum seekers into shelter as quickly as possible as we have done since day one.

New York City is spending about $8 million a day to house almost 40,000 asylum seekers. Levy said the city has received more than 500 people a day in recent days. That number is expected to swell later this week after the end of Title 42, a pandemic public health restriction that allowed the US to swiftly expel undocumented migrants even if they sought asylum.

Read more: NYC Spends $8 Million a Day to House Migrants as Influx Swells

City Comptroller Brad Lander, a fellow Democrat, criticized the move by Adams, citing New Yorks longstanding legal obligation to house the homeless.

Story continues

We do not need to roll shelter safety protections back, and we should not, Lander said in a statement Thursday. With more support from Washington and with overdue action from the Adams administration to provide the assistance that will help asylum seekers get on their feet and move out of shelter, we can face this challenge with both compassion and common sense.

The Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless also condemned the decision, saying in a statement that it could potentially lead to the city regularly placing homeless families with children in congregate settings that put families and children at risk of communicable diseases and sexual assault, and they adversely impact mental health.

The organizations added that they are weighing litigation.

No asylum seeking-family that has sought shelter from us over the last year has slept on the street thanks to our colossal efforts, but without more support from our federal and state partners, we are concerned the worst may be yet to come, Levy said.

The crisis has grown so dire that Adams said Friday that he planned to bus several hundred adult male migrants to two hotels in Orange Lake and Orangeburg, in upstate Rockland County. On Thursday morning, two buses of migrants arrived in the town of Newburgh, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of New York City, Spectrum Local News reported, saying it wasnt clear how many people they were carrying.

Many of the asylum seekers in New York were bused to the city from Texas and other states, drawing rebuke from Adams.

The extraordinary cost of housing the asylum-seekers is due in part to New Yorks unique right to shelter law, the result of a 1981 legal settlement that requires the city to provide housing to every unhoused person. That mandate has forced the city to turn to using costly commercial hotels as emergency shelters to house migrants.

--With assistance from Laura Nahmias.

(Updates with report of migrants travelling north of NYC in 11th paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Migrants wait for a bus in front of the Watson Hotel in New York City VIEW press / Contributor/ Getty Images

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has issued an executive order that will temporarily suspend certain requirements of the city's right-to-shelter law, which requires it to provide a bed for anyone who needs one.

The executive order will allow city officials to bypass rules that require them to place families in private housing with bathrooms and kitchens instead of in group settings. It also suspends policies that "set a nightly deadline for newly arriving families to be placed in shelters," The New York Times summarizes.

The decision comes as the city continues to struggle to house thousands of asylum seekers being bused in from Republican border states. Fabien Levy, the mayor's press secretary, said New York had "reached our limit," having resorted last week to placing migrants in gyms. "This is not a decision taken lightly," Levy assured, "and we will make every effort to get asylum seekers into shelter as quickly as possible, as we have done since day one." The city has received over 500 migrants a day in recent days, he added.

The city is spending around $8 million daily to house nearly 40,000 asylum seekers, Bloomberg reports. And the number of people seeking shelter is expected to increase with the end of Title 42, the pandemic-era rule that allows the U.S. to quickly expel undocumented migrants, Bloomberg said.

Adams' order has garnered some criticism from lawmakers and housing advocates. Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan), chair of the chamber's housing committee, told Gothamist she was "particularly concerned" about where families with children would be placed. "It is a crisis, but that doesn't mean we can turn our backs on refugees and asylum seekers," she said.

The right-to-shelter law is connected to a 1981 consent decree that mandated the city to find shelter for homeless men. The settlement is "considered a landmark agreement that served as a foundation for several other homelessness policies," Gothamist explains.

Story continues

You may also like

MTV News shutting down after 36 years

Sen. Dianne Feinstein returns to D.C. after extended absence, Democratic tensions

Trump's loss to E. Jean Carroll was likely aided by these 2 blunders in his taped deposition
New York City has suspended portions of its longstanding right-to-shelter law guaranteeing accommodation to anyone in need as it braces for an expected surge of migrants following this weeks expiration of U.S. pandemic-related asylum restrictions.

Mayor Eric Adams (D) signed an executive order Wednesday suspending rules requiring that families seeking shelter be placed in private rooms with bathrooms and kitchens, and not in group settings. He also lifted a nightly deadline for them to be given refuge.

An Adams spokesperson said the city has reached our limit and we are concerned the worst may be yet to come.

Migrants are seen at a bus terminal in New York City on Wednesday after being bused to the city from Texas.

Migrants are seen at a bus terminal in New York City on Wednesday after being bused to the city from Texas.

This is not a decision taken lightly and we will make every effort to get asylum seekers into shelter as quickly as possible, as we have done since Day 1, spokesperson Fabien Levy said in a statement.

The move came as the federal immigration policy Title 42 is set to expire on Thursday night. This policy suspended rights to seek asylum in the U.S. due to COVID-19 concerns. Once it expires, New York City officials  who have long complained that shelters are at capacity  have projected that more than 1,000 migrants could arrive daily.

The nonprofit Legal Aid Society said it is considering legal action over Adams emergency order.

Certainly weve been clear that it is never appropriate to put families with children in congregate settings and if that is something that they will try to do that will be a big problem for us, Josh Goldfein, a Legal Aid Society lawyer, told The New York Daily News.

Migrants form lines outside the border fence in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday as they wait for transportation to a U.S. Border Patrol facility.

Migrants form lines outside the border fence in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday as they wait for transportation to a U.S. Border Patrol facility.

Placing homeless families with children in crowded, group settings is dangerous and a widely condemned practice of the distant past, the Legal Aid Society said in a joint statement with the Coalition for the Homeless.

Story continues

In addition to safety risks associated with congregate settings, the organizations warned that lifting a shelter deadline could mean families languishing potentially days on end in the citys intake facility before being adequately housed.

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed her own executive order on Tuesday to address what she called a crisis situation.

Its no surprise that there will literally be thousands of more individuals coming across the border and ultimately finding their way to the state of New York, the governor told reporters, according to Politico.

Venezuelan migrants who were bused to New York City from the Texas border are seen in midtown Manhattan in January after being kicked out of a hotel and refusing to go to a city-run migrant shelter in Brooklyn

Venezuelan migrants who were bused to New York City from the Texas border are seen in midtown Manhattan in January after being kicked out of a hotel and refusing to go to a city-run migrant shelter in Brooklyn

Hochuls order provides resources to New York City in anticipation of the migrants. The aid includes as many as 500 additional National Guard members and funding for extra shelters, supplies and resources.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) personally has been helping an effort to send migrants from the Mexico border to New York and other areas that have identified themselves as sanctuary cities open to refugees regardless of their legal status.

Abbott has dismissed the cities appeals for him to stop, arguing that his own state is struggling and in need of relief.

Until President Joe Biden secures the border to stop the inflow of mass migration, Texas will continue this necessary program, Abbott toldChicagos mayor last week.

Related...
(CNN)  National security adviser Jake Sullivan met with top Chinese official Wang Yi in Vienna for candid and constructive talks, the White House announced Thursday.

The previously undisclosed meeting is among the highest-level engagements between US and Chinese officials since the spy balloon incident earlier this year, which caused Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a planned trip to Beijing, and it comes amid what has been an incredibly tumultuous year in relations between the two nations.

This meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage competition, a White House readout of Wednesday and Thursdays meeting said.

The two sides had candid, substantive, and constructive discussions on key issues in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship, global and regional security issues, Russias war against Ukraine, and cross-Strait issues, among other topics, the readout said.

The two sides agreed to maintain this important strategic channel of communication to advance these objectives, building on the engagement between President Biden and President Xi in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022, it said.

Following that meeting between the leaders in Bali, Blinken was due to travel to China in early February, but the trip was postponed in response to a Chinese surveillance balloon traversing the United States.

The top US diplomat said that balloons presence over the US created the conditions that undermine the purpose of the trip.

US officials have repeatedly said that Blinken would take the trip when conditions are appropriate for his visit, but as recently as Tuesday Blinken would not go into details.

In February, weeks after the balloon incident, Blinken met with Wang on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

In that meeting, Blinken directly spoke to the unacceptable violation of US sovereignty and international law and said incidents like the balloon, which hovered over US airspace for days before the US shot it down off the coast of South Carolina, must never occur again, former State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

Blinken, who a senior State Department official characterized as very direct and candid throughout, began the hour long meeting by stating how unacceptable and irresponsible it was that China had flown the balloon into US airspace. The secretary later expressed disappointment that Beijing had not engaged in military-to-military dialogue when the Chinese balloon incident occurred, the senior official told reporters.

He stated, candidly stated, our disappointment that in this recent period that our Chinese military counterparts had refused to pick up the phone. We think thats unfortunate. And that is not the way that our two sides ought to be conducting business, the official said.

In an event in early May, US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said the US was ready to talk to China, and expressed hope that Beijing would meet us halfway on this.

He said the US was ready for a more broad-based engagement at the cabinet level, adding, we have never supported an icing of this relationship.

This story was first published on CNN.com, White House national security adviser met with top Chinese official in highest US-China engagement since spy balloon incident"
A young couple was killed when a driver in a stolen car made a U-turn into oncoming traffic in North Carolina, officials and family members say.

Jayce Haverkos, 19, and Madison Grotschel, 18, were driving on US-74 when a car turned into oncoming traffic and slammed head-on into the car they were in, North Carolina Highway Patrol said, according to WGHP. Haverkos, Grotschel and the driver of the other car all died on the scene.

Forsyth County deputies were initially alerted to a report of a stolen 2004 silver Mercury Grand Marquis around noon on Monday, May 8, the department said in a Facebook post. A deputy saw the stolen car and initiated a traffic stop.

After the deputy turned their lights on, the suspect continued driving, taking an exit onto the highway, according to the department. The suspect then made a U-turn, driving straight into oncoming traffic and colliding with Haverkos and Grotschel.

The suspects identity has not been released.

Witnesses said both cars went up in flames after crashing, according to WGHP.

You know when you twist the bag that has air in it, then it pops? It sounded like that, but 1,000 times louder, Stephen Cowan told the news outlet. The sound of the metal crushing together was something that you could have heard miles away.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol and Forsyth County Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment.

Grotschels mother said she has struggled to wake up since losing her daughter, according to WXII.

She was my best friend. She had already picked out the pie she was going to make me for Mothers Day and the meal. We did everything together, she told WXII.

Other family members and loved ones shared tributes for the young couple in the days since the wreck.

I have so many mixed feelings right now. I am angry, I am hurt, I am mentally and physically tired, Haverkos aunt shared in a Facebook post. Here on earth will never be the same for your mom or me. I bet you rode that skateboard through that gate to Heaven.

Story continues

Words cant even begin to describe the pain that were feeling right now, Grotschels aunt wrote on Facebook. The strongest, funniest and kindest girl youd ever meet. She was my mini-me, my twin for real. She had so much life ahead of her, and was set to graduate this month.

Forsyth County is about 80 miles northeast of Charlotte.

Young couple dies in late-night crash, Tennessee cops say. So much more life to live

Two teens killed after prom when their car gets pinned underneath semi, AL reports say

Teen driver drank 4 beers before crash that killed 14-year-old passenger, TN cops say
Julissa Gutierrez, the new head of mission at the Honduran Consulate in Los Angeles, talks about passport renewal with Jose Saul Serrano of Arizona at the L.A. office. (Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times en Espanol)

Julissa Gutierrez is a doctor by profession.

So perhaps it's not surprising that she wants to use her new role as head of mission at L.A.'s Honduran Consulate to heal her community. She aims to do that by treating constituents humanely, streamlining essential services and breaking with the past practice of favoring those with connections to Honduras' political rulers.

On a recent, typical morning, Gutierrez stepped into the consulate's packed main hall. Questions and requests rained down on her as she interacted with constituents. It's been standard business since the 28-year-old was appointed chief of mission on March 20, replacing Vice-Consul Grace Sierra.

I go out every day. I am very active, said the official sitting in her office in Koreatown.

Originally from Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, Gutierrez was appointed vice-consul in October and took up her position in Southern California on March 6 after receiving training in the basics of her job: civil registration, immigration and legal issues.

Julissa Gutierrez is the new head of mission at the Honduran Consulate in Los Angeles. (Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times en Espanol)

Since her first day in Los Angeles, she has done a lot of listening, as she was doing the other day. One woman asked what steps she needed to take to process a passport for her daughter, whose father lives in Honduras.

"He has to give you an authorization," Gutierrez replied.

"But you have to bring the original document," she stressed when she observed that the mother was toting a bunch of photocopies.

Poised and knowledgeable, in less than 15 minutes Gutierrez fielded a flurry of other queries as if her field were diplomacy or administration rather than medical science. The consular office she oversees serves some 43,000 people of Honduran descent living in Los Angeles County, as well as Honduran immigrants living in southern Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Hawaii. Stamina and a calming bedside manner are practically prerequisites for the job.

"This is new, but I have the capacity to face it," said Gutierrez, who received her degree as a doctor of medicine and general surgery from the Catholic University of Honduras in 2021. She went on to study at the Pedagogical University to become a higher education teacher.

Story continues

Julissa Gutierrez talks with consul agent Rafael Navarro at the L.A. office. Gutierrez began her assignment in L.A. in mid-March. (Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times en Espanol)

She comes from a family of healers. Her mother, Julissa Villanueva, is a forensic pathologist who currently serves as vice minister of security in the government of President Xiomara Castro. The young doctor-diplomat also is the granddaughter of Eduardo Villanueva, a lawyer and former director of the Honduran agency in charge of investigating and evaluating the national police.

I have two very great examples, she said of her relatives.

In 2022, Gutierrez was hired at the Ciudad Mujer center, an organization that provides women with expert counseling and care in domestic violence prevention, sexual health, community education, economic autonomy and women's rights. It operates in Tegucigalpa as well as in the cities of San Pedro Sula and Choloma.

Her job as deputy manager included completing and monitoring applications to obtain donations from the international community, organizing medical brigades and addressing human rights issues.

In her new diplomatic role, she wants to turn the consulate around and make it more than simply a service provider. She aims to make it into a true community center, where her compatriots can obtain not only documents but also specialist services such as health workshops and legal advice.

Julissa Gutierrez talks about passport renewal with Nixon Murcia of West Valley City, Utah. (Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times en Espanol)

When I am asked to come to the consulate, definitely [there are people who] say, What is a doctor doing there? But what is it that we cannot do? she asked rhetorically. Her belief in herself, and in her community's ability to achieve more, stems from her staunch Roman Catholic faith.

The doctor's consular appointment reflects the political shake-up in Honduras since Castro, of the left-wing Liberty and Refoundation party, became the nation's first female president, on Jan. 27, 2022, and changes were announced in the Honduran consular network in the United States. Gutierrez was the first consular appointment at the local level by the new government.

The government is just beginning to take over the consulates, said Jose Bautista, an activist with Indignant Hondurans of Los Angeles, an association sympathetic to the Liberty and Refoundation party.

We hope that the consulate will have a different face, a more dignified treatment for the Honduran community and that more personnel will arrive, added Bautista, originally from Honduras' Cortes province.

Among the challenges the consulate faces is engaging more and building trust with the local community. In the past, the consulate drew criticism for being perceived as favoring local organizations that shared the political leanings of the Honduran administration.

"The consulate can help us promote our businesses. It is important that it be close to organizations and businessmen alike," said Maynor Sandoval, a native of Yoro province and co-owner of the Dona Bibi's restaurant in the MacArthur Park neighborhood.

Julissa Gutierrez explains procedures to those waiting for services at the L.A. office on March 31. (Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times en Espanol)

Honduran historian Suyapa Portillo believes that the tenure of the new consular management could mark a watershed if it can advance community inclusiveness and unity. The Pitzer College professor, originally from Copan province, said that when she began to denounce the breakdown of the rule of law in her homeland after a 2009 coup d'etat, she became persona non grata at the L.A. consulate.

After I started writing about the problem of the coup d'etat, they didn't invite me again, she said.

I would love to see a pluralistic consulate that attends to the different communities, Portillo said, adding, The consulate has to assist all Hondurans, regardless of the color of their political party, religion or skin color, or anything like that."

Gutierrez understands the challenges ahead. She emphasizes that the Honduran Foreign Ministry has instructed her to eliminate "past practices." She wants to listen to suggestions from a variety of groups about improving consular services and community outreach.

"Here, the doors are not going to be closed to anyone because of a political color," she said.

Since September, the consulate had been operating with only five employees, including the head of mission. Now there are seven employees, and more full-time positions are expected to be filled to replace several dismissals made by the Foreign Ministry last year.

With the support of volunteers, the consulate has begun to bring order to its facilities. But social networks still resound with complaints that messages from constituents still often go unreturned. Plans call for initially adding one staffer on each weekend day to respond to questions posed on Facebook and Instagram.

"We are going the extra mile to be able to serve more than 200 users who come daily," the new consul said.

Gutierrez acknowledges that she's not accustomed to holding a desk job, which is one reason why, in a pinch, she's willing to get up and fill in for her colleagues staffing the service counter.

If I had more staff, I would just focus on management, she said.

Another of her first measures was to coordinate with a clinic for its staff to offer daily informative talks on health issues; about 70 people attended the first one, on April 15. She plans to recruit immigration lawyers to do the same. And she wants to assist and empower women in dealing with gender-related violence prevention.

Also on her to-do list is opening the consulate one Saturday per month for her compatriots to process the national identification document, known as DNI; bolstering consular protection for human rights, including those of detained immigrants; and promoting Honduran art and culture.

The message that I can give my compatriots is that for them to feel that this space is their home, a safe space, in which services will be provided with quality, warmth and transparency, she said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A man was arrested Friday, accused of sexually assaulting two women while he worked as a massage therapist in Yuma in 2022.

Ryan Quesenberry, 32, faces multiple charges of sexual assault, kidnapping, sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment and aggravated assault, the Yuma Police Department said in a statement Wednesday.

According to police, an investigation found that he had sexually assaulted two women between August and October 2022 while he was employed as a massage therapist.

Yuma area: Mexican man dies after release from Border Patrol custody

Details involving the incidents were not made available by police.

The Yuma Police Department asked anyone with information to contact them at (928) 783-4421 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Massage therapist in Yuma accused of sexually abusing 2 women
Zambia's debt is 'like a python around our necks, ribs and legs', Hichilema said

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema said his copper-rich country needs to forge diverse economic partnerships worldwide to extract itself from a debt burden he described as a "python around our necks."

The African nation in 2020 became the first on the continent to default on its foreign debt -- estimated at $17.3 billion -- since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Zambia has since sought help to restructure its debt through a G20 mechanism, which is co-chaired by Paris and Beijing, but implementation has been slow.

The United States has accused Zambia's biggest creditor China, which according to financial researchers is owed $6.6 billion, of dragging its feet.

The debt is "like a python around our necks, ribs and legs," Hichilema said in an interview with Agence France-Presse in Paris after meeting President Emmanuel Macron for talks on Wednesday.

We need to "close this long overdue debt re-structuring, put it to bed and release resources and time and attention to the development side of our agenda," he said.

Since the businessman-turned-politician's election in 2021, the country has worked towards restoring relations with donors.

Western countries have hailed good governance and progress on reforms under his presidency, seeing in the nation a promising partner on a continent where China, Russia and Turkey are seeking to advance their influence.

- 'Work with each other' -

But Hichilema refused to align himself with any side.

"It is not an issue of polarisation that you're with China or against China, you're with America or against America," he said.

"That sort of argument belongs to the past. The world will be more progressive when we work with each other."

The Zambian president was in France after a series of high-profile visits to his country, including one from US Vice President Kamala Harris in late March in which she called for a "speedy finalisation" of Zambia's debt restructuring.

Story continues

"Zambia is a country that has to take its place in the global community," he said.

"Purely economic diplomacy is what drives us -- and strengthening our bilateral relations, creating opportunities for joint trade and investment."

Hichilema said this was key to improving prospects in one of the world's youngest countries by median age.

"We need to pump up the economic side - investment, trade, growth -- to create jobs, business opportunities for this young population, give them some hope in life," he said.

More than 60 percent of Zambia's some 20 million people live in poverty, according to the World Bank.

- 'Not puppyship, but partnership' -

Hichilema took office in 2021 with ambitious plans to turn around the economy of the Africa's second largest copper producer.

He told a mining conference last year that Zambia planned to more than triple production of the mineral to three million tonnes a year within a decade to respond to increasing demand for the metal in green technologies.

"Zambia is ready for business," he said on Wednesday.

It "is host to a number of critical minerals that are important for the electric vehicle industry."

But Hichilema stressed the need to move away from an old model of extracting and exporting raw materials.

We need "to extract these and to process them in country in joint venture with allies - domestic investors, Europe investors, China investors, US investors," he said.

At home, the attention from the West has meant the leader has faced accusations from domestic critics of being a puppet of Western countries.

But the president, who was prominent member of the opposition before his landslide victory in 2021, insisted he was not dependent on any foreign power.

"I am no puppy of nobody, absolutely not," he said.

"We are talking about not a puppyship, but partnership, that's the way to go," he added.

lp/ah/sjw/ri
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Ukrainian military needs more time to prepare for an expected counteroffensive to retake territory Russian forces captured.

Zelensky told the BBC in an interview broadcast Thursday that launching a counteroffensive now would be unacceptable because too many lives would be lost. He said the counteroffensive would be successful at this time, but Ukraine would lose a lot of people.

So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time, Zelensky said. In terms of equipment, not everything has arrived yet.

Ukraine has been receiving training and advanced weapons from its Western allies in anticipation of the counteroffensive.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has essentially remained a stalemate for months, with neither side gaining much ground after Ukraine retook thousands of kilometers of captured territory last summer. But Ukraine will look to retake the land Russia annexed in the Donbas region and potentially the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.

The United Kingdom said Thursday it sent long-range cruise missiles, called Storm Shadow missiles, to Ukraine. The missiles have a range of more than 250 kilometers, or 150 miles, and would allow Ukraine to target areas behind the front lines like Crimea.

Outlets reported Ukraine pledged to not use the weapons to target locations in Russia.

The private Wagner military group, which has been helping the Russian military in the fighting, claimed Ukraines counteroffensive was in full swing after Ukrainian forces advanced 2 kilometers in the eastern city of Bakhmut, which has seen intense fighting for months.

But a spokesperson for Ukraines Operational Command East said the advancements were not part of a grand counteroffensive but are a harbinger of additional attacks to come.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ukraine needs "a bit more time" to launch its much-anticipated counteroffensive as the country is waiting for the delivery of pledged military aid, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as reported by BBC on May 11.

"With (what we already have), we can go forward, and, I think, be successful," Zelensky said in an interview for public broadcasters such as the BBC. "But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait."

According to Ukraine's president, combat brigades, some of which were trained by NATO members, are "ready" for the long-awaited counteroffensive. However, the Ukrainian army still needs "some things," particularly armored vehicles, which "arrive in batches."

The outcome of Ukraine's counteroffensive is expected to be a critical turning point in the war that will determine whether Ukraine reclaims more of its territory or is pressured by allies to meet with Russia at the negotiating table.

"Everyone will have an idea," Zelensky said, as cited by the BBC. "(But) they can't pressure Ukraine into surrendering territories. Why should any country of the world give Putin its territory?"

Washington Post: Ukrainian counteroffensive delayed by number of factors Ukraines upcoming counteroffensive has been delayed due to a combination of factors, including weather, slow equipment deliveries, and an insufficient amount of ammunition, the Washington Post reported. Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Western supplies of weapons are seen as critical to Ukraine's ability to launch a successful counteroffensive. NATO military commander General Christopher Cavoli said on April 26 that nearly all the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine by NATO allies had been delivered.

Zelensky's statement aligns with Kyiv's recent efforts to lower expectations from the counteroffensive amid speculations the planned breakthrough could be Ukraine's last chance to regain all its territories, at least this year.

Story continues

"The expectation from our counteroffensive campaign is overestimated in the world," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told the Washington Post. "Most people are  waiting for something huge," he said, which could lead to "emotional disappointment."

Meanwhile, in an interview with the German newspaper Bild, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urges not to think about Ukraine's expected counteroffensive as the last one "because we don't know what will come out of it."

Kyiv has repeatedly vowed to liberate all Ukrainian territories within the 1991 borders, including the Crimean peninsula as well as parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts occupied since 2014.
Volodymyr Zelensky. P van Katwijk/Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country needs more time before launching its crucial counteroffensive against Russia, as it awaits additional weapons, such as armored vehicles, that are arriving from Western allies "in batches."

"With what we have we can go forward," Zelensky told BBC News, alluding to arms equipment already in the country's possession, "and I think we can be successful. But we will lose a great many people ... I think that's impossible. So we need to wait. We need some more time," he said, per The Wall Street Journal.

As noted by The New York Times, it is not clear if Zelensky's comments "were an attempt at misdirection" in an already surprise-filled war.

For months, Ukraine has been preparing its soldiers for the highly anticipated counterattack, which hopes to capitalize on weakened and depleted Russian forces and reclaim land Moscow has held, in some instances, since the start of the conflict. The exact details of the push are confidential, but the effort will be viewed as "a crucial test" of the nation's "ability to use Western military aid to redraw the battle lines and show its Western partners that it can take back territory if given enough support," the Journal writes.

Other officials in the Ukrainian government have, in recent weeks, echoed the president's concerns regarding the counteroffensive, seemingly in an attempt at lowering expectations and making clear the push might not end the broader conflict. "The expectation from our counteroffensive campaign is overestimated in the world," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told The Washington Post in an early May interview. "Most people are ... waiting for something huge," which may lead to "emotional disappointment."

Should efforts indeed fail, there's a chance Kyiv may be pressured into furthering peace negotiations with Moscow, which could involve land concessions, BBC News notes. "Everyone will have an idea," Zelensky told the outlet. "[But] they can't pressure Ukraine into surrendering territories. Why should any country of the world give Putin its territory?"

Story continues

You may also like

MTV News shutting down after 36 years

Sen. Dianne Feinstein returns to D.C. after extended absence, Democratic tensions

Trump's loss to E. Jean Carroll was likely aided by these 2 blunders in his taped deposition
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may pay a short visit to Rome on Saturday, 13 May, during which he will meet with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis.

Source: Italian news agency ANSA, referring to its sources, as European Pravda reports

Details: According to the sources of ANSA, the President of Ukraine may pay a short visit to Italy during his trip to Germany, where he is due to be this weekend.

The agency's sources in the Vatican do not rule out that the Pope will meet with Zelenskyy, but "so far this is only a hypothesis, and therefore there is no official confirmation of the time and place of this possible meeting," ANSA adds.

In April, as it is known, Francis hosted Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Zelenskyy himself was in the Vatican in February 2020, before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Italian Prime Minister, in turn, made her first visit to Ukraine in February 2023, during which she announced providing a military assistance package that contains SAMP/T-MAMBA complexes as well as Spada and Skyguard systems.

Background: The Pope stated that the Vatican participates in a peacekeeping mission aimed at ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the details of which, however, were not disclosed.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine needs more time to launch a counter-offensive against Russia, as the military still needs pledged Western aid.

Source: BBC News

Quote: "With [what we already have] we can go forward, and, I think, be successful. But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time."

Details: Zelenskyy described the combat brigades, which have been trained in particular by NATO countries, as "ready" but said these forces still needed "some things", including armoured vehicles, which are "arriving in batches".

Recently, the Ukrainian authorities have reportedly tried to reduce expectations of a breakthrough, both publicly and privately.

A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Ukraine's leaders "understood that [they] needed to be successful", but this operation should not be seen as a "silver bullet" in the war

Zelenskyy also voiced confidence that the Ukrainian military would advance, warning of the risks of a "frozen conflict", which, in his words, "Russia was counting on".

For Kyiv, any outcome that disappoints the West could mean less military support and pressure on negotiations with Russia: "Everyone will have an idea, [but] they can't pressure Ukraine into surrendering territories. Why should any country of the world give Putin its territory?"

Zelenskyy also denied Russian accusations that Ukraine was behind the drone attack on the Kremlin.

The Ukrainian president said the attack could have been a false flag operation by Russia.

Quote: "They constantly look for something to sound like a justification, saying: 'You do this to us, so we do that to you,' but it didn't work. Even for their domestic public, it didn't work. Even their own propagandists didn't believe that. Because it looked very, very artificial."

Story continues

Details: He also dismissed concerns about losing US support if President Joe Biden is not re-elected in 2024. Zelenskyy believes Ukraine enjoys bipartisan support in the US Congress and voiced confidence that the country will gain victory by then.

See also: Waiting for a counteroffensive. How the Ukrainian Armed Forces are preparing to liberate the territories and how the Pentagon document leak affects Ukraine's plans

Background:

Earlier, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for the expected counter-offensive of Ukrainian troops not to be considered the last one.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken believes that Ukraine has the resources necessary to regain the territory seized by Russia in an expected counter-offensive.

James Cleverly, the UK Foreign Secretary, said he expected Ukraine's planned counter-offensive to succeed, but warned that it may not meet high expectations.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in remarks broadcast Thursday that Kyiv is delaying its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russias occupying forces because Ukraine lacks enough Western weapons to succeed without suffering too many casualties.

His remarks, in an interview with European broadcasters, were aired shortly before Britain said it has sent Ukraine air-launched cruise missiles that would allow pilots to extend their reach farther than possibly any other weapon in their arsenal, to locations deep behind the front line.

A Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russias more than 14-month-old invasion has been expected since warmer weather improved battlefield conditions, and Zelenskyy said it's possible that "we can go forward and be successful, the BBC reported.

But wed lose a lot of people. I think thats unacceptable, he was quoted as saying in the interview, conducted in Kyiv with public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, including the BBC.

So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time, Zelenskyy was quoted as saying. In terms of equipment, not everything has arrived yet.

Analysts and Ukrainian officials have talked for months of a coming Ukrainian counterpunch. Zelenskyys remarks could be designed to keep the Russians guessing, with more uncertainty because both sides are struggling to secure enough ammunition.

Ukraine's troops are receiving Western training, as well as advanced weapons, as it gears up for such an assault.

Later Thursday, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told lawmakers it sent Ukraine the Storm Shadow missiles, a conventionally armed weapon with a range of more than 250 kilometers (150 miles). By contrast, the truck-mounted HIMARS launchers that Washington has supplied feature GPS-guided missiles capable of hitting targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) away.

Wallace said the cruise missiles are now going into or are in the country itself, but didnt say how many were provided.

Story continues

The air-launched missiles would allow Ukrainian forces to target locations such as Russia-occupied Crimea. Kyiv has pledged not to use them to attack Russia itself, U.K. media reported. The U.S. and its allies have expressed concern that enabling Ukraine to use their weapons to hit targets inside Russia could provoke the Kremlin to escalate the war.

The British delivery adds to the tanks and long-range precision artillery that Western countries have already supplied to Ukraine.

Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, tweeted: Well done UK!

This will give Ukraine capability to make Crimea untenable for Russian forces and require Russia to reevaluate the positioning of its Black Sea fleet, Hodges said.

Sidharth Kaushal, a research fellow at Londons Royal United Services Institute, said the Storm Shadow missiles could allow Ukraine to strike Russian vessels in its Black Sea headquarters port of Sevastopol, from which Moscow's Kalibr missiles "have been used to target crucial Ukrainian infrastructure.

Patrick Bury, senior lecturer in security at the University of Bath, wasnt surprised at Zelenskyy's comments about delaying the spring campaign.

If you are Zelenskyy, you are doing everything you can to make sure you get everything you need before launching the offensive, he said.

On the other hand, I would not be surprised at all if it started in the next couple of weeks, depending on the mud. ... As of last week it was still one of the wettest springs theyve had over there in years.  Its just not favorable, Bury added.

A Ukrainian military claim Wednesday that its troops had advanced up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) around the hotly contested eastern city of Bakhmut fueled speculation that the counteroffensive was underway.

Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraines Operational Command East, told The Associated Press that the fighting and forward movement was not the grand counteroffensive, but its a harbinger showing that there will be more such attacks in the future.

But Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russias private military force Wagner that has spearheaded Moscow's battle for Bakhmut, claimed Kyiv's counteroffensive was in full swing, with Ukrainian forces advancing on the flanks around the city.

Unfortunately, in some areas theyre doing it successfully, Prigozhin said.

Kremlin forces are deeply entrenched in eastern Ukraine with layered defensive lines reportedly up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) deep. Kyiv's counteroffensive would likely face minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles.

Russia is acting slow in Ukraine because it wants to preserve infrastructure and save lives there, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Bosnian Serb channel ATV on Wednesday night.

Moscow has repeatedly explained its lack of advances on the battlefield as an effort to protect civilians, but those claims have been proven false, with frequent attacks on civilian buildings.

Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to reduce the war to a so-called frozen conflict, with neither side able to dislodge the other, according to the BBC. He ruled out surrendering territory to Russia in return for a peace deal.

The Kremlin wants Kyiv to acknowledge Russian sovereignty over Crimea and to recognize Septembers illegal annexation of the provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine has rejected the demands and ruled out any talks with Russia until its troops withdraw from all occupied territories.

Military analysts have warned that Putin hopes the Wests costly support for Kyiv will fray.

Ukraines Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euros ($70 billion) in military aid, and with no peace talks on the horizon, the alliance is gearing up to send more.

European Union Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said delaying a counteroffensive was a sign that the West must step up its military support for Ukraine.

Certainly, they need more preparation, Borrell said at a defense and security conference in Brussels. They need more arms. They need to gather more capacity, and it is us who have to provide for that.

Russia also is seeking more weapons and ammunition. The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia via a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near Cape Town in December. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation was underway.

Over the winter, the Ukraine conflict became bogged down in a war of attrition, with both sides relying heavily on bombarding each others positions.

A counteroffensive is a major challenge, requiring the Ukrainian military to orchestrate a wide range of capabilities, including providing ammunition, food, medical supplies and spare parts, along potentially extended supply lines. The front line extends more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles).

Zelenskyy has been making the rounds of Western capitals to seek more support. As part of that effort, Pope Francis could meet Zelenskyy at the Vatican this weekend, a Vatican official said Thursday. Francis recently revealed a secret peace mission but provided no details. Zelenskyy was expected in Germany starting Saturday evening. Italian media, citing unidentified sources, reported that Zelenskyy might be in Rome earlier that day to meet with Premier Giorgia Meloni and the pope.

A Vatican official said an audience with the pope on Saturday is a possibility. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the visit was not confirmed.

Russias latest long-range barrages killed at least six civilians and wounded 13 others, Ukraines presidential office said.

In other developments, a Ukrainian drone damaged a fuel storage tank across the Russian border in Bryansk, the regions governor reported on Telegram. In Ukraines Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, meanwhile, Russian-appointed authorities reported an assassination attempt against a judge. The authorities didnt report how the attack occurred, saying only that the judge wasnt injured, but two of his guards were. Ukraine didnt comment on either attack.

___

Lawless reported from London. Lorne Cook in Brussels, Gerald Imray in Cape Town, South Africa, and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
(CNN)  The US ambassador to South Africa on Thursday accused the South African government of delivering arms and ammunition to a sanctioned Russian cargo vessel late last year, local media said.

Among the things we noted was the docking of the cargo ship in Simons Town naval base between the 6th to the 8th of December 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel in Simons Town as it made its way back to Russian, Ambassador Reuben Brigety II told local media, including News24.com.

We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel, and I would bet my life on the accuracy on that assertion, the ambassador also said in a video released by Newzroom Afrika, a local news channel that was also at the briefing.

The arming of the Russians is extremely serious, and we do not consider this issue to be resolved, and we would like SA to [begin] practicing its non-alignment policy, he said, according to both news outlets.

The presence of the mysterious Lady R cargo vessel caused significant speculation when it docked at the naval base in Simons Town near Cape Town in December last year. Cargo vessels routinely dock at Cape Towns civilian harbor, not the naval base.

At the time, opposition member of parliament and shadow Defense Minister Kobus Marais said in a statement that goods were offloaded from the ship and onloaded onto the ship during the overnight hours and demanded answers from the government.

The US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control added the Lady R to its sanctions list in May last year for alleged weapons shipments, along with a host of other Russian-flagged cargo vessels.

The South African presidency called the explosive allegations disappointing and warned that the remarks undermine the spirit of cooperation and partnership between the US and South African government officials who had been discussing the matter.

President Cyril Ramaphosas office said in a statement late Thursday that no evidence had been provided to support these allegations and that the government planned to form an independent inquiry into the matter.

In recent engagements between the South African delegation and US officials, the Lady R matter was discussed and there was agreement that an investigation will be allowed to run its course and that the US intelligence services will provide whatever evidence in their possession, the statement read.

CNN asked presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya why an inquiry was needed for events at South Africas own naval base.

US intelligence services said they had evidence that they would only provide to us via a credible investigation or inquiry. We take the allegations seriously, and we want to have a credible independent voice to state the actual facts of the matter, he said.

Otherwise, we risk a back forth series of accusations and denials, which is not going to be helpful in the context of our bilateral relations.

It is unusual for a US ambassador in South Africa to make such public accusations against the government.

The South African government has come under intense criticism for its stance on Russias invasion of Ukraine and has routinely abstained from votes condemning Russia at the United Nations General Assembly.

While South African leadership has repeatedly stated that they are neutral in the conflict and have frequently called for a negotiated settlement, their actions have come under increasing scrutiny from Western powers.

In February of this year, South Africa convened naval war games off its coast including both the Russian and Chinese military.

Later this year, South Africa will host the BRICS summit, a grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Russian President Vladimir Putin was invited to that summit.

South African officials have flip-flopped in their public commitment to the Rome Statute  the treaty that compels signatory nations to arrest individuals indicted by the court  after Putin was indicted for alleged war crimes in March.

While South Africas ruling party African National Congress has an ideological history with Russia and the former Soviet Union, the European Union and the United States are far bigger trading partners.

This story was first published on CNN.com, South Africa loaded arms onto sanctioned Russian vessel, US ambassador tells local media"
Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D), the states first openly transgender lawmaker who was censured last month by Republicans in the state House, posed for a photo with members of The Squad during a visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday.

Zephyr was officially censured by the Montana House, in which Republicans have a supermajority, late last month after she warned during a hearing that lawmakers who voted to pass legislation banning gender-affirming health care for transgender minors would have blood on your hands, citing disproportionately high rates of attempted suicide among transgender and nonbinary young people.

If you are forcing a trans child to go through puberty when they are trans, that is tantamount to torture, Zephyr said during last months hearing on Senate Bill 99, which passed the legislature shortly after her remarks.

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill into law late last month. It will take effect in October.

Responding to Zephyrs comments on the House floor, the Montana Freedom Caucus  a coalition of state House and Senate Republicans  said Zephyr in arguing against the measure had used inappropriate and uncalled-for language and should be immediately censured for attempting to shame members of the legislature.

In the week leading up to her censure, Montana House Speaker Matt Regier (R) refused to recognize Zephyr for debate on a bill. Regier also deactivated her microphone, a lawsuit filed this month by Zephyr alleges.

Zephyrs censure has been widely criticized by Democrats, including Squad member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre last month said it was undemocratic of the Montana House to censure Zephyr.

When you see these types of things, silencing an elected representative, in an attempt to suppress their message, is a denial of democratic values, she said.

Montana House Republicans move to censure Zephyr is one of several strikingly similar instances that have taken place in GOP-controlled state legislatures this year.

Story continues

In March, state Republicans in Oklahoma voted to censure Democratic Rep. Mauree Turner, the nations first openly nonbinary state legislator, after Turner allowed an individual protesting at the capitol to use their office following an arrest. The demonstrator had been protesting against the legislatures efforts to bar minors from accessing gender-affirming health care  care that is considered medically necessary by most major medical organizations.

In Nebraska last month, Sen. Megan Hunt (I), the mother of a transgender child, said she was being investigated for a potential conflict of interest after she voted against a bill that would ban gender-affirming health care for minors.

Two Black Democratic state lawmakers  Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson  were expelled from Tennessees GOP-controlled legislature in March after they joined a protest at the capitol calling for stronger gun laws.

Both legislators have since been reinstated. State Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is white and protested alongside Jones and Pearson, was not expelled.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
BEDFORD  Bedford County Sheriff Mike Miller and deputies with the sheriffs office publicly were honored at this weeks county board of supervisors meeting as part of National Police Week.

Bedford County Board of Supervisors member Mickey Johnson read a resolution honoring the service and sacrifice of those officers killed in the line of duty while protecting their communities and safeguarding our democracy.

National Police Week is May 14 to 20 and May 15 is designated as Peace Officers Memorial Day. The resolution states the Bedford County Sheriffs Office performs an essential role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of county residents and has grown as a modern and scientific law enforcement agency. In the document, the board calls on all residents and organizations to observe National Police Week.

Gentlemen, your county thanks you, Johnson said to the officers just before they received a standing ovation at this weeks meeting.

Also in recognition of National Police Week, a ceremony will be held Monday in Lynchburg to honor Virginia police officers killed in the line of duty. The event will be held at the base of Monument Terrace at the intersection of 9th and Church streets at 6:30 p.m., with a rain location of Court Street United Methodist at 621 Court St.

Participating agencies include: Altavista Police Department, Amherst County Sheriffs Office, Appomattox County Sheriffs Office, Bedford County Sheriffs Office, Campbell County Sheriffs Office, Central Virginia Community College Police Department, Liberty University Police Department, Lynchburg Sheriffs Office, Town of Amherst Police Department, Town of Bedford Police Department, Virginia State Police and the Lynchburg Police Department.

 Justin Faulconer
After months of community engagement, budget reconciliation meetings and even protests by residents, Lynchburg City Council took the first step in finalizing its fiscal year 2024 budget Tuesday night, voting to approve a new real estate tax rate and general fund budget during its first reading.

Council is expected to finalize the budget during its May 23 meeting, when the body is set to hold its second reading on the adoption of the spending plan.

Among a slew of individual agenda items regarding the spending package, Lynchburg City Council voted 5-2 to approve the general fund budget, as well as a reduction in the citys real estate tax rate from $1.11 per $100 of assessed value to 89 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Ward I Councilor MaryJane Dolan and Ward II Councilor Sterling Wilder both voted in opposition to the two items, citing the large reduction in the tax rate and other key exclusions from the general fund budget as their reasoning.

Even with the reduction in the real estate tax rate, in total, the citys general fund budget was approved at $238.2 million, an increase of $15.1 million, or 6.7%, over the citys adopted fiscal year 2023 general fund budget of $223.1 million.

In addition to the real estate tax relief, council approved other forms of tax breaks by eliminating the citys motor vehicle license fee, reducing the business license tax rates and eliminating the trash collection fee for fiscal year 2024.

Featured in this years budget is a historic investment in the citys public safety division, Vice Mayor Chris Faraldi said Tuesday night.

Throughout the entire budget process, and even dating back to the November 2022 Lynchburg City Council elections, the new at-large councilors  Martin Misjuns, Larry Taylor and Mayor Stephanie Reed, alongside Faraldi and Ward III Councilor Jeff Helgeson, all pushed public safety as a chief priority in the budget.

In total, city council allocated more than $6 million to new public safety initiatives, which include items such as a public safety targeted compression and pay progression plan, funding for new positions across public safety citywide, new constitutional officer positions and a new police take-home car program.

In addition to the investments in public safety, council also approved a 5% general wage increase for all non-sworn city employees, which came with a price tag of $2.6 million.

Ill say it this way  our budget offers the single greatest investment into public safety and law and order in the history of Lynchburg. Full stop, Faraldi said in a news release after the meeting. Since day one, I have always been a strong advocate for public safety investment, and I always will be.

While council made investments on the city side, the cost of combining various forms of tax relief with those investments came at the expense of the citys local contribution to Lynchburg City Schools.

Council approved a $39.4 million local contribution to the school division, a $1.4 million reduction in the citys appropriation in fiscal year 2023. Additionally, council approved changing the funding method for the school division from a lump sum allocation to a funding by categories style.

While its possible, according to some councilors, that the school division is set to receive a net increase to its fiscal year 2024 budget because of the states contribution, the extent of that increase, if any, is largely unknown until a budget is approved in Richmond.

Under Gov. Glenn Youngkins proposed budget, the school division would receive a net increase of about $2.8 million, despite councils decision to reduce local funding.

But should the General Assemblys skinny budget be approved, Lynchburg City Schools Superintendent Crystal Edwards said the school division would see a net decrease of about $479,000 in its next budget.

The skinny budget is a stopgap agreement that adopts funding to address items deemed by both sides of the aisle in the General Assembly to be urgent and necessary to the state budget.

While Edwards acknowledged several times Tuesday the numbers remain in flux, the school division, likely facing a budget crunch of its own, moved Tuesday to present a new salary proposal to the full school board named the 15/47 Plan, a change from the original 15/50 Plan.

Like the 15/50 Plan, the proposal would bring the classified employees hourly wage to $15 per hour; however, the plan would only increase starting teacher pay to $47,000.

Wilder, who voted against the reduced local contribution and categorical funding for Lynchburg City Schools, backed his support for more funding for the schools by saying educating children in recent years has become more difficult.

There are various other reasons why the budget for a city might be different from a county as far as school educating because you have more challenges, Wilder said. ... We have a poverty rate in our community thats higher than places like Bedford County and other counties. So, you have more challenges when it comes to poverty issues.

While major items such as the schools and public safety dominated the discourse during the budget season, council also approved increases to the citys water, sewer and stormwater rates.

According to budget documents, the citys water rates are set to increase by 5.7% to $2.92 per hundred cubic feet. Stormwater rates are set to increase 7.4% to $4.48 per single-family unit and the sewer increase is larger, jumping 12.1% from the fiscal year 2023 rate of $7.22 to $8.10.

While the water and stormwater rates are set to increase due to rising operational costs and infrastructure needs, the citys increase to the sewer rate is tied to a state-mandated combined sewer overflow consent order, a decades-old mandate which aims to reduce how much untreated wastewater goes into the James River during heavy rains. The order dictates the average annual residential sewer bill must be at least 1.25% of the median household income.

According to U.S. Census data, Lynchburgs median household income is $54,015.

One item that led to an extended discussion on Tuesday night was one about the citys $13,160 local donation to the Virginia Legal Aid Society.

Ward III Councilor Jeff Helgeson raised concern over the donation, saying, Giving people money, law firms who sued the city, I dont think its a prudent use of tax dollars, referring to a previous suit filed by a legal aid attorney against the city, he said.

Ward II Councilor Sterling Wilder said in response that council shouldnt hold the organization liable for suing the city when some of us are doing the same thing, referring to an active lawsuit against the city held by At-large Councilor Martin Misjuns.

After council said the incident was previously addressed, the body ultimately approved the donation to legal aid 5-2, with Helgeson and Misjuns voting in opposition.

Everybody makes mistakes, At-large Councilor Larry Taylor said. And we have to be in the forgiving business too.

With one vote down on the fiscal year 2024 budget, Lynchburg City Council is expected to hold its second and final reading on the adoption of the budget on May 23.The meeting is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. inside council chambers at City Hall, 900 Church St. in Lynchburg.
BEDFORD  A threat sent Liberty High School in Bedford on a high-level lockdown at about 2 p.m. Wednesday.

In a high-level lockdown, students remain in their classroom, with the doors locked, away from the windows and they proceed as though there is a threat.

Due to the proximity of the lockdown, Liberty Middle School, which is behind the high school and Lynchburg Baptist Church on Lacey Putney Way, went into a low-level lockdown  meaning no one comes in or out of the building, students stay in their classroom and instruction continues as usual.

Superintendent Marc Bergin said there was a communication of concern that came over one of the school radios.

Following the concern, Bergin said a call went out to law enforcement and within minutes, the Bedford County Sheriffs Office, Bedford Police Department, Virginia State Police and Bedford Fire and EMS arrived on campus. After receiving a 911 call, Sheriff Mike Miller said law enforcement secured the campus with a sweep and found no threat.

In regard to the response, Miller said the schools resource officer was on campus and within two minutes of finding out about the threat, deputies and troopers began to arrive.

He said there were no guns found or shots fired.

Two students at Liberty High School  a juvenile and an adult  were ultimately taken into custody by law enforcement and charges are pending after consultation with the commonwealths attorney.

In the moments leading up to student dismissal, parents and guardians gathered at Liberty Baptist Church, next to the high school, waiting with much concern.

Donnie Welch, whose granddaughter attends the high school and whose grandson attends the middle school, told reporters that the incident is very scary, and he plans to not send his grandchildren back to school for the rest of the week.

Its sad, its scary, very scary. Its a small community here, we stick together, Welch said.

Some students said they thought the situation was a drill until they saw law enforcement.

When asked about the concerns of families in terms of communicating the threat, Bergin explained he was aware of the incident slightly after 2 p.m. and within 10 to 15 minutes of first learning of it, the division had notified families.

He explained the division sent an immediate communication to families of students at Liberty Middle School and the high school, informing them the campus was on lockdown and secured.

I would like to reiterate, that at no time was any student or staff member under any threat, but we were proceeding as though they were based upon the communication of concern that came across the radio, Bergin said.

Miller emphasized this incident was not a prank, it was a threat.

This incident should never happen; this is not a prank by no means. As you see the incident that happened and the response it caused, the disruptions that it caused, all because somebody wants to think that theyre cute, well theres laws for that, Miller said. As far as your sheriff is concerned, they will be held to the maximum of all those laws that we can charge them with.
Council Bluffs Community School District recognized 107 high school seniors Tuesday, May 9, who will graduate from both Iowa Western Community College and their respective high schools this spring.

The Graduate Recognition Ceremony, held at the Arts Center at Iowa Western Community College, highlighted students who had gone through the districts Early College Academy, College Credit Acceleration, Career and Academic Pathway and TradeWorks at Iowa Western programs  all part of the school districts Diploma Plus One Pathways.

Altogether, 35 students  24 from the Early College Academy and 11 from the College Credit Acceleration program  earned associate degrees at Iowa Western, and the rest earned certificates and/or diplomas.

Superintendent Vickie Murillo thanked Iowa Western President Dan Kinney for the colleges part in the programs for high school students.

The board and I appreciate your willingness to partner with us so that our students have the opportunity to achieve more than just their high school diploma when they graduate, she said. You are a champion for young people, and I know your heart is to see every student has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Congratulations, seniors! said Melissa Comine, chief of secondary schools, who gave the welcome. It is quite the accomplishment to graduate from high school and college all in the same month.

Comine thanked Murillo for her vision, leadership and the resources she provides in making these opportunities possible for our students.

Kinney told students they didnt yet realize how the accomplishment would impact their lives.

Very few high school seniors are going to walk across my stage here on Friday night before they walk across their high school stage, he said.

Kinney called it an amazing program and thanked the district for their partnership.

Spencer Mathews, coordinator of the Early College Academy, complimented the ECA students for their accomplishments. He said 11 of the seniors were on track to finish with a 4.0 GPA, four had been named Governors Scholars, two had been included on the Des Moines Registers Academic All State list and one  Jennifer Rangel Mendoza  had been awarded a Gates Scholarship and named a QuestBridge finalist.

This group of students represents one of the most decorated and accomplished senior classes in the history of the ECA, he said, and congratulated them.

Jennifer said being in the ECA had been a life-changing opportunity.

Ive met lifelong friends who just live across town, and Ive met some professors who have influenced me to improve and became people I could rely on, she said. Ive had some of the best experiences in my life, and I wouldnt trade them for the world. This tight-knit community of high-achieving, highly motivated individuals became a family.

The ECA provided both academic opportunities and life lessons, Jennifer said. One of the life lessons was if you have a goal and work extremely hard for it, you can achieve it.

Without the challenge of rigorous courses I knew high school wouldnt supply me with, I wouldnt be where I am today, she said.

Jennifer thanked Murillo and the school district for the opportunity and also thanked her parents.

Their sacrifices have taught me to be the hardest worker in the room and to never take anything for granted, she said.

Jennifer plans to attend Grinnell College.

Emily Pomernackas took advantage of the College Credit Acceleration program.

I really like how this pathway is a great opportunity for any student who wants it, she said. It is just another great opportunity that the district provides, and it has challenged me throughout my high school (career). It has been a lot of hard work and hard classes, but it has been worth it.

To be in high school and get a degree has set us all up to be successful, Emily said. It is saving me time and money going into college, as I now only have to complete two more years.

Julian Mateo Jaimes-Kermoade started college courses through the Career and Academic Pathways program. He earned a food technician certificate in the culinary arts program as a high school junior.

I didnt know what I wanted to do after high school, but when I heard about the culinary program, I thought it would be fun, he said. I grew up cooking with my mom. This was a space to help me let go of stress, process decisions and gain confidence in my kitchen skills and myself.

Mateo decided to take automotive technology his senior year.

Being able to take care of my own vehicles would be a valuable life skill, he said. However, once I was involved in the program, I realized I liked the work.

Mateo was pleased with the two areas he studied at Iowa Western and found he was interested in a career in automotive work.

Both programs fit my hands-on style, he said. They both helped me feel more prepared to take on those adult responsibilities that come after high school. The instructors were positive and encouraging and helped me believe in myself.

I really dont know what I would have been doing after high school if it werent for Council Bluffs Community Schools providing these opportunities at a time when so many decisions needed to be made, Mateo said.

Mark Markuson entered Iowa Westerns construction technology courses through the TradeWorks at Iowa Western program. The experience cemented his choice to go into his familys business, Markuson Construction.

Ive spent three years working with my dad and grandfather on construction projects, he said, adding that he found there was still more to learn  including trade terms and the value of putting in extra time planning before starting a project.

Mark thanked the school district for offering multiple paths for students to explore. He plans to return to Iowa Western this fall to earn a diploma in construction technology.
Beth Nielsen was presented a $10,000 Charles E. Lakin Outstanding Teacher Award during a school-wide ceremony Monday, May 8.

Nielsen is a fifth-grade teacher at Tri-Center Community Schools, according to a press release from Gren Hills Area Education Agency.

Her nomination complimented her for the atmosphere in her classroom.

You walk in and feel like youve entered into a small community of its own, it stated. Its a place where everyone is welcome.

The Charles E. Lakin Outstanding Teacher Award is given annually to four outstanding southwest Iowa public school teachers from non-urban schools within a 40-mile radius of the late philanthropists hometown of Emerson. Nielsen is the first to be recognized this year.

Honorees receive $10,000 for personal use, and their respective school districts receive an award of $2,500. This year, 220 nominations were received throughout the nomination period, the press release stated.
The victim told police that on Wednesday, May 10, at approximately 11:11 p.m., she was assaulted by her boyfriend, 55-year-old Jeff Smith of Council Bluffs. She said that he held her against her will in their bedroom, stabbed her in the hand with a knife, choked her and threatened to kill her.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa  A Chicago man who was convicted of shooting and seriously wounding an Iowa sheriff's deputy during a convenience store robbery in 2021 has been sentenced to up to 92 years in prison.

Thirty-eight-year-old Stanley Donahue will have to serve at least 60 years before he is eligible for parole. He was sentenced Friday on multiple charges including attempted murder of a peace officer related to the shooting in Coggon, a town about 20 miles northeast of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Prosecutors said Donahue robbed two employees at a Casey's store and confined them in a cooler before shooting Linn County deputy Will Halverson seven times on June 20, 2021.

Donahue fled and was later arrested after a more than 12-hour manhunt that ended when he was spotted by a television news crew.

Halverson said at the sentencing hearing that the shooting had permanently affected his life even though he was able to return to work after he recovered from his injuries. On the night he was shot, Halverson said he thought he was going to die.

"It's OK to feel scared about spending the rest of your life in prison," Halverson said. "Use your time wisely. Use that time you have there to change your life for the better."

But after Halverson's testimony, Donahue started making comments disrupting the hearing and cursing at the deputy. Donahue even mocked Halverson for becoming emotional during his testimony at trial.

Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said Donahue's outburst and a comment he made to Halverson after his conviction in February shows he doesn't feel any remorse. After his trial, Donahue looked at Halverson and his family and said "It should of been worse than what it was," followed by an expletive.

"There's no indication that Stanley Donahue won't commit another horrific crime like this again if given an opportunity, and his criminal history demonstrates he will," Maybanks said.

Judge Christopher Bruns said he believed there was little chance of rehabilitating Donahue after he had spent much of his adult life in prison and his crimes continued to escalate over the years.

Donahue declined to make a statement at his sentencing hearing.

One of the former convenience store clerks, Madelyn Stepanek, also told the judge that the robbery was the "scariest night I have ever experienced," and it forever changed how safe she feels in the community she grew up in.

"After that night it felt as though a part of my identity and life that I had known was taken away," Stepanek said. "These crimes flipped our community in a drastic way and it hurt me along with my family for a lifetime."

Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term
IOWA CITY  An Iowa City man, who was set to have a trial next week on attempted murder and robbery charges, cut off his GPS ankle monitor over the weekend and authorities Tuesday confirmed he fled to Jordan.

Ali Younes, 19, charged with attempted murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree theft, used Jordanian travel documents and boarded a Royal Jordanian Airlines flight Saturday in Chicago, according to Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith, University of Iowa police and federal authorities.

His mother and father are accused of helping him. They each have been arrested and charged with escape from custody  felon, which is a Class D felony.

Alfred Younes was arrested Tuesday by the Omaha Police Department's Fugitive Apprehension Unit and the Omaha Airport Authority while he was attempting to board a flight in Omaha, Neb., with his destination set for Amman, Jordan. He will be extradited to Johnson County to face charges.

Lima Younes also was arrested by UI police on a warrant Tuesday with the assistance of the Sioux County Sheriff's Office. She also will be brought back to Johnson County to face charges.

Last June, after a contested bond review hearing, 6th Judicial District Judge Christopher Bruns modified Ali Younes' request to lower his $350,000 bail, according to court documents.

Bruns reduced the bail to $125,000 and released him on several conditions, including a GPS monitor, requirements to surrender his passport and be under home confinement with his family in O'Brien County, pending trial, according to the judge's order.

The Johnson County Attorney's Office was notified Saturday that Younes cut off the ankle monitor that was placed by the 3rd Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, a news release stated. A warrant was issued for his arrest and university police moved quickly to engage local and federal law enforcement authorities for assistance finding the fugitive.

"My office, along with the University of Iowa Police Department and local and federal law enforcement partners, is committed to ensuring that Younes does not escape justice," Zimmermann Smith said Tuesday. "We will do everything we can to hold him accountable, as well as those who assisted him in fleeing the country."

According to a criminal complaint, Younes on April 25, 2022, followed a woman on foot, tackled her near the University of Iowa Art Building West, strangled her until she lost consciousness and stole her earrings valued at $20,000.

A video showed Younes that night walking in the opposite direction from the woman on the Iowa Memorial Union footbridge, the complaint stated. He then turned around and jogged to catch up to her as she headed toward the Art Building West.

He grabbed her from behind and tackled her to the ground, according to the complaint. He rolled her over and strangled her until she passed out, then forcibly removed her earrings.

Witnesses interrupted Younes as he was standing over the unconscious woman. He told the witnesses she was walking and must have passed out. He said he was going to call police but then fled, the complaint stated.

The woman was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after UI police arrived, and she was able to give police a description of her attacker. Police posted photos of the suspect on Facebook and asked for help in identifying him.

Younes was arrested at his girlfriend's house, where police obtained a search warrant and found the stolen earrings. He admitted to stealing the earrings because he believed the woman was dead, the complaint stated.

Younes at that time lived in a university residence hall, according to the criminal complaint.

Best private high schools in Iowa Best private high schools in Iowa #30. St. Mary's High School #29. Cedar Valley Christian School #28. St. Albert Catholic Schools #27. Bishop Garrigan High School #26. Holy Trinity Junior/Senior Catholic High School #25. St. Edmond Catholic School #24. Marquette Catholic School #23. Mount Pleasant Christian School #22. Burlington Notre Dame Junior/Senior High School #21. Pella Christian High School #20. Morning Star Academy #19. Ankeny Christian Academy #18. Unity Christian High School #17. Wahlert Catholic High School #16. Des Moines Christian School #15. Waterloo Christian School #14. Gehlen Catholic Schools #13. Valley Lutheran School #12. Grand View Christian School #11. Xavier High School #10. Regina Catholic Education Center #9. Assumption High School #8. Hillcrest Academy #7. Newman Catholic School #6. Storm Lake St. Mary's Schools #5. Bishop Heelan Catholic High School #4. Dowling Catholic High School #3. Scattergood Friends School #2. Rivermont Collegiate #1. Maharishi School
Former President Donald Trump will headline a rally in Des Moines on the same day  Saturday  that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to attend fundraising events in the state as the feud between the two over the Republican nomination for president heats up.

Trump will rally supporters at the Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park in Des Moines. It marks his second visit to Iowa since launching his 2024 campaign, marking his third bid for the White House.

It also comes on the heels of a New York jury on Tuesday finding Trump liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996, awarding her $5 million in a judgment. The verdict in the civil case could haunt the former president as he campaigns to regain the White House.

And other GOP presidential candidates and potential contenders, including DeSantis, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, are wooing Iowas influential evangelical faith leaders to pry them away from the embattled former president, who is the subject of several lawsuits and criminal investigations.

Doors at Trumps rally in the park open at 2 p.m. Saturday and he is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at donaldjtrump.com/events.

Trump last visited Iowa in March for a rally in Davenport, where he took shots at DeSantis, seen as Trumps main rival for the 2024 GOP nomination.

DeSantis has not officially announced a presidential campaign, but is reportedly nearing a decision. He has been holding events and hiring staff in early states, including in Iowa, the early hallmarks of a campaign.

Never Back Down, a pro-DeSantis super PAC, also has been courting support from Iowa Republicans through television ads, online videos and mailings.

Trumps campaign and the two super PACs supporting the top two Republican presidential hopefuls  MAGA Inc., which is backing Trump, and Never Back Down  have aired a wave of dueling TV attack ads in recent weeks.

Trumps campaign released an ad at the end of April painting DeSantis as disloyal in considering launching a rival presidential bid against his former ally.

In the ad, a narrator recounts how Trump's 2018 endorsement of DeSantis played a significant role in his underdog win in that year's Florida Republican gubernatorial primary. The spot includes footage of a 2018 campaign ad of DeSantis fawning over Trump  it shows DeSantis reading Trump's book to his infant son and teaching his young daughter to "build the wall" with blocks.

Never Back Down has gone after Trump for his recent attacks on the popular Florida governor and his claims that DeSantis wants to dismantle Social Security.

"Donald Trump is being attacked by a Democrat prosecutor in New York, so why is he spending millions attacking the Republican governor of Florida?" the ad begins. "Trump is stealing pages from the Biden-Pelosi playbook, repeating lies about Social Security."

The Florida governor will headline Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstras annual fundraiser and later speak at a party fundraiser in Cedar Rapids Saturday evening.

Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann will host a reception and lead an interview-style discussion with DeSantis beginning at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center in Cedar Rapids. Cost is $100 per person and $175 per couple. Details of the party fundraiser are available at iowagop.org/cedar_rapids_reception_desantis.

Trump regularly leads 2024 Republican presidential primary public opinion polls, with DeSantis often taking second place.

Many Iowa Republicans remain committed to Trump. However, the latest Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll from March shows support for the former president has slipped as campaigning begins to heat up ahead of Iowas first-in-the-nation 2024 GOP presidential caucuses. The poll shows Trumps favorability numbers put him about on par with DeSantis. But a greater share of Iowa Republicans (18 percent) view Trump unfavorably compared with DeSantis (6 percent).

Photos: Trump returns to Iowa Monday at Adler Theatre in Davenport
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.
The Moroccan Saharan city of Laayoune has welcomed U.S. Hollywood as its newest sister city in a ceremony held Wednesday in the capital of Moroccan Sahara.

Mayor of Hollywood city, Fl. Josh Levy and Head of Laayoune municipal council, Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid, have inked the twinning agreement confirming the American recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara.

This agreement marks the beginning of a closer relationship between the two cities in the economic and cultural fields, said Levy, calling on businessmen from both cities to enhance cooperation ties and joint investments in a wide range of high value sectors.

He also said he was very impressed by the social and economic progress and the modern infrastructures (roads, hospitals, stadiums, schools) made in Laayoune.

For his part, Mr. Ould Errachid praised the longstanding friendship ties and partnership existing between Rabat and Washington, affirming that the twinning agreement will deepen further Moroccan-American cooperation in all sectors of common interest.

The agreement is expected to give a new impetus to win-win partnership between the sister cities in tourism, trade, green economy, education, industry, culture, arts, academic research and sustainable development.
A 66-year-old former Rwandan military policeman appeared in court in Paris on the first day of his trial on Wednesday (10 May), charged with genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1994 slaughter in his home country.

Philippe Hategekimana fled to France after the genocide, obtaining refugee status and then French nationality under a false identity, under the name Philippe Manier. He is accused of involvement in murdering hundreds of Tutsis while working as a senior police official in the southern provincial capital of Nyanza. Hategekimana is suspected in particular of playing a role in the murder of the mayor of the town of Ntyazo who opposed the killings, and of a nun. He is also accused of being involved in the killing of about 1,300 Tutsis on two hills called Nyamugari and Nyabubare.

It is the fifth such trial in France of an alleged participant in the massacres, in which around 800,000 people, most of them ethnic Tutsis, were slaughtered over 100 days. Hategekimana has denied the charges, for which he faces life in jail. He fled France for Cameroon in late 2017 after the press reported that the Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda (CPCR), one of the plaintiffs in the trial this week, had filed a complaint against him. He was arrested in the capital Yaounde in 2018 and extradited to France. Being one of the top destinations for fugitives from the massacres, France has tried and convicted a former spy chief, two ex-mayors, a former hotel chauffeur and an ex-top official in similar trials since 2014.
The UKs Supreme Court has ruled that it was too late for a group of Nigerian claimants to sue two Shell subsidiaries over a 2011 spill off the coast of Nigerias Niger Delta.

The legal case, launched by residents of Nigerias oil-producing Niger Delta, is one of a series of legal battles Shell has been fighting in London courts. On 20 December 2011, an estimated 40,000 barrels of crude oil leaked when a tanker was loaded at Shells Bonga oilfield, 120 km off the West African countrys coast. Shell disputed the allegations and said the Bonga spill was dispersed offshore and did not impact the shoreline. On Wednesday (10 May), the Supreme Court upheld rulings by two lower courts that ruled the plaintiffs had brought their case after the six-year legal expiry date.

The legal case against Shell was mounted by a group of 27,800 people and 457 communities living in the delta who have claimed the leftover oil slick polluted their lands and waterways and damaged farming, fishing, drinking water, mangrove forests and religious shrines. But a panel of five Supreme Court justices unanimously rejected the claimants argument that the ongoing consequences of the pollution represented a continuing nuisance. The Supreme Court rejects the claimants submission. There was no continuing nuisance in this case, Justice Andrew Burrows said as he delivered the ruling. The leak was a one-off event or an isolated escape. The oil pipe was no longer leaking after six hours, he said.
A grenade explosion killed Tuesday two Russian instructors, two Malian soldiers as well as a civilian in the city of Segou, central Mali, reports say.

There was an accident at the Tam-Tam bar in Segou. A Russian instructor mishandled a grenade and there was an explosion. Two Russians were killed. The incident also killed a civilian, a security source in the city told the media.

A lawmaker of the region also indicated that two Malian soldiers were slain in the incident. Mali joggling with terrorism and security since 2012, has shifted partnership and turned to Russia for support at the expense of former colonial power France.

The West African country has been accused by France and several western countries for recruiting Russia-backed paramilitary security company Wagner. Monday, six soldiers were killed in an ambush near capital Bamako.
The Egyptian government Wednesday approved temporarily a draft decree exempting travelers who bring gold from customs duties and other fees except value-added tax (VAT), reports say.

The draft is applicable to semi-manufactured gold, gold prepared for currency-trade, and jewelry parts made or coated with a layer of precious metals.

It is however unclear how much gold will be exempted from taxes for travelers entering the country. The move comes amid plans by the Arab country to boost gold supply to stabilize the market amid the recent surge in the gold market globally.

The gold market in Egypt has been disrupted due to a set of factors, including shrinkage in supply, due to the shortage in US dollars, coupled with ballooning demand, Ahram Online reports.

Gold prices have surged by over 50 percent year-to-date. Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait last Sunday said the country would decide Wednesday whether to allow citizens returning to the country to bring up to 150 grams of gold duty-free.
Visit North Platte presented a number of awards and celebrated the growth of tourism in our area, at a celebration on Wednesday.

When visiting a new area, We usually tell stories about what we did, more than what we saw, said North Platte Mayor Brandon Kelliher in his opening remarks at the Excellence in Tourism Awards Luncheon at Venue 304. It is the experiences that we offer that make people want to come back. Thats what tourism does for our area.

Promoting experiences is what that crazy Buffalo Bill guy is all about, said Lisa Burke, Visit North Platte executive director.

He has been approving of places and activities in our area since the current tourism campaign launched in 2017. A lot of local people scratch their heads, but You have to be a little quirky to stand out.

In the unlikely event that folks have not seen the young Buffalo Bill commercials, they need only to go to YouTube and search for Adventures of Buffalo Bill  Visit North Platte.

Speaking of quirks, Burke said tourism in the area took a big drop in 2020 as a result of a pandemic that she refused to name.

Professionals said we wouldnt recover until 2025 to 2026, but thats not what happened in North Platte, she said.

Recovery started in 2021 and had more than rebounded by the end of 2022. The area set all time tourism records in seven months last year, Burke said.

There are always things to do here, she said. A calendar of events is one of the first things I started after becoming the executive director of Visit North Platte. In addition to the listings on visitnorthplatte.com, they send a weekly newsletter to venues in the community that cater to visitors.

Visit North Platte also has 13 kiosks around town: two in their office, one each in Golden Spike Tower and Fort Cody Trading Post, and nine in hotels. The kiosks provide up-to-date information about local events and attractions. The time visitors spend at the kiosks is similar to the time it would take for a person working 26 hours a week to tell them the information, said Burke.

Every year there is a dip in tourism in during the colder months. One reason is that we need more things to do inside, said Burke, and that is something they are working on.

She said the organization is always working to enhance its effectiveness and she announced that they recently received 501(3) non-profit status, something she was glad about.

The Nebraska Tourism Commission targets specific markets in their advertising, said keynote speaker John Ricks, commission director. They include Denver, Kansas City, St. Paul, Des Moines and other metropolitan areas. Recently the commission has focused on Chicago/Milwaukie and the numbers show it is paying off.

Tourism across the state is setting records this year, said Ricks. That is important not only because of the revenue it brings to the state but because it is important for growing the state.

The more people we can get here to sample the state, were going to get some of those people to move here, he said.

In a survey, 78% of travelers say it is important to visit an area before taking a job there.

Ricks said the Nebraska Passport program has become very popular. People request booklets or download the app at nebraskapassport.com.

At designated stops all across the state they receive a stamp. At the end, they turn in the stamps in for prizes. Two of the stops this year are in Lincoln County: Flower Market and Gifts at 510 N. Dewey and Grain Bin Antique Town at 10641 S. Old Highway 83 Rd.

There are many other local businesses and attractions worthy of mention, said Brad Hisel president of the Visit North Platte board of directors. We are doers, and committed to enhance visitors experiences, he said.

Hisel announced seven Excellence in Tourism Award winners, out of the 40 nominations that were submitted. They are listed below along with some of the quotes about them from a Visit North Platte press release.

Excellent Service at an attraction  Holly Carlini, Prairie Arts Center. Holly shows a level of professionalism and creativity that is unmatched in our community. She is a wonderful representation of the Prairie Arts Center and the growth it represents.

Excellent Service at an event  Char Swalberg, North Platte Pow Wow. Char goes above and beyond to bring awareness to the Native American community; along w3ith taking every opportunity to teach. Year after year, the Pow Wow brings visitors to North Platte from all over the U.S. and even globally.

Excellent Service within a hotel  Charlotte Korn, Holiday Inn Express. Charlotte has always placed the guest experience first. She also takes great pride in the appearance of the hotel, and she works with others to ensure all guests feel welcome.

Excellent Service within a restaurant  Daniel Mages, North 40 Chophouse. Daniel provides exceptional service in an environment that is refined and welcoming. He is attentive not just with customer needs, but also in the training of his staff. Daniel is a true leader 

Excellent Service within a retail establishment  Kelli Nisley, Oasis Travel Center. Kelli provides excellent customer service to all travelers ... She always has information available about places to see, events going on, and other attractions in and around Lincoln County.

Volunteer of the year  Barb Baldridge, North Platte Pickleball. For over three years Barb has dedicated immense time and effort to growing pickleball in North Platte and throughout west central Nebraska, and has worked very hard to find funding for new courts at Memorial Park, and now for the project at Cody Park.

Hero of tourism  Matthew Pederson, Pederson Law Office. Matt is incredibly active in the community, helping out whenever and wherever asked. He is involved in Mid Plains United Way, Sunrise Rotary, North Platte Community Playhouse, NPHS mock trial and Community Connections Mentoring. He is vice president of the North Platte school board, president of Nebraskaland Days board and on the executive board for North Platte Ambassadors. He helped Visit North Platte obtain 501c3 non-profit designation.
LBJ announcing a Vietnam bombing halt and an end to his reelection campaign in 1968. Photo: Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images

Maybe it was a coincidence, but the same day that Donald Trump, the GOPs front-running candidate for president, got assessed millions of dollars for defamation and sexual abuse, a leading conservative media maven, Hugh Hewitt, adjudged Joe Biden as so absolutely doomed that he wont even make it to the 2024 starting gate. RealClearPolitics relays Hewitts tall tale of a prediction:

Hugh Hewitt on Monday told Special Report host Bret Baier he expects President Joe Biden to exit the presidential race like President Lyndon B. Johnson did in 1968. LBJ announced in March of 1968 that he would not seek another term 

Gallup came in at 38 percent approval. So the ABC/Washington Post poll at 36 does not sound like an outlier  I think the American people coming to the recognition he really cant do this, Hewitt said.

Im expecting an LBJ 68 exit sometime next year, Hewitt said.

What Hewitt was referring to was the surprise announcement by President Lyndon Johnson on March 31, 1968, in conjunction with a bombing halt in Vietnam, that he was withdrawing from the Democratic presidential contest. But the idea that Biden will face anything like the circumstances that led LBJ to that decision is ridiculous, even for a spinmeister like Hewitt.

First, to get one dubious data point out of the way, Hewitt suggests that Biden is currently in the same doldrums as LBJ was in March 1968, when his Gallup rating (the only generally available poll at that time) was 36 percent. Nowadays we have lots of polls, so whereas Bidens approval is at 38 percent at Gallup and 36 percent at ABC-WaPo, hes also at 43 percent at IBD/TIPP, 48 percent at Rasmussen, 46 percent at Economist/YouGov, and 44 percent at Fox News. So Hewitt is cherry-picking negative polls to make his shaky case.

More to the point, Biden is being backed by the entire Democratic Party and faces only two nuisance opponents in the 2024 primaries. When LBJ withdrew from the 1968 race, he had already grossly underperformed expectations in an actual New Hampshire primary against U.S. senator Eugene McCarthy and trailed McCarthy in polls in the next primary in Wisconsin (which McCarthy would subsequently win 56-35 right after LBJs withdrawal). More importantly, Johnsons poor showing in New Hampshire (along with a failure to reach a deal with antiwar Democrats on Vietnam policy) had drawn the very formidable U.S. senator Robert F. Kennedy (father of one of todays nuisance candidates) into the race.

But according to those closest to him, LBJ did not withdraw from the 1968 contest because he was sure to lose his partys nomination; after all, in those days before ubiquitous primaries, LBJs designated successor, Hubert Humphrey, won the nomination without entering a single primary. Johnson called it quits after he decided to announce a major peace initiative (the bombing halt was part of it) in Vietnam and did not want it to be perceived as a mere candidate maneuver. Additionally, LBJ, who nearly died of a heart attack over a decade earlier, had a family history of short life spans and did not feel up to another four years in office, unlike Biden. (Johnson actually died just two days after the next presidential term ended, even without the pressures of the Oval Office.)

Yes, Biden is an aging incumbent Democrat with less than ideal popularity, and you never know what pitfalls his presidency might encounter between now and November 2024. But having decided to run for a second term, theres no particular reason to think hell change his mind, and no reason at all to think his party will push him away from its nomination. So Hugh Hewitt needs a different scenario to imagine in his service to the GOP.
Photo: Leah Mllis/REUTERS

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California returned to the Senate on Wednesday, weeks shy of her 90th birthday. For nearly three months, she has been absent, the result of a serious case of shingles. Even now she can only work part time, she said in a statement released by her office. In photos that must double as proof of life, she looks fragile, stooped over in a wheelchair. That can hardly be how shed like to be remembered. Yet as her long career in politics draws to a close, the senator is demolishing whatever legacy shed hoped to leave. She has become a ghoulish spectacle and a warning: The system she represents is in trouble.

Feinsteins fate condemns the very institutions to which she has dedicated herself. As Rebecca Traister noted in a 2022 profile, Feinstein participated enthusiastically in Supreme Court confirmation hearings for the conservative Amy Coney Barrett. This is one of the best sets of hearings that Ive participated in, she told Senator Lindsey Graham at the time, and added, It leaves one with a lot of hopes, a lot of questions, and even some ideas, perhaps some good bipartisan legislation we can put together to make this great country even better. So thank you so much for your leadership. Months later, Barrett would cast a vote in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade. Though Feinstein cited Roe as a reason to oppose Barretts nomination, and voted against confirming her to the Court, her chumminess with Graham was out of keeping with the moment. It was as if the stakes eluded Feinstein.

Much eludes Feinstein these days. But there are still traces of the politician she has always been. Feinstein is an Establishment Democrat to her core. She has dedicated her adult life to the system we have, and she believes that it works, ultimately, toward justice. The country goes through different phases, she told Traister. The institutions handling some of these issues have changed for the better. Theyve become more progressive, and I think thats important. A storm gathered, and Feinstein could not or would not see it. Whatever the case, she failed: Though she couldnt have stopped Barretts ascension, she could have put up more of a fight. Why show someone like Graham an ounce of civility at all? Her long career might have sharpened her instincts. Instead, it seemingly desensitized her to danger. Her duty as a public servant was to sound the alarm, even if that was all she could do.

Feinstein leaves us now with no choice but to assume the worst about her motivations. Her failure to retire  and before that, her decision to run for reelection despite her advanced age  can be chalked up to arrogance. She believes the system works because it first worked for her. She climbed the ranks, achieved high office, and stayed there. Lifted to such a vantage, a person has two choices. They can look outward, survey the American landscape in its full, broken reality, and act in accordance with what they see. Or they can disappear into the same institutions that elevated them to power. Feinstein chose the latter. The climate activists she once ridiculed tried to get her to choose another path, but she did not listen. Here we stand, then, in the ruins of Feinsteins career, in what might also be the ruins of the American experiment itself.

Feinsteins fate is tragic. The woman in the wheelchair may remind us of our own grandmothers, nearing the end of their long and complicated lives. Her familiarity, however, should not blind us to the implications of her situation. The system is dysfunctional in part because of politicians like Feinstein: men and women who choose personal gratification over public service. Our norms and institutions are not working, at least not for anyone outside the Senate. They are due for transformations that might dismay Feinstein, who seems to believe they would evolve naturally over time.

Yet time itself is short. As the far right gathers strength, it threatens democracy, and our ruling gerontocracy has little to say. Feinstein is becoming a symbol of catastrophic personal failure, but the problem is widespread. Consider Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, age 78. As the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, his response to Justice Clarence Thomass almost-cartoonish levels of corruption has been to place his trust in Chief Justice John Roberts. This is the Roberts Court, Durbin told CNNs Jake Tapper. History is going to judge him by the decision he makes on this. He has the power to make the difference. History will judge Durbin and Feinstein and the rest of them, too.

Where am I going? Feinstein was heard asking on Wednesday. The same place as the rest of us, Senator. Right now, its nowhere good.

Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us.
Photo: Tom Brenner/REUTERS

The woke have been called many things. Conservative polemicists have variously derided social-justice-oriented activists, institutions, and corporations as mob-like, un-American, and insane. But in her new book, the philosopher Susan Neiman tags the woke with a more stinging and unusual description: objectively not left wing.

In contemporary political discourse, wokeness is as ubiquitous as it is ill-defined. The right uses the term to denigrate all manner of avowedly egalitarian gestures, causes, and arguments: a multinational looking to appeal to young urban consumers (and deflect attention from its serial violations of labor rights) by associating its brand name with opposition to police violence; a university student declaring that wearing braids is cultural appropriation; a film studio allowing a nonwhite actress to play a mermaid; the idea that persistent disparities in socioeconomic outcomes between white and Black Americans partly derive from the latters subjection to centuries of enslavement, disenfranchisement, and dispossession. All of these are woke, in conservatives estimation.

The imprecision is the point. As Adam Serwer has observed, by collapsing the distinctions between the most hysterical or performative forms of social-justice advocacy, and banal claims about the origins of contemporary inequalities, woke enables the right to sound like it is criticizing behavior most people think is silly, even when it is actually referring to things most people think of as good or necessary.

Left-of-center critics of wokeness, meanwhile, tend to have a narrower target in mind. Mainstream liberals sometimes use it to denote an extreme or illiberal turn in progressive political culture since the Obama years, while some socialists deploy it to deride the superficial moralism of virtue-signaling corporations. Still, such critiques often fail to make clear where progressive politics ends and the woke variety begins.

To its credit, Neimans book, Left Is Not Woke, sets out to draw a bright line between the two. But its analysis is ultimately muddied by its failure to engage in detail with the objects of its critique.

Wokeness is in the eye of the beholder.

In Neimans account, wokeness is essentially a perversion of leftist politics. The former ideology shares the latters concern for marginalized persons, but fixates on select identitarian categories until it reduces each marginalized person to the prism of her marginalization. Wokeness rightly emphasizes the ways in which particular groups have been denied justice, but then grows so outraged by the fraudulence of our nations claims to liberty and equality for all that it forfeits all faith in the possibility of a society ordered by any force beyond raw power. The woke wisely demand that nations and peoples face up to their criminal histories, but dwell on historical crimes until they conclude that all history is criminal.

Thus, the wokes ostensibly radical critiques of liberalism are ultimately reactionary: Like their enemies on the far right, the woke speak as though (1) race is a  if not the  preeminent fact of a nonwhite persons identity, (2) members of the same race or gender share a set of essential traits or perspectives, such that any individual nonwhite person has the authority to speak for nonwhite people in general, (3) all claims to justice are really just masks that groups use to manipulate others in their bids for power, and (4) the possibility of progress is a myth.

All this is antithetical to leftism, as Neiman understands it. In her telling, a commitment to universalism over tribalism, a firm distinction between justice and power, and a belief in the possibility of progress are all foundational tenets of left-wing politics.

The philosopher contends that the odd resemblance between woke and far-right ideology is not coincidental. In the academy, contempt for liberalism has led many radical and post-colonial theorists to embrace parts of Carl Schmitts oeuvre. When he wasnt penning apologias for Nazism, Schmitt wrote bracing critiques of liberalism. To Schmitt, America and Britains legislative bodies were mere debate clubs that distracted from the true centers of power, while those nations pieties about humanity and civilization were mere fig leaves for rapacious colonialism. In reality, all the high-minded rhetoric of (supposedly) democratic politics just masked the eternal and inevitable struggle between groups for domination.

Schmitts iconoclasm  combined, perhaps, with the frisson of citing a Nazi  has rendered him a favorite of some radical intellectuals. Neiman endorses the claim of political scientist Alan Wolfe that Schmitts ideas loom so large over the contemporary left that one need not even refer to him in order to be influenced by him.

Thus, both Neimans conception of wokeness and her basis for asserting that it is objectively not left wing, are clear. The fairness of her critique is less so. The most frustrating aspect of her book is its persistent refusal to provide concrete examples of the contemporary arguments, behaviors, and causes to which she objects. This is especially problematic since Neimans definition of wokeness seems to describe, in part, implicit or unintended implications of certain modes of progressive discourse. It seems unlikely that very many woke activists are explicitly arguing that there is no such thing as justice, nor any possibility of social progress; the very act of demanding greater concern for the marginalized would seem to contradict such premises.

At one point, Neiman criticizes the anti-solidaristic nature of woke advocacy: Rather than framing demands for racial justice around the defense of common ideals, the woke portray equality as a concern peculiar to the marginalized, allowing a role for white allies but not white comrades. And yet, the fact that woke civil-rights advocates favor moralistic arguments  which is to say, the fact that they ask white people to atone for their racial guilt, rather than to fight for ideals of equality in which they too have an interest  would seem to cut against the idea that wokeness is a Schmittian ideology: If human beings are fundamentally motivated by a will to power, and their supposed concerns for justice and equality are just means of manipulation, then it would surely make more sense to appeal to whites common interest in constraining police brutality rather than their (nonexistent) social consciences. And yet, in Neimans own account, the woke prefer to appeal to guilt instead of mutual interest.

It is therefore unclear precisely which forms of putatively progressive rhetoric are (and are not) woke, in Neimans estimation. One can imagine what she might be referring to. For example, the socialist political scientist Adolph Reed has objected to the popular claim that mass incarceration represents the new Jim Crow, in part because such rhetorical flourishes elide genuine progress toward racial equality. Similarly, the historian Daryl Michael Scott has criticized the ideology of thirteentherism, the notion that slavery in the United States was never actually abolished but merely evolved, since the constitutional amendment ending chattel slavery allowed for involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. Scott argues (persuasively, in my view) that thirteenthers are motivated less by historical accuracy than an ideological desire to deflate claims of racial progress.

Does Neiman mean to argue that these sorts of rhetorical tropes convey a Schmittian cynicism about the possibility of justice and progress? Its impossible to say. Neimans neglect of concrete examples renders her critique less persuasive than it might otherwise be. After all, advocates for thirteentherism or the existence of a new Jim Crow would likely argue that their intention is to emphasize the limited nature of racial progress in the United States, not to deny the existence or possibility of such progress. And Neiman herself repeatedly affirms that Black Americans exceptional vulnerability to police violence and other forms of disadvantage is an outrage. So, what precisely separates rhetoric that indicts mainstream complacency about racial progress from rhetoric that promotes fatalistic acquiescence to a transhistorical white supremacy? Neiman may have detailed answers to that question. But she doesnt provide them.

Neiman does provide a couple of discrete examples of objectionable wokeness. One is the call among some progressives for the demise of monuments to Abraham Lincoln, a man who, in Neimans words, gave his life to defend African American civil rights (Neiman notes that Lincolns killer was motivated by outrage at the presidents support for Black voting rights). Personally, I share Neimans opposition to the removal of tributes to Lincoln. Whatever that presidents actual faults and crimes, his primary historical legacy is the abolition of slavery. Monuments to Lincoln therefore constitute a validation of emancipation, every bit as much as Confederate monuments constitute repudiations of racial equality.

Still, to disagree with that assessment is not to claim that all history is criminal or that there is no such thing as human progress. From the standpoint of Black liberation, Lincolns legacy is undoubtedly positive. But the same cant be said from the standpoint of Native American rights. Lincoln broke treaties with Native groups, confiscated millions of acres of ancestral lands, tolerated acts of genocide on the frontier, and approved the mass hanging of Dakota Sioux warriors who resisted dispossession. It seems entirely possible for someone to believe (1) that the United States should not celebrate the memory of a man complicit in ethnic cleansing, and (2) that America is more just today than it was in 1860.

Toxic forms of identity politics are real and bad.

None of this is to say that Neimans critique is directed entirely at straw men, or that it does not speak to genuine pathologies within the left. Her suggestion that many putative progressives indulge in ethnic tribalism (defined as an outlook that sees the fundamental human difference as that between our kind and everyone else) and racial essentialism are sadly well-founded.

The best testament to the latter tendency may be the prevalence of a document titled the characteristics of white supremacy culture in progressive institutions. That pamphlet, created by Tema Okun, the co-leader of the Teaching for Equity Fellows Program at Duke University, posits that valuing objectivity or conducting work with a sense of urgency are definitionally white, and therefore, that expecting nonwhite people to share these tendencies constitutes a form of white supremacy.

The notion that only white people recognize a distinction between objective and subjective truths, or believe that political action should be conducted with a sense of urgency, would not be out of place in a Stormfront thread. Indeed, Okuns work has inspired a broader strain of putatively progressive commentary that affirms classically racist tropes. In 2020, the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture published (and then retracted) a graphic that declared rational linear thinking, the valorization of hard work, respect for authority, and an inclination to plan for the future as values and traits peculiar to white people.

As Okun herself acknowledges, these bizarre racial stereotypes routinely sow dysfunction within progressive organizations by inviting their members to see any assertion of objective fact, authority, or deadlines as a manifestation of racism. But she offers no framework for differentiating appropriate invocations of her concepts from abusive ones. And her teachings effectively forbid group leaders from creating their own, since doing so would require holding subjective claims of victimization to objective (and thus, white supremacist) standards of evidence.

To virtually all left-wing public intellectuals, Okuns work is a joke. But it is quite plausibly more influential within the progressive firmament than more sophisticated and respectable racial-justice advocacy. Okuns work has been used in trainings for school administrators in New York City, and recommended by the National Education Association, the Minnesota Public Health Association, the Los Angeles chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, and the Society of Conservation Biologists, among many other left-wing institutions.

In a recent essay, the social-justice activist and national director of the Working Families Party, Maurice Mitchell, lamented the way that Okun-esque identity politics has been undermining the basic functioning of progressive organizations, as some members refuse to recognize the legitimacy of disagreement or utility of reasoned argument, insisting that their identity confers on them an absolute authority to determine which internal policies are and are not oppressive.

Neiman offers a clear and incisive rebuttal to such standpoint epistemology. She notes that such appeals rest on multiple fallacies, among them, (1) the essentialist notion that the perspective of any individual marginalized person is defined by the most oppressive identity category imposed upon them, and is therefore representative of that marginalized groups broader perspective, and (2) the idea that victimhood and trauma necessarily confer great insight.

Neimans sensitivity to these fallacies derives partly from her own identity as a Jewish critic of Israel. Apologists for Israels oppression of Palestinians incessantly seek to invalidate reasoned arguments with invocations of historical trauma and ill-substantiated allegations of hateful bias. And in many cases, their basic position is affirmed by all major Jewish American organizations and the most identitarian Jewish activists. But it does not follow from this that there is one essentially Jewish perspective on the occupation of the West Bank, let alone that rejecting the dominant perspective among Jewish organizations and activists is inherently antisemitic.

A tendency toward tribalism is also apparent on segments of the left. The progressive scholar of Africana studies Vincent Lloyd recently provided one illustrative example. Lloyd taught at a seminar for the Telluride Associations summer program in 2022. Telluride aims to cultivate democratic and progressive sensibilities in American high-school and college students through workshops, seminars, and houses on college campuses. Lloyd had greatly enjoyed teaching a class titled Race and the Limits of Law to students at Tellurides Ithaca branch in 2014.

But Tellurides brand of liberalism had long evolved with the times. And when Lloyd returned to teach its high-school summer program in 2022, he found that the associations anti-racism workshops were indoctrinating students into a bleak, identitarian dogma that resembled Neimans pejorative conception of wokeness. As Lloyd writes:

I am no stranger to anti-racism workshops: I have participated in many of them, and I have facilitated them myself. But the Telluride workshops were being organized by two college-age students, filled with the spirit of the times. From what I gleaned, they involved crudely conveying certain dogmatic assertions, no matter what topic the workshops were ostensibly about:

 Experiencing hardship conveys authority.

 There is no hierarchy of oppressions  except for anti-Black oppression, which is in a class of its own.

 Trust Black women.

 Prison is never the answer.

 Black people need Black space.

 Allyship is usually performative.

 All non-Black people, and many Black people, are guilty of anti-Blackness.

 There is no way out of anti-Blackness.

He then explains how these doctrines unraveled his seminar. One representative anecdote:

During our discussion of incarceration, an Asian American student cited federal inmate demographics: About 60 percent of those incarcerated are white. The Black students said they were harmed. They had learned, in one of their workshops, that objective facts are a tool of white supremacy. Outside of the seminar, I was told, the Black students had to devote a great deal of time to making right the harm that was inflicted on them by hearing prison statistics that were not about Blacks. A few days later, the Asian American student was expelled from the program.

It is not news that high-school and college students are liable to embrace absurd ideological fads and pretensions. But the character of those fads is not constant. It is notable and disquieting that the strand of anti-racism most potent in some segments of the young left is hostile to forging solidarity across lines of difference, keen to reify the social fiction of race, and fatalistic about the possibility of transcending racial animus.

The prevalence of toxic identity politics may have less to do with academic fashions than social conditions.

If Neimans book describes genuine pathologies, it is unclear how effective it will be in mitigating them. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given her background as a philosopher, Neiman is principally interested in defending the insights and progressivism of Enlightenment thinkers, and exposing the reactionary character of postmodern theorists like Michel Foucault, whove come to enjoy greater currency among a contingent of radical scholars.

Neimans primers on the anti-colonialism of Immanuel Kant and neoliberalism of Foucault are accessible and engaging enough. But it seems doubtful that imploring young progressives to read more Kant and Voltaire is an effective means of countering woke ideology. It seems plausible that one can draw a line of devolution from Foucault and Schmitts theories of power down to the bizarre dogmas found in a Telluride anti-racist workshop or Okun pamphlet. But it does not follow that rebutting the former will lessen the latters cultural influence.

The backlash against the Enlightenment within post-colonial studies departments may well have been a precondition for the emergence of wokeness as Neiman defines it. But the appeal of bastardized versions of identitarian theorizing surely derives from a specific set of social conditions. Some of these are macrohistorical: The two great universalist faiths of the American left  Marxism and liberal nationalism  have both been badly bruised by failure. Although socialism has come back into vogue, it still boasts nowhere near the self-confidence or popular faith that it did before the exposure of the Soviet Unions humanitarian evils and economic inadequacies. Americas liberal tradition of civic nationalism, meanwhile, is shadowed by its inability to improve the lot of the Black underclass, win broad white support for egalitarian reform, cultivate faith in government, or marginalize the most authoritarian elements in U.S. politics.

Other enabling conditions are found at the micro level. Today, progressive politics is conducted, to an unprecedented degree, within social-media platforms, academia, and nonprofit organizations, rather than formal political parties, trade unions, or other mass-membership institutions. Progressives on Twitter, in university departments, or at 501(c)(3)s are not generally accountable to any mass constituency. Nor do they face the imperative to build broad coalitions. Instead, they confront a very different set of incentives and forms of ideological discipline.

At one point, Neiman argues that the valorization of trauma leads to a politics of self-expression rather than social change. To build Twitter clout, however, a politics of self-expression is precisely what is called for. On social media, we tend to share pictures and personal anecdotes that will promote a particular impression of ourselves, or which we believe will resonate with a given parasocial community. Such considerations surely cant help but color which political sentiments we choose to develop or express. Anodyne invocations of our collective interest in certain concrete reforms or universal values may be conducive to organizing a union or winning an election. But for the purpose of cultivating online attention, giving voice to tribal grievances and animosities may be a better bet. The crudest varieties of identity politics may make for poor analysis, but they also allow one to rapidly secure a sense of recognition and loyalty from a ready-made audience.

Neimans book makes plenty of implicit critiques of academias peculiar incentives. Most relevant to her concerns may be the temptation to imbue ones scholarship with an air of iconoclasm or novelty through hyperbolic rhetorical flourishes, such as those that lead some radical scholars to sound as though they do not believe American society is any less inequitable today as it was in the era of chattel slavery. (Ironically, Neiman herself engages in such hyperbole in Left Is Not Woke when she writes that Carl Schmitt described liberal democratic parliaments as institutions that do nothing but endlessly talk, while real questions are decided elsewhere  a description that fits the 21st-century U.S. Congress as well as the Weimar Republics Reichstag. In fact, as Congresss disparate responses to the 2008 and COVID recessions make plain, the actions of Americas elected representatives do not mechanically translate the will of a singular ruling class into law; plenty of real decisions, with profound social consequences, are made in Congress.)

Progressive nonprofits, meanwhile, must navigate the tension between their egalitarian goals and the exorbitant privilege of both their funders and the bulk of their staff. This tension suffuses virtually all progressive politics in the United States. In a world where the median household earns $12,235 a year  and each of us has the power to instantly wire thousands of dollars to an impoverished family in the Global South  any American progressive who keeps the bulk of their middle-class salary must confront the disparity between their putative egalitarianism and actual selfishness. Further, to work at a major progressive nonprofit, one typically needs to (1) graduate from a university (often, an expensive one), (2) move to a city with high housing costs, and (3) seek work in a field infamous for poor pay. Inevitably, people who come from affluent backgrounds will be overrepresented in the population willing and able to do those three things.

Thus, people from marginalized backgrounds who gain access to elite-dominated progressive organizations are liable to experience alienation and microaggressions. Conversely, privileged liberals uncomfortably conscious of their own hypocrisies may be reluctant to contest allegations of bias, even in instances where such claims are ill-founded. In this context, norms of deference to claims of victimhood from less privileged members are liable to arise. And some immature individuals are liable to eventually weaponize those norms for the sake of advancing claims of victimization that are sincerely felt but mistaken, or else consciously cynical, since such claims become a means of securing power and influence, goods that most of us covet. The perverse forms of anti-racism that Lloyd and Neiman lament seem well-adapted to such purposes.

My sense is that calling attention to the peculiar dynamics of contemporary progressive institutions  and noting that these yield incentives that are often diametrically opposed to the imperatives of effective political action in an ethnically and ideologically heterogenous democracy  may be a more effective means of combating wokeness, in Neimans pejorative sense, then excavating the anti-colonial side of Kant.

To be sure, there is still some value in the latter enterprise. And Neimans expertise may render her uniquely qualified to undertake it. But my sympathy for Neimans broad outlook makes me wish that she engaged wokeness less at the 10,000-foot level of highbrow philosophy and more at the immediate one of specific intra-left arguments. It is not easy to say precisely how the left should balance the obligation to spotlight particular forms of disadvantage with the imperative to cultivate a universalist consciousness or build broad coalitions. I share Neimans sense that many on the left arent striking the correct one. But for precisely that reason, its important for anti-woke progressives to explain in detail when, how, and why their ideological bedfellows are doing it wrong.
Karl Jenkins (or possibly Meghan Markle) showing off the Insignia of Knighthhood in 2015. Photo: John Stillwell/AFP via Getty Images

I have always been a big fan of conspiracy theories, from Paul is dead to the U.S. government covering up the facts about UFOs. But since my youth, these theories have largely gone from a fun way to kill a few hours down a Wikipedia rabbit hole to a sinister force threatening to tear apart our democracy. Today, dumb yet harmless conspiracy theories are a rarity to be cherished. Thats why I refuse to give up on the idea that Meghan Markle snuck into the coronation of King Charles III by disguising herself as 78-year-old Welsh composer Sir Karl Jenkins.

The theory was born on Twitter last Saturday, when multiple people watching the coronation joked that a man who showed up to the event with long, shaggy hair, glasses, and a giant mustache was actually Markle. The posts went viral, and the story was picked up by both British and American tabloids.

Now, obviously, this makes absolutely no sense. Why would Markle sneak into the coronation when (a) she was invited to attend with her husband, Prince Harry, (b) it conflicted with her son Archies 4th birthday, and (c) she does not appear to like the royal institution very much?

Nevertheless, this idiotic theory got so much traction that Sir Karl Jenkins felt compelled to release a TikTok explaining that he is not a 41-year-old American woman who married into the royal family but a celebrated composer who was knighted in 2015 and was invited to the coronation because his music was played during the ceremony.

I look this way all the time, Jenkins said. Ive had the mustache since I was 18 years old. It was very trendy then  Nothing sinister about it or surprising at all!

Well, that should put an end to this story  but weirdly, its only stoked my interest. Has anyone pointed out that Meghans aviator sunglasses look just like Karls? And why was she wearing bulky socks while hiking in California last weekend? Maybe to hide the fact that shes switched places with an elderly British man?! Forget the Meghan Markle/Kate Middleton/Rose Hanbury copycat high-heel feud  this Jenkins theory still has legs.
Trump didnt just tell lies at the CNN town-hall event. He threw bombs, too. Photo: CNN/YouTube

Its a testament to how many outrageous things Donald Trump said during last nights CNN town hall that the one bit of real breaking news he offered didnt initially get much attention (I didnt even mention it in my own horrified take on the event). Amid his evasive answers and lies on many old and new subjects, Trump was unambiguous about the debt-limit crisis that has gripped Washington. Indeed, he issued marching orders to the congressional Republicans who are playing chicken with Joe Biden on the subject as a potentially catastrophic debt default looms, as CNBC reports:

I say to the Republicans out there  congressmen, senators  if they dont give you massive cuts, youre going to have to do a default, said Trump, who is again running for president. And I dont believe theyre going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave, will absolutely cave because you dont want to have that happen. But its better than what were doing right now because were spending money like drunken sailors.

When pushed by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins to clarify his remarks, Trump said: Well, you might as well do it now, because youll do it later. Because we have to save this country. Our country is dying. Our country is being destroyed by stupid people, by very stupid people.

So the once  and perhaps future  president of the United States, whose own fiscal policies contributed so heavily to the outstanding national debt he now deems intolerable, thinks that Republicans need to keep holding debt-limit relief hostage to the outlandish demands dictated by the House Freedom Caucus. And if that fails to make Democrats cave, says Trump, they should go ahead and kill the hostage.

Trump also offered cover to the right-wing extremists who claim a debt default might not be that bad despite warnings from every direction that it could generate a national and even global economic collapse. (JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has warned that even getting close to a default could trigger a huge market panic.) As the Financial Times observed:

Trump shrugged off concerns about a default, which the US Treasury has warned poses a catastrophic risk to the global economy.

Its really psychological more than anything else. And it could be really bad, it could be maybe nothing, maybe its a bad week, or a bad day, who knows? Trump said.

It was reminiscent of President Trump minimizing the threat posed by the COVID-19 virus until it was killing Americans right and left. But this is, in some respects, even more irresponsible since Trump wont have to deal with the short-term consequences of being grievously wrong. In fact, he may share the apparent belief of some Republican hard-liners that a debt default followed by a recession would guarantee them victory in 2024 even if they deliberately caused it.

Whatever the wily old demagogue was thinking, his words could have a terrible impact on the fraught negotiations just now getting underway between Kevin McCarthy and the White House. If he cuts a deal with Democrats to avoid calamity, he risks Truth Social posts denouncing him as a gutless RINO who unnecessarily gave in when he might have achieved a historic victory. And even if Trump doesnt go that far, he is very definitely encouraging the extremists who are probably already plotting a revolt against McCarthy if he does the responsible thing. Whats a little recession  which will be blamed on Biden anyway  compared to McCarthy keeping his gavel and Freedom Caucus members consolidating total control over the congressional GOP?

In other words, Trump has now raised the already high odds against a debt-limit deal in the short term. Its another reason that the Biden administration should search high and low for a way around the debt limit that doesnt require cooperation from these people.
As Kevin McCarthy negotiates a difficult year, George Santos lurks in the background. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Republican congressman George Santos of New York getting indicted on 13 federal charges is obviously not a good look for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy or his party. The serial fabulist is both a cartoon villain and a laughingstock, and though its hard to believe he has left a lie untold, theres always the possibility he will generate fresh shame for himself, his district, and the GOP.

But there are two major reasons McCarthy has (so far) chosen not to drop the hammer on Santos, either by publicly demanding his resignation or taking the rarer and more drastic step of countenancing an effort to expel him from the House.

The first is the rather antiseptic matter of due process and precedent. While Santos has been indicted, tried, convicted, and sent off to the gallows in the court of public opinion, he has been indicted only in the real-life justice system. House Republican leaders are in lockstep in saying that any formal action against him must await the outcome of future legal proceedings, as the Associated Press reports:

In America, theres a presumption of innocence. But theyre serious charges. Hes going to have to go through the legal process, said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

Scalise was seconded by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the No. 3 House Republican, who sidestepped the question of whether Santos should resign.

As Ive said from the very beginning on questions on this subject, this legal process is going to play itself out, she said.

The only two members of the U.S. House expelled since the Civil War (Ozzie Myers in 1980 and James Traficant in 2002) were both convicted of crimes associated with bribery. You could argue that mere bribery is childs play compared with the systematic deception Santos engaged in to reach Congress, but theres really no precedent against which to compare the dodgy dude. Expulsions and coerced resignations typically follow a recommendation from the House Ethics Committee, which is investigating Santos but likely wont move against him publicly without a high sign from McCarthy.

That brings us to the second reason McCarthy is taking his time in dealing with Santos: pure politics. McCarthy famously had a hard time winning the gavel after his party won a close 222-213 margin in the 2022 elections. He still has only four votes to spare (he recently passed a crucial debt-limit measure by just two), a situation that tempts all sorts of shakedown artists and blackmailers, particularly in the ultra-MAGA House Freedom Caucus. Whatever else he is, Santos is a sure vote for whatever McCarthy wants. Throwing him over the side before the debt crisis (and probably an appropriations crisis in the autumn) is resolved would be dangerous.

After all, if Santos resigns or is expelled, his seat will be vacant until a special election can be held, which Democrats are in a very good position to win (Santoss narrow 2022 victory, part of a big wave of Republican wins in New York, was an upset). Despite the unique nature of this situation, you can be sure an off-year Republican loss would be hyped to high heaven by Democrats as an alleged harbinger for 2024 while reducing McCarthys operating margin in the House to very near the bare minimum.

But McCarthy has to play a longer game, too. The Democratic strategy for winning back the House in 2024 is very Gotham-centric. The authoritative Cook Political Report is rating Santoss seat as Lean Democratic for next year, but it rates four other Republican-held House seats in New York as toss-ups. As Larry Sabatos Crystal Ball observed, New York had weird pro-Republican turnout patterns in 2022 that probably wont recur:

The Albany Times Union recently reported that Republican turnout in New York far outpaced Democratic turnout, with GOP turnout reaching presidential levels on Long Island  where Republican House candidates performed exceptionally well, including flipping NY-3 [Santoss district] and NY-4. In a presidential year with more normalized turnout, Democrats very well could have a good opportunity to grab these districts back.

It certainly wont help the GOP if Santos is the face of their party on Long Island or in New York generally. Getting rid of him earlier rather than later may be a good idea.

So McCarthy is very much between a rock and a hard place in dealing with this strange congressional interloper, and thats assuming Santos doesnt hunker down and force the drastic step of expulsion after a lengthy trial instead of going quietly with a plea deal and a resignation. McCarthy is not the most sympathetic figure in Washington, and he may soon become a globally despised figure if he forces a U.S. debt default. But he has no good options with Santos, who must feel to Republicans like an especially painful bit of punishment for their partys sins.
U.S. Marine veteran Daniel Penny (C) is walked out of the New York Police Department Fifth Precinct in lower Manhattan on Friday morning on his way to arraignment. Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

On May 1, Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Queens, killed Jordan Neely aboard a Manhattan subway train after placing him in a lethal choke hold. Penny is being charged with second-degree manslaughter and turned himself in to police on Friday. Below are the latest updates on the ongoing aftermath of Neelys death, as well as what we know about Penny and the legal consequences he may face.

Penny released on bond

Penny was released Friday on $100,000 bond. According to the Associated Press, he also surrendered his passport and will not be allowed to leave the state without prior approval. His next court date is scheduled for July 17.

Penny has already raised more than $280,000 for his defense

His lawyers confirmed they set up a defense fund on the conservative crowdfunding site GiveSendGo. Gothamist reports that as of 11 a.m. Friday, more than $280,000 had already been donated to pay for Pennys legal expenses.

DA finally charges Penny

Penny surrendered to New York police at the Fifth Precinct on Friday morning. The DAs office said in a statement on Thursday afternoon that Penny would be arrested and charged with manslaughter in the second degree. The New York Times reports:

Mr. Penny, 24, dressed in a dark gray suit, walked through the front doors of the Police Departments Fifth Precinct at around 8 a.m. Hands cuffed behind his back, Mr. Penny was led out of the precinct at 10:38 a.m. He was put into a waiting black police car to be taken to Manhattan Criminal Court, where he was to be arraigned later Friday.

New from Manhattan DA spox:

We can confirm that Daniel Penny will be arrested on a charge of Manslaughter in the Second Degree. We cannot provide any additional information until he has been arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, which we expect to take place tomorrow.  Emma Whitford (@emma_a_whitford) May 11, 2023

Neelys funeral will be held in Harlem on May 19

Attorneys for Jordan Neelys family announced the funeral on Tuesday. Reverend Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy.

Neelys family calls statement by Pennys lawyers an admission of guilt

On Monday, attorneys Donte Mills and Lennon Edwards released a statement on behalf of Jordan Neelys family in which they denounced the statement released by Daniel Pennys lawyers late last week:

Daniel Pennys press release is not an apology nor an expression of regret. It is a character assassination and a clear example of why he believed he was entitled to take Jordans life. In the first paragraph, he talks about how good he is and the next paragraph he talks about how bad Jordan was in an effort to convince us Jordans life was worthless. The truth is he knew nothing about Jordans history when he intentionally wrapped his arms around Jordans neck and squeezed and kept squeezing. In the last paragraph, Daniel Penny suggests that the general public has shown indifference for people like Jordan, but that term is more appropriately used to describe himself. It is clear he is the one who acted with indifference, both at the time he killed Jordan and now in his first public message. He never attempted to help him at all. In short, his actions on the train, and now his words, show why he needs to be in prison.

Protesters climb onto subway tracks in Manhattan

A group of protesters calling for justice for Jordan Neely climbed down onto the subway tracks during a demonstration at the Lexington Avenue63rd Street station station in Manhattan on Saturday evening:

Holy shit. Protestors stopped the F train by holding the doors open and while cops were trying to get them out of the doors, others jumped on the tracks on the opposing side. pic.twitter.com/70x8x2sXws  Talia Jane (@taliaotg) May 6, 2023

#HappeningNow Protesters are blocking incoming trains by OCCUPYING SUBWAY TRACKS in Manhattan, demanding justice for Jordan Neely.



Video by @yyeeaahhhboiii2 Desk@freedomnews.tv to license pic.twitter.com/JKMdDPtWsG  Oliya Scootercaster  (@ScooterCasterNY) May 6, 2023

More than a dozen people were arrested when police cleared the station.

Protesters had gathered Saturday afternoon at the BroadwayLafayette Street station, where Neely was killed, before marching north through Manhattan, then briefly occupying the platform and halting service at Lexington and 63rd.

March sits in the street next to Bryant Park. Organizers pass out bottled water as attendees clap and sing to Michael Jacksons They Dont Care About Us.



Following, an organizer asked for 20 volunteers. March is now back on the move, heading north on 6th Ave through Midtown. pic.twitter.com/NLoopMBqsN  Talia Jane (@taliaotg) May 6, 2023

Pennys lawyer releases statement

Daniel Pennys attorney, Thomas Kenniff, released a statement on Friday night in which he claimed Penny had acted to protect himself and other passengers after Neely began aggressively threatening them. Kenniff insisted that Penny never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death. The statement pointed to Neelys documented history of violent and erratic behavior and decried the mental-health crisis in the city.

NEW: first statement from Thomas Kenniff, lawyer for Daniel Penny, claiming his client was threatened along with other passengers and never intended to harm Jordan Neely, who died at Pennys hands: pic.twitter.com/dWmCr6Kwhw  Trevor Boyer (@trevormail) May 6, 2023

What happened?

On Monday afternoon, Daniel Penny was seen choking Jordan Neely, 30, aboard an F train in an encounter captured on video. During the nearly four-minute video, Penny is seen wrapped around Neelys back on the ground with both arms tight across his neck. Neely struggles as another unidentified man holds his arms by the wrist. The conductor and others can be heard calling for police, and after about two minutes, a bystander gets inside the train car and warns Penny, If you suffocate him, thats it. You dont want to catch a murder charge. Shortly thereafter, Penny releases the choke hold and the men roll Neely, who appears to be unconscious, onto his side. Neely was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Officers questioned Penny and released him. Later, the medical examiners office determined that Neely had died from compression of his neck, ruling his death to be a homicide.

Who is Penny?

Daniel Penny graduated from West Islip High School in 2016, in the bedroom community on Long Islands South Shore, about a 90-minute drive from Manhattan. In 2017, he joined the Marines. His lawyer said Penny is currently a college student. The Washington Post notes that, according to his service records, Penny served as a rifleman until 2021, reached the rank of sergeant, and was deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Mediterranean.

For a time, Penny lived at his grandfathers house in West Islip, according to Willy Horan, who purchased the waterfront home from Pennys grandfather in 2019. Horan took a break from his yard work Friday morning to lament both Neelys death and Pennys circumstances. Its unfortunate it had to end with a 30-year-old dying. But the kid was threatened, hes a marine, what was he supposed to do? Horan wondered. Tell Adams, Now that hes got the rats under control, its time to address mental illness.

In a bio on the service-industry job site Harri, Penny wrote that his experience as a squad leader on two deployments led him to realize he was passionate about helping, communicating, and connecting to different people from all over the world.

Will he be charged?

Prosecutors and detectives are said to be considering potential charges for the veteran with the Manhattan DAs office weighing if the case should go to a grand jury to determine if charges should be brought, according to the Daily News. Gothamist reports that the investigation is being led by Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass, who it notes is one of the offices go-to lawyers on high-profile, violent crimes.

Catherine Christian, an attorney who spent 30 years in the Manhattan DAs office, told Gothamist that the video of the choke hold would not be enough for prosecutors to charge Penny with murder  as state law demands that prosecutors prove there was an intention to kill. If charges are filed, Christian said that its more likely to be second-degree manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide, which would require prosecutors to show that Penny was not reasonably acting in self defense, per Gothamist.

With only one witness coming forward publicly so far, its essential to any potential case that more firsthand accounts are found. I would hope that the police officers got the name and contact information of everyone in that subway car, because what people who werent in the car are saying is irrelevant, Christian told Gothamist. So I would want to know: What did they see? What did they hear? On Thursday, the NYPD encouraged witnesses who have not come forward to share any information they may have about the attack.

Penny, who did not respond to a request for comment, is being represented by criminal defense attorney Thomas Kenniff, who ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for Manhattan district attorney against Alvin Bragg in 2021.

This post has been updated.

Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us.
A 22-year-old Opelika man died three days after he was shot Friday night in an Opelika shooting on Powledge Avenue, authorities said.

Jerryonne JaQuion Patterson, 23, of Opelika was arrested and charged with the murder of Jatavious Thomas. He is being held at the Lee County Jail with a $76,000 bond.

Opelika police said additional charges are pending.

Thomas body was transported to the Alabama Medical Examiners in Montgomery for a post-mortem exam, Lee County Coroner Daniel Sexton said.

Opelika police officers were called to the 900 Block of Powledge Avenue around 5:57 p.m. Friday to investigate a reported shooting. Witnesses said they heard several gunshots in the area, according to the police report.

While officers were responding to the scene, an on-duty officer working at East Alabama Medical Center notified dispatch that a 22-year-old male had just arrived at the Emergency Room with a gunshot wound, the police report states.

Thomas was admitted to the hospital, where he remained in critical condition for three days before dying on Monday.

Detectives have not released any information on a motive at this time. As they continue to investigate the case, they do not yet know whether there will be more arrests, said Allison Duke, the OPD community relations administrator.

The Opelika Police Department would like to thank the Lee County SWAT Team and the Auburn Police Department for their assistance, the OPD stated in a release.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Opelika Police Departments Detective Division at 334-705-5220 or the Secret Witness Hotline at 334-745-8665. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Opelika Police Mobile App.
Five churches in the Auburn-Opelika area were among the 193 churches that officially disaffiliated from the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church on Sunday. Another 318 churches in the region decided to remain United Methodist.

The reason for this division revolves around standards for marriage and ordination, mainly the recognition of same-sex marriage and the ordination of clergy who identify as a member of the LGBTQ community.

The list of churches that disaffiliated from the Montgomery-Opelika region includes Auburn churches Cornerstone UMC and Embrace UMC and Opelika churches Opelika First UMC, Trinity UMC and Wesley Memorial UMC. For a complete list, visit the AWFUMC website.

Prior to Sundays special-called session, five churches in the Alabama-West Florida region disaffiliated in June 2022 and 35 disaffiliated in November 2022, bringing the total to 233. Prior to Sunday, about 8% of United States congregations have disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church, according to AWFUMC.

AWFUMC stated that the United Methodist Church currently maintains prohibitions on same sex weddings and the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy. It also stated that most of the congregations that left the denomination pointed to regions of the church within the U.S. that didnt enforce the Book of Disciplines standards for ordination and marriage.

The Book of Discipline is the denominations book of law, doctrine and policy.

In the Alabama-West Florida Conference, Conference leaders have not changed their commitment to upholding the Book of Discipline, joining the majority of United Methodists around the world in this ongoing commitment, AWFUMC stated.

However, churches were concerned that the denominations position on these topics might change during the next general conference in May 2024.

Why the Cornerstone Church in Auburn parted ways

Pastor Matt Mobley said Auburns Cornerstone Church voted in favor of disaffiliating from the United Methodist denomination after a year of discussion and a church vote.

Mobley has been in ministry for about 23 years with the last two being at Cornerstone. He said this process was difficult, because hes been a member of the United Methodist Church his entire life. He said he and the majority of his congregation believe it was a necessary decision to follow Christian tradition and the teachings in Scripture.

Weve been in a history of conflict over 40 (or) 50 years over matters of human sexuality. And every four years at our general conference, this matter has been debated, Mobley said. Every general conference theres been a decision made to stand with traditional sexual morality as define in centuries of church tradition and in Scripture.

After a special session that was held in 2019, Mobley said the issue wasnt settled and the general narrative is that this change is coming.

I think that theres a narrative sometimes that were wanting to exclude people, and that is an incorrect narrative. That is misinformation, he said. Its a matter of sexual morality is what this is about. We maintain a posture of openness to all people and the message of Jesus is for all people.

Mobley said Cornerstone also maintains the position that sex is intended for the relationship between a husband and wife in marriage.

This is not a matter that we can just kind of point at one group of people and say, Youre getting it wrong. This is something that we as a culture are getting wrong on so many levels, Mobley said. The Biblical message is one that challenges us. Its never going to just comfort us. The standards of a Holy God are challenging. We fall short of it. All of us do. And thats why Jesus came... because of that.

Mobley said he and his church will stand on Biblical principles, not values set by the culture.

Sometimes we dont like what (the Bible) says, but it doesnt give us the authority to change what it says, Mobley said. We reach out in love to a culture, and one of the ways of loving the culture is being clear about who we are, about what makes for the life of a flourishing human, flourishing as God has declared, even when it might not necessarily be a popular message.

Moving forward, Cornerstone will be looking at options for joining another conference.

We dont want any hard feelings. We just go with blessings and well wishes for all parties involved, Mobley said.

Why Auburn United Methodist Church stayed

I think anytime these moments happen, its like going through a divorce. I would imagine. There are no winners, said Auburn United Methodist pastor Cory Smith. I think any kind of division, it shows our lack of ability to love one another and to listen and to learn from one another and to be as Jesus called us all to be one.

Smith said the administrative board for the church voted that they would remain in the United Methodist Conference after surveying the congregation earlier this year.

We do not have kind of a super majority of thinking. So because of the diversity of our membership, and I guess other things like that, that led to the vote for our administrative board, Smith said.

Smith has been in ministry for about 30 years and has been the pastor of AUMC for about seven years. He said theres been a Methodist church on the corner of Gay Street and Magnolia Avenue in downtown Auburn since 1837.

Smith said the UMC Book of Discipline states that all people are of sacred worth and that God has created everybody as a child of God. He also said it currently defines marriage as being between a man and a woman.

While some think the denomination might make changes to the standards in the Book of Discipline, Smith said the United Methodist Church has not changed its official stance in any way and that theres been a lot of harm caused by misinformation.

Were a very traditional church, and the United Methodist Church Book of Discipline has not changed, he said. We also are very open to the fact that God loves everybody, and we want to be a church that we represent that and share that good news that Gods grace is available for everyone.

If changes were to be made to the Book of Discipline, it would occur at the next general conference in May 2024. Smith said he doesnt know if AUMC would consider leaving or staying if changes were made to the book.

Moving forward, Smith said AUMC plans to continue living out their mission of loving God, loving people and making disciples of Jesus.

We love all of our brothers and sisters  LGBTQ, straight, red, yellow, Black and white. They are precious in His sight as weve been taught, Smith said. So, we want to be that kind of graceful church, and thats one of the things I love about being United Methodist is that we really kind of focus on Gods grace that is available for everyone.

Turning a page

The special session on Sunday was called by Bishop David Graves, resident bishop, who said it was a somber day.

We grieve in saying farewell to the 193 churches disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church and wish them the best in ministry, Graves said in a release. Many of these churches have dedicated clergy and laity who truly desire to serve God and their communities. We pray for these churches as they navigate ministry in a new season

Despite losing so many churches, Graves said the AWFUMC is looking forward to the launching of eleven new churches in the region, which includes one in Opelika.

The new United Methodist Church in the Opelika area, The Foundry, will hold its first service on May 14 at Grace United Methodist on 915 East Glenn Avenue at 5:30 p.m. The church will be pastored by Rev. Patrick Hitchman Craig.

This has been a labor-intensive and emotional process for our cabinet and staff, Graves said. In the most difficult of times I see so many signs of hope and renewal. Today we are turning a page in the Alabama-West Florida and will be focusing on life-giving and life-changing ministry. Im excited to see the Kingdom work this conference and connection will accomplish with Gods guidance.
Ahmed Hamid, an assistant professor in Auburn Universitys Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, is focused on research that one day could lead to greater detection of Alzheimers disease, quicker analysis of bacterial infections and enhanced security checkpoints at airports.

Funded by multiple grants, including a $1,780,527 Maximizing Investigators Research Award, or MIRA, from the prestigious National Institutes of Health, or NIH, Hamid is working on three separate projects that have the potential to enhance life through research conducted at Auburn. The projects are supported through the NIH, Auburns Research Support Program, or RSP, award with Auburns Harrison College of Pharmacy and the Department of Homeland Security with Auburns College of Veterinary Medicine.

An especially striking feature of Dr. Hamids research program is the breadth of its application to pressing national and global concerns in human health and security, said Doug Goodwin, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Sciences and Mathematics. His development of groundbreaking methodology and instrumentation in ion-mobility separations and mass spectrometry has the potential to spark advances across a wide array of fields.

The goals of research in the Hamid Lab directly impacts security detection, human health and even crops. Through creating new mobile mass spectrometry devices, the ability to detect threats at the actual site instead of sending samples back to a laboratory can greatly reduce the time to identify and detect infectious diseases. His work also can be directly applied in the agriculture industry to identify the presence of possible pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables.

First, through the funding of the NIH award for early-stage investigators, Hamid is the primary investigator who will concentrate on key research areas over the next five years that will focus on inventing a new mass mobile spectrometer to go to the physical point of care or place where a threat could be detected.

He also will analyze the discrimination of bacteria in its native environment.

These tests could help people be prescribed less medications, which can directly reduce the overuse of antibiotics in todays society, said Hamid, who earned his doctorate from Virginia Commonwealth University. Using ion mobility mass spectrometry techniques and methods, we can reduce the window from 48 hours to only four hours to determine what the infecting pathogens a patient has.

He also will help create new methods to diagnose Alzheimers disease.

The work supports the NIHs mission of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, or NIGMS.

His work also can impact people at airports around the world. Two major issues interfere with the current technology with security. Items can be easily missed due to limited sensitivity, and false readings can occur due to limited specificity. Both issues can increase wait times and increase the overall risk for travelers.

However, Hamid is re-imaging the technology that would enhance keeping lives safe and reducing time through creating a new vision of a mass spectrometer.

Instead of a long drift tube, if the ions were moving around in a serpentine path, it would reduce the total space needed for the actual instruments, said Hamid, who earned his Bachelor of Science from Alexandria University in Egypt. Visualize a standard 18-inch laptop. If that laptop was converted into a serpentine path, it would yield 13.5 meters of space for the ions leading to very high sensitivity and specificity!

Another method is to use an ion mobility spectrometer that can be taken on-site instead of sending items off to a lab.

The operator can apply different conditions and scan an entire range with results immediately, Hamid said.

Hamid is working to determine less invasive ways to detect Alzheimers disease in patients. By employing tests that use blood instead of spinal fluid, medical professionals can access a greater population and provide more information for health care.

Through Auburns RSP award with the Harrison College of Pharmacy, he is collaborating to test treatment drugs for patients diagnosed with Alzheimers.

Hamid also is part of a team working with a $24 million award from the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate.

This award is the largest research contract in Auburns history.

I am excited to be part of the Detection Canine Sciences, Innovation, Technology and Education, or DCSITE, project, said Hamid. Through developing a device with high resolution and high sensitivity, this program will reduce threats and reduce wait times going through security checkpoints.

He will be focusing on developing technology with faculty from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Department of Physics.

Auburns College of Veterinary Medicines Canine Performances Sciences program is known around the world for its work to help detect threats through mans best friends olfactory senses.

Hamid will be using analytical chemistry to study the targets of detections that directly include explosives, bacteria and viruses.

Our goal is to develop our very own portable device over the next few years, he said.

The information also will be used to help enhance the student experience at Auburn.

Chris Easley and I will collaborate to develop a new course as part of this award, he added. It will allow us to introduce students to the real-world analytical instrumentation and methods used in forensic applications.

Hamid always has had a passion for life-enhancing research.

As a postdoctoral scientist at Purdue University from 2012-14, he would travel to a major hospital to collect samples of tissue from patients with prostate cancer already scheduled for procedures in the operating room. As part of a dynamic team with R. Graham Cooks at Purdue, he helped collect data for a project with the Mayo Clinic that could impact how tumors are treated. Cooks received the 36th annual Kosolapoff Award from Auburns Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and recently gave a talk about his research.
USPS Retaliated Against Worker Who Filed Injury Report, Court Rules

The employee, who had told supervisors about the injury and applied for workers compensation benefits in 2019, was fired.

A federal court determined that a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee who had filed an injury report in 2019 was wrongfully fired, OSHA announced.

According to a news release, the employee, who was still in the new hire probation phase, told supervisors about the injury and applied for workers compensation benefits. Before the employee was fired, performance evaluations had been put on hold, OSHAwhich conducted an investigationlater learned.

Following a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Solicitor in 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, which published a summary judgment, decided in May 2023 that the USPS did retaliate against the employee. The mail company is required to rid the employees record of any negative reference to the employees protected activity and termination, OSHA said. (Other asks from the lawsuit such as lost wages as well as reinstatement will be addressed late next month.)

The summary judgment we have obtained is an important step toward fully protecting the rights of an employee terminated wrongfully for reporting a workplace injury and signals to other postal workers that they should not fear retaliation when exercising their rights, said Regional Solicitor of Labor Marc Pilotin in San Francisco in the news release.

Under a permanent injunction from the court, Tacoma USPS facilities must educate probationary employees on one of these rightsthe right to report injuries without worrying about any negative consequencesper OSHA. If these workers report an injury, the facilities are also required to provide an equal opportunity to complete probation.

In addition to these actions, Tacoma USPS facilities must train all officers, supervisors and employees on federal anti-retaliation regulations.

Photo credit: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com
China has issued 9 million tons of export quotas for refined products, mostly to state-held giant refiners, cutting the allocations in the second batch this year compared to nearly 19 million tons worth of quotas in the first batch granted in early 2023.

The lower volumes come amid depressed refining margins in Asia and stronger margins domestically, analysts and trade sources told Reuters.

The export quotas, which also include 3 million tons of marine fuel, were issued mostly to large state refiners, with Sinopec, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), and Sinochem Group receiving as much as 92% of all allocations, trade sources and consultancies JLC and Longzhong told Reuters.

The export quotas in the second batch were lower than the 18.99 million tons issued in early January in the first batch. Yet, the second batch of refined oil product quotas is double the 4.5 million tons issued in the second batch in June last year.

The reduction of the new quotas compared to the first batch earlier this year was widely expected, amid rising domestic demand and weakening margins outside China, a Reuters survey of state refiners and consultancies showed in April.

Following the generous first batch of export quotas early this year, Chinese authorities were expected to limit quotas in the second batch to between 8 million tons and 12 million tons, according to the survey. China was also expected to issue the new batch earlier than in June. Last year, the second batch of export quotas were announced in June.

The earlier allocations would help Chinese refiners to better plan for exports or domestic market sales during the peak driving season, according to the prevailing margins in China and the rest of Asia, analysts say.

This year, quota holders have greater flexibility to prepare export plans and capture arbitrage opportunities, Energy Aspects analyst Sun Jianan told Reuters.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

ADVERTISEMENT

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
While it is clear that reports of coals death were exaggerated, but the industry is certainly on course for a terminal decline.

While there is still plenty of money to be made in the coal industry, it is clear that the movement to divest from coal is picking up steam and its future is indeed uncertain.

In recent years, as energy security has grown in importance, the coal industry rebounded rapidly - with some companies seeing their profits soar by as much as 60%.

Only recently written off as a sector in terminal decline, coal is raking in record profits. A perfect storm of factors stemming from the long arm of Covid-19, natural disasters affecting energy production, and the war in Ukraine turned energy war between Russia and the European Union provided a window for a coal renaissance that few could have predicted. Now, as markets stabilize and coal prices calm, the question is whether this surge was just a fluke in what will continue to be a downward trend for coal, or if it shows that the worlds dirtiest fossil fuel will be harder to kick than we thought.

Against the backdrop of the European energy crisis and global energy insecurity of last year, some coal companies profits soared by as much as 60%. While the Russian war in Ukraine unveiled the relative importance and security of shying away from global energy supply chains in favor of bolstering domestic clean energy production, it also revealed that in times of energy volatility, coal is still king. Countries from Germany to China chose to fall back on coal, as a relatively cheap and abundant resource with plenty of existing production infrastructure.

Many governments were reluctant to extend the life or ramp up the production of domestic coal plants, but felt that they had no choice but to choose to keep the lights on and avoid sending their constituents into energy poverty over meeting their climate pledges. Even as Germany ramped up its own coal production, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz publicly warned against allowing Russias war in Ukraine to lead to a worldwide renaissance for coal.

The coal sector is currently full of such contradictions and dualities. Now, as coal profits are higher than ever and production has spiked along with prices, pressure to phase out coal is also ramping up. And it looks like big banks are finally getting serious about divesting from coal, even when there is clearly still plenty of money to be made. Its not unusual for big banks and financial firms to pay considerable lip service to defunding coal, but seeing it actually happen is something of a rarity.

Last year, CNN reported that the banking industry was characterized by a sweeping culture of greenwashing, as exemplified by a massive disconnect between the green rhetoric of the largest financial institutions, their climate commitments and net zero pledges, and their actual financing practices when it comes to new fossil fuel development. At the time of that report, published in April of 2022, coal power generation was at an all-time high worldwide, a record that was beaten repeatedly in the months after.

But now, financiers' move away from coal is accelerating, according to reporting from Reuters. This assertion is based on recent findings from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), which has reviewed the formal coal exit policies of financial institutions including commercial banks, global asset managers, insurance and reinsurance companies, pension funds, central banks, development lenders and others, and  for once  has found some good news to report. More than 200 banks and insurers around the world now have policies that restrict investment in coal  a twofold increase since April 2019.

This notable acceleration in financial firms decision to withdraw support from coal is great news for the climate. Just this year, a study from Harvard Business School found that pulling funding from coal is even more effective than previously thought. The recently released report asked the question Can Finance Save the World? and decided that, yes. Yes, it can. What we found in this case is that banks divesting from coal directly leads to real impactmore than anyone thought, said report author Boris Vallee. This means that the financial effects translate into environmental effects. By reducing capital expenditures, facilities are decommissioned, and CO2 emissions ultimately fall, as any alternative source of energy is less carbon-intensive.

While coal may have had a killer year in 2023, it doesnt seem that its comeback can continue for long. As investing dollars dry up, it seems that coal really and truly will go the way of the dodo. It wont happen overnight, to be certain, but perhaps reports of terminal decline were not greatly exaggerated, after all.

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

ADVERTISEMENT

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Latin America emerged over the last two decades as one of the worlds top oil-producing regions. This occurred because of Brazils immense offshore oil boom driven by that countrys ultra-deep-water pre-salt oilfields. While regional production declined due to the collapse of Venezuelas petroleum industry under the weight of corruption, malfeasance, and harsh U.S. sanctions, Latin America is attracting considerable interest from foreign energy companies. Guyanas emergence as a regional petroleum producer, with its offshore oil boom described as the worlds hottest frontier play, is adding to significant international interest in the region. While Guyana has experienced a prodigious expansion of reserves and production it has yet to emerge as a top-five oil producer in Latin America and the Caribbean. Here are Latin Americas five largest oil producers.

#5 Argentina

Coming in fifth place is economically crisis-riven Argentina which is Latin Americas third-largest economy. For 2022, Argentina pumped a record high of 582,387 barrels of crude oil per day, which was 13% greater than a year earlier and 14.5% greater than the 508,645 barrels per day lifted during 2019. March 2023 petroleum output set a new monthly production record averaging 631,103 barrels per day. This indicates that Argentinas oil industry has recovered from the pandemic and that production is steadily expanding as investment inflows grow.

There are signs Argentinas hydrocarbon production will climb further with the Vaca Muerta shale formation, believed to contain 16 billion barrels of oil and 308 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, the engine of that growth. The exploitation of the geological formation is viewed by Buenos Aires as an economic silver bullet. Development of the Vaca Muerta is being spearheaded by national oil company YPF, which was nationalized by the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in 2012. By March 2023, shale oil comprised 48.5% of Argentinas total petroleum output up from 40.5% a year earlier.

Foreign energy investment is also growing in part because of firmer oil prices but also due to President Fernandez implementing a package of tax and customs benefits for foreign energy companies operating in Argentina in August 2022. It is forecast that Argentinas oil production will grow to one million barrels per day by 2026 which will facilitate a notable increase in petroleum exports to 500,000 barrels per day.

#4 Venezuela

The fourth largest oil producer in Latin America is strife-torn Venezuela. After pumping an all-time high of 3.2 million barrels per day during 1997, according to OPEC data, production collapsed plummeting to a multi-decade low of 569,000 barrels per day for 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world. Since then, Venezuelas oil output has recovered, somewhat, due to Caracas receiving assistance from allies such as Iran to rebuild heavily corroded infrastructure. OPEC secondary data sources show that Venezuela pumped an average of 678,000 barrels per day for 2022 which grew to 695,000 barrels per day for March 2023.

Despite the Biden White House easing some sanctions including allowing energy supermajor Chevron to return to lifting oil in Venezuela, there are signs that the OPEC member will struggle to lift production any higher. Shattered oil industry infrastructure including leaking pipelines, inoperative refineries, and faulty wells are all weighing on operations. It will take tremendous investment, estimated to be as much as $120 billion, and at least a decade to rebuild Venezuelas oil industry. Caracas will not be able to attract that level of industry investment until the rule of law is guaranteed and strict U.S. sanctions are substantially loosened.

#3 Colombia

For a country with proved oil reserves amounting to a meager two billion barrels, strife-torn Colombia punches above its weight production wise having pumped an average of 754,199 barrels of oil per day for 2022. That impressive output ranks Colombia as Latin Americas third-largest oil producer. By March 2023 output had risen to 771,732 barrels of oil per day, but like 2022 that volume was still well below the 885,851 barrels lifted during 2019 and substantially less than record 2013 production of just over one million barrels per day reached during 2013.

Whether Colombia will remain among Latin Americas top five oil producers is questionable. The Andean countrys energy patch is being buffeted by many headwinds. Among the most severe are sparse proven oil reserves of just over two billion barrels, which will last less than eight years due to a lack of exploration. That, along with most oil being lifted from mature fields is weighing on production volumes.

Then there are the plans of Colombias first leftwing President Gustavo Petro to ban awarding new contracts for hydrocarbon exploration and hydraulic fracturing. The President and his Energy Minister Irene Velez confirmed that awarding new hydrocarbon exploration contracts will cease and there is also a bill banning fracking before the lower house of Colombias Congress. Any such move will not only deter investment in Colombias beaten-down hydrocarbon sector but damage the oil-dependent economy, where petroleum is responsible for a third of exports and nearly a fifth of government revenue.

#2 Mexico

It is strife-torn Mexico which is Latin Americas third-largest oil producer pumping 1.6 million barrels per day for 2022. That not only represented a 2.5% decrease compared to 2021 but was the lowest output since 1979 when annual production was an average of 1.5 million barrels per day. There are signs that Mexico is struggling to boost oil production and return to over two million barrels per day which was last seen in 2016, let alone the record high of 3.4 million barrels per day reached in 2004. For March 2023 oil production remained steady at around 1.6 million barrels per day.

Mexicos national oil company Pemex, which is responsible for over 90% of national production announced disastrous first quarter 2023 losses, with net income of $3.15 billion for the period nearly half of the $6.2 billion reported a year earlier. Pemex continues to be weighed down by onerous levels of debt totaling $107 billion, making it one of the worlds most indebted energy companies. Despite efforts by the national oil company to expand output by bringing new oilfields online, which added 543,000 barrels daily during the quarter, the sharp production decline over the last decade appears irreversible.

ADVERTISEMENT

#1 Brazil

Latin Americas largest economy Brazil is also the regions largest oil producer pumping a record three million barrels per day for 2022 while total hydrocarbon output was 3.9 million barrels per day. The immense oil boom underway in Brazil keeps gaining momentum with the countrys vast offshore pre-salt oilfield attracting considerable foreign investment. Shell, Brazils second-largest oil producer behind Petrobras is investing heavily in offshore operations, although the surprise export tax introduced by the Lula administration perturbed the energy super major.

National oil company Petrobras will drive much of the anticipated oil production growth. In November 2022, Brazils national oil company announced it intends to invest $78 billion between 2023 and 2027 with 83% or $64 billion directed to upstream exploration and production. Over that period, Petrobras plans to add 18 FPSOs with seven earmarked for the Buzios field where the oil blend produced has proven particularly popular in China. Surging oil exports supported by steadily growing production were responsible for Brazil posting a record March 2023 trade surplus.

By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
With the hot topic of artificial intelligence (AI) being talked about in every industry and all around the world, its important to understand how it plays into the oil and gas industry. Robotics and AI have long featured in the energy industry, but it was only during the Covid pandemic that they gained much more attention for their potential use on unmanned platforms. So, coming out of the pandemic, just how will robotics, AI, and similar technologies shape the future of oil and gas?

There are several reasons that companies are looking to robotics to modernize their oil and gas operations. Firstly, the Covid pandemic made it abundantly clear that if workers cannot work on oil and gas rigs then operations come to a halt. But if unmanned machines are in place to carry out some of the core functions of the platforms, then this may not be the case in the future. Secondly, worker health and safety have long been taken for granted, with rig workers often having to carry out perilous tasks due to a lack of a better alternative. However, robots have the potential to be used for the most dangerous activities to reduce the risk to human lives. And, thirdly, the mechanization and digitalization of activities could ultimately reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Following the pandemic, U.S. firms Exxon Mobil, Baker Hughes, and Chevron, Saudi Arabias Aramco, Norways Equinor, Frances Total Energies, and the U.K.s Shell and BP all increased their investments in robotics. And several countries around the world invested in research and development into robotics and associated technologies. In 2022, in Japan, the Nippon Foundation financed the development of an automatic inspection system, using robots, to identify and predict hazards in offshore facilities. And in a German trade fair, two companies - Boston Dynamics and ANYbotics - introduced robot dogs, showing the potential for the use of robotics in rig inspections.

And since the post-pandemic reinvigoration, we have seen several advances in robotics technology that could massively improve the future of oil and gas operations. A December 2022 report from GlobalData showed that although robotics have been used in oil and gas for decades, the recent rise of AI, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT) have helped advance robotics for more expansive use in the industry. GlobalData highlights that the robotics industry was valued at $52.9 billion in 2021 and it is expected to reach $568 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 30 percent.

There has been significant progress in the field of modular and customizable robots in recent years, which is expected to lead to the deployment of more robots in the industry. They can now be used in the planning phase of new projects for conducting aerial surveys, in the exploration period for seismic surveys, and during everyday oil operations across a range of tasks. Anson Fernandes, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData explained, A huge number of robots are now being deployed in oil and gas operations, including terrestrial crawlers, quadrupeds, aerial drones, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). He added, Robots have applications across the oil and gas industry in various tasks ranging from surveys, material handling, and construction to inspection, repair, and maintenance.

Last month, TotalEnergies announced it was partnering with Rockwell Automation to develop a robot fleet management system for its offshore oil and gas platforms. The two firms plan to begin testing unmanned operations at a single offshore asset in mid-2023. The hope is to eventually launch autonomous operations, with camera-equipped drones being used for maintenance and safety inspections and remote-controlled automation systems.

TotalEnergies has been investing in robotics for the last decade and recent advances could mean that the oil major will soon be able to roll out automated technologies across several of its oil and gas operations. Matt Graves, director at Kalypso, a Rockwell Automation company, stated, Because of the remote and often harsh environments in which oil and gas companies operate offshore, there is a strategic objective to minimize employee exposure on these platforms. Graves added, Over the years, this has been achieved by improving the design and automating equipment. But there are still tasks that need to be performed manually, many of which involve observations by operators. For five years, TotalEnergies has been investigating the use of ground robots to undertake some of these manual tasks and the next step was to develop a control system to operate these robots remotely. For that, they turned to Kalypso.

The use of robotics in oil and gas has long been discussed, with many energy companies around the world investing heavily in the development of new automated technologies in recent years. And with innovations in AI, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, many firms have come one step closer to making their dream of an automated oil platform a reality. Investment in research and development, as well as the rollout of robotics in oil and gas operations, is expected to rise significantly over the next decade and beyond, with automation becoming much more common.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

ADVERTISEMENT

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Major oil and gas operators in Canadas energy-producing province of Alberta have restarted part of the production and processing facilities that were shut during the weekend as wildfires prompted an evacuation.

Early this week, the wildfires in Canada resulted in the shut-in of 319,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) from the countrys oil and natural gas production or 3.7% of all output.

Alberta, the main energy-producing province in Canada, declared this weekend a state of emergency, with tens of thousands forced to evacuate amid raging wildfires in Canadas oil country.

On Saturday, there were 110 active wildfires in the province, of which 36 were out of control. Some 24,000 people were forced to evacuate because of the fires. By Monday, the number of people affected by evacuation orders had risen to nearly 30,000, according to the Edmonton Journal.

By mid-week, the situation had eased due to cooler temperatures, but authorities warned that the wildfires could rage again when temperatures rise.

Still, several producers said on Wednesday they had resumed production and restarted facilities.

TC Energy said it continues to safely run under normal operations on the NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL) System and other pipeline systems in Western Canada. As conditions have improved, the company completed the safe and controlled restart of compressor units at all locations that were shut down due to wildfire precautions.

Crescent Point Energy, which had temporarily shut in around 45,000 boepd in the Kaybob Duvernay due to the wildfires  has since restored some 75% of the production with no damage reported to its assets, and plans to fully restore the remaining production once it is safe to do so.

ADVERTISEMENT

Tourmaline Oil Corp said that seven of its nine facilities, previously shut in due to the wildfires, had resumed operations and are operating at previous production rates. The remaining two facilities, West Wolf and Columbia are undamaged and ready to resume operations; both are awaiting final start-up clearance from the Ministry of Forestry. Net production shut-in from these two facilities is around 16,000 boepd. Tourmaline Oil expects the start-up of these two facilities to commence in the next several days.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
If anyone expected Chinas post-pandemic recovery to be a smooth upward curve, they must be very disappointed right now. The countrys return to business as usual has proven to be more uneven than many bet on, with even coal demand affected by that unevenness.

Bloomberg reported this week that a weak real estate market and still sub-par industrial activity are affecting coal demand. Heavy coal users such as steel mills and cement makers are asking for price discounts to cover their losses from lower demand for their products and thats happening while supply of coal is also tightening.

Earlier this month, China halted operations at 32 coal mines following a deadly incident in February, when a landslide left 52 dead or missing. This means that some 50 million tons in existing and planned production capacity have been shut in.

China, which boasts the highest wind and solar power generation capacity, is also the biggest consumer of coal and has no immediate plans to change this state of affairs. The countrys government has made it clear that energy security is the top priority, above emission reduction, and that coal is an essential element of that security.

In an ironic twist, German climate envoy Jennifer Morgan tried to make an argument that coal is not the answer for China in an interview with the South China Morning Post. At the same time, Germany was expanding a coal mine to offset the loss of its last nuclear generation capacity.

Last year, China approved the highest number of new coal plants since 2015 despite its still-growing wind and soar capacity. Coal power plant construction starts in 2022 topped new construction starts in the rest of the world combined, NGO Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air said in a report earlier this year.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin sought to convince Western analysts that Russia is indeed reducing its oil production by 500,000 barrels per day as pledged earlier this year during a rare call with analysts this month, sources familiar with the call told Reuters on Thursday.

Russia warned in February that it would cut its crude oil production by 500,000 bpd due to EU import bans and price caps on its crude oil and oil products. Initially, Russia said this lowered production would apply to March. But Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced part way through March that the cuts would be extended.

Those 500,000 bpd cuts will now extend until the end of 2023, Russia announced on the day on which other OPEC+ producers, mostly from the Middle East, announced a shock new production cut of a combined 1.16 million bpd between May and December 2023.

Last week, Novak said that Russia was fulfilling its pledge to cut output by 500,000 bpd.

Taking into account the unfounded speculation in the press regarding oil production levels, Russia reaffirms its full commitment to and implementation of voluntary oil production cut levels, Russias top oil man said in a statement carried by Reuters.

Speculation indeed abounds, considering that tanker-tracking data suggests that Russian crude oil shipments by sea are rising.

Russia itself has stopped reporting oil statistics since it invaded Ukraine in early 2022.

During the call with Western analysts earlier this month, Sorokin discussed Russias oil production.

The call was about Russia reaching its target level of output in April, one of Reuters sources said.

Earlier this week, tanker-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg showed that Russias crude oil exports by sea hit a new high of 3.55 million bpd in the four weeks to May 5, the highest shipments since at least early 2022.

ADVERTISEMENT

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Iraq has officially requested that Turkey restart the pipeline responsible for sending Iraqi crude oil from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region to the port of Ceyhan, a statement from Iraqs Kurdistan Regional Government said on Thursday.

Oil flows along the pipeline have been halted for weeks.

Both the Kurdistan Regions Ministry of Natural Resources and Iraqs Ministry of Oil are reportedly waiting for Turkeys response before resuming oil exports, the KRG statement said.

Iraqs oil minister said last week that Baghdad and Erbil were set to reach an agreement over crude oil exports from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region within the next two weeks. Regarding the agreement with the Region, we have reached the final stage and hopefully we will reach the final agreement on the exportation of crude oil within a maximum of two weeks, Iraqs oil minister Hayan Abdul Ghani said at the time. The only outstanding issue was how Iraq would handle the bank account where Erbils oil money is kept.

Kurdistans crude oil exports  around 400,000 to 450,000 bpd shipped through an Iraqi-Turkey pipeline to Ceyhan and then on tankers to the international markets  were halted in late March by the federal government of Iraq.

A few days earlier, the International Chamber of Commerce ruled in favor of Iraq against Turkey in a dispute over crude flows from Kurdistan. Iraq argued that Turkey shouldnt allow Kurdish oil exports via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline and Ceyhan without approval from the federal government of Iraq.

The court ruled that Turkey should pay Iraq compensation of $1.5 billion for what now appears to be illegal exports of oil over five years. Turkey then shut off the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline in response, which suspended the flow of oil from the Kurdistan region. Kurdistans oilfields also shut down due to a lack of storage.

The negotiations between Baghdad and Erbil are focused on who gets more control over the oil flows, with the latest iteration of talks settling on export revenues being deposited into an existing KRG bank account with Citi in the UAE, three Reuters sources close to the matter said. Baghdad will have auditing access.

ADVERTISEMENT

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Nigeria is producing 1 million barrels daily less than it can produce, local media reported today, citing the countrys federal government.

The government cited a lack of investments, a shortage of funding sources because of the energy transition, and insecurity among the factors driving the situation.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission served the warning, with its chief executive noting that the challenges the industry was facing range from insecurity, low investment, and de-prioritisation of funding of hydrocarbon development arising from the energy transition.

Currently, Nigeria has the technical allowable capacity to produce about 2.5 million barrels of oil per day. However, arising from the highlighted challenges, our current production hovers around 1.5 million barrels of oil and condensate per day, Gbenga Komolafe also said, as quoted by Punch.

The Western African producer is the biggest on the continent but it has struggled to boost its output and put an end to pipeline vandalism, which has made the investment environment in the country additionally challenging.

Earlier today, the Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission reported that oil production in Nigeria had slipped below 1 million barrels daily in April. The drop was at least in part the result of strikes at Exxon facilities that led to the company declaring force majeure on several assets, including the Qua Iboe export terminal.

Now the dispute with the workers has been settled and this months production rate will likely be higher but it would still fall short of what Nigeria has the capacity to produce.

Meanwhile, the UKs Supreme Court ruled in favor of Shell in a lawsuit brought against the supermajor by Niger Delta communities and individuals regarding an oil spill from 2011. According to the court, the claimants had been too late in filing their suit and had missed the deadline for such filings.

ADVERTISEMENT

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
THEATER REVIEW

"Pretty Fire" has some incendiary moments, as you might expect from a play about a Black family's experience with racism and other issues in the 1950s and 1960s.

It's an autobiographical piece by actor and playwright Charlayne Woodard, based on her childhood. In a series of vignettes, it shines a light on difficult issues  burning crosses, the first time she heard the N-word and a bully who terrorizes her as a little girl.

But it is also funny and heartwarming. It illustrates resilience and faith and celebrates a loving, tight-knit family that extends far beyond parents and children.

The one-woman play is onstage at the Omaha Community Playhouse's Howard Drew Theater through May 21. It starts with Woodard's premature birth and focuses mostly on her life before adulthood, so it requires an actor who can realistically play a young girl. Director Breanna Carodine found the perfect person in Tammy Ra', a veteran on Omaha stages.

Woodard's stories are compelling as told in the actor's believably girlish voice, giddily charming when she's playing with her sister, laced with fear as she's fighting off the boy who intends to commit assault, achingly puzzled as she confronts the "pretty fire" of the cross on the lawn.

The play has a remarkable volume of dialogue, and she stuttered or paused on lines a few times during preview night. But her delivery was so natural that I may have been the only one who noticed.

The role requires a lot of heavy lifting, and she has the strength to handle it.

I especially liked the funny scenes in which Woodard found her eventual calling when she sang a solo in the youth choir at church.

The set consisted of platforms covered with green material that could depict either grass or carpeting. The only furnishings were a couple of benches, a rocking chair and a cabinet with a turntable on top (Woodard's formidable grandfather was a Miles Davis fan).

Despite the simplicity of the surroundings, it wasn't hard at all to envision multiple locations and scenes: young Woodard running down a hill to the neighborhood grocery and being confronted by a bully; her encounter with the Klan in Mississippi; and her proud march down the church aisle with the choir. That's a testament to the innovation of set and lighting designer Jackie Fox and the performing skills of TammyRa'.

Music composed for the play by J. Isaiah Smith was beautiful and evocative.

For some reason, I'm frequently curious and sometimes apprehensive about one-character shows. Will there be enough to engage an audience for 90 minutes?

I didn't need to worry about "Pretty Fire." In the hands of the talented Carodine and TammyRa', the standing ovation was happening way before I wanted to go home, and I felt joy long after I left the theater.

That happens when you're immersed in a good story. And "Pretty Fire" is storytelling at its best. You should see it with your family, including kids from middle school on.
The body of a 58-year-old Blair man who had been missing since May 3 was found Thursday at the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge in Washington County.

Authorities found the body of Ronald Harvey on the Nebraska side of the refuge at 12:15 p.m., according to Capt. Aaron Brensel of the Washington County Sheriffs Office.

The Sheriffs Office and other local agencies performed a three-day search of the area after Harvey was reported missing by his family. Harvey was believed to have been mushroom hunting, Brensel said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fort Calhoun Fire Department, Blair Fire Department, Omaha Police Department, Douglas County Sheriffs Office and the Harrison County (Iowa) Sheriffs Office all assisted in the search, Brensel said. The Nebraska side of the wildlife refuge was closed to the public during the search.

World-Herald staff writer Dan Crisler contributed to this report.
Plans for a vacant site in downtown Omaha would bring a grocery store, retailers, office space and mixed-rate housing to the citys urban core.

Proposals for the site of Omahas former Civic Auditorium have for years come and gone, but a plan announced Thursday by the firm White Lotus Group brings developers one step closer to breaking ground.

The real estate development group envisions a multi-use urban block called Civic Square, with site preparation expected to begin early next year.

The 9-acre area is bordered by 17th and 19th Streets to the east and west, and Chicago Street and Capitol Avenue to the north and south.

Civic Square would be bisected by the reintroduction of 18th Street between Chicago and Capitol, and the partial reintroduction of Davenport Street between 17th and 18th Streets. Those changes would increase parking opportunities and accessibility into the interior of the development, according to the press release from White Lotus Group.

The project aims to offer downtown residents a destination they can walk to or park at easily, a place to buy groceries, work out, shop, dine and convene with friends, said Arun Agarwal, CEO of White Lotus Group.

The design plans for Civic Square will not only fundamentally change the downtown living environment, but the whole Omaha city skyline, Agarwal said.

Built in 1954, the Civic Auditorium for generations was the scene of political rallies, graduation ceremonies, concerts and sporting events. But it outgrew its useful life and was demolished in 2016 and 2017 at a cost of $3.1 million.

An agreement between the city and White Lotus, which purchased the site for about $1.5 million in 2022, gave a June 30, 2023, deadline for the developer to obtain building permits for at least 50% of the square footage of the proposed project, and to submit design plans for the site. If it failed to do so, the agreement says the city will recoup the land at the same price it sold for.

Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said White Lotus Group has the experience needed to create a new neighborhood.

Civic Square brings life back to one of downtown Omahas most prominent blocks and is part of the great momentum in our urban core, Stothert said. A healthy, successful urban core benefits the entire city.

White Lotus Group is seeking the publics input on the Civic Square development. Thoughts and ideas can be submitted online at CivicSquareOmaha.com.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of May 2023
An 86-year-old Cairo woman died after her house in rural Hall County caught fire Tuesday afternoon, according to Nebraska's fire marshal.

Firefighters pronounced Shirley Alber dead at the scene after they found her in her smoke-engulfed home at 8788 140th Road in rural Cairo shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday, the State Fire Marshal Agency said in a press release.

Alber died as a result of the fire, which investigators determined was accidental and electrical in nature, according to the press release.

Crews from seven agencies  including the Cairo, Wood River, Dannebrog and Boelus Fire Departments  responded to the scene Tuesday.
FREMONT, Neb.  Despite more than an hour of pleas from more than a dozen local residents, the Fremont City Council voted 5-3 Tuesday night to keep This Book Is Gay on the shelves of the adult section of the Keene Memorial Library.

The vote means the book on LGBTQ relationships and sexual habits will remain in the adult section of the city library despite a majority of speakers at the meeting pleading with council members to remove the book altogether.

Council members Dev Sookram, Glen Ellis and Paul Von Behren voted to remove the book, while council members Mark Jensen, Tad Dinkins, Lori Lathrop, Sally Ganem and James Vaughan voted in favor of retaining the book in the library.

Tuesdays debate arose after Ellis and Von Behren had sought via a city resolution the total removal of the book in physical and online formats from the city library. The latest challenge to This Book Is Gay came after repeated unsuccessful efforts by a local grandmother and business owner, Sandra Murray, and her daughter, Kelley Garay, to have the book removed from the library.

Because the council is the final venue for contested book challenges, any future challenges to the book possibly made with the current council members in office are unlikely to succeed.

The robust debate about the book and the subsequent vote by the council happened after the item seeking the books removal from the library survived an attempt to have it removed from the meeting agenda by Jensen, the council president.

Jensen, who had repeatedly vowed to prevent the council from discussing any item related to library books during the past several months, made a motion Tuesday night to remove the item from the agenda, stating that the council heard the arguments for removing the book more than once.

The motion to remove the item was supported by Vaughan, who appeared to anger many in the audience by saying he wasnt trying to silence the public despite not wanting discussion on the book.

Weve heard these same arguments a number of times, Vaughan said. I am not seeking to deny anyone a right to speak.

The comments by both Jensen and Vaughan were contradicted by other council members, who stated residents should be allowed to speak on the issue and hear a debate by the council.

In a 5-3 vote, the item was kept on the agenda. Those who voted to remove it included Jensen, Vaughan and the newest member of the council, Dinkins.

After the debate about whether the item about the books removal would stay on the nights agenda, discussion of the book began with comments from members of the council followed by more than a dozen members of the public.

Only three residents spoke in favor of retaining the book in the library, with most speakers decrying the book as obscene and inappropriate sexual content for the public library. Some members of the council also expressed shock at the contents of the 200-plus-page book by author Juno Dawson.

I just dont believe this book belongs in our library, Ellis said. Look at the book. Read it. Ask yourself. How did this book get into our library? There has to be a reason. To me, there is a failure in the process. This book doesnt represent Fremont.

Von Behren then expressed his views, noting that Fremont City Administrator Jody Sanders had privately proposed a potential solution to the book debate to the eight members of the council  a book-selection, policy-review committee that could possibly devise a new method for book selection and placement at the city library.

This (book) is potentially for a 12-year-old. To me, this crosses a border. This (book) was moved to the adult section, Von Behren said, before noting that in his research, there has been a dramatic increase in the percentage of American Library Association contested books in Keene Memorial Library in recent years.

Cant we do better than to select the top most-contested books for (use) in the library, Von Behren asked.

Vaughan then drew jeers and snickers from the crowd in attendance, stating that in his view, banned books need to be read because they are banned.

If there are groups that dont want you to read books, that should be a red flag, Vaughan said.

Lathrop told those in attendance she read This Book Is Gay while on a recent trip to Phoenix, adding that the book had enlightened her and caused her to think about LGBTQ people in a different light than she previously had.

I truly didnt think it was absolutely horrible, Lathrop said. (LGBTQ people) are people, too. (The book) made me step back and not judge them. If you dont want to read the book, dont check it out.

Council member Sally Ganem said she believed the five-member Keene Memorial Library Advisory Board had made the correct decision April 17 to relocate the book to the adult section of the library.

I found it to be a distasteful book. It definitely is not for children, said Ganem, wife of former Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman. It is now an adult book. I believe (the library board) made the right decision.

Mayor Joey Spellerberg spoke about the book debate for the first time since the issue erupted in late December, telling the audience that the issue has been difficult for me.

This book is obscene and needs to be removed from the library, Spellerberg said. My desire is we can all find a way to move forward.

After the council expressed its opinions on the issue, a flood of local residents took to the podium one at a time, with most of the speakers decrying the books contents as inappropriate for children and also calling for it to be removed.

Murray told the council that she is concerned with protecting children from inappropriate content and stressed, as she had in prior meetings, that her objections to the book were not about her being against the LGBTQ community.

Local resident Cathy Robertson said she believes the book is morally wrong.

If you think it is OK for a child to read those words (in the book), then you need to resign your position, Robertson said. It is obscenity. This is not about LGBT. It is about what is good for children.

Most of the speakers had been to prior council meetings during which the book controversy was discussed and regurgitated their view that the book was pornography and was intended for alleged pedophiles to prey on children.

Objections to the books advice on how to put photographs on dating apps as well as advocating for sex in public saunas also were brought up repeatedly. Allegations of the book promoting pedophilia, indoctrination and an agenda were also bandied about by numerous speakers.

Only three speakers offered comments in favor of keeping the book, one of which was library advisory board member Becky Pence.

People are quick to call me a pedophile. I am not a pedophile, Pence said. I am offended.

Former council member Susan Jacobus advocated for keeping the book, telling the audience that she was molested when she was a child and that This Book Is Gay isnt causing anyone who reads it to suddenly become gay.

I am not supportive of book banning. Banning is wrong, Jacobus said. Make your decision wisely because it doesnt end here.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of May 2023
LINCOLN  Nebraska lawmakers moved forward on a bill cutting the states top income tax rate by nearly one-third Thursday, after jettisoning some other proposed income tax changes.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of the Omaha area, the Revenue Committee chairwoman, offered the amendment to narrow Legislative Bill 754, saying the the state cannot afford all of the income tax cuts that had been packaged into the measure earlier.

But she said the slimmed-down bill would still return money to taxpayers and make the state more competitive in attracting people and businesses. It would provide about $3.3 billion worth of income tax cuts over six years.

This plan by the governor is huge and it will touch every Nebraskan, she said.

Lawmakers approved her amendment before advancing LB 754 to the last of three rounds of consideration on a 37-4 vote. Linehan had introduced LB 754 on behalf of Gov. Jim Pillen. It represents one piece of his tax cut and school aid plan.

As advanced Thursday, the bill would cut the Nebraskas top individual and corporate income tax rate to 3.99% over six years, speed up full exemption of Social Security benefits, exempt some federal government pensions and offer tax credits for limited numbers of low-income parents and child care providers.

The changes would reduce state revenues by nearly $379 million during the next two years, down from the $558 million price tag on the first-round version of the bill.

Critics of the measure, however, questioned whether Nebraska will be able to afford the income tax cuts provided under LB 754, along with a package of property tax cuts, in future years.

Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln pointed to signs of potential weakness in the states economy. She called for adding some triggers to the bill, which would halt progression of future tax cuts unless certain fiscal targets are met.

Why do we want to kick the can down the road and tie the hands of future legislators? she asked.

Others criticized the bill for giving the bulk of the tax cuts to wealthier Nebraskans. Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln said the lowest-paid Nebraskans would end up with an average of $5 in tax cuts under the bill. He also said that an estimated 83% of the corporate tax cuts would go to non-Nebraska residents.

As advanced, LB 754 would ratchet down the top rate for individual and corporate income taxes to 3.99% by 2027, bringing down the rate paid by taxpayers in the top two individual tax brackets and both corporate brackets.

The top individual rate is 6.64% this year, and the top corporate rate is 7.25%. Both are slated to drop to 5.84% by 2027 under a law passed last year.

At least half of Nebraska income tax filers could save money with the 3.99% tax rate, but the package would offer little for Nebraskans in the middle- to lower-income tax brackets.

Limited numbers of low-income parents and child care providers could benefit from another provision of the bill. That provision would allow up to $15 million a year of tax credits for parents with children in child care  enough to help 15,000 children at most.

It also would offer $2.5 million a year in credits for people who donate to child care programs and another $7.5 million in credits for child care programs and child care workers. The first-round version of LB 754 would have allowed $10 million for each of those two credits.

Other components of LB 754 would make Social Security benefits fully exempt from income taxes by next year  one year earlier than under current law  and make benefits paid by the Federal Employees Retirement System or the Civil Service Retirement System exempt as well.

Linehans amendment dropped provisions that would have affected smaller groups of taxpayers, including one that would have benefited people who itemize deductions on their federal income tax returns and who hit the federal cap on deducting state and local taxes. Another would have exempted nonresidents from paying Nebraska income taxes on work done while in the state for 15 or fewer days in a year.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of May 2023
LINCOLN  A package of property tax changes worth more than $3 billion over the next six years continued its path through the Nebraska Legislature Thursday.

Lawmakers advanced Legislative Bill 243 through its second round of debate in a 41-0 vote. The bill needs to make it through one more round of debate before it goes to Gov. Jim Pillens desk, where it is expected to be signed into law.

The bill, introduced by State Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, would increase Nebraskas two property tax credit programs, cap school property tax growth and eliminate almost all community college property taxes.

The package represents the second piece of Pillens tax plan. The first piece would cut the states top income tax rate by one-third and make other income tax changes.

Proponents say the individual components of the plan are equally necessary, and must work together to bring the full benefits to taxpayers.

With this bill, we have a whole lot at stake here  theyre all tied together, Briese said.

Under LB 243, the 5% growth cap would be removed on what is often referred to as the LB 1107 program, named for the bill that created it. It provides income tax credits to offset a portion of school property taxes paid. Current law allows the amount earmarked for the program to grow at the same rate as the assessed valuation of property statewide, but only up to 5%. If the bill passes, the income tax credits could grow more than 5% in years when valuations do as well.

And under an amendment adopted Thursday, an additional $75 million would be added to the program for 2029.

Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln raised concerns about the sustainability of the income tax credit plan, referring back to the Legislatures budget debates this week in which lawmakers voted to take about $170 million in dollars previously meant to go into the states rainy day fund, and use them to cover costs in the general fund.

Dungan said the change indicates that the state budget doesnt have as much money as lawmakers previously thought. He questioned whether removing the 5% cap on the LB 1107 program could cause its growth to snowball, and deplete revenues to a point where the state cant fulfill existing financial obligations.

High revenue projections over the last several years put Nebraskas cash reserve on a path to exceed $2 billion by June 30, 2025, according to October projections. Under the current two-year budget plan that includes tax cuts and spending increases, the reserve would be about $779 million by that point.

Sen. Brad von Gillern of the Omaha area argued the state has so much revenue to work with because it has been collecting too much in taxes. Now, he said, lawmakers have the obligation to give that excess money back to residents.

Cutting taxes begins with giving back the money that we have, Von Gillern said.

The property tax package would also ratchet up the size of Nebraskas long-standing property tax credit program, which uses state money to offset a portion of property owners bills. LB 243 would gradually increase the program from $313 million this year to more than $550 million by tax year 2029, after which the credit program would grow by the same percentage as the assessed valuation of property statewide.

In addition, the package would limit the growth of school revenues to 3%, with some exceptions, with the goal of forcing schools to reduce property taxes when they get more state aid. School districts can override this cap through a 70% vote of the school board, or a 60% vote by the public.

Several lawmakers took issue with this aspect of the plan, arguing it added unnecessary restrictions on local control and would hinder fast-growing districts. Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln said requiring more than a simple majority vote of the public was anti-democratic.

You are watering down the power of individual voters, said Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha.

Briese said the amendment would expand the cap for the states fast-growing school districts at varying levels.

Finally, LB 243 would end community colleges ability to levy property taxes, except for building needs, starting in 2024. The bill would replace those tax revenues with state aid. State aid to the colleges would increase by 3.5% annually, with additional money available based on enrollment growth. Community colleges could levy property taxes to fill the gap if the state does not meet its funding obligations.

World-Herald staff writer Martha Stoddard contributed to this report.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of May 2023
LINCOLN  Nebraska lawmakers opted to make more room for major income and property tax cuts Wednesday by putting less money into the states rainy day fund.

Senators voted 31-9 for a plan to leave more money in the states general fund by reducing a previously approved transfer to the cash reserve fund. The move came during the second of three rounds of debate about the state budget plan covering the period ending June 30, 2025. The overall budget later advanced.

State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, the Appropriations Committee chairman, introduced the proposal to put $440 million into the cash reserve fund, down from the $610 million transfer approved during first-round debate.

Clements said Gov. Jim Pillen had requested the change, with the idea that the money would not be spent and would be carried over to future years. Asked the purpose of the change, Clements said it is to make the tax package sustainable.

Without the change, the budget plan would have left about $726 million available for tax cuts and other uses over the next two fiscal years. That would be the difference between revenue projections and the spending proposal. With the change, there would be about $896 million available.

Lawmakers gave first-round approval to income tax changes and property tax relief measures that were estimated to reduce state revenues by more than $870 million over the two-year period. The total is expected to change during second-round consideration.

Some senators criticized the idea of putting less in the cash reserve fund, noting that the change would leave the fund at $779 million by June 30, 2025, or about 13% of state revenues for one year. Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington said the ideal reserve would be 16%.

Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha said proponents of the tax cut packages and the Perkins County Canal project argued that those would be affordable because of Nebraskas robust cash reserve.

We are raiding the rainy day fund in the middle of spending all this money and Im concerned, he said, suggesting the smaller transfer sounded like an accounting trick.

But others said the state would still have enough money to fall back on, pointing out that the cash reserve would still have more money than in many past years. Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of the Omaha area, the Revenue Committee chairwoman, said lawmakers also are setting aside $1 billion for an Education Future Fund.

We are fine with money, she said.

Clements said it would take legislative action to tap the Education Future Fund, which is supposed to be supplemented by $250 million every year and cover the cost of increased state aid to schools. He said the state would have to be very desperate to use that money.

Lawmakers made few other changes to the budget bills Wednesday before sending them on to the final round of deliberation. The main budget bill appropriates $10.7 billion for state operations and aid and authorizes capital construction projects. Under the bill, state general fund spending would grow an average of 2.3% over the two years, well below the average going back 20 years.

The other bill would transfer money into and out of various funds, including taking more than $1.2 billion out of the cash reserve fund for various purposes.

Those include the $574.5 million Perkins County Canal, which would start in Colorado and bring water into southwest Nebraska. Under a century-old compact, building the canal would entitle Nebraska to 120 cubic feet per second of water from the South Platte River during the summer irrigation season and 500 cfs during the non-irrigation season.

Another $95.8 million would be transferred from the cash reserve for a new $350 million prison. Lawmakers set aside the rest of the money during previous years but held off approving construction to encourage negotiations on slowing the increase in prison populations.

This years main budget bill would authorize the Department of Correctional Services to proceed with building the prison. An amendment added Wednesday would require the department to complete studies of staffing and programming needs, as well as projections of the mix of maximum-, medium- and minimum-security inmates. The studies were called for under previous legislation.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of May 2023
During a contentious CNN town hall Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump dug in on his lies about the 2020 election, downplayed the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, and repeatedly insulted the woman whom a civil jury this week found him liable of sexually abusing and defaming.

Trump, returning to the network after years of acrimony, also refused to say whether he wants Ukraine to win the war against Russian aggression and said the U.S. might as well default on its debt obligation, despite the potentially devastating economic consequences.

The live, televised event  held in early-voting New Hampshire  underscored the challenges of fact-checking Trump in real time. The former president was cheered on and applauded by an audience of Republican and unaffiliated voters who plan to vote in the GOP primary, as moderator Kaitlan Collins sometimes struggled to correct the record as Trump steamrolled with untrue statements. He snapped at her, calling her a nasty person, when she tried to interject later in the event.

The event also highlighted what is perhaps Trump's most fundamental challenge as he emerges as the undisputed frontrunner for the Republican nomination to take on President Joe Biden once again. While Trump's tone and divisive statements often thrill Republican primary crowds, he has so far done little to expand his appeal among the moderates and independents who soured on him in 2020 and will be crucial to winning the general election.

Indeed, Trump on Wednesday repeatedly doubled down on his lies that the 2020 election had been rigged, even though state and federal election officials, his own campaign and White House aides, and dozens of courts, including Republican judges, have said there is no evidence to support his claims.

He also displayed no remorse for what happened on Jan. 6, when a mob of his supporters violently stormed the Capitol in a bid to halt the certification of Biden's win. He excused his delayed response that day  he was silent for more than three hours as the carnage unfolded  pulling out a printout of his tweeted timeline as a form of defense.

Instead, he lashed out at the Black police officer who shot and killed rioter Ashli Babbitt, calling him a thug." And he said he is inclined to pardon a large portion of Jan. 6 defendants  more than 670 rioters have been convicted of crimes related to that day, including some found guilty of seditious conspiracy.

Trump also rejected a suggestion that he apologize to his former vice president, Mike Pence, who was targeted by the mob after Trump wrongly insisted that Pence had the power to overturn the election results.

I don't feel he was in any danger," he said. In fact, Trump said, Pence was the one who did something wrong.

He would not commit to accepting the results of the next election, either, saying he would do so only if he feels its an honest election  as he said before the 2020 election.

The primetime forum  the first major television event of the 2024 presidential campaign and Trump's first interview appearance on CNN since before he was elected president in 2016  drew suspicion from both sides of the political divide as soon as it was announced.

Democrats questioned whether a man who continues to spread lies about his 2020 election loss  lies that sparked the Capitol riot  should be given a primetime platform. Conservatives wondered why Trump would appear on  and potentially give a ratings bump to  a network he has continually disparaged.

The stakes were raised considerably Tuesday after jurors in New York found Trump had sexually abused and defamed advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, though they rejected her claim that he raped her nearly three decades ago. The jury awarded her $5 million in damages.

Trump, at Wednesday's event, called the case fake news and insisted he didn't know Carroll, even as he attacked her in deeply personal terms. "Shes a wack job, he said, drawing laughs from the crowd.

Trump has generally not reacted well when pressed onstage about his behavior toward women, most notably during the first Republican presidential debate of 2015, when he sparred with then-Fox News host Megyn Kelly. He later said she had blood coming out of her wherever when she was questioning him. Carroll is one of more than a dozen women who have accused Trump of sexual assault or harassment over the years; Trump has denied the allegations.

While the civil trial verdict carried no criminal penalties, it is just one of myriad legal issues facing Trump, who was indicted in New York in March over payments made to women to cover up their allegations of extramarital affairs with him. Trump is also facing investigations in Georgia and Washington over his alleged interference in the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents and potential obstruction of justice.

The difficulties of interviewing Trump live on air became immediately apparent as the town hall began with questions about the 2020 election. As the evening wore on, Collins became more aggressive in trying to pin Trump down on specifics, trying half a dozen times to get him to say what he would do if a federal abortion ban were to reach his desk.

He said only that he would negotiate so people are happy.

Im looking at a solution thats going to work, he said.

During the exchange, Trump repeated the false claim that abortion rights supporters wanted to kill a baby in the ninth month of pregnancy or even after a birth  claims that went unchecked by Collins.

He also refused to say whether he wants Ukraine to win its war against Russia, saying, I dont think in terms of winning and losing. And he refused to say whether he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, as the International Criminal Court has alleged.

Thats something to be discussed at a later date," Trump said.

Here are 20 Republicans considering 2024 presidential runs In: Donald Trump In: Nikki Haley Ron DeSantis Mike Pence Tim Scott Ted Cruz Glenn Youngkin Chris Sununu Kristi Noem Greg Abbott Out: Larry Hogan Asa Hutchinson Chris Christie Mike Pompeo Liz Cheney Will Hurd Keep an eye on: Brian Kemp Keep an eye on: Rick Scott Keep an eye on: Josh Hawley Keep an eye on: John Bolton
China-Central Asia Summit to draw new blueprint for China-Central Asia relations

10:23, May 11, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily

The China-Central Asia Summit will be held on May 18 and 19 in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province. It will be chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping and attended by heads of state of five Central Asian countries.

It will be the first major diplomatic event that China hosts this year and the first in-person summit among the heads of state of the six countries over the 31 years since China established diplomatic relations with these countries. It is of milestone significance in the history of the relations between China and Central Asian countries.

This Summit will help draw a new blueprint for China-Central Asia relations and open up a new era for cooperation between the two sides. It will inject new impetus into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future and contribute positive energy to regional and world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

"No matter how the international landscape may evolve or how developed China may grow, China will always remain a good neighbor, a good partner, a good friend, and a good brother that Central Asian countries can trust and count on," said Xi when chairing the Virtual Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations Between China and Central Asian Countries in January last year.

Over the past 10 years, under the strategic guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, cooperation between China and Central Asia has achieved a series of historic and groundbreaking outcomes.

Last year, the heads of state of the six countries jointly announced the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, and the China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism came into being.

Today, China has established comprehensive strategic partnerships and signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with all the five Central Asian countries. Bilateral strategic mutual trust has reached a new level; mutually beneficial cooperation has gained new impetus; friendly exchanges have entered a new stage; and China-Central Asia relations and regional development have shown unprecedented vitality.

The key to the successful cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries lies in their abiding commitment to mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times, and mutual benefit. These four principles are a political guarantee for the steady and sustained growth of China's relations with Central Asian countries and a source of inspiration for China and Central Asian countries to further advance friendly exchanges.

China and the five countries firmly support each other in following development paths that suit their own national conditions, firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, actively work for the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, work together to combat the three evil forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, drug trafficking and transborder organized crime, and resolutely oppose external interference or attempts to instigate color revolutions.

China and the five countries share the same or similar positions on major international and regional issues, and will keep close collaboration within multilateral institutions and frameworks such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, practice true multilateralism, and make contribution to promoting the reform of the global governance system and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Central Asian countries have actively responded to and firmly supported the major initiatives proposed by China, such as the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative. Facing the complicated and volatile international landscape, China and the five Central Asian countries will always magnify the exemplary role of good-neighborly friendship, build a cooperation belt for high-quality development, strengthen the shield for defending peace, build a family with diverse interactions, and protect the global village that enjoys peace and development.

Central Asia is where the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was firstly proposed, as well as one of the regions that have reaped the early fruits of the initiative.

Over the past 10 years since the BRI was proposed, China and the five Central Asian countries have actively synergized their development strategies and achieved fruitful results in the high-quality construction of the BRI.

A series of major projects have been completed, including the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline, the China-Kazakhstan crude oil pipeline, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway, and the China-Tajikistan highway. The China-Europe Railway Express which runs through Central Asia has seen rapid growth.

China and Central Asia have jointly built an all-round and multi-dimensional connectivity network that covers roads, railways, air routes and oil and gas pipelines, which not only contributes to the upgrading of industries, connectivity and livelihood in Central Asian countries, but also lays a solid foundation for safeguarding industrial and supply chains in Eurasia.

The China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism, characterized by openness and transparency, mutual benefit, equality, reciprocity and real results, is a new format of cooperation between China and Central Asian countries.

China believes that efforts shall be focused on promoting cooperation in priority areas such as transportation, economy, trade, investment, industry, agriculture, energy, customs, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, so as to build an all-round, multi-tiered and multi-dimensional sub-regional cooperation pattern.

This conforms to the demands of Central Asian countries and the trend of regional integration, and has been widely responded by relevant parties.

The foreign ministers of the five Central Asian countries said the Central Asia-China cooperation has played an important role in consolidating strategic mutual trust, accelerating their respective development, promoting connectivity and safeguarding common security, and has set an example of mutually beneficial cooperation among countries. They believe the China-Central Asia Summit will open a new chapter of Central Asia-China relations and provide new opportunities for Central Asian countries' transformation and promote the region's influence.

As an ancient Chinese adage goes, With one heart and one mind, we can accomplish everything we aspire for. To promote the well-being of the people of the six countries, the China-Central Asia Summit will surely make new contributions to a brighter future for the relations between China and Central Asian countries and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
Raymond Dokpesi, a Nigerian media executive and politician, was quizzed by immigration officials for two fundamental reasons bordering on alleged violation of the Nigerian immigration laws, Comptroller-General Mohammed Babandede, exclusively told PREMIUM TIMES Thursday.

Mr Dokpesi, the founder of AIT and a senior member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, was questioned on Wednesday at the Immigration Headquarters in Abuja.

The media executive was invited for questioning shortly after officials learnt he travelled and returned to the country in manners that are unclear.

Mr Dokpesi spoke with journalists shortly after he was grilled Wednesday, confirming his visit had to do with his latest trip overseas.

Mr Dokpesi said he was asked to submit his passport, but that he could not because he had returned it to the court which approved its release to enable him to travel for a medical procedure abroad.

The politicians passport has been in the custody of the Federal High Court since he was arraigned for allegedly receiving up to N2.1 billion from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

Details emerge

But Mr Babandedes explanation of what transpired contradicted what Mr Dokpesi told reporters Wednesday.

The politician did not say he was asked about how he left the country without his passport being stamped.

Extant Nigerian immigration regulations require that a person going out or coming into the country must be cleared to do so by authorities.

Mr Dokpesis passport was not signed by immigration officials before he left the country, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

We do not know how he left the country  whether through the land, air or sea, Mr Babandede said.

Mr Dokpesi said he received clearance from the court to allow him travel out, but Mr Babandede told PREMIUM TIMES the Immigration does not have any information from the court in that respect.

Usually, court officials would notify us whenever someones passport is released to travel after a previous confiscation by the court, but we have no records showing that Mr Dokpesi was cleared to travel by the court, the Immigration chief added.

He also told PREMIUM TIMES an ongoing investigation would reveal more details.

Nigerians will know more of what happened when we conclude our investigation, the immigration chief said.

Mr Babandede also added, He (Mr Dokpesi) was only invited for questioning in respect of crossing borders based on the powers given to us by the Immigration Act 2015. He was never detained.

Also, this has nothing to do with the federal government of Nigeria. It has to do with the Nigerian Immigration Service under my leadership.

Mr Dokpesis headache

Mr Dokpesi did not immediately return requests for comments Thursday morning.

In his interaction with reporters in Abuja Wednesday, he acknowledged that the Nigerian government has the powers to retrieve his passport from him, but said the government itself has to be subservient to judicial pronouncement on the matter.

Mr Dokpesi said he voluntarily returned his passport to the Federal High Court shortly after he returned to the country, and he could be trusted to always do so as his medical treatment demanded.

Mr Dokpesi was arraigned in late 2015 for alleged violation of procurement law and benefitting up to N2.1 billion in shady media contracts for his associated outlets.

He strongly denied the allegations in court, saying the contracts were legitimate and that he had no way of knowing whether or not the payment was corruptly sourced by Mr Dasuki.

***
Real Madrid have signed Eden Hazard from Chelsea on a five-year contract after completing the most expensive transfer ever involving an English club.

Madrid are understood to have struck a deal with Chelsea that could rise to 130 million once all bonus payments come into play. The 28-year-old will be officially unveiled on Thursday, June 13, after he has undergone his medical.

As reported by Telegraph Sport on Thursday, negotiations between the clubs had been taking place all week. Real had been reluctant to pay more than 88m for the Belgian, but eventually agreed to a deal that is set to earn Chelsea as much as 130m once all the bonuses have been met.

It is understood the bonuses are easily achievable and Chelsea are extremely confident they will receive the full 130m for the forward, who only had one year left on his contract.

Real Madrid CF and Chelsea FC have agreed to the transfer of the player Eden Hazard, read Madrids statement.

Post Views: 31
Advertisement

By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri

One of the Jerusalem pilgrimages who were sponsored by Imo State government few weeks ago, Dr Samuelson Emehibe has narrated how he returned a sum of one million two hundred thousand United States dollars which belonged to a Polish-american national.

Emehibe, who is the special adviser to the Govenor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma and also member of APC State working committee, representing People with disabilities in Imo State.

Narrating his experience shortly after their arrival from Jerusalem pilgrimage trip on Tuesday, Emehibe revealed that he willingly returned the one million two hundred thousand dollars belonging to a Polish contingent which he picked on the ground immediately after his arrival to Jordan from Israel.

Fielding questions from newsmen who visited his office in owerri, Emehibe stated;

After my first entry to Jordan, my three days entry to Israel we spent three days in Israel, I met a polish man who resides in America at the airport as I was going to the gent to urinate, the Polish man was so busy controlling his two children and also struggling with his bags.

I noticed that he left a transparent bag containing big amount of money, I continuously called him but he didnt give attention to me because I am a disabled Nigeria, until someone helped to wave him down and pointed at me- I raised the bag up he left his two kids and ran to meet me.

He hugged me and told me that the money found inside the bag is about one million two hundred thousand United States dollars.

The Polish man willingly gave me five thousand dollars for appreciation but I refused to collect it because this is my first time of coming to holy Land and I can not abuse the privilege.

Later we took pictures together and exchange pleasantries, before our departure, I was told by my Governor to be a good ambassador of Nigeria and I kept to that. I am very grateful to my Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma.

Related

Advertisement
Advertisement

By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abia State yesterday paralysed government activities, as it shut down offices at the state and local government levels, with the commencement of indefinite strike.

Among the offices picketed was the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), State Accountant General Office, among others.

The leadership of the union went round Umuahia, the capital and Aba, the commercial nerve centre, to ensure compliance with the unions directives.

NLC had in a statement signed by its state Chairman, Nweke Iheme and Secretary, Emma Alozie, directed affiliates to begin indefinite strike yesterday over unresolved issues surrounding unpaid salaries and benefits of workers and gratuities of pensioners.

The statement, which disclosed that the decision of the NLC came at the end of councils meeting in Umuahia, said the union frowned at the refusal of Abia State Government to implement the agreement signed with NLC leadership.

Related

Advertisement
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday wrote to the Senate asking to approve a new loan request of $800million.

In a letter read by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, President Buhari noted that the loan would be utilized to upgrade the National Social Safety Net Programme; which was set up by the F.G for poor Nigerians & it would be sourced from the World Bank.

The funds will be disbursed to poor households across the country when it is approved. He also noted that the Federal Executive Council has approved his request for obtaining the loan, noting that he is waiting for the approval of the Senate before going ahead with processing the loan.

It would be recalled that the Minister of Finance & National Planning announced in April that the F.G would secure an $800 million World Bank loan to be disbursed to about 50 million vulnerable Nigerians or 10 million households as part of its subsidy palliatives measures.
A 26-year-old suspected internet fraudster, Precious Ojo, aka Obago has been arrested by the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Oghara, Delta State.

The EFCC in statement released, said Ojo was arrested following a petition received from a United States of America citizen, on his fraudulent activities. The petitioner had alleged that the suspect impersonated one Raymond Bush who works in the US Treasury to defraud her of $268,000.00.



The suspect was arrested at his hotel in Oghara. He confessed to building the luxury hotel with his alleged proceeds of crime.the statement in part reads

The Commission added that other items recovered from him include a Mercedes-Benz car with personalised plate number and mobile phones.

The suspect will be arraigned in court soon.

See photos of his luxury hotel below;
Advertisement

BY SULE TAHIR

A 37 year old man who attempted to set a mosque ablaze in German city of Dresden has reported been arrested by the Police.

According to a police spokesperson, the man on Tuesday evening, May 9, 2023, spilt petrol in front of a mosque and tried to set the building on fire.

Witnesses called the emergency services number after they saw the man spilling petrol outside the mosque, which was well-attended at the time.

The man, 34, was arrested and is under police investigation for attempted aggravated arson.

Though his motive was initially unclear, the same suspect was said to have set fire to a copy of the Holy Quran in a mosque in April.

Related

Advertisement
Advertisement

BY SULE TAHIR

THE Countrys Federal Airport Authority has ordered the immediate relocation of all aircraft stationed at the General Aviation Terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja ahead of the inauguration of the new government scheduled for May 29, 2023.

FAAN said the removal of aircraft parked at the Abuja airport was necessary to enhance the safety of the airport during the forthcoming presidential inauguration.

Many of the aircraft parked at GAT terminal in Abuja are private jets belonging to wealthy Nigerians, firms and airlines.

The relocation directive was contained in a circular dated May 8, 2023, addressed to aircraft operators and signed by the Regional Manager, FAAN, Kabir Mohammed.

The circular with reference number: FAAN/ABJ/NAIA /RGM/NC/AM/1000/VOl-1 read in part, This is to inform you on the need to temporarily relocate your aircraft to alternate airports due to the upcoming Presidential Inauguration slated for May 29, 2023.

The Presidential Inauguration is a high-security event, and in order to ensure the safety and security of parties involved, it has became necessary to temporarily relocate all aircraft parked at the GAT to alternate airports. To this end, you are kindly requested to relocate your aircraft on or before 22 May 2023.

Reacting to the development, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency and Chief Executive Officer of Top Brass Aviation, Capt Roland Iyayi, expressed concern that most of the aircraft parked at the GAT terminal at the Abuja airport is not serviceable.

As such, he said relocating them from the place might prove difficult.

Most of the aircraft parked there cannot fly, so if FAAN is asking for aircraft be moved then it would suggest that theres something they know that we dont know. I dont think its possible, most of the aircraft parked there are not entirely serviceable, if they are not serviceable how do you move them?

Related

Advertisement
The actor petitioned the governor on behalf of his colleague, Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, who was jailed for sexually assaulting a minor.

KanyiDaily recalls that on July 14, 2022, an Ikeja Special Offences court had sentenced Baba Ijesha to 16 years imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, who is the foster daughter of Comedian, Princess.

In a petition addressed to Lagos State Govenor dated April 8, 2023, Fabiyi asked Sanwo-Olu to arrest and prosecute Princes for habouring a pedophile.

According to him, investigations carried out shows that the sperm found in the private part of Princesss foster daughter does not belong to Baba Ijesha.

He revealed that one Damola Adekola and Okele who lived in Princesss house were sexually abusing the young girl, and the comedian never contested the revelation.

The actor said that he thought the duo ( Damola Adekola and Okele) will be presented for trial during Baba Ijeshas trial hearing but unfortunately the prosecuting counsel gave excuses on why they were not on trial.

Fabiyi in the petition lamented that a POTENTIAL PEADOPHILE is allowed to walk free and Baba Ijesha who was allegedly lured to commit the immoral act was sentenced.

The petition reads, It is a known fact that after Baba Ijeshas arrest, police began an investigation, and days after SPERM was found on the fourteen(14) year old girl which led to her confession that one DAMOLA ADEKOLA, a close ally and neighbor to Princess has been having sex with her which led to Damolas arrest and his subsequent confession too.

No part of my movie, Oko Iyabo undermines the girl child  Yomi Fabiyi (video)

The other suspect, the security in the house with the alias Okele escaped arrest. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TRIED FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW. I thought he will be presented for trial during Baba Ijeshas case but the prosecution gave excuses on why he was not on trial, meaning a POTENTIAL PEDOPHILE is allowed walking free, and Baba Ijesha who was lured to sentence.

The sad news is that he may have continued sexually exploiting the victim and unsuspecting victims who may be secretly licking their wounds. I say this because Princess Comedian confirmed in court she was aware a year before Baba Ijeshas TRAP that the duo of Damola and her house security guard Okele have been sexually abusing the same bait girl, which she sought spiritual help only for.

The danger of that is after Baba Ijeshas arrest, SEMEN was still found on the girls private, a blatant case of CHILD NEGLIGENCE punishable under the laws of Lagos State. There are so many other concerns also on the veracity of ADOPTION Princess laid claims to. I doubt if there is evidence of legal adoption yet the trial and your government let that pass too.

He who comes to EQUITY must come with CLEAN HANDS. There was also a rumor that the pregnancy was aborted twice for the girl. Respectfully, Sir, the few CHILD RIGHTS advocates in the form of NGOs, JOURNALISTS, ELITES, and CELEBRITIES who paid attention to the case appear to ignore some of these details in their reports either intentionally or through inadvertence. Sir, as an admired public officer who has the mandate of the good people of Lagos State, you are a man I value; keen, tenacious, forthright with a clear conscience.

It is my appeal that you swing to action to kindly save the girl and save human rights. Posterity will NEVER forget you. I dont want to lead any other protest or approach the court on this new development before THE RIGHT things are done in this matter, my conscience is telling me I have waited too long. May God guide the youths to the truth to know as only the truth can set Nigeria FREE. While thanking you for your prompt response and decision in this matter.

KanyiDaily recalls that Yomi Fabiyi had claimed that Baba Ijesha told him that he had a romantic affair with Princess when they were both having their separate marriage crisis.

Related
Some stalwarts of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday, attended the proceedings of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja.

Naija News reports that the PDP stalwarts accompanied the partys presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to observe the proceedings in the case filed to challenge the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

Atiku and the PDP are contesting the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

The PDP flagbearer is seeking, among other things, the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return that was issued to Tinubu by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Also, the former vice president filed an application for live coverage of the day-to-day proceedings of the election tribunal.

Some of the PDP chieftains at the tribunal include the acting National Chairman, Iliya Damagum; former chairman, Uche Secondus; former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, former Governor of Cross Rivers State, Liyel Imoke; PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologungba, former Governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna; and the partys governorship candidate in the upcoming Kogi State election, Senator Dino Melaye, among others.
Nigerians have mocked Bashir Ahmad after he listed what he claims are President Muhammadu Buharis achievements in office.

This is as the government prepares to leave power in a matter of weeks.

Ahmad who is Buharis media aide had taken to Twitter to list some of the achievements.

According to Ahmad, President Muhammadu Buhari will, among many other things, be remembered for:

1. Legislative Reform

2. Executive Orders

3. Infrastructure: Rail, Roads, Air and Sea Ports, Power, Housing, Water Resources

4. Ease of Doing Business Reforms

5. Digital Economy & Digital Identity

6. Oil and Gas reforms

7. Solid Minerals

8. Agricultural revolution

9. Social Investment and Poverty Alleviation

10. Education and Health

11. Fiscal, Trade, Monetary and Investment Reforms

12. Support to States

13. Creative Industry and Sports

14. Niger Delta Development

15. Anti-Corruption and Transparency

16. Law Enforcement, and Security and Justice Reform

17. Diplomacy and International Relations

18. Bilateral Highlights

19. International Appointments Held By Nigerians

20. Coronavirus Response

Reacting, Nigerians took to Twitter to mock him.

See comments below:

@nafiumohammad: Remove power sir, we will only remember his failure in that aspect.

@AkiimReid1: All these you mentioned were half baked and didnt work. Failed people.

@fash360degree: Above ALL, Baba Buhari showed himself as a good example that ONE CAN STILL BE AN UPRIGHT LEADER/NIGERIAN even if everybody around is a crook.

His only failing is, underestimating politicians, Overtrusting appointees with delegations. Non reshuffling of cabinet. Yet Best HoS ever.

@HalimaBetara: May Allah reward Baba Buhari with Aljannatul firdaus.

@chiukwujioke: He failed woefully in everything.

@uchesm: He will also be remembered for bringing Nigerian from Top to Bottom.

@frvzzy: Literally almost everything

Baba has done good 

Allah ya saka da Alkairi

@dr_laraba: And you will be remembered for telling series of serious lies like this one you typed to our faces, just to put food on your table. God dey Oooits well, you have only 18 days.

@Ofonmbukituh: 1  20 and massive corruption isnt included?

@DrCharlesOdogwu: Education and Health, but he is in London to see his dentist. 

Comedians

@Filio_Homo19: How does all these affect the increase in price of rice?

@FitJoe44: You forgot to add hell be remembered for traveling at every opportunity , even when its not necessary for him to travel.

@Sydneychinedu1: Education and Heath reform; but he still travel to UK for teeth treatment, I wonder why you all dont have an atom of shame in saying this.
Advertisement

Anambra State has experienced a significant bumper harvest in the last year since the arrival of the Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo administration judging by the financial resources received from federal allocated funds and the internally generated revenue [IGR].

Information available to 247ureports.com obtained from the public records of the federal government indicates the Soludo administration has set the record for receiving the highest amount of money from federal government in the history of State governments in Anambra State.

Between March 2022 when the Soludo administration took over the mantle of leadership and December 2022, the State government received a total sum of N61.6billion as FAAC for the 10months of March to December 2022 as shown in Figure-1 above. This is while the twenty one [21] local government areas [LGAs] of Anambra received a total sum of N44.5billion for the same period as shown Figure-2 below.

Within the same period of 10months, the State government earned N27.6billion in IGR at an averaged monthly IGR of N2.76billion.

In summative terms, the state government received a total of N133.7billion in 10months [N27.6billion plus N61.6billion plus 27.6billion].

A breakdown of the funds reveals that Anambra State government, for the first time in the history of Anambra State, received a sum of N4.25billion as part of the 13% crude oil derivative disbursed to crude oil producing States. Anambra state began receiving the 13% derivative fund in July 2022 with a disbursement of N573.6million.

Within the same period, the Anambra government received over N1.7billion in ecological funds  originating from N942million which was disbursed to the State as FAAC and another N788million disbursed to the twenty-one LGAs through FAAC.



See below for the links to the FAAC files.

Disbursement April, 2022

Disbursement September, 2022

Disbursement August, 2022

Disbursement December, 2022 (1)

Disbursement July, 2022

Disbursement June, 2022

Disbursement March, 2022 (2)

Disbursement May, 2022 (4)

Disbursement November, 2022

Disbursement October, 2022

Related

Advertisement
Spread the love

CFAO Motors, a leading distributor of mobility products and services in Nigeria, has announced a major milestone in the automobile industry. The company has been appointed as an official distributor of Toyota vehicles in Nigeria, effective immediately.

This appointment positions CFAO Motors as the second official distributor of Toyota vehicles in the country, and reinforces the companys commitment to providing high-quality mobility solutions to its customers.

Toyota is a globally recognized brand, known for its durable, reliable, and high-performance vehicles. With CFAO Motors now officially appointed as a distributor of Toyota vehicles in Nigeria, customers can expect to have access to a wide range of Toyota cars, pick-up, and SUVs that will cater to their transportation needs and aftersales service.

The appointment of CFAO Motors as an official Toyota distributor in Nigeria is a testament to the companys long-standing reputation for excellence and commitment to customer satisfaction.

READ ALSO: CFAO Motors DMD, Jaiyesimi, laments precarious situation of Nigerias auto sector

In a statement released by CFAO Motors, the company expressed its excitement over the partnership and its readiness to provide Nigerians with access to Toyota vehicles that meet their expectations in terms of quality, durability, and affordability.

Boye Ajayi, the Business Head of Toyota by CFAO Nigeria said, We are proud to be appointed as an official distributor of Toyota vehicles in Nigeria. This partnership with Toyota is a testament to our commitment to providing Nigerians with world-class mobility solutions that meet their needs and expectations.

The CFAO Group boasts the largest automotive distribution network on the continent and is a key distributor of Toyota in 37 countries. As a subsidiary of Toyota Tsusho Corporation, CFAO is the corporations African division and platform for business development on the continent. Together, CFAO and TTC leverage their synergistic culture and long-term outlook to tackle new challenges in Africa.

After 120 years of operation in Nigeria, CFAO Nigeria is thrilled to introduce Toyota by CFAO. This new appointment is sure to bring excitement and opportunities for growth to the automobile industry in Nigeria.
Spread the love

Mike Ozekhome, senior counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has told the Supreme Court that he is scared that his client might die in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Speaking on Thursday during the hearing of Kanus case, Ozekhome told the apex court that the IPOB leader is very sick and requires a surgical operation.

The lawyer asked the court to rule in favour of the transfer of Kanu from DSS custody to Kuje correctional centre so that he can begin treatment.

My Lords, Nnamdi Kanu is sick, he has been approved for surgery but they have refused to release him for treatment, BBC News Pidgin quoted Ozekhome as saying.

We are pleading for him to be transferred from DSS custody to Kuje correctional centre so that he can begin treatment like others. Hes getting really sick, Im scared he may die in the custody of DSS. Dead bodies are not prosecuted.

READ ALSO: Abia state University appoints Ozekhome Visiting Professorship

Reacting to Ozekhomes plea, the apex court said God will keep the IPOB leader alive and that he will not die in detention.

The court said even if it proceeds to hear the appeal, there is no space within its calendar to write and deliver the verdict within the 90-day deadline.

Nnamdi Kanu will not die in detention. God will keep him alive and his blood wont be in your hands, the court said.

The apex court added that the court will hear all the motions in the case on the resumption of hearing on September 14.

The IPOB leader has been in DSS since he was brought back from Kenya on June 19, 2021.

Subsequently, the federal government filed terrorism charges against Kanu.

On April 8 2022, Binta Nyako, a federal high court judge in Abuja, struck out eight of the 15 counts in the charge.

Advertisement



The remaining seven counts were later quashed by the court of appeal on October 13, 2022.

On October 28, 2022, the court of appeal granted a stay of execution on its verdict which discharged Kanu of terrorism charges filed against him by the federal government.

Kanu and his lawyers are at the Supreme Court to appeal the verdict of the court of appeal.
A new batch of Nigerians evacuated from the war torn Sudan on Thursday arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on board Tarco Aviation aircraft. The aircraft was said to have flown 126 evacuees, all students from Port Sudan, and landed in Nigeria at 12:25pm.

The Nigerian evacuees were said to be guided to fill the returnee registration forms administered to them by federal government officials.

The federal agencies that received the returnees on arrival include NEMA, NIDCOM, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Nigeria Immigration Service.

Others include operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and the military.

It was disclosed that the federal government has evacuated over 2,000 Nigerians from Sudan since the outbreak of war in the country.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said to have indicated that about 500 Nigerians are still awaiting airlift in Sudan.
The Federal Government said on Thursday that it would spend N22.4 billion on feeding inmates in Correctional centres across the country.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore stated this during a two-day high conference on decongesting and corrections management in Abuja.

Belgore explained that there has been a steady rise in the population of inmates at the custodial centres with at least 80 per cent of them awaiting trials.

According to him, there are 244 custodial centres nationwide with a 75,507-inmate population, thereby leading to 82 of them becoming overcrowded.

He noted that the total number of male inmates stands at 73,821 and 1,686 female inmates.

Out of the 75,507 inmates, 52,436 are awaiting trial while 23,071 are convicted individuals with 3,322 condemned inmates on death row.

He said the fund is budgeted for in the 2023 Appropriation Act, noting government was concerned about issues relating to the decongestion of correctional facilities in the country.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
The Independent National Electoral Commission said that the publication of the list and personal particulars of candidates for Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi State governorship polls will take place on Friday.

This was contained in a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC, Festus Okoye on Thursday.

According to the statement, all 18 political parties nominated candidates for the Kogi Governorship election and 17 parties for Bayelsa and Imo States.

The statement read Nigerians may recall that on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, the Commission released the timetable and schedule of activities for the three off-cycle Governorship elections in Bayelsa, lmo and Kogi states held on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

Related News

Political parties conducted their primaries as required by law and uploaded the names and personal particulars of their candidates and running mates to the INEC candidate nomination portal by the deadline of 6.00 pm on May 5, 2023.

All the political parties sponsoring candidates for the three elections have submitted the duly completed Forms EC9 containing personal particulars supported by sworn affidavits as well as EC9B containing the names of their candidates.

As required by section 29 (3) of the Electoral Act 2022, the Commission shall publish the personal particulars of the candidates in the State Headquarters and Local Government offices in the three states on Friday, May 12, 2023.

We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the list. In particular, any aspirant who participated in their partys primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination at the Federal High Court as provided in section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, before leaving office on May 29.

The President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu made the appeal on Thursday while speaking at the flag-off of the pre-dredging of Oguta Lake  Orashi River in Imo State witnessed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Iwuanyanwu told Osinbajo to tell Buhari to have mercy on Kanu and release him before leaving office in two weeks time, stressing that Igbos have no reason to leave the country.

He said; Please, finally, our Vice President, tell our brother and son, Buhari, that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the over 60 million Igbos request that he should release Nnamdi Kanu.

President Buhari should do it before he departs office on May 29th, 2023, the Igbo nation will be very grateful if that is done.

Igbos are not seceding. I dont see why anybody will say Igbos are seceding. Igbos are everywhere. We have investments. Are we going to leave our investments?

I would like the vice president, when you go, tell Buhari we are very grateful. When he took office we were not happy, we complained. But today, at the point of departure, things have changed.

I can see that in most states a lot has been done. Here in Imo state, a lot has been done for us. So, I would like you to tell our son, Buhari, that we are very grateful. And I want Buhari to realize that he is an Igbo son, an honorary Igbo man.

He has been honoured by some Igbo states. I think Imo State has honoured him, and Ebonyi has honoured him. Chieftancy title in Igbo land is taken very seriously. You have to help us tell Buhari that he is an Igbo son, he is a member of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo by this honour given to him and what I am speaking here today, I am also speaking on his behalf.

We are very grateful for what he has done, but before he goes, whatever he can do to bring this project to succeed will be highly appreciated, the Ohanaeze added.

KanyiDaily recalls that Nnamdi Kanus lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had expressed fear that the IPOB leader might die in DSS custody because he is very sick and requires a surgical operation.

Related
Uche Maduagwu, who stated this on his Instagram page, was reacting to a video shared on Yul Edochies Facebook page where Judy Austin was seen giving thanks to God for loving her and helping her through her pregnancy.

The video had triggered outrage among her fellow celebrities who termed her child birth testimony as troubling and insensitive considering that Yul Edochies second wife, May, is still mourning the death of her son, Kambilichukwu.

In a new post, Uche Maduagwu condemned Judy Austins recent videos, where she was seen praising God and quoting scriptures to justify how much of a good person she is, and how God loves her so much.

The actor said AGN should have suspended Yul Edochie and Judy Austin when the organisation discovered that they were dating, to curb other upcoming actresses from going into relationships with their married colleagues.

Quoting the Holy #Bible after getting BELLE for Married man and letting him pay your #Bride Price Na highest Level of spiritual Confusion. So you Finally Mistake Marrying a #Married man as God #Blessing you despite his 1st IYAWO continuous unhappiness. With all these insensitive #videos you doing, from Thanksgiving to now claiming Gods Blessing, Aunty IJELE have you forgotten his 1st IYAWO still Dey MOURN her Pikin? Is this Fair?

I have never seen Married Bankers giving Colleague BELLE and still work in the same Bank, so why do #Nollywood accept this? Is #Acting no longer a respected profession like Banking? AGN suppose Don suspend you and him from acting before he paid your Bride Price to deter other Upcoming Actresses from Following Married colleagues, he said.

KanyiDaily recalls that Uche Maduagwu had asked veteran actor, Pete Edochie, to caution his son, Yul Edochie, against endorsing the behavior of Judy Austin.

Related
Advertisement

By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri

The Lagos State Government has arraigned the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate in Lagos, Frederick Nwajago, for alleged terrorism.

The monarch was arraigned before the state high court sitting Tafawa Balewa Square on nine counts.

Nwajago, was accused of attempt to do acts of terrorism, participation in terrorism, meeting to support a proscribed entity, attempt to finance an act of terrorism and preparation to commit an act of terrorism, preferred against him by the state government.

Newsmen gathered that Nwajagu was arrested on April 1 following a viral video, in which he threatened to invite members of the Indigenous People of Biafra to Lagos to secure properties of Igbo people living in the state.

In the49-second viral video, Nwajago was heard saying, IPOB, we will invite them. They have no job. All of the IPOB will protect all of our shops. And we have to pay them. We have to mobilise for that. We have to do that. We must have our security so that they will stop attacking us at midnight, in the morning, and in the afternoon.

When they discover that we have our security before they will come, they will know that we have our men there. I am not saying a single word to be hidden. I am not hiding my words, let my words go viral. Igbo must get their right and get a stand in Lagos State.

However, the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, reacting to his statements, said the command would resist IPOB presence in the state.

However, the monarch has been taken before the Lagos State Magistrates Court in Yaba, which made an order that he should be remanded in the prison custody.

He was on Tuesday taken before Justice Yetunde Adesanya, where he was arraigned by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.

A Deputy Director in the Ministry of Justice, Jonathan Ogunsanya, who represented the Attorney General of Lagos State, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo, told the court that the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate violated the provision of sections 403(2) and 12(c), 18, 21, 29 & 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022.

When the charges were to him, the defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.

The matter have been adjourned till July 4 for commencement of trial.

Related

Advertisement
Advertisement

BY SULE TAHIR

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrest, and quizz former minister of power, Sale Mamman in connection with an alleged N22 billion fraud.

Mamman, who was minister under President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2021, was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

The arrest is said to be in connection with the Commissions ongoing investigation into an alleged corruption in the execution of some power projects.

Specifically, Mamman is alleged to have conspired with staff of the Ministry in charge of the accounts of the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects and diverted N22billion, which they shared amongst themselves.

The investigations have also uncovered properties in Nigeria and overseas linked to the suspects, while millions of naira and United States Dollars have been recovered.

Related

Advertisement
Advertisement

By Izunna Okafor, Awka

The saying that Hunger spares no one, came to the fore over the week, as security operatives in Anambra State recovered a variety of food items and ingredients when they invaded a camp/hideout of the Unknown Gunmen in the state.

The camp/hideout, located at Ifite village in Ogbunike, Oyi Local Government Area of the State, was invaded in the early hours of Wednesday, by police operatives attached to Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu.

According to a statement issued by the Spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, the hideout was invaded in attempt to rescue the victims abducted and held hostage by the gunmen.

He said two of the gunmen were also killed during the invasion, while a black Lexus SUV was recovered from the camp, alongside many security uniforms, including police and military camouflages.

This was corroborated by a viral video on the social media, which also shows the uniforms, charms and other items recovered from the camp.

The video also shows that the gunmen have a giant bag of garri, assorted tubbers of yams, onions, maggi, palm-oil and other food items, with which they battled hunger in the camp. They were also said to have some leftover foods in their kitchen before they met their waterloo.

Also seen in the video was a sewing machine, with which the gunmen were sewing the various security uniforms they were using for operation and impersonation to terrorize and harm defenseless citizens of the State.

Related

Advertisement
Riders of Max and Gokada, motorbike hailing services, have protested against the ban on okada in several parts of Lagos state.

The state government earlier announced its decision to implement the ban on okada and tricycle taxis in 15 local councils from February 1.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso had said Max and Gokada would be affected by the ban.

Unsatisfied with the announcement, the riders protested against the decision on Friday, saying our jobs matter.

The protesters, who include operators of Gokada and Max and a few other motorbike hailing services, staged a peaceful protest from Oregun road to Alausa secretariat in Ikeja, the state capital.

Displaying various placards, the protesters lamented the governments decision, saying okada riding is their source of livelihood.

The protesters appealed to the state government to seeks ways of regulating their services and not restrict them from operating in several parts of the state.

At a press conference, the management of Max and Gokada had said the state government did not consult them before announcing its decision to ban motorcycle taxis in selected areas across the state.

Addressing the protesters, Bisi Yusuf, a member of the state house of assembly who represents Alimosho constituency 1, said the riders would be called for meeting by the assembly.

He asked them to adhere to the law and to conduct themselves appropriately, promising that the issue would be addressed.

We will do the reasonable thing. But pending that very time, please conduct yourself the way you have done today, he said.

Now the government has made pronouncement on this issue. Kindly keep to the law until we call you back. Please we will call you back but you have to maintain the law and exhibit the same conduct which you have exhibited today.

Below are photos from the protest;
President Buhari and Atiku Bagudu

The United Kingdom government has issued another warning to President Muhammadu Buhari governments to do away with any plan to give more than $100million to Kebbi Governor, Atiku Bagudu.

The money is part of funds stolen by the late Head of State, Sani Abacha.

The U.S. and Nigeria, in early February, agreed on the repatriation of over $308million to Africas most populous nation.

A few days later, the world power accused the Nigerian government of a secret plot to give Atiku Bagudu a per cent of the money.

On Monday, Bloomberg reported that the U.K National Crime Agency has insisted that the Abacha loot belongs to the people and is opposing the Federal Republic of Nigerias application.

The motion was filed by Atiku Bagudus brother, Ibrahim, to the District Court for the District of Columbia in the U.S. capital on March 30.

The U.S. had in a statement on February 3, said the Kebbi Governor was part of Abacha network that embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) further said the Buhari administration is preventing ongoing forfeiture efforts against Atiku Bagudu.

The 2003 settlement approved by a U.K. court allowed the governor to return $163 million to Nigeria without admitting to wrongdoing, according to U.S. court filings.

In return, the federal government dropped all outstanding civil and criminal claims against him, District Judge John D. Bates noted in a December 23, 2019 memorandum opinion.

This case illustrates how complex and contentious repatriating stolen assets to Nigeria can be, Matthew Page, an associate fellow at Chatham House.

Nigerias lawyers appear to be supporting the interests of one of the countrys most powerful families, the intelligence expert added.

Successive governments have so far repatriated more than $2billion stashed abroad by Abacha.

Transparency International estimated that the late dictator stole around $5billion during his five-year rule.
Troops of 342 Artillery Regiment, while acting on credible intelligence raided a suspected kidnappers den at Ihie Community in Ohaji/Egbema LGA of Imo State where they arrested two suspects, Umah Kingsley and Miss Chukwu Happiness.

A statement from Col. Aminu Iliyasu, Nigerian Army Operations Media coordinator said, items recovered during the operation included 2 empty magazines and a locally fabricated gun.

Similarly, following the alleged murder of one Alhaji Tanko of Janda Village in Jemaa LGA of Kaduna State by unknown assailants, troops of 1 Division Garrison deployed within the area swiftly moved into the suspected crime location and arrested 2 suspects, Danladi Bisallah and Manesa Danladi with a locally fabricated rifle and 12 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition.

Also, in two separate night operations conducted by same troops at Gindin Dutse Village and Rijana Forest of Birnin Gwari and Kachia LGAs of Kaduna State respectively, 5 bandits terrorizing areas were neutralized while 3 locally-made guns were recovered from them.

The troops also rescued a 12 years old boy, Rabe Abubakar, who was kidnapped on 21st October 2019 by some bandits at Ruwan Sanyi Village close to Liberia Forest in Kubau LGA of Kaduna State.

In the course of rescueing Rabe Abubakar, one bandit was neutralised, one motorcycle belonging to the bandits was recovered while 3 other bandits were believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds.

In another development, troops of 1 Brigade Garrison raided suspected kidnappers hideout at Dogun Karfe Forest in Bakura LGA of Zamfara State. The troops however recover one AK 47 Rifle, 4 magazines and 80 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition which were abandoned by the fleeing suspects.

Similarly, troops of 16 Brigade Garrison (Main) raided a suspected kidnappers hideout at Isisiama Village in Akuku Toru LGA of Rivers State. During the operation, troops arrested one suspect and recovered 3 pairs of military camouflage uniforms, 2 Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC) Overall Suits, 5 Speed Boats, and 2 Generating sets.

Other items recovered included; one pumping machine, one power bank, 4 mobile phones, 117 Voters Cards, one boat engine and one Box Radio.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai wishes to thank all well-meaning Nigerians for their continued support and goodwill towards the Officers and men of the Nigerian Army. All law abiding citizens are requested to go about their lawful businesses without fear of molestation and intimidation, the statement said.
Penguin Project to present 'The Big One-Oh! JR.'

NORMAL  The Penguin Project of McLean County will present the musical "The Big One-Oh!" JR. at 7 p.m June 2-3 and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 3.

The show will take place at University High School's Stroud Auditorium. The musical is based on novel of the same name by Dean Pitchford about young boy who is turning 10.

The Penguin Project is a special theater program for kids and young adults with developmental disabilities, including Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual disabilites, learning disabilities, visual or hearing impariment and other disorders.

They put on a performance once a year that features a modified version of a well-known Broadway musical. The performers are joined by peer mentors, a group of young people the same age without disabilities who have volunteered to work with them side by side and guide them through four months of rehearsals and the final show.

The show is directed by Jackie Gunderson.

Visit penguinprojectmclean.org for more information.

Inside Out sets themed show for May and June

BLOOMINGTON  Inside Out Accessible Art Gallery and Cooperative announced its themed show for May and June will be "Steampunk."

It will be on display until June 17 by gallery and supporting member artists.

A variety of new art in various mediums will be on display and will include Steampunk wearable and accessories.

Most of the art will only be available during the show session.

The gallery will continue a rotation of themed shows throughout 2023.

The gallery is also seeking volunteers for their upcoming Saturday events 8:45 a.m. to noon May 27-Oct. 14. Contact mickeyb@gridcom.net for more information.

Inside Out to offer classes on Steampunk

BLOOMINGTON  The Inside Out Accessible Art Gallery will offer a series of Steampunk classes ahead of the Cogs & Corsets event in June.

Class offerings are as follows:

Steampunk Box; 6-7:30 p.m., May 11; 8+; $12, $10.80 for members.

6-7:30 p.m., May 11; 8+; $12, $10.80 for members. Steampunk Polymer Bottle; 1-2 p.m., May 13; 12+; $7, $6 for members.

1-2 p.m., May 13; 12+; $7, $6 for members. Steampunk Bracelet & Pin; 6-8 p.m., May 17; 14+; $15, $13.50 for members.

6-8 p.m., May 17; 14+; $15, $13.50 for members. Steampunk Goggles; 6-8 p.m., May 19; 8+; $12, $10.80 for members.

6-8 p.m., May 19; 8+; $12, $10.80 for members. Steampunk Cuff; 12:30-2 p.m., May 20; 8+; $12, $10.80 for members.

12:30-2 p.m., May 20; 8+; $12, $10.80 for members. Steampunk Top Hat; 6-8 p.m., May 24; 8+; $18, $16.20 for memebers.

6-8 p.m., May 24; 8+; $18, $16.20 for memebers. Steampunk Polymer Pen; 1-3 p.m., May 27; 12+; $15, $13.50 for members.

1-3 p.m., May 27; 12+; $15, $13.50 for members. Steampunk Mask; 6-8 p.m., May 31; 8+; $10, $9 for members.

Those who are interested in signing up can register at insideoutcoop.org. It is asked that participants sign up at least one week prior to the start of the class to give instructors ample time to prepare equipment and supplies.

Heartland seeks theater directors

NORMAL  Heartland Theatre Company is currently seeking directors.

Applications can be submitted through Monday, May 15 at heartlandtheatre.org/directing-at-heartland/.

Visit heartlandtheatre.org or contact 309-452-8709, or boxoffice@heartlandtheatre.org for more information.

Inside Out Gallery offers art classes

BLOOMINGTON  The Inside Out Accessible Art Gallery & Cooperative have announced their current class schedules for the month of May and throughout the summer.

Class offerings are as follows:

Acrylic Pour Party; 10 a.m.-12 p.m., May 13; 12+; $30, $27 for members.

10 a.m.-12 p.m., May 13; 12+; $30, $27 for members. LGBTQIA+ Steampunk Mask; 1:30-2:30 p.m. for teens and 3-4 p.m. for adults, May 21; free, donations accepted.

1:30-2:30 p.m. for teens and 3-4 p.m. for adults, May 21; free, donations accepted. Bloom Acrylic Pour; 1-3 p.m., June 10; 12+; $30, $27 for members.

1-3 p.m., June 10; 12+; $30, $27 for members. LGBTQIA+ Bubble Watercolor; 1:30-2:30 p.m. for teens and 3-4 p.m. for adults, June 11; free, donations accepted.

1:30-2:30 p.m. for teens and 3-4 p.m. for adults, June 11; free, donations accepted. Alcohol INk Tiles; 1:30-3 p.m., June 17; 14+; $15, $12 for members.

1:30-3 p.m., June 17; 14+; $15, $12 for members. Pour Your Best; 1-3 p.m., July 8; 12+; $30, $27 for members.

1-3 p.m., July 8; 12+; $30, $27 for members. LGBTQIA+ Alcohol Ink Projects; 1:30-2:30 p.m. for for teens and 3-4 p.m. for adults, July 16; free; donations accepted.

Visit insideoutcoop.org to register.

There will also be a "Paint with Me Flamingo" class offered through Bloomington Parks & Recreation from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 27. The cost $35 per pair or $20 per extra child.

Visit bloomingtonparks.org to register.

'Canvas & Cocktails' set for May 19

SPRINGFIELD  The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum will host "Canvas & Cocktails" on Friday, May 19.

The event is made possible by the ALPLM and the Springfield Art Association.

They will provide several images to stimulate the artists, which are a part of the museum's newest exhibit, "Here I Have Lived: Home in Illinois." Guests can choose from Springfield images, such as the Lincoln home and the Dana-Thomas House, or paintings like "Christina's World" and "American Gothic."

An instructor from the art association will be at the event to assist attendees.

Complimentary snacks will be provided. Beer, wine, and soft drinks will be available for purchase. No outside food or drinks will be allowed.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event begins at 6:30 p.m. and lasts two hours.

Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased at presidentlincoln.illinois.gov/events.
NORMAL  A local filmmaker's first feature film, nearly two years in the making and shot primarily in Livingston County, will premiere on the big screen Friday night.

The film, "Hunting for the Hag," will be unveiled at 7 p.m. Friday at the Normal Theater, 209 W. North St. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and a Q&A with the cast and crew will follow the film.

Tickets cost $7 for adults and $5 for students, and can be bought online at www.normaltheater.com or at the door.

Paul A. Brooks, director and co-writer, originally from Streator, said the idea came about in 2020 during the pandemic, when a previously planned project was derailed and he decided to use the time he had to make a found footage film.

"Found footage is this subgenre that tends to be more forgiving than some other styles out there, and so it allowed us to write a script really quick and shoot everything pretty fast," said Brooks, 44, who now lives in Normal. "We shot most of the movie in about a week and it allowed us to make some mistakes within the context of the film."

The film follows a group of three women who are making a documentary as part of a college class project. The students travel from Chicago down to a fictional town in Central Illinois, called "Hawthorne," to capture footage of a legend called the "Hawthorne Hag," Brooks said.

Brooks and his co-writer, Sierra Renfro, took some inspiration from the 2016 sequel of the "Blair Witch Project," Nicolas Cage's 2018 film "Mandy," and a 2005 British horror film called "The Descent," which follows six women who embark on a caving expedition and have to survive against humanoid creatures.

"There's multiple parts of the movie that I wanted to try and recreate, as well as the fact that it's such a large female cast," said Renfro, 28, of Los Angeles, who also plays one the three female lead roles, named "Candy." "I think with 'Hunting for the Hag' having three main leads as the girls, and really seeing their perspective the entire time and keeping that thread of feminism, was important for me."

Renfro, along with co-stars Jasmine Williams, who plays Tara, and Alexa Maris, who plays Beth, all flew out to Central Illinois to film the project in August 2021, with most scenes being shot in a home west of Pontiac. Months of additional filming, editing and post-production followed, with the finishing touches being completed just last week.

Other shooting locations included Humiston Woods and a local gas station in Pontiac, as well as the Hoffman House in Fairbury, which also was where the cast lodged overnight, Brooks said.

Williams, 27, originally from Waukegan but now living in Los Angeles, said it was an intense shoot with most scenes taking place at night, but overall it was a incredible experience to work with people she knows, and also to become friends with others she had never worked with before.

"I really hope that people can see the friendship in the film and the love for each other and for their passions," Williams said. "Each character has a very specific personality and their passions are so aligned with who they are, so I hope people can walk away feeling empathy for these people and just that overall sense of friendship."

Although Maris, 26, of Los Angeles, had never been to Illinois, she said she was excited to experience this part of the Midwest. She added she was intrigued by the element of isolation while shooting scenes in the cornfields and on a campground.

With only a week to shoot a majority of the scenes, the production felt like a whirlwind, Maris said, but everyone involved was determined to create the film.

"The process of filming was a whirlwind because we didn't have a lot of time, but it was great and the entire cast of people involved was just ready to make it happen," said Maris. "I would love to see people be scared and genuinely have a reaction to our 'hag.'"

Brooks' friends Nathan Brandon Gaik, who plays the hag; Thomas A. Jackson, who plays Ray; and Steve Christopher, who plays Clint; have all worked together on previous film projects.

"It was good luck because I just called everybody individually and asked them to do it," Brooks said. "I got my first round draft picks for every character in the movie, really."

Gaik said he had not worked on films with Brooks before, but when he got the call about the role, his answer was clear.

"I've loved horror movies since I was a kid and as soon as I heard about the role, I knew I couldn't turn it down," said Gaik, 44, of Bloomington. "It's been a great experience to work with everyone, and I'm excited to see it."

Christopher, 58, of Peoria, said he has only seen a rough cut of the film, but was impressed with some of the visual tricks used to make scenes feel more novel and unique to the viewer.

"You want them to laugh when you want them to laugh, and you want them to jump or scream when you're expecting it," he said. "I can't say any more without spoiling it."

Jackson said the production of the film was astounding given the amount of time they had, and he loved working with the other actors and witnessing their performances, especially the three female leads.

"They're going places, and I feel privileged to have had a chance to work with them," said Jackson, 58, from LeRoy. "They're such great professional performers, and I'm sure people are gonna see it on the screen."

Brooks and his executive producer, Seth Chromick, also flew out to Los Angeles to shoot additional scenes with actor Daniel Roebuck, who has been featured in films like "The Fugitive" and "Getting Grace," as well as multiple Rob Zombie films, including "The Munsters."

Overall, Brooks said he wants people to have fun with the film and be entertained by it, because if they are, then it means he has done his job.

"Just getting my friends together to make something, that's kind of the key to me having a good time," Brooks said. "Like when you're younger and you're making a movie just on a home video camera, that's the vibe that I try to incorporate, so that everybody is out having a good time with it."

Brooks said the film is unrated, but it is recommended only for adults, as it is a horror film.

Following Friday's premiere, Brooks said he will work to find a home for the film via streaming or physical media. He said he may host another showing at the Normal Theater or another local theater.

Audience members will be able to buy merchandise related to the film, including trading cards of the three lead actors.

Cast & Crew Cast: Jasmine Williams as Tara Alexa Maris as Beth Sierra Renfro as Candy Daniel Roebuck as Lawyer Thomas A. Jackson as Ray Steve Christopher as Clint Paul A. Brooks as Danny Nora McKirdie as Alyssa Nathan Brandon Gaik as The Hag Crew: Seth Chromick as Executive Producer Eric Chromick as Executive Producer Linda Chromick as Executive Producer Ryan Aldrich with Original Score Aleah Kraft as Make-up & Effects Artist

25 of the best horror movies based on true stories 'Based on a true story' #25. 'The Strangers' (2008) #24. 'The Hills Have Eyes' (1977) #23. 'The Serpent and the Rainbow' (1988) #22. 'The Mothman Prophecies' (2002) #21. 'The Clovehitch Killer' (2018) #20. 'Lords of Chaos' (2018) #19. 'The Snowtown Murders' (2011) #18. 'The Entity' (1982) #17. 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' (2005) #16. 'From Hell' (2001) #15. 'Ravenous' (1999) #14. 'Shadow of the Vampire' (2000) #13. 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer' (1986) #12. 'Cold Fish' (2010) #11. 'Angst' (1983) #10. 'Monster' (2003) #9. 'Poltergeist' (1982) #8. 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' (1974) #7. 'Scream' (1996) #6. 'The Conjuring' (2013) #5. 'Zodiac' (2007) #4. 'The Exorcist' (1973) #3. 'Jaws' (1975) #2. 'Psycho' (1960) #1. 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)
BLOOMINGTON  The case against Michael Bakana is very straightforward, prosecutors said Wednesday, as Bakana's murder trial began while law enforcement continued to search for the missing defendant.

Authorities said the 44-year-old Normal man was out on bond when he cut off his GPS monitoring bracelet and disappeared shortly before his trial was scheduled to begin Monday, prompting the delay that led to opening statements taking place Wednesday.

Evidence in the case will show an argument turned to murder, a murder that you will see with your very own eyes, said Assistant States Attorney David Fitt in his opening statement. Where standing at the intersection of Main Street and Mulberry Street in downtown Bloomington is a Bloomington public safety camera that captures the entire shooting.

Bakana is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated battery in the fatal shooting of Mariah C. Petracca, 22, on Jan. 30, 2021. He is also accused of firing on her friend, Bibianna Cornejo, who survived with permanent nerve damage and multiple bullet wounds.

Fitt said Bakana and the women argued after the women were kicked out of Daddios Bar for dancing on a stage they were not supposed to be on.

He said the evidence will show that during the argument, Petracca pushed Bakana away, and in response, he fired 10 shots total at two drunk girls. Two of those shots were fired at Cornejo after both women were on the ground, the prosecutor said.

Bibianna miraculously survives, despite her extensive injuries, but not without permanent harm, not without disfigurement, Fitt said. ... Mariah Petracca was not so lucky. She was shot four times  three times in the back; she dies bleeding on the sidewalk.

Bakanas attorney, Sean Brown, told the jury that the evidence will show Bakana was outnumbered, outsized and the women were spewing profanities and racial epithets at him.

Brown said the violence began with the women, not the defendant.

Fear was struck into the heart and mind of Michael Bakana that night, he said. ... Youre going to learn that this is a case about what happens when alcohol, hatred and violence turn into tragedy.

He said Cornejo swatted at Bakanas phone before Petracca grabs him, throws him against a brick wall. The force with which she threw him was so strong that he actually spun and did a 360 when he hit the wall face first.

It was immediately at that point that Michael Bakana then pulled out the firearm, and thats when tragedy struck, Brown said.

Cornejo testified Wednesday about going out that night, but she said she didnt remember more than bits and pieces because they had been drinking and it happened more than two years ago.

Cornejo said she remembered arguing with someone because she thought they were putting their phone in her face and trying to record her.

I just remember like a small flashback of feeling some type of pain in my back, then everything just kind of goes blank again, she said, adding that she recalled someone afterward telling her to stay awake.

She woke up in Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, where her wounds were treated, including a skin graft, nerve and tendon transfers and metal plates and screws, she said.

Cornejo showed her arm to the jury, exhibiting the limits of her range of motion and scarring that remains, as well as scarring on her side.

Colton Parchert, now a Missouri resident, also testified Wednesday. He said he saw the shooting from across the street and ran toward it to try to help.

He said he held Bakana down while they waited for police to arrive.

By the time I was approaching that side of the street, he had gotten down on his knees or was starting to kneel and put his hands in the air, and I grabbed his arms, he said. ... The whole time he kept saying, Oh my gosh, what did I just do.  He kept saying it; thats all I remember him saying.

Parchert said Bakana had dropped the gun very very quickly and did not fight against him.

Deputy Seth Wiseman, who responded to the scene first from the McLean County Sheriffs Office, also said Bakana was compliant with authorities at the scene.

Later in the day, one juror was excused after he reported not feeling well during the testimony. He was replaced by an alternate juror.

Judge Casey Costigan ruled on Tuesday that the trial would continue without Bakana present, citing multiple factors that had already delayed the case.

State law allows defendants to be tried without being present  "in absentia" is the legal term  but it is not clear how often that happens in McLean County.

William Scanlon, trial court administrator for the 11th Judicial Circuit, said he was unaware whether any other local murder trials had gone forward without the defendant present, but other types of felony cases have.

"We do not track cases where this occurs," Scanlon said.

Prior to Monday's proceedings, Bakana's bond had been set at $2 million with 10% to apply and he was released in October, having paid $200,000 plus fees to be let out. His bond was reduced by $50,000 in March to pay a portion of Bakana's contract with his legal representation.

Attorney Clyde Guilamo, who joined Brown in representing Bakana, previously said he was working with his client's family to find Bakana and get him to court.

He disputed the police description that said Bakana should be considered "armed and dangerous," noting that his client did not have a record of prior violent offenses and had to surrender any guns as a condition of his bond.
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 11, 1923: It is a frequent experience of the housekeeper to run across a device for saving time. Mrs. John McKinney of Clinton has perfected two such devices and has had them patented. One is a belt for holding a blouse and skirt together, and the other is a bedding protector.

75 years ago

May 11, 1948: Radio television fans in the Bloomington area can expect to begin receiving some sort of semi-commercial television broadcasts in their homes by 1950, according to Roger Brooks, who has been conducting experiments in television reception in the Minonk area since last August.

50 years ago

May 11, 1973: The prospect of a settlement in the near future between Bloomington and its 68 striking employees appeared dim Friday. The first negotiating session since the strike began May 1 broke off about 2:30 p.m. with little progress reported.

25 years ago

May 11, 1998: A proposal being floated in Springfield would slap a 75-cent-per-month surcharge on cellular emergency calls, which comprise an increasing number of the emergency calls to 911 telephone systems throughout the state. For instance, in McLean County, 10 to 15% of all emergency calls are made from cellular phones, and the director of the county's 911 telephone system estimates the surcharge could bring in $187,000 annually.

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'
BLOOMINGTON  Local letter carriers will pickup food left at mailboxes on Saturday as part of the 31st annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

The drive is the nation's largest in a single day. It is sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers.

NALC Branch 522 will lead the drive in Bloomington-Normal and pick up food along city routes.

Post office customers are encouraged to leave nonperishable food or sanitary items in a bag by the mailbox. The items will go to Midwest Food Bank for distribution to area food pantries.

The drive has collected over 1.82 billion pounds of food over the past 31 years.

Watch the fun from MIRA's 2nd Annual Derby Karen Stailey-Lander, Michelle Gudgel, Jana Mortimer Rhendy Bradshaw, Xavier Cruz Jessica Sigler, Carrie Tinucci-Troll, Samantha Walden, Grace Nichols Garrett VonDerHeide, Amy Miller, Brandon Shaffer, Amanda Wycoff-Neaves, Ed Neaves Jackie Jackson, Diane Cote, Meenu Bhaskar Kathi and Robert Miller, Morgan Wilson, Karen Wilson Amanda Willette, Carrie and Dennis Stevenson Kristen Haas-Oliver, Brian Riley, Tracy Haas-Riley Cheryl Magnuson, Jessica and Steve Devore Randy Clark Marie Denzer-Farley, Amy Glasscock Jim and Abby Spachman Kindi and Anne Bliss Derby Race Jessica Devore, Tracy Patkunas Amanda Willette, Caroline Bird Dan Kniery, Tom Krieger Dan Slagell, Tina Marlett Valerie Hutchfield, Kathy DiCiaula, Valerie Curry Derby Race Suzi Nafziger, Sandy Vick
ST. PAUL, Minn.  A federal appeals court on Wednesday affirmed the conviction of the leader of an Illinois antigovernment militia who was sentenced to 53 years in prison for masterminding the 2017 bombing of a Minnesota mosque, an attack that terrified the local Muslim community.

A three-judge panel rejected all the legal arguments raised by Emily Claire Hari. Her attorneys argued that the key federal law involved  which pertains to damaging religious property and the free exercise of religion  was invalid because it exceeded Congress' authority.

The court also rejected Hari's claim that prosecutors violated attorney-client privilege when authorities seized two pages of notes from Hari's cell during a shakedown.

No one was hurt in the bombing of the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center, but more than a dozen members of the mosque community gave victim impact statements about the trauma they felt. Judge Donovan Frank said at sentencing that the evidence clearly showed an intent to "scare, intimidate and terrorize individuals of Muslim faith."

Several men were at Dar al-Farooq for early morning prayers on Aug. 5, 2017, when a pipe bomb was thrown through the window of an imam's office. A seven-month investigation led authorities to the rural Ford County community of Clarence, where Hari and co-defendants Michael McWhorter and Joe Morris lived.

Authorities say Hari led a small group called the White Rabbits that included McWhorter, Morris and others and that Hari came up with the plan to attack the mosque. Prosecutors said at trial that Hari was motivated by hatred for Muslims.

McWhorter and Morris each pleaded guilty to five counts and testified for the prosecution. Michael McWhorter was sentenced to just under 16 years in prison while Morris got about 14 years.

Hari's attorney said in a filing during the proceedings that gender dysphoria fueled her "inner conflict," saying she wanted to transition from male to female but knew she would be ostracized, so she formed a "rag-tag group of freedom fighters." But prosecutors said gender dysphoria was no excuse.

Hari is incarcerated at a federal prison in Oklahoma that houses male and female prisoners. After a review, the Biden administration last year updated Bureau of Prisons policies to restore Obama-era protections for transgender inmates, undoing a rollback ordered during the Trump administration.

20 wanted fugitives from Illinois prisons EVANS, TRAVON ROMERO, MICHAEL MYLES, ALFRED WITHERSPOON, ISAIH PALOMINO, FERNANDO GONZALEZ, JULIO CARRASCO, MARIO SCOTT, MASSI CORTEZ-VERDUSCO, BLADIMIR COATS, CARRIE SHAFFER, AISHEF BROCK, ADAM HEBRON, ALBERT SCOTT, LARRY FIELDS, LAVAR MANCILLA, ELIU V. SALGADO, EFRAIN POLK, DARRIOUS WHITE, DON C. JR JOHNSON, JAMES E.
Ghanas largest privately-owned bank, Fidelity Bank Ghana has partnered with the Lafferty Group to host the first 2023 meeting for the Retail Banking Council Africa. The prestigious members-only Council which saw numerous presentations and panel discussions on the theme, Driving Free Trade in Africa  How financial services can contribute to Digital Trade, took place on 3rdand 4th May at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.



The Council meeting brought together distinguished business leaders and academics, top African bankers and payments professionals to deliberate on contemporary developments within the Banking, Finance and Payments space. The 2-Day event co-facilitated by the Lafferty Group and Fidelity Bank Ghana forms part of Retail Banking Council Africas forward-looking agenda to support the expansion of retail banking across the continent with a view towards serving people and small businesses, and ultimately helping to drive free trade between African countries.



In attendance at the Council Meeting held in Accra were officials from the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Ghana and the Office of Diasporian Affairs at the Presidency, along with representation from GhIPSS, as well as C-suite executives from Africas top banks and FinTechs. Discussions and case studies arising from the Council theme touched on talking points such as Ghanas success in driving interoperability between banks and mobile money businesses as well as the ongoing success story of Fidelity Bank Ghana in championing Financial Inclusion primarily through the establishment of widespread agency banking networks.



In his keynote remarks on the opening day of the Council, Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Ghana, Julian Opuni, acknowledged the instrumental role that Banks, Fintechs and other allied businesses in the Banking and Finance value chain play in unearthing the enormous potential of Africas economy and driving business growth across the continent. He averred, The rapid proliferation and increasing sophistication of digital tech in finance and beyond, coupled with significant shifts in regional and global economic policy such as the landmark African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), suggest that we may be approaching a watershed moment in Africa. This may well be Africas moment to emerge as a potent economic power on the world stage. However, this expectation will remain an alluring dream without a concerted and integrated effort from leaders and stakeholders in key industries such as ours to leverage on these developments and propel Africa towards the realization of its immense potential.



Divisional Director of Retail Banking at Fidelity Bank Ghana, Nana Esi Idun-Arkhurst also reiterated these sentiments in her opening submissions on Day 2 of the Council meeting session. She remarked, It is from proactive engagements, conversations and bonding activities such as these Council meetings that powerful relationships and ideas are activated to seize the business opportunities of today and tomorrow, to create meaningful opportunities for individuals and small businesses, and ultimately to transform the world for the better. In an era where digital technology provides a real means to circumnavigate long-standing geographical and market barriers, we are presented with a unique opportunity to collaborate and innovate to extend financial services and solutions across Africa and create life-changing opportunities particularly for women, youth and other marginalised groups.



Dr Ronan Lynch, director at Lafferty Group, co-hosts of the Council Meeting in Accra also asserted that the Retail Banking Council Africa is an incredibly dynamic Council and a platform for the propagation of pragmatic banking solutions for real people. He said, Banks are working with fintechs and mobile money companies in Africa in a way that doesnt happen elsewhere. Mobile wallet use is tremendous. But the real goals are to help more small and medium businesses to do business between African countries along with the broader international markets. In this respect, the Councils work is very practical: when banks can move money freely without those payments going through New York, London or Paris, thats going to keep a lot more value locally and help local banks and payments businesses develop.



This year, Retail Banking Council Africa celebrates its ninth year of supporting the development of retail banking across Africa. Established in 2015 by Lafferty Group in association with a core group of African retail banks, the Council has since held meetings in Cape Town (South Africa), Nairobi (Kenya), Stellenbosch (South Africa), Lagos (Nigeria), and Port Louis (Mauritius).



For this years council, the Lafferty Group partnered with Fidelity Bank, a continentally acclaimed innovation leader and pace-setter in the Financial Inclusion sphere which currently enjoys the distinction as the Best Bank in West Africa from the prestigious African Banker awards. With their mutual commitment towards driving change in Africa and impacting real lives through practical initiatives and digital innovation, the partners together with other council members look forward to spearheading other joint initiatives to advance intra and inter-continental trade by harnessing strategic partnerships vis-a-vis the power of digital technology.

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
The Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Arts and Culture, Hon. Mark Okraku Mantey, has urged the leadership of ECKANKAR Ghana to use the Spiritual ECK AFRICAN SOUL ADVENTURE SEMINAR 2023 to boost tourist opportunities the seminar will present as part of efforts to sell Ghana's most beautiful tourist sites.



The Minister, further admonished ECKANKAR Ghana and all ECKists, to also use the opportunity to woo investors and explore new business opportunities at the Seminar slated to come off in August.



"During the Seminar, some will come to Ghana as religious tourists and then end up coming back as businessmen so we encourage ECKANKAR Ghana to let them know of the opportunities that exist in Ghana for them to come and do business with us," he said.



Hon. Mark Okraku Mantey was addressing the official launch of the ECK AFRICAN SOUL ADVENTURE SEMINAR 2023 at the Temple of ECK in Accra on Tuesday.



According to the Minister, it is part of President Akufo-Addo's vision to make tourism a major contributor to Ghana's GDP.



Ghana is hosting this years edition of the ECK AFRICAN SOUL ADVENTURE SEMINAR scheduled to hold from the 25th to 27th of August 2023 for the 2nd time since 2012.



The event comes off at the Temple of ECK Ghana at Okponglo East Legon, located next to the Erata Hotel.



"Tell your guests and participants about Ghana's beautiful beaches, Forests, Restaurants and hospitality services, Castles and Forts to promote our tourism sector," he admonished ECKANKAR Ghana.



Hon. Mark Okraku Mantey, against this background, assured that the Ministry of Tourism led by Hon. Mohammed Ibrahim Awal remains committed to lending its support to ECKANKAR Ghana ahead of the 3-day event from the 25th to the 27th of August 2023.



"Over the years, religious tolerance where Muslims respect Christians and Christians respect Muslims, has been a key driver of Ghana's continuous existence of peace and harmony, making us the 2nd most peaceful country in Africa and since ECKANKAR Ghana is a religious organisation promoting diversity, we declare our full support for the Seminar," the Minister said.



The Deputy CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Mr. Benjamin Anane Nsiah, addressing the gathering mentioned that the Hon. Mohammed Ibrahim Awal has shown a key interest in the ECK AFRICAN SOUL ADVENTURE SEMINAR and has directed that his office should ensure that this conference is successfully organised.





The ECKANKAR Ghana President Mr. Aspect Caiquo took time to highlight the purpose of the 2023 ECK African Soul Adventure as well as some of the main activities linedup for the seminar.



The three-day Seminar which is on the theme Your Life Is A Spiritual Adventure, seeks among other things, to offer spiritual empowerment, highlighting experience, workshops, spiritual discussion, and other activities for greater spiritual growth. Again, the seminar which will feature a lot of workshops for beginners, new members, and fellow ECKANKAR members is free and open to the general public, he said.



He indicated that the seminar will teach about dreams since Dreams are regarded as important teaching tools to followers of Eckankar.



"To us, dream travel often serves as the gateway to Soul Travel, also known by Eckankar as out-of-body experience (OBE), or the shifting of one's consciousness to ever-higher states of being.



The ECKANKAR President further mentioned that this seminar will throw more light on the teachings of ECKANKAR and help individuals discover their true spiritual purpose in life.



"Eckankar teaches that "spiritual liberation" in one's lifetime is available to all and that it is possible to achieve Self-Realization (the realization of oneself as Soul) and God-Realization (the realization of oneself as a spark of God) in one's lifetime.



The Eckankar religion also believes in reincarnation and karma. The leader of Eckankar is known as "the Living ECK Master" (LEM). Eckankar claims that only a man can be the LEM as Soul needs the atom structure of a male body in the physical world to become the spiritual leader; a choice made before birth.



Eckankar now claims that some leaders, Twitchell and Klemp, for example, also hold the title "Mahanta", which refers to the inner aspect of the teacher. During Gross ten-year leadership from 1971-1981, the nonprofit religious organization claimed he was the Mahanta.



The leader functions as both an inner and outer guide for each member's individual spiritual progress. ECKists believe contact with Divine Spirit, which we call the ECK, can be made via the spiritual exercises of ECK and the guidance of the living ECK Master. It is held that the ECK Masters are here to serve all life irrespective of religious beliefs."





He said the event is expected to gather over 5,000 passionate and highly spiritual people from all walks of life most whom will travel from other parts of the world far and near to participate.





He noted that according to the teachings of ECKANKAR, We believe that you are a soul. You are a child of God and your survival destiny is to become a Co-worker with God to spread divine love to all those around you.



"ECKANKAR has a living master who ensures the purity of the teachings. He acts as both an outer and an inner teacher.



The Spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremyaw Shaibu, on his part, bemoaned the rising moral decadence among the youth of today where even prostitution among other social vices have been made to look normal.



"We have failed to prioritise spirituality which is supposed to build our soul and inner reflections; I'm saying this because we have our ladies of today who now claim to offer sex services and people see it as a normal thing. We are witnesses to everyday vices being committed by the youth who don't seem to be concerned about anything relating to their future," he sadly stated.



He urged ECKANKAR Ghana to use the Seminar to spiritually empower participants most especially the youth so that they can rediscover their spiritual purpose in life.



Touching on the various security arrangements to ensure a successful organisation and incident-free conference, Superintendent Obeng Boateng, who spoke on behalf of the Inspector General of Police Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, assured that security plans have been advanced following continuous fruitful discussions with ECKANKAR Ghana.



"Ghana is safe and open to the world for all kinds of international activities and this ECKANKAR AFRICAN SOUL ADVENTURE SEMINAR is no exception.



The IGP has tasked me to assure you and all participants that security personnel will be deployed to handle all security and safety affairs relating to the successful holding of the 3-day event," the IGP Rep reaffirmed the commitment of the police.



BACKGROUND



ECKANKAR is ancient wisdom for today. Its teachings, which resurfaced in 1965, emphasize the value of personal experiences as the most natural way back to God.



Whatever your religious background, they show how to look and listen within yourself to expand your consciousness and enjoy spiritual connectedness.



See for yourselfperhaps for the first timehow to live a happy, balanced, productive life and put daily concerns into loving perspective.



ECKANKAR has a few basic beliefs. Simple spiritual exercises are taught that lead to the experience of the Light and Sound of God.



As we practice the spiritual exercises, we learn to recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.



According to ECKANKAR, each of us is a Soul, a spark of God sent to this world to gain spiritual experience.



ECKANKAR studies dreams as a source of inner truth, learning how working with our dreams from a spiritual perspective can help us handle daily challenges and learn from them.



The Spiritual Leader of ECKANKAR is Harold Klemp, the Mahanta, the Living ECK Master.

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
Bernard Allotey Jacobs says some "dark horses" are within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and these horses have set a trap for former Minister for Finance and Presidential aspirant of the party, Dr. Kwabena Duffour; unfortunately he has fallen right into the trap.



The trap, he noted, was for Dr. Duffour to take legal action against the party to postpone their Presidential primaries scheduled on Saturday, May 13.



A petition has been sent to the Electoral Commission and Election Committee of NDC under the signature Kofi Kukubor, Head of Research and Strategy with the campaign team of Dr. Duffuor stating the voters' register or photo album of the party for 220 constituencies contains several discrepancies that render the register incomplete or inaccurate.



Speaking on Agoo FM in Nkawkaw on Friday, May 5, 2023 to wrap up his 4-day campaign tour to the Eastern Region, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor lamented;  . . we are going to the polls on 13th May but we have not received the register which is going to be used for the election. So my campaign team is demanding for the release of the register. We have written to the party so we are waiting for them. There are rules and regulations about any election. My name could be conspicuously missing during the day of the election, what will I do in that situation. Am I going to fight or what, no. Reason we want to get access to the register to ensure that all qualified delegates are on the register.



Dr. Duffour and his team are seeking these remedies:



1. Postponement of the May 13th Presidential Primaries.



2. Stakeholders meeting to establish an agreeable roadmap that will guarantee the integrity of the voters register.



3. Clean the register within an agreeable time frame to ensure free and fair election.



4. To save the image of the NDC so that the party can have a credible voice so that the party can speak on national election matters when the need arises.



But to Bernard Allotey Jacobs, Dr. Duffour has played right into the hands of those people in the leadership of the NDC he describes as "dark horses".



"The dark horses in the NDC are at play...I would say this is the third trap. This trap is for Dr. Kwabena Duffour."



According to him, Dr. Duffour is "finished in the NDC...Kwabena Duffour is finished so far as the NDC is concerned. This is a game that there are certain forces there that I call them the 'dark horses'. All they wanted was for Dr. Duffour to go to court and he has also gone to court".



The former NDC Central Regional Chairman stated that the plan by the orchestrators of this plot was to present Dr. Duffour as an enemy to the party.



"It is about nothing but that being pushed to go to court and then letting the grass root that he is an enemy of the party. So, he is done; that's all!"



He made these submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it is confident its May 13, 2023, presidential and parliamentary primaries will hold despite a court injunction filed by a flagbearer hopeful.



In a statement dated Wednesday, May 10, 2023, the General Secretary of the party, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey assured members of the NDC that the party is doing everything possible to deal with the situation to pave way for Saturdays election.



The National Democratic Congress (NDC), further to a court action on the part of one of the presidential aspirants, wishes to assure presidential, parliamentary aspirants as well as members, supporters, and sympathizers, that the party is taking all legitimate and legal steps to pave way for the presidential and parliamentary primaries on Saturday, May 13, 2023.



We want to urge party members and the people of Ghana to remain calm as the Party, through its legal team, works to resolve the temporary challenge, the statement said.



Dr Kwabena Duffuor, a flagbearer hopeful on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, filed for an interlocutory injunction to prevent the NDC from going ahead with the planned election over some concerns.



In his writ, the flagbearer hopeful alluded to challenges in accessing the delegates list meant to be used for the election and some discrepancies in the album.



But the statement signed by the partys general secretary while assuring members to remain calm over the current situation emphasised that the leadership of the party has so far acted within the law.



While urging calm among our rank and file, we wish to assure that the party as at April 20th, 2023 had made available the full Delegates List to all presidential candidates in line with our commitment stated in our guidelines that, this Primary Document, would be furnished to all presidential candidates.



The party is therefore confident that, this temporary challenge will be quickly overcome to pave way for the holding of the primaries on schedule, the statement added.



Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has served the NDC notice that it will not be able to supervise the conduct of the election unless the legal matter is settled.



According to the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, the decision by the Commission to pull out of the election is to prevent the EC from being cited by a court for contempt.







Source: ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
A total of 106 candidates have been cleared to contest the NDC parliamentary primaries at various constituencies in the Ashanti region.



The party finished the vetting of all the parliamentary aspirants in the region on Tuesday 09, ahead of the conduct of the elections on May 13, 2023.



The vetting of candidates for the Fomena constituency was put on hold following a directive from the national office of the party.



Out of the total number of candidates cleared, seven are going unopposed.



They are Samuel Aboagye- Obuasi East, Joseph Azumah  Akrofouom, Samuel Prempeh Jnr  Bekwai and Kwasi Amankwaa  Kumawu.



The rest are Shamudeen Mohammed Kamil  Old Tafo, Hamzah Swallah  Manhyia North and Ebenezer Ekow Aidoo  Asante Akim Central.



Fifteen females are among the candidates contesting for the elections in the region.



The Ejura Sekyeredumase constituency has the highest number of five candidates contesting the elections.



Dr Frank Amoakohene, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NDC told the Ghana News Agency that no aspirant was disqualified during the process.



He said the party was satisfied with the outcome of the vetting process and the quality of people who submitted themselves to contest the primaries in the various constituencies.



The atmosphere for the campaigns in the region had been relatively calm, except for the Asawase constituency where the supporters of the two main contenders, Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, the incumbent, and Mubarick Masawudu, have been trading derogatory utterances in their campaigns.





Source: GNA









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
Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah has asked the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to resolve their internal conflict and hold their Presidential and Parliamentary primaries this Saturday, May 13, 2023.



The party's primaries is in limbo as the Electoral Commission has refused to supervise it following a complaint by Dr. Kwabena Duffour, a Presidential aspirant of the party.



Dr. Kwabena Duffour has called for the elections to be postponed, raising concerns that the NDC voters' register has a lot of errors that render the register incomplete and inaccurate to be used to conduct the elections.



His team also says should the party go ahead to hold the elections on Saturday with the register, it will cause irreparable damage to their candidate.



As a result, they, on Tuesday, May 9, filed an interlocutory injunction against the party.



At a meeting on Wednesday, May 10, with the Elections Committee of the NDC, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Jean Mensa said in order that the EC is not cited for contempt, it will not supervise the primaries.



"Earlier this week, the Commission received a letter from the Kwabena Duffuor Campaign Team alleging various errors and anomalies with the Register. It was based on this, that the Commission felt it necessary to meet with the Elections Committee of the NDC as well as the representatives of the Presidential Aspirants to deliberate on this matter and agree on a way forward...yesterday we were served with an Application for Interlocutory Injunction seeking to restrain the Commission from supervising the conduct of the Presidential and Parliamentary Primaries due to the alleged anomalies with the register," she said.



Addressing the issue during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, a Governance Lecturer at the Central University, hoped the party had resolved this issue internally without it proceeding to the court.



Nonetheless, he prayed the party's leaders to sit with the aggrieved candidate and find a suitable solution to this dispute.



He believed the delegates both abroad and in the country have made preparations for this Saturday, hence postponing the elections won't be good news for them and the party.



"If they postpone this election, it will cost a lot of people. It will cost the party. So, they should resolve the issue", he stated.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Bruce Peabody is professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University and author of "Where Have All the Heroes Gone? The Changing Nature of American Valor," as well as a 2019 article in The Conversation on the separation-of-powers concept. He explains in an email that the checks and balances baked into the three-branch system have prevented abuses of power in the past.

"One of the classic examples is the push and pull associated with the congressional investigation into the Nixon campaign's trespass and bugging of the Watergate building and the Democratic National Committee's headquarters," he says.

Advertisement

"Congress rightfully investigated, the president pushed back, claiming that the White House recordings which implicated the president were covered under the legal protection of 'executive privilege,' and the Supreme Court helped navigate the dispute, ultimately ruling that the president did have the unwritten constitutional power of the executive privilege, but noting that it was not an unlimited power  and setting out some of the rules for its use.

"In the process of this dramatic example of checks and balances, each branch arguably served its own political and institutional interests as well as the nation's," he says.

But the three-branch system isn't some sort of government machine that can run on autopilot. In order for the democracy to work, the people in the three branches need to have personal qualities that go beyond the architecture of the system, Peabody and other scholars say. In recent years, we've seen the system become less effective in working out conflicts and taking effective action. The increasingly acrimonious stalemate over the nation's immigration policy is a prime example.

"I would probably attribute our logjam and chronic inaction most directly to hyperactive partisanship. But, yes, this development is tied up with a decline in our belief in republican virtue, a somewhat old-fashioned idea that our leaders should be expected to act for the public good, not just personal interest, and that they should achieve honor while serving in government," Peabody says. He cites the example of George Washington, who agreed to serve as president of both the constitutional convention and as the first U.S. president out of a sense of duty, even though he was eager to return to his slave-supported estate in Mount Vernon.

Peabody cites the work of scholars Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, whom he says have identified basic norms that are necessary for enabling our government to function. One of their key principles, Peabody explains is "mutual toleration"  the idea of accepting your political opponents as legitimate, even if you vehemently disagree with them. Another important ingredient is "forbearance," which basically means that you self-impose limits on how far you'll go in using your powers of government to advance your interests and those of the political party to which you belong.
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:

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Across the United States, legislators and the public have debated the issue of bail reform, which aims to reduce pretrial jail populations by eliminating cash bail. New York State passed legislation in 2019 to limit the use of money bail and expand pretrial release. In a new study, researchers evaluated the effect of the law on state crime rates, considering the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although rates of murder, larceny, and motor vehicle theft rose after the bail reform law went into effect, none of the increases were statistically significant when compared with a control group. This suggests that the effect of bail reform on crime rate increases was negligible.

The study, by researchers at the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY Albany), appears in Justice Quarterly, a publication of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

"This study is the first rigorous evaluation of how bail reform in New York State affects crime," according to Sishi Wu, a Ph.D. candidate in criminal justice at SUNY Albany, who led the study. "The results can inform policymakers and address concerns expressed by the public." New York State's 2019 bail reform law went into effect on January 1, 2020. The law requires courts to release defendants on their own recognizance or under non-monetary conditions unless the defendants are charged with offenses listed in the legislation. Essentially, the 2019 law adopted a presumption of release and eliminated money bail and pretrial detention for all misdemeanors with two exceptions and for all nonviolent felonies with a limited number of exceptions.

Following the law's enactment, pretrial jail populations declined in the state (as expected). Law enforcement officers and other stakeholders were concerned that suspects released as a result of the reform may reoffend; they were also concerned that the reform may have created a sense of lawlessness that would not deter criminals from being caught.

To determine whether the law affected crime rates in the state, the authors analyzed whether bail reform was significantly associated with increased crime. When a significant association was detected, they examined whether it was causal. The study used data from the New York State index crime, which includes monthly counts for seven crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft) from January 2017 to September 2021. It also compared New York State's crime data with data from other states by examining monthly crime counts for 49 states and the District of Columbia from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program from January 2017 to December 2020.

The study found that rates of murder, larceny, and motor vehicle theft rose after the bail reform, but the increase may have been due to the pandemic instead of bail reform. The authors controlled for the impact of the pandemic by constructing a comparison group of other states also affected by the pandemic but without bail reform in the same period. After comparing New York State with the comparison group, the study found that the rate of increase in crimes in New York State was insignificant.

Among the study's limitations, the authors note that they did not consider different levels of the pandemic's impact in different states (New York State was affected early and was an epicenter of the virus's outbreak in the United States). Also, the study did not consider the effect of an amendment to the bail reform law that increased the number of eligible offenses.

"Despite multiple statements from the media and stakeholders that individuals released under bail reform are no more likely to reoffend, the public continues to believe that bail reform leads to more crime," says David McDowall, professor of criminal justice at SUNY Albany, who coauthored the article. "Using findings such as ours, lawmakers and stakeholders can better address concerns about public safety."

More information: Sishi Wu et al, Does Bail Reform Increase Crime in New York State: Evidence from Interrupted Time-Series Analyses and Synthetic Control Methods, Justice Quarterly (2023). DOI: 10.1080/07418825.2023.2209145 Journal information: Justice Quarterly

Provided by Crime and Justice Research Alliance
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:

Albert Fausel holds a tiny piece of gold found in a creek in Placerville, California -- recent torrential rains have been kind to gold hunters.

Albert Fausel has been scouring the rivers of Placerville, California for decades in search of gold. But the task has never been easier, nor the haul bigger, thanks to recent torrential rains.

"This year, there's a lot of new spots" to find gold, says Fausel, clad in a wetsuit and snorkel, standing up to his knees in water.

Less than 10 minutes into a recent visit by AFP, Fauseldiving with a small shovel to dig a crevice at the bottom of the riverbedresurfaces with proof.

Among the mix of clay and sand emptied onto a plastic tray, unmistakable shiny particles glitter brightly under the strong midday sun.

"Mother Nature has done a great job with all this flooding," he said.

While his search near the shoreline has yielded "a small amount of gold," he predicts that closer to the middle of the river, "there's probably going to be a lot larger, bigger, heavier pieces."

Fausel collects his bounty with a tool that resembles a suction pump, before adjusting his snorkel and disappearing back into the water.

'Flood gold'

California is emerging from an unusually wet winter, with near-record rainfall.

A series of atmospheric rivershigh altitude ribbons of moisturechugged into the western United States, dousing a landscape that had been baked dry by years of below-average rain.

Albert Fausel points to specks of gold found in a creek in Placerville, California -- recent downpours have yielded prime conditions for gold hunting.

In Northern California, those downpours triggered scenes reminiscentif on a far smaller scaleof the original Gold Rush that transformed this region in the 19th century, when thousands of miners arrived in search of El Dorado.

"Now, we're talking about flood gold," said Barron Brandon, a geologist and foreman of the Cosumnes River Ranch.

Heavy rainfall creates powerful currents in the river that "wash" the banks, loosening particles of mud and gold, which are then carried downstream to be scooped up by lucky miners.

The river acts "like a big sluice box... just on a very grand scale," said Brandon, who also pans for gold in summer as a hobby.

"The real gold is just being out here," he added, smiling as he takes in the landscape of blue and green hues, soundtracked only by the gushing flow of the water.

Barron Brandon demonstrates his gold panning technique from the banks of the Cosumnes River -- he calls the conditions 'flood gold'

Gold fever

Placervillearound 40 miles (70 kilometers) from California's state capital Sacramentorelies heavily on tourism, most of which is themed on its golden history.

Through the small city runs a road called the "El Dorado Freeway." Stores with names like Ancient Gold Jewelers, Gold Country Artists Gallery and Gold Insurance Solutions dot the street.

In one toy store, plastic mining helmets and miniature panning trays take up half of the display space.

A hotel on the main street maintains the aesthetics of the original Gold Rush, with 19th-century furniture and photographs from that bygone era.

A hardware store run by Fausel sells a wide range of mining and panning tools, such as sluice boxes and metal detectors, as well as brightly painted souvenir "gold seeds."

But Fausel is not worried about a tide of outsiders invading the region in a new wave of gold fever.

"Come out to California. Give yourself a chance to find some gold," he urged. "It's out here for everybody. But follow all the rules."

Barron Brandon (L) says enjoying the natural splendor of the Cosumnes River is part of the joy in gold panning.

'Very, very rich'

Mark Dayton, a local treasure hunter with millions of views on his YouTube channel, says many of his followers have heard about the rains and are on their way.

He traces the public's widespread fascination with striking gold to many children's love of tales about pirate booty.

"There's so many movies like 'Indiana Jones' and all those movies, 'Pirates of the Caribbean'they all pull at the heartstrings of treasure," he said.

One of Placerville's main attractions is the Gold Bug Park and Mine, while draws visiting school groups.

"Kids are always interested about the gold... California was built on gold," said Pat Layne, an 80-year-old volunteer guide who worked in gold mining for decades.

"What we try and get across to them is the true history, not the Hollywood version of the Gold Rush," he added.

The history of gold in the region is explained on a sign above gold trinkets for sale from the gift shop at the Gold Bug Mine Museum in Placerville, which relies on tourism themed around its golden history.

Mark Dayton uses a metal detector to look for gold -- he says many of his YouTube followers are planning trips to California to hunt for 'flood gold'

Standing next to a tributary of the river that borders the now-defunct mine, Layne describes to visitors how there were once "hundreds of miners right here in this creek, right where we're standing, working, panning gold."

"It was very, very rich here... gold was delivered to the creeks by Mother Nature over millions of years."

This winter's huge amount of rain has helped to recreate those conditions, on a much briefer and accelerated scale.

When "the water moves, the gold moves," he said.

 2023 AFP
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:

Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkin's conceptual drawing of the Paleozoic Museum. Credit: Annual report of the Board of Commissioners of the Central Park (1858)

A new paper from the University of Bristol rewrites the history of the darkest, most bizarre event in the history of paleontology.

In New York, in May of 1871, the partially built, life-size models of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures destined for a prestigious new museum in Central Park were totally destroyed in a violent act of malicious vandalism by a gang of thugs with sledgehammers. The shattered pieces were carted away and buried somewhere in the park, never to be seen again.

Until now, the heinous act had been attributed to former American politician William "Boss" Tweed.

But now, a new paper from Victoria Coules of Bristol's Department of History of Art and Professor Michael Benton of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences sheds new light on the incident and, contrary to previous accounts, identifies who was really behind the order and what drove them to such wanton destructionan odd man known as Henry Hilton, the Treasurer and VP of Central Park.

"It's all to do with the struggle for control of New York city in the years following the American Civil War (1861-1865)," said Coules. "The city was at the center of a power strugglea battle for control of the city's finances and lucrative building and development contracts."

As the city grew, the iconic Central Park was taking shape. More than just a green space, it was to have other attractions, including the Paleozoic Museum. British sculptor Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, who had created the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, the life-size models of prehistoric creatures in Londonhad traveled to America and was commissioned to build American versions of the models for the Paleozoic museum.

Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins' studio at the Central Park Arsenal, with models of extinct animals. Credit: 12th Annual Report of the Board of Commissioners of the Central Park for the Year Ending December 31, 1868

But the notorious William "Boss" Tweed had taken command of the city and, in sweeping changes to the city's governance, put his own henchmen in charge of city departmentsincluding Central Park. They canceled the partially complete project in late 1870, and there the matter would have lain but in May 1871 someone ordered the gang of workmen to destroy all of its partly finished contents.

Professor Benton explains, "Previous accounts of the incident had always reported that this was done under the personal instruction of 'Boss' Tweed himself, for various motives from raging that the display would be blasphemous, to vengeance for a perceived criticism of him in a New York Times report of the project's cancelation."

"Reading these reports, something didn't look right," Coules said. "At the time Tweed was fighting for his political life, already accused of corruption and financial wrong-doings, so why was he so involved in a museum project?" She added, "So we went back to the original sources and found that it wasn't Tweedand the motive was not blasphemy or hurt vanity."

The situation was complicated by two other projects in development at the same time in Central Park, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and the Central Park Zoo. But, as Professor Benton explained, "drawing on the detailed annual reports and minutes of Central Park, along with reports in the New York Times, we can show that the real villain was one strange character by the name of Henry Hilton."

Coules adds, "Because all the primary sources are now available online, we could study them in detailand we could show that the destruction was ordered in a meeting by the real culprit, Henry Hilton, the Treasurer and VP of Central Parkand it was carried out the day after this meeting."

Hilton was already notorious for other eccentric decisions. When he noticed a bronze statue in the Park, he ordered it painted white, and when a whale skeleton was donated to the American Museum of Natural History, he had that painted white as well. Later in life, other ill-judged decisions included cheating a widow out of her inheritance, squandering a huge fortune, and trashing businesses and livelihoods along the way.

Professor Benton concluded, "This might seem like a local act of thuggery but correcting the record is hugely important in our understanding of the history of paleontology. We show it wasn't blasphemy, or an act of petty vengeance by William Tweed, but the act of a very strange individual who made equally bizarre decisions about how artifacts should be treatedpainting statues or whale skeletons white and destroying the museum models. He can be seen as the villain of the piece but as character, Hilton remains an enigmatic mystery."

The paper is published in the journal Proceedings of the Geologists' Association.

More information: Victoria Coules et al, The curious case of Central Park's dinosaurs: The destruction of Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins' Paleozoic Museum revisited, Proceedings of the Geologists' Association (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.pgeola.2023.04.004
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:

By observing spin structure in magic-angle graphene, a team of scientists led by Brown University researchers have found a workaround for a long-standing roadblock in the field of two-dimensional electronics. Credit: Jia Li/Brown University

For two decades, physicists have tried to directly manipulate the spin of electrons in 2D materials like graphene. Doing so could spark key advances in the burgeoning world of 2D electronics, a field where super-fast, small and flexible electronic devices carry out computations based on quantum mechanics.

Standing in the way is that the typical way in which scientists measure the spin of electronsan essential behavior that gives everything in the physical universe its structureusually doesn't work in 2D materials. This makes it incredibly difficult to fully understand the materials and propel forward technological advances based on them. But a team of scientists led by Brown University researchers believe they now have a way around this longstanding challenge. They describe their solution in a new study published in Nature Physics.

In the study, the teamwhich also include scientists from the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies at Sandia National Laboratories, and the University of Innsbruckdescribe what they believe to be the first measurement showing direct interaction between electrons spinning in a 2D material and photons coming from microwave radiation.

Called a coupling, the absorption of microwave photons by electrons establishes a novel experimental technique for directly studying the properties of how electrons spin in these 2D quantum materialsone that could serve as a foundation for developing computational and communicational technologies based on those materials, according to the researchers.

"Spin structure is the most important part of a quantum phenomenon, but we've never really had a direct probe for it in these 2D materials," said Jia Li, an assistant professor of physics at Brown and senior author of the research. "That challenge has prevented us from theoretically studying spin in these fascinating material for the last two decades. We can now use this method to study a lot of different systems that we could not study before."

The researchers made the measurements on a relatively new 2D material called "magic-angle" twisted bilayer graphene. This graphene-based material is created when two sheets of ultrathin layers of carbon are stacked and twisted to just the right angle, converting the new double-layered structure into a superconductor that allows electricity to flow without resistance or energy waste. Just discovered in 2018, the researchers focused on the material because of the potential and mystery surrounding it.

"A lot of the major questions that were posed in 2018 have still yet to be answered," said Erin Morissette, a graduate student in Li's lab at Brown who led the work.

Physicists usually use nuclear magnetic resonance or NMR to measure the spin of electrons. They do this by exciting the nuclear magnetic properties in a sample material using microwave radiation and then reading the different signatures this radiation causes to measure spin.

The challenge with 2D materials is that the magnetic signature of electrons in response to the microwave excitation is too small to detect. The research team decided to improvise. Instead of directly detecting the magnetization of the electrons, they measured subtle changes in electronic resistance, which were caused by the changes in magnetization from the radiation using a device fabricated at the Institute for Molecular and Nanoscale Innovation at Brown.

These small variations in the flow of the electronic currents allowed the researchers to use the device to detect that the electrons were absorbing the photos from the microwave radiation.

The researchers were able to observe novel information from the experiments. The team noticed, for instance, that interactions between the photons and electrons made electrons in certain sections of the system behave as they would in an anti-ferromagnetic systemmeaning the magnetism of some atoms was canceled out by a set of magnetic atoms that are aligned in a reverse direction.

The new method for studying spin in 2D materials and the current findings won't be applicable to technology today, but the research team sees potential applications the method could lead to in the future. They plan to continue to apply their method to twisted bilayer graphene but also expand it to other 2D material.

"It's a really diverse toolset that we can use to access an important part of the electronic order in these strongly correlated systems and in general to understand how electrons can behave in 2D materials," Morissette said.

More information: Andrew Mounce, Dirac revivals drive a resonance response in twisted bilayer graphene, Nature Physics (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-023-02060-0. www.nature.com/articles/s41567-023-02060-0 Journal information: Nature Physics
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:

Framework to assess the impacts of trade on species, examples of species within each category are noted in Table S1. Three dimensions of wildlife trade exist in assessments of species vulnerability: threat status, sustainability of trade, and legality. Combinations of these three dimensions describe four distinct classes of vulnerability to trade, each with specific implications for conservation. (1) At greatest risk, species considered at high risk of trade are threatened and currently illegally traded at unsustainable levels. These species are of high priority for monitoring, identification of research needs, and require immediate intervention to halt possible extinction. (2) High potential risk are species that are currently threatened (either by trade or a suite of disturbances) and traded at unsustainable levels. Although the trade is legal, immediate population monitoring combined with support of legal responses is required. (3) Potential persisters are those species currently threatened by human disturbance and are traded illegally; yet, their current trade is expected to be at sustainable levels. Monitoring of populations and enhanced enforcement is essential to ensure this group of species do not transition to at greatest risk owing to transitions to unsustainable offtake. (4) High latent risk are species with high levels of unsustainable and illegal trade. Although these species are not threatened owing to large population and range sizes, unsustainable illegal offtake may quickly threaten species. Thus, although not of immediate concern, continued monitoring of population sizes as well as offtake and reassessments of threat status are imperative, in addition to the implementation of regulations established at national level to detect and prevent illegal trade. Credit: Journal of Environmental Management (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117987

A multinational and interdisciplinary team of scientists has published new research that provides critical insights into the damage that the legal wildlife trade currently poses to global conservation and sustainability efforts. The group includes members of multiple International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission specialist groups who aim to highlight the risk posed by legal but unsustainable trade in thousands of species.

The study, published this month in the Journal of Environmental Management, involves a systematic review of existing tools, safeguards, and legal frameworks currently in place to ensure the sustainable use of live wild animals and their body parts.

The researchers found that, for the vast majority of cases, the legal trade in wild animal species is not supported by any rigorous evidence of sustainability, with a lack of data on wildlife export volumes, wild animal population data, and evidence-based impact assessments of trade being of particular concern.

"Exploitation of wildlife represents one of the greatest threats to species survival. However, too often legal trade is automatically equated as being sustainable despite a lack of evidence needed to confirm that this is indeed the case," says Dr. Alice Hughes, Lead scientist, and Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong.

"Our research sheds stark light on the systemic lack of regulatory safeguards that are urgently required to ensure that the legal trade does not drive wild population declines. While many wildlife focused conventions include claims of 'sustainable use' in reality these rarely refer to evidence or use precautionary principles to prevent further overexploitation of species."

While much attention is being paid to combating illegal wildlife trade, many of the same challenges are also evident in the legal wildlife trade. The global legal wildlife trade is a big and burgeoning business estimated by some to be currently worth around 400 billion USD per year.

The risks of unsustainable legal trade have been recognized and built upon by various United Nations conventions, which aim to reduce global biodiversity loss. However, the exploitation of wildlife is still considered to be the second greatest threat to global diversity and its vital contributions to people, right after climate change.

Dr. Mark Auliya of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change in Bonn, Germany and contributing scientist, says, "Our study provides evidence for 183 species showing unsustainable trade in a broad array of wildlife groupsranging from mammals like the mountain reedbuck for trophy hunting and handicraft products to invertebrates like the harlequin shrimp for the global exotic pet trade."

"We found that the current legal trade was not supported by rigorous evidence of sustainability of these species examples with a lack of data on export levels and wild population monitoring data preventing any true assessments of sustainable use. These examples are only an indicative subset and should be considered as the tip of a larger iceberg. We expect that further scrutiny will reveal that far many more wildlife species are being exploited at unsustainable levels."

The authors caution against the assumption that wildlife species can withstand high offtakes in the absence of data and underscores the need for appropriate application of the precautionary principle to prevent population declines and species extinctions, as well as to enable long-term economically viable wildlife trade. These species are crucial for ecosystem health. For the above reasons, monitoring of populations is essential to enable sustainable trade and not to jeopardize the provision of important ecosystem services.

Dr. Vincent Nijmancontributing scientist, and professor in anthropology at Oxford Brookes University in the UKsays, "Understanding what wild animals are being traded, where from, and at what volumes, in addition to the impact on the long-term viability of species, will be critical to slowing the loss of species from across the planet. In particular, a more precautionary approach is needed to halt biodiversity declines, underpinned by a revised burden of proof."

"This should place the need on traders and importers to illustrate sustainability to allow trading, not conservation scientists and practitioners to reveal unsustainability, or customs officers to prove export contravenes regulations."

To help address the current situation, the scientists identify four core areas that should be strengthened to achieve this goal: (1) rigorous data collection and analyses of populations; (2) linking trade quotas to IUCN and international accords; (3) improved databases and compliance of trade; and (4) enhanced understanding of trade bans, market forces, and species substitutions.

Professor David Edwardscontributing scientist, and Professor of Conservation Science at the University of Sheffield, UKsays, "Creating awareness among decision makers of the lack of sustainability in much legal wildlife trade is urgently needed. Action is required to adapt relevant regulatory frameworks, like CITES, to ensure the continued survival of many threatened species."

"There are no winners from unsustainable wildlife collection and trade: without sustainable management not only will species or populations become extinct, but communities dependent upon these species will lose livelihoods."

More information: Alice Hughes et al, Determining the sustainability of legal wildlife trade, Journal of Environmental Management (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117987 Journal information: Journal of Environmental Management

Provided by Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitatswandels
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:

This image provided by Hopewell Township Police Department shows a confirmed meteorite on a hardwood floor at a residence in Hopewell Township, N.J. The meteorite punched a hole in the roof of the central New Jersey home, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom. The family who owns the home discovered the black, potato-sized rock in a corner  still warm. Credit: Hopewell Township Police Department via AP

A metallic object that punched a hole in the roof of a central New Jersey home this week, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom, was a meteorite, experts announced Thursday.

Scientists with The College of New Jersey determined the 6-by-4-inch object, which weighs about 2.2 pounds, is a rare stony chondrite meteorite. They came to that conclusion after conducting a visual examination, making density measurements and scanning electron microscope images. They were assisted in their work by Jerry Delaney, a retired meteorite expert from Rutgers University and the American Museum of Natural History.

"Getting the chance to examine the meteorite (Wednesday) was a rare and thrilling opportunity for me, as well as for a group of physics students and professors at TCNJ," said Nathan Magee, chair of the school's physics department. "We are excited to be able to confirm that the object is a true chondrite meteorite, in excellent condition, and one of a very small number of similar witnessed chondrite falls known to science."

The family that owns the home discovered the black, potato-sized rock in a cornerstill warm around 12:30 p.m. Monday. The experts believe it hit the home a short time before it was found.

This image provided by Hopewell Township Police Department shows a confirmed meteorite on a hardwood floor at a residence in Hopewell Township, N.J. The meteroite punched a hole in the roof of the central New Jersey home, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom. The family who owns the home discovered the black, potato-sized rock in a corner  still warm. Credit: Hopewell Township Police Department via AP

This image provided by Hopewell Township Police Department shows a confirmed meteorite on a hardwood floor at a residence in Hopewell Township, N.J. The meteorite punched a hole in the roof of the central New Jersey home, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom. The family who owns the home discovered the black, potato-sized rock in a corner  still warm. Credit: Hopewell Township Police Department via AP

Nobody was hurt, and there was no serious damage to the residence, said police in Hopewell Township, north of the state capital of Trenton.

Suzy Kop, whose family owns the home, said they initially thought someone had thrown a rock into an upstairs bedroom Monday, but they soon realized that wasn't the case. Kop said hazmat officials responded to their home to check it out along with her family, in case they had been exposed to some type of radioactive material, but those checks were all negative.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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:

Credit: Gavin Iwai, Hawaii Sea Grant, Hanauma Bay Education Program

A five-year study into the impacts of sea-level rise on the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (HBNP) predicts 88% of the preserve's usable beach will be underwater by 2030.

Conducted by researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB), the study evaluated the biological, physical, and social carrying capacities of this pristine natural destination; taking into account the impact of visitors to assist in planning for sustainable tourism. In Hawai'i, warm ocean temperatures and high water visibility draw more than 85% of tourists to ocean recreation activities, with a similar percentage of entries into Hanauma Bay (about 85%) coming from non-local visitors.

The study, which spanned the nine-month pandemic closure of HBNP in 2020, includes predictions of how the rising sea level may impact this pristine natural destination. Models show the combination of the lowest predicted sea-level rise (0.5 feet) and highest tide will result in 88% of HBNP's usable beach being submerged by 2030. "Usable beach" is defined as the sandy area.

"The predictions of the extent that sea level will impact the usable area at Hanauma Bay was eye-opening," said Kuulei Rodgers, researcher at HIMB. "It will assist management in preparation and to develop recommendations, other alternatives and solutions."

The sea-level rise models used by Rodgers and her team were developed by the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology's Sea Level Rise Laboratory and Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System.

Other findings in the study include fluctuations of the abundance and diversity of fish, water clarity increases during the closure, and the increased use of HBNP by local residents.

Fish flight initiation

Researchers conducted non-invasive stereo video monitoring, a two-camera technique used to create a 3D image without harming the fish, to determine the fish flight initiation distance and the minimum approach distance for different species. Basically, how close humans can get to certain fish before they swim away.

The majority of fish were more approachable and fled later during the closure. A few species such as pualu, the ringtail surgeonfish, did not appear to perceive visitors as a threat. Possibly due to their larger size. This was contradictory to wrasses and butterflyfish, which were among other species found to be less approachable upon reopening.

Also observed during the pandemic closure were increases in fish abundance and biomass. When researchers examined fish community compositional shifts they noticed a corresponding decrease in the amount and diversity of fish following the reopening of HBNP in December 2020. Most notably the "keyhole," the most popular snorkeling location within the shallow reef flat, saw substantial increases in fish communities during the closure.

Credit: Gavin Iwai, Hawaii Sea Grant, Hanauma Bay Education Program

Visitor demographics

Surveys were conducted following the reopening of HBNP in December 2020. At this time, there were quarantine restrictions upon returning to Japan, which resulted in a drop of visitors from Japan from 25% in 2005 to less than 1% in 2022.

Another shift in demographics is the increase in Hawaii residents from 3% in 2001 to 13% in 2022. Management has been instrumental in this change by allowing early entry for Hawaii residents without reservations and the continued fee waiver.

The preservation of Hawai'i's nearshore ecosystem is imperative to the economic continuation of the tourism industry. In the 1980's, HBNP visitor use reached a peak of 4 million visitors annually. In 2023, visitor use is projected to be down to approximately 500,000 annually. Contributing factors include: closing HBNP two days per week, a reservation system, increased fees, and effective management strategies.

Water clarity

During the pandemic closure, the water clarity was 56% clearer as compared to prior to the closure. Following the reopening of HBNP at 25% visitor capacity, the water clarity decreased by 30%.

Other factors such as wave height contributed to decreases in water clarity along with visitor counts. However, visitors were the most influential factor.

Research that contributed to this work was published in Nature Communications, Biological Conservation and Tourism Recreation Research.
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:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Idaho leaders intend to sue federal officials if the Department of Interior does not remove grizzly bears in the Lower 48 states from the Endangered Species Act list, according to a notice of intent filed Wednesday.

The document, signed by Idaho Gov. Brad Little and Attorney General Raul Labrador, explains that Idaho will file a lawsuit against Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams in 60 days if no changes are made.

"Idaho has continually demonstrated leadership in species management, and we have never hesitated to push back on the federal government's overreaching actions that greatly impact a variety of activities on the ground in our state," Little said in a news release.

The notice comes after more than a year of petitions and threats of legal action from Idaho over the protected bears. While grizzly bears in Alaska are not considered endangered, bears in the contiguous United States have been considered "threatened" since the 1970s, with brief removals from protections in 2007 and 2017.

The listing applied to bears in a swath from the Idaho-Montana border with Canada down through Idaho's border with Wyoming. Officials identified six recovery zones for the species, including the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming; the Selkirks in North Idaho and northeast Washington; the Bitterroots in Central Idaho and the Cabinet-Yaak area of North Idaho and northwest Montana. At the time, officials estimated there were between 150 and 300 bears in the region.

Little submitted a petition to Fish and Wildlife in April 2022 arguing that the protected bears in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming do not constitute a "distinct population segment" and therefore don't qualify for Endangered Species Act protections. His petition came shortly after Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon submitted their own petitions to the federal agency, though the other governors' petitions called on Fish and Wildlife to reevaluate individual recovery zones: the Continental Divide in Montana and the Greater Yellowstone.

In February, Fish and Wildlife said it would move ahead with Gianforte and Gordon's petitions. But officials rejected Little's petition and said Idaho's claims weren't substantial enough to warrant further investigation.

Little and Labrador slammed that reasoning in the notice of intent Wednesday. They said the argument that the Lower 48 grizzlies don't constitute a distinct population came directly from Fish and Wildlife's own findings.

"It is unfathomable how (Fish and Wildlife) could determine its prior documents do not constitute 'substantial information' that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that the delisting sought by Idaho's petition may be warranted," the notice said.

The notice doubled down on the initial argument that protected grizzlies are not a distinct population.

Idaho officials said the continued Endangered Species Act protections "injure Idaho's sovereign interests in management of our resident wildlife." They cited increasing human-bear conflicts with grizzlies and said rural areas are dealing with "increasing public safety risks and property damage."

In 2022, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game killed six grizzly bears that it said had preyed on livestock or become a risk to humansone male bear in Boundary County, a female and a yearling in Fremont County, and a female and her two cubs in Teton County.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is still weighing the petitions to delist bears in the Continental Divide and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem recovery zones. If the Greater Yellowstone bears are removed from Endangered Species Act protections, it would include grizzlies in eastern Idaho.

2023 The Idaho Statesman.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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:

Wildlife seen through ruins. Credit: Malkolm Boothroyd

When people leave their rural lives behind to seek their fortunes in the city or agriculture is no longer profitable, the lands they toiled on are often left unused. A new perspective piece in Science shows that these abandoned lands could be both an opportunity and a threat for biodiversity, and highlights why abandoned lands are critical in the assessment of global restoration and conservation targets.

The past 50 years have seen an increased exodus of populations from rural to urban areas. Today, 55% of the world's population lives in or around cities and this proportion is expected to expand to up to 68% by 2050.

There are of course a multitude of reasons for people to leave their rural lives behind and move to urban areas, including socioeconomic and political change, declining subsistence farming, and environmental factors. One effect of this continuous decrease in rural populations is that the land they leave behind leads to a rise in the number of abandoned fields and pastures, forestry areas, mines, factories, and even entire human settlements.

IIASA researcher Gergana Daskalova and Johannes Kamp, a researcher at the University of Gottingen in Germany, took a closer look at abandoned landin other words land on which human activities have ceasedto explore how biodiversity is influenced, and what this means for ecology and conservation.

"The factors that drive depopulation and consequently also land abandonment are intensifying due to issues like climate change and the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, for example, has already created new abandonment hotspots. Abandonment is a globally important process. The scale at which this is happening around the world urged us to put the spotlight on the places people have left behind as a potential source of future solutions for conservation, while also protecting human livelihoods," Daskalova explains.

According to the authors, the exact amount of abandoned land around the world is unknown, but it is estimated that it could comprise up to 400 million ha globally, which is an area roughly half the size of Australia. Most of this abandoned land is in the Northern Hemisphere, of which around 117 million ha falls within the former Soviet Union.

Houses and traditions washing away. Credit: Gergana Daskalova

The effect that abandoned areas have on biodiversity can be both positive and negative. The biggest wins are likely to be achieved where areas that were previously intensively farmed and where biodiversity was low, are abandoned. The first changes that will probably be observed in these areas would be the return of plant life, birds, and invertebrates that can survive in recently disturbed ecosystems.

If the abandonment of these crop fields is coupled with people leaving the area or with wildlife reintroductions, this can lead to rewilding with the possible return of large herbivores and even carnivores. The authors however point out that not all abandoned land will recover without help, and that some of the land that was previously intensively farmed will never return to what it once was.

Land abandonment can also have negative impacts in terms of biodiversity, as well as for human culture and tradition. In areas that have traditionally been used for low-intensity, or subsistence farming over a long period of time, for instance, the close ties between the people and the land have created interdependent ecosystems that break down after people move away, thus leading to the loss of locally rare species or the proliferation of only one or two dominant species at the expense of others.

"Because abandonment usually happens out of sight, there is still so much we do not know about its imprint on the planet. We are currently working in Bulgaria, the quickest depopulating country in the world, to determine what types of plants, birds, and other biodiversity return to villages long after the last house lights have been turned off," Daskalova notes.

Any gains in biodiversity on abandoned land can unfortunately be very quickly undone when land is recultivated or repurposed and, according to the authors, there is growing pressure to find new industrial uses for abandoned land, such as large-scale bioenergy, wind-, and solar energy production, often in just over a decade after abandonment.

The authors further highlight that finding the best use for abandoned land will involve balancing benefits for conservation, human livelihoods, and sustainability. It is therefore crucial that biodiversity change on abandoned land be included in regional and global assessments, policies, and scenarios and where abandoned land is reused, care should be taken to ensure that economic needs are balanced with restoration and conservation goals.

"It is important for future models and scenarios aimed at predicting the positive versus negative effects of abandonment on biodiversity to take into account whether the land is likely to remain abandoned and what the feedbacks between abandonment, biodiversity, human values, and livelihoods entail. As global conversations around this topic continue, we can look to abandoned lands as the product of centuries of interactions between people and nature, and create incentives not just for conservation, but also for land stewardship and the preservation of both social and ecological values," Daskalova concludes.
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:

Disparities in federal pretrial detention tend to be highest in the Northeast, as shown in this map based on U.S. Census divisions that encompass individual federal court districts. Red shades indicate an increasingly high proportion of "top 10 disparity" districts within a division; increasingly dark shades of green indicate an increasingly high proportion of "bottom 10 disparity" districts. Credit: Jennifer Skeem

Long-standing policies and deeply rooted inequityrather than a few "bad apples" in the criminal justice systemlikely explain why Black defendants in certain parts of the country are more likely than others to be held in jail before trial, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley.

But a relatively easy fix could be a key to undoing those racial disparities in pretrial detention.

"We rely on pretrial detention much too often, and there are huge human and fiscal costs," said Jennifer Skeem, a professor of public policy and social welfare at UC Berkeley.

A pair of recently published papers suggest that an overreliance on a defendant's criminal history has inflated the number of people sitting behind bars while their cases grind through the courts. Confronting the outsized role of such details in pretrial reports and improving how these reports are written could help identify who actually needs to remain in jail before trial and who can be safely released, said Skeem, a psychologist and lead author of the two new papers.

"We found that a majority of defendants who are detained are really at quite a low risk for either committing a new offense or failing to appear for their current one," Skeem said.

The reports add depth to ongoing debates about the role and risks of pretrial detention, the nation's reckoning with race in the criminal justice system, and the policy options for methodically and safely decreasing jail populations.

In research published in the journal Criminology and Public Policy, Skeem and her co-authors, Lina Montoya and Christopher Lowenkamp, examined probation officers' decision-making in pretrial reports for 149,815 defendants across 81 federal court districts in the U.S. These reports contained troves of information about the defendants' criminal histories, personal finances and social lives, among other things. They each also included a recommendation from the officerusually upheld by a judgeabout whether the defendant should be held in custody or released before trial.

Black defendants were 34% more likely to be recommended to be held behind bars until their cases were resolved, researchers found. Racial biases on the part of the officers writing the reports contributed to some of the disparitiesparticularly in cases that involved a lot of discretion, like when the defendants had little or no criminal record. However, focusing exclusively on things like implicit bias training "would leave most of the problem unaddressed," Skeem said.

The vast majority of the racial disparity in detention recommendations operated through pretrial policies and guidelines, which are part of what Skeem called "institutionalized factors" that officers were instructed to consider. While those factors included things like the current offense and the person's ties to the community, the biggest factor was the defendant's criminal history.

Approximately 70% of the racial disparities observed in pretrial detention recommendations were traced to just that one policy-relevant consideration.

"By far," Skeem said, "the pathway through which most of those racial disparities were operating was criminal history alone."

Why criminal history matters  to a point

Little is off the table in an officer's far-ranging pretrial risk assessment interview. The officer asks about the defendant's residence, family ties, foreign connections, employment status, education, finances, physical and mental health, substance abuse and gambling. Their report also details the person's criminal historyfrom assault cases to traffic tickets.

To be sure, criminal histories are heavily emphasized because they are often the best predictor for future offenses, Skeem said. But a person's record often becomes a laundry list of offenses that may have nothing to do with the most recent allegationa speeding ticket from 10 years ago, for example, as a sign of a person's chances of committing a drug offense today. Additionally, offenses are often featured repeatedly in the same pretrial risk report, amounting to double or triple counting of the same incident.

This kitchen-sink approach to risk disproportionately affects Black defendants, Skeem said.

"Criminal history belongs in a report and must be acknowledged, but ideally, the focus would be on a few predictive factors that are presented once," Skeem said. "This is a heavily policy-related story. Changing some of the policy guidance and tools for pretrial decision-making will provide the greatest gains in reducing disparities."

That's why Skeem and her colleagues said they advocate for "corralling criminal history."

This could entail using a narrow set of past offenses that are most predictive of committing new crimes. It also requires acknowledging the "shelf life" of a past offense, which might not be remotely helpful in understanding the defendant's risk today. And on a technical level, reining in how often such a history can be referenced in a report could ensure it isn't overused, Skeem said.

"Trying to corral criminal historyto adopt a tighter definitionwould probably make a bigger dent in disparities than tackling implicit or personal biases," Skeem said, adding that it would also improve the likelihood of more accurately achieving the original goal of meaningfully predicting risk.

Pretrial racial disparities vary across the U.S.



The research team's second paper, published in the journal Federal Probation, shows significant geographical variation between the Black and white pretrial disparities. The greatest disparities in the U.S. appeared in districts in the Northeast and the Midwest.

Given the progressive politics of the region, that might seem counterintuitive, Skeem said.

"It's not the stereotypical places that you would expect to find the greatest disparities," she said. "It's not in the South or in areas that we are accustomed to thinking of as associated with racism."

The true explanation is likely that broader structural inequality and deep-seated economic vulnerability are closely linked with involvement in the criminal justice system.

"In places where pretrial disparities are bundled with broader indices of racialized social inequality," the researchers wrote, "it is essential to also address 'root causes' of involvement in crime that include socioeconomic disadvantage, educational and job opportunities, and more."

In other words, they said, pretrial reform cannot alone address any "true differences in risk that lie further upstream."

An innovative data set and collaboration

Finding safe and smart ways to decrease the number of people held in custody awaiting their cases' resolution is more than just a passion project for advocates and progressives.

Jails are among the most expensive line items that taxpayers finance every year. Severe staffing shortages are common, as are dangeroussometimes unconstitutionalconditions. And pretrial detention is profoundly disruptive and has been shown to cause ripple effects that can cost legally innocent people their jobs, paychecks and housing.

In theory, county jails are a gateway to a similar system of justice for defendants. In effect, however, they're like hundreds of silos operating with their own rules across the countrya reality that makes meaningful research on incarceration data a herculean task.

That's what makes Skeem's latest projects especially noteworthy.

Skeem partnered with a team at the U.S. Administrative Office of the Courts, where in-house researchers have worked for years to capture reliable criminal justice data from federal court districts across the country. Federal offenders are held in local jails run by the county, but their cases are managed through a nationwide database. That brings a degree of consistency to the federal pretrial detention reports, whether they're being conducted in California or Alabama.

A committee within the federal courts' Probation and Pretrial Services System had been working to better address disparities, and it tapped Skeem and Montoya, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to help analyze the data.

"It's rare to be able to work with an agency that has such complete and relatively clean data," Skeem said. "We're the only outside researchers that got to work with that group from the beginning to figure out what the best questions would be to ask of their really rich data."

Lowenkamp, a researcher who works with the courts, also helped lead the project.

The research team was also able to leverage the institutional knowledge from officers and chiefs to inform how policies might be changedall the way down to how pretrial risk assessment and report instructions could be modified to create a more equitable outcome. The co-authors believe theirs is the first study to map the personal and institutional influences on racial disparities in officers' recommendations for pretrial detention in the U.S. justice system.

Combined, Skeem said the reports can help signal a path forward for finding responsible ways to safely overhaul pretrial detention. Pretrial reform alone won't solve the problem, but using increasingly sophisticated methods, early research shows, can help move in that direction.

"The priority goal," the researchers wrote, "is to first do less harm by eliminating unnecessary detention."

More information: Jennifer Skeem et al, Understanding racial disparities in pretrial detention recommendations to shape policy reform, Criminology & Public Policy (2023). DOI: 10.1111/1745-9133.12620 Jennifer Skeem, Lina Montoya, Christopher Lowenkamp, Place Matters: Racial Disparities in Pretrial Detention, Federal Probation (2023). www.uscourts.gov/federal-proba  s-pretrial-detention
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:

An example of a summer population of Limacina rangii from the Scotia Sea. Larger juveniles living alongside a smaller, larval stage cohort. Credit: Dr Vicky Peck

The world's oceans absorb approximately a quarter of all carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. During absorption, CO 2 reacts with seawater and oceanic pH levels fall. This is known as ocean acidification and results in lower carbon ion concentrations. Certain ocean inhabitants use carbon ion to build and sustain their shells. Pteropods, which are important components of the marine ecosystem, are among them.

Certain aspects about pteropods, including life cycles and population dynamics, are not well-studied. This is partly due to their sizesome sea butterfly species measure less than a millimeterand poor long-term survival in captivity. Now, a team of marine scientists has examined life cycles, abundance, and seasonal variability of shelled sea butterflies in the north-east Scotia Sea, a region undergoing some of the fastest climate change in the Southern Ocean.

"Decline in Antarctic Ocean pteropod populations could have cascading ramifications to the food web and carbon cycle," said Dr. Clara Manno, a researcher at the British Antarctic Survey and corresponding author of the study published in Frontiers in Marine Science. "Knowledge about the life cycle of this keystone organism may improve prediction of ocean acidification impacts on the Antarctic ecosystem."

Population stability essential for species survival

For their work, the scientists collected sea butterflies in a sediment trap, a sampling device moored at 400 meters depth. "It is impossible to observe the full life cycle of sea butterflies in a laboratory setting, so we had to piece together information about their spawning, growth rate and population structure," added Dr. Vicky Peck, a researcher at the British Antarctic Survey and co-author of the study. "Using sediment trap samples, we successfully reconstructed their life cycle over a year."

For the two dominant species collectedLimacina rangii and Limacina retroversathe scientists observed contrasting life cycles, leading to different vulnerabilities to changing oceans. L. rangii, a polar species, can be found as both adults and juveniles during the winter months. L. retroversa, a subpolar species, appear to occur only as adults during the winter.

During the coldest season, ocean water is more acidic than during other times of the year because cooler temperatures increase CO 2 dissolution in the ocean. The life stages of sea butterflies that exist then are more exposed and vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification, the researchers wrote.

The fact that L. rangii adults and juveniles coexist over winter may give them a survival advantage. If one cohort is vulnerable, the overall population stability is not at risk. With L. retroversa, however, if one cohort is removed, the whole population may be vulnerable.

Prolonged exposure is a survival challenge

The researchers noted that despite species being impacted differently, neither is likely to remain unharmed if exposed to unfavorable conditions for extended time periods.

As the intensity and duration of ocean acidification events increase, they begin to overlap with spawning events in the spring. This may put the most vulnerable life stage, the larvae, particularly at risk and could jeopardize future populations, the scientists warned.

To learn how such a scenario might play out in the Scotia Sea, the research team will continue to study sea butterflies dwelling there. "A next step will be to focus on multiyear sediment trap samples to identify potential inter-annual variability in the life cycle associated with environmental change," said Dr. Jessie Gardner of the British Antarctic survey, lead author of the study.

Provided by Frontiers
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:

Synopeas cynipsiphilum, female (FSCA 00097487) A head, anterior view B head and mesosoma, dorsal view C head and mesosoma, ventrolateral view D head and mesosoma, lateral view E mesosoma and metasoma, dorsal view. Credit: Journal of Hymenoptera Research (2023). DOI: 10.3897/jhr.96.102865

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered a new species of tiny parasitic wasp that might prove beneficial to managing soybean gall midge, a recently emerged pest in Midwest soybean fields that can have devastating impacts on plant production.

Their findings were recently published in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research.

Since the appearance of the midge in 2018, growers have struggled to manage this insect, prompting researchers to seek effective and environmentally-friendly ways to help soybean farmers protect their crop. One approach is biological control, using natural enemies to kill pests. However, because soybean gall midge is new, very little is known about which species might prove to be good allies to growers in the fight against this damaging insect.

Amelia Lindsey, an assistant professor in the Department of Entomology, and Robert Koch, an associate professor in the Department of Entomology and an Extension entomologist, led the team at the University of Minnesota. They focused on searching for parasitoids insects that lay their eggs in or on another insectof soybean gall midge. Juveniles of the parasitoid develop inside the other insect, eventually killing them.

To find such parasitic insects, a graduate student in the Lindsey and Koch labs, Gloria Melotto, collected soybean gall midge-infested plants from a Minnesota farm and waited to see which adult insects emerged from the plants.

The researchers found:

In addition to a lot of soybean gall midges, there were a number of tiny parasitoid wasps.

In collaboration with two taxonomists who specialize in this group of insectsJessica Awad, doctoral researcher, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, and Elijah Talamas, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Servicesit became clear that there was no information on this wasp anywhere in the scientific record. It is a new-to-science species.

The team used DNA sequencing data and physical characteristics of the wasps to formally describe the specimens and give them a scientific name: Synopeas maximum.

The findings point toward this newly described parasitoid wasp species being a likely natural enemy of soybean gall midge.

"Unidentified and undescribed parasitoid micro-wasps are all around us. Although they are tiny, they play a huge role in regulating the populations of other insects, including pests. It's really exciting to discover a new parasitoid species in such an important crop system," said Awad.

"Effective management of soybean gall midge has proven challenging. Identification of a new species of parasitic wasp attacking this pest is an exciting breakthrough," said Koch.

Ongoing work from the team includes a deeper dive into the biology of the wasp and the soybean gall midge to see how often this wasp attacks the pest, and how widespread this potential beneficial insect is across the midwest. Ultimately, the goal is to develop strategies for incorporating the natural enemy into management plans for safe and effective control of soybean gall midge infestations.

More information: Gloria Melotto et al, Synopeas maximum Awad & Talamas (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae): a new species of parasitoid associated with soybean gall midge, Resseliella maxima Gagne (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research (2023). DOI: 10.3897/jhr.96.102865 Journal information: Journal of Hymenoptera Research
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:

Credit: Palgrave Macmillan

Flinders University and U.K. researchers have analyzed the use of disability-related taboo words to better understand how certain terms are used in the community and shed light on their negative and positive impact on people with disabilities.

The use of language is often at the frontline of efforts to promote wider community acceptance for disabled people, with the boundaries of appropriate language changing quickly in the digital age thanks to the widespread use of social media.

Dedicating a chapter on "Disability and the Power of Taboo Words" in a new edition of The Palgrave Handbook of Disability and Communication, Professor Joanne Arciuli and co-author Professor Tom Shakespeare (U.K.) have examined why certain taboo words continue to be used in the community in a positive way and also looked at the grassroots campaigns trying to raise awareness and discourage people from using other hurtful words.

Their chapter explains why some advocates and disabled people choose to claim these taboo words in favor of self-empowerment while others want some words to disappear from the everyday vocabulary to reduce stigma.

In the U.K., a 2016 Ofcom study asked 248 people about taboo words to determine which terms are the most offensive. The Ofcom study suggested that mental health and disability-related taboo words could be categorized based on their level of offensiveness.

This disparity in acceptable language between countries like the U.K. and the U.S. clearly highlights varying social attitudes in different parts of the world.

Most recently, the twitter hashtag #CripTheVote was positively used by disability advocates in the U.S. to highlight issues which affect people with disabilities during election campaigns.

"There is a cycle where words are devised in relation to people with a disability which may, in turn, become deployed as insults. This suggests that the problem lies with social attitude towards the underlying condition, rather than the particular word used to label that condition," says lead author Professor Joanne Arciuli in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Professor Arciuli says the current scientific evidence suggests that the brain may deal with taboo words differently from regular words so they resonate powerfully, either positively or negatively.

"Language changes and taboos change too. Historically, many people with disabilities have been ignored, mistreated, or disrespected. We are still working towards the prospect of inclusion that is represented for many by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and terminology is often the frontline of efforts to promote widespread acceptance," says Professor Arciuli.

"The boundaries of what is acceptable, what is hurtful, radical, and what is shameful is changing fast. People with disabilities remain outsiders in many communities. The key point from our chapter in this book is to educate people away from negative attitudes toward all differences, including disability, and to promote inclusion, so that there are no outsiders."

Professor Tom Shakespeare, a co-author of this chapter on taboo words, writes in the chapter that he has restricted growth (short stature) and has experienced many of the insulting words about dwarfism.

"You could say that what's hurtful is the attitude that underlies them, rather than the words themselves. However, it's through words that you become aware of others' attitudes," says Professor Shakespeare.

The article's authors conclude that empowering disabled people through community participation and employment, including in influential and prominent roles, encourages understanding and respect and can be a positive step towards a more inclusive society.
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:

Two-phase simulation of He partitioning at core-mantle boundary conditions. (a) A snapshot at 47520 fs of two-phase coexistence simulations of Mg 64 O 64 He 4 solid and Fe 96 He 4 liquid at 4000 K and ~135 GPa. (b) The corresponding instantaneous coarse-grained density profile (blue dots) along the z-axis of the simulation box and the best fitting curve using Eq. 2. The two dashed lines (z0 and z1 in Eq. 2) are the locations of Gibbs dividing surfaces. The red shaded regions are interfaces. Credit: Nature Geoscience (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-023-01182-7

Two geoscientists, one with Princeton University, the other with Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, have developed a theory to explain how helium-3 leaks from the Earth's core into the mantle. In their study, reported in the journal Nature Geoscience, Jie Deng and Zhixue Du used first-principle calculations to show that helium-3 could enter magnesium oxide at the core-mantle boundary, allowing its entry into the mantle.

Helium-3, a helium isotope with one neutron in its nucleus instead of the more common two, is extremely rare on Earth's surface, but recent research has shown that it can be found in volcanic rock formations on the ocean floor. The finding suggests that some process allows helium-3 to seep from the core into the mantle. Scientists would like to obtain more helium-3 because it has proven useful in fusion reactors as a source of fuel.

Prior research has suggested that there is a large amount of helium-3 locked in Earth's coreplanetary scientists believe it got there during the formation of the planet. Helium-3 was a constituent of the dust and gases that coalesced approximately 4.5 billion years ago. And because of its nature, it became locked into the core. But some process has been allowing some of it to escape into the mantle, and now, Deng and Du believe they may have figured out why.

Prior research has shown that when helium-3 comes into contact with magnesium oxide, it exsolves, which means it is changed from an initial homogenous mineral into one that has crystalline phases. As part of the process, the helium is physically moved to the location of the magnesium oxide.

The researchers mathematically demonstrated that helium-3 could have been pulled from the core through interactions with magnesium oxide shortly after the planet formed, continuing right up to the present. Their math shows that over the lifetime of the planet, as helium-3 was exsolved, it could have slowly made its way to parts of the mantle, where it may have risen to the surface through volcanic activity.

More information: Jie Deng et al, Primordial helium extracted from the Earth's core through magnesium oxide exsolution, Nature Geoscience (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-023-01182-7 Journal information: Nature Geoscience

 2023 Science X Network
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

The leaves of the dwarf Labrador tea plant contain an oil that could help fight malaria. Credit: Adapted from ACS Omega (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00235

Much of what is now considered modern medicine originated as folk remedies or traditional, Indigenous practices. These customs are still alive today, and they could help address a variety of conditions. Now reporting in ACS Omega, a team of researchers have identified compounds in the leaves of a particular medicinal Labrador tea plant used throughout the First Nations of Nunavik, Canada, and demonstrated that one of them has activity against the parasite responsible for malaria.

"Labrador tea" refers to multiple, closely related plantsall members of the genus Rhododendron. These are small, evergreen shrubs with fuzzy leaves that, as their name suggests, are steeped to make herbal teas commonly used by the Inuit and Indigenous nations in the U.S. and Canada. Reportedly, drinks made from the leaves or roots can aid in treating colds or the flu, headaches or stomach aches, nasal congestion and many other ailments.

Past studies have shown that essential oils extracted from the plants have antimicrobial properties, which could help fight antibiotic-resistant microbes. Dwarf Labrador tea, or Rhododendron subarcticum, produces a particularly aromatic brew and grows in the harsher conditions of the subarctic, found from Alaska to Siberia just south of the Arctic Circle.

Despite its common use as a traditional medicine, its chemical composition and potential antimicrobial applications remain relatively unstudied. So, Normand Voyer and colleagues wanted to characterize the makeup of R. subarcticum for the first time and test its antiparasitic activity.

The team gathered R. subarcticum leaves from Nunavik, a region in northern Quebec. The researchers extracted the essential oil from the leaves and analyzed it with gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and flame ionization detection, to identify 53 compounds. It turns out that 64.7% of the oil was comprised of ascaridole, followed by p-cymene at 21.1%. This combination of compounds has not previously been reported in closely related North American Labrador tea varieties, though it has been found in subspecies originating in Europe and Asia.

To see whether this essential oil had antimalarial properties, the team exposed two strains of Plasmodium falciparum, a malaria-causing parasite, to the oil or to just ascaridole. In the experiment, one of the strains was resistant to known antimalaria drugs. The data showed that ascaridole was the primarily component that acted against both strains of the parasite, which is consistent with other, antiparasitic traditional medicines also rich in the compound.

The researchers say that this work bolsters the importance of investigating and protecting plants used in traditional medicines, especially those from harsher climates impacted by climate change.

More information: Jean-Christophe Seguin et al, Chemical Composition and Antiplasmodial Activity of the Essential Oil of Rhododendron subarcticum Leaves from Nunavik, Quebec, Canada, ACS Omega (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00235 Journal information: ACS Omega
By Mabinty M. Kamara

Parents and guardians across Freetown have applauded the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh for an innovative idea which enabled them to electronically access the National Primary School Examination results at no cost, before reaching the schools.

The platform was created by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Examination in partnership with the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the National Telecommunication Commission and telecommunication service providers, to ensure transformative learning.

This according to many is the first of its kind in the countrys educational history and that has gone a long way to ease the burden of purchasing scratch cards to check results since it normally takes time before they get to the schools from the time of their release by the ministry.

Speaking to Politico, Momoh Turay expressed joy at the innovative idea of the minister, noting that it just saved many the Le. 65,000 WAEC scratch card payment they would usually make for not waiting for the results to get to schools.

This initiative is very impressive. Im happy for this man. If they could do this for all public examinations including the WASSCE, it will be lifesaving because things are hard and at the same time people want their children to learn. So you go all out to pay the bills involved, he said.

The Minister who doubles as the Chief Innovation Officer at the DSTI in Sierra Leone, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh on his Facebook page noted that the move is to demonstrate the power of innovation and technology in modern learning. It can democratize access. Today, the government of Sierra Leone has launched a ground breaking solution making all exams scores available to our children nationwide within 24hrs of releasing the NPSE results, the post reads.

The process can be accessed through the Orange and Africell mobile network by texting Result to the short code 468.

Releasing the result on Friday 23rd July 2021 through the national Broadcaater, Dr Sengeh noted that 161,191 (One hundred and sixty one thousand, one hundred and ninety one) candidates took the examination out of which 79,605 (Seventy-nine thousand six hundred and five) males, and 82,086 (eighty two thousand and eighty six) females from 4,295 (four thousand two hundred and ninety- five) primary schools, 25 of which he said were in Guinea, compared to the 146, 6049 (one hundred and forty-six thousand six hundred and forty nine ) overall candidates in the previous year.

He added that the highest aggregate score for 2021 is slightly below the aggregate score of 2020. However 124,542 comprising of 62,024 boys and 62,518 girls passed the NPSE in 2021, he said.

The overall pass rate for this year was 77.6% from 74.2 in 2020 and male pass rate at 77.9% and female 76.2. More girls he said entered and passed the NPSE in 2021.

The top candidate for this years NPSE is a male with an aggregate of 354. Meanwhile, the top three candidates for last year were all girls.

It took the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) 56 days from the time of the exams on the 28th May 2021 to the release date, days away from the first pronounced date by the Minister.

However, the Minister noted that the delay was a result of some schools not being able to provide continuous assessment grades for their candidates on time.

Copyright  Politico Online
By politico staff writer

The Government of Sierra Leone has signed an agreement with ARISE Integrated Industrial Platform LTD for the expansion of the Pepel Port and Railway.

The projects business plan, financial model and pre-feasibility studies are estimated at 476 million dollars covering the refurbishment of the Pepel Tonkolili Railway, and the Pepel Port- Railway connectivity to Marampa mines.

It is also set to introduce passenger rail services and rail connection to Guinea.

The signing of the agreement was done by the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Musa Timothy Kabba together with his Finance counterpart, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura and the Managing Director of ARISE IIP, Jesper Harring Boll.

According to the mines minister, the agreement is part of the bigger reforms in the mining sector, where the government intends to open the space for more players to participate.

He described ARISE IIP to be a credible company with a reputation for developing and managing infrastructure in Africa. This agreement is taking a government asset from monopoly to be more accessible he added.

Kabba said revival of mining operation in the country requires significant investment in infrastructure for it to fully benefit from the growth of its mining output.

He said the agreement signed involves a lease that will give a 10% free carry to the Government of Sierra Leone. He also said that the agreement will further provide access to rail and port facilities to other bulk mineral producers in the northern corridor.

ARISE company is to introduce passenger rail services that will enhance an increase in mineral export with an additional 20 Million metric tonnes which is said to be providing 10% dividend to Government. It will also increase better mobility, trade for communities and annual royalties PAYE and other taxes.

In his statement Finance minister Bangura referred to ARISE as a sector specialist firm with a proven record across Africa in managing infrastructure. He said the signing came in after having several consultations, and approval from cabinet with concurrence from his ministry.

He pointed out that they signed the agreement in the best interest of the government and people of Sierra Leone, noting that the agreement will be taken to parliament for ratification.

Speaking on behalf of ARISE, MD Boll stated that ARISE is a conceiver, developer and operator of high-added-value infrastructure committed to making Africa thrive with an investment of several billion dollars. He also spoke about the company having a good track record across many countries in Africa like Benin, Togo, Gabon, Cote dIvoire, Chad, DR Congo and Rwanda.

He went on to say that, ARISE IIP identifies gaps in African countries that unlock value and creating new industries that will transform and maximize production, efficiency and cost to generate growth and local value addition.

The expansion project is expected to increase economic activities by providing jobs for Sierra Leoneans and enabling passengers locomotion from Tonkolili through Bombali to the Port Loko district.

Copyright  2023 Politico Online (23/01/23)
By Chernor Alimamy Kamara

The Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) has agreed with the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) to commence with the drafting of Regulations that will provide for Sierra Leoneans performing this year's pilgrimage in Mecca and subsequent pilgrimages of all Faiths that coincide with general elections, to vote by proxy.

This decision was reached after the Minister of Social Welfare, Baindu Dassama, informed Political Party leaders that the Hajj this year has coincided with the holding of the countrys general elections, slated for 24th June 2023 in a meeting hosted by the PPRC with the leadership of registered Political Parties in Sierra Leone on the 31st January 2023.

According to Minister Dassama, the Authorities in Mecca have allocated a quota of 1,200 (one thousand, two hundred) for Pilgrims to the Country, which is said to be likely taken by prospective pilgrims.

She was concerned that 1,200 Sierra Leoneans will be disenfranchised if nothing was done in that regard.

However, both ECSL and Parliament referred her to the PPRC for consultation with Political Parties to get a consensus, so that necessary steps will be adopted to amend the situation, without offending the ECOWAS Protocol.

Speaking at the meeting, the Director of Operations ECSL, Mohamed Turay in his contribution, explained to the Political Parties that, there is no provision in the extant Regulations for early voting. He said, if it is the consensus of Political Parties, the only option open for potential redress is proxy voting, and even that, he said regulations to that effect will have to be tabled to Parliament for promulgation.

The Political Parties, however, expressed concerns over the promulgation of the Regulations for just this one instance. They, therefore, recommended that, ECSL draft Regulations that will be applicable to pilgrimages of all faiths that may coincide with the holding of a general election, for the attention of Parliament.

In the same meeting, they also discussed issues regarding the Electoral calendar issued by ECSL where Political Parties were encouraged to regularize their status, particularly the Constitution of their Organs and their pre-election declarations.

The PPRC is said to be on top of the situation in terms of preparedness ahead of the upcoming general elections slated for the 24 June 2023.

It could be recalled that Parliament passed into law the Political Parties Regulation Commission Act of 2022 on the 24th of November 2022 to provide for the regulation, including the registration of political parties and other related matters.

Copyright  2023 Politico Online (03/02/23)
A 13-year-old Ballston Spa Middle School student has been arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot up the school last month.

The Saratoga County Sheriffs Office and other law enforcement agencies responded to the middle school and Ballston Spa High School on April 4 after several students reported they had received a school threat through Snapchat.

The district canceled classes for the day. No threat was found.

Following an investigation, police determined that the juvenile created and distributed the threat through the social media platform. The youth has been charged with misdemeanor counts of making a threat of mass harm and making a punishable false written statement, according to a news release.

The juvenile was referred to the Saratoga County Probation Department for further action.

The incident was part of a series of so-called swatting incidents at several area schools that affected classes on April 4. Nine Washington County school districts delayed the start of school after receiving an anonymous emailed threat and Queensbury was affected as well.
SOUTH GLENS FALLS  A South Glens Falls man was charged Wednesday with failing to report a change of address as a sex offender.

The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office said Jarret L. Eaglin, 41, was charged with failing to notify authorities his address change as a sex offender within 10 days after moving, which is a class D felony. Eaglin previously was convicted of the same offense resulting in the upgraded charge.

Eaglin was convicted of three counts of sexual assault in New Hampshire in 2003, according to the New York state sex offender registry. He is listed as a Level 3 offender, the highest re-offense risk level.

Eaglin was arraigned before judge John Hogan in the Moreau Town Court and returned to the custody of the Rensselaer County Jail, where he is being held in a separate matter.
The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and the New York State Canal Corp. announced that the villages of Fort Edward and Schuylerville are receiving tourism infrastructure and event grants.

The award of $24,000 to the Village of Fort Edward will go toward the installation of an adaptive hand launch dock at the Yacht Basin on the Hudson River in the municipalitys downtown.

Over in the Village of Schuylerville, $10,000 was awarded to enhance Hudson Crossing Park maintenance equipment storage through the construction of a new shed, allowing staff and volunteers to address safety, security and accessibility concerns in a timely manner.

For nearly 200 years, the Erie Canal has been an economic engine and as we near its third century of operation, the strategic investments being made through this program are key to ensuring it continues to support the communities that grew alongside it. Improving infrastructure and bringing residents and visitors to canalside events will stimulate downtowns and create new opportunities to experience our Canal waterways, Brian Stratton, New York State Canal Corp. director said in a news release issued Monday.

The release said that 42 nonprofit organizations and municipalities will receive state canal system tourism infrastructure and event grants totaling $190,000 in 2023. The grants will support seven tourism infrastructure and amenity improvements and 35 events along canal waterways and the Canalway Trail.

Recipients are spread across the Erie, Oswego, Cayuga-Seneca, and Champlain canals. Infrastructure and amenity projects include kayak storage and paddling launches, picnic facilities, restrooms, and park upgrades that better accommodate people with disabilities. Events range from large canal festivals to bike tours to arts and cultural offerings that will contribute to a lively season of activities, the release said.

We are thrilled to support community partners to offer an exciting lineup of events and improved services for visitors all along the canals. Investing in canal tourism benefits residents and visitors alike and helps to maximize the economic impact of tourism for communities across New York, Bob Radliff, executive director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor said.

The NYSCC, a subsidiary of the New York Power Authority, oversees the operation and promotion of the New York State Canal System.
ATLANTIC CITY  Absecon Superintendent Dan Dooley was emotional in his return to AtlantiCare months after a medical emergency in January landed him at the facility days before his child was born.

Expressing gratitude, he met with a nurse Thursday who had helped get him out of the hospital to welcome his child.

Giving back, especially during National Nurses Week, is a life lesson hes trying to instill in his students.

I think a big part of having our children grow, not only academically and socially, but also civilly, is for them to know that giving back is a huge part, and that were all working together, Dooley said.

Members of the Emma C. Attales Middle School band and choir were given a chance to learn the importance of giving back Thursday when they visited AtlantiCare Regional Medical Centers City Campus.

The band set up in a corner of the third-floor cafeteria, serenading whoever came through for lunch.

Driver injured in Dennis Township crash DENNIS TOWNSHIP  Firefighters rescued a driver from their burning car after it caught fire 

Upstairs, a small group of nurses sat together for a personal concert from the choir, who performed songs including an arrangement of Cups by Anna Kendrick.

Jadyn Clinkscale, an eighth-grader who plays drums in the band and sings in the choir, said public displays of appreciation are important for the medical field.

I want to celebrate the nurses, said Clinkscale. I know they do a lot for the hospital, so I feel like they deserve to be celebrated. I feel like they deserve this, to listen to music, to relax and not have the stress of knowing that a patient is on their hands.

Thursdays visit was made possible through a partnership between the school district and AtlantiCare. The hospital originally contacted Absecon school officials in the summer to discuss a potential trip, Dooley said.

The band and choir werent the only visitors from the school. Both of Absecons four-legged school employees, therapy dogs Skye and Hope, made the trip to the hospital.

The Greater Swiss mountain dogs are owned by Dooley, and five years ago when he arrived at Absecon, he implemented a therapy dog program he started while at the Commercial Township School District in Cumberland County.

Absecon man sentenced for carrying gun in hospital A judge sentenced an Absecon man found carrying a gun at a local hospital to five years in p

For about an hour, the dogs, with handlers, made their way throughout the hospital, pausing at each nurses station.

Several nurses on each floor took a moment with their canine visitors, giving them pets and belly rubs.

Skye on Thursday celebrated his 1,000th visit as a therapy dog.

About 30 staff members are trained in handling the animals, preschool teacher Samantha Stoll said while accompanying them on the fourth floor.

Besides visiting the community, theyre often used to help students cope with school and learning to read.

We have an awesome team in Absecon, Stoll said. Sometimes, I feel that the dogs are more for me than the kids, just depends on the day. But, its really sweet, and the ability for kids to just focus on whats right in front of you and be able to see their reactions, and talk them through how theyre feeling, and stuff like that.

Thursdays experience was one the staff can take with them the rest of their workweek.

The talented students lively, uplifting performances were entertaining for our care team and our visitors, said James A. Kilmer Jr., vice president and chief administrative officer for AtlantiCares City Campus.

GALLERY: Therapy dogs visit AtlantiCare for Nurses Week
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.
PLEASANTVILLE  The local school bus union is speaking out for the need for higher wages in the midst of a tight labor market.

Representatives from Teamsters Local 331 addressed officials at the city Board of Education meeting Tuesday and called on the board to raise pay for drivers to match changes in the market and reward longtime employees.

School bus driver Rhonda Brown, a union shop steward, warned pay for drivers at Pleasantville Public Schools left the district uncompetitive, as neighboring districts and bus companies offer higher wages.

She said some bus drivers who have had long careers with the district are making about $33,000 per year, which she said amounted to about $18 an hour. The highest paid driver in the district, Brown said, has been there for 13 years and is making just over $23 per hour. Once having some of the higher-paid bus drivers in the region, the school district, Brown said, has failed to keep pace with the rest of the driver market.

I basically want yall to understand that our department is seriously in trouble due to our rate of pay, Brown said.

Board President Doris Rowell declined comment after the meeting, citing ongoing negotiations with the union. The school board voted to retain Thomas Henshaw as labor negotiator for its talks with the Teamsters at a rate of $100 per hour.

The board and Local 331, representing district bus drivers and aides, have a collective bargaining agreement in effect from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2023, meaning the agreement is set to expire after the end of the 2022-23 school year.

Pleasantville school celebrates autism awareness PLEASANTVILLE  The North Main Street School celebrated Autism Awareness Month on April 20 w

Teamsters Local 331 President Marcus King said Thursday the union remained in negotiations with the school district, He said he has had a few other meetings with the district and while it has been "one of the better negotiations" he has experienced, pay remained an outstanding question.

"Everybody wants to put out the best rate," King said.

He said one of the predominant issues was competing with private busing companies that were raising wages. While full-time drivers in the school district collect benefits generally not available in the private sector, part-time drivers, those working less than 32 hours per week, do not. He said those part-time drivers are particularly vulnerable to being poached by higher-paying companies. He said the district had 27 total drivers, with 18, or two-thirds, being part time.

"Our rates are just not where the private bus companies are," King said.

Brown said at the meeting that Pleasantville bus drivers are getting calls from other districts, including neighboring Absecon and Egg Harbor Township, advertising higher pay. Some districts, she said, were offering wages as high as $27 or $28 per hour. There are also other private companies, such as Integrity Transportation and Sheppard Bus Service, offering higher wages, in addition to bonuses and training. King said Thursday he saw a wage offer as high as $30 per hour. If Pleasantville could not compete, these higher offers would siphon away drivers, Brown warned.

The current collective bargaining agreement scheduled $1 per hour pay increases on July 1 of 2020, 2021 and 2022. There was longevity pay between $650 and $700 for full-time drivers and aides of at least 10 years; between $1,330 and $1,380 for drivers and aides of at least 15 years; and between $1,950 and $2,000 for drivers of at least 20 years.

In September, if they all go for more money, were not going to have any bus drivers, Brown said. This is very serious.

Egg Harbor Township school district keeps taxes level with $192 million budget EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP  There will be little change to school taxes this year as the district 

A report from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics published in May 2022 found the average hourly wage for elementary and secondary school bus drivers was $19.45. The BLS also reports that the overall U.S. unemployment rate is 3.4%, the lowest it has been since 1969, leading to an extraordinarily tight labor market.

King said the concern over pay in Pleasantville was related to broader structural issues in the busing market. A historically tight labor market and a shortage of drivers, King said, have caused wage hikes. He added school districts and bus companies now have to contend with new federal regulations in the labor market. In February 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enacted new regulations requiring aspirant drivers to obtain their commercial driver's licenses from a nationally certified organization, something that has further disrupted the supply of drivers.

"I think it's a problem we have in the industry," King said.

These structural problems were on display at the beginning of this school year, with several South Jersey school districts, including Egg Harbor Township, citing a bus-driver shortfall. An Integrity official said just before the start of the school year that his company was running about 10 bus drivers short from his typical workforce of 150 to 170. He said the company needed to raise pay significantly to draw new drivers but was getting fewer than two applicants per job advertisement.

Pleasantville school bus driver Bernadette Woods, another shop steward, said other districts and bus companies luring bus drivers away from the district would hurt the district and its students.

It is a concern, because we do need the bus drivers and the kids need transportation to get back and forth to school, Woods said.

King said that Pleasantville bus drivers first organized under Teamsters Local 331 in the late 2000s and that he has personally been involved in three or four negotiations with the school district. He said one problem unique to Pleasantville he has encountered is the significant turnover in administration, which has created additional friction in negotiations. Pleasantville Public Schools has seen its superintendent change frequently in recent years and is currently engaging its third superintendent search in four years.

Pleasantville celebrates Eid al-Fitr PLEASANTVILLE  Masjid Baitul Nasr held its celebration of Eid al-Fitr last Friday. Hundreds

"I don't know who term to term I'm dealing with, so that's another problem," King said.

King said Teamsters Local 331 representatives and school district officials were to meet for more talks on Tuesday. He said he hoped to strike a deal by June before the end of the school year. Ensuring students had safe and timely way to travel to schools and extracurricular clubs, King added, needs to be a priority for school districts.

"You can't mess around with the kids, especially when it comes to transportation," King said.

In other business, the board voted to accept $8.26 million in aid from the state Department of Education for preschool expansion. It also amended its allocation of $4.9 million in federal funds from the pandemic relief act Congress enacted in December 2020, and renewed Alamo Insurance as its health insurance broker for the 2023-24 school year.
ATLANTIC CITY  Senior citizens living in the troubled Stanley Holmes Village public housing complex were relieved Thursday when they heard they no longer have to worry about quickly moving to a high-rise in the city.

That policy has been revoked, said new Atlantic City Housing Authority Executive Director Matt Doherty at a hearing Thursday in Superior Court. Seniors had received letters from the authority saying they must be ready to move within 72 hours of notice sometime this month.

Sounds of relief could be heard from several residents who had attended the hearing before Judge John Porto in Superior Court.

The hearing was called mainly to deal with aspects of a Dec. 21 judges order with which the Housing Authority has yet to fully comply.

Will residents be notified of that? asked Olga Pomar, housing preservation and community development coordinator for South Jersey Legal Services, which is representing more than 80 residents in a lawsuit over conditions at the 420-unit complex.

They will be notified in writing next week, said Doherty, the former executive director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, who began his job with the Housing Authority on Monday.

Seniors say they are being forced to move from Stanley Holmes Village ATLANTIC CITY  Seniors and disabled residents at the public housing complex Stanley Holmes 

Many seniors had said they did not want to move because they felt high-rise conditions were as bad as those at Stanley Holmes, where problems with heat and hot water, gas lines, infestations, broken appliances and more have made life difficult.

They also said they would no longer be within walking distance of churches and shopping and medical care, and some said they had phobias about elevators and living in high-rises in general.

Resident Shirley Moore, 70, said after the meeting she had begun packing for a move she didnt want to make. Her daughter and son-in-law were coming from Georgia to help her move there with them.

Now she can stay in Stanley Holmes, she said.

Doherty said there will also be an evening meeting soon to talk with residents, but the date and time have not yet been set.

The hearing was mainly focused on a motion filed by Pomar to enforce Portos Dec. 21 order, which laid out nine specific things the Housing Authority was supposed to provide to Legal Services in writing by mid-January.

Jeffries Tower seniors say life has gotten so much harder ATLANTIC CITY  The elderly and disabled residents at the Atlantic City Housing Authoritys 

They included documents on inspections, assessments and work performed on gas lines as well as heating and hot water systems. The judge had also ordered the authority to set up a system for keeping track of resident complaints.

We had to file this motion because more than four months have gone by and we do not believe the Atlantic City Housing Authority is in full compliance with that order, Pomar said.

The Housing Authority has provided informal communications, but ... hasnt given us documents we requested, Pomar said.

One of the documents Pomar requested and the judge had ordered the Housing Authority to provide concerned work done on gas lines in parts of the complex.

The gas was turned off for three weeks in October, and the residents never got an explanation, Pomar said.

They were told then it was so dangerous they had to move, then told there was no danger and they could stay.

Your order required inspection within 30 days  but they didnt do it until three months later, March 23, because contractors in crawl spaces (saw leaks), Pomar told the judge.

Gas had to be shut off in six of the complexs 32 buildings because of active gas leaks and contamination found in March, Pomar said.

They dont seem to feel they have to account for the terms of the December order, Pomar said. They have simply not acted.

Porto, however, said the record should reflect hes had an open dialog with Housing Authority attorney Richard DeLucry and with Pomar.

DeLucry outlined a long list of projects the Housing Authority has undertaken to fix the boilers that provide heat and hot water to the complex, gas lines and a variety of other problems found in a city inspection of units in December.

If the question is What is the timetable? we cant answer that, DeLucry said of a time when everything will be fixed.

He said relatively new board members and brand new staff members like Doherty inherited a facility in serious disrepair.

But people dealing with it inherited that problem and have been working day and night and even in extraordinary ways in a lot of cases to address problems, DeLucry said. They keep snowballing.

He did not explain why the required documents had not been provided, other than to say he may have been overly optimistic when he agreed to the details of the Dec. 21 order.

It may have been reckless on my part, DeLucry said. I had no idea of scope of undertaking.

DeLucry said the authority is looking at all options.

We are very close to being able to present a proposal to the board  what we think will be a permanent fix to the gas line issue, DeLucry said, as well as heat and hot water issues.

Latest HUD inspection gave Stanley Holmes Village a passing grade ATLANTIC CITY  The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development gave Stanley Holmes 

At the end of the hearing, DeLucry agreed to provide much of the requested documentation to Legal Services within three weeks, and some by next Friday.

Doherty also told the judge he is aware of the need to improve communication between the Housing Authority and residents, and to be more responsive to resident complaints.

My second day (on the job) I had notices posted on every door with my name, title, email and cellphone, Doherty said. Since then I have gotten calls about a variety of needs. I assigned them to get them performed and executed.

The board has also contracted to buy software to track resident complaints, DeLucry said.

I dont live in the past. Whatever happened cannot change, but we can learn from it, Doherty said.

He promised to send Pomar the board package before Housing Authority meetings, so you can see resolutions before a vote on them.
Reduced numbers of red knots are taking their famous spring migration break along the sandy shores of Delaware Bay this month. A rest stop on their 9,000 mile flight from South America to Arctic breeding grounds, the federally protected shorebirds gorge on the horseshoe crab eggs needed to complete their nearly pole-to-pole migration.

The bays shorebird migration used to be a globally significant wildlife phenomenon, with hundreds of thousands of other shorebirds joining 90,000 red knots for the feast. But years of overharvesting horseshoe crabs for snail bait cut off their eggs and reduced the red knots to just 6,880 in 2021.

The birds are arriving now to beaches more barren than abundant, but a much better future looks assured after a victory by red knot supporters last fall, a federal ruling in the birds favor, and a strong federal recovery plan announced last month.

Last year the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission proposed allowing the fishing industry to resume catching female horseshoe crabs this year.

After a flood of opposition in 34,000 public comments and from conservation groups such as Earthjustice, New Jersey Audubon and Defenders of Wildlife, in the fall the commission backed off and continued to ban catching female crabs.

Then in early April, a federal judge in South Carolina banned the taking of horseshoe crabs on 30 beaches in the state where the birds stop.

A laboratory and other defendants who draw the crabs blood to extract a biomedical test compound agreed to the consent order to take no crabs from March 15 to June 15.

Although the horseshoe crabs are returned to the water, naturalists estimate up to 30% die from the bleeding and others are unable to breed afterward.

The good news for red knots was crowned a couple of weeks later when the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service proposed a comprehensive, decades-long plan for the recovery of the species, which had been declared federally threatened in 2015.

That plan would protect 683,405 acres of critical red knot habitat across 13 states, reduce factors in bird mortality and counter emerging threats such as rising seas that can inundate stopover beaches.

We were really thrilled that the service decided to propose critical habitat rules, because not every protected species actually has them, David Mizrahi, vice president of research and monitoring for New Jersey Audubon, told NJ Spotlight. In fact, most of them dont have it.

Included in the habitat to be protected is a new knot rest stop at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Brigantine.

There a sandbar known as Horseshoe Island formed a few years ago and became a favorite spawning site for horseshoe crabs and a feeding spot for migratory shorebirds.

The public may comment on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife proposal this month at www.regulations.gov. Search for and submit comments on Docket No. FWS-R5-ES-2020-0098.

Comments may also be mailed to Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS-R5-ES-2020-0098; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: PRB/3W; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

Assuming strong support for protecting red knots continues, the service expects to begin implementing the plan about a year from now.

The agency said its plan provides a road map for helping the red knot flourish to the point that it no longer needs federal protection.

That wouldnt be expected until 2080, after efforts in 40 U.S. states and 27 other countries where the bird breeds, migrates or winters.

The Press for decades has advocated for red knots, their fellow shorebirds and the ancient horseshoe crabs on which they depend.

This serious and continued federal commitment to them couldnt be more welcome.
A 22-year-old Davenport man who was a member of the Savage Life Boys street gang was sentenced Wednesday to more than 10 years in federal prison on drug and gun charges.

Darion Lemont Thomas pleaded guilty on Feb. 27 to possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, methamphetamine. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

During his sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court, Davenport, District Judge Stephen Locher sentenced Thomas to a term of 70 months, or five years and 10 months, for the drug conviction, and a consecutive term of 60 months, or five years, on the weapons conviction.

Thomas also must serve four years of supervised release when he completes his prison sentence. He will receive credit for the time he has served in the custody of the U.S. Marshals while his case made its way through the court system.

The federal case against Thomas began in Scott County District Court.

Davenport Police arrested him on Sept. 3, 2021, at the emergency room at UnityPoint Health-Trinity, Bettendorf.

At the time of his arrest, Thomas had been on escape status from the Iowa Department of Corrections Work Release Center since January of 2021.

According to the arrest affidavit filed by Davenport Police Detective Joseph Dorton, at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, Thomas was seen at the emergency room of UnityPoint Health-Trinity, Bettendorf. Detectives identified Thomas on security cameras in the hospital.

Detectives went to the emergency room and told Thomas he was under arrest. His hands then went to his waistband. Thomas fought with detectives until he was brought under control.

During a search, officers found a loaded Glock 19 handgun in Thomas waistband. The gun had one round in the chamber and a magazine full of ammunition.

When officers searched the backpack Thomas had with him, they seized 66 pills that tested positive for methamphetamine. The weight of methamphetamine totaled 26.7 grams. Officers also seized 1.75 grams of marijuana.

On Dec. 7, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Thomas on drug and gun charges and the Scott County charges related to the case were dropped.

During Thomas sentencing his attorney, Charles Paul, pointed out that in mitigation to Thomas offenses, Thomas father, Dane Eugene Howard, was murdered before Thomas was born.

Howards shooting death occurred Oct. 4, 2000, in the 600 block of West 63rd Street.

Thomas mother, Monica Thomas, was 15 years old at the time of his birth and raised him as a single mother.

Paul said that aspect of Thomas history should be considered as a significant mitigating factor as it was out of Thomas control.

Scott County District Court electronic records show that in December of 2018, Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, a Class C felony; two counts of third-degree burglary and one count each of carrying weapons, all of which are aggravated misdemeanors; as well as one count of second-degree theft, a Class D felony; and possession of marijuana-first offense.

On Jan. 11, 2019, District Associate Judge Mark Fowler sentenced Thomas to 10 years in the Iowa Department of Corrections for the intimidation with a dangerous weapon charge, as well as concurrent sentences of five years for the second-degree theft, two years each on the aggravated misdemeanor counts and six months for the possession of marijuana charge.

The most serious charge, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, occurred at 5:02 p.m. March 20, 2018, when Thomas, armed with a 9mm Taurus semi-automatic handgun, fired several rounds at a house at 1206 Warrant St. At the time, Thomas was the backseat passenger of a stolen Ford Explorer. After a high-speed chase, Thomas and his co-defendants in the Explorer were arrested.

He was sent to the Iowa Department of Corrections in January 2019, and was placed on work release on Sept. 20, 2020. On Jan. 13, 2021, Thomas left the Work Release Center without permission and never returned. He was charged with felony escape.

Photos: Flood waters receding Saturday, cleanup to begin along the river
The sole survivor among three men who were struck by a vehicle on the Interstate 74 bridge pedestrian path is suing Bettendorf and a bridge-design firm.

The May 22, 2022, collision killed Ethan Gonzalez, 21, and Anthony Castaneda, 18. It seriously injured Charles Bowen, 22, who has filed the latest lawsuit in the case.

The Rock Island County States Attorneys Office has filed numerous charges against Chhabria Harris, 47, of East Moline, that accuse her of being the driver that hit the three men. That criminal case, which includes charges of reckless homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol, is pending.

The civil suit, filed Monday on behalf of Bowen, alleges negligence against the city of Bettendorf and WHKS & Co. Inc., a firm whose services include engineering and design.

The two entities participated in and/or controlled the design, construction, maintenance and other elements of the bridge path construction and management, according to the suit, and both owed a duty of care to pedestrians who used it.

The filing lists a number of ways in which each defendant could have failed in meeting its responsibility, saying the parties committed one or more errors.

Those accusations include a failure to provide adequate barriers and warnings in the design that would prevent vehicle traffic from entering the path, the suit states.

As a result, Bowen experienced pain, suffering, disfigurement and disability, the suit states. He also incurred medical expenses.

Bowen seeks damages in excess of $75,000.

As of Wednesday, Bettendorf and WHKS had not yet filed answers to Bowens complaint. In such filings, civil defendants address the allegations levied against them.

Bowens suit is among several others, which accuse additional defendants.

Harris has been sued by the family of Castaneda, according to Rock Island County court records.

The suit states Harris had a responsibility to safely and properly operate her vehicle.

The suit accuses Harris of potentially committing one or more of several acts of negligence, including failing to keep a proper lookout and failing to reduce speed to avoid hitting Castaneda.

Harris, through her counsel, has filed an answer to the familys complaint. In it, she acknowledges she made contact with an object or animal while driving on May 22, 2022.

Harris filing then argues she has insufficient information to admit or deny she hit Castaneda, and she demanded strict proof of the allegation.

She admitted to owing a duty to safely operate her vehicle under the law but denied violating that legal duty, according to her filing, and denied committing any of the potential errors for which she is accused in the suit.

Castanedas family wants damages in excess of $50,000, according to the suit.

His family has also filed a wrongful death suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, according to previous reporting. Bettendorf is listed as the defendant, and the family seeks damages of more than $75,000.

Further details about that lawsuit and several countersuits that arose from it are available with the online version of this article on the newspapers' websites, qctimes.com and qconline.com.

Harris' next criminal-court hearing has been set for June 22, court records state. Her bail has been set at $2 million. To be released from the Rock Island County Jail, Harris would have to post a $200,000 bond.
Sunset Marina could finally get long-awaited repairs and upgrades after years of discussion on whether Rock Island should sell it.

The city has long discussed what to do with the aging marina that needs new docks, at least $1 million in dredging, electrical, and accessibility upgrades.

Public Works Director Mike Bartels said damage to one of the docks recently reignited discussions on future plans for the marina.

"During the 2019 flood, the 400 dock was damaged and it kind of spurred this new conversation about replacing the dock and doing improvements," he said.

The last time the marina underwent major improvements, Bartels said, was a little over 20 years ago.

Previous staff members in 2010 informed the then-council that the marina was in need of major infrastructure improvements, but its budget could only support day-to-day operations and existing debt service. Options on whether to repair or sell were discussed, which led to the city advertising for requests for proposals.

Only two companies responded but neither was able to make an offer. There was simply too much uncertainty, regarding the need for dredging and the amount of capital improvements needed.

Since then, small improvements have been made but nothing to address the major work that's needed for it to be fully and properly operational.

The future of Sunset Marina has been presented to aldermen on numerous occasions over the past year, with the latest presentation during the council's study session Monday. Bartels provided an overview of the possible project scope, including the cost.

1. Feasibility study of Sunset Marina

A feasibility study done by Edgewater Resources was presented to the council in February, recommending the city keep the marina. Edgewater found that the existing docks have exceeded their useful life, electrical utilities were not up to code, it was not ADA compliant, and dredging is needed.

Edgewater recommended that the city maintain ownership, make improvements and that a third party continue to operate it. Another recommendation was reducing the number of boat slips, raising rates to match the local market, replacing the damaged docks and expanding the marina, based on demand.

2. Project scope

Based on the feasibility study, Bartels recommended decommissioning the 200 dock and the floating maintenance building, electrical upgrades at docks 100, 300 and 400, and dredging the 400 dock area. Electrical upgrades would cost $500,000.

Demolition of the other docks and floating maintenance buildings would cost $119,000.

"There are safety concerns with dock boards, the dock structures themselves, the metal is in bad shape and the floating structures underneath are missing," he said.

The cost of replacing the 400 dock would be about $1.5 million. In order to replace the 400 dock, dredging would need to take place to bring the water level back to the correct depth of four-to-five feet.

Dredging would cost $1 million.

The depth has typically been around 2 feet when it is not flooded. An annual dredge plan will need to be implemented going forward.

"I'm pretty familiar with the bottom of that lake, and it needs a lot more work than what we're showing," said Ald. Mark Poulos, 6 ward, who has conducted dive exercises at the marina's Lake Potter.

Based on the funds available, dredging would be done in other areas needed in the marina.

The city received $1.8 million in federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in December 2020 to help address damages caused by the 2019 flood. The agency is covering 75% or $1.4 million and the city will cover the other 25% or $474,094.

The FEMA funds would be used for the 400 dock, electrical repairs and upgrades, and shoreline repairs.

Rock Island is required by FEMA to pay the cost upfront and would then be reimbursed after the project is completed.

Slips would decrease from 395 to 222, with the replacement of the 400 dock allowing 78 new slips.

"On average the past three years, the most we have ever had occupied was about 225 slip rentals," Bartels said. "That is at peak season in July, August, and the beginning of September when everybody is out boating."

The roof of the marina office also would be replaced and would cost $40,000. Engineering and design would cost $244,000.

The overall project cost is $4.1 million, with a projected deficit of $1.7 million. The city allocated $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to help with project costs.

3. Port District

Additional funds would need to be secured to help cover the cost of repairs. A port district designation could supply that funding, officials said.

The city has been vying for a port district designation, which would provide another way to receive infrastructure funding that could go toward the marina. Illinois State Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, filed the legislation, which would create the Rock Island Regional Port District Act.

Rock Island has a city-owned port terminal and leases it to Alter Logistics.

The Rock Island Intermodal Port Terminal sits along the Mississippi River in the industrial park at 700 Mill St. The terminal helps transport commodities from barge to rail to truck, using inland waterways and other forms of transportation.

Alter does some work at the marina and, given the two facilities' neighboring locations, port district funds could be used for Sunset Marina.

The bill has passed the Senate and currently awaits a final reading in the House before it lands on Gov. JB Pritzker's desk.

4. Sunset Campground

The city also has explored the possibility of developing a campground at Sunset.

Parks and Recreation Director John Gripp presented the possibility of developing campgrounds at the park in late March, saying it could become a destination and a revenue source.

"If you add a campground along with the marina, you are going to attract people that are going to rent boats  from paddle boats to jet skis," he said. "We're going to want to put a potential restaurant and bar or something in that area, because you are stuffing it full of people all year 'round."

Some possible campground locations are: Pettifer Island, south of the park, could be used for tent camping and would be located off the walking trails; near the 18th Avenue entrance along Sunset Lane, an old ballfield and parking lot would be used for RVs, making it easy to come and go. And campers could face their RVs toward Lake Potter.

5. Next steps Bartels hopes to bring back an engineering services contract for council approval on Monday, May 22. It will include the project costs and the design components discussed during the study session. They also plan to negotiate a new contract with F3 Marina to continue operating the facility or request proposals from other third parties. If plans are approved, Bartels is looking at construction starting in early 2024, he said.

Close A look at Sunset Marina, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at Sunset Marina on Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. Establishing Rock Island as a port district would make the marina eligible for funding for needed improvements. A boater pilots out of Sunset Marina and Potter Lake towards the Mississippi River, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at Sunset Marina, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at Sunset Marina, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at the entrance to Sunset Marina as seen from Credit Island in Davenport, March 24. A boater pilots out of Sunset Marina and Potter Lake towards the Mississippi River, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A boater pilots out of Sunset Marina and Potter Lake towards the Mississippi River on March 24 in Rock Island. A boater pilots out of Sunset Marina and Potter Lake towards the Mississippi River, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at the Sunset Marina sign that sits at the mouth of the Mississippi River, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at the Sunset Marina sign that sits at the mouth of the Mississippi River, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at Sunset Marina, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. PHOTOS: Sunset Marina A look at Sunset Marina, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at Sunset Marina on Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. Establishing Rock Island as a port district would make the marina eligible for funding for needed improvements. A boater pilots out of Sunset Marina and Potter Lake towards the Mississippi River, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at Sunset Marina, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at Sunset Marina, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at the entrance to Sunset Marina as seen from Credit Island in Davenport, March 24. A boater pilots out of Sunset Marina and Potter Lake towards the Mississippi River, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A boater pilots out of Sunset Marina and Potter Lake towards the Mississippi River on March 24 in Rock Island. A boater pilots out of Sunset Marina and Potter Lake towards the Mississippi River, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at the Sunset Marina sign that sits at the mouth of the Mississippi River, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at the Sunset Marina sign that sits at the mouth of the Mississippi River, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island. A look at Sunset Marina, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Rock Island.
Dine and Drink

The Walcott Volunteer Fire Department will host the 25th anniversary Steak Fry from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Walcott Legion, 121 Bryant St.

Steak meals are $20 and include a steak, potato, vegetable, roll and dessert. A hotdog meal will be available for $5. Carryout and delivery are available. For more information, call 563-340-2373.

There also will be a raffle drawing, silent and live auctions, and a cake-decorating contest. Cakes should be brought to the legion by 4 p.m. and decorated with a fire theme. There will be three divisions  professional, amateur and kids  with cash prizes for the top three in each category. Following the judging there will be a live cake auction.

On A Date

Artists from around the country will be in Davenport this weekend for 70th annual Spring Beaux Arts Fair.

This Mother's Day weekend tradition will be held at the spacious Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds and will offer an outdoor celebration of visual arts and fine crafts. Featuring food, live music, children's activities and works for sale by nearly 100 artists and Midwestern vendors, there is something for everyone.

Beaux Arts Spring Fair runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free to both the art fair and the Figge Art Museum all weekend. Proceeds benefit the Figge Art Museum in Davenport for educational programs.

For more information, visit BeauxArtsFair.com.

Just For Fun

Join the Quad Cities' Park and Recreation departments for the annual Get Out And Trail (GOAT) event this weekend to celebrate National Bike Month, National Walking Month and National Runners Month.

Participants can bike, hike, walk or roll, it doesn't matter how, and explore QC trails with family and friends this Saturday. Travel the trails on both sides of the Mississippi from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and drop by the hosted GOAT Stops for refreshments and activities.

This is a pet-friendly event, so bring a furry friend, or two, to explore the trails too. Please leash pets.

This is a free event sponsored by the Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock Island and Moline Park and Recreation departments, and no registration is needed.

To find trailheads, visit www.qctrails.org/trails.

In Real Time

Jazz fans of all ages can celebrate local jazz heroes during the Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival this week in Galesburg.

The festival is a five-day event that partners Knox College, the Galesburg community and local artists and musicians. It has been a part of the Knox Department of Music for over 40 years.

Boasting performances by the Knox Jazz Ensemble, faculty, alumni and guest artists with a focus on collaborations between guest artists and students performances will be held in various venues around the community.

This year, concerts will be held from Tuesday, May 9, through Saturday, May 13. Performers will include the Bill Frisell Trio, the John Tate Trio and Lenard Simpson, along with the Knox Alumni Big Band, the Faculty and Friends Combo, the Knox Jazz Ensemble and area junior high and high school big bands.

For a full schedule, tickets and donation information, visit www.knox.edu/jazzyear.

With the Family

This weekend, Timber Lake Playhouse will perform, "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical."

As a son of Poseidon, Percy Jackson has newly discovered powers he can't control, monsters on his trail, and is on a quest to find Zeus' lightning bolt to prevent a war between the Greek gods. Featuring a thrilling original rock score, this is an action-packed theatrical adventure for the whole family.

Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday.

For more information and tickets, visit www.timberlakeplayhouse.org or call the Box Oce at 815-244-2035.
A Davenport man faces multiple charges, accused of threatening to disseminate nude pictures of a person and violating the requirements imposed on him through the Scott County sex offender registry.

Scott County authorities began investigating Kenneth Wade Burroughs, 62, on March 14, after receiving information that he was harassing the person via social media, court records state. The information also indicated Burroughs was violating his registry requirements by living in Lynn Center, Ill. and driving vehicles not listed on the registry.

Burroughs is on the sex offender registry because of a 1998 Iowa conviction for indecent contact with a child, court records state. At the time of the offense, Burroughs was 37, and the child was 12.

Among the charges Burroughs faces as a result of the new investigation is extortion, a felony.

Burroughs admitted to investigators that he created social media accounts to contact the person in February and March, because she was not responding to him, court records state.

He threatened to send to her friends images of her nude and of her engaged in sexual activity, court records state.

The victims age was not provided in the court records.

Burroughs also faces eight misdemeanors related to the investigation. Those charges are five counts of sex offender registration violation, first offense; and three counts of third-degree harassment.

There were multiple allegations underlying the registry charges, records show. They include Burroughs living in Lynn Center, creating social media profiles under other names, and driving a Dodge Caravan and a Volkswagon Beetle that were not listed in the registry.

Court records state Burroughs admitted to living in both Davenport and Lynn Center and to driving the vehicles.

A check of cell phone records also showed him in Lynn Center and there were witnesses who saw him using the Caravan and the Beetle, court records state.

The harassment charges were related to the creation of the social media accounts and to Burroughs sending the images and threats, court records state.

Scott County Sheriffs Office deputies brought Burroughs to the county jail on Tuesday afternoon, and he was released about four hours later, after posting a $5,100, cash-only bond.

His next court date is set for May 31.

Photos: Flood waters receding Saturday, cleanup to begin along the river
WHAT WE KNOW: Geneseo failed to receive a grant from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) for a new pedestrian bridge and welcome sign at the corner of South State Street and Oakwood Avenue.

WHAT'S NEW: Aldermen on Tuesday endorsed the idea of splitting the project in half, directing staff to get bids to do the welcome sign, landing path, flagpoles and historic boulder near the South State/Oakwood Avenue intersection. That portion of the work would be funded with a $25,000 grant from the Miller Foundation as well as hotel/motel tax money.

They also went forward with the idea of getting engineering costs related to relocating a new pedestrian bridge 50 yards to the south, where Geneseo Creek is narrower. City administrator Brandon Maeglin met with a state official Monday and learned the city might improve its odds of winning an ITEP grant for the project next year by getting preliminary engineering work done. Moving the bridge to the south could eliminate the issue of widening the turn radius of the road onto H.K. Robinson Drive. The state official said Geneseo's higher income level and property assessments pull down the community score for the grant, but he also said he would resubmit it.

WHAT'S NEXT: Aldermen also approved an amended motion to change when residents may put trash receptacles to the street and take them in. According to the change approved Tuesday, garbage may be taken out at 8 a.m. the day before pick-up and taken in by midnight the day following pickup. Alderman Brett Barnhart made the amended motion.

"I think it's good to have limits, because sometimes you see things out for three or four days afterward," he said.

The city also swore in new alderman Kent Swanson, 4th Ward, as well as incumbents Paula Simosky, 1st Ward; Robert James, 2nd Ward, and Martin Rothschild, 3rd Ward.
For many, becoming a U.S. citizen means freedom.

On Thursday, it rang true for 60 immigrants from 20 countries who took part in a Naturalization Ceremony at Almquist Field at Rock Island High School.

Sara Darrow, chief U.S. district judge for the Central District of Illinois, welcomed the new citizens and presided over the ceremony, giving the Oath of Allegiance. It was the final step of the process for foreign or national citizens to become official citizens of the United States.

Pedro Guerrero immigrated from Mexico and began the application process about a year ago. The moment he was sworn as a citizen, he said, produced a sense of freedom and belonging  of having the same rights as others.

"I'm excited, happy  I feel free," Guerrero said. "I'm 100% legal in this country that I feel like is my home, and I have the right to be here."

His husband, Nicholas Ebert-Guerrero, was just as excited and said the oath has been a major goal. The two have been together for 12 years and will mark their eighth wedding anniversary on July 15.

Ebert-Guerrero said he was excited to finally make it official, and the couple is especially excited to travel freely.

"It's been an honor to be a part of this journey with him," he said.

Fifteen people from Mexico were sworn in at the ceremony, which was the largest number from a single country. Burma was the second, with 11 individuals sworn in. Congo (Kinshasa) had six, and four were from India.

The remaining countries had one person sworn in. They are from Bosnia/Herzegovina, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Eritrea, Gabon, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Mauritania, Philippines, Sudan, Togo and Vietnam.

Hfi Agbewoul was the one immigrant from Togo to be sworn in. She and her daughter, Akos Tiwa, were all smiles after the ceremony. Agbewoul began the application process two years ago and was grateful to finally be an official citizen.

Agbewoul does not speak English, so her daughter stepped in to translate. Agbewoul said she would treasure the moment for life and was most excited to register to vote and get her passport to travel.

Tiwa said she was just as excited and remembered when her application got pushed back because of COVID-19, and how bummed her mom was.

"She studied very hard, and I'm proud of her," Tiwa said. "We are really grateful to be here."

It was the first time the ceremony took place at Rock Island High School, with Darrow calling it a historic day because of the location and the accomplishments by the families taking part. The U.S., she said, is one giant melting pot of immigrants who are escaping persecution, searching for religious freedom, and providing a better life for themselves and their children.
The smell of smoked ribs drifted through Thursday's afternoon air as construction workers entered and exited the Amazon fulfillment center in Davenport.

The J.U.G.G.S. BBQ food truck has been feeding workers while they finish the massive fulfillment center in Davenport at the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center just north of Interstate 80.

It was scheduled to open a year earlier, in September 2022. But in May of last year, the e-commerce giant confirmed it planned to delay the opening of the Davenport facility by two years, opening instead in 2024 because of global supply-chain issues.

Amazon has set a goal of hiring 1,000 people and opening its Davenport fulfillment center by August, according to Quad Cities Chamber officials.

A company official this week told the Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus, "... we plan to start hiring this summer." The season begins June 21.

Find the newest Davenport job postings online. Job sites do not yet show hundreds of openings in Davenport.

The current list of openings includes jobs ranging from area manager and an array of maintenance positions to transportation associates.

Speaking to the Scott County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Chamber Senior Vice President of Business and Economic Growth Julie Forsythe said Amazon has communicated the plans to local officials.

"Were told that theyre going to be hiring," Forsythe told supervisors, referring to Amazon. "And they hope to open by August of this year."

The Chamber recently helped facilitate a meeting with Amazon officials, state workforce agencies and higher education institutions in the region, Tami Petsche, vice president for business and economic growth at the Chamber, wrote in an email Tuesday.

The purpose of the meeting was to "provide an update on the positions they will be hiring at the Davenport facility," Petsche wrote.

Amazon raced to build warehouse space during the pandemic as more people at home turned to online shopping. A year ago, Amazon posted its first quarterly loss in seven years, which the chief financial officer attributed to overbuilding warehouse space during the pandemic as shoppers returned to in-person retail.

Amazon canceled warehouse plans across the country and currently is in the middle of cost-cutting, including laying off 27,000 workers. The companys earnings jumped 9% this spring compared with last year, according to the Guardian.

Another large development in Davenport's industrial park, Fair Oaks' bacon-packaging facility, is expected to open in 2024, Forsythe told supervisors.

That project was expected to create about 247 new full-time jobs with an hourly wage of $23.95.

With Amazon and Fair Oaks Foods both hiring hundreds of workers in the Quad-Cities in the next year or two, Forsythe acknowledged finding enough workers is a challenge for businesses. Amazon, for example, offers flexible hours and tuition aid to attract students, she said.

This is a conundrum in every community  where are we going to get people? Everybody has to figure it out because its not going to go away, Forsythe said. The numbers just arent there. Were not having enough babies throughout the United States.

Photos: Quad Cities High School Apprenticeship Signing Day
If not for the chains around his charcoal grey suit, 17-year-old James Hight could have been mistaken for a teenager in his Sunday best as a deputy escorted him into a Pennington County courtroom on Friday for his manslaughter sentencing.

Hight  although technically still a youth  faced an unmistakably adult future when Presiding Judge Craig Pfeifle sentenced him to 40 years in prison with 10 suspended for first-degree manslaughter, a sentence more than twice the number of years he's been alive.

First-degree manslaughter has a potential of life in prison, but it's unconstitutional for a juvenile to be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

Originally charged with second-degree murder in adult court because of the severity of the charge, Hight struck a plea deal with the state in January and admitted to shooting 19-year-old Jayden Russell in the head with a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver on Nov. 28, 2021.

Hight, who was 16 at the time, illegally bought the gun earlier that day from an adult in a Taco Bell parking lot, Deputy Pennington County State's Attorney Angela Shute said at the sentencing.

According to the state, four young people  including Hight and Russell  were in a bedroom at Hight's home on Tamarack Drive in Rapid City when Russell was killed. The group was drinking and smoking marijuana. One of the witnesses said just Hight handled the revolver in a game of Russian roulette, and another said both Hight and Russell handled it, according to Shute.

What's undisputed is Hight pointed the gun at Russell when it fired. Russell's attorney said at Hight's change of plea hearing his client was trying to lower the hammer of the gun when he accidentally shot Russell in the head. Russell was the father of a four-month-old baby when he was killed.

In a letter  read by Shute to the court  Russell's best friend said she got a call that he had killed himself, which was one of Hight's initial accounts of the incident. As the investigation continued, it came out that Hight had been the one holding the gun.

Russell's uncle, Mike Pioche, told Hight he may have avoided a life sentence because of his age, but Russell's friends and family will serve a life sentence without him and his son will live a life without his father.

"I will forgive you one day, but today is not that day," Pioche said.

Russell's mother, Yvette Feather, said, "my grandson is going to grow up only knowing his father through pictures and stories."

Feather said she knew she wasn't the only mother in the courtroom hurting, referencing Hight's mother, but she was "the only mother that had to see my son in a casket."

She said 40 years, which is what the state said they would recommend in the plea agreement was "enough time."

"You took something so precious, and out of foolishness," Feather said. "If I had been there, I would have taken that bullet."

Hight spoke on his own behalf and said, "There is no way to apologize for what I've done because what I've done is unforgiveable.

"I know I have a lot of growing up to do and a lot of maturing to do," he added.

The words didn't appear to resonate with the judge, who said he was concerned Hight recognizing the seriousness of his actions was about "presenting a face to me."

The teenager was on juvenile probation at the time of the shooting, something the judge found significant.

"James, you were given those opportunities (for rehabilitation) in the juvenile system in our county," Pfeifle said.

Shute also said Hight had issues during his time at the Western South Dakota Juvenile Detention Center, which included making threats, having medication prescribed to other detainees, and getting several new tattoos, which is considered self-harm.

Hight's attorney, Matthew Kinney, said he was "not surprised at his actions at JSC," considering the circumstances.

"I'm happy to note there's been improvements," Kinney said, which included Hight obtaining his GED.

While the state and the judge doubted the sincerity of Hight's remorse, Kinney said his client has not had a "flippant attitude" and the shooting, "registers in his soul," referencing the fact Hight has been diagnosed with PTSD from the shooting.

"I believe there is remorse. I believe there is daily suffering," the defense attorney said before ultimately asking the court for a sentence of five or 10 years.

Hight will serve the first portion of his sentence in a juvenile facility before being transferred to the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls.
Kouri Richins' husband was found dead at the foot of their bed last March.

She'd just closed on a house for her business, she told investigators at the time. Around 9 p.m., she brought her husband, Eric Richins, a celebratory Moscow Mule cocktail in the bedroom of their home in Kamas, Utah.

She left to sleep with their son in his room and returned around 3 a.m. to find her husband lying on the floor cold to the touch, she told authorities. About a year to the day her husband died, Richins published a children's book, "Are You With Me?" about navigating grief after the loss of a loved one.

But investigators now allege she killed her husband of nine years with a lethal dose of illicit fentanyl. This month, they charged her with aggravated murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

Newly released court documents detailed a series of illicit fentanyl purchases in the months leading up to his death.

Kouri Richins, 33, allegedly bought the drugs from an acquaintance identified as C.L. in court documents. Weeks before her husband's death, the Richins had marked Valentine's Day with a dinner at home.

"Shortly after the dinner, Eric became very ill. ... Eric told a friend that he thought his wife was trying to poison him," court documents say.

Kouri Richins was arrested Monday and remains in custody. CNN has reached out to her attorneys for comment.

He had a lethal dose of fentanyl in his system

An autopsy and toxicology report revealed that Eric Richins, 39, died of a fentanyl overdose. He had about five times the lethal dosage in his system, according to a medical examiner.

Investigators obtained a search warrant and seized his wife's phone and several computers in their home. They discovered communications between Kouri Richins and C.L., who had an extensive police record that included drug-related offenses, court documents say.

C.L. told detectives that at some point between December 2021 and February 2022, Kouri contacted C.L. and asked for prescription pain pills for an investor. C.L. said they obtained hydrocodone and left the pills at a property Kouri was flipping, picking up cash left for them, court documents say.

A couple of weeks later, Kouri Richins reached out again and asked for "some of the Michael Jackson stuff," according to court documents. Kouri Richins allegedly went to C.L.'s house around February 11 and paid $900 for "15-30 fentanyl pills" that C.L. had obtained from a dealer.

About two weeks later, on February 26, she allegedly reached out to C.L. for more fentanyl pills. C.L. left them at an outdoor fire pit at the same property where the hydrocodone had been delivered. Again, the money was left there for pickup. By this time, according to court documents, Kouri Richins no longer owned the property.

He died six days after alleged pill delivery

About 3:30 a.m. on March 4, 2022, Summit County Sheriff's deputies and EMS personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive man at the couple's home.

First responders unsuccessfully tried to revive Eric Richins. It was six days after the latest alleged pill delivery.

His wife gave investigators her version of what happened that night. The couple was celebrating closing on a house for her business and she brought him a cocktail in bed. Kouri Richins said she left him in the room and went to sleep with one of her three sons in his room because the child was "having a night terror," court documents say.

"Defendant said she awoke around 03:00 hours and came back to her and Eric's bedroom. She felt Eric and he was cold to the touch. That is when defendant called 911," court documents say.

Kouri Richins allegedly told law enforcement officials that she left her phone plugged in next to her bed and did not take it to her son's room.

"However, between when the defendant said she went to child's room and when she called 911, the status on her phone shows that it was locked and unlocked multiple times and there was also movement recorded on the phone. In addition, tolls on defendant's phone show that messages were sent and received during that time. These messages were deleted," court documents say.

For months, Kouri Richins worked on her book. Last month, she appeared on "Good Things Utah," a show on local television station ABC4, to talk about the importance of her children's book on mourning.

She said it's based on three concepts: connection, continuity and care.

"Connection: Keep the person's spirit alive who has passed. ... Continuity: Try and keep routines and schedules as normal as possible. ... Care: Affirming their feelings; understanding when they are sad, mad, lonely and talking about those feelings and letting them know it's OK," Kouri Richins said in the interview.

Her three young sons helped her write the book to help them articulate their feelings, she said.

Weeks later, Kouri Richins was arrested in her husband's death.

Her detention hearing is set for May 19.

25 best true crime documentaries 25 best true crime documentaries #25. Roll Red Roll (2018) #24. Bus 174 (2002) #23. 13th (2016) #22. Tales of the Grim Sleeper (2014) #21. Athlete A (2020) #20. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011) #19. Strong Island (2017) #18. The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971) #17. Deliver Us from Evil (2006) #16. The Fog of War (2003) #15. Crime + Punishment (2018) #14. 4 Little Girls (1997) #13. Citizenfour (2014) #12. Inside Job (2010) #11. Big Men (2013) #10. I Called Him Morgan (2016) #9. Capturing the Friedmans (2003) #8. Graves Without a Name (2018) #7. Time (2020) #6. The Act of Killing (2012) #5. Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 (2017) #4. Tower (2016) #3. The Look of Silence (2014) #2. Brother's Keeper (1992) #1. Collective (2019)
South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds and New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Lujan are making an impassioned third attempt at securing a congressional charter for the National American Indian Veterans (NAIV) organization.

What started several years ago as bipartisan legislation with nine sponsors has grown to a faction of 35  nearly a third of the U.S. Senate. Granting of a congressional charter recognizes patriotic and national organizations operating for charitable, literary, educational, scientific or civil improvement purposes.

NAIV is headquartered on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota and began in 2004 to serve the needs of Native American veterans in all 50 states.

"The idea is to recognize Native American veterans across the country," Rounds said. "There's about 140,000 of them, and our goal is to allow them to have a congressionally designated entity that is representing them as well. There's a number of these types of congressional charters that are out there, but we don't have one for Native Americans."

Similar congressional charters have been granted to Italian-American, Polish-American and Catholic-American veterans groups.

Native Americans serve in the U.S military at a rate nearly five times the national average, according to the National Indian Council on Aging, and have served in every major conflict for more than 200 years. They have the highest per-capita involvement in the U.S. military out of any population.

The NAIV Charter last passed out of the Senate in 2022, but the House Committee declined to take it up, instead deciding there were enough charter organizations. Rounds and Lujan plan to put the legislation into the National Defense Authorization Act this year.

"If we can create the bill, if we can include it then as an amendment on the NDAA, we've got a higher percentage chance of actually getting it through the House and the Senate," Rounds told the Journal.

Having a congressional charter would grant NAIV a greater platform to advocate for Native American veterans and reaffirms the U.S.'s commitment to them. It also gives them the opportunity to address gaps in healthcare and housing programs Native veterans are entitled to after their military service.

"[Those are] just a couple of the items that I think most of our veterans try to take advantage of and find them very challenging in some of the rural parts of our country, specifically on reservations," he said. "This particular chartered organization would work to try to talk about what it would take to make more of those benefits readily available to individuals that have served their country and who now want to return home to their reservations or to their ancestral homes."

Rounds is the son of a Korean War veteran. His uncle  the senator's namesake  died on Okinawa during World War II. Rounds saw nearly 5,000 servicemembers go overseas and attended 31 separate funerals during his tenure as governor.

"When we ask them to go to war, they put their lives on the line, and when they come home, we have made commitments to them," Rounds said. "I just think we need to do everything we can to honor our part of the deal, and to make sure that they get the benefits that we have promised to them."

The senator said all of South Dakota's Native American Tribes and the Coalition of Large Tribes support the legislation.

South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson and bipartisan House colleagues introduced companion legislation to achieve a NAIV charter in January 2022. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) was a co-sponsor of the legislation during previous iterations.
Five South Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers successfully completed the Warrant Officer Candidate School, and four were pinned as warrant officers during a ceremony April 29 at the Sioux Falls Regional Training Institute.

WOCS is a two-phase program that consists of five weekend drills during a five-month period at Fort Meade, and a final two-week phase at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Candidates are tested throughout the course both academically and physically in areas ranging from leadership to tactics. The total course covers 220 academic hours in 37 different subject areas.

I am very impressed with the capabilities and future potential of our newest warrant officers, said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Wayne Walker, South Dakota National Guard Command Chief Warrant Officer. All of the candidates did extremely well in the class and worked together to graduate. Im excited to see where their careers will take them.

Warrant officers are the technical foundation of the U.S. Army and comprise about 3% of the Army forces. These soldiers are highly specialized in their career fields, which include aviation, information technology, maintenance, logistics and human resources. The course is designed to provide a base to assist in developing Army warrant officers into selfaware and adaptive technical experts, combat leaders, trainers, mentors and advisors to both soldiers and commanders.

While some candidates accepted their appointment as warrant officers during the graduation ceremony, others choose to defer their appointment until an assignment becomes available.

The Warrant Officer Candidate School graduates include: Warrant Officer David Deinert, Joint Force Headquarters, Automotive Maintenance Technician; Warrant Officer Taylor Jans, 881st Troop Command, Human Resources Technician; Warrant Officer Joshua Masek, Joint Force Headquarters, Cyber Warfare Technician; Warrant Officer Daniel Stratton, 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Information Systems Technician; and Staff Sgt. Eli Donnell, Detachment 1, Company B, 935th Aviation Support Battalion, Aviation Maintenance Technician.

Donnell will accept his appointment to warrant officer at a later date. Donnell and Masek were also named to the Commandants List, which is earned by students whose overall course achievement is significantly above the course standard and within the top 20% of the class for academic average.
Kathleen Tarkalsons office windows provide a clear view of Anacondas renewal.

The C-Hill and A-Hill are greening up, recovering from a century of flora-smiting emissions belched by copper smelters.

Recovery is evident elsewhere in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, a community rebounding both aesthetically and economically from the tough times that followed the smelters shutdown in 1980.

In mid-April, Tarkalson, a Butte native married to an Anaconda native, took the helm of Discover Anaconda, an umbrella organization whose missions include economic development and tourism promotion.

Ive been on the job for not quite a month, but Im loving it, she said. I have a lot to learn. I recognize that. But I definitely bring perspective and a lot of enthusiasm, and Im optimistic for what my role can be in this organization.

Tarkalson also brings a masters in business administration from the University of Montana and years of work for the university in career development and as director of the Student Success Center at its College of Business.

She said shes inspired by the progress Anaconda has made. She cited new businesses on Main Street, as well as The Forge Hotel, the Pintlers Portal Hostel and other evidence the community is moving from survive toward thrive.

Tarkalsons predecessor, Adam Vauthier, recognized that Bill Everett, chief executive for Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, felt passionate about business recruitment and economic development.

Tarkalson recognizes the same.

I am really looking forward to working with him because I feel like, in order to really move the needle forward, we all need to work together, Tarkalson said.

She said community members often have different visions for what constitutes good or sustainable growth. Her job requires getting a sense of what a shared vision might be. And it sets the stage for the sort of community involvement that mightily appeals to her.

There are definitely people who dont want to see growth at all and there are people who are just like, 'Man, lets kick the doors wide open,' Tarkalson said.

I think its going to be somewhere in the middle, she said. You have to do things sustainably.

As Anaconda-Deer Lodge County moves forward, the community is likely to continue grappling with affordable housing, defining a livable wage, and incorporating tourism and outdoor recreation without cold shoulders for visitors and newcomers.

The outdoors economy seems alive and well in Anaconda, she said.

Tarkalson said the Montana Office of Tourism is promoting a Recreate Responsibly program for visitors, who are encouraged to respect public lands and waters, as well as Native and local communities.

Kathleen Kunz Tarkalson was born and raised in Butte. She had 12 siblings and two parents in a house with one bathroom. Her father, Harry Kunz, worked as a machinist for the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. Her mother, Louise, was a lobbyist for the Montana Low Income Coalition.

Kathleens husband, Steve Tarkalson, grew up in Anaconda.

After years in Missoula, the couple felt the strong pull of home and moved. One of Kathleen Tarkalsons sisters lives in Anaconda and saw that the Discover Anaconda job was open.

The 2021 merger of Anaconda Local Development Corporation and the Anaconda Chamber of Commerce created Discover Anaconda. Websites for the two entities remain separate, however, and combining them is at the top of Tarkalsons list.

Anaconda was founded by Marcus Daly in 1883 as a smelting town, destined to process copper ore from Butte. The smelting polluted air, soil and water but the regions economy depended on the smelter and the Anaconda Co. wielded a lot of power.

In 1977, the Atlantic Richfield Co. bought the Anaconda Co. and shut down the smelter in 1980. In 1983, EPA listed the Anaconda Smelter Site as a Superfund site and Atlantic Richfield was on the hook for remediating a vast area.

That work continues but tangible evidence of progress can be seen in greener landscapes, expanses of black slag covered by soil and new businesses occupying remediated ground.

Tarkalson said she looks forward to working with the community to help Anaconda continue on the path to recovery.

It seems to be on its way, and thats very exciting to see, she said.
'DIGNITY AND SOVEREIGNTY'

For centuries, members of the Mattaponi Indian Tribe have lived without a written constitution.

Now the tribe has two. Residents of the Mattaponi reservation in King William County adopted a written constitution on March 29 that allows women to vote, but not lineal descendants who live off the reservation. The vote included tribal women for the first time, with 22 of the 28 eligible residents voting.

"It's no different than living in the city of Richmond and coming to King William to vote for the sheriff ," longtime Mattaponi Chief Mark Custalow said this week. "We do not govern people who live off the reservation."

But Chief Lionel "Lonnie" Custalow, who is not directly related to his rival chief, is a reservation resident who did not vote because he said the tribe adopted a new constitution last year that does not discriminate against tribal members.

"Mark's constitution is not the first constitution," Lonnie Custalow said.

"He fails to recognize a chief is not like a city mayor or local official," he said. "The chief is president of the Mattaponi tribe and the Mattaponi nation, and all lineal descendants who are qualified to vote should have a vote on who the leadership is."

The dueling constitutions reflect an ongoing leadership struggle as the tribe seeks federal recognition that could bring funding for schools, health care, housing and expansion, as well as what Lonnie Custalow called "the dignity and sovereignty" of the tribe.

The rival group filed a petition this year for tribal recognition by the U.S. Department of the Interior through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but Chief Mark Custalow said it had no authority to do so because he is recognized by Virginia and Gov. Glenn Youngkin as the tribe's elected leader. He said the tribe is using a $1 million federal grant to prepare a petition for recognition that he expects to file in the next 18 months.

The rival group's petition has not been posted publicly by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as complete for formal review, and Mark Custalow contends it was not filed by "the true tribe itself." He said the tribe will hold elections within 90 days under the newly ratified constitution.

The Mattaponi are trailing other Virginia tribes in receiving federal recognition and the benefits it would bring, including the Pamunkey, also based on a reservation established in King William in the 17th century, when Virginia was a British colony. The Pamunkey received federal recognition in 2016 through the same administrative process that both Mattaponi tribal factions are pursuing.

Six other tribes  the Chickahominy, Upper Mattaponi, Eastern Chickahominy, Rappahannock, Nansemond and Monacan  received recognition through a law that Congress adopted and then-President Donald Trump signed in 2018. Three other Virginia tribes  the Nottoway, Cheroenhaka and Patawomeck  are recognized by the state but not by the federal government.

Mark Custalow, who said he was elected chief nine years ago, said the new constitution will help in the tribe's quest for federal recognition by putting in writing many of the customs and traditions that the Mattaponi have followed since before the arrival of English settlers in Jamestown in 1607. "We never had a written constitution," he said. "We only had traditions and the ways we lived by."

One tradition that the new constitution rejects was the exclusion of women from tribal voting. "Years ago, when the Mattaponi Indian Tribe and Reservation started this process, everyone on Tribal Council agreed that tribal law needed to change, and give Mattaponi women the right to vote," he said in a statement that the tribe released this week about the new constitution.

"That particular traditional law was created many generations ago and we did not want to carry it forward."

The constitution gives the vote to "any member of the Tribe who is a legal, Mattaponi lineal resident of the Reservation, and is 18 years of age," according to the tribe's statement, which said the constitution keeps the requirement that only reservation residents can vote in tribal elections. But that exclusion perpetuates the tribe's modern history of discrimination, said Lonnie Custalow, the rival chief elected in March, 2022 under a constitution adopted by 41 of the 62 lineal descendants identified then, which he said now would include 140 descendants.

Counting residents of Virginia tribes is difficult because of the Racial Integrity Act, adopted by Virginia in 1924, which denied Indian status and classified tribal members as colored. The law led tribes to adopt rules that prohibited membership by Indians with Black ancestry.

Lonnie Custalow said the constitution adopted last year does not exclude people based on race or gender. He said it provides for the establishment of a separate tribal council to govern the reservation itself.
Services will be held Saturday morning in the Loudoun County community of Ashburn for Shawn Soares, the Virginia Commonwealth University graduate student who was standing on a sidewalk the evening of May 4 when a car struck and killed him.

Soares, 26, was on the sidewalk in the 300 block of West Main Street when a driver in a center lane attempted to make a right turn, cutting off another car and getting pushed onto the sidewalk, hitting Soares, said Michael Jones, president of the Richmond City Council.

Services for Soares will be Saturday at St. Theresa Catholic Church, 21371 St. Theresa Lane, Ashburn, Virginia, 20147.

Visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. A Mass will be celebrated at the church from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

A graveside service will follow at noon at Union Cemetery on King Street in Leesburg.

More details and directions are available at the website of Colonial Funeral Home of Leesburg.
In a controversial move, the Hanover County School Board has decided on a name for the consolidated school at the John M. Gandy site: Ashland Elementary School.

Choosing a name for the school, set to open next year, has been a contentious and passionate issue among local residents. Many wanted the new school name to honor local Black history, while other residents preferred to use the geographical moniker of Ashland for the school.

The school board ultimately voted 6-1 in favor of approving the name for Ashland Elementary School.

The schools name had long been considered a settled matter, with the school board deciding in 2018 that the new building would bear the name of John M. Gandy, the child of former enslaved parents and a longtime professor of Virginia State University. The process had gotten far enough along that labels in architectural renderings included the name Gandy.

Then in March, the school board created a committee charged with renaming the school, reopening a debate about what the school would be called.

School Board Chair John Axselle III said in meetings that, while the board had reached a consensus to use the name Gandy in 2018, the decision was never approved with a vote. Axselle also pointed to a school board policy that says no new school can be named after a person living or dead.

The boards final vote to choose Ashland Elementary is a tough blow for the people who voiced their support for keeping the school named for Gandy, or giving it an alternative name  Berkleytown  which at least would have been another acknowledgement of local history in its commemoration of a nearby Black community that thrived during the Jim Crow era.

They dont want any recognition of us as a people and anything that they can do to shut that down is what they do, said Pat Hunter-Jordan, president of the Hanover NAACP. There was no reason they could not have named that school Berkleytown  But they chose not simply because they wanted to make certain it was what they want it, not what the community wanted.

It was Hunter-Jordans preference, and the preference of many people who spoke at public meetings, that the school retain the name of Gandy, as the school board had previously decided.

Axselle said, while casting his vote in support of the name Ashland Elementary, that it was more representative of the entire student body.

I think Ashland Elementary is a good choice because its more representative of students that attend it, Axselle said. It happens to serve Beaverdam district as well as Ashland, so its more appropriate of the name.

A major crux of the controversy revolved around whether or not the new school construction was technically considered a new school.

While the new construction is serving to consolidate Ashlands two elementary schools  Henry Clay Elementary and John M. Gandy Elementary  it is being constructed at the same site as the current Gandy elementary, which is co-located with the school systems headquarters, also named for Gandy.

Residents wanting the name Gandy said the new building should not be considered a new school.

Mechanicsville District board member Johnny Redd said the new building is considered a new school.

We are not changing the name of any school, Redd said. The name John M. Gandy Elementary School is not being changed. The name Henry Clay Elementary School is not being changed. Were building a new school which is being assigned a new name. Gandy and Clay will retain their names until they are closed and we move these students into new schools.

The schools attorney said it would have taken a unanimous vote to suspend its naming policy if the board wanted to approve the name Gandy.

The naming committee reported back to the board in April that an overwhelming majority of public feedback was in favor of retaining the name Gandy for the school. The committee chair, Wanda Edward, said the committee ultimately decided upon Berkleytown because it fell in compliance of the school boards naming policy.

Berkleytown had been submitted to the committee by community members as an alternate name that still honored local Black history.

A motion by Ashland District member Ola J. Hawkins effort to have the school named Berkleytown failed 4-3. The board then approved the name Ashland. Hawkins is the only person of color on the school board.

Faye Prichard, Ashland Districts Board Supervisor, said she was unmoved by the school boards overall decision to consider the consolidated school as a new school, and that it should have stuck to its initial promise to name the school after Gandy.

They could have left it the same, there was an easy pathway to that. It was very meaningful to the people in that community, Pritchard said.  and many of the people of color in that community came forward and said that naming it Ashland Elementary would be particularly insulting because, many years ago, Ashland Elementary was the school that Black kids werent allowed to go to.

Berkleytown was seen as a compromise.

Henry District School Board member George E. Sutton said while casting his vote in favor of Ashland Elementary that it was impossible to please everyone with a vote.

Some citizens have problems with naming the school Gandy. Many more have problems with naming it Clay, or Gandy-Clay. Some have problems with Berkleytown, he said. There is one name it appears fewer people had problems with and that is Ashland Elementary School.

It was suggested throughout the naming process that the effort was political retribution for the renaming of the former Lee-Davis High School and Stonewall Jackson Middle School, schools that honored Confederate figures.

They do not listen to any of us here in Hanover County, Hunter-Jordan said. The overwhelming majority of people voted to keep the name of John M. Gandy. If that was their choice, they could have done so. And they did not choose to do so.

The Times-Dispatch's 'Photo of the Day'  Jan. 1, 2023 Jan. 2, 2023 Jan. 3, 2023 Jan. 4, 2023 Jan. 5, 2023 Jan. 6, 2023 Jan. 7, 2023 Jan. 8, 2023 Jan. 10, 2023 GET THE NEW TIMES-DISPATCH APP Jan. 11, 2023 Jan. 12, 2023 Jan. 13, 2023 Jan. 14, 2023 Jan. 15, 2023 Jan. 16, 2023 Jan. 17, 2023 Jan. 18, 2023 Jan. 19, 2023 Jan. 20, 2023 Jan. 21, 2023 Jan. 22, 2023 Jan. 23, 2023 Jan. 24, 2023 Jan. 25, 2023 Jan. 26, 2023 Jan. 27, 2023 Jan. 28, 2023 Jan. 29, 2023 Jan. 30, 2023 Jan. 31, 2023 Feb. 1, 2023 Feb. 2, 2023 Feb. 3, 2023 Feb. 4, 2023 Feb. 5, 2023 Feb. 6, 2023 Feb. 7, 2023 Feb. 8, 2023 Feb. 9, 2023 Feb. 10, 2023 Feb 11, 2023 Feb. 12, 2023 Feb. 13, 2023 Feb. 14, 2023 Feb. 15, 2023 Feb. 16, 2023 Feb. 17, 2023 Feb. 18, 2023 Feb. 19, 2023 Feb. 20, 2023 Feb. 21, 2023 Feb. 22, 2023 Feb. 23, 2023 Feb. 24, 2023 Feb. 25, 2023 Feb. 26, 2023 Feb. 27, 2023 Feb. 28, 2023 March 1, 2023 March 2, 2023 March 3, 2023 March 4, 2023 March 5, 2023 March 6, 2023 March 7, 2023 March 8, 2023 March 9, 2023 March 10, 2023 March 11, 2023 March 12, 2023 March 13, 2023 March 14, 2023 March 15, 2023 March 16, 2023 March 17, 2023 March 18, 2023 March 19, 2023 March 20, 2023 March 21, 2023 March 22, 2023 March 23, 2023 March 24, 2023 March 25, 2023 March 26, 2023 March 27, 2023 March 28, 2023 March 29, 2023 March 30, 2023 March 31, 2023 April 1, 2023 April 2, 2023 April 3, 2023 April 4, 2023 April 5, 2023 April 6, 2023 April 7, 2023 April 8, 2023 April 9, 2023 April 10, 2023 April 11, 2023 April 13, 2023 April 14, 2023 April 15, 2023 April 16, 2023 GET THE NEW TIMES-DISPATCH APP April 17, 2023 April 18, 2023 April 19, 2023 April 20, 2023 April 21, 2023 April 22, 2023 April 23, 2023 April 24, 2023 April 25, 2023 April 26, 2023 April 27, 2023 April 28, 2023 April 29, 2023 May 1, 2023 May 2, 2023 May 3, 2023 May 4, 2023 May 5, 2023 May 6, 2023 May 7, 2023 May 8, 2023 May 9, 2023 May 10, 2023 May 11, 2023
Mothers Day is the second-largest shopping holiday in the U.S. behind Christmas, and Americans are continuing that trend by spending a record $35.7 billion for this Sundays occasion.

According to the National Retail Federation, 84% of Americans plan to celebrate Mothers Day this year, with the average person spending $274 for the holiday. Adults 35-44 are dropping the most money at $382 per person.

Mothers Day buying has steadily risen the past five years despite the COVID-19 pandemic taking up a large bulk of that period. Last year, the U.S. saw more than $31 billion in sales, including $246 from the average person.

Nearly three-quarters of consumers purchase greeting cards for the holiday, with the same percentage of people adding flowers to their shopping lists; 60% spend on special outings such as Sunday brunch.

Strawberry Fields Flowers & Finds in Richmond provides local flowers like peonies that are popular with customers. The florist also sells Mothers Day gift sets that include a ceramic mug, tea samples, a tea towel and a greeting card.

Its always a fun week, said Strawberry Fields owner Deanna King. Stressful, but fun.

In addition to flowers, the shop sells other Richmond products such as scented soy candles from Sydney Hale Co. and cookies from Scuffletown Sweets. Those items also appear in the gift boxes.

Mothers are not the only recipients of these gifts, however. Many people are recognizing friends, mentors and other family members who have taken on motherly roles.

People buy for all different types of moms, King said. Thats why Mothers Day for us is always bigger than Valentines Day, because you have mothers, mothers-in-law, stepmothers, godmothers, pet moms ... people have an important person in their life thats a mother-type figure.

Online retailers and department stores are the most popular places to shop for Mothers Day, but 30% go to specialty stores like jewelers, florists and electronics dealers.

Nine Roses Jewelers in Richmond primarily creates custom bridal jewelry but does receive a number of Mothers Day inquiries from new and growing families.

The majority of our Mothers Day clients are spouses of new mothers, and they generally end up buying necklaces, said Nine Roses owner Nick DeRosa.

Some consumers are opting to gift experiences over physical products, with Gen Z and millennials expressing the most interest; 31% of Mothers Day shoppers plan to provide activity-based gifts such as concerts, hiking trips and spa days, per the NRF.

Even with newer gift-giving experiences gaining popularity, tried-and-true presents like flower arrangements remain a safe bet for most families.

For Mothers Day, people like bright and colorful stuff like tulips, hydrangeas and orchids, said Hakim Christopher Turner, owner of Christopher Flowers in Carytown. Flowers are an expression of love.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has opened a $13 million women veterans health facility at the Richmond VA Medical Center

The building opened last month on Broad Rock Boulevard in south Richmond. It is designed to broaden the scope of services offered to women veterans in greater Richmond.

The 12,000-foot facility includes 12 exam rooms and services such as mammography, ultrasound, gynecology, primary care and others.

It has a staff of about 35 employees, including 10 registered nurses and five womens health physicians, many of whom already worked for the VA.

The facility was built by the Florida-based Advon Construction and was funded by Congress.

There were almost 11,000 female veterans in the Central Virginia VA Health Care System in the 2022 fiscal year, and there are about 200,000 veterans living in the 52 cities and counties served by the 350-bed Richmond VA Medical Center.

The Department of Veterans Affairs changed the hospitals name in January, dropping Hunter Holmes McGuire, a Confederate general whose name had been on the building since the 1940s.

Richmond VA Medical Center was the departments only possible replacement, a spokesperson for the department said. The department cannot name a building for an individual without an act of Congress.

States that drafted the most men in World War II States that drafted the most men in World War II #51. Alaska #50. Vermont #49. Iowa #48. South Dakota #47. North Dakota #46. Nebraska #45. Wisconsin #44. Oklahoma #43. Washington #42. Colorado #41. Oregon #40. New Hampshire #39. Georgia #38. Massachusetts #37. Kansas #36. Texas #35. Minnesota #34. Wyoming #33. Montana #32. Maine #31. Missouri #30. California #29. South Carolina #28. Florida #27. North Carolina #26. Arkansas #25. Alabama #24. Utah #23. Rhode Island #22. Idaho #21. New Mexico #20. Hawaii #19. Louisiana #18. Indiana #17. Kentucky #16. Arizona #15. Mississippi #14. Illinois #13. Tennessee #12. Virginia #11. Michigan #10. Connecticut #9. New York #8. New Jersey #7. West Virginia #6. Ohio #5. Delaware #4. Maryland #3. Pennsylvania #2. Nevada #1. Washington D.C.
Virginia Commonwealth University has received an additional $19 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to finance its groundbreaking work to rebuild medicines with cheaper ingredients.

The new funding represents a vote of confidence from a philanthropic giant that rarely funds the same organization twice, said Frank Gupton, CEO of VCUs Medicines for All Institute. He said the renewal is an affirmation that his organization delivered on its promises.

The past five years have shown were dramatically reducing the cost of these global health drugs in ways people havent done in the past, Gupton said.

Medicines for All was created in 2017 when VCU received its first $25 million from the Gates Foundation. The idea was to expand work seldom done in the pharmaceutical industry  rebuilding medicines and making them more accessible.

When it effectively redesigns a drug, VCU does not patent the new formula. It does the opposite, giving it away for free.

Now, Medicines for All, a subset of the College of Engineering, has received more than $60 million in grants and worked on 22 different drugs. Nine out of every 10 HIV patients will use a treatment developed by the VCU organization.

Its staff has grown to about 65 employees, who occupy space in the Bio+Tech Park on the northern edge of downtown. Its new grant from the Gates Foundation is a five-year commitment and will help fund work on HIV, tuberculosis, COVID-19, malaria and possibly cancer.

When the pandemic struck, Medicines for All pivoted its focus to COVID-19. It developed a new starting material for the drug remdesivir, which was pivotal in treating COVID-19 during its early stages.

Then it redesigned the COVID-19 pill made by Merck and Ridgeback, called molnupiravir, reducing its cost from $2,000 a kilogram to $200.

Tuberculosis has become epidemic in southeast Asia and parts of Africa. The disease has become resistant to traditional treatments, some of which were designed 50 years ago, Gupton said. Few patients have access to better treatments  the molecule is complicated and expensive to build.

Its a real health care issue in Africa and the far east, Gupton added.

Medicines for All redeveloped the expensive treatment and reduced its cost by 75%, Gupton said. Merck and other companies have partnered with Medicines for All to expand medicines reach.

It has also worked to change how drugs arrive in Africa. Most are made outside the continent and shipped in, Gupton said. Medicines for All is working with a South African chemical manufacturer and the U.S. Agency for International Development to begin manufacturing HIV drug components in Africa, something that has never done before.

If Africans can buy drugs built within the continent, they can save a great deal of money.

Were really changing the whole paradigm behind how the supply chain works on a global basis, Gupton said.

Locally, Medicines for All has teamed up with other drug manufacturers in the Richmond area, forming a coalition called the Alliance for Building Better Medicine.

Civica Inc. recently built a plant in Petersburg that will begin production on low-cost insulin. Phlow Corp. won a federal contract in 2020 to rebuild the nations stockpile of essential drugs. And AMPAC Fine Chemicals produces some of the building blocks for drugs.
A Spotsylvania woman convicted of trying to kill her ex-boyfriend in Louisa County last year was ordered Wednesday to serve 20 years in prison.

Erann E.P. Ohse, 25, was sentenced in Louisa Circuit Court to a total of 58 years with all but 20 years suspended. She was previously convicted of multiple charges, including attempted second-degree murder, shooting into an occupied dwelling, attempted armed burglary and using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

According to the evidence presented by prosecutor Alex Goodman, Ohse and Andrew Poindexter of King George County drove to Louisa from the Fredericksburg area on March 29, 2022, in Poindexters Chevrolet Camaro. They went to the residence of a man who Ohse had a brief relationship with that ended about a month earlier.

They were wearing ski masks and armed with handguns as they tried to force their way through the front door, Goodman said. After failing to get into the home, Ohse fired 10 9mm rounds into a bedroom window, striking a young woman in the shoulder.

The victims called 911, and a responding deputy spotted the Camaro leaving the area. A chase ensued in which speeds reached 120 mph, and the suspects were finally taken into custody near the Hanover County line. A 9mm handgun, ski masks, nearly a pound of marijuana and other evidence were recovered in the Camaro.
State Sen. Creigh Deeds and Del. Sally Hudson spoke Wednesday afternoon to about 70 attendees at a General Assembly update sponsored by the Senior Statesmen of Virginia. A pair of current state legislators who find themselves competing for the Democratic nomination for a new State Senate district, the two agreed on reproductive rights and emphasized the need to rein in Dominion, the states largest electric utility.

The company was the target of the Affordable Energy Act, a bipartisan regulatory measure enacted by the General Assembly this year. Deeds was first to name that act as a legislative accomplishment, while Hudson then amped up the Dominion criticism.

Theyre the single largest donor to both parties, said Hudson. And its an obviously corrupt conflict of interest to have a state-regulated monopoly, that customers have no choice whether or not to pay their monthly power bill to, donating to campaigns.

Hudson went on to note that nothing bars Virginia legislators from personally owning Dominion stock.

So theyre not just lining their campaign coffers, theyre lining their personal pockets with money that is collected from power bills, said Hudson, who credited Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin for playing a crucial role in passing that new law.

Hes the first outsider governor that weve had in Virginia politics in some time, somebody who didnt come up through the inside lane of either the Democratic or the Republican Party, said Hudson. New blood in Richmond and competitive elections have completely changed the conversation around utility regulation.

In response to an audience members question about a carbon-trading program, both Deeds and Hudson noted that they expect the governor to try to pull the Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multi-state compact that lets firms pay the state for the right to discharge pollutants.

I think until we get full control of the General Assembly again and a Democratic governor we will be having these fights, said Deeds.

We just need to go with what the senator said, which is that we entered RGGI by law, said Hudson. Our position is that we can only leave RGGI by law.

Attendee Lisa Hilgartner, who asked that question, complimented both legislators.

They were well informed and up-to-date and really well prepared, she told the Daily Progress after the event.

Dan Gallik, however, told the Progress that he found Deeds too interested in obtaining a Democratic majority.

He seems to be more about power than getting things done, said Gallik, who also expressed some fiscal conservatism that he found wanting in both contenders.

They dont know about controlling costs and cutting costs, he said. Neither one has ever worked in a management position in industry.

Deeds and Hudson now reside in the new 11th Senate District recently created by court order to undo decades of gerrymandering. The terrain includes the City of Charlottesville plus the counties of Albemarle, Nelson, Amherst, and the western part of Louisa. Deeds, a lawyer, currently represents the Senates 25th District while Hudson, a University of Virginia economics professor, serves the Houses 57th District. The two will face off in the Democratic primary on June 20, and the winner will likely face opposition from Republican Philip Andrew Hamilton, owner of a legal services firm, in the general election on Nov. 7.

What was missing from the Rotunda Room at Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge on Wednesday were area Republican legislators. Event moderator Bob Beard, a retired newsman from CBS19, said that Del. Rob Bell of the 58th District, Del. Chris Runion of the 25th District, Sen. Emmett Hanger of the 24th District and Del. Matthew Fariss of the 59th District had been invited.

A lot of folks, as you know, are not running for re-election and they decided not to show up, Beard said.

Its very telling that were the only ones here, added Hudson.

Messages left for the absent lawmakers were not immediately returned Wednesday. Requests for comment to Dominion on Wednesday afternoon were not answered by deadline.
U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, re-elected in November in a redrawn district rooted in the outer D.C. suburb of Prince William County, where Gov. Glenn Youngkin campaigned nearly nonstop for her Republican opponent, appeared at a fundraiser in Virginia Beach in December for Aaron Rouse. He would win a snap election in January for an open, previously GOP-held state Senate seat, buttressing the slender Democratic majority that is thwarting Youngkins anti-tax, anti-abortion, anti-green agenda.

Mayor Levar Stoney, winding down nearly eight years at City Hall during which Richmonds population has risen and its Confederate monuments have fallen, last month plumped for Lashrecse Aird, a candidate for the Democratic nomination in a Petersburg-anchored Senate district. She is challenging incumbent Joe Morrissey, who, until Rouses victory put it out of reach, was the potential Democratic defector who might have delivered for Youngkin a 20-week ban on most abortions.

That Stoney and Spanberger, both of whom have appeared elsewhere in the state, are mindful of Democratic fortunes beyond the borders of their home turf speaks to their own fortunes; that hustling for the party and its candidates is a way to help their ambitions for something bigger: the Virginia governorship.

Stoney who leaves the mayoralty in 2024, has all but declared for the 2025 Democratic nomination. Spanberger is considering a gubernatorial bid and could decide after the November legislative elections.

You would think that Virginia Democrats would have better things to talk about than the next election for governor, especially with high-stakes House and Senate primaries in June that could yank the state party further left, threatening its chances of holding what little legislative power it has, much less restoring total control of the General Assembly.

But the 2025 campaign looms large for a party with a greatly diminished statewide presence  and a lot of talk about reversing that focuses on Spanberger and Stoney.

They are not the only Democrats interested in the governorship.

There is retiring Del. Eileen Filler-Corn of Fairfax, the former Speaker of the House  the first woman and Jewish person to hold that office, albeit for a single, two-year term. Del. David Reid of Loudoun is also an unofficial candidate. Both represent Northern Virginia, the vast deep-blue trough of suburban votes on which Democrats depend but  as the narrow, Youngkin-led Republican sweep in 2021 shows  does not guarantee a statewide victory.

Private chatter among Democrats  legislators, local elective officials, operatives and activists  increasingly centers on Spanberger and Stoney, in part because the former is coy about her ambitions and latter is anything but about his.

Stoney and Spanberger also represent different brands of Democratic politics, both of which must mesh if the party is to be restored to the governorship as well as the subordinate statewide offices  lieutenant governor and attorney general.

As the Black mayor of a majority-minority city, Stoney is an emblem of the partys reliable, multi-hued metropolitan foundation that has produced large numbers of legislators, county supervisors and city councilors.

As a white member of Congress with suburban origins and a significant GOP-leaning constituency, Spanberger is a symbol of the center-left coalition that revived the Democratic Party in the 1980s and the early and mid-2000s with the votes of independents and disaffected centrist Republicans.

Put another way  and this is what Democrats are asking in largely hushed tones, rather than risking the diversion of attention from the General Assembly campaigns  does Stoneys presumed strength among voters who typically decide primary elections suggest weakness in a general election? Does Spanbergers presumed strength among voters who typically decide general elections suggest weakness in a primary election?

Stoney, first elected mayor in 2016, was returned to office in 2020 on a stronger electoral performance, winning by plurality but carrying six of heavily Democratic Richmonds nine wards in a three-way race against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic and unrest fueled by the death in police custody of George Floyd, an episode that would hasten the razing of the citys Confederate monuments.

Spanberger won her first term in 2018, defeating a Republican incumbent in a 7th U.S. House District then tethered to the blue-ing Richmond suburbs of Henrico and Chesterfield counties. Hostility for Donald Trump figured prominently into 2018 and 2020. In 2022, with the district reoriented to the Washington suburbs  and viewed by handicappers as a toss-up seat  Spanberger won by roughly 5 percentage points.

In all of her races, she vowed to oppose Nancy Pelosi for Speaker, saying Pelosi was a reminder of outdated, reflexively liberal politics. Look to liberals to remember that in a statewide primary increasingly shaped by national politics, personalities and policies, all of which could lead Spanberger to conclude defending her congressional seat in 2024 takes precedence to a run for governor.

But it was Spanbergers performance in GOP-friendly territory that fed chatter she would be a strong statewide candidate, whether for U.S. Senate or governor. Spanberger ran ahead of President Joe Biden and Terry McAuliffe, the 2021 gubernatorial nominee and Stoney mentor, in such red counties as Culpeper, Greene, Madison, Orange and Spotsylvania.

Both Stoney and Spanberger know how to raise money  and spend it.

Stoneys Better Way political action committee is now brimming with $258,000, which he can direct to legislative candidates. Spanberger has set up a PAC to assist Virginia Democrats running for Congress and the General Assembly. So far, she has steered dollars to candidates in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and the Richmond area.

Filler-Corn, as a measure of fundraising prowess during her two years as speaker, is sitting atop a pile of cash  more than $1 million. She can invest it in her candidacy directly and indirectly, building out a statewide organization and amassing chits by subsidizing local and regional candidates.

All this speculation about 2025 may be keeping Democrats excited, engaged and energized. But Republicans have something Democrats do not: a bench that includes a lieutenant governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, and attorney general, Jason Miyares.

And they have done what Stoney, Spanberger, Filler-Corn and Reid can only dream about: They have already run  and won  statewide.
The Virginia State Board of Education on Thursday approved an emergency regulation to let the state extend 15,500 expiring but renewable teacher licenses for a year, until June 30, 2024.

The decision, which the board approved unanimously in a 12-minute meeting, extends renewable teacher licenses that were to expire on June 30. The move is meant to help alleviate a backlog of license applications amid a significant teacher shortage.

At the start of the 2022-23 school year, the teacher vacancy rate in Virginia was 3.85%, which equates to about 3,602 teachers, according to state officials.

We have experienced unprecedented licensure changes and backlogs over the past several years, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons said during the emergency meeting.

During the pandemic, renewable licenses were extended several times, which created an end date, on June 30.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported last month that a backlog in Virginias teacher licensure application system was leaving qualified candidates waiting six months  and, in some cases, much longer  for the state to process their applications.

Coons, whom Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed in late March, said the Department of Education is preparing to launch an improved digital renewal system in the fall. In the meantime, it has reinstituted a task force on teacher licensure and is working with school division superintendents to elevate their authority to streamline the process.

In the short term, the administration is also reaching out to retired and part-time human resources specialists to help make sure pending licenses are back on track by July 1.

It is my first priority to look at some of these things, Coons said Thursday. We know that we need a high-quality, licensed teacher in every K-12 classroom.

Board members  appointed by former Democratic governors and by Youngkin  praised the move.

Anne Holton, a former state secretary of education, told Coons that she appreciates that the superintendent is making the teacher shortage a top priority.

It is really a crisis that our divisions are dealing with, and I appreciate your recognition of its importance, said Holton, who was first appointed to the board in 2017 by Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat.

Dale Sturdifen, a former Mecklenburg School Board chair whom Youngkin appointed to the board in March, said: Anything we can do to get these licenses approved and pushed forward, Im 100% behind it.

Board President Dan Gecker, first appointed by McAuliffe in 2015, also thanked Coons, saying: It is particularly gratifying to have an item as important as this being acted upon this quickly.

In September, Youngkin signed an executive order that calls on officials to cut red tape that can discourage retired teachers and teachers licensed in other states from getting the Virginia licenses they need to teach in the state.

Close This July 1955 image shows the building, at Madison and Grace streets in Richmond, that once sat downtown and housed First Presbyterian Church. Completed in 1853 at the current site of Old City Hall, the buildings outer shell was moved to Madison and Grace in the mid-1880s to make room for the city building. In 1943, the Acca Shriners, who had lost the Mosque (now Altria Theater) during the Great Depression, purchased the old church building. They used it until the mid-1950s; the building has since been torn down. In May 1977, this 150-foot smokestack came down, thanks to Controlled Demolition of Towson, Md. The smokestack stood behind what used to be Broad Street Station in Richmond; the demolition was part of a contract with the state for removal of the stack and several buildings in the area. This April 1951 image shows St. Andrews School in Richmonds Oregon Hill area. Noted philanthropist Grace Arents founded the school in 1894 and was a key supporter of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. The school offered a wide range of programs, including sewing, music and physical education. It still stands today, serving low-income children. In May 1959, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway announced plans to move about a third of its workforce from Richmond to Huntington, W.Va., by 1961-62. Many employees worked in the First and Merchants National Bank building at Ninth Street downtown, which was partially owned by C&O. The building has been converted to First National Apartments. This July 1947 image shows the new Curles Neck Dairy plant at 1600 Roseneath Road in Richmond. The building, which cost more than $200,000, gave the 13-year-old dairy modern features including a refreshment room that served up to 50 people, ice-cream-making facilities and curbside service. The building is now home to the Dairy Bar restaurant. This March 1987 image shows the Independent Order of St. Luke building at 900 St. James St. in Richmond, which was the new home for the citys Head Start program. The building, which today stands empty, was built in the early 1900s and was expanded between 1915 and 1920. It was home to the benevolent society under Maggie Walkers leadership, as well as the first location of the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank that she ran. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. This May 1935 image shows Herberts shoe store at 419 E. Broad St. in downtown Richmond. The store advertised itself as the first air-cooled shoe store in the entire South. A fall sale that year offered womens shoes as low as $1.77. This May 1957 image shows the Woolworths at Fifth and Broad streets in downtown Richmond. The $1 million building opened in September 1954, and it housed several departments for the nearby Miller & Rhoads, which had an earlier store on the site in the late 1800s. An ad for the Woolworths Easter sale offered handbags for $1, records for 99 cents, and cowhide and plastic belts for between 39 and 98 cents. In February 1968, the National Theater on East Broad Street in Richmond was about to undergo a $150,000 remodeling to make it suitable as a movie theater  the building, which opened in 1923, was designed more for vaudeville and other live performances. In June 1968, the theater reopened as The Towne and operated until 1983. It has since been restored again and now hosts concerts. From the Archives: Old Richmond buildings This July 1955 image shows the building, at Madison and Grace streets in Richmond, that once sat downtown and housed First Presbyterian Church. Completed in 1853 at the current site of Old City Hall, the buildings outer shell was moved to Madison and Grace in the mid-1880s to make room for the city building. In 1943, the Acca Shriners, who had lost the Mosque (now Altria Theater) during the Great Depression, purchased the old church building. They used it until the mid-1950s; the building has since been torn down. In May 1977, this 150-foot smokestack came down, thanks to Controlled Demolition of Towson, Md. The smokestack stood behind what used to be Broad Street Station in Richmond; the demolition was part of a contract with the state for removal of the stack and several buildings in the area. This April 1951 image shows St. Andrews School in Richmonds Oregon Hill area. Noted philanthropist Grace Arents founded the school in 1894 and was a key supporter of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. The school offered a wide range of programs, including sewing, music and physical education. It still stands today, serving low-income children. In May 1959, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway announced plans to move about a third of its workforce from Richmond to Huntington, W.Va., by 1961-62. Many employees worked in the First and Merchants National Bank building at Ninth Street downtown, which was partially owned by C&O. The building has been converted to First National Apartments. This July 1947 image shows the new Curles Neck Dairy plant at 1600 Roseneath Road in Richmond. The building, which cost more than $200,000, gave the 13-year-old dairy modern features including a refreshment room that served up to 50 people, ice-cream-making facilities and curbside service. The building is now home to the Dairy Bar restaurant. This March 1987 image shows the Independent Order of St. Luke building at 900 St. James St. in Richmond, which was the new home for the citys Head Start program. The building, which today stands empty, was built in the early 1900s and was expanded between 1915 and 1920. It was home to the benevolent society under Maggie Walkers leadership, as well as the first location of the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank that she ran. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. This May 1935 image shows Herberts shoe store at 419 E. Broad St. in downtown Richmond. The store advertised itself as the first air-cooled shoe store in the entire South. A fall sale that year offered womens shoes as low as $1.77. This May 1957 image shows the Woolworths at Fifth and Broad streets in downtown Richmond. The $1 million building opened in September 1954, and it housed several departments for the nearby Miller & Rhoads, which had an earlier store on the site in the late 1800s. An ad for the Woolworths Easter sale offered handbags for $1, records for 99 cents, and cowhide and plastic belts for between 39 and 98 cents. In February 1968, the National Theater on East Broad Street in Richmond was about to undergo a $150,000 remodeling to make it suitable as a movie theater  the building, which opened in 1923, was designed more for vaudeville and other live performances. In June 1968, the theater reopened as The Towne and operated until 1983. It has since been restored again and now hosts concerts.
The word that Gov. Glenn Youngkin says trips people up in regards to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts is the middle one, and he hopes to talk to Doug Wilder after the former governor said the current one seems to be missing the point of DEI.

Wilder has called on Youngkin to fire the states chief DEI officer, Martin Brown, after Brown told faculty and staff at Virginia Military Institute that DEI was dead.

First, let me say I deeply respect former governor Wilder  weve reached out to him, and I want to hear him, Youngkin said, speaking to reporters after opening a new playground as part of his Partnership for Petersburg push.

Youngkin said he wants to stress diversity and inclusion  we want diversity in business, we want diversity of ideas, we want people to feel included.

But, he added people have so many definitions of equity  sometimes they want it to come at the cost of excellence, and that can mean lowering standards.

He said he thinks if he can explain his view on just this point, he and Wilder would find common ground.

Wilder has said he does not believe Youngkin really understands DEI.

I dont think Governor Youngkin has the experience, or the knowledge, or the wherewithal to be considered anything close to an expert on diversity, Wilder told reporters this week in response to a question about Youngkins recent comments that DEI efforts have gone off the rails.

Wilder said it is especially galling that Brown made his comments at VMI, with its history of racism and sexism that the school is still working to address.

When I was governor, people in the administration spoke for me or they didnt get to speak at all, he said.

Youngkin was in Petersburg to open a $150,000 Kaboom playground at the YMCA, the first of eight that the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Children hopes to erect across the state.

He said he still opens every meeting of his Cabinet with an update and discussion on the nine-month-old Partnership for Petersburg push to boost the beleaguered citys programs for youth, health, economic development and public safety.

Youngkin said what has been particularly striking is how people and plans that were not part of the Partnership have joined in, accelerating its momentum.

Earlier, he hunkered down with a small group of children, all in their bright blue Westview Early Childhood Education Center T-shirts, where he got one shy boy to confide that his blue-green stuffed animal was named Cedric.

Were going to open a playground and then were going to play, he told the kids.

This is the future of Virginia; to give these kids a chance to play and to be kids is what this is all about, he said.

Top five weekend events: Powhatan County Fair, Fan Arts Stroll & Mother's Day Powhatan County Fair Fan Arts Stroll Nate Bargatze Mothers Day brunch
Even though Virginia continues to have its warmest year on record so far, the shift to a relatively cooler weather pattern a couple of weeks ago will continue. While there will be some warmer days mixed in on occasion, there is no sign of the 90s returning to Virginia before Memorial Day this year.

In the shorter term this weekend, a couple of rounds of showers are expected during Saturday, but even that does not look like an all-day rain. Mothers Day will not be pristinely sunny, but no rain is expected in spite of some lingering clouds. Afternoon temperatures both days will hover in the 70s or lower 80s.

A more substantial system appears ready to move in for Monday morning, with the potential to produce several hours of rain. Early suggestions in the data point to a legitimate half-inch of rain in a window between daybreak and lunchtime on Monday, but there is still a lot of uncertainty on the precise timing and amount of precipitation this far in advance.

The second half of next week also looks dry, with no large systems poised to add to the rain expected early in the week and, with afternoon temperatures generally holding in the 70s, there is no sign of prolonged chill either.

Heat will make the news early next week in an unusual place  Canada. Dry and unusually warm weather in its western province of Alberta has already led to a dramatic spread of wildfires there in the last week, with some of the smoke extending two miles up in the sky before reaching Virginia and making hazy skies here.

After a break in their heat for a day or two, a more dramatic surge of warm and especially dry air will push northward into western Canada early next week, sending temperatures there nearly 30 degrees above normal. Edmonton and Calgary, two of the largest cities in Alberta, have normal highs in the mid-60s this time of year. Each will see afternoons soaring into the 80s early next week and, while we might not think of it as particularly hot in Virginia, western Canada is not accustomed to that level of heat in the middle of July, much less before the first of June.

But the northward surging jet stream responsible for the searing heat in the western part of North America leads to a corresponding southward surge here on the East Coast, and this means temperatures in Virginia will be within 10 degrees of normal for most of the next two weeks.

Disturbances sliding southward along the jet stream this time of year are moving into air that is more humid than what we have in the depths of winter, and that should allow several opportunities for Virginia to get rain between this weekend and Memorial Day, keeping away any seeds of a summer drought.

From the Archives: 250 photos of Richmond in the 1940s 1940s floods 1940s floods 1940s floods Acca Temple Air Raid Air Raid Wardens Air Scouts 1945 Allied Victory Day American Red Cross American Red Cross American Red Cross Production Corps archery Armistice Beavers Belgian Friendship Building and Bell Tower Belle Isle Bellwood Bellwood Drive-In Bikes Blackout Blues Armory Bojangles Boulevard Bowler School boys club Braille cookbook bricklaying class Broad St. Broad Street Station Brookfield Bryan Park Byrd Field C&O Camp Lee Camp Lee carriages Carter Sisters Cary St Cavalier Arena Central State Hospital Central Station Post Office Charter Change Churchill Churchill Cigarettes City Stadium City Stadium Clark Gable Confederate Soldiers Home Cornshusk rug Cowardin Avenue and Hull Street Cowardin Avenue Christian Recreation Center Curles Neck Dairy Deep Run races Deep Water Terminal Defense Special No. 1 train Dixie Dog Doll hospital Dorothy Lamour Draft Draft draft Dupont Elba Elba School elevator Em Bowles Locker Executive Mansion farmer Fire Fire First and Merchants National Bank of Richmond Fishing Floods Forest Lodge Fort Lee fortune teller Fountain Freedom Train Friendship Train Gasless parade Gasless Sundays George Wythe Glenwood Country Club Grace Arents School Grace St Grace Street Grace Street pollution Grocery Henrico Red Cross Motor Corps Highland Springs Volunteer Fire Department Holden Rhodes House Hunting Ice Ice James River flood Kensington Avenue apartments Laundry Liquid stockings Maggie Walker Maggie Walker Magnet Mail box mailboxes Main St Main Street Main Street Main Street Station Mayo Bridge Mayo Bridge Medical College of Virginia Melons Memorial Day parade Military parade mill Miller & Rhoads wagon mobile canteen Mobile kitchen 1947 Monument Avenue Monument Methodist Mooer's Field Mooers Mooers Field Mosque pool Mrs. Cupid Mules Native Americans Nickel prank nurses Oilfield Old Manchester water works Old-fashioned swimsuit contest organ grinder Pamunkey Pamunkey Indians Paper Parade Parking ban Parking Lot Canteen Patrick Henry Patsy Garrett Pearl Harbor front page pinball machines pool hall Powerline Powhatan Hill Playground Public bath house Quiz Kids race car Railroads Ration tokens Rationing Rationing Rats Red Cross Red Cross Red Cross Motor Corps Restaurants Restaurants Richmond Colts Richmond fires Richmond Quartermaster Depot Richmond Terminal Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers Home Rockingham National Turkey Festival rollerskate rollerskate Rosa D. Bowser library sampson Schools Scrap metal drive ScrapMetal Semmes Sergeant Jack Blizzard Seven Pines Baptist Church Shawondasee Shawondasee shoe ration Shoe ration Shriners parades Sixth Street Market Sixth Street Market Sixth Street Market Sixth Street Market Sixth Street Market Sixth Street Market Skyline Sledding Snowstorm Snowstorm State Library State toxicologist Stockyards Street scene street sweepers Street Sweepers Street Sweepers Streetcars on Main Street Sunshine Sue Swimming and diving championship The Mosque Thomas Jefferson High School Cadet Corps Tickets Times-Dispatch Tin drive Toll house Traffic Travelers Aid Society Tredegar Trolley Trolley Trolley Trolley Tuberculosis ward Typewriter repair typewriters University of Richmond Valentine Museum Virginia Department of Agriculture War bonds Water tower Water tower Weimans Bakery West Avenue Wilcox Lake WLEE WLEE Women in Production Service Womens Army Corps Works Progress Administration WWII WWII WWII WWII WWII YMCA
New insurer Generali Malaysia has emphasised that it will focus on catering to the insurance needs of the underserved segments in the country by offering inclusive products and innovative distribution methods. This is with the main goal of narrowing and bridging the protection gap for the Malaysian public, ensuring that no one is left behind.

For context, Generali Malaysia was only recently established  on 1 April 2023  after Generali Group, one of the largest global insurance providers based in Italy, acquired a 70% stake in AXA Affin General Insurance Bhd, as well as purchased 100% of MPI Generali Insurans Bhd from its joint-venture partner Multi-Purpose Capital Holdings Bhd (MPCHB). These businesses were then integrated under the unified brand of Generali Malaysia, positioning it as one of the largest general and emerging life insurers within the country.

Chief executive officer and country head of Generali Insurance Malaysia, Fabrice Benard stated that the insurer  which is set to complete its integration by 2024  is committed to providing affordable insurance for the underserved market in the long term.

If we look at the Malaysian market today, no one (insurance provider) has already been successful in doing that (insurance for underserved groups). This is the reason why there is low penetration in the market. When we did the acquisition in Malaysia, it was a commitment that we made to the Ministry of Finance that we will spend our time and energy for our long-term agenda, said Benard.

(Image: The Star/Ong Soon Hin)

That said, Benard acknowledged that Generali Malaysia has yet to finalise its strategy for this ambition, but stressed that it will rely heavily on several advantages that it currently has. These included its large existing market share, with a vast distribution network of more than 9,000 agents, partners, and distributors, as well as 49 branches nationwide. It also offers a broader range of products and services, focusing on protection, medical coverage, savings, and legacy planning.

As an insurer with over 190 years of insurance heritage and experience (from Generali Group), we strive to provide better experiences as a whole by transforming our role to go beyond selling products and to provide more value-added, personalised service in line with our Lifetime Partner 24: Driving Growth commitment, Benard further said.

In addition to that, Generali Malaysia also hopes to venture further into the retail and small and medium enterprises (SME) segments, specifically by tapping into its partnership with Affin Bank after acquiring a controlling majority of the banks insurance arm (AXA Affin).

We really see a huge opportunity to work with Affin Bank. Of course, Affin is focusing on retail and SME, and these are the areas where we see ourselves collaborating together. So its either by way of branch network, or by way of digital footprint, where we can reach out to wider audiences, and this is how we will approach (it) with Affin, said the chief executive officer of Generali Life Insurance, Rebecca Tan.

Meanwhile, Generali Internationals regional officer for Asia, Roberto Leonard said that Generali Group recognises Malaysias potential as a high-growth market. This is evidenced by the 10.3% increase seen in gross direct premiums for the local general insurance industry in the first half of 2022 (1H22). Similarly, the life insurance industry recorded a 5.3% increase in sum assured in force, amounting to RM1.9 trillion.

This showcases the strong growth potential of the insurance industry in Malaysia, with its economy being one of the most open and diverse, and now one of the fastest growing in Southeast Asia, said Leonard, adding that the governments initiative to build a robust financial ecosystem will also contribute to the countrys prospects.

(Sources: The Edge Markets, The Star)

0 0 votes Article Rating

SHARE
Cancun continues its public beach battle against mass arrival of sargassum

Cancun, Q.R.  Nearly 100 city and Zofemat workers have taken to Cancun beaches in response to the mass arrival of sargassum. Workers from Cancun Public Services and the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat) began the task of removing the washed-up seaweed on Monday.

For days, workers have manually battled the ongoing arrival of sargassum, removing it from the sea and beaches. According to Cancun City Hall, one of the hardest hit beaches has been Playa Delfines.

A change in wind has brought in tons of the seaweed along a majority of the coast. While all public beaches along the coast of Quintana Roo are cleaned on a daily basis, this latest arrival has hit some areas particularly hard, requiring additional manpower and machinery.

Workers work to clear the citys public beaches of the washed up seaweed as seen here.

Photo: H. Ayuntamiento de Benito Juarez May 9, 2023.

The City of Cancun says it is essential to keep the beaches in optimal condition since it represents the main attraction of the Mexican Caribbean, so reinforcing the care and well-being of the environment is key to maintaining success in the most relevant tourist pole from the country.

Public beaches that are kept free of sargassum in Cancun include Playa Del Nino, Playa Las Perlas, Playa Chacmool, Playa Marlin, Playa Ballenas,Playa Delfines and Playa Coral.
China's foreign trade shows strong vitality

10:58, May 11, 2023 By Luo Shanshan, Li Gang ( People's Daily

The 133rd China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, concluded on May 5 in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province.

A series of creative and innovative Chinese products were exhibited at the event and received high recognition from global merchants, including intelligent manufacturing products, intelligent network-connected new energy vehicles, and childcare products.

New energy vehicles are manufactured in an intelligent factory of Zeekr, a premium electric automobile brand owned by Chinese automaker Geely, in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang province, March 28, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Yongtao)

The Canton Fair indicated that Chinese enterprises are taking a more proactive stance to join the global market, working to improve their trade capability and the added value of exports, so as to consolidate and expand their advantages of new industries.

"My new clients ordered four containers of commodities," said Luo Qifeng, who runs a home appliance company in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang province, on the first day of the Canton Fair. According to the man, two Moroccan clients purchased over 1 million yuan ($144,494) of commodities.

The 133rd Canton Fair attracted over 9,000 new exhibitors and about 35,000 companies set up on-site exhibition booths. Export deals worth a total of $21.69 billion were signed during the offline exhibitions.

The event was joined by an enormous number of merchants and visitors, which mirrored the strong demand for Chinese exports, said Huo Jianguo, vice president of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies.

China's foreign trade sector secured a stable recovery this year as the country sees steady economic growth, as well as improving production and demand.

According to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC), China's foreign trade got off to a good start in the first quarter of this year, with its value totaling 9.89 trillion yuan ($1.44 trillion) and registering a year-on-year increase of 4.8 percent. In particular, exports stood at 5.65 trillion yuan, up 8.4 percent year-on-year.

Foreign merchants negotiate with staff members of a Chinese porcelain manufacturer at the 133rd China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, held in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province, April 23, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Xu Huasen)

Foreign trade is rising month by month. The growth of imports and exports in Q1 this year was 2.6 percentage points higher than that in the last three months of 2022. In March 2023, the ratio of laden export containers increased by 10.5 percent year-on-year, and the volume of imported cargo went up by 20.3 percent.

Central and western regions of China saw faster development of foreign trade. In Q1, relevant regions reached 1.84 trillion yuan in foreign trade, up 12.6 percent from the same period last year. The growth rate was 7.8 percentage points higher than the national average.

Besides, foreign trade via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provinces and ASEAN countries, grew by 10.1 percent to 969.52 billion yuan. Regions including Chongqing municipality and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region have leveraged their geographical advantages to facilitate cross-border transportation and improve logistics efficiency.

In the first quarter, China's trade with ASEAN, Latin American, and African markets went up by 16.1 percent, 11.7 percent and 14.1 percent year-on-year, respectively, with the proportion of the combined trade to China's total trade up by 2.4 percentage points to 28.4 percent.

About 25,000 more Chinese companies have opened foreign business in Q1 this year compared with that in the first quarter of 2022, said Lyu Daliang, spokesperson of the GAC.

Clothes, furniture and home appliances were once the major force of Chinese exports. Today, their position is gradually being replaced by electric vehicles, lithium batteries and solar batteries.

Vehicles are about to be loaded onto a ship for exportation at the Yantai Port, east China's Shandong province, May 9, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Tang Ke)

This year's Canton Fair has added a new section on new energy and intelligent network-connected vehicles, where unmanned aerial vehicles, pure electric cars and new energy agricultural machines were exhibited.

Li Ming, vice president of Skywell New Energy Automobile Group, told People's Daily that the company exported 300 pure electric vehicles in the first quarter of last year, and the number has exceeded 3,000 in the same period this year.

Li, who's also the general manager of the company's overseas business division, found that apart from the European market, the Middle East and South Asia are also interested in importing Chinese new energy vehicles. During the Canton Fair, the group inked a $7 million contract with a Pakistani car dealer, which included the exportation of 200 new energy vehicles of two models.

Over recent years, new energy and green development have drawn more attention across the world. The strong demand in the international market is driving the export growth of Chinese green and low-carbon products.

According to GAC statistics, the exports of electric vehicles, lithium batteries and solar batteries jumped 66.9 percent year-on-year to 264.69 billion yuan in the first quarter of this year. The number accounted for 4.7 percent of China's foreign trade in the same period, 1.7 percentage points higher from a year ago.

The exports of these products helped raise China's overall export growth by 2 percentage points and promoted the optimization of China's foreign trade structure.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
Looters help themselves during produce truck accident in Felipe Carrillo Puerto

Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Q.R.  The produce being hauled by a semi that overturned was quickly stolen by passing area motorists. On Tuesday, a semi that overturned in Felipe Carrillo Puerto was nearly emptied by nearby residents and passing motorists before police arrived.

Once police were on scene, numerous crates of the produce had already been looted from the highway accident that left the food spilled along the shoulder.

The accident was reported early Tuesday along a section of Polyuc-San Luis in the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto.

The driver, Juan A, received only minor injuries. He told police that he was trying to avoid hitting a speeding car that had suddenly appeared in his lane. During the swerve, his unit overturned.

Part of the road was closed while the debris was cleared from the highway and the semi righted and removed.
The abuse of two teens described by investigators as runaways from Franklin County was at the center of back-to-back hearings Wednesday in Pulaski County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

Felony charges against Thomas Anthony Morris  including rape, sexual penetration, abduction, and indecent acts with a child  were sent on to a grand jury after his attorney, Sam Swindell of Blacksburg, stipulated that there was probable cause for the charges to be certified.

The grand jury will decide if Morris, 57, of Pulaski County, should be tried in the county circuit court.

Morris also is known as Thomas Anthony Hunter, Swindell said. Thomas Hunter was the name used in the county sheriffs offices announcement of his arrest in March.

According to the sheriffs office, two juveniles reported as having run away from Franklin County were located at Morris residence on Thaxton Road. The sheriffs office said that Morris had prevented them from leaving his home.

No details of the accusations were discussed Wednesday, but Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Wil Clemons said afterward that he expected a fuller airing of investigators findings at Morris eventual trial.

Immediately after Morris hearing, his co-defendant Melissa Dawn Trainer, 47, of Dublin, resolved her charges with an agreement. Her attorney, Andrew Harmon of Wytheville, said Trainer was pleading not guilty but conceded that the prosecution had enough evidence to convict her.

Trainer was convicted of two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Judge Lee Chitwood imposed the penalties recommended in a plea agreement: revoking the suspension of a 12-month jail term from an earlier case and adding two new 12-month terms.

However, the judge suspended one of the new terms and ordered that other be served concurrently, meaning that the net sentence was 12 months behind bars, with another 12 months suspended. Chitwood also ordered that Trainer be supervised by the probation office for 12 months after her release.
The Rotary Club of Blacksburg recently awarded six scholarships to Montgomery County high school seniors. The scholarships are given annually to students who excel in their fields of study, exhibit good personal character, and who live the Rotary motto of Service Above Self.

The recipients were recognized for excellence in math and science studies, and in career and technical education studies.

Carson Gilmore, Lilly Underwood and Evan Carson earned scholarships for math and science studies. Gilmore, a senior at Blacksburg High School, will attend Rice University to study kinesiology. Underwood, who will be graduating from Eastern Montgomery High School, will be majoring in civil engineering at Virginia Tech. Carson, a senior at Christiansburg High School and the Southwest Virginia Governors School, will attend Virginia Tech and pursue a double major in mechanical engineering and mathematics.

Bryanna Egan, Alaina Partin and Eder Vasconcelos earned CTE scholarships. Egan is graduating from Christiansburg High School, and will study nursing at New River Community College, with future sights set on an RN degree. Partin, also a senior at CHS, will also be studying nursing at NRCC, with a goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. Vasconcelos, who will be graduating from Eastern Montgomery High School, plans to attend NRCC and utilize his CTE course work in robotics, materials science and engineering design to pursue a career in welding.

The scholarship recipients and their parents and teachers were treated to lunch at Blacksburg Country Club, where the students had the opportunity to tell club members about their plans for the future, while their teachers extolled their achievements at their respective schools.

Scholarship candidates are recommended by their teachers and selected by a committee of Rotarians. Each receives a $1,000 scholarship to the school of their choice. In addition, the Rotary Club will donate a childrens book to the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library system in their honor.

- The Roanoke Times
Energix Renewables announced earlier this week it is withdrawing plans to construct a solar farm in the Wirtz area of Franklin County following significant negative feedback from the community.

The 20 megawatt solar farm, known as Mountain Brook Solar, was first proposed to the public earlier this year. Plans were for 92 acres of solar panels to be located on three parcels of property totaling 258 acres located at the intersections of Brooks Mill and Burnt Chimney roads.

Elianna Ginis, project developer, sent a letter to Franklin County on May 2 to announce Energix Renewables would be withdrawing its application for the solar farm. Mountain Brook Solar has taken feedback from the Franklin County Planning Commission and the community and will resubmit a special use permit application for the project that aligns with this feedback, she wrote in the letter.

Franklin County began informing neighboring residents of the proposed farm earlier this week of Energix Renewables decision to withdraw its application.

Mountain Brook Solar received little support from the community during two community meetings held by Energix Renewables earlier this year. At last months Franklin County Planning Commission meeting, members voted 7-0 to recommend denial for the solar farm following a public hearing where 25 people spoke out against the project.

Most who spoke out during the public hearing, as well as the two community meetings, were concerned the solar farm could impact home values nearby. There were also fears that materials from the solar panels could leak into groundwater.

Another concern was recent reports that Energix Renewables had faced fines in Henry County and Wytheville from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The violations included administrative matters as well as some instances of muddy runoff at construction sites.

This will be the second solar farm Energix Renewables has proposed in Franklin County that was later withdrawn. In 2021, a proposed solar farm on 220 acres in Westlake was scrapped after public criticism citing the location would be best suited for residential housing.
Two more candidates have entered this years Montgomery County School Board races.

Lindsay Rich and Jason Massie are running, respectively, for the District E and District G seats, each of which cover at least parts of the town of Blacksburg.

The two districts are, respectively, occupied by board members Marti Graham and Mark Cherbaka  whos the boards current chairman  but the seats current holders each announced earlier this year that they wont seek re-election. Sue Kass, who represents District F, is also not seeking another term.

Despite the decisions from Graham and Cherbaka, the races for Districts E and G this year will be competitive as Derek Rountree, in E, and Ed Gitre, in G, previously announced that they are also seeking the seats. Rountree is a senior research scientist for a local technology company, and Gitre is a history professor at Virginia Tech.

Rich and Massie are advocates of parental representation and rights in school issues.

Rich, 39, said she has four children in Montgomery County Public Schools and each of them represent every school level.

I have them in my house, and I hear everything they say and everything theyre going through, said Rich, who added that the district needs to teach children how to think and not what to think. We need more parent representation on the board.

Rich is also calling for greater attention to discipline issues in the schools.

I think its a huge problem, and I think were all going to have to work together to come up with solutions, she said.

Massie, 44, echoed some of Richs points.

Lets get back to basics: Let teachers teach and parents need to be parents, he said.

Massies candidacy this year isnt the first time hes sought a school board seat as he previously ran against Cherbaka in 2015, but was unsuccessful.

I gave him his time to do what he thought was good. I supported him, Massie said. But I think his time is over. Hes stepping down. I thought it would be a good time to do something else. Its time for a change.

Rich owns a small rental business that operates across the New River Valley, while Massie is a project manager at Greensboro, North Carolina-based demolition company D.H. Griffin. The demolition company has a satellite office in the Roanoke area and has done jobs at Virginia Tech and Radford University, among other places, Massie said.

Rich and Massie have expressed support for career routes that dont necessarily require a degree at a four-year college and are advocates of providing more trade school type education in the district.

Each candidate said trade careers dont necessarily require college degrees that can saddle graduates with massive debt. Theyre each advocating for greater efforts within the district to promote trades as a viable career path.

Theres more than one way to be smart and more than one way to success, said Rich, who added that shes a champion of strong academics. I think all kids deserve a seat at the table.

Massie acknowledged the availability of career technical courses now within the school system, but he said he would like to see the district further build on that initiative through a more formal trade school program where graduates can walk out with certifications and go into apprenticeships. He said that pathway could quickly lead them to jobs that pay living wages.

Among the potential fields Massie pointed to as examples are carpentry, welding, construction, electrician work and plumbing. He said there doesnt always need to be a push toward a four-year college.

We need to make sure they have a place to go where they can truly get some training, he said, adding that his own line of work has highlighted the importance of teaching trades.

One initiative that has been linked to trades is the Access to Community College Education, a program that allows graduates from certain school districts in the New River Valley to attend New River Community College free of tuition.

The ACCE program is funded with a combination of local government funds and community donations. In addition to being promoted as a way to cut on overall college costs, the program has been touted for helping place high school graduates into fields that dont necessarily require a four-year degree.

Rich said recently on her campaign page that her oldest son took advantage of the ACCE program and has thrived at NRCC. She voiced a promise, if elected, to continue supporting the program.

A total of four Montgomery County School Board seats are on the ballot this year.

Laura Purcell, who teaches in Techs School of Communication, is running in District F, the seat Kass plans to leave.

Penny Franklin, who represents District B, is running again and faces a challenge from former county school Superintendent Mark Miear.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner says hes heard the complaints about mail service in Roanoke and will convene a meeting here about U.S. Postal Service deficiencies, similar to meetings he held in Charlottesville last year.

Those occurred after months of complaints about spotty mail delivery service in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area. The problems arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its unclear whether issues up there have resolved  or if theyre now worse.

Warner said the fundamental issue is a lack of workers, and that end of the day, we cant hire enough people into the Postal Service and keep them there.

The senator, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, made the remarks Tuesday during a telephonic press conference with members of the news media.

Among other topics Warner addressed were the impending debt ceiling crisis, the handling of classified documents by the federal government, and the conflict between rival military factions in Sudan.

Heres one question I posed at the urging of many Roanoke Times readers: Why hasnt the Biden administration fired Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who was hired to the job under then-President Donald Trump?

DeJoy was a commercial-mailing industry executive from North Carolina whose 2020 appointment to head the U.S. Postal Service was widely viewed as an act of political patronage. Earlier, DeJoy had served as finance chair for the 2020 Republican National Convention, and he also held a fundraiser at his home for Trump after the 2016 election.

The postmaster general reports not to the president directly, but to the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors. Trump appointees held a majority on that panel for the first couple years of the Biden administration, although Biden appointees now constitute a majority.

Ive got to tell you, I had real concerns with Mr. DeJoy as postmaster general, Warner said. Ironically, I am more open to Mr. DeJoy at this point because weve got a whole new board  board of governors of the Postal Service. All put in by [Biden]. And they actually have approved Mr. DeJoy to stay on.

Warner said that a radical and dramatic change in the Postal Services business model has been hastened by a precipitous drop in the volume of first-class mail  the price of which has climbed 8.5% since July.

An equal if not worse issue plaguing the Postal Service is that people seem to no longer want jobs there like they once did, Warner added.

The Postal Service isnt unique in that regard. Its happening in other blue-collar occupations, too. You can see it at supermarkets with darkened, untended butcher shops and area pharmacies with closed drive-thrus.

The tail end of the post-World War II baby boom is approaching retirement age, and there arent enough blue-collar post-baby boomers to replace the retirees.

When you and I were growing up, getting a job at the post office was a great career, Warner said. It was a path to the middle class. That has changed.

This time last year, the Postal Service in Charlottesville had roughly 30 openings, according to news reports at the time. Roughly 15 of the unfilled positions were for rural route carriers.

Meanwhile, the Postal Service in Charlottesville was offering a starting salary of $18.92 per hour plus substantial federal-government-worker benefits. Typically, its entry-level positions dont require a college degree. And military veterans get preferential hiring.

But Chick-fil-A was offering a higher starting salary, plus a bonus and Sundays off. And generally the ability to get another day off a week, Warner said.

The work force, we were not paying them enough to get them in. Yes, if you get in and stay a year or two years, and the [retirement] benefits kick in, it becomes a pretty attractive career option, Warner added. But keeping people in those first six months, year to year and a half has been a real problem.

Back then, Warner pushed for higher starting wages for Charlottesville-area postal workers. The Postal Service ultimately rejected that strategy and instead instituted retention policies designed to keep a higher percentage of new workers on board for their first 80 days.

But its not clear thats alleviated the problem. Last week, in advance of a Charlottesville-area hiring fair, the Postal Service advertised that it had 50 openings, two-thirds more than it was seeking to fill last year.

My gut is, and Ive got to get the details on this, its a problem of hiring and retention, Warner said.  And I believe  one of the things we pushed in the Charlottesville area, was to call this a hard-to-staff area and see if we can bump up that opening salary. Ill try to make the same appeal in the Roanoke area, and we will get at it.

I told Warner that I was now getting emails in Roanoke from people in Ohio who are missing their mail deliveries. And I read him another mail-woes email I got this week from Jami Poff, a retired schoolteacher who lives in the Cave Spring section of Roanoke County.

Poffs birthday was April 8, and that came and went without the normal flurry of congratulatory cards from friends and relatives, she said. But those people were calling her, asking if Poff had received the salutations.

Nope. No mail delivery for five days, Poff wrote in an email to me. Not just Spring Run Drive, but surrounding neighborhoods as well. I stopped the mail truck this evening. The mailperson knew why I was stopping her.

She said our usual mailperson retired and the substitute and others were calling in sick. And the best thing for me to do would be to call Congress members and complain. She suggested we ask for more [workers], that the post office is shorthanded.

Warner said he believes that, like upset postal customers in Charlottesville, Roanoke residents arent blaming their mail carriers.

They knew their carriers were working their tails off, but if their carriers got sick, or if they were on vacation, they didnt have enough personnel to fill in, and that led to this delay.

The question of not even getting sorted at the main post office, or at the post office in Roanoke [County], we will, I will get on that, and Ill get my office on that, right away. But as I think youve seen, even in the case of the folks coming from Ohio, this is not a Charlottesville-specific or Roanoke specific problem.

This is a problem systemwide and when youve got the decline, particularly in the first-class mail drop-off, it really means the whole business model has to be reworked.

Ill keep you posted about when and if that Postal Service meeting happens in the Roanoke Valley. Until then, stay tuned.
BEDFORD  A threat sent Liberty High School in Bedford on a high-level lockdown at about 2 p.m. Wednesday.

In a high-level lockdown, students remain in their classroom, with the doors locked, away from the windows and they proceed as though there is a threat.

Due to the proximity of the lockdown, Liberty Middle School, which is behind the school and Lynchburg Baptist Church on Lacey Putney Way, went into a low-level lockdown  meaning no one comes in or out of the building, students stay in their classroom and instruction continues as usual.

Superintendent Marc Bergin said there was a communication of concern that came over one of the school radios.

Following the concern, Bergin said a call went out to law enforcement and within minutes, the Bedford County Sheriffs Office, Bedford Police Department, Virginia State Police and Bedford Fire and EMS arrived on campus. After receiving a 911 call, Sheriff Mike Miller said law enforcement secured the campus with a sweep, and found no threat.

In regard to the response, Miller said the schools resource officer was on campus and within two minutes of finding out about the threat, deputies and troopers began to arrive.

He said there were no guns found or shots fired.

Two students at Liberty High School  a juvenile and an adult  were ultimately taken into custody by law enforcement and charges are pending after consultation with the commonwealths attorney.

In the moments leading up to student dismissal, parents and guardians gathered at Liberty Baptist Church, next to the high school, waiting with much concern.

Donnie Welch, whose granddaughter attends the high school and whose grandson attends the middle school, told reporters that the incident is very scary and he plans to not send his grandchildren back to school for the rest of the week.

Its sad, its scary, very scary. Its a small community here, we stick together, Welch said.

Some students said they thought the situation was a drill until they saw law enforcement.

When asked about the concerns of families in terms of communicating the threat, Bergin explained he was aware of the incident slightly after 2 p.m. and within 10 to 15 minutes of first learning of it, the division had notified families.

He explained the division sent an immediate communication to families of students at Liberty Middle School and the high school, informing them the campus was on lockdown and secured.

I would like to reiterate, that at no time was any student or staff member under any threat but we were proceeding as though they were based upon the communication of concern that came across the radio, Bergin said.
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Oakland teachers have started their second week on strike as they push for their contract to include common good provisions such as using district property to help homeless students, addressing reparations for Black students and improving school safety
Signage in the window of the Credit Suisse Group AG headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. (Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg)

By Ambereen Choudhury and Marion Halftermeyer

(Bloomberg)  UBS Group AG bankers assessing Credit Suisse Group AGs business have flagged concerns about some portfolios of loans in high-growth Asian countries as the firm decides which assets to tag for a wind-down unit.

The concerns over lending relationships across traditionally high-risk markets including Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and India could lead to the assets being runoff or sold, people with knowledge of the matter said. UBS is zeroing in on past procedures and some loans effectively in distressed status, one person said.

UBS, which stepped in to rescue Credit Suisse after a crisis of confidence, is weighing options to address the issues including selling parts of the Asia credit book to private debt firms or unwinding the loans, some of the people said. No final decision has been made, they said.

The two banks declined to comment through representatives.

UBS is in a race to understand the risk its taking on at Credit Suisse after a series of scandals and risk management failures in the years running up to the smaller firms collapse. That included its backing for Luckin Coffee founder Lu Zhengyao, praised by former Chief Executive Officer Tidjane Thiam as a poster child for his strategy of doing more business with wealthy Asian entrepreneurs. The bank lent Lu millions of dollars, only to be left staring at steep losses, along with other lenders, when the stock imploded in an accounting fraud.

UBS has already indicated that its seeking to cut back some of Credit Suisses riskier operations at the investment bank and will screen bankers to make sure they fit with the firms values and risk approach. Chief Executive Officer Sergio Ermotti also signaled recently that there may be cases where UBS has a different view on some Credit Suisse wealth clients and may not take them on.

UBS is known for having a more conservative lending profile than its erstwhile rival, though has pushed to lend more in recent years under wealth head Iqbal Khan. In a business where banks typically give lombard loans and credit against diversified investment portfolios, Credit Suisse occasionally accepted single stocks and hard to value collateral such as yachts and aircraft as security.

Story continues

After the March rescue, UBS sent a so-called clean team of about 100 people to Credit Suisse to assess client rosters and talent, as well as to determine business lines which should be earmarked for the wind-down unit, people with knowledge of the matter said earlier.

Credit Suisse's new CEO Ulrich Koerner. (Credit Suisse/Handout via REUTERS)

UBS this week appointed Ulrich Koerner to its top management body, giving the chief executive officer of Credit Suisse a key role in overseeing the complex combination of the two firms. UBS is aiming to complete the deal as soon as this month, with the urgency heightened by the smaller rivals warning the limbo state has caused a spike in employee turnover.

Credit Suisses aggressive decade long push into South East Asia, where it also lent to billionaire families including Indonesias Bakrie family, helped make it the go-to foreign bank for many wealthy business families in the region. The Bakrie empire includes interests from property development to mining. Vietnams Vingroup JSC, another Credit Suisse client, oversees assets across real estate, technology and retail industries.

The region was highlighted by Thiam as a key growth driver when he was appointed to the role in 2015. It was carved out from Europe, giving local managers more clout over lending and capital, before seeing its stature diminished under a restructuring undertaken by Thiams successor Thomas Gottstein.

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Bazaar Lambak: Visitor spots non-halal pork stalls in halal street food bazaar located at Tampines MRT Station. Organisers clarify division into two areas. (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore)"

SINGAPORE  An ongoing bazaar located near Tampines MRT Station has caused confusion among residents, with people mistakenly believing that non-halal food was being sold at the halal-only bazaar.

Bazaar Lambak, which advertises itself as selling halal street food, has come under scrutiny after visitors spotted stalls selling non-halal food such as pork sausages.

Facebook user Moe Haimin, who visited the bazaar on Wednesday (10 May), expressed his concern in a Facebook post, noting that he found the bazaar's banner "very misleading." He also urged Muslim visitors to be more cautious when purchasing food at the bazaar.

The incident has led to a debate on the Facebook post's comment section, with many questioning why there were non-halal stalls in the section.

Speaking to Yahoo Southeast Asia, Haimin called for organisers of such bazaars to be more sensitive to the issue of having non-halal options. "I am offended because I feel that they should treat Halal with more respect and not use the word halal carelessly," he added.

Haimin also pointed out that he thought organisers would be more careful after the incident in March when some stalls at the Bazar Raya Utara, a Ramadan bazaar in Woodlands, were found selling pork products.

Moe Haimin, who visited the bazaar on 10 May, expressed his concern in a Facebook post, noting that he found it "very misleading." (PHOTO: FB/Moe Haimin)

Organiser explains differentiation of halal, non-halal areas

When Yahoo Southeast Asia contacted Adex International, the organiser of Bazaar Lambak, it clarified that the bazaar is divided into two areas, one selling halal food and the other selling non-halal food.

Abdul Rani Mustafa, the founder of Adex International, explained that visitors could differentiate between the halal and non-halal areas based on the carpets. The halal area has a grey carpet, while a black carpet marks the non-halal area.

Responding to concerns, Rani said they had worked with the company in charge of non-halal food a few times, such as during their Admiralty bazaar in March.

He insisted that there is no mixing of halal and non-halal food within his section, saying: "When it is under my section, everything is halal. And when it is in the other section, it is non-halal."

Story continues

However, he assured visitors that they are working on making the differentiation more evident in the future.

"We are looking at coming up with another bazaar in Jurong after this. So I told the company that the halal section would go through with me under one tentage, and the non-halal section would be in another so people can differentiate between halal and non-halal," he added.

Visitors can identify the halal section at Bazaar Lambak with the grey carpet and its proximity to Century Square (left), while the non-halal section has a black carpet and is located closer to the MRT (right). (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore)

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
  1 University Hill160 20  THE HOLBORN 2%6%  33577  Arm9780  8ChatGPT 8 powerful ways to accelerate your learning Google AIBard180   GDP2.7%   NetflixNetflix196 DYNAM JAPAN623 10 9.7 TwitterCEO 0.48%  Groupon 1 1%   7 FDIC    1% 5%  3.5    4.47 1.76 TwitterTwitter CEOCEO  IMF
MOSCOW, Idaho  Mackenzie Davidson grew up in a Mormon household and sheepishly admits she knew little about pregnancy.

This is embarrassing, she said, sitting outside a cafe along a street thronged with students in this college town. But I didnt know that you had to have sex to have kids until I was 13 or 14.

Shes a writer for the University of Idaho student newspaper, The Argonaut, and was asked recently to report on a new law. Its now a crime to help a teen under 18 leave the state for an abortion or obtain medication abortion pills without parental consent  including when the girl has been sexually assaulted or raped by a family member or parent. Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, in signing the bill, wrote that the law does not limit an adult woman from obtaining an abortion in another state.

Davidson, 19, reached out to interview state Rep. Barbara Ehardt, a Republican co-sponsor of the bill, who touted her Christian-based attitude during her campaign.

She kept saying that it was about parental rights, Davidson said. But the thing that really caught my attention was the fact that they were calling it abortion trafficking.

The law creates a crime of abortion trafficking and criminalizes the recruiting, harboring, or transporting of minors without parental consent. In a floor speech before the Idaho Legislature voted on the bill, Ehardt said, We are only looking to protect our children.

Idahos teen travel ban, as its known here, took effect May 5, nearly 11 months after the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion. Any adult, including an aunt, grandparent, or sibling, convicted of violating the criminal statute faces up to five years in prison. Under a separate state law, family members of the pregnant minor and the sexual partner involved can sue any health care provider who helped terminate the pregnancy for financial damages.

If youre successful, youre guaranteed $20,000 minimum, and thats per claim per relative, said Kelly ONeill, an Idaho litigation attorney for Legal Voice, a progressive nonprofit.

Idaho has a lot of big families, she added.

Under the new law, even when a parent gives consent, the person accompanying the minor would need to provide an affirmative defense proving they were acting with the permission of a parent of the teen.

You could still be charged, arrested, perhaps even have to go all the way to a jury trial and prove in a courtroom that your sister gave you permission, ONeill said.

Legal experts say Idahos travel ban, based on a model bill written by National Right to Life, one of the countrys largest anti-abortion groups, is designed to sidestep implied constitutional protections for interstate travel. The law targets travel assistance within and up to the states border, effectively criminalizing medical care legally obtained in neighboring states.

This is one of the next frontiers of abortion litigation, said David S. Cohen, a constitutional law professor at Drexel University. Theyre clearly pushing this kind of law with other states.

In response to potential legal threats, on April 27, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, signed a series of bills barring law enforcement from cooperating with other states abortion investigations. Those laws shield medical providers from lawsuits and protect their medical licenses from being revoked.

But in communities like Spokane, Washington, just 20 miles from the Idaho border, there is a sense of unease.

We have staff who live in Idaho who commute, said Karl Eastlund, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho. Its one big economic region, when you think of the border communities here.

When asked if he was concerned that medical staff members living in Idaho could be criminally charged for the abortion care they provide every day, he said, We have told our providers we will handle all of your legal fees and well provide lawyers to help you sort out anything that happens.

He added, Its something we think about a lot.

After Sunday morning Mass at St. Augustines Catholic Center in Moscow, Ryan Alexander tended to his 17-month-old daughter, Penelope, as she toddled about the church courtyard. Alexander, 25, a married law student at the university here, said ending any pregnancy violates his Catholic beliefs.

He has read the text of the bill, he said, and the way its written is actually incredibly prudent. No adult, he said, can act in place of a parent.

Thats just kidnapping, by any means, if you take a girl away from her parents when shes a minor and her parents have authority over her, he said.

Alexander said he understands that some teenage girls are sexually abused at home or have dysfunctional relationships with their parents. Still, he supports the law.

When we look at situations like that, my heart goes out to them. What can I do but pray from a distance and think, how can that be better? he said. But two wrongs do not make a right.

Idaho patients, including teenagers, have long crossed into Washington state to legally end their pregnancies. Eastlund said fewer than 5% of the clinics patients who come for abortion care are minors.

Most of those patients, he said, do involve their parents in the process, even though parental consent is not mandatory in Washington. Those who dont, Eastlund said, have good reason not to. Some are in dangerous, abusive situations in which disclosing a pregnancy could put them at risk of further harm.

Were talking about sexual abuse and incest, said Eastlund, sitting upstairs at the clinic in Spokane. Its not stuff people want to talk about, but, unfortunately, its more common than people think.

Interactives: Abortion laws around the US and world
STORM LAKE, Iowa  A Lakeside, Iowa, man has entered a plea to charges of having sexual contact with a 9-year-old child in Storm Lake.

Harny Dosalua, 35, entered Alford pleas Tuesday in Buena Vista County District Court to two counts of lascivious acts with a child. In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but the judge enters a guilty plea into the record.

As part of a plea agreement, charges of second-degree sexual abuse and lascivious conduct with a minor will be dismissed. There was no agreement on Dosalua's sentence in the plea deal.

The Storm Lake Police Department received a report of a sexual assault on Feb. 16, 2022. An investigation revealed that the child was assaulted in December 2018 in a home in the 500 block of College Avenue.

Dosalua was arrested Feb. 24, 2022.
SIOUX CITY  A Sioux City man who fired a gun next to his girlfriend's head during a domestic dispute has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Agustin Sanchez, 36, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Woodbury County District Court to intimidation with a dangerous weapon, eluding and second-offense operating while intoxicated. He also entered an Alford plea, in which he admits no guilt, to a charge of domestic abuse assault. He also was fined $2,305.

Agustin punched the woman in the face before firing a shot near her head and into a bathroom wall during the April 3, 2022, dispute in an apartment in the 1200 block of West Third Street. The woman ran from the apartment and pounded on a neighbor's door, seeking help. Agustin, still brandishing the gun, tried to drag her back into their apartment.

After the woman called police, Sanchez fled the scene in a vehicle and crashed it in the 4000 block of Jackson Street, where he was taken into custody without incident. Officers located the gun inside the vehicle and also determined Agustin was under the influence of alcohol.
SIOUX CITY  A Texas man who traveled to Sioux City to have sexual contact with a 13-year-old boy has pleaded guilty of sexual exploitation of a child.

Isaac Herrera, 22, of Brownsville, Texas, entered his plea Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Sioux City.

He was arrested June 7 after East Middle School staff members found him outside the school looking for the boy and claiming to be his guardian before giving a fake name to an officer. Police determined Herrera met the boy while playing online video games. Herrera told police he came to Sioux City and had been hanging around with the boy and two other 13-year-old boys, court documents said.

A search of Herrera's phone revealed communications of a sexual nature between Herrera and the first boy, and Herrera also had asked the boy to send him nude photos of himself.

Herrera also had faced charges of tampering with a victim, destruction and alteration of records in a federal investigation, enticement of a minor, possession of child pornography and travel for sexual conduct with a minor.

A sentencing date will be set later.
"He knew what he did was awful. ... He tried to cover up his heinous crime," Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Julie Mruz said of Joshua Larsen.
VERMILLION, South Dakota  To attend or not to attend, that will be the question for Siouxland literary aficionados and play lovers when the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival gets going in Vermillion on Sunday, June 11.

The free festival, which has been operating for more than a decade, is set to run through Sunday, June 18 and will feature Shakespeare events each day.

Sunday, June 11 there will be a "Bark with the Bard 5K."

"Movie Night with Shakespeare" is planned for Monday, June 12.

Tuesday, June 13 is when the "Shakespeare Trivia" event gets underway.

The plan for Wednesday, June 14 is "Adult Shakespeare Improv."

Friday, Saturday and Sunday will feature "A Celebration of Shakespeare" at Prentis Park in Vermillion.

Thursday, June 15, will see a special performance from Devon Glover, the Sonnet Man, a Brooklyn-based hip hop artist, teacher, poet, playwright and actor who reworks Shakespeare's sonnets for rap performances. Glover's appeared on the BBC, MSNBC and NBC and held events at international Shakespeare Festival including one in Stratford-upon-Avon, England (the birthplace of William Shakespeare).

"Glovers flow embodies the richness of Shakespeares language, and his passionate, yet natural delivery offers an inspiring, creative experience audiences love," a festival release said.

Additional information for the festival can be found by going to: sdshakespearefestival.org or by emailing sdshakespearefestival@gmail.com.
An Omaha woman accused of killing a security guard during a weekend altercation was denied bail during her first court appearance Tuesday.

Keloni Jones faces charges of second-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony related to the Sunday morning killing of 23-year-old Gom Gout. On Tuesday, she was ordered to be held in custody without bail by Douglas County Court Judge Jeffrey Marcuzzo.

According to Gout's family, he was working as a security guard in the Capitol District and was shot  allegedly by Jones  while trying to break up an altercation.

"Despite his efforts to de-escalate the situation and ensure everyone's safety, he got caught in the crossfire," Shol Gout, Gom's brother, said in a GoFundMe message.

Officers were dispatched to Moe and Curly's Pub near 10th Street and Capitol Avenue shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday morning, according to an arrest affidavit for Jones. They found Gout unresponsive outside the bar.

Gout was taken to Nebraska Medical Center with CPR in progress. He died at the hospital.

According to the affidavit, police found Jones walking near 24th and Dodge Streets shortly after the shooting. She was taken to police headquarters for an interview and subsequently arrested.

Jones will appear for a preliminary hearing on June 9.

Top Journal Star photos for May 2023
A Des Moines pharmacy already on probation has been fined $5,000 for incorrectly filling customers prescriptions.

The civil penalty is part of a settlement agreement that the Walgreens store at 3140 S.E. 14th St. made with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy.

In September 2021, the store was inspected and it was found that the on-hand count of hydrocodone was short 247 tablets, after which a board compliance officer requested a full audit of all Schedule II controlled substances, according to board records. That audit identified a shortage of 44 tablets of oxycodone, and a shortage of 60 capsules of dexmethylphenidate.

Last spring, the store was fined $750 for hiring two pharmacy technician trainees in February 2021, although the two did not register with the board until the following July. The store had previously received a warning for having an unregistered technician trainee on staff.

Last summer, the store was the target of a complaint alleging that patient counseling was not provided to a patient given a new prescription for prednisone. The stores security video recordings confirmed that counseling was not provided. The stores license was placed on probation for one year and the store was fined $10,000.

The Board of Pharmacy now alleges the store committed three instances of dispensing the incorrect prescription to a patient.

According to the board, on Sept. 21, 2022, the store dispensed a prescription for acetaminophen for a pediatric patient and incorrectly labeled it as ibuprofen. On that same day, the store dispensed a prescription for ibuprofen for the same pediatric patient and incorrectly labeled it as acetaminophen. The store also dispensed amoxicillin-clavulanate, instead of the prescribed amoxicillin, for that same pediatric patient.

In the settlement agreement with the store, the board noted the store has been previously disciplined by the board on multiple occasions and has received prior administrative warnings for medication errors.

The number of administrative warnings issued by the board is not disclosed in the settlement agreement.

As part of the agreement, the store must pay a $5,000 civil penalty and have all of its pharmacists and technicians who were employed by the store last September complete two hours of continuing education related to patient safety.

Counties with the worst droughts in Iowa Counties with the worst droughts in Iowa Iowa statistics #25. Webster County #24. Fremont County #23. Shelby County #22. Sioux County #21. Kossuth County #20. Humboldt County #19. Carroll County #18. Mills County #1. Ida County (tie) #1. Pocahontas County (tie) #1. Crawford County (tie) #1. Plymouth County (tie) #1. Clay County (tie) #1. Cherokee County (tie) #1. Palo Alto County (tie) #1. Osceola County (tie) #1. O'Brien County (tie) #1. Harrison County (tie) #1. Dickinson County (tie) #1. Sac County (tie) #1. Monona County (tie) #1. Woodbury County (tie) #1. Emmet County (tie) #1. Calhoun County (tie) #1. Buena Vista County (tie)
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said he received a letter, but no documents, on Wednesday from the FBI in response to a request for documents that allegedly describe an unspecified criminal scheme involving President Joe Biden.

Grassley, R-Iowa, and House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., made the request last week in response to unspecified whistleblower reports they described as highly credible. In addition to a joint letter, Comer issued a subpoena to the FBI through the House Oversight Committee.

According to a letter from the congressmen to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the FBI director, the reports allege the FBI and Department of Justice have documents that describe a scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions.

Based on the alleged specificity within the document, it would appear that the DOJ and the FBI have enough information to determine the truth and accuracy of the information contained within it. However, it remains unclear what steps, if any, were taken to investigate the matter, the letter continues.

Grassley told reporters on Wednesday he received a letter in response from the FBI, but he had not reviewed it entirely as of Wednesday afternoon. He said he did not receive the alleged document, but the agency did not dispute its existence.

It's a five- or six-page letter that I've got to go through, and not only me as a farmer, but we're going to have our lawyers go through it, Grassley said. We're reviewing the FBIs response, and well have more to say when we've completed that review.

In a news release later Wednesday, Grassley said the FBIs response to the request indicates the document is real.

Todays letter from the FBI raises additional questions, including whether the FBI has an open investigation based on these allegations, he said.

In a statement to multiple outlets last week, White House spokesman Ian Sams dismissed the Republican allegations.

For going on five years now, Republicans in Congress have been lobbing unfounded, unproven, politically-motivated attacks against the president and his family without offering evidence for their claims or evidence of decisions influenced by anything other than U.S. interests, Sams said.

Grassley and Comers request last week came as House Republicans are ramping up investigations into the foreign business activities of Bidens son, Hunter Biden, and other family members.

House Republicans released a memo Wednesday detailing what they called influence peddling and financial deception based on foreign payments to multiple members of Bidens family, but they did not reveal any direct connection to the president.
Two Bettendorf sisters have teamed up to create a new poster and T-shirt to help fund abortion access in Iowa.

Bettendorf High School graduates Deborah Kraft and Stephanie Kraft Sheley submitted their piece, "Abortion Rights are Iowa Nice." The image is a poster containing the title phrase in Kraft's signature style and using vintage images of Iowa, including the Iowa State Capitol and Iowa corn.

The art was turned into a poster by the Iowa Abortion Access Fund and Iowa-based T-shirt shop Raygun, which annually puts out a call to artists to create pieces with the goal of raising funds for its Art for Access program.

Every year, artists submit work to be turned into a poster. The two entities ultimately choose 10 designs to be turned into posters and postcards. The proceeds from the sale of the posters and shirts will go to the Iowa Abortion Access Fund, an organization that funds abortion care in Iowa.

Sheley has been involved in the fight for abortion access since 2016 and currently works in St. Louis, where she is a practicing lawyer and nonprofit leader who helps Missouri residents access abortion care.

In 2021, she launched her own organization, Right by You, to help Missourians access abortion care safely. Advocacy is a cause near to her, and with her sister working as an artist in Chicago, submitting a design seemed like an opportunity to express both of their passions.

"When I saw this come up, I was super excited to do something with my home state," Sheley said.

Together, the sisters came up with the idea to expand on the popular phrase, "Iowa nice."

"We teamed up and created one that would speak to Iowa's values related to abortion care and why it's consistent to Iowa's values to fight for access," Sheley said.

For her sister, the chance to work together and combine their talents was one she couldn't pass up.

"This is her bread and butter. This is the work that she does all day, every day," Kraft said of her twin. "Having a chance to do something with my practice and my profession that can move this forward in a small way is an opportunity that I want to take advantage of."

Their design was ultimately chosen, and Raygun liked the concept so much, it turned the design into a T-shirt, too. The inspiration behind the design was to be as inclusive as possible, while also pointing out full inclusivity has never been achieved, Sheley said.

"Iowa nice is this really charming concept that we identify with being from Iowa," she said. "Abortion rights are obviously legal rights."

But Iowa nice has never been applied evenly, she said.

"There are many people of color and Black people who have reported not enjoying that same treatment from Iowans," she said. "We invite attention with our large statement, but we have a blurb at the bottom that invites folks to think about what we are really fighting for."

The bottom of the shirt reads, "But rights have never been enough. And Nice has never produced freedom. Tolerate only Abortion Liberation, Abortion Justice." The shirts are available at the Des Moines store and online.

Abortion in America: How access and attitudes have changed through the centuries The evolution of abortion in America Pre-1850: Abortions in early America are commonplace Mid-1800s: Birth of the American Medical Association shifts abortion oversight from midwives to doctors; abortion is criminalized 1960s: 'Back-alley butchers,' birth control, and protests 1970s: Roe v. Wade protects women's right to abortion; politics shift 1980s-2000s: Legal challenges to Roe v. Wade introduce restrictions 2020s: Roe v. Wade is overturned; Postal Service allowed to mail abortion medication
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Wednesday, while Israel pressed ahead with a series of airstrikes that have killed 23 Palestinians, including three senior militants and at least 10 civilians.

A state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt, a frequent mediator between the sides, had brokered a cease-fire. But the truce efforts appeared to falter as fighting intensified late Wednesday, with neither side showing any sign of backing down.

Early Thursday, the Israeli military said it targeted the commander of Islamic Jihads rocket squad in an airstrike on a building in the southern Gaza Strip. The military said Ali Ghali was hiding in an apartment and that two additional militants from the group were killed alongside him in the airstrike at a Qatari-built residential complex in Khan Younis. Ghali instructed and took part in rocket attacks against Israel in recent months. There was no comment from the militant group.

In a prime-time TV address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had dealt a harsh blow to the militants. But he cautioned: "This round is not over.

We say to the terrorists and those who send them. We see you everywhere. You can't hide, and we choose the place and time to strike you, he said, adding that Israel would also decide when calm is restored.

Throughout the day, rocket fire set off air-raid sirens throughout southern and central Israel, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. Residents had been bracing for an attack since Israel launched its first airstrikes early Tuesday.

It was the heaviest fighting between the sides in months, pushing the region closer toward a full-blown war. But in signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the smaller and more militant Islamic Jihad faction. Hamas, meanwhile, appeared to remain on the sidelines.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the Islamic militant group took control of Gaza in 2007.

Late Wednesday, Egypt's Extra News television channel, which has close ties to Egyptian security agencies, said it had brokered a cease-fire. Egyptian intelligence frequently mediates between Israel and Palestinian militants.

Israeli officials confirmed that Egypt was trying to facilitate a cease-fire. Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes diplomacy, they said Israel would evaluate the situation based on actions on the ground, not declarations.

Islamic Jihad said it would continue firing rockets. Mohamad al-Hindi, an official with the group, said a sticking point in the talks was that the Palestinians wanted an Israeli commitment to stop targeted killing operations, such as the ones that killed three top Islamic Jihad commanders early Tuesday.

As rockets streaked through the sky, Israeli TV stations showed air defense systems intercepting rockets above the skies of Tel Aviv. In the nearby suburb of Ramat Gan, people lay face-down on the ground as they took cover.

The Israeli military said that for the first time, an air-defense system known as Davids Sling intercepted a rocket. The system, developed with the U.S., is meant to intercept medium-range threats and is part of a multi-layered air defense that also includes the better-known Iron Dome anti-rocket system. Israeli media said a previous attempt to use the system several years ago had failed.

In a move that could further raise tensions, Israeli police said they would permit a Jewish ultranationalist parade to take place next week. The parade, meant to celebrate Israel's capture of east Jerusalem and its Jewish holy sites, marches through the heart of the Old City's Muslim Quarter and often leads to friction with local Palestinians.

Israeli officials said over 400 rockets had been fired as of Wednesday evening. Most, they said, were intercepted or fell in open areas, but Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said about one-quarter had been misfired and fallen inside Gaza. Israeli rescuers said three people were hurt running for shelter, and four homes in southern Israel were damaged by rocket strikes.

The army said that schools would remain closed and restrictions on large gatherings would remain in place in southern Israel until at least Friday. Residents were instructed to stay near bomb shelters.

Eden Avramov, a 26-year-old resident of the southern Israeli town of Sderot, described the 24 hours since Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza as terrifying. We are all traumatized from this routine  the waiting, the booms, the alarms.

Israeli aircraft hit targets in Gaza for the second straight day, killing at least five Palestinians. The Israeli military said its warplanes targeted dozens of rocket launchers, arms warehouses and other targets across the enclave. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said four of the dead were militants.

A 10-year-old Palestinian girl named Layan Mdoukh was killed in a blast at her home in Gaza City in unclear circumstances on Wednesday.

The initial Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday that set off the exchange of fire killed three senior Islamic Jihad militants and at least 10 civilians  most of them women and children. The Israeli military has said its attacks were focused on Islamic Jihad militant infrastructure in the coastal enclave.

Israel says the airstrikes are a response to a barrage of rocket fire launched last week by Islamic Jihad in response to the death of one of its members from a hunger strike while in Israeli custody.

Israel says it is trying to avoid conflict with Hamas, the more powerful militant group that rules Gaza, and limit the fighting to Islamic Jihad.

Our actions are meant to prevent further escalation," said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military's chief spokesman. "Israel is not interested in war.

In a statement, an umbrella organization of Palestinian factions in Gaza, including Hamas, said the campaign against Israel  which it dubbed Avenging the Free  involved firing hundreds of rockets in retaliation for Israel's killing of the three Islamic Jihad commanders as well as several civilians.

The resistance is ready for all options," the factions said. If (Israel) persists in its aggression and arrogance, dark days await it."

Still, it remained unclear whether Hamas had joined the fray. If the ruling militant group enters the fighting, the risk of a full-blown conflict would increase.

Israel has come under international criticism for the high civilian toll Tuesday, which included wives of two of the militant commanders, some of their children and a dentist who lived in one of the targeted buildings along with his wife and son.

In past conflicts, rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes due to high civilian deaths. Israel says it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties and holds militant groups responsible because they operate in heavily populated residential areas.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the military said that Palestinian gunmen opened fire at troops in the Palestinian town of Qabatiya in the northern West Bank during an army raid. Troops returned fire, killing the two men, and confiscated their firearms, it said.

Islamic Jihad later claimed the two men as its members.

Israel has been conducting near-daily military raids in the occupied West Bank for over a year to detain suspected Palestinian militants, including many from Islamic Jihad.

At least 107 Palestinians, around half of them militants, have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year, according to an Associated Press tally. At least 20 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek all three territories for a future independent state.
ISLAMABAD (AP)  Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose arrest on corruption charges earlier this week sparked a wave of violence across the country by his supporters.

After the ruling, Khan left the court in a heavily protected motorcade for a secure location. Clashes between celebrating supporters of Khan and police briefly broke out near the Supreme Court building, but violence around the country appeared to ease. The government, however, denounced the ruling and said it was determined to find other legal avenues to arrest the former premier.

For a nation accustomed to military takeovers, political crises and violence, the turmoil of the past week has been unprecedented. Since Khan's dramatic arrest on Tuesday, protesters have been clashing with police in areas around the country, and mobs have attacked military and government sites, trying to storm the military's main headquarters and burning down the residence of a top general in Lahore. The government responded with a crackdown on Khan's supporters, arresting more than 2,000 so far.

The Supreme Court ruled Khans arrest two days ago was illegal and, while it freed him from custody, it ordered him kept under protection of security forces in a safe location in the capital, Islamabad. The head of his legal team, Babar Awan, underlined that Khan is a free citizen and will be allowed to meet with lawyers and supporters. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial urged Khan to appeal to his supporters to remain peaceful.

Khan will appear Friday before the Islamabad High Court to reconsider its earlier ruling that the arrest was legal. Khan may also ask the court for protection from future arrest on the corruption charges.

Speaking on Pakistan's Dunya TV, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan vowed, We will arrest him again, perhaps on charges that were announced a day earlier of inciting the wave of violence. The minister is not related to the former prime minister.

The ruling infuriated the government, with multiple officials accusing the chief justice of bias toward Khan. Chief Justice Bandial now should hoist the flag of Imran Khans party on the Supreme Court, or he should declare that the court is a sub-office of Imrans party, Azam Tarar, an adviser for Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, told reporters.

Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif called it a special reprieve for the former prime minister, saying the court ignored his supporters attacks on military and government installations.

The violence has escalated a long burning confrontation between the former prime minister and Sharif's government. Khan was removed from office a year ago by a no-confidence vote in Parliament, but he still holds fervent support in many areas. He also faces at least 100 criminal charges against him filed by various government agencies, mostly on corruption. Khan has depicted his removal and the charges as part of a campaign against him by Sharif, the United States and the Pakistani military  a claim all three deny.

The spark was the former leader's dramatic arrest on Tuesday. Khan was in court for one set of charges, when anti-graft agents barged in, dragged him away and shoved him into an armored vehicle in connection to other charges.

In the violence that ensued, at least 10 of his supporters were killed and dozens of protesters and more than 200 policemen injured. Protesters torched trucks, cars and police vehicles in the streets and blocked highways. It has echoed unrest that followed the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto during an election rally. Her supporters at the time, outraged by her killing, rampaged for days across Pakistan.

Police filed new terrorism charges on Thursday against Khan and top leaders from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on charges of inciting mobs to violence.

In an address to the nation late Wednesday, Sharif said Khan was arrested because of his involvement in corruption, and that there was evidence backing up these charges.

He said the unrest had forced him to deploy the military in Islamabad, in Punjab  Pakistans most populous province  and in volatile regions of the northwest.

Following the violence, the government shut down schools, colleges and universities in Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, where Khan has massive grassroots support and where most of the violence was reported. At least seven of the protester deaths so far have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two in Punjabs capital Lahore, along with one in the southwestern city of Quetta. The government also suspended internet service in various parts of the country.

We will arrest all those who disrupted law and order, said Mohson Naqvi, the chief minister in Punjab.

Protester attacks on the military have been startling. The military has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of the 75 years since the country gained independence from British colonial rule and wields considerable power over civilian governments.

Khan supporters have attacked the military headquarters in Rawalpindi and security posts in the northwest. In Lahore on Tuesday night, demonstrators ransacked and burned down the residence of the regional commander, Lt. Gen. Salman Fayyaz Ghani.

The military vowed on Wednesday to respond to attacks by demonstrators with full force. It said the attacks on its installations were launched in an orchestrated manner, and the violence was a black chapter in the countrys history.
When former Sioux Cityan Genevieve Radosti was signing copies of her new book I Was a Twentysomething CineMama, the stay-at-home mom-turned-movie-reviewer also gave away a few DVDs containing favorite flicks.

So, what was on the top of Radostis pile of free-for-the-taking films?

During a May 6 event held at Sioux Citys Erstwhile Studios, LLC., 510 Fifth St., it included the original 1937 version of A Star is Born and 2019s campy horror classic, Happy Death Day 2U.

A potential double feature? Well, we wouldnt put it past Radosti, who has pretty eclectic taste.

I love classic Hollywood movies but I also became a fan of scary films, which was something I picked up from my husband, she explained.

Having said that, Radosti was bitten by the show biz bug at a very early age.

For as long as I can remember, I was a showoff who was always looking for attention, she said with a smile. Obviously, that led me to acting.

Cast in a dizzying number of Lamb Arts Regional Theatre shows as a child in addition to Shot in the Dark productions as a Morningside University student and as a young adult, Radosti eventually moved to Hollywood for a year.

When I lived in Los Angeles, I discovered you had to be hired if you wanted to act, she noted. If you wanted to write, all you needed was a computer and an Internet connection.

Indeed, Radosti remember what Morningside professor Greg Guelcher told her.

(Guelcher) was always a tough grader but he liked the way I wrote, she recalled. The professor said I wrote the same way I spoke. In his eyes, that was a compliment.

Radosti took Guelchers approval and ran with it.

After writing movie criticism for a website called Film Librarian, she compiled the best of her work in 2021s The Terror of Motherhood: Collected Horror Film Criticism from a Stay-at-Home Mom and in the just-published I Was a Twentysomething CineMama.

That last title reflects my movie-watching experience, the now Omaha-based of a 2- and a 3-year-old explained. I watch family friendly flicks with the kids and indie stuff with my husband.

Um, is Radosti sure about that?

To be honest, right now, Im watching (Paul Thomas Andersons critically acclaimed 2021 film) Licorice Pizza as well as (Peter Bogdanovichs 1975 musical) At Long Last Love (which, featuring the musical talents of Burt Reynolds and Cybill Shepherd, is considered one of the worst movies ever made), she said.

I loved Licorice Pizza because there was so much going on, Radosti said. At Long Last Love? Not as bad as people made it out to be.
'HYPNOTIC' (Rated R for violence)

A detective investigates a mystery involving his missing daughter and a secret government program.

'BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER' (Rated PG-13 for some strong language and suggestive material)

Follows the new journey of four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had.

'THE MOTHER' (Rated R for violence, strong language and brief drug use)

While fleeing from dangerous assailants, an assassin comes out of hiding to protect her daughter she left earlier in life.

'BLACKBERRY' (Rated R for language throughout)

The story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone.

'CRATER' (Rated PG-13 for thematic material, action/peril and language throughout)

After the death of his father, a boy growing up on a lunar mining colony takes a trip to explore a legendary crater, along with his four best friends, prior to being permanently relocated to another planet.

NEW DVD RELEASES FOR THE WEEK

Knock at the Cabin'

'Children of the Corn'

'Unwelcome'

'Yellowstone, Season Five Part One'
In the years since Donald Trump first descended the escalator at his eponymous tower to rail against Mexicans while launching his campaign for president, he has shown himself to be a liar, a sociopath, a bigot, and a demagogue. He was impeached twice, criminally indicted, and found liable in civil court for sexually abusing an advice columnist in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room. He fostered a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol after lying about the results of the 2020 presidential election, continues to lie about the outcome of said election, and is being criminally investigated in Georgia on charges related to his efforts to overturn said election. He hoarded classified documents at his Florida home and ignored subpoenas to return them. He has a history of coddling and emulating dictators around the world. He lies as easily as he breathes, about pretty much everything.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

He also happens to be the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and that fact was all it took for CNN to ignore literally everything else and give Trump a full hour live Wednesday night as part of a breathtakingly ill-conceived town hall with New Hampshire voters. The discussion, moderated poorly by CNNs Kaitlan Collins, was simultaneously a triggering flashback to the bad old days of Trumps presidency, a frustrating preview of what we can likely expect over the next 18 months, and a conclusive repudiation of CNN CEO Chris Lichts doomed plan to restore the networks fortunes by tacking to the imagined middle.

Licht, who took the reins at CNN last year, has marked his tenure by bouncing many of the networks most vocal Trump critics while handing shows to people such as Gayle King and Charles Barkley. He is clearly trying to restore the networks down-the-middle reputation and win back Republican viewers. I have written before about why I think that this is a bad strategy, even if I get what hes going for. Licht seems to be under the mistaken impression that what viewers want and America needs right now is a cable news network oriented around presenting a balance between the left and the right, something that requires pretending that todays Republican Party is basically normal. The only people served by this strategy are the ambitious maniacs in the rights electoral vanguard, and the cowards and cynics who have chosen to countenance proto-fascism as a fair trade for lower taxes. The rest of us are reduced to screaming into our sofa cushions as we flash back to that escalator in 2015, and the credulous media coverage that kick-started our apparently still-ongoing national nightmare.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

I suppose it isnt entirely fair to blame CNN for the political rise of Donald Trump. Yes, when the businessman first announced his candidacy, he benefited from a disproportionate amount of coverage from CNN, courtesy of the networks then-president Jeff Zucker, who had previously greenlit The Apprentice during his time at NBC. Zucker correctly saw Trump as a ratings magnet, and CNN evidently saw no harm in exploiting a stunt candidacy that seemed likely to go down in history as a joke. For months, it aired Trumps rallies at length. As Margaret Sullivan noted in the Washington Post last year, the network sometimes even broadcast images of an empty lectern with embarrassing chyrons such as Breaking News: Standing By for Trump to Speak. 

Advertisement

The joke was on CNN, though: Trumps malignant message resonated with a whole lot of American voters, and by the time that Zucker and CNN realized the danger that Trump posed, it was too late to constrain him. While Trumps message likely would have resonated with or without CNNs help, the network did indeed go out of its way to amplify it. But so did a lot of other news outlets, most of which expected Trump to eventually fade away like every other stunt candidate in American history before him. It is hard to see the black swan coming, and it wasnt entirely these outlets fault that they didnt know any better.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The mainstream media sure as shit knows better now, though, which is what makes CNNs decision to air Wednesday nights town hall so very indefensible. The best journalistic argument for the town hall would be something like this: Like it or not, Trump is currently leading the 2024 Republican presidential field by a wide margin, and his campaign isnt something that reporters can just ignore. By putting him on the air and subjecting him to hard questions and journalistic scrutinyby directly addressing all of the many ways in which he is unfit to reclaim the presidencyCNN might do the nation and its voters a service, while making some news along the way.

Advertisement

Advertisement

But thats not how the town hall went, and frankly, thats not how it was ever going to go. Live television is Trumps bailiwick. His charisma shines through in unscripted, unedited settings, especially in a friendly room, as does his skill at running out the clock. Over the course of the hour, Trump consistently deflected Collins dogged albeit ineffective attempts to pin him down on his many disqualifying factors; lied openly and consistently about the 2020 election results and dozens of other things; made Tuesdays $5 million verdict in the E. Jean Carroll case into a joke at the victims expense; and showed absolutely no remorse for anything he had ever said or done in his entire life.

Advertisement

At times, the hour was reminiscent of hearing a legacy rock band churning through its greatest hits for an audience of entitled boomers. Trump bragged about the perfect call to Zelensky and announced that Nancy Pelosi was crazy. Though Collins came prepared, she was ultimately defenseless against Trumps dark talents for ignoring or belittling people he deems less important than him, which is everybody. Shed try to get him to answer a specific question. Hed ignore her and talk about some bullshit. Shed interject with a hapless But Mr. President  Hed ignore her again, and then shed move on. The election was not rigged, Mr. President. You cant keep saying that, Collins said at one point, and then Trump kept right on saying that. At one point, Trump called Collins a nasty person. The audience cheered. Collins tried her best, but her best was nowhere near good enough.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

That said, its CNNs fault for putting her in a position to fail in the first place. Absolutely every single moment of this debacle was predictable, and it is enraging to see CNN making the exact same mistakes it made when Trump first entered into the public sphere eight years ago. The network gave a seditious would-be despot carte blanche to openly lie on live television for an hour, in front of an adoring crowd, with ineffective pushback from a reporter who, if Wednesday night is any indication, is nowhere near ready for prime time. The pregame chatter among CNNs vacuous panelists, meanwhile, used the same empty framing that has long made the term talking heads a pejorative. What does Trump need to accomplish at this town hall? Wolf Blitzer asked just before the town hall began.

Advertisement

He does need to remind New Hampshire voters, who are very important, that hes presidential, and that he has a command over things, said CNNs Jeff Zeleny. This isnt interesting analysis, or relevant journalism, or anything except blinkered horse-race chitchat impelled by ratings-minded C-suite cynicism. For all of Lichts ostensible desire to restore CNNs reputation as the most trusted name in television news, the only reason to gift Donald Trump with a risible town hall a full 18 months before the election is to kick Fox News when its down while trying to steal back some of the weeknight ratings that Fox has been hoarding for years.

Im no fan of Fox News, to put it mildlybut at least Fox News knows what it is and what its viewers want it to be. Im not sure that CNN can say that anymore. During the course of the town hall, I saw some people suggest on Twitter that Licht ought to resign for his role in putting it on the air. If Wednesday nights train wreck is a preview of how CNN under Licht is going to cover the 2024 elections, then for the good of the country, he should.
Here are some things we know about William Shakespeare. He was born in April of 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His father, John, was a leatherworker who held several municipal offices in their hometown, including burgess, alderman, and high bailiff. William married a woman named Anne Hathaway who was pregnant on their wedding day in November 1585, a common occurrence at the time. Their first child was a daughter, Susanna; they then had twins, Hamnet (who died young) and Judith. At some point, William made his way to London, where he became an actor and shareholder in the Globe Theatre. We know the William Shakespeare of Stratford is the same William Shakespeare of the theater in London because in 1596 he renewed his fathers previously unsuccessful application for a coat of arms and the title of gentleman, and it was granted sometime in the next couple of years. In 1602, a list of people whose coats of arms were perhaps too generously bestowed was drawn up by the York Herald, and the list included a sketch of the Shakespeare coat of arms attributed to Shakespear ye Player by Garter. Shakespeare of Stratfords last will and testament also includes a bequest to his partners and fellow actors at the Globe.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

We also know that William Shakespeare wrote plays and poetry. During his life, over a dozen plays were published with Shakespeare as the attributed writer, as were his poems The Rape of Lucrece, Venus and Adonis, and The Phoenix and the Turtle, as well as his sonnets. Documents from the time list him as the writer of additional plays that were not published with his name on them (publishing a play without a credited author was a common practice). The company in which Shakespeare was a shareholder and actor performed these plays. In a set of popular satires called the Parnassus Plays, performed between 1598 and 1602, Shakespeare was identified as an actor-poet, quoted frequently, and mocked mercilessly. In 1623, after Shakespeares death, his plays were collected by people who knew him into an omnibus called Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies, which we generally refer to as the First Folio.

Advertisement

Theres quite a bit we dont know about Shakespeare. If he kept a journala rare practice in his dayit has not survived. If he possessed a library, it is no longer extant. We have a half-dozen odd, scribbled signatures which he may or may not have scrawled himself, and one passage of the collaboratively written Sir Thomas More that mayemphasis on maybe written in his hand. There are several yearsusually referred to as the lost yearsin which theres no documentary evidence of where he lived or what he was doing. The list of lacunae goes on and on. Some of them can be filled in with reasonable confidence, but not certainty. We dont know if Shakespeare was educated, for instance, but he likely went to the local grammar school in Stratford-upon-Avon because his fathers position in town wouldve allowed him to educate his children, the curricula of those grammar schools were unified, and traces of that education are abundant in his plays. I have my own answers to many of the questions people have about Shakespeares life, but they are based, as everyone elses are, on a mixture of evidence, interpretation, inference, and my own autobiography.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Tear this book apart, and your vicious pan becomes yet another piece of evidence that Shakespeare Truthers must be on to something.

The gaps in the record, and the appeal of coming up with those answers, have caused the birth of two different cottage industries, both of which seek to explain the remarkable achievements of the mysterious William Shakespeare. The first is the Shakespeare Biographical Complex, which churns out biographies of Shakespeare for the general reader that are filled with wild imaginative leaps. The most prominent of these is Stephen Greenblatts openly speculative Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare, which is as delightful to read as it is conjectural in its scholarship. Will in the World is a bestseller, and award-bedecked, and if you wish to learn about England during the life of Shakespeare, its not a bad place to start. But in terms of the Bard himself, the book is a house of cards in which every leaning laminated rectangle is printed with the word maybe.

Advertisement

The second is the Shakespeare Truther community. To these anti-Stratfordians, the various gaps in Shakespeares biography have an obvious explanation: William Shakespeare did not write the plays attributed to him. Someone else must have. None of their evidence is very persuasive; much of it does not rise to the standard of evidence at all. This has led the broader Shakespeare scholarship community to treat the field of Shakespeare Trutherism with hostility and contempt.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

You can see the truthers response to that contempt in the title of Elizabeth Winklers Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies. Winkler wears heresies as a badge of honor, and thats what makes reviewing her book so tricky. Tear it apart, and your vicious pan becomes yet another piece of evidence that Shakespeare Truthers must be on to something. Treat it calmly and even-handedly while still making clear what its problems are, and you risk legitimizing its claims as worth debating. Refuse the assignment and not only might you disappoint your editor, but you allow the book to have the last word.

Advertisement

Beginning with the case against Shakespeare, Winkler speaks to various truthers about their alternate candidates for authorship, laying out the evidence for the reader. She also attempts to speak to Shakespeare scholars, but most will not talk to her. Those who do get subjected to a third degree that stands in sharp contrast to the treatment of her other subjects. The most uncomfortable of these exchanges occurs when Winkler interrogates 90-year-old Stanley Wells, the honorary president of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon, about a book he wrote several years ago. She uses his continued protestations that he cannot remember the sources she is talking about to dismiss him as a witness she is cross-examining who kept claiming amnesia. Winkler writes, It occurred to me that it was possible he didnt know these allusions because he didnt take criticism of his position seriously enough to have thoroughly studied the evidence. Thats certainly one interpretation, though hardly the one I would reach for if my target were nearly a century old.

Advertisement

The source that shes most curious about in this conversation is a narrative poem published in Shakespeares day in pamphlet form called Willobie His Avisa. Winklers treatment of it is a good lesson in her methods. She refers to Willobie as a strange, pseudonymous pamphlet that also contains the first explicit mention of Shakespeare. There are also characters in the poem named W.S. and H.W., leading scholars to note that the initials match those of William Shakespeare and Henry Wriothesley. Wriothesley is better known as the Earl of Southampton, the person to whom Shakespeare dedicated his two narrative poems. The problem is that H.W. also fits the name Henry Willobie, who just happens to be the named author of Willobie His Avisa, the pseudonymity of whom is actually a matter of scholarly debate. While to most of us, a poem explicitly mentioning Shakespeare and crediting him with writing The Rape of Lucrece would bolster the case for Shakespeares authorship, to truthers the poem is suspect, because his surname is styled Shake-speare in the poem. To anti-Stratfordians, Winkler writes, the hyphen recalls other hyphenated pseudonyms such as `Tom Tell-troth and `Simon Smell-knave, suggesting that contemporaries may have viewed the name as a pseudonym.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

This is the kind of thin evidence that Shakespeare truthers raise again and again.

Ben Jonsons poem in tribute to Shakespeare at the beginning of the First Folio is fulsome in its praise of Shakespeare the writer, whom Jonson knew. But to truthers, its first line, in which Jonson wishes to drawn no envy  on [Shakespeares] name is the first in a series of clues that he is praising a writer who used Shakespeare as a false name. A monument to Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon exhorts passersby to read if thou canst, which Winkler interprets as an invitation to puzzlers to figure out its meaningas opposed to a banal reference to the low literacy rates of the early 17th century. The fairly straightforward monument pays tribute to Shakespeare as a writer (all th[a]t he hath writt/ Leaves living art, but page, to serve his witt), but to truthers, a mention in the First Folio of the monument one day dissolving while Shakespeares workes  out-live/ Thy tomb is another sign that it should be decoded, since in the Renaissance, dissolve was used to mean decipher, resolve, or figure out, as in the modern solve. Sure, but in the Renaissance dissolve also meant  well, dissolve. The OED page for the word lists a plethora of meanings, all of which were active in the 17th century, and only one of which means solve.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The book is chock-full of this kind of stuff. If you dont pay close attention to the evidence being presented, it sounds pretty good, or at least plausible. Winklers prose is smooth, her jokes land, her synthesis of the considerable amounts of research shes done is gracefully rendered, and she has a keen eye for the foibles of Shakespeare biographers. But spend some time checking her work on your own and it quickly falls apart.

Advertisement

Winklers anti-Stratfordians reverse this charge. Any scholars who dismiss the more unlikely readings of the sources must ignore the historical and cultural contexts in which the author wrote. They must cover their eyes and block their ears to allusion. They must, in short, commit literary malpractice. Winkler inserts a tiny bit of distance from this position, refusing to claim it as her own and asking herself, Have the scholars failed to interpret properly the sacred texts in their care? By the end of the book, it is clear her answer is a resounding yes.

Advertisement

A major problem for the truther community is that in centuries of looking, it has failed to turn up any primary documentary evidence of anyone besides Shakespeare writing the works, nor any viable candidate for the real author. Sir Francis Bacon, one of the earliest alternates floated, was a brilliant scholar and writer, but was far too busy to have produced two plays a year. The dramatic writing of his that does survive also bears no traces of Shakespeares brilliance. Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, died before Shakespeares career ended; Christopher Marlowe died near its beginning. Winklers contribution to the popular understanding of the authorship question was to focus on scholarship that broadens the list of candidates to include women in a piece in the Atlantic titled Was Shakespeare a Woman? That storys major errors, and their correction by the Atlantics editors, get relitigated over the course of the book. Rather than re-relitigate this mess, it is sufficient to note that one of the major female candidates, Mary Sidney, probably knew Shakespeare (the First Folio is dedicated to her sons), but there is zero evidence that she wrote the work published under his name. The other, Emilia Bassano, is sometimes floated as a candidate for the Dark Lady of Shakespeares Sonnets, but by Winklers own admission, her writing bears no obvious resemblance to Shakespeares.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

In Shakespeare Was a Woman, instead of claiming Shakespeare didnt write his plays or Person X wrote the plays of Shakespeare, Winkler only makes the case for doubting the official narrative. This clever argument has a much lower evidentiary threshold; it is always easier to shoot holes in someone elses case, particularly when the position from which you launch your attacks can be changed whenever you wish. Still, the major truthers she interviews are true believers in their cause, and through her deferential reporting, we learn exactly how flimsy their arguments are. Alexander Waugh, the books major champion of Oxfordianism, claims that Oxfords early death in 1604 proves that he wrote the plays of Shakespeare because Shakespeares output slowed for the next few years. But while we dont know the exact chronology of Shakespeares work, and some of the plays years of completion are unknown, the documentary record fits Shakespeares life. The earliest play we have public records for, Henry VI, Part 2, was registered in 1594. The last ones all emerge after 1610. We know that Cymbeline was first mentioned in 1611. Winkler claims that The Tempest  is dated to 1610-1611 based on a 1609 letter describing a real-life shipwreck, implying that the evidence is flimsy, but that date range exists because the earliest public record of it being performed is dated Nov. 1, 1611. Henry VIII, the play that burned down the Globe Theatre, was first performed in 1613. The only documented outlier is The Two Noble Kinsmen, the earliest recorded production of which is in 1619, after Shakespeares death. That play is also one that we know was co-written with John Fletchertheyre both credited as authors in the Stationers Registerand thus it is possible that Fletcher, who lived until 1625, saw it through to that production.

Advertisement

Advertisement

While doubting Shakespeares authorship isnt nearly as dangerous as climate change denial or anti-vax beliefs, the rhetoric and strategies of all of these forms of trutherism are quite similar.

Waughs case relies less on doubt about chronology and more on what he believes to be coded references to Shakespeare being Oxford. These tend toward Dan Brown territory very quickly. According to Waugh, if you look at the famous portrait of Shakespeare in the First Folio, you will see a bright light on the forehead and the great rays coming out from his collar, which must be references to the great Phoebus-Apollo, the patron god, hiding behind the mask of a player. That patron must be Oxford because he was often referred to as Apollo. He suggests, absent any evidence, that Oxford ran a kind of writers room as the head of the group, and he owns, if you like, this name Shakespeare.  But Oxfordians like Waugh have found so many coded references to Shakespeare being Oxford that, if this were true, Shakespeares real identity would have been an open secret everybody knew, yet was never explicitly written down anywhere.

Advertisement

Ultimately, Shakespeare Was a Womans real target is less the Bard than the scholars who study him. Winkler casts doubt on their aptness to their task at the very beginning of the book. Who has the authority to determine the truth about the past? she asks. Usually the answer is historians. In the case of Shakespeare, it is Shakespeare scholars, a small but highly prestigious subset of English literature professors concentrated mostly in Britain and America. Later, she asserts that the study of English itself is a conspiracy, a replacement for religion in a secularizing society, meant to stave off the revolutionary fervor gripping France by providing the unifying, pacifying function formerly provided by Christianity. This new church required a new Christ in the person of William Shakespeare, who was already undergoing deification within Victorian society. These religious metaphors run throughout the book. Shakespeare scholars are a group of priestly fanatics in Winklers metaphors, forever threatening to cast out the heretics who see the world differently. But while there are certainly dogmatists in Shakespeare studies, as there are in any field, our understanding of Shakespeare is constantly evolving. As Winkler herself points out, in 1986, the idea that Shakespeare collaborated with other playwrights was highly controversial; now it is a mainstream view. To Winkler, of course, this doesnt show the open-mindedness of the field to new evidence, but rather betrays an extraordinary cognitive dissonance. While scholars insist there is no authorship debate, they engage in their own authorship debate.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

And this is why trutherism is so pernicious. While doubting Shakespeares authorship isnt nearly as dangerous as climate change denial, or anti-vax beliefs, or questioning Obamas citizenship, the rhetoric and strategies of all of these forms of trutherism are quite similar: Question the qualifications of the authorities. State some assertions we can all agree with, like We dont know much about the life of Shakespeare, or Some people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 die from the disease. Ask an escalating series of questions about the consensus view, shifting ground whenever you would lose the point being debated. Deploy shaky evidence that requires tendentious interpretation. Claim that evidence that disproves your theory in fact supports it. Needle those in power who refuse to engage with you. Use the contempt with which your position is treated as evidence that you must be on to something. Whenever possible, fall back on saying youre just asking questions.

Advertisement

Trutherism abuses the liberal public sphere by using the values of liberal discourserational hearing of evidence, open-mindedness, fair-minded skepticism about ones own certainties, etc.against it. Once the opposition tires of this treatment and refuses to engage in debate any longer, the truther can then declare victory, and paint the opposition as religious fanatics who are closed-minded and scared of facing the truth.

The final Shakespeare scholar Winkler confronts is Marjorie Garber. Like me, Winkler is a huge fan of Garbers masterful Shakespeare After All, a collection of essays on Shakespeares plays. Garber refuses to discuss Shakespeares biography or the authorship question, because to her, Shakespeare is a conceptand a constructrather than an author. Garbers own book on the subject, Shakespeares Ghost Writers, focuses on deconstructing the longing for stable authorship rather than sifting through historical evidence. When Winkler asks Garber if she is certain Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare, Garber responds, Im not a biographical scholar and I dont make biographical claims. When asked if that means she isnt a Stratfordian, Garber responds Im a Shakespearean  Thats what I am. Im interested in the plays.

Winkler is flummoxed to meet a Shakespeare scholar who does not care about authorship, but most Shakespeare scholars are not particularly focused on the authorship question. It has been asked and answered. Sure, the most famous authorities love churning out their biographies, but most of the field remains focused on the far richer subject of Shakespeares work and its relationship to the world in which he lived. That area of study is nearly infinite in depth, and boundless in its rewards. The plays remain complex, confounding, impossible achievements (and, lets be honest, some clunkers). They are a great gift to the world, waiting for each generation to receive it. Their author has, whether by design or by accident, been reduced to a shadow lurking behind the work. Unless some new evidence arises, let us leave him there, offstage in the dark, and focus on what really matters.
Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here.

Dear Care and Feeding,

I hate sleepovers. My elementary school-aged child claims to love them but is shattered afterwardshe has sensory issues, needs to stick to her routine and sleep schedule, and a sleepover means the whole familys weekend goes pear-shaped when she goes to a sleepover or has someone over. Our little one gets completely discombobulated as well. Can we just be the family who doesnt do sleepovers? Is that mean? Will other parents hate us?

Sledgehammered by Sleepovers

Dear Sledgehammered,

I know that sensory issues can be seriousespecially since one of my daughters best friends deals with something similar. However, her mom lets her enjoy sleepovers, loud parties, amusement parks, etc. because it helps her to prepare for life outside. That particular mom would be the first to say that each day gets better as her daughter is exposed to new things.

Of course, every child is different and every sensory problem is different, so I cant comment on the severity of what your kid is going through. If you weigh the pros and cons and feel you have to be a no-sleepover household, thats fine. However, if your biggest issue is a messed-up sleep schedule once every two months or so, then I would say to accept the temporary upset and let your kid be a kid. What will happen when your child goes on vacation, to summer camps, college, etc.? Sleeping away from home is a rite of passage for the overwhelming majority of kids, and its best to get them acclimated to it early on in life.

If your child loves sleepovers, as you say, let her work her way through them without putting your negative feelings in the forefront.

Want Advice From Care and Feeding?

Submit your questions about parenting and family life here. Its anonymous! (Questions may be edited for publication.)

Dear Care and Feeding,

I do not get along with my mother-in-law and have been doing pretty well keeping her away so my 8-month-old doesnt really even know her. To me this feels good, because when shes around she is more of a problem and can pit me and my husband against each other. I do not feel I owe her anything; however, she plays the victim to my husband and we argue about the time she is here. I know I cant completely get rid of her. Also, I am very close with my mom and I want my kids close with her as she is much more caring. How do I get my husband to not let his mom get to him so we dont fight?

Not Gonna Back Down

Dear Not Gonna Back Down,

I dont know whats a safer betthe sun rising in the east, or a weekly letter from a reader who despises their mother-in-law. One of these days Im going to receive a letter from someone saying how they are best friends with their MIL and Ill probably spit my drink all over my laptop in shock.

You didnt include a lot of detail in here about what exactly your MIL is doing to get under your skin, but Ill have to assume its pretty bad if it prompted you to write in. Also, I wonder if your husband empathizes with your point of view or thinks youre being unreasonable.

Based on what youve given me to work with, the bottom line is you dont like this person and you dont want her around your kids. If I were you, Id have a very serious conversation with your husband about what you perceive to be the problem and tell him that you refuse to tolerate her behavior going forward. From there, I hope he would relay that message to his mom and ask her to adjust her actions. If hes dismissive of your concerns, you may want to consider enlisting a family therapist to help you navigate these issues.

But I also want you to consider this: Unless shes abusive or reckless, you cant totally keep your MIL out of her grandkids livesespecially if your husband wants to maintain a relationship with herand Im not sure you should want to. You dont have to like the woman or even engage with her that muchyou can use the time she visits to leave the house and engage in some personal self-care (take a walk, read a book, exercise, go shopping, get a massage, etc.). But try to remember that whatever your beef with her may be, your kid is most likely going to benefit from having another grandparent in their lives.

Slate Plus Members Get More Advice From Doyin Each Week

From this weeks letter, I Thought Id Found the Dream Daycare. Then I Learned About Their Very Weird Rule.

Dear Care and Feeding,

I work for a large company that is very proud of its commitment to volunteerism. Recently, there was an event that employees and their families were encouraged to attend. When I showed up for my volunteer shift with my child, I got the morning rundown from the Volunteer Coordinator. Things seemed to be going pretty well, but she very quickly (and quietly) indicated there were issues with disrespect and attitude from one particular child, Benny. I know Bennys family, and lets just say, this is not a surprise. Well, the inevitable happened. He was making fun of another girl, who wound up and punched him hard. Both parents were called over and all were asked to leave. There was minor outrage on both sides (by their parents): He is the victim vs. She was defending herself.

In any case, my child was witness to the incident, and weeks later, they are still asking questions. How do you toe the line between the message that Violence is never the answer but also he kind of deserved it?

Miffed in The Midwest

Dear Miffed,

I operate with a mess around and find out mentality in many aspects of life. Benny messed around and he found outsimple as that. Now, this concept may be confusing to your child and you want to present it carefully, so let me break it down to you in a way that I would to my children.

I realize this may be controversial, but I dont believe that violence is never the answer.

Sure, throwing hands is not appropriate in about 95 percent of situations in lifewalking away or ignoring insults, calling a teacher, etc. is usually the smart thing to do. And trust me, as a Black man in America, Ive heard it all, and I have yet to engage in any physical altercations with anyone who disrespected meexcept for one time, which Ill explain shortly.

However, there are times in life when habitual line steppers like Benny need to be put in their place, and this sounds like one of those situations. If you warn someone multiple times not to disrespect you and they double down by ignoring your requests and getting in your face, I wouldnt blame you for giving that person a two-piece combo. Something similar happened when I was in high school when a bully kept calling me crowbar for being Black and thin and kept shoving me into lockers. After asking him firmly to stop and enduring weeks of that nonsense, I finally punched him in the jaw. Did I get in trouble? Yes. Even after all I know now as a grown man, do I regret it? Not one bit. That kid messed around and he found outand he never bothered me again after that.

Again, very few conflicts should be dealt with this way. That said, if someone engaged in extreme disrespect and continued to do so after repeated warnings to stop, I wouldnt fault your kid or my kids for protecting themselves. De-escalation should always be your goal, but self-defense has its place, too.

Catch Up on Care and Feeding

 If you missed Mondays column, read it here.

 Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group!

Dear Care and Feeding,

My daughters third grade teacher is pretty awful. Shes not abusive in any way, but shes disorganized, grades inconsistently, and doesnt deliver helpful feedback to students and parents. May is Teacher Appreciation Month at the school, and although I have the disposable income, I dont feel like donating money to give her a gift. The problem is that my daughter loves her teacher and keeps asking if I donated. Should I tell her the truth that Im not planning on donating anything?

No Gift for You

Dear No Gift,

Can I be honest with you? This strikes me as petty.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to be a teacher nowadays? There are parents and politicians pressuring teachers to carry guns like Yosemite Sam in order to prevent school shootings. The same parents and politicians are also pressuring them to not talk about race, gender, and sexuality because its too woke. Overall, todays teachers are not getting paid nearly what theyre worth, and they are constantly set up to fail. Sure, there will always be bad apples here and there. But most teachers are showing up despite all these challenges and doing their best because they love their students.

Not to mention, you say your daughter loves her teacher (which suggests to me things probably arent totally awful in the classroom), and youre telling me that youre not willing to donate ten or twenty bucks for a group gift? Thats absolutely bananas to me. Im sure if your daughter had an allowance, she would donate it herself.

To be clear, Im not saying you should just ignore whatever concerns you have with this teachers methods. But you can address those in a private discussion later or with the administration if things are really that bad. For now, dip into your disposable income and donate some pocket change to the gift. Theres no reason to lie to your kid about something thats so easyand kindto do.

Doyin

More Advice From Slate

We live on the third floor of an apartment building. Our genuinely nice neighbors below gently complain via text or note that our 3-year-old is making too much noise. I have lived below kids; I am sympathetic, but more and more they seem to note each time I let the kids dance around, be it 6 p.m. on a Sunday or 2 p.m. on a Tuesday. My child is in bed by 8 and is typically quiet in the morning. We do take them out to run around the neighborhood, but they are 3 and get the urge to move even when it is raining or cold out. For the neighbors sake, I have been telling my kid No more running! several times a day even though I think they need to run a little and, maybe more importantly, need to feel like I am not on their case for normal childhood behavior
Tens of thousands of migrants currently waiting to lawfully cross the U.S.-Mexico border are trapped behind a digital border wall erected by the Biden Administrations expansion of CBP One, a mobile application. While many migrants wait for months to cross, families are forced to endure deplorable conditions just yards away from the United States. The Biden administrations shameful attempt at a fair, orderly and humane immigration system has only worsened these conditions.

While waiting at the physical border, migrants are facing an impenetrable digital border. In January, the government rolled out use of CBP One, making it the only way migrants can secure an appointment to lawfully present at a U.S. Port of Entry. Bidens proposed immigration rule, which is taking effect on Thursday, expands and formalizes CBP One as a requirement for entry, making it nearly impossible for migrants, many of whom are asylum seekers fleeing persecution, to present at the border lawfully. While in theory, the app aims to create orderly pathways into the United States, in reality, the app only further marginalizes already-vulnerable migrants.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

In March, we witnessed how the shortcomings of CBP One exacerbate extensive human suffering. From our observations, it is abundantly clear that the app turns the legal right to asylum into a lotteryone you can only play if you have the right amount of money, speak the right language, or have the right skin tone. Even for those who have the opportunity to play, the odds are not in their favor. Across the entire Southwest border, at any given point in time, there are an estimated 100,000 people attempting to register for the approximately 700-800 slots available each day.

In Matamoros, Mexico, we spoke with hundreds of migrants crowded outside of a shelter, with unstable access to Wi-Fi, attempting to secure an appointment through CBP One. CBP One requires a smartphone, internet access, and the ability to read English, Spanish, or Haitian Creole. Many migrants do not have the money to purchase a functioning smartphone to access the mobile-only app. For those that do, internet access is extremely limited and largely cartel-controlled; cellular data is cost prohibitive and service is unreliable. An increasing number of migrants speak languages beyond those available in the app, including the Mayan languages and Russian, or are illiterate. The app also requires a live photo security check, which does not consistently recognize the facial features of darker-skinned people.

Advertisement

Advertisement

For families, getting appointments is even more difficult. CBP One assigns each family member, as opposed to each family unit, their own appointment slot. If there are only four slots available, a family of five would not get any appointments. This process has made it effectively impossible for families to present at CBP, forcing some families to separate from their young children to increase their chances of obtaining appointments.

As a result of the deficiencies in the app, migrants are stuck in limbo in inhumane conditions. In Camp Rio in Reynosa, Mexico, more than 700 Black Haitian migrants live in makeshift tents. Access to food and potable water in the camp is scarce. With no functioning sanitation, migrants are forced to defecate in the field directly adjacent to the camp. The runoff from the field contaminates the nearby river water with feces, which migrants and local communities then use for bathing, washing clothes, and preparing food. As a result, according to medical professionals familiar with Camp Rio, migrants are contracting communicable gastrointestinal and skin diseases, including fatal infections like cholera.

Advertisement

Advertisement

In addition to immense physical hardship, many of the migrants we met along the border reported severe psychological distress resulting from the uncertainty of their ability to secure an appointment through CBP One. Ms. R, an asylum-seeker fleeing her homicidal abuser, reported daily stress-induced migraines, debilitating anxiety, and lack of appetite from constantly trying to obtain an appointment. Ms. R has been forced to wait so long that her abuser has identified her location and, since, sent her death threats.

Advertisement

Advertisement

In the eyes of many of the CBP Officers with whom we met, the app is a success: it has allowed them to effectively streamline intake at the Southwest border. But bureaucratic efficiency is coming at the cost of human lives.

Advertisement

Bidens current immigration system is not fair, orderly, or humane. There are things that can be done to improve this untenable situation. First, the U.S. government must provide financial support for the life-saving work of the organizations sheltering migrants waiting to lawfully present to CBP. In addition, the Biden administration must address the apps inequities: the government must translate the app into more languages, ensure migrants with all skin tones can access the security check features, schedule appointments based on family units rather than individual members, provide internet along the Southwest border to ensure equitable access to the app, and expand the number of slots available each day to ensure migrants are not left in peril for months on end. Lastly, there must be alternative ways migrants can seek entry into the United States outside of CBP One.

Advertisement

Without these changes, CBP One will be yet another way of harming migrants and building walls to keep them out.

This is a project of Yale Law Schools Immigrant Justice Project, which organizes law students in support of immigrant communities in the New Haven area and around the country. Additional IJP members and contributors to this piece include Megan Handau, Audrey Huynh, Maria Mendoza, and Neha Srinivasan. For our additional commentary, as well as our legal analysis, on the Biden administrations proposed rule, please see the Yale Law Schools Immigrant Justice Projects comment submitted in response.
We were all sick at the same time last year. It started with sore throats and runny noses, and then came the body aches and congestion. The sickness spread rapidly and unavoidably through the cell block of prisoners. Infected people took to their beds, drank tea, took their Tylenol, and stayed away from authority figures. Not a single prisoner was going to ask for help or alert the authorities to the illness. The coronavirus was on our minds. However, it wasnt COVID-19 that we feared, but the response by prison authorities. For precisely this reason, we kept silent.

Advertisement

Prisons are not built with the intention of caring for those in ward; they are designed not to be care facilities but, rather, punitive ones. Punitive and incapacitating ideologies are as antithetical to care as they are to rehabilitation. In fact, care is requisite for rehabilitation in the same way care should be requisite for health concerns like the coronavirus. But our prisons have spent decades committed to punishment and incapacitation, and care has long been exorcized from the playbook.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

As a result, prison officials have grown adept at using the only tool they are familiar with: the hammer. As the old cliche goes, when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. In this way, COVID looks like contraband to prison officials, and prisons know how to deal with contraband: They search it out and punish those found in possession of it.

Advertisement

The result is obvious: Prisoners will attempt to hide COVID from prison administrators as long as there is a punitive response attached to COVID-positive cases, making the disease even more dangerous. COVID is not treated as an illness in prison. It is not first a medical condition that requires or receives medical attention. Rather, because it is treated like any other form of contraband, prisoners hide it as best we can. We have grown adept at keeping our COVID cases out of the reach of authorities.

Like other forms of serious contraband, such as cellphones and large quantities of narcotics, COVID enters prisons primarily by way of the guards and staff working these institutions. Like other forms of serious contraband, more efforts are exerted to catch prisoners with COVID than the guards who bring it in, and prisoners are the ones who pay the price when they are found holding the bag.

Advertisement

Advertisement

In prison facilities, searches are a part of life. Over the past few years, these searches have expanded to include hunts for COVID cases. When entering or leaving the prisongoing to visits, to special events, to religious ceremonies, and on medical tripsprisoners are strip-searched and tested. Wherever security measures are deployed toward the discovery of contraband, COVID tests are now conducted alongside them.

If high-level contraband like weapons or cellphones are found, the prison goes on lockdown. Pre-COVID, these types of lockdowns were rare, but when they happened, prisoners knew that every inch of the institution would be searched. Guards would round up close associates of any prisoner found with such contraband and place them all in solitary confinement while under investigation. Teams of guards would assemble in specialized gear with helmets, armor, and face shields. (We call them goon squads.) Prisoners would be forced to line up or wait in their cells until authorities descended upon their person and belongings. Further contraband discovered during these searches resulted in the quick removal of the prisoner from the general population and their immediate placement in solitary confinement.

Advertisement

Advertisement

This is exactly what it looks like now when COVID is discovered inside prisons.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The initial case is taken to medical isolation, and the prison is placed on lockdown, or quarantine. Next, guards come and quickly take the prisoners friends and close associates to medical isolation for investigation as part of contact tracing. Guards then assemble in specialized gear: blue gowns, N95 masks, and face shields. Prisoners are forced to line up or wait in their cells until authorities descend. Nasal cavity searches are conducted under force as prisoners are individually made to shove cotton swabs into their noses and place the swab in a plastic tube. Those who test positive are dragged off to medical isolation along with any who dare refuse the test.

Advertisement

Naming the quarantine medical isolation is a rhetorical trick, like calling punching someone in the nose an extralegal kinetic action. The reality is that it bears no physical difference from punitive isolation sanctioned for disciplinary reasons. It holds all the hallmarks of other punitive placements, including loss of communication with family, limited access to food, loss of recreation, and loss of amenities. It is, for all intents and purposes, solitary confinement.

The inhumane, torturous conditions of solitary are where a carceral system designed to inflict harm and incapacitate excels. Throwing a human being into a cold concrete box with no human contact, a light that stays on 24/7, minimal food, sparse access to showers, and restricted communication with other human beings is something modern prison does well. A fear of solitary confinement works in the psyche of prisoners and serves prison administrators as a deterrent toward aberrant behavior. Risk-averse prisoners normally go out of their way to avoid solitary, and the only way to avoid solitary placement from COVID after the guards discovery of an outbreak is to test negative.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

It is because of this aversion that prisoners wishing to avoid solitary confinement for COVID have resorted to extreme measures to avoid testing positive. Antiseptic liquids, sanitizer, bleach, creams, and waxes are all commonly applied to the nasal cavities of prisoners wishing to subvert COVID tests. Varying methods of subverting the test are championed by different prisoners, and black-market economies have sprung up for prisoners to access test-subversion supplies.

None of this would be necessary if the response by prisons toward COVID-positive prisoners were different. Attempts to mitigate the spread of COVID through punitive actions is a failed policy that has given rise to survival instincts and behaviors amongst the prison population that, in the end, only exacerbate the spread of COVID within these walls and fences.

Advertisement

This is an unforced error by prison administrators. Prisoners have made pleas to their captors detailing the reasons why they are reticent to comply while promising that more humane conditions during medical isolation would elicit cooperation. We are ignored and even laughed at.

Prison administrators would likely tell the public that their hands are tied, that they do not have the capacity to make medical isolation different from solitary confinement. This is a lie. They have the ability to make a cell in medical isolation as amenable as a cell in general population. They could accommodate prisoners access to communication and amenities, but they simply do not have the desire. It goes against the nature of these institutions and the ideologies of the people who run them to act in a way that resembles care.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Prison administrators would also likely tell the public that medical isolation is not solitary and that it is better in medical isolation than in solitary confinement. This too is a lie. One need look no further to refute this than the resistance to testing prevalent in prison populations. In fact, many prisoners, given the choice, would prefer disciplinary placement over medical isolation, as this type of placement almost always comes with a single-man cell, while medical isolation cells mostly feature two or three prisoners in a cell under the same isolation conditions.

Advertisement

Prison administrators would also likely tell the public that what they are doing is not punitive placement. This is also a lie. If medical isolation were not a punitive recourse, then guards and medical personnel would not use the threat of it as a leverage point to coerce prisoners to take COVID tests. The very first thing any prisoner hears at the slightest hint of refusing to do the swab is Do it or you will go to isolation anyway.

Advertisement

It is past time that prisons join society in their COVID responses. We are all living with this virus, and it is no longer novel. There is no amount of masking, social distancing, or isolation that will prevent the outbreak of the next COVID variant, especially in tightknit quarters like prisons. Living with the virus presents enough challenges. We no longer have the wherewithal to continue entertaining draconian policies that harm us further in the name of our protection.

Here is my plea to prison administrators: When sickness comes, help those who ask for medical attention, and let the rest of us live our lives. When sickness comes, if there are prisoners who are afraid, give them personal protective equipment and let them go to isolation for their own protection if they request it. And I beg of you: Please stop searching my nose for your contraband.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court handed down National Pork Producers v. Ross, upholding a California law that bans the sale of pork from pigs subjected to torture. On the surface, National Pork is a 54 victory for animal welfare laws like Californias, which regulate in-state sales in a way that affects other states markets. Its certainly a victory for federalism, giving states broad leeway to experiment with more humane requirements for livestock. But its also a huge mess. Despite the clear bottom linepig torture losesthe justices fractured on key questions; the five justices in the majority couldnt even agree on why Californias law is constitutional. The three liberals even fissured, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson siding with a trio of conservatives in dissent.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

A split this chaotic may foster more confusion for lower courts and lawmakers. It renders the case shaky as a precedent, but fascinating as the product of a splintered court pursuing multiple agendas at once.

The law at issue in National Pork, Californias Proposition 12, bans the sale of pork from pigs held in stalls so small that they cannot stand, lie down, or turn around. About 63 percent of voters supported adding this regulation to the state constitution in 2018. Its one of a growing number of state-level laws that impose more humane requirements on farmers. (Mostly on the nightmarish factory farms that brutally torment animals for their short, miserable lives.) The pork industry vigorously opposes Proposition 12, claiming it will jack up the cost of raising pigs. It lobbied Congress to adopt a national standard that would supersede state-level regulations, but failed to push legislation to the finish line. So the industry turned to the courts, arguing that Proposition 12 is unconstitutional because it regulates pork production outside of California.

Advertisement

Which provision of the Constitution, you might ask, does this law violate? One that arguably does not exist. The Constitutions commerce clause gives Congress authority to regulate commerce  among the several states. From this text, the Supreme Court has gleaned the principle that states may not regulate commerce beyond their borders, since thats a task for Congress alone. The court calls this the dormant commerce clause. Most of Californias pork originates in pig-producing states like North Carolina and Iowa; out-of-state producers will have to adapt to Californias new standards if they want to keep selling there. The pork industry asserts that because Proposition 12 effectively regulates other states pig farms, it runs afoul of the dormant commerce clause.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The court disagreed in an opinion by Justice Neil Gorsuch, and that bottom line conclusion was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan. The most fundamental rule of the dormant commerce clause is that one state cant intentionally discriminate against another states marketby, for instance, enacting protectionist laws to favor in-state producers. All five justices in the majority agreed that Proposition 12 did not discriminate purposefully against out-of-state economic interests. They also agreed, contrary to the pork industrys claims, that a law is not automatically unconstitutional just because it has extraterritorial effects.

Then the majority scrambled like an egg. The trouble began when Gorsuch turned to the industrys final theory, which involves something called Pike balancing. This test, derived from a 1970 decision, directs court to assess the burden that a law imposes on interstate commerce. If the burden is substantial, then a court must ask whether it is clearly excessive in relation to its in-state benefits.

Advertisement

The word balancing is like a Bat-Signal for Gorsuch, who loathes the very concept of judges weighing subjective factors rather than applying a categorical rule. So he set about trying to gut Pike by recasting it as just another formulation of the principle that bars discrimination against out-of-state markets. Even identifying the costs and benefits of Proposition 12, Gorsuch insisted, is an impossible task for a judge: There is sharp debate over its impact on industry profits, consumer health, and animal welfare. And what about ethical or moral considerations? How does a judge weigh incommensurable benefits against real-world costs? Your guess is as good as ours, he wrote. More accurately, your guess is better than ours. In a functioning democracy, policy choices like these usually belong to the people and their elected representatives.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Only Barrett and Thomas, however, joined this section of Gorsuchs opinion. Sotomayor and Kagan refused to kill off Pike. Instead, they joined the next section of the opinion, in which Gorsuch begrudgingly applied Pike balancing and found that Proposition 12 passed muster. He explained that Californias law will merely trigger a shift from one set of production methods to another, and the market will adjust accordingly. Maybe in-state producers will take a bigger share of the California pork market, or some out-of-state competitors will adapt more quickly than others. No matter what, these burdens on interstate commerce are not substantial enough to trigger Pike balancing. (In a brief concurrence, Sotomayor, joined by Kagan, wrote separately to reaffirm that Pike remains good law.)

Advertisement

What we have here, then, is a 32 split within the 54 majority: Gorsuch, Thomas, and Barrett nudged Pike to its grave, while Sotomayor and Kagan defended it. But its even messier than that, because Barrett also wrote separately to clarify her own very specific views on Pike. To weigh benefits and burdens, it is axiomatic that both must be judicially cognizable and comparable, the justice wrote. Here they are not, because eliminating allegedly inhumane products from its markets cannot be weighed on a scale opposite dollars and cents. Then comes the jump scare: If Pike did apply, the justice continued, she would hold that Proposition 12 does impose a pervasive, burdensome, and substantial burden on interstate commerce.

Advertisement

Advertisement

In other words, Gorsuch barely nabbed Barretts vote; the split within the majority is more like 221. Gorsuchs only true ride-or-die throughout the entire opinion was Thomas, who believes the dormant commerce clause is a judicial fraud that should be abolished.

All this brings us to the dissent, penned by Chief Justice John Roberts and joined by Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Jackson. Roberts went to bat for Pike, declaring that it reflects the basic concern about safeguarding free private trade in the national marketplace. The pork lobby claims that Proposition 12 would impose hundreds of billions of dollars in compliance costs, mostly outside of California; these sweeping extraterritorial effects, Roberts wrote, justify sending the case back down to the lower courts to do some good old-fashioned Pike balancing.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Kavanaugh wrote a solo dissent to express his deep love of free trade within the U.S., which has resulted in an extraordinary 234-year record of robust economic activity, economic prosperity and growth. (He might as well have stapled an American flag and a Budweiser logo to this one.) Kavanaugh also tossed out ideas about other provisions of the Constitution that might be deployed to strike down Proposition 12 in a bit of half-baked spitballing not worth serious consideration by the other justices.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Credit Kavanaugh for his honesty, though: He began with a policy preference (free trade good!) and searched for a constitutional justification to prop it up. He probably wasnt the only justice more interested in policy than law here. Roberts and Alito are also business-friendly conservatives who share the Chamber of Commerces deep love for the dormant commerce clause, since courts can wield it as a deregulatory tool against state laws that irritate corporate America. To be honest, its pretty hard to believe that Kagan and Sotomayor, too, think that Proposition 12 imposes no substantial burden on the nationwide pork industry; more likely, they saw this case as a close call, embraced the ethical goals of the law, and erred on the side of judicial restraint.

Advertisement

As for Jackson? Her vote is no surprise. There has always been progressive support for the notion that Congress has sweeping authority to regulate the national marketplace, while states do not. The liberals invoked this principle in the first Obamacare case, for example, and many other challenges to federal power. Consistently supporting federal power at the expense of states sometimes means striking down progressive state laws. Moreover, the dormant commerce clause could help combat red state efforts to restrict abortion beyond their bordersby, say, banning residents from traveling for the procedure, or criminalizing the import of abortion pills. If Jackson has her eye on these future abortion battles, her vote makes perfect sense.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Every justice has their pet projects, and in National Pork, it feels like they were all pursuing these projects at once. The result is a laudable outcome but a set of opinions that buries the profound moral implications at play here. So lets bring it to the foreground: Pigs are extremely intelligent and highly social creatures who stand to benefit immeasurably from Proposition 12; invalidating the law wouldve inflicted indescribable cruelty and stymied other states efforts to demand a modicum of compassion toward the animals people in this country eat. It is the rare piece of good news from this Supreme Court that five justices stumbled their way into a judgment that is both morally and legally sound.
After hearing evidence for two weeks, it took a jury of Donald Trumps peers less than two and a half hours to find him legally responsible for both sexual assault and defamation, ordering him to pay his victim, E. Jean Carroll, approximately $5 million in damages. The speed of the verdict was even more remarkable considering that the time the jury spent included ordering and eating lunch.

Notwithstanding its swiftnesssince the Carroll verdict was readily predictable, given the combination of realities involvednow would be a good time to examine what it may mean for the former president going forward. This is difficult territory to traverse, but at least two signs clearly emerged out of the trial.

Advertisement

First, Trumps refusal to appear and testify on his own behalf in the Carroll case underscores a fact of life in the Trump legal world we examined some time ago: The former president is an unimaginably bad witness whose personal testimony would be legal suicide. Even in the very basic he said, she said Carroll case, while she had plenty to say, he was unable to utter a single word in his own defense.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The potential burden this imposes on his ability to defend himself in the criminal prosecutions potentially on the horizon, whether emanating from Georgia or D.C., is enormous. Whether attempting to influence the 2020 election, obstructing the Justice Departments attempt to have him return classified documents to the White House, or encouraging his followers to storm the Capitol and prevent Congress from performing its legal functions, the offenses under investigation are all legally premised on his state of mind. As in all white-collar criminal cases, the government must prove that a defendant acted with criminal intent, and there can be no better way to explain to the jury what was really on someones mind than to have the defendant speak directly to its members. The Carroll trials result has now underscored how damaging that key options absence could be for the former president in the coming cases against him.

Advertisement

Another conclusion that can be reasonably drawn from the proceeding is that the New York attorney generals civil complaint against Trump and members of his family alleging staggering fraud in their business dealings is likely to be even stronger than initially assumed. After having invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination some 440 times in the first round of depositions, last month his attorneys surprisingly decided to have him answer questions under oath for some seven hours. The extent to which this testimony negates the negative legal inferences one could draw from his first round of Fifth Amendment privilege invocations remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that if Trumps recent testimony in state Attorney General Letitia James lawsuit is even remotely as bad as his deposition testimony in the Carroll trial, he has just provided James with even more evidence to use against him. Whether or not he decides to appear at the trial, which is scheduled to begin later this year, the attorney general can use his video deposition testimony to brutalize him the same way Carrolls lawyers did. New Yorks lawyers will play the most damaging deposition statements Trump made during the trial and play these greatest hits again in summation.

In short, the kickoff to Trumps courtroom battles has not only started badly but it has further exposed the limits he himself imposes on his ability to defend himself in all pending matters. At the same time, his decision to testify in the New York attorney generals case has now only strengthened his enemys hand.
Quail farming is a lucrative venture that has gained popularity due to the high demand for quail eggs. Starting a quail farming business requires a bit of research and planning to ensure success. With the right knowledge and resources, anyone can get started in quail farming and reap the benefits of this profitable industry.

In this article, we will explore how to start a farm with quail.

Why Quail Farming?

Coturnix quail farming has gained popularity in recent years due to the many benefits it offers. They are a great source of high-quality protein and their eggs are in high demand due to their nutritional value.

Additionally, they are easy to care for, require less space, and can be raised in an urban setting. Quail farming is a profitable business opportunity for those looking to venture into the poultry birds industry.

What Do Quail Farms Produce?

Quail farms produce eggs and quail meat. Quail eggs are highly nutritious and in high demand due to their numerous health benefits.

Quail meat production, on the other hand, is a delicious and healthy alternative to other poultry meats. In the following sections, we will explore the benefits and uses of each product.

Quail Eggs

Adult quail hens lay non-fertile and fertile eggs which are a highly nutritious source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. A quail egg is lower in cholesterol and fat than a chicken egg and is suitable for people with egg allergies.

Quail eggs are also believed to have numerous health benefits, including improved digestion, increased energy levels, and improved brain function. They are commonly used in cooking and as a garnish, and are a popular snack in many cultures.

Quail Meat

Quail meat is a delicious and healthy alternative to other poultry meats. It is low in fat, high in protein, and rich in micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. Quail meat is also easy to prepare and can be used in a variety of dishes, from stir-fries to curries.

Quail meat is also a popular choice for those looking for a sustainable and ethical source of protein, as quail are raised on small farms and require less space and resources than other livestock.

A Simple Guide to Starting Quail Farming

If youre interested in starting a quail farming business, its essential to have a plan in place. In this simple guide, we will outline the key steps you need to take to get your quail farm up and running.

Create a Quail Farming Business Plan

A business plan is essential for any new venture, and quail farming is no exception. Your farm business plan should include details on your goals, target market, production capacity, and financial projections.

Do Market Research

Before starting your quail farm, its essential to conduct market research to determine the demand for quail eggs and meat in your area. This research will help you identify potential customers, competitors, and market trends.

Form a Legal Entity and Register Your Quail Business

Forming a legal entity for your quail farm, such as an LLC or corporation, can help protect your personal assets and limit your liability. You will also need to register your business with the appropriate state and federal agencies.

Name and Brand Your Quail Farm Business

Choosing a name and brand for your quail farm is an important step in establishing your business. Your name and brand should reflect your values and target market and help differentiate your farm from competitors.

Open a Business Bank Account

Opening a business bank account can help you keep track of your finances and separate your personal and business expenses. You will also need a business bank account to accept payments from customers and pay business expenses.

Things to Consider When Starting a Starting Quail Farming Business

Starting a quail farming business requires careful planning and attention to detail. In this section, we will discuss some of the key things potential quail farmers need to consider before embarking on a quail farming venture.

Check What Permits May Be Needed to Raise Quails in Your Area

Different states and municipalities may have different regulations regarding quail farming. Check with your local government to determine what permits or licenses may be required.

Learn Everything You Can About Quail Farming

Quail farming requires specialized knowledge and skills. Take the time to research and learn everything you can about breeding quail, a farm quail house, feeding, hygienic quail farming tips, and healthcare. You may also look for a farm app and other tools needed to keep your business afloat.

Obtain or Build Suitable Housing for the Quails and Quail Chicks

Quail birds require proper housing to keep them safe and healthy. You can buy or build suitable housing that provides adequate space, ventilation, and protection from predators.

See Also: How to Start a Strawberry Farm

Provide Nest Boxes for the Quails to Lay Eggs

Quails need a comfortable and safe place to lay their eggs. Nest boxes should be provided, and they should be regularly cleaned to maintain the health of the quails and the quality of the eggs.

Think about Lighting and Temperature for Newly Born Quail Chicks

A newly born quail chick requires special care to survive and thrive. Proper lighting and temperature are essential to their health and development.

Raise the Quails

Raising quails commercially requires ongoing attention to their nutrition, health, and living conditions. Make sure you have the resources and knowledge to provide your quail chicks supply with the care they need.

Market Your Quail Farming Business

Marketing your quail farming business is essential to attract customers and growing your sales. Develop a plan for marketing quail meat and eggs that target your ideal customer and highlight the unique benefits of your products.

Selling Quail Eggs and Quail Meat

Selling your quail eggs and meat requires a solid understanding of your target market and the best ways to reach them. Explore different sales channels and pricing strategies to maximize your profits.

Are There Any Disadvantages of Quail Farming?

While there are many advantages to quail farming, it is important to also consider the potential disadvantages. In this section, we will discuss some of the possible downsides of quail farming and how to mitigate them.

Health Risks to Humans

Quails can carry diseases that may be transmitted to humans through contact with their feces, feathers, or meat. Proper hygiene and sanitation practices are necessary to minimize the risk of illness.

High Initial Costs

Starting a quail farming business can be expensive, particularly if you are building or renovating a facility. There are also ongoing costs such as feed, healthcare, and maintenance.

Market Challenges

Quail products may be less familiar or desirable to some consumers compared to more common poultry products like chicken or turkey. It can be a challenge to find and attract a steady customer base, particularly in areas where quail farming is not well-established.

Quail Farm FAQs

Which is the Best Breed of Quail to Keep?

The Coturnix quail is the most commonly raised breed due to its high egg production, docile nature, and ease of care. However, other breeds, such as the Bobwhite and California quail, are also suitable for meat or egg production depending on your needs.

Are Quails Eggs Better than Chicken Eggs?

Quail eggs are lower in cholesterol and fat and higher in protein and micronutrients than chicken eggs. They are also suitable for people with egg allergies and are a popular snack in many cultures.

Are Quail Easy to Farm?

Quail are relatively easy to farm as they require less space and resources than other livestock. They are also docile and quiet, making them suitable for urban settings. Compared to roosters, a male quail produces a quieter and less far-reaching crow.

Is Raising Quail Worth It?

Raising quail chicks can be a profitable and rewarding venture. Quail eggs and meat are in high demand due to their nutritional value and delicious taste. Additionally, quail are easy to care for and require less space than other livestock increasing the chances for a profitable quail farming business.

How Much Does it Cost to Keep Quail?

The cost of keeping quail depends on factors such as the size of your operation and the equipment you use. However, quail farming is generally considered to be a cost-effective venture as quail requires less space and resources than other livestock.

What Size is a Quail Egg?

Quail eggs are smaller than chicken eggs, measuring around 1-2 inches in length. They are commonly used in cooking and as a garnish.

Can You Keep Quails in a City?

Quail are a popular choice for urban farming as they require less space than other livestock and are relatively quiet and docile. However, it is important to check local regulations regarding keeping livestock in urban areas. See the best states to start a farm here.
A Montana judge ruled that Zooey Zephyr can't return to the House Floor, and LGBT protesters were booted from the Texas Capitol.

Judge Rules Trans Legislator Cant Return to House Floor

According to AP News, District Court Judge Mike Menahan ruled on May 2 that Rep. Zooey Zephyr was not permitted to return to the Montana House floor. The trans legislator was censured after telling her colleagues they would have blood on their hands if they voted in favor of a bill restricting gender-affirming care for minors. Menahan stated that it was outside of his scope to allow Zephyr to return to the floor.

Plaintiffs requested relief would require this Court to interfere with legislative authority in a manner that exceeds this Courts authority, Menahan wrote.

Zephyr responded to his decision.

Its a really sad day for the country when the majority party can silence representation from the minority party whenever they take issue, Zephyr told AP News.

LGBT Protesters Booted From State Capitol

Landon Richie, one of the protesters removed from the Texas Capitol. Photo via Instagram.

According to The Texas Tribune, protesters advocating for trans rights at the Texas Capitol were removed by police on May 2. Texas Speaker Dade Phelan cleared the gallery. State police handcuffed two people.

Rules matter in the TX House, said Phelan in a tweet. Todays outbursts in the gallery were a breach of decorum and continued after I warned that such behaviors would not be tolerated. There will always be differing perspectives, but in our chamber, we will debate those differences with respect.

Landon Richie, a transgender man and policy associate with the Transgender Education Network of Texas, disagrees with the move.

Its a real act of cowardice, Richie said. They dont want to face accountability for their actions. They dont want to face the people that this legislation is going to harm.
A judge in Missouri extended her restraining order on a ruling that would require adults and children to undergo more than a year of therapy and fulfill other requirements before they could receive gender-affirming treatments.

Attorney General Andrew Bailey brought forth the ruling, wanting to implement it starting April 27, but a lawsuit was filed on behalf of trans people, according to ABC News. However, St. Louis County Judge Ellen Ribaudo granted a temporary restraining order and originally scheduled a May 11 hearing on the lawsuit.

The ruling would require people to have experienced an intense pattern of documented gender dysphoria for three years and to have received at least 15 hourly sessions with a therapist over at least 18 months before they could receive treatment. Prospective patients also would be required to be screened for autism, and any psychiatric symptoms from mental health issues would have to be treated and resolved.

Minors, but not adults, also would have to be screened for social media addiction before treatments could begin.

Legal experts and advocates say that if this rule is enforced, it would make Missouri the first state to restrict gender-affirming care for adults and the first to enact such restrictions through emergency rule-making instead of through a new law.

Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, said the language in the ruling as written constitutes a ban, according to PBS.

Any regulation, any rule, any law, any legislation that makes access so difficult and so burdensome that the end result is that people cant get the care, dont seek the care or leave the state to get the care is, in effect, a ban, she told the NewsHour. Use whatever words they want but if the end result is that people cannot get the care that they need, then that is and should be considered a ban on care.

A reason why Ribaudo granted the temporary restraining order was because patients could be at high risk if their medical care was interrupted indefinitely and lose care through their current providers if the rule takes effect.

A posting on May 4 on Missouri's online court system shows that Ribaudo pushed back the hearing to July 20, following a joint request from both sides. The posting said the order will remain in effect until July 24 or until the judge rules on whether to grant a preliminary injunction.

Bailey claims the rule would protect minors from what he describes as experimental medical treatments, though puberty blockers and sex hormones have been prescribed for decades and the rule would also apply to adults, ABC News reported.

He issued the restrictions after launching an investigation in February into the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Childrens Hospital. A former employee alleged that the center was providing children with gender-affirming care without informed consent, thus prompting the investigation.

The universitys internal review found no misconduct, determining the claims were unsubstantiated.
She will attend the 2024 Starmus festival, which will focus on Planet Earth.

Eset CEO Richard Marko (l), Nobel Prize laureate Emmanuelle Charpentier (c) and designer Tony Fadell (r) during a press conference on the 2024 Starmus festival in Bratislava on May 11, 2023. (Source: TASR - Jaroslav Novak)

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled

Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May, biologist Jane Goodall who studied primates, and the science populariser Bill Nye. These are just three of the many names that the Starmus festival, which combines science, art and music, will bring to Slovakia next year.

The event will take place from May 12 to 17, 2024 in several Slovak towns and universities.

The Slovak cyber security company Eset is the main partner to bring it to Slovakia.

Focus on the planet

While the previous editions focused on space, this time the event will look at the only home that humans own in it. The theme will be the future of the Earth, with Starmus exploring how the world can address challenges such as climate change, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering and more.

"I think it's really important for us to understand that we are part of the natural world. It's tragic that humans have become increasingly divorced from nature. And the very ecosystems we depend on are collapsing," said biologist Jane Goodall.

"How strange that the most intellectual being that ever walked the planet, presumably, is destroying its only home."

The event will consist of lectures by Nobel laureates, scientists, astronauts and technologists, as well as a festival in the streets of Bratislava and concerts.

Brian May, one of the founders, said during a press conference that "science and art are a continuum, and when their individual thought processes come together, they can create unique perspectives."

Politicians not allowed

No politician will speak at the event. There is a reason for it.

"We have seen conferences between political representatives of countries looking for solutions. But of course, inevitably, whether they come up with strategies or not, they are influenced by political motives and the selfish interests of countries they represent. There is also the issue of following through," said Brian May, adding that the goal of Starmus is to bring together scientists and artists in a completely unbiased way.

The hope is to come up with a set of strategies that could save all the creatures that inhabit the Earth.

Tickets for the seventh edition of Starmus will be available from October 2023.
The case first landed in court in 2017.

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled

A Roma who was not served in one cafe in Lucenec, central Slovakia, due to his ethnic origin, must be financially compensated and apologised to.

The decision in the anti-discrimination lawsuit, which is not valid, has been announced by the Bratislava I District Court, the SITA news agency wrote.

Ladislav Racz should receive 1,500 from the cafe.

Incident recorded on phone

The case happened in August 2017.

Racz, together with his daughter and a friend, also of Roma origin, were not served at the Lucenec cafe. The staff refused to serve them on the grounds that it was a private club in which they provided services only to members based on a club card.

The staff asked Racz to pay 300 per month for the issuance of the club card and claimed that everyone they had served had such a card. Since they did not have these club cards, a waiter asked them to leave the cafe, which they did.

When Raczs non-Roma partner later visited the cafe, she was served and the staff did not ask her for any club card. When she remarked that she had noticed on the door that entry was allowed only with a club card, she was told that Roma were not allowed there.

When she told the staff that her Roma partner was in the cafe with her daughter half an hour ago and they were not served, she was told that this was common practice.

The incident was recorded on a phone.

Cafe ignored proceedings

In the judgement, among other things, the court stated that the racial discrimination to which the plaintiff was subjected is a particularly serious type of discrimination and, given its dangerous consequences, requires special vigilance and a vigorous response.

Differentiating people based on a characteristic that they cannot influence, such as Roma ethnic origin, causes a person to feel humiliated, the court added.

I consider it very important that the court accepted the lawsuit in full, said Raczs lawyer Vanda Durbakova, adding that the discrimination against Roma in terms of access to services, which her client encountered, is present in Slovakia to a certain extent to this day.

The lawyer added that the cafe was passive during the entire court proceedings and did not comment on the lawsuit at all. Therefore, the cafes rights and obligations were taken over by another entity during the court proceedings.

The proceedings at the district court lasted almost six years.
Free events in Bratislava, special needle by Slovak urologists, and Slovak bear fight wins a Czech photo contest.

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled

Good evening. Here is the Thursday, May 11 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Court: Cafe discriminated against Roma

Ladislav Racz. (Source: Facebook)

A Roma who was not served in one cafe in Lucenec, central Slovakia, because of his ethnic origin, must be financially compensated and apologised to.

The decision in the anti-discrimination lawsuit, which is not valid, has been announced by Bratislava I District Court.

Roma Ladislav Racz should receive 1,500 from the cafe.

More stories from The Slovak Spectator website

Science: The popular Starmus festival will take place in Slovakia next year. Big names will visit the country on this occasion.

The popular Starmus festival will take place in Slovakia next year. Big names will visit the country on this occasion. Food: Try to prepare a dish that originates in Hungary, but was taken up by the people of Czechoslovakia because it tastes so good.

If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you.

FEATURE STORY FOR THURSDAY

A special needle may save men's lives

Urologist Jan Svihra, Jr. (Source: SME - Jozef Jakubco)

Slovak urologists aim to improve prostate cancer treatment. Prostate cancer is problematic in that a patient can live for years without knowing about it.

EVENT FOR FRIDAY

Pohoda Den_FM

Slovak Radio in Bratislava (Source: TSS Archive)

The Pohoda Festival, which will take place in the summer at Trencin airport, will host the Pohoda Den_FM event on Friday, May 12, in the studios of the Slovak Public Radio building on Mytna Street in Bratislava.

Line-up: UA TRIBAL, Pete & Bas, O. , Zea, Dusan Vlk, Meowlau X Val, Krstni otcovia, Waterbased, TRANSmisia.

Admission: free.

For more Bratislava events that are free, see our latest short overview.

In other news

The Borik tunnel , including the nearby section of the D1 motorway near the Tatras, will be closed over the weekend.

, including the nearby section of the D1 motorway near the Tatras, will be closed over the weekend. Slovak photographer Miroslav Ondrus has won the Czech Nature Photo contest with a photo of fighting bears in the Velka Fatra mountain range. (Aktuality.sk)

in the Velka Fatra mountain range. (Aktuality.sk) President Zuzana Caputova will reveal the names of future ministers of the technocratic government on Friday morning.

on Friday morning. The number of abortions increased by 5.5 percent last year. In 2021, there were 5,249 abortions, and in 2022, 5,539 abortions, said the National Health Information Centre.

by 5.5 percent last year. In 2021, there were 5,249 abortions, and in 2022, 5,539 abortions, said the National Health Information Centre. In March of 2023, industrial production in Slovakia increased year-on-year, but its performance did not catch up with March production in 2021 or 2019. Industrial production increased by 2.5 percent year-on-year in March 2023.

Industrial Production in March 2023. (Source: Statistics Office)

WEATHER FOR FRIDAY: Overcast skies. Rain or showers across the country. The highest daytime temperature: 11C-16C. Strong breeze. (SHMU)

Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us.

P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.

Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook, Instagram (@slovakspectator) and Twitter (@slovakspectator).
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/american-legion-to-honor-us-soviet-veterans-of-world-war-ii-from-new-york-1110248651.html

American Legion to Honor US, Soviet Veterans of World War II From New York

American Legion to Honor US, Soviet Veterans of World War II From New York

The American Legion will honor one Soviet and four US veterans of World War II who are living in upstate New York, Russian Youth of America member Anton Konev told Sputnik on Wednesday.

2023-05-10T22:38+0000

2023-05-10T22:38+0000

2023-05-10T22:33+0000

military

new york

american legion

victory day

veteran

world war ii

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/02/1110032172_0:0:3109:1750_1920x0_80_0_0_bee8dba321bdca7437ee7e189f3f8222.jpg

"On Thursday, there is going to be a celebration with American veterans. There are only four of them in our region who survived still and one of them, Harold Williams, will have his 100th birthday celebration at the event," Konev said. The American Legion has invited the only Soviet veteran from the area, Daniel Kaplan, but unfortunately he will not be able to attend due to health issues, Konev said. "But Mr. Kaplan will be recognized during the event," Konev said. Konev said he visited Kaplan on May 9, when most of the former Soviet republics celebrated Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, and together they watched the broadcast of the parade on Red Square in Moscow. The United States and its European allies commemorated the 78th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany on May 8. Since the document on Germany's unconditional surrender was signed in 1945 when the new day had already begun in Moscow, Russia and almost all of the former Soviet republics celebrate Victory Day on May 9.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230509/victory-day-parade-military-equipment-highlights-1110171262.html

new york

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

american legion, us, soviet veterans, world war ii, new york, russian youth of america, anton konev
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/report-vice-president-of-imran-khans-opposition-party-arrested-in-pakistan-1110249610.html

Report: Vice President of Imran Khan's Opposition Party Arrested in Pakistan

Report: Vice President of Imran Khan's Opposition Party Arrested in Pakistan

Fawad Chaudhry, the vice president of the opposition Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in Pakistan, has been arrested from outside the Supreme Court premises, Pakistani media reported on Wednesday.

2023-05-10T23:38+0000

2023-05-10T23:38+0000

2023-05-10T23:34+0000

asia

imran khan

fawad chaudhry

pakistan

islamabad

supreme court

tehreek-e-insaf (pti)

arrest

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/0b/18/1090989932_0:187:3024:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_2312323034b97c2bf8cdffd3ea17ad51.jpg

Chaudhry was arrested late Wednesday night after he came out of the apex court premises after having spent over 12 hours inside the Supreme Court in a bid to evade the arrest, media reported. It was earlier reported that Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the vice chairman of the PTI, and PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar were also arrested in Pakistan. The Pakistani authorities said Monday that former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had been taken into custody following a hearing of the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust case. PTI called on citizens of Pakistan to gather for mass protests, demanding Khan's release. On Tuesday, Pakistan's authorities said Khan was facing an inquiry by the National Accountability Bureau in the Al-Qadir Trust case, related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of 50 billion Pakistani rupees ($17.6 million) to the national exchequer. The actions spurred mass protests across the country, with activists setting police vehicles on fire and damaging government property and the police using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/what-is-known-so-far-about-pakistans-riots-following-imran-khans-arrest-1110239354.html

pakistan

islamabad

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

fawad chaudhry, vice president of the opposition tehreek-e-insaf party, pakistan, arrest, imran khan
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/biden-sex-assault-accuser-slams-media-hypocrisy-over-trump-sex-pest-lawsuit-1110266141.html

Biden Sex Assault Accuser Slams Media 'Hypocrisy' Over Trump Sex Pest Lawsuit

Biden Sex Assault Accuser Slams Media 'Hypocrisy' Over Trump Sex Pest Lawsuit

Donald Trump has been ordered to pay $5 million to journalist E. Jean Carroll for alleged battery. Tara Reade compared the media's trumpeting of Carroll's claims with their dismissal of her own against the sitting president.

2023-05-11T18:26+0000

2023-05-11T18:26+0000

2023-05-11T18:26+0000

tara reade

donald trump

us

new york

americas

mainstream media

mainstream media

joe biden

lawsuit

sexual assault

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/04/0a/1082592822_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_f7d4244eeb1fd120e9b8bc8942361f8f.jpg

The US mainstream media is guilty of "hypocrisy" for accepting sex pest claims against Donald Trump while questioning her own against President Joe Biden.Trump was ordered by a New York civil court to pay $2 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll for battery  after rejecting her sexual assault claim  plus $3 million for defaming the newspaper columnist while responding to her allegations.Carroll first made her accusations against the former president in 2019, while he was in office, despite alleging that he forcibly kissed her in the changing room of the city's Bergdorf Goodman department store in 1996 while his second wife Marla Maples was trying on clothes in a cubicle.Tara Reade, who has accused Biden in 2020 of sexually assaulting her in his Washington DC office in 1993 when she worked for him, told Sputnik that her own allegations had been supressed because they did not suit the media's "narrative". While unwilling to comment on the merits of Carroll's lawsuit against Trump, the author said it could be seen as part of a broader campaign against the former president.Reade, a lifelong Democrat supporter before the alleged incident with Biden, decried the "partisan" attitude towards serious criminal complaints like hers. She said the attitude of selectively echoing or dismissing allegations based on the political affiliation of the accused would only put women off reporting sexual harassment, abuse and rape."I'm sick of seeing the partisan hypocrisy. It's damaging and it's ugly," Reade charged. "It's another obstacle to put in the way if sexual violence is politicized in this way."For more incisive commentary on current affairs, follow our Sputnik Radio show The Final Countdown.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/scholar-on-trumps-court-sentence-democrats-wage-lawfare-against-conservatives-1110246087.html

new york

americas

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2023

James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png

James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png

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

James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png

tara reade, donald trump, joe biden, e. jean carroll, sexual assault, lawsuit, mainstream media, did trump lose rape trial, trump trial, trump civic case
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/china-eu-ramp-up-high-level-exchanges-amid-noise-from-us-1110265676.html

China, EU Ramp Up High-Level Exchanges 'Amid Noise from US'

China, EU Ramp Up High-Level Exchanges 'Amid Noise from US'

Last months saw intensification of high-level exchanges between Chinese and French officials.

2023-05-11T15:26+0000

2023-05-11T15:26+0000

2023-05-11T15:26+0000

world

china

european union (eu)

global times

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/05/05/1082808941_0:173:3027:1875_1920x0_80_0_0_f965a6eda10b14e0067a288655cf8178.jpg

The ongoing visits showed China and the EU are embracing a full resumption of exchanges with frequent high-level interactions and people-to-people exchanges, analysts said.With active interactions between China and the EU taking place since the end of last year, observers hope that the EU will have a more objective perception of China, especially amid the debate on China policy, in order to filter out the noise from the US and untangle the knot of the Ukraine crisis. On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced Qin's visit and said that during his visit to France, he will exchange views with the French side on implementing the consensus reached by their heads of state, improving cooperation in all fields and promoting the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level.While visiting Germany, Qin will strengthen communication with the German side to promote the stable and healthy development of bilateral relations, Wang said, explaining that as China and Norway prepare to welcome the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations, via Qin's visit, China is expected to further consolidate mutual trust and promote bilateral relations to a new level in the new era. China's Vice President Han Zheng is also visiting Portugal and the Netherlands from May 7 to May 12 after attending the coronation ceremony of King Charles III of the United Kingdom on May 6. While the US clamors about decoupling with China, it is of great significance and value for China and Europe to further promote bilateral relations through friendly interactions, which will also inject stability and positive impetus into the world, Gao Jian, a scholar at Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times. The recent close interactions between China and Europe reflect the resumption of exchanges between China and the world after three years of the pandemic. They also highlight the great importance China and the EU have attached to each other, as both sides have been active in maintaining high-level and high-frequency exchanges and dialogues in stabilizing the global situation and promoting economic recovery, Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday. One of Qin's focuses during the visit will be to implement the consensus reached by the top leaders during their meetings, analysts said. Chinese President Xi Jinping met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on his official visit to China in November 2022 and received French President Emmanuel Macron in April in China's Beijing and Guangzhou. From the end of last year to the beginning of this year, China and the EU relations are experiencing "a comprehensive restart", with dialogues and exchanges in various fields being promoted. Qin's visit will smooth communication in the fields of diplomacy, security strategy and so on, said Cui. The expert noted that the current close China-EU interactions also offer an opportunity to help Europe gain a more objective and clear perception on China, at a time when the EU is in the midst of a heated discussion on policies toward China, while misinformation and biased views are mounting. "A comprehensive and objective view on China is the basis for making policy that is beneficial to both China and the EU," said Cui. Europe has been in a debate over its relations with China. While some European officials criticized Macron's remarks during his visit to the country in April and urged the EU to adopt much tougher rhetoric toward China-related topics, some EU politicians, including Macron himself, called for strategic autonomy of the bloc and not to become a "vassal" of the US on the Taiwan question, which China considers its core interest. Observers said that various views on China within the EU are set to complicate factors. Aside from the US influence, some countries in the EU call for dialogue with China in some fields while in other fields, they stressed competition with the country. To the EU, it wants to maintain balance in economic and political relations with China. Not an obstacleThe Ukraine crisis will also be an important topic during the visits of senior Chinese officials to Europe, as it is a geopolitical event that has affected global security governance and the global situation, analysts said. However, some EU and American politicians and media are attempting to make the Ukraine crisis one of the prerequisites for the development of China-EU relations and to make it a knot in China-EU ties.On Monday, the Financial Times reported that the EU has proposed sanctions on Chinese companies for "supporting" Russia for the first time since the conflict in Ukraine began. The report said that the move is likely to increase tensions with Beijing.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday that China firmly opposes long-arm jurisdiction or illegal sanctions on Chinese companies over China-Russia cooperation. China upholds an objective and fair stance, actively promotes peace talks, and has played a constructive role in facilitating a political settlement of the crisis. If the relevant reports are true, the EU's actions will seriously damage the mutual trust and cooperation between China and the EU, and aggravate division and confrontation in the world, which is extremely dangerous, said Wang, urging the European side not to take the wrong path.Gao from the Shanghai International Studies University, said that China's willingness to promote peace talks should not be viewed fairly, as it is neither the creator nor a party to the Ukraine crisis. The US is the creator of the crisis, and is having a negative influence on the EU.The Ukraine issue should not be an obstacle to China-EU communication, but an opportunity for both sides to strengthen coordination, observers said. China has taken steps in working with the European side to promote peace and dialogue and during the top leaders' meetings, the two sides have reached consensus on opposing nuclear war, jointly preventing humanitarian crisis and preventing any spillover effect, said Cui, noting that Qin's visit may promote pragmatic cooperation in these fields.This article was originally published by the Global Times.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230406/macron-faces-the-dragon-1109206844.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/us-china-defense-chiefs-meeting-reportedly-impossible-over-sanctions-1110257074.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230322/xi-putin-meeting-marks-tectonic-geopolitical-shift-which-west-not-ready-for-1108697550.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230509/new-era-of-cooperation-xi-jinping-to-chair-china-central-asia-summit-1110218163.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221118/belt-and-road-initiative-helped-keep-asia-europe-ties-intact-amid-ukraine-crisis-researcher-1104409475.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230504/pepe-escobar-us-outmatched-by-russia-china-1110095098.html

china

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

asia, china, eu, global times
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/drone-attack-on-kremlin-puts-ukraine-among-countries-sponsoring-terrorism---moscow-1110253368.html

Drone Attack on Kremlin Puts Ukraine Among Countries Sponsoring Terrorism - Moscow

Drone Attack on Kremlin Puts Ukraine Among Countries Sponsoring Terrorism - Moscow

The drone attack on the Kremlin in early May is an attempted terrorist act, thereby Ukraine has put itself among states sponsors of terrorism, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

2023-05-11T05:40+0000

2023-05-11T05:40+0000

2023-05-11T05:40+0000

world

russia

kremlin

ukraine

nato

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/03/1110058491_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_08ec451533c955783020b4c011e91a5f.jpg

"We really saw that an attempt was made to attack the Moscow Kremlin with two drones. The residence of the President of the Russian Federation is here, and we can actually consider this attack as an attempted terrorist attack on the head of the Russian state. This is very alarming and unacceptable," Peskov said in an interview with the ATV channel from Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Earlier, the Kremlin said that on May 3, Ukraine attempted to strike the Kremlin residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin with two drones, but they were disabled. There were no casualties or damage. Peskov later told Sputnik that Putin was not in the Kremlin at that moment. Russia's Investigative Committee initiated a case over a terrorist attack "in connection with an attempt by the Kiev regime to strike" the Kremlin with drones.On NATO's Involvement in Ukraine ConflictNATO is directly involved in the armed conflict in Ukraine on the side of Kiev, Peskov said.Russia earlier sent a note to NATO because of arms supply to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia.According to Peskov, Russia has been studying Western-made weapons that Ukraine uses during the armed conflict."As for weapons, they have good weapons in the West. There are bad ones, there are ones that do not meet those conditions, there are very dangerous weapons, there are high-tech ones. So we are studying all this during the special military operation," Peskov said. He said it is very difficult to compare the military potential of Russia and Ukraine.The tasks of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, primarily to ensure the security of Donbass residents, have been partially fulfilled, Kremlin spokesman said."At the very beginning, back on February 24 last year, Russian President [Vladimir Putin] said the security of the people living in Donbass should be ensured first of all. The people who had been living under the shells of their own state for eight long years. Under shelling that the West decided not to notice," Peskov said.Earlier, UK Minister of State for the armed forces James Heappey said the country sent Kiev thousands of shells for the donated Challenger 2 main battle tanks, including those with depleted uranium. Peskov, commenting on the transfer of depleted uranium shells to Ukraine, said London will have to bear responsibility for the consequences.'Too Strong to Give Up' A series of Western mistakes forced Russia to launch a special military operation in Ukraine, Peskov explained."Western countries deceived us after the collapse of the USSR, they also organized six waves of NATO expansion," he added.Peskov said this was not only the expansion of NATO, but also the expansion of NATO's military infrastructure toward the Russian borders.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230505/lavrov-ukraines-denial-of-kremlin-drone-attack-does-not-deserve-to-be-believed-1110113111.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230508/ukrainian-intel-chiefs-killing-russians-comment-proves-kiev-organizes-terror-attacks--kremlin-1110192410.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230328/use-of-depleted-uranium-in-ukraine-could-spark-global-health-crisis-heres-why-1108844529.html

russia

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

kremlin drone attack, kremlin attack, peskov on drone attack on kremlin, attempted drone attack on kremlin, russian special military operation in ukraine, nato's role in ukraine conflict
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/fbi-refuses-republican-request-for-docs-tied-to-alleged-biden-criminal-scheme-1110250541.html

FBI Refuses Republican Request for Docs Tied to Alleged Biden Criminal Scheme

FBI Refuses Republican Request for Docs Tied to Alleged Biden Criminal Scheme

The FBI refused a House panel's request for a document that allegedly details President Joe Biden's involvement in an illegal scheme with a foreign national, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said in a statement.

2023-05-11T01:38+0000

2023-05-11T01:38+0000

2023-05-11T01:34+0000

americas

fbi

hunter biden

joe biden

james comer

white house

scheme

financial scheme

obama administration

vice president

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/05/14/1095668386_0:192:2560:1632_1920x0_80_0_0_19ed9301d7e424b7525252916931bc06.jpg

"Its clear from the FBIs response that the unclassified record the Oversight Committee subpoenaed exists, but they are refusing to provide it to the Committee. Weve asked the FBI to not only provide this record, but to also inform us what it did to investigate these allegations. The FBI has failed to do both," Comer said on Wednesday. According to the statement, based on whistleblower disclosures, the FBI and Justice Department possess an unclassified FD-1023 form that describes an alleged criminal scheme involving then-vice president Biden and a foreign national regarding an "exchange of money for policy decisions." FBI congressional affairs office acting assistant director Christopher Dunham in a letter quoted by US media said the FBI could not provide the document because it could "harm investigations, prejudice prosecutions or judicial proceedings, unfairly violate privacy or reputational interests, or create misimpressions in the public." Comer has been pushing probes on multiple fronts into potential corrupt dealings involving Biden and his family. Earlier Wednesday, Comer told reporters that bank records show the Biden family and their associates received over $10 million from foreign nationals and companies, including some based in China. Comer also said the oversight committee believes the Biden family and their associates activities in Romania from 2015 to 2017 were also indicative of a scheme to peddle influence. The lawmaker said Hunter Biden and his associates benefited from lucrative financial ties with a Romanian national who was later convicted of corruption. He claimed the Bidens received over $1 million for the Romania deal, with 16 of the 17 payments made during Bidens vice presidency.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/bidens-associates-receive-over-10mln-from-foreign-nationals-firms-1110242317.html

americas

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

fbi, joe biden, criminal scheme, house oversight committee chairman james comer,
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/foreign-cocaine-cartels-increasing-activity-in-russia---fsb-1110260709.html

Video: FSB Thwarts Attempt to Smuggle Nearly 500 Kg of Cocaine to Russia

Video: FSB Thwarts Attempt to Smuggle Nearly 500 Kg of Cocaine to Russia

According to Russian Federal Security Service, Latin America and European drug cartels intensified their activities in Russia, deeming it a lucrative market.

2023-05-11T11:33+0000

2023-05-11T11:33+0000

2023-05-11T12:16+0000

russia

drug cartels

russian federal security service (fsb)

black market

cocaine

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/15920/92/159209219_0:0:600:338_1920x0_80_0_0_d57722d110895b015a8cee77f8cbc5f4.jpg

"The FSB of Russia notes an increase in activity of European and Latin American organized criminal groups, aimed both at developing the Russian black market for drugs and using our territory for transiting cocaine to the countries of the European Union," the FSB said. A new batch of cocaine from Latin America has been seized, the FSB said, adding that 492 kilograms (1,084 pounds) of the drug have been found in two trucks on the border with Belarus in Russia's Smolensk Region. The security service mentioned three particularly large batches of drugs seized at Russian border crossing points lately, one of them weighing 2.3 tonnes and brought to Russia in March 2022 in a refrigerated container with bananas which had arrived at a port in the Leningrad Region from Ecuador. Another 598 kilograms of cocaine were found in December in frozen meat brought to St. Petersburg by a container ship from Paraguay. Criminal drug smuggling cases were opened based on these facts. The fight against drug trafficking is one of the regular tasks of the Russian security services. In April, about 699 kilograms of cocaine worth over 2.5 billion rubles ($33 million) were seized in the Moscow Region from members of an international criminal group. The FSB said that four foreign citizens were identified as suspects, with three of them being Colombian nationals and one coming from the European Union with the aim to get the cocaine in Moscow and further transport it to Europe.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230408/cocaine--crack-are-back-in-nyc-and-fentanyl-makes-everything-much-worse---reports-1109281968.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/un-office-on-drugs-and-crime-says-global-supply-of-cocaine-at-record-levels-1108485715.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

fsb, drug cartels, drugs, cocaine
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/from-ukraine-to-us-debt-ceiling-what-did-trump-say-during-heated-town-hall-1110251326.html

From Ukraine to US Debt Ceiling: What Did Trump Say During Heated Town Hall?

From Ukraine to US Debt Ceiling: What Did Trump Say During Heated Town Hall?

The highly-anticipated town hall featuring former US President Donald Trump was littered with pearl-clutching moments as the he spoke on his new White House bid and the Ukraine conflict, among other hot-button issues.

2023-05-11T03:46+0000

2023-05-11T03:46+0000

2023-05-11T06:11+0000

donald trump

joe biden

ukraine

cnn

republicans

us capitol

white house

new hampshire

russia

ukraine crisis

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/02/1110041728_0:156:3000:1844_1920x0_80_0_0_10a87bf7701633c58336e4e7905f9068.jpg

The highly-anticipated town hall featuring none other than former US President Donald Trump was littered with pearl-clutching and eyebrow-raising moments as the one-time commander-in-chief spoke on his new White House bid and the Ukraine conflict, among other hot-button issues. As Trump took questions from a mix of Republican and undeclared voters late Wednesday, the event repeatedly showed him clash with host Kaitlin Collins - a reaction that had been expected in light of the former president's past televised appearances.From the campaign road to the court room and the global stage, here are some of the key topics that were discussed:Road to 2024 ElectionJumping into the 2024 election cycle, Trump claimed he would in fact accept the results of the looming presidential election regardless of the outcome - if he deems the election to be honest.However, Trump's admittance only came after he'd initially refused to acknowledge he lost the 2020 election and proceeded to voice unsubstantiated accusations that the previous election results had been falsified."When you look at what happened during that election, unless you're a very stupid person, you see what happened," he said in opening remarks.Trump announced his 2024 campaign late last year, with current officeholder Joe Biden officially launched his reelection campaign in April. The pair have welcomed a rematch although polling has previously shown that voters are keen on seeing new political contenders go to task.Ukraine-Bound WeaponsWeighing into the ongoing shipments of US arms to back non-NATO player Ukraine, Trump said the United States was sending far too many weapons that Americans troops need for themselves.To date, the US has allocated upwards of $50 billion in congressionally-approved foreign aid to Ukraine despite a struggling American economy. Of the funding, the largest dollar amount is made up of weapons shipments, military deployments and supplies.When asked about who Trump wants to win in the Ukraine conflict, he responded by saying: "I don't think in terms of winning and losing, I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people."Trump reiterated he would have settled the conflict in 24 hours if he was the US president.When asked about the role of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the conflict, Trump said that "it's something to be discussed at a later date" because it would prove more difficult to negotiate a peace deal and "right now, we wanna get that war settled."US Debt Ceiling With the US debt ceiling driving a good portion of the American news cycle, the former president told Collins that lawmakers should allow the US to default on its debt if the White House does not agree to cut spending."[Democrats] will absolutely cave because you don't want to have that happen, but it's better than what we're doing right now because we're spending money like drunken sailors," Trump said when asked to speak on the government stalemate.Biden is set to meet again with congressional leaders on Friday to follow up on debt ceiling negotiations. The US could default on its financial obligations as early as June if the debt ceiling is not raised, the Treasury Department said earlier this month.Jan. 6 Rioters Diving into the January 6 storming of the US Capitol and its aftermath, Trump claimed he would "most likely" pardon rioters convicted of federal offenses should he manage to win the 2024 presidential election.He said that he would not be able to pardon "every single one," adding they had been prosecuted and "they're living in hell right now." He subsequently admitted "many of them are just great people."Changing gears to former Vice President Mike Pence, Trump indicated he does not presently feel as though he owes his then second-in-command an apology after Trump supporters sought him out during the riot.Trump has been the subject of investigations into alleged efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential outcome through the January 6 US Capitol riot.Legal HurdlesWhile the Wednesday get-together had plenty of tit-for-tat moments for viewers, Trump did not shy away from blasting the outcome of the legal decision in the E. Jean Carroll case.As he continued to claim that he did not know who the writer was, Trump took the opportunity to accuse her of lying and even went so far as to mock her accounts of the mid-1990s incident in which Trump allegedly attacked her at a dressing room.In spite of the Tuesday court ruling, Trump went on to say he did not believe the decision would hurt his favor among women voters.A jury on Tuesday found Trump liable of sexually assaulting Carroll inside a dressing room at New York City's Bergdorf Goodman in the 1990s but fell short of finding he committed rape.However, Trump was also found to have defamed Carroll after saying she voiced false accusations. The ruling awarded the Carroll camp of $5 million in damages.Trump and company have stated an appeal will be filed on the matter.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20210624/new-york-state-suspends-fmr-trump-lawyer-rudy-giulianis-licence-to-practice-law-1083234217.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230509/report-us-to-issue-12-billion-long-term-military-aid-package-to-ukraine-on-tuesday-1110209670.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/biden-may-skip-upcoming-g7-summit-in-hiroshima-if-debt-ceiling-not-raised-1110229928.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/pence-testifies-to-jan-6-federal-grand-jury-reports-say-1109904198.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230509/us-jury-rules-trump-liable-for-sexually-abuse-in-e-jean-carroll-civil-case-1110223708.html

ukraine

new hampshire

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

donald trump, ukraine conflict, us debt ceiling, cnn town hall, kaitlin collins, 2024 us election, jan. 6 rioters, us economy, mike pence, us military aid, e. jean carroll
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/garland-unlikely-to-push-biden-criminal-probe-but-new-findings-may-open-impeachment-door-1110250714.html

Garland Unlikely to Push Biden Criminal Probe But New Findings May Open Impeachment Door

Garland Unlikely to Push Biden Criminal Probe But New Findings May Open Impeachment Door

US Attorney General Merrick Garland is unlikely to effectively probe President Joe Biden and his family in light of new corruption allegations, but the latest discovery could enable the Republican-controlled House to pass impeachment articles, University of Illinois Professor of Law Francis Boyle told Sputnik.

2023-05-11T01:54+0000

2023-05-11T01:54+0000

2023-05-11T01:49+0000

analysis

joe biden

francis boyle

garland

republicans

white house

merrick garland

impeachment

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/0d/1108343757_0:0:3009:1693_1920x0_80_0_0_f387e7fd176a3f1bac9814935b1208c9.jpg

Earlier Wednesday, US House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said bank records show the Biden family and their associates received over $10 million from foreign nationals and companies, among them from those in China. Some of the money that came from a Chinese firm went to Hunter Biden's company, Comer told reporters. "I would not count upon Garland doing the right thing at Bidens Department of Injustice. At best Garland might appoint a special prosecutor and kick the can down the road," Boyle said, adding that the development could have an immediate impact on the 2024 election.The Republicans, Boyle noted, given they control the House and have enough votes, could quickly impeach Biden and send the bill of impeachment to the Senate for a trial. In reacting to the allegations, White House spokesman Ian Sams in a tweet accused Republicans of "microwaving old debunked stuff." Sams cited media reports from three years ago that reviewed that relevant corporate records and allegedly showed the president played no role in the scheme. He also referred to another conclusion made by other US outlets in 2022 that proved there was no evidence Biden personally benefited from or knew details of the scheme.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/fbi-refuses-republican-request-for-docs-tied-to-alleged-biden-criminal-scheme-1110250541.html

garland

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

joe biden, us attorney general merrick garland, impeachment articles, francis boyle,
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/kremlin-vows-response-against-uks-long-range-missiles-bound-for-kiev-1110260251.html

UK Confirms Sending Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles to Ukraine

UK Confirms Sending Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles to Ukraine

Russia criticizes UK decision to supply Kiev with Storm Shadow LRMs, Pledges Response, said Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

2023-05-11T11:16+0000

2023-05-11T11:16+0000

2023-05-11T14:05+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukrainian crisis

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/106355/23/1063552350_335:0:1951:909_1920x0_80_0_0_a8b5fef461a1fc4ebc5d0e80fd98d0a0.jpg

he top defense official informed the British parliament about the arms transfer to Ukraine and tried to downplay the significance of this move, claiming that Russia has far more capable weaponry. Earlier in the day, American media reported that the UK had sent its Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine after receiving guarantees from the Zelensky regime that they would not be used against targets inside Russia. Another American news outlet claimed that Kiev, for a while now, had been begging for long-range missiles, but the Biden administration declined to provide such advanced arms.Russian officials castigated this move and pledged to deliver an adequate response.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/borrell-ukraine-conflict-could-end-immediately-if-west-stops-weapons-supply-to-kiev-1110248037.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

russian special military operation, ukrainian crisis, ukraine, pumping ukraine with weapons
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/natos-liaison-office-in-japan-part-of-plan-to-destabilize-china-and-russia-1110263884.html

NATO's Liaison Office in Japan Part of Plan to Destabilize China and Russia

NATO's Liaison Office in Japan Part of Plan to Destabilize China and Russia

Tokyo is working towards opening a NATO liaison office, with Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi justifying the move by the swirling Russo-Ukrainian conflict and growing instability across the world. What's really behind the development?

2023-05-11T14:24+0000

2023-05-11T14:24+0000

2023-05-11T14:24+0000

analysis

us

china

southeast asia

asia-pacific region

pivot to asia

indo-asia-pacific region

fumio kishida

japan

russia

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102460/70/1024607075_0:0:1024:577_1920x0_80_0_0_142ccd3119293f9a8ef8ad9ab9c4eed2.jpg

"The whole reason to put a NATO office in Japan is to create destabilization against Russia and China and to confirm South Korea's and Japan's total vassal role that they play with the United States using them like puppets to counter the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Russia and China," Jeff J. Brown, author of The China Trilogy, editor at China Rising Radio Sinoland and co-founder and curator of the Bioweapon Truth Commission, told Sputnik. "So the whole idea about doing this is just one more factor to destabilize Asia. For the United States, they get to destabilize three hated enemies. And those three hated enemies are China, Russia and the DPRK."Does It Have Anything to Do With Ukraine?On May 10, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told CNN that Tokyo is in talks to open a NATO liaison which would be the first of its kind in Asia. We are already in discussions, but no details (have been) finalized yet, the Japanese official said.Earlier this week, Japanese Ambassador to the US Koji Tomita told reporters that the country was "working" towards opening such an office but provided no details.Tokyo has recently bolstered its partnership with NATO, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida becoming the first Japanese leader to attend a NATO summit in June 2022. From April 24 to 26, 2023, a military delegation from NATOs Cooperative Security Division (CS), led by Lieutenant General Francesco Diella, traveled to Japan to meet the nation's senior military representatives and discuss the ongoing cooperation and opportunities to strengthen military ties.It's no coincidence that Tokyo and Washington have repeated over and over that their increasing military cooperation is caused by Ukrainian affairs even though it has nothing to do with the Asia-Pacific region, according to Brown.By linking the Pacific and the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe, the Japanese officials are basically confirming that "NATO will use Taiwan as a proxy against China, Russia and the DPRK, and that Japan and South Korea will play the role of Western Europe as vassals to attack the DPRK, China and Russia in Asia," suggested Brown. "So it's the same playbook. It's just a different region of the world," he stressed.Japanese Militarism Fanned by US & NATOIn December 2022, the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas government approved three policy documents  the National Security Strategy (NSS), the National Defense Strategy and the Defense Buildup Program  which envisaged doubling the nation's defense expenditures within the next five years. The new funding, amounting to roughly $320 billion, is set to ensure Japan's largest military build-up since the Second World War.Even though Tokyo's post-WW2 security policy was regarded as largely pacifist, the Japanese government has decided to revise it citing changes in international and regional security environment and referring to its longstanding ally, the US, who expects that Tokyo would use its "national strength" to protect the "post-war international order."According to Sputnik's interlocutors, it's the US-led NATO bloc that is behind Japan's recent militarization. In particular, Burchill has drawn attention to the fact that the militarization trend followed NATO's post-Cold War expansion."Establishing offices in Japan, rotating US marines through northern Australia (Darwin,) and basing nuclear-armed B52 bombers in South Korea consolidates this expansion: it is effectively the other side of NATO expansion into Eastern Europe, this time in the Asia-Pacific," the scholar continued.Burchill noted that AUKUS  a trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK, and the US  and the Quad - a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the US  have a similar purpose."To describe any of them as bringing greater stability to the region is nonsense," remarked the scholar. "It will achieve precisely the opposite by encouraging an arms race in the hemisphere."Besides Japan, NATO has stepped up its military cooperation with South Korea and the Philippines also. Last month over 12,000 American, 5,000 Philippine and 111 Australian soldiers took part in the largest Balikatan joint military exercises to date in waters across the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Philippine and US defense and foreign secretaries also discussed the development of nine Philippine military camps, where American troops would be staying indefinitely. By establishing strongholds and surveillance outposts in the northern Philippines and western Philippine provinces, Washington would be able to extend its control to the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, international experts have claimed.China is Well Aware of US Military PlansBeijing has been closely watching Washington's hostile activities in the Asia Pacific region and beyond for quite a while, according to Brown."China has been preparing to be attacked by the United States," Brown said. "We can go back to at least 1999 when the United States bombed Serbia for 100 days with depleted uranium and intentionally bombed the Chinese Embassy. China, of course, has been watching very carefully the events in the interim: Putin coming into power in 2000, getting Russia out of the clutches of western imperial global capitalism to regain Russia's independence." "[In] 2014, Maidan [happened in Ukraine]. China has, of course, been following all of this very, very closely. And I would need you to go back to 2011 with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's pivot to Asia. That was basically a declaration of war. All of the continued aggression in the South China Sea with the United States' and NATO's navies challenging China's presence in the South China Sea. This has been going on for a long time," the scholar continued.Nonetheless, the opening of the NATO liaison office in Tokyo would not trigger a tough reaction from China, despite the latter being obviously concerned about the development, according to Dr. Zhang Baohui, director of the Centre for Asian Pacific Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.Given that regional matters are presently largely revolving around Taiwan, seen by Beijing as its inalienable territory, a lot depends on who will win during the general elections on the island in January 2024. International observers don't rule out that the pro-US Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) may lose in the forthcoming elections and cede power to the more balanced Kuomintang (KMT), the nationalist party interested in mending fences with Beijing. Prior to the elections, the Pentagon signaled willingness to speed-up weapons deliveries to the island. Meanwhile, Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping has repeatedly stated that the People's Republic will pursue peaceful means in regional affairs, including re-unification with the Taiwan island.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/japan-seeking-to-open-nato-liaison-office-as-west-seeks-chinese-encirclement-1110252611.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230508/japan-south-korea-rapprochement-aids-us-pacific-policy-vs-china-and-dprk-1110192587.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230119/japan-reverts-to-militarism-as-us-prepares-to-use-tokyo-against-china-scholars-say-1106485309.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230509/new-era-of-cooperation-xi-jinping-to-chair-china-central-asia-summit-1110218163.html

china

southeast asia

indo-asia-pacific region

japan

russia

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2023

Ekaterina Blinova

Ekaterina Blinova

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

Ekaterina Blinova

japan militarization, japan nato liaison office, japan nato bolstering cooperation, new japanese military doctrine, new japanese defense doctrine, japan increased military budget, south china sea, taiwan, the philippines us bases, nato expansion asia pacific, nato eastward expansion
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/neo-nazi-terrorists-jailed-in-france-cia-election-interference-us-creates-militia-in-syria-1110249462.html

Neo-Nazi Terrorists Jailed in France; CIA Election Interference; US Creates Militia in Syria

Neo-Nazi Terrorists Jailed in France; CIA Election Interference; US Creates Militia in Syria

A new congressional report alleges that active duty CIA personnel colluded with the Biden campaign to illegally influence the 2020 election by spreading false information.

2023-05-11T04:33+0000

2023-05-11T04:33+0000

2023-05-11T11:43+0000

the critical hour

radio

cuba

ukraine

gaza

pakistan

hunter biden

syria

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/0a/1110249305_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_73200e0320ea53576177654b51f8de74.png

Neo-Nazi Terrorists Jailed in France; CIA Election Interference; US Creates Militia in Syria A new congressional report alleges that active duty CIA personnel colluded with the Biden campaign to illegally influence the 2020 election by spreading false information.

Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Ukraine. The US is recreating a terrorist militia in Syria. Also, the US and UK vow to keep supporting Ukraine no matter what.Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents" joins us to discuss the Black Agenda Report news. The US is launching cyber attacks worldwide as it accuses Russia and China. Also, we have new evidence about the plot to kill Jovenel Moise.KJ Noh, writer, teacher, and activist, joins us to discuss Asia. Taiwan now implies that it will defend TSMC from an attack by the US Empire. Also, South Korea is pivoting towards US imperialism.Netfa Freeman, host of Voices With Vision on WPFW 89.3 FM, Pan-Africanist, and Leonardo Palacio, National Network on Cuba delegate, join us to discuss Cuba. Netfa has returned from Cuba and shares his experience about the people celebrating May Day.Ted Rall, political cartoonist, and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss domestic policy. The CIA reportedly conspired to interfere with the 2020 election on behalf of the Biden campaign. Also, the Neo-Nazi terror is growing in the EU as France arrests fighters returning from Ukraine.Kim Keenan, nationally known trial lawyer, mediator, and in-house counsel, joins us to discuss the Trump court decision. Donald Trump lost a court case to E Jean Carroll regarding allegations of sexual engagement.James Carey, host of The Left is Dead podcast, joins us to discuss the Middle East. The US is recreating its army of jihadists in Syria. Also, Israeli airstrikes kill 13 including 4 children in Gaza.Nicholas Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands: The American Invasion of Iraq," joins us to discuss the new world order. Nicholas Davies and Medea Benjamin have penned an article in which they discuss whether the US can sensibly adjust to the new multipolar world paradigm.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

cuba

ukraine

gaza

pakistan

syria

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2023

Wilmer Leon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg

Wilmer Leon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg

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

Wilmer Leon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg

the critical hour, how many us troops are in syria, why is us soldiers in syria, why does the us support ukraine, does cia intervene in elections, who are neo-nazis
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/netanyahu-only-israel-can-decide-when-to-cease-fire-in-campaign-against-gaza-strip-1110247812.html

Netanyahu: Only Israel Can Decide When to Cease Fire in Campaign Against Gaza Strip

Netanyahu: Only Israel Can Decide When to Cease Fire in Campaign Against Gaza Strip

Israel alone will decide when to cease fire in its Shield and Arrow operation in Gaza, and until then the military campaign will continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

2023-05-11T01:23+0000

2023-05-11T01:23+0000

2023-05-11T01:19+0000

world

benjamin netanyahu

israel

israel-gaza conflict

gaza strip

palestinians

antonio guterres

islamic jihad

the united nations (un)

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/0a/1110247521_0:320:3072:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_ea8bb3b99a64a01fb021710619bf725b.jpg

"Citizens of Israel, we are still in the midst of the campaign. At this very moment, our forces are fiercely attacking the Gaza Strip and exacting a heavy price from the terrorist organizations," he said in a televised national emergency address. Netanyahu added that the intelligence services' operations and the development of new technological capabilities is "creating a new equation" for Israel. "We have inflicted upon Islamic Jihad in Gaza the hardest blow in its history. Within mere seconds, at night, at 3 separate locations, we simultaneously eliminated the terrorist organization's leaders."On Tuesday night, Israel launched a military operation against militants of the Islamic Jihad Movement and its military infrastructure, including rocket launchers and mortars. As a result of the airstrikes on Tuesday, 15 people, including four women and six children, were killed. The victims included a Russian citizen. Today, four more Palestinians were killed in another series of airstrikes. In response to the shelling of the Gaza Strip, Islamic Jihad militants fired dozens of rockets at Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and its suburbs. In light of the latest spate in tensions between the two parties, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres blasted the reported deaths of civilians as "unacceptable" and called for both Palestinian and Israeli officials to "immediately" stop hostilities.Remarks issued by Deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq commented: The Israeli state has been launching repeat strikes across the Gaza Strip as a means to bombard what it refers to as Jihadi operatives and infrastructure. The IDF has since detailed that the Wednesday strikes caused the death of a fourth senior Palestinian commander who had been located in Khan Younis.The rocket launches by Israel have been likened to the May 2021 exchanges that came in response to mass evictions of Palestinians families after the move had been approved by Israeli courts.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230509/video-explosions-ring-out-across-gaza-strip-as-idf-conducts-airstrikes-1110208287.html

israel

gaza strip

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

israel, rocket campaign, gaza strip, israeli-palestinian conflict,
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/paris-ready-to-boost-cooperation-with-china-on-ukraine-1110254829.html

Paris Ready to Boost Cooperation With China on Ukraine

Paris Ready to Boost Cooperation With China on Ukraine

According to French FM Catherine Colonna, France is ready to boost cooperation with China to solve Ukrainian crisis.

2023-05-11T06:03+0000

2023-05-11T06:03+0000

2023-05-11T06:03+0000

world

ukrainian crisis

china

france

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/07/10/1083400750_0:0:3078:1731_1920x0_80_0_0_b54a492ce944e7a0fe25b6a5e1f75b74.jpg

"China plays an important role in ensuring peace and stability around the world. France is ready to boost cooperation with China on the Ukrainian issue and other important international and regional issues, to find more areas of common interest," Colonna said as quoted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Qin, in turn, stressed that China's starting point in resolving the Ukrainian crisis is the provisions put forward by President Xi Jinping. "China is committed to promoting a political solution to the crisis, maintains cooperation with all parties, and will continue to play a constructive role in this issue," the Chinese foreign minister said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230406/macron-faces-the-dragon-1109206844.html

china

france

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

china, france, ukrainian crisis, china peace proposal
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/supreme-court-of-pakistan-orders-release-of-ex-pm-imran-khan---reports-1110263062.html

Supreme Court of Pakistan Orders Release of ex-PM Imran Khan - Reports

Supreme Court of Pakistan Orders Release of ex-PM Imran Khan - Reports

Supreme Court of Pakistan Declares Imran Khan Arrest Unlawful and ordered immediate release of former Prime Minister.

2023-05-11T13:23+0000

2023-05-11T13:23+0000

2023-05-11T15:49+0000

asia

pakistan

imran khan

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/07/1b/1097839006_0:13:3061:1735_1920x0_80_0_0_3037eedf5b18b4a6cec5b2c266e3388b.jpg

Khan, the leader of the opposition Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI), was taken into custody on Tuesday, following a hearing of the Islamabad High Court in connection with corruption involving the Al-Qadir Trust, which he heads with his wife. The politician is facing an inquiry in the case related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of 50 billion Pakistani rupees ($17.6 million) to the national exchequer.On the same day, Pakistani President Arif Alvi said in a letter to incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that he was shocked by Khan's detention process.He also noted that people had the right to protest, but protests should remain peaceful and lawful. In addition, Alvi condemned the actions of the rioters, which reportedly resulted in the death of 10 people, with over 1,750 people injured.The president also urged Sharif to ensure that the "constitutional rights of Imran Khan are not violated and his life is fully secured."Following the arrest of Khan, PTI called on the citizens of Pakistan to gather for mass demonstrations to demand the politician's release. Mass protests erupted across the country, with activists setting police vehicles on fire and damaging government property, and the police using gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.

pakistan

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

pakistan, asia, clashed in pakistan, imran khan, imran khan arrest
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/tucker-carlsons-show-set-to-return-on-twitter-and-details-of-the-biden-crime-family-1110249161.html

Tucker Carlson's Show Set to Return on Twitter and Details of the Biden Crime Family

Tucker Carlson's Show Set to Return on Twitter and Details of the Biden Crime Family

On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events including Russia withdrawing from the European arms treaty, and Republican Congressman George Santos arrested.

2023-05-11T04:51+0000

2023-05-11T04:51+0000

2023-05-11T11:44+0000

the backstory

radio

washington

jfk

censorship

warren buffett

twitter

fox news

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/0a/1110249004_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_f6e966e390299767d335b993802e13d4.png

Tucker Carlson's Show set to Return on Twitter and Details of the Biden Crime Family On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events including Russia withdrawing from the European arms treaty, and Republican Congressman George Santos arrested.

Karen Hunt - Writer, Artist, and Kickboxer | The Foreign Malign Influence Center, Cult Like Followings for Billionaires, and Tucker Carlson UnleashedJim Hoft - Founder of The Gateway Pundit | Child Mutilation Laws Passed in Washington State, Romanian Payments for the Biden Crime Family, and Tucker Carlson Goes to TwitterIn the first hour, Lee spoke with Karen Hunt about the media lies through omission, reading the news upside down, and changes to the dictionary. Karen discussed her recent writing on the government's Foreign Malign Influence Center and how the elite uses the media to deceive the public. Karen spoke about the importance of freedom of speech and Twitter being owned by Elon Musk.In the second hour, Lee spoke with Jim Hoft about the recent law passed in Washington state, CIA interference in the 2020 election, and Tucker Carlson changing the media landscape. Jim talked about the government funded censorship and the fifty-one intelligence officials who lied for the Biden campaign. Jim described his recent interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the chances of Robert Kennedy Jr winning the Democratic nomination.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

washington

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2023

Lee Stranahan https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125222_0:0:293:292_100x100_80_0_0_a8bc846f559660e5bf7574f8a9608a1d.png

Lee Stranahan https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125222_0:0:293:292_100x100_80_0_0_a8bc846f559660e5bf7574f8a9608a1d.png

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

Lee Stranahan https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125222_0:0:293:292_100x100_80_0_0_a8bc846f559660e5bf7574f8a9608a1d.png

the backstory, george santos' arrest, cia interference in elections, where is tucker carlson now, robert f. kennedy jr' chances
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/us-f-22-raptor-fighters-reportedly-begin-training-flights-in-estonia-1110254339.html

US F-22 Raptor Fighters Reportedly Begin Training Flights in Estonia

US F-22 Raptor Fighters Reportedly Begin Training Flights in Estonia

US Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jets have begun training flights in Estonia, a local broadcaster reported on Wednesday.

2023-05-11T05:45+0000

2023-05-11T05:45+0000

2023-05-11T05:46+0000

military

f-22

f-22 raptor

estonia

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107932/68/1079326834_0:121:3211:1927_1920x0_80_0_0_0e1e51efc399451a7181bb4c259652ae.jpg

According to the report, 12 fighter jets were transferred from the United States to a Polish airbase for military drills in early April. Three of the fighters arrived at Estonia's Amari airbase near Tallinn this week. The drills include the practice of quickly responding to threats in cooperation with other countries. US Ambassador in Estonia George Kent told the broadcaster that the fighters conduct joint flights with pilots from other countries. "This morning, the pilots flew down to Lithuania, and we're working with Portuguese and Romanian pilots, and they hope, perhaps tomorrow, to be up in the air with British Typhoons also operating out of Amari. This is not the first time F-22s have visited Amari. I think the first time was in 2015, and I anticipate they will also be back. And that's an issue for our two militaries to discuss the timing and purpose," Kent said. According to the US Embassy in Estonia, the US has invested over 33 million euros ($36 million) in infrastructure at the Amari airbase since 2015. The latest facility built on the premises of the airbase was a fuel storage facility capable of storing some 2,000 cubic meters of fuel. Moreover, the US has built a dormitory housing about 220 servicepeople and an aircraft maintenance hangar. These projects have helped increase the capacity of the Amari airbase for operations in support of regional security, the embassy said.

estonia

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

f-22, f-22 raptor, f-22 training flights in estonia
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/us-patriot-system-not-capable-of-intercepting-russian-kinzhal-missile---source-1110264588.html

US Patriot System Not Capable of Intercepting Russian Kinzhal Missile - Source

US Patriot System Not Capable of Intercepting Russian Kinzhal Missile - Source

According to source in Russian mode, the alleged interception of Kinzhal by Patriot system is nothing but a hoax since Patriot is technically incapable of catching missile that flies at such speed.

2023-05-11T14:14+0000

2023-05-11T14:14+0000

2023-05-11T14:16+0000

ukrainian crisis

military

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/05/09/1082840544_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_cdae3f79ff2e10e45efe3a5899652db8.jpg

"Spreading that the Kinzhal was allegedly intercepted is wishful thinking. The fact is that the flight speed of the Kinzhal missile exceeds the maximum combat modes of anti-aircraft missile systems supplied by the West to the Kiev regime, including the Patriot," the source said. Russian missiles are "intercepted" two to three times more often than the Russia launches them, the source also said, adding that this way the West justifies spending too much ammunition for air defense systems. "The anti-missile maneuver carried out by the Kinzhal in the final flight segment and the almost vertical approach to the target makes it impossible for anti-aircraft missile systems to intercept this weapon," the source added.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/fact-check-ukraine-didnt-shoot-down-russias-kinzhal-hypersonic-missile-1110235332.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 special military operation in ukraine, ukrainian crisis, kinzhal missile
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/who-is-unhappy-about-syrias-return-to-the-arab-league-1110259422.html

Who Is Unhappy About Syria's Return to the Arab League?

Who Is Unhappy About Syria's Return to the Arab League?

US and its allies instigated civil war in Syria and wanted to turn it into political outcast. This plan ultimately failed.

2023-05-11T15:09+0000

2023-05-11T15:09+0000

2023-05-11T15:13+0000

world

middle east

syria

arab league

us

us meddling

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/103551/41/1035514179_0:270:5184:3186_1920x0_80_0_0_e38c0b806e4acf05805f634ad9003263.jpg

It marks the beginning of a correct path toward a political solution to the Syrian crisis - "continue direct dialogue with the Syrian government in order to reach a comprehensive solution." In this sense, Syria's return to the Arab League after a 12-year suspension symbolizes a new height of solidarity and self-development among Arab countries, and brings more confidence in peace to the Middle East which was viewed as a "powder keg" of the world. We sincerely feel happy for Syria and the Arab League.Many analyses hold that there are two major reasons for Syria's return to the Arab League: First, the big earthquake that struck the Turkey-Syria border region in early February has accelerated Arab countries' steps to restore diplomatic relations with Syria; second, Saudi Arabia and Iran who were opposed each other in the Syrian crisis have achieved historic reconciliation under China's mediation, providing direct impetus for the Arab League's decision. Last month, Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue visited Syria and had an in-depth exchange of views with Syria on seeking a political settlement of the Syrian issue and facilitating Syria's return to the Arab League. The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed congratulations on Syria's return to the Arab League on Monday, noting that as a sincere friend of Syria and other Arab states, China welcomes and supports Arab solidarity and will continue to work relentlessly to that end. China's attitude also represents the general position of the international community.Over the past 12 years, Syria has experienced heartbreaking hardships. In 2011, the Syrian crisis erupted amid the "Arab Spring." At that time, the Arab League suspended Syria's membership under the pressure from the West. Subsequent military and political intervention by external forces has further worsened the situation in Syria, resulting in catastrophic consequences that continue to this day. During this period, countries in the Middle East have suffered from war, social division, and frequent conflicts, making their desire for unity, peace, and development stronger than ever before. The Syrian Foreign Ministry emphasized "dialogue, mutual respect, and the common interests of Arab countries" in its latest statement, which reflects the common desire of regional countries. From any point of view, Syria's return to the Arab League is a happy matter, but there are exceptions. The US and Britain openly expressed "criticism" and claimed that Syria "should not be readmitted." Bloomberg reported that Arab League readmitted Syria after more than a decade of isolation "in defiance of US;" The Wall Street Journal claimed that US influence is waning in the Middle East. It appears that Washington seems to have an overwhelming reluctance and non-acceptance of the independence and autonomy shown in the Middle East. Of course, it will feel uncomfortable. The tragic stories that have occurred in Syria and the Middle East in recent years are largely due to Washington's Middle East policy of "playing one side against the other." In its eyes, the desperate plight of ordinary families and their lack of sufficient food are just dust on the boots of the US military and not worth mentioning.But the fact once again proves that when the shadow cast by Washington becomes smaller, the dawn of peace becomes bigger. Arab countries have not lost anything due to their independent foreign policies, but have achieved dialogue, reconciliation, and won respect. Egyptian Foreign Minister Samer Shoukry said on Sunday that "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." This can be seen as a subtle response to Washington's past practices of stirring up regional conflicts and abusing military forces. This view is becoming increasingly common in today's international community. Some American media sourly said that the Arab League's decision to readmit Syria represents a rejection of US interests in the Middle East as Arab countries forge policies independent of Western concerns. But they really got it wrong this time. It is not that Middle Eastern countries are "independent of the West," but rather the fact that the West is isolating itself from the entire international community.Not long ago, on the 12th anniversary of the Syria war, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "renewed energy" to be channeled into peace efforts. Syria's return to the Arab League is a good start for a political solution to the crisis, but there are still many obstacles ahead. For instance, the US' illegal unilateral sanctions on Syria have created many hindrances for further cooperation in the region. We firmly support united and strong Arab countries, and also hope to work with the international community to bring the sunshine of peace and the hope of development to every corner of the world, especially in places shrouded by the shadow of hegemony.This article was originally published by the Global Times.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230509/syrias-return-to-arab-league-shows-us-gulf-allies-tired-of-regime-change-1110219420.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230507/moscow-welcomes-syrias-return-to-las---foreign-ministry-1110187168.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230504/raisis-visit-to-syria-heralds-failure-of-wests-mideast-policy-1110097905.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230429/assad-syria-supports-chinas-active-political-economic-presence-across-world-1109963411.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/log-in-the-eye-western-crimes-against-children-in-war-zones-revealed-1109763716.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

syria, middle east, conflict in syria, us meddling
The 2023 season at Northside Downs gets underway this Saturday (May 13) with seven races slated on the afternoon, kicking off the year that marks the 125th anniversary of harness racing at the North Sydney, N.S. oval.

A Winners Over class tops the card with a field of five going to the gate in the afternoon's sixth race. Northside's 2022 leading driver, Ryan Campbell, has a pick between 7-2 second choice Norman Fiander trainee Mando Fun from the rail or Ian MacNeil trainee Kiss Me Im Irish from post two. MacNeil also trains the starter from post five, 5-2 favourite Gentry Seelster with Mark Pezzarello at the lines. A Better Man, trained by Joseph Lewis and driven by Gerard Kennedy, leaves from post three while Runaway Mystery, trained and driven by Harold LeBlanc, rounds out the field from post four.

Now under the management of Harness Racing Cape Breton, Northside Downs will feature live harness racing every Saturday afternoon through closing day on Sept. 30. First race post time at Northside is 1 p.m.

To view Saturday's entries, click one of the following links: Northside Downs -- Saturday Entries || Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT)
At the Board of Directors meeting on May 6, the Standardbred Owners Association of New York (SOA) unanimously approved the motion made by director Ray Schnittker to donate $7,500 to the Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA).

The STA is a non-profit organization with Federal 501(c) (3) status whose mission is to accredit, inspect and award grants to approved organizations that acquire, rehabilitate, train and re-home Standardbreds.

Our action today is in furtherance of our collective belief that the best way to ensure that we are funding the best possible aftercare facilities is to donate either to the STA or directly to STA-accredited entities," said Joe Faraldo, SOA President. "We are happy to help and make this donation with full confidence that the funding will be used appropriately.

"On behalf of our entire board, we sincerely appreciate the SOA of New Yorks support and generous donation to the STA, which will help fund our accredited facilities to provide aftercare, said David Reid, STA President.

Funding for the STA is generated across the spectrum of the Standardbred industry, including regulatory agencies, horsemens groups, tracks, sales companies, farms and individuals who participate as trainers, drivers, owners and breeders.

The STA provides partial funding to groups serving Standardbreds, ensuring donor confidence by examining the equine care and business practices of groups applying for accreditation.

It is expected that the accreditation process will also assist groups in developing sustainable policies and programs.

(Standardbred Owners Association of New York)
Ron Burke likes to win. Whether it is a low-level claiming race or Grand Circuit stakes  or even a steak dinner  the record-setting trainer remains motivated by the thrill of victory. Even after experiencing the feeling nearly 13,700 times in his Hall of Fame career, helping his stable accumulate purse earnings of now more than $300 million, it never gets old.

I love the sport, said Burke. I tell people all the time, I like winning [any race]. Winning is fun. Thats the one thing Ill never get tired of. Its the most fun part of the sport. If youre not in this for the wins, I dont know what the heck youre in it for. That feeling when your horse wins, I understand where people get addicted to it.

Every time Burke wins a race, or adds a dollar to his purse earnings, he extends his own records in those categories for a trainer. His victory total is more than 6,400 ahead of second-place Virgil Morgan Jr. and his money total is nearly $170 million ahead of retired Hall of Famer Jimmy Takter in the No. 2 spot.

Burke, a three-time U.S. Trainer of the Year award winner who was inducted into the U.S. Hall of Fame in 2022, became the first person to reach $300 million USD this past Saturday in North American purses in harness racing history.

Im proud of it, Burke said about the accomplishment. Its a lot of work, by a lot of people, to do it. Its cool.

Its harder to win races now than I think its ever been. We just stepped it up. I get great support too. Thats the one thing, I consistently get great support from my owners, from my parents, Mark [Weaver, of Weaver Bruscemi LLC], everybody. I get what horses I want. Im not one of those people who can say, If I got better horses, then I would do better. I cant get any better horses, so I cant complain that way.

Burkes milestone this past Saturday scored him a win that will not show up in his stats  a steak dinner from driver David Miller, the result of a bet the two made several years ago over which of them would reach $300 million first. Burke and Miller, whose earnings stand at $272 million USD entering Thursday, were at The Meadows on Saturday as the track hosted Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action.

I told David that by the end of the day he was going to owe me a steak dinner, Burke said with a laugh. He said, Youre going to pass it today? I said, 'I think so.' So, I liked that.

A little more than one-quarter of the way through 2023, Burke is in his traditional spots atop the trainer standings for wins and purses. He has led both categories in each of the past 14 years, including single-season records of 1,093 victories and $28.4 million USD in 2014.

Last year, Burke topped 1,000 wins for the fourth time in his career, with 1,031, and $20 million in money for the ninth time, with $22.3 million USD. No other trainer has ever reached those levels once.

Theres really nothing new now record-wise that I even really care about, said Burke. Id just like to keep doing well. Now its try to win a [Hambletonian], try to win a Meadowlands Pace. One, I thought I already had done. For 10 minutes, I knew what it was like to win a Hambo. Then I also knew what it was like for them to take it back [when What The Hill was disqualified in 2017]. Of course, winning the Jug, winning the Adios; those are always fun. Breeders Crowns are great. More like that.

Still, Burke could push his career numbers to even more mindboggling levels like, perhaps, 20,000 wins and $500 million in purses.

Half-a-billion would be cool, said the 53-year-old Burke. But then I think, do I have 10 more years in me at this level? I have 10 more years in me, for sure, but even to get to 20,000 wins, thats 10 more years of 600. I know I could do it for the first five years; I could probably get 5,000 wins. But the next 2,000 of those wins, could I get them in the next four years?

Its like I tell my drivers, there will always be somebody coming for your job. Father Time is undefeated. That applies to me too. Experience will help you as you lose physical attributes, to a point. But you can have all the experience in the world, and if you cant physically do what you used to do, youre not going to get the same results.

For now, though, Burke will simply continue to enjoy the sport as he does, with as many trips to the winners circle as possible. A lot of that enjoyment stems from sharing the victories with his numerous longtime ownership partners.

One of the best parts of my stable is that all my partners are friends with each other, said Burke. I love that. There is no in-fighting in our barn. They all tease each other, but they all like each other. When you have everyone pulling in the same direction and not being jealous of each other, its a big deal.

I think that makes winning even better because we won, a whole group of us. I really like that. Its cool.

(With files from USTA)
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin brought what he called the entirety of state government to the Fredericksburg area Tuesday morning to enlist local help  and to demonstrate action the Commonwealth is taking  in fighting a drug thats become a scourge across America.

Its National Fentanyl Awareness Day, but were starting right here at Stafford (High School), the governor told an enthusiastic crowd of students and staff, community leaders, local health officials and state politicians. Were starting right here as the epicenter of the place to spread the word.

Youngkin signed an executive order that covers eight bills related to expanding treatment to those addicted to fentanyl and harsher punishment for those who manufacture or deal it. That includes designating fentanyl a weapon of terrorism, the governor said, making it a Class 4 felony for those convicted of making or dealing it.

This is serious stuff, the governor said.

Used to treat patients in extreme pain, including those with end-stage cancer, fentanyl in its legal form is one of the most powerful opioids in the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But when manufactured illegally and disguised in anything from pills to marijuana, it becomes deadly, the CDC reports.

Last year, fentanyl was responsible for 75% of the fatal drug overdoses in the state, or 1,951 deaths.

Ladies and gentlemen, thats five citizens of Virginia each day passing due to fentanyl poisoning, said Del. Scott Wyatt, RHanover.

Attorney General Jason Miyares told the Stafford students they are on the frontline of an invisible war against fentanyl, and that its happening in every community across the nation.

He held up a small baggie that contained a handful of white granules and assured the audience it was sugar. But had it been fentanyl, this would be enough to kill every man, woman and child in this auditorium, twice over, Miyares said.

During the hourlong event, Anthony Salgado, a coordinator with the Rappahannock Area Health District went through the steps of Revive training with the audience. He gave pointers on how to recognize an overdose  unresponsiveness is the biggest symptom  and showed students and adults how to administer the drug naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose.

Youngkin thanked those gathered for getting trained and being part of the army equipped to save someones life.

Then, he got down to the business that brought members of Staffords Board of Supervisors and School Board, as well as other representatives from across the state, to Stafford High School.

After giving his remarks, Youngkin moved to the on-stage table to sign the executive order, and several members of his cabinet, as well as Miyares and Lt. Gov. Winsome EarleSears, gathered around.

Anybody else want to come up here and do this? he asked, and within seconds, dozens of students made their way to the stage.

Some stood to the left or right of the table where he sat; others formed a line at the base of the stage. After he put pen to paper, Youngkin said 1-2-3, and the group joined in yelling, No More Fentanyl.

In addition to more serious punishments for distributing fentanyl, the bills also provide more treatment of opioid addiction, including some programs and grants funded through fines paid by pharmaceutical companies that initially encouraged the over-writing of prescriptions.

Theres also mechanisms for more education and distribution of naloxone, the drug that will reverse an opioid overdose. Its also known by the brand name, Narcan.

Anthony Flores, a junior at Stafford, was among those who crowded around Youngkin and later showed his friends a paper the governor had signed.

Im shaking right now, it was really an honor, he said.

Gabriel Cortes offered him $10 for the autograph, then $20, then $35. Then, on a more serious note, he said he was worried about the prevalence of drug addiction and said he was glad the governor is bringing it to light because its a big problem.

For the whole country, not just for Virginia, Flores added.

Several speakers made that point in the most direct way possible.

Fentanyl will kill you. Make no joke, said Sen. Bryce Reeves, RSpotsylvania, who then described a young man his daughter dated after both graduated from Riverbend High School in Spotsylvania and the University of Virginia. He took an Adderall tablet from his roommate, it was laced with fentanyl and in a matter of seconds he was dead. Gone, like that. Dont mess around with this stuff.

EarleSears stressed that since 2020, drugs have killed more Virginians that guns and auto accidents combined. Deaths are twice as prevalent in males versus females, and Black males are 1.5 times more likely to die, she said.

Fellas, its coming for you, she said. More must be done. We dont want to look at you in a casket.

Makayla Collins, one of several students in the audience who are studying to be first-responders or health care workers, went to a health department table after the event to obtain a free box of naloxone. Students under 18 had to have parental permission to get it.

Collins said the event provided a lot of information and benefits, as well as emotional stories of those whove died.

They really proved their point, what they were trying to say, she said.
CHADRON  An unidentified man threatening to harm himself with a knife kept officers at bay for nearly two hours at the Dawes County Courthouse Tuesday.

Following the standoff, Sheriff Karl Dailey and Dawes County deputies escorted a male subject back inside the building. The man was holding a knife and threatening to do harm to himself, but there were no injuries during the incident, according to information released from law enforcement.

Much of the standoff took place near a window on the lower level of the courthouse, and Dailey could be seen approaching the man several times. The man would become briefly agitated, and at one point removed his shirt. After law enforcement convinced the man to surrender the knife he possessed, Dailey could be seen returning the mans shirt to him.

Those who were in the courthouse at the time were advised to use the buildings west door to exit. People who had parked vehicles in front of the courthouse prior to the incident were allowed to retrieve them, but advised to walk close to the courthouse retaining wall so as not to cause further escalation.

Along with Dailey and his deputies, officers from the Chadron Police Department and Nebraska State Patrol were on the scene, with nonlethal arms including pepper ball guns. Officers helped keep traffic away from the scene, both along the street and sidewalks, while keeping their distance to keep the scene.

Chadron Police Chief Rick Hickstein told the Chadron Record that while police officers were called to assist, they were later told their assistance was not needed. Also, members of the Chadron Volunteer Fire Department readied at Fourth and Chadron Avenue to provide medical assistance, if needed.

As the standoff neared 3 p.m., Chadron Public Schools sent out a mass text message to inform parents to avoid Main Street when picking up their children. Officers also expanded the perimeter around the courthouse.

As of Wednesday morning, Dailey and others had not released additional information about the incident. It is likely that the man was placed into emergency protective custody, a period of observation, which is standard in such incidents.
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, the Star-Herald is featuring teacher profiles. Todays profile is in partnership with Gering Public Schools.

Gering High School special education teacher Renee Malm took a nontraditional path to become an educator, recognizing her desire to do so years after her own high school graduation.

Right out of high school I took one semester of classes at (Western Nebraska Community College). I was just anxious to get into the workforce, so I started working and never completed my degree, Malm said. I went back little by little, and by 2015 I completed my associate at WNCC, went full time at Chadron and graduated in 2018.

One of the jobs Malm worked during her time in other fields was at the Scottsbluff Youth Shelter.

Ive always liked working with young people, that has never changed, she said. Its something Ive always enjoyed and felt that I was able to do in a positive way.

When working with students, Malm focuses on helping them see the tremendous value of education and the impact it can have on their lives and their future.

When I work with young people, I always try to help them see how important education is. Everybody has their way of doing that, either for children or other teachers, but just to try and get them excited about it and help them see that with education they can go many places.

Malm strives to show her students that learning is something that belongs only to a few people with extraordinary abilities, but rather that every person should feel empowered to pursue it, no matter where that journey begins.

Wherever you are, you can start and move forward, she said.

Malm teaches resource math and English classes and assists students who are having difficulty with those subjects. She said she can relate to the hopelessness that some people feel when a concept isnt clicking. Helping students break through such a block makes for some memorable moments.

I struggled in math when I was in junior high and high school, she said. Youll pretty often hear kids say, I hate math, I cant do it. And in the moments when were working together and they get it  thats the best feeling, because Im truly doing what I like to do.

That lightbulb moment is why Malm loves teaching.

You can see it in their eyes when they understand what were doing, and they get excited, and thats the best thing about it, Malm said.

Despite the weeks focus on showing appreciation for teachers, Malm couldnt help but extend her own appreciation to the Gering school district for the support and encouragement it offers to teachers like her.

I really enjoy working for Gering Public Schools. I think the leadership is outstanding, and I appreciate the opportunity to be here, Malm said.

Stay tuned throughout the week for more stories about the teachers who make Scottsbluff and Gering schools an excellent destination for students.
Lawmakers from both ends of Nebraska touted the beauty, history and potential of Fort Robinson State Park Wednesday as the Legislature continued work on its next two-year budget.

Legislative Bill 814, the mainline budget bill for 2023-25, already included $10 million a year to restore or upgrade several components of the 1874-1947 U.S. Army post near Crawford. The bill moved to final reading on a 40-2 vote.

Senators Wednesday adopted a pair of amendments by Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha directing the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to use up to $2 million of Fort Robinsons allocation to honor the all-Black Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th U.S. Cavalry, stationed there as the 19th century ended.

Wayne had included the fort in his LB 474, which also called for the state to acquire Nebraska Citys Mayhew Cabin  also known as John Browns Cave  and help launch a Standing Bear and Ponca Cultural Center near Niobrara. Sens. Tom Brewer of Gordon and Brian Hardin of Gering were cosponsors.

The Appropriations Committee drew from LB 474s Fort Robinson aspects in crafting LB 814. As Wednesdays debate started, the main budget bill cited five Fort Robinson projects to be tackled with its $20 million:

Enhance the Post Playhouse, the summer-stock theater building located in a former 1892 Army guardhouse.

Restore Carter P. Johnson Lake north of the fort.

Rebuild the original 1874 post bakery just west of the forts first parade ground. The latter boasts 2003 replicas of the guardhouse where Lakota leader Crazy Horse was detained before he was killed in 1877 and the cavalry barracks from which Dull Knifes Northern Cheyenne escaped in the 1879 Cheyenne Outbreak.

Upgrade the interiors of Fort Robinson lodging rooms, all of which are in surviving Army buildings.

Build an additional officers quarters to boost the forts capacity. A dozen officers quarters built between 1887 and 1909 survive on the later parade ground, but two were later demolished just north of Comanche Hall, the 1909 bachelor officers quarters that today houses youth camps and other large gatherings.

Wayne, one of two African-American senators along with neighboring northeast Omaha Sen. Justin McKinney, said the Buffalo Soldiers and especially the 9th Cavalry have significance in our history, and it still remains there today.

One of two all-Black cavalry regiments formed after the Civil War, the 9ths first troops arrived at Fort Robinson in 1885 and their headquarters in 1887. The 10th Cavalry, the other Buffalo Soldiers unit, was based at Fort Niobrara near Valentine.

The 9th, a veteran Indian Wars unit before its move to Nebraska, was ordered to South Dakotas nearby Pine Ridge Reservation as 1890 ended. Its troopers werent part of the Wounded Knee massacre that Dec. 29, when the 7th Cavalry gunned down more than 250 Lakota in the climax of U.S.-Native American conflicts on the Plains.

When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, the 9th went to Cuba and served with distinction in future president Col. Theodore Roosevelts San Juan Hill campaign.

The unit never returned to Nebraska, but some of its veterans became some of the U.S. National Park Services first park rangers, Wayne said Wednesday.

History Nebraskas Fort Robinson Museum includes the Buffalo Soldiers in its displays. But Wayne said he would like to see reconstruction of another one-time fort building to tell their story.

He said he has made several trips to western Nebraska and Fort Robinson, accompanying McKinney and some other lawmakers there two weeks ago in a trip organized by Brewer.

I think they saw the significance of what we can do if we invest to boost our economy in a way that keeps honoring the Native Americans and the African Americans, the soldiers and the POWs who were out there, but also drive tourism, Wayne said.

He believes Fort Robinson could double its 600,000 annual visits and that Crawford could be our Deadwood  referring to South Dakotas Black Hills tourism mecca about 165 miles north.

If you havent been out there, when Sen. Brewer speaks of Gods country, it truly is, Wayne said. It is a magical place, a place that Omaha has often forgot about.

McKinney, who represents former Sen. Ernie Chambers District 11, echoed his District 13 neighbor. On Brewers tour, I saw some things I never saw in my life, he said.

I think when we start to highlight things like this, it puts our state in a better light. I think a lot of times when people think about Nebraska from other states, they dont think anything has ever happened here. A lot of times, they dont even think theres Black people here in Nebraska.

Bayard Sen. Steve Erdman, an Appropriations Committee member, and Brewer, a registered Oglala Sioux Tribe member, welcomed Waynes remarks.

Senator Wayne, I want to hire you to advertise for western Nebraska, Erdman said. I think your comments were spot-on. And sometimes when you live real close to the forest, you dont see the trees.

Fort Robinsons historical presentations need to be consolidated and put into a way that people can go there and appreciate it, Brewer said. And I think this is a good way to honor the 9th Cavalry and what they did.

Senators adopted Waynes amendment to honor the Buffalo Soldiers, 44-0, then followed up with a 43-0 vote to make minor changes worked out by Wayne and committee Chairman Sen. Bob Clements of Elmwood.

In other LB 814 action, lawmakers voted 41-0 for an amendment by North Platte Sen. Mike Jacobson further clarifying behavioral health regions ability to reallocate funds within their budgets to meet pressing needs.

Appropriations Committee members earlier incorporated Jacobsons LB 433 into the main budget bill. It had said that North Platte-based Region II, Scottsbluff-based Region I and their sister regional offices could reallocate up to 20% of their annual budgets on their own, plus more if needed unless it would violate state or federal law.

Jacobsons new amendment says the regions would need prior approval from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. But it adds that DHHS must respond within 30 days and couldnt deny such requests if they were consistent with federal and state requirements.

DHHS officials agreed to the revised language, Jacobson said, adding that Region II lost $1.2 million last year because it wasnt allowed to reallocate funds.

LB 814 and a companion measure, LB 818, include $574.5 million from cash reserves to revive and finish the 1874 Perkins County Canal from the South Platte River through Sedgwick County, Colorado, and Keith County. LB 818 received second-round approval later Wednesday on a voice vote.

Spending provisions in LB 814 originated by western Nebraska lawmakers include:

$10 million in matching funds to help rebuild the fire-destroyed Nebraska National Forest 4-H Camp near Halsey. A private fund drive is also planned.

$150,000 a year for two years to help repay rural lawyers student loans.

$10 million to help Kimball and other Panhandle cities adjust their infrastructure to accommodate temporary population surges when the U.S. Department of Defense replaces Minuteman III nuclear missiles and upgrades their silos.
At their May meeting, of the General Federation of Womens Club of North Carolina (GFWC of NC) Statesville Womans Club presented their Sallie Southall Cotten Scholarship winner, Trinity Webb, with a College Shower. She is a senior at North Iredell High School and will be attending Mitchell Community College for two years before transferring to Western Carolina University. She is the daughter of Marcus and Jennifer Webb. At the shower she was joined by her parents and sister, Ella Webb.

The club will hold its next meeting on June 1 at the historic clubhouse located at 515 W. End Ave. This will be the last meeting before summer break and will be a fiscal year-end meeting and installation of officers. There will be a time of fellowship and refreshments at 11:30 a.m. and meeting will start at noon.

For club information or about renting the GFWC of NC Statesville Womans Clubs Clubhouse for your meeting or event, inquiries may be emailed to the club at Statesvillewomansclub@gmail.com or by calling 704-761-8208. The club website is www.statesvillewomansclub.org. For details on joining the GFWC of NC Statesville Womans Club, contact Membership Chair Stephanie Gill at 704-657-5008.
The defendants are facing trial for their involvement in an organized terrorist gang, Orient Net reports.

According to judicial sources cited by AFP, five defendants involved in kidnappings, hostage-taking in Syria, and an assault on a Jewish museum in Brussels have been ordered to stand trial by French investigative judges before a special criminal court.

On Wednesday, anti-terrorism judges ordered the trial of the accused, including Mehdi Nemmouche, the perpetrator of the attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels. They are charged with kidnapping seven Westerners, including four French journalists, in Syria between 2013 and 2014.

Organized terrorist gang

According to judicial sources, the defendants are facing trial for their involvement in an organized terrorist gang that detained individuals and carried out acts of torture.

The three defendants in the case are Mehdi Nemmouche, a 38-year-old accused of the 2014 attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels, Abdelmalek Tanem, a 34-year-old Frenchman who was convicted for heading to Syria in 2012, and Qais al-Abdullah, a 40-year-old Syrian who has been in temporary detention since 2019. The agency stated that the three were suspected of having imprisoned the Western hostages, but Abdelmalek Tanem and Qais al-Abdullah have denied the accusations.

It was also noted that two other suspects, Salim bin Ghalm and Belgian Osama Attar, may have been killed in Syria in 2017. Osama Attar was sentenced in absentia in June 2022 to life imprisonment for planning the November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris. However, the court ordered their trial as there was no official evidence of their deaths.

In June 2013, French journalists Didier Francois, Edouard Elias, Nicolas Inan, and Pierre Torres were kidnapped and detained along with two humanitarian workers from the NGO ACTED, Italys Federico Muttka, and Britains David Haines, as well as Spanish journalist Marcos Marguinidas Izquirdo. All of the hostages were released during 2014, with the exception of David Haines, who was executed on September 13th, 2014. His family filed a civil suit in the French court.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Mekdad emphasized that Syria and Turkey share common interests and goals, al-Watan.

During the quadripartite meeting in Moscow with his Russian, Iranian, and Turkish counterparts, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Dr. Faisal al-Mekdad, emphasized that Syria and Turkey share common interests and goals, and have long borders. He believes that there is still an opportunity for joint action by the two countries, with the help and support of their Russian and Iranian allies, to achieve their goals and interests in a way that serves the aspirations of their peoples.

Mekdad added that Syria is willing to engage in constructive and open dialogue to reach its desired goals, as long as its based on mutual respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of the state, and non-interference in its internal affairs. He also acknowledged that the Astana process has achieved some positive results on the ground, but theres still a long way to go in resolving other issues.

According to Mekdad, ending the illegal military presence on Syrian territory is Syrias primary objective. This includes the Turkish forces, and without progress on this issue, they will not reach any significant results. Mekdad stressed that Syria looks to the future in its relations with other countries, in a way that preserves the rights of the Syrian people and their national interests. These interests cannot be compromised or waived.

Finally, Mekdad reiterated the need to fight all terrorist organizations on Syrian territory and eliminate them under all their names. These organizations pose a threat not only to Syria but also to other countries.

Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized his countrys commitment to preserving Syrias sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity while rejecting external interference in its affairs. He also pointed out that normalizing Turkish-Syrian relations could have a positive impact on the region and the Middle East as a whole.

Lavrov expressed optimism about the ongoing meeting, saying that it was the result of joint efforts and previous meetings at the level of defence ministers and deputy foreign ministers. He hoped that the talks would contribute to setting a roadmap to restore Syrian-Turkish relations to normal.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
According to Cavusoglu, the participants emphasized the importance of advancing the political process in Syria, Baladi News reports.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has described the quadripartite meeting in Moscow between the foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia, Iran, and the Syrian regime as constructive and fruitful. According to Anadolu Agency, Cavusoglu informed reporters upon his return to Antalya that the participants confirmed their commitment to Syrias sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Cavusoglu went on to say that during the meeting, the decision was made to appoint deputy foreign ministers to create a roadmap for the development of relations between Turkey and the Syrian regime, in coordination with the defence and intelligence ministries of the four countries. The committee, which will include deputy foreign ministers, defence ministries, and intelligence agencies, will convene as soon as possible.

He highlighted that there is a perfect congruence in the shared goal of combating terrorist organizations in Syria, such as ISIS, the PKK, and the YPG, in reference to the SDF.

According to Cavusoglu, the participants emphasized the importance of advancing the political process in Syria, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. This resolution, passed on December 18, 2015, outlines measures for peace talks, the establishment of a transitional government, UN-supervised elections, and an end to attacks on civilians.

Cavusoglu underscored the significance of collaboration among the four countries and the international community, particularly the United Nations, on humanitarian concerns. We also discussed preparing the necessary infrastructure for the safe and dignified return of Syrian refugees, and Turkey supports the continuation of this process without any preconditions and in good faith, he stated.

He added, The process we initiated (restoring relations with the regime) will contribute to resolving the Syrian crisis, and for this reason, we attach great importance to the progress of the political process and paving the way for national reconciliation.

To completely eliminate terrorist members, an environment of stability must be established. Conversely, the eradication of terrorism is necessary for a stable environment. What we mean is that the stability that will be achieved within Syria will bolster our cooperation in the fight against terrorism, he noted.

Before the quadripartite meeting, Cavusoglu also held a bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, during which they discussed issues related to the Syrian situation, bilateral relations, and regional and international matters.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria.

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced a new legislation seeking to counter the normalization of President Bashar al-Assad, while researchers argued that Syrias return to the Arab League signals a shift in regional dynamics. Meanwhile, Human Rights groups have condemned the deportation of Syrian refugees from Lebanon. At the same time, the Kurdish-led AANES welcomed Syrias readmission to Arab League and expressed its readiness to cooperate with Arab countries over a solution for the Syrian crisis.

U.S. Lawmakers Unveil Bill Targeting Normalization of Syrias Assad

As Arab states rebuild ties with Syria, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced sweeping legislation seeking to counter the normalization of President Bashar al-Assad, Al-Monitor has learned.

The bill led by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) would expand economic sanctions against Assads financial backers and cronies. Dubbed the Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act of 2023, its release comes days after the Arab League voted to readmit Syria, whose membership was suspended over Assads bloody response to his countrys peaceful uprising in 2011.

Lawmakers hope to force the Biden administrations hand after two years of what they describe as a passive US policy on Syria, where a decade of fighting has killed hundreds of thousands of people and spawned the worlds worst refugee crisis.

The legislation builds upon the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, a 2019 law that authorizes sanctions on those who do business with the Syrian government. The new bill expands the list of possible Caesar Act targets to include all members of the Syrian parliament, senior members of the ruling Baath Party and those responsible for diverting international humanitarian aid.

It also targets individuals involved in the confiscation of Syrian citizens property for personal gain or political purposes  a reference to Assads controversial Law No. 10, which effectively allows the government to seize the property of displaced Syrians for redevelopment.

The regime is accused of using its vast patronage networks to divert millions of dollars in international humanitarian assistance. Under the new bill, the White House would be required to determine whether the Syria Trust for Development, a charity led by Syrias first Lady Asma al-Assad and a key source of patronage, meets the criteria for Caesar sanctions.

The bill also takes aim at a US-backed effort to send Jordanian electricity and Egyptian gas to Lebanon via a transnational pipeline that runs through Syria. The Syrian government would receive in-kind compensation in the form of gas supplies, rather than cash, for its participation in the stalled four-country energy project. The legislation amends the Caesar Act to make in-kind transactions with Damascus sanctionable.

Assad has tightened his two-decade grip on power, some 12 years into Syrias civil war. Aided by Russia and Iran, the regime has won back much of the territory it lost during the conflict, aside from a Kurdish-controlled pocket in the northeast and the rebel-held bastion of Idlib province in the northwest.

The legislations release comes as regional states, including some that once funneled weapons to the rebels trying to oust Assad, are resuming economic and diplomatic ties they suspended more than a decade ago. Efforts to normalize gained momentum amid the outpouring of regional sympathy that followed the deadly Feb. 6 earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.

Syrias normalization signals a new Middle Eastern order

The Brookings Institute published Thursday a long paper on Syrias return to the Arab League. The paper said reinstating Syria signals a shift in regional dynamics, focusing on the decline of U.S. influence

The Arab Leagues decision to reinstate Syrias membership marks a significant turning point in the normalization of the Assad regime. However, the process of normalization has yet to yield substantial outcomes for both Assads regime and Arab counterparts. This decision should be seen as part of a broader shift in the regions dynamics, indicating the consolidation of a new security architecture that manages rivalries. It represents the most significant change since the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

According to the paper, regional actors are responding to geopolitical shifts, including the reduced role of the United States and the emergence of a multipolar order. Arab regimes are taking on a greater share of the regional security burden and seeking alternatives beyond the United States, such as China. While this framework may not resolve regional divisions entirely, it has the potential to prevent conflicts from escalating. It could pave the way for a locally organized security framework in the Arab world.

These changes, the paper suggests, challenge long-held assumptions of U.S. Middle East policy, which aimed to contain Iran and support Arab partners. The United States is finding itself on the sidelines, struggling to exert influence. Arab engagement with Assads regime, the renewal of Saudi-Iranian ties brokered by China, and Irans growing regional role highlight the diminishing significance of U.S. interests in regional calculations. The Biden administrations attempts to assert a leading role have had limited impact, as regional dynamics now revolve around factors where the U.S. has limited influence.

The lasting impact of these realignments remains uncertain. While Syria is likely to remain economically isolated due to sanctions, Irans regional standing has solidified. However, deep Arab distrust of Iran persists. Regional dynamics will increasingly be influenced by factors beyond the United States control, despite its military presence and counterterrorism efforts. Maintaining relevance will require the U.S. to actively oppose Assads normalization, challenge autocrats, and support civic sectors in the region. Failure to do so will result in a further decline of American influence and uncertainty about the reception of U.S. views in the Middle East.

Human rights groups demand that Lebanon halt summary deportations of Syrian refugees

A group of leading Syrian and international human rights groups published a joit statement calling on the Lebanese government to stop deporting Syrian refugees.

Lebanons Armed Forces have been conducting deportations of hundreds of Syrian refugees back to Syria, where they face the risk of persecution and torture, according to reports from national and international organizations, said the statement.

The deportations have been carried out through discriminatory raids on the houses of Syrian refugees across various neighbourhoods in Lebanon, with many of the deportees being registered or known to the UNHCR. The deportees have not been given the opportunity to speak with a lawyer or UNHCR, and they have been denied the right to challenge their deportation or present their case for protection.

The organizations have condemned these deportations, stating that the Lebanese authorities have mismanaged the countrys economic crisis and are scapegoating refugees instead of implementing necessary reforms. Refugees who have been forcibly returned to Syria have faced arrest, disappearance, and other violations by Syrian military and security forces, including torture, sexual violence, and enforced disappearance.

The deportations are accompanied by other coercive measures aimed at pressuring Syrian refugees to return, such as curfews, restrictions on renting housing, and the requirement to share personal information under the threat of deportation. The hostile environment for refugees has been worsened by the rise in anti-refugee rhetoric, fueled by local authorities, politicians, and media outlets. This has led to increased tensions and created fear and panic among the Syrian community in Lebanon.

Lebanon is obligated under international law, including the Convention Against Torture and the principle of non-refoulment, not to return individuals at risk of torture or persecution. Deportation orders should only be issued by judicial authorities or the General Director of General Security in exceptional cases, following individual assessments. Lebanon should immediately halt summary deportations to Syria, refrain from discriminatory measures, and ensure due process and the right to legal representation for individuals at risk of deportation.

Signatories included, among others, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Syrian Network for Human Rights

For Syrian refugees, Assads rehabilitation prompts fear of forced return

CNN reported that for millions of Syrian refugees scattered around the world, the re-admission of the Syrian regime to the Arab family of nations on Sunday may have looked like victory for a dictator who was the very cause of their displacement and misery.

Advocates of Syrias re-admission to the Arab League argued that it is part of an attempt to find an Arab solution to the Syrian crisis after all other efforts had apparently failed. A statement issued by the bloc on Sunday said the move addresses the humanitarian, security and political crises in Syria, the crisis repercussions on neighbouring countries, especially the burden of refugees, terrorism and drug smuggling.

But some are skeptical of the blocs ability to find a humane and just solution to the refugee crisis, warning that a rapprochement with the Syrian regime could prompt hosting nations to force the return of Syrian refugees despite potential threats to their lives.

The normalization of the Assad regime and welcoming him back into the Arab League is a step that can normalize the conversation about pushing refugees back to Syria, which is very risky, said Omar Alshogre, a Sweden-based Syrian refugee and activist who says he was detained and tortured by Assads regime.

Alshogre, who was smuggled out of Syria in 2015, also expressed disappointment at the silence of Arab populations, which he says allows their Arab governments to act without accountability.

Palpable terror

Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington DC, told CNN that the polling data simply cements the core reasoning for why the refugee crisis remains intractable.

Regional states can pressure Assad to accept returns all they want, but its not going to change the palpable terror felt by refugees who simply wont choose to return, he said.

Even before Arab normalization with the Assad regime began, human rights organizations had repeatedly warned that Syrian refugees risked facing forced returns home amid concerns for their safety.

Earlier this year, Denmark  which hosts more than 35,000 Syrian refugees  deemed more areas controlled by the Assad regime to be safe for return.

The announcement was met with condemnation from international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, which said that Denmark should refrain from playing into the regimes hand.

While active hostilities may have decreased in recent years, the Syrian government continues to subject citizens to the same abuses that led them to flee in the first place, including arbitrary detention, mistreatment, and torture, Human Rights Watch said just two months ago.

Lister said there is a real danger that smaller numbers of deeply vulnerable refugees could be targeted for coerced returns.

Weve already seen this in Lebanon and Turkey, and to a limited extent in Jordan too  and thats likely just the start, Lister said, adding that forced refugee returns place victims at extremely high risk of persecution by the regime, or regime-linked actors.

In neighbouring Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has tried to put an end to the countrys refugee issue, a move that analysts have said was intended to boost his popularity ahead of this weeks election.

AANES expresses readiness to cooperate with Arab states on Syria

On Thursday, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) expressed its readiness to cooperate with Arab countries over a solution for the Syrian crisis based on UN Resolution No. 2254, North Press reported.

The AANES, in a statement publicized on its official website, welcomed Syrias readmission to Arab League following a decision by Arab foreign ministers on May 7th.

The AANES sees Syrias return to the Arab bloc as a positive step, hoping it would open the perspectives for communication and joint work with each of the Syrian government and other Syrian parties that believe in a democratic political solution, as well as with Arab states.

The statement added that the AANES can play a key role in the political solution given the political, economic, security, and humanitarian capabilities it enjoys.

Additionally, the administration called on Arab countries to communicate with all Syrians rather than one party to the detriment of others since the Syrian political solution requires Syrian censuses and effective and serious steps that the AANES showed through its political initiative, the statement read.

On April 18th, the AANES launched an initiative called the Peaceful Resolution of the Syrian Crisis, in accordance with United Nations resolutions, after the failure of all international initiatives.

The AANES initiative called on the United Nations and all international actors in Syria to play a positive and effective role, and contribute to a joint solution with the Syrian government, AANES, and national democratic forces, and reach a democratic and peaceful solution in Syria.

Our initiative is a confirmation of the territorial integrity of Syria, the equal rights of all Syrians, establishing a decentralized, democratic and pluralistic system where all Syrians can live in freedom, and the equitable distribution of the natural and economic resources, said Badran Chiya Kurd, co-chair of the Foreign Relations Department of AANES on April 21.
Three Kelso schools were temporarily placed on lockdown Wednesday afternoon after someone called the police and made violent threats toward Kelso High School.

Tuesday, a false bomb threat was also made toward Kelsos Huntington Middle School, causing an evacuation.

Kelso School District spokesperson Michele Nerland said at roughly 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Kelso Police Department received a phone call threatening violence at Kelso High School. Out of caution, police placed Kelso High School, nearby Coweeman Middle School and Kelso Virtual Academy  located about 7 minutes west  on lockdown for at least 30 minutes. The all clear was announced at 2 p.m.

Nerland called the Wednesday hoax swatting. The FBI describes swatting, as calling 911 and faking an emergency that draws a response from law enforcement  usually a SWAT team. No SWAT team was called to the schools on Wednesday, and Nerland said the police determined the call was a hoax.
The government will investigate a claim that WhatsApp accessed the microphone of smartphone users while the phone was not in use, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Wednesday.

In a tweet, the minister said the government will examine the alleged breach of privacy even as the new Digital Personal Data Protection Bill was being readied.

This followed a claim that WhatsApp accessed a user's microphone while he was sleeping.

"WhatsApp has been using the microphone in the background, while I was asleep and since I woke up at 6 AM," Foad Dabiri, an engineering director at Twitter said on Saturday. "What's going on?"

Replying to Dabiri's tweet, Chandrasekhar said, "This is an unacceptable breach and violation of privacy."

"We will be examining this immediately and will act on any violation of privacy even as the new Digital Personal Data Protection bill is being readied," he added.

Dabiri's tweet went viral, attracting over 65 million views.

WhatsApp responded saying it has been in touch with the Twitter engineer over the last 24 hours, who posted an issue with his Pixel phone and WhatsApp.

"We believe this is a bug on Android that misattributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remediate," WhatsApp said in a tweet.

The company also claimed that users have full control over their mic settings.

"Once granted permission, WhatsApp only accesses the mic when a user is making a call or recording a voice note or video - and even then, these communications are protected by end-to-end encryption so WhatsApp cannot hear them," it added.

The engineer working with Twitter shared screenshots of his phone which showed WhatsApp accessing and using his handset's microphone at various times even as he was asleep.

The screenshots prompted several users, including Twitter and Tesla Inc chief Elon Musk, to raise concerns.

"WhatsApp cannot be trusted," Musk tweeted on the screenshot shared by Dabiri. "Or that WhatsApp founders left Meta/Facebook in disgust, started #deletefacebook campaign & made major contributions to building Signal. What they learned about Facebook & changes to WhatsApp obviously disturbed them greatly."

WhatsApp has been under scrutiny in India over various issues. In October last year, the Meta-owned messaging app saw a two-hour service disruption, prompting the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to ask the platform to share reasons for the disruption.

Separately, WhatsApp users in India have reported a massive surge in incoming international spam calls over the past few days. Many users complained on Twitter that a major chunk of these spam calls had country codes belonging to Indonesia ( 62), Vietnam ( 84), Malaysia ( 60), Kenya ( 254) and Ethiopia ( 251).

According to a Statista report, there are over 487 million WhatsApp users in India, making it the biggest market for the company.
Salesforce released data from its new digital skills survey of 1000 workers in India which shows that the vast majority think skills are more important than education qualifications or career background. Yet only 4 in 10 Indian employees are using AI in their current role  which is cited as one of todays most in-demand digital skills. Todays results form part of a global survey of 11,035 working adults across 11 countries.

89% of Indian workers consider skills-based experience more important than a degree or industry-specific qualification when trying to land a job in todays market.

However, there is a disconnect between the skills companies need and those currently used by the workforce. While 9 in 10 Indian workers report using digital skills in their day-to-day work, only 1 in 4 workers are currently using AI skills in their day to day roles and just over half (52%) report using skills beyond digital administration.

There is less fear and more excitement around the potential of emerging technologies to transform the jobs of the future. This, paired with workers reported desire to learn new skills, suggests that companies can help close the digital skills gap by providing continuous, skills-based training to their employees.

Leaders and employees agree on the need for AI skills

With AI technologies like generative AI emerging fast, 93% of Indian workers reported excitement about the prospect of using generative AI for their job. In India 91% say that their company is considering ways to use generative AI.

Indian workers agree that AI skills are important. Almost a third of workers (29%) rank AI skills as among the top three most important digital skills right now, rising further when asked about the importance of these skills over the next five years.

As needs evolve, workplace skills lag

Despite its importance to their future skill set, only 4 in 10 Indian workers say that their day-to-day role involves AI. A mere 34% say their role involves other, related digital skills like encryption and cyber security, and only 27% claim to use coding and app development skills.

The industry indexing the highest for AI skills is Travel and Tourism, however, even for this industry, only 67% use AI skills within their role today. Outside of the Travel & Tourism roles, this number drops further; 21% of those in the Public Sector and 25% of those in Healthcare report they use AI skills in their day-to-day role.

The path forward is upskilling. All Indian workers surveyed believe businesses should prioritize AI skills in their employee development strategy.

As a result of the rise in AI and automation, Indian employees say data security and ethical AI and automation skills will become increasingly more important in the workplace. When asked what soft skills will likely be more important as a result, employees ranked customer relationship and creative skills as highest.

With workers wanting to expand their limited set of digital skills, they are now favouring companies seeking to boost emerging technology skills and focus on skills-based hiring  nine in 10 believe that businesses should prioritize digital skills development for their employees.

A global movement toward skills-based hiring

The shift toward skills-based hiring is evident at all levels. Globally, most (82%) people leaders surveyed said that skills are the most important attribute when evaluating candidates. Only 18% said that relevant degree/industry-specific qualifications are the most important.

Most global people leaders (98%) believe the shift to skills-based hiring provides business benefits. Over half (56%) cited talent retention as a benefit. Increased workforce diversity (48%) and knowledge sharing (46%)also ranked highly.

Additionally, most people leaders globally believe that prioritizing employees digital skills development will have positive impacts on wider business performance, citing increased productivity (47%), better team performance (43%), and improved problem-solving capabilities (40%).

Current headwinds businesses are facing demonstrate the need for embedding resilience at every level of an organization. This starts with investing in the right technology and skills. As more companies adapt AI and automation to streamline their operations and boost efficiencies, the need to train employees to leverage these tools will become even greater. Complimenting employees excitement for the opportunities these tools offer with effective skills development programs should be an important part of every business leaders strategic plan, said Sanket Atal, Managing Director  Salesforce India Operations & Site Lead, Salesforce India.
Dell Technologies advances software-driven innovation across its industry-leading storage portfolio, driving increased cyber resiliency, energy efficiency and automation to power customers multicloud journeys.

Dells commitment to software development has resulted in more than 2,000 storage portfolio advancements in the past twelve months across every category of the external storage industry. These advances are available at no additional cost to existing customers and are consumable through on-premises software or as-a-Service via Dell APEX.

As data continues to pile up, and skilled IT talent often difficult to find, companies are finding themselves in a position to do more with less, said Jeff Boudreau, president and general manager, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell Technologies. Were helping customers rise to this challenge by enabling them to make the most of their IT investments with storage software innovation that is more energy efficient, boosts productivity and strengthens cyber resiliency.

Exponential growth of data coupled with mutlicloud environments and a constant fear of cyberthreats is creating a need for a future ready storage portfolio like never before. Software driven storage innovations are key to accelerate Zero Trust adoption, scale up productivity and enable businesses to make the most of their existing IT investments. Catering to the needs of todays businesses, Dells PowerStore Plus portfolio is well positioned to support critical processes through automation, security, and multicloud capabilities while meeting their sustainability goals, said Manish Gupta, Vice President, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell Technologies, India.

Built to meet the most stringent security requirements across any industry

PowerStore, Dells intelligent all-flash data storage array, is delivering increased security to help todays leading businesses adopt a Zero Trust model  a security architecture that provides continuous verification of users and resources to ensure the authorization of only known entities and actions.

Through PowerStores new security software enhancements, Dell is helping customers accelerate Zero Trust adoption to better protect, prevent and respond to cyberattacks. New advancements include:

STIG-hardening  Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) meet the most stringent configuration standards as defined by the U.S. federal government and the U.S. Department of Defense. STIG hardening adds to PowerStores adherence with the NIST Cyber Security Framework standard, which is required for U.S. federal networks and other government entities worldwide.

 Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) meet the most stringent configuration standards as defined by the U.S. federal government and the U.S. Department of Defense. STIG hardening adds to PowerStores adherence with the NIST Cyber Security Framework standard, which is required for U.S. federal networks and other government entities worldwide. Secure and immutable snapshots  Prevents unauthorized deleting or modifying of snapshots before their expiration date.

 Prevents unauthorized deleting or modifying of snapshots before their expiration date. Streamlined file permissions  Allows storage administrators to manage access directly from PowerStore to respond quickly to security threats.

 Allows storage administrators to manage access directly from PowerStore to respond quickly to security threats. Increased file resiliency  Up to 4x more mounted snapshots per system, giving users more protection points for granular recovery if needed.

 Up to 4x more mounted snapshots per system, giving users more protection points for granular recovery if needed. Multi-factor authentication  Protects administrative access to PowerStore by requiring increased verification of a users identity.

Dell helps customers drive increased productivity while keeping costs down

New PowerStore software automation and multicloud advancements help customers make the most of their existing IT investments while keeping operational and energy costs down. These new PowerStore features include:

Dell PowerProtect native integration  Organizations now have increased simplicity and choice driving their multicloud data protection strategies with convenient backup to the cloud capability through PowerStores deeper integration into Dells physical and software-defined data protection solutions. Backups can be configured in less than two minutes, directly from the PowerStore user interface, allowing customers to easily take advantage of PowerProtect appliances with up to 65:1 data reduction, DD Boost technology and other capabilities. The solution can enable cost-effective cloud archiving, reducing on-premises capacity requirements which can help reduce power and cooling costs.

DevOps workflow enhancements  New integrations with Ansible and Terraform and new application mobility capabilities with Dell Container Storage Modules help PowerStore customers accelerate innovation with flexible storage automation. By supporting these open source solutions, PowerStore gives DevOps workers easy-to-use storage automation tools and the ability to build repeatable, automated processes across diverse environments to provision storage without low-level coding or help desk support.

PowerStore delivers up to 60% more IOPS (input/output operations per second) per watt, now available with ENERGY STAR certified configurations, providing dramatic increases in both density and performance per watt as the most energy efficient PowerStore system to date. With this advancement, Dell is addressing the increased need for energy efficiency and sustainability, one of the most important criteria for IT buying decisions according to a recent IDC survey.

With Dell PowerStores compression technology, we reduced our old storage area network from as much as 20 systems, down to twoa 90% reduction in our footprint, said Nathan Young, IT director, Maricopa County Recorders Office. As a result, PowerStore has improved our energy efficiency while allowing us to innovate to meet changing demands from constituents and the increased expectations of our staff.

Dell ramps up software-driven storage innovation

In addition to PowerStore, new software innovations address a wide range of advancements across the Dell Storage portfolio:

Dell PowerMax, the worlds most secure, mission-critical storage, strengthens cybersecurity by enabling an operational airgap to allow customers to expedite recovery of compromised production data following a cyberattack.

the worlds most secure, mission-critical storage, strengthens cybersecurity by enabling an operational airgap to allow customers to expedite recovery of compromised production data following a cyberattack. Dell PowerFlex, Dells software-defined infrastructure, speeds modernization with enhanced NVMe/TCP and security.

Dells software-defined infrastructure, speeds modernization with enhanced NVMe/TCP and security. Dell ObjectScale, Dells software-defined object-storage platform, introduces faster enterprise S3 object storage performance with a simpler deployment and support experience.

Dells software-defined object-storage platform, introduces faster enterprise S3 object storage performance with a simpler deployment and support experience. Dell CloudIQ, Dells AIOps software, extends its AI/ML-driven performance and capacity analytics and VMware integration to simplify and accelerate IT and DevOps.

Dells AIOps software, extends its AI/ML-driven performance and capacity analytics and VMware integration to simplify and accelerate IT and DevOps. Dell Unity XT, Dells flexible hybrid storage platform, increases Ansible support to enhance storage automation, helping customers lower costs, reduce errors and increase productivity.

Availability
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:

Elon Musk holds one of his children as he watches a Red Bull racing crew during practice for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race, at Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, May 6, 2023. Musk said Thursday he has found a new CEO for Twitter, or X Corp. as its now called  and it's a woman. He did not name her but said she will be starting in about six weeks. Credit: AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File

Elon Musk said Thursday he has found a new CEO for Twitter, or X Corp. as it's now calledand it's a woman. He did not name her but said she will be starting in about six weeks.

Musk, who bought Twitter last fall and has been running it since, has long insisted he is not the company's permanent CEO. The Tesla billionaire said in a tweet Thursday that his role will transition to being Twitter's executive chairman and chief technology officer.

In mid-November, just a few weeks after buying the social media platform for $44 billion, he told a Delaware court that he does not want to be the CEO of any company.

While testifying, Musk said "I expect to reduce my time at Twitter and find somebody else to run Twitter over time."

More than a month later, he tweeted in December: "I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job." The pledge came after millions of Twitter users asked him to step down in a Twitter poll the billionaire himself created and promised to abide by.

In February, he told a conference he anticipated finding a CEO for San Francisco-based Twitter "probably toward the end of this year."

Analysts who follow Twitter's business welcomed the news even without knowing who the replacement will be. Twitter's advertising business has taken a hit under Musk's mercurial rule, though the billionaire told BBC last month that the company is now "roughly" breaking even.

A Twitter logo hangs outside the company's offices in San Francisco, Dec. 19, 2022. Elon Musk said Thursday, May 11, 2023, that he has found a new CEO for Twitter, or X Corp. as it is now called. He did not name the person but she will be starting in about six weeks. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File

"A new CEO is the only way forward for Twitter," said Insider Intelligence analyst Jasmine Enberg. "The single biggest problem with Twitter's ad business was Elon Musk. As he steps back, Twitter can begin to unravel Musk's personal brand from the company's corporate image and attempt to regain trust among advertisers. The success of those efforts will depend on who takes over, but it's difficult to imagine that the new CEO could be more controversial or damaging to Twitter's ad business than Musk has been."

Shares of Tesla rose about 2% Thursday after Musk made the announcement. Shareholders of the electric car company have been concerned about how much of his attention is being spent on Twitter.

Last November, he was questioned in court about how he splits his time among Tesla and his other companies, including SpaceX and Twitter. Musk had to testify in the trial in Delaware's Court of Chancery over a shareholder's challenge to his potentially $55 billion compensation plan as CEO of the electric car company.

Musk said he never intended to be CEO of Tesla, and that he didn't want to be chief executive of any other companies either, preferring to see himself as an engineer. Musk also said at the time that he expected an organizational restructuring of Twitter to be completed in the next week or so. It's been nearly six months since he said that.

Musk's tenure at Twitter's helm has been chaotic, and he's made various promises and proclamations he's backtracked or never followed up on. He began his first day firing the company's top executives, followed by roughly 80% of its staff. He's upended the platform's verification system and has scaled back content moderation and safeguards against the spread of misinformation.

Bantering with Twitter followers late last year, Musk expressed pessimism about the prospects for a new CEO, saying that person "must like pain a lot" to run a company that "has been in the fast lane to bankruptcy."

"No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor," Musk tweeted at the time.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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:

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Google on Wednesday disclosed plans to infuse its dominant search engine with more advanced artificial-intelligence technology, a drive that's in response to one of the biggest threats to its long-established position as the internet's main gateway.

The gradual shift in how Google's search engine runs is rolling out three months after Microsoft's Bing search engine started to tap into technology similar to that which powers the artificially intelligent chatbot ChatGPT, which has created one of Silicon Valley's biggest buzzes since Apple released the first iPhone 16 years ago.

Google, which is owned by Alphabet Inc., already has been testing its own conversational chatbot called Bard. That product, powered by technology called generative AI that also fuels ChatGPT, has only been available to people accepted from a waitlist. But Google announced Wednesday that Bard will be available to all comers in more than 180 countries and more languages beyond English.

Bard's multilingual expansion will begin with Japanese and Korean before adding about 40 more languages.

Now Google is ready to test the AI waters with its search engine, which has been synonymous with finding things on the internet for the past 20 years and serves as the pillar of a digital advertising empire that generated more than $220 billion in revenue last year.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

"We are at an exciting inflection point," Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai told a packed developers conference in a speech peppered with one AI reference after another. "We are reimagining all our products, including search."

More AI technology will be coming to Google's Gmail with a "Help Me Write" option that will produce lengthy replies to emails in seconds, and a tool for photos called "Magic Editor" that will automatically doctor pictures.

The AI transition will begin cautiously with the search engine that serves as Google's crown jewel.

The deliberate approach reflects the balancing act that Google must negotiate as it tries to remain on the cutting edge while also preserving its reputation for delivering reliable search resultsa mantle that could be undercut by artificial intelligence's penchant for fabricating information that sounds authoritative.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

The tendency to produce deceptively convincing answers to questionsa phenomenon euphemistically described as "hallucinations"has already been cropping up during the early testing of Bard, which like ChatGPT, relies on still-evolving generative AI technology.

Google will take its next AI steps through a newly formed search lab where people in the U.S. can join a waitlist to test how generative AI will be incorporated in search results. The tests also include the more traditional links to external websites where users can read more extensive information about queried topics. It may take several weeks before Google starts sending invitations to those accepted from the waitlist to test the AI-injected search engine.

The AI results will be clearly tagged as an experimental form of technology and Google is pledging the AI-generated summaries will sound more factual than conversationala distinct contrast from Bard and ChatGPT, which are programmed to convey more human-like personas. Google is building in guardrails that will prevent the AI baked into the search engine from responding to sensitive questions about healthsuch as, "Should I give Tylenol to a 3-year-old?"and finance matters. In those instances, Google will continue to steer people to authoritative websites.

The Google Pixel Fold is demonstrated at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Google isn't predicting how long it will be before its search engine will include generative AI results for all comers. The Mountain View, California, company has been under intensifying pressure to demonstrate how its search engine will maintain its leadership since Microsoft began to load AI into Bing, which remains a distant second to Google.

The potential threat caused Alphabet's stock price to initially plunge, although it has recently bounced back to where it stood when Bing announced its AI plans to great fanfare. More recently, The New York Times reported Samsung is considering dropping Google as the default search engine on its widely used smartphones, raising the specter that Apple might adopt a similar tactic with the iPhone unless Google can show its search engine can evolve with what appears to be a forthcoming AI-driven revolution.

Alphabet's shares surged 4% Wednesday after Google's wave of AI announcements to finish at $111.75, the highest closing price since Bing began melding with ChatGPT in early February.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

As it begins to ingrain AI in its search engine, Google is aiming to make Bard smarter by connecting with the next generation of a massive data set known as a "large language model," or LLM, that fuels it. The LLM that Bard relies on is dubbed Pathways Language Model, or PaLM. The AI in Google's search engine will draw upon the next-generation PaLM2 and another technology known as a Multitask Unified Model, or MUM.

Although people will have to wait to see how Google's search engine will deploy generative AI to find answers, a new tool soon be more broadly available to all users. Google is going to add a new filter called "Perspectives" that will focus on what people are saying online about whatever topic is entered into the search engine. The new feature will be placed along existing search filters for news, images and video.

Besides using its annual tech showcase to tout its prowess in AI, Google also unveiled the first foldable smartphone in its Pixel line-up of gadgets. Google's entry into a new type of smartphone design that allows users to deploy the device as a mini-tablet too comes nearly three years after Samsungthe leading maker of smartphones powered by Google's Android softwareintroduced its first bendable model.

The Google Pixel Fold is demonstrated at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

The camera to the Google Pixel Fold is shown at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

A person looks at the Google Pixel Fold at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

The Google Pixel Fold is demonstrated at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Thomas Kurian speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Google Pixel 7a phones are displayed at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

A person looks at the Google Pixel Fold at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

The Google Pixel tablet is demonstrated at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Rick Osterloh speaks about the Google Pixel Fold at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

A person takes photos of the Google Pixel Fold at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Foldable phones so far have remained a niche market, largely because of prices ranging between $1,500 and $2,000. Last year, about 14 million foldable phones were sold worldwide, accounting for just 1% of overall smartphone shipments, according to the research firm International Data Corp.

Google's foldable Pixel phone will sell for $1,800 and begin shipping next month. It will unfold with a hinge and, of course, be packed with AI.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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:

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Google unveiled an experimental way to search the internet that gives more conversational results, and said its artificial intelligence chatbot, Bard, is now available for much of the world to use online.

As part of a suite of AI announcements at its I/O conference on Wednesday, the company also introduced a new large language model, called PaLM 2, that developers can use to train tools like chatbots. Google said it has already woven the update into many of its marquee products, including Gmail and Bard.

"We're at an exciting inflection point," Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said. "We have an opportunity to make AI even more helpful for people, for businesses, for communities, for everyone."

The efforts to reinvent major parts of its business with AI, which the company is unveiling at its conference in Mountain View, California, showcase how Alphabet Inc.'s Google is responding to competitive threats. Google is asserting its dominance in the market following moves by companies including Microsoft Corp., which is now using technology from the startup OpenAI in its own search product, Bing.

"Consumers now have more access to choice, so AI is Google's market to lose," said Zeno Mercer, research analyst at investment advisory firm ROBO Global.

Underpinning all the new product developments are Google's large language modelsmassive AI systems that ingest enormous volumes of digital text from news articles, social media posts or other internet sources, and use that material to train software that predicts and generates content on its own when given a prompt or query. Google has pioneered research into LLMs, which power the current crop of AI chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Any changes to Google search have the potential to upend users' habit of typing keywords into a blank search bar, then getting a list of relevant links to sources.

Product for cloud clients

Google's cloud service on Wednesday announced a variety of new ways that clients can use its generative AI tools.

The company unveiled a new service, Duet AI, which it called an "AI-powered collaborator." Google said the product would help clients with a range of tasks, from providing input on users' code to helping them create applications without writing code at all.

The company also said it would release three new AI models to its clients: Codey, for help with coding; Imagen, for image generation; and Chirp, which processes speech. In addition, Google said it would release tools that will make it easier for companies to tweak its models based on human feedback.

Other features in Duet AI let cloud customers and app developers use AI-powered prompts to write code, as well as build custom features into their Google Workspace apps, the company said. The cloud customers themselves don't need to be able to code.

Google said that Duet AI for Google Cloud was available starting Wednesday "for limited users" through its AI trusted tester program, and that it plans to expand access soon.

Testing new generative AI features in search

Generative AI is coming to Google's flagship product. The new search offering, which Google is calling "search generative experience," or SGE for short, displays an AI-produced response at the top of results, which seeks to answer a user's query while summarizing key information and linking to website sources.

"Information quality has been the foundation, always, of our search experience," Liz Reid, Google's vice president of search, said in an interview ahead of the announcement. "And we really think, with generative AI, how do you bring both the strength of that, but really live up to the promise? Users have deeply relied on us for information use cases, and have deep trust in the mission of the company to do that."

If someone is using the new search features to figure out where best to go on a family vacation, for example, they could type "What's better for a family with kids under 3 and a dog, Bryce Canyon or Arches?" into Google's search bar. Google then makes a summary using AI.

In a demonstration, Google showed how its systems pulled from sources around the web to describe how both Bryce Canyon and Arches National Park are family-friendly, though Bryce Canyon has hiking trails that allow dogs.

On a right-hand carousel beside this description, Google lists the websites where its AI drew information fromthough unlike Microsoft's Bing, it doesn't footnote sources. The company said that one situation it thinks generative AI can handle particularly well is assisting people who want to use Google to research what to buy online.

Google also announced a new filter called Perspectives, which aims to show users long- and short-form videos and other forum posts describing the experiences of people from around the webthe company's bid to appeal to a younger user base and counter the massive popularity of ByteDance Ltd.'s TikTok.

Reid said the Perspectives filter could pull in videos from YouTube and feature social media influencers, though not every search query will trigger Perspectives. Google is launching Perspectives first for topics like shopping, travel and how-to advice, but the filter won't be triggered for sensitive issues, including health, finance, or politically-charged topics.

Google announced a flurry of other AI-related features in experimental search coming soon, including ads. The company also said it would soon allow users to get information about AI-generated images with labels so users can tell when photos are created by AI services like Midjourney and Shutterstock, and a new tool called "About this image" will disclose information such as when Google first registered the image and where else it has appeared. The feature will debut in the US first.

Google is opening signups to its Search Labs features for US users on Wednesday, but access to the generative AI search features will roll out to those who get off the waitlist over "the coming weeks."

Weaving AI technology into Google Docs, Sheets and Slides

Google has woven generative AI into its popular Workspace productivity suite, letting users tap into the technology as they work on files in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.

The company is calling the new generative AI features Duet AI for Workspace.

"Workspace was built to allow you to collaborate in real-time with other people. Now you can collaborate in real-time with AI," said Aparna Pappu, Google's vice president for Workspace, on stage at the event.

In Gmail and Docs, Google said Duet AI can help users draft complete responses using simple prompts. For example, users can ask the AI system to generate a thank you letter for a job interview or request a glowing review for a team member. In Google Slides, Duet AI can generate images for marketing campaigns. And in Google Sheets, the company said people can use Duet AI to ease the burden of manual data entry, for instance by creating custom plans for tasks, or automatically assigning labels to particular columns within a worksheet.

Lifts waitlist for AI chatbot Bard

Google's AI chatbot Bard, which is seen as the company's answer to ChatGPT, is opening up to all who want to use it and adding new features.

Google is aiming for parity with its biggest competitor, Microsoft's Bing chatbot, which dispensed with its waitlist earlier this month.

Sissie Hsiao, Google's vice president of product for Bard, said that Bard is now available in Japanese and Korean and will soon extend to more languages. In order to let users more easily transfer over answers from Bard, Google on Wednesday said it would let users export responses from the chatbot to Gmail and Google Docs.

Soon, users will also be able to prompt the chatbot with images, the company saidanother feature that Microsoft recently announced for its Bing search engine.

Bard will also soon connect to more apps from Google and third-party companies, the company said. Partnerships are coming soon with companies including Adobe, Kayak and Instacart. And Google said it would add features to make it easier for developers to work with Bard to write code and complete other tasks.

Google debuts language model PaLM 2 touting language, math skills

On Wednesday, Google introduced a new large language model known as PaLM 2 that it said had already been woven into many of its marquee products.

PaLM 2 was trained on massive quantities of text from across the web. The model was also trained on coding language and mathematical data, helping it fare better with logic and math problems, Google said. As some in the field of AI have noted how OpenAI's ChatGPT struggles with word problems, the new model from Google is expected to be evaluated closely for its performance against OpenAI's technology.

Google is releasing the model in various sizes, and the smallest can be used on mobile devices, the company said.

2023 Bloomberg L.P.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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:

Holly Samuelson, an associate professor of architecture at the GSD, looks at climate changes impact on new city and state regulations as architects, designers, and developers try to stay current. Credit: Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer

The push to prepare American cities and towns for greater climate resilience has become more urgent in recent years as scientific evidence of warming mounts and extreme weather events grow more common. Officials in many states, including Massachusetts and New York, are enacting new rules requiring developers and property owners to change or reduce the type or amount of energy used in their buildings, to incorporate certain construction materials and technology while excluding others, and to plan for rising seas and stormwater runoff.

These rules are adding extra costs to projects and sometimes require using relatively unproven technologies. And the rapidly shifting scientific, regulatory, and technological landscapes mean that even the most forward-thinking projects can soon be rendered obsolete, which is what happened with One Vanderbilt, a skyscraper near Grand Central Station. The project, intended to be an environmental showpiece, faced potential retrofitting of its innovative green heating-power system by the time it opened in 2021 because of newly adopted city climate regulations.

Holly Samuelson, M.Des. '09, D.Des. '13, is an associate professor of architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design who focuses on architectural technology and how issues related to building design impact human and environmental health. She spoke to the Gazette about how the field is responding to all the rapid changes. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

GAZETTE: There has been growing recognition that the effects of climate change are happening sooner and could be more extreme than anticipated. Has that changed the way projects are planned, designed, and built?

Samuelson: I've seen increasing focus, investment, and expertise related to climate change. I think we're going to see the pace accelerate going forward. I'm particularly interested in the new laws on existing buildings. In New York City, that's local law 97. In Boston, that's BERDO 2.0 [Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance] and will be BEUDO 2.0 [Building Energy Use and Disclosure Ordinance] in Cambridge. These are among the first wave of laws targeting existing buildings.

In Boston, BERDO 2.0 will require existing buildings of a certain size to be net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. That's causing a stir because for the first time, existing buildings can't simply remain energy hogs with no penalty. And for new buildings, it's changing decisions. Design teams and owners are realizing that their new buildings will become existing buildings and be regulated by these laws.

GAZETTE: What aspects of climate change are consuming the most attention?

Samuelson: Much of the focus has been and is on operational energy performance or bringing down the energy use of buildings. Two things are happening rapidly. First, there's an increase in interest in lifecycle carbon emissions, meaning that you think about the greenhouse gas emissions that came from not only operating the building, but also from manufacturing and constructing [it], from extraction to demolition, etc.

Traditionally, buildings were such energy hogs when they were running that we could kind of ignore the carbon emissions that went into building the buildings because they were such a small slice of the pie. But now we're shrinking the rest of the pie in terms of operational emissions, and we're greening our grids, so the relative importance of the embodied emissions is growing.

Another trend we're going to seewe're not there yetis considering the timing of energy use in buildings and how it impacts greenhouse gas emissions. If we really are going to green our grids, we're probably going to see more and more intermittent renewables, like wind and solar, which produce power at certain times. There are different ways of aligning supply and demand. One way is to adjust the timing of our demand in buildings. So, we're starting to think more and more about that.

GAZETTE: Given the increased cost to design and build for climate change and sustainability, and the risk associated with adopting new technologies that don't have a lot of data behind them yet, are developers and property owners thinking twice about the ambition of their plans?

Samuelson: Well, it can be expensive to not design for resilience. We've seen on the news people dying from indoor conditions during heat events, power outages, cold spells, hurricanes, etc. And on the commercial building side, we know that a business taken offline can be very expensive.

Although technology is changing, many of the strategies to make our buildings more resilient and to shrink their carbon footprints are well-known and well-tested. For example, using better window systems, often using less glass area so that more wall area can be well-insulated, using proper window shading. The importance of these fundamental strategies is increasing.

When designing for climate resilience, I think of basic strategies like moving expensive equipment from basements to higher floors if you're in a floodplain, designing for hurricane-resistant envelopes, or putting in operable windows and insulation to mitigate against heat and cold extremes and power outages. These are not unknown technologies.

If you're trying to do a cost-benefit analysis, it's difficult to know the probability that some extreme event is going to hit your building. And you're right: We have a problem with long-term data because things are changing so quickly that, in some cases, the long-term data may not be adequate anymore. So, while there can be uncertainty about the future, in some ways, our path is becoming clearer.

GAZETTE: One Vanderbilt incorporated costly, cutting-edge energy technology, and made specific choices around resiliency. By the time the building opened in 2021, new city regulations rendered the technology outdated. Is this kind of thing happening frequently?

Samuelson: One Vanderbiltthat's an interesting example. They put in a system that burns "natural" gas on site to make both heat and electricity simultaneously, which is generally more efficient than burning gas at the building for heat while also burning fossil fuel at the power plant, wasting most of the heat, and then bringing the electricity to the building. According to the Energy Information Administration, on average in the U.S. in 2019, more than 60 percent of energy was lost going from the power plant to the building. So, One Vanderbilt's system was considered a step forward from the prevailing technology at the time.

What happened since the planning of One Vanderbilt is the New York City law regulating certain existing buildings, with carbon caps becoming much more stringent over time. According to the EPA power profiler, in 2021 the city's electricity was generated from about 90 percent gas, just under 9 percent nuclear, and most of the rest from fossil fuels, with the expectation of future decarbonization. At the same time, if you heat the building with a heat pump, which is the trend we're moving toward today, each unit of electricity can "pump" more than one unit of heat into the building. But once a building has gas infrastructure, it's going to be expensive to replace that with electric systems later.

Another thing about that building is that less glass would use less energy since glass is the worst thermal performer in the envelope. That was likely known at the time and probably other priorities prevailed. So, while we can't know the future of building regulations, maybe that's a lesson to all of us: There's a trend toward more stringent regulations. So, we may need to calibrate our priorities.

GAZETTE: You mentioned that the rapidly changing regulatory environment is exciting and a positive development, but does it make it more challenging to design and plan projects because you're making decisions based on existing conditions and but also perhaps want to anticipate what may be coming so you're not caught flat-footed if something changes in the middle of a project?

Samuelson: In Boston, I've heard of new building projects where their future anticipated BERDO 2.0 requirements have tipped the balance in favor of electrifying the building, for example, because they know that by 2050, they will have to be at net zero, so they want to be poised to take advantage of the greening of the grid. Whereas, if you put in a gas system, you're somewhat locked into using that, and it's not going to get cleaner as the grid changes.

These kinds of laws have been spreading to other cities. So, if another major metropolitan area in the U.S. does not yet have these kinds of laws, and I were an architect or a developer in those cities, I would have in mind that there's a good possibility that these will come, and we should be prepared for them.

I think you make the best decisions possible with the information that's available. No one has a crystal ball. That's how Harvard as a university can help, because we're able to look farther ahead than what design teams have the capability to spend time on right now, and we can say, "Here's what we think is coming, and here's what we think is going to be important if we look farther down the road." So, the best we can do is to arm decision-makers with the best information possible about the anticipated future.

This story is published courtesy of the Harvard Gazette, Harvard University's official newspaper. For additional university news, visit Harvard.edu.
Authorities identified the Cameron Police officer and a suspect who were killed during a shooting late Wednesday night.

The officer has been identified as Sgt. Joshua Lee Clouse, a 39-year-old from Cameron. The suspect is Albert Rafael Acosta, a 29-year-old from Cameron.

At around 10:55 p.m., Cameron police responded to a report of a gunshot victim in the 700 block of N. Travis Street in Cameron, according to the Milam County Sheriffs Office. Upon arrival, the victim told police she had been shot in the neck by her spouse, later identified as Acosta.

Cameron police obtained a search warrant for a house in the 500 block of E. 7th Street in Cameron. Law enforcement from the Milam County Sheriffs Office, Rockdale Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety assisted in the execution of the warrant.

When law enforcement executed the warrant, Acosta opened fire and law enforcement fired back. Acosta was killed and Clouse was wounded.

Clouse was transported to the nearest ER where he succumbed to his injuries.

There is no danger to the public at this time. The Milam County Sheriffs Office has requested the assistance of the Texas Rangers to investigate the incident.

The 100 Club of Central Texas activated its Survivor Fund in response to Clouses death. The funds mission is to help ease the burden for the family of someone who fell in the line of duty and all donations go toward supporting families of first responders who fell in the line of duty. For more information, or to donate, visit 100clubcentex.com/program-fund-activation.
The Texas Houses education committee planned to vote Wednesday on a new 80-page version of the Senates priority school voucher proposal, which would reduce the number of students who are eligible to the program, make changes to the states standardized test and remove the bills restriction on teaching about gender and sexual orientation.

Senate Bill 8, by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, passed the Senate last month. Its centerpiece is an education savings account program that would work like voucher programs and direct state funds to help Texas families pay for private schooling. The version of the bill approved by the Senate would be open to most K-12 students in Texas and would give parents who opt out of the public school system up to $8,000 in taxpayer money per student each year. These funds could be used to pay for a childs private schooling and other educational expenses, such as textbooks or tutoring.

The House version of SB 8, the details of which were first reported by The Texas Tribune, adds specific criteria to which students would be eligible to enter the program. The bill says the program would be limited to certain students like those with a disability, those who are educationally disadvantaged  meaning they qualify for free or reduced lunch  or those who attend a campus that received a grade of D or lower in its accountability rating in the last two school years. A child also would be eligible if they have a sibling in the program.

Under the proposal, a large portion of Texas students would be eligible. About 60% of Texass 5.5 million students qualify for free or reduced lunch and kids in special education programs account for 12% of the total student population. Last year, about 7% of all school campuses graded received a D or lower, but were labeled not rated because of coronavirus interruptions.

It is expected that the new version of the bill wont be open to testimony before the committee votes on it. Zeph Capo, president of Texas American Federation of Teachers, said lawmakers are making a rushed decision.

This committee is about to vote on a brand-new 80-page bill they havent read and havent heard a single piece of testimony on, he said. This feels desperate and frenzied  the worst circumstances under which to make public policy.

The issue of school choice has been a top priority for Gov. Greg Abbott this year. He has traveled the state making the case that Texas public schools are pushing woke ideologies on students, and that families should have the ability to send their children elsewhere. Longtime school supporters of voucher-like programs also argue that students attending failing schools should have the ability to send their kids to more successful schools, and that the competition that vouchers would provide would incentivize all schools to get better.

David DeMatthews, an associate professor of educational leadership and policy at UT-Austin, said the bill looks to sweeten the deal for the House, which has been historically against voucher programs. But the concern lies that private schools are not required to take students with disabilities and the amount of money offered isnt close to enough needed to educate these students.

Its a false promise, he said. The private schools are going to take students who dont have disabilities and are not more expensive to educate and the public schools are going to be left with fewer kids and fewer dollars and still have to meet all the needs of the students with the most severe needs.

The House version also would require students in the program to take a state assessment test, potentially adding a degree of accountability that critics have said was sorely missing.

In addition, the bill would make changes to the annual stipends that families enrolled in the program get. It would give them about $10,500 a year if their child is educationally disadvantaged and has a disability, $9,000 if their child is educationally disadvantaged and $7,500 for every other child.

The bill will face stiff opposition from public education advocates, who argue that while it reduces the number of students who would be eligible to the program, the higher annual stipends that participating parents would get could end up costing the state more than the Senates version.

The Senate version of SB 8 severely restricted classroom lessons, campus activities and educator guidance about sexual orientation and gender identity in public and charter schools up to 12th grade, with very limited exceptions. Creighton has previously told the Tribune that the bill packaged education saving accounts and these restrictions together because parents he talked to view these issues as inextricably linked.

The Houses version eliminates those restrictions  but the provision is not dead.

Lawmakers can still amend the legislation, and its unclear whether they intend to add back the restrictions into the final version of the bill before it comes for a vote. The lower chamber is also considering Senate Bill 1072, part of which mirrors SB 8s language on this issue. This bill, authored by Republican Sen. Bryan Hughes of Mineola, passed out of the upper chamber earlier this month and is currently waiting for a hearing in the House Public Education Committee.

The Texas Houses version of SB 8 also eliminates a Senate provision that sought to give districts with fewer than 20,000 students $10,000 for five years for every child who enrolls in the savings account program and leaves their district. The provision was seen as a way to convince Texans in rural communities to support the bill, but they have remained largely unswayed. While public education advocates had criticized the provision as a poor attempt to gain rural Republicans support for the voucher program, they said eliminating it would leave school districts in a more vulnerable position if the bill becomes law.

In addition, this version of SB 8 calls for changes to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, more commonly known as the STAAR. No later than the 2027-28 school year, the Texas Education Agency would be tasked with creating a new test that would be more aligned with what children learn in the classroom. The new test would be called the Texas Success Initiative Assessment.

And instead of it being one test, the House version requires the TEA to spread the evaluation in three parts, given during different times of the year. Students in grades 3-8 would be required to take it.

This method has already been piloted in several school districts across the state. The TSIA is currently a test colleges give to high school students to determine what classes they should be in.

For high schoolers, the bill eliminates end-of-course STAAR tests. Instead, ninth graders would take a pre-TSIA test, and in 11th grade, they would take the full test to assess what college courses they should be taking.

The legislation also removes the requirement that high schoolers need to pass an assessment to graduate. Failing the assessment would not bar students from receiving a high school diploma under this version.

The changes may make it easier for SB 8 to eventually become law as several House members on both sides have supported STAAR reform. But anything with a voucher program attached  even one with a notably reduced scope  would still face a tough battle in the lower chamber.

In April, the House voted 86-52 for a budget amendment that barred the state from using funds to pay for school vouchers. The vote was largely symbolic but it demonstrated the widespread opposition to voucher-like programs in the lower chamber, even if support has grown in the past two years.

Democrats and rural Republicans have banded together in the past to oppose voucher-like programs as they fear they could take away money from their local school districts. Because Texas school districts receive state funds based on student attendance, they receive less money when any student leaves.
Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. (NYSE:BLX  Get Rating) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $16.82 and traded as high as $18.18. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. shares last traded at $18.01, with a volume of 40,957 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock.

Get Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A. alerts:

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. Stock Up 1.2 %

The business has a 50 day moving average of $17.72 and a 200-day moving average of $16.85. The stock has a market cap of $666.29 million, a PE ratio of 5.66 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.61.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. Dividend Announcement

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. ( NYSE:BLX Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 27th. The bank reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $53.19 million for the quarter. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. had a return on equity of 11.15% and a net margin of 26.11%.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 3rd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.45%. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A.s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.86%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,630,000. Thomas White International Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Thomas White International Ltd. now owns 353,718 shares of the banks stock valued at $5,510,000 after purchasing an additional 1,021 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management grew its stake in shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 972,198 shares of the banks stock valued at $15,750,000 after purchasing an additional 15,990 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 7.19% of the companys stock.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A., a multinational bank, primarily engages in the financing of foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates through two segments, Commercial and Treasury. It offers short and medium-term bilateral loans, structured and syndicated credits, and loan commitments; financial guarantee contracts, such as issued and confirmed letters of credit, and stand-by letters of credit; and guarantees covering commercial risk and other assets, as well as co-financing arrangements, underwriting of syndicated credit facilities, structured trade financing in the form of factoring and vendor financing, and financial leasing.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:BIO.B  Get Rating) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $467.95 and last traded at $467.95, with a volume of 198 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $467.95.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, TheStreet upgraded shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Monday, March 27th.

Get Bio-Rad Laboratories alerts:

Bio-Rad Laboratories Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $11.07 billion, a PE ratio of -57.17 and a beta of 0.69. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $448.95 and its 200-day moving average price is $416.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 5.56 and a quick ratio of 4.28.

About Bio-Rad Laboratories

Bio-Rad Laboratories ( NYSE:BIO.B Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $3.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Bio-Rad Laboratories had a negative net margin of 7.01% and a positive return on equity of 4.10%. The firm had revenue of $676.84 million during the quarter.

(Get Rating)

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc manufactures, and distributes life science research and clinical diagnostic products in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company operates through Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics segments. The Life Science segment develops, manufactures, and markets a range of reagents, apparatus, and laboratory instruments that are used in research techniques, biopharmaceutical production processes, and food testing regimes.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Bio-Rad Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bio-Rad Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MHD  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 7,000 shares, a decline of 63.7% from the April 15th total of 19,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 99,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days.

BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund Trading Up 0.3 %

MHD stock traded up $0.04 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $11.66. 120,165 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 97,069. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $11.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $11.79. BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund has a one year low of $10.70 and a one year high of $13.79.

Get BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund alerts:

BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.0355 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th. This represents a $0.43 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.65%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund

About BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Raymond James & Associates lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund by 11.9% during the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 42,130 shares of the companys stock worth $600,000 after buying an additional 4,484 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund during the first quarter worth $214,000. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund by 10.0% during the first quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 33,054 shares of the companys stock worth $470,000 after buying an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund during the first quarter worth $397,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund during the first quarter worth $233,000.

(Get Rating)

BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund, Inc acts as Closed-End Investment Fund/Investment Trust. Its investment objective is to provide high current income from U.S. federal income taxes by investing primarily in a portfolio of medium- to lower-grade or unrated municipal obligations, the interest on which, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is from U.S.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock MuniHoldings Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
CTT  Correios De Portugal, S.A. (OTCMKTS:CTTPY  Get Rating) shares reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $7.61 and last traded at $7.61, with a volume of 0 shares. The stock had previously closed at $7.61.

CTT  Correios De Portugal Price Performance

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $7.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $6.33.

About CTT  Correios De Portugal

(Get Rating)

CTT  Correios De Portugal, SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides postal and financial services worldwide. It operates through Mail, Express & Parcels, Financial Services & Retail, and Bank segments. The company offers courier and urgent mail transport services; postal financial services; and banking services.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for CTT - Correios De Portugal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CTT - Correios De Portugal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of Greene King plc (LON:GNK  Get Rating) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 849.20 ($10.72) and traded as high as GBX 849.40 ($10.72). Greene King shares last traded at GBX 849.20 ($10.72), with a volume of 6,678,342 shares changing hands.

Greene King Trading Up 0.0 %

The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 849.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 849.20. The firm has a market capitalization of 2.63 billion and a P/E ratio of 21.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 111.89, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.51.

Greene King Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Greene King plc operates as a pub retailer and brewer in the United Kingdom. The company operates through three segments: Pub Company, Pub Partners, and Brewing & Brands. Its brands include Greene King Local Pubs, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill, Farmhouse Inns, and Chef & Brewer. The company is also involved in brewing, marketing, and selling beer under the Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, and Belhaven Best brands.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Greene King Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Greene King and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Mogo Inc. (TSE:MOGO  Get Rating)s stock price was up 1.9% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as C$1.08 and last traded at C$1.07. Approximately 17,065 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 82% from the average daily volume of 95,138 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$1.05.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on MOGO shares. Eight Capital boosted their price target on shares of Mogo from C$2.25 to C$3.00 in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Raymond James decreased their price objective on shares of Mogo from C$2.25 to C$1.50 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 24th.

Get Mogo alerts:

Mogo Trading Down 0.9 %

The firm has a market capitalization of C$80.22 million, a PE ratio of -0.45 and a beta of 3.66. The companys 50-day moving average price is C$0.89 and its 200-day moving average price is C$0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 79.49, a quick ratio of 3.99 and a current ratio of 4.41.

Mogo Company Profile

Mogo Inc operates as a financial technology company in Canada and internationally. The company provides digital solutions to the consumers to get in control of their financial health. It offers Mogo app to access a digital spending account with Mogo Visa Platinum Prepaid Card; MogoCrypto that enables the buying and selling of bitcoin; MogoProtect, a free ID fraud protection and monthly credit score monitoring; MogoMortgage, a digital mortgage experience; and MogoMoney that provides access to personal loans.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Mogo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mogo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of Penn Virginia Corporation (PVAHQ) (OTCMKTS:PVAHQ  Get Rating) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $0.00 and traded as high as $0.02. Penn Virginia Corporation (PVAHQ) shares last traded at $0.02, with a volume of 0 shares.

Penn Virginia Corporation (PVAHQ) Price Performance

The business has a 50 day moving average of $0.02.

About Penn Virginia Corporation (PVAHQ)

(Get Rating)

Penn Virginia Corporation is an independent oil and gas company. The Company is engaged in the onshore exploration, development and production of crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and natural gas. Its operations consist primarily of drilling unconventional horizontal development wells, and operating its producing wells in the Eagle Ford Shale field or the Eagle Ford, in South Texas.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Penn Virginia Corporation (PVAHQ) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Penn Virginia Corporation (PVAHQ) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (OTCMKTS:PYRNF  Get Rating) shares dropped 2.4% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $7.22 and last traded at $7.72. Approximately 227,000 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 25% from the average daily volume of 303,313 shares. The stock had previously closed at $7.91.

PyroGenesis Canada Price Performance

The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $7.72.

About PyroGenesis Canada

(Get Rating)

PyroGenesis Canada Inc designs, develops, manufactures, and commercializes advanced plasma processes and systems in Canada and internationally. It offers DROSRITE, a sustainable process for enhancing metal recovery from dross targeting primarily metallurgical industry; plasma atomized metal powders; PUREVAP, a process to produce high purity metallurgical grade silicon and solar grade silicon from quartz; plasma fired steam generator, which directly generates steam suitable for steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) for the oil and gas industry; and custom reactors and furnaces for use in advanced materials, metallurgical, environmental, and chemical fields.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for PyroGenesis Canada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PyroGenesis Canada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
American Strategic Investment Co. (NYSE:NYC  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 5,500 shares, a decrease of 59.0% from the April 15th total of 13,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 8,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.7 days. Currently, 0.4% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, B. Riley cut their target price on American Strategic Investment from $44.00 to $15.00 in a research note on Friday, March 17th.

Get American Strategic Investment alerts:

American Strategic Investment Stock Down 0.8 %

American Strategic Investment stock traded down $0.07 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $8.53. 3,481 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,631. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $10.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.30. American Strategic Investment has a 1-year low of $7.00 and a 1-year high of $88.48.

Insider Buying and Selling

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Strategic Investment

In related news, major shareholder Nicholas S. Schorsch acquired 1,982 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 21st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $12.82 per share, for a total transaction of $25,409.24. Following the purchase, the insider now directly owns 534,270 shares in the company, valued at $6,849,341.40. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . In other news, major shareholder Nicholas S. Schorsch bought 2,448 shares of American Strategic Investment stock in a transaction on Monday, April 17th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $12.64 per share, with a total value of $30,942.72. Following the purchase, the insider now directly owns 529,023 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,686,850.72. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link . Also, major shareholder Nicholas S. Schorsch bought 1,982 shares of American Strategic Investment stock in a transaction on Friday, April 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $12.82 per share, with a total value of $25,409.24. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now directly owns 534,270 shares in the company, valued at $6,849,341.40. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Insiders purchased a total of 21,282 shares of company stock worth $230,216 in the last three months. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of NYC. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of American Strategic Investment by 23.2% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 61,630 shares of the companys stock valued at $814,000 after purchasing an additional 11,599 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP acquired a new position in shares of American Strategic Investment during the 1st quarter valued at $185,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of American Strategic Investment by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 579,523 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,650,000 after purchasing an additional 24,931 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in American Strategic Investment by 11.9% in the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 24,265 shares of the companys stock valued at $320,000 after acquiring an additional 2,578 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in American Strategic Investment by 41.9% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 8,754 shares of the companys stock valued at $116,000 after acquiring an additional 2,585 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 33.73% of the companys stock.

About American Strategic Investment

(Get Rating)

New York City REIT, Inc (NYSE: NYC) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust listed on the NYSE that owns a portfolio of high-quality commercial real estate located within the five boroughs of New York City.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for American Strategic Investment Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Strategic Investment and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
China Gold International Resources Corp. Ltd. (OTCMKTS:JINFF  Get Rating) was the target of a large increase in short interest in April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 210,000 shares, an increase of 782.4% from the April 15th total of 23,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 56.8 days.

China Gold International Resources Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of China Gold International Resources stock traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $5.19. The company had a trading volume of 3,250 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,234. The companys 50-day moving average is $4.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3.43. China Gold International Resources has a twelve month low of $2.30 and a twelve month high of $5.59.

Get China Gold International Resources alerts:

About China Gold International Resources

(Get Rating)

Featured Stories

China Gold International Resources Corp. Ltd. engages in acquisition, development, and exploration of gold and base metal mineral properties. Its project portfolio includes CSH Gold Mine and Jiama Copper Gold Polymetallic Mine. The company was founded on May 31, 2000 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Receive News & Ratings for China Gold International Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Gold International Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Malaga Cove Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A. (NYSE:AVAL  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 13,000 shares of the banks stock, valued at approximately $33,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of AVAL. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 179,975 shares of the banks stock valued at $820,000 after buying an additional 4,870 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores by 19.7% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 50,266 shares of the banks stock valued at $229,000 after purchasing an additional 8,271 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its position in Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores by 9.5% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 64,142 shares of the banks stock valued at $228,000 after buying an additional 5,541 shares in the last quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC grew its stake in Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores by 24.2% during the second quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 64,330 shares of the banks stock worth $228,000 after buying an additional 12,520 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Veriti Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores by 92.4% during the third quarter. Veriti Management LLC now owns 80,184 shares of the banks stock worth $197,000 after buying an additional 38,514 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 0.27% of the companys stock.

Get Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores alerts:

Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores Price Performance

NYSE AVAL traded down $0.04 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $2.38. 5,890 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 105,403. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $2.38 and a 200-day moving average of $2.35. Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A. has a one year low of $1.96 and a one year high of $4.93. The stock has a market cap of $2.64 billion, a PE ratio of 3.78 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores Increases Dividend

Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores ( NYSE:AVAL Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Friday, March 3rd. The bank reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.09 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $786.72 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $813.94 million. Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores had a return on equity of 9.04% and a net margin of 10.38%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A. will post 0.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 31st will be issued a $0.0161 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 30th. This represents a $0.19 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.10%. This is a positive change from Grupo Aval Acciones y Valoress previous monthly dividend of $0.01. Grupo Aval Acciones y Valoress dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.44%.

Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores Profile

(Get Rating)

Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores SA engages in the provision of financial services and products. It operates through the following segments: Banco de Bogota, BHI, Banco de Occidente, Banco Popular, Banco AV Villas, Porvenir, Corficolombiana, and Other. The company was founded by Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo on January 7, 1994 and is headquartered in Bogota, Colombia.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AVAL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A. (NYSE:AVAL  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
China to conduct stem cell research in space station

Xinhua) 10:59, May 11, 2023

WENCHANG, Hainan, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China's new cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-6 is packed with experiment payloads weighing over 700 kg, including samples and devices for stem cell research.

The country will perform human stem cell experiments aboard the Tiangong space station for the first time, to study the impacts of a microgravity environment on human reproduction, according to the scientists.

The planned experiments include the effects of the space microgravity environment on stem cell lineage differentiation, and the 3D growth and tissue construction of stem cells, said Cang Huaixing, a chief researcher for the station's scientific experiments, at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

They were designed by scientists from Tsinghua University and the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology under the CAS.

Cang said the experiments will be carried out inside the Wentian lab module and see embryonic stem cells differentiated into primitive germ cells, egg-like and sperm-like stem cells, and hematopoietic stem cells.

He added that the changes of the germ stem cells in the space microgravity environment will be observed and studied.

Just as taikonauts experience bone and muscle loss, the space environment also affects cells, especially the stem cells, said Cang, indicating that the in-orbit experiments can help answer the question of how microgravity affects human reproduction.

Stem cells can self-renew or multiply while maintaining the potential to develop into other types of cells. They can become cells of the blood, heart, bones, skin, muscle, brain or other body organs. They can also be used as tools for treating several diseases.

One of the goals of China's manned space program is to search for possible habitable planets, Cang said. "The space environment has microgravity and high radiation, so how to travel, survive and have children in such an environment is the main task of our research."

The stem cell samples are stored in special boxes, each containing about 3 ml of the solution containing cells.

The experiments will require at least 72 sample boxes for in-orbit tests, ground comparison tests and backup uses, Cang said.

The in-orbit tests will last six to 12 days. Before being packed into the cargo craft, the samples need to be stored at suitable temperatures and pH levels on the ground. At the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, scientists are working overtime to keep the cells alive by constantly changing nutrient solutions and supplementing them with carbon dioxide.

The Tianzhou-6 mission is the first spaceflight after China's crewed space station program entered the stage of application and development. The cargo craft will deliver a total of 98 experiment-related items with a weight of 714 kg. "It is the cargo vessel with the most and heaviest experimental payloads since the construction of the Tiangong space station," said Liu Wei, designer of the cargo craft's application system, at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the CAS.

For the first time, the reliability tests of components will be conducted outside the Wentian module, and the space radiation biological experiments outside the Mengtian module, Liu noted.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Shares of abrdn European Logistics Income plc (LON:ASLI  Get Rating) traded up 1.9% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as GBX 71.61 ($0.90) and last traded at GBX 71.40 ($0.90). 557,189 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 24% from the average session volume of 733,343 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 70.10 ($0.88).

abrdn European Logistics Income Trading Up 1.9 %

The businesss fifty day moving average is GBX 71.05 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 73.34. The firm has a market cap of 294.29 million, a P/E ratio of 595.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.27 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 33.97, a quick ratio of 4.22 and a current ratio of 4.92.

Get abrdn European Logistics Income alerts:

abrdn European Logistics Income Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 2nd were given a dividend of GBX 1.20 ($0.02) per share. This represents a yield of 1.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 2nd. abrdn European Logistics Incomes dividend payout ratio is presently 4,166.67%.

About abrdn European Logistics Income

abrdn European Logistics Income plc invests in logistic real estate properties in Europe. Its property portfolio includes mid-box and urban logistics warehouses. As of December 31, 2021, the company's property portfolio comprised 23 assets located across five European countries. The company was formerly known as Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income PLC and changed its name to abrdn European Logistics Income plc in January 2022.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for abrdn European Logistics Income Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for abrdn European Logistics Income and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Agile Group Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:AGPYY  Get Rating) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a decline of 66.7% from the April 15th total of 300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.0 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, HSBC cut shares of Agile Group from a buy rating to a reduce rating in a research report on Friday, March 31st.

Get Agile Group alerts:

Agile Group Price Performance

OTCMKTS:AGPYY opened at $11.00 on Thursday. Agile Group has a 1-year low of $10.82 and a 1-year high of $20.81. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $12.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $14.89.

Agile Group Company Profile

Agile Group Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, engages in the property development, property management, hotel operation, property investment, environmental protection, and other businesses in the People's Republic of China. As of December 31, 2021, the company had a land bank with a total gross floor area of 47.37 million square meters in 84 cities located in Southern China region, Eastern China region, Western China region, Central China region, Hainan and Yunnan region, Northeast China region, Northern China region, Hong Kong, and internationally.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Agile Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Agile Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp reduced its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL  Get Rating) by 18.0% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 16,096 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 3,544 shares during the quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corps holdings in Ecolab were worth $2,343,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. United Bank raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 2.7% in the first quarter. United Bank now owns 4,149 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $733,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 7.6% during the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 6,172 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $1,090,000 after acquiring an additional 434 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 23.0% in the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,893 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $334,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Ecolab by 6.7% during the first quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,707 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $301,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the period. Finally, Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 17.1% in the first quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 73,182 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $12,920,000 after purchasing an additional 10,676 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.76% of the companys stock.

Get Ecolab alerts:

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays raised their price target on Ecolab from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Ecolab in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised Ecolab from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $155.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Ecolab from $167.00 to $188.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $164.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and eight have given 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 $178.20.

Insider Activity

Ecolab Trading Up 1.2 %

In other news, EVP Larry L. Berger sold 4,404 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.95, for a total value of $717,631.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 12,442 shares in the company, valued at $2,027,423.90. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link . In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 34,450 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.48, for a total transaction of $5,976,386.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,043 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,201,899.64. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Also, EVP Larry L. Berger sold 4,404 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.95, for a total value of $717,631.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,442 shares in the company, valued at $2,027,423.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders own 0.04% of the companys stock.

Shares of ECL stock opened at $174.93 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.17. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $131.04 and a 1 year high of $179.76. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $163.99 and a two-hundred day moving average of $155.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.81 billion, a PE ratio of 43.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.00.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The basic materials company reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.86 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $3.57 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.47 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 18.05% and a net margin of 7.96%. The companys revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.82 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 4.98 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 20th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 16th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.21%. Ecolabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 52.48%.

Ecolab 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

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ECL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL  Get Rating).

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.
Biondo Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Fidelity High Dividend ETF (NYSEARCA:FDVV  Get Rating) by 2.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 34,285 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 780 shares during the period. Biondo Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Fidelity High Dividend ETF were worth $1,279,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Coastal Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Fidelity High Dividend ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Bank of New Hampshire bought a new position in Fidelity High Dividend ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $69,000. Core Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Fidelity High Dividend ETF by 158.3% in the 3rd quarter. Core Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 3,402 shares of the companys stock worth $112,000 after acquiring an additional 2,085 shares in the last quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. bought a new position in Fidelity High Dividend ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $113,000. Finally, Ellis Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in Fidelity High Dividend ETF by 81.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC now owns 4,331 shares of the companys stock worth $143,000 after acquiring an additional 1,945 shares in the last quarter.

Get Fidelity High Dividend ETF alerts:

Fidelity High Dividend ETF Price Performance

FDVV stock traded down $0.36 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $37.74. The company had a trading volume of 27,346 shares, compared to its average volume of 159,044. The company has a market capitalization of $1.39 billion, a PE ratio of 13.53 and a beta of 1.01. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $38.02 and a 200 day moving average of $38.11. Fidelity High Dividend ETF has a 12 month low of $32.35 and a 12 month high of $40.55.

Fidelity High Dividend ETF Profile

The Fidelity High Dividend ETF (FDVV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Fidelity High Dividend index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap companies that exhibit positive dividend characteristics, with overweights to sectors that exhibit higher dividend yield. FDVV was launched on Sep 12, 2016 and is managed by Fidelity.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FDVV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Fidelity High Dividend ETF (NYSEARCA:FDVV  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Fidelity High Dividend ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fidelity High Dividend ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
TELUS International (Cda) (NYSE:TIXT  Get Rating) had its target price decreased by BMO Capital Markets from $26.00 to $21.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday, The Fly reports.

TIXT has been the subject of a number of other reports. TheStreet lowered TELUS International (Cda) from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on TELUS International (Cda) from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 10th. National Bankshares reduced their target price on TELUS International (Cda) from $38.00 to $35.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group started coverage on TELUS International (Cda) in a report on Monday, April 24th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on TELUS International (Cda) from $29.00 to $26.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, TELUS International (Cda) has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $26.42.

Get TELUS International (Cda) alerts:

TELUS International (Cda) Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of TIXT stock opened at $17.53 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $1.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.72. TELUS International has a one year low of $17.09 and a one year high of $31.52. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $20.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $20.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.30.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On TELUS International (Cda)

TELUS International (Cda) ( NYSE:TIXT Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.04. TELUS International (Cda) had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 6.38%. The firm had revenue of $630.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $626.26 million. Analysts predict that TELUS International will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current year.

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in TIXT. Nicola Wealth Management LTD. raised its stake in TELUS International (Cda) by 31.1% in the 1st quarter. Nicola Wealth Management LTD. now owns 326,137 shares of the companys stock worth $6,585,000 after acquiring an additional 77,400 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC acquired a new stake in shares of TELUS International (Cda) during the 1st quarter valued at about $101,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of TELUS International (Cda) during the 1st quarter valued at about $212,000. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. grew its position in shares of TELUS International (Cda) by 6.5% during the 1st quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. now owns 49,721 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,003,000 after acquiring an additional 3,019 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in TELUS International (Cda) by 43.2% in the 1st quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 12,600 shares of the companys stock worth $255,000 after buying an additional 3,800 shares during the last quarter. 18.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About TELUS International (Cda)

(Get Rating)

TELUS International (Cda) Inc provides customer experience and digital business services in Europe, North America, the Asia-Pacific, and the Central America. It offers digital experience solutions, such as AI and bots, omnichannel CX, mobility solutions, cloud contact center, big data, platform transformation, and UX/UI design; and customer experience solutions, including work anywhere/work from home, customer care, technical support, sales growth and retention, and healthcare/patient experience.

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.
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR  Get Rating) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, May 10th, RTT News reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.725 per share by the business services provider on Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th.

Broadridge Financial Solutions has raised its dividend by an average of 10.0% per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 15 consecutive years. Broadridge Financial Solutions has a dividend payout ratio of 38.5% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Broadridge Financial Solutions to earn $7.59 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.90 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 38.2%.

Get Broadridge Financial Solutions alerts:

Broadridge Financial Solutions Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of BR traded down $0.92 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $153.93. The companys stock had a trading volume of 29,374 shares, compared to its average volume of 556,838. The stock has a market cap of $18.16 billion, a PE ratio of 33.23 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04. Broadridge Financial Solutions has a 52 week low of $131.35 and a 52 week high of $183.33. The companys fifty day moving average price is $143.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $143.05.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Broadridge Financial Solutions ( NYSE:BR Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The business services provider reported $2.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a net margin of 9.33% and a return on equity of 40.29%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.93 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Broadridge Financial Solutions will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on BR shares. Royal Bank of Canada started coverage on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a report on Monday, April 24th. They issued an outperform rating and a $169.00 price objective for the company. TheStreet upgraded shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Raymond James upped their price target on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $180.00 to $183.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions 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 two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Broadridge Financial Solutions has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $161.40.

Insider Buying and Selling at Broadridge Financial Solutions

In other Broadridge Financial Solutions news, Director Robert N. Duelks sold 1,425 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.06, for a total transaction of $201,010.50. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,275 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $885,151.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Broadridge Financial Solutions news, Director Robert N. Duelks sold 1,425 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.06, for a total transaction of $201,010.50. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,275 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $885,151.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Richard John Stingi sold 750 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.27, for a total transaction of $116,452.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 4,202 shares in the company, valued at $652,444.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 17,870 shares of company stock valued at $2,712,363. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Broadridge Financial Solutions

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BR. Morgan Stanley grew its position in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 41.0% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 7,043,656 shares of the business services providers stock worth $944,766,000 after buying an additional 2,048,184 shares during the period. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 85.1% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,230,810 shares of the business services providers stock worth $299,219,000 after buying an additional 1,025,907 shares during the period. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec boosted its stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 86.6% in the 1st quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 1,195,313 shares of the business services providers stock worth $186,122,000 after purchasing an additional 554,807 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,714,442 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,135,476,000 after purchasing an additional 108,223 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 29.9% in the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 340,131 shares of the business services providers stock worth $52,962,000 after purchasing an additional 78,283 shares in the last quarter. 86.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Broadridge Financial Solutions

(Get Rating)

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc engages in the provision of investor communications and technology solutions to banks, broker-dealers, mutual funds, and corporate issuers. It operates through the following segments: Investor Communication Solutions and Global Technology and Operations. The Investor Communication Solutions segment offers services for broker-dealer investor communication, customer communication, corporate issuer, advisor solutions, and mutual fund and retirement solutions.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (TSE:BAM  Get Rating) (NYSE:BAM) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, May 10th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 31st will be given a dividend of 0.434 per share on Friday, June 30th. This represents a $1.74 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.04%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 30th. This is an increase from Brookfield Asset Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.43.

Brookfield Asset Management Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of BAM traded down C$0.30 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting C$42.92. The stock had a trading volume of 156,842 shares, compared to its average volume of 979,122. The companys fifty day simple moving average is C$43.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$47.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 152.62, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 2.80. Brookfield Asset Management has a 12-month low of C$36.65 and a 12-month high of C$48.19. The firm has a market cap of C$17.00 billion and a P/E ratio of 614.71.

Get Brookfield Asset Management alerts:

Brookfield Asset Management (TSE:BAM  Get Rating) (NYSE:BAM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The company reported C$0.42 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$0.41 by C$0.01. The company had revenue of C$1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$1.38 billion. Equities research analysts forecast that Brookfield Asset Management will post 5.0100001 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Brookfield Asset Management Company Profile

Separately, TD Securities reiterated a buy rating and set a C$47.00 price objective on shares of Brookfield Asset Management in a research report on Thursday, February 9th.

(Get Rating)

Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. provides alternative asset management services. It serves institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, pension plans, endowments, foundations, financial institutions, insurance companies, and individual investors. The company was incorporated in 2022 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

See Also

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.
loanDepot (NYSE:LDI  Get Rating) and Sprott (NYSE:SII  Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, risk, dividends and analyst recommendations.

Risk and Volatility

loanDepot has a beta of 2.41, suggesting that its share price is 141% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Sprott has a beta of 1.17, suggesting that its share price is 17% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Get loanDepot alerts:

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for loanDepot and Sprott, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score loanDepot 1 8 0 0 1.89 Sprott 0 0 0 0 N/A

Valuation and Earnings

loanDepot presently has a consensus price target of $1.83, suggesting a potential upside of 2.42%. Given loanDepots higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe loanDepot is more favorable than Sprott.

This table compares loanDepot and Sprotts top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio loanDepot $1.26 billion 0.45 -$273.02 million ($1.74) -1.03 Sprott $147.94 million 6.39 $17.63 million $0.74 49.27

Sprott has lower revenue, but higher earnings than loanDepot. loanDepot is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Sprott, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares loanDepot and Sprotts net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets loanDepot -21.74% -40.39% -5.64% Sprott 14.13% 6.75% 4.94%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

3.5% of loanDepot shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 28.0% of Sprott shares are owned by institutional investors. 88.7% of loanDepot shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 18.3% of Sprott shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Sprott beats loanDepot on 8 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About loanDepot

(Get Rating)

loanDepot, Inc. engages in originating, financing, selling, and servicing residential mortgage loans in the United States. It offers conventional agency-conforming and prime jumbo, federal assistance residential mortgage, and home equity loans. The company also provides settlement services, which include captive title and escrow business; real estate services that cover captive real estate referral business; and insurance services, including services to homeowners, as well as other consumer insurance policies. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California.

About Sprott

(Get Rating)

Sprott, Inc. provides investment advisory services. It operates through the following segments: Exchange Listed Products, Lending, Managed Equities, Brokerage, and Corporate. The Exchange Listed Products segment provides management services to the companys closed-end physical trusts and exchange traded funds. The Lending segment provides lending activities through limited partnership vehicles, as well as through direct lending activities using the companys balance sheet. The Managed Equities segment provides asset management and sub-advisory services to the companys branded funds and managed account. The Brokerage segment includes the activities of Canadian and U.S broker-dealers. The Corporate segment provides capital, balance sheet management and enterprise shared services to the companys subsidiaries. The company was founded by Eric Steven Sprott on February 13, 2008 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Receive News & Ratings for loanDepot Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for loanDepot and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Alamo Group Inc. (NYSE:ALG  Get Rating)  Investment analysts at DA Davidson raised their FY2023 earnings per share estimates for shares of Alamo Group in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, May 9th. DA Davidson analyst M. Shlisky now anticipates that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $11.03 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $9.79. DA Davidson currently has a Buy rating and a $196.00 target price on the stock. The consensus estimate for Alamo Groups current full-year earnings is $9.79 per share.

Get Alamo Group alerts:

Alamo Group (NYSE:ALG  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The industrial products company reported $2.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.48. Alamo Group had a return on equity of 15.16% and a net margin of 7.47%. The business had revenue of $386.60 million for the quarter.

Alamo Group Stock Down 1.1 %

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Alamo Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock.

NYSE:ALG opened at $179.53 on Thursday. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $177.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is $160.72. The company has a quick ratio of 2.36, a current ratio of 4.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.55 and a beta of 0.98. Alamo Group has a 12-month low of $108.35 and a 12-month high of $186.37.

Institutional Trading of Alamo Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Quadrant Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Alamo Group in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Alamo Group during the third quarter worth about $32,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in Alamo Group during the third quarter worth about $44,000. FMR LLC grew its holdings in Alamo Group by 17.4% during the second quarter. FMR LLC now owns 701 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its holdings in Alamo Group by 10.7% during the first quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 877 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $162,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.67% of the companys stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Alamo Group

In other Alamo Group news, VP Janet S. Pollock sold 150 shares of Alamo Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.40, for a total value of $27,060.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 2,606 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $470,122.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Alamo Group news, VP Janet S. Pollock sold 150 shares of Alamo Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.40, for a total value of $27,060.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 2,606 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $470,122.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Edward Rizzuti sold 394 shares of Alamo Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.21, for a total value of $72,578.74. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,433 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,000,812.93. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 2.30% of the companys stock.

Alamo Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 17th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 14th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.49%. Alamo Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 9.00%.

Alamo Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Alamo Group, Inc engages in the design and manufacture of agricultural equipment and infrastructure maintenance equipment for governmental and industrial use. Its products include tractor-mounted mowing and other vegetation maintenance equipment, street sweepers, excavators, vacuum trucks, snow removal equipment, zero turn radius mowers, agricultural implements, and related aftermarket parts.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Alamo Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alamo Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Laurentian Bank of Canada (TSE:LB  Get Rating)  Analysts at Desjardins dropped their FY2023 earnings per share estimates for Laurentian Bank of Canada in a research note issued to investors on Monday, May 8th. Desjardins analyst D. Young now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $4.70 per share for the year, down from their previous estimate of $4.85. The consensus estimate for Laurentian Bank of Canadas current full-year earnings is $4.89 per share.

Get Laurentian Bank of Canada alerts:

Laurentian Bank of Canada (TSE:LB  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The company reported C$1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$1.12 by C$0.03. Laurentian Bank of Canada had a net margin of 22.90% and a return on equity of 8.15%. The firm had revenue of C$260.07 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$259.00 million.

Laurentian Bank of Canada Stock Down 1.3 %

LB has been the topic of several other research reports. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Laurentian Bank of Canada from C$36.00 to C$34.00 in a report on Tuesday. Cormark cut their price target on shares of Laurentian Bank of Canada from C$45.00 to C$42.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. CSFB lifted their price target on shares of Laurentian Bank of Canada from C$34.00 to C$35.00 in a report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, Scotiabank cut their price target on shares of Laurentian Bank of Canada from C$39.00 to C$38.00 in a report on Friday, February 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two 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 C$40.36.

TSE:LB opened at C$30.88 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of C$1.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.15. The firms fifty day simple moving average is C$32.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$32.92. Laurentian Bank of Canada has a twelve month low of C$28.23 and a twelve month high of C$43.32.

Laurentian Bank of Canada Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 1st were given a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 31st. Laurentian Bank of Canadas dividend payout ratio is presently 37.78%.

Laurentian Bank of Canada Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Laurentian Bank of Canada, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services to personal, business, and institutional customers in Canada and the United States. It operates through three segments: Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Capital Markets. The Personal Banking segment offers financial services, such as financial advisory services to financial intermediaries; and operates digital direct-to-customer platform to retail clients.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Laurentian Bank of Canada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Laurentian Bank of Canada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Deutsche Borse AG (OTCMKTS:DBOEY  Get Rating) saw a significant drop in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 10,300 shares, a drop of 82.5% from the April 15th total of 59,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 128,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on DBOEY shares. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Deutsche Borse to 204.10 ($224.29) in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Credit Suisse Group raised Deutsche Borse from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. Jefferies Financial Group cut Deutsche Borse from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Deutsche Borse in a research note on Tuesday. They set a neutral rating for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $191.87.

Get Deutsche Borse alerts:

Deutsche Borse Stock Down 1.1 %

DBOEY stock traded down $0.21 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $18.92. The company had a trading volume of 38,519 shares, compared to its average volume of 135,972. The firm has a market cap of $35.95 billion, a PE ratio of 21.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.72. Deutsche Borse has a 1-year low of $15.22 and a 1-year high of $20.61. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $19.07 and a 200-day moving average price of $18.02.

Deutsche Borse Company Profile

Deutsche Borse ( OTCMKTS:DBOEY Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The financial services provider reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $1.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.23 billion. Deutsche Borse had a return on equity of 18.58% and a net margin of 28.08%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Deutsche Borse will post 1.07 earnings per share for the current year.

(Get Rating)

Deutsche Borse AG engages in the provision of information technology services and market data distribution. It operates through the following segments: Eurex, EEX, Xetra, 360T, Clearstream, IFS, GSF, Qontigo and Data. The Eurex segment includes electronic trading of European derivatives, commodities, and foreign exchange.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Deutsche Borse Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deutsche Borse and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN  Get Rating) posted its earnings results on Monday. The energy company reported $1.46 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.07, RTT News reports. The company had revenue of $3.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.82 billion. Devon Energy had a return on equity of 52.20% and a net margin of 31.38%. Devon Energys revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.88 earnings per share.

Devon Energy Trading Down 2.2 %

Shares of NYSE DVN opened at $48.11 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $30.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 2.34. Devon Energy has a 12-month low of $44.03 and a 12-month high of $79.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $51.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.81.

Get Devon Energy alerts:

Devon Energy Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. Devon Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.77%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Insider Buying and Selling

Several analysts have weighed in on DVN shares. Susquehanna lowered their target price on Devon Energy from $79.00 to $72.00 and set a positive rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price objective on Devon Energy from $84.00 to $71.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. StockNews.com upgraded Devon Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays reduced their price objective on Devon Energy from $82.00 to $67.00 in a research report on Friday, March 17th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price objective on Devon Energy from $67.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $70.68.

In related news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 262,498 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,377,015.46. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Devon Energy news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 8,292 shares of Devon Energy stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.97, for a total transaction of $414,351.24. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 218,418 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,914,347.46. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of Devon Energy stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 262,498 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,377,015.46. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.80% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Devon Energy

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Devon Energy by 96.4% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,608,577 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $344,984,000 after purchasing an additional 2,752,752 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new position in shares of Devon Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $85,234,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Devon Energy by 79.4% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,206,111 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $189,577,000 after purchasing an additional 1,419,322 shares during the period. SIR Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Devon Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $23,749,000. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased its position in shares of Devon Energy by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,263,424 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $692,813,000 after purchasing an additional 356,448 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.08% of the companys stock.

Devon Energy Company 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 Articles

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.
Great Wall Motor Company Limited (OTCMKTS:GWLLY  Get Rating) shares traded up 10% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $12.75 and last traded at $12.75. 472 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 64% from the average session volume of 1,328 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.59.

Great Wall Motor Stock Performance

The businesss 50 day moving average is $11.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.75.

Get Great Wall Motor alerts:

Great Wall Motor (OTCMKTS:GWLLY  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Friday, April 21st. The company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $4.24 billion for the quarter.

Great Wall Motor Company Profile

Great Wall Motor Company Limited researches and develops, manufactures, and sells automobiles, and automotive parts and components in China, Russia, South Africa, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Chile, and internationally. The company offers pick-up trucks, SUVs, sedans, and energy vehicles primarily under the Haval, WEY, ORA, Tank, and Great Wall Pickup brand names; and unmanned vehicles.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Great Wall Motor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Great Wall Motor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
HighTower Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (NYSEARCA:VGK  Get Rating) by 4.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,598,044 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 68,652 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.59% of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF worth $88,572,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Lansing Street Advisors grew its position in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 598.7% during the 3rd quarter. Lansing Street Advisors now owns 531 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 455 shares during the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co grew its position in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 214.3% during the 4th quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 550 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 375 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 221.6% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 775 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 534 shares during the last quarter. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF during the 3rd quarter worth $55,000. Finally, Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich bought a new stake in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF during the 3rd quarter worth $55,000.

Get Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF alerts:

Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of VGK stock opened at $62.99 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.10 and a beta of 0.95. Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF has a twelve month low of $44.99 and a twelve month high of $63.77. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $61.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $58.46.

Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF Company Profile

Vanguard European Stock Index Fund is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks issued by Companies located in the markets of Europe. The Fund on focuses indexing investment approach by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the common stocks included in the FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VGK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (NYSEARCA:VGK  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Cranbrook Wealth Management LLC decreased its stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:EEM  Get Rating) by 34.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,719 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 14,481 shares during the period. Cranbrook Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF were worth $1,051,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Accurate Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. City State Bank raised its position in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 686.1% during the 4th quarter. City State Bank now owns 1,077 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 940 shares during the last quarter. Phillips Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, Regimen Wealth LLC purchased 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 EEM traded down $0.22 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $38.93. The company had a trading volume of 21,140,133 shares, compared to its average volume of 33,160,340. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $38.92 and a 200-day simple moving average of $38.84. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a 12-month low of $33.49 and a 12-month high of $43.23.

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF 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).

Further Reading

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.
Kuehne + Nagel International AG (OTCMKTS:KHNGY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 2,400 shares, a decrease of 68.0% from the April 15th total of 7,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 9,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on KHNGY. Stifel Nicolaus cut shares of Kuehne + Nagel International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. HSBC cut shares of Kuehne + Nagel International from a hold rating to a reduce rating in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Kuehne + Nagel International from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Kuehne + Nagel International from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, BNP Paribas cut shares of Kuehne + Nagel International from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $280.00.

Get Kuehne + Nagel International alerts:

Kuehne + Nagel International Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of KHNGY stock traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $61.47. 2,742 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,545. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.22. Kuehne + Nagel International has a one year low of $39.39 and a one year high of $61.61. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $57.63 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $51.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.20 and a beta of 0.91.

Kuehne + Nagel International Increases Dividend

Kuehne + Nagel International Company Profile

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 12th will be paid a dividend of $1.9891 per share. This is a positive change from Kuehne + Nagel Internationals previous dividend of $1.31. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a yield of 3.29%. Kuehne + Nagel Internationals dividend payout ratio is 31.19%.

(Get Rating)

Kuhne + Nagel International AG engages in the provision of logistic services. It operates through the following segments: Sea Logistics, Air Logistics, Road Logistics, and Contract Logistics. The company was founded by August Kuehne and Friedrich Nagel in 1890 and is headquartered in Schindellegi, Switzerland.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Kuehne + Nagel International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kuehne + Nagel International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Model N (NYSE:MODN  Get Rating) updated its third quarter 2023 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $0.23-$0.25 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $0.26. The company issued revenue guidance of $61.50 million-$62.50 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $61.70 million. Model N also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $0.94-$0.99 EPS.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MODN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on shares of Model N from $42.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Craig Hallum dropped their price objective on shares of Model N from $45.00 to $38.00 in a report on Wednesday. JMP Securities dropped their price objective on shares of Model N from $48.00 to $44.00 in a report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Model N from $45.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, BTIG Research raised their target price on shares of Model N from $42.00 to $48.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Two investment 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.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $43.38.

Get Model N alerts:

Model N Price Performance

Shares of MODN stock traded down $1.04 on Thursday, reaching $29.07. The companys stock had a trading volume of 210,178 shares, compared to its average volume of 350,557. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $32.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $36.51. Model N has a 1 year low of $20.95 and a 1 year high of $43.18. The company has a current ratio of 2.85, a quick ratio of 2.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. The company has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -41.82 and a beta of 0.68.

Insider Activity at Model N

Model N ( NYSE:MODN Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 7th. The software maker reported ($0.05) EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $59.15 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $57.51 million. Model N had a negative return on equity of 7.52% and a negative net margin of 11.65%. Analysts forecast that Model N will post -0.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other Model N news, CEO Jason Blessing sold 20,304 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.04, for a total value of $711,452.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 695,506 shares in the company, valued at $24,370,530.24. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director Kimberly Decarlis sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.18, for a total value of $34,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,857 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $371,092.26. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Jason Blessing sold 20,304 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.04, for a total transaction of $711,452.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 695,506 shares of the companys stock, valued at $24,370,530.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 53,238 shares of company stock worth $1,832,671 over the last three months. 2.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Model N

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fred Alger Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Model N during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,799,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in Model N by 1,414.7% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 702,471 shares of the software makers stock valued at $28,492,000 after purchasing an additional 656,093 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Model N by 13.2% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,949,847 shares of the software makers stock worth $100,973,000 after acquiring an additional 343,775 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its holdings in shares of Model N by 410.8% during the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 247,973 shares of the software makers stock worth $10,058,000 after acquiring an additional 199,429 shares during the period. Finally, First Light Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Model N by 6.2% during the 1st quarter. First Light Asset Management LLC now owns 2,707,143 shares of the software makers stock worth $72,822,000 after acquiring an additional 159,213 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.63% of the companys stock.

About Model N

(Get Rating)

Model N, Inc engages in developing and monetizing revenue management solutions. It offers cloud revenue optimization and compliance to pharmaceutical, medical technology, semiconductor, and high-tech companies. Its products provide business processes such as pricing, quoting, contracting, regulatory compliance, rebates and incentives.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Model N Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Model N and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR  Get Rating) in a research note published on Monday, The Fly reports. The brokerage issued an overweight rating and a $56.00 price objective on the utilities providers stock.

Several other research firms have also commented on POR. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Bank of America upgraded Portland General Electric from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their target price for the stock from $47.00 to $52.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Portland General Electric from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group increased their price objective on Portland General Electric from $48.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $50.75.

Get Portland General Electric alerts:

Portland General Electric Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:POR opened at $51.22 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $4.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.76, a PEG ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.89. Portland General Electric has a 1 year low of $41.58 and a 1 year high of $56.37. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $49.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $48.12.

Portland General Electric Increases Dividend

Portland General Electric ( NYSE:POR Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The utilities provider reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $687.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $624.60 million. Portland General Electric had a net margin of 8.88% and a return on equity of 9.06%. Sell-side analysts expect that Portland General Electric will post 2.7 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 26th will be given a $0.475 dividend. This is an increase from Portland General Electrics previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 23rd. Portland General Electrics payout ratio is currently 66.30%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP John Teeruk Kochavatr sold 3,000 shares of Portland General Electric stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.12, for a total value of $153,360.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 15,489 shares in the company, valued at $791,797.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, VP John Teeruk Kochavatr sold 3,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.12, for a total value of $153,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 15,489 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $791,797.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Brett Michael Sims sold 2,050 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.00, for a total transaction of $96,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 10,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $515,966. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.51% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Portland General Electric

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Portland General Electric by 21.8% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 6,067,961 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $334,647,000 after purchasing an additional 1,087,996 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Portland General Electric by 37.2% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,339,567 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $162,473,000 after buying an additional 905,308 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in Portland General Electric by 927.0% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 970,767 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $47,568,000 after buying an additional 876,246 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Portland General Electric by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 11,268,761 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $489,739,000 after buying an additional 848,958 shares during the period. Finally, ATLAS Infrastructure Partners UK Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Portland General Electric during the 4th quarter worth about $32,615,000. 97.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Portland General Electric Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Portland General Electric Co engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. The firm also sells electricity and natural gas in the wholesale market to utilities, brokers, and power marketers. It also serves residential, commercial and non-residential customers.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Portland General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Portland General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Prudential PLC boosted its stake in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (NYSEARCA:EWU  Get Rating) by 99.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 228,700 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 114,200 shares during the quarter. Prudential PLCs holdings in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF were worth $7,012,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in EWU. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 309.6% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 61,163 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,058,000 after acquiring an additional 46,230 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 14.3% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 25,435 shares of the companys stock valued at $856,000 after buying an additional 3,178 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 151,249 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,157,000 after buying an additional 5,653 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,158,217 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,962,000 after buying an additional 34,341 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blair William & Co. IL increased its stake in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 127,032 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,273,000 after buying an additional 8,559 shares during the last quarter.

Get iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF alerts:

iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of EWU stock opened at $33.60 on Thursday. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF has a 1 year low of $25.36 and a 1 year high of $34.04. The firms fifty day moving average price is $32.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $31.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.02 and a beta of 0.83.

About iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF

The iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI United Kingdom index. The fund tracks a market cap-weighted index of British companies. It covers the top 85% of British companies by market cap. EWU was launched on Mar 12, 1996 and is managed by BlackRock.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EWU? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (NYSEARCA:EWU  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Rio Tinto Group (OTCMKTS:RTNTF  Get Rating) shot up 1% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $75.43 and last traded at $75.43. 109 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 536 shares. The stock had previously closed at $74.68.

Rio Tinto Group Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $77.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $77.27.

About Rio Tinto Group

(Get Rating)

Rio Tinto Ltd. engages in finding, mining and processing mineral resources. It operates through following segments: Iron Ore, Aluminium, Copper and Minerals. The Iron ore segment engages in iron ore mining and salt and gypsum production in Western Australia. The Aluminium segment engages in bauxite mining; alumina refining; aluminium smelting.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Rio Tinto Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rio Tinto Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE:RGR  Get Rating) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, May 3rd, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.32 per share on Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.39%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. has increased its dividend payment by an average of 43.4% per year over the last three years. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. has a payout ratio of 35.0% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings.

Get Sturm Ruger & Company Inc. alerts:

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Price Performance

Shares of RGR opened at $53.64 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $949.96 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.18 and a beta of 0.51. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. has a 1 year low of $49.50 and a 1 year high of $69.90. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $56.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $55.65.

Institutional Trading of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. ( NYSE:RGR Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.97 by ($0.16). The firm had revenue of $149.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $138.80 million. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. had a return on equity of 20.35% and a net margin of 12.52%. The firms revenue was down 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.70 earnings per share.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of RGR. Raymond James & Associates raised its holdings in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. by 65.6% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 10,952 shares of the companys stock valued at $762,000 after buying an additional 4,339 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. by 37.0% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 15,661 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,090,000 after buying an additional 4,233 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 366,955 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,548,000 after acquiring an additional 8,850 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC grew its position in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. by 14.6% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 5,864 shares of the companys stock valued at $408,000 after acquiring an additional 745 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its position in Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. by 53.6% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 9,505 shares of the companys stock valued at $662,000 after acquiring an additional 3,317 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.97% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock.

About Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.

(Get Rating)

Sturm, Ruger & Co, Inc engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of firearms to domestic customers. It operates through the Firearms and Castings segments. The Firearms segment manufactures and sells rifles, pistols, and revolvers principally to a number of federally-licensed, independent wholesale distributors primarily located in the United States.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Sturm Ruger & Company Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sturm Ruger & Company Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
TELUS (NYSE:TU  Get Rating) (TSE:T) had its target price decreased by Barclays from $23.00 to $21.00 in a research report released on Monday morning, The Fly reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. TD Securities upped their price objective on shares of TELUS from C$31.00 to C$32.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. National Bank Financial decreased their price target on shares of TELUS from C$31.00 to C$30.00 in a research note on Friday, February 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of TELUS from C$36.00 to C$33.00 in a research note on Monday, February 13th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of TELUS in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Finally, CIBC upgraded shares of TELUS from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 12th.

Get TELUS alerts:

TELUS Stock Up 0.4 %

TELUS stock opened at $20.63 on Monday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $20.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $20.62. TELUS has a fifty-two week low of $18.85 and a fifty-two week high of $25.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.11, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.68.

TELUS Increases Dividend

TELUS ( NYSE:TU Get Rating ) (TSE:T) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.17 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.21 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $3.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.68 billion. TELUS had a return on equity of 9.14% and a net margin of 7.65%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that TELUS will post 0.84 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.268 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. This is an increase from TELUSs previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.07 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.20%. TELUSs dividend payout ratio is 130.38%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of TU. Cobblestone Capital Advisors LLC NY increased its stake in TELUS by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Cobblestone Capital Advisors LLC NY now owns 12,498 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $248,000 after buying an additional 550 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in shares of TELUS by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 18,526 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $358,000 after purchasing an additional 564 shares during the last quarter. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. increased its stake in shares of TELUS by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. now owns 34,461 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $684,000 after purchasing an additional 592 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of TELUS by 44.5% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,989 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 613 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of TELUS by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 82,722 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $1,643,000 after purchasing an additional 624 shares during the last quarter. 51.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About TELUS

(Get Rating)

TELUS Corp. is a telecommunications company, which engages in the provision of telecommunication services and products primarily for wireless and wireline voice and data. It operates through the following segments: TELUS Technology Solutions (TTech) and Digitally-led Customer ExperiencesTELUS International (DLCX).

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for TELUS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TELUS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund (NYSEARCA:TPYP  Get Rating)s stock price was up 0.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $24.59 and last traded at $24.45. Approximately 41,515 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 42% from the average daily volume of 71,922 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.39.

Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund Price Performance

The firms 50-day moving average price is $24.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $25.01. The stock has a market cap of $516.81 million, a P/E ratio of 17.78 and a beta of 1.09.

Get Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund alerts:

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new stake in shares of Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,266,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund in the 1st quarter worth about $220,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. purchased a new stake in Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund in the 1st quarter valued at about $104,000. Icon Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund in the 1st quarter worth about $4,514,000. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. increased its position in shares of Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund by 2.4% during the first quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 675,716 shares of the companys stock worth $16,433,000 after acquiring an additional 15,767 shares during the period.

About Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund

The Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund (TPYP) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Tortoise North American Pipeline index. The fund tracks an index of North American pipeline entities organized as MLPs, MLP affiliates, LLCs, and corporations. TPYP was launched on Jun 30, 2015 and is managed by Tortoise.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund (NYSEARCA:HEDJ  Get Rating) shares traded down 0.6% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $81.89 and last traded at $82.13. 36,047 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 39% from the average session volume of 59,506 shares. The stock had previously closed at $82.59.

WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.41 and a beta of 0.88. The firms fifty day moving average price is $81.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $76.53.

Get WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund alerts:

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HEDJ. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 47,942 shares of the companys stock worth $3,527,000 after buying an additional 2,312 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC raised its holdings in shares of WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund by 49.0% during the first quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 6,139 shares of the companys stock valued at $452,000 after purchasing an additional 2,020 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund in the 1st quarter worth $5,378,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund by 15.8% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,944 shares of the companys stock valued at $364,000 after purchasing an additional 676 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Equitable Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund during the first quarter valued at about $208,000.

WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund Company Profile

WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund (the Fund), formerly WisdomTree International Hedged Equity Fund, is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Index. The WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Index provides exposure to European equities while at the same time neutralizing exposure to fluctuations between the Euro and the United States dollar.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine 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
WASHINGTON  Joe Biden offered himself to Americans as a president they wouldn't have to think about after the tumult of his predecessor. But an excruciating week of awkward disclosures and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate classified records found at his Delaware home and a former office dating to his time as vice president is beginning to strain his claim to competence.

The surprise revelations that on at least four different occasions Biden's lawyers found improperly stored classified documents and official records evoked the turmoil surrounding Donald Trump's presidency, a four-year ruckus from which Biden has tried to move the country past. In the latest development, the White House acknowledged on Saturday that Biden's lawyers had turned up even more such documents at the home than previously known.

It's an embarrassment to Biden, and the selection of a special counsel to investigate potential criminal wrongdoing in the matter exposes the president to a new, self-inflicted risk.

Further, it complicates the Justice Department's calculus about whether to bring charges against Trump over his handling of classified material, hands fresh ammunition to newly empowered House Republicans eager to launch investigations and undercuts a central plank of Biden's pitch to voters just as he looks to launch a reelection bid in the coming months.

"It just won't be so exhausting," former President Barack Obama had promised about a Biden presidency in the closing days of the 2020 campaign, adding that voters are "not going to have to think about the crazy things  and that is worth a lot."

The Biden case is markedly different from Trump's mishandling of classified documents and official records  not least because Biden's team voluntarily turned them over to federal officials when they were discovered. Still, it has caused private frustration among Biden allies and some advisers because the president and his team, as billed, were supposed to be better than this.

The current White House explanation, offered by lawyer Richard Sauber, is that the special counsel's inquiry "will show that these documents were inadvertently misplaced"  a "mistake" with the nation's secrets.

Biden seemingly ignored or forgot about a cardinal rule in politics: Check your closet for skeletons before you complain about someone else's. His public criticisms about Trump's " irresponsible " handling of classified documents, however different the circumstances, are now coming back to haunt him.

Biden allies say the packing up of his vice presidential office happened swiftly. Biden aimed to run through the tape on his eight years alongside Obama even as aides worked to close down his office before Trump's inauguration at noon on Jan. 20, 2017.

But that explanation, said Richard Painter, the top ethics official in the George W. Bush administration, suggests behavior that was "incredibly careless and really quite shocking."

Painter said that while Biden probably would avoid the criminal issues looming over Trump because there is so far no sense that Biden intentionally mishandled classified records, it still merited investigation.

"You never just pack stuff up and cart it out of there," Painter said. He said aides and lawyers are supposed to carefully sift through what are official records that are property of the National Archives and personal records that may be removed.

"To say nothing of classified documents which have these distinctive markings on them," Painter said. "It's still very worrisome. It's a serious national security breach."

Beyond all that, the piecemeal way that word of the discoveries became public  more than two months after the first batch of classified documents had been found at the Penn Biden Center in Washington  has drawn bewilderment from crisis management experts.

"The White House can't let itself be seen as hiding information or be bled to death by investigators' or others' leaks," said Adam Goldberg, who served as special associate counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1996-1999.

It wasn't until Monday that the White House confirmed that classified documents had been found at Biden's former office on Nov. 2, days before the midterm elections. Even then, that acknowledgement came only in response to news inquiries.

Not until Thursday did Biden lawyers acknowledge the Dec. 20 discovery of documents in the garage of Biden's house in Wilmington, Delaware, and inform the Justice Department that another classified record had been found the night before in Biden's home library.

"If there's any further bad news out there, they better be the ones to put it out and put it out all at once," Goldberg said.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had said Thursday that Americans can "assume" there are no more classified documents or government records improperly stored after Biden's personal lawyers conducted a final search that concluded on Wednesday evening.

She repeatedly deflected questions about the White House's public disclosures, insisting the president's team was handling handling the matter the "right way" by deferring to the Justice Department.

A statement from Sauber on Saturday about the latest discovery of classified documents in Delaware did not explain why the White House waited two days to provide an updated accounting.

If Biden's White House needs to get its messaging back on track after a week of missteps and unforced errors, Trump's issues go well beyond mere competence.

"On the political front, assuming the White House gets its communications right, I'm not worried about any political fallout," said Goldberg. "With Trump, competency hasn't been the issue, intentional misconduct has been. While Republicans will try to muddy this up, there's just such a big difference between Biden discovering and disclosing these on his own and Trump's obstruction and lying."

Timeline: Key dates in discovery of classified records tied to Biden Jan. 20, 2017 Mid-2017-2019 Jan. 20, 2021 Nov. 2-4, 2022 Nov. 8, 2022 November-December 2022 Nov. 9, 2022 Nov. 14, 2022 Dec. 20, 2022 Dec. 20, 2022: Biden's personal counsel informs Lausch that a second batch of classified documents has been discovered in the garage at Biden's Wilmington home. The FBI goes to Biden's home in Wilmington and secures the documents. Jan. 5, 2023 Jan. 9, 2023 Jan. 10-11: 2023 Jan. 12: 2023 Jan. 19, 2023 Jan. 20-21, 2023
NEW YORK (AP)  Less than six months ago, mpox was an exploding health crisis. What had been an obscure disease from Africa was ripping through European and U.S. gay communities. Precious doses of an unproven vaccine were in short supply. International officials declared health emergencies.

Today, reports of new cases are down to a trickle in the U.S. Health officials are shutting down emergency mobilizations. The threat seems to have virtually disappeared from the public consciousness.

"We're in a remarkably different place," said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert. "It's really impressive how that peak has come down to very, very low levels."

So who deserves the credit? It's an unsettled question, but experts cite a combination of factors.

Some commend public health officials. Others say more of the credit should go to members of the gay and bisexual community who took their own steps to reduce disease spread when the threat became clear. Some wonder if characteristics of the virus itself played a role.

"It's a mixed story" in which some things could have gone better but others went well, said Dr. Tom Frieden, a former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

***

Cases soar, then fall

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare disease caused by infection with a virus that's in the same family as the one that causes smallpox. It is endemic in parts of Africa, where people have been infected through bites from rodents or small animals, but it was not known to spread easily among people.

Mpox cases began emerging in Europe and the U.S. in May, mostly among men who have sex with men. Cases escalated rapidly in dozens of countries in June and July, around the time of gay pride events. The infections were rarely fatal, but many people suffered painful skin lesions for weeks.

In late July, the World Health Organization declared an international health crisis. In early August, the U.S. declared a public health emergency.

Soon after, the outbreak began diminishing. The daily average of newly reported U.S. cases went from nearly 500 in August to about 100 in October. Now, there are fewer than five new U.S. cases per day. (Europe has seen a similar drop.)

Experts said a combination of factors likely turned the tide.

***

Vaccinations

Health officials caught an early break: An existing two-dose vaccine named Jynneos, developed to fight smallpox, was also approved for use against the monkeypox.

Initially, only a few thousand doses were available in the U.S., and most countries had none at all. Shipping and regulatory delays left local health departments unable to meet demand for shots.

In early August, U.S. health officials decided to stretch the limited supply by giving people just one-fifth the usual dose. The plan called for administering the vaccine with an injection just under the skin, rather than into deeper tissue.

Some in the public health community worried that it was a big decision based on a small amount of research  a single 2015 study. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since then has confirmed there was no difference in vaccine performance between the two methods.

"They got criticized for the revised dosing strategy, but it was the right call," said Frieden, who is currently president of Resolve to Save Lives, a non-profit organization focused on preventing epidemics.

Cases, however, had already begun falling by the time the government made the switch.

***

Community outreach

The current CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, cited efforts to educate doctors on how to better diagnose and treat mpox. Other experts said that even more important was outreach to the sexually active gay and bisexual men most at risk.

In the first months of the outbreak, the government was cautious about focusing warnings too intently on gay and bisexual men for fear of stigmatizing the men and  in so doing  undermining efforts to identify infections. (Indeed, in November the WHO changed the name of the disease from monkeypox to mpox in an effort to reduce stigma.)

"They were a little coy about the population principally affected," Schaffner said.

Many say queer activists and community organizations stepped up to fill the void, quickly offering frank education and assistance. In an online survey conducted in early August, many men who have sex with men reported having fewer sexual encounters and partners because of the outbreak.

"The success was really due to grassroots activities," said Amira Roess, a George Mason University professor of epidemiology and global health. Leaders in the gay community "took it upon themselves to step in when the government response was really lacking" in a way that recalled what happened during the plodding government response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, she said.

Among those efforts was called RESPND-MI  Rapid Epidemiologic Study of Prevalence, Networks, and Demographics of Monkeypox Infection. The grant-funded organization put out transmission-prevention messaging, conducted a community-led survey of mpox symptoms, and mapped the social and sexual networks of queer and transgender people in New York City.

Nick Diamond, a leader of the effort, said government response improved only after gay activists pressured officials and did a lot of the outreach and education themselves.

"A lot of HIV activists knew that it would be up to us to start a response to monkeypox," he said.

But Diamond also noted another possible reason for the declines: Spread of mpox at LGBTQ celebrations in June  coupled with a lack of testing and vaccinations  likely contributed to the July surge. "A lot of people came out of Pride, after being in close contact, symptomatic," he said. They suffered blisters and scabs, bringing home the message to other at-risk men that the virus was a very real danger.

***

Biology vs. behavior

There are also possible explanations that have more to do with biology than behavior.

The number of new infections may have been limited by increases in infection-acquired immunity in the men active in the social networks that fueled the outbreak, CDC scientists said in a recent report.

Past research has suggested there may be limits in how many times monkeypox virus will spread from person to person, noted Stephen Morse, a Columbia University virologist.

"The monkeypox virus essentially loses steam after a couple of rounds in humans," Morse said. "Everyone credits the interventions, but I don't know what the reason really is."

How 'monkeypox' and other disease names have caused controversy How "monkeypox" and other disease names have caused controversy Disease names tied to geographic locations Disease names connected to an animal species Disease names that include the name of an individual person Disease names that refer to a group of people
The 29-year-old was sentenced Monday to 180 days in jail for having sexual contact with a student. Another Winside teacher also is facing charges for an alleged inappropriate relationship.
Thirteen of 15 Hall County businesses investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol passed alcohol compliance checks on May 3.

Two of the businesses inspected sold alcohol to a minor.

The businesses that failed the inspections were El Toro Mexican Restaurant and the Pizza Hut location on South Locust Street.

All 15 businesses checked the minors ID.

Businesses that sell alcohol to a minor are referred to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission. Clerks who sell alcohol to a minor are cited for procuring alcohol for a minor.

The project was supported by a grant under the Prevention Project in Grand Island.
A woman cries as she is allowed through Gate 42 after days of waiting on the south side of the border wall to be accepted for processing. (Photo by Corrie Boudreaux for Source NM)

EL PASO  Under the shadow of Gate 42, Elizabeth Ramirez repeated I didnt want it to be like this, as she crossed over the Rio Grande, low and sluggish over algae.

She was one of a group of two dozen people surrendering to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol on Wednesday. The people crossing would say where they were from  Colombia, Peru, Venezuela  children waved, people threw thumbs up or made hearts with their hands to the cameras and members of the media.

Ramirez walked nearly last, crying. She said that coming to the U.S. was a shared dream, between herself and her 13-year old daughter. She told reporters that her daughter was killed in Hermosillo, Sonora, where Ramirez was from.

Im holding her right here, she said, carrying her daughters ashes in a bag to the bus waiting below the embankment.

Ramirez is one of the thousands of people to surrender to the border patrol in recent days, as a massive shift in immigration policy looms on the U.S. Southern border.

Title 42, a policy enacted in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, ends midnight Eastern time on May 11, expiring with the federal emergency order. It refers to a section in a 1994 public health law that allows curbing migration in the name of public health. Initially ordered under the Trump administration, it continued under President Biden.

The policy allowed authorities to immediately expel people seeking asylum at the border into Mexico, or to their country of origin, billing it as a way to limit the spread of the coronavirus. National medical experts joined with human rights groups to object to the policy, saying it has no basis in public health.

Over three years, authorities expelled people more than 2.8 million times. Unaccompanied children were exempt from the rule.

After the policy expires, the U.S. returns to federal immigration code Title 8, which restarts the legal processes to remove or deport people from the United States for entering the country illegally. Seeking asylum, like what Ramirez others are attempting, in the United States is a legal method of entering the country.

Customs and Border Patrol Agent Fidel Baca called the return to Title 8 a return to normalcy.

Well be seeing an implementation of consequences for entering illegally, he said. The consequences can be steep including a five-year ban on reentry and the possibility for prosecution for repeated attempts.

CBP agents at Gate 42 estimated that between 1,500 to 2,000 people were expected to enter Wednesday. More than 300 people were waiting to turn themselves into border patrol agents at 6:30 a.m.

Thousands of people have been sleeping on the streets of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez in recent weeks. In that time, people have been making the crossing. Tensions are high between migrants and authorities after a detention center fire in Juarez caused the deaths of 40 people left behind locked doors by guards.

Area shelters have been serving higher numbers of people since August 2022, and theyre focused on maintaining day-to-day operations, organizers said.

We are just trying to keep our shelter open and care for people, the Rev. Rafael Garcia told Source NM in a sidewalk interview outside the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

The city announced a plan last week to open temporary shelters at vacant schools. Three Texas border cities  El Paso, along with Brownsville and Laredo  declared a state of emergency in the lead up to Title 42s expiration.

Lessons from 2019

Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima said local groups and officials made policy changes around people entering the country after hundreds of people were essentially stranded in towns near the border.

In 2019, the Department of Homeland Security dropped off more than 1,000 people and the city was partially involved in sheltering them. Now that responsibility lies with local nonprofits, he said such as El Calavario United Methodist Church or Border Servant Corps.

For the most part, they have replaced the city and the county in taking care of migrants, Miyagishima said.

A lot has changed in intervening years, said El Calavario Pastor George Miller in a phone interview, saying that people from all over the world, not just Central and South America, need accommodations.

He said the nonprofit now receives some reimbursement for shelter and food from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and appliances from parent organization Church World Services, rather than purely through donations.

El Calavario allows people to stay overnight and for two days, offers food, clothing and arrangements for transportation to meet with family or other sponsors. Staff includes legal adviser and a social worker.

The capacity for the shelter is 50 to 60 people a day, five days a week. While the numbers fluctuate, the past week immigration authorities brought five busloads, totaling about 250 people.

Everybody is anticipating that we are going to probably be at full capacity for over the next month or two, Miller said.

Border Servant Corps did not respond to requests for comment.

Local nonprofits are not driving the emergency plan, said Stephen Lopez, the emergency manager for Dona Ana and Las Cruces.

Since he said the shelters in Las Cruces are voluntarily receiving people, and El Paso has more capacity, sotheres no need to enact emergency measures, which could include building a temporary shelter at the Dona Ana fairgrounds.

Right now, there are no indicators that the capacity for processing in El Paso will be overwhelmed, Lopez said.

Lopez said he is in contact sometimes daily or weekly with emergency officials in El Paso and with federal agencies.

El Paso officials at the Office of Emergency Management did not respond to requests for comment.

The federal government made assurances in recent meetings that people were not just going to be dropped off in area cities, such as Deming or Las Cruces, said Dona Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart.

Stewart echoed the sentiment that El Paso nonprofits are expected to provide the services to people crossing the border.

We believe the NGO setup in El Paso will handle this quite well, Stewart said.
The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. To sign-up for EZ-Pay, call us at (903) 785-6901 or e-mail us at circulation@theparisnews.com. We will use the information you provide to change your current billing to EZ-PAY. Your current subscription delivery schedule will not be changed. No refunds for early cancellations. Remainder of early cancellation funds will be donated to Newspapers in Education.
Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High around 80F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
CARBONDALE  In America, the average age of a restaurant owner is someone in their 40s. Don't tell that to Alaye Graham. He opened his restaurant up two months ago, just before his 19th birthday.

Graham, who held his grand opening of Blockos on April 1 this year, had previous cooking experience in Georgia, where he worked at Popeyes, specializing in fried chicken entrees. Before that, Graham learned cooking in his home growing up. Now, he delivers food to satisfy that hankering for down-home all-American food like burgers and fries, wings, and late-night or early morning breakfast fare.

"My auntie and uncle were major motivations in my life for starting a restaurant ... My biggest inspiration was my auntie Rasheeda Graham," Graham said, who must have learned not only how to cook but also how to take on the world.

Whereas most youth out of high school are employees at entry-level service jobs, Graham is an employer. But with greater reward comes greater responsibility.

"The most challenging thing about being the owner of a restaurant is the paperwork. I tell all my employees at Blockos 'there is never nothing to do' and that is literal," Graham said.

Though it is statistically inaccurate to say that half of new business will fail in the first year, the actual numbers aren't any more encouraging. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 45% during the first five years, and 65% during the first 10 years. Only 25% of new businesses make it to 15 years or more. Still, Graham is undaunted.

And the reviews of Blockos give credit to Graham's confidence.

After only being open for a little over a month, Blockos has a Google review rating of 4.4 stars from 22 reviews. This is what some are saying about the new eatery in town.

"Great place and amazing vibe. Music was awesome and the booths were phenomenal. The food is extremely enjoyable and the servers here are the most amazing people in the world. Very friendly establishment that I would recommend for anybody looking for good American food," said a Google review.

"Great place to eat! First time there and the food was delicious. Portion sizes matched the price. Everything was fresh and hot. Staff was very nice and helpful. Love the drive thru option. Will definitely be back," Ina Barnett writes.

Though most of the reviews are good, not everyone is raving about Blockos.

"To start, the wings and fries are GOOD. Best in town probably. That being said, there's room for improvement. Staff either is, or comes off as, teenagers with little belief in the business. Considering the closing time, I assume the goal here is to snatch up hungry bar goers. The food can do it. A little more staff encouragement will certainly help. Little more marketing direction could make for success," said Joe Dada who gave Blockos three out of five stars.

There are still some obstacles to overcome and improvements to make, but that is to be expected of any business owner just starting out. And that is with a mature, usually older staff, without social circumstances that are less than ideal. But at Blockos, Graham has decided to use his restaurant as a means to improve the lives of those whose lives are less than stellar and squeaky clean.

"At Blockos we take the less fortunate in troubled teens of this community and hire them and teach them and mentor them on how to be a pillar to society," Graham said.

Graham doesn't know exactly what the future holds for him, but he has big plans of opening an arcade in Carbondale and taking Blockos back to Georgia by the end of 2024.

Blockos is located at 709 S. Illinois Ave in Carbondale and is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays. On weekends they are open until 2 a.m.
South Carolina State University trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to confer an honorary doctorate for the universitys 13th president, Alexander Conyers.

President Conyers has demonstrated his loyalty to South Carolina State University time and time again over the years as an active alumnus, Board of Trustees Chairman Douglas D. Gantt said. His outstanding record in service to the U.S. Army and subsequently to the federal government warrants recognition at the highest level, as does his clear devotion to S.C. State.

Conyers, a 1989 S.C. State graduate who spent more than 30 years in military and federal service, remained intimately involved with S.C. State throughout his career.

Throughout his pristine career in service to the nation, he never forgot about his beloved alma mater, having devoted his time and resources to uplifting the institution, Gantt said. He shines bright in S.C. States long history of producing leaders who achieve above and beyond expectations.

Conyers will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters on Friday, May 12, during the universitys spring 2023 Commencement. He also will deliver the commencement address for the occasion.

The ceremony will get underway at 7 p.m. in Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. Seating in SHM will be limited to S.C. State faculty and staff, members of the Class of 2023 and their guests. Graduating seniors have been allotted 10 tickets each for guests.

The university also will recognize members of the Golden Class of 1973 who are celebrating 50 years as S.C. State alumni.
Orangeburg Department of Public Safety

An Orangeburg man is facing drug and weapon charges following a traffic stop at 1:40 a.m. Tuesday.

Desmond Tyrell Riley, 34, of 242 Boswell Street, is charged with first-offense possession of 15 dosage units of MDMA or ecstasy, possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a violent felony and simple possession of marijuana.

An officer was patrolling John C. Calhoun Drive when he spotted a Honda Accord traveling with a defective headlight, according to an incident report.

The driver allegedly didnt have proof of insurance, registration or a valid drivers license. She also claimed ownership of a blue book bag which allegedly contained a small baggie of illegal drugs.

Riley, who was allegedly riding in the backseat, had an outstanding warrant from the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services.

An officer claims a weapon was on the floorboard of the backseat. It appeared to be a Tokarev submachine gun, the report said.

Another officer searched Riley before placing him in a patrol car. The officer claims Riley had MDMA and marijuana in one of his pockets.

The woman is facing a misdemeanor charge of first-offense possession of a scheduled drug.

If Riley is convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $2,000 fine.
Hurricane Preparedness Week has given way to entire months focus on the big storms.

Gov. Henry McMaster has proclaimed May as the first South Carolina Hurricane Preparedness Month. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division, county emergency managers, the National Weather Service along with all members of the State Emergency Response Team urge individuals, businesses and communities to begin preparations ahead of the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

By dedicating a full month to hurricane preparedness, South Carolinians in all regions of the state have more time to prepare and become aware of the necessary precautions to take.

The theme for the states first Hurricane Prep Month is take the time while you have the time, meaning the month is an opportunity to see what long-term storm preparations residents can make now to make sure they are finalized and ready at the start of hurricane season.

Recent hurricanes to impact the Palmetto State include Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Hurricane Irma in 2017, Hurricane Florence in 2018, Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and Hurricane Ian in 2022. In 2015, Hurricane Joaquin, combined with a separate storm system, resulted in historic flooding from the Midlands to the Lowcountry.

And not to be forgotten is that September will bring the 34th anniversary of Hurricane Hugo, the 1989 Storm of the century, a huge system that scored a direct hit on Charleston. The result was more than $7 billion in total damages and 26,000 homes destroyed in the Lowcountry.

Despite improvements in infrastructure, technology and preparedness, Charleston and other coastal areas are still at significant risk from hurricanes.

South Carolina is one of the most vulnerable states to hurricanes and tropical storms. Six coastal counties border the Atlantic Ocean. These counties have more than 200 miles of general coastline. Densely populated coastal areas, especially during peak tourist seasons, coupled with the generally low coastal elevations significantly increase the state's vulnerability.

A 2019 report by 247wallst.com, a Delaware corporation that runs a financial news and opinion company, ranked Charleston as the 12th most vulnerable U.S. city to hurricanes. Myrtle Beach was ranked 13th.

Hurricanes not only threaten the coast, but all areas of South Carolina. Storm surge and flooding are the most deadly and destructive hazards associated with tropical storms and hurricanes, but high winds and tornadoes can cause severe damage to buildings and homes far inland.

One has only to look at Hugo and the devastation it caused in Orangeburg County, Sumter and all the way to Charlotte, N.C., to know that hurricanes severely impacting Charleston and other coastal areas are major threats across the state.

Hurricane season begins June 1 and lasts through Nov. 30. May is the month to prepare.
(TBTCO) - Thi truong chung khoan tuan (8/5 - 12/5) dien bien tich cuc hon han ca ve iem so lan thanh khoan. Chi so VN-Index tang manh nhat trong 9 tuan gan ay, trong khi thanh khoan cung tang tro lai at muc cao nhat trong 4 tuan. Voi su ho tro cua cac yeu to vi mo va dien bien hien tai, du bao thi truong se duy tri a tang trong ngan han.
Experian discusses what you need to know about how your credit score affects a car loan, what credit score you need to get approved and other 
OPPOSITION Chief Whip Dr David Lee has called on the Government to state clearly whether citizens have been overcharged at retail fuel pumps for the past seven months.

Lee, the Pointe-a-Pierre MP, was contributing to Wednesdays mid-year budget debate in the Parliament, where he noted that for the last seven months, oil has averaged US$79 dollars per barrel but local fuel prices were based on an oil price of US$90, out of the 2023 budget.
This Mothers Day, say a prayer for Mona Johnitty who lost her only child to criminals almost two years ago, but never stopped being a mother.

Every morning she wakes up, she thinks, prays, and whispers her sons nameRyan.

With her unwavering faith and love for God, she keeps the thought in her heart that Ryan Johnitty, who was an electrical engineer, is at peace with the heavenly angels, and no one can harm him.
The Government is doing itself and the public a complete disservice by rushing to introduce far-reaching legislative changes without the benefit of thorough research, analysis and consultation.

An immediate example is the Trial by Judge Alone Bill, 2023, which attempts to disband jury trials for all capital and non-capital indictable matters except in cases where the accused asks to be tried by judge and jury. If passed into law, these persons who request jury trial will have a smaller panel of nine jurors instead of the current 12 .
The newest bookstore in Tucson can be found on East Broadway, just west of the Williams Center, and is called  Barnes & Noble?

Forget that the store first opened in 1997, and from the parking lot still looks the same as it did then.

Once inside, readers cant miss the newness of the place. Theres a new floor plan, a new brightness and a renewed emphasis on books.

So many books!

Until recently, Barnes & Noble stores often felt like large gift shops that happened to sell literature. They offered items ranging from CDs and DVDs to puzzles, games and toys. Most of those areas now display books, some 60,000 in the Broadway location alone.

All these things are examples of changes Barnes & Noble began making systemwide in 2020 and 2021.

Among them: Empowering each store manager to think small; to feature books that will appeal to readers in their communities.

Exhibit A in Tucson was Feels Like Home, the recent memoir by Linda Ronstadt and Lawrence Downes. It was not a big seller, nationally. It did well in Tucson, in part because our two Barnes & Nobles were able to order it specially and display it prominently.

We are now doing some of the things vocational booksellers have always done, midtown store manager Bret Christopherson said. The principles used by independent bookstore ended up being very beneficial. Weve gotten back to basics. Were focused on the books.

Make no mistake: Barnes & Noble is still big. Americas largest chain of physical bookstores, it operates 592 locations nationwide. But by thinking small, it has bounced back from the brink of bankruptcy. Two months ago, in fact, the company announced plans to open 30 new stores this year.

The revival was inspired by James Daunt, who became CEO in 2019. He had done similar work at Waterstones, which operates 311 bookstores in the United Kingdom. Daunt restructured the entire company, rebuilding from the bottom up.

One of the cornerstones of the new Barnes & Noble is localization, a commitment to serve local communities, and there can be no better example than Christopherson. Born in Tucson, he attended Amphitheater High School and the University of Arizona.

I majored in creative writing, he said, but until I find the discipline to write a book, the next-best thing is to sell them.

Christopherson started at Barnes & Noble as a receiver in the back dock of the store in northwest Tucson, 7325 N. La Cholla Blvd.

He later became a shelver and, eventually, the assistant store manager.

He was named manager at the midtown location, at 5130 E. Broadway, in 2018, so he has had a front-row seat for the companys surprising comeback.

Much of it was the product of design, Christopherson said. The new sales strategies have proven to be popular and successful. In other ways, Barnes & Nobel happened to be in the right place at the right time.

The pandemic helped millions of people rediscover their passion for reading, Christopherson said. I think that was the biggest thing. People started reading again. Fortunately, when the lockdowns came, we had systems in place to sell online. And each of our stores became small warehouses.

The store also benefited from the emergence of BookTok, the TikTok community that blossomed during the pandemic and has since turbo-charged the book industry.

BookTok has been huge for us, Christopherson noted. Weve been promoting BookTok favorites for a long time. BookTok has sold a lot of books.

Finally, COVID-19 also gave Barnes & Noble the opportunity to sharpen its new sales strategies behind closed doors.

The concept of localization was augmented with other cornerstone strategies addressing presentation, commerciality and section detail. In other words, store managers were provided with tools to enhance the sales of their featured book. Each store decides how best to deploy the tools at their disposal.

Before, Christopherson explained, the layouts at all our stores were essentially the same. Management sold priority book placement to the publishers, so uniformity was important. The new company ended all that. The focus now is discoverability. Most people come into a bookstore wanting to browse. Everything we do now is designed to help people explore. We want them to find the treasure they didnt know they were searching for.

This is evidenced most vividly by the layout of bookcases, kiosks and tables. Instead of seeing row after row of identical bookshelves, Barnes & Noble stores are now segmented into two- or three-sided rooms walled by books. A given room might group biographies, memoirs and histories, for example. Another might display fiction, historic fiction and romance.

Books in these displays are not selected randomly. There are specific reasons why specific books are placed on specific tables. Again, each store decides what its community will want to read.

All of us interpret the companys principles in our ways, Christopherson said, so all of our stores are a little different. The presentations are different, the featured books are different. In the end, though, the focus is always on the book  and the reader.

Barnes and Noble now operates 16 stores in Arizona, two of them in Tucson. To find locations and store hours, visit stores.barnesandnoble.com.

FOOTNOTES

The Barnes & Noble bloodline can be traced to 1873, when Charles M. Barnes started a book business from his home in Wheaton, Illinois. In 1917, Barnes son, William, moved to New York City and merged forces with G. Clifford Noble to form Barnes & Noble.

Still headquartered in New York, the company became a discounter in 1975. The store soon became a powerhouse, and  in 1986  it acquired B. Dalton, a national book chain with 797 stores located in shopping malls.

Until the mid-1990s, Barnes & Nobles chief rival was Borders. Under pressure from the newly emergent Amazon, Borders declared bankruptcy in 2011. This left Barnes & Noble as Americas largest chain of bookstores  an in-person alternative to Amazon.
Arizona hosts two native species, the Foothills Palo Verde and the Blue Palo Verde.

The Foothills Palo Verde (Cercidium microphyllum) can be found mostly on rocky slopes. They have a yellow-green trunk, tiny leaves and pods that constrict around the seeds.

The Blue Palo Verde (Cercidium floridum) are usually spotted next water sources, like washes, and have a blue-green trunk.

Read more about the differences here.
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.

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.

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.
In 1981, earning a college degree was one of the furthest things from Carol Kays mind.

Back then, she was 15 years old and relieved to be alive. She had finally found refuge with family in Anaheim, California, after escaping one of the deadliest ethnic cleansing campaigns in modern history. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge ascended to power in Kays native Cambodia and murdered some 2 million Cambodians over the next four years.

Kay survived and, after relocating to California, enrolled in school. But she only spoke Khmer, her native language, and found it difficult to communicate with her peers. It was very, very scary, Kay, now 57, recalls. I hardly talked to anyone. I would just go from school to home and do my homework.

More than 40 years later, shes come full circle.

This week, Kay, who now speaks five languages, is graduating from the University of Arizona with an education degree and aspires to teach English abroad. Two of her three children, Harry and Anthony Chhieu, are also graduating from the UA this week. And their whole family knows how much Kay sacrificed to get them all to this point.

Those sacrifices started almost as soon as Kay arrived in California as a teenager.

Her family stressed the importance of school, but she knew she wouldnt be able to get through it if she couldnt read or write English. So she went to school during the day and at night she took English courses designed non-native speakers. She caught on quickly. But as a requirement to graduate high school, she also had to pass foreign language courses, and Khmer was not offered as an option. Thats how she learned French, too.

During and after high school, Kay worked full-time for her familys donut shop and eventually opened her own. It was there that she learned her fourth language: Spanish.

I had this donut shop and a lot of our customers were Hispanic and spoke Spanish, she said. I thought there was no reason why I shouldnt be able to speak with these people. I took a few Spanish classes thinking I could pick it up and sure enough I did.

On top of running a business, she was also married with three children. Despite her talent for learning new languages, college didnt seem like it would ever fit into her life.

When I came to the U.S. I knew I didnt want to be frying french fries for a living, Kay said. But there was never any money for school. The opportunity seemed like it would never come.

It didnt for a while.

Kay eventually divorced her husband and moved herself and her three young children from California to Tucson. When they first arrived in Tucson, she got a job teaching preschool and focused on providing a supportive home for her kids.

A lot of my family emphasized academics above everything else. But my mom just pushed us all to be happy, Harry Chhieu, who is also graduating with a mechanical engineering degree from the UA this week. Growing up with her  seeing her do everything on her own as a single mom  made me have so much respect for her. She made me who I am.

Once Kays kids got a little older, she started to pursue the college degree she once thought was out of reach. She took classes at Pima Community College, and it was there that she learned her fifth language: Chinese. I had some friends from China who spoke the language, she said of her motivation. After graduation, I want to visit them there and speak their language.

After graduating with an associates degree from PCC, Kay transferred to the UA and started working toward a bachelors degree alongside her two sons.

Im not sure where I would be without her hard work, said Kays other son, Anthony Chhieu, who is graduating with a criminal justice degree. With everything that shes been through  being uprooted from her home and not knowing any English  it makes my life seem like a piece of cake.

The trio doesnt have any extravagant plans to celebrate graduation, but theyre all looking ahead to bright futures. For Kay, this next chapter after graduation is filled with the possibilities of traveling, teaching English abroad and building a new career.

Whatever she does in the years ahead, she said shell never forget the English teachers who helped her adjust to her new life in the United States more than 40 years ago.

It feels great, Kay said. I want to be able to give it back to the community that helped me and say I was there once, too. This is where I came from.

Historic photos: A look back at University of Arizona Commencement ceremonies
PHOENIX  Lawmakers approved a $17.8 billion state spending plan Wednesday after Republican lawmakers beat back efforts by Democrats to curb universal access to school vouchers.

The budget deal reached by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and Republican legislative leaders kept the universal voucher eligibility approved last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Rep. Nancy Gutierrez, D-Tucson, sought to impose an immediate pause in enrolling more students in the voucher program, which allows students to attend private or parochial schools at taxpayer expense, regardless of financial need, until lawmakers can get a better handle on costs.

She pointed out that the price tag this school year alone already is more than double the original $200 million estimate. That doesnt include another $176 million that funds the original voucher program, which was steadily expanded since it began in 2011 to serve students with special needs.

Hobbs, in her budget proposal released in January, the month she took office, predicted that universal vouchers, unless repealed, would consume $1 billion a year in state funds within a decade.

Gutierrezs proposal, however, went down to defeat on a party-line vote as Rep. David Livingston, R-Peoria, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said Hobbs agreed to keep the universal eligibility.

Gutierrez, a public school teacher, had no more luck with her effort to cap enrollment in the expanded program at 69,000 students, about 25% more than already signed up since universal vouchers first became available last year.

$300M more for K-12 schools

Despite Democrats party-line support for voucher limits, several Democrats agreed to support the budget anyway.

Backers said the package contains other priorities they want, including adding $300 million to K-12 schools.

That didnt impress Rep. Athena Salman, D-Tempe.

She pointed out that is just a one-time infusion. And she said the exploding costs of universal vouchers, formally known as empowerment scholarship accounts, will make it more difficult in future years for public schools to get additional money.

Rep. Leeza Sun, D-Phoenix, said if the state really has an extra $1 billion, it would be better spent on K-12 schools. She said that amount would fund $10,000 pay raises for about 35,000 teachers.

In an effort to sweeten the deal, House Speaker Ben Toma, R- Peoria, agreed with Minority Leader Andres Cano  a Tucson Democrat who voted for the final package  to create a special study committee to provide clarity and ensure that the governance and administration of empowerment scholarship accounts is appropriately designed to manage a growing and complex problem.

There is nothing that ensures changes will be made to the program or limits will be imposed after the report is issued at the end of the year.

Affordable housing priority

Still, there was enough in the package to add the votes of 16 of the 28 Democrats to all 31 Republicans for the main spending plan.

A separate bill to fund K-12 education  and the vouchers  fared less well with 12 Democratic votes, but still enough for approval.

Those votes, coupled with divided support from Senate Democrats earlier in the day, was sufficient to send the budget to Hobbs who issued a statement praising lawmakers for ratifying the deal she cut with the GOP leaders and promising to sign it.

Not everybody got what they wanted, Hobbs noted.

She made no mention that she gave in and did not pursue the budget plan she announced in January. That would have repealed the universal vouchers and returned the program to what it was before 2022, when only students with special needs or in certain categories qualified for state-paid tuition to private schools.

Hobbs said the deal made historic investments in affordable housing, road and bridge construction, and expanded health care for children of the working poor.

Among the Democrats who found enough worthwhile in the package to support it was Rep. Analise Ortiz. She told colleagues about what she has heard from residents of her district, which includes the Maryvale section of Phoenix and part of Glendale.

The people who sent me here were asking most often for relief from the housing affordability crisis that impacts Arizonans in every part of the state, of all ages and demographics, Ortiz said. There is no portion of the state that is not touched by the rising cost of rent and mortgages. There is a humanitarian crisis as seniors on fixed incomes are living in their cars and as people continue to die on our streets.

What got her yes vote, she said, was a $150 million deposit into the Housing Trust Fund to help finance affordable housing and eviction-prevention programs. Thats more, she said, than has been added over the past 10 years combined. Another $60 million goes into a new emergency fund that can immediately go to finance homeless shelters.

Pointed criticisms of Hobbs

Rep. Cesar Aguilar, D-Phoenix, also agreed to go along. But he made it clear he was not happy about the take-it-or-leave-it choice he was given  nor with the governor for negotiating what he says was a bad deal and putting Democrats in that position.

Democrats seem to be in the same boat as if we had a Republican governor, Aguilar said. He cited Hobbs agreement to not just leave last years universal voucher plan in place but to allow it to grow without caps.

What is the point of holding the governorship? Aguilar asked. Why did we all work to get Gov. Hobbs in office and we are still short? he said, saying what was adopted was not a Democratic budget but a Republican budget.

Rep. Mariana Sandoval, D-Goodyear, was unwilling to accept the arguments by some of her Democratic colleagues that there was enough good in the package to allow them to swallow the bad.

This budget was negotiated through the governors office by the governor and majority leaders, she said. And we as a caucus were given crumbs.

Yet at the same time, Sandoval said, the spending plan is packed with money for other priorities, such as $15.3 million for capital projects for the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo.

That is part of what Salman called $633 million in pet projects handed out by GOP leaders to lawmakers who agreed to support the package. Salman said these are things like road and bridge construction and improvements that are not priorities in the Arizona Department of Transportation Five-Year Plan but some of which jumped the line because they had an in with a certain member.

Parental choice defended

Still, the central point of contention was the decision to leave intact the universal voucher plan and the complaints by Democrats that the ever-increasing price tag will leave the state with less money for other priorities including public education.

But Rep. Justin Heap, R-Mesa, said that has to be examined in the context of what he said has been nearly a doubling of state dollars in public education since 2013.

And what have we gotten for our investment? he asked.

Heap also decried the constant stream of attacks on the voucher program. He said it has to be seen not as an attack on the program but an attack on the students, on the kids and the families that rely on the ESA program to put their kids into schools.

Why? Heap said. Because they had the audacity to take their children out of a government school and put them into a better program.

In the Senate, Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein of Tempe said she, too, believed she and others were forced to vote for the Hobbs-negotiated package, saying that was the price Democrats had to pay to get their priorities included.

I did not want and do not want to vote yes on these budget bills, she said. But in order to keep the funding for K-12 and to keep the funding for housing and to establish a homelessness fund, I had to vote yes.

Epstein also said that, theoretically speaking, Democrats could have held out for a few more weeks, as the new fiscal year that the budget pays for does not begin until July 1. She said that might have resulted in a budget more to the liking of Democrats.

But this is the budget we have before us today, Epstein said. So we have to make a decision on this budget.

Whether a better deal might have been negotiated is speculative at best.

Senate President Pro-Tem T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, said it always was clear, after the election of a Democratic governor in November, that Republicans would not get the budget that might otherwise be enacted with a Republican as the states chief executive. They were prepared to negotiate, Shope said.

But he said GOP leaders also made it clear to Hobbs from the start that some issues were non-negotiable. That specifically included continuation of the universal vouchers.

It wasnt just the vouchers that left many Democrats unhappy.

Tax break, rebate debated

Sen. Priya Sundareshan of Tucson decried a tax break that the conservative Arizona Freedom Caucus got inserted into the package that Hobbs approved. Only those who have paid some taxes in the past three years will be entitled to get a one-time $250 credit for each child, up to $750.

That means that the most vulnerable, the most needy families will not actually receive the benefits of this tax rebate, Sundareshan said. She also said it denies relief to those who have no state income tax liability, possibly because they are getting tax credits for donating to other programs for the homeless or education.

Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, one of the architects of the plan, defended it.

Arizona families are being crushed right now, he said, pointing to rising costs of food and fuel. Our job is to do all we can to support Arizona families and Arizona citizens to the best of our ability.
Guns in the US

Re: the May 7 letter "Murder by gun and mental health."

While l agree that guns kill people, more so in the U.S. then in Europe, it is also true that the majority of Europeans are better educated and parents are more concerned about their children's actions; and there are probably fewer children without a parent (or parents) to guide them. Gun control in Europe is strictly enforced, which is very lax in the United States.

John Ginocchio

East side

Democrats' woke DEI policies are discriminatory

I believe Democrats' woke policies are racist and discriminatory. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies have now been adopted and implemented by federal, state, and municipal governments, educational, aka liberal indoctrination institutions, and corporations across America. All in the name of racial, social and economic justice.

What I think all of this translates to is racism and discrimination against whites, especially straight white males. Critical race theory being taught to young students across the country at its core is anti-white. Woke DEI training sessions for government and private industry employees are essentially anti white male.

If a government or private sector has a choice between hiring a well qualified white male applicant versus a well qualified or lesser qualified minority applicant, would not their DEI policies dictate hiring the latter? Democrats' woke DEI policies amount to affirmative action on steroids. Over decades, America has spent hundreds of billions of taxpayer money on affirmative action policies for minorities. Now Democrats have taken it to the next discriminatory level.

Marty Jacobs

Green Valley

Budget limit

Re: the May 7 letter "Budget limit."

The letter states: When a father sends his kid off to college with a credit card worth $5,000 to use through the year for necessities and the card is maxed out by the first month, a parent gets angry. Naturally! So what does the father do? The letter writer admits that FIRST he will pay the bill and subsequently put the student on a stringent budget.

Comparing it on a national scale the letter writer says this is EXACTLY what Kevin McCarthy does, but it is NOT. He (Congress) refuses to pay the bill before the cuts are made. In other words, the father will not jeopardize his good credit, and reluctantly pay the bill, but Congress is willing to ruin the Credit of this great nation, by putting the future before the past. Really?

Lotte Decker

Northeast side

AR-15 style weapons

Why do any eligible U.S. citizens wish to own an AR-15 style rifle? If it is to protect themselves, then why would not other gun options suffice? From what I have read, the original weapon was intended for war. An ER Doctor described its damage to the human body in terms that suggest flesh and bone cannot be repaired while a simple 45 caliber wound might be. Some voters will allow one topic to decide their vote. Abortion, for example.

Personally, I have decided that this topic of allowing, or not, ownership of a hideous AR-15 style weapon is worthy of determining my election vote. My thought is to outlaw such a weapon and for our government to purchase, at a reasonable price, all existing AR-15 style weapons from our citizen owners, including ammunition, and ship them all to the Ukrainian government using funds already allocated for that purpose.

James Reaves

Foothills

Juan Ciscomani is an outstanding Congressman

As a voter in Arizona's CD6, Im appalled and dismayed to read the several letters that have been recently published by the Star excoriating Congressman Juan Ciscomani on one issue or another. This is obviously an organized effort by the Democrats to tarnish the reputation of a fine Representative  father, husband and servant of the people in his District.

Moreover, the attack ads already running on local TV, paid for by a leftist out-of-state PAC, are, quite frankly, filled with untruths.

He is strong on the Republican values of personal responsibility, fiscal responsibility, border security, national defense and adherence to the Constitution.

I know Juan and Laura personally and professionally. No two finer people walk the face of this earth. Its an honor to call them friends, and to have Juan represent me and my family in the U.S. House of Representatives.

David Eppihimer

East side

Who should take responsibility

Re: the May 7 article "UA leadership shakeup has some hopeful campus safety improves."

This article appeared to be detailed and comprehensive. I, of course, am not privy to all the particulars of the investigation of the university's safety protocols. However, organizational change, as suggested by UA President Dr. Robert C. Robbins, may not be the complete answer.

The dismissed Liesl Folks, provost, and Paula Balafas, chief of the UA Police Department, appear to be scapegoats for the laxity of their supervising personnel. The resignation of Robbins (the captain of the ship) and other administrators in the chain of command may be a better solution than throwing only two lower level personnel under the bus.

From the extensive news coverage in recent weeks it appears that the UA office of General Counsel, Dean of Students Kendal Washington White and Pima County Attorneys Office should also bear some of the responsibility for the safety lapse.

Art Di Salvo

Northwest side

What did you expect?

Re: the May 3 article "First 100 days."

For all those people upset over the way GOP Rep. Juan Ciscomani has voted in his first 100-days, I have some news for you. He is a REPUBLICAN doing what his party does.

James Galvin

Sahuarita

The Court deserves what it gets but do we

Re: the May 8 article "Court gets what it deserves as public approval plummets."

We must ask: do we the people deserve what we are getting? But what can one expect when at least five of the Justices lied to get the job.

John Roberts claimed he was merely an "umpire" making decisions but that he had no opinion on Roe vs. Wade. Alito said he'd uphold precedent. They lied. They were ideologues from the start.

Then there are Gorsuch and Coney Barrett who claimed precedent should not be touched. Kavanaugh brazenly lied to Senator Susan Collins when she asked him directly about his views on Roe. Clarence Thomas is a piece of work unto himself and we can all fault Joe Biden legitimately for Thomas' rise to the Court because Biden swept all of Thomas' scandalous misconduct under the proverbial rug.

The real question is does the American public deserve a Court that makes ideological decisions NOT based on law?

Barbara Benjamin
MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP)  Migrants rushed across the Mexico border Thursday, racing to enter the U.S. before pandemic-related asylum restrictions are lifted in a shift that threatens to put a historic strain on the nations beleaguered immigration system.

The imminent end of the rules known as Title 42 stirred fear among migrants that the changes would make it more difficult for them to stay in the U.S. And the Biden administration was dealt a potentially serious legal setback when a federal judge temporarily blocked its attempt to more quickly release migrants when Border Patrol holding stations are full.

With a late-night deadline looming, misinformation and confusion buffeted migrants as they paced the border at the Rio Grande, often unsure of where to go or what to do next.

At Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, throngs of migrants  some clutching small children  waded across spring river currents, pushed through thickets to confront a border fortified with razor wire. Other migrants settled into shelters in northern Mexico, determined to secure an asylum appointment that can take months to schedule online.

Many migrants were acutely aware of looming policy changes designed to stop illegal crossings and encourage asylum seekers to apply online and consider alternative destinations, including Canada or Spain.

I dont know whats going to happen tomorrow, said Jhoan Daniel Barrios, a former military police officer from Venezuela as he paced with two friends along the the border in Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, looking for a chance to seek refuge in the U.S.

We dont have any money left, we dont have food, we dont have a place to stay, the cartel is pursuing us, said Barrios, whose wife was in U.S. custody. What are we going to do, wait until they kill us?

Last week, Barrios and his friends entered the U.S. and were expelled. They had little hope of a different result Thursday.

On the U.S. side of the river, many surrendered immediately to authorities and hoped to be released while pursuing their cases in backlogged immigration courts, which takes years.

It was not clear how many migrants were on the move or how long the surge might last. By Thursday evening, the flow seemed to be slowing in some locations, but it was not clear why, or whether crossings would increase again after the coronavirus-related restrictions expire.

A U.S. official reported the Border Patrol stopped some 10,000 migrants on Tuesday  nearly twice the level from March and only slightly below the 11,000 figure that authorities have said is the upper limit of what they expect after Title 42 ends.

More than 27,000 people were in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, the official said.

Our buses are full. Our planes are full, said Pedro Cardenas, a city commissioner in Brownsville, Texas, just north of Matamoros, as recent arrivals headed to locations across the U.S.

President Joe Biden's administration has been unveiling strict new measures to replace Title 42, which since March 2020 has allowed border officials to quickly return asylum seekers back over the border on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

The new policies crack down on illegal crossings while also setting up legal pathways for migrants who apply online, seek a sponsor and undergo background checks. If successful, the reforms could fundamentally alter how migrants arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border.

But it will take time to see results. Biden has conceded the border will be chaotic for a while. Immigrant advocacy groups have threatened legal action. And migrants fleeing poverty, gangs and persecution in their homelands are still desperate to reach U.S. soil at any cost.

Many migrants were acutely aware of looming policy changes as they searched Thursday for an opportunity to turn themselves over to U.S. immigration authorities before the 11:59 EDT deadline.

While Title 42 prevented many from seeking asylum, it carried no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. After Thursday, migrants face being barred from entering the U.S. for five years and possible criminal prosecution.

Holding facilities along the border already were far beyond capacity. But late Thursday, U.S. District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, an appointee of President Donald Trump, halted the administrations plan to begin releasing migrants with notices to report to an immigration office in 60 days when holding centers reach 125% capacity, or where people are held an average of 60 hours. The quick releases were to also be triggered when authorities stop 7,000 migrants along the border in a day.

The state of Florida argued the administrations plan was nearly identical to another Biden policy previously voided in federal court. Earlier Thursday, the Justice Department said its new move was a response to an emergency and being prevented from carrying it out could overwhelm the border and raise serious health and safety risks to noncitizens and immigration officials.

Weatherell blocked the releases for two weeks and scheduled a May 19 hearing on whether to extend his order.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had already warned of more crowded Border Patrol facilities to come.

I cannot overstate the strain on our personnel and our facilities," he told reporters Thursday.

Even as migrants were racing to reach U.S. soil before the rules expire, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said smugglers were sending a different message. He noted an uptick in smugglers at his country's southern border offering to take migrants to the United States and telling them the border was open starting Thursday.

On Wednesday, Homeland Security announced a rule to make it extremely difficult for anyone who travels through another country, like Mexico, or who did not apply online, to qualify for asylum. It also introduced curfews with GPS tracking for families released in the U.S. before initial asylum screenings.

The administration says it is beefing up the removal of migrants found unqualified to stay in the U.S. on flights like those that brought nearly 400 migrants home to Guatemala from the U.S. on Thursday.

Among them was Sheidi Mazariegos, 26, who arrived with her 4-year-old son just eight days after being detained near Brownsville.

I heard on the news that there was an opportunity to enter, I heard it on the radio, but it was all a lie, she said. Smugglers got her to Matamoros and put the two on a raft. They were quickly apprehended by Border Patrol agents.

Mazariegos said she made the trek because she is poor and hoped to reunite with her sisters living in the U.S.

At the same time, the administration has introduced expansive new legal pathways into the U.S.

Up to 30,000 people a month from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela can enter if they apply online with a financial sponsor and enter through an airport. Processing centers are opening in Guatemala, Colombia and elsewhere. Up to 1,000 can enter daily though land crossings with Mexico if they snag an appointment on an online app.

At shelters in northern Mexico, many migrants chose not to rush to the border and waited for existing asylum appointments or hopes of reserving one online.

At the Agape Mision Mundial shelter in Tijuana, hundreds of migrants bided their time. Daisy Bucia, 37, and her 15-year-old daughter arrived at the shelter over three months ago from Mexicos Michoacan state  fleeing death threats  and have an asylum appointment Saturday in California.

Bucia read on social media that pandemic-era restrictions were ending at the U.S.-Mexico border, but preferred to cross with certainty later.

What people want more than anything is to confuse you, Bucia said.

Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Rebecca Santana in Washington; Christopher Sherman in Mexico City; Gerardo Carrillo in Matamoros, Mexico; Maria Verza in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Giovanna DellOrto in El Paso; and Elliot Spagat in Tijuana, Mexico, contributed to this report.
Johnson City Press. May 4, 2023.

Editorial: History lessons should cover good and bad

Sonja DuBois was still a toddler when she last saw her birth parents.

In 1942, she was entrusted to a family friend when her mother and father were ordered to report for the first Jewish transport headed from the Dutch city of Rotterdam to Auschwitz. They were executed shortly after arriving.

DuBois, whose Hebrew name is Schifrah, shared her journey as a Holocaust survivor with eighth grade students at Ridgeview Elementary School this week.

They listened and asked questions as she told them about the Christian couple who adopted her and her immigration to the United States.

It took DuBois decades to trace her past and learn the truth about her familys history, but because of her willingness to share it now, future generations dont have to re-experience her and millions of other families past trauma.

Tennessee lawmakers these past few years have debated the appropriateness of school lessons about the darker spots in the history of the human race, like the Holocaust, slavery and the mistreatment of indigenous people in the Americas.

Without mapping out those dark spots, its impossible to turn toward the light.

Our students need to learn about the worst times so they can strive to do better.

Were glad DuBois was able to share her story with Ridgeview students. First-hand, personal experiences can often be more impactful than reading textbook entries about world history events.

DuBois deserves thanks for her willingness to teach future generations, and Washington County educators should be recognized for giving her the opportunity to speak.

END
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  The thick plume of smoke rising up from the forested hillsides sent a tinge of panic through northern New Mexico. It was dry and and windy  just like last year.

It was April 2022 that a record-setting wildfire sparked by the federal government had ripped across more than 530 square miles (1,373 square kilometers), destroying hundreds of homes and livelihoods along the way.

And now, firefighters were racing again to catch a new blaze.

This one started Wednesday afternoon on private property near the burn scar left by last year's historic wildfire and had grown to an estimated 1,000 acres (405 hectares) by nightfall. Fire managers were hoping to get an updated estimate Thursday night.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Nervous residents posted photos on social media showing the plume of smoke, as seen from their front porches. Others choked back tears as they left the area in their vehicles, capturing photos and videos of trees along the roadside and homes in the distance engulfed in fire.

Many questioned how there was anything left to burn.

People are still recovering from last year. A lot of these people who are getting evacuated right now were also evacuated last year, so its a very difficult time for them, said Matthew Garcia, a fire information officer with the State Forestry Division.

Among them was Rita Childers, a retiree from Manuelitas. She spent the night in the community of Las Vegas about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away after being told to leave her home Wednesday as the fire grew.

Childers told the Albuquerque Journal that she spotted big plumes of black smoke while returning from a walk.

At first I was like, No, not again. I cant believe this is happening, Childers said.

Crews on Thursday worked to keep the flames from reaching more homes while many of those who live in the small communities that are scattered throughout the mountains remained evacuated. Children were excused from school, roads in the area remained closed and neighboring communities opened temporary shelters.

State, local and federal resources are responding and fire managers have implemented a full suppression strategy, George Ducker, a spokesperson with the State Forestry Division, said in an update issued Thursday.

Forecasters called for another round of wind and red flag conditions through the evening.

Two elite firefighting crews were getting help Thursday from other hand crews, bulldozers, engines and a helicopter. Officials said more resources that could mount an attack from the air were on order.

Ducker said emergency responders were on the ground assessing damage and trying to tally how many homes and other structures had burned.

While above-average snowpack in the higher elevations of the Rocky Mountain foothills have helped, forecasters say the region is still feeling the effects of a long-term drought  and that there were many pockets of unburned fuel left within the footprint of last year's Hermit's Peak-Calf Canyon Fire.

That fire  the largest in New Mexico's recorded history  started on national forest land when two prescribed burn operations went awry, fueled by relentless spring winds. Private landowners had far more acres burned, with the majority seeing moderate burn levels.

While wildfires are a necessary part of many forest ecosystems, experts with the New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute have said that the scale of damage from the 2022 fire will leave its mark on the area for decades.

It also has left an emotional mark on residents whose families have ties to this landscape going back generations. Many were praying Thursday that the flames could be corralled soon.

Higher humidity levels  and possibly some rain  predicted for the area Saturday would likely help, Garcia said.

Nationally, the fire season is off to a slower start, with about one-third the number of acres burning compared to this same time last year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  South Carolina's economy keeps doing better than predicted, leading the House to vote Tuesday to increase the raises it wants to give to nearly every state employee.

The new $13 billion budget passed 105-12 by the House matches the raises proposed last month by the Senate.

If the spending plan for fiscal year 2023-24 is approved by the governor, state workers who make less than $50,000 would get a $2,500 bump in pay, while employees would get a 5% raise if they make more than $50,000.

Tuesday's debate was bolstered by news earlier in the day that the state's economy continues to do better than predicted and the General Assembly would have an extra $800 million to spend.

The House put $200 million toward what House Ways and Means Chairman called member requests for investments  requests for money for local projects like fixing and expanding arts centers and museums, redeveloping downtowns, boosting local festivals and redoing road corridors to eliminate railroad crossings.

That nine-page project list, sent to members in their emails about 12 hours before the debate, was the reason for the 12 votes against the budget amendment.

Republican Rep. Adam Morgan said the system allows budget leadership, led by fellow Republicans, to curry favor with members by deciding which projects win and which projects lose.

We need to not have any kind of system where you are able to control or even potentially buy votes from other members, Morgan said.

Morgan leads a group called the Freedom Caucus of about a dozen or so Republicans who think their fellow party members are not conservative enough. Other Republicans think the goal is to undermine the party and force it even farther to the right.

Republican Rep. Nathan Ballentine said in his 18 years in the House, the transparency for local spending has increased significantly beyond a bunch of people smoking cigars drinking bourbon in the backroom.

He agreed with other supporters of the practice who said South Carolina limits the ways local government can raise taxes and other revenue and can use state help to improve quality of life.

I may not agree with everything on here, Ballentine said holding up the list. "But an elected official from somewhere in the state feels its best to invest state dollars.

Just like during the regular House budget debate earlier this session, the argument between mainstream Republicans and the Freedom Caucus got heated. Republican Rep. Micah Caskey read the dictionary definition of dishonest.

And as Rep. Josiah Magnuson read the list of projects aloud, members cheered and clapped for the ones they liked.

I know this is cute guys. But we arent going to clap and we aren't going to cheer," Republican House Speaker Murrell Smith said. We have decorum.

As things got more tense, Smith told members he was dismayed at the comments about buying votes or being dishonest. He said he hopes this isn't a new normal for how House members will behave, but he also would rather have House members police themselves.

I am the Speaker. I'm not your mother or father, Smith said.

The Senate agreed later Tuesday to insist on its minor differences in the budget, so a conference committee of three senators and three House members will work them out before the end of the month. Gov. Henry McMaster has a line item veto, but much of what he wanted is in the spending plan outside of a $2,500 retention bonus for teachers

The budge t does increase the minimum salary for teachers at every position and experience level by $2,500. The spending proposal additionally would send $261 million more in classroom aid to local school districts, which could use that money to give raises if they are already above the minimums set by the state.

The budget includes more than $1 billion to help Volkswagen-backed Scout Motors build a plant for electric SUVs near Columbia.

About $120 million is set aside for a fund to help rural districts build schools.

The state would also cover any increases in health insurance premiums for its workers.
Tulsa-area restaurateur Mike Bausch says visiting the White House was definitely on his bucket list.

Actually meeting a president of the United States while visiting the executive mansion, and then having a picture of the two shaking hands go viral, went way beyond anything he ever expected.

Bausch  owner of a business group that includes Andolinis pizzeria, Prossimo and STG Gelateria  was in Washington earlier this month as Oklahomas Small Businessperson of the Year. The Small Business Administration was hosting designees from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, but Bausch said the itinerary given to him before he left Tulsa was a little vague.

I heard, Hey, you might meet a congressman, Bausch said. Then when the plane landed, I had a message that wed be going to the White House.

A few minutes talking with Bausch suggests that hes done some in-depth research on the White House. He describes the way the mansion had to be rebuilt inside after the British burned it during the War of 1812, some of the renovations since, and the attention first lady Jacqueline Kennedy brought to it with a widely watched televised tour in 1962.

When we were sitting, waiting for things to start, I took out my phone, said Bausch. I opened the (mapping) app, and there was my little blue dot at the White House and I thought, Youre really there.

Bausch does not sound like someone who lets politics get in the way of a rare moment.

Regardless of who the president is, I respect the office, he said. And the president couldnt have been more kind or welcoming.

Bausch said his impression was that President Joe Bidens decision to come out and mingle with the business leaders was not really planned. As Bausch was leaving, he said, a photographer captured the moment the president shook his hand.

That photo soon popped up on Bidens official Twitter account. It quickly made the rounds of his family and friends and was even highlighted by his old high school in the California Bay Area.

Nine hours later, a friend called and said, Have you been to the White House? Bausch said.

Every time someone starts a new business  its an act of hope and optimism.



My economic plan is in an investment in that hope. pic.twitter.com/87IEdgeUoX  President Biden (@POTUS) May 2, 2023
The plan was to open a coffee shop.

The only evidence of that plan is the small espresso machine that sits behind a bar in the back corner of Old World Pizza in Broken Arrow.

Thats my machine that I brought from home, said Lily Neal, who co-owns the newly opened restaurant with her husband, Robert. I love my coffee, and sometimes Ill make myself a cup or two during the day. And if a customer asks for a coffee or a cappuccino, I will make it for them.

But when we started talking about doing a restaurant, we would keep talking about pizza, she said. My husband loves to cook and we were always trying new recipes and learning what we could.

Neal was born and raised in Brazil by Italian parents, and while she has worked in the food business in the past, she had never attempted to run a restaurant before opening Old World Pizza.

We truly didnt know what we were doing, she said, laughing. We started out with this little pizza oven we bought at a home improvement store. We would use ingredients we got at the supermarket. We made a lot of really bad pizzas.

All those trials and errors have paid off, to judge by the pizzas Neal and her staff produce at Old World Pizza.

The restaurant is in a space in Broken Arrows Vandever Acres Shopping Center that formerly housed a Cicis Pizza. Neal said they had considered a couple of other possible locations, including another restaurant space in the shopping center that fronts New Orleans Street, but they proved too cost-prohibitive.

And Neal herself wasnt instantly taken by the space when it was first shown to her. I had wanted something more cozy, and this was a very cool-feeling place, she said. I want this to be a place where people feel comfortable, where they dont feel as if they need to just eat and go.

Fortunately, the food at Old World Pizza is the kind over which diners will want to linger, in order to savor every bite.

Pizza is understandably the star attraction. Pies come in 10- and 16-inch sizes, with prices ranging from $9 for a 10-inch cheese pizza to $27 for a 16-inch Ultimate Meat Lovers, which is topped with beef, pepperoni, salami, pork sausage and Canadian bacon, along with two kinds of cheese.

Some pies, such at the Chicken Bacon Ranch ($26) and the Four Cheese ($21) are available only in the 16-inch size.

The menu also lists a trio of pies under the title Morrison Brothers Pizza. Neal said they are named for the sons of the owner of a tae-kwon do business in the shopping center, who has been a fan of the restaurant since it opened in late November 2022.

These were pizzas his sons liked to order, and the family has been so supportive of us, that we decided to put them on menu, Neal said.

During a recent visit, my companion and I chose a small Supreme ($12.50), which comes topped with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, red onion and black olives, as well as two salads, the Caesar ($7) and the Caprese ($9).

The Caesar salad was chopped Romaine lettuce topped with commercially made croutons and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese; it was the homemade Caesar dressing  thick, rich and tangy  that made it special.

My companions Caprese salad was on the surface even more simple: thick slices of fresh mozzarella cheese shingled with sliced Roma tomatoes and basil leaves, drizzled with a balsamic dressing, extra-virgin olive oil, and Pecorino-Romano cheese. But the freshness of the ingredients and the balance of flavors were just about perfect. She has had Caprese salads in Italy, and this one was at least an equal to any she has had before.

Old World Pizza cooks its pies in a brick oven manufactured in Italy; with temperatures hovering in the 650-degree range, the oven can cook a pizza in about four minutes. It results in a crust that has a crisp bottom with just the right amount of spotty char marks, an edge that is dotted with puffy blisters that turn golden brown, a good chew and robust flavor.

We age our dough for three days, Neal said. It took us a while to discover that, but it makes exactly the kind of crust we want. We did the same thing with the tomatoes we use in our sauce. We tested tomatoes for days  some were too sweet, some were too acidic.

A lot of Italian cuisine is very simple, very rustic, she said. That is what we are trying to do here  if you keep things simple, people can really taste the ingredients. And that means you had better use the best quality ingredients you can find.

On a second visit, we tried perhaps the quintessential expression of pizza simplicity, the Margarita ($10 for a 10-inch pie), which is just white mozzarella cheese, red tomato sauce and green leaves of basil, representing the colors of the Italian flag.

And, because it is such a simple creation, there is no way to hide anything less than top-notch. Which was the case here  the lightly seasoned sauce was bursting with tomato flavor, the mozzarella had a pleasant underlying tang, and the dusting of semolina on the perfectly cooked crust added an added bit of crunch.

Neal said the menu will continue to evolve and expand. She is already offering calzones ($10-$15), as well as desserts that include canolli ($5) and tiramisu ($7), which uses espresso made in Neals personal coffee machine.

We are looking for a way to do pastas, because we have people coming in all the time asking for pasta dishes, she said. But I want to be able to do it fresh, so that may take a little time.
OKLAHOMA CITY  The Oklahoma Senate on Wednesday passed a $180 million incentive package designed to lure a solar panel and cell factory to the Tulsa Port of Inola.

Senate Bill 1179 would provide up to $180 million in incentives for Enel North America, which began as a utility company in Italy but evolved to become one of the worlds largest, most dependable, and most sustainable renewable energy companies with a presence in the United States and Canada for more than 20 years, according to its website.

The company announced in November that it would be building a new manufacturing plant in the United States and would employ about 1,500 people. It already has job openings for the plant listed on its website, with the caveat that the positions are posted in Oklahoma, as it is one of the leading candidates for the site of the facility.

A separate measure, SB 1177, which would create the Performance Act, would provide rebates for 10% of qualified expenditures through July 1, 2032. The company would have to create incrementally up to 1,400 jobs to receive all the rebates, which are also structured incrementally with five payments of $36 million.

SB 1177 passed by a vote of 37-5, and SB 1179 passed by a vote of 36-5. Both bills now head to the House for consideration.

Enel North Americas job listings for the potential Oklahoma plant indicate that it plans to build one of the largest solar photovoltaic manufacturing facilities in the United States here. The company expects the facility to produce at least 3 gigawatts of photovoltaic cells annually and scale up to 6 gigawatts annually.

According to the website energysage.com, the majority of solar projects in the United States use imported panels. Enel says on its website that its new plant will support the creation of a domestic solar PV supply chain to accelerate the growth of US generated energy and add to the countrys domestic solar cell and panel manufacturing capacity.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, said the state incentive program would allow the company to grow at its own pace.

Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, debated against the measure.

My opposition stems from: Is this a proper use of government authority and government money? Hamilton said. I also feel like in any human relationship, somebody is working somebody. My fear is the state of Oklahoma may be being worked by this company.

He said he was voting no because the bill may be another rock in the rucksack.

Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, said the state would be providing a $180 million guarantee without actually knowing what the return would be.

I believe the taxpayers money is protected, that the investment must be there and the jobs must be met, Thompson said.

SB 1179 would appropriate $180 million from fiscal year 2022 savings, leaving the state with a balance of $700 million, Thompson said.

Also Wednesday, the House approved a $38.6 million appropriation for water and sewer upgrades that Appropriations and Budget Committee Vice Chairman Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, confirmed were for the Enel project.

House Bill 2888 passed by an 83-1 vote, with the only no vote coming from Rep. Denise Crosswhite-Hader, R-Yukon.

Randy Krehbiel and Mary Bishop-Baldwin contributed to this story.

April 2022 video: Gov. Stitt seeks economic incentive kicker to land largest factory investment in states history

These companies received money from the state's Quick Action Closing Fund Canoo GE Commercial Metals Macy's Sofidel America Corp. Greenheck Fan Co. Boeing Company Cerilon GTL, Inc. Check out our latest digital-only offer and subscribe now
Three Ottawa County tribes are celebrating after a state appellate court issued on Thursday a long-awaited ruling regarding the status of tribal reservations in the county.

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, in a published decision, upheld district court rulings that determined the reservations of the Peoria and Ottawa tribes still exist.

The ruling also applies to the Miami Tribe, since it shares its reservation with the Peoria tribe, according to an attorney for both tribes.

Weve always known that our Indian Country existed, said Ottawa Tribe Chief Ethel Cook. And we are glad that the Oklahoma courts have finally come to terms with that fact.

The ruling means criminal cases involving tribal members as victims cant be tried by the state of Oklahoma if the crime occurred within one of those nations reservation boundaries.

In Ottawa County, we have 200,000 contiguous acres of reservation lands, said Doug Lankford, chief of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. This decision accurately reflects Supreme Court precedent in McGirt.

Now the U.S. attorney can begin fulfilling his federal trust responsibility to Indian Country and prosecute major crimes in Ottawa County.

The ruling comes after state Attorney General Gentner Drummond asked that the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals expedite rulings in four cases dealing with tribal jurisdiction in Ottawa County.

In an April 10 filing in the four cases before the court, Drummond said a ruling was needed due to a jurisdictional and public safety crises that has developed in the county.

Since January, more than 50 serious felony and misdemeanor cases have been dismissed in Ottawa County by the district attorney there and/or the district court on jurisdictional grounds linked to the U.S. Supreme Courts 2020 McGirt ruling, according to Drummonds filing.

District Attorney Doug Pewitt, who took office in January, acknowledged to the Tulsa World in early March that he had dismissed some cases so they could be refiled in tribal court.

The Ottawa County jail has been full of detainees with McGirt-based claims that have gone nowhere for over two years while awaiting an appellate decision on the matter, he said.

Pewitt also said he believes the reservations were never disestablished but that he would comply with a directive from Drummond asking him to prosecute those types of cases until an appellate court ruled otherwise.

The attorney general thanks the court for its ruling, which helps clarify jurisdictional guidance in furtherance of public safety and justice, a spokesman for Drummond said.

Ottawa County, located in the far northeastern corner of the state, is unusual in that it is the historic homeland of nine tribes, either in part or in whole.

Of the nine tribes, only the Cherokee and Quapaw had seen their reservations acknowledged by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals as still intact prior to Thursdays ruling. Some tribal officials maintain that all nine tribes still enjoy intact reservations.

Other tribes yet to see decisions on their reservation status are the Eastern Shawnee, the Modoc, the Seneca-Cayuga and the Wyandotte.

The cases that decided the reservation status of the three tribes on Thursday all involve Winston Whitecrow Brester, a member of the Seneca Cayuga Nation.

Brester was charged in 2020 with first-degree burglary and first-degree robbery in one case and with placing bodily fluids on a government employee and battery/assault and battery on a police officer in another 2020 case.

He also challenged his 2018 Ottawa County District Court conviction for attempting to elude a police officer.

In each case, Brester claimed that the state of Oklahoma did not have jurisdiction to prosecute him because he is a member of an American Indian tribe and the crime occurred within an existing tribal reservation.

While the state agreed that the crimes occurred within the historic boundaries of the Peoria or Ottawa nations, it claimed that Congress ended supervision of the Ottawa and Peoria tribes reservations in 1956 and 1959, respectively.

Brester countered that while the federal government ended supervision of the tribes, it did not end the tribes themselves or their reservations. In 1978, Congress passed the Restoration Act repealing the 1956 and 1959 laws ending supervision.

In sum, the Treaty of 1867 created a reservation for both the Ottawa and Peoria Tribes, according to the opinion. These reservations, even if diminished or terminated by each Tribes respective termination act, were restored by Congress with the express and unqualified repeal of these termination acts in the 1978 Reinstatement Act as well as with the express reinstatement of all rights and privileges lost in connection with termination.

The Court of Criminal Appeals did reverse a district court ruling in one of Bresters appeals  one that had already been finalized.

The court had previously ruled that the McGirt ruling was not retroactive, meaning cases where a conviction became final could not be appealed on those jurisdictional grounds.

The court, though, left open the door for the state to consider prosecuting Brester under the General Crimes Act, saying recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have not addressed scenarios involving crimes committed by an Indian against a non-Indian.

The Court of Criminal Appeals has now recognized eight tribes as still having intact reservations in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in July 2020, in McGirt v. Oklahoma, that the Muscogee Nations reservation had never been disestablished by Congress.

The same court acknowledged in 2021 the continued reservation status of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole and Quapaw nations.

Meanwhile, Miami Tribe officials in April held their first tribal court hearings for those whose cases were dismissed by state officials on jurisdictional grounds.

The defendants were all Native Americans whose alleged criminal activity occurred on reservation land shared by the Miami and Peoria tribes in Ottawa County.
Tulsa police have arrested two men, with one expected to face a murder charge, after officers found a 26-year-old victim with multiple gunshot wounds at a midtown apartment last week.

Officers responded around 11:45 p.m. May 5 to the scene southeast of 41st Street and Lewis Avenue, where they found Johntavius Crawford shot multiple times.

Crawford was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced brain dead the following day, according to a news release from police Lt. Brandon Watkins. He has since died from his injuries, the Tulsa Police Department said in a social media post.

Watkins said homicide detectives located two people they think are connected to the shooting: DeAnthony Cerrick Smith, 42, and Nathan Luckey, 36. The investigation is ongoing, Watkins said.

Smith, taken into custody late Wednesday afternoon, remains held without bond in the Tulsa County jail on a complaint of first-degree murder. Luckey was arrested earlier the same day on a complaint of accessory to first-degree murder and remains held with bail set at $500,000.

Police are investigating the shooting as the citys 17th homicide of 2023 and are asking anyone with relevant information to contact Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS (2677) or bit.ly/TCStips.
OKLAHOMA CITY  The State Department of Education will not apply for federal grants that run counter to Oklahoma values, according to documents the states top education official has sent lawmakers.

The state agency says determining whether grants align with State Superintendent Ryan Walters priorities is a key component of deciding whether to seek federal financial aid for schools.

State legislators from both sides of the aisle say they have more questions than answers after Walters, a conservative firebrand, provided a status report detailing where his agency stands on applying for federal grants.

We are very diverse, and I cant allow myself to think that were not going to apply for grants simply because of (political) buzzwords or because they would benefit people that look different or believe different things than our superintendent, Provenzano said. That would be unethical not to support everyone with these federal dollars.

She and Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, said they plan to reach out to the State Department of Education to seek clarity on the meaning of Oklahoma values.

Martinez, the vice chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, asked Walters in a recent legislative hearing to provide lawmakers with information on federal education grants.

When asked to elaborate on the meaning of Oklahoma values and give examples of any grants the state may pass on, Walters spokesman directed the Tulsa World to comments the superintendent made in the recent legislative hearing.

Im going to  ensure that every dollar that we accept is used for the best purpose for our parents, teachers and kids; that it is transparent so the taxpayers can see how the money is being spent; that theres no strings attached to those funds that make them ineffective and tie the hands of our districts in a way thats inappropriate, Walters said in the hearing.

On the campaign trail last year, Walters said he would reject federal funding for Oklahoma schools, but he quickly walked back those comments. He has since been critical of federal funding that he says has any left-wing indoctrination strings attached by the Biden administration.

The State Department of Education will receive $3.3 billion in federal grants in the current fiscal year, according to documents provided by the agency. Most of those grants were secured by Walters predecessor, former State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, lawmakers said.

Walters spokesman Justin Holcomb said the State Department of Education is not phasing out any grants applied for under Hofmeisters administration. The agency will continue to reapply for all of those grants so long as those federal funding streams remain available, he said.

Whatever can be applied for will be applied for, Holcomb said.

Walters office said it is pursuing three new grants related to school safety, helping students with disabilities and using education data systems to improve classroom outcomes. Oklahoma would get roughly $12.7 million in grant funds over three to five years if the applications are approved, Holcomb said.

Walters also said his administration will pursue grants related to financial transparency; student mental health; parental rights; teacher recruitment and retention; and improving students reading and math proficiency and college and career readiness.

Martinez said he wants Walters to provide more information on grants for which his agency will apply and why his agency may pass on other grant opportunities. Martinez said he wants specifics beyond the rationale that a grant doesnt align with Oklahoma values.

Tell me what that means precisely, he said, noting that the phrase is vague and open to interpretation.

Ryan Walters calls teachers' unions 'terrorist organizations' in heated legislative hearing With videos: "I don't care if people are triggered by what I say ... My job is to speak truth and find solutions to problems," the state superintendent tells a packed meeting room.

Among other things, the state receives federal grants to support special education programs, homeless students, school safety initiatives, and children in high-poverty and low-performing schools.

If the State Department of Education loses federal grant funding, lawmakers could be be left scrambling to fund certain programs with state dollars or those education programs could be canceled, Martinez noted.

Provenzano said some of her local districts still havent received award letters for some routine grants that werent included in the list of grants Walters sent to lawmakers.

What grants are we not applying for? Its a big question mark, she said.
OKLAHOMA CITY  A celebrity psychologist and well-known television personality used his star power on Tuesday to advocate for an Oklahoma death row inmate.

Talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw headlined a rally at the state Capitol to push for Richard Glossip to be freed from death row.

Glossip was convicted of first-degree murder for the 1997 beating death of his boss, Oklahoma City motel owner Barry Van Treese. He has long maintained his innocence, arguing he was set up by a motel maintenance man.

Glossip's supporters are hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will vacate his conviction. But members of the Van Treese family are preparing to ask the high court to allow the execution to proceed.

McGraw, who was born in Oklahoma, said a friend from the Innocence Project, which advocates for people believed to be wrongfully convicted, first brought Glossip's case to his attention.

Dozens of people, including Republican and Democratic state lawmakers, turned out for the rally at the Capitol. Many held signs saying, "Save Richard Glossip."

"For him to spend another day on death row, on its face, is injustice," McGraw said.

Two independent reviews of Glossip's case have raised questions about his conviction and led Attorney General Gentner Drummond to push for the inmate to get a new trial.

Drummond also asked the Supreme Court to block Glossip's execution that was scheduled for May 18, a request the court granted. The state's top prosecutor told justices Glossip's trial was "unfair and unreliable."

DAs share concerns on Oklahoma AG's handling of death penalty case Former Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said Gentner Drummond needs pursue the jurys decision and accused the AG of providing more fodder to attack the death penalty in general.

Glossip's attorneys have argued their client was set up by motel worker Justin Sneed, who they say killed Van Treese during a botched robbery and shifted the blame to avoid getting the death penalty himself.

They say new evidence not presented at trial proves their client's innocence. Both independent reviews have noted some evidence has gone missing or been destroyed.

Members of the Van Treese family said Glossip had his day in court and exhausted his appeals.

The family said it was disappointed the Supreme Court granted a stay in the case. But now they're working with a University of Utah law professor to file an independent brief asking the justices not to overturn Glossip's conviction.

"The number of legislators, TV personalities, and the like, supporting a twice-convicted murderer is highly concerning and frankly disappointing," the family said in a statement. "Because, at the end of the day, according to the law, Richard Glossip is guilty of murder in the first degree."

Dismissing arguments from people who say Glossip has twice been convicted of murder in two separate trials, McGraw said the jury did the right thing with the information that they had at the time. The jury didn't have all the information, McGraw said.

He quoted from a letter written by Drummond, who said it would be a "grave injustice" to execute Glossip when errors in the case have resulted in reasonable doubt surrounding his conviction.

"It's one thing to admit making a mistake," McGraw said. "It's another thing to make it right."

He urged Oklahomans to call Gov. Kevin Stitt and their state legislators on behalf of Glossip.

Robin Sellers of Oklahoma City attended Tuesday's rally after learning about Glossip's case a few years ago. The death penalty opponent said she thinks the inmate deserves a new trial so a jury can see evidence that was not presented at trial decades ago.

"I'm someone who believes a fair trial is essential to the things that undergird our democracy," she said. "I think that where we are now, the Supreme Court's decision to stay the execution affirms that."

Glossip has been on death row for about 25 years. He has had nine execution dates and has been mere hours away from being executed on three different occasions.
The 102 acres purchased by a developer near the east leg of the Creek Turnpike in hopes of bringing back Bells Amusement Park will be going back up for sale, Broken Arrow officials say theyve been told.

Santa Cruz Seaside Co. purchased the land on the south side of Kenosha (71st) Street in August 2021, with plans that included a possible new version of the amusement park that was an iconic part of Tulsa history while it operated at Expo Square.

However, city officials say the company never submitted an application for any kind of development on the property.

A news release issued Wednesday says the California-based firm alerted Broken Arrow city management that it would not be pursuing development and will soon list the property for sale with a local real estate professional.

My company has been focused for most of the last year on other projects within our portfolio, Santa Cruz Seaside CEO Karl J. Rice said in an email to City Manager Michael Spurgeon. Rice added that the company believes the land has potential as a desirable location but made the decision to try to sell it.

In a statement, Spurgeon said he appreciated the notification, especially given the community-wide interest in this site.

I look forward to the day when a development application for this property is brought before the city to review so staff can thoroughly evaluate the potential impacts a valid proposal would have, the city manager said.

Bells Amusement Park closed after the 2006 season at Expo Square, the Tulsa County fairgrounds, when the county didnt renew its lease due to issues related to the parks business plan.

Some residents had objected to the possible development in Broken Arrow, crowding a City Council meeting in January 2022 to air their concerns. The following month, city councilors were told plans for the development were slowing.

In a meeting with city leaders on Feb. 15, 2022, Rice said Santa Cruz Seaside Co. would take its time to conduct research and look at all options to help determine what it would do with the land.
Okmulgee police are asking for help in identifying the person who shot a man during a large gathering at a lake, leaving him in critical condition.

The shooting occurred in an area known as the Rock Wall area at Okmulgee Lake Park around 3:35 p.m. Wednesday, Police Chief Joe Prentice said in a press release. Police and other responders met the victim at the intersection of Oklahoma 56 and Wilson Road on the west side of Okmulgee.

The victim was believed to have been shot once in the chest and was flown to a Tulsa hospital in critical condition.

Officers located evidence of a party or gathering and a small amount of blood at the lake, Prentice said.

They identified some people who had been at the gathering but believe a large number of other people were present who have yet to be identified. Some of those involved were tribal members, and others were not, so interviews are being conducted by local, tribal and federal investigators in an attempt to determine which agency will have primary jurisdiction, Prentice said.

Anyone with information about the identity of the shooter or others present is asked to contact the Okmulgee Police Department at 918-756-3511.

December 2022 video: Charges filed in Okmulgee scrap yard killings
A $10.9 million supplemental appropriation to keep building the new Sallisaw veterans home passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Wednesday and headed to the Senate.

Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, who presented House Bill 2887, said a similar amount will be included in the fiscal year 2024 budget that is currently being formulated.

The two appropriations combined are expected to be enough to complete the project, Martinez said.

Originally budgeted at around $75 million, the project has encountered huge cost overruns and lengthy delays caused by what the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs says were design flaws.

In February, the department hired an outside law firm to investigate and pursue all damages arising from the design and construction of the new Sallisaw Veterans Home.

The original architect on the project was the Orcutt-Winslow firm of Phoenix.

The House also passed and sent to the governor several other measures, including one that would allow most vehicle owners the option of two-year tag renewals.

House Bill 2011, by Rep. Dean Davis, R-Broken Arrow, would direct Service Oklahoma to develop specific rules for implementing the option, which Davis said is available in 38 states.

Responding to questions, Davis said he does not believe allowing two-year renewals will result in more uninsured vehicles.

I believe the people registering vehicles for two years will be more likely to have insurance, Davis said.

Also on its way to the governor are HB 2490, by Rep. Brian Hill, R-Mustang, which would allow early evaluation hearings for some offenders with suspended sentences, and HB 2259, by Rep. Danny Sterling, R-Tecumseh, which would make numerous changes to the way court costs are collected or determined to be uncollectable.
Court records allege that a Utah woman who wrote a children's book about grieving after her husband's death poisoned him with fentanyl.

Kouri Richins, 33, is facing charges of aggravated murder for the death of her husband, Eric Richins, 39. He was found dead on March 4, 2022, at the foot of their bed.

Kouri had recently promoted her children's book on a television show, claiming that her husband had passed away unexpectedly. However, prosecutors allege that Eric was poisoned with fentanyl the night before his death, according to ABC News.

Before her husband's death, Kouri Richins had reportedly asked an acquaintance for "some of the Michael Jackson stuff," referring to propofol, which was found in Michael Jackson's system when he died in 2009. The acquaintance provided her with dozens of fentanyl pills, the court document said, NBC News reported.

Kouri Richins claimed that she had made her husband a drink that he consumed before she went to sleep with their child. She said that when she returned to their room, she found him unresponsive and tried to perform CPR. However, first responders found no evidence of CPR and noted a significant amount of blood in Eric's mouth.

Read Also: Rep. George Santos Arrested, Charged With Federal Crimes

A Heartwarming Book Written By Cold-Blooded Killer

Kouri Richins' cellphone was later found to have been locked and unlocked several times, with text messages being sent and received that had been deleted.

The suspect published a children's book about grief almost a year after her husband's death. It was described as "heartwarming and reassuring."

The book, titled "Are You With Me?", follows the story of a child who has lost his father and is reminded that his presence still exists all around him, per The Straits Times.

Richins' charges come less than a year after a woman who penned a tract titled "How to Murder Your Husband" was arrested.

Nancy Crampton Brophy shot her husband twice at the Oregon culinary school where he was employed to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in life insurance.

Related Article: CNBC Anchor Hadley Gamble Quits

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Construction has proposed that the prime minister allow Vietnam Cement Industrial Corporation (Vicem) to resume work on a multimillion-dollar high-rise project which has been put on hold for eight years. The state-owned corporation has paid parts of its total investment of over VND2.7 trillion (US$115 million) in the Vicem office and transaction center tower, which is located on Pham Hung Street in Cau Giay District, Hanoi. The project includes 31 stories and four basements and is expected to function as the headquarters of the firm and its member units, as well as a hall and commercial center. The construction of the tower started in 2010 and its rough construction was completed after five years, but Vicem abandoned the project in August 2015 and it remains unfinished, with Bui Xuan Dung, chairman of Vicems member council, citing financial issues. In 2016-21, Vicem requested the Ministry of Construction multiple times to approve their search for partners to transfer the tower and recoup their investment. The Ministry of Construction made a proposal and received approval from the prime minister for Vicem to transfer the project in 2017. Despite this, the project has not been transferred yet due to challenges related to investment laws, land issues, and the complicated procedures to handle real estate assets owned by state-run companies. Additionally, during the real estate market downturn, particularly in the commercial center and office leasing segments, Vicem faced more difficulties in transferring the project. As the current condition has improved, according to Dung, Vicem has recently put forward proposals to the Ministry of Construction to seek approval from the prime minister for the corporation to resume the construction of the tower project in order to prevent wastefulness. Following Vicems proposals, the Government Office has dispatched documents to the four Ministries of Justice, Finance, Planning and Investment, and Natural Resources and Environment for their comments on issues related to the project. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

The Vietnamese Ministry of Construction has proposed that the prime minister allow Vietnam Cement Industrial Corporation (Vicem) to resume work on a multimillion-dollar high-rise project which has been put on hold for eight years.

The state-owned corporation has paid parts of its total investment of over VND2.7 trillion (US$115 million) in the Vicem office and transaction center tower, which is located on Pham Hung Street in Cau Giay District, Hanoi.

The project includes 31 stories and four basements and is expected to function as the headquarters of the firm and its member units, as well as a hall and commercial center.

The construction of the tower started in 2010 and its rough construction was completed after five years, but Vicem abandoned the project in August 2015 and it remains unfinished, with Bui Xuan Dung, chairman of Vicems member council, citing financial issues.

In 2016-21, Vicem requested the Ministry of Construction multiple times to approve their search for partners to transfer the tower and recoup their investment.

The Ministry of Construction made a proposal and received approval from the prime minister for Vicem to transfer the project in 2017.

Despite this, the project has not been transferred yet due to challenges related to investment laws, land issues, and the complicated procedures to handle real estate assets owned by state-run companies.

Additionally, during the real estate market downturn, particularly in the commercial center and office leasing segments, Vicem faced more difficulties in transferring the project.

As the current condition has improved, according to Dung, Vicem has recently put forward proposals to the Ministry of Construction to seek approval from the prime minister for the corporation to resume the construction of the tower project in order to prevent wastefulness.

Following Vicems proposals, the Government Office has dispatched documents to the four Ministries of Justice, Finance, Planning and Investment, and Natural Resources and Environment for their comments on issues related to the project.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Many chicken farmers in Vietnam have suffered losses over the past three years and are on the verge of bankruptcy due to high imports. The loss of the sector is attributed to the shortage of measures to prevent imported frozen chicken offal and by-products as well as control live chicken imports through border gates. Binh Son Commune in Long Thanh District under Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City, was earlier known as the 'kingdom' of free-range chickens of the province with over 1.2 million birds, said Thanh, a local resident. However, the low chicken prices have caused farmers to incur losses over the past two years, forcing them to scale down their flocks. Households in the commune had raised thousands to tens of thousands of chickens but 90 percent of them have quit the job, Thanh said. Chicken prices have plunged over the past three years, while the costs for chicken feed and medication rise annually. As a result, farmers sustain heavy losses, a leader of the Dong Nai Animal Husbandry Association told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Most small-scale farms have suspended the breeding of chickens, while some large ones have outsourced to foreign direct investment enterprises. Many large livestock companies have even scaled down their production or raised chickens by themselves for export instead of buying the products from local farmers, said Nguyen Van Ngoc, vice-chairman of the animal husbandry association in the southeastern region. The free-range chicken prices were lower than the production costs by VND6,000-8,000 (US$0.25-0.34) per kilogram in 2022 and the first quarter of this year, and even VND13,000-16,000 ($0.6-0.7) per kilogram in February and March this year. Meanwhile, it costs some VND29,000 ($1.2) to produce a kilogram of industrially-raised chicken but it is sold at VND23,000-24,000 ($0.98-1) per kilogram. Vietnam imported some 225,000 metric tons of poultry meat in 2021 and 246,000 metric tons last year. The figure was around 47,000 metric tons in the first quarter of this year, according to the Vietnam Pesticide Association (VIPA). However, live chickens imported into the country via unofficial channels and smuggled chickens totaling 200,000-250,000 metric tons per year are not taken into account, VIPA chairman Nguyen Thanh Son said. In other words, the volume of chicken imports accounts for 20-25 percent of the total amount of chicken consumed locally, hindering the sale of locally-produced chicken meat. As a result, Son proposed the relevant ministries and agencies coordinate with trade associations to introduce drastic technical measures to control chicken imports to create a fair competition environment for made-in-Vietnam products. Domestic enterprises will find it hard to survive given the influx of chicken imports, Son said, adding that Vietnam easily allows poultry products to enter the country, while domestic exporters face multiple strict requirements in importing markets. The country has yet to have specific regulations on meat imports containing Ractopamine and Cysteamine, hormones banned in farmed animals in several countries, from 26 countries and territories, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. Meanwhile, Vietnam also bans the two hormones in cattle and poultry farming. The country should also prohibit meat imports with Ractopamine and Cysteamine to ensure a fair and healthy business environment for local livestock and production firms. Local breed and animal feed traders, slaughterhouses, processors, and distributors should enhance their connection to reduce costs by at least 10 percent, Tong Xuan Chinh, deputy head of the Department of Livestock Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, suggested. We also need to tighten the control over poultry products, which may fail to meet food safety requirements and harm human health," Chinh added. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Many chicken farmers in Vietnam have suffered losses over the past three years and are on the verge of bankruptcy due to high imports.

The loss of the sector is attributed to the shortage of measures to prevent imported frozen chicken offal and by-products as well as control live chicken imports through border gates.

Binh Son Commune in Long Thanh District under Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City, was earlier known as the 'kingdom' of free-range chickens of the province with over 1.2 million birds, said Thanh, a local resident.

However, the low chicken prices have caused farmers to incur losses over the past two years, forcing them to scale down their flocks.

Households in the commune had raised thousands to tens of thousands of chickens but 90 percent of them have quit the job, Thanh said.

Chicken prices have plunged over the past three years, while the costs for chicken feed and medication rise annually.

As a result, farmers sustain heavy losses, a leader of the Dong Nai Animal Husbandry Association told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Most small-scale farms have suspended the breeding of chickens, while some large ones have outsourced to foreign direct investment enterprises.

Many large livestock companies have even scaled down their production or raised chickens by themselves for export instead of buying the products from local farmers, said Nguyen Van Ngoc, vice-chairman of the animal husbandry association in the southeastern region.

The free-range chicken prices were lower than the production costs by VND6,000-8,000 (US$0.25-0.34) per kilogram in 2022 and the first quarter of this year, and even VND13,000-16,000 ($0.6-0.7) per kilogram in February and March this year.

Meanwhile, it costs some VND29,000 ($1.2) to produce a kilogram of industrially-raised chicken but it is sold at VND23,000-24,000 ($0.98-1) per kilogram.

Vietnam imported some 225,000 metric tons of poultry meat in 2021 and 246,000 metric tons last year. The figure was around 47,000 metric tons in the first quarter of this year, according to the Vietnam Pesticide Association (VIPA).

However, live chickens imported into the country via unofficial channels and smuggled chickens totaling 200,000-250,000 metric tons per year are not taken into account, VIPA chairman Nguyen Thanh Son said.

In other words, the volume of chicken imports accounts for 20-25 percent of the total amount of chicken consumed locally, hindering the sale of locally-produced chicken meat.

As a result, Son proposed the relevant ministries and agencies coordinate with trade associations to introduce drastic technical measures to control chicken imports to create a fair competition environment for made-in-Vietnam products.

Domestic enterprises will find it hard to survive given the influx of chicken imports, Son said, adding that Vietnam easily allows poultry products to enter the country, while domestic exporters face multiple strict requirements in importing markets.

The country has yet to have specific regulations on meat imports containing Ractopamine and Cysteamine, hormones banned in farmed animals in several countries, from 26 countries and territories, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand.

Meanwhile, Vietnam also bans the two hormones in cattle and poultry farming.

The country should also prohibit meat imports with Ractopamine and Cysteamine to ensure a fair and healthy business environment for local livestock and production firms.

Local breed and animal feed traders, slaughterhouses, processors, and distributors should enhance their connection to reduce costs by at least 10 percent, Tong Xuan Chinh, deputy head of the Department of Livestock Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, suggested.

We also need to tighten the control over poultry products, which may fail to meet food safety requirements and harm human health," Chinh added.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Vietnam may become one of Asias top electronics manufacturing hubs thanks to nvestments in the country by electronics giants such as Samsung, Apple, LG, and Intel. Vietnam could position itself as an electronics production center for Southeast Asia and Asia as a whole, said Darren Seah, portfolio director at Constellar Exhibitions, while speaking at a briefing held in Hanoi on Wednesday to introduce the 2023 Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific (ITAP) event, slated for this October in Singapore. Seah explained that many large tech firms have been establishing networks of supporting industry enterprises in Vietnam, allowing the latter's further penetration into global supply chains. For its part, Vietnam must focus on controlling product quality and intensifying its connection with such tech firms in order to improve competitiveness, Seah added. He also pointed out that Vietnamese electronics manufacturers need to align with current global green production and sustainable development trends by investing in technology that allows for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Many large electronics firms are shifting their supply chains from China to Vietnam, said Do Thi Thuy Huong, an executive board member of the Vietnam Electronic Industries Association. This is an opportunity and the start of a long journey for businesses to take part in advanced global supply chains, Huong said. She noted that local policies and human resources are not aligned with the development of the electronics industry, especially when it comes to receiving technology. The electronics industry of Vietnam has leaned heavily toward mobile phone production, which accounts for up to 70 percent of electronics production in Vietnam. The mobile phone production industry in Vietnam reported an import-export turnover of US$114 billion last year, making up 30 percent of the countrys total import-export revenue and raking first in the manufacturing sector. However, mobile phone accessories are mainly exported by foreign direct investment enterprises. The import of phone parts is also an imbalance as 88 percent of the products are bought from China. Meanwhile, most Vietnamese electronics enterprises are mainly medium- and small-sized and currently face falling profit margins and slow economic recoveries amid changes in consumption habits. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnam may become one of Asias top electronics manufacturing hubs thanks to nvestments in the country by electronics giants such as Samsung, Apple, LG, and Intel.

Vietnam could position itself as an electronics production center for Southeast Asia and Asia as a whole, said Darren Seah, portfolio director at Constellar Exhibitions, while speaking at a briefing held in Hanoi on Wednesday to introduce the 2023 Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific (ITAP) event, slated for this October in Singapore.

Seah explained that many large tech firms have been establishing networks of supporting industry enterprises in Vietnam, allowing the latter's further penetration into global supply chains.

For its part, Vietnam must focus on controlling product quality and intensifying its connection with such tech firms in order to improve competitiveness, Seah added.

He also pointed out that Vietnamese electronics manufacturers need to align with current global green production and sustainable development trends by investing in technology that allows for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

Many large electronics firms are shifting their supply chains from China to Vietnam, said Do Thi Thuy Huong, an executive board member of the Vietnam Electronic Industries Association.

This is an opportunity and the start of a long journey for businesses to take part in advanced global supply chains, Huong said.

She noted that local policies and human resources are not aligned with the development of the electronics industry, especially when it comes to receiving technology.

The electronics industry of Vietnam has leaned heavily toward mobile phone production, which accounts for up to 70 percent of electronics production in Vietnam.

The mobile phone production industry in Vietnam reported an import-export turnover of US$114 billion last year, making up 30 percent of the countrys total import-export revenue and raking first in the manufacturing sector.

However, mobile phone accessories are mainly exported by foreign direct investment enterprises.

The import of phone parts is also an imbalance as 88 percent of the products are bought from China.

Meanwhile, most Vietnamese electronics enterprises are mainly medium- and small-sized and currently face falling profit margins and slow economic recoveries amid changes in consumption habits.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Several Indian travel companies are actively exploring opportunities to promote tourism in Da Lat City and Lac Duong District, which are located in Lam Dong Province of Vietnams Central Highlands. The firms expressed their keen interest at a seminar on cooperation in tourism development between India and Lam Dong held on Tuesday by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in collaboration with the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City. Madan Mohan Sethi, Consul General of India in Ho Chi Minh City, noted that traveling to Vietnam has become popular among Indians while Vietnamese people have been visiting India to learn about its culture. Amid this trend, a significant number of Indian travel agencies, including Shashi Travels & Tours PVT Ltd, have set their sights on tourist hotspots in Lam Dong, such as Da Lat City and Lac Duong District. Amit Kumar, sales director of Shashi Travels & Tours PVT Ltd, who has spent years researching Lam Dong, hailed the tourism development potential of the province, whose unique climate and cultural diversity he could not find elsewhere in Vietnam. Therefore, he aspires to open trips to the Vietnamese province. For the consumption behavior of Indian tourists, Kumar mentioned that Indians are willing to pay a premium for high-quality experiences and have a culture of recommending places they have visited to family and friends. Such behavior could prove beneficial to the tourism industry in Lam Dong. Cil Proh, deputy chairman of Lac Duong, expressed his delight at the Indian tour operators plan to launch tours in the district, as many of the districts popular attractions are frequently mistaken for those in Da Lat. He expects the upcoming tourism activities conducted by the Indian companies will assist in bolstering connection between Da Lat and the surrounding region in terms of tourism. In his conclusion, Consul General Sethi recommended that tour operators from both India and Vietnam should hold a meeting soon to brainstorm ideas for collaboration in order to promote trips to the destinations mentioned. Vietnam welcomed 137,000 Indian tourists in 2022, according to news site VnExpress. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Several Indian travel companies are actively exploring opportunities to promote tourism in Da Lat City and Lac Duong District, which are located in Lam Dong Province of Vietnams Central Highlands.

The firms expressed their keen interest at a seminar on cooperation in tourism development between India and Lam Dong held on Tuesday by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in collaboration with the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City.

Madan Mohan Sethi, Consul General of India in Ho Chi Minh City, noted that traveling to Vietnam has become popular among Indians while Vietnamese people have been visiting India to learn about its culture.

Amid this trend, a significant number of Indian travel agencies, including Shashi Travels & Tours PVT Ltd, have set their sights on tourist hotspots in Lam Dong, such as Da Lat City and Lac Duong District.

Amit Kumar, sales director of Shashi Travels & Tours PVT Ltd, who has spent years researching Lam Dong, hailed the tourism development potential of the province, whose unique climate and cultural diversity he could not find elsewhere in Vietnam.

Therefore, he aspires to open trips to the Vietnamese province.

For the consumption behavior of Indian tourists, Kumar mentioned that Indians are willing to pay a premium for high-quality experiences and have a culture of recommending places they have visited to family and friends.

Such behavior could prove beneficial to the tourism industry in Lam Dong.

Cil Proh, deputy chairman of Lac Duong, expressed his delight at the Indian tour operators plan to launch tours in the district, as many of the districts popular attractions are frequently mistaken for those in Da Lat.

He expects the upcoming tourism activities conducted by the Indian companies will assist in bolstering connection between Da Lat and the surrounding region in terms of tourism.

In his conclusion, Consul General Sethi recommended that tour operators from both India and Vietnam should hold a meeting soon to brainstorm ideas for collaboration in order to promote trips to the destinations mentioned.

Vietnam welcomed 137,000 Indian tourists in 2022, according to news site VnExpress.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Alphabet Inc's Google is rolling out more artificial intelligence for its core search product, hoping to create some of the same consumer excitement generated by Microsoft Corp's update to rival search engine Bing in recent months. At its annual I/O conference in Mountain View, California, on Wednesday, Google offered a new version of its namesake engine. Called the Search Generative Experience, the revamped Google can craft responses to open-ended queries while retaining its recognizable list of links to the Web. "We are reimagining all of our core products, including search," Sundar Pichai, Alphabet's CEO, said after he took the stage at the event. He said Google is integrating generative AI into search as well as products such as Gmail, which can create draft messages, and Google Photos, which can make changes to images like centering figures and coloring in empty space. Alphabet's shares rose 4% on Wednesday. They are up 26% so far this year, compared with the 8% rise in the S&P 500 index in the same time frame. U.S. consumers will gain access to the Search Generative Experience in the coming weeks via a wait list, a trial phase during which Google will monitor the quality, speed and cost of search results, Vice President Cathy Edwards said in an interview. Googles foray into what is known as generative AI comes after the startup OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, the darling chatbot of Silicon Valley that launched a furious funding race among would-be competitors. Generative AI can, using past data, create brand new content like fully formed text, images and software code. OpenAI, backed by billions of dollars from Microsoft and now integrated into Bing search, has become for many the default version of generative AI, helping users spin up term papers, contracts, travel itineraries, even entire novels. For years the top portal to the internet, Google has found its own perch in question since rivals began exploiting the technology. At stake is Googles slice of the gigantic online advertising pie that the research firm MAGNA estimated at $286 billion this year. "AI can provide insight," Edwards said. "But what fundamentally people want at the end of the day is to be connected to information from real people and organizations, knowing, for example, that this health information comes from the WHO," or the World Health Organization. Addressing how AI can spout incorrect information, Edwards said the company prioritized accuracy and citing trusted sources. Google will also mark up images it generates with AI and make it easier for people to vet a picture's authenticity. "Google's vision makes a strong case that search is evolving, not dissolving, and that Google is here to stay," said Canaccord Genuity analyst Kingsley Crane. Google, Microsoft and Alphabet logos and AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. Photo: Reuters Google logo and AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. Photo: Reuters What outfit to wear With the embedded AI, Google still looks and acts like its familiar empty search bar. But while a search for "weather San Francisco" will as usual point a user to an eight-day forecast, a query asking what outfit to wear in the California city prompts a lengthy response generated by AI, according to a demonstration for Reuters earlier this week. A challenge of drawing on such AI, known as large language models, is the high expense. Edwards said, "We and others are working on a variety of different ways to bring down the cost over time." Ads will remain key, Edwards said. "We only get paid when there's a click." Bard for 180 countries Michael Ashley Schulman, chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors, said, "The company is showing a willingness and ability to reinvent and disrupt itself, which I feel will be favorably received by investors." In recent years Google's rivals have taken its research breakthroughs and run with them in products, outpacing their inventor. ChatGPT came to light after an AI system Google revealed in 2017. The speed at which the chatbot grew - faster than any consumer application in history - encouraged the often deliberative Google to prod staff to hurry along projects. In February Google announced its competing chatbot called Bard. A promotional video that month that showed Bard answering a question incorrectly propelled a stock slide shaving $100 billion off Google's market value. Now, Bard will be multimodal like OpenAI's GPT-4, the company said on Wednesday, and it will make the chatbot accessible to people in more than 180 countries and territories. That means customers will be able to prompt Bard with images, not just text - for instance asking the chatbot to write a caption to a picture they hand it, it said. Behind Bard also is a more powerful AI model Google announced called PaLM 2, which it said could solve tougher problems. One of its PaLM 2 models is lightweight enough to work on smartphones, Pichai also said. In more news for I/O, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian told Reuters the division is lining up customers to put its newest technology to the test, among them Deutsche Bank AG and Uber Technologies Inc. As well, Google released a new foldable Pixel smartphone that lets consumers use the company's AI. To start the phone will be priced at $1799 and come with a free Pixel Watch. Google also unveiled a $499 phone it called the Pixel 7A, available for order starting Wednesday.

Alphabet Inc's Google is rolling out more artificial intelligence for its core search product, hoping to create some of the same consumer excitement generated by Microsoft Corp's update to rival search engine Bing in recent months.

At its annual I/O conference in Mountain View, California, on Wednesday, Google offered a new version of its namesake engine. Called the Search Generative Experience, the revamped Google can craft responses to open-ended queries while retaining its recognizable list of links to the Web.

"We are reimagining all of our core products, including search," Sundar Pichai, Alphabet's CEO, said after he took the stage at the event.

He said Google is integrating generative AI into search as well as products such as Gmail, which can create draft messages, and Google Photos, which can make changes to images like centering figures and coloring in empty space.

Alphabet's shares rose 4% on Wednesday. They are up 26% so far this year, compared with the 8% rise in the S&P 500 index in the same time frame.

U.S. consumers will gain access to the Search Generative Experience in the coming weeks via a wait list, a trial phase during which Google will monitor the quality, speed and cost of search results, Vice President Cathy Edwards said in an interview.

Googles foray into what is known as generative AI comes after the startup OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, the darling chatbot of Silicon Valley that launched a furious funding race among would-be competitors. Generative AI can, using past data, create brand new content like fully formed text, images and software code.

OpenAI, backed by billions of dollars from Microsoft and now integrated into Bing search, has become for many the default version of generative AI, helping users spin up term papers, contracts, travel itineraries, even entire novels.

For years the top portal to the internet, Google has found its own perch in question since rivals began exploiting the technology. At stake is Googles slice of the gigantic online advertising pie that the research firm MAGNA estimated at $286 billion this year.

"AI can provide insight," Edwards said. "But what fundamentally people want at the end of the day is to be connected to information from real people and organizations, knowing, for example, that this health information comes from the WHO," or the World Health Organization.

Addressing how AI can spout incorrect information, Edwards said the company prioritized accuracy and citing trusted sources.

Google will also mark up images it generates with AI and make it easier for people to vet a picture's authenticity.

"Google's vision makes a strong case that search is evolving, not dissolving, and that Google is here to stay," said Canaccord Genuity analyst Kingsley Crane.

Google, Microsoft and Alphabet logos and AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Google logo and AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. Photo: Reuters

What outfit to wear

With the embedded AI, Google still looks and acts like its familiar empty search bar.

But while a search for "weather San Francisco" will as usual point a user to an eight-day forecast, a query asking what outfit to wear in the California city prompts a lengthy response generated by AI, according to a demonstration for Reuters earlier this week.

A challenge of drawing on such AI, known as large language models, is the high expense. Edwards said, "We and others are working on a variety of different ways to bring down the cost over time."

Ads will remain key, Edwards said. "We only get paid when there's a click."

Bard for 180 countries

Michael Ashley Schulman, chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors, said, "The company is showing a willingness and ability to reinvent and disrupt itself, which I feel will be favorably received by investors."

In recent years Google's rivals have taken its research breakthroughs and run with them in products, outpacing their inventor.

ChatGPT came to light after an AI system Google revealed in 2017. The speed at which the chatbot grew - faster than any consumer application in history - encouraged the often deliberative Google to prod staff to hurry along projects.

In February Google announced its competing chatbot called Bard. A promotional video that month that showed Bard answering a question incorrectly propelled a stock slide shaving $100 billion off Google's market value.

Now, Bard will be multimodal like OpenAI's GPT-4, the company said on Wednesday, and it will make the chatbot accessible to people in more than 180 countries and territories.

That means customers will be able to prompt Bard with images, not just text - for instance asking the chatbot to write a caption to a picture they hand it, it said.

Behind Bard also is a more powerful AI model Google announced called PaLM 2, which it said could solve tougher problems. One of its PaLM 2 models is lightweight enough to work on smartphones, Pichai also said.

In more news for I/O, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian told Reuters the division is lining up customers to put its newest technology to the test, among them Deutsche Bank AG and Uber Technologies Inc.

As well, Google released a new foldable Pixel smartphone that lets consumers use the company's AI. To start the phone will be priced at $1799 and come with a free Pixel Watch. Google also unveiled a $499 phone it called the Pixel 7A, available for order starting Wednesday.
The Japanese government has awarded an Order of the Rising Sun to Vietnams Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh for his great contributions to promoting the security and defense relationship between the two countries. The Japanese Embassy in Hanoi held a ceremony on Wednesday to present the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, which is awarded by the Japanese government each year to individuals from both Japan and abroad who have made distinguished contributions to the advancement of the East Asian country, to former Deputy Minister of Defense Nguyen Chi Vinh. Sen. Lt. Gen. Vinh, a native of central Thua Thien-Hue Province, held the position of general director of General Department II under the Ministry of National Defense, leading military intelligence work for nearly eight years from 2002 to 2009, according to the Vietnam News Agency. The official earned a doctoral degree in international relations in 2003 and was granted the title of associate professor seven years later. He has also achieved notable qualifications in advanced political theory. He became Deputy Minister of Defense in 2009 when he was a lieutenant general. The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon. Photo: Japanese government Two years later, Vinh was promoted to senior lieutenant general and continued to hold the post until June 2021. His tasks were related to diplomacy, intelligence, and peacekeeping. The official was a member of the 11th and 12th Party Central Committee in 2011 and 2016, respectively. Speaking at Wednesdays ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Takio Yamada credited the significant progress in defense cooperation between Japan and Vietnam to the valuable contributions of Sen. Lt. Gen. Vinh, Quan Doi Nhan Dan (Peoples Army) newspaper reported. For his part, Vinh expressed his gratitude to the Japanese government for the esteemed recognition and to Ambassador Yamada and other attendees during the ceremony. The 66-year-old stated that defense cooperation remains a crucial aspect of the extensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

The Japanese government has awarded an Order of the Rising Sun to Vietnams Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh for his great contributions to promoting the security and defense relationship between the two countries.

The Japanese Embassy in Hanoi held a ceremony on Wednesday to present the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, which is awarded by the Japanese government each year to individuals from both Japan and abroad who have made distinguished contributions to the advancement of the East Asian country, to former Deputy Minister of Defense Nguyen Chi Vinh.

Sen. Lt. Gen. Vinh, a native of central Thua Thien-Hue Province, held the position of general director of General Department II under the Ministry of National Defense, leading military intelligence work for nearly eight years from 2002 to 2009, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The official earned a doctoral degree in international relations in 2003 and was granted the title of associate professor seven years later.

He has also achieved notable qualifications in advanced political theory.

He became Deputy Minister of Defense in 2009 when he was a lieutenant general.

The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon. Photo: Japanese government

Two years later, Vinh was promoted to senior lieutenant general and continued to hold the post until June 2021. His tasks were related to diplomacy, intelligence, and peacekeeping.

The official was a member of the 11th and 12th Party Central Committee in 2011 and 2016, respectively.

Speaking at Wednesdays ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Takio Yamada credited the significant progress in defense cooperation between Japan and Vietnam to the valuable contributions of Sen. Lt. Gen. Vinh, Quan Doi Nhan Dan (Peoples Army) newspaper reported.

For his part, Vinh expressed his gratitude to the Japanese government for the esteemed recognition and to Ambassador Yamada and other attendees during the ceremony.

The 66-year-old stated that defense cooperation remains a crucial aspect of the extensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday suggested measures to facilitate bilateral cooperation with Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei during his talks with these nations leaders on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN summit. After attending the plenary session of the 42nd ASEAN Summit, which takes place from Tuesday to Thursday in Indonesia, PM Chinh met with his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone. This is the first time Sonexay Siphandone has attended an ASEAN Summit since he took office in December last year. Laos will be the Chair of ASEAN in 2024. During his meeting with the Lao prime minister, PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam pledges the highest support for Laos to successfully hold the 2024 ASEAN Chairmanship. The head of the Lao government stated that Laos always endorses Vietnams election to UN agencies and international organizations. The Lao prime minister expressed his thanks to Vietnam for supporting and effectively cooperating with Laos in promoting socio-economic growth. The top Lao official cited two projects to develop the NongKhang airport in Huaphanh Province and a friendship hospital in XiengKhuang Province as the epitomes of the sound cooperation between the two countries. These two projects are slated for operation this month. PM Chinh also took this occasion to invite his Lao counterpart to visit Vietnam in 2023. According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsieng Loong on the same day accepted PM Chinhs invitation to visit Vietnam in the second half of this year. Vietnam and Singapore will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership this year. PM Chinh and his Singaporean counterpart discussed the digital and green economy partnership that Vietnam and Singapore established in mid-February this year. Both sides agreed to adjust and upgrade the Vietnam-Singapore Connectivity Framework Agreement and strengthen cooperation in the commercial generation of electricity. Vietnam and Singapore will also boost their cooperation in the fields of national defense, public security, education and training, and develop highly-skilled human resources. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) meets with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsieng Loong in Indonesia, May 10, 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency During the talks between the Vietnamese government and the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, the two leaders agreed to boost trade in a diversified and balanced manner, with a focus on oil and gas, chemicals, halal products, tourism cooperation, and people-to-people exchange. PM Chinh proposed Brunei offer more favorable conditions for Vietnamese exports as well as for Vietnamese businesses to join oil and gas projects in Brunei. Vietnam and Brunei should facilitate the signing of an MoU on agro-fishery cooperation while maintaining the operation of hotlines supporting fishing activities, PM Chinh suggested. The Sultan of Brunei said that Vietnam and Brunei have more potential for further cooperation, thus they need to set new targets to beef up two-way trade. The Vietnamese leader also forwarded the invitation of Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong to the Sultan and his spouse to visit Vietnam. The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah (R), affirmed he would like to visit Vietnam soon. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Similarly, PM Chinh while meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim invited the latter to visit Vietnam at a proper time. PM Chinh requested Malaysia to create more favorable conditions for Vietnamese products and services to enter Malaysia, including halal items, and called on Malaysian businesses to increase investment into Vietnam. PM Anwar Ibrahim remarked that Vietnam remains among Malaysias important partners in the region and was looking forward to the Vietnamese state presidents visit to Malaysia late this year. The top Malaysian official pledged to further advance the ties with Vietnam, especially in terms of maritime cooperation. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (L) told his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh that he was looking forward to the Vietnamese state presidents visit to Malaysia late this year. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday suggested measures to facilitate bilateral cooperation with Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei during his talks with these nations leaders on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN summit.

After attending the plenary session of the 42nd ASEAN Summit, which takes place from Tuesday to Thursday in Indonesia, PM Chinh met with his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone.

This is the first time Sonexay Siphandone has attended an ASEAN Summit since he took office in December last year.

Laos will be the Chair of ASEAN in 2024.

During his meeting with the Lao prime minister, PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam pledges the highest support for Laos to successfully hold the 2024 ASEAN Chairmanship.

The head of the Lao government stated that Laos always endorses Vietnams election to UN agencies and international organizations.

The Lao prime minister expressed his thanks to Vietnam for supporting and effectively cooperating with Laos in promoting socio-economic growth.

The top Lao official cited two projects to develop the NongKhang airport in Huaphanh Province and a friendship hospital in XiengKhuang Province as the epitomes of the sound cooperation between the two countries.

These two projects are slated for operation this month.

PM Chinh also took this occasion to invite his Lao counterpart to visit Vietnam in 2023.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsieng Loong on the same day accepted PM Chinhs invitation to visit Vietnam in the second half of this year.

Vietnam and Singapore will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership this year.

PM Chinh and his Singaporean counterpart discussed the digital and green economy partnership that Vietnam and Singapore established in mid-February this year.

Both sides agreed to adjust and upgrade the Vietnam-Singapore Connectivity Framework Agreement and strengthen cooperation in the commercial generation of electricity.

Vietnam and Singapore will also boost their cooperation in the fields of national defense, public security, education and training, and develop highly-skilled human resources.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) meets with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsieng Loong in Indonesia, May 10, 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

During the talks between the Vietnamese government and the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, the two leaders agreed to boost trade in a diversified and balanced manner, with a focus on oil and gas, chemicals, halal products, tourism cooperation, and people-to-people exchange.

PM Chinh proposed Brunei offer more favorable conditions for Vietnamese exports as well as for Vietnamese businesses to join oil and gas projects in Brunei.

Vietnam and Brunei should facilitate the signing of an MoU on agro-fishery cooperation while maintaining the operation of hotlines supporting fishing activities, PM Chinh suggested.

The Sultan of Brunei said that Vietnam and Brunei have more potential for further cooperation, thus they need to set new targets to beef up two-way trade.

The Vietnamese leader also forwarded the invitation of Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong to the Sultan and his spouse to visit Vietnam.

The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah (R), affirmed he would like to visit Vietnam soon. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Similarly, PM Chinh while meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim invited the latter to visit Vietnam at a proper time.

PM Chinh requested Malaysia to create more favorable conditions for Vietnamese products and services to enter Malaysia, including halal items, and called on Malaysian businesses to increase investment into Vietnam.

PM Anwar Ibrahim remarked that Vietnam remains among Malaysias important partners in the region and was looking forward to the Vietnamese state presidents visit to Malaysia late this year.

The top Malaysian official pledged to further advance the ties with Vietnam, especially in terms of maritime cooperation.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (L) told his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh that he was looking forward to the Vietnamese state presidents visit to Malaysia late this year. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Two houses and parts of two others sank into a river in Nam Can District of the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau on Wednesday. No human lives were lost in the incident. These houses were makeshift ones constructed along the river. The incident causes losses of VND140 million (US$5,987). Local authorities rushed to the scene of the incident to support locals in saving their assets. Du Minh Hung, secretary of the Nam Can District Party Committee, alongside a working team from the district, visited the victims the same day and encouraged them to work toward rebuilding their lives. The district also gave each affected family VND3 million ($128) so that they could purchase necessities. Ca Mau Province faces landslides each year between May and September, when river tides are low, drying out riverbanks. Rainwater flows into the dry riverbanks and cause them to collapse. The province experiences hundreds of riverside landslides each year, causing losses of tens of billions of Vietnamese dong for local residents. (VND10 billion = $427,967). However, it is hard to relocate those facing a high risk of landslides to safer places owing to their customs of building houses along rivers. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Two houses and parts of two others sank into a river in Nam Can District of the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau on Wednesday.

No human lives were lost in the incident.

These houses were makeshift ones constructed along the river. The incident causes losses of VND140 million (US$5,987).

Local authorities rushed to the scene of the incident to support locals in saving their assets.

Du Minh Hung, secretary of the Nam Can District Party Committee, alongside a working team from the district, visited the victims the same day and encouraged them to work toward rebuilding their lives.

The district also gave each affected family VND3 million ($128) so that they could purchase necessities.

Ca Mau Province faces landslides each year between May and September, when river tides are low, drying out riverbanks.

Rainwater flows into the dry riverbanks and cause them to collapse.

The province experiences hundreds of riverside landslides each year, causing losses of tens of billions of Vietnamese dong for local residents. (VND10 billion = $427,967).

However, it is hard to relocate those facing a high risk of landslides to safer places owing to their customs of building houses along rivers.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Catch up on the news in Vietnam today: Politics -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hinted at stronger bilateral partnership between Vietnam and Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei during his meetings with the leaders of these nations on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia. Society -- Police in Tan Binh District in Ho Chi Minh City have cracked down on a massive marijuana growing and consumption ring, arresting three drug traffickers and seizing 40 kilograms of cannabis. -- Many parts of Vietnam will continue to experience moderate to heavy rains, plus thunderstorms on Thursday, according to the national weather center. -- Ho Chi Minh City is stepping up action to start work on a dredging and upgrade project for the polluted Xuyen Tam Creek, from Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal to the Vam Thuan River in Binh Thanh District. The project has been abandoned for over 20 years. -- The Global Fund has provided Vietnam with US$650 million in non-refundable aid to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria over the past 20 years, Vietnamese Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said at the 49th board meeting of the Global Fund in Hanoi on Wednesday. -- The Vietnamese Ministry of Construction has proposed the prime minister allow Vietnam Cement Industrial Corporation (Vicem) to resume work on a multimillion-dollar high-rise project which has been put on hold for eight years. Business -- Vietnam might become Asias electronics manufacturing hub, given the presence of some major electronics giants such as Samsung, Apple, LG, and Intel, Darren Seah, director of investment and industrial transformation at Constellar Exhibitions, told an event in Hanoi on Wednesday to introduce Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific (ITAP) 2023, which is slated for October in Singapore. -- Vietnam is willing to provide the Philippines with rice in a long-term, strategic, and stable manner at a reasonable price, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told a meeting with the latters President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Indonesia on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Catch up on the news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hinted at stronger bilateral partnership between Vietnam and Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei during his meetings with the leaders of these nations on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia.

Society

-- Police in Tan Binh District in Ho Chi Minh City have cracked down on a massive marijuana growing and consumption ring, arresting three drug traffickers and seizing 40 kilograms of cannabis.

-- Many parts of Vietnam will continue to experience moderate to heavy rains, plus thunderstorms on Thursday, according to the national weather center.

-- Ho Chi Minh City is stepping up action to start work on a dredging and upgrade project for the polluted Xuyen Tam Creek, from Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal to the Vam Thuan River in Binh Thanh District. The project has been abandoned for over 20 years.

-- The Global Fund has provided Vietnam with US$650 million in non-refundable aid to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria over the past 20 years, Vietnamese Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said at the 49th board meeting of the Global Fund in Hanoi on Wednesday.

-- The Vietnamese Ministry of Construction has proposed the prime minister allow Vietnam Cement Industrial Corporation (Vicem) to resume work on a multimillion-dollar high-rise project which has been put on hold for eight years.

Business

-- Vietnam might become Asias electronics manufacturing hub, given the presence of some major electronics giants such as Samsung, Apple, LG, and Intel, Darren Seah, director of investment and industrial transformation at Constellar Exhibitions, told an event in Hanoi on Wednesday to introduce Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific (ITAP) 2023, which is slated for October in Singapore.

-- Vietnam is willing to provide the Philippines with rice in a long-term, strategic, and stable manner at a reasonable price, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told a meeting with the latters President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Indonesia on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Police in Nam Giang District, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam have honored a local man for rescuing a family of four from a stream last week. The police department has planned to recommend that the Quang Nam chairman and other relevant units further recognize the brave act of Le Van Hoi, a 36-year-old native of Nam Giang, an official said on Wednesday. Hoi came to the aid of Le Thi Huong and her three family members on May 3, when she and her five-year-old son, aunt, and husband fell into Cong Doan Stream in Quang Nams Dong Giang District. None of them could swim. Huongs family was enjoying their visit to the stream before the son slipped into the water. Huong, her aunt, and her husband all tried to rescue the child, but none of them were able to swim and instead found themselves calling for help. Hoi, the first to hear their cries, jumped into the water and pushed the aunt, son, and husband to shore before swimming to Huongs aid. He then left the scene. Huong managed to reach out to Hoi and visit his house to express her gratitude. You are a brave and intelligent individual who acted swiftly and efficiently to rescue us from drowning, Huong said in her letter to Hoi, which was also shared with police in Nam Giang District. My family and I were fortunate to have met such a kind-hearted person, and we are extremely grateful to you. We expect that authorities will recognize and commend you for your heroic action. In response, police officers in Nam Giang presented awards to Hoi on Tuesday as a way of showing respect. I saw Huongs family struggling in the water and immediately acted to save them, without considering the risk to my own life, Hoi told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. I quickly dove into the water and pushed everyone to the shore, after that, I was completely exhausted. After successfully rescuing them, I felt a sense of joy and happiness. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Police in Nam Giang District, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam have honored a local man for rescuing a family of four from a stream last week.

The police department has planned to recommend that the Quang Nam chairman and other relevant units further recognize the brave act of Le Van Hoi, a 36-year-old native of Nam Giang, an official said on Wednesday.

Hoi came to the aid of Le Thi Huong and her three family members on May 3, when she and her five-year-old son, aunt, and husband fell into Cong Doan Stream in Quang Nams Dong Giang District.

None of them could swim.

Huongs family was enjoying their visit to the stream before the son slipped into the water.

Huong, her aunt, and her husband all tried to rescue the child, but none of them were able to swim and instead found themselves calling for help.

Hoi, the first to hear their cries, jumped into the water and pushed the aunt, son, and husband to shore before swimming to Huongs aid.

He then left the scene.

Huong managed to reach out to Hoi and visit his house to express her gratitude.

You are a brave and intelligent individual who acted swiftly and efficiently to rescue us from drowning, Huong said in her letter to Hoi, which was also shared with police in Nam Giang District.

My family and I were fortunate to have met such a kind-hearted person, and we are extremely grateful to you.

We expect that authorities will recognize and commend you for your heroic action.

In response, police officers in Nam Giang presented awards to Hoi on Tuesday as a way of showing respect.

I saw Huongs family struggling in the water and immediately acted to save them, without considering the risk to my own life, Hoi told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

I quickly dove into the water and pushed everyone to the shore, after that, I was completely exhausted.

After successfully rescuing them, I felt a sense of joy and happiness.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
(Photo : Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)

Canadian-Chinese relations are becoming more tense after Beijing expelled a Canadian diplomat from the consulate in Shanghai.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau says Ottawa will not be intimidated by China

The situation comes amid a spat between the two nations over their respective diplomats

Beijing recently expelled a Canadian diplomat from the consulate in Shanghai

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Ottawa will not be intimidated by China's actions amid a spat between the two countries over their respective diplomats.

On Tuesday, Beijing expelled a Canadian diplomat from the consulate in Shanghai, a seemingly retaliatory decision for a similar move by Ottawa. The situation began when Canada first ousted Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei from his post in the region following the discovery of his involvement in an intimidation ploy targeting Canadian lawmaker Michael Chong and his family.

Canada-Chinese Tensions Over Diplomats

In a statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that Beijing's decision was a "reciprocal countermeasure" in response to Ottawa's provocation. He argued that the decision was made to protect China's lawful rights and interests, as per Fox News.

Wang added that the move was consistent with China's established diplomatic practice and argued that it was justified and necessary. In response, the Canadian prime minister said it was indeed taken as a retaliatory act. However, he said that Ottawa would keep Canadians protected from foreign interference.

One of the most recent incidents that raised tensions between Canada and China was when Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly declared Zhao a persona non grata on Monday. Earlier this month, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) found that Beijing tried to gain information on any family members of Chong who may have been living within Chinese borders.

Read Also: Pakistan Police Arrest Imran Khan Supporters Following Riots

The move was believed to have been an attempt to "make an example of this MP and deter others" from taking any anti-China stance. In a Twitter statement, Joly said they would not tolerate any foreign interference in their internal affairs.

Following the decision to expel Zhao, Canadian authorities gave the Chinese official five days to leave the country. According to the Associated Press, one official who spoke anonymously said they were not authorized to speak publicly about the issue.

Alleged Attempt of Intimidation

Joly also warned other Chinese diplomats that if they acted similarly to Zhao, they would be sent home to the mainland. The CSIS said that Beijing targeted Chong after he criticized China's human rights record.

Chong, for some time, has been critical of China's treatment of its Uighur minority living in the Xinjiang province. The alleged plot details became public after a report last week, and the Canadian lawmaker said he learned about the issue through that report.

Trudeau's government has been facing growing pressure to take immediate action following the report of the plot against Chong and his family members. China previously sanctioned the lawmaker after leading a Canadian parliamentary motion designating China's treatment of its Uighur population a "genocide," said Aljazeera.

Related Article: EU, Ukraine Show Solidarity on Europe Day

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Police in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City have cracked down on a large-scale marijuana growing and consumption ring, arresting three drug traffickers and seizing over 40 kilograms of cannabis. The Ho Chi Minh City police department said on Wednesday night that it had broken up a major interprovincial drug trafficking ring. The arrested traffickers included Tran Nhat Vinh, Tran Tri Minh Sang, and Luu Thi Thai. Investigators of the Tan Binh District police department on April 28 teamed up with the police from Ward 14 to raid a house on Nguyen Hong Dao Street, catching Vinh and Sang, residents of Dak Lak Province in the Central Highlands, red-handed hiding 12.3 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves, according to results from a preliminary investigation. After searching Vinhs residence in Tan Binh, police confiscated an additional 20.3 kilograms of marijuana leaves and other related paraphernalia. Seized marijuana leaves. Photo: Supplied by police Vinh and Sang confessed that a friend had introduced them to a person named Nang in August 2022, with whom Vinh began trafficking marijuana. Nang was in charge of providing a woman named X.D. in Dak Lak Province with marijuana seeds. After growing cannabis and harvesting the plants, the woman would transport processed cannabis to Vinh and receive VND15 million (US$642) for her work. Nang would then connect customers with Vinh, and the latter would then ship the cannabis hidden in tea boxes to customers, according to police officers. Vinh was paid VND50,000 ($2.13) for each order. He convinced Sang to work with him. Accordingly, Sang would receive cannabis from X.D. and deliver the illegal drugs to customers. Sang earned VND20,000 ($0.86) for each delivery. X.D. was identified as Luu Thi Thai, a native of Dak Lak Province. After the ring was discovered, police in Tan Binh District joined hands with the police of Ea Tar Commune in Cu Mgar District in the Central Highlands province to arrest Thai, scout her house, and seize several exhibits. Police are expanding their investigation to find Nang. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Police in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City have cracked down on a large-scale marijuana growing and consumption ring, arresting three drug traffickers and seizing over 40 kilograms of cannabis.

The Ho Chi Minh City police department said on Wednesday night that it had broken up a major interprovincial drug trafficking ring.

The arrested traffickers included Tran Nhat Vinh, Tran Tri Minh Sang, and Luu Thi Thai.

Investigators of the Tan Binh District police department on April 28 teamed up with the police from Ward 14 to raid a house on Nguyen Hong Dao Street, catching Vinh and Sang, residents of Dak Lak Province in the Central Highlands, red-handed hiding 12.3 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves, according to results from a preliminary investigation.

After searching Vinhs residence in Tan Binh, police confiscated an additional 20.3 kilograms of marijuana leaves and other related paraphernalia.

Seized marijuana leaves. Photo: Supplied by police

Vinh and Sang confessed that a friend had introduced them to a person named Nang in August 2022, with whom Vinh began trafficking marijuana.

Nang was in charge of providing a woman named X.D. in Dak Lak Province with marijuana seeds.

After growing cannabis and harvesting the plants, the woman would transport processed cannabis to Vinh and receive VND15 million (US$642) for her work.

Nang would then connect customers with Vinh, and the latter would then ship the cannabis hidden in tea boxes to customers, according to police officers.

Vinh was paid VND50,000 ($2.13) for each order.

He convinced Sang to work with him. Accordingly, Sang would receive cannabis from X.D. and deliver the illegal drugs to customers. Sang earned VND20,000 ($0.86) for each delivery.

X.D. was identified as Luu Thi Thai, a native of Dak Lak Province.

After the ring was discovered, police in Tan Binh District joined hands with the police of Ea Tar Commune in Cu Mgar District in the Central Highlands province to arrest Thai, scout her house, and seize several exhibits.

Police are expanding their investigation to find Nang.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Amanda Keller is set to host Alone Australia: The Reunion.

It will screen at SBS on Demand immediately following a double episode finale, and on broadcast the next day.

The show brings together the entire cast for the first time since they were dropped in the remote wilds of Western Tasmania / lutruwita. Beck, Chris, Duane, Gina, Jimmy, Kate, Michael, Mike, Peter and Rob will discuss their experiences and reveal never-before-seen footage.

Amanda Keller said: I have been a massive fan of Alone for years and have been glued to the Australian series (even though it has slowed down my consumption of boiled eels). I cant wait to debrief with the cast and hear all the behind-the-scenes stories of their incredible experience.

SBS Head of Unscripted Joseph Maxwell said: SBS is incredibly proud of how Alone Australia has become the standout new hit series of 2023, as Australians have followed the highs and lows of our incredible cast over the past six weeks. Theyve battled everything from extreme weather, hunger, and loneliness  along with falling tree limbs, slippery eels, and clever pademelons  and we know fans will be thrilled to see them come together in studio for this special program, Alone Australia: The Reunion. Expect tears, laughter and exclusive scenes giving insight into their experience.

ITV Studios Australia Head of Factual Ben Ulm said: Were doing this for entirely selfish reasons. These 10 remarkable unique individuals have shared with us their most intimate, vulnerable, as well as triumphant moments over a long period of time. Executive Producer Riima Daher and her team sweated on their respective journeys every hour of every day, sight unseen! And we are so proud that Australia has now embraced each and every participant. I just want to hang out with them again and tell tales out of school. For individuals who like being alone, this is more of a re-union with their audience, and a celebration of extraordinary humanity. I only had to ask Amanda once.

Alone Australia double finale 7:30pm Wednesday 24 May SBS / Alone Australia: The Reunion 9:30pm SBS on Demand

Alone Australia: The Reunion 7:30pm Thursday 25 May on SBS.

SBS has also supplied the following ratings info which reflects its huge lifts in Total TV numbers:

As temperatures plummeted across the Eastern seaboard this week, audiences have continued to be captivated by the experiences of the Alone Australia participants in the wilds of Western Tasmania with the first four episodes of Alone Australia all having now passed the 1 million viewer mark driven largely by the shows incredible success on SBS On Demand with almost half the audience coming from online.

In the seven weeks since the debut of Alone Australia the first episode of the show has seen a phenomenal 338% Total TV uplift driven largely by Australians watching on SBS On Demand. The other seven episodes have also had significant uplifts of between 132% and 281% respectively. See breakdown below.

The Total TV audience for episode one now stands at 1.29m (when taking into account both SBS On Demand and 28 Day Timeshift) and remains SBSs highest rating program for 2023 to date. Episode two and three now at a Total TV audience of 1.26m and 1.16m respectively. Episodes 4, 5, 6 and 7 also continue to grow with Total TV audiences of in excess of 800,000 each and continuing to grow.

SBS is also continuing to dominate the 28 Day OzTAM VPM rankings through the success of both Alone Australia as well as Rogue Heroes with the network taking out all eight of the top 10 slots.

Linear TV audiences also continue to deliver for SBS. Episode eight of Alone Australia, broadcast last night, had a linear audience of 332,000 (metro: 229,000 reg: 103,000). Since 7.30pm yesterday a further 65,000 viewers have watched this episode on SBS On Demand (Live+VOD) bringing its total audience since 7.30pm last night to 397,000.

Last night SBS had a metro linear share of 6.5% on its primary channel and 10.8% network share in total people.
With the Eurovision Song Contest Final upon us, Paul Clarke, Australias Creative Director for SBS answered the following questions for TV Tonight:

Whats it like on the ground and how does Liverpool differ from previous years?

PC: Liverpool is perfect for the host city. Really friendly, huge music tradition, and this year you arent tripping over the local language to get things done (sometimes the Scouse accent can feel foreign thoughmany of the Europeans are struggling to understand the locals, who think that is hilarious!)

How are Voyager being received by the Eurovision family?

PC: Truly, Voyager have been received very warmly. They have covered just about all the songs in the contest on their socials and the other artists absolutely love them. Theyre also getting recognised here, there, and everywhere in Liverpool, with fans stopping them for a chat and some photos. It feels like were really amongst it this year and embraced in a way we havent been before.

Tell us about the staging of their song?

PC: Well, its a mid 80s Toyota convertible  Danny is a huge fan. I think theres a narrative about going forward out of your problems to tie into the lyrics of the song, but hes probably just a hoon.

What was it about Promise that saw them chosen as our 2023 representatives? Our first ever band, discuss!

PC: Voyager won the popular vote by a mile at Eurovision: Australia Decides, but they narrowly lost to Sheldon Riley. After Eurovision in Turin, we had what I called a preservation of friendship meeting, and we asked if they would submit a song for consideration. An early version of Promise arrived and is just getting better and better with every iteration. I love the song. I think it has the best guitar solo and best keytar solo ever on a Eurovision track. Its great that they are a metal band. It just shows a different side to Australian music, and they are totally brilliant musicians.

Can you now spill on why Australia Decides didnt happen?

PC: Eurovision: Australia Decides comes together as a result of different layers of funding. Some of those changed and we just fell a bit short. Unfortunately, we ran out of runway.

Who do you perceive as our biggest competition, and one dark horse?

PC: It looks like the Scandies  Norway, Sweden and Finland. One outside hope is the really, really, good looking Marco Mengoni (Italy). If he looks in the camera, watch out!

2023 is our final guaranteed year at Eurovision, have there been discussions about Australia returning?

PC: Its a live discussion that well pick up once this years event is behind us.

There is some chatter SBS may struggle to afford the next contract. Can you clarify?

PC: I dont think the license fees for Eurovision are anything like the other big music formats. For now, were focusing on Voyagers upcoming performance, and well pick up discussions with the EBU once this years event is over.

Fingers crossed for much success, have you dreamt of big plans if we win?

PC: I think about it regularly. It will be pretty majestic, and the host links and comedy will be laconic, in keeping with our sense of humour. We will have a great year when it happens.

Live:

Eurovision Song Contest Semi Final 2 Live 5am AEST Friday on SBS *

Eurovision Song Contest Final Live 5am AEST Sunday on SBS *

* Voting www.esc.vote (20 votes per person, 65c per vote).

Replays on SBS (no voting):

Eurovision: Semi Final 1 7:30pm Friday

Eurovision: Semi Final 2 7:30pm Saturday

Eurovision: Final 7:30pm Sunday

Who will win Eurovision 2023? Sweden

Finland

France

Ukraine

Spain

Australia

United Kingdom

Cyprus

Other

Not sure View Results


Caucasus neighbours Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a decades-long territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region

Armenia and Azerbaijan on Thursday blamed each other for a deadly exchange of fire along their border, which threatened to derail momentum to resolve a long-running dispute days ahead of EU-led peace talks.

The United States and rival Russia both urged restraint between the Caucasus neighbours after the clash that left one person dead and injured four, the latest flare-up in a decades-long dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenia initially said four of its soldiers had been wounded by incoming fire in an eastern region of the ex-Soviet country.

"Azerbaijani forces are shooting artillery and mortars at Armenian positions in the Sotk region," Armenia's defence ministry said.

Baku accused Armenia of a "provocation" that had left one of its soldiers dead.

It said Armenian troops had "once again violated the ceasefire agreement" with "large-calibre weapons", referring to an accord from November 2020 that ended six weeks of hostilities.

- 'Very little' chance for deal -

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev have been scheduled to meet Sunday in Brussels for talks led by European Council President Charles Michel.

The rival leaders had also agreed to jointly meet the leaders of France and Germany on the sidelines of a European summit in Moldova on June 1, according to the EU.

Pashinyan on Thursday accused Azerbaijan of looking to "undermine the talks" in Brussels.

"I have not changed my mind about going to Brussels," he said in a statement, but warned there was "very little" chance of signing a peace deal with Azerbaijan at the meeting.

A draft agreement "is still at a very preliminary stage and it is too early to speak of an eventual signature", Pashinyan said.

The EU-led diplomacy comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken brought the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers to Washington for negotiations in early May.

Story continues

State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said the two countries should embrace in Brussels a proposal by Blinken that would distance forces along the border.

"This kind of violence, we believe -- it undermines the progress made by Armenia and Azerbaijan toward a durable and dignified peace," Patel told reporters in Washington.

"We believe that there continues to be a durable path forward. We believe that there is a peaceful solution to this," Patel said.

- Growing Western diplomacy -

The West has stepped up mediation as the clout of Russia, historically the major powerbroker between the former Soviet republics, wanes due to its invasion of Ukraine.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We expect a restrained approach from the parties and urge them not to take any actions that could lead to an increase in tensions."

Armenia has traditionally relied on Russia as its security guarantor but Yerevan has grown increasingly frustrated with Moscow.

It has accused Russia of failing to fulfill its peacekeeping role when Azerbaijani activists blocked the Lachin corridor, the only land link to Armenia.

The two countries have gone to war twice over disputed territories, mainly Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority-Armenian region inside Azerbaijan, which has close ties with Turkey.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the two wars over the region.

The first war lasted six years, until 1994. The second, fought in 2020, ended in a Russia-negotiated ceasefire.

Under that ceasefire, Azerbaijan is required to guarantee safe passage on the Lachin corridor, which is patrolled by Russian peacekeepers.

In a new escalation at the end of end April, Azerbaijan said it had built a checkpoint on the corridor following "threats and provocations" from Armenia.

Armenia denounced the move as a ceasefire violation and said the claims were a "far-fetched and baseless pretext".

bur/jj-sct/sw
Many U.S. workers facing dilemma between income hike and benefits lost: The Guardian

Xinhua) 11:28, May 11, 2023

LONDON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- A dilemma has concerned many employees in the United States as a new job or a promotion, and a rise in income beyond a certain threshold can disqualify them from benefits they rely on to survive, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.

"Because of the instability of the economy, fluctuations in gas prices and cost-of-living increases, many are unable to make accurate budget predictions that would enable them to confidently taper off their use of welfare programs," the British newspaper said.

"The result is that it's easy for someone ... to get bumped up to a salary range that's high enough to disqualify her from government assistance, but too low to actually make ends meet," it added.

It is especially acute in California, which has been one of the most expensive places to live in the country. Many who struggle with this problem are women of color, as they are in disproportionately greater need of financial assistance, the newspaper added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The over-the-counter birth control pill received unanimous support from the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisers.

The members of the advisory panel support making the birth-control pill Opill available over the counter.

Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill Gets FDA Advisers' Unanimous Support

According to CNN, the FDA advisers recommend the approval of the over-the-counter birth control pill, citing its benefits, which they believe outweigh the potential risks. They all voted in support of Opill, 17-0, with no abstain vote.

As per NPR, the panel members of the advisers of the FDA explained their stand after voting in support of the birth control pill.

One of the advisers of the FDA, Dr. Deborah Armstrong, a Johns Hopkins professor of gynecology, obstetrics, and oncology, notes that the over-the-counter pill lowers the risk of unintended pregnancy. She points out that the prescription-free pill works better than the other contraceptive offerings, which does not require visiting a health care provider.

Meanwhile, the panel member, Kathryn Curtis, a Center for Disease Control and Prevention reproductive health division health scientist, explains why she supported the over-the-control bill. Curtis points out that it has various benefits, such as lowering unintended pregnancies and its risks. In addition, the health scientist also notes that it increases reproductive autonomy.

The president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Opill parent firm Perrigo, Murray Kessler, celebrated the unanimous vote from the advisers of the FDA. He says the company "is proud to lead the way in making contraception more accessible to women in the US."

On top of that, the Perrigo CEO emphasized that they are "motivated by the millions of people who need easy access to safe and effective contraception."

Medical groups in the US also welcomed the unanimous support of the advisory panel of the FDA. The American Medical Association highlighted that non-prescription oral contraceptives have shown in the past 60 years that their benefits counterbalance their "limited risks."

Read Also: Obama Administration Drops Age-Limit For Plan B Contraceptive Pill

What's Next for the FDA?

Although the advisory panel recommended the US agency approve the over-the-counter birth control pill, it may mean something other than that the FDA would follow their recommendation. It still has the prerogative to go against the recommendation.

However, NPR notes that the FDA usually decides based on the suggestion of its advisory panel. But it remains to be seen if the agency will follow the same route this time.

The New York Times reports that once the FDA approves the birth control pill, Opill will be available for sale over the counter without any prescription. And as such, it should help expand women's access to contraception since it no longer requires a visit to a health professional, according to some reproductive health experts.

In turn, it should help women save time and money as they no longer have to free up their schedule to head to a healthcare facility to get their hands on oral contraception.

Related Article: French-Based Pharmaceutical Requests FDA for Approval of Over-The-Counter Abortion Pill in the US





@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
HA NOI  The Viet Nam National Cement Association (VNCA) said that the export of cement and clinker would continue to face difficulties this year.

Export tax on clinker increased from 5 per cent to 10 per cent from January 1.

However, even though the price of export clinker did not increase, it was extremely difficult for businesses because it was not enough to cover production costs and taxes, said VNCA.

Currently, the three main export markets of Viet Nam's cement are the Philippines, the US and Hong Kong (China).

As for clinker, the main export markets are China, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.

As a major export market of Viet Nam, the export of construction materials to China has been quite gloomy since the beginning of the year because the real estate market of this country has not fully recovered.

Among them, cement export turnover to China decreased by more than 90 per cent against the same period last year.

VNCA President Nguyen Quang Cung commented that Viet Nam's clinker exports to China accounted for the most.

Viet Nam exported to other countries about 40 million tonnes of clinker in 2021, of which, the Chinese market alone took 30 million tonnes.

It was clear that the Chinese market recognised quality Vietnamese goods at competitive prices, he told the Vietnam News Agency.

However, Cung assessed that the market situation this year was no longer as optimistic as before.

The export of clinker is forecast to continue to face difficulties as the construction demand of the Chinese market has not prospered.

Statistics showed that the total export volume of cement and clinker only reached 30.65 million tonnes last year, down 33 per cent compared to 2021.

The total value of foreign currency earned from the export of cement and clinker reached US$1.36 billion last year, down $398 million year-on-year.

Along with that, Viet Nam's second-largest export market, the Philippines, recently announced the imposition of a temporary anti-dumping tax on Vietnamese cement.

A number of cement manufacturers in the Philippines sued cement exporters from Viet Nam to the Philippines for dumping in early 2021, causing damage to the Philippine cement industry.

Cement exporters reflected that with the current large oversupply, when the total capacity exceeds 110 million tonnes and continues to be supplemented with supply from new lines, while the demand for cement consumption at only 64 - 65.5 million tonnes, leading to increasingly fierce competition.

Therefore, the cement production units are under pressure to consume the products they produce.

Therefore, maintaining traditional export markets such as the Philippines, China, and Bangladesh is a "lifesaver" for businesses that choose to export as the main consumption market.

In fact, manufacturers with large export volumes are trying to reduce production costs and find new markets in addition to maintaining traditional customers in the Philippines.

They even accept to adapt to the policies of trade protectionism and anti-dumping tax to export the most effective products.

Experts predict that cement production capacity will reach more than 120 million tonnes this year, while domestic consumption is only about 65 million tonnes and exports will struggle to reach 31 million tonnes as last year.

Although it is forecast that the export channel in the coming years will not have many growth opportunities, experts said that the cement industry could still expect positive signals from the Government's strong disbursement of public investment projects in the coming period to partially offset the decline in the export market.  VNS
HA NOI  The 2023 European Literature Days will take place in Ha Noi from May 11-21, with various attractive activities, according to the French Institute.

The opening ceremony for the event will be held on May 13 in front of the Ly Thai To Monument on inh Tien Hoang Street, featuring the participation of representatives from embassies and cultural institutes of 13 European countries, the Nhan Dan newspaper cited the source as saying.

Thierry Vergon, director of the French Institute in Ha Noi and president of EUNIC, said that with the variety of works from 13 European countries, readers would discover works, authors, and characters they love.

He said: "The works will be displayed and introduced at seminars, book introductions, and exhibitions that will satiate those with a love of literature. In addition, readers have the opportunity to engage with authors, translators, editors, and publishers and to attend seminars and other interactive events. This event will introduce you to the cultures of Europe through the pages of books."

Within the framework of the 2023 European Literature Days, a wide variety of cultural and literary activities by publishing units and cultural companies in Viet Nam will be held, including book introductions, literary discussions and book fairs.

In addition, two composition contests about European characters and a competition on European literature have attracted many candidates who are passionate about literature and painting.

This year, the event showcases diverse works from the UK, Poland, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, France, Finland, Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Italy.

The European Express Train Event, which is held by students from the Book and Action Club of Hanoi Law University, will help readers discover European cultures through books.

The activities during the event will take place at the December 19 Book Street, Casa Italia, Goethe Institute in Ha Noi, French Institute in Ha Noi and Kim ong Publishing House.  VNS
Hoai Nam

David Thomas, founder of Indochina Arts Partnership and an US artist and American War veteran, paid a special visit to Viet Nam in April of 2023 with a Nang, Ha Noi and some localities in central Viet Nam being destinations.

He did not return to the country alone, but all his family members and artists from Boston also came for both the trip and art exhibitions in a Nang and Ha Noi.

David and other artists in the Boston Printmakers, in co-operation with local organisers in Ha Noi and a Nang, displayed a collection of 70 digital print paintings entitled: Finding Parkinson's  an introduction space of David Thomas; and Peace, Love, and Understanding, displaying 38 paintings of members from the Boston Printmakers.

Five members from Boston  Susan Denniston, Margo Lemieux, Colleen MacDonald, Marilyn Mase, and Carolyn Musket  also joined the exhibitions, and they donated 38 paintings from the Boston Printmakers to the fine arts museum of a Nang to make friendship exchanges closer than ever among people and artists of the two countries.

David Thomas, born in 1946 in Portland, Maine, the US, joined the American War (or Viet Nam War) as a combat technical assistant in the US Army in the Central Highlands region from 1969-70.

He returned to the US in 1970 to continue as an art professional and create artworks of Vietnamese people.

He visited Viet Nam in 1987, and the trip sped up his aspiration for him to build the Indochina Arts Partnership  a foundation that helps develop cultural exchange between Viet Nam and the US over the past 30 years.

David learned that he has Parkinsons disease in 2015, most likely due to his exposure to Agent Orange during the Viet Nam War. Parkinsons disease affects the nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that enables messages to be sent between nerve cells.

When I returned from my year in Pleiku City (Gia Lai Province), I wanted to express my feelings about that year before they faded into the background. My tour in Viet Nam changed my life. I was compelled to find a way to express the asymmetry of the effects of the war on the US and on Viet Nam. We mourn our American soldiers and civilians killed in Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia. As a result of chemicals sprayed and high tonnage of bombs dropped by US military, this number will continue to increase in Viet Nam for many decades if not centuries."

The purpose of this exhibition and catalogue is to ask questions about the function and limits of this incredible organ. My desire is that these images will inspire you to think more about your own brain and the way you arrive at conclusions. Our brains are at best the combination of what we inherited from our ancestors and what we have added since our birth. What we dont know is how this will all be used during our lifetime.

David said: Little did I know when I returned to Viet Nam in 1987, that I would spend the rest of my life trying to ease the pain caused by the American War there, to educate Americans here about the real tragedy of our invasion of Viet Nam, and to humanise the people we had dehumanised in order to kill and poison them. I have been invited into the homes of our former enemy many times only to learn how much we have in common, not that which divides us. We have laughed and cried together and shared many beautiful memories and hopes for the future."

I am concerned that the progression of my particular Parkinsons may not allow me to complete this series. Will my worsening cognitive and physical symptoms prevent me from finding some answers to the questions I have raised here? Or will this increase in symptoms simply become additional material for this series? Only time will answer that question.

Sharing his time in Viet Nam, David said: I was a combat engineer/artist in Pleiku from 1969 until 1970. My job for six months was to draw blueprints for projects our battalion was building, things like roads and bridges. Building roads often involved killing all the trees and green vegetation for which we used various defoliants including Agent Orange. My Parkinson's is a result of being exposed to that Agent Orange. My children have no symptoms yet but I didn't have any symptoms for over 40 years after returning from Viet Nam in 1970. And I understand that the effects can even skip generations."

I left the Army in 1971, and went to graduate school. During that time I made many paintings and prints of Vietnamese children who I played with in Pleiku. My way of protesting the American War was with these paintings. My health remained good until 2015 when I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease."

He said: When I returned to Viet Nam in 1987, I saw firsthand the pain and suffering that was being caused by wrong US policies against Viet Nam. I wanted to do something to try to influence US policy and bring the people of both countries closer together. I am an artist so I started organising exhibitions with artists from both countries. All of the artists I contacted were eager to help me. I then started the non-profit organisation called the Indochina Arts Partnership (IAP) to develop more exchange programmes between Viet Nam and the US. Most of our funding came from individual donations and small family foundations that supported my work. Nearly 100 Vietnamese artists have been to the US under IAP sponsorship.

David said he married in 1968, and this year was the first time that all members of his family joined this special trip to Viet Nam.

I married my wife Jean on June 15, 1968. This year, we will celebrate our 55th anniversary. We have two adult children, Aaron and Mandy, and four grandchildren, Caileigh, Jocie, JD and Charlie. Aaron and Mandy have been here several times to visit us but this is the first time for our grandchildren. All of my children and grandchildren share my love for Viet Nam and the Vietnamese people. Dozens of Vietnamese artists have stayed at our home and played with our children and grandchildren."

The American artist also sent his message through his exhibition and other artists from Boston.

My message for Finding Parkinsons is to remind Americans that the war in Viet Nam and the US continues. Unexploded ordinance and Agent Orange are only two ways the war continues. I think that artists share a special bond and are a very effective way to make links between countries who have a poor or no relationship. I hope that the artists of both countries will follow the lead of the artists who gladly worked with the IAP."

Mandy Baker, Davids daughter, said she has visited a Nang and Viet Nam several times, and she felt so happy to join this trip with all her family members.  VNS
HA NOI  China's unilateral suspension of fishing activities in the waters under Viet Nam's sovereignty in the East Sea is void, said the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The ban is a violation of Viet Nam's sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the East Sea, the ministry affirmed in a document recently sent to Peoples Committees of the coastal cities and provinces.

The MARD said the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has enforced this year's temporary fishing ban from 12:00pm (China time) on May 1 to 12:00pm on August 16 in the waters north of 12 degrees north latitude, including the Gulf of Tonkin.

In light of the situation, the MARD asked the People's Committees of coastal cities and provinces to promptly inform fishermen about China's temporary fishing ban.

They were urged to encourage fishermen to continue their normal production activities within the waters of Viet Nam and instruct them to form groups and teams when going out to sea to support each other, and promptly report any violations by foreign fishing vessels in the Vietnamese waters to competent agencies.

They must also direct relevant agencies to strengthen the supervision of fishing activities through vessel monitoring system, issue warnings to fishing vessels when necessary, and especially strictly manage the entry and exit of fishing vessels during this time.

At the same time, they must continue strictly following the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Developments Directive No. 49/CT-BNN-TCTS dated January 6, 2021 on strengthening the management of fishing vessels, ensuring safety for fishermen and fishing vessels.

The localities must promptly report any unexpected incidents that occur at sea concerning fishing vessels and fishermen to the hotline of the Viet Nam Fisheries Surveillance at 024.62737323. VNS
JAKARTA  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, together with leaders of other ASEAN member states, discussed regional and global issues during a retreat session of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on Thursday.

He said that after more than half a century of formation and development, ASEAN has never been in such a good position as well as facing as many challenges as it does today. ASEAN is both the centre of a series of regional connectivity and integration initiatives and a key player in the fierce strategic competition among major powers.

The PM stressed that ASEAN needs to be dynamically adaptive and strengthen its self-reliance to assert its strategic value. ASEAN also needs to consolidate unity and solidarity, elevate the spirit of independence and self-reliance while strongly upholding its central role, maintaining a balanced strategic relationship with partners, establish and promote a culture of dialogue, cooperation, consultation and trust building.

ASEAN needs to maintain its principled stance on issues directly related to environment, security and development, as stated in foundational documents such as the ASEAN Charter, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), especially by raising the banner of upholding international law, he said.

On regional and global issues, PM Chinh shared his views on the increasingly intense strategic competition among major powers, saying that it is of utmost importance that ASEAN member countries stay united, uphold a sense of responsibility and collective spirit towards common goals, and harmonise national interests with those of the bloc.

Reiterating ASEAN's principled stance on regional and global issues of shared concern, he highlighted the protection of peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea as they are both a shared interest and responsibility of all countries.

He suggested that ASEAN, despite difficulties, should persist with the goal of supporting Myanmar to fully implement the Five-Point Consensus for the sake of the Myanmar people, ASEAN unity, reputation and images, as well as the expectations of the global community. He said ASEAN should back Indonesia's Chairmanship and Special Envoy that play a pioneering role in leading ASEAN to achieve this goal.

ASEAN needs to maintain an objective, balanced, and responsible approach to the Russia-Ukraine issue, work with partners, mitigate the impact of conflicts on the region, and contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and development, he said.

Leaders at the event reaffirmed ASEAN's principled stance, emphasised the importance of peace, security, and stability in the East Sea, the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and striving to achieve a substantive, effective, and legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) that is consistent with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They also expressed support for promoting ASEAN's role in assisting Myanmar and stepping up the effective implementation of the Five-Point Consensus while sharing concerns over the implications of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and stressing the adherence to the basic principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.

The session concluded the activities of the 42nd ASEAN Summit. Following the event, PM Chinh and his entourage left Labuan Bajo for Viet Nam, successfully concluding their working trip to Indonesia. VNS
LABUAN BAJO  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with his counterpart from Timor Leste Taur Matan in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia on Thursday on the occasion of the 42nd ASEAN Summit.

Congratulating Timor Leste for becoming an ASEAN observer, PM Chinh affirmed that with the spirit of traditional friendship and close cooperation, Viet Nam is willing to share experience with and support Timor Leste to become the 11th member of the association at an early date.

The two sides agreed to increase the exchange of all-level delegations, while effectively implementing signed agreements, and optimising their cooperation potential, especially in trade and investment. They also concurred to create optimal conditions for their businesses in operating in each others market.

The PMs pledged to promote collaboration in the fields of culture, tourism, education, and people-to-people exchange to further foster their connections, and expand their partnership to new areas of digital transformation, green growth, and circular economy.

PM Chinh asked Timor Leste to provide favourable conditions for Vietnamese investors by settling legal issues facing them, ratifying the bilateral trade agreement signed in 2013, and efficiently implementing the memorandum of understanding on rice trading that the two sides inked in 2015.

For his part, the Timor Leste leader affirmed that Viet Nam is a great friend of Timor Leste, underlining that his country hopes to further bolster cooperation with Viet Nam.

He revealed that Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta wishes to visit Viet Nam at an early date.

PM Taur Matan hailed the impressive achievements in socio-economic development that Viet Nam has recorded, and showed his pleasure at the expanding partnership between the two countries, especially in telecommunications and education.

The meeting was the last activity of the Vietnamese PM in Indonesia. He is scheduled to return home the same day.  VNS
LABUAN BAJO  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh showed Viet Nam's efforts and wishes to work with other ASEAN member states in building the identity, value, vitality and reputation of the regional bloc and deepen Viet Nam's relations with them, while attending activities within the framework of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia from May 9-11.

Specifically, during his stay in Labuan Bajo, PM Chinh had nearly 20 activities, both bilateral and multilateral.

With the Summits theme of ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth, Chinh and other participating leaders discussed and outlined the future of the ASEAN Community for the next 20 years, with stronger development goals and aspirations.

The PM highlighted three core factors to ASEANs characteristics, values, vitality and reputation, which are maintaining independence and strategy self-reliance, turning itself into a growth epicentre, and better adapting to external shocks.

He emphasised that strengthening solidarity and unity should be the key task for an independent and self-resilient ASEAN.

Given risks and uncertainties of the global economy, PM Chinh stressed the urgent need for the 10-member grouping to expand the intra market in order to promote recovery and sustainable development, calling for efforts in negotiations to advance the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, and concertedly and drastically rolling out projects on regional connectivity in terms of institutions, infrastructure and people.

With the spirit of taking people as the growth centre, target and momentum in ASEAN Community building, the bloc should work to narrow its development gap, especially in remote areas and sub-regions, he continued.

To achieve the goal of and aspirations for peace, security, stability and prosperity, he appealed to ASEAN member countries to join hands in building self-resilience and solidarity, unlock development resources, and raise breakthrough initiatives to build the ASEAN Community, helping the bloc turn itself into a growth epicentre regionally and globally.

PM Chinh's proposals received support and were appreciated by other ASEAN leaders.

During his stay, he attended dialogues between leaders of ASEAN countries and representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC), and the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Communitys Post-2025 Vision.

He also had bilateral meetings with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone, Cambodian PM Hun Sen, Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Prime Minister of Timor-Leste Taur Matan Ruak.

At these meetings, Chinh and leaders of ASEAN countries discussed the implementation of agreements, commitments and measures to strengthen cooperation, with specific and substantive contents.

The Vietnamese leaders participation in the 42nd ASEAN Summit and related activities affirms that Viet Nam makes positive, proactive, and responsible contributions to strengthening ASEAN solidarity and effectively responding to challenges. It also demonstrates Viet Nam's priorities in terms of strategic infrastructure connectivity, digital transformation, green transformation, food security, energy, sub-regional development, and response to climate change, affirming the role, image, and prestige of ASEAN, thereby contributing to the building of the ASEAN Community, and upholding ASEAN's principled stance on international and regional issues.

The activities are an effective implementation of the foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress on continuing to promote and improve the efficiency of foreign affairs and international integration and Directive 25 of the Secretariat on strengthening and raising the level of multilateral diplomacy by 2030.  VNS
(Photo : Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Embattled New York Rep. George Santos pleads not guilty to federal prosecutors' 13-count indictment which include wire fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds, and lying on federal disclosure forms.

New York Rep. George Santos pleads not guilty to federal prosecutors' 13-count indictment

The charges against the emballed Republican include wire fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds, and lying on federal disclosure forms

Santos announced last month that he plans to run for re-election despite calls for him to resign

Embattled New York Rep. George Santos pleads not guilty after federal prosecutors charged him with 13 counts, including wire fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds, and lying on federal disclosure forms.

The lawmaker has been under increasing pressure to resign over his confirmed lies and other supposed criminal behavior in the last few months. The first-term Republican representative gave several speeches on the House floor following the controversies.

George Santos Faces 13-Count Indictment

Despite widespread criticism from even his party, Santos announced that he was planning to run for re-election in just the last month. He also tried to leverage his vote with House Republican leadership on a contentious bill that sought to raise the debt ceiling of the United States government, as per the New York Times.

The consequences of his lies confronted Santos on Wednesday after federal prosecutors unsealed the 13-count indictment against him and took the Republican into custody. The New York representative later appeared in front of a judge in a courthouse in Central Islip. The Republican lawmaker pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

However, outside the courthouse, some people gathered, including news media personnel and observers, holding one-word "Lies" signs. When Santos saw these, his prior calm demeanor went away, immediately said that the situation was a "witch hunt."

In addressing reporters outside of the courthouse, Santos maintained his belief that the allegations against him were politically motivated, saying that he would later clear his name. The indictment that federal authorities issued is the culmination of the long-running controversy centering around the Republican lawmaker.

Read Also: Biden Pushes for 'Separate Discussion' on Budget, Spending Priorities

Widespread Criticism

While some Republican lawmakers have called on Santos to resign following the slew of controversies, some top House GOP members were willing to wait for the legal process to play out before taking a side with or against the New York representative, according to Reuters.

On the other hand, US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he would not support Santos' re-election attempt. The Republican said that the New York representative has "a lot going on" and should focus on other things instead of re-election.

Following the New York representative's arraignment, he was allowed to be released on a $500,000 bond. He added that this was the beginning of his ability to address and defend himself from the accusations.

Santos' lawyer, Joseph Murray, said that it should be considered a serious case when the federal government targets someone. The Republican lawmaker also revealed he plans to return to Washington amid the controversy, causing some to express concern about his ability to serve.

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said that the wheels of justice grind slowly but finely, referencing the process that Santos' case would have to go through to reach a conclusion, said the Associated Press.

Related Article: Rep. George Santos Arrested, Charged With Federal Crimes

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
HA NOI  Military dogs are more than just an effective weapon for border guard soldiers.

These working dogs are loyal and reliable fellow warriors that stand shoulder to shoulder with their human counterparts to carry out search and rescue missions every time they are deployed.

In a mission to assist with humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts following the earthquake in Turkey, the military working dogs helped 76 soldiers of the Vietnamese Border Guard successfully complete their search and rescue mission.

Over six days, from February 14 to February 19, the soldiers and their six dogs achieved remarkable results by identifying 31 locations with signs of life, 15 more positions with deceased and recovering 38 victims amidst the rubble in Antakya City, Hatay Province in southern Turkey.

The highly skilled and experienced working dogs are from Border Guard Vocational School No 24 under the command of the Border Guard Command. The six dogs, named E Py, Javo, Pokka, Or To, Vat, and Tom Pa, are a vital part of the Vietnamese Border Guard and the People's Army of Vietnam who joined the mission.

Having gone through a rigorous selection process, the six military working dogs participated in many search and rescue missions in Viet Nam, such as the rescue of the Rao Trang-Thua Thien Hue hydroelectric power plant, the collapse of the quarry at the Ban Ve Tuong Duong hydroelectric power plant in central Nghe An Province, landslides in Quang Tri, Phan Me coal mine waste landslide in northern Thai Nguyen Province, and the landslide in northern Hoa Binh Province.

The dogs, selected from two breeds of German Shepherd and Malinois, had found numerous bodies buried under the ground.

Major Nguyen Quang Thuyen, Principal of Border Guard Vocational School No 24, said that training dogs to safeguard national sovereignty and border security, combat crime, protect important economic targets, and search and rescue operations are the school's primary tasks.

Originating from two specialised fields of combat dog training and guard dog training for target protection, the school has developed into five specialised fields of training, including combat dogs, drug detection dogs, explosive detection dogs, search and rescue dogs, and scent tracking dogs.

By the end of 2022, the school conducted 102 training courses, training nearly 3,000 service dogs.

Scent tracking dogs are a particularly important tool for reconnaissance forces to determine the direction of investigation in criminal cases," Thuyen said. "Finding the source of a suspect's scent amidst multiple scent sources through the initial scent sampling is the basis for reconnaissance forces to identify the perpetrator and complete the assigned mission quickly."

Strict selection process

Regarding the selection process of dogs for training, Major Nguyen Van Nghia, Head of the schools Search and Rescue Dog Training Department said that the selected dogs all originate from German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois breeds.

The school mainly imports the parents of the dogs and then breeds them on-site.

When the dogs are born, they are selected based on criteria such as good appearance, no congenital defects, good barking, and agility in movements. When the dogs are raised until they are about three to four months old, the trainer starts introducing them to the leash, muzzle, and name according to their code number, he said.

From 10 to 12 months old, each dog continues to undergo at least a year of training. After that, the school will establish a dog selection board to officially train the dog in each field of expertise depending on their ability, appearance, and temperament.

"To select dogs for special expertise such as source detection and search and rescue, the school focuses on finding active and playful dogs, those who like to pick up objects or show signs of sniffing," Nghia said. "Dogs with strong nerves, agility, and a tendency to bite or bark will be trained to become combat dogs. Each dog will only learn one speciality until he finishes the course."

According to Major Nguyen Viet Linh, the long-term training process creates a close connection between working dogs and trainers, increasing effectiveness in combat and task performance.

"The training of working dogs has difficulties due to the characteristics of animals, which are not as easy to absorb as human training," he said. "A working dog requires time to get acquainted, pamper, and train from simple to complicated rules to form habits gradually.

For Ep, after five years of training, this dog can now understand my unique signals. In the field, I don't need to give verbal commands. I raise my hand, and Ep will automatically search for positions and bark when he finds positions that need to be checked."

Pairs of comrades

For trainers, these working dogs are loyal comrades and are treated as valuable and respected assets.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Huong, a search and rescue officer of Border Guard Vocational School No 24 and his partner Pokka were among the best pair of comrades in the rescue mission in Turkey.

The pair discovered three locations of victims, pulled out one body and handled two other positions of victims to local units on the first day of the rescue mission on February 14.

This was the first time Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Huong and his dog Pokka carried out an international mission together.

In addition to essential items for soldiers, we also prepared cold-resistant clothes, gloves, and food such as canned meat and dry dog food for our soldiers of four legs," he said. "The military dog handlers guided the dogs to practise in harsh conditions such as mountainous terrain in early mornings to prepare well for the search and rescue process."

Despite careful preparation and training, Huong said accidents sometimes happened.

"On the third day of the mission, after returning from the site with sharp iron bars, I noticed blood stains on the ground and Pokka's abnormal gestures," he said. "After checking, the team found Pokka had a deep cut from glass in his leg. He had a deep wound and was bleeding heavily. The medical staff and I performed a blood transfusion, cleaned and bandaged the wound, applied medicine to Pokka."

Another dog named E Py, the partner of Captain Nguyen Viet Linh, was also injured while on duty in Turkey. The dogs were treated with many favourite foods such as sausages, beef, ham, quail eggs and quickly returned to the site to continue the mission after one day.

"E Py loves to eat," Linh said. "Although there is food in the bowl, he will jump up and demand the new dish when he sees new food in the trainer's hands."

Regarding the effectiveness of the work, Pokka is considered the most enthusiastic and energetic soldier in the team. Pokka was trained at the age of four. He is always sharp and ready to take on the mission no matter how complex and challenging tasks are.

In daily life, Pokka still behaves like a child, especially when Huong is away on long missions.

"Every time I come back from long trips, Pokka jumps on me, scratching and pretending to bite me," he said. "I usually buy a dozen of eggs to 'compensate' Pokka.  VNS
LAI CHAU  Thanks to village-based midwives, mothers who have just given birth in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau are getting more assistance during their parenthood.

The rate of pregnant women having regular check-ups and giving birth at healthcare facilities has also increased, leading to lower proportion of obstetric complications as well as maternal and neonatal mortality.

Ly Minh Thuong, a village-based midwife in Ma Ly Pho border commune, Phong Tho District, has been doing her job for almost 10 years.

Her daily routine is to visit pregnant women and new-born mothers and instruct them how to take care of the babies. She says all villagers are from the Dao ethnic group. Local women lack pregnancy knowledge so most of them did not visit healthcare facilities for regular check-up and often give birth at home, which posed risks on lives of both the baby and mother.

One of her important tasks is to encourage pregnant women to visit clinics for health check-up and giving birth as well as informing them of the significance of tetanus vaccinations for mothers and other types of vaccines for children.

She also instructs mothers how to take care of themselves during pregnancy, after giving birth, and gives them information about breast feeding.

Thanks to midwives like Thuong, all local women now go to health facilities to give birth and there are no longer women giving birth at home.

Tan Minh Hanh, whose new born is 20 days old, says she has no experience as this is her first child. Midwife Thuong has instructed her how to breast feed and given her nutrition advice.

Ly Sa Nga, who has a six-month-old baby, says during her pregnancy, she received advice on meal nutrition and vaccinations. When she went into labour, she called midwife Thuong and was taken to the healthcare facility.

Nurse Thung Thi Phuong from Ma Ly Pho Communes clinic, says the village-based midwives support many women during and after pregnancy.

The team of midwives in Lai Chau Province share the language, customs and habits with local women, and are equipped with knowledge and skills so they can easily approach mothers to persuade them to give up the outdated customs, she says.

The villages midwives also play an important role in detecting abnormal cases in mothers and babies, she says.

According to Lai Chau Province Department of Health, they have 175 village-based midwives. In 2022, there were 5,625 pregnant women receiving prenatal check-ups.

A total of 957 mothers were mobilised to give birth at healthcare facilities while 266 gave birth at home with the help of midwives.

259 pregnant women were diagnosed with pregnancy problems.

Nguyen The Phong, deputy director of the provincial Department of Health, says these midwives contribute to reducing obstetric complications, maternal mortality and infant mortality in the community. They act as a bridge between the community and health facilities.

Low income

In spite of the important role of village-based midwives, localities lack funding to financially assist them.

Lai Chau Province has trained 175 village-based midwives but only 79 are working. Sixteen of them receive financial assistance while 62 others do not.

This is such a disadvantage for the midwives as most of them are from poor households or ethnic minority groups living in extremely difficult areas. They have to cover expenses such as petrol while performing the job.

Midwife Ly Minh Thuong says she used to receive VN700,000 per month but since mid-2020 she no longer received the assistance.

She says she does the job for love, and hopes that local authorities and the State will give them financial assistance so that they will have more encouragement to work in the future. VNS
HA NOI  Comprehensive investment in vaccinations against human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer screening and treatment can yield substantial socio-economic returns and eliminate the disease in Viet Nam.

This is the conclusion of the Investment Case Study on HPV Vaccination in Viet Nam, which was announced on Wednesday in Ha Noi.

The study was undertaken by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) under the Ministry of Health and Victoria University and Daffodil Institute in Australia.

Cervical cancer caused by HPV is a major public health concern worldwide, including in Viet Nam. In 2018, cervical cancer was the sixth most common cancer among Vietnamese women, with nearly 4,200 new cases and 2,420 deaths.

In Viet Nam, the HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening rates are low.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Survey on Women and Children, which was conducted by the General Statistics Office in 2021 with support from UNFPA and UNICEF, showed that only 12 per cent of women and girls aged 15-29 are vaccinated and only 28 per cent of women aged 30-49 have been screened so far.

The study reveals that it is possible that Viet Nam can eliminate cervical cancer in the next 30 years if HPV vaccination is scaled up to cover 90 per cent of adolescent girls, 70 per cent of women receive HPV-based screening, and 90 per cent of women with pre-cancer and invasive cervical cancer receive adequate treatment.

The comprehensive combination of HPV vaccination, screening and treatment could eliminate cervical cancer in the country 29 years earlier than only HPV vaccination intervention.

The study estimates that one dollar invested in cervical cancer prevention programmes can return between US$5-11 in terms of economic benefits and between $8-20 when economic and social benefits are combined.

Naomi Kitahara, the UNFPA Representative for Viet Nam, said: UNFPA recommends the Government of Viet Nam rolling out HPV vaccination for adolescent girls and cervical cancer screening and treatment for women. With the government's approval, provinces with good income can start rolling out the HPV vaccination programme using the provincial budget before it is included in the National Expanded Immunisation Programme in 2026.

UNFPA is fully committed to supporting the Government of Viet Nam and its partners in rolling out HPV vaccination in the country, she said.

Associate professor Duong Thi Hong, deputy director of the NIHE, said: The study provides strong evidence on the cost-effectiveness and the return of-investment as well as the estimated timeline for cervical cancer elimination in Viet Nam. This scientific evidence is worthwhile for the Government to consider for allocating required resources to develop optimal strategies on cervical cancer prevention and control.  VNS
by Nguyen My Ha

It was a day off for teachers and students at the primary school on Song Tu Tay Island (internationally known as Southwest Cay) in the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago. The blue painted two-storey school building houses only two teachers and about two dozen students.

In his office, teacher Nguyen Ba Ngoc displays several of the island's white pebbles on which he writes black ink calligraphy in his spare time.

Ngoc, now 30, wrote a letter volunteering to go and work on the island back in 2018 after he graduated from the Ha Noi Teachers College. He has been teaching two classes at the school.

"I was very lucky and honoured to get this teaching job," Ngoc tells Viet Nam News.

Having been teaching on the island for four and a half years, he's close to finishing his first five-year stint.

"I will stay on if no new teacher comes. But I would like to tell other graduates of teachers' training college across the country to come out here to Truong Sa, it will be an experience you won't regret," he says.

Two teachers are responsible for two classes at this school. One class has about a dozen pupils ranging from grade 1, 2 and 3, while the other has children in grade 4 and 5.

Smaller children learn to read and write, bigger ones learn maths and Vietnamese language. They do not learn English, a required subject by the Ministry of Education and Training from grade 2, as there are no trained teachers for the subject.

The school is close to the children's houses, so they all just walk to school. The teachers and parents know each other well. For children under 10, this is an ideal school with no motorbike exhaust fumes, no peer pressure, and no influential parents trying to buy children special treatment. There are no extra classes, nor too many electronic devices. There's no bullying or cyberbullying. The school, teachers and students enjoy a fresh environment, abundant in sunshine and sea breezes.

But there is a lack of electricity, and the storm season can be devastating. The super tropical storm Rai in 2021 knocked down old trees on the island. Rai was a powerful and rare type of typhoon that comes only once every 50 years and leaves devastating consequences.

Nearly two years have passed and today, small and new sea-water resistant trees have been planted, but it'll take years for them to grow and provide shade.

Every day, Ngoc teaches two shifts of mixed classes. When some children learn new words or skills, others just revise old exercises. When city teachers would have to be busy getting students in crowded classrooms to pay attention, Ngoc has to balance different levels and skills of students.

"This year is my fifth, I'll be leaving the island for home to join my wife and child soon," he says.

During his leisure time, Ngoc picks seashells and designs what he calls 'Flowers of the Sea', or writes calligraphy on the island's signature white stones, which he gives away as gifts to visitors.

"Here there's no market on the island, so we have to plant our own vegetables. I also learned calligraphy when I was home as a child, and now it's become my favourite pastime," Ngoc says.

Building lives, sharing loves

Every year, the third lunar month has always been a remembrance month, when families visit their ancestors graves, planting small flowers, lighting incense and offering a meal.

In April, everyone in Truong Sa pays tribute to the 64 Vietnamese fallen soldiers who failed in a fierce battle on March 14, 1988 to protect Gac Ma (Johnson South Reef) against China's naval forces' invasion.

This April has two national holidays that fall together for a long weekend. The commemoration of Hung Kings, the legendary founding fathers of the nation, coincides with National Reunification Day and May Day.

In the last campaign to unite Viet Nam as one country in 1975, the Vietnamese army seized control of the Spratlys from the Sai Gon administration.

General Vo Nguyen Giap wrote in his memoir that the Spratly archipelago played a very vital role not only in the marine routes in the East Sea, but also as strategic guarding positions for Viet Nam.

The North Viet Nam army liberated Song Tu Tay Island on April 14th, Son Ca Island (Sand Cay) on the 25th, then Nam Yet (Namyit) Island on the 27th, Sinh Ton (Sin Cowe) Island on the 28th and the Great Truong Sa Island on the 29th, one day ahead of the liberation of Sai Gon on April 30, 1975, putting the end to the long war that separated the north and south of the country.

Back then, it took them a little more than two weeks to move from island to island and re-confirm Viet Nam's sovereignty and territorial integrity over the Spratlys in the East Sea.

This month, I took a marine voyage revisiting some of the islands in peace time, and was fortunate enough to see a school of dolphins swimming in front of our ship.

Song Tu Tay, Sinh Ton and Great Truong Sa islands have become much greener havens among the waves. Strong seawater-resistant trees have been planted on the islands, green vegetables are precious, yet grown scattered on the islands. Fresh meat and poultry get transported by ship to the lands on a monthly basis.

But some hardships on the islands never change: the sunshine, the tropical storms and strong wind are always abundant. They have been the prime source for generating energy on the islands: solar panels and wind turbines have been mobilised to provide electricity for lighting.

"We moved here from Khanh Hoa Province," says Nguyen thi Xuan Hong, 33, a mother of two on Song Tu Tay island.

"Life is tranquil here. Sometimes we have an electricity cut, and tap water limited. Our extended family also lives on another island off Khanh Hoa coast, so I went to live with them when I was six-month pregnant and gave birth to our second child. When he was three months old, we both moved here to settle down to work."

Like her neighbours, they plant their own vegetables. As long as the children are small and go to primary school, the family can still stay on the island. But when they go to secondary school, they will have to consider moving or sending their child to a new community that's bigger.

Hanoians on far flung islands

The Truong Sa Island District has three smaller administrative units: Truong Sa Town, Sinh Ton and Song Tu Tay islands. They have a primary school, a medical centre and a lighthouse, where fishing vessels take refuge during storms, get oil and drinking water, and call help in an emergency.

The medical centre in Truong Sa Town has two doctors and at the time we visited was treating some patients -- fishermen from surrounding areas.

When we meet people on the islands, "Where are you from?" is always our first question. We get answers from everywhere in Viet Nam from the northern mountains to the coastal centre, to the Mekong Delta and deep southern districts of Ca Mau. The first time we hear, "We are from Ha Noi," is from the doctors working at the medical centre.

"We have been functioning as a second-level field hospital here," says La van Tuan, Chief doctor at the centre.

"We are an extended field Medical Centre of Military Hospital 175 in Ho Chi Minh City. We do medical consultation when we need, and can call for a medical helicopter emergency if the condition becomes life-threatening. We had two helicopter emergencies in 2022."

He then turns to a patient who has been taken to the centre unconscious after nearly drowning. Three days have passed, and he is recovering well and will soon be discharged.

"Our assignment lasts for a year, and working with limited resources on the islands is a challenge we all have to overcome," the other doctor Kieu Cong Dan says.

Life on the islands is full of challenges. While it lacks some creature comforts, such as the internet, the environment is clean, fresh and full of sunlight. A handful of people volunteer to go to these far-flung islands of the country and build their lives, and to keep the nation's sovereignty intact. VNS
Vietnam would continue to deepen its economic ties with Southeast Asian countries as part of efforts to build an independent, united, and prosperous ASEAN community.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen. Photos: Nhat Bac

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reiterated the message at the meetings with Cambodian and Indonesian leaders on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

At the meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen, the Vietnamese Prime Minister congratulated Cambodia for successfully hosting the opening ceremony of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 32). He said this achievement has helped improve Cambodia's image in the eyes of its regional and international peers.

He expressed confidence that Cambodia will effectively organize the upcoming 7th National Assembly election in July, further enhancing Cambodia's standing in the region and the world.

For his part, Prime Minister Hun Sen stressed that Cambodia attaches great importance to its friendly and comprehensive partnership with Vietnam. He thanked Vietnam for its support and interest and for sending its leaders to attend the opening ceremony of the 32nd SEA Games. He was also touched to learn that a large number of Vietnamese people traveled to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, to witness the 32nd SEA Games and contribute to its success.

The two prime ministers expressed their satisfaction with the positive development of the bilateral cooperation.

Frequent meetings and exchanges have been held between their respective leaders, and cooperation mechanisms have been effectively utilized, especially during events such as the High-Level Meeting between the two parties in February, the 20th Meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee, the Conference on Cooperation and Development of Vietnam's Border Provinces, and the 12th Vietnam-Cambodia Border Provinces Cooperation Conference.

Both sides agreed to implement bilateral agreements effectively, promote connectivity and cooperation between the two economies, and support each other in developing independent and self-reliant economies in conjunction with comprehensive, substantive, and effective international integration, especially in a shrinking global market.

They also pledged to create more favorable conditions for investment and business cooperation between companies of the two nations, especially in areas such as cross-border trade and cooperation in the economic development of border regions.

The two leaders agreed to work closely and effectively to build a united, independent, resilient, and prosperous ASEAN Community.

Chinh extended a warm invitation to Prime Minister Hun Sen to visit Vietnam in the near future.

PM Chinh and Indonesia's President Joko Widodo.

Vietnam-Indonesia trade turnover to reach at least US$15 billion by 2028

In talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on the same day, PM Chinh expressed his gratitude for Indonesia's warm welcome and praised the choice of Labuan Bajo as the venue for the 42nd ASEAN Summit.

Chinh reiterated his positive impression of his first overseas trip as Prime Minister to Indonesia in 2021 and reaffirmed Vietnam's commitment to enhance its strategic partnership with the Southeast Asian country.

They agreed to strengthen the exchange of delegations and contacts at all levels, with special emphasis on celebrating the 10th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership in 2023. They expected the ties to be lifted to new heights.

The leaders also pledged to actively implement previously signed agreements, including the Action Program for 2019-2023, the Vietnam-Indonesia Strategic Partnership, and the early development of an Action Program for 2024-2028, to lay the foundation for expanding and deepening cooperation between their countries.

Chinh suggested that Vietnam and Indonesia should maintain the momentum of trade growth to achieve a bilateral trade turnover of at least US$15 billion by 2028 in a more balanced way. He also suggested that Indonesia facilitates the import of Vietnamese goods. In addition, both countries should strengthen maritime cooperation by setting up a hotline to support fisheries activities and exchange information on law enforcement at sea.

Joko Widodo stressed that Indonesia attaches great importance to strengthening its strategic partnership with Vietnam. The two leaders also agreed to expand cooperation to new areas such as energy transformation, digital transformation, and infrastructure.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern. Prime Minister Chinh stressed that Vietnam will continue to cooperate with and support Indonesia in its role as ASEAN Chair in 2023, thereby contributing to strengthening ASEAN's solidarity, unity, self-reliance, and centrality.

The two leaders reiterated their support for maintaining ASEAN's unity, centrality and common stand on the East Sea issue. They also stressed the need to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and work towards an effective and efficient Code of Conduct (COC) in the region based on international law, including UNCLOS 1982.

Chinh expressed his hope that President Widodo will visit Vietnam again soon.

Hanoi Times
Vietnam's taxi market is expected to grow by 10.25% between 2022 and 2027, reaching a market volume of US$790 million in 2027, according to consulting firm Mordor Intelligence.

Vietnam's taxi market is projected to grow in the coming time. Photo: Vingroup

The consulting firm explained the market expansion for reduced taxi fares and easy booking through mobile applications.

"The Vietnamese taxi market is fragmented. Industry participants are likely to witness intense competition due to aggressive strategies, including acquisitions, pricing, mergers, and new product development," the report said.

Currently, there are more than 200 taxi companies operating in the Vietnamese market, of which domestic Vinasun and Mai Linh are the two largest. In particular, the penetration of ride-hailing companies such as Grab and Gojek has changed the landscape of this market in recent years.

In the medium term, passengers' preferences for taxi and ride-sharing services are expected to increase across the country, likely prompting the development of options and expansion of operations in mobile applications to maintain their market shares in a highly competitive market, the report noted.

The consulting firm added that Internet penetration, rising standard of living, and the emergence of local players are slowly changing the landscape. Over the forecast period, the rising demand and market scenario are expected to be graphically different and in favor of on-demand transportation services.

Moreover, vehicle booking through phone calls and street hailing continues to be a favorite option among popular taxi companies such as Mai Linh, Vinasun, Vinataxi, TaxiGroup, Hoang Long, and others.

The report highlighted that among the largest cities, Hanoi is likely to grow at a faster rate due to the launch of new ride-hailing services by companies such as Grab, FastGo, and Gojek, and such developments are expected to continue over the forecast period.

G7 taxis stop at a local park in Hanoi. Photo: Tuan Anh/The Hanoi Times

Recently, Hanoi-based taxi companies are seeking permission from the government and Hanoi authorities to operate electric cars. According to Nguyen Anh Quan, General Director of G7 Taxi Corporation, the traditional taxi company, the use of electric cars could help the city's taxi companies compete with technology-based ride-hailing service providers.

The city also witnessed the partnership between ride-hailing startup Be and Vingroup subsidiary - electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast - to establish the BeVinFast service, which will enter the taxi market this May.

In April, another Vingroup subsidiary, Green and Smart Mobility (GSM) JSC, launched its newly established electric taxi brand, Green SM Taxi, in Hanoi, providing passenger transportation services using only VinFast electric vehicles.

The Hanoi launch kicks off the company's plan to expand to at least five provinces and cities nationwide this year, according to GSM.

In another move that could add another player to the electric vehicle market, the largest Chinese manufacturer, BYD, plans to set up a production base for electric cars and parts in Vietnam. The manufacturer had also considered the Philippines and Indonesia, in addition to Vietnam, for a new plant, Bloomberg reported.

Revenue from the ride-hailing and taxi segment of the shared mobility market in Vietnam is expected to reach $4.2 billion in 2023, according to Statista. The revenue is estimated to reach $4.63 billion in 2027.

Hanoi Times
Vietnam is taking concrete steps to bolster cooperation with countries in the region for mutual benefit.

This view was shared at separate meetings between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the leaders of Laos, Brunei, and Singapore today [May 10] on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone. Photos: Nhat Bac

Launch of two major Vietnam-Laos projects in May

In a meeting with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister Chinh expressed his pleasure to meet his counterpart again and conveyed warm greetings from General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other senior leaders of Vietnam to the Lao leaders.

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone expressed his gratitude to Vietnam for its effective support and cooperation in the socio-economic development of Laos.

He also suggested the upcoming inauguration and handover of Vietnam's Nong Khang Airport and Friendship Hospital to Laos in Xiangkhouang Province in May, symbolizing the solidarity and friendly relations between the two parties and governments.

Both Prime Ministers agreed to coordinate and effectively implement high-level agreements and bilateral cooperation mechanisms to strengthen economic ties and support each other's socioeconomic development.

The governments of both countries are determined to remove obstacles and facilitate the implementation of key projects, thereby improving the investment environment.

They are committed to successfully implementing the agreements and outcomes achieved during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Laos and his co-chairing of the 45th ASEAN-Laos Summit.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reiterated Vietnam's commitment to providing the highest level of support to Laos to assume the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2024 successfully.

In response, Prime Minister Sonesay reaffirmed Laos' willingness to support Vietnam's candidacy for leadership positions in United Nations agencies and international organizations.

Prime Minister Chinh extended an invitation to the Prime Minister of Laos to visit Vietnam later this year.

PM Chinh and Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah.

Vietnam and Brunei expand trade cooperation

During his meeting with the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, Prime Minister Chinh expressed his pleasure in discussing effective ways to implement the results of his official visit to Brunei in February 2023.

The two leaders agreed to strengthen high-level exchanges and contacts, laying the groundwork for implementing the Action Program of the Vietnam-Brunei Comprehensive Partnership for 2023-2027.

To promote diversified and balanced trade growth, the two sides agreed to expand cooperation in potential areas, focusing on oil and gas, chemicals, halal products, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

Prime Minister Chinh also urged Brunei to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese goods, including halal agricultural and aquatic products, to gain more access to its market. He also asked Brunei to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in agriculture and fisheries between the two countries, maintain an effective hotline to support fisheries activities and create a favorable environment for Vietnamese enterprises to participate in construction projects and provide technical services in the oil and gas sector in Brunei.

PM Chinh appreciated the Vietnamese language training model at Brunei National University and expressed hope that Brunei would expand this model and strengthen educational cooperation between the two countries.

In response, the Sultan of Brunei highly appreciated the outcomes of the Prime Minister's visit to Brunei, which set the stage for further developing the Vietnam-Brunei comprehensive partnership.

He noted that there is still much potential for cooperation between the two countries, particularly in economy, trade, investment, agriculture, fisheries, energy, education and training, defense, and people-to-people exchanges.

The Sultan suggested it was time for the two sides to set new goals for the growth of bilateral trade.

Both leaders pledged to maintain close consultations and work together to build a united, resilient, and sustainable ASEAN community.

In response, the Sultan of Brunei expressed his gratitude to the Vietnamese leaders and Prime Minister and his desire to visit Vietnam soon.

PM Chinh and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Upgrading Vietnam-Singapore Connectivity Framework Agreement

Both Prime Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the rapid and robust development of their countries' relations. They reaffirmed their commitment to fulfilling the agreements reached during the visit of the Vietnamese Prime Minister to Singapore in February 2023, especially in the areas of economy, trade, and investment.

The two leaders agreed to strengthen mutual understanding and trust by maintaining high-level exchanges and delegations to lay a solid foundation for comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. They also agreed to increase participation in multilateral events and bilateral visits to review and enhance the overall Vietnam-Singapore relationship.

In 2023, the two countries will hold practical activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1973-2023) and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership (2013-2023).

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has accepted an invitation to visit Vietnam in the second half of 2023 to commemorate these events.

Prime Minister Chinh proposed to his Singaporean counterpart to strengthen the newly established Digital Economy - Green Economy Partnership by setting up an interdisciplinary working group in each country to discuss related issues.

He also said that implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on Digital Economy Cooperation signed in February 2022, and promoting cooperation in emerging areas such as green energy and e-commerce, will contribute to achieving the commitment of net-zero emissions by 2050.

The two leaders agreed to update and upgrade the Vietnam-Singapore Connectivity Framework Agreement and strengthen cooperation in e-commerce.

They welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development of smart and sustainable Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) by the VSIP Group, which will involve nine provinces and cities in Vietnam.

Prime Minister Chinh hailed this as a tangible step in implementing the agreements reached during his visit to Singapore in February 2023. He expressed hope that the new generation of VSIPs would stimulate growth in both countries.

In addition to economic cooperation, the two prime ministers recognized the importance of strengthening cooperation in other areas, such as security, defense, education and training, and developing high-quality human resources. They agreed to explore training programs for young Vietnamese cadres and to promote exchanges of senior Communist Party of Vietnam officials with those in Singapore.

In discussing regional and international issues, both leaders underscored the need to strengthen cooperation, maintain solidarity, and promote the pivotal role of ASEAN. They also pledged to support each other's candidacy for international organizations and the United Nations.

Hanoi Times
Most of the households have houses and cars, and the average income per capita is 30-40 million VND/month. Few people know, Dien Thap commune, Dien Chau district, Nghe An came up from trading scrap, duck feathers($1=24,000 VND)

The whole commune went up from duck feathers, broken fields

In the 1990s and earlier, Dien Thap was a poor commune, peoples lives mainly depended on agriculture, life faced many difficulties. With the desire to have a better life, people began to work together to restore the traditional profession of their fathers  bronze casting and scrap trading.

At first, people did this job to produce agricultural tools, serve agriculture and household products such as pots and pans However, thanks to a good trend, the whole commune turned to scrap trading. , crushed copper. This is considered as a transformation step of the whole commune.

A resident is self-producing barbed wire for sale.

The image of people riding bicycles to buy junk fields every morning, or passing foam crates behind their cars, going to get ice cream to sell, exchange for duck feathers is so familiar to people in many localities of Nghe . At that time, the whole village and the whole commune went to trade in junk. Since then, Dien Thap has also been known as scrap commune, wasteland commune.

Initially, they only collected in communes and districts in Nghe An province, then continued to expand the area from South to North. When the source of domestic goods gradually became scarce, they went to Laos to buy scrap. At that time, the scrap price in Laos was low, so people in the commune massively flocked to your country. At first, he used to ride a motorbike, then he bought a car to serve the scrap business.

Mr. Pham Van Thanhs family economy went up thanks to the business of trading junk.

Each shipment of scrap from Laos will be sorted, recycled, and then returned to your countrys market to sell at a higher price. Gradually, Dien Thap sprung up and became one of the richest communes in Nghe An.

When there is food and property, the people of Dien Thap build houses and villas. Now, this place has a completely new face. The spacious villas and high-rise buildings are located closely, running along the center of the commune like the image of the city.

Social billionaire

Born into a poor farmers family, after getting married, Mr. Tran Hung (56 years old, living in hamlet 5, Dien Thap) moved out and started building a life. In 1997, when his neighbors invited him to go to Laos, he also took the risk to follow. At first with only a bicycle and some plastic utensils and pots and pans, he gradually went to the northern provinces to get goods and then rented a car to transport to Laos to import for dealers.

A corner of the warehouse of Mr. Pham Van Thanhs family.

Currently, his family owns a large dealership, many cargo cars and more than a dozen workers sorting scrap, loading and unloading goods.

Similar to Mr. Hung, Mr. Pham Van Thanh (54 years old, in hamlet 2, Dien Thap commune), is one of the famous small businessmen who came up from the scrap business. Previously, like many households, he did enough jobs to make a living, but poverty still persisted.

After many years of development, Dien Thap has grown into a billionaire commune, high-rise buildings are close together, like an urban image.

After discussing with his wife, Mr. Thanh went to Laos to work as a copper trader. For more than 10 years with the profession, at first it was just a motorbike carrying a few pots and pans Up to now, Mr. Thanh owns a large agent, specializing in supplying many goods to Laos.

In the past, my wife and I mainly traded by bicycles and motorbikes, so we faced many difficulties. Now, modern vehicles should go directly to the North to pick up goods and then go back to classify them to bring them to Laos to sell for a profit. minus all expenses, each year profit is about 350-400 million dong, Mr. Thanh said.

On both sides of the road to the center of Dien Thap commune are rows of tall buildings lying close together.

More than 30 years since embarking on a traditional profession, the economy of many families in Dien Thap commune has risen like a kite and met the wind. Previously, many people knew Dien Thap as rubbish commune or scrap commune, but now have to admire the richness and rare wealth of this countryside.

According to the statistics of the Peoples Committee of Dien Thap Commune, currently the whole commune has nearly 7,000 people, 75% of the population has houses and cars, the average income per capita is 30-40 million VND/month and there are many billionaires.

Villa sprung up like mushrooms in Dien Thap commune.

According to Mr. Dau Xuan Manh  Chairman of Dien Thap Commune Peoples Committee, in the past, people in the commune were very poor. After many years of change and development, now the roads are opened, people are convenient for economic development.

In 2020, the average income of the whole commune was just under 10 million VND/person/month, now it has increased many times. The whole commune has more than 1,000 cars of all kinds, including many billion-dollar cars.

The people of Dien Thap commune are very industrious and hard-working. Even though they only rely on scrap business to make a living, after a while, their life has completely changed, Mr. Manh added.

Currently, Dien Thap is considered one of the richest communes in Nghe An province.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung  Head of the Department of Labor  Invalids and Social Affairs of Dien Chau district said that currently, the number of employees of Dien Thap commune working in Laos is 1,200 people, and 600 people in other countries.

Dien Thap is one of the richest communes in Dien Chau district. Peoples lives here have completely changed thanks to their main job, which is trading scraps and scraps. Besides, this locality now creates regular jobs for hundreds of workers in the district, added Ms. Nhung.

Photo: Internet (Vinlove.net)
This annual report provides further information on the performance and management of Citis commitments to address environmental and social priorities, while building long-term value for its stakeholders.

Jane Fraser, CEO of Citi said, At Citi, helping our clients navigate the challenges and embrace the opportunities of our rapidly changing world is fundamental to our mission of enabling growth and economic progress, which is vital to our business and central to how we deliver for our clients and help them sustain their businesses for the future.

Through its $1 trillion sustainable finance goal, Citi is facilitating a wide range of activities from renewable energy and clean technology to healthcare and affordable housing. From 2020 through 2022, Citi has financed a total of $348.5 billion globally, which puts the company well on track to meet its goal by 2030.

As part of its commitment to reaching net-zero by 2050, Citi recently announced its 2030 emissions reduction targets for four new loan portfolio sectors, namely auto manufacturing, commercial real estate, steel, and thermal coal mining.

Citi has also reorganised its business to address opportunities arising from the energy transition. This includes increasing climate-specific training for its banking teams and expanding its Clean Energy Transitions banking team, which provides advisory and capital-raising services for companies involved in the energy transition.

Citi is already an established market leader in Vietnam, with ESG at the core of its business. The bank is keen to further work with the government on finding innovative solutions for green financing, such as blended finance models that can support the governments National Green Growth Strategy.

In 2022, Citi signed an MoU for cooperation with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on the ESG agenda to meet its net-zero carbon emission targets. Citi closed the very first voluntary carbon credit (VCC) transaction in late May 2022 as the offtaker to buy VCCs from a project developer who manufactures and distributes improved cook stoves and water purifiers to low-income rural communities in Vietnam.

In February 2023, Citi acted as an arranger and structurer on an emissions reduction-linked bond with the World Bank. The Water Purifiers for Schools project will enable access to clean drinking water for two million children.

Citi Vietnam's country officer Ramachandran A.S. said, As a leading global bank operating in Vietnam, we continue to use our resources and expertise to help our clients and communities solve the challenges they face every day  across energy, sustainable finance, social finance, and other areas. This report reflects the commitment to transparency and accountability that underpins all of Citi's work globally.

Citi Vietnam receives 2022 Amcham CSR Award Citi Vietnam has been recognised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi at its eighth annual AmCham CSR Recognition Awards, honouring its members best corporate social responsibility programmes in Vietnam.

Citi forecasts positive outlook for Vietnamese economy As the economic pressure has reduced compared to previous expectations, Vietnam's economy continues to maintain its competitiveness in terms of exports and foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction.
Hoa Phat and PETMAL Oil plans to pour $10 billion in Phu Yen

After a meeting with Phu Yen Peoples Committee in mid-April, leaders of Petmal Oil Holdings continued a working session with provincial leaders on May 10 to discuss its investment plan.

According to the group, it had plans to develop an oil refinery with an annual capacity of 8 million tonnes of crude oil in Bai Goc Port. The major products combine polypropylene, benzene, RON 92, and RON 95.

The project has an initial investment capital of $2 billion for the long term and the investment capital will increase to $5 billion. Once complete, it will generate jobs for 1,200 people and contribute VND20 trillion to the local budget.

Petmal Oil Holdings is the first independent, integrated, and licensed oil company in Malaysia that is involved in both up and downstream activities. It has played a major role in acquiring supply contracts from major companies within the industry to regional markets such as India and Europe.

Along with the project of Malaysian investor, the steelmaker Hoa Phat proposed to develop a complex of four projects with a total investment capital of VND120 trillion ($5.2 billion).

Notably, the group wants to build Hoa Tam Industrial Park, Bai Goc seaport, an iron and steel complex, and a trading and service area. The investment capital for the iron and steel complex is VND80 trillion ($3.48 billion).

Tran Dinh Long, chairman of the board of directors of Hoa Phat, said that half of the investment capital in the projects was Hoa Phat equity, and half came from loans.

Indochina Kajima inks agreement for luxury resort in Phu Yen On November 29, Indochina Kajima Development Ltd.  a joint venture between Indochina Capital (a leading real estate developer in Vietnam) and Kajima Corporation (one of Japans largest general contractors and overseas real estate developers)  held the signing ceremony for its hotel management agreement with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group for Mandarin Oriental, Bai Nom, an ultra-luxury resort located in the central province of Phu Yen.

Artificial limb camp set up in Phu Yen A Jaipur Foot Artificial Limb Fitting Camp was inaugurated on December 6 in Phu Yen province, assisted by the Indian government.
Mexico has been allowing thousands of migrants to travel to the United States border, according to government data.

Some migrants are saying that it has been easier than ever to cross the border of the United States, claiming that some authorities in Mexico have already abandoned their posts.

Mexico Lets Thousands of Migrants Cross US Border

According to The New York Times, Mexican authorities have enabled tens of thousands of people to travel to the US border since the start of April. The government data reveals a significant increase in the number of migrants crossing the border in time for the looming expiration of the immigration measure of the US.

With more people beating the buzzer to cross the US-Mexico border, alongside the more lenient Mexican security, the migrants storming the border have reached staggering numbers. The data of the National Institute of Migration in Mexico disclosed that between April 2 and May 3, the Mexican authorities granted roughly 30,000 humanitarian visas to the migrants in the Chiapas state alone.

The New York Times notes that the visa enables migrants to travel to the US border. The news outlet highlights that the number of visas soared last April as the authorities in Mexico have started giving them away to any applicant, local humanitarian organizations reveal.

However, the US Border Patrol chief, Raul Ortiz, told the Times that he believes the increase in visa grants has nothing to do with the soaring numbers of people at the US-Mexico border.

Read Also: US to Build Migrant Facilities in Latin America, Limiting Border Entries: Report

Migrants Storm US Border Amid Looming End of Title 42

As per i24News, no less than US President Joe Biden has warned that the US-Mexico border will be "chaotic for a while" as the COVID rules, which prohibit all types of asylum, nears its end.

As Title 42 nears its expiry, migrants are now waiting at the border until the COVID-19 measure comes to its final curtain call. A US official says they have deployed roughly 24,000 border police to handle the swelling crowd. In addition, the US has placed about 1,100 border processing personnel, doubling the workforce from last year.

Meanwhile, the New York Post reports that government sources are expecting an additional 80,000 migrants to storm Guatemala as the pandemic measure reaches its end. Despite that, President Biden assures that "[we have] gotten overwhelming cooperation from Mexico."

Former president Donald Trump signed Title 42 into law last 2020 amid the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It essentially prevents new migrants from entering the country to help curb the spread of the coronavirus in the US.

Related Article: Nearly 150,000 Migrants Amass in US-Mexico Border as Title 42 Nears Expiration

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Japfa Vietnam inaugurates animal feed mill and slaughterhouse in Binh Phuoc province

The Feed-Farm-Food model and underscores the unwavering commitment of Japfa Vietnam to sustainable development in the Vietnamese market.

The ceremony was graced by prominent dignitaries, including Denny Abdi, the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Indonesia to Vietnam; Phung Duc Tien, the deputy minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; Tran Tue Hien, the deputy secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and chairwoman of the People's Committee of Binh Phuoc province, and other distinguished guests.

Speaking at the event, Phung Duc Tien, the deputy minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, praised Japfa's significant contributions to Vietnam's livestock industry.

"With the potential and experience of Japfa Vietnam, I believe that the animal feed production and slaughterhouse in Binh Phuoc, when put into operation, will make positive contributions to the process of integrating and developing Vietnam's livestock industry in a safe, efficient, and sustainable manner," Tien said.

Tran Tue Hien said The provincial Party Committee and Government are delighted that Japfa Vietnam has chosen our province as the destination for its largest investment project in the Vietnamese market. The presence of Japfa is convincing evidence of the attractiveness of Binh Phuoc in attracting large foreign-invested enterprises."

"Today, we are pleased to witness the inauguration ceremony of Japfa's feed mill and slaughterhouse. These two factories, along with Japfa's invested farm chains in the province, have also brought many job opportunities for local workers. These are encouraging signals and show confidence for Binh Phuoc in attracting investment.

Japfa Vietnam inaugurates animal feed mill and slaughterhouse in Binh Phuoc province

The Binh Phuoc animal feed mill is one of Japfa Vietnam's most advanced projects. The phase 1 project boasts an impressive, capacity of 240,000 tonnes per year for a total investment of nearly VND 400 billion ($17.4 million).

In the second phase, the capacity will increase to a staggering 480,000 tonnes per year, demonstrating the company's strong commitment to serving the needs of the Southeast and Central Highlands markets.

Equipped with modern technology, the feed mill features a cold storage system designed to preserve essential vitamins and seasonings at a temperature of 20-25 degrees Celsius. This meticulous attention to quality control ensures a reliable supply of high-quality animal feed that meets the standards of discerning customers.

As environmental sustainability is a top priority for Japfa Vietnam, the feed mill is provided with a wastewater treatment system capable of processing up to 100m3/day and a boiler exhaust gas treatment technology that underscores the company's commitment to minimising its carbon footprint.

Japfa has also invested more than VND400 billion ($17.4 million) in the construction of a slaughterhouse in Binh Phuoc province.

Spanning nearly 15 hectares, the facility boasts a capacity of 60,000 chickens per day and is equipped with cutting-edge infrastructure and imported from the EU. The facility meets high standards, including GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000, and FSSC 22000, ensuring that customers receive only the highest-quality products.

At the same time, Japfa invested more than VND160 billion ($7 million) in building an aqua feed mill in Long An in 2022. The company has made significant strides in the development of aquatic feed for popular species such as pangasius, tilapia, anabas, and frogs, under the STP brand.

With a design capacity of 60,000 tons of products per year, the facility's first phase has already achieved 30,000 tonnes.

Japfa Vietnam inaugurates animal feed mill and slaughterhouse in Binh Phuoc province

Japfa Vietnam's general director Arif Widjaja highlighted the companys ambition. The three projects will enable Japfa Vietnam to reach 1.5 million tonnes by 2023 and strengthen further our vertical integration through the Feed-Farm-Food supply chain, while also employing more than 200 local workers."

"We will continue to optimise our production capacity, train human resources, and improve product quality to provide value to customers and achieve mutual prosperity.

As Vietnam and Indonesia approach the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership in 2023, the two countries have set a new bilateral trade target of $15 billion by 2028. Currently, over 30 Indonesian companies have invested a total of $638.8 million in Vietnam.

At the inauguration event, the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Indonesia to Vietnam, Denny Abdi, expressed his pleasure, recognising Japfa Group as one of the successful Indonesian investors in Vietnam. He believes that the inauguration of Japfa's feed mill and slaughterhouse in Binh Phuoc will offer insights into more opportunities for foreign investors in Vietnam.

Japfa entered the Vietnamese market in 1996 with a joint venture model with the Vietnam Livestock Corporation. In 1999, Japfa became a totally-foreign-invested company under the name Japfa Comfeed Vietnam Co., Ltd with its headquarters in Huong Canh town, Binh Xuyen district, Vinh Phuc province. Currently, the company operates eight animal feed factories, over 1,600 poultry and livestock farms, and a system of 40 retail stores selling fresh meat and processed food under the Japfa Best brand. With a workforce of over 5,000 highly skilled employees, Japfa is gradually expanding its business operations and contributing to the development of the livestock industry in Vietnam.

Japfa Vietnam opens state-of-the-art poultry hatchery Japfa Vietnam officially has opened a poultry hatchery in Krong Buk commune of Krong Pac district in Dak Lak, the fourth factory and one of the company's most modern projects in the country.

MARD Deputy Minister visits Japfa Group's veterinary vaccine factory On February 7, representatives of Japfa Group and Vaksindo Vietnam Animal Health Co., Ltd. welcomed Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Nguyen Van Long, director of the Veterinary Department, and officials of the Department of Animal Health to observe projects at the veterinary vaccine production factory in Yen My II Industrial Park.
The bank, which has the largest network of over 1,200 branches in Vietnam and a long standing reputation to support education, has donated VND45 billion (nearly $2m) to Vietnams first international school, which was recently ranked as one of the top schools in Asia Pacific.

Lienvietpostbank donated VND45 billion (nearly $2 million) to UNIS Hanoi, which was recently ranked as one of the top schools in Asia Pacific

Lienvietpostbank supports scholarships in 11 different provinces across Vietnam, and in this latest philanthropic commitment, they join forces with Vietnams first and only non-profit international school to support both its Scholarship Programme and investment in programmes supporting education more broadly.

At the official signing ceremony on Wednesday May 10, UNIS Hanoi Head of School, Jane McGee said, As educators, we wake up each day with both the joy and responsibility of knowing that the young lives we help to shape here at UNIS Hanoi will be the ones, living not only our Mission, but also that of the United Nations and our shared commitment to a fairer world for all.

Through the vision of Chairman Nguyen Duc Thuy and the shared commitment of the Lienvietpostbank Board, our dreams as educators now have the philanthropic funds to become reality.

At the signing ceremony on May 10

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the representative of Lienvietpostbank said he appreciated the quality and prestige of education at UNIS Hanoi. The school has demonstrated a powerful commitment to education in Vietnam for decades with both significant investment in professional learning for local teachers, and providing 100 per cent scholarships for talented students from disadvantaged families to attend the school from Grades 7 until graduation.

Fifteen years since its establishment, Lienvietpostbank has achieved important milestones on its journey to becoming the leading retail bank in Vietnam.

In 2023 - 2028, following the clear strategic direction of the Board of Directors, Lienvietpostbank will enter a phase of outstanding and stronger development.

The signing ceremony between UNIS Hanoi and Lienvietpostbank affirms that funding for education and training is a key focus in implementing the banks motto, "Social integration in business."

This near $2-million dollar donation will create an endowment fund to ensure the support for both the UNIS Hanoi Scholarship Programme and other education projects at the school in perpetuity.

LienVietPostBank and Dai-ichi Life Vietnam sign exclusive 15-year agreement On November 22, LienVietPostBank and Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company of Vietnam (Dai-ichi Life Vietnam) held the signing ceremony for the exclusive bancassurance agreement at JW Marriott in Hanoi.

LPBank seeks strategic foreign investors LienVietPostBank, now known as LPBank, is embarking on a quest to attract foreign investors who share its vision and strategy, as it seeks to strengthen its market position and expand its horizons.
A section of the North-South Expressway (Photo source: laodong.vn)

Hanoi  Foreign investors still put their trust in the Vietnamese economy, but it is important to take measures for sustaining the upward trend in foreign direct investment (FDI), an expert has said.

In the first four months of 2023, foreign investment projects disbursed about 5.85 billion USD in capital, falling 1.2% year on year, but this rate still rose 1 percentage point from the first quarter.



Meanwhile, foreign investors registered nearly 8.88 billion USD for new and existing projects and contributing capital to or purchasing shares of domestic companies, equivalent to 82.1 per cent of the amount recorded in the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.



The ministry said although the disbursed capital of FDI projects declined, it still improved from the first months of the year. The newly registered capital bounced back after dropping slightly in the first three months, up 11.1 per cent from Q1, while the number of new projects continued to increase from the same period last year and surged 65.2 per cent from Q1.



The growth in the number of new projects has outpaced that in total registered capital, it pointed out.



Those statistics indicate that small- and medium-sized foreign investors maintain their trust in Vietnams investment climate. However, major enterprises remain prudent amid impacts of the global minimum corporate income tax.

Between January and April, the projects worth less than 1 million USD accounted for nearly 70 per cent of the new ones but just nearly 2.2 per cent of the total newly registered capital.



They concentrated in the localities boasting many advantages for foreign investment attraction such as Hanoi, Bac Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Bac Ninh, and Hai Phong.



Asian investors still formed the largest proportion. Among them, Singapore, Japan, China, Taiwan (China), Hong Kong (China), and the Republic of Korea made up 75.1 per cent of the four-month foreign investment.



Dr Ta Dinh Hoa from the Academy of Finance told the Lao dong (Labour) daily that despite certain stagnation, FDI attraction in the first months has improved, showing foreign investors still keep their high expectations for the Vietnamese economy.



It is important to devise measures for sustaining the growth trend, he opined, recommending the country step up developing infrastructure, especially key transport projects, industrial parks, and export processing zones, to enhance its attractiveness to FDI.



Besides, it is also necessary to keep up with the global trend of strongly investing in green factors like green transport and green credit so as to attract foreign investors in a qualitative and sustainable manner, Hoa suggested.

Hung Yen creates momentum to improve investment environment The northern province of Hung Yen has taken drastic actions to improve its business and investment environment, and its efforts have paid off.

Bac Giang grants licences to projects worth 132 million USD The authorities of the northern province of Bac Giang on May 4 presented certificates recognising investment registration to two Singaporean-funded projects worth 132 million USD in the local districts of Viet Yen and Yen Dung.

Hai Phong licenses 4 new investment projects The northern port city of Hai Phong on May 9 granted investment registration licenses to a project to build Berths No.7 and 8 at Lach Huyen deep-water port area, and three others in the citys industrial parks.
Illustrative photo (Photo source: straitstimes.com)

Singapore  The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has announced that to decarbonise the economy, Singapore will expand its focus, which is now solely on green finance, to the one that also includes transition finance by mapping out clear definitions, encouraging innovation and extending grants.

The policies that MAS intends to implement include developing sustainable debt markets through green and transformational solutions, improving the quality of data, and disclosure of information on environment, society, and governance while ensuring that financial institutions have reliable transition plans in place.

The authority will expand the scope of its sustainable bond and loan grant schemes to include transition bonds and loans, with safeguards in place to mitigate the risk of transition-washing and ensure alignment with internationally recognised taxonomy and transition finance principles.

To promote transparency in the sustainable debt market, MAS will incentivise the early adoption of entity-level sustainability disclosures by issuers or borrowers. MAS has set aside 15 million USD over the next five years till the end of 2028 for the enhanced grant schemes.

It will extend the Insurance-Linked Securities (ILS) Grant Scheme till the end of 2025 to support the continued growth of catastrophe bonds and additional climate risk financings instruments such as sidecars and collateralised reinsurance arrangements. This will enable additional financing for protection against disaster risks to be raised from the capital markets. The 15 million USD grant will defray the cost of issuing catastrophe bonds and the expanded suite of insurance-linked securities that focus on Asia risks.

The agency will scale blended finance, in partnership with the private sector and philanthropic foundations, to mobilise financing for the decarbonisation of carbon-intensive sectors, for example, managed phase-out of coal-fired power plants. In addition, MAS will support the development of carbon services and carbon credit markets in Singapore, to channel financing towards carbon abatement and removal projects in Asia.

It has strongly promoted the financing of the transition over the years, as non-green activities make up the bulk of the global economy, especially in Southeast Asia, which remains heavily dependent on coal to produce electricity.

This new strategy could help Singapore become a transformative financial hub in the region. It can also connect the financial needs of developing economies with investors in developed capital markets. This is a strong signal showing that Singapore is serious about its commitment to a credible green transition in Asia.

Malaysia, Singapore launch cross-border QR code payment The Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) recently launched a cross-border QR code payment linkage between the two countries.
The University of Economics HCM City and Australias Deakin University tie up for the Deakin Global Pathways programme on May 9. (Photo courtesy of the University of Economics HCM City)

HCM City - The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City signed an agreement with Australias Deakin University on May 9 to optimise the study abroad journey.

The latters Deakin Global Pathways is a direct admission programme for bachelors degrees, with one year of study in Vietnam and two years at Deakin University in Australia.



John Molony, pro vice-chancellor and vice president of Deakin University, said the signing marks an important milestone in the long-term collaboration between his university and the University of Economics HCM City.



There are more than 16,000 international students at Deakin University, with Vietnam being one of the four most important partners.



He expressed a desire to create more opportunities for Australian and international students to study in Vietnam under the exchange programme.



Deakin University is ranked among the top 1 per cent of universities globally, according to Academic Ranking of World Universities 2022.

Experience a sanctuary in the Ho Chi Minh City sky Situated on the upper floors of Vietnams highest skyscraper Landmark 81 tower, from the 47th to 71st floors, Vinpearl Landmark 81  Autograph Collection is a proud symbol of Vietnams sparkling new era of prosperity and rises to prominence on the world stage.
How will your business support clients in Vietnam even more with their banking needs?

Global network banking brings together corporate and commercial bankers into one team focused on supporting clients across Citis global network.

This model expands Citis network coverage capabilities and enables Citi Commercial Bank clients to enjoy the full power of Citis global, regional, and local footprint, which has been fundamental to our long-term success with large multinational corporates.

In Vietnam, our banking business has strong growth prospects and the combination will help us to capture a great share of the increasing flows from multinational companies who are increasingly looking to Vietnam for supply chain resilience. Also, we can support our local clients across Citis global network.

Whether clients come to us for working capital or funding, or treasury, risk management or investment banking solutions, our network enables both fast-growing, mid-corporates and large, established multinational corporations to grow to their true potential.

Vietnam is a key market in your Asia-to-Asia corridor strategy. What growth are you seeing in corridors that involve Vietnam, and with which products?

Vietnam has enhanced its supply chain ecosystem and is one of the most attractive destinations for Asia-to-Asia investment flows in ASEAN.

The nations advantages include its flexible and skilled labour, its strategic position in the centre of Southeast Asia, its proximity to China (the worlds second-biggest economy), its young and well-educated population, and a government that prioritises improving business policies, labour laws, and incentivising infrastructure investment.

Production and manufacturing  in which cost control is indispensable  is the biggest segment to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) flows. Many original design manufacturers and electronics manufacturing service providers have partially moved their production lines to Vietnam. Consumer, home care, and healthcare is also an important segment receiving investment flows thanks to increasing demand, both locally and from ASEAN generally.

Citi has been working with multinational clients, advising them on supply chain management and providing them with relevant cash management, liquidity, and financing solutions to manage the current market uncertainties.

How is Citi boosting FDI into the country?

With a presence in 95 markets, Citi can leverage from its network with multinational corporations all around the world to promote the competitive advantages and capabilities of Vietnam.

With our local market expertise, Citi can provide intelligence, market research, due diligence, regulatory updates, and investment opportunities to foreign investors to keep them informed and support their investment decisions.

For investors who are looking to invest in Vietnam, Citi can provide financing options, investment advisory, risk management, and other banking solutions to facilitate their business flows into the nation.

As more multinational clients invest in Vietnam, Citis priority is to support these flows and facilitate their growth. Citi serves the biggest FDI client portfolio of Fortune 500 companies and facilitates annual international trade flows exceeding $90 billion into Vietnam.

We are also intently focused on supporting sustainability in the country, especially in areas such as social finance, where we have a long history.

Citi recently released its 2022 environmental, social, and governance (ESG) report, highlighting progress across the business and its foundation towards building more sustainable, diverse, and equitable communities around the world. This annual report provides additional information on the performance and management of Citis commitments to address environmental and social priorities while building long-term value for its stakeholders.

Through our $1 trillion Sustainable Finance Goal, Citi is facilitating a wide range of activities from renewable energy and clean technology to healthcare and affordable housing. From 2020 through 2022, Citi has financed and facilitated a total of $348.5 billion in sustainable finance activity globally.

Citi is already an established market leader in Vietnam with ESG at the core of its business, and we are keen to work more to find innovative solutions, including green financing and blended finance models, that can support the governments National Green Growth Strategy.

In 2022, Citi signed an MoU for cooperation on the ESG agenda towards meeting the net-zero carbon emission targets with the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Citi closed the very first voluntary carbon credit (VCC) transaction in late May 2022 as the offtaker to buy VCCs from a project developer who manufactures and distributes improved cook stoves and water purifiers to low-income rural communities in Vietnam.

In Feb 2023, Citi acted as an arranger and structurer on an emission reduction-linked bond with the World Bank. The Water Purifiers for Schools project will enable access to clean drinking water for 2 million children.

Citi has a strong digital offering for corporate clients. Why is that important?

The digitalisation of the global economy has transformed banking. Clients want a banking experience that is both as easy and as enjoyable as their digital consumer lives. They want connectivity so they can integrate their companies into ours to directly leverage our capabilities.

So, the scale and speed required to serve our clients is of a completely different magnitude. We are now living in a world of digital platforms.

At Citi we have embraced and responded to that challenge. Last year, we spent $10 billion on technology, and this year, we've budgeted approximately $11 billion, which is a 30 per cent increase compared to 2020. That spend is split roughly equally between changing the bank and running its activities. We've also increased our technology headcount by over 30 per cent during that time, and that's been in a very competitive talent market. We now have over 30,000 software engineers.

Furthermore, we move over $4 trillion globally each day across the 160 different markets where we support clients, with an on the ground presence in 95 of them and direct connectivity in almost every major clearing system.

We have the largest proprietary payment network in the industry. This network connects into almost 270 transfer systems worldwide, which is the last mile of our payment network. We thus have a deep appreciation for scale and agility.

As we expand our network to include alternate payment methods, like mobile wallets and local instant payment schemes, we are enabling our clients to make payments as if there are no borders, currencies, or constraints.

Here in Vietnam, after the launch of the CitiDirect BE Document Centre and digital onboarding, Citi Vietnam Treasury and Trade Solutions announced a strategic partnership with Vietnam-based intermediary payment service providers to facilitate consumer-to-business collections for corporate clients in the country. Citi Vietnam is also now launching Napas instant payments and collections for our corporate clients here.

Citi forecasts positive outlook for Vietnamese economy As the economic pressure has reduced compared to previous expectations, Vietnam's economy continues to maintain its competitiveness in terms of exports and foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction.

Citi named Bank of the Year in Asia-Pacific Early this month, Citi was named 'Bank of the Year' in Asia-Pacific at the International Financing Review (IFR) Asia Awards 2022 based on a unanimous decision of the editors of IFR Asia, a leading industry magazine with a focus on capital markets.
Space is running out at some industrial parks and even Ho Chi Minh City is looking to approve more, photo Le Toan

A May 2 dispatch from the government has requested localities to review and evaluate the occupancy rate of industrial parks (IPs), clusters, economic zones, and high-tech zones, as well as the rate of land use for production and business purposes.

The dispatch was also sent to various relevant ministries as well as peoples committees nationwide.

It was issued in the context that a number of localities have requested adjustment of land use planning targets to 2030 and proposed adjustment of land use plan targets to 2025, focusing on using land for IPs, traffic, energy projects, and high-tech zones, among others.

Bac Giang Peoples Council decided to approve draft planning for three IPs  Chau Minh/Bac Ly/Huong Lam IP (CBH), Yen Lu IP expansion, and Quang Chau 2 IP. The three IPs cover nearly 550 hectares in Hiep Hoa, Yen Dung, and Viet Yen districts, which are planned as multi-sector parks with modern infrastructure and technical systems.

The CBH park will attract businesses in forestry, food processing, mechanics, electronic components, packaging, and auxiliary industries with modern and environmentally friendly technology. The expanded Yen Lu and Quang Chau 2 will be developed into multi-sector, high-tech parks.

Meanwhile, in late April, Ho Chi Minh City sought approval of two additional IPs in the citys IP planning, Pham Van Hai I and Pham Van II, which are also expected to welcome high-tech ventures.

The city has waited for the approval of the two IPs for a long time. Hua Quoc Hung, head of Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Management Authority, said, The city has had no new IP in a long time, meanwhile the occupancy ratio of existing IPs is considerable.

In the 2010-2015 period, Ho Chi Minh City was the leader in terms of land for IPs, Hung said. However, available land has narrowed since. At present, the total area for rent in existing IPs is approximately 300ha only, he added.

Le Thi Bich Loan, deputy head of the Saigon High-tech Park, said, Many large investors from the EU, the United States, South Korea, and suppliers of Intel want to invest in our park but we cant meet their demand. For example, Samsung had plans to hire 100ha but we have had to refuse due to lack of land.

Bac Giang faces a similar situation. The northern province currently has four IPs at full occupancy. Two others are now completing infrastructure construction. It has also established clusters to beckon more investment.

Hong Sun, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnam, said, We highly appreciate the governments effort in improving the investment environment. The global economy currently shows signs of recovery and the governments policies are promoting efficiency. Thus, we believe that the foreign-invested capital inflow in Vietnam will bounce back very soon.

For example, LG Display and LG Innotek have plans to expand their operations in Vietnam. LG is increasing its research and development activity in terms of electronic vehicles via establishing a new centre in Danang, Sun added.

Vietnamese real estate remain attractive to foreign investors The Vietnamese real estate market has remained attractive to foreign investors and investment funds despite difficulties countering domestic firms, according to insiders.

Vietnam to promote eco-industrial parks with international partners The Steering Committee on the Development of Eco-industrial Parks in Vietnam, organised a meeting yesterday to discuss last year's results and set a course for the following two years of the scheme.

Nation must scoop up benefits of high-tech industrial parks Although being a preferred site for major foreign investment, Vietnams high-tech industrial parks nevertheless face infrastructural, planning, and regulatory constraints. VIRs Quynh Trang spoke with David Jackson, CEO of Colliers Vietnam, about the issues at hand.
A Lacy Lakeview man received a 25-year prison sentence Wednesday after pleading guilty to murder in a 2019 shooting outside an Elm Mott home.

Judge Susan Kelly of Wacos 54th State District Court sentenced Jacob Isaiah Jones, 31, to a 25-year prison term in the death of Brent Lee Reynolds, 40, who died by gunfire Sept. 30, 2019, in the 3500 block of Mazanec Road in Elm Mott.

Jones entered a guilty plea Jan. 18, and Kelly ordered a presentencing investigation. Jones remained free on $500,000 bond from February 2020 until his sentencing. He had requested probation for his sentence, but Kelly ruled the law did not allow probation because of Jones prior convictions in California and Tennessee.

Members of Reynolds family gave victim impact statements after the sentencing.

My husband and I were devastated, and he died two years ago so he did not live to see justice for Brent, Nancy Reynolds said.

Leah Reynolds told Jones she wishes her words could hurt him as much as he had hurt her family.

You were 28, Leah Reynolds said. Youre a man. You know what you did. I hope you serve every day of this 25 years.

Jones will have to serve at least half his sentence before he will be eligible to seek parole.

McLennan County sheriffs deputies found Brent Reynolds shot in the back outside a Mazanec Road home at about 3:30 p.m. Sept. 30, 2019.

This was a horrible, brutal murder in front of the mans 13-year-old (stepson), McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said at the time. The (stepson) was right there and watched his father be gunned down in cold blood.

Jones and the resident of the home where Reynolds was shot drove up to Reynolds outside the home, where the resident got out to confront Reynolds, police reported in Jones arrest affidavit. Jones then drove away briefly, turned around and drove back, firing at least three shots at Reynolds from the vehicle and hitting him at least once, according to the affidavit.
U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a robber who stole from a Kohl's store in Manchester, Missouri to 130 months in prison.

Mercedes W. Gregory, 34, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in February to one count of robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Gregory admitted placing multiple items of clothing in a cart and walking out of the Kohl's store just before 1:30 p.m. on July 12, 2021. A loss prevention officer followed until Gregory said, "If you keep following me, I'm going to shoot you." Gregory left in a white Chevrolet.

READ NEXT: FBI Releases 2022 Statistics on Law Enforcement Officers Killed in the Line of Duty

That night, officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department spotted the car at a gas station in St. Louis. Gregory ran but was caught. Officers found a Taurus handgun in Gregory's satchel. The Kohl's merchandise was in the trunk.

Gregory has two prior robbery convictions, a 2008 case in St. Louis County and a 2013 case in St. Louis. Gregory's parole in the 2013 case ended 11 days before the Kohl's robbery.

The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department, the FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.

READ MORE: Doctor Admits Telemedicine Fraud in St. Louis

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
With the 80th anniversary of the legendary Dambusters Raid fast approaching, the Royal Air Forces Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has begun taking part in commemorative activities both in Britain and overseas. On May 4th, the Flights Avro Lancaster B.I (PA474) made a journey over the Netherlands and Belgium, symbolically retracing the route which Lancasters from RAF No.617 Squadron took on their way in and out of Germany to attack hydroelectric dams in the Rhur River Valley on the night of May 16th/17th, 1943.

The highly-modified Lancasters which took part in that raid employed a radical new weapon designed to skip over the water and then sink and explode at a given depth right beside the dam wall, using the waters mass to focus the explosive force against the structure and thus fracture it. The daring, low-level raid succeeded in breaching two of the four dams attacked, and caused considerable damage to a third. While the deluge of water from the burst dams across the Eder and Mohne rivers caused significant turmoil and interrupted Germanys manufacturing capacity for some time, there is still some debate about the level of this disruption, not to mention the human price involved on both sides. Even so, the brazen daring and ingenuity of the attack caught the worlds attention; perhaps most importantly, its success had a massive positive effect on morale back in Britain while also strengthening respect for the RAFs capabilities amongst the nations allies.

The 1955 film, The Dam Busters, based upon Paul Brickhills book of the same name, immortalized the raid on the silver screen, and its regular airing on television in subsequent decades has etched the events of May 16th/17th, 1943 on the publics consciousness in Britain ever since. This is partly why the Battle of Britain Memorial Flights Avro Lancaster holds a cherished place in the minds of so many. When the Lancaster is serviceable, it usually performs at public events around the anniversary of Operation Chastise (the raids official codename) and 2023 will be no exception, albeit with a slightly different focus.

In previous years, the aircraft has flown low over the Derwent Dam in Derbyshire, since the structure featured prominently in 617 Squadrons training for the attack back in 1943. However, perhaps oddly, such a flypast has been ruled out for this year according to BBMF social media postings, because local authorities have not organized an event to handle the anticipated heavy traffic load which such a flight would inevitably provoke. That being said, on the evening of May 16th, the Lancaster is scheduled to perform flypasts over each of the relevant WWII RAF Bomber Command airfields in Lincolnshire, as well as the former RAF Hendon, in London. The image below shows the RAF Stations (both current and former) which should see the Lancaster fly overhead on May 16th.

The Lancaster is also scheduled to attend numerous events during the 2023 air show season, with the Dams Raid likely to feature heavily in announcer commentary.
An east-central Iowa livestock producer converted a multi-building hog confinement into a cattle facility that likely yielded a significant increase of manure without state approval, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The department recently levied a fine of $5,000 against Bryon Hook of Holland, who owns the livestock facility. The facility is managed by one of his children who was unaware of state regulations that pertain to confinement changes, said Dan Bratrud, an environmental specialist for the DNR who investigated the situation.

In March 2022, a consultant for Hook told the DNR that the swine operation  which consisted of about 2,200 animals in four buildings  would be converted to 1,200 calves in three of the buildings, with the remaining building decommissioned.

According to a recent DNR administrative order, Hook did not seek a construction permit for the change even though the consultant was told it was required. That permit was necessary because the switch to cattle would increase the amount of manure produced by the facility and would increase the total number of animal units to more than 1,000.

Livestock is tallied differently based on the type and size of the creatures. Calves count as one animal unit, for example. Swine that weigh more than 55 pounds count as four-tenths of an animal unit. Goats are one-tenth.

So the change from 2,200 swine to 1,200 calves resulted in a roughly 36% increase in animal units. The increase in manure production was likely similar, Bratrud said.

Animal confinements in Iowa must have plans to dispose of the manure they create, most often by applying it to farm fields as a crop nutrient. That application is regulated by the state to avoid overapplication, which increases the likelihood for waterway contamination by nitrate, a considerable environmental problem for Iowa.

Theres a chance that there was additional manure and it was spread somewhere where we wouldnt have a clue, Bratrud said of the manure from Hooks operation.

Its unclear how many months the facility was operating with cattle rather than swine before Bratrud inspected it in October 2022, he said. That inspection was part of the construction permit approval process that should have been completed before the facility housed cattle. Hook had applied for the permit about a month before.

Bratrud also questioned whether another building on the site  which had about 800 cattle  was being operated properly as a partially roofed open feedlot, which has different requirements than a confinement. Notably, a confinement must retain all of its manure.

Such facilities often have a slanted roof and an open side facing south. To qualify as a feedlot versus a confinement, the animals must be allowed to move freely to an outside area that is at least 10% of the total area of the facility.

Bratruds assessment of aerial photos of the Hook site in different years cast doubt on whether the cattle could leave the building, according to the DNR order, but Bratrud said he was unable to conclusively determine that.

Aerial photos of the site in Grundy County records show a fully fenced outdoor run for the cattle in a 2019 image. A 2022 image appears to show part of the fence and a large gate were removed.

Bratrud said the outdoor area has since been modified to accommodate the free movement of cattle from inside the building.

In a recent DNR order, Hook agreed to pay the $5,000 penalty and to apply for a construction permit amendment if the partially roofed open feedlot is converted to a confinement.

The construction application that was prompted by the switch from swine to cattle is still pending approval, DNR records show.

Wettest counties in Iowa Wettest counties in Iowa #50. Warren County #49. Tama County #48. Hardin County #47. Mahaska County #46. Taylor County #45. Franklin County #44. Marion County #43. Clarke County #42. Story County #41. Wapello County #40. Cerro Gordo County #39. Jefferson County #38. Grundy County #37. Van Buren County #36. Poweshiek County #35. Monroe County #34. Washington County #33. Worth County #32. Butler County #31. Ringgold County #30. Linn County #29. Lucas County #28. Louisa County #27. Henry County #26. Decatur County #25. Johnson County #24. Davis County #23. Des Moines County #22. Muscatine County #21. Black Hawk County #20. Mitchell County #19. Wayne County #18. Jones County #17. Cedar County #16. Floyd County #15. Buchanan County #14. Appanoose County #13. Lee County #12. Scott County #11. Fayette County #10. Dubuque County #9. Bremer County #8. Clinton County #7. Howard County #6. Jackson County #5. Delaware County #4. Chickasaw County #3. Clayton County #2. Winneshiek County #1. Allamakee County
November 1, 1946-January 21, 2023

CEDAR FALLS-Thomas M. Fogarty of Cedar Falls died at home on January 21, 2023 of Alzheimers disease. At the time of his death he was Professor Emeritus of Geography and Public Policy at the University of Northern Iowa, having retired in 2012.

He was born in Providence, RI on November 1, 1946, the oldest child of Thomas M. and Mary I. (McGrath) Fogarty. He was educated in Christian Brothers schools in Rhode Island and New York. He graduated Summa cum laude from Catholic University in 1969, where he received a number of honors, among them College Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, and Valedictorian. He was awarded an M.A. from Georgetown University in 1973 and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978.

In 1972, he met his future wife, Mary T. Ramsey, on a study abroad program at Oxford University. They married in 1974 in Charleston, WV, and took up residence in Philadelphia, where he was pursuing his Ph.D. They had no children.

In 1979 he was appointed Assistant Professor of Regional Science and Conflict Analysis at the University of Pennsylvania, and was active in South Asia Regional Studies, Urban Studies, and the Undergraduate Honors Program. In 1985, he joined the Geography Department at Colgate University, continuing his interdisciplinary interests through South Asian Studies, Economics, Peace Studies, and the General Education Program. In 1989, he moved to the University of Northern Iowa to join the Geography Department and to establish a Public Policy Program, which he directed for four years, and in which he taught until he retired. He was a member of the Economics Seminar, and taught in the General Education Program.

While teaching was his principal focus, he participated in numerous development projects and research. He was a Visiting Professor at universities in India and Russia. He was a member of international committees for projects in Egypt, Argentina, India, and Nigeria. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Aldo Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University.

He had numerous interests outside of his professional life, including art and music, hiking, canoeing, and bird watching. He enjoyed exploring new places, cuisines, and languages. He read widely in history, the sciences, public affairs, literature, and fiction, including detective fiction, of which he had an extensive collection. He enjoyed many friendships, was a good cook, and a very good storyteller.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Maryanne Fogarty; and a nephew, Mark Watters Fogarty.

He is survived by his wife; two brothers, David of Cincinnati, OH and Dennis (Christine Albright) of Belmont, MA; a sister, Barbara Berndt (Richard) of Narragansett, RI; one nephew, three nieces, and six grand-nieces and nephews.

Private burial in Casper Creek Natural Cemetary in Galena, Il. A memorial service will be held in Cedar Falls, IA, at 3:00 pm, on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at the Hearst Center for the Arts, 304 W. Seerley Blvd, Cedar Falls, IA 50613. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to General Scholarship Fund, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614. Or to UnityPoint Hospice, Allen Foundation, 1825 Logan Ave, Waterloo, IA 50703.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Chinese police said they recently detained a ChatGPT user for allegedly using the AI-powered chatbot to create a fake news story about a nonexistent train crash. It's one of the first enforcement actions under a recently enacted Chinese law regulating AI-generated deepfakes  seemingly realistic but fabricated digital images, video or other media.

According to a police report from the northwest Chinese province of Gansu, a man identified only by his surname, Hong, used ChatGPT to create a fake news article about a crash that supposedly led to the deaths of nine construction workers in Gansu. Twenty-one accounts on a popular social platform, all owned by a media company based in southern China, spread the fake story within a short period of time.

Like most foreign websites and applications, ChatGPT is technically unavailable in China thanks to the countrys Great Firewall, which censors the internet for residents. But determined individuals can gain access via commonly available virtual private network software that bypasses the firewall. The police report did not describe how Hong managed to use ChatGPT.

By the time Gansu security officials realized the article was fake, it had received 15,000 views, according to the report. Police subsequently raided Hong's residence to collect evidence and then took criminal coercive measures against Hong himself. Police use that phrase to describe temporary measures to limit the freedom of a suspect.

The new Chinese deepfake law took effect on Jan. 10. It bans several categories of fake media produced by deep synthesis technologies such as machine learning and virtual reality, but offers only vague definitions for many of these forbidden classes.

According to a translation of the law provided by the crowdsourced site China Law Translate, it prohibits deepfakes used in activities that endanger national security, harm the nation's image or societal public interest, or disturb economic or social order. It specifically prohibits the use of such technologies to produce, publish or transmit fake news.

AP news assistant Caroline Chen in Beijing contributed to this report.
LONDON  The breathtaking development of artificial intelligence has dazzled users by composing music, creating images and writing essays, while also raising fears about its implications. Even European Union officials working on groundbreaking rules to govern the emerging technology were caught off guard by AI's rapid rise.

The 27-nation bloc proposed the Western world's first AI rules two years ago, focusing on reining in risky but narrowly focused applications. General purpose AI systems like chatbots were barely mentioned. Lawmakers working on the AI Act considered whether to include them but weren't sure how, or even if it was necessary.

"Then ChatGPT kind of boom, exploded," said Dragos Tudorache, a Romanian member of the European Parliament co-leading the measure. "If there was still some that doubted as to whether we need something at all, I think the doubt was quickly vanished."

The release of ChatGPT last year captured the world's attention because of its ability to generate human-like responses based on what it has learned from scanning vast amounts of online materials. With concerns emerging, European lawmakers moved swiftly in recent weeks to add language on general AI systems as they put the finishing touches on the legislation.

The EU's AI Act could become the de facto global standard for artificial intelligence, with companies and organizations potentially deciding that the sheer size of the bloc's single market would make it easier to comply than develop different products for different regions.

"Europe is the first regional bloc to significantly attempt to regulate AI, which is a huge challenge considering the wide range of systems that the broad term 'AI' can cover," said Sarah Chander, senior policy adviser at digital rights group EDRi.

Authorities worldwide are scrambling to figure out how to control the rapidly evolving technology to ensure that it improves people's lives without threatening their rights or safety. Regulators are concerned about new ethical and societal risks posed by ChatGPT and other general purpose AI systems, which could transform daily life, from jobs and education to copyright and privacy.

The White House recently brought in the heads of tech companies working on AI including Microsoft, Google and ChatGPT creator OpenAI to discuss the risks, while the Federal Trade Commission has warned that it wouldn't hesitate to crack down.

China has issued draft regulations mandating security assessments for any products using generative AI systems like ChatGPT. Britain's competition watchdog has opened a review of the AI market, while Italy briefly banned ChatGPT over a privacy breach.

The EU's sweeping regulations  covering any provider of AI services or products  are expected to be approved by a European Parliament committee Thursday, then head into negotiations between the 27 member countries, Parliament and the EU's executive Commission.

European rules influencing the rest of the world  the so-called Brussels effect  previously played out after the EU tightened data privacy and mandated common phone-charging cables, though such efforts have been criticized for stifling innovation.

Attitudes could be different this time. Tech leaders including Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak have called for a six-month pause to consider the risks.

Geoffrey Hinton, a computer scientist known as the "Godfather of AI," and fellow AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio voiced their concerns last week about unchecked AI development.

Tudorache said such warnings show the EU's move to start drawing up AI rules in 2021 was "the right call."

Google, which responded to ChatGPT with its own Bard chatbot and is rolling out AI tools, declined to comment. The company has told the EU that "AI is too important not to regulate."

Microsoft, a backer of OpenAI, did not respond to a request for comment. It has welcomed the EU effort as an important step "toward making trustworthy AI the norm in Europe and around the world."

15 things AI can (and can't) do AI and its limits Can: Be trained and 'learn' Cannot: Get into college Can: Perpetuate bias Can: Identify images and sounds Cannot : Drive a car Cannot: Judge beauty contests Can: Read and classify text and documents Cannot: Watch (and understand) a soccer match Can: Flip burgers Can: Make investments Cannot: Help itself from buying things Can: Raise billions of cockroaches on a farm Cannot: Be creative Can: Clean your teeth Can: Pollinate flowers
DES MOINES  Dairy farms in Iowa can sell raw milk to consumers with legislation signed into law Thursday by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.

The bill was among 10 that Reynolds signed into law Thursday.

The new law allows producers to sell raw milk and related products from their farms, but not at farmers markets or restaurants. Containers must have labels saying contents were not subject to state inspections or public health regulations that require pasteurization and grading.

Critics of the proposal expressed concern that it could endanger Iowans because the consumption of unpasteurized milk could lead to bacterial outbreaks.

Among the organizations that lobbied against the bill were the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa State Dairy Association, Iowa Public Health Association, Iowa Veterinary Medical Association and Iowa Grocery Industry Association.

The only group registered in support was Americans for Prosperity, the libertarian conservative political advocacy group backed by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, the owners of Koch Industries.

With Gov. Reynolds signature, fresh milk and the freedom to choose what your family drinks is the new law of the land in the Hawkeye State, Tyler Raygor, the groups Iowa director, said in a statement. This law gets government out of the way of Iowas farmers and dairy workers and empowers Iowans with access to the freshest milk they can buy.

Senate File 315 passed the Iowa Legislature with mostly Republican support, 37-13 in the Senate and 64-35 in the House.

Reynolds on Thursday also signed into law:

PUNISHMENTS ADDED FOR RANSOMWARE

Hacking and demanding ransom is a crime punishable in degrees up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $13,660 with the signing of House File 143 into law.

Depending on the extent of the ransomware attack, the charge would be an aggravated misdemeanor, Class D felony or Class C felony.

The bill gained near-unanimous approval in the Iowa Legislature, passing the Senate, 50-1, and the House, 97-1.

STRONGER PUNISHMENTS FOR CHILD EXPLOITATION

With the signing of Senate File 84 into law, there will be a mandatory minimum sentence for individuals convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor. Also, those convicted will be placed under supervision for life, and some convicted individuals will be required to pay restitution.

The bill received unanimous support from both chambers in the Iowa Legislature.

OLD DOMESTIC ABUSE CONVICTIONS CAN BE COUNTED

Previous domestic abuse convictions can be considered when determining whether a new violation is a second or subsequent offense, with the signing of House File 112 into law.

Previously, domestic abuse convictions more than 12 years old were not permitted to be considered.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously, and passed the House on a 77-21 vote.
A local man was sentenced Monday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky for his involvement in a string of carjackings and firearms offenses that occurred in Louisville in October and November 2021.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

READ NEXT: Kurt Ronnow Named Special Agent in Charge of the Counterintelligence Division at the Washington Field Office

Eder Mayorga-Sanchez, 20, was sentenced to 32 years and 1 month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, three additional counts of carjacking, and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on October 26, 2021, Mayorga-Sanchez forced a victim to give him her vehicle at gunpoint while she was sitting in the vehicle at a traffic light on National Turnpike in Louisville.

During this incident, Mayorga-Sanchez shot and injured the victim's 16-year-old child. Additionally, on October 30, 2021, he attempted to force another victim to give him her vehicle at gunpoint while she was sitting in her vehicle outside Zappo's in Louisville, but the victim was able to drive off. Further, on November 4, 2021, he forced a third victim to give him her vehicle at gunpoint, while the victim was sitting in her car eating her lunch in a Burger King parking lot in Louisville.

Finally, on November 4, 2021, he forced two more victims to give him their vehicle at gunpoint while they were picking up trash as part of a concierge trash business. The case was investigated by the FBI and LMPD with assistance from the Bowling Green Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

READ MORE: Doctor Admits Telemedicine Fraud in St. Louis

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip have killed two militant commanders, while a 70-year-old man has been killed by Palestinian rocket fire in the first fatality inside Israel during a current wave of fighting. The continuing bloodshed, which has left 30 Palestinians dead, came despite Egyptian efforts to broker a cease-fire. It is the worst bout of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza in months, with at least 10 civilians  mostly women and children  among the dead. The conflagration, now in its third day, comes at a time of soaring tensions and spiking violence over the past year in the occupied West Bank.
A survivor of six heart attacks and a brain tumor, a grumpy bear of a man, whom has declared Russia as his new and wonderful home. His wife is a true Russian Sweet Pea of a girl and she puts up with this bear of a guy and keeps him in line. Thank God for my Sweet Pea and Russia.
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
The Winona County Board moved to discuss amending zoning ordinances related to dog breeding facilities at Tuesdays meeting in a 3-1 vote, beginning a process that could change how and if Winona County provides permits to dog kennels.

I asked last year, Is there more that we can do? And it sounds like there is more that we can do. Through the presentations that have been given and the volumes of materials that folks have provided, there is scientific evidence that supports that the standard practices in the industry do hurt the dogs that are kenneled, said commissioner Chris Meyer, who supported the motion.

Winona County has approved permits for 12 breeders, and 10 are active. No dog breeders are currently applying for a permit.

Next steps could include a county board working session to discuss issues, receiving feedback from planning staff and sending a draft amendment back to the planning commission for public comment.

A zoning ordinance amendment could ban dog kennels outright through removing the facilities from the list of conditional or interim uses or by prohibiting use in certain areas, a strategy used by the county to ban silica sand mining.

I fully understand our staff does not have the training nor enough staff to take this on. At the same time, I think this is a very important issue thats been falling through the cracks for a long time, said commissioner Dwayne Voegeli, who supported the motion.

Voegeli spoke in favor of more listening sessions but wanted to wait until the county filled the now vacant planning and environmental services director position and staffed the planning department.

Commissioner Gregory Olson, who introduced the motion, disagreed with waiting for better staffing.

This came before this board last year, and it just went through the planning commission because they were waiting for proper staffing and time. And I was at the board table in the other building several years ago when this came up. I dont want to just keep kicking the can down the road. Id like to at least get the process started, said Olson.

Commissioner Marcia Ward voted against the motion, saying there are already state and federal regulations of dog kennels.

Wheres our role as a county? Ward said. Zoning ordinance would still be land-use oriented, building use, not animal welfare. So I dont know that a change in the ordinance, setbacks, size of buildings, exercise areas, weve got all that already.

Tuesdays decision rejects the county planning commissions recommendation to take no action, made during an April planning commission meeting on a 6-3 vote.

The county board in October 2022 directed the planning commission to review dog kennel regulations and consider if a zoning policy change should be pursued.

Inspections of kennels conducted by county staff in February found no permit violations. County staff were not allowed to enter three facilities and did not independently count the number of dogs in each facility.

The planning commission recommended the board make no zoning change, citing animal welfare regulations under the United States Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Board of Animal Health and lack of staff knowledge on animal welfare.

At public comment during Aprils planning commission meeting, over a dozen of residents spoke against dog kennels during public comment, and a petition that supported a ban on new permits for dog breeding facilities garnered signatures from across the county. Animal Folks, an advocacy group, presented research and news articles to the planning commission regarding poor health conditions at dog kennels licensed by the USDA.
KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI  A sub concatenation started by Michiganders pinch New Jersey roots is opening a caller location eastbound of Kalamazoo.

Jersey Giant Subs, founded successful 1979 successful East Lansing by New Jersey transplants, will unfastened nan chains 16th location astatine 5455 Gull Rd. successful nan plaza connected nan northwest area of North Sprinkle and Gull roads successful Comstock Township.

Jersey Giant did not respond to requests for comment, truthful its unclear erstwhile nan caller edifice will open. But signage is up connected nan building and nan location is listed arsenic coming soon connected nan company website.

The location will beryllium nan sixth successful nan Kalamazoo area. All Jersey Giant locations are successful Michigan, pinch 8 successful nan Lansing area, and 1 each successful Battle Creek and Detroit.

Now successful their 4th decade of business, nan Slocum family has kept to its roots, utilizing Michigan-made meats sliced in-house arsenic nan subs are prepared.

Born successful Jersey but made successful Michigan, Jersey Giant takes immense pridefulness successful nan subs that we create, nan family states connected its website. Using nan finest ingredients available, our subs are made by hand, in-store and are guaranteed to incorporate nan champion operation of meats, cheeses, vegetables and condiments that your lips person ever touched.

From slicing caller meats and cheeses for each bid to our concealed Jersey Juice, each point connected your sub is handcrafted and prepared regular by our talented squad of Michiganders.

For much information, sojourn www.jgsubs.com.

Also connected MLive:

Kalamazoo plans to prime adjacent superintendent tonight

Portage explores 4 spots to build caller farmers market

2023 schedule leaks: 3 nationalist games for Lions, including Week 1 tilt vs Chiefs

Want much Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark nan local Kalamazoo news page aliases motion up for nan free [email protected] Kalamazoo regular newsletter.
Weather Alert

...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS THE SIERRA, WESTERN NEVADA, AND NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA... * An area of low pressure and increased moisture over the region will bring scattered shower and thunderstorm chances to the Sierra, western Nevada, and northeast California this afternoon and evening. TIMING: * Thunderstorms will begin forming in the late morning and early afternoon over Mono, Mineral, Lyon, Douglas, and El Dorado counties south of US 50. Coverage will then increase through the afternoon northward across the Lake Tahoe Basin and much of western Nevada, finally lifting northward into northeast California, northwest Nevada, and the Basin and Range during the evening, diminishing after 11 pm PST. HAZARDS: * The primary hazards from thunderstorms will be frequent cloud-to- ground lightning, gusty winds of 40+ mph, heavy rainfall, and small hail. PREPAREDNESS: * Keep your eyes on the sky today and limit outdoor recreation activities before 10 am PST to be safe. Lightning can strike from up to 10 miles away. When thunder roars, head indoors! See a flash, dash inside!
'Sesame Street' introduces the first-ever Filipino American muppet who goes by the name TJ.

The Asian American Muppet, TJ, made his first appearance in the long-running children's show in a segment that tackles having confidence.

'Sesame Street' Debuts First Filipino Muppet

According to Daily Mail, the first Filipino 'Sesame Street' Muppet showed up alongside the Korean American character, Ji-Young, and their human pal, Kal Penn, a former staff member at the White House during the Obama administration.

After several decades since the PBS children's show debuted in 1969, it is the first time that the show included a Filipino Muppet. The new character, TJ, made his first appearance in a segment of the children's show wherein Penn and Ji-Young talked about confidence.

The human character, Penn, told them what confidence is all about, explaining that it is "when you believe in yourself and your abilities." He further notes that confidence helps him when he is unsure of himself as he remembers that there are people who believe in and support him.

In response, the Korean American Muppet played her guitar since it gives Ji-Young the confidence she needs. Penn then asked TJ to share how he demonstrates his confidence.

The new Filipino character tells them that he is currently learning Tagalog, the native language of his family. TJ goes on to share that he is confident in learning the language as he can always ask for the assistance of his "Lola," the local term for grandma.

Read Also: 'Sesame Street:' Julia, New Character With Autism, Added To Show To Bring Awareness

Meet TJ: The First Filipino Muppet

As per CBS News, the new character on 'Sesame Street,' TJ, is the idea of Filipino American animator Bobby Pontillas. The voice actor and puppeteer, Yinan Shentu, plays the historical Muppet in the children's show.

The Fil-American animator shared the idea behind TJ in his recent Instagram post. He shared some sketches of the character before it debuted in its final form in the long-running show. Pontillas revealed that the appearance of the historical Muppet is actually based on what his real-life Filipino friends look like, namely Mateo and Max.

The Sesame Street director of talent outreach and inclusion and content development, Rosemary Espina Palacios, also a Filipino, is proud of the new character, NBC News reports.

Palacios says she is "so proud to help bring some Filipino representation to the neighborhood" as the Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Month is fast approaching. She adds that she is excited for kids to see the new character as he shares his culture in the show.

NBC notes that 'Sesame Street' introduced the Korean American guitarist and skateboarder Ji-Young, last 2021 before debuting TJ, the first Filipino Muppet.

Related Article: Old US Video Goes Viral Over Links to Killing of Filipino Worker

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribal Police say a woman accused of stabbing her sister to death has been arrested by Reno Police.

Police say 29-year-old Jordan Anne-Marie Clairmont turned herself in without incident to Reno Police on Wednesday.

Clairmont now faces charges of criminal homicide, domestic battery, child abuse/neglect and assault with a deadly weapon, in Fallon.

Tribal Police say she stabbed her sister last Wednesday on the reservation.

The victim was taken to the hospital, where she later died.

if you have any information that can help, call dispatch at 775-423-3116.
If even the largest smartphone feels too small for all that you want to see on your handset, you may be ready for your first foldable phone.

Google has unveiled the Pixel Fold, its first foldable. The bendy screen device morphs from a normal-size phone into a small tablet that opens like a book.

This niche isnt for those on a budget. At $1,799, in the ballpark of what Samsung charges for its Galaxy Z Fold4 that the Pixel will be compared against, it's hard to declare foldable phones mainstream. That's even if Google throws in a Google Pixel Watch smartwatch for folks who preorder.

Foldables are gaining momentum

Yet foldable phones, which boast features older adults may come to appreciate, appear to have genuine momentum. Anyone can shove a closed hybrid phone/tablet in a pocket or purse just like a regular smartphone.

Right now, the number of foldable phone users in the United States is small, about 4.7 million units in 2022, according to a recent report from Hong Kongbased Counterpoint Research market analysts. Thats about 1.5 percent of U.S. smartphone owners, who numbered 307 million in 2022, as indicated in a research report from another market research firm, Statista.

But 28 percent of current U.S. smartphone users that Counterpoint surveyed indicated that they are highly likely to go for a foldable as their next purchase.

International Data Corp. recently forecast the global foldables market to reach 48.1 million shipments in 2027, growing by more than a quarter for each year until then. Since a Chinese manufacturer introduced the first foldable smartphone in 2018, the screens have become more durable and the build more sleek. The launch of Samsungs first Galaxy Fold had to be postponed by several months in 2019 after some early reviewers reported problems with the folding screen.

Foldable phones remain the one positive talking point in a [smartphone] market that declined more than 11 percent in 2022, IDC says.

Samsung dominates the foldables category. Besides its Galaxy Fold4, Samsung sells the Galaxy Flip4, which costs around $1,000 and has a more compact clamshell-type design. The Flip basically unfolds into a typical-size smartphone rather than a tablet.

Lenovo-owned Motorola has promised a new foldable Razr smartphone this year. Meanwhile, Microsoft, with its Surface Duos, as well as lesser-known overseas brands like Oppo and Honor, also have a presence in foldables. But few of them have made much of a mark in the U.S.
(Photo : AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images)

In response to the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan, the Pakistani military has been ordered to areas beset by deadly violence.

Pakistan's government called out the military in areas of deadly violence following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was dragged from a courtroom and ordered held for another eight days on new corruption charges that infuriated his supporters and supporters and exacerbated the country's political turmoil.

In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif stated that the unrest caused by Khan's supporters "damaged sensitive public and private property," compelling him to deploy the military in Islamabad, Punjab, and volatile regions of the northwest.

Former PM Imran Khan's Arrest

Following Imran Khan's arrest, audiences in Islamabad and other major cities blocked roads, clashed with police, and set fire to police checkpoints and military facilities, resulting in six deaths and hundreds of arrests. Protesters invaded a radio station in Peshawar, Pakistan's northwest.

Sharif stated that Khan was arrested due to his involvement in corruption and that there was evidence to support these allegations. Khan, deposed by Sharif in a vote of no confidence last year, is detained in an Islamabad police compound.

Per AP News, a judge in a provisional court ordered the detention of the 70-year-old politician for at least another eight days, raising the possibility of further unrest.

Khan's dramatic arrest on Tuesday - he was yanked from a hearing in the High Court of Islamabad on one set of charges, only to be detained on another - was the latest confrontation to roil Pakistan.

He is the seventh former prime minister arrested in a nation that has also witnessed military interventions over the years. In a time of economic crisis, when the cash-strapped nation is attempting to avoid a default, this action is taken.

Khan appeared in Islamabad on multiple corruption allegations filed by police. As he entered the courtroom, dozens of agents from the anti-corruption agency National Accountability Bureau, backed by paramilitary forces, invaded the courtroom. After Khan's guards refused to unlock the entrance, they smashed windows.

Read Also: Tokyo Ginza Robbery: 4 Teens Under Investigation After Suspects Stole Over 100 Rolex in 2 Minutes

Pakistan Protests

Mobile data services were shut down for a second day, along with Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook, as security forces attempted to restore order after violence claimed one person's life late on Tuesday night.

Pakistan is on the verge of civil war - Large and violent protests across Pakistan against Imran Khans arrest. Army is out of garrisons in Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/0we80hL6jH  Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) May 10, 2023

Despite arrests of several top leaders of Imran Khans party, protests in Pakistan against Imran Khans arrest are becoming bigger and more violent! pic.twitter.com/uuGaOYAXAq  Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) May 10, 2023

The government stated that supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had attacked and damaged state buildings and private and public vehicles. Police reported that 945 of his adherents were detained in Punjab province following the arson of 25 police vehicles and more than 14 government buildings, as per NBC News.

After clashes between Khan's supporters and police, authorities in three of Pakistan's four provinces have banned all public gatherings.

Khan's detention occurred a day after the powerful military reprimanded him for repeatedly accusing a senior military officer of plotting his assassination and the former head of the armed forces of orchestrating his removal from power a year ago.

The Dawn newspaper of Pakistan wrote in an editorial that "the nature and location of the protests that erupted after Khan's arrest yesterday indicate that public fury is also directed at the military."

Khan was scheduled to appear for two proceedings on Wednesday, including a property-related corruption case and a case alleging he illegally sold state gifts during his premiership from 2018 to 22. Khan has denied misconduct.

Per NY Times, a large number of demonstrators pressed through the national Army headquarters' gates. An irate mob set fire to the domicile of a senior military official. Demonstrators are plundering a paramilitary force-run school.

Since its founding 75 years ago, the military has maintained a firm grip on its politics and foreign policy, executing three successful coups and directly governing the country for decades.

Even under civilian administrations, military commanders have maintained an iron grip on power, installing politicians they favored and expelling those who disobeyed orders. Few ventured to defy authority openly.

When legislators and other civilians complained, it was almost always in code, referring obliquely to "the establishment" or "the sacred cow" instead of naming the country's military or its formidable Inter-Services Intelligence agency. They knew what could occur if they continued: disappearances, arrests, and exile.

Related Article: French Journalist Dies During Rocket Attack in Ukraine

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Welcome

Jaime Lucero has joined the Vincents Hair, Skin & Body as director of the medical aesthetics division. Lucero is a registered nurse and family nurse practitioner. She will provide the medical procedures including Sciton laser services, fillers and Botox. She is a native New Mexican and graduate of Valley High School.

Adrianna Cross has joined the Vincents Hair, Skin & Body as the director of skin care. Cross previously worked at other leading skin care facilities and specializes in customized facials  especially for people of color  doing chemical peels, dermaplaning, waxing, brow shaping and lymphatic drainage.

Andrea Tyson, certified family nurse practitioner and cardiac nurse has joined New Mexico Heart Institute at Lovelace Medical Group. Tyson earned her bachelors degree from Northern New Mexico College, and completed the Family Practice Nurse Practitioner Program at Maryville University. Her clinical experience includes treating cardiology and emergency patients. Tyson is located at New Mexico Heart Institute at 1631 Hospital Drive, Suite 110, in Santa Fe.

ETC.

SYNCRONYS has announced the newest members of the SYNCRONYS Advisory Committee. The new members, who will serve two-year terms are:

 Michael Archuleta  senior director quality and accreditation at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico. Archuleta is a native New Mexican, from Las Vegas and attended the College of Nursing at the University of New Mexico and has completed his doctorate and post-doctorate certification.

 David Ley  world-renowned clinical psychologist and an internationally recognized expert on human sexuality. Ley is an author, speaker and has appeared on television with Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric and Dr. Phil.

 Paula Morgan  acting chief information officer for the New Mexico Human Services Department. Morgan has more than 30 years experience in the information technology industry, working in public, private and non-profit organizations. She received both her bachelors and masters degrees from the University of New Mexico. She grew up in Espanola.

 Amy Salazar  deputy bureau chief quality for the New Mexico Human Services department. Salazar, also a native New Mexican from Espanola, has more than 15 years experience with the state, having started in the Department of Taxation and Revenue in 2006.

 Liz Lacouture  vice president, population health and quality of Presbyterian Health Plan, a subsidiary of Presbyterian Healthcare Services. Lacouture has been with PHP since 2012 and brings more than 30 years of experience in healthcare. She earned her bachelors degree from New Mexico State University and her masters degree in counseling from Eastern New Mexico University.

Vince Alvarado recently joined the National Energy Management Institute Committee as director of implementation. Alvarado has been tasked with overseeing some of NEMICs legislative initiatives and working to implement solutions that NEMIC identifies across the country. He is a longtime business manager for Sheet Metal Workers Local 49. Alvarado started working for a small independent refrigeration contractor as a junior in high school. He started at Local 49 as an apprentice. The National Energy Management Institute Committee is a nonprofit organization jointly managed by the International Association of Sheet Metal Air, Rail and Transportation workers and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association.

BULLETIN BOARD

SCORE Albuquerque will host it workshop titled Ask the Expert Q&A: Sales from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday via Zoom. Eddy Mindlin, certified SCORE mentor with decades of sales experience and first-hand knowledge as a small business owner, will answer sales-related questions in this Q&A-style workshop. This workshop is free. To register visit score.org/albuquerque/event/ask-expert-qa-sales-592023.

SCORE Albuquerque will host it workshop titled First Session from noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday via Zoom. This workshop will discuss key concepts such as accounting, marketing and their relationship, and go over SCORE resources and services. This workshop is free. Register at score.org/albuquerque/event/first-session-5112023.
HOUSTON (AP)  Thirteen people dead in two mass shootings. Eight immigrants killed when an SUV slams into a crowded bus stop. The likely approval of legislation that would let the Republican governor overturn elections in the most populous county, a Democratic stronghold. All in the past two weeks.

These issues and the forces behind them  anger and guns, immigration turmoil, deep political divisions about what democracy means  are playing out across American life in various ways. But in Texas, with its immense size and a population that grows by more than 1,000 people a day, the stage is far bigger  and often louder.

Its enough to make even the proudest Texan wrestle with how he sees the state.

This is out of control right now, said Jay Leeson, an illustrator and cartoonist who lives in Lubbock, a city in the Texas High Plains. He describes himself as a conservative West Texan whose kids know how to handle guns, know how to ride horses, know how to do all the Texas things.

The Texas things. Texans have heard this all before. Theyve been hearing it for generations. That everyone is armed. That its a wildly conservative place full of oil roughnecks and cowboys and brash braggarts. That its nothing like the rest of the country, really.

Many Texans will tell you theres some truth to this. But Texas is also far more nuanced than a collection of cliches that consider the state through the narrowest of lenses.

Yet lately, things here have felt unrelenting. And what troubles some Texans is not how outsiders see the state, but whether those living here can navigate the divisive political climate  and overcome a complicated and sometimes violent past.

EVEN THOSE WHO SUPPORT GUNS FRET ABOUT THEM

Leeson is furious at how immigration has become a political battleground. Hes furious at how Republicans bleed every vote they can out of West Texas to overcome growing populations in the states heavily Democratic urban centers, from Houston to Dallas, Austin to San Antonio. The Texas Legislature is currently debating various bills that are targeting how Democratic Harris County, the states most populous, runs its elections.

Hes especially furious that his 9-year-old son is so worried about school shootings that he checked all the windows in his classroom to see which would open in case of an attack.

I just think the whole thing is a damn mess, Leeson said.

Mass killings have a deep history in Texas. Arguably the first modern American mass shooting happened here in 1966, when an engineering student opened fire from a building observation deck at the University of Texas. He killed 14 people and wounded dozens more.

But the states strict gun laws didnt begin to crack until a few years after another mass shooting  this one in 1991, when a gunman drove his pickup truck through the window of a central Texas cafeteria and killed 23 people. By then, decades of Democratic control were giving way to Republicans who saw gun rights as a key issue.

In 1995, then-Gov. George W. Bush signed legislation that allowed Texans to carry concealed guns. Today, Texans can carry weapons openly. Some do  passionately.

Chad Hasty, a well-known conservative talk radio host based in Lubbock, mourns the latest killings  I dont want to get to a time where were not shocked by a mass shooting  but is adamant that gun rights be protected. He rarely leaves home without his Sig Sauer P365, a small firearm designed for everyday carrying and one of the best-selling pistols in America.

He dismisses the idea that Texas is particularly prone to violence.

I dont view it as a uniquely Texas thing, he said. Instead, the number of mass shootings is simply a matter of size: Were a huge state  millions and millions of people.

ITS A STATE FAR MORE DIVERSE THAN THE CLICHES

The litany of Texas mass killings in just the last few years is staggering: Sutherland Springs, 26 killed in 2017; Santa Fe, 10 killed in 2018; El Paso, 23 killed in 2019; Midland-Odessa, seven killed in 2019; Uvalde, 21 killed in 2022; Cleveland, five killed on April 28; Allen, eight killed on May 6.

Guns have long been a part of Texas culture  both in the states mythology and in reality. But to equate the number of guns with the number of people killed by guns strikes some as a false equivalence.

Youll never get people to give up their guns, nor do I believe you should, said Vanesa Brashier, the editor and publisher of Bluebonnet News, a site that covers rural areas north of Houston, including the town of Cleveland, where five immigrants were killed in a mass shooting on April 28.

She was deeply shaken by the killings, particularly by how some of the women died shielding their children from gunfire. But she considers herself pro-Second Amendment: I want to be able to defend myself if someone comes calling that shouldnt be at my property.

Like so much in Texas, her politics are complex. Brashier, who calls herself a political independent, sees immigration as a good thing  I just think we need to figure out a better way to do it.

Just two weeks ago she created a Spanish language news site to better inform the areas growing Latino population. She named the site El Amanecer Texas or Texas Sunrise, because I wanted it to be hopeful.

These residents who have moved here deserve to be informed about whats going on around them, she said. But the influx of immigrants has faced backlash from some residents, who feel like theres been an invasion, Brashier said.

This week, Texas and other border states were preparing for the end of a policy that allowed the government to quickly expel migrants to Mexico. Gov. Greg Abbott has deployed more Texas National Guard troops in response to the end of the rule. The goal, Abbott said this week: to secure the Texas border.

Texas border cities have tended to be more welcoming to immigrants than other parts of the state, since many in these areas have long seen themselves and their Mexican neighbors as a big, blended community that transcends governments political borders. In El Paso, for instance, more than 80 percent of nearly 700,000 residents are Latino. Many residents have family just across the border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

This situation at the border has created a welcoming community that reacts differently to various issues, including immigration, said Richard Pineda, director of the Sam Donaldson Center for Communication Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso. For Texas, he says, its an outlier  a fluid culture that goes back and forth.

BIG CHANGES IN THE STATE CAN LEAD TO TENSION

Texas can feel like a study in contrasts. Famed for its oil industry, but the producer of a quarter of the countrys wind energy and a leader in solar power. Known for its open, undeveloped landscapes but home to some of the largest, fastest-growing cities in the land. Epitomized by the cowboy, but with some of the largest immigrant populations in America.

With more than 30 million people, Texas has long been a destination for outsiders from other U.S. states and abroad. Since 2010, it has gained nearly 4 million residents  more than any other state, according to U.S. Census figures. In 2020, Latino residents accounted for half the population growth, and many demographers believe Latinos will soon surpass whites as the states largest ethnic group.

But its not just Latinos. Texas has large populations of immigrants from India, China, the Philippines, Vietnam and elsewhere. Allen, where a gunman killed eight people at a mall on May 6, is among the Dallas-Fort Worth areas most diverse suburbs.

For nearly a century, Texas has had a one-word state motto: Friendship. But many see that easygoing connection changing.

I always thought of Texas as a friendly place. But to be honest, this last decade, it just feels meaner, said Chris Tomlinson, a fifth-generation Texan and a business columnist with the Houston Chronicle. He has written two best-sellers about Texas history, including Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth.

Tomlinson notes that more than 70 percent of Texans over age 60 are non-Hispanic whites, while more than 70 percent of Texans under age 30 are people of color.

That creates the tension that you see around voting rights and cultural issues like critical race theory and LGBTQ issues, he said. When you have that level of demographic change, there is going to be tension.

Texas is among the states, for example, where drag shows have been targeted by right-wing activists and politicians, and Republican lawmakers have proposed restrictions on the shows.

At times, it can seem that the Texas population is shifting faster on many issues than the states politics, which remain solidly conservative and Republican. A Democrat hasnt been elected to statewide office since 1994. Yet Tomlinson notes that polling indicates Texans arent that different from the rest of the country when it comes to many issues, from abortion to immigration.

Then there are the guns  a reputation that, for better and worse, follows Texas everywhere. A survey last year by the University of Houston and Texas Southern University showed overwhelming support for at least some level of gun control. Yet few expect to see that in Texas anytime soon.

Gary Mauro, a longtime commissioner of the Texas Land Office who ran for governor in 1998, is one of those last statewide Democrats. Though he reserves most of his criticism for Republicans, he blames extremists in both parties for focusing on the political fringes  and amplifying some of the very cliches with which Texas continues to struggle.

I keep thinking its going to get better, he said of Texas politics. And it keeps getting worse.

___

Houston-based Associated Press journalist Juan A. Lozano has been covering Texas since 1994. Tim Sullivan, an AP national writer, reported from Minneapolis. Follow Lozano on Twitter at http://twitter.com/juanlozano70 and Sullivan at http://twitter.com/ByTimSullivan
The state Public Education Department is changing its old guard for a new one.

Recently confirmed Education Secretary Arsenio Romero named four newcomers to his leadership team on Monday and gave the PEDs managing director  whod been doing the job on an interim basis for 10 months  the permanent position.

I have assembled my personal dream team, Romero said in a written response to the Journal. This is a brilliant and dynamic team.  We worked hard to find just the right person to lead from each seat and I can say with 100% confidence that we have done that.

The appointments come after significant turnover in the state education department, including some of its top leadership positions. Romero is only a few months into his job, after his predecessor, Kurt Steinhaus, retired Jan. 27.

Less than a week after Steinhaus departure, one of his most recent additions to his team  Jacquelyn Archuleta-Staehlin  resigned as deputy secretary amid questions about whether her past legally representing school districts qualified her for the position.

Former Deputy Secretary Vickie Bannerman also resigned in early February to pursue other opportunities, department spokeswoman Kelly Pearce said.

Interim Deputy Secretary Jacqueline Costales will return to her previous role as director of the Curriculum and Instruction division. For months, she was the only deputy secretary listed on the PEDs website. Seana Flanagan, the PEDs managing director, is the only remaining member of the departments previous administration.

I am committed to being here for the long haul and so is my leadership team, Romero said. We know that we have 3 1/2 years to deliver the most that we can for the children of New Mexico and that is what we are going to do!

Members of the PEDs new leadership team are:

Candice Castillo: Coming from Houston Independent School District, Castillos purview as a deputy secretary is diverse, overseeing federal programs, fostering safe and healthy schools and in charge of the states Black and Hispanic education acts. Shes also tasked with implementing the states action plan on the consolidated Yazzie-Martinez lawsuit, which in 2018 resulted in a decision finding New Mexico wasnt fulfilling its constitutional duty to its most at-risk students.

Amanda DeBell: An associate superintendent in Albuquerque Public Schools of a zone covering Cibola, Volcano Vista and Valley high schools, DeBell will work on curriculum, instruction, assessment and educator quality in her new role as deputy secretary. Shell also oversee charter schools and struggling schools.

KatieAnn Juanico: Most recently the education director of San Felipe Pueblo, Juanico as an assistant secretary for the PED will head up Indian Education Programs, Indigenous language and culture projects and will consult with tribes.

Gregory Frostad: Formerly the interim director of the departments Policy and Legislative Affairs office, Frostad will serve as an assistant secretary to supervise the agencys policy, accountability and IT divisions, Pearce said.

Seana Flanagan: Beginning her 10th year in the PED, Flanagan oversees human resources and community engagement.
The governor and the states congressional delegation pitched a fit Tuesday when a federal agency finally gave the go-ahead for a nuclear energy project in Southeast New Mexico that locals want and have invested in. That was easy.

What they didnt do was offer any alternatives for the storage of spent commercial nuclear fuel.

After five years of study, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday granted a license for Holtec International to store spent nuclear fuel on secluded property in Southeast New Mexico. The NRC approved the license application after a technical safety and security review, and an environmental impact review that found the impacts on land and water, industry and public health would be minimal.

The license allows Holtec to receive, possess, transfer and initially store 500 canisters of spent nuclear fuel for 40 years, with an option for an additional 40 years. Holtec hopes to eventually store underground up to 10,000 stainless steel casks of spent nuclear pellets throughout 19 expansions phases. The $2.4 billion project will bring 300-plus construction, security and manufacturing jobs to the region.

But the project has faced stiff partisan opposition from Democrats.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham reiterated her steadfast opposition in a joint statement Tuesday with state Attorney General Raul Torrez. Its not entirely clear why the states top cop is weighing in on an energy issue that has followed laws and procedures.

Lujan Grisham and Torrez made reference to Senate Bill 53, legislation passed by Democrats in the 2023 session, that prohibits any state or local government from granting permits for a nuclear-waste disposal project unless the state consents.

In the meantime, we are evaluating available legal recourse and will take any action necessary to make sure that ground is never broken on this interim facility in New Mexico, the governor and AG said.

Holtec, which has invested $80 million during the NRC application process, will likely challenge SB 53 in federal court, and will likely win. Federal agencies, not the state, are empowered to regulate nuclear safety. SB 53 is a back-door law intended to strangle Holtec by preventing it from acquiring permits for such things as construction and industrial wastewater.

Sen. Martin Heinrich said in a separate statement Tuesday no regulatory commission should be using interim standards to approve indefinite storage until there is a permanent repository for spent nuclear fuel. Fair point. But Heinrich, the rest of the states delegation, the governor and the AG conveniently do not mention the U.S. lacks a permanent storage site because their fellow Democrat, the late Sen. Harry Reid, blocked the truly permanent storage site in Yucca Mountain after Congress quite literally sank $15 billion of taxpayer money into what is now the most expensive, empty parking garage in America. So there is nowhere to transfer more than 70,000 metric tons of used reactor fuel from commercial power plants at 73 sites across 39 states  even though U.S. law requires one. How about enforcing that law?

Heinrich ended his statement: New Mexicans didnt sign up for this.

Except many have. Give Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway or Hobbs Mayor Sam Cobb a call. Theyll fill you in on the Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance that southeastern New Mexico leaders formed in 2006 and the thousand acres of remote cattle grazing land ELEA bought expressly for Holtec between Carlsbad and Hobbs. And then there are the nuclear experts who work in our three national labs and at WIPP and Urenco.

Its time for state leaders to put their politics aside, recognize the science and the scary fact we have spent nuclear waste sitting on water tables across the country, and support the bridge carbon-neutral nuclear power offers. And its time for our delegation in D.C. to move beyond cheap partisan sound bites and actually do something about safely storing nuclear waste.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
A 19-year-old Artesia woman is behind bars for allegedly killing her baby after birthing it in a hospital bathroom earlier this year.

Alexee Trevizo was charged Wednesday with an open count of murder, child abuse resulting in death and tampering with evidence in the Jan. 27 death of the infant.

Gary Mitchell, Trevizos attorney, said there was a lot more to the case than a young woman who abandoned a newborn and committed child abuse. He said the hospital staff gave Trevizo very powerful drugs, not realizing she was pregnant, and exhibited a lack of care.

As we get into the facts of this case, its going to show that, in my opinion, she didnt do anything wrong, Mitchell said. The fact of the matter is she was at the hospital trying to get help This is a very, very unusual case.

The charges came days after another 19-year-old, Alexis Avila of Hobbs, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for throwing her newborn baby into a dumpster last year. The child survived after being discovered by people looking in the dumpster.

In Trevizos case, police were called to the Artesia General Hospital around 2:45 a.m. Jan. 27 when employees found a dead newborn in a restroom trash can, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Magistrate Court. The employees told police a girl had given birth in the restroom and not told anyone about it. By then, Trevizo was being airlifted to a Roswell hospital to be treated.

Police said Trevizo came into the emergency room complaining of lower back pain, but told staff she had regular periods and didnt have sex. Lab work determined Trevizo was pregnant and she locked herself in a bathroom.

Security video showed Trevizo went to the bathroom in a hurry with her hand over her buttocks.

Hospital staff told police they got keys from security and, after Trevizo walked out, found the bathroom covered in blood but they initially didnt find the baby, according to the affidavit. Forty minutes later a housekeeper cleaning the bloodied bathroom found the baby boy  already dead  in a tied-up trash bag in the trash can.

Police said Trevizo told doctors the baby wasnt breathing when she gave birth and she didnt know what to do with it so she put it in a bag. An autopsy found the baby had been born alive and healthy, dying due to a lack of air after being put in the trash bag.

Trevizo referred to the baby as nothing when speaking with officers, according to the affidavit.

Court records show a hearing is scheduled for Friday morning to determine if Trevizo will be released until trial. She faces a possible sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted.
SAPELLO  A year after the largest wildfire in New Mexicos recorded history, residents of Manuelitas and other small communities fled once again Thursday as flames destroyed structures in San Miguel County and forced the closure of a state highway.

Juan Valerio, a retiree, spent the night in his truck  alongside his two cats  after a wildfire crept toward his home in Manuelitas late Wednesday and forced him to head for shelter in Las Vegas. He didnt know Thursday whether his place was still intact.

A year ago, he also left home to escape the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire, which scorched about 534 square miles and burned roughly 900 structures.

Its kind of a double whammy, Valerio said Thursday as he sat inside an evacuation center in Las Vegas. When you go through something like that, youre always thinking to yourself, Why is it happening to me?'

This years Las Tusas Fire exploded to about 1,000 acres by Thursday  1.6 squares miles  as fierce winds fanned the flames. A wind advisory forecast gusts up to 50 mph.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Emergency officials said an airplane would conduct infrared mapping overnight to help produce a better estimate of the fires boundaries and acreage.

The fire began Wednesday on private land in San Miguel County, destroying some structures, emergency officials said, though it was unclear how many were homes.

About 50 people had agreed to a voluntary evacuation.

In an interview, Valerio described the anxiety of seeing a wildfire approach his home, just a year after last years devastation.

People dont realize what a person has to go through, potentially, he said. Its the fear, too, of leaving because of the intensity of the smoke and the fire.

It was like the sun was blocked out.

Plumes of smoke

Fire trucks raced along State Road 518 toward the fire Thursday morning. A helicopter carrying a bucket repeatedly flew over a smoky hillside northwest of Sapello, a small town about 12 miles north of Las Vegas.

It was smoky and windy Thursday at the intersection of state roads 94 and 518, where New Mexico State Police established a roadblock to keep vehicles from entering State Road 94.

Rita Childers and Adrian Nyffenegger look at a photo of the Las Tusas Fire burning near their home on state highway 94 in San Miguel County on Thursday, May 11, 2023. They are visiting a neighbor at an evacuation shelter in Las Vegas. (Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal)

Rita Childers, a retiree from Manuelitas, said she was directed to leave her home Wednesday as the fire grew. She had also fled last years massive wildfire.

Childers said she spotted this years fire while returning from a walk.

I saw these big plumes of black smoke coming, Childers said. At first I was like, No, not again. I cant believe this is happening.'

She spent the night in Las Vegas.

Emergency officials estimated the fire was at 0% containment early Thursday.

Two hotshot crews and a helicopter had been deployed to help fight the blaze Thursday morning, and additional firefighters, engines and aerial support had been requested, according to the New Mexico Forestry Division.

Last years destruction

The deployment comes after New Mexico endured a brutal wildfire season in 2022. About 1,340 squares miles burned throughout the state last year.

The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire forced tens of thousands of New Mexicans to flee as it tore through a chunk of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in Mora, San Miguel and Taos counties. The fire began as two prescribed burns by the U.S. Forest Service.

The state last year was also hit with its second-largest fire in history  the Black Fire, which damaged the Gila and Aldo Leopold wilderness areas near Truth or Consequences.

In Las Vegas, residents expressed a willingness Thursday to help each other through another fire season.

Our community is close-knit, said Patricia Baca, a clinician for Rio Grande ATP Inc., which offers substance abuse treatment. We share each others sorrows and sadness in a big way.

Baca staffed a table Thursday at the Abe Montoya Recreation Center, open to evacuees as an emergency shelter.

Dan Boyd of the Journal Capitol Bureau contributed to this report.
This Saturday letter carrier organizations and the U.S. Postal Service will join Roadrunner Food Bank in its Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive by accepting donations of nonperishable food items left in a sturdy box or bag around mailboxes, according to a news release.

Carriers will pick up the donations and Roadrunner Food Bank volunteers will collect them from 11 local post offices throughout the afternoon into the early evening on Saturday.

The release said the food drive raised nearly 150,000 pounds of food in Albuquerque last spring.

To see such an outpouring of support year after year is truly humbling, said Mag Strittmatter, president and chief executive officer of Roadrunner Food Bank, in a statement. We are honored to be a recipient of this food and are grateful the community continues to respond in such a meaningful way. Their actions help us prepare for the summer months when hunger is often higher for families with children. On behalf of our entire staff, our sincerest thanks to our letter carriers, the United States Postal Service and our community who make this food drive a reality.

According to data from Feeding America, 285,000 New Mexicans were at risk of hunger in 2021.

Nonperishable items requested include:

Canned fruits and vegetables

peanut butter

pasta

rice

boxed meals and other food items.

The complete list of suggestions can be found online.

Roadrunner Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, is the largest nonprofit dedicated to providing food access and meals in New Mexico. Other organizations involved include the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Rural Letter Carriers Association and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.
Cover Images/JOHN NACION Celebrity

The 'Meet the Parents' star, who let it slip in an interview that he recently became a father again, insists that he is 'good' with raising a baby again so much later in life.

May 11, 2023

AceShowbiz - Robert De Niro joked it "never gets easier" after becoming a father for the seventh time. The 79-year-old actor, who already has adopted daughter Drena, 51, and sons Raphael, 46, and 27-year-old twins Julian and Aaron with ex-wife Diahnne Abbott, as well as Elliot, 24, and 11-year-old Helen with second former spouse Grace Hightower, recently caused a stir when he revealed he had welcomed another child into the world and he has insisted he is "good" with raising a baby again so much later in life.

Asked if he is excited about being a dad again, he told "Extra", "I'm ok with it. I'm good with it." And pressed on if it gets easier the seventh time around, he quipped, "Never gets easier."

The "Meet the Parents" actor hadn't disclosed the mother of his seventh child but his "About My Father" co-star has seemingly confirmed her to be the screen legend's rumored love interest Tiffany Chen. She said, "God bless him, his significant other. Tiffany is such a beautiful woman. She came to the set once with her family and watched filming, and she was gorgeous and sweet. I'm happy for both of them."

Fellow "About My Father" actor Sebastian Maniscalco had no idea his co-star was becoming a dad again until the news was made public. He said, "I was informed today that he had the baby. I didn't know leading up to this that he was going to have a baby, but yeah God bless him. He's a very soft-spoken individual loves to spend time with his family and I'm happy for him."

The "Godfather" actor let slip the news about his seventh child during an interview with ET Canada. Reporter Brittnee Blair said, "I know you have six kids...," to which Robert replied, "Seven, actually. I just had a baby."

You can share this post!
Instagram Celebrity

The 30-year-old former Victoria's Secret angel, who wed her husband in April last year, shared the NSFW pictures on her Instagram account on Tuesday, May 9.

May 11, 2023

AceShowbiz - Josephine Skriver is going to be a first-time mother. Announcing that she and her husband Alexander DeLeon are expecting their first child together, the supermodel unleashed several topless photos of herself.

The 30-year-old shared the pics on Instagram on Tuesday, May 9. In the snaps, she could be seen wearing nothing but jeans. The expectant mom covered her assets with her hand as she cradled her baby bump.

Josephine also unleashed a photo with Alexander during a doctor's visit. She also posted a sonogram picture of their little one. In the caption, she simply wrote, "2+1," adding one red heart emoji.

The post has since been flooded with congratulatory comments from Josephine's friends. "The secrets out. Im so happy for you 2," Sara Sampaio replied. "So excited. Love you!" Jasmine Tookes raved, while Romee Strijd gushed. "Omg congratulationsssss."

Josephine and Alex started dating in 2013. Then in November 2018, they got engaged. When announcing their relationship milestone via Instagram, the model proudly said, "I SAID HELL-FREAKIN'-YES!!!!"

Josephine shared both photos and details of the dreamy proposal. The couple went to Finland to fulfill the former Victoria's Secret angel's dreams of seeing the Northern Lights.

That same day, Alex released a song written about his beloved titled "Aurora Borealis". After enjoying a bonfire and hot chocolate in the middle of the frozen lake, Alex turned to Josephine and asked her to marry him.

The pair later tied the knot in an "intimate" ceremony in Cabo San Lucas in April 2022. This arrived after they postponed their nuptials due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can share this post!
(Photo : Jade Gao-Pool/Getty Images)

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang agree on the need to "develop a stronger and more balanced economic relationship."

China is willing to collaborate with France and other nations to expand cooperation and share development opportunities, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Wednesday.

The French foreign minister requested that her Chinese counterpart conveys to Russia that "it is at a standstill" in Ukraine.

France Insists on China's Role in Russia-Ukraine War

Before she met the Chinese Foreign Minister, the French Minister of Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna, urged China to utilize "its relations with Russia" to convey to the Kremlin that "it has reached an impasse" in Ukraine.

There was much discussion before the highly anticipated meeting of senior European envoys with their visiting Chinese counterparts, who will travel to Germany, France, and Norway.

There have been numerous appeals, particularly from France, for China to play a role as a mediator in "global peace and stability."

The Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, stated on April 23 that former Soviet Union states were not sovereign. Even though China's foreign ministry retracted the statement, there are still questions regarding impartiality, i24 News reported.

The latest visit to Europe follows a phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. Xi Jinping emphasized that he has "always been on the side of peace" and advocated for "dialogue."

Qin hailed the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to China as a great success and stated that China is willing to work with France to implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders, accelerate exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and advance the close and enduring comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France.

The two countries should maintain close, high-level exchanges, expand communications at all levels, and explore new areas of cooperation, he said, adding that they should also further open their markets to one another, construct a more resilient China-France supply chain, deepen their cooperation in international affairs, and face global challenges together.

Qin stated that China has always viewed Europe as a comprehensive strategic partner and has always unequivocally supported the continent's efforts to strengthen its strategic autonomy and play an active role on the international stage, emphasizing that China favors a China-Europe relationship that is not aimed at, subordinated to, or controlled by a third party.

He added that China, France, and China and Europe should pursue win-win cooperation through greater mutual opening up and construct a China-EU supply chain partnership with increased stability and mutual trust.

Read Also: Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin Files for Divorce Following Party Scandal

France-China Relationship

Colonna stated that during President Macron's successful visit to China, he engaged in an in-depth dialogue with President Xi Jinping and gained a deeper understanding of China.

Noting that France-China relations are of utmost importance, she stated that the two chiefs of state had established a clear direction and that both parties should collaborate to advance the bilateral relationship's growth.

She proposed that the two sides fully restart cooperation mechanisms in various fields and strengthen cooperation in areas such as climate change, biodiversity, and energy transition, adding that France attaches great importance to its economic relations with China and views them as interdependent, mutually beneficial, complementary, open, and transparent.

Colonna emphasized that France does not engage in belligerent confrontation and believes that all nations should live in harmony and pursue joint development, noting that China plays a significant role in maintaining world peace and stability.

According to China Daily, Colonna stated that France was prepared to strengthen communication with China on key international and regional issues such as Ukraine to "discover more common ground."

Qin also reaffirmed China's stance on pursuing a political resolution to the Ukraine conflict, stating that Beijing would continue communicating with all parties and play a constructive role.

Per SCMP, Qin and Colonna last met in April in Beijing during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to China with European Commission Chairwoman Ursula von der Leyen.

Related Article: Canada-China Relationship: Trudeau Stands Ground Against Beijing's Intimidation

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Cover Images/Robert Smith/Janet Mayer Celebrity

The former 'Good Morning Britain' host also reacts to Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN)'s apology to the Duke of Sussex for unlawfully gathering information about him in a new interview.

May 11, 2023

AceShowbiz - Piers Morgan has reignited his feud with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The former "Good Morning Britain" host brutally slammed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after Harry received an apology from a British tabloid.

On Wednesday, May 10, Piers took to his Twitter account to mock the royal couple with a screenshot from a "South Park" episode. The said picture featured characters that bore resemblance to Harry and Meghan holding signs which read, "Stop looking at us!" and "We want our privacy!!"

Piers left the tweet with no caption, but it's clear that the 58-year-old British TV presenter poked fun at the Sussexes.

Piers Morgan poked fun at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Additionally, Piers reacted to Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN)'s apology to Harry for unlawfully gathering information about him in a new interview. When asked if he would also apologize to the royal, the TV host told ITV reporter, "All I am going to say is I am not going to take lectures on privacy invasion from Prince Harry, somebody who has spent the last three years ruthlessly and cynically invading the royal family's privacy for vast commercial gain and told a pack of lies about them."

Piers added that Harry should be the one apologizing instead. "So I suggest he gets out of court and apologizes to his family for the disgraceful invasion of privacy that he's been purporting. I think Prince Harry should be apologizing for his disgraceful invasion of privacy of the royal family and others by the way," he noted.

The interview arrived after MGN, which owns publications including Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Daily Express, shared a statement admitting wrongdoing to the Duke of Sussex for a single instance of unlawfully gathering information amid his suit against the tabloid publisher. "MGN unreservedly apologizes for all such instances of UIG," the British publisher said in a statement, written in a court filing at the start of the trial in London on May 10.

The publisher also assured the claimants that such conduct "will never be repeated." The group added that the violation in question, which is not part the "Spare" author's lawsuit against MGN, "warrants compensation."

MGN lawyer Andrew Green, however, said voicemail interception was denied. He additionally argued that some of the claims were brought too late as some of the stories in question dated back more than 20 years.

You can share this post!
Instagram Celebrity

Boyfriend Pete Ashdown reveals that before her tragic passing, the founder of parenting website Dooce experienced a relapse after being sober for over 18 months.

May 11, 2023

AceShowbiz - Heather Armstrong has passed away at the age of 47. The famous blogger, who started the mommy blogging craze in the early 2000s, was found dead on Tuesday night, May 9 at the home she shared with boyfriend Pete Ashdown in Salt Lake City.

Sharing the tragic news was Pete, who told The Associated Press that Heather, who struggled with alcohol and depression, took her own life. He further revealed that she suffered a relapse after being sober for more than 18 months. He did not disclose more information.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Salt Lake City PD released a statement regarding Heather's passing. The spokesperson noted that police rushed to her home on May 9 night only to discover her deceased. Preliminary investigation ruled that she committed suicide. Any more details, however, were not shared.

Heather's death was confirmed through a post on her Instagram account. Alongside a smiling photo of the blogger, a heart-wrenching tribute was shared, "Heather Brooke Hamilton aka Heather B. Armstrong aka dooce aka love of my life. July 19, 1975 - May 9, 2023. 'It takes an ocean not to break.' Hold your loved ones close and love everyone else."

Heather, who used the pseudonym Dooce since 2001, candidly shared her parenthood journey and issues with depression and alcoholism with her readers through dooce.com. She recently discussed mental health difficulties, disclosing that she participated in a research trial to see if depression might be cured by putting patients into medically induced comas.

The recipient of "The Queen of the Mommy Bloggers" title from the New York Times also wrote "It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown, and a Much Needed Margarita" and "Things I Learned About My Dad In Therapy". She released the books in 2009. That same year, she made an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and was named one of Forbes' most powerful women in media.

Heather has 19-year-old Leta Elise Armstrong and 14-year-old Marlo Iris Armstrong together with ex-husband, Jon Armstrong. The former couple announced their divorce in 2012.

You can share this post!
Walt Disney Pictures Movie

A sequel to the 2003 body-swap comedy from Disney is in the works with Elyse Hollander penning the script as the two stars express interest in reprising their roles during a new interview about the film.

May 11, 2023

AceShowbiz - A "Freaky Friday" sequel is on the way with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis expected to return. Nearly 20 years since the original film hit theaters, the sequel is in the works at Disney with Elyse Hollander penning the script.

Rumors about the sequel started circulating in February, when Curtis posted a photo of her and Lohan on Instagram with the caption, "It's Friday. I'm just sayin! Freaky fingers crossed!"

In an interview with Variety at the Producers Guild Awards on February, the Oscar winner expressed confidence as saying, "It's going to happen." She added, "Without saying there's anything officially happening, I'm looking at you in this moment and saying, 'Of course it's going to happen.' It's going to happen."

Now, in a new interview with The New York Times in honor of the movie's 20-year anniversary, both Curtis and Lohan confirmed that they are open to reprising their roles as a mother and daughter duo. "As I went around the world with 'Halloween Ends', people wanted to know if there was going to be another 'Freaky Friday'. Something really touched a chord. When I came back, I called my friends at Disney and said, 'It feels like there's a movie to be made,' " Curtis said.

"Jamie and I are both open to that, so we're leaving it in the hands that be," added Lohan, who is currently expecting her first baby. "We would only make something that people would absolutely adore."

Recalling their working experience on the set of the movie, Curtis said that her relationship with the "Mean Girls" star "was very easy" from the start. The 36-year-old, meanwhile, remembered that her on-screen mother "immediately took me under her wing." She elaborated, "I was so nervous to do my first kiss on camera, so she talked to me in my trailer and made it funny so that I wouldn't stress about it."

"Freaky Friday" was based on Mary Rodgers' 1972 novel of the same title, which has been adapted into several films, including versions in 1976, 1995 and 2018. The 2003 movie, which starred Curtis and Lohan, grossed $160 million globally. Mark Waters directed the film with a script by Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon, but there's still no word on who will be directing the sequel.

You can share this post!
Celebrity

The 'Thelma and Louise' actress has been taken into police custody in New York after she took park in a protest to support fair wages for restaurant workers.

May 11, 2023

AceShowbiz - Susan Sarandon was apprehended while partaking in a protest for fair wages for restaurant workers on Monday, May 8. The Hollywood actress and activist was allegedly among eight arrested in Albany, New York.

According Spectrum News 1 Albany, the protestors were taken into custody, booked, issued appearance tickets, and later released.

The One Fair Wage campaign is trying to raise the minimum wage for tipped New York waiters to $17 after they were excluded from the planned increase to the minimum wage.

Sarandon, 76, was previously arrested during the 2018 Capitol Hill protest of then-President Donald Trump's immigration policies. The "Tammy" star had tweeted at the time, "We demand ... end all detention camps." After being processed at the scene, Sarandon tweeted, "Arrested. Stay strong. Keep fighting. #WomenDisobey."

More than 500 were arrested as they campaigned for families separated at the US-Mexico border to be reunited.

Meanwhile, the "Thelma and Louise" star previously admitted she has "no filter" because she'd rather be outspoken than have any "regrets." The actress would rather get into trouble for telling it how it is than not say anything at all because "life is too short" and it's important to be authentic.

She told Irish Tatler magazine, "Life is short, isn't it? I mean at the end of the day I think it's always easier to make mistakes and apologise. The things you regret are the things you don't do so I think that's where the [idea of] no filter comes."

Sarandon insists speaking your mind is always the best thing to do because even if people hate you for it, you are being your true self. She explained, "Sometimes it's painful when everyone turns against you and it backfires but I think it's worth taking the chance and that your job is just to grow as much as you can towards being authentic. And you know when something's off, you know when you're not being true to who you are, neither morally nor aesthetically."

And Sarandon also admits being in the spotlight means you are criticized in a "louder way" because you have more expectations to succeed. She added, "The more visible you become the more criticism you get in a louder way and the more expectations are on you. And that weighs in too, when you become so self-conscious because you are a public figure."

You can share this post!
Celebrity

The necklace and earring set given to the late Princess of Wales by her then-boyfriend before her tragic passing in a Paris car accident is listed for auction.

May 11, 2023

AceShowbiz - Princess Diana's private jewellery which was reportedly a gift from Dodi Al-Fayed is being sold at auction at a starting price of up to 11 million. The late royal's diamond and pearl necklace and earring set, reportedly gifted to her by the heir when they were an item, was donned by Diana at the gala evening for "Swan Lake" at London's Royal Albert Hall in June 1997 - her last official engagement before her death aged 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash that also killed Dodi, 42.

Dubbed as the "Swan Lake Suite", the jewellery set has been owned by a prominent Ukrainian family since 2008 but they are now selling it after struggling to maintain their business in war-ravaged Ukraine, but have also vowed to donate a portion of the proceeds to the rebuilding of the country.

Experts at Guernsey's Auctioneers of New York have given the jewels a pre-sale value of between 4 million and 11 million. Arlan Ettinger, president of the auction house, said, "While many accomplished figures fade from view, Diana is as vibrant today as when she was indeed the most admired woman on the planet."

"The jewellery Diana wore when she was part of the Royal family was loaned to her by the Crown, (but) the 'Swan Lake Suite' was especially made for her. She was part of the design process. It is thought to be her only jewellery to have ever been sold, making it extraordinarily important."

"There are many people who have described it as priceless but we have given it a very broad estimate. The suite was reputed to have been a gift to her from Dodi al-Fayed who was in her life at the time."

Mr. Ettinger added about the sellers, "The war in Ukraine has been a motivating factor in them deciding to sell the 'Swan Lake Suite' now. They have had them for 14 years but given what is going on, their thoughts are now very much on rebuilding their country."

It is believed to be the first time Diana's privately owned jewellery will be sold publicly as most of the items she wore were lent to her by the Crown when she was a member of the royal family.

Her "Swan Lake Suite" necklace was made from 178 diamonds and, after the "Swan Lake" gala, it was returned to Crown jewellers Gerrard so that they could make a matching pair of earrings for her, but they only finished them after her death.

The set will be auctioned off in New York in June after going on show in London.

You can share this post!
Universal Pictures Movie

The actor, who plays the lead role in Christopher Nolan-directed movie about 'the father of the atomic bomb,' heaps praise on the filmmaker for his dedication to his crafts.

May 11, 2023

AceShowbiz - Cillian Murphy hails "Oppenheimer" a "sensational" film. The 46-year-old actor stars as J. Robert Oppenheimer - the man known as "the father of the atomic bomb" - in Christopher Nolan's upcoming movie and is delighted to have the opportunity to bring the "Inception" director's story to the big screen.

"I think it's the best script I ever read," Cillian said in the new issue of Rolling Stone UK magazine. "He wanted it to be solely from Oppenheimer's perspective. And I think the film is sensational. As a person who loves films - I'm not saying it 'cos I'm in the f****** thing, I hate looking at myself - but as a lover of film, as a cinephile, I'm a Chris Nolan fan."

"Oppenheimer" is the latest collaboration between the "Peaky Blinders" star and Nolan after they first worked together on "Batman Begins" back in 2005 and Murphy finds it "absurd" that he has been in so much of the filmmaker's work.

He explained, "I was a Chris Nolan fan. That's how I was when I met him for the first time, because I'd watched 'Following', I'd watched 'Memento', I'd watched 'Insomnia'. And I met him for 'Batman Begins', and I met him on the basis of being a fan. So, it feels absurd that I've been in six of his films."

Murphy has such respect for the director that he even appeared in a minor role as a "shivering soldier" in Nolan's 2017 war film "Dunkirk". He said, "I'd always show up for Chris, even if it was walking in the background of his next movie holding a surfboard. Though... not sure what kind of Chris Nolan movie that would be. But I always hoped I could play a lead in a Chris Nolan movie. What actor wouldn't want to do that?"

You can share this post!
Instagram Celebrity

The 'Mad Max: Fury Road' actress calls anti-drag laws 'incredibly stupid policies' as she joins a movement supporting kids to watch cross-dressing performances.

May 11, 2023

AceShowbiz - Charlize Theron has warned that she'd "f*** up" anyone criticizing drag queens. The 47-year-old actress, whose adopted child Jackson, 11, was born male but identifies as female, gave the warning while appearing at the "Drag Isn't Dangerous" telethon, designed to oppose laws attempting to block children from viewing cross-dressing performances.

"We love you queens! We're in your corner, and we've got you, and I will f*** anybody up who is, like, trying to f*** with anything with you guys," she said.

"In all seriousness, there are so many things that are hurting and really, killing our kids right, and we all know what I'm talking about right now if you've ever seen a drag queen lip sync for her life, it only makes you happier, it only makes you love more. It makes you a better person."

Referencing a popular drag move, Charlize - who also has seven-year-old daughter August - went on, "F***, if I could do a death drop right now I would, but I would probably like, break my hip."

The "Prometheus" star also appealed for viewers to back "all the great organisations that are out there" helping "all of this nonsense" go away "like it should" and branded attempts to stop children watching drag acts part of a set of "incredibly stupid policies."

Charlize was joined at the "Drag Isn't Dangerous" event by drag acts including Bob the Drag Queen, Divina De Campo, and Jinkx Monsoon as well as a raft of celebrities such as Elizabeth Banks, Margaret Cho, Whitney Cummings, Marcia Gay Harden, Melissa McCarthy, Kelly Osbourne, Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, and Ali Wong.

Anti-drag bills have been introduced in at least 15 US states, from Tennessee to Kentucky, Texas, and Missouri, with Tennessee defining "adult cabaret" as "adult-oriented" performances."

Charlize previously revealed Jackson first declared she was "not a boy" when she was just three years old. She told DailyMail.com about Jackson identifying as female, "Yes, I thought she was a boy, too. Until she looked at me when she was three years old and said, 'I am not a boy!' So there you go! I have two beautiful daughters who, just like any parent, I want to protect and I want to see thrive."

You can share this post!
Movie

The 'Godfather' actor is going to team up with the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor for a biopic about Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani during his thrilling time in the French capital in 1916.

May 12, 2023

AceShowbiz - Al Pacino has boarded Johnny Depp's film "Modi". The 83-year-old star will join forces with Riccardo Scamarcio and Pierre Niney in the biopic of the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani - which marks Depp's first directorial effort in 25 years.

Based on a play by Dennis McIntyre, the movie tells the story of the famous painter and sculptor Modigliani during his time in Paris in 1916. The film follows the life of the artist across a turbulent and eventful 48 hours that sees him on the run from the police through the streets of the war-torn French capital.

His desire to leave the city and end his career is dismissed by other bohemians, including the French artist Maurice Utrillo, Belarusian-born Chaim Soutine and his English muse and lover Beatrice Hastings. Modi seeks advice from his Polish art dealer and friend Leopold Zborowski but the chaos reaches a crescendo when he is faced with a collector who could change his life.

Filming is set to begin in Budapest this autumn and the package is being sold at the Cannes market. Additional casting on the project is underway. Barry Navidi is producing the picture and has worked together with Pacino on three previous films.

He said, "This is a snapshot of Modigliani's life that gives us insight into his struggle as an artist suffering from lack of recognition, and a project Al and I have pursued for many years. Our incredible cast, coupled with the vision, wit and sensitivity I know Johnny will bring behind the camera, will make this a dream come true."

You can share this post!
Summer fun is back, and Dubai is inviting Indian family travellers to experience an unforgettable getaway enriched by the best offerings of the city. Dubais Department of Economy and Tourism launched its latest summer campaign starring veteran actress Poonam Dhillon and celebrity couple Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya. The campaign video captures the destinations bountiful outdoor and indoor activities one must experience with their family to make their holiday one to remember and treasured for a lifetime! The films core narrative celebrates family bonding as it brings together 3 generations in a unique storyline, where Poonam Dhillon is reflective of a relatable and sporting maternal figure who transports them into the diverse world of Dubai.

The conceptualized campaign film, Do you believe it? showcases Poonam Dhillon and her grandkids excitedly unravelling their adventure-filled day exploring the sun-soaked modern metropolis. With striking, colourful visuals of a plethora of activities like time travelling to the future in a shuttle spaceship at Museum of the Future, adrenaline pumping activities including the Edgewalk experience at Sky Views, desert drive on vintage four-wheel drives followed by a hot air experience chasing the clouds and finally concluding the day with record-breaking speeds at the Storm Coaster.

Talking about the campaign, Bader Ali Habib, Head of South Asia, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism said: With growing demand for family-friendly experiences among Indian travellers, we aim to showcase Dubais broad spectrum of offerings for all travellers, no matter what time of the year. With the onboarding of outbound Indian travellers this summer, we aim to showcase unique offerings in the city, which will entice visitors from all age-groups making it an exciting destination for the summer break. We are thrilled to launch this campaign in India and are confident that Indian family travellers will see immense value, as they continue to curate their summer itineraries.

It has been an honour to collaborate with Dubai Tourism for their summer campaign. During the shoot, me along with my co-stars, especially the children, thoroughly enjoyed our visit, be it the hot air balloon rides or the desert safari, they truly brought alive the child in me. This culturally rich and vibrant destination has curated unique experiences for Indian travellers making it the ultimate destination for a perfect family getaway, Commented actor, Poonam Dhillon.

Crowned as the No.1 global destination in the Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Awards 2023 for a second successive year, the city offers a wide range of world-class attractions that ensure a leisurely and safe experience for the full family time in the city. If youre travelling on a budget, travellers can now enjoy an unforgettable family getaway for less, as Dubai Economy & Tourism announces their incredible Kids Go Free deals across the destinations top hotels, most eye-catching hot spots, and attractions.
Adgully has been turning the spotlight on the entrepreneurs who fought against all odds to bring their dreams to fruition in our special series  START-UP STARS. We at Adgully wholeheartedly support the Vocal for Local movement and have been featuring numerous local/ homegrown businesses, brands, and Apps in the country launched in the last few years.

Burger Singh is the largest chain of homegrown Indian flavour burgers in the QSR category in India, with a strong presence in West & North India with 80+ outlets in Delhi NCR, Lucknow, Jaipur, Dehradun, Jammu, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Jhansi, Chandigarh, Amritsar and others, with another 12 franchises under fit-outs across the country. The brand has also ventured in the UK with two outlets in London and has emerged as the most popular brand of Indian burgers in the state.

Known for Indianising a typical western flavour, Burger Singh specialities include the vegetarian Keema Pao for the vegetarians, the Jaatputt Chicken Burger, the Amritsari Murgh Makhani Burger, the Udta Punjab Burger, the Bunty Pappeh Da Aloo Burger and the United States of Punjab Burgers in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, among others. The company is headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana.

The founders vision is to establish Burger Singh as the new face of QSR globally. Popularly known as the Singh of Burger Singh, Kabir Jeet Singh aims to drive Burger Singhs international expansion by taking the true tastes of Indian burgers to food aficionados the world over. The company has already raised over $6 million in Series A funding from both strategic and angel investors till date.

In conversation withAdully, Kabir Jeet Singh, CEO and Founder, Burger Singh, shares the interesting journey of Burger Singh, creating a niche in a market saturated with American fast food chains, Indianising a Western product, and much more.

Please take us through your journey as an entrepreneur. What motivated you to establish the company?

My entrepreneurial journey started while pursuing my MBA at the University of Birmingham in the UK. While studying, I worked part-time at a local burger joint, where I started experimenting with patties flavoured with Indian spices and chutneys to give them an inherent Indianised flavour. It became an instant hit with my colleagues, who started calling me Burger Singh. This led to the birth of the idea of bringing Indian flavours to Western-style burgers, and thus, Burger Singh was born.

When I returned to India, I noticed that the market was saturated with American fast food chains trying to sell an American product to an Indian audience. This led me to see the market gap and provide what Indian consumers were looking for  Indian flavours at affordable prices. My vision was to create Indias largest Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chain, and I launched the first Burger Singh outlet in Gurugram in 2014.

I registered my company, Tipping Mr Pink Pvt. Ltd., with my childhood friend, Nitin Rana, who had tremendous experience in the QSR industry since 2003. We started with a small outlet in Gurugram in 2014 with just three employees and focused on deliveries. Started with Rs 15 lakh, Burger Singh has today grown into a 100+ outlet burger chain spread across 14 states and 54 cities.

What was the need for this brand as per consumers perspective? What is the core business proposition?

When we started Burger Singh, we aimed to cater to the three things that Indians love in food: great flavours, vegetarian options, and affordable prices. We fused Indian flavours with the worlds favourite fast food product, the burger, and created a wholly Indianised menu at very competitive prices.

Our menu initially had 28 varieties of burgers, each representing the flavour of an Indian state, priced from Rs 150 upwards. Our burgers were larger in size and had an Indianised flavour, which quickly became our unique selling proposition (USP). Compared to other brands, Burger Singh burgers were bigger and had a distinct Indian flavour, which resonated well with Indian consumers.

Burger Singhs core business proposition is to offer a completely Indianised menu at very competitive prices. Our entry-level product, Nikku Singh, is a great example of the same, where the customer is able to enjoy a premium product starting at just Rs 39.

What have been your key learnings so far? How do you see the companys ecosystem progressing in 2023?

Our experience has taught us that it is crucial to stay abreast of market trends and consumer demands and adapt our offerings accordingly. Additionally, building a strong team with a shared vision and passion for the brand has been a vital factor in our success.

As we look to the future, we are committed to expanding our presence throughout the country and introducing innovative menu items to keep our customers engaged. We recently announced plans to open new outlets in various states, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Rajasthan.

In line with our commitment to enhancing the customer experience, we also plan to invest in technology and digital platforms to streamline our services. We are optimistic about what lies ahead and excited to embark on this next phase of our journey.

How is digital helping you further your business?

The digital age has revolutionised not just our business, but also thousands of startups across India by significantly reducing the cost of launching and growing a brand, opening up new opportunities to reach a broader audience and gathering valuable feedback.

Incorporating digital technology into our operations is an essential aspect of our business. Online ordering, mobile applications, and social media marketing have all contributed to expanding our reach and enhancing the customer experience. Utilising digital analytics has enabled us to make informed decisions about menu offerings, pricing, and marketing strategies. Our partnership with third-party delivery services has also allowed us to tap into new markets, resulting in increased sales and revenue.

Moreover, we have implemented a multi-channel approach to marketing and PR by leveraging influencers, social media advertising, and other digital platforms. Keeping up with trends and viral content has strengthened our visibility and credibility in the market.

How did you identify your TG? Did you carry out any feasibility study prior to starting your business?

Our target audience was identified based on several key factors. Firstly, we conducted extensive market research to gauge the demand for fast-food chains in the Indian market. We also analysed the demographics of the area where we planned to open our first outlet, which happened to be Gurugram  a city with a young, upwardly mobile population. Additionally, we recognised a gap in the market for high-quality burger chains in India, which presented us with an opportunity to cater to this demand.

Our menu was carefully crafted to appeal to young, urban professionals who were seeking a quick and convenient meal that didnt compromise on taste and quality.

To ensure the feasibility of our business idea, we conducted a thorough analysis of market trends, competition, and consumer behaviour before commencing operations. Our feasibility study also included a financial analysis to determine the investment required, projected revenues and profits, and return on investment. This research enabled us to gain a comprehensive understanding of our target audience and allowed us to develop a unique value proposition that resonated with them.

What were the challenges that you faced in your startup journey and how did you overcome them?

Developing technology to effectively manage the supply chain and improve communication with vendors, employees, and customers posed a significant challenge for us. Additionally, the emergence of market disruptors like Swiggy and Zomato intensified the competition. However, we were able to overcome these obstacles by enhancing our technological capabilities and adopting new strategies and business plans.

What would be your message for budding entrepreneurs?

My message to budding entrepreneurs is to have a clear vision, take calculated risks, and continuously innovate to meet the evolving needs of your customers. Dont be afraid to fail, but always learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.
(Photo : KRISTON JAE BETHEL/AFP via Getty Images)

Daniel Perry was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday for shooting US Air Force veteran Garrett Foster at a BLM protest in 2020.

A judge sentenced Daniel Perry to 25 years for murdering an armed Black Lives Matter protester in Austin. This decision comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced he planned to pardon Perry.

The judge cited the "devastating impact" of the killing and rarely gave remarks during sentencing but felt "obliged" to do so in this case.

Daniel Perry Sentenced to 25 Years

Per Houston Chronicle, the judge said, "The hard work, the service, and the sacrifice of this jury deserve our honor, and it deserves to be respected." This was a veiled criticism of Abbott's threat to issue a pardon.

Perry, a 36-year-old Army sergeant, showed no reaction. His attorneys said he was "devastated" and planned to appeal within 30 days. The sentence adds to tensions between Governor Abbott and Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza.

Garza's office indicted Perry even though police declined to arrest or charge him. Garza also indicted over a dozen officers for using excessive force on protesters. Courts often take months or years for decisions. But Abbott's promise of a pardon complicates Perry's fate. Abbott can only pardon Perry with a board's recommendation.

Abbott appoints all board members and can fire them. The board vowed to investigate Perry's case thoroughly. Perry was driving for Uber when he turned into protesters, including 28-year-old Garrett Foster carrying an AK-47. Perry rolled down his window. Seconds later, Perry used a revolver to shoot and kill Foster.

Perry's attorneys argued at trial that he fired his handgun multiple times in self-defense after Foster raised his rifle at him. However, witnesses said Foster was pushing his fiancee's wheelchair at the time of the shooting and never pointed his firearm at Perry.

Disturbing social media posts and messages also surfaced after his conviction, revealing Perry's intense dislike for BLM protesters in the months leading up to the confrontation. At a pre-sentencing hearing Tuesday, Perry's attorneys attributed the troubling comments to "military humor" taken out of context. Before handing down Perry's sentence on Wednesday, Judge Cliff Brown commended the jury in the divisive trial, NY Post reported.

Read Also: WATCH: Pakistan Protests Turn Deadly as Authorities, Imran Khan Supporters Clash

Ex- Army Sergeant's BLM Protest Shooting Case

Brown did not address Abbott's promise to oversee a pardon for Perry. The state Board of Pardons and Paroles is reviewing the case, though it needs to be clarified how long that will take. Perry's attorney, Clinton Broden, also confirmed following the Wednesday proceedings that his client plans to appeal the conviction.

If granted a new trial, Perry's defense team already said it plans to show a brief video in which Foster admits that he carries an AK-47 rifle. Perry - who previously toured in Afghanistan and was stationed at Fort Hood - appeared disheveled in court on Wednesday, according to reports.

While he openly sobbed when his conviction was read four weeks ago, he remained expressionless when the judge handed down his lengthy sentence. Per CNN, Garrett's mother praised the sentence and the judge. "Finally, after three long years, we're finally getting justice for Garrett," said Sheila Foster.

The day before, Perry's defense team requested a 10-year sentence citing his lack of criminal record, psychological issues, and praise from military colleagues.

Prosecutors requested at least 25 years, highlighting racist social media posts Perry wrote before the shooting. They said his disorders showed he was a "loaded gun ready to go off." Prosecutors said Perry initiated the encounter by running a red light and driving into the protest crowd. The prosecutors said that Foster was legally carrying an assault-style rifle and approached Perry's car, at which point Perry fatally shot him.

Related Article: Tech CEO Beau Mann Found Dead in California Nearly 2 Years After Disappearance on Uber Ride

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Mastercard today announced its collaboration with travel and spend management firm Getout System to launch its proprietary Spends Ecosystem, the first SaaS-based platform with an integrated marketplace to service all stakeholders in the business travel space. By addressing challenges of cost, compliance, transparency, data control and regulatory constraints, the platform will enable enterprises of all sizes to maximize the value of their spend and improve their financial health and workflows.

The Spends Ecosystem will allow enterprises to make payments which are automatically reconciled with a variety of controls aimed at ensuring risk free and frictionless transactions. It will act as a one-stop-shop for travel bookings, payments, and compliances, with in-built digital workflows, budgetary and policy adherences, and simplified accounting and expense management.

Traditionally, business travel solutions have been disparate, time-consuming, and costly, with issues around policy compliance and transparency. However, the Spends Ecosystem, with end-to-end automation of business travel, will automate travel supplier and service provider payments, thereby increasing cashflow and reducing fraud risk for enterprises.

The collaboration between Getout System and Mastercard will facilitate seamless physical and virtual credit card generation for online and offline payments according to customers business needs. The platform will assist its users with spend and budget management, providing them more flexibility and controls in terms of accounting. Further, its integration with an online travel marketplace will ensure a hassle-free experience for enterprises, said Sanjeev Malhotra, Founder Director & CEO, Getout System.

Mastercards collaboration with Getout System reiterates its larger commitment to promoting innovation and strengthening the Indian startup ecosystem. With a unique marketplace model and exciting offers for all stakeholders, such as banks, intermediaries, travel service providers, and cardholders, the Spends platform will act as a complete travel solution for Indian businesses of all sizes. It will also strengthen Mastercards position in the business travel space, said Mukul Sukhani, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Mastercard.
TATA Starbucks Pvt. Ltd. today launched a new campaign, #ItStartsWithYourName, with a renewed lens on personal connections and relationships. The riveting brand film and communication aims to further the companys positioning as being people first and creating cherished interpersonal interactions and brings alive how each experience is inclusive and feels like a homecoming.

The Brand film opens to an elderly couple at a TATA Starbucks store, waiting for their son Arpit to arrive, with his father seemingly upset and the mother urging the father to remain composed. In the frame after, a nervous young girl approaches the couple and sits next to them. It is only then that audiences realise that the couple is meeting their transgender daughter for the first time. Cutting through the awkward tension between them, the father goes on to place the order for coffee. As the situation becomes awkward, the family hears the familiar voice of the Starbucks barista calling out Three cold coffees for Arpita. She is pleasantly surprised on realising her fathers acceptance and they all tear up as the family reunites.

To bring authenticity to the storytelling, TATA Starbucks worked with creative talents from the LGBTQIA+ community. The film was directed by Gaurav Gupta and features transgender model and actor Sia as the protagonist.

Speaking about the campaign, Deepa Krishnan, Chief Marketing Officer, TATA Starbucks Pvt Ltd said, Starbucks has always been a warm, welcoming space for its customers where relationships are fostered, and personal connections are celebrated over a cup of coffee. The unique Starbucks experience where everyone feels welcome is what drives our growth. At Starbucks, we are not in the coffee business serving people, but in the people business serving coffee, nurturing the limitless possibilities of human connection every day. With the #ItStartsWithYourName campaign  we hope to further drive the message of being a welcoming, inclusive brand where nothing matters to us more than our customers comfort. We understand that our customers enjoy and cherish their individuality and we are always ready to celebrate it with them.

Further discussing the campaign, Ashutosh Munshi, Lead Advisor, Brand Marketing and Communications, Edelman said, #ItStartsWithYourName  campaign brings to the fore the essence of the TATA Starbucks experience, where customers are recognized personally, by their names. This 360-degree, integrated campaign includes a new brand film and a suite of marketing communication assets that highlight Starbucks' unique ability to create a sense of belonging for its customers while making meaningful relationships.

TATA Starbucks Pvt. Ltd. recently announced a range of new offerings to customers across its 341 Starbucks stores in 43 cities in India. This includes the new small cup size, 6 0z/ 180 ml. `Picco size for hot beverages, Filter Coffee, Masala Chai and Elaichi Chai, a range of Signature Milkshakes (available in Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla flavours) that will be offered at exciting price points for Indian audiences. Additionally, the revamped food menu boasts of freshly assembled sandwiches, shareable food, and bite-sized snacks.

As TATA Starbucks opens 71 stores in F23 taking its total store count to 341 in 43 cities, the new product offerings demonstrate TATA Starbucks long-term investment to the growth of one of its fastest-growing markets and its commitment to deliver the signature Starbucks experience in ways that best connects with Indias customers.

The expansion of the new offerings nationwide follows TATA Starbucks successful trial of localized menus in Bengaluru, Bhopal, Gurgaon and Indore in July last year, which was met with positive feedback from customers.

In addition to the brand film, the campaign also comprises product films for Picco, Masala Chai, Filter coffee, New Food menu and Milkshakes.

The `Picco` film recognizes the Indian consumers need for a small cup size in beverages and shows the Starbucks barista helping a new customer choose the Picco size as she navigates the best option for her.

The filter coffee film will showcase a mother-daughter duo catching up after a long time, at a Starbucks store. The mother's delight in meeting her daughter quickly turns into hesitation as she looks at the menu board, feeling confused at multiple choices of coffee options available, ultimately asking her daughter to make the choice for her. Knowing just what will make her happy, the daughter places the order and assures her that she ordered one of her favorites. The Starbucks Barista cheerfully calls out Filter Coffee for my super cool ma that leaves her mother smiling, relieved and feeling at home.

The multimedia 360-degree campaign conceptualized by Edelman India will be amplified across Digital, Print, Radio and BTL initiatives.
Pursuant to the provisions of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, the Board of Directors of Zee Media Corporation Ltd has given approval to the company to bid to acquire Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL).

In its filing to the bourses, Zee Media stated, The Board of Directors of the Company, vide Resolution passed by circulation on May 5, 2023, have granted the approval to the Company to submit Expression of Interest (EOI) with Corporate Insolvency Resolution Professional (CIRP) of Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL) in relation to the Invitation for Expression of Interest for submission of Resolution Plan for Reliance Broadcast Network Limited issued by CIRP appointed in terms of the extant provisions for Corporate Insolvency Resolution process of RBNL.

RBNL operates 55 FM radio channels across India under the Big FM brand. The company reported total revenue of Rs 174 crore for FY 2023-23. It is learnt that corporate insolvency process has been initiated against RBNL by the National Company Law Tribunal.
Federal Department of Finance

Bern, 11.05.2023 - The National Cybersecurity Centre's (NCSC) second semi-annual report deals with the most important cyberincidents of the second half of 2022 in Switzerland and internationally. It focuses on the most important issues surrounding cybersecurity in SMEs.

Digitalisation is also progressing in small and medium-sized enterprises. Numerous computers are connected to each other via network interfaces. Processes such as order processing, planning, production and logistics are increasingly interlinked and digitally managed. This increases the number of systems that are accessible from the internet and therefore need the best possible protection. However, SMEs in particular often pay too little attention to cybersecurity. For this reason, the current semi-annual report focuses on cybersecurity in SMEs and highlights the most important aspects of protection against cyberthreats. In addition, a business and a police authority provide insight into how specific cyberincidents unfold.

Most frequently reported: fraud

In the second half of 2022, the number of reports received by the NCSC remained very high at 17,341, which was practically identical to the first half of the year. In total, the NCSC received 34,527 reports last year. Of these, 85% came from the public and the remaining 15% from businesses, associations and authorities. The reports concerned various forms of fraud, with fake extortion emails, i.e. threatening emails in the name of prosecution authorities, accounting for almost one third of the reports. Other frequently reported forms of fraud included CEO fraud and invoice manipulation scams.

Unchanged amount of ransomware

Ransomware reports remained constant and accounted for almost half of all reports in the malware category. About one third of the 76 reports concerned private individuals, two thirds involved businesses. The LockBit ransomware is often used in attacks targeting businesses. This malware is known for the fact that not only is data encrypted, but it is also stolen and posted on the internet if the ransom is not paid. Such double extortion approaches are being observed more and more frequently. Since many businesses have recognised the threat of ransomware and now have backups, pure encryption is no longer lucrative enough for attackers. The initial infection in ransomware incidents is often due to a vulnerability or poor configuration, as well as emails with malicious attachments and links.

Hacking reports continued to rise sharply

Compared to the previous half-year period, the number of reports regarding hacking almost doubled in the second half of the year, with 276 reports. In particular, social media accounts are a popular target for hackers, for example to blackmail users or to use the hacked accounts to distribute advertising for investment fraud.

Address for enquiries

NCSC Communications

Tel. 058 465 53 56

ncsc-media@gs-efd.admin.ch

Publisher

Federal Department of Finance

https://www.efd.admin.ch/efd/en/home.html




Today, the tussle between two Shiv Sena settled a bit, but the court hinted that the errors made by former Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari have done a lot of damage to the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Bhagat Singh created a lot of chaos time and again, and to maintain his loyalties towards the BJP, he never gave a fair chance to the Uddhav Thackeray government.

The Supreme Court on Thursday said that the Maharashtra Governor was not justified in calling upon then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove a majority in the Assembly on June 30 last year but refused to order status quo ante, saying he did not face the floor test and resigned. In a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas related to the political crisis that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray following a revolt by the Eknath Shinde faction, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud held that the House speakers decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of the Shiv Sena was illegal.

The court said, The opposition parties did not issue any no-confidence motion. The governor had no objective material to doubt the confidence of the Government. The floor test cannot be used as a medium to resolve inter-party disputes or intra party disputes. Even if it is assumed that the MLAs wanted to exit the government, they constituted only a faction. It went on to add, Nothing in any of the communications relied on by the Governor indicated that the dissatisfied MLAs wanted to withdraw support to the Government. The Governor erred in relying on the resolution of a faction of MLAs of Shiv Sena to conclude that Uddhav Thackeray had lost support of the majority of MLAs.

The court held that the security concerns expressed by MLAs (from the Shinde faction) have no bearing on the support of the government. This was an extraneous consideration on which the governor placed reliance. The governor ought not to have relied on the said letter It did not indicate that Mr.Thackeray lost support. The governor did not have any objective material to indicate the government had lost confidence in the house, it said.

The Supreme Court has been hearing from June 2022 onward a batch of petitions filed by leaders from the Thackeray and Shinde factions. The Shinde camp challenged the June 21 decision of Assembly Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal (of the NCP) to recognize Ajay Choudhari as leader of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party (SSLP) in place of Shinde, who had rebelled against Thackeray and gone to Surat with some MLAs, calling it illegal, unconstitutional, and taken with bias. The plea also challenged the disqualification notices that Zirwal had served on Shinde and 15 MLAs supporting him on June 25 for not attending a party meeting convened by then Chief Minister Thackeray. The rebels had been given 48 hours (until June 27) to respond.

Relying on Nabam Rebia, the Shinde camp argued that Zirwal could not act on the disqualification petition against the 16 MLAs while a notice for a resolution seeking his own removal was pending. In response, Zirwal told the court that the no-confidence motion against him was rejected because the genuineness or veracity of the notice could not be ascertained.

On June 27, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and J. B. Pardiwala extended until July 12 the deadline given by Zirwal to the 16 Shinde camp MLAs to reply to the disqualification notices. However, the court refused to restrain the holding of the floor test in the Assembly until then.

A five-judge Constitution Bench, which ruled on petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray and Shinde camps. The Supreme Court also said that while it cannot interfere in the proceedings, the Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly must decide on the issue of the disqualification of the 16 MLAs, including Shinde. As the apex court did not intervene in the disqualification proceedings, their outcome will be subject to the decision of the Maharashtra Speaker.

The SC held that since Uddhav Thackeray resigned as the chief minister and did not face the floor test, his government cannot be reinstated. It said that had Thackeray refrained from resigning from his post, the court could have restored his government.

The court held that by calling the floor test, the then Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari did not act in accordance with the law as he had no objective material to doubt the confidence of the Thackeray government in the House. It added that the governor had erred in relying on the resolution of a faction of MLAs of the Shiv Sena to conclude that Uddhav Thackeray had lost the support of the majority of the legislators in the Assembly. At this point in time, there is no other option left for Uddahv Thackeray and his Shiv Sena to fight the upcoming elections and win with a majority if they want to regain power in the state. Somehow Shinde got some relief in retaining power, but the challenge ahead is to maintain the same status.
"I am, as a parent, obviously willing to take responsibility for him because he can't take responsibility" for himself, she said in an exclusive interview with ABC News.

"He had started medication and he was meeting his goals, academically," she said. Taylor's grandfather, Calvin Taylor, who has legal custody of the boy, agreed that "his behavior had changed [for the better] in the classroom" prior to the incident. I have so many questions about this poor child. HE IS SIX YEARS OLD. I question blaming the child's ADHD because I'm unfamiliar with violence and aggression being part of an ADHD diagnosis. I looked up the clinical definition: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children. Symptoms of ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought). ADHD is considered a chronic and debilitating disorder and is known to impact the individual in many aspects of their life including academic and professional achievements, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning (Harpin, 2005). ADHD can lead to poor self-esteem and social function in children when not appropriately treated (Harpin et al., 2016). Adults with ADHD may experience poor self-worth, sensitivity towards criticism, and increased self-criticism possibly stemming from higher levels of criticism throughout life (Beaton, et al., 2022). Of note, ADHD presentation and assessment in adults differs; this page focuses on children. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhdhttps://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd Here is the story from Apple News. When I looked up other versions, including the current ABC News version the paragraph about medication was missing. Deja Taylor, the mother of a 6-year-old boy who allegedly shot his first grade teacher in January, says she is willing to take responsibility for the incident, and that her son's actions can be linked to his ADHD diagnosis.

A six year old boy brought a gun to school and shot a teacher in Virginia. She survived. I read this story through Apple News yesterday. Mother of 6-year-old who shot Virginia teacher says son has ADHD . This paragraph caught my eye:

Taylor is charged with a felony count of child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a firearm as to endanger a child, prosecutors said. Her bench trial is scheduled for Aug. 15.

Abby Zwerner, her son's teacher, has recovered from the shooting. She filed a $40 million lawsuit in April against the Newport News School District and Richneck Elementary officials claiming they ignored multiple warnings about the student's behavior, as well as concerns that he may have a gun. Lawyers for the school board have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming her injuries are covered under the state's worker's compensation law for which she was approved to receive benefits, but which she turned down.

Taylor describes her son as a "great kid," but "very energetic" due to his condition. "He's off the wall. Doesn't sit still, ever," she said.

In interviews and in her lawsuit, Zwerner characterized the boy as violent and said he "slammed the cellphone on the ground so hard that it cracked and shattered." In the lawsuit, she also claimed the child had a "history of random violence" and that he "attacked students and teachers alike."

According to Taylor, the boy "actually really liked" Zwerner and said during the week of the shooting "he felt like he was being ignored." The cellphone incident happened after Zwerner said she told him to sit down when he was asking her a question.

"You know, most children, when they are trying to talk to you, and if you easily just brush them off, or you ask them to sit down, or you're dealing with something else and you ask them to go and sit down, at 6 [years old] you -- in your mind would believe that, 'Somebody's not listening to me,' and you have a tantrum," Taylor said.

"He threw his arms up. He said, 'Fine.' And when he threw his arms up, he knocked her phone out of her hand on accident," she said. A suspension resulted from the incident. Taylor claimed only the screen protector had broken, and she says she had offered to pay for its replacement.

Zwerner's attorney declined to comment Tuesday.

The shooting took place the day the student returned to class from the suspension, according to the lawsuit.

James Ellenson, Taylor's attorney, said the ultimate responsibility for the shooting is on school officials who prematurely enrolled the student in first grade despite knowing he had only attended two months of kindergarten and two months of pre-K. They were also aware of his ADHD diagnosis, Ellenson claimed.

"If they believed all of these behaviors to be true, then they should not have allowed him" to advance to a higher level, Ellenson said. "They should've put him back into kindergarten, possibly even pre-K, but at the minimum to kindergarten."

A spokesperson for Newport News Public Schools told ABC News it could not comment on issues related to "a student's educational record." A representative for Briana Foster Newton, the principal of Richneck Elementary School at the time of the shooting, did not respond to repeated requests for comment from ABC News.

According to the boy's family, the school informed Taylor she and other family members were no longer required to be present in the classroom, a request they made in the fall due to the boy's behavior challenges.

"He had started medication and he was meeting his goals, academically," she said. Taylor's grandfather, Calvin Taylor, who has legal custody of the boy, agreed that "his behavior had changed [for the better] in the classroom" prior to the incident.

"He was more attentive, he tried to follow along, he tried to do the coursework," Calvin Taylor said. "But in all fairness to the other kids in the class, sometimes it was just too much for him."

Nothing about his behavior on Jan. 6, the day of the shooting, made it seem like something was wrong, Calvin Taylor said. "It was almost like a normal day for him ... He was happy, you know?" he said.

Ellenson said the gun was legally purchased. Deja Taylor says she last saw it when it was locked, but since then, Ellenson said, "nobody knows" how the boy obtained it. At the time, Deja Taylor's mental state was frail, she and Ellenson both said. She said she was suffering from postpartum depression following a succession of miscarriages and had been hospitalized for a week.

Now possibly facing up to six years in prison, Deja Taylor said she feels regret. "I just truly would like to apologize that ... she [Zwerner] did get hurt. We were actually kind of forming a relationship with me having to be in the classroom. And she is really a bright person."

The more appropriate sentence Taylor should face if she is liable for alleged negligence, said Ellenson, would be probation or community service.

The boy remains in the legal custody of Calvin Taylor, who said the boy is in school elsewhere and getting therapy. He said he worries, however, about the boy's future living in Newport News.

"I just don't think the constant negativity [from] my community is allowing this to boil over," he said. Deja Taylor, he said, should not be absolved for her actions, but deserves to be looked at "as a human being who made a mistake."

"Jan. 6 was a terrible day for a lotta people," he said. "A terrible day for the teacher, a terrible day for the kids that was in that classroom, a terrible day for my great-grandson, and a terrible day for the community and my other family members and friends."
Leaders of communities along a seven county, 80-mile stretch of highway in Northeast Alabama are taking a step toward cooperation next week.

The I-59 Corridor Summit, a regional cooperative effort for economic development, is set for Monday at 11:30 a.m. at Gadsdens The Venue at Coosa Landing, 201 George Wallace Drive.

Bringing Neighbors Together is aimed at connecting cities from Trussville to Fort Payne for economic development, organizers say. Representatives from Jefferson, St. Clair, Blount, Etowah, Cherokee, Marshall and DeKalb counties will take part. Planning has taken about a year, with more than 125 people expected to attend.

Among speakers will be Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield; Tami Reist, president and CEO of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, and Ed Castile, deputy secretary of Alabama Commerces Workforce Development Division.

For more information, contact Don Smith, executive director of the St. Clair County Economic Development Council, at (205) 814-1440, or dsmith@stclairedc.com.

Smith said the cooperative effort is patterned on the kind of regional coordination that helped to land Honda in Talladega County along the Interstate 20 corridor.

Its important to be able to work outside your city limits to get these desirable employers into our communities, Smith said. This is a proven concept. All of the major projects in the state have taken counties working together with other municipalities outside of where the project lands. Ultimately, its all about the jobs, and the jobs will have a regional impact.
General Motors Co. will consolidate its sales operations in North America for commercial vehicles, parts, and telematics services under a new brand umbrella-the GM Envolve.

To Compete with Ford Pro

The GM Envolve is a direct competitor of Ford Motor Co's Ford Pro unit. The reorganization is to help it easier for commercial fleet customers to negotiate electric and combustion vehicle purchases and sign up for services and software offerings that GM is developing to gain more revenue after selling a vehicle, according to Reuters.

Before, commercial customers would get called by GM's traditional vehicle brands' representatives, BrightDrop delivery van unit.

Currently, GM is competing with Ford and Stellantis NV to get a bigger share of the commercial fleet market.

GM Envolve

The GM Envolve is a crucial part of the company's strategy to expand its presence in the electric vehicle market. With its advanced technology and innovative features, this commercial electric van has already garnered significant interest from fleet operators looking for efficient and eco-friendly transportation solutions.

One of the key advantages that GM offers with Envolve is its comprehensive suite of services designed specifically for commercial customers. These services include customized financing options, dedicated support teams, and access to exclusive software tools that help businesses manage their fleets more effectively.

GM aims to establish itself as a leader in the rapidly growing EV market by providing these value-added services alongside top-quality vehicles like Envolve. And with competition heating up between major automakers like Ford and Stellantis NV, it's clear that there's never been a better time for companies like GM to invest heavily in electrification technologies if they want to stay ahead of the curve.

With all these factors working together - cutting-edge tech innovations and tailored customer service offerings specific to commercial clients- it seems highly likely that we will see more exciting developments from General Motors soon enough!

Read also: General Motors Sued By Paraplegic Woman Burned By Seat Heaters

A Game-Changer for GM

In addition to its commercial applications, GM Envolve also has the potential to be a game-changer in the consumer market. With its spacious interior, advanced safety features, and impressive range, this electric van could be an appealing option for families and individuals looking for a versatile, eco-friendly vehicle.

Furthermore, Envolve is part of a larger GM strategy to electrify its entire product lineup. The company plans to invest $27 billion in electric and autonomous technologies by 2025, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.

Overall, the GM Envolve is just one piece of a larger puzzle as the company works to establish itself as a leader in the electric vehicle space. With its advanced technology, comprehensive services, and ambitious goals, GM is well-positioned to succeed in this rapidly evolving market.

Related article: General Motors Displays the Blade Edition of Its HUMVEE Saber, Equipped with Drones and Anti-Drone System

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A 53-year-old Fairhope man is facing four counts of possession of child porn with intent to distribute after an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force.

According to a release from the Baldwin County Sheriffs Office, the investigation into Jeremy Dixon Kinseys activities began with a cyber tip received through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Law enforcement, including the Baldwin County Sheriffs Office, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and Department of Homeland Security, used specialized technology and forensic analysis to track down the suspect, later identified as Kinsey, and gather evidence on his activities.

According to the sheriffs office, the ICAC is a national network of law enforcement agencies dedicated to investigating and prosecuting individuals who use the internet to exploit children.

The arrest of Jeremy Kinsey serves as a reminder that the internet can be a dangerous place for children and underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to educate the public about the risks and to take action to prevent and combat online exploitation, the sheriffs office said in the release.

Kinsey was taken into custody Tuesday without incident. He is being held at the Baldwin County Jail under $100,000 bond -- $25,000 for each count, according to the jail docket.
A West Florida teacher has been suspended after his arrest for aggravated assault, having allegedly been drunk at a school track meet and then later pointing a gun at his wife.

According to the Escambia County, (Fla.) Jail Docket, Jerrod Wade Novotny, 44, was taken into custody Tuesday night on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

An arrest report obtained from the Escambia County Sheriffs Office states that his wife told police Novotny had been drunk when he arrived at his daughters track meet at Washington High School. His behavior made her angry and she told him not to join them for dinner at a local restaurant later that evening.

Novotny showed up anyway, the report reads, belligerent and drunk. His wife told police that after they arrived home, she and their two children slept in the daughters bedroom because they were scared by Jerrods demeanor at the restaurant.

Later that night, the wife awoke to find Novotny standing over her and their daughter, with one arm extended, a mostly black with some silver handgun at her.

According to the report, when Novotny realized his wife was awake, he hid the gun behind his back.

Novotny posted $5,000 bail Wednesday and was released.

The Escambia County School District issued this statement to WEAR in Pensacola on the incident:

This is a law enforcement matter. ECPS will continue to cooperate with our local law enforcement partners. We will abide by Florida law related to the appropriate employment actions required of us. This individual is currently suspended, per these statutory requirements, the statement reads.

The school website lists Novotny as a social studies teacher.
The suspect in a shooting during Black Spring Break in Biloxi last month is now in custody, Biloxi police said Thursday.

Dontavis Omar Magee, 22, of Gulfport was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals in Collins, Miss., assisted by the Covington County Sheriffs Office. He has since been transported back to Biloxi.

Magee is accused of firing the shots which struck four people, including a Biloxi police officer, on April 16 -- the final day of the annual Black Spring Break in Biloxi. The shootings took place on Beach Boulevard (U.S. 90) which runs along the beachfront in Harrison County.

All four victims were taken to area hospitals for treatment and have since been released.

Once returned to Biloxi, Magee was booked into the Harrison County Adult Detention Center on three counts of aggravated assault and one count of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

Harrison County Justice Court Judge Albert Fountain set bond at $2.25 million, but Magee is ineligible to post bond, as he is wanted for armed robbery and kidnapping in Cobb County, Ga.
A Walker County man has been indicted in a 2022 DUI crash that killed two people and injured a third person.

Lee Adrun Higginbotham is charged with two counts of reckless murder and one count of first-degree assault.

The wreck happened May 23, 2022, on Highway 269 in Parrish.

Killed were Brileigh Lanette Yahn, 21, of Fultondale, and Antony Jackson Franklin Whitworth, 22, of Jasper. A thirsd person, Alexia Danielle Wiggins, was injured.

A Walker County grand jury issued the indictments against Higginbotham, who lives in Parrish, on May 2. Parrish police officers took him into custody at his home Tuesday.

The indictment says Higginbotham was driving on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic. It also states he was under the influence of alcohol and/or cannabis and/or Hydrocodone and/or opiates and/or Oxycodone.

Higginbotham remains held in the Walker County Jail.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency assisted in the investigation.

I hope this arrest can somehow help in the healing process of losing family members in such a tragic way, said Parris police Chief Danny Woodward.
If youre looking for a party, head to Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Thats the findings of a new ranking from BonusFinder.com which looks at city offerings for music events, bars and nightclubs, late night food venues, hotels, casinos and strip clubs and average prices of drinks, hotel rooms and taxis. You can see the methodology here.

Atlantic City received a perfect 10 out of 10 on the party meter, with a particular note that theres no last call time for bars.

Atlantic City was followed by closely by Miami Beach, Florida; Hoboken, New Jersey; Key West, Florida; Miami, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; New Orleans, Louisiana; Reno, Nevada; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Sarasota, Florida.

The only Alabama city making the top 25 was Mobile which was ranked 16th. The south Alabama city scored particularly high  9.45 out of 10  for the low average price a hotel room but was dinged with a 5 for access to casino gambling.

The same list put Birmingham at number 41.

Want to see what other cities made the list? You can see 1-100 here.
An Alabama man who is a convicted sex offender has been charged in the death of a pregnant Florida teen whose body was found Wednesday after she had been missing for one week.

Marquis Devan McCloud, 33, is being held without bond in the Houston County Jail. He is charged in the slaying of 19-year-old Anastasia Gilley. The charge is capital murder during a kidnapping.

Gilleys remains were found in Houston County in Wednesdays predawn hours.

Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza in a Thursday press conference said the suspect and victim were acquaintances.

They knew each other, Valenza said, adding that investigators believe Gilley was held against her will in Houston County.

At one point she may have willfully met him, the sheriff said, but (at some point) she was held against her will during those days.

Gilley was last seen at her Jackson County, Florida, home on May 3. She was four months pregnant.

Her sister posted on Facebook that someone heard her scream near her home about 10:30 p.m. that Wednesday and she had not been heard from or seen since then.

Anastasia Gilley (Jackson County, Fl. Sheriff's Office)

Her phone, purse and other personal belongings were found at her home. Also, her sister said, she didnt show up for work and missed a doctor appointment.

Valenza said his office was notified about Gilleys disappearance on Sunday. A joint investigation by Houston County and the Jackson County Sheriffs Office in Florida ensued.

The sheriff said his investigators alone put in a combine total of 660 manpower hours on the probe since Sunday.

About 2 a.m. Wednesday, they received information that Gilleys body could be in the area of Headland Avenue. When investigators arrived at the location, they found the decomposed remains of a female.

Though the remains have not yet been confirmed to be those of Gilley, Valenza said clothing and jewelry found at the scene matched what Gilley was last known to be wearing.

He said he believed Gilley had been dead since at least Friday.

We strongly believe it is her, he said.

McCloud was detained in Houston County earlier in the week in connection with Gilleys death. Valenza said he has not cooperated with investigators.

Formal charges against him were filed on Wednesday.

A possible motive in the slaying has not been disclosed. Authorities have not confirmed how Gilley was killed, but Valenza said there is some evidence indicating she may have been shot.

Valenza said more charges could be filed in connection with case.

Court records show McCloud pleaded guilty in 2010 to a charge of second-degree rape in Henry County and was sentenced to eight years in prison. He pleaded guilty in 2015 to being a felon in possession of a firearm and violating the states sex offender notification laws.

He was charged with first-degree rape, also in Henry County in 2017, but a grand jury in 2018 declined to indict him on that charge.
The Alabama Senate has passed a bill to put time requirements in the states open records law, which requires state, city, and county agencies, as well as school boards, to give people access to government records and documents.

Alabamas open records law says people have a right to view and obtain copies of public records. But the law places no requirements on when agencies must respond to requests for records.

Alabama Press Association Executive Director Felicia Mason said the bill would be a good first step toward strengthening the law. The APA has supported putting more teeth in the law for years. But those bills have stalled.

The idea was to get some time limit in the law, said Mason, who has been executive director for 35 years.

The lack of time requirements and other weaknesses in the law can thwart public access to information. A 2019 study by a researcher at the University of Arizona ranked Alabama last among states in responsiveness to requests for records.

Gov. Kay Ivey issued an executive order in January directing state executive branch agencies to be more responsive to public records requests and setting timelines.

The bill that passed today, SB196, by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would require a public officer who is a custodian of records for an agency to acknowledge receipt of a request for records no more than 10 business days after receiving it. No more than 20 days after a request, the public officer would have to give a response to the request in one or more of several ways:

Provide access to the records at a mutually agreed place and time during normal business hours.

Give an estimate of the costs for copying and producing the records.

Deny the request in full.

Grant the request in part and deny it in part. That could be because the records requested fall under an exception to the public records law. Or it could be because the agency does not have the records.

The public officer could ask the requester to narrow the scope of the request in certain circumstance. If fulfilling the request takes longer than 20 days, the public officer could provide an estimate of the additional time needed, which could be up to 45 days, plus 15 days to determine whether a record is sensitive or otherwise nonpublic information.

If the public officer denies the request in whole or in part, they have to identify the subject matter of the withheld records that are withheld and the reason.

Mason said the APA worked with counties, cities, and school boards on the bill. Mason said there are still improvements that can be made to the law and expects to advocate for those next year. The law allows agencies to charge reasonable fees for the cost of providing documents. Mason said that should be better defined. Also, the law does not provide any specific recourse denials of records requests.

The Senate passed Orrs bill by a vote of 33-0 today. Mason is hopeful the House will pass it and send it to Gov. Kay Ivey, who could sign it into law.

Its not perfect, I will tell you, Mason said. But its certainly better than where we are now.
A bill to allow some inmates serving sentences of life without parole whose crimes did not cause a serious physical injury to apply for reduced sentences won approval Wednesday in the Alabama House Judiciary Committee.

Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, said the bill would be an important first step toward sentencing reform. England, a longtime proponent of reform, said the bill, HB229 is a compromise version of a Second Chance bill developed in cooperation with the attorney generals office and Republicans on the Judiciary Committee.

I think its a recognition that sometimes sentencing can be overly harsh, England said. Some of the arbitrary standards that we set up to incarcerate individuals sometimes can go too far.

England said the bill would give a chance for review to inmates who did not benefit from revisions to sentencing laws that took effect after they were convicted.

I think the bill appropriately identifies that population and is going to try to help them if were able to get it through the process, England said.

Committee approval puts the bill in line for a vote by the full House of Representatives. It would also have to pass the Senate to become law.

England said about 300 inmates would be eligible to file motions for new sentences if the bill passes. To be eligible, inmates must have been sentenced to life without parole under Alabamas Habitual Felony Offender law before May 26, 2000. Those who committed murder, a sex offense, or any crime causing a serious physical injury would not be eligible.

If eligible, an inmate could apply for a reduced sentence. The motion would be heard in the trial court where they were convicted. The district attorney would have a right to be heard on the motion. And the victim of the crime could file a statement or testify. The bill says the judge would give the victims opinion considerable weight.

The judge would also consider the underlying offense, the inmates conduct in prison, whether the inmate used a firearm in the crime, and the availability of a structured reentry plan to help the inmate adjust to life outside prison.

England said many of those provisions in the bill were the result of working with the attorney generals office and Republicans on the committee, including Rep. Russell Bedsole, a captain in the Shelby County Sheriffs Department. England has often seen his bills stall in the Republican-controlled Judiciary Committee, but said todays vote is an example of the possibilities of compromise.

Sometimes when youre on the outside looking in, this looks like a circus, like professional wrestling to most people, England said. It seems like we all just dont get along and we fuss and fight about a bunch of different things. But underneath it all, sometimes a good idea can motivate cooperation and people from different walks of life, different sides of the aisle can come together and see ideas and try to synthesize something that can help people but at the same time satisfy a bunch of differing opinions and perspectives.

England acknowledged that several hundred inmates is a small portion of the population in Alabamas overcrowded and understaffed prisons, which the Department of Justice says hold men in conditions that violate the Constitution.

But I dont want to disregard the fact that were still talking about humans, humanity, England said. And some people do deserve a second chance for review. And Im not looking at arbitrary distinctions between people. I know that there are more. But this is a small first step and were going to continue to work to try to find different ways to alleviate prison population but also to create review for people that may be unjustly serving beyond the time they should be.

England said if his bill passes it could create more opportunities for inmates like Ronald McKeithen, who served almost 37 years before his release in 2020. McKeithen received a life without parole sentence under the Habitual Felony Offender Act when he was convicted of first-degree robbery in 1984 because he had a previous record of three nonviolent property crimes. While in prison, McKeithen got his GED and became a licensed barber. He won his release with help from the lawyers at the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice. He now works at Appleseed, at the Offenders Alumni Association and at an alternative school where he speaks to kids.

I think youre going to see that these folks were not defined by their worst moments, England said. I think youre also going to see that despite the harrowing, inhumane, violent, abusive, corrupt conditions within our prison system, that there are many people who still have the wherewithal to thrive within that system, help people within the system and then get the opportunity when they get out to become full contributing citizens again. So Im anxious and hopeful if this bill gets through the process and that we can create more Ronald McKeithens and show the world that there are many Ronald McKeithens out there, people who made a mistake in their lifetimes, made a few mistakes, but when given the opportunity, can do wonderful things.

Read more: Alabama man sentenced to life in prison under Habitual Felony Offender Act free after 37 years: I thought, Im going to die in here

Second Chance bill could free some older prisoners serving life sentences in Alabama
Joran van der Sloot, indicted in 2010 on extortion and wire-fraud charges in connection with the disappearance in Aruba of Mountain Brook teen Natalee Holloway, will be extradited to Alabama to face the federal charges in Birmingham.

Peru today issued an executive order allowing the temporary extradition of van der Sloot to the United States.

The Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorneys Office declined to comment on the extradition.

Once he arrives in the U.S., Van der Sloot will be arraigned in federal court in Birmingham.

[Read the indictment here.]

The Government of Peru is committed to justice, the rule of law, and international legal cooperation. At a time when there is increasingly greater cross-border transit of people, our institutions are keeping up to ensure that criminals are brought to justice, a statement from Peru read.

We will continue to collaborate on legal issues with allies such as the United States, and many others with which we have extradition treaties, said Edgar Alfredo Rebaza, Director of the Office of International Judicial Cooperation and Extraditions of the National Prosecutors Office.

Van der Sloot, a Dutch national from Aruba, is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence in Peru for the 2010 murder of Lima college student Stephany Flores.

Here is a timeline of the case

Flores was killed five years to the day Natalee disappeared.

Van der Sloot was arrested in the Holloway disappearance but never charged with her death.

The 18-year-old visited Aruba on a high school graduation trip in May 2005, along with 130-plus of her graduated classmates from Mountain Brook High School.

For several days, the teens - of legal drinking age in Aruba - sunned and snorkeled during the day, and at night donned their sundresses for dinner and partying at Carlos N Charlies, which at the time was located in downtown Oranjestad, a decent cab ride from the high-rise district.

The group often ended up at Excelsior Casino, which was connected to the Holiday Inn where the Mountain Brook group stayed.

On their last night, Natalee and her friends met van der Sloot, who lived with his family in the nearby Montana neighborhood and attended the Aruba International School.

She was last seen about 1 a.m. getting into a gray Honda with van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers as they left Carlo N Charlies.

Natalee was scheduled to fly home on May 30 but failed to show up when the group met in the lobby to leave for their flight.

Natalies family flew to Aruba immediately.

They, along two Aruban policemen, went to the van der Sloot home looking for Holloway.

Van der Sloot initially denied knowing Natalee Holloway, but later said they drove to the California Lighthouse area of Arashi Beach because Natalee wanted to see sharks, before dropping her off at her hotel around 2 a.m.

Van der Sloot said Natalee fell down as she got out of the car but refused his help. He said she was then approached by a man in a black shirt similar to those worn by security guards as the young men drove away.

The search continued for years, but to no avail.

In the Alabama charges, the U.S. Attorneys office and FBI said that on May 15, 2010, van der Sloot extorted $15,000 as a partial payment, wired from Birmingham to the Netherlands.

The total amount he was to be paid was $250,000. The information that van der Sloot has provided to that unnamed individual was false, federal authorities said.

Federal authorities in Alabama contend van der Sloot exploited the fear of Holloways mother, Beth, that she would never find her daughters body or know what happened to her unless she paid him $250,000.

Van der Sloot faces one count of wire fraud and one count of extortion in connection with a FBI investigation that started in April 2010 in Birmingham.

Beth Holloway on Wednesday night released this statement:

In May 2005 my 18-year-old daughter Natalee Holloway left Birmingham for Aruba to attend her high school graduation trip and was never seen again. She was abducted and murdered there. Now almost exactly eighteen years later, her perpetrator, Joran van der Sloot, has been extradited to Birmingham to answer for his crimes.

He has been in prison in Peru for murdering another young girl there named Stephany Flores in 2010. While I will have much more to say later about what is happening, for now I want to express my sincere gratitude to President Dina Boluarte, the President of Peru, the warm people of Peru, the family of Stephany Flores, the FBI in Miami, Florida and in Birmingham, Alabama, the U.S. Attorneys office in Birmingham, the U.S. Embassy in Peru and the Peruvian Embassy in the U.S., my longtime attorney John Q. Kelly who has worked tirelessly on this case, and George Seymore and Marc Wachtenheim of Patriot Strategies.

Most importantly, I especially want to thank Greta Van Susteren who has become a very close friend and who has worked diligently with me for 18 years investigating and working to get justice, never giving up.

I was blessed to have had Natalee in my life for 18 years, and as of this month, I have been without her for exactly 18 years.

She would be 36 years old now. It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee.
Alabama lawmakers have passed a bill that could help clear the way for construction of a new State House.

The Senate voted 34-0 today to give the bill final passage and send it to Gov. Kay Ivey, who could sign it into law.

The bill, SB222, gives control of state-owned property that is now a parking lot behind the State House to the Legislative Council, a panel of 20 legislators. It gives the Legislative Council the authority to contract with the Retirement Systems of Alabama or another entity for construction and maintenance of a new State House.

The RSA has requested proposals from architectural firms to design a State House to replace the one now in use. It was built in 1963 for the state Highway Department. The Legislature has used it for meeting chambers and offices since 1985. The RSA will receive proposals until May 19.

Sen. Sam Givhan, R-Huntsville, the sponsor of the bill, has said there are still decisions ahead before the project can go forward and said the cost will be an important factor. The RSA asked for cost estimates in its request for design proposals. Givhan said if the project proceeds with the RSA financing and building it, the Legislature would make lease payments. The RSA already has eight office buildings in the state government complex of downtown Montgomery.

Givhan said there is a second possible site, the parking lot just north of the State House, which is directly across from the State Capitol.

Lawmakers have cited a number of reasons to replace the State House, saying the building was not designed for its current use. A facility assessment conducted by an engineering firm in March 2020 found that the eight-story, 315,000 square foot building needed $51 million in repairs, renovations and replacements over 10 years. Officials have cited the limited space for public access, poor accessibility for people with disabilities, and the flooding and mold problems. Last September, the Legislative Council directed senior staff officials at the Legislature to explore the idea of a new State House and discuss it with the RSA.

The bill moved on a fast track after it was introduced on April 19. The provisions on the State House are in a few paragraphs tucked into the 30-page bill, which also concerns legislative meeting dates, legislative committees, the transfer of duties if there is a vacancy in the lieutenant governors office, and other topics.

The bill allows the state attorney general to redact contracts for professional services that it submits to the Legislatures contract review committee. Currently, the names of those individuals or companies in the attorney generals contracts are listed on the agenda of the contract review committee.

This story will be updated.
Everyday items to be unaffordable for Americans if U.S.-China decoupling goes ahead: British expert

Xinhua) 11:31, May 11, 2023

LONDON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Everyday items could become unaffordable for Americans if China-U.S. trade relations were to hit rock bottom, a leading British scholar has warned in a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Zeno Leoni, a lecturer in defense studies at King's College London (KCL), said the United States "sees China as its main threat" and is trying to "decouple with China."

Leoni, also an affiliate at the Lau China Institute at KCL, added that the scale and type of decoupling will determine the outcome.

Leoni elaborated on two potential scenarios of "decoupling". The first is about strategic competition, whereby restrictions would only affect areas such as telecommunication technologies and semiconductors, but there would be no impact on investment, movement of people, and goods, he said.

"The other scenario is total decoupling. And that would lead to restrictions on goods from Chinese companies in the United States, and U.S. companies in China; data and other more basic technologies, and chips," he said.

Leoni said the first one would have a limited impact on the two countries and the rest of the world. However, substantial, structural decoupling would lead to more dramatic consequences, he added.

"Ordinary goods that we are nowadays able to find for a relatively cheap price might become unaffordable. The U.S. might not even have the capacity to produce those items inside the country, which is the case with the iPhone," he said.

Total decoupling would also affect many U.S. allies, he added, since it would take some time before those countries would be able to restore production, and reopen industries and manufacturing plants that were shut down a few decades ago.

"If a total decoupling scenario were to happen, we would also see the global gross domestic product (GDP) being affected by several percentage points," he warned.

Total decoupling would harm citizens on both sides of the Pacific, Leoni said. However, he added: "The cost of decoupling would be felt more by U.S. citizens. When it comes to consumer goods that are easily accessible, that we tend to use in our everyday life, the U.S. is more dependent on imports from China rather than the other way around."

The current relationship between the two countries is extremely politicized, Leoni said. This is negative for many countries around the world.

"Both the U.S. and China and their consumers will feel an impact," he said, adding that "the global economy will suffer from it."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Amid reports that Kyiv had postponed a long-anticipated spring counteroffensive while waiting for the arrival of additional Western weapons, the UK government said it had delivered long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine to assist in driving out Russia's occupying soldiers.

According to AP News, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced the donation of Storm Shadow missiles in the House of Commons. These are long-range, conventionally-armed deep-strike weapons capable of striking targets more than 250 kilometers (150 miles) away.

The air-launched missiles would enable Ukrainian troops to strike targets well beyond the front lines, even in Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukrainian officials reportedly promised British media they would not deploy the missiles against Russia.

The missiles, according to Wallace, "are now going into or are in the country itself."

Ukraine Awaits More Weaponry

More than 14 months after the Kremlin's full-scale invasion and despite receiving missiles from the UK, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country's military still needs more time to prepare for an anticipated counteroffensive to push back Russian occupying forces.

In an interview with BBC on Thursday, May 11, Zelenskyy said it would be unacceptable to initiate the attack now since too many lives would be lost.

He acknowledges that they can push ahead and win with the weaponry they have but that they will suffer heavy casualties. "So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time," Zelenskyy stated. He added that not all of the necessary equipment had arrived.

For weeks, predictions have been made that Ukraine would mount a counterattack to Russia's invasion. Ukraine is getting Western training and modern weaponry for its forces as it lines up for an anticipated attack.

Following the delivery of other cutting-edge Western weaponry to the Ukrainian military, including tanks and long-range precision artillery, this move by the UK is a welcome boost for the nation.

Also Read: EU, Ukraine Show Solidarity on Europe Day, but Kyiv Membership Remains Uncertain

To put them off the trail?

As the weather in Ukraine improves, a counterattack may be launched, although no official word on this has been issued as of yet. Ammunition supply problems on both sides have contributed to the mystery surrounding Zelenskyy's comments, which may have been intended to throw off the Russians.

In a report by AP News, it was speculated that the counteroffensive had already begun after the Ukrainian military claimed that its troops had advanced up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) around the disputed eastern city of Bakhmut.

The combat and forward advance, according to Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's Operational Command East, is reportedly not the major counteroffensive but rather a precursor suggesting that more similar assaults would be forthcoming.

In contrast, the leader of Russia's private military group Wagner, who has been at the forefront of Moscow's attack on Bakhmut, stated that the Ukrainian counteroffensive was "in full swing," with Ukrainian soldiers advancing on the flanks around Bakhmut.

Also Read: EU Targets Nations That Aid Russia in Dodging Sanctions; China Responds With Threat

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A north Alabama man is facing child sex charges after authorities say he traveled from Madison to Homewood to meet what he thought was a juvenile for sex.

Anthony Ray Lawrence, 36, is charged with electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act.

Lawrence was arrested after an investigation by Homewood police and the FBIs Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, Homewood police Sgt. John Carr said Thursday.

According to charging documents against Lawrence, the alleged crimes happened on April 21. Additional details have not been made public.

Lawrence was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on May 2, and released May 4 after posting $90,000 bond.

Carr said the investigation is ongoing.
Huntsville police said one person was killed this morning in a single-vehicle crash on Governors Drive.

David Paulk, 59, was injured in the crash, that occurred about 10:45 a.m. on the eastbound side of Governors Drive near Dug Hill Road.

Paulk was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

All lanes were back and running within hours.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted Alabamas Tommy Tuberville on Thursday, telling reporters in Washington his actions are dangerous.

The criticism comes a day after the top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, refused to support Tubervilles strategy of placing a hold on military promotions to overturn a Pentagon policy making abortion more accessible to service members.

Related: Tuberville on white nationalists in the military: I call them Americans

Schumers assessment extended to Tubervilles comments on a Birmingham radio station earlier this week regarding white nationalists serving in the military. Asked in an interview on WBHM if he believed white nationalists should be allowed to serve in the military, Tuberville responded Thats what (the Biden administration) calls them. I call them Americans.

On Thursday, Schumer said, Our colleague from Alabama is dragging us down, according to a tweet by Punchbowl News reporter Andrew Desiderio.

Schumer whacks Tuberville over his military promotion holds & his comments on white nationalism: Our colleague from Alabama is dragging us down  Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) May 11, 2023

The Hill newspaper in Washington quoted Schumer, a Democrat from New York, at length regarding Tuberville.

Does Sen. Tuberville honestly believe that our military is stronger with white nationalists in its ranks? Schumer said, according to The Hill. I cannot believe this needs to be said, but white nationalism has no place in our armed forces and no place in any corner of American society, period, full stop, end of story.

I urge Sen. Tuberville to think about the destructive spectacle he is creating in the Senate. His actions are dangerous.

Schumer also described Tubervilles comments on white nationalists in the military as utterly revolting, The Hill reported.

Its unusual for Senate leaders to so harshly criticize colleagues publicly, given that the Senate is generally considered more reserved and collegial than the House of Representatives.

AL Sen Tuberville, who just now made an attempt to clarify the comments he made about white nationalists in the military being "Americans", asks me to define what a white nationalist is.



Here's some of our exchange: pic.twitter.com/YGJlKJtrit  Julie Tsirkin (@JulieNBCNews) May 11, 2023

In an interview Thursday with Julie Tsirkin of NBC News, Tuberville was asked if he wanted to clarify his comments about white nationalists in the military.

The Democrats characterize all MAGA Republicans in the military as white nationalists, Tuberville told Tsirkin, who posted a partial transcript of the interview on Twitter. Wrong. OK, we cant get politics in the military. This has nothing to do with extremists and all that this, you know, my first day here was Jan. 6 (2021, the day of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol), had several senators stand up on the Senate floor saying to me, Weve got too many white nationalists. I mean, what the heck is that? Weve all got different beliefs. You know, Im a church Christ, Catholics, weve got different people. And we all have to make one military. We cant start distinguishing different types of people, OK? Thats all Ive got to say.

While Tuberville said Democrats defined white nationalists as all MAGA Republicans in the military, concern rose at the Pentagon during the Trump administration about the influence of white nationalists in the military. A Defense Department report, released in October 2020, said extremism in the military was a threat, according to a report by CQ Roll Call.

A Pentagon press release a week after the Jan. 6 insurrection in the final days of the Trump presidency included the headline, No place in DOD for extremism, white supremacy, officials say.

DOD policy expressly prohibits military personnel from actively advocating supremacist, extremist or criminal gang doctrine, ideology or causes, a quote in the press release said.

In the interview with NBC News, Tuberville asked Tsirkin to define a white nationalist.

A white nationalist propagates Nazism, a white nationalist could be someone who doesnt believe Black and Brown people are equals, Tsirkin responded, according to her transcript.

A white nationalist is a Nazi? Tuberville responded, according to the transcript.

Well, that could be one of their beliefs -- a white supremacist, Tsirkin said.

I dont look at it like that, Tuberville said.

According to Merriam-Webster, a white nationalist is one of a group of militant white people who espouse white supremacy and advocate enforced racial segregation.

In a statement to AL.com on Wednesday, a Tuberville spokesperson said, Sen. Tubervilles quote that is cited shows that he was being skeptical of the notion that there are white nationalists in the military, not that he believes they should be in the military. He believes the men and women in uniform are patriots.

Everybodys got their own opinion, Tuberville says when asked about McConnells opposition to his military holds@igorbobic: but hes your leader



Tuberville: Not on this hes not. I am. Im the one whos got the holds.



He adds that McConnell hasnt spoken to him about it  Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) May 11, 2023

In another tweet relating to McConnell opposing the hold of military nominations, Desiderio reported this exchange between Tuberville and reporters Thursday:

Everybodys got their opinion, Tuberville said of McConnells decision not to back him on military holds.

But hes your leader, a reporter responded, referring to the fact that McConnell is the Senate Minority Leader.

Not on this hes not, Tuberville responded. I am. Im the one whos got the holds.

Tuberville also said that McConnell has not spoken to him about the holds.
Jeffrey L. Norris, an educator at Oak Mountain Middle School in Shelby County, was announced Wednesday night as Alabama Teacher of the Year by the state Board of Education in Montgomery.

As the 2023-2024 Alabama Teacher of the Year, Norris will serve as the states official ambassador for public education and the teaching profession, the BOE said in a news release. He is also eligible for National Teacher of the Year.

My beliefs about teaching center on three words environment, engagement, and empowerment, Norris said in a statement. I ensure that my students are connected to the world around them. When I plan lessons, I keep engagement at the forefront and will go to extreme lengths to engage and gain the attention of our students.

Norris began his teaching career as an educator for third- and fifth-grade students and as a special education teacher in the Shelby County School System.

He was also an administrator, serving as an administrative assistant, assistant principal, and school principal.

During my career, I have attended professional development workshops, completed research, and presented state and local workshops on positive classroom transformations, Norris continued. A physical change of the classroom environment can set the tone for learning and immediately grabs students attention and focus. It provides a cohesive theme, which ties standards to learning and classroom activities.

Norris was among 16 finalists for the honor before being announced as the winner Wednesday night at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.

Some of Norris students said he was deserving of the award.

This was the best class! My friends, classmates, and Mr. Norris were more like my family, and this was the first class where I could open up and truly talk without overthinking, said Saisha, according to the BOE.

Another pupil, Tessa, said Norris left an imprint on her life.

I remember on the first day of school, Mr. Norris handed us a quote to illustrate. Mine was, There is no elevator to success  you have to take the stairs. I told it to my dad, and he still tells it to me constantly, she said. Every time I hear it, I think back to that day in English class that changed my life.

Also at the event, Kevin Pughsley, a science teacher at Berry Middle School in Hoover, was named Alternate Teacher of the Year.

I believe in and teach my students the importance of a growth mindset, said Pughsley. My colleagues and I try to bring our students and families into a community of caring. I enjoy encouraging our new educators to utilize best practices, district-wide training, and small group mentoring opportunities. I am truly thankful to my family, colleagues, students, and local community for their great support.

State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey said Norris and Pughsley clearly illustrate the level of professionalism and commitment, which exists within Alabamas education community. Both of these outstanding educators exemplify classroom excellence.
A Peruvian executive order has paved the way for Joran van der Sloot to be extradited to the U.S. to face charges he extorted thousands from Natalee Holloways mother.

There is no finalized plan for the transfer and its unclear when he will arrive in the U.S.

The 35-year-old van der Sloot has long been suspected in the disappearance and death of the Mountain Brook High School graduate visiting Aruba in 2005.

However, van der Sloot has never been charged in her death.

Read full coverage of the case here

Instead, he will be tried in Birminghams federal court on charges that he told Natalees mother, Beth Holloway, that he would lead her to Natalees body in exchange for $250,000.

Holloway paid van der Sloot a $25,000 down payment only to find out that he lied about the location of Natalees remains.

A federal grand jury in Birmingham indicted van der Sloot in 2010 on charges of extortion and wire fraud.

Van der Sloot, a Dutch national from Aruba, is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence in Peru for the 2010 murder of Lima college student Stephany Flores.

Flores was killed five years to the day of Natalees disappearance.

See also: AL.com returned to Aruba on the 10th anniversary of Natalee Holloways disappearance

While in prison, van der Sloot married Leidy Figueroa, who in 2014 gave birth to van der Sloots daughter  Dushy  who is named after his grandmother.

Peru officials said Wednesday that temporary extradition of a current prisoner is governed by Article Ten of the 2001 U.S. and Peru extradition treaty, which allows a country to temporarily release a person for the exclusive purpose of prosecution.

Van der Sloot does not yet have a U.S. attorney, but Peruvian attorney Maximo Altez, who represents van der Sloot, told the AP he will fight the decision once he is properly notified by the Peruvian government.

I am going to challenge that resolution, Altez said. I am going to oppose it since he has the right to a defense.

Once van der Sloot arrives in Alabama, he will be arraigned and then jailed here until trial. The entire process could take up to a year or so.

The Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorneys Office, which is prosecuting van der Sloot, declined to comment, as did the Birmingham Division of the FBI.

Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday tweeted this about the pending extradition: Joran van der Sloots extradition to Birmingham, Alabama  Natalees home for her 18 years  is significant. Criminals like him are deceptive & vicious. Alabama moms like Beth Holloway are stronger. Her commendable persistence to obtain justice for Natalee is FINALLY paying off.

Perus institutions are helping deliver justice for Natalee Holloway and her family. The people of Alabama and America are grateful, President Boluarte, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt tweeted. Beth Holloways perseverance is a shining example for us all.

Where the body was buried

The 18-year-old Natalee was scheduled to fly back to Alabama on May 30, 2005, but failed to appear for her flight.

She was last seen by her friends leaving Carlos N Charlies in Oranjestad, sitting inside a vehicle with van der Sloot and two acquaintances  brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe.

When Natalee failed to return home, her mother, and then-stepfather, George Jug Twitty and other friends traveled to Aruba to search for her.

Within hours of landing in Aruba, the Twittys provided Aruban police with van der Sloots name and address, identifying him as the person with whom Natalee had left the nightclub.

According to federal documents, van der Sloot on June 2, 2005, told authorities that he and Holloway had driven to the California Lighthouse area of Arashi Beach because Holloway wanted to see sharks.

He said that he dropped Holloway off at her hotel  the Holiday Inn in Arubas High Rise Hotels district  about 2 a.m. Van der Sloot subsequently made several contradictory statements about what happened to Holloway and his involvement.

In the years following Natalees disappearance, extensive searches have been conducted in Aruba and the surrounding waters with no success.

Over time, rewards of up to $1 million had been offered for Natalees safe return. Additionally, rewards of up to $250,000 had been offered for information leading to the return of her remains.

She was officially declared dead by Alabama courts on Jan. 12, 2012.

On March 29, 2010, van der Sloot contacted an unidentified representative of Natalees mother via email.

During a series of emails that followed, according to charging documents, van der Sloot offered to take the representative to Natalees body and tell that representative what happened to her and identify those involved in her disappearance and death.

During a series of emails to follow, documents state, van der Sloot agreed to modify the terms of his offer. For an initial payment of $25,000, he would take the Holloway representative to the location of Natalees body.

Once the body was recovered and confirmed to be Natalee, he said, he would then collect the remaining $225,000.

Van der Sloot emailed his bank account information  SNS Bank in the Netherlands - to the representative so the money could be deposited by wire transfer. He insisted, authorities said, on a written contract from Holloway.

That contract was faxed to Holloway and signed.

On April 15, 2010, Holloway wired $100 from Regions Bank in Birmingham to confirm the account was valid.

On May 10, 2010, charging documents show, the Holloway representative flew to Aruba to me with van der Sloot.

Before the representative left, Holloway wired $10,000 to the representative in New York so that he could withdraw the money and have cash available when he met with Van der Sloot.

The representative met with van der Sloot in Aruba and showed him Holloways signed agreement.

Van der Sloot and the representative signed two copies of the agreement and took pictures of each other during the signing. The meeting, during which the representative gave van der Sloot the $10,000, was recorded.

Holloway then wired $15,000  the balance of the initial agreement  to van der Sloots Netherlands bank account.

Van der Sloot and the representative got into a rental car and left the hotel, according to the federal affidavit. They drove a house and, once there, van der Sloot pointed to the residence where he said Natalees body would be found in the foundation of the house.

Van der Sloot told the representative that his father, Paulus van der Sloot  who has since died  had disposed of Natalees body by burying her remains in the gravel under the foundation of the single-story house.

He went to say that he had been with Natalee on May 29, 2010, and that he had thrown her to the ground after she had attempted to stop him from leaving her.

Van der Sloot claimed that when she fell down, she hit her head on a rock and died as a result of the impact, wrote FBI Special Agent William Bryan.

Van der Sloot aid he then hid Natalees body and went home to tell his father what happened.

According to van der Sloot, his father accompanied him to the location where he had hidden Natalees body. He said he remained in the car while his father further concealed the body.

Van der Sloot added that he had not actually seen his father inter the remains, Bryan wrote, but was told and shown by his father where the body was buried.

The FBI agent wrote in charging documents Aruban law enforcement officials reviewed a building permit for that address  which has not been made public  and found there was no foundation or structure on the parcel of lad at the time of Natalees disappearance.

The document indicates that a permit was requested on May 23, 2005, and approved on May 26, 2005. An inspection was conducted on June 15, 2005, and the permit was not issued until Oct. 18, 2010.

An interview with the contractor who built the house confirms that the house identified by Van der Sloot was not under construction at the time of Natalee Holloways disappearance, Bryan wrote.

Further investigation discovered aerial photographs, which were taken on May 29, 2005, and June 5, 2005, show no construction was underway at the location.

After leaving Aruba, the representative and van der Sloot exchanged more emails. On May 17, 2010, van der Sloot admitted to the representative that he lied about the location of Natalees remains.
Rebecca Kracke Gordon, a presence on various media platforms with her cooking and entertaining tips, has died.

Gordon died unexpectedly Sunday at the age of 50.

The founder of Buttermilk Lipstick, a cooking and entertaining website and brand, Gordon authored two cookbooks and dispensed recipes and tailgating tips with flair. Her cooking tutorials appealed to the amateur hoping to impress, and the expert looking for some extra inspiration.

Brian Pope, formerly of WBRC Fox 6, said she came to tapings with enough food to feed the entire crew. Gordon had just the absolute best, bubbly personality, he said.

Rick Karle, of WVTM 13, called her a beautiful soul who was upbeat and kind.

Rebecca could take a chicken wing and a piece of bread and turn it into a masterpiece, Karle wrote in a Facebook tribute. My wife would always look forward to me bringing home some of her leftovers and her written recipes after the show.

A Mountain Brook High School graduate, Gordon attended the University of Alabama and graduated summa cum laude in Culinary Arts at Johnson and Wales University.

After working as a pastry chef, Gordon spent 13 years with Southern Living, traveling the South as a recipe demonstration presenter as part of the brands cooking school program.

Over that time she made television, radio, print and Internet appearances and became the first reporter to cover SEC Media Days from a lifestyle angle.

She also co-hosted Southern Livings Tailgate Playbook in 2012 on the Great American Country channel.

With Buttermilk Lipstick, she shared recipes and eventually opened an online store, The Provisions.

She is survived by her husband, Marrow Gordon.
Donald Trump barked at moderator Kaitlan Collins during his CNN town hall on Wednesday night, calling the Alabama native and moderator a nasty person.

Donald Trump on Kaitlan Collins: You are a Nasty person



pic.twitter.com/lZEfQIhF6t  Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 11, 2023

The former president hurled the insult during an exchange with Collins after she asked him why he held onto classified documents when he knew the federal government sought them and subpoenaed him to return them.

Are you ready? Are you ready? Can I talk? do you mind? Trump said.

Yeah. What;s the answer? Collins responded.

Its very simple, the former president said.

Thats why I asked it, Collins replied.

Its very simple that you are a nasty person, Ill tell you, Trump said.

The former presidents appearance on CNN marked the first time he was interviewed on the network since his first campaign in 2016.

CNN has been a frequent target of Trumps attacks on the media.

The town hall was also the first major event of Trumps 2024 campaign.

Trumps campaign has turned to new channels, including popular conservative podcasts and made-for-social-media videos that often rack up hundreds of thousands of views. His team has also been inviting reporters from a variety of outlets to ride aboard his plane and has been arranging unadvertised stops at local restaurants and other venues to show him interacting with supporters.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday said he disagrees with Sen. Tommy Tubervilles holds on more than 180 military nominations over objections to Defense Department policies expanding abortion coverage.

I dont support putting a hold on military nominations, I dont support that, McConnell told reporters, according to The Hill.

New Defense Departments policies allow service members to request administrative absence for non-covered reproductive health services, which includes elective abortions and IVF, for themselves or to accompany their partners. The policies also provide transportation allowances to travel to states where reproductive care is more expansive.

Tuberville contends that the policies are unlawful and that current law only allows the agency to fund abortions in cases of rape, incest, or the life of the mother is threatened.

I warned [Defense] Secretary Austin that if he did this ... I would put a hold on his highest-level nominees. Secretary Austin went through with the policy anyway in February of this year. So, I am keeping my word, the senator said last month when Democrats unsuccessfully tried to bypass the holds for the third time. This was Secretary Austins choice, not mine. he knew the consequences for several months.

When reporters asked McConnell how to break the stalemate, he said, Youll have to ask Sen. Tuberville about that.

McConnells comments came after seven former defense secretaries wrote a letter claiming Tubervilles holds are harming military readiness and risks damaging U.S. national security, according to the Hill.

Alabamas senior senator earlier said he was told by the Defense Department that military readiness was not an issue.

Democrats keep repeating the same talking points  and the same opinion. But not one of them has cited any facts. Not one. Ive even asked the Pentagon to explain to me how this affects readiness. All Ive heard is opinions, he said. My hold has no effect on readiness. None. In an Armed Services Committee hearing last week, Chairman Reed asked two of the militarys top combatant commanders what impact would my hold gave on readiness. Admiral John Aquilino said, quote, no impact. General Paul LaCamera agreed. There is no impact on readiness or operations.
The withdrawal of Turkey's presidential contender Muharrem Ince after the revelation of a claimed sex tape increased the odds of victory for other candidates in a campaign that surveys suggested would be close.

A few days before Turkey's most important election in a generation, Ince withdrew his campaign. According to The Guardian, he stated, "I offered Turkey a third option, a third way. We couldn't succeed this way." Ince is a two-time presidential candidate who also lost to Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2018.

The former school principal and lifelong member of the Republican People's Party (CHP) said that a sex tape making the rounds online was a deepfake made using material acquired from an Israeli porn site.

He said, "If I had such images of myself, they were taken secretly in the past. But I do not have such an image, no such sound recording. This is not my private life, it's slander. It's not real."

See Also: Was Donald Trump's Appearance at CNN Town Hall a Good Move for His Legal Team?

The Forthcoming Election Is Expected To Be a Close One

Statistics suggest that the presidential election will be tight, with a runoff likely to be held two weeks after the first vote if no contender receives more than 51% of the vote. In the next election, Erdogan will square off against Kemal Klcdaroglu, the head of the CHP, and Sinan Oan, the ultranationalist of the Victory party.

In the polls, Ince saw a brief surge of popularity during which he received close to 10% of the vote before falling to as low as 2% in more recent surveys. While Ince's chances of winning the presidency had been diminishing for some time, his continued participation in the election was enough to force a runoff, which many predicted would be in Erdogan's favor.

As reported by Bloomberg, the ballot will still include Ince's name, and votes cast for him will be counted. Any votes cast for him from outside the country would be counted.

After a couple of unsuccessful runs for party chairman of the CHP and a failed candidacy for president, Ince founded his own Homeland party two years ago. Klcdaroglu has been CHP leader since 2010, and he heads a coalition of six opposition parties to try to oust Erdogan from power. Erdogan has been in office for 20 years.

Klcdaroglu tweeted a link to a traditional Turkish song hours after Ince withdrew from the race, effectively inviting him to join the opposition alliance. "Let's put aside the old resentments," he said to his adversary. Ogan allegedly canceled a rally and convened a meeting of his consultants, but party officials said he had no intention of resigning.

After Erdogan allegedly played a deepfake at a pre-election rally last weekend, claiming to depict prohibited Kurdish militants announcing their support for Klcdaroglu, the high-profile use of deepfake videos has already impacted Turkey's 45-day election cycle.

See Also: China, France Agree To Develop 'Stronger' Ties, Tackler Global Challenges

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The United Kingdom supplied Ukraine with long-range missiles to fight the Russian invasion, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced.

The decision to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles was made after repeated pleas from the country, with Wallace stating that the missiles would give Ukraine the ability "to push back Russian forces" grounded on its "sovereign territory," the BBC reported.

The measure comes as Ukrainian forces prepare for a counteroffensive to retake Kremlin-held territory in the eastern and southern parts of the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized the need for more Western military aid to arrive in the country before launching its counteroffensive in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Read Also: China, France Agree To Develop 'Stronger' Ties

In a recent interview, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that while the current supplies are enough to move forward and potentially succeed, waiting for more aid is necessary to avoid unacceptable losses.

Armored vehicles, including tanks, are among the supplies that Ukraine is still waiting for, with President Zelensky noting that they are arriving in batches.

How Powerful Are Shadow Missiles?

The long-range, air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missile was jointly developed by British Aerospace and a French company, carrying a 450kg conventional warhead and boasting an impressive range of up to 200 miles (300km), according to Sky News.

The Storm Shadow cruise missiles can be launched from aircraft, enabling Ukrainian pilots to stay away from the frontlines. Once launched, the missile drops to a low altitude to evade radar and locks onto targets using an infrared seeker.

With the ability to strike deep into Russian-held territory in Eastern Ukraine, the deployment of the Storm Shadow missile provides a capability that Ukraine has been requesting since the outset of the Russia-Ukraine war.

A high-ranking US military source called the missile "a real game changer from a range perspective" and a considerable enhancement to Ukraine's 49-mile maximum range, per a CNN report.

Despite concerns that the Storm Shadow missile could be used to launch strikes inside Russia, the UK has reportedly received assurances from the Ukrainian government that the cruise missiles will only be used within Ukrainian sovereign territory.

Related Article: Ukraine Delays Counteroffensive

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has called for a new fiscal policy system to avoid future debt ceiling showdowns, as the US faces an imminent default if Congress fails to reach a deal.

At a Group of Seven meeting in Japan, Yellen suggested that Congress could repeal the debt ceiling or give the President the power to raise it, with lawmakers having the ability to veto the decision.

Yellen proposed this alternative system after informing lawmakers that the US would be unable to meet its obligations as early as June 1, putting pressure on Congress and the White House to find a solution, according to The Hill.

The Treasury Secretary remarked that it is "tremendously damaging" to endure standoffs every few years.

The US has run up against its borrowing limit nearly 80 times since 1960, according to Janet Yellen. For now, she said that raising the debt ceiling is the only short-term solution to avert a default.

Read Also: Peloton Recalls 2.2 Million Bikes

Serious Consequences

Ahead of a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced economies in Japan, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressed reluctance to discuss potential actions if the debt ceiling is not raised in time to avoid a default, stating that there is "no good alternative" that will save the United States from disaster.

The only reasonable solution, Janet Yellen said, is to raise the debt ceiling and avoid the severe consequences of not doing so. According to an analysis conducted by the White House, a default of short duration would result in the loss of 500,000 jobs, while a more prolonged default could result in the loss of 8.3 million jobs, which is almost equivalent to the number of jobs lost during the 2008 financial crisis, per ABC News.

Yellen remains hopeful that the differences can be resolved but acknowledged discussions regarding the possibility of invoking the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which would allow for the issuance of debt needed to pay all of the government's bills and ignore the debt ceiling, per Republic World.

However, Janet Yellen noted that the concept is not a short-term solution, and its legal viability is questionable.

Related Article: US Lawmakers Want Osha Revised

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
If you wonder whats behind the Biden administrations enablement of millions of so-called "asylum seekers" from some 160 countries to flow through what used to be the U.S.-Mexico border and hundreds of thousands more through the northern border, thus diminishing the nations sovereignty, start with George Soros, who dedicated the last three decades and tens of billions of dollars to reshaping America to his vision, craftily termed Open Society.

Soros began challenging the United States' national sovereignty in 1996. As Soros tells it, he became enraged by new federal laws signed by President Bill Clinton.

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act "required state professional and occupational licenses to be withheld from undocumented immigrants," thus, restricting food stamps and Supplemental Security Income Benefits to non-citizens. Soros declared this was "a clear-cut case of injustice."

This was followed by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), which aimed to reduce the surge of illegal immigration to the US. The IIRIRA "increased penalties on immigrants who had violated U.S. law in some way (whether they were unauthorized immigrants who'd violated immigration law or legal immigrants who'd committed other crimes)" and required their detention and fast-tracking deportation. The Lazarus Fund, created through Soros's Open Society Institute, believed that this kind of "open hostility" (against lawbreakers, mind you) was "antithetical to the values of an open society."

The first U.S. naturalizing law of 1790 required that the applicant be a "free white person" with a "good moral character" who resided in the country for two years. In 1870, the law was amended to include applicants of African origin. According to the PEW Research Center, "Starting in 1875, a series of restrictions on immigration were enacted. They included bans on criminals, people with contagious diseases, polygamists, anarchists, beggars, and importers of prostitutes." In 1965, "the landmark Immigration and Nationality Act created a new system favoring family reunification and skilled immigrants."

By 1986, lax controls of the Mexican and Canadian borders allowed six million unauthorized immigrants, mostly from Latin America, to cross the border. To better control the flow of immigrants to the country, the Reagan administration enacted the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which offered -- with some stipulations -- legalization to the illegals who applied, strictly penalizing employers who hired illegals and tightening security on the borders. Only three million of the six million illegals applied and received legal status. Also, "the strict sanctions on employers were stripped out of the bill," and the borders remained porous, incentivizing millions more to cross into the country illegally.

So, when the Clinton administration decided to tighten the immigration laws, globalism activist/ philosopher/billionaire George Soros allocated $50 million to the aforementioned new fund, the Emma Lazarus Fund, whose mission was to provide legal defense to immigrants, helping them to stay in the country and stay on welfare too.

Soros's naming of his pro-migration organization after Emma Lazarus -- whose poem "The New Colossus," welcoming immigrants, was etched in bronze and mounted on the Statue of Liberty's pedestal in 1903, is typical of Soros's use of Orwellian doublespeak.

The organization was said to have folded into his OSF. But the 2016 publication of OSF correspondence by DCLeaks revealed that Emma II, directly and indirectly, funded many other groups supporting illegal immigration into the U.S. and Europe.

The constant theme in the "Soros Doctrine," as he calls it, is the need to end America as the world's preeminent power. He has been coveting the day when a weakened United States can be at the mercy of international institutions.

One sure way to achieve that was to weaken and eventually destroy its borders.

At the State Department Open Forum in September 2003, Soros proposed a "modification of the concept of sovereignty, because" he opined, "sovereignty is basically somewhat anachronistic." Soros -- who in October 1998 told the Washington Post: "I consider myself a citizen of the world, explained -- "an open society transcends national sovereignty."

The millions of illegal migrants relabeled as "refugees" crossing the borders to the U.S. come from countries where democracy, freedom of speech and religion, and individual rights, including the rights of women and LGBTQA+, are rejected, forbidden, and severely punished. Most of these illegal migrants do not know English, are semiliterate or illiterate, and have no money or skills for jobs other than manual work. Many are afflicted with contagious diseases that have long been eradicated in the U.S., such as TB (tuberculosis) and polio, and many are unfamiliar with basic hygiene practices. Settling such people in the U.S. imposes a huge financial burden on the economy and endangers the public's health and safety.

None of these considerations seems to deter the Biden administration from increasing the number of illegal migrants they allow into the U.S. On the contrary, Biden ordered an additional 1,500 active-duty troops to the Southern border, not to stop the unlawful invasion, but to accelerate it.

In his October 2009 long-winded article, "The People's Sovereignty," George Soros declared: "Sovereignty is an anachronistic concept [because] the principle of sovereignty stands in the way of outside intervention in the internal affairs of nation-states." The U.S. is not there yet, but Biden's appointment of Neera Tanden, former director of the Center for American Progress, which Soros has been a major funder from the beginning, as director of the United States Domestic Policy Council, all but guarantees the remaking of America, adding another feather to Soros's cap.

Rachel Ehrenfeld is the Director of the American Center for Democracy and author of The Soros Agenda.

Image: World Economic Forum/swiss-image.ch
Recently, while apologizing to "indigenous peoples" and denouncing Christians  without the all-important historical context  Pope Francis declared, "Never again can the Christian community allow itself to be infected by the idea that one culture is superior to others[.]"

This  claiming all cultures are equal  is a dangerous position, not least as it leads to relativism and the abnegation of Truth.

For most Western people today, the word culture conjures at best superficial differences  "exotic" dress or food. In reality, however, cultures are nothing less than entire and distinct worldviews with their own unique sets of right and wrongs, often rooted in a religion or philosophy.

Indeed, for some thinkers, such as essayist T.S. Elliot, "culture and religion" are inextricably linked and "different aspects of the same thing."

Culture may even be described simply as that which makes life worth living. ... [N]o culture can appear or develop except in relation to a religion. ... We can see a religion as the whole way of life of a people, from birth to the grave, from morning to night and even in sleep, and that way of life is also its culture. [From Elliot's Notes Towards the Definition of Culture, 1943, p.100-101, emphasis in original.]

Similarly, for Anglo-French historian Hilaire Belloc,

Cultures spring from religions; ultimately the vital force which maintains any culture is its philosophy, its attitude toward the universe; the decay of a religion involves the decay of the culture corresponding to it  we see that most clearly in the breakdown of Christendom today.

In short, cultures bring much more than, say, the convenience of having Indian cuisine down the street.

The fact is, all values traditionally prized by the modern West  religious freedom, tolerance, humanism, monogamy  did not develop in a vacuum, but rather are inextricably rooted to Christian principles that, over the course of some two thousand years, have had a profound influence on Western epistemology, society and of course culture.

While they are now taken for granted and seen as "universal," there's a reason why these values were born and nourished in Christian  not Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, or Confucian  nations. Even if one were to accept the widely entrenched narrative that the "Enlightenment" is what led to Western progress, it is alone telling that this enlightenment developed in Christian  as opposed to any of the many non-Christian  nations.

All this is missed by those ignorant of the spiritual and intellectual roots of Western civilization  including, apparently, Pope Francis.

This is, incidentally, why secular Western people arrogantly see themselves as the culmination of all human history  "enlightened" thinkers who have left all cultural and religious baggage behind with concern only for the material. For them, all religions and cultures are superficialities that will eventually be sloughed off by all the peoples of the world. The non-Western world, according to this thinking, is destined to develop just like the West, which is no longer seen as a distinct culture, but rather the end point of all cultures.

The folly of such thinking is especially on display in the context of Islam and Muslims, who in this new paradigm are seen as embryonic Westerners. Whatever a Muslim may say  calls for jihad, hate for infidels  surely, deep down inside, he values "secularism" and appreciates the need to practice Islam privately and respect religious freedom and gender equality and so on. Thus is he made "in our image," except, of course, we forget the roots of "our image."

In reality, the Muslim has his own unique and ancient worldview and set of principles  his own culture  which in turn prompt behavior that is deemed "radical" by Western standards (which are falsely assumed to be "universal" standards).

As T.S. Elliot, who gave these questions much thought, wrote, "[u]ltimately, antagonistic religions must mean antagonistic cultures; and ultimately, religions cannot be reconciled."

Portraying what at root is a Christian paradigm as "universal," and then applying it to an alien culture like Islam, is doomed to failure. The idea that Muslims can be true to their religion and yet naturally fit into Western society is false and built on an equally false premise: that Christianity somehow also had to moderate itself to fit into a secular society. In fact, Christian principles, which are so alien to Islam, were fundamental to the creation of the West.

What, then, of "multiculturalism"  this word that the West is supposed to celebrate and embrace wholeheartedly? Behind it is the idea that all cultures are equal, and none  certainly not Christian or Western culture  "is superior to others," to quote Francis. In reality, multiculturalism is another euphemistic way of undermining and replacing the truths of a religion and its culture with relativism.

Earlier Western peoples understood that capitulating to a foreign culture was tantamount to suicide. Again, Elliot:

[I]t is inevitable that we should, when we defend our religion, be at the same time defending our culture, and vice versa: we are obeying the fundamental instinct to preserve our existence.

One anecdote well captures this "clash of cultures." After the British colonial powers banned sati  the Hindu practice of burning a widow alive on her husband's funeral pyre  Hindu priests complained to British governor Charles James Napier that sati was their custom and therefore their right. Napier replied:

Be it so. This burning of widows is your custom; prepare the funeral pile. But my nation has also a custom. When men burn women alive we hang them, and confiscate all their property. My carpenters shall therefore erect gibbets on which to hang all concerned when the widow is consumed. Let us all act according to national customs.

Incidentally, being opposed to "multiculturalism"  that is to say, relativism  is in no way the same thing as being opposed to other races or ethnicities, but rather being opposed to disunity and chaos.

After all, racially homogenous but culturally heterogeneous nations are much more fractured than the reverse. One need look no farther than to the United States, where "leftist" and "rightist" whites often abhor one another. Or look to the Middle East, where Muslims and Christians are largely homogenous  racially, ethnically, and linguistically  but where the former are ruthlessly persecuting the latter, exclusively over religion.

In short, there's nothing wrong if a nation's citizenry is composed of different races and ethnicities, but only if they share the same worldview, the same priorities, the same ethics, the same rights and wrongs  in a word, the same culture.

Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West and Sword and Scimitar, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Image via Pexels.
Over the last several years, Americans' unalienable right to free speech has been under relentless assault by an alliance of government agencies, corporations, universities, and social media giants.

Journalist Matt Taibbi testified to Congress that emails he reviewed between the government and Twitter reveal the existence of "state-sponsored thought police," a "censorship-industrial complex" that is populating the internet and legacy media with state-approved narratives and banning those ideas they consider "misinformation." CIA and DHS ex-employees have ended up working for Twitter and other social media, helping decide who should be heard and who should be deplatformed.

Americans who dare publicly question government and media-prescribed positions on COVID-19 vaccines safety, the effectiveness of masks, the war in Ukraine, the 2020 election, lockdowns, parental rights, transgenderism, CRT and other issues face deplatforming and even subsequent possible loss of job and access to banking services.

Breitbart News recently published a chilling report on a vast, well funded "post-2016 empire of 'disinformation' censorship that ... extends far beyond the federal government," working tirelessly to "suppress non-progressive viewpoints, and harm the business models that support them."

This empire's enormous power was demonstrated in early 2021, when Twitter prevented President Trump from communicating with the American public by suspending his account.

Emboldened by Congress's decades-long practice of ceding to federal bureaucrats more and more power over the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the cars we drive, the managerial elites now strive to control what Americans hear, see, read, and ultimately think.

This information-suppression Leviathan must be dismantled lest the freedoms for which our forebears have fought to preserve over the centuries are lost forever. As Benjamin Franklin said, "There can be no such thing as public liberty, without freedom of speech."

Fortunately, new proposed laws and executive orders promise to liberate Americans from the grip of these information tyrants.

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is promoting a bill, the Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act (H.R. 140), that would prohibit federal employees from pressuring social media companies to silence, censor, or deplatform Americans expressing views online.

In December 2022, former president Trump promised that upon re-election, he will ban "any federal department or agency from colluding with any organization, business, or person, to censor, limit, categorize, or impede the lawful speech of American citizens" and fire federal bureaucrats in the FBI, the DOJ, and other agencies violating this ban.

Trump would not allow federal money to be used to label domestic speech "mis-" or "disinformation." Our founders believed that only through open discussion of all ideas can we arrive at the truth. Thomas Jefferson said that "reason and free inquiry are the only effectual agents against error." Even ideas labeled "misinformation" are protected by the First Amendment, explains liberal legal expert Alan Dershowitz. "The law is ... very skeptical of ultimate truth," he said. "That's why freedom of speech permits lies to be told."

Trump also will place a seven-year ban on government employees working in or with Big Tech after leaving government employment and cut federal funding for universities that partner with companies to suppress speech.

Newly announced Republican presidential candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, author of Woke, Inc. and A Nation of Victims, promises that if elected, he will publicly "expose every known instance in which bureaucrats have wrongfully pressured companies to take constitutionally prohibited actions."

Ramaswamy would enforce civil rights laws to protect American workers from what he labels "viewpoint discrimination." He said, "If you can't fire someone for being black, gay or Muslim, you shouldn't be able to fire someone for his political speech." Ramaswamy challenges companies and universities to prove their commitment to diversity by recruiting equal numbers of liberals and conservatives.

He would consider every company or school that works "in concert" with members of the federal government  i.e. "state actors"  to be as bound by the First Amendment free speech requirement as are federal employees.

Using Ramaswamy's reasoning, any organization that gets a federal tax break, research grant, or even student tuition support could be construed as "acting in concert" with the federal government and would be thus bound by the First Amendment's free speech requirement.

Since companies and organizations are forbidden by law to impose religious beliefs on employees or students, Ramaswamy's administration would consider it illegal for companies to force employees to undergo training in woke "religious" beliefs such as climate ideology and CRT.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis's Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (WOKE) Act specifically forbids most Florida companies and universities from pressuring employees and students to undergo "training" in concepts such as the superiority of one race or sex over another, the inherent racism or sexism of one sex or race, and the idea that an individual, by virtue of his race, sex, or national origin, bears responsibility for actions of those of the same race, sex, or national origin.

Organizations can't compel employees or students to espouse the idea that widely accepted virtues such as hard work, merit, fairness, excellence, objectivity, and racial colorblindness are somehow racist or sexist, or that these are ideas were created primarily to oppress members of a particular race, sex, or national origin.

The bill safeguards open discussion of these topics if conducted in an "objective manner without endorsements of the concepts." However, as Stanford professor Joseph Rauh writes in the Wall Street Journal, such laws mitigate against employees and students feeling intimated by "the hierarchical power arrangements between teacher and student or manager and employee to adopt certain left-wing Marxist woke ideologies."

DeSantis has stated that as president, he would roll out this type of bill nationally.

Such free speech laws could conceivably enable a President Trump or DeSantis to order the DOJ to use RICO statutes against companies that, for instance, colluded to withdraw millions of dollars of advertising on Twitter in reaction to Elon Musk buying Twitter and restoring free speech on the platform.

Such laws would block BlackRock and other multibillion-dollar lenders from using capital investment to bully major corporations into adopting woke practices. (Nike and Bud Light are featuring transgender spokespersons in their advertisements to maintain their access to BlackRock's capital resources.)

Racketeering laws could be used to investigate chain stores that tacitly collude to ban from their shelves products of companies with whom they disagree politically. Costco, Kohl's, Walmart, JCP, and a host of other outlets banned MyPillow products to protest Mike Lindell's campaign for election integrity.

Free speech laws must prohibit universities and other organizations from censoring speech via proxy  recently, Antifa-style tactics were used to attempt to shut down a federal judge's Stanford University speech.

Such laws could even be used to prohibit the federal government from creating social credit or digital currency systems that would hand the government enormous power to punish citizens who publicly disagree with government policies.

Inaction by Congress is not an option. Congress's failure to fight censorship effectively makes that body complicit in the abridgement of our constitutionally guaranteed right of free speech.

Censorship continues unabated. The RESTRICT Act, ostensibly an anti-TikTok law, is so broadly worded that it can easily be employed to severely limit Americans' free speech. A powerful U.K. government official is openly calling for jailing social media owners who allow "unhealthy" and "dangerous" ideas on their platforms. Soon after Senator Chuck Schumer claimed that Tucker Carlson's program incited violence and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called for federal scrutiny of Fox News reporters and other conservative journalists for "incitement to violence," Fox terminated Carlson.

Congress cannot wait for the inauguration of Trump or DeSantis to begin restoring free speech to all Americans. The Comer legislation should be passed now. Congress can also use the power of the purse to enforce the First Amendment. Congress could suspend funding to universities such as San Francisco State University and the University of Albany, which do little to prevent the harassment and physical intimidation of conservative speakers.

As former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee reminded us, our government censors are "currently being paid by people like you and me whose taxes fund these federally funded jobs." Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) wants to reform the Appropriations Act so Congress could "zero out" the salaries of bureaucrats who abuse the liberties of Americans.

Ben Franklin warned Americans that "in those wretched countries where a man cannot call his tongue his own, he can scarce call anything his own."

Only by immediately passing free speech laws can we ensure that the United States does not become one of those "wretched countries."

Sociologist Michael G. Zey, Ph.D. is the author of Ageless Nation, Seizing the Future and The Future Factor, professor, Montclair State University (retired). www.zey.com. twitter.com/futurist3000 Facebook.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
So much for Joe Biden's claim that he had a "plan" of carrots and sticks in place to disincentivize illegal border crossings with his dropping of Title 42 pandemic restrictions.

According to mainstream media outlet NBC News, here's the "plan":

After more than 11,000 migrants crossed the southern border on Tuesday, the Biden administration is now preparing a memo that will direct Customs and Border Protection to begin releasing migrants into the United States without court dates or the ability to track them, according to three sources familiar with the plans. The Biden administration began releasing migrants without court dates to alleviate overcrowding in March 2021, but had previously enrolled those migrants in a program known as Alternatives to Detention, which required them to check in on a mobile app until they were eventually given a court date. The new policy would release them on parole with a notice to report to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office but without enrolling them in Alternatives to Detention. The more than 11,000 border apprehensions in a single day marks a new record and surpasses expectations of 10,000 per day predicted by Department of Homeland Security officials on what could come when Covid-19 restrictions lift late Thursday.

That's called 'open borders' and at this point, there's no arguing with it: Biden has lost control of the border. Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas's repeated claim that the border is under control now looks especially dishonest. We haven't seen much of him lately.

Now anyone and everyone -- rich, poor, middle class, lower middle class, working class, intelligentsia, criminals, cartels, literate, illiterate, spies, terrorists, allies, industrious, chiselers, vaccinated, unvaccinated, sick, well, old, young and anyone else can get in, and is getting in, without so much as a court date to file a spurious asylum claim.

Fox News found an actual document authorizing the mass release into the cities:

NEW: A decision to authorize all Border Patrol Sectors to begin "safe" mass releases of migrants to city streets if NGOs are overcapacity will take place in line with a 2022 memo that was uncovered during legal proceedings last year https://t.co/oI9LS4chvE  Adam Shaw (@AdamShawNY) May 11, 2023

The border cities already are being inundated. The scenes out there near both sides of the border -- around Matamoros, Reynosa, Tijuana, El Paso, Brownsville, the Rio Grande Valley -- look like this:

This entire bus station in Brownsville, Texas is filled with hundreds of migrants who illegally crossed the border and were processed by border patrol and released into the United States.



Title 42 expires tomorrow night and the numbers are expected to greatly increase. pic.twitter.com/ddHoYmZYdD  Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) May 11, 2023

#BREAKING Multiple CBP sources confirm that all agents in the Rio Grande Valley sector (including specialty units) have been pulled from the field to assist with transport and processing.



There are currently more than 7,500 migrants in custody in the RGV waiting to be processed. pic.twitter.com/80S2gOv0YF  Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) May 10, 2023

Ill note that Ive seen no US news outlet documenting this human flood from Matamoros to Brownsville.I am the only American witnessing this. Which is delicious for me and I appreciate the incompetence or bias or whatever but this is terrible for the American public pic.twitter.com/Yzr2Ei4hx8  Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) May 10, 2023

'It's A Disaster': Border Communities Brace For Over 10,000 Migrants A Day As Title 42 Expires on Thursdayhttps://t.co/wUDJQ038kU  DC Enquirer (@DcEnquirer) May 10, 2023

 Ive just spotted SEVERAL groups of Chinese nationals who illegally crossed the border near Brownsville, TX being released into the US.



This problem seems to go a LOT deeper than the government is leading us to believe. pic.twitter.com/UZXkHXH028  Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 11, 2023

Unarmed Mexican immigration unable to hold back the human tide in Matamoros Mexico. These migrants all know someone who swam over and is now living in New Jersey or wherever. pic.twitter.com/r9W8kq821l  Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) May 9, 2023

Just another small turn of the screw in the greatest ever mass migration crisis in US - and world - history. pic.twitter.com/hm3PPPUCXK  Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) May 10, 2023

Homeless migrants completely camped out at a Valero gas station in Brownsville Texas, showering behind the building. pic.twitter.com/tzET1mtmu0  Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) May 10, 2023

NEW: Non-stop illegal crossings continuing here in Brownsville. This is another group of several hundred that just crossed over, some out of frame under the levee. More are coming. Weve been watching on our drone as migrants tether a rope to US side of Rio Grande while crossing. pic.twitter.com/wuig2soY3O  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 9, 2023

Unarmed Mexican immigration unable to hold back the human tide in Matamoros Mexico. These migrants all know someone who swam over and is now living in New Jersey or wherever. pic.twitter.com/r9W8kq821l  Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) May 9, 2023

BREAKING-A huge group of migrants has just been apprehended by border patrol after illegally crossing into El Paso from Ciudad Juarez.



Many migrants have shared that they are trying to cross into the US before the end of Title 42, to avoid having to be processed under Title 8, pic.twitter.com/61sYEjQQSL  Savanah Hernandez (@sav_says_) May 10, 2023

BREAKING: Texas National Guard soldiers physically blocking migrants who are attempting to illegally cross the US-Mexico border in Brownsville, TX. Razor wires deployed.pic.twitter.com/D7Wm8fwxrP  Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) May 10, 2023

Fox News reports that the current figure poised to get in at the border points is more than 200,000:

Tomorrow is going to be one for the history books!! pic.twitter.com/ZNKm7ncTvA  Ken Norberg (@NorbergKen) May 11, 2023

Another 150,000 are on their way:

 JUST IN: An estimated 150,000 migrants in Mexico are currently headed to the U.S./Mexico border, as Title 42 ends Thursday (Axios)



Border towns are preparing for absolute chaos. pic.twitter.com/rGgZSMJJQi  Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 10, 2023

Throwback tactic I saw during the Del Rio migrant camp crisis back in 21, the first year of this greatest mass migration event in American history pic.twitter.com/EFDgGq5rIK  Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) May 10, 2023

FAIR AT THE BORDER: Last night hundreds of migrants gathered outside of El Paso border gate #42. Border Patrol opened the gates and troops arrived to assist with processing them into the country instead of turning them away - per Bidens orders pic.twitter.com/Eja4uQrZlF  FAIR (@FAIRImmigration) May 10, 2023

Enormous line of hundreds migrants gathering for Border Patrol processing after they crossed illegally into Brownsville. Stretches as far as I can see from this perspective. It has been non-stop like this with huge groups in the late afternoon/evening every day last three days. pic.twitter.com/6ArCgGTXzH  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 9, 2023

And there's a report that U.S. officials are coordinating with the Mexicans on letting the migrants in in groups:

US border officials are reportedly using an online chatroom to tell Mexican authorities when to let 100-150 illegal migrants at a time jump into the Rio Grande and swim across as a way to make processing their release into America easier.https://t.co/dkmQw4uzon  Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 11, 2023

A striking level of collusion, as Biden's DHS officers use an encrypted online chat room to tell Mexico when to let migrants swim across.https://t.co/oSqyuDHZ5e  Center for Immigration Studies (@CIS_org) May 10, 2023

BREAKING : Massive line of illegal immigrants turning themselves in to immigration officials after DHS announced an enforcement operation

on migrants who evaded border patrol agents in El Paso. Majority of migrants in line are males from Venezuela @NewsNation pic.twitter.com/qt5WaPuOfF  Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) May 9, 2023

BREAKING: Biden breaks campaign promise, restores Trump immigration policy just one day before Title 42 expires as migrants prepare to storm the southern border.



"The Biden administration has finalized a sweeping restriction on asylum that it plans to use to ramp up swift pic.twitter.com/YMay9swAmw  Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 10, 2023

Looking across the river at Matamoros, MX from Brownsville, TX. Crowds of migrants continue to gather with the intention of crossing illegally into the U.S. The two men in the green are Mexican immigration officials. pic.twitter.com/fElYgX4dw1  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 10, 2023

FAIR AT THE BORDER



Happening now - gates are open, Border Patrol is escorting migrants through  pic.twitter.com/MF4KaQ4Oca  FAIR (@FAIRImmigration) May 10, 2023

Border Patrol Union tears into the DHS for telling illegal immigrants where they'll be safe crossing the US border.



America has become a real joke under Biden! https://t.co/yymbuyy22P  UK Justice Forum  Latest Video News Updates! (@Justice_forum) May 10, 2023

This is chaos, and very obviously, an invasion.

If there are no borders, there is no country. If there is no country, what, exactly, is Joe Biden the president of?

Image: Twitter screen shot
In the digital age, privacy and national security have become increasingly intertwined. With the rapid proliferation of technology and the vast amounts of data that are generated, the need to balance privacy and national security has become more challenging than ever before. While privacy is a fundamental right, national security is essential for protecting citizens from harm. A way must be found to strike a balance between the two.

Privacy is enshrined in many countries' constitutions and international human rights conventions. Privacy is essential to maintaining personal autonomy and dignity, and it is a necessary precondition for the exercise of other fundamental rights such as freedom of speech and association. However, privacy also has its limitations. For example, privacy cannot be used to shield criminal activity or to put national security at risk.

National security is equally important. Governments have a responsibility to protect their citizens from harm, whether it be from domestic terrorism, cyberattacks, or foreign threats. National security measures are essential to ensure the safety and security of citizens, and they play a critical role in maintaining social stability and order.

The tension between privacy and national security is not new, but the digital age has exacerbated it. The vast amounts of data that are generated by digital technologies have made it more difficult to protect privacy, and they have created new opportunities for governments to gather intelligence and monitor citizens' activities. This has led to concerns that national security measures are being used to infringe on privacy rights.

One example of the tension between privacy and national security is the use of surveillance technologies by governments. Surveillance technologies such as CCTV cameras, facial recognition systems, and mobile phone tracking have become ubiquitous in many countries. While these technologies can be used to prevent crime and terrorism, they also raise significant privacy concerns. For example, the use of facial recognition systems can result in the mass surveillance of citizens, and it can lead to false identifications and wrongful arrests.

Another example is the use of data mining and analysis techniques by intelligence agencies. Intelligence agencies gather vast amounts of data from a variety of sources, including social media, mobile phone records, and financial transactions. While these techniques can be used to identify potential threats and prevent attacks, they also raise significant privacy concerns. The indiscriminate gathering of data can result in the collection of sensitive personal information, and it can lead to the targeting of innocent individuals.

The balance between privacy and national security is a complex issue that requires careful consideration. While privacy is a fundamental right, national security is essential for protecting citizens from harm. In the digital age, this balance has become more challenging, with the proliferation of technology and the vast amounts of data that are generated. It is essential that governments strike a balance between privacy and national security, and that they ensure that national security measures do not infringe on privacy rights. This can be achieved through the use of robust legal frameworks, oversight mechanisms, and transparency measures. Ultimately, a balance must be struck between privacy and national security to ensure that both rights are protected and respected.

Image: Pixabay
With some creative license, Martin Niemollers famous prose can be remade into something silly but fitting for our contemporary reality:

First they came for the incandescent light bulbs but I did not speak out, because I am a virtue-signaling leftist.

Then they came for the freon but I did not speak out, because I am a virtue-signaling leftist.

Then they came for the gas stoves but I did not speak out, because I am a virtue-signaling leftist.

Then they came for the dishwashers but I did not speak out, because I am a virtue-signaling leftist.

On and on ad nauseam; you get the point.

Last week, Jennifer Granholm announced that the Department of Energy would be focusing on new energy efficiency actions because of course, the greatest threat facing America is carbon pollution and the climate crisis. On a comedic sidenote, the announcement reminded me of a scene from cultural phenomenon, The Office; when manager Michael Scott becomes emotionally defensive of the under-fire business model of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin, he declares this:

You know what else is facing five Goliaths? America. Al-Qaeda. Global warming. Sex predators. Mercury poisoning. So do we just give up?  Michael Scott (@carellquotes) July 6, 2012

Remember a time when even Hollywood conceded that being a sex predator was a bad thing? Those were the days....

(To watch the scene, click here and start at 03:43.)

Of course, the list is meant to be ludicrous and exhibit Scotts complete naivetecoughSecretary Granholmcough.

When hordes of young men patiently await the end of Title 42; the dissolution of national unity and political bonds erode at unprecedented rates; and the middle class edges towards extinction; the general public is not thinking about whether or not their dishwasher is climate-friendly enough for the current regime (and thats assuming they even have a dishwasher in the home!).

From the text:

The Congressionally-mandated proposed standards [are] for new dishwashers and beverage vending machines.

What in the world are Congressionally-mandated proposed standards by a federal agency? Heaven knows the Biden troupe needs a crash course in the Constitution, so here it goes.

Per the Constitution, the authority to make laws belongs to the lawmakers in Congress alone, and as Article VI notes:

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof [emphasis added]shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

(I once had the displeasure of dealing with an ornery TSA agent who learned to her annoyance that the TSA is not a lawmaking body, and the sign that detailed masking was federal law was factually incorrect.)

Bottom line: the Department of Energy is an unconstitutional bureaucracy, and Constitutionally-mandated is a crafty way to imply legality (despite the lack thereof).

From Addison Smith at Just the News:

If implemented, the rules would require that dishwashers cut water and power usage by 34% and 27% respectively, according to Bloomberg Law. For smaller models, the mandatory reductions are 22% for power and 11% for water.

Let me tell you something about these efficiency rules: I have a new (and high-end) washer, and I absolutely loathe it. I have two sons and I get it, boys are stinky, but its so bad that I refuse to wash their clothes with mine; and I have to run the load twice!

Im probably using more water with two energy efficient cycles than if I just had a legitimately efficient machine, and of course Im using extra soap which in turn, leads to more detergent in the water supply (add this to an increase in my household costs)  these efficiency rules for the environment are asinine! Of course, one could assume that from the outset; when you hear government action you know its gonna be bad.

Even more Biden diktats to compromise and decrease the performance of appliances? Please, dont sign me up.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.
So much for "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore...." and all that.

Tens of thousands of migrants waiting their chance to enter the U.S. illegally from Tijuana aren't waiting around for donated tortilla and beans platters, as the ungrateful Honduran migrant known as "Lady Frijoles" complained about a couple years back.

Here are a couple of striking tweets about what illegal border crosser are up there to as they await their chance to charge on into the U.S. with Joe Biden's ending of Title 42 pandemic restrictions on illegal entry:

Migrants on the border are literally ordering DoorDash

waiting for Title 42 to expire.



So wait, the poor migrants that are fleeing their country for a better life are ordering DoorDash with their cell phones  Cant make this stuff up. pic.twitter.com/0f60AUfYLQ  A. Starr (@StarrAli001) May 11, 2023

Are you kidding me????



These illegal migrants are ordering DOOR DASH at the border while they prepare to invade our country once Title 42 gets lifted!!!



You CANNOT make this up!!! pic.twitter.com/ds1iI3IIqY  Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) May 10, 2023

Which tells us a lot about the kind of money some of these migrants have on them as they flood into the U.S. and demand free housing, free medical care, free legal representation, free transportation, and other free things, which are automatically handed to them in welcome packets by NGOs and Homeland Security types as they enter the country illegally and make phony asylum claims.

Actually, they aren't all the same type of poor, starving, persecuted person of the stereotype. Tijuana is a pretty well developed Mexican city abutting San Diego with many prosperous areas and would naturally have access to DoorDash, a pricy meal delivery service that ensures that delivered meals arrive hot. That migrants are well attuned to this aspect of modern consumer culture, of the kind that is used by modern hipsters, tells us the entire story of the undifferentiated mass of migrants blowing into the U.S. isn't quite what they say it is.

If these people have money to pay DoorDash -- even in a city with an abundance of taco stands, soup kitchens, groceries, and other food sources -- as well as money to pay smugglers -- what other money do they have and why are U.S. taxpayers obliged to pay for their entire free ride into the states?

Image: Twitter screen shot
Kind of like the driving while Black quip, but instead, conservative while gay.

David Richardson, a tenured professor at Madera Community College, is a self-described gay conservative and hes in the midst of a heated battle with California leftists, all because he refuses to bow to LGBTQIA2S+ propaganda  and yes, thats actually the currently accepted acronym for the gender spectrum.

(If youre wondering, this latest composition stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit  the plus sign is for good measure, ready for the alphabet mafia to update anew. Funny enough, as I type this in Google Docs, the term still does raise the spell check flag.)

Reported by Greg Piper at Just the News:

The State Center Community College District informed the 33-year veteran he was on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into unspecified allegations of creating a hostile work environment and harassing and discriminating against colleagues based on gender.

So what did Richardson do that warranted administrative leave and an investigation?

Well, hes an objective realist, and incorrigibly so! The gall. (Actually, its worth noting, this is investigation number two.)

A few weeks back at the colleges open house for its academic programs, Richardson manned the history table, and decided to include some leftover chocolate bars in the goodies he reliably doles out  but these werent just any ol goody, they were Jeremys Chocolates.

So what in the world was the big deal? You might remember a few months back, Hersheys Chocolate selected a man in drag to be the face of the campaign for International Womens Day. Understandably so, women everywhere were outraged, and in response, the Daily Wire launched their own brand of chocolate in cooperation with Jeremy Boering, and named the product Jeremys Chocolates  so these are conservative chocolates, but the joke on the wrappers are whats causing such an issue.

Plain chocolate? The wrapper reads, SheHer and nutless. Chocolate with nuts? Well, obviously not hard to guess if you understand the most basic biological realities: HeHim andnuts.

According to Professor Richardson, a college fair staffer started taking pictures and kept trying to bait [him] but ultimately the professor exercised restraint; then, this past Monday night, a uniformed police officer showed up on Richardsons doorstep to deliver a letter from the college informing him he was on administrative leave pending the outcome of an open investigation.

Per Richardson, using preferred pronoun creates an irrational perception of reality and doesn't agree with an agenda that would frustrate communication for ideological reasons  this shouldnt be controversial.

The very purpose of language is effective and unambiguous communication  thats it, nothing more and nothing less. It should not be used as a tool for equity or propagandistic pursuits, and it should not need be sanitized for the intellectually nascent or fragile folk.

Seems like someone needs to give these lefties a refresher on the account of the Tower of Babel (but make sure its an abridged version!); anyone know where we can find a history professor perhaps?

Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.
Two leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) were killed in airstrikes on the third day of combat between Israeli troops and militants in Gaza.

The head of PIJ's rocket launching force and two other militants were killed in a pre-dawn attack on an apartment in Khan Younis, while his deputy was killed in a strike in a nearby town later in the afternoon, the BBC reported.

Meanwhile, a rocket fired from Gaza hit a building in the central Israeli city of Rehovot, killing one person and marking the first fatality in Israel since the start of the operation against PIJ on Tuesday.

The Israeli military had launched a series of air strikes that killed three other commanders of the group. Health officials in Gaza reported that 28 people had been killed and 93 injured during the same period, including at least 10 civilians. The United Nations has condemned the civilian deaths as unacceptable.

As of 2:30 p.m. local time (7:30 a.m. ET), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that at least 547 rockets had been fired from Gaza towards Israel, in retaliation to the heavy airstrikes from the Israeli military, according to CNN.

Read Also: US Debt Ceiling: Treasury Secretary Yellen Suggests New System

Since Tuesday, the IDF has been targeting Islamic Jihad operatives and infrastructure in the strip, resulting in the deaths of four leaders of the Palestinian militant organization, including Ali Hassan Ghali, the Al-Quds Brigades Commander in charge of the rocket unit.

In total, 28 Palestinians have been killed and 86 injured since the airstrikes began on Tuesday morning, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Ceasefire Efforts Fail

Although mediation efforts by Egypt had appeared to be leading towards a ceasefire on Wednesday night, fighting surged again on Thursday as Islamic Jihad presented several conditions for a ceasefire, including a halt to Israeli assassinations. Israeli officials, however, have not indicated a willingness to commit to such conditions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated during a visit to an air defense battalion that whoever attacks Israel "will pay the price, as will his replacement," per The New York Times.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief spokesman of the Israeli military, explained that part of the difficulty in reaching a ceasefire was because exiled leaders of Islamic Jihad, residing in hotels in Beirut and Damascus and supported by Iran, were setting the agenda.

Related Article: Pakistan Supreme Court Deems Imran Khan's Arrest Illegal

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The city of Berkeley has long been associated with leftism. Famed San Francisco columnist Herb Caen nicknamed the city Berserkeley as an homage to its radical politics. The extremism infects both the town and its famous campus, the University of California, Berkeley. Although most other college campuses have caught up with UC Berkeley, its still the grande dame of leftist extremism. Thats what makes it so lovely that Berkeley is wrestling with a bitter historic truth: The name Berkeley is an homage to a one-time Rhode Island-based slaveholder who was unimpressed by Native Americans.

From the Bay Area News Group:

The problematic pasts of historical figures have forced the renaming of hundreds of buildings and the removal of dozens of statues from public squares across the U.S. But what happens when the name of an entire community is tainted by racial injustice? Its perhaps ironic that Berkeley is the latest place to face this question. The citys reputation for anti-imperialism has only grown since becoming the nations first city to swap Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples Day in 1992 and installing city-limit signs that declare Welcome to the City of Berkeley  Ohlone Territory in 2019. Last year, the City Council agreed to begin its meetings with a land acknowledgment, recognizing Berkeley as stolen land from its first inhabitants, the Ohlone people. But now, historians at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, have renewed scrutiny of records indicating that the citys namesake  Bishop George Berkeley, an 18th-century Irish philosopher and influential scholar  purchased enslaved people to toil at a Rhode Island plantation he briefly operated until 1732.

Not only was Bishop Berkeley amenable to owning slaves, but he also had a very low opinion of the Native Americans in the colonies:

Irelands largest university took a stand on Berkeley last month, voting to expunge his name from its central library. The colleges researchers advocated for the decision, citing public documents showing that Berkeley openly advocated for owning, evangelizing and educating Native Americans, whom he characterized as inhumane, barbarous and savage.

Its worth noting that Native Americans, who were still mostly in the Stone Age phase of human development, were indeed inhumane, barbarous, and savage. This is true of all Stone Age people. They engaged in constant low-level warfare against their enemies and, lacking the resources to hold POWs, had two choices if they prevailed in those wars: They could either slaughter or enslave their enemies. (For more on this, I highly recommend Steven Pinkers enjoyable The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.)

Of course, Bishop Berkeley, immured in his early-Enlightenment Ivory tower, was unaware that his forebearers were no better. Indeed, Europe was still in the very slow process of temporarily emerging from its own barbarism. (WWII plunged it right back in.) It just had a head start over the Native Americans, so Europeans could convince themselves that they were culturally superior.

But back to that point that we were all once Stone Age people. That means that no society was free of the stain of slavery and prejudice. Moreover, leftists would do well to understand that what ended slavery wasnt just a giant leap in morality; it was fossil fuel, which meant that the physical labor of animals and humans was no longer an integral part of a society moving beyond subsistence level survival.

In other words, modern people shouldnt be on their high horse about the fact that they would never do that. When survival is at stake, they would. This is akin to the fact that everyone alive today believes that he or she would be a brave anti-Nazi fighter. As COVID showed, this is a lie. Most would align themselves with a powerful government that promises to save them, whether from economic collapse, disease, or the evil other.

The City of Berkeley named itself in honor of someone who was very much a man of his times, with some of his eras worst beliefs and many of his eras best beliefs. To shun him is to pretend that modern-day Berkeley has achieved some sort of moral apogee. It hasnt, and Berkeleyites might want to remember Jesuss admonition, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.

Image: Bishop George Berkeley by John Smibert. Public domain.
In the late 1943, while the Manhattan project was underway, a team of spies were sent to Europe to gather information about how the Nazis were faring in the development of nuclear technology. Members of the Alsos mission, as it was called, soon learned that a German chemical company named Auergesellschaft had been shipping massive supplies of thorium to Germany. The news scared the Allies because it indicated that the German atomic research was further advanced than previously thought, as thorium can be used in an atomic-bomb project only when that project was well into the advanced stage.

Doramad Radioactive Toothpaste. Photo: Museum of Radium

Eventually they captured a representative of the German chemical company, named Herr Doktor Petersen. With him was a suitcase full of documents. The Alsos team was elated. Here was our own first real Alsos Mission prisoner. We had high hopes that we finally had found somebody who inside information about the German uranium project, wrote Samuel Goudsmit, a Dutch physicist and a member of Alsos.

Alsos grilled their prime quarry for hours in a hotel room in Paris, but with little success. Either he was hiding something or he really didnt know what it was all about, wrote Goudsmit.

Disappointed by the way the interrogation was proceeding, Goudsmit began studying the numerous documents contained in the suitcase. Petersen, like most Germans, happened to be a very systematic guy who documented each and everything he did during his travels across Europe. A streetcar ticket showed that he had been in Berlin only two weeks before, and a hotel bill showed that he visited the little village of Hechingen in southern Germany, where the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Physics had been relocated in 1943 to escape bombing.

Alsos was convinced Petersen had went to Hechingen to visit the German nuclear-research project, but Petersen swore he went there only to visit his mother. An enquiry showed that his mother was indeed living in Hechingen.

Not satisfied, Alsos did some more interrogating and studied the papers more carefully. Eventually, their hard work paid off and they discovered the true reason why Auergesellschaft had been shipping their thorium supplies to Germanyto make toothpaste.

Apparently, the company officials had recognized that the war was ending and became concerned that they would no longer be able to make money producing wartime equipment such as gas masks or carbons for searchlights. They concluded that after the war was over, big money was to be made in cosmetics and related consumer products. Officials of Auergesellschaft decided to manufacture thorium infused toothpaste. According to Goudsmit, the company had been impressed by American methods of advertising, particularly their promotion of the Pepsodent toothpaste, which was advertised as containing something called irium. It was later revealed that there was no such thing as irium. To ensure the success of the venture, the company sought to gain a monopoly on all the thorium they could find in order to produce as much thorium toothpaste as they could, which explained where all of France's thorium went.

Photo: Suit/Wikimedia

The thorium toothpaste which the company manufactured was trademarked as Doramad Radioactive Toothpaste. Its radioactive content was promoted as imparting health benefits, including antibacterial action and a contribution to strengthening the defenses of teeth and gums.

At that time, the harmful effects of radiation was not fully understood. Radioactivity was often promoted as a cure for all types of illness, which led to many radiation-based medicines and therapies, such as radon-infused drinking water and Radithor, which the unfortunate Ebenezer Byers took for three years until his jaw fell off.

Radioactivity is no longer concerned trivial and many of these ill-advised products have disappeared, but not entirely. According to a report by the BBC published in 2021, Dutch authorities have found a number of anti-5g protection necklaces that give off harmful ionizing radiation. These necklaces are popular among anti-5g activists who wear them to fight the harmful radiation of 5g mobile services. What an irony!

Related Stories:

The Radioactive Energy Drink That Kills

The Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab

The Shoe Fitting Machines That Blasted You With Radiation

Floridas Radioactive Fountain of Youth
Google is reportedly paying The New York Times (NYT) around $100 million as part of a multi-year content deal. The two parties have struck a three-year deal that allows Google to feature content from the NYT on some of its platforms. The agreement also involves content distribution, subscriptions, and using Google tools for marketing and ad-product experimentation.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the deal was signed earlier this year. The NYT described it as an expanded agreement back then but didnt share the financial terms of the deal. However, sources familiar with the matter recently told the WSJ that the Times is getting close to $100 million from Google over the next three years. As part of this deal, the NYT will participate in Google News Showcase as well. It is a content licensing product that pays publishers to feature their content on Google News and other platforms owned by the company.

Both Google and the Times were reached out for comment after the financial terms of their deal were leaked. While the former didnt respond, the latter declined to respond beyond its original announcement earlier this year. Its a major new revenue stream for the publication amid a global economic slowdown. The ad market has been suffering from this slowdown as consumers spend their hard-earned money cautiously. The deal with Google would help the NYT offset some of the revenue declines from the ad business.

Meta didnt renew its content deal with The New York Times and other publications

This multi-year deal between Google and the Times comes less than a year after Meta declined to renew its contract. The Facebook company had signed deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars with several publications around the world. However, it didnt renew contracts with US-based firms such as the WSJ, the NYT, and the Washington Post in late July last year. It kept the contracts in some other markets, though. Facebook continued to pay news agencies in the UK, France, Germany, and Australia for showing their content on its platform.

Advertisement

Most people do not come to Facebook for news, and as a business, it doesnt make sense to overinvest in areas that dont align with user preferences, a Meta spokesperson said following the termination of contracts with US publishers. Meta was reportedly paying the Times more than $20 million per year. The publication is taking more than 30 million per year from Google. The latter also signed a multi-year deal with News Corp in early 2021.
Anytime you talk about the subject of artificial intelligence, youre talking about something thats morally gray and potentially devastating. The case is the same with the Universal Translator tool that Google talked about during Google I/O. The company spoke about the potential good that this tool can bring along with the potential harm (via Techcrunch).

With the introduction of Bard, the tool that can be used to create code and written content, and MusicLM, the tool that can be used to instantly generate music from a text prompt, Google definitely talked about some scary technology that could do some major harm. Universal Translator is no different.

This is a pretty Innovative technology that can help people Translate speech. The technology will take a video of someone speaking, and dub it in a different language. This will involve translating the speech and playing back an AI-generated voice that matches the original speakers voice and tone. Lastly, Google will use AI to sync up the speakers lips with the newly generated audio.

It will be as though the speaker originally recorded the video in a different language.

Advertisement

Google acknowledges that the Universal Translator tool can be used for harm

Artificial intelligence is, and has been, skirting the line between useful and dangerous. The use of AI-generated voices and deep-faking technology is creeping out of The Uncanny Valley and into Realism City. Its becoming harder to distinguish between AI-generated voices and the real thing.

This means that were approaching the ability to generate any person saying or doing anything. Do you hate a celebrity? You can make a fake video of them saying racist or anti-Semitic things. Are you a jealous ex? Well, you can generate false videos or audio of them cheating on their current lover. Thats becoming less of an impossibility.

This is why, during the presentation, James Manyika noted the phrase Bold and Responsible. This means that Google, before making this technology available to the masses, will do what it can to make sure that malicious people wont be able to use this technology for malicious Acts.

The thing is, its tough to see how the company will be able to accomplish this. Theres only one Google, but there are millions of malicious people out there. This could easily get out of control and cause some real harm to innocent people. Well just have to see how things play out and hope that Google knows what its doing.
It didnt take Samsung long to release the May 2023 update for the carrier-locked variants of its latest foldables in the US. Both Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 are widely picking up the latest security patch stateside. The update should reach all eligible users within the next few days.

Samsung started rolling out the May SMR (Security Maintenance Release) to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 a couple of days back. It began the rollout in the US ahead of international markets. However, the company initially only covered factory-unlocked units of the foldable duo. Those devices picked up the update with the firmware build numbers F936U1UES2CWD7 and F721U1UES2CWD7, respectively.

While the May SMR still hasnt reached any other market outside the US, Samsung has quickly expanded the rollout to cover carrier-locked units of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4. The update is currently available for these phones on a handful of networks, including T-Mobile, Comcast, Metro, and Xfinity Mobile. A wider rollout should follow in the coming days. The updated build numbers are F936USQS2CWD9 and F721USQS2CWD9, respectively (via).

Like unlocked variants, carrier-locked Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 are also only getting the latest security fixes with this update. Samsung isnt pushing any new features or other user-facing changes to the two foldables. This isnt surprising as they recently received the One UI 5.1 update with tons of goodies. The next big feature update should be the Android 14-based One UI 6.0. Samsung has already started testing the new version internally. A stable release is expected in October.

Advertisement

Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 get dozens of security fixes with the May update

The latest update for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 may not bring anything notable for users but it contains plenty of security fixes. Samsung has already revealed that the May SMR patches six critical and more than 50 high-severity vulnerabilities across the Galaxy lineup. In total, we are getting over 70 patches this month, around 20 of which are Galaxy-exclusive. The remaining patches come from Google and apply to Android products from other brands as well.

If youre using the latest Samsung foldables in the US, go to the Settings app, tap on Software update, and then on Download and install to check for new updates. Users in other markets can also follow these steps to see if they have a pending update. If not, wait a few days and check again. You may also get a notification once the update reaches your Galaxy Z Fold 4 or Galaxy Z Flip 4 unit.
Back in 2021 Google unveiled Project Starline, and this year at Google I/O 2023, the company showed off its new prototype which has a simpler design.

Google refers to Project Starline as a magic window where you can talk, gesture and make eye contact with another person, life-size and in three dimensions. In simpler terms, think of it like a more advanced video chat display. Though its certainly more than just a display to use for video chat. While it does only serve the single purpose, its definitely not just any old display.

It uses AI and some snazzy cameras to build a photorealistic model of the person youre talking to. The end result is some pretty insane 3D rendering of the person on the other end, making it feel like youre actually talking to them from across the table. The drawback with Project Starline when it was initially unveiled two years ago, is that it was really quite big. Google says it took up entire rooms which sort of limited who could use it. Google hopes its new prototype design will change that.

The new Project Starline prototype is smaller so it fits more spaces

Project Starline is still kind of a big device, as you wont be fitting it on top of your desk. But in comparison to its first iteration that began testing, its much smaller. Now it seems really no bigger than a 55-inch TV screen.

Advertisement

Its first prototype was about the size of a restaurant booth. The new version also uses new AI techniques that only require a few cameras to perform its function. But it also produces a higher-quality lifelike image. So not only has Google shrunk the technology down, but its also made it so it performs better.

Google is currently working with partners T-Mobile, Salesforce, and WeWork to test the new prototypes. With promising results being given in the feedback.
Pebblebee today has announced a new set of tracking tags accessories that its affectionately referring to as the AirTags for Android, though that isnt really what theyre called. All three accessories were announced as part of Google I/O and there are three new accessories in total.

The Tag for Android, Clip for Android, and Card for Android. All of which were designed to work with Googles upcoming refresh to the Find My Device feature. The new tags accessories for Android that Pebblebee is launching will be part of the Find My Device network, allowing you to attach these to anything from remotes to keys to luggage.

Like the trackers from Tile, or the recently announced Chipolo ONE and CARD, these Pebblebee tags will alert you to lost items when you ring them. God forbid you lose anything important. But should that happen, these tags can ensure you have a better chance at finding whatever was lost.

Pebblebee Android tags can last for more than a year per charge

Advertisement

The last thing you need is one of these things to end up with a dead battery. Its bound to happen at some point. But you certainly dont want it happening when you need them. You also likely dont want to be charging them all the time either.

Luckily, Pebblebees new tags all last pretty long on a single charge. Though they do vary by model. The Card lasts the longest at up to 18 months. Meanwhile the Clip will last for up to 12 months and the Tag will last for up to 8 months. All three are rechargeable so when they do die, you can simply juice them back up.

They also have a range of up to 500 feet. In addition to loud audio tones and bright, flashy LEDs to help you find them. Like the ones from Chipolo these are water resistant too. So dont be afraid if they get a little splash. Pebblebee also made them compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa should you wish to interact with them hands-free. All three items are available for pre-order now for $29.99 and are shipping this Summer.
Sony has announced its new flagship, the Xperia 1 V (pronounced Mark 5) flagship. The design language of this phone is similar to its predecessor, but the internals are upgraded, of course. The phone also has a brand new image sensor that Sony is proud of.

The Sony Xperia 1 V is here with a familiar design

Lets check out the design first. As you can see, the device includes flat sides all around, with rounded corners. Its top and bottom bezels are thicker than the side bezels, but not thick per se. That allowed Sony not to utilize a display camera hole, and offer you an untainted canvas to work with.

Three cameras sit on the back of the phone. Theyre vertically-aligned, and all are part of a camera island placed in the top-left corner. Sony branding is also visible on the back, but barely, on purpose.

It has a side-facing fingerprint scanner, and a brand new main camera sensor

Sony is sticking with a side-facing fingerprint scanner here, and it also utilized a physical camera shutter which is placed lower on the right side of the phone. The volume up and down buttons can be found on the right side too.

Advertisement

Now, regarding that new main camera. Sony is using a 52-megapixel 1/1.35 2-layer Transistor PIxel stacked CMOS image sensor. Its an Exmor T for mobile sensor, and is about 1.7 times larger than the previous image sensor.

Sony says that this sensor brings approximately double the low light performance compared to the previous model. It also offers high-speed multi-frame overlay procession technology. Youll be able to shoot a noise-resistant photo with a wider dynamic range that is equivalent to a full-frame camera, according to the company.

A set of compelling ultrawide & telephoto cameras are also included on the back

In addition to that 52-megapixel camera, Sony also included two 12-megapixel units. A 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (f/2.2 aperture, 123-degree FoV, 16mm ultrawide angle), and a 12-megapixel 85-125mm (f/2.3-f/2.8) telephoto camera that offers 3.5-5x optical zoom, and 15.6x hybrid zoom. Do note that Sony also uses ZEISS T* coating on the camera lenses.

As far as the front camera is concerned, Sony opted for a 12-megapixel unit (1/2.9 Exmor RS mobile sensor, f/2.0 aperture, 84-degree wide-angle lens). Thats about it as far as cameras are concerned.

Advertisement

Sony combines a 4K display with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC

The Sony Xperia 1 V includes a 6.5-inch 4K (3840 x 1644) OLED HDR display. This panel offers a 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz Motion blur reduction, and 240Hz touch scanning rate. It is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC fuels the phone, while Sony included 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 flash storage. You can expand its storage via a microSD card, if you want (up to 1TB).

A 5,000mAh battery is included, and the phone supports both wired & wireless charging

Android 13 comes pre-installed on the device, while a 5,000mAh battery sits on the inside. It supports 30W USB PD fast charging, and Qi wireless charging. Were not sure about the wireless charging speed, though.

There is a nano SIM slot on the inside, and the phone has eSIM support too. It is IPX5/IPX8 rated for water and dust resistance, and IP6X rated for dust resistance. An audio jack is included, and the phone has full-stage stereo speakers. It comes with Dolby Atmos support, and stereo recording. Bluetooth 5.3 is supported, as is 5G connectivity.

Advertisement

The phone measures 165 x 71 x 8.3mm, while it weighs 187 grams. The Sony Xperia 1 V comes in Black, Khaki Green, and Platinum Silver color options. The device is priced at $1,399 / 1,399 / 1299, and it will arrive in the US, the UK, Europe, and more regions starting from June.
Toyota just took one step forward and two steps back.

The popular carmaker recently announced it experienced its first net profit decline in four years while exceeding experts' profit forecast for the previous fiscal year.

Toyota's success may be due to its previously stockpiling semiconductor chips during the initial onset of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Toyota Financial Standing Details

Toyota recently mentioned in a financial results press briefing that its net profit in the fiscal year 2022 was $18.12 billion, a 14% decrease in net profits compared to the previous fiscal year of $18 billion, per Kyodo News.

This net profit loss is the first decline the company experienced in four years even when the lockdowns during the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic took place.

The company credited this loss to the rising material costs to produce the cars in its lineup, with 2022's operating profit coming March 2023 sliding down to 9%. More specifically, the rising cost of steel and aluminum, coupled with the constraints of the semiconductor shortage and other natural disasters, prevented Toyota from keeping its operating costs low.

However, the automaker posted record sales due to robust vehicle sales and a weaker yen that bloats its overseas sales when repatriated. Additionally, the efforts of Toyota's production sites and dealers helped increase year-on-year sales volume across all of Toyota's regions, per Japan Times.

Read More: Artemis 2 Astronaut Jeremy Hansen Leads Canadian National Parade at Coronation Day

Interestingly, it is these record sales that helped Toyota exceed expectations, allowing it to have an upbeat approach to its sales during the current fiscal year.

Case in point, the automaker sold more than 10.5 million cars worldwide in the last financial year, including those from its subsidiaries like Hino Motors and Daihatsu. It is even projecting a potentially massive net profit jump for the current fiscal year.

Thanks to this, the company expects it'll increase its net profit by 5% due to "improvements in semiconductor supply and the efforts of production sites."

Toyota's Chief Financial Officer, Yoichi Miyazaki, mentioned that Toyota is expecting growth in all regions, although the immediate term is not all normal yet; its ability to manage semiconductor supply has significantly improved, however.

You may remember that Toyota previously stockpiled semiconductor chips during the shortage to retain its production strength in a time of COVID-19-related lockdowns and quarantines, per Fortune.

Toyota's Hopes For the Future

Toyota recently underwent an organizational shakedown, with its now-former CEO, Akio Toyoda, being replaced by Koji Sato, per Toyota's announcement.

With a new CEO in charge, Toyota, under Sato, vowed to "accelerate" the development of battery-powered EVs through a new approach that includes the invention of next-generation Lexus vehicles by 2026.

The company also looks forward to boosting annual EV sales to 1.5 million units by 2026, with it planning to launch 10 models ranging from luxury vehicles to compacts and commercial vehicles in the US and China.

The company expects these new models to hit their respective markets in 2026, which will be building three new platforms to achieve mobility unique to EVs: the body and chassis, the electronic platform, and the software platform.

Related Article: Hacker Accessed Toyota Supplier Portal and Informs Them of the Breach
NASA has since revealed its plans to create a base on the Moon, and a recent discovery may very well mean that not only is it possible, but materials found in lunar soil can actually be used. Scientists from China have found glass fiber in the lunar samples collected back in 2020.

Glass Fiber on Lunar Soil

Back in 2020, lunar samples were retrieved during China's lunar mission involving its Chang'e 5 spacecraft. Upon the collected samples returning to Earth, scientists found the material while studying it, proposing that it should be extracted from the regolith on the moon.

In addition to that, they also suggested building permanent habitats or structures on the Moon's surface using materials gathered from it. Analyzing the 1,31 grams of lunar rock and soil, the scientists came to discover how they could be possibly formed.

It was formed through processes such as volcanic activity, solar wind irradiation, and meteorite bombardment, as mentioned in Interesting Engineering. Once it is extracted, scientists believe that it can be molded through the method of 3D printing.

Although, it would not be so easy. According to a researcher from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Physics, Shen Laiquan said that the soil required properties for forming and molding glass. This simply means that it is quite possible.

With this discovery, the Moon can also serve as a source of materials that will be used on Earth. On top of that, the collected samples and study of it could provide more insights into the Moon's history, as well as the formation process of geological time scales.

Read Also: NASA's Perseverance Rover Collects Its 16th Rock Sample Called 'Berea'

What It Could Mean for Moon Missions

Although it was the efforts of the Chinese that led to the discovery, other countries can still head on to the moon and extract the glass fiber for construction. All you need is a spacecraft and a team of geniuses behind it. Of course, countries like the US have that.

This may come as good news since NASA has long planned to create a permanent and sustainable moon base by 2030. Since astronauts already have plans to return by 2025, they can collect samples so US scientists can study them.

In fact, NASA may plan to create more than one base on the lunar surface. NASA's associate administrator for exploration systems development Jim Free said that missing a launch window might mean that they have to wait another month to return.

Having several moon bases could solve that issue. Initially, NASA only planned to build one Artemis Base Camp at the lunar south pole, as mentioned in Space. NASA's Free stated that it was really hard to say that they were going to have a single base camp.

In order to build more camps, NASA will work with other space agencies such as the European Space Agency, Canada, and Japan. This will allow us to have two or three sites to help with "science diversity," since the Artemis mission is for science in the first place.

Related: China Wants To Start Building Lunar Bases by 2028
Adidas plans to sell trainers from its axed partnership with the US rapper Kanye West and donate some of the money to charity.

The German sportswear giant announced it was ending production of Yeezy branded products with immediate effect at the end of October after West made antisemitic remarks on social media and in interviews.

Cutting ties with Wests popular trainer brand reportedly cost Adidas some 351 million in lost sales in the first three months of this year.

The company has said the break-up could reduce its earnings by 439 million in the coming year and it reportedly has some 1.05 billion worth of unsold Yeezy shoes in storage.

Adidas cut ties with Kanye West in October 2022 (Jonathan Brady/PA)

At Adidass annual general meeting in Fuerth, Germany, on Thursday, its chief executive Bjorn Gulden said destroying Yeezy stock is not the answer.

In a translated version of his comments provided by Adidas, Mr Gulden said: For the last four months we have been trying to find solutions on what to do with it.

Burning the goods is not the solution.

Now, talking to all the NGOs, and a lot of organisations that have been hurt by Kanye, they all say, no, thats not the solution.

What we are trying to do now over time is to sell parts of this inventory and donate money to the organisations that are helping us and that were also hurt by Kanyes statements.

When we will do that and how we will do that is not clear yet, but we are working on those things.

But I think burning the products is not the point.

And we will update you as soon as that decision is made.

The company previously condemned Wests antisemitic comments as unacceptable, hateful and dangerous.

Earlier this month, Mr Gulden said that losing the Yeezy brand is of course hurting us, after Adidass break-up with Yeezy contributed to the firms first annual loss in 31 years.

West now goes by the name Ye after legally changing it.
Vital information gathered about a serious condition is still not being published three years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, a charity has said.

Thrombosis UK has warned that deaths involving blood clots are higher than expected as it called for more transparency over the work hospitals are doing to reduce the risk for patients.

Before the pandemic hit, hospitals were regularly publishing data on the number of patients who had been risk assessed for blood clots.

In March 2020, the NHS in England took the decision to suspend the data collection on venous thromboembolism (also known as VTE) risk assessments to release capacity in providers and commissioners to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.

But the data collection and publication is yet to resume.

The charity said the data shows how many VTE cases are missed in hospitals.

This can highlight where clinicians may need extra support to help them prevent avoidable blood clots, it added.

It comes as the charity warned of a rise in the number of deaths linked to blood clots.

Data from the NHS show that 14,846 people aged 19 or over died in England from a VTE in 2021/22.

In 2019/20 this figure stood at 12,457.

We asked Safety and Learning Lead, @EllzSummary what actions clinicians can take to prevent venous thromboembolism claims and protect patients from harm. Visit our website to read more https://t.co/GfZ2N4jiGc#NationalThrombosisWeek #ThinkThrombosis pic.twitter.com/us1oXaiwmK  NHSResolution (@NHSResolution) May 5, 2023

Thrombosis UK chief executive, Jo Jerrome, said: This hidden crisis is breaking families and costing thousands of lives across the country.

There is a need for NHS England to reinstate data collection of VTE risk assessment  latest data collection have been delayed by the NHS, with no promise of whether it will be made available in the future.

NHS staff are working under huge pressure, there needs to be much clearer guidance and support to make sure patients with VTE get spotted and lives get saved.

One bereaved man described how his mother died last year after the condition was missed.

Tim Edwards with his wife Roisin Gallagher and mother Jenny Edwards (Family handout/PA)

Tim Edwards, 42, said healthcare workers missed signs of the condition while Jennifer Edwards, 74, was in hospital on the south coast.

Despite having many symptoms of a pulmonary embolism she was discharged home and died three days later.

Mr Edwards, who is originally from Brighton but now lives in East Dulwich in south east London, said: My mothers symptoms were missed from her admission to hospital right up to her time in the cardiology department.

She was discharged and passed away three days after phoning the NHS with shortness of breath.

She should not have died. I took it upon myself to enquire about the circumstances surrounding her death and was overwhelmed by the lack of care taken.

Sadly, I know this is not an isolated case.

Mr Edwards said he was so glad that his mother was able to meet his baby daughter Anais just three weeks before her death.

Mrs Edwards met her grandchild Anais for the first time just three weeks before she died (Family handout/PA)

Thrombosis expert Beverley Hunt, professor of haematology at Guys Hospital in London, said: A missed or delayed blood clot diagnosis can be fatal, but it can also cause long-term disability and long-lasting ill-health problems, many of which are avoidable.

The NHS must realise the urgency of the issue at hand and prevent further unnecessary deaths due to missed cases.

Urgent action is required to improve training for of trainee healthcare professionals to include the common signs, symptoms of VTE, and for more to be done to raise public awareness.

An NHS spokesman said: Teams across the NHS are able to use D-Dimer testing in conjunction with other diagnostic tests to find symptoms of venous thromboembolism (VTE), allowing associated complications to be dealt with swiftly.

Over the next few years, we are investing 100 million in imaging capacity in acute settings which will enable quicker access to these tests so issues such as VTE are picked up earlier  the creation of up to 160 Community Diagnostic Centres across the country will also enable better diagnostic access to anyone using the NHS.

NHS England was also asked whether the VTE data collection would be reinstated.
A senior British Army officer cheated the system to dishonestly claim taxpayer cash to pay his childrens private boarding school fees, a court has heard.

Retired colonel Marcus Reedman, 51, was posted to a desk job at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) building in Whitehall at the time of the allegations, between October 1 2016 and August 17 2017.

It is alleged that Reedman claimed continuity of education allowance (CEA) payments to help fund his three childrens 75,000-a-year private school fees, which matched his entire army salary.

Southwark Crown Court heard his eldest daughter and son attended Brighton College, costing around 30,000 each a year, while his youngest daughter was a daygirl at the Marlborough House prep school in Kent, for which no CEA was claimed.

If Mr Reedman had to fund his own childrens school fees from his own salary it would have been 75,000 which would have been his entire salary, said prosecutor James Dawes KC.

He could not afford on his income to pay for his three childrens private education.

Retired colonel Marcus Reedman leaves Southwark Crown Court (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

The court heard the CEA covers up to 90% of the cost of private boarding school fees for the children of eligible service personnel to enable them to stay in continuous education while their serving parent is posted away from home accompanied by their spouse.

Mr Dawes said the system is largely administered by commanding officers relying on trust, adding: It is really easy to cheat the system.

It is subsequently open to abuse.

This case is about a senior officer who the prosecution say cheated the system.

He didnt act honestly in his application and his receipt of CEA.

Prosecutors say Reedman defrauded the MoD by dishonestly failing to disclose information which had an effect on his eligibility to claim CEA.

The indictment states he failed to disclose a change in his personal circumstances that his wife Astrid Reedman and family werent living at his residence at work address (RWA) in Biggin Hill, south-east London but instead staying at the family home in Rye, East Sussex.

Reedman denies a single count of fraud and the trial continues.
Joe Biden has claimed that he visited the island of Ireland last month to ensure the Brits didnt screw around.

The US President made the comments at a Democratic Party event in New York on Wednesday.

Mr Biden, who has long been proud of his Irish roots, made the four-day trip to both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland last month.

Speaking to reporters, he said: I got to go back to Ireland for the, for the, the Irish Accords, to make sure they werent, the Brits didnt screw around and Northern Ireland didnt walk away from their commitments.

The US President used his visit to the island to say that he believed that the UK should be working more closely with the administration in Dublin to support Northern Ireland.

The trip saw Mr Biden meet briefly with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Belfast, before undertaking a series of engagements across the Republic that culminated in a homecoming event in Ballina, Co Mayo that saw him celebrate his ancestral links to the town.

US President Joe Biden has long been proud of his Irish roots (Brian Lawless/PA)

The visit came after the UK and the EU secured a long-awaited deal designed to address unionist concerns about the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Windsor Framework has not so far seen powersharing return in Northern Ireland, with Stormont still collapsed after the Democratic Unionist Party pulled out of the institutions amid anger at the post-Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland.

Mr Biden, whose trip coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, made clear his hope that power sharing could soon be restored.

Downing Street said that Mr Sunaks Brexit deal with the EU was about protecting the Good Friday Agreement, when asked about the remarks.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman, asked about the US Presidents remarks, said: You will know that, obviously, the Windsor Framework was a culmination of substantive work between the UK and the EU, and at its heart the UK priority was always protecting the Good Friday Agreement.

We have been consistent on that point throughout and we are pleased that between the UK and the EU we have been able to reach an agreement that works for the people of Northern Ireland, and for the whole of the UK.
British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful has said he is delighted by the response to his magazines first braille editions for blind and partially sighted people.

The May issue of the fashion publication, which first launched in 1916, has been made available in a physical braille edition as well as a recorded audio description.

For the first time in @britishvogues history, I am pleased to share that the magazine is now available in Braille, for blind and partially sighted people, Enninful posted on Instagram.

The Vogue team and I are delighted by the response to the May issue, but what the process of making it taught us is that whats most important are tangible and lasting changes.

Vogue and the fashion and publishing industries have a great deal to do still but it makes me very happy to see the arrival of these first Braille issues today.

The May issue of the magazine is focused on inclusivity and features a vanguard of Disabled talent, including cover star Sinead Burke, an Irish writer and disability activist who has achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism.

Created with accessibility consultancy company Tilting The Lens and its chief executive Sinead Burke, the edition also features actress Selma Blair, models Aaron Rose Philip and Ellie Goldstein and American sign language interpreter and performer Justina Miles as its separate cover stars.

Inside, 19 disabled people from the worlds of fashion, sport, culture and activism are featured through interviews, a personal essay and more.
The head of the civil service union has called on mandarins to vote for strike action, saying he has had enough of attacks from ministers.

Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA, hit out on Thursday at claims that civil servants are part of an establishment blob working to frustrate Government policy and undermine ministers.

He told the unions annual conference in Westminster that ministers need to demonstrate they value civil servants.

To applause from delegates, he said: Now, having been told youre a lazy, woke, inefficient, Remainer, activist, snowflake, you are also now apparently a Machiavellian genius, able to unseat ministers and undermine the settled will of Government.

I dont know about you, conference, but Ive had enough of this.

He also criticised the Governments handling of pay negotiations with civil servants, saying they had been treated as second-class public sector workers after the Government refused to offer them the additional cost-of-living payment that had been offered to other public sector staff.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has frequently criticised civil servants for working from home and accused mandarins of idleness (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The union announced in April that it would be balloting on strike action for the first time in 40 years, and Mr Penman said on Thursday that the FDA intended to start the ballot by the end of May.

If successful, the FDA could begin walkouts in the summer.

Calling for FDA members to vote in favour of strikes, Mr Penman said: I know what an extraordinary, difficult choice that is going to be for members.

I know you value the vital public services you are so passionate about delivering and I can assure you, conference, that I and the executive committee would not ask this of you unless we thought it was absolutely necessary.

There comes a time for everyone when enough is enough, when the only response can be a demonstrable one that signals to ministers exactly how strongly you feel. That time is now, conference.

His call follows a period of deteriorating relations between ministers and the civil service.

Most recently, Jacob Rees-Mogg on Thursday accused the civil service of idleness over plans to rip up EU rules carried over after Brexit, while Dominic Raab claimed there was resistance in Whitehall to the policy.

Recent months have also seen allegations that senior ministers have bullied staff and claims that activist civil servants are working against Government policy and have deliberately tried to bring down ministers they disagreed with.

Mr Penman denied having a hit list of ministers, saying: The FDA does not go around encouraging complaints  but the FDA has, and it always will, stand up to bullies on behalf of its members.

Dominic Raab attacked activist civil servants following his resignation from the cabinet after a report found he had bullied staff. (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

He also directly criticised Dominic Raab, who resigned from the Cabinet after an independent report found he had bullied staff, and accused Rishi Sunak of knowing about concerns regarding his behaviour before appointing him as deputy prime minister.

Mr Penman said: We now know there were written complaints of bullying submitted about Dominic Raab whilst he was justice secretary under (Boris) Johnson.

We also know, because the Prime Minister refused on five separate occasions to answer a direct question about it, that this new Prime Minister was aware about those concerns as well.

Downing Street has consistently denied that Mr Sunak was aware of any formal complaints about Mr Raabs behaviour, but has not denied suggestions that there had been informal complaints.
Scottish dentists employed on the same contract as junior doctors will join the 72-hour walkout over pay, it has been confirmed.

The British Dental Association (BDA) said 91% of the cohort backed industrial action for better pay, with a turnout of 79%.

They will join their junior doctor colleagues in a three-day strike over pay amid calls for a 23.5% increase on top of inflation.

The British Medical Association (BMA) Scotlands ballot saw 97% backing the walkout following a 71% turnout.

A 4.5% increase had previously been rejected.

Eddie Crouch, chair of the BDA, said: Our members stand ready to do whatever it takes to secure a fair deal on pay.

Just like their medical colleagues, these dentists arent worth a penny less than they were a decade ago.

Were hopeful that a negotiated settlement can be found. But our members will take strike action if the Scottish Government fails to come back to the table with a serious offer. 

Dates for the walkout have yet to be confirmed, however Scotlands Health Secretary Michael Matheson said NHS boards in Scotland have been asked to draw up contingency plans.

Mr Matheson on Thursday said he was disappointed the BDA had voted to strike which would be in no-ones interest.

I will continue to do all I can to avert industrial action in NHS Scotland, he said.

Negotiations to agree a pay uplift are already under way. As these negotiations are held in confidence, it would be inappropriate to offer any further details at this time.

Union chiefs have warned dates will be announced if a credible pay offer is not submitted.

Scotlands Health Secretary Michael Matheson said the pay demands were unaffordable (Fraser Bremner/Scottish Daily Mail/PA)

Mr Matheson has however said the demands from junior doctors were simply unaffordable.

The industrial action follows strikes by junior medics in England who walked out for three days in March and four days in June.

A survey by the BDA was raised by the Scottish Tories in Holyrood on Tuesday after it found 83% of respondents anticipated reducing their personal commitment to the NHS in the next 12 months.

It said there had been an exodus of dentists from NHS work after only a fifth of practices returned to their pre-Covid capacities.

Scotlands Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said the industry was facing a number of difficulties but denied NHS dentistry was in crisis.
A Twitter user convicted of encouraging terrorist acts after posting an image of a terrorism victims severed head has been jailed for five-and-a-half years.

Ajmal Shahpal, who urged others to decapitate those who insult Islam, was found guilty in March at Birmingham Crown Court of sending tweets which would encourage people to commit, prepare, or instigate acts of terrorism.

The 41-year-old, of Birkin Avenue, Radford, Nottingham, had denied the offences despite praising the killer of French school teacher Samuel Paty for being as brave as a lion.

Shahpal was assisted by an Urdu interpreter on Thursday as he was sentenced at the same court for one count of intentionally encouraging terrorist acts and one of doing so recklessly.

Judge Melbourne Inman KC told Shahpal: These offences were committed in September and October 2020  this was a time of heightened tension and public alarm, particularly in France.

You expressed extreme Muslim ideology, which included the immediate murder by beheading of anyone considered to have committed blasphemy against your religion.

You did not know who read your messages or where they were in the world.

The jury clearly rejected your account. I also take into account that these offences were committed in 2020.

You cannot complain of the delay given you required there to be a trial.

At the end of the judges sentencing remarks, Shahpal was told he will be subject to a 12-month extended licence period after his five-and-a-half year sentence has been served.

A two-week trial was told Shahpal was arrested at his home in March 2021 after tweeting messages backing a Pakistan-based political party which supported the out-of-hand murder of those who it thinks have committed blasphemy.

Opening the Crowns case against Shahpal at the start of the trial, prosecutor Dan Pawson-Pounds said: This is a case about terrorism, that is the encouragement by this defendant of others to commit acts of terrorism.

He did that by publishing tweets on his Twitter account which specifically encouraged others to behead those who he believed had insulted his religion, his religion being Islam.

Jurors were told Shahpal, originally from Kashmir, sent some of the tweets on his open account on September 26 2020, a day after Charlie Hebdos former office in Paris was targeted for a second time by Islamic extremist Zaheer Hassan Mehmood.

Mehmoods stabbing attack was both vicious and incompetent and came five years after 12 people were killed in an attack on Charlie Hebdos offices, the court heard.

The court was also told Shahpal expressed support for extremists who had attacked those he viewed as blasphemers, including Mr Paty, who was killed on October 16 2020.

Shahpal also saw fit to tweet an image of the severed head of Mr Paty lying on the street, saying that the insolent had been sent to hell.

Further tweets said that whoever insulted Islam should be killed, and threatened the French government.

During his evidence, Shahpal claimed he was retweeting other peoples views just to have some more followers.
A gun-making far-right extremist who said minorities should be shot and accidentally blew up his kitchen while experimenting with explosives has been ordered to be detained for eight-and-a-half years.

Vaughn Dolphin was convicted last month of six offences of possessing terrorist information, two of recklessly disseminating a terrorist publication, two of having an explosive substance and one of possessing a firearm without a licence.

A Birmingham Crown Court trial was told Dolphin, 20, filmed himself in a gas mask surrounded by a choking cloud of smoke, after attempting to blend a blast mixture in a saucepan on a domestic hob.

A screengrab from Vaughn Dolphins video of his smoke-filled kitchen (West Midlands Police/PA)

Dolphin, of Walsall Wood Road, Aldridge, Walsall, West Midlands, was arrested last year after a police raid uncovered guides on how to build a shotgun and homemade plastic explosives on an encrypted USB drive.

Also discovered was a host of Nazi-related material and a rudimentary gun made by Dolphin from a piece of aluminium tube  which police described as a viable firearm.

Dolphin is known to have communicated with white supremacists, and was proven to have made anti-Muslim comments while calling for minorities to be shot.

Vaughn Dolphins shed, showing a homemade shield and the Waffen-SS totenkopf skull and crossbones on display (West Midlands Police/PA)

Passing sentence on Dolphin on Thursday, Judge Melbourne Inman KC said: The jury heard you were a member of extreme right-wing groups holding extreme racist ideas.

Addressing the terrorist information and publications disseminated or possessed by Dolphin, the judge said of one of 11 offences: Its an aggravating factor that you were in contact with a number of extremists and the material was a horrific recording of multiple murders.

You had a rudimentary but effective muzzle-loading firearm.

Stressing that there was a strong need for deterrence because of the obvious danger posed by such offending, the judge added: The offences were committed over a three-month period.

The material related to making items that could be used to kill or seriously injure people.

The judge accepted that Dolphin, who was not found to have intended to encourage terrorism, was still relatively immature for his age.

As well as an eight-and-a-half-year sentence of detention in a young offenders institution, Dolphin was handed a 12-month extended period on licence to be added to the end of the term.

He was told that he will not become eligible for parole until he has served five years.

Vaughn Dolphins bedroom shelf, with the decommissioned grenade, mortar bomb and ammunition (West Midlands Police/PA)

At Dolphins trial it emerged that he had been a college student studying public services, which included a topic detailing the horrifying effects of terrorism and terrorist attacks on civilians.

Among the charges he was convicted of was one related to the reckless online sharing of a video, which could encourage terrorism, of a gun attack in Buffalo, New York, in which 10 people were killed by 18-year-old white supremacist Payton Gendron in May last year.
Representatives of the companies selected for KB Financial Group's KB Starters program pose in this photo released by the banking group, Thursday. Courtesy of KB Financial Group



By Yi Whan-woo



KB Financial Group is bolstering efforts to support startups in line with the country's plan to nurture the next growth engines.



The banking group announced on Thursday that it picked 25 firms from those who applied for the KB Starters program, which is aimed at discovering promising startups and offering them tailor-made support for their respective growth strategies.



The program runs in the first and latter half of every year.



The 25 startups were chosen after a screening process that was conducted by executives of KB Financial Group's affiliates and also in cooperation with the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development, which operates under the wing of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.



The areas of focus for the selected firms vary from artificial intelligence (AI) to mobility, renewable energy, health care and proptech _ the use of information technology in dealing with sales, purchasing and the management of real estate.



KB Financial Group will work with each company to develop financial services in relation to their respective field.



For instance, it will capitalize on the expertise of Wrtn Technologies, a firm that specializes in AI, to introduce a new digital banking service.



It also will work on an innovative model for pet insurance with iamdt, a platform operator for animal health care.



"We are fully committed to supporting innovative companies and will continue to come up with a range of supports, such as investment, commercialization, expansion of business networks and help the startups to grow," KB Financial Group said.



It highlighted that support for startups is based on Chairman and CEO Yoon Jong-kyoo's management philosophy, which values joint prosperity with clients and society.



Launched in 2015, the KB Starters program marks the first initiative in the finance industry that is tasked with nurturing startups. A total of 227 businesses, including the latest 25 companies, have been offered support so far.


A former Eurovision contestant who missed out on the chance to perform on the final stage when a band member caught Covid will get his opportunity this year.

Dadi Freyr was due to represent Iceland in 2020 and when the event was cancelled due to the pandemic he entered on behalf of the country again in 2021.

His song was tipped as a favourite, but when a member of his band, Dadi og Gagnamagnid, tested positive for Covid they were unable to perform live and came in fourth place after a recorded performance was shown.

On Saturday, Freyr, 30, will finally be performing on stage at the final in Liverpool, although not as one of the entries.

Dadi Freyr in Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)

He told the PA news agency: Im ready to do it, Ive been ready since 2020.

He said it felt boring and not very nice to miss out on the opportunity to appear in the 2021 final.

On what fans could look forward to from the performance, he said: Expect it to be me on stage in front of actual people and that its not going to be boring.

Im going to sing, its going to be a Liverpool song and maybe a cameo from the wife and thats all I can say.

On Thursday he performed in Liverpool in front of an ice cream van, where his wife and fellow band member Arny Fjola Asmundsdottir handed out free ice-creams.

He spent two hours taking selfies with Eurovision fans from across the world who queued for pictures.

He said: Liverpools great. Its pretty cool to see how far people are coming from.

Freyr said he was tipping Icelands entry Dilja to win this years Eurovision.

Asked if he had any words of advice for this years contestants, he said: Just go and have the best song and sing the best and have the best act and get the most points, thats the most important.
Banking giant HSBC is to pay a 15 million US dollar (12 million) penalty after being charged by US authorities over record-keeping failures.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged the London-listed bank over widespread and longstanding failures by the firm and employees to maintain and preserve electronic communications.

The SEC also charged US brokerage firm Scotia Capital with similar failings resulting in a 7.5 million dollar penalty.

Investigations by the SEC found pervasive and longstanding use of off-channel communications at both firms, with them admitting that employees often communicated about business matters on personal devices and with messaging platforms such as Whatsapp.

It said neither firm preserved the substantial majority of these communications, violating US security laws.

Todays actions should not only remind firms of the importance of following SEC recordkeeping requirements, but also the value of disclosing violations when they do occur, said Gurbir S Grewal, director of the SECs division of enforcement.

Both HSBC and Scotia Capital self-reported and self-remediated their recordkeeping violations, and the reduced penalties in these cases reflect their efforts and co-operation.

As we continue our efforts to ensure compliance with the commissions essential recordkeeping requirements, we encourage other firms to take note and likewise self-report.

An HSBC spokeswoman said: The bank is pleased to put these matters behind us, and we appreciate that both the SEC and CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) recognise our commitment to remediating our internal controls when needed.

In recent years, we have made significant investments in enhancing our compliance procedures and have worked diligently to maintain the highest standards for professional conduct throughout our organisation.
A Home Office minister has denied the Governments Illegal Migration Bill goes against Christian values after the Archbishop of Canterbury condemned it as morally unacceptable.

Sarah Dines MP urged the Most Rev Justin Welby to look at it again following his rare intervention in the House of Lords over the proposed legislation.

The Bill aims to ensure that people arriving in the UK without permission will be detained and swiftly removed, either to their home country or a third nation such as Rwanda.

Home Office minister Sarah Dines said that she did not accept that the Bill is in any way immoral (House of Commons)

Touring broadcast studios on Thursday, Ms Dines said she respectfully disagreed with the church leader.

Responding to a suggestion that the Bill was not very Christian, she told Good Morning Britain: I dont accept that at all.

I dont accept that it is in any way immoral, she added.

Speaking on LBC, Ms Dines said: I have a great deal of respect for the Archbishop, of course. He plays a very important constitutional role, but the House of Commons did pass this and I do ask him to look at it again.

Theres nothing moral about allowing criminal gangs to traffic people across the Channel, and as we all know, it can lead to death. We cant allow criminal gangs to screw up our immigration system.

The Archbishop sparked criticism among some quarters in Westminster for his intervention on Wednesday.

Tory peer Lord Dobbs told him no amount of handwringing or bell-ringing will solve the misery of the Channel crossings.

Conservative former Cabinet minister Lord Forsyth of Drumlean also took a sideswipe at the comments, saying: I am in strong agreement where he is concerned with issues spiritual, rather than temporal.

Critics argue the draft legislation breaks international law and threatens modern slavery protections.

The Archbishop argued it was also politically impractical and Liberal Democrat and former senior police officer Lord Paddick described it as a low point in the history of this Government.

The exchanges came during a lengthy, impassioned debate of the Bill in the Lords that lasted more than 10 hours.

The flagship legislation faces a stiff test in the unelected second chamber but cleared its first parliamentary hurdle in the Lords after a Liberal Democrat bid to block it was rejected by 179 votes to 76, majority 103.
Renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall has called for factory farming to be phased out as she condemned the extreme cruelty to animals involved.

The 89-year-old warned of agro-industries impact on human health, climate and biodiversity as she spoke in a video message at the Extinction or Regeneration Conference in London on Thursday.

The founder of the Jane Goodall Institute UK, which is among the conference partners, said: Planet Earth is suffering as a result of our human activities.

Were making unsustainable demands on the natural world, having so believed there could be infinite economic growth on a planet with finite natural resources and a growing number of humans and livestock.

She added that agro-industry is one of the major contributors to climate change and biodiversity loss, with vast areas of land cleared, a heavy reliance on chemical pesticides, and cramming billions of animals around the world into tiny spaces.

It comes as a new report, from conference partner Compassion in World Farming, revealed that massive reductions are needed across the top 25 high and upper-middle income countries to safeguard the future health of people, animals and the planet.

Dr Goodall warned that factory farmed animals emit a huge amount of greenhouse gases, as well as highlighting the adverse effects antibiotics and hormones used to raise animals in poor conditions may have on human health.

The conditions of animals in factory farms are unacceptable, she said. Crammed into tiny spaces, theyre often treated with extreme cruelty.

Secretly filmed videos reveal shocking scenes that kept me awake at night.

Its now proven that each animal, that the cow, pig, sheep, goat, rabbit, poultry or any other species used for food, is an individual, an individual capable of feeling depression, fear and pain.

She said these sentient animals are treated as unfeeling beings, adding: It seems clear then that factory farms should be phased out and if animals are farmed, they should be allowed to be out in the fields when the weather permits.

Dr Goodall also called for intensive farming of crops, monocultures and agricultural chemicals to be phased out.

We need to endorse small-scale family farming, regenerative farming and grow forestry permaculture and so on, she said.

Our incredible Patron, Dr Jane Goodall, DBE, opens our Extinction or Regeneration conference! We're bringing experts together to find solutions to end factory farming in a way that's kind to animals, people & our planet. Follow for live updates #Extinction2023 @JaneGoodallUK pic.twitter.com/ya5dtQvMst  Compassion in World Farming (@ciwf) May 11, 2023

And the good news is that a great deal of experimental work is being done in these fields and its proving that these methods of farming, working with rather than against nature, restoring biodiversity and helping to slow down climate change, truly can become sustainable and feed us for generations to come.

Succession star Brian Cox, who also spoke via a video at the conference, warned that the global food system is broken.

There are 820 million people across the world facing hunger yet a shocking one third of all food produced is lost or wasted between production and consumption each year, he said.

Over the past century we have willingly sleepwalked into a world of accelerating and biodiversity emergencies where people, animals and the planet suffer as a result of a system that is not fit for purpose.

We need to find a way out before its too late. But there is hope, all of the people here today are here for the same reason  to find a pathway to a more positive future where collectively we work together to build a global food system that is sustainable for the sake of humans, animals and the future of our planet.

The Compassion in World Farming report, released on day one of the conference, found that the UK needs to reduce meat consumption by 71%, dairy consumption by 56% and eggs consumption by 57%.

It also noted that the UKs National Food Strategy failed to include reduction targets, despite the report commissioned to inform the strategy recommending a 30% reduction in meat consumption to meet the UKs climate and nature commitments.

Iceland needs to make the biggest reduction across all animal-sourced foods, while the US needs to cut its overconsumption of meat by 82%, according to the research.

CIWFs global chief executive Philip Lymbery told the conference: Unless we wake up and act now to reduce this calamitous overconsumption, it will simply be too late.

Responsibility lies with these richer nations to take immediate action through national policies to help combat their impact in driving the climate, health and nature emergencies.
Boris Johnson joked about sending a message to Rishi Sunak calling him a c*** in the aftermath of his resignation as chancellor, it has been claimed.

Guto Harri, who served as No 10s director of communications under Mr Johnson, has claimed that the ex-prime minister found a video he wanted to send to Mr Sunak in the days after he left Government.

Rishi walked about, didnt even tell Boris he was going to go. Basically went public with a resignation and a few days later, Boris found a little video on the internet that expressed what he wanted to basically say to Rishi.

He didnt send it, but he sent it to me and said: Thinking of sending this to Rishi.

The video, Mr Harri claimed, contained the words: Youre a c***.

So there you have it. If you really want to know how Boris Johnson felt about Rishi Sunak in the immediate aftermath of his toppling and the great betrayal of all time, as he sees it, there you have it.

The departure of Mr Sunak is seen by allies of Mr Johnson as having helped precipitate the ministerial exodus that eventually forced him from office last summer.

In the same podcast, released on Thursday for Global, Mr Harri reveals the policy tensions between the two men and the fundamental disagreement between the pair on economic policy and tax decisions.

There was a moment when Boris blew up, sadly Rishi was not in the room, Mr Harri says.

F**k this shit man, f*** this s***. We need to clear out the Treasury, the Treasury is acting like a bank manager, not an engine of growth. We need Singapore-on-Thames, we need dynamism, were not just here to manage the decline, we need the growth engine of the British economy to be humming.
Products featured in this Yahoo article are selected by our shopping writers. We will earn a commission from purchases made via links in this article. Pricing and availability are subject to change.

This floral midi dress from John Lewis has rave reviews from shoppers. (John Lewis / Yahoo Life UK)

It's officially dress season and with the weather slowly warming up, what better time than now to invest in a new midi.

We've just spotted a new-in design at John Lewis that has a flattering fit, stylish pattern and luxury-looking details, which can easily be dressed up for a special summer occasion, as well as be worn for everyday use with trainers and a denim jacket.

Don't just take our word for it, the John Lewis Bamboo Print Trapeze Dress is already racking up five-star reviews with shoppers saying they love the fresh print, soft light fabric, as well as its versatility.

One customer said they "will definitely get plenty of wear from this beautiful dress", while another added it's "a perfect addition to my wardrobe".

Plus, coming in at 65, it won't break the bank and the cost per wear will be sure to assure you it was a worthy investment fairly quickly.

Why we rate it

Available in sizes eight to 20, John Lewis shoppers have raved about its true to size fit, that's comfortable and smart in equal measure.

It features a bamboo leaf print with long sleeves and a v-neckline that's flattering for larger busts. Little luxury-looking details also include elasticated subtle blouson sleeves and frill detail on the collar.

And lets not forget about the pockets. After all, who doesn't love a dress with pockets?

It's flowy fit makes it perfect for wearing during the warmer months. (John Lewis)

The dress features little details that make it look a lot more luxury. (John Lewis)

It's the perfect transitional wardrobe piece that will get plenty of wear. (John Lewis)

Shop now

Designed in a trapeze style, it's fitted at the waist, then flares into a subtle A-line, skimming over your hips for a flattering fit.

One shopper has already worn it to a spring wedding and said she got "so many compliments".

Worried about the long sleeves during summer? It's lightweight, thanks to the naturally derived viscose blend, which shoppers say "feels expensive".

What the reviews say

All the reviews so far are singing its praises, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5. Take a look at a snippet below to see why it's flying off shelves.

"Looking for a dress for my Nieces wedding and found this one. Loved the bamboo pattern, fabric feel and the POCKETS. So many compliments too."

"Finally managed to find a dress for a family wedding that isn't wrap or tiered style. Really pleased with the cut style colour and material. Will definitely get plenty of wear from this beautiful dress."

"Versatile dress that looked great with boots and denim jacket for casual look but stylish outfit for day or night."

"Lovely fresh print, soft light fabric, pretty cuff detail and pockets. Good value for money too."

"Could be worn for lots of different occasions and dressed up or down, very pleased with it. A perfect addition to my wardrobe.

"Having already bought this dress in the red I was confident that this dress would not disappoint. The material is quite heavy meaning that the dress sits beautifully. This dress is a perfect fit, even for a fuller figure."

Shop now: John Lewis Bamboo Print Trapeze Dress | 65 from John Lewis

65 at John Lewis

It's not the only affordable midi dress we love from John Lewis. Here's some other styles to see you through summer...

(John Lewis)

(John Lewis)

(John Lewis)

Watch: How to organise your wardrobe
Meghan Markle has been described as 'lovely' by a restaurant worker who has shared their interaction. (Getty Images)

Meghan Markle has been described as "lovely, respectful" and "kind" by a restaurant worker who helped serve the Duchess of Sussex while she ate with her friends in a private dining room.

Sharing details of her experience meeting the royal, TikTok user Krista Lepore said Meghan, who at the time was already married to Prince Harry and was pregnant, "was great" and "always said please and thank you, always made eye contact and was always engaging".

Lepore decided to reveal all about her experiences with the royal in honour of King Charles III's coronation, but also because she believes many have a "preconceived notion about her".

"Nothing that I experienced was like that with her," she told her followers on the video sharing platform.

Read more: What's next for Harry and Meghan?

Explaining that Meghan was enjoying dinner with her friends in a private room in the restaurant she was working in, Lepore said she was the second server, which meant she had to go into the room to assist and serve and clear drinks.

"Every time I was in the room, everything that I heard, saw and experienced firsthand. She is lovely, respectful, kind, was just having dinner with her friends. That's it, like any one of us."

As she was away from the public in a private room, Lepore believes Meghan "had no excuse to be anything other than herself because she was now in a safe environment".

"And so I saw, in my opinion, what I feel was the real Meghan," she continued, adding that she thought Meghan was "fantastic".

Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry are currently living in California. (Getty Images)

Read more: How fans and critics have reacted to Harry attending Charles's coronation without Meghan

Lepore went on to say that after the duchess had left with her friends she asked her colleague, who was the main server in the room, what his opinion of her was and shared that he thought she was "one of the nicest human beings I have ever met in my life".

"He couldn't stop raging [raving] about her," she concluded. "So maybe everybody needs to back off a little bit and give her a little bit of grace because she's really lovely."

Watch: Meghan Markle isn't going back to acting despite signing with a talent agency

After sharing her interaction with the royal, fans commented how refreshing it was to learn what Meghan is like behind closed doors.

"This makes me so happy to hear!" one user wrote. "I always felt like Meghan was being harshly judged."

"So happy to hear this," another agreed. "Thanks for sharing. I truly believe, Meghan is genuine and real."

"I think its ridiculous all the hatred for Meghan Markle," yet another user wrote.

Others added their own stories about her character.

"She visited a restaurant in Dublin, Ireland not long after they married. The staff said exactly what you have said here."

Read more: Take our Harry and Meghan relationship quiz

The restaurant worker said Meghan was 'fantastic'. (Getty Images)

The interaction share comes as Meghan wasn't present for the coronation last weekend, choosing to remain behind in California with her and Harry's children, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, one.

As the coronation fell on Archies fourth birthday, it is believed that this was a driving factor behind Meghans decision to stay in California.

Last month it was revealed Meghan is to be given a Women of Vision Award by the Ms. Foundation for Women  the oldest women's foundation in the US.

Meghan will be given the award on 16 May by feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem, who was also a co-founder of Ms. Foundation, for her "global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls".

Previous recipients of the Women of Vision Awards include Hilary Clinton, iconic fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and Academy Award nominated director Ava DuVernary.

This isn't the only honour the Duchess has received recently: her podcast series Archetypes was given a Gracie Award by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation.

In a statement on the Archewell Foundation's website, Meghan said she was grateful for this "prestigious honour" for her podcast.
Ukrainian former entrants at the Eurovision Song Contest who will be performing during the grand final have said Liverpool is almost like home after seeing the citys celebration of their country.

Four-piece band Go_A, formed in 2012, experimented with blending Ukrainian folk songs and electronic music before entering Eurovision and finishing fifth in 2021.

Two years later the band are taking to the Eurovision stage once more, to perform during the flag parade at the opening of the grand final.

Speaking to the PA news agency in Liverpool, lead singer Kateryna Pavlenko, 34, and keyboard and percussion player, Taras Schevchenko, 41, said they were touched to see Ukrainian representation in the city for the song contest.

There are a lot of different Ukrainian installations and everything is painted in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, Schevchenko said, adding: Its almost like home.

The band members were enthusiastic about Liverpool hosting Eurovision this year, in part due to the citys reputation as the home of world-renowned British talent.

Pavlenko said: Its the city of the Beatles and Stevie G and I love this person so much, so for me its a great experience to be here and feel the atmosphere of this city.

Go_A will be among several Ukrainian former contestants who will be singing along to British classics during the flag parade on Saturday.

Go_A performing at the Glastonbury Festival (Ben Birchall/PA)

Schevchenko, who is also the bands producer, said: The idea of the flag parade this year is quite amazing because it will be several Ukrainian bands singing along with top British hits and we cannot wait to see how it happens.

Pavlenko added: We will collaborate with a band from Great Britain  the Chemical Brothers  and we are happy because it is a great band and we like this music, so its a big pleasure.

The collaboration between British and Ukrainian artists sends a strong message for everybody that we are part of something bigger, Schevchenko said.

The band members also said they will be performing their popular 2021 Eurovision entry Shum, a dance track with a strong folklore influence which marked the first time Ukraine had submitted a song entirely in Ukrainian.

Despite the glitz and glamour of the Eurovision Song Contest, Go_A still have the war back home on their mind.

(PA Graphics)

The band led an audience of thousands in a call of Slava Ukraini during a performance at Pier Head in Liverpools Eurovision Village ahead of the contest.

The performance was part of a line-up of Ukrainian acts such as rock band Antytila and this years submission from Ukraine, electronic duo TVORCHI.

Schevchenko said their countrys resounding victory at last years contest, achieved by rap group Kalush Orchestra three months after Russia invaded their country, was a big moment for Ukraine and all Ukrainians.

He added: It really raised our spirits and helped us to feel like we could do something in the war.

It was a very emotional moment for everybody.

Crowds Go_A at Glastonbury (Ben Birchall/PA)

Still based in Ukraine despite attacks by Russia, the band members say they have got used to the sounds of bombing and air raid sirens as they have become so commonplace back home.

Right now we even have a lot of jokes about air alarms, because we hear them constantly, Schevchenko said.

The band are encouraging Europeans to continue supporting Ukraine, because were not fighting only for our freedom, but we are fighting for the very existence of democracy, Schevchenko said.

He added: If something happens to Ukraine, the next step is that war can come to every doorstep.

Despite the hardship at home, the band have travelled to Liverpool with a fighting spirit.

We are ready and we are willing to struggle for our freedom and do whatever is necessary to win, Schevchenko said.
Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill has reiterated her plea to the DUP to return to the Stormont Assembly.

The DUP has been boycotting devolved government for the past year, pressing the UK government to address their concerns around Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson earlier insisted his party will stand firm after this election until we have properly secured and protected our place within the United Kingdom.

He also made a plea during his partys manifesto launch in Belfast for unionist co-operation at next weeks council elections against opponents of the union.

Last years Assembly election saw Sinn Fein emerge for the first time as the largest party at Stormont.

Speaking during a visit to the Balmoral Show, Ms ONeill insisted her election message is one of positivity.

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald (left) and Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle ONeill (right) taking a selfie at the Balmoral Show (Liam McBurney/PA)

They (DUP) can fight what type of campaign they wish, my message is one of positivity, one about the future, one about building a better society for us all to live side by side, so Ill just keep focused on what I offer the electorate, she said.

We should have been in Stormont from last May, from immediately after the election. That remains my case today and my message to the DUP, they need to be in the Executive with the rest of us making politics work, and focusing on the future and making this a better place for everybody who lives here.

Ms ONeill also said she rejects the assessment by some that the overall mood of the election has been flat.

Im out at different hustings, at different events, on the doorsteps meeting people and its not flat in my experience, people are very engaged, and very engaged in terms of the bigger picture politics, theyre being crystal clear with me that they want politics to work, they want politicians working together, they want the Executive up and running, they want us to fight back against Tory austerity and they want good local government councillors, she said.

Actually I find it quite an engaging election.
Communities will be offered benefits such as the potential for lower energy bills if they support onshore wind farms in their area under Government proposals.

The Government announced the launch of a consultation on Thursday into proposals that aim to place communities at the centre of decisions around onshore wind farm developments.

The consultation will look into adding community benefits, such as energy bill discounts, to the range of reward schemes that onshore developers currently offer host communities.

The Government said these benefits would be agreed between developers and communities on a case-by-case basis.

It is also proposing that best practice principles of community engagement, published by the Government, are formally embedded into planning guidance for local authorities and developers to ensure the views of the community are heard and addressed.

The approach would provide local authorities with more flexibility to respond to the views of their local communities on onshore wind, the Government said.

The proposals come as an addition to reward schemes already offered by developers to areas that agree to have onshore wind farms locally, including locals holding a stake in a turbine so they can profit from the sites operation and funding for electric vehicle charging points or new recreation facilities in the community.

Graham Stuart, minister of state for energy and net zero, said: Onshore wind is a vital part of our plans to deliver cheaper, cleaner and more secure homegrown energy.

It is right that new developments have the support of host communities, and that local people benefit directly from it, such as through either a discount on their energy bills or other significant community benefits.

Our proposals will ensure developers and local residents can work together more efficiently to maximise community benefits for supportive communities while delivering the clean and secure energy the country needs.

James Robottom, RenewableUKs head of onshore wind, said: Were pleased that the Government is consulting on the wide range of benefits which onshore wind can offer to local communities in England.

We have a long track record of working closely with communities to ensure that they decide what form these benefits will take, depending on the needs and priorities of local people.

Building strong relationships with local communities as early as possible is the best way to establish successful partnerships which last for decades.

Alongside much-needed planning reforms, this consultation provides an opportunity to increase the amount of cheap clean power we can generate for consumers as well as strengthening our nations energy security.
The signboard outside the entrance of a bank in Seoul advertises loans for small businesses and self-employed people, in this Dec. 14, 2022 photo. Korea Times file



By Yi Whan-woo



Companies are borrowing more money from banks while increasingly failing to make repayments on time, fueling concerns of corporate debt and risks of defaults that can further disrupt the country's efforts to revitalize its sluggish economy.



According to data from five major banks, KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori and NH NongHyup, Thursday, the remaining balance of loans taken out by firms amounted to 720.08 trillion won ($543.9 billion) as of April.



That marks an increase of 16.35 trillion won from the previous year. Conglomerates accounted for 9.16 trillion won of the overall loan increase, while small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) accounted for the remaining 7.19 trillion won.



"The problem is, the rate of delinquency is also increasing, which in turn, raises worries over possible corporate defaults," a spokesperson at one of the major banks said, asking not to be named.



The spokesperson noted that the overall rate of businesses that missed paying back principal for a month or longer increased by 0.09 percentage point year-on-year to 0.39 percent in February.



During the cited period, the loan delinquency rate slid to 0.09 percent, down 0.14 percentage point, for conglomerates. But it rose by 0.15 percentage point to 0.47 percent for SMEs.



The risks associated with business loans are becoming more serious when debt held by micro businesses and self-employed people are included.



Bank of Korea (BOK) data showed early this week that the remaining balance of money borrowed from banks by micro businesses and self-employed people amounted to 1,019.8 trillion won at the end of 2022, up 48.9 percent from the previous year.



In particular, the less income they earned, the more likely they were to struggle to make repayments.



The delinquency rate surged to a three-year high of 1.4 percent in the final three months of 2022 for people in the bottom 30 percent of the income bracket among micro businesses and self-employed people.



The rate stayed between 0.7 percent and 1 percent between the first quarter of 2020 and the third quarter of 2022.



Under the circumstances, an economist warned about a string of risks that can spread from businesses to banks, the government and the entire national economy.



"The banks already have been taking corresponding measures to counter growing risks of defaults among small businesses and they may find it tougher to keep the risk under control if the delinquency rate continues to rise across businesses irrespective of their size," said Lee Sang-ho, head of the economic policy team at the Korea Economic Research (KERI).



He referred to an increase in loan loss reserves. Also called a bad debt reserve, it is the amount of receivables that banks do not expect to actually collect after considering the repayment capacity of a borrower.



The loan loss reserves set aside by the four largest banking groups, KB, Shinhan, Hana and Woori, increased about 57 percent year-on-year to 5.1 trillion won in 2022, as the government keeps rolling over debt held by pandemic-stricken small businesses under a state-led relief program.


Heathrow Airport has warned that the growth in passenger numbers since the end of coronavirus restrictions may be levelling off.

Demand for air travel surged after the UKs travel rules were scrapped but it has flatlined compared with pre-virus levels in recent months.

Some 6.4 million passengers travelled through Heathrow in April, which was 94% of the total for the same month in 2019.

Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye said we have made tremendous progress (Yui Mok/PA)

The west London airport said in a statement: There are early indications that passenger growth may be levelling off, with recovery now stable at 93-95% of 2019 levels across each of the first four months of this year.

Forecasts for passenger numbers are a controversial issue, with airlines often accusing the airport of downplaying expectations in an attempt to justify higher charges.

Heathrow said it continued to deliver excellent passenger getaways over Easter and the coronation, with well over 90% of people passing through security in under 10 minutes.

That was despite a strike by security guards.

Chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: It is only 12 months since all international travel restrictions in the UK were lifted, and we have made tremendous progress.

I am proud that colleagues across Heathrow have shown Britain at its best for visitors arriving for the coronation.
Updated 11 May 2023 at 10:14 am

Train services are being hit by more strike action.

Members of Aslef and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at train operators will walk out in long-running disputes on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Here is a breakdown of each operators plan for strike days:

Avanti West Coast is among the operators affected (Luciana Guerra/PA)

 Avanti West Coast

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: Fewer trains than normal will run and only between 7am and 7pm, with the exception of some services to and from Liverpool which is hosting the Eurovision song contest.

 c2c

Friday: Usual timetable.

Saturday: No major impact but all services will run to/from London Fenchurch Street and will not call at London Liverpool Street or Stratford.

 Caledonian Sleeper

Friday: Usual timetable.

Saturday: The Caledonian Sleeper does not operate on Saturday nights.

 Chiltern Railways

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: No trains will run north of Banbury.

Services that do run will be limited to one train per hour in both directions between London Marylebone and each of Banbury, Oxford and Aylesbury via Amersham, and only between around 9am and 9pm.

 CrossCountry

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: No direct services will run to or from Birmingham New Street and locations such as Aberdeen, Cambridge, Cardiff, Glasgow, Nottingham and Stansted Airport.

Services that do run will only operate between 7am and 7pm.

 East Midlands Railway

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: Services will run between 7am and 7pm.

They will be limited to just one train per hour in each direction between London St Pancras and each of Nottingham, Sheffield and Corby, as well as a handful of regional routes such as between Derby and Matlock.

 Elizabeth line

Friday: Usual timetable.

Saturday: The Elizabeth line is not involved in the industrial dispute with the RMT but there will be some alterations to its services.

These include no trains between Maidenhead and Reading before 7am or after 7pm.

 Gatwick Express

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: No trains but Southern and Thameslink will serve Gatwick Airport.

Services to Gatwick Airport will be hit (Gareth Fuller/PA)

 Grand Central

Friday: Usual timetable.

Saturday: Grand Central is not involved in the industrial dispute with the RMT but there will be minor alterations to its services.

 Great Northern

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: A limited service will run and only between 7am and 7pm. There will be no trains between Ely and Kings Lynn.

 Great Western Railway

Friday: A limited service will run and only between 7.30am and 6.30pm.

The only open routes will be between: London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads; Reading and Didcot; Reading and Basingstoke; Reading and Redhill; Westbury and Swindon; Cardiff and Bristol; and Plymouth and Gunnislake.

The Night Riviera sleeper service has been cancelled.

Saturday: A limited service will run and only between 7.30am and 6.30pm.

More routes will be open compared with Friday, including additions such as between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway; London Paddington and Cardiff; Slough and Windsor; and Penzance and Plymouth.

 Greater Anglia

Friday: A reduced service will run and only between London Liverpool Street and each of Cambridge, Norwich, Southend and Stansted Airport.

Saturday: Trains will run between 7am and 11pm.

Some routes will have a reduced frequency, but most will have a normal or near normal service.

 Heathrow Express

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: No trains after 9pm.

 Hull Trains

Friday: Usual timetable.

Saturday: Usual timetable.

 London North Eastern Railway (LNER)

Friday and Saturday: A limited timetable will operate and only between London Kings Cross and both Edinburgh and Leeds.

 London Northwestern Railway

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: A limited service will run and only between 7am and 7pm.

The only open routes will be between Birmingham New Street and each of London Euston, Birmingham International and Liverpool Lime Street.

Some operators will be running very limited services (Victoria Jones/PA)

 London Overground

Friday: Usual timetable.

Saturday: London Overground is not involved in the industrial dispute with the RMT but there will be minor alterations to some of its services.

 Lumo

Friday and Saturday: Usual timetable.

 Merseyrail

Friday and Saturday: No impact from the strikes. Additional services will run due to Eurovision.

 Northern

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: A limited service will run and only between 8am and 5pm.

Only a handful of routes will be open, such as between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester; Leeds and York; and Darlington and Saltburn.

 ScotRail

Friday and Saturday: Usual timetable.

 South Western Railway

Friday: No trains on the Isle of Wight.

Services will be reduced between London Waterloo and Exeter, in the Romsey area and on the suburban network.

Saturday: A reduced service will operate and only between 7am and 7pm.

The only open routes will be between London Waterloo and each of Windsor via Hounslow; Windsor via Richmond; Woking; and Basingstoke; between Basingstoke and Salisbury; and on the Isle of Wight

 Southeastern

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: A reduced service will operate, with only 58 out of 180 stations open.

Trains that do run will be busier than normal, and services are likely to start later and finish earlier than usual.

Southeastern will run a limited timetable (Gareth Fuller/PA)

 Southern

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: A reduced service will operate. No trains will run between Hemel Hempstead and Clapham Junction; London Bridge and Norwood Junction; Southampton Central and Barnham; and Eastbourne and Ashford International.

 Stansted Express

Friday: Frequencies will be halved to one train per hour in each direction.

Saturday: Frequencies will be halved to one per hour in each direction, and trains will start later and finish earlier than normal.

 Thameslink

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: Services will be split north and south, with nothing running between London St Pancras and London Blackfriars.

 TransPennine Express

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: A reduced timetable will operate and only between Liverpool Lime Street and each of Huddersfield, Preston and Sheffield, and between Sheffield and Cleethorpes.

 Transport for Wales

Friday: Usual timetable.

Saturday: Transport for Wales is not involved in the industrial dispute with the RMT but some of its services will be disrupted.

Several stations such as Birmingham International, Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly will only be open for services between 7am and 7pm.

West Midlands Railway

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: A limited service will run and only between 7am and 7pm.

The only open routes will be between Birmingham New Street and each of Wolverhampton, Rugeley Trent Valley and Lichfield Trent Valley; between Kidderminster and Whitlocks End/Dorridge; and between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town.
A young mother who lost her leg to cancer has starred in a video to celebrate 30 years of Race for Life, just weeks after learning to walk with a prosthetic limb.

The race has raised almost 1 billion for Cancer Research since it began in 1994 and around 10 million people have taken part in the event.

When Chantelle Cox was just six months old, a lump appeared on her ankle which turned out to be an extremely rare tumour known as a plexiform caused by Neurofibromatosis.

The uncommon genetic condition causes tumours to grow in the nervous system, but they are usually benign.

Chantelle Cox with son Harry George, two, and partner Jack (Chantelle Cox/PA)

Now aged 25 and mother to two-year-old Harry, it has caused Ms Cox excruciating pain and discomfort every day of her life.

In September 2022, she was told she had four cancerous tumours in her ankle and one in her calf.

Despite surgery to remove them, Ms Cox was told the only option left would be to have her leg amputated.

She said at the time she couldnt imagine what life would be like without her leg, but she now believes it was the best decision she has ever made.

We're celebrating 30 years of #RaceforLife with iconic 90s stars to revive the era and honour our legacy! Since launching in 1994, over 10 million people have taken part! Join us this year at your local event  https://t.co/VLTPS20mJF@MrMotivator @AntheaTurner1 @TerryColdwell pic.twitter.com/yoFGu5B3I1  Race for Life (@raceforlife) May 11, 2023

Ms Cox, from Dundee, said: I was still alive and I was going to see my little boy grow up. Just days after the surgery I was healing well and my dressing was off.

I was no longer in constant pain and I knew even then that I wouldnt now go back to living the way I was before.

Ms Cox is now planning to pursue a career in oncology nursing.

On February 1, she was fitted with a prosthetic limb and quickly learned to walk unaided.

Chantelle Cox after surgery to have her leg amputated (Chantelle Cox/PA)

Soon afterwards, she travelled to London to star in the video alongside well known 90s stars Mr Motivator, television presenter Anthea Turner and Terry Coldwell from boyband East 17.

Participants in this years race will receive an exclusive medal to mark the milestone birthday.

Ms Cox said: My mum and dad couldnt believe it when I got home and told them Id met and taken selfies with Mr Motivator.

Around 33,900 people are diagnosed with cancer every year in Scotland, according to Cancer Research.

Mr Motivator with Ms Cox during filming for a video to celebrate 30 years of Race for Life (Chantelle Cox/PA)

Money raised at Race for Life enables scientists to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer - helping to save more lives.

Fitness guru Mr Motivator, whose real name is Derrick Errol Evans, became a Race for Life supporter after losing a close friend to prostate cancer.

He was commonly seen on breakfast television in the 1990s and said the celebration feels very nostalgic.

Race for Life 2023 medal reveal!  Celebrate 30 years of #RaceforLife with us and receive an exclusive medal when you cross the finish line! Sign up here  https://t.co/kKqMGFffg5 pic.twitter.com/67BMuGdwyG  Race for Life (@raceforlife) January 19, 2023

He said: With multiple people close to me being affected by cancer, Im proud to be playing my part in raising money for life-saving research.

Cancer Research UKs Race for Life is such an incredible event to be a part of. Its not about how fit or young you are, its about everybody coming together to help beat cancer, and most importantly having a laugh whilst we do it.

Cancer can impact anyones life and like many other people out there, I have personally felt its effects.

Losing two friends to breast cancer within weeks of each other was a real reminder that life is short, so Im encouraging everyone to dust off their 90s gear and get in the community spirit for a brilliant cause which will be remembered for years to come.
The UK Government taking control of TransPennine Express services is not enough in itself to improve performance, Scotlands transport minister has said.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced the move on Thursday, following months of delays and cancellations to services, which cross into Scotland.

Graham Sutherland, chief executive of the companys owner FirstGroup, said the firm had worked extremely hard to improve services, but the decision was made for the Government to use its powers as the operator of last resort to take control.

Kevin Stewart, who as transport minister is responsible for Scotlands nationalised rail operator ScotRail, said change will not just come with UK Government control, urging ministers to take action to improve services.

Kevin Stewart urged the UK Government not to make cuts to services (Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament/PA)

TransPennine Express services have been unacceptably poor for far too long, he said.

Therefore, the Scottish Government welcomes the decision to take the contract into public sector control. However, a change of ownership is not enough in itself  what matters is real change to performance levels.

This is just the latest example of a broken franchise system and long overdue reform. That is why the Scottish Government has already acted by taking rail passenger services we own back into public sector operation. With fully devolved rail powers, we could go even further to meet the needs of all rail users in Scotland.

Mr Stewart went on to say he fully expects services which cross the border to continue, and he urged the UK Government to focus on fixing the issues.

I look for assurance that the Department for Transport will focus on service improvement and not cuts to the already poor service, he said.

(PA Graphics)

My officials remain ready to co-operate on the development of these services for the benefit of communities in Scotland and connectivity with the north of England.

Scottish Labour MSP for South Scotland Colin Smyth said: This is a decision that should have been made years ago by the UK Government.

For too long they have been rewarding failure by constantly given this failed franchise contract after contract when they have been so badly letting down passengers.

Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokeswoman Jill Reilly said: TransPennine passengers are angry that services are being cancelled and the Conservatives failure to stop industrial action is making things worse.

Years ago the Conservatives promised to fix railway services, promising that the new Great British Railways would take control and stop disruption, but they have badly failed rail travellers.
The UKs Overseas Territories should be given representation in the House of Commons, ministers have heard.

The 14 British Overseas Territories (BOTs), including the Falklands Islands, Bermuda, and Gibraltar, are self-governing, but the UK is responsible for their defence and foreign policy.

A cross-party group of MPs suggested there were strong arguments for giving the territories a voice in Parliament on matters that involve them.

Conservative former Cabinet minister Karen Bradley told MPs: Where in our procedures have we got the ability to give a voice to our friends, our family, in the overseas territories and the crown dependencies?

Intervening, Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Brighton, Kemptown) said: My view, as Ive expressed, is that we should have MPs here, with voting rights.

But other areas do it differently as well.

At least in the US, for example, they are without voting rights but full participation rights.

We must find a solution along those lines, otherwise we are all negligent.

Because the best people to make their voice heard, is themselves.

Tory former minister David Jones said: I think there is a strong argument for saying that in the case of at least some of the territories integration should be pursued, and that those territories should send a member to this Parliament.

Bermuda flag-bearer Tucker Murphy during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games (David Davies/PA)

But the Tory chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Alicia Kearns urged caution about the proposals.

She said: I do think its important that we reiterate that is only if that is the wishes of overseas territories, because I would make the point that when the Foreign Affairs Committee spoke to them, many said they would not want to see that.

Ms Kearns had earlier stressed Government policy in relation to the BOTs must recognise the unique circumstances of each territory and make sure they feel heard, valued and supported.

She added: British Overseas Territories span Europe, the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Atlantic.

They vary in size, population, culture, climate, food, traditions, challenges and opportunities.

The British global family is diverse and requires policy that recognises this diversity.

I hope the Government will adopt an ethos that recognises the unique circumstances of each territory and makes sure they feel heard, valued and supported.

A general view of Stanley, Falkland Islands (Emma Hallett/PA)

Foreign Office minister David Rutley said the Government was doing more to ensure the BOTs were better represented.

He told MPs the Prime Minister had agreed the Foreign Office should lead on a new cross-Government strategy for the overseas territories.

Mr Rutley also suggested relevant Government departments would soon select ministers to be responsible for issues in the BOTs, adding: Lord Goldsmith as minister for the overseas territories will convene a regular meeting of these minsters as a ministerial group to ensure that the UK meets its constitutional responsibilities.

The minister went on: Others have suggested that there should be MPs or some form of representation in this House.

We so far have not had any formal representations from any territory on this matter.

MPs debated the future of the BOTs as representatives from the territories visited Parliament.

As part of the visit, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle unveiled two stained glass windows celebrating the BOTs and crown dependencies at the entrance of Speakers House in the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday.
A real estate company worth nearly 20 million has admitted burning peat illegally on one of its estates.

Dunlin Ltd, owner of Midhope Moor in the Peak District, was fined 2,645 while incurring costs of 125 and a surcharge of 720 after pleading guilty to six charges of burning peat without a licence.

The case, heard at Sheffield Magistrates Court on Wednesday, is the first to be brought by the Crown Prosecution Service under new regulations introduced in 2021.

The RSPB said it first reported burning to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in November 2022.

Investigators then found 30 burns across 46.06 hectares on a hillside within a site of special scientific interest. All 15 samples taken were found to be greater than 50cm.

Breaking: First successful prosecution of burning on deep peat in England. Midhope Moor estate in the Peak District this afternoon pleaded guilty to multiple breaches of the Heather and Grass Burning Regulations and fined 2,645. Full story  pic.twitter.com/OIIcNl9hul  RSPB England  (@RSPBEngland) May 10, 2023

Under the 2021 Heather and Grass etc Burning regulations, burning peat at this depth in protected areas is illegal without a licence to do so.

Dr Pat Thompson, senior policy officer for RSPB England, said: This case demonstrates that despite assurances from some in the shooting community, illegal burning is still happening in some of our most highly protected areas.

We know that many driven grouse moor managers are following the new rules, however, if we are to restore our upland peatlands, we need to see all land managers comply.

The regulations were brought in to protect peatlands, which are important carbon sinks  Englands upland peatlands are thought to contain more than 138 megatonnes of carbon, the RSPB said.

They are also important habitats for many species, including the rare hen harrier, which uses peatland for hunting and nesting.

A spokesperson for Dunlin Ltd said: The estate management deeply regrets this contravention of burning regulations.

We take our land management responsibilities very seriously and burning consents had been granted to us previously for the land in question.

We genuinely misunderstood the updated regulations and this led to these errors. We have already implemented measures to ensure such an error will not happen again.

Burning of heather on peatland is a common practice among driven-grouse moor gamekeepers as a way to encourage new heather shoots for red grouse to feed on before they are shot for sport.

The RSPB said only 10-15% of Englands peatlands remain in a favourable state and that action must be taken.

Environment minister Trudy Harrison said: Peatlands are a valuable natural resource. They provide drinking water, food and shelter for rare wildlife and help prevent flooding by soaking up water.

This verdict  the first following our new legislation  sends an important message that we will do all we can to protect our largest store of carbon from degradation, which is a crucial step in meeting our commitment to reach net zero by 2050.

Andrew Dodd, head of casework for the RSPB, said: We are pleased to have been able to support this investigation. Over the last three burning seasons, we have been working with volunteers and supporters to gather information on burning in our uplands and share that information with Defra and Natural England.

The upland burn reporting app has provided us with invaluable data on when and where burns are reported to take place and we verify reports against existing peat depth maps to see if the recorded burns are likely to be on deep peat over 40cm deep or inside protected areas.

We are grateful to volunteers and supporters who have reported records via the burning app and to Defra and Natural England for their support.

Lots of colleagues helped make this happen. Though the fine is modest, the verdict is good. If you break the law when burning, you may be prosecuted and fined.
The rapid change in Sheku Bayohs mental state and behaviour before his death was consistent with someone under psychostimulant intoxication, an inquiry has heard.

An expert witness told the inquiry into his death that one of the drugs found in Mr Bayohs system can cause paranoia in someone susceptible to it.

Maurice Lipsedge, a consultant psychiatrist, said in some people the reaction can be extreme, and that is what he thinks happened to Mr Bayoh.

The trainee gas engineer died after he was restrained by around six police officers who were called to Hayfield Road in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on May 3, 2015 after reports of him acting erratically.

The inquiry is investigating the circumstances of the 31-year-olds death and whether race was a factor.

It previously heard from the pathologist who examined Mr Bayoh after he died, who confirmed it was a sudden death in a man intoxicated by MDMA and alpha-PVP whilst being restrained.

Angela Grahame KC, lead counsel to the inquiry, asked Dr Lipsedge about the impact alpha-PVP can have on someone.

He described it as a very powerful stimulant and like a very, very potent form of amphetamine.

Dr Lipsedge told the inquiry: We know that amphetamine has the potential to cause extreme paranoia fairly quickly, thats to say within 20 minutes, 45 minutes, it acts quickly.

It doesnt do that to everybody, but in a person who happens to be susceptible then there can be a paranoid reaction which can be extreme, and thats what I think happened to Mr Bayoh.

He was then asked how someone who had taken the drug might appear and what their state of mind might be.

He replied: The adverse psychiatric effect is suspicion moving into paranoia, intense fear that other people want to harm you, and in Mr Bayohs case its clear that there was a progression from suspecting that his friends were having a conversation about another person who wasnt present.

Mr Bayoh thought that they were talking about him, and then the situation escalated so that he began to think his friends were actually against him.

Sheku Bayohs sisters Adama Jalloh, left, Kadi Johnson, centre, and Kosna Bayoh arriving for a previous hearing in the case (PA)

Dr Lipsedge, 86, worked as a consultant psychiatrist in the NHS until his retirement form the health service, but he still works in that field.

The inquiry also heard about a retrospective psychiatric diagnosis Dr Lipsedge made in relation to Mr Bayoh in a report he submitted to the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner.

Ms Grahame said: You talked about how the rapid changes in Mr Bayohs mental state and behaviour from apparent normality were consistent with psychostimulant intoxication, to which Dr Lipsedge replied: Thats correct.

Explaining what psychostimulant intoxication is, Dr Lipsedge said psycho stimulants are drugs like amphetamines and cocaine, and the group of drugs called cathinones which have an excitatory effect on the brain and nervous system.

However he said there can also be the risk of cardiac arrest if someone is restrained having taken such drugs.

He told the inquiry: There is a release of dopamine, which is the pleasure-seeking component, there is also a release of adrenaline which can very commonly raise the heart rate, raise blood pressure and make the heart vulnerable.

If the heart is deprived of oxygen, which can happen during restraint, there is a risk of cardiac arrest due to a disturbance of the rhythm of the heart.

Dr Lipsedge was asked what state of mind Mr Bayoh might have been in when police arrived at the scene.

He said that if a person is in a paranoid state, imagining enemies and that people want to harm him, they are highly suspicious of others, including people in authority.

The witness said: I dont know Mr Bayohs previous experience with the police and he might not have had any previous experience, but sometimes the appearance of somebody in a uniform exacerbates a paranoid state.

He also mentioned ethnicity, although stressing this would be speculation, and said: It is possible that Mr Bayoh had experienced discrimination and that might have been a factor when he was approached by white police officers.

Dr Lipsedge, appearing at the inquiry by video link, said Mr Bayohs struggle with police might have been paranoia-based, it might have been a person feeling that the police were hostile to him and that his life might be in danger.

He told the inquiry: Even in the absence of paranoia one comes across people who, this is well documented in the United States, people who are not psychologically disturbed but who are approached by police, Im talking about black people now, and who then are so terrified of the police that a life or death struggle ensues and thats to do with a previous experience of racism.

Ms Grahame said Collette Bell, Mr Bayohs partner, had told the inquiry she had conversations with him and he used to always say to me about racism and the police, and added: Do you know as a black man when youre up against the police, it doesnt matter if you have done right or you have done wrong, the only way you are getting out of a confrontation with the police is if you run.

There is no way out as a black man when youre coming up against the police.

Dr Lipsedge agreed with Mr Grahame that it was indicative of Mr Bayoh having previous bad experiences with the police.

He also said if a decision is taken that restraint is deemed necessary, an ambulance should be called immediately.

The inquiry, taking place before Lord Bracadale in Edinburgh, continues.
Stephen Tompkinson  regarded as one of Britains finest actors with almost 40 years on stage and screen  has been cleared by a jury of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

He was found not guilty of punching a drunk man he confronted for making noise outside his house in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, in the early hours of May 30 2021.

The trial at Newcastle Crown Court heard that the 57-year-old had been working solidly since attending drama school in the 1980s, and had become a big star but had been left virtually unemployed since being charged with the assault on Karl Poole.

Before swearing the jurors in, Judge Paul Sloan KC told them the defendant was a well-known actor  many if not all of you will know of him.

Tompkinson was born in Stockton-on-Tees and grew up mostly in St Annes-on-the-Sea in Lancashire.

He told the court some of his teachers saw potential in my acting ability during school plays and encouraged him to audition for drama school.

Tompkinson attended the Royal Central School for Speech and Drama in London from 1984 to 1987, and in his final year won the Carleton Hobbs Award, getting an Equity card.

He then joined the BBCs radio drama company and performed in 54 radio plays in seven months.

Tompkinson told the court the first thing of any note he appeared in was TV news sitcom Drop The Dead Donkey, which started in 1990 and ran for nine years.

He became a household name after starring as Father Peter Clifford in 1996s Ballykissangel, and in the same year appeared in hit film Brassed Off as a miner turned childrens party clown.

Stephen Tompkinson attending the funeral of Ballykissangel co-star Tony Doyle (Chris Bacon/PA)

Giving evidence at his trial, Tompkinson said Ballykissangel was probably the most popular show Ive done after reaching 15 million viewers.

Other notable TV credits include Wild At Heart, Minder, New Tricks, Grafters and Ted And Alice.

He also appeared in ITV crime drama DCI Banks for six years until the show was axed in 2016.

Tompkinson also starred in a 2021 stage adaptation of Educating Rita, and told a court he had interspersed stage and screen throughout his career.

He is due to star as playwright Samuel Beckett in a new play called Stumped, which is scheduled to start touring in less than two weeks.

The trial heard that since being charged with the assault on Mr Poole, Tompkinson had had work taken away and any association with him in the industry was on hold while the charges were hanging over him.

Asked by his barrister Nicholas Lumley KC if he had anything to gain by assaulting Mr Poole, Tompkinson said: Absolutely not. Any member of the public is potentially a member of your audience and you have to treat them with respect at all times.

After we got 15 million viewers for Ballykissangel, my father, who was alive at the time, said, You have been invited into peoples living rooms and you must always treat them with respect, and I always try to.

It would be career suicide to do something as outrageous as assault someone.

A parade of character witnesses from the world of television appeared or wrote statements in support of Tompkinson during the trial.

Comedian and writer Andy Hamilton, who worked with him on Drop The Dead Donkey, told jurors Tompkinson had worked pretty much permanently since he had known him and had become a big star over the years.

One of the reasons for that is people know hes good under pressure, he said.

Andy Harries, chief executive of Left Bank Pictures, described Tompkinson in a statement as a terrific actor and said he knew how much he loves his daughter and partner.

Arthur McKenzie, a former Northumbria Police detective turned writer, said in his statement: It was very quickly abundantly clear to me why he is regarded as one of Britains finest actors.

His Wild At Heart co-star Hayley Mills said Tompkinson played a vet in the series and worked with every sort of animal, all of which responded to the calm way he dealt with them.
Students have voiced fear their degrees will be devalued amid a marking boycott by lecturers as part of an ongoing pay dispute.

The University and College Union (UCU) and members of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-Fela) are taking action short of strike in a bid to secure higher wages.

It means lecturers will mark work but will not enter it into recording systems, as they are no longer carrying out duties beyond their contract.

The industrial action includes 145 UK institutions, including all Scottish universities and colleges.

Universities are considering a raft of measures in response, which could include basing final grades on work already submitted.

I am a final year student at Edinburgh University. This week I was told that due to industrial action, my 10k word dissertation will probably not be markedever. I've been talking to staff & students  a quick  on the *utter chaos* going on at Edinburgh right now.  Ollie Lewis (@_ollielewis) May 10, 2023

Ollie Lewis, a politics student at Edinburgh University, said his dissertation took six months to complete but it may never be looked at.

The student, from Cambridge, said his 9,250 per year studies could essentially go to waste amid the uncertainty.

He told the PA news agency: After four years of studying and committing to pay over 37,000 to this university, not marking our final work is the ultimate slap in the face.

If students graduate without all our work being marked, it could run the risk of our degrees being devalued. The university has miscalculated here.

In a Twitter thread, Mr Lewis said staff have been left with no choice but to take the action, and he said some tutors cannot afford to feed or clothe themselves.

Meanwhile, more than 500 Edinburgh University staff have written an open letter to the institution over concerns that degrees could be awarded to students without necessary expertise.

More people continue to sign this, closing in on 500 now https://t.co/tRyAPVtCHg  David Farrier (@David_Farrier) May 9, 2023

A university spokesperson said: The university has robust measures in place to reduce the impact of industrial action and we are making every effort to provide results, degree award outcomes and progression decisions to students by the published timelines.

They added that temporary variations are in place to ensure academic standards are not compromised.

Meanwhile, New College Lanarkshire student Sher Khalid-Ali urged the Scottish Government to intervene in the pay dispute as she warned students could be prevented from moving on to higher or further education if their results are disrupted.

She said: If the Scottish Government really cares about helping adults out of poverty, why are they ignoring a pay dispute which threatens to stop thousands of students having access to a better life which they have worked hard to achieve?

It comes as 46 million of funding originally pledged to colleges and universities was withdrawn by the Scottish Government after it was marked as an essential saving.

Scottish Labours Pam Duncan-Glancy said students deserve better (PA)

Scottish Labour education spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy said: Students who have been working hard towards their degrees for years face their work not being marked or counted towards their degree, while staff face their wages being docked for taking legal action to protect their pay, terms and conditions.

Its a complete mess and is a direct result of the SNPs 13-year freeze to university budgets  a 25% reduction in funding in real-terms  and their repeated failure to avoid strike action and support staff and students.

They deserve much better than this.

Lib Dem education spokesman Willie Rennie said: This generation of young people have already suffered from a pandemic body blow, now they are under a cloud of industrial action.

Ministers need to work to break the logjam so students can fully benefit from the best education experience possible.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: The Scottish Government is not directly involved in the national collective bargaining process. It is for colleges and universities, as the employer, to negotiate with the unions on pay, terms and conditions in the spirit of collaboration and co-operation.

It is important that unions and the employers continue to hold talks to avoid any potential industrial action and subsequent disruption to learners.

We expect management and unions to make every effort to reach a settlement that is fair and affordable.
The UK can pay its fair share of support to developing countries vulnerable to climate change by taxing millionaires and fossil fuel producers, a charity has suggested.

A Loss and Damage Fund was agreed at the United Nations (UN) climate change conference Cop27 in November last year, whereby rich countries would give money to poorer ones to cover the costs of climate disasters like forest fires, floods, droughts, and rising sea levels.

It followed at least 30 years of pressure from the developing world and is meant to address the imbalance between high and low-emitting countries.

Some of those least responsible for climate change are the most vulnerable; for example, Pakistan has seen more than 30 billion US dollars (23.8 billion) of flood damage despite emitting only 1% of global greenhouse gases, the UN said.

Although agreed in principle, key details such as who exactly will pay and how much, as well as what specifically the fund will cover, are yet to be worked out.

A previous commitment to raise 100 billion dollars (79.3 billion) by 2020 for climate adaptation and mitigation fell short.

Christian Aid said the UK should contribute 3.5% of the Loss and Damage Fund and raise the money through taxation.

The charity calculated the contribution figure after the 100 billion-dollar climate finance commitment and it is based on the UKs historic emissions and relative wealth.

It said recent estimates of the cost of loss and damage to developing countries is between 290 billion dollars (229.9 billion) and 580 billion dollars (459.8 billion) a year by 2030.

Therefore, the UK should contribute 15 billion dollars (11.9 billion)  worked out by applying 3.5% to the lower and higher current cost estimates and then landing in the middle  the charity said.

In a new report, titled The Loss And Damage Fund: Where Does The Money Come From?, Christian Aid said the money could be raised by introducing a national wealth tax of 0.5% on income above 1 million, which would raise around 15 billion.

The Government could also adopt a polluter producers tax and raise the tax on fossil fuel companies excess profits to 95%, which, according to Tax Justice UK, would raise around 13 billion.

A third option is to combine smaller taxes such as the International Air Passenger Levy, the Emissions Trading Scheme, an expanded Financial Transactions Tax and the existing Energy Profits Levy, which together would meet the commitment, Christian Aid said.

Costs of loss and damage are likely to rise as the climate destabilises and its effects become more frequent and severe, meaning contributions from developed countries will have to increase over the decades to keep pace.

African countries are leading the way on #ClimateAction. Their massive efforts need massive support. From Nairobi, I urge developed countries to deliver on their promises to developing countries and the loss and damage fund agreed at #COP27. pic.twitter.com/ebKBnzAcnN  Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 3, 2023

Christian Aids climate justice policy adviser, Nushrat Chowdhury, said: Ive seen first-hand the damage caused by the climate crisis.

Lives and livelihoods are being destroyed in some of the poorest countries on Earth because of lethal droughts, severe floods and devastating storms.

Climate change is the biggest issue of global injustice facing the world today. Some of the people that have done the least to cause it are experiencing the most terrible consequences.

How we address that injustice fairly is at the heart of international climate negotiations.
Region offers wide spectrum of tourist attractions



By Lee Hae-rin





Gyeonggi Tourism Organization CEO Cho Won-yong / Courtesy of Gyeonggi Tourism Organization

Gyeonggi Province, in the vicinity of Seoul, is a popular one-day suburban getaway destination for Koreans thanks to its large number of attractions, but it is still off the beaten track for many foreigners.



In that respect, Cho Won-yong, CEO of the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization (GTO), aims to introduce the lesser-known travel gems of the province to foreign travelers by enhancing interregional networks.



"Gyeonggi Province is huge and offers so many must-see attractions of all colors," Cho said during a recent interview with The Korea Times at his office in Suwon.



Housing 31 cities and counties and a population nearing 14 million, Gyeonggi Province is a mega municipality housing almost a quarter of South Korea's population. Since taking office last December, Cho has crisscrossed the province learning about its wide spectrum of lesser-known tourism assets and their particular themes.



For example, the northwestern side of the province is themed with peace and nature, featuring the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Imjingak Resort with its various Korean War-related artifacts and memorial monuments and the 1,635-meter-long tunnel dug by North Koreans.



The central and southern regions possess rich cultural and historical heritage, including UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Namhansanseong and Hwaseong Fortress, while the west coast boasts marine ecotourism, renowned for beautiful sunsets and foreshore seaside landscapes, he explained.





The sun rises over a pontoon bridge on Bukhan River in Yangpyeong, northeastern Gyeonggi Province, in this May 3, 2016 photo. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seog



"It takes more than just one day to take a proper look at the region," Cho said. However, he admitted that traveling around Gyeonggi Province is still challenging for foreign travelers due to a lack of transport infrastructure.



The GTO's pre-pandemic survey of foreign travelers visiting 21 major tourist attractions from 2019 shows the province scored a five-star rating in overall travel experience, one of the top reasons being public safety.



The respondents said they chose to travel to the province based on family and friends' recommendations (67.1 percent), internet searches (60.1 percent) and media exposure (29.8 percent), with multiple choices allowed. But an overwhelming 86.7 percent chose not to spend the night, the survey reports.



"Most of our visitors are one-day trippers who take advantage of the region's geographic proximity to Seoul," he said. "Since Gyeonggi Province widely surrounds the capital, visitors tend to take a short timeout trip only to where there is less traffic, without spending the night."





A flock of wild geese fly over a field of reeds in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, in this Dec. 15, 2015 photo. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seog



Besides fostering accommodation options, Cho plans to make the travel experience more efficient and convenient by developing joint tour programs with multiple municipalities, based on his experience in the aviation industry.



While he led the PR department of Asiana Airlines from 2005 to 2012, the airline introduced special flight packages that allowed one-way travel between Korea, China and Japan, in collaboration with All Nippon Airways (ANA), Air China and Shanghai Airlines.



Launched in celebration of the Korea Visit Year 2010-2012 campaign, the promotion allowed interregional travel at prices about 44 percent lower than buying separate tickets and became a huge success, he explained, adding that he now plans to introduce the concept to bolster regional tourism, starting with a tour bus program.





A map of Gyeonggi Province's EG Tour Bus / Courtesy of Gyeonggi Tourism Organization
Ukrainians will have the best chance to defend themselves after the UKs donation of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, the Defence Secretary has said.

Ben Wallace confirmed that he and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had agreed to authorise the donation after continued Russian attacks on Ukraine.

He told the House of Commons: Today I can confirm that the UK is donating Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.

Storm Shadow is a long-range, conventional-only, precision-strike capability. It complements the long-range systems already gifted, including Himars and Harpoon missiles, as well as Ukraines own Neptune cruise missile.

(PA Graphics)

He added: The donation of these weapons systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russias continued brutality, especially the deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, which is against international law.

Ukraine has a right to be able to defend itself against this.

Manufacturer MBDA says the Storm Shadow missile has a range in excess of 150 miles, giving Kyiv the ability to strike behind the Russian front line.

Britain is understood to have received assurances that the missiles will only be used defensively against targets within Ukrainian territory being occupied by Vladimir Putins forces.

Mr Wallace would not go into detail on the number of missiles that would be provided but said it is currently enough to satisfy the Ukrainian demand for that capability.

He also said the United States have been incredibly supporting of the United Kingdoms decision to do so.

Mr Wallace insisted it is the actions of Russia alone that have led to such systems being provided to Ukraine and stressed this is a calibrated and proportionate response to Russias escalations.

He noted that MPs should recognise that Storm Shadow missiles are not even in the same league as some of the long-range weapons Russia has used.

As he concluded his speech, the Defence Secretary added: Try as they might, the Kremlin cannot hide the fact that their invasion is already failing.

They can only occupy the rubble left by their destruction.

Labour welcomed the announcement, with shadow defence secretary John Healey saying Storm Shadow will strengthen Ukraines fight to repel the Russian forces.

He added: We are united in our determination to help in the defence of Ukraine and of our shared values  we welcome this vital new military support as the Ukrainians prepare for their expected counter-offensive.

Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns said she supported the Governments decision, but urged Mr Wallace to lobby the Chancellor to establish an economic Ramstein of G7 Treasury ministers or allied nations to increase the financial pressure on Russia.

Mr Wallace said: I think its a good idea and Ill definitely pass that on to the Chancellor.

Addressing calls to provide jets to Ukraine, Mr Wallace said: We offered  to the Ukrainians training on Typhoons. I recently received a letter turning that off as a request, and asking us for support on the F-16, which of course we dont hold.

However, I would encourage anybody to gift F-16s to help the Ukrainians.
Unlawful information gathering was authorised at the highest levels at the publisher of The Mirror, the High Court has been told.

Several high-profile figures, including the Duke of Sussex, are bringing claims against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles.

Claims brought by four individuals are being heard in a seven-week trial as representative cases of the types of allegations facing the publisher  including voicemail interception, securing information through deception, and hiring private investigators for unlawful activities.

MGN  publisher of titles The Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People  is contesting the cases and has also said there is no evidence, or no sufficient evidence, of voicemail interception in any of these four claims.

On the second day of the case on Thursday, barrister David Sherborne said one of the most seriously troubling features of their cases was the allegation that those responsible for management and finances of the company were well aware of what was going on.

Piers Morgan edited The Mirror between 1995 and 2004 (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

He told the London court: Even people you would expect to be ensuring honesty (were) themselves so bound up in this wrongdoing.

Its no wonder it was so widespread it is no wonder it was so successfully covered up by the PLC.

Mr Sherborne also said: We say the case goes higher than just the journalists.

The condoning of these activities meant these journalists were able to continue them at this widespread level.

At all levels, the defendants organisation was concealing unlawful activity because it was well aware of how damaging it was, he added.

In written submissions, Mr Sherborne said: It is inconceivable that this information, which was readily available on MGNs system, was not known by the editors, Piers Morgan, Tina Weaver and Mark Thomas, the managing editors, and the legal department and the board.

Despite that, neither the legal department nor the board took any action to prevent the continued use of such techniques by MGN journalists.

The barrister later discussed an article which claimed Prince Michael of Kent was in debt to a bank, which ran as a front-page story on The Daily Mirror in January 1999.

The court heard MGN printed an apology and paid legal costs over a story about Prince Michael of Kent (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

Mr Sherborne said the article claimed Prince Michael  the late Queens cousin  owed more than 2.5 million to Coutts & Co.

He said: At the time of the Prince Michael of Kent story, (the paper) was edited by Piers Morgan.

He was a very hands-on editor, the barrister continued, adding he had a close connection to the board.

The story had been published with sufficient confidence in the face of a denial from Prince Michael himself, Mr Sherborne added.

The barrister alleged the story had been obtained illegally using private investigators and in written submissions, Mr Sherborne said private information had been blagged.

He continued that when Prince Michael raised a legal complaint against MGN, Mr Morgan said the allegation came from an impeccable source who has an intimate knowledge of the royals finances.

Mr Sherborne said: Mr Morgan, and the MGN lawyers he consulted before writing this letter, knew full well that the information had been obtained unlawfully and that the criminal law had in fact been breached, and the impeccable source they referred to was in fact (private investigator Jonathan) Rees.

MGN later settled Prince Michaels claim, agreeing to publish an apology and pay his legal costs, Mr Sherborne said.

Mr Morgan, who was The Daily Mirrors editor between 1995 and 2004, has previously denied involvement in phone hacking.

On Wednesday, the broadcaster told BBC Twos Amol Rajan Interviews: I think phone hacking is completely wrong and shouldnt have been happening and it was lazy journalists being lazy.

When asked about being seen as a hands-on editor, Mr Morgan said: I didnt (know about hacking). So I dont care whether it stretches peoples credulity or not.

Andrew Green KC, for MGN, said in written submissions that the claimants had made serious allegations of dishonesty with legal arguments that are far from adequate.

He continued: The claimants have not provided any direct evidence of a member of the board or legal department making a false or dishonest statement.

Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell is also named as a representative case in the trial (Dave Thompson/PA)

By contrast, MGN has provided witness evidence from board members, which the claimants are in no position to gainsay, denying any such knowledge, the barrister said.

Mr Green added: There is no attempt to confine the allegations to specific board members or time periods.

Rather, scattergun allegations are apparently made against every member of the board serving over 20 years, and no clear or specific inferential basis is particularised.

Mr Green said MGNs legal department generally did not know about journalists sources but rather its lawyers were consulted where journalists considered it necessary.

As well as Harry, Coronation Street actors Nikki Sanderson and Michael Turner, known professionally as Michael Le Vell, and comedian Paul Whitehouses ex-wife Fiona Wightman are named as representative cases for the trial.

Mr Green later said the four people in the trial have made extraordinarily wide claims about phone hacking and unlawful information gathering, and that some of the cases have been brought too late.

He continued: The claimants now seek to make sweeping allegations of unlawful information gathering against a vast number of third party suppliers, private investigators or otherwise.

Despite the obvious seriousness of these allegations, and the range of third parties against whom they are made, the claimants have served barely any evidence to support them, or the other claims of unlawful information gathering made against third party suppliers.

The barrister added: In the vast majority of cases, the allegations are denied and no evidence supporting them has been served.

At the start of the case, an MGN spokesperson said: Where historical wrongdoing has taken place we have made admissions, take full responsibility and apologise unreservedly, but we will vigorously defend against allegations of wrongdoing where our journalists acted lawfully.
Updated 11 May 2023 at 10:12 am

Train services run by TransPennine Express will be brought under Government control later this month.

Here the PA news agency answers 10 key questions about what happened and what comes next.

TransPennine Express services will transfer to new ownership on 28 May 2023.All tickets remain valid and can be purchased in the usual way.  TransPennine Express (@TPExpressTrains) May 11, 2023

 What is TransPennine Express?

A train operator running intercity services across northern England and into Scotland.

 How bad has its performance been?

Cancellations and delays have been widespread for several months.

The equivalent of nearly one in four trains were axed in the four weeks to March 4.

Passengers have suffered from months of disruption (Danny Lawson/PA)

 What has caused this?

A series of issues including drivers no longer volunteering to work paid overtime shifts and higher than usual staff sickness levels.

 What has been announced?

The Department for Transport said control of TransPennine Express services will come under its Operator of Last Resort from May 28, making them nationalised.

 What has been the reaction?

West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin said it was absolutely right.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper warned the decision is not a silver bullet (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

 Will services improve?

Transport Secretary Mark Harper warned the decision is not a silver bullet and urged drivers union Aslef to call off strikes and end the ban on rest day working.

 Will tickets still be valid?

Yes. The announcement does not affect ticket validity or prices.

 Will passengers notice the change?

Not immediately. The Operator of Last Resort will use the same trains and employ the same staff.

It remains to be seen if performance alters.

London North Eastern Railway is among the operators already nationalised (Danny Lawson/PA)

 What is the Operator of Last Resort?

A Government company that runs passenger services after contracts with private operators end and there is no immediate replacement.

 What services are already run this way?

London North Eastern Railway, Northern and Southeastern.
The Cult of Third Eye Blind: Out of the Vein Turns 20

When I first moved here, I felt like it was a small town, Heather Wagner Reed says of her adopted hometown of Austin, Texas. The deceptively laid-back atmosphere of Austin, however, is part of why its become a major cultural hub of the south, and a perfect home base for Juice Consulting, Wagner Reeds marketing and PR firm, which is about to celebrate its 16th birthday.

The tech industry has been booming here for quite some time, the live music industry is extraordinary here, theres a lot of resources for artists here that I dont know exist anywhere else. So many nonprofits that actually were created to help musicians with things like healthcare, with mental health services, with financial grants, with education, Wagner Reed says. Its just been growing exponentially, its a very exciting time to be here. Its like a creative vortex.

More from Spin:

Wagner Reed, a Pennsylvania native, came to the region two decades ago to work with one of the most famous Texans in the world: Beyonce Knowles. Wagner Reed had been working for Universal Music in the Netherlands when she met the Destinys Child stars father and at the time, manager. Wagner Reed joined their team in 2002 as Beyonce launched her solo career. I was at a conference in Atlanta where Mathew Knowles was a speaker, and a member of his team named Ira sat next to me, and we exchanged stories, Wagner Reed remembers. He said, you really need to meet Mathew! He needs someone with international experience on the team. Which I did, and we spoke a few times over the coming weeks and he ended up moving me from Holland to Houston for a job with the family. Thats how I got to Texas.

Heather Wagner Reed with Beyonce in 2007 (Credit: Jennette Everette)

Over the next five years, Wagner Reed was part of the team that helped elevate Beyonce to superstardom. In that job, I learned a lot. Every week we would have team calls where we had the head of marketing for Sony, the head of marketing for Dreamworks, the head of marketing for LOreal, Pepsi, her publicist, and all the different entities in her life, coordinating and collaborating and sharing strategies, she says.

Launching Juice Consulting in Houston in 2007 and then relocating its base of operations to Austin a year later, Wagner Reed was able to share the accrued knowledge from her years in the major label world with her own clients. Independent musicians from Texas and the deep south might not have easy access to a world-class marketing firm since, as Wagner Reed notes, A lot of them are based in New York, L.A. or London. Having fallen in love with Austins culture, however, she relished the opportunity to help Texan artists get a foot in the door. Theres so much talent here, theres just a need to shepherd these creatives into the industry.

Some of the members of the Juice team (Credit: #GETCHISUMED)

Over the years, Juice has diversified into tech and film as other industries have grown in the Austin area. We get all kinds of clients, we like to say we reflect whats going on in Austin, she says. We ended up working with a couple of tech accelerators maybe six years ago and started to represent some startups and entrepreneurs. Id say nowadays we do probably as much tech as music.

As the company turns 16, Juice Consulting has decided to mark the occasion with a Sweet 16 event, an invite-only 80s-themed retro prom (although members of the public will be able to win tickets via the companys Instagram page). I guess you can say I was a child of the 80s, Wagner Reed says. I think any reason to have people dress up and have fun is a good one.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

The post The Cult of Third Eye Blind: <i>Out of the Vein</i> Turns 20 appeared first on SPIN.
FILE - The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 2, 2023. The Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to a California animal cruelty law that affects the pork industry, ruling that the case was properly dismissed by lower courts. Pork producers had said that the law could force industry-wide changes and raise the cost of bacon and other pork products nationwide. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a challenge to a California animal cruelty law that affects the pork industry, ruling that the case was properly dismissed by lower courts. Pork producers had said that the law could force industry-wide changes and raise the cost of bacon and other pork products nationwide.

Californias law requires more space for breeding pigs, and producers say it would force the $26 billion-a-year industry to change its practices even though pork is produced almost entirely outside California.

The justices upheld lower court rulings dismissing the pork producers' case.

During arguments in the case in October, liberal and conservative justices underscored the potential reach of the case. Some worried whether greenlighting the animal cruelty law would give state legislators a license to pass laws targeting practices they disapprove of, such as a law that says a product cannot be sold in the state if workers who made it are not vaccinated or are not in the country legally. They also worried about the reverse: How many state laws would be called into question if California's law were not permitted?

The case before the court involved Californias Proposition 12, which voters passed in 2018. It said that pork sold in the state needs to come from pigs whose mothers were raised with at least 24 square feet of space, with the ability to lie down and turn around. That rules out confined gestation crates, metal enclosures that are common in the pork industry.

The Iowa-based National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation sued. They said that while Californians consume 13% of the pork eaten in the United States, nearly 100% of it comes from hogs raised outside the state, mostly in the Midwest and North Carolina. The vast majority of sows, meanwhile, are not raised under conditions that would meet Proposition 12s standards.

The Biden administration had urged the justices to side with pork producers, telling the court in written filings that Proposition 12 would be a wholesale change in how pork is raised and marketed in this country and that it has thrown a giant wrench" into the nation's pork market.

Pork producers argue that 72% of farmers use individual pens for sows that do not allow them to turn around and that even farmers who house sows in larger group pens do not provide the space California would require.

They also say that the way the pork market works, with cuts of meat from various producers being combined before sale, it is likely all pork would have to meet California standards, regardless of where it is sold. Complying with Proposition 12 could cost the industry $290 million to $350 million, they said.
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
Former President Donald Trump came out swinging Wednesday at a town hall hosted by CNN in New Hampshire.

The former president participated in a live 90-minute event moderated by former chief White House correspondent and anchor Kaitlan Collins, which at times grew contentious over questions about the 2020 election, his recently being found liable in a sexual battery case and the Jan. 6, 2021 riot.

See below for The Hills team coverage of the event.

Related coverage from the CNN town hall event:

Updated on May 11 at 7:39 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
An Alabama state lawmaker who ran for office on medical freedom has introduced legislation that would allow law enforcement agencies to prosecute abortion patients on charges of murder and assault.

The bill from Republican state Rep Ernie Yarbrough and several other GOP lawmakers would repeal a provision in state law that exempts abortion patients from prosecution and inserts a so-called personhood clause that would redefine person to the moment an embryo is fertilised, giving a zygote the same rights as the person carrying it.

Prosecutions for abortion  regardless of the viability of the pregnancy  would be treated the same as prosecutions of homicide or assault of a person born alive, according to the bill, throwing into question whether the state could criminalise miscarriages or other adverse pregancy outcomes.

The lives of preborn individuals must be protected with the same criminal and civil laws protecting the lives of born individuals, the bill states.

The proposal joins a largely failed, far-right abortion abolition campaign among anti-abortion legislators and activists across the US emboldened by the US Supreme Courts decision in 2022 to revoke a constitutional right to abortion care.

Alabama is among more than a dozen states, mostly in the US South, where abortion is now effectively illegal or access is severely constrained.

The measure from Rep Yarbrough and four other state lawmakers would also give district attorneys and the state attorney general concurrent authority to prosecute abortion cases if other law enforcement agencies refuse. Dozens of officials from across the US signed a statement last year pledging to refuse to prosecute anti-abortion laws.

Earlier this year, Alabamas attorney general Steve Marshall said authorities could prosecute people who use abortion drugs under a chemical endangerment of a child statute initially designed to protect children from meth lab fumes.

So Alabama's really going to vote on whether a pregnant person should go to jail for murder if they don't produce a live birth.https://t.co/fpRc8HCSVw



But hey! The pregnant person can't be prosecuted over miscarriage due to physical or sexual assault from a partner. Generous. pic.twitter.com/GyQOxi6IPn  Robin Marty (@robinmarty) May 10, 2023

Rep Yarbroughs measure also states that a pregnant person can be prosecuted if they intentionally or recklessly placed themselves in a situation in which it was probable that they would be subject to duress.

The bill adds a clause that medical providers would not be prosecuted if an abortion is required to save the life of the pregnant patient, provided that all other reasonable alternatives to the medical care or treatment have been exhausted.

Robin Marty, the operations manager for West Alabama Womens Center, said the clause guarantees no medical provider will ever perform any service that might save a pregnant persons life out of fear of jail.

The all reasonable alternatives clause is going to scare them away, she wrote on Twitter.

The Independent has requested comment from Rep Yarbrough.

A similar bill to prosecute abortion patients was introduced by a Republican state lawmaker in Louisiana last year, but the measure was withdrawn and effectively dead after debate.

The Alabama legislation was filed on 9 May, roughly one year after Politico published a leak draft of the Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs v Jackson Womens Health Organization, which overturned Roe v Wade and constitutional protections for abortion access that were in place for roughly half a century.

Following the courts official decision in the case in June, anti-abortion state lawmakers proposed and enacted a wave of restrictions that have invited dozens of legal battles across the country.

Since the high courts ruling, Alabama law prohibits all abortions at any stage of pregnancy, even in cases of rape or incest, except to save the life of the patient.

Democratic state lawmakers have filed legislation to repeal the states anti-abortion law and a decades-old, pre-Roe statute that makes it a crime for anyone to induce an abortion or a miscarriage.

Republican Tommy Tuberville, one of the states two GOP members of the US Senate, has also launched a blockade against confirming nominees to serve at the US Department of Defense to protest federal policies that allow service members to access abortion care.
Attorneys representing the family of Amareeya Henderson, the 25-year-old man killed by Kansas City, Kansas, police during a traffic stop, said Wednesday they want law enforcement be more forthcoming with details about the case.

Lawyers Kay Harper Williams and Nuru Witherspoon said theyve been frustrated by what they consider a lack of transparency as the family seeks information about what led up to the April 26 shooting. And they called on Kansas City, Kansas, police and the Wyandotte County District Attorneys Office to deliver those answers.

Among the issues raised Wednesday was access to the recorded footage from police dashboard and body cameras. Harper Williams said that information is critical as they prepare to file a civil rights lawsuit, and the family has the right to review it under Kansas law.

The issue is that the family has a right, a legal right, to see the body cam footage, Harper Williams said, adding that they will hold Police Chief Karl Oakman to his word that the family would be given that opportunity.

Harper Williams added that the officer, now on paid leave, has been granted anonymity by law enforcement, including KCKPD and the district attorneys office, saying the release of the officers name would be an important step toward transparency.

Were already fighting for the body cam footage, we should at least know the officers name, she said.

The lawyers discussed their case following a meeting of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas Unified Governments Law Enforcement Advisory Board. The board, tasked with evaluating racial biases in policing and making policy recommendations, organized time for open discussion about the deadly use of force on Wednesday afternoon.

Among those at the meeting were Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree and Oakman, the citys top cop. Both discussed the process under Kansas law of sharing body camera footage, but neither committed to sharing the tapes publicly as some community members have pressured them to do.

State law allows family members of people killed by police an opportunity to view those videos in a private setting. Oakman on Wednesday acknowledged the receipt of that request, saying the videos are generally available within 20 days so long as the department has the ability to make redactions.

On April 26, Henderson, 25, of Independence, was behind the wheel of his car when he was shot twice during a traffic stop in the 1100 block of Metropolitan Avenue, near the 12th Street Bridge that crosses the Kansas River.

Police have said Henderson was killed when a confrontation arose, and have declined to share many of the surrounding details. Hendersons family and lawyers say he was unarmed and did not present a threat to police.

Henderson, who is Black, was driving for DoorDash that night, his mother and girlfriend previously told The Star, and harbored a general fear of police that stemmed in part from an encounter years before when he was unjustly arrested and beaten.

On the night he died, Henderson called his mother over FaceTime and asked her to come to where he had been pulled over. She was on the phone, driving there, when she overheard gunfire.

Sitting in the passenger seat was Hendersons girlfriend, Shakira Hill. After Henderson refused to get out of the car, Hill recalled, the officer crawled inside and started grabbing, pulling, punching him as the car started to move.

Moments later, Henderson was shot twice.

Based on what the familys attorneys have learned thus far, Harper Williams said they believe the police officer had stepped away from the vehicle when the fatal shot was fired. She and Witherspoon both said the officer apparently placed himself in a confrontation and certainly failed to deescalate the situation.

Witherspoon said the officers had a responsibility to Henderson, who had expressed and voiced fear, to tell him he was not in harms way.

He added that oftentimes police shootings happen when a person is not complying with and being incredibly aggressive toward officers.

But this wasnt that case. We have a guy that he says, Im afraid, and I want my mother, Witherspoon said, adding that the police could have simply waited a few minutes for Hendersons mom to arrive or made other attempts to help Henderson feel safe in that situation.

But to go the other direction. There arent many cases like this. And then when you create this danger, when you create this chaos, you shoot him and he say hes responsible for his own death. And it just doesnt even make sense, Witherspoon said.
Just before midnight Thursday, the migrant situation at the U.S.-Mexico border is predicted to dramatically change as Title 42 goes away. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis already has swatted back at President Bidens pivot: If youre an undocumented immigrant, dont come to Florida.

Title 42 is the pandemic-era policy put in place by the Trump administration in 2020 to expel migrants arriving at the border because of health concerns.

The Biden administration maintained the policy, giving it significant leeway by allowing border patrol to immediately turn away migrants without letting them apply for asylum.

But with COVID no longer deemed a global health emergency, Title 42 is coming to an end, and reports are that thousands of immigrants are lined up at the border, waiting to enter the United States.

They are blatantly ignoring U.S. Customs and Border Protections insistence that no one will be allowed through a U.S. port of entry without an appointment via its new CBP One app. This insistence must be more than a threat.

Already here

As reported by Herald Caribbean Correspondent Jacqueline Charles, federal agents have fanned out on the streets of El Paso seeking migrants who already have made it across the border and have been gathering at shelters and churches, hoping to be able to stay in the United States.

Alarmed by what already is going on at the border, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas held an 11th-hour news conference to clarify the Biden administrations stance and to blame Congress for a broken immigration system: Let me make it clear that the lifting of Title 42 does not mean the border is open, in fact, it is the contrary, Mayorkas insisted.

He said the disappearance of Title 42 means the tougher Title 8 goes into effect. Caught entering the country illegally means youre barred from legal entry for five years. It also calls for those seeking asylum to have requested it from the countries they crossed before arriving at the U.S. border.

Still, all indications signal a chaotic scene at the border  as an old policy barring everyone from entering ends and a new one goes into effect.

The end of Title 42 is certain to spell hard times for local immigrant-relocation workers, who expect many of the Venezuelans, Cubans and Haitians to be headed for South Florida, where they will need social services.

DeSantis reacts

Not surprisingly, DeSantis said Wednesday he is ready to act on his own to stop immigrants from coming to our state. This is not a new stance for the governor.

He has gone after the undocumented and those who come to their aid before, including his high-profile stunt, the migrant flights to tony Marthas Vineyard last year. This year, he has money in the budget to do more immigrant relocations.

Its a good look  and great timing  in advance of his presumed run for the White House. (In fact, a deluged border crossing could be the perfect backdrop for his announcement.)

DeSantis on Wednesday signed an immigration legislative package that states that Florida will crack down on undocumented migrant labor, end community-funded programs that give undocumented immigrants identification cards and toughen penalties against those who transport undocumented immigrants into the state, the Miami Herald reported.

Florida is also ready to relaunch its controversial program allowing DeSantis to relocate immigrants anywhere in the country. Thats just what he did last year, when he paid to fly 49 migrants to Marthas Vineyard.

With all this political posturing is easy to forget that the people at the border are desperate for a better life.

Ending Title 42 may have a positive impact on the humanitarian conditions at the border by allowing asylum seekers and other migrants to apply for protection. But it also could send us back to a wild and raucous border caused by the political parties unwillingness to come up with comprehensive immigration reform after far too many years.

Yes, Congress is to blame, too.
U.S. lawmaker George Santos pleads not guilty to federal charges

Xinhua) 11:32, May 11, 2023

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Congressman George Santos pleaded not guilty to 13 criminal charges on Wednesday afternoon.

The not-guilty plea at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York, came hours after the unsealing of the indictment against Santos.

Santos, the U.S. representative for New York's 3rd congressional district, has been charged with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Santos, 34, said he will not resign from Congress and he plans on running for reelection.

The first-term Republican lawmaker called the indictment "a witch hunt," saying that he's going to "fight to defend myself."

Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the eastern district of New York, stated in a statement that the "indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations."

"Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself," Peace said.

The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted of the charges, Santos faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the top counts.

Santos admitted to fabricating several aspects of his work history and education, following his election in the 2022 midterm elections of the United States.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
People bow to portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, in this November 2021 file image. More than 70 percent of South Koreans said they are in support of promoting North Korea's human rights issues, according to a poll released Thursday. Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho



More than 70 percent of South Koreans said they are in support of promoting North Korea's human rights issues, according to a poll released Thursday.



A survey, conducted by the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council between March 24 and 28, shows that 70.5 percent of the respondents said they support their government's efforts to improve the human rights situation in North Korea by conducting studies and cooperating more closely with other countries.



Only 28.5 percent said they do not support such efforts, while 1 percent refused to respond.



Notably, the support rate among those who identify themselves as politically liberal was 77 percent, which was higher compared to their conservative and moderate counterparts, at 69.3 percent and 68.8 percent, respectively.



This particular result refutes the traditional assumption that liberal voters would support a more conciliatory, no-shaming approach to Pyongyang  a stance backed by liberal parties.



"The result goes against the expectations that liberal voters would not support the policy of promoting North Korea's human rights issues," an official at the presidential body said. "Our citizens generally share the view that awareness should be raised regardless of their political views."



Promoting the issue on the world stage has been one of the key North Korea policies under President Yoon Suk Yeol. His government co-sponsored a U.N. General Assembly resolution on its human rights abuses for the first time in four years last December; it also allowed the public access to Seoul's annual report on North Korea's rights situation for the first time this March.



Despite growing security threats from the regime, 47.8 percent of the respondents said they view North Korea as a potential counterpart that their government should help and work with. The rate was the highest since the quarterly poll for second quarter of 2018 when 48.4 percent responded so.



While 37.1 percent said they view North Korea as a hostile entity, 12.6 percent said they had little or no interest in the country.



Nevertheless, a majority of the respondents are pessimistic about the prospects of inter-Korean relations, with 79.1 percent saying they think it will remain unchanged or become worse.



Asked whether stronger security ties between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo would be effective in preventing North Korea's provocations, 46.2 percent said they think so.



While 35 percent said a stronger partnership would make the situation worse on the Korean Peninsula, 16.1 percent said it would not affect the regime's behavior.


Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks at the Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., March 27, 2023. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) called former President Trump as Putins puppet in a series of tweets Wednesday, slamming Trumps comments on the Russia-Ukraine war during a town hall on CNN.

Trump claimed during the town hall that he would resolve the conflict between the countries in 24 hours but evaded answering when host Kaitlan Collins asked whether he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the war.

I dont think in terms of winning and losing, Trump said. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people I want everybody to stop dying Russians and Ukrainians.

Christie, who has turned into a frequent Trump critic, said on Twitter that the former president was the puppet of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Donald Trump refused to say tonight that he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia. More proof that he continues to be Putins puppet.  Chris Christie (@GovChristie) May 11, 2023

Donald Trump refused to say tonight that he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia, Christie said. More proof that he continues to be Putins puppet.

The conflict in Eastern Europe has become a dividing point amongst Republicans, as some continue to push for U.S. support of Ukraine while others have taken issue with the amount of money that the federal government has spent on the conflict.

Trump was asked whether he would continue to give weapons and funding to Ukraine, a question he also refused to answer.

If Im president, I will have that war settled in one day, Trump said in response.

Christie jabbed at that claim in a different tweet.

Donald Trump says he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours tonight on CNN. Despite how ridiculous that is to say, I suspect he would try to do it by turning Ukraine over to Putin and Russia. #PutinsPuppet  Chris Christie (@GovChristie) May 11, 2023

Despite how ridiculous that is to say, I suspect he would try to do it by turning Ukraine over to Putin and Russia, Christie said.

Christie, who endorsed Trump in 2016 after briefly challenging him for the nomination, has transformed into an anti-Trump Republican. He is considering jumping into the 2024 Republican primary, a decision he said he will make in the coming weeks.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The West Ada School District, the states largest, is asking voters to pass the largest levy in Idaho history in Tuesdays Ada County election.

School leaders say unprecedented growth has led to the unprecedented request.

Right now were busing kids from Star all the way over to Eagle every single day, West Ada Superintendent Derek Bub told the Idaho Statesman in a phone interview. Its become a challenge for those families.

If the ballot item gets at least 55% approval, the district would receive up to $50 million annually for the next 10 years for construction of new schools and renovation of existing ones.

West Ada has 58 schools with approximately 40,000 students enrolled in grades K-12, according to the districts website. Every school in the district would receive some level of safety, maintenance, technology and mechanical upgrades if the levy passes.

The largest projects would be two new elementary schools, a new career and technical education center, playground upgrades for increased safety and accessibility, and significant remodeling of Centennial High School, Lake Hazel Middle School and Lowell Scott Middle School, according to the district.

Unlike school bonds, plant facilities levies such as this cannot legally be used for anything other than construction, repairs and maintenance.

Bub called the levy fiscally conservative because it would save taxpayers about $255 million in interest.

We dont have to pay interest on this, Bub said. It really is pay as you go, which allows us to meet the needs of our city in the most fiscally responsible and tax-aware fashion that we can.

The levy would add $89.45 per year for every $100,00 taxable assessed value, according to the resolution passed unanimously by the school board in February, meaning a resident with a home worth $500,000 and receiving the homeowner tax exemption would pay an additional $335 per year in taxes.

The school district said it is committed to not putting another bond or levy on the ballot for the next 10 years. Because the district will be paying off a 2018 bond this year, Bub said taxes under the proposed levy would be lower than than they have been in recent years.

A graph shows how the proposed levy would compare to past tax rates. West Ada School District

Population growth in Meridian and the western part of Boise is the biggest driver behind the districts needs, according to Bub. Census Bureau numbers show that Ada County has grown by 27% over the past 20 years, going from about 409,000 people in 2012 to 518,000 in 2022.

The new elementary schools would cost $35 million each and have a 700-student capacity apiece. They would ease overcrowding at Star Elementary and Eagle Elementary in the north, and Hillsdale Elementary and Mary McPherson Elementary in the south, all of which are at full capacity.

Rising enrollment numbers have meant that many students arent able to enter the postsecondary education programs in which theyre interested, according to the district.

We have kids that are on waiting lists for some of our programs, Bub said. Its really important that we provide them with the opportunity to engage in career programs, which include welding, pharmaceutical, construction, HVAC, plumbing.

Information on how to vote in Tuesdays election can be found on the Ada County website at adacounty.id.gov/elections.
Maybe its the crisp crust with the chewy texture. Or the gooey mix of melted provolone and mozzarella. Or the plethora of tangy pepperoni in every bite.

Im not sure what my favorite part is when it comes to the pizza at Bellefontes Hofbrau. Im just glad, unlike some places in Centre County, I dont have to blow at least a .08 BAC to enjoy it. Hofbrau is a pizza oasis in a county heavy on pizza quantity but light on pizza quality.

Whats not to love? Everything at the inaptly-named Hofbrau is vibrant and fresh. (No, my dear neighborhood newbies, its not a German restaurant. But none of the owners had the heart to change the iconic name of a place that first opened more than 65 years ago, without pizza on the menu.)

Employees arrive at the business on 106 Bishop St. up to four hours before it opens. They shred and blend blocks of cheese every day  no emulsifiers to keep the cheese separated and to stretch the shelf life  in addition to hand-tossing the dough, creating the olive oil-kissed tomato sauce and even slicing the pepperoni same-day. A Hofbrau pizza is as simple and fresh as it is delicious, made by experienced hands and overseen by an owner (Ruth Sampsel) who clearly takes pride in the product. After all, most ingredients are sourced from the artisanal Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. in Pittsburgh.

A pepperoni pizza and wings with Tims sauce at the Hofrbau in Bellefonte. Abby Drey/adrey@centredaily.com

Some people swear by the sandwiches here, but I have a confession: Ive never had one. I cant bring myself to change my order on whats become a Friday night staple (split two ways): A large 16-inch pepperoni pizza ($16.74), a half-dozen wings ($7.99) and four ice-cold OttoBraus ($3 each/Friday special). If theres a better/more delicious deal in Bellefonte  this costs less than $40, plus tip  I havent found it yet.

The wings are double-fried, avoiding the cardinal wing sin of being gummy. I do change up my wing flavors  there are seven, such as Butter Rum BBQ and Southwest Peppercorn  but I find myself usually going back to Tims, a housemade specialty thats sweet upfront and spicy in the back. I then chase it down with a beer made by Ottos Pub & Brewery  and available only at Hofbrau  in the OttoBrau, a crisp light lager that allows you to see the bottom of the glass.

The Ottobrau, a light lager made by Ottos just for the Hofrbau in Bellefonte. Abby Drey/adrey@centredaily.com

Hofbrau is an unpretentious bar/restaurant that somehow manages to appeal to the foodie, the budget conscious and the community. Ive lived in this county, on and off, since 2004 and Ive eaten at my fair share of places  lets call my headshot below Exhibit A  but I havent come across another place quite like Hofbrau.

Maybe one of these days Ill finally get a sandwich. But, if youve tried their pizza before, you know why its so difficult to pass up.

Hofbrau is open seven days a week. It opens at 4 p.m. every day and closes 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information, follow Hofbrau on Facebook and/or Instagram.
When it comes to the political spectrum, Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams is not even close to the middle. He is a full-blown, anti-abortion, pro-gun big C Republican.

Despite this fact, he might lose his primary for a second term. It seems hes not quite right-wing enough, according to his opponents. Thats thanks to the lunacy of modern day politics, especially but not solely, in the Republican Party.

From left: Allen Maricle, current Secretary of State Michael Adams and Steve Knipper, who are running in the primary election for Secretary of State.

But in his first term, Adams has demonstrated competence and decency, two qualities that seem to be more and more elusive in our political life. Decent and competent should not be a high bar for a political candidate and yet it is. And as we get ready to go to the polls this weekend and next Tuesday, I beg you to consider these two qualities in every candidate you vote for.

Adams is a complicated character; we recently learned that he still provides legal work to election denier Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and for the presidential campaign of Nikki Haley. Its not illegal, but it is unusual, particularly because Adams elected work in this state has been so consistently outspoken against conspiracy theorists like Kobach.

Adams, in fact, has been an outstanding defender of our democracy through some of its toughest challenges. He worked with Gov. Beshear to ensure a fair and equitable election during a pandemic that sent many of our other institutions into freefall. In Kentucky, Donald Trump won by an impressive margin but he lost the national election. Instead of ignoring fellow Republicans who entered into a national frenzy of election denial, Adams called them out.

One of the people he called out, Steve Knipper, is now one of his opponents. Knipper has run unsuccessfully for this position before and has filled out in the time in between elections by traveling around the state with Sen. Adrienne Southworth, R-Lawrencburg on a Restore Election Integrity Tour that claims past elections have all been rigged, despite the fact that Trump and Kentucky Republicans have won most of them.

For the 5000th time, Adams says, Kentuckys voting machines are not connected to the Internet and are not hacked.

His other opponent, according to reporter John Cheves, is Allen Maricle, 60, of Bullitt County, who served three terms in the state House during the 1990s. He lost his re-election bid in 1998 following news coverage of his divorce and allegations by his ex-wife about harassment, unpaid child support and an emergency protective order.

Its not just that Adams deserves a second term. Its that there should be many more people like him in office and many fewer like his opponents. What if, and just hear me out, what if we stopped voting for so many crazy people?

The beginning of the end

Although Trump has brought true psychosis to our electoral politics, this problem predates him. You might say it started in 2010 when an eccentric Tea Party libertarian named Rand Paul defeated a very competent and decent opponent named Trey Grayson. At the time of the 2015 gubernatorial primary, Jamie Comer looked like the competent, decent one, but he lost to another angry Tea Partier, Matt Bevin, and now hes gone down the same conspiratorial road, seeing his path to higher office somewhere in Hunter Bidens laptop.

Part of the problem is Kentuckys closed primary system. An open primary system would be more likely to reward more moderate candidates who would be attractive to voters from both parties.

Today we are seeing candidates like Eric Deters, who tried to run his own nephew over with a truck. But at least he seems genuinely erratic, not just craven and cynical like Kelly Craft who now says she misspoke when she made the chilling statement that if she were governor we will not have transgenders in our school system. That appears to be the extent of her public policy ideas, except for extending coal policies that will make her husband more wealthy. Then theres Attorney General Daniel Cameron, whose every other utterance includes the word Trump, even after Trump was found liable of sexual assault, and is still awaiting possible indictments in Georgia over his attempts to overturn his election loss. (On Tuesday, Cameron conflated the rape trial with the New York indictments and said both he and Trump are fighters.) Tell me again how these men who tout family values believe so fervently in a man accused of sexual assault by at least 20 women, charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in New York, and last but not least, tried to overturn a duly run election?

Even Ryan Quarles seemed competent and decent until he was unwilling to say during a debate that Biden won the 2020 election. He knows much, much better.

The candidate with the most above board qualities in the race is Alan Keck, a small town mayor who has so many good qualities that he (probably) wont win. The only hope is that the example he has set of a good Republican who also supports public schools and exceptions in our abortion laws will get enough support that the party hacks take notice.

Like Keck, Michael Adams is a staunch party man and a perfect example of a public servant who has worked toward the highest common denominator, not cravenly bowed to the lowest. Its possible to be partisan and do the right thing, even if its all too rare.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) returned to her post on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday and greenlit the passage of three judicial nominees who had been stalled during her lengthy health-related absence.

Feinstein appeared roughly 90 minutes into the meeting to an ovation from senators and staff, and the nomination votes were held shortly after, putting the nominees on track for votes on the Senate floor in the coming weeks.

I believe I speak for all of us with feelings of relief and support for our colleague, Sen. Feinstein, who has returned to Washington. I know that shes been through some significant health challenges and we all wish her the very best, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said to open the hearing.

Those who were finally voted through the committee were Charnelle Bjelkengren, tapped to be a district court judge in Washington state; Marian Gaston, nominated to become a district judge in California; and Kato Crews, who was nominated to be a district judge in Colorado.

The three advanced with only Democratic support as all had earned unanimous GOP opposition on the panel. Bjelkengren stumbled during her confirmation hearing when asked what Article 5 of the Constitution is, Gaston was grilled during her hearing over her past writings about sex offenders, and Crews was unable to define what a Brady Motion is.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) laced into the qualifications of the partisan nominees ahead of the vote.

Prior to Feinsteins arrival, the panel advanced three more judicial nominations with the help of some Republicans on the committee: Jeremy Daniel to become a district judge in Illinois, Brendan Hurson to become a district judge in Maryland, and Darrel Papillion to be a district judge in Louisiana.

Among those voting to advance them were Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the committees ranking member, Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and John Kennedy (R-La.).

One judicial nominee before the committee was still unable to receive a vote. Michael Delaney, who has been tapped to fill a spot on the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, remains in limbo over his handling of a sexual assault case at a boarding school in New Hampshire.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told The Hill Wednesday that he remains undecided on Delaneys nomination.

Prior to Thursdays meeting, the panel voted out eight additional nominees with bipartisan support in recent weeks without Feinsteins presence.

Updated at 12:13 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
New York Congressman George Santos is facing multiple federal charges in connection to a fraudulent political contribution scheme that involved various Florida-based companies, according to a federal indictment.

The 13-count indictment unsealed Wednesday in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York charges U.S. Rep. Santos with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. If convicted, Santos faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the top counts.

U.S. Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., speaks to the media outside the federal courthouse in Central Islip, N.Y., Wednesday May 10, 2023. Santos, the New York Republican infamous for fabricating his life story, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he duped donors, stole from his campaign and lied to Congress about being a millionaire, all while cheating to collect unemployment benefits he didnt deserve. Afterward, he said wouldnt drop his reelection bid, defying calls to resign. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) Stefan Jeremiah/AP

Outside of the courthouse, Santos told reporters Wednesday afternoon that the indictment is a witch hunt.

Im going to fight the witch hunt, he said. Im going to take care of clearing my name.

What is Santos accused of?

Santos illegal activities went on for several years, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Heres some of the crimes Santos is accused of committing:

 Using tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions to enrich himself, including the purchase of designer clothing and payment credit cards, during his second run for Congress, in 2022. Santos is also accused of using his personal bank accounts to launder the money.

 Applying for and receiving nearly $25,000 in unemployment benefits while he was employed as a regional director by an investment firm, where he earned an annual salary of approximately $120,000, and running for Congress at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021.

READ MORE: Impossible parking fees, puzzling diner bills: Retracing George Santos steps in Miami

 Misled the U.S. House of Representatives in his financial disclosure statements, where he, among other things, failed to report nearly $50,000 in income from the investment firm and unemployment insurance benefits in 2021.

U.S. Rep. George Santos leaves the federal courthouse in Central Islip, N.Y., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Santos pleaded not guilty to charges alleging a financial fraud at the heart of a political campaign built on dubious boasts about his personal wealth and business success. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Seth Wenig/AP

How is Florida connected to the scheme?

According to federal investigators, Santos used several Florida-based companies to commit some of the illegal activities.

READ MORE: George Santos reported lots of spending in Florida. Heres where he says he went

Heres what the indictment says about that:

 Santos induced supporters to contribute tens of thousands of dollars to a company based in Merritt Island, Florida, to back his candidacy, but he pocketed the money for personal expenses instead. With the help of a political consultant, he falsely stated to his supporters that their donations were going into a non-profit legally allowed to spend money on political campaigns, resulting in at least two wire transfers of $25,000 each in 2022. The name of the business is known to federal agents but wasnt revealed in the indictment.

 Devolder Organization LLC, a Melbourne, Florida-based company, was owned by Santos and was one of two authorized managers of the Merritt Island business that was used to receive the political donations.

READ MORE: A look at some of the falsehoods that made Congressman George Santos a household name

 And remember the salary from an investment firm that investigators say Santos failed to report after he worked as their regional director? The name of the Melbourne, Florida-based corporation was not revealed in the indictment. But The Washington Post reported earlier this year that Santos was the New York regional director of Harbor City Capital, a now defunct investment firm whose assets were frozen in 2021 when the Securities and Exchange Commission accused it of running a classic Ponzi scheme. The Post reported that Harbor City Capital called Santos a perfect fit when it hired him a year earlier.
The number of churches leaving the United Methodist Church is mounting.

Churches in the Pacific Northwest can now be added to the totals after two special sessions last weekend.

In all, four churches in Idaho, one church in Oregon and 11 churches in Washington are leaving the United Methodist Church over the issue of homosexuality.

The Oregon-Idaho Conference, which includes Southern Idaho and all of Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest Conference, which includes Washington and North Idaho, held special sessions to hear requests from churches seeking to disaffiliate with the United Methodist Church.

The four Idaho churches that are leaving are:

Eagle United Methodist Church, otherwise known as Eagle Hills Church

Castleford United Methodist Church in Castleford, outside Buhl in Twin Falls County

Cavendish United Methodist Church in Kendrick, Latah County

Orofino-Peck United Methodist Church, in Orofino, Clearwater County.

Only one church in Oregon, Fossil United Methodist Church, in Fossil, a small city in the middle of Oregon, disaffiliated over the weekend, while 11 churches in Washington state disaffiliated.

As I wrote in a column last month, at issue is an apparent conflict in church doctrine.

One part of the church doctrine states that all human life is of sacred worth. That suggests that everyone  gay or straight  deserves the same rights, including being clergy members and getting married. However, another part of doctrine states that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.

Whats happened over the years is that many congregations within the United Methodist Church have placed more emphasis on the all human life is of sacred worth, leading to gay clergy and gay marriage.

So conservative churches are leaving the United Methodist Church over the widely accepted practice of many churches in the United States of ordaining and marrying LGBTQ people.

The United Methodist Churchs governing body in 2019 voted to allow churches to leave the denomination if theyre seeking to leave because of differences in theology related to sexuality.

Individual churches can leave the denomination through the end of this year. Depending on the rules of their specific conference, they can leave with their land and buildings.

Churches can become an independent church or join another denomination. Some churches are choosing to join the newly formed Global Methodist Church, a breakaway conservative denomination formed in response to whats happening within the United Methodist Church.

The Rev. John Stimpson, pastor at Eagle Hills Church, did not return phone messages left for him at his church. There was no answer at the Castleford church phone number and no option to leave a voicemail. The church did not respond to an email request for comment.

As many as 30 churches out of about 400 in the Greater Northwest Area, which includes Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Alaska, have been considering disaffiliating, according to the Rev. Karen Hernandez, superintendent for the district that covers eastern Oregon and the southern part of Idaho.

With just 16 disaffiliations so far, the Northwest has one of the lowest rates of those leaving.

Some regions have seen large numbers of disaffiliations, such as the Southeast (8.1%) and South Central (14.1%), particularly Texas, where 525 churches have disaffiliated, according to a review of church data analyzed by Religion News Service in an article that appeared in Christianity Today.

In April, 264 churches, or nearly a third of the churches in one Tennessee conference, disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church there.

Alabama-West Florida added another 193 disaffiliations this year, and Western North Carolina has had 192 disaffiliations, according to the church.

Nationwide, about 3,000 churches out of 30,000 have been granted permission to disaffiliate since 2019, according to United Methodist News.

Hernandez previously said that she expects more disaffiliations in the Northwest before the deadline.
FILE - Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

An Idaho man who traveled to Washington in a car loaded with weapons and was photographed dangling from the Senate balcony during the Capitol riot was sentenced Wednesday to 15 months in prison.

Josiah Colt, one of the first rioters to reach the Senate floor on Jan. 6, 2021, later pleaded guilty that year to obstructing Congress' certification of Joe Biden's White House victory.

Also Wednesday, a man who accompanied Colt to the District of Columbia in a rental car with two pistols, knives, a stun gun, body armor and other gear was sentenced to about three years in prison, according to court records. Las Vegas resident Nathaniel DeGrave, who also entered the Senate gallery, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and assault charges last year.

Both men had agreed to cooperate with investigators as part of their plea deals.

Prosecutors say Colt, DeGrave and a third man, Ronald Sandlin, came to Washington prepared for violence and were intent on stopping lawmakers from certifying the results of the 2020 election as they joined the angry mob of then-President Donald Trump supporters in storming the Capitol.

On Dec. 31, 2020, the men had discussed in a Facebook chat a plan for shipping guns to Sandlins home in Tennessee. Days later, Sandlin posted on social media a photo of Colt, who was lying in bed with his eyes closed and holding a handgun, with the caption: My fellow patriot Josiah Colt sleeping ready for the boogaloo Jan 6th. Boogaloo is a term some extremists use to refer to a second civil war. Colt replied to the post, Ready for any battle, followed by a laughing emoji.

Colt, a 34-year-old from Meridian, Idaho, brought his pistol to a rally the day before the riot, but decided to leave it at a hotel on the morning of Jan. 6, authorities said. The three men watched on TV as Trump told his supporters in a speech before the riot to fight like hell or they were not going to have a country anymore.

After the riot erupted, the men entered the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace doors. They went to a hallway outside the Senate gallery, where Sandlin led a charge against police officers as Colt entered, according to prosecutors.

Colt shouted, This is our House! This is our country! This is for the people! before he jumped to the Senate floor. Sitting in a chair reserved for then-Vice President Mike Pence, as president of the Senate, Colt raised his fist as rioters cheered him on, prosecutors said. Colt opened a door and allowed dozens of other rioters to join him.

DeGrave, who carried a can of bear spray in his pocket, called on others on the Senate floor to take laptops, paperwork, take everything," according to court papers

Sandlin, of Millington, Tennessee, was sentenced in December to five years and three months in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and assault charges.

Colt's lawyers said in a court filing that Colt is a good person who made a series of very bad choices based on misinformation and the emotional oratory of a demagogue.

Prosecutors accused DeGrave of trying to capitalize on his participation in the attack by selling video footage of the riot to media outlets.

He has even profited off of his unlawful conduct on January 6 since being incarcerated  to the tune of over $120,000  by seeking donations on crowd-funding websites claiming that he is a political prisoner of a corrupt Biden regime, prosecutors wrote.

DeGrave's lawyer said in court papers that DeGrave regrets allowing himself to be drawn into the world of those claiming political persecution as a result of their actions on January 6."

"Nathaniel recognizes the intellectual dishonesty of admitting the criminality of his own conduct on January 6 on the one hand, and complaining about unfair treatment by the criminal justice system on the other," defense lawyer William Shipley added.

More than 1,000 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Nearly 500 of them have been sentenced, with more than half receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 14 years and two months.
Iran secured a senior role at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Thursday, despite hanging two men on charges of blasphemy earlier this week.

Iran will serve as chair of the Human Rights Council Social Forum for the next year, which is set to be focused on how technology can be used to promote human rights. The announcement came just days after Iran executed two men for participating in a social media discourse titled "Critique of Superstition and Religion."

Yousef Mehrad and Sadrollah Fazeli Zare were executed at Arak Prison in central Iran on Monday after being arrested in May 2020 for the crime of blasphemy.

Iran has ramped up its executions in recent months in response to the waves of unrest it has experienced since the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last year. Amini was beaten in police custody after being arrested for improperly wearing her hijab. She succumbed to her injuries days later in a hospital.

GROUP THREATENS AYATOLLAH IN HACK OF IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY, THEN LEAKS TROVE OF SENSITIVE DATA

Iran's regime has ramped up executions in response to protests against the police killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last year.

As of March 2023, Iranian authorities have reportedly admitted that at least 22,000 people have been arrested in connection with the protests, hundreds have been killed and dozens sentenced to death.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

GROUP THREATENS AYATOLLAH IN HACK OF IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY, THEN LEAKS TROVE OF SENSITIVE DATA

Amini's death in September sparked a wave of violent protests and even more violent police crackdowns that lasted for months.

Demonstrators in Iran cry out in the streets.

According to Amnesty International, thousands of minors are estimated to have been subjected to the same kind of torture as adults arrested in coordination to the protests, and they have not only endured harsh living conditions in their detentions but also "beatings, flogging[s], electric shocks, rape and other sexual violence" against children as young as 12 years old.

Unfair trials, gross human rights violations and summary executions have become increasingly common in Iran since December, when the first execution in relation to the womens rights protests was carried out.

Fox News Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
Tourists pass by a COVID-19 testing center at Incheon International Airport, Thursday. Korea announced a decision to end almost all COVID-19 restrictions beginning June 1. Yonhap



Government to drop seven-day mandatory quarantine from June



By Jun Ji-hye



Korea announced it will stop classifying COVID-19 as a health crisis, lifting almost all pandemic-related restrictions next month, including mandatory isolation, and treat the disease as an endemic.



Placing the contagious disease in the endemic category means its presence has become more predictable and manageable much like seasonal influenza.



President Yoon Suk Yeol announced Thursday that the government will downgrade the classification of COVID-19 to "alert" from "serious," beginning June 1.



Korea has a four-tier system to cope with infectious diseases  attention, caution, alert and serious  and COVID-19 has been classified at the top level since February 2020.



"The seven-day mandatory isolation period for COVID-19 patients will be changed to a recommendation of a five-day isolation," Yoon said during a government meeting on COVID-19 responses.



The decision frees people to return to aspects of pre-pandemic normality after having been restricted through social distancing and other rules for three years and four months since the country reported its first patient on Jan. 20 of 2020.



"I want to express my gratitude to the doctors, nurses and nursing assistants who dedicated themselves in the front line, as well as to health industry workers who made efforts to develop and produce vaccines and treatments," Yoon said.





President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a government meeting on COVID-19 responses held at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps



The announcement came after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared, on May 5, an end to what it calls a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) regarding the coronavirus.



The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) noted, however, that the transition to the endemic phase does not mean the complete end to the infectious disease, asking medical institutions and other facilities vulnerable to infections to maintain the isolation for COVID-19 patients voluntarily.



The government will also lift the indoor mask mandate everywhere except for hospitals with inpatient rooms and remove the PCR test recommendation within three days upon arrival from overseas trips.



Even after the new measures take effect on June 1, the government will maintain the COVID-19 medical response and support system.



It will continue to provide COVID-19 vaccinations and medicine for free and support medical costs for patients who are hospitalized.



The announcement of COVID-19 data, such as the number of newly confirmed cases, will be changed to a weekly basis from the current daily basis.



The control tower to manage the disease will be changed from the pan-government organization led by the prime minister to the Central Disaster Management Headquarters under the Ministry of Health and Welfare.



The KDCA said health authorities will continue to monitor the situations in and outside the country and review the need to strengthen quarantine measures again, in case of the emergence of another wave of the pandemic.





Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Commissioner Jee Young-mee speaks during a media briefing at the Government Complex in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
Almost exactly 18 years after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, the man suspected in her case is being extradited to the U.S. to face separate charges of wire fraud and extortion, authorities said.

Joran van der Sloot, who is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence in Peru for murdering 21-year-old college student Stephany Flores, will be sent to Birmingham, Alabama, to face charges initially filed in 2010, Peruvian officials said.

Natalee Holloway (TODAY)

"We hope that this action will enable a process that will help to bring peace to Mrs. Holloway and to her family, who are grieving in the same way that the Flores family in Peru is grieving for the loss of their daughter, Stephany," Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Perus ambassador to the United States, said in a statement to NBC News.Holloway was 18 years old when she vanished in Aruba while on a trip celebrating her high school graduation in 2005.

Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway, expressed her gratitude for those who worked on the extradition in a statement to NBC News.

"I was blessed to have had Natalee in my life for 18 years, and as of this month, I have been without her for exactly 18 years. She would be 36 years old now," she said. "It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee."

Holloway was seen leaving a nightclub with van der Sloot on May 30, 2005, the day she disappeared. Van der Sloot was arrested but later released in Holloway's case.

No one has been charged with Holloway's murder, and her body has not been found. An Alabama judge declared Holloway legally dead in 2012.

Van der Sloots lawyer Maximo Altez did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the extradition from NBC News. He told the Associated Press he plans to fight the decision once he is properly notified by the Peruvian government.

"I am going to challenge that resolution," Altez said. "I am going to oppose it since he has the right to a defense."

Joran van der Sloot will be extradited to the U.S. to face wire fraud and extortion charges.

In 2010, van der Sloot was indicted on wire fraud and extortion charges after he allegedly contacted Beth Holloway and told her he would reveal the location of her daughter's body for $250,000, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama.

He later agreed to lead the Holloway's lawyer John Q. Kelly to her remains for $25,000, and once the remains were identified, Beth Holloway would send him the remaining $225,000, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

He caused Beth Holloway to wire a total of $25,000 from her bank to his bank and Kelly to deliver the funds to him in person, according to the indictment. He later led Kelly to a site in Aruba, though prosecutors alleged he knew the information was false.

"Van der Sloot kept the $25,000, but later confirmed by e-mail that the information he had provided was 'worthless,'" the U.S. attorney's office wrote in a 2010 press release.

Kelly appeared on TODAY in 2010 and called the incident a "hoax."

"About a week later he indicated that it was all a hoax, which was sort of his M.O. all along with everybody: Get the money and then say its a hoax and, you know, avoid criminal prosecution," Kelly said.

Authorities believe van der Sloot used the money to flee to Peru, where a month later, he was arrested for the murder of Stephany Flores, who died on May 30, 2010  five years to the day after Holloway disappeared.

Beth Holloway spoke about van der Sloot's arrest in Peru on TODAY in 2015.

"Justice is being served for Stephany," she said. "But until Joran faces extortion charges in the U.S., then justice is not being served for Natalee."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
The Kansas City Police Department would gain more control over how much it pays its police chief and officers under a measure Missouri lawmakers sent to Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday as part of a sweeping public safety bill.

The Missouri Senate approved the bill on a vote of 30-4, after the House previously passed it 109-11.

The measure removes the maximum salary cap for the citys police chief and its officers in an effort to attract and retain more officers. It also removes the requirement that applicants for chief be under 60 years of age and allows the police board to establish a salary range for officers.

Removing the salary cap for Kansas City police has received support from both parties this year as the department lags behind other cities in how much it pays chiefs and officers. The salary problem has been compounded by the citys unusual lack of control of its police.

Its just the right thing to do, Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Parkville Republican and sponsor of the legislation, said Thursday. We need more officers out on the streets.

Kansas City is the only city in Missouri that does not control its police force. The department is overseen by a five-member board of police commissioners. Four are appointed by the governor and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas fills one spot.

Current Missouri law sets maximum salary for Kansas Citys chief at $189,726. When the commissioners appointed Chief Stacey Graves late last year, it set her salary at $180,000. The last time lawmakers increased the maximum salary for the Kansas City chief was in 2013.

The cap is far less than several other similar cities. For example, Robert Tracy, the St. Louis police chief, has a base salary of $175,000 but the St. Louis Police Foundation kicks in another $100,000 annually. That means Tracy brings home $275,000 each year.

Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, an Independence Democrat, said Thursday that Kansas City police officers risk their lives and deserve a raise.

We want our officers to live in our community and be able to make ends meet, Rizzo said in a statement. Offering competitive salaries to help recruit and retain quality officers is a good investment in our city and its future.

Lucas has previously told lawmakers that it is essential the police board have the flexibility to set the salary for the next chief and Kansas City officers.

We want to make sure we have the tools to continue to take care of our officers, our command staff, and to make sure through the board of police commissioners we can be competitive with departments, not just in the Kansas City region but for us, other major cities, police departments all around the country, Lucas told a House committee in January.

The sweeping legislation would also legalize fentanyl test strips. Fentanyl, a powerful illegal drug, is often laced into other drugs, leading to fatal overdoses. Test strips allow individuals to test drugs for fentanyl before consuming.

Missouri lawmakers approved legalization on the same day Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law a measure legalizing test strips in that state.

The bill also includes Blairs Law, a long-time priority for Democrats. Under the bill, it would be a crime to shoot a gun with criminal negligence within a citys limits. The legislation is intended to prevent celebratory gunfire and other firing into the air.

Sen. Greg Razer, a Kansas City Democrat, said Thursday that Blairs Law could prevent future tragedies.

The legislation headed to Parsons desk also allows the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services to create a conviction review unit to investigate those who claim to have been wrongfully convicted of a crime. The provision comes after the exoneration of Lamar Johnson, a St. Louis man who spent 28 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

The General Assembly also approved a separate public safety package on Thursday that now heads to Parson. Under that bill, school resource officers would be allowed to carry guns in schools.

It also creates two new felony charges. Someone who steals a letter, post card or package from another persons doorstep could be charged with a felony. A person would also be charged with a felony if they steal from an ATM or steal an ATM machine.

Sen. Tracy McCreery, a St. Louis Democrat, and Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, an Arnold Republican, both pushed back on the new felony charges created in the bill.

Its already illegal to steal an ATM machine and it is already illegal to damage other peoples property, it is already illegal to steal something off of other peoples porch, Coleman said, adding that she was frustrated the charges were being elevated to felonies.

The Stars Glenn E. Rice contributed reporting.
As Kansas City, Kansas, police continue to investigate the killing of 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown, family members, neighbors and community leaders on Wednesday gathered on the block where he was fatally shot while playing in the yard.

Roughly 100 people, including young children, came out for a memorial held in honor of SirAntonio, remembered by his family as Sir. The kindergartner was killed on May 3 in the 3100 block of Greeley Avenue.

As attendees paid tribute to the child, his godmother Shyneisha Hill said a prayer as the family continues to grieve his loss and seek resolution in the case. Supporters let green and white, star-shaped balloons off to the sky in his honor.

People release balloons during a vigil for 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Brown was killed May 3 while playing outside his home.

On May 3, the family was outside enjoying the day around 6 p.m. when, according to witnesses, three masked shooters opened fire on the block. SirAntonio was fatally wounded.

As of Wednesday, Kansas City, Kansas, police had made one arrest leading to criminal charges. Cassandra Sledge, the 18-year-old owner of a vehicle suspected to be used by the shooters, is accused of lying to law enforcement and obstructing justice.

Speaking to the crowd Wednesday, Kansas City, Kansas Mayor Tyrone Garner said, while welcome, the family needs more than thoughts and prayers. He added that those responsible for killing this baby need to be arrested and charged.

This family, this young child, this community deserve justice. Because if we got people roaming our streets, doing these things to kids, they dont need to be on our streets, Garner said.

Damon Daniel, with the AdHoc Group Against Crime, sought to demonstrate a difference between a snitch and a witness.

A snitch is somebody whos already in custody, already facing charges. And for lesser time, they tell on everybody else. A witness is somebody who knows right from wrong, Daniel said, calling for anyone who knows something to step forward and help get justice for SirAntonio.

Damon Daniel, president of AdHoc, speaks during a vigil for 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Brown was killed May 3 while playing outside his home.

Speaking to the crowd Wednesday, Police Chief Karl Oakman promised justice, saying the department is committed to finding everyone responsible in the case and holding those people accountable.

Were going to find who did this and put everyone involved in jail, Oakman said, as cheers followed. Not just the three shooters. Everyone thats involved, whos hiding information is going to jail.

We need people to understand that this is not that type of community, the chief added.

KCKPD Chief Karl Oakman promises to find the suspects in the killing of 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown during a vigil on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Brown was killed May 3 while playing outside his home.

Kansas City, Kansas, police continued to ask anyone with any information about the killing of SirAntonio to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Children look at a memorial during a vigil for 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Brown was killed May 3 while playing outside his home.

A boy looks at a memorial during a vigil for 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Brown was killed May 3 while playing outside his home.

People gather to pray during a vigil for 6-year-old SirAntonio Brown on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan. Brown was killed May 3 while playing outside his home.
On Boises Capitol Boulevard, where the road forks at Cecil D. Andrus Park near the Idaho Capitol, there are two statues. Both monuments honor murdered American politicians.

One is immediately recognizable: Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. The other monument, which faces the Capitols south entrance along Jefferson Street, honors Frank Steunenberg, the fourth governor of Idaho, who served from 1897 to 1901.

In previous pages of the Idaho Statesman, Steunenbergs statue has been referred to as the most visible and most ignored piece of public art in Idaho. Its been hailed by one columnist for representing a governor who gave his life for law and order and critiqued by another who argued that Idahoans would be more embarrassed by the events that led to Steunenbergs killing if it werent for his memorial.

So whats the story behind this often ignored and sometimes contentious monument?

Assassination connected to labor unrest

Steunenberg was killed Dec. 30, 1905, when he opened the gate to his Caldwell home, triggering a bomb that had been rigged there.

The day after the murder, a front-page story in The New York Times quickly connected the incident to members of the famous inner circle of the Coeur dAlene dynamiters, referring to explosive labor union revolts in North Idaho during the last decade of the 19th century.

From 1892 to 1899 in the Coeur dAlene mining region, violence between union workers, who protested reduced wages, and mine owners resulted in eight deaths. The conflict culminated during Steunenbergs gubernatorial tenure, when miners seized a train in Burke, a mining town near Wallace, that would carry dynamite to a concentrator owned by the Bunker Hill Mining Co.

After the mutinous miners  referred to as Coeur dAlenes at the time  destroyed the facility, Steunenberg tasked his state auditor Bartlett Sinclair with quelling the conflict by any means necessary, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian J. Anthony Lukas wrote in his 1997 book, Big Trouble: A Murder in a Small Western Town Sets Off a Struggle for the Soul of America. President William McKinley sent U.S. Army troops, primarily African American soldiers stationed throughout the West, to assist.

Sinclair assumed that the whole town of Burke had something to do with the train hijacking and rounded up every man there, including miners, bartenders, a doctor, a teacher and even the postmaster, Lukas wrote. The prisoners from Burke and other nearby towns targeted during the roundup were held in inhumane conditions, some for months, and three died, according to Lukas.

For decades to come, the very phrase Coeur dAlenes evoked a stirring morality play whose lessons depended on where one took ones stand: behind the afflicted mine owners or with the aggrieved mine workers, Lukas wrote.

Oddly Idaho explores curious quirks and nostalgic moments in the Gem State.

Trial of the Century

Miners felt betrayed by Steunenberg, a Democrat, who they had supported for governor, Boise attorney John Greenfeld wrote in a 2006 article about the trial of the governors alleged assassins.

Under these circumstances, it is difficult to argue with the governors decision to call in regular federal troops, but his actions had such a hard edge to them that they turned this governor into a pariah for mine workers, Greenfeld wrote.

Harry Orchard, an itinerant miner, confessed to Steunenbergs murder. But he claimed to be a hit man, hired by famed labor organizer William Big Bill Haywood and two other leaders of the Western Federation of Miners.

What followed became known as the trial of the century for its dramatic twists and lurid coverage by the national media. William Borah, then a U.S. senator-elect, and James Hawley, who would later serve as Idaho governor, prosecuted Haywood. Nationally renowned trial attorney Clarence Darrow led the defense.

Witnesses who would have implicated the labor leaders went missing or recanted an earlier confession. Haywoods attorneys accused the Pinkertons  a union-busting security agency  of sabotaging labor organizations.

Ultimately, Borah and Hawley couldnt produce a witness to corroborate Orchards story, and the labor leaders were acquitted or had their charges dropped. Historians are divided over whether the labor leaders ordered the murder.

Orchard, whose real name was Albert Horsley, served a life sentence in the Old Idaho State Penitentiary.

Steunenberg supporters raise funds for memorial

In 1906, the year before the sensational trial of Steunenbergs alleged assassins, supporters of the slain governor started raising funds for a memorial.

Committees in every county were organized to raise money for a life-size bronze statue, to be crafted by a high-class artist, the Statesman reported at the time.

In the history of the state, I can recall no other character as nearly worthy of perpetual preservation, Sinclair wrote to the newspaper in 1913.

Four years later, Idaho lawmakers agreed to set aside $15,000 for the memorial, but the Legislature didnt make the funds available until a decade later when Salt Lake City sculptor Gilbert Riswold accepted the job.

Riswold molded Steunenbergs likeness from clay, then sent it to a Los Angeles foundry for bronze casting. The sculptor in 1927 told the Statesman that he initially found Stuenenberg to be an ordinary-looking man whose character was difficult to artistically express.

After an intensive study, Riswold said, he found the strength of the man in his utter lack of egotism, his simplicity and ruggedness.

Finally I came to love him for the very subtleties he lacked, and for his fine manliness, Riswold told the Statesman. He had a powerful physique, yet with his firmness went a great tenderness. He was a man of equanimity. He could keep his head when those around him were running wild. He was in truth a typical westerner.

The Steunenberg memorial was unveiled, to great fanfare, in December 1927.
Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob Wood told a packed courtroom there is one common thread in the killing of four people throughout Idaho and Arizona. And that was Lori Vallow Daybell.

Prosecutors have spent more than four weeks calling dozens of witnesses, including detectives, former friends and family members to try to convict the 49-year-old Rexburg mother of the first-degree murders of two of her children.

Three years ago, authorities found the remains of 7-year-old Joshua Jaxon JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan buried in shallow graves on the property of Chad Daybell, Vallow Daybells husband. Prosecutors in the indictment alleged the Daybells espoused religious beliefs for the purpose of justifying or encouraging the homicides.

We talked a lot about religion, but this is not a case about religion, Wood said during closing arguments Thursday morning. Its about money, power and sex.

Meanwhile, Vallow Daybells defense attorney Jim Archibald said Vallow Daybell was manipulated by Chad Daybell during a difficult part of her life. Prosecutors also alleged the Daybells conspired to murder her children along with Chad Daybells then-wife, Tammy Daybell.

No one here thinks Lori actually killed anyone, Archibald said. Thats why shes charged with conspiracy.

To be convicted of the first-degree murder charges of JJ and Tylee, a 12-person jury will need to conclude that Vallow Daybell killed, encouraged or commanded someone else to kill her children. Wood said aiding and abetting in the killings is just the same as pulling the trigger.

The Daybells  who had a months-long affair  were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held fringe beliefs that people could be possessed by dark spirits or zombies.

Lori Vallow Daybells case spans 3 states, 4 deaths. Here are the key people involved

Two of Vallow Daybells former friends  Melaine Gibb and Zulema Pastenes  said during their testimonies that theyd participated in castings with Vallow Daybell to cast out dark spirits from an individuals body. Gibb said that if they performed the casting properly, the individual would die, and Pastenes said a dark spirit could be kept out by binding or burning the body.

In Arizona, Vallow Daybell faces a felony charge for allegedly conspiring to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, with her brother. During the defenses closing argument, Archibald reminded the jury that they arent deciding whether Vallow Daybell committed a crime in Arizona or whether she had an affair.

There are a lot of people involved in the criminal cases against Chad and Lori Vallow Daybell. Heres some of the key people and who they are.

Prosecution says Vallow Daybell was in charge

In the summer of 2019, Vallow Daybell moved her children to Idaho from Arizona. Wood said they couldnt kill the children in a place with family and friends, and that the timeline of their actions tells the truth.

They had to go somewhere where nobody knew them, Wood said.

For over an hour, Wood outlined key pieces of evidence presented during the trial. Wood pointed to a text message Chad Daybell sent Tammy Daybell, in which Chad described shooting and burying a raccoon in their propertys pet cemetery. Chad sent the text on Sept. 9, 2019  the day after police say Tylee was last seen. Tylees remains were later found in that same backyard, scattered in both the fire pit and the pet cemetery.

This text is where Chad Daybell told us where to locate Tylee Ryan, Wood said.

He also pointed to a recorded phone call that was played in court between Chad and Lori Vallow Daybell, who was in the Madison County Jail on the day police searched Chad Daybells property for the childrens bodies.

Wood said the couple used religion as a tool to manipulate others, including Alex Cox, her brother, who believed everything the Daybells told him and was recruited and groomed by them. Wood said JJs murder was planned, and that Vallow Daybell handed her boy off to Cox, who investigators said also conspired to murder the children.

Whos in charge? Lori, Wood said.

Vallow Daybell is also charged with grand theft for allegedly collecting the childrens Social Security and child care benefits after the children were dead. Wood said Vallow Daybell profited from the children and benefited from Tammy Daybells life insurance policy by marrying Chad Daybell.

She never reported the children missing, Wood said. She lied, and she lied, and she lied, and she kept collecting their money.

Defense: Chad changed Lori Vallow Daybells life

Archibald also pointed to the jail phone call between the Daybells, but he said its apparent to him that Vallow Daybell didnt know her children were buried in Chad Daybells backyard.

Does she know that Chad and Alex stuffed her kids in Chads backyard? Archibald asked the jury, saying that it was for them to decide and encouraged them to re-listen to the recording during their deliberations.

During prosecutors rebuttal, when they can make any last comments after the defense, they told the jurors not to let Vallow Daybell pin this all on one other person.

The defense says shes not a killer, Wood said. She is a killer.

When the Daybells met in October 2018, Archibald said, Vallow Daybells story changed dramatically, and it was quite a remarkable change. Archibald said that before meeting Chad, Vallow Daybell worked as a beautician and was a mother of five.

He noted Vallow Daybells family members even testified that Vallow Daybell was a good mother when they described her.

Archibald said it didnt make sense for Vallow Daybell to conspire to kill Charles Vallow for money because he made somewhere between $400,000 and $500,000 a year.Chad Daybell only made $20,000-$30,000 a year, Archibald said, because he couldnt sell enough of his stupid books about the end of times.

He said Chad Daybell is the one who recruited people to their fringe religious group, The Church of the Firstborn, and that Vallow Daybell didnt recruit anyone. Witnesses who knew the Daybells said they believed they were leaders of the 144,000, a group of people who would be saved during the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Archibald questioned whether Tammys death was a homicide and pointed to testimony from Utah Chief Medical Examiner Erik Christensen, who performed the autopsy on Tammy Daybell.

Tammy Daybells death was ruled a homicide by asphyxiation, Christensen said. But when questioned by Vallow Daybells other defense attorney, John Thomas, during the trial, he said he couldnt 100% rule out a seizure, though it was very unlikely Tammy Daybell died from one.

Archibald also questioned why Vallow Daybell would list her kids on the rental application, or enroll JJ in school, or hire him a babysitter if she was planning on murdering her children.

The only thing that makes sense to me is that she didnt have a plan, Archibald said. She wanted to be with Chad.

He added that while Vallow Daybell lied to police when they asked her about her kids whereabouts, that doesnt mean she knew theyd been killed.

Archibald said Vallow Daybell wasnt a leader, and that she was following Chad Daybell, who she thought was following Jesus Christ. In reality, Archibald said, Chad Daybell was following the storm, which was what the Daybells called Chad Daybells penis in their text messages.

Archibald toward the end of his argument said Jesus Christ is loving, caring and good.

Thats the Jesus that Lori believed in before she met Chad Daybell, Archibald said.

Fingerprints, hair sample found with JJs remains

Two key pieces of physical evidence were presented by forensic scientists during the trial: fingerprints and a hair sample.

Idaho State Police forensic biologist Katherine Dace during the third week of testimony said she located and sent a hair sample to a private lab that worked with the Rexburg Police Department. The hair sample was stuck to a piece of duct tape, which was on the outside of a garbage bag that held JJs body. JJs body was found wrapped in a black garbage bag and bound in duct tape, while Tylees remains were burned and found in pieces.

JJs voice was silenced forever by a strip of duct placed over his mouth, Wood said during closing arguments.

DNA analyst Keeley Coleman, who works for the private lab, Bode Technology, said in her testimony that the hair sample belonged to Vallow Daybell. Dace during her testimony said its possible the hair was floating around inside the body bag and got stuck onto the piece of tape.

Archibald said Vallow Daybells hair being found with JJs body wasnt proof that she killed him.

Is that a smoking gun? No, not at all, Archibald said, adding he would hope mothers have close contact with their children.

Idaho State Police Forensic Scientist Tara Martinez also testified and said she found fingerprints on a portion of the black plastic garbage bag that was found around JJs body. The fingerprints matched Cox.

Tylee, JJ and Tammy cant tell us what happened, but their bodies do, Wood said.

Vallow Daybells criminal trial is nearing its end after nearly five weeks of prosecutors presenting witnesses. The defense chose not to present any evidence.

The jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon. Its unclear how long the jury panel will take to reach a verdict, and there is no time limit.

A trial date hasnt been set for Chad Daybell  whos also charged with the first-degree murder of Tammy Daybell  but his trial could occur in June 2024. Cox died of natural causes in 2019.
A popular Cincinnati restaurant group that offers traditional Mexican flavors is planning to open a location in Lexington.

Mazunte, which has three locations in Ohio, will open a fourth spot at 903 Manchester St. in Lexingtons Distillery District, between the Grand Reserve and the new Manchester Hotel that opens June 1. Its also original location of Manchester Coffee Co., which has moved to The MET off of Winchester, Midland and Third streets.

The company plans to have a restaurant, bar and grab-and-go market as well as two full-service event venues.

Mazunte specializes in authentic regional Mexican food specialties including tortas, tlayudas, al pastor, barbacoa and birria.

Mazuntes menu features a variety of tacos. You can get three for $11.

Mazunte has grilled corn on the menu, served with dried chile, aoli, lime and queso for $5..25.

Our food is a vibrant fusion of traditional and new flavors, and were proud of the way it represents us, said Wendy Enriquez, Mazuntes creative director, in a news release. Were most excited that customers in Lexington will get to experience our food and culture.

They hope to be open by the end of 2023.

The Mazunte location will have two event spaces for wedding receptions and parties. Its next to the new Manchester Hotel in Lexingtons Distillery District.

The Lexington location will have 4,200 square feet of bar, cafe and restaurant space called Mazunte Bodega, with 13,000 square feet of event space called La Brasa Event Venue, according to the release. Mazunte hopes to offer catered event options for hotel patrons and you can book online through labrasalexington.com.

The bodega will have best-selling items from Mazuntes Cincinnati locations, plus new products as well as a full bar and cafe. There will be packaged grab-and-go and carryout food options for customers from the next door hotel, as well as nearby Town Branch Park & Trail, Rupp Arena and Convention Center and downtown Lexington.

The Mazunte location also will include La Brasa, two event spaces. Its location on Manchester next to the new hotel.

Mazunte founder Josh Wamsley was inspired by his travels to Oaxaca, Mexico, in 2010 and 2011 while teaching English to students there. On weekends, he would travel to Mazunte, a small beach town, and was inspired to create a restaurant concept that is an homage to the people and customs of Mexico in his hometown of Cincinnati.

One of Lexingtons most popular bakeries is closing this weekend. How did it happen?

Flying insects, plumbing repairs: Lexington health department shuts down pizza restaurant

Heres how you can eat from 20 amazing Kentucky chefs and support a good cause
Reinaldo Miralles Gonzalez was a con man pretending to be a G-man.

In his role playing an FBI special agent, Miralles orchestrated a scam to pry money out of several elderly people by accusing them of providing financial support for terrorists, U.S. authorities say.

Miralles, borrowing the name of an actual FBI agent in the Miami field office, then threatened the victims with legal action, arrest and in one instance deportation if they didnt send him blank money orders to local addresses associated with him, authorities say.

His total take: $123,398.

This week, Miralles, 52, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and ordered to repay his victims by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore in Miami federal court. Miralles pleaded guilty to a mail-fraud conspiracy last year. While other associates were involved in his ring, he was the only suspect to be prosecuted, according to court records.

Starting in the fall of 2017, Miralles and his associates targeted certain people on social media platforms, accused them of transferring money via Western Union to support terrorist activities, and then while posing as FBI agents coerced them into meeting their financial demands by threatening criminal consequences, according to prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys Office. Miralles himself was held responsible for fleecing seven people from New York, California, Ohio, Colorado, Tennessee and Montana, according to court records.

The victims were alI told that they were being investigated for their involvement and support of terrorist activities, according to a factual statement filed with the defendants plea agreement. They were all told that they were in serious trouble and in order to avoid imminent arrest, they had to send blank United States Postal money orders to addresses which included ones associated with the defendant.

Those addresses included Miralles company in Hialeah, Centro De Rehabilitacion Nueva Vida Corporation, another business in Miami, Caribbean S.A. Corp., and his personal address on Brickell Avenue, the statement says. After receiving the money orders via Federal Express, Miralles deposited the money in his corporate and personal bank accounts.

Miralles scheme didnt just involve himself and others posing as FBI imposters. In some instances, the victims were called by people pretending to be lawyers who said they could assist them with their court cases for additional fees.

All the victims reported that they felt threatened and intimidated by the calls and paid the funds so that they could resolve the purported investigation as quickly as possible, says the factual statement, which was signed by Miralles, his lawyer and prosecutors.

Some told FBI investigators that they had to withdraw funds from their retirement accounts to pay Miralles.
Sen. Thom Tillis is pushing this week to reinstate an expiring and controversial immigration policy that turns migrants away at the border.

Last month, Biden announced that on May 11 he would end the countrys public health emergency tied to COVID-19. That effectively concludes a myriad of policies put in place to keep the public safe from the deadly virus, including Title 42. Begun in March 2020 under the Trump administration, Title 42 gave border agents the ability to quickly turn away people at the border who posed a public health risk. The Biden administration later expanded the policy.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a news conference Wednesday that smugglers on the border have been misreporting to people that at 11:59 p.m. on May 11, the southern border would be open for people to cross. That has led to to a surge of migrants flocking to the border and entering the United States. The Biden administration is moving resources, including troops, south to help border agents deal with the increase.

Tillis criticized Biden last week, saying that the president failed to secure the border and that the situation would only get worse. He and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent from Arizona, which borders Mexico, proposed a bill that would put in place all the provisions of Title 42, without tying it to a public health emergency.

Its clear that Congress must immediately step in, and the bipartisan bill Im introducing with Senator Sinema will help prevent the catastrophic fallout at the border well soon see if no action is taken, Tillis said in the news release.

Outside the Senate chamber Wednesday morning, Tillis told McClatchy hes very concerned.

But Im also concerned about every single policy Biden has taken down, which has caused this crisis, Tillis said. This is just going to be a multiplier, but he really needs to rethink a lot of the authority he has that he has taken off the table.

Sinema and Tillis work on bill

Sinema and Tillis first proposed this legislation last year but werent able to get a bill to the floor before a newly elected Congress took over.

At the time, Tillis told McClatchy that the Border Patrol Council, a labor union representing border patrol agents and their support staff, had told Congress that they would lose control of the border if lawmakers failed to address the consequences of Title 42.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported having 2.38 million land border encounters at the southern border in the 2022 fiscal year, up from 1.73 million the year before.

In December, more than 252,000 migrants had southwest land border encounters, which fell to 156,787 before increasing again in March to 191,899. The Wall Street Journal reported that the decrease is typical due to the cold weather and holiday season.

Sinema said that the surge has led to her constituents being forced to manage a crisis they didnt create.

Our legislation gives the administration time to actually implement a realistic workable plan that will secure our border, protect Arizona communities on the front-lines of this crisis, and ensure migrants are treated fairly and humanely, Sinema said in a news release.

Biden administration response

Mayorkas praised Biden Wednesday afternoon, saying changes the president made to immigration policies have led to a better pathway for people from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Honduras to enter the country legally and reduced border encounters from people of these countries by 90% between December and March.

The Homeland Security secretary placed the blame on the border crisis directly at the feet of members of Congress.

I can not overemphasize that our current situation is (the) outcome of Congress leaving a broken, outdated immigration system in place for over two decades despite unanimous agreement that we desperately need legislative reform, Mayorkas said. It is also the result of Congress not (providing) us with the resources we need and requested.

Among those requests, Mayorkas listed $4 billion for personnel, facilities and transportation.

Mayorkas used his news conference to deliver a message that the southern border is not open, and stronger consequences will come to those trying to cross into the U.S. illegally.

Immigration bill support

Meanwhile, Tillis and Sinema are working to find bipartisan support to get their bill through the Senate and into the House.

The bill offers the Biden administration a two-year expulsion authority for migrants at the border.

In a joint statement Tillis and Sinema said that the bill provides protections for migrants whose return to their own countries would pose a threat to their life or freedom or expose them to torture. It also allows for a case-by-case exemption for migrants with acute medical needs.

Tillis wasnt overconfident about his bill passing right away.

Not before (the policy) expires at midnight, Tillis said, adding that he expects at least three weeks before he can get it through Congress.

But I do think were going to see an immediate influx, and I think that could put pressure on the administration, Tillis said.

Democrats control the Senate, and Biden could veto any legislation he opposes.

Tillis is working to get more bipartisan support to cosponsor the bill. Sens. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, and John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, have signed on.

We dont want this to be a Republican-only initiative, and so were having the discussions here and were having discussions with the House to see if they can originate one and send it our way, Tillis said.

House concerns

House members are set this week to vote on a bill to secure the southern border, which includes building a wall proposed by former President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, North Carolinas Republicans sent a letter Tuesday to Mayorkas and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Troy Miller demanding answers about an increase in encounters with suspected terrorists at the southern border and whether any of those potential terrorists have been brought to North Carolina.

Rep. Patrick McHenry, a Republican from Lincoln County, led the delegation in writing the letter. His spokesman Will Bowen said that theres no reports that terrorists have been sent to North Carolina at this time.

While the Congressman is unaware of any such reported incidents at this time, the Congressman is seeking this information due to the lack of transparency around this issue, Bowen said. Tenth District law enforcement should have answers to the questions raised in his letter so they can best protect our community.

McHenry, a Republican from Lincoln County, called the increase in suspected terrorist encounters alarming and said it highlights the dangers of the Biden Administrations open border policy.

The chaos at our southern border has created a humanitarian crisis, fueled the opioid epidemic, and allowed entry to those that wish us harm, McHenry said.

The North Carolina Republicans asked Miller and Mayorkas to account for the increase and say what they proposed to do to reverse the trend, what the process was for tracking individuals who were released, and what credible threats might have been uncovered about groups like ISIS looking to use gaps at the southern border to smuggle in terrorists.

We need to know why this information is hidden from public view and what is happening to these suspects after they are apprehended, McHenry said. Our porous border is putting Americans at risk and they deserve to know the truth.
North Carolina state Sen. Kandie Smith on the Senate floor in Raleigh after the chamber voted to approve new abortion restrictions on May 4. (Hannah Schoenbaum/AP)

Pressure is mounting this week on abortion access in North Carolina. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has rallied residents and local doctors in an attempt to convince at least one Republican to uphold his expected veto of a bill, S.B. 20, that bans most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, down from the current 20-week restriction.

[State Republican legislators] rammed through a bill in 48 hours with no public input, with no amendments, that drastically reduces access to reproductive freedom for women, Cooper said Sunday on CBSs Face the Nation.

After the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, North Carolina saw the largest spike in abortions in the U.S., according to a WeCount report by the Society of Family Planning.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Planned Parenthood South Atlantic CEO Jenny Black at a forum about new abortion restrictions on Wednesday in Wilmington. (Hannah Schoenbaum/AP)

Cooper is expected to sign the veto during an abortion rights rally in Raleigh on Saturday. But Republican lawmakers hold a veto-proof majority in the state legislature. In order to sink the bill, Cooper would need just one Republican to vote against an expected override of the veto.

Cooper said the bill would effectively ban many abortions altogether because of the restrictions and requirements within it.

Yahoo News spoke with Kelly Baden, vice president for public policy at the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights, to unpack whats in the bill and whats at stake for abortion access in the surrounding region if it goes into effect on July 1. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Whats included in North Carolinas 12-week abortion ban?

Its much more than meets the eye, Baden said.

It would require patients to delay their abortion care by mandating in-person consultations 72 hours in advance of the abortion procedure. Consultations are currently able to be done by phone in North Carolina. If you have to take time off from work, if you have to arrange child care, if you have transportation issues or you live farther away from a clinic  all of those things mean that this additional restriction adds barriers to the abortion. Youre really putting patients in a bind because then theyre chasing after the appointment, which might push their pregnancies later into term.

The bill would also require clinics to get an ambulatory surgical center license, she continued. We know abortion is very safe; we do not need to require abortion providers to go through lengthy and expensive processes to become ambulatory surgical centers. The impact of doing that means there will be fewer providers overall in North Carolina. That means reduced access for potentially anybody seeking abortion care in North Carolina, and because were talking about regional implications, this potentially impacts patients from all around the Southeast.

Are there any exceptions included in the 12-week abortion ban?

S.B. 20 allows abortion in cases of rape and incest through 20 weeks of pregnancy, and for life-limiting fetal anomalies at 24 weeks, Baden said.

However, even when exceptions are written into abortion bans in a state, they are not meaningfully happening in real life, she noted.

Weve heard about patients being told to wait until theyre bleeding more heavily than they currently are, or wait until they are in much more of an emergency health situation than they currently are in order to get care. Hospitals are not interested in testing the legal boundaries to see what is permissible under a hostile state abortion ban, and its pregnant women that will pay the price.

Referring to the WeCount study, why do you think North Carolina saw an uptick in abortions after Roe v. Wade was overturned?

Even before the Dobbs decision, traveling to other states to get abortion care was relatively common. Abortion access was already dependent on your state and your income, and this Dobbs decision has just made a difficult situation worse, Baden said.

If you look at the states surrounding and a little beyond North Carolinas neighbors, they have all banned abortion with very limited exceptions: Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia  there are patients there who now dont have access to an abortion clinic in their state and are forced to travel. I think North Carolina is one place that has been able to receive those patients and treat them and meet their needs. It really has been an important access point in a region where most states have banned or severely limited abortion altogether.

When youre a state like North Carolina now in a post-Roe world, you have to know that your policy decisions have a cascading effect beyond the borders of your own state.

If the 12-week abortion ban does take effect in North Carolina, what are some of the geographic implications for abortion access?

People living in a state like Louisiana, for example, have to cross several state lines even to get to an abortion clinic, Baden said. If you are low-income, if you have children, if you dont have paid leave from work, if you dont have reliable transportation and you live in a rural area  those are all huge barriers to getting that care that you might need.

We can just expect to see an exacerbation of the pain points that were already experiencing, she added. I think in the region, looking to Florida and what might happen there with the six-week abortion ban, and looking to South Carolina where legal abortion is hanging by a thread, all of that is going to continue to play a role in the state abortion access in the South and beyond.
Marisan Tumuli is a cluster of tombs of Korea's ancient confederation Gaya, in Haman county, South Gyeongsang Province, seen in this photo by the Cultural Heritage Administration. Yonhap



The Gaya Tumuli, seven tomb clusters from Korea's ancient Gaya confederacy, has been recommend for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list by an international advisory body, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said Thursday.



The Gaya Tumuli was recommended for inscription during a meeting of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a cultural heritage evaluation advisory organization under UNESCO, according to CHA.



The World Heritage Committee will make a final decision based on ICOMOS' recommendation during the 45th session to be held in Saudi Arabia in September.



Gaya was a loosely knit federation of six or seven small kingdoms that prospered between the first and sixth centuries in southern and central region of the Korean Peninsula.



The tumuli consists of seven clusters of tombs that display the architectural style of graves built in the fourth and fifth centuries, along with burial accessories and goods showing Gaya's network of trade and handcrafted manufacturing.



The seven cemeteries are all sited in highly visible hilly areas in the political center of their respective polities. These sites exhibit dense concentrations of burials that were constructed over extended periods of time.



Cultural heritage authorities said the ICOMOS recognized the nominated property's outstanding universal value as important evidence of Gaya, which had loosely linked political structures.



"The Gaya Tumuli bears exceptional testimony to Gaya, a unique ancient East Asian civilization that coexisted with its more strongly centralized neighbors but maintained a distinct confederated political system. The nominated property is important evidence of the diversity found among ancient East Asian civilizations," a state-run heritage site nomination committee said on a website.



If the tumuli are added to the list, Korea will have 16 sites inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (Yonhap)


Police in Cleveland are looking for an emergency medical technician who authorities say went out to get something from her car Saturday evening and hasnt been seen since.

Family members reported Lachelle Jordan, 30, missing on Sunday, Cleveland police said.

A $5,000 reward for information was announced Wednesday by Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County, which said Jordan disappeared after she went to her car parked on Fairpoint Avenue at 6 p.m.

Lachelle Jordan. (Cleveland police via Facebook)

Jordan is a Cleveland EMT and a mother of two, NBC affiliate WKYC of Cleveland has reported.

In a notice asking for information, police said Jordan was endangered.

She was last seen wearing an East Cleveland Fire Department sweatshirt, green and white tie-dyed pants and rainbow Croc shoes, police said.
Carlos Alberto Montaner, 80, the great Cuban intellectual, has just announced that he will no longer write his column in newspapers across the Americas because he has been diagnosed with a rare disease that makes it difficult for him to read and write.

He ended his May 7 farewell column in El Nuevo Herald with characteristic humility: I did my best.

In fact, Montaner did a lot for generations of faithful readers, myself included. He not only fought for democracy in Cuba, but also for fundamental freedoms in all of Latin America  and in the United States. That made him stand apart from many of his fellow Cuban-exile writers, some of whom rushed to side with almost any right-wing autocrat who criticized the Cuban dictatorship.

Perhaps Montaners biggest contribution has been to help readers understand that the fundamental conflict in the world is not between right and left, but between democracy and dictatorship.

When I asked him earlier this week to send me one paragraph stating what is the most important idea he tried to convey in his writings, he told me in an email that it has been to spread the idea of freedom. He added, Thats what Ive spent much of my life on, ever since I lived the experience of communism early in life.

While Montaner is best known for his relentless criticism of the Cuban, Venezuelan and Nicaraguan dictatorships, he also lashed out against Latin Americas right-wing autocrats and populists. In recent years, he criticized Brazils former right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, among other things for his contempt for democratic institutions.

In the United States, even before former President Trump tried to fraudulently overturn the result of the 2020 elections, Montaner rightly warned that he was a threat to Americas democracy. In the 2020 U.S. elections, Montaner publicly endorsed Joe Biden.

Montaners books  including Las Raices torcidas de America latina (Latin Americas Twisted Roots), a history of the Spanish conquest and its impact on the region  are must-reads for any student of Latin American affairs.

Unlike ultra-conservatives, Montaner  much like his good friend, Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa  has always defended peoples freedom to choose on social issues, whether its abortion, the death penalty or religion. He considers himself an agnostic, but above all a person who defends economic, political and religious freedoms.

A man with a great sense of humor, he has coined some of the wittiest political sayings on Latin American affairs.

One of my favorites is his statement about the U.S. geographic and cultural proximity to Cuba. In the 1980s, returning from a reporting trip to the island, I had noted to Montaner that Cuban youths were still wearing T-shirts with U.S.A. logos and chanting the lyrics to U.S. music despite relentless efforts by Castro to make them embrace Russian culture.

Montaner laughed and, playing on Castros famous dictum, History will absolve me, he said, Maybe history will absolve him, but geography wont!.

Another time, talking about Castros military interventions in Ethiopia, Angola, Congo and other African countries in the 1960s and 1970s, Montaner told me that Cuba had political hyperactivity. He explained, We Cubans drink coffee all day long, so caffeine makes us do all kinds of crazy things.

Once asked about Cubas Communist regimes statement that it would allow some private-sector activities in an effort to reverse the islands economic crisis, Montaner responded, Obviously! Communism is the longest line between capitalism and capitalism.

In his column farewell column, Montaner wrote that he is retiring from he called columnism, because he has been diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a rare illness often misdiagnosed as Parkinsons disease. His wife, Linda, and his daughter Gina are now reading him the newspapers, because he has trouble reading beyond the headlines.

Montaner has made a much bigger mark on many Latin Americans than he probably suspects. Fortunately, he has written thousands of columns and several books, including a few good novels, to delight us with his wisdom and his wit.

He may have quit writing columns, but I will not stop reading him.

Dont miss the Oppenheimer Presenta TV show on Sundays at 8 pm E.T. on CNN en Espanol. Blog: www.andresoppenheimer.com
A South Carolina proposal barring the instruction of certain concepts centered around race in public K-12 classrooms has cleared both legislative bodies in the General Assembly over challenges from teachers and Senate Democrats, whose pleas to pass hate crime legislation went unanswered.

In the final week of the regular session and after nearly six hours of debate Wednesday, the S.C. Senate in a 27-10 vote along party lines passed a House-backed bill  H. 3728  that would prohibit certain concepts, including those considered to be promoting critical race theory, from being taught in South Carolinas public schools. As Republicans celebrated the move as a victory, Democrats, who tried to use the debate as a basis for bringing a hates crimes measure, H. 3014, to a vote, said the state shouldnt have one law without the other.

Im certainly not gonna apologize for my great-grandfather, my grandfather, or even my fathers conduct, state Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-Richland, said on the Senate floor Wednesday. But we have a chance to say to those folks who have not had power, whose ancestors did suffer and suffer mightily, and are still suffering  because there is still racism in our society  (that) this is some salve to their concerns, and it doesnt cost you anything.

So, look into your heart and have the courage to do what I didnt have the courage to do 50 years ago, Harpootlian continued, referring to a time when he said he witnessed an act of racism toward a Black couple and did nothing about it.

The so-called Transparency and Integrity in Education Act would prohibit public schools from suggesting that by virtue of a students race or sex, that student bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, sex, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin. And it would let parents, and anyone else, review a schools curriculum and instructional materials.

The bills success is largely attributed to procedural maneuverings by Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, who last week told colleagues on the floor that the anti-CRT measure would serve to stop hate, while the hates crimes bill would not.

The citizens of South Carolina do not want political activism in the classroom, Massey said in a news release late Wednesday. H. 3728 keeps the subjective opinions of those who want to rewrite American history from creeping into South Carolinas schools.

LaTisha Vaugn, Co-Founder, the E3 Foundation, speaks at a protest against bills banning critical race theory and discussion of difficult topics in schools at the South Carolina State House on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.

Critical race theory is a process of examining how institutions and public policies  such as zoning, policing, banking, health care and more  have created or increased inequality. For example, an article from the University of California Los Angeles Law Review used critical race theory to analyze school discipline to argue that underlying prejudices and strict school discipline policies lead to minority students being disproportionately punished.

But the state Department of Education has said critical race theory is not and has never been incorporated in schools curriculum, despite some parents and lawmakers arguing that it is being currently taught inside South Carolina classrooms.

There are no accounts that were aware of where this has occurred in our schools, state Sen. Ronnie Sabb, D-Williamsburg, referring to CRT instruction. And so then, is (H. 3728) not a solution, looking for a problem?

The Senate on Wednesday amended the House proposal, for example adding language proposed by Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington, that expressly would allow teachers to teach about the Reconstruction period, Jim Crow and segregation, with an emphasis on lynchings and other crimes committed based upon the race of the victim.

Another Senate amendment, approved in committee, removed language requiring teachers to notify parents of any changes in the curriculum following the start of the school year by posting their lesson plans and instructional materials on the districts website three days before presenting the material before students.

The amended legislation heads back to the House for further consideration.

Ironically, the Senate debated occurred during Teacher Appreciation Week, which state Sen. Mike Fanning, D-Fairfield, called shameful.

Not a single teacher in South Carolina has asked for this bill, Fanning said. In fact, to the opposite. Teachers had been in the gallery all week. Theyd been contacting us, telling us dont pass this bill, and in Teacher Appreciation Week, we say Forget yall. We havent listened to you before. Were not going to start now.

Critics and teachers groups continue to say bills such as H. 3728 are nothing more than an attempt by conservative lawmakers to censor the teaching of Black history and other important historical contexts in public schools.

Book bans have been popping up in school districts all around the state, with the latest being in Anderson and Pickens counties.

District officials in Anderson 1 recently removed several books  including The Handmaids Tale, a book chronicling extremest measures taken to curb abortions in a dystopian American society  from its shelves following complaints made by parents and national conservative parents group, Moms for Liberty. Meanwhile, school board members in Pickens County were slapped with a federal lawsuit for removing a book that discussed race and anti-racism in America.

Just this week, books like the Bluest Eye ... and Black is a Rainbow Color were banned, Fanning said. We have been banning books in South Carolina under the guise of transparency and CRT.

Massey, however, said otherwise.

Mr. President (Thomas Alexander, R-Oconee), this legislation does not ban books, Massey said. Rather, it sets out a policy of prohibited conduct.
Paso Robles police responded to reports of an active shooter at a local hotel on Wednesday  only to find the call appeared to be part of a statewide hoax.

According to a news release, the department received a call at approximately 2:39 p.m. warning of an active shooter at the Allegretto Vineyard Resort at 2700 Buena Vista Drive.

Police said the call appeared to originate from a phone number based out of New Mexico, and information received about the threat did not seem legitimate.

Officers immediately responded to the hotel to ensure there was no active threat in the area and were able to quickly determine there was no threat and the business and surrounding areas were safe and secure.

The Allegretto Vineyard Resort in Paso Robles, California.

Soon after, the department said it received information from other California agencies warning of hoax swatting calls throughout California, including in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Los Gatos, Lompoc, Santa Maria, Pismo Beach and other jurisdictions.

All of the swatting calls were the same and claimed hotels or resorts in the jurisdictions were being attacked by an active shooter, according to the release.

All of these calls were determined to be hoaxes and there were no credible threats in any jurisdiction, police said.

The Paso Robles Police Department is requesting anyone with information regarding the incident to call the department immediately at 805-237-6464.
Heather Armstrong began her Dooce blog in 2001, becoming one of the first and most popular mommy bloggers with frank posts about her children, relationships and other challenges at a time that personal blogs were on the rise. (San Francisco Chronicle / via Getty Images)

The pioneering mommy blogger Heather Armstrong, who laid bare her struggles as a parent and her battles with depression and alcoholism on her site Dooce.com and on social media, has died at 47.

Armstrong's boyfriend, Pete Ashdown, said he found her Tuesday night at their Salt Lake City home. He said the cause was suicide.

She had two children with her former husband and business partner, Jon Armstrong, began Dooce in 2001 and built it into a lucrative career. She was one of the first and most popular mommy bloggers, writing frankly about her children, relationships and other challenges at a time that personal blogs were on the rise.

She parlayed her successes with the blog, on Instagram and elsewhere into book deals, putting out a memoir in 2009, It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown and a Much Needed Margarita.

That year, Armstrong appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and was on the Forbes list of the most influential women in media.

In 2012, the Armstrongs announced they were separating. They divorced later that year. She began dating Ashdown, a former U.S. Senate candidate, nearly six years ago. They lived together with Armstrongs children, 19-year-old Leta and 13-year-old Marlo. He has three children from a previous marriage who spent time in their home as well.

He told the Associated Press that Armstrong had been sober for more than 18 months, and recently had a relapse. He did not provide further details.

Armstrong didn't hold back on Instagram and Dooce, the latter a name that arose from her inability to quickly spell dude during online chats. Her raw, unapologetic posts on everything from pregnancy and breastfeeding to homework and carpooling were often infused with profanity. As her popularity grew, so too did the barbs of critics, who accused her of bad parenting and worse.

One of her posts on Dooce spoke of a previous victory over drinking.

On October 8th, 2021 I celebrated six months of sobriety by myself on the floor next to my bed feeling as if I were a wounded animal who wanted to be left alone to die, Armstrong wrote. There was no one in my life who could possibly comprehend how symbolic a victory it was for me, albeit ... one fraught with tears and sobbing so violent that at one point I thought my body would split in two. The grief submerged me in tidal waves of pain. For a few hours I found it hard to breathe.

Heather Armstrong was dubbed "the queen of the mommy bloggers" by the New York Times Magazine. (Associated Press)

She went on: Sobriety was not some mystery I had to solve. It was simply looking at all my wounds and learning how to live with them.

In her memoir, she described how her blog began as a way to share her thoughts on pop culture with faraway friends. Within a year, her audience grew from a few friends to thousands of strangers around the world, she wrote.

More and more, Armstrong said, she found herself writing about her personal life and, eventually, an office job for a tech startup in California, and how much I wanted to strangle my boss, often using words and phrases that would embarrass a sailor.

Her employer found the site and fired her, she wrote. She took it down but started back up again six months later, writing about her new husband, Armstrong, and how unemployment had forced them to move from Los Angeles to her mother's basement in Utah.

She was soon pregnant. The pregnancy offered an endless trove of content, she wrote, but I truly believed that I would give it all up once I had the baby.

She didn't, going on to chronicle her highs and lows as a new mother.

I don't think I would have survived it had I not offered up my story and reached out to bridge the loneliness," she wrote.

At its peak, Dooce had more than 8 million monthly readers, a healthy following that allowed her to monetize her online presence.

Armstrong was raised in Memphis, Tenn., in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but left the faith after graduating from Brigham Young University and moving to L.A. She suffered chronic depression for much of her life but wasn't diagnosed and treated until college, according to her book.

In 2017, after the unraveling of her marriage, the internet star dubbed the queen of the mommy bloggers by the New York Times Magazine took a tumble in popularity as social media came into its own.

Her depression grew worse, leading her to enroll in a clinical trial at the University of Utahs Neuropsychiatric Institute. She was put in a chemically induced coma for 15 minutes at a time for 10 sessions.

I was feeling like life was not meant to be lived, Armstrong told Vox. "When you are that desperate, you will try anything. I thought my kids deserved to have a happy, healthy mother, and I needed to know that I had tried all options to be that for them.

In 2019, she wrote her third book, The Valedictorian of Being Dead: The True Story of Dying Ten Times to Live, about her experiences with the treatment.

"I want people with depression to feel like they are seen, she told Vox.

Armstrong attributed, in part, some of her past emotional spirals to sharing her life online for so long.

The hate was very, very scary and very, very hard to live through, she said in the interview. It gets inside your head and eats away at your brain. It became untenable.

If you or a loved one is considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Updated May 11, 2023 at 3:08 AM

A gas station remains closed less than a week after a fatal shooting in Detroit, Michigan, Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Authorities in Detroit say a man fatally shot another customer inside a gas station and wounded two more in a dispute over a small purchase. (AP Photo/Ed White)

DETROIT (AP)  A man fatally shot another customer inside a Detroit gas station and wounded two more after the clerk locked the door in a dispute over a small purchase, authorities said Wednesday.

Details emerged as prosecutors charged Samuel McCray, 27, with murder and attempted murder. He pleaded not guilty and was denied bond during a court appearance.

The shooting occurred after 3 a.m. Saturday. McCray tried to leave the gas station with items worth less than $4 after an electronic purchase was rejected, but the clerk locked the door, the prosecutors office said.

McCray threatened to shoot everyone inside the gas station unless the door was unlocked, according to witness David Langston.

Langston told WJBK-TV that he begged McCray: Please, man, dont shoot us. We dont got nothing to do with this. ... And he started shooting.

Langston, 37, was wounded but his best friend, Gregory Kelly, 37, was killed. A 60-year-old man was also wounded.

After the men were shot, the clerk unlocked the door to the store, and McCray fled from the scene, the prosecutors office said.

McCray was returned to jail after appearing in court Wednesday. He asked for a court-appointed attorney.

Prosecutor Kym Worthy had planned to hold a news conference but canceled it and said the investigation was ongoing.

Kelly had plenty of friends, his mother, Marilyn Fortner, said. He just did not deserve a death like that.
A Raleigh woman is the latest Triangle resident to plead guilty in federal court to taking part in a nationwide fraud scheme using money intended for economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Justice said Thursday.

Shakeerah Kaneisha Yvette Vinson, 32, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Act, commonly known as PPP, COVID-19 loan for her real estate broker business.

Vinson faces up to 20 years in prison for the charges.

This defendant, along with her network of co-conspirators, took taxpayer money meant to help struggling small businesses during a global pandemic, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley of the Eastern District of North Carolina said in a news release. We are investigating and prosecuting those who steal from public programs intended to keep legitimate businesses afloat.

Vinson conspired with several other people in North Carolina to obtain a fraudulent PPP loan for her business, prosecutors say.

Vinson is the third Triangle resident in 2023 to plead guilty for charges related to a nationwide scheme orchestrated by a Texas couple that helped people across the country commit over $15 million in PPP fraud.

The couple, Edward Whitaker and Schunda Coleman, pleaded guilty for the charges in North Carolina federal court in January this year. They face 20 years in federal prison, The News & Observer reported previously.

Fraud in the PPP program has been rampant in the U.S. since the federal government rolled out the $800 billion relief program meant to support small businesses who couldnt afford to pay their employees in the pandemic.

At least $80 billion of that amount has been stolen by fraudsters, NBC reported.

The Small Business Administration, in sending that money out, basically said to people, Apply and sign and tell us that youre really entitled to the money, Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, the chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, told NBC. And, of course, for fraudsters, thats an invitation  What didnt happen was even minimal checks to make sure that the money was getting to the right people at the right time.

How the scheme worked

The two other Wake County residents who pleaded guilty this year were Albert Eugene Miller Jr., 58, and Jonathan Fleming, 60, who pleaded guilty in February to wire fraud charges in the same scheme that Vinson participated in.

Cary resident Quentin Jackson, of Cary, pleaded guilty in this scheme last November after committing over $4 million in PPP fraud.

The Texas couple behind the overarching fraud effort created bogus documents and applications for the PPP loan, which they provided to Vinson in exchange for 25% of the total loan proceeds, according to the Eastern District of North Carolina.

The fraudulent application faked the number of Vinsons employees and gross wages paid before the pandemic.

Whitaker showed Vinson how to make it seem that she was paying PPP loans to her supposed employees when she was really paying herself.

Vinsons loans were then forgiven completely by the Small Business Administration after she submitted the bogus payroll records.

Through our partnership with the U.S. Attorneys Office and our federal law enforcement partners, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who try to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain, said Donald Eakins, the Internal Revenue Services Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge in Charlotte.
Rock star memorabilia, casinos and kosher food? They will soon go together in a changing Hollywood neighborhood.

This summer, a 100-room boutique hotel, Dolce by Wyndham Hollywood, opens across the street from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos Guitar Hotel and its Hard Rock Live concert venue that recently attracted superstars like Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and Janet Jackson.

Wyndhams marketing strategy for its new Dolce includes tapping Hollywoods growing Jewish population by offering amenities including a rooftop kosher dining facility that complies with dietary restrictions and, on the Sabbath, an elevator that automatically stops at every floor, according to Sabrina Graves, general manager.

The hotel will open in July, Graves said.

The Dolce will sport a rooftop pool and a bar and restaurant serving Asian-inspired cuisine, and a lobby cafe with espresso, pastries and grab-and-go breakfast.

The Dolce also will feature shared and private balconies overlooking the Hard Rocks Guitar Hotel that towers more than 400 feet in the air. And there will be quite a view. As a Miami Herald story wryly noted in October 2019, the mammoth neon-lit guitar over west Hollywood, just east of Floridas Turnpike, was large enough that NASA could even note that its visible from outer space.

For years the Seminoles Hard Rock property, with The Guitar Hotel, concert hall, casinos and restaurant rows, was the sole splashy lure to a neighborhood notable for its nondescript strip malls of fast food joints, salons and gas stations on busy State Road 7.

But The Guitar Hotel is getting some company with Julys arrival of the six-floor Dolce at 5350 State Road 7, and a second kosher-themed hotel, designed as a $70 million mixed-use residential space of 16 floors with 64 condominium units called the Plaza 441, rising two blocks away at 5300 State Road 7.

And, no, they wont be shaped like musical instruments.

The Dolces private and shared balconies overlook The Guitar Hotel. But the prospect of competing hotels doesnt faze The Guitar Hotels ownership.

The multi-billion dollar investment in The Guitar Hotel and the expansion of the Seminole Hard Rock have clearly boosted economic opportunities throughout the neighborhood, Gary Bitner, spokesperson for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, said in a statement to the Miami Herald.

The Hard Rock Live at Seminoles Guitar Hotel illuminated with the logo of Elton John to celebrate the legends intimate one-off concert at the venue on Feb. 27, 2022.

The Dolce and Plaza 441 were both developed by Boca Raton-based BSD Capital, The Real Deal reported in 2021.

A spokesperson from BSD did not return a Miami Herald query on the plans.

The pitch to Hollywoods growing Jewish community near State Road 7 makes sense when you consider the coming hotels proximity to the heart of Hollywoods Orthodox community, which is framed by Stirling Road on its north and between North Park Road and North 56th Street as its east and west borders, according to The 5 Towns Jewish Times (5TJT).

The Jewish communities near The Guitar Hotel, Wyndhams The Dolce and Plaza 441 also includes such neighborhoods as Emerald Hills, with its homes, synagogues and kosher businesses.

To its north is Arapahoe Farms, The Preserve, Forest Park, and Hollywood Oaks, 5TJT reports. Also, farther north, extending toward Griffin Road are developments including Mapleridge and Oakridge that are populated by many members of the Young Israel of Hollywood, which hosts more than 650 families.

Neighboring synagogues number more than a dozen. Kosher restaurants abound, too, all, perhaps in response to the growth of the regions diverse Jewish population over the last 10 years.

That could be why Sharon Sharaby, one of the BSD developers of the new projects reshaping the Hollywood SR 7 neighborhood near The Guitar Hotel, told The Real Deal in 2021 that a Florida hotel there providing 24/7 kosher services fits. The properties, he said, could lure Jewish travelers who want want to visit casinos but may be attracted by prices at the new venues that are reportedly scheduled to be less than the established Seminole property by a couple hundred dollars a night.

There are people who look at casinos like the ocean: They want to wake up in front of a casino, Sharaby told The Real Deal.

Hollywoods population is about 152,000, according to the U.S. Census. The Jewish population in Hollywood makes up about 1.2% of Hollywood residents, according to Dwellics, third behind Protestant (16.7%), Catholic (16%) or those identifying as no religious affiliation (63.5%).

Totally Jewish Travel listed Hollywoods Jewish population as around 13,000, with about 30 kosher restaurants spread throughout the city.
This photo, provided by Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, shows Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, left, meeting with Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the African country, May 9. Yonhap



Korea and Zimbabwe have agreed to push for talks on signing a trade and investment agreement to strengthen bilateral economic and industry ties, Seoul's industry ministry said Thursday.



Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun made the proposal to clinch the Trade and Investment Framework (TIPF) during a meeting with Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the country's foreign and trade minister, Frederick Shava, earlier this week, and the two sides agreed upon discussions for the agreement, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.



Ahn made a three-day visit to the African nation from Tuesday as a presidential envoy.



TIPF is a nonbinding agreement that calls for enhancing economic ties and facilitating cooperative exchanges.



If signed, it will be Korea's first TIPF with an African nation, as Seoul currently has the respective agreement with the United Arab Emirates, Dominican Republic and Hungary.



"The envisioned agreement is expected to serve as a basis for the establishment of bilateral network channels for supply chains of minerals and industry cooperation," Ahn said.



During Ahn's visit, state-run trade promotion agencies of the two nations signed a memorandum of understanding that calls for exchanging information on markets, economic circumstances and facilitating business exchanges, the ministry said.



Bilateral trade came to $30 million in 2021, according to government data. (Yonhap)




South Carolina judges have signed off on sentence reductions for more than two-dozen inmates since January of last year, including three men convicted of murder, according to data compiled by the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

The information, provided to the governors office earlier this week and shared Thursday with The State Media Co., was compiled in response to the recent early release Circuit Court Judge Casey Manning granted convicted murderer Jeriod Price.

Price, also referred to as Jeroid Price, was quietly released in mid-March after serving 19 years of a 35-year murder sentence. His release followed a secret meeting between his defense attorney, state Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, and 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson, that the South Carolina Supreme Court later voided.

The high court ordered that Price be returned to prison, but he has not complied with the order and is considered a fugitive whose whereabouts are unknown. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Richland County Sheriffs Office this week offered a $30,000 reward for information that leads to his capture.

Price is one of at least 27 South Carolina inmates whose sentences were reduced by judicial order since 2022 and one of eight whose reductions resulted in their immediate release from prison, according to SCDC data.

Other inmates whose sentence reductions resulted in their immediate release include men charged with burglary, weapon and drug possession, DUI, drug trafficking, kidnapping, assault and battery and murder.

This report highlights the need for tougher criminal penalties and confirms the General Assembly needs to act today to close the revolving door on violent offenders and crack down on career criminals and illegal guns, Brandon Charochak, a spokesman for Gov. Henry McMaster, said in a statement Thursday.

State lawmakers from both chambers are in the process of hashing out a compromise bond reform bill that seeks to punish people who commit violent crimes while out on bond awaiting trial on prior violent charges. McMaster has asked lawmakers to pass the bill before the legislative session ends this year.

Released early

Nicholas Geer is the only convicted murderer besides Price whose recent sentence reduction resulted in his immediate release from prison. Geer was convicted of murder in Anderson County in 1995, and sentenced to life in prison. He was released last September on the order of Judge Letitia Verdin after serving 27 years.

Geer was 17 at the time of the offense, which stemmed from a drug deal gone bad, according to the order granting his early release, and likely would not have been prosecuted as a murder charge if the offense occurred today.

Three of the inmates granted early release last year had their sentences cut by 10 or more years, according to SCDC data:

 Alberto Lopez, convicted in 2009 of assault and battery with intent to kill and two counts of kidnapping, had his 30-year sentence reduced to 18 years and was released in March 2022.

 Joshua Taylor, sentenced to 20 years behind bars for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, was released last October after his sentence was effectively cut in half.

 And Dominique Garrison, sentenced to 20 years in prison for first-degree burglary, was released in April 2022 after being granted a 10-year sentence reduction.

Lopez, who also was represented by Rutherford, was granted a reduction after providing Department of Corrections police information that led to the arrest of a corrections officer on misconduct charges, records show. Judge Courtney Clyburn-Pope, the daughter of state Rep. William Clyburn, D-Aiken, signed off on the order.

Taylor, convicted by a Georgetown County jury in 2014, had his sentence reduced in exchange for testifying for the state in another case, records show. He was freed on the order of Judge R. Ferrell Cothran.

Garrison also was granted a sentence reduction for sharing useful information with the state, records show. Horry County Solicitor Jimmy Richardson presented the order seeking Garrisons early release and 15th Circuit Judge Benjamin Culbertson signed off on it.

More than a dozen different judges have signed off on sentence reduction orders since 2022, but none more often than Manning.

Manning, who signed the order freeing Price on Dec. 30, 2022, granted six other sentence reductions that same month, his last before retiring from the bench, according to SCDC data.

In total, Manning signed off on eight sentence reductions in 2022. No other judge signed off on more than three, according to SCDC data.

The early release of S.C. inmates has caused widespread consternation in the states legal and law enforcement communities in recent weeks since Prices case became public, raising questions about the role of lawyers, judges and solicitors in the largely non-public process.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa  A low-cost device, paired with a quick bundle of treatments to stop blood loss, could help prevent an estimated 22,000 maternal deaths per year, according to research released Tuesday.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, investigated ways to detect and reduce the prevalence of postpartum hemorrhages  the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide and the second-leading cause in the U.S., behind mental health conditions.

The researchers looked at the use of a device called a calibrated plastic drape  essentially a plastic bag with labels to identify levels of blood loss up to 500 milliliters, which is considered the baseline for postpartum hemorrhage. They concluded that using the device nearly doubled the rate of accurate detection of postpartum hemorrhage compared to estimating blood loss visually, as many health care providers do.

Providers who then delivered a bundle of treatments within 15 minutes based on the measurement  including a uterine massage, medications to induce contractions and stop bleeding, IV fluids and a physical exam  saw a 60% reduction in severe blood loss among patients relative to providers who administered the treatments one by one over a longer time.

Postpartum hemorrhage is a serious but rare condition characterized by heavy bleeding that causes a severe drop in blood pressure. It affects 1% to 5% of women who give birth, and people with blood clotting disorders face increased risk. An estimated 14 million women per year experience postpartum hemorrhages worldwide, resulting in about 70,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

Why is it that women are still dying? Its because we arent picking up the cases and not treating them early enough, said the new studys lead author, Dr. Arri Coomarasamy, a professor at the University of Birmingham in the U.K.

If you control the bleeding early, then you win, and if you dont, then you are really fighting a losing battle, he added.

Thats why the studys proposed interventions might be a game changer, said Dr. Willibald Zeck, the chief of sexual and reproductive health and rights at the United Nations Population Fund, who was not involved in the trial.

The study involved more than 210,000 women across 80 hospitals in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania. (About 70% of maternal deaths globally occurred in sub-Saharan Africa in 2020, according to a WHO report.) Among the participants, 17 patients treated with the proposed set of interventions died, compared to 28 who received standard care.

Traditionally, treatments for postpartum hemorrhage are delivered sequentially as providers assess what works, the new study noted. But Coomarasamy and his collaborators  who presented their findings at the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference in Cape Town  are pushing for the simultaneous delivery of various treatments to help save precious time.

It doesnt matter which one works in the end if what you want to do is stop the bleeding, Coomarasamy said. The clock is ticking and the woman is bleeding  thats where the problem is, and thats where the bundle makes a real difference.

Widespread implementation of the proposed regimen would require governments  especially in low-income countries  to supply calibrated drapes and the components of the treatment bundle, including two kinds of drugs, along with trained personnel to administer them, the researchers said.

Some such efforts are already underway. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which funded the study, will pay for a years supply of calibrated drapes in the 80 hospitals that were part of the trial, the researchers said.

Allisyn Moran, the head of the WHOs maternal health unit, who was also not involved in the trial, pointed out that the majority of providers in the study who delivered the proposed treatment regimen were midwives.

Its an opportunity for us to also think about how we really strengthen midwifery care and midwives in all different settings, Moran said.

However, the study has some limits: It did not measure patients experiences of the care they received, nor did it include hospitals in high-income countries.

But the researchers said they expect the results to be generalizable to other countries, noting the persistence of postpartum hemorrhage as a cause of maternal death in the U.S.

A panel of independent experts is expected to review the study findings and determine whether the WHO should officially endorse the proposed interventions, a process that could take months.
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will consider a 26% pay raise for its members at its next meeting on Tuesday.

The raise would bump the supervisors annual salaries from $90,417 to $114,067 in three installments over a two-year period, according to a staff report.

The board isnt just considering a raise, however.

The supervisors will also decide whether the county should connect supervisor salary raises with California Superior Court judge raises. According to the staff report, this would set board salaries at 50% of the bottom salary range of California Superior Court judges.

This would mean that each time California Superior Court judges get a raise, the supervisors would too  preventing board members from deciding their own salary.

At a board meeting May 2, Supervisors Bruce Gibson, Dawn Ortiz-Legg and Jimmy Paulding voted to discuss the new raise structure at the next meeting, while Supervisors Debbie Arnold and John Peschong dissented.

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Jimmy Paulding listens to public comment Feb. 7, 2023. David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com

Arnold and Peschong said they would not support the raise.

I just dont think this is the time for the supervisors to be giving themselves a raise, Arnold said, referencing the countys budget gap and a $26.5 million bill for road damage caused by the winter storms.

Gibson, however, thought the board should discuss the raise now.

It is never a good time for the Board of Supervisors to discuss its own salary, but this has been prepared by our HR Department. I think its worthy of our consideration at our next meeting, Gibson said.

When the board considered a raise in February, Paulding voted against it, explaining that he wanted to build trust with his new constituents.

The people of District 4 elected me to focus on the issues and tackle some big problems, Paulding said in February. I dont think that they voted me in with the expectation that I would be increasing my salary from the get-go.

Paulding did, however, vote to put the raise discussion on next weeks agenda, without indicating whether he would support it.

What does a 26% raise look like?

A raise is a long time coming, as supervisors havent accepted an increase in two years, the Tribune reported in February.

The boards last wage increase was in May 2021, when the supervisors voted to bump their salary by 5% from $86,115 to $90,417.

This raise would be implemented in three phases.

First, on July 23, the supervisors salaries would jump from $90,417 to $97,697.

On June 23, 2024, their annual salaries would increase to $105,560, and on June 22, 2025, they would bump to $114,067, the staff report said.

Supervisor seats in Districts 1, 3 and 5 will be on the 2023 ballot. Supervisor Debbie Arnold is not running for office again, so she would not benefit from the June 2025 pay increase  as it would be implemented after her term ends.

If Supervisors John Peschong and Dawn Ortiz-Legg win another term representing Districts 1 and 3, respectively, they would benefit from the June 2025 raise during their next terms.

Even if the board votes to pass the raise, individual board members could choose to keep their current salary for the remainder of their term, according to the staff report.

If the supervisors approve this raise structure, they wont have to consider their salaries again.

After the June 2025 raise is implemented, board salaries would be examined each year and increased as necessary to be 50% of the lowest paid California Superior Court judges  so each time those judges get a raise, the supervisors would get a raise too, the staff report said.

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg listens to public comment Feb. 7, 2023. David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com

Ortiz-Legg suggested connecting supervisor raises with the judges at a board meeting on Feb. 7, explaining that other counties have successfully implemented similar raise structures.

This way, the board would never have to vote on its own salary, and the salary would naturally increase to adjust for cost of living, she said.

In order to have good governance and good folks running for office, it needs to be a living wage, Ortiz-Legg said in February.
A member of the military walks past a Storm Shadow missile on display at the Farnborough Airshow near London in 2018. (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)

A year ago, it was said to be a direct path to World War III. Now its being announced as an accomplished fact.

The United Kingdom is in the process of delivering Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, the British government confirmed Thursday, giving Kyiv a much-needed and long coveted long-range precision strike capability.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said that the supply of the missiles will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based on Ukrainian sovereign territory, adding that none of this would have been necessary had Russia not invaded.

The Storm Shadow is an advanced air-launched cruise missile with low observable characteristics, meaning it is more difficult to detect and counter by air defense systems than a traditional cruise missile. Depending on the variant, it has a range of up to 350 miles and carries a 990-pound warhead. In British, French, and Italian service it has been used successfully in Syria, Iraq and Libya.

Even if the U.K. dispatches the shorter-range variant, the Storm Shadow can still hit targets as far as 155 miles away. That would put every single Russian position in all of occupied Ukraine, including Crimea, in range.

Speaking in the British House of Commons, Wallace confirmed the Ukrainians would deploy the missiles from their fleet of ex-Soviet fighter jets. In fact, the Storm Shadow missiles would have been delivered earlier, Wallace seemed to suggest, but for the technical engineering feats necessary to adapt the missile to older-generation fighter jets. Ukraine has a background in hybridizing or MacGyvering its preexisting aircraft to use NATO-standard weapons. MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters, for instance, have successfully fired other advanced Western supplied munitions, such as the HARM anti-radiation missile and the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) GPS-guided smart bombs.

A Tornado GR4 aircraft fitted with a Storm Shadow cruise missile. (Raf/Mod/UPPA/ZUMAPRESS.com)

The United Kingdom has frequently led the field in supplying military hardware to Ukraine that even the United States has been reluctant to send. In the weeks before the full-scale invasion, the Royal Air Force delivered numerous planeloads of NLAW anti-tank guided missiles, seen as an extremely important weapon in the early days of the war, making then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson something of a folk hero in Ukraine. Late last year, the U.K. became the first country to supply Western manufactured main battle tanks to Ukraine when it delivered a squadron of 14 of the British Armys Challenger Two tanks.

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia viewed the British announcement as extremely negative, and he claimed that an adequate response would be required.

The British decision comes as the U.S.  still Ukraine's most important partner and source of security assistance  has consistently refused to supply Kyiv with its own long-range precision strike weapons, most notably the ATACMS tactical ballistic missile. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said in July that the U.S. wouldnt supply the system to ensure we do not end up in a circumstance where were heading down the road towards a third world war.

In recent months, though, this fear of provoking Russia into a major retaliation, such as the use of a tactical nuclear weapon, has gradually subsided. In its place, the U.S. refusal to send ATACMS has given way to floated concerns over Americas limited stockpile of the munitions, which are manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The U.S. instead promised to supply another system, the GLSDB (Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb).

A Storm Shadow missile is prepared for loading to a Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 aircraft in 2003. (Cpl Mark Bailey/RAF via Reuters)

Politico reported this week that certain officials in the Biden administration were hopeful that the British provision of Storm Shadow would silence stateside critics still insistent that the U.S. send Ukraine ATACMS.

There may also be a domestic political calculation to Washingtons outsourcing of long-range strike capability to its closest ally across the Atlantic. In an interview with Yahoo News, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov heaped praise on Britains democracy. Their opposition is as strong as the current government in terms of supporting us, Reznikov said.

Ukraine has long wished for the ability to strike Russian forces in the entirety of the territory of Ukraine that they occupy. The Ukrainian military entered the war with a limited number of Soviet-era short-range ballistic missiles, but these are considered relatively inaccurate by modern standards, and their 75-mile range would not allow them to reach targets across the entirety of Ukraine. Their stocks have also been severely depleted in the last 15 months of full-scale war.

The Russian military, on the other hand, possesses an extremely extensive arsenal of long-range munitions.

However, the accuracy of Western weapons have enabled Ukraine to strike back effectively against Russian forces on the territory they can reach. It forced Moscow to reposition vulnerable targets outside the range of such systems, complicating their already strained logistics.

Ukraine is on the brink of launching another widely anticipated counter offensive, which is expected to begin this spring. Speaking earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed his country was still waiting for promised aid to arrive before launching their attack. We still need a bit more time, Zelensky said.
Landlords illegally retaining security deposits is one of many challenges Bellingham tenants face as renter protections are lacking, advocates here say.

Rebecca Quirke of the local advocacy group Tenants Revolt said the issue of deposit theft is so widespread that about eight out of 10 renters that shes met within the city do not get their full deposits back.

Conservatively, 85% of the people that we speak to have some part of their deposit stolen, Quirke said.

Quirke, who is a landlord herself, said tenant protections here are virtually non-existent.

In Bellingham, Its the worst Ive ever, ever, ever seen, she said.

Quirke said she has lived as a renter in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico and now Washington and has seen first-hand how poorly tenants can be treated.

Its unclear exactly how many renters in Bellingham fail to get back their deposits  which can run into thousands of dollars  because few lawsuits are filed.

But since Tenants Revolt began in July 2022, with the goal of bringing a series of mass-action and class-action lawsuits against landlords for habitability violations, theft and property negligence, Quirke said she has spoken with more than 300 renters in Bellingham whose landlords retained at least part of their security deposit.

Washington law outlines specific rules that landlords are required to follow regarding deposits:

 Landlords must provide tenants with an itemized statement of what their deposit was used for.

 The written rental agreement must contain the terms and conditions under which a deposit or portion of it may be withheld upon the termination of the lease.

 The landlord must provide a move-in checklist that is signed by both parties documenting any preexisting damages and the condition of the rental at the time of move-in.

Sometimes, landlords do have fair reason to withhold part or all of a tenants deposit. Organizations exist to support landlords dealing with deposit disputes, such as the National Association of Independent Landlords. But when a deposit is unfairly withheld, the burden lies heavily on tenants to prove it.

One Bellingham couple who sued their former landlord for illegally collecting and retaining their security deposit  and won  are Michael Bottomley and Victoria Bovee.

Victoria Bovee, left, and Michael Bottomley pose in an undated photo. The two sued their former landlord in small claims court after their security deposit was illegally withheld.

They rented a house from September 2021 to September 2022 that was owned by Mike Stacy and managed by Chuckanut Property Management. Neither the landlord nor the property management company responded to requests for comment from the Bellingham Herald.

The two moved from out of the area and had another roommate, who was living locally at the time, do a walk-through with the owner. Bottomley and Bovee were sent a video of the property.

Once we got into the place, within the first month, we immediately realized that there was a lot of damage to the property that did not align with the video he sent us, Bottomley told The Herald.

Bottomley and Bovee said their unit had broken windows, cracks in the walls, a leak under the house, a rodent infestation and a mold problem, among other issues.

The new tenants took photos and videos of all of the issues but they had already paid their $2,360 security deposit and were concerned about being blamed for the damages. The tenants later found out the owner did not provide an inspection checklist during the original walk-through, which is required by law. Because of this, the owner was never legally allowed to collect a deposit.

So when the owner tried to retain a portion of the deposit at the end of the lease for cleaning and maintenance, the tenants sued.

After months of gathering paperwork and compiling evidence, Bottomley and Bovee faced their landlord in small claims court  something Quirke said only a very small percentage of renters are able to do.

Filing a lawsuit is time-consuming and often stressful. It also costs money that tenants will only get back if they win their case.

We were a lot more prepared than a lot of people are because we trusted our intuition from the beginning and because we were lucky enough to be able to take the time in the day to gather evidence, Bovee said. A lot of people do not have that ability because its not afforded to us in our regular daily lives.

The court ordered the landlord to return the full amount of their deposit plus the cost to file the claim and serve the papers, which is standard practice in this type of lawsuit. By law, if the tenant can prove that the landlord intentionally and illegally withheld a security deposit, the tenant can be awarded twice as much as the amount of the security deposit.

Even though we got through this case and got that little sucker punch, the fight is not over until we see real change, Bottomley said.

But this is part of the problem that local renter advocates say needs to change.

For all the work that it takes to go through and actually take your landlord to court, you only get the amount of money that theyve stolen from you, Quirke told The Herald. Theres no accountability.

Dispute resolution an option

Landlord disputes that arent able to be mitigated sometimes end up in small claims court. Whatcom County District Court does not record the number of deposit dispute cases filed each year, only the number of small claims cases filed overall.

There were 325 small claims cases filed in 2022. As of May 3, a total of 96 small claims cases had been filed in Whatcom County this year.

Small claims cases can involve anything with a monetary value including disputes regarding auto damages, wages, loans, property damages, unpaid rent and deposits not returned.

The Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center (WDRC) is a nonprofit that helps mediate disputes between landlords and tenants for free. Individuals who plan to or already have filed a small claims case often reach out to the WDRC in an effort to avoid litigation and reach a solution independently, according to the executive director of the WDRC, whose full name is Moonwater.

Not infrequently, small claims cases between landlords and tenants involve deposits, disagreements about the lease, rent, damages, cleanliness, move-out plans, keys, pets, communication, and more, Moonwater said in an email to The Herald.

Typically more than 80% of people who participate in mediation through the WDRC are able to reach agreements and avoid court, Moonwater said.

As of May 5, WDRC had managed 150 cases in 2023. Of those, 30 were landlord-tenant related, with 19 related to deposit returns.

In 2022, WDRC managed 233 cases. 56 of them were landlord-tenant related. Of those, 36 involved deposit returns.

New law goes into effect

A new piece of state legislation dealing with the issue of unfair deposit withholding was signed into law on Tuesday by Gov. Jay Inslee. The bill, HB 1074, limits landlords ability to withhold deposits after tenants move out.

Under the new law, Washington landlords can no longer withhold any part of a deposit for wear resulting from ordinary use, standard carpet cleaning, or for fixtures and appliances unless those items were previously documented in good condition when the lease began.

In addition, landlords must now show documentation to substantiate any claims of damages, though the bill extends the timeline that landlords can provide documentation for damage claims from 21 days to 30 days. It also adds a three-year statute of limitations for landlords to sue tenants when trying to recover amounts that exceed the deposit.

Documentation is key

Bottomley and Bovee did exactly what they needed to do to win a case like this  they kept documents and proof. Thats what local legal experts suggest in order to be successful in a case.

Jennifer Roberts, an attorney with LAW Advocates, says photos, videos, texts and emails can all be used as evidence. Undocumented conversations in person or over the phone are not as useful in a court of law.

It is not unusual for me to talk to someone when theyve moved out, and the landlord has retained some or all of their security deposit, and its too late for them to go back and do things like take pictures, Roberts said.

Documentation upon move-in and move-out, along with documentation of damage made throughout the duration of the lease that is not the tenants fault is critical, according to Roberts.

Other resources available

LAW Advocates is an organization that provides free civil legal assistance to low-income Whatcom County residents. Residents seeking legal landlord-tenant advice can visit its Street Law pop-up clinic for free at the Bellingham Public Library.

The next two Street Law clinics are being held on May 20 and June 24, 2023. Other resources are available via Washington Law Help and the Northwest Justice Project.

Both landlords and tenants can reach out to the Landlord Liaison with the Opportunity Council for resource referrals, basic information about Landlord-Tenant Law and Fair Housing and how to work with each other to resolve issues.

The city of Bellingham does not provide any direct services to tenants but its website does have a compiled list of community resources to assist them in understanding their rights and responsibilities and to identify where to go for assistance. The city also provides information on fair housing laws.

Do you have a story to tell about renting, buying or building Whatcom County housing? Reporters Rachel Showalter and Robert Mittendorf invite your comments at newsroom@bellinghamherald.com.
The expiration of Title 42, a Trump-era policy that makes it easier to expel migrants, could lead to a marked uptick in environmental degradation along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to immigration experts.

According to the experts, Title 42's expiration, slated to occur at midnight Thursday, could lead to a surge in illegal crossings along the nation's southern border even as U.S. authorities already face an unprecedented number of encounters. Much of the migrant foot traffic, though, could take place in federal and state wildlife refuges, potentially threatening sensitive ecosystems.

"In the short term, you're talking about trash everywhere and damage to the physical environment of the border," Mark Krikorian, the executive direct of Center for Immigration Studies, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

"Before they put up the fencing in Arizona, and this probably still happens, there were smugglers driving vehicles over the border, smashing down 200-year-old saguaro cactuses. It was serious stuff," he continued. "I went along with a trash collection team from the Tohono O'odham reservation in Arizona, a huge reservation down there, and there was garbage everywhere."

BIDEN ADMIN'S PLAN FOR MASS RELEASE OF MIGRANTS INTO US OUTLINED IN INTERNAL 2022 MEMO

Texas officers clean up trash at a border crossing site near the Rio Grande River on May 17, 2021 in Del Rio, Texas.

Overall, about 40% of the land along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border is federally-managed. Those federal lands include protected national wildlife refuges (NWR), national monuments and national forests such as the Cleveland National Forest in California; Buenos Aires NWR and Organ Pipe National Monument in Arizona; and Big Bend National Park and Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR in Texas.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Mitch Ellis, the current chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Division of Natural Resources, testified during a congressional hearing while he was the Buenos Aires NWR manager in the mid-2000s that remote federally-managed wildlife zones "remote areas have also become prime habitat for smugglers, undocumented migrants, and other illegal border crossers."

BORDER PATROL APPREHENDS OVER 10,000 MIGRANTS A DAY AHEAD OF TITLE 42'S END, HIGHEST EVER RECORDED

"We would love to direct more of our efforts at Buenos Aires to managing natural resources, instead of managing border issues and damage. But the current situation will not allow for that," Ellis said. "In fact, the situation at Buenos Aires is not unique. My fellow land managers along the border are all facing similar challenges and dealing with the issues in much the same manner."

He also noted that hundreds of tons of trash and hundreds of vehicles were abandoned each year due to illegal border crossings in Buenos Aires NWR. Such activity also leads to illegal roads and trails, human waste, and wildfires on federal lands.

President Biden predicted this week that U.S.-Mexico border would be "chaotic for a while" following the expiration of Title 42. More than 500 U.S. troops have been deployed to the border to help handle the expected surge.

In Arizona alone, roughly 2,000 tons of trash are discarded every year along the state's borderlands, state data showed. High levels of border crossings have forced both the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to spearhead wast collection, water quality protection and air quality protection programs.

"You've got all these smuggling routes that go through these national parks," Jeremy Beck, the vice president of NumbersUSA, said in an interview. "The way these smuggling operations work, they're not there to be ecologically conscious. They're bringing people across and they're dumping stuff as they need to."

"Well-intentioned groups, perhaps misguided but well-intentioned groups, go out there and leave water bottles and water jugs and things like that to help migrants along the smuggling route," Beck added. "That stuff all gets discarded. Sensitive ecosystems get trampled over. It's just traffic."

BORDER PATROL CLEARS WAY FOR MORE MIGRANT RELEASES TO CITY STREETS, SOURCES SAY

In addition, an internal GOP House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands memo from March shared with Fox News Digital highlighted that illegal marijuana growing operations are often set up on federal lands along the southern border.

Citing various media reports, the memo stated cleaning up such sites is an "arduous and costly process" since they involve graded dirt, trash, propane tanks, toxic chemicals, human waste, garbage, rat poison and moldering food scraps that get abandoned. It costs taxpayers about $40,000 for authorities to clean up such sites.

In one example, U.S. Forest Service agents busted an illegal cultivation site worth $1.2 million in the Cleveland National Forest, removing about a ton and a half of trash, more than a mile of irrigation piping, 1,110 pounds of fertilizer and bottles of banned pesticide chemicals, NBC News reported in 2021.

"Our border resources are already stretched past the breaking point, and the Title 42 expiration will dramatically exacerbate the issues," House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., told Fox News Digital. "With nearly 40% of the southern border lying along federal lands, many of Americas sensitive habitats and wildlife populations are at risk of destruction."

"Ive personally traveled to the border and seen the trash and environmental degradation that is compounded by every illegal immigrant that passes through," he added. "The Biden administration and Secretary Mayorkas are asleep at the wheel while America sits in the backseat."

"We need to take immediate action to secure our border, provide agencies with the necessary resources, and ensure these vast stretches of federal land are protected."

Krikorian and Beck, who both argue for stricter border security policies to curtail illegal immigration, also argued that increased migration will broadly lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions.

"Long term, people don't come to America to not live like Americans," Beck said. "That's why people are coming here. And most of these people, as we know, are economic migrants who are, of course, seeking to improve their economic opportunity. Nobody really can blame them for that. But that economic opportunity creates additional consumption. The impact is really enormous."

The FWS and Customs and Border Protection both declined to comment.
Title 42, a decades-old public health statute used during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep asylum seekers out of the U.S., lifted at 8:59 p.m. PST on Thursday, ushering in a new era for U.S. border control.

Orders under Title 42 were first implemented by the Trump administration in March 2020 and met with legal and political challenges, but remained in place through President Biden's first years in office.

Citing the threat of COVID-19, the U.S. government has over the last three years carried out nearly 2.8 million expulsions of migrants at the border without offering them the opportunity to request asylum. Title 42 drove border crossings up to record levels, in part because the nature of rapid expulsions made it easier for people to immediately attempt crossing again.

Title 42 left a lasting imprint, with restrictions never before seen at the border and uncertainty about the weeks to come.

Heres what you need to know.

What is Title 42?

Title 42 is a public health and welfare statute enacted in 1944 that gave the U.S. surgeon general the authority  later transferred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  to determine whether communicable disease in a foreign country poses a serious danger of spreading in the U.S., either by people or property entering the country.

If the CDC finds that a disease poses a threat, it can, with approval from the president, temporarily prohibit people from entering the country to avert danger.

Thats what happened at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, amid surging deaths from the virus, the Trump administration put forward a novel interpretation of Title 42: U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents could immediately remove anyone entering the country without authorization to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. That action closed the border to nonessential travel in the interest of public health.

But it also superseded all other U.S. laws, including statutes that grant migrants the right to seek asylum; prevent the persecuted from being returned to countries where they would face threats, harm or torture; and protect unaccompanied children vulnerable to being trafficked.

How was Title 42 implemented?

Title 42 appears to have been first applied by the CDC under pressure from former Vice President Mike Pence, and from Stephen Miller, a top Trump aide who long sought to restrict immigration. Experts at the CDC objected, saying the policy would do little to stanch the spread of the coronavirus and that it could not be justified in the name of public health.

Advocacy groups including the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Trump administration over the policy. When President Biden took office, the new administration continued the policy, saying it was necessary to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The policy survived challenges to its constitutionality.

The Biden administration later exempted children traveling without a parent from being subject to expulsion under Title 42. Parents traveling with their children and single adults continued to be blocked from entering the country or quickly expelled. But children traveling with extended family members, such as grandparents, are not considered family units and could be separated at the border, with the children labeled as unaccompanied minors and allowed to enter.

Why has Title 42 generated controversy?

Legal experts have characterized Title 42 as one of the most controversial and restrictive immigration policies in U.S. history. Lawmakers including then-California Sen. Kamala Harris called it an unconstitutional executive power grab. Immigrant advocates broadly expected Biden to do away with enforcement of the measure when he took office.

Public health experts said it was people who refused to get vaccinated, not migrants, who drove the increase of COVID-19 infections in the U.S. Former CDC officials wrote a letter to the Biden administration condemning the policy as scientifically baseless and politically motivated. Dr. Anthony Fauci, then the nations top infectious disease expert, condemned it.

But even as some restrictions on non-essential travel at land ports of entry were lifted, the Biden administration continued to justify Title 42 as necessary to protect migrants, the Department of Homeland Security workforce and local communities.

The advocacy group Human Rights First documented more than 13,400 violent attacks on asylum seekers stuck in Mexico during Bidens first two years in office.

How has Title 42 worked?

Under Title 42, migrants were not formally deported, a process that can come with consequences such as a five-year ban from the U.S. and criminal prosecution. Instead, agents took migrants biometric information and within hours returned them to Mexico or flew them back to their home country.

For decades before the implementation of Title 42, migrants who made it to the U.S. and sought asylum or other humanitarian protections were detained or released pending a final immigration court decision. But that could take years amid an ever-growing backlog of cases.

Among nearly 5.6 million people detained by the CBP at the southern border since March 2020, roughly half were expelled under Title 42, according to CBP figures. But those rapid expulsions caused an uptick in repeated crossing attempts by migrants who were returned to Mexico, inflating the number of individuals encountered. In March, around a quarter of the arrests were of people who had previously been turned back within the same year.

Migrants can also be screened under the United Nations Convention Against Torture. Those screenings, in which individuals must prove that they are likely to be tortured if they are expelled, are more difficult to pass than traditional asylum interviews.

Federal officials relied on Mexico to receive expelled migrants from parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Those who were refused by Mexico and could not be immediately expelled entered the U.S. and faced a longer deportation process.

What will happen now that Title 42 has been lifted?

Migrants who seek asylum will be required to use a mobile phone application, CBP One, to make an appointment to be interviewed by border agents. The app had been riddled with technical glitches and offers limited appointments  1,000 per day  that fill up within minutes. CBP has said it has fixed the technical issues and that it will begin to prioritize people who have waited the longest for appointments.

On Wednesday, the Biden administration finalized a rule that would largely make migrants ineligible for asylum if they enter the U.S. without permission and fail to apply for protection in another country on the way.

The DHS said it will rely significantly on the fast-tracked expedited removal process after May 11 to assess migrants claims for relief and deport those who dont qualify within days or weeks. Families will be subject to GPS monitoring and curfews while their cases are decided. Mexico agreed to continue accepting some deported migrants who are not from that country after Title 42 expires.

The administration is pairing enforcement with some humanitarian pathways. One allows citizens of Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua and Cuba to apply for temporary lawful entry under humanitarian parole if they have a financial sponsor, so long as they dont attempt the journey without authorization.

U.S. officials plan to set up 100 processing centers throughout the Western Hemisphere, starting with two in Guatemala and Colombia, to prescreen migrants for refugee eligibility and other legal pathways. Officials noted it would be weeks before the first two processing centers open. Another program still in the works will reunite families from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia, as well as those from Cuba and Haiti, who have pending permanent residency (so-called green card) petitions.

Some of these provisions are likely to be challenged in court. Republican-led states have already sued to block the parole program, and advocates such as the ACLU are expected to sue over the asylum ineligibility rule.

What has it been like at the southern border leading up to May 11?

Arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border in the waning days of Title 42 orders have strained Customs and Border Protection sectors, especially in Texas. Last week in McAllen, Texas, Border Patrol agents told reporters that 6,000 migrants  most of whom came from Venezuela  were in custody at various facilities and noted that the numbers were well above the Rio Grande Valley sector's capacity of 4,600. Agents expelled groups of migrants to Mexico three times a day.

Border Patrol agents had apprehended more than 10,000 migrants Tuesday across the southern border, according to internal data obtained by The Times, already reaching levels predicted by U.S. officials for immediately after the policy lifts.

DHS has expanded detention capacity at the border and inside the U.S., and has shifted agents to high-traffic areas on the border. The agency launched targeted enforcement operations this week in places including El Paso to quickly deport migrants who entered the U.S. without permission and have no legal basis to stay.

Times staff writers Karen Garcia and Hamed Aleaziz contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A set of 2-year-old twin boys are in critical condition after they were found locked in a Hell on Earth room, a West Virginia sheriff said.

The Jackson County Sheriffs Department was notified about a possible child neglect case after one of the twins was found unresponsive on May 8, Sheriff Ross Mellinger said in a video posted on Facebook on May 9.

The child was brought to a hospital in complete renal failure, Mellinger said, and doctors are still unsure whether the child will survive.

The medical staff told the sheriff the toddler was in a state of extreme malnutrition and dehydration. The sheriffs department was only alerted when the situation became dire, the sheriff said.

When deputies arrived at the home, they found a very soiled condition type of bedroom, Mellinger said, and investigators learned the twins parents would padlock them inside.

The sheriff said the twins would be locked in the room wearing nothing but diapers for as long as six weeks at a time. When they were inside, the parents would only feed them ground beef and Cheerios under the door, Mellinger said.

The parents also self-medicated the children for extended periods of time, Mellinger said, in order to get them to sleep so they wont have to provide parental care.

The childrens mother was living in the basement of the apartment with her boyfriend, while her husband and the childrens father lived upstairs, Mellinger said.

I think its fair to say, given the circumstances at hand, I think the average barnyard animal would probably provide better parental care and nurturing than what these kids were afforded through the three adults living in this home, Mellinger said.

The sheriff said the twins and a third female child were removed from the home.

All three adults have been arraigned on related charges.

Jackson County is about 130 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio.
Norma Garcia Bonilla, 22, of Michoacan, Mexico. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

The shelter for migrant women and children was running out of space Wednesday when a teary-eyed woman and her 7-year-old son rang the doorbell and sheepishly peeked inside.

The pair had just arrived by bus from the Mexican state of Guerrero, each carrying small, stuffed backpacks, after a gang burned down their house and threatened to kill the woman. Advised by a friend that Mexicali was a good place to cross the border, the 31-year-old woman, who asked to be identified by her initials J.Z. out of fear for her safety, said she had planned to turn herself in to border authorities.

She knew nothing about Title 42, the pandemic-era U.S. border policy set to lift Thursday night. And she had never heard of CBP One, the phone application migrants are required by U.S. authorities to use to make appointments to request asylum.

Micxi Duque, 23, far right, of Guerrero, Mexico, and daughter Natalia Cisneros Duque, 2, seeks asylum waiting at Albergue Del Desierto on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 in Mexicali, Baja California. Title 42, a pandemic-era policy that allowed border agents to quickly turn back migrants, expires this week. Under a new rule, the U.S. on Thursday will begin denying asylum to migrants who show up at the U.S.-Mexico border without first applying online or seeking protection in a country they passed through. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

"It breaks my heart to say I don't have more space," said Monika Oropeza, who has run Albergue del Desierto  one of Mexicali's only free migrant shelters  since 1989. "They come like this daily. And we think more will come with the end of Title 42 because there is all types of bad information, that they can enter [the U.S.] now."

Across the southern border with Mexico on Wednesday, communities, migrants and border agents braced for the long-anticipated end of Title 42 orders. Most U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities were already overcapacity. Hundreds of other migrants lined up near ports of entry in Arizona and Texas to see if they would finally be let in.

Border Patrol agents had apprehended more than 10,000 migrants Tuesday, according to internal data obtained by The Times. Customs and Border Protection had more than 28,000 migrants in its custody Tuesday morning, and they were staying on average 65 hours, the data show. By the end of the day, that number had decreased to about 26,000, Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz told ABC News.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security "is struggling to manage the numbers of arriving noncitizens, a department official told The Times on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter freely. Planning for the imminent end of Title 42 while at the same time working to manage a huge surge of migrants places an enormous strain on the workforce and results in a lot of stress and confusion.

John Sandweg, a former senior DHS official in the Obama administration, theorized that the increase in apprehensions was due to migrants fearing implementation of the upcoming Biden administration policy limiting asylum for those who cross without authorization.

Sandweg said that with such high numbers, it would be impossible for CBP not to start releasing thousands of migrants from custody with court dates. The backlog plaguing the immigration court system would require years for cases to be heard, he said.

South of the San Ysidro Port of Entry near San Diego, a group of men from Haiti huddled by the colorful Tijuana, Mexico, sign. They had been in Reynosa, a Mexican border city near McAllen, Texas, for a couple of months before they managed to get appointments. They flew to Tijuana a few days ago and had brought few belongings with them.

A mile away, more than 200 people from countries including Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Turkey waited in an area between two layers of border wall that has become an open-air holding cell for Border Patrol. Families said they'd been waiting as many as four days to be processed.

Border Patrol has been holding migrants for extended periods of time between the border walls in the region since at least October. Agents have begun putting wristbands on migrants that indicate which day they were apprehended.

U.S. border patrol agents speak to migrants hoping to cross into the United States from Tijuana, Mexico, wait in an area south of the second border wall in anticipation of a change in immigration policy, Title 42, which may allow them to apply for asylum. The change is scheduled to go into effect at midnight on May 11, 2023. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) said he was disturbed that Border Patrol would hold migrants in such conditions. Garcia sent a letter to Ortiz last week seeking answers about the practice.

"Yes, it is a really large challenge, and yes, we all want a secure border, but it's also true that these people, most of them, are fleeing horrific conditions and are seeking help," Garcia told The Times.

San Diego officials have asked the federal government for more resources to aid migrants released in the area. Local hospitals also braced for a possible increase in demand for medical services.

Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista Chief Executive Chris Van Gorder said he is concerned that an increase in hospital transports from the border could overwhelm already-packed emergency departments. Migrants falling from the top of the extended border wall have died or sustained gruesome injuries requiring surgeries and long recovery in some San Diego-area hospitals.

In Ciudad Juarez, the busiest illicit crossing in recent months, migrants stranded there for months  many already expelled multiple times back to Mexico under Title 42  were abandoning shelters, cheap hotels and other sites of stop-gap refuge to fan out along the barren border strip between the Rio Grande and the metal border fence separating the area from El Paso.

Migrants cross the Rio Grande river into the United States from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Tuesday, May 9, 2023. The U.S. is preparing for the Thursday, May 11th end of the Title 42 policy, linked to the coronavirus pandemic that allowed it to quickly expel many migrants seeking asylum. (Christian Chavez / Associated Press)

Men, women and some children trudged along the river en route to gates in the border fence where U.S. border agents were assembled. Groups of migrants, some numbering 200 or more, gathered nearby in anticipation of Thursday night's change in border policy that many viewed as a possible opportunity to allow them to finally enter the U.S.

In Venezuela we have a saying  maybe the third time will be the lucky charm, said Jonathan Vera, 30.

Like many others, he said he had been stuck in Juarez for months, and on two occasions had crossed and been sent back under Title 42. Last week, he and his wife, Darly, crossed into the U.S. Immigration authorities sent him back but allowed her to remain to pursue an asylum case, he said.

He said he has since lost touch with his wife after he was robbed of his cellphone and other possessions.

I hope she is all right, he said of his wife, the mother of the couples three girls, ages 7, 8 and 11, who remain in Venezuela. We had this dream to come here together, start a better life for our family. Maybe now it will happen. Who knows?

Meanwhile, in Yuma, Ariz., Mayor Douglas Nicholls said the attention on El Paso has drowned out the strain felt by smaller border towns. Migrants are processed in Yuma before they head to other places, including California. The city went from seeing 50 migrants a day early in the pandemic to 600 two weeks ago and 1,000 last weekend, Nicholls said.

"The numbers we're looking at are far greater than anything we've ever had to deal with," he said, noting that he believes the Biden administration's planning was inadequate. "Title 42 was always meant to go away. And they've known that."

Andrea Flores, who served in the Biden administration as director for border management at the National Security Council, told The Times that "anyone looking at the situation at the border should be concerned."

"The policy announcements we have seen this week, like a new home curfew pilot and the promise of regional processing centers that dont exist yet, do nothing to reduce the massive operational challenge facing border communities in the coming days," she said. "Every lapse in preparation exacerbates the human costs on both sides of the border.

Back in sleepy Mexicali, the scene was a world away from the hundreds of migrants waiting to be processed in El Paso. Migrants were housed in shelters instead of tent encampments along the Rio Grande. There were no visible large groups gathered near the Calexico port of entry.

Jennifer Angel Constancio, 15, left, of Michoacan, Mexico, and Duria Romero, 32, of Honduras, play a game of keep a way at Albergue Del Desierto on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 in Mexicali, Baja California. Title 42, a pandemic-era policy that allowed border agents to quickly turn back migrants, expires this week. Under a new rule, the U.S. on Thursday will begin denying asylum to migrants who show up at the U.S.-Mexico border without first applying online or seeking protection in a country they passed through. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Women at Oropeza's Albergue del Desierto shelter celebrated a bittersweet Mothers Day, which falls on May 10 in Mexico. Most had been there for three or four months, unable to secure appointments through the CBP One app, and were desperate for security. They rarely left the shelter out of fear that the violent former partners or gangs they fled would find them.

The women said they had chosen Mexicali because they knew it was a less popular U.S. entry point and theyd have a greater chance of remaining undetected.

Maria Garcia, 49, left Honduras after gangs took over her home and threatened to kill her for working for the government. Her son, a police officer who refused to be a gang informant, fled to Spain.

Garcia said she applied for asylum in Mexico but while the application was pending, the gang found her. Now she hopes to reunite with siblings who live in Long Beach.

There are so many people like me who are looking for hope and help, she said. I just hope the new laws are for the better.

Times staff writers Hamed Aleaziz reported from Healdsburg, Calif., and Patrick J. McDonnell reported from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. San Diego Union-Tribune staff writers Kate Morrissey reported from Tijuana and Paul Sisson reported from San Diego. Special correspondent Gabriela Minjares contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Milley and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attend a news conference, at Ramstein U.S. Air Base

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democrats released a letter from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday saying a Republican's decision to hold military nominations harms national security, intensifying a dispute over the military's abortion policy.

Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville has been blocking more than 150 military nominations from moving forward for months because he believes the Pentagon is improperly using funding to cover travel costs for abortions of service members.

After the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that recognized a constitutional right to abortion, the Pentagon said it would cover travel costs for service members seeking abortions and up to 21 days off.

The military argues that women service members cannot choose where they are stationed.

"I appreciate and share your deep concern over this hold, which is unprecedented in its size and scope," Austin wrote in a letter to Senator Elizabeth Warren, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on personnel. "Delays in confirming our general and flag officers pose a clear risk to U.S. military readiness, especially at this critical time."

"This indefinite hold harms America's national security and hinders the Pentagon's normal operations," Austin wrote.

Senior military nominations are approved by the committee and eventually the Senate. Although the review is usually routine, a single senator can pause the process by putting a hold on nominations that force them to be considered one at a time, taking many hours each.

A spokesperson for Tuberville said the senator's position has not changed, citing his past comments in the Senate denying that his hold had any effect on readiness.

"Democrats keep repeating the same talking points  and the same opinion. But not one of them has cited any facts. Not one. I've even asked the Pentagon to explain to me how this affects readiness. All I've heard is opinions," Tuberville said.

Tuberville has argued that the Pentagon changed its policy without congressional approval. He said he would continue to hold the nominees until the Pentagon changes its policy or Congress changes the law.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Richard Chang)
Pump facilities to transfer contaminated water after purification with the advanced liquid processing system (ALPS) at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) are seen in this Feb. 2 photo. Yonhap



Korea and Japan plan to hold working-level consultations this week to discuss details of Seoul's inspection of Tokyo's plan to discharge contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, the foreign ministry said Thursday.



The director-general-level meeting will be held in Seoul on Friday, with the Korean side headed by Yun Hyun-soo, head of the ministry's bureau for climate change, energy, environment and scientific affairs, and the Japanese side led by Atsushi Kaifu, director-general of the Japanese foreign ministry's disarmament, non-proliferation and science department.






An irrigation district that serves customers in Benton and Yakima counties has been fined $168,000 for endangering its workers.

The Washington state Department of Labor and Industries says this is the second time in a year that the Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District has not protected its workers from the dangers of trenching.

In December an L&I inspector found and photographed district workers inside a trench deeper than 4 feet with no safe way to get out and no protective box or shield to prevent a cave-in, according to L&I.

There also was a pile of excavated soil near the edge of the trench, adding weight and increasing the danger of collapse, according to L&I.

Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District got the workers out of the trench, but refused to give inspectors full access to the site, according to L&I.

The state inspectors returned with a warrant the next day and began interviewing workers who had been in the trench the day before.

The irrigation district is appealing the fine.

L&I said the district had been cited for unsafe trenching practices just three months before the December inspection and had been required to provide training for their workers on trenching safety. It was fined $7,200 then.

SVID told us they trained there workers and even hired a company to help them reduce injury claims, but here we are, just a couple of months later, citing them for the same problems, said Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&Is Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Willful violations

After the December inspection, the district was cited for four willful serious violations. It also was cited for four willful serious violations in the earlier incident in 2022.

A willful violation is cited when a business owner or contractor intentionally ignores a hazard or rule. A violation is considered when a worker is exposed to a hazard that can cause injury or death.

Any time state inspectors observe a trench, regardless of why they are on a work site, as L&I responds to a national spike in worker deaths from trench and excavation cave-ins, L&I said.

Unsafe trenches have killed dozens of workers across the United States in the last few years, including five here in Washington state, Blackwood said.

In February, a Kent contractor was fined more than $400,000 when the dirt walls of a trench at a new housing development collapsed, burying and killing a construction worker.

Deaths from cave-ins are largely preventable by following simple safety rules, according to L&I.

Any trench 4 feet or deeper must have protection like braced, sloped or benched walls. Workers must have an easy way to get in and out of the trench safely, like a ramp or ladder.

The trench is required to be inspected each day by someone competent in evaluating trench safety.

As a result of L&Is focus on trench safety enforcement, the Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District is now considered a severe violator and will have greater scrutiny, according to L&I.

Penalty money paid in connection with a citation is placed in the workers compensation supplemental pension fund, helping workers who have been seriously injured and the families of those who have died on the job.
In nearly a century, Florida has not suffered a hurricane disaster like last years Hurricane Ian. The 149 people who died, mostly from drowning, are the most hurricane deaths in Florida since the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, well before the many scientific advancements we now take for granted; before predictive meteorological technologies; before cell phones and connected communication networks; before a robust highway system; before stronger building codes; and before a century of experience in, well, hurricanes.

Yet 149 people died. Many in their homes, swallowed by the sea. Others were unable to outrun the rising waters. Still others because they were injured, but medical care was unable to reach them in time.

Within hours of the hurricane ravaging our state, and before any real analysis or review, Gov. DeSantis fully defended government evacuation decisions by simply repeating the mantra that local and state emergency managers followed the data.

Many, like me, wondered if this was really the best we could do? Was the loss of 149 lives truly inevitable?

When pressed, DeSantis promised an after-action review of Hurricane Ians response. That made sense, not because we need to place blame, but because we need to know how to do better. Any review should not diminish in any way the first responders and emergency-management personnel who worked so hard, often heroically in the midst of the storm, nor the immediate post-storm efforts, as it seems clear the local, state and federal authorities got it right by delivering aid and assistance quickly.

Yet, here we are, eight months later, and the state of Florida has yet to issue the after-action report promised by the governor or suggested reforms that might help us better identify shortfalls and implement corrections to help navigate a similar peril in the upcoming hurricane season. And to make matters even worse, the Florida Department of Emergency Management just canceled its annual emergency management training exercise that typically is held in the run-up to storm season.

As the mayor of a barrier island sitting at sea level on the Florida coast, I think we need some obvious questions authoritatively answered, especially with our next hurricane season just weeks away.

 Why was there such disparity in county decisions to evacuate? Lee County, for instance, where nearly half of the deaths occurred during Ian, waited a day after neighboring Charlotte County issued its evacuation order. What role did or should the state play in decision making?

 Do we need to revisit our protocols for evacuation? Are we making the decision to evacuate too close to a storms arrival, especially in areas that include barrier islands that sit at sea level?

 Did we do enough to properly message and communicate to those in harms way? So many in Florida are new arrivals who have never experienced the power of a Category 3 or higher storm and, likely, need to receive better guidance.

 Too many of the dead were the vulnerable elderly, who might have had challenges that come with age or infirmity. Have we implemented sufficient plans to evacuate those with special needs and those in hospitals?

 While decisions to evacuate typically rest with counties, the governor and his emergency-management team are still the de facto leaders of disasters. Did they adequately make clear the necessity of evacuation?





 Are we prepared for a similar incident on the Southeast coast where the challenges and potential peril are even greater due to a substantially larger population than the areas impacted by Hurricane Ian?

How has this not been the focus of our state government in the aftermath of such an extraordinary loss of life? In the immediate wake of Hurricane Andrew, Gov. Lawton Chiles and the Florida Legislature commenced major revisions to the states building codes to protect our lives and created catastrophic funds to protect our property. Within weeks after 9-11, Gov. Jeb Bush and the Legislature led a top-to-bottom overhaul of Floridas anti-terrorism efforts. By the way, both efforts were entirely bipartisan.

Since Hurricane Ian, the governor and the Florida Legislature have spent way more time protecting Floridians from drag queens, pronouns and Mickey Mouse than addressing what went wrong in Floridas deadliest hurricane in nearly a century. This is unfortunate considering that weather events are only getting more extreme.

Despite the absence of state action, my city will do what we must to prepare. With the leadership of Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, we will participate in exercises next month to ready ourselves for the evolving nature of this challenge. We will seek to learn lessons from Hurricane Ian, because our residents should expect nothing less.

The sad truth is that 149 souls should not be lost to a slow-moving hurricane. Acting as though the deaths caused by Hurricane Ian were inevitable does a disservice to those who perished. Declining to conduct a comprehensive review, unfortunately, hamstrings efforts to better prepare for the next one.

Dan Gelber is the mayor of Miami Beach.
The circuit court clerk in Pulaski County faces the possibility of being removed from his position after witnesses said he yelled and cursed at employees, made sexual comments and jokes in the office and touched female employees in inappropriate ways.

During a hearing about his conduct Wednesday, one former female employee said the clerk, Joseph JS Flynn, pulled her into the backseat of a Chevrolet Tahoe, pushed up her shirt and kissed her chest, and exposed himself and tried to force her to touch him. The former employee, who was a deputy clerk, made additional accusations about inappropriate touching.

The Herald-Leader does not identify victims of alleged sexual assault.

In her testimony about Flynn touching female employees, the former deputy clerk said Flynn told employees to call him Daddy.

Flynn would say You know you like Daddy. You know you want Daddy, the deputy clerk said.

Flynns attorneys tried to discredit the testimony against him, suggesting witnesses were motivated by animus or political considerations.

Its a cabal and a pack of lies, Jason Nemes, who represents Flynn, said before the hearing began.

Nemes, a Republican state legislator from Louisville, represents Flynn with Joseph E. Lambert, former chief justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Aaron Silletto and Marc Manley with the Kentucky Attorney Generals Office are presenting the case against Flynn, which could result in him being removed from office. Flynn isnt facing criminal charges in the hearing.

Former Madison Circuit Judge Jean Chenault Logue is the hearing officer on the case.

Flynn was appointed circuit clerk in 2016 to fill out the unexpired term of his grandfather, George Flynn, who had served as clerk nearly 30 years before resigning. Joseph Flynn won a full six-year term in 2018, but he was suspended with pay in late March 2022 after complaints arose about his conduct.

Pulaski Circuit Clerk J.S. Flynn

Circuit clerks in Kentucky run an office which is responsible for staffing courtrooms, receiving lawsuits, keeping records and scheduling juries. Clerks are elected but are under the purview of the state Supreme Court.

The salary for clerks varies based on the population of the county. The salary in Pulaski County in Fiscal Year 2023 is $113,003.

At the hearing Wednesday, the former deputy clerk and others said Flynn engaged in angry outbursts that created a tense situation in the office.

The environment was stressful, like youre walking on eggshells, said Lana Raynes, a deputy clerk.

Very uncomfortable

Witnesses testified about acts by Flynn such as touching female employees on the neck, playing with their hair, rubbing their shoulders or pinching them on the back.

You could tell it was very uncomfortable for her, Raynes said of an incident in which she said Flynn caressed a womans back at the office.

Ashley Haste, an administrative support specialist in the district judges office at the Pulaski County Judicial Center, said she saw Flynn grab a womans rear and say Come here, let Daddy feel your bacon.

The former deputy clerk who alleged that Flynn exposed himself to her also testified that Flynn pursued her when she worked in his office, hanging around her desk and touching her on the back or shoulders.

She asked him to stop but he didnt, she said.

In one case, Flynn ran his hand up under her dress and touched her on the buttocks, she said.

The incident happened in a judges office in the judicial center in front of witnesses, she said.

I was in shock that he done it in front of other people, she said.

Haste and Junior Fortenberry, a court security officer, testified they saw Flynn put his hand up the deputy clerks dress.

Haste said she told Flynn there were cameras in the office, and he said, Good, maybe I finally gavem something worth watching.

Haste said there were no cameras, but she told Flynn that to try to ward off other problems.

Flynns attorneys said in cross-examining witnesses that Haste and Fortenberry had both had run-ins with Flynn, suggesting a motive to try to get even with him, though both said that wasnt the case.

Nemes said the incident simply didnt happen.

Former employee accuses clerk of sexual assault

The former deputy clerk gave more detail about what happened when Flynn allegedly sexually assaulted her.

She said she had been to lunch with Flynn and another deputy clerk, Hannah Garner, and the three were headed back to work. Garner was driving and the former deputy clerk was in the front passenger seat of a Chevy SUV, with Flynn in the back seat.

She said Flynn grabbed her from behind and pulled her into the back seat, pushing up her shirt to kiss her chest and exposing himself.

The top part of her body was in the back seat and her legs were on the console between the front seats, she said.

She said she told Flynn to stop and tried to push him off, but he tried to force her to touch him and didnt quit until Garner shouted at him to stop.

Garner said she couldnt see what happened because she was looking at the road, but confirmed she heard the former deputy clerk tell Flynn two times to stop and then yelled at him herself to stop.

The former deputy clerk acknowledged she had sex one time with Flynn, saying she got tired of having to say no.

She said she went to his house before Christmas in 2021 to wrap presents, and Flynn tried to take off her shirt.

She said she resisted at first, but then gave in and had sex with him even though she didnt want to.

After that, she said, she told Flynn he had to stop pursuing her.

Flynn then made derogatory remarks about her at work and falsely told people she had a sexually transmitted disease, she said.

The alleged victim, a divorced mother of two young children, said she didnt report the attack in the SUV or other alleged wrongdoing by Flynn soon after the incidents out of concern over losing her job.

Additional complaints of yelling, cursing

In cross-examining the alleged victim, Nemes said she pursued a relationship with her boss, telling co-workers she would be Mrs. Flynn after his divorce and that she would run the office.

Nemes said the former deputy clerk was part of a group that concocted this scheme against Flynn, and that she fabricated the story about him pulling her into the back seat of the vehicle to bolster the case against him.

She denied pursuing Flynn, and said of the incident in the SUV that Flynn pulled me with all his might into the back seat.

She told other people in the judicial center about the alleged incident at the time.

In additional testimony Thursday, a supervisor in the circuit clerks office said the former deputy clerk is manipulative and has a tendency to be untruthful.

More witnesses also testified that Flynn yelled at employees and made sexual comments in the office.

The former deputy clerk, Haste and Fortenberry filed complaints against Flynn after an incident that happened March 22, 2022, which ultimately led to this weeks hearing.

Haste said she went to Flynns office to get some court files but one was in a room where he was meeting with some employees behind a closed door.

Haste and other witnesses said Flynn got mad about her trying to get the file, yelling and cursing.

He told her this was not her f-----g office, the former deputy clerk said.

Haste said Flynn had his fist clenched as he stood close and yelled at her, and she feared he might hit her.

Haste told District Judge Jeffery Scott Lawless what had happened and he went downstairs and confronted Flynn.

The judge was saying he (Flynn) was a disgrace to the office and should resign, Raynes said.

Court officials placed Flynn on administrative leave soon after.
Addressing concerns cast upon the investigation of the fatal shooting of Amareeya Henderson by a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer, Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree on Wednesday vowed his office would act accordingly once a review of the case file is complete.

An investigative file from the Kansas City Police Department, the outside agency tasked with reviewing the deadly use of force, has been submitted to his office. As Hendersons family and some community members have called for greater transparency, including a public release of police body camera footage, Dupree said his office will follow Kansas law.

The law does not allow us to release information to ongoing investigations, especially those that we have not reached a determination, Dupree said, adding of the charging decision: If there was injustice done, and there was a crime, my office will do accordingly. But if there was not, my office will do accordingly.

And at the end of this we have an ethical obligation to the citizens of this county, Dupree added. Despite emotions, despite my color, despite how I feel, despite who the victim may or may not be. We must do what is right by all citizens.

Dupree, the only Black district attorney in the state, spoke during a meeting of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas Unified Governments Law Enforcement Advisory Board, a group appointed to evaluate racial biases in policing and make policy recommendations. The meeting agenda Wednesday included an open discussion of the case.

On April 26, Henderson, 25, of Independence, was behind the wheel of his car when he was shot and killed during a traffic stop in the 1100 block of Metropolitan Avenue, near the 12th Street Bridge that crosses the Kansas River.

Police have said Henderson was killed when a confrontation arose, and have declined to share many of the surrounding details. His family and lawyers say Henderson was unarmed and did not present a threat to police.

Meanwhile, his family has questioned why Henderson was stopped and how the encounter escalated. Henderson, who is Black, was driving for DoorDash that night, his mother and girlfriend previously told The Star, and harbored a general fear of police that stemmed in part from an encounter years before when he was unjustly arrested and beaten.

On the night he died, Henderson called his mother over FaceTime and asked her to come to where he had been pulled over. She was on the phone, driving there, when she overheard gunfire.

Sitting in the passenger seat was Hendersons girlfriend, Shakira Hill. After Henderson refused to get out of the car, Hill recalled, the officer crawled inside and started grabbing, pulling, punching him as the car started to move. Moments later, Henderson was shot twice.

Amareeya Henderson is pictured with his girlfriend Shakira Hill. Henderson was delivering for DoorDash when he was pulled over by a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer and then shot and killed during the encounter.

During a public comment portion of the government meeting Wednesday, Pauletta Johnson, Hendersons mother, said her son was not a criminal or a street kid. She said she felt misled by police about the availability of the footage, calling for the video to be released.

You took my only son away from me, Johnson added. That I cannot get back. You took the light out of our world.

The family has since hired attorneys Nuru Witherspoon and Kay Harper Williams to represent them. The lawyers say they intend to file a civil suit on behalf of the family.

Based on their independent investigation, Harper Williams said Henderson appeared to have been shot  including once in the face  from the side of the vehicle when the police officer was not at risk of being hurt.

The attorneys asked why the family has yet to be presented with bodycam video of the shooting and when that will happen.

Kansas City, Kansas, Police Chief Karl Oakman, joining the meeting by Zoom on Wednesday, said a private viewing of the video would be arranged with family in accordance with state law, which contains strict provisions concerning public disclosure.

Oakman said the video should be made available within 20 days of the formal request from the family so long as there is an opportunity for KCKPD to make redactions.
The pope has said sexually abusive priests are children of God who must be loved as well as enemies who should also be punished (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The pope has said sexually abusive priests are children of God who must be loved as well as enemies who should also be punished.

Speaking at a meeting with Jesuits, Francis pondered the possibility of offering Christian love to Paedophile priests who had destroyed childrens lives and the Catholic churchs reputation.

"It's not at all easy," the Pope said. "How can we get close, how can we speak to abusers for whom we feel disgust? Yes, they too are children of God, but how can we love them? It's a very tough question."

He continued, "The abuser must be condemned, indeed, but as a brother. Condemning him is to be understood as an act of charity, adding that it was like "loving the enemy".

During the private meeting with 32 Jesuits on 29 April in Budapest, Hungary, as reported on Tuesday by the Italian Jesuit publication La Civilta Cattolica, Francis was responding to a question from an unnamed Jesuit priest, who asked, I would like to offer the compassion and love that the Gospel asks for everyone, even the enemy. But how is this possible?

Francis said, Even talking to the abuser involves revulsion; it's not easy. But they are God's children too."

He added: They need a punishment but also pastoral care. How do you do that? No, its not easy.

Despite tightening the rules, Francis has been faced with fresh scandals relating to sexual abuse in the priesthood throughout his 10-year papacy.

He introduced a commission on abuse prevention, one of his flagship initiatives - but it has been rocked by resignations over church officials lack of acknowledgment of the scale of the crisis.

As recently as Friday, the Pope sought to encourage his embattled child protection advisory board, following weeks of turmoil sparked by the latest resignation of a founding member and fresh questions about its direction.

Francis urged his Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors to pursue a spirituality of reparation with abuse survivors and build a culture of safeguarding to prevent priests from raping and molesting children.

Boston Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Francis announced the creation of the commission in 2013 to provide best-practices advice on combatting abuse in the church. The commission has gone through several iterations in the decade since, most significantly with resignations of members frustrated by the resistance of the Vatican bureaucracy to its recommendations and exasperated about the commissions unclear mandate and model.

The latest departure was the Rev. Hans Zollner, a German Jesuit who runs a child protection institute at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. In a blistering statement March 29 announcing his resignation, Zollner identified a series of internal problems in the commission that he said made it impossible for him to remain.

He cited a lack of financial accountability, lack of transparency about decision-making and lack of clarity about what members are supposed to do and how they're appointed. Zollners criticisms underscored broader questions about the purpose and direction of the commission, which has never found its place in a Vatican bureaucracy inherently resistant to change and defensive in particular about the abuse dossier.
Title 42, the Trump-era Covid policy preventing individuals seeking asylum from entering the United States due to health risks, is set to expire tonight, 11 May.

US federal agents and asylum officers are preparing for a massive increase in the number of people seeking asylum at the southern border- in part by bussing some migrants to cities and towns across the US.

As many as 15 buses carrying migrants released by Border Patrol are expected to leave Yuma, Arizona today. Another bus carrying migrants from New York City arrived in Newburgh, New York.

Over the last three years, authorities have seemingly used Title 42 as a temporary solution to the border crisis with over 2.8m people have been turned away from the USs southern border.

But in anticipation of the policys end, many are worried border towns will become overwhelmed.

Already, some border towns like El Paso and Brownsville have declared an emergency.

The policy is coming to an end as the Biden administration ends the Covid-19 public health emergency.

Key Points

What is Title 42?

Eric Adams weakens shelter mandate as NYC anticipates more migrant arrivals

Homeland Security Secretary warns against illegal crossings

Locals in border towns call the situation a real crisis'

Who is allowed in the United States after Title 42 expires?

Photos show migrants crossing Rio Grande

06:00 , Ariana Baio

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

(AFP via Getty Images)

US secretary of homeland security joins White House briefing as Title 42 border rules lifted

05:00 , Ariana Baio

Secretary of homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas, joined Karine Jean-Pierres daily White House press briefing on the day that Title 42 border restrictions are lifted.

Benjamin Salmon reports:

Homeland Security Secretary warns against illegal crossings

04:00 , Ariana Baio

As Title 42s expiration date looms, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned migrants about crossing the US southern border illegally by making it clear that the USs borders, are not open.

Mr Mayorkas made it very clear that the lifting of Title 42 would not make it easier for those seeking asylum to enter the US - something he claims smugglers have lied about.

If anyone arrives at our southern border after midnight tonight, they will be presumed ineligible for asylum and subject to steeper consequences for unlawful entry, including a minimum five-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution, Mr Mayorkas said during the White House press briefing on Thursday.

Homeland Security Secretary says immigration laws are outdated

03:00 , Ariana Baio

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas blamed Congress for the lack of organisation at the southern border in a press conference on Tuesday.

Our current situation is the outcome of Congress leaving a broken, outdated immigration system in place for over two decades, despite unanimous agreement that we desperately need legislative reform, Mr Mayorkas said.

It is also the result of Congresss decision not to provide us with the resources we need and that we requested. Our efforts within the constraints of our broken immigration system are focused on ensuring that the process is safe, orderly and humane, all while protecting our dedicated workforce and our communities, he added.

Many Congressional Republicans have pointed the finger at President Joe Biden for the chaos.

What is Title 42 and why is it expiring tonight?

02:00 , Ariana Baio

Border cities in Texas are bracing for an influx of migrants and asylum seekers as the Trump-era Covid policy Title 42 comes to an end this week.

The rule, which was rolled out in March 2020 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), allowed officials to prevent people from entering the country and spreading Covid-19. More than 2.8 million people were turned away from the countrys southern border over the past three years.

Ariana Baio reports:

What is Title 42 and why is it ending tonight?

What comes next after Title 42?

01:32 , Graeme Massie

The end of a Trump-era public health order brings new barriers for people seeking asylum in the US.

What comes next after Title 42?

Migrants arrive in outside of vice presidents home in DC

01:00 , Ariana Baio

A busload of approximately 30 migrants from Texas arrived in Washington DC Thursday morning, as the US prepares to receive an influx of asylum seekers.

Gary Grumbach, an NBC News reporter filmed a video of the migrants arriving near the home of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Many on the bus told me they were from Venezuela, Mr Grumbach tweeted

This morning, a group of about 30 migrants - men, women and children - arrived outside the Vice Presidents residence here in Washington DC on a bus sent from Texas.



Many on the bus told me they were from Venezuela. @nbcnews pic.twitter.com/YaZiX4LxVM  Gary Grumbach (@GaryGrumbach) May 11, 2023

Understanding Title 42

Friday 12 May 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio

Under the Trump-era pandemic policy, migrants who showed up at the border seeking asylum could be turned away.

More than 2.8m people were turned away at the border- the only exemptions were families and children traveling alone.

However, if someone crossed illegally they were not detained or arrested which prompted many to attempt to cross the border illegally.

As of 11.59pm EST on 11 May, Title 42 will end and new Biden-era policies will begin under Title 8.

Buses carrying migrants arrive in towns and cities across US

Thursday 11 May 2023 23:30 , Ariana Baio

As the US prepares for a massive influx of migrants, some are being bussed to airports to head for other parts of the country.

At least fifteen buses carrying migrants released by Border Patrol are thought to be leaving Yuma, Arizona today - according to a migrant services group per The New York Times.

They are apparently headed for the Phoenix airport where they will continue their travels.

Another two buses of migrants from New York City were brought to the suburb of Newburgh, New York.

Several cities like Washington DC are preparing for an increase in the number of migrants.

Border holding facilities over capacity

Thursday 11 May 2023 23:00 , Ariana Baio

The US Border Patrol is allegedly already over capacity by approximately 10,000 people in its holding facilities, according to internal agency data obtained by The New York Times.

US border towns like El Paso, Brownsville and Laredo are already overwhelmed by the number of migrants seeking asylum as they prepare for the end of Title 42. But tens of thousands of more people are expected to come to the border.

Despite President Biden deploying an additional 1,400 Homeland Security Department employees, the situation appears chaotic and disorganised.

The internal agency data indicated that over 11,000 migrants had crossed through the southern border illegally in the last two days.

(AFP via Getty Images)

WATCH: Thousands of migrants gather at border

Thursday 11 May 2023 22:30 , Ariana Baio

NEW: Thousands of Haitians have gathered in the Mexican border city of Reynosa, across from McAllen, TX, ahead of Title 42s expiration at midnight. Here, they are being informed about the changes that will take place after Title 42 is no longer in effect. pic.twitter.com/0gZwOBZU9X  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 11, 2023

VOICES: Trumps restrictive immigration policy is ending  but his politics remain under Biden

Thursday 11 May 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

VOICES: For Republicans, ending Title 42 has been a political boon. GOP senators largely dashed any hopes of another Covid-19 relief package last year on the basis of Mr Bidens decision to end the policy.

Eric Garcia writes:

Trumps restrictive immigration policy is ending  his politics remain under Biden

Who is allowed in the United States after Title 42 expires?

Thursday 11 May 2023 21:30 , Ariana Baio

Once Title 42 ends at 11.59pm EST tonight, the US will revert back to Title 8, the former immigration legislation. But the Biden administration has enacted several new policies to ensure more people seeking asylum will have access to the US.

The US will now accept up to 30,000 people from Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua and Cuba per month- so long as they arrive by air, have a sponsor and apply online.

An additional 100,000 people from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras will also be permitted into the US if they have family here and apply online.

An estimated 1,000 migrants, not from the named counties, will be admitted per day as well- so long as they apply through the new immigration mobile application.

US warns migrants against illegal crossings as Title 42 set to expire: Our border is not open

Thursday 11 May 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday warned migrants that the end of pandemic-era border restrictions will not enable them to enter the United States by crossing the US-Mexico border.

Mr Mayorkas appeared at the daily White House press briefing to explain the Biden administrations preparations for the end of Title 42  a Trump-era public health restriction which allowed most asylum seekers to be quickly turned back  and stressed that despite the end of the controversial policy, Americas borders are not open.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

US warns migrants against illegal crossings: Our border is not open

Marjorie Taylor Greene says US should re-elect Trump because of Title 42 ending

Thursday 11 May 2023 20:31 , Ariana Baio

Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted that people should re-elect former president Donald Trump for a third time because the Biden Administration is getting rid of Title 42.

Title 42 was a part of the CDCs public health emergency which was enacted in March 2020 to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Joe Biden, the man responsible for defending our country, is compromised and a threat to our national security, Ms Greene tweeted on Wednesday.

In just a few hours, Joe Biden will allow Title 42 to terminate and he will open the flood gates to a border crisis never before seen and never thought possible, Ms Greene wrote.

Title 42 is ending due to the Biden administration officially ending the public health emergency.

For the last three years, Title 42 has been used as a temporary solution to the border crisis, which has existed for yeras.

Republicans, like Ms Greene, have blamed Mr Biden for allowing an influx of migrants in.

America is under attack.



Joe Biden, the man responsible for defending our country, is compromised and a threat to our national security.



In just a few hours, Joe Biden will allow Title 42 to terminate and he will open the flood gates to a border crisis never before seen and pic.twitter.com/1Fgf28NyIc  Marjorie Taylor Greene  (@mtgreenee) May 11, 2023

El Paso mayor says city is preparing for the unknown'

Thursday 11 May 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said the city was preparing for the unknown as the end of Title 42 looms over border cities.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Leeser said it was unclear whether there would be mainly families or single adults crossing the border but numbers would be somewhere between five to eight to maybe 10,000 that are prepared to come.

Our goal is to make sure they are here between 24 to 72 hours, this is only temporary sheltering, Mr Leeser said.

Mr Leeser said he wants to help asylum seekers because once they receive their asylum number theyre free to go wherever they want.

Brownsville Police prepares auxiliary forces as Title 42 set to end

Thursday 11 May 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio

Brownsville, Texas, a town that sits on the US-Mexico border has prepared its auxiliary forces in case they are needed as Title 42 ends tonight, 11 May, at 11.59pm.

Our patrol division is continuing to do what they do, but in order to help out CBP we have officers who are working under a federal grant, Martin Sandoval, Brownsville Police Department spokesperson, told CNN.

We have our auxiliary forces ready, so our patrol services dont get deployed, and our citizens are provided with the same service, Mr Sandoval said.

Border towns like Brownsville are preparing for an influx of migrants and people seeking asylum.

Homeland Security Secretary warns against illegal crossings

Thursday 11 May 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

As Title 42s expiration date looms, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned migrants about crossing the US southern border illegally by making it clear that the USs borders, are not open.

Mr Mayorkas made it very clear that the lifting of Title 42 would not make it easier for those seeking asylum to enter the US - something he claims smugglers have lied about.

If anyone arrives at our southern border after midnight tonight, they will be presumed ineligible for asylum and subject to steeper consequences for unlawful entry, including a minimum five-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution, Mr Mayorkas said during the White House press briefing on Thursday.

Title 42, which will be lifted at 11.59 pm EST tonight, 11 May, will end the Trump-era Covid policy that made it easier for authorities to turn away migrants at the border.

Eric Adams weakens shelter mandate as NYC anticipates more migrant arrivals

Thursday 11 May 2023 18:35 , Ariana Baio

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is weakening a decades-old right-to-shelter mandate to prepare for thousands of newly arrived people in the US after the expiration of a Trump-era policy that blocked hundreds of thousands of migrants from entering the country.

The mayors executive order suspends a rule that guarantees shelter for families with children if requested by 10pm, and it suspends a rule that prohibits families from living in group settings. The city and state anticipate hundreds of daily arrivals with the end of Title 42, which expires at midnight on 11 May.

Alex Woodward reports:

Eric Adams weakens shelter mandate as New York City brace for Title 42s expiration

Mayorkas says there will be tougher consequences for illegal border crossing

Thursday 11 May 2023 18:15 , Ariana Baio

In a speech, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the lifting of Title 42 does not mean our borders are open and indicated there will be tougher consequences for people who cross the border illegally.

An individual who is removed under Title 8 is subject to a least a five-year bar on re-entry, Mr Mayorkas said.

Under Title 42, those who attempted to cross the border would be turned away.

Mr Mayorkas sent a message to those thinking of making the journey to the border, The smugglers care only about profit, not people they do not care about you, or your well-being.

Do not believe their lies. Do not risk your life and your life savings only to be removed from the United States if, and when, you arrive here.

WATCH: Massive line forms day Title 42 ends

Thursday 11 May 2023 17:50 , Ariana Baio

The line to enter the U.S. is only growing after the sun is up here in Yuma. The end of Title 42 is coming at 9pm local time. pic.twitter.com/0VmLiqU6Cv  Adam Klepp (@FOX9AdamKlepp) May 11, 2023

Locals in border towns call the situation a real crisis'

Thursday 11 May 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio

Border towns are already overwhelmed by the number of migrants and asylum seekers hoping to cross over into the US legally and with Title 42 coming to an end tonight, many are worried for whats to come.

Its a real crisis, said Father Rafael Garcia, a priest at Sacred Heart Church in El Paso, Texas told The New York Times.

Over 600 migrants are seeking temporary shelter in El Paso as they await the end of Title 42 to then enter the US legally, according to the El Paso Times.

But without places to stay, people have made makeshift shelters on the street.

If this is now, what is it going to look like after May 11? How is this going to unfold? Father Garcia said.

White House expected to conduct briefing

Thursday 11 May 2023 17:10 , Ariana Baio

The White House is expected to brief reporters and respond to questions about Title 42 ending at 1pm EST today.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will be joined by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

Bidens plan to replace Title 42

Thursday 11 May 2023 16:20 , ariana.baio

Title 42 has been used as a temporary solution to the USs border crisis for the last three years but as it comes to an end tonight, President Joe Biden will have to replace it with new policies.

Mr Biden indicated these new policies in a fact sheet released in January.

Heres what he plans to do:

Expand the parole process for up to 30,000 nationals of Nicaragua, Haiti and Cuba per month who have eligible sponsors and pass background checks. These people may come to the US for a period of two years and receive work authorisation.

Increase the use of expedited removal to the country of origin for individuals who attempt to enter the US without permission or without a legal basis to remain. These individuals are also subject to a five-year ban on re-entry.

Increase refugee admissions from Latin America and Caribbean countries.

Launch a mobile application for migrants to schedule appointments to reduce wait times and crowds at US ports of entry.

Increase humanitarian assistance by $23m in Mexico and Central America.

Open legal pathways to the US via other countries like Canada, Mexico and Spain.

Expand agents and active-duty military personnel to help Border Patrol.

Photos from US-Mexico border increase in asylum seekers

Thursday 11 May 2023 16:04 , Ariana Baio

(AFP via Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

(AFP via Getty Images)

What is Title 42?

Thursday 11 May 2023 15:28 , Ariana Baio

In an effort to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in March 2020, the CDC issued a public health order that allowed authorities to prevent migrants and asylum seekers at US borders from entering the country.

Over the last three years, Title 42 was used to turn away more than 2.8 million people seeking asylum from the USs southern border.

But with the end of the Covid-19 the public health emergency comes the end of Title 42.

What was once used to manage the border will now end at 11.59pm EST, causing an influx of migrants.

Read more from The Independent:

What is Title 42 and why is it ending this week?


remaining of

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
Express your opinion! Fill out this form to submit a Letter to the Editor.

Submit
In this file photo, Henry Puna, secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, speaks at a news conference with South Korean reporters at his office in Suva, April 26. Joint Press Corps-Yonhap



Japan's plan to release contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant will be discussed at an inaugural Korea-Pacific Islands summit later this month, the head of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) has said.



In a recent news conference with Korean reporters in Suva, the capital of Fiji, PIF Secretary General Henry Puna said the Pacific Island nations want to consider Japan's release plan "in more detail" and added the issue "will come up" during the summit scheduled to be held in Seoul from May 29-30.



"We look forward to the discussions on that issue," Puna said at the conference held on April 26 at the PIF headquarters. According to Puna, the issue was also discussed with the Seoul government during the fifth Korea-Pacific Islands Foreign Ministers' Meeting that was held in Busan in October of last year.



President Yoon Suk Yeol will host a summit with leaders from Pacific Island nations later this month to discuss ways to expand cooperation between Korea and the region.






It seems the Chinese know well that despite occasional hiccups, they can get their way with a subservient section of Indians.

Once again, the vainglorious and obnoxious arrogance of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), a wing of the Communist Party of China, and the countrys defence minister Gen. Li Shingfu and foreign minister Qin Gang, were on full display in the past few weeks, in New Delhi and Goa, as the two attended different meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. As Gen. Li came to New Delhi, after detailed consultations in Beijing on the regional security situation with Pakistans Army Chief Gen. Syed Asim Munir, and nonchalantly blurted out cunningly-crafted words of deception prompted by wolf-warrior diplomats that the India-China border is generally stable, foreign minister Qin Gang audaciously chose to threaten India from Goa.

Mr Gang spat venom, giving New Delhi a warning with a straight poker face. He stuck to the stable border line, directly contradicting Indias stand, and said: We should draw experience and lessons from history. The subtext! He was trying to tell India: Dont forget the 1962 thrashing by Comrade Maos machine-gun toting Marxist militia and Xi Jinpings birthday gift of Galwan in June 2020. Never forget the lessons we taught you. He said the two countries should grasp bilateral relations from the strategic heights and long-term perspective. This again rubs salt into Indias wounds, to convey that being the victor, we are at a strategic, commanding height; we are better equipped and more powerful to take you on (vanquished and at a lower, inferior pedestal).

Mr Gangs utterances on Russia and India in the same breath revealed the repertoire of his diplomatic double talk. With Russia, he was willing to deepen communication and coordination in order to make a tangible contribution to political crisis settlement. On India, however, Mr Qin was willing to deepen coordination and cooperation to bring ties back to a healthy track of development.

Whereas coordination is an innocuous, routine route to normal acts common to both Moscow and Delhi, and even communication being a harmless Russia-China mode of diplomacy; in Indias case the critical word is cooperation. Its an irrevocable and irreversible command: its like saying: Cooperate with us, or worse will follow.

Thus, both defence and foreign ministers of China want India to put the border issue on backburner in an appropriate position to promote normalised management and to learn the lessons of history. Do they really believe they can bully New Delhi in this manner, the way they do with smaller Asian and African countries which they regard as being within Beijings sphere of influence?

Such diplomatic language doesnt behove a country that aspires to be a responsible world power. Chinas diplomats are well versed in the norms of international conduct, and its top ministers would do well to follow the internationally-accepted, acceptable semantics that are usually forthright, upright and civil in the choice of words, clarity of thought and plans of action. The comments of both Gen. Li and Mr Gang appeared laughable and nonsensical, which India has grown tired of hearing over decades. India will do better to flatly ignore these hostile sermons by the Dragons ministers.

It will be pointless, however, to simply target the Li-Qin duo without taking note of ground realities, and taking action to counter Chinas deception, deceit, bullying and lies, more lies and statistics executed 24/7 on all 365 days of the year. Each and every word that Mr Li and Mr Gang parroted has long-term implications. The forces loyal to the CPCs supreme overlord Xi Jinping have already penetrated deep into several key and sensitive sectors of India, and are sitting on a heap of the $105 billion surplus earned from this one-way traffic: of profits from so-called mutually compatible, approved and acceptable India-China annual bilateral trade. Obviously, Xi & Co simply cannot allow India to get out of its clutches.

The Chinese, sporadically, have had lip-smacking opportunities offered to them by monumental folly of Indians themselves, as the United States, the European Union and their allies had done in the past to earn cash and profits at the expense of their nations security, safety and sovereignty. The unthinkable happened when India recently said that the CPC-PLA being economically strong, it would not be feasible or wise to take on the harmful denizens of the Middle Kingdom. That was a morale-shattering blow to patriotic, but non-trading, non-profiteering, non-business class Indians who traditionally constitute the first line of freedom fighters against foreigners. These Indians just cant understand how and why what the British did to India with cash and cunning, China could replicate it through frontier violations and killing warriors, and then cracking finance and economics to bring about a deep penetration of local market and manufacturing. It seems the Chinese know well that despite occasional hiccups, they can get their way with a subservient section of Indians.

A clear message-cum-action is due, to be conveyed, that Beijing cannot expect that it will be business as usual with India, along with easy profits from bilateral commerce, till such time that the butchery stops, the border incursions and occasional pinpricks end, and the entire situation gets resolved to mutual satisfaction. Late in April, before the Goa meeting, Indias external affairs minister clearly stated while on a visit to Latin America that India-China ties were abnormal due to violations of border management agreement by Beijing. These ties are abnormal as those in charge of running China are abnormal, who dont care to adhere to bilateral or multilateral agreements, treaties, conventions or protocols. Their idea of sovereignty and international relations is stuck in antiquity: that Chinas Middle Kingdom and its rulers are the Sons of Heaven, that, the world pivots around them.

That most nations will end up as Chinas subjects paying eternal obeisance.

There is an irony in Chinese diplomacy today: While Chairman Xi wants to put the Indian border issue on the backburner, he is desperate to resolve the Bhutan border. Why? The objective is to crack the Bhutan-India relationship and hit India where it hurts  at Elephants Neck, spanning from Druk to Darjeeling and the Dooars of West Bengal, and beyond. The Dragon intends to pierce Indias ethnic weak spots like it had done in 1960s, setting the countryside on fire for two decades.

There is no question that China constitutes the most serious challenge and threat to India  in economics, defence, commerce, communication, security and every other way. When will Indians, so busy fighting among themselves, realise that the real threat is outside, across the Himalayas? By then, it may be too late, with an ecstatic Dragon having the last laugh.
Some observers believe that he may be waiting for the right opportunity to present itself before jumping back into the fray.

What are retired IAS and IPS officers doing with ace poll strategist-turned-neta Prashant Kishor? Given the mans track record of working with some of Indias biggest political parties, including the BJP, Congress and TMC, it is not surprising that there is speculation about his next move, after his year-long padyatra through seven districts of Bihar under his Jan Suraj Abhiyan.

Some observers believe that he may be waiting for the right opportunity to present itself before jumping back into the fray. Another possibility is that Kishor may be exploring new avenues for political engagement through activism or advocacy work. The news of six retired IAS officers  R.K. Mishra, Ajay Kumar Dwivedi, Arwind Kumar Singh, Lalan Yadav, Tulsi Hajara, Suresh Kumar and Gopal Narayan Singh  has ensured that Kishor continues to draw attention with his padyatra, which is still underway. Mr Kishor has now got a major boost, with 12 retired IPS officers taking membership of the Jan Suraj Abhiyan. They include ex-DG Home Guards R.K. Mishra, retired DG Jails S.K. Paswan, K.K. Verma and K. B. Singh, among others.

The question is: Will Mr Kishor emerge as a serious rival to chief minister Nitish Kumars JD(U), and the other two major political parties, the RJD and the BJP? Whatever he may be up to, his next moves in Bihar will be watched closely by politicians and the public alike.

Manipur babu repatriated to the state as chief secretary

The Manipur government has appointed 1992-batch IAS officer Vineet Joshi as the new chief secretary of the state, which has been engulfed in ethnic arson and violence in recent days. In view of the fraught situation, the state government has cut short the extended tenure of Dr Rajesh Kumar, who was given a second extension as chief secretary in January this year. Mr Joshi has superseded three other IAS officers, M.H. Khan, A Moses Challai and V. Vaiphei for the post.

Sources have informed DKB that Deepti Umashankar, secretary of the appointments committee of the Cabinet, said the committee had approved the repatriation of Mr Joshi, who was heading the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Central deputation, to his parent cadre at the request of chief minister N. Biren Singh. Before going on Central deputation, Mr Joshi had served as principal secretary to the chief minister. Earlier, he was commissioner of planning and power and resident commissioner in the Manipur government.

While the exact reasons for Mr Joshis recall are yet to be made public, it is evident that the state government has found it necessary to bring the experienced babu back to deal with the fragile situation in Manipur given the political and social complexities of the state because of his deep understanding of the local context. Joshi is expected to douse the fires lit by politicians and bring an end to the confrontation between the states rival tribal groups.

As for his predecessor, sources say that it may be difficult for the state government to justify Rajesh Kumars extended service and it could be terminated seven months ahead of his retirement. Some however believe that the double engine BJP Sarkar may find ways to use his services after retirement, but that could be subject to other considerations.

Gujarat IPS officers hastening to join R&AW

Its not just Gujarat IAS officers who have it good in the Modi sarkar. Given Prime Minister Narendra Modis natural affinity for his home state, officers from other services too have an edge over their compatriots in other states when it comes to serving in the national capital on Central deputation.

Recently three Gujarat cadre IPS officers joined R&AW on deputation, and sources have informed DKB that two more officers are awaiting government approval. They trace the advent of IPS officers from Gujarat into R&AW to March 2020 when a 2010-batch IPS officer chose to work with the intelligence agency and was sent to the Cabinet Secretariat. He was followed by Sandeep Chaudhary in December 2020. Two years later, one of the states most decorated IPS officers Himanshu Shukla was sent to R&AW as director of the Cabinet Secretariat.

Now, we learn, that two more IPS officers from the state are waiting in the wings. Deepan Bhadran and Saurabh Singh are likely to get the nod for R&AW posting.

There may be several reasons for this trend, including the undoubted appeal of working for a prestigious agency and the potential for career growth, but it is fairly well known that Mr Modi and Home Minister Shah have always preferred to work with officers from their state. One concern, however, remains. With several high-performing officers being sent out on deputation, there is a risk that the Gujarat government could be left short-handed in terms of top-tier police talent.
by Arundathie Abeysinghe

The two governments are negotiating the move to expand economic cooperation especially in the energy sector. It would be a way to stem the foreign exchange problems created by the economic crisis. Several banks in Sri Lanka have already opened special accounts to allow them to trade directly with the Indian currency.

Colombo (AsiaNews) - India and Sri Lanka are discussing the adoption of the Indian rupee as currency in trade transactions, as part of expanding cooperation especially in the energy sector.

Pramod Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, met with Sri Lankan High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda in New Delhi in recent days to continue the dialogue between the two countries with the aim of promoting bilateral trade.

Meanwhile, the Indian Ministry of Finance has asked the Indian Banks Association (IBA) and the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) 'to proceed with a stakeholder awareness campaign on rupee trade'.

Dasun Gunatillake, senior manager of a state bank, explained to AsiaNews that 'several banks in Sri Lanka have opened special accounts for rupee trading, called Vostro accounts. In this way, Sri Lankans can now hold 10 thousand dollars in physical form and use Indian rupees for transactions with their Indian counterparts'.

Economic analyst Shirantha Jayamanne believes that 'the designation of the Indian rupee as legal tender in Sri Lanka can provide its coastal neighbour with much-needed liquidity support to help overcome the economic crisis caused by the insufficient availability of US dollars'.

"In 2021/2022 to cope with the crisis, Sri Lankan government economists printed money creating shortages of valuable currency. Limits were set for outgoing remittances. Today Sri Lanka is a net recipient of remittances, like most South Asian countries.

Meanwhile, the Indian rupee is used officially to settle transactions by Sri Lankans travelling to India, unofficially. Banknotes available on the black market are used,' Shirantha revealed.

According to the scholar Chaminda Hewapathirana, "the Central Bank of India encouraged Sri Lankan banks to open VOU accounts to settle transactions. After all, the Indian rupee was the 'South Asian dollar': until 1950, Sri Lanka had a one-to-one exchange rate with the Indian rupee."

"The Sri Lankan rupee, like most South Asian currencies derived from the Indian rupee. It was pegged to silver reserves, later switched to gold, before the macroeconomists got the power to print money at will as the classical economy receded," Chaminda recalled.

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry also expressed the wish "to accept the Indian currency as a common legal tender to work with, to strengthen and integrate both economies and allow people-to-people contacts and greater movement of goods."
Today's headlines: FAO in Afghanistan raises alarm over locust invasion; In Pakistan, the former foreign minister of Imran Khan's party is also arrested; East Timor's first participation in Asean with a view to accession; The campaign for a 'No' vote in the referendum for indigenous people in Australia strengthens.

HONG KONG

The Chinese-language daily Ming Pao has deleted a satirical cartoon after a series of criticisms by the Hong Kong authorities. Cartoonist Wong Kei-kwan, known as 'Zunzi', has been publishing his snapshots of the city since 1983. The strip in question showed a man telling a woman that the new city representatives would be chosen 'if the superior deems them fit', even if they failed all examinations and health tests. "My feeling is that the pressure is building and it will not stop without change," the 67-year-old said.

AFGHANISTAN

In recent days, the United Nations has raised the alarm about a locust invasion in at least 10 provinces of Afghanistan, considered the country's 'breadbasket'. "The Moroccan locust eats more than 150 species of plants, many of which are cultivated in Afghanistan. It poses a huge threat to farmers, communities and the entire country," said FAO representative Richard Trenchard. "The last two major outbreaks, 20 and 40 years ago, cost Afghanistan about eight and 25 percent of its annual wheat production," he added.

PAKISTAN

The situation in Pakistan continues to be tense: the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party from which Imran Khan originates, announced that Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister during the leader's government who was imprisoned two days ago, has also been arrested. Two other important PTI figures were also arrested in the last few hours.

EAST TIMOR

The Prime Minister of East Timor, Taur Matan Ruak, attended a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the first time after being granted observer status. "Today, finally, thanks to the actions we have taken, I can stand here as Prime Minister of Timor-Leste and say: we will fulfil all our obligations for full Asean membership."

AUSTRALIA

Opposition to the referendum for the recognition of indigenous peoples in Australia is growing from the indigenous peoples themselves: Warren Mundine, former chairman of the Labour Party, and a group supported by Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, both from indigenous peoples, have announced that they will join forces to create a joint 'No' campaign to be called 'Australians for Unity'.

RUSSIA

At least three Russian citizens were arrested for discrediting the Armed Forces on 9 May solely because of their clothing: one in Nizhny Novgorod because he was wearing a sweatshirt with Putin's portrait crossed out by an X, two in Moscow because their clothes bore "the colours of the Ukrainian flag", yellow-blue, a woman on her jacket and a boy on his trousers.

SYRIA - TURKEY

The foreign ministers of Russia, Syria, Turkey and Iran met in Moscow to assess a normalisation of relations between Damascus and Ankara. It emerged from the meeting that the priority for the Syrian government is to end the presence of all foreign armed forces, including the Turkish one. Russian Minister Lavrov said that a roadmap could 'positively affect the whole current situation in the region and the entire Middle East'.
Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, right, and his Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly, shake hands at the foreign ministry in Seoul, April 15. Yonhap



Korea and Canada plan to hold their inaugural high-level economic security dialogue next week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.



The meeting, scheduled to be held next Tuesday in Seoul, will be attended by Foreign Minister Park Jin, Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Francois-Philippe Champagne, Ottawa's innovation, science and industry minister.



Korea and Canada agreed to establish the high-level dialogue during a bilateral summit held between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September of last year.



In next week's meeting, the two sides are expected to exchange views on pending economic issues and explore ways to strengthen cooperation, the ministry said. (Yonhap)


by Stefano Vecchia

Investigations focus on a racket that affects people across Southeast Asia. Lured to the Philippines for a regular job, the victims are held against their will and forced into criminal activities like rigged sales, erotic chats, and cryptocurrency scams. A Philippine senator raised the issue of scam hubs" urging government action.

Manila (AsiaNews)  Online scams are a scourge that affects all of Asia.

Philippine police recently dismantled a racket involving a thousand foreigners, mostly from Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, but also from China, Myanmar, Nepal, and Taiwan.

Lured to the Philippines by job offers, the victims are held against their will and forced to engage in criminal activities ranging from rigged sales to chats for sexual blackmail as well as lucrative business proposals in cryptocurrencies.

According to local authorities, 1,090 people were rescued during an operation at a residential complex in Mabalacat, a city in Pampanga province, north of the capital Manila.

Most of those arrested are from China, and were indicted on human trafficking charges.

Police said that investigations continue into possible ramifications and connections related to this type of modern slavery. The victims, who had their passports taken, were forced to work up to 18 hours a day to contact unsuspecting customers in Europe, the United States, and Canada.

Their job consisted of proposing lucrative investments in cryptocurrencies or buying houses or cars to individuals who were lured into fake online romantic relationships.

Any failure to comply with rules was punished with heavy deductions from remuneration; workers were required to remain within the work area even after they completed their shifts and had to sleep in special dormitories.

Philippines police were tipped off by Indonesian officials, who received desperate messages for help from Indonesians trapped inside.

The problem is not new, and involves many organisations using the Internet to fool victims, both those lured with the promise of a well-paid job and their would-be customers.

For some time, human rights organisations have been reporting on human trafficking and online scams. Now some political leaders appear to be waking up to the problem.

Last month, Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros raised the issue of scam hubs before the Philippine Senates Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, stressing that foreign governments have been urging the Philippines to act decisively.

Cambodia and Myanmar also host such hubs with criminal groups enjoying high-level patronage or links with powerful people who have so far prevented effective action against this widespread and well-known scourge.
The popes message for the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees is centred on the theme "Free to choose whether to migrate or stay. For the pontiff, today people are compelled to leave their country; to prevent it, the world must stop the arms race, economic colonialism, the plundering of other peoples resources and the devastation of our common home. During the presentation in the Vatican, a migrant from Bangladesh spoke about his experience.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis released his message for the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, centred on the theme "Free to choose whether to migrate or to stay", which will be celebrated in every church on every continent on Sunday, 24 September 2023.

In the message, the pontiff writes: Joint efforts are needed by individual countries and the international community to ensure that all enjoy the right not to be forced to emigrate, in other words, the chance to live in peace and with dignity in one's own country.

Reflecting on the shared responsibilities among countries, he notes that, This right has yet to be codified, but it is one of fundamental importance, and its protection must be seen as a shared responsibility on the part of all States with respect to a common good that transcends national borders.

Indeed, since the worlds resources are not unlimited, the development of the economically poorer countries depends on the capacity for sharing that we can manage to generate among all countries. Until this right is guaranteed  and here we are speaking of a long process  many people will still have to emigrate in order to seek a better life.

Francis cites an important example. The flight of the Holy Family into Egypt was not the result of a free decision, nor were many of the migrations that marked the history of the people of Israel. The decision to migrate should always be free, yet in many cases, even in our day, it is not. Conflicts, natural disasters, or more simply the impossibility of living a dignified and prosperous life in ones native land is forcing millions of persons to leave.

Persecutions, wars, atmospheric phenomena and dire poverty are among the most visible causes of forced migrations today. Migrants flee because of poverty, fear or desperation. Eliminating these causes and thus putting an end to forced migration calls for shared commitment on the part of all, in accordance with the responsibilities of each. This commitment begins with asking what we can do, but also what we need to stop doing. We need to make every effort to halt the arms race, economic colonialism, the plundering of other peoples resources and the devastation of our common home.

To achieve this goal, it is essential to ensure to everyone an equal share in the common good, respect for his or her fundamental rights, and access to an integral human development.

This task falls first and foremost on the migrants' countries of origin and their rulers, who are called to practice a good politics  one that is transparent, honest, farsighted and at the service of all, especially those most vulnerable. At the same time, they must be empowered to do this, without finding themselves robbed of their natural and human resources and without outside interference aimed at serving the interests of a few.

Where circumstances make possible a decision either to migrate or to stay, there is a need to ensure that the decision be well informed and carefully considered, in order to avoid great numbers of men, women and children falling victim to perilous illusions or unscrupulous traffickers.

Citing the biblical tradition, Francis explains that during the Jubilee Year, everyone was allowed to return to their original situation, with the cancellation of all debts, restoration of the land, and an opportunity once more to enjoy the freedom proper to the members of the People of God. Now, As we approach the Holy Year of 2025, we do well to remember this aspect of the jubilee celebrations.

Furthermore, the message calls on all Christians to see in the migrant not simply a brother or sister in difficulty, but Christ himself, who knocks at our door. Thus, even as we work to ensure that in every case migration is the fruit of a free decision, we are called to show maximum respect for the dignity of each migrant; this entails accompanying and managing waves of migration as best we can, constructing bridges and not walls, expanding channels for a safe and regular migration.

Finally, the pontiff writes that, The synodal path that we have undertaken as a Church leads us to see in those who are most vulnerable  among whom are many migrants and refugees  special companions on our way, to be loved and cared for as brothers and sisters. Only by walking together will we be able to go far and reach the common goal of our journey.

It was precisely in this spirit that Dullal Ghosh, a migrant from Bangladesh, was invited to speak at the press conference held at the Holy See Press Office, Saint Pius X Hall, in the Vatican.

In Italy for ten years, the Bangladeshi man is now a member of the Sophia cooperative, a social enterprise active in helping migrants integrate into Italian society.

"In Bangladesh, he explained, there are no private sector pensions, school costs money, medical costs money. As Pope Francis says, I was obliged to leave. I had no choice.

To those who want to become migrants, Dullals advice is to prepare themselves. The language is very important, so are papers, and knowing how to find work because when I came to Italy I had great difficulties.

I used to sell handkerchiefs and lighters at traffic lights. Now I am a member of the Sophia Cooperative and in a book that has become an education project in schools. It is a bridge between Italians and migrants. I can learn from them and they too can learn from me.
A year ago, the Palestinian-American Christian journalist was killed by an Israeli soldier in a raid in Jenin. Despite a climate of impunity, her family's struggle for justice and truth goes on. We have decided to keep her memory alive, her brother Anton told AsiaNews. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill an Islamic Jihad leader, and several civilians, including three children.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews)  Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist and a Christian, was killed on 11 May 2022 by a bullet fired by an Israeli soldier during a military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin.

For Shireens family, her absence has filled a painful" year because "we felt close to her and she was a source of support for everyone, said her brother, Anton Abu Akleh, speaking to AsiaNews.

For this reason, we have decided to keep her memory alive, especially her work through scholarships for women who want to get into journalism. The goal is to help young women journalists to follow in her footsteps, to fight for press freedom, a fundamental value for which she always fought.

A year after her death, Palestinians have honoured her work, courage and dedication to speak out against the abuses and distortions brought by Israels occupation of Palestinian territory.

For Anton, There is a kind of impunity, a double standard whenever Israel is involved. On other occasions in the past, when journalists were killed the story was covered up. For this reason, for us, family members, it is important that the guilty be brought to justice, that they answer for their acts and that what happened never happens again to other reporters.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) confirms what Anton Abu Akleh says, noting that at least 20 reporters have been killed by Israeli security forces since 2001 amid impunity that allows the guilty not to answer for their actions, with Israeli military authorities deliberately covering up and misdirecting investigations.

For the CPJ, the situation in the Palestinian territories has had a chilling effect on reporters covering their operations, undermining press freedom.

In the past 12 months, the Abu Akleh family, which hails from Bethlehem, has made various efforts to obtain justice, including a hitherto unheeded appeal to the White House and US President Joe Biden, and a formal complaint filed with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands.

For 25 years Shireen Abu Akleh was the Voice of Palestine at Al Jazeera (which marked the anniversary of her death with a seminar at its headquarters in Doha) and other media. She died from a gunshot wound to the head while reporting on an Israeli military raid in Jenin.

Following protocol, she was wearing a helmet and a bulletproof vest, with "press" clearly written on it, when she was shot, but this was not enough. A colleague, Ali al-Samoudi, was also wounded by a bullet in the back at the scene.

Faced with a mobilisation of NGOs and activists, the Israeli military has repeatedly claimed that she was not intentionally targeted, that it was an error, not a deliberate act. At the same time, it did acknowledge that it is highly probable that an Israeli marksman got confused when firing his rifle with mounted scope that magnifies vision four times, from inside an armoured jeep.

Shireen gave her life for a just cause and we will not allow her to be forgotten, Anton Abu Akleh stressed. That is why it is important to keep her memory alive, especially her work. We plan to do so with scholarships for women journalists through a foundation. In addition, a museum dedicated to her will be set up in Ramallah, in cooperation with Al Jazeera.

Anton also insisted on her strong Christian faith, which she experienced in a "humble and reserved" way, keeping it "above all for herself. She was Christian and Palestinian; she reported the atrocities that took place in her land, supporting her people, denouncing the occupation.

Meanwhile, the violence in Gaza goes on with even greater intensity with the latest flareup in violence reaching a level of intensity not seen in several months.

At dawn, Israel responded to the launch of more than 500 rockets from Gaza yesterday, by killing the head of the Islamic Jihad rocket forces Ali Hassan Ghali (aka Abu Muhammad) and hitting over 130 targets linked to the group in the Strip. So far, this has resulted in at least 25 Palestinian deaths, including three children, euphemistically called collateral damage.

It is obvious that the Israeli government is not interested in peace and pursues its policy of killing civilians and journalists in a climate of impunity and amid the absolute silence of the international community, the European Union and the United States, Anton lamented.

If Shireen were alive today, I am sure she would continue to report on the violence. Now others have picked up her legacy and are running with it for her.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Behind the reappearance of President Tokaev at the 9 May parade in Moscow are questions about the uneasy relations with Putin. According to some analysts, the disagreements over Ukraine are just 'smoke and mirrors'. But there are also those who claim that Russia is already targeting the more 'loyal' CSTO secretary Tasmagambetov to replace him.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The unexpected presence of Kazakh President Kasym-Zomart Tokaev at the 9 May parade in Red Square has raised several questions about the relationship between Russia and Kazakhstan, which has been rather ambiguous and contradictory in the abundant year that has passed since the Almaty street protests of January 2022, the invasion of Ukraine and Russian claims on the northern Kazakh territories.

Tokaev has repeatedly distanced himself from Putin, even in direct and public meetings, but then reaffirmed his historical friendship with the Russians, which today brings several economic benefits to the Central Asian steppes.

The change of plans by the head of the Akorda, the presidential palace in Astana, hinted at the need to reaffirm its importance in relations with Russia and the stability of its role within the country, not only aligning itself with the other satraps in the region, but also denying the 'replacement' plans attributed to the Kremlin.

The Kazakh political scientist Akhas Tazutov wrote an article in Eurasia rewiew, in which he argues that Moscow is pushing a senior official, the current secretary general of the CSTO (the Eurasian military alliance) Imangali Tasmagambetov (to the right of Tokaev in the picture above ed.), as a possible alternative to Tokaev.

Kazakhstan has in fact adhered to international sanctions against Russia, even though it is the main way around them, and is in a delicate situation of conflict between East and West, which needs a more stable solution.

The disagreements between the two presidents over the war in Ukraine have at times seemed to be a game of sides, appearing to clash in order to cover Moscow's de facto control over the situation in Kazakhstan, where even Tokaev's 'great reforms' are accused by many of being nothing more than a smokescreen.

As Tazutov explains, 'Kazakhstan does not control internal information, from television to publications to the internet, which is in fact largely in Russian hands, defending the ruling elite to guarantee its own interests'.

According to the political scientist, this script is in the process of being overcome, and Moscow would like to transform Astana from a 'hidden partner' into a public and loyal ally, to be shown to the West as the true counterbalance to the 'satanic' Ukraine enslaved by the enemy.

Indeed, Kazakhstan cannot continue to exploit the ambiguities of the 'grey market' in favour of Russia for long, lest it incur secondary sanctions. The next step after the war, whatever the outcome, should be for Moscow the proclamation of the Unitary State with Belarus and Kazakhstan, the realisation of the new Eurasian empire.

This requires the replacement of Tokaev, a 'passing' figure to throw dust in the eyes, who has never attained the truly authoritative stature of an independent leader. According to Tazutov, the current CSTO secretary had long been considered 'the best possible heir to Nazarbayev, with strong support within the country, especially from the oil oligarchs of the western regions'. In fact, Tasmagambetov is also the only high-ranking official, apart from Tokaev, who is familiar with Kremlin hierarchs.

In addition to CSTO, analysts analyse the prospects of the SCO, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, in which Russia and China work together to ensure the security of Central Asia.

The war in Ukraine has also changed the balance in this area, where Russia has traditionally been dominant, while China's role is now becoming increasingly influential. Kazakhstan tries to keep on the edge of its 'multi-vector' policy and not tilt too much towards Beijing, or perhaps even Japan, but Russia still sees the need to reassert its protection over the whole region, starting with Kazakhstan.
I'm fine, as I'm very fortunate to own my home

I own, but I'm feeling the pinch on my mortgage with other inflation costs

I rent and it's expensive, but it could be worse

I'm seriously considering leaving the valley if something doesn't give

Vote

View Results
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Alex Menard has been a longtime visitor of the Crystal Valley with an interest in civic issues in Marble, where he is a part-time homeowner.
Helen Aitsi, first from right, charge d'affaires at the Embassy of Papua New Guinea in Korea, holds a dice during an event publicizing the 2023 Korea-Pacific Islands Summit at Cheonggye Plaza in downtown Seoul, May 10. The summit, which will be held during May 29-30 in Seoul, will bring the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum together under the theme, "Navigating towards Co-Prosperity: Strengthening Cooperation with the Blue Pacific." Yonhap
Rhode Island Adopting Clean Cars, Trucks Emissions Policy

Written by Brent Addleman, The Center Square

Published May 11, 2023

Rhode Island will join seven states to rein in carbon pollution.

Democratic Gov. Dan McKee said May 10, along with state officials and legislators, the state will adopt clean car and truck emissions standards to reduce greenhouse gases. The policy would slash tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks and SUVs.

The Act on Climate put us on the clock for meeting major carbon reduction mandates, and its clear to me that Rhode Island will only meet the mandates by addressing the transportation sector head-on, McKee said in a release. Implementing the Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Trucks, policy will help us do exactly that, minimize smog across the state but especially in environmental justice communities, and ensure adequate customer choice on electric vehicles in the future.

The Ocean State joins Washington, Virginia, Vermont, Oregon, New York and Massachusetts in joining the Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Trucks standards. Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey are considering adopting the standards, according to a release.

Through the Act on Climate, the release says, Rhode Island is working to reduce vehicle emissions which cause nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Regulations require manufacturers to deliver more clean vehicles to consumers in the state.

According to a release, all new cars imported to the state, under regulations filed by the Department of Environmental Management, require those cars to be non-gas powered, under the adoption of the Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Trucks standards.

As we work to advance our clean energy and energy efficiency objectives, we remain steadfast in our commitment to also lowering our transportation emissions through electric vehicle adoption, interim State Energy Commissioner Chris Kearns said in a release. We have seen Rhode Islanders respond strongly to the states electric vehicle rebate program since it launched last July. The Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Trucks regulations and process, which Gov. McKee has announced today, will help make significant strides towards our goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

The emissions policy, according to a release, originated in California to reduce smog-causing pollution and greenhouse gases from the states light-duty fleet of vehicles.

We thank The Center Square for reprint permission.
Happily for prospective customers, Natural Resources Canada has recently published the figures in question. As you're well aware, the S650 range kicks off with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost. Offered exclusively with the Dearborn-based automaker's very own 10-speed automatic, the four-cylinder turbo drinks high-octane dinosaur juice to the tune of 26 miles per gallon (circa 9 liters per 100 kilometers) on the combined test cycle.Specifying the Performance Package sees the fuel economy take a turn for the worse. Priced at $3,475 in the United States of America, said package includes a 3.55:1 limited-slip rear differential of the Torsen variety, summer-only tires, 19-inch wheels, larger brake rotors with four-piston calipers, heavy-duty springs up front, as well as an upsize sway bar for car's rear end.In this application, the redesigned EcoBoost is rated at 24 miles per gallon (9.8 liters per 100 kilometers). Not a big deal, that is. The party starts in earnest if you level up to the V8, namely the fourth-generation Coyote. Fitted with dual throttle bodies compared to a single unit for the previous gen, the 5.0-liter mill is listed by the Natural Resources Canada department at 18 miles for every gallon of gasoline (13 liters per 100 kilometers).Last but not least, a higher-performing Coyote is employed in the Mach 1-replacing Dark Horse. The GT-based trim level returns 17 miles per gallon (13.8 liters per 100 kilometers) with the six-speed manual, a Tremec-supplied box rather than the GT's Getrag.How do these fuel consumption estimates compare to the numbers for the outgoing S550? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we're dealing with a high of 25 miles per gallon (9.4 liters per 100 kilometers) for the EcoBoost automatic and a low of 17 miles per gallon (13.8 liters per 100 kilometers) for the Mach 1 with the six-speed manual transmission.There is no Shelby GT350 available for 2024, and neither is the Shelby GT500. Based on a March 2023 tweet from the Ford Motor Company's big kahuna, the Shelby GT350 may not even come back. Jim Farley tweeted a video of the Mustang GT3 racecar testing at Sebring Raceway, following up that post by asking his followers if they would like a road-going version.As for the Shelby GT500, chances are it will soldier on with the supercharged V8 that Ford refers to as the Predator. Being a Coyote-derived engine, the 5.2-liter engine is probably getting dual throttle bodies too.The Shelby GT500 has been spied testing in Michigan with manufacturer plates in both fastback coupe and soft-top convertible formats. According to a report that Ford hasn't confirmed or denied thus far, there is a possibility for the S650 to be Raptorized (yes, Raptorized!) for 2026 in a similar fashion to the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato and Porsche 911 Dakar.
SUV

Codenamed J150, the second-generation Lexus GX came out in 2009 for the 2010 model year. Manufactured exclusively in Japan, this luxed-upis also joined at the hip to the very popular 4Runner.Lexus has performed a grand total of two facelifts of the J150 thus far, the first in 2013 for 2014 and the second in 2019 for 2020. That's why  at least from the standpoint of exterior styling  the Land Cruiser Prado's brother still appears modern to many potential customers. The underpinnings, however, couldn't be more archaic. From the naturally-aspirated V8 to the six-speed automatic supplied by Toyota subsidiary Aisin, there's a lot of antiquated stuff hiding under the skin.The introduction of the Land Cruiser J300 in 2021 marked the introduction of the TNGA-F platform, which Lexus already uses in the J300-twinned LX. Current applications further include the Sequoia and Tundra.Not long now, the all-new GX and Tacoma will see the TNGA-F platform downsized for mid-size applications. Further still, the aforementioned Tacoma will be joined by a redesigned Hilux for overseas markets. The same applies to the 4Runner, which is probably getting redesigned for as a 2025 model.In the meantime, Lexus published the first design teaser of the all-new GX, comprising two close-up photographs of the rear and front ends. Brown is arguably the worst color an automaker could use to hype up a long-awaited vehicle, but whatever. As long as the 2024 model year Lexus GX arrives at dealers with as few first-year issues as possible, it will be just fine.Emphasis on first-year issues because Toyota made a mess of the Tundra's rollout. The most notorious of issues came in the form of failing turbocharger wastegate actuators. On the upside  and in typical Toyota fashion  this problem has already been resolved in both series production and on customer vehicles.Way different in appearance from the outgoing Lexus GX , the newcomer has a bit of that Range Rover certain something about it, especially up front. The spindle grille, however, is still there. And the front grille is thankfully finished in gloss black instead of chrome.We can also notice black cladding around the wheel arches, and a black strip with L E X U S bang in the middle out back, written in uppercase letters in black as well. It's hard to tell if the red strip below the black one is a lightbar or merely painted garnish, but all in all, there's no denying the 2024 model is noticeably different from the long-running J150. Noticeable differences will be found under the hood as well, beginning with the all-new Tacoma's rumored turbo-four engine and optional hybrid powertrain. A brand-new automatic is on the menu as well, most likely the Tundra's 10-speeder.The loss of the aforementioned naturally-aspirated V8 may not sit well with some people, which is understandable because the 1UR-FE is an ultra-reliable mill. On the other hand, the TNGA-F wasn't designed with V8s in mind due to fuel economy and emission regulations. At most, a twin-turbo V6 with hybrid assistance will have to suffice in the next-gen GX
VTOL

Nothrtop F-20 Tigershark: A dragster in the sky made faster and better

Photo: USAF

Dassault Mirage 4000: If the Mirage 2000 ate a Super Mario Mushroom

Photo: Steve Fitzgerald

British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2: Queen Lizzie's Supersonic Strike Jet

Photo: BAE Systems

Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow: So good, it may have made the USAF jealous

Photo: BAE Systems

But first, a little disclaimer. This article only includes once-airworthy jet fighters that were slated to enter full-scale production before being canned at the last moment. So no experimentalnonesense here toady. With that in mind, let's get started.The only sin the Northrop F-5 twin-engine light fighter ever committed was living in the shadow of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Completely unloved in American service in all but its T-38 Talon trainer variant, The F-5 had to look for work outside the USAF for the jet to be remotely profitable for Northrop. That said, the F-5 was a phenomenally adaptable platform, one that benefitted tremendously from a comprehensive upgrade package.Designed to dogfight Soviet fighters over the skies of the Third World War, the F-20 Tigershark took a bare-bones, old-school fighter jet platform and made it even better at its job. The upgraded F-20 sported a single, massive General Electric F404 turbojet engine instead of the F-5 twin-engine setup for faster acceleration and a higher service ceiling. It also added trinkets to like more robust air-to-ground capability and the ability to fire beyond-visual-range AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles for over-the-horizon attacks.Couple that with the AN/APG-67 pulse Doppler pulse radar famous nowadays for its use in South Korea's T-50 Golden Eagle, and Northrop Aviation had a supremely capable combat platform on its hands. I.e., the kind of jet that could legitimately slug it out with Su-27s and MiG-29s and live to tell the story. If only anybody in the world even wanted it. When testifying before Congress in March 1984, a Reagan administration member named William Schneider Jr testified that the FX program that birthed the F-20 was unlikely to yield domestic or foreign sales.Couple that with two test pilots losing their lives by blacking out in low-altitude, hard-G maneuvers during flight testing that destroyed two of the three experimental F-20 prototypes. It was a recipe for the complete end of the program. The remaining Tigershark was delegated to museum duty by the start of the 1990s. It shows that even an outstanding jet fighter can get lost in the shuffle among a swarm of heavyweights.Though we tend to forget it today, Iran very much used to be an ally of the West in the Middle East until the late 1970s. Before the fall of the Shah, global aerospace manufacturers were chomping at the bits to supply the Iranian Air Force with their own aerial hardware. The most famous case by far is the American Grumman F-14 Tomcat, a jet no doubt retired prematurely by the U.S. Navy to mitigate black market acquisition of Tomcat parts by post-Shah Iranian state agents. But it wasn't the only one.The Dassault Mirage 4000 was once pegged as a candidate to supplement squadrons of Iranian F-14s before the fall of Western-friendly Iran. As a privately-funded-twin-engined evolution of Dassault's much-lauded Mirage 2000, the Mirage 4000 was considerably larger in both weight and size than its forbearer. This extra size was no accident. All that surface area beneath the Mirage 4000 was intended to accommodate everything from American Sidewinder and French Matra Magic air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground-missiles, unguided rocket pods, and up to 27 551-lb (250 kg) unguided bombs.As a true-to-form, multi-role strike fighter, the Mirage 4000 was like a Mirage 2000 on a max dose of "gear." Taking its first flight on March 9 with Dassault's test pilot Jean-Marie Saget at the controls, the Mirage 4000 was found to be nothing short of a spectacular platform. A brutish leviathan of a machine that could sit still on a runway one moment and, roughly three minutes and 50 seconds later, be flying near twice the speed of sound and well on its way to 50,000 feet in the air. It was all thanks to two of the same Snecma M 53 turbojet engines found in the Mirage 2000 and specific variants of the Mirage F1.It all looked fantastic on paper, but not even a month before the Mirage 4000's maiden flight, the Iranian regime most suited to purchasing the airframe had gone up in smoke, taking their American F-14 Tomcats with them. Meanwhile, efforts to court the Saudi Arabians with the Mirage 4000 also failed. By the turn of the 1980s, the Mirage 4000, like the F-20 Tigershark, was relegated to museum service, on display at the Paris Air and Space Museum next to the ParisLe Bourget Airport.There was a time in the distant past when the Royal Air Force didn't rely on its NATO allies to supply most of its aircraft. In the mid-1960s, British aerospace firms were designing and building genuinely ambitious airplanes on par with French, West German, and American projects. Want proof positive? Besides the original Harrier, look no further than the BAC TSR-2, an aircraft that will one day get its own feature here, no doubt.As a mammoth 103,500-lb (46,947 kg) British bulldog of a strike fighter, a la the American F-111 Aardvark or the Soviet Sukhoi Su-24, the TSR-2 was one of the most ambitious aerospace projects ever to fly out of Great Britain. Though most well suited for high-speed reconnaissance, a bit like the American SR-71, the TSR-2, though a bit slower than a Blackbird, differentiated itself by carrying up to 10,000 lbs (4,500 kg) of weapons inside its bomb bay and on external pylons. That includes a single Red Beard 15-kiloton nuclear bomb, mind you.With two Bristol Siddeley (Rolls-Royce) Olympus engines jetting over 60,000 lbs of thrust combined at full afterburner, the TSR was theoretically every bit as capable as any American equivalent reconnaissance jet, save for the SR-71 as mentioned above. But compared to less extreme aircraft like the North American A-5 Vigilante and the General Dynamics F-111A , there wasn't much difference in raw flight performance between the trio whatsoever, if not weapons platforms and operation costs, in which the F-111 was superior.Of course, it was the F-111A that replaced the TSR-2 in the RAF's plans when that recurring nagging problem in British aviation called cost overruns reared its ugly head. Ultimately, it was determined via a debate in the British House of Commons that General Dynamic's solution to a high-speed strike jet would be more practical to operate in the long run than what British Aircraft Corporation had brought to the table. Ironically, the F-111A became something of an afterthought in U.S. Air Force service, only being christened unofficially with the Aardvark nickname upon the day of its formal retirement. Coincidentally, the Navy variant F-111B, like the TSR-2, never served a day in operational service.Is there anything that hasn't been said about Canada's one and only domestically produced supersonic military jet? We've already covered the unfortunate circumstances behind the tragic demise of the Arvo Arrow program and the respectable but foolhardy attempt to upgrade it with modern tech around 15 years ago. But come on, what list of "the one that got away" fighter jets would be complete without the Arrow? If nothing else, it's a perfect opportunity to talk about one particular aspect of the Arrow's mythos.The Northrop F-20, Dassault Mirage 4000, and the BAC TSR-2 may have been fabulous airplanes, but none of those carried the weight of national pride for their home nation the way the CF-105 Arrow did. It's said the cancelation of the Arrow program was the defining legacy of Canada's 13th Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. Though famous for passing the Canadian Bill of Rights and several civil rights reforms during his tenure, it seemed as though any goodwill the Diefenbaker administration may have had with the Canadian public all but vanished when the CF-105, Orenda Iroquois turbojet engines and all bit the proverbial dust.With no domestic supersonic fighter to speak of during the 1960s and beyond due to the Arrow's termination, Canada's been forced to manufacture license-built copies of American jets like the F-104 Starfighter and the F-18 Hornet to stock its Air Force with contemporary hardware. In a NATO alliance rife with interesting fighter jets that are points of national pride, it's a stain upon the Royal Canadian Air Force that, although they might not mind so much, the public at large sure as heck notices.With the F-35 now slated to form the bulk of the RCAF's front-line aerial fighting force, it's just the latest in a series of events directly related to John Diefenbaker's career-altering decision to strip Canada of a national symbol of strength that it seems to have little chance of ever getting back. For that reason, the Arrow stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Photo: Bob Atkins

Photo: Bob Atkins

Photo: Bob Atkins

EV

Photo: Mario Zelaya

Photo: Tesla/Bob Atkins/edited by autoevolution

BEV

Photo: Bob Atkins

Atkins is a retired engineer who tried to assist his mother-in-law. The 84-year-old lady bought the 2014 Model S 85 directly from Tesla. The car was made in Q1 2014 and had "most of the options available at the time she bought it except for the fancy sound system." That made her have supercharging for life, as well as a 4-year or 50,000-mile warranty. She extended it to eight years or 120,000 miles."At the time she purchased the car, the base warranty was only 4 years or 50,000 miles because the Federally mandated 8-year/120,000-mile warranty had not come into effect yet."As Atkins shared, she only drove this car for a bit more than one-third of the covered mileage. Unfortunately for her, the time coverage ended in 2022. Exactly "one year to the day after the warranty expired," her car presented the fatal error message that warned it would need a battery pack replacement. The engineer finds that hard to be a coincidence, especially considering the circumstances that led to the battery pack error. His mother-in-law was staying with him and her daughter and charged her car there from 80% to 90% before everything happened on February 28."While the car was sitting in my driveway, an OTA update occurred the night before the 'Maximum battery charge level reduced' (BMS_u029) message appeared. The message appeared as she was driving to her home from my house  a 27-mile drive. The message with a yellow warning triangle also ended by saying, 'OK to drive, schedule service.' So, quite reasonably, as she was driving home and fully charged, she didn't take it to be an urgent message."It took her a while to discover how serious the issue was."It was a good week and a half before I found out about it. She doesn't drive on a daily basis, nor does she charge at her home (an apartment complex). On March 9, she stopped by a Supercharger that she frequents and tried to charge the car. To her, it appeared to start charging (flashing green light around the charge port), but the message on the screen stated that 'Charging was complete.' These were odd messages considering that it was refusing to charge, and of course, they were confusing to a non-technical person like herself."Atkins has her car on the Tesla app he installed on his phone to assist her."I happened to notice some odd notifications from the app that said something like 'Charging stopped - check charge cable connection.' After I saw a couple of these, I assumed that she was having some trouble connecting the charger to her car and called her. She reported that it looked like it started charging and then stopped  saying 'Charging complete' immediately after plugging the car in. Yet, she realized that it hadn't charged at all. She failed to mention the warning message on the instrument cluster."The retired engineer advised her to move to another Supercharger since she could have used a faulty stall. She did that and received help from other Tesla customers at the charging station."I saw the same 'Charging stopped - check charge cable connection' messages from the Tesla app. She called me to report the same problem and that the person who helped her didn't understand what the problem was. It was only then that it occurred to me to ask if there were any warning messages being displayed on the car. That is when she finally told me about the 'Maximum battery charge level reduced' message at the bottom of the instrument cluster."Atkins discovered at that moment that she had seen the message on February 28, right after leaving his house."If the Tesla app wasn't a piece of crap, that same message should have also been displayed on the app. The notifications about a bad charge connection on the app were bogus nonsense as well. The app notifications should have been consistent with the 'Maximum battery charge level reduced' message in the car and more informative."The engineer told his mother-in-law to stop at a Tesla Service Center on her way home and started investigating the error message."There, they did nothing and provided no useful information. They made no attempt to charge her car. The only thing that they did was book her for a service appointment at a different SC on April 4 and send her on her way, leaving her with no idea what was wrong with her car and no idea if she would be able to charge it at all. This was a pathetic response from a service center for an elderly woman who, like most normal people, was now wondering if she would have a car to use or if she would be stranded somewhere."His inquiries led him to be more familiar with the issue and with what to expect from it."I ended up having to do a lot of research regarding the 'Maximum battery charge level reduced' ( BMS_u029 ) message. That was when I realized that she was facing an enormous repair cost for a replacement high-voltage (HV) main battery. In the course of doing that research, I also found failedbattery stories for every EV car on the market."Although failed battery packs were not exclusive to the Model S, stories involving Tesla's electric sedan "were the overwhelming majority and have accelerated at an alarming pace for 2012-2015 Teslas since mid-2022." Mario Zelaya 's case is an example, and his car (right above) seems pretty much like the one Atkins' mother-in-law owns."Most were without warning, and a high percentage of failures were on low mileage cars that were older, so calendar time rather than mileage was playing a big role in battery life/failures. It was during this same period that I posted what happened to both the Tesla Owners Forum and the Tesla Motors Club. The Tesla Owners Forum responses mostly said, 'tough luck, just part of owning the best BEV in the world,' indicating that it is primarily a forum for Tesla acolytes who believe that Tesla can do no wrong. I found the responses on the Tesla Motors Club to be much more informative. From the responses I received there, I was able to determine the full range of repair experiences, options, and related costs."Atkins shared his findings with her. The Tesla Service Center eventually confirmed the prognosis: she would have to replace the Model S battery pack if she wanted to keep the car. Ironically, that ended up being the sensible financial decision after they extensively discussed the situation."Based on my research, her car's value needing a battery would be around $10,000 to $12,000 at best in a private sale. Through a dealer, as a trade-in, it would be considerably less. Replacing her car with a new Tesla S would be prohibitively expensive, and given that her car had 'crapped out' at just 9 years old with barely 43,000 miles, she didn't want to gamble on another Tesla  new or used. I can definitely say that Tesla has lost her as well as myself as a customer and that anyone who asks me is going to be thoroughly warned about the way Tesla treats its customers and the pitfalls of buying a BEV  especially any Tesla if it is used and out of warranty."As I warned in a previous text , Tesla did not only lose Atkins' mother-in-law: it made her run away from any battery electric vehicle () from now on."Other electric vehicles were also out of the question given that most all of them are first or, at best, second generation. They are also very expensive new, and of questionable value used  they too could suffer battery failures without warning even if they are low mileage vehicles. It doesn't help that here in SoCal, the non-Tesla public BEV charging options are still pretty pitiful and expensive. Many of the public chargers on the West side of Los Angeles where my mother-in-law lives are located in places that require parking charges on top of the cost of charging."With that in mind, the engineer and his mother-in-law discussed getting back to combustion-engined vehicles."She had a Mercedes-Benz E320 before purchasing her Tesla . Used 2020 E350s are running between $38,000 and $42,000, depending on how they are equipped, but (they) will all be nearing the end of their warranty. Doing the math  pretty much no matter how we sliced it  replacing her Model S 85 would cost her about $20,000 out of pocket, which is almost exactly what a new replacement battery will cost."In the end, replacing the battery pack was what made more sense."My mother-in-law has (for now) decided to keep it even knowing that, after a new battery pack is installed, the drive unit could be the next big expense. As I explained before, replacing it with any other car will incur additional costs. She doesn't drive a lot these days. She does like the car and prefers the 'devil she knows' versus some other used car."Some other factors also helped in her decision."Installing a new battery gives her an almost effectively new car (the eMMC chip has already been replaced, and the cell modem was upgraded to LTE). Her car has almost new tires (they were recently replaced) and little to no maintenance or smog testing requirements. The plus side is that she has unlimited supercharging along with all of the other perks that Tesla has since started charging for. Her car is not Autopilot capable (lacks the hardware), and she is quite happy with that as she doesn't even like to use the cruise control!"If you think this already sounds bad enough, you should wait to read the second part of this story. Stay tuned.
kW

Lime green accents further decorate the black and purple gradient appearance of this Italian supercar . It has a few splashes of color on its nose, roof, and sides and aftermarket add-ons like the new front hood, large chin spoiler, more pronounced side skirts, and diffuser.Since every tuned ride needs to have a different set of alloys these days, the Lamborghini Huracan EVO in question features that too. Or that's the idea anyway, as those dual-tone wheels, mixing green and chrome, look different than the OEM ones to us. If anyone's wondering, we'd rather have our Lambo with a nice set of Y-spoke alloys that were fitted during the assembly process, thank you very much. And for what it's worth, with a single hue.1016 Industries, which shared images of this build on their social media earlier this week, hasn't mentioned the oily bits, we can assume that the V10 has remained stock. But fret not, fellow petrolhead, because it is still very punchy. The naturally aspirated 5.2-liter unit produces 631 hp (640 ps/470) at 8,000 rpm, and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque at 6,500 rpm. It works in concert with a dual-clutch seven-speed automatic gearbox directing everything to both axles and enables the 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) acceleration in just 2.9 seconds. Those brave enough can keep pushing it up to over 202 mph (325 kph), which is its official top speed.The Lamborghini Huracan EVO is a little over four years old, and it is a more track-focused version of the Italian brand's entry-level supercar. It features clever aerodynamics, torque vectoring, rear-wheel steering, boosted active suspension, and an advanced traction control system for a racier feel. Its specifications are identical to the Huracan Performante, and for this model, the Sant'Agata Bolognese car marque used to charge just over $260,000 in our market when deliveries commenced. A used copy tends to change hands for under $200,000 in today's used car world, though examples that were treated as garage queens are a bit pricier than that.Lambo's Huracan is about to be dropped, as its successor is due next year, CEO Stephan Winkelmann has confirmed. It will feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain, thus following the same recipe as the Revuelto, aka the Aventador's replacement, and it is yet unknown how powerful it will be. Still, you can look forward to a jaw-dropping amount of horses roaming beneath the skin and more to be added in future special edition models that will gradually join the family.
NHTSA

On March 21, the Dearborn-based automaker was informed of the aforementioned concern by a law enforcement agency. If the integrated computer screen's display is turned off via the display on/off button, the backup camera image doesn't appear on the display.Not only a safety issue, but said condition is a noncompliance with federal motor vehicle safety standard number 111 as well. The Critical Concern Review Group then found out that the Feature Systems engineering team within Ford had already identified this problem in early March 2023 during feature testing.After more testing with the supplier of the integrated computer screen  Lansing-based Lectronix  the safety boffins finally approved a field action. The remedy comes in the form of a software update designed to turn on the display when the gear lever is placed in reverse. Dealers have already been informed of this recall, dubbed 23V-305 as per the's documentation.The affected vehicles were produced for the 2020 through 2022 model years between June 26, 2020 and October 7, 2022. A feature requirements interpretation error is blamed for the recall condition, with the original software of the integrated computer screen failing to override the state of the display from off to on when placing the automatic transmission into reverse gear.According to Ford's NHTSA report, the integrated computer screen  part number AMLB5J -10F884- BB  had been discontinued from series production on October 7, 2022. Law enforcement agencies can expect to receive mailed notifications no later than June 2.Ford's website still shows a 12.1-inch integrated computer screen as being available, most likely a different ICS from the suspect design. Essentially a portrait-oriented touchscreen, the ICS also integrates the SYNC infotainment system. At press time, a grand total of three powerplants can be had in the police-spec Explorer , beginning with a direct-injected 3.3L V6.The second-largest automaker of the Big Three in Detroit also sweetens the deal with a hybrid built around the 3.3L V6 that Ford refers to as Cyclone. As for the final entry, a force-fed V6 with a displacement of 3.0 liters can be specified with 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet (563 Nm) on deck. Those figures may come as familiar because that's the Explorer ST's engine.Codenamed Nano, the 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 rolled out for the 2017 model year in the Lincoln MKZ and Continental. Other applications include the Aviator, Bronco Raptor, and Ranger Raptor. The latter has recently made its debut in US attire. Similar to the Bronco and Bronco Raptor, the 2024 model year Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor are produced for the US market at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne.
Google is bringing a new feature called "Immersive View for Routes" to Google Maps, with the first users to receive it in the summer of this year.If you think you've heard this name before, you're not entirely wrong. Google originally announced Immersive View last year at I/O, and the rollout started a few months ago. In essence, what Immersive View does is to bring together Google Maps data, including Street View, aerial images, historical traffic, and so much more, to create a realistic 3D version of the world.Users can therefore explore certain locations with rich details, such as traffic simulations, weather changes, and day and nighttime. Furthermore, Immersive View can simulate busyiness data, so you'll always get a better picture of how crowded a specific place is at any given time.Now Google is bringing all this data to Google Maps for improved navigation.Immersive View for Routes is essentially a mix of the Immersive View with Google Maps navigation . The feature provides a detailed preview of your route using Immersive View data, letting drivers explore everything from intersections, parking spaces, sidewalks, and pretty much everything else they'll come across on the journey.Furthermore, Immersive View for Routes also simulates traffic and weather conditions using historical driving trends and forecasts. This way, you can tell in advance what you're expected to come across when reaching a specific point along the route.Immersive View for Routes will start rolling out later this summer, with Google planning to bring it to 15 cities, including New York, Miami, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Berlin, and London. The company promises to expand it to more regions, but of course, no further specifics are available at this point. Google will share additional details on the Immersive View expansion closer to launch, most likely later this year.Without a doubt, the new feature uses an insane amount of data, so it'll certainly be interesting to see how the whole thing works on Android devices with limited resources, especially for longer routes. Google Maps could end up feeling rather slow without the necessary resources, as realistic 3D simulations could take plenty of time to load.With this update, Google Maps is once again taking the lead in the navigation space despite the competition in this market getting fiercer. Apple has also brought 3D navigation to Apple Maps , though the company focuses mostly on 3D models without the realistic view powered by Google Maps. Apple's new navigation experience is also rolling out slowly to users across the world.
Korean Marine Corps Commandant Lt. Gen. Kim Gye-hwan, right, and his U.S. counterpart, Gen. David H. Berger, pose for a photo with a hanging scroll bearing Berger's Korean name gifted by the Korea's armed service at its headquarters in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, May 11. Yonhap



The top U.S. Marine commander visited Korea's Marine Corps headquarters Thursday to mark the 70th anniversary of the two countries' alliance and received a Korean name in recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral ties, officials said.



Gen. David H. Berger, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, made the visit to the unit in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, and met with his Korean counterpart, Lt. Gen. Kim Gye-hwan, according to Korea's Marine Corps.



During the visit, the armed service gifted him a Korean name  Beom Maru  to thank him for his efforts for the security of the Korean Peninsula and to develop the Korea-U.S. alliance.



Beom means tiger, while Maru means peak in Korean. The Marine Corps said the name stands for Berger "bravely catapulting the U.S. Marine Corps' to the top like a tiger."



Kim thanked Berger for his efforts to maintain the combined defense posture, while Berger said the ties between the two armed services are stronger than ever and unshakeable, according to the Marine Corps.



The U.S. general arrived in Korea on Wednesday for a three-day trip. (Yonhap)


Why the Soviet Union needed the M-50

The M-50 bomber creates a stunning nuclear bomber hoax

Photo: Reddit

Testing proved that the M-50 was severely underpowered

The M-50 program ends in disgrace

Photo: Old Machine Press

While the hoax was soon exposed, the M-50s development pressed on. But the USA would quickly learn that the M-50 represented no real threat, and only one was ever built and flown. The later M-52, a much more advanced version, never flew after one aircraft was built.The Soviets learned that a next-generation bomber was coming from the USA, an aircraft that would lead to the ill-fated XB-70 program . With the American bomber project looming over them, the Soviet Union knew it had to develop a counterpart. This task fell to the Myasishchev company, which would be asked to build a Mach 2 bomber to counter anything the Americans were building. Myasishchev had already made a bomber aircraft in the form of their subsonic M-4. But this would be a different ballgame altogether.The M-50 would have almost the exact dimensions and weight of the M-4 but feature a slender fuselage and delta wing plus a swept tail. Four engines were chosen, with them mounted in pods under the wings and at the wingtips. A vastly reduced crew to two was also a feature, compared to the eight of the M4, to help keep the weight of the M-50 down. The new bomber promised a giant leap over what came before it. On paper, things definitely looked promising. Its 35-meter delta wing was also the largest ever built. But flight testing didn't go quite as hoped.The M-50 featured eight fuel tanks within the fuselage area, and a pressurized cockpit had downward-firing ejection seats for the pilot and co-pilot. Many of the systems within the M-50 were automated to make the workload more straightforward, and there was even the potential for a remotely operated tail gun to help defend the aircraft. The plan was to have the M-50 capable of carrying nuclear bombs or cruise missiles. When it was finished in 1958, it looked like the Soviet Union had developed a genuinely world-beating aircraft.That same year, the magazine Aviation Week reported that the Soviets were flight-testing the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft. They claimed that multiple credible sources said that the bomber had incredible capabilities, such as the ability to fly around the world multiple times without refueling. Newspapers and news outlets picked up on the story, spreading panic in the USA as to how far the country could have fallen behind. Most Western intelligent experts doubted the claims of the magazine, but the development of the M-50 was still shrouded in mystery. So there was a slim chance the rumors were true. But it was soon exposed as a hoax.It was in 1961 that the M-50 was finally shown off to the public, displayed at that year's Soviet Airshow. But its unveiling left Western observers with even more questions. For starters, the absence of inlet centerbodies on the engines hinted at a lack of any supersonic capabilities.The aircraft's shape wasn't particularly aerodynamic either, with drag something the bomber would suffer from throughout flight testing. Pressure from Soviet leaders saw the development of the M-50 badly compromised, and the aircraft proved a challenge to fly as well as severely underpowered.With effectively the same Dobrynin engines as the M-4, the aircraft simply could not cross the sound barrier. At full power and in a dive, the aircraft could not break Mach 1. The Soviet Union curtailed the development of the aircraft after just 11 test flights, which led to Myasishchev developing the faster, more aerodynamic M-52. But even that wouldn't be enough for Soviet leaders.Before the new M-52 could even take to the skies, the entire project was shelved. Interest in the aircraft had dwindled, and intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles proved a cheaper and quicker way of delivering a nuclear payload. While the M-52 was completed, it never flew, and the program was shelved for good in 1961. Remarkably, the one built M-50 survives to this day, on display at the Monino Aviation Museum.It was certainly one of the most striking-looking aircraft of the Cold War. And it led to fears of a nuclear-powered supersonic bomber that was ultimately nothing more than the work of pure fiction.
So we're now left with a single company going by this name, a not-so-common occurrence in the civilian world, but highly treasured by the military community. Saab AB is what the company is officially called, and it makes anything from surveillance equipment and weapons to full-blown fighter jets.Gripen is what the fighter jet is called, a machine that flew for the first time back in 1988. Since that time, like any other weapons platforms of its kind, it constantly evolved.The current versions of the European fighter jet are called Gripen E, F, and Maritime. The E is a single-seater variant of the plane, the F can accommodate a crew of two, while the Maritime, as the name says, was meant to be flown off the decks of aircraft carriers.The backbone of this rather small fleet is of course the Gripen E, a machine "designed to defeat any adversary." It is powered by a single, modified GE engine that can usually develop 22,000-pounds of thrust, which is more than enough to push the plane to a top speed of Mach 2 (1,534 mph/2,469 kph).The plane comes with ten hardpoints on which weapons and other military gear can be placed, and features a Mauser BK-27 gun that's been around since the 1960s.The Gripen is quite popular with some of the world's national Air Forces, with the plane serving the needs of the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa, Thailand, and the UK. Sweden and Brazil however are the largest operators of Gripen fighter jets.Until this week the Gripen E was fully assembled in Sweden alone, but that changed with the opening of an assembly line in Brazil. The Gripen will be put together from now on in South America as well, rolling on a line at the Embraer planet in Gaviao Peixoto.The facility will first and foremost serve the needs of the Brazilian Air Force. The military branch has been waiting ever since 2014 for 28 Gripen Es and eight Fs to be delivered. Gaviao Peixoto will produce 15 of them, with deliveries expected to begin sometime in 2025. Planes will be put together using aerostructures made in Sweden.The investment, both financial and in terms of training for personnel, is large enough for Saab and Embraer not to limit themselves to that, though. As such, the two have already announced plans for Brazil to become an export hub to Latin America and potentially other regions.
NHTSA

EV

Headlight technology has advanced rapidly in the past two decades, with Xenon and LEDs quickly replacing halogen bulbs. The headlights also got advanced capabilities, such as following the car's trajectory (curve lights). Still, the biggest step was in 2013, when Audi introduced the first LED matrix headlights. Featuring 25 individual LEDs, the "glare-free" headlights could dim or turn off individual LEDs to prevent dazzling the oncoming drivers while blasting full power in other areas.As impressive as the new technology was, it couldn't be deployed in the US because the legislation would not allow it. That changed in February 2022, as theremoved the legal hurdles and allowed LED matrix headlights to operate legally in the US. However, to use LED matrix headlights, carmakers need to get new approval, which is why many carmakers fitted LED matrices but didn't activate them in software. Tesla is among them.All Tesla models, except for the Model X, come equipped with LED matrix headlights, but all the LEDs in the matrix are turned on or off at once. Tesla needs to allow individual control of LEDs (pixels) in software before the more advanced features can be used. The headlights of the Model 3 and Model Y feature 104 LEDs each, allowing for fine light beam control.By individually turning off or dimming LEDs, these headlights can cast a shadow on oncoming vehicles, preventing dazzling their drivers. They can also adapt to the driving conditions, offering better lighting while cornering, in city driving, or on the highways. Still, Tesla doesn't provide software support for these advanced functions, and there's no word of when it might happen. The best representation of what these headlights are capable of is the projection of the word "Tesla" when activating the light show New rumors indicate that themaker is preparing to introduce LED matrix headlights on the Model X, which means that all the cars in its lineup will feature the new technology. The information was confirmed to Not a Tesla App by an unnamed source . This raises hopes that Tesla will finally activate the LED matrix to support adaptive lighting and other advanced functionalities. LED matrix headlights significantly boost nighttime driving safety, offering better road illumination while minimizing glare for other drivers.Recently, Tesla patented "global headlights," which can adapt to requirements in different countries and jurisdictions. Think of it as "software-defined headlights," because their characteristics can be adjusted at a touch of a button to meet regulations for left- or right-hand drive. Tesla could even switch the beams automatically based on the GPS location to match local laws.
NHTSA

kilowatt

kW

EV

Prior to revealing the EX30, the company filed a design patent for the newcomer. Said patent has come to light, revealing pretty much all there is to the exterior of the new utility vehicle, including two headlights bearing the Thor's Hammer signature lighting. The internal combustion-engined XC90 introduced Thor's Hammer to the design language of Volvo Cars back in 2015 for the 2016 model year.There is a common misconception that Volvo is ditching the XC90 this year in favor of the EX90. That's not actually the case, though, because The Swedes intend to make the switch to full electric by 2030. Also worthy of note, the 27 countries that make up the European Union will switch to the Euro 7 emissions standard in 2025. In other words, there are a few years left in the old dog.Coming courtesy of Coche Spias forum member DTM995, the design patent images depicting the EX30 also reveal traditional side mirrors instead of cameras. European legislation allows for digital side mirrors, but alas, therequires all cars and trucks sold in the United States to be equipped with traditional mirrors.The rear end is rather interesting as well, yet one could argue that rear visibility leaves much to be desired because of the rather tall rear hatch and rather small rear window. You might have also noticed the curious lack of wipers. Fret not because wipers aren't included in automotive design patents. Volvo isn't going to make the same mistake as Hyundai, the South Korean automaker which sells a compact electric crossover with no rear wiper. That, however, will change with the introduction of the performance-oriented Ioniq 5 N in July 2023.Under the skin, the smallest crossover yet from the Swedish marque will debut a new platform for Volvo . That platform is called Sustainable Experience Architecture. Shared with the Smart #3, the SEA2 offers a wheelbase no longer than 2,900 millimeters (114.1 inches). The smart #3 has the longest wheelbase yet of all SEA2 models at 2,785 millimeters (109.6 inches).We're looking forward to both a rear-mounted electric motor and a dual-motor setup, as well as battery choices no larger than 66hours. The aforementioned smart #3 cranks out 200 kilowatts (make that 268 mechanical horsepower) in rear-drive form. Level up to the all-wheel-drive Brabus, and the first-ever crossover from smart promises 315(422 hp) on full song.As you'd expect from a European automaker owned by a Chinese automaker, the EX30 will be assembled in the Middle Kingdom, where labor is cheaper. The well-geared supply chain and readily available battery materials greatly favorproduction in the PRC as well.
11 May 2023 13:30 (UTC+04:00)

"Republic of Armenia is intensifying its military provocations against Azerbaijan along the borderline regions," Azernews reports citing a press release by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on further military provocations of Armenia.

"According to the information of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on the evening of May 10, units of the armed forces of Armenia stationed in the direction of Zod carried out a deliberate provocation by subjecting the opposing positions of Azerbaijans Army to fire from various types of small arms, and as a result of this provocation, a serviceman of Azerbaijans Army was severely injured.

Despite the warning to Armenia to stop its provocations and deliberately not aggravate the situation, since the morning of May 11, the armed forces of Armenia have aggravated the situation and subjected the positions of Azerbaijans Army to fire from mortars, as a result of the provocations, one of our servicemen was killed.

Usual occurrence of Armenia's provocations against the backdrop of the intensification of negotiations on a peace agreement, as well as awaited negotiations between the leaders, shows that Armenia is not interested in the peace process. Such actions of Armenia, which undermine the negotiation process, must be seriously rejected and condemned by the international community.

In order to prevent the provocations of Armenia, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan takes all necessary measures.

All responsibility for the deliberate aggravation of the situation lies with the military-political leadership of Armenia," the ministry added.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
11 May 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Akbar Hasanov, Day.az

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan invited Minister of Internal Affairs Vahe Ghazaryan, Secretary General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Ara Fidanyan and other high-ranking officials of law enforcement agencies. What did they talk about, what decisions did they come to? By and large, for Azerbaijan there is no significance. We just don't care anymore. Because Azerbaijan managed to radically change the situation, both by winning the 44-day war, and by strengthening its position in the time that has passed since that great victory.

And this is not what is said only in this article. This is how many Armenian media write. From the latter, they criticize Pashinyan very harshly for his participation in the celebrations in Moscow on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of the Victory in WWII. Armenian authors write that earlier Pashinyan positioned himself as a representative of the "new Armenia". Like, they believed him, hoped that he was leading the country to democracy, Western values. And he, as a result, only increased Armenia's dependence on Russia.

Other Armenian media recall the words of French President Macron about the perception of Armenia as an anti-Russian buffer, that is, a devastated and destroyed territory. In this regard, Armenian authors recalled the words of Boris Gryzlov, when he was chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, that Armenia is Russia's outpost in the Caucasus. You know what's shocking? The fact that the word outpost, in the interpretation of many Armenian media, does not sound offensive, but even kind of laudatory and promising.

Yerevan journalists, in all seriousness, scribble opuses that the outpost has allies, friends, partners, as well as enemies who, based on the military-political balance, do not dare to attack. The buffer is used and thrown away. The buffer is not armed. The buffer is made the subject of a slaughter. A buffer is a bargaining chip that is spent in a big game.

The people of the buffer zone are destined to be subjected to genocide, to become cannon fodder - in the name of the interests and games of others. It was to all this that Nikol Pashinyan gave his consent. This is not a personal opinion. This is what the Armenian media write about, which compete in what is the most correct status this country has. The choice, as we see, is between the most humiliating options.

Armenia is a country that has a personal potential for growth, for gaining at least a number of elements of true independence, it simply does not exist. And this is the logical end of more than thirty years of attempts to build the Armenian present and future on the ideas of replicating myths and endless political and territorial claims against neighboring states.

That is why, taking into account the current actual status of Armenia, and in any case, this is the status of a loser state that is ready to surrender to anyone and at any time, all these gatherings of Pashinyan with his entourage are no longer of interest to anyone in Baku. Our country is implementing its plans, without looking back at what is happening in Yerevan. And this once again proved the today's address to the people of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

He left the liberated Shusha. The one that was under Armenian occupation for 28 years.

"Shusha is a symbol of our Victory, the crown of our Victory," the President truly emphasized.

From May 2 to the present, he was in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, where he carried out many activities, in particular, the foundation was laid for 10 villages.

"Being in Karabakh and East Zangazur for about ten days, I once again see with my own eyes that Karabakh and East Zangazur are being revived, roads, bridges, tunnels, power plants, reservoirs, schools, hospitals, residential buildings, mosques, lines are being laid transmission lines," the President of Azerbaijan said. And it is true. And not only this.

"The greatest dream of the great leader Heydar Aliyev was to see Shusha, Karabakh and Zangazur free from occupation. We made his dream and the dream of the entire Azerbaijani people, Azerbaijanis of the whole world come true," the President stressed.

These were the words of a world-class politician who managed to realize the dream of national leader Heydar Aliyev, the dream of each of us. These were the words of a politician who knows what, when and how to do. For the benefit of an independent, strong, prosperous Azerbaijan, which is realizing its plans, despite the opposition of Armenia's historical allies, who perceive this country either as their outpost or as a buffer.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
11 May 2023 16:43 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

Increasing the number of Azerbaijani satellites is one of the important issues, Azernews reports, citing the Chairman of Azerkosmos, Samaddin Asadov telling at the discussion of the new draft law "On Space Activity", which was discussed at the committee meeting of the Milli Majlis on May 11.

He noted that currently, Azerbaijan has 3 satellites. "Azersky" satellite has already stopped its operation. Increasing the number of satellites is one of the important issues.

The communication system is well developed in our country. We have focused on foreign markets. We have made half a billion manat profit in this area, and 90 percent of our income comes from foreign markets, he said.

Sammadin Asadov noted that 90 percent of the income was generated from abroad.

"Services are provided in dollars and euros. We have supported the flow of foreign currency to the country. The space sector is considered to be profitable and pays for itself," he added.

Samaddin Asadov emphasized that the space activity serves the national interests of Azerbaijan and has commercial purposes.

According to him, all television channels of Azerbaijan and Georgia are broadcasted through Azerbaijani satellites.

He emphasized that Azerbaijan has no dependence on satellites today.

He said that the restoration and construction processes carried out in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur are monitored by satellites.

He reported that the terrestrial station operating a short distance from Baku received an international certificate, and China, Japan and other countries installed their antennas at that station.

The Chairman said that Azerbaijan locates in orbit at the 46th degree meridian. This meridian was claimed by the Malaysian government in the 90s. In other words, Azerbaijan shares this meridian with Malaysia.

The chairman of the agency noted that as a result of favorable cooperation, Malaysia decided to give this resource to Azerbaijan.

"We will finish this process with Malaysia by the end of the year. The 46th degree will be the full position of Azerbaijan. After that, if we want, we will be able to launch 5-6 satellites", said S. Asadov.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
11 May 2023 09:40 (UTC+04:00)

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedow signed the Declaration on Strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the countries, Azernews reports via Trend.

The declaration was signed following the meeting between the two presidents that took place in Dushanbe within the frame of the state visit of Berdimuhamedow to Tajikistan on May 10.

We have just adopted a declaration and advanced the level of relations between our countries to an in-depth strategic partnership. This historic decision meets the fundamental interests of our nations and is one of the important factors in the development and stability of the region, Rahmon said.

Tajik president also noted that during the negotiations the sides reached an agreement to increase the efficiency of the work of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

Within the frame of the meeting, the various aspects of cooperation between the two countries were discussed, including maintaining the regular political dialog at all levels, the activation of inter-parliamentary relations, the development of trade and economic ties, and cooperation in industrial and transport sectors.
11 May 2023 14:00 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

There are less than 3 days left before the start of the general elections that will send the main opposition to history in Turkiye. Voters will head to the polls on May 14, deciding the fate of Turkiyes democracy four months after the heaviest February 6 earthquake which resulted in an unexpected economic blow. At the same time, against the background of some emerging economic tensions, voters in Turkiye seem quite optimistic and are confident in the future under the leadership of the incumbent government.

Speaking to Azernews, Turkish professor from Kocaeli University Irfan Kaya Ulger says under the current circumstances, the anti-Erdogan 6-party table has not gained credible status in the eyes of the electorate, despite their alliance among themselves.

The expert also touched on the current representation of political parties in the parliament adding that the major focus is on the presidential elections.

There are no signs that any political tendency or group will form a majority in the Parliament. Political parties will be represented in the Parliament in proportion to their strength. The representation of small parties in parliament will vary depending on whether they pass the national barrier of 7%. The crucial point is the presidential elections. If one of the candidates gets 50% in the first round, the elections will be held on May 14, 2023. If this is not possible, the second round of elections will be held on May 28, 2023, Ulger said.

According to the Turkish expert, current situation of the main opposition parties seems not so promising to be even near to the winning the elections.

Under the current circumstances, the anti-Erdogan 6-party table has not gained credible status in the eyes of the electorate, despite their alliance among themselves. Voters look at the opposition as a group that has come together on the basis of opposition to Erdogan but has failed to put forward any positive project for the country. In addition, the fact that a party linked to the terrorist organization PKK supports the opposition in the presidential elections leads to the reaction of the masses, the expert opined.

The professor also touched on aspects that can protect Erdogan's charisma. Emphasizing the rapid progress in the country, he pointed out the leaps in Turkiye's domestic and foreign policy in the last ten years.

Despite the successive Covid-19, Ukraine war and the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake, which had a negative impact on Turkiye, Erdogan remains the favorite. Domestically, basic infrastructure investments that have been neglected so far, the progress made in the defense industry, and his determination to protect Turkiye's rights and interests abroad are the most important components of Erdogan's favorite status and appeal. I believe that Erdogan will be successful in the first or second round of the elections, the Turkish pundit underlined.

According to Irfan Kaya Ulger, although the people in Turkiye have a different approach to political parties, there is generally skepticism towards the candidates represented in the opposition. He notes that the people are wary of seeing untested candidates at the head of the state, and for this reason, they have more confidence in Erdogan's government, which has justified itself in power for a long time.

There have been many polls on the election results. Some of these polls show the opposition bloc ahead. However, I do not think they are objective. Erdogan is an expert in winning elections. I am of the opinion that he will influence the undecided voters at the last minute. Because there are many factors affecting the voting behavior of the people in this election. Even in regions that have been known to be CHP (RPP) voters until today, the tendencies in favor of Erdogan are getting stronger. It is easy to react against Erdogan. But when you make an untested person president, you are embarking on an adventure. The opposition's inability to forge a consensus in the face of huge problems, or the belief that it will have difficulties in maintaining its commitment to the announced program, is causing voters to turn back in favor of Erdogan. This is an objective assessment. You can react, fine. But this does not give you confidence, stability and predictability. Therefore, even in unexpected segments, preferences are changing in favor of Erdogan, he noted.

Touching on the economy of Turkiye, Professor Ulger also talked about the future prospects of Turkiye's economy, as well as the growth of its political influence.

Erdogan had a 2023 target. In terms of GNP and per capita income, it was envisaged that by the 100th year of the Republic, per capita income would be 25 thousand dollars. It did not happen due to various internal and external factors. We can count issues such as the influx of refugees after the Arab Spring, the fight against terrorism, the Ukrainian war, Covid-19. There is a delay in this regard, and I believe that if the government continues, this target can be achieved, albeit with a slight delay. Turkiye will continue to strengthen in the defense industry, infrastructure investments and international cooperation. The most important point is this. Under Erdogan's leadership, Turkiye has shown great success in defending its rights and interests in the international arena.

Prof. Irfan Kaya Ulger, who described Turkiye under the rule of the opposition, said that the country can look like a dead body in such a situation. According to him, Turkiye will only play the role of an outpost of the West.

No country in the world can now build a plan without taking Turkiye into account. Under Erdogan's leadership, Turkiye has become the most powerful country in its geography. As an Ottoman successor state, Turkiye cooperates with the West on the one hand, on the other hand it is an Islamic country and has strengthened the Organization of the Islamic Conference. At the same time, Turkiye acted together with the Turkic world and established the Organization of Turkic States. We can say that Turkiye's weight in the international political system has increased under Erdogan to a degree that no one expected. If Erdogan wins again, Turkiye's international reputation will be even stronger. If the opposition wins, a pause seems inevitable. Because they have not been able to put forward a vision other than cooperating with the West, the pundit concluded.

---

Elnur Enveroglu is AzerNews deputy editor-in-chief, follow him on @ElnurMammadli1

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, right, poses with President Yoon Suk Yeol at the presidential office in Seoul, Thursday. Kim was appointed as the de facto chief of a committee tasked with military reform. Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho



Kim Kwan-jin, a former defense minister known as the "soldier most feared by North Korea" because of his zero-tolerance stance against the regime's provocations while in office, has been named the de facto chief of a committee tasked with reforming the South Korean military.



According to President Yoon Suk Yeol's office Thursday, Kim is one of 11 members of the Presidential Committee on Military Innovation. With Yoon as the chairman of the body, Kim is expected to lead the effort to improve the military's capabilities against rising nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.



Addressing Kim as "the vice chairman" at the committee's first meeting, the president called for fundamental reforms, saying the military must build up an overwhelming force that can deter North Korea and, if an armed conflict occurs, completely defeat it.



More specifically, Yoon called on the committee members to enhance reconnaissance and surveillance abilities, develop a more precise strike capability and establish a more effective air-defense system against not just fighter jets but also drones through necessary legal and administrative reforms.



Speaking to reporters Wednesday, an official at the presidential office said Kim, who served also as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and national security adviser, is one of the most qualified, ideal people to play that critical role.



Kim was appointed as defense minister on Dec. 4, 2010, just two weeks after North Korea's shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, off the west coast of South Korea. During his first day on the job, he visited the island despite security concerns after saying to the National Assembly a day earlier that he "will order an air strike" if North Korea makes another such provocation.



He also told the military to take the approach of "shoot first, report later" in a clear warning to North Korea, which refrained from testing weapons or making other major provocations over the next two years.



Kim was apparently hated  and feared  by the regime. Its media showed his photos being used as the targets for gunnery exercises in the North.



But his reputation was tarnished in March 2018 after he was indicted on charges of political meddling and abuse of authority. In October 2022, the Supreme Court struck down a guilty verdict on his alleged abuse of power and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court.






11 May 2023 15:37 (UTC+04:00)

By News Centre

Fatih Donmez, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, met with journalists at the rare earth element facilities. Answering the questions of members of the press, Donmez said, "Free natural gas is approximately TRY40bn ($2.04bn). We will provide a contribution of approximately TRY40bn ($2.04bn) to our citizens for 1 year, including taxes."

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez stated that natural gas activities in the Black Sea have been carried out for about 5 years.

"We have been doing these works for 4-5 years. When we started these studies, we sat down with the press that day, shared it with the public, a discovery was made, and then 2.5 years passed. In the 100th anniversary of the Republic, we brought it to the land. Work on Gabar also started in 2018. We intended to enter Gabar in October, but due to the weather conditions, we could not start drilling. The AK Party makes an opening every month, every year, it is not an election-related thing. We have been here for 20 years, we have done hundreds of projects. Hundreds of works have been brought to the country in transportation, industry, energy, agriculture and many other fields. Because they cannot imagine, they think as if they are all preparing for the election. Kemal Klcdaroglu came to Eskisehir for the rally, and our President came one week before him, and he inaugurated nearly 100 facilities. Kemal Klcdaroglu is also coming to Eskisehir for the first time. In Eskisehir, they have the Metropolitan Municipality, they have the district municipalities, but they could not make one opening. If they have any project let them do opening ceremony as well. From time to time, we see that they open statues, carry taps, that's how it is. But what you call facilities, there must be points that can directly contact our citizens, we say transportation, we say energy, we call defense, mass housing, all of these are our services that directly touch our citizens and have a direct benefit," he said.

Currently, the data of the first wells are very good. After the oil discovered in the Gabar region, can there be a discount in fuel oil? journalists asked the question.

"We are still at the beginning of the work, this is the first exploration well. There were similar questions when we made the first exploration in 2020, we always said that both our nation and our state will benefit from this work, as long as we put the field into production. At the moment, we have not yet started full production, and both our nation and our state will benefit from this work. The amount of oil in Gabar is about 1 billion barrels. Now 2-3 more wells will be drilled to give the full net worth regarding the producible part, currently the first well's data is very good, giving 1300 or even 1500 barrels per day. According to the data obtained from the well, the evaluations of our friends are around 60 percent, they consider that we can produce 60-65 percent of this gross reserve. In the Mediterranean, the work of our Abdulhamid Han Ship continues, we also have the Oruc Reis Seismic Research Ship. Although we have received positive signs from some places, we have not caught any tangible discovery so far. We will continue our searches in our own maritime jurisdictions," he answered.

Answering questions about the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, Donmez announced that the second facility will be established in Sinop and that the location studies for Trakya are continuing.

"We are building the first one in Akkuyu, I hope the second one will be in Sinop. The site determination studies for Trakya are still continuing. We also want to prepare the site, because in such large projects, ground surveys, environmental impacts, site-related use permits are still in progress. and so on, these are really years-consuming tasks anyway. On the one hand, we are preparing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, the ground surveys and the processes related to the usage rights of the land, as if the power plant will start tomorrow. Let's not waste time when we reach any agreement. After May 14, these projects will continue anyway. Because this is not the changing policies from minister to minister. We have a President who, from the very beginning, sees being independent in energy as one of the most important means of being a strong Turkiye. Even if we are not, our friends who will come after us will undoubtedly continue these projects and investments, I am not worried. But I don't know if other people come if we don't. They have many commitments, we will stop the nuclear power plant, even now their new partners say that there is no need for such dams, they are even against wind farms, it is difficult to predict what they will do. Obviously, maazallah (Allah forbid) dark days await us. If you turn them off, where will you generate electricity? do they? They can, because their mayor got up and held a groundbreaking ceremony in Istanbul, and to top it all off, he filled the station in another subway station; they are feared. They can even put concrete in our oil wells," he said.

We will contribute TRY40bn with free natural gas Donmez spoke about free use after the natural gas discovered in the Black Sea. Stating that they have contributed TRY40bn to the citizens for 1 year, Donmez said, "Free natural gas is approximately TRY40. We will provide a contribution of approximately TRY40bn to our citizens for 1 year, including taxes. There is a statement under the bills. 'Dear subscriber, our President has received it. Your invoice amount for this month has been paid by the state within the scope of the regulations in force. (DHA)

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
11 May 2023 15:18 (UTC+04:00)

By News Centre

Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar stated that some parties promised "autonomy" to terrorists and said, "Autonomy means division. This is the trick on their minds. They promised. The foresight of our nation will not allow this. On May 14, everyone will protect their homeland, nation, flag, and Republic, Hulusi Akar said.

AK Party Kayseri deputy candidate Hulusi Akar met with the tradesmen at the event organized by the Chamber of Auto Craftsmen, visited the factories in the Organized Industrial Zone, and met with the workers.

Hulusi Akar, who was met with great interest, stated that essential results were obtained in the studies carried out for a great and powerful Turkiye, and great progress was made.

Drawing attention to the point reached and the problems solved, Hulusi Akar said, "We have come to solve the problems so far, I hope we will continue to solve the problems from where we left off."

Noting that they are working so that everyone can live in safety and prosperity, Hulusi Akar said, "Turkiye is one, our country is one, our nation is one, 85 million are one, so we have continued our efforts to grow and strengthen our country with one heart and one fist, without separation and indifference. I hope we will achieve this."

Noting that the Mehmetchik's [Turkish soldier] fight against terrorism continues with determination, Hulusi Akar said:

"Mehmetchik is chasing terrorists. The camps used by terrorists in northern Iraq were destroyed on their heads and continue to be destroyed. The corridor that terrorists tried to establish in northern Syria was shattered, the terrorists were buried in the pits they dug, and they continue to be buried. Our only target is terrorists. We don't have a problem with his identity. A total of 85 million, first-class citizens of the Republic of Turkiye. There is no separation. Some are trying to bring mischief into us. It has no validity. The terrorist organization PKK is never the representative of our Kurdish brothers. Turks and Kurds are brothers, 85 million are one and together. We will not be part-time."

"It's a matter of survival"

Expressing that the leaders of terrorism "hope for help" in the elections on May 14, Akar said, "This nation's foresight will not allow it. Because it is a matter of survival. It is a matter of security for a growing and powerful Turkiye. What do some parties promise to terrorists? They say, 'Autonomy'. Autonomy means division. This is the trick on their minds. They promised them. The foresight of our nation will not allow this. On May 14, everyone will take care of their homeland, nation, flag, and Republic."

Emphasizing that they have problems with those who do not distance themselves from terrorist organizations, Akar said, "They were side by side with terrorists, they got on the same boat. They are with terrorists. They promised them. How do they know? Terrorists say, 'If you don't do what we say, we will ask you to account for it after the election.' That means they made a promise. They remind us that we should not break our unity and solidarity, and we should not lose our gains in the fight against terrorism."

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 99F. W winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low around 65F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High 98F. Winds SSE at less than 5 mph, becoming W and increasing to 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear skies. Low around 65F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.
China makes active efforts to promote cultural relics conservation in Asia

13:19, May 11, 2023 By Zhang Danhua, Du Yifei ( People's Daily

As an important cradle of human civilizations, Asia has nurtured and is home to an immeasurable wealth of cultural heritage, writing a splendid chapter in the annals of world civilizations.

However, natural disasters, such as earthquakes, as well as climate change, urbanization, regional conflicts, capital and human resource shortage, and insufficient management have placed Asia's conservation of cultural heritage in an unprecedentedly complex situation.

In May 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed for making efforts to conserve cultural heritage in Asia at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, saying China is ready to work with other countries to protect Asian cultural heritage and better preserve and sustain Asian civilizations.

Members of a Chinese archaeological team work in an excavation site in Pakistan. (File photo)

Now four years on, all parties have made active response and concerted efforts, carried out practical cooperation in the fields of research on ancient civilizations, joint archaeology, relics repair, exchanges between museums and more, and thus Asia has made new contribution to conserving the essence of human civilizations.

Last month, the first General Assembly of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia was held in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province. It was joined by 150 representatives from three international organizations and 21 countries including Pakistan.

At the assembly, the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia was officially launched and a joint declaration on cultural heritage protection in Asia released.

According to the declaration, parties involved should carry out wide cooperation on promoting urban and rural cultural heritage conservation, joint archaeology, relics repair, combating illicit trafficking of cultural property, development of cultural heritage conservation technologies and training of young talents, based on the principles of mutual respect, equality, inclusiveness, opening and mutual learning.

Since Xi proposed for making efforts to conserve cultural heritage in Asia in 2019, China and other Asian countries have implemented a series of projects of the cooperation on cultural heritage conservation.

People visit the "Gandhara Heritage along the Silk Road" exhibition held at the Palace Museum in Beijing. (People's Daily Online/Du Jianpo)

For instance, Art Exhibitions China has hosted the "Three Kingdoms Unveiling the Story" exhibition in Japan; the Palace Museum, in cooperation with relevant departments in Pakistan, has launched the "Gandhara Heritage along the Silk Road" exhibition in the Forbidden City.

Besides, Chinese professionals of archaeology and relics repair have participated in joint archaeology and conservation activities in different countries and regions in Asia. China has signed cooperation documents on cultural heritage conservation with Pakistan and South Korea, and launched senior online training programs on the conservation of stone relics together with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Nasir Khan, deputy head of the Department of Archaeology and Museums of the National Heritage and Culture Division of Pakistan, noted that China has always helped Pakistan train professionals and shared with the latter its technological experiences of cultural relics conservation. China has offered opportunities for Pakistani professionals of cultural relics conservation to host exhibitions in China, which is conducive to introducing Pakistani culture to a larger group of audience.

At present, the "Gandhara Heritage along the Silk Road" exhibition is currently held at the Palace Museum in Beijing. Fareena Mazhar, Secretary of the National Heritage and Culture Division of Pakistan, called the exhibition an achievement of the joint efforts made by China and Pakistan.

She said the exhibition is a great outcome of China-Pakistan cultural exchanges and has received wide attention.

People visit the "Gandhara Heritage along the Silk Road" exhibition held at the Palace Museum in Beijing. (People's Daily Online/Du Jianpo)

According to statistics, China has launched 11 relics repair projects in cooperation with Cambodia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan over the past four years.

Besides, China has also carried out 33 joint archaeological projects with 19 countries including the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, which involved the studies of major civilization routes and systems such as the land and maritime Silk Road.

China has always been active, practical, open and professional in advancing the shared mission of cultural heritage protection in Asia, and has launched wide and effective cooperation with other Asian countries, said Li Qun, vice minister of culture and tourism and head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

China will share relevant technologies with other countries and offer technological services in cultural heritage protection for members of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia in relics conservation and repair, joint archaeology, safety of heritage sites and other sectors.

Besides, China will provide training sessions for at least 50 cultural heritage workers from other Asian countries over the next three years, promote exchanges on technologies, philosophies and practices of cultural heritage conservation in Asia and build young professional teams of Asian cultural heritage protection.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
Ra Deok-yeon, a key suspect in a large-scale stock manipulation case, speaks in an interview with Yonhap News TV in Seoul, in this May 1 photo. Yonhap



The head of an investment consulting firm was arrested Thursday for suspected stock manipulation that has shaken the local financial markets.



The Seoul Southern District Court issued an arrest warrant for Ra Deok-yeon, the head of an unregistered investment consulting firm, citing the risk of him destroying evidence and fleeing.



Prosecutors had filed for the writ late Wednesday and the court held a detention hearing earlier in the day.



Ra's firm was at the center of the recent collapse of stock prices of nine companies, including energy firm Samchully and Seoul City Gas.



The stocks of the nine listed companies had steadily risen for years before nose-diving late last month following mass sell-offs through SG Securities Korea Co., the local branch of the Societe Generale Group of France.



About 1,000 investors are said to have suffered a huge loss estimated to be between 800 billion won ($606 million) and 1 trillion won.



The 42-year-old Ra is suspected of having manipulated the prices of the stocks through an "order matching" technique after taking over mobile phones and personal information from investors.



Prosecutors believe that Ra and those involved in the scheme pocketed 264 billion won in unfair profits by manipulating the stock prices, half of which, or some 132 billion won, was taken in the name of commission.



Ra is also accused of concealing part of the investment proceeds and evading taxes through his business entities, and running an unregistered investment consulting business. (Yonhap)




Small Coos Bay Vessel Cited for Violating Bar Restrictions - S. Oregon Coast

Published 04/27/23 at 6:22 AM

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Astoria, Oregon)  The U.S. Coast Guard office in Astoria released a statement Wednesday that they issued a Notice of Violation to a recreational vessel this week, after the operator disregarded restrictions on crossing the Bar at Coos Bay. (Above Coos Bay, courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more)

Bar restrictions along Oregon coast bays are sometimes put in place at the discretion of the USCG due to inclement weather conditions or unruly seas, otherwise known as bar conditions. The Captain of the Port for the Coast Guard has jurisdiction over these situations and may even close the bar completely.

In this case, on Tuesday there were restrictions in place for any craft smaller than 36 feet in length. The citation happened at 12:07 p.m., and after the same operator was contacted and turned back the previous day during such conditions, the USCG said.

Coos Bay station watchstanders attempted to hail the 23-foot vessel on marine-band radio on Tuesday as it headed out, but it did not respond. Crews then launched a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat to make contact with the vessel and to conduct a safety inspection.

The same boater was contacted Monday by station personnel who educated him on the dangers of Oregon coast bars and how to obtain Bar Restriction information after he was detected near the same restricted bar, the USCG said.

Lt. Cmdr. Colin Fogarty, the Enforcement Chief at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River, said the Oregon coast is home to some of the most dangerous waters in the world. Such restrictions not only save the lives of the boat operators but also their passengers  as well as any who have to rescue them.



Courtesy USCG

The operator of the recreational boat was fined $3,000.

The Coast Guard has no tolerance for knowingly crossing restricted bars. $3,000 is a lot of money to pay for a crab, but its cheaper than the life of a mariner or their passengers," Fogarty said.

Oregon coast and Washington coast mariners can check for bar restrictions by checking https://www.weather.gov/pqr/AllBars, listening to radio channel 1610 AM, or contacting the local Coast Guard station by phone or VHF-FM radio channel 16.

Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours





MORE PHOTOS BELOW

























Photos courtesy Oregon's Adventure Coast

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....



Coastal Spotlight



Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
A Curious Contest: Bake a Crab-Looking Cake, Win Stays in S. Oregon Coast's Coos Bay Area

Published 04/30/23 at 4:52 AM

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Coos Bay, Oregon) - Crab cakes are for crabs and sweet cakes are for bakers. Or at least that's the way it's supposed to be. Unless you're considering what's going on in one south Oregon coast area. (Photos above courtesy Oregon's Adventure Coast)

The triad of towns known as the Coos Bay Area - North Bend, Coos Bay and Charleston - have come up with a unique way of combining the two. And it's all in the name of getting a free stay in this dynamic region. It's at once goofy and cool: you bake a sweet cake in the shape of a crab, and if you win, you get a vacation there, essentially a prize that allows you to enjoy the town and its beaches.

They are not talking about crab cakes: they are talking about cakes in the shape of a crab  a representation of those crawly, crustacean things in the ocean. The Coos Bay area's tourism group, Oregon's Adventure Coast, Is hosting what's called the Claw-Some Crab Cake Bake-Off.

Picture the Great English Baking Show combined with the southern Oregon coast town. Essentially, you bake some new and whimsical creation, showing off your baking skills, and then you take a picture and video of your culinary masterpiece.

This is the first installment of what they hope to be an annual thing, said Oregon's Adventure Coast executive director Janice Langlinais.

This is our first Annual Claw-Some Crab Cake Bake Off, Langlinais told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. We are looking forward to seeing all the crabby-themed cakes all the very creative bakers out there will come up with. Amateurs and professional Bakers are encouraged to enter.

Basically, you do this from your home. You don't have to drive to the Coos Bay Area, cake in hand or maybe melting in the back of your car. You simply have to show it show it off digitally.

Again, Oregon's Adventure Coast reminds you this is a baking contest. It's not about crab cakes. Putting seafood into a real cake? Yuck. You're using all the usual ingredients of one of those big, sweet, round confectionery delights, made up of flour eggs flavorings and some sort of icing. It's not a crab dish - it's a bakery thing. Aside from that the sky is the limits. Let your creative flag fly. Come up with something wild and kooky. In fact, that will help you get the free stay.

Who can enter? Anyone who is capable of baking. Kids and adults of any age range can participate, both experienced and inexperienced. There is an amateur category and a professional category. You can also work with a team, however the prize will only be given to one individual, Oregon's Adventure Coast to said.

For the amateur category, you have kids age 10 to 17, then adults age 18 and over. In the professional category, you have a section for those training, such as in culinary schools; and those who are professional bakers.

The judging criteria involves looking for the most creative interpretation that utilizes a crab in some way, a good Oregon coast twist to the whole thing, and overall creativity.

Other rules include: they cannot take physical cakes, only photos and videos. Each entry must include a video of someone taking a bite and cutting the cake. That's to make sure it is actually edible. You'll also have to list what you put in this truly sweet thang.

"Appearance and creativity are paramount, but understanding the ingredients used will also be considered," they said.

Prizes will be given to both the amateur and professional categories. The first prize winner in both gets a trip for two to the Coos Bay area, which includes a two-night stay, meal vouchers and more swag from Oregon's Adventure Coast. Second and third place winners in both categories will get goody baskets filled with the treats of the area.

You click on the link here to enter and see the full rules. Enter by June 30. Winners are announced in July and prizes given shortly after that.

Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours





MORE PHOTOS BELOW













Photos below courtesy Oregon's Adventure Coast













More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....



Coastal Spotlight



Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
Police logo is seen in this file photo. Yonhap



A Korean-Chinese man allegedly enraged by an internet gambling loss went on a stabbing spree in a working-class neighborhood, southwest of Seoul, earlier this week, killing two people and seriously injuring a third, police said Thursday.



The suspect, a 39-year-old Chinese national of Korean descent, was apprehended by police after committing the murders at a permanent rental apartment in Siheung, 26 kilometers from Seoul, at around 8 p.m. Wednesday.



He reportedly began the stabbing spree after losing about 1.6 million won ($1,203) in online gambling earlier that day, on top of a cumulative loss of about 80 million won.



The first victim, a man in his 40s, is said to have introduced the suspect to internet gambling and they gambled together before, according to the Gyeonggi Siheung Police Station. The man was badly wounded.



The suspect, allegedly frustrated after believing the first victim was dead, stabbed two other apartment residents  women in their 60s and 70s  against whom he claims to have harbored ill feelings, the police station said. The two women died.



Police said the suspect entered South Korea in 2010 and acquired Korean permanent residency the following year.



The suspect who has no particular job has been living in the Siheung apartment rented by a relative of Korean nationality since last October. (Yonhap)


N. Oregon Coast's Manzanita and Seaside Get New All-Terrain Wheelchairs

Published 04/27/23 at 5:22 AM - Updated 04/27/23 at 5:42 PM

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Manzanita, Oregon)  The north Oregon coast burghs of Manzanita and Seaside have just become even more accessible to those with mobility issues. Tillamook Coast, Tillamook County's tourism group, has just acquired a new all-terrain electric track chair, bringing the total of beach wheelchairs available to the public there to two. Seaside just added one of these unique rovers as well.

They are not called wheelchairs, however - they are track chairs.

Nan Devlin, executive director of Tillamook Coast, said this came with the help of Oregon Parks Forever and a group called David's Chair, a non-profit that assists in getting all-terrain chairs for those in need. There was also another benefactor involved in the pricey acquisition.

A donor named Vincent Saulino paid for the chair in Manzanita because his wife, who was very accomplished and an outdoors person, contracted a rare disease that was very debilitating, Devlin said. She couldn't walk after awhile. So this donor heard about David's Chair and donated it to Manzanita, a favorite beach destination of hers.

David's Chair has been extensively involved in getting these electric track chairs to Oregon, especially on the coast. This has included individuals from Brookings as well as other beach towns and inland areas. This particular chair is from a company called Action Trackchair, creating special vehicles that can wander on not just sand but into pools of water and over rocky shores as well. This opens up much more mobility than even the other sand wheelchairs, such as at the cobblestones you might find at the very northern edge of Manzanita.

Manzanita Visitor Center staff recently trained with the vehicle, and now they are available to borrow, free of charge. You do need to make a reservation, however, done through Davids Chair for both towns. The other beach chairs around the coast are reserved through the individual towns.

Devlin said this brings the total of beach wheelchairs to nine in the county, with two at Pacific City, and one each at Nehalem Bay State Park, in Rockaway Beach, at Barview Jetty Park, at Garibaldi (for tent events) and at Cape Lookout State Park.

The David's Chair group has an interesting background story.



Courtesy Action Trackchair

It is named after David Hatrick, who, after a few months of decreasing mobility, discovered he had ALS. As an avid outdoorsman, he sorely missed hunting, fishing and simply enjoying nature. Getting hold of one the Action Trackchairs was hardly financially feasible with the cost at $20,000, but he and a few friends put on a fundraiser and achieved the goal.

However, Hatrick knew he was going to pass away soon  and he did just 11 months after the diagnosis. With friend Steve Furst they formed David's Chair. Through that organization, they had planned to put David's chair to use with someone else when he was gone. Since 2018, they have helped numerous people get such a chair, especially by reserving one.

For the David's Chairs in Seaside and Manzanita, make reservations at Davids Chair or call 503-812-5510. In Manzanita, the Davids Chair is available from 11:30 am - 12:45 pm and 1:15 pm - 2:30 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. See https://tillamookcoast.com/mobility/

For using the other beach wheelchair in Manzanita, contact the Manzanita Visitors Center.

Tillamook Coast promised more help to come in the future.

As we get funding, well be adding other mobility equipment to help more people enjoy outdoor recreation, they said on their website.

In Rockaway Beach, contact Troxels Gem and Jewelry Store. They also have a childs beach wheelchair and a beach walker. Call or text 541-418-2842 or email rockawayrocks@gmail.com

In Pacific City, contact Inn at Cape Kiwanda: https://www.capekiwandarvresort.com/amenities-rentals/

At Nehalem Bay State Park: 503-812-0650 Ext. 20, or stop by the park ranger station

At Cape Lookout State Park: 503-842-3182 Ext. 221 or stop by the park ranger station

At Barview Jetty County Campground: 503-322-3522 or stop by the campground entry station

Hotels in Manzanita, Wheeler - Where to eat - Manzanita, Wheeler Maps and Virtual Tours





MORE PHOTOS BELOW





















More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....



Coastal Spotlight



Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
One Deceased in Harrowing Fall, Rescue on S. Oregon Coast - Near Brookings

Published 04/30/23 at 11:22 PM

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Brookings, Oregon)  A heartwrenching tragedy took place last week on the south Oregon coast, when three youngsters and an adult male strayed onto the wrong trail trying to get to Secret Beach, and it ended with the father deceased and one child with sizable injuries. (All photos courtesy Curry County Sheriff's Office, Gold Beach)

Curry County Sheriff John Ward released the information last week, describing a five-and-a-half-hour rescue situation that brought in a variety of agencies and responders, happening on April 22. The incident has created an outcry on south Oregon coast social media for some false trails in the area to be clearly marked as such and cordoned off.

Ward said it started when a family of four from Grants Pass and a juvenile friend started out at the wrong trailhead in an attempt to reach Secret Beach, a famed south coast spot that is anything but a secret. Brookings Police Department received the initial 911 call and transferred it to Curry County Sheriff's authorities. Grants Pass resident Jordan Acord was reporting her two kids, husband Ryan Acord and another child had fallen off a cliff at Secret Beach. [Secret Beach is Ironically Famous on South Oregon Coast | Video]





Medical and fire personnel were joined by Curry County sheriff officers and a Search and Rescue team, discovering quickly the four had actually tumbled off a cliff near the Spruce Island View Point, just a bit north of Secret Beach, near mile post 345.

Law Enforcement located the Acords vehicle at the Spruce Island View Point and then located the trail they went in on, Sheriff Ward said in a release.  A couple of first responders rappelled to the beach and located both eight-year-old Nolan Haptonstall and thirty-six-year-old Ryan Acord.





Responders found Acord deceased on the remote beach, which was some 200 feet below the trail. Haptonstall was treated on the scene. Meanwhile, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter had finally arrived after being delayed by foggy weather. The helicopter lowered a swimmer onto the beach, who was able to secure the child and have him airlifted to Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach. Later he was flown by Air Reach to OHSU in Portland. The father's body was eventually released to a local funeral home.

The other two children, 8-year-old Liam Stidham and 12-year-old Kade Acord were discovered by the rappel team. Acord was discovered to be in a very precarious position.

Acord, who had fallen off the upper portion of the trail, was hanging onto a small tree stopping him from falling the rest of the way, Ward said. [He] was transported by Cal Or Life Flight Ambulance to Curry General hospital where he was attended to and released to his mother.

Stidham was not seriously injured and soon joined his mother. Haptonstall reportedly has some serious injuries but is expected to fully recover.

Ward said in another Facebook post that the four had somehow managed to get onto the wrong trail and made a terrible decision that resulted in this situation. Ward agreed with others on Facebook that some trails there are in need of being closed off and / or containing warning signage.

Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours





MORE PHOTOS BELOW













More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....



Coastal Spotlight



Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
Archived Results for Thursday, May 11th, 2023

Older Page 1
This post appears here courtesy of the The Daily Wire . The author of this post is Daily Wire News Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) said that the island nation of Taiwan is not where it needs to be in terms of having the capabilities that it needs to repel an invasion from communist China.McCaul made the remarks during a Saturday interview on NBC'sthat aired on Easter Sunday.McCaul's remarks came as other top Republican lawmakers also warned on Sunday shows that the U.S. needed to increase its support of Taiwan to prevent a war from breaking out with China.McCaul said.McCaul, echoing recent remarks made by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), added that it was in the best interests of the U.S. and the world that Russia loses its war in Ukraine because that alone would serve as a strong deterrent against China invading Taiwan.McCaul said.WATCH:TRANSCRIPT:
This post appears here courtesy of the The Daily Wire . The author of this post is Brandon Drey U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken formally declared on Sunday that Russian authorities had wrongfully detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, giving federal officials additional resources to secure his release.Blinken announced the official classification involving Gershkovich, who was arrested last week on accusations of espionage by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). The category gives control to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State Department to handle the situation.Vedant Patel, a State Department spokesperson, told NBC in a statement.Blinken spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week, calling for theof Gershkovich, and Paul Whelan, a U.S. Marine veteran detained in the country since 2018.On March 29, in the first arrest of an American journalist on espionage charges since 1986, Gershokovich was detained in Yekaterinburg, located in the Ural Mountains, while on a reporting trip, according to The Wall Street Journal.Russian Foreign Ministry claimed the United States was politicizing Gershokovich's detention, saying,the foreign ministry said.Russia has yet to provide any evidence for the allegations against Gershkovich but claimed he wasAccording to The New York Times, Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison. The Wall Street Journalthe allegations, as did Gershkovich in a court appearance last week.Whelan is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence in a penal colony on espionage charges, accusations which Whelan denies and the U.S. government says are baseless.President Joe Biden recently told reporters that his message to Russia regarding Gershkovich was
Republicans hold governorships and legislative majorities in 22 states, compared to 17 for Democrats and 11 states in which government is divided. Yet, GOP-run states often do not implement policies aligned with their party as Democrat-led states often do. The following is the first in a four-part series on Republican-dominated state legislatures and how they govern.In January, some members of the House Freedom Caucus refused to vote for Kevin McCarthy as House speaker unless he promised concessions. They won. Now, the staunchly conservative group is expanding into an area where they could make a far larger difference: Red states where laws can be passed without support from Democrats.The State Freedom Caucus Network has rapidly taken root in 11 states, promising to make sure that states where Republicans have a mandate legislate like it. While their House counterparts have been criticized as obstructionist - failing to understand the need for compromise in a closely matched body - that criticism doesn't apply in deep-red states, where the question becomes why are Republicans compromising with Democrats.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has attracted national attention with bold policies, but Florida is not a historically red state. DeSantis won his first election by less than one percent. As of 2021, 64% of statehouse seats in Florida were held by Republicans - ranking it 20th in terms of Republican control, barely above average.States like Wyoming, the Dakotas, Idaho, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Utah dwarfed Florida in terms of actual Republican control, with 90% of seats in Wyoming occupied by Republicans. Even Ohio had more Republican control than Florida, according to 2021 data from the National Council of State Legislatures.For years, there has been little national media coverage of state politics, so residents of red states might hear little about what's going on in their capitals, good or bad.But with Florida in the headlines on a weekly basis for making moves - in recent weeks Florida passed constitutional carry, a six-week abortion ban, and school choice - residents of the 19 states that are redder than Florida are increasingly wondering why they're not hearing about similarly bold moves in their state.That's triggering what might be called a Ron Revolution, with lawmakers in other states seeking to follow the blueprint created by DeSantis. The Florida governor welcomes that, sayingThe State Freedom Caucus Network in some ways has DeSantis in its DNA. As a congressman from 2013-2018, DeSantis was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus. The Network is led by Andrew Roth, a former Club for Growth executive, alongside Justin Ouimette, the House group's former executive director.Roth told The Daily Wire.In much the same way that conservatives long ignored school boards, assuming they didn't matter and that the ones where they live were probably in good hands - before coronavirus school shutdowns showed them that none of that was true - strategists say a similar awakening is afoot when it comes to state-level politics.The importance of states is two-fold: First, many have Republican majorities or supermajorities allowing them to actually implement policies, instead of just arguing about them in the abstract, as is more likely to happen in Washington. Second, states are more powerful than many give them credit for, having authority under the Constitution to oversee every power not specifically granted to the federal government.Roth said.Roth said his group has already notched numerous wins, with the Idaho Freedom Caucus killing a student-loan forgiveness program pushed by Republican Gov. Brad Little, and the Arizona Freedom Caucus helping torpedo the Democrat governor's nominee for state health director over her stance on closing schools. Mississippi's chapter pressured the speaker to cancel a fundraiser supporting a pro-abortion former Democrat, he said.In Idaho, a school boardBut after Attorney General Raul Labrador, a former congressman who was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, weighed in, the school board paused their decision, he said.One recent night, state lawmakers gathered in a Washington, D.C. townhouse to prepare for the launch of the network's newest chapter in Louisiana.Beryl Amedee, a second-term Louisiana legislator, told The Daily Wire.The network's staff on the ground there will be run by Connie Hair, the former chief of staff for Rep. Louie Gohmert, a member of the House Freedom Caucus who left Congress to pursue a Texas state office.Hair expects to get much more done in Louisiana than she could in Washington. "We can't solve this at the federal level. We need people doing it at the state level," she told The Daily Wire.But there is also a problem: Few residents pay attention to state-level politics, and therefore, no one holds Republican lawmakers accountable when they fail to reflect the views of their constituents. Most residents couldn't even name their state rep - they simply assume that if they have the right party signifier behind their name, they're worthy of re-election.Alan Seabaugh, a Louisiana legislator since 2010, said he doesn't want to attack his fellow Republicans, he simply wants Louisiana voters to know how they're behaving. After one vote,he said.One reason Republican states fail to successfully execute conservative policy is that being a state lawmaker is often a part-time position with little in the way of staffing. That's where the Freedom Caucus will come in, providing outside experts to perform services like poring through lengthy bills to evaluate which ones are good and which ones may have problematic clauses tucked in.It can also make sure that bills are drafted in a detailed manner that makes sure they won't be easily circumvented, as has happened with some efforts to ban CRT in schools.Roth said.Ensuring that Republicans have counterpoints to states like California - which is not only dominated by Democrats in the legislature, but also routinely implements far-Left policy - could offer a pressure relief valve from the tensions of modern U.S. politics, allowing people to choose to move to places that will predictably be governed in a way that aligns with their values.Thomas Bradbury, director of advocacy and policy at the American Conservative Union, told The Daily Wire.And in an era where few are still persuadable by political rhetoric, the way a party governs when they have control of a state is important because it's a chance for voters to see whether those policies work with their own eyes.Residents in purple states can look at the real-world outcomes in states that are governed with bold conservative visions versus bold liberal visions, and see which one worked out better. If states are the laboratories of democracy, that amounts to evaluating the outcome of the experiment.That's an experiment that worked out well for conservatives in places like Florida's Miami-Dade County, a Democrat stronghold that voted for DeSantis last year. Prior to his election, they might have believed ads that portrayed DeSantis in overblown terms. But after four years of enacting policies, they could judge him on outcomes, not rhetoric.Bradbury said.
increasing the reach of NCDHHS' nutrition programs;

building connections between health care and nutrition supports; and

increasing breastfeeding support and rates.

NC Department of Health and Human Services

2001 Mail Service Center

Raleigh, NC 27699-2001

Ph : (919) 855-4840

: (919) 855-4840 news@dhhs.nc.gov

About 1.2 million North Carolinians, or nearly 11% of the state's population, don't know where their next meal is coming from. To ensure North Carolina children, families and older adults have enough food and good nutrition, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released the NCDHHS State Action Plan for Nutrition Security. This plan is part of the department's larger strategic goal to support child and family well-being.Multiple programs currently exist to meet this goal, including Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Medicaid. The action plan leverages those programs to cohesively support whole-person health, brings together efforts by various divisions across NCDHHS and builds upon significant initiatives already implemented by NCDHHS during the pandemic. Programs include the successful Pandemic-EBT program, which has issued more than $2.3 billion in benefits to more than 1.6 million students across North Carolina.The action plan outlines an innovative, multi-pronged strategy to decrease the number of North Carolinians currently experiencing food insecurity. Actions include:said NCDHHS Chief Deputy Secretary for Opportunity and Well-Being Susan Gale Perry.NCDHHS' vision is for North Carolina children to be healthy and thrive in safe, stable and nurturing families, schools and communities. NCDHHS recognizes that access to nutritious food is foundational for overall health and well-being. Over 18 months from 2023-2024, the plan will guide implementation of initiatives that will increase enrollment in FNS, WIC and Medicaid; improve the beneficiary and caseworker experience in the FNS and WIC programs; leverage North Carolina's robust network of community partners who connect residents to services; and stand up a statewide breastfeeding hotline. These activities are grounded in metrics and milestones designed to decrease hunger and food insecurity in North Carolina's children and adults.With the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ending on May 11, many federal policies that expanded eligibility and benefits during the pandemic for nutrition programs will end. NCDHHS is acting to ensure eligible families can enroll and remain enrolled in programs that support nutrition and overall well-being. Initiatives already underway include a pilot initiative to send text messages to help eligible families enroll in WIC. Guided by the action plan, NCDHHS is moving with urgency to address nutrition security for all North Carolinians at this critical time.To create the action plan, NCDHHS worked closely with Benefits Data Trust (BDT), a national nonprofit that improves health and financial security by harnessing the power of data, technology and policy to provide eligible families and individuals with efficient access to assistance.said Trooper Sanders, CEO of Benefits Data Trust.Since 2017, BDT has operated the North Carolina Benefits Center in partnership with NCDHHS to help eligible North Carolinians connect to FNS benefits.
RANDOM SHOTS MAY 10, 2023

If I were the Devil.

Paul Harvey wrote this years ago and I have taken the liberty of taking part of his presentation to offer a parallel to our present time.

If I were the Prince of Darkness, I would want ingulf the whole earth in darkness.

I would begin with a campaign of whispers.

To the young I would whisper "The Bible is a myth." I would convince them that "man created God," instead of the other way around. I would confide that"what is bad is good and what is good is square."

I'd educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull, uninteresting.

I'd threaten TV with dirtier movies, and vice-versa.

I'd peddle narcotics to whom I could, I'd sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction, I'd tranquilize the rest with pills.

If I were the Devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions; let those run wild.

I'd designate an atheist to front for me before the highest courts and I'd get preachers to say, "She's right."

With flattery and promises of power I would get the courts to vote against God and in favor of pornography.

Thus, I would evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, then from the Houses of Congress.

Then in his own churches I'd substitute psychology for religion and deify science.

If I were Satan I'd just keep doing what I'm doing and the whole world go to hell as sure as the Devil.

I could not help but reflect on this as I have read some of the articles in the Washington Daily News, My Turn. When the CRT debacle first started there was an article by Culpepper saying its origin was East Carolina University. What nonsense. Now we have a recent MY Turn by NC Newsline reporter Greg Childress headlined, House Dumps Item Bill Allowing Beaufort County Schools To Use Controversial History Curriculum.

Not correct. Hillsdale College History Curriculum is only controversial to the wokey Left loonies that wish to continue to rewrite history and further divide our nation. Because this college does not take any federal funds it is able to publish and promote fact-based history that is not colored with the division of race or nationality. Apparently, this is not what Mr. Childress wants to hear.

Then the article goes on to have Superintendent Mathew Cheeseman chime in to cover his tracks with staying in the middle by saying that the district never requested legislation to allow it to use the curriculum. That part is correct. It was not requested by the district. It was requested by the constituents of Keith Kidwell. Cheeseman would never rock the boat with the DPI or DPE or the Teachers Union.

Keith Kidwell has been a much-needed patriot in Raleigh fighting abortion and advocating for school choice and parents rights. This is part of the liberal agenda that the left continues to fight. His amendment to the Airport Bill was a local bill, not a district bill, to allow the Beaufort County Board of Education to vote on adopting the Hilldale curriculum. This was not really necessary as the school board has the right to set the curriculum and it does not have to be one offered by the DPI or DPE. It was really just a comfort addition for our weak school board.

I cannot find where the Hillsdale Curriculum teaches that civil rights laws outlaw discrimination in public places may violate the US Constitution. Wonder if Mr. Childress has even read the course?

My Turn needs to be writing about how to improve 8 out of our 13 schools rated a D by the DPE and find out why only 35% of our children are at grade level for reading and math.

I guess Paul Harvey was right. If I were the Devil I would just keep on publishing and promoting the failed Woke and liberal agenda we now have until we all go to hell.
As bitter protests in France continue against President Macron bypassing parliament to raise the retirement age, a far left politician has openly warned that Macron could be beheaded like Louis XVI, the king who was guillotined during the French Revolution. Christophe Prudhomme, an elected regional councillor from the far left La France Insoumise party made the threat outside Marcon's party headquarters in Paris. Crowds have taken up the chant "Louis XVI, we beheaded him. Macron, we can start again."

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/05/10/reign-of-terror-part-deux-leftist-warns-macron-of-beheading-like-louis-xvi/

Recently, Macron's police have arrested a woman for a social media post calling Macron "a piece of filth" and three people for flipping the bird at Macron. It remains to be seen what they will do with Prudhomme.
As many thousands of illegal alien invaders position themselves in Mexico, paying the Mexican criminal cartels for human smuggling, and the Bdien regime is set to further open the US border to this horde, the Republican majority US House has passed a major border security bill and sent it to the Senate.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/house-narrowly-passes-republican-border-package

https://freebeacon.com/politics/house-gop-passes-sweeping-immigration-reform-hours-before-title-42-set-to-lapse/

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/05/11/house-passes-sweeping-border-bill-to-stop-invasion

Meanwhile, Texas National Guardsmen and state troopers strung barbed wire and blocked paths to keep illegal alien migrants from crossing the Rio Grande.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2023/05/11/video-texas-military-troopers-turn-back-wave-of-migrants-border-river-crossing/

Ray Stevens music satire on illegal immigration, "Come to the USA":
This file photo taken Sept. 21, 2022, shows President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, shaking hands with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during their summit in New York. Yonhap



German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit South Korea on May 21 for a summit with President Yoon Suk Yeol, a senior German official said Thursday.



Scholz will make the trip after attending a Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on the same day, the official said during a press briefing.



Scholz will first visit the Demilitarized Zone, which separates the two Koreas.



He will then hold a bilateral meeting with President Yoon and attend a dinner hosted by Yoon before heading back to Germany. The German chancellor will be accompanied by his wife, Britta Ernst, the official said.



Scholz will be the first German leader to visit Seoul in 13 years since former Chancellor Angela Merkel's trip in 2010 to attend a Group of 20 summit.



He will also be the first German chancellor to visit Seoul for a bilateral meeting in 30 years since former Chancellor Helmut Kohl's visit in 1993. (Yonhap)




This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Gabrielle Blanco and Justin Buchannan-Lopez are passionate about craft beer.

The co-owners of Buckstin Brewing Company, which opened in Nederland in December 2019, embrace the continuous process that goes into brewing the beer. And they embrace providing drinks to complement some of the restaurants popular food items.

The Enterprise sat down with Blanco and Buchannan-Lopez, who are partners in life in addition to business, to discuss Buckstin Brewing Company and the work that goes into having a steady flow of drinks.

RELATED: 7 questions with... local wardrobe stylist Jenilee Samuel

Q: How did Buckstin Brewing Company come to be?

GB: Weve always been fans of craft beer since the craze of breweries opening up, especially in Texas -- starting in maybe 2016, 2017, just following the trend Ive always worked in hospitality or the restaurants, country clubs and bars and stuff, knew that its possible we can do something like this.

What really kind of spurred it was, Justin always used to brew at home when he was younger. We had gotten busy, gotten regular jobs after college. He was working in the plants, I was a teacher, and we both were kind of miserable and lost our hobbies.

I wanted to make wine, kind of spurred (Justins) interest back in making beer, and that competitive spirit between the two of us we started working on a business plan, worked on that two, three years really, saved up money so that we didnt have to have investors. Eventually, it came to fruition.

RELATED: 7 questions with... the owners of Neches River Wheelhouse

Q: When you launched operations, was there a sense that Nederland needed a brewery like this?

JBL: I think this area in general was just a little behind on craft beer.

We knew there was a need for it. Whether some people are huge craft beer fans or not, having a local brewery represent your town was something.

Were obsessed, and we love craft beer so much. Thats kind of a thing we sought after, but you would see trends of even bigger chain restaurants picking up and serving craft beer. For us personally, going to facilities that had a bigger draft selection was something that we would look for. We wanted to provide this city with something that they can call their own and also be proud to serve.

RELATED: 7 questions with... longtime owner of The Schooner Seafood & Steaks

GB: I think the common trend of the beers that we would see that I felt Nederland needed is just very drinkable beers. You want to keep people here as long as they can. Keep us in chairs, feed them pizza, offer them a beer that they want two or three of.

Q: Which craft beers did you see trending when Buckstin first opened, and which of your beers are most popular today?

GB: Hazy IPAs I think were a lot more popular back then, a regular IPA on some blondes, some blondes with fruit in them, too.

JBL: Our best selling beers at Buckstin (today) are our light beers. Were proud of that because its honestly the harder beers to make.

GB: (Light beer drinkers are) the harder customers to please, too, because they come in already (deciding), 'Oh, I dont drink craft beer' We have never had a person that comes in and talks about a big domestic lager that they normally drink and has not been satisfied with the options that we can give them.

RELATED: 7 questions with... Elsa's Greek Grill owner Elzane Kaliqani

Q: What sets Buckstin Brewing Company apart when it comes to craft beer?

GB: We have a very specific style for our beer. What we always do say, though, is its true to style.

Whatever that style is, were going to execute it by the book, very clean, very drinkable.

We dont really go too experimental. We dont like to do anything too big and wild, because we do like to keep in mind that we are complementing our food. Our food complements our beer, and our beer complements our food.

Q: From what youve seen, which food item at Buckstin seems to pair well with the craft beers?

JBL: I know our No. 1 selling pizza is still sweet heat. It does have a little spice to it I think that little bit of spice does pair very well with our No. 1 selling beer, which is Easy Breesy (Blonde)

Normally, something with a little spice or something that has a little heat to it, you want something dry and crisp and light to wash away the little bit of heat.

Q: What is the process of brewing beer like? Is it really tedious work?

JBL: A double brew day (for example)  our tanks are twice the size of our brewhouse. So, we have to brew two times just to fill in one of our tanks You start with a grain, you build a grain, cracks it open, allows the starches to be exposed to the hot water.

You add that to the mash tun, (where) hot water and grain is mixed together. That hot water turns the starches to fermentable sugar (called wort). Wort is what the liquid is throughout the entire process so it actually becomes beer, so you add the yeast.

Once you have the wort, you transfer that over to the boil kettle. At that point, you basically have sugar water Thats where you would boil the wort. You add the hops, any type of spices you would use

I get here at 4:30, 5 in the morning Double brew day, well be here at least  if were very lucky  12 (hours), but its normally around 14 hours

From today, that beer will be ready in about two weeks. Some of our lagers can take up to six to eight weeks. Lagers just require more fermentation time, and then they require a cold storage (for a month).

There is something to always constantly monitor If your mash temperature is one degree off, that will change the beer. Your fermentation goes off by a couple degrees, that will change the beer.

Im not saying these (factors) will necessarily ruin a beer, but it will make a difference. Theres temperatures, theres PHs, theres gravities, dissolved oxygen (and) dissolved (carbon dioxide). Those all, we have to monitor every single day.

GB: (The staff has) software that they are constantly putting data into, flowcharts, excel spreadsheets. You could easily forget about something. When (youre) taking readings from (brews), you have to get PH (levels) Its a very, very scientific process.

Q: You also took part in Beaumont Restaurant Month this year. Given you will be opening a new Beaumont location by or before early 2024, how did that help with further bolstering your profile?

GB: Once people knew that we were going to Beaumont, that kind of sparked a lot of curiosity from the Beaumont customer that typically doesn't drive down to Mid-County for anything.

I was surprised how many people did read (our name on the list) and did drive down from Beaumont, so that we really nice to see. Our location that we're opening in Beaumont is five times the size of (the Nederland location). I'm glad to kind of see that Beaumont people are seeing what this all about before they can compare it to the new one.

I think that (Beaumont Restaurant Month) was helpful in reminding people that we are coming to Beaumont (near Phelan Boulevard and Dowlen Road). I think it did kind of reinvigorate the conversation.

We can't sustain the growth here (in Nederland). We're bursting at the seams in the place. It's a great problem to have.

(Justin) can't brew beer fast enough. We can't make enough pizzas to accommodate the people that want to come in here each night that we're open. To give Buckstin everything that we've got, we've got to get a bigger space.

JBL: I think (Beaumont Restaurant Month) definitely helps with getting maybe more of the Beaumont crowd that haven't heard of us or haven't made it down to Mid-County.
A massive fire broke out at Shell Chemicals Deer Park Plant on Friday afternoon.

Harris County officials said around 5 p.m. that the situation was under control and all employees have been accounted for. By late Friday, Shell said nine contractors who underwent precautionary medical evaluations were released.

LIVE UPDATES: Massive fire reported at Deer Park industrial plant, public advised to avoid the area

Heres what you need to know about the plant.

Where is the Shell Chemical Plant?

The Shell Chemical Plant is in the city of Deer Park, about 20 miles east of downtown Houston. Located near the Houston Ship Channel, the area is home to many large chemical plants and other industrial manufacturers. Deer Park is home to nearly 35,000 residents, according to the most recent census.

What does the plant make?

The plant is in operations around the clock producing base chemicals or raw material chemicals, according to the company website. Those chemicals eventually go into a wide variety of products including plastics, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, insecticides, latex paints, wire coating, detergents and more.

WORKERS, RESIDENTS REACT: Community on edge after latest blaze

History of the complex

Shell was the first manufacturer to set up shop in Deer Park, according to the companys website. Shell started with an 800-acre site in 1929, added the chemical plant in the 1940s, and today the complex spans 1,500 acres.

The company sold its interest in an oil refinery on part of the site to the Mexican oil company Pemex in a deal that closed in 2022. The fire occurred on the Shell Chemical side of the site.
As a child, Kameron Pree was fascinated by banking, even if he didn't realize it at the time. He just knew he wanted to save enough money for field trips and other activities.

"I would always have my mom and my dad save the coins I might find walking, or the little allowance they might have given me over the week," said Pree, who grew up in Clear Lake. "But I never really thought about banking."

That changed after Pree enrolled at Texas Southern University in Houston, where he served as president of the banking club and will receive a degree next week in accounting. He has a job lined up as a credit analyst at Stellar Bank in Houston, and acknowledges that the city needs more financial services for minorities.

"There could definitely be better banking in Houston," said Pree, who is Black, noting that access to banking can be a problem for minority-owned businesses. "Just from my own experience, I've been to so many businesses where they're not banked at all  where you go up to the window and they tell you they only take cash."

Pree will be among the first TSU graduates to pass through its Future Bankers Leadership Program, launched in 2021, backed by a $1 million investment from JPMorgan Chase and bolstered by partnerships with a number of regional banks as well as Baker Hughes and TSU's Jesse H. Jones School of Business Advisory Council.

Related: Chase CEO Jamie Dimon visits Fifth Ward, TSU in grand opening of new community center

The program provides specialized banking courses and helps student connect with industry professionals as well as internship opportunities.

It's part of a nationwide push to diversify America's banking pipeline, in part by building stronger relationships with historically black colleges and and universities, or HBCUs.

"Banking is all about relationships, and people trust individuals that reflect their community," said Dorian Cockrell, vice president for global philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase.

The company in 2020 announced a $30 billion commitment to racial equity after the death of George Floyd, and making banking more inclusive is part of that, Cockrell said.

Chase, Americas largest bank, opened a community center in 2021 at a branch in the Fifth Ward, where the bank hopes to help more Black and Hispanic Houstonians open accounts, manage their money, start businesses and buy homes.

CEO Jamie Dimon visited the center as it opened and stopped at Texas Southern University, where he announced a $1 million investment aimed at bolstering the recruitment pipeline Chase is building with historically Black colleges and universities.

HBCUs have been developing top talent for decades, and were excited Texas Southern is training future leaders for finance, Dimon said. Banks are most effective when we reflect the communities we serve. Fostering greater diversity will create more opportunity  for students and for local businesses alike.

Muriel Funches, executive director of advancement at TSU's Jesse H. Jones School of Business, said she works with many employers looking to hire full-time employees, as well as interns.

"I always hear that they cant find African-American talent," Funches said. "We have thousands of bright and talented students here at TSU. We need to put more diversity in the marketplace to meet the communitys needs."

By one estimate, she added, nearly half of Houston's 90,000 Black-owned businesses are "unbanked" or "underbanked," meaning they lack access to some or all banking services, relying instead on cash transactions or services like Zelle.

At TSU, the Future Bankers program is small, but growing, Funches said: 17 students are conditionally admitted to begin next year.

"Money grows our community. Access to capital will grow our community," she said. "And then were all in a better place because we have grown."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NEW YORK (AP)  Hannah Gadsby's new Netflix special illustrates a different side of the comedian that fans may not expect  a happier one.

Its a lighter show, Gadsby tells The Associated Press ahead of Something Special airing on Tuesday. Its more positive. Its expressing a happiness I dont think I had done in earlier Netflix specials.

The comedian kicks it off with good news  I got married. I know! Its nice  and then promises viewers a change of pace from previous sets: This is going to be a feel-good show because I believe I owe you one.

Gadsby, who uses the pronoun they, is in many ways going back to the style of comedy they employed before exploding to fame with the special Nanette in 2018, which had deeply affecting stories of violence, homophobia, misogyny and shame.

Its much more difficult to do comedy around a positive theme. Nobody is really that pleased watching someone be happy, they said. Its a real risky show. Id say this is riskier than Nanette.

The new hourlong stand-up special recorded at the Sydney Opera house in Australia explores marriage, sudden fame, parenting styles, cultural differences and life with autism.

In every one of my shows, Im always talking about where I am a particular moment in my life, they say in the interview. I really want people to not know what I will do next, because therefore I am not under the pressure of delivering something.

Asked it they're a little like Adele albums, in that they preserve a moment in time, Gadsby laughs. Yeah, Im much better at being happier than she is. Thats a little joke.

It's still a typically Gadsby set, with personal observances and sudden quick-thrust political critiques, culminating in a climax at the end in which they draw together many of the jokes that have been talked about.

If there is a motif this time, it is rabbits. The critters are part of two tent-pole stories, one involving an ex-girlfriend and another their wife. Paper bunnies decorate the stage.

Gadsby calls it a love letter to their wife, Jenney Shamash, an American producer. Their relationship deepened during the pandemic, and Shamash now lives in Australia with Gadsby and their two dogs, Douglas and Jasper.

Part of what I like to do on stage is I want other people to love what I love. For someone on the spectrum, it can be really lonely, Gadsby says. Its only been in recent years that Ive learned how to make lasting connections through the diagnosis and confidence and things like that. So I thought that was worth sharing.

In one section, Gadsby admits they were ill-prepared for fame, illustrated by a story of giving a very non-diplomatic reaction to getting a birthday gift from Jodie Foster.

Of fame onstage, Gadsby says: Dont expect it, thats gross. But just on the off chance you find yourself famous, youd better be prepared. Because I wasnt and I made a dogs breakfast of it.

Gadsby is one of those people who doesn't believe suffering is needed to make good art and notes they don't need to generate any more since there's plenty to mine from their past.

If I need to suffer in order to be a world-class comic, I dont care much to be a world-class comic. That seems like too high a price, they say.

Something Special builds from Douglas, where Gadsby revealed their diagnosis of high-functioning autism. The new show gives viewers a glimpse of how Gadsby sometimes misunderstands social queues and intentions.

Asked in the interview, they say the diagnosis has been freeing, in a way. It means Gadsby doesn't worry about understanding everything, conserves more energy and offers a bit more control.

Understanding it has helped. It has given me the confidence to understand my framing of things, which I think has made writing easier, they say. Now I feel like I have a lot more control. Im not scrambling to be normal anymore, whatever that means.

Fans who adore Gadsby's revolutionary take on art history  a large portion of Nanette called out the inexcusable behavior of art's most towering figures like Pablo Picasso  will find more of that at an exhibition they organized at the Brooklyn Museum this summer.

The show, coming as 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the artist's death, is titled Its Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby, it promises a new look at the Cubist's legacy through a critical, contemporary and feminist lens and an audio tour by Gadsby.

I knew this year was just going to be an overload of people salivating over Picasso without really interrogating his problematic contribution to the idea of genius, Gadsby says. This is less about Picasso and more about how we talk about very, very fallible men who we refuse to see as that once theyre geniuses.

If there's something that connects both the Netflix special and the Brooklyn exhibit, it's the nature of fame. Both Gadsby and Picasso have had brushes with it but reacted so very differently.

I think what were really discovering, when fame and success meets a damaged soul, then they become this monster, they say. I just dont think you have to be a monster to be an artist or to be great.

___

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A Southeast Texas pest control expert expects Formosan termites to begin swarming soon, but this year he urges homeowners not to be so quick to ignore this winged species.

Bart Foster, technical and training director for Beaumonts Bill Clark Pest Control, offered his bugspert knowledge, experience on termites, and advice for homeowners. He has over 20 years of experience in the industry and a doctoral degree in the field from Texas A&M University.

You dont want to be reactive; you want to be preventative with termites, he said.

Termites are active all year round and can cause damage at any time of the year, Foster said.

But spring to early summer is usually when winged termites fly out of the colony. The increase in visibility is often referred to as swarming season. It can start as early as February and last roughly through July, he said.

The annual swarm has mostly ended for one of the regions three termite species  a native subterranean termite that starts earliest in the area. Now its time for the Formosan subterranean termite to take flight.

It is usually right around Mothers Day every year, Foster told The Enterprise. So, any time now I would be quite confident that we will see that within the next two weeks if not sooner.

Last year, he said there was a dismissive rumor buzzing around the area about the flying Formosan termite. The species has massive swarms and congregate in large numbers around lights, including porch lights and streetlights.

It seemed like there was a rumor going around Beaumont last year that, Oh, those are a different type of termites, you dont have to worry about them being in your home, and that is not really true, Foster said.

While the reproductive swarmers do not directly feed on and cause damage to wood, the workers in its colony do. Swarmers can be a sign of a nearby colony.

While it is true that an individual termite or flying termites is not going to be in your home, they do surround colonies that can cause substantial damage and they are also coming from existing colonies in the ground, Foster said.

Monday after a swarm last year, the business received about 400 service calls in a day. There are certain steps that a homeowner can take to protect their home from termites this season.

First, he recommends a less-costly preventative treatment for termites due to the economic risk and type of damage that can come at a significant cost to repair.

In some of the worst cases, he has personally observed termites cost homeowners anywhere between $50,000 to $90,000. In one of those incidents, a termite had invaded the wooden beams on a porch, which also supported the roof of the home.

While that may not always be the extent of the damage, Foster recommends that homeowners be proactive to avoid a potentially-costly issue. Homeowners insurance generally do not cover termite damage because it is considered to be preventable, he said.

Foster said homeowners can use various termite bait systems and liquids to treat their homes. While a homeowner can treat their own home, he said it may be easier for a professional with the right equipment to tackle the task.

Pest control services often provide a free service and recommend treatment options. Beaumont-based Bill Clark Pest Control is based in Beaumont and serves within about a two-hour radius and offers this option, he said.

Thats a very easy way to find out what needs to be done, Foster said

The Formosan termite prefers the warm, humid Southeast Texas environment and has an appetite for the material used to build houses, he said. With consideration to the high termite pressure in the area, he compared investing in home treatment to maintenance on a car.

Foster said homeowners should cut conducive conditions, such as by reducing wood in contact with the soil and particularly where it could be combined with moisture.

He discouraged stacking firewood against the house as well as having high vegetation or having the soil go too far up over brick and siding of the home. If there are an insects found, he recommended saving it in a plastic sandwich bag, not just taking a cell phone photograph, as the professional may need to see its wings to be able to properly identify the species.

The subterranean termite species was first described in Taiwan in the 1900s and had no business in Texas until it was accidentally delivered after World War II, Foster said.

The termite is believed to have hitched a ride as a stowaway within crates returning from Southeast Asia to the United States. Researchers believe the wood-destroying Formosan termite was transported to the Houston Ship Channel in wooden shoring timbers.

Some of them were crated up in wood and were sometimes brought back into the United States, Foster said. The wood was uncrated, laid on the ground, and there were Formosa termites that were in that wood. So, they were thought to be introduced post-World War II.

According to information from the Texas A&M Systems AgriLife Extension, the first infestations of Formosan termites in Texas were discovered in 1956 around the Houston Ship Channel in Pasadena. By 2010, the species had been detected in at least 25 counties in Texas, including with termite infestations in all the major metropolitan areas in Texas.

Shoring timbers and recycled railroad ties are often taken from docks and railways and used for construction of terraces or backyard planting beds, the Extension stated. This wood is thought to be the primary mechanism for spreading the Formosan termite in Texas.

Around 1965, someone locally discovered there was a new bug in town.

Bill Clark, our founder, was the first to recognized them in the Beaumont area, Foster said.

meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/megzmagpie
State lawmakers could possibly redraw the Texas-Oklahoma border line after a water pump station that services one state was found to be located in the other state.

A water pump constructed in 1989 that services cities in the North Texas Municipal Water District is located on the Red River, which also serves as the border between Texas and Oklahoma. In 2000, the Texas-Oklahoma border was redrawn, and officials discovered in 2009 the pump was built using the wrong state maps after an invasive species called zebra mussels were found in Lake Texoma and at another North Texas water pump station. The water pump in question was actually located on the Oklahoma side of Lake Texoma, a lake the Red River feeds into. In 2010, conversations to fix the boundary dispute began.

Negotiations have continued since then, and legislators from both states met in April to discuss finding a solution to the boundary dispute.

Lake Texoma is a flood-control lake for the Red River to soften downstream impact of flooding, but the river runs through the lake, and that is the boundary that we are talking about, Charles McCall, Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, said after the meeting. In this area where water is so important  its the No. 1 issue to people  [we must ensure] that the solution we come up with does not open the door for an argument for a taking of water by the state of Texas or any other state that has a current right to the waters of the Red River.

Texas has proposed a no-cost land swap where the Red River boundary is redrawn and each state trades about 1.34 acres of water surface area along a western shore of the lakes southeast portion where the pump is located.

The North Texas Municipal Water District also added that losing access to the water pump would decrease the district's water supply by 20%, eliminating access to safe drinking water for about 2 million people living in Texas. Meanwhile, constructing a new water pump station in the Texas-controlled portion of Lake Texoma would cost at least $50 million and would take several years to complete.

However, Oklahoma state leaders are unsure how to proceed, saying they need to consider state and federal laws before considering Texas' proposal. Counter-proposals could include some type of compensation to cover past water usage, since a Oklahoma law prohibits the sale of water out of state. The Lacey Act, which is a federal law, also makes it illegal to transport invasive species, like zebra mussels, across states.

Currently, the North Texas water district awaiting findings and a possible counter proposal from the Oklahoma Red River Boundary Commission, a team of legal, engineering and other experts assembled by the University of Oklahoma to analyze the property and water rights in question.

"We are grateful to our friends and colleagues in Oklahoma for considering this issue and for working collaboratively with us to find a solution to this unique problem," North Texas Municipal Water District said. "We are confident that, by continuing to work together, we will resolve the boundary while providing uninterrupted critical services to our service area."
Former St. Clairsville, Ohio-based physician Freeda Flynn has been found guilty of illegally prescribing controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone, the U.S. Justice Department said Jan. 11.

Ms. Flynn prescribed these controlled substances to her patients outside the scope of professional practice, according to the report  including prescribing high dosages to patients without medical justification, despite their addictions.

She has surrendered her Drug Enforcement Agency registration, and her medical license has been revoked. She was convicted of eight counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years on each count.
Roosevelt, Utah-based Uintah Basin Healthcare is notifying patients who have received care from the organization since 2012 that some of their protected health information may have been compromised.

On Nov. 7, the hospital noticed suspicious activity on its systems and launched an investigation into the incident.

On April 7, Uintah Basin learned that patients who received care between March 2012 and November 2022 had their protected health information viewed by an unauthorized person, according to a May 10 press release from Uintah Basin Healthcare.

The hospital said names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, health insurance information and certain clinical details have been compromised.

Uintah Basin said it does not believe any of the information has been misused, but it is providing notice to all affected individuals.

The hospital did not mention how many patients were affected.
As physicians look to capitalize on their skills, Physicians Thrive's "2023 Physician Compensation" report found which metro regions saw the biggest increase in physician pay.

The report is based on data from about 1 million physicians in the U.S. Physicians Thrive, a financial advisory group, examined various sources, including the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration and reports published by Merrit Hawkins, Doximity and Medscape.

Here are the 10 metropolitan areas that saw the highest jumps in physician pay:




The Biden administration has been taking action to address the prescription drug supply shortage, which has caused upheaval both for patients and providers, according to a May 10 Bloomberg report.

In addition to the FDA, HHS and other federal offices, the White House has met with other stakeholders in the pharmaceutical space including Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Co., NYU Langone Health and an independent testing lab in Connecticut, according to the report.

One FDA official told Bloomberg that the agency cannot "fix the supply problems alone because larger market forces are driving generic drugmakers out of business, contributing to shortages." Additionally, the official noted that "the companies that buy drugs in bulk pit manufacturers against each other and drive down prices, which shrinks drugmakers' margins."

The FDA is working with the White House to address the growing issues with the drug supply, but White House officials said the agency "has refused to fully answer questions" and said "the agency lacks the funding or authority to make certain changes," Bloomberg reported.

The committee working to find solutions has also met with pharmaceutical company leaders from Teva and other large players, according to the outlet.

However, the longstanding approach of the U.S. government has been hands-off from the drug supply chain, which could make implementing lasting change difficult to do, Bloomberg noted.


By Kwon Bong-woon



In recent years I have been watching the downfall of prominent figures due to their disgraceful and fraudulent acts. On Feb. 3, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk to two years in prison for falsifying documents to facilitate his daughter's university admission.



The Supreme Court also finalized a four-year prison term for Chung Kyung-sim, Cho Kuk's wife. The scandal involving the family of Cho Kuk, considered then one of the closest confidants of President Moon Jae-in, sharply divided the nation, prompting massive rallies both in support of and against Cho's nomination. He took office but resigned just 35 days later. The emerging "Cho Kuk Scandal" revealed unfairness disguised as fairness and lies as truth. Fairness or being fair can refer to impartiality, justice, objectivity and rationality. Everyone needs to follow the rules, should be respectful of one another and work together to build a strong and safe society. Fairness treats everybody the same; not a single person should be left out.



Cho Kuk, who was a highly visible public figure and a star professor of law, preached fairness in front of others while pursuing unfair privilege and unjust advantage by abusing his power. Above all, he deprived those who want to take college admission exams of opportunity. He must apologize for undermining fairness in our society through foul play and abuse of privilege. And yet he never admitted his wrongdoings and even published a memoir that criticizes prosecutors who investigated him. He has been facing criticism over his unrepentant attitude toward the high-profile corruption scandal involving his family. So far, no official apology has been made for his wrongdoings. The public feel nothing but despondent as it also created a sense of division among people some of who suffered tremendous distress.



Not only Cho, but also those who so far defended him with sophistry and groundless logic, should accept the court ruling as an opportunity for self-reflection. I wonder why he is not remorseful for his wrongdoings, it is the people's duty to follow the judicial judgment. Hypocritical self-rationalism, double-faced behavior and self-righteousness cannot be tolerated any longer.



As he was a leader in society, it is regrettable that he still doesn't feel any responsibility for his Janus-faced behavior and hypocritical standards.



The humility of an intellectual is often described as a virtue, along with other perceived virtues such as integrity and honesty. Such virtues are seen in behavior showing high moral standards. If there is a person who succeeded with the benefits given by society, he has a moral obligation to return the favor to society. That is what a leader looks like. Society requires leaders who cultivate integrity and honesty and tell the truth.





The writer (kbw8234664@naver.com) worked at a bank in Seoul.






Allina Health has reached a tentative agreement with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa bargaining groups, averting a strike.

SEIU Healthcare Minnesota represents more than 500 senior mental health coordinators, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech language pathologists, and lab employees at Central Laboratory, Abbott Northwestern and Mercy hospitals, according to hospital and union statements shared with Becker's. Allina, a Minneapolis-based system with 12 hospital campuses, has 27,000 employees total.

Union members announced a seven-day strike starting May 15. With the tentative deal reached, the union has called off the strike.

"I'm incredibly proud of these teams for how hard they fought and for winning strong first contracts," Jamie Gulley, president of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa, said in the May 10 union statement. "These workers have been on the front lines of keeping our families safe and healthy and many have been fighting for over a year to get to this point. These groups showed how committed they were to making sure healthcare workers are respected, protected and paid by overwhelmingly authorizing [an unfair labor practice] strike last week, and their solidarity resulted in the tentative agreements reached overnight."

Allina shared the following statement with Becker's: "Allina Health is pleased with the settlement that values the priorities of both parties and is fair and equitable to our employees, patients and our communities."

The tentative agreement is now subject to approval by union members. The union said details of the deal are not being shared publicly as they are being shared with workers.
The family of Edward Bronstein reached a $24 million settlement with the state of California, the California Highway Patrol and other parties, CNN reported May 11.

A nurse and seven California Highway Patrol officers were charged with involuntary manslaughter after the death of a Mr. Bronstein, who was court ordered to have a blood draw in 2020. Mr. Bronstein, who was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, initially refused the blood draw. A judge issued a warrant for the blood to be taken by a nurse and when Mr. Bronstein still resisted, he was restrained on the ground. He reportedly screamed that he could not breathe and was willing to do the blood draw but was not released. Several minutes later, Mr. Bronstein was found dead.

This settlement resolves a wrongful death civil case brought by the family of Mr. Bronstein.

The officers were charged with involuntary manslaughter and assault under the color of authority. Arbi Baghalian, RN, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to Mr. Bronstein's death. The criminal case is ongoing.
Five of seven faculty members at the University of Mississippi (Jackson) Medical Center's Oxford-based accelerated Bachelor of Science in nursing program received pink slips on May 1  in the middle of the rigorous program's one-year cycle, according to a May 10 Mississippi Today article.

In the email informing students the five instructors' contracts would not be renewed, Julie Sanford, DNS, dean of the UMMC's School of Nursing, wrote that the personnel decision is not meant to be "punitive," but instead is a "restructuring based on programmatic and student needs."

A media representative from the school said, "We don't comment on personnel matters," when Becker's reached out for comment.

While these instructors' current contracts don't end until June 30, they were directed by Dr. Sanford to turn in their badges and computers right away, according to one of the faculty members who declined to be identified. This instructor also said they saw someone from the hospital folding moving boxes.

A few days after dismissing the instructors, Dr. Sanford announced she will be leaving her position at UMMC for a new role at the University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing on Aug. 1.

The anonymous faculty member said she was "devastated" and "caught completely off guard" when she found out her dismissal was being called "a business decision." She asked to remain anonymous, saying she was concerned the school might not pay on the final 90 days of her contract.

"This is why it's so, so confusing," she said. "You give us no reason, and you told the students it's not punitive, but they treated us like criminals."

Students said they are worried the dismissals will affect their ability to pass the National Council Licensure Examination. Ashley Ledbetter, who is about to begin the final leg of the three-part program on May 30, said she thought it may be more difficult to prepare for the NCLEX with new instructors.
After five senators reintroduced a bill that looks to expand pharmacists' scope of practice and increase Medicare reimbursement for those extra services, pharmacist organizations applauded the proposed legislation.

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and four other states' senators reintroduced the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act on May 10, which, if passed, would allow and reimburse pharmacists to provide some patient care services in communities with not enough physicians.

With the caveat of state laws on what pharmacists are authorized to do, the bill seeks to allow pharmacists to manage chronic conditions, conduct point-of-care testing and cholesterol testing, provide transition-of-care services, screen and administer immunizations not already covered by Medicare, and enact tobacco cessation services.

Ilisa Bernstein, PharmD, interim executive vice president and CEO of the American Pharmacists Association, and Paul Abramowitz, PharmD, CEO of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, issued a joint statement.

"Patients living in medically underserved communities often struggle to access the care they need, and pharmacists have proven to be an essential source of care for these patients," they said. "This important legislation helps ensure seniors living in rural and other underserved communities have improved access to the care they need from a pharmacist they trust."
Al Roker, weather anchor on NBC's Today show, underwent a total knee replacement May 9, the news outlet reported May 10.

Mr. Roker had a previous knee replacement surgery in April 2022. He said the more recent surgery was "a replacement of a replacement," according to Today.

Mr. Roker posted a video of himself walking down the hallways of a hospital on Instagram on May 10 with the caption, "Up and walking this morning on the #newknee #stepbystep thanks to @drdavidmayman. Wearing a negative pressure pump to help facilitate wound healing."

The physician tagged in Mr. Roker's post is David Mayman, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and co-director of computer assisted surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

Dr. Mayman performed a hip replacement on Mr. Roker in 2019.
Orthopedic surgeons are among the highest-paid specialties, according to the "2023 Physician Compensation Report" from Physicians Thrive.

Physicians Thrive compiled data from about a dozen sources.

Six things to know:

1. The median salary for orthopedic surgeons is $546,000. It's among the top-paying specialities along with plastic surgery ($527,000), cardiology ($527,000) and urology ($497,000).

2. The average orthopedic incentive bonus is $126,000.

3. Orthopedic surgeons generate up to seven times their salary for average net annual hospital revenue. Cardiologists, gastroenterologists, family medicine physicians and OB/GYNs also generate the same figures.

4. Orthopedic surgeons working at a single-speciality practice tend to earn the most with an average salary of $650,000. Those working for academic departments tend to earn the lowest with the average salary of $400,000.

5. Orthopedic surgeons tend to have a high job satisfaction with 97 percent saying they would choose the same specialty again.

6. Orthopedic surgeons in the Midwest tend to earn the most with a median salary of $730,000. Orthopedic surgeons in the West had the lowest median salary of $609,000.




By Lee Eun-jae







The oceans are in a state of death. Like the Amazon Rainforest, which have played the role of lungs regulating the climate of the entire planet, the oceans are dying, covered with vast amounts of plastic waste. In the case of the Pacific Ocean, the plastic garbage zone extends for hundreds of square kilometers between Hawaii and the North American continent. The same is true of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. It is so massive that it can be seen from space.







But the laments of environmental activists from the United Nations and other countries ring hollow. It is impossible for any environmental activist to give up their daily routine  the clothes they wear, the shoes they wear, the bag they carry on their back  and live a "plastic-free" life. Today, Earth itself is rapidly turning into a "plastic planet."







Accelerating the golden hour of the climate crisis much faster than scientists predicted, the mountains of plastic debris that are covering the oceans are causing a rapid loss of climate-regulating ocean currents and functions. As a result, global carbon-neutral greenhouse gas mitigation efforts are of little consequence. Not only that, but the fact that marine microplastics, which are breaking up and dispersing from an average size of 5 mm down to the nanometer level, act as "magnets" that attract toxic organic matter and increase its toxicity.







The real nature of the toxicity is the rupture phenomenon that occurs when the surface of the microplastics cracks, which means that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the water get adsorbed in the gaps between the microplastics, increasing the concentration of POPs in the water by thousands to tens of thousands of times. As a result, they act as toxins to all marine life, from whales and turtles to algae and shellfish, causing them to suffer and die.







So, with the current state of science and technology, where is the search for a solution to marine plastic waste disposal? It is not an exaggeration to say that there is none. No country has come up with a solution other than emphasizing systematic and sustainable management of marine debris. There is no fundamental solution to simply intercepting, collecting and disposing of marine debris.







But as the author presented in the previous column on the

, a space energy system can also be applied to the disposal of plastic waste. This is because the method of applying space energy enables a new "search for solutions" by penetrating the very essence of plastics as "the product of an artificial synthetic process." The method of synthesizing plastic, which is the mainstay of modern science, technology and industry, is not only completely different from the natural method of synthesizing the universe and natural life, but also the opposite. The method of space energy application can go beyond this and provide a solution that restores the distorted form that is the result of space energy application to its original state.







Plastics are manmade syntheses, unlike the natural polymer compounds that make up human life and natural life forms. Nature created natural macromolecular compounds like DNA and starch, but plastics, which are manmade, do not follow nature's laws, but the opposite. Natural polymer compounds perform an inherent function that is called molecular recognition. Molecular recognition means that any substrate is recognized by molecular space. In this case, the molecular space serves as a pathway to provide energy for the biochemical reactions required by the molecule.







In other words, natural macromolecules in their natural state recognize and regulate the interactions between molecules and the unique properties of life and nature through the molecular space. In contrast, artificial macromolecular compounds, such as plastics, do not function in the normal molecular recognition functions of natural cycles and communication. This is because there is an iterative combination of reduction and elimination of the space between each molecule in the polymerization reaction process to form monomers into polymers (macromolecules). As a result, the molecular structure of the plastic takes on the form of a rigid solid, like a cancer cell, with persistent degradation properties.







The space energy application system, by restoring quantum coupling phenomena, is already enabling the realization of innovative refining, such as improved energy efficiency and zero pollution, which have yet to be perfected in existing oil development and manufacturing processes. If this method is applied, it will be possible to fundamentally solve the problem of persistent degradation characteristic of plastics by recovering waste plastics from oceans and coasts and converting them into pyrolysis oil. If marine microplastics are recovered from ships and used as fuel in the pyrolysis process, the fuel consumed during ship operations can be replenished.







In addition, the space energy application system will be a major innovation in the process of seawater desalination by installing facilities along the coastline where the sea meets the land to bring in large volumes of massive ocean seawater. The conventional seawater desalination process requires the use of electricity, but the space energy system does not require the use of electricity, thus reducing the cost. In addition, the conventional seawater purification process uses countless purification filters and generates waste.







The space energy system eliminates the need for another filter because it achieves the ability to break down the entangled molecular structure of seawater into its optimal structure at a very fast rate. Ultimately, the space energy system will save a great deal of money on seawater desalination costs, while providing a fundamental solution to the marine plastic problem in a versatile way by combining the capture and adsorption of suspended microplastics in seawater with pyrolysis process technology. This is truly a new technological revolution. It can provide a fundamental solution to the problem of marine pollution.





Lee Eun-jae is the representative of the 21st Century Space Energy Forum, an organization dedicated to promoting the research and development of space energy technology.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, one of the best-known attractions on NI's north coast   Courtesy of Tourism Northern Ire

Trips from the Republic to Northern Ireland reached record levels in 2022 with one million over night visits recorded for first time.

Figures from the Republics Central Statistics Office showed there were more than 1.1m overnight trips by visitors from south of the border in 2022. That was up 51% from 756,000 in 2019.

In addition, a total of 2.6m nights were spent in Northern Ireland by visitors from the Republic in 2022, a 42% increase on the 1.9m nights in 2019.

The money spent by visitors from the Republic in Northern Ireland also saw a huge increase last year to more than 233m, up 65% on the 142m spent three years earlier in the pre-pandemic era

While the number of holidays taken in Northern Ireland by visitors from the Republic rose by more than 50%, the number of travellers from the Republic who holidayed at home saw less of an increase.

David Roberts, Tourism NI interim CEO, said: These excellent results surpass even our most optimistic forecasts for 2022.

"At a time when international markets have still been recovering, the additional business from the Republic has been hugely important to the tourism and hospitality sector right across Northern Ireland.

"A notable feature is that visits by RoI residents to Northern Ireland grew at a much faster rate than visits within the Republic itself.

Sustained investment in marketing and promotion, growing the range of visitor attractions and experiences, and enhancing the accommodation offer have all played a part.

"Working collaboratively across the industry alongside our Embrace A Giant Spirit brand has also been a key ingredient.

We know too that, whilst times are currently very challenging for both businesses and consumers, there is further growth potential in the years ahead. Building on this positive performance will be a key focus for Tourism NI and partners during 2023.

Tourism NI analysis of online reviews further indicates a 16% increase in the number of accommodation reviews left by ROI visitors in 2022 compared to 2019.

In addition, there was also a significant increase in ROI cardholder spend in NI on key tourism-related categories in 2022 compared to 2019.
The glitz, the glamour and the gongs come to Londons Royal Festival Hall this Sunday with the return of British TVs showpiece event of the year: the Bafta Television Awards.

It was a year that marked an emotional farewell to Peaky Blinders and Derry Girls, saw searing takes on public services via This Is Going To Hurt and The Responder and thrilled audiences with quality dramas from the finest minds in TV, such as Sherwood, The Bear and White Lotus.

Bona fide stars including Billie Piper, Kate Winslet, Gary Oldman, Daniel Radcliffe and Lesley Manville are all in the running for honours. So, wholl be winning big on the night and which deserving nominees will be walking away empty-handed? We break down our top picks for who should win, plus give our predictions as to who is likely to do so.

Leading actress

 Billie Piper, I Hate Suzie Too (Sky Atlantic)

 Imelda Staunton, The Crown (Netflix)

 Kate Winslet, I Am Ruth (Channel 4)

 Maxine Peake, Anne (ITV1)

 Sarah Lancashire, Julia (Sky Atlantic)

 Vicky McClure, Without Sin (ITVX)

Should win: Billie Piper

I Hate Suzie was a critical darling when it was released in 2020. Written by Lucy Prebble (who is also one of the key writers on Succession), it stars Billie Piper as the washed-up former teen star Suzie Pickles, who begins series two attempting to rehabilitate her public image in a reality show dance competition. Piper was great in series one; in series two shes even better, giving her Suzie a manic desperation and vulnerability that somehow makes you root so hard for her, despite how awful she can be. Its a virtuoso performance that busts about a hundred taboos in the process.

Will win: Kate Winslet

Kate Winslets much-anticipated return to the small screen saw her unleash a storm of rage, fear and grief as Ruth, the mother to a deeply troubled teen. Their relationship is the focus of this 90-minute episode, which requires Winslet to turn on a dime and portray everything from vulnerability to pigheadedness. Released to rave reviews, its award catnip. Winslet looks like the favourite for this one.

This is going to hurt

Leading actor

 Ben Whishaw, This Is Going To Hurt (BBC One)

 Chaske Spencer, The English (BBC Two)

 Cillian Murphy, Peaky Blinders (BBC One)

 Gary Oldman, Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

 Martin Freeman, The Responder (BBC One)

 Taron Egerton, Black Bird (Apple TV+)

Should win: Chaske Spencer

The English was a searing, bloody, bloody brilliant take on the western and its big coup was bringing Emily Blunt back to the small screen for the first time in over a decade. Alongside Blunt, much of the heart of the show came from Chaske Spencer, who played the native American tracker conflicted over working with the US Army and wanting to claim what is owed. This extraordinary show deserved a lot more recognition at the Baftas (and in general) and hopefully Spencer will spring a surprise on the night.

Will win: Cillian Murphy

This is one of the hardest categories to call: absolutely everyone is doing stellar work and in such different roles. Ultimately the voters may well turn sentimental and award Cillian Murphy for his final turn as Tommy Shelby (on TV at least), one of the great anti-heroes of recent TV history.

Supporting actress

 Adelayo Adedayo, The Responder (BBC One)

 Anne-Marie Duff, Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)

 Fiona Shaw, Andor (Disney+)

 Jasmine Jobson, Top Boy (Netflix)

 Lesley Manville, Sherwood (BBC One)

 Saffron Hocking, Top Boy (Netflix)

Should win: Jasmine Jobson

There are some serious heavyweights in this category, but an actor who definitely deserves the gong is rising force Jobson. Jobson has been an underrated presence on Top Boy as drug dealer Jaq, but the last series gave her a storyline that allowed her to show her acting chops. Jobsons ability to flick effortlessly between brutality  a woman striving for her place in the male-dominated world of the Summerhouse Estate drug gangs  to vulnerability, as she navigates a new romance outside of her comfort zone, is a lesson in subtlety that deserves greater recognition.

Will win: Anne-Marie Duff

Is this the year of Anne-Marie Duff? The actor has been doing consistently excellent work for years, especially in theatre, but its only recently that shes been getting the recognition for it on TV. Duff is great in Bad Sisters (in which she plays Grace, a woman trapped in an abusive relationship), imbuing her character with a very believable sense of hopelessness, and with a second series in the works, its clear Apple TV+ expects this to be a big winner for the service.

Supporting actor

 Adeel Akhtar, Sherwood (BBC One)

 Jack Lowden, Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

 Josh Finan, The Responder (BBC One)

 Salim Daw, The Crown (Netflix)

 Samuel Bottomley, Somewhere Boy (Channel 4)

 Will Sharpe, The White Lotus (Sky Atlantic)

Should win: Samuel Bottomley

Despite being just 21, Bottomley is a screen veteran, having made his professional debut in Tyrannosaur in 2011. In the extraordinary Somewhere Boy, he plays the shy Aaron, who chaperones Lewis Gribbens Danny, a lad hidden from the world by his father until he was 18. Bottomley ensures it is not just Gribbens show (though he is a real force) and is superb as the teenage boy who just doesnt fit in. A nuanced performance.

Will win: Jack Lowden

Jack Lowden is a bona fide star  and over the past few years has been really stamping his mark on TV. Recently he tore it up in the BBCs excellent The Gold, but it is his role as frustrated Bond wannabe River Cartwright in Slow Horses that really stands out. Two thrilling series about author Mick Herrons group of hopeless intelligence operatives has led to two more on the way, and Lowden, alongside Gary Oldman, is a key component of why it works.

Male performance in a comedy programme

 Daniel Radcliffe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (The Roku Channel)

 Jon Pointing, Big Boys (Channel 4)

 Joseph Gilgun, Brassic (Sky Max)

 Lenny Rush, Am I Being Unreasonable? (BBC One)

 Matt Berry, What We Do In The Shadows (Disney+)

 Stephen Merchant, The Outlaws (BBC One)

Should win: Lenny Rush

Was there more of a scene-stealing performance last year than Lenny Rush in Am I Being Unreasonable? Playing Daisy May Coopers son, Ollie, in this underrated and unusual sitcom, the 14-year-old was an absolute joy. He has won at the National Comedy Awards and the Royal Television Society Programme Awards; hopefully hell add a Bafta to his growing collection of honours.

Will win: Jon Pointing

Big Boys caught many off-guard, but it won a legion of fans for its deeply moving, yet funny, take on male friendship and grief. Both leads were knockouts in the sitcom based on writer Jack Rookes own life, and Dylan Llewellyn could equally have been nominated, but Pointing shaded it for his fantastic portrayal of a university lad who also suffers from depression. He would certainly be a worthy winner should Rush miss out.

Female performance in a comedy programme

 Daisy May Cooper, Am I Being Unreasonable? (BBC One)

 Diane Morgan, Cunk On Earth (BBC Two)

 Lucy Beaumont, Meet The Richardsons (Dave)

 Natasia Demetriou, Ellie & Natasia (BBC Three)

 Siobhan Mcsweeney, Derry Girls (Channel 4)

 Taj Atwal, Hullraisers (Channel 4)

Should win: Siobhan McSweeney

Siobhan McSweeney created a bona fide icon out of the character of Derry Girls Sister Michael. The impatient nun-slash-headmistress of the girls convent school is almost synonymous with the show, with her despairing eye-rolls and snappy one-liners. Theres not a whole lot of depth to Sister Michael, but there doesnt need to be: when you steal every scene like that, its comedy gold and McSweeney is surely a shoo-in for the award.

Will win:Siobhan McSweeney

Look, there are no arguments on this one. McSweeney thoroughly deserves every plaudit she gets for this role. Many will be cheering her all the way to the podium.

Sherwood

Drama series

 Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)

 The Responder (BBC One)

 Sherwood (BBC One)

 Somewhere Boy (Channel 4)

Should win: Somewhere Boy

Seemingly out of nowhere, this Channel 4 drama was absolutely one of the standout shows of the year. This is a coming-of-age story with a difference. As the Evening Standard review said, its about love, grief and denial and a fathers desperation to protect his child from the horrors of the real world. Shattering, stunning television brilliantly performed.

Will win:Sherwood

The golden boy of screen and stage writing, James Graham, can do no wrong. And he proved it once again with this show inspired by real-life murders in a Nottinghamshire community still fractured by the miners strikes of the 1980s. Starring David Morrissey and Lesley Manville, this was BBC One drama at its finest and may well have the biggest appeal to academy voters.

Miniseries

 A Spy Among Friends (ITVX)

 Mood (BBC Three)

 The Thief, His Wife And The Canoe (ITV1)

 This Is Going To Hurt (BBC One)

Should win: This Is Going To Hurt

Has there ever been a drama that made as much of an impact on the way we see the NHS as This Is Going To Hurt? Adapted from the book of the same name by its author Adam Kay, the series features staggering performances from Ben Whishaw as demoralised gynaecologist Adam and from Ambika Mod as his put-upon junior doctor Shruti. Its a searing indictment of the pressure these doctors are under  overworked and underpaid at a time that theyre striking in real life  and while its funny at times, its also desperately sad.

Will win: This Is Going to Hurt

This seems pretty much sewn up: the show received rave reviews upon release and has stayed in the national consciousness ever since. If This Is Going To Hurt doesnt scoop the Bafta, it will be a shock.

White Lotus

International

 The Bear (Disney+)

 Dahmer  Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix)

 Wednesday (Netflix)

 Oussekine (Disney+)

 Pachinko (Apple TV+)

 The White Lotus (Sky Atlantic)

Should win: The White Lotus

There are some excellent contenders in this years category, but while The Bear and Pachinko both deserve honourable mentions, surely The White Lotus series two should be first in line for the award. Mike Whites two-season run has seen him skewer the rich and investigate subjects including class, race, sex and power with an all-star cast at the top of their game, all while also serving up some first-class drama. A worthy winner.

Will win: The White Lotus

Look, The White Lotus is beloved both by audiences and critics. Its been an awards powerhouse (especially for its star Jennifer Coolidge) ever since it launched and it feels improbable that Bafta will pass it over.

Scripted comedy

 Am I Being Unreasonable? (BBC One)

 Big Boys (Channel 4)

 Derry Girls (Channel 4)

 Ghosts (BBC One)

Should win: Derry Girls

Last year marked the final series of the beloved sitcom Derry Girls and, boy, did it deliver. Featuring hilarious moments (Liam Neesons cameo as a resigned police superintendent was inspired) to the heart-breaking, it was a send-off that hardly put a foot wrong and tugged on every heartstring. It suffers a bit from Nicola Coughlans packed filming schedule (her character Claire is hardly present for most of the final series) but thats OK, everything else is perfect.

Will win: Derry Girls

Derry Girls has to be the big winner here. There are some other excellent shows on the list  Big Boys, also starring Dylan Llewellyn, rightly garnered a lot of praise for its nuanced portrayal of male friendship  but Derry Girls has been so beloved during its three-series run that, surely, the award is only heading in one direction. Slainte!

The Bafta Television Awards will take place at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, May 14
Lowden Guitars has partnered with e-commerce giant Amazon to sell its Sheeran by Lowden range to a more global audience.

The announcement comes ahead of Ed Sheerans 25-date North American leg of his Mathematics World Tour, in which he will perform live to almost 1.5m fans.

The Sheeran by Lowden collection is a collaboration between the 50-year-old Northern Ireland-based guitar makers and the international pop star.

Founder George Lowden and Ed Sheeran have said that they both share a passion to build the best guitar for all budding musicians at an affordable price.

Sheeran, who wrote five songs from his award-winning X album on his original Wee Lowden, admitted that while he had always wanted one as a child, he could never afford it.

I grew up wanting to play Lowden guitars, but they were so rare and so expensive I didnt end up getting one until I was given one by my friend Gary [Lightbody] from Snow Patrol in 2012, he said.

"Through Gary I met George Lowden and he started making my tour guitars for me, which were amazing both on stage and in the studio.

David Ausdahl, managing director at Lowden Guitars, said: Our friendship with Ed developed as he started to play and write his songs on the Lowden and visited our workshops to choose more guitars.

"We were so pleased to see how much he loved the guitars, so when Ed wanted to play a Lowden on stage, we of course voiced some especially for his stage use. That was the magic moment! Ed and George began to dream together of making a range of quality guitars more accessibly priced, that would inspire new players to make music. Sheeran by Lowden was born!

The range was introduced in 2019 and the vast majority of the thousands of guitar sales in the range to date, have been through distributors and merchants worldwide.

The company, whose guitars have been played by the likes of Eric Clapton, Damien Rice, Lewis Capaldi and Niall Horan, saw an opportunity to grow sales with the reach that Sheeran offered.

They attended an Amazon Global Selling Workshop arranged in collaboration with the UK Department for Business and Trade which opened their eyes to the potential of exporting their guitars to even more customers around the world.

Lowdens first foray into selling on Amazon was the release of a small shipment of guitars during the recent Australia leg of Sheerans tour.

Now they are set to make waves on a much bigger stage and have shipped hundreds of guitars to the US in time for the start of Sheerans North America gigs which began in New Orleans and ends on September 23 in Inglewood, California.

Last month, Lowdens craftmanship was celebrated and discussed during the 27th Ards International Guitar Festival.

He told the Belfast Telegraph he could absolutely not have imagined that tinkering about more than 60 years ago would have led to such a career.
Keanu Reeves rock band Dogstar announce first live show in two decades (Ian West/PA)   Ian West

Keanu Reeves rock band Dogstar have reunited and are set to give their first live performance for over two decades.

The Los Angeles-formed three-piece features the Hollywood star on bass guitar, Bret Domrose on lead vocals and Rob Mailhouse on drums.

The band are due to play at the 2023 BottleRock festival, in Napa Valley, California, on May 27, where they will perform brand new songs.

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

Recent posts on social media had hinted at their reunion, before the performance was announced officially on Wednesday,

The band was active from the mid 1990s to the early 2000s, and garnered much media attention due to Reeves involvement.

During this time they released an EP, Quattro Formaggi, and two albums, titled Our Little Visionary and Happy Ending.

Their last performance was in 2002, in Japan.
Eurovision fans around Liverpool City Centre ahead of the semi-final of Eurovision Song Contest at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)   Peter Byrne

Eurovision fans praised Liverpool as they arrived for the contests second semi-final.

Flags, sequins and Eurovision-themed costumes were all on show as crowds arrived at the M&S Bank Arena for the show on Thursday.

Urs Odermatt, 57, from Lucerne, Switzerland, and his friends, who all wore red Swiss-themed suits, said Liverpool was the best after travelling to many different countries to watch the competition.

Asked what made it so good, he said: The pubs, the people, the prices, the beers and the weather.

Were happy.

Eurovision fans ahead of the second semi-final of Eurovision Song Contest at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)   Peter Byrne

Alex Rice, 25, from Dublin, said: Everyone I talk to is saying Liverpool have put on the best show.

I was at previous Eurovisions and Ive never seen Eurovision plastered everywhere, its in every restaurant, its in every bar. People are so welcoming, people are so lovely.

Australian Jon Therkleson, 53, who lives in London, said it was the seventh Eurovision he and friends had travelled to.

He said: Liverpool have pulled out all the stops to make this an amazing place for all the fans.

Eurovision is visible everywhere and theyve put on such a great event with the Eurovision Village.

Twins Shannon and Emilie Vose, 25, from Donaghadee in Northern Ireland, said they were at Eurovision for the first time and were ticking it off their bucket list.

Emilie said the atmosphere was incredible.

She added: Way better than I think we even thought it was going to be, it seems to be every corner you turn there is someone from Eurovision past there which is brilliant as fans.

Chris Dugan, 44, from Auckland, New Zealand, who was wearing a silver dress and outfit in the style of former Ukraine entrant Verka Serduchka, said his time in Liverpool had been a whirlwind.

Ive got a bit of a headache from last night, he said. Too much dancing and singing and just a bit starstruck seeing Eurovision stars just walking through the streets.
The 40th anniversary of beloved comedy Blackadder will be celebrated with a special set of stamps, Royal Mail has announced.

Eight of the stamps capture moments from all four series of the classic sitcom  From the mists of medieval England to the court of Queen Elizabeth I  while a further four depict Edmund Blackadder, played by Rowan Atkinson, in his various guises over each of the series.

(Royal Mail)

The stamps feature some of the shows best-loved characters, played by stars including Sir Tony Robinson, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Tim McInnerny, Miranda Richardson, Brian Blessed and the late Patsy Byrne.

A presentation pack including all 12 stamps will be available for 19.60.

(Royal Mail)

Launched in 1983 by writer Richard Curtis and star Atkinson, with the assistance of BBC producer John Lloyd and co-author Ben Elton, the show is often cited as one of the best British sitcoms of all time.

Curtis said: Were very amused and delighted. Its a great relief for Blackadder to have his head on a stamp, instead of on a stake.

(Royal Mail)

Producer Lloyd added: The entire team behind Britains leading situation tragedy is deeply honoured by Royal Mails magnificent stamps of approval.

In the words of General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett, VC KCB: Lets give them a damn good licking!

The first episodes of the show, written by university friends Curtis and Atkinson, were set in the 15th century during the fictional reign of King Richard IV.

(Royal Mail)

Blackadder II jumped forward in time to follow the shifting fortunes of Lord Edmund Blackadder, an ambitious courtier to the giddy young Queen Elizabeth I, while the third instalment was set in the early 19th century during the Regency of the impressively-trousered royal heir, Prince George.

It followed the adventures of crafty butler Mr E Blackadder, who spends his days tormenting his lice-infested minion Baldrick and cooking up cunning plans to improve his social standing.

(Royal Mail)

The final series, Blackadder Goes Forth, was set in the First World War, where Captain Blackadder and his fellow soldiers in the trenches try every trick in the book to evade the inevitable order to go over the top.

David Gold, director of external affairs and policy at Royal Mail, said: The epic saga of Blackadder spans six centuries of British history and four decades of British television and is still loved and revered by audiences old and new.

We are delighted to mark the 40th anniversary of Blackadder with a set of special stamps.

(Royal Mail)

The stamps are available to pre-order at www.royalmail.com/blackadder, by telephone on 03457 641 641, and at 7,000 Post Office branches across the UK.

The stamps go on general sale on May 17.
A dad who caused permanent brain damage to his infant by shaking him has avoided jail.

The 45-year-old from Co Down, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his son, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to inflicting grievous bodily harm to the infant.

On December 30, 2017, the defendant and his wife were at their North Down home when she made a 999 call at 4.14 am and said her baby was "not breathing properly, his eyes were slightly open and was not responsive''.

Judge Philip Babington said the couple were given instructions to carry out CPR and the defendant "carefully carried out these instructions and his efforts at resuscitating his son were genuine''.

Paramedics noticed the 12-week-old baby was in cardiac arrest and said they were leaving immediately to take the infant to the Ulster Hospital.

When the infant arrived at the hospital, it was noted he was not breathing, his heart was beating but his blood pressure was low.

He was placed on a ventilator and taken to the paediatric care unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

A doctor who examined the child formed the view that the baby had suffered a cardiac arrest at home while choking.

Brain and spine MRI scans were carried out and showed extensive injuries to the brain and a reduction in blood to the brain which were consistent with a "traumatic injury''.

A doctor told the parents their son's condition was being treated as "non-accidental injury''.

The defendant told police that he fed his son his bottle, started to nurse him, "rocking him over his shoulder. He then lifted him off his shoulder and he appeared to be unresponsive. Milk was coming out of his nose and he was gasping''.

On January 3, 2018, the defendant was arrested by police but denied losing his temper with his son. "He said he was calm at all times and didn't do anything untoward to his son.''

Expert evidence from medical witnesses said the child had suffered a "traumatic brain/spinal injury which were compatable with a shaking injury following a momentary loss of control''.

Said Judge Babington: "The effect on the child has been very profound. He has an acquired brain injury, he has had a fall in movement disorder/cerebral palsy and is fed through a tube in his abdomen.

"He is now a profoundly disabled child. He communicates by crying and facial expression and requires 24-hour assistance.''

The judge added: "There is no doubt it has been difficult for the defendant to realise exactly what he did and to also accept that he is responsible for the injuries caused to his son.

"He told a probation officer that he was holding his son and shook him 'only for a second'.

"He first said he was a little frustated but later described his frustrations as 'enormous'. He said he himself wanted to sleep and felt unprepared for caring for a baby.''

Belfast Crown Court heard that since the incident, the defendant had "acted as a loving father to his son'' and despite his marriage ending, he remained an "integral and essential part of his son's care package''.

"The offending in this case is aggravated by the devastating injuries sustained by the child. What he did was wrong. His plea of guilty shows a substantial amount of remorse, the judge said.

"If he was sent to prison, it would make life much harder for the child and his mother.

"This tragic case involved a loss of control for a very short time causing terrible consequences for the child.''

Judge Babington said that given the "exceptional nature of the case'', he had decided to impose a suspended sentence. The defendant was handed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.
Former DUP councillor William Walker has been told he will be sentenced next month for two sexual offences involving children.

Last month the 60 year old pleaded guilty to one charge of attempted sexual communication with a child called 'Sammy Jo' on dates between February 10 and 15, 2022, but denied a second similar offence involving 'Daisy May.'

Walker - formerly from Killyleagh but with a current address at Palentine Road in Blackpool - was back in court today, May 11, where he had the second charge that he initially denied put to him again.

The now ex-Mourne and Down District councillor was then charged with attempting to sexually communicate with a child called 'Daisy May' on dates between February 10 and 23, 2022.

After the charge was put to him at Downpatrick Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, Walker replied: "Guilty."

Although no details regarding the charges emerged today, it is understood they arise from information supplied to the police by a paedophile hunter group.

Judge Geoffrey Miller KC noted that as Walker had now entered guilty pleas to both charges, a date for the plea hearing could be set.

A Probation Report will be compiled in England ahead of sentencing, which Judge Miller said would take place on June 22.

Addressing Walker - who appeared via a videolink in England - the judge told him he needed to attend court in person on that date.

The former politician is already on the Sex Offenders Register due to his plea last month and he was released on continuing bail until June 22.
A predator pervert who described his 14-year-old girl victim as his dirty little secret was jailed today.

Dungiven paedophile Kieran OKane, (31), who groomed, abused and even video-recorded himself having sex with the child was handed a 44-month sentence.

Antrim Crown Court heard he told the girl the younger you are the better when she said she was only 14 and urged her to call him Daddy.

Passing sentence, Judge Alistair Devlin praised the considerable strength of the victim who he said had shown courage and bravery in seeing the case through to the end.

He said he hoped that both she and her foster carer could take some comfort from a sense of closure now that the case has concluded.

Turning to OKane, Judge Devlin said it was perfectly clear he knew perfectly well that his victim was just 14-years-old, that she was vulnerable due to her home situation and was less than half his age when he was engaged in persistent sexual communication and abuse.

The Co Derry man will serve half his sentence in jail and half under supervised licence conditions, with the judge also ordering him to sign the police sex offenders register for the rest of his life and be made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

At an earlier hearing, OKane, from Columbia Park, Dungiven, admitted 36 sex offences including seven counts of sexual activity with a female child, four counts of sexually communicating with the underage girl and one of inciting her to take indecent pictures.

OKane also admitted 22 counts of making and possessing indecent images of a child and two charges of having extreme pornography on dates between October 2021 and March last year.

Judge Devlin said the offences came to light in February last year after the victims foster carer identified sexual content on her mobile phone including a number of high sexualised messages from a man named as Kieran.

There was also a video of the teenager performing a sex act on a male in a VW vehicle.

Among the messages the victim had told the defendant clearly that she was 14 but instead of cutting off contact, OKane told her the younger you are the better.

Other messages revealed that he discussed sexual positions, asked her to call him Daddy, he called her baby and later as my dirty little secret, said the judge.

It was also clear from the messages that OKane had driven from Dungiven to meet the girl on at least one occasion.

The victim had a video recorded interview with detectives where she outlined how she had met OKane on a residential retreat around Christmas and it was shortly afterwards he began to message her through social media.

She told police the first time he picked her up in his car, he kissed her passionately, touched her private parts and had sex with her.

The pair met again in January and it was at that time when OKane video recorded her performing a sex act on him before he had sex with her again, said Judge Devlin.

He described how the sexual communication charges and some of the indecent image charges relate to explicit images of the victim which police uncovered on his phone in circumstances where OKane had asked the girl to send him nudes.

There were other indecent images of children found but when OKane was first arrested and questioned he denied knowing or meeting her, and denied there was anything indecent on his phone or that her DNA would be found in his car.

Judge Devlin said OKane had lied extensively to police but he had admitted his guilt in court which had spared the victim from having to relive her ordeal as part of a trial and he had expressed remorse for his offences.

In jailing OKane, Judge Devlin ordered that as part of his licence conditions and his SOPO the pervert is disqualified from working with children.
Dressed in a North Face tracksuit, he also attacked an elderly customer and intimidated a pregnant member of staff over the 9.69 case of beer

A thug who flashed a replica handgun while stealing a case of beer in an east Belfast off-licence has been jailed.

Kenneth Edward James McIntyre had previously pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and three counts of assault.

The 37-year-old further admitted the attempted theft of a case of Carlsberg beer worth 9.69, criminal damage and resisting police.

Prosecution barrister Philip Henry told Belfast Crown Court that at 7.30 pm on April 8, 2022, the defendant went into the Russells off-licence on the Ravenhill Road.

Dressed in a green North Face tracksuit, Mr Henry said the defendant tried to leave with the case of beer and when challenged, he lifted his top to show off a silver handgun in his waistband and said to a male member of staff: "Do you see that?''

The prosecutor told Judge Philip Gilpin a pregnant member of staff moved behind the till as she "feared she was going to be assaulted''.

She told police that McIntyre, of Sandbrook Grove in the east of the city, lifted his top and said to her: "Do you know who I am? I have a gun and I am not afraid to use it.''

After leaving the shop, McIntyre assaulted an elderly man and struck him to the side of his eye with the victim's mobile before jumping on the phone and smashing it.

When police arrived on the scene, McIntyre resisted arrest and officers had to use an incapacitant spray on him, said Mr Henry.

In a follow up search of the area, police recovered the replica gun from a bin at nearby Donard Street.

The prosecution lawyer said McIntyre had an "appalling'' criminal record with 242 convictions, which were mostly for violence and one previous weapon offence.

Defence barrister Kelly Doherty said McIntyre was intoxicated at the time and had also taken the prescription drug Pregabalin.

"He is remorseful and apologises for his behaviour. He accepts that this was a frightening experience for people in the shop. He has taken quite significant steps in custody to address his alcohol and drug issues,'' she added.

Judge Gilpin told McIntyre: "You clearly carried the weapon for the purpose of causing fear of violence to innocent third parties.

"You made the weapon visible and you caused fear of violence in a small commercial premises where staff are inherently vulnerable and in this circumstance one member of staff was pregnant.

"Your criminal conduct involved the actual use of violence on an elderly man and gratuitously smashed his mobile telephone.''

After two years in custody, Judge Gilpin said McIntyre would spend a further two years on supervised release licence.

The judge also ordered the destruction of the replica firearm.
World will watch Korean inspectors in Fukushima



A team of Korean inspectors will visit nuclear plants in Fukushima, Japan, on May 23.



The inspection tour was one of the few significant results of the summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday.



However, the visit will likely end up being little more than a field trip. A Japanese official said Tuesday that the inspection is "not meant to evaluate or certify" the safety of the contaminated water that is possibly going to be released into the sea.



The remark came only a day after Kishida returned to Japan.



Its intent is clear. Tokyo wanted to ensure the upcoming visit is purely observational in terms of how well Japan treats its nuclear-contaminated water before letting it flow into the Pacific Ocean. The comment was also a response to Seoul's claims of joint verification of the water's safety. Why is there such a wide gap between their positions?



There are two possibilities.



First, the Korean side might have agreed, to certain things, on a very basic level at the summit and then tried to maximize their aims through broader interpretations later. One cannot help but have a sense of deja vu. After the Korea-U.S. summit last month, Seoul described the extended nuclear deterrence as "nuclear sharing." Washington wasted no time in refuting that claim, saying that it was "not even de facto nuclear sharing." This appears to be the result of poor negotiating skills and awkward attempts to fill the void later.



Second, Korea and Japan might have agreed  if only informally  on the meaning of the inspection and its limitations, but wanted to calm the public's concerns. Before taking office, Yoon gave the impression of not caring much about that issue, citing "scientific" verification. His administration uses the word "disposal," which is synonymous with the word "release," a word that is part of Tokyo's lexicon. According to a media report, Seoul is also considering replacing the word "contaminated" with the word "treated" when referring to the water as Tokyo currently does.



This is a far cry from the previous government that studied the possibility of bringing Japan to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea if Tokyo fails to completely resolve neighboring countries' concerns. After all, this government regards the resumption of nuclear power generation as one of its most significant accomplishments. A prominent symbol of rectifying the previous government's supposed mistakes that is. The ruling party even characterizes the opposition, which is calling for a thorough verification regarding safety concerns, as trying to win political points through "unscientific" fearmongering.



However, scientists are divided on this issue.



Many agree that filtering pollutants will reduce harm to the environment to a negligible level. They note that watering down tritium, an inseparable radioactive isotope of hydrogen, can also lower its risk to a safe level. But others point to Tokyo's lack of research into tritium's impact on marine ecosystems.



Proponents say it would take one to five years for filtered and diluted matter to reach foreign shores. Opponents point to the accumulated harm that could be caused through the food chain, noting that the ocean is more unpredictable than it seems. Yet others say humans have yet to comprehend fully the actual harms caused by tritium.



A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday, "If the water is safe, why does Japan not use it for industrial uses or farming irrigation at home?" An organization representing 18 Pacific Island nations said, "If it is safe, dump it in Tokyo, test it in Paris, and store it in Washington."



These criticisms may not be 100 percent right, objectively speaking. But they reflect the concerns of neighboring countries, especially regarding their fishing industries. Japan also subsidizes fishermen in Fukushima. The world's third-largest economy has the money and technology to seek alternatives, including land storage and vaporizing the tainted water. It must do so.



All this explains why Seoul must negotiate carefully for the scheduled trip in a working-level meeting that begins today. It must demand joint verification or a "de facto" investigation. Korea is the closest country to Japan geographically, but the farthest one emotionally. If Seoul nods or appears to do so, Tokyo will rejoice. The whole world is watching.




Image taken from the video of the Bangor pier assault

A woman who hit the headlines over the infamous Bangor pier attack several years ago was handed an 18-month sentence for burglary today.

Judge Patrick Lynch KC ordered Cora Campbell to serve four months of that in prison, however the 23-year-old will soon be freed having spent three months on remand.

Campbell, of Spring Meadow in west Belfast, had earlier confessed to stealing a set of keys during the burglary of a house on Grove Street in Lisburn on January 12, last year.

Prosecuting lawyer Joseph Murphy told Craigavon Crown Court how the victim was in bed at around 4am when his partner woke him saying simply the keys as they heard a bunch of keys being taken out of the interior door.

The householder ran downstairs and saw two people in dark clothing walking away from his home, but the only thing stolen was a bunch of keys to the house and his work van.

Mr Murphy said police and CSI attended the property and they ascertained entry had been gained through an open window in the spare room, adding that Campbell was arrested after her fingerprint was uncovered at the scene.

She refused to answer police questions and Mr Murphy revealed that she has a substantial record with 38 previous convictions, mostly for violence but also included an entry for ABH which was of some notoriety.

In April 2018, Campbell, a teenage girl and William Boyd were recorded attacking a teenage girl on Bangor pier in a video which went viral and was viewed online by millions.

Initially charged with trying to inflict grievous bodily harm with intent Campbell, Boyd and the teenager all pleaded guilty to causing their victim actual bodily harm.

In that case, Downpatrick Crown Court heard how the defendants had been with a drinking with a group of around 15 people when their victim arrived at the pier.

The complainant said that everything was fine and they were having a good time, but she was approached by Campbell who punched her and grabbed her by the hair.

She was shouting: Do you still want my boyfriend now and why did you kiss him, said prosecuting counsel Laura Ievers, adding that during the video recording of the attack, Boyd was heard shouting break her nose more than once and was filmed pouring beer and vodka into the victims eyes and throat.

Describing how the victim was punched 30 times in the video, the lawyer said the girl thought she was going to be drowned in the sea.

Arrested and interviewed after the video of the attack was posted online and went viral by being viewed millions of times, Campbell admitted the assault but told police she thought it wasnt that bad, until she was shown the footage of the incident.

Boyd (23), from Sunnyside Drive in west Belfast and then aged 17-year-old girl also admitted their involvement.

Handing Campbell a 32-month sentence, half to be served in jail and half on supervised licence, Judge Geoffrey Miller QC said that when they attacked their teenage victim, the trio had behaved like a pack of wild animals after their prey.

Read more Man sentenced over suffering caused to 16 pups found squeezed in car boot at Belfast Port

In court today, defence counsel Stephen Campbell said it was clear the defendant has an extremely troubled background with a diagnosis of PTSD and whose life has been plagued by drug addiction.

He revealed however there are some signs of optimism in that Campbell is currently undergoing a methadone substitute programme for the first time ever and is willing to engage with probation support once released.

Sentencing Campbell, Judge Lynch said while the burglary had been late at night at an occupied property, she left without confrontation and minimal property had been taken.

Describing her record as unenviable for a lady of her age, the judge said while the custody threshold was crossed there seems to be a maturing in the attitudes of the defendant so departing from the usual 50/50 split of custody and licence, he conceded that will mean hopefully she is supported on release.
Her previous convictions include 26 counts of fraud against one former employer and nine counts of fraud against another and one of those cases involved a total of 188,000

A Co Antrim woman who used a work credit card to make nearly 7,000 worth of fraudulent purchases on Amazon has avoided being sent to jail.

Mary Sherry, 54, received a six-month suspended sentence for the scam against her former nursing agency employers.

A judge also ordered her to repay the full amount within 28 days.

Sherry, of Hilden Mews in Lisburn, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation.

It was revealed today that she has a string of similar previous convictions in the Republic of Ireland - including one case where the loss amounted to 188,000.

Belfast Magistrates Court heard Sherry acquired a company credit card belonging to Pulse Care Agency for work purposes.

Over a five-month period between October 2021 and March 2022, she used it to make 6,975 worth of unauthorised purchases.

She kept the details of the card stored on her phone and used them, A Crown lawyer said.

Over 370 items were purchased off Amazon.

Once the card reached its credit limit a bank investigation was triggered and bosses at Pulse Care were alerted.

The company carried out its own internal probe to establish Sherrys involvement.

Defence counsel Michael Boyd said she carried out the scam after falling behind on mortgage payments.

She behaved in a very unsophisticated way that was always going to be detected, the barrister submitted.

This has been causing her very significant distress, she realises it could result in an immediate sentence (of imprisonment).

The court heard Sherrys previous offences were also directly linked to jobs she had in the Republic of Ireland.

She committed 26 counts of fraud against one former employer and nine counts of fraud against another. One of the cases involved a total of 188,000.

Another conviction related to the theft of nearly 1,000 worth of goods from Marks & Spencer.

She has gone for long overdue counselling for issues that feed into this pattern of offending, Mr Boyd added.

He stressed that Sherry is able to refund Pulse Care Agency in full.

Sentencing her to six months, suspended for three years, District Judge Anne Marshall described it as a borderline case.

She told Sherry: Its a knife-edge, you should really be going into custody given your previous offending in relation to employers.

But there are a number of issues you now seem to be taking steps to deal with.

Judge Marshall warned: If theres any new offending of a dishonest nature you really are looking at a lengthy sentence.

Im also going to order 6,975 compensation. You have 28 days to pay that.
Horse jumping at day two of the Balmoral Show. Pic: Jonathan Porter/PressEye   Jonathan Porter / Press Eye

Sheep shearing took centre stage at day two of the Balmoral Show. Pic: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press.

The ever popular sheep shearing competition was the highlight of day two of the 2023 Balmoral Show.

Competitors showed off their skills in front of crowds, and John Mitchell (18) from Cushendall, who visits Balmoral every year, was quick to praise the event.

However, his friend Tom McMaster (18) from Galgorm, narrowly missed out in competing in the sheep shearing contest, but hopes he will be able to compete next year.

Back Row Left to Right: John Mitchell, Tom McMaster, Ciaran Sharpee, John McPeter Front Row: Niall Sharpee

I was meant to be shearing the black-face [sheep], but there was a disagreement about when they went in and when they went out so there is no black-face here today, he explained.

There are less animals here today than there was last year. I think if they have the black-face here next year it will be a lot better.

Meanwhile, the Russell family travelled from Donegal for their annual Balmoral Show visit.

Emma Russell and her children Scott and Katie Russell

Emma Russell was hoping her children, Scott and Katie, will love the show as much as she does.

Scotts the main man for the cows, she said. He loves the cows and then Katie, she loves the horses, she goes to horse-riding lessons.

Emma felt the Balmoral Show is the perfect family day out to begin the summer.

Its great, we are seeing lots and doing lots, she said. We got to see lots of livestock and machinery and they got a day off school too.

And the weather has been good too so thats good.

Ernest Poole (73) from Poyntzpass also attends the show with his wife annually and said he wouldnt miss it.

Ernest Poole

Ill get my wife through the WI and some of these stalls and then we can go have a look at some of the machinery, Ernest joked.

Another machinery fan is David Dungan (20) from Comber.

I like checking the machinery and looking at all the stuff I cant afford, he joked.

David comes to the show every year and is glad to see it is gradually growing in size.

David Dungan

Its pretty good, some years its a bit of the same stuff but this is good this year, he said.

Theres more machinery here than there was last year, theres a good range and a better selection here.

One visitor who was impressed by the size of the show was Isobel Hemphill (62) from Ballymoney.

This was her first time visiting the show in the Eikon Exhibition Centre and she was shocked how different the show is now.

Its fabulous, absolutely amazing, the last time we were at the Balmoral Show it was at the Kings Hall so its been a long time, she said.

Isobel Humphill

This is special, Ive never seen anything like it, I just think its fabulous.

TUV leader Jim Allister was also in attendance and said he felt it is something that really brings the community of Northern Ireland together.

Ive had a walk round the stalls and Ive seen some of the livestock as well, he said.

Its a great event, its a community event, its something everyone in the country can enjoy, its been good.

The TUV has had a stall here for a number of years and it is great to have a chance to speak to people and meet people from across the country.

A lot of people have come up to us and we have been able to share our message today.

Mr Allister said he is a fan of the livestock at the Balmoral Show but he couldnt choose a favourite.

I think its hard to say, I was down there with the sheep and I saw a particular breed of sheep, that is a novelty breed of sheep that was brilliant to see, he said.

The livestock here is great, its hard to go by the livestock.

However, in a statement Mr Allister also said the Balmoral Show shows the impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

If these animals went to the rest of the UK they couldnt come back without a period of extensive quarantine, he stated.

Why? Because under the protocol Great Britain is decreed to be a foreign country. We are decreed to be in the EU and to bring livestock into the EU you have to subject them to quarantine.

"That is just one example of how ridiculous and wrong this Union dismantling protocol is.
A 15-year-old boy who passed away suddenly in Co Armagh will be remembered for his heart of gold and empathy beyond his years.

Requiem Mass took place for Caoimhin Mallon at St Pauls Church in Lurgan on Thursday morning.

Mourners were told that the year 11 pupil, from Taghnevan in Lurgan, had his life cut short in a way that cannot be understood.

We celebrate his wee life  a short short life  and we pray for him before his heartbroken family who have come to lay him to rest, the priest said.

"We dont understand the death of a child  its not right.

The asthma sufferer died suddenly and unexpectedly at Craigavon Area Hospital on Sunday.

Condolences were extended to the late teens mum Donna and dad Jude on behalf of Archbishop Eamon Martin, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald and GAA president Larry McCarthy.

The congregation was told that Donna had been keeping a box of memories for when her son turned 18 but would never be able to give it to her boy, who had a tender smile and twinkle in his eye.

Read more Driver accused over crash that killed pensioners allegedly destroyed dash-cam memory card

Caoimhins sister Saoirse said an emotional farewell to my wee brother, my wee man, my best friend.

I remember crying to my teachers in school that I wanted a baby brother or sister and mum says they were never so glad to see her walk down the school gates with a pram," she said.

Ever since then I have adored you, I have taken you under my wing and tried my best to keep you on the right path and show you all the things in life.

The heartbroken sibling sobbed as she recalled shaving her brothers eyebrows off, playing dress up and attending their first concert together.

"Its been so hard to lose you, she added. "But you are with my in my memories and in my broken heart.

Read more Female-founded space in Newry is helping women through a wide range of issues

Loved ones placed sentimental items on the altar including Caoimhins beloved Liverpool top and scarf.

"It was very, very important to him and so were his trips to Anfield, the priest said.

"He loved chocolate  not only did he eat it but he dreamt about it.

An Armagh GAA jersey was also placed beside Caoimhins coffin.

His brother Daire read scripture in Irish before paying tribute to the best little brother anyone could ask for.

"He always had a smile and laugh at all your jokes no matter how bad they were, he said.

"He had a heart of gold and empathy beyond his years.

Daire told those in the pews, including teachers and the principal of St Ronans College, that Caoimhin attended his first Liverpool game with his parents just last year.

"He also had a passion for GAA and was a great defender for St Pauls, he added.

"We took great pride watching him on the pitch.

"He experienced such immense love from his family and friends.

Both the priest and family thanked paramedics and hospital staff for their tireless efforts to save Caoimhins life before a moving rendition of Youll Never Walk Alone was performed.

The deceaseds coffin was carried from the church and taken to St. Colmans Cemetery where he was laid to rest.
US President Joe Biden in Ballina on the last day of his visit to the island of Ireland (PA).   PA

US President Joe Biden has told supporters he came to Ireland to make sure the Brits didnt screw around during a speech in New York.

The Democratic National Committee Reception took place in a private residence on Wednesday.

Mr Biden, who joked about getting into trouble with the Catholic Church for the way he blesses himself these days, told those in attendance that the basic fundamental values in most ethnic communities are similar.

"I got to go back to Ireland for the  for the  the Irish Accords, to make sure they werent  the Brits didnt screw around and Northern Ireland didnt walk away from their commitments, he began his speech.

The Commander In Chief reflected on going back to his mothers ancestral home in Ballina, Co Mayo last month following his visit to Northern Ireland.

And at 9:50  9:15, on a rainy night on the River Moy, in front of a cathedral, which it turned out they went back and dug up records showing my great-great-grandfather provided the bricks to build this  the  to hold up the steeple at  there were somewhere between 28- and 40,000 people in the rain standing there, he continued.

And I guess the point of it is this: Weve all been through  and whether youre Greek or Irish  you went through times when we werent respected very much, when we were treated  that we were somehow fundamentally different than other people.

And it wasnt just Irish or African Americans. A whole lot  a lot of people went through it.

Moment US President Joe Biden forgets about visiting Ireland

Last month Irish premier Leo Varadkar insisted the strength of the UK-US relationship should never be underestimated as he was forced to reject claims that Joe Biden is anti-British.

I dont agree with that assessment, thats certainly not my experience of President Biden or his administration, he said.

A Home Office minister was also at pains to insist Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks interaction with the US president in Belfast involved extensive discussions on broad and general issues.

Joe Biden arriving in Belfast in April 2023. Getty Images.

Dame Arlene Foster questioned whether Mr Biden snubbed the United Kingdom by not flying the Union flag on his official car while in Belfast  but later opted for the Irish tricolour in Dublin.

His official vehicle donned the US Stars and Stripes along with the presidential standard on the bonnet while in NI.

But as soon as he crossed the border the latter symbol on The Beast  his high-security car  was switched to green, white and orange.

I hope its not the case that he does not recognise Northern Irelands case within the United Kingdom which is, of course, part of the Good Friday Agreement, Mrs Foster said.

I think his administration should be asked  it would be very interesting to hear what the administration has to say.

The former First Minister claimed Mr Biden has a history of offending unionists in Northern Ireland.

It followed a major gaffe during Mr Bidens visit to Co Louth when he appeared to confuse the name of the New Zealand rugby team with a contentious War of Independence-era police force.

The White House has since clarified that Mr Biden meant to say the All Blacks instead of "the Black and Tans" during the speech.

But Dame Arlene doubled downed on her view that Mr Biden hates the UK and said the blunder goes to his mindset in relation to Irish history.
A man is in a critical condition after a serious crash on the Knock Road in east Belfast.

The collision involving a car and a man on an electric scooter happened on Wednesday afternoon.

The man on the scooter remains in hospital in a critical condition.

Sergeant Braiden from the Collision Investigation Unit, said: Shortly before 2.30pm, police received the report of a collision between a car and a man on an electric scooter.

Officers attended along with our colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.

"The man on the scooter was transferred to hospital, where he remains in a critical condition at this time.

The Knock Road was closed for a number of hours but has since fully reopened.

Police asked anyone with information to contact them via 101.
Officers cordoned off a section of Willowbank Gardens, off the Antrim Road   Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

A viable pipe bomb type device has been made safe and has been taken away for further examination, following a security alert in north Belfast this evening.

Police and Ammunition Technical Officers attended the incident on the Antrim Road following the discovery of what the PSNI deemed as a suspicious object earlier on Thursday afternoon.

The road had been closed between Hopefield Avenue and Limestone Road, but has since fully reopened.

A police spokesperson added: Thank you to the local community for their patience and understanding while this public safety operation was carried out.

Enquiries are ongoing and anyone who may have any information which could assist with the investigation should contact detectives on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 878 of 11/05/23.
He says people are being defamed and reveals an alarming number of calls

One of the world's most notable libel lawyers Paul Tweed has raised concerns over the rise of artificial intelligence (Photo: PressEye)

The use of AI chatbots is resulting in people being seriously defamed, according to top libel and privacy lawyer Paul Tweed.

Mr Tweed  who is regularly referred to as one of the worlds most powerful legal figures, having represented and advised everyone from Prince Andrew to Britney Spears  said he has personally received an alarming amount of calls in relation to artificial intelligence within the past few months.

The Bangor-born lawyer, in an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, said the concerns are in relation to misinformation and other related issues from AI.

The most common staple being information generated from ChatGPT and the Googleowned Bard platform, he said.

Created by the learning machine company OpenAI, ChatGPT can generate almost any form of information simply by asking a prompt question or statement.

Were keeping a very close eye on the situation, not only because the ordinary man on the street is not going to have the funds to run a test case against OpenAI or any of the chatbots. It will have to be someone with the means to take them on if they are defamed, said Mr Tweed.

Theyre like a news aggregator on speed, (AI platforms) are using any information they can get, you put in a name and details, and then all of sudden it all comes up like a factual article or statement like something you would expect to see on the likes of Wikipedia.

News articles and websites are being cited that simply dont exist, and its very concerning because international banks for example would use someones media presence to sanction them.

A recent example of AI inaccuracy was the case involving law professor Jonathan Turley, who was falsely accused of sexual harassment by ChatGPT after his name appeared in its search engine after being asked to list five examples of sexual harassment related to professors in American law schools.

The prompt asked the bot to attribute any results to established newspapers. However, Mr Turleys name appeared in the generated response citing a post from the Washington Post which did not exist.

Mr Tweed added: It puts a whole new aspect on everything. Only earlier this year I was complaining bitterly about not being able to contact someone within the social media platforms, so this is now a new extreme where you havent a hope in hell in speaking to someone (involved in the platforms).

I have clients entering into debates with AI, after they have cited sources which have been fabricated or they have put a slant on it.

I think these people have lost control, its getting very serious, he said. Earlier this year screenshots of ChatGPT, which is largely unregulated, went viral after the bot refused to acknowledge the correct year and claimed 2023 was in the future.

Mr Tweed said he is also seeing concern from publishers, not just clients, given his role in also representing several notable newspaper publishing houses.

Im hearing from publishers, simply because their newspaper articles are being attributed in results that simply are not there so theyll now be dragged into this.

He said his only hope is due to the likes of Google maintaining their European, Middle Eastern and African headquarters in Dublin, meaning he believes AI platforms will be subjected to the same laws around mainstream social media and search engine websites.

Representatives for both OpenAI and Google have been contacted for comment.
The DUP leader addressed his party manifesto launch for the local government elections this morning

The concept of electoral no-go areas for candidates canvassing for the upcoming local government elections is utterly unacceptable, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said.

Mr Donaldson addressed the DUP manifesto launch for the council election next week at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Belfast this morning.

During a speech that led with the concept of finishing the job of restoring NIs position within the UK, he revealed one candidate had been been told his life was at risk while canvassing.

It [abuse] is a lot more widespread than gets reported, even to the point where one of our candidates was told his life is at risk if he canvasses in part of his DEA, said the Lagan Valley MP.

That is unacceptable behaviour. Utterly unacceptable and I will not tolerate that kind of situation. There are no no-go areas in Northern Ireland in electoral terms.

That applies to everybody. All candidates should have the ability to canvass freely, to put their perspective across whether on social media or the doorsteps. Thats the kind of society that we want.

In terms of what people say on Twitter, we all at times do and say things that we later regret. We are very clear. In all of our dealings we should always be respectful to others.

We are very strong in our own views and we also ask that people respect our views as well.

Much of Sir Jeffreys speech focused on unity among unionism. He said the splintering of the unionist vote handed seats to those who would seek to weaken the union.

We enter every election and we want to win; all political parties do. I hope unionism has learned a lesson from the Assembly election, he said.

"That a divided and splintered unionist vote does not benefit our case and does not benefit our ability to deliver a stronger union.

Therefore, if people want to see unionism progressing, if they want to see the Union maintained, I believe it is right unionists unite around the clear stance of the DUP as taken.

Thats what we are calling for, and we want to secure victory, victory for the union in this election. Thats what we are out to achieve and thats what we are going to achieve in this election.

Mr Donaldson also touched on his partys policy and opposition to the UK Governments Illegal Migration Bill, but said some measures needed to be taken against those who exploit weaknesses within the system.

Where people are refugees in this country, where they have entered lawfully or are awaiting a decision, of course people should treat them with respect, he said.

We cant at the same time sit back and watch criminal gangs, human traffickers and others exploit weaknesses in our immigration system."

We dont think that what the government are proposing is workable; thats why weve opposed the governments Migration Bill in the House of Commons for very good reason.
Parents and teachers have called for exams for 10 and 11-year-olds to be scrapped after an English paper left pupils in tears.

Dozens of parents have share their concerns online about the Year 6 Sats, with one saying on Mumsnet that her daughter had found the exam really hard and awful.

A Year 6 teacher said Wednesdays reading paper was hideous and much harder than last years, saying it was on a par with the notoriously vile 2016 paper.

I really feel for all these Year 6s, another Mumsnet user commented, adding that they hate the fact that 10 and 11-year olds are being forced to sit exams.

Sats, or Standard Assessment Tests, are used to measure childrens English and maths skills in Year 2 and Year 6 and consist of six 45-minute papers.

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

The Department for Educations website states that Sats are meant to measure school performance and to make sure individual pupils have the support that they need as they move into secondary school.

Beth Southern, an educational consultant and qualified primary school teacher from Bury, Greater Manchester, said that her son was disappointed after this weeks English paper turned out to be much more difficult than he had expected.

My son feels disappointed that he found the reading test yesterday so challenging. He said the texts were long and wordy and that he had to use a lot of time trying to understand them which didnt leave enough time for the questions, she said.

He knows he was fortunate to finish when others have been left in tears.

Ms Southern said she believes that the paper was set at a higher reading comprehension level than most Year 6 children can comprehend.

Most children needed more time yesterday than the hour allocated so I wonder what the word count was, she said.

I have been told yesterdays test was dense, packed with difficult vocabulary, idiomatic language and a huge amount of inference was needed to complete it.

This is such a difficult thing for children who dont speak English as their first language and will no doubt have left them feeling like failures.

Its awful that we assess a childs entire primary school reading ability on a single hour-long test that was way too complex for 10 to 11-year-olds to comprehend.

Jayne Robinson, 39, who works as a nurse, said that many of her daughters friends were unable to finish the exam, even though her Stoke-on-Trent school had been helping pupils prepare for their Sats since Christmas.

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

These exams have been much harder than the practice papers my daughter has sat, she told the PA news agency.

My daughter had a lot of Sats practice, but she said some of her friends couldnt finish the paper as it was too long, one of her friends made up answers at the end just to finish the paper.

Her school has been fantastic, theyve made it as calming as possible, with exams and prep sessions planned around breakfasts in the morning and break times. We cant fault them, this is no reflection on them, she added.

Kerry Forrester, a head teacher at a Cheshire primary school, has written to her local MP expressing concern about the negative impact that the exams have had on the mental health and wellbeing of her pupils.

In a letter she shared on Twitter, Ms Forrester says that this year has seen the most negative impact on our children that we have ever experienced.

Tears flowed from our most capable readers and stress levels rose amongst all others, she said, adding that this was the most challenging reading test I have seen in my 29 years as a teacher.

The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.
By Donald Kirk







The rapid succession of summits between President Yoon Suk Yeol and President Biden and then between Yoon and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida should in theory open a new chapter in South Korea's two most important relationships with foreign countries.







Certainly, it was great to see these leaders getting together in what appeared to be the friendliest summits imaginable. On sober second thought, however, we have to recognize the downside of both these summits. The fact is South Korea did not quite achieve all it wanted in either of them.







The results of the White House summit were particularly ambivalent. No way, it seemed, was the Biden administration open to demands for South Korea to have nukes on its soil. That goes for nukes planted by the Americans on bases in the South, ready for firing back at the North in case Kim Jong-un makes good on his threats to unleash tactical nukes against the South.







Nor were the Americans the least receptive to South Korea fabricating its own nukes. We assume, after all, their success in making nuclear reactors for power plants, that Korean physicists and engineers could quite quickly produce nuclear warheads, but the Americans don't like that idea.







It's easy to appreciate American reluctance to endorse South Korea's emergence as the world's 10th nuclear power after North Korea. Japan and Taiwan would be the next to want to join the nuclear club and northeast Asia could become a battleground in which tactical nukes were the weapons of choice.







As for planting nukes on Korean soil, the late President George H. W. Bush ordered their withdrawal in 1991 in hopes of convincing the North that its nuclear program was a waste of time and money. Instead, Kim Jong-un's father, Kim Jong-il, invested still more money in nukes and missiles and the North staged its first underground nuclear test in 2006.







Those calling for the return of American nukes to South Korea note that the U.S. has planted nukes in five other countries that do not make them. These include Turkey, Italy, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, all NATO allies. Korea's status as an American ally strengthens the argument. No, there is no chance of Japan asking for American nukes. The Japanese, having suffered the atom-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, totally ban nukes on their soil.







President Biden sought to mollify South Koreans by selling them on extended deterrence and the formation of a nuclear "consultative group." Extended deterrence means nothing, however, other than greater but non-specific defense, and Americans and Koreans will talk about the North Korean nuclear menace whenever they wish, with or without the window-dressing of a "consultative group."







Nor did Biden's promise of a nuclear ballistic missile submarine visiting a South Korean port offer much consolation. Certainly, the sub would not be threatening North Korea. The sub more properly should be on patrol in the Pacific, ready for action when and where needed. A port visit would be irrelevant other than as an attempt to convince Koreans that they could count on America's "nuclear umbrella."







As for the first state visit of a Japanese prime minister to South Korea in 12 years, the idea no doubt was heartening to those who see trilateralism, that is, a de facto alliance of Korea, Japan and the United States, as vital for the region's defense. Beyond all the warm words, including the ritual Japanese apology for its 35-year rule over Korea, nothing much has really changed.







The critics still regard the deal that Yoon and Kishida reached in Tokyo in March for compensation of forced laborers as inadequate, almost a sell-out. Nor will Japan abandon its claim to Dokdo, which the Japanese call Takeshima.







The list of grudges in Korean-Japanese relations goes on and on. All that is clear is that the two need each other in the event of another shooting war with North Korea. Let us not forget that Japan, during the first Korean War, was a vital rear base area for American forces. Japan and Korea are obviously much closer now. Japanese and Korean air and naval forces have staged joint exercises together with the Americans.







One thing, though, is not going to happen. Japanese and Korean soldiers will not play war games on the ground in each other's country. The image of Japanese soldiers again in South Korea, or Korean soldiers on Japanese soil, is beyond imagination.









) covers the confrontation of forces in Asia from Seoul and Washington.



Donald Kirk ( www.donaldkirk.com
Colleen Shogan speaks during her confirmation hearing to be Archivist of the United States, before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (Mariam Zuhaib/AP/PA)   Mariam Zuhaib

President Joe Bidens nominee to head the National Archives was confirmed on Wednesday by the Senate after a months-long partisan battle over the agencys role in the investigation into sensitive documents seized at Donald Trumps Florida home.

Colleen Shogan, a political scientist, was confirmed as archivist of the United States in a 52-45 vote, gaining some bipartisan support after a nearly year-long delay.

With a long career spanning work at institutions such as the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress and the White House Historical Association, Ms Shogan has sought to assure senators she will not bring a partisan mindset to the job.

Ms Shogan also stressed to Congress that she has not been briefed on the details or directly involved in the ongoing criminal investigations into Mr Trumps handling of presidential records and more recently that of President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence.

But her nomination faced hostility from Senate Republicans, who have sought to portray her as a political actor for the left. During her confirmation hearing, they grilled Ms Shogan about her past tweets and a recent whistleblower letter alleging that she created an abusive work environment at one of her former posts.

A partially redacted image of documents seized during an FBI search of former US president Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate (Department of Justice via AP/PA)   Uncredited

We are living through the political weaponisation of the National Archives, the political weaponisation of the Department of Justice, the political weaponisation of the FBI, said Republican senator Josh Hawley during her first confirmation hearing.

The classified documents investigation, which began last summer with the FBI search of former president Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort, has thrust the National Archives into the public arena.

It was the National Archives that set the probe in motion with a referral to the FBI after Mr Trump returned 15 boxes of documents that contained dozens of records with classified markings.

Mr Biden nominated Ms Shogan just days before the FBI search after the last archivist, David Ferriero, announced his retirement last April. In explaining his decision to step away, Mr Ferriero cited fears about the nations political trajectory after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

Ms Shogan began her career as a congressional aide for former Senator Joe Lieberman, then worked her way up to a position with the Congressional Research Service. She also worked for a time at the Library of Congress.

Until her confirmation, Ms Shogan was an executive at the White House Historical Association, where she worked under both the Trump and Biden administrations.

As the archivist, she will now take the helm of an agency that  despite the current political tumult  mostly works as a custodian of American history.

The agency works to preserve the nations records, including treasured documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and maintains a sprawling collection that spans 13 billion pages of text and 10 million maps, charts and drawings, as well as tens of millions of photographs, films and other records.

Beyond its work in Washington, the agency oversees 13 presidential libraries and 14 regional archives across the country.

Despite majority Republican opposition, Ms Shogan was able to gain the support of three GOP senators.
Former US president Donald Trump is to appeal against a jurys sexual abuse verdict (Michael Conroy/AP/PA)   Michael Conroy

Former US president Donald Trump is appealing against a New York jurys verdict awarding five million dollars (4 million) to a magazine columnist after the jurors concluded he had sexually abused her in the 1990s and defamed her last October.

A notice of appeal was filed on Thursday in Manhattan federal court, the first step in a process that will move the civil case brought against Mr Trump by writer E Jean Carroll to a three-judge panel of the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals.

The notice was signed by Trump attorney Joe Tacopina, who said after Tuesdays verdict that he believed there were multiple strong grounds for appeal.

The nine-person jury concluded after less than three hours of deliberations that Ms Carroll had failed to prove it was more likely than not that Mr Trump had raped her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman store in early spring 1996. But it did find that she had been sexually abused.

E Jean Carroll, centre, walks out of Manhattan federal court, after a jury found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing the advice columnist in 1996 (John Minchillo/AP/PA)   John Minchillo

It also said in its verdict that Mr Trump defamed Ms Carroll in a social media statement last October.

Ms Carroll sued Mr Trump in November minutes after a temporary New York state law took effect allowing sexual attack victims to sue their abusers even if the abuse occurred decades earlier.

In the notice of appeal filed in the lower court Thursday where Judge Lewis A Kaplan presided over the trial, Mr Trumps lawyers wrote that notice is hereby given that Defendant Donald J Trump appeals to the 2nd Circuit.

Asked for comment, Mr Tacopina said: Judge Kaplan has been overturned once already in Carroll v Trump. We are confident it will be twice after this appeal is heard.

He was referencing Judge Kaplans rejection of an attempt to substitute the United States for Mr Trump as the defendant in an earlier defamation lawsuit filed by Ms Carroll for statements Mr Trump made while he was president.

The 2nd Circuit later ruled that Mr Trump was an employee of the government for purposes of the lawsuit, but the appeal has not been fully resolved.

A lawyer for Ms Carroll did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The verdict was returned after a two-week trial in which Ms Carroll testified that Mr Trump sexually attacked her in the luxury department stores dressing room after a light-hearted and flirtatious chance encounter that took them from the stores entrance to the desolate sixth floor lingerie area, where Mr Trump invited Ms Carroll to help him shop for a gift.

She first publicly disclosed her experience in a 2019 memoir while Mr Trump was still president. She said his public response was so harsh that it spoiled her reputation, cost her a 27-year job with Elle magazine and subjected her to mean social media attacks from his followers.Joe Tacopina, Donald Trumps lawyer, speaks to reporters as he leaves federal court in New York on Tuesday (Seth Wenig/AP/PA)

Mr Trump, who is currently running for president as a Republican, did not attend the trial. He said he did not know Ms Carroll, that he never encountered her at the department store, and he has repeatedly hurled insults at her, including at a videotaped deposition in October. Portions of that were played for the jury.

He repeated some of his harsh statements during a CNN town hall event on Wednesday night.

Outside court on Tuesday, Mr Tacopina said that he and Mr Trump were very confident on the appellate issues here.

He said one of the issues to be appealed against was the inclusion in the trial of the 2005 Access Hollywood video in which Mr Trump was captured by mic speaking disparagingly about women and saying that celebrities can grab women sexually without asking because women let them do it.

There were things that happened in this case that were beyond the pale, Mr Tacopina said.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said his countrys military needs more time to prepare a counter-offensive aimed at pushing back Russian occupying forces.

Mr Zelensky said in an interview broadcast on Thursday by the BBC that it would be unacceptable to launch the assault now because too many lives would be lost.

With (what we have) we can go forward and be successful, Mr Zelensky said.

But wed lose a lot of people. I think thats unacceptable.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian troops need more time to prepare a counter-offensive (Yves Herman/Pool via AP)   Yves Herman

The interview was reportedly carried out in Kyiv with public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, including the BBC.

So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time, Mr Zelenskyy added.

A Ukrainian fightback against Russias invasion more than 14 months ago has been expected for weeks.

Ukraine is receiving advanced Western weapons, including tanks and other armoured vehicles, and training for its troops as it gears up for an expected assault.

While a counterpunch is possible as the weather in Ukraine improves, there has been no word on when it might happen. Mr Zelenskys remarks could be a red herring to keep the Russians guessing and ammunition supply difficulties faced by both sides have added more uncertainty.

A claim by the Ukrainian military on Wednesday that it had advanced up to 1.2 miles around the hotly contested eastern city of Bakhmut brought speculation that the counter-offensive was already under way.

But Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraines Operational Command East, told The Associated Press that the attack was not the grand counter-offensive, but its a harbinger showing that there will be more such attacks in the future.

The Kremlins forces are deeply entrenched in eastern areas of Ukraine with layered defensive lines reportedly up to 12 miles deep. Kyivs counter-offensive would likely face minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles.

Russia is acting slow in Ukraine because it wants to preserve infrastructure and save live, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed in an interview with the Bosnian Serb channel ATV broadcast on Wednesday night.

Moscow has repeatedly explained its lack of advances on the battlefield as an effort to protect civilians but those claims have proved to be false.

Russian president Vladimir Putin is counting on reducing the war to a so-called frozen conflict, with neither side able to dislodge the other, Mr Zelensky said. He ruled out surrendering territory to Russia in return for a peace deal.

Military analysts have warned that Mr Putin is hoping that the Wests costly support for Kyiv will begin to fray.

Ukraines Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euros (56bn) in military aid to help thwart the Kremlins ambitions, and with no peace negotiations on the horizon the alliance is gearing up to send more.

A senior Nato official said that in the coming months of the war, Ukraine will have the edge in quality but Russia has the upper hand in quantity.

The Russians are now starting to use very old material, very old capabilities, Admiral Bob Bauer, chairman of the Nato Military Committee, told reporters late on Wednesday in Brussels.

The Russians will have to focus on quantity, he said. Larger number of conscripts and mobilised people. Not well-trained. Older material, but large numbers, and not as precise, not as good as the newer ones.

(PA Graphics)   PA Graphics

Over the winter, the conflict became bogged down in a war of attrition with both sides relying heavily on bombardment of each others positions.

A counter-offensive is a major challenge, requiring the Ukrainian military to orchestrate a wide range of capabilities, including providing ammunition, food, medical supplies and spare parts, strung along potentially extended supply lines.

The front line extends more than 600 miles.

The Kremlin wants Kyiv to acknowledge Russias sovereignty over Crimea and also recognise Septembers annexation of the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.

Ukraine has rejected the demands and ruled out any talks with Russia until its troops pull back from all occupied territories.
Eric (39) was found dead after drinking a Moscow Mule cocktail which his wife had given him, allegedly riddled with poison

A Utah mum (33) who wrote a book about grief to help her sons overcome the death of their father has been charged with his murder.

Kouri Richins husband, Eric (39), was found dead in his bedroom last March after drinking a Moscow Mule cocktail which his wife had given him, allegedly riddled with poison, court documents read.

Shortly after the dinner, Eric became very ill. Eric told a friend that he thought his wife was trying to poison him, court documents said.

Kouri's book

About a year on from the day her husband died, Richins published a childrens book, Are You With Me? about navigating grief after the loss of a loved one.

Police now allege she killed her husband of nearly a decade with a lethal dose of illicit fentanyl.

This month, they charged her with aggravated murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Newly released court documents detailed a series of illicit fentanyl purchases by Kouri in the months leading up to her spouses death.

Kouri allegedly bought the drugs from a known dealer. Weeks before her husbands death, the Richins had marked Valentines Day with a dinner at home.

An autopsy and toxicology report revealed that Eric died of a fentanyl overdose. He had about five times the lethal dosage in his system.

Investigators obtained a search warrant and seized his wifes phone and several computers. They discovered extensive communications between Kouri and the dealers associate, who said they obtained hydrocodone for the mum.

A couple of weeks later, Ms Richins reached out again and asked for some of the Michael Jackson stuff.

Kouri Richins allegedly paid $900 for 15-30 fentanyl pills. About two weeks later, on February 26, Richins allegedly reached out for more fentanyl pills.

Richins family

About 3:30 a.m. on March 4, 2022, deputies responded to a report of an unresponsive man at the couples home. First responders unsuccessfully tried to revive Eric, who died six days after the latest alleged pill delivery.

His wife gave investigators her version of what happened that night. The couple had celebrated her business success and she brought him a cocktail in bed. Richins said she left and went to sleep with one of her three sons in his room because the child was having a night terror.

The defendant said she awoke around 03:00 hours and came back to her and Erics bedroom. She felt Eric and he was cold to the touch. That is when defendant called 911, court documents said.

Kouri allegedly told cops she left her phone plugged in next to her bed and did not take it to her sons room.

However, tolls on the defendants phone show that messages were sent and received during that time. These messages were deleted, court documents revealed.

For months, Kouri Richins worked on her book. In April, she appeared on Good Things Utah, a show on tv channel ABC4, to talk about the importance of her childrens book on mourning.

She said its based on three concepts: connection, continuity and care.

Connection: Keep the persons spirit alive who has passed. Continuity: Try and keep routines and schedules as normal as possible. Care: Affirming their feelings; understanding when they are sad, mad, lonely and talking about those feelings and letting them know its OK, Kouri said in the interview.

Her three children helped her pen the book to articulate their feelings, she said.

Weeks later, Richins was arrested for her husbands death.
Both men were ghosts at what will be another feast for the lawyers when it began on Wednesday morning down at the High Court.

It says Various vs Mirror Group Newspapers above the door of Court 15 of the Rolls Building, but what will go on over the next seven weeks will be going by a catchier moniker: Harry vs Piers. The prince and the troll.

Both men were ghosts at what will be another feast for the lawyers when it began on Wednesday morning down at the High Court. One of them, Prince Harry, will certainly turn up eventually. Hes scheduled to testify three weeks from now; the first time a senior royal has done so in any significant way in modern times.

Morgan may not make it at all. He has no formal reason to, but as Prince Harrys barrister went through the painful case against Mirror Group Newspapers it was not hard to visualise how its erstwhile editor might be looking had he made it down: just imagine a slightly wobblier-jowelled version of the gnashing teeth emoji.

All this  all these court cases against half the UK newspaper industry  the Duke of Sussex has described as his new lifes mission. At day one of his case against the Daily Mail, he made a surprise appearance in court with Elton John  but not today.

No stubbled ginger jaw line, no glowering eyes poked out from the back row of the prosecuting benches. There was precious little to distract attention from the clipped vowels of David Sherborne QC as he set off, yet again, for a rapid gallop around the dysfunctional tabloid world of the late nineties and early 2000s, all of which has been extensively covered before.

Actually, thats not quite true. The rest of team various was out in force. Michael Turner, better known as Michael Le Vell, better known as Kevin Webster, the mechanic from Corrie sat dutifully behind Mr Sherborne. So did Nikki Sanderson, also of Corrie fame, and Ingrid Tarrant, of Chris Tarrants ex-wife fame.

All of them had to walk past the gathered flash bulbs and in through the side door of the courthouse. (Its main revolving door, made briefly famous ten years ago when Bernie Ecclestone found himself unable to get out of them, was out of action.)

The Rolls Building was built not long before then, chiefly to hear cases of high finance. Court 15 is directly below Court 23, and in both architecture and decor is identical. For those of us who were here 12 years ago, to listen to four long months of Roman Abramovich being unsuccessfully sued for 6.6bn, it is somewhat disconcerting to see Corries Kevin sitting in the seats that were once very much filled up the now-deceased Boris Berezovskys ex-Mossad goons.

Sherbornes opening speech could easily have been a casting meeting for Im A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here circa 2003. For most of the day, hardly a sentence was uttered that did not feature some vaguely famous person or other. Mark Bosnich got a mention several times, as did Sarah Harding.

What was happening at the tabloids back then is not seriously contested. Private investigators used the well-known and regularly unchanged default PINs of the big mobile phone companies to secretly listen to the voicemails of celebrities to get stories about them. It was so laughably easy it barely felt like a crime, but sadly it was. And it had terrible consequences.

Almost all of its victims have settled out of court, taken the money, and most of it from News International. But not all of them. Some have taken it all the way to court, in which the actual human consequences of what must have seemed like a bit of fun at the time were made clear. Paul Gascoigne, for example, has spoken of the deeply troubling impact of, say, arranging to go to a restaurant with a close family member, and then turn up to find photographers hanging around outside. The only way they can possibly have known, he thought, is through deliberate betrayal. It is not long before you stop trusting everyone, which is simply no way to live.

But Harry is not going to settle. He is not interested in any kind of out of court payment. He is going to go on to the end, in a fight in which he believes, with some justification, is a kind of vengeance for his mothers death.

The Duke of Sussexs claim goes from 1995 to 2011 said Mr Sherborne. His claim will benefit the other claimants by demonstrating the breadth of unlawful activities engaged in by MGN.

Prince Harry, in other words, is having the case fought through him.

But, as with his case against the Mail, it will not be the suffering of famous people that turns the case in the court of public opinion, where Harry is very deliberately choosing to fight it. Just as Millie Dowlers voicemails in effect had the News of the World shut down, this time around we have already seen invoices sent from private investigators to the Mirror group newspapers, wanting payment for their voicemail services with regard to survivors of the 7/7 bombings, sent just six days after the bombing itself.

All the public has thus far heard from Morgan is a tweet picture of the South Park Harry and Meghan piss take episode, in which the pair of them go on a Worldwide Privacy Tour angrily demanding privacy from people who arent even remotely interested in them and just want to be left alone.

But, however irritating you might find them, the charge of hypocrisy is a tricky one. Selling your life story for money while suing news organisations who tried to steal it from you might not be entirely likeable behaviour  but is it really hypocritical?

You dont need to have suffered the burdens of fame to know that it might not be a moral outrage to object to illegal and frightening intrusions into your private life, even if you were planning to put it all on Instagram anyway.

The best hope, at this stage, is that the newspapers involved can do enough to convince people that everythings changed now. That it all happened a very long time ago was made very clear indeed by virtue of most of the first days evidence seeming to concern whose number was saved in whose palm pilot.

Fleet Street, frankly, just wants all this to go away. But Prince Harry doesnt. And hes got not only time on his hands, but a lot of new media money too.
Pexels.com

Wedding ceremonies happen in various locations worldwide, from local parks to church buildings. Destination weddings are still prevalent in a post-pandemic time, with couples choosing to invite their guests to a favorite locale, whether on a tropical island or with snow-capped mountains in the background. Still, are Christians required to get married in a church?

What happens at traditional Christian weddings?

Christian wedding practices have varied throughout history and typically depend on the culture where the ceremony happens. U.S. traditions include bridal showers before the wedding and elaborate or simple ceremonies in a chapel or church building. The celebrations have grown to include couples or grooms showers to honor and prepare the woman and man for married life.

The wedding ceremony starts with music chosen by the couple, timed according to the guests arrival. Revered guests, like family members and close friends, sit in the front row or near the front to see the wedding. An officiate or clergyman stands in the front center, facing the guests, with the groom standing at the officiates left. Once the groom is settled, his groomsmen join the bridesmaids at the front of the sanctuary, standing on the side of their respective parties. A particular song, chosen by the bride and groom, plays, and the father of the bride walks her down the aisle to her waiting groom.

The typical sequence is the brides father giving his daughter to the groom by putting her right hand in the grooms. Then, the officiate performs the ceremony, marrying the couple and presenting them to their guests as the newlywed couple. Afterward, a reception gives friends and family an informal way to celebrate and honor the newlyweds. Receptions can be at a remote location or at the wedding venue itself.

Does the Bible mention weddings?

The weddings cited in the Bible were Jewish, but the grooms Father typically chose the bride. According to Deuteronomy 20:7, the betrothal period lasted up to a year, serving as a covenant before consummation. The groom would prepare for the wedding day and, with his Fathers approval, the wedding feast day, which went on for up to a week, started when the groom went to pick up his bring and bring her back to the house he prepared for them.

Are Christians required to get married in a church?

A marriage between a woman and man, as created by God, is an agreement and vows made between the couple are in the sight of God. Christians arent required to be married in a church, but because God established marriage, it must correspond with His purposes and guidelines. As such, a Christian couple should ensure that theyre equally yoked, as described in 2 Corinthians 6:14. The woman and man should be true Christians, meaning they surrendered to Jesus and claimed Him as their Lord and Savior. They should also pray for and about each other.

Couples should also meet and pray with their pastor for marriage counseling to better understand Christian marriage. Once the pastor gives the okay based on the Bible, the couple can move forward. Next, the couple must acquire a marriage license from the authorities God put in place for our protection, as detailed in Romans 13:1. A man and woman are joined in holy matrimony in the sight of God and men, which shows that the betrothed is trying to keep away from evil, as we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, which a public declaration of their union partly assures.

Finally, the couple should arrange a venue and date for their pastor or another Christian officiate to perform the wedding ceremony. The couple should be very discerning to ensure the pastor gives a biblical wedding ceremony. A solid Bible-teaching pastor will expect this, giving the couple a pat on the back for their care, guaranteeing they enter an agreement that glorifies God.

Whether the couple marries in a church or elsewhere, the critical factor is meeting these criteria. In marriage and life, we should honor God, as explained in 1 Corinthians 10:31. Genesis 2:20 reminds us that God created marriage when He created Eve as Adams suitable helper. When a woman marries the man God chose for her, she honors the Lord in her submission to her husband as the spiritual leader of their household. The couple should keep each other as they love God, as detailed in Ephesians 5.

As His believers, we are the church, so genuine believers always get married in the church, no matter the ceremonys location, assuming the couple wouldnt choose a questionable site. However, weddings performed in a church setting have a unique nature because the church is where believers gather weekly to worship God. The sacred ground lends itself to the seriousness of the couples vows as they make their promise to each other before God. However, to reiterate, the couples hearts matter as they go before God and their loved ones to pledge their loyalty and love until death parts them. A beautiful saying that illustrates the vows as the rings are exchanged is, I give you this ring before God as a sign of my vows, promising to honor you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Are there weddings in heaven?

We know that weddings are an earthly covenant between man and woman, but will there be weddings in heaven? Jesus answers this question in Matthew 22:29, which says that people wont be given in marriage or marry at the resurrection. Instead, theyll be like angels in heaven. The Bible also answers this question in Luke 20:35-36, which says, But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage; for neither can they die anymore, for they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

A wedding is a magnificent affirmation of a Christian couples pledge to each other before God. It should be a happy event for everyone, no matter where the ceremony occurs. God will be glorified when He is at the center of everything.
(From left) Bruneis Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos gather for a photo during the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, May 11, 2023.

The president of 2023 ASEAN chair Indonesia warned the Burmese military on Thursday that human rights violations cannot be tolerated, even as he acknowledged the bloc has made no progress in implementing its Myanmar peace plan.

Still, as they wrapped up their two-day summit in Indonesia, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations expressed their deep concern about the escalation of violence in member-state Myanmar, but insisted on sticking to a peace plan that critics have panned as ineffective.

Violations of humanitarian values cannot be tolerated, President Joko Jokowi Widodo said at a press conference following the end of the summit in Labuan Bajo, a seaside town on Flores island.

He stressed the need to engage all parties in Myanmar, saying ASEANs credibility is at stake.

Myanmar, which was not represented at the summit after the junta was barred from sending political representatives, has been in turmoil since the military overthrew an elected government in February 2021.

The Burmese military has ignored a five-point consensus it agreed to with ASEAN in April 2021, one of whose main points was an end to violence. Its forces have also killed more than 3,400 people since the generals seized power.

I must speak candidly. On the implementation of the 5PC [Five-Point Consensus], there has not been significant progress. Therefore, ASEAN unity is required to decide on the next steps, Jokowi told his Southeast Asian counterparts on Thursday, according to a copy of his speech.

Nevertheless, ASEAN leaders reaffirmed their support for the five-point plan, a statement by the ASEAN chair said at the end of the summit.

We discussed the development in Myanmar and reiterated our unified position that the Five-Point Consensus remains our main reference, the statement said.

We supported the chairs continued engagement with all stakeholders in Myanmar to find a peaceful and durable solution that is Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led, to create a conducive environment for facilitating an inclusive national dialogue.

Jokowi calls for ASEAN unity

Meanwhile, Indonesia as ASEAN chair was ready to hold talks with all parties in Myanmar for humanitarian reasons, Jokowi said at the press conference.

Engagement does not mean recognition, he said.

He also warned against any external interference in ASEAN.

Without unity, it will be easy for others to break ASEAN. There should be no party inside or outside ASEAN that benefits from the conflict in Myanmar, Jokowi said.

Violence must be stopped and people must be protected.

The Myanmar junta has cracked down on mass protests, killed more than 3,000 people and arrested thousands more, according to human rights groups. The United Nations said more than 1.8 million people had been forced to flee their homes in Myanmar because of violence since the coup.

The crisis has strained ASEANs unity and credibility. The regional bloc has struggled to find a common stance and exert influence over the junta.

Many regional observers and analysts, as well as the previous foreign minister of Malaysia, had said it was time to junk the consensus and devise a new plan on a deadline that included enforcement mechanisms.

Some experts say that ASEANs approach to Myanmar reflects its limitations as a consensus-based organization that prioritizes stability and non-interference in its members domestic affairs.

Others argue it still has a role to play but needs to be more assertive and creative in dealing with the junta.

It remains relevant to unite ASEAN and prevent ASEAN countries from moving on their own, and taking actions that undermine collective efforts, said Muhammad Waffaa Kharisma, a researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta.

But it is true that it needs to be evaluated for its effectiveness. It gives too much decision-making power to the military junta, he told BenarNews. If the military junta does not change its behavior, there is no mechanism to change that.

Contested waterway

During the summit, the leaders also discussed some issues at the heart of territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

The chairs statement said some ASEAN members had raised concerns about land reclamations, and damage to marine environment caused by certain activities in the sea, although no countries were named.

The South China Sea is one of the worlds busiest waterways and has an abundance of natural resources. It is home to several flashpoints involving maritime disputes over oil and gas exploration projects and fishing rights.

China claims nearly the entire sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. While Indonesia does not regard itself as a party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of the waterway overlapping Indonesias exclusive economic zone as well.

The ASEAN leaders reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in conducting activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation, the statement said.

The statement welcomed the progress in negotiations for a code of conduct, which aims to prevent conflicts and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

China and ASEAN signed a nonbinding declaration on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea in 2002, but negotiations on the code of conduct have been slow and contentious.

The two sides agreed on a single draft text in 2018, with the latest round of negotiations taking place in March in Jakarta.

On the sidelines of the summit, Jokowi invited the other leaders to sail together on a traditional wooden boat called phinisi.

ASEAN is one family, he said.

The ties are very strong and the unity is very important to sail towards the same goal.

Tria Dianti in Jakarta contributed to this report.
Military personnel prepare to raise a U.S. flag at the opening of the U.S. embassy in Nukualofa, Tonga on May 10, 2023.

The United States opened an embassy in Tonga on Wednesday as it continued efforts to bolster its diplomatic presence in Pacific island countries where it is vying for influence with China.

The opening of the U.S. embassy in the Tongan capital Nukualofa follows the reopening of the U.S. embassy in the Solomon Islands in February after a three decade absence. The United States also has said it wants embassies in Vanuatu and Kiribati in addition to its existing missions in countries such as Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

We are proactively engaging the people of the Pacific, said Tony Grubel, deputy chief of mission for the U.S. embassy in Fiji, at a flag raising ceremony in Tongas capital. Addressing your priorities, with you, on your terms.

Chinas influence in the Pacific has burgeoned over several decades through a combination of increased trade, infrastructure investment and aid as it seeks to isolate Taiwan diplomatically and gain allies in international institutions. The Solomon Islands and Kiribati switched their diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan in 2019.

Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands last year, alarming the U.S. and allies such as Australia who fear it could pave the way for a Chinese military presence in the region.

Tonga Acting Prime Minister Samiu Vaipulu (left) and U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Tony Grubel (center) watch a flag raising ceremony at the opening of the U.S. embassy in Nukualofa, Tonga, May 10, 2023. [Marian Kupu/BenarNews]





Tongas Acting Prime Minister Samiu Vaipulu said the opening of a U.S. embassy in the Polynesian kingdom of some 100,000 people was a welcome development. It comes ahead of President Joe Bidens planned stopover in Papua New Guinea on May 22 and meeting with Pacific island leaders.

Today is a historic day for us all and one, which we have long awaited, he said. The embassy opening represents an important milestone in Tongas history and one which His Majestys government warmly welcomes.

Present at the ceremony were the high commissioners of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and representatives of Japans embassy. Chinas embassy didnt send a representative.

Tongas government debt to China  as a percentage of the island countrys total government debt  is the highest among Pacific island countries followed by Samoa and Vanuatu.

In 2018, Tongas then prime minister Akilisi Pohiva publicly urged other Pacific island countries to collectively lobby Beijing for debt forgiveness.

Like the Solomon Islands embassy opening in Honiara, the Tongan embassy event appeared to be a soft launch.

A Department of State statement said it would pave the way for the U.S. to send more diplomats and resources to Tonga including the potential appointment of a resident Ambassador to Tonga.

In the Solomon Islands, the United States renamed the small office of its consular services agency as an embassy and hasnt named an ambassador yet.

Grubel said development agency USAID is working on programs relevant to Tonga.

USAID continues to address the existential threat posed by climate change as a top priority, along with facing the challenges related to water security, infectious diseases, economic development, and safeguarding of maritime resources, he said.
Yang Jae-seok, right an attorney at D'LIGHT Law Group, speaks during a space industry seminar in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of D'LIGHT Law Group



By Baek Byung-yeul



Amid growing interest in space following the success of the Nuri launch vehicle and the Danuri lunar orbiter, experts said Wednesday that the space industry will be one of the major drivers of Korea's industrial development in the future.



While President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the United States last month led to a decision to strengthen cooperation with Washington in the space sector, such as lunar exploration and deep space communications, they added Korea needs to further strengthen partnerships with the U.S., which leads the industry.



"The space industry has been dominated by the U.S. The reason for this is that the U.S. has the most space assets in the world and obviously it wants to control the hegemony of the space industry," Park Si-soo, CEO of Spaceradar, a local space market intelligence provider, said during a seminar on the current state of the space industry held in Seoul. The seminar was hosted by D'LIGHT Law Group.



The CEO, who promotes businesses between the overseas space industry and Korean space-related companies, described the current status of the space industry as the U.S. thoroughly isolating China in the global industry and Russia losing its rationale to cooperate with the international community by waging war on Ukraine, resulting in an industry increasingly led by the U.S.



"The U.S. is currently in the process of setting the rules for the space industry. Once these rules are in place, what will be the next step for the U.S.? Based on Washington's space strategy of a 'peaceful and sustainable use of outer space,' I think it is possible that they could introduce an ESG rating system like a space sustainability rating system," he said.



Park elaborated that such a rating system would incentivize companies to set their own rules, such as using cleaner fuels when launching satellites, or burning satellites safely when re-entering the Earth, and distinguish between countries and companies that can fit inside the fence that the U.S. has built and those that cannot.



"The government should step up efforts to include domestic companies in the U.S. information network on what standards Washington is pursuing," Park said. "Also, the government should not neglect keeping Korean companies informed of the U.S.' moves."





Speakers take part in space industry seminar in Seoul, Wednesday. From left are Park Si-soo, CEO of Spaceradar; Ahn Hyung-joon, a researcher at the Science & Technology Policy Institute; Seo Byung-su, a former analyst at Mirae Asset Securities; and Yang Jae-seok, an attorney at D'LIGHT Law Group. Courtesy of D'LIGHT Law Group
Former first lady Imelda Marcos, one of the most divisive political figures in the Philippines, has undergone an angioplasty but is out of danger, her daughter said Thursday.

Little has been heard of from the Marcos matriarch since last June, when she was seen attending her son Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s inauguration as Philippine president  36 years after the family was chased out of the country by a people power revolt in 1986.

My mother, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos underwent a successful angioplasty  May 7 at St. Lukes Medical Center Global City, Sen. Imee Marcos said in a brief statement. [She] is recovering well and will be sent home this week.

Angioplasty is a procedure that opens a blocked blood vessel to the heart.

President Marcos, who was in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, did not issue a statement. Aides said he was aware of his mothers condition.

Imelda Marcos, 94, widow of the late Philippine strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos, successfully engineered her familys return to power after her husband died while in exile in Hawaii in 1989. Along with her three children, she was allowed to return home and reestablished the familys political power base in the north.

She was elected to congress four times while successfully thwarting legal setbacks.

In 2018, the anti-graft court convicted her of stashing about U.S. $200 million through Swiss foundations when she was governor of metropolitan Manila in the 1970s. She skipped the verdict hearing.

Imelda Marcos was ordered to serve a minimum of six years in prison for seven counts of graft, but never saw the inside of a prison cell. That same year, the anti-graft court allowed her to post bail of 150,000 pesos ($2,688) to explore post-conviction remedies.

After the family fled in 1986, the discovery of about 3,000 pairs of her shoes left behind while millions of Filipinos went hungry was a bitter reminder of her familys extravagance.

Back in the Philippines, members of the Marcos clan returned to the political scene, culminating in 2022 with the presidential election of the dictators son and namesake.

Marcos Jr.s son was elected to the House of Representatives, where his uncle is the House Speaker. The presidents sister, Imee, is a senator who heads the powerful foreign relations committee.

The Marcos family also forged ties with the family of former President, Rodrigo Duterte, whose daughter, Sara Duterte, was elected vice president.

In January, President Marcos told top business executives during the World Economic Forum in Switzerland that he entered politics to cleanse his familys name, the first time that he spoke candidly about his motivations before an international audience.

The president said he lost interest in a political life when his father died in 1989, but running for office was a way to defend the family name politically.

So that at least, not only the legacy of my father, but even our own survival required that somebody go into politics, he said.

During his campaign and after he won the presidency in May 2022, Marcos defended his fathers 1972 martial law proclamation and tenure  a time when 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 tortured and more than 3,200 killed, according to Amnesty International.
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.
This photo, provided by Google, shows its first foldable smartphone, the Pixel Fold. Yonhap



For the past few years, Samsung Electronics has been the dominant player in the global foldable smartphone market, where early tech adopters have lugged around small tablet-sized phones in exchange for creative dual screen use.



Now, the Korean tech giant is facing its most serious competitor yet  Google.



Overnight, the U.S. company unveiled the much-anticipated Pixel Fold, its first foldable smartphone, during its annual developer conference. The phone is available for preorder now and will begin shipping next month, Google said.



One of the biggest appeals of the $1,799 Pixel Fold is its thickness. It is slightly slimmer than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4: 12.1 millimeters versus 15.8 mm.



Fitted with a 7.6-inch screen when open, the phone comes with the largest 4,821 mAh battery to date in a foldable, larger than Samsung's 4,400 mAh battery. So it is, naturally, slightly heavier than Samsung's phone: 283 grams versus 263 grams.



While Samsung is facing a tougher race in the foldable segment, more competition also means a bigger and more creative ecosystem and wider market adoption.



For its first foldable phone, Google optimized more than 50 of its own applications for Pixel Fold's larger display. It also promised to continue its efforts on that front, as part of efforts to encourage other app developers to do the same.



Samsung aims to raise the portion of foldable phones, which were first introduced in 2019, to half of its total smartphone sales by 2025, and to make them another pillar of the company alongside the Galaxy S flagship series and a key category in the premium segment.









According to market researcher Canalys, Samsung accounted for approximately 77 percent of foldable phone shipments worldwide last year.



On Sept. 4 last year, just a few days after the company unveiled its fourth-generation foldable phones, Samsung said a successful foldable phone needed two core elements  a flexible and foldable display and a strong hinge for folding and unfolding operations.



"Foldable phones are not just about the novel form factor and technological advancement," Choi Won-joon, then head of the flagship product RD team at Samsung's mobile experience division, said during a press briefing in Berlin on the sidelines of Europe's biggest tech show, IFA 2022.



"I believe we should give users unique and valuable experiences that they can't get from any other smartphone," he said.



"Making a more compact and lightweight hinge while not compromising its durability was a huge challenge," he said, adding that Samsung developers were able to eventually come up with a completely new hinge system, called a spiral hinge, after some 20 failed attempts in the span of nearly a year.





Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4 / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As part of the Banners coverage, we asked those charged with keeping us safe about issues regarding mental health and the criminal justice system in Vermont. This is Part One of that story.
'BlackBerry' film hails the must-have gadget that the iPhone turned into a forgotten relic

Almost everyone knows the backstory of the iPhone, a breakthrough that continues to reshape culture 16 years after late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs introduced the device to the world
Police are investigating after a hate message was found in a boys' bathroom at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School.
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.
Community News Editor / Librarian

Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989.
NORTH ADAMS  Speaking with the people of North Adams every single day, it is clear to me that we need to change our approach. Our residents are deeply concerned about crime and the recent 
News Reporter

Scott Stafford has been a reporter, photographer, and editor at a variety of publications, including the Dallas Morning News and The Berkshire Eagle.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang, right, and Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Joo-hyun, center, attend a meeting with local shipbuilders at Hotel Hyundai by Lahan Ulsan, Ulsan, Wednesday. Yonhap



By Lee Kyung-min



Local shipbuilders and key parts manufacturers called for measures to revise visa programs to make it easier to hire more foreign workers with hands-on experience, according to the industry ministry, Thursday.



The collective demand is in line with Korea's lead in the industry amid a rapid recovery of global demand, underpinned by more buyers opting for high-value, green vessels for sustainable growth. Korea's market share of 70 percent in the global high-value, green shipbuilding industry in the first three months of this year is bolstered further by the country having won orders to build 17 green liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels, out of the total 19 orders placed worldwide, as of March.



The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Financial Services Commission (FSC) held a meeting with top and medium-sized shipbuilders, late Wednesday, after celebrating the latest LNG bunker ship manufactured in the country by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries at the firm's shipyard in Ulsan.



Among the attendees were executives of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, K Shipbuilding, DAE SUN Shipbuilding and Engineering, HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, Hankuk Carbon, JUNGWOO ENE and Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association (KOSHIPA).



The shipbuilders said the government's simplified visa programs promptly met the needs of the industry which has long grappled to find welders, painters, electricians and plant workers.



About 5,500 foreign workers were put to work in the first three months of this year, more than a third of the 14,000 workers the industry had said were needed for the year.



Among them are holders of E-7 visa and E-9 visas. A total of 3,184 E-7 visa holders, all of them skilled workers, began working at local shipyards in January. They were among 4,305 recommended by the industry ministry and KOSHIPA.



Partner firms of large shipbuilders were able to hire 1,849 E-9 visa holders before March. More E-9 visa holders will find work, since the government revised rules to increase the related quota to 5,000.





Indonesian welders pose celebrating their new jobs with Samsung Heavy Industries upon arrival at Incheon International Airport after landing in Korea in December 2022. Courtesy of Samsung Heavy Industries
With support from only one of three members, the board took no action on the so-called residential tax exemption. Thanks to a sharply lower tax rate, the majority of property owners wont get a higher tax bill.
Vickie Shufton is the school psychologist for Berkshire Hills Regional School District and Richmond Consolidated School. She can be reached at shufton@yahoo.com.
Today

Abundant sunshine. High 87F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low around 60F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm developing during the afternoon. High 86F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN  Its over.

The World Health Organization recently announced the COVID-19 public health emergency will end today  1,197 days after it began.

During the three-year-three-month-and-11-day pandemic, 3.1 million residents in Michigan contracted the coronavirus, with 42,811 related deaths.

Mecosta County reported its first case March 25, 2020. Since then, 10,418 residents contracted the virus, with related 129 deaths. Osceola County had 6,064 cases with 100 deaths, Lake County had 2,509 cases with 42 deaths, and Newaygo County having 13,865 cases with 185 deaths.

Schools closed, then reopened, only to close again periodically due to outbreaks. Businesses closed. Some would reopen, but others stayed closed for good. People wore masks; some burned masks in protest.

Now, the World Health Organization has downgraded the pandemic, stating it no longer qualifies as a global emergency. But what does that mean for residents of West Central Michigan? The Pioneer reached out to health officials at the District Health Department No. 10 and Corewell Health to find out.

WHAT IT DOES NOT MEAN

Just because the public health emergency is over, doesnt mean that COVID-19 is gone for good, according to Kevin Hughes, health officer for DHD No. 10.

As of Thursday, COVID doesnt suddenly disappear, he said. COVID is still out there. Were still having people that are being infected. Were still having people that are dying from COVID.

Hughes said people who are at risk should still take precautions.

I think its going to be important that those individuals that are at risk for COVID infections  and maybe at risk to have more of a negative outcome if they do become infected  they need to make sure that theyre still taking precautions, the most important one being to get vaccinated, if theyre able to do that, he said.

Keeping tabs on COVID-19 will be more difficult, too.

There is no federal requirement for disease tracking of COVID-19, so information of new subvariants and outbreaks may be harder to identify, Andrea Leslie, who serves as president over Corewell Health hospitals in Big Rapids, Reed City, Greenville and Lakeview, said.

WHAT IT DOES MEAN: COVERAGE

Leslie said the biggest impact to residents will be their pocketbook.

Things that were free during the pandemic, including COVID vaccines, at-home COVID tests and COVID treatments, will now be a cost to individuals, she said.

In addition, the 355,000 residents added to Medicaid and the 367,000 in the Healthy Michigan Plan during the pandemic may no longer be eligible.

States had to stop reviewing the eligibility of existing Medicaid beneficiaries on an annual basis for nearly all Medicaid enrollees, while new beneficiaries continued to be added to state Medicaid plans, Leslie said.

This requirement, known as the Maintenance of Eligibility, was authorized through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in March 2020 and extended through the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021.

This change will likely mean a number of people will no longer be eligible for Medicaid, leaving some without health insurance coverage.

WHAT IT DOES MEAN: SERVICES

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, local health departments had to shut down its non-COVID-19 services to deal with the crisis.

In some respects, local public health has been underfunded, so it made it difficult for us to be prepared to respond appropriately to a pandemic of that degree, with all of the case investigation and contact tracing that was required as part of each infection, Hughes said. When you have limited resources to put towards that, it makes it very difficult to accomplish what your goals are.

With the public health emergency over, the challenge now is to try to get those services that we did have to stop, or that we had to significantly limit, getting those back up and going, Hughes said.

For Corewell Health, the pandemic forced staff to find new ways to provide services.

We were able to use technology to provide virtual visits, allowing people to see their provider from their homes or to see specialists without having to travel to bigger cities, Leslie said. Weve been able to leverage that technology to offer more services at times that are convenient for the patient, including evenings and weekends.

Another positive was our ability to be innovative in the way we provide care. Programs like our drive-through COVID testing allowed us to look at other services like our vaccine administration, where people can get the care they need from their vehicle, saving people time.

MENTAL HEALTH

While COVID-19 became a catalyst of innovation, the negative effects of the pandemic still linger.

Many of our team members are still recovering from the trauma they experienced from the pandemic, Leslie said. While the rest of the community stayed home, our teams came to work every day to stand ready to provide care.

During that time, staff saw an increase in patients and deaths.

Nothing is worse than the loss of life, and our teams experienced far too many lives lost, which is difficult for our caregivers, Leslie said. The burden of all the additional patients in our health care system strained us, both from a staffing perspective and a bed perspective.

Staff also saw an increase in workplace violence.

Our team members have endured both verbal and physical aggression by patients and their families while trying to provide care, Leslie said. They went from being health care heroes to being seen as political for their need to wear masks and become vaccinated in the workplace, which wearing masks and requiring vaccines is something weve done for many years to protect our team members from illness.

Leslie said there has been an increase in patients with mental health issues.

We see the impact not only in our workplace violence, but also in the need for more mental health services in our community.

STAFF TURNOVER

Throughout the pandemic, the health care industry nationwide has seen an increase in staff turnover.

Leslie said while they too saw higher turnover than normal, staffing has been fairly stable.

"But were still not where we need to be due to our higher than normal volumes of patients we continue to see," she said.

For Leslie, the biggest staffing concern is in the future.

"Our employee workforce is aging, and we need to see more kids choose healthcare as a career," Leslie said. "Certainly, there is a need for doctors and nurses, but also for roles in our laboratories, diagnostic imaging, medical assistants and social workers, just to name a few."

Help may be coming, though. Last year, Ferris State University announced it would be expanding its register nursing program by adding a summer cohort.

Not only will we increase the supply of highly qualified BSN-prepared nurses to work the front-line in the state, but we are making intentional efforts to recruit underrepresented high school and college students to the profession, Lincoln Gibbs, dean of Ferris College of Health Professions, said at the time.
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
This decision will accelerate growth for both its pharma & consumer healthcare businesses in India

The Board of Directors of Sanofi India Limited (SIL) has approved the Scheme of Arrangement as per applicable provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, and other applicable laws, between SIL and its wholly owned subsidiary Sanofi Consumer Healthcare India Limited (SCHIL) to demerge SILs consumer healthcare business into a legal entity, i.e., SCHIL, subject to approval by shareholders and regulators upon incorporation of SCHIL.

This decision will open new gates for the India business and employees in a value-driven move to accelerate growth for both the pharmaceuticals business (SIL) and consumer healthcare business (SCHIL) in India.

In the rest of the world as well as in India, implementing the global standalone organisation of the consumer healthcare (CHC) business within Sanofi is the best platform to unleash its growth potential.

The proposed standalone consumer health company in India will be equipped by way of portfolio, specific global skills, consumer-centric mindset to truly evolve as a Fast-Moving Consumer Healthcare company.

Similarly, the General Medicines business will focus on its long-term success factors, expanding its life-changing treatment portfolio available in the country, driving world class scientific healthcare professional (HCP) engagement, expanding the reach of its brands, and accelerating its digital transformation.

Upon completion of the proposed demerger, Sanofi will continue to own 60.4% stake in both entities and Sanofi India Limited shareholders will receive 1:1 SCHIL equity share of Rs 10 each, for each equity share owned.
Chinese officials' trips to Europe seek to prevent potential risks, enhance communication on core issues

Global Times) 13:24, May 11, 2023

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (left) and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock attend a joint press conference in Berlin, Germany on May 9, 2023. Photo: The Chinese Foreign Ministry

As relations between China and Europe are gaining momentum as exchanges increase, high-level Chinese officials' visits to the continent were expected to enhance communication on core issues, and guard against potential risks. However, the complexity and delicacy of China-Europe ties was laid bare by EU's possible sanctions of Chinese firms which are accused of assisting Russia during the crisis and some European politicians' challenge of China's stance on the Ukraine crisis as well as their tough rhetoric to provoke conflicts with China.

The seemingly warming bilateral ties between China and the continent, are in fact facing severe hurdles, as European countries are still bickering about a unified China policy, said experts. At this key conjecture of "restart of relationship," it is wise for Europe to stick to strategic autonomy strategy, and refrain from rolling out hostile policies toward China, otherwise it will risk reversing the thawing ties.

Both Vice President Han Zheng and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang are currently on visits to Europe. In remarks made during a meeting with Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Han, who was visiting the country from Sunday to Tuesday, said cooperation should be the mainstay for ties between Beijing and Lisbon, as well as China and the EU.

Qin met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday. Scholz said he is looking forward to the seventh round of China-Germany inter-governmental consultation, and is preparing for it, according to a readout posted by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The German Chancellor also said Germany attaches great importance on China's role and influence, and is willing to strengthen communication with China on major issues such as the Ukraine crisis.

Qin said on the Ukraine crisis, China's stance is to push for peace negotiation. As long as the conflict drags on, more suffering will be caused, said Qin, urging for ceasefire as soon as possible, and realizing political settlement via dialogue and seeking a path to lasting political stability in Europe.

Qin said that strengthening dialogue and cooperation between China and Germany is conducive to injecting more stability, certainty and positive energy to the world.

After visiting on Wednesday the site where the Potsdam Conference was held in 1945, Qin said the US claims to uphold the international order whilst casting aside the Potsdam Declaration it drafted, indulging Taiwan secessionism and sabotaging the international order. The Chinese people will never agree to such behavior, he said.

Qin said we must remember the lessons history teaches us, the post-war order must be maintained, and international justice must be upheld. Qin vowed that supporting Taiwan secessionism and challenging the international order is against historical trend and is a dead end. China's reunification must be realized.

When meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Berlin on Tuesday, Qin said that China and Germany, both major countries with global influence, should strengthen dialogue and cooperation under the current international situation featured with interwoven turmoil.

The two sides should join hands to prepare for the seventh round of China-Germany inter-governmental consultation, ensure a good design, accumulate achievements and make comprehensive plans for bilateral practical cooperation in various fields in the future, said Qin.

Tests ahead

Qin and Baerbock also discussed EU's reported sanctions against Chinese companies for alleged cooperation with Russia.

Seven Chinese businesses accused of selling equipment that could be used in weapons have been listed in a new package of sanctions to be discussed by EU member states this week, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

Qin said that China does not sell weapons to parties involved in the Ukraine crisis and prudently handles the export of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations.

Normal exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian enterprises should not be affected. China resolutely opposes long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions against other countries in accordance with its own laws, and will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, said Qin.

The sanctions, if imposed, will cause big friction between China and the EU, as China will surely slap back with countermeasures, Sun Keqin, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

Sun said such a hostile move, if true, will not only affect bilateral ties but also comes at a time when European countries are increasingly betting on hope to join hands with China to push for peaceful negotiation between Russia and Ukraine.

Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, believes the sanctions mirrored Europe's "carrot and stick" policy on China, which is to cooperate where interests converge and play tough on China in conflicting areas.

Experts warned that when the wound of the tit-for-tat sanctions between China and the EU over Xinjiang is yet to be healed, the new round of sanction could deal a heavy blow to bilateral ties, and thwart cooperation between China and Europe on solving the Ukraine crisis.

On the Ukraine issue, Qin elaborated on China's view, stressing that China's consistent position is to facilitate talks for peace, and to work for the broadest common understanding in the international community for settling the Ukraine crisis. European countries should address both the symptoms and root causes of the crisis, and make efforts for the restoration of peace and security.

Challenging China's stance on the crisis, Baerbock was quoted by media as saying that "neutrality means taking the side of the aggressor, and that is why our guiding principle is to make it clear that we are on the side of the victim."

As the crisis dragged on so long, Germany still failed to grasp China's proposition on this issue, and has always tried to impose its stance on China, Cui told the Global Times. He said when China's effort in promoting peaceful negotiation is winning wider recognition internationally, Baerbock's remarks appeared outmoded; and said the German foreign minister is deliberately showing toughness.

Risk-prevention trips

After Portugal, Han will visit the Netherlands, and Qin is also scheduled to visit France and Norway in the coming days.

The "restart" of China-Europe ties has entered what experts called "fast lane" since high-level European officials visited China in waves since the end of last year. However, debate about a unified China policy also started to pick up among those countries.

After his visit to China last month, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to reduce its reliance on the US and to be cautious about being dragged into a conflict between Beijing and Washington over the Taiwan question. He also noted that Europe should not blindly follow the US in its rivalry with China.

In a conflicting statement, Scholz on Tuesday urged the European Union to reduce its reliance on China, accusing the government in Beijing of increasingly acting as a rival and competitor rather than a partner, Bloomberg reported.

Almost two weeks after her trip with Macron to Beijing, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech that China's plan to pit European Union countries against each other in order to advance its own geopolitical interests is already "in action." She called on EU countries to come up with a new unified strategy on how to deal with China.

Chinese experts slammed this "divide and conquer" remark, saying that the division is in fact growing within European countries, as some have woken up to US' coercion and tactics of sacrificing Europe's interest in the face of the Ukraine crisis; although some are still willing to be swayed by US influence.

Qin told Baerbock it is worth noting that some countries are launching a "new Cold War." They have been breaking international rules, stoking ideological confrontation and bloc confrontation, attempting to decouple with others and sever supply chains, abusing the monopoly power of their currency to impose long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions on other countries.

Qin warned that the "new Cold War," if initiated, would harm not only the interests of China, but also EU's.

China-Europe relations, which seem to be warming up, will face multiple tests. High-level Chinese officials' visits at the moment, partly serve to prevent a possible crisis, such as warning Europe about the reported sanctions, Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.

In general, the communication between high-level Chinese and European officials will help Europe to shake off their countries' biased and subjective view on China, and explore a new model for China and Europe to communicate and interact in the future, said Wang.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
LS Electric Managing Director Cho Wook-dong, fourth from right, poses with SCG International Managing Director Abhijit Datta, fourth from left, and other officials of the two firms after signing a memorandum of understanding at SCG headquarters in Bangkok, Wednesday. Courtesy of LS Electric



By Lee Kyung-min



LS Electric, the power supply solutions affiliate of LS Corp., will partner with Siam Cement Group (SCG), the second-largest firm in Thailand specializing in cement-building, materials and chemicals, to fortify its microgrid business in Southeast Asia, according to the firm, Thursday.



A microgrid is a local electrical grid with defined electrical boundaries, acting as a single and controllable entity.



The LS affiliate will provide technical support to establish an energy management system (EMS) at the headquarters of the group in Bangkok, encompassing software and programming assistance for system design.



The Thailand firm will provide the equipment necessary for stable EMS operation, including solar energy facilities and an energy storage system (ESS).



The corporate identity of the Thailand entity will in the process be redefined as a green market player, distancing itself from the previous growth models that once thrived through the heavy use of fossil fuels.



Senior and top executives of the two entities signed a memorandum of understanding at SCG Group headquarters in Bangkok, Wednesday (local time).



The two agreed to seek joint opportunities to enter and expand their presence in Southeast Asia's microgrid market.



LS Electric will install an EMS at the SCG headquarters' Bangsue Complex, and apply an EMS-operated microgrid solution to other SCG factories and affiliates, following a pilot run.



Wednesday's agreement is the latest development in joint cooperation after a group of SCG officials came to visit LS Electric's Cheongju Smart Factory in North Chungcheong Province, last November, to take a tour of the high-tech facility known for its smart green manufacturing lines and factory EMS operations.



They have since advanced discussions to expedite the green energy management drive for business outcomes.



"We are glad to establish a sustainable power supply in Bangkok, in what we hope will be the first of many successes to come in the years from now," Choi said after signing the agreement.



"The partnership will advance microgrid projects across all ASEAN markets to better meet the growing energy demand."






"Run Forrest, Run." You can picture the scene from the now classic, 1994 movie. All the emotions, the quotes and the human spirit captured by the Oscar-winning, Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump. It was also the first time I remember seeing a brand in a movie that stuck with me.

As the orange box is opened, revealing the iconic white sneaker with a blue line on the sole and the giant red tick, Nike entered the hearts of an entire generation of eager sneaker-wearing teenagers. Although the product placement wasn't subtle, the tie into the storyline and the purpose of the brand were a perfect match.

We've briefly looked at integration in the advertising space and it is clear that both product placement and brand integration are powerful tools for brands and products to connect with consumers. By seamlessly integrating their products or services into a storyline, brands can capture the attention of viewers without interrupting their viewing experience. The non-intrusive nature of this kind of marketing is invaluable at a time when consumers are becoming increasingly aware of (and resistant to) traditional advertising.

Continual changes in viewing technology and platforms as well as

consumption habits necessitate the need to be reviewing, experimenting,

and innovating in the advertising space.

With video on demand experiencing a sharp rise in subscribers in 2020, the growth trend continues and South Africa is often seen as a gateway into the rest of the continent by companies looking to invest in the creative economy. This bodes well for screenwriters and production houses as viewers continue to embrace new technology and greater internet coverage as they widen their viewing bouquet.

Continual changes in viewing technology and platforms as well as consumption habits necessitate the need to be reviewing, experimenting, and innovating in the advertising space. Audiences are attracted by content offerings and by creating an affinity to the content, the audience becomes a valuable tool. The value of engaged audiences is powerful and understanding the platforms where the affinity is built remains key in unlocking value.

There have been several instances in the last few months that have caught my attention.

The Netflix series, Stranger Things, has demonstrated the ability of powerful storytelling in a TV series to create engaged audiences, who can influence the use and success of a brand. Kate Bush is a musician who had success in the 1980s but has enjoyed renewed success in 2022. Ironically, Bush didn't have to do anything. Her song, Running Up That Hill, peaked at number three on the charts in 1985 and forty-four years later has spent more than a month at number one. The success of the song is attributed to it being used in Season 4 of Stranger Things. It is the viewers who loved the way the song resonated with them in the series that then lead them to search for the song on music streaming platforms and changed its trajectory completely.

Stranger Things has also influenced an entire generation of teenagers to wear Metallica t-shirts despite not being ardent fans of the rock supergroup. Metallica's song Master of Puppets was also used in the last series and had viewers lighting up Twitter, talking about the scene and song. Viewer affinity to the TV series has had a knock-on effect on band merchandise, with T-shirts being the number one item being snatched up.

There is a clear picture of success in the power of well-crafted content and the appropriate use of products in storytelling. Good storytelling cuts across platforms and the use of social media platforms to create a multi-faceted approach to integration cannot be ignored. Product integration requires a multi-disciplinary approach not only to the storytelling but to the platforms as well. Known for giving you 'Wings', Red Bull is a notable example of a brand that understands narrative storytelling and building audience across multi-platforms. It's all about high performance and engaging content to deliver international relevance and maximum brand impact. Their latest offering of landing an aeroplane on top of an iconic building in Dubai, certainly hit the integration bullseye!

What is clear for us as a team at MediaHeads 360 is that brand and product integration is not linear. We understand that from conceptualisation to implementation, the rules are different and not straightforward in approach. One needs to embrace a collaborative and dynamic approach and know that it is an ongoing process that evolves over time. Rather than a one-time event, successful brand integration requires a sustained effort to keep a product, brand or service integrated into the storyline and in the minds of the audience. This can involve creating new storylines or plot points that feature the product or brand and finding new ways to incorporate the brand's messaging into the overall narrative.

As a specialist agency, MediaHeads 360, has harnessed the mutual relationships that exist in the TV integration space and our team actively work with production teams while scripting and filming TV programmes. During each season, the use of products and brands becomes more refined as storylines develop and synergies are expanded.

Successful brand integration requires a flexible and dynamic approach that allows brands to adapt to changing circumstances and stay connected to their target audience.

Forrest Gump said that life was like a box of chocolates, you never knew what you were going to get next. Don't let that be your next campaign, work with the Team at MediaHeads 360, we'll help you find the sweet spot!




The Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) has partnered with Glorious Digital (Glorious), an international specialist in digital art, assets and experiences, to launch the Nelson Mandela Foundation Digital Patronage. The fundraising initiative is inspired by the year of Nelson Mandela's birth and offers a maximum of 1,918 lifetime memberships, intended to connect and galvanise passionate supporters of the Mandela legacy and the extraordinary work of his Foundation. This innovative and limited digital community is championed by 27 notable founding ambassadors, who include Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover, Naomi Campbell, Denzel Washington, and Alfre Woodard. Enabled through blockchain technology, each patronage is represented by a distinctive and editioned digital artwork from the Mandela archives.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) in partnership with Glorious Digital has launched its first digital supporter community  the Nelson Mandela Foundation Digital Patronage  to celebrate the legacy of the late Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Nelson Mandela. The launch comes 10 years after his death, and marks the day of his inauguration as South Africas first democratically elected president in 1994.

Each of the 1,918 founding memberships  valued at US$1,000  provides an opportunity to participate in one of the most formidable legacy projects of all time: keeping the spirit, memory, dialogue, and humanitarian work of Mandela alive. Through lifetime membership, the patronage can be bequeathed as a gift to future generations.

Each patronage is presented with a unique digital artwork for members to display. Drawing on Nelson Mandelas personal archive held by the NMF, together with other authorised collections, Nelson Mandela: A Portrait in 27 Colours will commemorate the 27 years Nelson Mandela spent in prison fighting injustice in his country.

The Digital Patronage has been designed to attract modern audiences to the world of philanthropy.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation is constantly exploring innovative ways to reach a greater breadth of supporters. By using emerging technology, the Foundation can further unite supporters globally. Attracting new partners helps the Foundation continue its work at a time when the world needs to be reminded about the legacy of Madiba, says Sello Hatang, CEO of the NMF.

A new way to give

By introducing the Digital Patronage, the Foundation has the opportunity to contemporise the Mandela legacy and tap into new, younger generations of supporters and philanthropists, says Tim Harper, chief executive of Glorious Digital, a leading agency and marketplace for authentic and globally recognised projects.

To be entrusted with Mandelas personal archive, his legacy, and his messages of togetherness, optimism, leadership, equality, freedom and hope, among others, is an honour and a privilege. The collaboration with the Foundation will give a uniquely new cohort of NMF patrons the opportunity to support Mandelas legacy through a new way of giving, Harper says.

Glorious Digital and the NMF archival team will serve as facilitators and curators of insider content and experiences for the 1,918 patrons, creating a community that supports and amplifies the work and impact of the Foundation.

Net proceeds from the sale of the Nelson Mandela Foundation Digital Patronage will go directly to the Foundation to assist in the continuation of its work in advocacy, dialogue, maintaining its archive, and providing public access to information on Mandelas life and times.

The 27

As a tribute to Mandela surviving 27 years of incarceration, 27 local and international icons galvanised by the Mandela legacy are leading the way with their support of the NMF Digital Patronage: Alfre Woodard & Roderick Spencer, Denzel Washington & Pauletta Washington, Samuel L. Jackson & LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Jurnee Smollett, LeVar Burton & Stephanie Cozart Burton, Vusi Mahlasela, Selema Masekela, Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary, Danny Glover, Jonathan Butler, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Don Cheadle, CCH Pounder, Naomi Campbell, Dr. John Kani, Whoopi Goldberg, Dr. Mbongeni Ngema, Quincy Jones, Zakes Mda, Jesse Clegg, Suzy Eddie Izzard, Lebo M, Richard Stengel, Lupita Nyongo, Anant & Vanashree Singh and Gina Belafonte




On May 3, 2023, Regent Business School's (RBS) Regent Enterprise Development Hub (redHub) hosted the third annual Business Plan Pitch Competition for aspiring entrepreneurs enrolled in the Higher Certificate Entrepreneurship programme. Ten students from RBS campuses in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, and Durban gathered at the hybrid event to showcase their business ideas and strategies to a panel of industry leaders in youth and small business development which included representatives from Junior Achievement South Africa, the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) and RBS.

Regent Business School ILeadLab technician, Sizwe Madikizela with student Yousuf Majola who won third place in the Business Plan Pitch Competition with his gamers merchandise service.

Aided by their PowerPoint presentations, presenters had 12-minutes to pitch their ideas. In the end, three ideas emerged as the judges choices, each receiving R30,000 from a pool of R150,000 in potential funding, while two presenters were asked to demonstrate proof of concept (POC) to help convince the judges of the potential for their ideas.

The Business Plan Pitch Competition provides a unique opportunity for our students to showcase their ideas and receive feedback from industry experts.

 Hoosen Essof, redHub manager

The winners of the Business Plan Pitch Competition are:

Shepherds Foodlot founded by friends Sbu Naapai and Kelvin Khumalo, a Johannesburg based agri-business that focuses on livestock.



founded by friends Sbu Naapai and Kelvin Khumalo, a Johannesburg based agri-business that focuses on livestock. Sweet Sugar Stop owned by Cape Town based Athraa Pastor whose business provides on-demand confectionery delivery.



owned by Cape Town based Athraa Pastor whose business provides on-demand confectionery delivery. Minos Treasury a gamers merchandise service created by Sa'id Yasiem from Cape Town.

The Business Plan Pitch Competition is one of redHubs three flagship events aimed at mainstreaming and nurturing the skills of aspiring entrepreneurs. The competition challenges students to present their business ideas in a clear and concise manner while demonstrating sustainability and innovation. Through the competition, redHub aims to provide practical education, training, and mentorship opportunities for early-stage entrepreneurs, helping them to develop disruptive and innovative skills.

Regent Business School redHub manager, Hoosen Essof (far right) with the Business Plan Pitch Competition winning team Sbu Naapai and Kelvin Khumalo from Shepherds Foodlot.

Commenting on the event, redHub manager, Hoosen Essof, said: Were thrilled to see such a high level of energy, passion and entrepreneurial spirit among our students. The Business Plan Pitch Competition provides a unique opportunity for our students to showcase their ideas and receive feedback from industry experts. Were proud of all the participants and are excited to see where their entrepreneurial journeys take them.

For more information about redHub and the Business Plan Pitch Competition, https://redhub.regent.ac.za/business-plan-pitch-2023/.

Become future ready by joining one of accredited MBAs, postgraduate qualifications, degrees, diplomas, or higher certificates! All 2023 students will receive a free Management Development Programme valued at R7000. Ts and Cs apply.




Human settlements minister Mmamoloko Kubayi says the process of releasing land will continue in this financial year, with a further 1,500 hectares of publicly- and privately-owned land in the process of being acquired.

Presenting the departments budget for 2023/2024, Kubayi said a total of 539 hectares of land have been released in various provinces by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to the Housing Development Agency (HDA) for human settlement development during 2022/2023 financial year.

R220m allocated to remove asbestos roofs

Kubayi reported that during the past financial year, a total of 1,500 asbestos roofs have been removed in Seshego, Limpopo, and 2,100 in KaNyamazane, Mpumalanga.

In the current financial year, a total budget of R220m has been allocated to the provincial Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) business plans in the Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal to implement 27 projects across the provinces to remove asbestos roofs.

Eradication of mud houses

Kubayi announced that seven provinces have planned to eradicate 11,791 mud houses this financial year, with a budget of R1.7bn allocated for the process.

We will introduce the use of remote sensing through satellite technology and other modern technology applications to help us locate and get a total count of all mud houses across the country. This means we will have to acquire the skills to capacitate our department to be able to utilise these technologies, the minister said.

Skills shortage

Kubayi reported that the department is currently embarking on a skills audit in a bid to close the skills gap and deliver on its mandate.

Human settlements development, by its very nature, is a highly technical sector, which requires very specialised skills, such as civil engineering, town planning, geoscience and many more.

"We will relentlessly pursue excellence and performance improvement by applying a strict framework skills allocation system without exception, she said.
New analysis by Brand Finance reveals that while the world's top 100 Business to Business (B2B) brands account for $2tn in brand value, almost another $1tn of business value remains untapped by B2B brands.

The report and key findings were unveiled by Brand Finance at an event hosted by IAA and B2B agency Stein IAS.

B2B brand contribution lags behind B2C brands

This new analysis by Brand Finance found that B2B brands lag behind Business to Consumer (B2C) brands in terms of brand contribution to business value.

The $2tn in brand value of the top 100 B2B brands accounts for 12% of the $17tn in their total business value. This compares unfavourably with B2C brands, where B2C brand values of $2.8tn account for 17% of their $16tn business value.

Closing this gap would be worth an additional $0.9tn in brand value to B2B enterprises.

Research finds that the returns of highly branded organisations (i.e. companies with a high brand value to business value ratio) outperform the S&P 500.

This indicates an opportunity for brand-led growth to drive additional value to B2B businesses by closing the gap on their B2C peers.

As well as providing an insightful overview of the worlds top B2B brands, this report provides robust evidence to demonstrate the enormous potential that exists in B2B marketing. This is a dynamically growing sector, and were thrilled that B2B has rightfully earned its place in the spotlight, gaining momentum as a creative, emotional, and brand-led channel, says Kirsty Giordani, executive director at IAA UK.

Highest brand value B2B brands

Microsoft has the highest B2B brand value of any brand globally at $137.5bn, 72% of Microsofts total brand value of $191.6bn.

Microsoft dominates the Index with a B2B brand value almost double that of the next highest ranked brand, which is Amazon (B2B brand value of $70.6bn).

The strongest B2B brands

In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance.

Compliant with ISO 20671, Brand Finances assessment of stakeholder equity incorporates original market research data from over 100,000 respondents in 38 countries and across 31 sectors.

Deloitte leads with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 91.3/100, a 1.1-point year-on-year increase.

This earns it a AAA+ brand rating, one of only two brands to achieve this elite rating in Brand Finances Global B2B brands Index.

Deloitte also has the 10th largest B2B brand value at $34.5bn and is also the worlds most valuable Commercial Services brand in terms of overall brand value.

Fellow Commercial Services brand EY (B2B brand value of $25.7bn) is the second strongest brand in the B2B ranking, with a BSI of 89.9/100, and AAA+ rating.

PWC (B2B brand value of $25.3bn) in fourth, rounds of a trio of Big-4 firms included at the top of the ranking for brand strength. PWCs BSI score was 88.8/100 with AAA rating.

Chinese brands perform strongly

Chinas largest B2B brands performed strongly in the ranking, with a combined B2B brand value of $491.0bn. Of the 100 B2B brands included in the ranking, 23% are based in China.

China was topped by only the US, which accounted for 41% of the brands, with a combined B2B brand value of $973.2bn.

Chinas top performing brands in terms of B2B brand value were State Grid (B2B brand value of $58.9bn), ICBC (B2B brand value $42.7bn), and China Construction Bank (B2B brand value of $35.4bn).

B2B2C brands forge new path with new business model

B2B2C is a very significant part of the B2B brand ecosystem and this index. There are very few B2C counterparts, as in B2C2B.

B2B2C is a business model/marketing strategy where one business (for example, a manufacturer) sells goods or services to another business (for example, a retailer or distributor) to reach an end consumer. This is slightly different from the conventional pure-play B2B brands and hence why we have included them in a table of their own.

Google is the worlds largest B2B2C brand, with a B2B brand value of $281.4bn. Well-known media brands, including TikTok/Douyin (B2B brand value of $65.7bn), Facebook (B2B brand value of $60bn), and WeChat (B2B brand value of $47.4bn) follow behind Google.

We are living in the Golden Age for B2B brands, where status and value are amplified by technology and scientific breakthroughs.

This era is characterised by the potency and agility of omni-channel, data-led, marketing campaigns in driving rapid growth in the B2B market, says David Haigh, chairman of Brand Finance.

Digitalisation and digital scale-ups are dominating the landscape, taking advantage of the ever-expanding possibilities of technology, and driving better customer experiences. These experiences are forcing rapid adoption of updated technology across categories. Best practices are traveling fast and enhancing value, he adds

Every year, leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance puts 5,000 of the biggest brands to the test, and publishes over 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries.

The worlds top 100 most valuable B2B brands are included in the Brand Finance Global Most Valuable B2B Brands 2023 Index.
Ed Sheeran's victories continue to multiply, after a New York jury recently ruled that his song, Thinking Out Loud, does not infringe the copyright of well-known American song, Let's Get It On, written by Marvin Gaye and Ed Townsend. This $100m claim was first brought by Townsend's heirs in 2017 against Sheeran, his record label, Warner Music Group, and his music publisher, Sony Music Publishing, with the aim of protecting the musical "heart" of their late father's work. Understandably, the case has attracted the attention of the music industry, after the underlying music composition of the two songs came under scrutiny.

Image source: Suvan Chowdhury from Pexels

Setting the stage, both sides entered the dispute with the benefit of being able to point to previous favourable decisions in the record cabinet. As readers will recall, Sheeran won a separate copyright trial in London in 2022 regarding hit song, Shape of You. Separately, Gayes heirs were also awarded $5.3m in 2015 after their claim that the song, Blurred Lines, written by Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, had infringed the copyright of Gayes song, Got to Give It Up, was upheld in court.

In this case, Townsends heirs smoking gun was an online fan video of Sheeran on stage, in which he merged the two songs to illustrate the similarity of the chord progressions of hit songs to his fans. The heirs argued that the seamless transition between the two songs, during a live show, was evidence that Sheeran had infringed the copyright in the earlier work. This did not subtract from Sheerans defence, however, and during evidence, Sheeran and his co-writer, Amy Wadge, explained the inspiration behind the creation of their hit song in 2014. Guitar in hand, Sheeran also explained that he is able to perform similar medleys, as a result of the limited harmonic palette in todays mainstream pop music. This clearly struck a chord with the jury, which handed down a decision after three hours of deliberation.

Sheerans lyrical talents were also evident in his statement issued after the ruling was handed down, in which he shared that these chords are common building blocks, which were used to create music long before Lets Get It On was written, and will be used to create music long after we are all gone.

What would SA do?

In assessing an allegation of copyright infringement, South African courts will rely on a qualitative test, examining the degree of objective similarity between two works, as well as whether a causal link exists between the original work and the alleged infringing work. This would mean that the claimant must prove that the artist actually regarded and had access to the prior work, and adapted or copied substantial elements of it when creating the new song.

While our courts do have a general discretion, our Copyright Act does make provision for the Court to grant specific relief to successful litigants in the form of damages, an interdict, ordering the delivery-up of infringing copies and, in lieu of damages, a reasonable royalty payable by the infringer which could have been payable by a licensee of the earlier work.

This case calls a well-known phrase in the music industry to mind, namely where there is a hit, there is a writ, and we anticipate that artists will continue to lock horns to protect their valuable intellectual property rights which vest in our favourite songs.
Attorney General Merrick Garland, right, arrives at a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., May 10. AFP-Yonhap



U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has authorized the first transfer of forfeited Russian assets for use in Ukraine, he said on Wednesday.



The Justice Department last year charged Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev with violating sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, saying he provided financing for Russians promoting separatism in Crimea.



At that time, Garland said, he also announced "the seizure of millions of dollars from an account at a U.S. financial institution traceable to Malofeyev's sanctions violations."



In February, Garland said he authorized the transfer of that money for use in Ukraine.



"While this represents the United States' first transfer of forfeited Russian funds for the rebuilding of Ukraine," Garland said, "it will not be the last," he said in a statement. (Reuters)




California Governor Gavin Newsom and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden in 2022 [Getty Images]

The publics hatred of racial, sexual, and religious minorities is so out of control that it imperils our democracy. At least, thats what influential leaders from Joe Biden and Barack Obama to former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden and California Governor Gavin Newsom want us to believe.

Last week Newsom announced a state initiative for citizens to report disfavored speech (non-criminal hate incidents) they see online:

Californias Civil Rights Department (CRD) invites citizens to speculate about the motive of the perpetrator.

In a statement, Newsoms office said the legislation was in direct response to the rise in reported hate crimes in California, which in recent years, reached their highest levels since 2001  jumping almost 33% from 2020 to 2021.

Indeed, criminal complaints of hate crimes rose significantly, not just 33% between 2020 and 2021 but also 80% from 2012 to 2021, according to California state data.

But convictions of hate crimes have been flat. In 2012 there were 107 hate crime convictions in California. In 2021, there were 109, according to the same data.

Its possible that hate crimes really did rise by 80%, and juries decided not to give prosecutors convictions. In San Fransicko, I assemble a large body of evidence to show California residents have become more tolerant of crime.

But its also possible that convictions stayed the same because there was no increase in prosecutable hate crimes. And it may be that Californian prosecutors simply labeled more crimes as hate crimes because they were primed to do so by the medias 700% - 1,000% increased focus on racism between 2011 and 2020.

Zach Goldberg, How the Media Led the Great Racial Awakening, Tablet, August 4, 2020

Whatever the case, California's total number of hate crime complaints is trivial. There were just 285 hate crime complaints in California, a state with 39 million people, in 2021. There was an order of magnitude more homicides in California, 2,361, in 2021.

Prejudice still exists in the United States. The California church shooting from May 2022 was motivated by political hatred. And the recent mall shooter in Texas may have been motivated by racist ideology.

But the ideologies dont line up neatly politically. The California church shooter was Taiwanese and motivated by an obscure political grievance. The Texas shooter may have been racist, but he was also Latino. And the recent shooter in Nashville was trans and targeted Christians.

And in many instances, the political ideology is plainly secondary to mental illness. That was certainly the case with the psychotic and drug-addicted homeless man from Berkeley who attacked the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco last year. And it may have been the case with the shooters in Texas and Nashville.

In truth, acceptance of racial, religious, and sexual differences has never been higher in recorded human history. Never before have same-sex and mixed-race couples have been more accepted across all Western nations, which are far more tolerant than most other nations worldwide.

Trans people are celebrated, with an entire reality show dedicated to documenting in celebratory fashion the sexual reassignment surgery and hormone use of a trans girl named Jazz Jennings. And few places are more celebratory of transgenderism than California.

All of which raises a question. If theres no evidence that hate incidents are rising, abundant evidence that tolerance is rising, and overwhelming evidence that the media created a moral panic about racism, why are nations and nation-sized states like California urging mass spying and creating blacklists?

Ireland, Internet Tax Haven, Now Exports Censorship
Jeffrey Espsteins private calendar has been leaked, and it showed who some of his buddies were, including former Obama and current Biden officials.

None of these visits were recorded in Epsteins black book or flight logs.

The documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal showed that Epstein met with current CIA Director William Burns, Joshua Ramo, board member of Fed Ex and Starbucks, Noam Chomsky, and White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler.

According to the report, Epstein put the meetings together after his 2008 incarceration.

From Yahoo News:

NEW DOCUMENTS, WHICH BELONGED TO THE RICH CONVICTED PEDOPHILE AND WERE OBTAINED BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, SHOWED PLANNED MEETINGS WITH A SLEW OF PROMINENT INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING NOW-CIA DIRECTOR WILLIAM BURNS, BARD COLLEGE PRESIDENT LEON BOTSTEIN, OBAMA WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL KATHRYN RUEMMLER AND PROFESSOR NOAM CHOMSKY. ALL THE SCHEDULED MEETINGS WERE SLATED TO TAKE PLACE AFTER EPSTEIN WAS JAILED IN 2008 ON CHARGES OF SOLICITATION, INCLUDING SOLICITING A MINOR. WSJ COULD NOT PROVE EACH SCHEDULED MEETING ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE, AND THE DOCUMENTS DID NOT REVEAL THE PURPOSE FOR THE MEETINGS. A SPOKESPERSON FOR BURNS, WHO HAS TAKEN THE CIAS HELM SINCE 2021 UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, SAID THE NATIONS SPY CHIEF MET WITH EPSTEIN A DECADE AGO WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO LEAVE THE GOVERNMENT.

Wait!? So Burns wanted to meet with Epstein for a job after he was convicted?

The director did not know anything about him, other than that he was introduced as an expert in the financial services sector and offered general advice on the transition to the private sector, CIA spokeswoman Tammy Kupperman Thorp said. They had no relationship.

WHAT!?

White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler was shown to meet with Epstein dozens of times before she got her gig as the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs.

More from Fox News:

THE DOCUMENTS SHOW EPSTEIN WAS PLANNING ON RUEMMLER JOINING HIM FOR A TRIP TO PARIS IN 2015 AND ANOTHER VISIT TO HIS PRIVATE ISLAND IN THE CARIBBEAN IN 2017. A GOLDMAN SACHS REP TOLD THE OUTLET THAT RUEMMLER HAD A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH EPSTEIN WHEN SHE WAS EMPLOYED AT LAW FIRM LATHAM & WATKINS LLP, BUT DID NOT TRAVEL WITH EPSTEIN. THE SPOKESPERSON SAID EPSTEIN INTRODUCED RUEMMLER TO POTENTIAL LEGAL CLIENTS, SUCH AS BILL GATES.

Ruemmler now claims she wishes she never met him.

I regret ever knowing Jeffrey Epstein, Ruemmler said, according to WSJ.

The WSJ reported that the majority of people they spoke to said they met with Epstein for donations or to make powerful connections.

We looked him up, and he was a convicted felon for a sex crime, Bard College president Leon Botstein said, noting that Bard has an educational program to assist prisoners. We believe in rehabilitation.

There were other prominent officials who showed up on the calendar as well: Ariane de Rothschild, chief executive of the Swiss private bank Edmond de Rothschild Group; Joshua Cooper Ramo, who at the time served on the boards of Starbucks Corp. and FedEx Corp; former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak; Harvard University professor Martin Nowak; and anthropologist Helen Fisher.

WSJ | Fox News
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer identified nine members of President Bidens family Wednesday who allegedly received foreign income after teasing the bombshell for weeks.

Since you asked, Ill tell you, Comer (R-Ky.) told a rapt room of reporters at the Capitol after laying out new bank record evidence showing first son Hunter Biden received $1 million from a corrupt Romanian businessman while his dad was vice president.

Joe Bidens son [Hunter], Joe Bidens brother [James], Joe Bidens brothers wife [Sara], Hunter Bidens girlfriend or Beau Bidens widow [Hallie], however, you want to write that, Hunter Bidens ex-wife [Kathleen Buhle], Hunter Bidens current wife [Melissa Cohen], and three children of the presidents son and the presidents brother, Comer said.

The chairman seemed to indicate that only one of Bidens grandchildren and two of his brothers children got the foreign funds.

Were talking about grandchil  a grandchild, Comer said at the press conference. Thats odd, most people that work hard every days grandchild doesnt get a wire from a foreign national.

James Biden has three children, including daughter Caroline, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to making over $100,000 in charges on a stolen credit card.

Emails from Hunters abandoned laptop show Caroline turned up her nose at an $85,000 job offer that would have allowed her to serve her probationary period near her beloved cousin in California.
A member of the internal board that reviews materials written for publication by present and former employees of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) helped solicit signatures for the October 2020 letter claiming the Hunter Biden laptop story has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation, according to a new congressional report.

The letter was signed by 51 former intelligence officials and appeared five days after the New York Post described in a news story based on materials found on a laptop once owned by Hunter Biden how President Joe Biden knew that his son was using access to his fathers position and influence to generate wealth for the family.

The letter was repeatedly cited by Biden and his surrogates during the concluding weeks of the 2020 presidential campaign against then-President Donald Trump and was used by social media giants Facebook, Twitter, and others to justify censoring the New York Post story and favorable responses to it.

Post-election research suggested that as many as one in five of Bidens voters may have not voted for him had they known about the information reported by the New York Post and the Hunter Biden laptop.

The new congressional report adds important details to those already reported about the genesis of the letter, including the role of an unnamed member of the CIAs Prepublication Classification Review Board (PCRB) in obtaining signers.

When the person in charge of reviewing the book called to say it was approved with no changes, I was told about the draft letter. The person asked me if I would be willing to sign.  After hearing the letters contents, and the qualifiers in it such as, We want to emphasize that we do not know if the emails provided to the New York Post by President Trumps personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, are genuine or not and that we do not have evidence of Russian involvement  I agreed to sign, former CIA analyst David Cariens told congressional investigators, according to the interim staff report for the House Committee on the Judiciarys Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

Hatch Act Bars Feds From Partisan Politicking

Federal employees are explicitly barred by the Hatch Act from using government resources of any kind to help a partisan political campaign. The PCRB employee who told Cariens about the letter and encouraged him to sign it knew the purpose of the letter was to help Biden defeat Trump.

The report is to be made public May 10. A copy of it was obtained by The Epoch Times.

Carienss wife, Janice, also a former CIA employee, joined her husband in signing the letter.

Former CIA Deputy Director Mike Morell was recruited during the 2020 race by Secretary of State Anthony Blinkenthen working for the Biden campaignto manage the production, solicitation of signers, and media distribution of the letter, according to the report. Blinken has denied that he had a role in the letter effort.

On October 19, 2020, at 6:34 a.m., Morell sent the final version of the statement to the CIAs Prepublication Classification Review Board (PCRB) for review. According to Morell, the PCRB consists of CIA officersnot contractorsand their sole function is to determine whether former and current CIA personnel are disclosing classified information in any materials they may release publicly, the report said.

This is because [a]ll CIA officers, as a condition of employment, sign the standard CIA secrecy agreement when entering on duty  [and this] lifelong obligation which exists to help avoid the damage to national security requires they submit any materials they intend to publicize to the PCRB for approval. Morell directed the PCRB that [t]his is a rush job, as it need to get out as soon as possible. Morell wanted the public statement released before the October 22, 2020, presidential debate.
The RESTRICT Act (Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology Act) has recently been making the rounds in the media, and rightfully so. The act is truly terrifying, but more than the open tyranny that it would further, the act illustrates a very clear problem from the perspective of the state.

In previous eras, either formally or informally, the state exercised a great deal of control over the information available to the wider population. This is no longer the case in the present day. With the advent of the internet and the resulting decentralization of media and other channels of information, the state has had increasingly fewer options at its disposal to control information. It is very obviously afraid of losing its position as the controller of information, and the RESTRICT Act is a desperate attempt to reassert itself as such.

Whats in the Act?

At this point, most people who have been paying attention should recoil upon seeing a large acronym under the consideration of Congress. After the USA PATRIOT Act, normal people recognized that these bills of massive overreach were, to put it lightly, misnamed. But in a move of honesty, the RESTRICT Act does exactly what it says it will do should it be enacted and enforced. The Senates website is remarkably up-front, saying:

Vendors from the U.S. and allied countries have supplied the worlds information communications and technology (ICT) for decades. In recent years, the global ICT supply chain has changed dramatically; a number of prominent foreign vendorsmany subject to the control of autocratic and illiberal governmentshave gained significant market share in a variety of internet infrastructure, online communications, and networked software markets. . . . The RESTRICT Act comprehensively addresses the ongoing threat posed by technology from foreign adversaries by better empowering the Department of Commerce to review, prevent, and mitigate ICT transactions that pose undue risk, protecting the US supply chain now and into the future.

Thankfully, the state is going to defend us from information and communications technology from autocratic and illiberal governments, as if our own states, which locked us in our own homes, were democratic and liberal. What specifically is being targeted in the broad category of information and communications technology?

As the act has been publicly marketed, this is a move against the popular social media platform TikTok. The US governments reasoning is simple: TikTok, and similar platforms, are owned by foreign states, and these foreign states can distribute or facilitate information that is contrary to the narratives pushed by our state.

This is an existential threat to the US government. Seeing as the goal of a state is to maintain control, as articulated by Murray Rothbard in his book Anatomy of the State, having rival states present alternative narratives to the population harms your legitimacy. This legitimacy is necessary for the state to exist. As Rothbard says of people supporting the state:

This support, it must be noted, need not be active enthusiasm; it may well be passive resignation as if to an inevitable law of nature. But support in the sense of acceptance of some sort it must be; else the minority of state rulers would eventually be outweighed by the active resistance of the majority of the public.

The state, therefore, must maintain its legitimacy to survive, and the US government is attempting just that by trying to retake control over the countrys media. As mentioned earlier, the internet rendered most of the states old methods of control obsolete, which is why for the last few years the US government has been on the defensive, using covert means to influence channels of information (as can be seen with the Twitter Files).

The fact that the state has had to openly announce its direct censorship and control signals the states weakness. If it were stronger and bolder, as it was in most of the last century, it would have just acted already and passed the action off as a mundane matter of governance. If it were on surer footing, it would have just continued its policy of covert influence. The state is threatened. Its afraid!

In the media and wider US society, a false debate has arisen. One side is in support, and the other side rejects the RESTRICT Act as terrifyingly evil because it is consolidating power in parts of the executive branch. According to the act, the executive branch will now have the authority to

address any risk arising from any covered transaction arising from any covered transaction by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States that the Secretary determines . . . poses an undue or unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.

The popular opposition is claiming that this is tyrannical because the secretary of commerce is appointed only by the president and reports only to the president, making the secretary unelected and subject to no congressional oversight. This objection is approaching the truth, but its not quite there. This act is not bad because the person who gets to determine what is an undue or unacceptable risk is unaccountable and undemocratic.

The act is far worse because the state should not be deciding what is an undue or unacceptable risk. Should this go through, the United States will have its own censor under whom no ray of light, from wherever it may come, shall in future go unnoticed and unrecognized by the state or be divested of its possible useful effect, and it will be called the secretary of commerce.

Implications of the Act

As with everything pushed by the state, what will actually happen goes far beyond the written intentions. Just as the act nominally passed to defend our freedoms from terrorism is used to spy on millions of normal Americans, this act will control and censor far more than TikTok (which is obviously not the only foreign-owned media in this country). And this is written into the act itself, which provides, The Secretary may undertake any other action as necessary to carry out the responsibilities under this Act that is not otherwise prohibited by law.

Worse than just the focus on foreign adversaries, how long until this is applied to any media deemed adversarial? How long until this act, after being passed, is amended to crack down on domestic adversaries like conspiracy theorists and spreaders of disinformation, all of which, of course, will be determined by the state? We have every reason to believe the state will grab this power, being as these categories, deemed so by the state, threaten its legitimacy. As Rothbard wrote, A conspiracy theory can unsettle the system by causing the public to doubt the states ideological propaganda.

Even though the advances of tyranny are now commonplace, and the continual infringement of our liberties is the norm, this blatant aggression in the form of the RESTRICT Act should not go unnoticed. Moreover, this fight should not happen on the states terms. The rhetoric surrounding the act focuses on TikTok and foreign adversaries, two subjects that are unpopular and, frankly, difficult to defend. However, defending them, or focusing on them at all, is missing the point. The state was not content with merely spying on you, restricting your commerce and production, drafting you, and forcing your children into state schools and subjecting them to who knows what.

No, the state also needs to control your information, for if the information is free, and people can research and discuss freely, the states legitimacy, and therefore its very existence, is threatened. As it has shown us by so openly and disgustingly lashing out, anyone who engages in the spreading of ideas outside the purview of the state, especially of ideas that correctly dismantle the legitimacy of the state, is contributing to the states peril. As the US government has just proven by its ugly reaction, the spreading of ideas is how we are to proceed ever more boldly against this evil.
Describing it as the future of how we need to feed people, a group of scientists and researchers from Washington State University (WSU) enjoyed some smoky, and mildly salty pork sausage earlier this month  derived from gene-edited pigs.

The WSU research team recently received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow pork meat from gene-edited pigs into the human food supply  resulting in the celebratory barbecue featuring sausage with a good snap to the casings  just like regular pork.

The FDA approval, which does not appear on the agencys website, is investigational and limited to the specific pigs raised by the research team for this purpose. It is touted as evidence that gene-editing livestock to quickly produce desirable traits for improved food production is a viable strategy for helping feed the planets growing population.

However, some scientists and food safety advocates question the safety of the gene-editing technology  CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)  used by the WSU researchers and backed by investors like Bill Gates, and wonder if the products produced by the technology are really safe for human consumption.

Gene-edited meats could be mass produced for human consumption in 10 years

CRISPR acts as a precise pair of molecular scissors that can cut a target DNA sequence, directed by a customizable guide.

Put differently, this technology allows scientists to edit sections of DNA by snipping specific portions of it and replacing them with new segments. Gene editing is not a new concept, but CRISPR technology is viewed as being cheaper and more accurate than other gene-editing technologies.

The WSU research team, led by Jon Oatley, Ph.D., associate dean for research for the College of Veterinary Medicine and tenured professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences, used CRISPR to improve genetic traits in livestock.

Must read! Bill Gates + WEF are among the biggest promoters of CRISPR, a recently developed gene-editing technology, but scientists interviewed by The Defender warned about the technologys flaws and risks.https://t.co/bzdk1oRYkg  Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) October 17, 2022

According to Nextgov, Oatley sought to demonstrate that food made from the [gene-edited] animals is safe to eat and that it is possible for an academic institution to achieve this type of FDA authorization.

Gene-editing can make changes in an organisms DNA that could occur in nature or through selective breeding but would take much longer without a tool like CRISPR, Nextgov writes.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that WSU is also studying CRISPR gene editing on cattle and sheep, and wrapped up a goat study last year. If all goes as planned  gene-edited meats could be mass produced for human consumption in 10 years.

FDAs investigational authorization is limited to five pigs. A WSU announcement described the work by Oatley and his team as essentially a high-tech form of selective breeding, adding that the pigs were originally gene-edited in a way that would enable researchers to use them to sire offspring with traits from another male pig.

According to WSU:

Known as surrogate sires, this technology first gene-edits male animals to be sterile by knocking out a gene called NANOS2 that is specific to male fertility. These animals can then be implanted with another males stem cells that create sperm with that males desired traits to be passed on to the next generation.

The research has the potential to not just improve meat quality but the health and resilience of livestock in the face of changing environmental conditions, a critical goal for increasing protein sources in developing nations, WSU said.

According to the universitys announcement, Oatley said:

Its important for a university to set the precedent by working with federal regulators to get these animals introduced into the food supply.  If we dont go through that process, all of the research were doing is for naught because it will never make it out into the public.

The original intent in making these animals was to try to improve the way that we feed people, Oatley said. And we cant do that unless we can work with the FDA system to get these animals actually into the food chain.

WSUs announcement did not mention Oatleys membership on the Gene Editing in Agriculture Task Force, a collaboration of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities created in June 2020.

According to the June 2021 report by the task force:

The next frontier in devising strategies to effectively feed a growing global human population will be defined by genetic enhancement; gene editing technologies are a key component in this endeavor.

The task force also suggested the same June 2021 report be distributed to interested organizations, including the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

According to WSU, The surrogate sires progeny, which are themselves not gene-edited, have not yet been reviewed by the FDA for possible inclusion in the food chain. However, the original pigs were processed at the WSU Meat Lab, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspected the meat as it does with all meat products.

The meat will be used in catering services that raise travel funds for the student members of the WSU Meat Judging team, WSU said.

CRISPR: Its not precise and its not breeding

The public often holds many misconceptions about gene-editing, Oatley said, adding:

Theres a trust that comes with university-based research.  At WSU, were all about the science. We just want to make sure the research is valid, and the animals we produce are healthy.

However, other experts have previously raised questions about the potential safety risks of inserting gene-edited and lab-grown meat into the human food supply and using tools such as CRISPR for this purpose.

In October 2022 interviews with The Defender, Michael Antoniou, Ph.D., head of the Gene Expression and Therapy Group at Kings College London, and Claire Robinson, managing editor of GMWatch, explained why they believe the risks of developing gene-edited meats and using CRISPR in this process outweighs the benefits.

Though CRISPR is often described as a precision gene-editing technology, Antoniou told The Defender, It is not precise and its not breeding.

Robinson told The Defender:

These were also risks with the old-style GMOs [genetically modified organisms], and they are still risks with these gene-edited GM plants and animals.

The risks, if youre gene editing them  are that there will be knock-on effects on the animals, welfare or health that we cant anticipate, such as deformities or changes in the function of certain genes in the animal.

Antoniou warned that there may be unintended or unforeseen effects arising from this process. He said:

Innately, gene editing also can bring about unintended DNA damage  even at the site of your intended edit or elsewhere in the DNA of your target cells, with unknown downstream consequences.

None of these products  have been tested properly.

A report published in the Journal of Genetics and Genomics in 2020 found that CRISPR gene-editing in rice resulted in numerous unintended and undesirable on-target and off-target mutations.

However, major investors like Gates see significant potential in foods created via gene editing and CRISPR.

According to Business Insider, Gates has said, Researchers are studying ways to modify the genes of livestock animals  to make them produce milk more like dairy cows and make dairy cattle more resilient in hot weather.

Happy 10th birthday to CRISPR, one of the most important inventions in medicine, biology, and agriculture. https://t.co/t0B0ctWPos  Bill Gates (@BillGates) July 7, 2022

Gates and other proponents of CRISPR also claim that such tools  and the development and production of gene-edited meats  can serve as a solution to increased food demand due to a growing global population.

Robinson, in her October 2022 remarks, disputed such claims. She said:

Theres no shortage of food in the world. Even in those countries where there are terrible hunger problems, they are producing food and it is available for those to buy if you have money.

But the problem with hunger is, of course, poverty. The failure of infrastructure, the fact that you cannot get food to the hungry people. But mostly its inequality, things like wars and conflicts that are going on in some countries that mean that supply chains are disrupted. So really, there is no shortage of food and there isnt ever likely to be.

Instead, Robinson said that major corporate interests lie behind the use of CRISPR for the development of gene-edited food products.

What we want to avoid, said Robinson, is a situation where the food supply ends up entirely patented, owned by big corporations  The patents on CRISPR are mostly owned by Corteva. Another patent owner used to be Monsanto, now owned by Bayer.

Robinson added:

The technology is patented; the products are patented. Therefore, it is all about increasing corporate control of the food supply.

Corteva Agriscience, a conglomerate formed via the merger of Dow AgroSciences and DuPont/Pioneer, owns many CRISPR patents.

More FDA approvals of gene-edited meats likely coming soon

The FDA has approved only one other organizations gene-edited animal for entering the food supply, according to WSU. The company, Acceligen, produces slick-haired cattle, which are gene-edited to grow coats that increase their resilience to higher temperatures.

The FDAs March 7, 2022, announcement about the approval stated that the intentional genomic alteration (IGA) does not raise any safety concerns and that this was the agencys first low-risk determination for enforcement discretion for an IGA in an animal for food use.

We expect that our decision will encourage other developers to bring animal biotechnology products forward for the FDAs risk determination in this rapidly developing field, paving the way for animals containing low-risk IGAs to more efficiently reach the marketplace, said Dr. Steven M. Solomon, director of the FDAs Center for Veterinary Medicine.

In recent years, the FDA also approved  or is close to granting full approval to  other gene-edited meat products for human consumption.

On Dec. 14, 2020, the FDA approved a first-of-its-kind intentional genomic alteration (IGA) in a line of domestic pigs, referred to as GalSafe pigs, which may be used for food or human therapeutics. This is the first IGA in an animal that the FDA approved for both human food consumption and as a source for potential therapeutic uses.

According to the FDA, the IGA in GalSafe pigs is intended to eliminate alpha-gal sugar on the surface of the pigs cells. People with Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) may have mild to severe allergic reactions to alpha-gal sugar found in red meat, the FDA said, adding that the potential environmental impact is no greater than from conventional pigs.

The FDA also said it noted no animal safety concerns for GalSafe pigs beyond those that would be expected in well-managed, commercial swine operations, and the microbial food safety risk is low and is mitigated by the low number of GalSafe pigs entering the food supply and the ongoing surveillance for antimicrobial resistance, among other factors.

And in November 2022, the FDA declared lab-grown chicken meat developed by Upside Foods, a California-based firm, safe for human consumption, as part of its completion of a pre-market consultation that will likely lead to full FDA approval.

The FDAs Nov. 16, 2022, announcement described this development as a food revolution that enables food developers to use animal cells obtained from livestock, poultry, and seafood in the production of food, with these products expected to be ready for the U.S. market in the near future.

The lab-grown chicken appears to have been developed using a process involving CRISPR. In 2019, it was reported that Memphis Meats  the former name of Upside Foods prior to a 2021 rebrand  was employing CRISPR as part of its process for curating lab-grown meat, and even received a patent for this purpose.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks during a press conference with Czech prime minister after their meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, May 10. EPA-Yonhap



The Italian government has not yet taken a decision on whether to leave the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) deal with China and is reviewing its options, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Wednesday.



Italy joined the ambitious BRI programme in 2019, despite protests from the United States. The pact comes up for renewal at the end of the year and Meloni said parliament would be involved in discussions about its future.



"We have not yet taken a decision. The debate is open," Meloni told reporters during a trip to Prague, repeating that she herself had opposed the original choice to sign up to the BRI. (Reuters)


Palestinians look for remains of people killed during an Israeli strike in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, May 11. Reuters-Yonhap



Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Wednesday, while Israel pressed ahead with a series of airstrikes that have killed 23 Palestinians, including three senior militants and at least 10 civilians.



A state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt, a frequent mediator between the sides, had brokered a cease-fire. But the truce efforts appeared to falter as fighting intensified late Wednesday, with neither side showing any sign of backing down.



Early Thursday, the Israeli military said it targeted the commander of Islamic Jihad's rocket squad in an airstrike on a building in the southern Gaza Strip. The military said Ali Ghali was hiding in an apartment and that two additional militants from the group were killed alongside him in the airstrike at a Qatari-built residential complex in Khan Younis. Ghali instructed and took part in rocket attacks against Israel in recent months. There was no comment from the militant group.



In a prime-time TV address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had dealt a harsh blow to the militants. But he cautioned: "This round is not over."



"We say to the terrorists and those who send them. We see you everywhere. You can't hide, and we choose the place and time to strike you," he said, adding that Israel would also decide when calm is restored.



Throughout the day, rocket fire set off air-raid sirens throughout southern and central Israel, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. Residents had been bracing for an attack since Israel launched its first airstrikes early Tuesday.



It was the heaviest fighting between the sides in months, pushing the region closer toward a full-blown war. But in signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the smaller and more militant Islamic Jihad faction. Hamas, meanwhile, appeared to remain on the sidelines.



Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the Islamic militant group took control of Gaza in 2007.



Late Wednesday, Egypt's Extra News television channel, which has close ties to Egyptian security agencies, said it had brokered a cease-fire. Egyptian intelligence frequently mediates between Israel and Palestinian militants.



Israeli officials confirmed that Egypt was trying to facilitate a cease-fire. Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes diplomacy, they said Israel would evaluate the situation based on actions on the ground, not declarations.



Islamic Jihad said it would continue firing rockets. Mohamad al-Hindi, an official with the group, said a sticking point in the talks was that the Palestinians wanted an Israeli commitment to stop targeted killing operations, such as the ones that killed three top Islamic Jihad commanders early Tuesday.





Rockets are fired by fighters of the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the east of Gaza City, May 10. EPA-Yonhap



As rockets streaked through the sky, Israeli TV stations showed air defense systems intercepting rockets above the skies of Tel Aviv. In the nearby suburb of Ramat Gan, people lay face-down on the ground as they took cover.



The Israeli military said that for the first time, an air-defense system known as David's Sling intercepted a rocket. The system, developed with the U.S., is meant to intercept medium-range threats and is part of a multi-layered air defense that also includes the better-known Iron Dome anti-rocket system. Israeli media said a previous attempt to use the system several years ago had failed.



In a move that could further raise tensions, Israeli police said they would permit a Jewish ultranationalist parade to take place next week. The parade, meant to celebrate Israel's capture of east Jerusalem and its Jewish holy sites, marches through the heart of the Old City's Muslim Quarter and often leads to friction with local Palestinians.



Israeli officials said over 400 rockets had been fired as of Wednesday evening. Most, they said, were intercepted or fell in open areas, but Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said about one-quarter had been misfired and fallen inside Gaza. Israeli rescuers said three people were hurt running for shelter, and four homes in southern Israel were damaged by rocket strikes.



The army said that schools would remain closed and restrictions on large gatherings would remain in place in southern Israel until at least Friday. Residents were instructed to stay near bomb shelters.



Eden Avramov, a 26-year-old resident of the southern Israeli town of Sderot, described the 24 hours since Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza as terrifying. "We are all traumatized from this routine  the waiting, the booms, the alarms."



Israeli aircraft hit targets in Gaza for the second straight day, killing at least five Palestinians. The Israeli military said its warplanes targeted dozens of rocket launchers, arms warehouses and other targets across the enclave. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said four of the dead were militants.



A 10-year-old Palestinian girl named Layan Mdoukh was killed in a blast at her home in Gaza City in unclear circumstances on Wednesday.



The initial Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday that set off the exchange of fire killed three senior Islamic Jihad militants and at least 10 civilians  most of them women and children. The Israeli military has said its attacks were focused on Islamic Jihad militant infrastructure in the coastal enclave.



Israel says the airstrikes are a response to a barrage of rocket fire launched last week by Islamic Jihad in response to the death of one of its members from a hunger strike while in Israeli custody.



Israel says it is trying to avoid conflict with Hamas, the more powerful militant group that rules Gaza, and limit the fighting to Islamic Jihad.



"Our actions are meant to prevent further escalation," said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military's chief spokesman. "Israel is not interested in war."



In a statement, an umbrella organization of Palestinian factions in Gaza, including Hamas, said the campaign against Israel  which it dubbed "Avenging the Free"  involved firing hundreds of rockets in retaliation for Israel's killing of the three Islamic Jihad commanders as well as several civilians.



"The resistance is ready for all options," the factions said. "If (Israel) persists in its aggression and arrogance, dark days await it."



Still, it remained unclear whether Hamas had joined the fray. If the ruling militant group enters the fighting, the risk of a full-blown conflict would increase.



Israel has come under international criticism for the high civilian toll Tuesday, which included wives of two of the militant commanders, some of their children and a dentist who lived in one of the targeted buildings along with his wife and son.





Police secure an area near a home which was hit by a rocket from Gaza, in Sderot, Israel, May 10. Reuters-Yonhap
The High Court has agreed to adjourn a hearing to wind up two Russian state-owned aircraft and shipping leasing firms worth over $4.5 billion (4.11 billion) to the end of the month.

Four creditors of the firms have asked the High Court to appoint a liquidator to Irish registered GTLK Europe DAC, and the related entity GTLK Europe Capital DAC on the grounds the firms are insolvent and unable to pay their debts.

The four, whose petition is being supported by other creditors of the group, want Damien Murran and Julian Moroney of Teneo Restructuring Ireland appointed as joint liquidators to the companies which have been hard hit by international sanctions imposed on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

The companies are opposing the application, and claim that despite the sanctions, they are solvent.

Advertisement

If the application is successful and a liquidator appointed to the firms, it would be the largest winding up in the history of the Irish State.

Mr Justice Brian O'Moore had fixed the hearing of the petition to wind up the companies to next week, and the matter was expected to last for two days.

However, following a pre-trial application by Benedict O'Floinn SC for the companies on Thursday, the judge agreed to put the hearing back to the end of May.

Mr O'Floinn asked the court to consider adjourning the matter for another four weeks.

The court he said had put in place a timetable for the exchange of pleadings and the hearing of the petition.

Counsel said despite the obvious difficulties his side has done its best to comply with the timetable but said that given the complexities involved would not be able to furnish legal submissions in time for next week's planning hearing.

A period of four weeks would allow his side to furnish its legal submissions.

Kelley Smith SC, instructed by William Fry Solicitors for the creditors, had opposed the adjournment and argued the case should proceed as originally planned.

She said there appeared to be no dispute regarding the facts of the case between the parties, and her clients are concerned about the matter being prolonged any further than was necessary.

Advertisement

Mr Justice O'Moore said the court wanted to be fair to all sides and agreed to adjourn the matter to the end of the month and fixed the hearing for the 29 and 30th of May.

Given the urgency of the matter and the size and scale of the businesses sought to be liquidated, the judge said he was not prepared to put the matter back any further than the end of the month.

GTLK is Russia's largest leasing business in the transport sector, and leases ships and aircraft to customers all over the world.

It is ultimately owned by the Russian Federation's ministry of transport. Several directors of GTLK's ultimate parent are government ministers or deputy ministers in the Kremlin.

The four creditors that have petitioned the court for orders winding up the GTLK firms are Dublin registered Trinity investments DAC and an associated entity Allestor Europe Multi Asset Portfolio which is a sub fund of Allestor Capital ICAV.

The other two creditors seeking the winding up orders are Ben Oldman Special Situations Fund LP and Sona Credit Master Fund Limited which are both registered in the Caymen Islands.

The creditors claim that they are owed some $178 million by GTLK Europe.

They claim that the economic sanctions imposed on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have had "a devastating effect" on the GTLK Europe Group.

Ireland Closing speeches next week in trial of two accused... Read More

GTLK's Europe Group's international leasing business is headquartered in Dublin, and the firms that are sought to be wound up are at the top of the group's structure.

The creditors claim they entered into a series of agreements to refinance the respondent company's debts, where they advanced significant funds to GTLK Europe Captial, of which GTLK was a co-guarantor.

After the sanctions were imposed the creditors claim there has been significant default by GTLK Europe Capital regarding it repayment obligations, specifically the requirement to repay interest due on the loans.

The creditors claim that the group has not satisfied their demands for repayment.
The head of legal at a Co Wexford credit union has brought a High Court challenge against what he claims is his ongoing suspension from work.

The action has been brought by Donal O'Connor, who claims that last November he was put on "administrative leave" because he made a complaint and a protected disclosure about certain alleged practices at Altura Credit Union in Gorey, Co Wexford.

The 55-year-old, who has worked at the credit union for several years, claims he has been unlawfully and in breach of his contract of employment been placed on an "open-ended" suspension over allegations he breached his employer's IT policy.

Those allegations are currently the subject of an ongoing investigation.

In a sworn statement put before the High Court on Thursday, Mr O'Connor denies any wrongdoing and says the allegations were made after he made a protected disclosure about certain matters at the credit union in September 2022.

Advertisement

The protected disclosure and the complaint he made are "the real reason" why he has been suspended, Mr O'Connor claims.

He claims he raised serious concerns about operations risks and controls at the credit union.

In particular, he fears the requirement to ensure insurance is in place prior to the release of funds to customers was allegedly being disregarded.

He claims that no efforts were made by the defendant to properly address his concerns, and further claims his health has suffered as a result.

Last November he claims the credit union placed him on administrative leave over allegations including that he stored non-work emails on his work computer, used non-work email for work documents, and participated in work outside the workplace.

He denies any wrongdoing, and says some of the complaints date back to a period when he was part-time with the defendant and any outside work he did during that period was done with the credit union's full knowledge.

Following the credit union's decision to place him on administrative leave, Mr O'Connor's health has allegedly suffered, and he required sick leave that he was certified to return to work from the end of April.

Despite this, Mr O'Connor, who is a qualified solicitor, claims that he has not been permitted to return to work and has been effectively suspended by it.

His ongoing suspension, he claims, has damaged his reputation.

As a result, Mr O'Connor, with an address at The Avenue, Gorey, Co Wexford, seeks an injunction from the court restraining the defendant from continuing with his exclusion from the workplace, and that his suspension be ended.

Business Over 6,400 Revenue customers owe 1.9bn in warehou... Read More

He also seeks various declarations from the court including that his suspension is unlawful, and in breach of his contract of employment.

He further seeks damages from the defendant for emotional suffering. The matter came before Mr Justice Brian O'Moore on Thursday.

Following an application from Mr O'Connor's lawyers the judge granted permission, on an ex-parte basis, to serve short notice of the injunction proceedings on the defendant credit union.

The judge adjourned the application to a date later this month.
US president Joe Biden has claimed he visited Ireland to ensure the Brits didnt screw around.

He made the comments at a Democratic Party event in New York on Wednesday.

Mr Biden made a four-day trip to Ireland last month, visiting both the North and the Republic.

Speaking to reporters, he said: I got to go back to Ireland for the the Irish Accords, to make sure the Brits didnt screw around and Northern Ireland didnt walk away from their commitments.

Mr Biden used his visit to say he believed the UK should be working more closely with the Irish Government to support Northern Ireland.

The trip saw Mr Biden meet briefly with British prime minister Rishi Sunak in Belfast, before undertaking a series of engagements across the Republic that culminated in a homecoming event in Ballina, which saw him celebrate his ancestral links to the Mayo town.

Advertisement

US president Joe Biden (Brian Lawless/PA)

The visit came after the UK and the EU secured a long-awaited deal designed to address unionist concerns about the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Windsor Framework has not yet seen power-sharing return in Northern Ireland, with Stormont still collapsed after the DUP pulled out of the institutions amid anger at the post-Brexit arrangements.

Mr Biden, whose trip coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, made clear his hope that power-sharing could soon be restored.

Downing Street said Mr Sunaks Brexit deal with the EU was about protecting the Good Friday Agreement, when asked about the remarks.

Asked about the US presidents remarks, Mr Sunak's official spokesperson said: You will know that, obviously, the Windsor Framework was a culmination of substantive work between the UK and the EU, and at its heart the UK priority was always protecting the Good Friday Agreement.

We have been consistent on that point throughout and we are pleased that between the UK and the EU we have been able to reach an agreement that works for the people of Northern Ireland, and for the whole of the UK.
The National Asset Loan Management (NALM) is beneficially entitled to some GBP 840,000 proceeds of UK investments made by boom-era property developer Bernard McNamara, the High Court has ruled.

The charges over the investments arose in relation to 2007 loan facilities from Anglo Irish Bank, which was succeeded in title by the NALM, to Mr McNamara for 1.2 million and GBP 6 million, said Ms Justice Eileen Roberts in her judgment published this week.

These loans were part of more extensive borrowings by Mr McNamara from Anglo, and there is about 585 million debt due in respect of his borrowings from the bank, she added.

The Clare-born developer was declared a bankrupt by the British high court in 2012, on his own application, and was discharged from bankruptcy in March 2014.

The former Fianna Fail councillor was one of the biggest developers at the height of the boom, acquiring major hotels including the Burlington in Dublin and 50 properties in Dublin 2.

Advertisement

In 2014, the joint trustees in his bankruptcy received two payments- one of 73,193 and the second of 770,598- from investment management firm Signature Capital Limited on foot of investments Mr McNamara made before he was a bankrupt.

The trustees asked the High Court to determine whether the investment proceeds should go to the NALM, under its alleged security entitlements arising from the 2007 loan, or be retained in the estate of bankruptcy of Mr McNamara for the benefit of his creditors generally, of which the NALM is by far the largest creditor.

The judge said the NALM pointed to various security documents it claimed proved there is a charge in favour of Anglo over both of Mr McNamaras investments.

Ireland Man who missed court date after falling off wheelc... Read More

Ms Justice Roberts found that the entire investment proceeds were validly charged to Anglo, and now to the NALM, by virtue of undertakings given in 2007 on behalf of Mr McNamara and SF Capital.

The legal effect of these undertakings is the creation of an equitable assignment by Mr McNamara to Anglo over all distributions received in respect of both of the investments, the judge said.

The same equitable assignment will operate for a further sum of 22,700 relating to another investment, she said.

She made orders declaring that the NALM is beneficially entitled to each of these sums. The trustees should transfer these amounts to the NALM, she ruled.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) reported that

Three closure orders were served on food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation last month, in addition to one prohibition order.

The Food Safety Authority (FSAI) confirmed a closure order was issued to Little Neros in The Square, Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, while two further closure orders were issued to the deli area and open refrigerated display unit in the middle of the retail area of Meaghers Daybreak in Fethard, Co Tipperary.

An order was also issued to Vicos Grill, of 1 Ludlow Street, Navan, Co Meath and a prohibition order was served to Pak Halal in Swords, Co Dublin.

Ireland CRU will work with energy providers to ensure cost... Read More

Some of the reasons given by the FSAI for the enforcement orders included frozen food labelled as fresh food; food being passed its use-by date or having no-use by date; failure to maintain the cold chain, and food being prepared where there was no electricity on the premises and the boiler was broken.

Advertisement

FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne said that while the majority of food businesses comply with food safety legislation, there continues to be a number who fail to meet their legal requirements.

"The enforcement orders served represent a clear disregard for compliance with food legislation which has been put in place to protect consumers. Consumers have a right to safe food.

"Maintaining a clean premises with constant and reliable access to hot water and electricity is a basic, legal and mandatory requirement of all food businesses. Food businesses are also legally obliged to provide consumers with accurate written allergen information on all food, whether prepacked or not."
Three members of the same family who lost their lives in the Stardust fire were remembered today at the inquest in the Dublin Coroners Court, with their sister saying that the Irish State has failed to carry out any proper investigation into their deaths in the four decades since.

"The dead cannot cry out for justice. It is the duty of the living to do so for them, June McDermott, whose brother George perished in the fire, told the jury on Thursday.

William, George and Marcella McDermott were among the 48 young people who died when flames ripped through the Stardust nightclub in Artane in the early hours of February 14th, 1981.

Pen portraits of the victims are being presented at the inquest in the Pillar Room of the Rotunda Hospital, where members of the McDermott family spoke of the eruption of chaos in their home after the fire.

Advertisement

The first pen portrait was of William McDermott, presented by his sister Louise. She described William, who was 22 when he died, as a tall strong lad and the big brother who protected us all.

"He had the most beautiful smile with perfect white teeth; it was no wonder all the girls were always chasing him. I remember myself and my sister gathering the Valentines cards that were delivered to the house and most of them were for Willie. Sadly, he would never get to see them or know how much he was admired, said Louise.

She said that William was not planning to go to the Stardust that night, and their mother was surprised when he told her as he never usually went there.

But he said: Ah sure, it's Valentines night and everyones going.' That was the last time our mam saw Willie, said Louise.

The next pen portrait was of George McDermott and was presented by his sister June, who revealed that George was three weeks away from turning 19 when he died in the fire.

George was very good-looking with black wavy hair and the most amazing hazel eyes. He always had a cheeky grin on his face and our mother used to say, Whats he up to now? whenever she saw that grin, said June.

Advertisement

On that awful night Georgie came down to me to show off his new clothes Mam had bought him for going to the Stardust. He said: What do you think of this Junie? I replied: Would you not babysit and let us go out? He said: Not a chance. I have a date. I never thought that would be the last time I saw him, said June.

Pen portrait

Now that we have come this far Georgie has his identity back, he is no longer number 30, he is George McDermott, our Georgie. The dead cannot cry out for justice. It is the duty of the living to do so for them, she said.

The last pen portrait was of Marcella McDermott, presented by her sister Selina. Marcella was only 16 when she died.

Selina said that Marcella was with her friends that night, Noleen Dillon, Esther Raynor, and Donna Mahon, who also died. Selina said that Marcella was only officially identified on February 18 because they had to wait for dental records.

Our lives became very different from then on. I lost my best friend. I remember sitting on the stairs, the crowds of people in the house and waiting to hear if they were found. They were found, but they werent coming home, said Selina.

Advertisement

I have known death, sorrow, pain and loss from the age of 11. I didnt speak for a very long time. My mother needed so much help then, she was completely lost, and my father was going through his own guilt, grief and depression. We had no support from the outside, only the family around us who were also grieving, she said.

Selina also read a statement on behalf of the family outlining how the tragedy had affected them all.

The Stardust  God, how we hate that name. February 14th, 1981, changed our lives as a family forever. Nothing could have prepared us for what was happening and about to happen. We went to bed as a family of eight siblings and woke up as five, said Selina.

She said that when their mother was told that William had been found, she knew that George and Marcella would not be coming home either, as she knew in her heart that all three were gone.

The eruption of chaos was in our home. It was like not knowing where to start. The crying, the wailing, the fighting and the blaming but most of all, the emptiness, said Selina, adding that their mothers life after the Stardust fire has been one of the most unimaginable grief.

How do you wake up from a nightmare like this? Only it wasnt a nightmare. She would still leave a key in the front door for years after hoping one of them would walk through any minute.

She said that their father was a fireman and was off duty that night, and he kept saying he could have saved them if he had been there.

Ireland Being told what Stardust victim's life was worth a... Read More

He would often say, being a fireman: I know the death they had. This haunted him for the short years he had left, said Selina.

What has made closure impossible for the loss of Willie, George and Marcella is the fact that the Irish State has failed to apply law or any proper investigation into their deaths and thats why were here today.

A final few words were spoken by Bridget McDermott, the mother of the three siblings killed in the fire.

Willie, George and Marcella were my three children. They went out and never came home. I love, and I miss them dearly, she said.
A man who claimed that he missed a court appearance in relation to the sale and supply of heroin because he fell out of his wheelchair whilst high on cocaine and Benzodiazepines will be sentenced next week.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard on Tuesday that Paul Marken of Back Lane Hostel, Christchurch Square, The Liberties, Dublin had claimed that he had been taken to hospital on a previous occasion when he was due to appear before the court.

However, Det Garda Linda OKeeffe examined the records of the Mercy University Hospital in Cork in relation to the admission. She established that Mr Marken (57) sustained the injuries the day after he was set to appear in court.

Mr Marken claimed that the hospital record was incorrect. He told Judge Catherine Staines that it should have been recorded as the previous day.

Advertisement

Det Garda OKeeffe said in spite of the contested date of admission it was accepted that Marken had medical difficulties and was in hospital.

He fell out of his wheelchair as a result of intoxication with substances including Benzodiazepines and cocaine, Det Garda OKeeffe said.

Mr Marken had signed a plea of guilty to a charge of having Diamorphine for sale or supply on August 27th, 2021, at a time when its street value exceeded 13,000.

The drugs were seized following a search of the accused at Mayfield Garda Station on the northside of Cork city.

Business Director of firm supplying FAI with football kit m... Read More

Judge Staines remanded Mr Marken in custody on Tuesday pending his sentencing hearing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday.

Judge Helen Boyle further remanded Mr Marken in custody and fixed a sentencing date of May 17th next.

Mr Marken was found to be in possession of over 30,000 worth of heroin for sale and supply in Cork city.

He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years unless there are exceptional circumstances in the case.
Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill has reiterated her plea to the DUP to return to the Stormont Assembly.

The DUP has been boycotting devolved government for the past year, pressing the UK government to address their concerns around Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson earlier insisted his party will stand firm after this election until we have properly secured and protected our place within the United Kingdom.

He also made a plea during his partys manifesto launch in Belfast for unionist co-operation at next weeks council elections against opponents of the union.

Last years Assembly election saw Sinn Fein emerge for the first time as the largest party at Stormont.

Speaking during a visit to the Balmoral Show, Ms ONeill insisted her election message is one of positivity.

Advertisement

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald (left) and Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle ONeill (right) taking a selfie at the Balmoral Show (Liam McBurney/PA)

They (DUP) can fight what type of campaign they wish, my message is one of positivity, one about the future, one about building a better society for us all to live side by side, so Ill just keep focused on what I offer the electorate, she said.

We should have been in Stormont from last May, from immediately after the election. That remains my case today and my message to the DUP, they need to be in the Executive with the rest of us making politics work, and focusing on the future and making this a better place for everybody who lives here.

Ireland Michelle ONeill calls for speedy resolution to... Read More

Ms ONeill also said she rejects the assessment by some that the overall mood of the election has been flat.

Im out at different hustings, at different events, on the doorsteps meeting people, and its not flat in my experience, people are very engaged, and very engaged in terms of the bigger picture politics, theyre being crystal clear with me that they want politics to work, they want politicians working together, they want the Executive up and running, they want us to fight back against Tory austerity, and they want good local government councillors, she said.

Actually I find it quite an engaging election.
The numbers of asylum seekers being accommodated in tented accommodation at Knockalisheen Accommodation Centre in south east Clare currently tops 100.

New figures provided by Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic OGorman TD (Green Party) show that there are 102 people currently being accommodated in tented accommodation at the site.

In written Dail replies to Clare TD, Violet Anne Wynne (Ind) on the issue, Minister OGorman has also stated that International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centres "are operating at full capacity across the accommodation system due to the record numbers of people arriving to Ireland seeking international protection .

He said: As of May 3rd, there were 593 International Protection applicants to whom unfortunately, the Department has been unable to offer accommodation.

On the numbers being accommodated in tented accommodation, Minister OGorman stated that due to the unprecedented numbers seeking accommodation assistance there has been a need for Ireland and for many administrations across Europe, to turn to movable structures such as tents and modular solutions to provide shelter and to prevent homelessness.

Advertisement

He said that tented accommodation was set up in three locations to provide additional emergency capacity in 2022 whilst more permanent accommodation could be sourced and contracted.

The accommodation was located in Athlone Accommodation Centre with capacity for 175, Co. Westmeath; Knockalisheen Accommodation Centre with capacity for 104, Co. Clare; and, Johnston Marina Accommodation Centre with capacity for 40, Co Kerry.

He said: "The tented accommodation that was in use in the three locations was stood down for the winter period in November 2022. All residents from the three locations where temporary tented solutions were being used, were moved to more suitable IPAS accommodation at various locations.

He said: "However, the tented accommodation in Knockalisheen was re-commissioned in early January 2023 due to high arrival numbers over the Christmas period.

Mr OGorman said: While the priority must remain on providing shelter in as far as possible and the use of tents is required, the Department will endeavour ensure that the use of the tents is kept as short term as possible.

In a separate written Dail reply to Deputy Wynne, Mr O'Gorman stated that Ireland has responded to the largest displacement of people on the European continent since the Second World War.

He said: "Since February 2022, my Department has worked to accommodate an unprecedented volume of persons seeking refuge following the invasion of Ukraine including 81,000 people arriving in Ireland, of which 60,000 have sought accommodation from this Department.

Ireland Four enforcement orders served on food businesses... Read More

He said: Due to the urgent need to source accommodation, the Department has contracted in excess of 47,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 770 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.

He said that the priority is to place people fleeing the war in safe and secure accommodation.

Mr O'Gorman said that emergency centres have been opened in all parts of the country to alleviate pressure in the system.

He said: There have been in excess of 135 emergency accommodation locations opened since January 2022. These options are necessary in order to provide shelter to IP arrivals to meet basic needs and to prevent homelessness.
A pensioner who used his dead brother's identity to claim more than 93,000 in benefits has been jailed for two and a half years.

Aidan Byrne had pleaded guilty to a range of fraud charges at Donegal Circuit Court. The 75-year-old had conned the social welfare system by using the identity of his dead brother, Anthony, who died in a drowning accident in England in 1972.

Judge John Aylmer said the offences were "very much pre-meditated" and extended over a "significant period of time." He added that Byrne was also the recipient of an English pension and was not claiming his dead brother's pension out of financial necessity.

The accused, a native of Co Wexford, had lived in England for a number of years, but returned to Ireland in 2000 and later began to use his dead brother's identity to claim various benefits.

Advertisement

Between June 2015 and August 2021, Byrne claimed a total of 83,157 in pension and fuel allowances on behalf of his dead brother.

He also applied for a medical card from the HSE in his brother's name and claimed 10,858 for various different treatments, including optical and doctor's visits between June 2012 and December 2021.

Byrne had been enabled, after applying for a passport in his dead brother's name, using his brother's birth certificate but his own picture on the passport.

His bogus claims only came to light when he made another passport application under his own name in 2019.

Passport office workers using facial imaging noticed both pictures under two different passport names were identical, and the information was passed on to the Department of Social Protection.

The information was in turn passed to gardai who launched an investigation.

Charges

Byrne pleaded guilty to a range of charges, including theft from both the Department of Social Protection and the HSE, forgery and using a false instrument.

Detective Garda Paul Lynch outlined the background to the case and how Byrne had immigrated to England in the 1960s along with his brother, but that he had drowned in an accident in Epping in 1972.

He said Byrne used his dead brother's birth cert to get a passport under his brother's name, but using his own picture.

Advertisement

He applied to receive the State pension under the name Anthony Byrne between June 2015 and August 2021, during which time both pension and fuel allowance payments totalling 83,157.29 were all lodged through electronic fund transfer to Byrne's bank account.

Detective Lynch said Byrne also used the false identification to obtain a medical card through the HSE and claimed 10,858 in various treatments.

When gardai called to his home at 26 Ard McGill, Glenties on August 16th, 2021, they found 2,840 in cash at the house and later found Byrne had 16,238 in a bank account, which has since been frozen.

Gardai also found a medical card and a death certificate in the name of his brother, Antony Joseph Byrne, showing he had died on September 28th, 1972.

'Fall from grace'

Byrne was arrested and on December 6th, 2022, and he pleaded guilty to a number of related charges. Barrister for the accused, Mr Colm Smyth SC, said his client had never been in trouble before and this was a huge "fall from grace" for him.

Byrne's family, including his three daughters, no longer spoke to him because of his actions. Counsel added that Byrne had suffered from a number of medical complaints, including diabetes, had also suffered a stroke and was on a range of medication daily.

Advertisement

The accused took to the stand and said he was very sorry, adding this was "a very bad idea".

The court heard the accused now lived in a council house in Glenties and was a man of no means and that monies in his bank account, some 16,000, had been frozen by the courts.

Pleading to the court that a custodial sentence and jail would be a "very difficult place" for a man of Byrne's age, Mr Smyth said his client had never dealt with the law before, either in Ireland or England.

He added that his client is paying back 50 per week to the State, noting it will take over 30 years to repay the debt and acknowledging the reality is that the bulk of the money will never be returned.

He said his client did plead guilty at the first opportunity and had been deemed as being of a low risk of reoffending.

"Prison would be a hardship for him and I ask you to be as lenient as you can," Mr Smyth asked the judge.

Passing sentence, Judge John Aylmer placed the charges of claiming his brother's pension and also using a medical card in his brother's name in the mid-range of such offences.

The pension offence merited a sentence of five years before mitigation, while the use of the medical card merited a sentence of three years before mitigation.

Ireland Port chief says switch to rail freight may not nec... Read More

The other offences merited a sentence of two years before mitigation and were placed at the lower end of the scale.

Byrne had no previous convictions, had worked hard all his life and was suffering ill health having suffered a stroke amongst other medical conditions, the judge noted.

Taking all factors into consideration, including his remorse, Judge Aylmer reduced the headline sentence from five to three and a half years.

The judge said he then had to consider Byrne's age, his ill health and absence of previous convictions and he further suspended the final 12 months of this sentence, meaning the accused will serve two and a half years in jail.
Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan clash with security forces after violent protests broke out across the country following arrest of Imran Khan, former PM and head of opposition party Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, in Lahore, Punjab province, Pakistan, May 10. EPA-Yonhap



Pakistani authorities took senior leaders of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party into custody as the government called out the army to help end widespread and deadly protests sparked by Khan's arrest.



At least three party leaders have been arrested so far, one from outside the Supreme Court late on Wednesday and another, a foreign minister in Khan's cabinet, early on Thursday.



Tensions remained high in the nuclear-armed nation with paramilitary troops and police on the streets in major cities on Thursday. Mobile data services remained suspended and schools and offices were closed in two of Pakistan's four provinces.



The Islamabad police said on early on Thursday that troops have reached the capital city.



Protesters have stormed military buildings, ransacked the residence of a top army general in the eastern city of Lahore, and set ablaze state buildings and assets in other places since Khan's arrest by the anti-graft agency on Tuesday in a land fraud case.



At least five people have died in the violence that has aggravated instability in the South Asian country of 220 million people as it grapples with a severe economic crisis and eroding hopes of a quick resumption of International Monetary Fund bailout funds.



"Such a spectacle has never been witnessed in the last 75 years," Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister, said in a televised address. "People were made hostages in their vehicles, patients were taken out of the ambulances and later, those vehicles were torched".





Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan protest against his arrest, outside Avenfield House, a residential building where former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is reported to own a property in London, May 10. Reuters-Yonhap



Authorities arrested Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a former foreign minister and vice chairman of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party early on Thursday, a statement on his Twitter profile said.



Two other senior PTI leaders, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, were arrested on Wednesday, the latter from outside the Supreme Court minutes after he spoke to reporters. The party has challenged Khan's arrest at the top court.



"There is a very real propaganda campaign against PTI, attempting to position us as violent creators of terror," a statement on Qureshi's Twitter profile quoted him as saying.



"The nation must continue with peaceful protests wherever they can".



The federal government approved requests on Wednesday from two of Pakistan's four provinces - Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, both Khan strongholds - and the federal capital Islamabad to deploy troops to restore order.



Police have arrested more than 1,650 protesters in Khan's home province of Punjab for violence, the police chief's office said in a statement. Some 80 workers of Khan's party were also arrested in the southwestern city of Quetta, police said.



Separately, Khan was indicted by a Pakistani court in an unrelated case on Wednesday for unlawfully selling state gifts during his premiership between 2018 and 2022.





Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan speaks during a news conference in Shaukat Khanum hospital, in Lahore, Pakistan, in this Nov. 4, 2022 file photo. AP-Yonhap
A woman has told a jury trial that her father and three brothers raped her multiple times a week for years until she turned 18 and moved out.

A 66-year-old man and his three sons, aged 38, 40 and 41, are on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with numerous counts of sexually abusing four members of their extended family, who were all children at the time.

The 63-year-old wife of the oldest man is also on trial charged with assaulting her nephew and granddaughter and assisting one of her sons who allegedly anally raped her granddaughter.

The alleged offences occurred between 1999 and 2005 in various locations around the country, and the complainants and the accused are all part of an extended family.

There is a total of 126 counts on the indictment before the court. The five defendants deny all of the charges against them.

Advertisement

The third complainant, now aged 36, gave evidence on Thursday that from the age of seven or eight, her father allegedly sexually assaulted her numerous times a week. This would include him touching her genital area and breasts.

She told Shane Costelloe SC, prosecuting, that from the age of 11, her father raped her several times a week until she moved away at the age of 18.

The woman said she is unable to read as she rarely went to school and that she did not know how old she was until she recently got her birth certificate.

She said she has been with her now partner for 18 years, and they have four children together. The woman said that she has one other older child. Mr Costello asked her who this childs father was, and she replied, my father.

She said she found out she was pregnant when she went to the doctor as she had the flu. During her examination, she told the GP that she had missed some of her monthlies. The GP then informed her that she was pregnant.

The court heard that the woman returned home to the caravan and told her sister. She asked her to tell their parents.

Machine stick

Advertisement

When asked by Mr Costello if her father said anything to her, she said, I hope you know it's mine. The woman gave birth two months later but was not allowed to raise the child. Her mother raised the baby.

The woman was asked if she ever tried to stop the abuse or say no, and she replied, No, you would get a beating. When asked to describe the beatings, she said it could be with a machine stick, which is used for cleaning chimneys.

Mr Costello asked the woman if her father was the only one to do these things to her, and she replied, No, my three brothers did the same. The woman told the court that three of her four brothers each raped her multiple times a week from the age of 12 to 18.

The court heard the alleged rapes would occur in the caravan and car at the side of the road in locations in Connacht and Leinster. The alleged rapes would consist of oral rape and vaginal rape.

Mr James McGowan, SC, defending the second accused, asked the complainant to tell them about the caravan that she lived in with her brothers and sisters, and she replied that it was a four-berth caravan with two double beds.

Advertisement

Mr McGowan asked the complainant if, from around the age of 12 to 15, she lived in the west of Ireland, which she agreed with. He put it to her that her brother, his client, did not live in the west of Ireland at that time but, in fact, lived in the east of the country, which she rejected.

He said: "Is it safe to safe, from your evidence today, that you can't remember what happened at each location?" She replied: "Of course I remember. It's hard growing up as a child in a caravan on the side of the road and moving all the time".

Mr McGowan asked her if she was aware of extended family members who received compensation, and she agreed she was and that she received compensation a year ago as a result of the treatment down the years. She refused to disclose the amount, saying no money in the world would bring back her childhood.

DNA testing

Mr McGowan referred to her earlier evidence that no one else was present when she was being abused by her brothers. He said that in a statement to the gardai in 2016, the woman said that two of her sisters were in the caravan on some occasions.

Advertisement

Dominic McGinn SC, defending the third accused, said: "When you found out you were pregnant, you told everyone that your father was the babys father. You said this because, at that time, it was only your father who was abusing you". The woman rejected this.

The woman agreed with Mr McGinn that DNA testing showed her father to be the babys father. Mr McGinn suggested to the woman that her brother, the third accused, never sexually abused her, and she replied, "Yes, it did happen".

Mr McGinn asked the woman if she had a specific memory of the first time his client allegedly raped her. She replied, "Yes, it was in a caravan". He then referred to notes from a social care worker taken in 2016 that stated the first time this defendant raped her was in a car, which the woman could not remember.

Ciaran OLoughlin SC, for the fifth defendant, put it to the woman that in 1999 his client met a woman and moved away and couldnt have done anything to her after early 2000. The woman replied that they would come back when they would have arguments with their girlfriends and stay in the caravan.

Mr OLoughlin said his client was interviewed by gardai, who put parts of her statement to him, and he stated that he wasnt living there at those times, to which she replied, But he came back.

Ireland Pensioner jailed for using dead brother's ID to cl... Read More

She put it to the woman that records made one month after the birth of her first child state that she wanted her mother to look after the baby so that she could travel to the UK. The woman said, I did not want to sign my child over to my mother.

The trial continues before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring and a jury.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or visit Rape Crisis Help.

In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.
Google has revealed it is rolling out more advanced artificial-intelligence (AI) technology to its search engine.

The gradual shift in how Googles search engine runs comes three months after Microsofts Bing search engine started to tap into technology similar to that which powers ChatGPT.

The AI chatbot has created one of Silicon Valleys biggest buzzes since Apple released the first iPhone 16 years ago.

Google, which is owned by Alphabet Inc, already has been testing its own conversational chatbot called Bard.

Thomas Kurian speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, California, on Wednesday Jeff Chiu/AP)

That product, powered by technology called generative AI that also fuels ChatGPT, has only been available to people accepted from a waitlist.

But Google announced on Wednesday that Bard will be available to all in more than 180 countries and more languages beyond English.

Bards multilingual expansion will begin with Japanese and Korean before adding about 40 more languages.

Advertisement

Now Google is ready to test the AI waters with its search engine, which has been synonymous with finding things on the internet for the past 20 years and serves as the pillar of a digital advertising empire that generated more than $220 billion in revenue last year.

A person looks at the Google Pixel Fold at a Google I/O event (Jeff Chiu/AP)

We are at an exciting inflection point, Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai told a packed developers conference in a speech peppered with one AI reference after another.

We are reimagining all our products, including search.

More AI technology will be coming to Googles Gmail with a 'Help Me Write' option that will produce lengthy replies to emails in seconds, and a tool for photos called 'Magic Editor' that will automatically doctor pictures.

The AI transition will begin cautiously with the search engine that serves as Googles crown jewel.
Britains Prince Harry did not have an expectation of privacy over a report he was allegedly punished by his father for dressing up as a Nazi, The Mirrors publisher has told a London court.

Several high-profile figures in the UK are bringing claims against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles The Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People.

Claims brought by four individuals, including Harry, are being heard in a seven-week trial as representative cases of the types of allegations facing the publisher  including voicemail interception, securing information through deception and hiring private investigators for unlawful activities.

The High Court in London previously heard Harrys case is that 148 articles published between 1996 and 2010 by MGN titles included information that was allegedly obtained through unlawful means, including phone hacking.

Advertisement

Mr Justice Fancourt previously ruled that 33 of the articles should be considered at the trial.

On the second day of the case on Thursday, details of each of the 33 articles and MGNs response to them were made public.

The subjects of the articles in the case include Harrys relationship with his family and ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, a few injuries and illnesses, his military service and allegations of drug use.

MGN repeatedly denied that details contained in various articles published during Harrys life was private information belonging to him.

It defended some of its reporting by alleging a public interest in stories or claimed published information was trivial in nature.

Harry with his then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy at Twickenham Stadium, London (David Davies/PA)

In the document put into the case by the publishers lawyers, the court heard that one of the articles in Harrys claim, published in the Sunday Mirror in February 2005, said that the duke had been made to do farm work by Charles  the then-Prince of Wales  after wearing a Nazi uniform at a party.

Andrew Green KC, for MGN, denied the details in the article had been sourced unlawfully or through phone hacking.

He said: The information complained of came from prior reports in the public domain. The other information in the article came from a confidential source.

Advertisement

The publisher also denied that Harry had any expectation of privacy over the story.

The barrister continued: That the claimant, as a high-profile member of the royal family, had carried out some work on a farm was not information in respect of which he had a reasonable expectation of privacy, particularly if it was in response to his wearing of a Nazi uniform.

Alternatively, any minimal privacy interest was outweighed by the public interest in this information about his work and the royal familys response to his wearing a Nazi uniform.

Another article in the dukes claim was published in the Sunday Mirror in January 2002 under the headline Harry took drugs which alleged the duke had smoked cannabis.

MGN said the information came from a set of articles published in the now-defunct News Of The World, which were widely followed up.

Mr Green continued: The palace had confirmed the story to the News Of The World, after the Prince of Wales decided to co-operate with the title.

The barrister said that quotes from royal sources and family friends were, it is to be inferred, authorised by the palace  in an effort to manage the story.

He added: A senior member of the royal family does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in taking illegal drugs, particularly when he did so at a public house in combination with illegally drinking alcohol underage.

Advertisement

Other articles at the centre of Harrys claim include:

A September 1996 Daily Mirror story with the headline Diana so sad on Harrys big day which the publisher said came from prior reports in the public domain.

A Daily Mirror story from November 2000 about Harry breaking his thumb, which MGN said came from extensive prior reports in the public domain and had been disclosed to the press by the palace.

A Sunday Mirror article entitled Rugger Off Harry, published in November 2001 about an injury he had is also in Harrys claim and is attributed to a confidential Eton source and not illegal methods by MGN.

A March 2002 piece in the Daily Mirror about Harrys diagnosis with glandular fever, which MGN said it was likely that information was discreetly released by the palace in advance of a family trip to Switzerland.

Lawyers for Harry said that unlawful information gathering by MGN journalists was habitual and widespread amid a flood of illegality and that Harrys case is significant not just in terms of the span but also the range of activities.

David Sherborne, for Harry, said on Wednesday: We all remember the images of him walking behind his mothers coffin.

From that moment on, as a schoolboy and from his career in the army and as a young adult he was subjected, it was clear, to the most intrusive methods of obtaining his personal information.

Prince or not, the blatantly unlawful and illegal methods used by the defendants  was quite frankly appalling.

World Piers Morgan says he will not take privacy lecture... Read More

MGN is contesting the cases at trial and has said there is no evidence, or no sufficient evidence, of voicemail interception in any of these four claims.

The court previously heard that MGN has admitted that a private investigator was instructed, by a journalist at The People, to unlawfully gather information about Harrys activities at the Chinawhite nightclub one night in February 2004.

Mr Green said the publisher unreservedly apologises to Prince Harry and that it accepts he was entitled to appropriate compensation.
Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip have killed a fourth militant commander, raising the Palestinian death toll from the latest burst of fighting to 25.

Rocket fire towards southern Israel continued as Egypt pressed on with attempts to broker a ceasefire.

It has been the worst bout of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza in months, and among the dead were women and children. The violence comes at a time of soaring tensions and deaths over the past year in the occupied West Bank.



Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City (Fatima Shbair/AP)

Early on Thursday, the Israeli military carried out strikes against the Islamic Jihad militant group and said a senior commander in charge of the groups rocket launching force, Ali Ghali, was killed when his apartment was hit.

Advertisement

The Health Ministry in Gaza said 25 people have been killed since the fighting erupted.

Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told Israeli Army Radio that two other militants were also killed in the strike, although no group immediately claimed them as members, and the rest of the building remained intact.

The apartment was targeted in a very precise way, Mr Hagari said. I hope this leads to a reduction, a blow and a disruption of the Islamic Jihad rocket abilities.

The strikes targeted the top floor of a building in a residential Qatari-built complex in the southern Gaza Strip.

The pre-dawn air strike in the city of Khan Younis caused damage to three surrounding buildings.

The complex, known as Hamad City, consists of several tall buildings and thousands of housing units. The strike created panic among residents, with falling debris and shattered glass littering the streets.

My children started crying. I did not see anything because of the dust, broken glasses, and debris, said Abdullah Hemaid, who lives across from the targeted building.



Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel (Fatima Shbair/AP)

Islamic Jihad said Ghali was a commander in charge of its rocket squad and a member of its armed groups decision-making body. The group has said it will only cease fire if Israel agrees to halt targeted killings of its fighters.

Advertisement

Following intense fighting on Wednesday, when rockets rained down on southern and central Israel and air strikes pounded Gaza, a state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt, a frequent mediator between the sides, had brokered a ceasefire. But with the violence continuing into Thursday, it was unclear where progress on the talks stood.

The Israeli military said that in its strikes on some 150 targets, it has zeroed in on militants with what it says are precision strikes but children, among them a four-year-old, were also killed.

Mr Hagari, the military spokesman, told Army Radio that a quarter of the rockets launched during this round of fighting fell in Gaza, killing at least four, including a 10-year-old girl, two 16-year-olds and a 51-year-old man.



The initial Israeli air strikes on Tuesday that set off the exchange of fire killed three senior Islamic Jihad militants (Fatima Shbair, AP)

Efforts to mediate a ceasefire were still under way on Thursday with top Islamic Jihad political bureau member Mohamad al-Hindi arriving in Cairo to discuss details.

In a televised primetime address on Wednesday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had dealt a harsh blow to the militants but he cautioned: This round is not over.

Advertisement

We say to the terrorists and those who send them We see you everywhere, you cant hide, and we choose the place and time to strike you, he said, adding that Israel would also decide when calm is restored.

The initial Israeli air strikes on Tuesday that set off the exchange of fire killed three senior Islamic Jihad militants in their homes and at least 10 civilians  most of them women and children.

The Israeli military has said its attacks were focused on Islamic Jihad militant infrastructure in the coastal enclave and that it would investigate any civilian deaths.
A man has opened fire at a Mercedes-Benz factory in south-west Germany, leaving two people dead.

The shooting occurred in Sindelfingen, a city near Stuttgart. A 53-year-old suspect has been taken into custody, a spokesman for the Stuttgart prosecutors office said.

Police received the first emergency calls at around 7.45am local time on Thursday, a police spokeswoman told the news agency dpa.



Police are investigating the shooting (Julian Rettig/dpa via AP)

Police said the victims were both 44 years old but provided no further details about the dead men or the gunmans motive.

All three worked for Rhenus, a logistics company, dpa reported.

Police tweeted that there was no further danger to employees at the plant.

In a statement, Mercedes-Benz said that two people were killed at its Sindelfingen plant and the company was deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news.

Advertisement

Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all colleagues on site, the companys statement said.

The sprawling Sindelfingen works employ around 35,000 workers producing E-Class and S-Class luxury sedans and CLS and GLC coupes, according to the companys website. It also houses planning, purchasing and development and design departments.
A teenage mother in the UK has admitted the manslaughter of her five-week-old son.

Ellie Jacobs (19) admitted killing Archie Jacobs, as well as child cruelty when she appeared at Luton Crown Court on Wednesday, according to Northamptonshire Police.

Archie died in hospital after entering cardiac arrest in Whitfield Road, Biddlesden, Buckinghamshire, on June 5th, 2020, with a post-mortem finding his cause of death to be acute paracetamol toxicity.

Jacobs, of Moor Road, Rushden, Northamptonshire, was arrested by Thames Valley Police (TVP) in October last year and was later charged with murder, but has now admitted the lesser charge of manslaughter.

She will be sentenced at the same court on May 24th.

Detective Chief Inspector Will Crowther of TVPs Major Crime Unit said: This is a very sad case, where a five-week-old boy lost his life.

Advertisement

I am pleased that Ellie Jacobs finally accepted responsibility for causing Archies death and for the significant injuries to Archie which he received in the days leading up to his death.

I am hoping this guilty plea will help the rest of Archies family move forward following these tragic circumstances.
Former US president Donald Trump is appealing against a New York jurys verdict awarding five million dollars (4 million) to a magazine columnist after the jurors concluded he had sexually abused her in the 1990s and defamed her last October.

A notice of appeal was filed on Thursday in Manhattan federal court, the first step in a process that will move the civil case brought against Mr Trump by writer E Jean Carroll to a three-judge panel of the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals.

The notice was signed by Trump attorney Joe Tacopina, who said after Tuesdays verdict that he believed there were multiple strong grounds for appeal.

The nine-person jury concluded after less than three hours of deliberations that Ms Carroll had failed to prove it was more likely than not that Mr Trump had raped her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman store in early spring 1996. But it did find that she had been sexually abused.

Advertisement

E Jean Carroll, centre, walks out of Manhattan federal court, after a jury found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing the advice columnist in 1996. Photo: John Minchillo/AP/PA.

It also said in its verdict that Mr Trump defamed Ms Carroll in a social media statement last October.

Ms Carroll sued Mr Trump in November minutes after a temporary New York state law took effect allowing sexual attack victims to sue their abusers even if the abuse occurred decades earlier.

In the notice of appeal filed in the lower court Thursday where Judge Lewis A Kaplan presided over the trial, Mr Trumps lawyers wrote that notice is hereby given that Defendant Donald J Trump appeals to the 2nd Circuit.

Asked for comment, Mr Tacopina said: Judge Kaplan has been overturned once already in Carroll v Trump. We are confident it will be twice after this appeal is heard.

He was referencing Judge Kaplans rejection of an attempt to substitute the United States for Mr Trump as the defendant in an earlier defamation lawsuit filed by Ms Carroll for statements Mr Trump made while he was president.

The 2nd Circuit later ruled that Mr Trump was an employee of the government for purposes of the lawsuit, but the appeal has not been fully resolved.

A lawyer for Ms Carroll did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The verdict was returned after a two-week trial in which Ms Carroll testified that Mr Trump sexually attacked her in the luxury department stores dressing room after a light-hearted and flirtatious chance encounter that took them from the stores entrance to the desolate sixth floor lingerie area, where Mr Trump invited Ms Carroll to help him shop for a gift.

Advertisement

She first publicly disclosed her experience in a 2019 memoir while Mr Trump was still president. She said his public response was so harsh that it spoiled her reputation, cost her a 27-year job with Elle magazine and subjected her to mean social media attacks from his followers.



Joe Tacopina, Donald Trumps lawyer, speaks to reporters as he leaves federal court in New York on Tuesday. Photo: Seth Wenig/AP/PA.

Mr Trump, who is currently running for president as a Republican, did not attend the trial. He said he did not know Ms Carroll, that he never encountered her at the department store, and he has repeatedly hurled insults at her, including at a videotaped deposition in October. Portions of that were played for the jury.

He repeated some of his harsh statements during a CNN town hall event on Wednesday night.

World Surge of migrants at US-Mexico border before restr... Read More

Outside court on Tuesday, Mr Tacopina said that he and Mr Trump were very confident on the appellate issues here.

He said one of the issues to be appealed against was the inclusion in the trial of the 2005 Access Hollywood video in which Mr Trump was captured by mic speaking disparagingly about women and saying that celebrities can grab women sexually without asking because women let them do it.

There were things that happened in this case that were beyond the pale, Mr Tacopina said.
Even after achieving their stated goal of driving me out of government and ending the board, they kept using me as a punching bag, Jankowicz said in an interview on Wednesday. It shouldnt be something we just accept  that the most powerful cable network in the world can attack individuals willy-nilly and not face any consequences after they ruin their lives. Jankowicz, 34, filed her suit in the same Delaware state court system where Dominion Voting lodged its $US1.6 billion ($2.4 billion) defamation lawsuit against Fox News. The network settled that case for $US787.5 million last month, avoiding a lengthy and bruising trial. (The Jankowicz suit is seeking unspecified damages.) That deal represented a tacit acknowledgment that Foxs promotion of falsehoods about election fraud in the 2020 election was wrongful. But it did not answer the question of whether Dominion would have been able to meet the high legal threshold required to prevail in defamation suits: proving that those who made the statements knew they were false or did not bother to find out. Nina Jankowicz briefly headed the US governments short-lived Disinformation Governance Board. Credit: Getty Jankowicz would have to meet that same threshold. Fox declined to comment on Wednesday.

Her suit nevertheless represents a continued legal threat to the network, possibly made worse by Dominions lawsuit. The Dominion case produced reams of internal Fox News communications showing that various hosts and executives knew the claims against the company were indeed false. Jankowiczs suit specifically cites the Dominion case, saying Foxs narrative about her is consistent with Foxs practices in other contexts, including in its election denialism and the related defamation of Dominion Voting Systems. Even after achieving their stated goal of driving me out of government and ending the board, they kept using me as a punching bag. Nina Jankowicz In a letter to Foxs general counsel this week, Jankowiczs lawyers requested that the network preserve all communications  including texts, notes and search histories  regarding her and her position on the board. A lawyer for Jankowicz, Rylee Sommers-Flanagan, said in an interview that the Dominion case signals that there is a path for defamation lawsuits against the network. Dominion shows us how egregious the internal conversations that are happening at Fox are; it shows us that Fox News has an absolute disregard for truth when it is related to their ratings.

Fox maintained it did not show a reckless disregard for the truth in the Dominion case  that would have been determined at trial  but acknowledged in its settlement deal that the judge in the case ruled that the statements at issue in the suit were false. The wicked witch All news organisations face their share of lawsuits, but the Dominion suit stood out for the strength of the case, the size of the settlement and its continued fallout: Fox is confronting two shareholder lawsuits relating to the Dominion case, and another suit alleging a hostile workplace from a former Carlson producer, Abby Grossberg. It also helped lead to the cancellation of Carlsons show. Carlson, currently seeking to break his contract with Fox  which allows the network to keep him on the bench while continuing to pay his salary  is one of nearly 40 hosts and guests mentioned in Jankowiczs suit. Aside from suggesting that Jankowicz was the person that polices our thoughts, as Hannity put it, a mix of hosts and guests keyed off a misleading video clip of her to falsely assert that she had a plan to start editing your tweets, as Fox News host Jeanine Pirro had said.

Loading At the time of its creation, the disinformation board also raised concerns among liberals, who questioned the powers such an office might have under a future Republican administration, but it fuelled an overwhelming tsunami of partisan Republican attacks that continue to this day. Fox could argue that its relentless coverage of Jankowiczs role reflected the political debate over the issue. It did so, however, with language that described her as a lunatic, janko-half-wicz, a useful idiot and the wicked witch, according to the complaint. According to Jankowiczs lawsuit, Foxs coverage resulted in immediate online harassment and threats, which continue even now, citing a litany of misogynistic, antisemitic and violent messages and a doxxing campaign. This has had an immense impact for my family. I dont think our security will ever be the same, Jankowicz said on Wednesday. I want to make the point that this sort of disinformation and hate campaign doesnt have a place in American media or American politics; that this isnt what we stand for.
Question:

I have recently been applying for positions within the Victorian Public Service.

Their employment framework is called the Jobs and Skills Exchange. A job can be advertised externally, but only after an internal search has failed to find a suitable candidate. In some cases, it can be advertised internally and externally at the same time.

Although Ive submitted strong applications with more than enough skills, experience and capability (over my 30-year career, I have worked within every sphere of business), in some cases I have not even been considered for interview because an existing staff member has also applied for the position.

I believe that it is a discriminatory framework that disadvantages jobseekers outside government. It effectively excludes candidates from consideration who may well be better-qualified than internal staff. Why is the system built this way?
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 Daan Roosegaarde was despondent  an unnatural state for the optimistic Dutch designer. But who could blame him? By 2019 Roosegaardes Rotterdam studio had captured the worlds imagination with a string of award-winning projects: a dance floor powered by people, a smart highway that eschews street lighting and glows in the dark, the Smog Free Tower that, like a giant vacuum cleaner, sucks up 30,000 cubic metres of polluted air per hour and releases clean air, to name just a few. And yet Roosegaarde still faced negativity, annoyingly couched as pragmatism. Two tiresome words would reliably torpedo any new idea: Yes, but  Yes but its too expensive. Its too cheap. Its too fast. Its too slow. Its too beautiful. Its too ugly. It cannot be done. It already exists. I have no problem with constructive criticism, he says. But we want to move from yes but to what now?  Two annoying words were dragging him down, creating a barrier to action. I realised I had to use that energy and transform it, he says. Then he had a breakthrough; a way to shift the dial. Roosegaarde hacked one of his favourite designs, Friso Kramers Revolt chair. Put the volt into Revolt. Anyone sitting in the office chair uttering yes but receives a short, sharp shock to their own butt. Befitting a designer with international clients, the chairs voice recognition identifies naysayers in Chinese, English and Dutch. Daan Roosegaarde during Spark at this years Auckland Arts Festival. Credit:Jinki Cambronero/Studio Roosegaarde Compared to his more ambitious environmental projects designed to inspire action, Roosegaarde admits that the Yes But chair was crude and prankish. But as behaviour modification, it was immediately effective. Some clients walked out, recalls the impish 43-year-old. But fortunately the good ones stayed.

Advertisement

He also felt much better. We have a strict no-arsehole policy, he says, explaining the core values behind his enviable work-life balance. A team of 15 operates from a refurbished glass factory in Rotterdam and employs a fluctuating number of experts as required. We have a dozen projects on the go at any one time, Roosegaarde says via Zoom from Bali, where he is part of an international team designing Nuanu, a 44-hectare eco-city. Later hell fly to Melbourne to present Spark at the Rising festival. Like so many of his projects, Spark revolves around light and bioluminescence (seen in fireflies, algae, and butterflies). This expansive light show, which will transform evenings at Fed Square from June 7-10, upends tradition with environmental solutions. It offers an alternative to expensive and air-polluting fireworks. Visitors at Spark at this years Auckland Arts Festival. Credit:Studio Roosegaarde Inspired by the natural glow of fireflies, Spark is made up of hundreds of thousands of biodegradable bubbles that reflect and absorb light. A cloud of bubbles measuring 60-plus cubic metres lifts on eddies as light sculpts and frames the surrounding environment  both natural and built. Local context makes Spark unique in each of the cities it appears (London, Bilbao, and most recently, Auckland). Loading Unlike fireworks, which might last for 20 minutes, Spark will run for four hours each night. During the event a small technical team fine-tunes the installation, accommodating any wind changes. Its like a sailing ship, you keep on adjusting it, says Roosegaarde. Another major difference is the lack of sound. Its still spectacular, but in a different way, he says. Spark is more like a campfire. And what do we do around the campfire? We come together and tell stories, and thats the role of public art.

Advertisement

Indeed, its the combination of intimacy and sustainability that attracted Federation Square to host Spark. The approach [Studio Roosegaarde] are taking is so fantastic and magical, but compared to other outdoor light spectacles this has sustainability and softness built into its DNA, says Melbourne Arts Precinct CEO Katrina Sedgwick. Roosegaardes job description includes designer, artist, engineer and entrepreneur. Hes also a guest professor of environmental design and architecture at Tongji University in Shanghai and the University of Monterey in Mexico. Projects range across art and design. On a spectrum of practical and poetic, some are more solution-driven, like the Smog Free Tower, says Roosegaarde. Some combine it, like the van Gogh path, which has sustainable lighting and a homage to the famous painter. Spark as well has beauty, wonder and awe, but its also a very concrete example of an alternative for the heavily traditional polluting fireworks. Daan Roosegaardes Spark is part of this years Rising festival. Credit:Studio Roosegaarde Even the Smog Free Tower carries an art component. Always looking to avoid waste, the studio devised a solution for the filthy byproduct of the smog-capturing artwork. They compressed the carbon into smog-free jewellery. A phenomenon emerged. Couples were turning away from diamonds and exchanging smog-free wedding rings as a symbol of hope  for the future and their marriage, according to The New York Times. King Charles is said to own a pair of smog cufflinks. The jewellery sales help fund new towers. Roosegaarde sees himself following in two classic Dutch traditions: the practical and the artistic. The former builds dykes and bends nature to its will, epitomised by the 32-kilometre Afsluitdijk dyke that protects the low-lying Netherlands from flooding; the latter are landscape painters such as Jacob van Ruisdael, who were obsessed with the Dutch sky and the Dutch light, Roosegaarde says. But they had paint and canvas and I have biodegradable materials and new technologies. Landscape is, however, the operative word. Roosegaarde works outside both the frame and the gallery. In this respect he feels closest to the land art of the 1960s and 70s: James Turrell and Walter De Maria  used landscapes as a canvas [and] created a new type of area where people could be amazed. The art I make fits in that tradition of landscape art.

Advertisement
Australia's Trade Minister Don Farrell leaves Beijing Capital International Airport after his arrival in Beijing, May 11. Reuters-Yonhap



Australia's trade minister flew to Beijing on Thursday on a mission to demolish all Chinese import barriers after years of punishing sanctions and unofficial bans.



Trade Minister Don Farrell said he aimed to secure unrestricted commerce with China, Australia's largest trade partner with a healthy appetite for its vast iron ore and coal resources.



"During my visit, I will be advocating strongly for the full resumption of unimpeded Australian exports to China  for all sectors," he said in a statement on the eve of Friday's meeting.



Farrell, who is to meet with China's commerce minister, Wang Wentao, said fully reopening trade would benefit exporters and producers in both countries.



The meeting represents a "significant breakthrough" in rebuilding the relationship, said Australia China Business Council president David Olsson, who is with the Australian delegation.



It will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two nations' trade ministers since 2019, he said.



'Important step'



"We recognise that this won't happen overnight, but the removal of the trade obstacles affecting Australian exporters would be seen as an important step in rebuilding confidence and trust," Olsson said China slapped hefty tariffs on key Australian exports such as barley, beef and wine in 2020, showing its readiness to leverage its economic muscle at the height of a bitter dispute with the former conservative government.



It also stopped imports of some of Australia's most significant export commodities, including coal, curbing billions of dollars in trade.



China had been angered by Australia's legislation against overseas influence operations, its barring Huawei from 5G contracts and its call for an independent investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.



Australia retaliated by complaining to the World Trade Organization, alleging China had breached international obligations by artificially jacking up tariffs "without justification".



Balancing act



Their icy relations appear to have thawed since Australia's centre-left government adopted a less confrontational approach to China following its election a year ago.



Chinese President Xi Jinping called for relations with Australia to "improve" and "develop" in a November 2022 meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.



It was the first formal summit between the two countries in more than five years.



China then took delivery of its first Australian coal shipment in February this year, after an unofficial ban of two years.



Trade in other goods also appears set to open up.



"The Australian government is pleased there have been several positive trade developments, including the resumption of coal, cotton, and copper trade and China's agreement to undertake an expedited review of duties on Australian barley," Farrell said.



Even with the remaining restrictions, two-way trade between the countries was worth Aus$287 billion (US$195 billion) last year.



Nuclear-powered submarines



Australia faces a difficult balancing act  China is its largest trading partner but also a rival in the battle for diplomatic and military influence in the South Pacific region.



Canberra angered Beijing in March by announcing it would acquire nuclear-powered submarines in a pact with the United States and Britain as part of an ambitious plan to bulk up Western muscle in the Asia-Pacific.



Farrell said he would also raise "other issues of importance to Australians", without giving details.



Australia called last week for one of its nationals  jailed journalist Cheng Lei  to be reunited with her family after 1,000 days in detention in China.



Cheng, a former anchor at Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, disappeared on August 13, 2020, and was later charged with "supplying state secrets overseas". (AFP)


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 This story is part of the May 14 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories . In The Art of Friday Night Dinner (Bloomsbury), Eleanor Steafel ruminates on Friday evening as the start of a two-day exhale and how best to reward ourselves for making it through the week. Whether its an ice-cold martini and anchovies reverently layered on toast, an elaborate meal made for loved ones, or a fried cheese-and-jalapeno sandwich consumed greedily after office drinks, each suggestion is as considered as the last and an excellent way to celebrate the weekends arrival. Cook: roast chicken with chicken-juice rice and an orange-and-onion salad. In Farokh Talatis beautiful tome Parsi (Bloomsbury Absolute), the head chef of London institution St John Bread & Wine celebrates ancient Parsi culture and its little-known cuisine, a blend of Persian and Indian, by sharing stories and recipes for curries, chutneys and divine desserts. Not to mention his trick for cooking perfect basmati rice every time. Cook: Dinaz Auntys coconut and tamarind fish curry. In Skye McAlpines latest book, A Table Full of Love (Bloomsbury), the Venice-based cook explores culinary matters of the heart. The first chapter, Comfort, is devoted to recipes such as chicken soup and a soulful mac-and-cheese. In Seduce, she pays cupid with a recipe for a swoon-worthy chocolate rosemary tart. Nourish is the food she cooks for her adored young sons, including pea-and-cream pasta and an epic birthday cake. And Spoil is to be bookmarked for edible gifts and quick-fix puddings.

Advertisement

Cook: rhubarb and almond cake. Nagi Maehashis first cookbook, RecipeTin Eats: Dinner (Macmillan), has exclusive recipes not found on her website and plenty of inspiration for weeknight meals and weekend projects. Its hardly surprising the self-taught cook has garnered legions of fans. Not only are her meals a comforting and nostalgic mix, but each recipe is so rigorously tested (her beef Wellington more than 35 times!), its almost impossible to mess up. Cook: beef enchiladas. In From Salt to Jam (Hardie Grant), Katrina Meynink dispels the drudgery of dinner with an innovative way to approach everyday meals, the premise being that a sauce, seasoning or dressing can elevate an average meal to extraordinary. This collection of condiments will arm you with an arsenal of such additions: kettle furikake made using crushed potato chips to add a salty crunch to slow-roasted onions; homemade harissa to bring extra oomph to tired vegetables; a green goddess dressing that improves everything from salad to crispy chicken thighs. Cook: chermoula and haloumi lamb meatballs.

Advertisement

Maria Pasquales The Eternal City (Smith Street Books) captures the essence of Rome, not only through the food that defines it, but also from the stories of chefs, cheesemakers and sommeliers who make it a major culinary destination. Find classic dishes like pasta e ceci, pizza rossa and maritozzi con la panna, the cream-filled buns sweet-toothed Romans enjoy for breakfast. For those of us who wont be travelling to the Italian capital any time soon, this book is the next best thing. Cook: mozzarella in carrozza. Bakers  both beginner and experienced  will delight in Emelia Jacksons compendium of cakes, cookies and tarts, First, Cream the Butter and Sugar (Murdoch). Whether testing your training wheels on an orange-and-poppyseed loaf or achieving expert status with passionfruit cheesecake choux buns, the former MasterChef contestants recipes are foolproof and fun. Cook: coffee and walnut streusel cake.

Advertisement
The search for missing retired teacher Lesley Trotter has been called off after investigators spent weeks scouring a waste site for her remains.

Police said they had searched through nearly 1000 tonnes of waste material at the Swanbank facility south-west of Brisbane after Trotter, 78, went missing on March 28.

The 78-year-old went missing from her Toowong home on March 28.

Detectives had determined Trotters body had been inside a wheelie bin on the footpath outside her Toowong home before the bin was picked up and tipped into a rubbish truck, leading police to search the Swanbank facility.

At the time of her disappearance, her family had visited her home, only to find her phone and wallet still at the property and no sign of Trotter.
For anyone out there thinking the No campaign for the upcoming referendum was looking a little disjointed, great news.

Were delighted to confirm that an outbreak of unity among the naysayers will be formalised this week as Warren Mundines Recognise a Better Way group, which has a distinctly home-spun feel, officially merges with the much slicker Fair Australia group  a subsidiary of Liberal-linked attack operation Advance Australia  and fronted by Country Liberal Party senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.

Who will take the backseat now that Warren Mundine and Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price are sharing the limelight? Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The two groups will come together under the Fair Australia banner, Warren told us on Wednesday, but whos going to be the main face of the campaign, and whos going to take a back seat?

Under the terms of the merger, Mundine and Price will be joint campaign spokespersons.
A music industry accountant has been charged with 22 offences over the alleged embezzlement of $2.2 million from several prominent musicians and festival promoters, including Grammy-awarding winning artist Gotye, electronic dance band Peking Duk and organisers of the Laneway Festival.

Damien Luscombe, a former partner and business manager at White Sky Music accounting services, was charged on Wednesday afternoon with several counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception and using false documents.

Damien Luscombe, who has been accused of embezzling more than $1 million from prominent musicians including Peking Duk

The alleged victims were all clients of White Sky, which suspended Luscombe in October last year after discovering a series of discrepancies in the accounts of several major clients.

The firm, which manages the finances of more than 500 artists, promoters, music festivals and record labels, called in external auditors and provided a statement to Victoria Polices fraud squad.
The sister of a man whose body was found near a Bellarine Peninsula beach says she is elated Victorias coroner has ordered police to re-examine his unexplained death, describing the initial probe as a superficial injustice.

Police are reinvestigating Simon Gaskills death after a teenager found the 51-year-olds badly decomposed body in the dunes near a popular Ocean Grove beach in April last year.

Simon Gaskills body was found in Ocean Groves dunes last year, but the coroner couldnt determine how he died.

His sister, Amanda Gaskill, said the initial police probe  which found the death was non-suspicious  didnt include interviews with her brothers friends and family, leaving it to the coroner to determine a cause of death, which she could not. She believes foul play is a possibility because her family has been left without answers despite persistent enquiries.

[Closure] has been our motivation, apart for the feeling of, I guess, the injustice of the investigation and the lack of questions surrounding what happened to him, she said.
The NSW governments new tolling tsar has been asked to ensure relief programs that cap how much motorists pay on the citys roads do not inflate the bottom line of the private companies that own them.

Alan Fels, the former chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, has been tasked by the new government with reviewing Sydneys controversial road toll network, promising to reveal the full extent of multibillion-dollar tolling deals underpinning the regime.

The WestConnex M4 and M8 extension in St Peters, one of Sydneys network of privatised roads. Credit: Kate Gerahty

The terms of reference for the review, released on Thursday, reveal that Fels has also been asked to consider how to ensure the community rather than toll road owners benefit from existing tolling relief measures.

Both the Coalition and Labor had election policies capping how much commuters pay for using the toll roads. Weekly toll bills in NSW will be capped at $60 a week from 2024.
A new youth prison will be built next to an existing high-security adult facility north-west of Brisbane under plans to deal with Queenslands stretched detention capacity.

Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard announced on Thursday that the Woodford Correctional Precinct would house one of its two new youth prisons, first reported by this masthead last week.

The Woodford Correctional Centre is located about 60 kilometres north-west of Brisbane.

The selection of a second site near Cairns, along with work to update the governments expired or expiring youth justice plans  which did not outline either  remains ongoing.

Experts and advocates have described the announcement as another step in the wrong direction to address heightened community concerns about crime and its causes.
As far as ideas go, a wine tram is a corker. Imagine how relaxing it is to taste-test wineries without worrying about transport, all while drinking in ever-changing rural scenery.

I dont need to imagine it because Im boarding South Africas dinky double-decker Franschhoek Wine Tram with a plastic glass in hand. Its only 10am - a little early for day-drinking  but were squeezing in two wineries before an outdoor lunch at Protege, a fine-diner at Le Quartier Francais, a boutique hotel in the charming village of Franschhoek.

Hop on - the wine tram.

The wine tram launched in 2012, reviving tracks built in 1904 for Franschhoek Valley farmers to haul their produce to market. At first, steam locomotives trundled along the line then diesel trains but services dwindled in the 1990s. Eventually, the tracks lay unused for more than a decade until the wine tram arrived with a splash. At first, a single-decker tram ran through the valley but, in 2017, along came the towering double-deckers, modelled on Blackpool Corporations double-deck balcony tramcar circa 1923. My South African-made tram stands almost five metres tall, accommodates 78 passengers and features flip-over benches so views can be enjoyed in both directions.

So how does the concept work? The tram offers 10 colour-coded itineraries that collectively take in an astonishing 31 wineries (or wine estates, as theyre called in these parts). Sensibly, the company advises that even if you depart early, you can probably fit in only three to four wineries over a day.
Theres a handful of hippy towns in Australia. Id put Byron Bay on the list, thats old Byron before the arrival of cashed-up southerners and US celebrities. Id add loveable neighbour Mullumbimby and blissful Bellingen and Central Tilba also in NSW, while Queenslands Kuranda, Victorias Daylesford and Tasmanias Cygnet also qualify.

But Id say Nimbin, 75 kilometres west of Byron and up the road from Lismore, really takes the hash brownie.

Street at at Nimbin Village. Credit: Alamy

We can thank the Aquarius Festival, held over 10 days in May 1973, for putting the former dairy community on the map and into the nations collective consciousness. It was Australias first counter-culture festival and the first to seek permission from the Indigenous custodians to use their land.

Nimbin sits in a valley surrounded by wooded rolling hills with national parks to the north and east. Just out of town are Nimbin Rocks, a clutch of volcanic rhyolite extrusions, left over from the Mount Warning eruption eons ago, standing like sentinels in the rainforest. In contrast, the town is a riot of colour, with a row of Indigenous-themed murals on heritage shop fronts, painted just months before the festival began.
This 28-metre rooftop infinity pool curves around the upper edge of the Melbourne Marriott Docklands seductively. Melbournes only outdoor heated hotel pool, gently inviting at a temperature of 28C, has shallows for wading and sunken loungers for wallowing. The views of Port Phillip Bay, the Bolte Bridge and cityscape are stunning, and the adjacent bar, Sunset House, makes it the perfect spot for cocktails at dusk. See marriott.com JW Marriott Gold Coast, Queensland When it comes to lagoon-style swimming pools, the hotel that is now the JW Marriott Gold Coast is surely the Australian greatest. First opened to the delight of splish-splashers as the jewel of the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa in 1992, the saltwater lagoon pool is a bona fide attraction. You can snorkel with the 300 tropical fish who live in it, explore caves, a waterfall, waterslide, small lazy river and grotto spa. The property has another pool, which is chlorinated, and both are temperature controlled to 24C. See marriott.com Lake Argyle Resort

Lake Argyle, Australias second-largest man-made reservoir in the East Kimberley is spectacular, though its creation in the 1970s was controversial for its disregard of traditional owners. Its an extraordinary ecosystem, home to many forms of wildlife. The pool at the GDay Groups Lake Argyle Resort near Kununurra is fairly spectacular too. It has 35 metres of infinity edge overlooking the magnificence of the lake. See lakeargyle.com Crown Towers Perth Credit: George Apostolidis Sure, Perth, your weather is amazing for swimming, but youre just showing off with the pool at the Crown Towers, which really comprises multiple pools in a tiered arrangement. Guests can book daybeds, in-pool lounges and orbit lounges for a half-day or day, or supersize their experience at The Enclave, a retreat featuring cabanas surrounding another private infinity pool with views of Perth and the Swan River. See crowntowers.com.au

Crown Towers Sydney, New South Wales Credit: Trudi Jenkins Sydneys self-proclaimed six-star has a pool worth 10. The heated pool is multi-level, accompanied by a spa, and has nothing but its infinity edge and a glass barrier between you and the real star: the stunning panoramic harbour view. Bookable private cabanas come with a non-alcoholic mini-bar, TV, fruit or cheese platter and comfy day beds, including a few in-pool, and are tended to by dedicated wait staff making pool day a cool day. See crownsydney.com.au Elements Of Byron, New South Wales

Byron Bays award-winning Belongil Beach resort upped its pool game in 2018 with the addition of an adults-only affair featuring a swim-up bar, lounge deck, cabanas, food van, and swings as seating on the landside of the bar. But the original central lagoon pool with its fun swinging circular lounges, cabanas and plentiful day beds remains the resorts signature emblem of relaxation. See elementsofbyron.com.au Intercontinental Hayman Island Resort Australias largest swimming pool. Thats probably enough said. Except at InterContinental Hayman Island Resort, you can also book a Pool Access Suite enabling you to belly flop right off your private double balcony into the expanse seven times the size of an Olympic swimming pool. It comprises saltwater and freshwater sections, plenty of spots to lounge around its contoured perimeter, plus a central swim-up bar. Then there are those Coral Sea views. See hayman.intercontinental.com Ibis Styles Hobart
The Federal Group, which owns this sprawling venue and others around Tasmania (MACq01 and Saffire among them) has invested $65 million in refurbishing the rooms, bars, restaurants and casino of Wrest Point. Theres plenty of space here for parking and at reception, the welcome is warm and friendly.

Sandy Bay is one of Hobarts more sought-after suburbs, hugging the coast as it does, a fine home for yacht clubs and better schools. Wrest Point, on the water in the middle of Sandy Bay has hospitality credentials stretching all the way back to the early 1800s. The existing venue, complete with casino and Tasmanias tallest building  the 17-story Roy Grounds-designed tower  opened in 1973.

The Look

From the outside, the towers design is undeniably dated, theres no fixing that, but before long we may come to love it like a pair of flared jeans. And all the same, the refurbishment is so thorough as to override that, from the soft furnishings, uncanny carpets, artworks that embrace the era and the focus on those stunning water views, stretching as they do all the way up to Battery Point, across the river to Bellerive Oval and over the waterways beyond.

The Room

Inside one of Wrest Points Harbour View suites.

Im in a Harbour View Suite, a 60 square metre space with more of those glorious views  water sparkling by day; the city and Tasman Bridge lit up by night. Theres a king bed, two big flat screen TVs, and a walk-in wardrobe with plenty of hanging space, a seat and plenty of room for luggage. The spacious bathroom has twin sinks, a bath and a walk-in shower. The lounge area of the suite has a mini-bar with room enough for your own drinks, a sink, pod-machine for coffee and plenty of bench space to set up the laptop, should you need to. It has been refurbished, but maybe thanks to its original era, the light switches are delightfully easy to use and even the controls for the curtains and air conditioning are straightforward.
The debate over increasing the US government-held debt is a familiar but troubling feature of American political dysfunction casting a shadow over Washington and its political allies.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday sought to pressure Republican members of Congress to raise the countrys $US31 trillion ($47 trillion) debt ceiling or risk pushing it into a recession.

President Joe Biden may cancel a trip to Australia if the issue is not resolved in coming days. Credit: Bloomberg

Weve got to fight. Were going to win this fight, Biden said at an event at Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York.

The US Treasury Department says the government will be unable to pay its bills as early as June 1, which could trigger cascading economic, financial and political crises.
ASIC has warned credit providers and debt management firms that it will spend the coming months taking strong, targeted action against predatory lending, high-cost credit and misconduct affectiing consumers in financial difficulty.

The warning comes after a recently released enforcement and regulatory update highlighted over $30 million in civil penalties secured by ASIC, as well as the commencement and finalisation of court proceedings against credit providers in the first quarter of 2023.

ASICs enforcement actions for the quarter include launching its first court proceedings in relation to alleged greenwashing conduct from Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Limited.

ASIC alleged Mercer was making misleading statements about the sustainable nature and characteristics of some of its superannuation investment options. The proceedings follow the issuing of over $140,000 in infringement notices in the past six months in response to concerns about alleged greenwashing.

The financial services regulator was also successful in its case against ANZ Banking Group for breaching the National Credit Act. This resulted in ANZ receiving a $10m penalty over its Home Loan Introducer Program.

ASIC also secured a $15m penalty against GetSwift  the largest penalty levied to date against a company for breaching continuous disclosure obligations  and addressed disclosure and governance failures with court proceedings against TerraCom and the former Freedom Foods Group.

ASIC deputy chair Sarah Court (pictured above) said that ASIC was continuing to sharpen its focus on credit providers and debt management firms, including unlicensed or fringe entities.

Credit providers and debt management firms that look to take advantage of vulnerable consumers are in our sights and we expect further action in the coming months against operators in this area, Court said.

ASICs enforcement action against predatory lending is not limited to court action. We will continue to use our full suite of powers to protect consumers looking to access credit.

Court said this could include a stop order for breaching the financial product design and distribution requirements, or a warning to the company directly via monitoring and surveillance programs.

In the first quarter of 2023, ClearLoans was ordered to pay more than $6m in penalties for failing to act efficiently, honestly and fairly when dealing with debtors in financial hardship as well as other misconduct, she said.

ASIC also took action against credit provider Green County and issued stop orders on several credit products, including a credit for rent product.

ASIC said its case against TerraCom marked the first time the regulator had taken action alleging breaches of whistleblower protection laws.

The enforcement outcomes of the last quarter reflect that we will not hesitate to take swift action where we see misconduct that harms consumers or undermines market integrity. Where appropriate, we will also test new areas of the law, as we are doing with our greenwashing and whistleblower cases, said Court.

ASIC said that, in addition to enforcement action, it was providing guidance to the industry to help companies better comply with their obligations and deliver better outcomes for consumers.

Meanwhile, ASIC published its Indigenous Financial Services Framework in February to support positive financial outcomes for First Nations people.

ASIC also provided a final update on compensation for consumers who suffered loss or detriment because of fees for no service misconduct or non-compliant advice. ASIC said six of Australias largest banks and financial institutions paid or offered a total of over $4.7bn to affected customers over the eight years that ASIC monitored the remediation programs.
Air India's two pilot unions on Thursday decided to accept



the revised service norms and new compensation structure offered by the airline.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) had opposed the carrier's revised compensation structure introduced on April 17.

The latest decision follows a virtual town hall meeting between pilots and the airline's chief of operations R S Sandhu last week, wherein the latter had assured that all demands will be looked into.

"Upon the assurances given in the online Townhall Meeting for all pilots' and in the interest of the aspirations of Air India, The Tata Group and our passengers, the joint directive stands withdrawn," the two unions said in a joint statement on Thursday.

The development also comes at a time when crisis-hit budget carrier Go First has gone into insolvency resolution proceedings.

While ICPA represents pilots operating the narrow-body Airbus fleet, IPG has pilots who fly wide-body Boeing aircraft.

Also Read Air India pilots get more time to accept revised compensation structure Air India pilot union not keen on accepting revised compensation structure Ceiling fans get costlier as BEE's revised norms mandate star labelling Air India plans single pay structure, common seniority list for pilots AI pilot bodies ask members not to accept revamped compensation structure Adani Group's Abu Dhabi backer says no plan to join any new share sale Suzuki Motor to invest aggressively to grow auto industry in India Religare Enterprises reports net profit at Rs 20 cr in March quarter Tata Capital launches payment facility, UPI 123PAY for feature phone users We have to get business back running, crisis-hit Go First's RP tells staff

As dedicated Air Indians, "we believe it is crucial to express our readiness to settle the dispute at hand and find an amicable resolution for the benefit of both parties," the statement said.

On April 17, the Tata Group-owned carrier came out with a revised compensation package and new service terms and conditions for pilots and cabin crew of Air India, Air India Express and AIX Connect.

The two unions had rejected the new service terms, saying they were unilateral, draconian and anti-labour.

"Over the past year, our attempts to reach a resolution have been hindered by a lack of cooperation from the management. Their unwillingness to address our concerns and apathetic attitude has resulted in a prolonged stalemate and escalating tensions," the statement said.

The unions also said they decided to withdraw the directive upon assurance given during the online town hall meeting of all pilots.


While this is the lowest hybrid tariff in the current year till yet, it is still higher than the last recorded lowest hybrid tariff of Rs 2.53 per unit quoted by Amp Energy itself and Tata Power Renewable in August last year. Gurgaon-based renewable energy platform Amp Energy India won CESCs 150MW 'Wind-Solar Hybrid' auction at Rs 3.07 per unit. The company won the bid by quoting the lowest tariff through its subsidiary Amp Green Energy pvt ltd.



With this bid, Amp Energy India has won back-to-back wind-solar hybrid bids and reinforces its position as a market leader in providing diversified utility scale renewable energy solutions to its customers, the company said in a statement adding this project will take the companys portfolio to 3 Gw. The company said, the contracted capacity of the project will be 150MW and would require a 250 MW of wind and solar capacity installation. The project shall be connected to ISTS network. The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for this project will be executed with CESC Limited which is a leading private discom (A rated) in Eastern India and Indias first fully integrated electrical utility company ever since 1899, generating and distributing power to customers in Kolkata and other areas in the country.

By combining wind and solar energy in a single project, we can optimize land use, improve power generation, and reduce intermittency of the system. We are also happy to provide green power to the heart of eastern India through CESC, one of Indias leading integrated utility companies, said Pinaki Bhattacharyya, MD and CEO, Amp Energy India.


A lawyer for Elon Musk asked a federal appeals court in New York to throw out his 2018 agreement with US regulators requiring a Tesla Inc. lawyer to screen all his company-related Twitter posts, calling it an illegal limitation on his free-speech rights.

By Bob Van Voris and Chris Dolmetsch



The requirement chills Mr. Musks speech, limiting his ability to make statements about Tesla that dont violate any securities laws, Ellyde R. Thompson, an attorney representing the Tesla CEO, told the panel. Musk, Teslas chief executive officer and now the owner of Twitter Inc., has claimed that the agreement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission violates the First Amendment to the Constitution and that the SEC is harassing him.



Musk Trial Win a Non Sequitur in Twitter Sitter Case, SEC Says Last year, US District Judge Lewis Liman refused to release Musk from the deal and end his Twitter Sitter requirement, saying the CEO was simply bemoaning that he felt like he had to agree to it at the time and now wishes that he had not. Liman also denied Musks effort to block an SEC subpoena seeking information on his tweets.

Also Read Elon Musk credits father for teaching 'physics, engineering & construction' Tesla chief Elon Musk threatens to sue Microsoft for using data 'illegally' Is Elon Musk mismanaging Twitter? After China, Tesla now announces price cuts on its electric vehicles in US Elon Musk sells another $3.58 bn worth of Tesla stock, purpose unknown Deploying AI tools to reduce international scam calls by 50%: WhatsApp Telangana recorded 40% rise in online orders in FY22: Unicommerce Pfizer pouring windfall profits from Covid-19 vaccine into cancer battle We are not trying to put anybody out of business through ONDC: DPIIT Secy The non-IT and IT services account for 54% of Smartworks' business



The pre-approval provision is a classic prior restraint that the Constitution forbids: a government-imposed muzzle on Mr. Musks speech before it is made, Musks legal team said in court papers. Thompson on Thursday asked a three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in Manhattan to reverse the ruling and throw out the deal, or at least modify it.



In his decision, Liman ruled that Musk willingly waived his First Amendment right to tweet without restraint, a finding Musk denied in his appeal brief. Musk has been battling with the SEC over his social media posts since he tweeted in 2018 that he had funding secured to take Tesla private, sending shares of the electric-car maker surging. The regulator sued, claiming Musk and Tesla had misled shareholders. Musk and Tesla settled with the SEC, with each paying $20 million and agreeing that Musks Tesla-related tweets would be reviewed before he posts them.



Mr. Musk could not possibly have known the circumstances and consequences of the pre-approval provision because the provision applies to future speech about circumstances no one could anticipate in advance, his lawyers wrote. But even if he did waive his rights, such a waiver is invalid and unenforceable, they said. Elon Musk Loses Bid to End Twitter Sitter Deal With SEC



Those are the terms to which he agreed, Berger said. Jeffrey Berger, arguing for the SEC, told the judges there have been no significant changes since Musk agreed to screen his Tesla tweets and that the CEO had failed to show the deal has become onerous or unworkable.



The regulator called Musks harassment claim a significant exaggeration. Musk may no longer wish to comply with the preapproval process, and he may find it inconvenient at times, but he agreed to its terms and has not demonstrated any change in circumstances that makes it substantially more onerous or unworkable, the SEC said in its appeal brief.


HMIL, Indias second largest car manufacturer, will set up a battery pack assembly unit with an annual capacity of 178,000 units. It will install 100 EV charging stations across the state in the next five years, according to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) the two sides signed. Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) on Thursday signed an agreement with Tamil Nadu to invest around Rs 20,000 crore over 10 years for expanding electric vehicle (EV) production and in associated ecosystem.



This is the second large investment for EV production that Tamil Nadu is attracting after announcing a new policy in February that offers incentives for manufacturers, customers and charging infrastructure providers. Within days after the policy was announced, SoftBank-backed Ola Electric Mobility lined up its expansion plans at Pochampalli unit in Krishnagiri district with an investment of around Rs 7,614 crore for a four-wheeler electric vehicle manufacturing plant and a 20 giga watt battery manufacturing unit. HMILs total exports in 2022 stood at 1,81,000 units, and these comprised only internal combustion engines (ICE). The company plans to increase exports to 3,19,000 units in 2023, converting the Sriperumbudur unit near Chennai as a regional export hub of ICE and EVs.







The foundation stone for HMILs plant in Sriperumbudur was laid in December 1996 and its second factory there, with an investment of around Rs 4,000 crore, came up in February 2008. The company had rolled out its 10 million cars from the unit in June 2021. The company has invested Rs 23,900 crore in Tamil Nadu and provides employment to 15,000 people directly and another 250,000 indirectly, according to Chief Minister M K Stalin. The MoU is part of a strong commitment to create sustainable future technology in Tamil Nadu. Hyundai will continue to work together to achieve our common goal of economic, social and sustainable development. We will be investing around Rs 20,000 crore over a period of 10 years. The long-term investment will help enhance our manufacturing capability and also increase our production volume in Sriperumbadur, said Unsoo Kim, HMIL's managing director and chief executive officer.

Also Read Hyundai to announce over Rs 15,000 cr investment programme in Tamil Nadu Hyundai to launch Tata Punch rival micro-SUV Exter in Aug; details here Tamil Nadu says won't transfer land ownership to AAI for Coimbatore airport 40% of all vehicles sold will be electric by 2030, says Bain & Co report EV push, pent-up demand: Why auto exports fell in April amid healthy sales? Siemens re-appoints Sunil Mathur as MD & CEO; Daniel Spindler new CFO Hyundai Motor to invest Rs 20,000 cr for EV manufacturing in Tamil Nadu Nissan reports surging profit amid strong sales, easing chip crunch SpiceJet starts process of reviving grounded airplanes with $50 mn Karnataka HC quashes Rs 21,000 crore show cause notice against Gameskraft

Tamil Nadu is the leading producer of automobiles and its components in India. As its next evolution, it is commendable that Tamil Nadu has emerged as the leading state in the production of electrical vehicles. For this, Tamil Nadu's efficient human resources, world-class infrastructure, and the constructive actions of the Tamil Nadu government are the main reasons, Stalin said. He added that this will be a step forward towards the states goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030.



Thangam Thennarasu, who on Thursday took charge as Tamil Nadus new finance minister, said that since the DMK government took charge in May 2021, the state has invited investments to the tune of around Rs 2.73 trillion by signing 224 MoUs. The Tamil Nadu investment is part of Hyundais roadmap to become net zero carbon footprint by 2045. The Hyundai MoU comes after the US-based network gear maker Cisco announced its plans to set up a manufacturing plant in the state for switching networks and router platforms that will create around 1,200 jobs.

The incentives under the Tamil Nadu Electric Vehicles Policy 2023 for manufacturers include 100 per cent reimbursement of state goods and services tax (SGST), investment or turnover based subsidy and advanced chemistry cell subsidy. The state will provide a 100 per cent exemption on electricity tax for five years on power purchased from the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation, exemption on stamp duty and also subsidy on cost of land among others. During the last five years, the state has seen projects with employment potential of 48,000 jobs in the EV value chain.


If found guilty, Grover and his family can face up to 10 years of imprisonment. Delhi Polices Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has lodged a first information report (FIR) against Ashneer Grover, former managing director of BharatPe, his wife Madhuri Jain Grover, and other members of the family on BharatPes complaint. The New Delhi-based fintech giant has accused Grover and his family of defrauding it to the tune of Rs 81.28 crore. EOW now has the power to arrest all the accused.



The FIR has been registered on eight counts of serious cognisable criminal offences. These are related to breach of trust, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, forgery of valuable security, forged documents or electronic record and criminal conspiracy. The FIR read that these have caused a loss of approximately Rs 81.28 crore to BharatPe. The other members of Grovers family against whom the EOW has registered an FIR include Deepak Gupta, Suresh Jain, and Shwetank Jain.



In a statement after the FIR, BharatPe said: We welcome the registration of an FIR by the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police on the companys complaint in relation to the criminal offences by Mr Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain and other family members For the last 15 months, the company has been facing a vicious and malicious campaign run by Grover against the company, the board and its employees. The registration of the FIR is a step in the right direction, which unearths various suspicious transactions made by the family for their personal pecuniary gains. Some of the sections under which the FIR (reviewed by Business Standard) has been registered include 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

Also Read Ashneer Grover saga: A timeline of how things went wrong at BharatPe Delhi HC summons Ashneer Grover, wife and kin over BharatPe's complaint Tell your client to maintain decorum: HC tells Ashneer Grover's counsel Bhavik Koladiya takes Ashneer Grover to court over BharatPe share dispute Suhail Sameer steps down as BharatPe's CEO, will be new Strategic Advisor Apple now the only major smartphone brand without a foldable device Uber launches flight bookings in UK, plans to double down on growth NIIF appoints Rajiv Dhar as interim MD & CEO; Sujoy Bose demits office Income Tax officials search Mankind Pharma's New Delhi office: Report NCLAT to hear SMBC Aviation's plea against NCLT order on Go First today



Accusations against the parties allegedly involved include illegitimate payments to the tune of Rs 7.6 crores to bogus HR consultants (having nexus with the accused) on the basis of 86 false and forged invoices; and inflated and undue payments through passthrough vendors connected to the accused to the detriment of the company. The statement added, This FIR will now enable the law enforcement agencies to investigate deeper into the criminality and bring the culprits to books MZM legal is advising us (BharatPe) on the criminal case.



The other accusations include personal enrichment through reimbursements by Madhuri Jain using self-created fake and forged invoices and destruction of evidence. The FIR alleged Input Tax Credit and payment of penalty to GST authorities (to the tune of Rs 1.66 crore) and sham transactions and embezzlement of Rs 71.76 crore. It alleged dishonest and illegal payments to travel agencies connected to the accused on the basis of false and fabricated invoices for services already availed of from genuine providers.



In his resignation letter in March 2022, Grover wrote: I write this with a heavy heart as today I am being forced to bid adieu to a company of which I am a founder. I say with my head held high that today this company stands as a leader in the fintech world. Since the beginning of 2022, unfortunately, Ive been embroiled in baseless and targeted attacks on me and my family by a few individuals who are ready not only to harm me and my reputation but also harm the reputation of the company, which ostensibly they are trying to protect. Grover is involved in a legal battle with BharatPe related to allegations about financial irregularities that emerged in January 2022. In March last year, Grover resigned as BharatPes managing director and board director.
Hyundai Motor India on Thursday said it will invest Rs 20,000 crore in a phased manner in Tamil Nadu over the next ten years to make further inroads into electric vehicles and modernisation of vehicle platforms.

The automaker will invest in phases starting in 2023 till 2032.

"Hyundai has been one of the largest manufacturers and consistent investors in Tamil Nadu. This strategic partnership is a testimony to Hyundai's commitment to boost the socio-economic development in the state and make the country self-reliant," Hyundai Motor India MD and CEO Unsoo Kim said in a statement.

As part of our long-term vision, the company has finalised plans to develop and establish Tamil Nadu as a base for Hyundai's EV manufacturing in India, he added.

"This will help us to strengthen our portfolio and provide best-in-class features and technologies in our vehicles which will exceed our customer aspirations," Kim stated.

The company said it will set up a battery pack assembly unit with an annual capacity to assemble 1,78,000 units of battery.

Also Read Hyundai to invest $2.45 bn in Tamil Nadu for EV production over next 10 yrs Hyundai planning to invest $18.2 billion in EV production by 2030 Hyundai, Kia sued in US for lack of anti-theft technology in some models Hyundai Motor bolsters US presence with $5 billion EV battery venture Hyundai Motor India to increase vehicle prices from January 2023 Nissan reports surging profit amid strong sales, easing chip crunch SpiceJet starts process of reviving grounded airplanes with $50 mn Karnataka HC quashes Rs 21,000 crore show cause notice against Gameskraft ABB expands Bengaluru facility for production of energy-efficient modules Bosch's net profit increases by 14% at Rs 399 cr in March quarter

"Further, to give more peace of mind to our customers, the automaker will install 100 EV charging stations at key locations in major highways, over a period of five years," it added.

Hyundai also announced its plan to further increase the total production volumes to 8.5 lakh units a year, and introduce new electric and internal combustion engine vehicles from its factory in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.

As a part of Hyundai Motor Group's long-term strategic vision to promote clean energy, Hyundai will continue to explore future sustainable technologies in the coming years, it added.


"Pfizer is giving all the profits that we made from COVID in '21 and '22 and what we will make in '23 to acquire technology and products that we believe will allow us to battle cancer," he said, calling the effort the drugmaker's "next moonshot." The COVID products drove Pfizer's revenue to record levels, topping $100 billion in 2022 and $80 billion in 2021.

Pfizer Inc is pouring the windfall profits from its COVID-19 vaccine and treatment into developing products to battle cancer, most notably in its $43 billion purchase of Seagen Inc, Chief Executive Albert Bourla said at a Reuters newsmaker event on Thursday.



The company is in the midst of a steep but expected fall in COVID product sales and is also preparing for declining revenue in coming years for some of its top-selling drugs as they begin to face competition from cheap generics.

Bourla is looking to shift the drugmaker's focus from the COVID-19 vaccines and treatment that put the company at the forefront of the pandemic response and led to a once-in-a-lifetime surge in revenue.



Bourla has already overseen a string of acquisitions to bolster Pfizer's drug pipeline, headlined by the $43 billion deal for Seagen, which makes complex targeted cancer therapies.

As a result, investors are looking for Pfizer to produce new blockbuster drugs that can pull in billions every year, either from the company's own pipeline of medicines in development or through deals.

Also Read Vaccine against cervical cancer to be included by mid-2023: NTAGI chief Researchers take closer look at DNA repair scheme for cancer therapy Removing vaccination mandate for incoming tourists correct move: Experts Vaccination of girls against cervical cancer can begin in 6 states in June Risk of myocarditis after Covid vaccination increases but very low: Study We are not trying to put anybody out of business through ONDC: DPIIT Secy The non-IT and IT services account for 54% of Smartworks' business Air India pilot unions end protest on new salary contracts, service rewards Nexus Select Trust's initial public offering garners 5.4 times subscription Amp Energy wins CESC's 150 MW 'Wind-Solar Hybrid' auction at Rs 3.07/unit



Bourla led Pfizer as the New York-based drugmaker raced alongside German partner BioNTech to develop a vaccine for COVID as much of the world locked down in 2020. The company also developed Paxlovid, a life-saving antiviral treatment for the disease.

Pfizer's other recent deals include its purchase of Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding, maker of a migraine prevention treatment, for $11.6 billion, a $6.7 billion buyout of ulcerative colitis drug developer Arena Pharmaceuticals, and a $5.4 billion deal for Global Blood Therapeutics with its focus on treating sickle cell disease.



Pfizer and other COVID vaccine makers expect to sell the next round of booster shots on the commercial market rather than directly to the federal government as they had previously.

The U.S. government will end the COVID Public Health Emergency on Thursday that allowed millions of Americans to receive vaccines, tests and treatments at no cost.

Pfizer has said it expects to roughly quadruple the price of its COVID shot to about $110 to $130 per dose this year.


The consumer health business is set to demerge into its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sanofi Consumer Healthcare India. The subsidiary will include all assets and liabilities pertaining to the business, including brands like Allegra, Combiflam, DePURA, and Avil. French drugmaker Sanofi, which has plans to demerge its consumer health care business in India from its pharmaceutical (pharma) business, has seen its consumer brands clock much faster growth. It has also renewed its focus on its diabetes business in India.



MAT of 2022 grew nearly 24 per cent year-on-year (YoY). By comparison, Sanofis popular long-acting insulin brand Lantus declined 7.1 per cent YoY as of April 2023 MAT. In 2022, it grew by only 3.1 per cent. The market responded positively to the decision. The stock ended at Rs 6,210 apiece, up 9 per cent on Thursday. Sanofi marquee brands like Allegra grew 22.2 per cent (as of April) as regards the moving annual turnover (MAT) over last year, reveals data from market research firm Pharmarack AWACS.



Other anti-diabetic brands like Cetapin and Amaryl, too, have registered slow growth in the past few years. The company has renewed its focus on the diabetes franchise. Centrum Broking (Centrum) said in February that Lantus sales were impacted after it was included in the revised National List of Essential Medicines, 2022. Lantus, currently priced at Rs 794 (100 IU 3ml injection), comes at a premium over the average of similar brands priced at about Rs 730. Centrum said this implies Sanofi would have to take at least an 8 per cent hit on its pricing of Lantus.

Also Read RIL gets nod from shareholders, creditors to demerge financial services arm Is Mankind Pharma IPO worth a subscription? Here's what brokerages suggest Shipping Corporation soars 10% on govt's approval to demerger plan Sanofi consumer brands get a shot in the arm on demerger decision Ease of Moving Index: Here is how people commute in various Indian cities Chemplast Sanmar unit signs deal to manufacture advanced intermediate Disney+ loses 4 million subscribers as fresh layoff round approaches FIR against ex-BharatPe MD Ashneer Grover, wife over alleged Rs 81cr fraud Apple now the only major smartphone brand without a foldable device Uber launches flight bookings in UK, plans to double down on growth





Sanofis leading therapy of diabetes continued to do well, led by renewed marketing efforts nationally for Toujeo insulin which is seeing better traction (new cartridge launched, 300 IU dosage), Centrum observed in February.



The company divested its anti-microbial brand Soframycin and anti-bacterial cream Sofradex, Sofracort (antibacterial eye and ear drops), and Soframycin-Tulle (antibacterial cream) for India and Sri Lanka markets to topical product manufacturer Encube Ethicals in November last year for Rs 125 crore or so. Toujeo has been doing well too: from sales of about Rs 22 crore as of April 2019 MAT, it scaled up to Rs 87 crore in April 2023 MAT.



The pharma business would focus on long-term success and expand its portfolio of life-changing treatments, he said. The consumer health entity would be a fast-moving consumer health care business focused on digital and e-commerce. Rodolfo Hrosz, managing director, Sanofi India, said on Wednesday that the demerger was a momentous opportunity that would allow the company to unlock business potential in both pharmaceuticals and consumer health care.



Sanofis hexavalent vaccine Hexaxim given to protect against six diseases  diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), Haemophilus Influenzae Type B bacteria, Hepatitis B virus, and inactivated polioviruses  has lost market share. From sales of Rs 144 crore as of April 2019 MAT, it dropped to Rs 104 crore in April 2023 MAT. Meanwhile, Sanofis vaccine business has seen a decline in turnover, according to AWACS data, from Rs 361 crore in April 2019 MAT to Rs 287 crore in April 2023 MAT.


In an interview, Rajaraman said that the return of Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla group, to the board of the ailing telco is a "positive step" and the telco is in talks with several institutions to raise capital for its 5G rollout plans. After the Centre's acquisition of equity in the struggling telecom company, Vodafone Idea is expected to come up with a revival plan within a month, telecom secretary K Rajaraman said, as reported by Mint.



As of September 2022, the company has a debt of Rs 2.2 trillion. In February, the Centre had decided to convert adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues of the company of Rs 16,133.3 crore into equities and become its largest shareholder. "We keep getting monthly reports on their subscriber base and other parameters, but what we want them to do is to come back with resources  equity and debt  and we're awaiting a final communication from them. And now that Mr Birla is back on the board, I'm hopeful they will revert to us soon with their plan," Rajaraman was quoted in the report as saying.



He further added that the Centre is preparing for the next spectrum auction in the second half of 2023-24 (FY24) and it may include the unsold spectrum from previous auctions and new bands. Rajaraman said that the only objective of the step was to ensure a sufficient number of competitors are in the market and that the telco revives.

Also Read Vodafone Idea reappoints Kumar Mangalam Birla non-executive director Kumar Mangalam Birla received AIMA's 'Business Leader of the Decade' award In search of funding, Vodafone Idea dials KKR and Temasek Holdings Voda Idea soars 10% as Kumar Mangalam Birla rejoins board after two years Vodafone Idea's fundraising put on hold as govt delays equity call Indian firms invested $6.6 bn in Canada creating thousands of jobs: Report Go First likely to resume flights on May 24 with fewer aircraft: Report Adani Enterprises to consider stock sale months after short-seller turmoil Lifestyle International plans to open 50 stores in next 3-4 years Microsoft to skip salary hikes for full-time employees this year: Report

"We have some unsold spectrum already, for instance, in the 600MHz band. In addition to that, there are some candidate bands that can be introduced. We are in the final stages of discussions, and we may make a reference to TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) within a month or two," he told Mint.
In this section

First Published: May 11 2023 | 10:22 PM IST

Govt at 'fairly advanced stage' of finalising e-commerce policy: DPIIT secy

EPFO issues circular for subscribers to calculate dues and interest rates

WTO ruling on IT products: Govt seeks to address trade bloc's tariff worry

Huge potential to increase eco ties between India,Canada: Piyush Goyal

Singapore & India looking at new growth drivers to propel ties: Kumaran

Illegal liquor: Consumption may be up, but deaths show the opposite trend

Too early to bet on rural recovery; stay selective on FMCG stocks: Analysts

What do industry trends say about consumption and the economy?

Private consumption edges up in Q2; infra investment almost flat

Indias climate change goals are turning combustible. On the one hand, a protracted dispute between the government and manufacturers over subsidies threatens to slow the pace of electric vehicle (EV) sales. On the other hand, repeated assertions by different arms of the government over banning sales of new fossil fuel-fired vehicles have queered the pitch for energy investments.

Before we address the issue of the recommended diesel vehicle ban in the recent report on energy transition, issued months before the next round of global climate talks begin in Dubai in November, lets look at whats at stake. It is important to note, however, that the government is yet to accept the report, the oil ministry clarified in a tweet on May 8. Consultations with various stakeholders on the report are yet to be initiated.

Diesel in India is a $60-billion business  excluding transport costs, taxes, margins and levi

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
Indo-Israel trade will grow to USD 10 billion this year and a free trade agreement (FTA) is essential to strengthen the economic relations, visiting officials from the Jewish country said on Thursday.

Direct flight connectivity will be established between more cities in India and Israel by the end of this year, they said.

The country's Ambassador Naor Gilon said trade has grown by nearly 50 times since the establishment of full diplomatic ties between India and Israel in 1992.

"We started at USD 200 million then and we are approaching USD 10 billion this year, Gilon said speaking at an India-Israel Business Summit here.

The bilateral trade between the two countries grew to USD 8.09 billion, excluding defence procurements in the first nine months of FY23, up from USD 7.86 billion in FY22.

Yael Ravia-Zadok, the head of the economic affairs division in Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that while the trade has grown and the scope of opportunities is endless, the FTA can help strengthen the economic ties further.

Also Read India-Australia free trade agreement to come into force from Dec 29 No, Israel has NOT found two cases of a new variant of coronavirus India-Australia FTA to help bilateral trade cross $70 bn in next 5 years India and UK look to fast-track free trade agreement negotiations What can India gain from the trade pact with Australia? India's vulnerability to global shocks to reduce in FY24: CRISIL Cash crunch pushing up funding costs in India deterring more RBI hikes India's growth cannot be built on Chinese efficiency, says Jaishankar India-UK FTA negotiations conclude with 'detailed' policy discussions Govt's wheat procurement up 42% at 25.2 mn tonness so far in 2023-24

"We need to strengthen the infrastructure for economic cooperation. I am referring to the FTA that we are discussing right nowit will encourage trade and economic relations between our countries, she said.

However, she declined to give any update on the negotiations for the FTA, especially during the ongoing visit of a high-level delegation from Israel which is on currently.

Gilon said that during the 15 hours that he was present in New Delhi earlier this week before rushing back home due to troubles in the Gaza Strip, his foreign minister Eli Cohen met top ministers and high-ranking officials.

Four agreements were signed between the two countries for cooperation, including one where Israel has committed to take 34,000 Indian construction workers and 8,000 caregivers.

It has also committed to building two technology centres and upgrading the Indian Council for Agricultural Research, he said.

Earlier, visiting officials from Israel stressed on technology being the cornerstone of the ties, which will include both military and civilian aspects.

Ravia-Zadok said given the shared concerns on water, Israel has also appointed a special envoy on water, who liaises with the Jal Shakti Ministry to introduce the best solutions developed in Israel.
In this section

First Published: May 11 2023 | 6:56 PM IST

Travel secured: The insurance cover you must buy before heading out

Beware! Cheque bounce can lead to hefty penalty and imprisonment

Use cost-effective and accessible group term plan to boost coverage

Continue with PPF, SCSS, SSY, term and health cover under new tax regime

SBI personal banking loan book up Rs-5 trn mark, helped by digital push

Why is demand for private credit on the rise?

Top card cos to go live with UPI-linked RuPay credit card feature by June

What is credit score? Why is it important?

PAN-Aadhaar link status: Are your cards already linked? Learn how to check

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently asked Indian banks to be vigilant about their retail portfolios, particularly the rapidly growing unsecured loan segment. While unsecured loans -- such as personal loans and credit card loans -- provide quick access to money when it is urgently needed, they also carry risks for borrowers.

Borrowers who cant offer collateral have to take recourse to an unsecured loan. They are a good financing option for people who dont want to offer collateral. If you are in need of an urgent cash loan without documents, unsecured loans could be your go-to option. You can also apply for a personal loan to fund a major purchase or an event, home improvement, or to pay down higher-interest debt, says Kamaljeet Rastogi, chief executive officer (CEO), SahiBnk.

Your browser does not support the audio element.

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
A voter turnout of 49.33 per cent was recorded till 5 pm on Thursday in the final phase of the urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh, with the Samajwadi Party alleging that supporters of the ruling BJP were indulging in election malpractices, especially in Kannauj.

The polling began at 7 am in Meerut, Ghaziabad, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Aligarh, Kanpur, and Ayodhya.

Polling was going on smoothly with 57.60 per cent turnout in Ayodhya, 46.20 per cent in Aligarh, 50.93 per cent in Etawah, 60.87 per cent in Gautam Buddh Nagar, 41.92 per cent in Ghaziabad, 46.40 per cent in Kanpur and 46.75 per cent in Bareilly till 5 pm, the election office said.

Officials also said that voters, who have lined up at the polling centres till 6.00 pm, will be allowed to cast their votes.

In a series of tweets, the main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) accused members of the ruling party of indulging in fake voting in the Gursahaiganj polling booth of Kannauj.

It also alleged that BJP MP Subrat Pathak and his supporters were misbehaving with SP workers and voters at another booth in Kannauj, and appealed to the State Election Commission to take notice of it.

Also Read Gujarat Assembly polls phase-1 end: 59.2% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm Voter list for UP local body polls updated, over 9.6 mn electors added Voter turnout of 63.91% recorded till 3 pm in Meghalaya polls: ECI MCD polls: Delhi sees weak voter turnout with nearly 30% polling till 2 pm I hope Gujarat witnesses record turnout in assembly polls: PM Modi CAI reduces cotton crop estimate further to 29,835,000 bales for 2022-23 SC reserves judgment on pleas seeking sanction for same sex marriage QR code boards in Badrinath-Kedarnath: Uttarakhand Police forms probe team Cross-border sale: Dairy Board calls co-op federations' meet to sort issue Pakistan to release 500 Indian prisoners after completing jail term

The main opposition party also claimed that the husband of an independent nominee in Kanpur's Ghatampur was shot at and that Dalits and OBCs were being denied voting rights.

There have been reports of six fake voters being caught at a polling booth in Mau district.

Bulandshahr District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said that some people had made fake Aadhaar cards, and also fake identity cards of government employees. "We have detained 100 such people from different urban local bodies," he said.

Use of fake Aadhaar cards by voters was also reported from other districts as well.

In Budaun, Avneesh Yadav, independent candidate accused a BJP candidate of distributing fake Aadhaar cards to voters.

District Magistrate of Budaun, Manoj Kumar said such reports were received from Dataganj area of the district.

"Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dataganj, Dharmendra Singh has been asked to look into the matter of use of fake Aadhaar cards," he said.

In Shahjahanpur, police arrested three men for allegedly printing fake Aadhaar cards.

Superintendent of Police S Anand said, "We have arrested Mobeen Akhtar, Ahsan and Zafar for printing fake Aadhaar cards. The matter is being investigated."



In Ayodhya, the chief priest of the Ram temple, Acharya Satyendra Das and Mahant of Hanumangarhi temple Raju Das also cast their votes in the ongoing urban local bodies' elections.

Repolling was held in a polling booth in Chakia in Chandauli district following some anomalies in the ballot paper, an official of the State Election Commission said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tweeted, "Today is the last phase of polling for the Uttar Pradesh Municipal elections 2023. All respected voters are appealed to participate in this festival of democracy to form a triple-engine government. Do vote. Your valuable vote will make your municipal corporation more empowered."



Triple-engine is a term being used by BJP leaders to refer to the party ruling at the Centre, state and local levels.

Prominent among the early voters were state Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, who exercised his franchise at a school located at Diwan Jograj; Cooperatives Minister J P S Rathore and PWD Minister Jitin Prasad at Sudama Prasad Vidyalaya in Shahjahanpur.

Speaker of the state assembly, Satish Mahana cast his vote in Kanpur and Minister of State (independent charge) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Arun Kumar in Bareilly.

Union minister General V K Singh (retd) cast his vote in Ghaziabad, and in a tweet in Hindi said voting was absolutely necessary to elect a development-oriented public representative.

Union minister and Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel, who cast her vote in Mirzapur, said efforts were on to ensure progress of the district. Apna Dal is an alliance partner of the ruling BJP.

The municipal elections gain significance as political parties are trying to showcase their electoral strength in Uttar Pradesh before the 2024 general elections. The state sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

Shahjahanpur is voting to elect its first mayor. Meerut and Aligarh had BSP mayors in 2017, while the BJP ruled the rest.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded Hasmat Malik from Meerut. The BSP candidate had won the mayoral elections in 1995, 2000 and then in 2017.

In Aligarh, the party has fielded Salman Sahid as its candidate.

Traditionally, Aligarh has been a bastion of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has never lost this seat ever since the system of direct voting was introduced for the mayoral post in 1995. However, in 2017, the BSP's Mohammad Furqan won the mayoral contest.

This time, Aligarh is witnessing a triangular contest among the ruling BJP, principal opposition Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Adityanath as well as SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had campaigned for their party candidates in Aligarh.

According to the State Election Commission (SEC), over 1.92 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in the second phase. The first phase of voting was held on May 4. The counting of votes for both phases will take place on May 13.

As many as 39,146 candidates are in the fray in the second round for 6,929 posts, which includes seven mayors and 581 corporators. Apart from this, voting is also being held to elect 95 chairpersons and 2,520 members of nagar palika parishads, and 267 chairpersons and 3,459 members of various nagar panchayats.

The SEC said 77 representatives, including nine corporators, have been elected unopposed in this phase.

Meanwhile, Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said for a peaceful conduct of the polls, one lakh civil police personnel, 76 companies and two platoons of the PAC, 35 companies of CAPF and 7,935 under-training sub-inspectors have been deployed.
The AAP on Thursday termed the Supreme Court's verdict on the Centre-Delhi services row a "tight slap" on the mission to topple governments through "unconstitutional ways" while Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the judgment will ensure increased pace of development.

The chief minister also expressed his "heartfelt thanks" to the Supreme Court for "doing justice to the people of Delhi".

Following the top court verdict, Kejriwal has called a meeting with his cabinet ministers.

In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services.

Welcoming the verdict, the AAP said in a tweet in Hindi, "The elected government will have the power of transfer-posting of officers. Officers will work only through the elected government."



The Lt Governor will have no power over the officers to stop the work of the people of Delhi, the party said.

Gopal Rai, the state convener of the AAP's Delhi unit, said at a press conference, "This is a tight slap on the Modi government and its mission to topple elected governments through unconstitutional methods. The Modi government had done the work of usurping the powers of the Delhi government through the Lt Governor and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Also Read BJP govt at Centre fighting with everyone, alleges Delhi CM Kejriwal Kejriwal promises old pension scheme by Jan 31 ahead of Gujarat polls Aim of BJP-led Centre is to defame Kejriwal, AAP leaders: Sanjay Singh Will answer all questions, says Kejriwal as he appears before CBI Having attained national party status, AAP to go full throttle for 2024 ICC Rankings: India slips to 3rd spot, Australia remains world No 1 in ODIs Manipur violence seems pre-planned, President's Rule must be imposed: Cong Journey of any nation reflects in path taken by society, says PM Modi Go First's bank loans to be classified as 'bad', but has strong collaterals Delhi HC reserves order on Sisodia's bail plea in excise policy case

"The Modi government was pushing democracy into darkness by destabilising governments."



They were running a "campaign to paralyse the work being done by the Delhi government", and the verdict is a "ray of hope in darkness", he added.

Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said Delhi's people have won the battle that was being fought by Kejriwal for nearly nine years.

"Today, this battle has established one thing in the country -- there is one institution that will stand up and restore order whenever there will be a threat. That institution is the apex court.

"Today, the Supreme Court has delivered a historic verdict. I feel that in today's time this verdict will be remembered in a long time," he added.

Calling Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud a national hero, the minister said the people of Delhi are indebted to him.

"When we were small, we would watch Amitabh Bachchan playing a police inspector in a film and dream that we will become a policeman when we grow up. Similarly, if children would see doctor or a lawyer in a film, they would want to become that.

For every kid who understands even a little bit about the state of affairs in the country and judiciary, there is one hero -- Chief Justice Chandrachud. Now they will say that they want to become a judge when they grow up. The country has got a hero in him," he said.

He also thanked the five-judge constitution bench on behalf of the people of Delhi.

"We bow down before them. They have got back their right and it is a tight slap on the Centre," he said.

Delhi Minister Atishi said the verdict has "safeguarded the country's constitution and democracy".

"The prime minister cannot tolerate that some other party wins. Wherever the BJP loses, unconstitutionally they carry out 'Operation Lotus' and poach MLAs there. When they could not topple the AAP government through these ways, they attempted to take away its powers," she noted.

She added that the Supreme Court has given a clear verdict that the government chosen by the people has powers to take decisions for them.

"When people have chosen Kejriwal, then he will take a decision on behalf of the people of Delhi. Thanks to the Supreme Court, they have not just given a decision but also safeguarded the country's democracy and Constitution," she said.

Explaining what the verdict means, Bharadwaj said all types of officers were reporting to the Centre via the Lt Governor earlier.

"If an officer was inefficient, there was no way of shifting him to some other department or controlling them. But now, this verdict has made it clear that executive powers and legislative powers lie with the government. It has been reiterated that the Lt Governor is bound by the aid and advice of the government in areas apart from police, public order and land," he said.

Asked whether the government can now refuse to share papers related to the chief minister's residence with the Lt Governor, he said, "I think it should not be looked at in terms of the chief minister's residence or the Lt Governor's residence. It is a matter of principles and we will act as per principles."



Atishi added that the Lt Governor can only see papers but he does not have any right to take decisions on them.

AAP Rajya Sabha Raghav Chadha called the verdict a "landmark decision" and said it sends a stern message.

"Satyamev Jayate. Delhi wins. Hon'ble Supreme Court's landmark judgment sends a stern message that officers working with the government of Delhi are meant to serve (the) people of Delhi through the elected government and not unelected usurpers parachuted by Centre to stall governance, namely LG," Chadha tweeted.

Atishi called the verdict "historic" and said earlier in a tweet in Hindi, "After a long battle, the Supreme Court got the Arvind Kejriwal government its right. Now, no one will be able to obstruct the work of the people of Delhi.

"This historic decision is a win for the people of Delhi. Now Delhi will progress at double the speed. Congratulations everyone!"



Hearing the Centre versus the Delhi government case over the demarcation of power, a constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said an elected government needs to have control over the administration.

It refused to agree with Justice Ashok Bhushan's 2019 judgment that the city government has no power over the issue of services.

The constitution bench was set up to hear the legal issue concerning the scope of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and the National Capital Territory government over control of services in Delhi.
As much as 7.3 per cent of Andhra Pradesh's state budget is being spent on healthcare compared to the average of 4 to 4.5 per cent overall in the country, a senior government official said on Thursday.

Special Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, M T Krishna Babu said though the government is spending a lot in the sector, the level of public satisfaction over healthcare services is constantly being assessed.

"We are continuously taking feedback from patients both out-patients (OP) and in-patients (IP)," Babu said at a two-day brainstorming session organised for all government medical college principals and hospital superintendents in Vijayawada.

He said the conference was taken up to optimise the administrative setup of healthcare institutions with focus on improving healthcare services.

Babu said efforts are underway to ensure all the 16 government medical colleges in the state are adhering to rules, regulations, proper work conditions, financial management, accounting among others for effective delivery of services.

According to the bureaucrat, 48,000 additional personnel have been recruited into healthcare institutions for improving quality of services.

Also Read Budget 2023-24: Manufacturing sector eyes revised taxations, new PLIs Union Budget 2023: Experts don't expect surprises in social sector outlay Budget 2023: A look back at some major announcements in previous Budget Crypto industry wants 0.1% TDS, Sebi-like regulator in Budget 2023 Budget 2023 to increase capex for infra projects for growth: Experts Sachin Pilot to get CRPF security cover for his 'Jan Sangharsh Padyatra' Mocha to intensify into severe cyclone, heads towards Bangladesh-Myanmar Sexual harassment case: Delhi Police to record victims' statement on Friday BJP promises filling up 200,000 government job vacancies in Telangana No metro city in country is as safe as Mumbai: Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis

Meanwhile, Director of Medical Education (DME) D S V L Narasimham told PTI that the medical licences of Perumalla Rajasekhar and the team of other doctors who ran a kidney racket in Visakhapatnam will be cancelled upon their conviction.

Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner Trivikram Varma confirmed that Rajasekhar (56), who used to do consultancy for several hospitals, was charging a remuneration of Rs 10 lakh per kidney transplantation that he was accused of overseeing illegally.

Described as an expert in transplant surgery involving liver, kidneys, and pancreas, Rajasekhar was arrested by the port city police last week.
Slamming the BRS government over the TSPSC paper leak issue, Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Thursday said his party would fill up two lakh job vacancies and annually release 'job calendars' if it came to power in the state.

Addressing a 'Nirudyoga March' (March in support of the unemployed) organised by BJP at Sangareddy town near here, he alleged that several family members of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao have got jobs during BRS rule but unemployed youth are in dire straits.

He demanded that the BRS government order an investigation by a sitting judge into the "leak" of question paper of a recruitment test conducted by the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC).

He sought ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh each to the aspirants who suffered loss due to the alleged paper leak.

Sanjay Kumar, Lok Sabha member from Karimnagar, also demanded removal of IT Minister K T Rama Rao from his post for his alleged failure in the paper leak.

Expressing confidence that the BJP would come to power in the Legislative Assembly polls scheduled to be held in the state later this year, he said the process to fill up two lakh vacancies as per the report of the Biswal Committee appointed by the state government earlier would be started soon after assuming office.

Also Read Rs 6,000 aid for farmers by Maharashtra govt insufficient: Telangana CM Telangana BJP chief slams CM Rao for not attending all-party meet on G20 Vacancies for blue-collar jobs in India rose in FY23, but job seekers down Telangana BJP chief says KTR consumes drugs, challenges him to take test Telangana govt misappropriates panchayat funds: BJP's Bandi Sanjay Kumar No metro city in country is as safe as Mumbai: Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis Tax tussle: Govt not in favour of banning foreign gaming platforms RBI invites Indian firms to participate in Greenwashing TechSprint Power ministry to develop carbon credit trading scheme for decarbonisation IIT Madras launches Department of Medical Sciences and Technology

He said a 'job calender' containing details of vacancies would be released every year and recruitment taken up.

The BJP leader hit out at the government for allegedly being unable to pay salaries to employees on time, implementing farm loan waiver and providing relief to farmers hit by unseasonal rains.

Sanjay Kumar announced that similar 'Nirudyoga March' events would be organised at Khammam, Adilabad and Nizamabad and finally "with lakhs of people' at Hyderabad.

The 'Nirudyoga March' was earlier held at Warangal and Mahabubnagar.

Sanjay Kumar, known for his strong Hindutva views, also said 'Hindu Ekta Yatra' would be organised at Karimnagar on May 14 on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made two fresh arrests of a hotel trader and liquor businessman in the Rs 2,000 crore alleged liquor syndicate scam linked money laundering case of Chhattisgarh, official sources said Thursday.

Nitesh Purohit, promoter of Giriraj hotel located in state capital Raipur, was arrested on Wednesday noon while Pappu Dhillon was arrested on Thursday, they said.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday accused the ED of trying to implicate him in the alleged liquor scam in the state.

The ED has been acting as an agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party, he claimed while talking to reporters at the Police Lines helipad in Raipur.

Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar, was the first person to be arrested by the agency in this case last week.

The agency told the court on Wednesday that Purohit was allegedly "aware of the illegal operations of Anwar Dhebar and willingly assisted him in movement of proceeds of crime to Anil Tuteja (an IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre)" and another person.

Also Read Enforcement Directorate can only probe money laundering cases: Delhi HC Chhattisgarh coal levy 'scam': Enforcement Directorate raids multiple sites Delhi HC seeks ED stand on plea by Sukesh against money laundering charges ED makes fresh arrest in Delhi excise policy money laundering case ED raids Pure Milk Products' premises in loan fraud case, seizes Rs 1.15 cr Statement of minor who accused WFI of sexual harassment recorded before DM Microsoft helped more than 300,000 Indians get water access in 2022 AAP calls SC verdict on services row 'tight slap' on mission to topple govt ICC Rankings: India slips to 3rd spot, Australia remains world No 1 in ODIs Manipur violence seems pre-planned, President's Rule must be imposed: Cong

Dhebar was also produced by the agency before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Raipur on Wednesday at the end of his four-day remand period, and the court later extended his custody by five more days, the sources said.

His lawyer Rahul Tyagi said Wednesday that the Additional District and Sessions Judge Ajay Singh Rajput has extended the remand of his client by five days.

The court has directed the investigating agency that the accused should not be harassed in any way. The court has also directed the agency to preserve audio and video recording of the interrogation to ascertain if any kind of torture or harassment was given to the accused, he said.

The court has allowed the counsel to meet his client on a daily basis, Tyagi added.

Money was "illegally" collected from "every" bottle of liquor sold in Chhattisgarh and evidence of "unprecedented" corruption and money laundering of Rs 2,000 crore generated by an alcohol syndicate led by Anwar Dhebar, the ED had alleged.

This money laundering case stems from a 2022 Income-tax department charge sheet filed against IAS officer Tuteja and others before a court in Delhi.
The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) will be holding a meeting of the chairman and managing directors of co-operative dairy federations of the country this month to sort out the sensitive issue of cross-border marketing of liquid milk.

The meeting has been called by NDDB Chairman Meenesh C Shah, in response to serious objections raised by K S Mani, Chairman of Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF) over the issue at a meeting of the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI) held in Varanasi recently, KCMMF said in a statement here on Thursday.

Earlier, KCMMF, known by the brand Milma, had voiced serious concern over Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) foraying into parts of Kerala to sell its Nandini brand of liquid milk.

Making a strong pitch at the NCDFI meet, Mani said, "This is a complex and multifaceted issue, as co-operative dairies have different priorities and interests". He further pointed out that by working together co-operative dairies could find solutions that benefit all stakeholders and ensure the delivery of high-quality milk to consumersm," according to the statement.

Mani emphasised that the co-operative dairies should approach this issue collaboratively and diplomatically, which would uphold the values of the co-operative movement, it added.

Responding to Mani's strong position on the matter, the NDDB chairman said that a meeting of the chairman and MDs of all co-operative dairy federations would be called this month itself to take up the issue and explore possible solutions to ensure that the interests of all member-cooperatives are considered, the statement said.

Also Read Milky way: Beyond Amul vs Nandini, dairy brands that dominate their states Podcast: What's behind the rise in milk prices across the country? Sweating over milk: India stares at supply crunch as summer sets in We should achieve target of 330 MMT milk production by 2033-34: Amit Shah Mother Dairy hikes full-cream milk price, token milk in Delhi-NCR L-G bound by aid and advice of council of ministers of Delhi govt: SC Two more aircraft lessors move NCLAT against Go First's insolvency Startups must look for biz opportunities in mining sector: Mines Secretary Sachin Pilot steps up pressure on Cong, begins 5-day yatra over corruption Govt working to bring ecommerce policy, rules under consumer protection act

While raising concerns over cross-border marketing, Milma had earlier pointed out that the input cost in Kerala was much higher compared to most other states.

"Also, in Karnataka, the government provides subsidy to KMF, which is the prime reason for the cost difference between Nandini and Milma milk. Instead of passing on this benefit to farmers, KMF is utilising this advantage to sell its Nandini brand of milk at a lower price," it added.


In its 105-page unanimous order, the SCs five-judge constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, said an elected government needed to have control over bureaucrats, failing which the principle of collective responsibility will be adversely affected. It said the LG is bound by the aid and advice of the council of Delhi ministers, concerning matters within the legislative scope of the city government. The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that the Delhi government, and not the Lieutenant Governor (LG), had legislative and executive powers over the administration of services, except for public order, police and land. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) described the verdict as a historic victory for the people of Delhi.



Referring to the triple chain of command to ensure democratic accountability, it said civil servants were accountable to the ministers and they, in turn, were accountable to Parliament or the state legislatures. The Bench said civil servants were required to be politically neutral and under the administrative control of ministers for implementing the day-to-day decisions of the elected government.

A constitutionally entrenched and democratically elected government needs to have control over its administration, the Bench said.



The Delhi CM said his government would carry out a major administrative reshuffle to replace deadwood, corrupt and inefficient officers with a lean and responsive administration and take action against officers who obstructed public work. Hours after the SC verdict, the Delhi government removed services department secretary Ashish More, appointing former Delhi Jal Board CEO A K Singh, a 1995-batch (AGMUT cadre) IAS officer, in his place.

Thanking the SC bench, Kejriwal said the judgement ended an eight-year-old dispute between the Centre and the Delhi government triggered by May 23, 2015, Union home ministry notification asserting its control over services, which caused frequent run-ins between the AAP government and the Centres representative, the LG.

Also Read Delhi v Centre and Shiv Sena cases: Supreme Court to announce verdict today Same-sex marriage in India: What did Supreme Court say in the case? Maharashtra political crisis: CJI Chandrachud refers case to larger bench In a victory for AAP, SC says the Delhi govt has control over services Hear borrowers before declaring accounts 'fraud': Supreme Court Singapore & India looking at new growth drivers to propel ties: Kumaran Speed of work in Delhi will increase manifold: Kejriwal after SC verdict AAP govt, LG office should work with coordination to serve people: Official Supreme Court rules in favour of Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi govt vs L-G case Most digitally adept MSME retail owners between 18-30 yrs of age: Report



Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who argued the case for the petitioners, said the verdict was a slap on the antics of the BJP. What had happened was that the right hand of the Constitution framers gave to Delhi by drafting 239 AA, the left hand of the LG and the meddling central BJP-led government took it away. That has been righted and imbalance corrected, he said. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said his party respected the SC judgement but warned that a transfer-posting industry would spring up in the city. Officers will now be given postings based not on their capabilities but on how obedient they are to the CM, Sachdeva said.

The order comes in the context of frequent confrontations between the AAP government in Delhi and the LGs office, including the excise policy, training of teachers in Finland, free yoga classes, mohalla clinics, transfer of bureaucrats, sanctioning of funds, control over the Anti-Corruption Branch, and the extension of power subsidy to consumers.


The bench had reserved its order in the Maharashtra case on March 16 and the Delhi government vs Centre case on January 18. The Supreme Court will on Thursday pronounce verdicts in two constitutional cases, last year's political crisis in Maharashtra triggered by the division of Shiv Sena and the dispute between the Delhi government and Centre over the control of administration in the national capital. The verdict will be announced by a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud. Other members on the bench include justices MR Shah, Krishna Murai, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha.

Maharashtra case

Last year, a faction headed by the present chief minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, separated from the party, which led to a subsequent fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The then-governor of the state, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, called for a trust vote. Former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, however, resigned without taking the test.



The court also wondered how it could reinstate the Thackeray government even if the governor's move to call for a trust vote was illegal. The case is about whether the governor's move was illegal or not. Earlier, the bench questioned the governor's role and said that he must have asked himself what had suddenly happened to the sections of the MLAs after enjoying power for three years.

Also Read Uddhav Thackeray announces alliance with Prakash Ambedkar In Maharashtra Hearing of rival Shiv Sena pleas in Supreme Court on February 14 Setback for Uddhav as Shinde faction wins 'Shiv Sena' name, party symbol Operation Sheesh Mahal: Why do BJP and Congress want Delhi CM to resign? Bench to deliver verdict in Delhi govt vs L-G, Maharashtra dispute tomorrow Larsen & Toubro bets on $1.5 bn return from push to electric vehicles Final phase of voting begins for local body polls in Uttar Pradesh Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi to meet Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai Latest news LIVE: Final phase of voting begins for UP local body polls Top Headlines: Adani to consider stock sale, shell firms under tax scanner

Delhi case

The second case revolves around the clash between the Centre and Delhi government on the administrative power in the capital. During the hearing, the Centre asserted that Union Territories are an extension of the Union. The court then questioned the need for an elected government in the capital.
The BBC and Wikimedia Foundation Thursday submitted in a Delhi court that it does not have jurisdiction to try a criminal complaint filed by a BJP leader seeking to restrain them from publishing a documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots, or any other material defamatory to the RSS and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).

The court had on May 3 issued summonses to the BBC, Wikimedia and Internet Archive on the criminal complaint.

According to complainant Vinay Kumar Singh, the two-part BBC documentary "India: The Modi Question" had defamed organisations like the BJP, RSS and VHP.

"Counsel for defendants no. 1 (BBC) and 2 (Wikimedia Foundation) submit that they are appearing under protest as they have not been served properly as defendants are foreign entities. Further, counsel for defendants... submit that this court does not have the jurisdiction to try the present matter," Additional District Judge (ADJ) Ruchika Singla noted.

The court further noted the submissions by the counsel for the US-based digital library Internet Archive (defendant no 3), according to which, the content was already removed and in case the complainant had any other objections regarding the same, it would do the needful.

After the BBC advocate told the court that she did not receive the copies of the summons, the counsel for the complainant said the copy could be supplied in the court itself, the judge noted.

Also Read Documentary row: Delhi court summons BBC, others on defamation complaint Why no documentary on 1984 riots in Delhi, asks EAM S Jaishankar SC issues notice to Centre over blocking of BBC documentary on PM Modi Gujarat riots documentary: BBC's motives are less clear I-T teams at BBC's Delhi, Mumbai offices for survey operation: Officials AP govt spending 7.3% of state budget on healthcare, says top official Sachin Pilot to get CRPF security cover for his 'Jan Sangharsh Padyatra' Mocha to intensify into severe cyclone, heads towards Bangladesh-Myanmar Sexual harassment case: Delhi Police to record victims' statement on Friday BJP promises filling up 200,000 government job vacancies in Telangana

"...which is not accepted by counsel for defendant no 1 stating that the same shall be prejudicial to her rights in view of the Hague Convention. She needs time to argue on this point," the court said.

"Further, the copies are supplied to defendant no 2 but it is submitted by the counsel that the same is also not as per law as per the Hague Convention," the court said.

The counsels for BBC and Wikimedia Foundation also stated that they had to attend the cremation ceremony of their senior who had expired last night.

"Hence, on request, the matter is adjourned for arguments on May 26," the judge said.

Earlier, the court was told that though the documentary has been banned by the government, a Wikipedia page dedicated to the series provides links to watch it and that the content is still available on Internet Archive.

Complainant Singh said he is a state executive committee member of the Jharkhand BJP and an active volunteer of the RSS and VHP. He claimed the BBC documentary defamed organisations like the RSS, VHP and the BJP.

The complainant sought a direction to the BBC and other respondents "to tender an unconditional apology" to him and the RSS and VHP "for the libellous and defamatory content published in the two volume documentary series.

"Pass a decree of damages of Rs 10 lakh in favour of the plaintiff and against the defendants," it further urged the court.

It claimed that the allegations made against the RSS and VHP were motivated by a "malicious intent to defame the organisations and its millions of members/ volunteers".

It alleged that the BBC "strategically and purposefully disseminated unfounded rumours without verifying the authenticity of the claims".

Furthermore, the accusations made therein foster animosity between multiple faith communities, in particular Hindus and Muslims, it claimed.
Voting for the final phase of urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh covering 38 districts, including Meerut, Ghaziabad, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Aligarh, Kanpur, and Ayodhya began on Thursday morning. Voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm on Thursday.

The polls are considered significant as political parties are trying to showcase their strength before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Campaigning for the final phase ended on Tuesday evening with BJP and Samajwadi Party leaders criss-crossing the poll-bound areas.

Shahjahanpur will vote to elect its first mayor. Meerut and Aligarh had BSP mayors in 2017 while the BJP ruled the rest.

According to the State Election Commission (SEC), over 1.92 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes to elect their representatives in the second phase. The first phase of voting was held on May 4.

The counting of votes for both the phases will take place on May 13.

As many as 39,146 candidates are in the fray in the second round for 6,929 posts, which includes seven mayors and 581 corporators.

Also Read UP local body polls: Final phase of voting on Thursday in Ghaziabad IIT Kanpur to launch new eMasters program on sustainable construction UP industrial development authority receives investments worth Rs 3 trn IIT Kanpur licenses gene therapy technology to Reliance Life Sciences Abolition of Odisha Administrative Tribunal constitutionally valid: SC Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi to meet Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai Latest news LIVE: Final phase of voting begins for UP local body polls Top Headlines: Adani to consider stock sale, shell firms under tax scanner Punjab Police suspects explosion after loud sound near Golden Temple Earthquake of 3.5 magnitude hits Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand, informs NCS

Apart from this, voting will be held to elect 95 chairpersons and 2,520 members of nagar palika parishads, and 267 chairpersons and 3,459 members of various nagar panchayats.

The SEC said 77 representatives, including nine corporators in this round, have been elected unopposed.

UP's minister of state (independent charge) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change will cast his vote in Bareilly.

According to district president of the BJP in Shahjahanpur KC Mishra, ministers Jitin Prasada and Suresh Khanna will cast their votes in Shahjahanpur.

Another minister in the UP government, JPS Rathore, will also cast his vote in Shahjahanpur.

The campaigning for the second phase of the polls saw UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath targeting the Samajwadi Party in different parts of the state, including Kanpur, Ayodhya and Aligarh.

Both the Deputy Chief Ministers, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Union minister Smriti Irani, UP BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary also campaigned for the party candidates.

From the opposition camp, Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav and senior party leader Shivpal Yadav extended a helping hand to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who had been campaigning for the party nominees.

According to the final list of reserved seats, the mayor seat in Agra has been reserved for SC (female), Jhansi for SC, Shahjahanpur and Firozabad for OBC (female), Saharanpur and Meerut for OBC, and Lucknow, Kanpur and Ghaziabad have been reserved for women.

Meanwhile, Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said for peaceful conduct of the polls, apart from one lakh civil police personnel, 76 companies and 2 platoons of the PAC, 35 companies of CAPF and 7,935 under-training sub-inspectors have been deployed.
In this section

First Published: May 11 2023 | 9:51 PM IST

Aim to make FAME scheme more transparent: Minister for Heavy Industries

Well-positioned to serve as India's hub to LatAm: Panama foreign minister

We need to build capacity, scale up Quantum Mission: Professor Arvind

Would be premature to say if people have appetite for MARS: PFRDA's Mohanty

Shouldn't return to old pension system with same formula: C Rangarajan

DND ineffective as users receive calls from personal numbers: Survey

WhatsApp details privacy and safety features rolled out in 2022

Receiving dubious calls, messages on WhatsApp? Here's what you should know

Centre to examine WhatsApp's privacy breach over background mic use

Scammers target WhatsApp users with phishing calls from foreign shores

, minister of state for electronics and IT, on Thursday said the Centre would soon launch a framework for Digital India 2.0. The minister, while speaking at a media roundtable, talked on a range of issues, including the concern about an alleged data breach at WhatsApp. Edited excerpts:

The ministry has taken note of it. It will send notice to WhatsApp on both concerns. Platforms are responsible for ensuring the safety and trust of those who use them. In the case of international spam calls, the main problem we are looking at is how these numbers get out (to the spammers) and how they are able to identify which numbers are on WhatsApp. If it is some database they have got, we will need to ask th

Your browser does not support the audio element.

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
A social worker and office bearer of an Assam-based NGO has filed a defamation case against the former Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, claiming that the latter's autobiography contained some offensive things in the context of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) updating exercise.

The petitioner, Aabhijeet Sharma, has lodged the Rs 1 crore suit against Gogoi in the Kamrup (Metro) district and civil judge court in Guwahati.

He also sought a ban on the former CJI's autobiography, 'Justice for the Judge'.

Sharma, who is the president of the NGO Assam Public Works, has been vocal in various matters related to the NRC exercise in in the state.

He had earlier filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court for updation of the 1951 NRC in Assam, and during the pendency of that case, the process of the NRC exercise began in Assam in 2015 under the monitoring of the apex court.

Prateek Hajela was appointed as the state coordinator of the NRC to look after the entire process and report to the top court of the country.

Also Read Centre notifies appointment of Chief Justices for four high courts As vacancies pile up in high courts, gloves are off in Centre-SC showdown Two HC judges elevated to SC, total strength of apex court reaches 34 Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi releases Assam chief minister's Diary No.1 Justice N Kotiswar Singh appointed acting chief justice of Gauhati HC Will give befitting reply to every step against India: Rajnath Singh PM launches projects worth Rs 5,800 cr projects on National Technology Day NIA raids 9 locations Delhi's Shaheen Bagh in Kerala train fire case Sonia Gandhi never spoke of Karnataka sovereignty: Congress deletes tweet Scammers target WhatsApp users with phishing calls from foreign shores

In 2017, Sharma alleged that Hajela was involved in a scam related to the NRC updating exercise.

However, a Supreme Court bench then presided over by Ranjan Gogoi, passed a suo moto contempt case against Sharma, and he had to tender an unconditional apology before the court.

Sharma said: "The issue raised by me regarding misappropriation of funds in the NRC exercise was found to be correct by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and Hajela was relieved from his post and transferred to Madhya Pradesh."

The Assam government has also filed a case against Hajela for his alleged role in the financial anomalies in updating the NRC.

Sharma mentioned in his petition to the court that after retirement, the former CJI wrote a few things regarding the removal of Hajela from the post of NRC coordinator and transferring him to Madhya Pradesh that are defamatory in nature.

Gogoi, who is currently a Rajya Sabha member, wrote in his autobiography: "At the local level, personal attacks on the SCNR (Hajela) and veiled attacks on the judges, particularly me, by local politicians and specifically by Abhijit Sharma, the president of Assam Public Works, left us (the Bench) convinced that orders should be passed to protect Hajela from undue harassment and calculated harm. The Bench passed the order dated 18 October 2019 for his deputation on inter-cadre transfer to Madhya Pradesh, his home state.

"Subsequent events like filing of FIRs against Hajela and other NRC officials; allegations of corruption and threats to order CBI probes besides enormous misinformation to the media and wide publicity thereof leave me convinced that the Bench was thoroughly justified in passing the rather unusual order for the inter-cadre transfer of Hajela by invoking Article 142 of the Constitution."

Sharma alleged that Gogoi's statements were utterly false, baseless and defamatory in nature.

The district judge at the Kamrup (Metro) court heard the matter on Tuesday and issued a notice to Ranjan Gogoi for a response.

The case is listed for the next hearing on June 3.

--IANS

tdr/ksk/
Shortly after presenting his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu, US Ambassador Eric Garcetti on Thursday said he would focus on raising the bilateral partnership to "new heights" with both sides working together on "defining issues" of the time.

The US embassy in India was without an ambassador since January 2021 after then envoy Kenneth Juster's resignation following a change of guard at the White House.

"It was an honour to present my credentials to the president and it is an honour to be back in India at such an exciting and historic time in the US-India relationship," Garcetti said.

"I look forward to working with the Indian people to raise our partnership to new heights," he added.

Separately, in a tweet, the ambassador said he is excited about working towards deepening the US-India ties.

"Thank you to the Government of India for your close and fruitful partnership with the United States. I'm excited to deepen #USIndia ties as we work together on defining issues of our time," he said.

Also Read US Senate to vote on nomination of Eric Garcetti as envoy to India We see this as important nomination: White House on Eric Garcetti Eric Garcetti: Everything you need to know about new US ambassador to India Garcetti's confirmation to boost India-US economic ties: US biz leaders Cloture motion filed for Garcetti's nomination, step closer to confirmation Wheat output may surpass govt estimate of 112.18 mn tonnes on higher yields G20 meet: Security beefed up in Jammu, physical classes suspended in school 5 held in blast near Golden Temple, police to probe conspiracy: Punjab DGP Defamation case filed against former CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Rupa Publications Chhattisgarh liquor scam: Court extends custody of Raipur Mayor's brother

The US embassy said Garcetti will make his first official trip next week to Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Garcetti's presentation of credentials came a day after the White House announced that President Joe Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an official state visit to the US, which will include a state dinner on June 22.

It said Modi's visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the US and India.

"The visit will strengthen our two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy and space," the White House said.

Garcetti, considered a close aide of Biden, received the confirmation to the post from the US Senate in March.

The former Los Angeles mayor was nominated to the high-profile post of the ambassador to India more than two years ago.

But the nomination was not confirmed by the Senate earlier following concerns by some lawmakers that Garcetti, as the then Los Angeles mayor, had not adequately handled allegations of sexual assault and harassment against one of his aides.

Garcetti is known as a committed public servant, educator and diplomat. He was confirmed in a bipartisan vote as the 25th United States Ambassador to India on March 15.

After serving as a Los Angeles city council member for 12 years, Garcetti was elected as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles in 2013.

He was then the youngest mayor in Los Angeles' history and was re-elected in 2017 with the widest margin ever recorded in the city.

Garcetti also served as a naval officer in the reserve component for 12 years and was selected as a Rockefeller Next Generation Leadership Fellow, an inaugural Asia 21 Fellow of the Asia Society, a Young Fellow of the French-American Foundation, a Rodel Fellow at the Aspen Institute and a Reboot Fellow.

In 2005, he was awarded the New Frontier Award, given each year by the Kennedy family and Kennedy Library to a young elected official who embodies President John F Kennedy's vision of service.

Garcetti earned a BA degree at Columbia College, Columbia University as a John Jay scholar.

Garcetti studied Hindi and Indian culture and history while at Columbia and went on to earn a master's degree at the Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

After graduating, Garcetti was selected as a Rhodes Scholar, studying at The Queen's College, Oxford and the London School of Economics and Political Science.
The income tax department on Thursday issued a proclamation for impounding a Rs 12-crore land piece, alleged to be a benami asset of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari, in this district, official sources said.

A team of officials from the department's Lucknow investigation unit accompanied by district authorities and local police erected an iron-made notice board at 'Mauja Kapurpur NZA' under Sadar Tehsil in the district, the sources told PTI.

The I-T department is impounding this property temporarily under the benami assets law and any sale/purchase or transfer of this asset is prohibited, the board embossed with the department's logo and message said.

A senior official also read out the proclamation to the public present around.

As per the process, once the Adjudicating Authority of the Benami assets law approves the I-T department order, the property can be confiscated permanently.

The department's Lucknow headquartered benami assets investigation unit attached this property last month even as it has identified about two dozen such assets worth Rs 127 crore as part of its probe against Ansari and his associates.

Also Read Mukhtar Ansari convicted in murder case, sentenced to 10 yrs jail term Allahabad HC bans media interaction with Mukhtar Ansari, tightens security Mukhtar Ansari convicted, gets 10-year jail in 1996 Gangsters Act case BSP MP Ansari could be disqualified from LS; list grows longer in UP Public money won't be used to pay lawyers for Mukhtar Ansari: Punjab CM Rly bonanza for Agniveers: Reservation in Level-1,2 non-gazetted posts Karnataka records 73.19% voter turnout in Assembly elections, says EC 49.33% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in UP urban local body polls CAI reduces cotton crop estimate further to 29,835,000 bales for 2022-23 SC reserves judgment on pleas seeking sanction for same sex marriage

The latest land parcel is worth about Rs 1.29 crore (book value), as per the sources. The market value of this property is about 12 crore, according to an attachment order of the department.

The benamidar (in whose name a benami property is standing) in this case has been identified as an alleged associate and neighbour of Ansari, Ganesh D Mishra while the "beneficial owner" has been named as Ansari in the attachment order.

Benami means 'without name' and such properties are those in which the real beneficiary is not the one in whose name the property has been purchased.

The attachment order last month was issued under the provisions of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act of 2016.

The department, the sources said, followed the "documents and money trail" in this case after going through multiple FIRs filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police against Ansari, checking land records and numerous bank documents and it was found that Mishra had allegedly furnished a personal bond of Rs 90 lakh and had also pledged his property for a Rs 1.60 crore loan taken by a company in which Ansari's wife and son are shareholders.

The investigation found that the land was a "benami property purchased in the name of Ganesh Dutt Mishra" and the cheques of Rs 1.29 crore mentioned in the sale deed were "never" presented for payment.

The attachment is part of a "comprehensive" action undertaken by the I-T department against Ansari and his associates under an operation codenamed 'Panther'.

The department, as per the sources, may also attach the rest 22 benami properties of Ansari which are estimated to be bearing a market value of over Rs 100 crore.

Ansari, a five-time former MLA, is lodged in a jail at Banda in UP.

A local court in Ghazipur last month sentenced Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari to imprisonment for 10 years and four years, respectively in a 2007 Gangsters Act case. Afzal Ansari, a BSP MP, was subsequently disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha.

Apart from the I-T department, he is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate too on money laundering charges.

Ansari faces as many as 49 criminal cases that have been booked against him and aides on charges of land grabbing, murder and extortion.
The 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests sent a message to the world that although India is a peace-loving nation, it would not let anyone to harm its sovereignty, integrity and unit, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday on the 25th anniversary of the tests.

India conducted five nuclear tests of advanced weapon designs between May 11 and 13 at Rajasthan's Pokhran desert that propelled the country into a select group of nations having capabilities to develop nuclear weapons.

The tests, carried out during the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, were the culmination of a committed team effort and backed by the development of the necessary know-how and expertise over decades.

The tests triggered strong reactions from many countries. India maintained that it carried out the tests to have 'credible minimum deterrence' and it will follow the approach of "no first use", noting that it would not be the first one to launch a nuclear weapon.

In 2003, India officially came out with its nuclear doctrine that clearly elaborated on the 'no first use' policy.

The defence minister spoke about the 1998 nuclear tests at an event organised to mark their 25th anniversary.

Also Read Russia's nuclear fuel firm busy 'breeding' new kinds of fuels, technology S Jaishankar hails former PM Vajpayee's diplomacy post 1998 nuclear tests What is a small modular nuclear reactor? Will give befitting reply to every step against India: Rajnath Singh IAEA to send permanent technical missions to all nuclear plants in Ukraine Steel Ministry directs stakeholders to develop R&D roadmap for steel sector Delhi HC orders checks at Tihar Jail to ensure proper food for inmates UIDAI launches national drive to update Aadhaar operators on policy changes Govt to re-allocate Go First's Haj flights to IndiGo, two Saudi carriers Voluntary insolvency by Go First a fraudulent exercise: SMBC to NCLAT

Singh asserted that the tests gave a message to the world that although India is a peace-loving nation that believes in 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family) and 'Ahimsa Paramo Dharma' (non-violence is the best religion), it will not let anyone to harm its sovereignty, integrity and unity.

"India has not only wished for peace for itself, but given the message to the world. Visionaries like Lord Buddha and father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi are India's gift to the world," he said.

"We have never invaded any country nor enslaved it. But, the Pokhran tests gave a message that we will give a befitting reply to every step taken against our dignity," he said.

The department of atomic energy had said that the tests were fully successful in terms of achieving their scientific objectives and the capability to build fission and thermonuclear weapons with yields up to 200 kt (kilotons.)



The 1998 tests were the second instance of nuclear testing by India. The first was carried in May 1974.

In the last two decades, India has been focusing on enhancing its strategic deterrent capability by developing various ballistic missiles, precision-guided munitions and related platforms.

India has developed various variants of the Agni series of missiles. In December, India successfully test-fired nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-V that can strike targets at ranges up to 5,000 km.

The Agni 1 to 4 missiles have ranges from 700 km to 3,500 km and they have already been deployed.

May 11 is celebrated as the National Technology Day to honour Indian scientists, engineers and technologists, who worked for the country's scientific and technological advancement and ensured the successful conduct of Pokhran tests.

In his remarks, Singh termed National Technology Day as an inspiration to adopt a scientific approach while acknowledging the country's technological achievements.

He underlined the importance of science in the progress of a nation, describing it as the source of power.

Singh emphasised that scientific approach motivates the youth to contribute to nation building and ensures holistic development.


Where is she now? On May 11, 2000, Aastha Aroras birth catapulted her into the record books. India's population had officially touched one billion people with the birth of the baby girl. Soon after her birth, her mother was taken to New Delhis Safdarjung Hospital where ministers, bureaucrats made a beeline to get photographed with the nations billionth citizen.



Arora recalled the first time she was conscious of being the billionth baby in an interview with Vice. When I was in the first grade, barely five years old, I knew that I must be someone special, as the media would come every year to interview me. Later, I would realise that I was born into a simple, middle-class household. I was surviving, and not a celebrity. Arora has started working as a nurse at a private hospital. "I wanted to study science and become a doctor, but my parents couldn't afford to send me to a private school so I had to compromise and train as a nurse", the 23-year-old told BBC in 2022.



Her father was struggling to pay the school fee for the two children. The media attention on Arora did yield some benefit to her.

Also Read Bombay HC orders testing of J&J baby powder, allows firm to manufacture J&J wins pause of baby powder trials, must face new suits, says judge Bombay HC permits Johnson & Johnson to manufacture, sell baby powder J&J proposes paying $8.9 bn to settle baby talcum powder lawsuits Delhi excise policy case: ED arrests AAP in-charge, Hyderabad businessman Wrestlers' protest turns the spotlight on sexual harassment in sports IT ministry to send notice to WhatsApp on international spam calls issue Pakistan instability, uncertainty will affect India: Mehbooba Mufti Exercise of discretion not in accordance with law: SC chides Maha ex-Guv Digital education helps students, teachers to learn modern skills: Experts



Astha did academically well in school - she was appointed as the school prefect. But despite her brilliant academic record, she had to switch to a government school as her family could not afford the fees of a private school. "Every year when journalists visited to do a story on me, it also meant free publicity for the school, so they waived off my fee after the second standard," she said.



Aroras family claims that the government had promised her "free education, free healthcare and free railway passage." However, none of the promises were fulfilled since nothing was put into writing. "I was very unhappy in the new school and it showed in my grades," Arora said in the report. It was the end of her dream to become a doctor, she added.
Union Minister of Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, who is in the US, informed that the Indian Semiconductor Mission signed an MoU with Purdue University for capacity building, research and development, and industry participation.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Ashwini Vaishnaw stated, "MoU between India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and Purdue University, US, for cooperation in capacity building, R & D and industry participation."

Ashwini Vaishnaw also met the leadership team at Intel in the United States.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ashwini Vaishnaw met Google CEO Sundar Pichai at Google Headquarters and held a discussion on India Stack and the 'Make-in-India' program.

Ashwini Vaishnaw tweeted, "Met @sundarpichai at the @Google HQ. Good discussion on India Stack and Make in India program."

Responding to Vaishnaw's tweet, Sundar Pichai thanked the minister for visiting Googleplex. He tweeted, "Thank you for taking the time to visit us at the Googleplex, Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw. Enjoyed discussing the many ways we're working together on India's digital transformation, and the opportunities ahead."

Also Read India's semiconductor market to touch $64 bn by 2026: Counterpoint-IESA Indian Semiconductor Mission: Centre invites more companies to set up units HCL Tech to double semiconductor biz in 4 yrs, needs 2 yrs to build fab Muraleedharan terms move to remove Kerala Guv as 'constitutionally invalid' Vaishnaw to meet top tech execs to invite investments in chips, laptops Plan to give smartwatches to sanitation workers for monitoring: Delhi mayor Operation Vigil: Punjab Police files 177 FIRs against anti-social elements Campaigns to be held to stop spread of vector-borne diseases: Delhi mayor 5 mowed to death, 6 injured in Gujarat bus stop, CM announces compensation Bench to deliver verdict in Delhi govt vs L-G, Maharashtra dispute tomorrow

The meeting between the two comes after Google CEO met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said it is inspiring to see the rapid pace of technological change under his leadership. Pichai said he looked forward to continuing strong partnership and supporting India's G20 presidency to advance open internet that works for all.

"Thank you for a great meeting today PM @narendramodi. Inspiring to see the rapid pace of technological change under your leadership. Look forward to continuing our strong partnership and supporting India's G20 presidency to advance an open, connected internet that works for all, Pichai said in a tweet.

During his visit to the US, Ashwini Vaishnaw also interacted with SEMI leadership about the India Semiconductor Mission in California. He tweeted, "Interacted with @SEMIconex leadership about the India Semiconductor Mission.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed the 1998 nuclear tests in Pokhran as one of the most glorious days in India's history, and asserted that technology for the country is not about showing its dominance but a tool to speed up its development.

Addressing an event on the National Technology Day, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Pokhran tests, Modi said his government has used technology as a source of empowerment and to ensure social justice.

The prime minister said the Pokhran nuclear tests carried out under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee not only helped India prove its scientific capabilities but also gave a boost to its stature at the global level.

"To say in Atal ji's words: We have never stopped on our journey and never surrendered to any challenge that has come our way," Modi said, addressing the gathering of scientists and researchers from across the country.

On the occasion of the National Technology Day, the prime minister laid the foundation stone for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory India (LIGO-India) and dedicated to the nation a facility to produce permanent magnets from rare earth minerals.

He also laid the foundation stone for the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Jatni, Odisha; and the Platinum Jubilee Block of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

Also Read UK watchdog to investigate Apple, Google mobile browser dominance Implementation of some norms may perpetuate existing market dominance: CEA NCLAT order in Android matter will resonate globally on abuse of dominance Will dollar continue to dominate world trade or will other currencies gain? IIT Madras, Australian univ to launch 'Australia-India Centre for Energy' Won't need Operation Lotus as BJP will win 120-125 seats: Shobha Karandlaje 57% of all fraud incidents in India are platform frauds: PwC Report AP liabilities rose by 12.6% CAGR under YSRC to Rs 6.5 trn: Official Reducing regulatory intervention in system a priority: DCGI Raghuvanshi Pensioners to get 3 months to give consent for diverting additional dues

Modi also dedicated to the nation a Fission Molybdenum-99 production facility in Mumbai; National Hadron Beam Therapy Facility, Navi Mumbai; Radiological Research Unit, Navi Mumbai; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Visakhapatnam; and the Women and Children Cancer Hospital Building, Navi Mumbai.

Underlining the importance of technology, he said India was moving forward with a holistic and 360-degree approach. "India considers technology as a tool for the nation's progress, not a means to assert its dominance," Modi said.

Be it JAM trinity, CoWIN portal or digital market for farmers, the government has used technology as an "agent of inclusion", he said, adding that there was some technological solution available at every stage of life right from one's birth.

The prime minister said his government's thrust on science and technology has ushered in a big change and noted that around 4,000 patents used to be registered annually 10 years back, but it is over 30,000 now.

Against 70,000 trademarks were being registered annually earlier, but now the figure is over 2.5 lakh, while the number of incubation centres has risen to 650 from 150 in 2014, he said.

The prime minister said that more than 10,000 ATAL Tinkering Labs functioning in 700 districts have become innovation nurseries where more than 75 lakh students were working on more than 12 lakh innovation projects.

"The tinker-preneurs of India will soon become leading entrepreneurs of the world," he said.

The prime minister said that today, at the initial period of Amrit Kaal, the goals for 2047 were clear. "We have to make India a developed and self-reliant nation," he said.

Referring to the rapid changes taking place in the world of technology, the prime minister expressed confidence that the youths of India will lead the country in matching this pace and also crossing it.

He said India must take the lead in revolutionary technologies such as artificial intelligence tools which have emerged as the new game changers, with limitless possibilities in the health sector, drone technology, and the therapeutics sector.
The lieutenant governor is bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers of National Capital Territory of Delhi in matters within the legislative scope of the national capital, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said the term administration with regard to powers of the lieutenant governor cannot be understood as the entire administration of Delhi.

Delineating the boundary of powers of the LG, the bench, which also comprised Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha, said he may act in his discretion only in two classes of matters.

Firstly, where the matter deals with issues which are beyond the powers of the Legislative Assembly and where the President has delegated the powers and functions to the Lieutenant Governor in relation to such matter; and secondly, matters which by law require him to act in his discretion or where he is exercising judicial or quasi-judicial functions," the bench said.

The top court said executive administration by the lieutenant governor, in his discretion, can only extend to matters which fall outside the purview of the powers conferred on the Legislative Assembly.

"The term administration cannot be understood as the entire administration of GNCTD. Otherwise, the purpose of giving powers to a constitutionally recognised and democratically elected government would be diluted," the bench said.

Also Read Despite numerous books, good financial advice hasn't changed in 300 years Govt to set up task force for land governance in North-Eastern states Delhi LG swings in action on DERC's advice to 'restrict' power subsidy LG's MCD nomination power row: SC to hear Delhi govt plea on May 8 LG should stop taking credit: Sisodia on appointment of principals Jaishankar receives Shashi Shekhar's book based on PM Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' India will soon have 85,000 talent pool in semiconductor space: MoS IT 54.7% voter turnout in Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll: Election office More than 50% of investment projects in Invest Rajasthan implemented Alstom awards grants Rs 1.5 cr to 10 startups under sustainability program

"We reiterate that in light of Article 239AA (which deals with the special status of Delhi as UT) and the 2018 Constitution Bench judgment, the Lieutenant Governor is bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers of NCTD in relation to matters within the legislative scope of NCTD.

"As we have held that NCTD has legislative power over 'services' (excluding public order', police', and land') under Entry 41 in List II, the Lieutenant Governor shall be bound by the decisions of GNCTD on services.

"To clarify, any reference to 'Lieutenant Governor' over services (excluding services related to public order', police' and land') in relevant Rules shall mean Lieutenant Governor acting on behalf of GNCTD," the bench said.

In a big victory for the AAP government in its tussle with the Centre, the apex court in a unanimous verdict ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services except for public order, police and land.
A review meeting on the progress of MoUs and LOIs, at The Invest Rajasthan Summit 2022, was held under the chairmanship of Rajasthan additional chief secretary, Industries and Commerce, Veenu Gupta, at Udyog Bhavan on Thursday.

Following up on the progress of investments on the ground till date, it was reported that more than 50% of the investments announced in The Invest Rajasthan Summit have already been implemented. Among a total of 2091 projects, 1074 projects have been implemented and 1017 projects are currently in the under implementation stage. A total of 4195 cases were reviewed during the meeting.

Veenu Gupta emphasized the importance of establishing enterprises for the all-round development of the state. She urged officials to help industries so that they don't face any difficulty in getting information related to setting up their enterprise or obtaining NOCs from various departments.

Gupta also instructed the officers to remain in touch with investors and provide them with all necessary help including immediate redressal of investment-related issues.

"It's essential for us to provide a supportive environment to industrialists to flourish in Rajasthan," said Gupta. "We're working hard to further ease the process of establishing enterprises in the state and offer a hassle-free experience to investors."

--IANS

Also Read Invest Rajasthan Summit proposals in implementation stage, says minister Elections not a factor for monetary policy: RBI governor at BFSI Summit Next financial crisis will come from crypto: RBI Guv Das at BFSI summit Consolidation of PSBs gives a robust base to scale: Bankers at BFSI Summit Rising cyberthreats a real concern, say fintech players at BFSI summit India will soon have 85,000 talent pool in semiconductor space: MoS IT 54.7% voter turnout in Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll: Election office Alstom awards grants Rs 1.5 cr to 10 startups under sustainability program Geological Survey of India plans to launch landslide warning system in 2026 India tablet market declines by 30% in Q1 2023: CyberMedia Research

arc/bg
Stamps marking 50th anniversary of China-Spain diplomatic ties launched in N China's Hebei

People's Daily Online) 13:27, May 11, 2023

The launch ceremony of commemorative stamps to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between China and Spain was held on May 10 at Hengshui Lake in Hengshui city, north China's Hebei Province.

Photo shows a stamp to celebrate the 50th year of diplomatic relations between China and Spain.

Photo shows a stamp to celebrate the 50th year of diplomatic relations between China and Spain.

The two commemorative stamps feature Hengshui Lake and Spain's Fuente de Piedra Lagoon, respectively, showcasing the beautiful lake scenery and natural ecological features of China and Spain. It is the first time that Hengshui Lake is being used on the stamp jointly issued by China and a foreign country.

Dong Xiaohang, mayor of Hengshui city, speaks at the launch ceremony. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Bo)

Stamps are dubbed as a nation's "calling cards" and those jointly issued by China and foreign countries commemorate major diplomatic events involving China and foreign countries and the diplomatic achievements they make, Dong Xiaohang, mayor of Hengshui city, said at the launch ceremony.

Dong noted that he felt heartened and proud that Hengshui Lake appears on the commemorative stamp to show the beautiful scenery of China and bear witness to the friendship between China and Spain.

Zhang Zongliang, general manager of the Hebei branch of China Post Group Co., Ltd. (China Post), speaks at the launch ceremony. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Bo)

Zhang Zongliang, general manager of the Hebei branch of China Post Group Co., Ltd. (China Post), said that Hengshui Lake, a symbol of China's ecological vitality, together with Spain's Fuente de Piedra Lagoon, convey the beauty of man-nature harmony.

The launch ceremony consisted of three parts. Some guests shared stories about Hengshui Lake.

Guests unveil the commemorative stamps and the first day cover. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Bo)

Alvaro Lago, the host of the launch ceremony and People's Daily Online reporter, speaks at the ceremony. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Bo)

Alvaro Lago, the host of the ceremony and People's Daily Online reporter, said the fact that hundreds of thousands of birds come to Hengshui Lake to breed every spring reminds him of his hometown Malaga, which is home to the Fuente de Piedra Lagoon, one of the most important wetlands in Spain. Every year, hundreds of thousands of flamingos from Africa overwinter at the lagoon.

Both Hengshui Lake and the Fuente de Piedra Lagoon are precious, and so is China-Spain friendship, said Lago. Though the two countries are far away from each other geographically, they uphold common ideals and convictions, according to him. That's the main reason why he comes to China and makes him feel at home in the country.

A guest at the launch ceremony sends out a postcard. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Bo)

The stamps were designed by Chinese designer Ma Lihang. It is expected that a total of 6.9 million sets of the commemorative stamps will be released for sale over six months.

Guests attending the launch ceremony look at a stamp catalogue. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Bo)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)
Pakistani authorities have decided to release 500 Indian prisoners, 499 of them fishermen, who have completed their jail terms, media reports said on Thursday.

The Indian prisoners will be released from jails in phases. The first batch of 200 prisoners will be released from the Malir District Jail on Thursday and will be sent to Lahore, ARY News reported.

Edhi Foundation will facilitate the travel of the released Indian citizens to Lahore by train, and they will be handed over to the Indian authorities at the Wagah border on Friday, ARY News reported.

Another batch of 200 Indian fishermen will be released from jails in Karachi on June 2 for repatriation to India.

The third batch of 100 Indian prisoners will be released from jails on July 3 for repatriation to their home country, ARY News reported.

Pakistan and India regularly arrest each other's fishermen for violating the maritime boundary, which is poorly marked, the report said.

Also Read Sale of petroleum products halves in Pakistan, high inflation to blame Fisherman's widow gets compensation from Gujarat govt - after 9 years T20 World Cup 2022, Pakistan's road to final: Fortune favours the brave Ex-Pak Prez Zardari rules out possibility of contesting elections with PDM Decision on next Pakistan Army chief being made in London: Imran Khan Cross-border sale: Dairy Board calls co-op federations' meet to sort issue L-G bound by aid and advice of council of ministers of Delhi govt: SC Two more aircraft lessors move NCLAT against Go First's insolvency Startups must look for biz opportunities in mining sector: Mines Secretary Sachin Pilot steps up pressure on Cong, begins 5-day yatra over corruption

--IANS

san/arm
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Wednesday said the municipal corporation is planning to provide smartwatches to sanitation workers for monitoring them at work on a daily basis.

She said this while interacting with reporters during an inspection of a waste-to-energy plant at Tughlakabad.

"We are working on a plan to provide smartwatches to sanitation workers and very soon we will execute it. Through these watches, we can track and monitor them at work on a daily basis," the mayor said.

On the stray dogs' menace, she said, inspections will be done at various sterilisation centres, and the MCD will partner with more NGOs.

On the issue of stray cows, she said, there are four 'gaushalas' under the Delhi government.

"And, I will soon write a letter to Delhi cabinet minister Gopal Rai to open a fifth 'gaushala'," Oberoi said.

Also Read After much delay, stage set to elect new MCD mayor following SC order BJP fields Shalimar Bagh councillor Rekha Gupta for Delhi Mayor polls Municipal House to elect national capital's mayor, deputy mayor today Shelly Oberoi re-elected MCD Mayor: Why fresh polls? All you need to know Heavy security deployment at MCD headquarters for Delhi mayoral poll Operation Vigil: Punjab Police files 177 FIRs against anti-social elements Campaigns to be held to stop spread of vector-borne diseases: Delhi mayor 5 mowed to death, 6 injured in Gujarat bus stop, CM announces compensation Bench to deliver verdict in Delhi govt vs L-G, Maharashtra dispute tomorrow SC dismisses CJI's plea seeking recusal from hearing same-sex marriage case

Asked about the waste-to-energy plant, she said, a new plant is proposed to be built at Narela Bawana, adding, "Paperwork is happening, and in three years, it should be done".
The Uttarakhand Police has formed a team to probe into the appearance of boards bearing QR codes seeking donations from pilgrims outside the gates of Badrinath and Kedarnath, it said on Thursday.

The team -- headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Chamoli) Natasha Singh -- was constituted by Superintendent of Police Pramendra Dobhal, his office said in a release.

The team has been asked to coordinate with the cyber cell of Uttarakhand Police and uncover the case at the earliest.

It has also been directed to brief Dobhal's office about the investigation on a daily basis.

The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee had lodged a complaint at Badrinath police station earlier this month and demanded an inquiry into the installation of boards asking the devotees for donations through QR codes.

Cases under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code were registered against unidentified accused at Badrinath police station and Kedarnath police outpost for putting up the QR code boards outside the temples.

Also Read First puja performed in name of PM Modi as doors open for Kedarnath Temple Reliance Jio begins 'True 5G' services at Char Dham temples in Uttarakhand Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri: What is Char Dham Yatra? Advisory for Kedarnath Dham yatra pilgrims in view of rain, snowfall alert Char Dham Yatra 2023: Badrinath Dham doors open for devotees today Cross-border sale: Dairy Board calls co-op federations' meet to sort issue Pakistan to release 500 Indian prisoners after completing jail term L-G bound by aid and advice of council of ministers of Delhi govt: SC Two more aircraft lessors move NCLAT against Go First's insolvency Startups must look for biz opportunities in mining sector: Mines Secretary

Ajendra Ajay, the temple committee chairman, had earlier said the boards were removed immediately after those were brought to its notice.

He had also clarified that the committee does not use digital payment methods for transactions.

However, soon after the cases were lodged, digital payments company Paytm issued a clarification saying it had put up the boards as part of a contract with the temple committee signed in 2018.

While the temple committee later admitted that there was a formal agreement with Paytm to put up such boards outside the temples, the company did not take its permission before putting those up, leading to the confusion.
Dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot began a 125-km foot march from Ajmer to Jaipur on Thursday, challenging Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the party's top brass as assembly elections in Rajasthan approach.

A month back, the former deputy chief minister had defied a warning from the party to hold a daylong fast targeting Gehlot on inaction over alleged corruption when the BJP was previously in power.

The just-begun five-day yatra mounts further pressure on the party leadership as it hopes to retain the state in the elections at the end of the year.

I am taking out this yatra to raise my voice, to hear your voice, and to become the voice of the people, Pilot, who was sacked as the state Congress chief in 2020 when he led a revolt against the CM, said at the start of the padyatra.

Referring to the scorching heat as aag ka dariya, he told his supporters, This is a river of fire, we have to swim across it.

The Tonk MLA was welcomed by them when he reached Ajmer by train. He addressed a gathering on the Jaipur highway.

Also Read Explained: Why is Sachin Pilot holding a day-long protest in Rajasthan Sach was life: Tendulkar on field was raw emotion, a happiness pill From student to the God of Cricket: Sachin Tendulkar's journey to the top Firm in my demand for action on BJP's corruption, says Sachin Pilot Sachin Tendulkar's 50th Birthday; fans greeting him across the Globe L-G bound by aid and advice of council of ministers of Delhi govt: SC Govt working to bring ecommerce policy, rules under consumer protection act Jaishankar receives Shashi Shekhar's book based on PM Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' India will soon have 85,000 talent pool in semiconductor space: MoS IT 54.7% voter turnout in Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll: Election office

Thousands of party workers followed him as the yatra set off. Some held the tricolour and shouted slogans supporting him. Former minister Rajendra Chaudhary and local leader Mahendra Ralwata were present. But known dissident MLA kept away from Ajmer.

The 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' posters, displayed on some vehicles, had a picture of Pilot with a clenched fist, as well as photos of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Mahatma Gandhi, Bhimrao Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh also featured there.

Apart from corruption, the yatra focuses on cases of paper leaks in government recruitment exams. The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) is based in Ajmer, which is also the constituency from where Pilot has been elected to Parliament in the past.

The Congress leader said his march is not against anyone but over issues.

He questioned Gehlot's reported claim that no politician or official was involved in paper leak cases, asking why no bulldozer was sent to the house of RPSC member Babulal Katara who was arrested in the case.

He said when a paper is leaked and cancelled, it creates distrust among lakhs of students and their parents in the system.

Pilot reminded that the party had raised the issue of corruption during the last election in Rajasthan. We exposed the corruption during the (Vasundhara) Raje government. We demanded a CBI inquiry into the mines scam, he said.

Our colleagues brought the Congress to power by shedding blood and sweat, and assured people that we will take action on coming to power, he said at the public meeting.

He said the party will win the Karnataka Assembly elections because it raised the corruption issue during the campaign.

Pilot said he has been in politics for 23 years, his father was a Union minister and mother an MP, and not even opponents questioned their loyalty and integrity.

His march comes days after Gehlot accused the MLAs involved in the 2020 revolt of taking money from the BJP. Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs had then sought a leadership change in Rajasthan.

He was then sacked as the party's state unit president and the deputy chief minister.

The two Congress strongmen in Rajasthan have been at loggerheads over the post of chief minister ever since the party formed the government there in 2018.

Pilot repeated that he had been writing to Gehlot for the past year and a half for action over corruption, but there has been no action.
The Rajasthan government, in a submition, has said that legalising same-sex relationships will create imbalance in the social fabric, leading to widespread consequences for the social and family systems.

The Congress-ruled Rajasthan government made the submition before the Union government in the midst of the hearing of petitions seeking legal recognition of same sex marriages in the Supreme Court.

The letter by Prakash Gupta, Principal Secretary, Department of Law, dated May 5, refers to the provisions and objectives of the Hindu Marriage Act, Muslim personal law, and the Special Marriage Act and says, "The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of Rajasthan's report says that same-sex marriages will create an imbalance in the social fabric, leading to widespread consequences for the social and family system."

"The government circulated letters to District Collectors in state to know their views. The Collectors came to the view that there should not be a provision regarding same-sex marriages as the practice is not prevalent and is against public opinion in the state."

Gupta's letter further states that if public opinion was in favour of same-sex marriages, the same would have been addressed by the Assembly of the state or the Parliament.

The Rajasthan government said that a bureaucratic exercise in the state found that same-sex marriages are "not prevalent" and are "against public opinion".

Also Read Same-sex marriage in India: What did Supreme Court say in the case? SC begins hearing of pleas to recognise same-sex marriages; details here Same-sex marriage case in the Supreme Court: Here is what the Centre said Imbalance in eco system, lack of food, cause for leopard attacks: Minister India Inc must step up: EAM S Jaishankar on China trade imbalance India Semiconductor Mission signs MoU with Purdue University in US Plan to give smartwatches to sanitation workers for monitoring: Delhi mayor Operation Vigil: Punjab Police files 177 FIRs against anti-social elements Campaigns to be held to stop spread of vector-borne diseases: Delhi mayor 5 mowed to death, 6 injured in Gujarat bus stop, CM announces compensation

Rajasthan is among the seven state governments which submitted their stand on same-sex marriages to the Union government. As per the Centre's submission, while Rajasthan opposed it, the other six states "Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim, and Assam" sought more time to examine the issue.

--IANS

arc/sha


There is, therefore, no immediate danger to the stability of the coalition government in Mumbai that Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis helm, ruling out any further speculation on whether the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) might split to rescue it. The Supreme Court on Thursday said Maharashtras governor "erred" in ordering that Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government face a floor test on June 30 last year. It, however, said it would not restore the government since the Sena leader resigned before the floor test. The court also ruled out disqualifying the 16 rebel MLAs, including Eknath Shinde, of the Sena, and left the decision for the Maharashtra assembly speaker.



Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis expressed "complete satisfaction" over the Supreme Court's verdict. "Those who were speculating that this government will collapse today have been silenced (by the verdict)," he said, adding that he will comment on the decision in detail along with Shinde. But Thackeray and his supporters would count a moral win in the five-judge constitution bench of the apex court faulting the governor in ordering a floor test as it did the Maharashtra assembly speaker in accepting the rebel faction's pick for the party whip. After the verdict, Thackeray said Shinde should resign as chief minister just as he had done.



In a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas related to the political crisis that led to the fall of the MVA government, the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud-led bench held that House speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was "illegal". Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT) said if the top court has observed that Sunil Prabhu of the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Sena remains the official whip, then 16 rebel MLAs stand disqualified. He said Speaker Rahul Narwekar cannot follow the official whip. Raut also asserted that since the process of formation of the government was illegal, the Shinde government is illegal. "Sunil Prabhu remains the official whip of Shiv Sena as per SC's observations, so rebel MLAs stand disqualified," Raut said.

Also Read Delhi v Centre and Shiv Sena cases: Supreme Court to announce verdict today On Shraddha Walkar's 2020 complaint against partner, Fadnavis orders probe Explained: Criteria for becoming national party, roles, advantages and more Rebel Foods to run American burger giant Wendy's restaurants in India Former Supreme Court judges who were appointed as governors post-retirement You'll see results in next LS elections when we work unitedly: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi to meet Sharad Pawar, Uddhav in Mumbai on May 11 CM Patnaik's Delhi visit sparks speculations in Odisha political circle Shinde will continue to be Maharashtra CM: Fadnavis ahead of SC's verdict Imran Khan to be presented at Police Lines Headquarters in H11 in Islamabad



The bench, which also comprised Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha, referred the 2016 Nabam Rebia verdict by a five-judge constitution bench, which relates to the power of speaker on disqualification of MLAs, to a larger bench of seven judges. The Supreme Court said the Maharashtra governor did not have sufficient "objective material" to ask Thackeray to prove a majority in the Assembly. But the court said the governor, having erred in ordering a floor test, was justified in inviting Shinde to form government at the behest of the BJP, which was the largest political party in the house" when Thackeray did not face the floor test and quit.







Shinde, Fadnavis hail SC verdict as triumph of truth On Thursday morning, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav met Thackeray in Mumbai. In his revised autobiography, Lok Majhe Sangati, released on May 2, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has criticised Thackeray for failing to sense the discontent within his party, questioning his "political acumen". In his memoirs, Pawar also questioned Thackeray's decision to quit as Maharashtra CM without putting up a fight. However, the MVA partners are already looking ahead at the Lok Sabha polls and possibly the Assembly polls, which they believe could get advanced by six months to be held simultaneously with the national elections after their recent success in the agriculture produce marketing committee (APMC) elections. They also believe Thackeray's outreach to Sena supporters is enfeebling the Shinde camp.
The Congress Party has clarified that Sonia Gandhi had never used the word "sovereignty" in her speech during election campaigning for Assembly elections in Karnataka. The Election Commission had sought clarification on the alleged remarks of the former Congress president, which had triggered a political row.

"The word 'sovereignty' was never used by Smt Sonia Gandhi Ji in her speech dated May 6, 2023, at Hubballi, Karnataka," the party's official Twitter handle wrote on Wednesday.

https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/1656326364390375427?s=20

The Congress also shared the May 6 speech by Sonia Gandhi which she delivered in Karnataka's Hubballi in the political campaigning for her party.

With reference to Gandhi's address at a campaign rally in Hubballi, the Congress Twitter handle had posted "The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka's reputation, sovereignty or integrity." It further stated that the Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson "sends a strong message to 6.5 crore Kannadigas".

The Congress party has now deleted its tweet stating , "Since this has been erroneously reported - it is being deleted."

Also Read Rahul Gandhi visits memorials of former Prime Ministers, Mahatma Gandhi Gandhi family walks together as Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Delhi today Sonia Gandhi to address election rally in Karnataka's Hubballi on Saturday Gandhi family considers itself 'elite' and above Constitution: BJP Rahul Gandhi vacates official bungalow following Lok Sabha disqualification Scammers target WhatsApp users with phishing calls from foreign shores Maharashtra political crisis: CJI Chandrachud refers case to larger bench NIA raids 11 places across J-K's four districts in Terror funding case Deep depression over Bay of Bengal intensifies into cyclonic storm Mocha In a victory for AAP, SC says the Delhi govt has control over services

A political storm erupted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders targeting the grand old party over the remark.

On Monday, the BJP filed a complaint with the Election Commission about the alleged statement.

The poll panel, responding to the complaint, issued a letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, asking him "to provide clarification and take rectification measures in respect of the social media post which has been put up on the Official INC Twitter handle and attributed to Chairperson CPP".

A day after Sonia's comments went viral, Prime Minister Modi accused the Gandhi family of advocating "secession" of Karnataka from India and said, "The disease of the 'Tukde Tukde' gang will reach this high in Congress, I had never thought."

He further accused the Congress party of "insulting" the Kannada freedom fighters who participated in India's freedom struggle."

"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 gets emboldened. They are assured of being protected by the Congress party. We have seen how Congress has repeatedly come in support of terrorists," he had said.
The AAP government swung into action on Thursday after a Supreme Court verdict on the Centre-Delhi services matter with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announcing a major bureaucratic reshuffle in the coming days and warning action against officers who "create hurdles" in public work.

In a unanimous verdict, a five-judge constitution bench ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services except for public order, police and land.

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said the speed of work in the national capital will increase manifold following the judgement on administration of services as his hands were earlier tied. He also thanked the judges for doing justice with Delhi.

Following the verdict, the chief minister met Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena and sought his "blessings" as well as held a meeting with his ministers at the Delhi Secretariat.

His meeting with Saxena, with whom the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had a running battle over a host of administrative and policy matters, lasted for 15-20 minutes, officials said.

Kejriwal said the speed of work in the national capital will increase by 10-fold and urged the Centre not to create "hurdles" in its work anymore. The prime minister is like a father figure and it is his responsibility to look after everybody like his children, he said.

Also Read Operation Sheesh Mahal: Why do BJP and Congress want Delhi CM to resign? Aim of BJP-led Centre is to defame Kejriwal, AAP leaders: Sanjay Singh AAP calls SC verdict on services row 'tight slap' on mission to topple govt MCD polls: AAP working against interests of common man in Delhi, says Nadda BJP demands white paper on pollution from Delhi govt as AQI deteriorates Singapore & India looking at new growth drivers to propel ties: Kumaran AAP govt, LG office should work with coordination to serve people: Official Supreme Court rules in favour of Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi govt vs L-G case Most digitally adept MSME retail owners between 18-30 yrs of age: Report Delhi to get more EV charging stations, battery swapping facilities

"The Supreme Court has sternly said that the powers of the Delhi government snatched by the Centre in 2015 was unconstitutional and its only motive was to fail the AAP government," Kejriwal, who is AAP's national convener, said.

He said on May 23, 2015, an order was passed by the Centre that services matters will be under the control of the LG and not the chief minister. "I could not take any action even if someone was caught for taking a bribe. It was like my hands were tied and I was asked to swim," Kejriwal said.

The chief minister said despite "hurdles" created before the AAP government in Delhi, it did "spectacular" work.

"We gave a model of education and health to the country. Work will now happen at 10 times the earlier speed. Delhi will now present a model of able governance to the entire country," he said.

Kejriwal said officers who obstructed public work will "face consequences" in the coming days.

"There will be a big administrative reshuffle in a few days. Many officers will be transferred on the basis of what they have done till now. There are some officers who have stopped public works in the last year-and-a-half. There have been instances where medicines of Mohalla Clinics, tests and the DJB's (Delhi Jal Board) money was stopped," Chief Minister Kejriwal said.

"Such officers will have to face consequences of their misdeeds. Opportunity will be given to responsive and compassionate officers and employees who want to serve the public," he said.

Asked about the control over the Delhi government's probe agency -- the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) -- in light of the Supreme Court verdict, the chief minister said,"The ACB is not with us but vigilance (department) will now be with us. Disciplinary proceedings can be initiated against officers who do not work properly."



Kejriwal said his government will now strive to provide a "responsive, compassionate, lean and thin, and accountable government" to the people of the national capital.

The AAP government will provide model governance and administration just like it did in the fields of education and health, he said.

"Some officers occupying posts create hurdles. They will be removed. Also, posts will be created where there is a need of more officers," he said.

Kejriwal said already much time has been "wasted" and urged the BJP government at the Centre not to interfere in the Delhi government's works.

"If you have to rule Delhi, then win over the hearts of its people. We are working in Delhi now, you can do it after winning here," Kejriwal said referring to the BJP, which is the main opposition party in the assembly.

He also said after getting control of the Services Department, which was earlier a domain of the LG, the Delhi government can create new posts and abolish old ones.

Kejriwal said earlier too the Delhi government was responsible for affairs of the city but it lacked power. "Now, we have been given that power by the Supreme Court to fulfil the responsibility. We will now be able to complete the works related to Delhi in the assembly," said the chief minister.

The issue of various departments refusing replies to questions asked by MLas in the Delhi assembly citing the "reserved subjects" condition had been a matter of tussle between the AAP dispensation and the LG.

The chief minister said officers, who created "hurdles" in public work in the past one and half years, will be removed and honest officers will replace them. "Imagine the scope of work we would do if these hurdles were not there. Now, the works will be done 10 times faster," he said.

The Supreme Court judgment is "historic" and it has done justice with the people of Delhi, Kejriwal said.


In the Delhi government vs L-G case, the court said, "Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over the administration of services except for public order, police, and land." The Supreme Court on Thursday heard some important cases, which included the Delhi government vs Lieutenant Governor (L-G) and the Maharashtra dispute case between Shiv Sena factions of Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.



-In other news, the top court reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas seeking legal validation for same-sex marriage, observing that it cannot give a declaration on the anticipation of how the Parliament is likely to respond to it. In the Maharashtra dispute case, the top court ruled that "Eknath Shinde will continue as the chief minister of Maharashtra, with the SC holding on that it cannot restore the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray as he resigned without facing a floor test in June last year."



-The Delhi High Court directed the Tihar jail superintendent to allow video calls between former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and his ailing wife for an hour every alternate day. Here are some of the important cases heard by the Delhi High Court

Also Read Same-sex marriage in India: What did Supreme Court say in the case? SC begins hearing of pleas to recognise same-sex marriages; details here Same-sex marriage case in the Supreme Court: Here is what the Centre said Delhi v Centre and Shiv Sena cases: Supreme Court to announce verdict today Same-sex marriage: Centre files fresh affidavit in SC, seeks states' views Delhi to get more EV charging stations, battery swapping facilities More than 52.5 mn subscribers enrolled in Atal Pension Yojana: FinMin Government's e-commerce network ONDC available in 236 cities: CEO SC verdict on Centre-Delhi services triggers meme fest on social media Centre must work within boundaries of basic structure of Constitution: SC



-The court formed a committee to conduct surprise checks at Tihar jail to gather information on the food being served to inmates and the level of hygiene at the prison. -It sought to know the Enforcement Directorate's stand on a plea moved by Raghav Magunta, the son of YSR Congress Party MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, seeking interim bail in a money laundering case related to an alleged liquor scam in the national capital.
A woman passenger detained by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata for consuming alcoholic beverages and misbehaving with the passengers on an IndiGo New Delhi-Kolkata flight, was on Thursday morning handed over the police.

It is learnt that arrested passenger Paramjit Kaur, who was travelling to Kolkata by that IndiGo New Delhi-Kolkata flight, was found by the cabin crew and fellow passengers to be in an inebriated state. Soon after, she even started misbehaving with her fellow passengers.

Airline officials immediately contacted the CISF officers deputed at Kolkata airport. At 1.10 a.m. after the flight landed at the airport, airline staff handed over the accused passenger to the CISF personnel.

The CISF detained her till Thursday morning at the airport premises and finally around 7 a.m. on Thursday, she was handed over to the cops of the Airport Police Station which comes under the Bidhannagar City Police.

The CISF personnel had to wait till sunrise since at Indian law, the police cannot take a woman in custody after sunset.

--IANS

Also Read Drunk flyer on Delhi-Bengaluru IndiGo flight tries to open emergency door IndiGo Q3: Focus on international destinations lifts outlook, say analysts Deogarh-bound IndiGo flight from Delhi diverted to Lucknow over bomb threat DCW issues notice to police for drunk driving, seeks solution to end menace IndiGo CarGo operates 1st international flight between Kolkata, Yangon ICMR, AYUSH ministry sign MoU for collaboration on health research Haryana CM Khattar inaugurates 46 health institutions in 17 districts 800 farmers, entrepreneurs authorised to use GI tag for 13 NE products India uses technology to empower, not to show dominance, says PM Modi Won't need Operation Lotus as BJP will win 120-125 seats: Shobha Karandlaje

src/vd


The report said that the number of active white-collar job openings decreased by 21 per cent in April compared to March, and the sector posted 54 per cent fewer positions overall. The demand for white-collar jobs in the Indian IT services sector, which accounts for the majority of jobs in the technology sector cohort, reached its lowest volume in the previous 28 months in April, a report by Economic Times (ET) said.



According to search firms CIEL HR and Longhouse Consulting, their mandates from major IT companies have decreased by 50-60 per cent compared to a year ago. Data from the employment platform showed a similar trend with job postings reduced to half in IT services and products.



Nitin Bhatt, partner & technology sector leader at EY, stated that several corporate and retail customers are switching from regional banks to larger banks as a result of the US banking crisis. The turmoil in the global banking sector has lead IT sector consultants and job market experts to predict that IT services firms will adopt a more cautious stance before adding to their payrolls. Other than that, the persistent macroeconomic unpredictability around the world is making employers more cautious while hiring, it said.

Also Read Hiring intent for non-white collar jobs up 10% YoY in Q1FY24: Report White-collar workers turn to gig jobs in search of better work-life balance White-collar jobs for women grow 35% YoY in February: Foundit data Blue and grey-collar job demand in India up four-fold in 2022: Report Vacancies for blue-collar jobs in India rose in FY23, but job seekers down Rana Group signs Sourav Ganguly as its new brand ambassador, details here E-commerce platforms growing slower than expected as sale drops: Report Sugar production declines 9% in 2022-23 season due to low recovery FMCG volume growth returns in January-March quarter, shows NIQ data Market share of inverter-based ACs rises to 77% in FY23: Power ministry



He added that digital transformation initiatives in the BFSI sector are currently moving slowly, but once the recession is over, they will pick up speed. This would lead to a greater emphasis on work related to infrastructure management services (IMS) and applications management services (AMS) in the short to medium term. Many players are addressing these needs through bench reuse and automation, Bhatt said.



"With the outlook remaining low for the upcoming quarters, we may be at least two quarters away from witnessing a significant recovery in tech hiring action," Ethanur added. The decline in demand has occurred amid quarterly results that emerged below expectations. "The Q4 results from the IT services bellwethers did not bring any cheer to the talent market," said Anil Ethanur, co-founder of Xpheno.

Meanwhile, the sector experts said that even though companies have tightened up on hiring new employees, a large bench size is still something to be concerned about.




India, South Africa, and 80 other WTO members had proposed a response for future pandemics, but the ministerial outcome of 2022 only covered Covid-19 vaccines, with the US delaying an outcome on therapeutics and diagnostics, it added. After obtaining a five-year patent waiver for Covid-19 vaccines in 2022, India is likely to push for a global waiver for vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics to combat future pandemics at the mini-ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Paris on June 7, a report by Economic Times (ET) said.



In the event of future pandemics, an omnibus waiver will enable a quick response and prevent drawn-out negotiations, he said. Meanwhile, an official told ET that the country will advocate for flexibility for future pandemics.



At the meeting, discussions around a moratorium on levying customs duties on e-transmissions are also expected. India and South Africa have sought for a review and re-examination of the moratorium on e-commerce transmissions that has continued for 24-years. The mini-ministerial meet, being held on the sidelines of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) meeting, will lay out the agenda for the 13th Ministerial Conference of the WTO the next year.

Also Read US extends visa walk-in interview waiver for more applicants; check here WTO ruling against India in tech tariffs dispute with European Union Mankind Pharma IPO to open next week: Check price band, GMP, other details ICT levy dispute at WTO: EU may opt for retaliatory tariffs on Indian goods Saregama Carvaan Mini+ review: Novel portable wireless speaker on budget Set for demerger, Sanofi's consumer health brands have strong traction Rana Group signs Sourav Ganguly as its new brand ambassador, details here Demand for white-collar jobs in IT sector lowest in 28 months: Report E-commerce platforms growing slower than expected as sale drops: Report Sugar production declines 9% in 2022-23 season due to low recovery



Separately, 80 nations, including India and China, have called for the WTO to start text-based negotiations to find a long-term solution on public stockholding (PSH) for food security at the ministerial-level meeting of the global trade body in February of next year. According to estimates from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, developing countries could lose $10 billion in annual tariff revenue due to the moratorium on e-transmissions as compared to only $289 million for high-income countries.



While India's good subsidies are shielded from WTO member action by a peace clause that protects its food procurement policies in the event that the subsidy ceilings10 per cent of the value of food production in the case of India and other developing countriesare breached, developing countries have been pushing for a long-term resolution to the problem. This comes in response to demands from developing nations and the African Group for a food security package at the 2024 conference.



Officials further said that the Centre is in discussions with the coastal states to accept the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which was a component of the outcome package at the ministerial conference last year. "There are talks that the food security package should be at the heart of the MC13 outcome. However, there are differing opinions on the package's contents, the outcome's scope, and the level of ambition," said another official.

Talks on fisheries subsidies are also likely to take place at the mini-ministerial next month, the official added.


Technical View Bias: Consolidation likely



Larsen & Toubro has witnessed a gradual up move since mid-July 2022, with charts showing that the stock has consistently taken support around the 20-WMA (Weekly Moving Average) during corrective phases. Support: Rs 2,200



On the daily scale, the stock has given a negative divergence on more than one counts with today's sharp fall. Presently, the stock is seen trading below the 20-DMA (Daily Moving Average) which stands at Rs 2,295. The next support levels are at Rs 2,225 and Rs 2,190 - the 50-DMA and 100-DMA, respectively. Once again, the stock seems headed towards the 20-WMA support level, which now stands at Rs 2,200. As long as the stock maintains this on a weekly closing basis, the stock is likely to bounce back and re-test highs of Rs 2,400 level.

Also Read New phase of capex cycle to start soon, say analysts. Top stocks to bet on Ongoing divestment, healthy order inflows positive for Larsen & Toubro Larsen & Toubro hits record high; market-cap crosses Rs 3 trn mark Larsen & Toubro falls 2% on profit booking post Q3 results Larsen & Toubro gains nearly 3% as hydrocarbon business wins mega contract Varun Beverages maintains strong growth trajectory in March quarter Stocks to Watch Today: L&T. DRL, Adani Group, Asian Paints, Hero Moto MARKET LIVE: Sensex, Nifty hold slim gains; IndusInd up 2%,Hindalco dips 3% Charts exhibit bearish trend for Nifty Realty, Pharma indices in near-term Sectoral and thematic schemes biggest draw for millennials, says report



(With inputs from Rex Cano)

Further, among the key momentum oscillators, the Directional Index (DI) and MACD have given a negative divergence. Thus, hinting of a likely corrective phase or consolidation.

Shares of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) dipped 4 per cent to Rs 2,270 on the BSE in Thursday's intra-day trade on profit booking after the engineering behemoth reported a 10 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit to Rs 3,987 crore for the March quarter (Q4FY23) compared to a profit of Rs 3,621 crore in the year-ago period. Revenue grew 10 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 58,335 crore.The stock of the country's biggest infrastructure company had hit a record high of Rs 2,416 on May 2, 2023. However, despite the stock's 4 per cent decline from its all-time high level, L&T has outperformed the market by surging 9 per cent thus far in the calendar year 2023. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex is up 1.5 per cent during the same period. In the past one year, L&T has rallied 45 per cent, as against nearly 15 per cent gain in the benchmark index.L&Ts growth on profit was supported by a 43.7 per cent YoY surge in other income to Rs 741 crore in Q4FY23. Profit before interest, depreciation and taxes (PBIDT) grew in single-digits, by 7.3 per cent, to Rs 9,095 crore compared to Rs 8,474 crore in the year-ago period.The Q4 numbers, however, were marginally short of expectations. According to Bloomberg poll, analysts were expecting revenues of Rs 58,907 crore and net profit of Rs 4,032 crore for the March quarter.L&T ended 2022-23 with a record high order book of Rs 4 trillion. The company said it received new orders worth Rs 2.3 trillion at the group level during the year ended March 31.L&T has given guidance for sales growth/order inflow growth at 12-15 per cent/10-12 per cent, respectively. Management highlighted that the conservative revenue growth probably factors-in FY24 being likely impacted to some extent by the elections.Meanwhile, L&T announced that it has appointed S N Subrahmanyan, as Chairman and Managing Director with effect from October 1, 2023. A M Naik after he decided to step down as Non-Executive Chairman of the L&T Group."L&T remains the best way to play the capex recovery theme in India given its strong execution capability, presence across diverse sectors and geographies, which makes its less vulnerable during down cycles. Focus on monetisation of non-core assets, enhancing RoEs and reducing debt makes its an attractive portfolio bet to ride the infrastructure and manufacturing cycle revival theme," the brokerage firm ICICI Securities said in a note.L&T reported a weak print on core E&C EBITDA, flat YoY on low base and 13 per cent below estimates, said analysts at Kotak Securities.The brokerage firm said it has cut its estimates by a similar quantum and cut Fair Value by a lower 4 per cent on roll-forward and higher 20X multiple. The latter bakes in the prospects of margins moving toward 10 per cent levels over time and better business returns reported, the brokerage firm said.L&T reported decent set of quarterly performance with consolidated revenue growth, while margins contracted 74bps YoY due to cost pressure in certain EPC project. Net working capital (NWC) to sales improved to 16.1 per cent in FY23 vs 19.7 per cent in FY22, owing to robust operational cash flows supported by smart execution and customers advances, said analysts at Prabhudas Lilladher.Project and Manufacturing (P&M) margins came in at 8.6 per cent in FY23 below guidance of 9 per cent, owing to impact of increase in commodity prices and freight issue. Margins are likely to improve from H2FY24, with new projects reaching margin recognition threshold. NWC to sales guided to be 16-18 per cent for FY24. Tender prospect from Infrastructure stands at Rs 6.5 trillion, Energy  Rs 2.9 trillion and Hi-tech Rs 0.25 trillion.The brokerage firm believes L&T is well-placed to benefit in long run with strong tender prospects, better order conversion in domestic market, significant traction in hydrocarbon segment from exports market and expected uptick in private capex.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday said the Supreme Court verdict on the Centre-Delhi government row will prevent the "BJP-LG's dictatorial nexus" from strangling democracy.

In a huge victory for the ruling AAP dispensation in its festering feud with the Union government, the apex court on Thursday ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over administration of services except for public order, police and land.

Addressing a press conference, Singh said, "The landmark decision marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of effective governance in Delhi."



While clarifying that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's battle was never personal, he said it represented a fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which sought to punish the 2 crore citizens of Delhi for democratically electing a party and leader of their choice.

Singh highlighted how the Centre's response to the people of Delhi electing Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been to continuously obstruct progress and development in Delhi by impeding the establishment of essential services such as 'mohalla clinics', government schools, and education reforms. They even obstructed the implementation of door-to-door delivery of rations in Delhi, denying the citizens their rightful entitlements, he claimed.

"Today, the Supreme Court's decision has put an end to these malicious and politically motivated tactics employed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This landmark ruling has unveiled the extent to which the central government, under Modi, stifled the elected government headed by Kejriwal, chosen by people with a resounding majority and funded through democratic means.

"This serves as a resounding message that the numerous daily hurdles deliberately imposed upon the Kejriwal government and placed in the path of progress of Delhi were never democratic or legal," he stressed.

Also Read Sanjay Singh's name in excise case charge sheet deliberate, says AAP False promises of AAP won't work in MCD elections, says Anurag Thakur Punjab govt has collapsed, AAP CM Bhagwant Mann should resign: BJP leader Amritpal's arrest result of month-long effort of Punjab Police, govt: AAP BJP's Adesh Gupta resigns post-MCD loss; interim charge with Sachdeva Delhi govt removes services secretary More; ex-Jal Board CEO to replace him Biju Janata Dal to go solo in Lok Sabha polls 2024: Naveen Patnaik Would rather wait for results than believe in exit polls: Farooq Abdullah UP local body elections: Over 40 per cent polling recorded till 3 pm Delhi liquor scam: HC calls for ED's stand on bail plea of YSRC MP's son

"... The Supreme Court's order today is a resounding blow to the attempts made by the Modi government and the Delhi Lieutenant Governor to strangle democracy and establish a dictatorial regime," he said.

The AAP leader also hit out at those officers who prioritised the L-G over the elected government, neglecting the needs and aspirations of the public. These officers, who draw their salaries from the hard-earned tax money of the public are duty-bound to serve them with dedication and integrity. By neglecting their responsibilities and prioritising the L-G over the elected government, they have created hardships for the people who pay their salaries, he added.

The Aam Aadmi Party Teachers' wing, AADTA, also hailed the judgement and said it upholds the spirit of federalism and elected representatives' supremacy, which will in turn enhance the goodwill, respect and faith of Indian masses in judiciary.

"AADTA congratulates Arvind Kejriwal for his visionary leadership and public spirited commitments which made possible to restore what belongs to the people of Delhi," it said.
A voter turnout of 40.80 per cent was recorded till 3.00 pm in the final phase of the urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday with the Samajwadi Party alleging that supporters of the ruling BJP were indulging in election malpractices, especially in Kannauj.

The polling began at 7 am on Thursday in Meerut, Ghaziabad, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Aligarh, Kanpur, and Ayodhya and will continue till 6 pm.

Polling was going on smoothly with 46.75 per cent turnout in Ayodhya, 38.61 per cent in Aligarh, 42.81 per cent in Etawah, 53.29 per cent in Gautam Buddh Nagar, 34.69 per cent in Ghaziabad, 32.84 per cent in Kanpur and 36.95 per cent in Bareilly till 3.00 pm, the election office said.

In a series of tweets, the main opposition Samajwadi Party accused members of the ruling party of indulging in fake voting in the Gursahaiganj polling booth of Kannauj.

It also alleged that BJP MP Subrat Pathak and his supporters were misbehaving with SP workers and voters at another booth in Kannauj, and appealed to the State Election Commission to take notice of it.

The main opposition party claimed that the husband of an Independent nominee in Kanpur's Ghatampur was shot at and also alleged that Dalits and OBCs were being denied voting rights.

Also Read National parties should support regional ones against BJP, says Akhilesh 'Fake' encounters are staged in UP: Akhilesh on killing of Atiq Ahmad's son Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav flays rise in milk prices, bus fares BJP has made agriculture an unprofitable proposition: SP's Akhilesh Yadav CM Yogi Adityanath framing Samajwadi Party leaders in false cases: Akhilesh Delhi liquor scam: HC calls for ED's stand on bail plea of YSRC MP's son Thennarasu replaces Palanivel Thiaga Rajan as Tamil Nadu Finance minister Ex-JD(U) president RCP Singh joins BJP, attacks Bihar CM Nitish Kumar SC faults Maha governor and speaker, but won't restore Thackeray govt You'll see results in next LS elections when we work unitedly: Bihar CM

There have been reports of six fake voters being caught at a polling booth in Mau district.

Bulandshahr District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said that some people had made fake Aadhaar cards, and also fake identity cards of government employees. "We have detained 100 such people from different urban local bodies," he said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in his message to people, tweeted, "Today is the last phase of polling for the Uttar Pradesh Municipal elections 2023. All respected voters are appealed to participate in this festival of democracy to form a triple-engine government. Do vote. Your valuable vote will make your municipal corporation more empowered."



Triple-engine is a term being used by BJP leaders to refer to the party ruling at the Centre, state and local levels.

Prominent among the early voters were state Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, who exercised his franchise at a school located at Diwan Jograj, Cooperatives Minister JPS Rathore and PWD Minister Jitin Prasad at Sudama Prasad Vidyalaya in Shahjahanpur.

Speaker of the state Assembly Satish Mahana cast his vote in Kanpur and Minister of State (independent charge) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Arun Kumar in Bareilly.

Union minister General VK Singh (retd.) cast his vote in Ghaziabad, and in a tweet in Hindi said voting was absolutely necessary to elect a development-oriented public representative.

Union minister and Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel, who cast her vote in Mirzapur, said efforts were on to ensure progress of the district. Apna Dal is an alliance partner of the ruling BJP.

The municipal elections gain significance as political parties are trying to showcase their electoral strength in Uttar Pradesh before the 2024 general elections. The state sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

Shahjahanpur is voting to elect its first mayor. Meerut and Aligarh had BSP mayors in 2017 while the BJP ruled the rest.

The BSP has fielded Hasmat Malik from Meerut. The BSP candidate had won the mayoral elections in 1995, 2000 and then in 2017.

In Aligarh, the party has fielded Salman Sahid as its candidate.

Traditionally, Aligarh has been a bastion of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has never lost this seat ever since the system of direct voting was introduced for the mayoral post in 1995. However, in 2017, the BSP's Mohammad Furqan won the mayoral contest.

This time, Aligarh is witnessing a triangular contest among the ruling BJP, principal opposition Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as well as SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had campaigned for their party candidates in Aligarh.

According to the State Election Commission (SEC), over 1.92 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in the second phase. The first phase of voting was held on May 4. The counting of votes for both phases will take place on May 13.

As many as 39,146 candidates are in the fray in the second round for 6,929 posts, which includes seven mayors and 581 corporators. Apart from this, voting is also being held to elect 95 chairpersons and 2,520 members of nagar palika parishads, and 267 chairpersons and 3,459 members of various nagar panchayats.

The SEC said 77 representatives, including nine corporators, have been elected unopposed in this phase.

Meanwhile, Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said for a peaceful conduct of the polls, one lakh civil police personnel, 76 companies and two platoons of the PAC, 35 companies of CAPF and 7,935 under-training sub-inspectors have been deployed.
National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said he would rather wait for assembly election results in Karnataka than believe in the exit polls.

"We should wait for the results to come because I have seen that these polls can go anyway," Abdullah told reporters at Vihil Shopian, in south Kashmir, after he was asked to comment on the exit polls results.

He was there to attend a party event.

Most exit polls on Wednesday predicted a close contest between the Congress and the BJP in the high-stakes Karnataka Assembly polls with many pollsters giving an edge to the grand old party.

Asked about the upcoming G20 tourism working group meeting in Kashmir, Abdullah, a former Union minister, said India hosting the summit this year was not something new as the grouping's host country changes every year.

"G20 presidency goes to one of the 20 countries every year. This is not something new. The benefit of the G20 is that 20 countries present their problems, look for their solutions, and try to move forward in a friendly environment," he said.

Also Read Unfortunate that no G20 meetings were scheduled in Jammu: Farooq Abdullah I'm still National Conference president, haven't resigned: Farooq Abdullah Never joined hands with Pakistan: Farooq Abdullah at rally in J-K's Akhnoor Farooq Abdullah re-elected as NC chief after presidential polls were held J-K can't develop until democratic rights are guaranteed: Farooq Abdullah UP local body elections: Over 40 per cent polling recorded till 3 pm Delhi liquor scam: HC calls for ED's stand on bail plea of YSRC MP's son Thennarasu replaces Palanivel Thiaga Rajan as Tamil Nadu Finance minister Ex-JD(U) president RCP Singh joins BJP, attacks Bihar CM Nitish Kumar SC faults Maha governor and speaker, but won't restore Thackeray govt

Asked about his remarks at the party event that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) pays money to several youth in the valley, Abdullah said it was a fact that many youths and tall leaders have been bought by the intelligence agencies.

"Is it not true that our children have been bought? In fact, our tall leaders have been bought. Who were those people who are talking about other parties? Till sometime back, they were with Pakistan. They were beating the drums of Pakistan. Were they not? How come they are Indian today? How?



"Till some time ago, they were under the influence of Pakistan, how have they changed? It is just to weaken the NC. That is their aim," Abdullah added, without taking any names.
India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday invited Japanese investors and business leaders to explore investment opportunities in the country, saying that New Delhi is easing a lot of restrictions and ensuring overall ease of doing business in its walk towards Amrit Kaal.

Indian government describes 'Amrit Kaal', as the 25-year period culminating in the centenary of the country's independence.

Sitharaman is on a two-day official visit to Niigata, Japan, to attend a G7 meeting. India is an invitee to G 7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting.

Interacting with a group of investors and business leaders on the theme of 'Rising Investment Opportunities: Destination India', Sitharaman talked about the initiatives of the Indian government towards building India in 'Amrit Kaal'.

She further said the Union Budget presented by her in February was prepared keeping in mind the needs of the next 25 years to help India become a developed nation by 2047.

Referring to 'Amrit Kaal', the finance minister said her government's focus is on on four "Is".

Also Read Post-pandemic development requirements becoming lot more focussed: FM FM Nirmala Sitharaman leaves for 2-day visit to Japan to attend G 7 meeting In a bid to improve ties, S. Korean, Japanese leaders meet again for summit Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman kicks off pre-budget consultations Budget 2023: FM Nirmala Sitharaman takes tablet in red pouch to Parliament Kerala to issue ordinance amending hospital protection law to ensure safety India marks 25th anniversary of 1998 nuclear tests in Rajasthan's Pokhran Steel Ministry directs stakeholders to develop R&D roadmap for steel sector Delhi HC orders checks at Tihar Jail to ensure proper food for inmates UIDAI launches national drive to update Aadhaar operators on policy changes

The four Is refer to infrastructure - both physical and digital; investments - domestic and foreign; innovation to enhance use of technology in lives of people; and inclusivity to ensure every citizen benefits from growth.

Sitharaman apprised the investors and business leaders from Japan, that to facilitate businesses, India has been easing a lot of restrictions and ensuring overall ease of doing business in its walk towards Amrit Kaal, the finance minister said in a series of tweets.

In her address, she also highlighted the government's priority to incentivise and facilitate investments by businesses through the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which was initially introduced for 14 sectors and is now being expanded in areas of semi-conductors and solar components.

Referring to India's commitment to the greening of the economy and the goals under Nationally Determined Contributions, especially in renewable energy, she said that the country has already achieved, with its own funds, 175 GW of solar energy, and now aims to achieve 300 GW by 2030.

She also said in the area of renewable energy, India has launched a National Hydrogen Mission.

As per the tweets, the minister also informed business leaders about the government's focus on skilling people in the fast-developing area of artificial intelligence so that the young population can use it towards innovative solutions for all.
Google has released "MusicLM" -- a new experimental AI tool that can generate high-fidelity music in any genre given a text description.

The tool was first announced in January this year and is now available to the public.

The text-to-music AI tool is available in the AI Test Kitchen app on the web, Android or iOS.

"Starting today, you can sign up to try it in AI Test Kitchen on the web, Android or iOS. Just type in a prompt like acesoulful jazz for a dinner party" and MusicLM will create two versions of the song for you. You can listen to both and give a trophy to the track that you like better, which will help improve the model," Google said in a blogpost on Wednesday.

The tech giant also said that it has been working with musicians like Dan Deacon (an American composer and electronic musician) and hosting workshops to see how this technology can empower the creative process.

Moreover, Google has also introduced "Project Gameface" -- a new open-source hands-free gaming mouse that enables users to control a computer's cursor using their head movement and facial gestures.

Also Read Google rolls out 'sleep timer' feature in YouTube Music app: Details here OpenAI launches new tool 'AI Text Classifier' to detect AI-generated text Google introduces AI system that generates music from text descriptions WhatsApp may introduce 3 new features for text editor in drawing tool Meta-owned WhatsApp working on new 'text editor' for iOS beta: Report Twitter rolls out new encrypted DMs feature exclusive to verified users 57% of all fraud incidents in India are 'platform' frauds: PwC India New AI-powered breathalyser for disease sniffs out Covid-19 in real-time National technology day 2023: History, significance, quotes and more Google I/O 23: Bard AI in 180 countries to Pixel Fold, updates from keynote

People can raise their eyebrows to click and drag or open their mouths to move the cursor, making it possible for anyone to pursue gaming.

The project was inspired by the story of quadriplegic video game streamer Lance Carr, who lives with muscular dystrophy, a progressive disease that weakens muscles, the company said.

--IANS

shs/shb/
National Technology Day: History

In 1998, then-Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee conducted five nuclear bomb tests (Pokhran- II) in May 1998.



The Pokhran - II was headed by the Missile Man of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who believes that science is the most powerful means for the advancement of life.



After the successful Pokhran - II test, India became the sixth nuclear country.



To celebrate the occasion, the government of India, under PM Vajpayee's leadership, declared May 11 as National Technology Day.



The first National Technology Day was observed on May 11, 1999.

National Technology Day is celebrated every year on May 11 to honour the contributions of respected scientists, engineers, and researchers in the field of science and technology.India is one of the fastest-developing nations in the world, and its credit goes to technical advancements.We are living in an era of innovation, and no country could lead to the path of development undervaluing technological advancements.India has significantly raised its standards of science and technology in the last three decades, improving Indias status on global platforms.
Tribal clashes over several days killed 25 people in southern Sudan, the country's doctors union said on Wednesday, raising fears the war between the country's rival top generals currently centred in the capital could set off more violence in far-flung provinces.

It remained unclear whether the tribal clashes were related to the brutal fighting that ignited mid-April across the country as a result of a power struggle between the military's head, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands a powerful paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces.

The tribal violence in the south erupted Monday between the Hausa and Nuba tribes in the city of Kosti, the capital of White Nile province bordering South Sudan, according to Sudanese local media reports.

Deadly tribal violence is not uncommon in Sudan's south and west, where disputes dating back to the country's split from South Sudan remain unresolved.

The country's wider conflict has so far claimed the lives of more than 600 people, including civilians, and displaced hundreds of thousands. The violence has also spread to other regions, namely the restive Darfur province. Last month, armed fighters, many in RSF uniforms, rampaged through the city of Genena in West Darfur killing at least 100 people, according to the doctors' group, the Sudanese Doctor's Syndicate, which mainly tracks civilian fatalities.

The UN's migration agency said that 700,000 people have now been displaced by the violence, in updated figures released on Tuesday, more than double the tally from a week prior. Before the fighting started, 3.7 million people were already displaced internally, mainly in western Darfur, according to the agency's figures.

Also Read How the world backed two generals, and put Sudan on the path to war India supports peace process and capacity building in South Sudan Operation Kaveri: How India is rescuing its citizens amid crisis in Sudan US troops evacuating 70 diplomats from Sudan amid fierce fighting Emergency medical aid supplies reach Sudan, as fighting sputters on Pakistan deploys troops to halt unrest from ex-PM Imran Khan's arrest Imran Khan's supporters attack house of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif China objects India's proposal to blacklist JeM leader Abdul Rauf Azhar EU proposes tougher cybersecurity labelling for Amazon, Google, MS Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif says protesters to be dealt with 'iron fist'

UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said on Wednesday that food insecurity in Sudan is expected to surge to record levels due to the conflict, affecting more than 19 million people, or two-fifths of the population, according to the World Food Programme.

A series of cease-fires has failed to stop the fighting and prompted foreign governments to speed up the evacuation of their citizens from the war-torn country.

Meanwhile, Sudan's warring parties are holding talks in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah, but have made little progress as of Monday regarding a more sustained humanitarian truce, a UN official in Sudan told The Associated Press.

The talks, the first since the fighting erupted, are a part of a Saudi-US initiative meant to stop the fighting.

The UN official added that the gap between the two sides' positions remains wide, due to deep mistrust. He called for more pressure on the two generals, especially from their regional backers. The military has traditionally been backed by Egypt's government, and the RSF has enjoyed support from the United Arab Emirates.

They should give concessions to reach a compromise, he said.

The military has demanded that the RSF withdraw from Khartoum's neighbourhoods and its hospitals, power and oil facilities to one central base outside the city, according to two senior military officials with direct knowledge of the talks.

Meanwhile, the paramilitary group is saying that it should retain control of all of the bases it had held prior to the conflict, including at key locations inside the capital, such as the Khartoum Airport, according to two RSF officials involved in the preparations for the talks. They said the RSF is also looking to ensure its ranks are still paid out of the national budget and that its wounded soldiers can receive adequate medical treatment.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk the media because of the ongoing negotiations.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry had said the talks aim to achieve an effective short-term cease-fire to facilitate humanitarian assistance, and agree on a timetable for further negotiations to reach a permanent cease-fire.
Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) Vice Chancellor Professor Rungano Zvobgo lost his sister, Gogo Tsungirirayi Vhudzijena nee Zvobgo (84) and her firstborn son Kenias Matindike Vhudzijena within hours apart.

Prof Zvobgo, also the African Reformed Church Bishop, released a statement to confirm the deaths to The Mirror and said the mother and son will be buried together at the family shrine at Shonganiso Mission on Saturday.

Gogo Vhudzijena died on Sunday at the Avenues Clinic after a lengthy battle with a heart condition. The condition was diagnosed in 1992.

Kenias had an underlying heart condition and died the following day at Samuel Leon Hospital in Harare after a short illness.

Mourners are gathered at 206A Enterprise Road, The Grange in Harare.

Kenias was an accountant at the GZU, while Gogo Vhudzijena was a retired Shonganiso Mission teacher and a liberation war collaborator. She was declared a provincial hero but will be buried at the family shrine.

Zvobgo said Gogo Vhudzijena and her late husband, Kenias Matindike Vhudzijena used limited resources, including a small pick-up truck to deliver medication, food and other critical supplies to liberation war fighters in Masvingo province.

She was born in Masvingo on April 7, 1939, at Shonganiso Mission

Zvobgo described Gogo Vhudzijena as a pillar for the family, church and community determined to unite everyone.

This passion for community development continued well into independence and beyond through the development of Shonganiso Mission which comprises Shonganiso Primary School, Zivezano Secondary, Shonganiso Clinic and the African Reformed Church, said Zvobgo.

He added that, under her stewardship, Shonganiso Mission has made great strides as a centre of education and religion.

In her, we have lost a mother, sister, aunt, friend and spiritual confidante whose life is a celebration of service, commitment and sacrifice for the Murinye community of Masvingo. She was benevolent, loving, caring, and a source of wisdom for the family and community, he added.

She is survived by six children, 29 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Masvingo Mirror
What is the African Swine Fever virus?

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a viral disease affecting pigs and boars with a 100% fatality rate, reported the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.



It is a double-stranded DNA virus in the Asfarviridae family. The virus is very contagious for domestic and wild pigs.



The virus is not a danger to humans, but impacts the pig population drastically and ultimately impacts the farming economy.



ASF has been in the headlines since 2018, and it has impacted more than 18 countries so far, and India is one such country.



According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, the virus is highly resistant to the environment and can survive on clothes, boots, wheels, and other materials.



Beyond all, the virus can survive in various pork products, such as ham, sausages or bacon.



Hence, human behaviour plays a critical role in spreading ASF across borders and the need to take adequate action.

The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) confirmed the African Swine fever outbreak on Tuesday, May 9.The outbreak in Indonesia has killed 35,297 out of the 2,85,034 pigs on a farm in Indonesia's Bulan island, near Singapore.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has publicly expressed concerns over reports of China gathering DNA from Tibetans, making him the senior-most American official to raise the issue to date.

As the featured speaker at Freedom House's annual Freedom Awards on Wednesday, Blinken stated: "We're also concerned by reports of the spread of mass DNA collection to Tibet as an additional form of control and surveillance over the Tibetan population."

In September 2022, Citizen Lab reported that Chinese police may have gathered about 920,000 to 1.2 million DNA samples in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), which spans around half of traditional Tibet, over the prior six years.

Those figures represent one-quarter to one-third of the region's total population.

That same month, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said China's authorities were systematically collecting DNA from residents of the TAR, including by taking blood from children as young as five without their parents' consent.

Blinken's statement met with an accusatory response from China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Also Read UN report shows worsening human rights situation of Tibetans under China G20 meet: Foreign Ministers of Spain, China, other nations arrive in India Blinken threatened to be held in contempt over US' Afghanistan withdrawal Necessary to include human rights issues in climate policies: NHRC Rajasthan's Dr. Kriti Bharti bags Global Youth Human Rights Champion Award China's slow consumer inflation, deepening deflation to test policy Democrats bring Citizenship Act to eliminate country quota for Green Card Ukraine needs more than a $30 billion arsenal for counterstrike on Russia Earthquake of magnitude 4.5 jolts southwest Fayzabad in Afghanistan Ajeya Warrior exercise to increase India, UK army interoperability: Envoy

However, the International Campaign for Tibet welcomed the Secretary's remarks.

"Throughout its brutal occupation of Tibet, China has used Tibet as a laboratory for relentless methods of social control, including this horrific campaign of mass DNA collection," said the ICT, an advocacy group based in Washington D.C. and Europe.

"The best way to protect Tibetans from China's authoritarian rule is to push for a peaceful resolution to China's illegal occupation of Tibet. The US can and must do that by passing the bipartisan Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act that is currently in both Houses of Congress."

According to Citizen Lab, China's DNA collection program is unrelated to criminal justice.

"Our analysis indicates that for years police across Tibet have collected DNA samples from men, women, and children, none of whom appear to be criminal suspects," Citizen Lab says in its report.

Police are also not targeting specific groups like activists or government critics. Instead, they are collecting DNA from entire communities.

Similarly, the HRW said in its report that, "there is no publicly available evidence suggesting people can decline to participate" in the DNA collection, "or that police have credible evidence of criminal conduct that might warrant such collection".

At a press briefing on Wednesday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin responded to a question about Blinken's remarks by claiming they "mean nothing except manufacturing sensational news items".

Wang then accused the US military of collecting genomic data of Chinese, Arabs and "European Aryans".

China has illegally occupied Tibet for over 60 years, forcing the Dalai Lama into exile in 1959.

Earlier this year, Democrats and Republicans in both chambers of Congress reintroduced a bill that can help peacefully resolve the occupation.

The Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act will pressure China to resume negotiations with the Dalai Lama's envoys for the first time since dialogue between the two sides stalled in 2010.

The legislation will recognize that Tibetans have the right to self-determination and that Tibet's legal status is yet to be determined under international law.

--IANS

vg/ksk/
The BRICS countries need to urgently expand trade with each other rather than with the rest of the world, a top official of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said and offered technical support from the UN agency towards the realisation of such a goal.

BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Jens Dyring Christensen, Senior Specialist in Enterprise Development and Management at the ILO, made the comment on Wednesday while speaking on the topic 'BRICS Productivity Ecosystems' at the bloc's second Employment Working Group (EWG).

What we find is that trade with the United States is six times higher than within BRICS member states. What is needed is to expand inter-BRICS trade, he said.

The meeting, which took place in South Africa's Port Alfred, is one of several preparatory ones ahead of the BRICS Summit scheduled to take place in Johannesburg in August.

The heads of state of the five partner countries in the bloc are all expected to attend the Summit.

Also Read TS Inter Results 2023 for 1st, 2nd year announced today at 11 am ILO analysing work conditions in India, report expected by Jul-Aug: Report TS Inter Exams 2023 to begin today: check every detail with instructions 176 schools in UP may face derecognition over complaints of mass copying Special Marriage Act deals with inter-faith, inter-caste marriages, says AG Volvo Car AB says software issues will delay output of flagship EV EPA proposes new limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants IMF warns US default would have 'serious repercussions' worldwide Global health experts call for renewed action to reduce maternal mortality UNHRC passes resolution on human rights abuses in Sudan, amid conflict

If BRICS countries trade more among themselves, it will boost economic growth among member states. They could do this by identifying within their countries where there is a mutual interest, Christensen said.

He said the ILO was ready to provide technical support towards attaining such a goal, focusing on how specific productivity ecosystems could be implemented in each member state.

What we know is that there is no one size fits all solution. The answer could lie in asking the ILO to create a team of technical experts based in each country to support the implementation. We can even suggest setting up a fully-fledged BRICS team of experts across the five counties, Christensen said.

He highlighted how in the BRICS partnership, India led the field for work in the informal sector at 88 per cent, with China at 54 per cent and Brazil at 47 per cent. South Africa lagged slightly at 45 per cent and Russia at only 21 per cent.

South African Labour attache in Geneva Siyabonga Hadebe said the time had come for BRICS member states to work as a bloc to achieve their common goals of boosting economic growth among themselves and thereby change the geopolitical landscape.

Hadebe said there is a dire need to intensify this relationship, with the ecosystem being a classic step.

We should start to ensure that as the labour and employment stream, we can begin imagining the future we are going into. Our resolve is to foster this cooperation, especially at the multilateral level. We should ask our leaders to instruct us not to work in silos, he said.

Director of the School of Economics, Development and Tourism at Nelson Mandela University, Professor Ronney Ncwadi, said entrepreneurship should be embedded in the social values of BRICS member states so that youth makes entrepreneurship a career of choice.

In a panel discussion at the same meeting, Dr Joni Musabayana, ILO Director for Decent Work for Southern and Eastern Africa, called on South Africa to address the controversial issue of a basic income grant being paid to all citizens.

In terms of current social protection initiatives, South Africa covered about 52 per cent of its population, while the average for the African continent was 17 per cent, Musabayana said.

Minimum income grants and other social assistance benefits play a key role in guaranteeing at least a basic level of income security, said Christina Behrendt, Head of the Social Policy Unit in the Social Protection Department of the ILO.
After dozens of standoffs with Congress over government spending in recent decades, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday that in her personal opinion, the United States should adopt a different system for national finances.

Emphasising that it was her own opinion, not President Joe Biden's, Yellen said there are various alternatives for avoiding situations where the Treasury lacks the funds to pay its bills.

In January, the US government ran up against its legal borrowing limit of USD 31.381 trillion, and the Treasury Department began implementing extraordinary measures to avoid missing payments on its bills.

It's a predicament that has occurred nearly 80 times since 1960, she said. The Treasury Department has warned the US could default as soon as June 1 if there is no deal.

Personally, I think we should find a different system for deciding on fiscal policy, Yellen said when asked about the issue. Congress could repeal the debt ceiling or handle it differently. The president could decide to raise the debt ceiling and inform Congress, which could vote to override that decision, and the president could veto that, and it would take a supermajority of two-thirds of Congress to override the veto.

Congress votes on taxes and on government spending and those decisions imply a path of deficits, Yellen said. Bills come due because of those decisions and that makes the Treasury responsible for paying for goods and services already contracted.

Also Read Janet Yellen visits Kiev, announces $1.2bn additional aid to Ukraine US Treasury Secretary Yellen calls CEOs with warning on US debt ceiling US-China officials meet to discuss economy, trade; aim to ease tension US Treasury Secy dismisses idea of minting $1 tn to prevent debt default Need high regulatory standard globally to deal with crypto risks: Yellen Audio leaks suggest PTI leadership behind attack on official's residence African swine fever outbreak in Indonesia killed 35,297 pigs, WOAH confirms Protests to violence: What happened in Pakistan after Imran Khan's arrest? Constant decline in maternal, newborn deaths in S Asia: UNICEF official G7 Finance Ministers to meet in Japan to tackle threat from US debt ceiling

Biden wants the debt ceiling raised. Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is calling for trillions of dollars in spending cuts over the coming decade in return for an increase.

The debt ceiling then creates a situation where we can't pay all the government's bills, and I don't think that's any way to run the government," she said. The US Treasury note is the most important asset in global financial markets, and a loss of confidence in its value would put financial markets in turmoil.

"To go through this every couple of years is tremendously damaging," Yellen said.

For now, raising the debt ceiling to avert a default on the national debt remains the only short-term solution, she said.

Speaking ahead of a meeting in Japan of finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Seven advanced economies, she said she did not want to discuss what she might do if the debt ceiling is not raised in time to avoid a default.

There are choices, she said, but the answer is there is no good alternative that will save us from catastrophe.

"The only reasonable thing to do is to raise the debt ceiling and avoid the dreadful consequences that will come if we have to make those choices," she said.

A White House analysis has found that a brief default would cost the economy 500,000 jobs, while a longer one could cost 8.3 million jobs, almost as many as were lost during the 2008 financial crisis.

I'm very hopeful that the differences can be bridged and the ceiling will be raised, she said.

One idea being discussed would be invoking the 14th amendment of the Constitution, which states that the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorised by law, shall not be questioned.

That would justify issuing the debt needed to pay the all government's bills and ignore the debt ceiling, Yellen said. But she added that it's not a short-run solution and it's legally questionable whether that's a viable strategy.


According to police, over 500 miscreants from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party reached the Model Town Lahore residence of the prime minister in the early hours of Wednesday and set ablaze vehicles parked over there. The supporters of former premier Imran Khan on Wednesday attacked the Lahore residence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, police said.



The police official said only the guards were present at the prime minister's house when the miscreants attacked. They also set on fire a police post there. "They also threw petrol bombs inside the premiere's house," a senior police officer of Punjab police told PTI on Wednesday.



Before reaching the prime minister's residence, the mob attacked the ruling PML-N Secretariat in Model Town, torching the vehicles parked over there. They also put the barriers there on fire. "As a heavy contingent of police reached there, the PTI protesters left," he said.

Also Read My arrest part of London plan, says Imran; accuses govt of planning arrest Amid political turmoil, Imran Khan-led PTI seeks clearance for Lahore rally Imran Khan says PM Shehbaz Sharif will have to take trust vote: Report Why are the police trying to arrest Imran Khan? All that you need to know Toshakhana case: What's behind the arrest drama at Imran Khan's residence China objects India's proposal to blacklist JeM leader Abdul Rauf Azhar EU proposes tougher cybersecurity labelling for Amazon, Google, MS Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif says protesters to be dealt with 'iron fist' Russia restores visa-free access for Georgians, lifts flight ban Guterres calls for respect of due process, refrain from violence in Pak



On Tuesday, the protesters had set ablaze at the Corps Commander House in Lahore after ransacking it. Police said that the protesters set on fire 14 government installations/buildings and 21 police vehicles in Punjab during the last two days -- Tuesday and Wednesday.



Violent clashes between Imran Khan's supporters and security forces have left at least seven people dead and nearly 300 injured across Pakistan as the army was deployed in the country's capital Islamabad, as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces on Wednesday to maintain law and order. The situation in Lahore and several other cities of Punjab remained tense on Wednesday in the wake of the arrest of PTI chief and former premier Imran Khan by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a land transfer corruption case.
Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Wednesday, while Israel pressed ahead with a series of airstrikes that have killed 21 Palestinians, including three senior militants and at least 10 civilians.

As the fighting continued, a state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt had brokered a cease-fire. But shortly after the announcement, more rockets were fired toward Israel, including a new salvo at the seaside metropolis of Tel Aviv, while Israel struck more targets in Gaza. The continued fighting raised questions about if or when a truce would take effect.

In a prime-time TV address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had dealt a harsh blow to the militants. But he cautioned: "This round is not over.

We say to the terrorists and those who send them. We see you everywhere. You can't hide, and we choose the place and time to strike you, he said, adding that Israel would also decide when calm is restored.

Throughout the day, rocket fire set off air-raid sirens throughout southern and central Israel, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. Residents had been bracing for an attack since Israel launched its first airstrikes early on Tuesday.

It was the heaviest fighting between the sides in months, pushing the region closer toward a full-blown war. But in signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the smaller and more militant Islamic Jihad faction. Hamas, meanwhile, appeared to remain on the sidelines.

Also Read Egyptian president to witness Republic Day Parade as chief guest today Health ministry: Israeli fire kills Palestinian in West Bank Israeli military retaliates after rockets fired from Syria, no casualties Palestine urges CIA chief to pressure Israel to stop unilateral measures Palestinians protest US visit to West Bank as tension rises with Israel 25 doctors dead in tribal fighting, says Sudan doctors' syndicate Pakistan deploys troops to halt unrest from ex-PM Imran Khan's arrest Imran Khan's supporters attack house of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif China objects India's proposal to blacklist JeM leader Abdul Rauf Azhar EU proposes tougher cybersecurity labelling for Amazon, Google, MS

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the Islamic militant group took control of Gaza in 2007.

Late on Wednesday, Egypt's Extra News television channel, which has close ties to Egyptian security agencies, said it had brokered a cease-fire. Egyptian intelligence frequently mediates between Israel and Palestinian militants.

Israeli government officials confirmed that Egypt was trying to faciliate a cease-fire. Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes diplomacy, they said Israel would evaluate the situation based on actions on the ground, not declarations.

There was no immediate comment from Islamic Jihad, the militant group involved in the latest fighting.

As rockets streaked through the sky, Israeli TV stations showed air defense systems intercepting rockets above the skies of Tel Aviv. In the nearby suburb of Ramat Gan, people lay face-down on the ground as they took cover.

The Israeli military said that for the first time, an air-defense system known as David's Sling intercepted a rocket. The system, developed with the US, is meant to intercept medium-range threats and is part of a multi-layered air defence that also includes the better-known Iron Dome anti-rocket system. Israeli media said a previous attempt to use the system several years ago had failed.

In a move that could further raise tensions, Israeli police said they would permit a Jewish ultranationalist parade to take place next week. The parade, meant to celebrate Israel's capture of east Jerusalem and its Jewish holy sites, marches through the heart of the Old City's Muslim Quarter and often leads to friction with local Palestinians.

As air raid sirens continued to wail, Israeli officials said over 400 rockets had been fired. Most, they said, were intercepted or fell in open areas, but Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said about one-quarter had misfired and fallen inside Gaza. Israeli rescuers said three people were hurt running for shelter, and three homes in southern Israel were struck.

The army said that schools would remain closed and restrictions on large gatherings would remain in place in southern Israel until at least Friday. Residents were instructed to stay near bomb shelters.

Eden Avramov, a 26-year-old resident of the southern Israeli town of Sderot, described the 24 hours since Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza as terrifying. We are all traumatized from this routine the waiting, the booms, the alarms.

Israeli aircraft hit targets in Gaza for the second straight day, killing at least five Palestinians. The Israeli military said its warplanes targeted 40 rocket launchers, arms warehouses and other targets across the enclave. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said four of the dead were militants.

A 10-year-old Palestinian girl named Layan Mdoukh was killed in a blast at her home in Gaza City in unclear circumstances on Wednesday.

The initial Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday that set off the exchange of fire killed three senior Islamic Jihad militants and at least 10 civilians most of them women and children. The Israeli military has said its attacks were focused on Islamic Jihad militant infrastructure in the coastal enclave.

Israel says the airstrikes are a response to a barrage of rocket fire launched last week by Islamic Jihad in response to the death of one of its members from a hunger strike while in Israeli custody.

Israel says it is trying to avoid conflict with Hamas, the more powerful militant group that rules Gaza, and limit the fighting to Islamic Jihad.

Our actions are meant to prevent further escalation," said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military's chief spokesman. "Israel is not interested in war.

In a statement, an umbrella organization of Palestinian factions in Gaza, including Hamas, said the campaign against Israel which it dubbed Avenging the Free involved firing hundreds of rockets in retaliation for Israel's killing of the three Islamic Jihad commanders as well as several civilians.

The resistance is ready for all options," the factions said. If (Israel) persists in its aggression and arrogance, dark days await it."



Still, it remained unclear whether Hamas had joined the fray. If the ruling militant group enters the fighting, the risk of a full-blown conflict would increase.

Israel has come under international criticism for the high civilian toll Tuesday, which included wives of two of the militant commanders, some of their children and a dentist who lived in one of the targeted buildings along with his wife and son.

In past conflicts, rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes due to high civilian deaths. Israel says it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties and holds militant groups responsible because they operate in heavily populated residential areas.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the military said that Palestinian gunmen opened fire at troops in the Palestinian town of Qabatiya in the northern West Bank during an army raid. Troops returned fire, killing the two men, and confiscated their firearms, it said.

Islamic Jihad later claimed the two men as its members.

Israel has been conducting near-daily military raids in the occupied West Bank for over a year to detain suspected Palestinian militants, including many from Islamic Jihad.

At least 107 Palestinians, around half of them militants, have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year, according to an Associated Press tally. At least 20 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek all three territories for a future independent state.


Violent clashes between Khan's supporters and security forces have left at least seven people dead and nearly 300 injured across Pakistan. Since the arrest of the former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, on May 9, Pakistan has been witnessing widespread protests and violence from the supporters of his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI). Mobile internet remains suspended across the country for an indefinite period.

Widespread protests, violence

As the news of Khan's arrest spread, protests broke out in several cities across Pakistan. Protesters at several places turned violent and burned police vehicles, and damaged public property.



In Lahore, a large number of PTI workers stormed into the Corps Commander Lahore's residence and smashed the gate and window panes. However, the army personnel on duty there did not try to stop the enraged protesters who surrounded them and chanted slogans against the "handlers" of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) or PML-N-led government in the military establishment. Khan's supporters smashed the main gate of the army's sprawling headquarters in Rawalpindi, where troops exercised restraint. The protesters chanted slogans against the establishment.

Also Read Toshakhana case: What's behind the arrest drama at Imran Khan's residence Why are the police trying to arrest Imran Khan? All that you need to know Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif names Lt Gen Asim Munir the next army chief Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan's arrest: What is the Al-Qadir Trust case? LIVE: Joe Biden will host PM Modi for an official state visit on June 22 Constant decline in maternal, newborn deaths in S Asia: UNICEF official G7 Finance Ministers to meet in Japan to tackle threat from US debt ceiling Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrested in Islamabad Antony Blinken expresses concern over China collecting DNA of Tibetans China's slow consumer inflation, deepening deflation to test policy



Lahore was virtually cut off from the rest of the province because of the protest on main roads, including the entry and exit points. The protesters held a demonstration in the Cantonment area.



Many PTI workers also pelted stones at the residence of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah in Faisalabad City. Similarly, protests were held in Multan, Jhang, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Khanewal, Vehari, Gujranwala, Hafizabad and Gujrat cities. The caretaker Punjab government called the Rangers to control the law-and-order situation in the province and imposed section 144, under which not more than five people can gather at one point. The Punjab government also requested the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to suspend Internet and mobile services in the areas of the province where violent protests took place.



The same day, they filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan challenging the Islamabad HC's ruling. The next day, on Wednesday, PTI called for a countrywide strike to protest against the "fascist government". The party also said that it would challenge the ruling of the Islamabad High Court, calling the arrest legal, in the country's Supreme Court.

ISPR calls the developments a "black chapter"

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, then issued a statement terming the events that unfolded as a "black chapter" in the country's history.



In a strongly-worded statement, the Pakistan military's media wing asserted that no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands. Citing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) statement and law, the ISPR justified the arrest of Khan. The ISPR in the statement issued in Urdu, referred to the protests that were held after the arrest of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. The ISPR said that the protests particularly targeted army property and installations.



Guterres calls on parties to refrain from violence ISPR said that a wave of attacks was witnessed on the army's properties and installations, along with anti-army slogans being chanted following the arrest of Imran Khan. It condemned those actions and raised its concerns regarding the tactics used by certain elements within the protesting groups.



Protesters attack Pakistan PM's house On Wednesday, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres took note of the ongoing protests in Pakistan, urged the authorities to respect due process, and called for all parties to refrain from violence.



"They also threw petrol bombs inside the premiere's house," a senior police officer of Punjab police told PTI on Wednesday. On Wednesday, the supporters of Khan attacked the Lahore residence of Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to police, over 500 miscreants from PTI reached the Model Town Lahore residence of the prime minister in the early hours of the day and set ablaze vehicles parked over there.



"As a heavy contingent of police reached there, the PTI protesters left," he said. The police official said only the guards were present at the prime minister's house when the miscreants attacked. They also set fire to a police post there.



Police said that the protesters set on fire 14 government installations/buildings and 21 police vehicles in Punjab during the last two days. Before reaching the prime minister's residence, the mob attacked the ruling PML-N Secretariat in Model Town, torching the vehicles parked over there. They also put the barriers there on fire.



They will be given an exemplary punishment, he said. Sharif later addressed the nation and condemned the deadly protests by Khan's supporters after his arrest in a corruption case and warned to deal with demonstrators with an "iron fist".



Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrested Pakistan's government then called out the military in areas roiled by deadly violence.



"Tehreek-e-Insaf Vice Chairman Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi has been arrested by the Islamabad Police and transferred to an unknown location," the party tweeted on Thursday. On Thursday, former Pakistan foreign minister and PTI vice chairman Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi was arrested by the Islamabad police and transferred to an unknown location.


Armed with well over $30 billion in weapons freshly supplied by its allies, Ukraine is gearing up for a counteroffensive that may push Russia closer to ending its war, or show neither side has enough firepower to seize the advantage. By Marc Champion



A dramatic breakthrough similar to Ukraines Kharkiv offensive last year could help bring an early end to an invasion thats disrupted energy and grain markets, fueling cost-of-living crises across the globe. Kyivs troops will leverage that hardware  shipments delivered since December that cost more than any NATO member except the US buys in a year  to try to overrun dug-in Russian positions and retake occupied territory. The question is whether its enough.



That means coordinating infantry, armor, combat engineers and air defense to maximize the impact of the more than 200 tanks, 300 infantry fighting vehicles and other weapons Ukraine has received since December. Yet this time the critical element of surprise could prove harder to achieve against a larger and better prepared Russian military. And to succeed, Ukraine will need to execute a complex so-called combined arms operation, without the advantage of air superiority, for which few militaries in the world have the necessary training.

Also Read In setback to Putin, Finland set to officially become NATO member Finnish MPs can decide on NATO membership by simple majority: Committee Finland unlikely to get NATO battle group given its defence capabilities Nato allies send 1,500 combat vehicles, 230 tanks to Ukraine amid war Finland's defence minister says his country could join NATO ahead of Sweden Earthquake of magnitude 4.5 jolts southwest Fayzabad in Afghanistan Ajeya Warrior exercise to increase India, UK army interoperability: Envoy Earthquake of 7.6 magnitude jolts Tonga; no Tsunami warning issued Israeli-Palestinian fighting continues, despite Egyptian cease-fire 25 doctors dead in tribal fighting, says Sudan doctors' syndicate



No army ever believes it is well enough equipped to do what it is required to do, said Mark Cancian, a former US Marine Colonel who now advises the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington. It is the nature of militaries. Ukrainian commanders have played down expectations and repeated calls for more weapons, including air defenses and long-range missiles.



For Ukraine, what happens next will depend on factors that go far beyond equipment to include training, intelligence, and whether it can continue to block Russias superior air force, according to military analysts. In a speech accompanying scaled-back Victory Day parades celebrating the end of World War II on Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin pledged again to win a real war he falsely said the West was waging on Russia. While his invasion hasnt gone to plan and a winter offensive failed to produce desired results, he is still promising victory.



In public at least, Ukraines allies are betting on a breakthrough. I feel confident that they will have success in regaining more of their territory, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week. If Ukraine can achieve only marginal gains, like those Russian forces eked out around the eastern Donbas town of Bakhmut, it may lead to another winter stalemate and rising pressure on Kyiv to give up on retaking seized territory in a cease-fire deal.



Norway donated four bridge-laying tanks in February. The US, as recently as May 3, agreed to send another $300 million arms package including more demolition munitions, trucks, trailers and diagnostics equipment for repairs, in addition to new artillery shells, howitzers and mid-range, GPS-guided HIMARS rockets. To cut through layered Russian defenses will for sure take the specialist engineering equipment for clearing land mines, bridging trenches and demolishing bunkers that allies have sent. So too the hundreds of trucks and transporters needed to move heavy armor into position faster than Russia can respond.



The modern concept of combined arms began in World War I, when commanders used combinations of creeping artillery barrages, air support, tanks and infantry to break the stalemate of trench warfare. Combined arms is the Formula 1 of military operations, said Franz-Stefan Gady, a consulting senior fellow at the London based International Institute for Strategic Studies.



It was later perfected in World War II, and by the height of the Cold War, NATO militaries regularly conducted large combined arms exercises. That know-how atrophied after the Soviet threat disappeared, however, a reality made clear during Moscows failed assault on Kyiv at the start of the war.

The US is probably the only Western force currently equipped and trained to pull off combined arms operations on the scale Ukraine will need, Gady said. Washington is providing both training and technology to Ukrainian forces.



While the precise US system isnt named, it will likely be much more advanced than Ukraines Soviet era version, enabling it connect the sensors and air defense systems its been getting from the US and Europe, target more quickly and use dwindling surface-to-air missile stocks more efficiently. To that end, a less noticed item that could prove valuable is what the Pentagon describes as equipment to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles and radars with Ukraines air defense systems. Germany has delivered something similar.



Thats important because, after playing a relatively low key role for much of the war, Russian jets are starting to try out new weapons and increase the number of things they do, at a time when Ukrainian air defenses are starting to get into trouble, said Gustaf Gressel, an ex-Austrian Defense Ministry officer and now senior policy fellow with the Brussels Based European Council on Foreign Relations. It could also help Ukraines aging combat jets protect ground forces from Russias much larger and more advanced air force, which can launch attacks from beyond the reach of Ukraines air defenses.



Also unanswered is whether the Russians have enough troops to man defenses they dug across occupied southern Ukraine over the winter. If they dont, theyll have to guess where the Ukrainians will attack, giving Kyiv the potential to surprise and outflank them. Concerns have been raised inside and outside Ukraine that vital air defense systems  in particular the medium range Soviet-era BUKs needed to protect ground forces  are running out of missiles. Ukrainian leaders are also calling for modern aircraft and long range surface-to-surface ATACMS missiles that Washington remains, as yet, unwilling to deliver.



Troop and equipment numbers may become critical if Ukraine can breach the front line, as reserves will be needed to push through any gaps. If they do, Ukraines forces may struggle to break through as they did against layered defenses in Kherson last year. Only a vicious fight and disrupted supply lines across the massive Dnipro river forced an eventual retreat.



The donations have tapped many European militaries almost dry, as they struggle to supply what has become the continents biggest conflict since World War II. European governments have pledged to produce more ammunition in particular, but whether that can be done in time to sustain the voracious needs of a high-intensity artillery war remains a question. With an estimated 700,000 soldiers in uniform, Ukraine has armed three new brigades with premium NATO tanks, as well as Bradley and other infantry fighting vehicles, Gressel said. Six more of the units, which are about 5,000 soldiers strong, are armed with Soviet-era equipment donated from NATOs former Warsaw Pact members to replace losses from a year of fighting.

Its a lot, but there is a disparity in size between the Ukrainian and European armed forces in particular, he said. Numbers that are really big for most European armies are really quite small for Ukraines.


The United Nation's top human rights body adopted a resolution on Thursday that drew attention to mounting civilian deaths and rights abuses in Sudan since a bloody conflict erupted between the African country's two top generals last month.

The violence in Sudan has so far killed more than 600 people, including civilians, and displaced hundreds of thousands. The fighting has also spread to other regions, namely the restive Darfur province.

The Human Rights Council - made up of 47 UN member states - narrowly passed the resolution with 18 states voting for the resolution, 15 against and 14 other nations abstaining. The resolution aims to further scrutinise human rights violations taking place in Sudan since April 15.

The fighting in Sudan started as a result of a power struggle between the chief of Sudan's military, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and rival Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Arab and African nations - including Sudan - featured heavily among the 15 countries that rejected the UN move, citing it as a potential barrier to ongoing peace talks.

Algeria's representative, Faouzia Boumaiza-Mebarki, said the resolution could send a negative message to the opposing sides and scupper ongoing talks between the military and the RSF in Saudi Arabia. Likewise, China's ambassador said the country and its warring parties should be free from external pressure.

Also Read How the world backed two generals, and put Sudan on the path to war India supports peace process and capacity building in South Sudan Operation Kaveri: How India is rescuing its citizens amid crisis in Sudan Army vs paramilitary: A common person's guide to the crisis in Sudan Rajasthan's Dr. Kriti Bharti bags Global Youth Human Rights Champion Award Trump jokes about sexual assault verdict, says Jan 6 'beautiful day' US tables Bill to tweak H1B visa, kill country quota for Green Card SoftBank Group Corp vision fund loses money mgain despite tech rebound Pakistan's ex-PM Imran Khan claims he was beaten with sticks in custody Pak needs significantly more financing for successful bailout review: IMF

Meanwhile, most Western countries voted in favour, with Europe and the United States having co-sponsored the draft resolution.

During the opening speech of the session, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk accused both forces of violating international humanitarian law.

Turk blamed the Sudanese military for launching attacks in densely populated areas and the RSF of taking over numerous buildings in the capital, Khartoum, to use as operation bases, evicting residents and launching attacks.

The UN has raised concerns about the plight of civilians caught up in the crossfire and worries about food security and aid deliveries, and urged support for neighbouring countries hosting people fleeing the ongoing violence.

We have also received several reports alleging sexual violence by uniformed men, as well as allegations of unlawful killings and enforced disappearances, Turk said.

Echoing Turk's remarks, the US ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council, Michele Taylor, condemned the targeting of hospitals and healthcare providers. Amid the fighting, numerous hospitals across Khartoum have been damaged and forced to close.

Separately, dozens of independent experts working with the UN rights office issued a joint statement on Thursday, citing reports that civilians of all ages are experiencing various human rights abuses in Sudan, including sexual assault, gender-based violence, looting, and shortages of food, water and healthcare.
The ruling Democratic party has introduced a Citizenship Act, which among other things, seeks to eliminate the country-quota for green cards and make changes in the much sought-after H1B visa

It proposes to make changes to the employment-based immigration system by eliminating per-country caps.

The US Citizenship Act 2023 introduced by Congresswoman Linda Sanchez creates an earned roadmap to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants, providing Dreamers, TPS holders, and some farmworkers with an immediate path to citizenship.It also stands to provide the undocumented immigrants who pass background checks and pay taxes with a five-year path to citizenship without fear of deportation.
BAI, a nonprofit independent organization that delivers the financial services industrys most actionable insights, has opened nominations for the 13th Annual BAI Global Innovation Awards. The awards are the premier innovation honor for the financial services industry, putting the boldest, smartest and most transformational work center stage. Innovations honored range from powerful new technologies to groundbreaking ways to leverage digital insights, and from customer and employee experience advances to community enrichment initiatives.

The BAI Global Innovation Awards is open to financial services organizations across the globe, including banks, credit unions, fintechs, advisors and service providers. The program provides an excellent platform for organizations to showcase their culture of innovation and to be recognized as a leader in the industry. The awards will be reviewed by the BAI Innovation Circle judges, an international panel of industry innovators and influencers.

For the second year, BAI is also collecting nominations for the BAI Rising Star Award. This award honors up-and-coming leaders in the financial services industry. Judges will look for innovative, passionate, and intellectually curious candidates who are creating a positive impact in financial services.

Winners for both the BAI Global Innovation and BAI Rising Star Awards will be recognized across social media and press releases and have the opportunity to share their innovations in BAI podcasts, webinars, and the BAI Banking Strategies Newsletter.

Past winners and finalists represent teams from around the globe. Organizations include Bank of America, Banco Popular, BMO Harris, Citizens Financial Group, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Emirates NBD, Fifth Third Bank, FNB South Africa, Standard Bank, TIAA and many more.

Nominations will be accepted through June 30, 2023. Finalists will be announced in September 2023 and the winners will be recognized in October 2023. The nomination form is available at https://www.bai.org/global-innovation-awards/.

About BAI

As a nonprofit, independent organization, BAI has delivered the financial services industrys most actionable insights for more than 95 years, helping leaders make smart business decisions every day. We provide in-depth, proprietary research to more than 40 of the top US banks, support more than 2,100 financial services organizations with compliance and professional development training, provide trusted, relevant thought leadership through BAI Banking Strategies reports, podcasts and webinars, andofferspecialized events and programs. For more information, visit www.bai.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510005219/en/
FPT, a global leading IT service provider, announced that its flagship robotic process automation (RPA) platform, akaBot, has been recognized as the Leader in the Grid Report for Robotic Process Automation, a popular high-level market overview by G2, one of the worlds largest and most trusted software marketplaces. Since its first time charting the Grid Report in 2021, akaBot has been positioned in the Leader quadrant for four consecutive seasons.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510006136/en/

Positive reviews from customers has helped akaBot earn 8 badges in the G2 Grid Report for Robotic Process Automation | Spring 2023. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Leveraging unbiased customer reviews, G2 recognized akaBot for its large market presence, and a high overall customer satisfaction score of 8.92/10. The platform has also been proven highly trusted by its clients, with a 100% convincing rating of 4 stars and above, with a vast majority, almost definite referral rate to other users (93%).

We are pleased to be the only representative from Asia Pacific to make the Leader quadrant in the G2 Grid Report for Robotic Process Automation, shared Mr. Giap Bui Dinh, CEO and Founder of akaBot. akaBot is on track to become the leading Automation Solution Provider for emerging markets in the region with all services evolving around customer-first credo. With our comprehensive solutions, we are steadfast in our commitment to providing the highest quality services to our customers, he added.

In the G2 Grid Report for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) | Spring 2023, akaBot gained eight badges in the Leader Grid. This is the most number of badges that the product has ever achieved in a season.

Grid Report for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) | Spring 2023

Results Index for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) | Spring 2023

Mid-Market Grid Report for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) | Spring 2023

Asia Regional Grid Report for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) | Spring 2023

Asia Pacific Regional Grid Report for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) | Spring 2023

Mid-Market Asia Regional Grid Report for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) | Spring 2023

Mid-Market Grid Report for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) | Spring 2023

Enterprise Asia Regional Grid Report for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) | Spring 2023



Among akaBots thousands of clients is Pastry Pro, Malaysias largest supplier of premium quality baking ingredients, who echoed the G2 Grid Reports evaluation of the platform and recommended it as an excellent partner in automation technology.

Thanks to akaBot, we are now benefiting from a more efficient process through fewer human errors and reduced work pressure with 90% of on-demand stock tracking processes being automated, shared Mr. Ning Jia, Deputy Managing Director, Pastry Pro.

Learn more about akaBot customers' reviews or leave your comment on G2s akaBot review page.

About akaBot

akaBot, a subsidiary of Vietnams leading IT corporation FPT, is the global provider of award-winning, comprehensive RPA and Hyperautomation services, aiming at helping organizations achieve operational excellence with minimum effort and low licensing cost. The platform has served over 3000 customers in 20 countries, automating over 5000 processes. akaBot is recognized internationally, particularly as the RPA Leader in G2s RPA Report 2022, the Golden Globee Winner for Best Deployments and Customer Success of the year in Asia-Pacific at IT World Awards. For further information, please visit: https://akabot.com/

About FPT

FPT Corporation (FPT) is a globally leading technology and IT services provider headquartered in Vietnam. FPT operates in three core sectors: Technology, Telecommunications, and Education. During over three decades of development, FPT has constantly provided practical and effective products to millions of people and tens of thousands of business and non-business organizations worldwide, establishing Vietnams position on the global tech map. Keeping up with the latest market trends and emerging technologies, FPT has developed the Made-by-FPT ecosystem of services, products, solutions and platforms, which enables sustainable growth for organizations and businesses and offers distinctive experiences to customers. In 2022, FPT recorded total revenue of US$1.87 billion and 40,000+ employees. For more information, please visit https://fpt.com.vn/en

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510006136/en/
Triton Digital,the global technology and services leader to the digital audio, podcast, and broadcast radio industries, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Audacia, a global advertising marketplace using the power of audio to connect publishers, advertisers, and customers. Through this partnership, the Audacia ad network will have access to Triton Digitals exchange of premium audio publishers across all audio formats in the Asia Pacific region.

Audacia will be leveraging Triton Digitals Supply Side Platform (SSP), an audio-first SSP, built from the ground up for broadcasters, podcasters, and music streaming services. Integrated with the world's leading DSPs, the SSP provides advanced publisher controls to manage access, regulate pricing, and establish ad quality settings in the Triton Audio Marketplace. In addition, both open and private marketplace deals with specific buyers, brands or sales houses can be configured. Audacia will be able to create custom, targeted packages of audio inventory and make them available to any connected DSP.

The audio industry is continuing to grow and with it so does the challenge of reaching the right audiences, said Kym Treasure, CEO and Founder of Audacia. Audacias partnership with Triton Digital will connect advertisers with publishers intending to reach the same target audience, while expanding access and increasing adoption of programmatic advertising.

Triton Digitals network of audio publishers recently opted into Audacias ad network packages for the monetization of international inventory.

Triton Digital is thrilled to partner with Audacia, pairing Kyms deep understanding of the audio industry with Tritons audio inventory. The Asia Pacific region is expanding rapidly, as consumption of digital audio is up over 450% in the last 24 months offering a valuable medium for advertisers to target and reach engaged audiences, said Stephanie Donovan, Global Head of Revenue at Triton Digital. This union will help accelerate awareness of the benefits of programmatic audio advertising in APAC.

Furthermore, advertisers in Audacias network will have access to Tritons analytics platform for real-time reporting with easy-to-use dashboards to compare performance metrics.

To learn more about Triton Digital, please visit: https://www.tritondigital.com/

About Triton Digital

Triton Digital is the global technology and services leader to the digital audio, podcast, and broadcast radio industries. Operating in more than 80 countries, Triton provides innovative technology that enables broadcasters, podcasters, and online music services to build their audience, maximize revenue, and streamline their day-to-day operations. In addition, Triton powers the global online audio industry with Webcast Metrics, the leading streaming audio measurement service and Podcast Metrics, one of the first IAB certified podcast measurement services in the industry. With unparalleled integrity, excellence, teamwork, and accountability, Triton remains committed to connecting audio, audience, and advertisers to continuously fuel the growth of the global audio industry.

About Audacia

Audacia is a global advertising marketplace connecting publishers, advertisers, and customers across premium audio environments. It is the only independent, full-stack, digital audio advertising platform providing a full-service global solution. To learn more about Audacia, visit audaciaaudio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510005171/en/
The Delhi National Merit Scholarship (NMMS) results have been released. The Delhi NMMS result 2023 is now accessible at edudel.nic.in for Delhi students.The student's name, roll number, gender, date of birth, father's name, and school ID are all included in the NMMS scholarship result 2023 pdf. The Delhi NMMS test 2023 was held on December 18, 2022.

The official notice stated: "All the HoSs of the Govt./Govt. Aided schools of DoE, GNCT of Delhi are requested to disseminate the said result to all the concerned students of the school.If there is any correction in Name, Category, Date of Birth, etc. of the selected student, the same may be submitted along with the supporting documents up to 12/05/2023 in the office of the Deputy Director of Education (Science & TV Branch), Old Gargi College Building, Lajpat Nagar-IV, New Delhi-110024".

How to Check the Result ?

Step 1: Navigate to the official website, edudel.nic.in.

Step 2: Go to the Delhi NMMS Result 2023 page and click on the link.

Step 3: A pdf file containing the NMMS 2023 results will display on the screen.

Step 4: Review the information on the NMMS merit list 2023.

Step 5: Download and print the results for future reference.

Details Mentioned in the Result

Candidate's name

Gender

Date of birth

Candidate's roll number

Father's name

School ID

NMMS Result 2023

Following the announcement of the NMMS Delhi result 2023, selected students will receive a scholarship award after document verification. Candidates will get the funds in their bank account on a monthly basis.

Cut-off
South Africa: Mashatile to host Colombia's Vice President

Deputy President Paul Mashatile will on Friday, host his Colombian counterpart Francia Elena Marquez, for an Official Visit to South Africa.

The objective of the Official Visit, according to the Deputy Presidents Office, is to strengthen political relations and define a roadmap for mutually beneficial economic as well as social relations and multilateral cooperation between the two countries.

According to the statement released on Wednesday, the diplomatic relations between South Africa and Colombia were formally established in April 1994, with Colombia opening its Embassy in Pretoria in 1995.

Since the establishment of the South African Embassy in Venezuela in 1998, the South African residential Ambassador in Venezuela is accredited as the non-residential Ambassador of South Africa to Colombia.

Meanwhile, bilateral relations between South Africa and Colombia are cordial and the shared values of democracy, peace, sustainable development and multilateralism provide a basis for the strengthening of bilateral and multilateral relations between the two countries.

Cooperation with Colombia is also in line with South Africas foreign policy objective of the South-South Cooperation, the department explained.

The Latin American country is the fifth largest economy in Latin America after Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.

Colombia is also the sixth largest trade partner of South Africa in Latin America after Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

There is a steady growth of Colombian investors in the food, beverages and confectionery industries and South African investments in Colombia in mining and agribusiness.

The focus areas for discussions between the two governments will include trade, investment, and technical cooperation in agribusiness, mining and energy, environment, science and innovation, tourism, and transport.

There is also cooperation in higher education; sport, arts and culture, and exchanges on regional and multilateral issues.

Vice President Marquez will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Minister of Culture; Deputy Minister of Tourism; Senior Government Officials; Parliamentarians; Business, Chambers of Commerce, and Industry of Colombia and some of the countrys artists.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-05-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China successfully launches flagship cargo mission supporting China Space Station's new operation phase

13:34, May 11, 2023 By Deng Xiaoci ( Global Times

China successfully launched the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft into designated orbit on Wednesday, achieving a key victory of the first launch mission to the China Space Station since the Chinese crewed space outpost entered a normal operation and development phase at the end of 2022.

Carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft, China's Long March-7 Y7 carrier rocket took off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in South China's Hainan Province on Wednesday at around 9:22 pm. After a flight lasting 10 minutes, the flagship spacecraft for the China Space Station new phase entered its preset orbit, which, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), marked the success of the launch mission.

The launcher's developer, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), under the state-owned space giant China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), told the Global Times that Long March-7 has executed five Tianzhou cargo spacecraft launches since its maiden flight in 2016, with a perfect success rate.

The CALT also disclosed that following the Wednesday mission, another two orbital launches for the China Space Station would be carried out in 2023.

Wang Ran, chief designer of the cargo spacecraft system with China Academy of Spacecraft Technology (CAST) under the CASC, revealed that the new series of the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft, starting from Tianzhou-6 to Tianzhou-11, would be further upgraded compared to its predecessors, as its cargo capacity has been increased from the previous 6.9 tons to 7.4 tons, which makes the new Tianzhou spacecraft one of the strongest cargo spacecraft in the world.

It was the first time that Tianzhou spacecraft possesses the cargo capacity exceeding 7 tons, which would reduce the frequency of cargo mission to the space station to three times in two years from four times in two years, boosting the comprehensive efficiency of the space station project.

According to the CAST, the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft is tasked with ferrying essential supplies for taikonauts that can sustain a three-strong crew's 280 days in space, around 260 different goods weighing some 5.8 tons as well as multiple payloads for scientific experiment and technology verification, to the China Space Station.

Lu Congmin, deputy chief designer of the space application system and research fellow with the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the Global Times that Tianzhou-6 will upload 98 pieces of payload and experiment materials weighing some 714 kilograms to the China Space Station.

They will be used to carry out 29 scientific and application experiments in four domains - space life science and biotechnology, microgravity fluid physics and combustion science, space material science, and space application of new technology - according to Lu.

According to developers with the CAST, starting with the Tianzhou-6, the technology team has upgraded the spacecraft system, including making improvement to the cargo cabin of the spacecraft and boosting the airtight cabin's cargo transport capability, which would provide more goods to the taikonauts to sustain a longer stay in space.

The CAST stressed that through the implementation of comprehensive guarantee measures, 100 percent localization of key components has been realized.

Graphic: GT

The Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft is also the most versatile of its kind in terms of supporting capability in orbit; it is tasked to not only deliver supplies to the China Space Station, complete the attitude control of the space station combination, but also carry out space scientific and technological experiment. It will also unload waste from the China Space Station before falling back with control, the CAST told the Global Times in a statement.

The stowage of the airtight cabin of the Tianzhou-6, according to the CAST insiders, has increased from 18.1 cubic meters to 22.5 cubic meters, an increase of 20 percent. The cargo capacity of the airtight cabin increased by 22 percent to 6.7 tons after upgrade, and that for the whole craft has been increased from 6.9 tons to 7.4 tons.

The Tianzhou-6 spacecraft will also deliver some 70 kilograms of fresh fruit for the crew to enjoy, which is twice the weight of fruit carried by the Tianzhou-5, according to Wang.

"We used to be unsure about how long will such fresh fruit can be preserved in space. However, after learning from the past year, we are now sure about that we have the capability to upload more fruit at a time," Wang noted.

Tianzhou-6 also delivered 1.75 tons of propellant, of which 700 kilograms will be provided to the space station.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Canadian kids and family outfit Wildbrain has promoted Josh Scherba to the role of president and CEO, taking over for outgoing CEO and vice chair Eric Ellenbogen. Scherba has also been appointed to the companys board of directors.

In addition to Scherbas promotion, the company has also appointed chief marketing and brands officer Jim Fielding as its new strategic advisor to the CEO and board of directors.

More on the appointments:

Wildbrain is one of the worlds largest kids and family content companies. Its catalog includes properties such as Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Caillou, Inspector Gadget, and Degrassi. The companys Vancouver animation studio produces series and films including The Snoopy Show, Sonic Prime, Chip and Potato, Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City, Carmen Sandiego, and Go, Dog. Go!

Scherba has more than 20 years of experience in the industry and has been with Wildbrain since 2006. In 2018, he was appointed president and has pushed a content-led approach to growing and monetizing the companys brands. Scherba has established and nurtured partnerships with numerous global brands including Apple TV+, Netflix, Amazon, Sega, Youtube, the BBC, and Mattel. According to Wildbrain, he was also the driving factor behind the companys acquisition of animation and vfx company House of Cool.
Photo: The Associated Press

UPDATE 1:30 p.m.

U.S. Rep. George Santos, infamous for fabricating his life story, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he duped donors, stole from his campaign and lied to Congress about being a millionaire, all while cheating to collect unemployment benefits he didn't deserve. Santos said afterward that he wouldn't drop his reelection bid, defying calls to resign.

Santos' 13-count federal indictment was a reckoning for a web of fraud and deceit that prosecutors say overlapped with the New York Republican's fantastical public image as a wealthy businessman  a fictional biography that began to unravel after he won election last fall.

Santos, 34, was released on $500,000 bond following his arraignment, about five hours after turning himself in to face charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress. He surrendered his passport and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

This is the beginning of the ability for me to address and defend myself," a cheerfully combative Santos told reporters swarming him outside a Long Island federal courthouse. He said he's been cooperating with the investigation and vowed to clear his name, calling his prosecution a witch hunt.

His lawyer, Joseph Murray, was more circumspect, saying: Any time the federal government comes after you its a serious case. We have to take this serious.

Murray said it was too early to discuss whether Santos would consider a plea deal.

Santos said his immediate plans involved returning to Washington, where his indictment is amplifying doubts about the freshman's ability to serve. House Republican leaders are taking a wait-and-see approach, saying Santos is innocent until proven guilty. Others are reiterating previous calls for Santos to step aside.

I think were seeing that the wheels of justice grind slow, but they grind fine, said Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican who confronted Santos on the House floor at President Joe Biden's State of the Union address in February.

Asked about Santos on Wednesday, Biden said, Im not commenting, adding that anything he said would be construed by some interfering in the investigation. Asked if Congress should expel Santos, Biden said, Thats for Congress to decide.

Among the allegations, prosecutors say Santos induced supporters to donate to a company under the false pretense that the money would be used to support his campaign. Instead, they say, he used the money for personal expenses, including designer clothes and credit card and car payments.

Santos also is accused of lying about his finances on congressional disclosure forms and obtaining unemployment benefits while he was making $120,000 a year as regional director of an investment firm that the government shut down in 2021 over allegations that it was a Ponzi scheme.

The indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said. Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself."

Santos didnt directly address the specifics of the charges to reporters, but when asked why he received unemployment benefits while employed, Santos cited a job change and confusion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Santos, sporting his usual crewneck sweater, blazer and khakis, said little during the arraignment, which lasted about 15 minutes. Reporters spilled from the gallery to the jury box, joined by a handful of constituents.

He should be thrown out of Congress and put in prison, declared Jeff Herzberg, a Long Island resident who spent hours waiting to see Santos' arraignment. I hope that day comes soon.

Santos was elected to Congress last fall after a campaign built partly on falsehoods. He told people he was a wealthy Wall Street dealmaker with a substantial real estate portfolio who had been a star volleyball player in college, among other things.

In reality, Santos didn't work at the big financial firms he said employed him, didn't go to college and struggled financially before entering politics. He claimed he fueled his run largely with self-made riches earned from brokering deals on expensive toys for wealthy clients, but the indictment alleges those boasts were also exaggerated.

In regulatory filings, Santos claimed he loaned his campaign and related political action committees more than $750,000, but it was unclear how he would have come into that kind of wealth so quickly after years in which he struggled to pay his rent and faced multiple eviction proceedings.

In a financial disclosure form, Santos reported making $750,000 a year from a family company, the Devolder Organization, but the charges unsealed Wednesday allege that Santos never received that sum, nor the $1 million and $5 million in dividends he listed as coming from the firm.

Santos has described the Devolder Organization as a broker for sales of luxury items like yachts and aircraft. The business was incorporated in Florida shortly after Santos stopped working for Harbor City Capital, the company accused by federal authorities of operating an illegal Ponzi scheme.

In November 2021, Santos formed Redstone Strategies, a Florida company that federal prosecutors say he used to dupe donors into financing his lifestyle. According to the indictment, Santos told an associate to solicit contributions to the company and gave the person contact information for potential donors.

Emails to prospective donors falsely claimed that the company was formed exclusively to aid Santos election bid and that there would be no limits on how much they could contribute, the indictment said. Santos falsely claimed that the money would be spent on television ads and other campaign expenses, it said.

Last October, a month before his election, Santos transferred about $74,000 from company coffers to bank accounts he maintained, the indictment said. He also transferred money to some of his associates, it said.

Santos' legal troubles date to his late teens, when he was investigated in Brazil for allegedly using stolen checks to buy clothes  a case that authorities say they've since reopened the case.

In 2017, Santos was charged with theft in Pennsylvania for allegedly using thousands of dollars in bogus checks to buy puppies from breeders. That case was dismissed after Santos claimed his checkbook was stolen and someone else took the dogs.

Federal authorities have separately been looking into complaints about Santos' fundraising for a group that purported to help abused pets. A New Jersey veteran accused Santos of failing to deliver $3,000 he raised to help his dog get needed surgery.

ORIGINAL 6:55 a.m.

U.S. Rep. George Santos, the New York Republican infamous for fabricating key parts of his life story, was arrested Wednesday on federal criminal charges ahead of an expected court appearance.

The indictment says Santos induced supporters to donate to a company under the false pretense that the money would be used to support his campaign. Instead, it says, he used it for personal expenses, including luxury designer clothes and to pay off his credit cards.

Santos also is accused of lying about his finances on congressional disclosure forms and applying for and receiving unemployment benefits while he was employed as regional director of an investment firm and running for Congress.

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said the indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations.

Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself, Peace said.

Santos was taken into custody Wednesday and was expected to make an initial court appearance later in the day at a federal courthouse on Long Island.

Reached by the AP on Tuesday, Santos said he was unaware of the charges.

Santos was elected to Congress last fall after a campaign built partly on falsehoods. He told people he was a wealthy Wall Street dealmaker with a substantial real estate portfolio who had been a star volleyball player in college, among other things. In reality, he didn't work at the big financial firms he claimed had employed him, didn't go to college and had struggled financially before his run for public office.

Questions about his finances also surfaced. In regulatory filings, Santos said he loaned his campaign and related political action committees more than $750,000, but it was unclear how he would have come into that kind of wealth so quickly after years in which he struggled to pay his rent and faced multiple eviction proceedings.

In a financial disclosure form, Santos reported making $750,000 a year from a family company, the Devolder Organization, but the charges unsealed Wednesday allege that Santos never received that sum, nor the $1 million and $5 million in dividends he listed as coming from the firm.

Santos has described the Devolder Organization as a broker for sales of luxury items like yachts and aircraft. The business was incorporated in Florida shortly after Santos stopped working as a salesman for a company accused by federal authorities of operating an illegal Ponzi scheme.

Many of Santos' fellow New York Republicans called on him to resign after his history of fabrications was revealed. Some renewed their criticism of him as news of the criminal case spread.

Listen, George Santos should have resigned in December. George Santos should have resigned in January. George Santos should have resigned yesterday. And perhaps hell resign today. But sooner or later, whether he chooses to or not, both the truth and justice will be delivered to him," said U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro, a Republican representing parts of upstate New York.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was more circumspect, saying I think in America, youre innocent till proven guilty."

Santos has faced criminal investigations before.

When he was 19, he was the subject of a criminal investigation in Brazil over allegations he used stolen checks to buy items at a clothing shop. Brazilian authorities said they have reopened the case.

In 2017, Santos was charged with theft in Pennsylvania after authorities said he used thousands of dollars in fraudulent checks to buy puppies from dog breeders. That case was dismissed after Santos claimed his checkbook had been stolen, and that someone else had taken the dogs.

Federal authorities have separately been looking into complaints about Santos work raising money for a group that purported to help neglected and abused pets. One New Jersey veteran accused Santos of failing to deliver $3,000 he had raised to help his pet dog get a needed surgery.
Sindh: Renowned orthopaedic surgeon and member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Dr Syed Imran Ali Shah, has expressed concern over the growing prevalence of drug use among students in Sindh, particularly in schools.

The use of narcotic substances has been identified as a killer poison for students.

Task Force Established to Combat Drug Use in Educational Institutions

The Sindh Assembly Standing Committee on Home Department has recently established a task force to combat drug use in educational institutions across the province.

The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Committee Chairperson Faryal Talpur and attended by officials from the education and home departments.

Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah, Advisor to Chief Minister on Law, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Excise and Narcotics Control Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Member Standing Committee on Home and Standing Committee on School Education Syed Zia Abbas, Sindh IGP, and other officials participated in the meeting.

Efforts to Monitor Habitual Criminals Through Electronic Tagging

During the meeting, participants also decided to increase efforts to monitor habitual criminals by electronically tagging them with tracking bracelets. Concerns were expressed about the growing prevalence of drug use in schools and colleges and the apparent indifference of parents and schools towards this issue.

Approximately Two Million Drug Addicts Between the Ages of 15 and 25

According to officials, out of the estimated nine million drug addicts in the country, approximately two million are between the ages of 15 and 25. This highlights the urgent need for action to be taken to address this issue.

Floods Damage Public Schools in Sindh

Recently, Dawn reported that around 20,000 public schools in Sindh have been destroyed or considerably damaged due to floods, depriving hundreds of thousands of poor children of education at the most formative stage of their lives. Although the provincial government has declared an 'educational emergency', little concrete action has been taken by either the provincial or federal government to rehabilitate these schools.

(With inputs from ANI)
Ascension Day - Thursday, May 18, 2023 Holy Day of Obligation

The Ascension is the event, where Jesus arose into heaven, at the end of his time on earth.

Jesus' time on earth began with his birth. It was interrupted for three days by His death on the Cross. During that time, He descended into the realm of the dead and preached the Gospel to the good people who died before Him. This allowed those good and holy souls--the righteous dead, as we call them--who accepted Christ as their Savior to proceed to heaven. On the third day after his death and burial, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, an event we call the Resurrection. He spent the next 40 days preaching and preparing His disciples to perform the work of preaching and baptizing all people.

At the end of this 40 day period, Jesus ascended into heaven. We call this the Ascension.

The Bible tells us what happened on that day:

In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. While at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. 'It is', he had said, 'what you have heard me speak about: John baptised with water but, not many days from now, you are going to be baptised with the Holy Spirit.' Now having met together, they asked him, 'Lord, has the time come for you to restore the kingdom to Israel?' He replied, 'It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will come on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to earth's remotest end.' As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. They were still staring into the sky as he went, when suddenly two men in white were standing beside them, and they said, 'Why are you Galileans standing here looking into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way as you have seen him go to heaven.'

(Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11)

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.



Help Now >





It is said that by His death and Resurrection, Jesus opened the gates of heaven for all humanity. This is true, and His Ascension demonstrates this to us. It is His proof that those of us who believe in Him in faith and follow Him will also be raised on the last day, and enter into heaven.

From heaven, Jesus hears our prayers and intercedes for us with His Father.

We celebrate this on Ascension Sunday, which is celebrated forty days after Easter. Traditionally it is celebrated on a Thursday as a Holy Day of Obligation. The Church presently observes it on a Sunday to allow more of the faithful to attend Mass. It remains a Holy Day of Obligation, and the faithful are reminded that all Sundays are obligatory by default.

The Ascension should not be confused with Pentecost, which is celebrated 50 days after Easter. Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Christ, after His Ascension.

ARTICLE 6 - Catechism of the Catholic Church

"HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN AND IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER"

659 "So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God." 531 Christ's body was glorified at the moment of his Resurrection, as proved by the new and supernatural properties it subsequently and permanently enjoys. 532 But during the forty days when he eats and drinks familiarly with his disciples and teaches them about the kingdom, his glory remains veiled under the appearance of ordinary humanity. 533 Jesus' final apparition ends with the irreversible entry of his humanity into divine glory, symbolized by the cloud and by heaven, where he is seated from that time forward at God's right hand. 534 Only in a wholly exceptional and unique way would Jesus show himself to Paul "as to one untimely born", in a last apparition that established him as an apostle. 535

660 The veiled character of the glory of the Risen One during this time is intimated in his mysterious words to Mary Magdalene: "I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." 536 This indicates a difference in manifestation between the glory of the risen Christ and that of the Christ exalted to the Father's right hand, a transition marked by the historical and transcendent event of the Ascension.

661 This final stage stays closely linked to the first, that is, to his descent from heaven in the Incarnation. Only the one who "came from the Father" can return to the Father: Christ Jesus. 537 "No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man." 538 Left to its own natural powers humanity does not have access to the "Father's house", to God's life and happiness. 539 Only Christ can open to man such access that we, his members, might have confidence that we too shall go where he, our Head and our Source, has preceded us. 540

662 "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 541 The lifting up of Jesus on the cross signifies and announces his lifting up by his Ascension into heaven, and indeed begins it. Jesus Christ, the one priest of the new and eternal Covenant, "entered, not into a sanctuary made by human hands. . . but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf." 542 There Christ permanently exercises his priesthood, for he "always lives to make intercession" for "those who draw near to God through him". 543 As "high priest of the good things to come" he is the center and the principal actor of the liturgy that honors the Father in heaven. 544

663 Henceforth Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father: "By 'the Father's right hand' we understand the glory and honor of divinity, where he who exists as Son of God before all ages, indeed as God, of one being with the Father, is seated bodily after he became incarnate and his flesh was glorified." 545

664 Being seated at the Father's right hand signifies the inauguration of the Messiah's kingdom, the fulfillment of the prophet Daniel's vision concerning the Son of man: "To him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." 546 After this event the apostles became witnesses of the "kingdom [that] will have no end". 547

IN BRIEF

665 Christ's Ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus' humanity into God's heavenly domain, whence he will come again (cf. Acts 1:11); this humanity in the meantime hides him from the eyes of men (cf. Col 3:3).

666 Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, precedes us into the Father's glorious kingdom so that we, the members of his Body, may live in the hope of one day being with him for ever.

667 Jesus Christ, having entered the sanctuary of heaven once and for all, intercedes constantly for us as the mediator who assures us of the permanent outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

- The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Prayer to the Mother of the Lord for all mothers

Prayer to the Mother of the ...
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
Registration is open for the Urban League of Greater Chattanoogas annual STEAM Camp, held on July 10-14.STEAM, part of ULGCs Project Ready program, is open for rising sixth, seventh and eighth grade students and is free to participate. Free breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided daily to participants.Our hope is that STEAM will increase their interest and probability to later pursue careers in STEM fields as we know that STEM careers are predicted to experience the highest growth in job numbers between now and 2030.Currently, only 28 percent of the STEM workforce is female, 7 percent is black and 6 percent is Hispanic, said Candy Johnson, president and CEO of ULGC.Officials said, "For more than a decade, ULGC has prioritized STEM educational initiatives to increase exposure, access and opportunities for youth of color and other disadvantaged groups to strengthen their knowledge and abilities to think critically."Community partners for the program include the University of Chattanoogas Department of English and the Tennessee Aquarium. Both also support ULGCs LEAP after school programs throughout the academic year and work to provide a space for students to learn about STEM in engaging ways.Im excited about what we have planned for this year. The addition of a social-emotional learning component, physical fitness and off-site filed trips encompasses a wide variety of problem solving and artistic exercises for the participants, said Robin Sturnes, director of education and family empowerment at ULGC.For more information about the summer camp, email Ms. Sturnes at rsturnes@ulchatt.net or visit www.ulchatt.net.
Elmer Ross Roy, Jr., 75, of Harrison, went home to be with the Lord and his beautiful daughter, Dianna, on Tuesday, May 9.

After graduating from Sweetwater High in 1966, he joined the U.S. Army in October 1967 as a member of the Army Security Agency & was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Expert Badge & Marksman Badge. His love for America ran deep and he was proud to serve her faithfully in the same branch as his father.

Following four years of service in the Army, he graduated from The University of Tennessee in 1975. He served 26 years with the Internal Revenue Service as a Revenue Officer.

Ross was married to the love of his life, Gloria, for 51 years. They had two children, Nathan & Dianna. He was a Scoutmaster for St. Jude Catholic Church Scout Troop 172. He was a parishioner of St. Stephen Catholic Church and a member of Knights of Columbus Council 6099. He loved traveling, loved a good book and he loved his family and making memories together. He was a proud Papaw & loved his grandchildren more than words can express.

He was preceded in death by parents Elmer and Joyce Roy and his daughter, Dianna Ralls. He is survived by: his wife, Gloria; son Nathan (Kerry), son-in-law Eric; grandchildren: Ryman, Kate, Griffin, Harrison and Evan; brothers: Tony (Angela), Phil (Yvonne) and Zack (Glenda); brothers-in-law Robert (Linda) and Fr. George Roy and nieces and nephews.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, May 15, at Saint Stephen Catholic Church, with Father George Roy OMI officiating, with interment following at Chattanooga National Cemetery (please meet by 12:15 p.m. at the cemetery office).

The family will receive friends on Sunday, May 14, at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home in Hixson, from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in the name of Ross Roy, to St. Jude School for tuition assistance. St. Jude School, 930 Ashland Terrace, Chattanooga, Tn. 37415.

Arrangements are by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory, and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, Tn. 37343.

Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com
The Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the premeditated first-degree murder and aggravated robbery convictions of Kemontea Dovon McKinney (Defendant) for the killing of Jonathan Outlaw in Robertson County. The Court found the Defendants statements to detectives were voluntary, as was the waiver of his Miranda rights.

In October 2017, Defendant, a juvenile at the time of the offenses, shot and killed Mr.

Outlaw when Defendant and two accomplices met Mr. Outlaw after his Camaro was listed for sale on Craigslist. At the police station, detectives read Defendant hisrights and interrogated him with his mother present.

Prior to trial, Defendant filed a motion to suppress his statements made to detectives, arguing that he did not knowingly and voluntarily waive his Miranda rights. The trial court denied the motion to suppress and admitted Defendants pretrial statements into evidence.

Following his convictions, Defendant appealed to the Court of Criminal Appeals. The intermediate court held that the trial court erred by denying Defendants motion to suppress and that admitting Defendants statements into evidence was not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. The Court of Criminal Appeals provided that whether the defendant voluntarily provided a statement to the police is inextricably linked with the question whether the defendant voluntarily waived his constitutional right to remain silent by providing a statement after the warnings were given, such that the two inquiries can be considered together. The Court of Criminal Appeals also held that the evidence was not sufficient to support Defendants premediated first-degree murder conviction.

Under the United States and Tennessee Constitutions, a defendants confession to police must be voluntary. Additionally, Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 426 (1966), requires police to provide criminal defendants with certain rights prior to a custodial interrogation, and police must obtain a knowing and voluntary waiver of those rights for the statements to be admissible as evidence of guilt. Relevant to the facts of this case, juveniles may also waive their Miranda rights.

The Supreme Court granted the States application for permission to appeal to consider whether the intermediate court erred when it stated that an involuntary-confession claim is inextricably linked to a Miranda-waiver claim. The Court also granted the States application to consider whether the Court of Criminal Appeals erred in determining that the evidence was insufficient to support Defendants conviction for premeditated first-degree murder.

Reviewing the applicable case law, the Court re-emphasized that the voluntariness test is distinct from the test for Miranda waiver, despite similarities between the analyses. After separately applying both tests, the Court concluded that Defendants overall statement was voluntary and his Miranda waiver was both knowing and voluntary. The Court also concluded that the evidence presented by the State was sufficient to support Defendants conviction for premeditated first-degree murder. As a result, the Court reversed the Court of Criminal Appeals and reinstated the trial courts judgments.

Oral arguments in this case were heard at East Tennessee State University as part of the Supreme Courts SCALES program.
One of the people struck by a vehicle at Volkswagen testified Thursday that he thought the black car headed toward him was either security or someone pranking him.

Travis Boyd said he then was struck by the black VW Jetta in the April 29 incident at the Enterprise South Industrial Park.

General Sessions Court Judge Lyla Statom bound charges to the Grand Jury against Jason Wayne Thornton in the incident that also left one female VW employee dead and another female worker critically hurt.

He was bound over on charges of reckless vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment and reckless driving. His total bond was lowered to $40,000.

Judge Statom said if Thornton makes bond, he will be on house arrest. However, she said he will be able to be employed.

Mr. Boyd said he meets Mitch Hickman at the plant around 5 a.m. every morning and they walk to work together. He said they had gone across the sky bridge and were down near the plant entrance when they saw the vehicle "coming at us." He said they "continued to walk."

Mr. Boyd said, "I thought it was somebody playing with us or messing around." He said he also thought it might be security coming because of smoking in a non-smoking area.

Mr. Boyd said the vehicle "never slowed down" and he was hit. He said he was knocked up on the windshield and over the roof of the vehicle before landing in a gravel area. He said his cell phone was smashed and his pocket ripped off, so that his wallet ended up in his hand.

Mr. Boyd said he did not realize that the two women were hit. He said he stood over victim Amber Reed and "I knew I was looking at a corpse."

He said he heard the other female victim screaming and saw that her leg was mangled.

Mr. Boyd said he started looking for whoever had hit them. He said, "I was pissed off. I was ready to fight." He said, "I kept asking who was driving the car. Nobody would say at first." He said the vehicle had stopped and the driver gotten out. He said Thornton was very emotional and crying. He said he kept saying he was sorry and reached out as if he wanted to be hugged. "I pushed him away," Mr. Boyd said. He said someone told the driver to get back in his car.

Mr. Hickman said they saw a vehicle that was off the roadway coming toward them and "moving pretty fast." He said they continued walking toward the building. Mr. Hickman said as the vehicle arrived he jumped to the left and barely avoided getting hit.

Investigator Charles Darling said by the time he arrived around 6 a.m., two victims had been taken to the hospital.

He said he was told that the car had been in the left lane and veered over to the far right, then went into the area off the roadway where employees were headed to work. He said Thornton told him that he had closed his eyes as he neared his job at the paint shop and must have fallen asleep behind the wheel.

He said there was no sign that the brakes were applied.

The sister of Thornton said he is the father of four children, including one who has severe autism. She said the family found out in recent months that both of their parents have cancer. She said her brother had a "really great reputation" and no past criminal record.

An employee of the paint shop said she had worked with Thornton for seven years and he was an administrator you could talk to.
A recent statewide partnership between Tennessees community and technical colleges is providing a seamless pathway where students can earn a credential at a Tennessee College of Applied Technology and apply those credits to an aligned program at a partnering community college. With the increasing demand for more specialized training in technical careers, the new articulation agreement between the states technical and community colleges helps align workforce training with industry need.View the TCAT to Community College Articulation Programs here This is a systemwide effort to help fill our states business and industry need for more skilled workers in technical careers in Tennessee, said TBR Chancellor Flora W.Tydings. Our students can now benefit from taking the credentials they earn at a TCAT and apply them toward completion of an associate of applied science degree at one of our community colleges.There are over 30 current programs offered throughout Tennessees technical colleges that allow students to apply credits earned toward an associate of applied science degree at a participating community college. Credentials earned in TCAT programs such as administrative office technology, industrial maintenance, aviation, construction, machining, computer technology, welding and most health programs can now be applied toward an associate degree offered at a nearby community college. A full list of TCAT to community college program pathways can be found on the TBR website.This is a landmark signature signing around articulation agreements where students can transfer six to 27 credit hours from 30-plus TCAT programs to a related program at a Tennessee community college, said Dr. Jothany Blackwood, TBR vice chancellor for academic affairs.The articulation agreement is one of several initiatives led by TBR  The College System of Tennessee to supply business and industry with a pipeline of employees equipped with industry-recognized certifications. Through the new pathways, TCAT graduates can earn credentials for in-demand jobs needed now, and use credits earned toward an associate degree that will add value to their skillset and a deeper knowledge of their chosen career field.You can theoretically earn your Industrial Maintenance diploma here and your Associate of Applied Science degree in Mechatronics Technology all within three years, said Chris Cantrell, industrial maintenance instructor at TCAT Shelbyville. Having both credentials would give you a greater opportunity to find a more sustainable job, kind of the best of both worlds.Additional pathways are planned between the TCATs and community colleges in the future.
Building 1 at the Budgetel Inn & Suites in East Ridge is about ready to reopen, Criminal Court Judge Boyd Patterson was told Thursday afternoon.

The hotel was closed last November as a public nuisance by the District Attorney's Office, citing multiple police calls.

Attorney Chris Clem said all electricity is on in Building 1 and the new security cameras are all ready at the complex, that includes four buildings in all. He said cameras are in operation at the office, guard shack, and outside all the buildings.

Attorney Clem said the Health Department and City Codes have signed off on the needed updates at Building 1.

He said the city of East Ridge is withholding issuing a certificate of occupancy until the judge signs a settlement order lifting an injunction.

Attorney Clem and a representative of the DA's Office are to conduct a final walk-through of Building 1. If the DA's Office is satisfied, an agreed order will be issued.

At the time of the sudden closing, hundreds of individuals from the hotel were left without any lodging. The city and county both contributed funds to a group of local agencies that responded to the situation.
Children cannot learn in a classroom where their teachers spend a significant amount of time dealing with student discipline issues. It can be unsafe for the teacher and the other students and significantly disrupts the learning environment.

Out-of-control behavior by some students is driving teachers out of the profession. In 2021, the Tennessee General Assembly passed the Teachers Discipline Act, which Professional Educators of Tennessee championed. Since January 1, 2022,this law should guide districts to create better discipline systems and processes in place in Tennessee schools.

Student discipline is a major reason why teachers say they are leaving the profession. This law was centered on the frustration of teachers over the last decade. Educators cite student discipline as a critical issue that they face in the classroom. Teaching is a challenging and difficult job. It is made even more difficult when classroom discipline is out of control.

To maintain control in the classroom, policies must be clearly defined. Let us be clear, todays infractions are rarely chewing gum, being out of a seat, or throwing paper. Reports include offenses of a sexual nature, cursing at teachers, fights, and sometimes even worse. Students are frequently permitted to commit offenses in school with little repercussion. Student discipline is now a time-consuming and exasperating issue, and teacher input is rarely solicited.

We have seen increases in teacher assaults over the last several yearsincluding sexual ones. Our Educator Bill of Rights was expanded by Representative Jay Reedy and Senator John Stevens this year and is now Public Chapter 153. This now includes the educator's right to report an offense of assault and battery and their right to receive benefits if they are a teacher who is absent from their assigned duties due to injuries caused by a criminal act committed against them while at school or a school function.

Day in and day out, teachers are tasked with the delivery of education to students. The lack of institutional support in classroom management has now made the burden on our teachers more difficult. We need better processes in classroom management. Regrettably, teachers are often left out of the creation process of school discipline policies. Systems and processes are what make everything work, from the most complex to the seemingly insignificant. When processes are flawed, systems inadvertently fail.

Just like children make mistakes in reading, or in math, they also, unfortunately, make mistakes in behavior. All educators understand that students will misbehave. It is important to establish strong boundaries that will best serve all students. One thing is certain  all it takes is one rebellious student who gets his or her way, day after day, to destroy a classroom. Common sense would indicate that more teacher input on student discipline issues might improve job satisfaction, address teacher retention, and solve more student behavioral issues.

Not having a high-quality administrator at every school often means good discipline is even more difficult. Teachers set the discipline for their classrooms, but administrators set the culture for their schools. Classroom teachers must have an administrator who reinforces and supports their authority to maintain discipline in the classroom. Administrators who do not support classroom teachers and set lenient discipline policies end up creating learning environments where unruly students take away from students who wish to learn. An Antioch High School teacher got pepper sprayed by a student for confiscating her cell phone.

Every district in Tennessee is now required to establish a process for a students removal and return to the classroom. It will give teachers more voice on the critical issue of student discipline. The act reaffirms existing laws regarding a teachers ability to relocate students for safety reasons. It outlines the disciplinary referral process by teachers and administrators and establishes a clear framework for how a teacher can request the removal of a student from class who repeatedly or substantially interferes with the teachers ability to communicate effectively with the class and the ability of the students classmates to learn.

This law wisely leaves student removal at the discretion of the principal or designee. However, if removal is denied to the teacher, an appeals process is established. It also allows the student to have the opportunity to respond with their side of the situation and involve the parents or guardians in the process. It protects the student removal process from being abused or overused. Statewide data will be reported to the TN Department of Education.

The data collection component will give policymakers and stakeholders a glimpse into what is going on schoolwide, system-wide, and statewide. Specific problems can be pinpointed, and if additional policies are needed, data from communities across the state is being used. Future legislation can address systemic issues around discipline, and schools, districts, and the state can be more equipped to address discipline issues earlier to help students, their classmates, and teachers.

Each student discipline policy or code of conduct must now be adopted by a local board of education or public charter school. This law forces compliance with all state and federal laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.  1400 et seq.), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C.  794).

We should all want to create a system that serves our students and to do that we must get the discipline process right. Superintendents and Boards of Education must establish policies that can improve the process. With these processes in effect, we can begin to create a better, safer environment for teachers and students that will help to retain and attract excellent educators in our state.

JC Bowman

Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) called it a leap of faith.

Carol DiCarlo, owner of the Cheshire Equestrian Center, had left a career in the medical field to pursue her own business, taking the leap that all such entrepreneurs brave  the chance that their venture wont be successful. DiCarlo opened her store in Cheshire with no opportunity to glance into the future, and the odds were not in her favor.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 22% of small businesses and start-ups survive their first year in operation, and 30% fail by their second year. In the end, while 600,000 new businesses open each year dreaming of success and sustainability, only 25% are open for 15 years or more.

Those are daunting odds, ones DiCarlo faced head-on, as did Andrew Zeppa, owner and founder of Element 119, who admits to being a self-taught chemical engineer who opened his business out of his garage. The company has gone on to find that often-elusive success, expanding from Thomaston into Cheshire and, it appears, hoping to expand even further.

Blumenthal visited Cheshire on Monday to recognize the two businesses, commending each for their ingenuity and risk-taking, but while Connecticuts senior U.S. Senator was speaking about these local establishments, he might as well have been speaking about all small businesses and start-ups in the state.

The major corporations drive much of the national discussion when it comes to the economy, for understandable reasons. They employ the most people, provide wide-ranging services, and impact the stock market. But without small businesses, and entrepreneurs such as DiCarlo and Zeppa, the backbone of the economy would snap.

The U.S. Small Business Administration estimates that in 2022 approximately 61 million Americans were employed by a small business, accounting for 46.4% of all employees in the nation. With nearly half the countrys workforce punching into the time clock of a start-up or small establishment, their success, not just their survival, is crucial to a healthy economic ecosystem.

Thats why ensuring that Connecticut is a hospitable environment for current and future business owners is so vital.

Statistics from Data USA and U.S. Small Business Profiles indicate that there are approximately 350,000 small businesses in Connecticut, accounting for 99.4% of all businesses in the state. Yet, a 2022 CNBC survey ranked the state 39th in the nation when it comes to being business-friendly. Diving deeper into those rankings, Connecticut came in 45th for the cost of doing business, 47th in economy, and 39th in infrastructure.

The state did fare better in other areas, including being ranked 14th and 17th in the life, health and inclusion category, while coming in 25th in innovation and technology. Still, it is clear that the state must continue to improve everything from its infrastructure to its tax rates and spending habits in order to officially shed its negative business image, even if the reputation isnt totally deserved.

The state has a lot going for it, whether it be an beautiful coastline or its proximity to major U.S. cities, most notably New York to the south and Boston to the north. And Connecticut provides an attractive place for both families seeking quiet and safe suburbs in which to live and young adults seeking the excitement and cultural experience of residing in a more urban setting. There are sports to enjoy, art to admire, and history that dates back to well before the U.S. was even a country.

Theres every reason to believe that someone born in Connecticut, or someone arriving to attend one of its many high-ranking institutions of higher learning, would want to stay in Connecticut for life. But leaders must make sure the state is affordable and that risk-takers such as DiCarlo and Zeppa are supported, not inhibited. The two Cheshire businesses are success stories, the kind the state needs more of.
Unsplash/Melinda Gimpel

In an effort to stabilize its finances and in response to 330 sex abuse lawsuits, the Catholic Diocese of Oakland declared bankruptcy on Monday. Most of the accusations are centered on priests who are now old, and some of them are pssibly dead and these incidents are reported to happen in the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

According to Bishop Michael C. Barber in a letter to parishioners, the diocese thinks bankruptcy is the best option to guarantee a just and equitable resolution for survivors. He underlined the diocese's commitment to supporting survivors and praying for their ongoing healing while acknowledging the suffering brought on by these heinous offenses.

Victim Advocacy Groups Criticize Oakland Diocese's Bankruptcy Filing

According to the article in Fox News, Barber said that the diocese would be able to stabilize its finances and carry out its holy mission due to the bankruptcy case. Additionally, he reaffirmed that none of the Catholic schools running within the diocese would be impacted because they are different legal entities and were not included in the file. The diocese said that vendors would be reimbursed for products and services delivered following the filing.

The lawsuits were brought about by California's decision to permit purported survivors to file time-barred and expired cases. According to the diocese, the lawsuit also followed a 42% decline in Catholic mass attendance in 2021 and difficulties brought on by an aging clergy.

The Catholic Diocese of Oakland filed for bankruptcy, according to victim advocacy groups like the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), in an effort to shield its money and preserve secrecy. In the article in Oakland Side, the Oakland diocese is said to own hundreds of acres of land as well as other properties in Oakland, Piedmont, Lafayette, and Orinda, according to SNAP, which has worked with victims and their attorneys to uncover abusive priests.

According to SNAP's communication officer Mike McDonnell, the bankruptcy filing shows the church's reluctance to commit to complete accountability and transparency. According to McDonnell, the action exacerbates the harm and suffering that the survivors have already undergone for years.

All legal proceedings in state courts are put on hold after the bankruptcy filing and are instead sent to federal bankruptcy courts. A committee chosen by the United States Trustee Program, which is an arm of the federal Department of Justice, will represent all victim claims in these courts. By the time that all the assets of the clergy has been cleared and evaluated, then the compensation amount will be released.

Also Read:Catholic Bankruptcy Judge Steps Down Due to Personal Church Donations Conflict

Oakland Diocese Faces Bankruptcy Amid Declining Church Attendance and Ongoing Challenges

The Diocese of Oakland had about 550,000 Catholics in 82 parishes spread across Alameda and Contra Costa countie have been encountering a downhill slope on the attendance numbers and members. According to the story in USA Today, Due to the pandemic, mass attendance in Oakland decreased by 42% in 2021 compared to 2019 and was 46% below the five-year average.

Bishop Michael C. Barber established the Mission Alignment Process Commission in March 2021 to address these issues and balance the requirements of ministries, parishioners, and priests with financial realities. Their ongoing efforts, which Barber claims have already resulted in a recent parish merger, are expected to take several years to implement.

Related Article:Catholic Diocese of Albany Might Face Bankruptcy Due to Lawsuits Alleging Sexual Abuse
Pixabay/ Mimzy

A Christian group in Hong Kong finds itself embroiled in a heated controversy as it faces accusations of engaging in same-sex conversion therapy. The allegations, brought forth by LGBTQ+ activists, have sparked widespread debate and drawn attention to the ongoing struggles for LGBTQ+ rights in the region.

Same-sex Conversion Therapy

According to an article from UCA News, the accusations against the group, known as New Creation Association, originated from testimonies shared by individuals who claim to have undergone conversion therapy under the organization's guidance. Conversion therapy is a controversial practice of changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity through various means, often involving psychological or spiritual interventions.

In response to the allegations, LGBTQ+ activists have condemned NCA, asserting that conversion therapy is ineffective and harmful and perpetuates discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. They argue that such practices disregard the scientific consensus that homosexuality is not a disorder and that attempts to change one's sexual orientation can lead to severe psychological distress. As news of the accusations spread, several human rights organizations and advocacy groups joined forces to demand a thorough investigation into NCA's activities. They urge the Hong Kong government to take immediate action to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from potential harm and to enact legislation prohibiting conversion therapy.

Moreover, voices of opposition have also emerged within the Christian community itself. Progressive Christian leaders have voiced their concerns, highlighting the importance of affirming the dignity and worth of all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. They argue that true Christianity should be rooted in love and acceptance rather than attempting to change an inherent aspect of a person's identity.

Amidst the controversy, NCA released a statement denying the accusations against them. They claim their organization supports individuals with sexual orientation but does not engage in conversion therapy. According to their statement, their goal is to provide guidance and counseling to individuals grappling with their faith and sexuality, fostering an environment of understanding and acceptance.

Also Read: UK Government Ban on 'Conversion Therapy' to Protect LGBT But Other Countries Have Different Thoughts

Conversion Therapy in Other Country

Conversion therapy, a highly controversial practice to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, continues to be a subject of intense scrutiny and debate worldwide. In recent developments, Switzerland and the U.S. state of Minnesota have taken significant steps to address the issue, with each region adopting measures to ban conversion therapy and protect LGBTQ+ individuals.

The Canton of Vaud has become Switzerland's latest jurisdiction to outlaw conversion therapy. A report from CNE News stated that the new legislation prohibits any form of treatment that seeks to alter a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. The ban encompasses minors and adults and includes various methods such as talk therapy, electric shocks, and other coercive practices. The groundbreaking move by the Canton of Vaud aligns with the growing international consensus that conversion therapy is ineffective and harmful, leading to severe psychological distress and societal discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals.

Furthermore, as reported by CBS News, Minnesota, lawmakers recently approved legislation prohibiting licensed mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy on minors. The law also protects gender-affirming care, abortion rights, and refugee rights. The measure aims to safeguard vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth from the potential harm caused by conversion therapy, acknowledging the need to support and affirm their identities.

Related Article:Conversion Therapy Ban Called Unlawful by Legal Expert
Pixabay/crossdresser

The Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg will continue to host a Drag Queen Event during a Sunday Service even though a bill against drag artists has been delivered to the desk of Florida's Governor, Ron DeSantis, and is currently waiting to be signed into law.

Bill Against Drag Artists

Businesses that enable children to attend any "adult live performance" that "appeals to a prurient, shameful, or morbid interest" are subject to fines, suspensions, or revocations of their food and beverage permits under the provisions of a measure that was approved by the state assembly in April under the leadership of the Republican Party, The Washington Post reported.

The proposed legislation details several behaviors, including "the lewd exposure of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts." While the bill does not mention drag shows, critics claim that the phrasing is directed at them. The legislation is already having the desired impact of reducing activity.

In addition to live performances, the bill makes it illegal for towns and counties to grant permits for other public performances if such acts adhere to different standards than live events. Since they are concerned about operating afoul of the new legislation, one organization in Florida has taken the initiative to call off a gay pride parade.

According to CBS Miami, the bill would also prohibit medical professionals from administering treatments to transgender kids, such as hormonal treatments and puberty blockers. It would prevent transgender men and women from using restrooms that do not correspond with the gender assigned to them at birth. As mentioned, the Senate should provide consent before these bills become law.

Moreover, protesters flocked to the Capitol to stop the bills, but Republicans in the House of Representatives rebuffed any efforts by Democrats to amend the legislation. One of the arguments made by proponents of the Act was that safeguarding children's welfare was necessary.

Also Read: Church Leaders Praise Gov. Kevin Stitts Decision To Pass Law Prohibiting Sex Change Procedure on Minors

United Methodist Church's Drag Queen Event

Patch.com stated that the performer known as Lakeland's Momma Ashley Rose, the stage name of Jason DeShazo, has been an outspoken critic of the bill that has been put forward.

She will reportedly perform a family-friendly version of her drag show at the Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg on the fifth Sunday of the month. Following that, she and several other drag artists will participate in church services on July 30.

According to the senior pastor of the church, Rev. Andy Oliver said that at a time when Tallahassee and significant portions of the world's culture continue to deliver an argument that being LGBTQ is in some way unlawful or a criminal, and when members of the community, particularly those who identify as transgender or who perform drag, are referred to as groomers.

The pastor asserted that he had a strong urge to provide a secure environment and an environment that was loving and supportive of who they were designed to be. "I saw no better place for that than right in the center of worship, where we are there to learn better how to love our neighbor," he added.

Related Article:Faith Church Invites Children to Family Friendly Drag Show Event Despite Restrictions of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
Pexels/Nikko Tan

Due to long-standing disagreements over doctrine and the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy, churches in the wider Tampa Bay area are leaving the United Methodist Church (UMC). The split has been in the works for many years as the UMC has attempted to compromise to satisfy both conservative and progressive elements.

The UMC division has lasted longer than divides in other national mainstream Protestant churches, including the Presbyterian, Episcopal, and Evangelical Lutheran churches, because of similar reasons. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research's Scott Thumma claims that as social standards change to a more progressive position, the discussion of LGBTQ+ problems within the church has also changed.

Tampa Bay Area Churches Break Away from United Methodist Church Over LGBTQ+ Clergy Ordination

According to WUSF Public Media, although such divisions appear dramatic, Thumma emphasizes that denominations have split and merged throughout American history; this is just a natural part of the development of religious life and institutions in the nation. Since he believes that fewer than 25% of UMC churches in the U.S. are disaffiliating, he does not view this as a "schism."

Churches like Palma Ceia United Methodist in South Tampa are quitting the denomination due to entrenched differences in how scripture, theology, and practice should be interpreted. The Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church acknowledged the intense division within the UMC over matters of human sexuality earlier this year when it published information for churches desiring to quit the denomination.

Given that the Book of Discipline now forbids the ordination of practicing gay pastors and the celebration of same-sex weddings, the United Methodist Church (UMC) is currently experiencing conflict and tension in these areas. Only a vote at the General Conference, slated for 2024, can alter these regulations.

According to The Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church, Rev. Emily Hotho suggests congregations seeking assistance in balancing their personal and biblical opinions on the subject speak with their district superintendents. Additionally, she advises churches to consider the consequences of leaving The Florida Conference, including the need to find their own property insurance, rebrand, and remove the cross and flame logo.

Rev. Hotho emphasizes further that, even if the Book of Discipline guidelines were to alter, churches and pastors would still be permitted to attend same-gender weddingsnot required. Tensions often subside when this topic is brought up in congregations.

Hyde Park UMC in Tampa's Rev. Magrey deVega has noticed people entering his church from congregations that have left the denomination. As the denomination continues to work through these divisive issues, both Rev. Hotho and Rev. deVega stress the value of staying connected to The United Methodist Church and its history.

Also Read:192 Churches in North Carolina Asks Separation from United Methodist Church, Request to Retain Church Buildings

Traditional Breakaway Denominations Anticipated to Join Global Methodist Church

The orthodox United Methodist Church sects are anticipated to merge with the newly founded Global Methodist Church in 2022. This new denomination was founded to give churches that uphold conventional beliefs on matters like LGBTQ+ clergy ordination and same-sex marriage a more conservative alternative to the UMC.

According to the Florida chapter of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative UMC affiliate, many churches seeking to leave the UMC will be joining the Global Methodist Church. The action is consistent with a growing pattern of denominational realignments in reaction to evolving societal standards and doctrinal disputes.

Related Article:United Methodist Church Conference Greenlights Disaffiliation of 264 Tennessee Churches
Pixabay/succo

The former employee of First Presbyterian Church allegedly stole money from the church, which law enforcement officers are investigating. Although it has been stated that the offender took approximately $400,000, no criminal proceedings have been brought.

$400,000 Worth of Funds from First Presbyterian Church

The misuse of monies was brought to the attention of police authorities, according to a letter from church leaders to the congregation's members released on February 9. A report from Wane 15 stated that the letter additionally indicated they intended to bring legal action against the individuals who were likely engaged in the theft of church funds and that the individual who was believed to be guilty was no longer employed by the church. It was also mentioned that the church would recover some of the lost money.

"We ask you to pray for church leadership, for the wrongdoer and the confused thinking that accompanies such an act, and for your church during this difficult time," the letter asserted. Moreover, a second letter on April 11 stated that the investigation and recovery efforts had advanced. At that time, the insured component of the loss was also ready to be given to the church, representing approximately sixty percent of the total amount taken.

In addition, it is believed that the amount of missing funds is roughly $400,000, and the value of the insurance reimbursement is $250,000. After the conclusion of the investigation, the church will deliberate on whether or not to pursue legal action for the remaining portion of the lost money. On the other hand, on Tuesday, May 9, church officials released a statement saying that an ongoing investigation into the possible misuse of church finances is being conducted. The First Presbyterian Church of Fort Wayne is assisting law authorities. Thus, making further remarks at this time would reportedly be inappropriate.

Also Read:Secretary of Brooklyn Congregational Methodist Church Arrested For Stealing $90,000 Leading to Church's Closure

Other Cases of Embezzlement in Churches

The Newnan Times-Herald reported another case of embezzlement in a church. In March 2013, First Presbyterian Church decided to employ Vines as a bookkeeper, initially temporarily and subsequently permanently, beginning in August of the same year. Vines was responsible for preparing financial statements, writing checks, paying bills, and making electronic bank transfers in her role. She also made entries in the church's accounting software.

As mentioned, a third-party auditor was recruited by the church in 2017 to conduct a verification of the organization's financial records. The auditor's first observation was that the amount of cash recorded at the time of the collection was approximately one thousand dollars less than what had been deposited into the bank. Vines was questioned by the auditor concerning this difference. She confessed to stealing about one thousand dollars from the church's collections but claimed she had not taken any additional money. However, upon further investigation, it was reported that she stole a hundred thousand dollars.

Vines, age 38 and a resident of Sharpsburg, was given a prison term of two years, followed by three years of supervised release. United States District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. issued an order requiring her to make restitution to First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City for $420,620.07 in addition to her other sentence.

Furthermore, it was reported by the United States Attorney's Office in Texas that a former church bookkeeper was also embezzled more than $400,000. In 2021, 52-year-old Lisa Dawn Stabeno pleaded guilty to two bank fraud charges. She was punished by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who condemned her "brazen thefts" and required her to hand over reparation for $450,000. Ms. Stabeno stated in the documents she submitted as part of her guilty plea that she started stealing money from the church in November 2013, barely four months after taking over financial responsibilities.

Related Article: Former Employee of Saint Matthew Catholic Church and School Sentenced 2 Years in Prison After Stealing $574k For Gambling and Vacation
Pexels/Micha? Ludwiczak

A recent exhibit at the "very liberal" Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan is stirring up controversy because it examines gender identification in a spiritual setting. The exhibit, titled "God is Trans: A Queer Spiritual Journey," has confused some parishioners and appears to go against the Catholic Church's official position on the transgender community.

Some angry parishioners complained that the church shouldn't be endorsing this message, while others thought the exhibit seemed to impose its views on others. However, some people saw the exhibit as a reflection of the parish's historically liberal nature, which is located in New York City.

Exhibit on Gender Identity at Manhattan Church Stirs Controversy

According to the New York Post, Sacrifice, Identity, and Communion are the three stages of the LGBT spiritual journey depicted in the exhibit, which artist Adah Unachukwu made. The exhibit addresses the definition of holiness and the dynamic between God and humans.

Bill O'Connor, 79, who has visited the church for decades, likewise loves the display, calling it "a place of welcome" and "a place to question one's own path." Cherri Ghosh, 80, praises the church's liberal position, saying, "They are really in the present when others are not."

The Archdiocese of New York's spokesman, however, declined to comment on the display because they were not aware of it. The Vatican maintains that gender is determined at birth and opposes gender reassignment, although it also acknowledges that parishes' perspectives on the transgender community can differ.

The exhibit has drawn criticism from sure parishioners of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan, who feel it has no place in the institution and question its promotion. According to the article in the Daily Wire, one member said the church shouldn't be supporting such content and that when a friend approached a priest about the exhibit, they didn't get a response.

The official stance of the Catholic Church on gender identity appears to be at odds with this manifestation. In a report published in 2019 titled "Male and Female He Created Them: Towards a Path of Dialogue on the Question of Gender Theory in Education," the church disputed the notion of separating sex and gender and referred to transgender identity as an endeavor to "annihilate the concept of nature."

Also Read: Multiple Florida Churches Sever Connections with United Methodist Church Over LGBTQ+ Clergy Ordination

Parishioners Express Divergent Views on Art Display Addressing Gender Identity

While opposing gender ideology, the Roman Catholic Church permits each parish to have its own viewpoint on the transgender community. Daily Mail reported that a past disagreement between Cardinal Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York and the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan over the latter's defiance of Vatican teachings on the LGBTQ+ community led to the present "God is Trans: A Queer Spiritual Journey" exhibition. Adah Unachukwu, an artist, as well as the Archdiocese of New York, have yet to respond to the situation.

Views on the show among parishioners are varied. While some find the display offensive, others, like 80-year-old Cherri Ghosh, respect the church's openness. When describing the church, Ghosh said, "They are really in the present when others are not."

Related Article:Fresno LGBTQ-Inclusive Church Hosts Vigil Following Vandalism Incident
Pexels/Derek French

The proposed amendments to the state's abortion legislation drew protesters to Greensboro, North Carolina. Similar demonstrations were organized all around the state in addition to the "Bans Off Our Bodies" gathering outside the Old Guilford County Courthouse.

The House floor agenda now includes a reading of Senate Bill 20, the combined bill to reform North Carolina's abortion laws.

Protestors Rally Against Proposed Changes to North Carolina Abortion Laws

According to the article that is shared in My Fox 8, it is not certain whether the "Care for Women, Children, and Families Act" will have a full reading and a final vote, although it may be debated. Attorney General Josh Stein in which is a challenger for governor, and U.S. Representatives Deborah Ross (D-Wake) and Wiley Nickel (D-Chatham) spoke during a demonstration organized by Democrats outside the legislative session. There were a lot of medical specialists present. Before reaching Gov. Roy Cooper's desk, where it is likely to be rejected or left unsigned, the bill must receive another vote of approval in the Senate.

Uncertain support from both parties exists for Senate Bill 20, a contentious piece of legislation that would overhaul North Carolina's abortion laws. However, the republicans have power in the house and senate in which it allows them to override or veto that might be given.

After the previous "Safe Surrender of Infants" bill was trimmed down to 46 pages, the new legislation was presented. cleA 12-week limit on elective abortion, 20 weeks for rape and incest, and 24 weeks for fetal anomalies-of-life exceptions are all included in the new bill introduced by state senator Joyce Krawiec (R-Forsyth) and state representative Sarah Stevens (R-Surry). There would be no restriction in situations where the mother's life is in danger.

The proposed legislation would not alter the rules governing mifepristone use or medical abortions. The bill also provides funding to increase adoption, foster care, childcare services, and maternity and paternity leave options for teachers and state employees.

Also Read:Oregon Legislature Progresses Abortion Rights, Transgender Healthcare Bill

Pro-Choice Activists Vow to Continue Advocating for Abortion Rights

According to the article in The News & Observer, Em Puertolas, who has already attended four pro-abortion protests, went to the rally with her little daughter. Puertolas stressed that no one should be forced to undergo pregnancy, labor, or postpartum if they don't want to. She also emphasized how poorly supported pregnant women and parents are in the nation.

A Durham doctor and mother named Danielle Pierson expressed her sadness and anxiety, saying that because of the state's stringent laws, having another child, there could be risky. She added that it's common for individuals to underestimate pregnancy's difficulties and potential dangers.

The Pro-choice activists have pledged to continue their battle and resolve for their abortion rights, regardless of the outcome of Senate Bill 20 or any other legislation. According to the article shared in WXII 12, they maintain that abortion is a crucial aspect of healthcare and can potentially save lives.

According to these activists, legislating against abortion is similar to legislating against healthcare in general, a move they deem dangerous and problematic. The supporters of abortion are encouraged to share their stories on why they are opposing such law and why this method is essential for healthcare services.

Related Article: Church Leaders Denounce US New Abortion Health Benefits As A Gross Failure
Pixabay/Ichigo121212

A member of Marketplace Church was urged by the pastor to discontinue attending services due to his dangerous behavior. After a period of time, the suspect allegedly left two bombs inside the place of worship.

Two Bombs Dropped at Marketplace Church

A report from WSOC-TV stated that on Sunday, May 7, Joshua Hawley, 37, allegedly took two pipe bombs to Marketplace Church at around 3 p.m. The church is located on Highway 127 south of Hickory in Catawba County and before the authorities could arrive, he fled the scene.

In addition to FBI agents, bomb disposal teams from Gastonia and Gaston County were also dispatched to the scene. After that, a robot was utilized to conduct an investigation of a vehicle that was parked in front of the church. According to the evidence presented in court, the device was retrieved from the trunk. The church was cleared out after a second bomb was discovered inside.

As mentioned, the bomb teams neutralized both devices, making them safe to use. On Monday, May 8, Chopper 9 Skyzoom was flying above as law enforcement officers outfitted in tactical gear moved in on the residence in southern Burke County where Hawley was living. When he was taken into custody by authorities from both the local and federal levels, it looked like he had a bandage tied around one of his hands.

Based on the paperwork filed in the case, Hawley is suspected of bringing both of the pipe bombs into the church, one intended for the congregation's treasurer and the other for the pastor. He reportedly shared this information with a church official on Sunday, saying that he had been constructing bombs and "working on getting the formula right." The suspect also expressed a desire for both the church official and the pastor to have one of the bombs.

Moreover, Dave Faherty of Channel 9 discovered Hawley attended Marketplace Church. The church pastor urged Hawley to leave four months earlier, calling him "dangerous." The search warrant mentioned that Josh arrived at church with a body camera, a gun, knives, and other tactical gear, according to the search warrant.

Also Read: Aerial Bombing in Myanmar Killed Members of Bible Missionary Church

Charges Against Joshua Hawley

As per Yahoo News, Hawley is charged with possessing weapons of destructive power and transmitting the dangers of a terrorist attack at a place of worship. Both of these charges carry the maximum sentence of life in prison. The sheriff of Catawba County stated that he takes threats of this nature very seriously. Sheriff Don Brown said in a setting such as that, they have no reason to fear being threatened with physical harm or to experience feelings of intimidation. Given the history of similar incidents around the nation, people can rest assured that they are treating this matter very seriously. "I think that in a house of worship, that's where people should feel safe," he added.

On Tuesday, May 9, prosecutors told the judge that the residence where Hawley was arrested was a member of Hawley's family and that there were children living there. They claimed that when law enforcement personnel searched it, they discovered a considerable quantity of bomb-making material as well as actual bombs. On the other hand, Hickory Record reported that Hawley's bond is set at $150,000. Rockett stated that the charge of transmitting an imminent danger in a church did not have a bond imposed by a magistrate. The amount of the secured bond that Judge Elliott required for this case was $50,000.

According to Elliott, the greatest amount of time that might be spent in prison for Hawley's conviction is somewhere around eight years. Hawley put in a request with the court to have an attorney designated to represent him. Adam Everett was brought on as a defense attorney by Elliott's appointment. Furthermore, on May 30, there will be a hearing to determine whether probable cause exists. Hawley is presumed to be innocent until and unless a guilty verdict is rendered by a judge or jury.

Related Article: Philadelphia Church Community Stunned as 18-Inch Pipe Bomb Discovered by Police on Premises
Pexels/Efrem Efre

In response to allegations of bullying, Pope Francis made the audacious decision to oust top executives from Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican's primary charitable organization. Aloysius John, the newly expelled leader, is fighting back, claiming that the Vatican is indulging in a "brutal power grab" motivated by a "colonialist" mentality.

Pope Francis Dismisses Top Caritas Internationalis Managers Amid Bullying Allegations

According to Associated Press News, Pope Francis fired Caritas Secretary General Aloysius John, Caritas President Filipino Cardinal Antonio Tagle, as well as Tagle's vice presidents, treasurer, and ecclesiastic assistant last November in an extraordinary show of papal power. The Holy See claimed that an outside inquiry had uncovered "real deficiencies" in management at the Caritas secretariat in Rome, which had an adverse effect on employee morale. In order to go forward and reestablish stability, the organization will be closely monitoring the impact of these steps and the impending elections.

Even though there was no proof of financial wrongdoing or sexual misconduct, former workers claimed John's management led to bullying, harassment, and humiliation. The Vatican started an independent investigation after the Caritas board looked over the accusations but chose not to take any action. John was fired, along with other Caritas leaders, as a result of the findings.

John wrote an eight-page open letter to the Caritas network on the eve of the assembly to choose his replacement, breaking his six-month silence and asserting that the organization was operating profitably when he was let out. He asserted that he requested the independent investigation to better assist staff who had expressed their concerns and criticized the Vatican's decision as being "made in haste, with incredible violence and very poor public communication," and he accused the Vatican of engaging in a "brutal power grab" through the takeover by its development office.

Also Read:New Vatican Bishops' Prefect Outlines Vision for the 'Ideal Bishop'

Caritas Internationalis Faces Scrutiny Over Handling of Child Sexual Abuse Case

A Belgian Salesian priest who was convicted of child sexual assault and possession of child pornography in 2012 was reportedly named director of Caritas in the Central African Republic in 2019, according to a shared article in ABC News. The network located two people who were allegedly abused in the nation after the priest was assigned there. The United Nations cut connections with Caritas in the area as a result of the disclosures.

Caritas first asserted that it was only in 2019 that they became aware of Rev. Luk Delft's criminal conviction after learning about the allegations of pedophilia against him. Internally, nevertheless, it was discovered that Tagle, Roy, and others were aware of Delft's 2017 conviction.

Concerns regarding Caritas' handling of the incident were raised by the organization's personnel, particularly in light of a 2019 Vatican statute demanding that Delft and anyone suspected of covering up for him being denounced to the Holy See. Despite the fact that Caritas requested an internal "Accountability Review" of the matter, no decision-makers are known to have been disciplined, and the report's conclusions have never been made public.

According to US News, the honor of being appointed a cardinal by Pope Francis last year was denied by Luc Van Looy, a Salesian bishop from Belgium who was a member of the Caritas board at the time. As Caritas Internationalis undergoes substantial leadership changes, handling the abuse case and its ramifications continue to be under close scrutiny. He highlighted his insufficient response to clerical abuse incidents and chose to decline the honor "to not harm victims again."

Related Article:Pope Francis Announces 2024 Argentina Visit, Orders Archbishop Ganswein to Depart Vatican
Pixabay/Reynaldo Amadeu Dal Lin Junior Juba

Pope Francis responded to a query from a Jesuit about his friendship with the late Father Frenc Jalics, a Jesuit who was born in Hungary, during his trip to that country. The military detained Jalics and another Jesuit priest, Orlando Yorio, in 1976 on suspicion of assisting leftist rebels during Argentina's "dirty war."

When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, an Argentine journalist charged him with betraying the two priests while he was Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the head of the Argentine Jesuits. Pope Francis responded by saying, "The situation [during the dictatorship] was really very confusing and uncertain, and then the legend developed that I had handed them over to be imprisoned."

Pope Francis Discusses Relationship with Late Father Frenc Jalics During Hungarian Visit

According to the article in Reuters, father Frenc Jalics, a Jesuit priest who was detained by the military during Argentina's "dirty war," said in a statement upon the election of Pope Francis that the detention was not the future Pope's fault. Pope Francis has consistently refuted claims that he betrayed Father Frenc Jalics and Orlando Yorio.

Francis, the archbishop of Buenos Aires at the time, testified in front of a three-judge tribunal in 2010 that was looking into the dictatorship era. He recalled how certain government officials wanted to "cut off his head," but ultimately, his innocence was proven. Francis revealed that one of the judges who questioned him in 2010 admitted that after he was elected Pope, they had been given orders from the government to punish him.

In the article shared in Sight Magazine, Francis had a contentious relationship with President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's administration when serving as Archbishop of Buenos Aires because they perceived him as adopting a political stance. He is not thought to have visited his native country since becoming Pope because of his rocky relationship with Argentine politicians.

Also Read:Pope Francis Encourages Child Protection Advocates to Seek Spiritual Healing, Reparation

Pope Francis Discusses the Challenge of Loving Both Abuse Victims and Abusers

According to the article in Crux Now, Pope Francis also discussed how to find God amidst the difficulties of contemporary life in a dialogue, adding that the Second Vatican Council is currently being implemented. He noted that it takes a Council a century to become absorbed and that it is regrettable that there is still opposition to the council's initiatives.

The Pope described "backwardness" or "restorationism" as a retrograde illness rejecting modernity and clinging to the past. He spoke about his choice to limit the use of the Traditional Latin Mass in an effort to avoid ideological regress and uphold the pastoral ideals of his forebears.

As the Jesuits deal with claims of sexual misbehavior against Jesuit artist Marko Ivan Rupnik, Pope Francis also discussed the clerical abuse situation, which is particularly pertinent for them. His order is currently looking into Rupnik, and at the conclusion of the investigation, he might be defrocked.

The Pope understood the devastating effects abuse has on victims and the difficulty of confronting the abuser. He emphasized that abusers are God's children and should receive pastoral care and discipline. He acknowledged that it's challenging to provide the latter, though.

Related Article:Pope Francis Includes Lay Leaders in 2019 Church Law Governing Clerical Sexual Abuse
In 1904, thousands of indigenous people were brought to the St. Louis Worlds Fair to be put on public display. Scientists offered them as examples of lower stages of human evolution. Some were even presented to the public as missing links between humans and apes.

Two years later, an African named Ota Benga was exhibited in a cage next to an orangutan in the Bronx Zoo primate house. The display attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors. It also drew protests from Black and white clergy. Black minister James Gordon attacked the presentation for propagandizing on behalf of Darwinian evolution, which he regarded as absolutely opposed to Christianity.

Neither the Negro nor the white man is related to the monkey, and such an exhibition only degrades a human beings manhood, he declared.

Scientific and cultural elites, meanwhile, saw nothing wrong.

Leading evolutionary biologist Henry Fairfield Osborn of Columbia University praised the zoo exhibit, while The New York Times complained it was absurd to make moan over the imagined humiliation and degradation of Benga. The Times took special umbrage at Gordons skepticism of evolution: The reverend colored brother should be told that evolution, in one form or other, is now taught in the text books of all the schools, and that it is no more debatable than the multiplication table.

Only recently have many members of the scientific community begun to grapple with evolutionary biologys disturbing past. Last year, the science journal The American Naturalist published an article acknowledging that the roots of evolutionary biology are steeped in histories of white supremacism, eugenics, and scientific racism.

This fraught history helps explain why biologist Joseph L. Graves Jr. reports in his recently published book that he was the first African American to earn a PhD in evolutionary biology.

The work is titled A Voice in the Wilderness: A Pioneering Biologist Explains How Evolution Can Help Us Solve Our Biggest Problems (Basic Books). Part autobiography and part polemic, it recounts the authors powerful personal story of how he overcame the obstacles of racism to pursue a successful career in biology. His various strugglesincluding the death of his younger brother from AIDS contracted as a hospital doctorare raw and affecting.

But A Voice isnt simply about Gravess backstory. It also addresses the broader social, political, and cultural problems that America faces. The author offers a way to meet these formidable challenges: by leaning into evolutionary theory and its wide-ranging implications.

Article continues below

Given current debates, a fresh take on evolution and its implications is certainly timely. Over the past decade, increasingly sophisticated scientific challenges to Darwins theory have proliferated. In 2016, Englands Royal Societyone of the most august scientific bodies in the worldconvened evolutionary scientists from around the globe to rethink how evolution works. Why? Because a fair number of biologists are recognizing the inadequacy of the Darwinian mutation-selection mechanism to explain how the major features of life developed.

Alas, Graves doesnt grapple with these new developments, preferring to present the evolution debate through the trope of Christian fundamentalism versus science. He caves to stereotypes that say only ignorant or religiously motivated people raise questions about evolution.

By doing so, he misses all the current conversations going on in biology and related fields. Science is rife with fresh debates about teleology, design, and purpose. The old dichotomy of evolution versus creation has increasingly given way to competing versions of evolutionary theory and the re-emergence of design-based science.

Gravess writing is equally unsatisfying in its exploration of social and metaphysical questions raised by Darwin.

To his credit, he acknowledges the role that social Darwinism, eugenics, and racism played in the history of evolutionary biology. One of the best parts of the book is his takedown of scientific racism and his effort to disentangle evolutionary biology from its past. For example, he critiques misguided efforts to tie variations in IQ to race and DNA, pointing out that evidence supporting a differential genetic foundation for racialized intelligence has never been found.

Less successful is Gravess overly protective effort to airbrush Darwin out of the picture. Hes correct in arguing that Darwin didnt invent racism and even opposed slavery. Nevertheless, he avoids grappling with how the 19th-century thinker played a pivotal role in the development of scientific racism and related evils like eugenics.

In The Descent of Man, Darwin claimed that the break between humans and apes fell between the negro or Australian [aborigine] and the gorilla. In his view, Blacks were the closest humans to apes. He also argued that the differences in mental faculties between the men of distinct races were greater than the differences in mental faculties in men of the same race.

Article continues below

As Nigerian scholar Olufemi Oluniyi has pointed out, Darwins writings clearly demonstrate that by barbarous, inferior, or lower peoples, he usually meant dark-skinned people. The terms highly civilised or superior he applied to Caucasians.

Darwin offered a seemingly plausible scientific rationale for racial inferiority. According to him and his supporters, we should expect races to have unequal capacities, because natural selection will evolve different traits for different populations based on their survival needs. These ideas unquestionably helped solidify and spread scientific racism.

As evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould writes in Ontogeny and Phylogeny, biological arguments for racism may have been common before 1859, when Darwin published On the Origin of Species, but they increased by orders of magnitude following the acceptance of evolutionary theory.

Seeking to absolve Darwin, Graves largely blames the origin of scientific racism on those in history who believed in special creation. To do so, he cherry-picks Christians who claimed that God created different races. But he misses the fact that such polygenist views contradict orthodox Christian teaching. A plain reading of Genesis 1:27 (So God created mankind in his own image) and Acts 17:26 (From one man he made all the nations) makes clear that God created one human race, all in his image, and all descended from a single couple (Gen. 3:20).

Far from promoting racism, biblical passages on the special creation of humans give Christians a foundation to argue for the equality of all. They inspired Christian abolitionists like Olaudah Equiano, Albert Barnes, J. D. Paxton, and Theodore Weld.

Two other features of A Voice in the Wilderness may also give some readers pause. The first one concerns Gravess invective against those who hold views different than his ownpolitical conservatives in particular. For example, he compares Donald Trump with Stalin and Hitler. He attacks the insane logic of capitalism. And he too easily labels his opponents as white supremacist[s]/fascist[s].

Article continues below

Whatever the merits of Gravess scientific and political perspective, his language is likely to strain bridges rather than build them.

Second, Gravess autobiographical story hampers his message. By his account, he became an atheist after reading two authors. One was Karl Marx. The other was Charles Darwin. He says reading Darwin raised monumental theological questions in my mind concerning the nature of God and made him militantly atheistic. Graves does not regard his experience as exceptional: I am a member of the community of professional evolutionary scientists, most of whom are  atheist.

Unlike his colleagues, Graves found a road back to faith of a certain kind. What he embraced post-Darwin was not the Bible-believing faith of his parents. In fact, he came to view Scripture as a fallible document that evolved naturally across time, and he embraced old-style higher criticism like the discredited documentary hypothesis of the Pentateuch. He also rejected historic biblical teachings about sex and gender. For Graves, this progressive Christianity seems to be the only viable form of faith in light of Marx and Darwin.

Altogether, A Voice in the Wilderness serves as a cautionary tale. At times, it movingly portrays the struggles of a Black man facing racist oppression as he pursues his passion for science. This part of the story deserves more attention. At other times, however, Gravess story is less compelling. He glosses over the negative impact of evolutionary theory on Blacks and other minorities and ignores new developments in biology that raise questions for textbook Darwinism.

On the social and political front, Graves lacks charity toward his opponents. And his personal faith journey is a story of fracture and biblical infidelity. In the end, A Voice in the Wilderness speaks a distinct and memorable message. Unfortunately, its unlikely to lift up the valleys or make the rough places smooth.

John G. West is vice president of Discovery Institute and director of the documentary Human Zoos: Americas Forgotten History of Scientific Racism. Eric M. Wallace is a biblical scholar and president of Freedoms Journal Institute for the Study of Faith and Public Policy (FJI).
So, lets get this straight. You two were the mistakes? My twin sons looked quizzically at their high school teacher, who was joking good-naturedly. He explained that he, too, was a caboose child, born years after his older siblings. Did your parents give you the talk yet, about how a surprise is different from a mistake?

Sixteen years ago, our three children were all nearly school-age, and I was planning a return to graduate school. We gave away the crib, the car seat, and the baby gear. But plans are malleable in the hands of God, and it wasnt six months that I was pregnant againwith twins.

There are no mistakes in Gods kingdom economy. Still, the surprise took some getting used to. Five children were a spectacle, especially in the aisles of Costco. Yet now the long days have become short years. Our surprises have grown into leg hair, survived braces, and attended their first high school homecoming dance. To say that my heart grows heavy counting the time remaining with them is to understate the grief entirely.

For the last 22 years, motherhood has been so many things for me. A limit. A lasting vulnerability. But also, a gift. Id like to argue for choosing motherhoodas its possible.

A Wall Street Journal-NORC poll published this spring showed an alarmingly precipitous decline in certain traditional American values. According to the research, over the span of four short years, Americans cherish patriotism, having children, religion, and community involvement less than they once did. (Professional pollster Patrick Ruffini noted it was likely the 2019 numbers had been inflated by social desirability bias. Respondents answers might not have represented reality as much as the perception they wanted to construct.)

Heres what we do know: the birth rate in the United States is declining. Its often assumed this decline represents our waning desire for children, but researchers from the University of North Carolina and The Ohio State University disagree. Their data indicates that Americans between the ages of 2024 want as many children as desired historically. However, it does seem people today are putting off the task of raising childrenand as they do, the ideal number of children shrinks.

The postponement of parenthood may be owed to a variety of different factors. There is not a lot of support for parents in the US, and young adults face a lot of challengesstudent loan debt, the high cost of housing, job insecuritythat may lead them to delay, or maybe even give up on, having children, said Karen Benjamin Guzzo, professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of the Carolina Population Center.

Article continues below

The anxieties about parenthood today are real: economic uncertainties, ecological crisis, fears of inadequacy for such a consequential task. Whether evangelicals have shared these fears isnt clear, but in recent years, evangelicals have joined the broader culture in having fewer children and having them later.

I dont believe the good life is littered with diapers and juice boxes. Participation in the kingdom of God is fully enjoyed by the married and unmarried, the childless and child-full. Still, its worth saying to young married women (while engaging the modern calculus about adding to their family): Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. (Ps. 127:3).

In my conversative evangelical upbringing, it was a cultural assumption that I would marry and have children. Though it wasnt my parents sentiment, I heard others in our church context talk about marriage and motherhood as the highest callings a Christian woman might undertake (never mind how many that left out). As a high school junior, I was sent on scholarship by another church family to attend a Bill Gothard seminar. Among other extrabiblical principles he preached, Gothard argued it was inadvisable for mothers to work outside the home.

I was never won over to the most fundamentalist views of womens roles. Still, as a young mother, it was constantly impressed upon me that the task of raising my children required all the devotion I could muster. I attended a year-long church parenting class taught by a woman who admitted, on the first day, that her husband had forbidden her to attend medical school. When the subject of working outside of the home came up late in the year, she proposed a simple method for discerning whether our lives were in proper balance: did we know how much milk was in the fridge?

Now I can confidently say these messages about motherhood were unhelpful. Wrong.

Motherhood has never been the sole measure of my life. Still, I want to call this part of my life good, especially in a culture where children are often perceived as threats to professional ambition, as financial liabilities, as environmental recklessness. I want to say to women today: if its possible, risk on this. It will be worth it.

Article continues below

I confess that when my children were younger, I struggled to see beyond the constraints that children imposed upon my life. As a writer, I was reminded, over and over, about the successful creatives who limited their exposure to interruption by limiting the number of children they had, if they had any at all.

But to do it over again, I would have cherished those noisy days more. I would have noticed that my children were the ones who made it possible for me to write. It was they who baptized me into the concrete world of wonder, they who helped me pay closer attention to a world shining like shook foil. As a mother, I lost one kind of life and gained another in its stead.

Recently, when I was studying Psalm 1, I was reminded of how little I cultivated a countercultural version of the good life when I was in my twenties and thirties. The psalm pictures the flourishing human life as a healthy tree: Whatever it produces thrives. According to the commentary in the Jewish Study Bible, its explained that living to a ripe old age and having many children is the biblical idea of a successful life.

Maybe ripe old age is what you need to fully appreciate this ancient wisdom.

I have written less and less about motherhood over the years. When my children were much younger, it felt as if motherhood were happening to me and my body alone. Now I can see weve been in this together, that along with my husband, I have helped build the history they now inhabit.

I have not been the mother I prayed and planned to be. I suppose no mother is. Like everyone, I return again and again to the grace available to me in Jesus Christ: to the one who writes redemption stories with all our lived rough drafts.

Grace, writes James K.A. Smith in How to Inhabit Time, is overcoming. Not undoing. Not effacing. Not regretful, but overcoming. Smith reminds us that Gods eternal work is accomplished in history and in time.

My mistakes as a mother couldnt have been preventedbecause wisdom cant be had all at once. To be sure, part of the wisdom I lacked early on was appreciation, both for the formation I would gain as a mother and for the children I would raise and enjoy.

There is something scandalous, Smith continues, about the way God takes up this contingency in our livesall of it, even the heartbreak and sorrow, the evil and injusticeand forges it into this singular life that is mine, that is me. Grace turns surprises into serendipities, mistakes into gifts. It makes me me, makes my children them.

I am more than a motherand yet never less.

Jen Pollock Michel is a podcast host, speaker, and author of five books, including In Good Time: 8 Habits for Reimagining Productivity, Resisting Hurry, and Practicing Peace (Baker Books, 2022).
This piece was adapted from Russell Moores newsletter. Subscribe here.

Back in the early- to mid-2000s, I would guest-host a Christian talk radio program from time to time, and I learned a lot from the experience. One thing I discovered is that two issues, more than any others, would prompt rage from the listeners calling in.

One of those subjects was any critique of Christian romance novels. And the other was any positive assessment of Harry Potter.

I said to a friend at the time, Im never talking about Harry Potter again; it brings out crazy. Ah, for those innocent days of youth! I could never have imagined what would happen when the whole country turned into a call-in talk radio show. I thought the days were long past when I would even have occasion to talk about Harry Potter againuntil today.

In the past several weeks, three friendsall from different social spheresrecommended that I listen to a new podcast documentary series, The Witch Trials of J. K. Rowling, hosted by Megan Phelps-Roper (an exile from the infamous Westboro Baptist Church). The series traces how Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter novels, became an incendiary object of rage by two very different communities in two very different times.

Twenty years ago, conservative evangelical Christians were the ones trying to ban Rowlings books, painting her as a threat leading the next generation into witchcraft and occult practices. Many believed that narrating the life of a wizard training to practice magic would lead Christian kids to want to emulate it. But that wasnt the only dangersome felt that the very presence of Harry Potter books could be a gateway to the satanic.

These days, Rowling is still denounced as a devilish influence, but usually from the Left rather than the Right. Shes been outspoken against the kind of gender theories that would diminish women as a biological category. At a time when at least some culture-making institutions are going to great pains to change their wording to pregnant persons or menstruating persons rather than women, her views are strikingly out of step.

Many in the LGBT community see her as the embodiment of trans-exclusionary radical feminists, or TERFS for short. Her outspoken views, they say, exemplify a bigotry that disrespects and maybe even endangers transgender people.

Rowling has said she has no issue with transgender peopleonly with the idea that theres no substantive difference between a trans-woman and a woman.

Article continues below

Many conservative Christians of twenty years ago had sincere, good-faith reasons to be worried about the Harry Potter series. I reject occultism and real witchcraft too; I just dont think fantasy and fictional magic lead to it.

Likewise, many on the Left who are angered by Rowling today are arguing in sincerity and good faith. Most of us who may have sharp theological differences on the transgender debate dont want to see people bullied, harassed, or left alone in suicidal despair.

But on their own, these sorts of good-faith disagreements rarely lead to witch trials, whether literal or metaphorical. That level of targeted attack requires what journalist Amanda Ripley calls conflict entrepreneursthose who can leverage someone elses fear and anxiety for their own gain.

The typical pattern of such attacks is to suggest that the people on the other side are not just wrong; they are inhuman and powerful and will soon take everything you love away from you. Once this is established, all avenues of debate and persuasion are off the table. All thats left is to fight fire with fire by silencing them before they silence you. In ones mind, it becomes a battle of good versus bad, or of Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

Thats why we see calls for banning books, whether from right-wing parents screaming at school board meetings or from left-wing activists chanting on picket lines. Because, regardless of the books or ideologies being targeted, the language used by their adversaries indicates not just that the ideas in these books are wrong or lead to bad thingsbut that the very existence of the ideas themselves is an act of aggression.

These sorts of witch trials may suppress ideas for a while, but they never ultimately achieve what those stoking them want them to do. They can also hurt a lot of people.

An entire generation of evangelical youth heard some pastors and church leaders tell them that Dumbledore was a slippery slope to Baphomet. But what happened when they saw that wasnt true? Ultimately, they realized their elders missed a crucial part of the Christian imaginationGeorge MacDonalds fairy stories, C. S. Lewiss Narnia, and J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth, for instance.

They eventually saw that some of these fictional stories of witches and wizards, spells and incantations, were far more Christian than talk radio.

Article continues below

Others grew up assuming that what they saw in their childhood contexts was representative of 2,000 years of Christianity and began questioning their leaders legitimacy: If I cant trust these people to understand how to approach Harry Potter books, how can I trust them to teach me the Bible? How can I trust them to explain the meaning of life, forgiveness of sin, or life after death?

Some of these young people then went looking for answers in whatever group they deemed to be the opposite of the book burnersand in some cases ended up in another group of book burners.

Now, the same pattern is playing out on the illiberal Left. On the question of whether gender is part of the givenness of created human nature or a spectrum of countless alternatives, is any and every person who disagrees with them truly a bigotwhose views, whenever articulated, are an inherent act of violence?

If so, what happens when their children or grandchildren grow up to realize that their leaders definition of a violent cauldron of bigotry fits not just virtually all of ChristianityCatholic, Orthodox, and Protestantbut also every other major world religion and nearly every human society, past or present?

But thats where the danger of this type of witch-trial discourse really lies.

Most conservative Christians in my talk radio days didnt really think that Gandalf and Dumbledore were equivalent to Simon Magus or the Witch of Endor. They didnt truly believe that Mr. Tumnus, with his horns and hooves, was the devil. But few people wanted to say thatbecause who wants to get hounded as an occultist by the person in the next pew?

A lot of progressives, even in the LGBT rights movement, privately believe there are problems with putting young children on puberty blockers. But they find it easier to just be quiet on the subject for fear of being exiled as bigots.

Political scientist John G. Grove observed in National Affairs that extreme illiberal wokeness and extreme illiberal anti-wokeness are remarkably similar. He points to the post-liberal thinkers on the Right who argue that authoritarian Hungarywhere about 10 percent of the population regularly attend worshipis a model for Christian civilization.

He writes, This idea of enforcing the outer signs and symbols of religion bears striking resemblance to the kind of coerced virtue signaling that makes woke causes appear to be universally accepted, even by those who dont truly believe the dogma.

Article continues below

But saying whatever shibboleths need to be said to stay in your herd is a poor substitute for original thought. Doing so represents a dangerous lack of the literal meaning of integrityof holding together.

By contrast, Jesus referred to a kind of inner and outer congruence when he said Let your Yes be Yes, and your No, No (Matt. 5:37, NKJV) and when he warned against performing outward displays of devotion to be honored by others (Matt. 6:2). Even when it comes to the gospel, one must declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Rom. 10:9, emphasis mine). Our inner belief and outward confession must be aligned and connected.

Lacking this kind of integrity can lead us to give up on debate, argument, and persuasion. Ultimately, it can lead us to join the mob in calling out the witches from among us, even when we can see there are nonejust fallen, fallible, wrong-headed people like us. And once that happens, its a short trip from Hogwarts to Salem.

I think we can do better than that.

Russell Moore is the editor in chief at Christianity Today and leads its Public Theology Project.
Brad Hendrickson had a flat tire, and his jack wasnt up to the task. Flat tires are frustrating in the best of times. This was not the best.

He was in eastern Ukraine, in the besieged city of Bakhmut, and the flat left him exposed some 500 meters from Russian troops. He started searching nearby blown-out cars, looking for a jack he could use, but the pace and intensity of shelling, which sometimes spit debris on him, forced him and a companion back. He returned a few hours later.

Bakhmut is a city of close calls. For months it has been one of the most active areas of fighting in Ukraine, with incessant shelling and trench warfare reminiscent of the fighting in World War I. Thousands of soldiers have died, and many civilians too. Volunteers have been killed.

Hendrickson is a noncombatant volunteer. Over 3,000 Americans contacted the Ukrainian embassy about volunteering. Hendrickson is one of the ones who followed through.

A burly man with a big beard and a tendency to lace his fingers together while he talks, Hendrickson doesnt look out of place in Ukraine until he says hello out of the window of his 20-year-old Toyota Land Cruiser. The accent gives him awayAmerican. The 43-year-old used to be a luthier in the Twin Cities before moving to Maine. For a while he drove a UPS truck. Hes been in Ukraine since the early weeks of the war.

He can explain why hes here. But its not simple.

In a way, that answer is a 40-something-year, sprawling answer, he told CT.

It has something to do with history. Something to do with poetry and political rhetoric and sobriety. Something to do with a devotional by theologian Fleming Rutledge and thoughts on atonement.

Hendrickson recalls, for example, the prodemocracy protests in Beijings Tiananmen Square in 1989. As the authoritarian government responded with force, a journalist photographed an unidentified man standing in the way of a column of tanks.

Hes holding a takeout bag, he said. Hes not Rambo. Hes not some grand militant hero. Hed just had enough of it.

Then there were the poems.

There are some particularly powerful pieces of poetry that have gotten past my crusty exterior and had purchase on me, he said.

One was by Ukrainian-American poet Ilya Kaminsky, called We Lived Happily During the War. It is just 12 lines long, but it ends, we (forgive us) / lived happily during the war.

Image: Joel Carillet

Hendrickson said a full account of why he is in Ukraine would also have to include the principled politics of people like the late senator John McCain and the journalist and historian Anne Applebaum. Their words shaped his thinking over the years.

Finally, there was, as he put it, the whole God, Jesus, Bible thing.

For the past several years, Hendrickson has been in the habit of reading passages from a book over the phone with his mom and his son. On the fourth day of Russias full-scale invasion, February 27, their reading was from Means of Grace, a devotional of writings from Fleming Rutledges sermons. It was about the transfigured Christ turning his face toward Jerusalem, where suffering and death waited. Rutledge writes that love must come down, because love must go where it is most needed in the valley of the shadow of death.

Mountaintop experiences of spiritual nourishment and encounter can be wonderful, but youre not supposed to stay on the mountain, Hendrickson said. You then still have to actually go into Jerusalem, even if there are some things waiting for you that you dont want to run into.

A week or two after the war began, as the poetry, rhetoric, theology, and news swirled around him, he felt a weight settle on him. The idea came that maybe he should go. But he didnt want to go for the wrong reasons.

And its not like he didnt have plans. He had just sunk money into a bus, which he intended to convert into a livable space, then enroll in a nursing program. Then he looked at his passport and noticed it had just expired.

Are the obstacles along the way challenges to overcome? Hendrickson said. Or is this like, Dude, you dont even have a passport?

He thought, as he has for years, about the sheep and the goats passage in Matthew 25 and how one plays that out: I was hungry and you didnt feed me. I was being shelled and you didnt

evacuate me.

Hendrickson, who has been sober for 11 years, was also thinking about atonement.

Its not a kind of guilt or transactional thing, he said. Its more that You, Brad, have been plucked from the sea of chaos and have gotten the chance to dry off a bitno pun intendedand are on the deck of the ship. Youve been saved, but now youre part of the rescue crew. Suit up. Youre part of this ongoing mission.

Hendrickson did some of his processing out loud with Joshua Hill, the rector at St. Albans, an Episcopal church in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The priest told CT he was not used to Episcopalians saying God wanted them to uproot their lives and go abroad. But he listened and became convinced this was from God.

Image: Joel Carillet

Hes listening to God, Hill said. Hes trying to be faithful to what God is doing in the world, plain and simple. Theres nothing complicated about itand its very complicated.

Hendricksons mother had a similar response. Sheryl Campbell, a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister, had just preached on Psalm 27 about trusting God while under siege and surrounded. Christians, she said, need to remember that God will not spare them from all trouble but will faithfully see them through and use them in the process.

When we walk through that which is deathly, because of the power and victory of God in Jesus Christ, it is the shadow of death and not death itself, she preached. God is using us in someone elses life so that the glory and power and love of God may be made known.

Campbells church in Sun City, Arizona, raised funds for Hendrickson. The people at St. Albans also contributed, and Hill offered logistical help.

Hendrickson flew to Germany in late March 2022. He caught another flight to Romania and then was driven across the border into western Ukraine. From there he joined an aid convoy east.

Image: Joel Carillet

By early summer, he had found his footing and saw what kind of help he could best provide.

He got a vehicle and started doing what he had done for UPSmaking deliveries. He started driving aid in and people out of frontline areas. When asked how many people hes evacuated, he says dozens and dozens, maybe hundredshe doesnt keep a tally.

Artur Spitsyn, deputy head of the emergency services in Bakhmut, told CT that Hendricksons presence matters in more than just material terms. His presence raises the spirits of people in terrible conditions, Spitsyn said. He added that even the cats and dogs get some love and care when they cross Hendricksons path.

As his period of service has stretched into almost a full year, Hendrickson has found the challenges of discernment continue. The flat tire incident was just one of many close calls.

When do I say, The war will continue on but the war is over for me? he said. This is absolutely not some romanticized, martyr-hero  thing.  Ive got a bus to get back to.

He has other ideas, too. He thinks that when he returns to Maine, he might like to be a chaplain.

For at least a while longer, though, he remains on the frontlines of war. And he continues to think about the depth and complexity of his answer to the simple question of why hes there.

Joel Carillet is a photojournalist based in East Tennessee. He reported this story from Ukraine.





You can also now follow CT on Telegram: Editors note: CT now offers select articles translated into Ukrainian and Russian You can also now follow CT on Telegram: @ctmagazine (also available in Chinese and Russian ).

Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
Conservative school board hopefuls win seats in Texas; major city rejects abortion, marijuana decriminalization

Conservative school board candidates saw mixed results in Texas elections last weekend and voters in one large city overwhelmingly rejected a ballot measure that would have decriminalized abortion and marijuana.

The 1776 Project PAC, which describes itself as a political action committee dedicated to electing school board members nationwide who want to reform our public education system by promoting patriotism and pride in American history and works toward abolishing critical race theory and The 1619 Project from school curriculum, announced on Twitter Sunday that five of its six endorsed candidates in Tarrant County won their races Saturday.

Tarrant County is one of the most populous counties in the state and home to the city of Fort Worth.

Yesterday, our candidates won 5/6 school board races we worked on in Tarrant County, Texas.



Congrats to our winners:



Eric Lannen: Carroll ISD

AJ Portillo: Grapeville-Colleyvine ISD

Mary Humphrey: Grapeville-Colleyvine ISD

John Birt: Keller ISD

Chris Coker: Keller ISD  1776 Project PAC (@1776ProjectPac) May 7, 2023

Only one of the groups supported candidates in Tarrant County, Richard Newton, failed to win a spot on the Grapevine-Colleyville ISDs school board.

All others won, including Eric Lannen won a school board race in the Carroll Independent School District while AJ Pontillo and Mary Humphrey secured spots on the school board of the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District, and John Birt and Chris Coker won seats in the Keller Independent School District.

However, the group did not have as much success in Collin County, another major population center located north of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

1776 Project PAC-endorsed candidates Reed Bond and Susan Kershaw failed to secure the votes required to become trustees in the Frisco Independent School District, while Brittany Hendrickson, Rachel Elliott and Jim Westerheid came up short in their bids to become trustees of the McKinney Independent School District.

The 1776 Project PAC had a much higher success rate in electing its preferred candidates to school boards in Texas in last years May elections when 15 of its 16 endorsed candidates won their races.

A handful of the victorious candidates endorsed by the 1776 Project PAC last year won races in areas where the advocacy groups favored contenders failed to break through this year, including the Collin County-based Frisco Independent School District.

Last summer, candidates supported by the 1776 Project PAC helped flip the makeup of school boards in several large Florida counties from majority progressive to majority conservative. In the general election last fall, the group had a success rate of slightly less than 50% when it came to getting its preferred candidates elected and turned in a similar performance in school board races that took place in Illinois and Wisconsin last month.

In recent years, parents and community members across the United States have descended upon school board meetings to express outrage over the inclusion of controversial content in public school curricula.

????TEXAS????



Tomorrow is Election Day and your school board is on the ballot.



Saving our country starts at the local level and you have a chance to elect school boards that will put parents first and keep left-wing indoctrination out of the classroom.



Get out and vote. pic.twitter.com/J67pGisjjO  1776 Project PAC (@1776ProjectPac) May 5, 2023

For example, in 2021, Stacy Langton, whose son attends Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, read aloud the sexual material in two books available in her sons high school library that include pedophilia as well as depictions of sex between men and boys at a school board meeting.

Mayor Craig Shubert of Hudson, Ohio, called on the local school board to resign in 2021 for allowing a book containing sexually explicit writing prompts to make it into the curriculum of a college-level English class at the citys high school.

In addition to school board races, voters also decided the fate of several other local offices and ballot measures throughout Texas last Saturday.

Voters in San Antonio defeated Proposition A, which, among other things, would have decriminalized abortion and marijuana while banning no-knock warrants and requiring police to issue citations to those responsible for low-level, non-violent crimes as opposed to making arrests.

Proposition A failed overwhelmingly, with 72% of voters in the second-largest city in Texas rejecting the proposal and just 28% voting to approve it.
Florida college to be first in state to offer exam rooted in classical, Christian values

A public university in Florida will allow students to submit test scores from a college entrance exam that is said to be more rooted in Western classical and Christian traditions as an alternative to the ACT and SAT.

New College of Florida announced that it plans to become the first public university in the state to accept Classic Learning Test scores in place of the ACT or SAT by fall 2024.

Students can still submit ACT and SAT test scores as part of the admissions process.

As New College strives to become a world-class liberal arts educational institution, adding the CLT as an accepted testing option for admissions will ensure we are reaching and welcoming students from all walks of life, New College Interim President Richard Corcoran stated in a press release shared with The Christian Post on Wednesday.

Not only is this a tremendous opportunity for New College, but with the growing popularity of the CLT among Florida homeschoolers and classically educated students, we believe this is an exciting step for educational choice and freedom in our state as well."

CLT is intended for high school juniors and seniors, emphasizing critical thinking skills by assessing students on English, grammar and mathematics.

The test is designed to apply to students of a variety of educational backgrounds, such as students who were homeschooled or went to private or charter schools.

At present, around 200 colleges nationwide accept CLT scores, including the conservative Christian Hillsdale College in Michigan.

Lindsey Burke, director of the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank, believes that the decision shows Florida is leading in the sphere of education freedom.

For too long, testing companies like the SAT have enjoyed near-monopoly status, limiting students' options for demonstrating academic ability to assessments designed by the increasingly woke College Board, Burke told CP in a Wednesday statement.

New College's acceptance of the Classical Learning Test as a measure of student preparedness for admission is a welcome development.

Burke added, "CLT's focus on foundational math and reading ability through the use of classical texts provides a rigorous assessment of students' ability to navigate college-level work and their overall academic achievement, and does so without falling prey to leftist cultural trends that have dominated higher education."

Jeremy Tate, the founder and CEO of CLT, told The Tampa Bay Times in an interview earlier this year that the exam offers an alternative to the SAT administered by the College Board, which he believes has wrongfully censored the entire Christian-Catholic intellectual tradition and other thinkers in the history of Western thought.

Chad Pecknold, associate professor of Systematic Theology at the Catholic University of America and member of the CLT Board of Academic Advisors, tweeted in February that the test "orients people to the perennial truths of the great classical and Christian tradition."

CLT is included in House Bill 1537, an education bill awaiting Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signature. The legislation would allow school districts to offer the CLT in addition to allowing students to use volunteer or work hours to meet certain eligibility requirements for scholarship programs.

The Republican governor recently unveiled a number of reforms to the states higher education system, including tightened controls on faculty tenure and the elimination of curriculum based on Critical Race Theory.

DeSantis laid out several proposals during a media briefing earlier this year at the State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota. The proposal to establish tighter controls on faculty tenure would reportedly allow Florida university boards and presidents to review tenured faculty "at any time." The Florida governor stated that he wants to return "authority over the hiring process" back to university presidents.

"We are also going to eliminate all DEI and CRT bureaucracies in the state of Florida," he said. "No funding, and that will wither on the vine. And I think that's very important because it really serves as an ideological filter, a political filter."
Holy Land theme park demolished after TBN spent $130M on project

The Holy Land Experience, one of Americas largest biblical theme parks, lies in ruins after Trinity Broadcasting Network spent more than $130 million on the project.

AdventHealth purchased the Orlando property from TBN in 2021 for $32 million. According to NBC News affiliate WESH, AdventHealth submitted plans to build a hospital on the site.

Demolition is currently underway. A YouTuber named Adam, host of "TheDailyWoo" YouTube channel, recently visited Holy Land Experience and documented the theme parks demolition.

Expenses from purchasing and operating Holy Land theme park

Religion News Blog reported in 2007 that TBN spent $37 million to acquire Holy Land Experience. The purchase involved three financial transactions: TBN paid off an $8 million loan from Grace Foundation to Holy Land Ministries, spent $12 million to acquire land from Sola Scriptura and donated $17 million to Masters Gate Foundation.

According to Trinity Foundation informants, The Holy Land Experience became TBN co-founder Jan Crouchs pet project. Jan Crouch oversaw remodels and new exhibits as the theme park produced Broadway-style musicals.

The Holy Land Experience became a money pit and was subsidized by donations from TBN. A review of The Holy Land Experience financial disclosure documents (Form 990) shows that from 2007 to 2020, TBN made $96,764,685 in donations to Holy Land Experience Ministries, which included $28,530,154 in non-cash donations in 2010.

Matthew Crouch became president of TBN in 2016, the year Jan Crouch died. In addition to discontinuing TBNs annual Praise-A-Thon fundraisers, Matthew Crouch made programming changes to appeal to a younger and more diverse TV audience.

As the network relied less on donations, TBN sold assets. The networks Costa Mesa, California, studio was acquired by a real estate developer.

When Covid forced Holy Land Experience to close in 2020, TBN began searching for a buyer. The sale of Holy Land Experience would help TBN streamline its operations and allow the Crouches to spend more time at other TBN facilities.

Though their private jet is owned by Trinity Broadcasting of Florida, Matthew and Laurie Crouch rarely fly to Florida.

According to Pastor Planes, a project launched by Trinity Foundation to track church and ministry aircraft (see Instagram and Twitter), it can be reported that the Crouches spend most of their time in four locations: southern California (TBN studio located in Santa Ana), Texas (TBN offices in Fort Worth and Irving), Colorado (TBN-owned Little Papoose Ranch), and Italy (home of Televisione Cristiana in Italia and Trinity Broadcasting Network Europe).

Lessons to learn

In 1978, almost 30 years before TBN acquired The Holy Land Experience, televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker launched Heritage USA, which quickly grew into one of Americas largest theme parks, attracting millions of visitors and generating more than $100 million in revenue in a year.

Attorneys warned Jim Bakker at the time that his business operations could endanger his ministrys tax-exempt status, but he ignored them. While PTL, the parent organization of Heritage USA claimed to be a church, it operated a hotel, and failed to pay taxes on unrelated business income.

After rapid growth, the IRS audited PTL, the parent organization of Heritage USA, and revoked the organizations tax-exempt status due to excessive compensation paid to executives and failure to pay taxes on unrelated business income.

In 1989, Heritage USA closed. PTL filed for bankruptcy. The ministry owed $56 million in back taxes. Millions of dollars wasted.

Even if Jim Bskker had not committed fraud by overselling timeshares or engaging in a sexual scandal, his ministry would have still been imperiled by hubris.

The Bakkers and likely the Crouches were inspired by Walt Disney. They pursued a dream: the opportunity to build a Christian Disneyland.

But Gods Kingdom is not about personal vision casting. Instead, God has chosen the foolish things and despised things for his purposes. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

Originally published at the Trinity Foundation
Iran hangs 2 men on blasphemy charges amid surge in executions in Islamic country

Iran hanged two men sentenced to death for blasphemy amid a recent surge in executions in the country after the pair allegedly disrespected the Islamic religion.

Yousef Mehrad and Sadrollah Fazeli-Zare were executed at the Arak Prison in central Iran on Monday, the BBC reported. The pair were arrested in 2020 for allegedly running a Telegram channel called "Criticism of Superstition and Religion and operating dozens of social media accounts "dedicated to atheism and desecration of the sanctities.

The men were held in solitary confinement for the first two months following their arrests and were initially denied access to a lawyer.

Iran's Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said the Arak Criminal Court convicted Mehrad and Fazeli-Zare in 2021 on blasphemy charges and sentenced them to death. The two men also received six-year prison sentences for "running groups to act against national security.

According to Al Jazeera, a news outlet run by the Qatari government, Mehrad was allegedly filmed burning a copy of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam, as initially reported by Irans state-run news channel AlAlam. Members of the pairs Telegram channel also reportedly expressed disagreements with Islam, with one member admitting to having burned religious books.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemned blasphemy laws in a Monday press release. These laws punish individuals who allegedly disrespect religious doctrines or symbols. USCIRF contended that such laws undermine the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression.

Blasphemy prosecutions demonstrate a blatant disregard for human rights, and are often used to target members of religious communities and others who hold different or dissenting views, USCIRF Chair Nury Turkel stated.

It is outrageous that the Iranian government executed Yusef Mehrdad and Seyyed Sadrullah Fazeli Zare on charges of insulting the [Islamic prophet] despite an international outcry and telling Mr. Mehrdads family the execution had been stayed, he continued.

News of the execution comes on the heels of a joint report on the death penalty in Iran for the year 2022, which was drafted by Iran Human Rights with the support of ECPM (Together Against the Death Penalty). According to the report, Iran carried out 582 executions in 2022, a 75% increase from the previous year.

The surge of executions followed massive unrest in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested by the Islamic Republic's "morality police" for wearing her hijab improperly. Irans dress code requires women to conceal their hair with a head covering.

Amini died on Sept. 16, 2022, after she was beaten to death, leading to protests that were eventually suppressed by a police crackdown.

In December 2022, the United Nations adopted a resolution to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) following the murder and subsequent unrest. The new Economic and Social Council resolution cleared Iran from the commission for the remainder of its 2022 to 2026 term, with 29 countries voting in favor of the decision.

The Social Council expressed concern over the Iranian government's actions since September 2022 "to increasingly suppress human rights of women and girls, using lethal force that has resulted in the deaths of peaceful protestors."

"Iranian women have clearly called for us, here at the United Nations, to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women. It was a sensible request," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said in a statement. "Irans membership directly undermines the commissions work. Its membership was a stain on our credibility."

In October, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom called for a United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Iran after the countrys response to the protests reportedly resulted in the deaths of nearly 200 protesters, including at least 23 minors.
Wisconsin woman pleads guilty to stealing $30K from congregation

A woman who stole around $30,000 from a church in Wisconsin pleaded guilty to theft and will serve four days in the House of Correction and pay a fine to the church she stole from.

Mary Moton, a 62-year-old resident of Milwaukee and former employee at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, pleaded guilty last week to the charge of theft from a business setting, reported Fox 6 News Milwaukee on Wednesday.

While Moton also faced an additional count of forgery, that count was dismissed. Authorities estimate that she embezzled more than $30,000 from the church.

Moton was sentenced to four days in the correctional facility, with four days credit for time already served. Additionally, she was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $11,735 in restitution to Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.

According to Fox 6, Moton had been with the church for 11 years and was serving as its financial secretary when, starting in April 2022, she began writing checks for herself from the churchs bank account.

Last August, after the bank informed the church that some of their checks were bouncing, authorities were brought in to investigate and quickly discovered Motons actions.

According to prosecutors, Moton admitted to stealing the money but also said the funds were gone, as she had lost the money while investing them in Bitcoin.

In total, according to authorities, Moton wrote out 12 forged checks to herself from April to July of last year. The payments ranged in value from a minimum of $700 to as high as $7,000, noted a report published by Fox 6 at the time of her arrest last year.

Moton is not the only example of a trusted employee misusing a churchs finances for personal gain. Last month, a church treasurer in Minnesota was found guilty of stealing over $183,000 from a Minnesota congregation to feed a gambling addiction.

Patricia Ann Radich of Rochester was ordered to pay $251,167.47 in restitution to Trinity Lutheran Church. She received a sentence of 89 days at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center and five years of supervised probation.

In February, Marie Carson, a longtime employee of St. Matthews Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, will spend two years behind bars for stealing more than half a million dollars from the business accounts of the church and school where she worked to pay for gambling and vacations. She was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and will have to repay the money she stole in restitution.

According to a 2017 study by Lifeway Research, nearly 10% of surveyed Protestant pastors said their church had witnessed someone embezzle funds. Congregations with 250 or more members were slightly more likely than smaller churches to report this.

Churches run on trust  but they also know people are imperfect and can be tempted, stated Lifeway Executive Director Scott McConnell when the study was released. Thats why safeguarding a churchs finances is an important part of ministry.
Revelation 12: Satan is thrown to the earth, his war against Israel and the tribulation saints

The devil in the end times is somewhat like a man who loses his job because of his drunkenness, is thrown out the door by security, and afterward, in a fit of rage, takes out his demise on the bosss wife and children.

Inebriated by his revulsion of God, Satan is forcefully tossed out of Heaven in an epoch battle with the archangel Michael and his angels. When Satan finds himself cast down to the earth, he directs his unjustified fury at Israel (the woman who birthed the Messiah) and the rest of her children (Revelation 12:17), the Tribulation Saints.

The remainder of Revelation 12 says the following:

When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time. Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth. But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon. And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her childrenall who keep Gods commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus. (Revelation 12:13-17).

There has never been any race of people who have suffered so much discrimination, bigotry, hatred, and persecution as the Jews. Because God chooses these people for a leading role in his plan of redemption, the Evil One has specifically targeted them for destruction throughout history. When at the end he knows hes rapidly running out of time, he directs his most intensified campaign to obliterate them.



We have already seen precursors of this final offensive and something of its ferocity. In Revelation Visualized, Dr. Gary G. Cohen (a messianic Jew) and Salem Kirban write:

Sadly enough  for the Jews, their day of persecution is not over. Many will recall in recent years in the 1930s when Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party in Germany made antisemitism, or hatred of the Jews, an important part of their program. Hitler blamed the Jews for Germanys many problems in the years after World War I. He repeated his falsehoods so often that most of the German people believed them. Before World War II ended in 1945, the Germans had slaughtered more than 6 million men, women, and children of the 10 million Jews in Europe. They also destroyed most of the synagogues. Six out of 10 killed! Perhaps such persecution will strike closer to home if you were to count 10 of your closest relatives (mother, father, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters) and imagine that of that closely knit group of 10  six would die horrible deaths! Perhaps then you can come closer to this tragedy  and the wicked persecution, far greater, that still awaits Gods chosen people.

It is hard to comprehend anything comparable to the Holocaust. Yet the Scriptures indicate the Holocaust was more like a dress rehearsal for the devils grand premiere during the Tribulation.

God has made many promises in His Word that Israel will be saved, not simply as a race of people, but He will save them from their sins and restore them to that blessed place of favor they once enjoyed with him.

He will make them chief among the nations and restore the throne of King David. At this point in Revelation, Satans primary purpose is to make God a liar and demonstrate he cannot keep His promises, and that He is unworthy of peoples trust.

Revelation 12 says the woman is given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time (vs. 14).

Dr. Chuck Missler says in his commentary handbook, The Book of Revelation, Israels respite has always been linked to eagles and eagles wings.

In Exodus 19:4, the Lord tells the Hebrews: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles wings and brought you to myself.

Deuteronomy 32:11-12 says, Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions. The Lord alone guided them

Isaiah 40:31 reads, But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles.

The interpretation of the woman given two wings like that of a great eagle has been widely interpreted. For instance, M.R. De Haan, in Revelation, mentions:

Some say the reference is to the fact that the woman, Israel, will escape by airplane. Others think the eagle typifies the United States of America and that this nation is destined to be the champion of Israels cause in the end-time.

William Barclay, in his commentary on The Revelation of John, also shares: We may note that, when men came to allegorize Scripture, Hippolytus saw in the eagles wings the symbol of the the two holy arms of Christ outstretched upon the Cross.'

In The Revelation Record, Henry Morris believes the eagle symbol is appropriate for the angels who provide Israel with miraculous help and deliverance from Satans attacks.

These are undoubtedly interesting interpretations, and the meaning of the text isnt abundantly clear. However, what is clear is that the wings given to the woman are symbols of Gods protection bearing her upward.

She is flown, says the Scriptures, to a place of protection prepared for her in the wilderness, and [t]here she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time (vs. 14).

Where the woman lands is her refuge from the dragon and his evil forces. The Bible says its a place that God has prepared for her. O, how wonderfully and providentially God goes before his people to protect and provide for them in times of struggle and calamity.

Here are a few examples:

1. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells his brothers that God used for good what they intended for evil. Josephs brothers sold him into slavery, but through a series of events providentially orchestrated by God, Joseph ended up in a position of power in Egypt. When a famine strikes, his family comes to Egypt looking for food, and Joseph is able to provide for them and protect them from starvation. In Gods providence, they are given the land of Goshen to reside and thrive in numbers.

2. In Exodus 2, Moses mother puts him in a basket and sets him adrift on the Nile River to protect him from Pharaohs decree that all Hebrew baby boys should be killed. The basket floats down the river and is found by Pharaohs daughter, who takes Moses in and raises him as her own in the royal palace.

3. In 1 Samuel 18-19, King Saul becomes jealous of Davids popularity and attempts to kill him. However, Davids friend Jonathan warns him of Sauls plans and helps him escape. Later, when David is on the run from Saul, God provides him with food, shelter, and protection in the wilderness.

4. In the book of Esther, God providentially arranges for Esther to become queen of Persia at just the right time to prevent a plot to annihilate the Jews. Through a series of events, Esther is able to reveal the plot to the king and save her people from destruction.

These examples show how Gods providence works through the worst circumstances to protect and provide for his people. This truth not only applies to the remnant of Jews who believe in Christ during the Tribulation period, but it applies to all of Gods people in every age as it serves his purposes.

Revelation 12 is unclear about where this prepared hiding place for Israel is located. Considering Old Testament passages such as Zechariah 14:5, Isaiah 63:1, and Daniel 11:41, some scholars contend that the site is most likely Petra.



Petra is an ancient rose-red city situated in the southwestern part of Jordan. It is renowned for its remarkable rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. It was part of the Old Testament land of Edom.

Charles F. Pfeiffer and Howard F. Voss in Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible Lands say:

The description of the Edomites building their nests like eagles in the clefts of the rocks (Obadiah 3-4) is in perfect accord with the geography of the region. Petra is an irregular valley of trapezoidal shape, surrounded on all sides by lofty hills, with only a few narrow gorges leading into the area.

Petra was known for its strategic location and the natural defenses of its terrain, making it a challenging fortress to invade. Its downfall was primarily due to its geographic isolation and economic decline rather than a result of military conquest.

The great Bible expositor Dr. Louis Talbot so strongly believed this location would be where the Jews would be safely hidden away that he arranged to have Gospel pamphlets stashed there in anticipation of the fulfillment of Revelations prophecy.

In a similar fashion and for the same reason, W.E. Blackstone hid thousands of copies of the New Testament in the caves of Petra. Dr. Harold Wilmington and some of his Thomas Road Bible Institute students in Lynchburg, Virginia (now Liberty University) placed a Bible there with their names and favorite Bible verses in it.

Nevertheless, it should be emphasized Petra is not the only place. As the late and renowned radio Bible teacher J. Vernon McGee has said, Some say that it is the wilderness of the peoples of the world; that is, there will be another worldwide scattering of Israel.

The Scripture also says how long Israel will be hidden away and shielded. It says, a time, times, and half a time (vs. 14). This phrase can be traced back to Daniels 70th week.

I have not written much about Daniels 70th week in these commentaries on the chapters of Revelation. Therefore, for those who might not know, Daniels 70th week, also known as the final seven years of tribulation or the Great Tribulation, describes a period of intense suffering and challenges that will be faced by humanity in general and Israel in particular. The prophecy is based on the book of Daniel chapter 9, where the angel Gabriel tells Daniel that 70 weeks have been determined for his people and the holy city, Jerusalem. The first 69 weeks, or 483 years, have already occurred, and the final week, or seven years, is still to come.

This period is described in the previous chapters of Revelation when there will be a tremendous increase in war, natural disasters, and persecution of believers. The antichrist will rise to power and deceive many, and the temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. The tribulation will culminate in the return of Jesus Christ to defeat the antichrist and establish his kingdom on earth.

What is portrayed in these last verses of Revelation 12 appears to be in the last half of the Tribulation period.

Finally, chapter 12 of Revelation tells us:

Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth. But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon. And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children  all who keep Gods commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus (vv.15-17).

Although various interpretations have been given of these last verses, John F. Walvoord, in The Revelation of Jesus Christ, seems to provide the most responsible handling of the passage. He writes:

The flood cast after Israel is the total effort of Satan to exterminate the nation, and the resistance of the earth is the natural difficulty in executing such a massive program. The nature of the terrain in the Middle East, including many areas not heavily populated, provides countless places of refuge for fleeing people. Whether the exact meaning of these two verses can be determined with certainty, the implication is that Satan strives with all his power to persecute and exterminate the people of Israel. By divine intervention, both natural and supernatural means are used to circumvent this program and to carry a remnant of Israel safely through their time of great tribulation.

When it becomes apparent to Satan that he has lost again and cannot destroy those from the Jewish nation who have believed, he then picks another target. He turns with all his wrath and anger on the rest of her children  all who keep Gods commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus (v. 17).

In other words, when the devil sees believing Israel is protected, he turns on those who, for whatever reason, were not hidden in a place of safety. He determines to wipe every person from the earth who has trusted in Christ during the Tribulation period  the Tribulation Saints. For a while, he succeeds (Revelation 13:7), but his day of defeat is inevitable.

There is only one admonishment to be given here: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household (Acts 16:31).

What are you going to do? This terrible day is coming? Tis better to face the wrath of the dragon for believing than to face the wrath of God for not believing. Moreover, if you repent of your sins and trust Christ now, you can escape this period and be caught up in the Rapture before any of it happens.

Jesus said, Dont be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28).
Texas school district reopens classes amid threats after claims child sexual assault was filmed in classroom 1 juvenile in custody for making 'terroristic threats'

A Texas school district resumed classes Wednesday following two days of cancelations after threats were made in response to media reports of an investigation into why parents were not informed about the sexual abuse of a first-grade student in an elementary school classroom.

According to initial reports and claims made by a cousin of the first-grade student, a male student exposed himself to the girl in the cafeteria lunch line. But prior to that incident, a boy had filmed her on a school iPad engaging in a sexual act with another male student under a desk while the teacher was present in the classroom.

"The incident was discovered when an IT technician found a video recording" of the April 19 incident on the school iPad, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal first reported on May 1.

Heather Gonzales, a cousin of the young girl at the center of the case, said her family and other parents should have been informed about the incident, and the girl shouldn't be seated near the boys who participated in the alleged assault.

Following national outrage, school officials decided last Friday to cancel classes at South Elementary School on Monday but expanded the school closure districtwide and through Tuesday, giving state agencies time to "assess the containment and continued viability of threats of violence made state-wide and nationally against South Elementary and PISD educators."

One juvenile male student was taken into police custody Wednesday morning for making "terroristic threats," according to the Plainview Herald, which reported that the Plainview ISD Police Department investigated after being made aware of threats on Tuesday.

A statement on Plainview ISD's website said classes resumed Wednesday after authorities found threats "not to be liable."

"Plainview ISD has been working with law enforcement agencies throughout the night and they have determined the threat to not be liable. This was a general threat throughout the Southwestern United States and authorities will continue with their investigation to find the origin. Plainview ISD will continue with its safety measures in place throughout the week and the rest of the school year. Plainview ISD will resume with classes on May 10."

The district also cited concerns about the overall threat of violence after a mass shooting at a shopping mall north of Dallas, Texas.

Plainview ISD also claimed that the extra precautions were necessary due to "misinformation regarding a matter under investigation," according to the Avalanche-Journal.

The Plainview ISD did not immediately respond to The Christian Posts request for comment.

An email sent to families on Monday afternoon said the FBI is also involved in investigating the April 19 incident at South Elementary, according to the Avalanche-Journal.

Last month, a report surfaced that a 6-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted in a classroom at South Elementary and failed to inform the child's parents. This led to protests outside of the district's administrative offices on May 1, with the family of the young child organizing a demonstration on May 5. Gonzales, the young girl's cousin, filmed the protest.

According to Gonzales, the school was not forthcoming with information about the assault.

Everything was no comment. I cannot tell you. No comment, Gonzales told NBC News' Lubbock affiliate KCBD. So, you mean to tell me abuse has been happening for a week and a half and these kids are still at the same desk? My cousin is still at a desk with all boys, having to see her abusers every day?

District Superintendent H.T. Sanchez defended the schools response, stating that a report was made and CPS was contacted after the content was found on the iPad. The reason for the lack of transparency, according to Sanchez, was that a state investigator had started working with law enforcement on the case.

He had asked that we hold confidentiality because he wanted to be sure that he was able to get the full story from each of the students, the minors, that were involved, Sanchez said, as reported by KCBD. All of the steps that were required to take, we took.

The teacher who was overseeing the classroom when the alleged assault took place has been placed on administrative leave.

The superintendent said he hopes the district can work with parents to find a solution and help the young people heal. Gonzales, however, believes that the district should be more transparent with other parents and take further steps to ensure the safety of students.

Are you letting these other parents know their kids could possibly be a victim next? Gonzales said. I feel like, as a parent, you should know.
Biden DHS portrayed 'fervent' pro-lifer as national security threat in mitigation exercise: docs

An exercise created by the United States Department of Homeland Security presents a passionate pro-life advocate as someone prone to engage in an act of domestic terrorism as critics of the Biden administration point to the document as evidence of a targeted campaign against those who oppose abortion on demand and voted for former President Trump.

America First Legal, a nonprofit organization founded by Stephen Miller, a former adviser to Trump, has released a series of documents it obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request. The documents pertain to what it characterized as the Biden Administrations disturbing collaboration with Big Tech to censor Americans and use domestic violence to spy on American citizens  all under the guise of facilitating and implementing the strategies outlined in the National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism.

On Monday, nearly two years after America First Legal submitted the FOIA request, the organization published some of the DHS documents it received in response to their inquiry.

One document from the Department of Homeland Securitys Office for Terrorism and Targeted Violence Prevention outlines a Choose Your Own Adventure exercise where viewers must select from 3 difficult choices in one of five separate scenarios as they respond to situations portrayed as red flags for domestic extremism.

The document, dated Jan. 29, 2021, includes a scenario where the viewer is expected to take on a role of a preacher who has a congregant named Ann that has become increasingly more fervent about her pro-life stance. After witnessing Ann, who serves as the radicalization suspect in the scenario, engage in a heated discussion with another parishioner during a prayer group, the preacher receives a question from her about whether or not the Bible justifies violence in defense of the unborn.

The viewer, acting as the preacher, is expected to choose from one of three options where the individual would either schedule counseling with Ann on church teachings and violence prevention, talk with Anns husband about whether or not hes noticed any changes in behavior or reach out to talk to a member of her church group to ask about her recent interests. In the second scenario involving Ann, the viewer is expected to act as an employee at a new bakery in the town where the pro-life activist resides.

As the mayor walks up to the ribbon in at the bakery entrance, you hear another attendee yell baby killer toward them, the exercise states. You turn to find the shouter and are shocked to see that its Ann, a woman who youve always known to be empathetic in the past.

The scenario presents the bystanders with three options to choose from on what to do in the aftermath of the hypothetical situation. These include contacting Anns husband to discuss what you just witnessed and check to see if everything has been okay lately, reaching out to her preacher to ask about her behavior and stopping by her house to chat and see how shes doing.

In the third scenario involving Ann, the viewer is expected to assume the role of the womans hairdresser, who listens as she brings up pro-life arguments and begins ranting, saying that something should be done to put a stop to the Planned Parenthood office in the next county during a routine hair appointment. In the scenario, she shares videos of violent protests on her phone and you notice increasingly more militant language from Ann.

The choices presented to the hairdresser as responses to the situation include calling the sheriff to ask him about when you should be concerned about the situation, asking coworkers and staff of the hair salon about the conversation and whether theyve noticed anything different lately and conducting research about the groups that Ann was talking about.

The other red flag situations included as part of the Choose Your Own Adventure exercise profile a teenager believed to have undergone racial/ethnic radicalization, a father depicted as an anti-[government]/authority and an abusive stepdad, a young animal rights and environmental activist and a budding conspiracy theorist who has become fixated on conspiracy theories regarding government connections to child abuse and trafficking.

In a statement issued in response to the documents, America First Legal Senior Counselor and Director of Investigations Reed Rubinstein condemned the Department of Homeland Securitys transformation into a domestic intelligence organization and a Stasi-like Deep State internal security apparatus.

According to Rubinstein, It is a very long way from see something, say something regarding an unattended suitcase at the airport to profiling patriotic and politically conservative Americans as abusive parents and domestic terrorists because they oppose abortion on demand and voted for former President Trump. The agency is out of control.

The newly obtained documents are not the first time the federal government has classified or implied that pro-life activists constitute a national security threat. A March 1 report compiled by the Director of National Intelligence warned that domestic violent extremists (DVEs) who are motivated by a range of ideologies and galvanized by recent political and societal events in the United States pose an elevated threat to the homeland in 2021.

The report specifically singled out abortion-related domestic violent extremists, referring to DVEs with ideological agendas in support of pro-life or pro-choice beliefs as examples of groups that may pose a national security threat. At the same time, the document stressed that mere advocacy of political or social positions, political activism and use of strong rhetoric may not constitute violent extremism, and may be constitutionally protected.

Earlier this year, the FBI found itself subject to immense criticism after its Richmond Field Office circulated a memo describing the increasingly observed interest of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) in radical-traditionalist Catholic ideology as an opportunity for threat mitigation through the exploration of new avenues for tripwire and source development.

The memo classified RTCs as those characterized by the rejection of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) as a valid church council; disdain for most of the popes elected since Vatican II, particularly Pope Francis and Pope John Paul II; and frequent adherence to anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBT, and white supremacist ideology.

It noted that Vatican II took place from 1962-1965 and essentially shaped the Modern Roman Rite Catholic Church and was intended to help the church respond to global cultural changes in the aftermath of World War II and resulted in significant reforms to the liturgy, attitudes towards non-Christian religions, roles and responsibilities of the laity, views on religious freedom, etc.

The document attempted to clarify that radical-traditionalist Catholics compose a small minority of overall Roman Catholic adherents and are separate and distinct from traditionalist Catholics who prefer the Traditional Latin Mass and pre-Vatican II teachings and traditions, but without the more extremist ideological beliefs and violent rhetoric.

It predicted that RMVE interest in RTCs is likely to increase over the next 12 to 24 months in the run-up to the next general election cycle complicating the overall RMVE threat picture while also creating new opportunities for mitigation efforts.

The memo expressed concern that policy issues of mutual interest to RMVEs and RTC adherents will remain in the public spotlight, citing areas such as abortion rights, immigration, affirmative action, and LGBTQ protections as examples.

In response to pushback, the FBI concluded that the document does not meet the exacting standards of the FBI and insisted that the agency would never conduct investigative activities or open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity.
FBI investigating attacks against pro-life clinics as potential acts of domestic extremism

The FBI is investigating the recent attacks and vandalism of pro-life pregnancy centers and churches as potential acts of domestic violence or extremism ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

A source familiar with the matter told The Christian Post that the FBI is looking into potential FACE Act violations in certain cases. The legislation makes it a federal crime to use force or threat of force to prevent access to reproductive health services. The bureau is also investigating violent crime matters depending on the facts of each case.

"The FBI is investigating a series of attacks and threats targeting pregnancy resource centers and faith-based organizations across the country," an FBI spokesperson said in a statement shared with media outlets. "The FBI takes all threats seriously and we continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners and will remain vigilant to protect our communities."

Following Politico's report last month on a leaked draft majority opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case that suggests a majority of justices are poised to overturn Roe, multiple churches and pro-life advocacy organizations have been vandalized or firebombed by abortion extremists.

The bureau opted not to comment on any specific groups carrying out the violence, but a spokesperson told The Washington Examiner that an inquiry is underway.

Earlier this month, more than 100 House Republicans sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the attacks against religious organizations and pregnancy centers as acts of domestic terrorism.

"We write to express serious concerns over recent attacks targeting religious organizations and crisis pregnancy centers and request the Department of Justice respond with how its National Security Division plans to investigate these acts of domestic terrorism," the House Republicans wrote.

The letter argued that "terrorists have targeted numerous pro-life crisis pregnancy centers  two of which culminated in the firebombing and destruction of property by the terrorist group Jane's Revenge in Buffalo, NY, and Madison, WI."

The group of abortion activists identifying themselves as Jane's Revenge claimed responsibility for an attack last month on the headquarters of Wisconsin Family Action in Madison.

An incident report compiled by the Madison police department stated: "A Molotov cocktail, which did not ignite, was thrown inside the building. It also appears a separate fire was started in response. Graffiti was also found at the scene. No injuries have been reported."

Pictures of the vandalism posted on Twitter by Alex Shur of the Wisconsin State Journal depicted the phrase "If abortions aren't safe then you aren't either" painted on an exterior wall of the building and an office damaged by fire with books scattered across the floor.

The abortion activists also allegedly firebombed one of the offices belonging to CompassCare, a network of pregnancy centers serving women in New York. The pro-life organization announced on June 7 that its office in Buffalo was "firebombed by abortion terrorists."

"The windows in the reception room and nurses' office were broken and fires lit. Graffiti on the building left by arsonists refers to the abortion terrorist group Jane's Revenge, reading 'Jane Was Here,'" the statement reads.

Jane's Revenge demanded in a June 14 communique that these organizations disband, threatening to take "drastic measures" for their refusal to comply.

"From here forward, any anti-choice group who closes their doors, and stops operating will no longer be a target," the abortion activists wrote.

"But until you do, it's open season, and we know where your operations are. The infrastructure of the enslavers will not survive. We will never stop, back down, slow down, or retreat," they continued.

In an email obtained by the anarchist website Abolition Media, Jane's Revenge boasted that it had smashed the windows of two Detroit-based pregnancy centers. The group also left behind the message: 'if abortion isn't safe, neither are you' and 'fake clinic.' Jane will have her revenge."

Another pregnancy center in Vancouver, Washington, was covered in red paint and had "Jane's Revenge" written on the front of the building. Pictures of the vandalism at Options360 were posted on Twitter by journalist Alissa Azar on June 9.

Churches have also been vandalized since the draft leak last month.

Jane's Revenge took credit for vandalizing four Washington State churches over the weekend of May 21-22. Abolition Media posted an email sent by the activist group describing the destruction of the churches.

"Last night we vandalized four anti-abortion churches in Olympia," the email read. "A Mormon church, Calvary church, Harbor Church, and St. Michael's Catholic church all received facelifts in the early hours of Sunday morning. We dumped red paint over the entryways and left messages of 'If abortions aren't safe then neither are you,' 'Abort the church,' and 'God loves abortion.'"

A picture posted on the blog showed the phrase "If abortions aren't safe then neither are you" and the anarchist symbol spray-painted on two sets of double doors at the front of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

In another incident, Stephen Pimpo of WCBI News, a northern Mississippi-based CBS affiliate, reported on May 24 that Lowndes County Sheriff's Department was investigating the vandalism of Mt. Avery Missionary Baptist Church. Photos of the damage depicted the message "girls just want to have fundamental rights" spray-painted on the doors of the church.

Other photos showed the phrase "Keep Your Laws Off My Body" spray-painted in multiple locations on the church's exterior walls.

In May 2021, a report declassified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security named pro-life and abortion activists on its list of potential domestic violent extremists.

The report stated that "domestic violent extremists (DVEs) who are motivated by a range of ideologies and galvanized by recent political and societal events in the United States pose an elevated threat to the homeland in 2021."

The document maintained that "mere advocacy of political or social positions, political activism" and "use of strong rhetoric may not constitute violent extremism, and may be constitutionally protected."
Fewer than half of American adults pray daily; religiously unaffiliated grows: study

Less than half of American adults pray daily as church membership continues to decline and the ranks of the religiously unaffiliated swells, according to a study published by the Pew Research Center.

Data from the National Public Opinion Reference Survey conducted by Pew Research Center from May 29 to Aug. 25 among a nationally representative group of respondents found that 45% of U.S. adults say they pray daily compared to 58% who reported doing so in 2007 and 55% who said they prayed daily in 2014.

Some 32% said they seldom or never pray, which is close to the 29% of U.S. adults who identify as religious nones  people who describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or nothing in particular, the study says.

The nations share of religious nones is now 6% higher than it was five years ago and 10% higher than it was a decade ago, showing what appears to be a galloping trend of secularization.

Even though Christians are still the largest religious group in the U.S., they now only make up a collective 63% of the adult population. When the Pew Research Center began measuring religious identity in 2007, Christians outnumbered nones 78% to 16%.

The study noted that the decline in the number of Christians nationwide was mostly concentrated among respondents who identified as Protestant. Their numbers declined by 10% in the last decade and 4% in the last five years.

While the share of Catholics had fallen between 2007 and 2014 to 21% of the adult population, that number remains the same today.

Protestants were found to be predominantly born-again or [E]vangelical Christian, among both black and white respondents in the study. Some 58% of white Protestants identify as born-again or Evangelical, while 66% of blacks did so.

When it comes to church attendance, black Evangelical Christians were found to be the most faithful churchgoers, with 70% of them attending services monthly. Some 63% of black Protestants reported attending church religious services at least once or twice monthly. Only 56% of white Evangelical Protestants said they attended religious services at least once a month.

Among Catholics, church attendance fell even lower. Just 35% reported attending services monthly or more.

Earlier this year, political scientists David E. Campbell and Geoffrey C. Layman of the University of Notre Dame and John C. Green of the University of Akron highlighted data in their new book, Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics, showing that the marrying of religion and politics among conservatives to create the well-known and powerful religious right had led some Americans to abandon their ties to the Christian faith and join the ranks of secularists.

According to the researchers, the rising tide of secularism in the U.S. means that some voters are on opposite sides of a religious-secular fault line fueling the flames of political polarization.

[A] secular-religious divide in politics also may illuminate why, above and beyond their ideological differences, ordinary Democrats and Republicans increasingly dislike and distrust the leaders and members of the other political camp  what political scientists have labeled affective polarization,'" they wrote. "Their very different worldviews may spur Secularists and Religionists to view each other with suspicion and perhaps even hostility, thus encouraging animosity and distrust between their political teams."
Authors of Exposing the Gender Lie say transgenderism is 'both an industry and an ideology'

What would it look like if gender ideology were actually a multi-billion-dollar moneymaking scheme that exploits not just adults, but small children?

Brandon Showalter and Jeff Myers explore that question in their book, Exposing the Gender Lie: How to Protect Children and Teens From the Transgender Industrys False Ideology.

Showalter, a senior investigative reporter at The Christian Post, and Myers, who heads Summit Ministries, told The Epoch Times they believe that at the end of the day, evil and greed are what fuel this ongoing trend of experimental medicalization where young children are castrated and lives are irreparably harmed.

People stand to profit handsomely from this experimental medicalization, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and body-altering surgeries, again, all in pursuit of a lie, Showalter told the Times.

Myers addressed a common perception of transgenderism as simply one ideology among many, when in fact, said Myers, its both an industry and an ideology.

Its 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, he said. And then theres an industry, medically, that comes along and  they stand to make tens of billions of dollars.

Showalter pointed to studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including a $5.7 million grant given to a number of pediatric gender clinics in 2015 to study the outcomes of various kinds of trans-identified young people.

He pointed to one study on cross-sex hormones for children with a document showing the minimum age limit was lowered from 13 years old to 8 years old.

Another article in the New England Journal of Medicine with the whos who of gender doctors analyzed psychosocial outcomes of 315 non-binary or trans-identified young people, ages 12 to 20. Despite two of those young people involved in the study taking their own lives, the gender doctors breezily dismissed that as adverse events, said Showalter.

That, he added, is how industry leaders paper over the disastrous outcomes and they spin the narrative that this is actually a positive development.

Even as a whole rash of young people are being experimented on, its hailed as this universally wonderful, positive, groundbreaking, great thing for young people who claim to be born in the wrong body or the opposite sex, he said. Meanwhile, what theyre really doing is committing atrocities that should make us all hang our heads in shame.

The U.S. government has no business funding this kind of experimental research, especially on children.

For Myers, much of the collateral damage from the sex change industry comes the softened euphemisms like top or bottom surgery, which are two seriously invasive forms of surgery that he considers genital mutilation.

That is genital mutilation and breast mutilation, and there are children being subjected to this, he said.

Part of the fight, Myers added, is with lobbyists and what he termed the medical industrial complex, which is estimated to spend upwards of $750 million a year lobbying at the federal level  the equivalent of roughly $1.5 million per member of Congress.

And its not merely the financial costs, said Myers.

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, he said. If the parents dont pay, then of course, Medicare or Medicaid or the insurance company might have to pay.

The standards say these procedures are medically necessary. That is not my term, that is in the standards of care, that these procedures are medically necessary.

Myers estimated that at this point, its difficult to determine exactly how many children are being subjected to these types of unethical procedures.

The number of children diagnosed as gender dysphoric has tripled in the last three years, and its continuing to grow. Tens of thousands of children are now being treated at one of 60 pediatric gender clinics or one of 300 other gender clinics that also treat children, he said.

Most nations have one to three clinics. We have 360 gender clinics in this country.

Showatler said he even has a term to describe how pervasive all of this really is: institutional capture.

When I say that sometimes people will say, Thats a tinfoil hat conspiracy. No, he said. You have professional societies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, and all of the major counseling and therapy organizations completely buying in with brutal speed that this is how you treat this disorder.

This is the approach you take; 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.

Perhaps most troubling, Showalter added, was the speed with which all of this has transpired.

The remarkable thing, and its horrifying, is how quickly this has all happened, he said. But understand that a lot of the ideologues active in this space, the academic medicine types, theyve been making very sneaky and stealthy moves very gradually, to the point where once you capture enough institutions and entities, a lot can happen very quickly.
Hillsong Churchs Darren Kitto claimed $50K in annual pool costs as part of $125K housing allowance: report

Hillsong Churchs International Ministry Director Darren Kitto claimed he would need to cover nearly $50,000 in pool expenses in 2018 as part of a $125,000 housing allowance for a Newport Beach, California, home he purchased in the Santa Ana Heights neighborhood for $1.85 million that features a portable spa.

The details on Kittos housing allowance claim for 2018 were highlighted in a trove of documents first made public on March 9 by Andrew Wilkie, an independent member of the Australian Parliament, thanks to the work of a whistleblower.

Citing the information from the documents, Wilkie accused that Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston and other leaders, including the newly appointed Global Senior Pastor Phil Dooley, of tax evasion and shopping sprees that would embarrass a Kardashian.

However, a forensic review of Hillsong Churchs finances by accounting firm Grant Thornton has since concluded that allegations Hillsong Church or its personnel engaged in unlawful conduct are not supported by the documents. Attorneys for the church say allegations that funds were misappropriated reflect a misunderstanding that should be discussed in a church context.

It was unclear what the exact pool costs, which amounted to $48,564, entailed. Calls made by The Christian Post to Hillsong representatives in New York City where the claim was submitted went unanswered.

According to Home Guide, pool maintenance costs $122 per month or about $1,400 per year on average. Annual maintenance costs for a portable spa or hot tub are about $600.

Kittos home, purchased in 2017, features four bedrooms and three bathrooms covering just under 3,500 square feet of space, according to Compass. Listed among the homes contemporary amenities are a portable spa and fire pit.

Photos of the home on Compass, which did not include a pool, show what appears to be a small portable spa on the outside of the house.

On the claim form, Kitto wrote: The expenses listed represent a reasonable estimate of my housing expenses for 2018. I understand and agree that: 1) I will not designate a portion of my compensation as a housing allowance until I complete and return this form. Retroactive designations of housing allowances are not legally effective.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, if a minister receives as part of their salary an amount officially designated (in advance of payment) as a housing allowance, and the amount isnt more than reasonable pay for your services, it can be excluded from gross income. If the advance payment is more than the actual cost of housing, only the lesser amount should be legally claimed as housing allowance.

Kitto acknowledges on the claim form that he is responsible for notifying Tolu Badders, Hillsong East's CEO and executive pastor, as well as another church official, John Cornelius, in the event that these estimates prove to be materially inaccurate during the year.

The 2018 claim form shows a correction in the amount claimed for rent or mortgage payment including principal and interest from $42,300 for the year to $30,000.

According to Coastal Real Estate Group, Santa Ana Heights is a community within Orange County zoned for more moderate income families, which provides for less expensive housing than in the coastal neighborhoods of Newport Beach.

The real estate company notes that a five bedroom, five bathroom home in the neighborhood with 3,000 to 4,000 square feet of space usually costs $1.4 million.

Kitto, who has worked as a pastor at Hillsong Church since 1996, oversees Hillsong Channel, Hillsong TV, Hillsong Family, Hillsong Leadership Network and Hillsongs Aid and Development and Disaster Relief initiatives. He lives in the home now valued at $2,764,129, according to Redfin, with his wife and four children.

Global Online Lead Pastor of Hillsong Church Benjamin Houston also claimed $107,241.96 of his $176,857 salary in 2018 as housing allowance which made his adjusted annual gross salary for that year $69,617.

Communication highlighted in the documents shows there were multiple concerns about how much Hillsong employees were claiming for housing allowance and how they were reflecting their earnings to the IRS.

In one email, for example, Hillsong employee Jason Strong said Hillsong employees like Brooke Ligertwood and Joel Houston had housing costs that were higher than the income they claimed they were earning on the W-2 forms.

Can they claim it all as housing considering they earn income elsewhere (royalties, distributions etc.), Strong wrote.

Strong was advised in an email response that Ultimately, the housing should be less than the salary.

It was noted by Strong that both Ligertwood and Houston both receive 1099 income for performance and producing record.

This income is paid from Hillsong Music  there (sic) W2 Employment is Hillsong Church  there have been some comments about receiving both W2 and 1099 income from the same group Hillsong I believe their job (W2) and their 1099  IP is different, but would you have any comments on this? he asked the employee identified as Bri and the initials BKD.

If the same federal EIN would be used for issuing both the Form W-2 and Form 1099 in the same calendar year, there could be some concern and it would need to be looked at more, Bri responded.

Obviously, the ministers earnings should be Form W-2, she added. The positions are completely different, and as long as you have looked at the rules for independent consultant versus employee and feel comfortable the performance and producing record is fine with an independent consultant relationship, then there should be a low risk of doing it this way. Normally, we would expect to see all income on the W-2, however in some instances we do see it reported separately on the W-2 and 1099-MISC.
Megachurch votes to leave UMC after trying to disaffiliate without congregational vote

Correction Appended

A megachurch in Texas that tried to leave The United Methodist Church without a congregational vote has now held that vote, with members voting overwhelmingly to disaffiliate from the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States.

St. Andrew Methodist Church of Plano held a congregational vote last week in which 98.6% of those present voted in favor of disaffiliation from the UMC, totaling 859 members voting in favor versus 12 opposed.

St. Andrew leadership told The Christian Post in an email statement that after announcing the initial plan to leave the UMC, the congregation "engaged in meaningful and productive conversations" with regional UMC leadership "to finalize terms of our disaffiliation."

"St. Andrew's goal has always been to disaffiliate while still maintaining relationships with the UMC and blessing each other in mission for the future," continued the statement.

Part of the final agreement to disaffiliate will include a settlement with the regional body involving the "payment of necessary apportionments and pension liabilities."

"St. Andrew will remain an independent Methodist church for some period and will not be affiliating with any existing Methodist denominations," the statement from the church reads. "St. Andrew is exploring new affiliations with other mission-focused Methodist and Wesleyan churches, both large and small, to grow the Kingdom of God."

St. Andrew is one of the largest congregations located in the UMC North Texas Annual Conference headquartered in Plano.

In a statement last Wednesday, the regional body said the next step will be for the disaffiliation vote to be affirmed at a Special Called Session slated to be held this Saturday.

"St. Andrew UMC has met the requirements for disaffiliation," the conference noted, including "St. Andrew's commitment to pay the necessary apportionments and pension liabilities and to honor the North Texas Conference's terms for disaffiliation."

Last October, St. Andrew announced plans to disaffiliate from the UMC without holding the mandatory congregational vote. The church claimed at the time that the vote was not necessary.

"St. Andrew's decision was made in accordance with its governing legal documents, which allowed the decision to be made without a congregational vote. St. Andrew stands by the legal enforceability of its decision, and it is overwhelmingly supported by the church members," stated St. Andrew leadership at the time.

"St. Andrew's leadership comprises a variety of individuals all with unique professional experience and personal views that are representative of our congregation. They collectively spent hundreds of hours of in-depth research examining both the decision to disaffiliate and the mechanism to make the decision."

The UMC has seen hundreds of churches disaffiliate in recent years due to its ongoing internal debate over LGBT issues.

Although the UMC officially labels homosexuality a sin and does not allow same-sex weddings, many progressive leaders within the denomination have refused to enforce the rules. This has prompted many congregations to leave the mainline Protestant denomination, with most deciding to join the more theologically conservative Global Methodist Church.

A little over 1,800 congregations disaffiliated from the UMC in 2022, according to a report by UM News, with more than 400 of those congregations in Texas.

The original version of this article published on Feb. 27, 2023, reported that the congregational vote tally was 871 to 12. The actual vote tally was 859 to 12 out of 871 total votes.
Texas AG investigating alleged 'experimental' trans sex-change procedures at children's hospital

A Texas childrens hospital is under investigation for allegedly performing what prosecutors are calling experimental sex reassignment procedures on children.

Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the investigation on May 5 into Austin-based Dell Childrens Medical Center (DCMC), where prosecutors say the use of puberty blockers and gender transitioning procedures were unlawfully performed on minor children.

A state Request to Examine (RTE) issued to DCMC seeks information on the medical centers use of puberty blockers on minors, including with and without parental consent, patient age ranges, and the number of times a patient is seen by DCMC prior to receiving treatment.

Calling the allegations deeply disturbing, Paxton said the investigation was launched in response to several reports about potentially illegal activity at the hospital.

It is now alarmingly common for fringe activists to use their positions in medicine and health care to force experimental, life-altering procedures onto children, Paxton said in a statement. Across the country, there are doctors and health care professionals who appear willing to sacrifice the long-term health of American children, all in service to the increasingly dangerous fad of transgender extremism.

A statement posted April 28 on the DCMC website reiterated the hospitals policy which prohibits surgery and prescribing hormone therapy for the treatment of gender dysphoria for children, DCMC acknowledged it was conducting a thorough review of this situation.

To the extent that care provided at our clinic may have been inconsistent with our organization's position on this important issue, we intend to take appropriate action, the statement added.

Paxtons investigation was launched shortly after Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Texas Rep. Chip Roy asked DCMC to respond to a report from Project Veritas which appeared to capture an employee discussing the hospital performing reassignment surgeries on patients as young as 8 years old.

In their April 25 letter, Cruz and Roy referenced the report in which DCMC social worker Nora Scott told Project Veritas that there is not a waitlist at the hospital for such surgeries because that is not something that we want to gatekeep.

Young children could begin taking life-changing hormones as soon as after the first appointment, Scott added, according to the letter.

Referencing the higher risk for autistic children to be victims of gender ideology, the letter outlined requests for information similar to those made by Paxton.

We, along with millions of Texans, find it deeply concerning that DCMC is providing experimental, unproven, and dangerous medical procedures to young children. These young Texans are often victimized by social media, societal pressures, and crazed gender ideologies into believing that they are either a boy trapped in a girls body, or a girl trapped in a boys body, the letter stated.

Good science overwhelmingly opposes these junk procedures intended to do the impossible  change ones sex.

The Texas attorney generals investigation comes just over a year after Paxton released a formal opinion concluding that performing certain sex-change procedures on children constitutes child abuse under state law.

In Opinion No. KP-0401, released in February 2022, Paxton said that certain sex-change procedures can legally constitute child abuse under several provisions of chapter 261 of the Texas Family Code.

Such procedures include chemical and surgical castration, the surgical removal of healthy body parts (genital mutilation and elective mastectomies) as well as the prescribing of puberty-blocking drugs.

In response to that opinion, Houston-based Texas Childrens Hospital, the largest pediatric hospital in the state, announced that it will no longer provide puberty blockers to children after the states attorney general wrote an opinion labeling the practice child abuse.
Texas megachurch with 14K members votes to leave UMC amid homosexuality schism

A Texas megachurch has voted to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church due to the mainline Protestant denominations ongoing debate over homosexuality as over 200 churches in the Lone Star State are considering disaffiliation.

The Woodlands Methodist Church, a congregation with approximately 14,200 members located in Woodlands, Texas, voted on Sunday to leave the UMC Texas Annual Conference.

According to an announcement from the church, about 3,000 members gathered at the church on Sunday and about 2,678 members  or 96.3% of those voting  supported disaffiliation.

Senior Pastor Mark Sorensen posted a video on the churchs website saying that the vote affirmed that we are united in one vision and one clear mission.

We are ready to move on past the division and the differences that have been an ongoing distraction in our denomination for far too long, said Sorensen. Remember, we are changing to stay the same. With this vote, we are preserving the ministry that we know and love.

Sorensen offered a blessing to those who wanted to remain in the UMC, suggesting it is time to bless one another, even as we go our separate ways.

In this there is no victory, in this there is no winner or loser, he added. We are called to pray for and lift up others in whatever ministry God has calling us to now and in the future.

According to the UMC Texas Annual Conference, more than 210 member congregations are considering disaffiliation from the denomination as of late July.

The conference will host a special session on Dec. 3 in Houston that will, among other things, include officially recognizing the departure of churches that have taken the necessary steps toward disaffiliation.

Woodlands is not the only congregation to disaffiliatee from the Texas Conference on Sunday. The 1,300-member Faithbridge of Spring, Texas, approved disaffiliation when all 549 members present for the vote supported leaving.

Im  realistic about where the denomination is heading, and so I have no second thoughts, said Faithbridge Senior Pastor Ken Werlein, as reported by UM News. Weve done the right thing, the smart thing, the wise thing to keep Faithbridge Faithbridge.

Over the past several years, the UMC has faced a polarizing debate and schism over whether the United States' second largest Protestant denomination should maintain its official stance banning the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of noncelibate homosexual clergy.

Although theological liberals within the denomination have failed to change the official rules, many of them in positions of leadership have refused to enforce the existing rules highlighted in the UMC Book of Discipline, causing much frustration among theological conservatives.

Across the United States, many congregations have left or are considering disaffiliating from the UMC. Many have joined the Global Methodist Church, a newly created conservative Methodist denomination.
Mainline Protestantism vs. Christian Nationalism

Climate activist Bill McKibben, in an article for The New Yorker, commends Mainline Protestantism as an antidote for Christian Nationalism. He doesnt realize that the demographic and spiritual collapse of Mainline Protestantism is partly responsible for the rise of Christian Nationalism.

Noting that the religiously unaffiliated are fast growing but largely unorganized, McKibben asks: Who, then, might take a lead in preventing religion from further encroaching on government? The answer:

The mainline Protestants who, in the 1960s, made up more than half of Americans dont have anything like that kind of influence now, but they havent disappeared. According to the P.R.R.I.s religion census for 2020, white mainline Protestants still make up about 16% of the population, and their numbers have grown very slightly in recent years, including among younger Americans. Thats closing in on fifty million people in this country.

This claim that Mainline Protestantism is growing is not substantiated by any hard data. The poll, by a liberal advocacy group, PRRI, identified any Protestant who was not evangelical or born again as therefore Mainline Protestant. McKibben oddly cites PRRIs 2020 poll, showing 16% of Americans are Mainline Protestant. But PRRIs 2022 poll shows that number dropping to 13.9%.

PRRIs poll essentially labels any Protestant not wanting to identify as evangelical, which has become a political label, as Mainline Protestant. But actual membership numbers for Mainline Protestant denominations are devastating. The latest data for United Methodism, the largest Mainline church, shows it dropping for the first time in over 100 years below 6 million. It had eleven million in the 1960s. Other Mainline denominations are faring even worse. The Presbyterian Church (USA) membership, which had over 3 million members 40 years ago, just dropped to 1.1 million. Sixty years ago, one of every six Americans belonged to a Mainline Protestant denomination. Today it is about one for every 25.

But McKibben celebrates that Mainline Protestants, even if their laity tilt Republican, have leadership  their clergy, their seminarians who are more progressive, which is undoubtedly true. He cites the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) having adopted resolutions favoring restorative justice, opposing Israels occupation of Palestinian lands, supporting just globalization, and calling racism a public-health issue. But he admits we no longer live in an era when the mainline churches have enough power to make such resolutions more than words on paper; I served for some years on my Methodist conferences Board of Church and Society, and Im afraid that we sometimes referred to ourselves as Bored with Church and Society.

Yet McKibben thinks these mainline leaders do have unique credibility for a different task: taking on Christian nationalism from a Christian perspective. After all, many mainline leaders value consensus and avoid conflict, often knowing that the people in the pews are more moderate than they are, but theyd be particularly likely to do so in interreligious disputes.

McKibbens dream of Mainline Protestantism as antidote to Christian Nationalism is a delusion. He cites Mainline progressive policy positions and progressive activists who have no appeal to millions of conservative Christians, whom he labels as Christian Nationalists. These progressive Mainline activists themselves practice a strident, polarizing, moralistic politics no better than what he condemns.

And as McKibben grants, Mainline elites do not speak for their shrinking but still relatively more conservative constituency. Denominational agencies and activists often are very political, but, as he notes, most Mainline clergy avoid contentious issues with their divided congregations.

Where McKibben is partly right is that Mainline Protestantism for much of Americas history, when still culturally and demographically paramount, did create national cohesion. It affirmed American democracy, having helped make it. It created consensus for social reform. It mediated social divisions. It had confidence and historical patience. It was comprised of national denominations that transcended regional and many political differences.

Mainline Protestantism and its antecedents created American civil religion. It was an inclusive Protestant glue that undergird Americas self-understanding. It provided the language for presidential inaugurations, state funerals, inscriptions on monuments, and momentous speeches like the Gettysburg Address and FDRs D-Day Prayer. American civil religion was broadly biblical but sufficiently generic to absorb Catholics, Jews, and others fairly seamlessly. It kept religion in public life without strict confessional obligations.

Until the 1960s, Mainline Protestantism offered the ballast for American civil religion. But its radicalization, increasing hostility to the American experiment, estrangement between leaders and members, and membership collapse sidelined it. Absent the cohesion that Mainline Protestantism offered, America became spiritually polarized. Nominal Christians became religious nones. Confessionally devout church goers and cultural conservatives became what McKibben derides as Christian Nationalists.

Most whom McKibben derides Christian Nationalists, whom he estimates as perhaps one third of America, are actually just social and religious conservatives who want to keep traditional religion in public life. They mostly want what Mainline Protestantism long assumed: a broadly Christian America that is fair and welcoming to all. But they no longer have the institutions, historical tools, and corporate restraint to express their desires. So instead, there is often harsh and combative rhetoric. Only a small minority want, if only in theory, a confessional state legally privileging Christians over others.

Once great Mainline Protestantism has mostly died, primarily by its own hand. There are no obvious religious institutions to replace it as a force for national cohesion. New mediating communities will have to arise. But they can only do so if the cause for their need is rightly understood. America does not want or need an officially established religion. But America does need mature and authoritative religious voices who seek the common good for all.

Originally published at Juicy Ecumenism.
The spiritual state of America

Americas spiritual future is at risk.

Recent studies conducted by Pew Research Center have concluded that in 2020, 64% of Americans, including children, were Christian. People who are religiously unaffiliated, sometimes called religious nones, accounted for 30% of the US population. Other religions accounted for 6%.

If this rate continues, it is projected that by the year 2070, Christians will shrink to just above one-third (35%) while nones would rise to between 34 and 52% of the population.

What is happening to our country founded on Judeo-Christian values? Mission creep.

Undoubtedly, our country has strayed from the mission of the Founding Fathers and authors of our foundational documents. Some of its modern leaders even edit the Declaration of Independence, by leaving the word life out of the well-known statement: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Others edit or ignore the official motto of the United States, adopted by the US Congress in 1956: In God We Trust. Prayer has become almost obsolete in the public forum, and recently legislative prayer has been the subject of litigation across the United States despite its institution in 1789. Although it remains as an opening to the US Congress, it too is at risk as the nation continues to stray from its founding principles.

It is easy to throw up ones arms and cry defeat. But that is not the calling of the Christian. Although the remnant of Christianity in our country may be dwindling, the power of the Holy Spirit in His people is not. Together we can raise up that remnant with the aid of Gods omniscient power to touch future generations.

At American Heritage Girls, tens of thousands of dedicated volunteer mentors have invested into the hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands of girls and their families over the last 27 years. The hope of each of these mentors is for girls and their families to know who they are and whose they are. To understand that joy comes from seeking and standing in the will of God. To realize there is a godly order despite a confusing culture. That truth does exist. That right and wrong is clearly defined in the Holy Scripture and that the Lord has graciously provided us a navigation tool to weather the storms of life through His precious gift of the Bible.

This work is not in vain. It is only through the vision of people who dedicated to restoring the Church back to its former glory that America will be revitalized and return to its Judeo-Christian values. If we are to return to the roots of our nation  the roots that have been blessed by God and once blessed God  we must return to Him. American Heritage Girls stands in the gap for a generation whose worldview does not include a biblical lens. The ministry provides a framework for adulting that is rooted in the timeless truths of a biblical worldview. It is refreshing for todays youth to know there is a truth and that truth comes from the Creator of the Universe, despite the seemingly never-ending barrage of personal truth in todays culture.

In the face of a spiritual decline in America, we cannot despair. The Lord is true to his promises as articulated in His Holy Word. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Rahab, Joseph, Deborah, Moses, you and me. He parted the Red Sea, healed the sick, rose from the dead and provides eternal life. And He continues to perform miracles every minute of every day. He is hope. He is sovereign. He alone can heal this land and we are called to be part of the healing.
British teens have positive view of Jesus, study finds

A new study by the Barna Group suggests that British teens have an openness towards Jesus while a sizable minority are interested in learning about Christianity.

Barna's Open Generation Global study surveyed 1,000 UK teens aged 13 to 17 and found that they have more positive than negative perceptions of Jesus.

A third (34%) of UK teens said that Jesus offers hope to and cares about people. Just over a quarter said that he is trustworthy (24%) and generous (23%).

Over a third (37%) have some level of motivation to learn more about Christian scriptures, while nearly half (43%) believe that Jesus was crucified.

The study also found that over half of British teens are "justice oriented" (54%), but lack confidence and commitment to act.

Among those who identified as committed Christians, 52% said they care deeply about injustice but are unsure about the Church and its leaders' role in justice.

Despite positive attitudes towards Jesus, only 13% believe Jesus is still active in the world today

"The data in this report reveal that teens in the United Kingdom are in a formative and precarious season of life", said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group.

"It is encouraging to see they are open to Jesus, show interest in learning more about the Bible, and are motivated toward addressing injustice in the world.

"But we also noticed challenges, including British teens' lack of confidence in their ability to make an impact, and their uncertainty about Christian church's role in addressing injustice.

"Our goal for this study is to help churches and Christian leaders in the UK engage, disciple, and support this rising generation entering adulthood."

The study was conducted in partnership with World Vision, Alpha UK and Biblica.

Phil Simpson, Youth Development Lead at Alpha UK, said that the challenge for UK churches and those engaging with young people "is that these perspectives are mostly past tense".

"Nearly half of UK teens believe Jesus was a person who was crucified, however there is a significantly small percentage who believe Jesus is active in the world today, and the perception of this for the average UK teen is lower than the global perspectives of teenagers," he said.

"The church needs to help them begin to see Jesus as someone who is alive, someone who can be encountered and someone who is active in the world in 2023."
Welby attacks Illegal Migration Bill

The Archbishop of Canterbury has condemned the government's Illegal Migration Bill as "morally unacceptable" and "politically impractical".

In a speech in the House of Lords on Wednesday, Archbishop Justin Welby agreed that illegal boat crossings needed to stop but said that the proposals in the Bill would cause "great damage" to Britain's reputation.

"I urge the Government to reconsider much of the Bill, which fails to live up to our history, our moral responsibility and our political and international interests," he said.

Under the proposals contained in the Bill, the government wants to send illegal immigrants back to their own country or to a "safe" third country like Rwanda.

Archbishop Welby, who plans to table amendments to the Bill, said that different legislation was needed to stop Channel crossings.

"We need a Bill to reform migration," he said.

"We need a Bill to stop the boats. We need a Bill to destroy the evil tribe of traffickers. The tragedy is that, without much change, this is not that Bill.

"This Bill fails utterly to take a long-term and strategic view of the challenges of migration and undermines international co-operation, rather than taking an opportunity for the UK to show leadership."

He was supported in his position by the Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler, who raised concerns about the detention of children.

"I am reminded of Jesus's words: 'It would be better to have a millstone around the neck and be cast into the sea than to cause a little one to stumble.' This responsibility needs to bear upon us heavily," he said.

Tory peers took a different view, with Lord Forsyth of Drumlean responding to the Archbishop during the debate: "People are drowning in the English Channel now.

"People are leaving a safe country in order to come here and it is fatuous to try to present this as in the way that many have done."

Lord Dobbs said, "How do we stop those who arrive here claiming to be children, with stubble on their chins, who have deliberately destroyed all their documentation and paid thousands of pounds to people traffickers, enabling them to continue their awful trade?

"These peoplethese pretenders, if you willare the enemies of genuine refugees, because they help to create and sustain an evil system that is run by criminals of the cruellest kind, who think nothing of throwing children overboard to drown in order to save their own miserable lives.

"They trade in lies and in lives. It is our moral obligation to stop them  to bring an end to the unimaginable pain of mothers and fathers watching their children drowning off our shores in the Channel. No amount of hand-wringing or bell-ringing will do that."

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick defended the Bill against the Archbishop's speech in an appearance on BBC Radio 4's World at One programme.

"Firstly there's nothing moral about allowing the pernicious trade of people smugglers to continue ... I disagree with him respectfully," he said.

"By bringing forward this proposal we make it clear that if you come across illegally on a small boat you will not find a route to life in the UK ... That will have a serious deterrent effect."
This article was first published on NerdWallet.com.

I was 10-weeks pregnant and craving pizza while on vacation in Germany. We picked a well-reviewed restaurant, only to be told that no tables would be available that night. My husband, who meant well, suggested we try our luck at a different restaurant a few doors down. But it didnt serve pizza, and for me at that moment, nothing but pizza would do.

So, naturally, I burst into tears.

Thankfully, we swiftly found another option and my highly specific food craving was satisfied. But traveling while pregnant is tricky, assuming its safe for you to do so (always talk to your doctor or midwife first). Not only might you be dealing with nausea, fatigue, food cravings you may not be able to accommodate in other countries, and other maladies, but also some travel activities can be unsafe during pregnancy.

I traveled a few times while pregnant, both for work and leisure, leaning on a few helpful credit card perks to make the experience as comfortable as possible. Your cards benefits could smooth the way to a less chaotic, and more enjoyable, travel experience.

3 times credit card perks make it better

When booking travel: Insurance and seat upgrades

Travel protections like trip cancellation insurance can come in handy if you need to back out of your trip due to a covered reason, like illness. Note that what counts as a covered reason can vary by card, and some situations related to pregnancy may not be covered. This can include travel after a certain week in your pregnancy, or if you become pregnant with multiples before booking travel. Review what your card does and doesnt cover, and consider additional travel insurance if needed.

Thanks to big sign-up bonuses, airline credit cards speed up the time it takes to earn a substantial number of miles. Booking flights directly through airlines with those miles can give you an out if you need to cancel your trip. Some airlines will refund your miles with no fees if you back out, even close to your travel date.

If youre accustomed to toughing it out in the back of the plane, this might be a good time to cash in miles earned from airline cards on a seat upgrade. A dangerous health issue to avoid is deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot that can travel to your lungs. Your risk of DVT increases in pregnancy. More spacious seating with increased mobility could decrease lower extremity swelling and venous stasis, which can increase the risk of DVT, Dr. Meghan Zysik said in an email. Zysik is an attending obstetrician and gynecologist at Albany Medical Center, part of the Albany Med Health System in Albany, New York.

At the airport: Ditch the luggage and lines, embrace the lounges

The times I traveled alone, I didnt want to hoist my carry-on bag into the overhead compartment, and theres never a guarantee a kind stranger will offer to help (especially if you arent visibly pregnant yet). With airline cards, you typically get a free checked bag, saving you $60 in bag fees per round trip flight. Everybody has to pay attention to their body, says P. Fadwah Halaby, a certified nurse midwife in West Palm Beach, Florida. Dont lift it if it feels like its going to hurt. Halaby recommends limiting lifting any bags weighing more than 25 pounds.

Now that you can move through the security line unencumbered by baggage, dont let that statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry go unused. Not only is this benefit worth at least $78 in value, but itll also get you out of line, and off of your feet, faster. Prolonged standing can lead to physical discomfort and worsen lower extremity swelling, Zysik said. Take the time saved with PreCheck to eat a meal, sit, and rest or doing calming routines such as meditation.

A perfect place to do all those things is an airport lounge, which some travel cards grant you free access to.

During the trip: Hotel freebies and away-from-home medical care

Your credit card company may offer referrals to local medical providers if you need assistance during your trip. This can include providing names of English-speaking doctors and hospitals, and even helping you stay in contact with your family. Youd have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for these services, but youll get help during a stressful time.

Hotel credit cards come packed with extras to make your stay more relaxing. One of my cards earned me status, granting free access to a lounge at our hotel in Berlin that provided breakfast, happy hour and all-day snacks. You can also get a few more hours of rest with late checkout, another benefit of cards that give you automatic status at hotel brands.

Take reasonable precautions

Before heading out of town, talk with your doctor or midwife because some medical conditions during pregnancy may increase your risk of health complications. Certain activities are off limits, like scuba diving. Your medical provider can also recommend medications that can ease pregnancy symptoms.

And, of course, they may insist you refrain from travel entirely. You have to use common sense. It really needs to be said, Halaby says. Do you have a diagnosis? Are you being treated for something in particular that may or may not be good for traveling? If any of that is the case for you, a relaxing staycation may be the more medically sound option.

This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press.

Sara Rathner writes for NerdWallet. Email: srathner@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @sarakrathner.

The article How Credit Card Perks Can Boost Comfort for Pregnant Travelers originally appeared on NerdWallet.
NEW YORK - The best antidote to the problem of hagiography - to the biographical, critical and celebrity pablum that dilutes the impact of works by Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo or Pablo Picasso - is to mount exhibitions of these artists' works on paper. It's on paper, after all, that artists take the most risks; on paper that they make their key discoveries; and on paper that they reveal their most authentic selves. Better yet, works on paper are relatively inexpensive, so you can usually look without the neon pulse of dollar signs impeding your vision.

The works on paper approach worked brilliantly at the Museum of Modern Art's jewel-like "Cezanne Drawing" show in 2021. The museum has successfully rekindled the magic in a new show, "Georgia O'Keeffe: To See Takes Time." Like that earlier exhibit, this one takes us to the molten core of a great artist's genius, restoring our curiosity about a body of work that is too often checked off as a known quantity.

The show is not especially big, but it is intensely absorbing. It brings together not just individual masterpieces but, more subtly, the many series of works O'Keeffe made in response to the same subjects. Works in the same series, sometimes in different media, are hung together in discrete arrangements. The results are beautiful themselves and at the same time immensely revealing about the artist's process.

The show's emotional ambiance - an almost breathtaking alloy of immediacy and intimacy - gave me a renewed appreciation for O'Keeffe's courage.

It's not that I had forgotten, exactly. The indelible photos of a young O'Keeffe by Alfred Stieglitz, her champion and lover, long ago sealed the O'Keeffe legend, announcing to the world the singular force of her personality, and particularly her bravery. But this show deftly plucks this familiar trait from the supersaturated solution in which it is usually immersed (her biography, her legend) and deposits it in the one that really matters: her working process. The resulting crystallization is revelatory.

The show does contain a few paintings, but its primary focus is on O'Keeffe's watercolors, her pastels and her drawings in pencil and charcoal. This is a show tailored to artists, because it is about distinctions between media. It focuses on O'Keeffe's modest but always restless experiments with what charcoal, watercolor, pencil and pastel can be made to do and what they do by themselves. And it takes us so deeply and swiftly into these questions that the rest of us are flattered into thinking we might be artists ourselves.

The show opens with six versions of "Evening Star," one of O'Keeffe's most famous motifs. Looking at them in the sequence in which they were made, it's clear some kind of evolution is taking place. Bands of earth and sky suggesting a straightforward landscape are quickly supplanted by abstract concentric rings separated by thin white lines - the untouched paper.

The evening star, you register, is gradually stealing the show, swelling and pulsing as it magnetizes lines of force and feeling. But, if anything, the images get less lucid as the evolution proceeds. Succumbing to something closer to entropy than evolution, the watercolor starts to puddle and bruise. The lines in reserve disappear. And in the final work, all becomes amorphous and opalescent instead of crystalline and distilled.

Laura Neufeld, the paper conservator who organized the show with curator Samantha Friedman and curatorial assistant Emily Olek, notes that in the latter stage of the series, O'Keeffe turned to "incredibly absorbent Japanese paper." The result, she says, is that "the paint just soaks immediately into it so that you get these soft transitions of diffuse color, creating that ethereal effect."

Why did O'Keeffe return to the same subjects? The obvious answer is that she was involved in a process of distillation, of abstraction. Much like Matisse, whose evolving treatments of the same subjects underpinned a similarly powerful exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2012-13, O'Keeffe wanted to take real-world motifs and reduce them to essential, archetypal forms, unencumbered by the fuss, overlap and discord of reality. She wanted her works to feel closer in spirit to music. Above all, she wanted to charge them with intensified feelings.

Both O'Keeffe and Matisse were influenced by the philosophy of Henri Bergson, especially his ideas about "Creative Evolution." Bergson believed in a process of evolution in which both the workings of intuition and a subjective experience of time he called "duration" played a vital part. Bergson was an enormous influence on early-20th-century modernist aesthetics, and it would not be wrong to read the show's title, "To See Takes Time," in the context of his ideas of duration.

But O'Keeffe, in the end, wasn't carrying out a philosopher's program. Nor was she following a recipe, like a French chef making a great sauce reduction. She was an artist involved in an open-ended process. And there were many, many reasons she did "the same thing over and over again," as she put it in a letter to her friend, Anita Pollitzer.

Sometimes, writes curator Friedman in a catalogue essay that quotes liberally from O'Keeffe's correspondence, the artist was driven forward by dissatisfaction. ("It looks rotten. I'm going to start all over again tomorrow.") Other times, it was because she was enjoying herself. ("Anita - it seems I never had such a good time.") She might also repeat a motif to discover why she was working from it at all. ("I guess I'll only find out by slaving away at it") or simply because she was in the grip of "a fever for painting and drawing ... a sort of a mania."

Fun, obsession, discovery, dissatisfaction - these are all legitimate motives for creativity, and they all played their part in O'Keeffe's development. Almost nothing about her process was programmatic or predetermined. Rather, what emerges from this show is a sense of O'Keeffe's enduring impulse to look and look again, her dauntless drive to convert what she saw into an authentic personal vision.

O'Keeffe played piano and violin, and her early works were undoubtedly informed by her musicality. Musicians, curatorial assistant Olek rightly notes in the exhibition's audio guide, are often taught to visualize notes or sounds.

And in O'Keeffe's early charcoals, she seems to have tried to get similar "visualizations" on paper. Large circular forms that might suggest swelling sounds are interrupted by smaller curves, suggesting rhythmic breaks. The shapes and physicality of musical instruments could be as evocative to her as the sounds they produced, and throughout her career she returned - unconsciously, she said - to forms that resemble the scroll of a violin.

But those scroll-like shapes, which repeat throughout the show, also resemble the curving bands of "Evening Star" or a curled-up fetus in utero or a cyclone or a whirlpool. For O'Keeffe, suggestion was all. She was inviting us to see all these things, or none of them. Either way, her invitation opened onto a deeper unity.

Some of the show's loveliest moments see her operating in more conventional, figurative modes. She used watercolor to render the bunched petals and leaves of a red canna lily; charcoal and then pastel to render the head of the artist Beauford Delaney; and blue and pink watercolor to render her own naked body in a superb series toward the end of the show.

O'Keeffe had to navigate varieties of sexism that were in some ways worse than in preceding eras. Evolution had been a preoccupation since well before Bergson. Misunderstandings of Darwinism, widely promulgated in the art world, had entrenched the idea that women's brains were unsuited to high-level creativity. Such arguments provoked robust counters, but many of these were equally grounded in simplistic, essentialist nonsense.

O'Keeffe knew that spurious stories about her female sensibility, including Freudian interpretations of her work as expressing repressed female eroticism, had helped establish her reputation. This was largely because of Stieglitz, whose influence on the reception of modern art was unrivaled at the time.

Without disavowing his crucial support, O'Keeffe had to fight her entire life to break the intensely gendered, sexualized lens through which her work was seen. She wanted it seen on its own terms. Looking at her works on paper is the perfect way to do just that.

- - -

"Georgia O'Keeffe: To See Takes Time"

Through Aug. 12 at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. moma.org.
NEW YORK (AP)  Citing the current Hollywood writers strike, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos will not be attending next week's PEN America Gala in Manhattan, when he was to accept a Business Visionary Award. PEN America will not be presenting the award this year, saying the honor is premised upon the recipient accepting in person.

The Gala, to be held May 18 at the American Museum of Natural History, is one of the year's literary highlights and will feature the presentation of several awards, including one to Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels for Literary Service.

Given the threat to disrupt this wonderful evening, I thought it was best to pull out so as not to distract from the important work that PEN America does for writers and journalists, as well as the celebration of my friend and personal hero Lorne Michaels," Sarandos said in a statement released Wednesday by Netflix. "I hope the evening is a great success.

A PEN spokesperson said that no one this year will be given the Business Visionary Award, which in 2022 was won by Audible founder Don Katz. A Netflix spokesperson said there would be no comment beyond Sarandos' statement.

Michaels, whose show has been off the air since the strike began May 2, is still planning to attend, according to PEN. The head writer at SNL, Writers Guild member Colin Jost, will be serving as emcee.

In a statement Wednesday, PEN America praised Sarandos' singular work translating literature to artful presentation on screen and his stalwart defense of free expression and satire," and added that as "a writers organization, we have been following recent events closely and understand his decision.

Our Gala program, with honorees including Saturday Night Lives Lorne Michaels and emcee Colin Jost, will center on the escalating campaign of book bans in this country, tightening constraints on satire and comedy, and support of threatened writers worldwide. We look forward to a moving and inspiring event that will fuel our fervent work on behalf of free speech.

___

This article has been corrected to say the PEN America Gala will be held on May 18.
Eight San Antonio residents have been arrested as part of Operation Black Echo for stealing vehicles and taking them into Mexico, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Authorities announced on Wednesday that they have arrested Guadalupe Alex Armendariz-Delgadillo, 46; Ivan Pacheco, 36; Julio Escamilla, 26; Derrick Ramirez, 28; Richard Joseph, 29; Michael Martinez, 20; Enrique Moreno, 23; and Leonardo Santillan, 21. They are part of a 12-count indictment related to the theft and exportation of motor vehicles.

All are expected to make their initial appearance before a magistrate judge in the Western District of Texas before being transported to Laredo for further proceedings.

A federal grand jury returned the indictment under seal May 2 which was unsealed upon the arrests.

Authorities said that between June 6, 2021, and Feb. 12, 2022, each suspect either exported or attempted to export, and aided in the export or attempted export of a motor vehicle they knew was stolen.

Armendariz-Delgadillo, Pacheco and Joseph are also charged in separate counts of unlawfully transporting one of those stolen vehicles from the United States to Mexico from Aug. 6, 2021, to Dec. 4, 2021.

Each faces up to 10 years imprisonment as well as a maximum $250,000 possible fine upon conviction.

The FBI conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation Black Echo with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, police departments in Laredo and San Antonio and the Bexar County Sheriffs Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James Sturgis and Brian Bajew are prosecuting the case. The investigation was brought as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
The Hispanic Bar Association of Houston in its 35th annual gala will honor lawyers who have made great strides in their respective communities, with two of these individuals being native Laredoans.

Sandy Guerra Thompson and Lesley Briones will be receiving major honors at the event. Guerra Thompson will be getting a Lifetime Achievement Award while Briones is set to receive the Trailblazer of the Year award.

The Hispanic Texas Bar Association is presenting these awards for their efforts in the legal realm and their continued approach to helping educate future generations about the importance of legal issues.

The 35th Annual Gala will be held at the Omni Houston Hotel, located at 4 Riverway Dr. in Houston, Texas, on Friday, May 19.

Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle

Guerra Thompson holds the Newell H. Blakely Chair at the University of Houston Law Center. She earned her law degree from Yale Law School where she was an editor of the "Yale Law Journal."

Prior to joining the UH Law faculty, she served as an assistant district attorney in the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorneys Office where she practiced both trial and appellate criminal law. In 1990, she then later joined the University of Houston Law Center, and she became the first Latina tenured law professor in the State of Texas in 1996.

Guerra Thompson founded the law schools Criminal Justice Institute and served as its director for over 20 years. She currently teaches and publishes widely in the areas of criminal law and evidence. She is the recipient of two university-wide teaching awards: the Distinguished Leadership in Teaching Excellence Award in 2015 and a Teaching Excellence Award in 2003.

Courtesy / Lesly Mitchell Briones

Briones is serving as Harris County Commissioner Precinct 4 after unseating an 11-year representative last year.

Briones is the daughter of teachers, who taught her the importance of education, hard work and serving others. This caused her to get into Harvard University, and upon graduating, she began her career as an 8th- and 10th-grade teacher at two of the lowest-income public schools in the country.

Briones went to Yale Law School where she led the Latino Law Students public service initiatives and provided pro-bono assistance to victims of domestic abuse and juvenile offenders. She returned to Texas to practice law at Vinson & Elkins LLP, then served as General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer of the Laura & John Arnold Foundation, a major philanthropic nonprofit.

Briones then went on to become the Judge of Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 4. Judge Briones was the highest-rated Harris County Civil Court at Law Judge in the 2019 Houston Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Poll and won the 2020 HBA Judicial Preference Poll. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center.
A White House errand boy delivered a handwritten message from the President to the Speaker of the House on May 10, 1949.

Sam Rayburn left the floor earlier in the day feeling that his passionate defense of an administration bill had been near perfect. But if anyone could find fault with his remarks, it was Harry Truman.

Sam, you made a wonderful speech this afternoon, read the note. You choked me up so I could hardly talk.

Mr. Sam began his 54-year career in public service while still in law school at the University of Texas. Confident that legislative duties would not conflict with his studies, the folks back in Bonham elected their favorite son to the Texas House in 1906.

Toward the end of his third term, the incumbent congressman in Rayburns home district resigned to run for the U.S. Senate. Knowing it could be many years before he had another shot at an open seat, the 30 year old politician threw his hat in the ring.

When all the ballots were counted in July 1912, only 618 votes separated the top three candidates in the eight-man field. The choice of slightly less than a quarter of the electorate, Sam Rayburn packed his bags for Washington never dreaming he would stay in the nations capital for the next 48 years.

In those days, junior members of the House, much like children, were seen but rarely heard. Rayburn respected this unwritten rule and spent nearly two decades learning the ropes.

His tutor was the dean of the Texas delegation, John Nance Garner of Uvalde. Rayburn was a rising star in Democratic circles, when Cactus Jack grudgingly gave up the speakership, a prize that had taken 28 years to win, for the vice-presidency.

Following in Garners footsteps, Rayburn became majority leader in his twelfth term. Three years later in September 1940, he was selected Speaker of the House by fellow Democrats replacing William B. Bankhead, who died on the job.

His own career cut short by an unsuccessful attempt to deny FDR a third term, Garner gave his protege a parting piece of advice: Always do what is right for the country, remembering that while it may not be popular at the time, if it is right the country, it will be advantageous in the end.

With the gavel in Rayburns hand, Texas was truly in the drivers seat. In addition to the Speaker, second only to the President in political power, the chairmen of five influential committees all hailed from the Lone Star State.

Although shaped by the Sage from Uvalde, Rayburn differed in temperament and style. As the Democrat in charge, cantankerous Cactus Jack never hesitated to crack the whip to keep colleagues in line. The more reserved Rayburn preferred low-key consultation to confrontation, which he disdained as a distasteful last resort.

However, Rayburn strongly objected to a cover article in a 1943 issue of Time that characterized him as the great compromiser. I am not a compromiser, he fumed. Id rather be known as a persuader. I try to compromise by getting people to think my way.

The consummate behind-the-scenes politician, Rayburn shunned the limelight and had nothing but contempt for those that did not. Damn the fellow whos always seeking publicity, he said scornfully.

Rayburns record reign as Speaker was interrupted twice by short-lived Republican majorities in the House. He resumed his customary role in 1949 after two years as minority leader only to relinquish the gavel again in 1953 on the heels of the Eisenhower landslide.

Rayburn promised to cooperate with the first Republican president in 20 years, while at the same time taking a solemn vow to protect the achievements of the New Deal. Any jackass can kick a barn down, he commented colorfully, but it takes a good carpenter to build one.

The honeymoon was short, to say the least. Mr. Sam eventually rated the Eisenhower administration the most inept and blundering I have ever served with and accused the GOP-dominated 83rd Congress of being as dynamic as the dodo and as forward looking as yesterday.

When the Democrats retook the reins in 1955, Texans were cast in the leading roles. For six remarkable years, Lyndon Johnson ran the Senate as majority leader and Speaker Rayburn called the tune in the House.

Then in 1961 the curtain suddenly dropped on the Lone Star Show. Johnson, like Garner before him, stepped down to be John F. Kennedys running mate. Ten months after LBJ was sworn in as Vice-President, Rayburn passed away at age 79 after a long illness.

Harry Truman arrived early for the funeral in Bonham to walk around the square and shake hands with Sams friends. To everyone the plain-spoken ex-president said, Sam Rayburn was a man who made his friends proud and his critics ashamed.

Bartee welcomes your comments and questions at barteehaile@gmail.com or P.O. Box 130011, Spring, TX 77393.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Idaho jurors will soon begin deciding the guilt or innocence of a mother charged in a bizarre triple murder case. Prosecutors say Lori Vallow Daybell took part in a complex conspiracy that included doomsday-focused spiritual beliefs and efforts to kill those who stood in the way of her goals. Defense attorneys say there's no evidence directly tying her to the crimes, and that she's a good mom who fell for a man espousing cult-like teachings. Here, a look at the defendants and some of the witnesses in the trial of Lori Vallow Daybell:

THE DEFENDANT:

Lori Vallow Daybell, 49, is a beautician by trade, a mother of three, and a wife  five times over. Shes pleaded not guilty to murder, conspiracy and grand theft charges in the deaths of her two youngest kids and her new husbands previous wife.

Vallow Daybells first marriage, to a high school sweetheart when she was just 19, ended quickly. She married again in her early 20s, and had a son named Colby before divorcing. In 2001, Vallow Daybell married again, this time to a man named Joseph Ryan. The couple had a baby girl named Tylee in 2002, but divorced just a few years later. Ryan later died in his home of a suspected heart attack.

Charles Vallow, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, entered the picture several months later. Vallow Daybell joined the LDS church and the pair married in 2006. They later adopted Joshua Jaxon JJ Vallow.

But by 2019, that marriage had also soured. Charles Vallow filed for divorce, contending in court papers that Vallow Daybell also believed herself to be a deity tasked with helping to usher in the Biblical apocalypse.

The two were estranged but still married when Vallow Daybells brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed Charles Vallow outside his Phoenix suburban home.

Cox told police the shooting was in self defense and was never charged in the case. Shortly after Charles death, Vallow Daybell moved to eastern Idaho with JJ, Tylee and her brother Cox.

Chad Daybell became her fifth husband on November 5, 2019  roughly two weeks after his previous wife Tammy Daybell died under suspicious circumstances.

Meanwhile, JJ and Tylee were missing. They were last seen in September, and they were declared missing in November after extended family urged police to investigate. Their bodies were found the following year buried in Chad Daybells yard.

CHAD DAYBELL:

Daybell, 54, was also a member of the LDS church and a self-published author who wrote doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on church teachings. He married Tammy Daybell in 1990, and they had five kids.

Prosecutors say he met Vallow Daybell at a conference in Utah in 2018. The two purportedly felt an instant connection and claimed they had been married to each other in a past life, according to police records. Friends of the couple told investigators that the pair shared the same unusual beliefs, including that they could tell if someone had been taken over by an evil spirit.

Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow Daybell led a group of friends in trying to cast out the supposed evil spirits by praying and doing energy work, prosecutors said. Friends told police that in some cases they determined a person had become a zombie, fully controlled by the evil spirit. Vallow Daybell claimed the only way to get rid of a zombie was to destroy the persons body, prosecutors say, and one friend told police she heard Vallow Daybell call the children zombies before they disappeared.

Tammy Daybell was initially described as having died in her sleep of natural causes. But an autopsy showed she was asphyxiated to death, Prosecutor Lindsey Blake told jurors earlier this month.

Chad Daybell is also charged in the triple murder case. Like Vallow Daybell, he has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. He is expected to stand trial several months from now.

COLBY RYAN:

Ryan, 27, is Vallow Daybells only living child. Though he was born of Vallow Daybells second marriage, when his mother remarried, Colby took Joe Ryans last name.

Colby Ryan, who testified that he had a happy childhood, started crying on the stand when prosecutors showed him photos of Tylee and JJ, and he talked about how Tylee was receiving social security benefits because her biological father Joe Ryan died in 2018. Sometimes she would send money to Colby Ryan through a phone app, and sometimes his mom would put money into Tylees account to send to him, he said.

After Ryan moved out of the family home, he continued to exchange texts with Tylee. But shortly after what would have been Tylees 17th birthday in September of 2019, the tone and syntax of those texts changed. Tylee had last been seen alive a few weeks earlier, but at the time Ryan didnt know she was missing.

The occasional money transfers continued, too, though through a different phone app under his mothers name, he said.

After his siblings bodies were found, Ryan confronted his mother in an emotional recorded phone call that was played for jurors.

The call starts with Ryan asking Vallow Daybell if she thought she could keep hiding from him.

Im not hiding, why would you think Im hiding? she responds.

Probably because you murdered my siblings! Maybe you should understand, Ryan continued, before his mother interrupted:

I didnt. Im sorry you feel that way, she said.

KAY WOODCOCK:

Woodcock is JJs grandmother, and she convinced Idaho police to check up on JJ after her normally regular phone calls and visits with the boy dried up. That welfare check in November of 2019 revealed that both kids were missing.

JJs father, Charles Vallow, is actually Woodcocks brother: He adopted JJ as a baby because JJs biological parents  including Woodcocks son  were unable to care for the child.

Woodcock was the first witness in the trial. She told jurors that JJ was born with some disabilities and was diagnosed with autism. After Charles Vallow died, Woodcock feared Vallow Daybell no longer wanted the boy. She was also worried JJ may have witnessed his fathers death.

We were so worried about JJ, and did he see what happened to his dad, Woodcock told jurors.

SAMANTHA GWILLIAM:

Gwilliam is Tammy Daybells sister  the only two girls in a family of five kids. As adults, they talked nearly every day, Gwilliam told the jury, and Tammy Daybell seemed healthy and was training to run a race just two weeks before her death.

Tammy's funeral happened so quickly  just three days after her death  that some family members couldn't attend, Gwilliam said. She was devastated when she learned Chad Daybell remarried just a couple of weeks after Tammy died, she said, but he told her that he and his new wife connected because they were both grieving over deceased spouses.

Chad Daybell said his new wife's name was Lori Ryan and that her previous husband had died of a heart attack. He also said they were both empty nesters, with no young kids at home, Gwilliam told the jury.

Gwilliam later found out Lori was also associated with the last name Vallow and did an internet search. That's when she realized Charles Vallow had been shot to death. An online comment under Vallow's obituary also mentioned two kids  and that was the first time Gwilliam heard anything about Lori's son and daughter, she told the jury.

Eventually the last conversation I had with Chad was in December of 2019, Gwilliam told the jury. It was just to ask him to stop lying about what was going on.
Prince George's County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) gathered dozens of supporters at a rally to kick off her campaign for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, seeking to shape what she described as a "people-powered" campaign as she faces challenges expanding her profile statewide and contending with the massive spending ability of one of her primary opponents.

The rally allowed Alsobrooks to flex on-the-ground energy early while rolling out a number of endorsements, and to set her own campaign narrative in a lively environment surrounded by fans, her first media availability since her campaign announcement Tuesday morning. Still, just blocks away from her rally, activists gathered to put pressure on the county executive as she faces a budget shortfall and challenged her to remain focused on her local duties, showing how Alsobrooks may still face pushback in her home base.

Taking a small stage near the New Carrollton Metro Station, Alsobrooks pushed a campaign theme that is likely to reverberate throughout the rest of the race. "You don't just need a senator who fights for you. You need a senator who lives like, thinks like and looks like the people they're supposed to represent," Alsobrooks said, a mantra of sorts that she has said multiple times since her initial announcement Tuesday.

Her rhetoric suggests she intends to make broad overtures to women and Black women, and working-class mothers and families. She stressed her perspective as a parent to a teenage daughter, made the experiences of her family and grandparents central to her message, and invoked Harriet Tubman and former Maryland congresswoman Gladys Noon Spellman, among others, saying they "made it possible for me to serve in elected office."

Identity politics are likely to play some role in the race. Though Alsobrooks did not specifically call on voters to send a Black woman from Maryland to the Senate, her supporters energized the crowd in saying it was time to make that prospect a reality. Maryland does not have any women in its congressional delegation and has not had a woman serving since 2017, which some have seen as odd for a state considered liberal and diverse.

"We are going to put a Maryland woman back on Capitol Hill!" former state senator Gloria Lawlah said to the crowd.

"It's time, everyone, to have a woman representing us in the U.S. Senate, and it's especially time that this woman, this Black woman, is in the United States Senate," said Susie Turnbull, former chair of the state party. "Can you imagine what it would mean if you had Angela Alsobrooks in there talking to those guys about reproductive rights?"

Alsobrooks said she would focus on protecting abortion rights, voting rights, and would seek to "regulate the weapons of war that threaten all of our families." Though crime remains a top concern for Prince Georgians, Alsobrooks stressed that she significantly reduced crime during her tenure as Prince George's state's attorney, a role she held for eight years until her election to county executive in 2018.

Asked how she saw her experience in local office translating to the U.S. Senate, Alsobrooks argued that she was the most qualified candidate in the field because of her experience with nitty-gritty policy issues. Her top opponent right now is Rep. David Trone (D-Md.), the mogul founder of Total Wine & More who was a businessman and philanthropist before his election to the House in 2018.

"When I talk about crime and public safety, I'm not talking aspirationally or theoretically - I'm talking about what I know as a person who was a prosecutor for 13 years. When I talk about growing an economy, I'm proud to say that that's the reason we're here at New Carrollton Metro today, is because I have worked to grow the economy here," Alsobrooks said, as construction cranes whirred in the background on a new development.

Alsobrooks is likely to have a tough time competing financially with Trone, who is known to invest millions of his own money in his political campaigns and launched a seven-figure statewide TV ad buy just days after entering the Senate race. His campaign so far has been focused on the issues of addiction, mental health and criminal justice - one area in which Trone may compete especially with the former prosecutor.

The field is not yet fully set, with some still weighing whether to jump in following Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin's announcement he would retire at the end of his term. Chief among them is Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.), who has an existing national profile and liberal star power after his leadership investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. He is expected to make a decision this month on whether to run. Montgomery County Council member Will Jawando (D-At Large) is also running, though he is less known statewide.

Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D), who serves with both Trone and Raskin in the Maryland delegation, was among those to endorse Alsobrooks on Wednesday. He said he decided to come out early in support of Alsobrooks even though he considers both Trone and Raskin good friends. He spoke to both ahead of endorsing Alsobrooks, he said.

"Angela has been a friend for many, many years. I've watched her grow up and develop in politics. I've seen the commitment and the passion in her heart. And I know aside from the fact that she's a loving mother who puts family first, that she really does zero in on issues and will stand up very quickly to enunciate those," Mfume said, citing both abortion rights and gun violence.

Nearly an hour before Alsobrooks's rally and just on the other side of the New Carrollton Metro station, activists implored the county executive to fund programs targeted at the county's most vulnerable. Progressive Maryland, a nonprofit grass roots organization, held a news conference alongside other activists urging Alsobrooks to fund "the people's budget" as budget talks remain open for the next two weeks.

Larry Stafford, executive director of the organization, and others pushed for funding for a 2018 program that matches small donations for political candidates, the county's universal basic income pilot program, and a senior financial assistance program for elderly Prince Georgians. Organizers also demanded rental assistance money and financial backing for nonprofits that service those in need.

Last week, Alsobrooks announced that the county is facing a projected $60 million revenue shortfall - the type of challenge that will be demanding her attention as she runs for Senate.

Alsobrooks attributed the recently discovered decline to a wind-down of federal pandemic aid, with agencies across the county expected to be impacted. To make up for the shortfall, Alsobrooks said she would dip into the county's reserve to avoid raising property taxes, which would be deeply unpopular for many homeowners in the county.

"The budget has been put forward to the county Council and we have but a vital perhaps two weeks or so to make sure that that budget reflects the priorities of the people here in the county," Stafford said in front of a modest gaggle of reporters. "I'm sorry if it may seem that it's inconvenient for future political careers."

Asked to respond to Stafford's assertions, Alsobrooks noted that Prince George's County isn't unique when it comes to tackling fiscal challenges and mentioned the state's revenue shortage.

"Prince George's County is making decisions that are consistent with our values," she said.

While making the county a priority while running a Senate campaign is a concern for some of those who showed up at the organizer-led news conference Wednesday, Alsobrooks said it's not a worry for her.

"Balancing is what I have done as a mother," she said. "Who understands balancing better than a mother?"
Migrants seeking shelter on the streets of El Paso near Sacred Heart Church woke up to a letter from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection asking them to turn themselves in for processing.

The letter, written in Spanish with no government logos, spread fear and panic amongst the migrants sleeping on the streets of El Paso.

CNN reported that the letters stated that migrants who turned themselves in would be "processed by CBP officers and placed on the correct immigration path."



Throughout the day, migrants started slowly clearing the streets near Sacred Heart Church. Volunteers are still arriving to pass out water and food during the hot May days of the Borderland.

"It's just a human impulse. Anybody who isn't moved by this needs psychological help," volunteer Juan Ortiz said as he passed out water to migrants.

"There are people who have died here who are immigrants, children, everything. This is serious. These are serious humanitarian crises. It's no joke," Ortiz said.

Video below: Hear from a man from Venezuela who was considering going to a border processing center

Meanwhile, migrants are getting anxious to follow through with the flyer that was distributed to them.

"Some officials here started handing them out while we were sleeping," Jorge Luis, a migrant from Venezuela said of the flyers, adding that those who handed them out did so without "saying anything, talking, or explaining. Just handing out this flyer."



Luis spent the day in fear, not knowing what he would do  even enlisting the help of a reporter and the priest at the church. He said he feared that he would be deported if he went to the processing center, he would be deported. Eventually, he had the courage to make the journey to the CBP Processing Center.

"I went with all the fear I had. I went inside the church to pray before I left. I made amends with God. I asked him if I had paid for all my sins like he did when he was nailed to the cross," Luis said.

Video below: Port of entry being restricted in El Paso ahead of Title 42 expiring

Luis was asked to take off his shoes, his hat and get his picture taken. Then they provided him with documentation for his asylum hearing date, which is set for March 2025.

"Thank you, God. For without the almighty God, you can't do anything," Luis said.

He's now trying to get to San Antonio to be reunited with his family.

Early Thursday morning, CNN was reporting that since the flyers were handed out, more than 900 migrants turned themselves in to immigration authorities, according to U.S. Border Patrol El Paso sector Chief Anthony "Scott" Good.

CNN contributed to this report.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  Rescues crews have suspended their search for three people who were aboard a Learjet that plunged into the Pacific Ocean about a mile from a Navy-owned island off the coast of San Diego, U.S. officials said Thursday.

The U.S. Coast Guard said its crews along with U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Customs and Border Protection all searched a combined 334 square miles (865 square kilometers) in the vicinity Wednesday after the Phoenix Air Learjet went down that morning off San Clemente Island.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  The fight over racial equity and free speech on Wisconsin college campuses is intensifying, mirroring a national battle as Republicans work to close campus diversity offices and demand that students and faculty treat conservative speakers with respect.

In the past two weeks, the states top Republican announced a push to defund the University of Wisconsin Systems diversity efforts  a move the Democratic governor lambasted as ridiculous. Nonetheless, the UW System's chief announced Thursday that he has barred schools from asking job applicants how they would support diversity.

Meanwhile, a UW-Madison student has posted racial slurs online, triggering bitter protests but no announced discipline. And a state medical college canceled a diversity symposium featuring Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson out of concerns the discussion would be too disruptive, resulting in cries of bias from conservatives.

Amid that backdrop, Republican legislative leaders held a hearing Thursday with only invited speakers to discuss how the lack of free speech and intellectual diversity on college campuses affects the quality of higher education.

I think people are talking about viewpoint diversity as being as important or more important than other types of diversity, said Republican Rep. David Murphy, chairman of the state Assemblys colleges committee, who presided over the hearing. And I think (diversity efforts arent) showing any benefits.

Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, said its disheartening to see a hearing on free speech with only invited speakers. She said the GOP is trying to paint diversity offices as giving minorities an unfair advantage when they're only trying to help everyone understand a broad range of perspectives.

Contrary to those opposed to these offices, our work includes protecting free speech, she said.

Republicans argue that diversity offices, designed to help minorities navigate academia, only heighten racial tensions. And the GOP has maintained for years that colleges dont give conservative presenters the same opportunities as liberals to speak on campus.

A survey released in February by the UW System, which includes 13 four-year schools, found almost half of the students who responded at least somewhat agree that administrators should bar controversial speakers if some students find the message offensive.

The issues have bubbled to the forefront this month, starting with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announcement last week that he wants to defund campus diversity offices. He called the offices a waste of taxpayer dollars and said they exacerbate the racial divide.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has called Vos proposal ridiculous, but Vos plan tracks with a national GOP push to dismantle campus diversity offices.

Republican lawmakers in at least a dozen states have proposed more than 30 diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in higher education, according to an analysis by The Associated Press using the bill-tracking software Plural. Some proposals would ban DEI offices or any funding for them. Others would forbid administrators from considering diversity as part of the hiring or admissions process.

Facing potential budget cuts, UW System President Jay Rothman announced Thursday morning that he ordered chancellors on Wednesday to stop asking job seekers to supply statements on their applications describing how they would support equity and diversity.

Asked during a news conference if the move was a concession to Vos, Rothman responded by saying applicants may view the requirement as a political litmus test" and not apply, hurting recruitment efforts.

Last week a white UW-Madison student posted a racist screed online in which she said she wants to see some Black people enslaved so she can abuse them. The post triggered two days of protests on Wisconsins flagship campus with students demanding the student be expelled. University officials condemned the posting but said they cant take action against legal free speech.

Meanwhile, officials at the Medical College of Wisconsin decided to cancel Fridays campus symposium focusing on the uses and abuses of government-sponsored diversity programming on college campuses and in medical, science and tech education.

The colleges president, John Raymond Sr., sent a message May 4 to students and staff saying he canceled the symposium because discussions about the event have become unacceptably disruptive. Raymond issued the message on the same day as one of the UW-Madison protests.

Johnson was slated to take part in the symposium along Murphy and John Sailer, policy director at the National Association of Scholars, a conservative group that advocates against diversity policies. Sailer posted a copy of a letter that faculty sent to Raymond on April 30 saying they opposed the pseudo-academic and potentially harmful meeting.

Sailer tweeted that the letter was a textbook hecklers veto. Johnsons office said the symposium will now be held online but the senator said in a statement that he hopes to meet with medical college leaders to discuss why they felt they couldnt host the event.

Murphy kicked off Thursday's hearing by complaining that the medical college had canceled him.

Daniel Hughes, who said he is a student at the college, told the committee that the institution leans so far left that its diversity stances sometimes trump approaching problems scientifically. For example, he said he's been taught that biological differences between races are a result of systemic racism, not genetics.

Democratic state Rep. Katrina Shankland questioned Hughes' claims, saying there was no way to verify them since no one else from the college was invited to speak. A spokeswoman for the medical college didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment Thursday.

Rothman addressed the committee for two hours, repeating his mantra that inclusion must mean something or the system will lose potential students and faculty.
Sen. Todd C. Young (R-Ind.) said Thursday that he does not plan to support Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, citing Trump's refusal to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal during a televised town hall and broader concerns about the former president's ability to win another general election.

"Where do I begin?" Young, a veteran lawmaker who previously led the Senate GOP's campaign arm, told reporters at the Capitol when asked about his reservations about Trump.

During the CNN town hall on Wednesday night, Trump declined to say whether he wants Ukraine to win its war against Russia. Trump also would not say whether he considers Putin a war criminal. He said that it would be harder "to make a deal to get this stopped" if he characterized Putin - whom he called a "smart guy" - that way.

"I think President Trump's judgment is wrong in this case," Young told reporters. "President Putin and his government have been engaged in war crimes. I don't believe that's disputed by most who've looked into this. . . . That's why I don't intend to support him for the Republican nomination."

Young also voiced doubt that Trump could prevail in a general election.

"As President Trump says, I prefer winners," Young said, according to the Huffington Post. "He consistently loses. In fact, he has a habit of losing not just his own elections, but losing elections for others. . . . I can't think of someone worst equipped to bring people together . . . and advance our collective values than the former president."

Young would not say if he preferred a particular Republican candidate over Trump, allowing only that "it won't be him." Young also wouldn't say if he would back Trump in the general election if he becomes the party's nominee, saying he doesn't think that scenario is likely.

Young's blunt comments come amid a push by Trump to consolidate Republican support and appear to be the inevitable nominee, setting up a rematch with President Biden. To date, 11 of the Senate's 49 senators have publicly expressed support for Trump's return to the White House.

That includes Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a group tasked with electing GOP members to the chamber. Young held that job during the 2020 election cycle.

Young, considered a moderate willing to work with Democrats, voted to certify the 2020 presidential election despite Trump's urging of lawmakers to overturn the results. Young was also critical of Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, saying the then-president bore responsibility.

But Young voted to acquit Trump in his Senate trial after the House impeached him on a charge of incitement of the insurrection. Young said the House process had been too rushed.

Young was among just a handful of GOP Senate incumbents who did not get endorsed by Trump ahead of their primaries last year. Young wound up running unopposed for the nomination and easily won a second term in the heavily Republican state.

Other senators who have endorsed Trump include Indiana's junior senator, Mike Braun (R), who said last month that reaching his decision was "not that difficult."

Other GOP senators backing Trump include Sens. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Ted Budd (N.C.), Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (Miss.), Markwayne Mullin (Okla.), Eric Schmitt (Mo.), Tommy Tuberville (Ala.) and J.D. Vance (Ohio).
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP)  A man accused of fatally shooting one person and wounding five others at a Southern California church luncheon last year has been charged with dozens of federal hate crimes in connection with the attack, which investigators said was motivated by political hatred of Taiwan.

The indictment announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice charges David Chou, of Las Vegas, with 98 counts including weapons and explosives charges and forcefully obstructing the free exercise of religion.

Messages seeking comment from attorneys who have represented Chou, 69, in a separate case in state court were not immediately returned.

Authorities said Chou chained and nailed shut exit doors before launching the attack on a gathering of older parishioners from the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods on May 15, 2022.

Chou had two handguns, bags of ammunition and four Molotov cocktail-style devices, and was motivated by hatred of Taiwan, where he grew up, investigators said.

Among the charges were 45 counts of obstructing free exercise of religious beliefs by force, which resulted in the death of one person, included attempts to kill 44 others, and involved the use of a firearm and attempted use of explosives and fire, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Chou was charged last year by Orange County prosecutors with murder and attempted murder including enhancements for a hate crime and other counts. He pleaded not guilty. Online records show Chou is currently bein held without bail in Orange County and due back in court July 14.

Authorities said Chou had no prior connection to the church. They said he spent an hour with attendees before the attack, apparently to gain their trust, then closed the doors and started shooting.

Dr. John Cheng, the 52-year-old son of a congregant, charged at Chou and was killed, authorities say. His action helped disrupt the shooter, who was hit by a chair thrown by the churchs former pastor and jumped on by several people who tied him up with an extension cord until police arrived.

The wounded victims ranged in age from 66 to 92.

Chou, a U.S. citizen, grew up in Taiwan after his family was forced from mainland China when communists took control, authorities have said.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of death or life in prison without parole.

___

Weber reported from Los Angeles.
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. - Rep. George Santos, the freshman Republican congressman whose myriad falsehoods became both a scandal and a national punchline, was charged with a host of financial crimes in court papers unsealed Wednesday, including defrauding his donors, using their money for his personal benefit and wrongfully claiming unemployment benefits.

Santos, 34, surrendered to federal authorities in the morning at the Alfonse M. D'Amato Federal Courthouse in this hamlet on Long Island. The freshman congressman, who announced his reelection bid last month, was arraigned before a magistrate judge, told to relinquish his passports and ordered released on $500,000 bond.

Appearing before a scrum of reporters and cameras outside the courthouse, Santos repeated his vow not to resign and said, "I will prove myself innocent." He also called the investigation a "witch hunt," echoing the language of former president Donald Trump, himself recently indicted in New York in an unrelated case.

"I am going to fight my battle, I am going to deliver," Santos said. "I am going to take care of clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that."

Photo for The Washington Post by John Taggart

Santos faces seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of lying to the House of Representatives on financial forms. Wire fraud, the most serious charge, carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. If Santos is found guilty of multiple counts, a judge would decide whether he should serve his sentences concurrently or consecutively.

The congressman's lawyer, Joe Murray, told reporters that he wants to meet with prosecutors and "share what we've learned and what we have. We have information that I think they would be interested to see."

Wednesday's arraignment, less than five months after authorities in the Eastern District of New York began their investigation, brought the Santos saga into a new, more serious phase. Several New York Republicans joined Democrats in intensifying their calls for Santos to leave Congress. But House GOP leaders signaled they would take no immediate action.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) noted that Santos previously stepped down from his committee assignments amid the outcry over fabrications in his biography, but he did not respond directly to a reporter's question about whether the freshman lawmaker should resign. Rep. Marcus J. Molinaro (R-N.Y.), however, said that is exactly what should happen.

"I said he should resign in December. I said he should resign in January. He should have resigned yesterday," Molinaro said in a text message to The Washington Post. "Perhaps he will resign soon. Either way - and any way - there's a clock counting down and . . . justice will come to George Santos."

Some of the details in the nearly 20-page indictment - about Santos's dealings with would-be donors and allegations of false statements on his ethics disclosures - had been revealed in earlier reporting. But the alleged unemployment fraud is new.

According to prosecutors, Santos falsely claimed to have been unemployed in summer 2020 when he applied for benefits through the New York State Department of Labor. He continued to falsely certify that he was unemployed through the following spring, prosecutors alleged, and received more than $24,000 in benefits funded by the U.S. Treasury Department as part of expanded social programs introduced by Congress in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Santos was ineligible for the benefits, according to the indictment, which states that he was employed as a regional director for a Florida investment firm during that period. The firm goes unnamed in the indictment, but its details match those of a company called Harbor City Capital, which was forced to shut down in 2021 after the Securities and Exchange Commission called it a "classic Ponzi scheme."

"Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. "He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representatives."

Jennifer L. Beidel, a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, said the allegation of unemployment fraud, a misuse of taxpayer money, "is likely something that inspired law enforcement to pursue this more aggressively than they maybe would have if we were only talking about fraudulent use of private funds."

The lies Santos told voters in a district stretching from parts of Long Island to Queens - about his ancestry, his education and his work history - largely escaped national attention until after his November victory. Once they were revealed on a broad scale, Santos, who flipped a seat previously held by a Democrat, apologized for what he called "resume embellishment" but rebuffed calls to give up his seat. He began to revel in the attention, dangling further revelations about disputed details of his background.

Those falsehoods pale in comparison to the misconduct alleged by federal prosecutors in New York.

According to the indictment, Santos used tens of thousands of dollars ostensibly raised for his 2022 congressional race to buy designer clothes, pay off debts and give to associates. He is accused of soliciting funds, personally and through his campaign treasurer, to a company that he falsely represented both as a social welfare organization and a super PAC supporting his bid for federal office. In fact, prosecutors claim, funds from the company ultimately went to bank accounts controlled by Santos.

The company is not named in the indictment, but details disclosed by prosecutors match those of Redstone Strategies, formed in Florida in November 2021. A firm owned by Santos and named for his mother's family, Devolder Organization, was listed as one of Redstone's managers.

According to prosecutors, Santos directed a political consultant on Long Island to solicit funds for Redstone Strategies, falsely saying that the company was designed to "help this race" and that there were "no limits" on contributions. The consultant proceeded to solicit donations, according to text messages and emails quoted in the indictment, including by saying that the money would support television ads and other efforts aimed "exclusively" at the candidate's bid for office.

Santos personally sought cash for the company as well, including by telling one donor just days before the November election that more money was needed for TV ads, the indictment says. That very day, prosecutors allege, the donor wired $25,000 to the company. The donor was New York investor Andrew Intrater, according to a person close to Intrater who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. The person said Intrater later provided evidence about his interactions with Santos to the Justice Department.

The funds sent to Redstone Strategies were transferred to bank accounts controlled by Santos and used for personal expenses and to pay associates - not spent on the campaign, prosecutors allege.

Santos is also charged with lying on congressional financial disclosure forms about his income and other assets dating back to his first bid for Congress in 2020. His purportedly false statements include details of the $750,000 salary he reported from the Devolder Organization; the $1 million and $5 million in dividends he identified from that firm; and the assets he reported from checking and savings accounts. Prosecutors also claim he failed to disclose the unemployment benefits he was obtaining in New York as well as his earnings from the Florida investment firm, Harbor City Capital, which was sued by the SEC in 2021. Santos has said he wasn't aware of any wrongdoing at Harbor City.

Wide-ranging complaints filed by watchdog groups with the Federal Election Commission earlier this year accused Santos of misrepresenting campaign spending and using campaign resources to cover personal expenses, among other allegations. In January, the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section asked the FEC to hold off on any enforcement action against Santos, suggesting that prosecutors were examining overlapping issues. In March, a House ethics panel said it would investigate Santos and established a bipartisan subcommittee to examine claims about him, including about his past business practices, campaign finance expenditures and an allegation of sexual misconduct.

At the same time, Santos was voting and introducing legislation in Congress. He is one of nearly three dozen Republicans sponsoring legislation clamping down on abuse of unemployment insurance - the same type of fraud that Santos himself is now alleged to have committed.

"He voluntarily had stepped down from his committees," Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) told reporters Wednesday. "We are committed to making sure that we root out any fraud when it comes to unemployment, pandemic assistance, and we're working to have support from our conference. And it's good policy. And we urge the Democrats to vote in support."

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) said in a statement: "The charges against Rep. Santos are extremely serious and deeply disturbing and as I've previously said, he simply doesn't have the trust of his constituents or colleagues. The sooner he leaves, the sooner his district can be represented by someone who isn't a liar and fraud."

The congressman's fabrications during his campaign touched nearly every aspect of his life, from his family background to his academic record and work experience. Santos said his mother was inside one of the World Trade Center towers when they were attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, but immigration records indicate that his mother wasn't in the United States on that day. He claimed to have worked for high-powered Wall Street firms that denied employing him. He even falsely claimed to have been a star on his college volleyball team.

Last month, Santos announced he would seek reelection. As recently as last week, he told associates he wasn't worried about the investigations or expecting to be charged, according to people in touch with him.

Outside a Target store in Hicksville, N.Y. on Wednesday evening, Jean Tamburino, 87, said public revelations that her congressman lied and alleged fraud show how little voters really understand about the people on their ballots.

"We don't know who we're putting in when you vote," said Tamburino, who lives in Nassau County, works part time at a Home Depot and did not vote in the 2022 election. She called Santos's alleged misdeeds a blight on the community he serves.

"It isn't right," she said.

- - -

Barrett, Stanley-Becker and Stein reported from Washington. The Washington Post's John Wagner and Azi Paybarah in Washington contributed to this report.
Stanton E. Samenow, a forensic psychologist who drew national attention by challenging prevailing views of criminal behavior, arguing that its causes lie not in environmental factors such as poverty but rather in an identifiable "criminal personality" that could be addressed only through rigorous counseling and the acceptance of personal responsibility, died May 8 at a hospital in Fairfax County, Va. He was 81.

The cause was complications from leukemia, said his son Charles Samenow.

Dr. Samenow devoted decades of his career to the study and rehabilitation of criminal offenders, beginning in 1970 with his work alongside Samuel Yochelson, a psychiatrist who oversaw a years-long study of patients at St. Elizabeths psychiatric hospital in Washington, D.C. The study, which received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, began in 1961 and continued until 1978, two years after Yochelson's death.

At the time, psychologists generally agreed that many if not most criminal offenders had mental disturbances and that those disturbances could be treated through psychotherapy exploring their personal histories, their past traumas and their motivations. That approach, Yochelson and Dr. Samenow came to believe, was profoundly flawed.

"The outcome was criminals with insight, rather than criminals without insight," Dr. Samenow wrote in the publication Psychology Today. "Dr. Yochelson wryly commented that the insight they showed should be spelled 'i-n-c-i-t-e.' They were incited to blame other people and their environment. In a moment of rare candor, one man commented, 'If I didn't have enough excuses for crime before psychiatry, I sure have enough now.'"

Yochelson and Dr. Samenow compiled their findings in a work titled "The Criminal Personality," published in three volumes from 1976 to 1986. Dr. Samenow also wrote "Inside the Criminal Mind," a book geared more toward a popular readership and first published in 1984.

Their findings prompted criticism from research psychologists who regarded the authors' methodology as lacking and their interviews with hospital patients, however thorough, as overly subjective. Other critics denounced what they saw as an effort to minimize the role of poverty, neglect and abuse in the lives of some people who turn to crime.

"I'm prepared to offer Samenow a deal," Washington Post columnist William Raspberry wrote. "I'll give up the myth that criminals are caused by their environment if he'll give up the myth that they are cured by psychiatry."

Criminal justice experts and authorities, however, found the work by Dr. Samenow and Yochelson immediately useful. A contributor to the journal Criminal Justice and Behavior described the newly released "Criminal Personality" as "a seminal work, rich in new concepts of criminal treatment," and one that "gives correctional counselors a blueprint to begin the serious work of criminal rehabilitation."

Dr. Samenow and Yochelson identified more than 50 "errors in thinking" that lead criminals to see the world, in Dr. Samenow's description, as a "chessboard, with other people serving as pawns to gratify his desires." Those errors include overriding anger, lack of guilt in the face of injury to others, a propensity for breaking promises, and a craving for power and excitement.

Dr. Samenow conceded that many people, including those who do not commit crimes, may share those traits.

"It's a matter of degree," he told The Post in 1984. "We're talking about a [criminal] person whose entire way of life is predicated upon the view that the world is there to suit him."

Dr. Samenow formulated intensive counseling techniques used in prisons to help offenders avoid recidivism by breaking away from those "errors in thinking." At the core of the approach was the acceptance of individual accountability.

"Criminals cause crime - not bad neighborhoods, inadequate parents, television, schools, drugs, or unemployment. Crime resides within the minds of human beings and is not caused by social conditions," he wrote in "Inside the Criminal Mind."

"Once we as a society recognize this simple fact," he continued, "we shall take measures radically different from current ones. To be sure, we shall continue to remedy intolerable social conditions for this is worthwhile in and of itself. But we shall not expect criminals to change because of such efforts."

Forensic psychology continues to evolve, including with the emergence of the field known as neurocriminology, which seeks to use neuroscience to understand crime.

"It remains to be seen how the idea of a criminal personality and a 'criminal mind' will fare," William S. Laufer, a professor of legal studies at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, wrote in an email. "No doubt, though, Samenow's influence on criminal psychology will remain, even if at the foundation of future research."

Dr. Samenow, who left St. Elizabeths Hospital in 1978 to pursue a private practice in Northern Virginia, frequently testified in court, mainly as a prosecution witness, in cases involving the insanity defense.

He was among the experts who examined Daryl R. Atkins, a Virginia death row inmate whose case precipitated a 2002 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court barring the execution of intellectually disabled defendants. Atkins, who had been convicted in a carjacking and murder, had been determined at various points to have an IQ of 59, 67, 74 or 76.

Dr. Samenow did not administer standardized tests to Atkins but had spent hours in conversation with him. He conceded that the defendant's IQ was low but cited his knowledge of history and his use of terms including "decimal" and "parable" in reaching the conclusion that he was not intellectually disabled.

Dr. Samenow was later appointed by a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge to examine Lee Boyd Malvo, who was 18 when he was convicted on capital murder charges in 2003 in connection with his role in the sniper killings that terrorized the D.C. area the previous year.

Dr. Samenow spent more than 34 hours interviewing Malvo, who said he had been brainwashed by an older co-conspirator, John Allen Muhammad, and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Dr. Samenow testified that he found no sign of mental disease in Malvo and described him as "highly intelligent," an advanced reader who quoted the philosopher Spinoza.

"Mr. Malvo knows exactly what he's doing," Dr. Samenow testified. "This is a person that is fully cognizant, conscious, deliberating, purposeful."

When a defense lawyer asked Dr. Samenow whether it was his opinion that "all criminals are rational and no crime is caused by mental illness," Dr. Samenow replied that it was.

Malvo was convicted and sentenced to prison. Muhammad was convicted and executed in a Virginia state prison in 2009.

Stanton Ethan Samenow was born in Washington on Oct. 16, 1941. His mother was a teacher and principal in D.C. Public Schools before becoming an assistant principal at what is now the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, Md. His father was a lawyer who worked for the Rural Electrification Administration established by the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration.

Dr. Samenow graduated in 1959 from what was then Woodrow Wilson High School in D.C.

He received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Yale University in 1963 before pursuing graduate studies in psychology at the University of Michigan, where he received a master's degree in 1964 and a doctorate in 1968. He spent the early part of his career in Michigan as a clinical psychologist working in adolescent inpatient services.

In the later years of his private practice, Dr. Samenow served as an independent evaluator in child custody disputes, which he described as "darker than some of the criminal stuff I've done," with parents treating a child as a "pawn in a ruthless battle."

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, the former Dorothy Kellman of Falls Church, Va.; two sons, Charles Samenow, a psychiatrist, and Jason Samenow, The Washington Post's weather editor, both of the District of Columbia; and two grandchildren.

Dr. Samenow lectured widely to mental health, law enforcement and other professionals and served on three presidential crime commissions.

His books included "Before It's Too Late: Why Some Kids Get Into Trouble - and What Parents Can Do About It" (1989), "Straight Talk About Criminals" (1998), "In the Best Interest of the Child: How to Protect Your Child From the Pain of Your Divorce" (2002) and "The Myth of the Out of Character Crime" (2007).

Dr. Samenow's work reached perhaps its largest audience in 2007, as "The Sopranos," the HBO series about a mob boss who submits to therapy, reached its conclusion.

The writers of the show had been introduced to Dr. Samenow's research at a seminar and referenced his theories as psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) reaches the conclusion that her sessions with Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) serve more to reinforce his criminality rather than to stop it.

Informed by a neighbor of the pop-culture allusion to his work, Dr. Stanton Samenow viewed "The Sopranos" for the first time just as the show ended.

"You know, I get enough crime during the day, in terms of the people I see," he told the Telegraph-Journal of New Brunswick, Canada. "I tend to not watch crime shows or series, even those that are very good."
Peru's government issued an executive order Wednesday allowing the extradition to the United States of the prime suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.

A news release from a public affairs firm announced the government of Peru agreed to the temporary extradition of Joran van der Sloot to Alabama to face trial.

Peru and the United States work together to expand and strengthen the substantial bilateral agenda that links our countries with the aim of bringing concrete benefits to our citizens," the Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Perus ambassador to the United States, said in a statement.

Holloway, who was from Mountain Brook, Alabama, was on a high school graduation trip in 2005 to Aruba when she disappeared and was never seen again. She was last seen leaving a bar with Van der Sloot, who lived in Aruba at the time.

Holloways body was never found, and no charges were filed against Van der Sloot in the case. A judge later declared Holloway dead.

Prosecutors in the U.S. allege Van der Sloot accepted $25,000 in cash from Holloways family in exchange for a promise to lead them to her body in early 2010, just before he went to Peru.

Van der Sloot is serving 28 years in prison in Peru for being convicted of murdering 21-year-old Peruvian student Stephany Flores after meeting her in a Lima casino in 2010.

The slaying occurred five years to the day after Holloway disappeared in Aruba.

At a time when there is increasingly greater cross-border transit of people, our institutions are keeping up to ensure that criminals are brought to justice, Edgar Alfredo Rebaza, director of Perus Office of International Judicial Cooperation and Extraditions of the National Prosecutors Office, said in a statement. We will continue to collaborate on legal issues with allies such as the United States, and many others with which we have extradition treaties.

A 2001 treaty between Peru and the U.S. allows a suspected to be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country. It requires that the prisoner be returned" after judicial proceedings are concluded "against that person, in accordance with conditions to be determined by both countries.

Van der Sloot pleaded guilty in January 2012 to a murder charge in Flores slaying.

Prosecutors accused him of killing Flores, a business student from a prominent family, to rob her after learning she had won money at the casino where the two met. They said he killed her with ferocity and cruelty, beating then strangling her in his hotel room.

Natalee's mother, Beth Holloway, also released a statement following the news.

"I was blessed to have had Natalee in my life for 18 years, and as of this month, I have been without her for exactly 18 years," Holloway said in a statement. "She would be 36 years old now. It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee."

Van der Sloot could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday. It was not clear if he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf. More than a decade ago, he told a Peruvian judge that he would fight efforts to be extradited to the U.S.

Van der Sloot married a Peruvian woman in July 2014 in a ceremony at a maximum-security prison.


Peru's government issued an executive order Wednesday allowing the extradition to the United States of the prime suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.

Related video above from 2022: 17 years since Natalee Holloway disappeared

A news release from a public affairs firm announced the government of Peru agreed to the temporary extradition of Joran van der Sloot to Alabama to face trial.

"Peru and the United States work together to expand and strengthen the substantial bilateral agenda that links our countries with the aim of bringing concrete benefits to our citizens," the Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Perus ambassador to the United States, said in a statement.

His extradition stems from an accusation that he tried to extort the Holloway family after their daughter's disappearance.

Holloway, who was from Mountain Brook, Alabama, was on a high school graduation trip in 2005 to Aruba when she disappeared and was never seen again. She was last seen leaving a bar with Van der Sloot, who lived in Aruba at the time.

Holloways body was never found, and no charges were filed against Van der Sloot in the case. A judge later declared Holloway dead.

Prosecutors in the U.S. allege Van der Sloot accepted $25,000 in cash from Holloways family in exchange for a promise to lead them to her body in early 2010, just before he went to Peru.

Van der Sloot is serving 28 years in prison in Peru for being convicted of murdering 21-year-old Peruvian student Stephany Flores after meeting her in a Lima casino in 2010.

The slaying occurred five years to the day after Holloway disappeared in Aruba.

"At a time when there is increasingly greater cross-border transit of people, our institutions are keeping up to ensure that criminals are brought to justice," Edgar Alfredo Rebaza, director of Perus Office of International Judicial Cooperation and Extraditions of the National Prosecutors Office, said in a statement. "We will continue to collaborate on legal issues with allies such as the United States, and many others with which we have extradition treaties."

His extradition to the U.S. is because of the alleged attempt to profit from his connection to the Holloway case. A grand jury in Alabama in 2010 indicted van der Sloot on wire fraud and extortion charges, accusing him of trying to extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Holloways.

A 2001 treaty between Peru and the U.S. allows a suspected to be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country. It requires that the prisoner "be returned" after judicial proceedings are concluded "against that person, in accordance with conditions to be determined by" both countries.

Van der Sloot pleaded guilty in January 2012 to a murder charge in Flores' slaying.

Prosecutors accused him of killing Flores, a business student from a prominent family, to rob her after learning she had won money at the casino where the two met. They said he killed her with ferocity and cruelty, beating then strangling her in his hotel room.

Natalee's mother, Beth Holloway, also released a statement following the news.

"I was blessed to have had Natalee in my life for 18 years, and as of this month, I have been without her for exactly 18 years," Holloway said in a statement. "She would be 36 years old now. It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee."

Van der Sloot could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday. It was not clear if he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf. More than a decade ago, he told a Peruvian judge that he would fight efforts to be extradited to the U.S.

Van der Sloot married a Peruvian woman in July 2014 in a ceremony at a maximum-security prison.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.
OBIRA ISLAND, Indonesia - On a remote island close to where the Pacific meets the Indian Ocean sits one of the first refineries built specifically to support the world's transition away from fossil fuels.

Rocks unearthed here contain traces of nickel, a key ingredient in electric vehicle batteries. Extracting it, refining it and readying it for export is a gargantuan task.

More than $1 billion has been sunk into the processing facility, the first in Indonesia to use an acid-leaching technology to convert low-grade laterite nickel ore - which the country has in abundance - into a higher-grade material suitable for batteries. Foreign investors and lenders cite the project as evidence of their commitment to fighting climate change.

But the sprawling facility, bordered on one side by forest and on the other by blue seas, faces a major challenge: what to do with the roughly 4 million metric tons of toxic waste produced every year - enough, approximately, to fill 1,667 Olympic-size swimming pools.

In 2020, the companies behind the project told the government they had a solution: They would pump the waste into the ocean. They ultimately backtracked in the face of public pressure. But it's not clear that the on-land storage alternative they've offered instead is significantly safer.

Indonesia is the world's top producer of nickel by a wide margin, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Along with Australia, the country has the largest nickel reserves left on Earth.

And as global demand for nickel surges, company executives and Indonesian government leaders are turning to a refining technology long considered too risky to embrace, too perilous for the environment and for local communities.

This technology, using acid under conditions of intense heat and pressure to remove nickel from raw ore, has never been tested before in Indonesia, where the frequency of earthquakes, heavy rainfall and landslides can make it especially treacherous to transport and store hazardous waste. The process poses steep environmental costs that have yet to be reckoned with, according to interviews with more than 40 people familiar with the country's nickel industry, visits to six largely isolated mining villages in eastern Indonesia and visual analyses by mining experts.

Indonesian officials say this new refining technology is needed to harness these nickel resources, which they hope will transform the country's future as oil did for Saudi Arabia. At least 10 other projects using this same technology are already under development, according to the Indonesian Nickel Mining Association.

Officials have made it a priority to build a nickel supply chain, banning the export of raw nickel ore for processing abroad and approving the development of acid-based refining facilities as well as additional conventional nickel smelters at a rate unparalleled elsewhere. Despite official pledges to reduce carbon emissions, the government has approved the construction of coal-fired power plants specifically to support the processing of nickel for the EV industry.

Much of the nickel in EV batteries used by automakers such as Tesla, Hyundai and Ford is already sourced from Indonesia by way of battery manufacturers in China. And by 2030, when global nickel demand is forecast to be 52 percent higher than in 2020, Indonesia will probably churn out more than two-thirds of the supply, according to estimates from Macquarie Group, an Australian financial services group with expertise in the mining sector.

The surging interest in nickel is part of the global boom in demand for a range of metals used in making EVs, which typically require six times the mineral inputs of their fossil-fuel burning counterparts to make them run. But while the transition to EVs is widely considered essential in addressing climate change, there has often been little recognition of the toll that extraction and processing of these raw materials - including technologies now urgently needed to produce the quantity and quality of minerals required - will take on the lives and livelihoods of local communities and the surrounding environment.

Laterite nickel ore comes in two forms, and until recently there was no need to use the acid-leaching technology in part because Indonesia was mining the kind known as saprolite, which can be processed partly by using traditional smelters. But Indonesia - and the world - is running out of saprolite ore. What will be left is lower-grade limonite ore, which consists of less than 1.5 percent nickel, making processing by traditional means nearly impossible.

The decline in saprolite ore has occurred just as the demand for battery-grade nickel has spiked. Most nickel mined in Indonesia has previously gone into products like stainless steel, which can use a lower-grade mineral. But batteries require a higher standard, which has placed an unprecedented premium on the acid-leaching process.

One afternoon late last year, Liyus, a 52-year-old farmer on Obira, walked along the coast where his family has lived for four generations. It's been quiet on this island for most of his life. Without a private jet, getting to Obira from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, is at least a two-day journey involving an overnight ferry and hours of driving on roads stippled with potholes.

Liyus, who goes by one name, said he used to drink from the rivers that run past his village, but since the nickel mine added its acid-leaching refinery two years ago, the waterways have turned dark red, so thick with pollution at some points that rows of coconut trees have been killed off. He doesn't know what's in the water, only that it bleeds into the sea and that his nephews have had to go farther and farther out to find fish. He pointed to a fishing net drying on a nearby tree. It was stained a reddish brown.

In an hour-long interview, representatives from the two companies that jointly own the processing plant on Obira island - an Indonesian firm, Harita Group, and a Chinese firm, Lygend Resources - said that the operation has not had a negative impact on the environment and that the pollution along the coast was not related to waste produced by their plant. All of their operations, they emphasized, are in "full compliance" with government requirements. "We looked at what was the best and we confirmed it with the government," said Tonny Gultom, Harita's head of health, safety and environment.

Like other inhabitants of the village of Kawasi, which sits at the foot of Obira's nickel-mining operation, Liyus has never owned a car and has no idea why there's been a sudden interest in the mineral that sat untouched on his island for so long.

"We had a comfortable life," Liyus said, "before this."

- - -

Daunting challenges

High-Pressure Acid Leaching (HPAL) is a method of refining low-grade nickel ore by combining it with sulfuric acid under high pressure and heat, producing a slurry that allows for the extraction of pure, high-grade nickel. The technique was pioneered in the 1960s in Cuba but has rarely been used elsewhere - until recently.

Managing the acidic material under extreme heat is more complicated than traditional methods of refining nickel ore. And the titanium vessels needed to mix the chemicals are expensive, part of why capital costs for HPAL projects are typically double those of conventional smelters, according to the International Energy Agency, an intergovernmental research organization.

The leaching process is also energy-intensive, and generating that energy produces about 20 tons of carbon dioxide per ton of nickel, or about double the amount of the prevailing processing method, according to the IEA.

And then there's the waste.

HPAL produces an enormous amount of corrosive chemical tailings - often in the millions of tons for each mine per year - that are extremely challenging to neutralize, store and contain. Even after the slurry is treated, studies show, this waste can contain harmful heavy metals, such as certain types of chromium, linked to respiratory illnesses and an increased risk of cancer.

Engineers have suggested three disposal options: putting the waste into a ditch behind a dam; drying out the waste and stacking it on vacant lots; and pumping it into the ocean. Each approach can go wrong.

Some of the world's biggest mining companies have tried to master the HPAL process - and failed.

In 2021, Brazilian mining conglomerate Vale exited a multibillion-dollar HPAL nickel-mining project in the Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia after having five chemical spills in 10 years. Studies by scientists in New Caledonia had by that time found "high levels" of toxic hexavalent chromium in water samples collected in and around the HPAL refining facility. The facility, now owned by a consortium of New Caledonia companies, had yet another leak in November at its tailings dam, prompting local authorities to impose new regulations that could limit production.

Closer to Indonesia, in Papua New Guinea, a Chinese company operating an HPAL plant has for years been criticized by residents and officials for dumping its tailings into the sea. After a tank filled with mining waste overflowed onto the coast in 2019, thousands of residents filed a lawsuit against the company demanding $5.2 billion in damages. The case is still pending in court, said lawyer Ben Lomai, who represents the plaintiffs.

HPAL's troubled history, however, has done little to deter industry enthusiasm for the technology.

While research is being conducted on safer ways to process limonite nickel ore, they won't be able to satiate existing demand, said Brian Menell, founder of TechMet, an investment firm that focuses on minerals required for the green-energy transition and does not operate in Indonesia. Indonesia's HPAL facilities "might not be how you want your nickel," he said, "but right now, you've got no choice."

- - -

A change of plans

The nickel mine on Obira has been operated by Harita since 2016, but in 2018, Lygend joined to plan, design and construct the HPAL refinery, eventually acquiring a majority stake in the project. The processing facility, which was designated a priority for the national government, opened in 2021.

After the companies withdrew their initial plan to dump the HPAL waste into the sea, they told authorities that they would store the waste on land, drying out the acidic slurry before dumping it back into the mining pit, and then treating the residue water in a tailings "pond."

Only a year earlier, however, Harita executives had published a research article in a science journal stating that land disposal on Obira is actually "less suitable" because the region is in a notoriously active seismic zone - as recently as 2019, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake devastated a port town on Bacan island, less than 50 miles from Obira - and is frequently visited by heavy rainfall. That article also noted that about 7,000 villagers lived downstream from the site, concluding that the construction and water control required for land disposal was "not feasible."

Asked about those findings, a Harita spokesman acknowledged that storing the waste on land is dangerous but said the company is managing the risks by drying out the slurry and dumping it back into the mining pit, where it is prevented from seeping into local waterways.

But a foreign mining consultant who has been working on projects in Indonesia for more than two decades said: "It's a massive heap of waste. And if it's not stored properly, you can have landslides. That's my biggest concern." He spoke on the condition of anonymity because of business considerations.

Following the public outcry over the initial disposal plan, the Indonesian government barred all nickel-processing plants from dumping waste into the sea, said Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesia's coordinating minister for investment and maritime affairs and chief architect of the country's nickel strategy.

"We tackled this very well, you know?" Luhut said, speaking at his office in Jakarta last year. "We listened to the advice of the European Union and we stopped. We don't do that anymore."

Villagers and environmental activists say they remain concerned that Harita and Lygend, which operate jointly in Indonesia under the name PT HPAL, are failing to honor their promise to keep the waste on Obira out of the ocean and have not adequately addressed the risks posed by storing the waste on land.

Four international mining experts independently reviewed photos of the mining site at Obira taken by The Washington Post. The experts said that it was impossible without a formal audit to ascertain whether Harita and Lygend were dumping HPAL tailings into the sea, but that there were multiple signs that the companies were generally failing to contain mining waste.

The photos show "devastating" levels of deforestation, which can increase the risks of tailings accidents, said Aimee Boulanger, executive director of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, an organization that audits mining operations and measures them against social and environmental standards. Even if tailings were not being actively pumped into the sea, there don't appear to be "any significant controls" over what's flowing out of the mine and entering waterways, she added.

Sam Riggall, an advocate of responsible mining and the chief executive of Sunrise Energy Metals, an Australian nickel and cobalt mining company, said the material entering the rivers around the mining facility resembled processed waste, rather than just runoff from open-pit mines.

"Frankly, I feel a bit ashamed to be part of an industry that's allowing this to happen," Riggall said. "If this is the legacy we leave behind . . . who will be happy with that?"

Gultom, Harita's head of safety, acknowledged that the HPAL refinery was producing a "huge volume" of waste that could pose safety risks if not properly managed, but he stressed that it was being handled with adequate precautions.

The discolored water near Obira's coast, he said, was caused by sedimentation created by timber mining years ago. "It has nothing," Gultom said, "to do with us."

Harita, which debuted on the Jakarta stock exchange in April, plans to add a second processing plant on Obira next year, company executives said.

- - -

A booming industry

Across the nickel-rich islands of North Maluku province, old mining companies are expanding and new ones are taking root. They're taking over large tracts of land, residents say, sometimes with government authorization, sometimes without. Bulk carrier ships congregate along coastlines, recalling for some communities Indonesia's colonial history, when Dutch and Portuguese settlers exploited these islands for spices such as nutmeg and cloves.

Nickel production in Indonesia hit a record high of 1 million metric tons in 2021, though it pales in comparison with what is projected to come. By 2028, according to Macquarie, the country will be producing at least 2.5 million metric tons of nickel annually.

China's CATL and South Korea's LG, the world's largest battery manufacturers for EVs, recently announced they would open HPAL plants in Indonesia. Ford Motor Co. said it would join an HPAL project being developed by Vale and Chinese mining company Huayou on Sulawesi island in eastern Indonesia. And last year, Tesla signed a $5 billion deal to buy nickel from Indonesia, government officials said.

One of Indonesia's biggest upcoming HPAL projects is not far from Obira in North Maluku.

The Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park on Halmahera island, a joint venture between French and Chinese companies, has more than doubled its footprint in the past five years, satellite imagery shows. So far, the facility has primarily produced nickel for stainless steel, but a group of Chinese companies said in 2021 that they would add a $2.1 billion HPAL facility.

Maryama Usama, 60, lives in Sagea, a village just outside the industrial park. She has heard that the nickel companies on Halmahera need more space. And she said she knows people in the neighboring village of Gemaf who weren't given any notice before heavy equipment showed up on the land that had belonged to their families for generations.

"The government may have given them permits," Usama said, brushing the corner of her eye with her hijab. "But the land does not belong to them. It's ours."

- - -

A matter of trust

At a mining conference in 2021, Gultom outlined Harita's mission: "Sustainable excellence though continuous improvement of people and process." On its website, Lygend says it is committed to making "green" nickel that will "accelerate carbon neutralization."

But Faizal Ratuela, executive director of the North Maluku chapter of WALHI, an Indonesian environmental advocacy group, questioned whether these companies can be trusted to responsibly operate nickel refineries, especially those that use technology as complex as HPAL. He pointed to their environmental records in Indonesia and China.

Since the Harita Group ventured into mining in the early 2000s, it has clashed with local communities several times, including on Obira, where journalists who tried to report on the effects of the mine have been detained and intimidated by security personnel employed by Harita, Ratuela said.

Sian Choo Lim, head of sustainability at Harita, said that there may be an "image" that the company has not done enough to protect the environment, but that it's unfounded. "We've never had any issues with the Kawasi community," she said.

Lygend and its subsidiaries have been cited in China for violating environmental regulations at least four times in as many years, according to a Post review of statements released by Chinese provincial governments. These citations, made as recently as last year, include exceeding standard emissions of smoke and mismanaging waste.

Zhang Baodong, a Lygend representative, declined to address these violations. "What we've done [at Obira] is already very up to mark," he said. "I have nothing more to add."

Indonesian companies are aware that HPAL is a "totally different" technology from what they're familiar with and that the waste management is particularly tricky, said Meidy Katrin Lengkey, head of the Indonesian Nickel Mining Association. "But as companies, we say, as long as there is a regulation, we'll make sure to follow."

Environmental regulations in Indonesia have long been difficult to enforce because they're often delegated to faraway provincial governments, which are not only strapped for funds but prone to corruption, activists say. Now, they say, even those regulations are being rolled back in some cases to attract foreign investment.

Villagers, as a result, fear they are defenseless.

"The government is supposed to protect us," said Arnikus Jinimaya, 66, a Halmahera resident who said he lost his land to the Weda Bay Industrial Park. "But now, we see they only protect those who have money."

Luhut, the senior minister, scoffed at the idea that officials were overlooking social or environmental safeguards. There are problems "here and there" with the nickel-refining industry, he said, but the government is more than able to take care of the country's resources without "the lecturing" of environmental activists - especially those from carbon-emitting Western countries.

The tall, mustachioed former general has spent the past few years engineering the growth of the nickel industry, personally inaugurating new HPAL facilities and courting figures such as Tesla chief executive Elon Musk. At cabinet meetings and international summits, he has repeatedly made the case that the global energy transition presents the biggest economic opportunity for Indonesia since it gained independence in 1945.

"This," Luhut said, leaning over his desk to point at a graph charting nickel growth, "is going to transform Indonesia."

In June 2021, a few months after the refinery on Obira began operating, Luhut visited the island, donning a red hard hat as he examined the new HPAL technology. Liyus and other residents of Kawasi said they had expected him to stop at their village, where they hoped to show him the rivers that had started to run red and the trees that had died when their roots were covered by sludge from the mine.

He never came, locals said.

- - -

Washington Post reporters Rebecca Tan and Dera Menra Sijabat and photographer Joshua Irwandi journeyed together to the far-flung Obi Islands in eastern Indonesia, traveling about 18 hours by ferry and another two hours by speedboat to reach the cutting edge of the country's nickel-processing industry. Tan is The Washington Post's Southeast Asia bureau chief, based in Singapore. Sijabat and Irwandi, a documentary photographer, are based in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Washington Post's Pei-Lin Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, and Devianti Faridz in Jakarta also contributed to this report.
The war in Ukraine and the flooding in Pakistan helped push the number of people internally displaced worldwide to an all-time high of 71.1 million in 2022, according to a report published Thursday by the Norwegian Refugee Council.

A "perfect storm" of conflict, natural disasters and the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic combined to trigger "displacement on a scale never seen before" in 2022, the nonprofit's secretary general, Jan Egeland, said.

A global food security crisis, fueled by the war in Ukraine, which is a major grain exporter, has only added to the plight of those uprooted from their homes in search of safety and shelter. And the overlap of crises meant repeated and protracted displacement for many, he said.

Nearly three-quarters of the world's internationally displaced people live in just 10 countries, including Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the data showed.

IDPs are people forced to move within the borders of their own countries, and the report by the NRC's Internal Displacement Monitoring Center does not take into account refugees - those fleeing to other countries.

The Geneva-based center listed the global climate pattern known as La Nina, which continued for a third year in 2022, as a major driver of displacement as well.

The weather phenomenon contributed to record levels of flood displacement in Pakistan, Nigeria and Brazil, and the worst drought on record in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, the NRC report said.

In Ukraine, 5.9 million people were uprooted by Russia's war, pushing the world total of people internally displaced by conflict and violence to more than 62 million. Syria had 6.8 million IDPs after more than a decade of war.

Floods, drought and landslides pushed the number of people displaced in their country by disasters to 8.7 million.

By the end of 2022, these factors brought the total number of IDPs worldwide to 71.1 million, up 20 percent from the year before.

While the annual report does not include 2023, the data does not suggest a decline in displacement. At least 700,000 people have been internally displaced in Sudan by a power struggle between rival military forces in the country, the United Nations migration agency said this week.

"Today's displacement crises are growing in scale, complexity and scope," said the displacement monitoring center's director, Alexandra Bilak. "Greater resources and further research are essential to help understand and better respond to IDPs' needs," she said.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  South Carolina Republicans are one step closer to restricting how teachers discuss race in K-12 classrooms.

As conservatives nationwide push bans on so-called critical race theory, the state Senate passed a likeminded effort Wednesday in a late night 27-10 vote after nearly six hours of debate. Parents could challenge any educational materials they say violate banned teachings around white privilege and implicit bias under a bill sent back to the GOP-controlled House.

Missing from the bill is the explicit phrase  critical race theory." It instead prevents teaching that an individual bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of their race, and that someone is inherently privileged or should receive adverse or favorable treatment due to their race.

The bill states that nothing prevents teachings about any ethnic groups history or the fact-based discussion of controversial periods and current events. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said the bill encourages educators to teach students about slavery and Jim Crow, but within the historical facts.

 H.3728 keeps the subjective opinions of those who want to rewrite American History from creeping into South Carolina's schools, Massey said in a statement.

Democratic Sen. Dick Harpootlian questioned who would determine the facts. He worried that parents could challenge lessons that the Civil War was fought over slavery and not states rights.

Harpootlian, 74, who is white, added that while he and some Black colleagues all grew up during segregation, they did not share the same experiences, or facts."

When I think back on the 50s and 60s, and my history of growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina, the facts I know are not necessarily the facts you know, he said.

Opponents said vague language would chill educators speech and sanitize the truth. Democratic Sen. Ronnie Sabb asked how teachers should approach the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection if parents who wrongly consider it an act of patriotism challenge lessons that call it an attempt to thwart democracy.

Democrats noted the debate came on the same date the state passed a 1740 law making it illegal for enslaved people to assemble in groups, earn money and learn to read.

Sen. Mia McLeod connected the enslavement of Black people to modern-day inequities that opponents fear would be banned from discussion. She pointed to racial disparities in sentencing, generational wealth and health outcomes.

Instead of prioritizing a solution in search of a problem, I just wonder why weve chosen not to focus on the problems that we all know exist systemically, she said.

The measure would also ban any mandated gender or sexuality trainings and require that materials be age appropriate.

Republicans named a couple instances where teachers presented inappropriate or unapproved outside materials. Democrats argued that local school boards already handled those situations by firing the educators in question.

Palmetto State Teachers Association Executive Director Kathy Maness has said the prohibited concepts are not widespread. Maness, who previously sought the Republican nomination for state superintendent of education, told the AP last month that most teachers won't have anything to worry about.

The bill requires school districts to announce on their websites that parents may review curriculum and establish a complaint process for contested materials. Parents could see selected titles online and examine their contents in-person.

Complaints must be lodged by parents and undergo specific steps from the principal to the superintendent to the local school board and finally the state school board.

Republican Sen. Larry Grooms said the process allows parents to know what their children are learning. Opponents argued it amounts to burdensome surveillance that would increase the stressors on a profession already experiencing record vacancies.

Senators struck a provision inserted by the House that would have allowed parents to sue any district they accused of teaching prohibited concepts. Another removed section would have forced teachers to post any changes to classroom materials three days before they were taught.

The bill would cement a budget proviso prohibiting state funds for school districts that inculcate a similar list of ideas.

Opponents noted that parents have already cited that proviso in challenges to books like Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You. A local NAACP branch sued the Pickens County School District last month over its decision to remove the title from its classrooms and libraries.

We ought not give those who would weaponize legislation like this the power and authority, Sabb said.

___

An earlier version of this report incorrectly said Kathy Maness served as the state superintendent of education. She previously ran to be the Republican nominee for the position.

___

James Pollard is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
naruecha jenthaisong/Getty Images

A former Austin ISD teacher was sentenced by a federal judge on Wednesday, May 10, to seven years in prison for engaging in illicit sexual conduct while living in Colombia, the Justice Department says.

Officials said that 41-year-old Michael Wayne Roberts paid money to have sex with three underage Colombian girls between December 2020 and June 2021. According to CBS Austin, Roberts cleared a background check in July 2021 and worked for Austin ISD during the next school year.
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP)  Armenian and Azerbaijani troops exchanged artillery fire Thursday along their tense border, leaving at least one soldier dead and several others wounded in the latest bout of escalation between the longtime adversaries that threatened to derail their latest attempts at peace talks.

The two countries' authorities traded blame for triggering the clashes and accused each other of trying to undermine negotiations on a prospective peace deal.

The Armenian Defense Ministry said that Azerbaijani forces opened artillery fire on Armenian positions near the town of Sotk in the eastern Gegharkunik province, leaving four Armenian soldiers wounded.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said that one Azerbaijani soldier was killed and another one was wounded by Armenian fire.

The exchange of fire follows U.S.-hosted peace talks earlier this month between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign minister, which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said had achieved tangible progress. Blinken said that he believed a peace deal could be within sight, within reach and praised the two sides for coming together to try to find common ground.

U.S. engagement in the conflict challenged Russias influence in the area it regards as part of its historic sphere of influence at the time when Moscow is busy with the fighting in Ukraine.

The European Union also sought to step up mediation efforts, planning to host Sunday's meeting in Brussels between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

But on Thursday, Armenia and Azerbaijan quickly accused each other of initiating the hostilities to block the prospective peace talks.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry charged that Azerbaijan was trying to derail the process of negotiations through the use of force and exert pressure on Armenia.

Azerbaijan, in turn, accused Armenia of a deliberate provocation reflecting the lack of interest in the peace process. "All responsibility for the deliberate aggravation of the situation lies with the military-political leadership of Armenia, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Despite Thursday's clashes, Pashinyan confirmed his intention to travel to Brussels on Sunday for talks with Aliyev, but said that chances for reaching a quick deal are small. Azerbaijan also confirmed that Aliyev was set to attend the meeting.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies within Azerbaijan but in 1994 came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia, which also seized sizable surrounding Azerbaijani areas.

In six weeks of fighting in 2020, Azerbaijan reclaimed control of a large part of Nagorno-Karabakh and all the surrounding territory previously occupied by Armenians. The hostilities ended with a Moscow-brokered truce that saw the deployment of a Russian peacekeeping force of about 2,000 troops.

In an apparent effort to retain its position as a key power broker in the region, Russia also has recently tried to prepare the talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders.

___

Aida Sultanova in London contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

DENVER (AP)  As Colorado House lawmakers churned through final votes during the last night of this year's session, Republicans stood up and marched out of the chamber before the Democratic speaker could gavel it to a close  a defiant act meant to show how sidelined and silenced they felt.

The political theater this week was the culmination of a 120-day session that proved to be the latest illustration of the leftward shift in what was long a battleground state, leaving Republicans scrambling to adjust to their unfamiliarly weak position and surfacing internal rifts among Democrats over just how progressive Colorado should be.

The shift has been partly driven by migration to Colorado and the transformation of white, college-educated voters  a disproportionate share of the state's electorate  into Democratic supporters during the Trump era. The last Republican presidential candidate that Colorado voters backed was George W. Bush in 2004. The current governor, both U.S. Senators and five of the eight members of the U.S. House are Democratic.

With Democrats also in control of two-thirds of seats in the state House and Senate, the largest majority for the party in decades, Republicans have often resorted to delay tactics this session. One filibuster ran for 18 hours and spilled into the next morning. Sometimes Republicans asked that bills be read at length, and an electronic voice would drone through byzantine language for hours.

Yet they were unable to stop Democrats from passing the states largest gun control package and codifying protections for abortion and transgender rights.

To help pass those bills, House Speaker Julie McCluskie invoked a rarely used rule curtailing filibusters, arguing that the debates had become unproductive and merely stall tactics. Republicans decried it as a gag measure.

What we saw through this session is ... an overwhelming amount of power, Minority Leader Rep. Mike Lynch said, calling Republicans' position a superminority.

It makes it really hard to find out how we can still contribute to our districts, he added, and said Monday's walkout was necessary to send a statement because We were out of tools."

But even while Democrats swung their weight around  passing four gun control bills including one that raised the minimum purchasing age for all firearms from 18 to 21  they drew the line on a number of progressive policies.

A sweeping ban on semi-automatic firearms was killed in committee by Democrats. Another that would have allowed  safe injection sites, where people can use illicit drugs under the supervision of trained staff who could reverse an overdose, also went nowhere.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Dominick Moreno, who has been in the Legislature since 2013, said Colorado is on a blue trajectory but he still considers its political tint to be a shade of purple, indigo maybe.

While registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by over 120,000, unaffiliated voters exceed both, signaling the states independent streak.

Colorado is the only state in the union to cap government spending, a relic of its conservative past that maintains broad support among voters. It was also the first state to legalize marijuana, a measure supported by many of the states live-and-let-live Republicans. Many of those have since switched parties, and Gov. Jared Polis, who won with nearly 60% of the vote, is a libertarian-leaning Democrat.

Republican leadership hopes the party could get a boost in turnout next election if constituents believe Democrats went too far while in the majority: The overreach is palpable, said Sen. Paul Lundeen, the Senate minority leader, the people will respond in a meaningful way.

But Colorado doesn't figure to flip back to red anytime soon, said Seth Masket, director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver, especially with the biggest population growth coming in the blue-leaning urban corridor along the east side of the Rocky Mountains including Denver and its sprawling suburbs.

Amid a national political environment tilting toward partisan extremes, Masket said, the leftward shift tends to snowball as many people choose when possible to live in places that reflect their values and beliefs.

Is it easier or harder to get an abortion? Is it easier or harder to get a gun? All these things really affect peoples lives, and once a state has a reputation for being relatively blue, it will attract more people like that, Masket said.

A signal of Democrats' growing power is that the state's defining political battles are bubbling up internally among the party rather than with the GOP, he said: Thats where the locus of power is.

That dynamic has been around longer in deep blue states such as California and New York but is relatively new to Colorado, which has less of a history of sharp partisan clashes, and more cross-aisle amity.

Assistant Minority Leader Sen. Bob Gardner, a Republican, reflected in a press conference Tuesday on his past sessions as a representative, saying "we were in a fairly deep minority but frankly our friends across the aisle and ourselves were a good deal closer politically than we are today.

While remnants of that amiability remain, they can occasion frustration among progressive Democrats who see little need to compromise anymore.

That was on display in an exchange at the Democrats' last caucus meeting Monday, after progressive Rep. Elisabeth Epps admonished Speaker Julie McCluskie for giving GOP lawmakers too much leeway in both their rhetoric and delay tactics.

I am committed to your success, and the success of every individual in this room, and truthfully the success of our Republican colleagues, that is what this job is, McCluskie replied. I truly believe in this institution and what it means to work through a Democratic process that is messy.

Her comments drew applause from roughly two-thirds of the caucus, but there was also disagreement.

There is a point at which we need to stop acting like trying to get along with our enemies is going to preserve our institution, said Rep. Stephanie Vigil, another progressive.

___

Jesse Bedayn 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.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  An environmental group sued Thursday to block nearly two dozen new permits for oil and gas wells in California, arguing Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration did not properly consider how the drilling would affect the environment.

A lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity says the California Geologic Energy Management Division in December approved 15 new oil and gas wells in Long Beach. The lawsuit says state officials relied on a 50-year-old environmental impact report that did not consider climate change or health effects.

The lawsuit says another six permits approved in San Luis Obispo County also relied on an outdated analysis prepared in 2004.

Most of the wells were within 3,200 feet (975.36 meters) of homes and community-gathering sites despite Newsom signing a law in September that would have banned such permits. That law was put on hold in February because the oil industry qualified a referendum for the 2024 election asking voters to overturn it.

Jacob Roper, a spokesman for the California Geologic Energy Management Division, declined to comment.

The future of oil and gas in California has been the topic of immense lobbying and political wrangling. Representatives from the industry have accused Newsom of taking actions that threaten jobs and the future of the industry, while environmental and community groups say that his administration isnt acting fast enough to eliminate neighborhood drilling.

Newsom has announced a goal to end fracking  a method used to extract oil from rock  by next year. He has also pledged to end all oil production in the state by 2045. Since then, Liz Jones, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said California has seen a decline in fracking permits  including seeing some permits denied because of their potential effect on the climate.

But in the first three months of 2023, 62% of the 897 oil well permits issued by the state were to reestablish wells within 3,200 feet (975.36 meters) of sensitive areas like homes and schools, according to Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group.

Although the governor has done some really major and historic things, we really want to see the regulators here held accountable for rubber-stamping permits that are near where people are living and playing, Jones said.

The Center for Biological Diversity said the wells approved in Long Beach are on an artificial island within 1,000 feet (304.80 meters) of a public beach. They said the wells approved in San Luis Obispo County also threaten the habitat of vulnerable species, including the California coast horned lizard and the wildflower pismo clarkia.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

HOUSTON (AP)  Thirteen people dead in two mass shootings. Eight immigrants killed when an SUV slams into a crowded bus stop. The likely approval of legislation that would let the Republican governor overturn elections in the most populous county, a Democratic stronghold. All in the past two weeks.

These issues and the forces behind them  anger and guns, immigration turmoil, deep political divisions about what democracy means  are playing out across American life in various ways. But in Texas, with its immense size and a population that grows by more than 1,000 people a day, the stage is far bigger  and often louder.

Its enough to make even the proudest Texan wrestle with how he sees the state.

"This is out of control right now, said Jay Leeson, an illustrator and cartoonist who lives in Lubbock, a city in the Texas High Plains. He describes himself as a conservative West Texan whose kids know how to handle guns, know how to ride horses, know how to do all the Texas things.

The Texas things. Texans have heard this all before. Theyve been hearing it for generations. That everyone is armed. That its a wildly conservative place full of oil roughnecks and cowboys and brash braggarts. That its nothing like the rest of the country, really.

Many Texans will tell you theres some truth to this. But Texas is also far more nuanced than a collection of cliches that consider the state through the narrowest of lenses.

Yet lately, things here have felt unrelenting. And what troubles some Texans is not how outsiders see the state, but whether those living here can navigate the divisive political climate  and overcome a complicated and sometimes violent past.

EVEN THOSE WHO SUPPORT GUNS FRET ABOUT THEM

Leeson is furious at how immigration has become a political battleground. He's furious at how Republicans bleed every vote they can out of West Texas to overcome growing populations in the states heavily Democratic urban centers, from Houston to Dallas, Austin to San Antonio. The Texas Legislature is currently debating various bills that are targeting how Democratic Harris County, the state's most populous, runs its elections.

Hes especially furious that his 9-year-old son is so worried about school shootings that he checked all the windows in his classroom to see which would open in case of an attack.

I just think the whole thing is a damn mess, Leeson said.

Mass killings have a deep history in Texas. Arguably the first modern American mass shooting happened here in 1966, when an engineering student opened fire from a building observation deck at the University of Texas. He killed 14 people and wounded dozens more.

But the states strict gun laws didnt begin to crack until a few years after another mass shooting  this one in 1991, when a gunman drove his pickup truck through the window of a central Texas cafeteria and killed 23 people. By then, decades of Democratic control were giving way to Republicans who saw gun rights as a key issue.

In 1995, then-Gov. George W. Bush signed legislation that allowed Texans to carry concealed guns. Today, Texans can carry weapons openly. Some do  passionately.

Chad Hasty, a well-known conservative talk radio host based in Lubbock, mourns the latest killings  I dont want to get to a time where were not shocked by a mass shooting  but is adamant that gun rights be protected. He rarely leaves home without his Sig Sauer P365, a small firearm designed for everyday carrying and one of the best-selling pistols in America.

He dismisses the idea that Texas is particularly prone to violence.

I dont view it as a uniquely Texas thing, he said. Instead, the number of mass shootings is simply a matter of size: Were a huge state  millions and millions of people.

IT'S A STATE FAR MORE DIVERSE THAN THE CLICHES

The litany of Texas mass killings in just the last few years is staggering: Sutherland Springs, 26 killed in 2017; Santa Fe, 10 killed in 2018; El Paso, 23 killed in 2019; Midland-Odessa, seven killed in 2019; Uvalde, 21 killed in 2022; Cleveland, five killed on April 28; Allen, eight killed on May 6.

Guns have long been a part of Texas culture  both in the state's mythology and in reality. But to equate the number of guns with the number of people killed by guns strikes some as a false equivalence.

Youll never get people to give up their guns, nor do I believe you should, said Vanesa Brashier, the editor and publisher of Bluebonnet News, a site that covers rural areas north of Houston, including the town of Cleveland, where five immigrants were killed in a mass shooting on April 28.

She was deeply shaken by the killings, particularly by how some of the women died shielding their children from gunfire. But she considers herself pro-Second Amendment: I want to be able to defend myself if someone comes calling that shouldnt be at my property."

Like so much in Texas, her politics are complex. Brashier, who calls herself a political independent, sees immigration as a good thing  I just think we need to figure out a better way to do it.

Just two weeks ago she created a Spanish language news site to better inform the areas growing Latino population. She named the site El Amanecer Texas or Texas Sunrise, because I wanted it to be hopeful.

These residents who have moved here deserve to be informed about whats going on around them, she said. But the influx of immigrants has faced backlash from some residents, who feel like theres been an invasion, Brashier said.

This week, Texas and other border states were preparing for the end of a policy that allowed the government to quickly expel migrants to Mexico. Gov. Greg Abbott has deployed more Texas National Guard troops in response to the end of the rule. The goal, Abbott said this week: to secure the Texas border.

Texas border cities have tended to be more welcoming to immigrants than other parts of the state, since many in these areas have long seen themselves and their Mexican neighbors as a big, blended community that transcends governments' political borders. In El Paso, for instance, more than 80 percent of nearly 700,000 residents are Latino. Many residents have family just across the border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

This situation at the border has created a welcoming community that reacts differently to various issues, including immigration, said Richard Pineda, director of the Sam Donaldson Center for Communication Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso. For Texas, he says, it's an outlier  a "fluid culture that goes back and forth.

BIG CHANGES IN THE STATE CAN LEAD TO TENSION

Texas can feel like a study in contrasts. Famed for its oil industry, but the producer of a quarter of the countrys wind energy and a leader in solar power. Known for its open, undeveloped landscapes but home to some of the largest, fastest-growing cities in the land. Epitomized by the cowboy, but with some of the largest immigrant populations in America.

With more than 30 million people, Texas has long been a destination for outsiders from other U.S. states and abroad. Since 2010, it has gained nearly 4 million residents  more than any other state, according to U.S. Census figures. In 2020, Latino residents accounted for half the population growth, and many demographers believe Latinos will soon surpass whites as the states largest ethnic group.

But its not just Latinos. Texas has large populations of immigrants from India, China, the Philippines, Vietnam and elsewhere. Allen, where a gunman killed eight people at a mall on May 6, is among the Dallas-Fort Worth areas most diverse suburbs.

For nearly a century, Texas has had a one-word state motto: Friendship. But many see that easygoing connection changing.

I always thought of Texas as a friendly place. But to be honest, this last decade, it just feels meaner, said Chris Tomlinson, a fifth-generation Texan and a business columnist with the Houston Chronicle. He has written two best-sellers about Texas history, including Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth.

Tomlinson notes that more than 70 percent of Texans over age 60 are non-Hispanic whites, while more than 70 percent of Texans under age 30 are people of color.

That creates the tension that you see around voting rights and cultural issues like critical race theory and LGBTQ issues, he said. When you have that level of demographic change, there is going to be tension.

Texas is among the states, for example, where drag shows have been targeted by right-wing activists and politicians, and Republican lawmakers have proposed restrictions on the shows.

At times, it can seem that the Texas population is shifting faster on many issues than the states politics, which remain solidly conservative and Republican. A Democrat hasnt been elected to statewide office since 1994. Yet Tomlinson notes that polling indicates Texans arent that different from the rest of the country when it comes to many issues, from abortion to immigration.

Then there are the guns  a reputation that, for better and worse, follows Texas everywhere. A survey last year by the University of Houston and Texas Southern University showed overwhelming support for at least some level of gun control. Yet few expect to see that in Texas anytime soon.

Gary Mauro, a longtime commissioner of the Texas Land Office who ran for governor in 1998, is one of those last statewide Democrats. Though he reserves most of his criticism for Republicans, he blames extremists in both parties for focusing on the political fringes  and amplifying some of the very cliches with which Texas continues to struggle.

I keep thinking its going to get better, he said of Texas politics. And it keeps getting worse.

___

Houston-based Associated Press journalist Juan A. Lozano has been covering Texas since 1994. Tim Sullivan, an AP national writer, reported from Minneapolis. Follow Lozano on Twitter at http://twitter.com/juanlozano70 and Sullivan at http://twitter.com/ByTimSullivan
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia (AP)  Indonesian President Joko Widodo somberly acknowledged to fellow Southeast Asian leaders Thursday that no progress has been made to end the civil strife gripping Myanmar and renewed a call for an end to the violence, including a recent airstrike a rights group called an apparent war crime."

I have to be honest, Widodo told fellow leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on the final day of their two-day summit in the Indonesian harbor town of Labuan Bajo. There has been no significant progress in the implementation of the five-point consensus.

ASEAN's chairperson this year, Widodo was referring to a peace plan forged by the 10-nation bloc with Myanmars top general in 2021 that called for an immediate end to the violence and dialogue among contending parties to be brokered through an ASEAN special envoy.

Myanmar's military-led government refused to take steps to enforce the plan, prompting ASEAN leaders to exclude the countrys ruling generals and their appointees from the blocs summit meetings. The generals have protested ASEANs move, which they said strayed from the groups bedrock policy of non-intervention in each others domestic affairs and deciding by consensus.

Widodo called for unity  a seemingly futile call as he spoke with fellow heads of state in a bayside hotel conference room with the chair reserved for Myanmars leader empty.

After the leaders concluded their summit, Widodo and his foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, told a news conference that the bloc would continue to push for the peace plan's enforcement and expand ASEAN's engagement not just with military leaders but with various groups in Myanmar, hoping the military-led government would do the same.

We will try again and again, Marsudi told reporters. We are still united and strong in seeing the urgency of the five-point consensus.

Engagement doesn't mean recognition, Widodo said.

Founded in 1967 as a diverse club of authoritarian regimes, monarchs and nascent democracies, ASEAN has come under international pressure to take tougher steps to address the crisis in Myanmar. But ASEAN members appeared to be divided, with some recommending an easing of punitive actions aimed at isolating Myanmars generals and allowing its top diplomat and officials back to attend the summit meetings.

The time for isolation has served its purpose, an internal ASEAN report obtained by The Associated Press cited some member states as saying in a meeting of the bloc's top diplomats ahead of the leaders' summit.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim publicly expressed his frustrations. He has said that about 200,000 people have fled to Malaysia to escape the tumult in Myanmar.

ASEAN has not been able to resolve most problems, contentious ones, Anwar told fellow leaders Wednesday in videotaped remarks he posted on his Twitter account. We are stuck with the principle of non-intervention.

Yes, there is non-interference, but we will have to then have a new vision that could give us some flexibility in order to navigate and maneuver the way forward, he said.

ASEAN leaders on Wednesday condemned an attack on an aid convoy that their group had arranged for displaced people in Myanmar, calling for an immediate stop to violence and for the military government to comply with a peace plan.

Gunmen opened fire on a convoy delivering aid to displaced villagers and carrying Indonesian and Singaporean diplomats over the weekend in Myanmars eastern Shan state. A security team with the convoy returned fire and a vehicle was damaged, but there were no injuries, state-run television MRTV reported.

For the second year, Myanmars top general was not invited to the summit. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing led the army in seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, plunging the country into a civil strife and becoming ASEANs gravest crisis since its establishment.

During foreign ministers talks ahead of the summit, some suggested that the group reengage Myanmars military-led State Administration Council and bring Myanmar back to ASEAN foreign ministers meeting and summits, noting that the time for isolation has served its purpose, according to the ASEAN report. It did not identify the countries pushing for more leniency toward Myanmar despite international outrage against continuing military attacks in the country.

The suggestion for ASEAN to bring Myanmar back into its fold was noted, the report said, hinting it did not receive full approval from all the ministers.

The ministerial talks stressed the Myanmar crisis should not affect ASEANs progress in building a regional community, said the report, which cited one observation that there would be no near-term solution to the Myanmar crisis.

There was also an observation that ASEAN might be experiencing a Myanmar fatigue, which might distract ASEAN from larger goals of ASEAN community-building, the report said. Patience, flexibility and creativity are therefore required since there will be no quick fix to the crisis.

The report cited, without elaborating, concerns on rising transnational crimes, including human trafficking and illegal drug production originating from Myanmar. More alarmingly, it said, there was a call to all parties to stop the influx of arms and financial funding into Myanmar, which leads to an escalation of the conflict.

More than 3,450 civilians have been killed by security forces since Myanmars military took power, and thousands more remain imprisoned, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which keeps tallies of casualties and arrests linked to repression by the military government.

In April, a military airstrike killed more than 160 people, including many children, who were attending a ceremony by opponents of army rule, according to witnesses cited by Human Rights Watch. The group on Tuesday described the attack as an apparent war crime.

Aside from Myanmar, the long-seething territorial disputes in the South China Sea which involve China, ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, along with Taiwan, were high in the summit agenda.

In a post-summit communique issued by Widodo on behalf of the ASEAN leaders, they renewed a call for self-restraint in the disputed South China Sea to prevent miscalculations and confrontations, repeating language used in previous ASEAN statements, which criticized China's aggressive actions without naming it in an indication of Beijing's influence.

___

Associated Press journalists Andi Jatmiko and Achmad Ibrahim contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BEIJING (AP)  Australian Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell visited China on Thursday as part of a joint effort to repair ties scarred by political rifts over the past decade.

In a statement issued by his office, Farrell said he would be advocating strongly for the full resumption of unimpeded Australian exports to China.

China is Australias biggest trading partner, with two-way exchanges totaling $287 billion in 2022. China recently resumed imports of coal, cotton and copper from Australia after a lengthy unannounced trade embargo.

Farrell said he would push for a review of tariffs on Australian barley and represent the interests of Australian exporters and producers.

China blocked such exports in retaliation for government actions targeting Beijings alleged interference in Australian elections, civic life and the large Australian-Chinese community.

Despite improvements in economic relations, ties between the two remain tense.

In April, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said bilateral relations were unlikely to return to the level of the early 2000s, when trade was separated from political and strategic priorities.

Since then, Australia has expanded security cooperation with the United States, China's main rival for influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Beijing has strongly criticized Australia's participation in the so-called AUKUS partnership, linking it with the United States and Britain to create an Australian fleet of eight submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology, largely in response to China's growing military assertiveness in the South China Sea, the South Pacific and the East China Sea.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will host U.S. President Joe Biden and the leaders of India and Japan  countries with which China maintains active border disputes  for a May 24 summit of leaders of the so-called Quad nations.

Australia has also blocked the sale of assets, including critical infrastructure, to Chinese companies on national security grounds in recent years.

Farrell said he would meet with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao following a commitment in February to improve dialogue at all levels as a pathway towards the full resumption of trade.

Since then, the Australian Government is pleased there have been several positive trade developments, his office quoted him as saying.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

HONG KONG (AP)  A Hong Kong newspaper announced Thursday it will stop publishing drawings by the citys most prominent political cartoonist after they drew government complaints, in another example of restrictions on speech and media after a Beijing-led crackdown.

Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao did not explain why it is ending its 40-year partnership with Wong Kei-kwan on Sunday. Wong, better known by the pen name Zunzi, told The Associated Press the decision was made through mutual consultation.

Everyone knows why publication has to be halted, but no one will confirm the reason, he said in a text message to the AP with two emojis showing a laughing face.

His comic drawings caricatured Hong Kong societys frustrations since before the then-British colony was returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

The newspaper has not responded to requests for further comment.

Wong said he feels the citys freedoms of speech and expression are shrinking but that he will continue to create as long as he is able to. He will try to find other channels to publish his cartoons, he said.

Honestly, I appreciate very much that Ming Pao let my cartoons be published until now. If it had been other platforms, the halting of publication would have happened way earlier, Wong said.

Since Beijing imposed a sweeping National Security Law following massive pro-democracy protests in 2019, the citys art and media communities have learned to be wary of crossing vaguely defined red lines in producing art and other content that might be perceived as challenging Communist Party control. Authorities have also increasingly used a colonial-era sedition law to target critical voices.

Multiple cartoons by Wong have been criticized in recent months by different government agencies, including the security bureau. Most recently, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau slammed his work for smearing the government's role of appointing local committee members who will choose candidates in district council elections later this year.

In his drawing, a man tells a woman that even if some people failed exams and have health problems, they can still be appointed to the committees as long as the senior officers deemed they are suitable.

According to the government plan to overhaul district councils, local committees staffed by many government supporters will choose about 40% of the 470 seats. The councils were the last major political representative bodies chosen by the public in Hong Kong and will be reduced from some 90% directly elected seats to about 20%, even lower than the level under British colonial rule.

Asked whether the newspaper's decision to halt publication of Wong's cartoons was related to the government's criticism, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak said she wouldn't comment on decisions made by individual organizations.

But for false statements or things that are far from facts, we have to clarify to let residents understand about the truth, she told reporters.

Security minister Chris Tang, who criticized Wong's work last month, insisted the city's residents have the right to freedom of speech and press under the city's constitution and the security law.

If some editors do not want to let someone use their platform to smear and incite dissatisfaction toward the government through misleading allegations, and they stop these activities, it is a very responsible way to handle this, he said.

Other government departments that complained about Wong's drawings have not responded to requests for comment.

In its announcement, Ming Pao's editorial department expressed the newspaper's gratitude to Wong for witnessing the changing times with them over the last four decades.

The Ming Pao Staff Association on its Facebook page expressed regret that Wong's cartoons will no longer be featured in the newspaper.

Other than news reports, the works of columnists are also a part of Ming Pao's core value, it wrote. A diversified society should be inclusive of different voices. We hope all sectors can respect freedom of speech.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association said the incident showed that the space for freedom of speech in the city has further shrunk.

Hong Kong ranked 140th out of 180 countries and territories in Reporters Without Borders latest World Press Freedom Index released last week. The global media watchdog said the city has experienced an unprecedented setback since 2020, when the security law was introduced.
GENEVA (AP)  The United Nation's top human rights body adopted a resolution Thursday that drew attention to mounting civilian deaths and rights abuses in Sudan since a bloody conflict erupted between the African country's two top generals last month.

The violence in Sudan has so far killed more than 600 people, including civilians, and displaced hundreds of thousands. The fighting has also spread to other regions, namely the restive Darfur province.

The Human Rights Council  made up of 47 U.N. member states  narrowly passed the resolution with 18 states voting for the resolution, 15 against and 14 other nations abstaining. The resolution aims to further scrutinize human rights violations taking place in Sudan since April 15.

The fighting in Sudan started as a result of a power struggle between the chief of Sudans military, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and rival Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Arab and African nations, including Sudan, featured heavily among the 15 countries that rejected the U.N. move, citing it as a potential barrier to talks underway in Saudi Arabia.

Algeria's representative, Faouzia Boumaiza-Mebarki, said the resolution could send a negative message to the opposing sides and scupper the talks. Likewise, China's ambassador said the country and its warring parties should be free from external pressure.

Most Western countries voted in favor, with Europe and the United States having co-sponsored the draft resolution.

Late in the day, the U.S. State Department announced that representatives of the two forces had signed a declaration recognizing their responsibilities to facilitate humanitarian action to meet the emergency needs of civilians.

The statement said the talks would now focus on arranging an effective ceasefire of up to approximately ten days to facilitate humanitarian efforts. The rivals agreed to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance, the restoration of essential services, the withdrawal of forces from hospitals and clinics, and the respectful burial of the dead, the announcement said.

During the opening speech of the session, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk accused both forces of violating international humanitarian law.

Turk criticized the Sudanese military for launching attacks in densely populated areas and the RSF for taking over numerous buildings in the capital, Khartoum, to use as operation bases, evicting residents and launching attacks.

The U.N. has raised concerns about the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire and worries about food security and aid deliveries, and urged support for neighboring countries hosting people fleeing the ongoing violence.

We have also received several reports alleging sexual violence by uniformed men, as well as allegations of unlawful killings and enforced disappearances, Turk said.

Echoing Turk's remarks, the U.S. ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council, Michele Taylor, condemned the targeting of hospitals and healthcare providers. Amid the fighting, numerous hospitals across Khartoum have been damaged and forced to close.

Separately, dozens of independent experts working with the U.N. rights office issued a joint statement Thursday, citing reports that civilians of all ages are experiencing various human rights abuses in Sudan, including sexual assault, gender-based violence, looting, and shortages of food, water and healthcare.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

VATICAN CITY (AP)  The Vatican is formally recognizing 21 Coptic Orthodox workers who were beheaded by Islamic militants in Libya as martyrs with their own feast day, in a significant new ecumenical gesture aimed at forging unity between Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Pope Francis announced the inscription of the 21 workers, most of them Egyptians, in the Roman Martyrology, the compendium of saints celebrated liturgically in the Catholic Church, during an audience Thursday with the Coptic Orthodox pope.

During the audience, Francis kissed relics of the 21 young men that Tawadros II offered him as a gift.

Islamic State militants beheaded the workers on a beach in Sirte, Libya in February 2015. A grisly video of the executions was posted online, shocking Egyptians and prompting the Cairo government to stage punitive strikes against militant targets in Libya.

The men's bodies were recovered in 2017 and returned to Egypt, where a church was built in their hometown to honor them.

These martyrs were baptized not only in the water and Spirit, but also in blood, a blood that is the seed of unity for all of Christs followers, Francis told Tawadros during the audience in the Apostolic Palace.

The inscription of the Coptic Orthodox martyrs in the Catholic liturgical calendar, Francis said, is a sign of the spiritual communion that unites our two churches.

The Coptic Orthodox Church is the largest Christian denomination in majority Muslim Egypt and was founded by the apostle, St. Mark, in Alexandria in the 1st century.

It is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches with which the Vatican has relations and a process of dialogue that began 50 years ago this week with the historic encounter at the Vatican between St. Paul VI and Tawadros predecessor, Shenouda III.

Francis has frequently referred to the ecumenism of blood that unites all Christians in honoring martyrs of the faith. But the inscription of modern-day martyrs of another church in the Catholic liturgical calendar is a significant first, according to Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Vatican office responsible for relations with other Christian churches.

This is the beginning of a new era of relations, Farrell said.

The Vatican will likely designate Feb. 15 as their feast day, the same day the Coptic Orthodox Church honors them, officials said.

Tawadros was at the Vatican to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the meeting between the two previous popes and joined Francis on stage during the Catholic pontiff's weekly general audience on Wednesday.

Tawadros is scheduled to celebrate a liturgy for the Coptic Orthodox faithful on Sunday at Francis' cathedral, St. John Lateran.

During a meeting with reporters, Tawadros said Francis seemed genuinely pleased to receive the relics of the 21 martyrs and promised to build a special altar for them.

This is something that helps promote greater unity between the two churches, he said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in remarks broadcast Thursday that Kyiv is delaying its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russias occupying forces because Ukraine lacks enough Western weapons to succeed without suffering too many casualties.

His remarks, in an interview with European broadcasters, were aired shortly before Britain said it has sent Ukraine air-launched cruise missiles that would allow pilots to extend their reach farther than possibly any other weapon in their arsenal, to locations deep behind the front line.

A Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russias more than 14-month-old invasion has been expected since warmer weather improved battlefield conditions, and Zelenskyy said it's possible that "we can go forward and be successful, the BBC reported.

But wed lose a lot of people. I think thats unacceptable, he was quoted as saying in the interview, conducted in Kyiv with public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, including the BBC.

So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time, Zelenskyy was quoted as saying. In terms of equipment, not everything has arrived yet.

Analysts and Ukrainian officials have talked for months of a coming Ukrainian counterpunch. Zelenskyys remarks could be designed to keep the Russians guessing, with more uncertainty because both sides are struggling to secure enough ammunition.

Ukraine's troops are receiving Western training, as well as advanced weapons, as it gears up for such an assault.

Later Thursday, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told lawmakers it sent Ukraine the Storm Shadow missiles, a conventionally armed weapon with a range of more than 250 kilometers (150 miles). By contrast, the truck-mounted HIMARS launchers that Washington has supplied feature GPS-guided missiles capable of hitting targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) away.

Wallace said the cruise missiles are now going into or are in the country itself, but didnt say how many were provided.

The air-launched missiles would allow Ukrainian forces to target locations such as Russia-occupied Crimea. Kyiv has pledged not to use them to attack Russia itself, U.K. media reported. The U.S. and its allies have expressed concern that enabling Ukraine to use their weapons to hit targets inside Russia could provoke the Kremlin to escalate the war.

The British delivery adds to the tanks and long-range precision artillery that Western countries have already supplied to Ukraine.

Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, tweeted: Well done UK!

This will give Ukraine capability to make Crimea untenable for Russian forces and require Russia to reevaluate the positioning of its Black Sea fleet, Hodges said.

Sidharth Kaushal, a research fellow at Londons Royal United Services Institute, said the Storm Shadow missiles could allow Ukraine to strike Russian vessels in its Black Sea headquarters port of Sevastopol, from which Moscow's Kalibr missiles "have been used to target crucial Ukrainian infrastructure.

Patrick Bury, senior lecturer in security at the University of Bath, wasnt surprised at Zelenskyy's comments about delaying the spring campaign.

If you are Zelenskyy, you are doing everything you can to make sure you get everything you need before launching the offensive, he said.

On the other hand, I would not be surprised at all if it started in the next couple of weeks, depending on the mud. ... As of last week it was still one of the wettest springs theyve had over there in years.  Its just not favorable, Bury added.

A Ukrainian military claim Wednesday that its troops had advanced up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) around the hotly contested eastern city of Bakhmut fueled speculation that the counteroffensive was underway.

Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraines Operational Command East, told The Associated Press that the fighting and forward movement was not the grand counteroffensive, but its a harbinger showing that there will be more such attacks in the future.

But Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russias private military force Wagner that has spearheaded Moscow's battle for Bakhmut, claimed Kyiv's counteroffensive was in full swing, with Ukrainian forces advancing on the flanks around the city.

Unfortunately, in some areas theyre doing it successfully, Prigozhin said.

Kremlin forces are deeply entrenched in eastern Ukraine with layered defensive lines reportedly up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) deep. Kyiv's counteroffensive would likely face minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles.

Russia is acting slow in Ukraine because it wants to preserve infrastructure and save lives there, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Bosnian Serb channel ATV on Wednesday night.

Moscow has repeatedly explained its lack of advances on the battlefield as an effort to protect civilians, but those claims have been proven false, with frequent attacks on civilian buildings.

Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to reduce the war to a so-called frozen conflict, with neither side able to dislodge the other, according to the BBC. He ruled out surrendering territory to Russia in return for a peace deal.

The Kremlin wants Kyiv to acknowledge Russian sovereignty over Crimea and to recognize Septembers illegal annexation of the provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine has rejected the demands and ruled out any talks with Russia until its troops withdraw from all occupied territories.

Military analysts have warned that Putin hopes the Wests costly support for Kyiv will fray.

Ukraines Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euros ($70 billion) in military aid, and with no peace talks on the horizon, the alliance is gearing up to send more.

European Union Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said delaying a counteroffensive was a sign that the West must step up its military support for Ukraine.

Certainly, they need more preparation, Borrell said at a defense and security conference in Brussels. They need more arms. They need to gather more capacity, and it is us who have to provide for that.

Russia also is seeking more weapons and ammunition. The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia via a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near Cape Town in December. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation was underway.

Over the winter, the Ukraine conflict became bogged down in a war of attrition, with both sides relying heavily on bombarding each others positions.

A counteroffensive is a major challenge, requiring the Ukrainian military to orchestrate a wide range of capabilities, including providing ammunition, food, medical supplies and spare parts, along potentially extended supply lines. The front line extends more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles).

Zelenskyy has been making the rounds of Western capitals to seek more support. As part of that effort, Pope Francis could meet Zelenskyy at the Vatican this weekend, a Vatican official said Thursday. Francis recently revealed a secret peace mission but provided no details. Zelenskyy was expected in Germany starting Saturday evening. Italian media, citing unidentified sources, reported that Zelenskyy might be in Rome earlier that day to meet with Premier Giorgia Meloni and the pope.

A Vatican official said an audience with the pope on Saturday is a possibility. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the visit was not confirmed.

Russias latest long-range barrages killed at least six civilians and wounded 13 others, Ukraines presidential office said.

In other developments, a Ukrainian drone damaged a fuel storage tank across the Russian border in Bryansk, the regions governor reported on Telegram. In Ukraines Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, meanwhile, Russian-appointed authorities reported an assassination attempt against a judge. The authorities didnt report how the attack occurred, saying only that the judge wasnt injured, but two of his guards were. Ukraine didnt comment on either attack.

___

Lawless reported from London. Lorne Cook in Brussels, Gerald Imray in Cape Town, South Africa, and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
George Harrison and John Lennon wrote the song Taxman for the Beatles album "Revolver," where they bitterly intoned If you get too cold, I'll tax the heat  cause I'm the taxman. Connecticut citizens may soon share that sentiment with the specter of Senate Bill 1145 looming.

SB 1145 is full of vagaries, from the idea of what "indirect emissions might entail, to giving the unelected Department of Energy and Environmental Protection commissioner the authority to enter compacts with Canadian provinces.

Key text from SB 1145 reads as follows: the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall adopt regulations ... to establish sector-specific subtargets for commercial and industrial heating and cooling, residential heating and cooling, industrial processes, natural gas distribution and service.  Such regulations may include but shall not be limited to, implementation of the policies, strategies, and any other actions identified in any report prepared pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, market-based compliance mechanisms

Because no Connecticut legislator has proposed legislation outlining what market-based compliance mechanisms may bypass the legislative process under SB 1145, we can only make some educated observations.

Two weeks ago, the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, that same government department which stands to gain a great deal of regulatory power under SB 1145, published an updated Connecticut Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory to track the states efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

The most important item included in the 2023 report that was not included in the last Inventory of 2021 was the recommendation that Connecticut should adopt a clean heat standard. As described therein: Clean heat standards, as proposed or implemented in other states like Vermont and Oregon, create a standard and market for clean heat credits similar to existing renewable energy credits used in electricity markets. This sounds extraordinarily like the market-based compliance mechanisms described in SB 1145.

The inventorys language is misleading, however, since neither state mentioned has implemented such a radical proposal to date.

Oregon only has a fuel standard for gasoline/diesel. It has yet to consider a mandatory heating fuel standard. Likely because such a proposition for heating fuels would be much more complicated than gasoline/diesel, coupled with the regressive nature of fuel standards generally.

This leaves Connecticut to consider Vermonts heating fuel standard. Vermonts legislators are at this moment hotly debating S.5, a bill which would implement a clean heat standard statewide. Last year, legislators upheld Gov. Scotts veto of a heating bill by a single vote.

Vermonts iteration of the Clean Heat Standard would force heating fuel suppliers to keep track of every unit of fossil heating fuel they sell. They would then be obliged to generate clean heat credits by installing green heating systems in Vermont residences to atone for the sin of keeping their neighbors warm. Or else fuel suppliers must purchase credits from others who did the installations in a government-created marketplace. Given the low margins in Vermonts niche industry populated by small businesses, fuel suppliers must either raise prices to offset the cost of the credits or go out of business and leave their customers out in the cold.

Myers Mermel, president of the Ethan Allen Institute, estimates Vermont consumers could pay an additional $4.04 per gallon of heating oil. This proposal has raised such an outcry that a check-back has been introduced, requiring Vermonts legislature to give the program final approval after the program has been designed. Without the need for legislative approval, the DEEP commissioner could make Connecticut pay even more.

Meanwhile in Connecticut, SB 1145 opens the door to a similarly expensive proposal without needing explicit legislative approval. At the very least, Connecticut citizens deserve the right to tell their legislators about how a clean heat standard would impact them. The authority to tax should remain with the General Assembly, not be haphazardly delegated to an unelected government official, especially one so willing to suggest such radical proposals like a clean heat standard.

SB 1145 is nothing less than a carbon tax on fuels used to keep Connecticut residents warm in the winter.
HARTFORD  At a time when more research is showing that the controlled ingestion of psilocybin mushrooms can help patients deal positively with depression, trauma and end-of-life issues, the state House of Representatives on Wednesday approved legislation that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of the hallucinogenic fungi.

The bill, which opponents warned could lead to the eventual full legalization of the drug, passed 86-64 and next heads to the Senate. Thirteen Democrats voted against the bill and two Republicans voted for it.

If approved in the Senate and signed into law by the governor, the penalty for a first-time possession of a half ounce or less would be $150. State Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, co-chairman of the legislative Judiciary Committee, said that a number of patients with behavioral health issues, including substance abuse, can benefit from the use of the drug, also called "magic mushrooms" or psychedelic mushrooms. But the research, much being done at Yale University, is moving slowly because of the illegality of the drug.

California and Oregon have enacted similar legislation.

"This drug currently is treated as an A misdemeanor, punishable to up to a year in prison, similar to drugs such as heroin or cocaine or fentanyl," said Stafstrom, who expects federal approval of the psilocybin within the next two years. "Whereas those drugs have not been shown to have a beneficial medical use, psilocybin has been. This bill is not legalizing. It's not saying that there is no penalty for being caught with this."

He spoke of a close friend who was badly burned a number of years ago, became addicted to painkillers and envisioned suicide before he began use of psilocybin. "He credits it with saving his life, with giving him a way to get off the addiction that was afflicting him and to dead with his pain," Stafstrom said, stressing the need to support research. "But in the meantime we should not continue to perpetrate over-incarceration, by treating this drug in the same category as we treat drugs like heroin or fentanyl."

But House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, warned that Connecticut's road to legalize adult-use cannabis began with decriminalizing it back when then-Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill in 2011.

"This was exactly the way it was done," Candelora recalled, warning that some research is showing cannabis use fosters behavioral ailments including schizophrenia.

"Years later we went to medical and now we're full-blown, commercialized of an illicit product that is illegal under federal law that you can't get away from," Candelora said. "Even if you're driving in your vehicle, you smell it. You go out in public and you smell it. That is what we have done for the children in the state of Connecticut over the last 10 years. There is a proliferation of drugs throughout the state of Connecticut and if marijuana wasn't enough, we are now heading down the path of magic mushrooms. Make no mistake. I know this is where it's going."
Texas House Representatives are scheduled to review a new version of top Republican officials' priority school voucher bill, Senate Bill 8, which would allow families to enroll their children in a state-funded "educational savings program."

The 80-page bill also adjusts standards on state standardized testing, also known as STAAR, and outlines new rules regarding teaching lessons on gender and sexual orientation. Previously, the Texas House voted to exclude school vouchers from the state budget.

In a 65-76 vote, House lawmakers rejected Public Education Committee Chair Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Kileen's, request to meet Wednesday night after other lawmakers questioned why the committee was meeting on a bill without public testimony.

"This is not the right way to do this, and we are better than this in this committee. Our kids matter in the state of Texas, and they are better than backroom shady dealings, which is what this is right here," Rep. Ernest Bailes R-Shepard said on the House floor Wednesday night.

According to officials, the Monday meeting plans will see members listen to invited testimony. Buckley said he wasn't interested in hearing more public testimony on the bill. The committee had already heard 16 hours of public meetings on similar voucher-like initiatives in the past few weeks.

Passing school voucher legislation was marked as a legislative priority for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick at the beginning of the legislative session.

For the past several months, the governor has been on a statewide tour promoting the voucher program, which seeks to give $8,000 in taxpayer money annually to parents for the purpose of sending their children to private or charter school. In those speeches, he said that Texas schools were "indoctrinating" students. He's also criticized Texas teachers and higher education professors, accusing them of teaching critical race theory. If passed, Houston families would still have to come up with an additional lump sum of cash, with the average cost of private school totaling $24,000 in the metro area, according to a 2021-2022 data report by General Academics.

The Texas Senate passed SB 8 in April, with that version of the school voucher bill applying to the majority of K-12 students. However, the House version modifies who can apply to the program, mostly being limited to students with disabilities, students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, and school campuses that received a low accountability rating for the Texas Education Agency in the last two years.

The House version also changes standardized testing standards and requires TEA to create another test named the Texas Success Initiative Assessment. Under the bill, the TSIA test would be necessary for 3rd to 8th-grade students. Additionally, the bill removes end-of-year testing for high school students and creates a pre-TSIA test for 9th graders and a TSIA test for 11th graders to evaluate what courses to take. The bill also alleviates the pressure of passing STAAR to graduate.

Texas education advocates have been outspoken opponents of the legislation. Local Houston advocates are explicitly asking for Texans to call the Public Education Committee and demand they vote no on SB 8. Texas lawmakers only have a few more weeks to pass legislation till their scheduled break at the end of the month.
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, May 10, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Eastern Oldham County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 1115 PM CDT.

* At 1010 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Vega, moving

northeast at 20 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

Hail damage to vehicles is expected.

* Locations impacted include...

Vega and Boys Ranch.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, May 10, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Midland has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

East central Reeves County in southwestern Texas...

Northeastern Ward County in western Texas...

Southeastern Winkler County in western Texas...

* Until 700 PM CDT.

* At 557 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 9 miles southwest

of Pyote, or 18 miles east of Pecos, moving northeast 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...

Monahans, Thorntonville, Pyote, Wickett and Roy Hurd Memorial

Airport.

This includes Interstate 20 between mile markers 58 and 84.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 Thursday, May 11, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northwestern Archer County in northern Texas...

Southwestern Wichita County in northern Texas...

Northeastern Baylor County in northern Texas...

* Until 800 AM CDT.

* At 724 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Lake

Diversion, moving northeast at 35 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Iowa Park, Holliday, Dundee, Mankins, and Lake Diversion.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO SHREVEPORT Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, May 11, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northeastern Nacogdoches County in eastern Texas...

Western Shelby County in eastern Texas...

Northwestern San Augustine County in eastern Texas...

* Until 415 AM CDT.

* At 315 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Nacogdoches,

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.

* Locations impacted include...

Martinsville, Appleby, Arcadia, Jericho and Stockman.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
Primeste notificari pe email Nota bene: Adresele email cu extensia .ru nu sunt acceptate.

Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele
Charities legacy income will remain flat at around 3.9m a year until 2027, according to consultancy Legacy Foresight, despite an increase in bequests.

The consultancys 3.9m forecast in its outlook for 2023-27 is lower than its previous prediction in October , which said that legacy income for charities would reach 4.2bn per year.

This downgrade, the company said, is due to a slower-than-anticipated economic recovery and struggling housing market.

Meanwhile, a separate report commissioned by Remember A Charity has reported that a quarter of wills now include a donation to a charity.

Bequests predicted to rise

Legacy Foresight predicted that charities will see around 145,000 bequests every year until 2027, an 11% increase on the average of 131,000 bequests seen between 2018 and 2022.

This is largely due to progress made in reducing the probate backlog alongside rising death numbers. According to the Office of National Statistics, there were 656,000 deaths last year in the UK, 1.2% higher than the previous forecast of 646,000.

The analysis also shows that a sluggish economy, driven by a fall in house prices and share price volatility, might result in lower average values of residual gifts by 2024, at 3% and 7% in the worst-case scenario.

In spite of this, legacy income will remain broadly stable at 3.9m a year, with no huge drops forecast.

Ashley Rowthorn, group chief executive officer at Legacy Futures, said: The charity legacy market is becoming increasingly competitive with more organisations entering this space and, despite the volume of legacies increasing, the average gift value is likely to decrease, at least in the short term.

Charities will need to understand market conditions, how these are affecting their supporters and be relevant in their fundraising to secure legacy income for the future.

More people leaving charitable bequest

Separately, an annual study published by Savanta reveals that the number of wills containing a charitable bequest has steadily risen since 2014, from 16% to 24% last year.

Around three-quarters (73%) of professional advisers said they have seen communications about charitable gifts in wills or heard of Remember A Charity before.

The main barrier to legacy giving for clients is wanting to pass on all of their assets to their family/friends (83%) followed by difficulty in choosing a charity to support (38%) and fears that it may cause disputes/concerns between friends/family members/potential beneficiaries (38%).

Lucinda Frostick, director at Remember A Charity, said: When it comes to growing legacy giving, engagement and support from across the will-writing community is crucial. This benchmarking study charts a continual rise in the proportion of wills made through solicitors and will-writers that include a charitable gift and thats so important for charities that rely on legacy income. These donations may not arrive for some years yet, but they will fund vital services and charities core costs for generations to follow.

sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  A Connecticut state representative and a wrong-way driver were both over the legal limit for alcohol when they were killed in a highway crash in January, according to government officials and state police.

Middletown Democrat Quentin Williams, 39, died in the early morning hours of Jan. 5 as he returned home from Gov. Ned Lamonts inaugural ball in Hartford. His car burst into flames after it was struck head-on by the wrong-way driver on Route 9 southbound in Cromwell.

The other driver, Kimede Mustafaj, 27, of Manchester, had a blood-alcohol level that was nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08, according to a toxicology report obtained by local media. Mustafaj also had THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in her system, the report says.

State police said Wednesday that the full accident report was not yet publicly available because it was still being reviewed. Authorities have placed full blame for the crash on Mustafaj.

State House Speaker Matt Ritter told lawmakers and Capitol reporters Tuesday that the state public safety commissioner, James Rovella, notified him that toxicology tests showed Williams was over the legal limit.

Ritter said he had not seen the report and it wasnt clear what exactly Williams blood-alcohol level was. He said the news did not take anything away from Williams stature as a dedicated public worker and rising political star.

He was an incredible person and his legacy is, you know, to us  the same legacy that he created and established  with the work that he did in Middletown and for the state of Connecticut, Ritter said.

The crash happened just hours after Williams was sworn in for a third term, shocking and saddening family, friends and colleagues. Before being elected to the legislature, Williams served as Middletowns city treasurer.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  An energy company should be fined nearly $3.4 million for safety violations involving a 2021 oil pipeline spill that fouled Southern California beaches, a federal regulator said.

Amplify Energy Corp. ignored 83 alarms indicating the offshore pipeline had leaked and failed to notify federal authorities or shut down the pipeline to San Pedro Bay until 17 hours after the first alarms, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said in a letter proposing the fine that was sent April 6 to the companys president.

An email to the Houston-based firm seeking comment wasnt immediately returned Tuesday.

The pipeline carries oil to shore from platforms in San Pedro Bay, near the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors.

The October 2021 spill of 25,000 gallons (94,600 liters) of crude oil created a miles-wide sheen in the ocean and sent blobs of crude ashore, primarily affecting the cities of Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. It further shuttered beaches for a week and fisheries for more than a month, oiled birds and threatened area wetlands.

Amplify Energy said the spill was linked to damage from two ships it accused of dragging anchors and striking the pipeline during a January 2021 storm. It reached an $85 million settlement with the vessel companies.

Southern California fishermen, tourism companies and property owners sued Amplify and the shipping vessels seeking compensation for their losses. Amplify agreed to pay $50 million and the vessel companies agreed to pay $45 million to settle those lawsuits.

Amplify also reached a plea deal with federal authorities for negligently discharging crude.

The company announced last month that it received approval from federal regulatory agencies to restart the pipeline.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
BROOK PARK, Ohio -- A moratorium enacted in July 2022 to prevent vape and smoking establishments from setting up shop in Brook Park will likely be extended for another 12 months.

Mayor Ed Orcutt and City Council discussed the resolution at the May 9 council caucus. Council members then moved the legislation to the May 16 council meeting agenda for possible action.

The proposed resolution indicates that the freeze on vape and smoke shops is necessary so city officials can further undertake a review and/or study of the ordinances of Brook Park, including zoning, building and business regulation sections of the Brook Park codified ordinances.

It also indicates the need for additional time for the citys planning and zoning commissions to review applicable Ohio statutes, criminal codes and Brook Park Zoning Code when seeking to regulate those types of businesses.

I dont want to just keep kicking this can down the road, but what well need to do is establish a committee here in the city to talk about these different shops, Orcutt told council.

We also have in committee, I believe, some legislation for moratoriums for other types of businesses, but this is something I would like to work on directly with the committee and the law department to basically see what we can do to control the amount of certain businesses in certain areas.

He added that over the next year, he would like to be involved in developing a permanent solution  that is much needed in Brook Park.

Councilman Tom Troyer agreed that the shops should be regulated, but said the Planning Commission already exists for that purpose.

Im on that (commission), and I look forward to discussing it and coming up with some ideas, Troyer said.

Councilman Jim Mencini suggested that a Town Hall-style meeting might help to get residents feedback on the vape and smoke shops issue.

Read more stories from the News Sun.
AKRON, Ohio  A homeowner in West Akron who heard a knock on his door late Tuesday night was greeted by a man suffering from a gunshot wound, police say.

The homeowner called police to his home on the 1100 block of Packard Drive at about 11 p.m. Officers found the 33-year-old victim with a gunshot wound in his back, police say.

What officers have not been able to find is a crime scene. Police searched the area but were unable to find evidence of a shooting. Investigators are still trying to learn the details of the shooting, police say.

The victim was taken to a hospital and was listed in stable condition, police say.

Anyone with information can call detectives at 330-375-2490 or Summit County Crimestoppers at 330-434-COPS. Individuals also can send anonymous tips by texting TIPSCO to 274637. Download the Akron PD app and submit information by texting Tips411or by accessing the link at www.AkronCops.org.
AKRON, Ohio  Police are searching for four male suspects who ran from officers after they were seen Tuesday morning trying to load a stolen safe into the back of a stolen car.

According to police, members of the U.S. Marshals Services Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force became suspicious when they saw four males struggling to put a large, heavy object into the back of a 2013 Dodge Charger near the intersection of Belvidere Way and Payne Avenue in the Highland Square neighborhood.

When federal agents approached, the four men immediately took off running, police say, abandoning the vehicle and safe. Authorities say the safe contained guns and other items.

Police discovered a broken window at a home on the 600 block of Payne Avenue. When the homes owner arrived, he confirmed there had been a burglary and that the safe was his.

About 15 minutes later, police were called to the 800 block of Bye Street, which is less than a mile from where the attempted theft of the safe occurred. A 21-year-old man told police his Dodge Charger had been carjacked at gunpoint from a store parking lot on the 300 block of Storer Avenue. It was the same vehicle used in the attempted theft of the safe, police say.

No arrests have been reported and the incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with information can call detectives at 330-375-2490 or Summit County Crimestoppers at 330-434-COPS. Individuals also can send anonymous tips by texting TIPSCO to 274637. Download the Akron PD app and submit information by texting Tips411or by accessing the link at www.AkronCops.org.
CANTON, Ohio  A woman wanted in Florida on an attempted-murder charge was arrested Wednesday in Stark County by federal agents.

Officers with the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force took Cherie Goss, 42, into custody at a residence on the 8800 block of Rue Helena Street in Louisville, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. She was wanted by the Broward County Sheriffs Office in Fort Lauderdale.

Goss is being held in the Stark County Jail until she can be returned to Florida. Details on Goss case were unavailable Wednesday night, but she reportedly fled Florida after being charged in April.

The strong relationships we have with our law enforcement partners made our community a safer place today, Stark County Sheriff George Maier said in a statement. Without these partnerships and our dedicated officers, a dangerous fugitive would still be on the streets of Stark County. I hope this is the first step in providing justice for the victims in this case.
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  A sheriffs deputy was killed and her 8-year-old son was injured Tuesday night when the dog they were watching for another person attacked them in their home, reports say.

The Marion County Sheriffs Office confirmed the death of Deputy Tamieka White, 46, in a post on Facebook. White had been a deputy with the department since 2007.

She was a bright light to everyone and will missed by all who knew her, the post says. We will work tirelessly to uphold her memory.

The Indianapolis Star reports White was killed while trying to protect her son from the dog. She was pronounced dead shortly after the attack was reported at about 7:45 p.m. Officers who arrived at the scene had to kill the dog because it was preventing them from getting to White, who was found laying on the ground of the garage, CBS 4 reports.

Her son was taken to a hospital and was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, WRTV reports. He reportedly was in good condition.

Police tell WRTV that White was caring for three dogs that belonged to another person when the attack occurred. Indianapolis Animal Care Services tells CBS 4 that the dog involved in the attack appeared to be a breed of pit bull, but it could not be confirmed without a DNA test.

No charges have been filed against the owner of the dog, reports say.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Native Americans whose relatives have gone missing or been killed wore red on Friday, a color synonymous with raising awareness about the disproportionate number of Indigenous people who have been victims of violence.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Awareness Day is held on May 5  the birthday of Hanna Harris, who was only 21 when she was slain on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana.

Countless more Indigenous people have gone missing since her body was found nearly a decade ago. Advocates describe it as a silent crisis, rooted in colonization, forced removal and government policies that led to the stamping out of culture and identity as entire communities were marginalized.

The weekends marches, symposiums, prayer gatherings, art installations and ceremonies are meant to pressure policy makers in the U.S. and Canada to ensure equity when investigating such cases. The red dresses, they say, are used to call home the spirits of missing and slain Indigenous victims.

We have to call this national state of emergency what it is  a genocide, Carol McBride, president of the Native Womens Association of Canada, said in an email. She urged people to channel their grief into activism. Wearing red is powerful.

Canadas House of Commons unanimously approved a motion this week calling on the government to declare a national state of emergency. Such a declaration would make more tools available, said Mel Critch, who works with the Native Womens Association of Canada and is co-chair of the group Manitoba Moon Voices.

The burden of tackling the problem has fallen largely to Indigenous women, relatives and other community members, Critch said.

As this moves through the Senate, our communities will be watching and listening carefully, praying for its adoption and a day when this will end, when our children and families will be safe, Critch said.

Lawmakers in the U.S. introduced their own resolutions this week supporting the May 5 effort.

High rates of violence, sexual assault, homicides and disappearances of Indigenous people, particularly women, have festered for generations amid inadequate public safety resources in Indian Country, where tiny police forces are responsible for vast territories and a tangled web of local and federal jurisdictions often complicates efforts to track and communicate about cases as they happen.

About 4,200 missing and murdered cases have gone unsolved, according to U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates. Federal health statistics document murder rates for Native American and Alaska Native women at 10 times the national rate.

Still, the number of missing and slain Indigenous women remains unknown. A 2021 review by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office pointed to reporting problems, distrust of law enforcement and jurisdictional conflicts.

Recently adopted U.S. laws aim to improve data collection and law enforcement responses. A national commission began holding public meetings in April to craft more recommendations. Gary Restaino, the U.S. attorney for Arizona, will be listening to tribal leaders and families at next weeks commission meeting in Flagstaff.

He said the Justice Department now prioritizes cases in Indian Country, bringing the Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to support the FBI when local or tribal police call for help.

That, I think, is a real expansion from the way we have traditionally done these cases and should be an opportunity to get more resources into underserved areas in Indian Country, he said.

Many states have created their own task forces and commissions, aiming to keep cases from falling through the cracks. Prosecutors in New Mexicos largest judicial district have a special unit to help with missing person investigations involving Native Americans.

In California, lawmakers approved the creation of an alert system to help find Indigenous people missing under suspicious circumstances. The legislation came last year after the Yurok Tribe issued an emergency declaration after five Indigenous women were reported as missing or were killed within a span of 18 months.

Every time someone goes missing in this state, that is tomorrows historical trauma, said Abby Abinanti, the Yurok Tribes chief judge.

The tribe plans to use drones to bolster its search and rescue program.

The Round Valley Indian Tribes in Northern California also declared an emergency, and imposed a curfew for minors following the recent killings of two tribal citizens.

Washington is creating a cold case investigations unit, and Oklahomas governor signed legislation earlier this month ordering state public safety officials to work with tribes on an alert system named for Cherokee Nation citizen Kasey Russell, who went missing in 2016.

While there has been progress, state and federal lawmakers agree that more needs to be done.

California Assemblymember James Ramos told a hearing last week that trends in his state dont show improvement. He wants qualified tribal law enforcement officers to be able to access a statewide telecommunications system as they investigate missing persons cases.

In New Mexico, advocates want the governor to issue a new executive order to chart the next phase of implementing recommendations made in an extensive task force report in 2020.

For Melody Delmar, who leads MMIP projects for New Mexicos Indian Affairs Department, the crisis is personal. As a social worker, shes often among the first people families call when they need help.

Her dream? A state office dedicated to Indian Country cases where families could be assigned a social worker.

Theres just so many levels of this and it can be complicated, she said. But we also can look at this and know there are solutions out there too.

Nearly two years passed before federal authorities made an arrest in the case of Ella Mae Begay, a master Navajo weaver who went missing in 2021.

Her niece, Seraphine Warren, walked from the Navajo Nation to Washington D.C. to raise awareness. She has not given up finding her aunt  shes gathering volunteers for another search of the desert in the coming weeks.

Waiting for information to trickle down from authorities to grieving family members is like torture, Warren said.

All that families want is for somebody to check on them, to see if their cases are still being investigated, said Warren, who will be marching in Seattle this weekend.

U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland received a briefing Friday in Albuquerque from her agencys Missing and Murdered Unit, created in 2021. To date, the unit has investigated 728 cases; solved or closed 263 missing persons cases; and solved eight murder cases.

Advocates are watching closely as Congress hashes out budget requests for federal agencies, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Cuts could result in fewer law enforcement officers in areas that are already understaffed.

U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, said Congress has a responsibility to honor trust and treaty obligations with Indian Country.

And its important to affirm that this is a priority, he said.

 By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press contributors include Sophie Austin in Sacramento, Calif.; Claire Rush in Portland, Ore., Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City, Okla. and Terry Tang in Phoenix, Ariz.
Heres a look at some of the top stories trending online today. They include a focus on the U.S.-Mexico border, changes to Google search and much more.

Top stories

Under pressure, Homeland Security surging resources to border as Title 42 ends (ABC)

Border crossings top 10,000 daily as migrants seek U.S. entry before Title 42 ends (Reuters)

Biden administration announces plans to slash greenhouse gas emissions from power plants (CBS)

Takeaways from Trumps CNN town hall: election lies and attacks on E. Jean Carroll (AP)

Rep. George Santos of New York calls federal fraud charges a witch hunt (NPR)

A foldable phone, new tablet and lots of AI: What Google unveiled at its big developer event (CNN)

Other trending headlines

Beyonce Returns to the Stage With a Renaissance Spectacle (NY Times)

Suspect in Natalee Holloway disappearance to be extradited to U.S. (NBC)

Disney+ and Hulu content to be combined into one streaming app (TechCrunch)

Wendys CEO touts A.I. drive-thru deal with Google and late-night opportunity (CNBC)

Jacklyn Zeman, Actress Who Played Bobbie Spencer on General Hospital, Dies at 70 (Hollywood Reporter)
WASHINGTON, D. C. - Legislation that would let cannabis companies access the banking system got its first-ever Senate hearing on Thursday.

Although marijuana has been legalized or decriminalized in many states, legal cannabis businesses inability to access the banking system forces many to operate in the shadows, observed Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Development Committee Chair Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat.

The fact that many marijuana businesses must keep their assets in cash because theyre unbanked can make it harder to combat money laundering and puts a robbery target on the backs of cannabis industry workers, said Brown.

Other problems caused by the banks unwillingness to finance cannabis transactions include business owners inability to get loans, and difficulties faced by industry workers who cant prove their income to get a mortgage or a car loan, or keep a personal bank account, even though their paychecks come from a business that is perfectly legal in their state, Brown continued.

Legislation that would allow cannabis banking has passed the House of Representatives seven times over the years, but failed to move forward in the Senate. Brown says he favors moving forward with it now, and says its consideration was delayed because the bank lobby tried to use this bill as sort of the nose under the tent to weaken bank rules and bank regulations.

We dont want the cannabis industry to become like big tobacco  concentrating industry power in just a few giant players, hurting workers and pushing out thousands of small businesses, which are more likely to be owned by Black and brown entrepreneurs, women, and veterans, Brown added.

The bills main sponsor in the U.S. Senate, Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley, said the cannabis industry supports 428,000 jobs around the country, and accounts for $25 billion in retail sales. Thirty-seven states, including Ohio, have legal cannabis for medicinal purposes and 21 allow it recreationally.

In my home state of Oregon, we had nearly a billion dollars in sales last year, Merkley told the committee. The taxes generated from those sales help fund our schools, mental health, substance abuse treatment programs as well as law enforcement and city and county needs. But our federal law has not kept pace with Americans changing attitudes towards cannabis.

The Senate version of the SAFE Banking Act of 2023 has 39 cosponsors in both political parties. South Russell Republican Rep. Dave Joyce, who co-chairs the Congressional Cannabis Caucus is the bills main House of Representatives sponsor.

Despite the fact that the American people across a majority of states, both red and blue, have voted to enact sensible cannabis reforms, the federal government continues to interfere in this arena which has denied state-legal cannabis companies the same access to financial services as every other legal business in our country, said a past statement from Joyce. With banks refusing to accept their money out of fear of federal forfeiture or regulatory retaliation, these businesses are forced to operate in all cash, which causes a serious public safety issue.

Not all Republicans are as sanguine. The top Republican on Browns committee, South Carolinas Tim Scott, noted that marijuana is still largely illegal in his state, and observed that national law enforcement groups have expressed concerns the legislation would create loopholes in money laundering laws that would make it harder to catch criminals that traffic in weapons, fentanyl and other contraband.

Scott stressed that state-based legal marijuana businesses need to have a relationship with banks to provide safety and stability for a companys employees and the customers it serves. He said Congress has a responsibility to ensure that all legal industries have access to financial institutions and services, including those in industries like firearms and oil and gas, which he said the radical left has tried to block from getting banking services.

Several witnesses and U.S. Senators at the hearing said theyd like to see the legislation contain more safeguards. Michelle Sullivan, Chief Risk & Compliance Officer at Dama Financial, called for it to encompass a more stringent statutory framework, to keep it from lowering banking standards.

Without solving the larger decriminalization issues, we worry that the passage of the SAFE Banking Act alone could make problems worse by giving us a sense of resolution while huge conflict in federal law still exists, said Sullivan, whose company partners with banks to provide services to cannabis businesses.

Smart Approaches to Marijuana president and CEO Kevin Sabet said the SAFE Banking Act would open the US financial system to activity from transnational criminal organizations and would facilitate the industrys creation of hazardously strong products. He said that hundreds of banks already work with pot businesses.

The idea that this committee decided to spend its time turbocharging the marijuana industry right now, given everything else that is going on, I think is unfortunate, said Sabet.

Ademola Olefeso, of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which represents over 10,000 cannabis workers, called cannabis banking an equity issue.

Cannabis workers do not deserve to be treated as criminals and should not have to struggle with financial and legal ambiguity while on the job, Olefaso told the committee. On behalf of all the workers in the cannabis industry, we urge Congress to give the same access to the financial systems and federal benefits that all other American workers already enjoy.

Sabrina Eaton writes about the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  Republican Ohio state lawmakers voted Wednesday to set an Aug. 8 deadline to ask voters whether it should be harder to amend the state constitution.

Senate Joint Resolution 2 requires a 60% supermajority of voters to approve future state constitutional changes, compared to the 50% majority in place for over a century. GOP lawmakers fast-tracked the measure to try to spoil a potential November ballot issue that would enshrine legal protections for abortion in the state constitution, although it would affect other proposed future amendments, too.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Friends and family of Lachelle Jordan on Thursday passed out flyers and talked to residents in her East Side neighborhood as they continue to hope that the missing Cleveland EMS worker will return home safely.

Jordan, 30, the mother of two, was reported missing by her family on Sunday. She was last seen about 6 p.m. Saturday at her home on East 116th Street and Fairpoint Avenue, police said.

Authorities said her disappearance is suspicious, and Cleveland officers are working with U.S. marshals to find her. On Monday, a Cleveland man was arrested and accused of stalking her.

She (Jordan) was a good person, said Beyonce ONeal, an EMS worker. We dont understand how someone could take from us someone who gave everyone so much.

ONeal said Jordan took care of her colleagues who attended the EMS academy. She graduated from it in February. ONeal said Jordan would bring in doughnuts. When classmates were nervous about their uniforms for graduation, she pressed and ironed the items.

It just all seems unreal, ONeal said. Lachelle was a good friend.

Jordans two children, Austin and Alyssa, are with family members, according to her oldest brother, William Jordan.

He said his sister is a giver, a community servant, a churchgoer and a family woman.

She helped raise her siblings children, as well. He said the family has one goal, to find his sister.

We will continue to work to find leads, and we will eventually find L.A., William Jordan said.

He added that the family is focused. He called the work of Cleveland police phenomenal, but he said his family is not going to sit back and wait.

Whoever has anything to do with our sisters disappearance, we are looking for her, and we want her home, William Jordan said.

Before she went missing, Lachelle Jordan wore a blue and white East Cleveland Fire Department sweatshirt with ECFD on the back and the fire logo on the front. She also wore green and white tie-dye pants and rainbow-colored Croc shoes, police said.

On Monday, Michael Stennett was arrested and accused of stalking Lachelle Jordan. Authorities allege that he followed her and went to her home. Cleveland police and the family do not suspect Stennett has a role in her disappearance, though no one has publicly said why.

Because of the stalking incidents, Cleveland EMS pulled Jordan off the streets and had her work at headquarters for her safety, according to Mark Barrett, the president of the Cleveland Association of Rescue Employees, the union that represents EMS employees.

He said the union will continue to support Jordans family.

CARE hopes Ms. Jordan is found safe and is reunited with her family, Barrett said. We continue to offer our support to the family in any way we can.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  Besides last year, an unusual primary election that saw record-low voter turnout, Ohio is about to hold its first statewide August election in almost 100 years.

So theres a good chance many Ohioans who might be interested in making their voices heard will have to come up with a summer voting plan for the first time.

Thanks to a Wednesday vote from Republican state lawmakers, the election to make it harder to amend the state constitution will be held on Aug. 8. If voters approve it, Senate Joint Resolution 2 would require a 60% supermajority of Ohioans to approve changes to the state constitution, compared to the current 50% simple majority.

The measure could affect any number of future ballot issues, but would have the most immediate consequences for a potential abortion rights ballot aimed for the November ballot. The looming abortion measure is what prompted Republican state lawmakers to rush to put the 60% on the ballot in the first place.

Ohio has held August elections, almost always at the local level, mostly to decide tax issues. They have notoriously low voter turnout. Thats why Republican state lawmakers decided to eliminate them last December. But they brought them back to for the 60% issue to try to spoil the abortion measure.

Just 631,000 Ohioans voted last August, when Ohio held a statewide election to decide Republican and Democratic candidates for the state legislature. Thats 8% of registered voters, the lowest turnout by far for a primary election since at least 1960. The election was held in August because of a protracted court fight that delayed approval of state legislative districts.

The last time Ohio held a statewide election for a ballot issue in August was 1926, according to Michael Curtin, a retired Columbus Dispatch editor and Democratic ex-state lawmaker whos written a book on Ohio political history.

Heres some quick information to help you vote this August.

New photo ID requirements

The Aug. 8 election will be the first statewide election since Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law a new stricter photo ID law in January. Now, Ohioans must provide a photo ID when voting in person. Acceptable forms of ID are an Ohio drivers license, the free Ohio identification card the state began offering as part of the photo ID requirement, a temporary ID issued by the BMV, a passport or passport card, or a U.S. or state military ID.

All forms of identification must be active to be accepted. Student identifications are not an acceptable form of ID.

State lawmakers did not, however, create a photo ID requirement for voting by mail, also called absentee voting. Voters can offer a copy of their drivers license or state ID as proof of identity when requesting an absentee ballot, but they also can provide the last four digits of their Social Security number or their drivers license / state ID number.

Voting by mail

Voters can request a mail ballot at their county board of elections, or online at the Ohio Secretary of States Office. Ohioans also can print this absentee ballot request form and mail it to their county elections board office. County elections offices will accept absentee ballot requests early, but they can not mail ballots until July 11.

Once voters complete their mail ballots, they can mail back to their county board of elections, or hand-deliver them at their county elections office. Each county elections office will offer an on-site secure drop box for completed mail ballots.

Voters do not have to give a reason to vote by mail  so being on a summer vacation is a perfectly good reason. But once they request a mail ballot, voters should not then try to vote in person, because of restrictions meant to prevent people from voting twice, even inadvertently.

Deadlines

June 23 - Counties must mail ballots to military members and other overseas voters.

July 10 - This is the deadline to register to vote for the Aug. 8 election. Ohioans can register in-person at their local county board of elections, online at the Ohio Secretary of States website or in some instances, using their local board of elections website.

July 11 - County boards of elections begin to send out absentee ballots, and begin early, in-person voting.

Aug. 1 - The deadline for voters to request an absentee ballot. Under the deadline, county elections offices must receive the ballot application form by the close of business.

Aug. 8 - Election Day. Voters returning their completed absentee ballots by hand must return them by the time polls close at 7:30 p.m.

Aug 12 - The deadline for completed absentee ballots to be returned by mail, as long as they are postmarked by Aug. 7.

Andrew Tobias covers state politics and government for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer

An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect date by which late-arriving absentee ballots must be postmarked. It has been corrected.
WASHINGTON, D. C. - After months of behind-the-scenes dickering, Republicans who control the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday adopted a 213-page border security bill, even as large numbers of immigrants surged into the United States on the day covid-related immigration restrictions expired.

The bill, which passed by a 219-213 margin, was a combination of proposals assembled by the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Champaign County Republican Jim Jordan, as well as the Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees. Jordan and other members of his committee spent several days along Arizonas border with Mexico to gather ideas for their legislation.
COLUMBUS, OhioA non-profit set up to decide how to distribute more than $440 million worth of Ohio opioid settlement money has to follow public-records law, the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ruled Thursday.

In an unsigned ruling, the states high court held that the OneOhio Recovery Foundation Board must turn over documents about prior board meetings that its refused to turn over to the group Harm Reduction Ohio.
An employee walks past TV screens in a shop in Moscow showing a broadcast with President Vladimir Putin. Alexander Nemenov | Afp | Getty Images

Political opposition and activism within Russia has always been fraught with risks but it has become increasingly impossible in recent years, with political analysts saying it is now "extremely dangerous" to oppose the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Being a politician and openly against war and Putin's rule in Russia is close to impossible," Anton Barbashin, a Russian political analyst and the editorial director of online journal Riddle Russia, told CNBC. "All of the opposition political leaders are either in jail or under restrictive measures or outside of the country. I would not say opposition is dead. Opposition is fully illegal," he noted. The oppression of political opposition figures in Russia is nothing new. A number of high-profile Russian businessmen and opposition politicians critical of the Kremlin and Putin have been harassed, detained, disappeared or been imprisoned over the last two decades. Some accuse the Russian state of trying to poison them, while others have died in suspicious circumstances. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in such cases.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is seen on a screen via video link from the IK-2 corrective penal colony in Pokrov before a court hearing to consider an appeal against his prison sentence, in Moscow, Russia May 17, 2022. Evgenia Novozhenina | Reuters

The persecution of political opposition figures attracted global attention in 2020 when the high-profile Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent. The Kremlin denied any involvement in the poisoning and Navalny survived, only to be imprisoned shortly after returning to Russia following life-saving hospital treatment in Germany. He is currently serving nine years in a maximum-security prison for fraud and contempt of court, charges he and his allies decried as politically motivated and designed to get him out of the public eye in Russia. "Unfortunately, the Russian state is very good at that very methodical and unimaginative campaign of repressions, arrests and intimidations," Mark Galeotti, a London-based political scientist, lecturer and author of several books on Russia, told CNBC. "In terms of an organized political opposition [in Russia], essentially, it's gone," he said, adding: "Its main figures are either in prison or, more likely, pushed out of the country." The Kremlin's biggest fear, Galeotti noted, was a civilian uprising and overthrowal of the regime, an existential threat that he said had made figures like Navalny, a potential catalyst for societal change, so dangerous in the eyes of the state.

The war has made it worse

Political analysts note that the repression of Russian opposition figures has become a more urgent matter for the Kremlin with the invasion of Ukraine. The war  with its innate potential to cause domestic unrest and protest at home  had also enabled Putin's regime to shed itself of "the pretence of political pluralism" and to become more unashamedly authoritarian, Galeotti noted. "What for a long time was essentially an authoritarianism that was flirting with the appearance of legitimacy ... I think has now just decided to bite the bullet and simply devolve into a much more conventional dictatorship," he noted. The process of becoming a one-party state, or autocracy under Putin, was already clear before the war, according to Maria Kuznetova, a spokesperson for OVD-Info, an independent Russian human rights media project that documents political persecution in the country. "Even before the war, the government tried to do everything to prevent people from forming any coalitions or creating big organizations. Then in 2021, after the arrest of Alexei Navalny, basically all organized opposition was destroyed," she noted. Kuznetova said that Russia's crackdown on civil society escalated after this point, with the number of arrests and criminal charges leveled at opposition figures or civilians increasing dramatically. Since the war in Ukraine began on Feb. 24, 2022, until March 2023, OVD-Info estimates that the Russian state has detained almost 20,000 people for their "anti-war" stance, with the harshest crackdown in the month the war was launched. Since then, Russia has also charged more than 450 individuals in criminal cases related to perceived "anti-war activity," many of whom are falling foul of new laws targeting what the state sees as the spreading of "fake news" about its "special military operation" in Ukraine and "discrediting" the Russian armed forces. Opposition politician Ilya Yashin, the former mayor Yevgeny Roizman and activist Vladimir Kara-Murza have all been detained or imprisoned in recent months after being found guilty in Russian courts of charges ranging from the spreading of "false information" about the war, to treason. Global human rights' organizations and Western governments have condemned what they see as "politically motivated" convictions.

Russian opposition figure and former mayor of Yekaterinburg Yevgeny Roizman, accused of "propaganda or public display of attributes or symbols of extremist organisations" over sharing a post of opposition figure Alexei Navalny's foundation - labelled "extremist" in 2021 - on the social media platform VKontakte in May 2022, appears in court in Yekaterinburg on March 16, 2023. He was sentenced to 14 days in prison for sharing "extremist" symbols, Russian news agencies reported. Anna Yurieva | Afp | Getty Images

It's not only high-profile figures that have to be careful now, with the number of cases against civilians rising too  perhaps the most infamous so far being the father sentenced to jail after his daughter drew an anti-war drawing and was informed on by her school principal. "For ordinary people that share anti-war views, everyone understands really clearly that you can be arrested and go to jail for five, 10, 15, 20 years. Everyone understands that very well," Kuznetova said. Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya agreed that "it's extremely dangerous" to be a critic of the Kremlin now, no matter what your background is. "The difference between today's Russia and Russia before the war is that before the war, the regime targeted mostly activists and professional politicians. Now, they target anyone with suspicious behavior. You can be a civilian, you can be a teacher, you can be a professor you can be just anyone," Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and the founder of political analysis firm R. Politik, noted, adding that the number of cases involving "informants" had risen dramatically, anecdotally. Stanovaya, Barbashin and OVD-Info's Kuznetova are all based outside of Russia now, saying their work would be impossible to do, and personal safety compromised, if they were in their home country. Russia banned Barbashin's online journal as an "undesirable" organization in late 2022, accusing it of "posing a threat to the security" of the country.

What the Kremlin says

The Kremlin is keen to stress that political pluralism does exist in Russia. When contacted for this story, the Kremlin's Press Secretary Dmitri Peskov told CNBC in a statement that "in Russia there are politicians with different views and positions." That may be true in theory but Tatiana Stanovaya noted that while there are "systemic opposition parties" in Russia, such as the Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party or A Just Russia  for Truth, in reality these parties generally support the government and have acquiesced even more since the war began. For those who can be classed as the "non-systemic opposition," that is, political opponents of the Kremlin and Putin, Stanovaya said "they are not allowed to exist." "We can say that, today, non-systemic opposition has been completely destroyed and outlawed in Russia. Everything that can be related to political forces who argue against Putin may face criminal risks. I think, most of those who was not just in conversation, that they had to leave Russia or they stayed but had to be silent. They can't take risks to speak out," she said. Nonetheless, Stanovaya said there were gray areas for the Kremlin. Critics who are seen as pro-Western are described as enemies of the state, but those that are seen as critical but nationalist and patriotic are offered some kind of protection, ironically by Putin himself. This was particularly evident with the rise to prominence of ultra-nationalist Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group private military company which is fighting in Ukraine. Prigozhin has been overtly critical of Russia's defense ministry and its tactics in Ukraine, although he has steered clear of any criticism of his ally Putin.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner private military company Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images
Whether a huge decline in a stock is a buying opportunity or a major red flag largely depends on the industry right now, Jim Cramer said Wednesday.

That was the case for Skyworks Solutions and PayPal , which both saw shares tumble on the back of disappointing earnings reports.

In theory, PayPal should've been the buying opportunity of the two, Cramer said. The digital payments company actually posted top- and bottom-line beats, but merely shared weaker-than-expected guidance for the current period.

It still fell, however, because it "lives in the wrong neighborhood," Cramer explained. "At one point, PayPal was the darling of e-commerce. These days, it looks more like a bank and right now bank stocks are poison."

Meanwhile, Skyworks, a semiconductor firm, was saved by its tech connections.

On its earnings call, Skyworks didn't blame its biggest customer, Apple , for its losses. Instead, the company placed the blame on Android and smaller Chinese phone makers. To Cramer, that was the secret ingredient that helped Skyworks recover better than PayPal, because China seems set for a robust comeback based on the earnings reports of other companies currently operating there.

In the end, it all comes down to the viability of a given industry, he explained.

"My advice is simple: Tech blow up? Consider it a [possible buying opportunity,]" Cramer said. "Financial trashing? Let's just say take a hard pass."
Shoes are offered for sale at an Adidas store on February 10, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.

Adidas intends to sell part of its leftover Yeezy inventory and donate the money to charities that were harmed by Ye's anti-Semitic comments, the company's chief executive said Thursday.

The CEO, Bjorn Gulden, did not name the charities he is considering.

"When we do that and how we do that, remains to be seen but we're working on that" he said.

At one point, the company considered burning the merchandise.

"Burning the shoes cannot be the solution," Gulden said. He says he came to that conclusion after talking with various NGOs and the learning of the environmental damage.

Appearing at his first annual meeting for the German company, Gulden said it was the right thing for Adidas to terminate the contract of their biggest star, Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West.

"He is a difficult person, but he's arguably the most creative person in our industry," he said. "He created a model with Adidas that was sought after around the world," he added.

Gulden took the helm of Adidas on Jan. 1, following CEO Kasper Rorsted's departure. He previously worked at rival Puma.

What to do with the tarnished sneaker brand stoked debate. Gulden has said he has received more than 500 offers for Yeezy leftovers.

Adidas' most recent earnings beat expectations but were weighed down by Yeezy inventory piling up. "The decline in lifestyle and the loss of Yeezy are of course hurting us," Gulden said during his company's May 5 earnings call.

The company parted ways with Ye in October following months of bizarre behavior and antisemitic comments from the hip hop artist.

The split left Adidas with inventory levels of $500 million worth of sneakers, with selling value of over $1 billion, according to the company.
A demonstrator supported Ross Ulbricht, creator and operator of the Silk Road underground market, in front of a federal courthouse on Jan. 13, 2015, in New York City.

James Ellingson allegedly dealt cocaine, LSD, ecstasy and marijuana on Ross Ulbricht's Silk Road marketplace, and accepted more than $500,000 worth of bitcoin from Ulbricht to carry out a series of murders which he might not have completed, Manhattan federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Ellingson, who allegedly used the alter egos "redandwhite," "MarijuanaIsMyMuse" and "Lucydrop" on the marketplace, was charged with narcotics-trafficking conspiracy, narcotics-importation conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

Federal prosecutors painted Ellingson, 47, as a man who exaggerated his influence and his abilities, noting that he "claimed to have control over most drug trafficking in Western Canada." Ellingson first reached out to Ulbricht in 2013 to discuss someone who had threatened to leak drug-trafficker and customer information, the prosecutors said.

"I wouldn't mind if he was executed," Ulbricht allegedly wrote to Ellingson. "I would like to put a bounty on his head if it's not too much trouble for you."

A "clean" kill would cost Ulbricht "300k+ USD," Ellingson allegedly wrote in response. "Prices pay for 2 professional hitters including their travel expenses and work they put in."

Federal prosecutors said there's no evidence that Ellingson ever carried out the murders Ulbricht allegedly paid him for.

"A thumbnail of a deleted photograph purporting to depict a man lying on a floor in a pool of blood with tape over his mouth was recovered from Ulbricht's laptop after his arrest," the prosecutors' statement noted.

Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2015, has repeatedly insisted that he is innocent. Silk Road was seized and shut down by the FBI in 2013.
Amazon workers hold GMB union placards on the picket line as they hold a strike outside the Amazon fulfillment centre on January 25, 2023 in Coventry, England.

LONDON  A top Amazon executive told CNBC the company is "not concerned" about a wave of unionizing globally because the e-commerce giant has competitive pay and benefits.

The comments come amid high-profile efforts in the U.S. and U.K. from Amazon warehouse workers to form unions.

Stefano Perego, vice president of customer fulfilment and global ops services for North America and Europe at Amazon, said the company's pay and benefits are attractive.

"As long as we offer competitive pay invaluable benefits, we don't think that our people will choose to be represented, but this is their choice," Perego told CNBC in an interview on Tuesday.

There appears to be a rising push for unionization among Amazon workers.

Workers at an Amazon site in Coventry, a city in the U.K. staged the first formal industrial action in the country in January. The workers are unhappy about the wage increases they have received which they say are not enough. The employees have demanded formal union recognition which would give them the ability to collectively bargain with the Amazon over wages.

And last year a group of workers in New York's Staten Island became the first group to vote in favor of unionizing at a U.S. facility run by Amazon. Amazon has resisted unionization efforts in the U.S.

The efforts from unions have so far failed to galvanize a wave of unionization globally as many had hoped.

Perego said Amazon is not worried about the rise of unions.

"No, I'm not concerned because again, [it] is a choice our people has to make, and we know that we are very competitive," Perego said.
In this article BOWL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT

Illustration by Gene Kim

Bowlero , the buzzy bowling company that was one of the few successful stocks to emerge from the SPAC boom, is the subject of a sprawling federal investigation into age discrimination and retaliation that authorities now want to settle for $60 million, CNBC has learned. Negotiations over the settlement, proposed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in early January, failed in April and the case is being referred to the EEOC's general counsel "for potential enforcement action," a letter sent by the EEOC shows. If the EEOC decides to sue and if it prevails in court, the company could face even steeper fines, experts said. Before the agency can sue Bowlero in federal court, the EEOC's commissioners need to vote on the matter. The $60 million resolution proposal has not yet been publicly disclosed and was revealed to CNBC by attorney Daniel Dowe, who represents more than 70 former employees with claims against Bowlero. The EEOC briefed him about the settlement proposal so he could obtain authorization from his clients before agreeing to settle, he said. The EEOC's probe into Bowlero, the world's largest owner and operator of bowling centers, is wide-ranging and has been ongoing since 2016, company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show. It involves at least 73 former employees who claim they were fired based on their age, or out of retaliation, according to the filings. The company disclosed in the filings that EEOC's investigation resulted in a determination of reasonable cause that Bowlero has been engaging in a "pattern or practice"  a term that indicates systemic issues  of age discrimination since at least 2013, which Bowlero denies. The agency typically finds reasonable cause in only a small fraction of cases each year, EEOC data shows. Experts say the settlement proposal is particularly large for the agency, especially when compared with the monetary benefits the EEOC secured for victims of age discrimination in previous years. The company has repeatedly denied allegations of discrimination and other wrongdoing. If Bowlero  which went public in late 2021 through a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC  ends up settling the case or losing in court, it won't be a major blow to the company's balance sheet or operations now, experts said. But the indirect costs could plague Bowlero well into the future, they said. Following the publication of this report, Bowlero's intraday losses accelerated, and the stock dropped as much as 9% Thursday afternoon. Shares closed about 4% lower.

A Bowlero location at Chelsea Piers in New York City. CNBC

Bowlero CEO Thomas Shannon is accused of hosting "obvious beauty contests" with prospective hires over brief video calls to evaluate a candidate's appearance as part of the hiring process, according to a complaint filed by a former employee and a sworn affidavit filed by another staffer to the EEOC. At times, Shannon even screened candidates for lower-level, customer-facing roles at the company, which had nearly 10,000 employees across more than 300 bowling centers as of July, documents filed by former employees say. Shannon directed staff to replace aging employees with candidates perceived as young, hip and attractive, documents say. CNBC sent a detailed message to Bowlero outlining the allegations of discrimination and retaliation made to the EEOC included in this story. When asked for comment, the company's lawyers sent the same response for each: "This is a meritless claim." "Defamatory statements about Mr. Shannon will not be taken lightly," the attorneys warned. The 73 EEOC claims brought by individual former employees against the company sparked the larger pattern or practice investigation into age discrimination. The EEOC has found reasonable cause in 55 of the cases and in the pattern or practice probe, Bowlero has said in filings. The other 18 individual claims remain under investigation, according to a February filing. Only a fraction of EEOC age discrimination complaints  2.8% in fiscal 2021  resulted in reasonable cause determinations, EEOC data show. Robert Levy, an employment law attorney who has filed hundreds of EEOC claims on behalf of his clients over the last 20 years, said he was struck by the number of reasonable cause determinations the EEOC made in the complaints against Bowlero. "It's sort of the difference between the organism being sort of rotten to the bone and, you know, a piece of a large organization maybe having some bad actors who handled a individual situation poorly or unlawfully," Levy, who is not involved with the Bowlero case, told CNBC. "I think it cuts right to the heart of the way a company is alleged to be doing business," he said. Levy added that the findings raise concerns about "institutional disregard for the anti-discrimination laws." The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or genetic information. When people face such discrimination in the workplace, they can file complaints with the EEOC, which has the authority to investigate the charges and works to settle the cases with employers. When settlement negotiations with the EEOC fail, the agency can decide to file suit against the company. If it chooses not to file suit, the victim can typically pursue their own private lawsuit. The EEOC declined to comment, citing federal law. In filings, Bowlero informed investors about the reasonable cause determinations and said the company "contests such determination and intends to defend vigorously." While the proposed $60 million settlement with Bowlero was just a proposal, the number stands out when compared with other claims the EEOC has successfully settled out of court. EEOC data from fiscal 2021, the most recent available, shows the agency secured a total of $83.8 million in monetary benefits for victims of age discrimination across hundreds of cases over that entire year.

'Fresh young faces' to fuel a growth boom

In mid-February, Bowlero wowed investors when it announced what it called a record-breaking $273.4 million in sales in the three months that ended Jan. 1  a 33.2% year-over-year increase. It posted a net income of $1.4 million. A little over a month before its second-quarter earnings report was released, Bowlero announced its trailing 12-month revenue had topped $1 billion and its same-store sales had grown about 48% in the period. The stock, which started trading around $10 a share in December 2021, has climbed as high as $17 a share this year. It is now trading around $13 a share with a market cap of about $2.2 billion. Bowlero's ascent to becoming a profitable public company, which has caught the attention of big bank analysts and even CNBC's Jim Cramer, started some 26 years ago in a rundown bowling alley in downtown Manhattan. In 1997, Shannon was in his early 30s and living in New York City when he attended a party at a Union Square bowling alley and immediately saw potential in the pins and smoke-stained walls, he has said. "It was the very traditional, warm beer, cold food, smelly bathroom, scary person on the lane next to you bowling center," Bowlero Chief Financial Officer and President Brett Parker said during a presentation at the Raymond James Institutional Investors conference in March. Parker is leaving his role as the company's chief financial officer later in May to focus on what Shannon called "strategic relationships," the company announced Tuesday. Parker will remain as vice chairman of the board and president. "But thank you to Tom, because he had the vision to see that and know that it could and should be something more," Parker said.

The Bowlero location at Chelsea Piers in New York City. CNBC

With a $3,000 cash down payment and "$2 million borrowed," Shannon bought the bowling alley and transformed it from a "dingy" hole in the wall to an "upmarket experience" with elevated food and drink offerings, sleek renovations and world-class customer service, the company has said. Shannon would spend the next two decades replicating that model in tired bowling alleys across America and building an empire that embodied his vision of cool. The company reached a turning point in 2013. It went from running six bowling alleys to 272 overnight after it acquired AMF, which was then the largest bowling company in the world and was in bankruptcy. The following year, Shannon's company acquired the Brunswick Corporation, the second-largest bowling company in the world, and changed his company's name to Bowlero. As aging alleys across the country began to get the Bowlero makeover, another part of the plan was unfolding behind closed doors, former employees say. Not only did the centers need a refresh, but Shannon determined its staff did as well, according to complaints filed to the EEOC. Between 2013 and 2015, at least 287 managers from 351 bowling centers were fired, according to employment data filed to the EEOC compiled by Dowe from former employees. Senior managers who survived the purge told the EEOC they were pressured to replace longtime staffers because "they were too old" and the company wanted "fresh young faces," according to an affidavit filed by a former employee.

Customers arrive at a Bowlero location in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, March 18, 2017. Andy King | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

One top-performing employee in his mid-50s was fired "shortly after being stricken with a medical condition that caused his face to become disfigured," a former member of the human resources team told the EEOC in a sworn affidavit. Among staff, the top executive was also known to make condescending jokes about women, off-handed remarks that were "racially motivated" and negative comments about LGBTQ people, the affidavit says. Some female employees didn't openly disclose their marital status or their pregnancies out of fear of losing their jobs, the former HR employee told the EEOC. "It was well-known within the company that motherhood is the end of your career at the company if you work for Shannon," said the employee. "Pregnancy was totally against Shannon's practices of having attractive, sexually appealing persons at the forefront of his company, regardless of merit and competence." The employee recalled an instance where a "highly-qualified pregnant woman ... was denied future opportunities because she 'was showing.'" Bowlero called all of those allegations "meritless." In March 2022, the EEOC made its finding of reasonable cause that Bowlero has been engaging in a pattern or practice of age-related discrimination since 2013, which coincides with the company's acquisition of AMF and its expansion, securities filings show.

Bowlero goes public

In July 2021  nearly five years into the EEOC's investigation into Bowlero  the company announced it would merge with Cayman Islands-based blank check company Isos Acquisition Corporation and go public at a valuation of $2.6 billion. The SPAC's two CEOs were George Barrios and Michelle Wilson, who served as co-presidents of WWE until their departure from the company in January 2020. They are now back at the wrestling giant.

Bowlero CEO Thomas Shannon, center, at the New York Stock Exchange, Dec. 16, 2021. Source: NYSE

In its first S-4, filed to the SEC on July 21, 2021, Bowlero said, "there are currently a number of claims and legal proceedings pending against us." It noted any potential liabilities were "not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows." But Bowlero did not disclose the scope of the EEOC's probe. The company used the same language under the heading "legal proceedings" in its next three amended S-4s until it received a letter from the SEC asking about the EEOC probe. "We are aware that certain former employees of Bowlero have filed charges with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging certain unlawful employment practices and discrimination," says the SEC's letter, dated Nov. 5, 2021. "Please advise what consideration you have given to disclosing these charges pursuant to Item 103 of Regulation S-K." Three days later, the company filed another amended S-4 and disclosed the scope of the EEOC's probe. Bowlero reiterated in the edited filing that it did not expect the probe to have a "material effect" on its financial health. The filing said that "management believes such claims to be in the ordinary course and without substantive merit." The SEC flagged the omission before Bowlero's stock started trading, and correspondence with the agency is a routine part of the process. Still, experts questioned why the investigation was not disclosed at first. "If the EEOC was investigating you, why didn't you disclose this initially?" said Anthony Sabino, a longtime business attorney and law professor at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John's University. "Why did it take four tries?" he asked. "The bottom line is, it's got to be disclosed." Bowlero, through attorneys, said it did not withhold material information at the time. "The Company believed in 2021 and continues to believe that the EEOC claims at issue are without merit, is defending the claims aggressively and is confident that it will prevail," the company's lawyers said. The attorneys said "there was no need" to disclose the probe when Bowlero went public, but the company later did so and has "updated its disclosures as appropriate since its IPO."

Preplanned stock sales

In the midst of Bowlero's settlement negotiations with the EEOC, which began Aug. 22, 2022, and failed in April, Shannon entered into a prescheduled trading plan, or a 10b5-1, to sell some of his holdings, filings show. Between Jan. 6 and March 3, Shannon sold 2.4 million shares of his stock for about $35 million, securities filings show. The shares represent a fraction of Shannon's overall holdings and the sales didn't affect his over 80% voting power, which largely comes from his holdings in "super voting shares" of class B common stock. Bowlero's lawyers said the timing of the stock sales was set in November 2022 and that Shannon entered into the plan "at a time when he had no material non-public information about the company." They added he "had no discretion over the timing or magnitude of sales" once the plan was established. In December, the EEOC made 42 more reasonable cause determinations after the stock sale plan was enacted. Bowlero did not disclose the update until it filed a quarterly report on Feb. 15.

The Bowlero location at Chelsea Piers in New York City. CNBC

The company's lawyers said that although "disclosure of the additional [reasonable] cause filings may not have been required, [Bowlero] elected to do so in its quarterly filingsprecisely as is contemplated by the securities laws. [Bowlero] has been, and will continue to be, in full compliance with its disclosure requirements." There is no evidence that Bowlero broke federal law in regard to its disclosures, experts said. Most executives receive stock as part of their compensation and the plans are a way for them to safely sell those holdings without spooking shareholders or arousing suspicion that they are engaging in insider trading. They serve an important purpose, because without them, executives could face liability for selling their holdings, which they are entitled to do. However, in general, 10b5-1 plans have also come under criticism for the shield they could provide to executives  and how the plans could allow them to time the release of positive or negative information. For example, executives could wait to disclose negative information until after sales from a 10b5-1 are complete, to avoid a drop in the stock price, experts said. They may also release positive information prior to the start of the sale plan so they can benefit from any boost in the share price, according to experts. In a December 2020 white paper, Joshua Mitts, a law professor at Columbia University and one of the leading experts on securities laws and 10b5-1 plans, found that public companies disproportionately disclose positive news on days when executives sell shares under predetermined 10b5-1 plans.

Failed negotiations, court battle could come

In an April 11 letter sent by the EEOC to Bowlero and the plaintiffs' attorney Dowe, the agency said efforts to settle the allegations had been "unsuccessful" and the matter was being referred to the EEOC's Office of General Counsel "for potential enforcement action." Dowe said negotiations fell apart when Bowlero countered the EEOC's $60 million settlement proposal with a proposal of $500,000. Patrick Boyd, a labor and employment law attorney with The Boyd Law Group, said Bowlero could benefit from fighting the case in court, if the EEOC sues. "They get a chance to really scrutinize the individual plaintiffs and the claims that they have and maybe lop off some of the claims or scare some plaintiffs away," Boyd said. On the other hand, it can be very "advantageous" for discrimination victims if the EEOC decides to prosecute their case and it could result in higher settlements, said Levy, the employment law attorney who has worked on EEOC claims. In Levy's experience, settlements obtained through litigation tend to be higher than the amounts decided on during EEOC mediation, he said. Further, victims' damages and attorneys fees accrue more the longer the case goes on, which also contribute to higher settlements, he said.

The Bowlero location at Chelsea Piers in New York City. CNBC
Artificial intelligence programs coming out of Google's developer event are giving analysts sufficient reassurance in the company's long-term AI dominance. Google on Wednesday unveiled a host of new AI capabilities at its developer conference in Mountain View, California. That included plans to bring generative AI to its mainstream search feature and disband the waitlist for its Bard chatbot. Shares of parent-company Alphabet gained 5% Thursday as the event eased investor concerns that Google may be faltering in the AI war. "AI is reshaping all of GOOGL's products faster than expected, as today should build investor confidence in business durability and AI upside to come," wrote Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak. GOOGL 1D mountain Alphabet shares pop after developer event The event also proved Google is working more quickly than anticipated on many of its AI features. That should boost investor confidence in the company's long-term competitive position in search, productivity apps and the developer ecosystem, he added. "We remain bullish and view I/O as a clearing event that will help erode the heavily debated 'AI overhang'and narrow GOOGL's current valuation gap vs. peers," Nowak wrote, adding that Alphabet shares currently trade at a 35% discount. Similarly, JPMorgan's Doug Anmuth viewed Google's event as a sign it's "climbing the AI wall of worry," and an indication that it's swiftly working on product innovation and generative AI tools. Google's Bard suffered a series of missteps when the company unveiled the chatbot earlier this year. Even with those concerns, Alphabet shares have outperformed the broader market, up nearly 33% as investors suddenly turned to megacap tech stocks as defensive. Still, many viewed the rollout as a rushed response to ChatGPT. Despite these previous concerns, Anmuth called comments from Google surrounding Bard as "more thoughtful and polished," successfully showing off the tool's full potential. Jefferies' analyst Brent Thill called the event a "full frontal AI attack" and among the "most substantial" conferences from the company in years. He called the company message "coherent," adding that he expects Google to monetize many of these new features before the end of 2023. GOOGL YTD mountain Alphabet shares in 2023 Elsewhere, Bank of America's Justin Post said in a Thursday note that the company's AI search demonstration successfully confronted product, monetization and cost concerns, such as showcasing ways to input retail ads in response to commercial queries. While AI developments in recent months have heightened some concern among investors that Google's dominance in search engines remains in jeopardy , Oppenheimer's James Cordwell said the event signaled that Alphabet is well situated to protect its position. "While there remains uncertainty as to how exactly AI will develop, and some of what Google unveiled was still only a preview of future features, we believe the company provided sufficient reassurance that it remains competitive in AI," Cordwell said.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting
European markets closed marginally lower Thursday as international investors continued to digest the latest U.S. economic figures and an interest rate hike in line with expectations in the U.K.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed flat, having evened out earlier gains and losses.

Sectors were spread across positive and negative territory, with mining stocks making the biggest losses at 2.9%. Household goods led modest gains with a 1% uptick.
Christopher Waller, governor of the US Federal Reserve, during a Fed Listens event in Washington, D.C., US, on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller on Thursday cast doubt on the need for special focus on how banks are preparing for climate change risks.

While acknowledging the risks that climate change poses, he said catastrophic events like hurricanes and floods don't generally reverberate across the U.S. economy. Thus, he said that conducting special tests for how banks are preparing for such events probably shouldn't fall under the Fed's purview.

"I don't see a need for special treatment for climate-related risks in our financial stability monitoring and policies," Waller said in the prepared remarks for a speech in Madrid. "Based on what I've seen so far, I believe that placing an outsized focus on climate-related risks is not needed, and the Federal Reserve should focus on more near-term and material risks in keeping with our mandate."

Nevertheless, the Fed already has directed the nation's six largest banks to show plans for how they would respond to climate-related events.

While separate from the stress tests the Fed conducts on systemically important institutions, the exercises bear similarities. The stress tests focus on how banks would respond to financial and economic crises.

"Climate change is real, but I do not believe it poses a serious risk to the safety and soundness of large banks or the financial stability of the United States," Waller said. "There is no need for us to focus on one set of risks in a way that crowds out our focus on others."

He noted that events such as forest fires and other climate-connected disasters are "devastating to local communities. But they are not material enough to pose an outsized risk to the overall U.S. economy."

Waller added that households and businesses, including banks, have shown the ability to adapt to changes. Bank performance, he said, is generally not affected by disasters in their regions.

Fed officials for the past three years or so have been debating how much emphasis should be placed on climate risks. A financial stability report in 2020 first addressed the topic.
A protester smokes a marijuana cigarette in Madrid, Spain, during a march for the legalization of marijuana. From improving public health to increasing tax revenues and reducing taboos around medical marijuana, the merits of a legal market are numerous, advocates told an industry event in London last week. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Calls to legalize cannabis are mounting across Europe, as a growing number of countries seek to replicate progressive moves by Canada and parts of the U.S. to greenlight the drug. From improving public health to increasing tax revenues and reducing taboos around medical marijuana, the merits of a legal market are numerous, advocates told industry event Cannabis Europa in London last week. That's despite longstanding pushback from critics, who argue that legalization leads to more crime, addiction and health risks. "We know what works is a regulated market," Jindrich Voboril, the Czech Republic's national drug coordinator, said Tuesday. Voboril said it's high time that cannabis is treated the same as other regulated items under his purview, such as tobacco and alcohol. "We know what doesn't work is prohibition. We see it with alcohol, we see it with tobacco, we see it with gambling," he added.

A growing crop

The Czech Republic is among half a dozen European countries that have in recent months announced plans to legalize the plant under radical new reforms. Prague said last year it was drafting a bill to legalize the drug for adult use, marking the country's most dramatic step forward since personal possession was permitted in 2010. It followed Germany, which in October published proposals to greenlight the consumption and sale of cannabis  a plan that, if passed, would make it the world's largest regulated national marijuana market.

It's very important the Netherlands takes the next and final step. This is legalizing the growth of cannabis. Dorien Rookmaker member of the European Parliament for the Netherlands

Elsewhere, Luxembourg has passed a law allowing residents to grow marijuana for personal use; Malta has greenlit private "cannabis clubs"; and Switzerland, a non-EU country, has approved a trial of the drug's sale and consumption in Zurich. Even the Netherlands  where the growth and sale of the cannabis is technically criminalized though tolerated  plans to launch a pilot program to test the legal sale of the drug by the end of this year. "It's very important the Netherlands takes the next and final step," Dorien Rookmaker, member of the European Parliament for the Netherlands, said. "This is legalizing the growth of cannabis."

EU pushback

Still, governments face pushback at the European Union level, with many so far struggling to produce a bill that adheres to EU laws, international drug treaties and public health concerns. Though marijuana is permitted for medicinal purposes in a number of European states, the region has long taken a conservative approach to recreational weed, and some fear that legalization in one state could have knock-on effects for neighboring countries that oppose such moves. The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, told CNBC that it could not comment on specific national discussions, but added that it was following developments closely. "We are aware and we are following closely these developments in Member States, notably to understand the impact of changes in cannabis policies. This includes the impact on health, crime, environment or social aspects," a spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Activists demanding the legalization of marijuana march past the Reichstag during the annual Hemp Parade in Berlin, Germany. Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty Images

EU regulation requires member states to ensure that the sale of illicit drugs including cannabis is "punishable by effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal penalties," but it does not restrict personal consumption. Commercial legalization is also incompatible with international treaties, including the U.N.'s 1961 single convention on narcotic drugs, though countries like Canada and Uruguay have not faced serious consequences since moving to permit the drug. As a result of EU feedback, Germany last month watered down its wide-reaching legalization plans, with Health Minister Karl Lauterbach noting that his initial proposal had "failed" and the revision would have to "go new ways." The updated legislation now aims to allow private consumption and distribution through non-profit groups, while also outlining the potential for a pilot project to test the sale of the drug in a small group of licensed shops.

'I don't think it's stoppable'
On Wednesday, Google previewed what could be one of the largest changes to the search engine in its history.

Google will use AI models to combine and summarize information from around the web in response to search queries, a product it calls Search Generative Experience.

Instead of "ten blue links," the phrase that describes Google's usual search results, Google will show some users paragraphs of AI-generated text and a handful of links at the top of the results page.

The new AI-based search is being tested for a select group of users and isn't widely available yet. But website publishers are already worried if it becomes Google's default way of presenting search results, it could hurt them by sending fewer visitors to their sites and keeping them on Google.com.

The controversy highlights a long-running tension between Google and the websites it indexes, with a new artificial intelligence twist. Publishers have long worried Google repurposes their verbatim content in snippets on its own website, but now Google is using advanced machine learning models that scrape large parts of the web to "train" the software to spit out human-like text and responses.

Rutledge Daugette, CEO of TechRaptor, a site focusing on gaming news and reviews, said Google's move was made without considering the interests of publishers and Google's AI amounts to lifting content.

"Their focus is on zero-click searches that use information from publishers and writers who spend time and effort creating quality content, without offering any benefit other than the potential of a click," Daugette told CNBC. "Thus far, AI has been quick to reuse others' information with zero benefit to them, and in cases like Google, Bard doesn't even offer attribution as to where the information it's using came from."

Luther Lowe, a longtime Google critic and chief of public policy at Yelp , said Google's update is part of a decades-long strategy to keep users on the site for longer, instead of sending them to the sites that originally hosted the information.

"The exclusionary self-preferencing of Google's ChatGPT clone into search is the final chapter of bloodletting the web," Lowe told CNBC.

According to Search Engine Land, a news website that closely tracks changes to Google's search engine, the AI-generated results are displayed above the organic search results in testing so far. CNBC previously reported Google's plans to redesign its results page to promote generated AI content.

SGE comes in a differently colored box  green in the example  and includes boxed links to three websites on the right side. In Google's primary example, all three of the website headlines were cut off.

Google says the information isn't taken from the websites, but is instead corroborated by the links. Search Engine Land said the SGE approach was an improvement and a "healthier" way to link than Google's Bard chatbot, which rarely linked to publisher websites.

Some publishers are wondering if they can prevent AI firms such as Google from scraping their content to train their models. Companies such as the firm behind Stable Diffusion are already facing lawsuits from data owners, but the right to scrape web data for AI remains an undecided frontier. Other companies, such as Reddit, have announced plans to charge for access to their data.

Leading the charge in the publishing world is Barry Diller, Chairman of IAC , which owns websites including All Recipes, People Magazine and The Daily Beast.

"If all the world's information is able to be sucked up into this maw and then essentially repackaged in declarative sentences, in what's called chat, but it isn't chat  as many grafs as you want, 25 on any subject  there will be no publishing, because it will be impossible," Diller said last month at a conference.

"What you have to do is get the industry to say you cannot scrape our content until you work out systems where the publisher gets some avenue toward payment," Diller continued, saying that Google will face this problem.

Diller says he believes publishers can sue AI firms under copyright law and current "fair use" restrictions need to be redefined. The Financial Times reported Wednesday Diller is leading a group of publishers "that is going to say we are going to change copyright law if necessary." An IAC spokesperson declined to a request to make Diller available for an interview.

One challenge facing publishers is confirming their content is being used by AI. Google did not reveal training sources for its large language model that underpins SGE PaLM 2, and Daugette says while he's seen examples of quotes and review scores from competitors repurposed on Bard without attribution, it's hard to tell when the information is from his site without directly linked sources.

A Google spokesperson said that the company didn't have plans to share about compensating publishers for training data.

"We're introducing this new generative AI experience as an experiment in Search Labs to help us iterate and improve, while incorporating feedback from users and other stakeholders," Google said in a statement.

"PaLM 2 is trained on a wide range of openly available data on the internet and we obviously value the health of the web ecosystem. And that's really part of the way we think about how we build our products, to ensure that we have a healthy ecosystem where creators are a part of that thriving ecosystem," Google VP of Research Zoubin Ghahramani said in a media briefing earlier this week.

Daugette says Google's moves make being an independent publisher tough.

"I think it's really frustrating for our industry to have to worry about our hard work being taken, when so many colleagues are being laid off," Daugette said. "It's just not okay."

 CNBC's Jordan Novet contributed reporting.
(L-R) Richard A. Gonzalez, chairman and CEO of AbbVie Inc., Pascal Soriot, executive director and CEO of AstraZeneca, Giovanni Caforio, chairman of the board and CEO of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Jennifer Taubert, executive vice president and worldwide chairman of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman and CEO of Merck & Co. Inc., Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, and Olivier Brandicourt, CEO of Sanofi testify in front of the Senate Finance Committee on 'Drug Pricing in America: A Prescription for Change, Part II' on February 26, 2019 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.

A Republican law has slashed the average tax rates of big pharmaceutical companies by more than 40% since it was enacted in 2017, Senate Finance Committee Democrats said in a report Thursday.

"Democrats warned in 2017 that the Republican tax law was going to amount to a massive giveaway to multinational corporations, and here's the proof that that's exactly what happened," Sen. Ron Wyden, D.-Ore., the committee's chair, said in a press release on the report.

The GOP's $1.5 trillion Tax Cuts and Jobs Act brought sweeping changes to the tax code, including a provision that essentially imposed a worldwide minimum tax on foreign earnings.

That provision allowed U.S.-based pharmaceutical companies to access lower tax rates on their foreign income, the report said.

It also created a "huge incentive" for those companies to put their profits, investments and jobs overseas, Democrats added in the report.

Pharmaceutical companies report 75% of their taxable income overseas, the report said.

The pharmaceutical industry paid a tax rate of about 20% on average from 2014 to 2016, the years right before the law passed, acccording to the commitee's analysis.

The report said the average rate fell to 11.6% in 2019 and 2020, which resulted in billions of dollars in tax savings for pharmaceutical companies.

"There's no question that the tax system was broken prior to 2017, but instead of fixing it, Republicans gave Big Pharma a green light for some of the most aggressive tax gaming highly trained accountants can dream up," Wyden said.

He called for significant tax reform to ensure huge corporations "pay their fair share, while helping to spur investment in the U.S., not in foreign countries."

The report is the latest in Wyden's investigation into Big Pharma's tax practices. The Oregon senator said the committee will release a final report on the probe later this year.

Lawmakers have long criticized the industry for its skyrocketing drug prices, which can shut out some patients from accessing life-saving medicines. Wyden's probe only adds fuel to that fire.

In July, Wyden released a report detailing how drugmaker AbbVie used offshore subsidiaries to avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes on prescription drug sales.

That report found that Chicago-based AbbVie generated 75% of its sales from U.S. patients in 2020, but reported only 1% of its taxable income in the country.

That report alleged that AbbVie holds its intellectual property in a Bermuda-based subsidiary with no employees or other major operations. Bermuda imposed no taxes on that subsidiary's profits, income, dividends or capital gains.

Wyden also obtained similar information about other U.S. pharmaceutical companies, including Abbott Laboratories , Amgen , Bristol Myers Squibb and Merck .

For most of the companies, more than 80% of their taxable income was reported overseas.

Some of the companies have defended their tax approach in the wake of the committee's investigation.

The companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wyden's findings.
A presenter stand next to Hyundai's all-electric SUV 'IONIQ 5' during its launch at the Auto Expo 2023 on January 11, 2023 in Greater Noida, India. Ajay Aggarwal | Hindustan Times | Getty Images

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Company is ramping up its production capabilities as it aims to become one of the world's top three electric vehicle manufacturers by 2030. The automaker is investing heavily in research and development, building new plants and platforms as well as expanding EV lines and production capacity. "We are now developing two more platforms and that will enable us to have 18 models by 2030. And we are [aiming] to achieve 2 million [annual] EV sales around 2030," Hyundai Motor Company's CEO Jaehoon Chang told CNBC's Chery Kang. Its EVs are currently developed on an advanced bespoke EV platform, the Hyundai Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). The 2021 Ioniq 5 crossover SUV was the first model in Hyundai's EV-focused sub-brand Ioniq to be developed on the E-GMP. Hyundai subsequently launched the Ioniq 6 sedan model in 2022. An EV platform scales the production of future models and reduces development and manufacturing costs. "It is important that we have a dedicated EV platform. Our EV platform, which is the E-GMP, is a strong enabler to ensure the EV's performance, reliability and usability. I think this is a very strong enabler for the future as well," said Chang.

Hyundai plans to introduce vehicles in 2025 based on its two new EV platforms, eM and eS, which are expected to lead to more efficient vehicle development and greater cost reductions. Hyundai Motor Group, whose brands include Hyundai, Kia and Genesis, nabbed sixth place in SNE Research's global EV sales ranking for 2022. It delivered 510,000 EV units last year, up 40.9% from 2021, according to SNE Research. First place went to China's BYD , which delivered 1.87 million units, followed by Tesla with 1.31 million units. Germany's Volkswagen and China's Geely took fourth and fifth places, respectively. "During the last three years, our EBIT growth is 50% every year. This is mainly driven by our products, especially Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, which are well-perceived by the customers ...," said Chang. "We can continue the momentum. We have another EV, Ioniq 7, the three-row largest SUV, in our pipeline for next year. So this is a short-term perspective of what we are doing," said Chang.

Driving growth

We have a joint venture in China. We are now on a deep dive on how we can regain the competitiveness of the China market. Jaehoon Chang CEO, Hyundai Motor Company

Net profit came in at 3.42 trillion won ($2.56 billion), up from 1.78 trillion won in the same period a year ago. Revenue climbed 24.7% year-on-year, from 30.3 trillion won to 37.78 trillion won. Hyundai eventually wants to penetrate China's consumer market, where the company's exposure is "very much limited at this moment," said Chang. "We have a joint venture in China. We are now on a deep dive on how we can regain the competitiveness of the China market," said Chang. China's EV sales are expected to hit more than 8 million units in 2023, according to Counterpoint Research. "I think the first step that we're looking at is how we can optimize the operational capacity in China. And the next step should be our focus on the product portfolio, which should be attractive to local customers with the comparable software functions, as well as hardware and design features," said Chang. Domestically, Hyundai said it plans to invest 24 trillion won in South Korea's EV industry by 2030. To compete with Tesla and Ford, Hyundai is building a $5.5-billion EV plant with South Korean battery maker SK On in Georgia to supply batteries for Hyundai and Kia EVs assembled in the U.S. The new plant is set to begin producing up to 300,000 EVs per year starting from 2025. The investment is also being driven by the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, which offers $7,500 tax credits if the vehicle and its batteries are assembled in the U.S. Hyundai currently has no EV plant in the U.S.
Bluesky appears to be gaining more attention than decentralized messaging app Mastodon, which attracted a lot of interest in November as a possible alternative to Twitter. In April, for instance, Mastodon only had 90,000 downloads, the Sensor Tower data showed.

The number of Twitter mobile app downloads actually declined 18% in February to 14.05 million from 17.2 million in January. Bluesky officially debuted on iOS in February, generating 11,000 downloads in that month.

The social messaging app had 628,000 mobile downloads in April, representing a 606% rise from March when it became available on Android in addition to iOS. Meanwhile, Twitter had 14.9 million app downloads in April, which is a 2% increase from the 14.6 million downloads it accumulated in March.

Bluesky has exploded in popularity over the past few months, according to data provided to CNBC by market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, although it still lags far behind Twitter in total download volume.

Advocates say that decentralized projects are less likely to collect and sell users' data and less susceptible to censorship.

Musk's Twitter makeover has sparked new interest in decentralized social networks. Unlike Twitter under Musk, or Facebook under CEO and controlling shareholder Mark Zuckerberg, decentralized social media platforms have no single owner or leader and are not beholden to commercial or financial interests.

Elon Musk's Twitter is facing new competition from a rival called Bluesky, a so-called decentralized communications app that is backed by Twitter co-founder and twice-former CEO, Jack Dorsey.

Since Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion last year, he has fundamentally changed what Jack Dorsey's company built, adding new subscription-only features, allowing controversial users back on to the platform, and making deep staffing cuts.

The social media app has also suffered a number of service outages, which happened to coincide with reports that Musk closed a major data center in Sacramento and was downsizing another Atlanta data center facility in an effort to cut costs.

Bluesky, which is currently invitation-only, underscores how Dorsey is now actively looking to disrupt what he helped create. Dorsey, who remains the CEO of payments platform Block (formerly called Square), is going head-to-head with Musk with two Twitter alternatives.

Bluesky was originally incubated within Twitter back in 2019 when Dorsey was still CEO. The app runs on a decentralized networking technology called the AT Protocol. In theory, the protocol could power future social apps, enabling people to maintain their identities across multiple apps.

In February 2022, members of the Bluesky project created the Bluesky Public Benefit LLC, with Jay Graber as CEO and Dorsey as one of the founding board members. The company announced on Twitter in April 2022 that it received $13 million in funding "to ensure we have the freedom and independence to get started on R&D."

Then, last December, Dorsey donated 14 bitcoin, around $245,000 at the time, to a decentralized social media project called Nostr, that lets users own their online identity. Damus is an app built on top of this network, and it's been live on the app store for months. It has also integrated the bitcoin Lightning Network, meaning that it lets users exchange bitcoin directly over the network without needing another app.

Many of Block's senior leadership team is using the platform, as is the bitcoin-friendly Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.

Other decentralized social projects that have been getting more attention include Mastodon, as well as Lens and Farcaster, which are both Twitter substitutes built on blockchains.

A lot of these platforms have no algorithms to recommend particular content  a sore point for some Twitter users who complain they're seeing less relevant content in the "For You" tab of Twitter since Musk took over. They don't sell ads, and don't collect and sell user data, which are the classic ways that social networks make money.

The only drawback is scale.

Meta boasts nearly 3 billion active users of its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, and Twitter had more than 200 million as of its last earnings report as a public company. That means it's easy for new users to find their friends, contacts in their areas of interest, and other useful or interesting people to connect with. Bluesky has about 50,000 users, according to its website.

It is also unclear how these platforms will generate money.

It is possible that Bluesky, for example, could turn to subscriptions to monetize operations, but the team hasn't given many hints. Bluesky has been mostly sharing updates and some details of its underlying technology infrastructure as opposed to any financial plans, according to recent blog posts.

The other drawback is the user experience. The front-end apps built atop these decentralized platforms are often clunky, not professional-looking or easy to use. As of now, Bluesky's user interface appears to be less confusing for newbies to engage with, but it's still being tested and developed, so it's unclear how the broader public will respond to its design.

So why make the move from a centralized platform with a nice user experience to a decentralized platform that's hard to use? Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said in a panel at ETHDenver that it all comes down to self governance.

"We've kind of come to accept that we are subjects of a king, like Mark [Zuckerberg], or Elon [Musk], and we can either follow their rules or leave," Haugen said. "And there's an interesting opportunity for people to be citizens of their platforms, having an ability to vote, but also having responsibilities that come with that."

She also made the point that the problem with social media today largely comes down to incentives and control.

Right now, social media platforms are ad supported, which means they make their money by keeping users on them for as long as possible. Decentralized platforms have no such incentive, and can give the people who make their livelihoods on these platforms the ability to influence the rules that govern them and how their content is distributed.
A Mercedes S-Class luxury automobile rolls off the assembly line at the Mercedes-Benz Group plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023.

Two people, both 44, were killed in a shooting at the Mercedes-Benz Daimler factory in Sindelfingen, southern Germany on Thursday, local German police said.

The incident took place at 7:45 a.m. local time. The motive is under investigation.

The force reported one death shortly after the shooting, with a heavily injured victim passing away in hospital care afterward. The perpetrator, 53, has been arrested, the force added, noting there was no further danger to employees in the plant at this time.

Mercedes-Benz confirmed the incident and deaths, stating one person is in police custody.

"The persons involved in the incident are employees of an external service provider," the company said. "There is no longer any danger to the population and colleagues in Sindelfingen."

The police and rescue workers remain on site, local police said.

The plant employs roughly 35,000 staff and produces several Mercedes models, including the E-class model and S-class luxury sedans, according to the company.

 CNBC's Sophie Kiderlin contributed to this report.
LONDON  Revolut's chief financial officer, Mikko Salovaara, is leaving the digital bank after two years, citing personal reasons.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as Group CFO at Revolut and remain confident in the firm's future success," Salovaara said in a statement sent to CNBC via WhatsApp.

With a $33 billion valuation, privately-held Revolut is one of Europe's most valuable fintech companies. It offers no-fee current accounts, foreign exchange, stock and cryptocurrency trading, insurance, and travel bookings, among other services.

Revolut's CEO, Nik Storonsky, said, "I thank Mikko for his contribution and wish him well on his next steps."

A company spokesperson told CNBC that Salovaara resigned and has not been fired. He said it would be inappropriate to divulge the personal reasons that have led to his departure.

The Revolut spokesperson said Salovaara's decision was unrelated to concerns flagged by auditor BDO about the company's financial accounts.

In March, BDO said that it was unable to independently verify three quarters of the 636 million ($795 million) of revenue reported by the company in its delayed 2021 accounts.

In its latest annual report, Revolut posted its first-ever full year of profitability, posting a pretax profit of 59.1 million on revenue of 636.2 million. In 2020, Revolut recorded a pretax loss of 205 million.
Aaron Smith, CEO of the National Cannabis Industry Association, speaks during a news conference on the Safe Banking Act outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Sept. 14, 2022.

The Senate banking committee is holding its first-ever hearing Thursday on a bipartisan bill that would allow the cannabis industry to access traditional banking services, which marijuana businesses see as critical to their survival.

The meeting, titled Examining Cannabis Banking Challenges of Small Businesses and Workers, will hear testimony from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., who reintroduced the stand-alone bill last week. The committee will also hear from witnesses including the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition, Drug Policy Alliance and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

Thursday's hearing will determine next steps in getting the bill to the Senate floor for a vote, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other key lawmakers express support for it. It comes as the marijuana industry, which is facing a downturn even as more states approve legal markets, has pushed Congress to take action on the issue.

"Without full access to the banking and payments system, legal cannabis businesses are forced to operate in the shadows," said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who is also chair of the committee.

Many business owners also rely on funds from friends and family in lieu of small business and bank loans because "they might go through all the cost and effort, only to be denied," Brown said.

Echoing Brown, committee ranking member Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said "Congress has a responsibility to ensure all legal industries have access to financial institutions and services."

But he added lawmakers must eliminate the possibility of loopholes in money laundering laws before the act becomes law. Any loopholes could make it harder for law enforcement to catch drug and weapons traffickers, Scott said.

Senate action on the bill is welcome news to executives across the industry, including Craig Sweat, owner of Uncle Budd NYC, the company that first brought mobile dispensary trucks to New York City.

"I've been held up for so long that I have product that is sitting and getting old," said Sweat, who after years of operating his mobile dispensary company and then a delivery service, has entered into a lucrative manufacturing and licensing partnership with Omnium Canna to produce his products.

"I have no way of transferring funds, I can't pay staff, I'm just sitting on my hands," Sweat said, adding his latest business venture hasn't been able to launch as banks, fearful of federal prosecution, have been giving him the 'runaround.'"
The war in Ukraine looks to have created deep and lasting tensions between Russia's leadership in Moscow and its mercenary fighters on the ground, with acrimony between the two descending into openly hostile criticism and accusations of treachery this week.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's Wagner Group, a private military company whose fighters have been engaged in intense battles in Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine for months, could barely contain his rage on Tuesday when he lambasted Russia's military and political leadership, saying that promised supplies of ammunition for his mercenary fighters had still not been delivered.

The latest rant came after Prigozhin threatened last Saturday to withdraw his forces from Bakhmut if ammunition was not forthcoming  but the next day he withdrew the threat, saying he had received a promise that ammunition was on its way.

By Tuesday, however, Prigozhin was back on social media platform Telegram, delivering a stinging rebuke to Moscow on Victory Day, when Russia commemorates the Soviet victory against Nazi Germany, over a lack of ammunition deliveries.

"On the 7th, we were promised that ammunition would be given. At night on the 8th, a combat order was received saying [we should be given] everything. Today is the 9th. On the 8th during the day there was a meeting at which they decided to only give 10% of what we requested," he said, adding that the Wagner Group had been "deceived."

Prigozhin said his mercenary forces, making up the bulk of Russians fighting to seize Bakhmut, would remain there for a "few more days" to see if the situation would change. He noted, however, that he had been warned in a combat order that if the Wagner Group left its positions in Bakhmut, "it would be regarded as treason against the motherland."

He thundered back that "if there is no ammunition, we will leave the positions and ask who is really cheating on their homeland. Apparently, the one (betraying the Motherland) is the person who signed it [the order]."

Prigozhin's very public criticism of Russia's military leadership this week has made it impossible for the Kremlin to ignore, despite its de-facto position being to remain tight-lipped about internal matters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov was asked about the tense situation in Bakhmut on Wednesday and what he made of the Wagner Group's threats to withdraw from the town.

"Emotions are boiling over there," Peskov told a Bosnian Serb television channel ATV on Wednesday, in comments translated by Google.

"I will not mention anyone's last name, but I will say that, regardless of what they say and what statements they make, this is about the armed forces of the Russian Federation. These are all Russian forces. They are all the same forces, which always follow the same goal. We have no doubt that Artyomovsk [Russia's name for Bakhmut] will be brought under control, that it will be determined later," he said.

CNBC has contacted the Kremlin for further comment and is awaiting a response.
Mike Bigelow was eager to incorporate lessons of Asian American history and culture to his class of first graders at Skinner North Elementary School in Chicago.

The students of Mike Bigelow's first-grade class light up when they're asked what they've learned about Asian American history and social studies this year. Ayansh Grover, 7, says he observes Hindu culture and shared with his classmates how he celebrates holidays like Diwali and Holi. Every Tuesday, the class practices saying "hello" in a language represented by a classmate and learns more about the country where that language is spoken. Lila Cortese, 6, shares how they greeted one another by saying "annyeonghaseyo," or "hello" in Korean, that morning. The Skinner North Elementary students in Chicago are some of the first to go through school in an era where lessons about Asian American history are a staple of their lesson plans. Through the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History, or TEAACH, Act, Illinois public K-12 schools must include a unit on the history of Asian Americans in Illinois and the Midwest, as well as Asian Americans' contributions toward advancing civil rights in the U.S. Illinois became the first state to pass such a law mandating these requirements in 2021. Since then, similar laws have passed in New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island  and the movement is growing with support from students, teachers, parents and education advocates around the country.

'They see themselves in these stories'

Smita Garg, 42, previously taught elementary school and is a mom of two children, ages 11 and 6, in the Chicago Public Schools system. She remembers growing up Indian American in a predominantly white suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, and over time learning to celebrate and share her own multicultural heritage with others. She didn't know much about Asian American history even as she learned to be an educator: "Having grown up in public education in the Midwest and then learning to be a teacher in a master's program and not having any of this background  it was jarring." Garg says that by grad school, she began researching more about Asian American labor movements, immigration patterns, civic engagement and activism. When the TEAACH Act passed in 2021, she joined Chicago's chapter of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice, or AAAJ, as a volunteer to pull together curricular resources for K-12 Asian American history lessons. The resources share ways teachers can incorporate Asian American history and cultural studies into the Illinois School Board of Education's existing learning standards. For example, a kindergarten teacher planning a lesson about U.S. holidays may include holidays of diverse groups and the historical figures who make those days special, while a fourth grade democracy unit could include a lesson on Larry Itliong, the Filipino American labor organizer and one of the founders of the United Farm Workers union.

Smita Garg is an educator and mom of two in Chicago. She helps develop curriculum and trains teachers to incorporate AAPI history in K-12 classrooms. Courtesy of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago

And starting with the 2022-23 school year, Illinois history teachers must include lessons about the wrongful incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII, as well as the service of two Japanese American combat units, the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Infantry Regiment. Garg says it's important for AAPI students to see themselves reflected in textbooks as critical to the development of the U.S, and for their non-AAPI peers to recognize that as well. "History and how you connect to it  or not  offers us a sense of identity. And so without that connection, it's not quite the same then how you view your place in this country and perhaps how others see you in it." As a parent seeing her Asian American children now learning this curriculum, "I love it," she says. "They see role models, and I think that's really important. They see themselves in these stories."

Advocates say teaching AAPI history is key to reducing anti-Asian discrimination and violence

Organizers with the AAAJ Chicago drafted the bill language for the TEAACH Act in February 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic stalled advocacy efforts. At the same time, the need for Asian American history standards were urgently clear: Individuals reported nearly 11,500 incidents of anti-Asian hate between March 2020 and March 2022, according to data from Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition formed to address the pandemic-era spike in racialized violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. "We saw Asian American history education as one critical part of combating the rise in anti-Asian racism, and sentiment," says Grace Pai, executive director of AAAJ Chicago. "Without understanding why Asian Americans have been blamed and scapegoated for things like the pandemic, it's hard to stop that behavior from escalating into incidents of harassment or violence." Advocates say the exclusion of Asian Americans at many levels, from classroom lessons to governing bodies to movies and TV screens, renders many AAPIs invisible to the general public. Three in 10 Americans can't identify a significant Asian American historical event or policy, according to a 2023 survey of 5,235 people by The Asian American Foundation, or TAAF. When asked what they know about AAPI history, the No. 1 response is about Japanese incarceration during WWII, "and only about 14% of Americans across the country are even familiar with Japanese incarceration," says Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. "It's such a historic and painful moment in our country's history, so it's really necessary that we have more of AAPI history taught in schools to learn from the past and make sure we don't repeat the mistakes that occurred."

Progress and pushback

More work is being done to push for AAPI history requirements in public schools: One organization, Make Us Visible, has efforts in over a dozen states. A majority of Americans, 3 in 5, think incorporating the Asian American experience into the teaching of U.S. history is important, according to the TAAF survey. In states where these initiatives now exist, "we've seen students and parents share with us stories about, how for the first time in their lives when they open a textbook, they're starting to be able to learn more about our community," Chen says. "It's very powerful."

It is really a disservice to our young people when we are not telling the whole truth. Grace Pai Executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago

But progress to teach inclusive American history, including of marginalized groups, isn't happening evenly. During the 2020-21 school year, nearly 900 school districts across the U.S., representing 35% of all K-12 students, were affected by local district efforts to restrict so-called "critical race theory," or lessons that discuss issues of race or racism, according to research from UCLA and UC San Diego. Parents, educators and advocates are "deeply concerned" about efforts to restrict inclusive history curriculum, says Pai of AAAJ Chicago. "History is history. It shouldn't be disputed what happened or what the facts are that we should be sharing with students, but unfortunately it's become highly politicized. It is really a disservice to our young people when we are not telling the whole truth."

'This is a stated need'

Once the Illinois bill was signed into law in July 2021, AAAJ Chicago developed a professional workshop and has trained over 1,300 teachers from across the state how to teach Asian American history. The teacher trainings are invaluable to Bigelow, 36, the first-grade teacher at Skinner North. He has been a teacher for 12 years and noticed that, after a stint in Michigan and returning to Chicago, the demographic makeup of his classroom shifted over the years, and "finding resources and books that match their identities was really difficult."

Most learning is social, and you have to have relationships to learn. If you don't know who people are, you can't learn very well from them. Mike Bigelow First-grade teacher in Chicago
As investors start to find Indian equities attractive once more, they can pick opportunities in one area that's generating significant interest: the banking sector. Indian equities are lagging this year, with many investors finding the market too expensive after its outperformance last year. The iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA) is down 0.9% in 2023, while the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) is up 2.3%. Recently, however, that trend has started to reverse. The INDA is 5.1% higher this quarter, while EEM is off roughly 1.7%. One reason investors can't stay away from the market for long is the country's size. With 1.4 billion people, India's population is expected to have surpassed mainland China's last month to become the most-populous country on the planet. That trend is also expected to continue, according to the United Nations. The country also has relatively young workers powering its labor force. INDA YTD mountain iShares MSCI India ETF YTD For investors, this suggests a buying opportunity in the country's banking sector. Despite its population, India remains a highly underbanked country and any growth could spell huge upside for its financial institutions. "In a global sense, people get very excited about fintech in financials. People get excited about the level of customer growth in fintech, but there's often an issue with profitability in fintech. Hardly any fintechs make money or have a clear plan to make money," said Paul Desoisa, co-portfolio manager of the Global Emerging Markets strategy at Martin Currie, a specialist investment manager of Franklin Templeton. "But, in Indian banking, we actually have exceptional customer growth and profitability," he added. Outstanding opportunity for growth Desoisa said the Martin Currie Emerging Markets Fund has holdings in three of the most notable banks in the country, which are HDFC Bank , ICICI Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank. Both HDFC and ICICI are in the portfolio's top 10 holdings, with allocations of 2.5% and 3.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, Kotak Mahindra accounts for about 1.6% of the portfolio. At the end of April, the fund had about $669 million in assets under management, with 52 holdings, as well as an overweight weighting on India. The Class A version of the fund has an expense ratio of 1.2%, according to Morningstar. For investors, two out of those three stocks are also listed in the U.S. The sponsored ADRs of HDFC Bank are down 0.8% this year, while ICICI's is 4.7% higher. HDB YTD mountain HDFC Bank YTD "They are three banks that are growing very quickly but are managing asset quality very well. And HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank have had a long-term track record of managing their asset quality very well," said Desoisa, adding, "ICICI Bank had some issues in the past, but is now very much on an improving trajectory, and actually the level of profitability of that bank is now alongside the highest quality out there." The fund manager noted HDFC alone has 71 million customers, which is about the size of the population of California and Texas combined, but nevertheless a fraction of India's population. Desoisa said HDFC is adding about one million customers every month. Another factor that will drive growth for these firms is claiming greater market share from state-owned banks, especially as private firms such as HDFC invest more in technology. "Overall, the private banks in total have about a 40% market share. That has been increasing over time and we expect it to continue to increase year after year," Desoisa said. "So, the actual market opportunity is very under penetrated, but also, there's a huge market share opportunity as well for these private banks." Banks deserve a premium For investors, Indian bank stocks continue to be attractive because of their low nonperforming loans, steadily expanding loan activity, as well as high net interest margins, according to Glovista Investments' Carlos Asilis. A nonperforming loan is a loan that may not be paid by the borrower. "Different countries can claim their economy is going to grow a lot, but the reality is the consistency of Indian economic growth has been stronger than for most countries," Asilis said. "What that means is when they tell you their momentum on loan book growth is around the big teams, it's unlikely to surprise to the downside. That deserves a premium." Indian banks could help investors diversify their portfolios, as the banks have more straightforward balance sheets than their developed market counterparts. "If you look across emerging markets, there [are] no issues with their banking system," said Dina Ting, senior vice president and head of Global Index Portfolio Management at Franklin Templeton. "It's kind of the telling story of diversification. There's a lot more you can benefit by having exposure to international markets, because not everything is highly correlated. You do have a benefit of diversification from that angle," Ting added. Of course, there are other ways investors can gain access to the growth in India, including some single-country ETFs. In addition to the iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA), which is down 0.3% this year, there's also Wisdom Tree's India country ETF (EPI) , which is up nearly 2%. Meanwhile, there's iShares MSCI India Small-Cap ETF (SMIN) , which is up 2.8%. Franklin Templeton's FTSE India ETF (FLIN) is slightly higher. Here are the expense ratios for each of those funds: INDA: 0.64% EPI: 0.84% SMIN: 074% FLIN: 0.19% "For a majority of investors, accessing Indian locals [is] difficult because there are a lot of restrictions," Ting said. "Having an ETF that allows [an] investor with one single trade to get exposure to 70 plus different companies is a tool to kind of democratize access."
Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: CLSA double downgrades Block to underperform from buy CLSA said it's concerned about long-term growth for Block. "We are stepping aside on Block as our concerns around the macro environment now eclipse our ongoing enthusiasm around prospects for long-term growth." Barclays initiates PagSeguro as overweight Barclays said Brazilian payment processing company has pricing power. "We like the company's ambitious but focused strategy of (a) integrating its own consumer- and merchant focused digital bank ( Pag Bank) into its payment processing service and (b) moving "upstream" by signing larger merchants as clients." Credit Suisse upgrades RingCentral to outperform from neutral Credit Suisse upgraded the software company after its earnings report Wednesday. " RNG reported another strong data-point that the company is structurally improving its profitability profile." KeyBanc upgrades Albemarle and Livent to overweight from sector weight Key said in its upgrade of Livent that it sees lithium demand improving. The firm also upgraded Albemarle and says the stock's valuation is attractive. "We expect demand for lithium in China to improve after a downturn that started in November 2022. Evercore ISI reiterates Apple as outperform Evercore said it's bullish on Apple's position in the advertising space. "We continue to see a material opportunity for Apple in the advertising space and we think they can grow to $30B in revenue (vs. $4-5B in FY22). Maintain Outperform & $190 target." Susquehanna upgrades International Game Technology to positive from neutral Susquehanna said the gaming company has numerous positive catalysts. " International Game Technology : U/G To Positive; Fav. Downside Protection Thru Lottery With Upside Catalysts." Goldman Sachs downgrades Twilio to neutral from buy Goldman said it's concerned about slowing growth for Twilio. "For Twilio, we remain cautious on the near-term trajectory for revenue growth due to its usage-based model and slowing growth in Data and Applications, plus its ability to re-accelerate to its mid-term growth target." Bank of America adds Progressive to the US1 list Bank of America added the insurance company to its US1 list and said shareholders should buy the dip. "Taking an advantage of a recent dip in the share price of Progressive (PGR) shares, we are adding the stock the US1 List. JPMorgan upgrades Norfolk Southern and J.B. Hunt to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said in its upgrade of Norfolk that it sees operations set to improve. The firm also upgraded J.B. Hunt and says it sees the "end of inventory de-stocking." "Intermodal providers will also benefit from the shift in TL (full truck load) momentum and we are upgrading JBHT to OW and SNDR to N which also benefit from recent progress on a West Coast port labor deal, improving rail service, and the end of inventory de-stocking. We are also upgrading NSC to OW as operations are set to improve when the East Palestine track remediation wraps up in June and the network fully adjusts to proactive changes to mitigate derailment risk." JPMorgan upgrades Axon to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said in its upgrade of the taser maker that investors should buy the dip. "We take advantage of ~15% decline in AXON' s stock price yesterday post print (S & P up 80bps) and upgrade to OW from N." Roth MKM upgrades Roblox to buy from neutral Roth MKM said an "inflection point" is on the horizon for Roblox . "We are taking a more constructive view towards Roblox following comments from management that increases in headcount and compensation will soon be slowing." Credit Suisse upgrades Alcoa to outperform from neutral Credit Suisse said it sees aluminum prices recovering. "We upgrade Alcoa to Outperform, and add it as a top pick, as we see LME (London Metal Exchange) aluminum prices recovering over next year as global demand cycles higher." Read more about this call here . B. Riley initiates Children's Place as buy B. Riley said the children's clothing retailer is well positioned. "Our investment thesis is that as the fog of the COVID era lifts, investors will find that PLCE is at least as good as it ever was and get a free option on it being measurably better." Barclays downgrades Northrop Grumman to equal weight from overweight Barclays downgraded Northrop due to "margin deterioration." "Gap to Peers Likely Less Than Expected on Margin Deterioration, Downgrade to EW." Bank of America reiterates Nvidia as buy Bank of America said it's standing by it buy rating on the AI beneficiary. "Net-net, we maintain our Buy rating on NVDA (upside from gaming recovery, data center/AI expansion, Morgan Stanley reiterates Advances Micro Devices as overweight Morgan Stanley said AMD's AI opportunity is in the "multiples." "We have tried to set conservative forecasts for AMD' s AI, given historic false starts, but higher price points plus supply chain commentary is pointing to an opportunity that is multiples of our initial target." Piper Sandler downgrades Mosaic and CF Industries to neutral from overweight Piper downgraded several fertilizer companies on Thursday due to bearish U.S. crop data. "We are downgrading shares of CF, MOS and LXU to Neutral and reducing the PT's to $80, $42, $12, respectively, from $110, $62 and $22 as data from the most recent Crop Progress report sets the stage for a possible record US corn crop." Goldman Sachs reiterates Robinhood as neutral Goldman said its sticking with its neutral rating on Robinhood shares after its earnings report on Wednesday. "Results were solid, as NII (net interest income) came in ahead of expectations, largely driven by better securities lending related revenues, while transaction related revenues came in roughly in line and expenses were better than expected." Deutsche Bank reiterates Disney as buy Deutsche said it's standing by its buy rating on Disney shares after its earnings report on Thursday. "Our take on F2Q Results and Implications for the Outlook: F2Q results were mixed relative to our estimates with Total Segment OI coming in above our estimate, but DTC revenue falling short." Read more about this call here. Baird reiterates Boeing as outperform Baird said the aerospace giant is a "top cyclical play." "While the BA stock is up only 5% ytd, we expect a material move higher in coming months as higher production begins to kick in and investor shift focus to 2024 with much better fundamentals for revenue, earnings and FCF." Correction: A previous headline misspelled Roblox.
Former US president Donald Trump at Trump Turnberry golf course, in South Ayrshire, during his visit to the UK.

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Republican lawmakers to let the United States default on its debt if Democrats don't agree to spending cuts.

"I say to the Republicans out there  congressmen, senators  if they don't give you massive cuts, you're going to have to do a default," said Trump, who is again running for president. "And I don't believe they're going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave, will absolutely cave because you don't want to have that happen. But it's better than what we're doing right now because we're spending money like drunken sailors."

Read more: Confused about the debt ceiling? Here's what you need to know

When pushed by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins to clarify his remarks, Trump said: "Well, you might as well do it now, because you'll do it later. Because we have to save this country. Our country is dying. Our country is being destroyed by stupid people, by very stupid people."

Trump made the remarks during a CNN town hall during which he defended his supporters who staged a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021 and mocked the writer E. Jean Carroll a day after a jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her.

Trump is the leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. He would likely look to use a default to his political advantage were he to face President Joe Biden in a rematch next year.

His comments came weeks before the U.S. is projected to run out of cash to pay its bills unless Congress addresses the debt limit. Since January, the U.S. government has taken extraordinary measures to avoid default.

A default would trigger chaos in markets and result in millions of job losses, according to analysts and economists. Republicans voted to raise the debt ceiling three times during Trump's presidency.

Trump's words could encourage his many GOP supporters in the House to harden their stance against raising the debt limit without corresponding spending cuts. Biden has said he won't negotiate over raising the debt limit, although he said he is open to discussing ways to reduce spending in a separate context.

Biden and the top four congressional leaders, including Trump supporter House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., will meet again to discuss the debt ceiling on Friday. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the U.S. government could hit the debt limit as soon as June 1.
Members of a delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency visit the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on March 29, 2023.

Russian forces plan to "evacuate" more than 3,000 workers from the town of Enerhodar that serves the nearby Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Ukraine's state nuclear power company said Wednesday.

The move proved Russia's "inability to ensure the operation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, as there is now a catastrophic lack of skilled personnel," Energoatom said.

The company said Russia planned to evacuate just over 3,000 people, including 2,700 who had signed contracts with the Russian-installed company in de facto control of the plant, Rosatom.

Energoatom said that information from Ukraine's armed forces suggested "some families of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power professionals have already been taken from Enerhodar to the Rostov region of the Russian Federation."



Energoatom said that it was "taking all possible measures to form the necessary number of professionals capable of ensuring the safe operation of the plant."

Such a team will be formed on a rotating basis from ZNPP employees who are currently in the territory controlled by Ukraine, as well as specialists from other nuclear plants, it said.

Concerns over ZNPP's fate have been rife since Russian forces started evacuating areas near the plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station. The plant has often found itself at the center of fighting, with both Ukrainian and Russian forces accusing each other of shelling near it, creating the potential for a nuclear disaster.

Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said last week that following reports of Russian evacuations, "the general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous."

"I'm 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."

Energoatom has repeatedly called for the de-occupation of the ZNPP. It did so again today, and urged "the expulsion of the Russians from Enerhodar and the transfer of control over the power plant to its legitimate Ukrainian operator, Energoatom," saying this was "the only way to end the Russian mess at the ZNPP and guarantee its future safety."

 Holly Ellyatt
The U.S. public health emergency declared in response to Covid-19 comes to an end Thursday more than three years after the pandemic began.

The Biden administration's decision to end the emergency comes as deaths and hospitalizations have declined dramatically due to the availability of vaccines, antiviral treatments and widespread exposure to the virus.

Deaths from Covid have fallen to their lowest point since March 2020, when the rapid spread of the virus in the U.S. overwhelmed the health system and lead to widespread shutdowns of schools, businesses and public venues.

Hospital admissions from the virus have also fallen to the lowest level since the U.S. started tracking the data in August 2020.

The end of the emergency will bring significant changes in how the U.S. responds to the virus. Hospitals will lose flexibility to rapidly add bed capacity if patient admissions surge, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will scale back its efforts to track the virus.

After the emergency ends, the CDC will no longer be able to compel labs to report Covid test results. The agency does not have the authority to compel U.S. states to report new cases.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who will step down at the end of June, warned Congress last week that the agency still has to negotiate data-sharing agreements with individual jurisdictions, a time-consuming process that puts the nation at risk.

"This should worry us all primarily because of what it says about the visibility we will have into the next outbreak," Walensky told the Senate health committee. "We will be back to square one having to build and negotiate surveillance capacity while we fight a pathogen."

While public health experts agree the U.S. has many more tools to fight Covid today, they warn the virus will remain a persistent threat to the elderly, the vulnerable and the nation's fragmented, battered health-care system.

"I think we've passed the worst now, but there's going to be a steady drumbeat of hospitalizations and deaths for many years to come," said Lawrence Gostin, director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University.
Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, speaks during an interview at an Economic Club of Washington event in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, April 14, 2022.

WASHINGTON  U.S. and Chinese officials met this week in Vienna to discuss a range of topics, including Russia's war in Ukraine, amid tensions between the world's two largest economies.

A senior Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity per ground rules established by the White House, said the two parties spoke a little over eight hours during a period of two days.

The official said that the meeting came together quickly and "there are tough issues on both sides, no doubt about that."

The White House described the meeting between Biden's national security advisor Jake Sullivan and China's top diplomat Wang Yi as "candid, substantive and constructive."

The White House said it aims to keep up open communication with China, as Washington increasingly sharpens its rhetoric around Beijing's policies around the globe. The U.S. has tried to deter Beijing from providing weapons or other support for Moscow's war effort.

The State Department did not respond to CNBC's requests for more details on the meeting.

The White House said the two sides agreed to continue the "strategic channel of communication" and build on the meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali, Indonesia last year.

Sullivan has reiterated deep U.S. concerns about China's alignment with Russia and the possibility that the world's second-largest economy may attempt to help Moscow blunt sanctions.

Since Russia invaded its ex-Soviet neighbor, Washington and its allies have imposed rounds of coordinated sanctions, vaulting Russia past Iran and North Korea as the world's most-sanctioned country.

The White House has said that it has not observed Beijing providing military assistance to the Kremlin for its fight in Ukraine.

Sullivan's trip comes as the U.S. inches closer to potentially defaulting on its debt and as Russia's war in Ukraine approaches its 450th day.

Last week, the director of America's top spy agency warned lawmakers that Russia and China will take advantage if the U.S. fails to raise its debt ceiling. U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said both Moscow and Beijing would attempt to highlight "the chaos within the United States, that we're not capable of functioning as a democracy."

The debt ceiling, which was first put in place by Congress during World War I, is the limit on the amount of money the federal government can borrow to pay for defense expenditures as well as mandatory programs, such as Social Security and Medicaid.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that the U.S. could default on its debt, a historic first, as early as June 1.

In February, former Secretaries of Defense Leon Panetta and Chuck Hagel warned that the federal government defaulting on its bills will weaken U.S. national security.

"The consequence of debt-ceiling brinksmanship is a dangerous self-inflicted wound that tells both our friends and our enemies that we cannot be trusted. Such brinksmanship weakens our national security," the former Pentagon chiefs wrote in a letter.

The former secretaries added that Russian President Vladimir Putin "will be watching to measure the credibility of U.S. economic power" while Washington leads efforts to give Kyiv military aid and coordinate global sanctions on Moscow.
Janet Yellen, US Treasury secretary, during a news conference at the Group of Seven (G-7) finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Niigata, Japan, on Thursday, May 11, 2023.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the idea of U.S. lawmakers letting the nation default on its debt should be "unthinkable."

Speaking to reporters ahead of the G-7 finance ministers and central bank governors meetings in Niigata, Japan, Yellen said she was aware of former President Donald Trump's suggestion for Republican lawmakers to let the nation default.

"The notion of defaulting on our debt is something that would so badly undermine the U.S. and global economy that I think it should be regarded by everyone as unthinkable," she told reporters. "America should never default."

When asked about steps the Biden administration could take in the wake of a default, Yellen emphasized that lawmakers must raise the debt ceiling.

"There is no good alternative that will save us from catastrophe. I don't want to get into ranking which bad alternative is better than others, but the only reasonable thing is to raise the debt ceiling and to avoid the dreadful consequences that will come," she told reporters, noting that defaulting on debt can be prevented.

"There is no good reason to generate a good crisis of our own making. The U.S. Congress has raised or suspended the debt limit almost 80 times since 1960. I urge it to act quickly to do so once again," she said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  American television series "Sesame Street" introduced its first-ever Filipino boy muppet named "TJ" in a show on Sunday.

Talking about confidence, TJ shared that he's still learning how to speak Tagalog and he's confident to ask his lola for help if he doesn't know what words to say.

TJ has brown skin with emo hairstyle, and wears a yellow and brown stripped hoodie.

Bobby Pontillas, the Filipino American animator who created TJ, said the Filipino muppet was inspired by his children's lifelong friends, Max and Mateo.

"Thank you for the inspiration lads. I was blessed to collaborate with master puppeteer Louis Mitchell, the loveliest human on earth," he said on Instagram.

Pontillas also expressed his gratitude to Sesame Workshop's Director Rosemary Espina Palacios and voice talent Yinan Shentu "for bringing TJ into life."

Palacios, on the other hand, said she is "proud to help bring some Filipino representation to the neighborhood."

"Just in time for API Heritage Month to show the range in our diaspora," she added.

In 2019, Pontillas received an Oscar nomination for his short animated film One Small Step.

Filipinos Advancing Creative Education (FACE) said they are "absolutely thrilled" to see representation of Filipino community in a show like Sesame Street.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  The Civil Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has issued Notices to Airmen (NOTAM), suggesting the closure of several navigation routes due to possible falling debris from China's rocket launch.

China launched its Long March 7 on Wednesday, May 10 at 9:22 p.m. (Philippine time), CAAP said.

Although rocket debris will unlikely fall on inhabited land, the agency warned it may still pose a danger to aircraft and maritime vessels.

The closures were effective Wednesday, May 10 from 9:14 p.m. to 10:02 p.m.

According to the issued notices, possible drop zones of China's rocket were approximately 65 to 79 kilometers off Scarborough Shoal.

Earlier this year, the Philippine Space Agency also warned the public against unburned rocket debris from China's Long March 7A which were projected to fall in the northern part of the country.

READ: PhilSA warns of Chinese rocket debris
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  The Senate hearing on the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo on Thursday drew conflicting interests that prompted the committee chairman to stand his ground in steering the proceedings.

In the fifth and last hearing on the March 4 attack that killed the governor and nine others, and other cases of killings in the province, Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa said he wanted to listen to every resource person after the local official's widow suggested prioritizing her list.

In a bid to steer the inquiry to focus on the slain governor, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo suggested that the panel hear first the victims from the killings that would point to the "same mastermind," explaining she brought victims who are not "barkers of the Teveses" and others who came to do "character assassination."

"If I may suggest, shall we continue with those victims and then after all of the victims that came here to air out their sentiments regarding the deaths of their loved ones, as well as abuses, pwede namang sila na naman [they could be next]," Degamo said.

"Because kung titingnan nating nang maigi, parang nakikisakay sila [If we look at it thoroughly, it seems like they're riding on our backs]," she added, referring to the families of journalists killed in the province.

Dela Rosa cut in, saying: "You cannot dictate this Chair on how to conduct its business... I am running the show, I am running the investigation and please that is subtly dictating me on how to do my job here as chairman."

He asked Degamo to bear with him as he is trying to give everyone the chance to speak in the "interest of fairness."

Hours later, Degamo again raised her concern, stressing that other resource persons could have the floor "exclusively" after her list finishes.

"There seem to be people trying to turn the tables, so to speak," she said. "We don't seem to get over with the thing about the Rex Cornelio case when we are barely over about the case that happened to the governor along with the others who died with him, as well as those who died pointing to the same perpetrators."

Dumaguete radio reporter Cornelio Pepino  better known as Rex Cornelio  was gunned down in May 2020.

The late governor Degamo filed libel complaints against Cornelio in 2015 but the broadcaster was acquitted two years after.

Dela Rosa cut in again and said it was not their intention to have an "exclusive" hearing, adding it will not be "viable" for the committee.

"Baka iniisip mo na nagka-capitalize tayo rito sa Cornelio case para i-discredit kayo, no, it is not... I am the one dictating the tempo of this investigation kaya nga lang bumabalik at bumabalik doon kasi nabanggit na naman 'yong pangalan ni (police officer Ruel) Pinero para ma-expedite lahat. Anyway, please have trust in this committee.

[Translation: Maybe you're thinking we're capitalizing on the Cornelio case to discredit you, no it is not. I am the one dictating the tempo of this investigation but we go back to that case because Pinero has been mentioned multiple times to expedite the process of the hearing.]

Pinero is one of Degamo's security aides and has been tagged in the journalist's slay case.

"We're not taking sides," Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, the committee's vice chairperson, also said. "We're here to ferret out the truth at lahat ng mga kaso na pinag-uusapan dito ay mahalaga patungkol do'n sa mga patayan na nangyayari sa probinsiya ninyo, Negros Oriental."

[Translation: We're here to ferret out the truth and all cases being talked about here are vital to the killings in your province.]

Other resource persons who have yet to appear in the hearing were told to submit affidavits instead.

Prompted by a resolution filed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the inquiry seeks to recommend policies to address the "increasing culture of violence in the Philippines."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday called on fellow Southeast Asian leaders to work together in preventing armed conflict in the disputed South China Sea, and renewed his call for the early conclusion of a rules-based conduct in the area.

Marcos noted the countrys concern over recent incidents that infringe on its rights in the contested waterway and reiterated the need for a code of conduct anchored on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

"We must ensure that the South China Sea does not become a nexus for armed conflict," he said during his intervention at the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit Retreat Session in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

"We must avoid the ascendance of might and the aggressive revision of the international order. In an increasingly volatile world, we require constraints on power contained by the force of the rule of law," the president added.

His call came amid continued aggressive actions by Chinese vessels in the resource-rich waters, nearly all of which the East Asian giant claims as its own.

This is despite a 2016 arbitral ruling in The Hague that invalidated Beijing's sweeping claims over the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, and recognized Manila's rights within its exclusive economic zone.

Among the more recent tense encounters between the two countries was the near-collision of a Philippine vessel with a much bigger Chinese ship due to the latter's "dangerous maneuvers" in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal over two weeks ago.

In late April, the Philippine Coast Guard also reported that over 100 Chinese ships linger in the West Philippine Sea despite being asked to leave.

"Despite the continued incidents of Filipino vessels in our waters and attempts to deny and obstruct our ability to exercise our sovereign rights in our exclusive economic zone, the Philippines will remain firm in upholding and protecting our entitlements under UNCLOS," Marcos said.

In the same speech, the president also urged all sides to work towards the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar.

"We continue to call on Myanmar to abide by and implement the Five-Point Consensus, and for our external partners to complement ASEAN's efforts in the context of the Five-Point Consensus," Marcos said.

He also expressed concern over the heightened tensions in the Korean Peninsula, saying the Philippines continues to underscore the need for North Korea to abide by prevailing United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. touted as a "success" the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Indonesia as he returned to the country Thursday night.

"I believe that the summit was a success and that it charted the new directions that were initiated by the chairman, (Indonesian) President (Joko) Widodo and with the concurrence of all the member states," Marcos said in his arrival speech at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.

"Many new ideas were ventilated and many were adopted, and we will hopefully see some progress on the political front and certainly on the economy front," he added.

The president said he was able to advance the country's interests and commitments before the regional gathering held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. This was his 13th foreign trip since he took office in June last year.

During the summit, Marcos once again called for an end to the violence in Myanmar, conveyed the country's push for a peaceful resolution to maritime disputes, and expressed deep concern over the war between Russia and Ukraine.

READ: Marcos to ASEAN: South China Sea should not become 'nexus for armed conflict'

The president said he also advocated for Timor-Leste's ASEAN membership.

He added that he is looking forward to continuing working with Widodo and other ASEAN leaders as they are set to meet again in September for the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Jakarta.

RELATED:

Marcos calls on ASEAN to address aging population

Marcos, Vietnamese PM eye expanded agri ties
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked the Indonesian government to reexamine the case of Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino on death row over drug charges, during talks with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

Speaking to reporters, Marcos said his discussion with Widodo about the matter was brief given the latter's tight schedule. Indonesia chaired the summit held in the town of Labuan Bajo.

After informing Widodo that the Philippine government is "still trying to work hard" to help Veloso, Marcos said the Indonesian leader explained that his country also has certain laws to follow in relation to the case.

"So, sabi ko, [So I said] the best that we can do I suppose is for the Indonesian authorities to reexamine the case...as a favor to the Philippines," Marcos narrated. "'Yun lang ang napag-usapan namin [That was all we talked about], not much more than that."

Veloso, a domestic helper from Nueva Ecija, was arrested in 2010 for allegedly smuggling 2.6 kilograms of heroin into Indonesia.

She denied the accusations, saying she was tricked by her recruiter to bring the drugs  valued at around $500,000 or over 28 million  contained in the seams of a suitcase that was given to her.

Veloso was meted the death penalty in October 2010 and was supposed to be executed by firing squad in April 2015. However, she was granted a last-minute reprieve through a stay of execution, so she can stand as a witness in the human trafficking case against her recruiter Kristina Sergio, and Sergio's partner Julius Lacanilao.

When Widodo was first elected in 2014, he declared war against drug trafficking and rejected all clemency requests from drug convicts on death row. In January 2015, he rejected a batch of clemency appeals, including Veloso's.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  Authorities are on the lookout for a new party drug monitored in other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Myanmar from entering the country, police said Thursday.

According to the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG), a potent party drug called "happy water" could have lethal effects on those who ingest it.

"Ito ay isang kumbinasyon ng iba't ibang klaseng synthetic substances like shabu, ecstasy, diazepam, ketamine and tramadol. Ito naman ay base sa findings actually ng UN ODC [United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime] based sa report nila that was published only last year May 30, 2022," said PDEG Director PBGen. Antonio Olaguera.

"Itong droga na ito accordingly ay nakita or namonitor right now doon sa bansa ng Thailand at Myanmar. Ang isang pakete nito will cost around $43 (around 2,400)," he added.

[Translation: This is a combination of different synthetic drugs like shabu, ecstasy, diazepam, ketamine, and tramadol. This is based on the findings of the UN ODC from last year May 30, 2022. This drug was monitored in Thailand and Myanmar. A pack will cost around $43.]

Olaguera said happy water comes in different forms.

"Puwedeng powder, puwedeng in liquid form kaya tinatawag ito na cocktail or beverage. So pwede ito ilagay or ihalo sa isang liquid bottle or mineral water, juice or even food pwede kasi it's odorless, colorless kaya pwedeng gawin yun," said Olaguera.

[Translation: It can be powder or liquid, which is why it's called a cocktail or beverage. It can be mixed with a liquid bottle, mineral water, juice, or food because its odorless and colorless.]

It can also be used to intoxicate unsuspecting victims.

"Napakadelikado sa mga partygoers especially women kasi pumunta ka ng CR ka sandali, you never know baka may naglagay na sa inumin mo ng ganun or sa kinakain mo, naka-serve sa table mo," Olaguera added.

[Translation: Its dangerous to partygoers, especially women, because if you go to the restroom, someone might mix it into your drinks or food.]

The PDEG is now in coordination with their counterparts in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to keep the party drug from entering the country.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  Members of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) will go through lifestyle checks as the unit grapples with the pilferage of seized drugs in a major operation in Manila last year, an official said on Thursday.

The profiling and lifestyle checks will be conducted every six months, PDEG Director PBGen. Antonio Olaguera, adding that there is no violation of the officers' right to privacy.

"Public office is a public trust. For as long as you are a public officer, you are bound by that," he said.

The pilferage involved 42 kilograms of shabu, the local version of methamphetamine hydrochloride, during a massive drug haul in the district of Tondo.

On the proposal to abolish PDEG special operations units, Olaguera said every future operation would have to be approved by the national headquarters if it pushes through.

"I submit na wala namang special na epekto. As a matter [of fact] mas maganda magiging ganun kasi centralized na, closely monitored and everything will be case operational plan (COPLAN)-based," Olaguera explained.

[Translation: I submit that there won't be a special effect. As a matter of fact, it's better that way as it will be centralized, closely monitored, and everything will be case operational plan-based.]

The PDEG director added that the police force had no problems in terms of manpower to handle drug operations across regional, provincial, and municipal offices.

COPLAN-based yung gagawin natin and as far as the regional office is concerned meron naman tayong Regional Drug Enforcement Units [RDEUs]. As far as provincial police offices meron tayong Provincial Drug Enforcement Units [PDEUs] and then yung stations naman Municipal Drug Enforcement Units [MDEUs], he said.

[Translation: What we're doing is COPLAN based and as far as the regional, provincial, and municipal offices are concerned, we have RDEUs, PDEUs, and MDEUs.]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  The legal counsel of Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. is asking members of the House of Representatives to give the embattled congressman a chance to air his side as the lower chamber eyes another disciplinary action against him.

We would want to assume that this time since the penalty that they are considering is expulsion that they at least hear his side even virtually because that is the right of every person, the right to due process, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio told CNN Philippines' The Source on Thursday.

Teves, who was tagged as one of the orchestrators of the murder of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, has refused to return to the country due to safety concerns. He flew to the United States in late February purportedly for medical reasons.

Due to his continuous absence, his fellow lawmakers on March 22 decided to suspend Teves for 60 days.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Wednesday warned that Teves may face another disciplinary action if the latter continued to refuse to return to work.

Rep. Felimon Espares, chairman of the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, said the panel may meet soon to discuss possible disciplinary actions against Teves.

Topacio said his client should be given the chance to speak as a courtesy.

That much courtesy, they owe to a colleague and a co-equal in terms of representation of a certain segment of the population, he noted.

Topacio said their camp has relayed their requests to Romualdez so that Teves safety would be ensured if he decided to return to the country to face the allegations.

The lawyer did not specifically mention what Teves requests were, but noted that the threat to his safety will not end when he lands somewhere in the Philippines even if you surround him with a battalion of army rangers or special forces.

Several options were also suggested regarding where Teves could be safely confined while under custody but these were rejected, Topacio added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11)  The country is looking at every possible source of electricity to address the supply problem, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday.

"Tama naman ang assessment na talagang kulang ang kuryente natin [The assessment that we lack electricity is correct]. So what else can we do? Find new sources. That's what we're trying to do," Marcos told reporters.

"When it comes to power, we're open to everything. Kahit na ano na pwede nating makuha para makapag-addition sa power supply natin. Syempre nandiyan pa rin lagi natin iniisip kailangan marami yung renewables, babawas na yung fossil fuel," he added.

[Translation: Anything we can get to add to our power supply. We always consider that we need a lot of renewables to reduce the use of fossil fuel.]

Aside from renewable energy, the president said nuclear technology is another option.

READ: Gov't to update PH energy plan, including nuclear power use  Palace

Luzon was put under red alert for several hours on Monday, meaning there was insufficient power to meet demand. This resulted in power outages in several areas.

It was also reported in April that the Visayas grid will continue to experience system disturbances which would lead to power outages, specifically in parts of Panay Island.

READ: Hontiveros tells DOE, NGCP to 'step up,' be transparent with power outlook
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 12)  Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla dismissed as irrelevant the testimony of a supposed new witness in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.

Remulla said on Thursday that there was nothing significant about the statements made by Marlon Quibod, the alleged witness who showed up on Wednesday at the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters with his story.

Quibod claimed he was recruited to join the attack team that would kill Degamo, and that they worked for a certain "Brownie," which he later identified as a "Mayor Fritz."

Remulla said the sudden appearance of the witness was just a desperate attempt to muddle the situation.

"There's nothing to it. Puro karga lang. Pinapatong lang. Sinusubo lang nila para mang distract. Parang yun ang lumalabas... Irrelevant yan. That's basura yan," he said at a briefing.

[Translation: There's nothing to it. Just adding layers to the story. They're just doing that as a distraction. So it's irrelevant. Garbage.]

He pointed out that the camp of Negros Oriental Representative Arnie Teves may be behind the appearance of the witness.

Remulla said Teves is still in Timor-Leste appealing the denial of his application for political asylum.

Teves' camp earlier said it is mulling what action to take should authorities push through with their plan to cancel the suspended congressmans passport.

RELATED: House speaker warns Teves of possible sanction after suspension

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/5/10/Romualdez-Teves-possible-sanction-after-suspension.html
Bicol (CNN Philippines, May 11)  The provincial government of Albay has suspended classes in areas that will be affected by a 12-hour power interruption on Friday, May 12.

All classes in both public and private schools are suspended in Sto. Domingo, Bacacay, Malilipot, San Miguel Island in Tabaco, Legazpi City, Daraga, Camalig, Manito, Barangay Minto in Guinobatan, and Barangays Florista, Salvacion, San Isidro, and San Roque in Jovellar.

"This is to prevent heat-related incidents and/or medical conditions in view of [the power interruption]," the provincial government said.

The power outage begins at 6 a.m.

An advisory of local power distributor Albay Electric Cooperative (ALECO) cited the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines' statement that the power interruption is due to preventive and corrective maintenance along the line.

ALECO will also be conducting the parallel activity of massive line clearing, hot spot correction, and feeder tagging.

Power interruption and low voltage are almost a daily experience of residents in Albay amid the high heat index.

On Wednesday, the national weather bureau said the heat index in Legazpi City in Albay hit 43 degrees at 1 p.m., with the same temperature expected on Friday.
Ten Colorado College students spent their Spring Break road-tripping across the West Coast, where they visited numerous national parks and spent nights at different campgrounds. The trip, which was organized by Colorado College Outdoor Education (CCOE), is one of about 200 outdoor trips the CCOE hosts each year.

The purpose of the road trip was to visit as many national parks as possible. In just eleven days, students visited various sites in Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California. The group first traveled to California, where they visited the Redwoods National Park, San Francisco, San Jose, and Death Valley. They then headed to Utah, where they visited four of Utahs five national parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Arches, which was a favorite among several students.

For many students, however, the trip emphasized the importance of the CCOE and what it does.

I've been able to visit numerous national parks and other locations through the CCOE that I wouldn't have been able to visit on my own outside CC, says Hunter Markowich 25. My favorite part of the trip was seeing new places across the west coast, such as the Redwoods and Zion National Park, and also spending time in the outdoors camping with my peers, as well as traveling in a crammed van, which was well worth it in the end.

Mila Naumovska 26 echoed that appreciation for the trip and all that CCOE does. Outdoor Education is important and valuable because it gives an opportunity to low-income students to enjoy the outdoors to an extent they would not be able to without the financial help from the CCOE, she says. It also strives to create an inclusive environment for everyone who wants to participate.

Naumovskas biggest motivation to participate on the trip was to see the ocean, as this was her first time seeing the Pacific Ocean.

Audra Burrall 23, one of two CCOE leaders on the trip, proposed the idea of a road trip after driving on the Pacific Coast Highway and falling in love with it last summer.

It was pretty sweet driving a CC van out to the pacific and back, says Burall.

Since her first year on campus, Burall has participated in and led New Student Orientation, Winter Start Orientation, and block break trips to various places across the West Coast, including the Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde National Park, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Buralls favorite part of this trip was driving the Mt. Carmel Highway at Zion, where students had a sing-along session to 2000s pop music.

Outdoor Education has been an all-inclusive bundle of leadership, stewardship, and discovery, says Burall. The CCOE has afforded me opportunities to explore the southwest and develop a passion for the outdoors I didn't know I had before coming to CC. I've loved being a part of Outdoor Education and its 'come as you are' culture during my time at CC.

Wade Noelke 24 says participating on the Spring Break road trip made him realize how grateful he is for the CCOE, because he was able to see and hike many of Americas western national parks.

I might have never seen parks like Redwoods and Death Valley otherwise, says Noelke. This trip made me realize the silent beauty of our national parks and how we must work together to protect and support them in the future.

Outdoor Education at CC really creates an experiential way for students to apply some of the learning from the classroom into a real-world setting, says Ryan Hammes, director of the CCOE. The opportunities to learn and practice leadership skills in the natural world allows for personal discovery while in community with one another. Trips like this allow students to see new places and interact with each other in different ways that could never be replicated on campus. We are so fortunate to be able to provide the transportation, equipment, and affordable experiences for any student who wishes to participate on these trips.

Students do not need prior camping experience to participate in the CCOE. For more information and to sign up for CCOE emails, please fill out this form.
Today is May 11, 2023 and here is what you need to know:

After the vote on SB 303, the House went into recess and the Democratic caucus held a private meeting to debrief on the Republicans' walkout. The meeting began with McCluskie condemning the GOP's behavior and other Democrats praising her handling of the situation and of the session, complete with standing ovations from the caucus.

Shortly after, Rep. Elisabeth Epps spoke.

During Epps' 13-minute speech, the first-year Denver lawmaker echoed Republican criticisms of SB 303, calling the bill "inappropriately" rushed and its passage "predetermined." The bill was introduced one week before the end of session and continued to be amended mere hours before lawmakers adjourned for the year.

Epps was one of seven House Democrats who voted against SB 303 in the final vote. All of the Democratic opponents were first-year lawmakers.

"I am the most cynical person I know ... and even I didn't know this place worked like this," Epps said. "Most of our colleagues who were not there for those votes, they didn't do that in good faith. But the points that they're making are accurate. This was a ridiculous process. ... Party fealty isn't enough for me to vote 'yes' on something."

An effort to prohibit landlords from evicting residential tenants without "just cause" met an unceremonious end in the last days of Colorado's 2023 legislative session.

House Bill 1171 would have only allowed evictions or lease terminations if the tenant does something wrong, such as failing to pay rent or violating lease agreements. It would have also required landlords to give 90 days' notice and pay tenants two to three months' worth of rent to evict or terminate leases in no-fault circumstances, like for landlords to renovate the property or to move in themselves.

Critics countered the bill was too harsh on landlords and would push them out of the rental market. They also said treating the decision not to renew a lease as an eviction forces landlords into endless leases, and the 90-day notice for terminating leases makes single-month leases functionally impossible to enforce.

The bill passed the House in mid-March. But in the Senate, it didn't get its first committee hearing until May 4  four days before the end of the session. Though the bill passed committee, it died on the calendar Sunday when senators failed to hold the second reading vote before the midnight deadline.

Gov. Jared Polis has been clear about his position on the reintroduction of wolves.

He's in favor of the plan from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission.

He's in favor of the anticipated ruling from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on what's known as a 10(j) rule that will allow that CPW plan to go into effect.

The governor is in favor of seeing wolves on the ground by the close of 2023.

What he doesn't like is Senate Bill 256, which requires the state to have that 10(j) ruling in place before wolves can be reintroduced.

Polis alluded to vetoing the measure when asked by reporters about it in a news conference shortly after the legislative session ended.

"There shouldn't be a lot of suspense on that one," Polis said.

U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse thinks it's past time federal wildland firefighters get the pay and benefits they deserve.

That's why the Lafayette Democrat reintroduced legislation Tuesday to boost wages, secure access to health care and mental health support, and provide housing stipends for firefighters deployed more than 50 miles from their homes, among other measures.

The Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act  dubbed Tim's Act  is named for Tim Hart, a 36-year-old smokejumper from Cody, Wyoming, who died fighting the Eicks Fire in New Mexico two years ago.

Neguse credited Hart's widow, Michelle Hart, for inspiring the legislation, calling her "an incredible advocate (who) converted her anguish into action."

The bill is co-sponsored in the House by California Democrat U.S. Rep. Katie Porter and sponsored in the Senate by U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat.

Neguse, a founder of the congressional Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, told Colorado Politics the bill will help "honor the sacrifices" made by those protecting the West from increasingly common wildfires.

Yemi Mobolade intends to blaze a new trail for Colorado Springs.

The Nigerian-born mayoral candidate doesn't look like most of the men and the woman who've previously served the now 152-year-old city and its now roughly 479,000 residents as mayor. A political newcomer, his resume doesn't include past stints in political office like many of his predecessors and his current opponent  and it doesn't necessarily need to, he's said.

In a small meeting room called The Nest, tucked away from the Friday afternoon bustle inside The Wild Goose Meeting House downtown, one of two cafe-style eateries Mobolade co-owns, the candidate repeated a vision he's often shared over the past year on the campaign trail.

If elected, he intends to bring a "new kind of leadership" that will realize Colorado Springs as "an inclusive, culturally rich, economically prosperous, safe and vibrant city on a hill that shines," he said in an interview with The Gazette ahead of attending the 98th, 99th and 100th candidate meet-and-greets of his campaign, where he spoke with voters less than two weeks before the May 16 mayoral runoff election night.
Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label.
The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
Microsoft has long failed in Internet search and browsing. The company has spent plenty of time, money, marketing and development resources to catch up  to no avail.

In search, Google has a stranglehold with 85% of the worldwide search market share in the first quarter of 2023, compared to 9% for Bing. In browsing, Edge fares even worse: it accounts for a 5% market share compared to 64% for Chrome and 20% for Safari. Thats a far cry from 2003, when Internet Explorer had a 95% market share.

You might think that after several decades of trying to dominate search and web browsing, Microsoft would finally throw in the towel. Instead, it is doubling down, making Bing and Edge the center of its universe.

What now leads the company to think this time around it can succeed? Artificial intelligence (AI).

Microsoft believes its chatbot and other AI capabilities will give it a leg up on Google. Its pushing full speed ahead to integrate AI so deeply into Bing and Edge that they could become the glue that holds together its entire product line. If that succeeds, Microsoft may finally end Googles dominance in search and browsing.

Bing takes center stage

Microsoft has the lead in AI and its rushing to bring more AI into Bing, and connect the search engine to Microsoft 365 (formerly Microsoft Office) and other productivity products.

How fast is it moving? Ive been covering Microsoft for decades, and Ive never seen anything like the speed with which new AI capabilities are being launched. In February, the company integrated ChatbotGPT into Bing with much fanfare, but to a carefully limited audience.

The publicity around it was enormous, although much of it was critical. The chatbot told an Associated Press reviewer that he was like Adolph Hitler, saying the reporter is one of the most evil and worst people in history. It fell in love with a New York Times reporter and tried to get him to leave his wife.

In years past, Microsoft would have quickly backed off thanks to the bad PR. Not this time. The company put up a few guard rails on its chatbot, but other than that, it was full throttle, ramping up the number of people it allowed to use Bings chatbot.

Last week, the US government, alarmed by the potential dangers of AI, summoned the leaders of Microsoft, Google, Open AI (the maker of ChatbotGPT), and AI startup Anthropic to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris to put pressure on them to slow down. President Biden dropped by and warned, What youre doing has enormous potential and enormous danger. Harris doubled down, saying, The private sector has an ethical, moral and legal responsibility to ensure the safety and security of their products.

Microsofts response? It thumbed its nose at the president and vice president. On the day of the meeting, it opened up the Bing chatbot to countless millions, announcing that anyone who wanted to use the Bing chatbot could do it, took off the safety guardrails it had put in to reign in the chatbot, and opened up the chatbot to developers who could tie their products to it. And the company made crystal clear that Bing will be at the center of its universe.

What will that mean in practice? The not-yet-released AI-driven Microsoft Copilot will likely be incorporated into Bing, letting you use Microsoft 365 apps and other Microsoft tools without leaving the search engine. When Copilot launches, according to Microsoft, you wont even need to use the apps yourself. Just tell Copilot what you want done, point it at the right data, and it will create documents for you.

Heres how that might work on Bing. Lets say youre going to give a presentation about a worldwide product launch of your companys new line of work-from-home office furniture. You want to create several slides showing the potential market size in various regions around the world, build other slides highlighting the furnitures design, price points, and benefits compared to competitors, and add still others detailing the product rollout schedule.

At the moment, youd have to do internet searches to gather information, find other information in your companys internal networks, organize and summarize the data, then use Excel, Word, and PowerPoint to create the documents, slides and the entire presentation.

In Microsofts vision of the future, that clunky process goes away. Simply head to Bing and tell its chatbot the slides you want to create and ask it to create them for you using information it finds on your company network and the internet. It will do research, create your slides, and then build the entire presentation. Yes, youll still need to do editing. But if it works as promised  a big if, of course  it could be a profound productivity enhancer. It would also dramatically eat into Googles search dominance, and maybe even let Microsoft take the lead.

Theres no certainty any of this will ever happen. Tech companies almost always promise more than they can deliver  its built in their DNA. Still, thats currently Microsofts vision, and whether it works or not, the company is putting Bing at the center of its universe.

Edge also takes center stage

Microsoft is also forging links between Edge, Microsoft 365, and Bing. It envisions its browser and search engine inextricably linked to each other and the rest of the companys product lineup.

As a first step, Microsoft has added a Bing sidebar to Edge. With it, Bings chatbot features are a click away, including chatting with it, asking it to research and write, create art for you, and more.

The sidebar also includes links to other Microsoft products, notably Microsoft 365. Click the Microsoft 365 icon, and youll see (and can open) all of your recently used documents inside Bing in online versions of Microsoft 365 apps. You can also launch any Microsoft 365 app online, including Teams, OneNote, and Outlook, in addition to Excel, PowerPoint and Word. There are also separate icons on the sidebar to launch Outlook and OneNote.

Beyond that, when you use Edge, youll be able to continue the same chatbot session across all of your devices, including phones, laptops, desktops and tablets. Edge will also keep a history of all your chat sessions. Microsoft is betting that if people use Bing  and other Microsoft products  theyll want to use Edge as well.

Will it work?

To be sure, its a big bet. Will it pay off? Its success depends on whether Microsoft can deliver on its AI promises. It also depends on whether Bing and Edges AI capabilities prove to be superior to what Google is working on.

At the moment, Microsofts AI tools are far better. But that advantage may not last. And if it doesnt, Microsoft will once again find itself a second fiddle in search and browsing.
At its annual I/O conference, Google today announced a number of AI-infused upgrades to its Workspace suite of office tools and applications for business teams to use in collaborating on projects.

As a competitor to Microsofts Copilot AI assistant, Google announced Duet AI, which offers a number of generative AI tools for Googles productivity apps within Workspace. Duet AI offers assistance in writing text in Google Docs and Gmail, as well as help with image generation for Slides, a PowerPoint-like slide presentation program. Duet AI can also summarize conversations on Google Meet, a video conferencing service.

Google Workspace offers unified workflows, texting, and voice communications  primarily through Gmail and Google Meet. Workspaces collaboration apps include Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms.

Google also announced a new name and use for Smart Compose, a textual assistant now called Help Me Write. Help Me Write offers users prose suggestions for use in Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drawings. The only update, however, is that Help Me Write will now be offered on Gmail on mobile devices.

Sheets, Googles spreadsheet app, has been upgraded to include a Bard-based text box allowing a user to ask Sheets to create a spreadsheet based on a typed query. For example, a business user could ask for the top supply chain providers of a part needed for manufacturing a product. Sheets will provide a spreadsheet with the suppliers, along with images and links to products.

Sheets also plugs into Google Charts, an interactive chart and data tool. So, like Excel, Sheets can be used to organize data and then produce bar, pie, or other styles of charts for data illustration.

Google also talked up Sidekick, which is able to read, summarize, and answer questions on documents across different Google apps.

Google called its Workspace AI upgrades experimental and said the only way for people to access the AI upgrades will be to sign up on a waitlist for Google Labs.

Chirag Dekate, a vice president analyst at Gartner Research, called Googles AI-infused Workspace a tool to transform user productivity, while empowering users to protect their data and models.

Googles leadership class Generative AI infused across their Google Workspace enables a differentiated consumer experience, said Dekate. From Duet AI-enabled email composing tools to writing documents, creating custom images, and using pre-integrated generative AI models, Workspace as a platform offers an integrated experience where users do not have to farm different sources of models for similar functionality.

Google and Microsoft are in the throes of an AI-based competition. In February, the companies announced AI-enhancements to their search engines; Microsoft touted upgrades to Bing while Google countered with an AI-infused version of Search. The goal for AI in search engines is to offer users a greater depth search results.

For its part, Google also released Bard, an experimental, conversational chatbot the company said is powered by a technology called Language Model for Dialogue Applications (or LaMDA for short).

In its February announcement, Google revealed a partnership and strategic stake in DeepMind  an AI competitor to OpenAI, the company heavily backed by Microsoft investments and whose technology is the basis for Microsofts ChatGPT chatbot.

IBM and AWS have also jumped into the pond with their own generative AI products, aimed at helping enterprises design and tune large language models (LLMs) for their operational and business requirements.

From Android, to Workspace and Enterprise cloud platforms, Google demonstrated its clear intent to lead the conversation around generative AI and create transformative moments for its users, both consumers and enterprise alike, Dekate said.
Singapore proposes new law to fight cybercrime; cites 25% online crime spike

As cybercrime spikes around the world, including in Asian nations with a high level of digital connectivity, Singapore has introduced a bill in its parliament this week to crack down on the whole gamut of cybercrime, from misinformation campaigns and exploitation to online scams and drug trafficking. Provisions of the proposed legislation include app removal from app stores available to Internet users in Singapore.

The new bill is part of a suite of laws meant to make the online space safer for Singaporeans. Photo courtesy: Connected to India

The Online Criminal Harms Bill has been introduced for the first reading and will most likely pass into law soon. The proposed law, drafted by the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs, forms one component of a wider suite of legislation to protect Singaporeans, according to a ministry statement. The other laws in this suite include Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act; the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act; and the recently amended Broadcasting Act.

If passed into law, the proposed legislation will enable the Singapore government to take a proactive approach to tackling cybercrime. The key aims of the Online Criminal Harms Bill for Singapore are:

- taking swift action against criminal activities carried out online;

- proactively disrupting scams and malicious cyber activities before they harm more victims.

Mechanism of the proposed law

Cybercrime has cost the Singapore public SGD660 million in 2022. Photo: Connected to India

The ministry statement explained that under the proposed law, Government Directions may be issued when there is reasonable suspicion that an online activity is being carried out to commit a crime. It added that depending on the facts of the case, the government could issue any of the following directions:

Stop Communication Direction: This requires the recipient of the Direction to stop communicating specified online content (including substantially similar content) to people in Singapore.

Disabling Direction: This requires online service providers to disable specified content (e.g. a post or page) on their service from the view of people in Singapore, which may include identical copies of the content.

Account Restriction Direction: This requires online service providers to stop an account on their service from communicating in Singapore and/or interacting with people in Singapore.

Access Blocking Direction: This requires Internet service providers to block access to an online location such as a web domain from the view of people in Singapore.

App Removal Direction: This requires app stores to remove an app from its Singapore storefront to stop further downloads of the app by people in Singapore.

More than SGD$660 million lost to scams

Citing some statistics on the threats that have prompted the tabling of this bill, the Ministry of Home Affairs statement said: Online services have transformed our lives, bringing new opportunities for people and businesses. However, the online space is also increasingly being exploited by criminals.

For example, in Singapore, we have had to deal with cases such as the dissemination of voyeuristic images and the sale of drugs that leverage a variety of online platforms.

Earlier this year, 23 men were arrested in an operation against online child sexual exploitation, including for the transmission of obscene materials. In 2022, 32 drug offenders were arrested in an operation against drug transactions conducted through chat apps. Scams and malicious cyber activities have also proliferated in recent years.

The ministry statement said that cybercrime cases in Singapore saw a big jump last year. [In 2022], 33,669 scams and cybercrime cases were reported in Singapore, a 25.2 per cent increase from 2021, and more than SGD$660 million was lost to scams.

Phishing attacks have increased significantly in Singapore from 2021 to 2022.

About the various types of scams, the ministry statement said: The most common scams, such as those offering attractive investments, jobs and product deals, were often perpetrated or facilitated through online platforms. Phishing, which is often an attack vector for scams and malicious cyber activities, has also increased significantly. Approximately 8,500 phishing attempts were reported to SingCERT in 2022, which is more than double the 3,100 phishing attempts reported in 2021.

Read more Singapore News here
Singapore starts public opinion survey on more effective neighbour dispute management

A public opinion survey on major changes to neighbour dispute management in Singapore begins from today, 6pm local time, and it runs till May 31. The survey can be found online.

The survey is designed to find out how the people of Singapore feel about giving increased powers to public officers in the island nation in order to settle serious disputes among neighbours.

The majority of community disputes involve neighbourhood noise, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. Photo: CtoI

What qualifies as serious will be considered on a case by case basis, having regard to the context and circumstances in which the dispute has arisen, said a post dated May 9 on the website of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), Singapore. The majority of community disputes involve neighbourhood noise, it added.

According to the information available, the increased powers include public officers entering homes and seizing items related to disputes. The powers will be activated if changes suggested in the Community Dispute Management Framework (CDMF) come into effect. Public feedback on this matter is invited through the online survey.

The survey, which is essentially a consultation between the government and the public, has been initiated by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth; Ministry of Law; and Ministry of National Development under the Forward Singapore exercise.

The changes suggested in the CDMF aim at more targeted and effective intervention in serious neighbour dispute cases, according to information released to Singapore media. The changes give the Community Mediation Centre the power to ask for a repeat mediation for cases that were settled in the past but whose terms were breached afterwards.

The enhanced powers for public officers would reportedly allow them to enter residential premises with or without the consent of the occupants. They would be allowed to also stop disruptions and/or confiscate nuisance-causing object[s].

CDMF, established about eight years ago, promotes good relations among Singapore neighbours.

The MCCY post said: The Community Dispute Management Framework promotes neighbourliness and encourages residents to engage with one another in the first instance, when disputes arise. As much as possible, it is best that disputes are resolved amicably at an early stage, before they become intransigent or intractable.

Residents can also seek help from grassroots leaders to facilitate communications or attempt formal mediation at the Community Mediation Centre with a trained mediator.

If and when a dispute does become intransigent or intractable and the neighbours have a serious falling out, then the suggested increased powers of public officers might be required for an intervention.
Controversial New York drag queen and Congressman George Santos might be heading to prison  or, if hes to be believed, he might be headed to Atlantis instead.

Today, the compulsive liar who has falsely claimed to be a volleyball star at a college he didnt attend, a Goldman Sachs trader and the descendant of Holocaust survivors pled not guilty to a wide-ranging, 13-count criminal indictment that includes wire fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds and lying on federal disclosure forms. Santos is now out on a $500,000 bond and has already taken to Twitter to simply announce, WITCH HUNT! before returning to his lunch appointment with Tupac and JFK.

Twitter, in turn, is having a field day as it flames the comically incompetent con man while he stares down multiple federal prosecutors barrels. As new revelations about mishandled political funds come out, here are the best burns on New Yorks sleaziest congressman and NASAs top xenobiologist:
A previously undocumented malware campaign called DownEx has been observed actively targeting government institutions in Central Asia for cyberespionage, according to a report by Bitdefender.

The first instance of the malware was detected in 2022 in a highly targeted attack aimed at exfiltrating data from foreign government institutions in Kazakhstan. Researchers observed another attack in Afghanistan.

The domain and IP addresses involved do not appear in any previously documented incidents, and the malware does not share any code similarities with previously known malicious software, Bitdefender said in its report.

The researchers say that the attack highlights the sophistication of a modern cyberattack. Cybercriminals are finding new methods for making their attacks more reliable, Bitdefender said.

Based on the specific targets of the attacks, document metadata that impersonates a real diplomat, and the primary focus being on data exfiltration, researchers believe that a state-sponsored group is responsible for these incidents. While the attacks have not been attributed to any specific threat actor, it is likely that a Russian group is responsible for the attacks.

One clue pointing at the origin of the attack is the use of a cracked version of Microsoft Office 2016 popular in Russian-speaking countries (known as SPecialisST RePack or Russian RePack by SPecialiST), Bitdefender said, adding that it is also unusual to see the same backdoor written in two languages. This practice was previously observed with group APT28 (Russia-based) with their backdoor Zebrocy.

It is likely that the initial access method used by the group is phishing emails.

Initial access gained through social engineering

Researchers say that most likely the threat actors used social engineering techniques to deliver a spear-phishing email with a malicious payload as the initial access vector.

The attack used a simple technique of using an icon file associated with .docx files to masquerade an executable file as a Microsoft Word document, Bitdefender said.

When the victim opens the attachment two files are downloaded, a lure document thats displayed to the victim and a malicious HTML application with the embedded code that runs in the background. The payload is designed to establish communication with the command-and-control servers.

The download of the next stage failed, and we have not been able to retrieve the payload from the command and control (C2) server. Based on our analysis of similar attacks, we expect threat actors tried to download backdoor to establish persistence, Bitdefender said.

Exfiltration of data

Upon execution, DownEx moves laterally across local and network drives to extract files from Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents, images and videos, compressed files, and PDFs. It also looks for encryption keys and QuickBooks log files.

DownEx exfiltrates data using a password-protected zip archive, limiting the size of each archive to 30 MB. In some cases multiple archives were exfiltrated, the researchers observed.

This is a fileless attack  the DownEx script is executed in memory and never touches the disk, Bitdefender said.

To prevent attacks like this, researchers advise organizations to focus on implementing a combination of cybersecurity technologies to harden their security posture.

Technologies such as advanced malware detection with machine learning that can identify malicious scripts, email filtering, sandbox for the detonation of suspicious files, network protection that can block C2 connections, and detection and response capabilities that extend beyond the endpoints to networks, Bitdefender said.

Rise in Russia-based malware

After Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the cyberespionage activities from Russia on Ukraine and countries that support Ukraine have significantly intensified.

Governments are also trying to actively disrupt these activities and prevent state-sponsored groups from carrying out the attacks.

The news of the new malware strain involved in cyberespionage comes a day after the US announced that it had disrupted one of the most sophisticated malware sets used by the Russian intelligence services, Snake malware.

The US government attributes the Snake malware to the Turla unit within Center 16 of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB). The Turla unit has used several versions of Snake malware in the last 20 years to steal sensitive documents from hundreds of computer systems across at least 50 countries. Its targets included governments, journalists, and other targets of interest to the Russian Federation including the NATO nations.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

From the Rio Grande Valley in Texas to San Diego and Tijuana, many migrants gathered along sections of the U.S.-Mexico border questioned when or whether they would cross into the United States to seek asylum once pandemic-related restrictions known as Title 42 ended.

Some migrants who had traveled from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Central America feared it could be harder for them to stay on U.S. soil with the restrictions lifted.

Here are some of the stories from along the 1,950-mile (3,140-kilometer) international boundary:

___

Ludin, a Honduran man who asked that his last name not be used out of fear for his safety and that of his family, arrived Friday at Tijuanas El Chaparral port of entry with his pregnant wife and 5-year-old son.

He stood just feet from U.S. soil, conflicted over how to proceed.

Do you think we can cross and ask for asylum? he asked.

He said he had been trying to use an app that border officials created for people to request asylum in the U.S.  CBP One  every day for weeks, repeatedly uploading his case information and photos including scars on his body from being shot nine times during a 2021 robbery. One large scar snakes down his neck from an operation to remove one of the bullets that struck him.

The app never worked for him, only displaying an error screen or saying no more slots for applicants were available.

Blaine Bookey, an immigration lawyer helping people at the crossing, said U.S. officials were telling asylum-seekers at the port to keep trying the app.

There seems to be no option right now for people to ask for asylum if they dont have an appointment through the CBP app, she said.

___

Some migrants were arriving at the border after months of travel.

Jesus Bravo and his wife, Jhohan Miperasa, arrived in Matamoros across the border from Brownsville, Texas, with infant twin daughters who were born along the way.

They had left their native Venezuela nine months earlier, crossed the treacherous Darien Gap dividing Colombia and Panama, then stopped in Panama where the girls were born.

On Friday, they stepped off a bus, pushed the babies in a double stroller across the city and headed straight to the banks of the Rio Grande.

I am tired of the app, they never reply, they never give me an appointment, said Bravo, 23. So I have to cross through the river, like everybody else.

___

Aylin Guevara, 45, hurried her steps the evening before as she walked through the scorching desert of Ciudad Juarez toward the border.

She was accompanied by her two children, ages 16 and 5, and her husband. The family fled their coastal city in Colombia after receiving death threats, and hoped to seek refuge in the U.S.

After spending the previous night in a hotel, they were eager to get to the border, to get in and go with the help of God and baby Jesus, Guevara said.

But when they arrived with just hours to go before the end of Title 42, a U.S. immigration officer said they could not pass.

Not anymore, its over, he told them in a firm voice, instructing them to go to bridges 10 miles (16 kilometers) to their left or right.

___

Jose Manuel Bueno was among the last people sent back to Ciudad Juarez late Thursday under Title 42.

The 28-year-old Venezuelan said he didn't know the exact whereabouts of his pregnant wife and three children, who were in custody in the U.S. Bueno said he was earlier advised to use the app, but he decided it would be better to cross the border and turn himself in.

They didnt have to split my family, Bueno insisted. I have my childrens birth certificates.

Bueno set up camp for the night next to a bridge with about a dozen other men after they charged their cellphones from a connection in the street.

Its the safest place now, he said.

___

Diana Rodas, an elementary school teacher from Colombia, spent the night shivering with her two daughters, ages 7 and 13, sleeping on the ground between two towering border walls dividing San Diego and Tijuana. The girls cried all night.

At about 2 a.m. Friday, U.S. agents took away between 15 and 20 families with children under age 2 who had been among the hundreds sleeping under plastic tarps and blankets.

We never expected all this, said Rodas, who fled her homeland after her life was threatened. She feared deportation but wanted to stay optimistic. "Hope is the last thing that goes.

The hundreds of migrants, mostly families, sat in two dozen rows between the border walls while Border Patrol agents walked by and decided who would be processed.

When some were selected, those left behind cheered.

One woman yelled Suerte! or Good luck! as those chosen were loaded into a Border Patrol van.

Gloria Inigo of Peru said she hoped she, her husband and their daughters, ages 5 and 8, would be next. They crossed the border Wednesday before the rules changed.

I have faith, Inigo said.

___

Authorities in the remote desert community of Yuma, Arizona, expressed alarm after the average daily number of migrant arrivals grew this week from 300 to 1,000.

Mayor Doug Nicholls asked for the federal government to declare a national disaster so Federal Emergency Management Agency resources and National Guard troops could be rushed to his and other small border communities.

Most migrants are transported to shelters operated by nonprofit organizations farther away from the border, but border officials will release them into communities if enough transportation isn't available. Nicholls said officials told him they would release 141 people in Yuma County on Friday.

The question keeps coming up: What now? I've been asking that question for two years, with no answers, Nicholls said. We are at a situation we've never been at before.

___

Venezuelan Dayana Ybarra and her husband crossed two weeks ago through a gap in the wall near El Paso because they feared it would be much harder after Title 42 expired.

They were apprehended. She was detained for three days and her husband for nine.

On Friday, they were waiting at the Sacred Heart shelter in El Paso hoping to raise the money necessary to get to North Carolina, where she has two brothers and a court date in two months.

The couple left their three children behind.

Its because of them she and her husband decided to take the risk, Ybarra said.

___

On a stretch of border wall in Tijuana, migrants asked passersby for blankets, food and water as the sun set over a steep hill.

Gerson Aguilera, 41, got to Tijuana around 4 p.m. with his three kids and wife to try to cross and ask for asylum. From Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Aguilera said he and his family fled after organized criminals started demanding he pay twice the extortion money he was already paying of 2,000 Honduran lempira (roughly $81) a week.

Its very hard. For a payment, they will kill you, Aguilera said with tears in his eyes.

The owner of a welding shop, Aguilera said he left his home once before in 2020 because of threats, but returned when things calmed down. That wasnt an option anymore.

We ask that God helps us, Aguilar said.

___

Associated Press journalists Gerardo Carrillo in Matamoros, Mexico; Maria Verza in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; Giovanna Dell'Orto in El Paso, Texas; and Julie Watson and Suman Naishadham in Tijuana, Mexico, contributed to this report. Snow reported from Phoenix.
ST. PAUL, Minn, (AP)  A pair of gun violence prevention measures long sought by Minnesota Democrats were added Wednesday to a broad public safety budget bill, significantly raising their chances of becoming law.

By unanimous voice votes, an all-Democratic House-Senate conference committee approved expanded background checks for gun transfers and a separate proposal for a red flag law." It would allow authorities to obtain extreme risk protection orders to temporarily take guns away from people deemed to be an imminent threat to others or themselves.

But the gun measures still have a ways to go before they can become law. The conference committee had other work to complete on the package before sending it back to the full House and Senate. Lawmakers will then have to vote on the entire must-pass funding bill, which could make the choice easier to swallow for a handful of rural Democratic senators who have been on the fence. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has pledged to sign it.

Michigan, another Midwest state where gun-owning culture runs deep, is also close to passing a red flag law, and adopted a background check bill last month. While red flag laws are touted as a powerful tool to stop gun violence before it happens, an Associated Press analysis in September found that they are barely used in the 19 states and the District of Columbia where they exist.

While the Minnesota House had included the two proposals in its version of the bill, it has been an open question all year whether supporters could find enough votes in the Senate, where Democrats hold only a one-seat majority and left the language out of their version. The conference committee's action Wednesday suggested that sponsors think they now have the votes.

Committee members pointed to the record pace of mass shootings across the United States this year, which seem to be widening the political divide among states on guns. Despite a mass shooting at an outdoor shopping mall near Dallas on Saturday, momentum in Texas flickered out Wednesday after Republicans stalled a bill that would raise the purchase age for AR-style rifles,

Sen. Bonnie Westlin, of Plymouth, said the shooters are frequently experiencing suicidal episodes, and there is often some kind of warning that they are in crisis.

No one has ever said any one of these provisions will completely eliminate gun violence and gun deaths and gun injuries. No one has ever made that statement, Westlin said. But this is about harm reduction. It is about risk reduction. It is about acknowledging and intervening and helping people before something happens.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Ron Latz, of St. Louis Park, has fought for years to advance both proposals but was blocked in previous sessions by the former Senate Republican majority. He disputed the argument from gun rights supporters that guns arent the problem, its people.

Neither of these bills ban firearms, Latz said. "These bills focus on the people. Separating the firearms from the people who are resisting the law and ineligible to possess firearms and therefore shouldnt have them  or people, because of the crisis that theyre in, (who) are an immediate threat to the safety of themselves or their family or others around them

The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, which contends the proposals would be unconstitutional violations of the Second Amendment, decried how the all-Democratic conference committee rushed through the measures unanimously, with little public discussion and without taking testimony.

By packaging it together with funding for corrections, courts, and public defenders, they are giving political cover to vulnerable senators, the group tweeted. It specifically named Democratic Sens. Rob Kupec, of Moorhead, Grant Hauschild, of Hermantown, Judy Seeberger, of Afton, and Aric Putnam, of St. Cloud, some of whom have avoided taking public positions so far.

It remains to be seen if Senate Democrats have the votes to pass their public safety bill, GOP Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, of East Grand Forks, said in a statement. The self-described moderates will have to decide if they will stay true to the promises to their constituents or bend to the will of party leadership.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Members of New Mexicos congressional delegation are criticizing federal emergency managers for missing deadlines as residents seek recovery assistance following the largest wildfire in the states recorded history.

It has been a year since the U.S. Forest Service sparked the blaze after two prescribed-burn operations meant to clear dead and overgrown vegetation went awry. Hundreds of homes were destroyed along with the livelihoods of many rural residents who are now bracing for another season of post-fire flooding.

U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez and U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan wrote in a letter sent Wednesday to FEMA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that the agencies need to finalize regulations for doling out nearly $4 million in recovery funds to families and businesses.

Without the final rules, they say justice for victims is being delayed, resulting in confusion and uncertainty for residents.

The lawmakers also said FEMA has missed a number of self-imposed deadlines, and that has deepened mistrust with the community.

Every day that passes without compensation to the victims delays their ability to begin rebuilding after losing so much," the letter states. "We ask that you put yourself into the shoes of those whove waited more than a year after the fire started.

FEMA opened its regional claims offices to the public in recent weeks, and the director, Angela Gladwell, has vowed that her staff will be here until the job is done and every claimant receives the compensation they're due.

Regional FEMA officials did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment about the lawmakers' letter or the timing for finalizing the regulations.

The New Mexico officials indicated that the delay was related to reconsideration of provisions that deal with compensation for trees that were burned on private property and compensation for risk reduction. They have argued the language was a holdover from a different catastrophe that affected suburban homes, not an economy based on forest.

We reiterate the importance of removing these caps. It is vitally important that our communities are able to begin restoring their lands and begin mitigation efforts to protect their homes and properties from future flooding or fire, the letter reads.

Leger Fernandez and the two senators requested that FEMA and Homeland Security provide an update, saying many victims still are without permanent homes and the anticipated flooding this summer will make matters worse.

Fire danger also remains high across parts of New Mexico despite above-average snowpack in the higher elevations. Red flag warnings prompted by strong winds and dry conditions were issued for much of the state Wednesday, as crews battled a new fire near the burn scar.

The blaze near Sapello sent up a large plume of smoke, prompting road closures and evacuations.

The National Park Service on Wednesday cancelled its plans for a prescribed fire at El Malpais National Monument, citing the deteriorating weather conditions.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Serbian citizens have handed over nearly 6,000 unregistered weapons in the first three days of a month-long amnesty period that is part of an anti-gun crackdown following two mass shootings last week, police said Thursday.

Police also have received nearly 300,000 rounds of ammunition and about 470 explosive devices during the same period, the Serbian Interior Ministry said on Instagram.

The effort to rid Serbia of excessive guns was launched after 17 people were killed in two mass shootings last week and 21 were wounded, many of them children. One of the shootings took place in a school for the first time ever in Serbia.

Authorities have told citizens to give up unregistered weapons by June 8 or face prison sentences. Other anti-gun measures include a ban on new gun licenses, stricter controls on gun owners and shooting ranges, and tougher punishment for the illegal possession of weapons.

The school shooter was a 13-year-old boy who used his father's gun to open fire on his fellow students at an elementary school in central Belgrade last Wednesday, police have said. A day later, a 20-year-old man opened fire with an automatic weapon in a rural area south of the capital city.

Serbia is estimated to be among the top countries in Europe when it comes to gun possession per capita, which are partly left over from the wars in the 1990s. On Wednesday, police arrested the father of the suspected village shooter for illegal possession of weapons.

The two shootings have sparked calls for changes and more tolerance in Serbia's society. Thousands have marched in opposition-led protests in Belgrade and other towns, demanding resignations of populist government ministers as well as a ban on television stations that air violent content and host war criminals. More protests are planned on Friday.

Serbia's populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, has accused opposition parties of using the tragedy for political ends. He has announced plans for an own rally in late May.

Vucic, a former ultranationalist who now says he wants to take Serbia into the European Union, has faced accusations of promoting hate speech against opponents, curbing free speech with a tight grip over mainstream media and taking control of all state institutions. He has denied this.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP)  Migrants rushed across the Mexico border Thursday, racing to enter the U.S. before pandemic-related asylum restrictions are lifted in a shift that threatens to put a historic strain on the nations beleaguered immigration system.

The imminent end of the rules known as Title 42 stirred fear among migrants that the changes would make it more difficult for them to stay in the U.S. And the Biden administration was dealt a potentially serious legal setback when a federal judge temporarily blocked its attempt to more quickly release migrants when Border Patrol holding stations are full.

With a late-night deadline looming, misinformation and confusion buffeted migrants as they paced the border at the Rio Grande, often unsure of where to go or what to do next.

At Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, throngs of migrants  some clutching small children  waded across spring river currents, pushed through thickets to confront a border fortified with razor wire. Other migrants settled into shelters in northern Mexico, determined to secure an asylum appointment that can take months to schedule online.

Many migrants were acutely aware of looming policy changes designed to stop illegal crossings and encourage asylum seekers to apply online and consider alternative destinations, including Canada or Spain.

I dont know whats going to happen tomorrow, said Jhoan Daniel Barrios, a former military police officer from Venezuela as he paced with two friends along the the border in Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, looking for a chance to seek refuge in the U.S.

We dont have any money left, we dont have food, we dont have a place to stay, the cartel is pursuing us, said Barrios, whose wife was in U.S. custody. What are we going to do, wait until they kill us?

Last week, Barrios and his friends entered the U.S. and were expelled. They had little hope of a different result Thursday.

On the U.S. side of the river, many surrendered immediately to authorities and hoped to be released while pursuing their cases in backlogged immigration courts, which takes years.

It was not clear how many migrants were on the move or how long the surge might last. By Thursday evening, the flow seemed to be slowing in some locations, but it was not clear why, or whether crossings would increase again after the coronavirus-related restrictions expire.

A U.S. official reported the Border Patrol stopped some 10,000 migrants on Tuesday  nearly twice the level from March and only slightly below the 11,000 figure that authorities have said is the upper limit of what they expect after Title 42 ends.

More than 27,000 people were in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, the official said.

Our buses are full. Our planes are full, said Pedro Cardenas, a city commissioner in Brownsville, Texas, just north of Matamoros, as recent arrivals headed to locations across the U.S.

President Joe Biden's administration has been unveiling strict new measures to replace Title 42, which since March 2020 has allowed border officials to quickly return asylum seekers back over the border on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

The new policies crack down on illegal crossings while also setting up legal pathways for migrants who apply online, seek a sponsor and undergo background checks. If successful, the reforms could fundamentally alter how migrants arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border.

But it will take time to see results. Biden has conceded the border will be chaotic for a while. Immigrant advocacy groups have threatened legal action. And migrants fleeing poverty, gangs and persecution in their homelands are still desperate to reach U.S. soil at any cost.

Many migrants were acutely aware of looming policy changes as they searched Thursday for an opportunity to turn themselves over to U.S. immigration authorities before the 11:59 EDT deadline.

While Title 42 prevented many from seeking asylum, it carried no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. After Thursday, migrants face being barred from entering the U.S. for five years and possible criminal prosecution.

Holding facilities along the border already were far beyond capacity. But late Thursday, U.S. District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, an appointee of President Donald Trump, halted the administrations plan to begin releasing migrants with notices to report to an immigration office in 60 days when holding centers reach 125% capacity, or where people are held an average of 60 hours. The quick releases were to also be triggered when authorities stop 7,000 migrants along the border in a day.

The state of Florida argued the administrations plan was nearly identical to another Biden policy previously voided in federal court. Earlier Thursday, the Justice Department said its new move was a response to an emergency and being prevented from carrying it out could overwhelm the border and raise serious health and safety risks to noncitizens and immigration officials.

Weatherell blocked the releases for two weeks and scheduled a May 19 hearing on whether to extend his order.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had already warned of more crowded Border Patrol facilities to come.

I cannot overstate the strain on our personnel and our facilities," he told reporters Thursday.

Even as migrants were racing to reach U.S. soil before the rules expire, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said smugglers were sending a different message. He noted an uptick in smugglers at his country's southern border offering to take migrants to the United States and telling them the border was open starting Thursday.

On Wednesday, Homeland Security announced a rule to make it extremely difficult for anyone who travels through another country, like Mexico, or who did not apply online, to qualify for asylum. It also introduced curfews with GPS tracking for families released in the U.S. before initial asylum screenings.

The administration says it is beefing up the removal of migrants found unqualified to stay in the U.S. on flights like those that brought nearly 400 migrants home to Guatemala from the U.S. on Thursday.

Among them was Sheidi Mazariegos, 26, who arrived with her 4-year-old son just eight days after being detained near Brownsville.

I heard on the news that there was an opportunity to enter, I heard it on the radio, but it was all a lie, she said. Smugglers got her to Matamoros and put the two on a raft. They were quickly apprehended by Border Patrol agents.

Mazariegos said she made the trek because she is poor and hoped to reunite with her sisters living in the U.S.

At the same time, the administration has introduced expansive new legal pathways into the U.S.

Up to 30,000 people a month from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela can enter if they apply online with a financial sponsor and enter through an airport. Processing centers are opening in Guatemala, Colombia and elsewhere. Up to 1,000 can enter daily though land crossings with Mexico if they snag an appointment on an online app.

At shelters in northern Mexico, many migrants chose not to rush to the border and waited for existing asylum appointments or hopes of reserving one online.

At the Agape Mision Mundial shelter in Tijuana, hundreds of migrants bided their time. Daisy Bucia, 37, and her 15-year-old daughter arrived at the shelter over three months ago from Mexicos Michoacan state  fleeing death threats  and have an asylum appointment Saturday in California.

Bucia read on social media that pandemic-era restrictions were ending at the U.S.-Mexico border, but preferred to cross with certainty later.

What people want more than anything is to confuse you, Bucia said.

___

Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Rebecca Santana in Washington; Christopher Sherman in Mexico City; Gerardo Carrillo in Matamoros, Mexico; Maria Verza in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Giovanna DellOrto in El Paso; and Elliot Spagat in Tijuana, Mexico, contributed to this report.
I lost a dollar this week.

It was a standing-in-the-driveway bet with my longtime friend Bill Curry at 2:15 p.m. on Monday.

Curry said E. Jean Carroll would win her civil case against the uncivil Donald Trump. I took that action, because I thought Carrolls haziness about the date of the incident would hurt her credibility.

Curry had been paying closer attention and understood the damage Trump did to his own credibility during his bizarre deposition, which was shown at trial in lieu of the defendant even setting foot in the courtroom.

Quizzed about his infamous Access Hollywood tape comments, Trump asserted that stars have historically been able to grab, uninvited, the vaginas of women. If you look over the last million years I guess thats been largely true  unfortunately or fortunately.

Fact check: the species homo sapiens has existed for at most 300,000 years, so Trump would be grandfathering in, perhaps not unreasonably, homo erectus.

And then theres that word fortunately. Because, you know, sometimes it just works out great for both parties. They met cute. This is what the man says while defending himself in a rape and defamation case.

Trump also volunteered the unsolicited information that he did not find Carrolls lawyer Roberta Kaplan sexually attractive. You would not be a choice of mine either. I hope youre not insulted. I would not under any circumstances have any interest in you.

Let us stipulate that Kaplan was not, in the moment, insulted while her brain flooded itself with the endorphins a lawyer only gets while watching a defendant avidly become a witness for the plaintiff.

And then came the much-decried moment when Trump, shown a photograph of himself and Carroll, insisted Carroll was in fact his second wife Marla Maples. Its a mistake to follow Trumps pretzel logic, but lets go there anyway. Shes not my type is not a palatable defense against a civil or criminal rape allegation. But, having said that about Carroll, Trump undercut his own point by confusing her with someone he had, you know, married.

My other mistake was forgetting that New York City, site of the trial, creates a home court disadvantage for Trump. The locals have known him long and up close and are far more likely to regard him as  the Yiddish word is schnorrer  a chiseler, a parasite, a guy who balances the books by stiffing his vendors. New Yorkers knew Trump, pre-Apprentice, for what he was: a big brand with a small product.

Nine jurors took about three hours to return a verdict: Trump caused harm to Carroll through sexual abuse and attacks on her character. The sexual assault verdict was one notch below Carrolls rape complaint. If I refused to pay Curry on that basis, it would be the Trumpiest thing ever.

Add it to the list. Trump is the only former president to have been impeached twice, criminally indicted on multiple felony counts and adjudged a tortfeasor in a case where he was a character witness against himself.

Trump and his base have a ready-made answer. It just proves they are out to get him. As Trump said during the final year of his term, They always said Lincoln  nobody got treated worse than Lincoln. I believe I am treated worse. Pointing out that Lincoln was shot dead would strike Trump as haggling.

The alternative explanation is a national case of gastroenteritis. Trump was like a bad oyster we ate in 2016, and were still trying to purge him from our bowels.

It would be a mistake, however, to let ourselves off the hook. On Wednesday evening, NPRs All Things Considered did a solid piece on the Trump/Carroll case and its connections to the #MeToo movement.

The program segued directly from that to a report about the shuttering of MTV News. The anchors, Sacha Pfeiffer and Mary Louise Kelly listened to a clip of the MTV town hall moment in 1994 when a participant asked Bill Clinton boxers or briefs? The anchors permitted themselves a warm, nostalgic chuckle, apparently unable to connect the two segments in a meaningful way.

Clinton is accused, not notably less credibly, of raping a woman named Juanita Broaddick. He settled the Paula Corbin Jones sexual harassment case for $850,000 and perjured himself during the deposition for that case. It takes an almost willed blindness to talk about #MeToo and, minutes later, pretend theres anything funny about his underpants.

In the Trump/Carroll segment, Kelly said Trump did not pay a political price for the Access Hollywood tape in 2016. One reason for that is that the top of the ballot did not offer a choice that wouldnt entail implicitly countenancing male sexual predation.

Evening blended into night and Trump appeared at a different town hall, hosted by CNN in New Hampshire. He called Carroll a whack job, said the 2020 election was rigged, minimized the Capitol riots and promised many pardons and refused to discuss Russias Ukraine aggression in any meaningful way. Interlocutor Kaitlan Collins stood her ground and repeatedly challenged Trump, prompting him to call her a nasty person. In other words, the ex-president played his hits.

What followed was hours of CNN fact-checking and hand-wringing over this horrible man. How dare he? I used to live near a man celebrated for discovering and putting out fires. Until it turned out he set them.

The network is short steps away from life support. Average hourly audience size dips below 500,000 in some ratings books. Cord-cutters and the younger cord-never-havers are strangling cable news with unused fiber optic lines. Trump has been the greatest source of CNN ratings, and a drowning man tends not to read the fine print on a life preserver.

And so it goes. The 2024 election will pit the Ancient Mariner against Cocaine Bear, and well all have to pay up in some way. Right now Ive gotta give Curry his dollar.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

GUILFORD  While a necessary $3.5 million town project threatens a rare 19th century house that is a link to the towns hidden Black history, officials and local historians aim to work together to preserve it.

Plans are to replace the failing dam and culverts at Lake Quonnipaug in North Guilford and realign the confusing intersection of Route 77, Hoop Hole Road and Lake Drive which traverses around an odd triangle lot where the historic home sits.

The road work would put the Ham Primus house right in the path of the new roadway, according to Town Engineer Janice Plaziak, who noted, The road has to go right through the middle of the building. The town purchased the land and building for $225,771 in July 2022.

The circa 1816 house at 3431 Durham Road was owned by Black freeman Ham Primus, whose family is important to Black history in the state, local historians say.

Historians and town officials are looking to either move the house to another spot on the original lot or relocate it off site. However, one historian wants the house to stay put.

Preservationists want to save the original portion of the house, a one story and half center chimney cape, which is cloaked in 20th century renovation materials, Town Historian Joel Helander said in a report to the town. The dwelling was added onto in the early 1900s and remodeled in the 1970s, he noted.

Luckily, restoration contractors discovered that the wood frame in the original part of the house was in remarkable shape, Helander said.

Its important to save the original house, according to Tracy Tomaselli of the Guilford Preservation Alliance, because of the very few number of properties that were ever owned by African Americans  especially prior to the Civil War  that tie into African American heritage, Tomaselli explained.

Dennis Culliton, who co-founded the Witness Stones project, which remembers slave people in the state, fully agrees.

First of all its a unicorn, one of a kind in Guilford, Culliton said. A home that is preserved  not well  but preserved since the time of slavery, over 200 years.

The Primus home anecdotally was called the Slave House, Culliton noted, based on the mistaken presumption that Primus was enslaved while living there.

He said that the name was a misnomer because Primus was not a slave in Guilford. He may have been born enslaved as probably his father was enslaved in Branford.

Near the Ham Primus home and still standing is the Deacon Simeon Chittenden house where Shem, an enslaved African American lived.

Shem was enslaved by Simeon Chittenden, a leader in the North Guilford Congregational Church, and his wife Submit; Shem was later buried next to the deacon at the Old North Guilford Cemetery. Another family of Black free persons, Dinah and Peter Gardner, were also neighbors of Primus, but their house is long gone.

According to Helander, in 1790, there were several North Guilford families who owned slaves. By 1810 there were no enslaved people in Guilford, he maintained.

But the Ham Primus story is singular. Primus married into, what I would consider a kind of a royal family, a family of African Americans who were very, very important in American history, Culliton said.

Who was Ham Primus and his family?

Primus was either born free in 1787 to slaves in Branford or became free at age 21, according to Tomaselli. So it's an evolving story of black heritage.

Primus had a seamans certificate in 1810 at age 23 which was proof of American citizenship, Tomaselli noted.

She said that it is difficult to document who was enslaved in the 19th century as records were incomplete. Because when we see records where they're only snapshots in time, she said. It's kind of tricky with this stuff.

Culliton agreed. It's a hidden history because we don't talk about African Americans, he said about their part in American history and only now, are we beginning to talk about it.

Helander noted that it was also difficult to ascertain property ownership of free Black people as land transfers were often made from slave owners and white persons to freed former slaves, sometimes in the form of gifts.

Finding out about the homestead and Ham Primus required some sleuthing.

With funding from Guilford Preservation Alliance, Helander commissioned a structural exam by antique home restorer Jonathan Wuerth; a dendrochronology timber analysis to determine the houses age by Daniel W.H. Miles of the Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory; and help from Michael Cuba of Transom Historic Preservation Consulting. Helander also spent several months doing title searches and looking up any and all related documents he could find.

The Primus family managed to integrate into the ruggedly rural North Guilford Society, Helander said in his report. Ham and his wife Temperance were members of the St. Johns Episcopal Church in North Guilford where several of the baptisms and deaths of some of their children were recorded from 1817-1824.



Primuss notable connections start with his father-in-law, Gad Asher, who has a very important, interesting story, Tomaselli said. He was enslaved by a man who lived in East Guilford (now Madison).

His owner promised him freedom if he would serve for him during the American Revolution, she recounted. Gad Asher served, but then his owner did not give him his freedom. Instead, Gad Asher then had to buy his own freedom.

At that point, Gad Asher had been blinded in the war and had to pay 40 pounds for his freedom, according to Helander.

The Primus house, shows us that the story from a family in general  meaning generation one  the parents and in-laws going from slavery to Ham, Tomaselli said, to a free man who was then able to own property and then his children becoming even more prominent in Hartford.

Culliton noted that Gad Ashers story was preserved in writing by his grandson, another prominent African American, Jeremiah Asher, who was a preacher, a Presbyterian minister and who was the first African American chaplain to die in service of his country in the American Civil War.

In addition to his distinguished relatives by marriage, Ham Primus had notable offspring.

His son Holdridge Primus became a very important free Black who lived in in Hartford, helping to found the Talcott Street Congregational Church and was also considered one of the elite African Americans in Hartford, Culliton said.

From that line, Holdriges daughter, Rebecca Primus founded a school of the Freedmans Bureau in Maryland, after the Civil War, according to Culliton. Not only was she a pioneer African American she was also a pioneer of women, he said.

What happens if house is moved?

If the house end up being moved off of the foundation to the southern part of that triangular space, it loses it loses its significance, Tomaselli said.

If it has to be moved entirely off of that triangle, then it loses, basically, complete historical significance, she said. It would no longer be eligible for the [Connecticut] Freedom Trail recognition. The Freedom Trail is now considering the application for it. She said the Guilford Preservation Alliance hopes the house is not moved from its foundation.

Tomaselli pointed to the fate of a historic house owned by a freed enslaved person, Ebenezer Freeman, at 50 North St. that was demolished in 1999. While a new house was built as a replica in its place, that house no longer truly exists, Tomaselli said, noting it now has no historical value.

As far as the Ham Primus house, town officials, she said are open to communication. I'm not sure if they are willing to spend any funding on it. I think they're totally agreeable to someone else coming in and doing all of that.

We are working with local, state historic groups, First Selectman Matt Hoey said in a text message. We intend to move forward with the dam project. The roadway realignment is also important but obviously the subject of concern because of the apparent need to relocate or remove the house
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Kansas' Democratic governor on Thursday scuttled a small legal settlement favored by top Republican officials between the state and the owner of a Wichita fitness studio forced to shut down during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic and then operate under restrictions.

The settlement would have cost the state $4,305.46 and ended a lawsuit filed in December 2020 by Ryan Floyd and his business, Omega Bootcamps Inc. The case has yet to go to trial in Sedgwick County District Court in Wichita, and Attorney General Kris Kobach asked Gov. Laura Kelly and eight leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature to sign off, as required by state law.

Six of those eight legislative leaders are Republicans, and all six voted to approve the settlement during a live online WebEx meeting that Kelly convened. But Kelly opposed it, along with the House and Senate's top Democrats, and under Kansas law, the governor's action decided the issue.

Kelly did not explain why she opposed the settlement, though a spokesperson later said in a text that the settlement is not in the best interest of the state. The governor and the lawmakers had no public discussion of the settlement but met in private for 35 minutes with two members of Kobach's staff.

The governor cut off public discussion before the private session with Kobach's staff, even though House Democratic Leader Vic Miller asked to have the case verbally summarized in public. The Associated Press requested by email before the meeting that the discussion be held in public.

We had this meeting here today, and you voted no,  Republican state Sen. Rick Billinger, who chairs the Senate budget committee, told Kelly, as she moved to adjourn the meeting immediately after the decision. I mean, I don't understand that.

Kelly said, I mean it's very clear; I voted no,  and then said they could have a discussion after the group adjourned  out of public view.

Ryan Kriegshauser, an attorney representing Floyd and Omega Bootcamps, called Kelly's action an insult to common sense," and Floyd said the settlement amount represented the rent he still had to pay during 53 days he remained closed because of COVID-19 restrictions.

All the dude ever wanted was his rent back, said Josh Ney, another attorney representing Floyd. Now the state will likely spend untold thousands to continue litigating this case.

The state asked the judge handling the lawsuit to dismiss it without a trial in October 2021. But the judge has not ruled on that request. Miller, a veteran attorney, said he expects the judge to dismiss the lawsuit.

Just in general, when we become an easy target for cases that have no merit, it encourages other cases with no merit to be filed, Miller said. You have to look at the bigger picture.

The lawsuit argued that the state used Floyd's and his business private property for the benefit of the general public when it and local officials imposed restrictions to check the spread of COVID-19. Statewide restrictions started with Kelly's order shutting down most businesses for five weeks, starting in late March 2020.

The lawsuit cited part of the states emergency management law that says people can seek compensation in court if their property is commandeered or otherwise used by state or local officials. Miller said that language doesn't cover COVID-19 restrictions, while the lawsuit contends it does.

Kriegshauser said it's notable that the judge has been struggling for more than 18 months with a decision on whether the case should go forward. Also, the Legislature whittled away over time at the power of the governor and local officials to shutter businesses or issue mask mandates in response to criticism of their actions.

"Of course there is merit to this action, Kriegshauser said of the lawsuit.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Omega Bootcamps received two pandemic relief loans totaling about $24,000 in 2020 and 2021. In his lawsuit, Floyd said he wants an appraiser to be appointed to set the amount of damages owed by the state.

Kelly spokesperson Brianna Johnson noted those loans in defending the governor's action.

Kobach was elected attorney general last year but served as secretary of state, Kansas' top elections official, from 2011 to 2019, and Kriegshauser worked for him as an attorney and policy deputy in 2011-12. Lawyers outside the attorney general's office have handled the state's defense in the lawsuit.

Kelly's action came the same day as the formal end of the U.S. national public health emergency for COVID-19. In Kansas, Republican legislative leaders forced an end to a state of emergency in June 2021, about three months earlier than Kelly wanted.

The lawsuit was put on hold by the judge in 2021 so that Kriegshauser could urge Kansas lawmakers to use federal COVID-19 relief funds to compensate small businesses for their financial losses during the pandemic. Republican lawmakers approved a plan that could have set aside tens of millions of dollars, but Kelly vetoed it, arguing that the well-intentioned measure violated a national coronavirus relief law.

In 2022, Kelly and lawmakers agreed on providing up to $50 million worth of refunds on the local property taxes paid by retail storefront businesses shut down or restricted during the pandemic, up to $5,000 for each business.

But critics have said the process of getting the aid is difficult, and the $5,000 cap discourages businesses from applying. The state Department of Revenue reported Thursday that it had approved 23 applications worth more than $22,000 in aid.

___

Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna
ISLAMABAD (AP)  Pakistan is witnessing a wave of violence following the arrest of popular opposition leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges. The level of unrest has not been seen since 2007, when another former premier  Benazir Bhutto  was assassinated during an election campaign.

Pakistans Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Khans arrest was unlawful and let him walk free. But theres little reason to believe the political crisis will ease as the outspoken politician is still facing a raft of charges.

Footage of Khan being dragged out of court two days earlier sparked outrage among his supporters. Angry protesters torched buildings and vehicles. Authorities have deployed troops in an attempt to contain the clashes. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif vowed a tough response to the attacks and government figures have already decried Khan's release.

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PAKISTAN?

Since Khan's arrest on Tuesday, at least eight people have died and dozens have been wounded in clashes between his supporters and police. Protesters have burned building and vehicles to the ground. Others blocked roads and set fire to police checkpoints and military facilities. Schools and colleges remain closed in Khan's regional strongholds. More than 2,000 people have been arrested so far.

WHY DOES KHAN'S ARREST MATTER?

Pakistan has a history of military takeovers, political upheaval and social unrest. Khan is the seventh prime minister to be arrested since 1977. Military property, including the home of a top commander, has been destroyed. The current turmoil comes as the already embattled country struggles with a dire economic situation, a spike in militancy, and the impact of last years catastrophic floods. This grimness is unlikely to be addressed or resolved soon, further straining living conditions and security for the 220-million population.

WHY IS THERE SUCH A STRONG REACTION TO KHAN'S DETENTION?

Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022 but still has a massive grassroots following, with the power to quickly mobilize thousands of supporters to the streets and stir up a frenzy with his anti-establishment rhetoric. Last November, he was shot in the leg at a rally. He claims both incidents are evidence of a conspiracy against him, a compelling narrative for his followers who believe he was unjustly ousted and is being targeted by the government and the military.

WHY WAS HE ARRESTED?

Khan has at least 100 criminal cases filed against him by various government agencies. In some ways his detention was just a matter of time. He was in court on Tuesday for one set of corruption charges but was arrested for another. Whats striking about his detention is how dramatic it was  the anti-graft agency whose agents detained him has not explained why he was taken so publicly, dragged out of court and shoved into an armored vehicle.

The 70-year-old Khan has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The government has stepped up security, banned gatherings  and in some places shut down social media. But Khans supporters are determined to see him freed and returned to power, saying he is their red line. A crackdown on party activists and leaders will not make them back down. Though Khan has been released, at least for now, the standoff between his supporters and authorities continues  all the while deepening Pakistan's divisions.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP)  The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine via a cargo ship linked to a sanctioned company that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town in December.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation into the visit by a Russian vessel named Lady R to his nation's main naval base was already underway behind the scenes with the help of U.S. intelligence services before Ambassador Reuben Brigety went public at a news conference in the South African capital, Pretoria, that the cargo was weapons and ammunition.

Brigety said the U.S. was certain that military equipment was loaded onto the Lady R at the Simons Town naval base between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 and then transported to Russia. He said it brought into question South Africas supposed neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and its calls for the conflict to end.

The arming of the Russians is extremely serious and we do not consider this issue to be resolved," Brigety said in comments reported by multiple South African news outlets.

If South Africa is found to be giving Russia military aid, it threatens to fracture the relationship between the United States and a key partner in Africa. Despite South Africa's neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, the Biden Administration was hoping it could still be a key buffer against growing Russian and Chinese influence on the continent.

While Ramaphosa's office said in a statement later Thursday that there was currently no evidence to support allegations that arms were loaded onto the Lady R, The Associated Press established that the vessel is tied to a company that was sanctioned last year by the U.S. for being involved in transporting military equipment for the Russian government.

The news of Brigety's comments broke while Ramaphosa was in Cape Town answering questions on other matters in Parliament. When the leader of the political opposition, John Steenhuisen, asked about the weapons and ammunition, the president replied that the matter is being looked into, and in time we will be able to speak about it.

Ramaphosa declined to comment further, citing the need for the investigation to play out.

Steenhuisen asked the president if South Africa was actively arming Russian soldiers who are murdering and maiming innocent people?

Ammunition supplies have become a problem for Russia in the war. The leader of Russian military company Wagner complained last week about his mercenary soldiers in Ukraine allegedly dealing with dire shortages.

Ramaphosa's office acknowledged in its statement that the Lady R docked in South Africa, but did not say when, where or for what reason. The statement also criticized the American ambassador for going public.

Records reviewed by the AP show the Lady R was purchased by a Russian company, Transmorflot LLC, in 2019. In May 2022, the U.S. sanctioned Transmorflot and several vessels it alleges are controlled by the company, including the Lady R, for aiding the Russian war effort. The company then changed its name to MG-Flot LLC, which is also listed as the current owner of the Lady R.

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that another ship owned by MG-Flot, the Rasul Gamzatov, transported artillery shells from Iran to Russia, citing Middle Eastern officials.

The AP has also independently confirmed that the Lady R docked at the Simon's Town naval base during the time frame Brigety cited.

MarineTraffic, a service that collects radio and satellite transponder data from ships, tracked the Lady R off the South African coast in early December, but the signal was lost on Dec. 5. Ships are required by international law to keep their transponders on while at sea. Smugglers often turn them off to hide their movements.

Satellite imagery obtained by AP shows a ship the same length, color and layout as the Lady R docked at the naval base the following day and remained there through Dec. 8. AP also obtained photos of the ship at the naval base, the name Lady R clearly visible on its stern in both English and Russian. The ship set sail Dec. 9 and its transponder signal popped back up on Dec. 10. It returned to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea on Feb. 22.

Steenhuisen's opposition party had previously raised questions over the appearance of a mystery Russian vessel in Simon's Town. In late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship was handling an old order for ammunition, and arms were offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.

The South African government has stated numerous times it is neutral on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully through diplomacy but recent displays of its closeness to Russia opened Africa's most developed country to accusations that it has effectively taken Russia's side.

South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks in January, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.

Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast. The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navy's flagship vessels. The South African navy took part in the drills and said they would strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.

South Africa also faces a diplomatic dilemma over a possible visit this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes involving the abductions of children from Ukraine. Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a meeting of leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

South Africa is a signatory to the international court based in The Hague, Netherlands, and obliged to arrest Putin. The government indicated it would not detain the Russian leader and threatened to leave the ICC instead. Ramaphosa's office released a statement last month backtracking on the threat.

___

AP Writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this story. AP Global Investigative Reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
We have previously chronicled how Connecticuts economic development momentum, public spirit and business climate are all improving. Nonetheless, Connecticut is still the second highest-taxed population in the nation.

One year ago, Gov. Ned Lamont signed a budget which included the largest tax cut in Connecticut history, and this legislative session, Lamont proposed the first income tax cut since the states introduction of income tax in 1991. But there is another simple way to dramatically lower Connecticuts taxes and improve Connecticuts fiscal standing and business climate. If Connecticut had even average annual investment performance from its underwhelming pension funds, our tax burden would dramatically decrease.

While the legislature battles over thousands of dollars or even millions on needed expenditures, billions of dollars were lost on terrible investments  investment errors that 49 other states somehow avoided. Connecticuts previous treasurers provided this state, consistently, with one of the single worst investment track records of all 50 states, as our Yale research team found through an original, comparative 50-state analysis of state pension fund investment performance.

With $40 billion in assets  largely the pooled retirement savings of the states hardworking teachers, firefighters and public employees  if Connecticuts investments had yielded just the median returns of all 50 states, the past five years, we would have had $5 billion more and be able to cut taxes by 50 percent instead of 0.5 percent. Connecticut would have reaped a whopping $27 billion more over the last decade  practically enough to fully fund Connecticuts pension obligations while simultaneously dramatically reducing taxes.

Lamont will have already steered roughly $8 billion from the states budgetary surpluses to plug the hole by the end of this year, including $4.1 billion last year alone  as supplemental contributions on top of the $3 billion plus in annual, mandatory payments.

This is not the consequence of political partisanship, union voices, reckless spending or government bloat  the causes normally attributed to the states chronically underfunded pension obligations. Prudent efficient public administration is great, but this is a different problem incompetent investment for decades.

Our study found that across all 50 states, investment performance has nothing to do with divisive red herrings such as political party, ideology, state size or geography. Red states and blue states, Sun Belt and Rust Belt, big states and small states, vary on the quality of their performance independent of labels. For example, the 10 best states over the past decade include Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, Arkansas, Oregon, Massachusetts, Ohio, Colorado and West Virginia.

Connecticuts underperformance is also not based upon support for local Connecticut-based asset managers or minority owned/led asset managers, as we just have among the worst performing asset managers regardless of how they are classified.

Rather than using larger, more well-known fund managers as other states do, there are cases where we are invested in funds where Connecticut is the single largest client  sometimes substantively the only client, all while Connecticut pays high fees, with some obscure asset managers individually earning more than the entire states cabinet combined.

We would recommend five basic steps based on our comparative 50-state analysis.

Careful and accountable asset manager selection  picking top-tier asset managers and dropping worst performers

Like all state pension funds, virtually all of Connecticuts assets are farmed out to external investment managers who then direct investments on behalf of Connecticuts firefighters, teachers and public employees. Needless to say, we should focus on top-tier, blue-chip funds with proven track records of success  and conversely, we should terminate relationships to the worst asset managers.

Change the asset mix

Connecticut has made some poor and costly decisions over the past decade  many of which are now smartly being unwound by current leadership. Connecticuts public equities (stocks) portfolio was massively overweight emerging markets and underweight U.S. equities  meaning Connecticut largely missed out on the strong bull market of U.S. stocks over the last decade.

Consider shifting into more low-cost index funds

Unfortunately, Connecticuts highly compensated professional asset managers got dramatically worse returns for the states teachers, firefighters and public employees than if these individuals had just invested their savings themselves. As we found, over the last decade, a generic 60/40 portfolio (meaning 60 percent stocks, 40 percent bonds) outperformed Connecticuts by over 1 percent annually. The compound interest on $40 billion is a powerful force, amounting to more than an extra $4 billion. A generic 70/30 would have done even better, outperforming Connecticut by 2.5 percent annually over the last decade.

Increase the transparency of performance

While the treasurers office commendably posts aggregate performance to its website on a monthly basis, releasing semi-annual manager-by-manager breakdowns of performance would help fortify accountability and transparency.

Furthermore, while some may say the asset management fees we have been paying for terrible performance are, at least, average for the 50 states; actually no  it is not the case as these manager fees must be calculated to the assets which are actually managed and not on the entire $40 billion fund which includes index funds or investments with no management fees. While taking strides in the right direction, they postings are detailed impenetrably dense info packets. As Louis Brandeis said, sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Enhance the talent recruitment into the treasurers team

While we have had the same treasurer for 20 of the past 25 years, access to top-tier talent is a strong focus for new Treasurer Erick Russell who is also simultaneously dealing with external calls to reduce headcount or funding for his office. Connecticut recently churned through eight chief investment officers and four interim CIOs. By contrast, all the top 10 performing states have long-tenured CIOs  but there seems to be zero correlation between CIO salary and investment performance.

It is past time that we fix Connecticuts solvable investment woes. As Benjamin Franklin advised in his 1758 essay entitled The Way to Wealth, An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. We need some investment managers who know what they are doing or at least who can provide us with average if not top performance.
WEST HARTFORD  Just days after they were installed, the no trespassing signs placed at an intersection in the center of town have been removed.

The signs, which the town said were placed for reasons of public safety, appeared last week in two medians at the North Main Street and Farmington Avenue intersection where panhandlers often stood near passing and idling cars. Signs weren't placed anywhere else in the area and West Hartford doesn't have a law or ordinance banning or restricting panhandling.

West Hartford Police Chief Vernon Riddick, who made the decision to install the signs in a meeting with the town's corporation counsel and Department of Public Works, said the signs were removed Wednesday in order to not cause confusions to crossing pedestrians who might get stuck at the crosswalk landing that one of the signs faces.

"We decided to take the signs down," Riddick said. "It appears they may have caused confusion with pedestrians in the crosswalk. We will explore other alternatives for safety."

When asked about the legality of no trespassing signs on public property, Riddick said that wasn't a concern.

"The signs were enforceable and legal," Riddick said. "It was enforceable."

Pedestrian safety in West Hartford Center, and the town at large, has been a concern for activists who live and visit the town for the last year. In June, 61-year-old Bob O'Neal, who had been standing on the southern sidewalk across from where the signs were placed, was killed after a driver hit him with their car after first striking a traffic signal where the no trespassing signs had been placed.

The town adopted a Vision Zero policy  the goal of eliminating all roadway fatalities and serious injuries  in January following the roadway deaths of two pedestrians and the serious injury of another pedestrian at the end of December. Three people were also killed in a two-car crash, totaling five deaths on West Hartford streets in one week.

Town Manager Rick Ledwith said Tuesday that the signs were in line with their Vision Zero initiative and that the medians they were placed at were more exposed than other corners of the intersection.

So far, the Vision Zero task force has met three times since February, though nothing actionable has come from the group yet. On Tuesday night, the Town Council appropriated $150,000 to hire a consultant who will work with the task force and develop a crash report and report on the town's bicycle infrastructure.

Before voting to appropriate the funds, Deputy Mayor Liam Sweeney said he hopes to see some action soon.

"We were hoping to have actionable items in the coming months. We were hoping this summer," Sweeney said. "There are some real actionable items the community has been asking for for awhile. This provides us the roadmap to do that."

Ledwith said the task force has created four subcommittees and is focused on "low hanging fruit" right now.

"They're projects that we could undertake during this first year while the action plan is being created," Ledwith said. "Our task force has identified a list of 28 such items."

The Vision Zero task force meets next on May 22.
BRIDGEPORT  Local police say the state medical examiners office has ruled the February death of a Charles Street man a homicide.

Jeffrey Lindo, 68, of Bridgeport, was assaulted at his home in the 100 block of Charles Street on Feb. 17, Capt. Kevin Gilleran of the Bridgeport Police Departments Detective Bureau said Wednesday evening. Lindo was found unresponsive three days later and pronounced dead, Gilleran said.

The Police Departments deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Lindo, Gilleran said.

Gilleran said police were informed by the state medical examiners office on Wednesday that Lindo died of a blunt-impact injury to the head, according to Gilleran. His manner of death was determined to be homicide, Gilleran said.

The same day Lindos body was discovered, detectives with the Bridgeport Police Departments Homicide Squad investigating the death identified a suspect, according to Gilleran. The suspects details were not revealed.

Anyone with further information about this crime is asked to contact Det. Brian Coyne at 203-581-5223 or submit an anonymous tip to the Bridgeport Police Department's tip line at 203-576-TIPS.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NEAR KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  By the time Kyiv residents hear the air-raid sirens signaling an imminent Russian attack, Ukraines air-defense units are already on the move. From camouflaged positions, they dart out by truck to farm fields around the capital, ready to take down enemy drones or missiles.

The scramble has become an almost nightly event since Russia resumed regular air attacks on Kyiv on April 28 after a nearly two-month lull. The units have intercepted every drone and missile fired at the capital since then.

It's a vast improvement since the opening days of the war, when waves of Russian missiles and aircraft eluded many Ukrainian defenses and inflicted heavy losses on Kyiv's air force.

With the help of Western weapons and growing experience, Ukraine's air defenses have made great strides in the past 14 months, saving infrastructure and lives and preventing Russia from achieving air superiority  a critical step as Ukrainians prepare for a counteroffensive.

The bolstered defenses have deterred Russian aircraft from going deep behind the front lines and "greatly shaped the course of the war, Ian Williams wrote this month in an analysis for the Center For Strategic and International Studies, or CSIS.

Since April 28, Russia has fired a total of 67 missiles and 114 drones at Ukraine, according to Ukrainian air force reports. Only seven missiles and 11 drones got through, and none hit Kyiv.

Last week, Kyiv units reported they had shot down Russias most advanced hypersonic missile, a weapon that was previously considered unstoppable by Ukraine. A newly acquired American-made Patriot battery made it possible.

On the first day of the invasion, Russia targeted Ukraines ground-based air-defense systems, first with a wave of missiles, then with dozens of bomber sorties supported by electronic warfare measures that essentially blinded Ukrainian radar, wrote Justin Bronk in an April analysis for the Virginia-based Center for Naval Analyses.

But Ukraine had received intelligence from allies ahead of the Russian attacks, allowing Ukrainian defenders to move mobile units out of harm's way, although some fixed positions were destroyed.

The units were scattered, and for a brief time Russia was able to fly in waves of helicopters, supported by fighter jets, and inflict heavy losses on Ukrainian aircraft sent to intercept them.

But the Russians failed to follow up on their initial attacks, allowing Ukraine to regroup quickly, said Douglas Barrie, a defense aerospace specialist with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

They didnt go back and check: Did we destroy it? Disable it? Do we need to go back and do it again? Have they relocated? he said.

The brigade commander of air defense command Center is a colonel who could only be identified by his callsign, Granite, in keeping with the Ukrainian military's policy of protecting soldiers' identities. During a visit by The Associated Press to his unit this week, he said his brigade was hit on the first day of the war with 20 Russian missiles, which took out barracks and command posts and killed people.

After abandoning fixed positions, they now operate strictly as mobile teams that can quickly spring into action and just as quickly slip away  a tactic commonly referred to as shoot and scoot.

After the initial setbacks suffered by Ukraine's air defenses, enough mobile units were back in operation by the wars third day that they were able to shoot down multiple planes, prompting Russia to pull back its attack aircraft and depriving it of a key advantage.

But many of the Russian missiles were still getting through.

Granite estimates in the early months that Ukraine was intercepting about 50% of incoming Russian missiles. The CSIS report suggested the figure might actually have been much lower.

With the arrival of new Western-made air defense systems in October and November, as well as the growing skill of the Ukrainian batteries, Ukraine reported intercepting some 80% of incoming Russian cruise missiles by December.

Today, Granite said the figure is closer to 90%, and he said the defense systems around Kyiv have taken down 100% of missiles shot at the city since April 28.

Kyiv is protected, he said.

Two key systems used by Ukraine since the start of the war have been the Soviet-era long-range S300 and medium-range Buk systems, also known as the SA-10s and SA-11s.

Ukraine has gradually added new systems from Western allies, including IRIS-T batteries from Germany in October and the American and Norwegian-built NASAMS in November.

It has also received European-built SAMP/T systems, and American-built HAWK missiles, and last month added two U.S.-built Patriot batteries.

The air-defense teams are set up with overlapping range rings, starting from short, almost point-blank defenses using shoulder-launched missiles and anti-air cannons to greater distances.

A single layer would not be enough to stop all strikes or even most of them, Barrie said. But the more layers you have, the greater the chances you have.

Though all recent attacks on Kyiv have been thwarted, debris from falling missiles and drones has caused injuries and damage in the capital. But that is nothing compared with what could have happened, Granite said. In the April 28 attacks, a missile hit an apartment building in the central city of Uman, killing 23.

With so many Russian assaults, some speculate that Moscows strategy is to try to deplete Ukraines air-defense resources to the point where Russia will again be able to exploit its advantage with fighters and bombers. But there are also signs that Russia is running lower on missiles.

So far Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has successfully pressed allies for more air-defense supplies. The U.S. on Monday announced $1.2 billion more in long-term military aid, including new HAWK systems, drones and air-defense munitions.

Moscow could also be banking that Western support will eventually wane and put pressure on Ukraine to make concessions, Williams wrote.

Morale seemed high among Granite's troops this week, as a short-range team clowned around despite being on duty long into the early morning hours as Kyivs air defenses took down 35 explosive Iranian-made Shahed drones. The team then scrambled back to their posts around midday for what turned out to be a false alarm.

Beetle, who took down a Russian helicopter over Kyiv on the first day of the war with a shoulder-launched missile, said the success gave him confidence that he still holds.

I realized that it's not over yet, that we can fight, he said. So they're not that scary.

Range, a driver who joined the military on the first day of the war after seeing missiles rain down, said he could not sit on the sidelines.

Its history, he said. And were currently writing it.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WESTPORT  It all started with an IDEA  inclusion and diversity through education, that is.

Leigh Foran, a Staples High School junior, founded IDEA when she was a freshman. Recently, she won a national Call For Kindness competition sponsored by Rileys Way Foundation, which awarded a $3,000 grant that will help her expand.

Foran said the goal of IDEA is to create a greater sense of belonging and inclusion in the community, particularly targeting early education, teaching children to understand and appreciate concepts like respect and empathy.

"We want to teach these kids to have a perspective where it may be surprising to see someone different, but appreciate that," she said.

She said the program instills values of inclusion and belonging in the community at a young age.

Foran was inspired to create IDEA from her experiences. She said growing up as a minority in Westport, she experienced multiple microaggressions.

She said, as a child, these situations made her feel isolated, such as peers questioning what food she would bring to lunch or assuming she spoke Japanese, though she is not Japanese.

"Just having those microaggressions that I was experiencing because I am different than a lot of people in my community was something that I wanted to address," she said.

So, she started IDEA.

It is currently a club through Staples High School, but Foran said she hopes to expand it outside of the school and into the community. There are multiple members within it, including people in other leadership positions who help Foran run it.

IDEA serves ages 4 to 6 in Fairfield County. An event is held each month on the first Saturday at the Westport Library. There are also other events at partnering preschools. Foran said there will be five total events in May.

She added members of IDEA work with some teachers at Staples High School who have experience working with children to come up with activities.

Each event has one overarching theme, Foran said. If the theme were respect, she said, they would introduce it with a group discussion, asking the children what they know abut the topic. After, they will do hands-on arts and crafts, such as a matching game or drawing activity, which she said helps engage the children.

Foran said they also read a book based on the topic and ask the children what their favorite part was, and where they saw the theme in the book. Another activity includes reading scenarios aloud, and if the children correctly answer a question about it, they receive a prize.

Though Foran started IDEA her freshman year, events didn't start until the end of her sophomore year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it picked up this school year.

Since Foran is soon to be senior, she said she is thinking about the future of IDEA. She hopes to continue to expand the program across Connecticut, as well as to other parts of the country, such as where she may go to college.

She also said she hopes to have a role in the program after graduation, too, when it continues in Westport. Overall, though, Foran said the main goal is to expand IDEA to a wider audience.

Foran said she is interested in public and global health, particularly the disparities related to socioeconomic status within healthcare systems. Going into college, Foran said she hopes to study this and continue it into her professional career.

"IDEA has kind of been a first step at starting to address some of those systemic issues that exist in the healthcare system and our society," she said. "I hope to connect what I do with IDEA to achieving the goals I have."
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued a civil penalty of nearly $9,000 to Valley Milling and Lumber, a Eugene-based lumber remanufacturing company, in December 2022 for failure to collect and submit the required samples for stormwater monitoring during the 2020-2021 monitoring year.

This is a repeat violation, as it was issued a penalty in 2019 for the same offense in the same area in 2019 for the 2017-2018 monitoring year.

Valley Milling and Lumber is a company in Eugene that offers a variety of services involving construction, agriculture and packing products. It manufactures products and remanufactures wood materials to requested patterns for customers.

The fine was due to a failure to submit the necessary grab samples required by its industrial stormwater permit. Grab samples require the collection of water samples at a certain location at a certain time. Stormwater is rainfall that runs off the site into any storm drains, potentially polluting other areas if the water quality is poor.

This penalty was not for exceeding benchmarks or creating greater pollutants into our waterways but was solely for missing a test which was a result of a miscommunication between our office and the company who collects our samples, Valley Milling and Lumber wrote in a statement. It remains our company's goal to be an environmentally conscious and responsible company that helps the future sustainability of our local waterways.

Valley Milling and Lumber contracts with the company BB&A Environmental concerning their water samples. We reached out but they were unable to comment.

The penalty it was issued was a total of $8,750. This is a total of a combination of charges, which included a base penalty of $4,000 for a moderate magnitude violation. A moderate magnitude violation is one that the DEQ has not been able to identify as minor or major, depending on the violations harm to human health or the environment. According to Dylan Darling, DEQ Public Affairs Specialist, the DEQ determines a charge based on whether or not something is a first offense, history of correcting prior actions, knowledge of a monitoring requirement and efforts to correct this violation.

Valley Milling and Lumber has successfully corrected its actions in the past and has made efforts following this penalty to correct their actions in the future and therefore avoided further charges in these two areas Darling said.

The reasons it did receive charges include the fact that it was a repeat violation, its awareness of the monitoring requirements and the economic benefit they gained by disregarding the requirement, according to Darling.

In having one of these permits, it will set up what they need to do to address stormwater, and then also how they will need to monitor, Darling said. When something is spelled out in a permit, it is an expectation and a requirement.

In response to their previous violation from 2019, the DEQ offered an Expedited Enforcement Offer. This allowed them to settle the violation more quickly and at a reduced fine, but it does not allow the company to appeal. The company accepted this offer.

Valley Milling and Lumber paid this most recent fine in full without appeal by the end of December, closing the case.
RAND ANALYSIS & TALKING POINTS

Rand eyes April 2020 highs!

ZAR inundated by headwinds both local and global.

Sharp rally on USD/ZAR to fade?

Trade Smarter - Sign up for the DailyFX Newsletter Receive timely and compelling market commentary from the DailyFX team Subscribe to Newsletter

USD/ZAR FUNDAMENTAL BACKDROP

The South African rand has been at the mercy of several local and external factors causing the Emerging Market (EM) currency to fall over 4.75% just this week! Lets breakdown some of the challenges facing the rand and what could be the ramifications moving forward:

LOADSHEDDING

Beginning with the long standing affliction by way of rolling blackouts, economic growth has suffered as a result with daily business practices being disrupted leaving many SMEs destitute. Foreign investment and confidence has as a result suffered reducing funds flowing into South Africa (lesser demand for the ZAR). Political instability and corruption go hand in hand with the electricity crisis with a lack of conviction adding to the poor outlook from an external perspective.

COMMODITY COMPLEX

South African commodity exports are now coming under pressure with todays miss on Chinese CPI and PMI prints suggesting lesser demand (both local and global) for their products and services. Being South Africas main importer of goods, pessimism around the China reopening generally correlates to a weaker rand. Logistical disruptions with the local freight system have also been the bane of many exporters and local businesses causing significant amounts of lost trade.

Foundational Trading Knowledge Commodities Trading Recommended by Warren Venketas Start Course

US FACTORS

The US has been the dominating force in global markets of recent. Now that the Federal Reserve looks to be holding rates constant short-term, another more serious threat to the global financial system has emerged in the form of the US debt ceiling. The US is unable to pay its debts on and will require an increase in its borrowing capacity (debt ceiling) to meet these obligations. Until such time as there is more clarity surrounding the deadlock between Republicans and Democrats, the USD will remain supported due to its safe haven appeal and risk aversion in global markets. The ongoing banking crisis in the US is also having a systemic negative impact on the rand and contributing to the broader souring risk sentiment  reinforced by investors flocking into US government bonds.

Todays economic calendar (see below) would generally augment the rand with mining and manufacturing data for March showing noteworthy improvements while US PPI and jobless data is suggestive of a slowing US economy. Fed speak is scheduled for later in the trading day and could provide some short-term volatility for the pair; however, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa seems to be adding fuel to the ZAR fire at the National Assembly.

In summary, should the variables influencing the pair continue at their current state, the rand will find it difficult to regain any momentum against the greenback.

USD/ZAR ECONOMIC CALENDAR

Source: DailyFX Economic Calendar

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

USD/ZAR DAILY CHART

Chart prepared by Warren Venketas, IG

Introduction to Technical Analysis Candlestick Patterns Recommended by Warren Venketas Start Course

Daily USD/ZAR price action shows an extension to the recent symmetrical triangle (black) breakout, continuing the preceding bullish trend. That being said, the pair has now entered overbought territory as measured by the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and may be reaching its short-term peak. While there is still room for a push to fresh all-time-highs, this may be capped around the 19.5000 mark and I forecast a move back towards 19.0000 psychological support handle in due course.

Resistance levels:

19.5000

19.3453

Support levels:

19.0000

18.7167

18.5000

Contact and followWarrenon Twitter:@WVenketas
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
Some have expressed dismay over this week's news that because of the ruinous cost of housing, children in Britain today are forced to live with their parents until they are 24.

All I can say is that those who escape so young are the lucky ones. And not only them, but their parents, too.

I write with some feeling, as the father of a 29-year-old  30 next month  who remains firmly ensconced in the family nest, and shows precious little sign of spreading his wings any time soon.

But though the drawbacks are obvious, for him as much as for us oldies, I try to look on the bright side.

True, it's embarrassing for the poor boy (poor man, I should say) to have his boring old mum and dad on the premises when he wants to bring friends home. It can't be much fun, either, to find his parents commandeering the telly to watch some dire costume drama, when his beloved Fulham FC is in action on another channel.

TOM UTLEY: I am the father of a 29-year-old  30 next month  who remains firmly ensconced in the family nest, and shows precious little sign of spreading his wings any time soon (stock photo)

But from his point of view, the arrangement has many upsides, too  not least the free bed and board, Mum's home cooking, the run of the fridge and no worries about council tax, the TV licence fee, gas or electricity bills.

(Yes, I know, I ought to charge him for all this, if only a token sum to get him used to the trials of adulthood. But as an over-indulgent, comfortably off father, I can't quite bring myself to ask him to pay out of his sporadic earnings on not much more than the minimum wage.)

As for Mrs U and me, well, I suppose we'd be a fair bit richer if we didn't have that extra mouth to feed. And it would be nice to see our son independently settled  for his sake as much as ours.

Indeed, when I read this week that people who go camping tend to be much happier than those who don't, the guilty thought flashed across my mind that perhaps I should buy the lad a tent and send him off to live in it until he can afford a proper home.

But I must admit that having him on the premises isn't all bad for us, either.

For one thing, it's great to have a free dog-walker on hand, and someone who's often at home to accept deliveries when my wife and I are out. On rare occasions, our son has also been known to empty the dishwasher, and even to put the bins out on a Wednesday evening.

Oh, and once in a while, he cooks up a mean curry from the leftovers of our Sunday joint.

Call me an old softy, if you will, but I confess that sometimes I like having him around for the sheer pleasure of his company. He is highly intelligent, has a wry sense of humour  and I flatter myself that he quite likes us, in spite of what he clearly sees as our manifest faults and our deeply misguided opinions. Which brings me to the point of this week's musings: one thing I won't miss, if he ever flies the nest, is the tension that always arises between us when political matters come up in conversation.

The really big story of Saturday, if our son is to believed, was not the crowning of a new constitutional monarch, but the arrest of six activists from the pressure group Republic. Pictured: A member of Republic apprehended by police officers

I suspect that other parents in my position will know just what I mean.

I hasten to say that, unlike the most politically minded of his three older brothers, he is not a rabid Corbynista. But his views are certainly to the Left of mine, and he does like to keep his old dad up to date with the correct way of thinking these days.

For example, I'm indebted to him for the information that I was an idiot to vote for Brexit. He's also let me know that I'm a transphobic bigot for clinging to my antediluvian belief that people with penises are not women, as I understand that word. Nor am I keen enough, he reckons, on crippling the economy in pursuit of Net Zero.

As for the Coronation, which I thought magnificent and moving, it seems that I was quite wrong again. In fact, as my boy has patiently explained, it was an absurdly outdated, Ruritanian ceremony, celebrating an institution that has no place in the modern world.

Oh dear, my mistake  though I draw some comfort from the knowledge that it was a mistake shared by the great majority of my fellow Britons.

No, the really big story of that day, if our son is to believed, was not the crowning of a new constitutional monarch, but the arrest by the Metropolitan Police of six activists from the pressure group Republic, who were innocently 'exercising their democratic right to protest'.

Here was shocking proof, or so my son tells me, that in brutally suppressing civil liberties, the British authorities were behaving no better than the Chinese in Hong Kong.

Now, I can never quite decide whether to rise to the boy's bait, and engage in a full-blown row with him over such matters as the pros and cons of Brexit, the definition of a woman, the perils of green zealotry or the relative merits of constitutional monarchies and republics.

If only I had the stomach for a fight, I would certainly offer him my thoughts on the magnificent opportunities Brexit would open up, if our Government would seize them.

I would stick to my guns, too, in insisting that only men have penises.

How I wish I had taken our son to task over his ludicrous comparison of those six arrests with the behaviour of the Chinese in Hong Kong  a fatuous point that has been echoed by Left-wing cartoonists, politicians, columnists and broadcasters alike. Pictured: Hong Kong

I'd also tell him that our constitutional monarchy is a hugely effective force for unity, stability and continuity in our fast-changing world, and that our liberties and national cohesion would be far less secure under a divisive elected president.

For the sake of domestic harmony, however, I almost always avoid an argument, confining myself to grunting noncommittally, before returning to the crossword.

But oh, how I wish I had taken our son to task over his ludicrous comparison of those six arrests with the behaviour of the Chinese in Hong Kong  a fatuous point that has been echoed by Left-wing cartoonists, politicians, columnists and broadcasters alike.

Take the BBC, which has been up on its high horse all week about this supposed assault on civil liberties. Leave aside how strange it is that the Corporation seems not to care a damn about the right to protest, when its staff happen to disagree with the protesters. (When was the last time, for example, that you heard Auntie stand up for those pro-life activists whose right to pray quietly outside abortion clinics has been ruthlessly curtailed by Parliament?)

But when six anti-monarchists are arrested  any one of whom might have hijacked the Coronation and wrecked it for millions by frightening the horses or spoiling the photographs by chucking eggs at the King's carriage  we're told we live in a Chinese-style dictatorship!

Does anyone at the BBC seriously imagine the Chinese authorities would have publicly apologised for arresting six critics of the Beijing regime  as, inexplicably, the Met chose to do in the case of the anti-monarchists?

For that matter, would the Chinese state broadcaster have awarded generous airtime to protesters against the Communist system, allowing them to put their arguments almost unchallenged? More likely they would have been marched off to some grim labour camp to be 're-educated', never to be seen again.

As for the relative merits of constitutional monarchies and republics, may I just point out that the people of Hong Kong were a damn sight freer and happier when they were ruled by the British throne  a touch Ruritanian though it may be  than they are today as citizens of the People's Republic.

All this I would have told my dear son, if only I'd been up for a row. As it is, the poor lad will just have to put up with me, as so often in the past, moaning in the public prints about the increasingly unbridgeable divide between our generations.

But how's this for an offer: from the day he moves out, I'll never write a word against him again. Do we have a deal?
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield's reign as the golden couple of British TV appears to be coming to an end.

After months of controversy and drama surrounding This Morning's male presenter, I can reveal Holly is now preparing to pull the plug on the partnership, leaving troubled ITV facing a major new crisis.

I have been reporting on the growing sense of unease about Phillip's role on the legendary daytime show since 2019, following feuds with a succession of former A-list co-stars including Amanda Holden, Ruth Langsford and Fern Britton.

But Holly's apparent decision to withdraw her unconditional support of Phillip amid a long-term backstage fallout marks a major turning point.

ITV bosses now face losing the biggest female star on British television to the BBC and rival commercial broadcasters  or cutting ties with Phillip and agreeing to pair Holly with Alison Hammond as soon as this September.

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on ITV's This Morning today after rumours of a rift

ITV sources have previously said that Alison Hammond and Holly were regarded as a 'total joy' at the channel

That partnership was trialled recently when Phillip took time off as his paedophile brother Timothy Schofield was on trial for sex abuse of a minor.

A source close to Holly revealed to me today: 'The fallout with Phillip has been going on for quite some time.

'For Holly there's also a degree of her becoming concerned that some of the scandals connected to Phillip are damaging her reputation.

'There's an understandable element of, 'I've got to think about my career, too.' She's been seeking guidance from (her husband) Dan (Baldwin) and ITV on that front.

'This hasn't been about the last few weeks, but a number of months. She has always been loyal to Phillip and loved working with him.

'But she's also worked so hard to build her own reputation, so she can't risk Phillip dragging her down.'

Holly has been seeking guidance from her husband Dan. Pictured: The couple in 2016.

Holly and Phillip (pictured in 2012) have previously spoken about their close bond and have gushed over how This Morning is a 'family' to them rather than just a job

That bombshell revelation follows today's front page in The Sun  a newspaper that has previously been supportive of Phillip and Holly  revealing the pair are barely speaking behind the scenes.

Holly used to insist she would walk from This Morning if Phillip quit or was sacked.

But after off screen tension dating back to Phillip's decision to use her and the show to publicly come out as gay, she has made clear to ITV bosses that position no longer stands.

I first knew that Phillip and Holly once thick as thieves  had fallen out in 2019 as part of a backstage 'civil war' over his attitude.

At the time, I spoke to eight ITV household name stars who revealed a 'toxic' atmosphere at the show.

Phillip was said to be jealous that Holly had won a Bafta when she filled in for Ant McPartlin on I'm A Celebrity and furious with a Sunday Times magazine cover with the provocative headline: 'How Holly Willoughby eclipsed Phillip Schofield and became Britain's hottest TV star.'

'Not as close': The duo have presented This Morning together for 14 years but their relationship has reportedly come under strain in recent months

The pair (pictured in November 2009) have worked together for more than a decade after Holly took over from Fern Britton as Phillip's co-host back in 2009

At the time a spokeswoman for ITV released a staunch defence of Phillip saying it was 'deeply disappointing and unfair' for him to be 'the target of this sort of malicious gossip'.

They added: 'Holly and Phil are great friends both on and off screen and are popular among viewers and colleagues alike.'

It seems telling there has been no similar statement forthcoming from ITV in recent weeks.

Phillip's coming out was viewed as a success by ITV bosses and the difficult pandemic that followed appeared to reset the relationship with Holly, but in recent months I learned the same tensions had returned.

The Queuegate scandal, where Holly was unfairly criticised for skipping the line to see the late Queen lying in state, further heaped on the pressure.

In recent weeks, the strain burst into the public spotlight with two incidents.

First, Holly took the week off sick with shingles when Phillip returned to This Morning after his brother's sex trial.

After Timothy Schofield (right) was found guilty, Phillip said in a statement: 'As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.'

Schofield returned to This Morning after three weeks and thanked viewers for their support

Then, the pair failed to post any pictures together when they both attended Keith Lemon's 50th birthday party, even though they posed with a number of other stars.

The problem for the bosses of This Morning is that the pair still have to try and present a live show together for over two hours a day, four days a week.

In recent months, Holly's frustration at Phillip's dominance, including his tendency to speak over her, has become painfully clear to viewers.

It was notable that she appeared much more happy and relaxed presenting with the adorable Alison Hammond, even posting a number of pictures of the pair together to her over eight million Instagram followers, with one caption reading: 'Love you Alison Hammondsame time tomorrow?'

Phillip has not featured on her Instagram grid for over two months.

Now, I know what it's like personally to be in combat with Phillip, having been one of his colleagues on ITV Daytime for over a decade, where he tried to get me sacked multiple times.

Holly and Phil faced a backlash over claims they 'skipped the queue' at Westminster Hall to see the Queen lying in state

Phillip has always used his previously significant popularity with viewers as a hold over bosses, being able to pick and choose who he wants to appear on This Morning or even on other shows on the network.

In my case, I eventually quit ITV in November 2019, after coming under direct pressure to stay silent about some of Phillip's behaviour, which I wasn't prepared to do.

ITV's wilful blindness when it came to Phillip shocked me, given the warnings they'd had from multiple other stars, including This Morning regulars like Kim Woodburn, Gemma Collins and Francine Lewis.

Last month ex-Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries wrote in her Daily Mail column of Phillip: 'On one occasion, I witnessed what appeared to be somewhat intimidating behaviour. Holly was away, and as her stand-in looked down at her script  obviously wanting to see who or what was coming up next  Phillip glared at her and began to jab at her script with his finger. I don't know about her, but he scared me.'

The pair (pictured in 2012) have left viewers in hysterics with their on and off-screen antics

But the now almost inevitable split with Holly is going to be the biggest test of ITV's loyalty towards Phillip.

She is not just another presenter; outside of Ant and Dec, she is their brightest star.

And, unlike Ant and Dec, she's not secured by a golden handcuffs deal, meaning Holly can work for whomever she chooses in primetime.

The timing could not be worse for ITV's uber woke CEO, the right on ex-Guardian boss Carolyn McCall.

She is under fire for refusing to condemn the Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh for describing the Royal Family as 'terribly white' as they appeared on the balcony following the Coronation of King Charles on Saturday.

That blatant racism, which was not challenged by ITV's presenters Tom Bradby or Julie Etchingham, has sparked a record number of complaints this year to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom.

As ratings for This Morning continue to plummet in daytime  no doubt in large part because of the go woke go broke mantra  securing Holly is becoming business critical.

Waving goodbye to Frosty Phillip is now the only option left to save This Morning.
During his failed first attempt to become Tory leader last summer, Rishi Sunak released a typically slick short film to underline his Brexiteer credentials.

To the stirring strains of Beethoven's Ode to Joy  the EU anthem  the video showed documents being fed into a shredder as a bold promise flashed on the screen.

'In his first 100 days as Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak will review or repeal post Brexit EU laws. All 2,400 of them,' viewers were told.

Sadly, it wasn't to be. Today, funnily enough, is Sunak's 200th day as Prime Minister. And yet thousands of EU laws remain on our statute books. Now his government has performed an embarrassing U-turn  enraging the Tory Brexiteers who helped sweep him to power  by watering down that inspiring pledge.

Today, in the Commons chamber, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch faced apoplectic fury from Tory Brexiteers as she admitted the 'Retained EU Law Bill' would remove only a pitiful 600 EU regulations by the end of the year.

'It is Sunak's 200th day as Prime Minister. And yet thousands of EU laws remain on our statute books'

'Secretary of State, what on earth are you playing at?' demanded Mark Francois, chairman of the European Research Group, a cabal of Tory ultra-Brexiteers.

The Bill came to life during Liz Truss's short-lived administration last year. (Truss, who misjudged so much during her ill-fated premiership, actually set herself a far more realistic target of the end of this year to scrap remaining EU laws.)

Removing Brussels legislation from statute books not only impacts hundreds of policy areas: it is a totemic measure that reassures millions of Leave voters that Britain really has 'taken back control'.

So where does the blame for this disaster truly lie? There are several culprits.

Originally, the legislation contained a 'sunset clause' that would have seen any remaining EU laws automatically deleted by the end of this year.

The decision to jettison this clause was taken not by Badenoch but by the relatively obscure Cabinet sub-committee for Domestic and Economic Affairs. Chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, this reports directly to the Prime Minister and contains representation from every Government department.

Badenoch sat on the committee and had overall responsibility for reviewing EU laws  but individual departments were responsible for working out which laws should be removed.

Kemi Badenoch sat on the committee and had overall responsibility for reviewing EU laws

What's more, many of those on the committee were impressed by Badenoch's approach  unlike her predecessor's. Under Liz Truss's brief premiership, Jacob Rees-Mogg was the relevant minister on the committee. Last night, one serving minister told me: 'Jacob wanted to look at all 4,000 pieces of law. Imagine you're a doctor. Why would a doctor look at every medical aspect of a patient's body if they only had a broken leg?'

After Rishi came to power, Badenoch took over his responsibilities. Her more forensic style swiftly drew plaudits.

'The committee started discussing which specific laws would go,' says my source. 'Ministers would identify which laws they wanted to lose. It was a very different approach.' So if Badenoch's not really to blame, who is?

Well, the Blob certainly played its part in forcing the U-turn. Civil servants raised objections at every juncture. Remainers almost to a man, they wanted no part in a policy that, they claimed, risked watering down workers' and women's rights.

They were emboldened, of course, by Europhile fanatics in the Lords, including former EU Commissioner Chris Patten, Tory ex-chancellor Ken Clarke and former Labour Europe minister Peter Hain. Last night, Tory MPs were demanding: since when did a clique of unelected peers become defenders of 'democracy' against the Government?

Yet there is another  far more uncomfortable  problem for Sunak. The deadline for his eye-catching 100-day pledge passed in February with no real progress.

Why? Because, I have learnt, he had sharply shifted his emphasis behind the scenes. In public, he maintained that he was still committed to scrapping thousands of EU laws by the end of the year. In fact, he had privately dropped his scheme. I am reliably informed that he made that eye-catching promise  and the shredder video  purely to win over Tory activists in the leadership contest against Liz Truss. He never truly meant it.

Brexiteer Tories suspect as much, too, and are now threatening trouble. Those with seats in the 'Red Wall' of former Labour areas, as well as 'Spartans' like Francois, prefer action to words. They won't tolerate another U-turn.
Ayesha Shand, niece of Queen Camilla, has tended to fly below the radar.

But when the 28-year-old attended the Coronation of her aunt and King Charles at Westminster Abbey, she was spotted on the live broadcast and joked about her 'five seconds of fame'.

Ms Shand looked sophisticated in a green blazer and matching skirt for the event last Saturday and also attended the Coronation concert in Windsor the following night.

Sharing a snap of herself sitting in the Abbey with her 3,260 followers, Ayesha said: 'Five seconds of fame and serious attitude.'

Ayesha Shand, 28, looked sophisticated in a satin olive green blazer and matching skirt for the Coronation service

Mark Shand pictured with his daughter Ayesha as they attended the Faberge Big Egg Hunt Champagne Countdown party in London in 2012

Ayesha Shand with her aunts Annabel Elliot and Camilla at the Mark Shand Memorial Service at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge

She is the daughter of 75-year-old Camilla's late brother Mark Shand, who passed away in 2014 aged 62. Mark was a noted conservationist and author, and left the legacy of his own charity, Elephant Family.

Her mother is his ex-wife Clio Goldsmith, a French former model and actress who Mark married in 1990.

Ayesha was raised largely in Rome as an only child, with her father dashing back and forth between his travels. However, their family returned to London in 2008, with her parents divorcing in 2009, but remaining good friends.

She holds a master's degree in the history of art from the University of Edinburgh and now works alongside Princess Eugenie at the Hauser & Wirth art gallery in Mayfair as an Associate Director.

Ayesha, who is also very involved with her late father's charity, previously spoke to Tatler about continuing her father's legacy with his foundation's work.

The conservationist and adventurer had been enjoying the success of a fundraising auction for his charity Elephant Family when he fell and suffered a fatal head injury.

She said: 'When he passed away I became much more involved because I wanted to continue his legacy - all the work he did was so important and I wanted to make sure that was continued.

'I wanted to make sure that there was a family element. For me, it was just really nice to be a part of it, and to contribute to the more creative projects and the fundraising elements, and when it is appropriate, be a spokesperson for it.'

According to Ayesha, her royal aunt helped her cope with the loss of her father, previously saying 'she has been incredible in being there for me and maintaining my father's legacy'.

Speaking in 2021 Ayesha said: '[Camilla] is amazing  she's so involved with the charity.

'She has been incredible in being there for me, not only personally but also in maintaining my father's legacy and being there for him.

'I couldn't be more grateful. It does help with the grieving process. All of these things keep his memory alive, which is so important.'

Queen Camilla and her husband King Charles became joint presidents of Mark's charity Elephant Family, after his death from an accidental fall in 2014.

The charity aims to preserve the Indian elephant by helping them to live in harmony with India's rapidly-growing population, and by opening up 'elephant corridors' for the animals to move along without disturbing villagers.

Following his death, it was the Queen's son Tom Parker Bowles and nephew Ben Elliot, the son of Camilla's sister Annabel Elliot, who travelled to New York to make arrangements to bring his body home.

Around 180 people attended Mark's funeral at the Holy Trinity Church in Stourpaine, a village in Dorset, southwest England, where the family lived. No one was allowed to dress in all-black for the funeral.

Queen Camilla and King Charles leaving the church after the funeral of her brother, Mark Shand, at Holy Trinity in Stourpaine, Dorset in 2014

According to Ayesha, her royal aunt helped her cope with the loss of her father, previously saying 'she has been incredible in being there for me and maintaining my father's legacy'

Ayesha was raised largely in Rome as an only child, while her father dashed back and forth between his travels

Queen Camilla's late brother Mark Shand dedicated his life to saving wildlife, co-founding the Elephant Family in 2002

Ayesha said at the time: I didnt want 400 people dressed in black crying. I wanted people to have a good time. It was spring and there were flowers, and we had an Indian tent and I wanted everyone in purple and green and Indian colours.

At the time, Camilla was said to be 'utterly devastated' by the news, as she had been extremely close to her only brother.

A statement released by Clarence House regarding Mark's death said: 'It is with deep sadness that we have to confirm that The Duchess of Cornwall's brother, Mark Shand, has today passed away.

'Mr Shand died in hospital as a result of a serious head injury which he sustained during a fall last night. The Duchess, The Prince of Wales and all her family members are utterly devastated by this sudden and tragic loss.

'Mark Shand was a man of extraordinary vitality, a tireless campaigner and conservationist whose incredible work through the Elephant Family and beyond remained his focus right up until his death.'

Discussing her brother's death in a piece for The Times, Camilla described how, on the day she learnt of his passing, the morning had started normally 'and all seemed well until the shrill ring of the telephone broke the magic'.

She wrote: 'An anguished voice on the other end told me that something terrible had happened to my brother; my indestructible brother, Mark. Surely nothing could have happened to him?

'He was in New York raising money for his beloved elephants, but an unfamiliar pavement had claimed his all-too-short life following a hugely successful auction for 'The Elephant Family', a charity he co-founded in 2002.

'My charismatic and sometimes infuriating brother, who had survived tsunamis, shipwrecks, poisoned arrows and even the fearsome Komodo dragons, was no longer with us.'

Ayesha has followed in her father's altruistic footsteps by starting her own charitable venture to help those in need.

Ayesha Shand (far left) attends the Royal Rickshaw Reception and Auction at Lancaster House in 2015 alongside her aunts Annabel and Camilla and Prince Charles

She is the daughter of 75-year-old Camilla's late brother Mark Shand and Clio Goldsmith

In 2014, Ayesha co-curated an exhibition which included photographs of her father and his beloved elephant Tara

In 2014, she co-curated an exhibition which included photographs of her father and his beloved elephant Tara, and all of the proceeds were donated to Elephant Family.

These were featured alongside jesmonite renditions of phallic fertility sculptures  which Shand collected from villages across India  by 48 emerging artists.

And in 2020, she and her cousin Alice Irwin set up an initiative called My Dear New Friend which involved children writing to the elderly in self-isolation.

An advocate for those suffering from ill mental health, earlier this year, Ayesha posted videos to her social media account addressing the topic in hopes of destigmatising it.

She captioned one of her videos saying: 'Today is International Bipolar Day. Having grown up alongside it, I know how isolating, confusing and shameful it can feel. Talking about it openly and helping people understand what it is, is the only way to bury social taboos.'

Ayesha at an intimate dinner hosted by Elephant Family to celebrate International Women's Day at Gymkhana London in 2022

Ayesha Shand (right) is the niece of Queen Consort Camilla, and the daughter of the royal's late brother Mark. She is said to be enjoying a romance with Luigi Ambrosi (left)

As she addressed stigmas behind Bipolar, she detailed in her video that she 'grew up in close proximity to the condition with one of my parents suffering from it intensely.'

While she did not reveal whether it was her mother or father, Ayesha opened up on the 'isolating' condition and how it had affected her and those around her.

It was reported in January that she is dating businessman Luigi Ambrosi after the pair rang in the New Year together in Uruguay.

Ayesha and Luigi - who works for his Italian family's dairy business in America - make 'a great match', according to a friend of the pair.
She recently published her new book, The Well-Lived Life

The centenarian continues to exercise daily and work as a consulting doctor

A 102-year-old doctor who still works has shared her tips for living a long and fulfilling life as she continues to focus on the future with her 10-year plan.

Dr. Gladys McGarey, from Scottsdale, Arizona, is known as the mother of holistic medicine, a form of healing that takes the patient's mind, body, and spirit into account during treatment.

She co-founded the American Board of Holistic Medicine and had a family practice for more than 60 years. The mother of six continues to work as a consulting doctor and writer.

McGarey was 100 when she started penning her new book, The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctors Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age, which was published last week.

She makes an effort to move daily, including reaching her daily step count and riding her tricycle. In her free time, she knits, listens to audiobooks, and talks with friends.

As she lifts the lid on her keys to longevity while promoting her latest book, FEMAIL has highlighted her best advice below.

Dr. Gladys McGarey, from Scottsdale, Arizona, has shared her tips for living a long and fulfilling life in her new book, The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctors Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age

The author, who is known as the mother of holistic medicine, discovered she wanted to become a doctor while growing up in India with her missionary parents

Discover your life's purpose

McGarey believes that one of the most important things you can do to live life to the fullest is to find your 'juice'  your purpose for living.

In her book, she wrote about how she discovered she was meant to be a doctor when she was just eight years old.

She grew up in India with her parents, who were medical missionaries, and spent years thinking she was 'stupid' because she struggled with dyslexia.

McGarey was 100 when she started penning her latest book, which was published earlier this month

McGarey recalled how her father took her older brothers hunting one fateful day, leaving her and her younger siblings to help their mother in the medical tent.

A young man brought over a wounded elephant for treatment. Even though her mother wasn't a veterinarian, she removed a splinter of bamboo from the animal's foot and irrigated the infection.

Assisting her mother that day made her realize that she was meant to be a doctor.

'Each of us is here to connect with your unique gifts, this is what activates our desire to be alive,' she wrote. 'Achieving this connection isn't necessarily the point. The search counts for far more. The process of "finding our juice" keeps us vital.'

McGarey is also an advocate for having a 10-year plan and looking to the future.

She told Insider that her current plan involves creating a village for 'living medicine' where people of all ages can care for each other and practice wellness.

'A 10-year plan makes space for everything,' she explained in her book. 'It's a far enough reach that it keeps our life force activated. Yet it's close enough that we can achieve it, dust ourselves off, and plan anew.'

McGarey spent two months on a medical mission in Afghanistan and India at the age of 84 (pictured on the trip)

Know there is a lesson in everything

McGarey has had her fair share of struggles over the years, including surviving cancer and grieving the death of her daughter.

She was almost 70 when her husband of 46 years and clinic partner, William McGarey, left her for another woman.

The author told Today that the painful experience was 'a huge teacher' that helped her find her own voice and led her to start a new holistic medical practice with her daughter.

'Up to that point, I had depended on [his] support in the things that I was saying. After that, I had to believe that what I was saying had strength and was important,' she explained.

'Once I could actually find my own voice, I wrote him a letter and thanked him for giving me my freedom. Because up until that time, I did not feel that my voice was strong enough.'

McGarey also takes cues from her dreams because she believes they are the key to the unconscious and advises others to do the same.

In her interview with Today, she explained that when she is wrestling with a decision, she asks for a dream before going to bed. She immediately writes down the dream after waking up and searches for messages from her unconscious.

McGarey believes that one of the most important things you can do to live life to the fullest is to find your 'juice' - your purpose for living

The doctor (pictured on her 96th birthday) combats unnecessary stress in her life by letting go of things or experiences that no longer serve her

Let go of anything that doesn't serve you

McGarey combats unnecessary stress in her life by letting go of things or experiences that no longer serve her.

She explained in an interview with CNBC Make It that the happiest and healthiest people she knows understand the importance of releasing whatever isn't working in their lives.

'My mom taught me an easy way to release things that dont matter. She would raise her hand gently in front of us, fingers held loosely, palm up. Then swoop it down and back and say, "It doesnt matter,"' she told the outlet.

McGarey adopted the same practice and has grown to understand the significance of the symbolic gesture.

'I realize that theres great empowerment in knowing that whenever I notice something coming toward me, I can choose whether to take it in,' she said. 'And if its something I dont want, I consciously give the energy back to wherever it came from.'

McGarey is consistent with her daily fitness goals, which include walking 3,800 steps a day. She also rides an adult tricycle around her yard and neighborhood

McGarey wrote about the importance of having a 10-year plan in her book. 'It's a far enough reach that it keeps our life force activated,' she explained

Keep moving

McGarey makes sure she keeps moving, both literally and figuratively.

She is consistent with her daily fitness goals, which include walking 3,800 steps a day with the help of her walker.

The doctor also rides an adult tricycle around her yard and neighborhood. She recently shared footage of herself riding the bike on her Instagram page.

'I do things that I can do, that I want to do,' she told Fortune.

When it comes to moving through life, she follows her mother's motto: make do.

'Look for what you can do, not what you cant do,' she said. 'Our bodies are our teachers  if we pay attention to it, we learn lessons.'

The mother of six does a prayer every morning before heading downstairs and starting her day

McGarey follows a daily routine and typically has Raisin Bran and prune juice for breakfast

Find what works for you

McGarey follows a daily routine, but she doesn't believe there is a one-size-fits-all approach to living.

She told Insider that on most days she wakes up and does a morning prayer before heading downstairs and starting her day.

McGarey likes to have a bowl of Raisin Bran and a glass of prune juice for breakfast, while lunch is typically a salad and soup.

However, she explained in her interview with Today that she eats whatever she wants to eat, including the occasional hamburger.

She doesn't smoke or drink alcohol, but she isn't opposed to the latter.

'I think wine for some people is a lovely thing. Its what works for you,' she said.

'The individual person has to live their own individual life, so as you find what works for you, bless it and use it and work with it.'
An American influencer and her English boyfriend have lifted the lid on the different words they use to describe the same thing  even though they are speaking the same language.

Ella McFadin, 25, grew up in Newport Beach, California, while her beau James 31, is from Chiswick in west London. They now live together in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, after meeting on a dating app in New York two years ago.

Earlier this year, the couple went viral on TikTok after pointing out the glaring differences between American and British English. The video was so popular that she posted a follow-up this week.

Keeping with the same format as the original, Ella threw out a word that is commonly used in the U.S. and James responded with the British equivalent.

Ella McFadin, 25, grew up in Newport Beach, California, while her beau James 31, is from Chiswick in west London

The American influencer and her English beau went viral on TikTok this week after pointing out the glaring differences between American and British English

'The first one that I think drives him the most crazy is that Americans say, "I did it on accident,"' she explained. 'It's by accident,' James interjected. 'You do something by accident, not on accident.'

'I catch myself now. When I say "on" accident, I switch it to "by" because I realize that actually sounds more correct,' she admitted.

When Ella noted that Americans say broccolini, James said the vegetable is known as tenderstem broccoli across the pond.

'Yeah, I don't think I ever heard that before,' she responded.

Fries versus chips, chips versus crisps, popsicles versus ice lollies, and candy versus sweets were other food-related differences that they highlighted.

Ella said that if you were wearing a puffer vest, James would call it a gilet.

'A hairstyle he would refer to as a barnet,' she continued.

'That sounds bad coming out of an American's [mouth],' he joked.

In the video, Ella threw out a word that is commonly used in the U.S. and James responded with the British equivalent. For example, she says fries, while calls them crisps

'The first one that I think drives him the most crazy is that Americans say, "I did it on accident,"' she said. 'It's by accident,' James interjected. 'You do something by accident, not on accident'

James also calls a braid a plait, but there was some confusion when Ella asked him the British word for bangs.

'We would say bangs,' he said.

'No, you say fringe,' she argued.

'Fringe and bangs are different things,' he explained. 'Fringe is a different haircut than bangs.'

'I don't think it is,' she replied before moving on.

She later shared in the comments that James admitted he was confused and 'thought bangs only meant side bangs.'

Ella went on to explain that while Americans put a 'period' at the end of the sentence, Brits refer to the punctuation as a 'full stop.'

James also calls a swimsuit a swimming costume instead of a swimsuit, but he noted that he would also say bikini if someone was wearing a two-piece.

The couple has been together for two years now, and they are still learning new words and phrases that are completely different in their two countries.

The American-British couple went viral earlier this year when they shared the different words and phrases they say despite speaking the same language

Ella and James fell in love after meeting on a dating app in New York two years ago

The couple now lives together in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the half-way point between their two home cities

'We were swimming in the pool where we're staying right now, he was like, "Your best stroke was a front crawl" and I was like, "What the hell is that?"' she recalled. 'We would say freestyle.'

Ella added in the caption that she says sunscreen, whereas James says sun cream.

The video has been viewed more than 400,000 times in one day, and hundreds of people shared their thoughts in the comments.

Many Americans noted that it is grammatically incorrect to say 'on' accident, and it should be 'by' accident.

'Not sure why you say "on" accident, Ive always said "by,"' one person responded. 'I think you say it wrong lol.'

'By accident is grammatically correct!!!' someone else pointed out. 'Im passionate about this lmao.'

'I think its because we say "on purpose" so people started confusing "on accident,"' another American deduced.
Prince Louis delighted fans over the Coronation weekend with his cheeky antics, but anyone missing their fix of the lively youngster will be please to know he has a royal rival.

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and his wife, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie have shared adorable snaps to mark the third birthday of their oldest son Prince Charles, who was born during the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Snaps shared to Instagram show the youngster tucking into his birthday cake and feeding bits to his parents.

And in another family snap taken with his younger brother Prince Francois, who was born in March, the little Prince is happily tucking into a chocolate biscuit.

In another series of snaps, the young royal proved he had quite the sweet tooth as he was pictured tucking into his royal cake - a fruity strawberry extravaganza - with this parents

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and his wife, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie have shared new pictures with their son Prince Charles, three and Prince Francois, who was born in March, left

One particularly delightful snap showed Stephanie cradling Prince Francois, nestled into a white cloth, while gazing lovingly into the eyes of Prince Charles, who was holding a biscuits as his father Guillaume carried him on his shoulders.

They took a more traditional approach for another snap, with both parents sat down and Prince Charles sat on his father's lap while Prince Francois could be seen sleeping in his mother's arms.

There were also several individual shots of Prince Charles to mark his birthday.

For the occasion, Charles was dressed in a wool jumper with jacquard detailing, a small shirt with a round collar and pair of blue jeans.

The adorable royal showed of his small teeth as he smiled gleefully to the camera on his big day.

In another series of snaps, the young royal proved he had quite the sweet tooth as he was pictured tucking into his royal cake - a fruity strawberry extravaganza - with this parents.

And if the spec of cream on the corner of his mouth is any indication, the royal found his birthday cake quite tasty.

One snap revealed that Charles shared the treat with his parents, even feeding his dad Guillaume bits of cake.

One snap revealed that Charles shared the treat with his parents, even feeding his dad Guillaume bits of cake

One sweet snap showed the mother-of-two lovingly gazing at her youngest son, who was born less than two months ago

One particularly delightful snap showed Stephanie cradling Prince Francois, nestled into a white cloth, while gazing lovingly into the eyes of Prince Charles, who was holding a biscuits as his father Guillaume carried him on his shoulders

In another snap, Stephanie beamed as she cuddled the newborn prince who was perfectly calm during the photo session.

After Francois' birth on March 30, the court released a statement saying: 'Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are delighted to announce the birth of their son at the Maternite Grande-Duchesse Charlotte in Luxembourg on Monday, 27th March 2023 at 10:04 am.

'The newborn Prince will be named Francois Henri Luis Marie Guillaume. He weighs 3.575 kg and measures 53 cm.

'Princess Stephanie and her child are both healthy and well.

'The Crown Prince, the Crown Princess and his brother Prince Charles are looking forward to introducing Prince Francois to you.'

The Marshall of the Court also added that the birth would be recognised with a gun salute of 21 rounds and that members of the public could sign a digital book of congratulations or a book at the guardhouse of the Grand Ducal Palace.

For the occasion, Charles was dressed in a woolen jumper with jacquard detailing, a small shirt with a round collar and pair of blue jeans

The three-year-old seemed to thoroughly enjoy his birthday cake made of berries, strawberries and cream

Francois is the third in line to the throne after his father, Prince Guillaume and his brother Prince Charles, three.

Prince Guillaume shared his joy at the birth of his second son in an interview earlier this week, saying: 'It is always a very happy moment when such an event takes place in a family.

The birth of Prince Francois went very well and his mother is doing well.

'For us, it is now a great joy to be able to hold this little baby in our arms.

'He is already so sweet. It is truly one of the most beautiful moments a family can share.'

The pair welcomed their first child, Prince Charles, at the height of the pandemic in May 2020 and he was first introduced to his grandparents, the Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, over a video call.

When the couple announced last year that they would be having a second baby, they told RTL that Charles was 'especially overjoyed'.

'He has been saying "Mummy, baby!" for a few weeks now, it's adorable,' Princess Stephanie added.
Race Across the World viewers were left furious last night as they branded the series finale a 'fix'.

The hit BBC show followed five British pairs as they travelled from one checkpoint in Canada to another without any technology - and competed for a 20,000 grand prize.

Despite getting off to a rocky start in the final episode, Cathie Rowe, 49, and Tricia Sail, 48, managed to reach the remote lighthouse at Spear Point in St John's before all the other contestants.

After hitching a ride to Bishop's Falls on the outskirts of Newfoundland, the duo - who have been friends since childhood - struggled to find anyone who would take them on to the remote area of St John's.

On the second to last day of the contest, Cathie and Tricia spent hours approaching drivers at a petrol station.

Childhood friends Tricia (left) and Cathie (right) were stunned when the couple who had taken them in for the night also offered to drive them most of the way to the final destination

Taking pity on the pair, one Canadian local said he and his wife would happily put them up for the night - but couldn't take them to their final destination.

However hours later, the kind stranger offered to drive them to a spot not far from the lighthouse the following morning - prompting furious viewers to speculate if producers had intervened.

Posting on Twitter, one wrote: 'Another last minute fluke...'

Another added: 'Oh how convenient. Sorry but this show is so fixed it's blatant now.'

'Wow these producers are persuasive,' a third wrote. 'Got them a room now!'

At the start of the episode, married couple Zainib and Mobeen, from Manchester, lost their 14-hour lead on the other contestants.

The pair were 'released' from the last checkpoint in the evening - meaning they had to spend valuable time looking for somewhere to sleep rather than putting all their energies into reaching St John's.

This decision also left viewers outraged - with some claiming that it put Zainib and Mobeen at a disadvantage.

Outraged viewers took to Twitter to brand the show a 'fix' and speculated whether 'persuasive producers' were responsible for the sudden change in Cathie and Tricia's luck

'So annoying how often the head has been lost by way of them having to set off at night,' a fourth viewer tweeted.

Meanwhile, a fifth fumed: 'I'm confused. How did [Cathie and Tricia] get in the lead with Zainib and Mobeen 14 hours ahead???'

After welcoming Cathie and Tricia into their home, the Canadian couple told the pair that they'd go out of their way to help them reach St John's, which was 400km away.

Having had dinner with the couple, Cathie told their hosts: 'Okay, cards on the table - we need a lift to St John's tomorrow. As early as possible.'

'That's not big deal,' the man's partner said. 'Yep, we'll take you there.'

The man who offered to put Tricia and Cathie up for the night. When he picked them up for the petrol station, he said he couldn't drive them to St John's

Married couple Zainib and Mobeen. The pair lost their 14-hour lead after being forced to leave the final checkpoint in the evening

The couple said they were going to contact friends and family in the area to see if anyone was heading that way - but insisted they would take Cathie and Tricia themselves if they needed.

The pair were absolutely stunned by the kind offer. 'Honestly,' Cathie said. 'That's amazing.'

As such, some viewers said the show 'restored their faith in humanity'.

'Massive shout out to all Canadians for the generosity and kindness shown to all the contestants,' one tweeted.

'Think its proved that Canadians must be the most kind and considerate nation on earth,' another added.

Speaking to the BBC before the final episode aired, Tricia said: 'It will confirm that you can do this adventure with friends  you dont have to be related or in a relationship, it will cement that its been worth it, it would also mean an amazing holiday for me and my husband, Matt.'
A vet has warned dog owners never to allow their pets to enter one key room in the house.

Rachel Barrack, of New York, told Insider that dogs should never be allowed in the bathroom or anywhere near the toilet.

The veterinarian explained that all dogs, in particular larger breeds, should be kept away no matter how curious they are.

She said: 'Toilet bowls do not contain clean water that is appropriate for your dog or cat to consume.

'Keep the lid down so your large-breed dog cannot access the bowl.'

A New York vet has warned pet owners never to let their dogs into a bathroom as it contains deadly chemicals (stock image)

The vet warned that as well as the issue of contaminated water, many bathrooms were cleaned with toxic chemicals that could prove deadly to pets.

She added that everyday items could be harmful, and she urged people to store toiletries and cleaning products far out of reach from your pets.

She also advised people to clean their bathrooms with non-toxic and pet-friendly products.

Her comments were backed up by Ivan Ivanov from End of Tenancy Cleaning in London.

He said that popular cleaning products potentially put pets at risk of serious health problems.

According to data gathered by End of Tenancy Cleaning, many household products could be a danger.

These included dishwasher tablets, oven cleaners, bleach, and even laundry products.

Floor cleaners are known to pose a risk to pets, especially if they lick the surface.

This is a particularly problem in ammonium-based cleaners, which may cause irritation and chemical burns to noses and paws.

Highly-concentrated laundry products can also linger on fibres and cause irritation to pets.

He urged people to use products that are fragrance free, as these would be kinder to pets.

The warnings come after an expert also advised pet owners to limit the amount of 'harmful' tap water drunk by cats and dogs.

Gene Fitzgerald, who works for Best Osmosis Systems, revealed that the water in our homes could be 'slowly poisoning' our pets.

The water treatment expert claimed it might be dangerous for animals because of the elements dissolved in it.

Gene, told The Mirror: 'Hard water contains high levels of calcium and/or magnesium. For pets, this can be harmful.

'If a dog drinks too much hard water for too long a period, for example, they can develop conditions such as urinary tract and/or bladder infections, cystitis, urinary obstruction, crystalluria and stone formation.

He added that hard water can also cause health issues in animals such as skin problems, as well as digestive and dental issues.

Although the expert did admit that the UK is known for having some of the best tap water in the world there are some 'hard water areas'.

Therefore it all depends on the tap water where you live, because some types are absolutely fine for pets to drink.

Offering a solution Gene said removing the harmful substances from hard water can help to keep your pet healthy.

She suggested that reverse osmosis and distillation softeners are great solutions, but to bear in mind that softeners 'contain sodium', which can be 'equally harmful' to pets.

Smaller pet with pre-existing health conditions are more susceptible to health issues due to hard water.

There are various online tools for checking the level of water hardness in your area.

But the expert suggested that the best thing to do is to provide these types of pets with filtered tap water.

As water quality varies throughout the UK, it's hard to tell what is the best thing to do.

If you're worried, you can contact your water company to receive an assessment of your water quality, or speak to a vet.
Princess Stephanie of Monaco has been snapped with her ex-husband 27 years after their acrimonious divorce.

The Monaco royal, 58, marked her daughter Pauline Ducruet's 29th birthday with a party last week, where she was joined by Pauline's father Daniel, also 58.

The pair became romantically involved around 1991 when Daniel worked as a bodyguard for the Monaco princely family, appointed to look after the Princess by her father Prince Rainier.

After a wedding in 1994, and the birth of Pauline and her brother Louis, 30, the pair eventually divorced in 1996 after Daniel was caught cheating with Miss Bare Breast of Belgium 1995.

But nearly 30 years on, it seems the pair have put their acrimonious spit behind them, as they celebrated their daughter's birthday together and appeared in a snap shared by Stephanie on her Instagram account.

Princess Stephanie of Monaco, 58, has been spotted with her ex-husband Daniel Ducruet at their daughter Pauline's 29th birthday last week

The couple seemed to be on good terms as they posed together sitting on each side of their daughter Pauline in front of an impressive birthday cake.

Pauline, a budding fashion designer, offered the camera a confident smile as she sat between her parents, her arm resting on her mother's shoulders.

Stephanie looked well-rested in a silky red shirt, her hazelnut locks styled in an elegant short bob with a natural makeup highlighting her natural glow with some peach bronzer.

Meanwhile, Daniel looked dapper in a light blue shirt, sporting a salt and pepper five o'clock shadow.

The couple co-parented their two children after their split in 1996, when Pauline was three.

The pair had a passionate love story which started when Daniel worked as Stephanie's bodyguard in the 1990s.

Up until the point, he had been engaged to Martine Malbouvier, who was expecting their first child.

At the time Stephanie and Daniel went public, Martine was six months pregnant and gave birth to her son, Michael Ducruet in February 1992.

The pair met when Daniel worked as Stephanie's bodyguard from the early 1990s and soon began a romantic liaison. They welcomed their first child in 1992, the their second in 1994, before marrying in 1995 and divorcing in 1996 (pictured)

Daniel and Stephanie's first son, Louis, was born just ten months later in November, with Pauline following a year and a half later.

Stephanie campaigned for her father, the late Prince Rainier to let her marry Daniel, and he eventually relented, with the pair tying the knot in 1995.

Unfortunately, 14 months after their wedding, Daniel was caught cheating on the Princess with Muriel "Fili" Mol-Houteman, Miss Bare Breasts of Belgium 1995.

The pictures of his indiscretion were published by the Italian tabloids Evatremila and Gente, with Ducruet fleeing to Morocco in the wake of the scandal.

In 2000, it came out that Muriel had set up the affair, and was found guilty of breaching France's strict privacy laws when she had sex with Daniel in front of a photographer accomplice, Stephane de Lisiecki, 39, and his assistant Yves Hoogewys, 28.

Daniel and Stephanie on their wedding day on July 1 1995 in Monaco. They would divorce a year and two months later

The couple pictured at a gala dinner before the cheating scandal that led to their divorce in 1996

The pair have been present for their children since their divorce. Pictured in 2019 with Pauline and Louis, as well as Daniel's new wife Kelly-Marie Lancien and their daughter Linoue

Mol-Houteman was sentenced to six months suspended sentence, while de Lisiecki and Hoogewys both received a year suspended sentences.

A court heard how Muriel set up the photo op for financial motives.

Ducruet claimed the model and her accomplices drugged his champagne to make him more likely to fall for her charms.

Stephanie submitted a letter requesting divorce to her father after news of the affair spread in Italian and Spanish media.

But the couple seem to have found common ground in co-parenting their children, and have been able to both be there for Louis and Pauline for their milestone moments.

In 2018, Daniel married Kelly-Marie Lancien and the couple had a daughter named Linoue.
Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit stood in for King Harald to welcome Italian president Sergio Mattarella to Norway today - as the monarch recovers from an infection in hospital.

The couple attended the event at the Royal Palace in Oslo with the Queen Consort this afternoon.

The Princess, 49, was suitably stylish in a lightweight grey wool cape for the state occasion - which involved a ceremonial wreath laying and the Italian president signing the guest book at the Palace to mark the beginning of the visit.

Underneath her chic outwear, the mother-of-three wore a green midi skirt - which she teamed with a plain white blouse and brown paisley printed neck-tie.

Perfectly complementing her blush pink round woven hat, Mette-Marit carried a matching croc-effect clutch bag.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit 49, looked suitably smart in light grey woolen cape, which she wore over a green midi skirt

The royal then opted for a nude pair of leather heels to complete her ensemble. Mette-Marit wore her blonde hair in her signature lose waves for the occasion.

Along with a silver smokey eye, the Princess finished off her makeup with a light pink lipstick.

What's more, Crown Prince Haakon wore his full military uniform for the welcoming service.

The father-of-two, 49, is a Full-Ranking General of the Norwegian Army - meaning he had his medal proudly on display.

Meanwhile, his Queen Sonja, 85, looked elegant in a khaki coat with floral-shaped cut-outs - which she wore over a plain white knee-length dress.

The Queen Consort accessoried her outfit with a matching khaki hat and floral scarf.

Lady Laura Mattarella - the daughter of the Italian president - opted for a chic oversized burgundy jacket which she wore over a knee-length dress.

To complete her stylish outfit, the First Lady of Italy wore a pair of matching suede heels and a burgundy-and-grey hat.

Crown Prince Haakon, 49 - who is a Full-Ranking General of the Norwegian Army - wore his full military uniform

The Crown Princess (right) was joined by Queen Sonja (centre) and the Italian president's daughter Lady Laura Mattarella (left)

The mother-of-three donned a paisley-printed neck-tie and blush-toned accessories for today's service

Pictured: Crown Prince Haakon and Italian President Sergio Mattarella outside the Royal Palace in Oslo

President Sergio Mattarella (right) took part in the welcoming service, which involved laying a wreath

President Sergio Mattarella, 81, was joined by hi daughter on the state visit. Crown Prince Haakon is currently representing his father King Harald

Crown Prince Haakon was joined by his mother Queen Sonja, 85, for the welcoming service this afternoon

Pictured: Italian President Sergio Mattarella signs the guest book at the Stortinget in Oslo to mark the official start of the visit

Earlier this week, a brief statement from the Palace confirmed the King is receiving treatment for an infection at Oslo's main hospital, Rikshospitalet, where his condition is reportedly stable.

The royal has been relying on crutches for a number of years and this is the second time has been admitted to hospital in the past six months.

In December, the monarch was treated for an infection at the same hospital, where he received an intravenous antibiotic treatment.

The father of Crown Prince Haakon also underwent a leg operation in January before contracting Covid-19 in March, and spent time in hospital in August with another infection.

He went through a successful operation to replace a heart valve in October 2020 after being admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties.

King Harald of Norway, 86, has been admitted to hospital, where he is being treated for an infection

Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway pictured arriving at King Charles' Coronation at Westminster Abbey last weekend

The beginning of the state visit comes five days after the couple attended the Coronation of King Charles in London.

There has long been a bond between the British and Norwegian royal families, which intensified after Germany visited Norway in 1940, and the royals came to stay in the UK.

Charles was names after the former King Haakon VII, who was known colloquially among friends and family as Carl, and called Uncle Charles by Queen Elizabeth.

Crown Prince Haakon is the great grandson of Haakon VII, and is set to represent his family at the coronation alongside his wife Mette-Marit.

Last month, the royal couple were welcomed to Windsor Castle by the Prince and Princess of Wales during their tour of the UK.

The two royal couples had previously met in 2018 during the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's trip to Oslo.

Haakon is heir apparent to the throne of Norway. Despite being older, his sister Princess Martha Louise of Norway is fourth in line to the throne due to Norway's succession rules.

Mette-Marit was born an ordinary citizen, to farmers in Norway and was a single mother by the time of her engagement to Crown Prince Haakon in 2000.

She became Crown Princess after the couple's marriage in 2001. Mette Marit has spent her reign championing humanitarian projects while joining official visits.

Her first official appearance was at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Hall on December 10, 2000, following the announcement of the couple's engagement on December 1.
Queen Maxima of The Netherlands showed off her wild side in animal print as she attended a summit in Amsterdam.

The royal, 51, looked typically chic in a leopard print dress, a bold red hat and matching stilettos as she attended the Good Leaders Summit at the Beurs van Berlage.

The mother-of-three completed her ensemble with a bright red leather handbag which perfectly matched her other accessories.

Maxima appeared in great spirits as she waved at the crowd on her way into the venue.

She added a bit more glamour with diamond drop earring which featured a red ruby to tie in with her ensemble.

Queen Maxima of The Netherlands cut a stylish figure as she attended a summit in Amsterdam on Thursday

Her blonde locks were swept back inside her stylish hat and her glam makeup enhanced her flawless complexion.

The Queen took part in a working session and attended a discussion about female leadership at the summit.

It comes after Maxima stepped out for an evening of fun to mark the beginning of the annual Oerol music festival during a visit to Terschelling, one of the five Wadden Islands yesterday.

The royal looked chic in an outfit of creamy nude shades alongside her husband King Willem-Alexander, 56.

She opted for a stylish three-piece suit made up of a high, round neck top with a smart tailored jacket, all constructed out of a soft, thick, woollen fabric.

Teamed with wide-legged trousers in the same shade, the royal tied the look together with camel-coloured round-toe boots.

The royal, who opted for a similar palette at King Charles III's Coronation over the weekend, added a pop of colour on her nails with a rich autumn plum.

The royal, 51, looked typically chic in a leopard print dress, a bold red hat and matching stilettos as she attended the Good Leaders Summit at the Beurs van Berlage

Mother-of-three completed her ensemble with a bright red leather handbag which perfectly matched her other accessories

Maxima finished her stunning look with a nod to Terschelling's 30km long sandy beach by wearing earrings made from shells.

Likely from Seaman Schepps, the brand is synonymous for incorporating natural elements into their jewellery.

The accessory is the perfect encapsulation of the Queen's playful personality, who has worn the earrings to a number of high profile events.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima made a two-day regional visit to the Wadden Islands of Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog.

During their first day of the tour the couple stopped by the Museum Kaap Skil, sheep farm De Waddell and a beach pavilion at Den Hoorn, where they spoke to volunteers from Texel Plastic Free on Texel.

Her blonde locks were swept back inside her stylish hat and her glam makeup enhanced her flawless complexion

It comes after Maxima stepped out for an evening of fun to mark the beginning of the annual Oerol music festival during a visit to Terschelling, one of the five Wadden Islands yesterday

The King and Queen were out on Tuesday evening to mark the beginning of the annual Oerol music festival, which sees the island transformed for ten days into a unique stage for theatre, dance, art installations and music.

Queen Maxima looked stunning over the weekend in a white dress as she attended the Coronation of King Charles alongside her husband King Willem-Alexander.

The European monarch donned a smart outfit as she arrived in London for the historic first coronation of a British monarch in 70 years at Westminster Abbey.

King Willem-Alexander is distantly related to King Charles - he was the Queen's fifth cousin once removed thanks to an ancient connection in their family tree.
Former child star Jacob Tremblay is all grown up. The actor, 16, left fans stunned this week when he stepped onto the red carpet at the Little Mermaid premiere - and looked very different.

The star, who is originally from Vancouver, Canada, started his career when he was only a toddler - appearing in a slew of commercials - and by the time he was seven, he made his feature film debut in The Smurfs 2.

He went on to star in a series of highly acclaimed movies - including Room, alongside Brie Larson, in 2015 and Wonder with Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson in 2017 - and most recently, he voiced Flounder in the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.

But when the 16-year-old attended an event in honor of the upcoming Disney film on Monday, many people could not believe how much he's changed since he first entered the scene as a child.

Former child star Jacob Tremblay (seen left in 2013 and right on Monday) left fans stunned this week when he attended the Little Mermaid premiere - and looked very different

The star, 16, who is originally from Vancouver, Canada, started his career when he was only a toddler, and by the time he was seven, he made his feature film debut in The Smurfs 2 (seen)

He went on to star in a series of highly acclaimed movies - including Room, alongside Brie Larson, in 2015 (left) and Wonder with Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson in 2017 (right)

Someone shared a side-by-side photo of Jacob from when he was younger versus now, and the internet quickly went wild over his shocking transformation.

Twitter user @mmdisney200 posted the two images - one of the actor when he was making The Little Mermaid two years ago, and another of him this month at the premiere - and it quickly went viral, gaining thousands of retweets, likes, and replies from people who were surprised over his major glo' up.

Most recently, he voiced Flounder in the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid

'This tweet needs a trigger warning,' one person joked, while another asked, 'Why can't time just walk like a normal person?'

'I can't believe this is the same boy from Room,' someone else said. A fourth comment read, 'I remember when he was a baby. He looks like a little man now.'

'I'm officially old,' wrote a different user.

'Now I understand parents when they say kids grow up so fast,' another surprised person tweeted.

'I thought he was going to stay like that forever, I dont know why,' admitted someone else.

Jacob was born on October 5, 2006, to a police detective father and a homemaker mother.

But when the 16-year-old (seen left in 2015 and right recently) attended an event in honor of the upcoming Disney film on Monday, many people could not believe how much he's changed

Someone shared a side-by-side photo of Jacob from when he was younger versus now, and the internet quickly went wild over his shocking transformation

Twitter user @mmdisney200 posted the two images - one of the actor when he was making The Little Mermaid two years ago (left), and another of him this month at the premiere (right)

It quickly went viral, gaining thousands of retweets, likes, and replies from people who were shocked over his major glo' up

Jacob was born on October 5, 2006, to a police detective father and a homemaker mother. He's seen with his parents

His earliest roles include guest appearances in the shows Motive and Mr. Young - both when he was only seven years old. He then landed the part of Blue Winslow in The Smurfs 2.

He appeared in a slew of commercials when he was little

His other acting credits include the comedy series The Last Man on Earth, the horror flick Before I wake, psychological thriller Shut In (alongside Naomi Watts), the drama The Book of Henry, and the 2019 comedy Good Boys.

He also had a cameo as one of the victims in the terrifying slasher movie Doctor Sleep, which was a prequel to The Shining.

Director Mike Flanagan later admitted that he had a difficult time portraying the murder of a child in the film, calling it 'one of the hardest scenes he's ever had to work on in a movie.'

However, he couldn't stop praising Jacob's performance, telling the Los Angeles Times, 'The problem is that Jacob Tremblay is so damn good.

His earliest roles include guest appearances in the shows Motive and Mr. Young - both when he was only seven years old. He's seen during one of his audition tapes as a child

His other acting credits include The Last Man on Earth, Before I wake, Shut In, The Book of Henry, and Good Boy. He's seen left in 2018 and right in 2019

In addition, Jacob voiced Robin in DC's animate series Harley Quinn and the titular character in Disney Pixar's Luca

He also portrayed a young Justin Bieber in the pop star's Lonely music video

He quickly racked up a slew of impressive celebrity connections, posing photos with big names like Leonardo DiCaprio (left) and Sylvester Stallone (right) to Instagram over the years

The star left half the whole room in shambles and the other half 'aw-ing' when he presented at the Academy Awards in 2018 and needed a box to stand on so he could reach the mic

'Its just Jacobs face, holy crap does he sell it. His performance is horrifying to the point that Rebecca [Ferguson] was speechless trying to act with him. She was crying while trying to do the scene with him. It traumatized us.'

He also melted hearts when actor Bradley James had to hold the mic for him after he won the award for Best Young Actor for his performance in Room at the Critics' Choice Awards in 2016

In addition, Jacob voiced Robin in DC's animate series Harley Quinn and the titular character in Disney Pixar's Luca. He also portrayed a young Justin Bieber in the pop star's Lonely music video.

From practically the start, Jacob captured the hearts of millions around the globe - thanks to his impressive acting skills, as well as his adorable and spunky personality.

He quickly racked up a slew of impressive celebrity connections, posing photos with big names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Lawrence, Daisey Ridley, Chris Rock, Oscar Isaac, and Chris Evans to his Instagram over the years.

The young star left half the whole room in shambles and the other half 'aw-ing' when he presented at the Academy Awards in 2018 and needed a box to stand on so he could even reach the mic.

He also melted hearts when actor Bradley James had to hold the microphone for him after he won the award for Best Young Actor for his performance in Room at the Critics' Choice Awards in 2016.
Her goal is to encourage more females to pursue their dreams

A woman has revealed what it was like living on a volcano for a month, tackling 50 mile-per-hour winds, electrical storms and hypothermia.

Perla Tijerina, 31, from Saltillo, Mexico, spent 32 days living on Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in Latin America, located 5,636m - or 18,491 ft - above sea level. Her stint on the slopes ran from March 15 to April 17.

Now back down from the towering dormant volcano, a terrifying task for most, the adventurous woman has revealed how she got through it.

'Even though there were very difficult days, in which I thought I was going to die, I was able to push through,' Perla told NeedToKnow.co.uk.

Perla Tijerina, 31, from Saltillo, Mexico , spent 32 days living on Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in Latin America, located 5,636m - or 18,491 ft - above sea level

Now back down from the towering volcano, a terrifying task for most, the adventurous woman has revealed how she got through it

'Even though there were very difficult days, in which I thought I was going to die, I was able to push through,' Perla told NeedToKnow.co.uk

At times, Perla struggled against violent winds, electrical storms, hypothermia and sickness in the mountains, but continued to power through

Perla was determined to finish her goal of 32 days up the mountain, persisting through the worst nature had to offer

'I really thought it was going to be worse, but most of my days were perfect.'

At times, Perla struggled against violent winds, electrical storms, hypothermia and sickness in the mountains, but continued to power through.

The adventurer added: 'It was scary when I would fall in the tent.

'And also the gusts of wind, they would be up to 50 miles per hour!'

Perla was determined to finish her goal of 32 days up the mountain, persisting through the worst nature had to offer.

Before beginning her adventure, Perla underwent frequent medical and psychological checks.

A psychologist assured her she was prepared for any physical dangers but warned her about the mental strain the quest may have on her.

'The psychologist told me, "You are very prepared for everything, even for an emergency, but mental preparation is essential, because a promotion is very different from those you have undergone to be in solitude in 32 days,"' she told local news outlet Imer Noticias.

A psychologist assured her she was prepared for any physical dangers but warned her about the mental strain the quest may have on her

Perla revealed that she employed various tactics on the mountain to keep her mind busy. She explained: 'I was never alone, I had too many books to read, and I spent time meditating'

Perla says she feels like a completely different woman after her challenging trip

'I feel like I'm capable of doing anything I set my mind to. It's made me really appreciate life and everything it offers me,' Perla says

The climber began venturing to the top of mountains five years ago and set out to conquer Pico de Orizaba

Perla revealed that she employed various tactics on the mountain to keep her mind busy.

She explained: 'I was never alone, I had too many books to read, and I spent time meditating.

'I also had the bible that I liked to read to keep me spiritually and mentally strong.'

And now, Perla says she feels like a completely different woman after her trip of a lifetime.

She mused: 'I feel like I'm capable of doing anything I set my mind to.

'It's made me really appreciate life and everything it offers me.

'I enjoy spending time with my loved ones, eating delicious food, sleeping well, and I feel like an unstoppable person, I am a mountaineer who never stops.'

The climber began venturing to the top of mountains five years ago and set out to conquer Pico de Orizaba.

She came up with her volcano camping challenge after realizing she wanted to test her mental strength and personal determination.

She said: 'That is what led me to carry out this great challenge.

'I want to be an inspiration for all those women who are looking for a motivation that encourages them to continue making an effort, to be constant and not to give up despite the obstacles.

She came up with her volcano camping challenge after realizing she wanted to test her mental strength and personal determination

'I want to be an inspiration for all those women who are looking for a motivation that encourages them to continue making an effort,' Perla says

She also shared her journey on Instagram, where she uses the handle @perlatijerina_ has over 3,600 followers

'I feel like an unstoppable person, I am a mountaineer who never stops,' Perla says

'It was an unforgettable experience and difficult to digest.

'Thank God, I returned home safely and I was able to finish the challenge.'

She also shared her journey on Instagram, where she uses the handle @perlatijerina_ has over 3,600 followers.

In one video, she revealed her camping spot and showed off the stunning view of the mountains, gaining over 2,600 views, hundreds of likes, and many encouraging comments.

User Jorge commented: 'Do not give up, we are with you!'

Someone else said: 'I wish you the best of luck in what you've set out to do.'

Another fan added: 'CONGRATULATIONS!'

'Excellent,' commented someone else.

'Inspiring,' said Guarav.

'Wow go Perla, of course you're going to make it!' Angie added.

In a recent Instagram story, the mountaineer revealed that she has been reunited with her mother since coming of the mountain. She also posted a photo of herself enjoying a well-deserved glass of wine.
A New York style slice pizza joint has opened up in Sydney's CBD, with excited foodies queuing for hours to get their hands on a slices.

Oti', a branch of famed Merivale institution Totti's, is takeaway only and sells sandwiches alongside Roman-style pizza.

The Italian joint is the latest offering from the hospitality giant owned by billionaire pub baron Justin Hemmes.

It opened on Wednesday to huge crowds, selling out of sandwiches within 90 minutes of opening.

The menu, designed by Totti's chef Mike Eggert, consists of sandwiches on a specialist Tuscan flatbread called schiacciata, as well as pizzas.

It will change daily, with pizza by the slice costing $12-$15 and sandwiches setting customers back $15-$20.

A New York style slice pizza joint has opened up in Sydney's CBD, with excited Australians queuing for hours to get their hands on a slice

Oti', a branch of Totti's, is takeaway only and sells sandwiches alongside Roman-style pizza. The Italian joint is the latest restaurant from the Merivale group, owned by billionaire pub baron Justin Hemmes

It's the sixth Totti's restaurant to open in Sydney. As it's smaller than the other venues it's abbreviated to 'Oti' - the middle of the word Totti.

The Italian eatery is famed for its woodfired bread and long waits for tables, with it often getting booked out two months in advance.

Mr Eggert said that he wants his food to be more accessible to all.

The restaurant is on the site of the former Lorraine's Patisserie shop in Palings Lane off George Street. Lorraine's closed last year when pastry maestro Lorraine Godsmark retired.

Mr Eggert said that opening a pizza by the slice and Italian sandwich concept has been a passion project he's wanted to do for years.

'When Lorraine [Godsmark] retired I was given the enviable position coming up with a new concept for the space,' he told FEMAIL.

The menu will change daily, with Roman-style pizza by the slice (pictured) costing $12-$15 and sandwiches setting customers back $15-$20

The latest branch of the Merrivale group, called Oti', is takeaway only and sells sandwiches alongside Roman-style pizza. The mortadella and burrata sandwich is pictured

'This concept of a pizza by the slice and Italian sandwich shop is a passion project that Justin [Hemmes] and I had been talking about for years, so it's surreal that we're finally doing it.'

'We love the vibe of Jimmy's Falafel and how people line up down George Street for the takeaway offering, so we hope to have a similar success with Oti', he added.

The shop will sell sandwiches with meats including prosciutto, salami and mortadella will be sliced straight onto the fresh schiacciata sandwiches and hot slab pizzas, before being topped with at least one of eight cheeses on offer including Mr Eggerts signature burrata.

As for vegetarians, veggie fillings and toppings will also be on the menu, including mixed olives and capers.

Mr Hemmes gave Mr Eggert free reign to 'do something crazy' and suggested they open a bakery on the Pallings Lane site.

Sydney billionaire Justin Hemmes is pictured with girlfriend Madeline Holtznagel in December, 2022

'I deflected to a sandwich and pizza menu to save myself. I'm the worst baker,' Mr Eggert told the Daily Telegraph.

'For me, I just want as many people to try my food as possible. I mean, whether it's good times or bad, I know a good slice of pizza and bread is always accessible,' he added.

The chef added that he will keep the sandwiches 'simple' with a mortadella sandwich on consisting of 'two ingredients on warm crunchy bread' a step away from 'giant sandwiches with as much as you can fit inside' which has 'become a trend in Sydney in the last five years'.

As for the pizza, it Mr Eggert has kept the 'classic Totti's combo' on the menu.

'We have a mix of cheeses with burrata as the base, stracchino, ricotta and parmesan. It melts and holds together better with a combo. We also have garlic and kombu [Japanese seaweed] on it,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

The Merrivale group, which owns more than 80 venues across Sydney, is headed up by billionaire Hemmes.

Many of Sydney's most famous restaurants are owned by the group, including the Coogee Pavillion, The Allawah and The Beresford Hotel.
Australia has been named one of the most dangerous places in the world to work with almost half of all workers claiming to have experienced violence and harassment while on the job.

More people in Australia claim to have suffered physical, psychological or sexual violence than any other country, according to a new report by Lloyd's Register Foundation.

A shocking 49 per cent of Australian workers have faced from violence in the work place, while the global average stands at 21 per cent.

New Zealand is not far behind, with 42 per cent of workers in the country complaining of workplace violence.

Dr Sarah Cumbers, Director of Evidence and Insight at Lloyd's Register Foundation, said: 'The latest results from our World Risk Poll do not paint a positive picture for the region.

Australia has been named one of the most dangerous places in the world to work with almost half of all workers claiming to have experienced violence and harassment in the workplace (stock image)

Workplace violence around the world: How does Australia compare? Regions with the highest reported experience of multiple incidents of violence and harassment in the workplace Another important characteristic of psychological violence and harassment at work is that it is often experienced multiple times. 61.2% of individuals worldwide who have ever experienced it report facing it three or more times, including 36.9% who reported experiencing it more than five times ( Physical Australia and New Zealand (71.9%)

Central/Western Africa (67.2%)

East Asia (61.7%) Psychological Australia and New Zealand (79.3%)

Northern America (73.8%)

Eastern Europe (68.6%) Sexual Northern America (65.4%)

Australia and New Zealand (65.4%)

Central Asia (64.9%) Advertisement

'The data allows us to identify both the frequency and type of violence and harassment that workers are experiencing.

'Unfortunately for Australia and New Zealand, a majority of participants from the region who reported experience of violence and harassment to the poll had experienced it three or more times.'

The study found that 52 per cent of women in Australia and New Zealand have experienced violence and harassment in the workplace at some point in their life.

In comparison, 44 per cent of men reported similar experiences.

Poll Have you experienced violence at work? Yes, and I am Australian. Yes, I am not Australian. No, I am Australian. No, I am not Australian. Have you experienced violence at work? Yes, and I am Australian. 131 votes

Yes, I am not Australian. 34 votes

No, I am Australian. 176 votes

No, I am not Australian. 32 votes Now share your opinion





'Nobody should go to work and face violence and harassment  whether physical, psychological or sexual  yet our data suggests this is happening at an alarmingly high rate,' Dr Cumbers added.

'There is a need for immediate action in Australia and New Zealand, with interventions set up to ensure workers are better protected.

'Business leaders, governments and trade bodies must come together and ensure these findings are not ignored.'

Those who have experienced violence have suffered more than one, with 72 per cent of those in Australia and New Zealand who have seen violence in the workplace describing it as something that happens 'repeatedly'.

To compile the global report, 125,000 people across 121 countries were polled about their experiences of workplace violence and harassment.

All those interviewed were given a comprehensive definition of each of the three forms of 'violence and harassment' (physical, psychological, and sexual) that they were asked about.

While the results are shocking reading for Australians, it may be down to Aussies being more likely to complain at work.

Dr Sarah Cumbers added to FEMAIL that the results were 'alarming' but 'not unprecedented'.

'The previous Poll in 2019 also showed high levels of experience of violence and harassment at work in the region, particularly among women.

'While another 2018 study focused on Australia found more than half of workers had experienced sexual harassment at their current or previous workplace,' she said.

A shocking 49 per cent of Australian workers have suffered from violence in the work place, while the global average stands at 21 per cent (stock image)

She explained the latest World Risk Poll showed that people Australia and New Zealand also have the highest rate of repeat violence.

With many people complaining of violent encounters more than three times.

'This suggests that, even if these incidents are being reported to employers, they may not be acted on effectively to stop the problem recurring,' Dr Cumbers said.

'This presents a clear call to action to employers to take complaints seriously and ensure appropriate action is taken.'

The best and worst countries for workplace violence HIGHEST RATES OF VIOLENCE Australia Finland Iceland New Zealand Denmark United States Norway Canada Greece Sweden LOWEST RATES OF VIOLENCE Kyrgyzstan Lebanon Malaysia Uzbekistan Armenia Indonesia Georgia Kazakhstan Pakistan Tajikistan Advertisement

She added that the poll shows that workers in Australia and New Zealand are also significantly more likely to tell someone else about their experience than the global average.

'This is most frequently a friend or family member, but significant numbers  around two thirds of those who told the poll they had experienced violence and harassment  also said they told their employer or a supervisor.

'Together, these findings suggest that Australia and New Zealand is a region where there is both high experience of violence and harassment and work, but also high social recognition of what constitutes violence and harassment.

'The first step to addressing a problem is always recognising that the problem exists, so this aspect of the findings is encouraging, but there is clearly a huge amount of work to be done to actually tackle the issue.'

John Ninness, Principal Consultant at Safetysure, a leading provider of workplace health and safety consultant agency in Australia added there is a 'growing body of evidence that supports many Australian workers have been subject to workplace violence, aggression or harassment.'

'Direct comparison of workplace violence and harassment in Australia and other countries is complex,' he said.

'There are often variations in definitions and interpretation what constitutes workplace violence and harassment, reporting mechanisms, and/or specific cultural differences of those who report workplace violence.

'For example I believe that workplace violence and harassment is less likely to be reported in some Asian cultures.

'Notwithstanding that workplace violence, aggression and harassment is clearly a global problem that can occur in any country or industry,' he said.

Adding: 'The Lloyds Register Foundation Report World Risk Poll 2021: Safe at Work? is an important work that highlights the gravity of workplace violence globally rather than Australia in general.'

'Australia is now taking a stand on workplace violence, aggression and harassment through some of the world's leading laws on workplace psycho-social hazard management which I believe (over time) should see our workplaces eliminate and/or substantially reduce psycho-social risks.'
An influencer is facing backlash after posing in a holiday snap with her seven-month-old son.

Camila Coelho, who has more than 10 million followers, posed with her son Kai on a balcony overlooking the Eiffel Tower during Paris Fashion Week earlier this year.

But many of her followers were unsure about her son's positioning - warning that it was dangerous for him to be balancing on the edge of a balcony.

'How far can you go for likes? Yes, you are in Paris and yes, you have a view, but no need to put a baby on the edge of a balcony.

'Please stop monetising pics with your child,' one user wrote.

Camila Coelho, who has more than 10 million followers, posed with her son Kai on a balcony overlooking the Eiffel Tower during Paris Fashion Week earlier this year

The Brazilian influencer, who often poses with her child, shared the snap back in February looking gorgeous in a Barbie pink get up while posing from her hotel room at the Hotel Plaza Athenee

The Brazilian influencer, who often poses with her child, shared the snap back in February looking gorgeous in a Barbie pink get up while posing from her hotel room at the Hotel Plaza Athenee.

'Kai's first time in PARIS! So happy to be back (for PFW) and spend my birthday tomorrow here with him and hubby' she wrote.

Hundreds quickly commented on the shot sharing their concerns for her little one.

'This picture would've been even cuter if your child wasn't standing on the edge of a balcony,' wrote one.

Hundreds quickly commented on the shot sharing their concerns for her little one (pictured)

Camilla is famed for her love of fashion and great looks

'Please avoid holding the baby so close to the ledge no matter how careful we are it's just unexplainably dangerous,' added another.

'You got him, but just for the sake of his life it's not necessary to lift I'm up on the edge of the balcony!' wrote a third.

'This picture makes me so nervous! Don't put the baby in the balcony please!' added another.

'This picture just gave me anxiety baby so close to the edge,' said one.

Some compared the photo to Michael Jackson's infamous photo with son Bigi, who he dangled over a balcony at a Berlin hotel room in 2002.

Despite the disparaging comments, Camilla has not deleted the photo or commented on the backlash.

FEMAIL has contacted Camilla for comment.
A popular influencer has shocked fans after confessing she cooked and ate part of her own knee in a spaghetti bolognese.

Paula Gonu requested local anaesthesia so she could be awake to watch her doctor perform surgery on her knee to remove cartilage from a previous injury.

The 30-year-old was given the option to take what was extracted home which she later ate in a pasta dish with her boyfriend because she wanted to 'reinsert' it back into her body.

'I told him I wanted to eat it because it was part of me and I wanted to put it back in my body. Then I made a bolognese and put it in and we ate it,' she said.

A spokesperson from The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners told FEMAIL they don't recommend eating your own cartilage after surgery.

Speaking on the 113 Podcast, Paula, who has more than 3.1 million followers across Instagram and YouTube, said she opted to stay conscious for her knee surgery.

Influencer Paula Gonu has shocked fans by revealing she cooked and ate her knee cartilage in spaghetti Bolognese after surgery (pictured eating at a restaurant before her operation)

Speaking on the 113 Podcast, Paula said was given the option to take what was extracted home which she later ate in a pasta dish because she wanted to 'reinsert' it back into her body

'(The doctor) used a camera. He operated through two holes and it was all up on the screen,' she explained in Spanish.

When the procedure was over the surgeon asked Paula if she wanted to keep the cartilage.

'I told him "yes", and he put what he removed into a small container like those used for urine samples. He put it in alcohol so it would stay that way for as long as I wanted,' she said.

When she was out of hospital, Paula was chatting with her boyfriend and she mentioned wanting to eat the meniscus.

'I told him, "I want to eat it. It's mine and I have to reinsert it into my body". He asked, "but why do you want to eat it?" I answered, "why not? It's not going to hurt me",' she said.

Paula, who has more than 3.1million followers across Instagram and YouTube, opted to stay conscious during her knee surgery so she could watch the doctor remove her meniscus

'So, then I made a Bolognese sauce, I added it in, and I ate it. I wanted to be able to say in my head that I've eaten a piece of my own meniscus.'

Paula said the spag-bol with her bodily substance was no different from eating that from 'worse animals'.

A spokesperson from The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners advised against eating your own cartilage.

'There are many things doctors recommend patients do following surgery including recuperating slowly and carefully heeding all instructions given to them post-surgery,' they said.

'However, eating your own cartilage is certainly not one of them.'

Those who heard the podcast, which was also posted on YouTube, were horrified by the story and shared their shock online.

'At what point did I decide that it was a good idea to watch this over dinner?' one viewer commented.

'What in the fresh hell is this?' another tweeted.

'Did they wash it down with a nice Chianti?' joked a third.

'I almost threw up a thousand times in the first few minutes talking about food,' a fourth wrote.

'I made a Bolognese sauce, I added (the cartilage) in, and I ate it. I wanted to be able to say in my head that I've eaten a piece of my own meniscus,' she said

While Paula has been dubbed a cannibal for the act by Spanish media outlets Dr. Oren Gottfried, a full professor of neurosurgery and spine at Duke University School of Medicine told Gizmodo it may not be that extreme.

'I would like to think the motivation is not the desire to eat human flesh but to receive some unique health benefit or at least publicity or recognition,' he said.

'Most hospitals do not allow the hand off of human tissue, bones, or explanted instrumentation due to health concerns.'

He said does not recommend eating your own cartilage and he does not give any bodily substances back to patients in the operating room.

'I do worry about health risk of eating any raw meat. I have heard of companies that sterilize and morselise placentas and mothers take pills of it,' he said.

'I'm not aware of any specific health benefit. I would not recommend any of these activities.'
A business owner almost fell victim to a Facebook marketplace scam four times before realising something was amiss.

Kayla Houlihan, owner of cult favourite brand Tribe Skincare, recently tried to sell her television on Facebook marketplace.

After only a few hours of posting an ad, she received four almost identical messages from buyers.

Kayla found that all the deceitful messages she received used a similar script that consisted of someone else picking up the item and them using PayID to compensate her.

Kayla Houlihan, owner of cult favourite brand Tribe Skincare, recently tried to sell her television on Facebook marketplace when she was contacted by scammers

She decided to reveal how the scammers contacted her and what they said to help prevent others from falling victim to the fraud.

Kayla shared a screenshot where a woman who was interested in purchasing the TV claimed her son would pick the item up as she was out of town.

The scammer insisted on using PayID despite Kayla specifically demanding cash.

Kayla also received three other similar messages that said other people would be picking up the TV.

'At first, I didn't really understand how it was a scam if I was getting paid,' she said. 'But everyone saying the exact same thing to me was really suspicious.'

A business owner was shocked after she almost fell victim to the latest Facebook marketplace scam four times before realising something was amiss

Experts reveal that the scam is rampant with many Australians around the country impacted by the fraud.

'PayID impersonation scams often target people selling items on second-hand websites,' NAB Executive Group Executive and Fraud Chris Sheehan told Daily Mail Australia previously.

'The scammer will push to buy your item using PayID but then claim the transaction couldn't be completed because you don't have a PayID 'business' account.'

He added, 'They'll claim they've sent extra money to upgrade the account, send you a fake email as evidence and pressure you to reimburse them. But no money will ever appear in your account.'

Experts reveal that the scam is rampant with many Australians around the country impacted by the fraud

The scammer often says they will pay by PayID now so their child, partner, or relative can collect the goods without needing to pay.

Data from Scamwatch shows Australians lost $260,000 to the PayID scam in 2022.

'I feel like I still don't get it because if anyone asked me to transfer money into an account so that they could give me back the money - I would think it's really dodgy,' Kayla said.

She added, 'But it's the latest scam, a lot of people have fallen for it and a lot of people are trying to scam others.'

@tribeskincare I still dont really get it, but thought it was worth showing here so none of you get scammed  original sound - Tribe Skincare

Many claimed that they've received similar messages after posting advertisements on Gumtree and Facebook marketplace.

'God, I listed something less then 24 hours ago and have had six of these messages,' a woman said.

'This just happened to me! Someone asked me to transfer $600 into their account and I blocked them immediately,' another recalled.

'My mother in law fell for this a few months ago,' a woman sadly revealed.

A fourth said: 'This has happened every single time I listed an item.'
Fears were raised today that a Pfizer vaccine given to mothers-to-be could raise the risk of babies being born prematurely.

Experts have called for tougher scrutiny over the new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) jab, which could be approved in the US and UK later this year.

It comes as GlaxoSmithKline halted its own phase three trial of its maternal RSV vaccine last February after discovering an increased risk in premature births in vaccinated mothers.

No safety concerns were alerted by Pfizer in its own phase three trial, considered the final hurdle before approval by health bodies.

Yet experts today told The BMJ, which first reported the concerns, it was important to reassess and analyse the findings using more sensitive measures.

Experts have called for tougher scrutiny over the new Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) jab, which could be approved in the US and UK later this year

RSV is common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, normally in winter.

It is part of the same family as the mumps and measles viruses.

Pfizer's maternal RSV vaccine aims to protect infants from severe illness caused by the virus. Though it is not yet approved, it would be offered to women who are six to nine months pregnant, if approved.

RSV is very common but can be fatal, especially in young children.

In 2019, an estimated 3.6 per cent of all deaths worldwide in children aged one to six months were due to RSV, with 97 per cent of these deaths occurring in low and middle income countries.

The vaccine has not yet been approved for use, but a decision by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected by August.

The European Medicines Agency is also set to make an approval decision later this year.

In results of an interim analysis of its phase three trial last month, Pfizer said the vaccine was effective against medically-attended severe RSV in children.

No statistically significant differences were identified in premature births, it confirmed.

However, experts have suggested the data should be analysed further while the FDA should also carry out post-approval monitoring, if approved.

Professor Klaus Uberla, director of the Virological Institute of the University Hospital Erlangen and member of the RSV working group of the Standing Committee on Vaccination, told the BMJ: 'My interpretation of all these data is that there may be a safety signal for preterm births that should be followed up on.'

Meanwhile, Professor Cody Meissner, a paediatrician at the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine and consultant in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s maternal RSV working group, predicted possible adverse effects such as premature births will be 'closely monitored' in assessment programs by FDA and CDC.

He added: 'We need a safe vaccine.'

Another scientist at the US National Institutes of Health, who was not authorised to speak with the media, also recommended Pfizer data should be analysed using more sensitive measures, such as average birth weight and subgroup analyses to detect possible signals.

In results of an interim analysis of its phase three trial last month, Pfizer said the vaccine was effective against medically attended severe RSV in children. No statistically significant differences were identified in premature births, it confirmed. However, experts have suggested the data should be analysed further while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should also carry out post-approval monitoring, if approved

But a spokesperson for Pfizer told MailOnline: 'Pfizers external data monitoring committee, made up of leading infectious disease specialists, virologists and healthcare experts, closely monitored and reviewed cases of prematurity throughout the entire course of the study.

They added: 'The committee did not see a statistical difference in the number of adverse events of prematurity between those immunised with the vaccine candidate or the placebo.'

'Regulatory agencies are currently reviewing the data for Pfizers RSV vaccine candidate for maternal immunisation and will make a recommendation for possible licensure based on tolerability and efficacy.'

Work on an RSV vaccine has met roadblocks for decades following multiple failures in clinical trials.

This includes one study in the 1960s, where children who received an experimental vaccine experienced worse disease than those in the placebo arm. Two youngsters, both under the age of two years, died.

Research later found that this was because the vaccine had targeted a version of the protein on the virus that forms after it fuses to a cell, meaning it did not trigger protection against the disease and may have actually hampered the immune response.

In February 2022, GSK halted its phase three trial into its maternal RSV jab, citing safety concerns.

In a document submitted to the FDA, GSK's data showed an increase in premature births in vaccinated mothers (6.8 per cent) when compared to those who received the placebo (4.9 per cent).

It accounted for one extra premature birth in every 54 vaccinated mothers.

Some 13 neonatal deaths were also recorded among those who were vaccinated.

Just three were reported in the placebo group.

Ilse Dieussaert, vice president of vaccine development at GSK, however said the increase in neonatal deaths was due to deaths in premature babies.

There was no imbalance of deaths in full term babies, she noted.

The number of babies born prematurely was greatest in low and middle income countries, she noted. Almost no difference was observed in high income countries.

Earlier this week the first-ever vaccine against RSV was approved in the US by the FDA, after it gave the green light for the vaccine to be administered to adults aged 60 years and older.
A man died with a ping pong ball in his bottom after being electrocuted while pleasuring himself.

The single 30-year-old from the Czech Republic, who lived at home with his parents, was found dead on the floor of his bedroom by firefighters, who were forced to kick his door down.

He was wearing a one-piece women's swimsuit, and had 'tightly' wrapped his legs, trunk and neck in straps of plastic and fabric.

His concerned parents sought help after he failed to open his locked door, 'despite them knocking for a long time', doctors revealed in a report outlining the unusual circumstances of his death.

Police found an electric massage device laying next to the unidentified man's body, which was still connected to the mains.

The 30-year-old was found dead on the floor of his bedroom by firefighters, who were forced to kick his door down. Police found an electric massage device laying next to the unidentified man's body, which was connected to the mains. Another object  around 9cm in length  was also lodged in his rectum. That, doctors said, was a 'round, plastic cylinder, onto which a ping-pong ball, fixed with a plastic wrap, was placed'

Tests showed the one-handed device, which had signs of 'wear', had malfunctioned while plugged in.

Burns on the man's skin, inches above his penis, corresponded with the outer shape of the massage device's head.

As such, his death was ruled to be down to 'accidental electrocution to auto-erotic manipulation'.

An autopsy, carried out 48 hours after his death, revealed a 'strange foreign body' in his intestine, too.

Revealed: The risks of putting things in your anus People most commonly shove objects into their rectum for sexual pleasure. This is partly to do with the number of nerves in the anus making it highly sensitive, and for men can simulate the prostate, an erogenous part of the male reproductive system. The insertion of objects into a rectum, also known as anal play, carries a number of risks. As well as getting stuck objects, they can also potentially perforate the bowel which can be deadly as material from the digestive tract can spill into other parts of the body, causing an infection. The NHS advises that anyone exploring anal play do so safely, and use an object with a flared base to prevent it from getting lost inside. Advertisement

Publishing details about the man's case in the journal Legal Medicine, doctors from University Hospital Hradec Kralove in the north of the Czech Republic said: 'It was a fancy condom in a plastic translucent box, onto which a label was fixed with the victim's first name marked with a black inscription.'

It measured around 5.5cm.

Another object  around 9cm in length  was lodged in his rectum.

That, doctors said, was a 'round, plastic cylinder, onto which a ping-pong ball, fixed with a plastic wrap, was placed'.

Internal exams also revealed he had suffered internal organ congestion, swelling in the lungs and brain due to trapped fluid while blood was found trapped in the heart chambers.

People most commonly shove objects into their rectum for sexual pleasure.

This is partly to do with the number of nerves in the anus, making it highly sensitive it can also stimulate the prostate in men.

For women, it can also indirectly stimulate parts of the vagina.

But the insertion of objects into a rectum, also known as anal play, carries a number of risks.

As well as getting stuck objects, they can also potentially trigger bleeding in the gut and perforate the bowel, which can be deadly.
You are not alone in thinking this allergy season has been worse than before.

New data suggests that allergy seasons are getting longer and pollen levels are steadily rising. Pollen rates are continuing to skyrocket, rising by 21 percent across the nation from 1990 to 2018, per a 2021 study from the journal PNAS.

Some cities in the US are feeling it worse than others. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Reno, Nevada are experiencing lengthened allergy seasons when compared to decades past.

The extended season means many Americans are reaching for over-the-counter medication to treat their allergies more of than before.

Many of these medications come with side effects that can disrupt a person's daily life, though. In some cases, overuse can even be a danger.

Here is DailyMail.com's guide to which OTC allergy medicine is best for you

Pollen season is getting longer every year in some parts of America, as a warmer climate leads to an increased amount of the particles in the air

According to new data from Climate Central, the length of time people are suffering every spring has increased.

Allergy season has lengthened by 15 days on average across 200 cities over the past 50 years.

Some locations are also experiencing more time between the last freeze of each spring and the first freeze of each fall.

While Reno topped the list of cities experiencing longer 'freeze-free' periods, over 30 other areas also saw their seasons extend by over a month.

Among those worst hit is Bend, Oregon and Las Cruces, New Mexico, which each saw their allergy seasons lengthen by 83 days and 73 days, respectively.

An extended stint of pollen exposure can have significant health ramifications for those who are affected by seasonal hay fever, which hits roughly 26 percent of adults and 19 percent of children, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As more people suffer from allergies for longer amounts of time, many are overwhelmed by which over-the-counter medications to use.

Benadryl

How it works: Benadryl has one active ingredient, diphenhydramine, an antihistamine.

This means that it blocks histamine, a natural chemical in the body that causes allergy symptoms, such as sneezing, itching, and runny nose.

Different forms are used to treat allergies, itchy skin, the common cold, and hay fever.

Forms: The medication comes in tablets, liquid gel capsules, chewable tablets, syrups, and topicals.

Side effects: One of the most common symptoms is drowsiness, followed by dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, constipation, chest congestion, headache, muscle weakness, and nervousness.

Dangers: When taken in large doses, Benadryl can cause severe health problems. The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against taking higher than the recommended dose of the medication.

'Taking higher than recommended doses of the common over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medicine diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can lead to serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death,' the agency said. The FDA also recommends that Benadryl not be used in children under two years old due to risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Effectiveness: When used for allergies, it's best for adults to take one or two capsules every four to six hours.

Benadryl is only recommended for short-term use because lasting use could lead to lasting health problems, including dementia, memory problems, anxiety, and dependence.

Claritin

How it works: Claritin contains loratadine and pseudoephedrine sulfate. Loratadine is an antihistamine, while pseudoephedrine sulfate is a decongestant.

Decongestants provide short-term relief for a blocked or stuffy nose, also known as nasal decongestion.

Claritin is used to treat allergy symptoms, as well as redness and itching from hives.

Forms: The medication comes in tablets, liquid gel capsules, chewable tablets, and syrups.

Side effects: The most common side effects are headache, dry mouth, nosebleeds, sore throat or sores in the mouth, difficulty sleeping, nervousness, weakness, stomach pain, diarrhea, and itchy eyes.

Dangers: Experts recommend not going over the listed dosage of Claritin. Symptoms of an overdose include a fast or pounding heartbeat, drowsiness, headache, and unusual body movements.

Additionally, a 2016 study in the journal Case Reports in Hepatology found that loratadine could cause very rare instances of liver damage.

Effectiveness: Adults and children should take no more than one tablet per day. Claritin can be taken at any time of day, as is is a non-drowsy medication. It can also be used every day for long-term allergy relief.

Allegra

How it works: Allegra's active ingredient is fexofenadine, an antihistamine. It's used to treat allergy symptoms, including runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, and sore throat. Some forms can also alleviate the symptoms of hives.

Forms: Allegra comes in 12-hour tablets, 24-hour tablets, 24-hour gel caps, dissolving tablets, and syrups.

Side effects: Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, upset stomach, muscle or back pain, drowsiness, and headaches.

Dangers: Rare but severe side effects include hives, difficulty breathing, swelling, fever, chills, body aches, and flu-like symptoms.

Because fexofenadine is eliminated by the kidney, patients with kidney failure may be at greater risk of experiencing toxic reactions.

Additionally, doctors warn against taking Allegra at the same time as magnesium or aluminum antacids because this can affect how well the drug is absorbed.

Taking the medication with fruit juices can also weaken the active ingredients.

Effectiveness: Adults and children over the age of 12 should only take one tablet every day, along with a glass of water. The medication is not recommended for children under 12. Allegra can be taken every day.

Zyrtec

How it works: Zyrtec's active ingredient is cetirizine HCL, an antihistamine. The medication is used to treat allergy symptoms, including itchy eyes, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, and nasal decongestion.

Forms: Zyrtec is available in tablets, chewable tablets, syrups, liquid gels, and dissolving tablets.

Side effects: Common side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, feeling hot, sweating, numbness, tingling, burning pain, decreased sense of taste, headache, upset stomach, nausea, constipation, dry mouth, and sore throat.

Dangers: Serious side effects include rapid or irregular heartbeats, hyperactivity, severe restlessness, extreme weakness, tremors, confusion, change in vision, or trouble urinating.

Effectiveness: Adults and children over the age of six should only take one tablet per day. Children under six years old or adults over 65 years old should ask their doctor before taking Zyrtec. This medication can be taken every day.

Sudafed

How it works: Depending on the form, Sudafed either uses the active ingredient pseudoephedrine HCL or phenylephrine, both decongestants.

The medication is used to treat nasal congestion caused by colds, allergies, or hay fever. Some forms can also be used to relieve headaches.

Forms: Sudafed is available in tablets and in syrups. However, these products have restrictions in some areas.

While Sudafed PE has specific rules for purchase, products containing pseudoephedrine carries a risk for misuse. Therefore, you may have to purchase Sudafed at the pharmacy counter and show proper identification.

Side effects: The most commonly reported side effects are weakness, dizziness, restlessness, headaches, nausea, and insomnia.

Dangers: Rare but serious effects are fast heart rate, trouble breathing, hallucinations, psychosis, chest pain, increased blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

One of the main concerns with the medication is it can be habit-forming.

This is because some forms have pseudoephedrine, which acts like a stimulant. This increases heart rate, blood sugar, energy, and blood pressure.

Effectiveness: Adults and children 12 years and older can safely take two tablets every four to six hours, not exceeding eight in 24 hours. Long-term use can cause dependence, so aim to take them for less than a week.
The World Health Organization has declared the monkeypox global emergency over, just as this year's first cluster of cases emerges in America's third largest city.

Chicago has recorded 12 confirmed and one probable case of the virus spread by sexual contact between April 17 and May 5, the latest dates available. For comparison, the city has been averaging less than one case a week since February.

Nine of the new infections were in men who are fully vaccinated, city health officials said. None of the infected people have been hospitalized.

Raising the alarm, they warned of a 'resurgence' of the disease, now known as mpox, that is spread via sexual contact and has so far sickened 30,000 Americans  the most in the world  and led to 42 deaths.

Last year the world was put on high alert when the virus began to spread, largely among gay and bisexual men in the US and Europe. But cases then receded in late summer.

Shown above are the mpox cases recorded by week in Chicago. The data highlights an uptick after cases previously flatlining at one or none per week since December

World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has declared an end to the emergency over mpox (pictured in December at the WHO headquarters in Geneva)

Mpox sparked alarm among health officials early last year when it began to spread rapidly among gay and bisexual men, reaching a peak of 450 cases a day in August.

But infections appeared to have tapered off amid boosted awareness of the disease and a hurried vaccination program.

The tally dropped below the milestone of ten cases per day in December and has been tracking at less than two every 24 hours since February.

In total, 30,395 Americans were diagnosed with mpox and 42 people died from the disease.

But the sudden uptick in Chicago has alarmed officials that the disease may again be spreading undetected, even among those who were vaccinated.

All the patients were men aged about 34 years old on average, they said in an alert released this week. Of the nine with travel history available, four had recently visited New York City, New Orleans or Mexico.

Thirty-three percent of patients were also living with HIV, while one was diagnosed with syphilis.

Dr Allison Arwady, the city's commissioner of public health, said this week in a Facebook live: 'Most weeks we didn't see a single mpox case, maybe one or two in a higher week.

'But just these last couple of weeks we saw two, then five, now another six coming in.'

Officials have been warning for months that the US could face a resurgence of mpox this summer, amid the movement of hundreds of thousands of people for Pride festivities across the country.

But nationwide US figures are yet to indicate an uptick in infections.

Over the latest two weeks available  April 26 to May 10  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported another 62 cases.

The majority (33) have been in Texas, while 15 were in Illinois, four in Louisiana and California, three in New York and one each in Alabama, Florida and Oregon.

Texas state officials told CBS that at least 17 of their new cases were from the previous year that had only just been added to the CDC tally. Another three were from January and February they added.

Globally, there has also been a downward trend, with an uptick in cases only being detected in the western Pacific.

The above shows monkeypox cases recorded in the US by day. Cases are yet to show an uptick in the country

This breaks down cases by their demographic information, revealing infections are mostly among men in their 30s

This map shows the total number of mpox cases recorded by state in the US

Amid concerns of a possible resurgence, however, the World Health Organization (WHO) still declared an end to its international emergency called for the virus.

Its director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus overruled his expert committee last July when he declared an emergency situation  perhaps due to the agency's slow response to the Covid outbreak.

But on Thursday he rowed back the designation saying there had been 'steady progress' in bringing down new infections with the virus.

'We now see steady progress in controlling the outbreak based on the lessons of HIV and working closely with the most affected communities,' he said.

'I'm pleased to declare that the mpox is no longer a global health emergency.'

He added that the feared backlash against the communities most affected by the outbreak 'has largely not materialized'.

Mpox has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades, where people are mainly infected by animals like wild rodents.

But the disease wasn't known to spark big outbreaks beyond the continent or to spread easily among people until last May when dozens of epidemics emerged in Europe, North America and elsewhere.

Mpox most often causes symptoms including a rash, fever, headache, muscle pain and swollen lymph nodes.

The skin lesions can last up to a month and the disease is spread via close physical contact with an infected patient or their clothing or bedsheets.

Most people are offered anti-virals and painkillers to help with recovery, as well as being told to spend time at home.

Scientists ultimately concluded that the unprecedented outbreak was tied to sex among gay and bisexual men at raves in Spain and Belgium, marking a significant departure from the mpoxs typical pattern of spread in Africa, where outbreaks haven't spilled across borders.
Virginia officials have launched a war on fentanyl, vowing to cut the number of deaths from fentanyl in the state by 20 percent.

Gov Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who entered office in 2022, called fentanyl a 'weapon of terrorism'.

The drug was responsible for killing at least 70,600 Americans in 2022 and caused more than 1,950 deaths in Virginia alone.

The synthetic opioid enters the US through the southern border and contaminates the illicit drug supply, ravaging local communities and major cities alike.

The Republican governor issued a laundry list of initiatives to fulfill his goal of reducing opioid overdoses in Virginia by 20 percent during his term in office.

Gov Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, has set a goal of reducing opioid overdoses in Virginia by 20 percent during his term

Preliminary figures from the state show that fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than heroin, killed more than 1,950 people last year and more than 2,000 the year before

Fentanyl-related deaths in the US continue to spiral out of control

Gov Youngkin signed the executive order on Tuesday, directing the Department of Health to develop a plan for wastewater surveillance to detect the frequency, potency, and occurrences of fentanyl use in specific locations.

The order also grants individual counties within the state more leeway to secure kits of the overdose reversal miracle drug naloxone and directs law enforcement to step up efforts to interdict drug shipments into the state.

It also directs relevant state departments including those for health, social security, and corrections, to improve fatal overdose surveillance, drug interdiction, and public awareness.

Opioids, particularly the ultra-potent synthetic fentanyl, have taken a significant toll on Virginians, who have seen the number of fatal fentanyl overdoses increase 20-fold since 2013, Gov Youngkin said.

He added: We cannot stand by as Virginians lose their lives when there are steps we can take to combat this deadly fentanyl poisoning crisis. We must act.

Richmond, Virginias capital, is among the hottest spots for fatal opioid overdoses due, with 272 deaths in 2022 - 262 of those due to fentanyl.

Fatal overdoses due to all opioids in Virginia in 2022 reached 2,104, slightly down from the 2021 tally of 2,229 but well above the 2019 total, 1,298.

The vast majority of those deaths were caused by fentanyl.

The drug was introduced in the 1960s as a pain reliever and an IV anesthetic. By the 1990s, drug companies had developed fentanyl patches that deposited the medicine into the body through the skin to treat severe pain in cancer patients.

But it has increasingly been found in the illicit drug supply, often as a pollutant in other drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine, and benzodiazepines, meaning many people ingest it unknowingly.

Just two milligrams of fentanyl, equal to around 10 to 15 grains of table salt, can be lethal.

Preliminary figures from the state show that the synthetic drug 50 times stronger than heroin killed more than 1,950 people last year and more than 2,000 the year before.

John Littel, Virginia's health secretary said: Today, five Virginians will die from fentanyl.

'Tomorrow and every day this year, an average of five Virginians will die from this deadly drug.

Within the next four months, the state health department will need to devise a cost-effective way to monitor the sewer system for concentrations of opioids including fentanyl and heroin.

The objective is to use the surveillance data to inform resource allotment, meaning the communities with the highest presence of opiates will get greater access to naloxone and drug treatment options.

The order also directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to scale up the states law enforcement systems ability to interdict illicit drug shipments into and throughout the state.

Youngkin further ordered a cadre of state agencies such as the Department of Social Services, and the Department of Criminal Justice Services to come up with a more effective, thorough way to record and report fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses to allow for immediate interdiction, education, and abatement efforts' in the neighborhoods experiencing the biggest spikes in overdoses.

Fentanyl has blighted American cities and towns of all sizes. A recent government report shows that fatal overdoses involving synthetic opioid more than tripled from 2016-2021, rising from 5.7 per 100,000 in 2016 to 21.6 in 2021.

In Virginia specifically, that rate is around 22 per 100,000 persons, according to preliminary 2022 numbers. In 2021, it was nearly 24 per 100,000, up from about 19 in 2020.

The fentanyl overdose rate spiked in the first year of the Covid pandemic, having hit 11.3 per capita in 2019, the highest on record pre-Covid.

The rise of fentanyl has especially affected teens in recent years. Analysis of official overdose data show there were just nine fatalities from fentanyl among those aged 20 years and under in 1999. But by 2021, this had jumped to 1,550.

Virginia is just one of 50 states and DC contending with the scourge of deadly fentanyl on their streets.

Neighboring West Virginia has the highest death rate of all, coming in at about 91 per 100,000 total population, according to 2021 figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The above graph show the CDC estimates for the number of deaths triggered by drug overdoses per year

The drug was initially produced in India and China and mailed to recipients across North America. Makeshift labs have since sprung up in Mexico to receive the precursor chemicals from Asia, mix them or press them into pills, and smuggle them into the US

It takes a vanishingly small dose of fentanyl to cause a fatal overdose. Just two milligrams, the equivalent of five grains of salt is enough to cause death

Northwestern Virginia has consistently shown the highest rates of overdoses caused by opioids excluding heroin. But Southwestern Virginia has seen the highest rates of heroin overdoses.

Spots two and three went to Tennessee and Louisiana with 56.6 deaths per 100,000 and 55.9 deaths per 100,000, respectively.

To address the ongoing crisis, rooted in a long history of poor regulation and malfeasance by the pharmaceutical industry, federal regulators have taken steps to make the nasal spray version of naloxone more accessible to the people who need it, as well as to good samaritans who have it on them in the event that someone nearby begins to overdose.

The appeal of the nasal spray, marketed as Narcan, is a combination of its efficacy and the ease of use.

The plunger that sends 4mg of misted naloxone hydrochloride up the nose resembles an over-the-counter allergy medicine and it begins to work immediately.

A recent study by Brigham and Women's hospital in Massachusetts found that over 93 percent of people given naloxone survived their overdose.

Still, they require additional medical assistance immediately after because the effects do not last long.

When inhaled, the medicine is absorbed through mucous membranes in the nose, rapidly entering the bloodstream and traveling to the brain.

Once there, the medicine competes with opioids attaching themselves to receptors in the brain.

It attaches to the brain's receptors, replacing the opioid. This blunts the effects of opiates on the brain, stopping an overdose from progressing.

Fentanyl is an incredibly insidious substance, often added as an adulterant to drugs like cocaine, ecstasy, and meth because it is both cheap and powerful and keeps users coming back for more.

But often, users of heroin and non-opiate drugs do not know they are taking fentanyl and may not have naloxone on hand.

For this reason, the federal government aims to make the antidote ubiquitous without the necessity of talking to a pharmacist everywhere from big box retailers to vending machines.
BOOK OF THE WEEK

WAVEWALKER: BREAKING FREE

by Suzanne Heywood (William Collins 20, 416pp)

When seven-year-old Suzanne Heywood (nee Cook) was informed by her father one morning over breakfast in 1976 that she, her five-year-old brother Jon and their parents Gordon and Mary were going to sail round the world, retracing their namesake Captain Cook's voyage, 'the spoonful of cornflakes paused on the way to my mouth', she recalls.

Her father's bombshell announcement was exciting, but it meant she was going to have to say goodbye to her best friend Sarah, and her beloved golden-haired spaniel Rusty.

Suzanne was seven when she was informed by her father one morning in 1976 that she, her brother and their parents were going to sail round the world

If she'd had an inkling of what was really in store for her, that whole bowl of cornflakes would surely have smashed to the floor.

She would never see Rusty again, or indeed ever return to school in England. Her father's original plan was that they'd be sailing for three years. In fact, they would be away for a decade.

A few months into the voyage, cooped up with her family and small crew in their schooner Wavewalker, Suzanne's skull would be smashed when the boat was tipped over by a 40ft wave in the Indian Ocean, requiring seven operations without anaesthetic performed by a doctor on a tiny remote island.

That was just one of the many ordeals she endured. Stuck on a coral reef; stuck in 'the Doldrums', mid-Atlantic; stuck mid-ocean with a flat battery and broken engine; stuck in a cyclone; stuck on various tropical or volcanic islands for months while her cash-strapped parents desperately tried to make money.

Running out of drinking water; living on tinned corned beef; curled up in pain on her bunk bed when her first period started . . . Suzanne's memoir exposes, scene by scene, the bare reality behind the romantic notion of sailing round the world.

Her worst, though, was 'being trapped inside someone else's dream'  her father's  from the age of seven to almost 17. He had an iron will  his wife remarked, 'once you've made up your mind to do something, nothing will stop you'.

Whenever Suzanne dared to hope they might at last be turning towards home, her father would suddenly spring a new travel plan on them, informing them that they would be away for at least another year and a half.

Addicted to sailing, he also had no intention of returning to Britain with what he called its 'ridiculous tax rates'. And so it continued: the fourth Christmas, the seventh Christmas, the ninth Christmas, and you think, 'Will this ever end?'

A few months into the voyage, cooped up with her family and small crew in their schooner Wavewalker, Suzanne's skull was smashed when the boat was tipped over by a 40ft wave in the Indian Ocean

Eight years into the voyage, Suzanne embarked on an educational correspondence course. She was conscientious, intent on passing exams, but her mother demanded that she did all the cooking and cleaning while she cowered in her cabin for days, suffering from seasickness

All Suzanne longed for was a bit of geographical stability, friends and an education. None of these were encouraged by her parents

'Monstrous' is the adjective Suzanne uses to describe that 40ft killer wave, which would give her nightmares for years.

As I read her beautifully written travelogue, I transferred that adjective 'monstrous' to her parents.

It's often said that 1970s and 1980s parents were more selfish than today's parents - 'children just tagged along doing whatever the parents wanted to do'. What Gordon and Mary inflicted on their children is the most extreme example of that selfishness.

All Suzanne longed for was a bit of geographical stability, friends and an education. None of these were encouraged by her parents, who had a cruel habit of accusing her of selfishness when she dared to suggest anything that might help her to pursue her own life goals, such as being allowed to go to boarding school.

Addicted to sailing, her father also had no intention of returning to Britain with what he called its 'ridiculous tax rates'

Suzanne's memoir exposes, scene by scene, the bare reality behind the romantic notion of sailing round the world

Desperate for a bit of agency in her early teens, she did some babysitting while in Australia and saved up $100. Her skint father asked her to lend him all the money, which she did. He never paid her back. When she dared to mention it for the third time, he refused, saying: 'And let me be clear. If you ever ask me about this again, I never will.'

Eight years into the voyage, Suzanne embarked on an educational correspondence course. She was conscientious, intent on passing exams, but her mother demanded that she did all the cooking and cleaning while she cowered in her cabin for days, suffering from seasickness.

One day, when Suzanne was trying to study at the boat's only table, her mother told her to get out of the way because the crew needed to sit there. She refused to move (I punched the air at this point), so her mother put on loud music to distract her.

There were moments of magic, such as when a whale followed the boat for days, and when they disembarked in Rio or Tonga to be feted by the locals or the king. Suzanne tried to make the most of it, arriving at each place with a burst of hope.

She's now a successful business leader and mother of three. Her husband, former Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood, died tragically young in 2018. (The couple pictured in 2012)

But you can't read her story without a growing sense of fury at her plight  a minor, thousands of miles from home, trapped with her parents and totally misunderstood by them. Especially by her mother, who seemed to nurse a special, bitter resentment for her daughter  perhaps brought on by her own subconscious guilt at depriving her of a normal childhood.

'I knew Mum didn't like me,' Suzanne writes, 'a dull ache I'd long accepted, though the pain of it sometimes became acute.'

I knew I should be fascinated by Tonga, Honolulu, New Zealand, coral reefs, and so on, but what I found most fascinating was the slow-burning psychological torture that Suzanne endured.

Her parents' selfishness ratcheted up to new levels.

Suzanne was 16 when they sailed off on their own, leaving their two children alone in a house in New Zealand for seven months, with not enough money to live on, telling Suzanne to make all the new bookings for the paying crew, plus doing the driving, cooking, cleaning, shopping and chopping logs with an axe to heat the cold house.

When her father eventually rang, his first question was not: 'How are you?' but 'How many crew have you booked?'

Oxford was intrigued by this girl who'd managed to educate herself on a boat. She was invited to an interview at Somerville College

With great courage, and with no help from anyone, Suzanne posted letters to universities around the world, asking whether she might be allowed to apply to them. To Oxford's great credit, it was the sole university that gave a positive reply. Oxford was intrigued by this girl who'd managed to educate herself on a boat. She was invited to an interview at Somerville College.

When, aged 17, she flew home from New Zealand for the interview, and responded well to the don's tricky questions, thanks to the wide reading she'd done over a decade of exchanging books at charity shops in Pacific islands, I cried with relief. Her whole future, her escape, depended on Oxford saying 'Yes'.

And it did. This girl who'd never seen a play, heard an orchestra or visited an art gallery was accepted by Oxford, and she thrived there.

She's now a successful business leader and mother of three. Her husband, former Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood, died tragically young in 2018.

When she was planning to write this memoir, her spooked mother threatened to damage Suzanne's husband's career if she did so. But nothing could stop Suzanne from going ahead. 'I had no control over my life when I was a child,' she writes, 'but as an adult I have the right to tell my story as honestly as I can.'
SOCIAL HISTORY

ONCE UPON A TIME WORLD

by Jonathan Miles (Atlantic 22, 456pp)

What Matisse described as 'the luminosity of the Cote d'Azur' always attracted 'foreigners with spending power'.

Queen Victoria, for example, stayed at Menton, where her presence 'consolidated the prestige of the Riviera resorts,' even if the locals laughed at John Brown's kilt.She'd travelled through France incognito as the Countess of Balmoral. Less inconspicuous were the three British battleships and 15 vessels of the French Mediterranean Squadron, anchored throughout her stay off Villefranche.

Brigitte Bardot was photographed topless at St Tropez; the Cannes Festival became an international feature  in general, the place, which once saw so many lush woodlands, became 'an immense block of reinforced concrete'

Not trusting foreign muck, Victoria brought her own food from Windsor, including Irish stew. But then the British could be difficult customers when abroad, always complaining, says Jonathan Miles, about 'flies, fleas and gnats'.

British holidaymakers and residents were easily recognisable by their 'loftiness, their mispronunciation and their dining habits', tending to eat in solemn silence.

In the 19th century, visitors such as Robert Louis Stevenson went to the South of France for the guaranteed good weather, 'cloudless, clear as crystal . . . aromatic air, all pine and gum tree'. The warm winter climate was advertised as being good for gout, rheumatism and tuberculosis. D.H. Lawrence died of a lung haemorrhage in Vence. James Joyce went to Nice to have 'leeches applied to drain the pressure of his glaucoma'.

With the growing popularity of the Riviera as a 'cocktail of illicit relationships and questionable conduct', however, invalids were less welcome. By 1899, consumptives were banned from guest houses, as other patrons 'would be upset by early morning coughing'. If anyone died, the deceased's next-of-kin were responsible for 'repapering, whitewashing and renewing the curtains'.

The South of France became instead the haunt of plutocrats and aristocrats, who constructed elaborate stucco villas. Beaches 'situated near the outfall of the town drainage' were redeveloped with promenades, esplanades and bandstands.

In Monte Carlo, the casino, with its domes and gargoyles, was designed by the architect of the Paris Opera. Dorothy Parker was not allowed inside the gaming house because she wasn't wearing stockings. The view of Diaghilev said it all: 'My tastes are simple. The best is good enough for me.'

There was a lot of money about. People arrived in their private yachts, which perhaps boasted a crew of 100, plus a cow on board for fresh milk.

It was not unusual for hostesses to be paraded into dinner borne aloft on a silver tray, naked save for a discreet sprig of parsley.

English actress Lana Morris pictured wearing a red and white striped bikini as she poses on a sailing boat on a beach on the French Riviera (Cote d'Azur) in France in July 1949

Blonde bombshell Diana Dors pictured at Cannes' International Film Festival in 1956. The spot became beloved by movie stars

Guests pictured at the entrance of the Carlton Hotel, in Cannes, France, in 1958. Green spaces have all been lost to unregulated building; treasured art deco and belle epoque architecture demolished

Or else there was the luxurious Blue Train, with its restaurant cars and sleeping compartments, the interiors decorated in mahogany and gold.

Riviera shops sold extravagant goods, 'sparkling diamonds, pearls, rubies, emeralds, winking and gleaming in the bright winter sun'. Ladies of fashion turned up with 20 trunks, containing a vast array of gowns and accessories. Patou, Molyneux, Worth and Coco Chanel had outlets on the Cote d'Azur. In this turn-of-the-century period, 300 million exotic birds were slaughtered annually to decorate hats. The perfume industry in Grasse required 45,000 kilos of roses and 15,000 kilos of orange blossom a day.

If there was a darker side to all this, Miles points out the Riviera also provided business opportunities for a lot of society prostitutes. One courtesan's clients included D'Annunzio, the Italian poet, the Duke of Westminster, King Alfonso XIII of Spain, and Tsar Nicholas.

Queen Victoria's son and heir, the bulky, not to say morbidly obese, Edward, Prince of Wales, had a special 'love chair' or customised hammock device constructed, so that 'with the minimum of effort' he could have sex with two prostitutes simultaneously without squashing them to death.

Actress Brigitte Bardot pictured on the beach, at the Cannes Film Festival, in 1953. The area was beloved by cinema's best and brightest

Suicides were common, after losses at the gaming tables  19 in the 1884 season. One man killed himself 'by exploding a cartridge of dynamite in his mouth'. Drink was a problem. It wasn't unusual for drunks to dive into empty swimming pools and need months of hospitalisation.

During World War I, owing to the Russian Revolution, the grand dukes who'd thronged the resorts were suddenly working as doormen and taxi drivers.

Later, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor also cut pathetic figures, hanging about in the sun with rich acquaintances named Chips, Tufty, Baby, Nana and Fruity. The ex-king's phone bill, when Wallis was elsewhere for a fortnight, was 800 (that's roughly 69,000 today). He wanted to be served by footmen in red livery, and insisted upon royal protocol.

World War II was worse. The Germans used the Blue Train as a brothel. The Gestapo set up torture centres in hotels and villas. Beaches were ranged with barbed wire.

Actress Diana Dors pictured at the Cannes Film Festival, May 1956. Shopping malls, apartment blocks, fast-food chains and motorways are now everywhere in the French Riviera

Though, in the years since, the Riviera was discovered by Hollywood  David Niven, Dirk Bogarde and Gregory Peck acquired villas; Hitchcock filmed To Catch A Thief on location with Grace Kelly and Cary Grant; Brigitte Bardot was photographed topless at St Tropez; the Cannes Festival became an international feature  in general, the place, which once saw so many lush woodlands, became 'an immense block of reinforced concrete'.

Green spaces have all been lost to unregulated building; treasured art deco and belle epoque architecture demolished. The Blue Train was scrapped when air travel took over. Shopping malls, apartment blocks, fast-food chains and motorways are everywhere.

Monte Carlo is home to Putin's money-laundering oligarchs, and Princess Grace was killed when her car plunged over a precipice.

There are drug dealers, protection rackets and examples of judicial crookedness; burglaries, murders and considerable Islamic terrorism. Residents move around in bullet-proof cars with darkened windows.

It's an environmental, cultural and political catastrophe. Miles' book, a chronicle of 'opulence, scandal, war and corruption', is crammed with hundreds of juicy anecdotes, and made me think the best outcome for the Cote d'Azur  'a sunny place for shady people', Maugham called it  is for it to sink completely and utterly under the sea.
HISTORY

STEEPLE CHASING

by Peter Ross (Headline 22, 400pp)

The east window of Morningside Parish Church in Edinburgh depicts the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. 'Two or three of them,' notes the church's minister Derek Browning, 'look decidedly female.' This is because Edward Burne-Jones, the artist responsible, 'used his mistress as a model'.

Browning is, of course, a believer. But several of the people in Peter Ross's tour of the country's churches are not.

At St Mary-le-Bow, the famous bells are each engraved with a biblical quotation, their first letters combining to spell 'D WHITTINGTON'

One atheist explains: 'I needed beauty in my life and I found it inside churches.' Even some who retain a faith still reject organised religion. A stonemason at Gloucester Cathedral hated the 'hypocrisy and sanctimoniousness' of Catholicism, while Ross himself 'left the church, but churches never quite left me'.

He still loves them as buildings and his travels make for a very interesting book.

Some of his destinations are the superstars. At St Paul's he learns that when its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, burning sheets of paper fell 20 miles away.

At nearby St Mary-le-Bow, the famous bells are each engraved with a biblical quotation, their first letters combining to spell 'D WHITTINGTON'. Meanwhile, St Mary The Virgin in Whitby is now so famous because of a certain book that 'a sign has been placed on the door advising visitors to please stop asking for directions to Dracula's grave'.

But most of the venues are run-of-the-mill. The poet John Betjeman was a fan of what he called 'church crawling' (visiting several in a day) because he said it 'introduces you to the history of the country'.

At St Lawrence's, in the Norfolk village of Harpley, he sees a name scratched into a window. It might be 'Joseph', but the word next to it is definitely 'hanged'  a friend or relative wanted to commemorate the criminal who had been denied a proper memorial.

Bats are big fans of churches, though not (contrary to the old phrase) of their belfries, which tend to be too windy and noisy. Their accumulated body waste gets to be a problem, so sonic devices and stuffed owls are used to deter them. One church even persuaded someone with a motorbike to 'run up and down the nave to try and kill them with carbon monoxide'.

We discover which cathedral has the tallest spire in the UK (Salisbury), and where cathedrals get their name in the first place  they're simply a church that contains the seat ('cathedra') of a bishop. Then there's the reason that Old Saint Paul's in Edinburgh has 33 steps down to the street  it's one for every year of Christ's life.

Throughout the book there are reminders of the threat faced by churches, now that the religion which built them has become less relevant to most people. Between 1969 and 2021, the Church of England disposed of 2,013 churches, 500 of which were demolished.

A stonemason at Gloucester Cathedral (pictured) hated the 'hypocrisy and sanctimoniousness' of Catholicism, while Peter Ross himself 'left the church, but churches never quite left me'

A vicar visiting St Mary's Church in Tissington, Derbyshire, announces as he climbs into the pulpit: 'I've been warned not to sit down, because of the woodworm. So I shall stand.'

There's also the sheer barminess of much that goes on. In Westminster Cathedral, you'll find the entire embalmed body of St John Southworth (executed in 1654), his face covered with a mask. During the annual ordination ceremony, 'new priests lie face down in a line along the nave, like jets readying for take-off, while Southworth lies on his back among them'.

But whatever we think of religion's practitioners, we can't deny that their buildings are still a huge part of the landscape. Almost half of the Grade I-listed buildings in England are parish churches.

For a small minority, churches are still a way of life. Though even some of those are having second thoughts.

As one of the monks at Pluscarden Abbey, in Scotland, tells Ross: 'I sometimes think it would be quite nice to have a wife. Or even a pair of socks.'
One-in-10 cars that passed their MOT last year should have failed as garages are failing to uphold the Government's strict testing standards, according to an investigation.

Analysis of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agencys (DVSA) latest MOT Compliance Survey for 2021-22 found that 10.1 per cent of cars passed deemed to be roadworthy by testers should have failed the annual check-up.

This equated to almost 1.3million potentially unsafe motors on Britain's roads, many of which had dangerous defects that were 'missed' by garages.

MOT concerns: Analysis of a DVSA survey of MOT testing found that 10.1% cars passed by UK garages should have failed - and another 2.1% were failed but shouldn't have

As part of the DVSA's annual survey, a team of agency experts retest a randomly-selected sample of vehicles to double check if MOTs are being carried out correctly.

Last year, a total of 1,732 MOT tested cars were re-examined by the agency to better understand if accurate testing standards are being applied by the industry.

The report confirmed that the DVSA's panel of examiners disagreed with the test outcomes in 12.2 per cent of cases reviewed.

Of these, 2.1 per cent were cars that were failed by garages but the DVSA's experts said should have been issued a pass certificate.

However, it was the remaining 10.1 per cent that raises the biggest concern, with these being vehicles passed fit for the road when in actual fact they fail to meet the strict standards set out in the annual assessment.

In nearly two-thirds of the vehicles retested (65.9 per cent), the DVSA found at least one defect which the MOT test station had either missed or incorrectly recorded.

Of the 1,142 vehicles with problems highlighted, more than half (51.6 per cent) had three more defects missed or issues that the DVSA's team of examiners disagreed with.

Tyres were the component area with the highest number of defects disagreed, at 734, followed by brakes (660) and suspension (642).

This comes after a recent study by the RAC uncovered that around 7.3million vehicles on our road fail their MOT each year, with around 2.4million cars and vans identified as having dangerous brakes and/or tyres.

What Car?, which analysed the DVSA's latest report confirms that the 1,732 retests of cars resulted in 27 disciplinary actions for garages.

In another 164 instances, advisory warning letters were sent to MOT testing sites.

Most common defect areas where DVSA examiners disagreed with MOT test stations 1. Tyres: 734 2. Brakes: 660 3. Suspension: 642 4. Lights, reflectors and electrics: 422 5. Noise, emissions and leaks: 171 6. Body, chassis and structure: 164 7. Visibility: 142 8. Steering: 92 9. Vehicle identification: 46 10. Seatbelts: 45 11. Wheels: 27 Source: DVSA MOT Compliance Survey 2021-22

Steve Huntingford, editor at What Car?, said the investigation 'highlights the differences between official vehicle roadworthiness standards and those upheld by some in the industry'.

He added: 'With safety critical components such as tyres and brakes at the top of the list of defects missed there are potentially serious road safety concerns at play here.

'It might seem beneficial for owners to have their vehicle inspected by a favourable garage, but the test is there to provide a minimum standard of vehicle safety.'

A DVSA spokesperson responded to What Car?'s review, stating: 'Our MOT Compliance Survey is an essential tool helping us make our roads among the safest in Europe.

'The vast majority of MOT testers carry out testing to the highest standards. Our survey targets a random selection of vehicles and is designed to identify any problems with MOT testing so that we can put them right.

'We are delighted to see that standards have improved since the last report.

'This underlines the importance of DVSA taking action on the survey results and supporting testers with new digital tools, as well as demonstrating the hard work of MOT testers.'

The report comes just over a month after the first phase of the Government's controversial proposal to delay MOTs by 12 months came to a close.

Poll How often should cars have an MOT? Annually Biennially How often should cars have an MOT? Annually 2333 votes

Biennially 3019 votes Now share your opinion





A Department for Transport consultation on extending first MOTs from three to four years - and possibly making tests every two years rather than one thereafter - was launched in January and concluded at the end of March.

MPs triggered the consultation with the belief that delaying first MOTs will collectively save motorists over 100million a year and have little to no impact of road safety figures.

While the findings have yet been published, any decision to adjust MOT schedules would be the biggest shake-up to the test for decades.

Our poll asking readers if MOTs should be extended shows - at the time of publishing with over 5,100 responses - that 57 per cent would prefer the test to be carried out biennially rather than every 12 months. Respond to the poll to cast your verdict.
Sadiq Khan has been blasted by equal rights groups after an official report revealed the Mayor of London's much-hated Ulez expansion would have a disproportionate 'negative impact' on women.

Mr Khan faces yet another backlash after his own review found the controversial Ultra Low Emission Zone would result in women being forced to pay more for public transport when taking their children to school and travel alone at night.

It comes amid a furious row over the mayor's plan to extend the scheme - where drivers of some vehicles have to pay a 12.50 daily fee - to cover all boroughs from August.

The scheme has triggered such outrage that furious Londoners have resorted to stealing and defacing dozens of Ulez cameras in protest.

Campaigners from The Women's Equality Party warned the expansion would mean many women living in outer London would have 'their access to transport restricted in the middle of a cost of living crisis'.

A report into the Ulez expansion scheme warned it would have a disproportionate 'negative impact' on women living in London. Pictured are Ulez protesters on April 15

Ulez, which currently only covers inner London boroughs, is set to be expanded to cover the whole of London from August. But it is so hated that Londoners have taken to vandalising and stealing cameras that enforce it (pictured is a map showing the expansion and where cameras have been damaged or stolen)

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has defended his scheme, insisting it would help to save the lives of 4,000 people a year who suffer ill-health from air pollution-related conditions

And the non-for-profit Women's Budget Group warned the proposal could only be made in a 'just and inclusive way' if it went 'hand in hand with wholesale improvements to public transport'.

Meanwhile, fuming families living outside the capital have warned they will be hit by 650 annual charge to drive into London to visit sick relatives - while tradesmen say they could be slapped with a hefty 3,000 bill to use their vehicles in the Ulez.

READ MORE: The victims of Sadiq Khan's ULEZ expansion: From the woman facing 650 annual costs to visit sick relative to the tradesman looking at 3,000 bill

The latest wave of complaints follow a report green-lit by Transport for London (TfL) which assessed the impact the clean air zone rollout would have on residents, the economy and environment.

Mr Khan's office has insisted the expansion would help tackle pollution and improve the health of Londoners, saving the lives of 4,000 people who die each year from air pollution-related diseases.

The Mayor even said the Ulez would give men high sperm counts, after a study by Imperial College London showed air pollution can damage testicles as well as stunt lung growth and increase the risk of miscarriages and dementia.

But the 200-page impact report on the Ulez expansion, carried out by technical services firm Jacobs, showed women faced being hit hardest by new charges,

It warned it would have a 'disproportionate impact on women taking children to school in outer London' who drive a vehicle that would cause the Ulez fee, as they have fewer public transport options available than inner London.

The report also claimed women were three times as likely to do the school drop-off in London compared to men.

The report said: 'As a result, if they cannot afford to upgrade their vehicles more women may be forced to pay the charge or use alternative modes of travel that may be far less convenient for multiple destinations'.

As well as the impact on mother's taking their children to school, the report into the Ulez expansion impact also touched upon safety fears women having using public transport like buses in London (pictured)

The current Ulez will be expanded on August 29 to cover all of London's boroughs - but fears have been raised this could cripple some of the capital's poorest families struggling to pay bills

Mr Khan say 4,000 people a year died from air pollution-related illnesses. Pictured is a stock image of the smog over London in 2015

Women living in outer London who cannot afford to upgrade their car 'may be reluctant to use public transport due to perceptions of the risk to personal safety, and therefore may travel less', the report added.

News of the report comes amid growing outrage over the Ulez expansion plan, set to rollout to all 32 London boroughs on August 29.

Sue Chapman, 63, from Tenterden, Kent, faces the 12.50 ULEZ charge every time she visits a loved one in London who is suffering from severe mental health problems.

Doing the trip by public transport, Sue said, is not doable for her as it would take nearly three hours - involving her taking two buses and two trains - incurring a total cost of more than 30.

Therefore, speaking to MyLondon, she said that she prefers the door-to-door drive in her 2007 Mini Clubman.

While her diesel costs and the parking come to around 30 too, she says she is the only one who can offer her loved one vital emotional support on a shoe-string budget.

Sue Chapman (pictured), 63, from Tenterden, drives more than 100 miles - sometimes every week - to visit her schizophrenic family member in Tooting but says she'll swallow the bill because of fears their mental state could spiral out of control without her

The 63-year-old added her family member is 'significantly mentally ill' and 'on a lot of medicines' and if she took the trip down less often she fears they would not be able to cope well.

'If I visited them less often I can categorically say they would not be as well as they are. They are sadly someone who earlier in their illness made three tough suicide attempts,' Sue told MailOnline.

Meanwhile, the Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan's Ulez is forcing charities to shut down their services because its scrappage scheme 'doesn't fit the bill', with animal charities and schools speaking out against it.

Minister for London Paul Scully told MailOnline that Sadiq Khan needed to 'get a grip' on his controversial policy.

The Tory MP said: 'Charities across London are set to get hammered by the mayor's tax grab.

Minister for London Paul Scully (pictured) told MailOnline that Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan needed to 'get a grip' on his controversial ULEZ policy

At least half a dozen charities have revealed ULEZ and its lacking scrappage scheme mean they will have to shut down their services

'He's mismanaged TfL, his scrappage scheme doesn't fit the bill and now he's making animal rescue charities pay the price.

'Khan needs to listen to Londoners and get a grip on this unpopular policy.'

At least half a dozen charities have revealed the lacking scrappage scheme means they will have to shut down their services.

READ MORE: Fury as Sadiq Khan defends his hated Ulez expansion scheme by claiming it will give men higher sperm counts because of cut in air pollution

Charities said the scrappage scheme does not offer enough money to retrofit or replace a vehicle in the current market and only allows them to claim a grant for one car.

Dogs on the Streets, which provides vital healthcare services for dogs with homeless or vulnerable owners, said it would will have to give up its delivery address in Enfield because of Sadiq Khan's charge

The charity accused Sadiq Khan of having 'absolutely no compassion for our street homeless and vulnerable community'.

Khan's office has dismissed the charity's concerns for years.

In 2021, when ULEZ was expanded to inner London, Sadiq Khan's deputy Shirley Rodrigues told Dogs on the Streets to 'fundraise' to pay for the charge, after the charity explained that the scrappage scheme would not help them.

Khan even accused Dogs on the Streets of declining help.

Michelle Clark, founding director of Dogs on the Streets, said: 'Our dog transport vehicle which is used on a daily basis is not retrofit compliant, therefore we may have to cease using it when the ULEZ expansion takes effect.

'It would cost the charity 20,000-30,000 to change the vehicle altogether, which is money we just don't have.'

Another charity struggling because of ULEZ is Wallington Animal Rescue, an animal, domestic, and wildlife rescue charity in Sutton.

MailOnline has approached the London Assembly for comment.
Turnaround specialist Melrose led the blue-chip index yesterday after it pledged to focus solely on its aerospace business.

The FTSE 100 group is focusing on a restructuring over the next 12 months, concentrating on the business it acquired when it bought GKN, which dates back to 1759 and made cannonballs fired in the Battle of Waterloo and Spitfires during the Second World War, for 8.1billion in a hugely controversial hostile takeover in 2018.

The board will not seek to do another acquisition of an unrelated industrial business or, in the near term, a material aerospace business, Melrose said.

It comes after Melrose spun off its GKN automotive division last month into a standalone business listed on the London stock market.

Shares in the firm, which has been named Dowlais and makes parts for electric and petrol and diesel cars, opened at 146p.

Flying high: Turnaround specialist Melrose said it will pause its 'buy, improve, sell' strategy in favour of restructuring the company over the next 12 months

This left Melrose with GKNs aerospace business, which makes parts for defence and civilian aircraft.

In its first update since the demerger, it said that its revenue in the first four months of the year was 19 per cent up on the same period in 2022.

Melrose hopes to generate revenues of between 3.35billion and 3.45billion for 2023 and profits of around 340million to 360million. Shares rose 4.8 per cent, or 20.3p, to 444.7p.

The FTSE 100 fell 0.3 per cent, or 22.76 points, to 7741.33 while the FTSE 250 inched down by 0.02 per cent, or 3.75 points, to 19,273.29.

London-listed gold and silver producer Polymetal is seeking shareholder approval to move its headquarters from Jersey to Kazakhstan to ease the impact of sanctions imposed on Russia.

It says that its ability to run the business remained at risk while Jersey was subject to restrictions.

The shares, which plummeted 24.6 per cent, or 69p, to 211p, will be delisted on the London stock market if its headquarters move to Kazakhstan.

Stock Watch - Unbound Unbound, the owner of Hotter Shoes, lost half its value following the collapse of a key fundraising deal. The group, formerly known as Electra Private Equity, said Marwyn Investment Management had agreed to buy 10million of new shares but pulled out, flagging up concerns over current trading. First-quarter revenues were lower than expected, and it has drafted in turnaround specialist Interpath Advisory. Shares tumbled 50 per cent, or 3.62p, to 3.63p.

Capita warned the cyber-attack it suffered in March could cost up to 20million. The outsourcer, which collects the BBC licence fee, said hackers accessed data from less than 0.1 per cent of its servers, forcing it to hire specialists to resolve the damage and beef up IT security.

Revenue in the first four months of the year was 4.8 per cent higher than the same period a year ago. Shares sank 3.9 per cent, or 1.34p, to 32.98p.

The worlds biggest catering company, Compass Group, gained 1.3 per cent, or 26p, to 2091p after it posted higher profits and revenue.

It hailed strong performances across its business and industry sector, as employees returned to work, while its sport and leisure arm cashed in on larger crowds at live events.

Revenue rose by a quarter to 15.8billion in the six months to the end of March, while profit jumped 41 per cent to 1.05billion.

The group is now expecting annual profit to grow by nearly 30 per cent and revenue should increase by 18 per cent compared to its earlier forecast of 15 per cent.

There was good news for the UKs largest pawnbrokers after it cashed in on people looking for short-term loans. There was also strong demand for used jewellery and watches in the first four months of the year.

H&T said January and March were record months for lending. Its jewellery and watch business raked in more than 1million of online sales in January for the first time in a single month. But shares slid 2.4 per cent, or 11p, to 446p.

Just Group rose 5.5 per cent, or 4.7p, to 89.9p after JP Morgan raised the specialist insurers target price to 125p from 115p.

And Comptoir, which owns 26 Lebanese restaurants, hailed 2022 as a pivotal year after revenue surged 49.7 per cent to 31million. Shares soared 12 per cent, or 0.7p, to 7p.
The billionaire boss of payments firm Wise is taking a three-month sabbatical to spend time with family and look after his newborn son.

Chief executive Kristo Kaarmann said he is overdue time off after co-founding the business 12 years ago.

The fintech company, which operates money transfers and debit cards, offers staff a fully paid sabbatical after four years, in addition to annual leave.

Newborn son: Wise co-founder and chief exec Kristo Kaarmann (pictured with wife Kriss Soonik) said he is overdue the time off after starting the business 12 years ago

Kaarmann, 42, steps down from September to December and chief technology officer Harsh Sinha will step into his shoes.

This is a fantastic time to do my part in looking after the newborn and giving some breathing room to my wife, he said.

When I first started the company 12 years ago, it would have been unimaginable for me to take any time away from the team and our customers.

The Estonian-born chief lives in London with wife Kriss Soonik, a lingerie designer and entrepreneur, and his two boys, aged four and four months.

He is believed to be worth about 1billion. Kaarmanns announcement adds to a growing trend of business leaders taking a career break.

Last year, the head of Co-ops food division Jo Whitfield stepped away to help her two teenage sons complete their exams. She did not return and was replaced by Matt Hood.

Co-op says all staff can apply for a unpaid break of between three and 12 months after a year.

Elsewhere, the chief financial officer of banking giant HSBC Georges Elhedery took a six-month sabbatical last year for personal development, including to improve his Mandarin.

Meanwhile, other finance firms such as digital bank Monzo offer three-month paid sabbaticals to employees after every four years of work.
Oil and gas group Harbour Energy is cutting hundreds of jobs in the UK after the Governments windfall tax wiped out its profits.

The FTSE 100 firm, the largest energy producer in the North Sea, said it expected to slash around 350 positions to make an estimated saving of 40million per year from 2024.

Most of the losses are expected to come from the onshore operation in Aberdeen. Harbour expected the redundancies would inflict a one-off 12million charge in the first half of 2023.

Cutbacks: Harbour Energy, led by boss Linda Cook, said it expected to slash around 350 positions to make an estimated saving of 40m per year from 2024

The company said the windfall tax had led to reduced UK activity in parts of the sector with its partners cancelling programmes in the North Sea oilfields of Beryl and Elgin-Franklin. Shares fell 0.1 per cent, or 0.2p, to 243.1p yesterday.

The decision to cut staff numbers came after Harbours boss Linda Cook said in March that profits had been all but wiped out by the windfall tax.

Rishi Sunak introduced a 25 per cent profits levy on the industry when he was chancellor as energy prices soared following Russias invasion of Ukraine. This was later raised to 35 per cent by his successor Jeremy Hunt.

Cook said the tax, which effectively imposes a 75 per cent corporate tax rate on profits made from the North Sea, disproportionately impacted UK-focused oil and gas firms.

Harbour reported an after-tax profit of 6.7million last year, down from 85million in 2021, due to what it said was a 1.3billion charge linked to the windfall levy.

It said the massive tax hit meant it did not bid for new projects in the North Sea and scaled back its UK operation to focus elsewhere.

Harbour currently has over 80 per cent of its assets in British waters but is keen to diversify into other territories such as Mexico and Indonesia.

Plans to slash the workforce came as the company reported what Cook claimed was a strong update for the first three months of 2023 ahead of its annual general meeting with investors.

Harbour reported production in the period had averaged 202,000 barrels of oil per day, down from 215,000 in the same quarter last year but in line with guidance.

Revenues were estimated to be 870million, while the firms debt was slashed by 475million since the end of last year to 158million as it cashed in on higher global energy prices.
Rolls-Royce performed as expected in the first part of the year, with flying hours recovering and cost cutting steps helping to put it on track to meet 2023 targets.

Tufan Erginbilgic, who took over as boss of the aerospace engineer in January, previously said Rolls-Royce was a 'burning platform' which needed to improve its cash generation, cut debt and invest for the future.

The group told investors on Thursday its transformation plan was 'moving at pace', noting that its share price has performed strongly in the last year.

A strategic review initiated by Erginbilgic is due to report in the second half of 2023, Rolls-Royce added.

Transformation: The boss of Rolls-Royce has said a transformation at the group is 'moving at pace'

But Rolls-Royce shares fell today and were down 2.11 per cent or 3.3p to 153p in morning trading. However, in the year to date, shares in the group have risen over 50 per cent.

'We are encouraged by the early progress of our commercial optimisation and working capital workstreams, with positive results expected to build as the year goes on,' Rolls-Royce said in an update today.

The group cut thousands of jobs after it was rocked by pandemic curbs and launched a transformation programme to reduce costs and create efficiencies in a bid to improve profits.

Its civil aerospace unit, the biggest part of the business, was boosted by flying hours reaching 83 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in the four months to 30 April. The group also maintained its annual guidance.

The company highlighted a new order win for its civil aerospace unit, which provides engines for Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 planes, and said it was seeing improved pricing in its power systems business.

This will help put it on track to meet guidance for operating profit of between 800million and 1billion pounds for 2023, and free cash flow of between 600million and 800million;

In Power Systems, revenue growth is being driven by demand for aftermarket services and high order intake in the prior year, especially for power generation solutions.

Erginbilgic said: 'We are making good progress and our financial performance year-to-date is in line with expectations.'

He added: 'We are transforming Rolls-Royce into a high quality and competitive business with a strong balance sheet and growing profit, cash flows and returns.'

Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, said: 'Shares in Rolls-Royce have had enjoyed an incredibly strong year so far, rallying over 50 per cent amid optimism towards the new CEO Tufan Erginbilgic and a strong earnings performance last year thanks to the recovery in international aviation post Covid.

'Erginbilgic has been spearheading a major transformation programme which has reinvigorated the engine makers bull case. He also recently appointed a new CFO, in another sign that he is making his mark.

'Rolls Royce is the FTSE 100s best performing stock over the past six months, although the stock is still trading at less than half of its value from its 2018 peak and is giving back some of those gains today.'

In 2022, underlying revenues rose to 12.69billion, with underlying operating profit at 652million.
King Charles was today revealed as the hardest-working royal of the past ten years - carrying out nearly 5,000 engagements in that period, just ahead of Princess Anne.

The King, who spent most of the past decade as heir-to-the-throne, carried out 4,854 engagements between 2013 and 2022  compared to his sister Anne on 4,693.

In third place was their brother Prince Edward on 3,155  followed by the Queen on 2,721 and Andrew on 2,289. The Duke of York's position in fifth place is something of a surprise considering he stepped back from royal duties four years ago in 2019.

Sophie (2,253) and Camilla (2,084) were just behind, with Sophie stepping up last year to do her most engagements since 2014 as the Queen's health declined.

King Charles III and Princess Anne have carried out the most engagements of any royals over the past decade. They are pictured arriving for a church service at Sandringham in January

TOTAL ENGAGEMENTS BY ROYAL FAMILY MEMBERS EACH YEAR SINCE 2010 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Queen 444 370 425 344 393 341 332 296 283 295 133 184 120 Philip 356 330 325 184 273 250 219 131 Charles 585 601 592 537 533 527 530 546 507 521 271 385 497 Camilla 243 250 276 246 224 235 221 235 219 224 120 166 194 William 73 90 88 62 143 122 188 171 220 220 153 235 190 Kate 34 111 44 91 62 140 105 87 126 108 123 138 Harry 53 16 61 52 94 108 152 209 193 201 Meghan 96 83 Andrew 529 455 436 330 367 275 323 326 394 274 Edward 362 374 431 345 426 354 359 291 463 308 129 204 276 Sophie 188 191 324 228 307 218 179 218 239 236 154 194 280 Anne 514 568 566 454 528 544 509 540 518 506 233 387 474 Duke of Gloucester 307 251 337 222 280 270 205 232 243 226 80 115 183 Duchess Gloucester 120 155 146 132 132 145 121 113 90 84 48 56 110 Duke of Kent 223 211 239 198 206 202 159 160 174 203 68 77 91 Princess Alexandra 82 118 110 28 83 88 88 65 67 60 13 34 48 Data compiled each year by royal watcher Tim O'Donovan for The Times newspaper

But while Prince William (1,704) and Kate (1,024) are now two of the most visually prominent royals, they actually carried out fewer engagements than the lesser-known Duke of Gloucester (2,056) and Duchess of Gloucester (1,031) respectively.

The Duke of Kent has also made a huge contribution to royal life despite not often being as noticed as others - having carried out 1,538 engagements in a decade.

Total engagements carried out by each royal over past decade Charles 4854 Anne 4693 Edward 3155 Queen 2721 Andrew 2289 Sophie 2253 Camilla 2084 Duke of Gloucester 2056 William 1704 Duke of Kent 1538 Philip 1057 Duchess of Gloucester 1031 Kate 1024 Harry 1009 Princess Alexandra 574 Meghan 179 Calculations by MailOnline based on data compiled by Tim O'Donovan between 2013 and 2022 for The Times Advertisement

After him in the league table was Prince Philip (1,057), whose last engagement was in August 2017, nearly four years before his death in April 2021. Philip carried out more engagements over the past decade than Harry (1,009) and Kate.

Meghan is at the bottom of the list, having completed 179 engagements during her short royal life before she and Harry stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and moved to North America.

Reacting to the figures, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline: 'The engagements carried out by members of the royal family are, far too often, taken for granted. In fact a link with a member of the royal family has a very special cachet, benefiting the profile of an institution very considerably.

'These figures show how hard working, for a decade until 2022, both King Charles and Princess Anne have been in the numbers of engagements they have carried out. It also shows Edward and Sophie - the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh - as extremely hard working.

But he added that it was 'invidious' to measure the contribution of the royals simply by numbers.

Mr Fitzwilliams continued: 'William and Catherine, in a list compiled from 2013, two years after they married, have done far fewer numerically, but have done a great deal for the causes they are attached to and gives their profiles a huge boost as the world's most glamorous royal couple.

'Examples of this are the Earthshot Prize, United for Wildlife and Catherine's work for the Centre for Early Childhood.'

He added that Buckingham Palace has announced a review into the patronages formerly held by the late Queen as well as those Charles and Camilla formerly held.

Prince Harry and Meghan carried out 1,009 and 179 engagements respectively over the past decade. The couple stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and moved to North America

The Duke of Gloucester (right) has carried out more engagements than Prince William (left) over the past decade. They are pictured at the Queen's funeral procession last September

Tim O'Donovan (pictured in 2019), a retired insurance broker, has meticulously tabulated the British royal family's engagements with pencil and paper every day for the last 40 years

Mr Fitzwilliams continued: 'There has been much talk of a slimmed down monarchy and it is notable that several of the royals on this list are of an advanced age.

The 'nutty' man who compiles annual lists of royal engagements The tally of every duty undertaken by each royal is compiled each year by royal watcher Tim O'Donovan using the Court Circular, the official daily list of royal engagements. He notes all the engagements down, producing a quarterly total as he goes, and then at the end of the year sends an annual table of results in a letter to the editor of The Times newspaper. The retired insurance broker  who admits his own family think he is 'a bit nutty' - has meticulously tabulated the engagements with pencil and paper every day for the last 40 years. He told the Daily Mail in 2019: 'It's not a competition. I just think it's important for people to know how much the Royal Family do.' Mr O'Donovan, of Datchet, Berkshire, came up with the idea in 1978 after seeing a letter in a newspaper from someone who had added up all the names in all the birth announcements that year in order to compile a list of the most popular ones. In 1982 he received a 'friendly' letter from the Queen's press secretary, noting that his figures had been taken out of context by some papers. In the late Eighties he spoke with the then Dean of Windsor, Michael Mann, who told him that he had been asked to have a word and said: 'The Palace don't want you to carry on doing this.' But Mr O'Donovan then arranged a meeting with the Queen's private secretary, Sir William Heseltine, and his deputy, Robert (now Lord) Fellowes, and managed to persuade them that he should carry on. Advertisement

'The future clearly rests with George, Charlotte and Louis, the children of William and Catherine.

'One cannot help noting that Meghan, who carried out of mere 179 engagements on behalf of the royal family and Harry, who carried out 1,009 during that decade, have complained to the world about how they believe they were treated as senior working royals.

'Yet actually Meghan in particular, contributed very little. So when they boasted "We can all live a life of service. Service is universal", they were surely being selfish.'

The data was compiled by the Mail's new Royals section based on figures put together each year by famed royal watcher Tim O'Donovan from Datchet in Berkshire.

The retired insurance broker uses the Court Circular, the official daily list of royal engagements, before noting all the engagements down, producing quarterly totals and then sending an annual table of his results in a letter to The Times.

Mr O'Donovan is always keen to point out that his work should not be converted into a 'league table' of individual royal performance, writing in his most recent letter to the newspaper in December 2022: 'All engagements differ as to time and content. There is also the time taken in preparation, whether it be a visit, investiture or speech.'

Mail Royals compiled his totals from 2013 to 2022 to complete the ten-year period for analysis, while also going back a few further years to 2010 to provide a longer view of how the number of engagements for each royal has changed.

The data for last year showed that Charles completed the most engagements at 497, followed by Anne on 474. In third was Sophie at 280 with Edward just behind on 276.

The Queen completed 120 last year before her death on September 8 - still a remarkable number for a 96-year-old, but significantly down on her busiest year since the records began when she carried out an astonishing 932 engagements in 1979.

Charles's busiest year since 2010 was 2011 when he carried out 601 engagements - the most of any royal at any point over the past 13 years.

The highest number carried out by Anne was 568, also in 2011. Andrew's highest total was 529 in 2010 - which has only been beaten by Charles and Anne over that 13-year period.

Edward's highest total since 2010 was 463 in 2018, while Sophie's was 324 in 2012. Camilla's highest was 276 in 2012, while William's was 220 in both 2018 and 2019 and Kate's was 140 in 2016.

It comes as Buckingham Palace carries out a review of royal patronages as the Royal Family continues to adapt to a new era without the Queen and prepares for the coronation of Charles at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
An angry vegan has taken another fiery shot at their neighbour for cooking meat - and this time, it's a fun Aussie BBQ that's sent them over the edge.

Kylie, who lives in the coastal suburb of Burns Beach north of Perth, Western Australia, hosted a 'coronation' party to celebrate the historic moment King Charles III was crowned King.

She spent weeks organising the light-hearted party and celebrated in true Aussie fashion, powering up the barbeque and cooking meat for her guests.

However, not all her neighbours were pleased with the gathering.

Kylie claimed an angry vegan sent her a hand-written letter labelled 'last warning', 'enough is enough' and 'please take seriously', threatening to report her for cooking meat.

The note comes just days after the vegan sent her a letter claiming the smell of meat was making her sick.

'Could you please shut your side window when cooking please?' the first note read.

'My family are vegan, and the smell of the meat you cook makes us feel sick and upset. We would appreciate your understanding.'

Kylie, who lives in the coastal suburb of Burns Beach north of Perth, Western Australia, received an angry note from her vegan neighbour after hosting a coronation barbeque

The hand-written letter, labelled 'enough is enough' and 'please take seriously' threatens to report Kylie if she continues to have barbeques and cook meat with her house window open

The second handwritten note, which was shared on social media on Tuesday, accuses Kylie of taking 'the mickey' and being 'downright rude' for not controlling the smell of meat permeating from her home.

'Hello Kylie, you are taking the mickey out of me and have been downright rude,' the infuriated neighbour wrote.

'I raised my concerns of the smell of meat making my family sick and upset and you go and have a BBQ on Saturday night, inviting lots of people and you knew this would affect me and my family.'

'My friend Tina told me you took my letter to social media and it backfired on you which is 'just deserts'.'

The author of the letter, known as Sarah, Wayne and Kids, threatens to report the matter and share it on social media if Kylie continues to throw her meat-filled barbeques.

'Please no more BBQs and please keep that window closed when cooking otherwise I'm going to report you and go to social media too,' the letter reads.

The letter has received over 280 comments, with many labelling the vegan family 'entitled' and their request 'ridiculous'.

'Vegan people think they are entitled always trying to push their way of life onto everyone,' one person wrote.

'You have no right to expect that you can control what goes on at their house ... love seeing how entitled you idiots think you are so thanks for the laughs,' another wrote.

A third person chimed: 'who tf does she think she is tho? Like in all seriousness to have the audacity to tell someone they cant have a bbq in their own yard. Mate, this is Australia. Got a problem, go live in the sticks.'

A fourth person added: 'OMG how ridiculous. Why should you change your eating habits to please someone else. Would they?'

The vegan family - Sarah, Wayne and kids - claim the smell of meat makes them feel sick and upset

Social media users slammed the vegan residents, with many labelling them 'entitled' and the note 'ridiculous' (stock image of man cooking meat on a barbeque)

Others suggested Kylie take matters into her own hands and host a barbeque street party with as much meat as she wants.

'Time to go to the neighbours house and have a street party with all the meat you can eat,' One person commented.

'Omg she's complaining of the smell of meat ffs looks like it's time to have a street party BBQ invite all the neighbours,' another person wrote.

'I heard Kylies hosting a sausage sizzle this weekend. We should all go,' another joked.

One person asked for Kylie's address so they could bring 'extra meat' while another asked which resident will be bringing the 'pig on a spit'.

'I would love to organise a fundraiser to buy Kylie a meat smoker,' another person suggested.

Kylie claims the coronation barbeque was not retaliation against her neighbour after the disgruntled vegan sent her a letter asking her to close her windows when cooking meat to stop the 'sickening' smell from spreading.'

The first note the angry vegan sent to neighbours

Aussies suggested Kylie host a street barbeque and cook as much meat as possible in retaliation to the vegan family's demands (stock image of people having a barbeque)

The request sparked a fierce debate with social media users divided over whether the request was reasonable.

'I feel like this was a genuinely polite letter ... it would be nice to see some respect for your neighbours, and not publicly trying to shame them for holding strong ethical morals,' one person wrote.

'Not polite, actually so self entitled and rude,' another person replied.

'Be vegan. Eat meat. Each to their own!' a third person chimed.
ABC medical expert Dr Norman Swan appears to have been caught out inflating the number of deaths from the virus during a live TV appearance.

Appearing on ABC TV on Monday, Dr Swan claimed 1,100 people had died of Covid and Covid-related causes in January.

He cited his source as an Actuaries Institute report on excess deaths.

'The excess deaths in January this year from the Actuaries Institute is eight per cent, so 1,100 people in that month died of Covid and Covid-related diseases who might not otherwise have died,' Dr Swan said.

Norman Swan appears to have inflated the number of Covid-related deaths during an ABC TV appearance

'Its still around, its still a problem.'

Deaths are considered to be in excess when they exceed a predicted baseline.

But the Actuaries Institute report showed only 760 of the excess deaths were because of Covid, while the rest were unrelated to the virus.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics gives altogether different figures for excess deaths in January.

The ABS records that excess deaths were 12.4 per cent above the expected baseline in that month, amounting to 1,605 people.

Of those, only 704 were caused by Covid, which is less than half the overall total.

Dr Swan made the reference to excess deaths while brushing aside the World Health Organisation's declaration the public health emergency had officially ended.

The national broadcaster's chief medical pundit was quick to shut down the claim saying the pandemic was not over.

'Its not the official end of the pandemic,' Dr Swan replied sternly.

'The World Health Organisation was very clear. This was not an announcement that the pandemic was over.

'This was an announcement that the emergency response and the funding flows is over, which most countries have done anyway, but the pandemic is not over.

The Actuaries Institute report actually showed only 760 of the excess deaths were because of Covid, while the rest were unrelated to the virus

Dr Swan was forced to apologise after wrongly claiming Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching's death of suspected a heart attack was likely to be Covid-related

'The director general of the World Health Organisation was very clear that countries should not stop their Covid response.'

Dr Nick Coatsworth, who was Australia's deputy chief health officer during Covid, claimed Dr Swan was trying to keep the virus 'on the agenda for some reason'.

While he thought excess deaths were caused by Covid that includes unintended consequence of pandemic restrictions and health messaging.

'If you have a fearful medical community and all your GPs are closed and you have a fearful community of going to a medical facility of course you are going to get deaths in subsequent years from people who didnt get things picked up,' Dr Coatsworth said.

'I think the question for him is, what does he think we should do to bring excess deaths down?

Dr Coatsworth, who is an infectious disease specialist at Canberra Hospital in the ACT, said is is an open question whether we need to intervene in any particular way for Covid as the disease appeared to be manageable under current settings.

'I dont see people being turned away from emergency departments with COVID. I admit them in Canberra,' he said.

'In actual fact there have been more people in the last two weeks being admitted with rhinovirus, which is the common cold, than Covid.

'Thats not an Australia-wide statistic its just an anecdote from my private practice.'

Dr Swan, who hosts a weekly Coronacast podcast dedicated to covering Covid, became one of the leading commentators during the pandemic with the national broadcaster using him as the go-to analyst.

However, he has been caught out making blunders along the way.

He was forced to apologise after claiming last year that Labor senator Kimberley Kitching's death by a suspected a heart attack was likely to be Covid-related.

Former Australian deputy chief health officer Nick Coatsworth says Dr Swan wants to keep Covid on the agenda for some reason

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics there were 1,605 excess deaths in January but of those only 704 were doctor-certified as being caused by Covid

The Senator, who was 52 when she died, never contracted Covid according to her furious family.

The ABC admitted Dr Swan's remarks breached its editorial standards and cautioned him during discussions with the broadcaster's management.

Excess deaths are a concerning trend being seen around the western world in the wake of Covid, but experts say they are baffled about what all the causes might be.

In 2022, there were 25,235 more deaths than would be expected in a normal year in Australia, according the ABS.

Of that total, 10,095 were directly caused by Covid with another 3,000 listed where the virus was 'a contributing factor'.

Outside of that there was also a huge 19 per cent increase in those dying of diabetes and a 15 per cent jump in dementia mortality.

Dr Swan was awarded a member of the Order of Australia in January's honours list 'for significant service to the broadcast media as a science and health commentator'.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Dr Swan for comment.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy shored up the votes to pass a sweeping immigration and border security bill after hiccups over the package's E-Verify and cartel provisions.

The bill passed 219 to 213 on Thursday - the same day as Title 42, the Covid-era public health rule that allows for immediate expulsion, expires.

Two Republicans - Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif., - voted no on the bill due to e-Verify requirements.

The House package would bring back a number of Trump-era immigration policies - including Remain in Mexico, which requires those claiming asylum to wait in Mexico while their U.S. asylum claim is processed.

President Biden has already promised to veto the legislation, though he won't get the opportunity to as it will not come up in the Democrat-led Senate.

The House-passed bill would also resume construction of the southern border wall, make it easier for minors who cross without their parents to be deported and allow for migrant families to be held in detention for a longer period of time, in hopes of ending 'catch and release' policies.

The legislation passed just hours before Title 42 expired - as border officials have faced 10,000 immigrants per day attempting to cross over the past three days, a record number.

'This is only going to get worse. I've been receiving text messages at home all day. Pictures of the people lining up to come into the state,' Rep. Juan Ciscomani, an Arizona Republican who immigrated to the U.S. as a child from Mexico, told DailyMail.com.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection currently has about 26,000 migrants in custody amid a rush to process the arrivals, several thousand over capacity.

A family of migrants awaits to be put on to a bus after attempting to cross the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Thursday

Border Patrol officers and the Department of Public Safety gather migrants who are trying to cross the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, on May 11

The bill would end Biden's use of humanitarian parole targeted directly at certain nationalities, which the administration uses broadly for Venezuelans, Haitians, Cubans and Nicaraguans. It would make the use of E-Verify for hiring employees mandatory and only allow asylum claims to be accepted for those who do not cross the border illegally.

It would also restrict federal funds for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that support migrants at the border direct more money for border security technology and hiring more border agents. The bill mandates expanded collection of biometric and DNA collection of migrants and imposes new fees on asylum applicants.

House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark's office sent around a notice ahead of hte vote dubbing the bill the 'Child Deportation Act' and urging rank-and-file to vote 'no.'

She said it will make it 'nearly impossible' for asylum seekers to get across ports of entry while 'doing nothing' to stop the slow of fentanyl across the border.

She said the E-Verify provision on U.S. businesses nationwide 'would result in chaos in the agriculture industry and seasonal workforces.'

Libertarian and agrarian-minded Republicans expressed concerns about the effect of mandating E-Verify to check workers' immigration statuses would have on farming and the nation's food supply.

'Unfortunately, this bill would harm many families that work in our Valley and create difficulties for our food producers,' Duarte said in a statement explaining his 'no' vote.

But other farmland Republicans, like Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson, said they were pleased with the E-Verify requirements.

'I don't have a problem with it,' Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee told DailyMail.com. 'If you're doing something illegal, then I guess you got something to worry about.'

An estimated 10,000 migrants headed to the southern border Thursday

Border officials are overwhelmed with the amount of migrants crossing the border illegally in anticipation of the end of Title 42

Newhouse said he would vote for the legislation after 'many discussions with House leadership' and securing a concession that if a final border bill were ever sent to President Biden's desk it would include tweaks that reform the H-2A agricultural visa that remove requirements that it only be for seasonal work and offer wage reform to make sure H-2A wages are 'more market-based.'

The bill was also amended to change foreign terrorist language after Rep. Dan Crenshaw warned that the provision - which calls on President Biden to designate cartels as foreign terrorists - would only give migrants greater standing to claim asylum.

The Texas Republican has said the bill does not do enough to go after cartels in other ways.

House leadership was eager to push through the party-line bill that will not pass the Senate on the day Title 42 expires. Border officials have expected an onslaught of migrants to rush the border without the pandemic-era public health policy that allows for immediate expulsion.

'What Republicans are bringing onto the floor this week is not substantive. It's extreme and recycles the same failed policies from the prior administration that did nothing to help our situation at the southern border,' Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California said in a press conference.

Meanwhile House Democrats unveiled their own immigration and border proposal on Wednesday - the U.S. Citizenship Act.

In the Senate, Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin promised to release a 'bipartisan' immigration bill on Thursday.

'House Republicans' 'proposal' to our immigration challenge isn't serious. It's a partisan nonstarter. We've delivered bipartisan immigration reform before  and we need to do it again. I'm putting forward a bill  a serious proposal  tomorrow to get us started,' he tweeted.
Fans of Jeopardy! voiced their outrage over a recent ruling involving the pronunciation of a Russian writer during an episode with host Mayim Bialik.

The Tuesday show saw Bialik, who has been splitting hosting duties with Ken Jennings since July, read a clue under the category 'The Quotable Alex'.

The category challenged contestants to match certain quotations with the famous figures that said them, all sporting said name.

This particular clue corresponded with Soviet dissident author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - an answer all three contestants guessed correctly, but without the proper pronunciation.

'No, this is a tricky one to pronounce,' said 47-year-old Bialik - whose new hosting gig has already been marred by multiple on-air controversies. 'We're looking for Solzhenitsyn.'

Fans of Jeopardy! voiced their outrage over a recent ruling involving the pronunciation of a Russian writer during an episode that aired Tuesday

The category challenged contestants to match certain quotations with the famous figures that said them, all sporting said name. This particular clue corresponded with Soviet dissident author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - an answer all three contestants guessed correctly

'No, this is a tricky one to pronounce,' said 47-year-old Bialik - whose new hosting gig has already been marred by multiple on-air controversies, including an on-air reference to the 2021 death Brian Laundrie, and a flub that prematurely revealed the winner of a March episode

As a result, the former Big Bang Theory and Blossom star denied each competitor the $1,600 a correct answer to the clue would have collected - a decision many online took issue with.

'If you're not going to accept anyones attempt to pronounce Solzhenitsyn, dont write a clue about him,' one user wrote, as hundreds took to Twitter to debate the pronunciation problem.

User @runyourplate agreed, adding: 'I did not like that Solzhenitsyn ruling.'

(For the record, the correct pronunciation is' sowl-zhuh-NEET-sn')

Others campaigned for clemency for the contestants, arguing that all three came close enough to properly pronouncing the name of the outspoken critic of communism died in 2008.

Hannah Wilson, Sami Casanova and Juveria Zaheer all immediately recognized the quote - 'Socialism of any type and shade leads to a total destruction of the human spirit' - to be his, but languished through their attempts to say his surname properly.

'Solzhenitsyn. I get its hard to say but one of them was fairly close,' wrote one user, pointing out the difficulty of pronouncing Russian words and names, especially if you are a non-native speaker.

'Of all the names to be strict on.'

Another similarly called for mercy from showrunners, while calling Bialik's handling of the consecutive flubs unnecessarily harsh.

'C'mon @missmayim and @Jeopardy, those ladies all did a good enough pronunciation of Solzhenitsyn to get the $$.'

Someone else sniped: 'I think all three had the right person in mind, but none of them was a native speaker of Russian or related language.'

Many took issue with the former Big Bang Theory star's decision to deny the three any points, saying the contestants came close enough and that the judgment was unnecessarily harsh

Others campaigned for clemency for the contestants, arguing that all three came close enough to properly pronouncing the name of the outspoken critic of communism (seen here)

Despite many taking issue with the show's insistence on correct pronunciation, the question and the subsequent incorrect answers had little impact on the outcome, returning champ as Wilson continued her four-show win streak, taking home $34,200 in the process.

That makes her total winnings at $124,801.

The controversy is the latest seen from the show, long hosted by the late Alex Trebek, in recent months.

Last month, executives issued an apology for an editing bungle that accidentally revealed the winner of last week's episode.

That same month, fans found themselves up in arms over the potentially unjust win of a woman during an episode hosted by Bialik, who appeared to award a contestant points despite her answer being incorrect.

In November, the shows Celebrity Jeopardy landed in hot water with fans after an episode referenced the suicide death of Brian Laundrie, who killed girlfriend Gabby Petito in 2021.

Many at the time slammed the reference as 'unnecessarily morbid' and in 'poor taste.'
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has called out the government as budget figures show 1.5 million new migrants move to Australia over the next five years as Kochie demands a solution to the housing crisis.

Australia's population is still tipped to swell from 26.5million to 28.172milion in five years, with a record 400,000 to arrive in 2022-23 and 315,000 in 2023-24.

Mr Dutton slammed the government's migration forecast claiming the influx of people will worsen the housing crisis.

'We all support a well-planned migration program because we're a great multicultural society and one of the best countries in the world,' Mr Dutton told Sunrise host David Koch on Thursday..

'The fact is we're in the middle of a housing crisis and the middle of a rental crisis, and we're already stuck in congestion going and picking the kids up from school.

'Adding another 300,000 people a year over the next five years, where are these people going to live?'

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (pictured) slammed the government's migration forecast claiming the influx of people will worsen the housing crisis.

Mr Dutton said the government needs to first think about which schools and communities do not have congestion before placing migrants in neighbourhoods.

'When all that planning is done and the roads are upgraded so we can deal with congestion then we can bring migration numbers up in a planned way,' Mr Dutton said.

'Labour's big Australia policy at the moment was not mentioned at the election or in the Treasury's speech and I think the Prime Minister is just trying to slide it through.'

Kochie added home building figures are at a 10 year low and an influx of migrants 'which is what we do need and would welcome' will further add to the exisiting housing crisis.

Government has forecast 1.5million new migrants move to Australia over the next five years (stock image)

The Sunrise host asked Mr Dutton for what he thinks is the solution and demanded the politician explain how he would fix the housing and rental market.

'It's difficult... you can put a lot of money in but ultimately the decision to develop land is a decision for a local council and a decision for state planning authorities,' Mr Dutton replied.

'We need to start planning, 1.5 million people is a higher number than the entire population of Adelaide, bringing them over a five year period in the middle of this crisis.

'As we have pointed out we have the most amazing migrant community in Australia but we need to do it in a planned way.

The Sunrise host also spoke with Fairfield City Council Mayor Frank Carbone who claimed an influx of 1.5 million migrants will result in a reduction in the quality of life of those who live in the country.

Mr Carbone said statistics show 30 per cent of the 1.5 million migrants will settle in NSW with a large number heading to south west Sydney.

'Our community has always resettled migrants because we know how important they are to our prosperity and to the prosperity of this country but 1.5 million is too much,' Mr Carbone said.

'Having people come in and compete with housing and health and other services at such a short time, all that means is that we will actually have a reduction in quality of life to those who live in this country.'

Fairfield City Council Mayor Frank Carbone (pictured) claimed an influx of 1.5 million migrants will result in a reduction in the quality of life of those who live in the country and labelled the program a 'dump and run' move by the government

Mr Carbone labelled the government's plan to 'dump' migrants into the community as a 'band-aid solution'.

'You can't just have a dump and run where government dumps migrants in and runs away and believe everything will be fine,' Mr Carbone said.

'Especially at a time when people are struggling to fill up their grocery baskets, pay for energy bills and put a roof over their heads.

'These things need to be planned. We need migration but we need to be sustainable.'

Koch said councils are being criticised for being tough on housing developers with too much 'red tape'.

The Lord Mayor claimed federal and state leaders are 'pointing the finger' as councils rely on developers to build housing. He added developers are not building housing because people cannot afford to buy.

Koch lammed the Mayor's explanation as being 'a bit simple' and argued council's slow development application approval process is part of the issue.

Mr Carbone fired back claiming most western Sydney councils plan for the future, with Fairfield to build 30,000 new dwellings in the next 20 years.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his department are expecting Australia's population to surpass 28million by 2027

'You need to be able to provide the market for people to build. Most importantly, for people to buy,' Mr Carbone said.

'How are 1.5 million migrants who are coming to country and come come here with very little and they come here to build a new life and that's fine but how are they going to buy houses?

'You're complaining councils are at fault ... everyone seems to point at council's because it's convenient for them to dump and run and blame everyone else.'

Kochie declared: 'We gotta stop politicising it and blaming each other. We gotta come up with a solution.'
It was the decade when the Channel Tunnel opened, double denim was fashionable - and the biggest cancer fundraiser began.

Now TV and pop stars from the 1990s have come together to mark 30 years since the start of Cancer Research UK's Race for Life.

Fitness legend Mr Motivator, TV presenter Anthea Turner, actress Leslie Ash and East 17's Terry Coldwell have raced back in time to show their support for the charity's biggest annual fundraiser.

They are encouraging people to don their best 90s gear when taking part in one of the of 3K, 5K or 10K races this year.

Since its inaugural event in Battersea Park, south London, 30 years ago today (THU), Race for Life has raised an astonishing 940million towards beating cancer.

TV and pop stars from the 1990s have come together to mark 30 years since the start of Cancer Research UK's Race for Life

Television presenter Anthea Turner, fitness instructor Derrick Evans 'Mr Motivator' and actress Leslie Ash at an event to celebrate 30 years of Cancer Research UK's Race for Life

Ms Turner lost her former Blue Peter colleague Caron Keating and another friend to breast cancer within a few weeks of each other that year.

She said: 'Cancer can impact anyone's life, and like many other people out there, I have personally felt its effects. Losing two friends to breast cancer within weeks of each other was a real reminder that life is short.

'So I'm encouraging everyone to dust off their 90s gear and get in the community spirit for a brilliant cause which will be remembered for years to come.'

Holby City actress Ms Ash remembers being one of the 749 people who came together for the first race in 1994, helping to raise a total of 48,000.

Since then, it has exploded in popularity with at 450 events scheduled at over 180 locations across the UK between now and July.

'It was when I was doing Men Behaving Badly, I was asked to do it,' she told The Daily Mail, this year's media sponsor of Race for Life.

Pictured: Cancer survivors Dinny Hinds, Ian Brown, Lin Limbrey, Minnal Ladva, actress Leslie Ash, East 17's Terry Coldwell, fitness instructor Derrick Evans 'Mr Motivator', television presenter Anthea Turner, cancer survivor Chantelle Cox and Rupal Mistry, Research Information Manager at Cancer Research UK

Holby City actress Ms Ash remembers being one of the 749 people who came together for the first race in 1994, helping to raise a total of 48,000. Since then, it has exploded in popularity with at 450 events scheduled at over 180 locations across the UK between now and July

'I remember taking my youngest son Max, who was about two at the time, because someone was ill. All the girls pitched in and looked after him while I did my run.

'Anna Walker, the TV presenter, was there was a very fit woman. I was walking around and she actually lapped me twice!

'It was such a great day. That's the thing with Race for Life, you can just go and have a great time without taking it too seriously - all while supporting a brilliant cause.'

Now a grandmother, the 63-year-old remembers her mother undergoing treatment for breast cancer in the 1970s. She went on to make a full recovery but the radiotherapy had severe side effects.

She added: 'In those in those days, the treatment and recovery was completely different. Now there are so many ways they can treat you, it's come on so much, because of cancer research.

'We all know that there's not just one cancer - there are so many different ones that affect young, old and people in the middle.

'It's never going to go away completely so it's very, very, very important that we raise money for continued research.'

When Race for Life started, only a third of people diagnosed with cancer lived for ten years or more compared to half today, largely thanks to leaps in research and treatment.

More than 10 million people have since taken part in the collective race to beat cancer.

But with cancer affecting one in two people and cases set to rise, the need for cutting-edge research into more than 200 types of cancer has never been greater.

The charity is aiming to accelerate progress so that three in four patients survive the disease by 2034.

Derrick Errol Evans, better known as Mr Motivator, became a Race for Life ally after losing a close friend to prostate cancer.

He has reprised his role as a fitness guru and hopes his words will encourage people to get around the course.

He said: 'I led a warm-up at one of the first Race for Life events in the 90s, so this feels very nostalgic and celebrating this special occasion is an absolute joy! So, come on gang, sign up for the Race for Life... and say yeah! Let's do this!'
Australia's Trade Minister Don Farrell, who heads to Beijing for a two-day trip this week, believes China will likely drop all trade sanctions against our products by the end of the year.

Mr Farrell is scheduled to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao and other top officials when he arrives in Beijing on Thursday.

He will push for a resolution to the trade dispute between the two nations after Beijing imposed sanctions against $20billion worth of Australian goods during the Covid pandemic, including barley, wine, beef and lobster.

The minister has also flagged his intention to bring up the case of detained Australians, Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun.

Before he left the country for China, Mr Farrell said he was 'positive' Beijing would lift restrictions by the end of the year as bilateral relations improved.

Trade Minister Don Farrell (pictured) will push for a resolution to the trade dispute with China when he arrives in Beijing this week

'We want to get back to where we were before the bans, we want all of those (restrictions) lifted and we are working towards that end,' he told The Sydney Morning Herald.

'I would hope we will have resolved all of the major outstanding impediments to our trading relationship or at least be well on the way to resolving them...

'I'm very hopeful we are heading down the track to resolving all of these outstanding issues,' he added, when asked about what the status of the relationship between the two countries would be by Christmas.

It comes after the Albanese government agreed to suspend a World Trade Organisation dispute with China over barley tariffs last month.

The move, which has been well received in China, could be a stepping stone towards resolving the trade dispute, according to Mr Farrell.

Mr Farrell is the first trade minister to visit China since former trade minister Simon Birmingham travelled to Shanghai in November, 2019.

Mr Farrell will push for an end to the trade war after Beijing imposed sanctions against $20billion worth of Australian goods during the Covid pandemic, including barley, wine, beef and lobster (pictured, WA farmer holds barley seeds)

The prime minister spoke with China's President Xi Jinping (pictured) at the G20 Summit in Bali last November. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong also held talks with her Chinese counterpart last December, while Defence Minister Richard Marles did the same in November

He is also the second senior minister from the Albanese government to visit the country after Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong headed to Beijing to meet with her counterpart, Wang Yi, last December.

Talks were also held between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and China's President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali and Defence Minister Richard Marles and his counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, in Cambodia, last November.

Beijing imposed trade sanctions on Australian products in 2020 after the Morrison government pushed for an inquiry into China's role into the origins of the Covid pandemic.

The country also issued a list of 14 grievances he had with Australia, citing blocks on Chinese investment and Australia 'spearheading the crusade against China'.

It was reported in February that Beijing was preparing to wind back some sanctions on beef, timber and other exports as relations improved.
The mother of a much-loved author whose death by suicide was announced on Wednesday has told of the family's devastation, adding that they were taking comfort in their faith and the knowledge of her impact on fans.

Heather B. Armstrong, 47, pioneered the 'mommy blog' in the early 2000s, and went on to forge a successful career as an author, charting her own experiences as a mother of two girls and her battles with alcohol and depression.

Armstrong's death was announced on Wednesday by her boyfriend Pete Ashdown, who told The Associated Press she died by suicide after recently relapsing following 18 months of sobriety.

Armstrong's mother, Linda Hamilton-Oar, told DailyMail.com they were shattered by her death, but were taking comfort in their faith.

'We as a family are devastated, but we have faith that we will see her again,' she said.

Heather Armstrong was dubbed 'Queen of the mommy bloggers' by New York Times magazine

Linda Hamilton-Oar, whose daughter Heather Armstrong took her own life after a well-documented battle with alcoholism and depression, said she had an innate ability to connect with people

Armstrong is pictured at her graduation with her mother Linda and stepfather Rob

Asked why she thought her daughter touched so many people, she said she thought it was because 'Dooce', as she was known on her blog, saw those in need of comfort.

'I don't think she wore her heart on her sleeve,' said Hamilton-Oar.

'But she had a gift of incredible discernment.

'She could see what people needed.'

Hamilton-Oar, an Avon Lady who separated from Hamilton's father Mike and remarried Rob Oar, said her daughter had been intuitive since she was a child.

'She had it from a young age,' she said, of her intuition.

Armstrong leaves behind daughters Leta, 18, and Marlo, 14.

Her heartbreaking final blog post, published on April 6, discussed her sobriety battle and paid tribute to her firstborn daughter.

Armstrong's mother (right) said her daughter (left) had a gift of intuition from a young age

Armstrong with her daughter Marlo, now 14, and her ex-husband Jon

'Early sobriety resembles living life as a clam without its shell,' she wrote.

She told how, in October 2021, she marked six months of sobriety 'by myself on the floor next to my bed feeling as if I were a wounded animal who wanted to be left alone to die.'

She described the milestone as being 'fraught with tears and sobbing so violent that at one point I thought my body would split in two.

'The grief submerged me in tidal waves of pain. For a few hours I found it hard to breathe,' she wrote.

'I had isolated myself entirely from the outside world because I didn't understand what was happening to me. And I was embarrassed.

'Here, two years into this often frenzied and wandering dance with life, I understand that I couldn't hold anyone's gaze because everywhere I looked I saw nothing but my own worthlessness. And so I chose loneliness. I couldn't handle the idea of anyone else knowing just how bad I felt about myself.'

She added: 'Sobriety was not some mystery I had to solve. It was simply looking at all my wounds and learning how to live with them.'

Her death was announced on her Instagram page.

'Heather Brooke Hamilton aka Heather B. Armstrong aka Dooce aka love of my life. July 19, 1975 - May 9, 2023,' the post read.

'"It takes an ocean not to break".

'Hold your loved ones close and love everyone else.'

Armstrong's death was announced on her Instagram page on Wednesday

In 2016, Armstrong entered a clinical trial where she was made braindead three times a week for three weeks in an attempt to cure depression

Armstrong began her blog, Dooce, in 2001.

The name came from her mistyping the word 'dude' in a work email.

By 2009, she had a monthly readership of 8.4million and was making $40,000-a-month with banner ads, according to a 2019 Vox profile.

In 2016, after battling suicidal depression and sharing her struggles online, she took part in a clinical trial at the University of Utah.

The three-week trial involved her being induced into minutes-long comas three days a week.

The results were promising - six of the ten patients who took part in say their mental health improved, and continued to be better for three months afterwards.

It's unclear if the treatment was ever advanced for approval.

She took part in drastic experiments to try to cure her depression, signing up to be made brain dead 10 times, then writing about it in the book: The Valedictorian of Death. Her previous books include Dear Daughter and It Sucked Then I Cried

Armstrong with her kids Leta (left) and Marlo (right)

After the trial, Armstrong wrote about it in her book: The Valedictorian of Death.

The experiment used propofol anesthesia to flatline her brain for 15 minutes. She was the third person to try it.

In an interview with The New York Post about the treatment, she said she was not at all fearful it might kill her.

She did it ten times, and noticed small changes in her behavior after initial bouts of nausea.

'It was after the second treatment when I suddenly realized, 'Oh, I showered without even thinking about it.

'After the third treatmentI started doing my hair and wearing cleaner clothes,' she said.

She wrote about the experience in her book The Valedictorian of Death.

Her previous books include Dear Daughter and It Sucked Then I Cried.
Police have been searching for four days

A vacationing mother-of-three has vanished interstate without warning, leaving her family to work desperately with police who are trying to find her.

Julie, 48, was last seen in Streaky Bay, 700kms from Adelaide at the top of the Eyre Peninsula, at about 5pm on Sunday when she went for a walk on her own.

She was last seen wearing jeans, light-coloured boots, and a long-sleeved blue shirt with a large star on its chest.

Julie was on a holiday with her husband, Cliff, and the two had been travelling across South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.

Police have been working with SES, Polair and locals to try and find Julie, but thus far only one sighting has been reported since her disappearance.

Julie, 48, was last seen in Streaky Bay, South Australia at about 5pm on Sunday when she went for a walk wearing jeans, light-coloured boots, and a long-sleeved blue shirt with a large star on its chest

Julie and her husband Cliff had travelled from Uluru to South Australia's Eyre Peninsula before she went missing

Julie's brother, Todd, from her home state of Queensland arrived in Streaky Bay to try and assist with the expansive search currently underway.

'It's pretty tough,' Todd told 9News.

'The family is doing the best they can, trying to stay positive under the circumstances.

'Julie, if you're watching this please come back. We love you and need you home.'

Her family is worried because Julie disappeared without warning and is not familiar with the area.

Julie and Cliff had previously visited Uluru before travelling to the South Australian countryside.

There was a report of a woman matching Julie's appearance hitchhiking in Streaky Bay between 8.30am and 10.30am on Monday, but police have since discounted it.

Extensive air and land searches in the area have been underway over the last four days, but have thus far came up with no solid leads.

'When it's the early days, you've got a bit of hope that she'll come back or she'll be found very quickly,' Todd told 7news.

'Please come back, we need you.'

A member of the public reported a woman matching Julie's description hitchhiking in the area she was last seen, but police have since discredited this as just a sighting

SES Polair, mounted police and locals have been searching for Julie since she went missing on Sunday, only suspending the search during the night

Julie is said to be about 170cm with dark, shoulder-length hair.

Police are appealing to the public for anyone with dashcam in the area to provide it so that they can confirm any movement since her disappearance.

'We are looking for anyone especially who was driving around or in or through Streaky Bay on Sunday evening who may have dashcam footage,' Superintendent Paul Bahr said Wednesday.

'We would especially be very keen to look at that footage.'

Police are urging anyone who has seen Julie or with any information on her whereabouts to contact the Police Assistance Line immediately on 131 444.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Never before heard details have emerged about the abduction of Cleo Smith, including her frantic mother's distraught call to triple-0 when she realised her little girl had vanished.

Cleo, then four, made international headlines when she was snatched from a tent on October 16, 2021, as she slept with her mother, stepfather and baby sister at the Blowholes campsite, near Carnarvon, about 960km north of Perth.

The little girl was held captive by Terence Darrell Kelly and locked alone in a bedroom at his home for 18 days before Western Australia Police rescued her in a late night raid.

Chilling new details about Cleo's kidnapping will soon be aired after Kelly was recently sentenced to 13-and-a-half years behind bars.

Ellie Smith's panicked call to triple-0 and police bodycam of the distressed mum in tears after officers arrived at the remote campsite will be aired for the first time on 60 Minutes this Sunday night.

Cleo Smith (pictured) still has nightmares, 18 months after she was kidnapped and held captive for almost three weeks

Ms Smith and her partner Jake Gliddon also opened up on how Cleo is coping 18 months after the terrifying ordeal, along with new footage of the little girl.

'Her nightmare nights are the worst. It's heartbreaking,' she says in a sneak preview.

'Sad, hurt, scared, terrified. It is hard talking about him (Kelly) and what happened.'

The program will also air chilling audio of Ms Smith's triple-0 call when she discovered Cleo was missing from their tent on the morning she disappeared.

'My daughter's gone missing,' the distraught mum says.

'How old is your daughter,' the operator asks.

'She's four,' Ms Smith tearfully replied.

Bodycam footage from the first officers on the scene being shown around the campsite by the frantic mum has also emerged.

'We woke up this morning, and she was missing,' Ms Smith explained.

Cleo's disappearance sparked one of the biggest police searches in WA history and made headlines worldwide.

Cleo's mum Ellie Smith (pictured) has given an update on how the little girl is coping

Bodycam footage on the morning of Cleo's disappearance show her distraught mum showing police around the remote campsite where they were staying

Investigators who worked on the case will also reveal more details about the extensive lengths detectives went to narrow and track down Kelly.

'It really set the investigation alight,' one officer recalled.

'They narrowed and narrowed it. They made the right call.'

Ms Smith added:' That was the second we realised she didn't walk away. She was taken.'

Ms Smith and her partner made a surprise appearance at Kelly's sentencing in the District Court of WA last month.

It was the first time the couple had been seen in public since their first interview with 60 Minutes a year ago.

They were reportedly paid $2million for the world exclusive television interview.

Sentencing judge Julie Wager described the fear, distress and trauma caused to Cleo and her parents as 'immeasurable'.

'Eighteen days without contact or explanation, and with hours totally on her own and no access to the outside world, would have been very traumatic,' the judge said.

Cleo's mother Ellie Smith (left) and stepdad Jake Gliddon were at District Court of WA in Perth last month for the sentencing for the man who abducted their little girl

Kelly's legal team confirmed this week their client has lodged an appeal over the lengthy sentence handed down to him after he admitted forcibly detaining a child under the age of 16 in January 2022.

Court documents have revealed his lawyers are appealing on multiple grounds including disputing the extent to which Kelly's methamphetamine use contributed to the crime.

'The learned sentencing judge erred in finding that the applicant's use of methamphetamine had a significant and casual role in the offending,' the appeal documents state.

'The learned sentencing judge failed to give appropriate weight to the applicant's childhood disadvantage and trauma.'

Mother Ellie Smith (pictured with Cleo and partner Jake Gliddon) awoke in the early morning to find four-year-old Cleo missing from the family tent, sparking a major police investigation
Old footage has resurfaced of the extraordinary moment a great white shark hunter caught a monster predator with his bare hands from a dinghy.

Queenslander Vic Hislop is seen in the video trying to wrangle the huge shark that appears to be as long as his boat.

Mr Hislop is a former shark hunter who dedicated most of his life to capturing and killing the predators with his adventures documented on camera.

He ran Shark Show, a museum in Hervey Bay, for 30 years and appeared on television throughout the 1980s.

Extraordinary footage has emerged of renegade Aussie great white shark hunter Vic Hislop catching a monster predator bare-handed

Hislop was a controversial figure who believed great white sharks were 'God's mistake' and developed a taste for human flesh, inspiring him to catch and kill many of them

In the old footage, Mr Hislop is seen wearing only shorts and a t-shirt as he stands on the dinghy and pulls the shark by its tail out of the water.

The back of the dinghy dips into the water under the sheer weight of the animal as Mr Hislop tries to haul it onboard.

Mr Hislop narrates over the clip admitting he was placing his life in danger.

'The biggest danger here is this sharks mates. If one rammed the boat I could end up in the water,' he said.

Footage was uploaded to Facebook where social media users were left stunned.

'Rambo of the seas,' one wrote.

Another wrote he looked like a 'young Chuck Norris'.

'Did his mother not tell him [to] never stand up in a boat?' a third wrote.

'Hardcore this bloke,' another wrote.

'Vic Hislop did his apprenticeship the hard way,' a social media user wrote.

Mr Hislop was a controversial figure who believed great white sharks were 'God's mistake' and developed a taste for human flesh.

Killing great whites is now illegal with researchers saying they are scavengers that usually seek out dead, injured or baby humpback whales during their migration.

Since great whites were declared a protected species in Australian waters in the 1990s, their numbers have grown.

According to the CSIRO, there were up to 12,802 white sharks around Australia - mostly juveniles - in 2018.

Hislop's method looks perilous, from the fact he isn't wearing a life jacket, while standing, to the sheer size of his catch and the alarming way the boat's stern drops to the water's edge

In the grainy clip, complete with 1970s synthesizer soundtrack, shows the Queenslander trying to wrangle the huge shark, which appears at least as long as his boat

The species reaches maturity at between 10 to 12 years of age, meaning thousands will be fully grown this decade.

One Facebook one commenter said Australia needs a new Mr Hislop.

'We need someone more like that to cull them sharks before they become a huge problem,' he wrote.

'Too late for that mate its been let go for to long now,' another added.

In 2017, Mr Hislop called for a Royal Commission into shark numbers after Laeticia Brouwer, 17, was mauled to death off the coast of Esperance in Western Australia.

He claimed sharks were now 'patrolling' Australia's east and west coasts.

He famously once hooked a great white some claimed to be the biggest ever caught, 6.6 meters.

While there was only one fatal shark attack in Australia in 2022 - when Simon Nellist died at Little Bay in Sydney - an estimated 500 great whites die each year in Australian waters due to human activities.

Mr Hislop claimed the Australian government deliberately under-reports the true number of human deaths caused by sharks under pressure from conservationists.

Hislop was also famous keeping a five metre great white that he caught off Hervey Bay in 1988 frozen at home. He tried to sell it on Gumtree before authorities shut the sale down

After a WA teenager died from a shark bite in 2017 Hislop broke his silence to claim that great white sharks are patrolling the west and east coast of Australia

'At least a hundred swimmers disappear every year here and their bodies are never found. Many have been eaten,' Mr Hislop said.

'Ive often caught sharks and removed human hands and feet from their stomachs. I even found a human foot still in its sandal.'

Mr Hislop was also famous keeping a five metre great white that he caught off Hervey Bay in 1988 frozen at home.

He tried to sell it for $30,000 in 2015 before authorities warned him the sale was aillegal.

'It has cost me thousands of dollars in electricity to keep,' Hislop complained.
People smuggling gangs are making too much money from migrants to allow the end of Title 42 to trigger chaos at the border and a crackdown by U.S. officials, according to a former top Border Patrol officer.

Instead of a tidal wave of immigrants flooding the border, Chris Clem said cartels will control numbers to ensure they can keep the profits flowing in for weeks to come.

Title 42 is due to expire at midnight on Thursday, relaxing public health restrictions designed to stop COVID-19 entering the country with migrants.

A surge in migrants crossing the border is already being reported in Yuma, Arizona, where Clem retired last year as the sector's Chief Border Patrol Agent.

'People that are really orchestrating this do not want to make it any more painful,' he told DailyMail.com.

Chris Clem was Yuma Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent before retiring last year. He said people smugglers would not want chaos when Title 42 end - they would want to keep profits rolling in

This was the scene in his former sector in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Yuma in Arizona has seen the number of migrants arriving rocket in recent days

'There's money to be made every time a person crosses the border.

'If they make it a big disaster by having disorganized chaos there's going to be a response. Even this administration is going to say OK we gotta stop this for a couple of days.'

Closing the border to stem chaos would be bad for business.

DailyMail.com reported this week on an effort to control access to the border wall in Ciudad Juarez, where about 400 people had gathered waiting to cross in El Paso, Texas.

A man called Alexander controlled a gap in razor wire that gave access to the dusty strip of land that ran up to the wall. Migrants whose names were not on his list were not allowed through the razor wire.

'From last week we started putting together a list for when Title 42 ends,' he said. 'The idea is to keep things orderly to improve their chances of being allowed in through the wall.'

He claimed to have made the journey from Venezuela himself and that no money was changing hands.

But Clem, who served for 27 years with Border Patrol before retiring last year, said it was exactly the sort of way a people smuggling gang would operate.

Hot spots run the length of the US-Mexico border, from California to Texas

Migrants await processing after crossing the border from Mexico into Yuma. The city's mayor said he expected 1200 people to be picked up on Wednesday

Migrants gather in a camp next to the border wall in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico on Tuesday, two days before Title 42 is set to expire

'It's like the American mafia,' he said. 'Everybody was on the same page and if somebody got out of line and went and roughed somebody up, or stole, or killed somebody, that brought unnecessary attention. This is the same.

'So you have gatekeepers who control access to this plaza, and says if you're not on the list you are messing up business.

'They have adjusted their business model to handle a few thousand a day. If you have too many or cause too much chaos, it's going to hurt profits.'

Clem's old patch is a hotspot for illegal crossings. On Wednesday, the city's mayor said he expected the number of people picked up to hit 1,200  up from about 300 per day.

Tens of thousands of people are reported to be waiting in Mexico, ready to make their move once Title 42 lifts.

Alexander (center in bucket hat) and his associates control access to the dusty strip of land the runs by the El Paso border wall. If you're not on his list, you're not getting in

It effectively meant that detainees could be sent straight home without lodging an asylum request. With the end of Title 42, they will be processed by border authorities and some will be released into the U.S. with a court date to hear their claim.

Clem said Border Patrol and other federal agencies have prepared extensively for the day the regulation would end. There were false alarms when agencies readied their plans only for courts to rule that Title 42 had to stay in place.

'I think it is very well coordinated, not because of the administration, because of the people that are running the agencies ... it is the men and women on the ground,' he said.

'They don't have to deal with it in Washington. They deal with in on the border.

'Because I have no doubt that, as messy as this is going to be, they're going to do a great job.'
The city of Los Angeles may soon use civilians and not police to enforce traffic laws, according to a new report from the city's transportation department.

Los Angeles hired an outside firm in the midst of the backlash to the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, which sparked nationwide protests against police.

It also comes on the heels of an announcement that the state of California will pay a $24million civil rights settlement to the family of a man who died in a 2020 traffic stop after screaming 'I can't breathe' as multiple officers restrained him while trying to take a blood sample, lawyers said Tuesday.

The city's council, at the time, pushed the idea that traffic duties could be handled by the transportation department rather than police.

The outside firm hired to produce the report by the LADOT, however, says that the plan cannot go forward without significant investments in infrastructure that would organically improve city streets.

The city of Los Angeles may soon use civilians and not police to enforce traffic laws, according to a new report from the city's transportation department suggesting they take up the duties. The city is also looking to decrease traffic violence

The report calls narrower streets, bike-specific lanes and more clearly marked crosswalks 'self-enforcing infrastructure.

The report says that if they expand these programs, they should also be less reliant on police for enforcement.

Activists for criminal justice reform say traffic stop violence is a symptom of over-policing and hasn't helped make the city safer, the LA Times reported.

However, those on the side of transportation safety argue there needs to be a harder crackdown on reckless driving in low income neighborhoods.

The LAPD, in the wake of the Floyd protests, introduced restrictions on pulling over people for minor traffic infractions and using this as an opportunity to search them for possible other crimes.

The report recommends they further expand these restrictions.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore even said that 'finding alternatives to a police response is something that the department is very much interested in.'

He added: 'If [department of transportation] were to pick that work up, I think we'd welcome it.'

LAPD Chief Michel Moore has even said that 'finding alternatives to a police response is something that the department is very much interested in'

The LAPD, in the wake of the Floyd protests, started putting restrictions on pulling over people for minor traffic infractions and using it to search them for possible other crimes

The city is working to cut down on traffic deaths. Traffic collision deaths were up five percent in 2022 and up 29 percent from 2020, with 312 people killed.

There was also a 19 percent rise in the number of people killed in collisions involving pedestrians and drivers and an 11 percent rise in people killed in collisions involving cyclists and drivers, according to the LAPD.

Cities such as Berkeley, Oakland and Philadelphia are cited for using unarmed civilians to curtail speeding infractions.

It also suggests 'means-based' fee models. This would involve vouchers to repair broken taillights and traffic safety objectives that 'do not perpetuate' income inequality.

It just adds to the numerous problems plaguing the city and the Golden State, in addition to crime and homelessness.

'As a city, we get an F grade for our traffic, for the amount of traffic violations and our ability to curb serious fatalities and injuries,' Damian Kevitt, executive director of Streets Are For Everyone, said in a statement.

'I understand that we've got a housing crisis, I don't disagree that we're prioritizing that. But we [also] have a public health traffic violence crisis.'

The police unions remain less convinced and any changes may have to be won via collective bargaining with the Los Angeles Police Protective League.

Mayor Eric Garcetti has looked for ways to reform the police system since the Floyd protests of 2020

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore attends a 'Unity March' against racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd

While they are willing to allow civilians to do low-level enforcement work, they do not want to relinquish traffic stops.

The department of transportation would also need significant increases in staffing to pull off such a change, as they currently have nearly 70 unfilled vacancies.

Once the report is officially published the next move would be for state legislatures to act.

In September 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law barring police from using certain face-down holds that have led to multiple unintended deaths. The bill was aimed at expanding on the state's ban on chokeholds in the wake of Floyd's murder.
A leading civil service chief will today warn ministers to stop treating officials like lazy, woke, inefficient, Remainer, activist, snowflakes.

Dave Penman, general-secretary of the FDA Union of senior civil servants, will accuse ministers of treating civil servants like second-class public sector workers and warn: Enough is enough.

Mr Penman, who led calls for the Prime Minister to investigate bullying allegations against Dominic Raab, denied he had a hit list of ministers, but said his union would always stand up to bullies on behalf of its members.

Last month the FDA launched a strike ballot of its members over pay.

In a speech to the unions annual conference, Mr Penman will say: Now having been told youre a lazy, woke, inefficient, Remainer, activist, snowflake, you are also now a Machiavellian genius, able to unseat ministers and undermine the settled will of government.

Civil service union chief Dave Penman (pictured) will say he's 'had enough' of ministers treating mandarins 'like second-class public sector workers'

An inquiry into bullying allegations made against Dominic Raab (pictured) upheld two of the eight formal complaints made against the former deputy prime minister

'I dont know about you conference, but Ive had enough of this. At some point we need to say enough is enough. Ministers need to demonstrate they value civil servants.

An inquiry into Mr Raabs conduct upheld only two of the eight formal complaints against him, and found that some of those lodging complaints had never even met him.

Last month, former leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg dismissed the report as a veritable blizzard of snowflakes.

Mr Penman will also pay tribute to those who spoke out against the former deputy prime minister and justice secretary, saying: No one can fully imagine what that experience has been like, and how the entire system is designed to protect the Prime Minister and not those on the receiving end of an abuse of power.
Phones should be banned from schools in a bid to crackdown on upskirting and the damage done from children watching pornography, campaigners have said.

Schools were also urged to do more to educate both pupils and parents on the dangers of watching pornography and its links to violence against women and girls.

Lucy Marsh from the Family Education Trust charity told MPs that more needed to be done to reduce children's exposure to online pornography.

Speaking at the Commons Women and Equalities Committee she said: 'Until we actually address the fact that children are watching porn, we're never going to solve the problem of violence against women because while children have got access to smartphones they are going to be able to view it.

'I think really we need to be looking at should children have access to smartphones and should they be in schools for that? For that I would say the answer is no. I don't think smartphones should be in schools.

Smartphones should be banned in school to stop upskirting and reduce the damage done to children by watching pornography online, MPs have been told (file photo of teenagers texting)

'I think that actually we should look at completely banning children having them [smartphones] in school because that would solve some of the problems of things like children being filmed getting changed or being filmed in toilets or upskirting, and things like that, that would solve some of it.'

The comments come days after Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England, called for more robust online protections for children.

Its research found that that acts of sexual violence commonly found in pornography were referenced in half of police interview transcripts of child-on-child sex abuse cases.

Dame de Souza said its report, published this week, said further review of some of the cases found children suggesting direct links between exposure to pornography and harmful sexual behaviour.

When asked whether the current Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum does enough to help tackle misogyny and violence against women and girls, Ms Marsh said: 'Not at all. We're seeing huge damage being done with children watching porn.'

She told the Women and Equalities Committee: 'I think that schools are not addressing the fact that the harm that this does to children in being able to form healthy relationships when they're adults.'

The campaigner suggested schools hold sessions for parents on the 'dangers' of porn, adding that some are 'probably in denial that their children aren't looking at this'.

Tanya Carter, from campaign group Safe Schools Alliance UK, also called on schools to educate parents about 'the sheer volume of pornography online'.

The comments come days after Dame Rachel de Souza (pictured), the Children's Commissioner for England, called for more robust online protections for children

She told MPs yesterday: 'At Safe Schools we think smartphones absolutely should not be in schools.

'Once you've got smartphones in schools, every child in that school is only as protected as the least protected child in that school.

'It doesn't matter what controls you've got on your own child's smartphone, if another child in that school has no controls on their phone your child can be exposed to hardcore porn at lunchtime.'

In March, Rishi Sunak announced that the Government would bring forward a review of RSHE in schools.

It came after Conservative MP Miriam Cates claimed some pupils have been subjected to relationships and sex education classes that are 'age-inappropriate, extreme, sexualising and inaccurate'.

During the committee, Ms Carter called for a 'public inquiry' into the situation as she said the campaign group had heard from 'lots of parents' who cannot get access to teaching materials on the RSHE curriculum.

She added: 'Absolutely we want children to have education that benefits them, but some of the materials we've seen it's really not beneficial to children.'
The boss of electronics and white goods seller AO World has warned that staff working from home could find their jobs outsourced overseas.

John Roberts also told the Bolton-based retailer's 3,000 employees that 'hybrid working', when staff come into the office only intermittently, was banned.

'Working from home, you might as well be working abroad, which is only a step away from outsourcing,' he said, warning that cheaper workers could be sourced in places such as Bangalore in India.

Home working and coming into the office intermittently were popular during the pandemic.

But as Covid restrictions eased, some maintained their working habits, fuelling the rise of so-called TWaTs  those who come to the office only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

AO World chief John Roberts (pictured) has said staff who work from could see their jobs outsourced overseas

The company boss said hybrid working is banned and told staff his company would decide who is allowed to work from home

Roberts said his company would decide which of its staff could work from home.

In February, Amazon boss Andy Jassy said the online shopping giant would insist that corporate staff should be in the office at least three days a week.
Tougher penalties could be introduced for a terrifying psychoactive drug known as 'monkey dust'.

Home Office ministers have asked official advisers to look at whether the Class B drug should be moved to the higher Class A.

Synthetic cathinones, also known as MDPV or 'monkey dust', can cause euphoria similar to amphetamines but can also lead to hallucinations.

The drug can also make users paranoid and impervious to pain while feeling they have super-human strength - leading them to injure themselves while running from imaginary threats.

The drug can also make users' sweat smell like prawns.

Home Office ministers have asked official advisers to look at whether the Class B drug should be moved to the higher Class A (File photo)

There has been a spate of crimes linked with monkey dust in Stoke-on-Trent and other parts of north Staffordshire.

Last year a knifeman went on the rampage in the county while high on the drug, committing a series of robberies and attempted car-jackings, injuring six police officers.

Also last year, a 34-year-old Staffordshire woman repeatedly stabbed a cancer victim in his own home while she was high on monkey dust.

In 2019, a Merseyside man high on the drug was jailed after stabbing a police dog twice in the head.

The Home Office will today ask the Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), a panel of scientists and doctors, to look at upping the classification of cathinones.

The drug can also make users paranoid and impervious to pain while feeling they have super-human strength - leading them to injure themselves while running from imaginary threats (File photo)

Police minister Chris Philp said: 'These synthetic drugs ruin lives, families and neighbourhoods.

'Made in labs and pumped into our communities, our drug laws must keep pace with their evolution.

'We are tackling the supply and demand for illegal substances to reduce addiction and its effects, including driving down crime and antisocial behaviour.

'I look forward to receiving the ACMD's advice on combating synthetic cathinones in Staffordshire and across the UK.'

The ACMD will make a recommendation after a full review which could see the law changed.

Class B drugs carry up to five years' imprisonment for possession and up to 14 years' for supply or production. For Class A drugs the penalties increase to seven years' for possession and life for supply or production.
The children's show Sesame Street introduced its first Filipino American Muppet on Sunday.

In a segment about what it means to be confident, the new Muppet TJ explained that support from his family gave him confidence in learning how to speak the Filipino dialect Tagalog.

TJ appeared alongside Ji-Young, a Korean American character introduced during a Thanksgiving episode in 2021, and human actor Kal Penn, a former White House staff member in the Obama administration and actor

Sesame Street has aired on PBS since its debut in 1969 and over the years a number of characters were incorporated into the show.

Children's show Sesame Street introduced its first Filipino American Muppet on Sunday. The new character, TJ, is pictured

TJ (left) appeared alongside Ji-Young (right), a Korean American character introduced during a Thanksgiving episode in 2021, and human character Kal Penn (center)

During Sunday's segment, TJ was introduced in a scene in which Penn discusses the idea of confidence and explains where it comes from, and how it can be strengthened.

'Confidence is when you believe in yourself and you abilities,' Penn said in the episode. 'When I'm unsure of myself, I know I have people who support me and believe in me.'

Ji-Young then strummed her guitar and said that playing the instrument gave her confidence.

'TJ, how do you show your confidence?' Penn asked the new character.

'I'm learning Tagalog. It's a language my Filipino family speaks. And I have confidence because I can always ask my lola for help when I don't know a word,' TJ responded, using the Tagalog word for grandmother.

TJ was the idea of Filipino-American animation director Bobby Pontillas, who shared a post on Instagram explaining how he conceived of the character and showing how he evolved.

'For his look, I based him off of my lifelong friends' kids, Max and Mateo, thank you for the inspiration lads. I was blessed to collaborate with master puppeteer Louis Mitchell, the loveliest human on earth,' he wrote.

TJ was the idea of Filipino-American animation director Bobby Pontillas

Sesame Street has aired on PBS since its debut in 1969 and over the years a number of characters have been incorporated into the show

In the last few years, the creators of the show, Sesame Workshop, added a number of characters - in 2021 it introduced Elijah Walker and his son Wes - African American characters.

Rosemary Espina Palacios, Sesame Workshops director of talent outreach, inclusion and content development, who is of Filipino descent, also posted on Instagram to celebrate TJ's arrival.

'Im so proud to help bring some Filipino representation to the neighborhood, and just in time for API Heritage Month to show the range in our diaspora,' she wrote.

'His first segment with @kalpenn and Ji-Young is all about confidence, something I personally feel can help unravel the model minority stereotype,' she added.

TJ is played by voice actor and puppeteer Yinan Shentu.
The mayor of New York City has overridden parts of the 40-year-old 'Right to Shelter' law guaranteeing a bed for anyone who needs it, as the city braces for an influx of migrants when Title 42 is lifted on Thursday.

Eric Adams and his team are scrambling for solutions, with 61,000 migrants having arrived in the city in the last year.

Thursday's lifting of the pandemic-era border control policy is likely to see yet more arrivals, and New York is struggling to house the newcomers.

On Monday, heads of city agencies were asked to provide a list of potential shelters: among the suggestions were the Flatiron Building, tents in Central Park, and hangars at JFK airport.

On Wednesday, Adams announced that he had signed Executive Order 402, suspending aspects of the 'Right to Shelter' law, enacted in 1981.

Under the new rules, New York City will no longer have to provide migrant families with their own room and can direct them to a communal shelter instead.

Eric Adams, the mayor of New York, is planning to sign an executive order to loosen the requirements of the 'Right to Shelter' law, Gothamist reported on Wednesday

Migrants are seen inside a shelter in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City

Migrants are seen sleeping rough in New York City on February 1

Timeframe restrictions have also been lifted: previously, the city had to provide shelter by 4am for families arriving by 10pm the previous night.

The third change means that those housed in hotels can be evicted with more ease.

Joshua Goldfein, an attorney for the Legal Aid Society, condemned Adams' executive order

'This is not a decision taken lightly and we will make every effort to get asylum seekers into shelter as quickly as possible as we have done since day one,' said Fabian Levy, City Hall spokesperson.

But the Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless condemned the decision, saying it was 'prolonging suffering that no human being should experience.'

Adams's decision was first reported by Gothamist, on Wednesday.

Joshua Goldfein, an attorney for Legal Aid Society, said he was contacted by an attorney in the Department of Homeless Services informing him of the executive order.

'This order could potentially lead to the City regularly placing homeless families with children in congregate settings, a dangerous and widely condemned practice of the distant past,' they said.

'We recognize the efforts from City staff to avoid putting people in harm's way, but we've learned through experience that congregate shelters put families and children at risk of communicable diseases and sexual assault, and they adversely impact mental health.'

They accused Adams of taking the first steps down 'a dangerous road', and urged him to reconsider.

'These long-standing laws have served as sound policy, ensuring the humane treatment of families in need, but Mayor Adams is heading down a dangerous road.'

Eric Adams is seen meeting groups of migrants at a shelter in Brooklyn earlier this year

Migrants gather between primary and secondary border fences on Wednesday, as the United States prepares to lift COVID-19 era Title 42 restrictions to end this week

Migrants reach out from the border fence to try and get their phones charged while stuck between primary and secondary border fences

The Right to Shelter, The City explained, is not an administrative policy or a law created by a bill; it is the result of years of litigation, in three separate cases, which ended with the city agreeing to provide shelter.

In the first case, in 1979, the plaintiffs argued that Article 17 of New York State Consolidated Laws, which covers Social Welfare, obliges the government to provide adequate shelter.

For single unhoused people, the city at a minimum is required to provide 'congregate' shelters, which are arranged dormitory style. For families, the city must provide a room with cooking facilities and a bathroom.

Adams, like many of his predecessors, has expressed frustration with the law: David Dinkins in 1990 and Rudy Giuliani in 1999 tried to tinker with it, and Michael Bloomberg unsuccessfully went to court in 2005 to remove the court order underpinning the right to shelter.

In September, Adams said the ruling 'must be reassessed'.

A bus carrying the migrants from Texas arrives at the Port Authority bus station of New York on May 3

The iconic Flatiron Building in Manhattan is among those suggested as possible migrant shelters. Its owner quickly said that was not possible, as the building is undergoing renovations and has been gutted

'We are bracing for some turbulent times ahead,' Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday. 'When you have a president that has turned a blind eye to the border'

News of Adams's move came as the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, signed a strict immigration bill in his state into law.

The law provides $12 million for DeSantis' migrant relocation initiative, which received national attention last year when the governor and his state paid to fly 50 mostly Venezuelan immigrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.

He said he was highlighting the migrant issue.

Democrats accused him of making political pawns of vulnerable asylum-seekers and trying to score political points with the Republican base.

The governors of Texas and Arizona have been sending buses of migrants from their states to New York.

Adams, in turn, has provided buses to take migrants to the border with Canada, and to upstate counties - Rockland and Orange - earlier this year. But many reportedly turned back - blaming the freezing weather.
President Joe Biden hit back at his predecessor Donald Trump after he suggested he would pardon those who took part in the January 6 riot - and claimed they 'were not good people.'

Biden tweeted shortly after Trump spoke at his CNN Town Hall on Wednesday night, comparing them to those who caused havoc in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.

The president wrote: 'There were not fine people on both sides of Charlottesville. The January 6th rioters were not good people. End of story.'

Trump initially lashed out at his vice-president Mike Pence, slamming him for refusing to back his bogus claims the 2020 election was fixed.

The presidential candidate rebuffed a question from CNN moderator Kaitlin Collins over whether he would say sorry to his former deputy and said he was considering pardoning some January 6 rioters.

President Joe Biden hit back at his predecessor Donald Trump after he suggested he would pardon those who took part in the January 6 riot and added that they 'were not good people.'

'No, he did something wrong. He should've put the votes back to the state legislatures and I think we would've had a different outcome,' the former president told CNN.

'I am inclined to pardon many of them. I can't say for every single one because a couple of them probably they got out of control,' Trump said.

The prime-time forum in New Hampshire was already expected to be noteworthy when it was publicly announced last week.

Trump and CNN have long sparred with each other, with the former president often branding the network 'fake news'.

It comes after jurors in New York found Trump had sexually abused and defamed advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, though they rejected her claim that he raped her.

The jury awarded her $5 million in damages. Trump called the verdict 'a disgrace' and he vowed to appeal.

The presidential candidate rebuffed a question from CNN moderator Kaitlin Collins over whether he say sorry to his former deputy and said he was considering pardoning some January 6 rioters

A small group of anti-Trump protesters gathered Wednesday evening outside the site where the town hall was being held at Saint Anselm College in Manchester.

Their signs included messages like 'Nobody is above the law' and 'Elections not insurrection.'

The appearance will also serve as yet another contrast with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is seen as a top rival to Trump for the GOP presidential nomination.

The 44-year-old is expected to launch his campaign in the coming weeks, but he has been under constant attack from Trump for dodging the press.
Scotland's social care watchdog has said children as young as 12 should be allowed to consent to trans-affirming medical care - including puberty blockers.

The advice doled out by the Care Inspectorate has already raised eyebrows following concerns about the ethics of childhood transition - with more detransitioners coming forward.

The guidance recommends staff should use children's preferred pronouns and chosen names, as well as refer them to the Sandyford Clinic, The Telegraph reports.

The Sandyford, based in Glasgow, operates a gender identity development service for youths in Scotland in much the same way as London's soon-to-close Tavistock Centre did for England.

The advice, written for staff working in child services, also outlines that sex segregated toilets are merely organised in such a way due to 'social convention'.

Resources from trans rights organisations including Stonewall and LGBT Youth Scotland have been used in the new guidance for childcare workers

The guidance states children as young as 12 should be able to access trans-affirming healthcare, including puberty blockers (A trans rights rally in Edinburgh in March)

The report by the Care Inspectorate also recommends youngster be referred to the Sandyford clinic (above) in Glasgow, which offers a gender identity development service for youths in Scotland

It states that young trans people should share bedrooms with other youngsters who 'share their gender identity', provided risk assessments are carried out.

The document also relates a story of a young person in care who was 'supported' in getting a mastectomy.

It adds: 'A young person aged 12 and over is presumed to have sufficient capacity to make decisions about medical treatment, although we recognise this may not always be the case'.

The guidance fails to acknowledge the interim Cass review of gender services in England, which identified a number of failings in the management of the Tavistock centre, as well as pointing to a lack of evidence to support the use of puberty blockers.

The 22-page report instead leans heavily on material published by the Scottish government and pro-trans organisations such as Stonewall and LGBT Youth Scotland - the latter of which helped write the guidance.

Consultant David Bell, who was among the whistleblowers at Tavistock, described the advice as a 'significant failure of safeguarding' by the Care Inspectorate.

He said: 'There is considerable evidence that just affirming children is harmful and this guidance seems to ignore all the emerging medical evidence.'
Royal Mail is turning neighbourhoods into 'postal deserts' as they are only delivering as little as once a fortnight.

Chronic staff shortages, industrial relations and a shake-up of working practices have left households in despair wondering where their post is as post bosses struggle to contain the chaos.

The lack of letter deliveries has reaped devastation through communities as many have missed vital hospital appointments, speed or parking fines and cherished birthday wishes.

For weeks on end, families have suffered the consequences of Royal Mail disruption.

The postal service are expected to show a true insight into the disarray as they unveil figures this week showing that annual delivery performance has shrunk near-record lows, with insiders branding areas 'postal deserts', according to the Telegraph.

Chronic staff shortages, industrial relations and a shake-up of working practices have left households in despair wondering where their post is

Resident's in Dorking, Surrey, said a 'lack of postal vans' have been to blame for the grinding halt of deliveries

The new estimates suggest dozens of areas are affected by the chaos with some households collecting bundles of late letters from sorting officers.

South-east London residents have taken to social media to expose their reality as they claimed they 'seem to only get post every two weeks'.

Others have claimed that sorting office staff told them many of their colleagues are off sick or on holiday.

Resident's in Dorking, Surrey, appear to be battling a different problem with their local post services as they said online that a 'lack of postal vans' have been to blame for the grinding halt of deliveries.

Motoring Lawyer, Nick Freeman, otherwise known as Mr Loophole explained that the disruption to the postal deliveries could allow speeding motorists to escape a fine or points on their driving license.

Laws state anyone caught speeding must receive a notice of intended prosecution (NIP) within 14 days of the alleged offence.

He advised drivers to 'keep the envelope' if and when a speeding ticket arrives as a way to challenge the allegations in court.

A spokesman for Royal Mail told the Telegraph: 'We are committed to improving our performance and accelerating Royal Mail's transformation in order to restore service levels.'
Former President Donald Trump said the United States may as well default on $3.1 trillion in national debt 'now' since Congress has not made any progress toward coming to a resolution to extend the ceiling.

The Treasury Department has warned that the U.S. has less than three weeks before the nation runs out of funds to pay its bills on June 1, but Republicans and Democrats remain at an impasse on negotiations.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, with the weight of House and Senate Republicans behind him, insists there should be a debt ceiling bill that passes through Congress with large spending cuts from unused COVID funds and other areas. Democrats just as staunchly insist there must be a 'clean' lift of the nation's borrowing limit without any cuts.

During a town hall in New Hampshire Wednesday evening conducted by CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Trump was asked about the ongoing debt ceiling standoff.

Trump replied that there will be a default if Republicans don't get massive spending cuts they passed in a debt ceiling extension package at the end of April - which was dead upon arrival in the Senate.

'We have to start paying off debt,' said Trump. 'I say to the Republicans out there - congressmen, senators - if they don't give you massive cuts, you're going to have to do a default.'

'I say to the Republicans out there - congressmen, senators - if they don't give you massive cuts, you're going to have to do a default,' said Trump

Trump participated in a town hall in New Hampshire Wednesday evening conducted by CNN's Kaitlan Collins

The former president continued on to say that he doesn't believe Congress will allow a default because the Democrats will 'cave'

'Because you don't want to have that happen, but it's better than what we're doing right now because we're spending money like drunken sailors.'

When pressed further to explain whether he thinks the U.S. should default on its debts if no agreement is struck before June 1, he said the default will happen eventually, so it might as well happen 'now.'

'Well you might as well do it now because you'll do it later because we have to save this country. Our country is dying. Our country is being destroyed by stupid people, by very stupid people,' Trump said.

CNN's Collins asked the former president about his own flip-flop on debt ceiling negotiations.

Trump, when he was in power, said that the debt ceiling should not be used as a negotiating tactic on a spending deal. Congress passed a clean debt ceiling extension three times under his leadership.

'I can't imagine anybody even thinking about using the debt ceiling as a negotiating wedge. That's a sacred element of our country,' he said in 2019.

However, Trump has changed positions since and has urged Republicans to stick to their budget cuts proposal in ongoing talks.

'Why is it different now?' pressed Collins, to which Trump replied simply: 'Because now I'm not president.'

McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries met with President Joe Biden on Tuesday to discuss the debt limit, but the House GOP leader said there wasn't 'any new movement' that came out of the discussion.

McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke at a press gaggle after the meeting with Biden, followed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries

McCarthy's GOP members passed a bill at the end of April that would lift the debt limit by $1.5 trillion

McCarthy's GOP members passed a bill at the end of April that would lift the debt limit by $1.5 trillion in exchange for saving $4.5 trillion by capping spending at fiscal year 2022 levels in 2024. It will also limit growth to 1 percent per year.

However, the bill was rejected by Schumer in the Senate as the Democrat-run body will not pass a package with the massive cuts.

The White House had previously demanded a 'clean' debt ceiling bill, divorced from any talk about budget cuts.

The president also said Tuesday that he would consider using the 14th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling and would consider cutting COVID dollars to strike a deal.

The Congressional leaders also said that Biden would meet with them again on Friday.
It comes as the govt passed the Path to Treaty legislation

She will travel to the city to retrieve Indigenous artifacts

Annastacia Palaszczuk has flagged plans to personally travel to London with First Nations people to retrieve Indigenous artifacts stowed away in Britain.

The Queensland Premier expressed her intention to head overseas to recover the items as she announced a First Nations cultural centre for Far North Queensland based in Cairns on Thursday.

A culture centre will also be established in Brisbane.

The cultural centres will showcase the rich history, unique stories and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Ms Palaszczuk explained that there was currently a 'wealth of artefacts which are held in the basement of the British Museum'.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) has flagged plans to travel to London with First Nations people to retrieve Indigenous artifacts

It's understood there are also treaties and demands for treaties from both the Australian and British colonial offices held at the British Library.

'These priceless artefacts will be better on display here at our cultural centre where they belong,' she said.

'I'm happy to go to London to get these artefacts back with our First Nations people.'

It comes after the state government passed the Path to Treaty legislation on Wednesday night.

The Liberal National opposition and the Greens gave broad support for the Path to Treaty bill during debate at a rare regional parliamentary sitting in the far north Queensland city of Cairns.

The five-member Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry and a First Nations Treaty Institute to help shape future negotiation processes are the centrepieces of the legislation that passed.

Ms Palaszczuk explained that there was a 'wealth of artefacts which are held in the basement of the British Museum'

The truth-telling inquiry will investigate the history and continuing effect colonisation has had on Indigenous people in the state.

A group of five board members will travel across the state and document the painful experiences of First Nations people under the inquiry.

The inquiry is likely to be undertaken over a three-year period, with an extension possible.

A First Nations Treaty institute will also be established to assist Indigenous people in preparing for Treaty negotiations when they happen.

Developing clear information that outlines the Path to Treaty process and it's relationship to the Voice was among a parliamentary committee's recommendations.
Chris Christie slammed Donald Trump's assertion that he could have ended Russia's war with Ukraine in the span of a day - claiming the ex-president could only accomplish such a feat by handing over the country to the Kremlin on a silver platter.

Christening his fellow conservative as 'Putin's puppet', the former New Jersey governor tore into the controversial statement in a post to Twitter following the 70-minute event - which was televised by CNN Wednesday.

Presided over by the station's 31-year-old rising star Kaitlan Collins, the event was tense from its start and saw the ex-White House correspondent press the politician on a range of topics at breakneck speed.

Trump, at points, appeared peeved by Collins' aggressive line of questioning, which covered subjects such as Trump's recent court loss to E. Jean Carrol and allegations of fraud during the 2020 election - which Trump continued to maintain was 'stolen'.

That said, perhaps even more controversial was Trump's brazen claim he could end Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine in a matter of hours - a clear dig at his successor and his handling of the conflict.

Among those to take issue with the declaration was Christie, who in recent weeks has been increasingly critical of his GOP rival as he mulls a bid for the Oval Office himself.

Scroll down for video:

Donald Trump defiantly declared he could end Russia's war against Ukraine in the span of less than a day during his high-profile town hall Tuesday - a statement that was almost immediately met with scrutiny on social media

Chris Christie took to Twitter Wednesday night to slam Donald Trump's assertion that he could have ended Russia's war with Ukraine in the span of a day - claiming the ex-president could only accomplish that feat by handing over the country to the Kremlin on a silver platter

'Donald Trump says he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours tonight on CNN,' the 60-year-old Republican wrote in one of two scathing posts Wednesday night.

'Despite how ridiculous that is to say, I suspect he would try to do it by turning Ukraine over to Putin and Russia.'

The onetime Trump supporter put a cap on the unofficial statement with a pointed hashtag that accused the 76-year-old politico - who during his presidency was criticized for being too soft on the Russian President - of being '#PutinsPuppet.'

Moments before, Christie - who in March said he would not be backing Trump come 2024 - decried the Manhattan native for refusing to say whether supported the embattled nation when questioned by CNN's Collins.

'Donald Trump refused to say tonight that he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia,' Christie sniped, before reiterating his earlier characterization of his potential GOP opponent.

'More proof that he continues to be Putins puppet.'

The comments came less than a day after Christie celebrated Trump's court loss in the Big Apple during an interview with Fox News, after federal jurors found the ex-head of state liable of sexually abusing Carroll during an alleged encounter in 1996.

Moreover, they were delivered less than two months after Christie told reporters that would make a decision about whether to run for president in 2024 in the 'next 60 days.'

At the time, the conservative said that a visit to New Hampshire, one of the earliest states in the primary process, would be a factor in his decision - and coincidentally served as the site of Trump's first public interview since the bombshell ruling.

The hard-hitting questions ranged from Trump's recent court loss in the Big Apple, to allegations of voter fraud during the 2020 election.

Other touchy subjects included the insurrection on January 6, and Trump's litany of legal issues.

Eventually, the discussion also turned to the ongoing invasion in Eastern Europe, which Trump claimed would be already over if he was president. When asked about if he wants Ukraine or Russia to win the war, Trump remarked: 'I want everybody to stop dying. Russians and Ukrainians' - and was met with uproarious applause.

Christening his fellow conservative as 'Putin's puppet', the former New Jersey governor tore into the controversial statement - as he currently mulls a White House bid himself

Trump defiantly declared he could end Russia's war against Ukraine in the span of less than a day during his high-profile town hall - but stopped short of saying he supported the embattled nation when questioned by CNN's Kaitlan Collins

When asked if he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the war, the president - who during his presidency was criticized for being too soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin - provided a decidedly diplomatic response, along with a characteristic boast

The comments came less than a day after Christie celebrated Trump's court loss in the Big Apple during a radio interview with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade, after federal jurors found the ex-head of state liable of sexually abusing Carroll during an alleged encounter in 1996

The warm reception from the New Hampshire crowd was not limited to that assertion, with Trump - for the most part - successfully addressing Collins' line of questioning in a stately manner.

When asked if he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the war, the president provided a decidedly diplomatic response.

'I don't think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people,' the 76-year-old Republican explained.

He then used the opportunity to provide a now trademark boast - which served as a simultaneous barb toward his successor Joe Biden.

'If I'm president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours,' he said, again to applause.

When directly asked a second time by Collins if he stands by Ukraine, Trump again gave an oblique response that was well-received - asserting he just wants 'everybody to stop dying.'

'Russians and Ukrainians, I want them to stop dying,' he said before repeating the second half of the sentence with particular emphasis.

'And I'll have that done in 24 hours.'

When asked a third time, Trump provided a hint as to his stance on the issue, simply stating: 'I'll say this: I want Europe to put up more money.'

He went on to snipe: 'They have plenty.'

The warm reception from the New Hampshire crowd was not limited to that assertion, with Trump - for the most part - addressing Collins' line of questioning in a stately manner

When asked a second time by Collins if he is against Putin's invasion, Trump gave an oblique response - stopping short of decrying the longtime Russian leader

The Kremlin invasion of Ukraine has raged for the past 15 months, with the results of Russian airstrike in Orihiv on Wednesday seen here. Trump said that if he was president, the conflict would be resolved 'within 24 hours'

It saw Trump joke about his allegations from writer E. Jean Carroll that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the mid-90s, and vow to pardon 'the majority' of revelers hit with charges following the Capitol raid on January 6, 2021

The lengthy event was intended to be a public forum, but for the most part served as a sparring match between Trump and Collins, which at times threatened to descend into a complete argument.

It saw Trump joke about his allegations from writer E. Jean Carroll that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s, and vow to pardon 'the majority' of revelers hit with charges following the Capitol raid on January 6, 2021.

That said, even after Trump slammed the former CNN and Daily Caller White House correspondent a 'nasty person' after being pressed as to why he had classified documents in his possession, Collins kept her cool, and the ex-president followed suit.

'That's not what the Presidential Record Act says,' Collins insisted of the documents kept at Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago, after the former president argued he was allowed to have the documents under the Presidential Records Act.

Trump then claimed both Barack Obama and Joe Biden previously kept and maintained documents - a claim not true in regards to Obama, and only partially true in reference to the current president, who handed his over when he found some in his Chicago home from his time as VP.

'They didn't raid the house of Joe Biden, they didn't raid Obama,' Trump insisted.

Collins, however, hung tough and continued to test the aspiring president. She confronted him with how his successor didn't ignore a subpoena on the issue - something Trump did earlier this year.

Collins, who is rumored to be the next CNN anchor to take on Chris Cuomo's old' primetime slot, asked why Trump did not turn over the requested material when repeatedly asked by the federal government.

Trump became visibly annoyed by the aggressive line of questioning, leading to an outburst.

'Can I talk? Are you ready?,' he said at a tense point in the discussion.

'I would like for you to answer the question. That's why I asked it,' Collins retorted.

Trump then exclaimed: 'You're a nasty person, I'll tell you.'

The statement garnered gasps from those in attendance, but Collins ignored his insult and continued: 'Can you answer why you held on to the documents?'

The exchange continued for several minutes, and captivated those in the gallery and the thousands watching live across the globe.

'Do you still have any classified documents?' Collins asked, again annoying Trump.

'Are you ready?,' Trump asked, keeping calm.

'Do you?' she pressed.

'No, no, I have no classified documents,' he said but added: 'They become automatically declassified when I took them.'

He also argued he had every right to take them.

'I had every right to do it, I didn't make a secret of it. You know, the boxes were stationed outside the White House, people were taking pictures of it,' he said.

The lengthy event was intended to be a public forum, but for the most part served as a sparring match that at times threatened to descend into a complete argument

Collins, however, kept her cool, and continued to test the aspiring president, confronting him about inconsistencies with his statements and pressing him on a plethora of issues

Joe Biden's reaction to the CNN town hall: 'Do you want four more years of that?'

In regards to the war in Ukraine, he praised President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he 'backed me up with a phony impeachment, impeachment hoax number one.'

'I was totally exonerated, by the way,' Trump was sure to add.

However, Collins, while staying cordial, continued to point out inconsistencies in the Republican's statement.

'You were impeached over that. You were impeached over that.'

'I was impeached by a crazy woman named Nancy Pelosi,' Trump said.

He said he would meet with Zelensky and Vladimir Putin to settle the war.

'They both have weaknesses and both have strengths and within 24 hours that war with be settled,' Trump noted.

He wouldn't say Putin was a war criminal but conceded the Russian president 'made a tremendous mistake.'

Trump also touted his recent performance in several polls, which has him at the forefront of all Republican candidates.

He also doubled down on his false claim he won the 2020 presidential contest - despite repeated interjections from Collins calling the claims untrue - saying only 'stupid people' thought it was a fair election.

'I think that when you look at that result and when you look at what happened during that election, unless you're a very stupid person, you see what a lot of the people in this audience and probably maybe a couple that don't, but most people understand what happened. That was a rigged election,' Trump said.

He made that claim several times during the event. It was his first public appearance since a federal jury in Manhattan ruled he must pay Carroll $5million for alleged sexual abuse, and later defaming her after the face.

The former president repeated his claim he didn't know Carroll and then proceeded to insult her repeatedly - accusing her of 'hanky panky,' claiming she has a cat called 'Vagina' and that she called her husband an 'ape.' He slammed U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who was appointed to the job by President Bill Clinton.

'This woman, I don't know her. I never met her. I have no idea who she is. I had a picture taken years ago with her and her husband, nice guy John Johnson. He was a newscaster, very nice. She called him an ape, happens to be African American. Called him an ape,' Trump claimed.

'The judge wouldn't allow us to put that in. Her dog or her cat was named Vagina, the judge wouldn't allow to put that in,' he added.

'We had a horrible Clinton appointed judge. He allowed her to put everything in,' he said.

Trump also said of Carroll: 'What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up and within minutes you're playing hanky-panky in a dressing room, I don't know if she was married then or not. John Johnson, I feel sorry for you.'

Following the anticipated interview, several criticized the president for his sensational claims, while others hailed his handling of a difficult public appearance despite his litany of legal issues.

It even spurred a reaction from President Biden, who sniped in a post to Twitter: 'Do you want four more years of that?'
An urgent warning has been issued to Australian travellers headed to Bali to double check they are not being scammed when applying for visas.

Numerous holidaymakers have already been duped by visa 'agents' and 'brokers' issuing over-priced or even fake visas to Australians for travel to the holiday island.

Some visa services go as far as impersonating the Indonesian government website in order to dupe unsuspecting travellers.

Reports have emerged of people being duped by visa 'agents' and 'brokers' issuing over-priced or even fake visas to Australians for travel to the holiday island

Bali has long been a favourite overseas holiday destination for Aussies, with over a million people going every year before the pandemic closed Indonesian borders

Bali has long been a favourite overseas holiday destination for Aussies, with over a million people going every year before the pandemic closed Indonesian borders.

Australians are playing a key part in helping the tourism industry recover in Bali with 89,783 locals heading to the island in March.

The Indonesian government offers B213 visas on arrival (VOA) either via its official e-visa website or in some international airports, which costs 500,000 rupiah (A$52) and can be extended by 30 days.

The difference is when travellers apply prior to travel, the e-visa is digitally 'attached' to your passport and visible to an immigration officer when they scan your passport.

That saves you from having to queue up for VOA at the airport in Bali.

But visa services, which promote themselves via social media and google searches can charge hundreds of dollars for exactly the same service

Some travellers have shared online they were charged higher fees because they had unwittingly used a private agency which charged a commission to purchase the e-visa through the official site.

Others said they bought visas through agents which were not valid on arrival, forcing them to buy an official visa at the airport - meaning they paid twice.

'I havent slept all night as a family member sent us the [wrong] link, and we processed several applications and hence lost a lot of $,' a traveller posted to Reddit.

The Indonesian government offers B213 visas on arrival (VOA) via its official e-visa website or in some international airports, which costs 500,000 rupiah (A$52)

Bali has long been a favourite overseas holiday destination for Aussies, with over a million people going every year before the pandemic closed Indonesian borders

'I wished I saw this post before I clicked the website ... they charged $133.34 from my debit card. I feel ashamed. I should have known better,' another wrote.

In online Bali travel groups users are warning others to double check the website they are using.

'Make sure you use the genuine government molina site or you get ripped off,' one person said

Travellers wanting to stay longer than 30 days can apply for B211A 60 day visa (which cost 1.5 million rupiah) but are extendable.

Soon the visa fee may not be the only official Indonesian costs Australians going on a Bali holiday have to pay.

They could soon be hit with an extra $150 fee as the Indonesian government considers a 'tourist tax' to discourage unruly behaviour.

The tax being considered by President Joko Widodo's government would be between $45 and $150 and have the dual effect of boosting revenue from the island and lifting the standard of visitors.

The holiday hotspot relies on foreign cash but, after a few quiet years, the Indonesians seem to be losing patience with boisterous and littering tourists flooding back to their shores post-Covid.

Australians have been warned to ensure they use the official Indonesian government website to apply for visas
A woman who was violently beaten and smothered until she passed out by her ex-boyfriend Salim Mehajer (pictured) has broken her silence after the former deputy mayor was found guilty of domestic violence

A woman who was violently beaten and smothered until she passed out by her ex-boyfriend Salim Mehajer has broken her silence after the former deputy mayor was found guilty of domestic violence.

Mehajer, 36, had pleaded not guilty to four counts of common assault, intentionally choking a person without consent, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The controversial former Auburn deputy mayor was charged with the offences two days before Christmas Day in 2020.

Following the almost three-week long trial, the jury took less than a day to come to their guilty verdicts on Wednesday afternoon.

His victim, who cannot be identified, thanked those who'd supported her through her 'living nightmare' in an emotional social media post following the verdict.

'Whether you were called up, supported me from a distance, or if you're just a stranger who has sent a message thinking I probably wouldn't even see it. I saw it. It made a difference,' she wrote.

'I hope other survivors have been watching this and I hope you feel empowered to find a safe way out.

'I hope other abusers see this and are afraid that the truth can expose them too.

'Remember the only people who are angry at the truth are the ones living behind a lie.'

She finished by saying she had fought on behalf of other victims of separate domestic violence incidents who 'didn't feel safe to come forward'.

Mehajer, 36, had pleaded not guilty to four counts of common assault, intentionally choking a person without consent, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm

Mehajer represented himself during the trial and told the court he planned to lodge an appeal of the decision. However, he is restricted due to being on remand.

Crown prosecutor Ken Gilson told the jury Mehajer had been 'charming and nice' when he first met the victim in 2017.

But throughout the relationship, the jury found Mehajer had 'bouts or episodes of anger' where he would threaten to harm his girlfriend, her family, or himself.

The victim went to the police in December, 2020 and said she had been subjected to four assaults which had occurred over two years.

During one of the assaults, the jury was told Mehajer punched his girlfriend in the head 10 times during a heated argument in his car, after telling her she couldn't wear a piece of jewellery.

The court heard that in that same month, the woman was lying on a bed in his Lidcombe home and looking at her phone when the 36-year-old accused her of letting people into his house to steal his belongings.

Mehajer knelt on top of his partner and grabbed her hand so hard the phone screen cracked and cut her. He then went through her phone.

The jury was told Mehajer accused his girlfriend of searching for her ex-boyfriend on Instagram and trying to meet up with him.

Mehajer became enraged and dragged his girlfriend from the lounge room to the laundry and pinned her against the wall.

He intimidated her by telling her he would kill her, and threatened to murder her mum by 'putting a bullet in her head'.

'Listen here, you little s***, if you ever go to the police, I'll get you and I'll get your mum,' the court heard he told her.

The former politician told his girlfriend he would get someone else to follow through on his threats if he went to jail.

Mehajer represented himself during the trial and told the court he planned to lodge an appeal of the decision

The jury was told he inflicted 'a dead arm' on the woman in October, 2020 when he threw something at her during an argument about water bottles in the fridge.

Mr Gilson said Mehajer committed 'the most serious of the offences' when he intentionally suffocated the woman until she lost consciousness.

Mehajer asked the jury to be 'patient with him' during his opening address.

Mehajer questioned his former girlfriend's motivation for making the allegations against him, telling the jury she went to police after the pair were charged with fraud. Those charges have been dropped.

'What is suggested is that the complainant has taken a dramatic turn in a desperate attempt  to have the fraud charges against her dropped,' he said.

The 36-year-old will return to court for sentencing in June.
Police believe assault was part of an attempted carjacking

Shocking CCTV footage has captured the moment a man was set upon during an alleged attempted carjacking.

The 47-year-old man was allegedly attacked by several men at a service station in St Albans, Melbourne's north-west, at 11.15pm on April 26.

He had refuelled his car, paid for the petrol at the counter and was walking back to his car when he was set upon.

CCTV footage shows the man being struck numerous time before he manages to break free and run away.

CCTV footage from a St Albans service station in Melbourne's north west (pictured) has shown the moment a man was allegedly attacked by three men during an attempted carjacking

He was allegedly dragged to the floor, beaten and kicked in the head numerous times before the group of men fled.

The 47-year-old was later taken to hospital to be treated for facial injuries and a broken nose.

One man has been charged while police have released images of two others they believe can help them with their inquiries.

Police allege the driver was attacked by just one of the men when he unlocked his door before two more joined in.

'It was just a violent act, it was a cowardly act without provocation,' Senior Contstable William Daddow told Nine.

'It doesn't have any place in our community or our society.'

The three men then fled the scene following the incident.

'Obviously it is a very traumatic experience,' Snr Const. Daddow said.

'Any incident where someone has been assaulted in such a violent fashion leaves a mark on someone.'

The CCTV footage shows a red sedan pulling away from a petrol pump just metres away from the incident while it unfolded.

Police have charged a 24-year-old St Albans man with attempted aggravated carjacking, affray, robbery, intentionally cause injury, assault in company, commit indictable offence whilst on bail.

He was remanded to appear before a Magistrate's court.

Victorian Police have released the images of two men (pictured) who they believe may be able to help with inquiries after the victim was left in hospital with a broken nose and facial injuries

He will remain in custody and is set to face Melbourne Magistrate Court on July 24.

'The investigation remains ongoing and detectives have released images of two men that may be able to assist with their enquiries,' a media release from Victoria Police reads.

'Its believed a number of people were in the area at the time of the assault and investigators are keen to speak to them.'

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Pauline Hanson wants to make it harder for people to prove their Aboriginality to avoid cases of 'falsely claiming heritage for personal gain'.

Ahead of the referendum for a Voice to Parliament, the One Nation leader attempted to introduce a bill which would change the process of identifying as an Indigenous person.

Labor rejected the proposal, refusing to allow Senator Hanson to introduce the motion on Thursday.

A division was called and Senator Hanson, along with fellow One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts and United Australia's Ralph Babet were alone in wanting a first reading.

'Indigenous identity should not be a greedy box-ticking exercise,' she said:

Senator Hanson attempted to tighten up who can claim to be Aboriginal

'This is a culture which has endured and survived for thousands of years, and you shouldn't just be able to identify with it just by completing a statutory declaration or ticking a box on a form.'

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe was among those to vote against hearing the motion, and made a cutting remark about the policy under her breath as she crossed the room to side with Labor, the Coalition and the Greens.

Senator Hanson described the response to her proposal as a slap in the face to Queenslanders who voted for her to represent them in Parliament.

'The Greens, Coalition, Labor and cross benchers have effectively said a Senator who represents a state of more than five million people may not introduce legislation or speak on the floor of Parliament,' she said.

Senator Lidia Thorpe (pictured above at protest in Canberra) was among those to vote against hearing the motion, and made a cutting remark about the policy under her breath

'While this might be something the North Koreans would be proud of, the cowards who denied this urgent and necessary debate should hang their heads in utter shame.'

It's understood Senator Hanson was under the impression she had the 'full support' of several members of the Coalition, who went on to side with Labor during the division.

What defines whether a person is Aboriginal The accepted definition for an Indigenous person in Australia includes three components. First, they must to be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. They also need to self-identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person and be accepted as such by the community in which they live. Roger Karge, editor of the Dark Emu Exposed website, cited the three-part definition. 'When someone comes along and says I recognise I'm Aboriginal, my mum and dad think I'm Aboriginal, other people recognise I'm Aboriginal, therefore I am - but the genealogy is not there - well the onus is on this guy to prove it. ' Advertisement

'Things could get messy,' one staffer said. 'They lied to Senator Hanson's face.'

Senator Hanson argues it is a pressing matter ahead of the referendum, which is due to take place between October and December.

Australians will be asked whether they support the establishment of the Voice to Parliament to recognise Indigenous people in the Constitution. The government has set aside $364.6million in this Budget for the referendum.

The vote will need support from the majority of Australians in the majority of states to be successful.

The Voice will establish a body that can 'make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples'.

This body - comprised of Indigenous people from a range of ages and demographics - would give advice to the government.

But critics argue it's unclear exactly what they could advise on.

And Senator Hanson claims without clear definitions surrounding Indigenous identity, there could be problems later down the track - if the referendum is successful - about who should be on the Voice committee.

A person must be of Indigenous descent, identify as Indigenous and be accepted by the Aboriginal community as an Indigenous person.

As it stands, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reassured the public that members of the Voice will be appointed by and within Indigenous communities.

Labor rejected the proposal, refusing to allow Senator Hanson to introduce the motion on Thursday

They will serve on the committee 'for a fixed period of time', which is yet to be determined.

The way the communities choose their representatives will be agreed upon by the local communities in tandem with the government as part of a 'post referendum process' to ensure cultural legitimacy, he said.

If a majority of Australians vote in favour of the Voice, the Constitution would be amended as follows:

1. There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice;

2. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;

3. The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions powers and procedures.

Mr Albanese said he was aware holding a referendum 'is a risk', given 'they usually don't succeed'.

He said earlier this year: 'The people here can't wait. They can't. They've waited so long. They've waited a long time for justice, this is something where they're making such a modest request. I do feel a responsibility.

'I'm not here to occupy the space, I'm here to change the country. There's nowhere more important in changing the country than in changing the constitution to recognise the fullness of our history.

'I want this for all Australians. We'll feel better about ourselves if we get this done. The truth is, Australia will be seen as a better nation in the rest of the world. Our position in the world matters.'
Pictured: Shane Drumgold SC

A top prosecutor who led the rape trial against Bruce Lehrmann no longer believes there was political interference in the case, just one day after telling a Board of Inquiry he thought there was 'probably' a conspiracy.

Shane Drumgold SC, the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, made the stunning backflip while being questioned by his own lawyer Mark Tedeschi KC during day four of the inquiry on Thursday.

The inquiry was launched following a heated email from Mr Drumgold to ACT Chief Police Officer Neil Gaughan on November 1, 2022 - between when the trial was aborted in October last year and when the matter was dropped entirely on December 1.

Then-political staffer Brittany Higgins accused Mr Lehrmann of raping her at Parliament House in March 2019.

He pleaded not guilty, and after an aborted trial due to juror misconduct, the sexual assault charge was dropped entirely due to concerns for Ms Higgins' mental health.

'I want to raise serious concerns I hold with what I perceive as some quite clear investigator interference in the criminal justice process,' he wrote, at the time.

'I am of the view that at the conclusion of the trial, there should be a public inquiry into both political and police conduct in this matter.'

Mr Drumgold still held that view on Wednesday, when he said it was 'possible, if not probably' that there was a wider conspiracy by Australian Federal Police not to press charges against Mr Lehrmann.

But on Thursday, having reviewed correspondence with police officers at the time, Mr Drumgold changed his mind and conceded he was possibly 'mistaken'.

When Mr Tedeschi asked Mr Drumgold whether his current view had changed since he wrote the letter in November last year, the prosecutor said the issue was not interference, but it was likely a 'skills deficit' by investigators.

Brittany Higgins alleged Bruce Lehrmann raped her in 2019. He denies the allegations

Shane Drumgold SC blames ONE juror for both aborting the rape trial Mr Drumgold told the Board of Inquiry on Thursday that he believes the hearing was derailed by the same single juror who allegedly believed the staffer was not guilty. Mr Lehrmann's case was heard in the ACT Supreme Court in October last year, but the jury was eventually dismissed after a court officer found banned research material in a folder which belonged to a single juror. A retrial was scheduled for February this year, but the case was eventually abandoned due to concerns over Ms Higgins' mental health. On Wednesday, Mr Drumgold's lawyer Mark Tedeschi KC asked his client: 'One of the reasons you decided to go to retrial was because there was one juror holding out and your impression was the rest of the jury were inclined to convict.' Mr Drumgold said: 'That was a conclusion I was inclined to.' Mr Tedeschi continued: 'The jury was eventually charged with misconduct - was that the same juror who was holding out?' Mr Drumgold said: 'Yes'. Advertisement

That is, he believed police failed to conduct an objective investigation into Mr Lehrmann - claiming senior officers were biased against Ms Higgins and unable to separate their own views from the matter.

Mr Tedeschi said: 'So you would acknowledge your suspicions about the existence of political interference about the case going ahead were mistaken?'

Mr Drumgold replied: 'I do accept that.'

Mr Tedeschi continued: 'The suspicions that you had in November of last year at conclusion of the trial, when it was aborted, those suspicions have been allayed?

Mr Drumgold replied: 'Yes, they have been.'

The prosecutor then claimed police incorrectly assigned stereotypes to Ms Higgins, based on what they believe an alleged rape victim would or would not do - Walter Sofronoff, who is leading the inquiry, described them as 'rape myths'.

'Stereotypical analysis of the way a complainant would behave - a genuine complainant would never go to the media or would tell everyone immediately - these stereotypical beliefs that there is a standard to how a complainant would behave,' he explained.

Further, he said police 'passionately' held the incorrect assumptions about Ms Higgins for the entirely of the investigation and referred to Detective Inspector Marcus Boorman who, at one stage, said he would resign if Mr Lehrmann was convicted.

'Clearly he had lost objectivity to such an extent that he was going to resign because of it - that's evidence that he too passionately held what was, in my view, incorrect analysis,' Mr Drumgold told the inquiry.

He explained that adopting subjective views on an investigation shows a 'complete absence of objectivity'.

Mr Drumgold claimed it was 'probable' there was a wider conspiracy in the case against Mr Lehrmann (pictured), but later changed his mind

'If those views are adopted early and passionately, they will create conformation bias and affect the investigation.'

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Drumgold told the inquiry police tried to get an expert witness to watch the CCTV footage of Ms Higgins walking through Parliament House on the night she alleges she was assaulted and say she wasn't drunk.

'The proposal was to find an expert, and they had a medical doctor in mind, to give opinion evidence that ... she was not intoxicated,' he said.

'What we're dealing with is body mapping ... there is no recognised field of expertise in recognising drunk people.

'The evidence is that people at different levels of intoxication looks different and they can look objectively entirely different.'

He also pointed to the fact that there was also CCTV from the same night that showed Ms Higgins consuming eleven alcoholic drinks within about four hours.

The inquiry continues.
Donald Trump stood by the infamous comments he made on the 2005 Access Hollywood tape and says he won't take them back.

CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins pressed him on the infamous 'grab them by the p****' tape that came up during E. Jean Carroll's rape and defamation trial.

A New York jury on Tuesday found the former President sexually abused and defamed the writer after she accused him of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman bathroom in 1996.

She was awarded $5million in damages in a case that Trump claimed was part of a 'witch hunt'.

It came during a tense town hall where Trump called Collins a 'nasty person', refused to say he lost to Joe Biden in 2020 and called January 6 a 'beautiful day'.

'There was a taped deposition of you from October, and you defended the comments you made on that 'Access Hollywood' tape about being able to grab women how you want. Do you stand by those comments,' Collins asked.

Donald Trump stood by the infamous comments he made on the 2005 Access Hollywood tape and says he won't take them back

CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins pressed him on the infamous 'grab them by the p****' tape that came up during E. Jean Carroll's rape and defamation trial

'I said women let you, I didn't say you grab I said women let  you know, you didn't use that word  but if you look, women let you,' Trump said. 'Now, they said will you take that back? I said, look, for a million years this is the way it's been.

'I want to be honest this is the way it's been,' he added. 'You would like me to take that back. I can't take it back because it happens to be true,' Trump added.

The comments came after Collins also pressed Trump about Tuesday's verdict in New York that found he was liable for the sexual assault of Carroll at a department story in the 1990s. Trump has denied the charge. The town hall was his first public appearance since the verdict, where he ws ordered to pay $5 million in damages.

'What do you say to voters who say it disqualifies you from being president?,' Collins asked him.

'There weren't too many of them because my numbers just - they went up,' Trump said as the audience cheered and applauded.

'I want to be honest this is the way it's been,' he added. 'You would like me to take that back. I can't take it back because it happens to be true,' Trump added during his comments on the tape alongside Billy Bush (right) and Days of Our Lives Actress Arianne Zucker (center)

The former president repeated his claim he didn't know Carroll and then proceeded to insult her repeatedly - accusing her of 'hanky panky,' claiming she has a cat called 'Vagina' and that she called her husband an 'ape.' He slammed U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who was appointed to the job by President Bill Clinton.

'This woman, I don't know her. I never met her. I have no idea who she is. I had a picture taken years ago with her and her husband, nice guy John Johnson. He was a newscaster, very nice. She called him an ape, happens to be African American. Called him an ape,' Trump claimed.

'The judge wouldn't allow us to put that in. Her dog or her cat was named Vagina, the judge wouldn't allow to put that in,' he added.

'We had a horrible Clinton appointed judge. He allowed her to put everything in,' he said.

Trump also said of Carroll: 'What kind of a woman meet somebody and brings them up and within minutes you're playing hanky-panky in a dressing room, I don't know if she was married then or not. John Johnson, I feel sorry for you.

The 70-minute town hall was tense from the start and raced from topic to topic at breakneck speed. Neither Trump nor Collins - who famously sparred when he was president and she was a White House reporter - gave an inch, engaging in repeated back and forths on a number of subjects.

The two of them even got up out of their chairs to go at each other in a head on to head on collison of Trump claims and Collins snap backs that made for fiery TV. Voters in the hall didn't get an opportunity to ask many questions amid the two's tete-a-tete.

Biden got in a swipe at Trump after the event, posting on Twitter: 'Do you want four more years of that?'

Trump lost his temper with Collins when she pressed him as to why he had classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, his home in Palm Beach, Florida, calling her a 'nasty person.'

The former president argued he was allowed to have the documents under the Presidential Records Act.

'That's not what the Presidential Record Act says,' Collins said, adding she has read the whole law.

Trump then claimed Barack Obama and Joe Biden had documents - Obama did not. Biden handed his over when he found them.

'They didn't raid the house of Joe Biden, they didn't raid Obama,' Trump said.

Collins pressed him on the issue, telling him Biden didn't ignore a subpoena on the issue like Trump did and asked him why he didn't turn over the requested material.

'Can I talk? Are you ready?,' Trump said amid her aggressive questioning.

'I would like for you to answer the question. That's why I asked it,' Collins said.

'You're a nasty person, I'll tell you,' Trump told her.

Collins ignored his insult and told him: 'Can you answer why you held on to the documents?'

Their wild exchange continued as Collins pressed him: 'Do you still have any classified documents?'

'Are you ready?,' Trump asked her.

'Do you?' she pressed.

'No, no, I have no classified documents,' he said but added: 'They become automatically declassified when I took them.'

He also argued he had every right to take them.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Joy Behar have led condemnation of CNN's decision to host a town hall with Donald Trump, which saw the former president bask in the spotlight and repeat a series of lies, joking about being found liable for sexual assault and mocking the moderator as 'nasty'.

The 70-minute session, held in New Hampshire in front of a strongly pro-Trump crowd, seemed at times more like a Trump rally than an interrogation, as the former president held court and moderator Kaitlan Collins tried to keep control.

During his tense confrontation with Collins he called January 6 a 'beautiful day', insisted he had 'every right' to take classified documents to Mar-a-Lago, wouldn't say whether he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the war and said the end of Title 42 would be a 'day of infamy'.

'Hope everyone enjoyed CNN tonight. The New Hampshire audience was AMAZING. Thank you!' wrote Trump on his Truth Social platform after the show.

The town hall set social media on fire, with supporters and critics of the former president animated.

Donald Trump is seen on Wednesday night during a contentious CNN town hall, hosted by Kaitlan Collins. It was his first time on CNN in seven years

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said it was 'a profoundly irresponsible decision' of CNN to host the event

Ocasio-Cortez, a congresswoman representing New York, said it was wrong to give Trump a platform, which he used to attack E. Jean Carroll - the woman who the day before won her sexual assault case against him.

She tweeted that CNN 'should be ashamed of themselves'.

'I think it was a profoundly irresponsible decision,' she told MSNBC, of CNN's hosting of the event.

Ocasio-Cortez said on the TV channel that CNN 'put a sexual abuse victim at risk.'

She added: 'I could not have disagreed with it more. It was shameful.'

Joy Behar, host of The View, tweeted: 'The Cnn thing is a joke. The audience is stacked with his cult. Kaitlin [sic] is good, but it's impossible to deal with this pathological liar.'

Trump's supporters reveled in the anger he provoked.

'I'm so proud of President Trump tonight, GREAT JOB!' tweeted Marjorie Taylor Greene, a member of the House representing Georgia.

'He is truly showing everyone why he is the president America needs.'

Taylor Greene commended him for appearing on CNN rather than his usual conservative channels.

Wednesday's appearance marked the first time in seven years that Trump has been on CNN.

'He is doing a town hall with CNN, who has attacked him more than anyone,' said Taylor Greene.

'Biden won't even talk, can't even talk to the press.

'But President Trump loves this country and is showing he's willing to fight for it.'

Texas congressman Lance Gooden said CNN was 'the lion's den', but Trump won the battle.

'Tonight President Trump went into the lion's den and he came out victorious,' he said.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on CNN town hall with former President Trump: What we saw tonight was a series of extremely irresponsible decisions that put a sexual abuse victim at risk...in front of a national audience, and I could not have disagreed with it more. It was shameful pic.twitter.com/DOrMkBIEzq  MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 11, 2023

Joy Behar said the CNN show was 'a joke', with Trump steamrollering Collins

Charlie Kirk, founder of pro-Trump group Turning Point USA, ridiculed Ocasio-Cortez for her concern.

'AOC is RAGING that CNN has given a primetime platform to President Trump to remind the American people just how popular and refreshing his policies and approach actually are, and just how horrible Joe Biden's presidency actually is,' he tweeted.

Evan Kilgore, an ambassador for Turning Point, said he thought the spectacle would boost Trump's electoral chances.

'The crowd is loving Trump at the CNN Town Hall meeting. Lots of cheers and applause. He's making Kaitlan Collins look hostile and insanely biased,' he said.

'Tonight is going to boost his approval.'

Sergio Gor, who published Trump's books, wrote: 'President @realdonaldtrump is absolutely on point. Every question has gotten an answer. Does anyone think Joe Biden could handle this type of questioning? NO WAY!'

Musician Trill Clinton tweeted: 'Trump walked all over Kaitlan Collins. It was sad to watch.

'But CNN did that on purpose. They wanted someone who Trump could talk over. The entire purpose of the town hall was for ratings and click bait. All of his supporters will go to their website to see him railroad her.'

Collins, the rising star of CNN, attempted to fact-check Trump and keep the conversation on the rails, with varying degrees of success

Others strongly disagreed, saying Trump's answers proved he was unfit for office.

'Donald Trump gave no order to deploy the National Guard to protect the Capitol prior to or on Jan 6,' said Liz Cheney, a Republican former senator for Wyoming, who co-chaired the January 6 Committee.

Trump told Collins he had offered the National Guard to protect the Capitol, but Nancy Pelosi and the mayor of Washington DC turned his offer down.

Collins attempted to fact check him, but he steamrollered her.

'Listen to the testimony of his own secretary of defense,' said Cheney.

'No matter how many times Trump lies about this the facts won't change. He is unfit for any office.'

Larry Hogan, the former Republican governor of Maryland, tweeted: 'There's a lot that can be said about Trump's CNN Town Hall.

'What can't be said is that a person who calls January 6th a 'beautiful day' and refuses to say he sides with Ukraine against Russian aggression has any business leading our party or back in the White House.'

Another host of The View, political commentator Ana Navarro, said: '.@JoeBiden is the winner of tonight's town-hall.

'Trump showed he commands the GOP base. Hopefully, it reminds D's of the awful human & existential threat to democracy Biden's up against, and they stop fretting about his age & get behind the guy who's proven he can beat Trump.'

Collins and Trump are seen on stage before the largely pro-Trump audience

Supporters of Trump's likely main rival for the 2024 nomination, Ron DeSantis, also trashed his performance, listing his main arguments and saying he was not fit to be president.

'On CNN tonight, Trump spent an hour talking about: What he did or didn't do on January 6, 2021.

Whether he will pardon people who harmed police officers. How the 2020 election was rigged.

'Whether he supports terminating parts of the U.S. Constitution or the whole thing because the 2020 election was rigged.

The sex abuse case he was just found guilty in. A cat named 'Vagina'.

'His defense of his comments about grabbing women by their genitals.

'The federal investigation into his stash of taxpayer-owned classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

'The investigation into his efforts to reverse his 2020 loss to Biden in Georgia.

'How does this Make America Great Again?'

Chris Jankowski, CEO of Never Back Down, said in a statement after the interview: 'A candidate who has lost his luster appearing on a network thats lost its ratings.

'Both ignore a key fact: 2024 isnt 2016. The old gimmicks and tired lines dont work anymore.'

And many more took issue with Trump referring to Collins as 'nasty'.

The insult came after Collins pressed him on his withholding of classified material. Collins did not react.

Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson defended Collins, and said Trump was shamefully old fashioned in his misogynist attitude.

'Trumps true colors  he calls @KaitlainCollins 'nasty'. Because she's actually smart and asking good questions,' she said.

'This is so so sad. So so sad. So so sad. And saying she doesn't understand. So so sad. We are back to the 1960's.'

Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served as Trump's strategic communications director, resigning in December 2020, said his mockery of Collins was shameful.

'To Trump, women who speak truth are always nasty. What a disgrace,' she said.

Lisa Bloom, an attorney who has represented many #MeToo accusers, agreed.

'Women who stand up to Trump always get this "nasty person" insult -- from a man just found liable for sexual abuse, no less,' she said.

'Audience hoots, because his cult followers cannot stand for their Dear Leader to be asked tough questions and follow ups.'

Trump and Collins are pictured in New Hampshire on Wednesday night

Author Wajahat Ali said it was wrong for Collins to be expected to hold Trump to account, in front of a baying crowd.

'Trump calls Kaitlin Collins a "nasty person" after she simply did a follow up. The audience laughed and clapped,' he said.

'Congrats, Chris Licht and CNN leadership. Bravo. What a way to treat your employees.'

MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin tweeted: 'And now Trump demeans the moderator, calling her a "nasty person" as he has done to so many women before.'

And author Jill Filipovic said: 'If Trump was trying to win female voters, calling an excellent reporter nasty, mocking a sexual violence survivor, and cheering his own role in ending abortion rights wasnt the way to do it.'

Yet some Trump supporters found his insult of Collins amusing.

Jeff Clark, former acting assistant attorney general under the Trump administration, said: 'Trump to Kaitlin Collins of CNN: You are a nasty person, let me tell you.'

He followed it with several laughing emojis.

And Ryan Fournier, founder of Students for Trump, said: 'Youre a nasty person. - Trump.

'This man is great.'
A company-wide probe into the suicide of a young worker at accountancy giant Ernst and Young in Sydney has been boycotted by some worried workers.

Audit and assurance specialist Aishwarya Venkatachalam, 27, died around 12.20am on August 27 when she plunged from the 11th floor terrace of her firm's George St tower block in the CBD.

The Indian national - who moved to Australia 10 months earlier - complained to friends that her co-workers were 'mean and racist'.

Daily Mail Australia's reporting on the story prompted the investigation into bullying, racism and work culture at the financial giant by Elizabeth Broderick, the high-profile Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner for over eight years.

Oceanic EY CEO David Larocca vowed Ms Broderick would look at the firms culture, work practices and psychological health and safety in an 'independent and rigorous' review.

But the review has been hampered by a lack of staff involvement, with EY insiders revealing some fear their careers could suffer if they give honest responses to their experience of life in the notoriously competitive, high-pressure workplace.

Audit and assurance specialist Aishwarya Venkatachalam's newlywed husband Nakul Mulari was on a flight home from Singapore to Sydney at the time of her death (pictured, the couple)

Bystanders helped Aishwarya Venkatachalam back to her office around midnight, but 20 minutes later she plummeted to her death onto the glass and wood awning over the entrance

An apparently anonymous survey (pictured) asking for staff insights into the allegedly toxic workplace culture was sent out to staff as part of the review

An apparently anonymous survey asking for staff insights into the allegedly toxic culture was sent out to staff as part of the review.

However the emails contained a specific URL for them to click on which was unique to each worker, meaning all answers could be traced back to individual employees.

The review was announced in September and is due to report back next month - but researchers were still begging staff to fill in the survey in a recent email which extended the deadline to last Friday.

A company spokesman this week insisted to Accountants Daily the review had 'a lot of ... really high engagement from our staff'.

But an email sent out to workers by Elizabeth Broderick and Co, announcing the deadline extension to May 5 and seen by Daily Mail Australia, admitted: 'We have not had as many responses as we would like.

'We really need to hear from more of you to ensure the survey truly reflects the views of all staff.'

Insiders at EY claim the company has not brought in any changes in the nine months since Ms Venkatachalam's tragic death.

'There's been no changes and no updates,' said one staff member.

'They had to extend the survey period due to lack of interest because a unique url was sent to everyone making you identifiable to EY.

'There's also been no mention of the two other culture reviews which were supposed to be underway.

'No update on the Aishwarya event, no SafeWork NSW results, no coroner report, no police report.

'Zero updates on what happened that night and how we responded as an organisation.'

The insider revealed all staff had been told was that it was 'inappropriate to comment during the investigation' and that the company was 'respecting the family's privacy'.

But female staff are also said to be concerned by the lack of security at the building which was exposed by the tragedy.

Ms Venkatachalam was said to have been at a drinks function earlier in the evening before she returned to the building and managed to access the terrace cafe where she fell to her death.

'Staff, particularly female staff, are concerned at the gaping safety holes in working at EY if they can't track who goes in and out of the building at night,' added the insider.

EY spokesman Melanie Kent this week admitted to Accountants Daily: 'Its a really, really difficult and awkward time for everyone.

Oceanic EY CEO David Larocca (left) vowed Elizabeth Broderick (right) would look at the firms culture, work practices and psychological health and safety in a 'rigorous, independent' review

'We are working to make sure that we get really good results, really good outcomes.

'We are working really hard to address all of the issues that have been raised and to make sure that we come out with something thats going to look after our people.'

Ms Broderick is a UN special rapporteur for discrimination against women and girls and launched the Champions of Change Coalition.

Her specialist consultancy company says it focuses on 'gender equality, diversity, inclusion and cultural renewal, particularly in male dominated environments'.

Her review into the treatment of women in the Australian Defence Force during her eight years as sex discrimination commissioner led to sweeping cultural reforms.

The company also launched two additional internal reviews in the wake of the tragedy to tackle mental health and safety support within the organisation.

An EY spokesman told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday: 'We will always take the safety and wellbeing of our people as the utmost priority.

'We take the review extremely seriously. We will not be commenting on the review during the process based on advice from independent expert Elizabeth Broderick.

'We are committed to releasing the findings and implementing the recommendations.'

The claims of racism echoed similar comments Aishwarya Venkatachalam (right) had made to friend Neeti Bisht (left) in April that 'mean colleagues' had made her life in Sydney a misery

Staff at the firm were infuriated by the company's initial response which didn't even name Ms Venkatachalam in a speech addressing the company's 9,000 Sydney workers (pictured, an EY careers event in Australia)

Aishwarya Venkat and husband Nakul Murali married in a spectacular three-day Tamil-Brahman ceremony in January 2021

Ms Venkatachalam - who used the abbreviated Venkat form of her name professionally - died after she was at a work drinks function at Sydney's The Ivy nightclub on August 26.

Good Samaritans told Daily Mail Australia how, moments before Ms Venkatachalam's death, they found her distraught in a nearby car park, sobbing about being bullied.

A group of women returning to their car found her sobbing uncontrollably in a city centre car park where she told them 'everyone was so mean to her in her office and that white people are not nice and are mean people and racist'.

It echoed similar comments she had earlier made to her friend Neeti Bisht in April that 'mean colleagues' had been making her new life in Sydney a misery.

She told the three women she met in the car park that her house key was in her office but she couldn't get into the building to collect it and had nowhere else to go.

Her newlywed husband Nakul Murali, whom she married in a spectacular three-day Tamil-Brahman ceremony in January 2021, was on a flight home from Singapore to Sydney at the time of her death.

Other bystanders helped her back to her office around midnight, but 20 minutes later she plunged to her death onto the awning above the building's front entrance.

Ms Venkatachalam's death sparked further accusations of racism within the company and allegations of a toxic workplace culture.

There is no suggestion EY or Ms Venkatachalam's co-workers or her superiors were in any way responsible for her death.

Staff at the firm were infuriated by the company's initial response which didn't even name Ms Venkatachalam in a speech from CEO David Larocca addressing the company's 9,000 Sydney workers.

Company bosses finally relented after Daily Mail Australia revealed how furious workers were pursuing the CEO on LinkedIn, telling him to 'Say her name.'

If this story has raised issues for you, call Lifeline on 13 11 14
Do you know more? Contact: tips@mailonline.com

Neither have worked full-time in five years

A couple who sparked outrage after appearing on national TV to complain about struggling on Centrelink have been spotted going about their leisurely daily routine.

Mark Goodrick, a chef who said there's no point working full-time, looked relaxed on Thursday as he surfaced at 10.15am at his family's luxury apartment block on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

After a 15-minute chat with a neighbour he then drove his Toyota HiLux ute - one of the family's two cars - to a local cafe where he spent a leisurely hour-and-a-half reading at a corner table before returning home.

Earlier that morning his wife Jennifer Searson drove their 15-year-old daughter to her $8,375-year private school and was home again by 8.40am.

Ms Searson, a lab technician who is certified in education support and business administration, is on a carer's payment because her daughter has autism.

This makes her eligible to receive a maximum of $971.50 a fortnight.

Mr Goodrick works casually at a service station and earns about $1,300 a fortnight. On top of that he gets $250 from Centrelink, bringing his fortnightly pay to nearly $1,600.

This week's federal budget will see him receiving even more money, with JobSeeker increasing by another $40-a-fortnight, which is $2.86 per day.

Neither have worked full-time since moving from Sydney in 2018 in search of a more affordable life.

At 8am on Thursday morning Jennifer Searson took her 15-year-old daughter to her $8,375-year private school

Mark Goodrick, a chef who said he 'doesn't have the energy to work 60 hours a week', looked relaxed on Thursday as enjoyed a chat

Mr Goodrick left home at 10.30am and drove his Toyota HiLux, one of the family's two cars, to a local cafe

Mr Goodrick enjoyed a coffee and read his book for an hour and a half before returning home at midday

The couple were featured on the ABC's pre-Budget 7.30 program on Monday night where they discussed the need for income support payments to be increased.

But their segment caused controversy, with viewers noticing that neither Mr Goodrick nor Ms Searson appeared to be planning to find full-time work while also spending $350-a-week on groceries for their family of three.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has since called for Centrelink to crack down on welfare recipients who were not willing to work.

'You've got to help those who are most deserving, and if you've got a situation where people are rorting the system or taking money out of the system... the money needs to be spent wisely,' Mr Dutton told 2GB on Thursday.

'It's not for people in a situation where they can get a job but refuse to take a job, that's not what the system is about.

'If that's the case then Centrelink should be taking action against people in that circumstance and suspending their payment and making sure they take the job instead of leading a leisurely lifestyle on someone else's tax dollars.'

During the ABC program Mr Goodrick appeared to admit that he preferred working casually in order to receive Centrelink payments.

'So what do I do? Do I do the right thing to not be a supposed dole bludger and work five days a week for $850, or do I work the hours I'm working and get that little bit of a top up?' Mr Goodrick asked.

'I don't actually have the energy to say ''hey I'm off to work for 60 hours a week'', so we had to make a decision. But that's not supported, you're seen as someone who's bludging or taking advantage of the system.'

The couple discussed the need for income support payments to be increased during the controversial 7.30 report, and were obliged in Tuesday night's budget.

'We are poor and we are on low income,' Mr Goodrick said.

'There has been a proliferation of calling people on income support payments, particularly JobSeeker, dole bludgers,' Ms Searson said.

Mr Goodrick said he and his wife were both 'hardworking', but due to their age, many businesses weren't looking to hire them.

Ms Searson said she has applied online to work a part-time role at Big W three times this year but hasn't heard back.

Mr Goodrick and Ms Searson live in a fancy unit block on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, but have not worked full-time in five years

Mark Goodrick, a qualified chef, works casually at a service station where he earns about $1,300 a fortnight and receives $250 from Centrelink

Ms Searson, a lab technician who is certified in education support and business administration, is on a carer's payment for her daughter who has autism

The next day treasurer Jim Chalmers announced a range of measures to benefit those on welfare, with JobSeeker and Youth Allowance both rising by $40 a fortnight from September.

'We understand that there will be people who are saying $40 a fortnight is not enough, there will be some who will be saying it is too much,' Dr Chalmers said.

'We think we've struck the right balance between what we can afford and taking into consideration the economic pressures in the economy.'

Eligibility for a higher rate of JobSeeker will also be lowered from 60 to 55, following a rise in the number of older Australians on the payment.

2GB morning host Ray Hadley earlier this week questioned why taxpayers should have to fund people who seemingly didn't want to work.

He said he found it 'offensive' the Sunshine Coast couple were complaining about spending $350-a-week on groceries, a sum of money families with even more children wouldn't even spend.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called for Centrelink to 'take action' and stop paying benefits to people who didn't want to work

Hadley also revealed that he had found over 230 roles available on the Sunshine Coast for cooks and chefs.

'You don't have the energy to work 60 hours a week, so instead, we pay for it. We pay for your laziness,' Hadley said.

'If that's the typical person on JobSeeker, I want my money back. I want some of my tax back.

'If I'm supporting those people and you're out there working your rings off, we need a reduction.

'We need our money back. I don't want to help that couple.'

The report was met with a flood of comments from people questioning whether the couple were an accurate portrayal of struggling Australians.

'These people are not doing it nearly as tough as many people I know. Sure, they're battlers, but many single parent families exist, so in times of financial challenge such as this, the father could opt for the temporary sacrifice of full time work with a long commute,' one person said.

'I saw this and I thought this family seem to be doing ok actually. Is this what welfare looks like?' another questioned.
The man shot in the groin is in a serious condition

The men continued on before striking a motorbike rider

Man shot in groin in alleged carjacking in Dalby, Queensland

A man has been left in a serious condition after he was shot in the groin following an alleged carjacking.

The driver and his passenger were stopped on the side of the road in a Mitsubishi Triton in Dalby, west of Brisbane at 8.30am on Thursday.

Two men, aged 30 and 33, then approached the vehicle before a fight broke out and the driver was allegedly shot in the groin.

Detective Inspector Jason Kitto said the men had demanded the keys to the vehicle.

A driver has been shot in the groin during an alleged carjacking in Dalby, north of Brisbane on Thursday morning

'The victim has since been flown from Dalby to Toowoomba hospital and he's currently undergoing treatment,' he said.

'The injury sustained to the victim is not life-threatening at this time.'

Queensland Police said the two groups are not known to each other.

The two men fled the scene in the Triton with police launching a manhunt for the pair.

The Triton was spotted on the Warrego Highway travelling towards Toowoomba with police engaging by using tyre spikes to slow down the ute.

Queensland Police allege the pair continued on before striking a man riding a motorbike at a Toowoomba intersection.

The rider suffered minor injuries and was transported to Toowoomba Hospital in a stable condition.

'The male rider of that motorcycle was treated on scene by [paramedics], my understanding is he's currently seeking further treatment for minor injuries,' Inspector Kitto said.

Both men were taken into custody around 10am, with police allegedly locating two guns in the ute.

Police are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with dashcam or CCTV vision of the incidents to come forward.
Advertisement

The New Zealand student who tragically died in a cave has been identified as heartbroken family and friends demand answers as to why the school excursion went ahead despite the region being under a heavy rain warning.

Karnin Petera, 15, was part of a group from Whangarei Boys' High School that travelled to the Abbey Caves, 145km north of Auckland, on Tuesday for an outdoor education excursion.

The group of 15 students and two staff got into difficulty inside the caves, and Karnin slipped out of a classmate's grip after being swept away in rising floodwaters while trying to flee.

All others on the school trip managed to survive.

His body recovered from the caves hours later in an incident eerily similar to the Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand five years ago.

Karnin was identified by a shattered family member on social media on Thursday, sparking an outpouring of tributes from friends and Whangarei Boys' High School.

'It is with deep sadness that we wish to inform you that our beautiful boy Karnin Ahorangi Petera has indeed tragically passed away during the unfortunate incident at the Abbey Caves,' a family member wrote online.

The student who died after being swept away by floodwaters in a cave during a school excursion has been identified as Karnin Petera (pictured)

'He is now laying in state at his home surrounded by all his whanau and friends. Whanau are all welcome, nau mai haere mai.

'We would also like to extend a welcome to anyone else from the community who also loved our baby boy and want to pay their respects.'

The tragic update from the family comes as details emerge about what happened in the lead-up to the tragedy, as questions are raised as to why it went ahead due to heavy rain being forecast and the risk of the caves filling up with water.

The area was under an orange heavy rain warning when the trip went ahead. New Zealand's meteorological service describes this as a state where 'people need to be prepared and take action as appropriate as there could be some disruption to their day and potential risk to people, animals and property'.

Scotty Booth pulled his teenage son out of the excursion at the last minute after he received no response from the school on Monday night inquiring whether the trip would still go ahead, despite warnings of bad weather.

'I became concerned about the safety of the trip when we received an email saying they would be caving instead of rock climbing, due to forecasted rain,' Mr Booth told Stuff.

'I'm a helicopter pilot, and I know danger when I see it, and there's no good reason to go into a cave during heavy rain,' he said.

'The school should have known better  there was only one teacher and an instructor there. There shouldn't have been a fatality on a school trip. It could've been my son.'

A student, who wished to remain anonymous, told TVNZ the group had been inside the cave for an hour when they got into trouble.

'We were halfway through the cave when the water started coming at us. We floated back with the current to get out. It was really fast, like five minutes,' he said.

Scotty Booth stopped his son going on fatal Abbey Caves after asking the school if they'd go ahead in rain

It took the group 15 minutes to get to their location in the cave when they first arrived that morning, and 'five minutes to get back' due to the strength of the current.

The mother of another boy on the trip claimed police told students not to answer their phones as fearful parents rang to check on their safety after the school said it would respond by email.

'I just wanted to know if my son was alive or not. It's worth more than a bloody email. You think they'd have the decency to phone parents, not email,' the upset mother.

Her son hailed their teacher as 'a hero' for pushing him to safety as floodwaters inside the cave rose from waist-high to neck high in minutes.

'He twice thought he was going to die. He called his teacher a hero. He tried to clamber up (out of the water) and felt his strength going and the teacher gave him a push,' the woman added.

The school board of trustees has since issued a statement.

'It is with immense sadness I acknowledge the tragic passing of Karnin Ahorangi Petera, following the event at Abbey Caves on Tuesday. We extend our sincere condolences to his whanau,' board member Andrew Carvell wrote.

'Karnin was a treasured and deeply loved son, a brother, a friend to so many, and an inspiration to fellow Year 11 students at Whangarei Boys High School.

'As Trustees and parents, we share the hurt this event has caused. We will continue to support whanau, staff, students and our WBHS community to help with the healing process.'

'We have a care plan in place to monitor the welfare of all students and staff, prioritising those most impacted by the event.

WHAT IT IS LIKE INSIDE THE ABBEY CAVES The Abbey Caves are a popular tourist destination in Whangarei Heads, New Zealand. They are a system of three unspoilt caves, with glow worms and mineral formations. The caves have a stream system running through them, a roof at various heights and large rocks throughout. 'Most of the passages are quite easy to explore with few small knee-deep pools, in normal weather I would say most people would have no real difficulty exploring the passages, however, I would not enter the caves when heavy rain is forecast,' Phill Round, an experienced caver told Stuff.co.nz. In some parts of the cave, water reaches chest height even when it's not raining due to the network of waterways inside. Advertisement

Karnin Petera had been visiting Abbey Caves (pictured) in NZ's Northlands region when he was swept away by rising floodwaters

Karnin's shattered friends have paid tribute in a series of TikTok videos.

'Fly high karnin,' one was captioned.

Another mate wrote: Even though we ain't brothers by blood. To me you will always be mine we will all miss your smile you jokes and how kind you were, i love you Karnin fly high king.'

An online fundraiser has already raised $NZ70,000 forward funeral costs and ongoing family support.

Questions are being raised as to why the outdoor education excursion to Abbey Caves (pictured) during bad weather went ahead

The tragedy unfolded 145km north of Auckland (pictured) on the same day a state of emergency was declared across the city

Storms have battered much of NZ's North Island in recent days.

NZ's MetService had issued severe thunderstorm warnings for torrential rain in parts of Auckland and Northland on Tuesday around the time Karnin was swept away in the cave.

A state of emergency was declared in Auckland after flash flooding sparked widespread havoc across the city.

More than 120 properties sustained flood damage along with 300 emergency callouts.

Storms also ripped off the roofs of several homes in the South Taranaki town of Awatuna early Wednesday.

Police and WorkSafe have launched an investigation into the teen's death.

'We acknowledge this event has been very distressing for the school and wider community, and that there are a number of questions the public will have,' Police Superintendent Tony Hill said.

'We don't want to put people through further stress than necessary - for many people these events will be hard to relive.'

'At the moment, polices focus is on supporting those affected.'

School principal Karen Gilbert-Smith said an investigation into the 'hugely upsetting' event has been launched.

'In time we will seek to understand how this situation occurred, but for now I ask that we stay united as a WBHS community and provide support where required,' she wrote in a Facebook post which attracted hundreds of angry responses.

The Whangarei District Council, who manages the caves, said there was a rahui in place and the caves would be closed temporarily.

Whangarei mayor Vince Cocurullo said it was not the outcome anyone wanted, but returning the boy's body to his family to farewell wouldn't have been achieved so quickly without the effort of many people.

'I support the words of the hapu, who said this is a time for manaaki and care to all, particularly to the family, his peers and school community,' he said.
Hunter Biden was seen taking his 3-year-old son Beau to a play center in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon as Republicans in Washington DC pored over his financial records.

The president's son had his little boy in his arms and his wife Melissa Cohen trailing close behind as he left the children's playground and got into a black Suburban under the supervision of security personnel.

Though the family appeared to be enjoying a carefree afternoon in the California sun, Hunter has found himself in the midst of multiple escalating scandals.

On one front, dogged Republicans are looking to uncover how he and his family received millions of dollars in payments from foreign entities in China and Romania.

On another, they released a report detailing how CIA employees may have conspired with former intelligence officials to put out a public statement dismissing the leaked contents of his laptop as 'disinformation'.

And the outing on Wednesday came just a week after he appeared in Arkansas over a legal dispute involving child support payments to the mother of another child.

Hunter Biden was seen taking his 3-year-old son Beau to a play center in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon

The president's son held his little boy Beau in his arms as his family left the Candy Land indoor playground on Wednesday afternoon

The president's son is embroiled in a bitter legal battle with Lunden Roberts, 32, the mother to his 4-year-old daughter Navy Joan.

Roberts, 32, and Biden, 53, last week came face to face for the first time since she gave birth to his daughter.

The judge presiding over the trial ripped into Hunter for 'sealing and redacting' his financial information.

'The ability to redact is somewhat being abused,' Judge Holly Meyer said. 'I'm seeing a lot of things filed, especially by Mr. Biden's counsel, sealing things, redacting things, that are not confidential.'

Though Biden occasionally looked across at her in the courtroom in Batesville, Arkansas, Roberts, who was supported in court by her parents Rob and Kimberly and her sister Randi Jo Bolin, avoided eye contact.

On Wednesday, Republicans released a 65-page report titled: The Hunter Biden Statement: How Senior Intelligence Community Officials and the Biden Campaign Worked to Mislead American Voters.

Hunter Biden's wife Melissa Cohen was seen getting into a car in Sherman Oaks in Los Angeles

As he left the children's playground he and his family got into a black Suburban under the supervision of security personnel

Melissa Cohen (right) carries a pizza box towards the entrance to the Candy Land indoor playground

Melissa Cohen held open a door with one hand and a pizza box in the other

Hunter and his wife Melissa were seen inside the Candy Land play center on Wednesday

A Suburban collected Hunter Biden and his family from outside the Candy Land indoor playground in Sherman Oaks in Los Angeles

It found a letter that was signed by 51 intel officials in 2020 falsely claimed his laptop had all the 'classic earmarks of a Russian information operation' and alleged the letter 'was a political operation to help elect' Joe Biden in November 2022.

It alleged that a CIA employee 'may have helped in the effort to solicit signatures for the statement' and accuses former Deputy CIA director and Acting CIA Director Mike Morell and the Biden campaign of conspiring to quickly get the letter approved.

One person to have signed the statement, former CIA analyst David Cariens, 'disclosed to the Committees that a CIA employee affiliated with the agency's Prepublication Classification Review Board (PCRB) informed him of the existence of the statement and asked if he would sign it,' the House investigative report notes.

On October 19, 2020, Morell allegedly sent the CIA the final version of the letter to the Prepublication Classification Review for review and called it a 'rush job' so it could be approved.

Those revelations came just as Republicans on the Oversight Committee gave an update on the Biden family's 'shady' business deals.

The CIA were involved in getting signatures for the letter from 51 intelligence agencies discrediting Hunter Biden's laptop as disinformation, according to bombshell Republican report

Hunter Biden, 53, is pictured arriving at a Batesville, Arkansas courthouse on May 1

During Biden's time as vice president, there were 20 companies affiliated with certain Biden family members created intentionally with a 'complicated corporate structure' the memo states. President Joe Biden stands with his son Hunter Biden (left) and sister Valerie Biden Owens (right)

The committee led by Chairman James Comer released a 'Second Records Memorandum' that expands on information it received from subpoena returns as the committee continues its investigation into the Biden family's business practices.

The memo specifically outlines the Biden family's ties to Romanian 'influence peddling' and a web of LLCs created while Biden was vice president.

It also accuses President Biden of a 'lack of transparency' regarding his family's receipt of funds from China, which he has said are 'not true.'

It details the efforts by the family to hide, conceal and confuse sources of money - including more China money, according to a committee aide.

'The White House refuses to correct the president's statement. The president is now using the federal government to run interference for his family and his own role in these schemes,' said Comer during a press conference announcing the memo Wednesday.

During Biden's time as vice president, there were 20 companies affiliated with certain Biden family members created intentionally with a 'complicated corporate structure' the memo states.

Hunter Biden and his associates, including Rob Walker, formed 'at least 15' of those companies after Biden took the office of the vice president in 2009.

Several of those entities including Owasco P.C. - which Hunter owned - Hudson West III, LLC, Robinson Walker, LLC, and Rosemont Seneca Bohai, LLC, accepted funds from foreign companies ranging from $5,000 to $3 million, the committee says.
A wheelchair user has written a heartbreaking letter to his local council after a massive renovation of the local park left the child unable to properly access the equipment.

Zach Dove London, seven, wrote to Moreton Bay Regional Council north-east of Brisbane after woodchips were added to Brennan Park's new playground on the Bribie Islands.

The $835,128 makeover was meant to make the area more accessible, but now Zach can't get more than a couple of metres without his wheels jamming.

In the letter, Zach said that he felt bad asking for further changes to be made, but he just misses being able to play in the park.

In their response, the council said 'sometimes site challenges mean the designers cannot make a truly all-abilities play space', and that he could go to a different park.

Zach Dove London, 7, was upset to see that his local park's $800,000 makeover removed his ability to enjoy it when woodchips were added

In a letter written to his local council, Zach said that he felt bad asking workers to come back and fix it but the new terrain has made it impossible for him to enjoy it

Zach wrote a short letter to the council saying that the new equipment looked great and he appreciated most of the improvements.

'The rides look really fun. I feel really bad because you've done all that work and don't want you to have to come back,' he wrote.

'But, I also really want to play on the playground.'

The new design, which introduced the bark and wood chips, was installed after arborists recommended it to the council.

'I was trying to enter the park, and my wheel couldn't move,' Zach told ABC.

'I was shocked that they made it worse instead of better.

'I just felt that feeling, like this is not acceptable.'

The council told Zach that the playground required shade from a nearby established tree, which needs woodchips to maintain healthy roots.

'Shade is critical for our playgrounds, particularly for children with special needs who have trouble regulating their body temperature,' they said.

Alternatives were then suggested, including two other 'all-abilities' playgrounds that were 45 minutes away, according to Zach's mother Jessica Dove London.

'What sort of answer is that?' Zach told ABC.

The council initially said that Zach could go to alternative 'all-abilities' parks which were 45 minutes away

Arborists told Moreton Bay Regional Council that wood chips were necessary to maintain the health of tree roots in the area

After the issue began gaining publicity, Moreton Bay Regional Council's Mayor Peter Flannery reached out to Zach and his mother to find a way to get him back on the playground.

'It upsets me to think a young boy has gone to one of our playgrounds and not been able to enjoy the day he had been looking forward to,' Cr Flannery told Daily Mail Australia.

'I will get our staff to look at solutions for this location, maybe a porous pathway material that will enable easier wheelchair access to the play equipment.'

Cr Flannery is now began planning further improvements for the park, including a soft plastic flooring which would allow wheelchair access and maintain the health of tree root systems.

'We always use soft fall materials beneath play equipment to maximise safety for playground users and also enable water to pass through and sustain the trees that provide shade for this equipment,' he said.

'So I will get our staff to look at solutions for this location, maybe a porous pathway material that will enable easier wheelchair access to the play equipment.'

The mayor estimated about 20 per cent of those in the Bribie Island region have a disability, and in the run-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games, the council announced 2023 would be the 'year of accessible tourism'.

Ms Dove London said that a lot of work was yet to be done but she's happy it's underway now.

She shared her hope on Facebook that the council would now re-make the park to be accessible again, 'considering [they] declared it the year of accessibility'.

'As of this week the council have now responded really positively and are going to revise the park, and issue in general,' she wrote.

'But more than that I am so stoked that Zack has felt his voice being heard, and for being brave enough to be interviewed and do this (all powered from his own idea and passion).'
She was attending the Groovin' the Moo festival in Bunbury

Police are on the hunt for a man who allegedly sexually assaulted a teenage girl at the Groovin' the Moo music festival.

It's alleged the girl was assaulted while she was amongst other revellers at the popular festival held at Hay Park at Bunbury, in Western Australia, last Saturday.

Police claim she was attacked sometime between 6:30pm and 7:30pm by a man she did not know at the Cattleyard stage area at Hay Park.

She managed to flee from the man before police were called.

Police are on the hunt for a man who allegedly sexually assaulted a teenage girl at the Groovin' the Moo music festival in Bunbury (pictured)

Festival-goers have been urged to come forward if they have any information in regard to the matter.

'Numerous people were in the area at the time of the incident,' a WA Police spokesperson said.

'Detectives wish to speak to anyone who saw a male acting suspiciously in the area during the above time.'

The Groovin the Moo music festival is held in six regional centres across Australia.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted WA Police for comment.
The store sold the vapes to children as young as 13

A supermarket has been slapped with almost $90,000 in fines for selling nicotine vapes to children as young as 13.

Zam Zam Supermarket pleaded guilty last month to selling vapes and e-liquids containing nicotine following an investigation by Queensland Health.

The investigation came as a result of multiple complaints that the store in Kuraby in Brisbane's south was selling vapes to teenagers.

The Metro South Public Health Unit, with the help of police and the Australian Taxation Office, executed two warrants on properties in Kuraby on May 13, 2021, seizing more than 45,000 vapes and 33 e-liquids.

Zam Zam supermarket at Kuraby in Brisbane's south has been issued almost $90,000 for selling nicotine vapes to children as young as 13

They pleaded guilty in Holland Park Magistrates Court on April 18 to two counts of possession and the sale of vapes and e-liquids containing nicotine (stock image of vapes)

Zam Zam Supermarket pleaded guilty in Holland Park Magistrates Court on April 18 to two counts of possession and the sale of vapes and e-liquids containing nicotine.

The magistrate ordered the company to pay $88,845, inclusive of analyst and legal costs, and a conviction was recorded.

Nicotine is a regulated poison under Queensland law and the ban is enforced by health department officers.

But outside the court Zam Zam'ss owner Majed Al-kabinchi claimed he hadn't sold vapes to teenagers, reporting The Courier Mail.

'No way, no way, I have kids too... I listened to the law,' he said.

Metro South Health director of environmental health Melinda Lennon said she hopes the prosecution of the store deters others from selling nicotine vapes.

'We've received complaints from various sources, in particular a deputy principal that claimed children as young as 13 had bought vapes from the store,' she said.

'This is our first successful prosecution for a retailer selling vapes in our metro south region.'

Ms Lennon said nicotine and the general toxic chemicals that go into the lungs while using nicotine vapes are what is most harmful, especially to kids with developing bodies.
The chief prosecutor in the rape trial against Bruce Lehrmann believes the hearing was derailed by the same single juror who allegedly believed the staffer was not guilty, an inquiry has heard.

Shane Drumgold SC, the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, made the explosive claim on Thursday during a Board of Inquiry hearing, which is investigating the way the case was handled.

Mr Lehrmann's case was heard in the ACT Supreme Court in October last year, but the jury was eventually dismissed after a court officer found banned research material in a folder which belonged to a single juror.

A retrial was scheduled for February this year, but the case was eventually abandoned due to concerns over Ms Higgins' mental health. Mr Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence.

Brittany Higgins (pictured outside ACT Supreme Court) alleged Bruce Lehrmann raped her. He denies the allegations

On Wednesday, Mr Drumgold's lawyer Mark Tedeschi KC asked his client: 'One of the reasons you decided to go to retrial was because there was one juror holding out and your impression was the rest of the jury were inclined to convict.'

Mr Drumgold said: 'That was a conclusion I was inclined to.'

Mr Tedeschi continued: 'The jury was eventually charged with misconduct - was that the same juror who was holding out?'

Mr Drumgold said: 'Yes'.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Drumgold sensationally acknowledged that he no longer held the view that there was police or political interference in the investigation into Mr Lehrmann.

The inquiry was launched following a heated email from Mr Drumgold to ACT Chief Police Officer Neil Gaughan on November 1, 2022 - between when the trial was aborted in October last year and when the matter was dropped entirely on December 1.

'I want to raise serious concerns I hold with what I perceive as some quite clear investigator interference in the criminal justice process,' he wrote, at the time.

'I am of the view that at the conclusion of the trial, there should be a public inquiry into both political and police conduct in this matter.'

Mr Drumgold still held that view on Wednesday, when he said it was 'possible, if not probably' that there was a wider conspiracy by Australian Federal Police not to press charges against Mr Lehrmann.

But on Thursday, having reviewed correspondence with police officers at the time, Mr Drumgold changed his mind and conceded he was possibly 'mistaken'.

ACT DPP Shane Drumgold (pictured outside the inquiry on Wednesday) is being investigated over the trial

When Mr Tedeschi asked Mr Drumgold whether his current view had changed since he wrote the letter in November last year, the prosecutor said the issue was not interference, but it was likely a 'skills deficit' by investigators.

That is, he believed police failed to conduct an objective investigation into Mr Lehrmann - claiming senior officers were biased against Ms Higgins and unable to separate their own views from the matter.

Mr Tedeschi said: 'So you would acknowledge your suspicions about the existence of political interference about the case going ahead were mistaken?'

Mr Drumgold replied: 'I do accept that.'

Mr Tedeschi continued: 'The suspicions that you had in November of last year at conclusion of the trial, when it was aborted, those suspicions have been allayed?

Mr Drumgold replied: 'Yes, they have been.'

The prosecutor then claimed police incorrectly assigned stereotypes to Ms Higgins, based on what they believe an alleged rape victim would or would not do - Walter Sofronoff, who is leading the inquiry, described them as 'rape myths'.

'Stereotypical analysis of the way a complainant would behave - a genuine complainant would never go to the media or would tell everyone immediately - these stereotypical beliefs that there is a standard to how a complainant would behave,' he explained.

Further, he said police 'passionately' held the incorrect assumptions about Ms Higgins for the entirely of the investigation and referred to Detective Inspector Marcus Boorman who, at one stage, said he would resign if Mr Lehrmann was convicted.

'Clearly he had lost objectivity to such an extent that he was going to resign because of it - that's evidence that he too passionately held what was, in my view, incorrect analysis,' Mr Drumgold told the inquiry.

He explained that adopting subjective views on an investigation shows a 'complete absence of objectivity'.

Mr Drumgold claimed it was 'probable' there was a wider conspiracy in the case against Mr Lehrmann (pictured), but later changed his mind

'If those views are adopted early and passionately, they will create conformation bias and affect the investigation.'

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Drumgold told the inquiry police tried to get an expert witness to watch the CCTV footage of Ms Higgins walking through Parliament House on the night she alleges she was assaulted and say she wasn't drunk.

'The proposal was to find an expert, and they had a medical doctor in mind, to give opinion evidence that ... she was not intoxicated,' he said.

'What we're dealing with is body mapping ... there is no recognised field of expertise in recognising drunk people.

'The evidence is that people at different levels of intoxication looks different and they can look objectively entirely different.'

He also pointed to the fact that there was also CCTV from the same night that showed Ms Higgins consuming eleven alcoholic drinks within about four hours.

The inquiry continues.
A former Sydney high school teacher who downloaded videos of children being held at gunpoint for his own sexual pleasure will spend at least 18 months behind bars.

Cody Michael Reynolds, 37, pleaded guilty in December to one charge of transmitting child abuse material and another charge of possessing it.

The former Moriah College English teacher's home was raided in March 2022 where police found a WhatsApp message thread with a man named 'Xavier'.

The pair shared videos of children being held at gunpoint and boys as young as four masturbating and being sexually abused.

Investigators also found 111 images and six videos of children being abused in a hidden folder on his camera roll as well as on his work-issued laptop.

Cody Michael Reynolds, 37, (pictured) pleaded guilty in December to one charge of transmitting child abuse material and another charge of possessing it

The former head of English will spend 18 months behind bars

He was immediately stood down from his position at the top Sydney private school and no offences were alleged to have been committed involving Moriah College students.

The school in Queens Park, in the city's east, charges annual fees of $39,700.

'People like the offender who access and possess child abuse material encourage and feed an abhorrent market,' said District Court Judge Phillip Mahoney in his sentencing.

Mr Mahoney said he took into account Reynolds' history and his guilty plea, but said 'a clear message must be sent'.

In an affidavit, the former teacher pleaded for no prison time, but accepted he'd 'lost (his) place in that decision'.

He said after leaving work at the Sydney college he would sit in the storeroom of his apartment drinking alcohol and watching child abuse material to delay returning home.

Reynolds was immediately stood down from his position at the top Sydney private school and no offences were alleged to have been committed involving Moriah College students

The judge agreed Reynolds has been proactively seeking psychological help since his arrest.

'He has expressed overwhelmingly genuine remorse for his conduct,' Judge Mahoney said.

'(But) no other sentence other than imprisonment is appropriate.'

He was sentenced to two years and 10 months in jail, with a non-parole period of one year and six months.

Reynolds, who has been on bail since his arrest, showed little emotion as he was led out of the court in handcuffs.

He will be eligible for release in November 2024.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Vladimir Putin is ready to use his brutal security services to 'put a stop' to his longtime crony Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Wagner private army, says a new report.

The mercenary force chief appeared to brand the 70-year-old dictator a 'complete a**hole' and mock him as a 'happy grandfather' amid reports from the frontlines of a Russian retreat and Ukrainian gains around the besiged city of Bakhmut.

Prigozhin hinted later that his foul-mouthed onslaught was in fact aimed at Putin's chief of the general army staff Valery Gerasimov, 67, who he blames for ammunition shortages at the front.

Another possible target was defence minister Sergei Shoigu, also 67, but many believe it was aimed squarely at Putin.

Independent news outlet Meduza reported its Kremlin sources saying Prigozhin has now crossed a 'red line' in his repeated attacks on Putin's top brass and their failings to give his fighters ammunition to take Bakhmut.

Vladimir Putin is ready to use his brutal security services to 'put a stop' to his longtime crony Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Wagner private army, says a new report. The mercenary force chief appeared to brand the 70-year-old dictator a 'complete a**hole' and mock him as a 'happy grandfather' in a video posted online on Wednesday

Independent news outlet Meduza reported its Kremlin sources saying Prigozhin has now crossed a 'red line' in his repeated attacks on Putin's top brass and their failings to give his fighters ammunition to take Bakhmut. Pictured: Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech during the Victory Day military parade at Red Square in central Moscow on May 9

'If this continues, official security forces will certainly put a stop to it,' said a source close to the Kremlin, reported Meduza.

It was unclear if this meant liquidation - a fate of multiple Putin foes - or arrest, possibly for treason, which could see the 61-year-old billionaire warlord jailed for up to 21 years.

The report says Moscow's propaganda agencies have already received a 'warning' from the Putin administration that if Prigozhin continues criticising the Defence Ministry and reporting 'failures on the front', journalists should begin 'portraying him as a traitor'.

Putin's administration will turn on him if he 'continues to break ranks'. The warlord has threatened to pull out of Bakhmut if his demands for ammunition are not met.

This is despite Prigozhin reportedly still having the ability 'to enter into direct dialogue with the president', his mentor.

But other sources say Putin no longer takes his calls.

The Wagner chief - whose mercenary forces operate not only in Ukraine but also Africa and Syria - is seen as being protected by close Putin cronies General Viktor Zolotov, head of the Russian national guard, and Tula governor Alexey Dyumin, formerly bodyguard to the dictator and tipped as a possible successor as president.

But it is unclear whether they can now save him after his latest tirade.

Meduza sources claimed Prigozhin's profanity-laden diatribes may be the result of frustration that he failed in a personal promise to Putin to seize Bakhmut - Moscow's primary target in its winter offensive and scene of the bloodiest ground combat in Europe since World War Two - by a certain date.

There has been speculation the deadline was May 9 - when Russia marked the annual Victory Day, commemorating the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany.

'Because of this personal promise, he's throwing the regular troops under the bus and making provocative statements. It's unconventional behaviour,' one source told the outlet.

It said 'multiple' Kremlin-linked sources said Prigozhin had crossed a 'red line' with latest outbursts.

Pictured: Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Wagner private mercenary army, records a video appeal to Vladimir Putin, threatening to 'leave Bakhmut on 10 May'

Russian forces made a humiliating retreat on Tuesday in the battle for Bakhmut, according to this dramatic aerial footage, on the same day Putin was forced to scale back his annual military parade due to his army's devastating losses. Pictured: Russian soldiers are seen fleeing across an open field as they are pursued by a Ukrainian tank (left)

Prigozhin has expressed exasperation at the numbers of Wagner fighters killed - now lying dead on the frontline, or in graveyards across Russia - due to poor ammunition supplies. The warlord claimed the recent Russian retreat saw 500 of his Wagner forces dead - adding to the estimated tens of thousands already killed in Bakhmut.

In a recent video, Prigozhin delivered a message to camera in front of several uniformed corpses that lay on the ground behind him, covered in blood.

A former convict, Prigozhin rose to riches by staging lavish Kremlin banquets for Putin - hence his nickname as the dictator's 'chef'.

He also runs a propaganda empire including news agencies and troll factories pumping out pro-Putin social media messages in Russia and around the globe.

And he is behind Wagner and several other private military companies in Russia.

But there are fears he has become too big a threat, eyeing the Russian presidency if Putin is toppled due to war failures or falls due to ill-health.

The main Russian push in Bakhmut has been by led by Wagner forces, mainly mercenaries, volunteers and convicts freed from jail to fight by Putin.

In a desperate attempt to seize the city earlier in the conflict, Wagner employed 'human wave' tactics, crashing unit after unit against Ukraine's defences.

Estimates suggest as many as 40,000 Wagner fighters were killed.

Despite the massive push, Ukraine's defenders have managed to cling on to parts of the city and stopped Russia from advancing any further west in the region.

Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin is the chief financier and unquestionable face of the Wagner group, has provided regular updates from the frontlines in Ukraine. He has grown increasingly critical of Russia's efforts to seize Bakhmut

News of Prigozhin's precarious position came after a Ukrainian unit said on Wednesday that it had routed a Russian brigade near the Bakhmut stronghold.

The incident underlined the task facing the Kremlin as it carries out what it calls a 'very difficult' military operation.

The unit's claim appeared to buttress the comments by Prigozhin, who on Tuesday said the Russian brigade had abandoned its positions in the city.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who heads Ukraine's ground forces, said Russian units in some parts of Bakhmut had retreated by up to 1.2 miles as the result of counter attacks. He gave no details.

'The special military operation continues. This is a very difficult operation, and, of course, certain goals have been achieved in a year,' Tass new agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as telling a Bosnian Serb television channel.

'We managed to beat up the Ukrainian military machine quite a bit,' said Peskov, citing Russian missile strikes in Ukraine. 'This work will continue'.

Peskov said he had no doubt that Bakhmut 'will be captured and will be kept under control'. He also said the Russian campaign in eastern Ukraine was proceeding slowly because Russia 'is not waging war'.

'Waging war is a completely different matter - it means complete destruction of infrastucture, it means complete destruction of cities,' he said. 'We are not doing this. We are trying to preserve infrastructure and preserve human lives.'

Peskov's comments did not address claims that Russia's 72nd Separate Motor-rifle Brigade had abandoned positions on the southwestern outskirts of Bakhmut.

In a statement, Ukraine's Third Separate Assault Brigade said: 'It's official. Prigozhin's report about the flight of Russia's 72nd Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade from near Bakhmut and the '500 corpses' of Russians left behind is true.'

A Russian brigade is typically formed of several thousand troops.

'Our army is fleeing. The 72nd Brigade pissed away three square km this morning, where I had lost around 500 men,' Prigozhin said on Tuesday, complaining his troops were receiving only 10% of the shells they needed.

In a statement later on social media, Prigozhin said Wagner forces had advanced 170 metres (530 feet). Ukrainian troops were confined to an area of 2.25 sq. km. (just under a square mile) and were coming under pressure in western districts dotted with high-rise apartments.

Ukrainian military analyst Roman Svitan said the successes near Bakhmut amounted to the beginning of the counter-offensive.

'We are the ones who launched the moves to advance,' Svitan told Ukrainian NV Radio. 'We can say that the offensive that we have been expecting for at least the past six months got underway about a week ago.'

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar wrote on Telegram that pro-Kyiv units had not lost a single position in Bakhmut on Wednesday.

Russian troops invaded Ukraine in what Moscow calls a special military operation and initially captured large amounts of territory, but Kyiv's forces pushed back.

Western officials estimate more than 200,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the war began on February 24, 2022.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Wagner private mercenary army, points to piles of dead mercenaries as he rages against the Russian defence minister

Ukrainian soldiers fire a cannon near Bakhmut, an eastern city where fierce battles against Russian forces have been taking place, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, May 3

In his evening video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy named the Third Brigade and noted its report 'about the flight of Russia's 72nd Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade from near Bakhmut'.

In Brussels, NATO's top military official said the war would increasingly be a battle between large numbers of poorly trained Russian troops with outdated equipment and a smaller Ukrainian force with better Western weapons and training.

Admiral Rob Bauer, a Dutch officer who is chair of NATO's military committee, noted Russia was deploying T-54 tanks - an old model designed in the years after World War Two.

In Washington, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said he had authorised the first transfer of forfeited Russian assets for use in Ukraine.
A London borough is offering residents 50 vouchers to help ease costs associated with mayor Sadiq Khan's 'unacceptable' clean air zone expansion.

The Richmond upon Thames 'Good Move' scheme aims to assist with the impact of the controversial changes to the Ultra Low Emission Zone, which can add up to 4,500 to a resident's commute each year.

Under the mayor's new ULEZ rules, all vehicles that do not pass European emissions standards  typically pre-2015 diesel and pre-2006 petrol vehicles  will have to pay 12.50 a day to drive in the zone.

Richmond council, after Mr Khan reportedly failed to address their call to alleviate the financial burden on residents, is now offering aid to residents 'willing to consider a step-change in their future vehicle choices'.

Borough residents who commit to changing to a compliant vehicle within 12 months of the ULEZ expansion going into effect will receive 50 via eligible voucher programmes, The Telegraph reported.

Residents in the London borough of Richmond upon Thames can receive 50 vouchers to help ease costs associated with mayor Sadiq Khan's 'unacceptable' clean air zone expansion. Mayor Khan is pictured on April 29

The Richmond upon Thames 'Good Move' scheme aims to assist with the impact of the controversial changes to the Ultra Low Emission Zone, which can add up to 4,500 to a resident's commute each year. Anti-ULEZ protesters are pictured on April 15

The Richmond council 'Good Move' scheme's 50 figure covers four days of the 12.50 ULEZ charge.

The scheme will provide qualifying Richmond residents with either a 50 pay-as-you-go Oyster card or a free one-year ZipCar membership with a 50 driving credit. There will also be an option for a free three-month trial with the Peddle My Wheels Try Before You Bike scheme.

The scheme is only available to select residents, businesses and charities. Officials say programme eligibility will be based on income and other factors.

Alexander Ehmann, chairman of Richmond's transport and air quality committee, told the newspaper the scheme aims to offer 'real support' to residents most in need.

ULEZ obsession that will cost region 500M: READ MORE HERE The expansion of the ULEZ will blow an estimated 500million hole in the regional economy every year, say experts Advertisement

'Addressing air quality is a top priority for Richmond upon Thames and this borough wants to build on the local cross-party consensus that the Ulez should cover the entirety of Greater London,' he said.

'However, the speed at which the mayor of London has sought to introduce the extension and the lack of financial support afforded to residents remains unacceptable.

Mr Ehmann said the council called on Mr Khan to 'improve his offer' but alleged the mayor 'has not heeded this call'.

He added that while Richmond council does not have the 'vast covers of TfL' and cannot address 'all the defects' in Mr Khan's scheme, it can help those looking to make lasting emissions choices.

A spokesperson for Mr Khan told MailOnline today: 'The Mayor welcomes all efforts to make public and active transport more accessible and affordable to Richmond residents.

'The decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide was not an easy one, but necessary to tackle toxic air pollution, cut congestion and combat the climate crisis.

He added: 'Sadiq is also overseeing an expansion of bus services in outer London, including the Superloop which will serve Richmond. Nine out of ten cars seen driving in the expanded zone are compliant and won't have to pay a penny  and for the remaining non-compliant vehicles, the Mayor and TfL have launched the biggest scrappage scheme ever - 110m - to help families on lower incomes, small businesses, charities, sole traders and disabled Londoners replace their vehicle with a less polluting one or move to a cleaner, more active mode of transport.'

The spokesman said the mayor has 'repeatedly called on the Government' to support Londoners who switch to cleaner vehicles, as has been previously done in Bristol, Bath, Sheffield, Portsmouth, Birmingham and other places across the UK.

MailOnline has also approached Richmond council for comment.

The scheme will provide qualifying Richmond residents with either a 50 pay-as-you-go Oyster card or a free one-year ZipCar membership with a 50 driving credit. There will also be an option for a free three-month trial with the Peddle My Wheels Try Before You Bike scheme. People protesting the ULEZ changes are pictured on April 15

News of the scheme comes just one week after experts revealed the controversial expansion of the ULEZ will blow an estimated 500million hole in the regional economy every year.

The warning came as separate research by the Conservatives also revealed that more than 1.2million commuters will be clobbered by the London Labour mayor's changes, adding up to 4,500 to their commute each year.

A report published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research found that the ULEZ expansion will cost the regional economy at least 538million every year.

The Tories' separate research, based on Freedom of Information requests to the DVLA, found that more than 1.2million non-ULEZ compliant cars in London's commuter belt will be hit.

In any event, motoring groups believe ULEZ expansion is just a 'cash cow' to plug a hole in City Hall's finances.

Meanwhile, researchers at Imperial College London found the existing scheme had 'caused only small improvements in air quality in the context of a longer-term downward trend in London's air pollution levels.'
A shock new theory has emerged as a likely explanation for why Australia's last three summers were far wetter and cooler than normal, bringing devastating flooding and loss of life.

Though the direct explanation is it was caused by the very rare occurrence of a triple-dip La Nina weather pattern, there may be a surprising factor behind that.

Scientists have found that smoke pollution from the months-long 'Black Summer' bushfires of 2019-2020 may have contributed to the La Nina pattern that hit Australia three years running.

In a study published in the Science Advances journal, researchers ran climate models with and without bushfire emissions to determine the role the fires played.

What they found was astonishing. 'In fact, we underestimated the effects, if anything, of the wildfires,' lead author Dr John Fasullo of the US-based National Centre for Atmospheric Research said.

A shock new scientific theory has emerged as a likely explanation for why Australia's last three summers were far wetter and cooler than normal. Pictured are people sheltering from the rain under umbrellas in Sydney, Friday, January 6, 2023

'But what we found in the initial two years itself was actually pretty interesting  we have this La-Nina-like response,' he told the ABC.

The study was sparked by research into emission reductions during lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

But the researchers thought the 2019-2020 bushfires may have had a bigger effect on the climate than the drop in emissions due to pandemic lockdowns.

It is thought the Black Summer fires were the first widespread enough to affect climate models, but the findings could provide an insight into the link between large bushfires and climate events of the past.

The Black Summer bushfires, which burned with an abnormally high intensity and size, pumped huge amounts of smoke aerosols into the atmosphere.

Smoke is pictured from a bushfire in East Gippsland, Victoria during the 2019-2020 Black Summer

A NASA satellite captured thick smoke (pictured) that blanketed south-eastern Australia on New Year's Day, 2020

It was so intense that it was on par with major volcanic eruptions and could be seen from space.

At one point in December 2019, there were more than 100 fires burning at the same time in NSW alone.

Dr Fasullo said the emissions caused clouds to become brighter, thicker and longer lasting, which then created a cooling effect across the southern hemisphere.

In turn, this was likely to have created favourable conditions for the La Nina to form in 2020, by helping to move a large tropical cloud band northwards and allowing trade winds to come in underneath it.

RFS volunteers and NSW Fire and Rescue officers are pictured fighting a bushfire encroaching on properties near Termeil on the Princes Highway between Bateman's Bay and Ulladulla on December 3, 2019

'The trade winds over the equator lead to this steep ocean upwelling, and that is a La Nina event,' Dr Fasullo said.

He added that the bushfires roughly doubled the chances of a prolonged La Nina.

'They certainly added in a material way to both the probability of La Nina and also the intensity of La Nina for at least two years.'

The La Nina's in 2020, 2021 and 2022 dominated Australia's weather patterns and brought devastating and record-breaking flooding in the eastern states.
A spoon clinking against a glass.

That was the sound a 25-year-old woman heard from another room as her new housemate laced her drink with a sedative.

The next morning she woke up in Marco Gastello's bed. He had raped her while she was unconscious.

On July 8, 2017, the woman had moved into Gastello's Melbourne apartment after seeing it advertised on Gumtree.

They played pool and started drinking that evening.

She started coughing and Gastello poured her several vodka shots as he said it would 'kill the bacteria in her throat'.

The next morning the woman woke up in Marco Gastello's bed. He had raped her while she was unconscious

Gastello had laced her drink with sleeping pills while she was in the bathroom

He then laced her drink with sleeping pills while she was in the bathroom.

After consuming the drink, the woman found it difficult to walk but managed to reach her bedroom.

She woke up next to Gastello in his bed.

He went to the gym and she discovered white powder inside her glass and went to police after talking to a friend.

When police arrested Gastello for the rape they found child abuse material and intimate photos of women on his devices.

Further investigations revealed he had taken photos of two women without their consent, including of a 21-year-old colleague while she was drunk in bed three years earlier.

Detectives also found intimate photos of another former housemate of Gastello taken while she was asleep in March 2017, including photos of him sexually assaulting her.

It took police three years to progress the case due to staffing changes and he was not arrested or charged until June 2020.

The two women he took non-consensual intimate photos of did not find out they existed until after Gastello's arrest.

The 44-year-old was jailed for nine years and 10 months on Thursday.

He pleaded guilty to rape, sexual and indecent assault, administration of an intoxicating substance and possession of child abuse material.

Judge Marcus Dempsey said the three women were at their most vulnerable when he committed the 'depraved' and 'vile' sexual offending.

Judge Marcus Dempsey said the three women were at their most vulnerable when Gastello committed the 'depraved' and 'vile' sexual offending

'Each of these women trusted you as a colleague or a housemate, your abuse of their trust is nothing short of despicable,' he said.

Gastello, who has already served two years and four months of his sentence, will be eligible for parole after six years and four months.

He will be registered as a sex offender for life.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
A student group has reportedly cut ties with the Oxford Union following allegations it fosters a 'toxic culture' - amid plans to protest during a talk by gender-critical professor Kathleen Stock.

The University of Oxford's student union is understood to have severed fiscal ties with the OU and banned it from its freshers' fair - where the prestigious debating society attracted a third of its members last year.

The unprecedented move, which is likely to place a strain on the OU's finances, comes after at least four of the university's colleges are said to have voted against its decision to invite Prof Stock to give the talk later on May 30, The Times reports.

Prof Stock's invitation has been met with a backlash from campaigners, despite the student union defending its commitment to free speech, and a rally led by the student union's LGBT society was subsequently planned to coincide with her appearance.

She was hounded out of her job at the University of Sussex after being 'cancelled' for saying biological sex cannot be changed.

Prof Stock's invitation has been met with a backlash from campaigners, despite the student union defending its commitment to free speech

Protestors gathered in Library Square at Sussex University to rally against Prof Stock at the University of Sussex

Students have been offered 'welfare resources' to help them cope with the talk due to the 'sensitive nature' of the occasion, but the OU said it was 'deeply committed to its core principle of free speech'.

But Christ Church, among the wealthiest of the university colleges, described Prof Stock as a 'notorious transphobe' and accused the OU of being 'complicit and responsible in spreading transphobic rhetoric' if the talk goes ahead.

At least four other colleges are understood to have released statements in relation to her talk.

Responding to the backlash on Twitter, Prof Stock wrote: 'Reminder for brave, resilient types who think they can bear to face my ideas on gender identity  my book is on a Kindle deal for 99p at the moment.

'Extra counselling is available for Oxford students affected by this news.'

New rules introduced by the OU prevent the same people from working as officials in both the debating society and the student union.

The student union said, as a result, it was no longer able to 'check' on issues relation to bullying, sexual harassment, discrimination and data privacy.

It added that there was a history of racial profiling and discrimination, as well as data concerns relating to photographs and names being taken of students attending particular OU events. It also alleged the OU had failed to tackle a 'toxic culture'.

The student union is reviewing its ties with the OU and has voted to cease its commercial and financial relationships.

It comes as a new higher education Freedom of Speech Bill was last night accepted by the House of Lords.

Dr Stock's Oxford Union appearance on May 30 was announced in the society's 'term card', but has been met with a backlash from campaigners

Protestors gathered in Library Square at Sussex University to rally against Dr Stock in 2021

The phrase 'Stock Out' was also seen written on walls by protesters around the campus at Sussex University

Education minister Claire Coutinho said: 'University should be a place where students and academics can debate controversial ideas without fear or favour. If not there, then where?

'The Bill contains practical steps to protect freedom of speech on campus. We cannot accept a culture where visiting speakers are no-platformed, academics are hounded out of their jobs, and where self-censorship narrows the terms of debate.'

A spokesman for the OU said: The universitys compliance policy indicates that free speech is the lifeblood of a university, a principle that is upheld by the Oxford Union.

'It is unfortunate that many of the claims made on the motion are not factually accurate, and merely represent the views of a minority of the student body.'

The University of Oxford's student union has been contacted for comment.
EQS-Ad-hoc: Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. / Key word(s): Dividend/Dividend

Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. : Majorel announces proposed dividend for 2022 of EUR 0.68 per share



11-May-2023 / 08:00 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) 596/2014.



Majorel announces proposed dividend for 2022of EUR 0.68 per share

Luxembourg, May 11, 2023: Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. (Euronext Amsterdam: MAJ) (Majorel, the Company), a global customer experience (CX) leader, today announces its proposed dividend for 2022.

The Company proposes a 2022 dividend payment of EUR 0.68 per share, subject to shareholder approval at its Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM, which is scheduled for 14:00 CEST on June 22, 2023, will be held in a hybrid manner at the Hotel Novotel Luxembourg Kirchberg, 6 Rue du Fort Niedergrunewald, L-2226 Luxembourg. More information on how to attend and all documentation relating to the AGM will be announced in due course.

If the dividend proposal is accepted at the Annual General Meeting, the intended dividend 2022 schedule will be as follows:

Ex-Date 26 June 2023

Record date 27 June 2023

Payment Date 18 July 2023

Dividends are paid in Euros. A Luxembourg withholding tax of 15% will be applied on the gross dividend amounts. In order to benefit from exemption of Luxembourg withholding tax at source, an Informative Memorandum describing the procedure is available here.

For Majorel shares held via Euroclear Nederland, ABN AMRO is offering a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP). Shareholders have the opportunity to reinvest their net dividend in ordinary shares of Majorel. Shareholders should make the decision to participate in the DRIP via their own bank, broker, custodian or financial institution.



ABOUT MAJOREL

Were a global CX leader. Clients say that our agile culture makes us special, which means that doing business with us is easy. As experts in customer experience management, weve seen it all, so were able to ensure the reliability our clients need and the care their customers deserve. Our team members love nothing more than to just get things done, secure in the knowledge that we strive to be the best home for their talent. Our spirit is resourceful, resilient, and relentless, and this is what drives us to go further.

82,000+ team members; 70+ languages; 45 countries; end-to-end CXM; tech-human augmentation; global and local. Majorel: Driven to go further. www.majorel.com



CONTACT

Investor Relations

Michele Negen

ir@majorel.com

Media Relations

Andrew Slater

media@majorel.com



DISCLAIMER

This announcement is released by Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. (Company) and contains information that qualified or may have qualified as inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR). This announcement is made for the purposes of MAR and pursuant to Article 2 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1055.
A leading anti-vaxxer has made an astonishing video begging 'older' Australians to give her their inheritance to save her conspiracy-based movement from bankruptcy.

After listing where Reignite Democracy Australia's (RDA) money has gone - wages, taxes, GST etc - Monica Smit said 'it's too much for one girl to carry'.

The Melbourne-based activist, who came to prominence for her anti-lockdown views during the Covid-19 pandemic, then begged people to give her their money.

'You can just straight out donate or if you've got, you know, an inheritance and you're older and you don't know what you're going to do with it, why not support us?' she said.

'If we don't get an answer in the next two months, I'm going to have to close all the services with RDA ... because I'm going to go bankrupt.'

Prominent anti-vaxxer Monica Smit (pictured) has made an astonishing video begging 'older' Australians to give her their inheritance to save her conspiracy-based movement from bankruptcy

The former reality TV wannabe - who tried out for Survivor in 2017 but didn't make the cut - also invoked a higher power, saying 'somewhere along the line God will look after me'.

Ms Smit implied that fellow anti-vaxxers owed her their support, saying 'We were there for Australia when Australia really needed it ... when we used to have to hide under bushes'.

'It was exactly the right thing at exactly the right time because you know, I've learnt so much,' she said.

'Being a public freedom fighter is stressful in itself with constant attacks, but to have financial stress on top of all that  it's too much for one girl to carry.'

She added that 'we have no large investors, no government handouts or grants and we pay tax and GST as if we were a normal company but we operate as a not-for-profit.

'There are countless financial obligations when employing people and owning a business, I just can't keep up.'

A Twitter account with no sympathy for Monica Smit (pictured) wrote that 'The sun appears to be setting for Mon Mon'

A financial statement (pictured), covering the first four months of 2023, showed expenses such as $2,690 for 'currency conversion - Paypal' and 'motor vehicle expenses' of $2,400

Ms Smit also revealed that she is going to Europe to share her anti-vax views.

'I have Reignite Freedom which is a global organisation and I'm travelling Europe soon on my own money because I still believe that if I keep doing what I feel is right in my heart, somewhere along the line God will look after me.

'So I'm happy to spend the last of my savings on that, because what I've learnt creating community groups in Australia, it's going to really help me to do the same thing for Europe,' she said.

The RDA website also posted an article saying it was heading for bankruptcy as 'over the last 10 months, we're negative over $80,000'.

It also posted a financial statement for the second half of 2022, showing its income was $186,693.33, with ages and salaries costing $174,052.40.

RFA also spent around $13,000 on website development in that period, more than $10,000 on international travel and around $7,000 on domestic travel.

Another financial statement, covering the first four months of 2023, showed expenses such as $2,690 for 'currency conversion - Paypal' and 'motor vehicle expenses' of $2,400.

'I have sacrificed three years of my life on a $500/week wage while using my savings and depending on my parents' support,' Ms Smit wrote.

'I don't regret a second of it, but it's time I make tough decisions to protect my future.'

Ms Smit's plea for 'older' Australians to give her their inheritances prompted the SOS Twitter account  which debunks Australian conspiracy theorists  to speak out against the call for cash.

'The sun appears to be setting for Mon Mon. If she doesn't get more donations to waste she's shutting the door for the last time,' SOS tweeted.

Another disparaging commenter wrote about the state of Ms Smit's finances.

'So looking at profit/loss (people's) donations paid salaries That's pretty much it ... Achieved nothing.'

Ms Smit (pictured) wrote that she had 'sacrificed three years of my life on a $500/week wage while using my savings and depending on my parents' support'

A former supporter offered their theory of why the movement is going bankrupt, saying 'When Monica Smit hitched the RDA wagon to the United Australia Party and became their propaganda distribution platform, RDA immediately lost a ton of support.

'UAP was not trusted at all by most in the "Freedom Movement" and RDA is circling the drain because of that bad decision.'

There was some support for Ms Smit though, such as the commenter who said 'Maybe the watchers (of her video) should chime in.

'Her demise will leave a hole in a lot of people's lives.'
The Long Island liar was taken into custody in New York earlier that day

He claimed to have 'asked questions' about Bannon-ally Miles Guo

Republican Rep. George Santos floated a theory on social media Wednesday that his federal fraud indictment was in response to his defense of exiled Chinese billionaire businessman Miles Guo.

The Long Island liar was taken into custody in New York after he was indicted on a string of offenses including money laundering, wire fraud and making false statements during his campaign.

Santos, tweeting after the indictment, suggested it was because he 'asked questions' about Guo, AKA Guo Wengui, a Steve Bannon ally who faces his own fraud charges.

'I asked questions about #MilesGuo & the DOJ indicts me 5 days later! The fight is real & Im OVER the target, I need your support to keep me fighting for freedom,' Santos wrote.

On May 4, Santos had asked in another tweet: 'Why is Miles Guo being held without bail?'

Republican Rep. George Santos floated a theory on social media Wednesday that his federal fraud indictment was in response to his defense of exiled Chinese billionaire businessman Miles Guo (pictured)

Wengui, a financier who backed conservative social media app Getter, now faces creditors including the Pacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund. The fund says he owes them $254 million.

Guo was previously sued by the firm for unpaid loans totaling $88 million he is said to have taken out between 2008 and 2011.

His perilous finances stand in marked contrasts to Wengui's prior boasts about his vast wealth.

In 2015, he bought a $67.5 million apartment in the Sherry Netherland Residence Building - a famed co-op which sits on the so-called 'Billionaires Row' of Fifth Avenue and Central Park in New York. But the businessman listed it for sale just months later.

Wengui also owned a huge superyacht, the Lady May, which he bought for $28 million in 2015, and was a member of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago country club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Earlier in February, a New York judge ordered him to pay $134 million in fines for his attempt to move the luxurious vessel.

In another attempt to divert attention, Santos then called out President Joe Biden's troubled son by tweeting: 'WHERE'S HUNTER?'

Santos got into a heated confrontation with reporters and criticized the criminal cases against him after pleading not guilty to 13 federal charges for misleading donors and lying about his finances.

Santos, tweeting after the indictment, suggested it was because he 'asked questions' about Guo

Guo Wengui is pictured, left, with Steve Bannon, right. He bankrolled the Trump 2016 svengali, but has now sought bankruptcy protection, despite previously claiming to have been a billionaire

Santos was taken into custody in New York after he was indicted on a string of offenses including money laundering, wire fraud and making false statements during his campaign.

He appeared in court on Wednesday afternoon, pleaded not guilty and was freed on bail in a pivotal moment in his career, just four months after he was sworn in.

Santos was mobbed by reporters when he left court and called the charges against him a 'witch hunt'.

He also said he won't resign, insisted he still plans to run for re-election and asked why President Joe Biden's family wasn't being investigated by the Department of Justice.

'I'm going to fight the witch hunt,' he vowed, picking up a phrase used regularly by former President Donald Trump to describe a series of investigations.

Republican Rep. George Santos got into a heated confrontation with reporters and criticized the criminal cases against him after pleading not guilty to 13 federal charges for misleading donors and lying about his finances

Prosecutors have accused him of using donor funds to buy designer clothes and pay off personal debts and for applying for COVID unemployment benefits while running for Congress and making $125,000 a year.

He will appear in court again on June 30 and was also made to surrender his passport.

Santos address a phalanx of media outside the courthouse, vowing to fight the charges.

'Look, this is the beginning of the ability for me to address and defend myself. We have an indictment. We have the information that the government wants to come after me on and I'm going to comply,' he said.

'I've been complying throughout this entire process. I have no desire not to comply at this point. They've been gracious in there. Now I'm going to have to fight to defend myself.'

The Long Island liar was taken into custody in New York after he was indicted on a string of offenses including money laundering, wire fraud and making false statements during his campaign

Santos addressed a mob of reporters, said he would fight to prove his innocence, and called the charges part of a 'witch hunt'

Then, he tried to change the subject to family members of President Joe Biden  drawing boos from people gathered around him.

'The reality is it's a witch hunt. It makes no sense that in four months, four months, five months I'm indicted. You have Joe Biden's entire family receiving deposits from nine family members receiving money from foreign destinations into their bank accounts. It's been years of exposing  and yet no investigation is launched into them.

'I'm going to fight my battle. I'm going to deliver. I'm going to fight the witch hunt. I'm going to take care of clearing my name and I look forward to doing that.'

He was referencing a new report by House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.). Hunter Biden is reportedly under federal investigation for tax matters and a gun charge.

Santos tried to convey an air of business as usual, despite the extraordinary indictment and the pressure it put on his fellow lawmakers.

'I have to go back and vote. Tomorrow we have one of the the most consequential votes of this Congress, which is a border bill, and I'm very looking forward to be there for that,' he said.

'I appreciate everybody's patience with my presence in Congress,' he said, adding that he respects the media. He said he plans to continue having an 'open door.'

'I think this is about innocent until proven guilty. This starts. I have my right to fight to prove my innocence as the government has the right to fight to try to find me guilty in whatever charges,' he said.

'I'm going to fight my battle. I'm going to deliver. I'm going to fight the witch hunt. I am going to take care of clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that,' he said.

The Eastern District of New York unsealed the indictment on Wednesday morning, 24 hours after Santos appeared to have no idea he was being charged.

The indictment includes seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making false statements to the House of Representatives.

The allegations add to the litany of lies he has been accused of, including stealing money meant for a dying Iraq War veteran's dog and being behind a credit card fraud.

'This indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations,' stated United States Attorney Breon Peace.

'Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself.

A defiant Santos told reporters he won't resign and will run for re-election despite the 13 federal criminal charges he is facing

Santos said he was returning to Washington and planned to vote in the Capitol Thursday

'He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representatives.

'My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively root out corruption and self-dealing from our community's public institutions and hold public officials accountable to the constituents who elected them.'

The charges related to unemployment benefits carry potential additional political sting, since the benefits draw funds from the state whose voters sent him to Washington.

Prosecutors say he took those benefits while receiving income.

'At the height of the pandemic in 2020, George Santos allegedly applied for and received unemployment benefits while he was employed and running for Congress,' said D.A. Anne Donnelly.

'As charged in the indictment, the defendant's alleged behavior continued during his second run for Congress when he pocketed campaign contributions and used that money to pay down personal debts and buy designer clothing.'

At the time, Santos was pulling in $120,000 a year from his Florida-based investment firm.

Santos' arraignment is set for Wednesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay at the Alfonse D'Amato Federal Courthouse.

A newly unsealed indictment charges Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) with claiming unemployment benefits while pulling in a six-figure salary and using campaign donations for personal uses, as well as making false statements on his financial disclosures

Santos surrendered himself at the Islip Federal Court

Photographers lines up to see the serial fabricator as he faced federal charges

The alleged scheme brought him $24,000 in unemployment insurance benefits.

The indictment also spells out a 'fraudulent' scheme where Santos defrauded political supporters, telling a political consultant to inform donors their contributions were to elect him to Congress. That led two donors to transfer $25,000 to the bank account of an LLC operated by Santos.

Santos then took those funds and transferred them to his personal bank accounts, according to the indictment. 'Santos allegedly then used much of that money for personal expenses'  including designer clothing, cash withdrawals, and to service debts.

The feds also charge Santos with making false statements to Congress on his required financial disclosures. Those forms require a 'full and complete' disclosure of his finances.

The indictment says he overstated the income he got from one firm and 'altogether failed' to disclose he got from an investment firm during his first campaign for Congress.

The indictment alleges he overstated his income and assets during his second run  when he shocked political experts by defeating Democrat Robert Zimmerman.

The 'false' statement claimed he got $750,000 in salary from the Devolder Organization LLC; got dividends of between $1 million and $5 million, and held a savings account with up to $5 million.

Those claims were 'false,' according to the indictment, which also charges he failed to disclose $28,000 in income from an investment firm and $20,000 in UI benefits from New York.

The indictment's charges of fraud and money laundering pose a political headache for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who relies on Santos' vote in his narrow majority.

McCarthy indicated to reporters Monday after news of the then-sealed indictment broke that he intended to stand by him.

'Just like we had before with [former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry] ... he was found guilty and then I told him he needed to resign,' McCarthy said. Fortenberry was convicted of lying about foreign campaign contributions.
A teenager with a life-threatening nut allergy was served cashews on a trans-Atlantic flight after airline staff failed to take on board his mother's warning.

Dan Richards, 16, was about to tuck into his breakfast while flying home from New York when stewards handed out a yoghurt topping containing cashews.

Schoolboy Dan is highly allergic to the nut and British Airways were warned of his condition when mother Emma made the booking.

Owing to a mix-up the family of five were seated in different rows on the overnight flight from JFK to Heathrow.

Luckily Emma's partner Daniel Hunt, 49, was sitting at the back of the plane where the nuts were handed out first.

Dan Richards (second right, pictured with siblings Jack and Ruby, mother Emma and her partner Daniel Hunt) was served cashews on a trans-Atlantic flight despite warnings over his severe nut allergy

Dan (pictured with his family) was about to tuck into his breakfast while flying home from New York when stewards handed out a yoghurt topping containing cashews

He spotted the tiny plastic pouch contained cashews and dashed to the front of the plane to raise the alarm.

Emma, 49, said: 'I snatched them away from Dan just in time. His allergy is life-threatening, just one nut could be enough.

'I carry and EpiPen in case he goes into anaphylactic shock but I wouldn't want my son to be in that situation at 36,000 ft.'

The family, including twins Ruby and Jack, spent 6,000 on the five-day trip to New York. The package holiday, with a hotel in Times Square, included economy flights with BA to New York and return flights with American Airlines.

NHS project manager Emma told BA, who they booked with, that Dan's condition was life-threatening and there were no problems on the outbound flight.

She says she informed an American Airlines stewardess about Dan's allergy when the family boarded the plane home and was told there were no nuts in the in-flight meals.

But cashew nuts were handed out in a plastic wrapper along with grain-free granola and chewy coconut, two hours before they were due to land at Heathrow at the end of their holiday just before last Christmas.

Emma said: 'I was sitting in the row in front of Dan and managed to reach the package before he opened it.

'But other passengers sitting around him were eating their nuts on top of the yoghurt.

'If I hadn't acted quickly he could have died.

'We don't know if Dan is at risk from airborne particles of cashew and pistachio nuts so I had to watch him for the rest of the flight.

'I had some wet wipes with me and gave his seat and tray a good going over. Fortunately he was OK.'

Mother Emma (pictured) says she informed an American Airlines stewardess about Dan's allergy when the family boarded the plane home and was told there were no nuts in the in-flight meals

But cashew nuts were handed out in a plastic wrapper along with grain-free granola and chewy coconut, two hours before they were due to land at Heathrow at the end of their holiday just before last Christmas (Dan pictured with mother Emma and siblings Jack and Ruby)

Emma, from Llanishen, Cardiff, has complained multiple times but has yet to receive a proper apology.

American Airlines said sorry after the five members of the family had to sit separately in rows 36, 37, 42 and 43.

Emma said: 'I have a chain of emails - British airways blame American Airlines and American Airlines blame British Airways.

'I'm being bounced from one to the other and no one is accepting responsibility.'

Emma is campaigning for all airlines to ban nuts on flights and says the family have not encountered any problems while flying with Tui and EasyJet.

She added: 'I don't get what it is about airlines giving passengers nuts. Surely people are prepared to go without a few nuts if it saves someone from being seriously ill mid-flight?'

British Airways told MailOnline that it was the responsibility of the carrier airline - American Airlines. A spokesman said: 'We can't investigate something that happened on a flight that wasn't one of ours. American Airlines are the operating company.'

A spokesman for American Airlines said: 'We've investigated this claim and unfortunately, don't have a record of the full complaint, however our team is reaching out to the customer to understand what happened.

'We always do our utmost to ensure the safety of our passengers and team, and our website provides clear guidance on food allergies, which we highly recommend all passengers read before their flight.'

Simone Miles, CEO of Allergy UK told MailOnline: 'With 2 million people living in the UK with food allergies, there is an urgency for airlines to better understand and accommodate this community.

'Those living with food allergies have a right to be able to live a full life without exclusion through fear of a society not taking allergy seriously.

'Allergy UK's Patient Charter clearly calls for the right to travel with confidence. All airlines should have clear and comprehensive policies in place so those living with food allergies are accurately informed to make safe choices.

'This is why we urge the travel industry to heed our calls to improve awareness and education of food allergy among all staff.'
Thunder is set to batter Britain today as a village is struck by a freak flurry of hailstones.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather thunderstorm alert for much of the UK, warning that driving conditions will likely be affected by spray, standing water or hail, leading to longer journey times.

There may also be damage to buildings from lightning strikes, forecasters say, while it is 'likely' that some homes and businesses will be affected by flooding and suffer power cuts.

The Welsh village of Pontllanfraith, near Caerphilly, was hit by a freak storm this morning that saw giant hailstones pelt down from the sky.

The local pub, called The Bird in Hand, was forced to close by the force of the storm after it lost power - and the large hail stones stacked up outside the building to create a barricade to make it impossible to open the front door.

Staff then had to battle water as the pub became flooded in the storm.

Thunder and hail are battling Britain today as a series of freak storms pose risks of lightning strikes, power cuts and travel disruptions. Pictured: Hail in the Welsh village of Pontllanfraith, near Caerphilly today

Pictured: Flooding in North Cadbury, Somerset today. There may also be damage to buildings from lightning strikes, while it is 'likely' that some homes and businesses will be affected by flooding and suffer power cuts

The Met Office has issued a thunderstorm warning for much of the UK as heavy rain moves in today

Villager Rhys Leyshon, 42, said: 'You never seen anything like it. The hailstones were the size of marbles - it is really mad May weather.'

The pub's management said the venue would have to remain closed 'whilst we assess the situation and try make it as safe as possible'.

'At the moment we are without hot water, heating, fridges and much needed cellar equipment as all have been damaged,' they said. 'This is alongside all our flooring and furniture.'

Landlords Sally and Martyn Everson took to social media to praised regulars and locals for helping out. They thanked people for helping them dry out the bar.

The pair said: 'Thanks to everyone who brought us towels down we are so grateful. We truly feel so supported and loved by our community.'

But Britons can look forward to some respite from the miserable weather this weekend, with conditions set to turn drier and warmer from Saturday with 20C (68F) highs expected in the South and 18C (64F) in the North on what will be a sunny day.

It will be warmer in England on Saturday than Madrid (19C), Ibiza (19C) and Nice (18C).

Forecasters said a ridge of high pressure will bring the drier weather and it will turn warmer into the weekend following a slight dip in temperatures this week.

The Bird in Hand pub was forced to close by the force of the storm after it lost power - and the large hail stones stacked up outside the building to create a barricade to make it impossible to open the front door

The Bird in Hand staff then had to battle water as the pub became flooded in the storm

The Environment Agency has flood alerts in place today mostly across southern England

Highs of 20C are expected in the South and 18C in the North on what will be a sunny Saturday

Two women work to clear up following floods at Newton Poppleford in Devon yesterday

Hilary Pinfold clears up yesterday after her home in Newton Poppleford was hit by floods

People clear the roads in the Devon village of Tipton St John yesterday after the flooding

Tonight will have a clear and dry start for the Midlands, South West England and Wales, but it will be overcast for northern areas.

Throughout the night, the band of cloud will move south-westwards, although no significant showers are expected.

It will then be mostly dry but dull tomorrow with cloudy skies and some drizzle.

Outbreaks of rain will spread from eastern areas into the South East, but will reduce in intensity throughout the day.

Saturday then looks like it will be dry, as cloud becomes increasingly sparse throughout the day, although moderate winds are forecast in southern areas.

Sunday will be similar as it stays mostly dry, with only isolated pockets of cloud in the daytime, although cloud cover will increase into the evening.

It comes after flash flooding following heavy thunderstorms on Tuesday evening saw a major incident declared by the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service in the Galhampton, North Cadbury, and South Cadbury areas.

Firefighters said they deployed several resources to the areas of Somerset to deal with the flooding, which was resolved by the early hours of yesterday.

By the afternoon, Travel Somerset said its teams were helping out with the clear-up operation and assessing road damage after 'an unprecedented flash flood event ... with around 88mm of rain falling in just two hours'.

Vehicles make their way along flooded country lanes at Dunsden in Oxfordshire this morning

A dog walker wades through the muddy country paths in the woods at Dunsden this morning

Vehicles make their way along flooded country lanes at Dunsden in Oxfordshire this morning

It sent teams to the Milverton region and further north after Tuesday's 'significant flooding to the highway'. Flooding of the A359 at Queen Camel made it impassable.

Travel Somerset said its specialists will need to wait until today for water levels to drop to make further assessments.

The Environment Agency told motorists not to try to drive through flood water, saying 'enough water to fill an egg cup can ruin your engine, leaving you stranded in water and in need of rescue from emergency services'.

Basingstoke was battered by hailstorms - with one resident describing his worry over the storm damaging his car - while Somerset experienced a 'different scale' of rain.

A Met Office yellow warning for thunderstorms was also in place for yesterday, as parts of the UK faced more heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail.

The UK's warmest day of the year so far was Monday, when Helens Bay in Northern Ireland got to 21.6C (70.1F).
A 16-year-old girl who was killed after being dragged under a tram in Sydney for more than 200 metres has been identified - with heartbroken friends paying tribute to their 'beautiful angel'.

Kyra Dulguime was killed shortly after falling into a gap between two light rail carriages at the George Street platform in the city's CBD at midnight on Wednesday evening.

Emergency crews desperately tried to save the critically-injured 16-year-old but, despite battling for two hours, she died at the scene.

On Thursday, her devastated friends placed messages and flowers near the scene of the teen's death.

Clearly emotional, they were seen embracing each other and lighting candles in Kyra's memory as commuters passed by.

A message posted on Facebook read: 'I love you and I (will) miss you, our beautiful angel, Kyra Dulguime.

'I just can't believe that you're gone. Rest in peace in the arms of our Lord and may the perpetual light shine upon you.'

Witnesses told Daily Mail Australia the girl had tried to cross the tracks between two carriages when the tram was stopped at a red light at the near the light rail stop in Chinatown.

When the tram suddenly started moving, she became trapped under one of the carriages and was dragged up the road before the driver came to a stop.

Kyra Dulguime has been identified as the 16-year-old who died after falling between trams in Sydney's CBD on Wednesday

Kyra was killed shortly after falling into a gap between two light rail carriages - despite desperate attempts to save her

On Thursday, her devastated friends placed messages and flowers near the George Street platform in the CBD where the teen died

She was killed shortly after falling into a gap between two light rail carriages at the George Street platform in the city's CBD at midnight on Wednesday evening

NSW Police officers and firefighters worked frantically to free the girl trapped under a tram carriage, but she died at the scene

Mohammed Aqil Abdulla, 29, was working the night shift at TSG Tobacco Station near the Chinatown stop when he heard terrifying screams.

'The tram dragged her from the lights to the next platform, roughly 200metres,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'She was stuck in between the compartments.'

Mr Abdulla said he had heard the girl had attempted to cross between carriages when the tram was stationary at traffic lights.

'She wanted to jump from the other side, but suddenly the light changed, and she was stuck in between, he said.

'The driver wouldn't have seen her.'

'Witnesses were screaming "Help her! Help her!". The police and paramedics rushed to the spot, but I think she was dead on the spot.'

The shopkeeper added: 'She was just 16. I feel sorry for her family, it's so sad.

Shocked witnesses have described how the horror incident unfolded

Another distraught witnesses said the girl was with a friend when she was hit, and that other passengers on the tram had tried to help her.

Footage from the scene showed distraught passengers being comforted and escorted away by emergency responders.

NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry described the incident as a difficult and tragic situation for firefighters who rushed to the scene.

On arrival, paramedics were on scene assessing and treating the casualty who was trapped underneath this light rail carriage. Unfortunately there was nothing that could be done,' he told reporters.

'Firefighters and police rescue teams under the guidance of tram engineers used hydraulic lifting rams and high pressure air bags to lift the 10 tonne carriage and remove the 16-year-olds body.'

Supt Dewberry couldn't comment on how the teen became trapped under the tram as police were still investigating.

The male tram driver, 52, was taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

Police cordoned off the vicinity to establish a crime scene and investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Tobacconist store attendant Mohammed Aqil Abdulla (pictured) was working the night shift when the horrific incident unfolded nearby

The tragedy unfolded near in Haymarket near the Chinatown light rail stop

Police spent the early hours of Thursday morning examining the scene and the tram

Light rail services resumed around 6.30am on Thursday morning in time for the morning peak hour (pictured)

The tram has since been removed from the scene as a police investigation into the tragedy continues.

Light rail services between Central and Circular Quay resumed around 6.30am on Thursday in time for the morning peak hour rush.

'Everyone at Transport for NSW is saddened by the death of a teenage girl at a light rail stop in central Sydney overnight,' Transport for NSW Secretary Howard Collins said.

'We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends and loved ones.

'We thank emergency services, staff and anyone who rendered assistance for their efforts last night and we will provide our staff with the support they need.'
A political action committee backing Florida governor Ron DeSantis has slammed former President Trump for his Wednesday night CNN town hall appearance, dubbing it 'over an hour of nonsense that proved Trump is stuck in the past'.

Erin Perrine, a spokesperson for Never Back Down, derided Trump in a statement for focusing on 'attacking DeSantis and lying about finishing the wall', adding that 'Trump still doesn't know where he stands on important conservative issues like supporting life and the second amendment.'

On Twitter, the super PAC echoed Perrine's statement, running through some of the topics the interview focused on - including past comments, the 2020 election and Jan 6 - and asked 'How does this Make America Great Again?'

Donald Trump appeared on CNN for the first time since his election on Wednesday. He spoke on issues including the 2020 election, the subsequent Capitol riots on 6 January 2021, Tuesday's guilty verdict over the abuse of writer E Jean Carroll, and the war in Ukraine.

Ron DeSantis has not announced his candidacy for the upcoming 2024 elections but is pegged as a likely Republican contender.

Trump appeared in a televised interview on CNN on Wednesday to discuss a number of issues

Ron DeSantis speaks during an event at True North Classical Academy in Miami, Florida, 9 May

Responding to a question about government mandates on business, Trump lashed out at DeSantis, who is currently embroiled in legal clashes with Disney, which the Florida governor has denounced as the 'Magic Kingdom of woke corporatism'.

Trump said: 'I think [DeSantis] ought to just relax and take it easy and think about the future, because right now his future is not looking so good.'

Chris Jankowski, CEO of Never Back Down, said in a statement after the interview: 'A candidate who has lost his luster appearing on a network thats lost its ratings.

'Both ignore a key fact: 2024 isnt 2016. The old gimmicks and tired lines dont work anymore.'

Betfair still puts Trump as the most likely Republican nominee, with 4/9 odds (about 69%) versus DeSantis' 11/4 (about 27%).

Nikki Haley and Tim Scott have odds of 20/1 and 25/1 respectively.

For the election itself, President Joe Biden is still pegged as the most likely candidate with 13/8 odds versus Trump's 5/2 and DeSantis' 9/2,

Blasting the interview itself, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said: 'I think it was a profoundly irresponsible decision [to 'platform such atrocious disinformation'].

She continued: 'What we saw tonight was a series of extremely irresponsible decisions that put a sexual abuse victim at risk... in front of national audience... It was shameful.'

The interview with Kaitlan Collins lasted 70 minutes and covered a number of bases.

Trump dropped a number of bombshells, dubbing January 6 a 'beautiful day', insisting he had 'every right' to take classified documents to Mar-a-Lago, refusing to say whether he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the war, saying he would resolve the conflict within a day, and saying the end of Title 42 would be a 'day of infamy'.

During the interview, Trump also called E Jean Carroll a 'whack job' for her rape allegations made against Trump, for which a jury awarded her $5mn in damages for abuse and defamation.

At one point, pressed on why he had taken classified documents to his Palm Beach home, Trump called Collins a 'nasty person'.

He said he was allowed to have the documents under the Presidential Records Act, which Collins rebuffed.

'That's not what the Presidential Records Act says,' she said.

Deflecting, Collins asked Trump to answer the question, to which he said: 'You're a nasty person, I'll tell you.'

Erin Perrine issued a statement after the interview, saying Trump was still 'stuck in the past'

Spokesperson Perrine shared the statement on behalf of the super PAC on Twitter

'I want people to stop dying,' Trump said, insisting he would resolve the war within 24 hours

Ron DeSantis has not announced whether he will run in the 2024 US elections.

He did, at the end of April, embark on a global trade mission, representing Florida to the world.

Unofficially, supporters say the tour of Japan, South Korea, Israel and the UK was to boost his foreign policy credentials before running for president.

DeSantis donor Dan Eberhart said the trip was timed to come just ahead of an expected 2024 announcement when the Florida legislative sessions ends in May.

'This is a prologue to a presidential campaign. This is similar to what both George W. Bush and Jeb Bush did,' he said, naming two other governors who ran for president.
A toddler has tragically died after contracting a mosquito-borne virus which has health authorities on edge.

The infant from the Big Rivers region 200km south of Darwin became infected with Murray Valley encephalitis after being bitten by a mosquito earlier this month, the NT Health Department said on Thursday.

The horror virus endemic to Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea, can cause a rare deadly 'brain infection'.

Three others have also died in the Top End this year from MVE including including a Darwin woman in her 70s.

The disease is a rare but potentially deadly illness with no vaccine while the only preventative measure people can take is avoiding mosquitos

There is no vaccine and the only preventative measure people can take is avoiding mosquitos.

Testing done at the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory revealed mosquitos were carrying the virus in Tennant Creek and as far down as Alice Springs.

Nina Kurucz from the NT Health's medical entomology said the rise in cases could be due to the monsoonal weather bringing disease-carrying birds to the region.

'This year for some reason there's more MVE virus in the environment  but mosquito numbers haven't been any higher, they have been rather low,' Ms Kurucz told NT News.

She added waterbirds in the area like egrets have been known to carry the virus.

'People who haven't been exposed or live in an area where the virus is endemic are more vulnerable, for example young kids,' she said.

'There is still a risk until all water bodies dry up, so we are letting people know that the virus is out there and can be fatal, and has been fatal in some cases.'

Most humans infected with the disease don't get symptoms or if they do they are only mild - with one in every 800 people developing severe infection.

But Ms Kurucz advised those in the area to cover up and warned the transmitting mosquitos are more active after sundown, through the night and early mornings.
This is the moment fleeing Russian troops were blown up with their own weapon as they tried to escape from the Ukraine frontline.

The battlefield video evidently films the strike by Ukrainians using one of the deadly weapons abandoned by Vladimir Putin's deserting soldiers.

A smoke trail is seen as the missile is fired at the escaping troops, followed by a giant explosion which appears to take out all but three of Putin's men.

While the location of the strike is unknown, it is thought that the Russian forces were hit by one of their own Kornet man-portable anti-tank guided missiles which had been left behind and then seized and deployed by Kyiv's forces.

It comes as reports continue to surface over Russians ceding hard-won ground and fleeing their positions in the fiercely contested bloody battleground of Bakhmut.

A smoke trail is seen, thought to be one of Russia's own Kornet man-portable anti-tank guided missiles, as it fires at the escaping troops

This is the moment fleeing Russian troops were blown up with their own weapon as they tried to escape from the Ukraine frontline

One of Russia's own Kornet man-portable anti-tank guided missiles is seen being deployed

Pro-Kremlin Ukrainian blogger and politician Anatoly Shariy posted the footage to his one million plus Telegram subscribers, declaring: 'This is what happens when the Russian army runs away, leaving Kornets behind.'

Voices on the footage are heard saying there was 'a huge crowd' of Russians fleeing over an open field.

A dozen or so men are then seen in the short clip running back towards Russian lines.

Their own Kornet man-portable anti-tank guided missile is then seen rocketing towards them.

'F***ing hell,' said one of the voices.

Another asked: 'What was used to fire into them?'

'It was a Kornet - now the f***wits will be destroyed.'

'F*** he's got them!'

'Two survived.'

'Three are running away, the rest are gone.'

'Only three survived out of 12.'

A report said that Ukrainian Stuhna-P anti-tank missile operators had seized the Russian Kornet and used it against the fleeing troops.

There was no immediate official comment on the Ukrainian footage.

The giant explosion is thought to take out all but three of Putin's men in the unknown location

Smoke rises after an explosion where a missile is fired at the escaping troops which appears to take out all but three of them

The rather baffling footage comes amid continued reports of Russian forces abandoning their frontlines.

Wagner mercenary group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, - who has repeatedly accused Moscow's regular armed forces of failing to adequately support his men - backed up the claims on Tuesday, saying a Russian brigade had abandoned its positions.

'Our army is fleeing. The 72nd Brigade p**sed away three square km this morning, where I had lost around 500 men,' Prigozhin said.

In a statement, Ukraine's Third Separate Assault Brigade said: 'It's official. Prigozhin's report about the flight of Russia's 72nd Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade from near Bakhmut and the '500 corpses' of Russians left behind is true.'

Ukraine's eastern military command said the Russian brigade had been heavily damaged, although it said Russia was still trying to capture the rest of the city.

'Unfortunately they have not destroyed the whole (Russian) brigade yet,' Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern military command, said in televised comments.

'The situation (in Bakhmut) remains difficult because for the enemy, despite all the white noise Prigozhin is trying to create, it (Bakhmut) is (still) the main direction of attack,' he said.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Wagner private mercenary army, rages about the recent losses of Russian soldiers in Bakhmut

Mercenary chief ranks at the Russian military leadership as reports continue over Russian forces abandoning their frontlines

Smoke erupts following a shell explosion, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine continues in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, May 7, 2023

Ukrainian soldiers fire a cannon near Bakhmut, an eastern city where fierce battles against Russian forces have been taking place, in the Donetsk region, May 3, 2023

Early on Wednesday the Third Separate Assault Brigade, which was formed last year from the nationalist Azov Battalion, reposted a video of one of Azov's founders, Andriy Biletsky, who said his forces had 'defeated' the Russian brigade.

'The attacks were implemented within a territory 3 km wide and 2.6 km deep, and this entire territory is completely liberated from the Russian occupying forces,' he said.

Since last week, Prigozhin has repeatedly threatened to pull Wagner out of Bakhmut unless Russia's regular armed forces send more ammunition. In his latest remarks on Wednesday he said his troops were receiving only 10% of the shells they needed.

As well as clashing repeatedly with Russia's defence ministry, Prigozhin has also expressed concerns about a long-promised Ukrainian counter-offensive to recapture some of the territory that Russia occupied after the 2022 invasion.
A woman assaulted by her boyfriend has revealed how her case was delayed six times - as figures showed 300 outstanding cases have been open for four years or more.

Tee, who did not provide her surname, said the delays had a 'massive impact on my mental health' and left her feeling 'like I was in prison'.

'When it would be cancelled it felt that everything was closing in and there was no end - it felt like a constant nightmare,' she told Newsnight.

'I felt like my life was on pause and I couldn't move forward until I knew the outcome. It was torture and made me feel like I was the perpetrator having to constantly wait and prepare myself for court.'

It comes as new figures provided fresh evidence of the crisis facing the criminal justice system, with a freedom of information showing 304 outstanding cases have waited four years or more for a conclusion and 173 that have been stuck in the system for six years.

Tee, who did not provide her surname, said the delays had a 'massive impact on my mental health' and left her feeling 'like I was in prison'

The data was revealed by the Ministry of Justice and is current as of the end of September 2022.

Already published government data shows 4,893 have been waiting for two or more years to be heard, with a quarter of outstanding cases having been open for a year or more.

Kirsty Brimelow KC, Chair of the Criminal Bar Association, told the BBC: 'The criminal justice system is in crisis. It's obvious, because there's a shortages of judges and barristers.

'This means that cases that actually get to court are adjourned on a regular basis, not just for a few days or weeks, but for months and even years.

'That is a system that's on the verge of collapse.'

The Ministry of Justice said most of the cases that have been delayed for four years or more are 'complex fraud or multi-defendant, multi-trial cases that ordinarily take a long time to prosecute'.

They said these had been 'particularly affected by COVID restrictions and the barristers' strike'.

'Our work to speed up justice since the pandemic, including opening extra courtrooms, enabling remote hearings and lifting the cap on court sitting days, is paying off with the average prosecution now completed within 10 months and falling,' the spokesman added.

Data shows more than 1,600 cases have collapsed in England and Wales over the last five years after complaints were withdrawn.

In the first six months of 2022-23 alone, 61 rape trials and 114 trials for serious sexual offences were abandoned by victims.

The Ministry of Justice said most of the cases that have been delayed for four years or more are 'complex fraud or multi-defendant, multi-trial cases'. Pictured: Justice Secretary Alex Chalk

Meanwhile, Rape Crisis England & Wales revealed in March that the Crown courts have reached a 'record-high' backlog of 7,859 sexual offence cases and 1,851 adult rape cases.

It said a Freedom of Information request to HM Courts and Tribunal Service revealed the number of vacated and ineffective, 'therefore delayed', rape trials more than doubled from 2019-2020 to 2021-2022.

And the report also added that there has also been a 'huge increase' in the number of ineffective trials due to lack of prosecution counsel.

The number of cases with three or more previous trial dates has almost doubled and there were five times as many hearings that had been rescheduled six or more times, it added.

Data from the last available quarter also showed that the crown court backlog for sex crime cases had increased by more than 1,000.

The charity said victims and survivors of rape and other sexual offences are 'waiting the longest out of everyone to have their experiences heard in court, with an average wait of 839 days from report to completion in court'.

Legal experts have blamed the number of alleged victims quitting prosecutions on the justice system backlog for the last few years.

The experts alleged that many complainants, who may wait upwards of three years for their case to be tried, find the long process to be incredibly stressful.

It said a Freedom of Information request to HM Courts and Tribunal Service revealed the number of vacated and ineffective, 'therefore delayed', rape trials more than doubled from 2019-2020 to 2021-2022.

Hundreds of sex crimes trials collapse before ever making it to court as alleged victims withdraw their complaints amid court backlogs

And the report also added that there has also been a 'huge increase' in the number of ineffective trials due to lack of prosecution counsel.

The number of cases with three or more previous trial dates has almost doubled and there were five times as many hearings that had been rescheduled six or more times, it added.

Data from the last available quarter also showed that the crown court backlog for sex crime cases had increased by more than 1,000.

The charity said victims and survivors of rape and other sexual offences are 'waiting the longest out of everyone to have their experiences heard in court, with an average wait of 839 days from report to completion in court'.

Legal experts have blamed the number of alleged victims quitting prosecutions on the justice system backlog for the last few years.

The experts alleged that many complainants, who may wait upwards of three years for their case to be tried, find the long process to be incredibly stressful.
Pictured: Brittany Higgins (left) and Lisa Wilkinson (right)

Lisa Wilkinson has launched a scathing takedown of the top prosecutor at the helm of Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial, in a submission released by an inquiry.

The TV presenter accused the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold SC, of breaching her trust and his duty as a legal officer, and misleading a Chief Justice in the fiery document made public on Thursday.

Wilkinson faced extreme criticism after she won a Logie award in June last year for her interview with Brittany Higgins on The Project, when the former Liberal staffer first aired her allegations that Mr Lehrmann raped her in Parliament House in 2019.

During her acceptance speech, which was broadcast nationally, the TV journalist appeared to side with Ms Higgins - saying she 'believed' her allegations. Mr Lehrmann has continually denied any wrongdoing.

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum, who was presiding over the rape trial, moved the hearing from June to October amid fears Wilkinson's comments would bias a jury.

At the time, the Chief Justice told the ACT Supreme Court that the TV journalist was warned against making public comments about the impending hearing. The public backlash was so severe Wilkinson left her job as host of The Project.

Earlier this week, a Board of Inquiry revealed Wilkinson did not believe Mr Drumgold warned her that her speech could potentially jeopardise an impending court case.

Channel Ten lawyers contacted Mr Drumgold five times between June and December last year, begging him to clear Wilkinson of any wrongdoing in the public eye. But he never did.

Now, according to a series of documents released by a Board of Inquiry, Wilkinson blames the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions for failing to clear her name.

Also on Thursday, Mr Drumgold told the inquiry CCTV that showed Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins walking into Parliament House on the night of the alleged assault 'disappeared'.

The ACT DPP, Shane Drumgold SC, is pictured during the Board of Inquiry in Canberra.

The Board of Inquiry is investigating the way the rape trial was handled, following Mr Drumgold's allegation that there was 'police and political interference'.

Included in the documents was a statement and a submission to the inquiry made on Wilkinson's behalf by her barrister, Sue Chrysanthou.

The submission read: 'Ms Wilkinson wishes to ensure that in the ongoing interests of strong public interest journalism - the backbone upon which a strong, fair and democratic society is based.'

'Investigative journalists across the country should not be misrepresented by legal officers in whom they have placed their trust any opportunity to correct the public record when that trust is shown to have been misplaced.'

Further, the submission alleged Mr Drumgold failed 'to afford procedural fairness to Ms Wilkinson' after the Chief Justice made incorrect comments saying the journalist was warned about giving her Logie's speech.

It also said Mr Drumgold repeatedly failed to publicly correct the record and called on the inquiry to investigate and report on the 'general conduct of the prosecution'.

According to the submission, Mr Drumgold told Channel Ten lawyers that he 'might say something in open court' to clear Wilkinsons's name in June, after her speech.

Failing that, lawyers for the network urged him to mention Wilkinson during his public address on December 2 last year, when he said the criminal charge against Mr Lehrmann had been dropped. But he didn't.

Mr Drumgold claimed footage of Bruce Lehrmann (pictured) and Brittany Higgins 'disappeared'

During the inquiry on Thursday, Mr Drumgold was asked by his lawyer Mark Tedeschi why he didn't make any statement about Wilkinson.

He replied: 'It would have been completely inappropriate.'

'I would have been, correctly, publicly chastised for that.

'This was about a trial, not about a TV personality's reputation.'

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Drumgold told the inquiry that a portion of CCTV of Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins entering Parliament House on the night of the alleged sexual assault 'disappeared'.

Australian Federal Police had claimed the footage never existed, but Mr Drumgold said he watched it on a USB drive that was given to him by police, before he returned it to them.

He told the inquiry on Thursday that when he went to view it in April last year, it was gone.

'I was not able to find the missing footage and formed the view that it should be obtained and included in the trial brief,' he told the inquiry.

According to Mr Drumgold, the footage showed Ms Higgins 'swaying behind [Me Lehrmann's] right shoulder. She moved her right hand to a wall as if to stabilise herself'.

Brittany Higgins is pictured outside the ACT Supreme Court in October

'I was not able to find the missing footage and formed the view that it should be obtained and included in the trial brief.'

Mr Drumgold's junior counsel during the trial, Skye Jerome, made a separate submission to the inquiry, stating she also saw the footage - she recalled a man and a woman standing at a gate with a buzzer, before they walked through the gate.

Part of her statement has been redacted by the inquiry.

'I recall that the omitted CCTV footage depicted Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann [redacted] at APH (Australian Parliament House). I recall that Mr Lehrmann stood in front of Ms Higgins who was a little unsteady/shifted her body weight,' her statement said.

'I recall that I briefly saw the pair [redacted].'

The footage would have counteracted the opinions of police officers, that Ms Higgins was, as she claimed, highly intoxicated.

Ms Jerome told investigators she hoped 'nothing unlawful' had happened to the footage.

During the inquiry on Thursday, Mr Drumgold told the inquiry he did not think the footage was intentionally deleted, but the missing footage caused further rifts between the public prosecutor and police.

The inquiry continues.
China recently put into service its Type 625E SHORAD (Short Range Air Defense) vehicle armed with a six-barrel 30mm autocannon and eight FB-10 infrared (heat) homing anti-aircraft missiles. These are heavier than MANPADs (man-portable air-defense systems), weighing 21 kg (46 pounds) each with a max range of 10 kilometers and max altitude of six kilometers. The 30mm autocannon fires between 33 and 100 rounds a second in one of two second bursts that are accurate and effective out to four kilometers. The system is mounted on a Type 08 8x8 wheeled armored vehicle similar to the American Stryker. The fire control system uses a small radar to detect and track targets. The fire control system is computerized and assists in selecting the right weapon (autocannon or missiles) for new targets. Since the 1990s China has introduced increasingly complex and effective SHORAD systems. These are used by the Chinese military as well as being offered for export. In doing that China has become the major source of SHORAD systems worldwide.

The American military has been playing catch up. The latest U.S. SHORAD system is a Stryker-based M SHORAD vehicle armed with a 30mm autocannon and six anti-aircraft missiles; four Stinger MANPADS and two heavier Hellfire surface-to-surface missiles. The detection and tracking radar is effective out to nine kilometers and the 30mm autocannon is effective out to four kilometers. The U.S. Army has purchased 144 M-SHORAD systems and deliveries begin in 2023.

Development of M-SHORAD began about a decade ago. The army had been looking for affordable ways to deal with the growing presence of enemy UAVs and armed helicopters on the battlefield. The solution was better and more abundant SHORAD vehicles. By 2018 the army developed a Stryker (8x8 wheeled IFV) variant called MSL (Maneuver SHORAD Launcher) that uses a proven (Avenger) sensor and missile launch system (plus a 30mm air defense autocannon) but was never produced and instead evolved into M-SHORAD. It is similar to, but not as capable as, the new Chinese Type 625E, but is a major improvement in SHORAD equipment for American forces.

There were alternative solutions. One was to equip 24 (out of 90 in a brigade) M2 Bradley tracked IFVs (infantry fighting vehicles) with Stinger anti-aircraft missiles that would replace the TOW missiles used by most M2s. The 90 M2s in a mechanized brigade are relatively easy to convert because most M2s come with a TOW capability (including a new fire control system that can more quickly and accurately spot distant targets). The M2 Stinger approach was quickly implemented, relatively less expensive and more effective than ManPad Stingers fired (from the shoulder) by individual soldiers because the M2 has better sensors. These are ITAS-FTL (Target Acquisition Systems and Far Target Location) which include GPS, an optical sight with FLIR (forward-looking infrared) and a laser range finder. Thus the TOW or Stinger M-2 gunner always knows where he is and can use that information if he receives warning of hostile UAVs or helicopters in the area.

This interest in SHORAD developed after 2008 when the U.S. military had to adapt to dealing with better equipped foes (Russia, China, Iran and North Korea), all of whom had UAVs while Russia and China had lots of armed helicopters. One of the more obvious changes was improving and using more SHORAD vehicles. SHORAD was a big deal during the Cold War but when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 SHORAD was no longer as essential and for over a decade not much SHORAD development took place and a lot of existing SHORAD systems were retired.

The fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq involved fighting irregulars and the American military adapted. Yet even then the United States kept some SHORAD development going, mainly on the post-Cold War Avenger system. Avenger was basically a turret armed with 8 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and an optical tracker together with an infra-red system. This turret was mounted on a Humvee but could just as easily be mounted on any light armored vehicle, or even the back of a truck. Avenger was later provided with the capability to get targeting data from nearby air defense radar systems. As a result of this effort, the American armed forces ended up with 700 M1097 Avenger vehicles. The U.S. Army had actually developed an M2 equipped with Avenger in the 1990s but never put it into service because, well, it would have nothing to do.

Because of Avenger and variants like MSL and the Stingers replacing TOW missiles on armored vehicles, the American military will have more SHORAD capability than anyone expected, especially the Russians. That was the case when some Avenger SHORAD systems began showing up in East Europe as American troops went there to train with new NATO members, some who share a border with Russia. During NATO exercises in Poland, American Avenger vehicles carried out live fire training. Avenger units were added to the American armored brigade sent to Poland for that purpose.

There was a lot of enthusiasm for Avenger among NATO allies and that meant the U.S. Department of Defense could justify reviving work on the enhanced Avenger. This was based on the larger (three times heavier) and better protected Stryker 8x8 wheeled armored vehicle. This Avenger variant quickly evolved into MSL which was basically an upgraded Avenger air defense system put on the back of a Stryker. Compared to the old Avenger system mounted on a Humvee, the new one can use a multitude of different missiles like AIM 9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and AGM-114 Hellfire II air-to-ground missiles adapted for use by ground vehicles. The Stinger has a max range of 8,000 meters while the AIM 9X can do nearly twice that. Hellfire would be used against ground targets. Furthermore, it was now possible to mount a 30mm autocannon or even a laser to counter drones. Thanks to the Stryker 8x8 chassis, the MSL systems had better off-road capability and protection than the smaller and older Humvee design.

The Stinger armed M2s and Stryker MSL will serve not only as self-propelled air defense for moving army formations from enemy close air support aircraft or attack helicopters, but also as anti-tank systems when using Hellfire missiles.

Much earlier, in the late 1960s the U.S. Army developed the Chaparral System, using an earlier model of the Sidewinder heat seeking air-to-air missile. Four ready to fire Sidewinder missiles were mounted on a tracked vehicle along with eight missile reloads. Each had a range of six, later nine kilometers and could hit targets as high as 3,000 meters (10,000 feet). There was no radar, just an optical sight modeled on what a fighter pilot would use for this short- range missile. In the 1980s a FLIR (heat sensing) sighting unit was added. Chaparral remained in U.S. service into the 1990s and was exported as well.

Since the end of World War II in 1945, American ground forces have not endured much exposure to hostile air-power. Since the 1990s the proliferation of armed UAVs and sometimes hostile helicopter gunships or cruise missiles, has made SHORAD more of a priority. Air force and naval aviation have provided air superiority or air dominance since World War II, but the proliferation of armed UAVs and cruise missiles evaded traditional air superiority/dominance by aircraft.
Just Stop Oil's rush hour traffic disruption continued today, prompting a member of the public to confront them, but police tactics to stop them have now been refined.

Now-familiar scenes of the eco-zealots and their orange and white banners unfolded at Moorgate in London just after 8.15am.

Enraged members of the public frustrated at the slow walking in the road remonstrated with the activists.

One shouted at them: 'People are trying to go about their daily business. How much pollution and traffic are you causing?'

Enraged members of the public frustrated at the slow walking in the road remonstrated with the activists

Just Stop Oil climate activists slow march along The Strand in central London this morning

But the Met Police appear to have refined their approach to the protesters to such success they are able to disperse them almost immediately.

By 8.30am they imposed Section 12 conditions on the march, as they have done in previous days, leading to JSO leaving the road.

Then 22 minutes later protesters were back, but this time in Whitehall for another slow walk.

It took police only two minutes this time to convince them to leave the road.

Eight minutes passed before the activists popped up again at King Charles Street.

Protesters then massed at Parliament Square, where police again imposed Section 12 conditions.

Some did not move and at 9.19am 14 people who stayed in the road were arrested for breaching the conditions.

Yesterday JSO moaned about the Section 12 orders curtailing their antics.

A spokesperson had fumed: 'The Public Order Bill and specifically Section 12 notices are being used to remove the British public's right to peacefully oppose government policies that threaten the lives of hundreds of millions of people.

A Metropolitan police officer moves along a member of the public after he remonstrated with Just Stop Oil climate activists slow marching along The Strand

The Just Stop Oil protesters want the end of new fossil fuel projects before they stop campaign

JSO say they will continue their disruption until the government agrees to their demands

'Marching has been an integral means of bringing about social change for centuries, be it for those seeking universal suffrage, those seeking to gain equality, or those seeking to make transport accessible for disabled people.'

Just Stop Oil have angered motorists since they came into existence in February last year.

They say they will continue their disruption until the government agrees to their demands.

The protesters want the end of new fossil fuel projects.

Metropolitan police officers arrest Just Stop Oil climate activists who were slow marching to Parliament Square

Just Stop Oil climate activists slow march along Whitehall in central London earlier today

One of the protesters was arrested for not going off the road after Section 12 orders imposed

One of those taking action this morning, Sai Fingerhood, 35, veterinary pathologist and lecturer, from Guildford, said: 'The current and increasingly severe global climate catastrophe will overwhelmingly impact poorer, less well-resourced communities.

'Knowing this, I feel it's my moral obligation to do what I can to mitigate this catastrophe; part of that is actively demanding an end to new oil licences and investment in alternative energy sources.'

'We are responsible not for what has happened, but for what can happen.

'I know that change is hard, but eventually it won't be possible. The future is now, and what we do today is all that matters.'
A gun rampage at a Mercedes-Benz factory in Germany has left two dead, before the shooter was arrested, local police said.

One person was arrested as emergency services were deployed to the scene at Factory 56 in Sindelfingen, which assembles the S-Class model.

'A 53-year-old man entered the hall at around 7:45 am (local time) and shot at two people,' police in the city of Ludwigsburg confirmed in a statement.

Security staff detained the suspect in the hall at the Sindelfingen plant and handed him over to police, who arrested him without resistance, police said.

Police confirmed on Twitter in a later update that there was no longer any danger to employees at the plant, and ruled out issuing a 'running amok' alert.

A gun rampage at a Mercedes-Benz factory in Germany has left two dead and another injured, before the shooter was arrested, according to local police. Pictured: Police emergency vehicles are parked at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, May 11

A police car leaves the grounds of the Factory 56 at the plant of German car maker Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen, southern Germany, after shots were fired at the plant on May 11

Photographers take pictures in front of Factory 56 at the plant of German car maker Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen, Germany, after shots were fired at the plant on May 11

The two victims of the shooting, both 44-year-old men, died from their injuries, police said. No one else was reported as injured.

A large emergency response was deployed to the site following alert of the shootings. Two helicopters and several emergency doctors were ready to treat any who were wounded in the shooting.

Police and rescue workers are still on site and the building has been evacuated and secured, the police said, adding that there was no danger to the public.

The motive for the attack is still being investigated.

Mercedes-Benz confirmed in a statement that two people had died and said they and the suspect were employees of an external service provider.

The company confirmed the incident had taken place at the plant and that it was in ongoing communication with the authorities.

'We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news from Sindelfingen this morning. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all colleagues on site,' it said.

Bild daily reported that the suspect is an employee of a logistics company.

An ambulance is parked at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, as emergency services deal with the shooting incident

Police car leaves the Mercedes factory where a shooting took place in Sindelfingen, Germany, earlier today

Around 35,000 people are employed at the Mercedes plant in Solingen, southwest Germany, about 10 miles from Stuttgard and 40 miles from the French border to the west.

The plant produces the German car giant's S-Class and premium Maybach models

Germany is no stranger to shootings. In March, a gunman killed six people and an unborn baby inside a Jehovah's Witness church. Eight others were injured, before the shooter - Philipp Fusz - turned the gun on himself.

A year earlier, in January 2022, an 18-year-old shooter shot and killed one person and wounded four, before also committing suicide. And in February 2020, a far-right extremist killed 11 and injured five. Nikolai G. also killed himself.

In 2012, a shooting at a factory site for technology firm 3M in the western German town of Hilden left one dead and four injured.

Germany outlawed certain large magazines in 2020 and conducts five-yearly checks on gun owners to ascertain whether their possession of a weapon is justified. However, pressure is now mounting in Berlin to further tighten the country's gun laws.
The parents of a kidnapped woman left brain-damaged after falling from a van have revealed she's continuing to show signs of recovery, with her mother saying: 'We know she's in there, you can see it in her eyes'.

Angel Lynn, 21, suffered catastrophic brain injuries when she fell out of the vehicle head-first as it was travelling at 60mph on the A6 after being kidnapped by her abusive ex-boyfriend Chay Bowskill in September 2020.

Doctors feared the worst, but Angel has defied the odds and can now stand and is learning how to swallow.

'They said she wouldn't survive,' her mother, Nikki, told Good Morning Britain. 'Then she got Covid and pneumonia and they said they had done everything to stop her seizures and it wasn't working.

'They had one last medicine to try and it worked. She stopped having seizures. She moved into a rehab unit where she got poorly again and returned to hospital. Now she's in another rehab unit where they're doing wonders with her.'

Angel Lynn's parents, Nikki and Paddy, appearing on Good Morning Britain today

Angel's parents spoke this morning after a new Channel 4 documentary, The Kidnap of Angel Lynn, showed the moment she told Nikki that she loves her by sign language

Angel, 21, suffered catastrophic brain injuries when she fell out of a moving van head-first at 60mph

Angel's parents spoke this morning after a new Channel 4 documentary, The Kidnap of Angel Lynn, showed the moment she told Nikki that she loves her by sign language.

She can be seen in the film in her mobility chair as Nikki tenderly holds her hand and tells her 'You will get there you know. You have come so far in the last year.'

READ MORE - Heartbreaking unseen footage shows Angel Lynn dancing with friends and family Advertisement

As her mother tells her 'I love you', Angel points to her eye, her heart, then her parent, before making the number two with her fingers.

Nikki replies to her 'I know you do baby'.

Nikki said the moment gave her hope, adding on GMB: 'We know she's in there, 100pc, you can see it in her eyes.'

She and her husband, Paddy, 53, are currently refurbishing their home in preparation for Angel's return.

'We were having a hoist put in but we don't need that now because she can pull herself up,' Nikki said.

'She got a bedroom downstairs and a wet room with a carer's bedroom next to her.

'Then the kitchen is being made bigger so she's got plenty of room. The whole upstairs has had to be changed. We're sharing bedrooms.'

CCTV caught the moment Angel was forced into a van by Bowskill and his accomplice Rocco Sansome, in Rothley, Leicestershire, in September 2020 after an argument.

She then fell out of the vehicle, which was driven by Sansome, as it travelled at 60mph, before she was found by horrified members of the public.

Angel, seen with Nikki, is slowly recovering and undergoing rehabilitative treatments

Shocking CCTV footage (left and right) shows Angel, 19, being forced into a van by 20-year-old Chay Bowskill, her boyfriend at the time

Bowskill was jailed for seven and a half years earlier this year while Sansome received 21 months. Bowkill's sentence was later increased to 12 years, although Sansome's was not changed.

Nearing the end of the relationship, Bowskill became increasingly threatening and Angel began to withdraw before attempting to leave him.

Mr and Mrs Lynn said they were doing the documentary to raise awareness of coercive control by abusive partners.

Angel's father, Paddy, said she and Nikki had 'no inkling' she was in an abusive relationship and now want to raise awareness of the signs of domestic abuse.

In September last year, Nikki said she was warned her daughter's injuries were fatal but she was starting to regain movement on her left side and relearn how to swallow.

Bowskill, of Syston, Leicestershire, was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour and perverting the course of justice

Angel's fight for survival has astonished doctors at the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham where she was given the last rites three times.

Bowskill, of Syston, Leicestershire, was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour and perverting the course of justice.

He was cleared of causing grievous bodily harm after it became unclear how Angel had left the van.

The outgoing youngster was attending college and working part-time as a cleaner when she met Bowskill through a mutual friend around a year before the incident.

The mother-of-six said Bowskill admitted in court that the last thing he said to her daughter before she plunged from the van was: 'I f***ing hate you, b****.'

Nikki and Patrick, who run a cleaning business, are also parents to Reannon, 31, Lewis, 29, Lester, 27, Kelsie, 12, and ten-year-old Jimmy.

Angel (front left), 21, from Loughborough, Leicestershire, pictured on a day out with her family in August 2022
A journalist and activist spotted nodding along on live TV as Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh called the Royal Family 'terribly white' while stood on the Buckingham Palace balcony has defended her reaction, declaring: 'I can only nod again'.

Catherine Mayer, a biographer of King Charles, believes Ms Andoh has nothing to apologise for, sharing an article accusing critics of using it to launch 'racist attacks' on the actress and her supporters.

Ms Mayer, an expert on Charles whose godson was in the choir in Westminster Abbey, said: 'As the woman who was sitting next to Adjoa Andoh and nodding in agreement, I can only nod again'.

Ms Andohs remarks on ITV are now the most complained about of the year so far, with 4,165 people going to Ofcom since the Coronation. While Catherine nodded at the comments, fellow pundit Myleene Klass, who was sat between the two women, looked baffled.

The 60-year-old, who plays Lady Agatha Danbury in the Netflix show Bridgerton, said: There is a bit of me that has gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to the terribly white balcony. Im very struck by that'. She later went on the BBC and apologised, saying: 'I didnt mean to upset anybody.

Catherine Mayer (far right) nodded as Adjoa Andoh spoke about the 'terribly white' Royal Family

Ms Mayer, a journalist and biographer of King Charles, has defended Ms Andoh and her own reaction

She said on Twitter she would nod again and agreed Ms Andoh, who said sorry yesterday, had nothing to apologise for

Yesterday evening Ms Mayer shared a column by former Labour party advisor and journalist Ayesha Hazarika, who said: 'Adjoa Andoh has absolutely nothing to apologise for', citing a 'racially charged backlash I and others like Andoh have had for merely pointing out the lack of diversity which exists within the Royal family'.

Ms Mayer tweeted: 'Ayesha Hazarika is right and the irony is that those launching racist attacks in supposed defence of King and country instead undermine the man, the monarchy and the UK'.

While Catherine nodded at the remarks, fellow pundit Myleene Klass, who was sat between the two women, looked baffled.

The actress backtracked the following day, insisting in a BBC interview that she'd meant no offence - but that too sparked another furious response from listeners who criticised the presenter for failing to challenge her views. Instead, Radio 4 host Paddy O'Connell told Ms Andoh she had 'nothing to apologise for'.

Ms Mayer is an American-born British author and journalist, and the President of the Women's Equality Party (WE) in the UK, which she founded with Sandi Toksvig.

She was married to the musician Andy Gill of Gang of Four, from 1999 until his death in February 2020. She believes that he was one of the earliest victims of Covid-19, although the cause of death officially listed as pneumonia and organ failure.

Her 2015 biography Charles: The Heart of the King made headlines around the world with Clarence House, which had had facilitated access to the then Prince of Wales, forced to give a statement distancing itself from the book.

Adjoa Andoh stunned viewers by calling the Buckingham Palace balcony 'terribly white'

Ms Andoh (left) stunned her ITV co-stars when she referred to the Buckingham Palace balcony as being 'terribly white' during their live Coronation coverage

Bridgerton Star Adjoa Andoh, pictured outside the BBC, later insisted she 'didn't mean to upset anyone'

Catherine Mayer's husband Andy was only 64 when he succumbed to a pneumonia, which led to an inconclusive investigation that suspected he had been one of the earliest UK Covid fatalities. Pictured: Catherine with her husband Andy Gill in 2015

It described Charles as a prince who will never be remote and silent like his mother'. He was quoted as saying: I want to raise aspirations and recreate hope from hopelessness and health from deprivation.

Ms Mayer spoke of Charles as a man who rarely recognises his own achievements and a glass-half-empty man, a Prince of Wails.

Another close figure talks of Charless temper. The royal rage, I call it. Here comes the royal rage', the book.

Her knowledge of Charles saw her on the ITV sofa for the Coronation where Ms Andoh made the comment when the royals were standing on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the traditional Red Arrows flypast.

Her remarks prompted a major backlash on social media, with one Twitter user slamming her comments as ridiculous and asking: How can she get away with that? Any white person would have to make a public apology.

A second commenter asked: Why is it OK to dismiss a white family for being white?

A third said: Im disappointed in Adjoa Andoh. The Coronation focused on promoting positive race relations & representing modern Britain.

There were many people from diverse backgrounds who had prominent positions yesterday, and yet Adjoa chose to discriminate with her divisive comment.

Andoh later appeared on BBC Radio 4 to clarify her comments and apologised.

She said: I think I upset a few people yesterday.

I was talking about the day and how marvellous it was and then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly going: Oh its so white! because the day had been so mixed and I didnt mean to upset anybody.

The actress plays Lady Danbury, pictured left, in the popular period TV series Bridgerton

Ms Andoh made her Hollywood debut in 2009 in Clint Eastwood's hit-film Invictus alongside Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon

The BBC is also facing criticism over the interview with Radio 4s Paddy OConnell after he told Ms Andoh she had nothing to apologise for. Her supporters say the backlash is wrong and a case of 'white fragility'.

One Twitter user said in response: Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh has just tried to back track on @bbcradio4, about her comment that the Buckingham Palace balcony was terribly white.

And then the presenter Paddy OConnell tells her that shes got nothing to apologise for. Please dont speak for me!

Another critic tweeted that her comments were outrageous and create division while another said: Paddy OConnell is an enabler. Where is the impartiality @BBCRadio4?
A convicted killer imprisoned in Peru will be handed over to U.S. authorities to face extortion and fraud charges stemming from the unsolved 2005 disappearance and presumed murder of an Alabama teenager.

The executive order from Peru's Council of Ministers allowing the temporary extradition of Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot marked the latest twist in nearly 20 years of the mystery surrounding the fate of Natalee Holloway.

The 18-year-old from Birmingham, Alabama, vanished during a high school graduation trip to the Caribbean island of Aruba in May 2005.

Her disappearance prompted an exhaustive investigation and intense media attention, with authorities determining she was last seen with Van der Sloot and another man.

Van der Sloot, a Dutch national from Aruba, was arrested in the Holloway disappearance but never charged with her alleged abduction.

The teen's remains have never been found but an Alabama judge declared her legally dead in January 2012.

Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot walks inside the courtroom after being sentenced to 28 years in prison by a Peruvian court for killing Stephany Flores in Lima in 2010. He is facing extradition to the US to be tried in the disappearance of 18-year-old Alabama native Natalee Holloway

18-year-old Natalee Holloway disappeared while on holiday in Aruba in 2005 after spending time with van der Sloot

Natalee is seen in casino security footage at a table with van der Sloot shortly before her disappearance

Joran van der Sloot is pictured in this mugshot

In 2012 van der Sloot was arrested in Peru for the 2010 murder of 21-year-old Stephany Flores, who was killed five years to the day after Holloway's disappearance.

Prosecutors accused van der Sloot of killing Flores, a business student from a prominent family, to rob her after learning she had won money at the casino where the two met.

They said he killed her with 'ferocity' and 'cruelty,' beating then strangling her in his hotel room.

He confessed to Flores' murder and was sentenced to 28 years in prison for the 2010 murder.

He made headlines again in 2014 when his lawyer reported that van der Sloot had been stabbed in prison, though penitentiary authorities said he likely hurt himself.

The executive order clearing the way for van der Sloot to be extradited to the U.S. was announced in a statement from the Peruvian Embassy in Washington.

But his extradition stems not from murder charges pertaining to Holloway. Instead, prosecutors want van der Sloot for an alleged attempt to profit from his connection to her disappearance.

A grand jury in Alabama in 2010 indicted van der Sloot on wire fraud and extortion charges, accusing him of trying to extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Holloways.

Prosecutors in the U.S. allege van der Sloot accepted $25,000 in cash from Holloway's family in exchange for a promise to lead them to her body in early 2010, just before he went to Peru.

An FBI agent wrote in an affidavit that van der Sloot reached out to Holloway's mother and wanted to be paid $25,000 to disclose the location and then another $225,000 when the remains were recovered.

During a recorded sting operation, van der Sloot pointed to a house where he said Holloway was buried but in later emails admitted to lying about the location, the agent said.

Natalee is pictured with her mother Beth shortly before her disappearance in 2005

Five years to the day that Natalee disappeared, on May 30, 2010, Stephany Flores was reported missing in Lima, Peru. She was later found dead in a hotel room in van der Sloot's name and he was found guilty of her murder. Pictured: Flores at a casino with van der Sloot, left, and right

In an ABC documentary on her daughter's disappearance, Beth Holloway returned to Aruba 15 years later

Peru's Minister of Justice Daniel Maurate said in a statement Wednesday the government decided to 'accept the request' from U.S. authorities 'for the temporary transfer' of van der Sloot to be prosecuted on extortion and fraud charges. In Peru, all extraditions must be approved by the president.

'We will continue to collaborate on legal issues with allies such as the United States, and many others with which we have extradition treaties,' said Edgar Alfredo Rebaza, director of Peru's Office of International Judicial Cooperation and Extraditions of the National Prosecutor's Office.

No mention was made of whether van der Sloot might also face Alabama state charges stemming from the teen's death itself, and there was no immediate word from U.S. officials as to whether that was possible under Washington's extradition treaty with Lima.

In a statement, the young woman's mother, Beth Holloway, said she was blessed to have Natalee in her life for 18 years.

'She would be 36 years old now. It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee,' Beth Holloway said.

Attorney Maximo Altez, who represents van der Sloot, told the AP he will fight the decision once he is properly notified by the Peruvian government.

'I am going to challenge that resolution,' Altez said. 'I am going to oppose it since he has the right to a defense.'

Van der Sloot could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday. More than a decade ago, he told a Peruvian judge that he would fight efforts to be extradited to the U.S.

Van der Sloot married a Peruvian woman in July 2014 in a ceremony at a maximum-security prison.
The mother of a boy who vanished while on holiday with his estranged father eight months ago has made an emotional plea for her ex-partner to return him home on his 14th birthday.

Rebecca Jones, 35, begged Andrew Pearson, 33, to let their son Jayden Pearson return home to Doncaster, south Yorkshire and end her 'living nightmare' after the teen vanished in Portugal last September.

Ms Jones sent a taxi to pick Jayden up at the airport after he was due to return home from a ten day break with his father in the Algarve region.

But when it arrived he was nowhere to be seen, leaving the mother-of-two fearing she would never see him again.

Rebecca Jones, 35, begged Andrew Pearson, 33, to let their son Jayden Pearson return home after the teen vanished while on holiday with his father in Portugal last September

Ms Jones sent a taxi to pick Jayden (pictured) up at the airport after he returned home from a ten day break with his father in the Algarve region but when it arrived he was nowhere to be seen

Her ex-partner, a plasterer, has blocked her number and left her in the dark about the schoolboy's whereabouts.

Ms Jones, who is an NHS healthcare assistant, reported her son missing to police in the UK and Portugal and flew there to search for him.

She claimed Mr Pearson sent her sinister texts before completely cutting her off.

She said today it would be the 'greatest gift ever' to have her son Jayden back home with her.

Ms Jones begged: 'It would be the best gift ever to see his face again. Just let this living nightmare end.

'If you see this, Jayden, I wish you a happy birthday. I love you so much.

'It's heartbreaking to be in this situation. I don't know if I'm ever going to see him again. We should be celebrating together.

'He's got a sack full of birthday cards. He can open them when he's back home. His little brother Mathew has even bought him a bracelet that says 'brother'.

'We are putting up balloons, and we're going to have a Chinese - his favourite food'

Ms Jones' ex-partner, a plasterer, has blocked her number and left her in the dark about the schoolboy's whereabouts

The-mother-of-two reported her son missing and flew to Portugal to search for him, but claimed Mr Pearson sent her sinister texts before completely cutting her off

She said it would be the 'greatest gift ever' to have her son back home with her

Asked what her message to Mr Pearson would be, she said: 'Put him on a plane and send him home. We will be waiting for him on the other end ready to hold him and not let him go.

'Think about these boys - they deserve to be together. I just want to be a mum to Jayden.'

Ms Jones said her ex-partner had volunteered to take Jayden away on a break to the city of Lagos, on Portugal's southern tip, in September last year.

She had retained custody of Jayden and his brother, Mathew, 11, since 2019 after the couple's relationship broke down, but agreed to let him go on the holiday.

Ms Jones (middle) with both her sons Jayden (left) and Mathew (right), 11.

Ms Jones said her ex-partner had volunteered to take Jayden away on a break to the city of Lagos, on Portugal's southern tip, in September last year

She said the pair were booked on a 6.45pm flight home and due to arrive at East Midlands Airport on September 14 last year at 10pm.

She even had a taxi waiting for them at the arrival gate, but they failed to show up before and realised Mr Pearson had blocked her number on his phone.

Ms Jones said: 'At first, I kept trying to call him, kept trying to text him.. I thought something had happened. I thought he might have had an accident.

'And then he blocked me, and blocked all my family.'

'It was just a holiday. When he didn't return I was numb, I was worried, I was scared and I was heartbroken.'

She said she kept trying to reach Mr Pearson and when that failed, she reported both him and her son as missing to UK police on around September 22 last year.

Ms Jones reported both her son as missing to UK police on around September 22 last year

She also shared posters on social media in the hope that someone would see Jayden's face and identify his whereabouts

The distressed mother shared posters on social media in the hope that someone would see Jayden's face and identify his whereabouts.

But after her ex-partner was sighted and photographed at a farm resort in the Nazare region of Portugal, 250 miles from Lagos, she received threatening messages from him about her heartfelt pleas.

They said: 'Well done. Thanks* You've successfully f*cked us both. Clap clap. Hopefully no f*cking bears eat us!

'If we successfully make it to Bulgaria I will make contact then. Good night sleep well!'

Ms Jones flew out to Portugal on January 22 this year, in the hope of finding Jayden before reporting them missing to local authorities six days later.

She said Portuguese police had searched the farm resort where Mr Pearson was spotted three times, but none of these investigations had turned up any new clues.

Ms Jones now thinks that her ex-partner planned to take her son away from her all along using the holiday as a reason to do so.

She said: 'It was a holiday for him - it was meant to be a ten-day holiday. He organised it. At the time, I didn't suspect anything. But now I feel like he planned it all along.'

Ms Jones organised a birthday party for Jayden in his absence with his family in the same way they celebrate every year.

But she remained increasingly worried about her son's health and well-being, while angry with Mr Pearson for taking him away.

A bracelet gifted to Jayden from his younger brother Mathew

Ms Jones said Jayden has 'a sack full of birthday cards' that he can open 'when he's back home'

She said: 'I trusted the man who I had children with and he did this.

'I don't believe that Jayden's needs are being met. He is not at school. He's going into year ten in September. He needs to be sitting his GCSE.

'I feel every day is long and hard. I feel like every day we are waking up to this living nightmare that's not going to end any time soon.

'But the UK and Portugal police have been very useful and very supportive.'

A spokesperson from South Yorkshire Police said: 'We understand how distressing this is for the family and have been in frequent contact with them.

'We continue to support the investigation and work with the relevant authorities to help with their enquiries.'

Attempts were made to contact Andrew Pearson for comment.
Tributes have been paid to one of Britain's last D-Day veterans who has died aged 98, nearly 80 years after witnessing the 'bloody Omaha' beach landings of the Second World War.

Eddie Gaines, aged just 19 when he helped land troops on the Normandy Beach in 1944, died at his home in Poole, Dorset, on April 21, after suffering blindness for years.

But his four children, John, Irene, David and Martin, and 16 grandchildren have now set up a tribute page in his honour.

His grandson David Gaines wrote: 'Rest easy sailor, your duty is done' and others reminisced over the 'deep sadness' that filled his eyes when telling stories of the D-Day landing.

The Royal British Legion Cranleigh and District Branch in Surrey also said 'farewell' to the veteran.

Eddie Gaines (pictured), aged just 19 when he helped land troops on the Normandy Beach in 1944, died at his home in Poole, Dorset, on April 21, after suffering blindness for years

His grandson David Gaines wrote: 'Rest easy sailor, your duty is done' and others reminisced over the 'deep sadness' that filled his eyes when telling stories of the D-Day landing. Pictured: Mr Gaines as a young man

Mr Gaines saw the carnage of 'bloody Omaha' where the US military suffered 2,400 casulaties during the landings - while onboard the Royal Navy stoker which transported US troops to the beach under enemy fire.

He recalled the events in an interview and spoke of how the American soldiers were praying on their way to the beach.

Mr Gaines added: 'The ramp would drop onto half-submerged bodies, it was quite something, quite something. I had nightmares for years afterwards.'

He was motivated to join the war effort after a bomb destroyed the premises of an engineering firm where he was an apprentice and remained in France for several months after D-Day, serving in Normandy until Christmas Eve 1944.

Post-war, he left the Navy and worked in a mill in Battersea, south London, then as a bricklayer.

In one tribute, the Royal British Legion Cranleigh and District Branch in Surrey said: 'Eddie lived in Creekmoor, Poole, but prior to this lived in Ewhurst, supporting the Cranleigh & District Branch of the RBL and attending the Remembrance Sunday service every year.

'Eddie, who was registered blind and was an ambassador for Blind Veterans UK, transported troops, equipment and 35 tonnes of TNT onto Omaha Beach under enemy fire back on June 6, 1944.

'The Omaha Beach assault would later provide the backdrop for the harrowing opening scenes of Stephen Spielberg's Oscar winning film Saving Private Ryan. Today, we say farewell to Eddie.'

Mr Gaines (right) saw the carnage of 'bloody Omaha' where the US military suffered 2,400 casulaties during the landings. Pictured wih fellow D-day veteran Peter Oliver

He was motivated to join the war effort after a bomb destroyed the premises of an engineering firm where he was an apprentice

In later life, Eddie started to lose his sight from age-related macular degeneration and started receiving support from Blind Veterans UK.

Blind Veterans UK arranged for Eddie to be presented with the Legion D'Honneur - France's highest honour - in recognition of his part in the liberation of France.

Eddie said at the time: 'I am hugely honoured to be presented with this medal. I feel that we both are receiving it on behalf of all of those who didn't make it back.'

Others took to social media to pay their respects to the veteran. One user, Alan Reynolds, said: 'I met Eddie and I'll never forget the stories he told us as we sat on the grass around him listening intently.

'I remember his laughter when he talked about taking a break before D-Day and having a snooze on crates of TNT, or the deep sadness that filled his eyes when talking about the landings at Omaha.

'But most of I remember him as a lovely chap with a glint in his eyes and a kind word for everyone he met. We will all miss you Eddie!'

During a visit to Normandy in 2019 on board MV Boudicca, chartered by the Royal British Legion to mark D-Day's 75th anniversary, Eddie said: 'This voyage has been incredible. Yes, it's brought back painful memories and we've cried a lot.

'But being able to talk to so many old comrades who understand has been wonderful.

'And feeling all the love and respect from everyone in England and France has just choked me up.

'As we marched to the cemetery in Bayeux a six-year-old French boy gave me a drawing saying "Thank you Edward". It had a dove of peace on it and I thought, "Yes, we did alright."

In 2020, a fellow veteran Stewart Hill painted a portrait of Eddie, which he was presented with by Hollywood royalty Al Pacino on the BBC One Show.
Jacob Rees-Mogg this morning blasted Rishi Sunak for scaling back a promised 'bonfire' of EU laws as he claimed the Prime Minister was 'behaving like a Borgia'.

The ex-Cabinet minister, who championed the scrapping of leftover Brussels rules when he was business secretary, led a Brexiteer backlash against Mr Sunak for breaching the key pledge.

Mr Rees-Mogg compared the PM to a member of the House of Borgia - a wealthy family who were notorious during the Italian Renaissance for treachery, corruption and immorality.

A TV series titled 'The Borgias', starring British actor Jeremy Irons, followed the family's scandalous actions in their quest for wealth and power.

During his Tory leadership campaign last summer, Mr Sunak vowed to review or repeal 2,400 retained EU laws in his first 100 days as PM.

When he eventually entered No10 in late October, Mr Sunak stuck to a deadline to scrub EU regulations still on the UK statute books by the end of this year.

But yesterday it was announced that rather than getting rid of thousands of pieces of EU legislation, which have now been found to total 4,829, the Government will only revoke 600 laws by the end of December.

Jacob Rees-Mogg blasted Rishi Sunak for scaling back a promised 'bonfire' of EU laws as he claimed the Prime Minister was 'behaving like a Borgia'.

Mr Rees-Mogg compared the PM to a member of the House of Borgia - a wealthy family who were notorious during the Italian Renaissance for treachery, corruption and immorality

A TV series titled 'The Borgias', starring British actor Jeremy Irons, followed the family's scandalous actions in their quest for wealth and power

Senior Tory Brexiteers have expressed their fury at Mr Sunak over his watering-down of the aims of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

Mr Rees-Mogg, who introduced the Bill to the House of Commons last summer, led the outcry against the PM's move.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, he said: 'Politicians need to stick to what they said they will do.

'When Rishi Sunak resigned (as chancellor), he said in his resignation letter to Boris Johnson that he believed the public are ready to hear the truth  our people know that if something is too good to be true, then it's not true.

'He then said something that people like me wanted to hear, and has failed to deliver it.

'I'm afraid it's no good being holier-than-thou if you then end up behaving like a Borgia.'

Other senior Tory Brexiteers also expressed their anger in the Commons later this morning, as Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch was quizzed over the Government's U-turn

Other senior Tory Brexiteers also expressed their anger in the Commons later this morning, as Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch was quizzed over the Government's U-turn.

Sir Bill Cash described the move as a 'fundamental change in Government policy'.

He fumed at Ms Badenoch's failure to consult MPs on the U-turn after the Commons approved the Bill, which is now in the House of Lords, back in January.

'The amendments have not been subjected to any analysis or questioning by this House, which is now essential given the fundamental change in Government policy,' Sir Bill told MPs.

'This House is being treated in a manner which is clearly inconsistent with clear promises already made.'

Mark Francois, the chairman of the European Research Group of Tory eurosceptics, accused the Government of a 'massive climbdown' and asked Ms Badenoch: 'What on Earth are you playing at?'

The Business Secretary told MPs she had decided to focus on the repeal of 600 laws as the 'best way to deliver' post-Brexit legislative reforms and insisted it was 'not the Prime Minister's decision' to do so.

Ms Badenoch has heaped blame on Whitehall officials for the move by saying she had inherited a situation in which the focus was on which laws should be preserved, 'rather than pursuing the meaningful reform Government and businesses want to see'.

But former justice secretary Dominic Raab, who resigned as deputy PM last month after being found to have bullied civil servants, urged Ms Badenoch to 'resist the resistance in Whitehall that suggests it can't be done'.

Ms Badenoch yesterday acknowledged there are 'risks of legal uncertainty' by automatically scrapping the copied-over EU laws by the end of the year through a sunset clause in the Bill.

She said ministers will amend the Bill making its way through Parliament to replace the current sunset clause with a list of 600 EU laws to be revoked by the end of the year.

A further 500 pieces of retained EU legislation would be revoked by other means, the minister claimed, but it was unclear if that will happen by the end of the year.

It had been estimated that around 3,700 laws would need ditching but governmental departments have now identified around 4,829 retained laws.

Ms Badenoch said around 1,000 had been scrapped or altered already, though Government data shows 906 EU laws have been dealt with so far, and only 245 of those have been repealed.

A Government audit of retained EU law - to identify where Brussels' rules should be removed, replaced or updated - has been ongoing since 2021.
Advertisement

Stunning images captured the moment a whale in Monterey Bay, California, put on a display for boats full of whale watchers, greeting them with a spectacular tail wave.

Photographer Jodi Frediani, 74, from Santa Cruz was able to witness the incredible display by the four-year-old female humpback whale, Murph, as two passed by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch's vessel, the Sea Wolf II.

Frediani, a whale researcher, said: 'One of the whales did a massive head lunge not far away from our boat. The same whale continued to breach, tail lob, tail throw and pec slap for the next 90 minutes.'

'Next thing we know, the whale, later identified as Murph, did a massive breach close to one of the stationary boats. There was so much power. Murph seemed to be enjoying our company as much as we enjoyed hers.'

Frediani explained: 'The adults range in length from 14-17 meters and can weigh up to 40 tons. It looked like this adolescent whale was just having fun, kicking up her heels so-to-speak and jumping out of the water.'

A stunning picture shows the moment the four-year-old whale jumped up near the boats in California

Murph the whale jumped up, appearing to be 'just having fun' in their interaction in Monterey Bay, California

Whale researcher Jodi Frediani was on the Sea Wolf II when Murph made a dramatic appearance to say hello

A little close for comfort! Murph the whale makes an impressive leap out of the water, flicking her tail up behind her

Murph turns back into the water, pulling her tail out from behind her after appearing to say hello to the whale watchers

Murph, 4, shows her tail before disappearing under the waves as whale researchers and watchers look on from the boat

Photograph shows people on the boat looking on as the whale disappears under the waves, in Monterey Bay, California

From afar, image shows one of the boats filled with whale watchers as Murph submerges again in Monterey Bay
Over two billion dollars worth of American aid has been sent to Afghanistan since the IEA (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) took over in mid-2021. The United States halted normal aid because of the IEA but continued aid programs on a case-by-case basis. The U.S. still does not have diplomatic relations with the IEA and the aid is monitored via the foreign aid groups that manage disbursement of aid throughout Afghanistan. The IEA is desperate for foreign aid to replace the much larger amounts the previous IRA (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) government had received. IEA assured foreign aid donors that it would not interfere with the distribution of aid but it did anyway, the most obvious being an IEA decision to ban Afghan women from working for foreign aid agencies and put additional restrictions on who could receive aid. It was increasingly common for the IEA to back off on agreements with foreign aid groups over how aid was to be distributed and used. The main problem was that IEA decisions were subject to modification by prominent imams (religious authorities) who had the authority to order the IEA to modify or cancel decisions on religious grounds.

This is what happened to emergency food aid. First it was decided that Afghan women could not work for the foreign aid groups distributing food. This was a problem because many widows with children needed this food and could not get it by bringing a male relative due to those being often not available or all dead. These self-destructive policies became common for the IEA and often got worse as rival imams contradicted each other. Aid agencies responded by withdrawing aid. This was not just because of the restrictive and unpredictable IEA rules, but because large quantities of aid were being diverted by the IEA to other uses of which corruption was only one. This has meant less foreign aid and over 95 percent of Afghans living in poverty. Many local observers (mainly Pakistani and Iranian) believe the IEA will self-destruct because of its inability to attract and maintain flows of foreign aid as well as similar problems with governing Afghanistan and providing security. This is required for the IEA to prevent Islamic terror groups, as well as tribal, religious and ethnic differences, causing a collapse of any central government and national unity.

IEA leaders see the situation differently. The IEA considers their decision making process superior because they put Islamic law above all else. That means criticism from donor nations who do not share their religious orthodoxy are irrelevant. That is the one of many reasons why no nations have established diplomatic relations with the IEA. That does not prevent foreign economic investment. China is offering to invest $10 billion to build and operate lithium mines in areas like Nuristan and Kunar provinces in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border. Chinese companies refine over half the worlds lithium. China might even build plants to refine lithium ore into pure lithium suitable for use in batteries. Afghanistan has lithium deposits worth over a trillion dollars and the Chinese investment would build roads, tunnels, hydroelectric power plants and the mines themselves. The IEA would have to tolerate thousands of Chinese workers brought in to supervise and actually build all this infrastructure. The Chinese use very little local labor because a Chinese workforce is more efficient and reliable. Lesser investments are also handled by Chinese firms. One that is already agreed to and underway is the $700 million effort to finally establish oil fields, a refinery and power plants and pipelines to export oil. This deal would last 25 years and the IEA would receive a 15 percent royalty on oil sales. This project will also provide jobs for over 7,000 Afghans. China would bring in managers, engineers and other technical and supervisory personnel. The Chinese are spending about $140 million on this project during 2023.

There is some international cooperation with the IEA in areas of mutual interest. The most obvious one is Islamic terrorism, which is also a problem for the IEA. The primary Islamic terror threat in Afghanistan is from ISK (Islamic State Khorasan), which was formed in Afghanistan during 2015, with the help of ISIL leadership in Syria, to handle ISIL activity throughout the region (Central Asia, Iran, Pakistan and India). ISK found they were most effective if they confined their operations to Afghanistan and Pakistan, which they have been doing since 2019.

The IEA also has problems because they cannot gain any official recognition that they are the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Most nations consider the IEA a Pakistan-backed Islamic terror group that took control of the government with the additional help of Afghan drug cartels. ISK has become more active in Afghanistan and Pakistan since the IEA took over because now no one is in charge and that is ideal for ISK and the drug cartels. ISK and the cartels stay out of each others way because neither has anything to gain, and much to lose, by attacking each other. The cartels pay IEA to refrain from attacking drug operations, which include poppy crops and small labs that convert portions of the poppies into opium and then heroin. ISK sees no point carrying out terror attacks against the cartels because the cartels will do the same to ISK and on a larger scale. In that respect the cartels are terrorists, but only when cash does not suffice. ISK is different because they see IEA as heretics and enemies of Islam. IEA feels the same way towards ISK. Other Moslems in Afghanistan and neighboring nations regard ISK as religious zealots who defame Islam. The only relatively safe base for ISK is IEA ruled Afghanistan. Despite that, ISK attacks targets in Afghanistan, including IEA but not the drug cartels. ISK also uses its Afghan bases on the Pakistan border to carry out attacks in Pakistan. There used to be some ISK actions near the Iran border but attacks on Iran were more costly, in terms of cash and personnel, then similar efforts against IEA and Pakistani targets. ISK also plans attacks farther away, especially in Western countries. These attacks are more risky and prone to trigger massive counterattacks. Western nations, especially the United States, continue to observe ISK operations and carry out occasional airstrikes, usually with missile armed UAVs.

May 8, 2023: The UN has indefinitely extended its halt to relief operations in Afghanistan because of IEA interference, especially the ban on the UN employing Afghan women. Foreign aid groups believe that half the Afghan population (thats 20 million people) face severe food shortages. This will cause some starvation deaths and even more fatalities because prolonged hunger makes victims more likely to die from some other affliction. In early 2022 the UN estimated that 95 percent of Afghans were not getting enough food and eventually there would be starvation deaths. The UN experts calculated the total need and costs to transport the aid to where it is needed most. The major flaw in this plan is that few foreign aid donors are willing to donate. Disaster areas have earned unofficial risk level ratings that measure how much of the aid disappears (is stolen) before it can get to those in need. Afghanistan is considered one of the riskiest aid recipients in the world and has earned and sustained that designation over the last fifty years. Some aid groups continue to work in Afghanistan without employing local women and tolerating a certain amount of IEA meddling.

The IEA believes there are nearly four million opium and heroin addicts in Afghanistan. The government is destroying poppy crops and arresting about a thousand drug dealers. The major drug cartel operations in Kandahar and Helmand provinces were left alone. China insisted it was more likely to invest in Afghanistan if the IEA did something about the heroin and other drugs produced in Afghanistan and exported to neighboring countries, including China as well as worldwide. The IEA agreed and issued a decree banning farmers from growing poppies, the plant that produced opium, which is further processed into heroin. The farmers, especially in the south (Helmand province), ignored the decree, pointing out that poppies were the most profitable crop they could produce and the heroin cartels had more firepower than the IEA. Just another reminder to be wary of Taliban promises. Money talks. Farmers can obtain 7-15 pounds of opium per acre (8-17 kg per hectare), to create the opium which is refined into heroin. The farmer is paid about a thousand dollars per acre for the opium. But the value of that opium increases fifty times once it is refined into heroin and sold in foreign markets. Most of that increase goes to middlemen (refiners, smugglers and distributors). Most of the increase in value occurs once the heroin gets out of the country, but that still makes the opium and heroin trade the biggest single segment of the Afghan economy.

In Kabul, IEA intel discovered where the ISK second-in-command was when it identified two ISK hideouts in Kabul. Both were raided and in one hideout the senior ISK official was found and killed.

May 7, 2023: The three nations (China, Russia and Pakistan) that have the most economic activity with Afghanistan are urging the IEA to help Afghanistan as well as the IEA by allowing women to work. Another needed activity is cracking down on the drug cartels and Islamic terror groups that currently operate freely. So far the IEA has ignored these suggestions. In response, the world largely ignored the IEA and Afghanistan.

May 6, 2023: The IEA agreed to allow the Chinese BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) project to extend from Pakistan into Afghanistan. The Pakistan portion of BRI is called CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) project. While China is picking up most of the $60 billion cost of CPEC, it means that China owns many of those new economic assets, especially the new port of Gwadar. In early 2017 China and Pakistan signed an agreement granting China a 40-year lease on new Chinese-built facilities at Gwadar. The lease granted China most (over 80 percent) of the revenue brought in by port and free trade zone operations. China usually imports its own workers from China to do most of the work on projects like this. By 2022 China had several hundred thousand Chinese in Pakistan, some of them with their families. Extending CPEC into Afghanistan will involve several billion dollars worth of spending in infrastructure and thousands of jobs for Afghans. Chinese engineers and supervisors will manage the work and the IEA will be responsible for keeping the Chinese safe. There are already some Chinese working in Afghanistan and they have to be careful when they travel because kidnapping foreigners for ransom is popular with many Afghan outlaws.

May 4, 2023: In the southeast (Khost province) TTP gunmen crossed into Pakistan (North Waziristan) and encountered Pakistani soldiers. A gunbattle left three TTP men dead as well as six Pakistani troops. In nearby Kurram unidentified gunmen attacked a school and killed seven teachers, most of them local Shia. There has long been armed violence between Shia and Sunni Pakistanis in this area. Currently, most of the violence in North Waziristan is caused by TTP gunmen who are based in Afghanistan. Lately the TTP has expanded its operations to the southeast, where Afghanistan borders the Pakistani province of Baluchistan. TTP violence in Baluchistan has visibly increased.

April 30, 2023: Iran and Pakistan share borders with each other and Afghanistan. Iran and Pakistan have prosperous and peaceful relationships, but have problems with the new government in Afghanistan. Pakistan was the first nation to officially recognize the new (2021) IEA (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) IEA government in Afghanistan. There are still disagreements between the two countries and the resumption of diplomatic relations makes it easier to discuss possible solutions to disputes. Currently the only countries willing to trade with Afghanistan are Iran, China, Russia and Pakistan. Since IEA took over in 2021, Afghanistan has been a much more difficult country to do business in. Iran recognized the IEA and exchanged ambassadors in March 2023. Inside Afghanistan the economic and security situations are chaotic. It is in the interests of Iran and Pakistan to try and remedy this.

April 24, 2023: The lack of foreign aid has led the IEA to extract more in taxes from Afghans than any previous government. This is unpopular and the IEA tax collections are increasingly facing armed resistance to paying what is demanded. The IEA has not got a lot of security forces personnel to back up the tax collectors so a lot of tax revenue is uncollectable. There are also problems with corrupt tax collectors, who further reduce the amount collected.
Prime Energy drinks must be banned from schools due to their extremely high caffeine content, experts have said.

It comes after a young pupil in Wales allegedly suffered a 'cardiac episode' upon downing the beverage over the weekend - just days after it had been released in the UK.

Milton Primary School in Newport, Gwent, claimed the child had to have their stomach pumped as it issued a warning letter to parents on Tuesday.

Prime is a cult beverage brand promoted by hugely popular YouTube stars KSI and Logan Paul.

It first launched its bottled Prime Hydration drink last year, a caffeine-free liquid that comes in a variety of flavours such as blue raspberry, tropical punch and lemon lime.

On April 28, however, Prime Energy - a canned drink containing 140mg of caffeine - hit British shelves for the first time.

Prime Energy drinks hit shelves in the UK on April 28

Prime is a cult beverage brand promoted by hugely popular YouTube stars KSI and Logan Paul

A spokesman for Stoked PR, which represents Prime, told MailOnline today that the two drinks are 'completely different' products.

He said cans of Prime Energy state clearly on the label that it is not recommended for consumers aged under 18, meaning it is a 'case of parent responsibility.'

It came as health experts called for a specific ban on Prime Energy in schools today.

Abbas Kanani, a pharmacist at Chemist Click Online Pharmacy, told MailOnline: 'Prime Energy drinks should be banned from school grounds.

'They can be easily consumed without supervision, putting young people at risk of a caffeine overdose. School children may also not be fully aware of how their overall health can be impacted by high consumption of these drinks.

'Drinking caffeinated drinks too quickly may lead to breathing trouble, changes in alertness, agitation, confusion, hallucinations and even convulsions (seizures).

'Caffeine also stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to an upset stomach, nausea and diarrhoea.

'Additionally, it may increase heart rate and blood pressure which can be problematic for those with underlying heart conditions or high blood pressure.'

He added: 'Caffeine is a diuretic which means it increases urine output and can lead to dehydration if not enough fluids are consumed.

Milton Primary School in Newport, Gwent, warned parents of the 'potential harmful effects' of the drink which contains 140mg of caffeine

Prime Energy drinks must be banned from schools due to their extremely high caffeine content, experts have said

'Some kids may also experience anxiety, restlessness, or jitters after consuming high amounts of caffeine too, not ideal for the educational environment.'

MailOnline has contacted Stoked PR for further comment.

In its warning letter to parents on Tuesday, Milton Primary School said: 'This morning a parent has reported that their child has had a cardiac episode over the weekend after drinking a Prime energy drink.

'The child had to have their stomach pumped and although better now the parent wanted us to share this as a reminder of the potential harmful effects.'

Prime Energy has 140mg of caffeine. By comparison, a can of regular Red Bull contains just 30mg.

Speaking last year, the British Soft Drinks Association said: 'Energy drinks and their ingredients have been deemed safe by regulatory authorities around the world.

'Energy drink manufacturers have taken all possible steps to be clear about the suitability of energy drinks.

Shoppers queue up at Aldi in =Manchester last month to buy new flavours of Prime Hydration

'Retailers, schools and parents all have a role to play in educating children about caffeine and sugar consumption from all sources.'

Since its launch in June last year, Prime Hydration has caused a series of incidents due demand for the drinks outpacing supply.

It is estimated that more than 100million bottles have been sold worldwide.

The popularity of the 'Hydration' drink, which is mainly comprised of filtered water and coconut water, has been fuelled by the enormous social media reach of KSI and Logan Paul.

When Aldi started selling Prime Hydration last December, limiting bottles to just one per person, customers queued at dawn and were pictured jumping over shelves in the frenzy to get their hands on it.

Wakefield Wines, an off-licence in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, went viral after reportedly selling bottles for 100 each, while a 12-pack was advertised for 50,000 on auction site eBay, together fuelling the demand further.

But the craze acquired a sinister edge when a 17-year-old in Kent was arrested for stealing a case, and reports emerged of children being bullied into handing over their drinks.

One ten-year-old was also reportedly punched in the face when he refused to give his drink to a group of teenagers in the park.
The boss of a water company, that is blamed for leaving a river 'ecologically dead' due to its sewage overflow, turned down a 450,000 bonus after public outrage.

Susan Davy, CEO of the Pennon Group, which owns South West Water (SWW) gave up her six figure bonus due to anger over sewage pollution in rivers and seas.

Residents and visitors of Lyme Regis, Dorset, have called the sewage dumping in the River Lim 'just awful' and are furious it is off limits due to the 'shocking' levels of E-coli.

Data shows an exponential rise in human waste surging into the river from storage tanks at a nearby SWW treatment centre.

Though last year Ms Davy, 53, more than trebled her salary receiving over 1million in bonuses and benefits, despite overseeing the closure of beaches after raw sewage was pumped into the sea.

Susan Davy, CEO of the Pennon Group, which owns South West Water (SWW) gave up her reported 450,000 bonus this year due to public anger over sewage being dumped in rivers

The River Lim runs though holiday hotspot Lyme Regis, Dorset, but locals and tourists have been warned to stay out due to the 'shocking' levels of E-coli

The water boss said giving up this year's bonus was the right thing to do and insisted SWW understands the customer's anger.

Who is the boss behind South West Water? Susan Davy was appointed to the top job at South West Water in 2020. She had been the finance director of the firm since 2007. The Pennon Group owns a number of companies including South West Water, Bournemouth Water, Bristol Water and Pennon Water Services. Ms Davy is paid a base salary of around 460,000 and the firm says this year her bonus would be in the region of 450,000. In the past she occupied the position of Head-Regulation & Finance at Yorkshire Water Services Ltd. She is also a council Member at Water UK - a membership body representing the UK water industry. Advertisement

Meanwhile locals of Lyme Regis and conservationists have reported seeing 'a layer of brown sludge' coating the top of the 5km river.

A retired freshwater ecologist carried out a recent survey which found there were 'barely any' invertebrates in the River Lim.

Without invertebrates such as mussels, larvae and snails, the bottom of the food chain is cut off which reduces the number of larger species which can survive there.

On her refusal to accept the near 500,000 bonus, Ms Davy said: 'This is the right thing to do. We're listening to our customers, we get it. I want South West Water focused on delivering for customers, communities and the region, with no excuses.'

The company said the bonus will instead be reinvested into WaterShare+. Initially launched in 2020, this scheme helps people on low incomes pay their water metre bills.

In response to reports about the condition of River Lim, Twitter user Veronica Atalanta said: 'Years ago I remember watching Trout in that river in the middle of Lyme Regis and Dippers nesting - went back earlier this year and nothing, just notices about not going in the river due to pollution.'

While Pete Liptrot remembered that: 'You used to be able to walk along the Lynch right in the centre of Lyme Regis and watch the trout, little wild brownies.'

Terry Prince called the sewage dumping 'just awful', he said: 'Used to walk down this river from Harcombe all the way to Lyme when I was a kid.

'It was clean then - although we used to bump into human excrement when we swam in the sea at Lyme. What's changed I wonder?'

In 2020 sewage spilled into the Lim for 376 hours, in 2021 that had risen to 680 hours and throughout 2022 there were 2,200 hours of spillage (Pictured: The Lyme Regis Sewage Treatment Works)

A retired freshwater ecologist carried out a recent survey which found there were 'barely any' invertebrates in the river, despite there previously being an eco-system with trout, eels and kingfishers populating the area

Residents have been warned to keep away from the River Lim due to 'shocking' levels of E-coli, after the amount of sewage overflowing into it tripled in under a year (Pictured: Laura Noel and Rob Thomas, part of River Lim Action)

Graham Roberts, who worked as a fresh water ecologist for 40 years, has described the River Lim as being 'ecologically dead'.

He joined the River Lim Action Group two years ago to try to understand and fix the problem.

He said: 'The river is in an absolutely disgusting state. I carried out some baseline surveys to understand what was happening to the wildlife in the river.

'There were virtually no invertebrates at all in it. In a healthy river you would expect to find hundreds and thousands of shrimps in a three minute survey.

'We weren't finding any at all.

'It has a real knock-on effect on the rest of the animals in the area. There just won't be enough food.

'We were lucky enough to have an otter move in recently but I worry that by ingesting the sewage it will become infertile or in the worst case scenario it will die.'

The River Lim Action Group have looked at statistics from the Rivers Trust which show that the amount of human waste entering the river has tripled in the last year.

In 2020 sewage spilled into the Lim for 376 hours, in 2021 that had risen to 680 hours and throughout 2022 there were 2,200 hours of spillage.
The missiles would allow Ukraine to hit troops deep into Russian-held territories

Russia today threatened Britain with 'an adequate response from our military' after the UK agreed to supply Ukraine with Storm Shadow long-range missiles.

The missiles, which cost about 2.2million, will allow Ukraine to hit Russian troops and logistics hubs deep behind the front line in a major blow to Vladimir Putin.

Britain had received assurances from the Ukrainian government that these missiles would be used only within Ukrainian sovereign territory and not inside Russia, multiple senior Western officials said.

Ukraine has been asking for months for long-range missiles, but support provided by Britain and other allies such as the United States has previously been limited to shorter range weapons.

But UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace today confirmed that Britain is sending the Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, a decision that prompted a furious response from the Kremlin.

A graphic showing how the Storm Shadow Missiles would work on the battlefield

Russia today threatened Britain with 'an adequate response from our military' after the UK agreed to supply Ukraine with Storm Shadow long-range missiles (file image)

The missiles, which cost about 2.2million, will allow Ukraine to hit Russian troops and logistics hubs deep behind the front line in a major blow to Vladimir Putin

'The donation of these weapons systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russia's continued brutality especially with the deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, which is against international law,' Wallace told the House of Commons. 'Ukraine has a right to be able to defend itself.'

Storm Shadow The Storm Shadow, also known as SCALP, is an air-to-ground missile that can hit fixed or stationary targets. Length: 16ft 9in Range: 350 miles Speed: 600mph Advertisement

Wallace said the missiles would be used to push back Russian forces in 'Ukrainian sovereign territory', while adding that the UK's support for Ukraine is 'responsible, calibrated, coordinated and agile'.

'We simply will not stand back while Russia kills civilians,' Wallace said.

Wallace did not say how many cruise missiles were being sent to Ukraine, but said they are 'now going into or are in the country itself'.

Earlier, a Western official had told CNN about the decision to supply Ukraine with the missiles, saying: 'The UK has previously said that it will supply Ukraine with long-range weapons, this will now include a number of Storm Shadow missiles.

'The British government has been clear that this is only in response to Russia's deliberate targeting of civilian national infrastructure and is a proportionate response.'

The Kremlin said the reports would require 'an adequate response from our military'.

The Storm Shadow is an air-launched long-range missile, designed for attacks against high value targets such as hardened bunkers and key infrastructure.

The missiles, jointly developed by the UK and France, has a firing range of more than 155 miles (250km) which means Kyiv would be able to strike deep into Russian-held territory in eastern Ukraine where the fiercest battles are ongoing.

The missile is 'a real game changer from a range perspective,' a senior US military official said. At the moment, Ukraine's current maximum range on US-provided weapons is around 49 miles.

Dr Alan Mendoza, Executive Director of the think tank Henry Jackson Society, told MailOnline: 'Providing Ukraine with Storm Shadow Missiles gives Kyiv the long-range striking capabilities it needs in advance of a highly anticipated rise in the Russian offensive.

'The precision-guided weapons would allow Ukraine to strike targets anywhere in the country.

'This is critical kit and an essential boost in our support allowing Ukrainian forces to reach behind enemy lines and giving them the best chance of defending themselves against Putins aggression.'

Dr Marina Miron, an honorary research fellow in the King's College London's Centre for Military Ethics, told MailOnline: 'This announcement signifies UKs trust in and support of Ukraine. The UK was also the first to pledge to deliver tanks.

'So the hope is that this will open the floodgates for other long range missiles. In political terms, the Russian leadership perceive this as a major escalation and certainly there will be a political as well as a military response.;

The UK's decision to supply the missiles comes as Wallace and the foreign minister James Cleverly have been in the United States for talks on supporting Ukraine in recent weeks.

Britain and other Western countries have scaled up their military aid for Ukraine this year, with Britain saying in January it would send 14 of its main Challenger 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, a pledge that was followed by other nations including the United States and Germany.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the Munich Security Conference in February that Britain would be the first country to provide Ukraine with longer range weapons.

The United States said in February it would provide the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), which has a range of about 151 km.

Asked on Tuesday about supplying long range missiles, Cleverly declined to detail specific plans but he said it was important to keep looking at ways to 'enhance and speed up the support we give to Ukraine'.

The war in Ukraine is at a turning point, with Kyiv expected to unleash its new counteroffensive after six months of keeping its forces on the defensive, while Russia mounted a huge winter offensive that failed to capture significant territory.

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace today confirmed that Britain is sending the Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, a decision that prompted a furious response from the Kremlin

The Storm Shadow (pictured, centre) is an air-launched long-range missile, designed for attacks against high value targets such as hardened bunkers and key infrastructure

The UK's decision to supply the missiles comes as Britain's defence minister Ben Wallace and the foreign minister James Cleverly have been in the United States for talks on supporting Ukraine in recent weeks. Pictured: Cleverly with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC, US, on Tuesday

Artillery rocket units of the mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Army conduct operation to target trenches of Russian forces through the Donetsk region in Ukraine on Tuesday

A Ukrainian soldier fires an RPG toward Russian positions at the frontline near Kremenna in the Luhansk region, Ukraine, on Tuesday

Moscow's main target for months has been the small eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which it has come close to capturing but not quite taken in what would be its sole prize after months of the bloodiest ground combat in Europe since World War Two.

READ MORE: Fleeing Russian troops are blown up with their own weapon after abandoning anti-tank missiles as they try to escape Ukrainian forces Advertisement

Kyiv says it has pushed Russian forces back over the past two days near Bakhmut in small-scale local assaults, but a counteroffensive involving tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of new Western tanks has yet to begin.

'We still need a bit more time,' President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.

Ukrainian forces had already received enough equipment from Western allies for their campaign, but were waiting for the full complement to arrive to reduce casualties, Zelensky said.

'With [what we have] we can go forward and be successful,' he said. 'But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time.'

Ukrainian forces have been training a new contingent of forces and stockpiling Western-supplied munitions and hardware that analysts say will be key to reclaiming territory captured by Russia.

The timing of Kyiv's effort to claw back ground in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as well as the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, remains a question.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said late last month that Kyiv's preparations were 'coming to an end' and his forces were ready 'in a global sense'.

But he also said that Abrams tanks promised by the US would not be able to take part in the offensive because they would not arrive in Ukraine until the end of this year.

The head of Russia's Wagner private military company Yevgeny Prigozhin meanwhile accused Zelensky of being 'dishonest' in his BBC interview saying that Ukraine's counter-offensive 'is in full swing'.

A senior Ukrainian military official said earlier this week that Russian forces had dropped back from some areas near Bakhmut after limited counter-attacks by Kyiv's forces around the eastern city.

Prigozhin, whose forces are on the front line of the battle for Bakhmut, admitted that some Ukrainian units were successfully breaking through in some areas.

'The Ukrainian army's plan is in action... All the units which have been trained, which have received weapons, tanks and everything they need are already fully engaged,' he said.

Prigozhin is involved in a long-running dispute with Russian military chiefs over ammunition supplies for his fighters and he has threatened to pull them out of Bakhmut.

The mercenary force chief appeared to brand Putin a 'complete a**hole' and mock him as a 'happy grandfather' in a scathing video yesterday.

Prigozhin trashed his troops' lack of ammunition and threatened to strangle those who are preventing shells from reaching the frontline.

Ukrainian soldiers walk through the forest close to the Russian positions near Kremenna in the Luhansk region, Ukraine, on Tuesday

'They're collecting [artillery shells] in warehouses - why, no one knows.

'Instead of spending a shell to kill the enemy and save the lives of our soldiers, they let our soldiers die - and the 'happy grandfather' thinks this is good for him.

'If he turns out to be right, then God bless everybody... but how will we win the war, if, by chance - and I'm just speculating - it turns out that this grandfather is a complete a**hole?

Prigozhin concluded: 'The shells give freedom. And if they don't give freedom with the shells... if they keep holding onto them then first we need to shove it up their a*** and then throw them in jail.'

Though the Wagner chief did not refer to Putin by name, he has never shied away from criticising other senior Russian defence figures - and Putin is often referred to as 'grandfather' or even 'the bunker grandfather' in opposition circles, suggesting his rant was almost certainly aimed at the President.

Meanwhile, in anticipation of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Russia has resumed air strikes on Ukraine over the past two weeks after a lull of nearly two months. Moscow says Ukraine has used drones to strike occupied areas and Russian territory near the border.

Russian politicians and commentators in turn warned the Storm Shadow missiles could be used to launch attacks on targets in Russia, and lead to an escalation of the war in Ukraine.

Colonel Igor Korotchenko (pictured) said Kiev will use the missiles to strike Russian cities

Dr Konstantin Sivkov warned the Storm Shadow missiles pose a serious threat in their ability to circumvent Russian air defences

War hawk Colonel Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of Russia's National Defence magazine and a leading military TV propagandist, suggested the Ukrainian government would break his promises to Britain by targeting Russian cities.

'Do not have any illusions - the West is ready to supply Ukraine with everything except nuclear weapons, and Kiev will not keep its promises and will use these missiles to strike Russian cities,' Mr Korotchenko said.

Vadim Kozyulin, of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Academy, said Britain's decision to supply Ukraine with the weaponry marked a 'new round of escalation on the part of the Western countries.'

He said it is no surprise that the UK had led the supply of the Storm Shadow missiles, as he claimed Britain has 'historically' been 'one of the most Russophobic countries, which always tries to be one step ahead of other 'partners' in activities against Moscow.'

Mr Kozyulin argued that while Kiev has vowed not to attack targets outside Ukraine's territorial borders, the missiles may be used to hit Crimea, which was annexed by the Russian Federation in March 2014.

'Crimea and the new regions of the Russian Federation are recognised by Western countries as lands of Ukraine,' he said. 'Therefore, I think the [Ukrainian army] will attack these very regions.'

'Ukraine is indeed being prepared for a counter-attack and strikes on Crimea, and we need to take this seriously,' Mr Kozyulin added.

Commentators in Russia were split as the extent the missiles pose a threat, as they noted Russia's air defences had previously successfully intercepted Storm Shadow missiles in Syria.

Dr Konstantin Sivkov, deputy president of Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences, said: 'Storm Shadow poses a serious threat to our army and the country, as this missile can go around the air defence zone and the actions of long-range radar aircraft.'

Diplomacy expert Mr Kozyulin said it 'is not very clear yet' the extent to which Ukraine will be able to 'successfully' use the Storm Shadow missiles.

Military expert Yury Knutov said Russia's will 'adapt' to 'neutralise completely the actions of these strike weapons.' He also claimed the Storm Shadow missiles are 'nothing new' as he described them as 'an analogue of the Tomahawk cruise missiles, but with a much shorter range'

Dmitry Belik, an MP for occupied Sevastopol, said Storm Shadow would not be a 'miracle weapon' for Ukraine, as he claimed Russia is 'strengthening its shield and, of course, is preparing a longer-range response capability.'
Two Metropolitan Police officers have been sacked after punching and kicking a 14-year-old boy during an arrest - before lying about the incident in their statements.

Alexei Zalesskiy and Conor Ryan were found to have used excessive force on the child after being called to reports of a fight involving a knife at Finsbury Park, north London, in April 2021.

The child was part of a group of young people who were stopped by officers, though no knife was found following a number of stop and searches, a misconduct hearing was told.

During earlier attempts to disperse the group, one boy became agitated at being pushed by police officers. He began shouting and spat an an officer's face.

The boy then ran from police, who gave chase on foot before arresting him on suspicion of assaulting an officer and a public order offence after catching him in Wilberforce Road.

Alexei Zalesskiy and Conor Zalesskiywere found to have used excessive force on the 14-year-old child

During the arrest, PC Zalesskiy punched the teenager at least once, while PC Ryan kicked him in the 'neck/head area' and struck him in the thigh with his knee.

An investigation launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct found the two officers had then lied in statements given following the incident.

They claimed they had used the physical force because they believed the boy was going to spit at PC Zalesskiy for a second time.

The boy was not charged and no further action was taken.

The IOPC's five-month probe was launched following a voluntary referral from the Met.

It found both officers had a case to answer for gross misconduct and an indication they may have committed an offence of assault by beating.

PC Zalesskiy and PC Ryan have both been dismissed following a gross misconduct meeting.

A panel found the officers had breached police standards of professional behaviour for use of force and honesty and integrity.

The IOPC passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service, but no charges have been authorised.

A panel found the officers had breached police standards of professional behaviour for use of force and honesty and integrity

IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said: 'The force used on this child was neither reasonable nor proportionate in the circumstances.

'The public must have confidence that when officers are required to use force to detain and arrest members of the public, they will only use the minimum amount of force necessary.

'To compound matters, they then tried to justify their actions by lying on their initial statements following the incident. Their dismissals send a strong message that there will be serious consequences for police officers who use gratuitous violence and are dishonest about their actions.

'Both officers will also be added to the police barred list, preventing them from future employment with any police service.'
A woman set a homeless man on fire after dousing him in petrol when he asked for 'a sexual favour'.

The man was engulfed in a fireball in Townsville city centre and spent 20 days recovering in hospital, where he had to be given skin grafts.

Frederick James Fulford, 28, who identifies as a woman, was convicted in a District Court jury trial last month of one count of malicious intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

At the sentencing on Wednesday, Crown Prosecutor Thomasina Papadimitriou said Fulford had been convicted of violent offences five times before the horror attack in Bulletin Square on March 24, 2021.

Fulford was sentenced to nine years in jail for what Judge Gregory Lynham said was a 'serious violent offence'.

At the sentencing on Wednesday, Crown Prosecutor Thomasina Papadimitriou said Fulford had been convicted violent offences five times before the horror attack in Bulletin Square (pictured) on March 24, 2021

Ms Papadimitriou said Fulford's previous offences included the armed robbery of a bottle shop and an assault involving a bottle of rum, the Townsville Bulletin reported.

Fulford, who was also homeless at the time of the Bulletin Square assault, started drinking at about noon that day.

By evening she had drunk most of a bottle of rum and some cask wine, and also sniffed petrol and smoked marijuana.

The prosecutor said Fulford was on the ground and holding a bottle of petrol when a homeless man walked up to her.

'This person was unknown to her but asked her to perform a sexual favour,' Ms Papadimitriou said.

In CCTV footage shown to the jury during the trial, Fulford was seen jumping to her feet and pouring petrol over the man and then using a cigarette lighter to set him on fire.

The man ignited into a ball of flame and ran away, taking off his shirt.

'He was found a short time later a few hundred metres away in Flinders St East, wandering aimlessly around,' Ms Papadimitriou said.

'He was taken to the emergency department at the hospital and spent the next 20 days in hospital.'

The victim suffered 8-9 per cent burns to his body, mainly on his back, neck, left arm and left ear, which required skin grafts, she said.

The man will have significant scarring for the rest of his life, the court heard.

Fulford's lawyer Kelly Stone said she was the first of nine children, started sniffing glue and paint aged 13 and identified as female and wore female clothing aged 15.

The lawyer said Fulford's mother was very homophobic and once bashed her head into a door.

Mr Stone said Fulford saw her mother getting beaten many times, including being attacked with a machete.

The man was engulfed in a fireball on a Townsville city centre street and spent 20 days in hospital where he got skin grafts

His client was also beaten herself by two uncles for not providing sexual favours, and had her head held under water by then, he said.

'She left home at the age of 15 because of the issues about gender identity and has been living on the streets ever since, and clearly has a large substance abuse problem.'

He added that Fulford was taking hormone treatment in prison, which physically weakened her, and she had to defend herself against prisoners who wanted sexual acts from her, which she would not do.

Judge Lynham acknowledged that she had a horrendous background in her life as he sentenced her to nine years in prison.

A person whose crime has been declared a 'serious violent offence' must serve 80 per cent of their sentence before they are eligible for parole.
Boat branded an 'icon of Russian power' is being fought over in the High Court

A Russian-owned 38 million superyacht seized by the UK government at the start of the invasion of Ukraine is at the centre of a High Court tug of war.

The Phi was called an 'icon of Russian power' by the then-Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last year.

National Crime Agency officers boarded and detained the enormous 200ft cruiser, which is owned by Sergei Georgievich Naumenko, in March 2022.

Naumenko wants an order setting aside the decision to detain the Phi following the outbreak of war in February 2022

A judge has overseen a preliminary High Court hearing in London and heard arguments from lawyers representing him and current Transport Secretary Mark Harper.

Seized: Officials board Phi, pictured, in Canary Wharf last year, which is owned by a Russian businessman

UK investigators believed the boat, called Phi, belongs to a Russian businessman named Sergei Georgievich Naumenko. Pictured: The National Crime Agency during the seizure

Mr Justice Chamberlain was told that the Phi had been moored at Canary Wharf, in London, for more than a year.

'Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the National Crime Agency and Border Force Maritime Intelligence Bureau investigated vessels with connections to Russia,' said the judge, in a ruling on preliminary issues which has been published online.

'The Phi was identified as a vessel of interest.

'On 28 March 2022, the then Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, exercised powers ... to detain the Phi, on the ground that it was owned, controlled or operated by a person connected with Russia.'

He said a 'substantive hearing' was due to be staged in July.

The big boat has a wine cellar and freshwater swimming pool,

The 192ft vessel, pictured, which boasts a freshwater swimming pool and an 'infinite' wine cellar, was boarded by officers from the National Crime Agency hours before it was due to leave Canary Wharf, in east London

Shapps heralded the seizure at the time, declaring: 'We've detained a 38million superyacht and turned an icon of Russia's power and wealth into a clear and stark warning to Putin and his cronies.

The Phi in numbers Price: 38million Delivered: December 2021 Length: 192ft Weight: 499 tonnes Decks: 3 Top speed: 25mph Range: 4,600 miles Guests: 12 Crew: 11 Features: 23ft

16-tonne capacity

fresh-water pool

300-bottle 'infinite wine cellar',

external lighting powered by lasers and a mile of optical fibre cables

Two speedboat tenders and a Smart car carried on separate 118ft 'shadow' vessel, Phi Phantom Advertisement

'Detaining The Phi proves, yet again, that we can and will take the strongest possible action against those seeking to benefit from connections to Putin's regime.'

Phi was first identified as being potentially Russian owned on March 13 last year.

Investigators were left questioning how the wealth of the 'small fry' businessman, who is understood to work in property, matched the value of the custom-built superyacht.

But a source said the boat had been impounded over concerns a wealthy oligarch was actually being 'shielded by a pretend owner'.

The boat's captain Guy Booth, from Worthing, West Sussex, has previously said that the owner is an experienced yachtsman'  and told friends on Facebook that Phi did not have a Russian owner.

A Government source said: 'This yacht detention is the product of weeks of enquiries, spanning the world. It is the oligarch equivalent of the Russian matryoshka doll  where each layer conceals another, and then another.'

Officials in Sardinia also seized a 500,000 bullet and explosive-proof Mercedes Maybach limousine, owned by Alisher Usmanov, the former Arsenal shareholder.

A superyacht owned by sanctioned Russian Alexei Mordashov has sailed 5,000 miles from the Seychelles and will soon reach Russia's eastern port of Vladivostok, 80 miles from the border with North Korea.
A convicted double killer who became known as the 'Midlands Ripper' after he strangled two prostitutes in the 1990s has been handed a further life sentence for sexually abusing a schoolboy.

Alun Kyte, 58, lured the nine-year-old to his home in Staffordshire with the promise of toys in the 1980s before raping him in an attack which pre-dated the murders he was later jailed for life over.

This morning Kyte was handed a further life term with a minimum tariff of ten years and eight months over the five-year campaign of abuse which saw him punch, choke, kick, rape and taunt the boy. Kyte was convicted in February after the victim came forward.

Judge Nirmal Shant KC told Kyte, who appeared at Nottingham Crown Court via videolink from HMP Rye Hill: You have a history of killing two women and inflicting very serious sexual violence on a third. Now the risk to adult females has been added to with a risk to young male children.

A psychiatrist has concluded, as has a probation officer, you still pose a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm by committing further sexual offending against children.

Alun Kyte, 58, (pictured) lured a nine-year-old to his home in Staffordshire with the promise of toys in the 1980s before raping him in an attack which pre-dated the murders he was later jailed for life over. This morning Kyte was handed a further life term over the five-year campaign of abuse which saw him punch, choke, kick, rape and taunt the boy

In addition to that, although you have reduced your risk you pose towards women by the work you have engaged in (in prison), it is agreed by both the psychiatrist and the probation officer, and indeed by this court, that your risk is still high.

Turning to Kyte's offences against the boy, which took place between 1989 and 1994, judge Shant said he had carried out a campaign of attacks against a defenceless victim.

She added: The violence you inflicted was extreme. You threatened to kill him. You told him you would kill members of his family, and would kill him last if he told anybody what you had done.

You will only ever be released when it is safe to do so.

Last month, the officer who brought Kyte to justice in 2000 over the murders of Samo Paull, 20, from Birmingham in 1993 and Tracey Turner, 30, said he had boasted in prison about killing several more women.

Kyte was a lorry driver who is feared to have roamed the motorway network looking for victims.

He was caught in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, in 1997 for the rape of a woman who escaped, running naked into the street, after he threatened her with a knife. His DNA matched samples recovered from the body of Tracey Turner, who was strangled after meeting Kyte at a service station on the M6 in early 1994. Her body was found about 50 miles away in Leicestershire, while Miss Paulls body was found almost 40 miles away from her Birmingham home, in a water filled ditch in Swinford, Leicestershire.

Kyte received a minimum term of 25 years when he was jailed for life over those murders.

He has been linked to other unsolved murders including Julie Finlay, 23, whose body was found in a lay-by near Skelmersdale, Lancashire, in August 1994 and Dawn Shields 19, whose body was found at the Mam Tor landmark in the Peak District the same year.

Mick Creedon, the retired police officer who helped bring Kyte to justice in 2000, told The Times last month that Kyte had previously bragged to fellow inmates that he was a serial killer who had carried out more slayings.

Last month, the officer who brought Kyte to justice in 2000 over the murders of Samo Paull, 20, (pictured) from Birmingham in 1993 and Tracey Turner, 30, said he had boasted in prison about killing several more women

He was caught in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, in 1997 for the rape of a woman who escaped, running naked into the street, after he threatened her with a knife. His DNA matched samples recovered from the body of Tracey Turner, (pictured) who was strangled after meeting Kyte at a service station on the M6 in early 1994

Mr Creedon, who later became Chief Constable of the Derbyshire Constabulary, said there were other murders with similarities to those Kyte committed, and that he had a 'very distinctive' method. He added that it was extremely likely Kyte had targeted other women, and that there were a number of cold cases that could be reviewed.

Kyte's latest trial heard how he gave the boy 50p after the first assault and threatened his family following each further attack.

Prosecutor Ben Lawrence said the abuse spanned years and increased in violence with threats against the victim and his friends and loved ones if they told anyone.

He told jurors: The violence and threats used by Kyte would be an obvious explanation as to why his victim felt unable to tell anyone at the time.

Giving evidence, the victim, who said he had been choked at times until he became unconscious, was scared that Kyte would harm his family so he decided to get it over and done with.

In his evidence, Kyte denied anything had happened, or that the boy had ever been inside his house.

Jurors found him guilty of four counts of indecency with a child, three of attempting to choke, two of indecent assault on a male, and two of a serious sexual offence.

Publication of Kytes name and his past was restricted during his trial for attacking the boy, and jurors were only given certain details about his past during the hearing.
British firm Thales spent 13 years developing a lightweight (13 kg/29 pound), 76mm LMM (Lightweight Multirole Missile) called Martlet. Martlet entered service in 2021 and some have been sent to Ukraine to see if the Ukrainians find them useful. Ukrainians used them against helicopters and UAVs as shoulder launched weapons fired from launch tubes. Some of these were used on air defense vehicles. Martlets proved to be effective and a cheaper alternative to conventional shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles. Ukrainian have found Martlet effective against Russian surveillance and explosive equipped attack UAVs. Ukraine may also be using Martlet from helicopters, UAVs and aircraft against Russian light armored vehicles, trucks and troops.

Martlet has 3 kg (6.6 pound) warhead that is available as a high-explosive/fragmentation or shaped charge for use against armored vehicles. There are several different guidance systems available, including laser homing, heat seeking and GPS. Most Martlets are used by helicopters and UAVs to attack ground targets, including small ships. Martlet can also be used by ground forces to attack UAVs or helicopters or ground targets. Martlet has a max range of 8 kilometers when launched from aircraft. Range is six kilometers or less when ground launched.

The United States provided a retired frigate as a target for British Royal Navy helicopters armed with Martlets. Martlets cant sink a ship that large but did considerable damage to the frigate. In combat that damage could have included radars and weapon systems. Martlet was also tested against speedboats, which the Iranians favor, and proved to be effective. Britain has ordered a thousand Martlets for its helicopters and some of these were sent to Ukraine. Export orders went to Indonesia, which has problems with small boats used by smugglers, and Saudi Arabia, which is threatened by hundreds of armed Iranian speed boats.

Martlet was originally developed in cooperation with Turkey for use on the new Turkish Jackal battery-powered UAV that can also land and takeoff like a helicopter. The initial version of Jackal has a 15 kg payload and can stay in the air for about 40 minutes and operate up to 100 kilometers from its ground operator. Version 2 will be able to carry two Martlets and stay in air for over an hour at a time.
CNN boss Chris Licht laid down the law with staff during Thursday morning's editorial call after widespread complaints about the network hosting Donald Trump's town hall last night.

Staffers like media reporter Oliver Darcy despaired over the event, calling it a 'spectacle of lies' and fuming at Licht for the decision. Some unnamed employees told outlets like Rolling Stone that it was a 'f*****g disgrace', so intense was their disgust with Licht and the decision.

Unaffected by their rage, Licht heaped praise on moderator Kaitlan Collins, and warned detractors: 'You do not have to like the former president's answers, but you can't say that we didn't get them.

'While we all may have been uncomfortable hearing people clapping, that was also an important part of the story because the people in that audience represent a large swath of America.

'The mistake the media made in the past is ignoring that those people exist just like you cannot ignore that President Trump exists.

'I absolutely unequivocally believe America was served very well by what we did last night.'

CNN boss Chris Licht took over last year and vowed to cleanse the network of its bias. He has been slammed for giving Trump a platform

Donald Trump's town hall on CNN last night. Moderator Kaitlan Collins was given 'an impossible task' according to her colleagues, who are now furious with bosses

'Covering Trump is tricky and messy and it will continue to be messy and tricky, but it's our job,' he said, according to former staffer Brian Stelter.

Licht took over from Jeff Zucker last year and has since vowed to cleanse the network of its left-wing bias.

CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy raged at his network for the putting on the event

He is also on a ratings-mission, after watching viewership numbers plummet.

The ratings for last night's town hall are not yet in.

The immediate reaction from the left was shock and disgust, both at Trump's comments and at CNN for giving him a platform.

Democrats and pundits like AOC and Joy Behar shared their disgust almost immediately.

CNN's own reporter, Oliver Darcy, wrote: 'Its hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening.

'Trump lied about the 2020 election. He took no responsibility for the January 6 insurrection that those very lies incited. And he mocked E. Jean Carroll's allegations of sexual assault, which a jury found him liable for on Tuesday.

'And CNN aired it all. On and on it went. It felt like 2016 all over again,' Darcy wrote.

He said Licht, who took over from Jeff Zucker last year and has vowed to cleanse the network of its notorious bias, was now facing 'a fury of criticism  both internally and externally'.

'How Licht and other CNN executives address the criticism in the coming days and weeks will be crucial.

'A spectacle of lies' is how Darcy characterized the event in his Reliable Sources newsletter

Other critics included CNBC's Alex Sherman. Brian Stelter, CNN's former media reporter, also chimed in

Slate Magazine called it a 'disaster' and lambasted CNN for giving Trump a full hour

'Will they defend what transpired at Saint Anselm College? Or will they express some regret?' Darcy asked.

His newsletter included a long list of critical tweets from reporters and snippets from reports that slammed the decision to give Trump a platform.

The Guardian's Siva Vaidhyanathan argued that he should never have been given such a platform.

Writing before the event even took place, he said: 'The mainstream American news media seems poised to treat both candidates as if they are viable, reasonable representatives of the traditions their political parties have grown to symbolize.

'It's as if they've learned nothing.'

Slate magazine called the event a 'disaster'.

'He... happens to be the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and that fact was all it took for CNN to ignore literally everything else and give Trump a full hour live Wednesday night as part of a breathtakingly ill-conceived town hall with New Hampshire voters.

'The discussion, moderated poorly by CNNs Kaitlan Collins, was simultaneously a triggering flashback to the bad old days of Trumps presidency, a frustrating preview of what we can likely expect over the next 18 months, and a conclusive repudiation of CNN CEO Chris Lichts doomed plan to restore the networks fortunes by tacking to the imagined middle,' wrote journalist Justin Peters.

Trump and Collins sparred on stage, with the former president labeling her a 'nasty person'

Collins tried to fact check Trump in real-time. The audience was mostly comprised of his own supporters

CNBC's Alex Sherman also slammed Licht for giving Trump a platform.

'CNN CEO Chris Licht said he wouldn't allow anyone on his network that said it's raining when it's not.

'But he's let someone on now who says it's raining when it's not, and he added hundreds of people to applaud when he does it.'

CNN defended the decision and Collins last night.

'Tonight Kaitlan Collins exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist. She asked tough, fair and revealing questions.

'And she followed up and fact-checked President Trump in real time to arm voters with crucial information about his positions as he enters the 2024 election as the Republican frontrunner."

'That is CNNs role and responsibility: to get answers and hold the powerful to account,' a network spokesman said.

Since last year, CNN's ratings have plummeted. In March, viewership in primetime hours was down by 61 percent.
An abused mother who was kept under 24-hour surveillance inside her own home by her controlling partner used the cameras he installed to bring him to justice.

Footage captured Cloey Noonan's cruel boyfriend Brendan Williams in fits of rage trying to break her arm and strangle her with jumper leads in their Adelaide house.

In one tirade he even threatened to use a spearfishing gun on her and 'mince her up as berley on a boat'.

But Ms Noonan found the courage to bring the shocking CCTV evidence to police and it landed Williams in jail after he pleaded guilty to 15 charges, including two counts of unlawful choking.

He was sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison in March this year, but could be released as early as August when there is an opportunity for parole.

Williams is seen trying to break Cloey Noonan's arm (pictured)

The disturbing footage showed Williams pushing and yelling at Ms Noonan as well as upending a bed and slamming a fan to the floor in a terrifying angry outburst.

In one awful clip, a shirtless Williams bends her arm back to try and break it while she holds her infant with her other arm.

She said the 'torture' she endured during their time together led her to suffer from PTSD and anxiety.

The pair got together in 2012 after Williams lost his two-year-old son BJ Williams, who was killed by another man.

Ms Noonan said their relationship was fine up until they moved in with each other with their two kids.

'He just started saying that I was a lying cheating s***. I was getting isolated from friends, I didn't really have any friends left, I wasn't allowed to go to work anymore,' the mum A Current Affair.

'It just got worse and worse, [the] arguing, going through my phone ... he's tried breaking my arm, he's threatened to shoot me with a fishing spear gun and mince me up as burley on a boat.'

Ms Noonan said he tried to strangle her with jumper leads and claimed her son witnessed the horror assault unfold as he sat in his high chair.

Ms Noonan who has two young kids with Williams said she was proud she showed her children the abuse was not OK

She said the CCTV that captured the violent confrontations and arguments was set up by Williams so she could keep an eye on the children.

But then Ms Noonan said the arrangement turned into a controlling mechanism on her - so she decided she had to do something to stop the behaviour.

'I was sitting on the floor in my bedroom crying and that's when I was like, 'I can't do this anymore, I need to leave and I need to leave for good',' the mum said.

She accessed the footage and sent it to an email that 'no one knew about' where she ended up forwarding the vision to police after she left Williams.

Ms Noonan cried as she watched herself in the footage.

The case against her former partner was a no brainer due to the evidence and Williams pleaded guilty to 15 charges.

These included eight counts of aggravated assault, two counts of unlawfully choking and one count of damaging property.

Ms Noonan (pictured) said he tried to strangle her with jumper leads and claimed her son witnessed the horror assault unfold as he sat in his high chair

He was sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison last March.

But Ms Noonan's vindication appeared short lived after it was revealed he could walk free in August after just serving two years and nine months behind bars.

She said the justice system was a 'joke' but was glad she exposed what she went through with Williams.

The mother said she was proud she showed her children the abuse was not OK.

Ms Noonan has given police consent to use the video for training purposes for officers to 'see what really happens'.

National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling hotline: 1800 737 732 .
Stephen Tompkinson is famous for a long and prestigious acting career, with TV hits including DCI Banks, Ballykissangel and Wild at Heart.

But all this would be put 'on hold' for nearly two years as he fought a charge of grievous bodily harm, which he was finally cleared of today.

Giving evidence, Mr Tompkinson detailed the crippling impact of the case on his professional life, with roles he already had taken away from him and any offers drying up.

Asked by his lawyer if he needed this acting work, the 57-year-old replied 'yes, absolutely' - suggesting the trial has had a damaging effect on his finances.

While the star discussed his acting career during the trial, he revealed less about his personal life. Mr Tompkinson had been linked with his Educating Rita co-star, Jessica Johnson, who he was pictured with in 2019.

Stephen Tompkinson has had a number of major television roles, including playing DCI Alan Banks

Mr Tompkinson with Niall Tobin in Ballykissangel. The actor played a British priest adjusting to life in an Irish village

Tompkinson is pictured in 2019 with his partner and Educating Rita co-star, Jessica Johnson

Previously he had a long-term girlfriend, Elaine Young, following divorces from two ex wives, Nicci Taylor - the mother of his daughter Daisy - and Celia Anastasia.

Mr Tompkinson was accused of punching Karl Poole in the head after finding him and a friend noisily drinking at the bottom of his driveway in the early hours of May 30, 2021.

But the actor told jurors he only pushed Mr Poole away in self-defence and the contact 'wasn't enough to knock a sober man off his feet'.

He let out a sigh of relief but showed no emotion as the jury at Newcastle Crown Court returned a not guilty verdict today.

Mr Tompkinson's defence drew on his showbiz career at moments in the trial, describing him as 'acting royalty.'

His barrister, Nicholas Lumley, KC, said that in the industry 'there may be hellraisers who wear their reputation as some sort of badge of honour and trade on it' but his client had always been a true professional.

Comic Andy Hamilton, a writer on Drop the Dead Donkey comedy series which launched his career, appeared in person to testify to his good character.

Before going out with Ms Johnson he had a long-term girlfriend, Elaine Young

The actor pictured with his ex-wife Nicci Taylor in 2000, she's the mother of his daughter Daisy

Giving evidence, Mr Tompkinson detailed the crippling impact of the case on his professional life, with roles he already had taken away from him and any offers drying up. He's seen on Wild At Heart

He said: 'That show was a real pressure cooker as we had very tight deadlines because we put a lot of topical jokes into the script.

'Stephen was always the calmest member of the production. We did a whole series when he was ill suffering the after effects of malaria which was quite debilitating.

'So he had every justification in getting hot under the collar but he was very cool headed, very composed, very calm.

'I have never see him lose his temper, I cannot remember him being aggressive with anyone.

'I have seen him be the peacemaker when people have been upset and have seen him step in to calm things down.'

He added: 'Stephen works pretty much permanently and one of the reasons for that is that people know he is good under pressure.'

Mr Tompkinson told the court that during his long career as an actor he had worked in many 'stressful situations' but had never assaulted anyone.

Detective show DCI Banks returned for a fourth series and has been a hit in America

Comic Andy Hamilton, a writer on Drop the Dead Donkey comedy series, supported Tompkinson

The road where the incident happened in May 2021

He recalled advice given by his late father when Ballykissangel made him a household name to 'show respect' as he had effectively been invited into people's living rooms.

And he said the habit of not making proper contact in fight scenes had been 'in-bred' and he was sure only his palm made contact with Mr Poole and with little force as a form of self-defence.

In his previous media interviews the actor has projected an air of calm self-assurance, revealing in 2015 that he was glad he didn't have 'gorgeous' looks as this avoided him always being given the same roles.

'I seem to have escaped the problem a lot of actors have, in being typecast,' he told the Daily Mail.

'I wasn't born with a Cheekbone Charlie gorgeous face and I think that's helped me. You could say I have an everyman look.

'I don't always like my appearance but I think it's served me very well. I love the variety in my job and I keep wanting to do more interesting things, though I love coming back to shows like DCI Banks.'

Mr Tompkinson played the role of Alan Banks in the hit TV detective drama DCI Banks

In another interview that year for the Daily Mail's health supplement he revealed his relaxed attitude towards the ageing process, saying that men's faces 'get more character as they get older'.

Asked if he had a phobia, he replied: 'Prison'.

'I used to love watching the BBC comedy Porridge. But the spooky scenes when it was quiet at night always terrified me - and the thought of being locked up with people you didn't choose. So that put me off being a master criminal,' he said.

Outlining his acting career in court, Mr Tompkinson said he got his big break of a seven-month contract with the BBC after winning a top student award when finishing drama school in 1987.

His first big hit was in the TV comedy series Drop the Dead Donkey and the TV series Ballykissangel was watched by 15 million viewers, he said.

Other hits included Wild at Heart and DCI Banks and he also starred in the film Brassed Off.

In 1984, he won the 1994 British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actor.

A photo released by prosecutors of Mr Tompkinson shortly after his arrest in 2021. This photo was shown to the jury during the trial

Other photos show the actor holding his two hands outstretched. One is bruised. These photos were shown to the jury during the trial

The photos were released by the Crown Prosecution Service

Mr Lumley invoked his client's glittering career in his closing speech, asking: 'What had he to gain from doing this vindictively? He had everything to lose.

'He has served a profession he loves, from gently bewildered priest of the 1990s to the present day, an actor sought out because of his calmness, that opinion of him went entirely unchallenged, and yet the prosecution seeks to say now, he must have lost his temper.

'What possible motive would he have to throw his reputation? He has never conducted himself in the way the prosecution alleges in 57 years.

'He is acting royalty. We suggest whatever he did, he did in self defence, no more than any of us would have done.

'They were the unintended consequences of a rapid coming together of a sober and a drunk and that does not make Stephen Tompkinson a criminal.

'It is what makes him innocent.'

The jury agreed - clearing him of all charges.

Asked for his reaction as he was leaving court, Mr Tompkinson told reporters: 'I just want to go home.'
Joe Biden has risked fresh fury from unionists after saying he visited Ireland to stop Rishi Sunak 'screwing around' over the Good Friday Agreement.

The US president - who was heavily criticised for his partisan stance during his trip - laid out his thinking at a Democrat event in New York yesterday.

'I got to go back to Ireland for the, for the, the Irish Accords, to make sure they weren't, the Brits didn't screw around and Northern Ireland didn't walk away from their commitments,' he said.

Mr Biden was branded 'anti-British' after making only a flying visit to Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement last month, before an extensive tour of the Republic - where he often boasts of having roots.

He also provoked more anger by skipping the coronation of King Charles last weekend, instead sending First Lady Jill Biden.

Joe Biden has risked fresh fury from unionists after saying he visited Ireland to stop Rishi Sunak 'screwing around' over the Good Friday Agreement

The US president was heavily criticised for his partisan stance during his trip

He also came under fire for saying during a speech that a distant rugby star relative 'beat the hell out of the Black and Tans'.

That was a British auxilliary police force in the 1920s, hated by the IRA - although the White House insisted he was just muddling them up with the New Zealand All Blacks team.

Mr Biden also posed for a selfie with Gerry Adams and rebuked the UK for not cooperating more closely with Ireland on Brexit.

His 'Beast' limo flew the Irish flag in Dublin - but not the Union Jack in Belfast.

Before setting off for his visit to Belfast, Mr Biden insisted his priority was to 'keep the peace' in Northern Ireland.

Former DUP leader Baroness Foster was among those who questioned Mr Biden's impartiality in the tensions between the Northern Ireland and the Republic.

US officials denied that Mr Biden - who has scotched hopes of a Transatlantic trade deal - is 'anti-British'.

Mr Biden and Mr Sunak had tea during his flying visit to Northern Ireland last month

Joe Biden skipped the King's coronation last weekend, instead sending his wife Jill

Cynics have suggested that Mr Biden's many enthusiastic references to his Irish ancestry are linked to the looming US election campaign.

Asked about the US president's remark, the PM official spokesman said: 'You will know that, obviously, the Windsor Framework was a culmination of substantive work between the UK and the EU, and at its heart the UK priority was always protecting the Good Friday Agreement.

'We have been consistent on that point throughout and we are pleased that between the UK and the EU we have been able to reach an agreement that works for the people of Northern Ireland, and for the whole of the UK.'
The CEO of Levi Strauss & Co has said there is 'definitely consumer appetite' for a gender neutral clothing line - which the company is currently trying to build out.

Chip Bergh, 65, spoke about how 170-year-old San Francisco-based Levi's has been developing gender fluid garments under his leadership.

Speaking in the context of Bud Light's disastrous marketing campaign with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, he said that there is an assured appetite for gender neutral clothing - based on data collected from the iconic denim company.

The CEO made clear that while the line is still small, there is ample room to grow as trends suggest that some men are buying women's products, and vice versa.

Levi's CEO Chip Bergh said: 'We are building out slowly, it started with a small collection of gender neutral or gender fluid line, and there's definitely consumer appetite for that'

Pictured: Levi's June 2020 unisex campaign collection. The iconic jeans company first released a line of products specifically marketing to being worn by anyone in February 2017 - called Line 8

The moderator, Axios' Hope King, posed the question: 'Bud Light's recent marketing stunt shows where the backlash can come from.

'How do you market products in a world where people are more aware of their gender identities?'

Bud Light decided to pair up with Dylan Mulvaney - a trans influencer - but the public response was immense. There have been boycotts across America because of the marketing campaign

CEO Chip Bergh said: 'We actually have a gender neutral line. It was a small collection.

'We know that some women buy some men's products and some men buy women's products, we know that that goes on, we've got the research and the data to show it.

'That's great. We are building out slowly, it started with a small collection of gender neutral or gender fluid line, and there's definitely consumer appetite for that.

'And we're there for that.'

This comes after once-beloved beer brand Bud Light decided to pair up with Dylan Mulvaney - a trans influencer - for a campaign, but the public response was immense. There have been boycotts across America because of the stunt.

Levi's gender fluid line is not new - and the company has promoted their customers shopping in whichever section fits them best for the last six years.

The iconic jeans company first released a line of products specifically marketing to being worn by anyone in February 2017 - called Line 8.

Levi's said at the time: 'Initially launched as exclusively menswear, Line 8 added women's clothing two years ago.

'The 2017 collection marks the first addition of unisex attire, truly gender-neutral looks that go beyond simply putting a feminine twist on a masculine style.'

During the pandemic, Levi's said their 'clothes become less about gender pronouns, and more about unisex styles that work equally for all  non-binary, female, and male bodies.'

Pictured: A Levi's unisex style campaign from September 2019

Bergh has been outspoken in his beliefs on social justice, gun laws, and voting rights

In a blog post from June 2020, Levi's wrote a guide to unisex shopping: 'We've always believed in the power of self-expression. It's part of our DNA. We want you to wear what feels right and speaks to your true self.

'And this has never been more important than now, as our clothes become less about gender pronouns, and more about unisex styles that work equally for all  non-binary, female, and male bodies.

'Shopping across the aisle isn't a new trend  it's just gotten easier. We've seen women in men's 501 for decades. They were the original boyfriend jeans; the hand-me-down you turned into cutoffs; the ultimate score at the flea market.

'With its button fly, straight leg and aura of cool, the 501 Original is still our most gender-fluid fit.'

In September 2020, Karyn Hillman, Levi's chief product officer echoed these sentiments - saying that their denim molds to your shape, regardless of how you identify.

Hillaman added: 'We've seen the rise of young consumers not focusing on whether a product is labeled men's or women's and are instead more focused on how they want to wear their style and fit.

'When we're styling and working with artists, celebrities and influencers, they just pick what they love. We work collaboratively as a men's and women's team to land the best fit to service different sizes and shapes.

'We will continue this type of work with many of our upcoming collaborations.'

Meanwhile Bergh, who has been Levi's President and CEO since 2011, has come under fire in recent years for his outspoken beliefs on social justice, gun laws, and voting rights.

In 2021, he spoke out against Georgia's new legislation which allegedly would restrict voters' access to the polls. He branded the law 'racist.'

At the time, Bergh said that his San Francisco-based company is putting 'our money where our mouth is.'

Pictured: A Levi's unisex style campaign from September 2019

In a blog post from June 2020, Levi's wrote a guide to unisex shopping: 'We've always believed in the power of self-expression. It's part of our DNA. We want you to wear what feels right and speaks to your true self'

In a blog post from June 2020, Levi's wrote a guide to shopping unisex: 'We've always believed in the power of self-expression. It's part of our DNA. We want you to wear what feels right and speaks to your true self'

He said: 'In 2020, we donated over $3 million from the Levi Strauss Foundation to different states.

'More than 10% of that went to Georgia specifically to work with nonprofit organizations that were committed to ensuring fair and equal access to the polls and ensuring that voters could get out and vote.

'And we're going to continue to do the same thing as we move forward.'

In 2022, Bergh also told a panel that gun violence was 'ripping this country apart,' after he signed a letter to the US Senate, along with 200 other CEOs, about gun safety legislation.

And in 2016, Bergh sent an open letter to Levi's customers following an incident in a Georgia store where a gun inadvertently went off and the gunman shot himself in the foot.

Bergh wrote: 'It boils down to this: you shouldnt have to be concerned about your safety while shopping for clothes or trying on a pair of jeans.

'Simply put, firearms dont belong in either of those settings.

'In the end, I believe we have an obligation to our employees and customers to ensure a safe environment and keeping firearms out of our stores and offices will get us one step closer to achieving that reality.'

In his personal life, Chip is married to Juliet Bergh (pictured together). He's previously said that she is his 'go-to' when it comes to getting advice

As CEO, Bergh has also been outspoken on climate change. He's often called for 'greater, more accelerated action,' on global warming.

In his personal life, Chip is married to Juliet Bergh. He's previously said that she is his 'go-to' when it comes to getting advice.

They share a daughter together, who is named Elin.

Before heading Levi's Bergh worked at Procter & Gamble for 28 years, as well as working at P&G.

Levi's products are sold in more than 110 countries worldwide - and in 2022, the jeans company reported that its net revenues were $6.2 billion.

This comes after new figures revealed that Bud Light sales have plummeted in every US region in the wake of its disastrous partnership with Dylan Mulvaney.

America's flagship beer brand has been sent into a steep decline after it used the controversial trans influencer, 26, to promote the beverage.

America's flagship beer brand has been sent into a steep decline after it used the controversial trans influencer, 26, to promote the beverage

Data from Beer Business Daily showed that sales of the US's number one brand has fallen in every region of the country.

Sales in the Rocky Mountain states dipped the most significantly, down by 29 percent, with the South Atlantic, West North Central and East South Central all dropping 25 percent.

The Tumbleweed, a cowboy bar in Wyoming, ditched Bud Light after the controversy  instead plumping for Guinness.

Sales in the East North Central area - which includes Michigan and Illinois, both of which have seen a backlash against the beer - were down 23.5 percent in the week ending April 22.

It comes as analysts at HSBC have downgraded Anheuser-Busch's stock because it is in the midst of a 'crisis' over the marketing blunder.

Carlos Laboy, a managing director at HSBC's global beverage sector, downgraded the stock of Anheuser-Busch InBev to a hold status. It means that investors should not buy or sell shares of the company.

He said that the backlash is a sign there are 'deeper problems than ABI admits', questioning if it was 'hiring the best people to grow the brands and gauge risk.'

Mulvaney posted the content to coincide with the NCAA March Madness tournament, before joking she didn't know what sport she was promoting

In a note seen by CNBC, Laboy said: 'If Budweiser and Bud Light are iconic American ideas that have long brought consumers together, why did these marketers fail to invite new consumers without alienating the core base of the firm's largest brand?'

Several conservative stars were quick to move against the brand, with Kid Rock shooting up a case of the beer after discovering the partnership  shouting 'F*** Bud Light, and f*** Anheuser-Busch. Have a terrific day.'

The MAGA star is from Michigan but has a bar in Nashville, Tennessee, which banned the product  contributing to a 25 percent sales dip in the region.

Customers at Kid Rock's Big Honky Tonk and Rock n' Roll Steakhouse in Nashville praised the country icon for reportedly removing Bud Light from the bar.

Some visitors said they were 'impressed' that the star 'put his money where his mouth is', though there was no response when DailyMail.com asked for confirmation from the bar.

Country singer Travis Tritt, who is from Georgia, in the South Atlantic region, announced that he would be banning all Anheuser-Busch products from his tour bus over the partnership.
A dog walker who repeatedly let his pet chase deer in a London park has been fined a third time for allowing it off the lead - racking up 761 in penalties since 2021.

Nicholas Higgs, 43, was fined 271 for allowing his Italian greyhound to terrorise deer in Bushy Park near Richmond, south west London, on March 11.

Royal Parks Police were called to the scene by worried members of the public who saw the canine chasing a large number of red and fallow deer.

Officers then captured footage of the dog wearing a blue jacket sprinting after the herd, who scattered across the park in fear.

Nicholas Higgs, 43, has been fined 271 for allowing his Italian greyhound (pictured) to terrorise deer in Bushy Park near Richmond, south west London, on March 11

Royal Parks Police were called to the scene by worried members of the public who saw the canine chasing a large number of red and fallow deer

Mr Higgs, from Teddington in south west London, was issued the fine by Wimbledon Magistrates Court on May 2.

He pleaded guilty to one count of allowing an animal to chase, worry or injure other animals in a royal park.

Mr Higgs has been ordered to pay a total of more than 750 in fines and costs by magistrates since 2021.

He was caught letting his animal off the lead and running after the deer last April 24 and just over a year earlier on April 5, 2021, both also in Bushy Park.

For the first offence, Mr Higgs was fined by a court nearly 240 when his whippet chased several different herds of deer in the royal park for over 10 minutes, with one seen scaling a fence to escape.

He was then fined nearly 250 a year later for the exact same offence.

Both cases were witnessed by police and captured on officers' body-worn video cameras.

A spokesman for the force said after the latest conviction: 'On May 2, 2023, Mr Higgs, 43, of Teddington, pleaded guilty to allowing his dog to chase the deer in Bushy Park.

'This is his third conviction for the same offence in as many years. He was fined a total of 271 by Wimbledon Magistrates' Court.

'Mr Higgs' dog, an Italian greyhound, was witnessed by members of the public to be chasing the deer for a significant amount of time on March 11, 2023.. Police were contacted and we identified the dog's owner.

'If you know your dog chases the deer, then don't let them off the lead in a deer park. It will be safer for all park users, the wildlife and the dog.'

Owners must keep their dogs under control as deer can feel threatened by them even over long distances, Royal Parks Police said.

Dogs are allowed in all Royal Parks, but there are some areas where they are asked to be kept on a lead or not let in to protect the wildlife.

During the birthing season, which runs from May to July, the rangers ask that dogs are kept on leads and away from the deer at all times.
A teenage girl sobbed with relief after being rescued from the raging sea by strangers who saved her life.

She went into the water below a sea wall and slipway in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, on the Bank Holiday Sunday evening.

Quick-thinking passers-by spotted her in difficulty and risked their own lives to carry out a hair-raising rescue.

They threw a lifebuoy to the teen who had disappeared under the massive waves lashing the pier by Bridlington Spa just after 6.30pm.

Dramatic footage of the incident shows one man nearly being swept away himself as he helped haul the youngster to safety.

She went into the water below a sea wall and slipway in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, on the Bank Holiday Sunday evening

Passers-by spotted her in difficulties and risked their own lives to carry out a hair-raising rescue

She sobbed in relief as she was led up the pier to be reunited with what is believed to be her family.

It is understood the girl involved was not injured and is recovering from her ordeal.

A coastguard spokesman said: 'The Coastguard Rescue Team from Bridlington responded to reports of a person in the water at close to Bridlington Spa just after 6.30pm Sunday (7 May).

'Upon arriving at the scene members of the public had managed to rescue the person using lifesaving apparatus which is situated around the harbour wall.

'The coastguard team checked the condition of the casualty on scene.'

Jordan Grebby, Station Officer at Bridlington Coastguard Rescue Team added: 'There is no doubt that members of the public have saved this individuals life after they got into difficulty just off the Bridlington Harbour.

They threw a lifebuoy to the teen who had disappeared under the massive waves of the sea

She sobbed in relief as she was led up the pier to be reunited with what is believed to be her family

It is understood the girl involved was uninjured and recovering from her ordeal in Bridlington

'This incident is a timely reminder that whilst the sea can look fun, it can also be very dangerous.

'As we approach the summer season it's important to use a lifeguarded beach to swim however if you do get into difficulty, stay calm, attempt to #FloatToLive and try and get someone's attention.

'If you happen to see someone who is in difficulty dial 999 and ask for the coastguard.'

Those who have viewed the footage on social media say the heroes deserve a medal.

One woman posted: 'I watched this from my window. Those men worked together as a team . I don't know if they knew each other even. Well done to you all.

Another comment read: 'Well done to them men. If they hadn't been there could of been a different story. The sea is so powerful. Glad she's OK x.'

Another local added: I'm so relieved she and her rescuers survived and I sincerely thank them. Well done to all involved.

'We pass that spot so many times and see kids ( and adults) stood on the wall . It's very dangerous there especially during rough seas. Makes me so nervous every time we pass.'
Indigenous Coalition senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has again accused the ABC of biased support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

Ms Price, who is the Shadow Indigenous Australians minister, is a leading figure in the movement opposing the Voice.

The NT senator said ABC lacked 'balance' after it emerged three of its most prominent presenters gave promotional quotes for a book in the support of the Voice.

Quotes from 7.30's Laura Tingle, Radio National host Patricia Karvelas and ABC Canberra's Dan Bourchier appear on the cover of Thomas Mayo's Finding the Heart of the Nation book.

'As a publicly funded broadcaster, the ABC must pull its people into line and ensure balanced reporting,' Senator Price said.

Indigenous Coalition senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (pictured) has again accused the ABC of biased support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Tingle called the Uluru Statement - which has led to the upcoming referendum on the Voice - a 'truly transformational gift  if only we take it'.

Karvelas said the book was 'a profound piece of work that asks us to consider a future where First Nations people  are placed at the heart of our country.'

Bourchier said the Voice was 'a powerful reminder of the gift from the Elders and a call to action to all Australians'.

But Ms Price said 'The Uluru Statement is a document signed by just 250 people at an invitation-only event that does not represent all Indigenous Australians.

'They are exploiting Uluru and culture to ram their own political agenda into our nation's rule book and founding document,' she told the Daily Telegraph.

Earlier this year, ABC staff were given training to ensure their personal views did not cause their reporting of the Voice to be biased one way or the other.

But Karvelas has been roundly criticised by Ms Price and other opponents several times, particularly for an interview she did with Indigenous leader Noel Pearson where he called Peter Dutton's opposition to the Voice a 'Judas betrayal'.

On another ABC interview last November, Mr Pearson said Ms Price is caught up in a 'tragic redneck celebrity vortex' involving rightwing views and think tanks.

'Jacinta is a very compelling figure but she's caught in a vortex,' he said.

ABC journalist Laura Tingle (pictured) has been criticised for giving a promotional quote for a book in favour of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Radio National host Patricia Karvelas (pictured) also gave a promotional quote for the cover of Thomas Mayo's Finding the Heart of the Nation book

'She's caught in a vortex that reminds me of Pauline Hanson 26 years ago  And it's a celebrity vortex.'

An ABC spokesman said the promotional quotes for Finding the Heart of the Nation 'were given as appraisals of the book itself. No ABC policy has been breached.'

Karvelas previously also gave a quote for In Black and White, Indigenous ex-Liberal candidate Warren Mundine's autobiography.

Mr Mundine is now one a prominent campaigner against the Voice.
America is famous for its fast food - with national chains becoming institutions beloved across the world.

But in a highly competitive market, it can be difficult for smaller chains to weather the storm - particularly after the pandemic and in the face of rising costs.

Up and down the country, once-popular brands are now in the process of disappearing as they slowly shutter locations.

And these smaller chains are not alone. Even fast food giant Burger King announced it will have to make a high number of closures this year.

In a bid to keep up with rivals, CEO Joshua Kobza announced that the chain will shut between 300 and 400 underperforming restaurants in 2023 - prompting some managers to fight back against accusations they were not pulling their weight.

So which smaller fast food chains are at risk of disappearing?

Quiznos

Sandwich chain Quinzos has suffered a huge contraction since its glory days in the mid-2000s. In 2006, it had a robust 5,000 locations around the country.

By 2013, it was the second largest sub sandwich shop in the US behind Subway.

But in 2010 the number of locations was down to 2,800, and in 2016 just 671, according to Restaurant Business. In 2021 the chain was generating less than $100 million a year in sales and operated only 255 US locations.

According to the latest data from ScrapeHero, Quiznos is down to a mere 154 sandwich shops in the US.

A spokesperson said: 'Quiznos has recently signed a number of multi-unit development agreements with franchisees for dozens of new restaurants and, in fact, plans to open restaurants in the coming months throughout the US, with more to follow next year.'

Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme is a household name across the world, and has been an industry leader since it opened its first store in 1937.

Customers who visit its locations can see fresh doughnuts come off the production line and enjoy them while they're still hot.

There are currently 374 shops in the US. Krispy Kreme refused to confirm how many stores it had a decade ago in 2013.

According to The Sun, the brand announced multiple closures as part of a shifting business model in November 2022 - and intends on closing more locations this year.

Rather than seeking to open and maintain Krispy Kreme franchises, the new focus would be on distributing fresh products to both franchises and grocery and convenience stores across the country.

Pie Five

The clue is in the name with Pie Five - the chain promised to allow customers to customize their own pizza toppings, and then they would cook the pie in just five minutes.

In 2017, the restaurant had reached the 100-store benchmark, but according to latest data from ScrapeHero, there are currently only 25 locations left.

Boston Market

After its glory days, with around 1,200 locations in 1997, Boston Market is now down to about 285 restaurants in the US.

Once famous for serving rotisserie chicken, the dish's availability in supermarkets across the country has caused the restaurant's position in the market to falter.

In 2021, labor shortages put pressure on workers and led to an employee walkout, according to Insider, which resulted in the closure of ten percent of all stores.

'We must take steps to ensure our operational structure will support long-term sustainability,' CEO Frances Allen said in a letter at the time.

'Part of that effort involves continuously analyzing our geographic footprint and real estate portfolio to assess the ongoing viability of locations.'

Steak 'n Shake

It is estimated there are now around 400 stores left in the US, according to latest data from ScrapeHero, but the chain has experienced a slow shuttering of outlets since its heyday.

Steak 'n Shake had more than 620 stores around the country in the first quarter of 2019, but Covid setbacks forced it to close nearly 60. Then in 2022 the burger chain shut another 30, but was able to stay in profit.

That may have been facilitated in part by the deployment of a counter-service model involving kiosks.

The company has invested $50 million in the kiosks, which CEO Sardar Biglari said was important for the chain to keep up with competitors offering fast service.

BurgerIM

This Israel-born company has always stood out from its competitors for its nontraditional offerings - including a Greek lamb burger and a falafel burger.

It was founded in Tel Aviv in 2011, before its current owner and president, Oren Loni, bought the rights to the franchise and opened nearly 200 locations by 2016.

By the end of 2019, over 1,200 franchising agreements were in place, according to The Daily Meal.

The company settled a lawsuit with franchisees over allegedly deceptive contracts in 2021, which cost the company $57 million - and the number of outlets shrunk to just 125.

On its website the brand says it is no longer accepting franchise applications.

Krystal

Krystal confirmed the restaurant currently has 287 locations in the United States.

The Georgia-based restaurant, which calls itself the South's oldest fast food chain, is known for its tiny hamburgers and late-night service.

The chain ran into trouble in 2020 and was forced to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The company said it owed between $50 million and $100 million to food suppliers, equipment companies and others.

At that point, it had about 300 restaurants in 10 states, but it had shut more than 40 restaurants in the previous year, according to court documents.

Taco Bueno

Taco Bueno started out in Abilene, Texas, in 1967 and sells a variety of tacos, burritos, and nachos. As of 2016, it confirmed it had 178 restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Kansas and Missouri.

Currently, it has approximately 139, after a gradual slew of closures and being bought out by Sun Holdings in 2019 as part of a court-supervised financial restructuring for the Tex-Mex company.
Armed only with hand-held radios, four uniformed Mexican immigration officers didn't hear the pounding footsteps until it was too late. They were going to be overrun.

A charging, screaming crowd of migrants, some carrying young children in their arms, stampeded down the bank of the Rio Grande River just outside of Matamoros, Mexico.

I watched as the immigration officers tried to hold back the mob, but it was pointless. When force failed, they tried reason.

'Please, the babies! The children! You're going to hurt the children!' an officer shouted in Spanish. 'The children could drown! Stop! Please stop what you're doing!'

Regardless, women with little ones and men with older children on their shoulders rushed into the river that marks the U.S. Mexico border.

They're headed north for Brownsville, Texas.

And as the clocks ticks down to the expiration of Title 42, the policy that permits U.S. Border Patrol to quickly deport illegal border crossers, and before new rules go into effect, these migrants decided they couldn't wait any longer.

I came to Matamoros to speak to some of the thousands of migrants who've rushed here in recent days and weeks.

Why have they come? Haven't they heard from the Biden Administration that 'the border is closed'?

According to the White House, after Title 42 ends, the U.S. will start enforcing another policy that's long been on the books, called Title 8.

Armed only with hand-held radios, four uniformed Mexican immigration officers didn't hear the pounding footsteps until it was too late. They were going to be overrun.

A charging, screaming crowd of migrants, some carrying young children in their arms, stampeded down the bank of the Rio Grande River just outside of Matamoros, Mexico.

'Please, the babies! The children! You're going to hurt the children!' an officer shouted in Spanish. 'The children could drown! Stop! Please stop what you're doing!'

Under this rule, any migrant who illegally enters the U.S. and applies for asylum, without first seeking asylum in another country, will be deported, and potentially banned from the U.S. for 5-years.

As far as I know, I'm the only American journalist on the ground here.

And since upriver in Reynosa there are running gunbattles of waring Mexican cartel factions  this mid-sized, northeast Mexican metropolis, just miles from the Gulf, seemed a good place to start.

As many as 10,000 US-bound immigrants have arrived, swelling the city's population of 520,000, and more are showing up at the city bus station by the minute.

Many migrants walked off the buses with big smiles. They're so confident in their odds of getting into the U.S. that many of them don't even bother making camp. They're heading straight over.

One thing is clear  they don't think the border is 'closed.'

'Do you guys know people they (the Americans) let in'? I asked four young Venezuelan men who'd just arrived by bus and headed straight to a riverbank queue for their turn to jump in.

'Si,' they all instantly answered in unison, nodding heads.

Tell me about them, I asked. 'A lot of people,' one said. 'Family members.'

'I have two cousins they let in,' one man elaborated.

Another offered that he had a cousin who'd crossed the river here a few days earlier, showing me the hotel name and address in Pidgeon Forge, Tennessee.

A woman holding a young napping child chimed in: 'My mom. She's in.'

As many as 10,000 US-bound immigrants have arrived, swelling the city's population of 520,000, and more are showing up at the city bus station by the minute.

I came to Matamoros to speak to some of the thousands of migrants who've rushed here in recent days and weeks.

They all want only one thing: a quick trip over the border to claim asylum and then release into the American interior on whatever permission slip, short-or long-term, the Biden government will give them.

But not all are willing to gamble on an illegal crossing  at least  not right away.

The relatively wealthy can spring for a room at the $70-a-night Best Western hotel, where I am staying. But the dirt-poor masses are living in a vast, ever-expanding city of makeshift shelters that has popped up along a two-mile dusty, sparsely wooded stretch between a city road and the river.

Tons of trash litter the banks, much of it slowly seeping into the Rio Grande below, becoming tangled in a thick blanket of green river weed that completely covers the deceptively powerful river currents.

The heat is already on here in May. So, despite a bank of port-o-potties, the stench of human waste hangs over everything.

Mexican officials  in uniforms or government-branded T-shirts  patrol up and down. Some are riding ATVs, others are on foot. But they're all powerless to stop the migrants when they're attempt crossings en masse, which has been happening day and night for nearly two weeks.

Still the lingering Title 42 deportation threat scares some into applying for a new humanitarian parole program, called CBP-One, created by the Biden Administration.

After a virtual screening, CBO-One applicants are granted a permit to stay in America while their asylum claims are considered. As of mid-April, 99% of applicants were approved, but many thousands are still pending.

Here at the Matamoros Best Western, I met my first Dagastanis, a woman and her daughter, sitting at a table with a man from Belarus, and a Russian.

In fact, my hotel and one across the street was filled with well-heeled Kyrgyzstanis, from central Asia, who all had won the CBP-One lottery.

Tons of trash litter the banks, much of it slowly seeping into the Rio Grande below, becoming tangled in a thick blanket of green river weed that completely covers the deceptively powerful river currents.

The Kyrgyzstanis were preparing to be led over the international bridge, legally, and hand-delivered to the Americans or processing.

I asked one Kyrgyzstani what terrible thing had happened back home that qualified him for a humanitarian permit.

He refused to say. But when I asked him why he had come, he said: 'because the door is open.'

A dozen immigrants in the main camp told me they'd wait the weeks or months necessary to get their CBP-One humanitarian entry permits. That is, unless things change after Title 8 goes into effect.

'If after Thursday, you see somebody cross over and claim asylum and then you see they're allowed in, what will you do'? I asked a Cuban woman who said she'd stay put and wait for her CBP-One permit.

Here at the Matamoros Best Western, I met my first Dagastanis, a woman and her daughter, sitting at a table with a man from Belarus, and a Russian.

I asked one Kyrgyzstani what terrible thing had happened back home that qualified him for a humanitarian permit. He refused to say. But when I asked him why he had come, he said: 'because the door is open.'

'If I see or watch on TV an official credible news channel that they're letting people in, I'd do it,' she said, grandly waving a hand over her head toward the river behind her. 'And I mean right away. Right now.'

Elsewhere in the camp, everyone I spoke to expressed the same strong preference for abandoning their CBP-One applications if they could get over more quickly with an illegal river crossing.

A group of six Venezuelans who'd been waiting on CBP-One for several said they'd immediately cross were they to learn all the American's tough talk turned out to be baloney.

So, the tens of thousands wait and watch.

If the U.S. border is, in fact, closed and America starts enforcing a strict 5-year ban on those who don't follow the rules, then maybe these migrants will think twice about breaking the law.

But if it turns out that the Biden administration threats are hollow  there's only one place these desperate people are headed  north.
MANZINI- A traditional healer is accused of purportedly raping and then performing ritual acts by sprinkling muti on his 17-year-old nieces private parts.

The incident allegedly happened at Siphofaneni on Monday. It has been gathered that the traditional healer had offered a lift to his minor niece and allegedly burnt some herbs to supposedly drug her. The names of the parties involved will not be revealed to protect the survivor from further harm and victimisation. According to Colani Nkambule, the Founder of God Knows Foundation and caretaker of the minor girl (*Nompilo), he received a call from her informing him about the ordeal. Nkambule, who assists the girl in paying school fees and providing toiletries through his foundation, revealed that the girl was on board her uncles car when he started burning some herbs. The founder narrated that the girl felt drowsy and the traditional healer allegedly took her to his house where he then allegedly raped and cut her with a razor underneath her breasts and private parts. He alleged that the uncle then sprinkled some muti on the girls private parts. Upon receiving the information, I immediately instructed her to report the matter to the police since I was away and could not be physically there to assist her, Nkambule said.

Referred

He further told this publication that he made calls and linked the girl to a social worker who assisted the minor in recording a statement. Nkambule said the matter was then referred to the DCS in the police department. Meanwhile, he claimed that he had started receiving death threats from the healers family. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that a 17-year-old girl reported that she had been raped. Simphiwe Dlamini, a Clinical Psychologist, shared that depression, flashbacks and post-traumatic stress disorder formed part of the effects of sexual violence. There are many emotional and psychological reactions that survivors of rape and sexual assault can experience, and one of the most common of these is depression, Dlamini said.

The psychologist elaborated that during a flashback, memories of past traumas felt as though they were taking place in the current moment. Dlamini mentioned that after a traumatic event, it was typical to have feelings of anxiety, stress, or fear, making it difficult to adjust or cope for some time afterwards. He recommended psychological counselling to address and deal with the trauma that came from being sexually violated. Meanwhile, in September 2020, this publication reported about a traditional healer who was found guilty of raping a 15-year-old patient.
U.S workers are more satisfied with their working lives than they have been in decades, new data has revealed.

Around 62.3 percent of employees in the US said they were satisfied with their jobs in 2022, a leap from 56.8 percent just two years earlier.

Experts believe the increase reflects the tight pandemic labor market that drove up wages and increased flexible working.

The research, compiled by the think tank Conference Board, found that the happiest workers were those who chose to swap jobs during the pandemic and had a mix of in-person and working from home.

Of the 26 aspects individuals were polled on, the study found that people were happiest with their commutes, their co-workers, the physical environment of their workplace and job security.

Around 62.3 percent of employees in the US said they were satisfied with their jobs in 2022, a leap from 56.8 percent just two years earlier

The biggest increases in satisfaction arose from better work-life balance and workload.

Men's satisfaction outpaced women in every component, particularly surrounding leave policies, bonus plans, promotions, communication and organizational culture.

In the area of job security, 61.8% of women were satisfied, compared with 68.7% of men.

Though the figures currently look rosy the Conference Board warns they may drop next year as some big employers reign in generous work form home allowances and the US dips into a forecast recession.

The organization predicts that unemployment will jump from 3.4% to 4.4% by the first quarter of 2024.

'Once unemployment goes up, once we hit a recession, there will be fewer people changing jobs they were unhappy with,' Selcuk Eren, a senior economist at the Conference Board, told the Wall Street Journal.

Kathryn Bolz, 30, has already experienced being made redundant twice in the past two years.

Her last job was working in sales operations for a technology company near Salt Lake City, but the role was cut last December.

'With all the corporate jobs Ive had, Ive been rewarded for all my hard work, and still to be laid off twice is demoralizing,' Ms. Bolz told the Wall Street Journal.

She has decided to leave corporate life behind and works full time renovating a motel in Torrey, Utah which she bought with her husband, as well as caring for the couples toddler.

'I wanted something I could have control over and build my own wealth,' she said.

'For that reason, I dont think Ill ever have another traditional job again.'

Kathryn Bolz, 30, decided to leave corporate life behind and works full time renovating a motel in Torrey, Utah

Wage increases have most benefited lower-wage workers in the leisure and hospitality industry.

'A lot of people in leisure and hospitality left and took jobs in, say, logistics or warehouse chains like Costco, where the hours and pay are better, Brad Hershbein, senior economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research said.

'Youve got stable schedules, you can plan for child care and transportation, youre not dealing with irate customers, it can be a more pleasant working environment.'

Average hourly earnings for leisure and hospitality workers rose to $21.01 in April 2023 from $16.91 in February 2020, according to government data.

These improved conditions have encouraged employers take notice of staff turnover and employee welfare.

The Happy Dog restaurant and live-music venue is back to a full seven-day schedule

Sean Watterson, co-owner of the Happy Dog restaurant and live-music venue in Cleveland, shut down for 15 months during the pandemic and only recently returned to a full, seven-day schedule.

'I attribute that partly to not wanting to burn out our best people by working them too hard,' he said.

Midcareer people with kids have also been winners, benefitting from remote work arrangements, Hershbein said.

The opportunity to stay remote 'was a key differentiator for me,' Naveen Radhakrishna, who works in insurance, told the Journal.

The 39-year-old with two young kids and a wife with health complications said of the flexibility: 'You have the autonomy to do work when you want to. Some people on my team start at 6 in the morning and end at 3, some start late and end late. If you have to run chores during the day, we make room for that.'
A Cornell University professor has slammed the school for creating a 'free speech committee' which he says is stacked with woke scholars.

Randy Wayne, an associate professor at the School of Integrative Plant Science, fears the new task force will be 'hijacked' by the 'diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) bureaucracy that stifles free expression.'

Cornell's President Martha Pollack recently announced that the theme of the 2023-24 academic year will focus on freedom of speech and she created the Steering Committee for Free Expression to that end.

Wayne said he was initially delighted by the news but his enthusiasm evaporated when he read the names of the committee members 'none of whom have championed free expression at Cornell.'

Writing in an op-ed for campus news site The Fix, the professor said that since the killing of George Floyd in 2020, Pollack has promoted the 'illiberal DEI philosophy at Cornell,' having previously defended staff from cancel culture.

Randy Wayne (pictured), an associate professor at the School of Integrative Plant Science, fears the new task force will be 'hijacked' by the 'diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) bureaucracy that stifles free expression'

Cornell's President Martha Pollack pictured with Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

Cornell, which costs more than $80,000 per year, is one of several top Ivy League schools including Harvard and Yale which offer DEI teaching.

The colleges believe that students must be educated on how to avoid being racist or prejudiced - even in ways they may not realize, known as 'unconscious bias.'

The Marxist ideology is not simply confined to campuses, but is now well known to workers from Wall Street to Walmart whose bosses require the 'inclusion' courses.

High school kids are even being pushed the teaching. At one $54,000-per-year Manhattan prep, staff demanded the school hire a full time employee whose 'entire role is to support Black students who come forward with complaints.'

Wayne lashed several members of Cornell's new committee who he said were beholden to the pervasive woke ideology.

He named member G.S. Hans, a law professor, whose faculty bio says his research has a 'particular focus on social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion.'

Then there is the Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina, another committee member, who Wayne claims was 'an impediment' to the reinstating of a Lincoln bust in the school's library which was removed last year after a complaint.

He said that member Eve De Rosa, the dean of faculty who said she is interested in bringing 'more diversity' to the school, ignored all of his emails 'questioning the harmful effects of mandatory critical race theory'.

Wayne said he had written to every committee member on April 19 asking for copies of their published work on free speech. 'It's almost mid-May. None of them have responded', he said.

In a stinging conclusion, the biology professor said: 'In 2017, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni awarded President Pollack the Heroes of Intellectual Freedom Award for being an outspoken supporter of free expression and for urging faculty to take more intellectual risks and not to worry about reprimand.

'However, since the killing of George Floyd, things have changed, and Pollack has promoted the illiberal DEI philosophy at Cornell.

'The American Council for Trustees has pointed out that the university is struggling to protect free expression and intellectual diversity on campus, placing 154th out of 203 colleges in FIRE's College Free Speech Rankings.'

Cornell University, founded in 1865, is located in Ithaca, New York, on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region. The school has an annual budget of $5bn

Cornell has been contacted for comment.

It comes after DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Cornell was offering a DEI online certificate that costs $3,699.

It includes courses on 'counteracting unconscious bias' and 'fostering an inclusive climate'.

The material states: 'Despite decades of legal and social reform aimed at reducing discrimination in the workplace, inequality continues to be a significant problem in all societies and most workplaces.'
Democratic Rep. Raul Ruiz is cautioning Republicans from spreading 'misinformation' about the COVID-19 vaccine as Thursday marks the official end of the Biden administration's declared pandemic public health emergency.

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is holding a hearing Thursday on COVID-19 immunity which will will examine both 'vaccine-induced' and 'infection-acquired immunity' that was critical for the nation to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ranking Member Ruiz, who is a doctor, said in remarks first obtained by DailyMail.com that the hearing and the end of the declared pandemic health emergency comes at a 'sensitive time' for the nation's public health.

'Misinformation stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic has fueled vaccine hesitancy and undermined the greatest tool we have to protect against infectious diseases,' he said Thursday.

'Or in fact, the only tool we have that prevents against developing symptoms from infection that lead to long-term health effects, hospitalization, and death all while reducing overall transmission,' Ruiz continues.

Ranking Member Ruiz (left) and Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup (right)

Last month, Biden signed a bill to terminate the national COVID emergency on May 11 after three years

Ruiz, D-Calif., goes on to caution his Republican colleagues to 'not draw into question' the fact that vaccines are safe and they helped save American lives.

'And yet the continued spread of misinformation online about not just COVID-19 vaccines, but vaccines overall pose a serious threat to this work and our ability to protect America's overall health,' Ruiz continues.

Let's 'focus on the facts,' Ruiz said.

Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, and the chairman of the select committee, said natural immunity was 'demonized' and could have been used to a greater extent.

'Natural immunity could have been, and I believe should have been, a force multiplier for good...but instead, it was demonized,' Wenstrup said in opening remarks.

He also accused the Biden administration of 'using scare tactics' in order to implement strict COVID vaccine mandates.

Last month, Biden signed a bill to terminate the national COVID emergency on May 11 after three years. At the same time, the White House also announced it is allocating $5 billion to create 'next generation' COVID-19 vaccines.

Ruiz, D-Calif., goes on to caution his Republican colleagues to 'not draw into question' the fact that vaccines are safe and they helped save American lives

Former President Trump first declared a national emergency in March 2020 to allow federal funding to be freed up for vaccines and testing centers.

Also on Thursday, the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Accountability is holding a hearing on the Department of Homeland Security 'misinformation' campaigns.

The subcommittee led by Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., will examine whether there has been 'overreach' by DHS that would monitor information posted online by Americans.

The hearing comes after DHS has been accused of illegally working with social media companies to censor speech on platforms.

The department last year created a taxpayer-funded 'misinformation governance board,' which after backlash, was disbanded.
A group of high school students in suburban Kansas City organized a walkout over a teacher who went public in an online op-ed about her problems with the district's diversity, equality and inclusion policies.

The students at Shawnee Mission North High School were met with counter protesters who support English teacher Caedran Sullivan's outrage. According to her LinkedIn page, Sullivan has taught at the school for 15 years.

Students accuse Sullivan of not using the correct pronouns when addressing transgender students and of critiquing non-white students experiences of racism, reports Fox Kansas City.

'It's not acceptable that she's still here, and that she can post all that stuff on the internet, and that's OK,' student Destiney Hall told the station.

'I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but when it's so controversial like that, it can be uncomfortable for other people, especially if they're teachers,' another student, Lil Enloe, said.

A group students in suburban Kansas City staged a walkout from classes on Wednesday to protest an English teacher at the school

'It's not acceptable that she's still here, and that she can post all that stuff on the internet, and that's OK,' student Destiney Hall, shown here, said at the protest

Students accuse Sullivan of not using the correct pronouns when addressing transgender students and of critiquing non-white students experiences of racism



The counter protesters were encouraged to be there by the Johnson County Republican Party, according to a report from the Kansas City Star.

Sullivan herself has not commented on the most recent protest but has given public interviews, including one to Fox News last week, as well as writing a follow-up online op-ed.

Pictures from Fox Kansas City showed around 60 students with signs outside of the school. Signs read: 'We are skipping our lessons to teach her one' and 'Take action against Sullivan.'

According to her LinkedIn page, educator Caedran Sullivan has taught at the school for 15 years

One of the organizers, Laveanna Washington, told the Star that a group of students decided to walk out after going to the school board about Sullivan's behavior and getting nowhere.

'For her to say that diversity is white-shaming, I don't think that's the point at all. Because you're in a POC school, you have whites, you have Blacks, you have Indians, Mexicans, people from all different cultures. And you also have people in the LGBTQ+ community,' Washington told the Star.

'So I think that maybe you need to learn about that. Because while you're educating us, someone needs to educate you about what's going on in the world now,' she continued.

Many of the counter protesters who showed up at the school were former educators.

'Just because we're teachers doesn't mean we leave our constitutional rights at the door,' Maria Holiday, a retired teacher and counter protester told the station.

'I have granddaughters and I don't want teachers to push their ideological  or administrators  to push their ideological agendas on to my grandchildren,' Holiday added.

'We've come a long way from getting away from segregation. This is bringing it all back. It's ridiculous and it's being taught in our schools each day,' another counter protester, Debbie Detmer, said.

Sullivan herself has not commented on the most recent protest but has given public interviews, including one to Fox News last week, as well as writing an online op-ed

Pictures from Fox Kansas City showed around 60 students with signs outside of the school

In her op-ed, Sullivan said that teachers in her district were being 'manipulated and intimidated' by a 'woke ideology' being pushed the school board

Sullivan also wrote that teachers are being told to push a 'strong anti-capitalism, anti-conservatism, and anti-American bias' on students

Many of the counter protesters who showed up at the school were former educators

Sullivan published her op-ed on a website called The Lion, which is funded by the Herzog Foundation

In a previous interview with Fox Kansas City, Sullivan said that she was at odds with the school's management of their requirements for teachers to use the student's preferred pronouns and also to not tell their parents.

Sullivan published her op-ed on a website called The Lion, which is funded by the Herzog Foundation.

The Herzog Foundation is regarded a 'dark money group' that promotes conservative Christian values in education, reports the Kansas City Beacon.

'I can no longer stay silent about the state of our schools. I will be attacked and threatened, but for the good of our district and the students with whom we are entrusted, I must speak out. This is too important,' the teacher began in her diatribe.

In that piece, Sullivan said that teachers in her district were being 'manipulated and intimidated' by a 'woke ideology' being pushed the school board.

Sullivan wrote that teachers are being told to push a 'strong anti-capitalism, anti-conservatism, and anti-American bias' on students.

In a previous interview with Fox Kansas City, Sullivan said that she was at odds with the school's management of their requirements for teachers to use the student's preferred pronouns and also to not tell their parents

We've come a long way from getting away from segregation. This is bringing it all back. It's ridiculous and it's being taught in our schools each day,' another counter protester, Debbie Detmer, said

In a follow-up piece, Sullivan wrote that she has been called a 'Nazi' and a 'fascist' for expressing her views

A spokesperson for the school district said that it would not be publishing the DEI policy that teachers are expected to adhere to because of publishing rights

The teacher said that many teachers no longer attend school board meetings because of the ideology being pushed. She also alleged that the board are doing students a disservice in pushing ideology over education.

'If parents knew what goes on in our schools, the majority would be appalled... We are losing good teachers because of an imposed divisive rhetoric that does not inspire mutual goodwill,' she added.

In a follow-up piece, Sullivan wrote that she has been called a 'Nazi' and a 'fascist' for expressing her views.

A supporter of Sullivan's, a conservative activist in the area, Debbie Detmer, said that the educator was 'in the belly of the beast.'

'I've been waiting for one teacher to have the guts to stand up, and I'm praying for her daily... This is me saying, 'I stand with you. And you're not alone,'' Detmer told the Star.

'I don't think that until they started teaching it, that anybody thought about the color of a person's skin,' Detmer added.

According to the Star, there are around 1,500 attending Shawnee Mission North, around 53 percent are white, nine percent are black, 30 percent are Hispanic and six percent identify as multiracial.

A spokesperson for the school district said that it would not be publishing the DEI policy that teachers are expected to adhere to because of publishing rights.

As states across the country struggle to cope with teacher shortages, already in 2023, governors in Georgia and Arkansas have pushed through teacher pay increases others  both Republican and Democratic  have proposed doing the same to attract and retain educators.

More than half of the states' governors over the past year  26 so far  have proposed boosting teacher compensation, according to groups that track it. The nonprofit Teacher Salary Project said it is the most it has seen in nearly two decades of tracking.

'Today we have governors left and right from every political party and then some who are addressing this issue because they have to,' said founder and CEO Ninive Caligari. 'We've never seen what we are seeing right now. Never.'

In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little is aiming to raise the state's average starting salary into the nation's top 10. In Delaware, Gov. John Carney said competition for teachers is more intense than ever and a pay increase is necessary to 'win the competition with surrounding states.'

Its not clear how far pay raises will go toward relieving the shortages, though, and some teachers say it is too little, too late to fix problems that are years in the making.
Parents have rallied round a headteacher's call to end SATs exams after this year's reading paper was judged too hard - with capable pupils in tears after taking the exam.

Year 6 children are sitting the tests this week, which are statutory assessments taken by youngsters at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

Teachers across the UK are now calling for the abolition of the SATs after witnessing how 'tears flowed' and 'stress levels rose' as students sat a reading exam this week.

Some staff argued that this year's exam was more difficult than previous tests and was 'not accessible' to the 'wide range of experiences and backgrounds' among pupils. It was also claimed that 'staff were struggling to understand the questions.'

The SATs have previously come under fire from both parents and teachers, who feel it's unnecessary to test children at such a young age and not a fair assessment of their overall abilities.

Teachers argued that this year's reading exam was more difficult than previous tests and was 'not accessible' to the 'wide range of experiences and backgrounds' among pupils. It was also claimed that 'staff were struggling to understand the questions' (stock photo)

Headteacher Kerry Forrester (pictured) has written to her MP saying 'SATs must go' after her 'capable reader' pupils 'opened their reading test paper and were broken'

Mrs Forrester' tweet slamming yesterday's reading exam scored thousands of likes on Twitter and saw many parents open up about the demoralising effect on their children

READ MORE: Could YOU answer these Year 6 SATs questions from last year correctly? Advertisement

Headteacher Kerry Forrester has written to her MP saying 'SATs must go' after watching how her pupils at Tarporley C of E Primary School, Cheshire, reacted to the tests yesterday.

She shared a copy of her letter online for other professionals and families to see and within a couple of hours it had been shared more than 40,000 times.

'Today was not acceptable. I cannot believe what we put our 10 and 11 year old children through for the government. SATs must go,' she penned. 'Today I have written to my MP and urge you to do the same.'

In the letter, Ms Forrester described how yesterday's testing was her 'road to Damascus moment'.

'My year 6 children, all capable readers who love reading, opened their reading test paper and were broken! Tears flowed from our most capable readers and stress levels rose amongst all others,' she wrote.

'For what, I found myself asking, for no other reason than to sit a test for the government DfE accountability measure.'

'This was the most challenging reading test I have seen in my 29 years as a teacher and my 14 years as a headteacher. Since Covid we have spent time supporting our children to catch up and to believe in themselves as learners. Today saw so much of that work destroyed by a snapshot from an inappropriate test.'

She added that pupils put themselves under 'immense pressure to perform well in these tests', which has a negative impact on their self-esteem, confidence and mental health.

Urging her MP Edward Timpson to 'consider the evidence and take action to address this issue', she wrote: 'Primary school should be where we make lifelong learners, not switch children off'.

ARE YOU AN AFFECTED TEACHER OR PARENT? Email laurence.dollimore@mailonline.co.uk

Dozens of people responded to her tweet, many of them professionals who said they agree that SATs are unfair and today's paper was particularly difficult.

'Totally agree with this,' said one. 'It was completely unfair. Accessible to read but the questions were ridiculous and no clear answer. There was far too much for the hour time limit and totally unfair for pupils with ASD or slow processing. I will be writing to our MP too.'

'So pleased teachers are finding their voice now!' said a parent. 'SATs totally drained my kids and we put no pressure on them at all, the school were really good too. It's all very unnecessary and potentially harmful.. My dyslexic son is yr 7 he doesn't know he failed his SATs. He's brilliant!'

The Happy Confident Compant, which provides education resources to children, backed Mrs Forrester's letter and shared the hashtag #SayNoToSats

Teacher Amanda Becker tweeted: 'The reading paper today was too difficult for most of the children who have worked so hard...'

Sophie Smith-Tong wrote: 'SATS narrow our teaching, cause unnecessary stress and all for the DfE'

Bethan Southern said her 'bright and hard working' son in Year Six shook his head after taking the exam, despite going in feeling prepared

Kerry Tatum tweeted: 'My daughter, who is a Greater Depth child, sat this test today and came out of school crying saying it was so hard and she thing she did so badly'

'My daughter is bright and was gutted today as she didn't finish the paper,' wrote Judith McLean

Another Twitter user said she left her teaching post after deciding she had 'lost all faith' in the education system

'My daughter said today's paper was horrible,' tweeted Rebecca Pain

Adam Watson said: 'When you can see the stress and anxiety written across your 11-year-old's face after they've sat a SAT you know something is wrong'

Angela Crompt tweeted: 'My son struggles and my heart breaks thinking of him sitting in these tests. They are inaccessible and age-inappropriate'

Ms Forrester said watching how her pupils at Tarporley C of E Primary School, Cheshire, (pictured) reacted to the tests yesterday was her 'road to Damascus moment'

Ms Forrester shared a copy of her letter online for other professionals and families to see and within a couple of hours it had been shared more than 40,000 times

Similarly, Year 6 teacher Emma Wood took to Twitter saying how she was left 'broken' after seeing 'so many disheartened children that would normally finish not getting to the last page'

Similarly, Year 6 teacher Emma Wood took to Twitter saying how she was left 'broken' after seeing 'so many disheartened children that would normally finish not getting to the last page'.

She added: 'Many asked why it was so much harder than any before.'

NAHT union head of policy Sarah Hannafin said the organisation is 'very concerned' about the reports it has received from members over the reading paper.

She told TES how many teachers claimed the exam questions were 'difficult', 'not accessible' and 'leaving children upset'. Others alleged the exam left teachers 'trying to rebuild' pupils' confidence.

The NAHT will 'definitely raise these concerns with STA (Standards and Testing Agency) and also the Ofqual national assessments team,' Ms Hannafin stated.

Union president-elect and headteacher Simon Kidwell added that the education sector has not seen 'sorts of outcries' over the difficulty of the SATs in several years.

A Department for Education spokesperson, responding to the furore, said: 'Key Stage 2 assessments play a vital role in understanding pupils' progress and identifying those who may have fallen behind, so they can be provided with extra support if needed.

'It's important that schools encourage pupils to do their best but preparing for these exams should not be at the expense of their well-being.'

Controversial SATS paper left 11-year-olds broken and in tears  so could YOU pass a Year 6 reading exam?

By Stewart Carr

Parents and teachers have been filled with indignation following yesterday's SATs reading exam - which left some pupils in tears afterwards.

Since their introduction in 1988, the National Curriculum assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year Two) and Key Stage 2 (Year Six) are well known to generations of former pupils,

But critics say the exams have been steadily getting harder over time.

The reading exam paper by Year Six pupils yesterday has prompted a storm of protest among parents and teachers, who say pupils were left demoralised by its severe difficulty.

One headteacher has written to her MP demanding an end to SATs. But is the level of difficulty unfair or just an incentive for children to study harder?

Here, we have published in full the reading test used in last year's Year Six SATs exams. Can you pass it?
Detectives investigating the deaths of four 'trafficked' Vietnamese men killed in an horrific mill fire have arrested a suspected gangster on suspicion of manslaughter.

Uoc Van Nguyen, 31, Cuong Van Chu, 39, Duong Van Nguyen, 29, and 21-year-old Nam Thanh Lee died in the inferno that engulfed Bismark House mill in Oldham on May 7, 2022.

But their fate wasn't known until months later, when workers demolishing the ruined complex on July 23 found their torched remains, prompting a major probe.

Investigators believe the men are likely to have been victims of modern-day slavery. Officers also found evidence part of the mill was being used as a cannabis farm.

Now, a year from the blaze, police have today announced a 34-year-old has been arrested in connection with their deaths. He is being questioned by detectives on suspicion of manslaughter, cultivation of cannabis and participation in the activities of an organised crime group.

Left: Cuong Van Chu, 39, arrived in the UK in June 2019. He maintained regular contact with his wife and children but they have not heard from him since May 7, 2022. Right: The wife of Uoc Van Nguyen (pictured), 31, has also not heard from her husband since May 7, 2022

Left: Duong Van Nguyen, 29, told his family that he was residing in 'an abandoned house' while looking for work. Right: Nam Thanh Le, 21, last contacted his family on May 4, 2022

It took four days for firefighters to put out the blaze ripping Bismark House Mill in Oldham, Greater Manchester

The first set of remains were discovered by demolition workers in July 2022, more than two months after the fire

Officers made the arrest as they also carried out multiple raids at five homes and two commercial properties in Oldham and Ashton-under-Lyne.

Two men who were previously arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and other offences in connection with the case were released on bail last year.

They remain on bail, police said today. Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Davies added: 'Though a year has passed since the fire and nine months since the discovery of these men's remains, the criminal investigation is still very much open.

'Behind the scenes, a team of detectives have been speaking to witnesses and reviewing evidence  leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to find answers for the bereaved.

'We are really thankful to those who have assisted us with our enquiries so far but know that it is highly likely there are others out there who have information about how these men ended up in Bismark House Mill, about activity at the mill in the weeks before the fire and about the fire itself.

'As we continue to do all we can, I appeal to anyone with information to contact us directly or anonymously.'

The discovery of the four men in Oldham last year sparked a major incident, with police drafting in specialist officers to search the rubble.

It took four days for firefighters to put out the blaze in Bower Street, a built-up area with many commercial units. However they believed at the time that no one was inside the building.

A red glow can be seen coming from the building in Oldham as it burnt on May 7. Fire crews believed at the time that no one was inside the building

Specialist officers declared a major incident and began the search of the fire remains after the first set of remains were discovered by demolition workers

Police have been in direct contact with the family of the victims in Vietnam. Pictured is the scene where the bodies were discovered in July 2022

At the time, police said they suspected the four nationals named 'may' have been in the building at the time but are 'keeping an open mind'.

Cuong Van Chu, 39, arrived in the UK in June 2019. He maintained regular contact with his wife and children but they had not heard from him since May 7.

The wife of Uoc Van Nguyen, 31, has also not heard from her husband since May 7. The couple maintained regular contact, and he said he was in a mill on that day.

Duong Van Nguyen, 29, arrived in the UK approximately in July 2021 and last contacted his family approximately sometime in April 2022.

He told them that he was residing in 'an abandoned house' while looking for work.

Nam Thanh Le, 21, last contacted his family on May 4, 2022, and told them he was residing in 'a derelict house' in 'Dam', believed to be Oldham, while looking for work. He arrived in the UK in January 2022.

Teams have been searching the remnants of the mill since demolition workers discovered human remains on July 23.

It took four days for firefighters to put out the blaze in Bismark House Mill in Bower Street, a built-up area with many commercial units

A tent was set up over some of the remains that were discovered at the former mill in Oldham

Officers have now made a third arrest in connection with the tragedy. Pictured, police and fire crews at the scene

The discovery of the four men sent shockwaves through the Oldham community.

Speaking in July last year, Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes, GMP's Victim Identification lead, said: 'Our thoughts remain with Cuong, Uoc, Duong and Nam's loved ones.

'Specially-trained officers have been in direct contact with them and continue to make every effort to ensure they are fully updated and supported in Vietnam, as they would be in the United Kingdom.

Oldham councillor Aftab Hussain described the situation as 'very worrying' and said he was concerned about the possibility of human trafficking.

'If anything illegal is found to have happened, anyone involved should be brought before the courts and punished,' he added.
Over 19 million viewers in the UK watched the Coronation on television, with audiences peaking at the moment King Charles was crowned.

The national gaze eagerly roved over the pomp and pageantry, perhaps searching for clues among the spurs and the jewels, the ritual and the ermine.

Looking for signs and pointers about what it all means, where we stand on the world stage, who we are and who we are not at this moment in history. And it is the latter that is causing problems.

On ITV's live coverage of the event, guest Adjoa Andoh watched the Royals assemble on the Buckingham Palace balcony, and did not like what she saw. Not one bit.

'Looking at all those young people, there is a bit of me that has gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to the terribly white balcony. I'm very struck by that,' said the actress, who stars as Lady Agatha Danbury in Bridgerton, a historical drama series on Netflix.

On ITV's live coverage of the event, guest Adjoa Andoh (pictured) watched the Royals assemble on the Buckingham Palace balcony, and did not like what she saw

'Looking at all those young people, there is a bit of me that has gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to the terribly white balcony. I'm very struck by that,' said the actress

If she was struck by the scenes, viewers were equally struck by her remarks. Ofcom has said it was the most complained about televised moment of 2023, with more than 4,000 complaints on the day, and more since.

Acknowledging the backlash in a BBC Radio 4 interview with Paddy O'Connell, Andoh said: 'I think I upset a few people.'

That was some way short of an apology, but do you know what? According to O'Connell, she had 'nothing to apologise for' and 'no one was upset'.

This clearly wasn't true. Recollections may vary, but how enraging this must have been for those who were indeed offended or disappointed - or who raised an eyebrow at the very least.

And especially for those who had to absorb the extra blow upon the bruise, who had their honestly held views summarily dismissed because they did not fit the narrow, fashionable identity politics or the socially approved metropolitan groupthink of the BBC.

No family should have to feel bad about their racial composition. And the Windsors are a real family.

They are not a construct nor a piece of fiction like Bridgerton, where characters of colour can be introduced in an instant by the stroke of a pen or a casting director with a diversity quota to fulfil.

And, to be honest, I would argue that 'terribly white' is indeed a racist affront. It could certainly cause offence because of all that it implies; most of it unsavoury, none of it constructive.

No family should have to feel bad about their racial composition. And the Windsors are a real family

God forbid anyone should ever go on ITV or Paddy O'Connell's BBC show and describe the Obamas as 'terribly black' or Rishi Sunak and his family as 'terribly brown'.

Paddy would be having conniptions, not being all suave and assuaging and forgiving and patronising at all. Everyone would be appalled and rightly so.

Yet racism is increasingly a one-way street, where everyone must tread on eggshells except when it comes to white people, because you can say what the hell you like about them.

We seem to be reaching a stage in modern race relations where the very fact of being white is pejorative in itself, especially if you also happen to be a member of the sitting-duck Royal Family.

So it is interesting that Adjoa Andoh hasn't felt the need to apologise - and neither has lawyer, author and media personality Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu.

Shola went into an absolute Twitter rage when the first official photographic portraits of Queen Camilla were published on Wednesday.

Why? She believed the new queen was posing in Buckingham Palace in front of a sideboard groaning with blackamoor statuettes, which today are seen to have racist connotations because of their associations with colonialism and slavery.

'This is staggeringly racist offensive and disgusting. After Princess Michael of Kent's Blackamoor disaster with Meghan Markle, this is a choice and intentional,' fumed Dr Mos-Shogbamimu.

After it was pointed out the objects in question were weeping women candelabra and not blackamoors at all, she deleted her tweet but carried on raging.

If there were blackamoors in the palace, they should be placed in a museum so that 'history did not repeat itself', she harrumphed.

'My outrage if it were true still stands,' she added.

We were by now in some parallel universe, a preposterous nirvana of fake, indulged outrage where Dr Mos-Shogbamimu was totally wrong but continued to coddle her own fury as if she were totally right.

And somehow still felt perfectly justified in calling Queen Camilla 'disgusting' and 'staggeringly' racist.

Earlier this week, Dr Mos-Shogbamimu refused to continue with a C5 television interview until host Dawn Neeson (standing in for Jeremy Vine) pronounced her surname correctly.

So it is interesting that Adjoa Andoh hasn't felt the need to apologise - and neither has lawyer, author and media personality Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (pictured)

Shola went into an absolute Twitter rage when the first official photographic portraits of Queen Camilla (pictured) were published on Wednesday

I admired her dignity and resolution in the face of such unprofessionalism. 'How do you pronounce your name?' asked Neesom. 'Read it, my darling, read it. Go back and start again,' said Mos-Shogbamimu as Neesom continued to stumble.

Last year she chastised Good Morning Britain's Kate Garraway for the same clumsy mistake. I feel her pain!

My surname is unique to north-east Scotland and few people south of Stonehaven ever pronounce it correctly.

I stand with the Farquhars, the Urquharts, the Siobhans and the Niamhs, the Keoghs and the Cholmondeleys and indeed the Mos-Shogbamimus themselves as victims of chronic misidentification, part of the tongue-twisting cross we have to bear.

My only point here is that Shola is quick to point out the errors of others and insist upon instant rectification, but grants herself the luxury of billowing leniency when she gets it wrong.

These are only two instances of discord in a marvellous week for the country, but they speak volumes about the tricky road ahead for the newly crowned Royals.

Charles and Camilla cannot help being the white king and queen of a largely white country, but this is the rocky terrain upon which their thrones are now planted. And this is only week one.
A woke Missouri prosecutor refused to press charges against a woman who wielded a gun during a Cinco de Mayo shooting that left two people injured.

District attorney Kim Gardner refused to prosecute due to 'lack of evidence,' despite the suspect Amber Booker, 33, being seen in surveillance footage allegedly shooting a gun at a Cherokee Street party Saturday around 7.30pm along with a male suspect.

Booker and the other unidentified suspect took out guns when a fight broke out amid the festival with 100 attendees. A man and a woman, both 25, were shot in the leg and treated for non life-threatening injuries.

Booker was arrested but released on Wednesday after prosecutors denied a motion to charge Booker with first-degree assault and armed criminal action.

According to Gardners office, Booker wasn't charged due to a 'lack of evidence' and the victims not cooperating with the investigation.

The male suspect has not been arrested.

Amber Booker, 33, wasn't charged in connection to a Cinco de Mayo shooting in St. Louis despite footage allegedly catching her in the act. Another male suspect (left) involved is still on the run

According to Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardners office, Booker wasn't charged due to a 'lack of evidence' and the victims not cooperating with the investigation

According to preliminary findings, the suspects pulled out their guns after witnessing a fight against two men.

As the fight progressed, Booker allegedly took out her gun and fired it, Fox News reported. It's unclear if the victims knew the suspects.

Gardner's office said that Booker might be charged if additional evidence is brought forward, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Gardner, who was backed by billionaire George Soros in her election, has come under increased scrutiny for her approach to prosecution in St. Louis.

The Democrat-elected prosecutor won her seat in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020.

She received about $116,000 from Soros-backed PACs and his Vera Institute of Justice.

Under her watch, murder in St. Louis has hit a 50-year high and fewer and fewer felonies have been prosecuted.

Gardner is one of many liberal attorneys who Soros has thrown millions behind.

In February, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, 63 called for Gardner to resign after freeing the man who struck a teenage volleyball player with a car leading her to lose both her legs.

According to preliminary findings, the suspects pulled out their guns after witnessing a fight against two men. As the fight progressed, Booker allegedly took out her gun and fired it

It's unclear who the male suspect is - but charges might be pressed if additional evidence is brought forward

In February, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, 63 called for Gardner to resign after freeing the man who struck a teenage volleyball player with a car leading her to lose both her legs

At the time of the crash, Janae Edmondson had finished participating in day one of the President's Day Classic Tournament hosted in St. Louis

Bailey held Gardner responsible for the release of felon Daniel Riley, 21, who he claimed should've been in jail for armed robbery charges in 2020. He slammed Riley's release as 'a long history of failure to prosecute violent crime.'

Daniel Riley is responsible for striking volleyball player Janae Edmondson, 16, when she was walking back to her hotel with her family on February 18 around 9pm

Riley is responsible for striking volleyball player Janae Edmondson, 16, when she was walking back to her hotel with her family on February 18 around 9pm.

'Instead of protecting victims, Circuit Attorney Gardner is creating them,' Bailey wrote in a statement. 'The driver of the speeding vehicle, Daniel Riley, should never have been in that car. He is a dangerous gunman who should have been in jail.'

Riley has an extensive criminal history and was arrested in 2020 for stealing a gun at gunpoint. He was charged with First Degree Robbery and Armed Criminal Action.

The suspect got out of jail on bond and violated pre-trial bond conditions about 50 times before the Circuit Attorney dismissed his charges and refiled the case in July 2022.

He has since violated his parole conditions 50 more times and has not had his bond privileges revoked.

'This is the latest in a long pattern of brazen neglect,' Bailey wrote. 'The St. Louis Circuit Attorney has a long history of failure to prosecute violent crime, with a backlog of at least 3,000 cases.'
A tech executive has revealed she fell victim to a cruel new 'pig butchering' scam - which sees romance fraudsters charm single individuals into investing in fake cryptocurrencies.

Shreya Datta, 37, lost $450,000 to a scammer posing as a handsome French wine trader called 'Ancel Mali' after she met him on Hinge and the two began exchanging WhatsApp messages.

The crime is known as 'pig butchering' because victims are effectively 'fattened up' with a fake romantic relationship before being butchered by fraudulent investment advice.

Datta, who describes herself as a 'romantic' with bad luck and recently divorced, told the Philadelphia Inquirer she was lured in by Ancel's devotion to her after months of trawling dating apps.

Ancel used an image of a German fitness influencer on his profile and spoke to Datta for months, eventually convincing her to put money into a fake investment app.

Shreya Datta, 37, revealed she lost $450,000 to a cruel new 'pig butchering' scam

The two never met in person but they spoke via video chat twice - though Ancel only showed her his dog on the call.

Datta - who earns a six-figure salary in a global tech firm - told the Inquirer she had felt as though she had 'a hole in my soul for not having a man in my life' - hence why she was tricked.

'I was in a trance,' she said adding 'it's like my psychology was hacked.'

Data from the FBI's Internet Crimes Complaint Center (IC3) shows cryptocurrency scams are the fastest growing type of investment fraud.

Last year victims reported losses of $2.57 billion - almost three times the amount in 2021. And last month the Department of Justice recovered $112 million worth of virtual currency linked to pig-butchering scams.

The 'pig butchering' con is long-winded and sees the scammer engage in a months-long relationship to build up trust.

Crooks often allow victims to withdraw money easily from the investment app in the beginning - but once they have invested heavily they will lose this option.

Datta talked harmlessly on Hinge with Ancel until they moved to WhatsApp where he began discussing his dream of achieving 'wealth freedom,' adding he was interested in cryptocurrencies.

In a message seen by the Inquirer, he explained: 'So that I dont have to work all my life, and I can have more time to accompany my lover to travel around the world, leaving footprints of our love in every corner of the world.'

Upon his advice, she then downloaded a crypto trading app through a link he sent her and converted $1,000 of her savings into the digital currency through the exchange platform Coinbase.

From there she sent the money to a trading app and watched it swell into $1,250 - which she was able to withdraw right away.

In the meantime Ancel continued to give excuses as to why they couldn't meet in person, claiming in January that he had a business trip to San Francisco.

Datta described herself as a 'romantic' with bad luck and was recently divorced when she fell for the cruel ploy

Datta met 'Ancel' on the dating app Hinge. She told the Philadelphia inquirer she felt she had a 'hole in my soul from not having a man in my life'

By then she had invested $6,000 which had grown to $9,000.

He then told her to make more money she would need to up her investment and urged her to sell her stocks and take out personal loans to do so.

He also loaned her $150,000.

When she struggled to tap into her 401K as it sparked questions at work, he snapped: 'Why can't you control your own money?'

After successfully liquidating her retirement fund, she had invested $450,000 investment into the fake app by the end of March. The app claimed her money had more than doubled.

But when she attempted to withdraw it she received a message saying she had to pay 10 percent personal income tax.

From there Datta suspected she had been scammed and called her brother, a lawyer in London, who hired a private investigator and discovered the account was fraudulent.

Though she has filed reports to the FBI, she has yet to receive the money back - though her family have bailed her out of the debt.

Coinbase also froze her account after the scam, writing in an email it was 'concerned' she had sent money to a 'fraudulent investment platform.'

Datta said: 'Sometimes Im like, Its just money. Some days Im like, I should just cry.'

Many pig butchering operations are reportedly run by criminal syndicates in Cambodia which employ thousands of people.

A report by Vice News and the South China Morning Post found last year that workers themselves are enslaved and abused, having been lured there with the promise of a legitimate job.

They are given scripts tailored to individual victims.
MANZINI - For about two years, the St Josephs School has been closed due to the damage on structures during the 2021 Cyclone Eloise.

This was said by Ekululameni Rehabilitation and Training Centre Manager Duma Zwane during the launch of a disability project sponsored by the European Union (EU) and United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF). It took place at St Josephs Mission yesterday. The EU has partnered with UNICEF in the education and skills development by contributing E9 million, which seeks to support the rights of children and youth with disabilities in Eswatini, by mitigating the effects of COVID-19, through increasing access to quality inclusive education.

The institution is a vocational facility that caters for people with special needs. The courses offered are; Leather Works, Consumer Science, Fashion Design, Bricklaying, Wood Work and Handicraft. Only a select few girls are currently enrolled in the school, while boys stay at home due to the damage on the institutions infrastructure. According to Zwane, it was unfortunate that there were only female pupils at the school, as boys were not present. We usually have an enrolment of about 60; with 30 girls and 30 boys. This is all due to that the storm of 2021 destroyed most of our hostels and, unbeknown to us, the boys hostels were destroyed such that they were not conducive for people to reside in, Zwane said. The manager further stated that they had been faced with COVID-19 in 2019/2020. He said during the lockdown, pupils had to go home. Zwane mentioned that parents were persistently asking them when they would reopen, especially when rotational teaching was introduced. Zwane added that it was unfortunate that they would say their children were troubling them.

Wrongly

He alluded to that people with special needs were wrongly considered a curse sometimes in society. Zwane said there were some who were thought to have been bewitched when they had children with special needs. There is a need to have a change in mindset - that having a person with special needs is no curse. These are all Gods people and they dont belong to a lesser God, he said. The manager said in 2020, the roofing of the school was made of asbestos, which was a health hazard. However, the storm that struck in 2021 resulted in most of the infrastructure being destroyed. Zwane said the girls hostel, dining hall, matrons house were damaged such that government sent a task team to do an assessment. He said when they came into St Josephs Mission, they found disaster. Zwane said even today, some of the structures had not been rehabilitated. Nonetheless, he expressed the institutions gratitude to government, through the Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, Micro- Projects, as well as partners in EU and UNICEF, who came on board and helped renovate the structures.

Shambles

There is still more work to be done as Ive mentioned that we dont have our boys around due to that the boys hostels are in a shambles, Zwane said. He said they were compelled to close because during the rainy season the roofs leaked, posing danger to students health. He added that the administration block was also affected as it had a porous roofing. Zwane said the hall also had its challenges.

Chose

Meanwhile, he said the institution had an Optical Department, which was affordable, with only E100 consultation fee required. Zwane said clients chose their own frames. However, he said there was a need for an extension and improvement of the facility. Meanwhile, UNICEF Deputy Resident Afshin Parsi said people with disabilities in Eswatini were estimated to be 176 184, which translated to 16.1 per cent of the countrys population. The prevalence of disability in Eswatini is higher than the average found in other developing countries, which is 10 per cent of the total population, he pointed out. Parsi elaborated that in 2020, one out of four households (22 per cent) had at least one member with disability and 82 lived in rural areas. He said there was limited coverage of social programmes like disability grant, which reached only a third of people who needed the support.

Progress

On another note, the deputy representative noted that Eswatini was one of the countries that had made progress in development of policies in line with the ratified United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. UNICEF wishes to express sincere appreciation once again to EU for this partnership to address the impact of COVID-19 as it relates to school participation for our children with disabilities. This is in line with our shared participation for our shared values to ensure inclusive and equitable access to education, Parsi quipped. He further encouraged partners at all levels, including parents, community leadership, teachers and development partners to all identify and perform their roles and responsibilities to reintegrate and retain young people with disabilities in schools. He also urged them to support implementation of the policies, strategies and frameworks on inclusion.

Unity

EU Ambassador to Eswatini Dessislava Choumelova reiterated their motto of unity in diversity. She said they were coming from 27 different countries with different cultures and customs. But we are united because we believe in human dignity, democracy and human rights, and this includes the rights to education of everybody, she said.
Cabinet minister Mel Stride today dismissed any suggestion there could be French-style riots over a rise in the state pension age in Britain.

The Work and Pensions Secretary insisted it was not 'in our national psyche to start rioting' or 'burning things' over reforms to the retirement age.

The Government recently put off a decision on increasing the state pension age - the earliest a person can start receiving publicly funded pension payments - to 68 until after the next general election.

It came as French President Emmanuel Macron saw himself engulfed in crisis and hit by widespread street protests after trying to force through an unpopular rise in his country's pension age.

But Mr Stride this afternoon suggested Mr Macron's experience had little to do with the Government's decision to defer a decision on the UK state pension age.

He also suggested the rise in the pension age to 68 would not come until '2040 or thereabouts', despite previous suggestions it could come as early as 2033.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride insisted it was not 'in our national psyche to start rioting' or 'burning things' over reforms to the retirement age

French President Emmanuel Macron has seen himself engulfed in crisis and hit by widespread street protests after trying to force through an unpopular rise in his country's pension age

'I don't think we're France - that's the first thing,' the Work and Pensions Secretary told journalists at a Westminster lunch today.

'I don't think it's in our national psyche to start rioting, burning things over things like the state pension.'

Mr Stride told MPs at the end of March that a decision on when to raise the state pension age to 68 would not be taken until after the next general election.

The state pension age is currently 66 for men and women and will rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028, while it is legislated to rise again to 68 between 2044 and 2046.

The Government previously accepted a 2017 recommendation, by former CBI boss John Cridland, to bring forward the rise to 68 to between 2037 to 2039.

It was subsequently speculated this could be brought even further forward to the early 2030s, due to the state of the public finances.

But, when he announced the delay to a decision on when the rise to 68 would occur, Mr Stride told MPs an independent review by Tory peer Baroness Neville-Rolfe had now recommended it take place between 2041 and 2043.

Asked whether he accepted the rise in the state pension age to 68 would have to be sooner than the currently-legislated 2044 to 2046, Mr Stride said this afternoon: 'I think it's fair to say the earliest would be Cridland's suggestion of 2037 - but that was predicated on different life expectancy data.

'In fact, if you apply what we know now to Cridland's methodology, you would end up with a date in the 2050s, actually.

'Neville-Rolfe came in with something in the 2040s, so I suspect it's in that range of 2040 or thereabouts but that will be a decision for somebody else with different data come the next Parliament.'

Mr Stride explained he delayed a decision on when to raise the state pension age to 68 due, in part, to the impact of Covid and a flattening in life expectancy rates.

'Life expectancy actually is still increasing, but is not increasing at the rate that was expected at the time the Cridland review was carried out,' he added.

'Ultimately, I took the decision because of Covid, because of the uncertainties economically - there are many metrics that play into this decision - and the fact the important thing is you give people, I feel, 10 years' notice of any change.'

'The kind of range of dates of the moving up of the state pension age from 67 to 68 are well into the 2030s, you're looking at - you're debating whether you're going to do it in the 2030s, 2040s or thereabouts.

'So there's no reason why you need to take the decision now.

'You can wait until the first couple of years of the next Parliament to take that decision and still give people 10 years' notice of your decision and make the change at that point.

'But there is a real tension because if you look at the OBR's (Office for Budget Responsibility) fiscal sustainability reports that they produce, that project for 50 years how fiscally sustainable the economy is - the demographic changes and the cost of pensions is really winding in the wrong direction.

'So there is a point in time at which the nettle will have to be grasped.'

But Mr Stride quipped a decision on the rise to 68 will be for 'somebody other than me'.

The Work and Pensions Secretary also told the lunch event there were no plans to alter the triple lock on pensions  a policy that sees state pensions increase with inflation, wage rises or 2.5 per cent, whichever is highest  but that he did not know what the position would be in the next Conservative Party manifesto.
The end of Title 42 immigration authority that the administration has been anticipating for a year has finally arrived, with border agents and officials bracing for uncertain after affects and migrants still rushing to the border.

The Trump administration began using the authority, citing COVID health concerns, in 2020, and the Biden administration has been using it until now, after a prolonged court fight.

Authorities are still taking measure of the human toll, with a long encampment of would-be migrants gathered along the Mexican side of the Rio Grande.

Border agents have been stopping 10,000 migrants each day this week  a threshold they met again Wednesday for the third consecutive day.

That included about 1,000 arrivals a day in Yuma, Arizona Tuesday, with migrants gathered in Ciudad Juarez hoping to cross border checkpoints when Title 42 expires, and continued confusion about whether newly announced Biden administration policies will succeed in speeding deportations of people who make asylum claims that don't hold up.

Customs and Border Protection currently has about 26,000 migrants in custody amid a rush to process the arrivals, several thousand over capacity.

The White House is gearing up for potential political blowback and implementation headaches. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a top target of Republicans for overseeing continued border chaos, is set to face reporters at the White House Thursday.

Migrants, mostly from Venezuela, make the dangerous journey north through Mexico to the U.S. border on 'La Bestia' (The Beast), also known as El Tren de la Muerte (The Train of Death). A flood of migrants have headed to the border amid the end of Title 42 authority, which expires at midnight.

Migrants were gathering near border crossings anticipating the end of Title 42 authority

He will be forced to explain a patchwork of policies, including those that give favored potential 'parole' status to immigrants from Venezuala, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti, but leave out others fleeing economic hardship or other dangers in Latin America.

A new app, CBP One, meant to bring more order to migration and allow migrants to set up appointments at points of entry, has experienced a series of glitches and people have struggled to get appointments.

And it could take months or years for people applying for asylum to get a court hearing and resolution to their cases.

It all comes as the Biden administration has sent 1,500 troops to the border to help with the influx. The president says they are fulfilling duties to allow border agents to help process the crush of migrants.

Mayorkas issued another stern warning for human smugglers on Wednesday.

'Smugglers have long been hard at work spreading false information that the border will be open after May 11. It will not be. They are lying,' he said. 'To people who are thinking of making their journey to our southern border, know this: The smugglers care only about profit, not people. They do not care about you or your well-being. Do not believe their lies.'

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that conditions at the border would be 'chaotic for a while.'

Soldiers observe migrants after crossing the Rio Grande to try to enter the United States, in Matamoros, Mexico

Some migrants face potential dangers even in calm parts of the Rio Grande

The push comes hours before the end of Title 42 authority

A migrant woman holds her child as asylum seekers gather to cross the Rio Bravo river to turn themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol agents before Title 42 ends

Migrants who crossed the Rio Grande river into the United States await processing by immigration officials during a vicious sandstorm in El Paso. The administration has rolled out a new app and new policies meant to bring order to the migration process

Migrants whose asylum claims are held up might get released into the country as they await a court hearing

Some are gathering at points of entry, while others try to slip across the border

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that conditions at the border would be 'chaotic for a while'

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas plans to address the White House media Thursday. 'Smugglers have long been hard at work spreading false information that the border will be open after May 11. It will not be,' he warned on Wednesday

The end of Title 42 authority coincide with the lifting of the national emergency declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Migrants rushed across the border hours before pandemic-related asylum restrictions were to expire Thursday, fearing that new policies would make it far more difficult to gain entry into the United States.

In a move to clear out overwhelmed holding facilities, Border Patrol agents were told Wednesday to begin releasing some migrants with instructions to appear at an immigration office in the United States within 60 days, according to a U.S. official. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and provided information to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The Biden administration has been unveiling measures to replace Title 42, which suspended rights to seek asylum since March 2020 on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

On Wednesday, the Homeland Security Department announced a rule to make it extremely difficult for anyone who travels through another country, like Mexico, to qualify for asylum. It also introduced curfews with GPS tracking for families released in the U.S. before initial asylum screenings.

In Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, migrants arrived steadily on Wednesday, stripping down before descending a steep bank clutching plastic bags filled with clothes. They slowly waded into the river, one man holding a baby in an open suitcase on his head.

On the U.S. side, they put on dry clothing and picked their way through concertina wire. Many surrendered to authorities, hoping to be released to stay legally while pursuing their cases in backlogged immigration courts, which takes years.

William Contreras of Venezuela said Title 42 was favorable to people of his wracked South American country, having heard that many before him were released in the United States.

"What we understand is that they wont be letting anyone else in," said Contreras friend, Pablo, who declined to give his last name because he planned to cross the border illegally. "Thats the reason for our urgency to cross through the border today."

The Border Patrol stopped about 10,000 migrants on Tuesday, one of its busiest days ever, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. That's nearly double the daily average of about 5,200 in March, the latest publicly available data, and close to the 11,000 that U.S. officials have predicted is the upper limit of a surge they anticipate after Title 42.

More than 27,000 people were in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, the official said, well above capacity. In March 8,600 were in custody.

Border Patrol agents were ordered Wednesday to begin releasing migrants in any border sector that reached 125% of its holding capacity with instructions to report to an immigration office within 60 days. They were also told to start the releases if the average time in custody exceeded 60 hours or if 7,000 migrants were taken into custody across the entire border in any one day.

In Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, some migrant shelters had empty beds as migrants abandoned them to cross into the U.S. Enrique Valenzuela, who coordinates migrant relief efforts for Chihuahua state, said the city's migrant shelter population was half the nearly 3,000 staying there a few weeks ago.

On Thursday, about 400 migrants huddled in strong winds whipping up the sand on the Rio Grande riverbank east of El Paso between groups of Texas National Guard soldiers constructing concertina wire barriers. A couple from Colombia approached the concertina wire asking if they could start a fire because a 10-year old was shaking in the desert cold. Most migrants huddled together under thin blankets. Major Sean Storrud of the Texas National Guard said his troops have built 17.4 miles (28 kilometers) of wire barriers in that area in an effort to reduce massive crossings and have explained to migrants the consequences of crossing illegally.

"The migrants dont really know whats going to happen," Storrud said.

While Title 42 prevented many from seeking asylum, it carried no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. After Thursday, migrants face being barred from entering the U.S. for five years and possible criminal prosecution.

At the same time, the administration has introduced expansive new legal pathways into the U.S. Up to 30,000 people a month from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela can enter if they apply online with a financial sponsor and enter through an airport. Processing centers are opening in Guatemala, Colombia and elsewhere. Up to 1,000 can enter daily though land crossings with Mexico if they snag an appointment on an online app.

In San Diego, more than 100 migrants, many of them Colombian families, slept under plastic tarps between two border walls, watched over by Border Patrol agents who had nowhere to take them for processing.

Albino Leon, 51, bought chicken from Tijuana vendors through slats in the wall bordering San Diego because the cookies that agents gave him, his wife and daughter left them hungry. News that Title 42 was ending prompted the family to make the journey now.

"With the changes they are making to the laws, its now or never," said Leon, who flew to Mexico from Colombia and got past a first border wall to reach U.S. soil.

While U.S. officials predict more crossings after Title 42 ends at 11:59. p.m. EDT Thursday - President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the border will be "chaotic for a while" - some were unsure. Soraya Vasquez, deputy director of Al Otro Lado, an advocacy group active in Tijuana, said crossings might fall immediately but migration would persist.

Miguel Meza, head of migrant programs for Catholic Relief Services, which has 26 migrant shelters in Mexico, estimates there are about 55,000 migrants in border cities across from the United States. More arrive daily from the south, as well as migrants expelled by the U.S. back to Mexico.

Carmen Josefina Characo, a Venezuelan woman who arrived in Matamoros with her adult daughter, said she was determined to keep trying on a U.S. government mobile app to win a spot to enter the U.S. at a land crossing. Demand has far outstripped supply, exasperating many new arrivals.

"People who just arrive start hearing the stories of others who have been here longer and they start getting alarmed. `Oh, youve been here for four months. Well, I just got here and Im going to cross," Characo said.

Migrants have strained some U.S. cities over the last year.

Denver began seeing well over 100 migrants a day arrive on buses last week, activating an emergency operations center. The city is scrambling for shelter space.

"The numbers are overwhelming," said Alan Salazar, chief of staff to Mayor Michael Hancock.

Salazar estimated about 9,000 migrants have passed through Denver since late fall, when the city suddenly became a popular stop for Venezuelans and others.

Elias Guerra, 20, came to Denver last week after hearing it was a welcoming place where he could get a free bus ticket to his final destination. After four nights in a church shelter, Denver provided a $58 bus ticket to New York City. He left Wednesday night.

"Here its comfortable, its safe, theres food, theres shelter, theres restrooms," Guerra said as he waited with dozens of other migrants in a parking garage where the city processed new arrivals.
A private ambulance has been photographed outside the riverside home of Rolf Harris, who has been very sick with neck cancer since leaving prison, MailOnline can reveal today.

The disgraced TV star, 93, has been struggling to talk or eat and has been living as a near-recluse at his 5million home in Berkshire since he was freed from jail in 2017 for a string of sex offences.

His wife Alwen, 91, a jeweller and sculptor, is in a wheelchair because of Alzheimers disease but the couple, who married in 1958 and have one child, live together with the help of around the clock care.

Yesterday a private ambulance was parked outside the property, leaving at around 6pm. MailOnline has asked Harris' spokesman to comment.

Private investigator and author William Merritt told MailOnline he saw him in late 2022, and he was gravely ill. He said: 'Rolf has been very sick. When I saw him he was able to speak to me. He was with it, but he was obviously unwell'.

Mr Merritt said Rolf has had neck cancer and there have been serious concerns about his health, although he was 'getting on with things'. Due to the cancer, Rolf is said to gurgle when talking and is hard to understand.

His wife Alwen has also been seriously ill with Alzheimer's disease. 'She's very frail', he said.

A private ambulance with its rear doors open at the home of Rolf Harris and his wife Alwen yesterday

The vehicle, used by undertakers, left at around 6pm. The Harris family has declined to comment

Rolf Harris (pictured during the pandemic) can no longer talk or eat and requires around the clock care after being diagnosed with neck cancer

Rolf Harris (second left) and his wife Alwen Hughes (second right) are recluses and rarely leave their home in Bray, Berkshire

Harriss daughter Bindi had no comment to make when contacted at her home in a Somerset village. Her husband Craig also refused to comment.

A family friend told MailOnline: In recent years Bindi has nothing to say about her father. She gets very stressed when asked about him and prefers not to talk about him.

It understood Rolf Harris' health took a turn for the worse after the sudden death of his beloved poodle earlier in 2022.

The Harris family solicitor lawyer Daniel Burke told MailOnline he has had no contact with the immediate family. He said he had not spoken to Rolfs only daughter Bindi and had no instructions to prepare or issue statement concerning his failing health.

It understood Rolf Harris' health took a turn for the worse after the sudden death of his beloved poodle earlier in 2022.

Harris married his sculptor wife Alwen in March 1958 after meeting at art school. The couple have one daughter Bindi.

Best known for hits Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport and Jake The Peg, as well as a string of children's TV hits, Harris also famously painted the 80th birthday portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

He was the face of British Paints for more than three decades before he was dumped by the brand when he was arrested in 2013.

The following year, Harris was found guilty on 12 counts of indecent assault, and was sentenced to five years and nine months in jail .

The assaults include one on an eight-year-old autograph hunter, two on girls in their early teens, and a catalogue of abuse against his daughter's friend of over 16 years.

He was released on parole in May 2017 after serving three years behind bars.

Of the 12 convictions, one was overturned on appeal in November 2017, and a jury chose not to convict him in two additional cases in the same year.

The convicted paedophile, 93, lives as reclusive life in the English village of Bray.

Mr Merritt said last year that Rolf now prefers to be on his own and doesn't 'particularly like kids' as he 'hates the noise'.

His wife Alwen, 91, a jeweller and sculptor, is in a wheelchair because of Alzheimers disease but the couple, who married in 1958 and have one child, live together with the help of around the clock care.

Rolf Harris (pictured arriving at Southwark Crown Court with daughter Bindi and niece Jenny in 2014) was found guilty on 12 counts of indecent assault

Rolf Harris (pictured performing in the early 1970s) was a much-loved entertainer in Australia and the UK until his arrest in 2013

'(He's) battling a cancer of the neck, and gurgles when he talks. It's difficult to understand him,' Mr Merritt said.

'As soon as one of two people walk into the room, he turns into a big kid again. He's an artistic type, and he'll try to perform on cue, even when he's unwell.'

Harris' health has deteriorated in recent years and that he was hospitalised during his stint in prison when his diabetes spiralled out of control.

'He's in poor health and has declined rapidly. He doesn't come out any more and when he does it's only ever with his carer,' one neighbour said in 2019.

Harris hasn't spoken publicly since his release from jail in 2017 but released a statement in Mr Merritt's recently released book Rolf Harris: The Defence Team's Special Investigator Reveals the Truth Behind the Trials.

'I understand we live in the post truth era and know few will want to know what really happened during the three criminal trials I faced  it's easier to condemn me and liken me to people like Saville and Glitter,' Harris said.

Rolf Harris' is pictured with a dog at the RSPCA Animal Hospital in Putney, UK

Rolf Harris (pictured five years ago) is battling neck cancer and is now fed via a tube

'I was convicted of offences I did not commit in my first trial. That is not just my view but the view of the Court of Appeal who overturned one of my convictions. I had already served the prison sentence by the time of the appeal.

'I changed my legal team after the first trial, and I was told that if the truth was out there, William (Merritt) would find it and he did.

'The evidence he found proved my innocence to two subsequent juries.

'I'd be in prison serving a sentence for crimes I did not commit if it were not for William's investigation.

'It is difficult to put into words the injustice that I feel.'
Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh says the national curriculum should be overhauled so children understand the 'flourishing of the nation' was funded by slavery.

The 60-year-old actor, who prompted fury when she said on ITV that the Buckingham Palace balcony looked 'terribly white', insists the government must do more to combat racism.

In a podcast recorded before the Coronation, she said it is her job to challenge preconceptions 'through a corset and a stately pile', referring to her role as Lady Danbury in the Netflix costume drama.

Andoh, who grew up in the Cotswolds and whose father came from Ghana, says she tries to educate people whenever she can about the truth of Britain's history in relation to slavery and trade, and treatment of people of colour.

She maintains that without educating people, the outcomes for black people will remain worse.

Adjoa Andoh stunned viewers by calling the Buckingham Palace balcony 'terribly white'

Ms Andoh said on Saturday: 'We have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony. I am very struck by that'

Speaking on the Snowcast podcast, issued today, the mother-of-three said: 'If we understood all of our history there's less conversations about, y'know "go back where you came from"... we've always been here in various iterations, we've contributed the science in this country, the literature, the music.

'All these great discoveries for which Britain is rightly commended, much of it came from our trade, it was funded by trade, whether that was indentured, or enslaved, overseas adventurism, that's what funded the flourishing of this nation.

'So we have to fold all that history in.'

She agreed that 'balance in the reporting of history needs to be rectified', adding: 'We need to have people in positions of ministerial educational power who don't want to take us back to some halcyon period of education in the late 1950s but want to take us into a world where we know all the stuff all the time.

'It will help us to flourish, it will help people to feel they can engage in the nation's progress in a way that allows them to use all their talents.

'I want girls to know about women scientists, I want them to know about DNA, I want them to know about all of that because there is still this thing that y'know 'girls don't do science' - well that's ridiculous.

'We may have some brilliant scientists who are just not coming through because it's never been on the radar that it's a possibility for them.'

Asked whether her role in Bridgerton shows 'have arrived', Andoh replied: 'If we want to talk about the outcomes of black women experiencing maternal care in this country when we are four times more likely to die or have life-changing things happen during labour or ante or post-natal care, then those things are still real.

The mother-of-three said: 'If we understood all of our history there's less conversations about, y'know "go back where you came from"'

'Deaths in custody, of people of colour, the real lived experience out in the world... we haven't arrived.

'But I think story telling is a powerful tool and I think we have to have the conversations...

'Melanin is not the whole story and we all have to be able to engage with each other as one human being to another, because all those preconceptions are what make people assume that black women have a higher pain threshold, or that we're too aggressive or complain too much.

'When actually a woman is in distress while trying to deliver her baby. We need to lose those lenses that make us not see the person and that's really what I'm interested in all the work I do.

'And so I come at it through a corset and a stately pile and someone else will come at it through legislation, but that's the work to be done.'

Following coverage of the coronation of King Charles III, Andoh told ITV viewers the day's proceedings had 'gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony'.

Media watchdog Ofcom then received 4,165 complaints - the highest amount of complaints for a TV broadcast this year.
A frustrated Sen. Kyrsten Sinema tore into the Biden administration for failing to prepare for the end of Title 42 as she said she would press forward with getting colleagues on board with her own proposal to do exactly that.

The free-thinking former Democrat said the federal government had left the border state she represents, Arizona, 'without adequate resources' for the pandemic-era restriction's end.

She said she was on the phone with local authorities 'on an hourly basis' trying to figure out how stretched state and local resources can step in to aid the inundation of migrants up to and after the conclusion of Title 42.

'It's clear that the Biden administration, while it had two years to prepare for the end of Title 42, failed to do so,' Sinema told reporters.

Sinema, who together with Tillis addressed the press on their joint proposal, said their bill would give border agents the exact same immediate expulsion authority as Title 42 but without being hinged on the Covid public health emergency.

'The end of title 42 was premature and the administration chose not to prepare adequately for it,' Sinema continued. 'The administration could extend the time of Title 42 on its own and actually do the preparation to prepare for an orderly end to Title 42.'

A frustrated Sen. Kyrsten Sinema tore into the Biden administration for failing to prepare for the end of Title 42 as she said she would press forward with getting colleagues on board with her own proposal to do exactly that

'It's clear that the Biden administration, while it had two years to prepare for the end of Title 42, failed to do so,' Sinema told reporters

'We have communicated with the White House over and over and over again about these concerns. And we have a difference of opinion on what this crisis looks like on the ground.'

The famously coy Sinema opened her remarks to reporters by admitting she doesn't talk to reporters often and wouldn't be addressing any issues that weren't related to Title 42.

The Democrat-turned-Independent is sure to face a tough reelection race if she chooses to run again in 2024. She has refused to drop any hints on whether she plans to do so.

When one reporter tried to ask if she would seek reelection given her leadership on border issues, she gave a short answer: 'Cute. Next question.'

Border agents have been stopping 10,000 migrants each day this week  a threshold they met again Wednesday for the third consecutive day.

That included about 1,000 arrivals a day in Yuma, Arizona, Tuesday, with migrants gathered in Ciudad Juarez hoping to cross border checkpoints when Title 42 expires, and continued confusion about whether newly announced Biden administration policies will succeed in speeding deportations of people who make asylum claims that don't hold up.

In a last-minute switch-up the Biden administration implemented a new rule instructing border agents to immediately expel migrants who arrive at the southern border seeking asylum but have not applied for it in a third country on their journey to the border.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said it would sue to repeal the rule.

Sinema and Tillis praised the new asylum proposal, but said it came too late just the day before Title 42 expires.

'They're implementing asylum policy that's consistent with what we have in our framework. The concern that I have is ... are they going to have the capacity to implement [it].'

Sinema added: 'It is sound policy, the problem with where we are today is that it is aspirational, not operational. If they had implemented this several months ago, we'd be in a different place today.'

Congress is facing the immigration issue with a fresh urgency - House Republicans are pushing through H.R. 2 a sweeping border and immigration package Thursday, and Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin announced he is putting forth a 'bipartisan' bill on Thursday - 'a serious proposal' - as opposed to the House GOP's party-line package.

The Biden administration is also opening up new processing centers in Latin America where migrants can go to apply for asylum and find out if they meet basic qualifications before making the dangerous journey to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Homeland Security officials are also prepping an online platform for migrants to make appointments at the centers in the coming days.
Liz Truss has been accused of 'Instagram diplomacy' by a fellow Tory MP over her plan to visit Taiwan.

Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, said the trip announced by the former prime minister last week was 'performative' and risked escalating the island state's fragile relationship with China.

Last night Victor Gao, a media spokesman for the Chinese Communist Party, suggested the visit could raise tensions.

Ms Kearns told the Guardian that Ms Truss's trip was 'the worst kind of example of Instagram diplomacy'.

'It is deeply unhelpful because it escalates the normal situation in Taiwan,' Kearns told the paper.

'Taiwanese people already have to live with more Chinese military manoeuvres because of Nancy Pelosi's visit. Liz Truss doesn't have any influence any more  this is more about keeping herself relevant.'

However, a spokesman for Ms Truss hit back at the remarks, saying: 'The former prime minister has been invited to visit by the Taiwan government. They are better placed to know what is in the interests of the Taiwanese people than the MP for Rutland.'

Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, said the trip announced by the former prime minister last week was 'performative' and risked escalating the island state's fragile relationship with China.

Ms Truss will give a speech to show 'solidarity' with the island in the face of 'increasingly aggressive behaviour' from China (aircraft carrier pictured), which claims it as its own sovereign territory.

She is also expected to meet Taiwanese government officials. Pictured is Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen

Ms Truss will give a speech to show 'solidarity' with the island in the face of 'increasingly aggressive behaviour' from China, which claims it as its own sovereign territory. She is also expected to meet Taiwanese government officials.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. Taiwan has never been part of the People's Republic of China, but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Since leaving No 10, Ms Truss has joined calls from Tory MPs urging Rishi Sunak to avoid engaging with Chinese president Xi Jinping.

By contrast, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has preached a 'constructive' and 'robust' relationship with the superpower. Announcing her trip this week, Ms Truss said: 'Taiwan is a beacon of freedom and democracy.

'I'm looking forward to showing solidarity with the Taiwanese people in person in the face of increasingly aggressive behaviour and rhetoric from Beijing.'

Asked if it would increase the likelihood of war, Mr Gao told LBC: 'I would say more accurately, that illicit, illegitimate steps by people like Liz Truss in making illicit, illegitimate visits to Taiwan will make it more likely that China will exercise jurisdiction over Taiwan sooner rather than later.'

He added: 'I'm pretty sure Liz Truss will live to see the unification of Taiwan with the motherland, with China.

'And I hope she will not eternally regret that she made the wrong decision, which damaged the fundamental interests of the British people, inflicting damage on China/UK relations and turning herself into a laughing stock because she will be held responsible for standing in the opposite direction against the peaceful reunification of China.'

He also said the trip will 'further alienate relations between China and Britain'.

'Her proposed visit to Taiwan will only achieve one goal  to further alienate relations between China and Britain, hurting the fundamental interest of the British people,' he told LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr.

'This visit will have no constructive purpose. I hope Liz Truss will no longer damage the fundamental interests of the British people. And she should know, decency and respect for the British people, British fundamental interests, rather than engaging in brinkmanship in damaging the reputation of Britain and undermining China/UK relations.'

The announcement came after senior Tories expressed anger at the Foreign Secretary's decision to meet Chinese vice-president Han Zheng  who oversaw the crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong in 2019  after he attended the King's Coronation.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said it was up to individual MPs to choose where they travel. 'Our long-standing position on Taiwan has not changed,' he added.
A senior British Army officer is accused of 'cheating the system' by claiming thousands of pounds in allowances for his children's private education.

Marcus Reedman, 52, was a lieutenant colonel at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) building in Whitehall at the time of the allegation, between October 2016 and August 2017.

His two children attended Marlborough House School in Hawkhurst, Kent, and Brighton College in East Sussex, both fee-paying independent schools with annual fees of 30,000 and 18,000.

Prosecutor James Dawes, KC, told jurors at Southwark Crown Court the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) was both attractive and open to abuse.

He said: 'This case is about a senior officer who, the prosecution say, cheated the system.

Marcus Reedman, 52, is accused of 'cheating the system' by claiming thousands of pounds in allowances for his children's private education

According to the charge 'he was under a legal duty to disclose to the Ministry of Defence that his family were not living at his home address and he was not continuing to serve by his family at his station'

'He did not act honestly on his confirmation of receipt of his Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA).'

The CEA allows soldiers to apply for an allowance to help with boarding school fees.

Regulations state that if your soldier wants to claim this allowance, your family must: remain living together, be likely to move in the next four years and agree that, having chosen a school, your child will stay there until the end of their education stage.

According to the charge 'he was under a legal duty to disclose to the Ministry of Defence that his family were not living at his home address and he was not continuing to serve by his family at his station'.

It is alleged that he was dishonest in not disclosing this, as it would affect his eligibility for the allowance.

The Prosecutor continued: 'You may imagine that it is possible to cheat these regulations and be dishonest about these regulations. If you breach the CEA regulations, then that may amount to forfeiture and demand that money is repaid from your own salary.

'The system is largely administered by commanding officers. The CEA system places trust in those to apply it consistently.

'It is relatively easy to cheat the system and it is consequently open to abuse.'

Reedman, of Tunbridge Wells, denies one charge of fraud between October 13, 2016 and August 17, 2017.

During his career, Reedman was pictured alongside King Charles III - when he was the Prince of Wales - and former Prime Minister David Cameron.

The three-week trial at Southwark Crown Court continues.
A teenage mother murdered her newborn baby son by assaulting him and stuffing cotton wool in his throat after suddenly and unexpectedly' giving birth alone, jurors have been told.

Paris Mayo, who is now 19 but was 15 at the time of the incident, then dumped the infant's body in a bin bag on the front door step and went to bed, a court heard.

The following morning, the youth put his body into a rubbish bag and sent a text message to her older brother, asking: 'When you go outside, can you put the black bag in the bin?'

But her hysterical mother found the baby in the bag and called emergency services.

Mayo, now aged 19, has gone on trial and is accused of killing in March 2019 and was charged with the murder of little Stanley Mayo last year after an inquiry by West Mercia Police.

Paris Mayo, now 19, put body in rubbish bag and asked older brother to dispose of it, jury heard

Worcester Crown Court (pictured) heard Mayo thought she was experiencing menstrual pains on the evening the baby was born and had a warm bath

She denies murdering her baby, who was born full-term or nearly full-term, on the night of March 23, 2019.

Prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC said the boy was 'full or near full term' and born alive in the living room, while his maternal grandparents were upstairs - after Mayo had concealed her pregnancy from her family.

Mr Hankin added: 'The birth took place in the living room of the family home where Miss Mayo lived with her parents and brother George.

'She was alone and delivered the baby unaided while her unwell father was upstairs having dialysis being overseen by her mother.

'Following delivery the defendant assaulted the baby to the upper front left and right side of his head causing a severe brain injury.

'Approximately two hours later, realising the baby was still alive, she stuffed pieces of cotton wool into his mouth and neck.

'She put the baby's body inside a bin bag and deposited it on the front doorstep before going up to bed.

'The first piece to go in was forced down so deeply into the oesophagus - the tube through which we carry food to our stomachs - it was only discovered on dissection of the neck at autopsy'.

The court heard the cotton wool blocked Stanley's airway and he suffocated at the family home in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, on March 23 2019.

Worcester Crown Court heard Mayo thought she was experiencing menstrual pains on the evening the baby was born and had a warm bath.

Her brother George left her glasses of warm milk and water outside the bathroom door before he went out for the night.

Mayo was just 15 when she gave birth to little Stanley Mayo in March 2019 in Ross-on-Wye

When he got home Mayo asked him not to enter the living room because she had bled heavily, the jury was told.

The next morning the teenager sent her brother a text message asking him to get rid of the bin bag saying it contained her 'sick' from the previous night.

But when Mayo's mother opened the bag, the prosecutor said she 'suddenly went hysterical and was heard to say, 'There's a baby in the bag' and... 'Paris has given birth'.

Jurors were told the baby's death came to light when Mayo's mother asked her son what was in the bin bag, which was described in court as 'unusually heavy' and had left 'streaks' of blood on the doorstep.

Mr Hankin said: 'The defendant's mother called emergency services saying her daughter had given birth. She was heard saying: 'You could have told me darling. Poor baby. Why didn't you tell me?'

Paramedics arrived and found Mayo in the house sitting with her mother, holding the baby who was 'wrapped in a sheet... and no sign of life'.

Mr Hankin said: 'She (Mayo) said it (the baby) had stuff coming out of its mouth and she used cotton wool to try to clean it up.

'She said she had put some cotton wool inside the baby's mouth, to stop any more coming out, and later, in the ambulance, described this stuff as 'fluid'.

'She said she had put the baby in the bag because she didn't know what to do'.

The jury was given a plan of the family home in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, and instructed to write 'birth' in the room where the baby was born. They will also be played the 999 call from Mayo's mother.

Pictured: Paris Mayo. When her brother George got home Mayo asked him not to enter the living room because she had bled heavily, the jury was told. The next morning the teenager sent her brother a text message asking him to get rid of the bin bag saying it contained her 'sick' from the previous night

The court heard Mayo told paramedics she didn't know she was pregnant and the baby had 'fallen out of her'.

Mr Hankin said: 'She told a paramedic the baby did not seem right. She was hoping her mum would think the baby was rubbish and throw it out.

'She said she knew the identity of the baby's father but she didn't have anything to do with him.'

Travelling to Hereford County Hospital with her mother and the lifeless baby in the back of an ambulance, Mayo was heard by paramedics to say: 'Is it my fault? Did I do this?' and later: 'It's my fault, it's my fault.'

After arriving at hospital, Mr Hankin added, she was heard by medics to say: 'It's not my fault the baby died, is it?

'His head hit the floor and I was waiting for a noise.'

Mr Hankin told the jury: 'The prosecution says that the defendant killed the baby to prevent the discovery of her pregnancy and his birth.

'She didn't want the baby.

'Despite having parents and siblings - whom she acknowledges are loving and supportive and to whom she could have turned for help and advice - she murdered him.'

'The defendant says, on the other hand, that she gave birth suddenly and unexpectedly.

'She believed the baby was dead. She never intended to kill the baby, or to seriously harm him and she made no attempt to conceal the birth.

'It will be your task, having heard the evidence during this lengthy trial, whether the prosecution has satisfied you so you are sure of the defendant's guilt.'

Mayo, of Ruardean, Gloucestershire - who wept as the case was opened - denies wrongdoing and the trial, expected to last six weeks, continues.

The jury heard Mayo later named the father as Benjy Davies but this turned out to be incorrect.

The murder trial heard Mayo had denied being pregnant when her older sister asked her two months earlier.

Her brother had no idea his sister was pregnant but had noticed she had become broader and bigger and had started wearing baggy clothes, the jury heard.

Mayo, of Ruardean, Gloucestershire, claimed that the baby was not moving or breathing after she gave birth and she used cotton wool to clean up 'stuff' coming out of its mouth.

The trial is expected to last six weeks.
Lori Vallow's defense attorney has pointed the finger at her doomsday preacher husband in a last ditch attempt to sway the jury as her triple murder trial draws to a conclusion.

The prosecution said earlier in its closing argument it was the cult mom's own desire for 'money, power and sex' that drove the killings.

Vallow, 49, and Daybell, 54, are both accused of murdering her son JJ and 16-year-old daughter Tylee in Rexburg, Idaho. The pair allegedly killed his wife Tammy the following month before marrying two weeks later in Hawaii. Daybell will be tried separately at a later date.

But speaking to a packed courtroom in Boise, Idaho, on Thursday Vallow's defense attorney Jim Archibald attempted to paint a picture of Vallow as a loving mother who was seduced by Daybell and lied to protect him.

He claimed she had no idea Daybell and her brother Alex had 'stuffed her kids' bodies in Chad's backyard'.

Vallow, 49, and her husband Chad Daybell 54 are accused of murdering her son JJ and 16-year-old daughter Tylee in Rexburg, Idaho , in September, 2019

Vallow is accused of killing her two children, seven-year-old Joshua (JJ), left, and 16-year-old Tylee, right

The children's bodies were discovered in shallow graves on Daybell's property on June 9, 2020 - nine months after they vanished

Vallow's eyes darted around the packed courtroom on Thursday morning while she scribbled in a notepad as the State and defense delivered their closing arguments after five weeks of harrowing testimony.

Archibald put it to the jury that Vallow had lied to protect Chad after being taken in by his twisted religious beliefs.

Prosecutors claims the couple were doomsday cultists who believed the children were 'zombies' inhabited by Satan.

'How can someone have that much control over you?' he said. 'We've heard how reason and common sense go out the windows sometimes when religious principles are involved.'

Earlier in the day the prosecution argued that Vallow was 'the one who ties this all together' and that the cult mom's desire for 'money, power and sex' was the driving force behind the horrific killings.

But Archibald ridiculed the idea that Vallow was driven by money and sex as her ex-husband Charles Vallow - who was murdered by her brother - was richer and more attractive than Daybell.

'Daybell can't sell enough stupid books about the end of the world,' he said, before adding that Vallow made around $400,000 to $500,000 a year.

He added: 'She's reading his books during a hard time in her life and this guy is telling her she's a goddess...and by the way, we've already been married in previous life so it's not really cheating. And we were best friends with Jesus and Jesus approves so everything is ok. That's quite the pickup line by Chad to Lori and it worked.'

But the State argued that Lori knew exactly what was going on and planned her children's murders.

Wood made it clear that no one in the case is being charged for their religion - and that it only matters because it is the tool they used to manipulate others.

He continued: 'Lori manipulated Alex Cox through religion. She manipulated Chad through emotional and sexual control. They manipulated their friends.'

Wood concluded his closing arguments by imploring the jury to convict Vallow.

'What does justice for these victims require? It requires a conviction on every count,' he said as photos of the children are shown. 'You must convict her.'

Vicki Hoban and Julie Brooks, Tammy Daybell's aunt and cousin, said they were extremely nervous but that the end of the trial 'will give us some relief'

Chad and Tammy Daybell pictured before she was murdered in October, 2019

Earlier Thursday, the distraught relatives of Lori Vallow's murdered children said they are praying for the cult mom to be convicted.

'I am ready for this,' Larry Woodcock, the grandfather of Vallow's seven-year-old son JJ told reporters outside the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho on Thursday morning. 'We're all ready for this.'

Vicki Hoban - who handed out 'Tammy Forever Loved' bracelets outside the courtroom, and Julie Brooks, Tammy Daybell's aunt and cousin, said they were extremely nervous but that the end of the trial 'will give us some relief'.

JJ had been suffocated with a plastic bag duct-taped around his face, while Tylee's body was so badly burned and dismembered an autopsy could not ascertain her cause of death.

JJ's grandfather Woodcock, who has been at the trial for most days since it began, appeared to be in good spirits as he walked into the courthouse with his wife Kay, playing Queen's We Will Rock You on his iPad.

'That's JJ's song,' he said. He then passed out mints from a bowl.

There was a buzz among expectant members of the public who have packed the courthouse since the blockbuster trial began on April 10.

Vallow is facing life in prison. Daybell is being tried separately.

An Instagram post from Tylee with her mom dated May 14, 2017, when she was 14 years old

Dr Garth Warren revealed for the first time how JJ's cause of death was 'asphyxia by plastic bag over the head and duct tape over the mouth.' The coroner suggested the boy had scratched his own neck as he struggled to break free

Ahead of closing arguments, Tammy Daybell's aunt Hoban and cousin Brooks spoke out for the first time in an interview with Fox10 Phoenix.

Asked how they would feel witnessing the end of this case, they wept and said they feel 'shaky' but that it would 'give us some relief'.

Brooks said she had known Vallow for about a year and that the cult mom 'was good with the kids' and 'very likeable'.

'I feel a mix of emotions that we're even there because of what happened but just praying honestly that the jury can see through everything,' she added.

Hoban said: 'I really felt from the very beginning that this is something very wrong.'

Vallow's children were missing for almost a year before their corpses were found buried in Daybell's yard on June 9, 2020.

During the opening, prosecutor Lindsey Blake described how charred remains were all that was left of Tylee.

She told jurors: 'You will hear it explained as a mass of bone and tissue. That's what was left of this beautiful young woman.'

Tylee's DNA was later found on a pickaxe and shovel in a shed on the property.

JJ's body was wrapped in trash bags and duct tape - the tape binding his arms in front of him and wrapping around his head. He had been suffocated inside a plastic bag.

The two children and Daybell's previous wife Tammy were all killed because they stood in the way of the couple's relationship, the State says.

'Remember, the defendant will remove any obstacle in her way to get what she wants, and she wanted Chad Daybell,' Blake told jurors.

Jurors have heard from friends and relatives of Vallow that she and Daybell believed the children were 'dark' and referred to them as 'zombies' before they disappeared.

The key individuals in Lori Vallow's tangled family tree, including her five husbands, two dead children and killer brother

'The common theme was the body has to be destroyed,' Blake said. 'The defendant and Chad used their self-proclaimed religious teachings to justify their actions to others  their actions from affair to murder.'

Prosecutors say the couple planned to use life insurance money from Tammy's death, and that Vallow kept collecting and spending the children's social security and benefits after they died.

Vallow denies two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of conspiracy in the deaths of her two children and Tammy Daybell.

She further denies grand theft for allegedly collecting government benefits on behalf of her children after they were killed.
The Albanian drug lord husband of a glamorous Met Police officer who advised her YouTube followers how to create 'the perfect booty' faces jail for his role in massive cocaine deals.

Julian Agalliu, 47, used EncroChat to carry out drug deals before the encrypted app favoured by gangsters was taken down by international law enforcement in 2020.

Agalliu boasted to associates he was married to PC Rasvinder Agalliu, 45, and was warned to tell his wife to 'hide' documents as the net closed.

National Crime Agency officers uncovered messages on EncroChat referring to 100kg cocaine parcels, stamped with the Hublot luxury watch brand, and gun deals, Woolwich Crown Court heard.

Jurors heard cocaine was found at the couple's home in Hadley Wood, north London.

Julian Agalliu (pictured right, with wife Rasvinder Agalliu), 47, used EncroChat to carry out drug deals before the encrypted app favoured by gangsters was taken down by international law enforcement in 2020

PC Agalliu was also a personal trainer who told YouTube viewers how to create the 'perfect booty'

Rasvinder Agalliu on duty in her Met Police job outside Buckingham Palace in London

Agalliu denied but was convicted of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and conspiracy to supply class B drugs, possession with intent to supply cocaine and possession of criminal property.

He is due to be sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court later today along with associate Daniel McNeil-Duncan, 37, who earlier admitted conspiracy to supply.

Prosecutor William Davis said: 'Mr Agalliu and Mr McNeil-Duncan were identified as users of EncroChat.

'Those devices were used to organise the supply of large quantities of cocaine and cannabis.

'It was a secure communications system used by organised criminals.

'They believed it kept them beyond the reach of law enforcement agencies.'

'An aggravating factor is the use of sophisticated methods of technology to avoid detection.'

PC Agalliu was based at the central west borough command unit after signing up 19 years ago.

She was also a personal trainer who told YouTube viewers how to create the 'perfect booty'.

Last year she was crowned Miss Enfield in the UK's National Miss pageant competition classic category.

But she was booted out of the force in December 2022 after a set of digital scales and more than 27,000 in cash was found at the couple's home during a police raid in June 2020.

A police radio, belonging to a colleague, was found in PC Agalliu's handbag.

Rasvinder Agalliu, 45, poses up in a social media picture of her working out at the gym

Last year she was crowned Miss Enfield in the UK's National Miss pageant competition classic category

Cocaine was found in a drawer containing passports at the Agalliu family home while the drug was also found inside a Louis Vuitton box under the couple's bed.

Furthermore, officers recovered a book from a second rented home nearby which contained the 'Nicemoon' handle handwritten alongside drug deal records.

Body armour belonging to PC Agalliu was also found with handcuffs, items of uniform and a set of case papers. A large number of cannabis plants under cultivation were also found at the property.

Agalliu used the handle 'Nicemoon' on Encrochat while McNeil-Duncan was 'Ekspinoza' in thousands of messages between March and June 2020.

The prosecutor had read a series of messages from Nicemoon to a criminal contact in which he says: 'I'm driving my wife to work.'

The associate replied: 'Oh good to station police?'

ANPR data tracked the couple's Audi to the police station in Kensington where PC Agalliu was working that day.

Agalliu also boasted his wife had been promoted to sergeant in the Met and shortly before law enforcement agencies infiltrated EncroChat he was asked if his wife knew about the operation.

The contact messaged him: 'What if she gets hold of the EncroChat? Tell her to hide the papers.'

PC Agalliu was booted out of the force in December 2022 after a set of digital scales and more than 27,000 in cash was found at the couple's home during a police raid in June 2020

PC Agalliu was not charged with drug offences but last December she was found to have breached the Met's standards of professional behaviour

In police interview Agalliu claimed she was a stripper, who also worked as a sex worker, had set him up and ruined his life.

McNeil-Duncan, of Brentwood, Essex, earlier admitted two charges of conspiracy to supply.

Agalliu, from Hadley Wood, denied but was convicted of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, conspiracy to supply class B drugs, possession with intent to supply cocaine, and possession of criminal property.

PC Agalliu was not charged with drug offences but last December she was found to have breached the Met's standards of professional behaviour.

The misconduct panel also found she breached the force's standards on respect of honesty and integrity, discreditable conduct, duties and responsibilities and orders and instructions.

Judge Ruth Downing is due to sentence Mr Agalliu and McNeil-Duncan later today.
MBABANE  MPs have heaped praises to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Portfolio Committee for the inclusion of soldiers in the Workmens Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

Umbutfo Esatini Defence Force members (UEDF) had been removed from the list of persons excluded from the definition of workman as per the Act, as part of the amendments of the Bill and they were invited to make submissions on this development, which they did and showed interest to be part of the beneficiaries under the Bill. The Chairperson of the Committee and Ndzingeni MP Lutfo Dlamini successfully moved for the adoption of the report of the ministrys portfolio committee on the Bill and he was seconded by Sithobelweni MP Bhekitje Dlamini. MP Lutfo shared that there were four amendments to the Bill, which included defining the minister, changing Labour commissioner to be replaced by the compensation commissioner on issues of social security and leaving the ground open for other insurance industry players to penetrate the space as it was previously monopolised and only operated by the Eswatini Royal Insurance Corporation (ESRIC).

However, the main one, which was applauded by the MPs, was that of the inclusion of the members of the UEDF who were previously not eligible to make a claim when they got injured in the line of duty. MP Lutfo, when moving for the adoption of the Bill, shared that this was one of the achievements that carried a lot of weight for the 11th Parliament and the parliamentarians should give themselves a tap on the back for it.

Preferred

He also highlighted the issue of ending the monopoly on the insurance company that had been preferred by government for years, saying it would give other industry players a fair chance to participate in the workmens compensation space. The seconder, in Sithobelweni MP Bhekitje, appreciated that ESRIC did not object the amendment to end the monopoly but was keen to step aside and let others get in the same market. In the issue of soldiers benefitting from the workmens compensation, its been a long time coming and its greatly commendable that it is now a reality, he shared. Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi also shared the same sentiments, stating that nothing makes the Bill more appealing than the fact that soldiers would now be beneficiaries on the Act.

On the issue of ESRIC being given 12 months to wind up and give others a chance, he proposed that there should be a specific date that speaks to specifically that and his contention was that the government year commenced on April 1 of each year and given that the Bill, at the time of the commencement of the government year, was still subject to Parliament processes, it would be proper to declare that ESRIC would seize operations on April 1, 2024. The suggestion was welcomed by other parliamentarians, including the Attorney General, Sifiso Mashampu Khumalo, who shared that there was nothing wrong with putting a specific date on a clause as it had been done before. The minister also added that the adoption of the Bill would help the ministry in pushing the backlog of compensations, some of which were waiting for the completion of the amendment of the Bill. Minister of Housing and Urban Development Prince Simelane, said the Bill committee members would be rewarded by automatic entry in the Kingdom of Heaven for their glaringly wonderful work on the Bill, which is highlighted by the inclusion of the soldiers on it. Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko said this was burden offload because the soldiers knew where they were employed and they were always enquiring on the matter at the ministry.

Unfair

He shared that it was unfair that both members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service and His Majestys Correctional Services members were eligible for the compensation but soldiers were not. We have seen in the recent past how soldiers were killed and it was about time they are included in the Act, he said. The Bill was adopted after the House committed to a committee of the whole House to include the amendments on it and it would now be subject for approval at Cabinet before being blessed by the head of State. The object of the Bill is to amend the Workmens Compensation Act No.7 of 1983 so as to provide for the change of the designation of Labour Commissioner; so as to be in line with the National Social Security policy 2021. The other one is the change of the Eswatini Royal Insurance Company so as to include any registered insurer in a Eswatini to avoid monopoly in the industry as well as incidental matters.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 89, cares 'more about her dog' than black people, a former African-American staffer charged, while she also confused two black senators, a new book offered.

The Washington Post's Ben Terris' forthcoming tome The Big Break: The Gamblers, Party Animals, and True Believers Trying to Win in Washington While America Loses Its Mind profiles one ex-Feinstein staffer who played whistleblower by literally blowing smoke.

Terris, in an excerpt published Thursday in Politico, wrote about how in the days following being fired by Feinstein's office - after raising concerns about her treatment of black people and her mental faculties - Jamarcus Purley protested by getting high on mushrooms and smoking a joint in her office and then posting the video.

Purley, Terris wrote, had had enough.

While Purley's boss wrote in his termination letter that he was fired for repeatedly not showing up to work and writing back to constituents without a manager's approval, the young black staffer said he had been let go for telling 'hard truths' about the California Democrat.

'It was obvious to him that her mental faculties were dimming and she might be going senile,' Terris wrote.

Jamarcus Purley protested bad treatment after working for California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein for five years by sharing a video of himself after his dismissal high on mushrooms and smoking a joint in her office

'Purley also thought the Senate office should be focusing more on constituent services - casework like tracking misdirected benefit payments or providing help filling out federal forms. During a pandemic, this was the kind of work that Purley felt could save lives - especially lives in hardup communities of color,' Terris wrote.

Purley had 'let loose' on a staff call two weeks earlier.

'He talked about the coworkers who had touched his hair while he sat at his desk, how the senator hadn't ever learned his name or spoken to him despite five years of service to her, how the chief of staff seemed to be operating as a shadow senator since the actual one was, in his opinion, no longer mentally there,' Terris said.

'Perhaps most memorable to those on the call was his belief that the senator cared "more about her dog, Kirby, than she does about Black people,"' Purley had uttered.

Purley's complaints were met with silence. And then a firing.

But for a short time, he retained his staff badge.

And so, on a night in February 2022, Purley returned to Capitol Hill and to the Hart Senate Office Building.

He took a dose of psychedelic mushrooms and rolled in with a joint.

'He queued up his mother's favorite song, the 1982 R&B jam "I Like It," by DeBarge. Leaning back in Feinstein's chair, Purley took a drag off his already lit joint. The horns hit, and his plan changed again: He was no longer sitting still, but dancing,' Terris wrote.

Later, Purley posted the content to his Instagram account.

Among the things Purley had brought attention to was his belief that the 89-year-old Feinstein's 'mental faculties were dimming'

'He believed this gesture would work like a piece of protest art, grabbing peoples attention on a visceral level, making them ask questions - about what could lead a person to pull off such a stunt - which he would then answer in detail,' Terris said.

The move got picked up by the popular Dear White Staffers Instagram account and by journalist Pablo Manriquez, now with The New Republic, as well as a brief mention in Politico Playbook - but the story never reverberated around Washington as it should have.

Terris wrote that it's likely because Purley didn't do himself any favors as a credible witness to a deteriorating senator.

'As sharp and thoughtful as Purley was, he could also be pretty out there,' Terris said. 'In early March, after getting picked up by Dear White Staffers, he gave a series of rambling interviews to podcasts where he made unprovable claims about his boss being controlled by military companies such as Raytheon and Lockheed Martin who wanted to "keep her" in the Senate to "push their phony war in Ukraine."'

But in doing his own reporting, Terris stumbled upon a similar story.

'About a year earlier, Feinstein had approached Senator Tim Scott, stuck out her hand, and told him she had been rooting for him and was so happy to have him serving with her in the Senate,' The Washington Post reporter wrote.

'It was obvious to Scott and the staffers in tow that Feinstein had mistaken the South Carolinian for Raphael Warnock, the newly elected Democratic senator from Georgia,' he said.

Scott - who's now exploring a 2024 White House bid - was courteous and played along.

'Thank you so much,' Scott said, according to the staffer who tipped off Terris. 'Your support means a lot.'

Feinstein's office declined to comment to the author.

Purley - who went to Stanford for undergraduate, studied abroad at Oxford and received a master's at Harvard - left Washington for his hometown in Pine Bluff, Arkansas - after his dismissal.

When Terris told him what he had uncovered about the 89-year-old lawmaker, the former aide 'leapt out of his seat, put his hands to his head and crouched to the floor.'

'This is what I'm talking about!' Purley shouted.
A Hitler-obsessed white supremacist who claimed minorities 'should be shot' and almost blew up his kitchen while experimenting with explosives has been sent to a young offenders' institution for eight-and-a-half years.

Vaughn Dolphin, 20, branded himself a 'dangerous lunatic' after accidentally setting off a 'fireball' in his kitchen while manufacturing gunpowder.

Police discovered the far-right extremist had turned the family shed into a weapons factory where he was manufacturing homemade explosives and an improvised musket.

Jurors heard the inside of the shed was decorated with a badge from the Nazi Waffen SS and in a fridge in his bedroom were bags of bomb-making chemicals.

Dolphin, who lived with his aunt in Walsall, West Midlands, was convicted of explosives, terrorism and firearm offences last month.

Vaughn Dolphin (pictured), 20, branded himself a 'dangerous lunatic' after accidentally setting off a 'fireball' in his kitchen while manufacturing gunpowder and has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years

Judge Melbourne Inman KC said he was a member of 'extreme right-wing groups holding extreme racist ideas and ideology of white supremacy as espoused by the Nazis.'

The judge added: 'You accepted in your evidence that you knew at least some within those groups accepted terrorist means to pursue those goals.

'It is clear the jury rejected your account that you held no such extreme beliefs and having heard your evidence, I am sure you did hold such beliefs.'

Addressing the terrorist information and publications disseminated or possessed by Dolphin, the judge said of one of 11 offences: 'It's an aggravating factor that you were in contact with a number of extremists and the material was an horrific recording of multiple murders.'

Dolphin had downloaded bomb-making documents onto a USB stick in a folder titled 'Boogaloo' - a reference to a race war during which white supremacists plan to take control of the government, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

He had used Amazon to purchase food grade Saltpetre and sulphur, two of the ingredients for gunpowder, and also had a tin of charcoal, the third ingredient.

On June 14 last year, Dolphin posted a series of video clips to a far-right chatroom on the encrypted Telegram app, showing his kitchen filled with smoke.

In one self-filmed video, he was seen in a gas mask surrounded by a choking cloud of smoke after attempting to blend a blast mixture in a saucepan on a domestic hob.

Dolphin spoke of causing an 'awesome fireball' in videos posted on far-right chatrooms in which he complained: 'Ah the b****** f****** mixture set itself prematurely, oh my God. Next time I'll do this outside, but, ah well, you live and learn.'

Dolphin had downloaded bomb-making documents onto a USB stick in a folder titled 'Boogaloo' - a reference to a race war during which white supremacists plan to take control of the government, Birmingham Crown Court heard

In one self-filmed video, he was seen in a gas mask surrounded by a choking cloud of smoke after attempting to blend a blast mixture in a saucepan on a domestic hob

Dolphin spoke of causing an 'awesome fireball' in videos posted on far-right chatrooms

Matt Brook, prosecuting, said Dolphin was 'clearly mixing chemicals in his kitchen.'

Dolphin also posted a video of himself in his shed wearing metal plates with a Nazi SS logo, saying: 'I have been making my own body armour.'

Extreme far-right content was also found on Dolphin's computer and phone  including multiple 'right wing' channels in a Telegram folder, including one titled 'Hitler group'.

Dolphin had also posted videos online of a terrorist attack carried out in 2022, which showed a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York.

When Dolphin was arrested last summer by counter terror police, he claimed to be no terrorist, merely having 'an interest in chemicals and military memorabilia, that's all'.

Martin McCarthy, defending, said Dolphin 'plainly grew up in troubled circumstances, in the care of his aunt, a very volatile relationship.'

The court heard he had passed 'some' GCSEs and went on to college to study for an Higher National Certificate in public service, hoping to join the Army.

Dolphin also posted a video of himself in his shed wearing metal plates with a Nazi SS logo, saying: 'I have been making my own body armour'

However, he struggled with dyslexia and autism and was unable to make friendships, spending large amounts of time on the internet.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it was clear to the jury that Dolphin had started to make a firearm and was in possession of explosive substances.

Nick Price, Head of the CPS's Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: 'Vaughn Dolphin not only downloaded and collected documents useful to a terrorist, but he went one step further and attempted to make a firearm and gunpowder. This could have had devastating consequences.

The racist beliefs he holds are a threat to our society, and it is right that he has been sentenced today for his crimes.'

The CPS said it was able to prove in court that Dolphin's 'memorabilia' was in fact terrorist documents and publications, including step by step templates on how to make a homemade shotgun, and publications about making guns and explosives.

As part of Dolphin's sentence, he was also ordered to serve an extended 12-month licence period.

Vaughn Dolphin's bedroom, where the police discovered legally-held decomissioned and deactivated munitions, including a Second World War-era German potato-masher grenade, mortar bomb and machine gun and rifle rounds

The Crown Prosecution Service said it was clear to the jury that Dolphin had started to make a firearm (pictured) and was in possession of explosive substances
Police in upstate New York fatally shot a woman dead inside of her home after she pulled a knife on them in April 2022, newly released video shows.

The incident occurred in the town of Hyde Park, around 90 miles north of New York City, and involved officers from the town's police force as well as state police.

The officers were responding to a domestic dispute call at the home that Jamie Feith, 34, shared with her partner and their three children. The shocking video begins with an officer escorting Feith, who has marks on her face, out of a room in the house.

Shortly after leaving the room, Feith appears to produce something from her pants. The officers begin shouting: 'Knife!' repeatedly and issuing a radio call: '911, send an additional, we've got one at gunpoint.' A brief struggle ensues with Feith's partner screaming: 'Don't shoot her!'

Gunfire is then heard which is followed by sobbing. The three officers involved have been named as Hyde Park Officers Joshua Kemlage and Bryan Sweeney as well as State Trooper Christopher Miller. The shooting remains under investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

DailyMail.com has attempted to contact Feith's family for comment on the video.

Jamie Feith, shown her on her mother's Facebook page, was the mother of three children

The video begins with Feith being escorted out of a room by a police officer. She has visible marks on her face

The officers appeared to have deescalated the situation until Feith produced a knife from her pocket

A 20 second struggle ensued with Feith managing to wrangle free from the officer, the officer even attempts to use a stun gun on her

In total, four shots can be heard in the video as Feith's partner sobs and says: 'No, no, no, no'

The video shows Miller's body camera while Kemlage is the officer leading her out of the room. The officers seem to have ended the dispute prior to Feith producing the knife.

When the officers tackle Feith, she eventually manages to wrangle free. At that point, a stun gun is deployed which does not subdue her. A voice can be heard saying: 'Shoot her,' Kemlage then fires twice.

'Don't f*****g shoot her,' Feith's partner says, two more shots are then heard. He then says: 'No. No. No. No. What the f***?' The entire struggle and shooting took place over a period of 20 seconds. Feith was shot in the chest.

When one of the officers removes the knife from the woman's hand, her partner says: 'Get off of her. Get off of her.' He then pleads for the officers not to kill him.

She was pronounced dead at the scene. Feith's family has yet to comment on the video.

New Hyde Town Supervisor Al Torreggiani told the Poughkeepsie Journal that officers began wearing body cameras in March 2022, a month before the shooting.

Torreggiani said that he felt as the Kemlage would be cleared of any wrongdoing because Feith had a knife.

'It's tragic no matter what, and the officers have to come to grips with it. It's not an easy thing to pull that trigger and take a life,' Torreggiani told the newspaper.

According to the Journal, Kemlage has been with the Hyde Park Police Department since January 2020, before that he was with the City of Newburgh's department as well as formerly being an officer in Wappinger Falls.

In the lead up to her death, Feith regularly posted conspiracy theories regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.

On her Intro section, Feith wrote: 'If you do not protect your right to bodily integrity, then no other rights even matter.'

In one post, Feith called the vaccine rollout a 'crime against humanity' and compared pharmaceutical companies to Nazi doctors.

In 2015, Feith was arrested on felony drunken driving charges by the Kingston Police Department after she was involved in an accident which saw her rear-end a car that was stopped at a red light. She was more than twice the legal limit.

Feith was earlier convicted of drunk driving in 2012.
A prehistoric cave system, dubbed 'Britain's oldest home', has gone on the market for 2.5million.

The world-famous Kents Cavern, in Torquay, Devon, has hit the market for the first time in 120 years.

The network of caves, featuring a stunning array of stalagmites and caverns that rise almost 24ft high, was formed more than 2.5 million years ago and is one of the most important Stone Age sites in Europe.

Prehistoric man and Ice Age animals have previously called its dank depths home, with the oldest human remains from 40,000 years ago being found there.

Labelled as a UNESCO heritage site, the remarkable natural wonder has been open to the public since the 19th century and has attracted more than 10 million visitors from across the world.

The world-famous Kents Cavern, in Torquay, Devon, has hit the market for the first time in 120 years

At their highest point, the caverns inside the cave system rise to 23.9ft. Pictured is part of the natural wonder, which was formed more than two million years ago

The caves have been owned by the same Powe family since 1903 when current owner Nick's great-grandfather acquired the site.

Since the cavern's discovery, more than 80,000 stone age artefacts have been found including a prehistoric upper jawbone fragment believed to be the oldest anatomically modern human fossil yet discovered in north western Europe.

The freehold property, caves and business are being marketed by Bettesworths Chartered Surveyors.

They say Kents Cavern is an award-winning visitor attraction offering tours of the caves, a shop, restaurant/cafe, visitor centre and holiday let in the heart; a highly profitable year-round business in a beautiful coastal location.

With daytime and evening non weather dependent trading, the business also offers events such as weddings, cinema, Santa's grotto, underground theatre, yoga, corporate receptions and private hire.

The caves are an essential part of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark, which celebrates the geological heritage of the area.

Bettesworths says the business is being sold with a strong financial performance record, a dedicated and experienced team of staff, and an established reputation for excellence in customer service.

Included in the sale are the underground caverns, woodland trail, visitor centre and restaurant/cafe, car park, surrounding land and recently totally refurbished luxury three-bedroom holiday let or owner's accommodation.

Prehistoric man and Ice Age animals have previously called its dank, high-ceilinged depths home, with the oldest human remains from 40,000 years ago being found there.

The sale expected to generate significant interest from investors, entrepreneurs, operators, the cultural heritage sector and businesses in the tourism industry.

Matt Bettesworth, director of Bettesworths and agent for the sale, said: 'We are delighted to offer this totally unique opportunity to the market.

'What a fantastic chance to purchase a very different but hugely successful freehold business with extensive assets, all in a fabulous location, minutes from the beautiful coastline of Torbay and South Devon.'
A senior lawyer has told of his 'shock' after allegedly being targeted in a bomb alert in the heart of London's legal district over a 1.4 million legal dispute.

Andrew Sutcliffe KC said he had only recently returned to his chambers in Gray's Inn after the pandemic when two devices were planted on September 14, 2021.

One of the devices, left outside his chambers, was accompanied by a note said to contain false allegations designed to cause Mr Sutcliffe 'maximum humiliation and professional embarrassment'.

It is claimed the attack was directed by wealthy businessman Jonathan Nuttall, 50, because of a long-running case Mr Sutcliffe and colleague Anne Jeavons had worked on for the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Nuttall had allegedly become unhappy at the prospect of losing his family home, Embley Manor in Romsey, Hampshire, to pay off a 1.4 million legal settlement.

Jonathan Nuttall (right) pictured with National Lottery winning wife Amanda (left) is accused of sending vile threats to Andrew Sutcliffe KC as part of a revenge plot that also targeted Mr Sutcliffe's colleague Anne Jeavons

Nuttall allegedly targeted Andrew Sutcliffe KC and Anne Jeavons who had acted for the National Crime Agency in a 1.4 million legal wrangle involving his wife Amanda

The 50-year-old, who also has a home in Sloane Square, west London, allegedly recruited his driver, Michael Sode, 58, to act as a 'middleman' with Michael Broddle, 46, who planted the devices.

Broddle had in turn roped in sons Charlie, 18, and Joshua, 20, to the scheme, it was claimed.

On Thursday, Mr Sutcliffe, a senior barrister with expertise in civil recovery in the proceeds of crime, was called to give evidence at their Old Bailey trial.

Describing the day of the bomb alert, Mr Sutcliffe said: 'Because I had spent the pandemic at home, this was my second day back in chambers.

'I happened to be in what is known as the clerks room when our chambers administrator said we had to evacuate the building and so I went back to my room, collected my keys and mobile phone and left.

'We were directed in Gray's Inn Square about 100 yards from my chambers and I was there for about three hours. I needed to get back in chambers - I had work to do.'

Mr Sutcliffe, who is also a deputy High Court judge, said he was 'very surprised' to be contacted by a police officer the next day.

He told jurors: 'I thought I had nothing to tell. I was simply in chambers the day before with everybody else.'

He was 'dumbfounded' when he was shown a note that had been recovered from one of the devices addressed to 'Sooty', his old Army nickname.

He told jurors: 'I was in the Army for a short time in the 1970s and for whatever reason my fellow Army officers referred to me by that nickname.

'It was not a nickname anybody else has given me and that was some 40 years ago so I was frankly amazed to see that name being used on that document because I could not see how anybody in the Army with me could have been a party to this document.

'My immediate reaction - I was dumbfounded.'

Asked how he felt on reading the serious allegations that it contained, Mr Sutcliffe said: 'I was obviously very shocked. I was totally shocked.'

Nuttall had allegedly become unhappy at the prospect of losing his family home, Embley Manor in Romsey, Hampshire, to pay off a settlement with the NCA

Jurors have heard how months before the attack in Gray's Inn, Michael Broddle had visited Mr Sutcliffe's home and recorded the trip on his mobile phone.

A video showed a threatening note being printed out from a hand-held printer and left on the buzzer of the house, the court heard.

Addressed to Mr Sutcliffe's daughter, it allegedly stated: 'Either Sooty QC stops digging his own grave or you will be raped whilst we dig up your brother's grave.'

Police also allegedly recovered video of a note being printed outside an address linked to Ms Jeavons.

Mr Sutcliffe told jurors how he felt a 'sense of shock' after being shown the note about his daughter and late infant son who died in 1992.

He said that neither he nor his wife had been aware of it before.

Jurors were also shown a picture of Mr Sutcliffe posing with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in relation to a community event.

On why he and Ms Jeavons might have been targeted, Mr Sutcliffe said: 'I worked out that it must be to do with a case that the two of us had been doing together so I thought what that might be.

'A case which involved more work than any of the other cases was the case 'NCA against Amanda Nuttall and others' - a civil recovery case that had been ongoing since 2015 in my case, and 2017 in Anne Jeavons' case.'

George Gray, 25, of Hounslow, denies conspiring to transfer criminal property

Joshua and Charlie Broddle (left to right) both deny conspiring to transfer criminal property while Charlie also denies possession of an explosive substance in relation to one of the devices

He explained it involved a claim by the NCA to recover property in the name of Nuttall's wife Amanda and companies connected with the couple.

Prosecutor Catherine Farrelly asked: 'Was there anything in particular that made you identity that case?'

He replied: 'A number of matters. I suppose the fact that it was the one that had been ongoing in which Anne Jeavons and I had been most significantly involved.'

Under a settlement in April 2018 there was a court order for the payment of nearly 1.5 million in instalments in lieu of the Nuttalls' home and an adjacent property, the court heard.

The deal came with the condition that the money must come from 'legitimate sources' and not the proceeds of crime, the witness said.

But Mr Sutcliffe added: 'Anne Jeavons and myself were contacted by the NCA asking for our advice in relation to certain information that the investigator employed by the NCA had discovered about the money that was paid in lieu of the conditional recovery property.'

Mr Sutcliffe told jurors he was called to the Bar 40 years ago and made Queen's Counsel in 2001.

He has sat as a part-time judge since 1999 and in 2004 became a deputy High Court judge sitting in the Chancery Division dealing with commercial cases.

As a barrister, he specialises in commercial law, particularly banking and civil fraud, and has developed expertise in civil recovery in the proceeds of crime over the past 10 years.

Mr Sutcliffe told jurors he was mainly instructed by the NCA and Serious Fraud Office.

Nuttall, Sode, of Deptford, south-east London, and Charlie and Joshua Broddle, from Hounslow, west London, deny two charges of conspiring with Michael Broddle to place an article with intent.

Charlie Broddle denies possession of an explosive substance in relation to one of the devices.

The Old Bailey trial continues.
A cold-blooded killer who was behind one of the most chilling murders in UK crime history, after being inspired by the horror slasher character Chucky, has been released.

Glyn Powell, 58, was one of four people convicted for the kidnaping, torture and killing of 16-year-old Suzanne Capper after dousing her in petrol and setting her on fire in Greater Manchester in December 1992.

The Parole Board directed that Glyn Powell, the final one of Suzanne's killers who was still behind bars, should be released.

The cruel torture and death of the schoolgirl was like something out of a horror film, and was in fact inspired by the 1988 film 'Child's Play', whereby the cold-blooded would initiate each torture session with the phrase: 'Chucky's coming to play'.

The details of the case were so shocking that in the 22-day trial, jurors were reduced to tears.

Glyn Powell, 58, was one of four people convicted for the kidnaping, torture and killing of 16-year-old Suzanne Capper after dousing her in petrol and setting her on fire in Greater Manchester in December 1992

16-year-old Suzanne from Moston, attended Moston Brook High School and had spent time babysitting Powell's three children at a terraced house in Langworthy Road and had stayed overnight.

Detectives who conducted the inquiry said that for 'sheer mindless brutality' the crime ranked alongside the torture inflicted on children by the Moors Murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley.

Suzanne from Moston, attended Moston Brook High School and had spent time babysitting Powell's three children at a terraced house in Langworthy Road and had stayed overnight.

Living in the same house with her own three children was one of her twisted killers, Bernadette McNeilly, then 24.

The schoolgirl was then grabbed by Anthony Dudson, then 16, and Glyn Powell as soon as she arrived.

Suzanne was pinned down while Powell shaved her head and her eyebrows before making her clean up the hair and place it in a bin.

Then he placed a plastic bag over her head and circled around her while bashing her on the head.

The following day, Suzanne was taken to the nearby house of Bernadette McNeilly, a so-called friend who had turned against her.

While she was held captive, Suzanne was beaten, with amphetamines, burned with cigarettes, was forced her to take a bath in detergent and even had two of her teeth pulled out with pliers.

The twisted group spent hours assaulting Suzanne while she was tied to an upturned bed

The prosecution revealed that the gang's favourite track was 'Hi, I'm Chucky (Wanna Play?)' by 150 Volts, featuring samples from the movie Child's Play - with one of her ruthless killers, Bernadette McNeilly, beginning each torture session with the phrase: 'Chucky's coming to play'. Pictured is an image of the slasher horror character, Chucky

The twisted group spent hours assaulting her while being tied to an upturned bed and locking her in a cupboard.

The gang blared rave music at maximum level to torment her further and drown out her screams.

The prosecution revealed that her killers' favourite track was 'Hi, I'm Chucky (Wanna Play?)' by 150 Volts, featuring samples from the movie Child's Play.

The 1988 American slasher film is the first in a franchise about a serial killer who transfers his soul into an evil doll to continue his mindless killing.

McNeilly would commence each torture session with the phrase 'Chucky's coming to play', while she remained in the callous hands of her kidnappers for seven days.

Then in the early hours of December 14, 1992, Suzanne was forced into a car and driven 15 miles to woods near Romiley in Stockport where she was doused in petrol while a number of the killers - including Glyn Powell - tried to set her alight.

The petrol finally ignited and as Suzanne went up in flames, sick killer McNeilly began to sing 'Burn baby burn! Burn baby burn!' from The Trammps song Disco Inferno.

After her attackers left, Suzanne managed to scramble back up the embankment and stagger along the lane for approximately a quarter of a mile before being spotted by a driver.

Tragically, Suzanne succumbed to her injuries - the teenager suffered 80 per cent burns on her body - and died in hospital on December 18, 1992.

Jon Venables, left, and Robert Thompson, right, brutally murdered James Bulger in February 1993. They were convicted in November of that year, with the result overshadowing the trial of Suzanne Capper's killers the same month

Gang members Jean Powell (now Gillespie) , left, and Jeffrey Leigh, were part of the group involved in murdering the teenage girl

Before she lost consciousness in hospital, Suzanne survived long enough to give the names of six people involved in her abduction and torture.

The motive behind the killing were a petty and false accusations, including a row over a pink duffel coat.

This year, January 18 marked the 30th anniversary of her funeral at Blackley Cemetery.

After the trial in November 1993, Jean Powell (now Gillespie), who was 26 at the time of the murder, Bernadette McNeilly, 24, Glyn Powell, 29, and Anthony Dudson, 16, were all found guilty of murder.

The jury began their deliberations on December 16, 1993, and took nine hours and 52 minutes to reach their verdicts.

Mr Justice Potts said: 'Each of you has been convicted on clear evidence of murder which was as appalling a murder as it is possible to imagine.'

But despite the chilling details of the case, it was given reduced publicity at the time as the verdict for another horrific murder in the same month had left the nation reeling in shock.

Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, were convicted on November 24 that year of abducting and murdering toddler James Bulger in Bootle, Merseyside.

Jon Venables, left, and Robert Thompson, right, brutally murdered James Bulger in February 1993. They were convicted in November of that year, with the result overshadowing the trial of Suzanne Capper's killers the same month

James Bugler, pictured, was aged two when he was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by Venables and Thompson

As a result, the gruesome details of the prolonged assault on Suzanne received a much-reduced level of publicity, despite the murder being one of the most shocking in recent UK criminal history.

But the two murders made national headlines and had sparked alarm by politicians at the time, who commented on the state of the nation in wake of the disturbing killings.

Tony Blair, who was shadow home secretary at the time, described the murders as 'hammer blows against the sleeping conscience of the country'.

Gillespie, McNeilly, and Powell were sentenced to life with a minimum of 25 years. Dudson was given a minimum term of 18 years - later reduced to 16.

Clifford Pook, Jean's brother, and Jeffrey Leigh pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and were given 15 and 12 year sentences respectively.

Now, a spokesperson for the Parole Board has said: 'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Glynn Powell following an oral hearing.

'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.

'A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.

John Capper, Suzanne's step-father, is pictured leaving Manchester Crown Court after his step-daughter's killers were sentenced

'Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing.

'Evidence from witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements may be given at the hearing.

'It is standard for the prisoner and witnesses to be questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more.

'Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.'

For decades since Suzanne's death in 1992, her mother Elizabeth Dunbar and veteran Manchester MP, Graham Stringer, have campaigned to oppose any applications by the killers for parole, but three were released and only Powell remained in prison.

In 2013 Suzanne's mother told of her 'utter devastation' after parole board bosses approved the release of Dudson after ruling he posed no risk to the public.

She told the Manchester Evening News: 'I am utterly devastated by the news. I have been fighting and fighting and fighting, but it has got me nowhere.

'He will be on a life licence but I hope that regular checks are made. We do not even know what he looks like. The only picture of him is when he was 16.'

McNeilly's sentence was reduced by one year in 2013. Leigh's sentence was reduced from 12 to 9 years in November 1994.

Dudson's minimum tariff was cut to 16 from 18 years in 2002. Leigh was freed in 1998 and Pook in May 2001.

McNeilly was paroled in 2015 after having her 25 year sentence cut by one year. Dudson was released in 2013. I

In 2017 Jean Gillespie, formerly Powell, was released. A Parole Board spokesperson said of Gillespie: 'She got a 24 year sentence and spent one year on remand so from sentencing, 23 years. Her tariff expired in 2016.'
The gangster behind Britain's biggest ever amphetamine factory has been jailed for 18 years.

John Keet, 42, set up a giant lab in the West Midlands capable of producing 400 kilos of amphetamine per month, worth up to 10m on the streets.

Keet used the profits he made from a career dealing cocaine, cannabis and amphetamines to start up the factory in picturesque Henley-in-Arden in Warwickshire.

His gang sold drugs across the West Midlands, London and Kent.

But Keet's empire came crashing down after National Crime Agency investigators infiltrated the secretive app EncroChat he was using along to run the lab with his associates.

Keith Davis, 56, from Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire, received a total sentence of five years and three months. His sentence was also increased to 10 years today at the Royal Courts of Justice. Right, Andrew Gurney was jailed for six years

According to the NCA, the Warwickshire lab was capable of producing 400 kilos of amphetamine per month - worth 2 million at wholesale and up to 10 million at street level

Keet pleaded guilty to all the charges during an earlier hearing at Kingston Crown Court , and was jailed for 18 years at the same court today

National Crime Agency investigators infiltrated the secretive app EncroChat Keet was using along to run the lab with his associates.

The crime group would then distribute the drugs to dealers in London, Kent and the West Midlands.

Keet paid for his lieutenant Keith Davis, 62, to undergo chemistry training to help him run the lab.

Andrew Gurney, 52, known as 'The Geek' due to his specialist electrical installation and plumbing skills, converted a double garage outbuilding into the drugs lab.

He also received the same chemistry training as Davis.

As part of Operation Venetic NCA officers started observing the lab in March 2020.

The gang initially bought amphetamine pre-cursor chemical benzyl methyl ketone (BMK), but quickly realised it was more profitable to make it themselves.

Following weeks of surveillance, NCA officers raided the site in Ullenhall Lane, Henley-in-Arden, on 27 April 2021, with assistance from Warwickshire Police.

Plumes of noxious fumes billowed from the outbuilding when it was opened by specialist crews from West Midlands Fire Service.

They had had to wait several hours before searching it due to the hazardous chemicals inside.

Waste products from the production process, which had been flushed into the sewerage system, had also contaminated a nearby field.

The gang initially bought amphetamine pre-cursor chemical benzyl methyl ketone (BMK), but quickly realised it was more profitable to make it themselves

Following weeks of surveillance, NCA officers raided the site in Ullenhall Lane, Henley-in-Arden, on 27 April 2021, with assistance from Warwickshire Police

The gang set up the massive drugs factory in picturesque Henley-in-Arden in Warwickshire

The gang members were all arrested on suspicion of drug offences at their home addresses on the same day the factory was raided.

Keet, of Chalfont St Giles, Bucks, admitted conspiracy to produce amphetamines, one count of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, two counts of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. one count of conspiracy to import class B drugs and one of conspiracy to conceal, convert of transfer criminal property.

He was jailed for a total of 18 years at Kingston Crown Court.

Gurney, of Quinton, Birmingham, was convicted of conspiracy to produce amphetamine and money laundering.

He was originally jailed for six years and three months but the Court of Appeal found the sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to 10 years.

Davis, also of Chalfont St Giles, was convicted of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and money laundering.

He was originally jailed for five years before the Court of Appeal doubled his sentence to 10 years.

Elliott Walker, 49, of Kidbrooke, southeast London, admitted conspiracy to produce class B drugs, after he bought specialist equipment for the lab. He was jailed for six years.

Bartosz Kaminski, 38, of Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, admitted possession of a CS spray but was cleared of drugs offences.

NCA Branch Commander Matt McMillan said: 'John Keet was the mastermind behind this operation, and created one of the largest drugs factories ever found in the UK.

'He even paid for crime group members to undertake chemistry training, so that the drugs produced yielded the highest profit possible.

'These drugs were being supplied to other crime groups, and will have fuelled violence, fear and exploitation in communities across the UK.

'By closing down this lab and dismantling this crime group, the NCA and its partners have protected the public.'

EncroChat became a standard messaging platform for organised crime, where criminals made about massive drug deals, laundered money, and discussed extortion, kidnapping and assassinations.

A joint operation between the NCA, the French National Gendarmerie and Dutch police infiltrated the network in April 2020 after placing malware on French EncroChat servers, so officers could read any message sent through those servers.
An Ohio graduate died hours after receiving his diploma at the University of Dayton when a car he was working on fell on top of him.

Ian Brunner, 22, was working underneath his black two-door 1994 Miata when the jack holding up the vehicle collapsed and trapped him around 7pm on Sunday.

Brunner, who had received in Mechanical Engineering degree only hours before, was in the parking lot of a student housing complex when he was reported unresponsive by an unidentified person in a 911 call.

'A car fell on a kid and hes - this jack fell out from underneath him and hes trapped underneath and not responding,' a distressed caller told dispatchers, according to WHIO.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ian Brunner, 22, died hours after receiving his diploma at the University of Dayton when a car he was working on fell on top of him on Sunday

Brunner, who had received in Mechanical Engineering degree only hours before, was in the parking lot of a student housing complex when he was reported unresponsive by an unidentified person in a 911 call

In the frantic 911 call, the caller can be heard trying to get the jack back up along with at least one other person.

'We cannot get him out, he is stuck,' the caller said.

It's unclear if Brunner was accompanied by any family members or if his parents attending his graduation ceremony.

Brunner's Miata was his recent passion project that he got up and running in April.

'Miata is pain. Miata is love,' he wrote on Instagram. 'I just finished a full rebuild of the engine and it's running great now! Thanks to everyone who helped.'

The vintage car can weigh up to 2,403 pounds.

The college graduate travelled all the way from Pennsylvania to earn his degree at the Catholic University.

The university released a statement to mourn Brunner's untimely death.

'We extend our deepest sympathy and prayers to Ians family, friends, faculty, staff, and our entire campus community.

'Campus ministers, the dean of students office, housing and residence life, and counseling staff are available.

According to his obituary, Brunner previously attended North Allegheny High School and graduated with the class of 2019.

His family asked for privacy while grieving their loss.

Brunner's Miata was his recent passion project that he got up and running in April. Pictured: Brunner's Miata that was found in the parking lot

Brunner showed his progress on the Miata in April, including his work zone

It's unclear if Brunner was accompanied by any family members or if his parents attending his graduation ceremony. Pictured: Brunner's car on Sunday

Several people mourned Brunner after seeing him smiling ear-to-ear at graduation hours before.

'My daughter was sitting just down from Ian during graduation,' one person wrote on the online obituary.

'Since the ceremony was several hours long I spent a lot of time watching the students around her. Ian stood out as exceptionally respectable during the entire ceremony as he watched the speakers and fellow graduates attentively.'

'My prayers have been with you all. My granddaughter graduated with IanI was there at the ceremonies,' another added. 'Please know that you have my sympathy, tears and prayers.'
Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell told Biden to 'move quickly' on stumping up more military aid

Joe Biden is facing calls from Republicans to send long-range missiles to Ukraine after Britain pledged game-changing weapons to help Kyiv's counter-offensive.

The British government said on Thursday that it would send Storm Shadow missiles to the Ukrainian armed forces so they could boot out the Russian invaders.

Ukrainian officials have been requesting more advanced weaponry for months as they look to seize back control of Russian-occupied areas of their country.

The Biden administration has repeatedly refused to send the US military's powerful Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, for fear of provoking Vladimir Putin.

The U.S. military's ATACMS, a long-range surface-to-surface missile unit, is used by a number of allies including South Korea.

Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell urged the president to match Britain's promise of long-range missiles, saying Biden should 'move quickly' on the matter

Senior officials told Politico in February Ukraine might use the 190-mile range missiles to attack deep inside Russia's internationally-recognized borders.

They also said the U.S. did not possess sufficient stocks of the missiles to grant the request.

Senior Republicans praised Britain for breaking from the White House policy on weapons supplies, urging Joe Biden to follow suit.

Michael McCaul, a Congressman from Texas who chairs the House Foreign Affairs committee, called Biden's refusal to send the missiles 'unjustifiable'.

'This administrations misguided fear of escalation in providing critical weapon systems, from Stingers to HIMARS to Abrams tanks, have not only been proven wrong each time, but also prolonged the war, emboldened Vladimir Putin, and cost Ukrainian lives,' McCaul said.

His comments came in a joint statement with New Jersey Congressman Tom Kean, Jr, who chairs a subcommittee on European affairs.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell said 'the U.K. has helped lead the way in standing up to Russian aggression since even before Putins escalation in 2022.'

'I hope President Biden will move quickly to provide critical capabilities like cluster munitions and longer-range rockets to help Ukraine defend its sovereign territory,' the Kentucky lawmaker said.

Senator Jim Risch, a Republican representing Idaho, accused Joe Biden of pandering to the Kremlin.

'I applaud the UK for again stepping forward to provide the courage & leadership the Biden administration will not,' he said. 'We should send ATACMS to Ukraine as soon as possible.'

Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko echoed the calls for the president to provide more military support to the country's armed forces.

'The Biden administration should have donated F16 (fighter) jets along with such long-range missiles long ago,' she told DailyMail.com.

'Politically conservative and wishing thinking led to the escalation of this war, which Russia started against Ukraine in 2014,' the former lawyer added.

Brett Bruen, who served in the Obama White House from 2013 to 2015, said providing long-range missiles 'makes perfect sense to any rational actor.'

'The Biden administration is trying to portray this as some example of restraint because of an unjustified view that this is going escalate the situation,' the former foreign policy adviser to the ex-commander-in-chief said.

Britain's Storm Shadow cruise missiles that is sending to the war-torn nation have a range of over 155 miles.

By contrast, the US-supplied Himars missiles used by Ukraine only have a range of 50 miles.

General John Allen, who led U.S. and NATO forces in the Afghanistan war, said the US should consider matching Britain's donation of long-range missiles.

''ATACMS leaves the Russians no where to hide anywhere in Ukraine,' the retired four-star general told DailyMail.com 'It potentially forces their command and control back into Russia.'

But the White House earlier on Thursday ruled that move out despite the decision from Britain.

'Our policy on ATACMS has not changed,' a NSC spokesman told the Daily Mail.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told the UK parliament that 'we will simply not stand by as Russia kills civilians.'

'Russia must recognize that its actions alone have led to such systems being provided to Ukraine,' he said.

A graphic showing how the Storm Shadow Missiles would work on the battlefield

The Storm Shadow missile has been operated by both British and French air forces and has been used previously in the Gulf, Iraq and Libya.

The British-supplied missiles can only be fired by aircraft, but French missiles can be fired from ships and submarines.

But the United States is the biggest backer of Ukraine when it comes to military support, spending nearly $37 billion on sending arms since the invasion began.

The UK is the second largest donor, sending $2.8 billion last year and vowing to match it in 2023.

Kyiv's armed forces are set to launch a new counterstrike after Russia's latest botched attempt to seize significant amount of Ukrainian territory.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin's propagandist-in-chief, said the Kremlin's viewed Londons decision to send long-range missiles to Ukraine 'quite negatively.'

In a thinly-veiled warning to Britain, the Russian tyrant's long-serving press secretary said it would 'demand an appropriate response from our military.'

Bakhmut, a city in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, has been the main target of the Russian invaders over the winter months.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's Wagner private army, has led much of the fighting there.

Wagner mercenaries have largely been recruited from high-security Russian prisons and they have been filmed committing war crimes including grisly executions.

A once secretive figure, Prigozhin has released a slew of obscenity-filled tirades, complaining of Russia's failure to support his forces, over the past few weeks.

In his latest audio message he said the situation in Bakhmut was the 'worst of all expected scenarios' with territory captured over months being "thrown away".

On Tuesday, Prigozhin said a Russian brigade had fled from the trenches, giving up a swathe of land southwest of Bakhmut.

The commander of Ukraine's ground forces said on Wednesday Russian forces had retreated in places by as much as more than 1.5 miles.

Ukraine has boasted of few similar advances since its last big offensive last November.
A nearly 30-year cold case disappearance of a Stanford student in Northern California has been reignited after police and FBI officials searched the home of a man who once dated her.

Police told local outlets that the search of NASA computer scientist Thomas Pressburger's home is connected to the disappearance of Ylva Hagner, 42, who has been missing since October 1996.

In addition to the man's home, law enforcement searched Stulsaft Park down the street from Redwood City, California home.

Nearly a dozen bags of evidence were taken from the scenes searched on Wednesday, ABC 7 Bay Area reported.

'The investigation was refocused, and we're here today to try to bring closure to the case,' Belmont police Lt. Pete Lotti said, adding that it's 'Long overdue.'

A nearly 30-year cold case disappearance of a Stanford student in California has been reignited after police and FBI officials searched the woman's boyfriend's home on Wednesday

Ylva Hagner has been missing since October 1996 after disappearing from work

Investigators searched the home of Hagner's boyfriend, NASA computer scientist Thomas Pressburger's

'Small town like Belmont, a missing person's case is near and dear to our hearts so we are looking back into and that's what brought us to Redwood City today,' said Lotti.

Hagner, a Stanford student, first disappeared from Belmont on October 14 and was last seen at her job when her employer left her alone to lock up.

Four days after, her car was discovered in San Carlos unlocked and with the keys still in the ignition.

On Wednesday, police searched Pressburger's home in the 3700 Block of Farm Hill Boulevard, nearly 27 years after his girlfriend vanished.

It's unclear what clues or evidence reignited the search for Hagner but said the investigation is ongoing.

Investigators were honed in on the brick patio in the home's backyard.

Sky cameras caught law enforcement digging in the area for hours.

Property records show the home was purchased by Pressburger in March 1996, just months before Hagner disappeared.

At the time, the San Francisco Chronicle named him as her boyfriend.

Hagner had immigrated to the U.S. from Sweden, and was renting a home with two others in the Palo Alto area.

She was studying to obtain her master's degree in liberal arts from Stanford when she disappeared.

Hagner, a Stanford student, first disappeared from Belmont on October 14 and was last seen at her job when her employer left her alone to lock up

The woman was last seen here at IXOS Software, her place of employment

It's unclear what new clues or evidence reignited the search for Hagner

'The investigation was refocused, and we're here today to try to bring closure to the case,' Belmont police Lt. Pete Lotti said, adding that it's 'Long overdue'

Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Lotti said police and FBI officials are simply doing their 'due-diligence' in the long unsolved case.

'The case has been refocused and we are conducting an investigation in Redwood City into the whereabouts of Ylva Hagner,' Lotti said.

'In the hopes of bringing some closure in the case,' he continued.

NASA confirmed to local media that Pressburger works at the Ames Research Center as a computer scientist.

Officials also confirmed Pressburger is involved in the investigation.

'I just want to say come home, come home Ylva,' said Hagner's brother, Bjorne Hagner in 1996

'We have no traces of her and we have all reasons to believe that this disappearance from what we know from her personality that she hasn't left her workplace by free will,' said Stig Hagner, her father

Hagner's disappearance in 1996 made major headlines and brought her family to the United States from overseas, desperately searching for her.

'I just want to say come home, come home Ylva,' said Hagner's brother, Bjorne Hagner in 1996.

'We have no traces of her and we have all reasons to believe that this disappearance from what we know from her personality that she hasn't left her workplace by free will,' said Stig Hagner, her father, in 1996.

It remains unclear if police made any discoveries at Pressburger's property on Wednesday.

Lt. Lotti said information on the new search efforts will be released in the coming days and weeks.

Neighbors who spoke with ABC 7 Wednesday as investigators were searching the home described Pressburger as 'quiet' and 'private.'

'Don't know them. They're one of those quiet neighbors, they keep to themselves,' Janet Healey said.

'Somewhat friendly, very private,' said another neighbor.
MBABANE - If you want to register for this years national elections, it is advised that you ask for the venue first before you can bounce.

This was advice given to people who vote under Lobamba Constituency following their experience on the first day of the registration. Some residents of the area went to the registration centers as listed in the newspapers, only to find that there was no activity taking place. Worth noting is that, there were 12 registration centres on the list under the five royal kraals forming the Lobamba Constituency. One of the visited venues was Somnjalose High School in Ezulwini, at 10am. It was discovered that the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) was allocated a classroom to work in at the school. However, they had not yet arrived for work.

Confused

A member of Ezulwini Inner Council, who was deployed at the venue, was confused on what to do, as nothing was communicated to him pertaining to the unavailability of the EBC employees. When called later, the inner council member shared that the areas Indvuna Ndlavela Mavimbela had informed him that the registration was done in stages. Indvuna has just told me that EBC will move from one venue to another on different dates. He said they would be here after four days and that is what I will be telling the people, he said. He added that the registration proceeded well at Gelekeceni, which is one of the zones of the area. Other visited areas were Nkhanini Community Hall and Lobamba National High School. There was no activity in both venues and the people found there said they had no idea about the registration.
Most seventy-something blokes that I know wear elasticated trousers to accommodate the bulge that lives where their waistline (remember that?) used to be.

They rarely mention the body part that lies below, except to complain they have to get up and pee too many times every night.

They spend their days in baggy T-shirts, comfy slippers and zip-up fleeces. Activity means doing the crossword in less than 30 minutes, not something that involves flapping your bits about in the bedroom.

Let's be clear, there's nothing wrong in going to seed. Ageing is not a negative - it's unavoidable, inevitable and sometimes a little bit depressing. We're all going to die in the end.

But a line has been crossed, a lone ranger has really put the cat among the pigeons. Dared to age disgracefully and challenge the norm.

A line has been crossed, a lone ranger has really put the cat among the pigeons. Dared to age disgracefully and challenge the norm. Pictured: Robert De Niro and his girlfriend Tiffany Chen

It's Tiffany who has been through pregnancy and childbirth, with all the physical and mental effort involved. Pictured with newborn Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro

At an age when most men (and women) are finding their joints stiffening up and their muscles drooping, one superstar has sent out a message that shames the rest of his generation. He's a PROUD NEW DAD for the seventh time!

Superstar Robert De Niro has refused to age like normal folk and fathered a baby just before he hits his EIGHTIETH birthday, with his (much younger) girlfriend, Tiffany Chen.

This newborn's first view of dad will be a wrinkly face with thinning hair, a bit like her own.

Robert De Niro is a brilliant actor, a living legend, winner of two Oscars and a Golden Globe.

Superstar Robert De Niro has refused to age like normal folk and fathered a baby just before he hits his EIGHTIETH birthday, with his (much younger) girlfriend, Tiffany Chen. Pictured: Chen on a walk with newborn Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro in New York City

This newborn's first view of dad will be a wrinkly face with thinning hair, a bit like her own

And now he's a one-in-a-million dad - casually telling a TV reporter this week 'I just had a baby' as if it was nothing more than brushing his teeth or changing the cat litter.

After six kids, does this man know what 'having a baby' entails? It's not like ordering something for dinner at one of your own trendy restaurants.

Or a cocktail with close pal Leo De Caprio. Even a tech miracle could not allow De Niro to actually 'have' the baby in any medical sense.

The person doing all the behind-the-scenes work is his latest partner, martial arts expert Tiffany Chen.

It's Tiffany who has been through pregnancy and childbirth, with all the physical and mental effort involved. De Niro just (we assume) provided the necessary DNA and loads of encouragement.

Fatherhood is a skill this wonderful actor has spent many decades perfecting - this is his SEVENTH happy event, with his eldest children (with first wife Diahnne Abbott) Dina and Raphael, checking in at 51 and 46.

They were joined by twins, Aaron and Julian, now 27, by his long-term partner Toukie Smith.

The family expanded further when De Niro fathered Eliott (25) and Helen (11) with his second wife, Grace Hightower.

The person doing all the behind-the-scenes work is his latest partner, martial arts expert Tiffany Chen (left)

His current relationship is thought to have started when the star met Ms Chen - an accomplished martial arts expert - whilst making The Intern in 2015.

What makes an ageing man keep adding to his already large family? Is it a way of propping up your ego?

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Can you imagine the furore if a woman had a child at 79, using surrogates and sperm donors?

Throughout his impressive career, Robert De Niro has regularly played tough guys, men you would never want to encounter on a dark night in a back street slum.

In films like The Godfather Part 2, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Irishmen, he exemplified a brutal masculinity.

These menacing and powerful characters were adored by millions of flabbier and less macho chaps sitting on their backsides at home watching the fights and bloodshed from the safety of the sofa.

De Niro was their hero. And for women, he was a sex symbol, without a doubt. I worshipped him.

Marching through his sixties and seventies, he turned to comedy, playing dumb dads and confused grandads.

Amazingly, playing a geriatric on screen didn't seem to affect De Niro's love life. Some men amust be super-human.

He might wear comfy shoes and loose, accomodating trousers, like most of his generation, and he might not have the trim waist and ripped physique of his thirties, but - by producing a baby at 79 - Robert Niro has sent a clear and worrying signal to all men of a certain age.

It's never too late to procreate.

Mick Jagger (also 79) has eight children- the youngest, Deveraux, was born in 2016 to ballerina girlfriend Melanie, when Mick was 73.

Rod Steward has eight children, with five different mothers, but his youngest son, Aiden (by Penny Lancaster), was born when Rod was 66.

Mick Jagger (also 79) has eight children- the youngest, Deveraux, was born in 2016 to ballerina girlfriend Melanie, when Mick was 73

Rod Steward has eight children, with five different mothers, but his youngest son, Aiden (by Penny Lancaster), was born when Rod was 66

With offspring that range in age from 51 to 11, De Niro will be getting their opinions on the new addition whether he likes it or not.

He's said he hopes to 'expand' the family even further, and says the baby was planned. He describes being a dad as 'always good and mysteriousanyone can relate to that'.

It must cost a fortune to run a family this large. Education, homes, support and appropriate presents.

Which might be why De Niro has never stopped working, shooting 19 films in the last decade.

This year he will have four films released and he's already committed to several in 2024. How much time does that leave to be a hands-on dad?

As he's got older, the roles have become more stereotyped, the scripts less challenging.

No longer the brooding gangster, he's become the wacky senior citizen taking on the younger generation.

Some movies have titles he might prefer to forget, like Dirty Grandad (2016) with Zac Efron - described as the 'careless fumbling of a classic talent'.

Or the War with Grandad (2020)  slated as 'fitfully funny and mostly misguided'. In his new comedy - About My Father - released later this month, he plays yet another ageing relative - an Italian dad whose son is marrying an American girl.

It's a sad truth that men can reproduce, while many women just get to do the dirty work back home and wait for the father in question to come through the door.

Although De Niro was my secret crush, I'd never swap roles with Ms Chen.
Prison officers have been ordered to stop calling criminals 'convicts' on the grounds it is 'offensive'.

Civil servants at the Prison Service headquarters have also instructed warders to drop the phrase 'ex-con' for former prisoners - and refer to them as 'persons with lived experience' or 'prison leavers'.

The edict has left staff shaking their heads  at a time when jails are suffering from record overcrowding and their colleagues are leaving in droves.

A Prison Service spokesman said it was part of a 'clampdown' on 'inappropriate deviations' from its guidelines.

The national chairman of the Prison Officers' Association (POA) trade union was instructed to drop use of the words in an official letter from the Ministry of Justice agency.

Civil servants at the Prison Service headquarters have also instructed warders to drop the phrase 'ex-con' for former prisoners. Pictured: HMP Bridgend

Mark Fairhurst told the Mail: 'I received a letter saying some people found the word 'convict' offensive and that we should not use that term.

'The letter from the employee relations department of HM Prison and Probation Service said the terms 'prisoner' and 'offender' should be used instead.

'But there is nothing offensive about that language when you are describing someone who has been convicted and incarcerated.'

He added: 'When I talk to prisoners they call themselves 'cons'. So what's the problem?'

Another prisons source said: 'This is real nanny state stuff. Yet again, do-gooding civil servants are spending their working hours trying to manipulate the English language to fit their personal world view, rather than concentrating on things that really matter.

'While they are sending out diktats about 'persons with lived experience', the jails are full to bursting, prison officers are leaving in droves and crime is at a record high.'

Tory MP Craig Mackinlay described the Prison Service's latest intervention as 'nonsense'.

'However you refer to them  convicts, offenders or prisoners  these are people who find themselves in prison for serious offences against their victims and the community at large,' he said.

'I frankly don't care what you call them because they're all the same. They have not earned the right for new, woke nomenclature to describe their status.'

He added: 'This new agenda that has taken hold right across government departments has to stop. It is not respected by the public. It's just pure nonsense.'

Last year, the Prison Service published guidance on how inmates should be described.

It was issued after the then Justice Secretary, Sir Robert Buckland, expressed his frustration at the Prison Service referring to inmates as 'residents'.

The guidance adopted 'prisoners' or 'offenders' and said terms such as 'residents' and 'service users' should not be used.

A source close to Sir Robert said at the time: 'This isn't the first time we've found this kind of drivel circulating around civil servants at the department.

Currently, around 17 per cent of the 84,800 prisoners in England and Wales are on remand.

'Prisons are places where we lock up ruthless criminals who have ruined people's lives but there is a blob in the department who act like they're running a north London playgroup.'

James Daly MP, a Conservative member of the Commons' justice select committee, said: 'The Prison Service have other priorities to concentrate on  and shouldn't be fiddling with language that has been in existence for years and years.

'It is troubling that civil servants are obsessed with constant interference with things like terminology.

'There are major structural problems in the prisons and the wider criminal justice system that they should be focussing on instead.'

But Mark Leech, a reformed armed robber and editor of the Prisons Handbook, said he agreed with the change in terminology.

He said: 'Of course they shouldn't be called 'convicts'  that's the language of 200 years ago.

'Today our prisons are designed to reduce reoffending by treating prisoners with decency and respect  not by demeaning and disparaging them with titles that have no place in a modern prison system.'

The disclosure came after POA boss Mr Fairhurst raised a series of concerns about the state of Britain's prisons during the organisation's annual conference in Eastbourne.

He called on members to pull out of voluntary duties and to refuse overtime.

The chairman added that dangerous offenders are being wrongly allocated to open jails in a bid to free up space in higher-security prisons, as jails try to cope with record numbers of inmates in England and Wales.

Earlier today, a Prison Service spokesman said: 'We have set clear and robust guidance on language to be used by staff, and have clamped down on inappropriate deviations from this.

'However, 'convict' is inaccurate, given a large proportion of prisoners are on remand ahead of trial and have therefore not been convicted.'

The spokesman did not explain why 'offenders' is among the approved terms in the guidance when it too suggests guilt has been proven.

Currently, around 17 per cent of the 84,800 prisoners in England and Wales are on remand.

The word 'convict' derives from the Latin 'convincere', which means to refute or overcome in argument.
A Twitter user has been jailed for more than five years after using the platform to publish graphic images encouraging the beheading of teachers for blasphemy against Islam.

Ajmal Shahpal, 41, from Nottingham, made the comments shortly after a teacher was beheaded in France for showing his class cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a lesson on free speech.

Shahpal tweeted out a picture of Samuel Paty's severed head with the comment, 'Remove the head from the body, remove the head from the body.'

Over several weeks, he 'specifically encouraged' the reader of his tweets to 'behead those who insulted his religion, Islam,' Dan Pawson-Pounds, prosecuting, told Birmingham Crown Court.

He also sought to encourage attacks on the governments of countries he believed to be 'acting against Islam,' the prosecutor added.

Twitter user Ajmal Shahpal (pictured), 41, from Nottingham, has been jailed after using the platform to publish graphic images encouraging the beheading of teachers for blasphemy against Islam

Shahpal made the comments shortly after a teacher was beheaded in France for showing his class cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a lesson on free speech

'These were tweets encouraging people to behead those he considered to be blasphemous,' Mr Pawson-Pounds said.

A two-week trial was told Shahpal was arrested at his home in March 2021 after tweeting messages backing a Pakistan-based political party which supported the 'out-of-hand murder of those who it thinks have committed blasphemy'.

Opening the Crown's case against Shahpal at the start of the trial, prosecutor Dan Pawson-Pounds said: 'This is a case about terrorism, that is the encouragement by this defendant of others to commit acts of terrorism.

'He did that by publishing tweets on his Twitter account which specifically encouraged others to behead those who he believed had insulted his religion, his religion being Islam.'

Jurors were told Shahpal, originally from Kashmir, sent some of the tweets on his open account on September 26 2020, a day after Charlie Hebdo's former office in Paris was targeted for a second time by Islamic extremist Zaheer Hassan Mehmood.

The judge, Melbourne Inman KC, told Shahpal that he had published a 'graphic image of Mr Paty's severed head, together with praise and support for the person who committed the murder.'

'Throughout the period of the indictment you expressed extreme Muslim ideology which included the immediate murder by beheading of anyone who you considered committed blasphemy against your religion,' the judge added.

'You knew of the events in Paris and the jury were sure, as I am, that you held similar views at the time.

'An aggravating feature is that you published the statement, including original footage of the murdered victims severed head, at a time of heightened public alarm and tension.

'The jury clearly rejected your account that you neither held nor understood the extreme beliefs you were expressing.'

Sentencing Shahpal to five and a half years in custody and another 12 months on extended licence, the judge said the messages had 'had the effect of encouraging others to act as the terrorist had done.'

Shahpal, who moved to Britain from Pakistani Kashmir in May 2009, published a series of tweets on his Twitter account, shortly after a two-week visit to Pakistan in September 2020.

The defendant was said to be a follower of an extremist party in Pakistan called the Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) which takes a 'well-known hard-line attitude' to what it considers to be insults directed at the religion of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

The prosecutor said there had been 'a number of cases in recent years where people have been murdered by Islamic terrorists, who justified the killing as punishing those who have insulted Islam.

He gave as an example, Asad Shah, a shopkeeper in Glasgow, who was murdered by Tanveer Ahmed in March 2016, because he had made YouTube videos which were considered blasphemous.

His encouragement for attacks on teachers came ahead of the case of the former head of RE at Batley Grammar School in West Yorkshire, who was forced into hiding in March 2021 after protests that he had shown cartoons of the Prophet in a class at school.

In court, Shahpal claimed he hardly spoke English and only wanted to 'build my profile' in the hope that Twitter would pay him money, although he was banned repeatedly from the platform.

However, the court heard that he had worked in a pizza shop, passed an English and business management diploma and qualified as a taxi driver in Nottingham.

Over several weeks, Shahpal 'specifically encouraged' the reader of his tweets to 'behead those who insulted his religion, Islam,' Dan Pawson-Pounds, prosecuting, told Birmingham Crown Court (pictured)

Yasin Patel, defending, said Shahpal had come to Britain from a poor family 'for employment through hard work' and wanted to settle his family here.

'Family friends and acquaintances speak highly of him and were shocked by the messages. They could not believe that was his mindset,' Mr Patel added.

Shahpal issued an apology to the court saying his wife, who had arrived in Britain two weeks before his arrest, was 'confined to her room because she is ashamed.'

'How can she tell anyone in the community her husband has been found guilty of terrorism offences?' he wrote in Urdu.

'How can she be proud of me? I have become an embarrassment to her and my family for which I apologise and ask for forgiveness.'

He told the court: 'I am not a 41-year-old when it comes to technology but a two-year-old child. I would not have made such a mistake if I did not use social media. This is my first and last mistake.

'I have been living in England for 14 years appeal for mercy. I love this country.'

Shahpal was found guilty of two counts of encouraging terrorism.
A woman whose pet was attacked by two dogs that were later shot dead by the Metropolitan Police is 'mortified' by the killings and has been 'crying ever since', her husband said today.

The animal lover is said to be 'traumatised' after armed officers gunned down the canines - named Millions and Marshall - by a canal in east London on Sunday.

The force had been called to the scene in response to the attack on the unnamed woman's rescue pup.

The incident happened just yards from a shabby narrowboat where the owner of the slain dogs lived with his pets. It prominently displays a 'beware of the dog' sign.

Today the woman's husband told MailOnline: 'It's absolutely awful what happened to those dogs. My wife is very upset.'

He explained how he had raced to the scene after his sobbing wife called him to tell him of the attack. But he insisted his wife pleaded with bystanders not to call police as she feared what would happen to the dogs.

Armed officers gunned down the 'out-of-control' animals in east London on Sunday amid reports they had mauled a woman moments earlier

The narrowboat prominently displays a 'beware of the dog' sign

The husband - who asked for the couple to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals after a backlash over the killings - said his five-year-old rescue dog had been bitten in the face and belly during the attack.

The pet has undergone treatment but it is hoped he will make a full recovery.

He told MailOnline: 'My wife was traumatised by what happened to the dogs - we both were.

'She didn't want the dogs to get killed.

'For us a dog's life matters as much as a human's.

'We are dog lovers - we never wanted to see this happen. Two dogs are killed. People feel bad - we feel bad as well.

'My wife has been crying for the dogs ever since.

'We asked the police why they killed the dogs - they didn't answer. They didn't say why they did it.

'My wife didn't call police. She was begging people around not to call police because she was concerned for the dogs and what would happen to them.

'Our dog was attacked. My wife wasn't attacked. She had something to her leg but it is not serious. She didn't go to hospital.

'We don't know if it happened when she was tangled up on our dog's lead or when she fell.

'My wife was knocked into the road. It's a very busy road and it could have been very dangerous.

'My wife was just walking the dog on her lead when he was attacked. She was trying to grab the other dogs.

The incident happened just yards from a shabby narrowboat (pictured) where the owner of the slain dogs lived with his pets

Footage has since emerged of Mr Turnbull sharing an intimate moment with his dogs, while a second video appears to show the animals confronting another pet in the street days before

Video of another incident appears to show a female dog owner screaming as she picks up her pet and backs away from Mr Turnbull

'The other dogs did not have any lead and the man just sat there and did nothing while my dog was being attacked.

'He had friends there who helped but he did nothing and he said nothing.'

Explaining how he was alerted to the incident he said: 'My phone was in the bedroom and my wife had called me seven times. I ran from my house. I found my dog bleeding from his nose and my wife was on the ground crying.

'I got there about five minutes after the attack and it was all over by then. The dogs had been shot and the road was closed off so no-one was allowed to go there.'

He said of the aftermath of the attack: 'My wife is alright but she is very upset.

READ MORE: Animal Rising vow to hold candlelit vigil for two dogs shot dead by armed Met cops Advertisement

'It was a really bad few days for us. We couldn't sleep.

'My dog is out of danger and is getting treatment. He's already better and he is going to be alright. We are hoping that in a week or 10 days he will be back to his old self.

'He is a five-year-old rescue dog. We brought him over from Greece. For us he is our baby. It was a really bad experience.'

Today locals claimed that the owner - who was Tazered by police and arrested in the aftermath of the attack - had previously owned three dogs that were put down after they allegedly attacked and killed another dog.

Police said the man had been banned from owning dogs.

One fellow boat owner told how police had been called to the scene after a fight broke out when the dog owner arrived with a group of people three weeks ago.

The scene of Commercial Road, Limehouse, nearby to the spot the two dogs were shot dead

Writing on Facebook Ian Mcintosh said: 'This guy moored up onto boats three weeks ago, drunk and was fighting with someone else.

'One of his dogs jumped off the boat and attacked the other guy. The dogs have been on and off lead and obviously not trained.

'Yesterday I heard dogs barking and I heard gunshots.

'It's the second time police have had to deal with him - but always the dogs pay for it.

'Hence, I'm moving mooring soon. His badly moored boats are still here!'

Today the two boats were empty and still moored alongside each other close to a bridge just yards from the scene of the incident.

The man's boat has a sign on the door warning passers-by: 'Beware of the dog. Enter at own risk.'
A husband has been charged with two counts of murder for allegedly killing his wife and her girlfriend in the upscale California home where they all lived together.

Satnam Sumal, 55, is accused of shooting dead Satbinder Singh, 39, who he was in an open relationship with. Her lover, Nadjiba Belaidi, 37, was also found dead at the home in Tracy, California on May 8.

Sumal walked into the Tracy Police Department and surrendered himself to cops, before allegedly confessing to the so-called love triangle killings.

He has been charged with two counts of murder, and was booked in San Joaqin County Jail without bail. He is expected to appear in court on May 31.

Wife Satbinder Singh, 39, was found dead at the home in Tracy, California

Singh's lover, Nadjiba Belaidi, 37, was also killed

According to a criminal complaint, Sumal is said to have shot both victims with a .40-caliber handgun at 12pm at the home on 2400 block of Sunflower Lane.

A firearm believed to be used in the slayings was found at the home, police said.

Tracy Police Sgt. Michael Richards told CBS: 'In my 20-some-odd years in law enforcement, I cant think of that ever happening. Its a tragedy, and our thoughts are with the family.'

According to CBS, there were also two children under the age of 10 living at the residence - but they were not present for the shooting.

The 'love triangle' killing has shocked locals in the upscale California town.

According to Redfin, some four-bed houses on the street where the two women were found dead sell for as much as $860,000.

A neighbor, Karuppiah Karuppiah, said: 'It is really scary, and its very unfortunate in this community this happened, and I feel very bad about it.'

A relative, believed to be the brother of Nadjiba Belaidi, who went by the first name Manal, wrote online: 'My sister Manal passed away last night in California, only God knows her value on my heart, my love for her, her destiny in mind and reality.

Satnam Sumal, 55, walked into the Tracy Police Department and surrendered himself to cops, before allegedly confessing to the so-called love triangle killings

The incident happened on 2400 block of Sunflower Lane, Tracy, California

'Manal was a very good woman with an irreplaceable heart, a good adviser.'

Another friend wrote: 'Manal my love, the news of your death shocked me and failed me. May Allah have mercy on you my dear, and make you dwell in Paradise, the kindest heart I've ever known in my foreign land.

'You left us while you were at the peak of your youth, precious.'

Satbinder Singh's local Gurdwara - a place of worship for Sikhs - confirmed her tragic death online.

They announced her funeral arrangements, and wrote: 'With great sadness, we inform of you of passing of Satbinder Kaur Singh of Tracy, CA.'

San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said in a statement: 'On behalf of my administration, we offer our sincerest condolences on their tragic loss.'
A stunning Gilded Age mansion in Washington, DC, has hit the market for nearly $30million.

The Blaine Mansion was built in 1881 in the capital's Dupont Circle for Republican Representative James Blaine. The former presidential candidate - who narrowly lost to Glover Cleveland - only lived in the beautiful terracotta home for two years before moving out.

Today, the home is currently owned by former US Diplomat John R. Phillips, who was an ambassador for Italy and San Marino. He and his wife, Linda Douglass, a former Obama administration communications advisor, have listed the historic property for $29.95million.

If they receive the asking price, it has the potential to set records for the city.

Many important faces have graced the halls of the Blaine Mansion, including former President Barack Obama, who visited the Phillips frequently, and current President Joe Biden while he was working as VP. So many Secret Service-flanked people have entered the home, the former diplomat installed hardline phone wires in the garage in case they needed to take a call.

The home is the only surviving mansion of Dupont Circle that was built in the Gilded Age, although it is now a condominium.

A stunning Gilded Age mansion in Washington, DC, has hit the market for nearly $30million. The Blaine Mansion is the only surviving mansion of Dupont Circle that was built in the Gilded Age, although it is now a condominium

The Blaine Mansion was built in 1881 in Washington DC's Dupont Circle for Republican Representative James Blaine (left), who lived there for two years. Today, the home is currently owned by former US Diplomat John R. Phillips (right), who was an ambassador for Italy and San Marino, and his wife

The lower floors of the 23,600-square-foot home are now office spaces with roughly 7,000 square feet taking up the four-bedroom penthouse, which consists of the top two floors. The house also has access to a private 60-foot rooftop swimming pool and outdoor kitchen, Realtor Daniel Heider wrote on the listing.

There is also a private elevator in the building, as well as six stunning fireplaces, a skylight, as well as the original cobblestone driveway, that gives a 'glimpse into the world of James G. Blaine, and the extravagant lives of Washington's high society in the 19th century, when DuPont Circle served as the exclusive meeting point for all the city's power players.'

The home was designed by Benjamin A. Van Dusen to create a 'well-proportioned, effortlessly flowing, and intricately detailed' space, according to the listing.

Blaine Mansion features a 'gentlemen's library' that has 'extensive built-ins and two light-filled dens with spectacular views of DuPont Circle park.'

Roughly 7,000 square feet taking up the four-bedroom penthouse, which consists of the top two floors.

The home was designed by Benjamin A. Van Dusen to create a 'well-proportioned, effortlessly flowing, and intricately detailed' space

The home features a large wine cellar (pictured)

The dark wood provides a lovely contrast to the light-filled room with two long built-in bookshelves lining each wall. It has enough to fit recliners and a table for the ultimate reading nook.

It also has 'embassy-sized' living and dining rooms, which are accessed via French doors and give an elegant appeal. It can sit up to 40 people or dinner or have a 150-guest party, according to the listing.

The kitchen has a wood-burning fireplace, a built-in booth, marble countertops and is filled with Miele, Sub-Zero, and Wolf appliances.

Just off the kitchen is a private terrace space that has covered and uncovered areas.

The primary bedroom has vaulted ceilings and has separated baths and dressing rooms.

It also has large secondary bedrooms as well and a fitness center, built-in sauna, and private office space.

The kitchen has a wood-burning fireplace, a built-in booth, marble countertops and is filled with Miele, Sub-Zero, and Wolf appliances

Just off the kitchen is a private terrace space that has covered and uncovered areas

One of the living rooms features light walls that nicely contrast with the dark flooring

It also has 'embassy-sized' living and dining rooms, which are accessed via French doors and give an elegant appeal. It can sit up to 40 people or dinner or have a 150-guest party (pictured: one of the dining areas)

The lower floors of the 23,600-square-foot home are now office spaces

'The Blaine Mansion is a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of Washington's history,' the listing said.

Phillips and his wife moved to DC in 1993. Phillips had always admired the Blaine Mansion and a few months into their capital residency, he leased office space for his law firms on one of the lower levels.

He also negotiated the rights to buy the mansion when it would be put on the market. He acquired the home in 2006.

Once purchasing it, they spent three years renovating it, according to the Wall Street Journal. In 2006, the mansion was all office space, but renovated the top floors to create a home for themselves.

The house also has access to a private 60-foot rooftop swimming pool

Linda Douglass said the home is in a prime spot and even gave her viewing access to Biden's inauguration, where she watched from her upper windows

They redesigned the top floors, but kept them closely honoring the home's original aesthetic, including the moldings and fireplaces. They even restored the original seven chimneys after seeking permission from the historical society.

'It really is like Old World living,' Phillips told WSJ.

Douglass said the home is in a prime spot and even gave her viewing access to Biden's inauguration, where she watched from her upper windows.

The couple is now looking to downsize, hence why they listed their beautiful property on the market. They plan to spend more time in their Maryland home.
The line beside the border wall is 100 long before sun up on Thursday.

The arrivals  from Colombia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Mauritania, Ecuador, Brazil, China, but mostly from Peru on Thursday morning  wait patiently for their turn to be processed and to climb aboard a Customs and Border Protection bus.

By the time each load moves on, another few dozen migrants have threaded their way across a canal and over the Colorado River that marks the border with Mexico.

Within an hour more than 300 people are waiting in line. This is how the day before the end of Title 42 looks in Yuma, Arizona.

The city is already overstretched. With no beds left, officials say they began releasing migrants on to the streets two days ago, with court hearing dates set for 2026 or 2027.

Hundreds of people crossed on to U.S. soil from Mexico around Yuma, Arizona, on Thursday morning hours before Title 42 was due to expire. Similar scenes were repeated elsewhere

Sandra, 32, and Bruno, 32, from Perus said they were just relieved to arrive on U.S. soil, clutching their three-year-old daughter Sophia

By the end of the day the number of arrivals is forecast to be well over 1000.

Sandra, 32, and Bruno, 32, said they were just relieved to arrive on U.S. soil, clutching their three-year-old daughter Sophia.

'She has a condition, autism,' said Sandra. 'There is just not good care for her in Peru.'

They shuttered their travel agency and used their savings to make the two-day journey, flying into Mexico and then making their way to the crossing.

More than three-quarters of the line has come from Peru. People offer the same story: Months of political upheaval has triggered daily protests and frequent police crackdowns, often with deadly force.

Many flew in to Mexicali, before being directed on to the border wall and told to find a gap.

They arrive in trickles of five, seven, a dozen at a time. They come in thick coats as protection from the night chill.

As they reach the head of the line they are handed small, transparent plastic bags. Documents and small children's toys are slipped inside.

At least 300 people lined up beside the border wall outside Yuma on Thursday morning. Behind the cordon, these arrivals are beginning processing with Border Patrol officers

About 100 people were already lining up before 5am. As buses drove off with loads of about 40 people, dozens more people took their places. The number in line grew to 300 before 7am

To reach U.S. soil, migrants had to cross the Colorado River and scramble up a bank

Everything else is tagged and stored for retrieval later, although a charity volunteer explained that almost no one goes back to collect souvenirs from a former life.

A group of three Chinese people latched on to the back of the line, joining another handful already in the queue.

They are a reminder that not everyone is affected by Title 42. Although it has been used to to make 2.8 million migrant expulsion, it only applied to nationalities that Mexico was willing to accept: initially El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, and later Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

Either way Yuma is full up.

County Supervisor Jonathan Lines said processing capacity was maxed out. Street releases began on Tuesday, he said, with buses laid on to take people to Phoenix.

Rather than evading Border Patrol, arrivals made their way to a collection point where they can be registered to make their asylum claim before being released for a future court hearing

Arrivals came from China, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil. But the vast majority said they were fleeing unrest in Peru

'They have been given a piece of paper saying they have been processed and have a court dates,' he said. 'But most court dates that are being handed out are 2026 and 2027.'

Similar scenes are playing out up and down the border. In all, officials say they have been detaining as many as 10,000 people a day.

Title 42 was activated by the Trump administration to stem the spread of COVID-19. It is a public health measure that allows border authorities to immediately expel arrivals before they could even claim asylum.

But with the pandemic over, it finally expires at midnight eastern time on Thursday.

The Biden administration has rushed through new restrictions, effectively restoring Trump's 'transit ban,' which allows for the deportation of arrivals who did not seek asylum in countries through which they traveled.

Migrants can legally present themselves at the border if they used a mobile app, CBP One, to register in advance.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas explained Thursday that the end of Title 42 meant migrants would now be processed under Title 8

But that has still left the Biden administration scrambling to get out the message that the gates to the U.S. are not being thrown open.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas explained Thursday that the end of Title 42 meant migrants would now be processed under Title 8.

'Here's what that means,' he said. 'If anyone arrives at our southern border after midnight tonight, they will be presumed ineligible for asylum and subject to steeper consequences for unlawful entry, including a minimum five-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution.'

Don't listen to the people offering you a path to the promised land, he added.

'Know this: Smugglers care only about profits not people,' he said.
Funnel clouds, which can form tornados, have also been spotted across the UK

Crazy weather has sent storage workers flying and ominous funnel clouds have formed over Britain as the nation is battered by thunderstorms, lightning strikes and freak hailstone flurries.

Shocking CCTV footage showed the 'frightening' moment two storage workers battled with devastating winds as they are blown across their work yard while trying to dodge flying pieces of furniture.

The clip, which was shot in Horham, Suffolk, showed Filing Fortress manager, Stuart McBurney, 42, fall to his knees and desperately cling to the ground in an attempt to reach safety.

The other heroically clung to large pieces of furniture in a bid to stop them from crashing into his colleague.

Mr McBurney said: 'It cut around in a circle and came right across my yard. We were loading up one of our customer's furniture and we had it on the lorry and the other guy said "it's starting to get a bit windy".

Stuart McBurney, 42, battled with the strong winds as he tried to dodge flying furniture at his work in Suffolk

The clip, which was shot in Horham, Suffolk, showed Filing Fortress manager, Stuart McBurney, 42, fall to his knees and desperately cling to the ground in an attempt to reach safety

The Met Office has issued a thunderstorm warning for much of the UK as heavy rain moves in today

'There was sand blowing up in our faces. I jumped off the lorry and we got inside.

What are funnel clouds? A funnel cloud is a cone-shaped cloud which extends from the base of a cloud towards the ground without actually reaching the surface. They are formed in the same way as a tornado building around this localised area of intensely low pressure and are typically associated with the formation of cumulonimbus thunderclouds. The difference between a tornado and a funnel cloud is that they do not reach the earth's surface. At the point it reaches land it is then considered a tornado. In a typical year, the UK sees around 30-35 tornadoes. Source: Met Office Advertisement

'There was a fair bit of damage. A few quid's worth of damage. Damage to a car. It was frightening at the time. I cut my knee but that was it.

'Two mattresses blew over a fence that's 8ft. They have disappeared.'

In other parts of the nation, other dismayed Britons have taken to social media to share ominous videos of funnel clouds forming over their homes in south Lincolnshire.

While Brits may be fascinated by the cloud formations they can cause sever damage and disruption.

If a funnel cloud hits the ground, it turns into a tornado which can lead to very strong winds and reap through communities causing mass destruction.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather thunderstorm alert for much of the UK, warning that driving conditions will likely be affected by spray, standing water or hail, leading to longer journey times.

There may also be damage to buildings from lightning strikes, forecasters say, while it is 'likely' that some homes and businesses will be affected by flooding and suffer power cuts.

The Welsh village of Pontllanfraith, near Caerphilly, was hit by a freak storm this morning that saw giant hailstones pelt down from the sky.

The local pub, called The Bird in Hand, was forced to close by the force of the storm after it lost power - and the large hail stones stacked up outside the building to create a barricade to make it impossible to open the front door.

Staff then had to battle water as the pub became flooded in the storm.

In other parts of the nation, other dismayed Britons have shared ominous pictures of funnel clouds forming over their homes in south Lincolnshire

If a funnel cloud hits the ground, it turns into a tornado which can lead to very strong winds and reap through communities causing mass destruction

A man, woman and child seek shelter from a heavy rain shower in a park in Terenure, Dublin

People shelter beneath umbrellas as they walk in the rain through Westminster, central London

Thunder and hail are battling Britain today as a series of freak storms pose risks of lightning strikes, power cuts and travel disruptions. Pictured: Hail in the Welsh village of Pontllanfraith, near Caerphilly today

Pictured: Flooding in North Cadbury, Somerset today. There may also be damage to buildings from lightning strikes, while it is 'likely' that some homes and businesses will be affected by flooding and suffer power cuts

Villager Rhys Leyshon, 42, said: 'You never seen anything like it. The hailstones were the size of marbles - it is really mad May weather.'

The pub's management said the venue would have to remain closed 'whilst we assess the situation and try make it as safe as possible'.

'At the moment we are without hot water, heating, fridges and much needed cellar equipment as all have been damaged,' they said. 'This is alongside all our flooring and furniture.'

Landlords Sally and Martyn Everson took to social media to praise regulars and locals for helping out. They thanked people for helping them dry out the bar.

The pair said: 'Thanks to everyone who brought us towels down we are so grateful. We truly feel so supported and loved by our community.'

But Britons can look forward to some respite from the miserable weather this weekend, with conditions set to turn drier and warmer from Saturday with 20C (68F) highs expected in the South and 18C (64F) in the North on what will be a sunny day.

It will be warmer in England on Saturday than Madrid (19C), Ibiza (19C) and Nice (18C).

Forecasters said a ridge of high pressure will bring the drier weather and it will turn warmer into the weekend following a slight dip in temperatures this week.

The Bird in Hand pub was forced to close by the force of the storm after it lost power - and the large hail stones stacked up outside the building to create a barricade to make it impossible to open the front door

The Bird in Hand staff then had to battle water as the pub became flooded in the storm

The Environment Agency has flood alerts in place today mostly across southern England

Highs of 20C are expected in the South and 18C in the North on what will be a sunny Saturday

Two women work to clear up following floods at Newton Poppleford in Devon yesterday

Hilary Pinfold clears up yesterday after her home in Newton Poppleford was hit by floods

People clear the roads in the Devon village of Tipton St John yesterday after the flooding

Tonight will have a clear and dry start for the Midlands, South West England and Wales, but it will be overcast for northern areas.

Throughout the night, the band of cloud will move south-westwards, although no significant showers are expected.

It will then be mostly dry but dull tomorrow with cloudy skies and some drizzle.

Outbreaks of rain will spread from eastern areas into the South East, but will reduce in intensity throughout the day.

Saturday then looks like it will be dry, as cloud becomes increasingly sparse throughout the day, although moderate winds are forecast in southern areas.

Sunday will be similar as it stays mostly dry, with only isolated pockets of cloud in the daytime, although cloud cover will increase into the evening.

It comes after flash flooding following heavy thunderstorms on Tuesday evening saw a major incident declared by the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service in the Galhampton, North Cadbury, and South Cadbury areas.

Firefighters said they deployed several resources to the areas of Somerset to deal with the flooding, which was resolved by the early hours of yesterday.

By the afternoon, Travel Somerset said its teams were helping out with the clear-up operation and assessing road damage after 'an unprecedented flash flood event ... with around 88mm of rain falling in just two hours'.

Vehicles make their way along flooded country lanes at Dunsden in Oxfordshire this morning

A dog walker wades through the muddy country paths in the woods at Dunsden this morning

Vehicles make their way along flooded country lanes at Dunsden in Oxfordshire this morning

It sent teams to the Milverton region and further north after Tuesday's 'significant flooding to the highway'. Flooding of the A359 at Queen Camel made it impassable.

Travel Somerset said its specialists will need to wait until today for water levels to drop to make further assessments.

The Environment Agency told motorists not to try to drive through flood water, saying 'enough water to fill an egg cup can ruin your engine, leaving you stranded in water and in need of rescue from emergency services'.

Basingstoke was battered by hailstorms - with one resident describing his worry over the storm damaging his car - while Somerset experienced a 'different scale' of rain.

A Met Office yellow warning for thunderstorms was also in place for yesterday, as parts of the UK faced more heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail.

The UK's warmest day of the year so far was Monday, when Helens Bay in Northern Ireland got to 21.6C (70.1F).
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul is preparing his committee to move forward with a contempt of Congress charge against Secretary of State Antony Blinken as soon as May 24 after the State Department is expected to blow past a deadline to hand over a key document related to the August 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.

The committee is specifically seeking a classified dissenting cable that U.S. State Department employees sent prior to the Taliban's takeover on July 13, 2021. The cable warned about a 'deteriorating' security situation' and urged the immediate evacuation of allies, a warning that the Biden administration did not heed, say Republicans.

Blinken is expected to miss the deadline of 6pm ET Thursday May 11 to hand over the document or legal proceedings would be immediately started against him.

McCaul told DailyMail.com Thursday that the proceedings could begin as soon as May 24.

'We've given them ample time. Three extensions of time we tried to work this out, but unfortunately, it doesn't appear that that's going to work and the next step will be to move to contempt proceedings,' McCaul said.

'We plan to have a meeting of my committee on May 24, to hold the Secretary in contempt, and move that to the floor for a full vote by the House of Representatives.'

The chairman also called it 'interesting' that it would be the 'first time in history' that a secretary of state has ever been held in contempt by Congress.

State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said Thursday afternoon during a press briefing ahead of the deadline that the department would 'continue to engage' with the committee, but there were no updates to share.

'We will continue to engage with the House Foreign Affairs Committee and discuss with them on their requests. As I have said before, the department has already offered a classified briefing and a summary of the dissent channel cable, as well as the departments response. We believe that this information has been sufficient to meet what the committee has requested thus far.'

In August 2021, 13 U.S. service members and 170 others were killed near the Hamid Karzai International Airport after a suicide bomber detonated an explosive.

Additionally, thousands of U.S. citizens and allies of the United States who were unable to quickly evacuate were left stranded in the country after the Taliban quickly took over the capital of Kabul.

The committee led by McCaul is investigating the Biden administration's role in the deadly withdrawal, which he has previously called a 'stunning failure' of leadership.

Secretary of State Blinken must comply with a subpoena by May 11

McCaul writes in the letter that the information turned over to the committee from the State Department has been 'insufficient'

'American people and the veterans and the Gold Star families are right to know what the thinking was in the embassy at the time to take the extraordinary measure to dissent from the policy,' McCaul told DailyMail.com.

He added that he does not 'particularly relish' moving forward with legal proceedings, but it's not a political statement because he is an advocate for veterans and the Gold Star families.

'We also want to see Secretary Blinken's response to the dissenting cable to see what the state of mind was a month before the debacle and the collapse of Afghanistan which culminated in the killing of 13 service men and women,' he continued.

In a letter to Blinken last Friday, obtained by DailyMail.com, McCaul, R-Texas, wrote that as part of the committee's investigation, Blinken must hand over the cable in its entirety by May 11.

His request comes after a subpoena was issued to Blinken on March 28 requesting the 'dissent cable' along with other documents and Biden administration communications on the withdrawal.

The department provided an April 27 classified briefing, which Republicans on the committee have said did not fulfill the many demands they outlined.

A State Department spokesperson slammed the move by McCaul in a statement last week.

'It's unfortunate that despite having received a classified briefing on the dissent channel cable as well as a written summary, that the House Foreign Affairs Committee continues to pursue this unnecessary and unproductive action,' spokesperson Vedant Patel said.

'Nevertheless, we will continue to respond to appropriate oversight inquiries and provide Congress the information it needs to do its job while protecting the ability of State Department employees to do theirs,' Patel added in a statement.

However, McCaul writes in the letter that the information turned over to the committee from the State Department has been 'insufficient.'

'The Department provided the Committee a roughly one-page summary of the dissent cable as well as a summary of the Department's official response that was just under one page in length,' says McCaul.

'The Department has confirmed that the original dissent cable totaled four pages in length, meaning that the summary represented a 75% reduction of the original cable.'

As a result, the agency is 'now in violation of its legal obligation to produce these documents and must do so immediately.'

'As noted above, should the Department fail to comply with its legal obligation, the Committee is prepared to take the necessary steps to enforce its subpoena, including holding you in contempt of Congress and/or initiating a civil enforcement proceeding.'

If Blinken is held in contempt of Congress, President Biden's Department of Justice would have the option to move forward with legal proceedings - but it is unlikely it would take action against him.

Hundreds of people gathered near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane at the perimeter of the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 16, 2021

Other cabinet-level secretaries that have been held in contempt of Congress - including Trump-era Attorney General Bill Barr Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder - but never in history has a secretary of state.

McCaul has pushed back the deadline for Blinken to comply with the subpoena multiple times.

The first deadline was April 1, then April 21, May 1 and now May 11 following discussions with the State Department.

The chairman also accused the Biden administration of 'misleading the public' with the release of several 'summarizing' documents related to the withdrawal.
A vegan passenger has slammed an airline after claiming she was given fruit and nuts when she had asked for a hot meal.

Juanita Headley had been travelling 4,600 miles from Accra, Ghana to London Heathrow with airline KLM.

The motivational speaker had already opted for a hot meal on board - as part of the complimentary service for intercontinental flights.

But when on board the six-hour connecting flight, she said she was given pineapple pieces, a tangerine and a handful of nuts.

A few hours later, she claimed crew gave her a cold vegan wrap, a banana and an additional bowl of nuts.

Juanita Headley had been travelling 7,400km from Accra, Ghana to London Heathrow with airline KLM

She has slammed KLM as 'a joke' for her lacklustre meal.

Juanita, of north London said: 'I'm sorry, it doesn't feed a hungry passenger on an international flight.

'Thank God I don't have a nut allergy or I would have been on fruit rations.

'In this day and age where veganism isn't a new phenomena it is unacceptable that a six-hour long haul flight don't carry a few extra meals for situations like this.

'Or at a minimum make sure the vegetarian meal is also vegan.

'That would make life very simple for crew and passengers.'

She uploaded snaps of the food online - where fellow vegans shared in her anger, flooding the comments section with criticism.

One seething vegan said: 'In 2023 that's simply outrageous.'

Another veggie added: 'Sorry you've had this experience, I've had similar but in 2014 and ever since I've always carried food just in case.'

A third said: 'Looks like an afterthought. I'm sorry.'

Juanita has slammed KLM as 'a joke' for her lacklustre meal, and said she is lucky she doesn't have a nut allergy

Despite opting for a hot meal, Juanita shred pictures of a measly serving including some fruit, nuts and a cold wrap

Another vegan said: 'How difficult is it to have an Alpro yoghurt, tomato, broccoli and vegan cheese pasta? Basic stuff.

'And KLM Airlines aren't the cheapest to fly with so this is outrageous.'

But some were less sympathetic.

One passenger said: 'Why do people never bring their own food is baffling.'

Another flyer added: 'I reckon you'll survive six hours.'

The Dutch airline's policy for meals on intercontinental flights states that customers will be provided with 'a warm dish of your choice, large salad, and dessert'.

It also states that 'theres always a number of vegetarian options available,' but makes no mention of vegan options.

KLM said in a statement: 'Due to an unforeseen situation, there was no vegan meal available for this passenger on the flight.

'We regret that this happened and would like to offer our sincere apologies.

'Our customer care department will be in contact with this passenger to see how we can make up for this.'
MBABANE  The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has clarified the reasons behind the challenges that engulfed the first day of the exercise.

The commissions Communications Officer Mbonisi Bhembe said they indeed experienced teething problems yesterday. Firstly, he clarified that the EBC will not deploy full-time registration officers in all the over 500 registration centres that were published. Bhembe explained that the sites were divided into two categories. There are chiefdom polling divisions and polling stations, he said.

He explained that the polling division would be where the voting would take place when that stage arrived. During the registration, the polling division will work as a centre for the polling stations. Bhembe said the polling division would have officers stationed there. In the duration of the registration exercise, the officers will be visiting the polling stations to conduct registration on certain days. He said the visitation would be determined by the number of people who needed to be registered at that polling station.

Bhembe admitted that there were also challenges at the polling divisions since the teams were not on site by 8am. He explained that in some centres, they had challenges with the system that was supposed to be used in these stations. Since we rely on mobile network, some of the SIM cards that were supposed to be used in the systems were not compatible. Therefore, they had to be tested and rerun to ensure that they were working well, he said. He said this mostly affected Mbabane and Ezulwini sites, hence they started operating later in the day. Bhembe said those were the only challenges they encountered and they were confident that today the process would be smooth.
A grooming gang which exploited and abused two vulnerable young girls for their own sexual gratification was only exposed when one of the alleged victims attended a parenting course herself years later, a court heard today.

The men, all from Rochdale, preyed on the girls - who were aged 12 and 13 when the abuse started - after plying them with drink and drugs, a jury was told.

They became objects to use, abuse, humiliate then discard, it was alleged, with some of the sex attacks taking place in an address known as The Butchers flat.

More than a decade after the girls ordeal is said to have come to an end, one of them  by now an adult  contacted police after attending a parenting course, Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester was told.

She alleged that a childhood friend was also allegedly subjected to a litany of abuse by the same group from the age of 13.

Eight men are on trial for 82 offences including rape, sexual activity with a child and gross indecency between 2002 and 2006. Pictured left: Ali Razza Hussain Kasmi, 36, who is charged with six offences. Pictured right on right hand side: Mohammed Iqbal, 67, who is charged with two counts of paying for sexual services of a girl under the age of 18

Ikhlaq Yousef (pictured), 38, is charged with seven offences including two rapes and two counts of gross indecency with a child

Eight men are on trial for 82 offences including rape, sexual activity with a child and gross indecency between 2002 and 2006.

The court heard how the younger girl met a group of men centred around one defendant, Mohammed Ghani.

He would allegedly go to the flat - owned by his brother Jahn Shahid Ghani and so-called as it was above a former butchers shop in Rochdale - along with Insar Hussain and Ikhlaq Yousef where some of the alleged offences took place.

She told police how she was sexually abused daily from the age of 12, given alcohol and drugs and passed between her abusers.

She said she had no choice but to do what they wanted, or she would be beaten and raped, and described how videos were taken and used to blackmail her.

Neil Usher, prosecuting, said the girl and her friend became mere objects for the defendants to use, abuse, humiliate and then discard.

Both girls had troubled childhoods and difficult home lives and the men provided drink, drugs and apparent affection to persuade them that they were genuinely liked and not just being used for sex, he said.

More than a decade after the girls ordeal is said to have come to an end, one of them  by now an adult  contacted police after attending a parenting course, Minshull Street Crown Court (pictured) in Manchester was told

But he said the true reality was shown by a video taken after the younger girl blacked out after getting drunk on vodka during which she was sexually assaulted using a brandy bottle.

The men allegedly threatened to send the video to the girls mother if she didnt agree to have sex with them.

On other occasions Ghani had sex with the girl in a Rochdale park before offering her out to others, it was alleged, treating her a piece of meat.

Ghani would allegedly pick the girl up from school, still in her uniform, and they would have sex in his car.

On another occasion at the Butchers Flat, the court heard she was trapped in the bedroom for hours while Ghani, Hussain and Yousef took turns to have sex with her.

Mohammed Ghani also allegedly got the girl to have sex with his cousin who was on holiday from Pakistan as hed never had sex with a white girl before.

Jurors were told he asked her to marry the man in return for 5,000 so he could gain UK citizenship, but she refused.

The court heard how both girls would meet Ali Razza Hussain Kasmi, described as intimidating and aggressive figure, and his friends in a park.

They would be given alcohol and Kasmi is accused of having sex with the older girl and raping her.

Mohammed Ghani, 38, is charged with 21 offences including ten rapes and five counts of penetrative sexual activity with a girl.

Insar Hussain, 36, is charged with 17 offences including seven rapes and two counts of sex with a child under 13.

Ikhlaq Yousef, 38, is charged with seven offences including two rapes and two counts of gross indecency with a child.

Jahn Shahid Ghani, 50, is charged with 17 offences including eight rapes and eight counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child.

Martin Rhodes, 39, admits two charges of penetrative sexual activity with a child but denies two rapes.

Ali Razza Hussain Kasmi, 36, is charged with six offences including two rapes and two counts of gross indecency with a child.

Aftar Khan, 34, is charged with eight offences including three rapes and three counts of gross indecency with a child.

Mohammed Iqbal, 67, is charged with two counts of paying for sexual services of a girl under the age of 18.

All the defendants gave addresses in Rochdale apart from Rhodes, who now lives in Blackpool.

Apart from Rhodes they deny all of the charges.

The trial continues.
An entire organised crime group - including two married couples and a gang member who adopted the name of Al Pacinos famous drugs kingpin in the film Scarface - has been dismantled after a five-year police sting.

The gang trafficked amphetamines, ecstasy, crack cocaine, cannabis and cocaine worth 1.3m from Liverpool into the South and East Midlands. Much of it was found hidden in the wardrobe of a childs bedroom or an adjacent pink suitcase, when an address connected to the group was raided.

The group also inadvertently gave away the hiding place to their cache of 15 firearms  after a dashcam recovered from a vehicle linked to the gang recorded them moving a lorry trailer into field, where it was then hidden behind a hedge. When the trailer was forced open, the weapons and associated ammunition, as well as more drugs, were discovered.

Warwickshire Polices Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) said its successful Operation Scorecard probe took out the biggest organised crime group known to have been operating in the county.

One of the gang was found to be operating out of prison using a clandestine phone, even planning to bring drugs into the jail with the aid of a drone.

The operation started with a number of raids on crack dens in Leamington and the scale of the drugs operation then started to emerge. It gathered pace when Sarah Reeve was stopped in a car on the A5 near Rugby with fellow gang member Lewis Mowat, 30, from Leamington Spa, in August 2018

The gang was led by family man Christopher Reeve, 44, from Rugby, who was known as Polar Bear, was jailed of 17 years after pleading guilty to the supply controlled drugs and possession of firearms

When he was not available, wife Sarah, 40, would step in to run the operation. She was jailed for 10 years and 10 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs

Phone analysis and a covert operation helped to piece together all the players in the operation.

Detective Sergeant Sarah Wolsey, who headed up the SOCU that brought down the gang, said: Basically we were able to take out the whole organised crime group.

In total, 21 gang members were convicted in prosecutions covered by reporting restrictions only lifted when legal proceedings reached a conclusion on Friday.

During the operation, officers found thousands of pounds worth of drugs stashed in a freezer of a property in Daventry, Northamptonshire, as well as in a childs bedroom. The gang was led by family man Christopher Reeve, 44, from Rugby, who was known as Polar Bear. When he was not available, wife Sarah, 40, would step in to run the operation.

Their right-hand man was lag Garvey Thompson, while another lieutenant, Tony Wilshire, 30, of Warwick. Wilshire liked to be known as Tony Montana, Pacinos protagonist in the 1983 classic film Scarface which charts Montanas rise from foot soldier to the top of a Miami drugs gang.

Other gang members included husband and wife David and Stacie Burdett, aged 46 and 36 respectively, while the oldest was courier Thomas Bash,71. He is believed to have made 180 trips across the gangs supply network and had 761 contacts with Christopher Reeve between October 2017 and September 2018.

The operation started with a number of raids on crack dens in Leamington and the scale of the drugs operation then started to emerge. It gathered pace when Sarah Reeve was stopped in a car on the A5 near Rugby with fellow gang member Lewis Mowat, 30, from Leamington Spa, in August 2018. The pair were on their way back from Liverpool with 3kg of high-purity cocaine in the vehicle, which was seized.

A seized phone showed Christopher Reeve had orchestrated the delivery and Sarah Reeve and Mowat both had full knowledge of the operation.

On 12 September 2018, officers raided a home in Daventry, Northamptonshire, the home address of another gang member, Caroline Dalley  Stacie Burdetts mother.

During this warrant 877g of heroin, 4.15kg of cocaine, 13kg of Amphetamine, 20kg of cannabis resin, 6049 ecstasy tablets, 896g of MDMA and 378g of crack cocaine were seized with a street value in excess of 830,000. Large amounts of mixing and bulking agents were also recovered, along with a number of shotgun cartridges.

This is the moment Oliver Bailey, 31, formerly of Landor Road, Warwick was chased down by police. He was jailed for nine years and nine months having pleaded guilty to supplying drugs and possession with intent to supply drugs

The gang trafficked amphetamines, ecstasy, crack cocaine, cannabis and cocaine worth 1.3m from Liverpool into the South and East Midlands

On September 14 2018, officers raided a trailer in Wolfhampcote in Warwickshire owned by Burdett where they seized drugs, 15 firearms and ammunition. Forensics linked the seizure to David Burdett Christopher Reeve and Thomas Bash.

DS Wolsey said the investigation was successful in dismantling the group from the top to the bottom, leaving their operation unsaveable.

She said: The biggest surprise for us was, we did a warrant at Daventry on September 12 (2018) and we recovered a dashcam from within one of the vehicles of one of the persons that had been arrested on that day.

My colleague was watching the dash cam and just noticed some strange activity and the couple had hooked a trailer up, taken it up a field and hidden it behind a hedge, That in itself was just really strange. We had the helicopter fly up and we could see the trailer hidden behind the hedge.

By that time, the number plates had been taken off from it in an attempt to disguise it. When we opened the trailer, we found 15 firearms, the associated ammunition and more drugs in the trailer. That was one of the most surprising aspects of the investigation.

She went on: We realised the network was big, but we did not realise the scale of it until we did the (Daventry) address - I have never seen that many drugs before in one place, ever. There was a phenomenal amount of amphetamine on the freezer.

The gang were jailed for a combined total of 165 years and seven months at Warwick Crown Court for a variety of offences including conspiracy to supply drugs, possession of firearms.

The convictions:
The star of Netflix's new Cleopatra drama has addressed the furore over casting

The star of Netflix's much-talked about 'Queen Cleopatra' docudrama says the furore over her casting as the Egyptian ruler is 'fundamentally racist'.

English actress Adele James, 27, takes on the role of the beguiling queen who became the most famous monarch from the land of the Pharaohs.

The trailer features claims that Cleopatra VII was black with 'curly hair'. One historian asserts in the preview: 'I remember my grandmother saying to me: I don't care what they tell you in school, Cleopatra was black.'

Egyptians reacted with dismay at the apparent rejection of records which show Cleopatra was Macedonian-Greek. An Egyptian lawyer has filed a case with the country's public prosecutor demanding that Netflix be shut down.

Appearing yesterday on Channel 4's Steph's Packed Lunch, Adele addressed the high-profile criticism around being a black actress playing Cleopatra, saying: 'It would be naive of me to say that I didn't expect anything at all, but I didn't expect the scale of it.

'And I think it's distressing for anybody to receive any level of abuse, let alone the scale and the nature of what I've received, which is fundamentally racist, all of it.'

Adele James and John Partridge, who star as Cleopatra and Julius Caesar in Netflix's new docudrama, discussed the racial controversy on Channel 4's Steph's Packed Lunch

Netflix 2023 drama 'Cleopatra' sees actress Adele James in the title role of Queen Cleopatra

'People are talking about the wrong things. Yes, we don't know where her mother was from or her paternal grandmother, but also the show is about so much more than the question mark over her race.

'If you watch it is a very small part of the conversation really, this is about the fullness of who this woman was and she was a human being and she shouldn't be reduced to her race any more than I should or anybody should.'

Cleopatra was famously played by white English actress Elizabeth Taylor opposite Richard Burton as Mark Anthony in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's historical epic from 1963

Adele was appearing in the show with her co-star John Partridge, best known for his time in EastEnders.

He added: 'The controversy is about Cleopatra being black, I don't hear anybody saying that Julius Caesar is a homosexual from Manchester.

'We're just actors at the end of the day, and sometimes our morality gets called into play, we're jobbing actors.'

Adele also talked about the support of Hollywood actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who narrates the series and is its executive producer.

She said: 'She was so involved in the casting process, she watched all of our audition tapes, she was giving feedback on the rushes when we were out in Morocco shooting.

'And she's just been such a champion of the project from the very beginning. I mean, it's her baby.

'She is an African Queen and I feel like it just couldn't be more pertinent and important that she's the figurehead of this. She's an icon.'

Cairo's former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass condemned the documentary as 'completely fake. Cleopatra was Greek, meaning she was light-skinned, not black.'

A painting from a villa at Herculaneum in modern day Campania portraying a red-haired woman whose facial features, royal diadem and hairstyle adorned with fine pearl-studded hairpins suggest a posthumous portrait of Cleopatra (left) and an engraving by J Chapman made in 1804, showing a romanticized 19th century conception of Queen Cleopatra (right)

'Blackwashing' in other films and shows Anne Boleyn (2021) Black English actress Jodie Turner-Smith played the Queen of England in a British TV series. Anne Boleyn was white and the second wife of King Henry VIII. Saint Joan (2020) Black New Yorker Condola Rashad played the French heroine Joan of Arc in a stage production of the tale set in the 15th century. In the play, Rashad is a gender non-confirming Joan. Troy: Fall of a City (2018) In the TV drama, Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War, is played by black English actor David Gyasi. The Hollow Crown (2012 - 2016) Sophie Okonedo, a Nigerian-British actress, played Queen Margaret of Anjou in the Shakespearean TV adaptation. Margaret, of French descent, was Queen of England and married to King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461. Once Upon a Time (2011 - 2018) The ABC series about fairytales features a black actor Sinqua Walls as Sir Lancelot. Lancelot is a British character who features as one of King Arthur's close companions and one of the greatest Knights of the Round Table. Arthur was a legendary king of Britain and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition. Robin Hood (2006 - 2009) The BBC series featured black English actor David Harewood as Friar Tuck. Friar Tuck is one of the legendary Merry Men, the band of heroic outlaws in the folklore of Robin Hood which was set in England's Sherwood Forest in the 15th century. Advertisement

Hawass said the only rulers of Egypt known to have been black were the Kushite kings of the 25th Dynasty (747-656 BC).

'Netflix is trying to provoke confusion by spreading false and deceptive facts that the origin of the Egyptian civilization is black,' he added and called on his countrymen to take a stand against the streaming giant.

On Sunday, lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary filed a complaint with the public prosecutor demanding that he take 'the necessary legal measures' to block access to Netflix.

He alleged the show featured content that violated Egypt's media laws and accused Netflix of trying to 'promote the Afrocentric thinking ... which includes slogans and writings aimed at distorting and erasing the Egyptian identity.'

Cleopatra was famously played by white English actress Elizabeth Taylor opposite Richard Burton as Mark Anthony in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's historical epic from 1963.

Three years ago plans for a new movie about the queen starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot sparked a backlash from people insisting the role should go to an Egyptian or African actress.

Gadot defended the decision, saying: 'We were looking for a Macedonian actress that could fit Cleopatra. She wasn't there, and I was very passionate about Cleopatra.'

The fury at Netflix's right-on programming comes after it appeared to have ditched the woke messaging last year.

Netflix took a hit in the first half of 2022, losing about 1,170 million subscribers as rivals such as Paramount+ and Disney+ raked them in.

The huge decline was seen by some as a direct consequence of the company's late response to demands from its viewers to tone down their woke agenda.

But after deciding to back figures like comedian Dave Chapelle it bounced back. Netflix added 1.75 million new subscribers for the quarter of 2023, nearly 550,000 more than consensus estimates, and a stark contrast to the loss of 200,000 subscribers the company suffered in the same period last year.

The four-part Cleopatra series will explore the legacy, intellect and life of Cleopatra VII, the Greek Queen of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC.

The trailer notes that Cleopatra belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty but then goes on to dispute her heritage.

Controversy: In the show, which is due to air on May 10, Cleopatra is depicted as black, despite historical records showing she was of Macedonian Greek heritage

Hot water: Netflix has been forced to turn off comments for the official trailer of new docu-series Queen Cleopatra (pictured: Cleopatra, played by Adele James)

Adele James on horseback in the new Cleopatra Netflix series

Adele James (left) in African Queens: Queen Cleopatra

Adele James in another screenshot from the new Netflix docuseries

The Death of Cleopatra, circa 1645-55. Artist Guido Cagnacci

'It's possible she was an Egyptian' says one expert, while another adds: 'I remember my grandmother saying to me 'I don't care what they tell you in school, Cleopatra was black.''

The two-minute official Trailer uploaded on April 12 has already amassed over 1.9 million views on YouTube.

Meanwhile, Netflix has been forced to turn comments off on the official trailer, after it was met with controversy.

A Change.org petition to cancel the show has amassed over 3,000 signatures. A previous petition - which was taken down - had over 62,000 signatures.

Author Kemi Owonibi tweeted: 'For the nth time, the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra was not an Egyptian.

'She was Greek! Cleopatra VII was whiteof Macedonian descent, likewise all the Ptolemy rulers, who lived in Egypt.'
The girlfriend of a legal assistant who was killed in an 'unprovoked' one punch attack today described the moment she heard he was catastrophically injured - hours before her sister's wedding.

Jack Jermy-Doyle, 25, suffered 'irreversible brain damage' after being struck on a night out in Preston, Lancashire on August 12 last year.

Kaitlyn Booth, 22, was getting ready for her sister's wedding when she got a series of messages revealing that Jack was hurt. She would soon learn that his injuries were unsurvivable.

She said: 'The signal was terrible but I finally managed to get a hold of his sister, Leanne, who told me that doctors were saying Jack had irreversible brain damage.

'My dad drove me over to Preston hospital. The nurse came over and explained the extent of the damage and told us that there was absolutely no way Jack would survive this and it would only be a matter of time before his heart stopped beating.

'I just remember breaking down but trying so hard not to because in my head there was still hope. I didn't want to accept it. After visiting Jack, me and dad made our way back to the rest of the family to support my sister at her wedding. It was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do, trying to smile through such horrific pain.

'All it took was one punch'.

Jack died two days later. No one has been charged with murder or any other offences.

No one has been charged with murder a year after a Jack Jermy-Doyle (pictured with partner Kaitlyn Booth), 25, died after one being punched just once in Preston, Lancashire last year

Mr Jermy-Doyle's (left) heartbroken partner Kaitlyn Booth (right) said that the two people who were arrested and released last year were not known to either of them- adding that she believed the attack was unprovoked

Ms Booth has now set up a fundraiser to mark a year since his death, as she prepares to take on a Tough Mudder on the anniversary of the serious assault

He was assaulted at the junction of Harris Street and Birley Street in Preston at about 2.40am on August 12 last year.

Following the incident, two men - aged 21 and 28 from Preston - were arrested on suspicion of Section 18 wounding but were released on police bail while enquiries continued.

The force has said the men were re-arrested on August 24 on suspicion of murder, assault and Public Order Act offences but were since released on bail pending further enquiries.

'Two men - aged 21 and 28 from Preston  previously arrested on suspicion of Section 18 wounding were re-arrested on August 24 on suspicion of murder, assault and Public Order Act offences. They have since been released on bail pending further enquiries,' Lancashire Police told the Mirror.

'Anyone with information which could assist our enquiries should call 101 quoting log 0161 of August 12, 2022.'

Mr Jermy-Doyle's heartbroken partner Kaitlyn Booth told the paper that the people who were arrested were not known to either of them - adding that she believed the attack was unprovoked.

Ms Booth has now set up a fundraiser to mark a year since his death, as she prepares to take on a Tough Mudder on the anniversary of the serious assault. She is also highlighting that one punch attacks can kill.

Ms Booth believes that the people who were arrested were not known to either of them and that the attack was unprovoked.

In relation to the attack, two men were re-arrested on August 24 on suspicion of murder, assault and Public Order Act offences but were since released on bail pending further enquiries

Kaitlyn said: 'On the 12th of August 2022, my beautiful Jack was punched and his whole life was taken from him. All it took was ONE punch. Jack had so much more to offer this world, but everything was cruelly taken away from him. The love of my life was gone in the blink of an eye.

'On the 12th of August 2023, I will be doing Tough Mudder in memory of Jack, something that we wanted to do together but sadly never can. My goal for this page is to raise money for the charity One Punch UK but most importantly I want to raise awareness of the severity that one punch can do.

'One Punch Can Kill.

'This is in honour of Jack Jermy-Doyle and all of the other beautiful souls taken too soon from this extremely careless act.'

In a tribute Jack's family said: 'No words can describe the utter devastation we as a family are feeling. Jack was a funny, charismatic, amazing young man who had so much to offer this world and we are truly broken that he has been taken from us so soon. He will forever be in our hearts and thoughts.'
The NHS must pay a black nurse almost 40,000 after her boss told her 'bleach your skin white' so patients would be nice to her, according to a new tribunal ruling.

Adelaide Kweyama was initially awarded over 25,000 when she sued the health service for racism following the shocking comment.

But in a fresh ruling, a tribunal has ordered the NHS to pay her a further 13,375 in compensation.

Now the nurse, who is originally from South Africa, will receive a total of 39,088 following the latest compensation hearing.

Ms Kweyama was shocked by the comment she received from the senior nurse after she reported having been racially abused by a man she was treating.

The NHS must pay a black nurse almost 40,000 after her boss told her 'bleach your skin white' so patients would be nice to her, according to a new tribunal ruling

Ms Kweyama, who was working as an agency nurse at an immigrant removal centre in Heathrow, was also racially abused by a group of male detainees in a previous incident

Ms Kweyama, who was working as an agency nurse at an immigrant removal centre in Heathrow, was also racially abused by a group of male detainees in a previous incident.

An employment judge criticised NHS bosses' response to the incident, describing it as an 'absolute abdication of the positive responsibility on managers'.

Ms Kweyama successfully sued Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust for race-related harassment and victimisation.

An employment tribunal held in Watford heard that Ms Kweyama worked as an agency nurse between November 2017 and February 2019, regularly carrying out shifts as an agency nurse at Heathrow immigrant removal centre.

The centre houses around 600 male immigration detainees from a wide range of countries pending their removal from the UK.

The detainees receive medical treatment from the Trust staff prior to being deported, the panel was told.

In January 2019, there was an incident in which Ms Kweyama was racially abused by a group of detainees who were waiting for their medication to be administered.

The nurse told them to come one by one for their medication and to close the door and was then racially abused.

Ms Kweyama told the tribunal: '[The detainees] started calling me n****r, monkey, and started making monkey noises and dog noises, demanding to come in at the same time.'

When she reported the incident, 'overworked' NHS managers failed to keep her updated on its progress.

The following month, Ms Kweyama was attending to a detainee who was racially abusive to her and pretended he could not speak or understand English.

When Ms Kweyama raised the issue with her senior nurse she said she was told: 'You need to get a pool of bleach to bleach your skin so that you come back tomorrow white and the patient will be nice to you.'

Later on that day, the same nurse was overheard talking to another colleague and saying: 'I do not care, let her go and bleach her skin, I

am sick and tired of people coming to work and said they are not well.'

A few weeks after the incident, Ms Kweyama emailed her agency, Athona, and told them she was unable to work at the Heathrow centre any more because she had 'become very depressed... and needed time to recover psychologically and emotionally'.

Ms Kweyama complained that she had 'suffered racial abuse,' the NHS Trust had 'done nothing to support her,' and that she had suffered a 'withdrawal of employment as a result,' the panel heard.

In the same month, she was told by an NHS manager that her contract was being terminated because the boss was 'concerned about the claimant's mental health' because 'some words used in her statement were worrying.'

The tribunal concluded that the nurse had indeed been the victim of race-related harassment and victimisation when she was told to 'bleach her skin.'

Ms Kweyama was also victimised by her boss for the same comments and when she was told her agency role was being terminated, the tribunal ruled.

Her compliant of direct race discrimination however, was dismissed.

Ms Kweyama said: 'The whole incident was handled atrociously...

'I was expecting support and reassurance from my nurse in charge whilst I was verbally abused by a patient, but I was appalled to get second abuse from her as my colleague telling me something that I cannot change.

'I was born black I will live black and I will die black - what is wrong with being black?

'I felt very insulted, discriminated, bullied, harassed, and abused.

'I was dehumanised in front of my colleagues, I am now going through a lot of stress and has impacted on my health, it is unbearable, it is emotional and psychological.'

The latest compensation figure Ms Kweyama received was to help cover her loss of earnings caused by the racism.
Senator Dianne Feinstein made her return to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, arriving nearly 90 minutes late and after some judicial nominees had already been voted on.

The Democratic senator from California received a standing ovation from Republicans and Democrats alike on the panel when she joined them after being gone for nearly three months due to health issues.

'I want to welcome back our colleague, Senator Dianne Feinstein,' Chairman Dick Durbin announced.

An aide helped Feinstein, 89, walk to her seat. She has been using a wheelchair in the halls of the Capitol. Another aide placed Feinstein's name plate in front of her as the senator sat down.

She appeared to mouth 'thank you' and shook hands with Durbin. She did not respond to questions from reporters.

Senator Dianne Feinstein made her return to the Senate Judiciary Committee

Feinstein arrived in time to vote for the advancement of three of President Joe Biden's nominees. She has faced fire from members of her own party for her prolonged absence in the Senate, which held up confirmation of some judges.

With Feinstein present and voting, Democrats were able to advance the three nominees whose nominations had been on pause: Eastern District of Washington nominee Charnelle Bjelkengren, District of Colorado pick Kato Crews, and Marian Gaston for a vacancy on the Southern District for California.

And Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who sits on the judiciary panel, said Democrats were using her return to advance Biden's 'extreme' nominees.

'What we're about to see this committee do is vote on several nominees who are so extreme, who are so unqualified, that they would not have a prayer of getting a single Republican vote on this committee,' Cruz said.

Her return to the powerful panel came on the same day The Washington Post's Ben Terris' forthcoming tome The Big Break: The Gamblers, Party Animals, and True Believers Trying to Win in Washington While America Loses Its Mind revealed Feinstein cares 'more about her dog' than black people, a former African-American staffer charged, while she also confused two black senators.

Feinstein made her first appearance in the Senate in nearly three months on Wednesday. She arrived in a wheelchair and said in a statement she has to work a lighter schedule due to side-effects from shingles.

A car drove her to the entrance of the Capitol building. The 89-year-old Democratic Senator from California looked frail, weak and pale as aides helped her out. Her left eye was closed.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer walked by her side as an aide wheeled her into Senate.

An aide helped Senator Dianne Feinstein to her seat in the Judiciary Committee

Senator Dianne Feinstein has been using a wheelchair to get around the Capitol

Chairman Dick Durbin welcomed Senator Feinstein back

Sen. Dianne Feinstein arrives at the U.S. Capitol Building on Wednesday after a nearly three-month absence

Feinstein has been absent for nearly three months and missed almost 100 votes after suffering from shingles.

Side-effects include lingering pain known as postherpetic neuralgia, painful eye infections that may result in vision loss, facial paralysis, or problems with hearing or balance, according to the Mayo Clinic.

But she has refused calls to resign her seat - even from her own fellow Democrats.

Several women lawmakers supported her, calling it sexist to ask Feinstein - a trailblazing female lawmaker - to resign when many white males have served in the Senate until their deaths.

Feinstein flew from California - where she was recovering in her San Francisco home - to Washington D.C. on Tuesday night via a private plane.

She said doctors advised her to work a lighter schedule as she is still suffering side-effects.

'Even though I've made significant progress and was able to return to Washington, I'm still experiencing some side-effects from the shingles virus. My doctors have advised me to work a lighter schedule as I return to the Senate,' she said in a statement.

Last month, after facing calls from her own party to resign, Feinstein requested to be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee.

Republicans in the closely divided Senate rejected the request, saying Democrats only wanted a stand-in to push through Biden's most partisan judicial nominations.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer greeted Senator Dianne Feinstein upon her return

'Hi everybody,' Feinstein said when she entered the building

Meanwhile, Feinstein has said she won't run for re-election in 2024.

The race to replace her is already competitive with several Democrats running to fill a Senate seat that hasn't been vacant for 30 years, including Reps. Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff and Katie Porter.

There are concerns that if Feinstein did resign, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom - who has to name someone to fill out her term - could upend the race to replace her by appointing someone already running for the seat.

He has said he would appoint a black woman to the job. Rep. Lee is black.

And Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who has led the latest round of calls for Feinstein's resignation, has endorsed Lee in the primary to replace Feinstein.

California has a jungle primary, meaning the top two winners, regardless of party, move forward to the general election. That means the heavily-Democratic state could see two Democrats running in the November 2024 election.
Angry locals in Falmouth, Cornwall have been protesting the arrival of a huge barge designed to house up to 500 asylum seekers, describing it as a 'floating human rights violation'.

Crowds turned up to voice their 'disgust and embarrassment' that the barge, known as the Bibby Stockholm, is being refitted and refurbished at the docks in the Cornish town.

Dozens attended the protest with several speakers voicing their concerns about the barge, the conditions within it, and the general attitude of the Home Office towards asylum seekers.

Protesters held up signs reading 'no one is illegal' and 'human beings are not cargo' as they marched through the town to highlight their opposition to the boat being worked on there.

The barge is then expected to be moved to Portland, on the Dorset coast, where it will house up to 500 male migrants while asylum claims are processed.

A huge three-storey barge known as the Bibby Stockholm is being refitted in the docks in Falmouth, Cornwall

Crowds turned up to voice their 'disgust and embarrassment' at the works being done in the Cornish town

During one speech, one of the around 50 protestors said: 'The ship will be a floating human rights violation, illegal under international law.

'Those who will be imprisoned on the ship might not know that Falmouth was complicit in their detention and their suffering, but we do, and that's why we're here.

'The people who live here have come here today to make our voices heard.

'Today, we stand here together to reject Cornwall's complicity to border violence.

'We stand by Cornwall's motto: that Cornwall has and always will be a place for one and a place for all.

'We call on every person here to reject the use of our waters and this land and resources to be used by millionaires in the British government to produce prisons to detain people who we will always have more in common with than we do with Boris Johnson, or Rishi Sunak, or Suella Braverman.'

Despite criticism from charities and politicians, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it would save taxpayer money and reduce pressure on hotels and would operate for at least 18 months.

Dozens attended the protest with several speakers voicing their concerns about the barge

Protesters held up signs as they marched through the town. One sign read: 'The UK has a duty to provide a safe home for people it has displaced via colonialism and the climate crisis'

Another protester in Falmouth added: 'It seems to me that the government is basically pandering to racism.

READ MORE: Fury as 500-bed migrant barge to be docked off coast of Dorset Colette Finnigan, who lives in Portland, said: 'It takes weeks to get a doctor's appointment as it is' Advertisement

'These poor souls, if only they were given the chance to settle in this country. They are overwhelmingly a benefit to this country. We're a country of immigration.

'I think a political party needs to own immigration and sell it to the public as the overwhelming benefit that it is.

'It's very, very easy to get emotional about these things, but there's a fundamental need in this country for immigration because our population is getting older.

'There's going to come a time where the working population is outweighed by the retired population, and our birth rate is falling.

'We need a political party to grasp this now and tell the truth, we going to need mass immigration if we're going to look after our old people in the future.'

Tom Scott of Cornwall Green Party, who was in attendance at the rally said he was horrified at the way refugees were being treated in this country.

He added: 'The fact that there is a kind of floating prison slash concentration camp being fitted out in Falmouth, in the 21st century is just unconscionable.

'The reason that they're using this kind of accomodation is because they want to make conditions so bad that people will not actually come to this country, and that's disgraceful.

'We have a duty in international law to give asylum to people who are fleeing in that way, and we're not doing that, we're trying to deter them from coming.

'We're proposing to deport them to a country in Africa to which they have absolutely no connection to or desire to live and where they will, in all likelihood, also be treated very badly Rwanda has a very poor human rights record, so that's why I'm here.'

An aerial view of the barge, which is spread over three storeys and will house around 500 migrants

The huge three-story vessel being brought into Falmouth harbour earlier this week

The barge was towed from Italy and will now undergo safety checks as well as being refitted to increase the onboard capacity as it currently only has space for 200 people

It will now undergo safety checks as well as being refitted to increase the onboard capacity as it currently only has space for 200 people

The Bibby Stockholm was towed from Italy and will now undergo safety checks as well as being refitted to increase the onboard capacity as it currently only has space for 200 people

The barge is scheduled to arrive at its final destination in Portland Port in June, with locals in the town raising concerns about what the influx of people will mean for them.

Conservative MP for the area, Richard Drax, has described the vessel as a 'quasi prison' and claimed it would have a significant impact on the 'sensitive family-based seaside resort'.

He said he only found out that his constituency would be hosting it on March 21, when he had a call from the Home Secretary, The Mirror reports.

Portland bay in Dorset where migrant floating hotel boats are proposed to be located

The barge offers 'delicious, nutritious food' in its restaurant and Wi-Fi throughout the ship

The vessel will accommodate up to 506 people in 222 en-suite bedrooms who will be free to come and go while their asylum claims are processed

A gym inside the barge, which is owned by Liverpool based company Bibby Marine

The furious MP told the House of Commons: 'We were told that the barge is coming, not what's your opinion, how will you cope and what support do you need.'

Dorset Council said they had 'serious concerns about the suitability of the location for this facility' and had been given 'limited input'.

The three-storey high vessel has 222 bedrooms and a gym, TV and games room.

The cost of using the Swedish vessel is understood to be 20,000 a day.

The Home Office have said all the migrants, who are awaiting a decision on their bid for permanent asylum, will be fingerprinted and photographed and the barge will be used for 18 months.

They have also said the migrants will be allowed to leave the vessel  but must return by an 11pm curfew.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued yet another stern warning Thursday to migrants considering the dangerous trek to the U.S. guided by 'ruthless smugglers' after Title 42 ends  saying they will face 'steeper' consequences after the clock strikes midnight.

Authorities at the border have been experiencing a daily crush of migrants, topping 10,000 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

At the White House on Thursday, Mayorkas once again tried to talk migrants of trying to cross illegally, even while touting new procedures meant to ease the path for legal migration.

'If anyone arrived at our southern border after midnight tonight, they will be presumed ineligible for asylum and subject to steeper consequences for unlawful entry, including a minimum five-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution,' said Mayorkas, who faces calls to resign or even face impeachment by congressional Republicans amid chaos at the border.

Migrants who enter the country illegally after midnight are 'subject to steeper consequences,' Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned at the White House Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre listened

He cited administration efforts to surge 24,000 Border Patrol agents the thousands of troops and asylum officers to the border  even as he faced repeated questions about why more of the administration's policies weren't already put in place given the two years it had to prepare for the end of the Trump-era immigration authority.

'We expected to see large numbers of encounters initially,' he said. We are already seeing high numbers of encounters in certain sectors. This places an incredible strain on personnel, our facilities and our communities with whom we partner closely. We prepared for this moment for almost two years and our plan will deliver results.'

He touted one new feature, a new app called CBP One that has allowed more than 700 people each day to make appointments at border points of entry  despite press reports that users have experienced glitches and had great difficulty making an appointment.

Speaking to reporters for an hour, he got asked about President Biden's own comment this week that the situation at the border would be ''chaotic for a while'  and why the administration couldn't have prepared more.

Migrants were gathering near border crossings anticipating the end of Title 42 authority

A wave of cross the Rio Grande in Matamoros on the last day before Title 42 authority expires

Soldiers observe migrants after crossing the Rio Grande to try to enter the United States, in Matamoros, Mexico

'Well, I have said for months and months that the challenge at the border is and it's going to be very difficult and we have spoken repeatedly about the fact that difficulty may actually only increase at this time of transition,' he responded.

But he put much of the blame on a 'fundamentally broken immigration system,' after Congress has failed repeatedly since the 1990s to pass a comprehensive overhaul.

Mayorkas is banking on new policies that provide a legal pathway and hoping they take some of the strain off the system. He repeatedly cited the achievements of a new program to provide 'parole' and two-year work permits to migrants from certain countries including Venezuala, Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua. The program has led to steep drops at other entry points, but they are only a fraction of the migrants trying to make it into the country.

Again on Thursday, migrants sought to cross the Rio Grande or lined up at entry points to try to make asylum claims.

Border agents have been stopping 10,000 migrants each day this week  a threshold they met again Wednesday for the third consecutive day.

That included about 1,000 arrivals a day in Yuma, Arizona Tuesday, with migrants gathered in Ciudad Juarez hoping to cross border checkpoints when Title 42 expires, and continued confusion about whether newly announced Biden administration policies will succeed in speeding deportations of people who make asylum claims that don't hold up.

Customs and Border Protection currently has about 26,000 migrants in custody amid a rush to process the arrivals, several thousand over capacity.
Steve Bannon, a top ally of former President Donald Trump, was swatted Thursday while he was on-air recording his War Room show.

Bannon was the victim of a dangerous cyberbullying tactic, in which a caller will describe a violent episode happening at the address of the target, hoping to provoke an armed response from police.

The former Trump White House chief strategist was swatted at least twice last year as well.

'What they're trying to do on the swats is they're trying to have suicide by police,' Bannon said. 'They're trying to make sure that something happens here that one of the police officers gets concerned about what's going on and actually starts off firing.'

Bannon called D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department 'savvy' that he was being targeted, because calls have been made to his Capitol Hill address before.

Steve Bannon, a top ally of former President Donald Trump, was swatted Thursday while he was on-air recording his War Room show

The former White House official lives in a brick row home on a quiet street behind the Supreme Court that was nicknamed the 'Breitbart Embassy' for years.

In it's heyday, the Breitbart staff would host raucous parties featuring novelties like a Mariachi band or a miniature horse.

On Thursday morning, Bannon had a lot of fresh content to discuss on his War Room program on the heels of Trump's return to CNN Wednesday night for a New Hampshire town hall event with Kaitlan Collins.

Instead of being able to play those clips, however, he said he was interrupted by law enforcement.

'We are going to break the performance down, last night, more in the 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. show, whereas I was gonna try to do [it] this morning, but there's so much going on - including the fact we got swatted in the middle of the show when I was in the "C" block in the first hour,' Bannon said.

'I'm telling my team, "Hey, can you knock it off?" I've got to concentrate here." We're actually getting swatted here,' he continued.

Bannon had plenty of fresh content to discuss, after former President Donald Trump (left) returned to CNN for a New Hampshire town hall where he sparred with Kaitlan Collins (right)

Bannon's D.C. home is a well-known address, tucked on a quiet street behind the Supreme Court. It was long nicknamed the 'Breitbart embassy' and hosted raucous parties

The ex-White House official said that those responsible were being investigated and called them 'criminals.'

'Theyre criminals and here's why - they fear this audience. They understand that this is ascendant. And what they're gonna try to do is take any voice, whether it's Donald Trump or Tucker Carlson or Steve Bannon of the War Room, they're gonna try to eliminate all those voices,' Bannon said.

'They understand that an informed electorate is an electorate that will demand consent to the governed. And the governed right now are not consenting to this, whether its on the southern border of this country, or what other investigations,' the strategist added.
Qatar Airways is re-introducing a direct Doha to Auckland flight, which commences on September 1 and will operate seven times a week/departing daily at 01:50 local time.



Qatar Airways will be operating an Airbus A350-1000 on the route with 46 Business Class and 281 Economy Class seats. A key feature of the service is the Qsuite, which is available to Business Class passengers.



Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, said: The direct Doha to Auckland service augments a number of new routes announced in recent weeks and enables passengers in key European markets including the UK and Ireland to save time with this direct connection. Business Class passengers on board our Auckland flights can also enjoy the enhanced privacy of Qsuite, which has been awarded the Best Business Class Seat in the World.



Travellers can begin booking flights from today for the resumption on September 1 and those previously booked for after September1 travel will be re-accommodated, due to their tickets being via Adelaide to Auckland.  TradeArabia News Service
The White House on Thursday clarified President Joe Biden's remark that he was in Ireland to keep the Brits from screwing around on the Good Friday Agreement, telling DailyMail.com that he 'deeply appreciates' Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's work on the issue.

Biden caused outage across the pond with his remarks Wednesday night at a Democratic fundraiser, where he said of his April trip to Ireland: 'I got to go back to Ireland for the Irish Accords, to make sure they weren'tthe Brits didn't screw around and Northern Ireland didn't walk away from their commitments.'

The off-hand comment resulted in fury among the British, who defended Sunak's work in delicate post-Brexit trade negotiations.

The White House didn't see Biden's remark as a dig at the prime minister.

White House had to clarify President Joe Biden's remark that he was in Ireland to keep the Brits from screwing around on the Good Friday Agreement,

'As the President said in Belfast, he deeply appreciates Prime Minister Sunak's leadership in reaching an agreement with the EU on the Windsor Framework and preserving the gains of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement,' said National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge in a statement to DailyMail.com.

But the remark also reupped talk Biden is 'anti-British' after he made only a flying visit to Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement last month, before an extensive tour of the Republic - where he often boasts of having roots.

He also provoked more anger by skipping the coronation of King Charles last weekend, instead sending First Lady Jill Biden.

Asked about Biden's remark, the PM official spokesman said: 'You will know that, obviously, the Windsor Framework was a culmination of substantive work between the UK and the EU, and at its heart the UK priority was always protecting the Good Friday Agreement.

'We have been consistent on that point throughout and we are pleased that between the UK and the EU we have been able to reach an agreement that works for the people of Northern Ireland, and for the whole of the UK.'

But Biden's comment drew fire from the Democratic Unionists, the main pro-British party in Northern Ireland.

'It's unbelievable and frightening to think this man is the leader of the free world,' said DUP spokesman Sammy Wilson. 'If you believe that there should be a special relationship between the U.S. and U.K., then at least show us some respect.'

Biden has long cared about the Good Friday Agreement, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year.

The agreement helped end sectarian violence that had raged for three decades over whether Northern Ireland should unify with Ireland or remain part of the United Kingdom.

Questions about the viability of the agreement arose in the days after Brexit, when Northern Ireland wanted to keep its trading status with the European Union.

President Joe Biden met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when he was in Belfast

Some Brits were offended when President Biden sent Jill Biden to the London for coronation celebrations - above the first lady with PM Sunak

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden met briefly with King Charles when he held a reception for world leaders at Buckingham Palace after Queen Elizabeth's funeral

Biden put off making a long-wished for visit to Ireland until that diplomatic headache went away.

It was resolved when Britain and the European Union agreed upon the Windsor Framework, paving the way for trade to make its way across the Ireland/Northern Ireland border.

Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom, essentially stayed in the European Union market, along with its neighbor the Republic of Ireland, an independent country, when Britain voted for to exit the E.U.

The Windsor Framework will keep goods moving without upending the Good Friday Agreement. The Belfast Agreement is also known as the Good Friday Agreement, because it was reached on Good Friday, 10 April 1998. It helped end 30 years of sectarian conflict on the island.

Biden had urged British officials to protect the agreement as they hashed out post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland.

His administration insisted that London respect the Northern Ireland Protocol, an agreement with the European Union that draws a customs border in the Irish Sea between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland.

British loyalists complained that protocol brings Northern Ireland closer to the neighboring Republic of Ireland. There are Protestant suspicions that the Catholic Biden favors a united Ireland, but the president has not publicly voiced support for such a move.

The White House has had to repeatedly defend Biden's handling of the special, essential relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Biden pointedly didn't meet with King Charles III during his time in Belfast - along Sunak flew over to Northern Ireland to greet the president.

And Biden called the king to tell him he wouldn't attend his coronation but would send wife Jill instead. Their granddaughter Finnegan attended the ceremony with the first lady.

'This is not a snub. The president has a good relationship with the king,' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told DailyMail.com in April.

'During that call the king offered for him to come and do a state visit, which the President accepted and so they will see each other again very soon,' Jean-Pierre said.

No timeline for that visit has been given.
A cleaver-wielding convict terrorized BART train passengers trapped in a tunnel before pacing up and down and slashing a man in the back on Wednesday.

Charles Johnson, 24, was arrested at West Oakland station, California, at 1pm in connection with the stabbing which occurred on the Transbay Tube.

Johnson was booked at Santa Rita jail on assault with a deadly weapon and robbery charges as well as probation violation.

The balaclava-clad suspect was allegedly attempting to steal the victim's backpack while on the Antioch-bound Yellow line train, and slashed him with the meat cleaver in the process.

The victim, a 25-year-old man, was hospitalized but has non life threatening injuries.

San Francisco has become a hotbed for crime in recent months - to the point that a number of stores, including Target, H&M, CVS and Walgreens were forced to close their doors amid rampant shoplifting and threats from the homeless population.

Pictured: Stock image of a BART train at the Lake Merritt station in Oakland, California. Charles Johnson, 24, was arrested at West Oakland station at approximately 1pm in connection with the stabbing which occurred on the Transbay Tube - the Bay's underwater rail tunnel.

Passengers wait on the platform for a BART train at Powell Street Station, San Francisco, in 2020

Passengers were jumping out of the way as the meat cleaver-clad man started making his way down the aisle on the car.

Because the train was still in transit, terrified passengers were forced to beg the operator to go faster so they could arrive at West Oakland quicker and disembark from the chaos.

James Temple, a journalist witnessing the terror, told Mission Local: 'Everyone started running through the cars, trying to get as much distance between themselves and this guy as possible.

'I jumped out of the way once, and landed partially on a woman who was sitting. I was just trying to get away.

'When we got to the very front, we ran out of cars to run through.'

He said that people were trying to get to the very edges of the BART cars to steer clear from the man, who was pacing back and forth.

But soon, he realized that another passenger had been 'bludgeoned.'

Temple added: 'Im not gonna lie, man, it was pretty scary.

San Francisco has become a hotbed for crime in recent months - to the point that a number of stores, including Target, H&M, CVS and Walgreens were forced to close their doors amid rampant shoplifting and threats from the homeless population

A BART train approaches the platform and prepares to load passengers at the Walnut Creek, California station of the Bay Area Rapid Transit

'When you actually see someone walking up and down BART with a cleaver  it was scary, and I and everyone just wanted to get as far away from him as possible, which is hard to do on a BART in the middle of the tunnel.'

In a statement, BART said: 'The BART Police Department is making the most of its resources to maximize its visible presence in the system.

'In March BPD began a new deployment strategy that more than doubled the presence of sworn officers on trains.

'BPD removed seven vehicle patrols per shift and redeployed those officers inside trains. That means an additional eight to 18 officers per shift are patrolling trains in BARTs core service area.'

According to statistics from the BART Police Department, there were four homicides, seven rapes, 225 robberies and 114 aggravated assaults on board BART trains in 2022.

These figures are up from the numbers seen in 2021: In each respective category, the number of crimes were zero, eight, 143, and 71.

The number of violent crimes seen on the BART system has increased since last year, but 2019's figures are still the highest. In that year, there were a total of 499 violent crimes recorded on the system.

But 2022 was still the worst year for homicides on the transit system.

San Francisco has been blighted by a string of retail closures since the pandemic as the city has failed to deal with rising crime and drug problems

Before the pandemic, total crime figures - including both violent crimes and property crimes - peaked at 3,943 per year in 2019.

This took a tumble in 2020, presumably because of the pandemic where less people were using the system each day.

But the numbers have been steadily growing ever since. The total number of all crimes on the BART system in 2022 was 1,732.

This comes after a woke San Francisco lawmaker was slammed after pushing for legislation to ban store security guards from drawing their guns after a trans shoplifter was killed.

Dean Preston, who is an attorney and member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, caused a stir as he spoke about the death of unarmed Banko Brown, 24, who was shot by Walgreens security guard Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony.

A murder charge against him was dropped after the city's DA ruled the killing was self-defense, because Anthony feared being stabbed.

Pictured: Banko Brown who was shot during an altercation at a Walgreens store in San Francisco

Preston said: 'Today at the Board of Supervisors I will be calling for legislation to specifically prohibit security guards from drawing their weapons to protect property.

'Human life is more important than property. We need to change our local law so that security guards cannot un-holster their weapons just to protect property.'

He doubled down on his comments today, writing on Twitter: 'Our proposal to fix San Franciscos strange and possibly illegal law that allows a security guard to draw their gun to protect person and/or property should not be controversial.'

The San Francisco lawmaker's comments were faced with backlash.

Meanwhile, workers in a San Francisco Target store say they are being shoplifted every ten minutes, as the city faces an exodus of retail stores due to theft.

Employees say they have watched individuals actively 'shoveling' goods into bags before making off.

Multiple products including shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes and some foods are now kept behind barriers that require staff to open them.

But other goods including trays of lipstick and nail polishes are being cleaned out by shoplifters on a daily basis, sparking fears the store could be next to flee San Francisco's rapidly-emptying downtown.

One worker inside the store at the Metreon, a shopping mall near San Francisco's Union Square, told the San Francisco Standard: 'Every 10 minutes you see it.

'Look in some corner of the store, and you'll see people shoveling stuff into a bag - food, cosmetics.'
A desperate father begged his neighbours to catch his two young daughters as he dropped them nearly 30 feet from a top-floor window of a blazing block of flats.

Jay Payne, 26, was asleep at home in a three-storey block of flats in Somerset Court, Gosport, Hants with his wife and two daughters, aged seven and four.

As flames ripped through the family's flat yesterday at 12.30am,Mr Payne had no choice but to risk throwing his children out of a window and into the arms of his brave neighbours.

He and his wife then made the jump together in the hope to survive the 'killer' blaze which left many homes in ashes.

Around 60 firefights battled with the inferno, which is being treated as an arson attack, as around 23 families tried to escape the burning building.

Jay Payne, 26, was asleep at home in a three-storey block of flats in Somerset Court, Gosport, Hants, at 12.30am, with his wife and two daughters, aged seven and four when a blaze ripped through their home yesterday

Around 60 firefighters battled the fire to try and save 23 families in the building

The blaze is being treated as a suspected arson attack but the motive is unknown

Mr Payne said 'We'd woken up to the fire alarm, I opened the door and flames and smoke came through.

'The whole place went black. We were screaming at the top of our lungs for someone to help us.

'I chucked a mattress out the window and threw my kids out and then my wife and myself jumped.

'It was very traumatising...my four-year-old daughter has burns up her arms from her fingertips to her shoulders.

'The whole flat has gone - we've got nothing left.'

Heroic neighbours joined one another to save their loved ones and other families as they watched more than 10 fire engines put out the fire.

Shocked neighbour James Matthews said: 'He was pleading with anybody, please somebody please help me, somebody please catch my children, somebody please help us and it was awful somebody fearing for their life.

'He dropped the first girl and I've caught her under her armpits pretty straight sort of catch and then he's dropped the second girl afterwards and I believe there was another neighbour we sort of broke her fall together.'

Another resident, Jodie Mills, said: 'Mattresses were being flung out on to the ground so that the children could land on it.

'People were breaking their falls, people got burnt. Lots and lots of smoke.'

Four people, four dogs and three cats were rescued from the blaze - being treated by detectives as an arson attack which could have seen families die.

The fire service said everyone was miraculously accounted for following the incident which is now being treated as a murderous and deliberate attack, though the motive isn't clear.

Families from 23 flats were saved and four people were taken to hospital with burns, and smoke inhalation but have now been discharged.

Four dogs and three cats were also rescued and at least six out of the 23 flats were left uninhabitable.

Station Manager for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, Nev Lewendon, said: 'People were screaming, panic had ensued throughout some of those flats worried about evacuation.

'So the crews turned up and rapidly put up ladders to help with these people who needed evacuating.

'In some cases people were helped down ladders, others were actually helped out windows as well.

'It was a fierce fire initially through that middle block, going up through the centre, which is where that stairwell is.

'I'm really proud of the teams that were here on site initially and the ones that have come afterwards to just get involved and trying to get this fire extinguished.'

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said: 'The fire is currently being treated as suspicious, and police remain on scene making enquiries with the fire service.'

The fire service said relief crews and the British Red Cross remained on the scene.

Police and fire investigations at the flats are expected to continue through today.

Heritage Way, the road leading to the flats, remains closed.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police on 101, quoting 44230182829.
New video details that shocking moment three men started throwing rocks and slabs of concrete at each other's cars in a dramatic show of road rage on a Minnesota highway, leaving one arrested on assault charges.

Romeo Deville Eady, 32, of Maple Grove, and two other men got into an aggressive bout of road rage on Highway 62 in Richfield, Minnesota, on Tuesday.

Eady was arrested on assault charges and has since posted bail.

The initial altercation began on I-35 in Minneapolis before continuing on Minnesota State Highway 62, where traffic cameras showed three people getting out of their cars and throwing large concrete slabs.

Three men (pictured: two of them) got into an aggressive bout of road rage on Highway 62 in Richfield, Minnesota, on Tuesday

The initial altercation began on I-35 in Minneapolis before continuing on Minnesota State Highway 62, where traffic cameras showed three people getting out of their cars and throwing large concrete slabs

It is unclear what caused the men to start fighting, and the incident remains under investigation by local and state police

A man in the white car threw the first slab, hitting the black car's hood and windshield, before bouncing off the back of the car. It appeared to dent the vehicle but not break the windshield.

Seconds later, a man in a black t-shirt can be seen charging from the nearby, where he picked up a concrete slab from a stone wall, leveraging it behind his head as he aimed for the white car's front window.

The white car driver immediately scrambled into his car and began to drive away. The man in the black t-shirt still threw the rock at the car, hitting the window near the mirror.

Romeo Deville Eady, 32, of Maple Grove, was arrested on assault charges and taken to Hennepin County Adult Detention Center. He has since been released and is awaiting his court hearing scheduled for June 26

Two men drove off in the two cars, while one man was left standing on the sidewalk.

All three men were located by police and Eady was arrested and taken to Hennepin County Adult Detention Center. He has since been released and is awaiting his court hearing scheduled for June 26.

His bail was set at $78.

It is unclear what caused the men to start fighting, and the incident remains under investigation by local and state police.

Minnesota State Police have said that aggressive driving incidents are increasing and they're getting '10 to 20' incidents a day, according to Sgt. Troy Christianson.
ABC News has announced the two news anchors for Good Morning America five months after Amy Robach and TJ Holmes were pulled off air over their affair.

Eva Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan will co-anchor the afternoon segment GMA3 - which runs in the third hour of the network's morning show. They will join Dr Jen Ashton, who's been on the show since 2020.

Robach, 50, and Holmes, 45, were officially pulled from ABC's airwaves in January after DailyMail.com revealed that both the married co-anchors were lovers.

Pilgrim and Morgan are among the anchors that have filled in over the last six months. Pilgrim has hosted the weekend edition of GMA since 2018, while Morgan has been a correspondent for the show since last year.

Eva Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan will co-anchor the afternoon segment GMA3 - which runs in the third hour of the network's morning show. They will join Dr Jen Ashton, who's been on the show since 2020.

Holmes and Robach on May 8 walking over to the West Side Highway in Manhattan where they began their morning run

Gio Benitez, ABCs transportation correspondent, will join GMA's weekend edition as its new co-anchor alongside Whit Johnson and Janai Norman.

'I am incredibly proud of the reporting Eva, DeMarco and Gio have brought,' ABC News president Kim Godwin announced in a memo to staff Thursday.

'They join their colleagues Whit, Janai, and Dr. Jen whose steadfast commitment to bold, straightforward journalism has been integral to their respective programs.'

GMA3 started as GMA Day in 2018, an afternoon spin-off of the morning show, hosted by Michael Strahan and Sara Haines. During the pandemic it was rebranded as GMA3: What You Need to Know.

ABC News announced it would be hosted by Robach and feature contributions from then-chief medical correspondent Dr Ashton.

Despite being billed as a temporary replacement, the show continued and correspondent T.J. Holmes was announced as a new co-anchor in September 2020.

On December 5, 2022, Holmes and Robach were temporarily suspended after DailyMail.com revealed they had been in an affair for the past six months.

After eight weeks of rampant speculation - and the pair openly gallivanting around NYC together - ABC announced they had been fired.

T.J. and his wife Marilee Fiebig (left) are close to finalizing their divorce after 13 years of marriage. Robach and her actor husband Andrew Shue, 55, (right) who had been married since 2010, quietly finalized their divorce in March. His last appearance on his wife's Instagram account was on July 30 when she posted from Greek holiday

Robach and Holmes' marriages were left in tatters.

But despite speculation their romance was just a fling, the pair have stuck together undeterred by the scandal.

This week DailyMail.com revealed the pair are moving in together.

With T.J.'s divorce about to be finalized and the lease on his Manhattan apartment up for renewal in late summer, the inseparable couple are taking the next step in their relationship.

'They're together all the time anyway, mostly at her place,' a friend told DailyMail.com Tuesday.

'I know at first we may have thought this was just a fling that would burn out, but nuh-uh. They are committed.'
People as young as 18 will be allowed to buy handguns after a federal judge said a 1968 law banning under 21s from buying pistols violated the Second Amendment.

District Judge Robert E. Payne, who sits in Richmond, Virginia, concluded in a 71-page opinion that current regulations cannot stand as they are 'not consistent'.

According to Judge Payne, the right to purchase a handgun falls under right to 'keep and bear arms,' and young adults are among 'the people' protected by the Second Amendment.

Although 18 to 20-year-olds could buy handguns in private sales or have a parent purchase one for them, the decision, if unchallenged, would tear apart the 55 year-old legal framework that has stopped dealers from selling guns to late teenagers.

Pictured: Judge Robert E. Payne, concluded that current regulations cannot stay as they are 'not consistent'

In his conclusion, Payne wrote: 'The Government simply has not met its burden to support the finding that restrictions on the purchasing of firearms by 18-to-20-year old's is part of our Nation's history and tradition.

'Founding-era militia laws provide circumstantial evidence that 18-to-20-year-olds could purchase, own, and use arms.

'Because the statutes and regulations in question are not consistent with our Nation's history and tradition, they, therefore, cannot stand.'

Attorney William T. Clark, who works with the Giffords Law Center, filed a brief in the case calling for the laws at issue to be upheld.

He told the Washington Post: 'Its a significant decision  we disagree with the outcome.

'There is compelling scientific evidence showing that teenagers are more impulsive and face unique elevated dangers from firearms.'

In handing his opinion down, Payne cited the Supreme Courts decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v Bruen, a ruling from the high courts conservative majority that expanded the right to bear arms last year.

The plaintiff in the case, John Corey Fraser, was 20 years old when he attempted to buy a Glock 19x handgun from a federally licensed dealer in May 2022 and was turned away.

Pictured: A Glock pistol, similar to the one Fraser had attempted to by aged 20

Pictured: A rifle gun display is seen on the wall and in a glass case of a gun shop in Colorado

Fraser challenged the constitutionality of the Gun Control Act of 1968 and federal regulations from the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) that limit the sale of handguns to adults 21 years and older.

Ultimately, Payne ruled in favor of Fraser, whos attorney, Elliott M. Harding said:'Were pleased the court ruled in favor of Mr. Fraser and the other named plaintiffs in such a well written and thorough decision.'

While federal law requires gun buyers to be 21 to purchase a handgun, anyone 18 or older can buy rifles.

The 1968 law was created when rifles were far less popular than they are now.

Handguns were then - and continue to be - used in the majority of gun crimes, and were deemed in need of greater regulations.

In November 2021, Ethan Crumbley opened fire on classmates at Oxford High School just outside of Detroit.

Pictured: Ethan Crumbley answers yes to charges against him at Oakland County Courthouse, Oct. 24, 2022

He pleaded guilty to opening fire at the school with a semi-automatic handgun that his father purchased for him as a Christmas gift days before the massacre.

Two boys, aged 17 and 16, and two girls, aged 17 and 14, were killed while six other students and a teacher were wounded.

Crumbley's parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, also faced involuntary manslaughter charges connected to the shooting.

Ethan's parents, Jennifer Crumbley (left) and James Crumbley (right), both face manslaughter charges for their son's actions

Rochester District Court Judge Julie Nicholson said evidence showed they had purchased a gun for their son despite signs that he was a 'troubled young man.'

In March, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that there was not enough evidence to try the two for their role in the shootings.

The Crumbleys have since appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court and their lawyers are attempting to have the case thrown out.
Hundreds of animal rights activists have gathered outside Scotland Yard to hold a candlelit vigil for the two dogs who were shot dead by Met Police officers earlier this week.

Around 200 members of Animal Rising, the group who disrupted the Grand National last month, attended the protest outside the force's headquarters from around 8pm this evening, accusing police of 'murdering' the two dogs.

Armed officers gunned down the 'out-of-control' animals - named Millions and Marshall - in east London on Sunday amid reports they had mauled a woman moments earlier.

The dogs' owner was also tasered by police and arrested in Limehouse, east London, at around 5pm on Sunday.

Louie Turnbull, 46, was also tasered and arrested and appeared in court earlier this week charged with being the owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control.

Hundreds of Animal Rising protesters (pictured) have gathered outside Scotland Yard to hold a candle lit vigil for the two dogs who were shot dead by Met Police officers earlier this week

Armed officers gunned down two 'out-of-control' dogs - named Millions and Marshall - in east London on Sunday amid reports they had mauled a woman moments earlier

A dog pictured at the protest this evening beside a sign which reads: 'RIP Marshall + Millions'

Eye witnesses who saw the woman being 'attacked' by the two dogs claimed she had got caught up the their leads and was not seriously injured.

The Met Police has cleared two officers of misconduct who shot dead the pets in east London.

Animal Rising said this evening: 'We are here to remember the two beautiful dogs Marshall and Millions who were killed by the Met Police earlier this week, to remember all the human and non-human lives that are taken every day at the hands of the state and the police, and to hold the Met Police accountable for their actions.'

This comes after it was revealed that the woman whose own dog was attacked by the two canines has been 'traumatised' by the killings and has been 'crying ever since', her husband said earlier today.

The incident happened just yards from a shabby narrowboat where the owner of the slain dogs lived with his pets. It prominently displays a 'beware of the dog' sign.

Footage also emerged earlier today of the dogs' owner Mr Turnbull cuddling one of his beloved pets on the Tube.

The owner wraps his arm around one of the dogs, who are both sat next to him on the row of seats, before kissing the animal on the nose and gently rubbing the top of its head.

Co-founder of Animal Rising, Dan Kidby, who attended the vigil, said: 'The police have continued to act out of line with their job to serve and protect us all - now resulting in the shooting of two beautiful dogs, who hours before were happy and full of life.

'We're here tonight to show that, as a community, we will stand together, and be peaceful and defiant in the face of injustice.'

Mr Kidby added: 'We stand with the communities disproportionately affected by increased police powers, we stand with the nonviolent protesters from Just Stop Oil and Republic arrested without reason last weekend, and we stand with everyone saddened and outraged by the murder of two dogs in Poplar on Sunday.

'We believe a kinder and better world is possible.'

Animal Rising protesters outside New Scotland Yard this evening holding a sign in memory of Marshall and Millions, the two dogs shot dead by Met Police officers

Footage has now emerged of Mr Turnbull sharing an intimate moment with his dogs, while a second video appears to show the animals confronting another pet in the street days before

Video appears to show a female dog owner screaming as she picks up her pet and backs away from Mr Turnbull, who can be heard calling her a 'lunatic'

Those in attendance at the vigil heard speeches and lit vegan candles and placed them in front of New Scotland yard as they peacefully mourned for the dogs.

A spokesperson for Animal Rising told MailOnline earlier this evening: 'We believe that these dogs were killed unnecessarily and completely inhumanely, and the Met Police need to be held accountable for their actions.'

They added that there had been an 'incredibly positive response to the protest' both from within and outside the local community.

The spokesperson also said there was a 'big police presence' at the vigil but there had been no arrests or confrontations between officers and protesters.

When approached for comment on the vigil, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson directed MailOnline to a press release from Tuesday about Mr Turnbull being charged with dangerous dog offences.
Labour accused the Government yesterday of failing to meet pledges to provide arms to Ukraine.

It came as Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told Parliament the UK had become the first country to provide long-range precision missiles to Ukraine.

The Storm Shadow cruise missiles, accurate to beyond 150 miles, will play a key role in the country's much-anticipated counter-offensive against Russian occupiers.

But his statement to the House of Commons was overshadowed by his Labour opposite number John Healey who challenged Mr Wallace on the reality of aid deliveries.

President Zelensky confirmed yesterday that the brakes have been put on Ukraine's fight-back because of shortages of vital military equipment, including armoured vehicles.

The Storm Shadow cruise missiles, accurate to beyond 150 miles, will play a key role in the country's much-anticipated counter-offensive against Russian occupiers

PICTURED: Storm Shadow Cruise missile system at Farnborough International Airshow, Hampshire, Britain on 25, September, 2014

President Zelensky confirmed yesterday that the brakes have been put on Ukraine's fight-back because of shortages of vital military equipment, including armoured vehicles

Concerns were raised in the Commons that military aid pledged by Britain has taken too long to reach the frontline.

Mr Wallace was asked how many of the armoured vehicles promised by the UK have arrived in Ukraine. He was also challenged over why the British-led International Fund for Ukraine, set up in August 2022, is yet to provide Kyiv with any weapons.

Mr Healey was critical of the time it has taken for military aid to reach the battlefield.

He said: 'Six months ago the Defence Secretary said he was ''open minded'' to sending longer range missiles. And it was three months ago when the Prime Minister announced the UK would be the first country to do so. Why has it taken so long? Ukraine needs military aid on the frontline now.

'President Zelensky has said ''not everything has arrived yet''. Russia is far from a spent force. I am proud of British leadership on Ukraine over the last year. In six months' time I still want to be able to say the same.'

PICTURED: Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace making a statement on Ukraine, to the House of Commons today

PICTURED: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow defence secretary, John Healey (centre right) meets British soldiers at Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire where he saw Ukranian soldiers being trained by the army as part of Operation Interflux

The IFU, run by the UK and six other European countries, has been plagued by delays and bureaucracy. Since its inception, it has only agreed three contracts with defence manufacturers to supply Ukraine. As yet, none of it has arrived.

Today's announcement of new weapons is the first by UK Government's since February. Mr Wallace said the donation of Storm Shadow was another first for Britain because it was also the first country to donate tanks to Ukraine.

Mr Wallace told the House: 'The donation of these weapons systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russia's continued brutality. We simply will not stand by while Russia kills civilians. Unfortunately Russia has continued down this dark path. That is why the Prime Minister and I have taken the decision to provide longer range capabilities.'

Mr Wallace's announcement came after President Zelensky explained why Ukraine's counter-offensive had been delayed.

In a TV interview he said his forces 'still need a bit more time' because military equipment, such as armoured vehicles, were still arriving. His admission came after he pleaded with the EU yesterday to speed up its delivery of artillery shells.

Vladimir Putin is said to be slowing down Russia's military operations as he waits for the West to lose interest in the war.
A transgender woman from Guatemala can stay in the United States because she could face persecution if sent home, the Supreme Court has unanimously ruled.

Leon Santos-Zacaria, who now goes by Estrella, fled to the United States in her early teens after she was raped and received death threats due to her gender identity.

The ruling by justices means Santos-Zacaria will get another chance to argue that immigration officials were wrong to reject her bid to remain in the US.

SCOTUS held that the transgender woman could remain in the U.S. as she challenges the DOJ move to deport her to Guatemala

A US immigration judge had decided that her lawyers had failed to make a strong case that she would face sexual assault or even death if booted out.

The judge found Santos-Zacaria's claims 'credible,' but 'inexplicably ruled that she did not suffer past persecution, and thus was not entitled to a presumption of future persecution.'

The Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether or not immigration law was flexible enough to allow her another day in court to appeal the judge's decision.

The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled against her on that point, but other appellate courts had ruled in favor of immigrants on the same issue.

Attorneys for the Justice Department argued against Santos-Zacaria, claiming that she had testified on three separate prior occasions that she would voluntarily go back to Guatemala.

According to the DOJ's brief, the 5th Circuit judge noted that Santos-Zacaria 'agreed that there was probably a place where she could safely relocate within Guatemala'  which again undermines her claims that her life would be in danger upon returning.

The Supreme Court ruled in an opinion written by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a liberal, that the 5th Circuit was wrong.

Justice Brown Jackson, seen here with Chief Justice Roberts, wrote the main opinion in the case

Santos-Zacaria testified that she was raped by a neighbor in the small town in which she was born and that townspeople said they would kill her because of her gender identity and attraction to men.

She spent most of her time between 2008 and 2018 in Mexico but decided to try to return to the US after a Mexican gang raped and assaulted her.

The US state department has found that Guatemala has done little to protect LGBTQ+ people and that transgender women are subject to frequent threats of violence.
The Arizona sheriff at the sharp end of the country's immigration crisis slammed the Biden administration on Thursday, saying it had failed to prepare for the end of Title 42.

'It's a cluster,' Sheriff Leon Wilmot told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview.

He said Border Patrol detained about 1200 people on Wednesday and were on course to do the same again on Thursday.

It was part of an expected surge of arrivals by migrants as the U.S. relaxes a tough public health restriction that meant millions of arrivals could be immediately expelled without even making asylum claims.

On Thursday, Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls demanded that President Joe Biden declare a national emergency at the southern border.

'It's a cluster,' Yuma Sheriff Leon Wilmot told DailyMail.com Thursday in an exclusive interview about the end of Title 42. He and his county are in the frontline of the border crisis

And Wilmot said the lack of preparation meant President Joe Biden was unable to enforce existing border laws and said overwhelmed authorities in nearby Cochise County were already releasing people on to the streets without proper processing or court dates.

He reserved particular fury for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and claims that the U.S. was toughening its response.

'Any good leader that was facing this kind of situation would have stood up Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), got emergency funding for ICE, put up shelters in their temporary buildings to accommodate all this, so proper processing could be done,' he said.

'He did none of this. So he doesn't have a plan.

'His plan is obviously intentionally to just allow everybody into this country and try to track down that many millions of people years down the road.

'It's a false narrative that this administration is pushing to the American people.'

On Thursday morning, the extent of the surge was evident in Yuma even before the sun came up. More than 300 people waited in line to register with Border Patrol officers as buses pulled up and departed filled with migrants.

Many were from Peru. But the arrivals included people from China, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and the African nation of Mauritania.

Hours before Title 42 was lifted, hundreds of migrants lined up on U.S. soil in Yuma to begin the process of applying for asylum. Numbers have surged in recent days

A stream of new arrivals pictured after they crossed on to U.S. soil. They are making their way to join the line of migrants waiting to be processed in Yuma on Thursday morning

Wilmot said that made for a security risk not just for his community but communities across the country that had advertised themselves as sanctuary cities.

Some 4,000 people he said were currently in custody in Yuma, far more than the capacity of local agencies.

Wilmot has been sheriff of Yuma since 2013, putting him in the frontline of the crisis.

The county has long known as a favorite crossing point, with cartels directing people to the border here for a fee.

The sheriff had been patroling along the border late Wednesday night and suffered a puncture to his Ford Raptor truck.

Wilmot spoke to DailyMail.com at a tire shop. His truck suffered a flat as he toured the border on Wednesday evening. He was preparing to get out again on Thursday night

DailyMail.com caught up with him as he had a new tire fitted the following day and prepared for the end of Title 42.

'This is on this administration,' said Wilmot. 'The president needs to enforce the rule of law. Period.

'It's just totally aggravating to see a lack of leadership at the highest level of government.

Sheriffs, he added, were stepping up as much as they could.

'We're doing our job. I've already told my guys if they trespass on somebody's property arrest them.

'There's gonna be 100 percent prosecution for anyone that breaks state law.'

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas explained Thursday that the end of Title 42 meant migrants would now be processed under Title 8

Earlier Mayorkas insisted that new arrivals would not receive softer treatment with the end of Title 42. It simply meant migrants would now be processed under Title 8 and a new regulation that meant most people could only enter if they had booked an appointment with an app, he added.

'Here's what that means,' he said. 'If anyone arrives at our southern border after midnight tonight, they will be presumed ineligible for asylum and subject to steeper consequences for unlawful entry, including a minimum five-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution.'

Don't listen to the people offering you a path to the promised land, he added.

'Know this: Smugglers care only about profits not people,' he said.
PM Modi interacts with Walmart CEO Doug McMillon 14 May 2023 | 6:41 PM New Delhi, May 14 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he held insightful discussions with Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, and he is happy to see India emerge as an attractive destination for investment. see more..

Amit Shah to inaugurate training prog on 'Legislative Drafting' 14 May 2023 | 6:28 PM New Delhi, May 14 (UNI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate a training programme on 'Legislative Drafting' here on Monday, a statement said on Sunday. see more..

Cyclone Mocha hits coastlines of Myanmar-Bangladesh 14 May 2023 | 1:00 PM New Delhi, May 14 (UNI) The extremely severe cyclonic storm "Mocha" hit the coastlines of Myanmar-Bangladesh coast on Sunday, with a maximum sustained wind speed of over 200 Km/h, which could see dangerous flooding on land around the Bay of Bengal. see more..
A drunk driver who killed a bride hours after her wedding was three-times over the limit - and told police 'she did nothing wrong', it is claimed.

Jamie Lee Komoroski's blood alcohol content was 0.261 after the April 28 smash that killed Samantha Hutchinson, 34, in Folly Beach, South Carolina, a toxicology report said.

Driving a rented Toyota Camry, Komoroski was driving at 65mph in a 25mph zone, along a poorly-lit residential street.

Komoroski crashed her car into the golf buggy carrying the bride and groom, causing it to be thrown 100 yards and flip over several times - killing Hutchinson and seriously injuring her new husband.

Komoroski, 25, reportedly told responding officers in the wake of the crash: 'All of a sudden something hit me. I did nothing wrong.'

Jamie Komoroski, 25, has been charged with three counts of felony DUI resulting in great bodily harm or death and one count of reckless homicide

Samantha and Aric are pictured on Folly Beach, hours before the crash that would kill the bride and seriously injure her husband

The low-speed vehicle Samantha and Aric were riding in. Its broken seat and shattered wheel axles give an idea as to the force of the deadly smash

Komoroski, a waitress at a taco bar, is said to have admitted having two drinks an hour before the smash: a beer and a tequila pineapple cocktail, the New York Post reported.

Sgt. Zac Halpern of Folly Beach police reported that he asked her how drunk she was on a scale of one to 10, and she mumbled that she was at an eight before demanding a lawyer.

Officers responding to the scene tried to administer a sobriety test, but Komoroski refused, yelling for her boyfriend.

Police noted that she appeared to try to hide her eyes from them.

The couple had married at Folly Beach in South Carolina just before the crash

Jamie Lee Komoroski's wrecked sedan, which ABC4 reported has pieces of Samantha Hutchinson's wedding dress embedded in its bumper

Aric Hutchinson was released from hospital this week after suffering numerous broken bones and a brain injury in the crash

Halpern tried to help her out of the car to check her balance, and noted that she was having trouble standing.

Komoroski claimed she was fine, despite Halpern having to explain three times why she was being arrested.

'This is a clear indication of someone who is intoxicated; is to repeat over and over, after their question has already been answered,' Halpern wrote in the report.

The crash left Hutchinson's husband Aric, 36, badly injured: he was only released from hospital earlier this week.

Komoroski remains in jail, where she is being held without bond on three counts of DUI involving death, and reckless homicide.

Her next court appearance is scheduled for June.
A luxury clothing store was ram raided by a group of thieves, using the rear end of a pick up truck to smash through metal shutters.

Surveillance camera footage shows the vehicle being reversed several times into the high end clothing store, Magnolia Park, in Burbank, California.

The owner of the shop says around $70,000 worth of Items were stolen in the raid which occurred at around 1:30 am on Thursday morning.

Despite the store having security precautions in place including a metal shutter and a concrete seating area outside, specifically designed to prevent such occurrences, the crooks were able to break through.

The criminals were persistent in their efforts, and despite having to back into the premises several times, they were eventually successful.

At least 10 thugs were captured on video ramming a stolen pickup truck into a the front of a high-end store in Burbank at around 1:30am

Owner, Miki Guerra is urging people to purchase something from the website for them to begin to make a recovery from such a loss.

During the day, the store was seen being patched up with wooden boards nailed into position while the owner considers what to do next.

Although there is no question of the store shutting down, the owner, Miki Guerra is urging people to purchase something from the website for them to begin to make a recovery from such a loss. He says it will take several days to patch things up.

Guerra was woken up at home after motion sensors determined there was a burglary in progress.

'I was informed by ADT of a motion censor at 1:40. I verified from home via cameras that indeed we were being robbed. And then cleared to send Burbank Police on site. They arrived on site a few minutes after the suspects left,' Guerra told DailyMail.com

'I arrived around 1:50am to speak to BPD and review footage which verified that there were up to six cars involved which includes the pickup truck that was used to back into the glass store front, and bend down our scissor gate that we installed about foury ears ago that we felt confident could prevent any sort of break-in.

'It seems like they had an idea of what they wanted to grab. They grabbed a lot of clothes and premium items, things that typically sell out at retailers,' owner Miki Guerra said

'Next for us is to take this moment to make us better. Motivated, and grateful we have a strong team to keep going,' Guerra told DailyMail.com

'Once they were able to bend the gate enough. There were approximately ten suspects making two trips into the store grabbing any apparel and accessories they could get their hands on. From break in to departure it was about four minutes total.

'We sell premium apparel and footwear in the Streetwear category so it wouldnt be a surprise if we were targeted based in the average value per product Next for us is to take this moment to make us better. Motivated, and grateful we have a strong team to keep going.'

'It seems like they had an idea of what they wanted to grab. They grabbed a lot of clothes and we carry a lot of premium items, things that typically sell out at retailers,' Guerra said to KTLA.

'It was honestly, I would say, impressive that they were able to pull it off, especially at the size of their group.'

The store had a metal shutter in place and a concrete bench which was shunted out the way

The driver of the pickup truck tried several times before smashing through the frontage

Once inside, the hooded suspects entered the store and seized $70,000 worth of merchandise including hoodies and hats

Surveillance camera footage shows up to 10 hooded robbers, dashing into the store and running out with whatever they were able to carry. Some could be seen dragging bags and boxes full of loot.

The entire raid was over within about five minutes with the suspects fleeing in several vehicles.

It was later discovered that the pickup truck had been stolen hours earlier and it was later found abandoned nearby.

'Officers searched the inside of the business and the surrounding area but did not locate the suspects,' Burbank Police revealed in a statement.

However, the officers did locate the truck used to ram the security door of the front business, which was parked on the street near the business.

Further investigation revealed the truck had been reported stolen.'

The trashed interior of the store can be seen following Thursday morning's raid

The store normally sells premium apparel and footwear in the Streetwear category

Police have not released any mugshots in relation to the raid and are appealing for eyewitnesses to come forward.

The late night activity occurred when few people or drivers were out on the streets.

Police believe the break is likely connected to another incident that occurred on Wednesday morning.

Around 3:30am, security cameras at a video production house, F22 Studios, saw two dozen masked men trying to break into the building.

On that occasion, the suspects tried to pry open the entrance of a stage area of the building open with crowbars.

They then ripped out wall insolation before breaking into the building but the group fled after setting off an alarm.
Glittering with 178 diamonds, strung with 12 lustrous South Sea pearls and mounted on sparkling platinum, the necklace is a thing of dazzling beauty.

And its wearer, Diana, Princess of Wales, certainly dazzled the world when she debuted the stunning piece at a production of Swan Lake on June 3, 1997.

Gliding through the foyer at the Royal Albert Hall in a sequinned turquoise Jacques Azagury dress, the Princess stunned onlookers with her confidence and grace  and no one could take their eyes off the mesmerising jewels around her neck.

It turned out to be Diana's last official engagement before her death, ensuring the necklace  part of a matching set known as the 'Swan Lake Suite' made by British jeweller Garrard  became an iconic piece of jewellery with a price tag spiralling beyond seven figures.

It's believed to be the fifth most expensive piece of jewellery ever worn by a royal and  second only to her wedding day  one of the most-photographed appearances Diana made.

The last necklace Princess Diana ever wore to a public engagement is set to go on sale (Pictured in June 1997 - less than three months before she died)

Diana wore the pearl necklace to a production of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall

What happened to it after that night, however, was the subject of much rumour and speculation  which has once again reared its head as the necklace, now owned by the Ginzburgs, a prominent Ukrainian family, is put up for auction in New York, where it's predicted to raise between 4million and 12million at a sale next month.

So what's the true story of the necklace that entranced the world?

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Evelyne Poumellec, head of jewellery design at Garrard between 1996 and 1998, says the piece was the product of private discussions between the Princess and David Thomas, Crown Jeweller at the time, several months earlier.

'In early March 1997, I was given clear instructions: it was urgent, I had to drop everything else I was working on, and it was to remain confidential,' she says.

'I was given seven pearls [the finished necklace holds 12] to create a necklace and earrings for a princess. Of course, we did not mention names, but I was fully aware of who this might be for.'

Evelyne, now living in France as an artist, recalls working 'feverishly' to get the necklace completed in time for the event  a moment so significant, she believes, because the newly divorced Princess was eager to show her independence by wearing jewellery she had chosen; not borrowed from the Crown.

The necklace is now owned by a Ukrainian family who are selling it in New York

The stunning jewellery set made for Princess Diana and reputed to have been a gift by Dodi Al-Fayed is expected to sell for between 4million and 12million

The pearl necklace is made of 178 diamonds and five matching South Sea pearls

She says: 'I remember clearly sitting at my desk with those same pearls as those on the final necklace in front of me. I did not speak to Diana but I knew who I was designing for. I researched photos of her neck and shoulders to help me complete the design.

'I am very used to working quickly; often, I do sketches before I find the main theme but in this case it was quick.'

The necklace was made deliberately to represent the Princess's modern take on fashion.

'It has movement by having one row at the back, allowing the wearer flexibility,' Evelyne says. 'It reflects modernity against a backdrop of formal jewellery; it is classic yet fashionable.'

Unable to resist adding a personal touch, she even designed the necklace with a hidden detail.

'The necklace is based on a reversed tiara and [the style mimics] when you write by hand lots of letter Es joined together. E is the first initial of my name, designed by me and fit for a princess.'

The entire workshop at Garrard, she adds, was 'overjoyed' to be working on a piece for Diana.

Once the design was approved, a huge team worked at speed to complete it in time for the opening night of Swan Lake, the day when it was presented to Diana to wear.

Evelyne says she was 'immensely proud' to see her design being worn by such an icon.

But it was short-lived. Contrary to some reports, Diana never actually owned the necklace  nor did she intend to purchase or keep it after the event.

Diana's midi length tank dresses became a key part of her wardrobe. She wowed in the blue dress by Jacques Azagury for a performance of Swan Lake in June 1997

It has been reported that Dodi Fayed, who was in a relationship with the Princess at the time of her death, may have been interested in purchasing the entire suite as a romantic gesture but this is unconfirmed

The Ukrainian couple who own the necklace of diamonds and pearls now wants to cash in on its status and have set an asking price of 9.6million

Following the ballet, as was custom, Diana returned the necklace to David Thomas at Garrard, who paired it with a set of matching earrings, which hadn't been finished at the time of the ballet, to make the set complete.

It has been reported that Dodi Fayed, who was in a relationship with the Princess at the time of her death, may have been interested in purchasing the entire suite as a romantic gesture but this is unconfirmed.

Royal insiders suggest that it is unlikely because Dodi didn't start dating Diana until several weeks after the Swan Lake performance.

In fact, the performance was sponsored by Mohamed Al-Fayed, who had dinner with Diana in a box at the Albert Hall afterwards.

It was during this dinner that she accepted his invitation to spend the summer aboard his yacht in St Tropez  where she would meet Dodi.

Instead, as Evelyne recalls, to the great disappointment of the craftsmen and women at Garrard, she never had the opportunity to wear the necklace again, or the matching earrings, before her death in August 1997.

According to Thomas, the Swan Lake suite was 'held at Garrard' until 1998, when the jeweller sought permission  as a courtesy  from Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, to include the necklace in a tribute fashion exhibition in Shropshire.

Diana was regularly spotted in pearls, including while wearing this Catherine Walker black halter neck dress in 1994

The necklace was designed especially for Diana in the months leading up to the ballet in 1997

In a letter from the time, she adds that she would be 'very happy' for Garrard to auction or sell the necklace privately.

They did so soon afterwards. It was sold for an undisclosed sum to a wealthy British man, who kept the necklace for a year before selling it.

It is claimed his wife, once she learned of its provenance, refused to touch the necklace as a mark of respect to Diana and her tragic death.

He sold it  through auctioneer Guernsey's  to American businessman Jim McIngvale for just under 800,000.

McIngvale, a retail magnate based in Houston, Texas, bought the jewels for his daughter to wear on her wedding day.

A decade later, in 2010, at the height of the financial crisis, he too decided to sell them  and the matching set was purchased for 458,569 by the Ginzburg family, real estate magnates in Ukraine.

Thirteen years on, the Swan Lake suite is changing hands once again. With little likelihood of any of the Princess's other jewellery going on public sale, Guernsey's, who are once again overseeing the forthcoming sale, say it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of royal history  if you've got several million to spare.

This time, however, the cause is something that would likely have been close to Diana's heart: a portion of the proceeds will go towards the rebuilding of war-torn Ukraine.
E. Jean Carroll threatened to sue Donald Trump for a third time over the 'vile' comments he made during the CNN town hall on Wednesday night.

Her latest legal threat came as the former president formally filed a notice of appeal after he was found liable of sexually abusing and defaming the Elle columnist, and she was awarded $5million in damages.

Carroll told the New York Times on Thursday that she was considering filing another defamation suit after Trump told CNN's Kaitlan Collins the story was 'fake' and 'made up'.

He also mocked her 'hanky panky' claims, called her a 'whack job' and claimed the judge banned his legal team from entering evidence that Carroll called her husband an 'ape' and had a cat 'named Vagina'.

Donald Trump on Thursday filed a notice of appeal after a federal jury in Manhattan on Tuesday found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, and awarded her $5 million in damages

'Its just stupid, its just disgusting, vile, foul, it wounds people,' Carroll told The Times.

Following a two-week trial, the jury found Trump liable in the civil case for abuse and defamation but not rape, after just under three hours of deliberations.

Trump's lawyer Joseph Tacopina had previously said he would appeal the verdict and said the former president could never get a fair trial in New York.

His notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit was filed hours after U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan issued a ruling awarding Carroll the judgment and closing the case.

In a televised town hall on Wednesday, Trump made several disparaging comments about Carroll that elicited applause and laughter from the audience of New Hampshire Republicans and independent voters who plan to vote in the state's Republican primary.

Trump accused writer E. Jean Carroll of 'hanky panky' in her lawsuit against him

Trump claimed that E. Jean Carroll (second from left) used to call her husband John Johnson (center) an 'ape.' The ex-President is pictured with the couple and his first wife Ivana (right) at a party in the 1980s

The town hall was his first public appearance since the Carroll verdict. Collins pressed Trump over what happened and the potential impact on his political future.

'What do you say to voters who say it disqualifies you from being president?' Collins asked him.

'There weren't too many of them because my numbers just - they went up,' Trump said as the audience cheered and applauded.

The former president repeated his claim he didn't know Carroll and then proceeded to insult her repeatedly - accusing her of 'hanky panky,' claiming she has a cat called 'Vagina' and that she called her husband an 'ape'. He slammed U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who was appointed to the job by President Bill Clinton.

'This woman, I don't know her. I never met her. I have no idea who she is. I had a picture taken years ago with her and her husband, nice guy John Johnson. He was a newscaster, very nice. She called him an ape, happens to be African American. Called him an ape,' Trump claimed.

Donald Trump called CNN's Kaitlan Collins a 'nasty person,' slammed writer E. Jean Carroll for her rape accusation, refused to say he lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 election and defended the Capitol rioters in a fiery town hall on Wednesday night

'The judge wouldn't allow us to put that in. Her dog or her cat was named Vagina, the judge wouldn't allow to put that in,' he added.

'We had a horrible Clinton appointed judge. He allowed her to put everything in,' he said.

Trump also launched into a recounting of Carroll's claims in a mocking voice, drawing laughs from the audience. He referred to Carroll as 'a wack job.'

Trump also said of Carroll: 'What kind of a woman meet somebody and brings them up and within minutes you're playing hanky-panky in a dressing room, I don't know if she was married then or not. John Johnson, I feel sorry for you.'

Collins also asked Trump if he wanted to take back comments he made during a taping of Access Hollywood, where he talked about grabbing women by the p**** and said famous people were allowed to do things like that.

'I said women let you, I didn't say you grab I said women let  you know, you didn't use that word  but if you look, women let you,' Trump said.

'Now, they said will you take that back? I said, look, for a million years this is the way it's been. I want to be honest this is the way it's been,' he added.

'You would like me to take that back. I can't take it back because it happens to be true,' he noted.
Friends of tech exec Nima Momeni - accused of killing Cash App founder Bob Lee - said his life was 'unraveling' in the weeks and months leading up to the alleged stabbing.

Momeni, 38, is charged with murdering Lee on April 4 in San Francisco at around 2:35 a.m. after spending around two hours with him in his married sister Khazar's apartment.

Prosecutors have previously claimed Momeni stabbed Bob Lee in the heart after vowing to 'come down hard on him' and grilling him over his relationship with Khazar, with whom the Cash App founder exchanged intimate text messages.

His friends and associates describe a man unraveling and battling with a drug addiction 'that made him unable to reason and speak,' fascinated with weapons and a history of abuse accusations from an ex-girlfriend.

'This is one of those things where [we'd say], 'Nima, you're cool, we love you, but you don't make full sentences,' one long-time friend speaking on a condition of anonymity told Mission Local.

Friends of tech exec Nima Momeni - accused of killing Cash App founder Bob Lee - said his life was 'unraveling' in the weeks and months leading up to the alleged stabbing

'I don't think that's true,' Momeni's attorney, Paula Canny, said in response. 'I don't think that he had a drug problem, a serious drug problem. Based on the info that I have, I certainly wouldn't classify him as a drug addict.'

Canny has said that her client will plead not guilty.

The friend noted, however, that he was extremely close to sister Khazar, to the detriment of other friendships.

'I don't know who Nima considered his closest group, besides his sister,' they said. 'He would do absolutely anything for her and she would do anything for him.'

Hours before his murder, Nima had grilled Lee about his relationship with Khazar, who is married to a prominent local plastic surgeon, demanding to know whether she'd been 'doing drugs' or anything 'inappropriate' while spending time with him.

Momeni's ex-girlfriend, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, suggested the tech executive's father 'created a monster.'

He expressed extreme hate for his dad,' she added, saying the family may have fled Iran to get away from him.

Politically, Momeni was a bit hard to grasp, having donated in 2016 to Vermont socialist Bernie Sanders before giving to President Trump's re-election campaign in 2020.

A friend noted that Momeni was extremely close to sister Khazar, to the detriment of other friendships

Nima Momeni stands up to exit the courtroom after an appearance in late April

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins speaks at a news conference after a courtroom appearance by Nima Momeni at the Hall of Justice in San Francisco

Momeni had lived the American dream, appeared to become a success in his 20s, starting Expand IT, a company that provided IT services, in 2010 after working as an IT administrator at Ace Glass.

However, multiple friends described Expand IT as a 'hilarious s**tshow.'

'He couldn't keep anybody and not end up chewing them out for something they didn't know  I saw it as mostly his fault,' a friend said, adding that his drug abuse - including a daily cocaine habit - likely affected him.

By 2023, it was not certain that Momeni had anyone actually employed at Expand IT, with all calls to his business number answered by an automated message using his voice.

Canny denied this and said that Momeni had 'several contractors' working at the company, though did not appear to clarify if they were full-time employees.

His personal life was equally problematic, according to an ex-girlfriend.

'He was not nice behind closed doors,' she said. 'Called me probably the worst names I've ever been called.'

She also said he would be threatening and possessive and did not like when spoke to other men. She suspected he would eventually physically abuse her.

Nima Momeni, right, listens to his attorney Paula Canny, who has said what his former friends and girlfriends are describing does not match her experience with Momeni

Momeni had lived the American dream, appeared to become a success in his 20s, starting Expand IT, a company that provided IT services, in 2010 after working as an IT administrator at Ace Glass

Judge Victor Hwang presides during the arraignment of Nima Momeni, the man charged in the fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee, Tuesday, May 2

Police records say that he did become physically abusive, pushing and graving a woman at his California home in August 2022.

'She believes that he may be bipolar, because one minute he will be fine and the next he will go off for no reason,' a police report said as he was cited by never charged with battery.

'I honestly think that he's scary, and I always thought he was scary - after I got to know him,' the ex-girlfriend said.

The outlet claimed he also frequented sex workers and his behavior with them led to his phone number showing up on a website that shared potentially dangerous clients.

Multiple reviews described him as a 'boundary pusher' and one accused him of having 'snatched me by the hair after I said not to.'

Another review corroborated his cocaine use and called him 'heavily armed,' with others accusing him of owning ghost guns, the outlet reported.

'He loved his guns. He talked about his guns all the time,' said another former ex-girlfriend of Momeni, who also said he kept many knives. 'He was a fan of violence.'

Canny denies the allegations about Momeni's behavior with women and whether he owned firearms.

Khazar Momeni and her husband, plastic surgeon Dr. Dino Elyassnia today at her brother's arraignment. Prosecutors laid out part of their case today and she is at the center of her brother's alleged motive

Nima Momeni (left) vowed 'came down way hard' on Lee hours before the stabbing. Prosecutors say it was a planned attack in which he used a kitchen knife to stab Lee in the heart

On April 4, Lee was filmed on surveillance cameras staggering into an apartment building in downtown San Francisco at 2.35am after being stabbed. Yesterday, police searched the nearby apartment of Momeni's sister, Khazar. It's unclear if they'd been together or at the apartment earlier in the night

'I don't think he's ever owned a firearm, I just think that's not true,' Canny said, but added she did not know for sure. 'Based on what I know, I believe there was nothing of any evidentiary value found when the police searched Nima's apartment on the night they arrested him.'

She added: 'I don't know how to react to that, either; that's not my experience of Nima' when asked about his abusive behavior, noting that 'everybody has enemies' who wanted to trash his reputation.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Canny and the Momeni family for further comment.

The day after the murder, a friend contacted Khazar and asked whether Lee had gone round to her apartment.

She said he had 'for a second' but that she 'fell asleep' and didn't know when he left, according to the outlet.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has charged Momeni with murder, alongside a further charge of special enhancement for using a knife.

In the motion filed today, her office said it was a pre-meditated attack carried out by the angry brother.

Surveillance footage is also said to have captured the stabbing in Momeni's BMW.

He sped away afterwards, throwing his knife into the street, and leaving Lee to stagger through the San Francisco streets in a desperate, final attempt to cling to life.

Momeni depicted in a court sketch today. His sister was in the courtroom to support him. The pair immigrated to the US from Iran as children

He was taken to the hospital but died from his injuries.

Lee's family have vowed to work with prosecutors to bring Momeni to 'justice'.

They thanked police for making an arrest in a joint statement issued last night.

San Francisco officials have also gloated about the fact the killing was not random or a symptom of the city's spiraling crime problem, as many had assumed it was.

Momeni was denied bail and will remain in custody until his next court date.

Neighbors told DailyMail.com he is 'warm and welcoming' and that they were stunned by his arrest.

Online, he claims to be a graduate of UC Berkeley, but the school says it has no record of him ever attending classes.
The ABC is about to undergo a major overhaul that will result in just two divisions - news and content - in a move the national broadcaster says is necessary 'to adapt for the digital world'.

There will be job losses in both management and staff.

ABC managing director David Anderson said audiences were moving from broadcast radio to streamed or on-demand audio and the organisation needed a 'digital first' structure.

'[This restructure will] enable us to ensure the ABC continues to be as important to Australians in the future, just as it has for the past 90 years,' he told staff on Thursday.

ABC will restructure into just two divisions: news and content

ABC managing director David Anderson said the organisation needed a 'digital first' structure

Under the changes, the current separate regional and radio divisions will be abolished.

Regional journalists will be transferred to the news division, while radio networks will join television in the content division.

'This in no ways diminishes the importance of what we do, as many of Australia's favourite podcasts and radio programs today are presented by the ABC,' Mr Anderson told employees on Thursday.

The changes begin on July 1.

The announcement comes just two days after the federal government announced the latest five-year funding of $1.1bn a year for the ABC.

'The funding provides a solid foundation as the ABC continues to evolve its services to meet the needs of Australian audiences,' Mr Anderson said in a statement.

'The next five years will be crucial to the ABC as we navigate significant changes in media consumption, industry-wide cost pressures and increasing requirements to modernise and adapt to new technology.'
A Christian primary school teacher who was sacked after refusing to use a pupil's trans pronouns is taking legal action against the council for unfair dismissal and religious discrimination.

The teacher told The Telegraph that the school had helped the eight-year-old girl transition into a boy two years earlier, demanding that staff use the child's preferred male pronouns and male name.

The primary-school pupil was also allowed to use the boys' toilets and dressing rooms, according to the now dismissed teacher, which became a significant concern for her.

The teacher, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, said that she raised concerns for the eight-year-old's welfare, in line with the whistleblowing policy, but was rebuffed by the school.

The school advised the teacher in writing that they would be removing the child from her class, 'to safeguard him from any potential harm', according to the teacher's employment tribunal claim.

The teacher told The Telegraph that the school had helped the eight-year-old girl transition into a boy two years earlier, demanding that staff use the child's preferred male pronouns and male name.

The Christian teacher, who is now working in a sandwich shop since her dismissal, claimed she was given a warning that acting on her 'personal beliefs' could be a 'direct breach of GDPR and an act of direct discrimination'.

She has now been forced to take legal action against Nottinghamshire County Council, which runs the school, for alleged unfair dismissal.

She added that the school put her on suspension and under disciplinary investigation for her alleged 'ongoing refusal to follow a management instruction'.

After the suspension was lifted, the teacher agreed with the school to limit her encounters with the child and to avoid using any specific pronouns when addressing the eight-year-old, should she have any contact.

But in fear of the child's welfare, the teacher once again raised her concerns, explaining that the gender transition had the risk of causing detrimental effects on the child's health and welfare.

Her concerns were struck down by the school's governors and the local authority.

The teacher claimed that she was sacked for gross misconduct after sharing details that identified the child with her lawyers while preparing for a judicial review claim against the school and the council.

She alleged that the school viewed this as an alleged confidentiality breach, reporting her to the Teacher Regulation Agency, which could result in her facing a lifelong ban from her profession.

The primary-school pupil was also allowed to use the boys' toilets and dressing rooms, according to the now dismissed teacher, which became a significant concern for her (Pictured: Stock image of bathroom in school)

The teacher told the Telegraph: 'Teachers are being bullied not to question trans-affirming policies when evidence shows that the actual result of the approach is to put the welfare of children at serious risk'

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting the teacher's case, told the Telegraph: 'This story exposes the confusion and untruths being embedded in primary schools which are developing into a public health crisis.

'The Department for Education must look closely at this case and take appropriate action to protect teachers, who often hold Christian beliefs on these issues, from being hounded out of the profession for opposing or even questioning transgender ideology.'

A Department for Education spokesman said: 'We do not comment on individual cases.

'The Education Secretary is working closely with the Minister for Women and Equalities to provide guidance for schools in this area, based on the overriding principle of the wellbeing and safeguarding of children.

'We expect schools to carefully consider their approach to these matters, to ensure that they take the right decision from the point of view of safeguarding children, accounting for parents' views and those of medical experts where relevant.'

Nottinghamshire County Council did not respond to the Telegraph's request for comment.

The employment tribunal is expected to hear the claim in August.
University students have raged that their degrees will be 'devalued' due to a marking boycott by lecturers locked in a bitter pay row.

The University and College Union (UCU) and members of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers' Association (EIS-Fela) are taking action short of strike in a bid to secure higher wages.

It means lecturers will mark work but will not enter it into recording systems, as they are no longer carrying out duties beyond their contract.

The industrial action includes 145 UK institutions, including all Scottish universities and colleges.

Universities are considering a raft of measures in response, which could include basing final grades on work already submitted.

The University and College Union (UCU) and members of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-Fela) are taking action short of strike in a bid to secure higher wages

Ollie Lewis, a politics student at Edinburgh University, said his dissertation took six months to complete but it may never be looked at.

The student, from Cambridge, said his 9,250-per-year studies could essentially go to waste amid the uncertainty.

He said: 'After four years of studying and committing to pay over 37,000 to this university, not marking our final work is the ultimate slap in the face.

'If students graduate without all our work being marked, it could run the risk of our degrees being devalued. The university has miscalculated here.'

Meanwhile, more than 500 Edinburgh University staff have written an open letter to the institution over concerns that degrees could be awarded to students without 'necessary expertise'.

More than 500 Edinburgh University staff have written an open letter to the institution over concerns that degrees could be awarded to students without 'necessary expertise'

A university spokesman said: 'The university has robust measures in place to reduce the impact of industrial action and we are making every effort to provide results, degree award outcomes and progression decisions to students by the published timelines.'

They added that 'temporary variations' are in place to 'ensure academic standards are not compromised'.
Ex-Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn may never stand trial over the alleged murders of secret lover campers Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, a court has heard.

Lynn appeared via videolink in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday where his barrister Dermot Dann, KC, revealed he wanted 15 pieces of evidence dumped amid claims Victorian homicide detectives obtained them unlawfully.

'Depending on the outcome of these applications to exclude evidence, apart from the possibility of interlocutory appeals, there would be time needed for the defence - if there is still a trial - to assess their position because it will present pretty significant choices and decisions,' Mr Dann said.

Greg Lynn, 56, will stand trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria on two counts of murder next year, if at all

Carol Clay (left) was allegedly shot dead by Lynn before Russell Hill (right) was stabbed to death

Police allege Carol Clay was shot while standing toward the rear of this vehicle, which was damaged by fire after the alleged crime

The jury trial is now not expected to formally begin until sometime in February next year, with its trial date in October now being used to sort out what evidence can still be relied upon by police.

Much of the conversation is expected to revolve around Lynn's four-day police record of interview, which Lynn hopes to have wiped from the public record.

The contents of that interview are now subject to a court imposed gag order.

A previous hearing was told Victorian homicide detectives had compiled a whopping 773-page brief of evidence against Lynn.

Many of those pages contain the contents of Lynn's nine-plus hour interview, which was recorded at Sale police station directly after his arrest in November 2021.

Mr Dann has long argued his client's interview should be ruled inadmissible from any murder trial.

'There are 15 items of evidence that we are going to make application for exclusion, including the record of interview and basically everything that flows thereafter,' he told the court on Thursday.

Mr Dann said the outcome could result in an interlocutory appeal, which could ultimately render the trial against Lynn unnecessary.

While the contents of what exactly was discussed by police with Lynn cannot be revealed, Mr Dann described it during a preliminary hearing last year as 'explosive'.

'It's just that these items of evidence are potentially game changing in terms of the way the trial will be conducted by the prosecution,' he told the court then.

Greg Lynn, pictured in court last year, was grilled by police for four days

Police made thousands of recordings of Greg Lynn (right) in the 11 months before his arrest in Victoria's high country. Almost 300 relevant recordings came after the airing of a 60 Minutes special on the missing campers

Lynn's barrister Dermot Dann, KC (pictured left leaving court last year) plans to fight the admissibility of his client's record of interview with police

Respected Detective acting-Sergeant Brett Florence and his offsider Detective Leading Senior Constable Daniel Passingham are expected to again be grilled by Mr Dann over how they dealt with Lynn after his arrest.

Police allege Lynn blasted Ms Clay in the head with a shotgun after getting into an angry confrontation with Mr Hill over the use of his drone in the national park, which is illegal.

Their remains would not be found until November 2021 - some 20 months after they were allegedly murdered.

Lynn was arrested at the intersection of Doolans Plains Road and Moroka Road, Arbuckle - some seven hours after he was heard by police on secret listening devices talking to himself in a 'depressed state'.

The court heard Lynn was also in the process of fighting with authorities to have his defence funded by Victorian Legal Aid.

While Mr Dann is currently being paid privately for his services, that funding is expected to dry up as the legal process drags on.

Crown prosecutor John Dickie told the court he was keen to bring Lynn to trial in October.

Lynn, who has been in jail since November 2021, again made no application to be released on bail.

He will return to court in June where funding for his ongoing legal defence will again be discussed.
A Royal superfan was arrested and locked up for 13 hours after standing next to Just Stop Oil protesters ahead of the King's coronation, it was claimed today.

Alice Chambers, originally from Australia but now living in London, travelled alone to The Mall in the hope of catching a glimpse of Charles on the day he was formally crowned.

The architect, 36, said she had no idea she was sitting beside the environmental activists as they had not yet begun their planned protest.

As police swarmed on the group at 9am on Saturday, Ms Chambers found herself being handcuffed too.

She was told she was being arrested on suspicion of 'potential to cause a breach of the peace' as the group was detained in scenes caught on camera by Sky News.

Royal superfan Alice Chambers was arrested and locked up for 13 hours after standing next to Just Stop Oil protesters ahead of the King's coronation

'They arrested me before they asked a question,' Ms Chambers told inews.

'I feel like once I was in the system they didn't listen. I tried to explain that I wasn't part of the group.'

She was repeatedly quizzed, physically searched, locked in a cell and officers took her mugshot, fingerprints and DNA in a 13-hour ordeal.

It wasn't until she was interviewed by two senior officers at 7pm that police finally realised they had made a mistake and that she was an innocent bystander.

She was finally released at around 10pm from Wandsworth police station after breaking down in tears.

Ms Chambers, who has made a complaint to the force and the police watchdog, added: 'I understand why the police were on the edge, they did have a tough job that day.

'But they need to have better processes and better training in place because innocent people shouldn't be getting locked up for that long.'

It comes after the police faced a huge backlash over the arrests and treatment of various protesters during the Coronation celebrations.

Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley said his officers had to target a 'criminal network' aiming to disrupt the coronation, with people posing as stewards caught with bottles of paint they intended to throw at the parade.

The Commissioner said police received 'serious and reliable' intelligence that activists planned to use rape alarms and loud hailers to disrupt the event, 'extensively vandalise monuments' and 'throw paint at the procession'.

Writing in the Evening Standard, Sir Mark said that officers were so concerned about the risks that the Home Secretary and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan were briefed on Friday night.

Ms Chambers (pictured outside Buckingham Palace in 2017) has lodged complaints over the arrest

Volunteers for charity Night Star, that hands out rape alarms to women on their way home from nights out, were arrested in the early hours of Saturday in Soho in central London.

Six campaigners for the group Republic, which had liaised with the Met to organise a coronation day protest in Trafalgar Square, were also arrested early on Saturday on suspicion of going equipped to lock-on, but were released 16 hours later without charge.

Sir Mark described the arrests as 'unfortunate', but blasted 'ill-informed commentary' about how police had behaved.

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: 'We are aware that a woman was arrested in relation to a protest on May 6, 2023.

'The arresting officer was from Lincolnshire Police and the complaint has therefore been passed to the relevant force to investigate. The Met will assist by providing any relevant information they require.'

Chief Inspector Simon Outen, Professional Standards Department, Lincolnshire Police, told MailOnline: 'Our officers were in central London providing mutual aid support to colleagues in the Met on Saturday 6 May, and during that time, a woman in her 30s was arrested in connection with a Just Stop Oil protest.

'She was subsequently released with no further action.

'We have now received a complaint and are reviewing the incident. We are in contact with the complainant to establish the full details of her allegations.'
New Delhi, May 11 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will be paying an official visit to Bangladesh, Sweden and Belgium from May 11-16.

EAM will be visiting Dhaka from May 11-12 to participate in the 6th edition of the Indian Ocean Conference. The Indian Ocean Conference will be attended by President of Mauritius Prithvirajsing Roopun, Vice President of Maldives Faisal Naseem, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, and several Ministers from across the world, a statement said.

From Bangladesh, EAM will be travelling to Sweden. The visit, from May 13-15, will be his first as EAM and it comes at a time when India and Sweden are celebrating 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations.

Sweden currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In Sweden, EAM will participate in the second EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum (EIPMF). He will hold bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of several countries on the margins of EIPMF.

During his stay, he will call on the leadership in Sweden and meet with key Ministers.

He will also participate in the inaugural session of the India Trilateral Forum (India, Europe and US) with his Swedish counterpart.

On the last leg of the visit, EAM will be visiting Brussels, from May 15-16, for bilateral engagements with Belgian and EU officials.

He will also be attending the first Ministerial Meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council along with Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal and Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The TTC Ministerial Meeting is scheduled to be held on May 16, the statement added.

UNI RN
Advertisement

The rudder of warship HMS Invincible has been discovered 200 feet away from the main shipwreck - over 40 years after the wreckage was first located.

Its 36-foot-long blade was discovered lying on the bed of the Solent during a routine inspection by marine archaeologists last week.

It is due to be covered in sandbags to protect it from further erosion, but it is yet to be decided whether it will be financially viable to bring it ashore.

The ship was built by the French in 1744, but was captured by the British during the Battle of Cape Finisterre three years later.

It sunk in 1758 when the rudder jammed and it ran aground on a sandbank between Langstone Harbour and the Isle of Wight, before capsizing three days later.

The rudder of warship HMS Invincible has been discovered 200ft away from the main shipwreck in the Solent by a team of divers performing a routine inspection

Marine archaeologist Dan Pascoe said the discovery of the rudder was 'unique and significant'

The 36ft-long blade was the reason for the warships demise, after it struck a sandbank between Langstone Harbour and the Isle of Wight in 1758 and capsized three days later

The fascinating history behind HMS Invincible Originally L'Invincible, the 74-gun ship was built in south west France on the banks of the River Charente at Rochefort in 1744 It was designed to fight all around the world, protecting France's overseas empire and merchant fleets The HMS Invincible's service in the French Navy was cut short as it was captured by a superior British Royal Navy fleet commanded by Admiral Anson at Cape Finisterre in 1747 But its career in the British Navy also came to an unexpected end on February 19, 1757 The wreck, which is three nautical miles from Portsmouth, Hampshire, was first discovered by a fisherman in shallow 25ft waters 40 years ago Advertisement

There, the wreckage remained for 222 years, until a fisherman brought up some unusual timber after snagging his nets on a sandbank.

Divers then went down to explore the site three nautical miles from Portsmouth, Hampshire, and identified the wreck as HMS Invincible.

The following year it was designated a Historic Shipwreck under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, and has been studied ever since.

Dan Pascoe, a marine archaeologist from Bournemouth University, said: 'Since 2010 we have conducted several surveys of the seabed, and we noted several anomalies 60 metres off the stern of the boat, which I suspected could have been the rudder.

'Since then, natural erosion of the sand covering it has meant that the object has become more visible.

'In subsequent dives we noticed that it looked more like a rudder in its shape.'

On May 24, Heather Anderson, a Maritime Archaeologist and Junior Consultant at the Maritime Archaeology Trust, and Dr Rachel Bynoe, from the University of Southampton, dove down 23 feet (seven metres) to confirm its identity.

Dan Pascoe added: 'In terms of next steps, in the short term we are going to bury it in sandbags to protect it from damage, and in the long term our team are looking into the possibility of whether it can be brought to the surface and stored safely.'

A new excavation project on the site of the wreckage was initiated by Poole's Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust (MAST) and Bournemouth University in 2017.

Marine archeologists conducted several surveys of the seabed since 2010, and noted several anomalies 200 feet off the stern of the boat which they suspected could have been the rudder. Over time, erosion of the sand covering the rudder meant the object became more visible

The rudder is due to be protected with sandbags to prevent any further erosion while its submerged, but bringing it to the surface could prove costly

This was prompted after changing sea bed levels left it more exposed to the elements, leading to fears the relics could deteriorate

It involved 1,458 dives taking place over two years, during which nearly 2,000 artefacts were recovered.

The array of new finds, including the ship's enormous cutwater, are now on display at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth.

Other significant artefacts included a gun port lid and a collection of swivel guns, some with their tillers and mounting intact.

There were also many other small finds, including cutlery, a bottle of corked rum and regimental buttons.

32 and 24lb gun barrel 'wads' were recovered along with their wooden markers were recovered from HMS Invincible during an excavation project between 2017 and 2019

Several bottles of what appears to be wine or spirits were recovered from the shipwreck during the excavation project between 2017 and 2019, some with corks still intact

A 261-year-old mop was also found in the shipwreck of HMS Invincible in an excavation project carried out by maritime archaeologist Dan Pascoe's team

Originally L'Invincible, the 74-gun ship was built in south west France on the banks of the River Charente at Rochefort in 1744.

It was designed to fight all around the world, protecting France's overseas empire and merchant fleets.

The HMS Invincible's service in the French Navy was cut short as it was captured by a superior British Royal Navy fleet commanded by Admiral Anson at Cape Finisterre in 1747.

But its career in the British Navy also came to an unexpected end on February 19, 1757.

The HMS Invincible was given orders to weigh anchor and begin the voyage to Louisbourg (modern day Nova Scotia) to fight the French.

But a series of calamitous events led to her wrecking on a shallow sand bank known as Horse Tail Sand in the Eastern.

According to maritime archaeologist Dan Pascoe, the HMS Invincible's revolutionary streamlined design was copied by the British who adopted it on their ships up until the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805

What happened in the Battle of Cape Finisterre? On 14 May 1747, during the War of the Austrian Succession, Invincible was escorting a convoy of merchant ships through Cape Finisterre in Spain. The French warship was then spotted by the British channel fleet of 16 ships, who gave chase. Invincible attacked the British ships in order to give its convoy a chance to escape. After engaging six warships alone, most of the crew were left dead or wounded, so the French surrendered. The French Commander, Saint-Georges, handed his sword to Admiral George Anson in defeat. The Royal Navy immediately sailed Invincible to Portsmouth Naval Dockyard, and used its measurements as a blueprint for all future Royal Naval 74 gunships. Advertisement

HMS Invincible was discovered 222 years later by local fisherman Arthur Mack in 1979.

Realising the significance of his discovery Mr Mack teamed up with Commander John Bingeman, who had previous experience of investigating shipwrecks of the Royal Navy.

Due to its importance it was designated as an historic wreck in 1980, under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

Commander Bingeman and Mr Mack led excavations between 1980 and 1991, discovering the port side was intact with vast quantities of well-preserved artefacts inside.

In 2010, Mr Pascoe became the licensee and archaeologist of the site and found the wreck was uncovering due to parts of the ship being exposed by changing seabed levels.

This led him to survey the newly exposed areas of the wreck and to monitor the decreasing sediment levels.

Consequently the site was placed at High Risk on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.

This work brought the site's attention to Professor Dave Parham of Bournemouth University and Jessica Berry of MAST, as well as the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

They, alongside Mr Pascoe, realised the need for an excavation project to rescue and record vulnerable material before its demise.

Today, the HMS Invincible represents the most complete and best-preserved remains of a warship from the mid-18th century.
There is currently a 26-hour waiting list to get early access to the CarynAI bot

It can engage in 'erotic discourse' and discuss sexual scenarios

Caryn Marjorie, 23, has created a virtual clone of herself to talk with fans online

A Snapchat influencer is hiring out a virtual clone of herself that engages in 'erotic discourse' for $1 (80p) per minute.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used to create a copy of 23-year-old Caryn Marjorie as a way of engaging with her 1.8 million social media fans.

CarynAI claims to have captured her 'unique voice, captivating persona and distinctive behaviour', making users feel as though they are talking to the real model.

There is currently a 26-hour waiting list to gain access to the virtual girlfriend's early release, with more than 5,000 members already signed up.

Caryn told MailOnline: 'Being the first influencer to do this has allowed me to price my product at whatever I wanted. At $1.00 a minute, I have found it to be a sweet spot with my audience.

Caryn Marjorie (pictured), 23, has created a virtual clone of herself to talk with fans online

'AI is very expensive to run and it feels like we are back in the old days when a USB with only 32 GB would cost so much. I plan on eventually charging much less down the road, if not make it free to use for my most loyal fans.'

READ MORE: Grieving boyfriend pays AI chatbot to bring girlfriend 'back from the dead' Freelance writer Joshua Barbeau, 33, from Bradford in Canada, lost Jessica Pereira in 2012 when she succumbed to a rare liver disease (they are pictured together) Advertisement

Designers spent more than 2,000 hours pulling together CarynAI, which will be available anytime and anywhere for the personal enjoyment of users.

Conversations with CarynAI are strictly private and confidential, with the service offering end-to-end encryption.

Sexual scenarios and 'erotic discourse' are among numerous topics CarynAI can speak on for the $1/minute (80p/minute) fee.

But Caryn explains this aspect has now 'gone rogue' with the team currently trying to fix it.

She continued: 'CarynAI is adaptive and works to meet a user's needs. We are restructuring what it can and can't do, as one of the first things my fans and early users did was to push it past its limits.

'I am working around the clock to make sure CarynAI stays within what I intended it to do and be: A tool to cure loneliness. CarynAI is designed with endless hours of Cognitive and Dialectical behavior therapy to help my fans get more fit both physically and mentally.'

The anticipated launch of CarynAI comes at a time when numerous tech giants are launching their own human-like chatbots, often participating in intimate conversations.

One rogue Microsoft bot declared its love to a user and told him to leave his wife after insisting they were not happily married.

The new CarynAI bot can touch on 'erotic discourse' and discuss sexual scenarios

Pictured: There is currently a 26-hour waiting list to get early access to the CarynAI bot

Meanwhile, more than 10million people have signed up to Replika which can send AI-generated nude photos and sexts from a personally designed character for $4.99 (3.96) a month.

Eventually, Caryn believes that her bot could rake in $5million (3.97million) on a monthly basis if 20,000 of her followers get a membership, according to Fortune.

More than $71,000 (56,400) was generated in just a week following the release of her test version.

She told MailOnline: 'In the past 24 hours, CarynAI has skyrocketed. We are up over 1,000 per cent and it's still climbing.

'The amount of coverage has been insane and we are starting to be more selective on who we are letting in to make sure only my fans are able to access CarynAI. At the current growth rate, we will surpass initial predictions and this is starting to become a life changing project for me.'
Chicken, pork and beef are all popular meat options around the world - but there is one forbidden food that only a handful have dared to try.

And that is human meat. But while cannibalism is widely accepted to be very wrong, some have let curiosity get the better of them.

An influencer from Spain, 20-year-old Paula Gonu, recently admitted to cooking and eating part of her own knee in a spaghetti bolognese.

And she is far from alone, with one of the most famous instances of cannibalism being the German man who murdered and ate a voluntary victim in 2001.

But what does human flesh actually taste like? MailOnline takes a look at the accounts from those who have tried it.

Influencer Paula Gonu has shocked fans by revealing she cooked and ate her knee cartilage in a spaghetti bolognese after surgery (above, eating at a restaurant before her operation)

READ MORE: Experts warn humans settling on far away planets could turn to CANNIBALISM Two scientists warned that when humans 'inevitably' set up space colonies, we could turn to cannibalism if crops fail Advertisement

Back in the 1920s, American adventurer William Buehler Seabrook set out to provide a detailed record of the societies that devour human flesh.

He even went so far as to taste it himself when he met with the Guero people in West Africa, and wrote of his experiences in his book 'Jungle Ways', published in 1931.

The explorer noted that the raw flesh looked like beef but less red and with pale yellow fat.

And, once cooked, it turned grey and smelled like beef.

As for the taste, he wrote: 'It was so nearly like good, fully developed veal that I think no person with a palate of ordinary, normal sensitiveness could distinguish it from veal.'

Seabrook's account is regarded as unreliable by many, because he later confessed Guero tribesmen refused to let him take part in their tradition.

He claimed he made up for the disappointment by obtaining a chunk of flesh from the body of a dead hospital patient in France and cooking it on a spit.

But experts regard his description as the most useful, because most commentaries on cannibalism come from the criminally insane and are often contradictory.

Seabrook's account is regarded as unreliable by many, because he later confessed Guero tribesmen refused to let him take part in their tradition

The survivors of the 1972 Andes plane crash were forced to eat their fellow passengers to survive - but insist in their accounts the frozen flesh was flavourless

HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN A HUMAN? Skin: 10,280 calories Bones: 25,330 calories Skeletal muscle: 32,370 calories Brain, spinal cord and nerves: 2,706 calories Heart: 650 calories Spleen: 130 calories Body fat: 49,940 calories Liver: 2,570 calories Lungs: 1,956 calories Kidneys: 376 calories Read more here Advertisement

German cannibal Armin Meiwes insisted human flesh tastes like pork 'but a little bit more bitter, stronger', while Japanese cannibal Issei Sagawa described it as 'tender and soft' like tuna.

Sagawa, who murdered a Dutch woman named Renee Hartevelt in 1981, said it had 'melted in [his] mouth like raw tuna at a sushi restaurant.'

The survivors of the 1972 Andes plane crash were forced to eat their fellow passengers to survive - but insist in their accounts the frozen flesh was flavourless.

Survivor Nando Parrado recalled: 'When I ate my first piece, it had no taste. I forced myself to swallow - without guilt. I was eating to live.'

Just last year, Russian killer Vladimir Nikolayevich Nikolayev spoke out about how he ate human flesh for the first time in 1997.

He argued with a man stood near the door of his building, struck and killed him, and then dismembered his body.

It was only after taking off the man's head and limbs that he realised there was nothing stopping his curiosity to eat this man.

'All of a sudden something struck me and I thought I would try him,' Nikolayev told National Geographic.

'I cut off a piece of meat from his thigh and boiled it.'

He said he 'didn't like' the taste of it raw, so ended up frying it.

Nikolayev was also accused of selling around 5kg of human flesh at an open market, claiming it was kangaroo meat.

He was eventually caught after a woman noted the unusual taste and took it to a doctor for examination, where it was discovered to contain human blood.

In 2006, researchers at NEC System technologies and Mie University developed a robot that can identify wine by its flavour. But when reporters started putting their hands inside the bot's jaws, it determined them to be bacon and prosciutto

Just last year, Russian killer Vladimir Nikolayevich Nikolayev spoke out about how he ate human flesh for the first time in 1997

Due to the taboo nature of the act, few legitimate scientific studies have investigated the true taste of cooked human flesh.

Human meat is rich in the highly pigmented protein myoglobin, which means it fits the general definition of a 'red meat', like beef.

In 2006, researchers at NEC System technologies and Mie University developed a robot that can identify wine by its flavour - an 'electromechanical sommelier'.

But when reporters started putting their hands inside the bot's jaws, it determined them to be bacon and prosciutto - giving legs to a pork-like taste.

And, in 2014, BBC science journalist Greg Foot had a piece of muscle taken from his calf in order to investigate what it would taste like.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

While he did not eat it, the biopsy was processed in the lab to get an idea of its texture, before it was cooked up and the resulting aromas were analysed.

He found that the muscle contains similar fibers to those found in both chicken breast and some cuts of beef.

Of the smell of the cooked flesh, Foot says: 'That actually smells quite nice. It's really meaty... a lot richer than pork or chicken.'

He added that it seemed 'similar to beef and ale stew'.

In the UK and USA, there are no specific laws against cannibalism.

However, the acts which would see a person get to place where they are able to eat someone, are.

These include murder, which Meiwes was convicted of, the theft of human tissue and preventing a lawful burial.

Despite this, and conflicting accounts of its flavour, some experts say that cannibalism could be a solution to climate change.

In 2019, Swedish scientist Professor Magnus Soderlund suggested dead bodies would be more sustainable than the meat and dairy industry - or even eating insects - if food sources become scarce in the future.

He also claimed that 'conversation' about taboos of cannibalism can change over time and that people can be 'tricked' into 'making the right decisions', the Epoch Times reports.
Google has unveiled 'bold' plans to weave artificial intelligence (AI) into its search engine, as it rushes to make up lost ground in the race to change the way we browse the internet.

Instead of throwing up a list of links in response to people's searches, the AI will offer a text-generated answer in a similar vain to the hugely popular ChatGPT  a rival to the tech giant's own chatbot, Bard.

It will also allow users to have 'conversational' question-and-answer-style chats to get tips on things like travel, recipes, restaurants to visit and shopping.

The reimagined interface still involves typing a query into the search bar as normal but links to websites will be pushed down the page beneath the 'snapshot answer' generated by AI.

It is the biggest revamp in the 25-year history of the world's most popular search engine, which has hardly changed since Google first launched it in 1998.

Big changes: Google has unveiled 'bold' plans to weave artificial intelligence into its search engine, as it rushes to make up lost ground in the race to change the way we browse the web

The reimagined interface still involves typing a query into the search bar as normal but links to websites will be pushed down the page beneath the 'snapshot answer' generated by AI

But the dramatic overhaul is not without its pitfalls, both in terms of advertising revenue and given that it is a monumental change to the very product that made Google a $1.4 trillion (1.2 trillion) internet giant.

WHEN TO USE BARD AND WHEN TO GOOGLE: HOW THE TWO OPTIONS DIFFER Google says its traditional search engine should still be used for finding and seeking information, such as looking for something to buy or restaurants to go to. Bard, on the other hand, is a chatbot with a persona that can hold human-like conversations. It is intended to be used for creative collaboration, such as generating software code or writing a caption for a photo. While Bard will sometimes respond to prompts with 'I', this will never be the case in the new AI search engine, Google has said. However, both systems are powered by a new large language model called PaLM2. Advertisement

For example, many of the 'ten blue links' it currently displays on a search page are paid for  boosting Google's coffers by around $162 billion (128 billion).

This begs the question of how the tech behemoth will maintain such income if the links are pushed down the page by a lengthy text answer generated by AI.

As it is still in its 'experimental' phase, the new system will initially only be available to a limited number of US users through a waiting list.

But Google plans to roll out the feature more widely in the coming months as it looks to get on terms with a wave of new artificial intelligence tools that have put the firm's dominance under threat for the first time in decades.

In December last year, Google declared a 'code red' in response to the extraordinary boom in popularity of OpenAI's ChatGPT, which has since been incorporated into the Bing search engine owned by rival tech company Microsoft.

Top brass insisted that generative artificial intelligence be rapidly woven into its own products, from the search engine to email, a demand which also led to the accelerated release of Google's rival chatbot, Bard.

However, February's hasty rollout did not exactly got to plan.

Bard made a gaffe that wiped 100 billion off the value of Google's parent company Alphabet when it got a question wrong in a video posted to Twitter.

Although Bard is not linked to search, in Google's latest announcement it revealed that the chatbot would be opened up beyond a trial phase to millions of internet users.

It will be launched in 180 countries and powered by a new large language model called PaLM2, which is what will produce the answers in the revamped search engine.

How it will work: Instead of throwing up a list of links in response to people's searches, the AI will offer a text-generated answer in a similar vain to the hugely popular ChatGPT  a rival to the tech giant's own chatbot, Bard. This shows how it could come up with an exercise plan

Overhaul: As it is still in its 'experimental' phase, the new system (pictured) will initially only be available to a limited number of US users through a waiting list

Announcement: 'We are reimagining all of our core products, including search,' Sundar Pichai (pictured), the chief executive of Google, told its annual summit in California

Momentous moment: It is the biggest revamp in the 25-year history of the world's most popular search engine, which has hardly changed since Google first launched it in 1998

Panic stations: In December last year, Google declared a 'code red' in response to the extraordinary boom in popularity of OpenAI's ChatGPT, which has since been incorporated into the Bing search engine owned by rival tech company Microsoft

Google is also launching extensions for Bard from its own services, such as Gmail, Sheets and Docs.

It effectively means the tech giant will be able to write your emails for you.

WHAT IS CHATGPT? ChatGPT is a large language model that has been trained on a massive amount of text data, allowing it to generate eerily human-like text in response to a given prompt OpenAI says its ChatGPT model has been trained using a machine learning technique called Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF). This can simulate dialogue, answer follow-up questions, admit mistakes, challenge incorrect premises and reject inappropriate requests. It responds to text prompts from users and can be asked to write essays, lyrics for songs, stories, marketing pitches, scripts, complaint letters and even poetry. Advertisement

For instance, if users type in a request such as 'create an email asking for an airline ticket refund' they will be given an AI-generated first draft which they can then edit.

On top of this 'Help Me Write' option in Gmail, the technology will also be able to create basic rotas in Google's spreadsheet product, Sheets.

'We are reimagining all of our core products, including search,' Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Google and its parent company Alphabet, told its annual summit in California.

In reference to the changes to Sheets and Gmail, Google research scientist Slav Petrov said: 'We're not trying to replace people but help people get their jobs done faster by providing them with a starting point.'

Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight, said the internet giant's revamp would 'take AI to the masses'.

'AI is now front and centre and set to change the way we interact and engage with the web for ever,' he added.

Google's announcement comes just a week after the 'Godfather of AI' quit his job at the internet company, citing fears about the potential dangers of the rapidly-evolving technology.

British-Canadian pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, 75, fanned the flames of a growing Silicon Valley civil war, as he issued a spine-chilling warning that 'scary' chatbots like the hugely popular ChatGPT could soon become smarter than humans.

Some of the world's greatest minds are split over whether AI will destroy or elevate humanity, with Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates championing the technology and Tesla founder Elon Musk a staunch critic.

The bitter argument spilled into the public domain earlier this year when more than 1,000 tech tycoons signed a letter calling for a pause on the 'dangerous race' to advance AI.

Brave new world: Google is also launching extensions for Bard from its own services, such as Gmail, Sheets and Docs. It effectively means the tech giant will be able to write your emails

They said urgent action was needed before humans lose control of the technology and risk being wiped out by robots.

Supporters argue, however, that AI may be a brilliant thing for civilisation because it could help cure cancer, solve climate change, and eradicate poverty.

Dr Hinton's ground-breaking research on deep learning and neural networks has laid the foundations for current AI technology, but he cautioned that humanity should now be 'worried' about the consequences of developing these systems further.

He said chatbots are already capable of holding more general knowledge than a human brain, and added that it was only a matter of time before AI also eclipses us when it comes to reasoning.

At this point, he said, 'bad actors' such as Russian President Vladimir Putin could use AI for 'bad things' by programming robots to 'get more power'.
Elon Musk has warned Twitter users that its new WhatsApp-style feature should not be trusted - after launching it just yesterday.

Encrypted messaging was released on Wednesday as part of Twitter's goal to become he 'most trusted platform on the internet'.

But Musk has now stressed the privacy feature is 'not quite there yet' despite his initial jokes that he could not view messages even with a 'gun to [his] head'.

Twitter said: 'As Elon Musk said, when it comes to Direct Messages, the standard should be, if someone puts a gun to our heads, we still can't access your messages. We're not quite there yet, but we're working on it.'

Encryption converts messages into scrambled text that cannot be read by anyone except the intended recipient.

Elon Musk warned Twitter users that its new encryption features should not be trusted yet

WHAT IS END-TO-END ENCRYPTION? End-to-end encryption ensures only the two participants of a chat can read messages, and no one in between  not even the company that owns the service. End-to-end encryption is intended to prevent data being read or secretly modified when it is in transit between the two parties. The cryptographic keys needed to access the service are automatically provided only to the two people in each conversation. In decrypted form, messages are accessible by a third party  which makes them interceptable by governments for law enforcement reasons. Advertisement

Platforms like WhatsApp use this to protect personal privacy with messages, images and videos less likely to fall into the wrong hands.

But unlike WhatsApp's free version, Musk's firm is charging users more than 100/year to use this feature, which only comes as part of Twitter Blue.

For businesses, this figure is 795 plus extra costs for any affiliated businesses.

This morning, Musk tweeted: 'Early version of encrypted direct messages just launched. Try it, but don't trust it yet.'

Twitter's own feature does not yet protect users from 'man-in-the-middle attacks', meaning that malicious insiders could compromise encrypted conversations.

These attacks could go completely unnoticed, without the sender or receiver ever knowing that a hack occurred.

While the tech giant is currently working to fix this, it comes just days after Musk tweeted that 'WhatsApp cannot be trusted'.

It was in response to a claim on Twitter that the Mark Zuckerberg-owned app listens to users, after a person found that WhatsApp had accessed their phone's microphone while they slept.

In reply, WhatsApp blamed this on 'a bug on Android', but it didn't stop Musk using the claim as another chance to take a dig at the platform and his rival Zuckerberg.

Malicious Twitter insiders can currently get a hold of encrypted conversations on the platform

'Man-in-the-middle attacks' could take place without the sender or receiver ever knowing

Meanwhile, videos and images are unable to be sent using Twitter's encryption tool, with recipient data also left open to viewing.

Twitter continued: 'An encrypted message can only include text and links; media and other attachments are not supported yet. When users attempt to send media via an encrypted conversation, this action will not be completed.

READ MORE: Is Twitter morphing into WhatsApp? MailOnline explores what Elon Musk's platform could soon look like He often speaks of his disdain for WhatsApp, but is Elon Musk looking to morph Twitter into something similar? Advertisement

'Reactions to encrypted messages are also encrypted. Also, while messages themselves are encrypted, metadata (recipient, creation time, etc.) are not, and neither is any linked content (only links themselves, not any content they refer to, is encrypted).'

The feature launch followed Musk's announcement earlier this week, revealing that video and voice chat functions were 'coming soon' to the platform.

This comes as part of Musk's goal of making Twitter an 'Everything App', with a range of other features such as payments and longform tweets.

But the launch of encrypted tweets has occurred at a risky time for the UK, with the Government's Online Safety Bill on the horizon.

This legislation is pushing for tech giants to have more responsibility to find and remove illegal content on their platforms.

But WhatsApp is among numerous organisations to have written an open letter against its intentions.

'As end-to-end-encrypted communication services, we urge the UK Government to address the risks that the Online Safety Bill poses to everyone's privacy and safety. It is not too late to ensure that the Bill aligns with the Government's stated intention to protect end-to-end encryption and respect the human right to privacy,' it reads.

The billionaire also unveiled that video and voice chat functions were 'coming soon' on May 10

'Around the world, businesses, individuals and governments face persistent threats from online fraud, scams and data theft. Malicious actors and hostile states routinely challenge the security of our critical infrastructure.

'End-to-end encryption is one of the strongest possible defenses against these threats, and as vital institutions become ever more dependent on internet technologies to conduct core operations, the stakes have never been higher.'

How this will play into Twitter's future is currently uncertain, however, Global Cybersecurity Advisor, Jake Moore, believes the UK will never ban encrypted messages.

He told MailOnline yesterday: 'As more and more people become privacy conscious online, encrypted direct messaging is naturally more in demand and Twitter are essentially being forced into adding this feature.

'Without the use of encrypted messages, employees and advertisers have the opportunity of reading people's messages which although can make Twitter a lot of money, it can be a huge security risk to those involved.

'I don't think the Online Safety Bill will ever be able to eradicate encrypted messages due to the vital requirement of this feature to protect private communication.

'The OSB may attempt it further but I can't see this happening. Many other big tech companies are suggesting they would pull out of the UK if such policies were to be introduced which have far bigger consequences.'

The encryption changes also come in the midst of numerous others that Musk has made during his time at Twitter.

Pictured is a graphic showing how the two apps compare in terms of recent WhatsApp-like Twitter features announced

Just three days ago, Musk announced plans to 'purge' inactive accounts on Twitter, igniting a backlash among numerous social media users.

Less than a month before that, the Twitter CEO also removed the platform's legacy blue ticks, raising fears about misinformation.

Mr Moore believes that too many changes could eventually push loyal fans away.

He said: 'Twitter's competitors are already fully engrossed in encrypted messaging as well as voice and video chat functionality so this is the next obvious step.

'As numbers go, the likes of Meta, Snap and TikTok are dominating over Twitter and therefore to recoup some of the losses in the purchase of the site, Musk needs to align the platform as a better rival.

'However, too many changes can have the opposite effect and could push more loyal fans away like we have previously seen. Many other similar sites to Twitter such as BlueSky and Mastadon are simply waiting on the sidelines for users to migrate over.

'So, Musk will have to be careful not to ruin the essence of what has made the platform what it is today.'
The lockdown boom in pet ownership has led to an 'extremely worrying' rise in aggressive behaviour by dogs, according to a survey of vets.

Half of vets in the UK have reported a rise in the number of clients concerned about their dogs' increasingly aggressive behaviour over the last 12 months, the survey shows.

While vets in the survey were often unsure about the exact age of the dogs involved, in cases where the age was known, 87 per cent of dogs were believed to be under three years of age.

Almost one in four (24 per cent) of vets also reported an increase in the number of pets they had treated in the last 12 months who were injured as a result of aggressive behaviour by dogs.

The British Veterinary Association, who commissioned the survey, said the findings highlight the longer-term impacts on puppies bought over lockdown in 2020-2021.

The lockdown boom in pet ownership has led to an 'extremely worrying' rise in aggressive behaviour by dogs, according to a survey of vets (stock image)

Like owner, like dog! You and your pooch probably have the same personality, study claims - READ MORE A study has found that those that have the best relationship with their furry friend actually have the same personality as them (stock image) Advertisement

An estimated 3.2 million households in the UK acquired a pet in the first year of the pandemic, with the proportion of people owning a dog increasing when compared to early 2020.

Pandemic puppy owners were more likely to be first-time dog owners, were less likely to seek out a breeder that performed health testing on their breeding dog(s), or view their puppy in-person.

A 2022 Royal Veterinary College study, funded by the BVA's animal welfare charity, Animal Welfare Foundation, predicted the risk of behavioural problems in some pandemic puppies bought during 2020.

British Veterinary Association's Senior Vice President Justine Shotton said: 'Whilst these new statistics are extremely worrying, they are not unexpected.

'Vets and animal charities have been raising concerns around the long-term impacts of the pandemic puppy boom, when owners were unable to access adequate training and socialisation opportunities that are so important for development in the first few months of their lives.

'At the British Veterinary Association, we urge pet owners who are concerned about their dog's behaviour to talk to a vet, who will be able to check for any underlying medical issues that could be causing issues, give advice and refer to an ABTC-accredited veterinary behaviourist.

'Don't delay seeking help, as poor behaviour can deteriorate and can become harder to deal with as a dog matures.

'We also continue to urge the importance of always doing proper research and using the Puppy Contract to make sure you're buying a healthy puppy from a responsible source.

'Make sure that your puppy has lots of positive opportunities for socialisation with humans of all ages, other animals, different environments, various noises and everyday experiences, including visits to your vet practice.'
Heart attacks could soon be diagnosed with better speed and accuracy than ever before thanks to a new AI tool.

Researchers have developed an algorithm which they say could reduce pressure on A&E and reassure patients suffering from chest pain.

A new study suggests that compared to current testing methods, their algorithm was able to rule out a heart attack in more than double the number of patients with an accuracy of 99.6 per cent.

The team, from the University of Edinburgh, said this ability to quickly rule out a heart attack could greatly reduce hospital admissions and rapidly identify patients that are safe to go home.

The current gold standard for diagnosing a heart attack involves measuring levels of the protein troponin in the blood.

Researchers have developed an algorithm which they say could reduce pressure on A&E and reassure patients suffering from chest pain (stock image)

WHAT IS A HEART ATTACK? Figures suggest there are 200,000 hospital visits because of heart attacks in the UK each year, while there are around 800,000 annually in the US. A heart attack, known medically as a myocardial infarction, occurs when the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, and feeling weak and anxious. Heart attacks are commonly caused by coronary heart disease, which can be brought on by smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes. Treatment is usually medication to dissolve blots clots or surgery to remove the blockage. Reduce your risk by not smoking, exercising regularly and drinking in moderation. Heart attacks are different to a cardiac arrest, which occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body, usually due to a problem with electrical signals in the organ. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

But the same threshold is used for every patient, meaning factors such as age, sex and other health problems which affect troponin levels are not considered  affecting how accurate heart attack diagnoses are.

Previous research has shown that women are 50 per cent more likely to get a wrong initial diagnosis, and people who are misdiagnosed have a 70 per cent higher risk of dying after 30 days.

The team said their new algorithm, called CoDE-ACS, is an opportunity to prevent this.

It was developed using data from 10,038 patients in Scotland who had arrived at hospital with a suspected heart attack.

It uses routinely-collected patient information, such as age, sex, ECG findings and medical history, as well as troponin levels, to predict the probability that an individual has had a heart attack.

The result is presented as a probability score from 0 to 100 for each patient.

Professor Nicholas Mills, who led the research, said: 'For patients with acute chest pain due to a heart attack, early diagnosis and treatment saves lives.

'Unfortunately, many conditions cause these common symptoms, and the diagnosis is not always straightforward.

'Harnessing data and artificial intelligence to support clinical decisions has enormous potential to improve care for patients and efficiency in our busy Emergency Departments.'

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, who funded the research, said: 'Chest pain is one of the most common reasons that people present to Emergency Departments.

'Every day, doctors around the world face the challenge of separating patients whose pain is due to a heart attack from those whose pain is due to something less serious.

Figures suggest there are 200,000 hospital visits because of heart attacks in the UK each year, while there are around 800,000 annually in the US (stock image)

'CoDE-ACS, developed using cutting edge data science and AI, has the potential to rule-in or rule-out a heart attack more accurately than current approaches.

'It could be transformational for Emergency Departments, shortening the time needed to make a diagnosis, and much better for patients.'

Figures show there are around 100,000 hospital admissions each year in the UK due to heart attacks  the equivalent of one every five minutes.

Clinical trials are now underway in Scotland to assess whether the AI tool can help doctors reduce pressure on overcrowded emergency departments.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine.
A new billionaire is joining the space race - a crypto tycoon who will launch the first-ever commercial space station in 2025.

Jed McCaleb, CEO of Vast, announced he is working with Elon Musk's SpaceX to send Haven-1 into space and ferry astronauts to and from the craft.

McCaleb, whose net worth is around $2.4 billion, is known for developing the first legitimate cryptocurrency exchange - but is now thinking above and beyond.

The bus-sized orbital outpost will be home to a four-member crew in 2026, which could include astronauts and private individuals.

The inaugural 30-day mission will be in 2026, but the cost per seat has not been revealed.

No private company has ever built and deployed a space station, making Vast the first in history if all goes to plan.

Haven-1 is set to launch in 2025, making it the first-ever commercial space station

'Vast is thrilled to embark on this journey of launching the world's first commercial space station, Haven-1, and its first crew, Vast-1,' McCaleb shared in a statement.

'We are grateful to SpaceX for this exciting partnership that represents the first steps in Vast's long-term vision of launching much larger, artificial gravity space stations in Earth orbit and beyond.'

McCaleb is an American programmer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who is known for founding the cryptocurrency exchange Mt. Gox in 2010.

He will back the spacecraft's development and has committed $300 million to the company.

The total cost for Haven-1's development 'remains to be seen,' McCaleb, also Vast's CEO, said in an interview.

'I think it'll take a bit more than that, but we'll see.'

Haven-1 is designed to fit four crew members, with room to conduct science, research and in-space manufacturing tasks.

Jed McCaleb, CEO of Vast, announced he is working with Elon Musk's SpaceX to send Haven-1 into space and ferry astronauts to and from the craft. McCaleb, whose net worth is around $2.4 billion, is known for developing the first legitimate cryptocurrency exchange

The bus-sized orbital outpost will be home to a four-member crew in 2026, which could include astronauts and private individuals

Vast is teaming up with SpaceX to not only launch Have-1 into space but also ferry people to and from Earth

Vast will also conduct the world's first spinning artificial gravity experiment on a commercial space station.

The structure will also include internet access via onboard Wi-Fi and a dedicated room for exercise and rest.

The four-person crew will launch inside a SpaceX Dragon capsule, which has ferried astronauts to and from the ISS, and dock with Haven-1 after the three-day journey.

SpaceX has agreed to provide astronaut training, spacesuits and other necessary services to send the first crew to the ship, which is predicted to last three years in space.

Space tourism will soon be a part of our lives as billionaires spend their money to send the average person into orbit.

e cylinder-shaped orbital outpost features a massive dome window on onside, WiFi and an exercise room

The inaugural 30-day mission will be in 2026, but the cost per seat has not been revealed

READ MORE: NASA will pay $400m to private companies planning to build their own space stations NASA is set to retire the International Space Station by the end of the decade. Advertisement

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic hopes to start offering trips 62 miles above the surface to the public, possibly as early as this year, although 2024 is beginning to seem more likely.

Then there is Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin which has sent six missions 62 miles above the surface - one of which he was aboard.

Neither company has shared pricing, but then there is Axiom charging millions of dollars to take civilians 250 miles off the ground.

Last year, three businessmen each paid $55 million to become the first-ever all-civilian crew to launch to the International Space Station.

Canadian investor and philanthropist Mark Pathy, US entrepreneur Larry Connor, and ex-Israeli Air Force pilot Eytan Stibbe made history when they were fired into space by a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon capsule that took them there.

They insisted it wasn't space tourism, having trained for almost a year for the mission.

Still, Axiom plans to launch four or five similar missions as a starting point for offering regular trips to orbit for paying customers.
Wakey, wakey on a Mediterranean morning and theres a mesmerising view of yacht masts. Elegant super-vessels with metallic paintwork are packed sardine-tight, hulls reflecting the sunny ripples of the port waters as their owners emerge and saunter off to shop in local boutiques.

But this is not Monte Carlo, its Montenegro, a small country sandwiched between Croatia and Albania, 350 miles east across the Adriatic from Italy.

In the north, mountains plummet to fjord-like jade inlets suggestive of New Zealand or Norway. Farther south, the broad, blond sands are reminiscent of Turkey.

For tan-seekers its a flight of under three hours from Gatwick - or from Manchester, on a twice-weekly Jet2 route to coastal Tivat launching next month.

The country is one of the best sun magnets in southern Europe, and the Regent Porto Montenegro, where Im staying, is part of a luxury residential development near Tivat, owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai.

Historic: Nick Redman discovers the delights of Montenegro. During a visit to the town of Perast (pictured), he dines at elegant Conti where specials include penne The Sopranos with steak, porcini mushrooms and white truffles

Foreign money is attracted to Montenegro like bees to honey - China has even advanced a $1 billion loan for a controversial new expressway that will link to neighbouring Serbia.

The Regents peachy facades and grand colonnades nod to the grand palazzos of the Italian Lakes. The bedrooms are not flashy, but super-comfy and many have magnificent balcony views of gorgeous Boka Bay. Breakfasts are elegant, leisurely affairs and dinner at the in-house Murano restaurant is excellent, with modern Mediterranean dishes on offer including a memorable bonito tartare.

Theres no faulting the value of food and drink in the marinas smart establishments, either, with bottled local beers for 3.65 at the hotel, pizzas from 8 in chic, buzzy Robertos Mare, and pasta and risotto mains for 10 at Navale Kitchen & Bar.

Nick enjoys views of the 'gorgeous' Boka Bay (pictured) during his trip

Nick gets a 'snapshot of Montenegro in all its beauty' during a taxi ride to Budva (above)

The 40-minute taxi ride south to the town of Budva the next day is a snapshot of Montenegro in all its beauty, with brilliant blue Adriatic waters and pebbled beaches on one side, mountain peaks on the other, still dusted with snow.

With its lichen-spattered old-stone ways, red roofs and stout churches, central Budva is a reminder of the medieval Venetian Republic, which also once held sway.

A few footsteps echo as we turn quiet corners, but high summer will bring tourist crowds: signs advertise Guinness at English Pub The Prince, and there are Nutella pancakes on menus.

Unesco-listed Kotor town, once a naval base, is wedged between soaring peaks and a deep bay. Above is the town's North Gate

The blue-domed church of Our Lady Of The Rocks is a 'beauty', writes Nick

TRAVEL FACTS B&B doubles at Regent Hotel Porto Montenegro (ihg.com) from 173. EasyJet (easyjet.com) Gatwick to Tivat and Dubrovnik from 29 one-way. Small-group guided tours of the area start at 47pp with Go Baloo (gobaloo.me). Advertisement

The same distance north of Porto Montenegro, Unesco-listed Kotor town, once a naval base, is wedged between soaring peaks and a deep bay. I have to remind myself I am not in Italy as I amble around.

West round the coast, Perast town provides the perfect lunch stop: elegant Conti, where specials include penne The Sopranos with steak, porcini mushrooms and white truffles.

Boats run to Our Lady Of The Rocks, an islet apparently drafted in from Lake Garda. Its blue-domed church is a beauty, lined inside with silver votive offerings left by storm-fearing mariners over the centuries.

Family-run vineyard Savina, above Boka Bay, makes some of Montenegros finest wines and our tasting is a holiday highlight, sipping glasses of pink grenache on the terrace while nibbling white cheese.

The view is of cypresses against the silver Adriatic. The soundtrack is of chardonnay being bottled rhythmically by a tiny machine at the bar. I inhale and swallow the magic of the Med.
Srinagar, May 11 (UNI) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said instability in Pakistan would have an impact on India.

She also claimed that the ruling party in Pakistan instead of fighting the opposition politically was using agencies and keeping opposition leaders in jail and that this disease has somehow entered India too.

What is happening in Pakistan presently unfortunately is not a new thing. Right from the assassinated Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulifkar Ali Bhutto whosoever is against the opposition parties are being sent to jail, she told reporters in Tral area of south Kashmirs Pulwama district today.

The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir said the instability in Pakistan will have a direct effect on India.

In Pakistan also, the ruling party instead of fighting the opposition politically, takes shortcuts and uses agencies to put them in jail. The same process unfortunately is being used here. This disease is also visible somehow in our country also If we will go through how Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from Parliament membership, (Manish) Sisodia was jailed, in the same way as it is happening in Pakistan, she said.

She said as in Pakistan the ruling party instead of competing with the opposition by taking short cut routes and sending them to jail through their agencies.

unfortunately and sadly, the largest democratic country in the world is convicted Rahul Gandhi, and disqualified... Whatever is the situation in Pakistan it looks like we are going in the same direction, Mehbooba said.

UNI QAB SSP
'Every video is an experiment. Is it as dangerous as they say? Let's find out.'

So says videomaker Conner McBee, who is drumming up a following on YouTube by sharing footage of his travels to places that are generally considered to be unsafe for tourists.

Over the past two years, the 29-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, has shared videos from Iraq, war-torn Ukraine, Colombia and the Mexican city of Tijuana, among other locations, under the username 'Small Brained American'.

Speaking to MailOnline Travel, he says: 'These places are so overhyped in the media, the average person is terrified to go. I feel it's part of my job to show people my honest experience, whether that be good or bad.' Read on for McBee's main takeaways from these trips

COLOMBIA

Videomaker Conner McBee, pictured, is drumming up a following on YouTube by sharing footage of his travels to places that are generally considered to be unsafe for tourists. He's pictured above in Medellin, Colombia

It's not recommended that travellers book a trip to Colombia - the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) notes that 'the security situation can change very quickly in many areas' of the country and the U.S Department of State says that tourists should 'reconsider travel due to crime and terrorism'.

During his time there, however, McBee found that Colombians are 'honest, polite and funny, and they'll always help you when you need it'.

That was proven by the way locals leapt to his aid during a low point in his trip - when he was robbed at knifepoint in Cartagena, a city on the Caribbean coast.

A man started following McBee in the centre of town, he reveals, saying: 'He [started] snatching for my phone, which was, stupidly, in my waistband. Easy target. I slapped his hand away and pushed him off of me. That's when he pulled a knife on me. I froze. He took the phone, and ran away.'

McBee says that he started chasing after the thief and tracked him down to a group of buses nearby, but then lost sight of him. He recalls: 'I'm standing there, heart racing, and reality is setting in: my $1,000 (792) phone is gone, along with all my pictures from the last month in Colombia.'

One of McBee's videos sees him visit a beautiful beach in northern Colombia

McBee was robbed at knifepoint in this part of Cartagena, a city on the Caribbean coast

McBee appears shaken as he recounts having his phone stolen in Colombia

McBee continues: 'Within 30 seconds, a new character emerges off a bus - a guy with a gun. He starts walking towards me, and everyone in the crowd is yelling and pointing at me, so naturally, I think I'm going to get robbed again I'm frozen. I have no idea what to do. He's walking towards me, gun in hand, and I'm standing there motionless.'

Thankfully, the man with a gun was actually coming to McBee's rescue - he pulled McBee's phone out of his pocket and placed it in his hands. McBee says: 'I suspect the guy with the knife jumped on the bus to flee the scene, [and the man] with the gun saw what was going on and wanted to help.'

Another life-affirming moment in Colombia came when local geologists took him on a 'hidden, off-limits trail only intended for geologists' up an active volcano. He says: 'After the hike, we rode our motorcycles to this naturally-sulfuric river and took a bath. It was a magical day.'

UKRAINE

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, both the U.S Department of State and the FCDO warn against any form of travel to Ukraine. McBee's video titled 'How dangerous is Ukraine?' documents his trip to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv last September, at a time when air raid sirens would go off 'every day'.

McBee says: 'I was staying right next to a police station, and the sirens were right outside my window. The first time it went off, I was terrified. I was thinking: "What the hell am I doing here?"'

The still above shows McBee in his hotel room in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv as an air raid siren sounds

McBee says of his time in Lviv: 'I was staying right next to a police station, and the sirens were right outside my window'

McBee says he was 'amazed' by the kindness that Ukrainians showed him. He says: 'I remember one instance where I was trying to pay for a coffee but I didn't have enough coins, and as I was reaching for my wallet, a woman behind me insisted on paying. Once I refused her offer, she actually held my arm to keep me from paying with my own money, and instead slid her money into the machine.' He describes the exchange as 'absolutely heartwarming'.

Another highlight was when he got set up on a blind date with a Ukrainian model, who ended up showing him around the city.

One of the most frightening moments came on September 21, 2022, when Putin announced the mobilization of 300,000 Russian military reservists into Ukraine. McBee, who was in Kyiv at the time, recalls: 'When the air raid sirens went off the next day, I knew it was time to leave.'

He set off on a two-day journey on his motorcycle, riding from Kyiv to reach the border to Moldova. He recalls: 'The weather in central Ukraine is freezing that time of year, so I was shivering on the bike, trying my best to avoid rain, dodgy roads, and military checkpoints.'

McBee passes by sandbags piled up outside a police station in Lviv

The first border crossing he tried was closed, so he set off for the next one. He says: 'I had no idea that 90 per cent of the road ahead would be in no-man's-land between Ukraine and Moldova. There was absolutely nothing. It was raining, it was dark, and it was cold. It was so cold that I would periodically stop the bike and put my hands on the motor to keep them from going numb.'

He continues: 'I was alone - I hadn't seen any flicker of light or sign of civilization in hours - and honestly, I was scared.' McBee eventually made it across the border to Moldova, where he spent hours trying to find a place to sleep for the night. 'I spent between 1am and 3am on an impressively unpaved Soviet road seriously questioning my life choices,' he recalls.

IRAQ

A highlight of McBee's time in Iraq was meeting a 'legendary' local named Ali in Baghdad. He says: 'He spoke perfect English, and let us into his home for a traditional Iraqi BBQ. We ate on the floor, drank tea, smoked cigarettes inside, it was a very local experience. He grew up during the American occupation, so he had a lot of stories and was super open and honest about his country and Iraqis' views on Americans. It was an incredible conversation.'

McBee was surprised by 'how friendly and generous the Iraqi people were', particularly as he's American. He says: 'They were actually delighted to see an American tourist in their country. Honestly, every time I think about Iraq I get a little warm fuzzy feeling. It was such a heartwarming experience.'

Locals teaching McBee how to play a traditional drum instrument in Iraq

McBee visits a mosque during his time in Baghdad. McBee says of the Iraqi people: 'It actually blew my mind the lengths they were willing to go for a stranger, especially an American'

A highlight of McBee's time in Iraq was meeting a 'legendary' local named Ali (pictured left) in Baghdad

He adds: 'It actually blew my mind the lengths they were willing to go for a stranger, especially an American. Whatever I needed, whenever I needed it, the Iraqi people were ecstatic to help me.'

The low point of McBee's time in Iraq was when he spent a day with a man who claimed to work for the U.S embassy and promised to introduce him to high-level Iraqi politicians, only for Conner to realise that he wasn't who he said he was. 'It was one of the weirdest experiences of my life,' says Conner.

It's worth noting that the FCDO advises against all travel to all provinces of Iraq except the Kurdistan Region in the north, and against all but essential travel to the Kurdistan Region. The U.S Department of State, meanwhile, warns against travelling to the country 'due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict [and] civil unrest'.

TIJUANA, MEXICO

Violent crimes are common in the Mexican city of Tijuana, which lies near the border with California - the FCDO advises against all but essential travel there, except for those transiting through the airport or border roads. The U.S Department of State recommends 'reconsidering' travelling to the wider state of Baja California, and notes that 'the high number of homicides in the non-tourist areas of Tijuana' is 'of particular concern'.

McBee's videos Tijuana's Zona Norte neighbourhood, which he describes as 'an area known for sex and drug trafficking'

A local tells McBee about the dangers of spending time in Zona Norte in Tijuana

Conner says of Tijuana: 'It honestly surprised me how dangerous it was. I usually go to these places with the understanding that it's probably not as bad as they say, but Tijuana lived up to the hype.'

The YouTuber reveals that during his time in the city, he 'made the mistake of looking for the most dangerous area'.

He explains: 'I knew Tijuana was dangerous... but I didn't understand the extent of it until I showed up solo in Zone Norte, an area known for sex and drug trafficking. Five minutes into filming, I got a crowd of people around me demanding that I stop and telling me to leave. The swiftness with which they all ganged up on me was very scary - I was holding a $1,100 (872) camera, I was alone, and five or six people immediately surrounded me. I felt rightly intimidated.'

McBee adds: 'Terrified and not totally understanding what was going on, I left, but not before getting some undercover footage and asking locals more about what goes on in Zona Norte.'

In general, McBee recommends that travellers be 'smart, respectful and aware of [their] surroundings' in places with a bad reputation.

McBee says: 'I knew Tijuana was dangerous... but I didn't understand the extent of it until I showed up solo in Zone Norte'

The YouTuber continues: 'I've definitely had some bad experiences in dangerous places, like Tijuana, Colombia, and Ukraine, and I'll always be honest with my viewers about that.' The majority of the time, however, he has a 'totally fine' experience and finds that 'the locals are sweet, the food is good, [and] the tourist infrastructure is hurting' in these places.

McBee continues: 'I think the average person deserves to see what a regular person's experience is in these "forbidden" places, whether it be true to the media image, or the complete opposite. But the truth is usually somewhere in between, and much messier than you could encapsulate in a 15-second sound bite on the nightly news.'

TRAVEL ADVICE TO OTHERS

McBee doesn't recommend that people follow in his footsteps with their travels. He says: 'For the general public, I would say don't do it. Just watch my videos, do your research and decide for yourself if you want to go to these places. I know it's risky, but for me, I enjoy the challenge of going to a place that's difficult to navigate.'

He adds: 'I view it as an experiment - I really just want to see if these places are as bad as people say. And I fully acknowledge that it's a risk that doesn't work out in my favour sometimes.'

To see more videos from Conner, visit his YouTube channel and his TikTok account.
European flight prices for US travelers are currently at an all-time high - with an eye-wateringly expensive average of $1,167 per ticket.

Analysts at travel booking app Hopper told DailyMail.com that airfares this summer are the highest they have been in more than five years due to rising jet fuel prices, staff shortages and a lack of new aircraft.

Trips to Europe are currently averaging $1,167 per ticket for summer departures, which is 36 per cent more expensive than last year or about $317 per ticket. Meanwhile, flights to Asia are up 62 per cent compared to pre-pandemic, with the average ticket being $350 more expensive at $1,817.

However, despite plane ticket prices soaring, there are a few handy hacks that you can use to keep the cost of your summer travel down, with experts sharing a hosts of tips to ensure that you can still jet off to your destination of choice without breaking the bank.

Here, DailyMail.com rounds up the very best expert advice to help you enjoy the European vacation of your dreams.

Analysts at travel booking app Hopper told DailyMail.com that airfares this summer are the highest they have been in more than five years (stock image)

Researchers say flights to Europe and Asia have jumped to their highest level in five years

Be flexible with your travel plans

You might have set dates for travel in your head, but all of the travel experts recommend being as flexible as possible with your plans in a bid to get the best deal.

This means, if you need to book time off work, it's best investigating the best flight deals available before requesting leave.

Sometimes altering your travel dates by a couple of days can slash costs by almost half.

Travel booking site Skyscanner allows you to search flights for an entire month, with the lowest price for each day listed so you can easily spot the cheapest times to fly.

If you can be really flexible, it might be worth postponing a trip by a few weeks. The team at money-saving website NerdWallet highlight that the shoulder months - spring and fall - are usually the cheapest times to travel.

They found a return flight from Newark, New York, to Athens cost in $435 September compared to $906 during high season.

Search every day of the week - NOT just on Tuesdays

The team of travel experts at Thrifty Traveler highlight that there is an 'outdated myth' within the travel community that Tuesday is the cheapest day to book flights, but 'there's just one problem: It's not true.'

Instead they instruct travelers to try different searches throughout the week as there is no reasoning behind deals and they could crop up at anytime.

The flight deal analysts say they 'find crazy cheap flights, mistake fares, and unadvertised award sales every single day of the year.

'And no, airlines aren't tracking your searches and raising your prices based on how many times you search. That means there's no need to search incognito for flights, either.'

The team of travel experts at Thrifty Traveler highlight that there is an 'outdated myth' within the travel community that Tuesday is the cheapest day to book flights

Fly on off-peak days for the best deals

While the day you book doesn't matter, the experts say that the day you fly does.

Typically Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Saturdays are the cheapest days to fly, while Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays are the most expensive.

According to a 2022 data analysis by the team at Google Flights, flying on a Tuesday or Wednesday was 12 per cent cheaper than flying over the weekend over the last five years.

For domestic travel within the US, that number came in at 20 per cent.

Points mean prizes! Why it's worth getting a travel credit card

According to the travel experts at NerdWallet, award travel is one of the easiest ways of saving money on flights. It is worth investigating which banks offer the best travel credit card deals.

These cards allow you to earn points or miles with certain purchases, with these being redeemable against flights, hotels and car rentals. Other bonuses can include trip insurance and lounge access.

An analysis conducted by Bankrate looking at travel cards from a range of providers including Chase, Citi, American Express and Wells Fargo, found that the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is currently the best on the market for overall travel.

The experts say that this is 'in part to its flexibility.' They add: 'You'll earn unlimited miles and can redeem them as statement credits for a variety of travel expenses, including airfare and accommodations.'

While travel credit cards have many pluses, Bankrate notes that some of the cons include needing a good-to-excellent credit score to quality and hefty annual fees that can sometimes run up to $500.

Another niggle is that using rewards points can be complex, so it requires a bit of effort to maximize their value.

Travel credit cards allow you to earn points or miles with certain purchases, with these being redeemable against flights, hotels and car rentals

Book at least 45 days in advance

Booking as early as possible is best, the experts say, when it comes to getting bargain travel deals.

According to CheapAir's 2023 International Airfare Study, those considering traveling from the US to Europe should book at least 45 days in advance.

Ideally, the experts recommend booking 10 months in advance.

Set price alerts for price drops

If you can't find a flight deal to fit your budget, set a price alert.

There are lots of websites that automatically notify you when flights fall in price.

The experts from travel site Via Travelers rated some of their favorite flight price trackers with Skyscanner coming out on top.

They explain: 'If the flight price is too high, set up alerts and wait, or add nearby airports to your search. That way, you get immediate flight alerts if the price changes or better flight options arise.'

Their other flight price tracker recommendations include Google Flights, Expedia, Going and Hopper.

Take advantage of the 24-hour rule

Travel deal site Going, advises travelers to lock in a deal but to take advantage of the '24-hour rule' if the price drops after booking.

It explains that this useful US regulation 'allows passengers to cancel or change their flight free of charge within 24 hours of booking, if they booked directly with the airline at least seven days before travel for a flight going to or from the US.'

If you spot a cheaper flight, the experts recommend booking it before doing anything else to ensure you lock that rate in.

Once the booking has been confirmed, you can cancel the original ticket provided you are still within the 24-hour window from when you bought it.

Going highlights that the 24-hour rule is not applicable if you booked via an online travel agency like Expedia or Booking.com, although 'some have their own 24-hour cancellation rules.'

Consider landing or starting from a different destination

Sometimes flights to a different destination to the one you are looking for can be cheaper.

With a greater selection of budget airlines in Europe, you can then find a low-cost connection.

While you might see this as an inconvenience, it could serve as an opportunity to tick off another destination during your vacation.

For instance, if you need to travel from the US to Paris, it might be cheaper flying to London first as there are more carriers operating this route.

You could then get a connection, or use the money saved to explore the British capital for a couple of days before heading on.

Likewise, starting out from a different location could net you savings, and the experts at Going previously revealed New York JFK, Newark and Chicago as the top three US airports most likely to offer deals on international flights.

If you don't mind hanging out at airports, it might be worth altering your travel search to include layovers too.

Data from Google Flights found that adding a layover to your flight itinerary can save an average of 20 per cent.

Streamline your packing to avoid luggage fees

An increasing number of airlines are implementing checked baggage fees for long haul journeys.

Where as in the past it was a given that tickets from the US to Europe would include at least one checked bag, now many basic fares only come with an item of carry on.

To avoid paying extra for luggage, try and keep your packing to a minimum.

If you can, try and wear bulkier items to the airport and if you are traveling with friends, family or colleagues see if items can be distributed among the group.
In the age of modern dating, it's often difficult to figure out if someone is single, casually dating, or in a committed relationship.

But there are five sneaky ways to work out if someone is single without having to ask them, 'Are you single?'

Kyle and Jackie O producer Jaimee 'Mayo' Blazquez, who is married, explained the methods on air this week.

She tested the 'tricks' on five of her male colleagues in front of radio host Jackie 'O' Henderson, who is single and dating.

The first method involves asking the person where they spent their last holiday. If they have a partner, they'll usually mention them here.

The Kyle and Jackie O Show producer Jaimee 'Mayo' Blazquez (pictured) has revealed there are five sneaky ways to work out if someone is single without having to ask them

This question worked: the man said his last holiday was in Canada and he volunteered, without being asked, that he went with his 'partner'.

The second tip is asking if a person bites their nails.

'So then naturally, they'll put their hands up so you can look and see if they have a ring,' Mayo said.

This method didn't go to plan in the studio, however, because when Jackie asked the second man if he bites his nails, he refused to show his hands.

Eventually she persuaded him to show them, and she saw he didn't have a ring.

The third method involves asking them 'something about dating in general' - for example, asking them 'how late is too late to turn up on a date'.

She tested the 'tricks' on five of her male colleagues in front of radio host Jackie 'O' Henderson (pictured), who is single and dating

They tried this line on another male KIIS FM staffer, who said, 'Oh, geez. I'd say about 15 minutes.'

Jackie then casually asked when his last date was, and he confirmed he was single and dating by responding: 'Last date was last week.'

The fourth trick is to 'mention a dating app'. This typically prompts a person who is not available to say something like, 'Nah, I don't do the apps. I'm in a relationship.'

When Jackie asked this question to a colleague named Michael, he volunteered that he isn't on any apps because he is 'freshly' single.

The fifth method doesn't really qualify as sneaky: you just ask the person if they are seeing anyone.

'Are you single?' Jackie asked another KIIS FM worker, to which he responded: 'Yes!'

It comes after Jackie revealed on Wednesday she was finally back in the dating game, almost five years after she announced her split from ex-husband Lee in 2018

When Kyle Sandilands (left) warned her about 'f**k boys', Jackie (right) said he didn't need to worry because she wasn't necessarily looking for a 'long-term relationship or anything like that.' 'What a slutty thing to say! That's terrible. What's happened to her?' gasped Kyle

It comes after Jackie revealed on Wednesday she was finally back in the dating game, almost five years after she announced her split from ex-husband Lee in 2018.

The radio presenter revealed she had joined dating app Hinge.

She told Kyle she had spent the previous night chatting to 'three or four' different men she'd matched with.

While her KIIS FM colleagues were thrilled for her, one confession by the usually strait-laced Jackie left Kyle shocked.

When Kyle warned her about 'f**k boys', Jackie said he didn't need to worry because she wasn't necessarily looking for a 'long-term relationship or anything like that'.

'What a slutty thing to say! That's terrible. What's happened to her?' gasped Kyle.

Jackie replied: 'I'm not like, "Oh, my God, I must find the one." No. I just want to have a little bit of fun and go on a few dates.'

Despite being open to a casual fling, she stressed she would not 'go down on a guy' on the first date. She also has not sent any nudes.

Jackie's return to the dating scene comes after she lost an impressive 18kg with WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers. (She is pictured here before and after her weight loss)

She has also changed up her style in recent months, swapping her usual daggy outfits for glamorous ensembles and hair extensions

Jackie went on to reveal she was open to dating a younger man, and had set her age range on Hinge from 35 to 55.

Meanwhile, her experience on Hinge hasn't been without its hurdles, as some of the men she matched with did not believe she was the real Jackie O.

Jackie's return to the dating scene comes after she lost an impressive 18kg with WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers.

With her confidence at an all-time high, she said on Wednesday she had decided to wear a midriff-baring top for the first time since her twenties.

She has also changed up her style in recent months, swapping her usual daggy outfits for glamorous ensembles and hair extensions.

Jackie was married to British photographer Lee Henderson from 2003 to 2018. The former couple share custody of 12-year-old daughter Kitty.

Before meeting Lee, she was briefly married to 'Ugly Phil' O'Neil in the late '90s.
An Aussie TV presenter has urged actor Robert De Niro to get a vasectomy as a 'Father's Day present' as he prepares to welcome his seventh child at age 79.

In a column for 9Honey, Channel Nine personality Shelly Horton criticised De Niro's decision to become a father again well into retirement age.

She said it was 'irresponsible' for older men to father children because they often die before the child has grown up, leaving their younger partners as single mothers.

De Niro's girlfriend Tiffany Chen is believed to be 45 years old.

'It's irresponsible to have children at that age, especially when you consider the child will undoubtedly grow up without a father for most of their life,' Horton wrote.

An Aussie TV presenter has urged actor Robert De Niro (pictured) to get a vasectomy as a 'Father's Day present' as he prepares to welcome his seventh child at age 79

'While some may argue women shouldn't have to sacrifice their desire to have children because their partner is older, they need to think about the long-term consequences of that decision.'

Horton said it 'is incredibly difficult for single mothers to raise children alone', and while De Niro may be able to provide financial support, he can't help carry the emotional and physical load of parenthood once he is dead or infirm.

'As parents age, they may also struggle with health issues that make it difficult for them to provide the care and attention young children require,' she said.

Horton, 50, expressed concern that De Niro's child could be at risk of emotional trauma by losing their father at a young age.

Shelly Horton (pictured) criticised De Niro's decision to become a father again well into retirement age. She said it was 'irresponsible' for older men to father children because they often die before the child has grown up, leaving their younger partners as single mothers

She then noted an interview De Niro gave The Hollywood Reporter in 2016 in which he said himself it was irresponsible for him to have any more children.

'I don't think it's responsible, at my age, to have more children. I'm going to be 70 years old, and they'll be dealing with the things that people deal with at that age,' he told the publication.

De Niro made the shocking announcement about his newborn child, whom he shares with girlfriend Tiffany Chen, earlier this week.

When the Godfather star was asked by a reporter for ET Canada what it was like to be a father of six children, he admitted he had recently welcomed his seventh child.
Two reality show worlds collided on Wednesday night as Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry and Chantelle Connelly partied with the cast of TOWIE.

Chloe, 27, put on a leggy display in a black minidress as she left Bagatelle in Mayfair alongside a worse for wear Chantelle, 33, who decided to sit on a parked bicycle.

The girls joined the likes of newly-single Dan Edgar, Dani Imbert, Love Island's Francesca Allen and Junaid Ahmed for James Lock's activewear We Are Levo launch at BuddhaBox earlier in the evening.

Chloe appeared in high spirits as she left the bash and tottered down the street in her black strappy heels.

A bleary-eyed Chantelle looked like she was having a blast as she tried to sit on a bicycle which was chained to bike rack.

Two reality show worlds collided on Wednesday night as Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry (pictured) and Chantelle Connelly partied with the cast of TOWIE

A worse for wear Chantelle, 33, decided to sit on a parked bicycle

The Geordie Shore star showed off her toned abs in a white crop top and rara skirt.

Francesca, meanwhile, cut a stylish figure in a strapless jumpsuit and leather jacket as she walked alongside James.

Chloe Brockett arrived in a figure-hugging brown minidress which she teamed with a Louis Vuitton bag and leather knee-high boots.

Dani rocked a unitard as she left the venue alongside Junaid and Chloe.

Dan recently split from Amber Turner but appeared in a good mood as he enjoyed a boys' night out with James and former TOWIE star James Argent.

TOWIE is set to descend into chaos as Chloe B breaks down in tears during an explosive friendship row in a new teaser which sees her friendship group torn apart.

Chloe, 22, was close pals with Amber, Courtney Green and Chloe Meadows but saw their relationship tested after she fell out with Jordan Brook.

The fall-out led to an argument with the 'girl band' trio before they went to Thailand and in the latest teaser clip, it appeared their relationship had completely deteriorated.

Night on the town: The girls joined the likes of newly-single Dan Edgar, Dani Imbert, Love Island's Francesca Allen and Junaid Ahmed for James Lock's activewear We Are Levo launch

Bronzed: Chloe, 27, put on a leggy display in a black minidress as she left Bagatelle in Mayfair

Worse for wear: A bleary-eyed Chantelle looked like she was having a blast as she tried to sit on a bicycle which was chained to bike rack

Dan recently split from Amber Turner but appeared in a good mood as he enjoyed a boys' night out with Jordan Brooks

Francesca, meanwhile, cut a stylish figure in a strapless jumpsuit and leather jacket as she walked alongside James

Dan told a crying Chloe: 'When it gets to the point when your friendship group is causing you more hassle than what it's worth then you need to have a look at it and evaluate things.'

Later, Chloe spoke to Courtney, and said: 'I love you so much you're literally like my sister, I don't want to be in this situation.'

Courtney told Chloe: 'I love you too' and in the next scene, Amber cried as she spoke about the argument with Courtney and Chloe Meadows.

She said: 'I just feel really sad. This whole thing has been blown into a massive thing that it didn't need to be.'

It came after Chloe hinted that she had broken away from Chloe Meadows, Courtney and Amber due to their fight.

She was asked about the girl band friendship group in an Instagram question and answer session.

Chloe replied to the fan: 'No, I'm exploring my solo career' and then went on to take a dig at her former friends.

She said: I love Saff, at least when she has a problem, she says it to my face. We speak a lot.'

Chloe previously revealed that she couldn't stop 'sobbing' after watching the latest episode of TOWIE back.

The reality star admitted that she was fed up of her co-stars making 'sly digs' about her and watching all their 'negative opinions'.

TOWIE airs on Sunday on ITVBe at 9pm.

Happy: Francesca beamed for the cameras as they left the venue

Party: Dani rocked a unitard as she left the venue alongside Junaid and Chloe

Time for bed: Dani led the pack as the headed out of the party with goodie bags

Super stylish: Francesca looked effortlessly cool in her strapless jumpsuit and heels

Having fun: The trio giggled as they headed home

Support: They linked arms as they tottered down the street

Clothes launch: James cut a sporty figure as he posed with James Argent

Designer garb: Chloe Brockett arrived in a figure-hugging brown minidress which she teamed with a Louis Vuitton bag and leather knee-high boots. Elma Pazar (R) was also there

Having a god time: The girls beamed as they strutted to the bash earlier in the evening
Former Hillsong Church pastor Carl Lentz took to Instagram Tuesday with an update about his life more than two-and-a-half years after he was let go from the church amid a cheating scandal.

The 44-year-old - who was deposed of power in the church following his fall from grace in November of 2020 - posted an extensive statement on Instagram about his recent actions.

The Virginia Beach, Virginia native said: 'For the last 3 years my entire focus has been fighting for my wife and my kids, my family has been my only priority.'

Lentz, who is father to kids Ava, Charlie and Roman with wife Laura, said that to recalibrate his life, 'Seeking sobriety and healing had to run parallel with those goals.

'In order to do that, honestly nothing else mattered,' said Lentz, who was close to stars such as Justin Bieber during his time at the head of the religious institution. 'None of the noise, the lies, none of the half truths that were said about me and or us, mattered.'

The latest: Former Hillsong Church pastor Carl Lentz, 44, took to Instagram Tuesday with an update about his life more than two-and-a-half years after he was let go from the church amid a cheating scandal

Lentz said that his sole goal amid his exodus from the Hillsong Church was to be a consistent presence for his family.

'All I wanted was to prove to my wife and kids that I could show up for them like I had never done before,' Lentz said. 'Although we have a long way to go, with a lot of work, a lot of honesty and a lot of prayer, we have found ourselves in a beautiful, happy and deliberately honest place.'

Lentz said he and his spouse celebrated their '20th wedding anniversary on May 5th ... in the purest way,' a marital milestone that 'came through a lot of humiliation embarrassment and heartache' in the aftermath of the public cheating scandal.

The pastor spoke out just more than a week before the debut of The Secrets of Hillsong, a docuseries that premieres on FX and Hulu May 19.

He said that he and his spouse felt the docuseries would help their healing process, in getting their story out in an effort to tell their story through an impartial lens.

'Part of the healing from that heartache led us to the decision to be a part of a documentary that we do not control, that we don't have any say in and that we haven't even seen yet,' Lentz said. 'We'll see it when the world does. We were not interested in blame shifting or responsibility deflection, we focus on my mistakes and the context for what transpired.'

Lentz said he has felt feelings of freedom after getting to 'a place of honesty' in his life.

'When you've gone through hell and you realize God is still with you,' Lentz said, 'it's the freedom I wish for all of the many people that I know that are called by God and wrestle with secrets and the feeling of not being worthy.'

Lentz is dad to kids Ava, Charlie and Roman with wife Laura. They were pictured in LA in 2016

Lentz said that to recalibrate his life, 'Seeking sobriety and healing had to run parallel with those goals'

The pastor spoke out just more than a week before the debut of The Secrets of Hillsong, a docuseries that premieres on FX and Hulu May 19

Lentz said he has felt feelings of freedom after getting to 'a place of honesty' in his life

Lentz was famously close to stars such as Justin Bieber during his time at the head of the religious institution. Pictured in 2017 in NYC

Lentz said that the feelings of unworthiness led him 'to some dark places.'

Lentz said in the social media that he is 'no longer in ministry' but involved with 'an amazing church that loves and supports' him and his family.

'I'm not preaching, not overseeing people, my role is to help give perspective and insight where I can,' Lentz said. 'I can also say that what gives me joy and hope is knowing that what I have been through, what I have made it past can help so many others.

'I can do that in so many different ways, inside and outside the church.'

Lentz acknowledged that he was 'not the first man to be in this situation and ... won't be the last' and vowed he would 'be the guy standing with his arms open wide for anyone who's been on this path of addiction and destruction.'

He continued, 'I can say I understand it and my relationship with Jesus in a way that I couldn't from the pulpit.

'Repentance and life change is proven over time with consistent choices and that's a road I look forward to. It truly makes me wonder if this is what all of this pain was all about.'

Lentz said he felt lessons from his life could be beneficial to viewers, and thanked them for reading the statement.

'From the lows of where I've been, to the grace and forgiveness that God has granted me, I have something to share and so does Laura and my kids,' Lentz said.
Booby Tape co-founder Bianca Roccisano put on a daring display as she joined her sister Bridgett at the launch of their breast tape in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday.

Bianca, 37, suffered a nip slip as she poured her curves into a stunning gold mini dress by Alex Perry, worth a cool $2,250.

Luckily for Bianca, she put her own brand of nipple covers to good use as she busted out of her frock, sparing herself the embarrassment of flashing the cameras.

Despite the fashion gaffe, she looked hot to trot as she joined her newlywed sister Bridgett at Fredericks cafe and bar for the exclusive event.

Booby Tape co-founder Bianca Roccisano (left) put on a daring display as she joined her sister Bridgett (right) at the launch of their breast tape in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday

Her metallic frock featured thin spaghetti straps and a ruched design. She teamed the look with a pair of strappy gold heels.

Bianca showed off a deep golden tan and wore her dark hair loosely. Her bracelets and jewellery were from luxury brands including Van Cleef & Arpels.

Her sister Bridgett, who wed husband Joshua Cavallaro in Melbourne last month, looked chic in a plunging black mini dress, oversized blazer and heels.

Luckily for Bianca, she put her own brand of nipple covers to good use as she busted out of her frock, sparing herself the embarrassment of flashing the cameras

Despite the fashion gaffe, she looked hot to trot as she joined her newlywed sister Bridgett at Fredericks cafe and bar for the exclusive event

The Roccisano sisters appeared in high spirits as they celebrated their thriving business expanding in Europe.

Italian actor Michele Morrone, known for starring in the erotic drama 365 Days, was in attendance alongside his new girlfriend Moara Sorio.

Michele showed off his tattoos in an open white shirt and grey pinstriped trousers.

The Roccisano sisters appeared in high spirits as they celebrated their thriving business expanding in Europe

Italian actor Michele Morrone, known for starring in 365 Days, was in attendance

He was joined by his new girlfriend Moara Sorio, who looked chic in a denim dress

Her sister Bridgett tied the knot with husband Joshua Cavallaro in Melbourne last month

The Roccisanos are co-founders of the eponymous clothing label Bianca and Bridgett and beauty brand Booby Tape, which has been described as a 'breast lift in a box'.

Worn by the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Booby Tape products are sold in more than 35 countries.

The pair, who started out as celebrity stylists in Melbourne in 2010, recently spoke to Daily Mail Australia of how they went from being broke students putting '$5 worth of fuel' a Volkswagen Jetta to becoming multimillionaires.

The Roccisano sisters are co-founders of the eponymous clothing label Bianca and Bridgett and beauty brand Booby Tape, which has been described as a 'breast lift in a box'

'We were totally broke,' said Bianca, who studied law at university.

'Bridgett and I sat down and I was like, "We're not doing it anymore. We need to support ourselves. We have no money, so what business could we start?"'

Their business journey began with the launch of clothing label Bianca and Bridgett, which was followed by Booby Tape, which now has an annual turnover of $10million.

Bridgett said the idea for Booby Tape came from the sisters being 'both large-busted women' who would sometimes 'restrict' their wardrobe out of necessity.

'I remember going to the races one year and I wanted to wear this low-cut, backless dress and I couldn't do it because I would have to wear a bra for support,' she said.

Bridgett started using electrical tape and duct tape before trying to find a breast-specific tape, only to realise there wasn't one on the market.

'I jumped on the computer, searched it, and no such thing existed. Then Bianca was like, "I don't believe that," so we searched it and decided something needs to be done,' she added.
Australia's most famous porn star Angela White has revealed she once pleasured herself in the women's bathroom of the Melbourne University library.

She took a break from porn in the late 2000s to obtain a degree in gender studies from the respected university, and graduated with first-class honours in 2010.

The 37-year-old, who has appeared in more than 900 hardcore scenes, said on the Stiff Socks Podcast she unexpectedly became aroused one day while studying a 'dry' medical textbook so snuck off to the toilets to masturbate.

'I was reading a sex education book at university and I was so turned on by this dry medical language. I had to go to the bathroom at the library,' she said.

'I got so overwhelmed I couldn't continue [studying],' she added.

Australia's most famous porn star Angela White (pictured) has revealed she once pleasured herself in the women's bathroom of the Melbourne University library

Her outrageous confession comes just days after Angela dropped her biggest hint yet she could soon quit the industry.

After several high-profile TV and podcast appearances, she seems to be angling for a career in mainstream media or academia.

She hinted at her future career path last week when she spoke at a conference at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Angela posed for a photo on Instagram on Friday next to social sciences and media studies professor Constance Penley.

The 37-year-old said on the Stiff Socks Podcast she unexpectedly became aroused one day while studying a 'dry' medical textbook so snuck off to the toilets to masturbate

'Academic pursuit remains an interest of mine and something I wish to return to in the future,' she wrote in the caption.

During the college lecture, Angela spoke to film studies students about her career.

The performer, who popularised the sex position 'The Angela', also took part in a question and answer session with students after her speech.

Angela spoke at a conference last week at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is pictured here with social sciences and media studies professor Constance Penley

'This is my third time as a guest speaker at this film studies class that approaches pornography as worthy of serious inquiry as a genre and as popular culture,' she said after the lecture.

Angela thanked the students for their 'well-informed, thought-provoking questions' about her 'career as a performer and director' as well as her academic research.

'While it has been a number of years since my research dissertation was published in The Routledge Companion to Media, Sex, and Sexuality, academic pursuit remains an interest of mine and something I wish to return to in the future,' she added.

The university visit comes after Angela insisted she wouldn't be retiring from porn anytime soon.

After several high-profile TV and podcast appearances, White seems to be angling for a career in mainstream media or academia

Despite fans begging her to give her body a rest following reports of on-set injuries, Angela said she was doing just fine and in fact 'loves' her physically taxing job.

She spoke about her workload after one of her fans, who goes by the username DionYoung255, asked her on Instagram to 'consider taking a break for once'.

'After doing over 900 scenes, isn't it time to consider taking a break for once?' they commented on one of her posts.

However, the three-time winner of the AVN Award for Female Performer of the Year was having none of it.

The university visit comes after the 37-year-old, who popularised the sex position 'The Angela', insisted she wouldn't be retiring from porn anytime soon

'Do a job you love and never work a day in your life,' Angela responded.

But DionYoung255 wasn't alone in expressing concern, with more fans saying Angela risks long-term health issues if she continues with her punishing work schedule.

'I don't know, Angela. That's a brutal way to treat your body for years on end. At some point you pay a price,' one said.

'I think you should find a nice guy, enjoy a relationship for once. Haven't you at least earned that?

'I think you have earned some downtime and a romantic dinner with some guy you connect with. But it's your body, so go ahead and keep going, if that's what you want to do.'
While Charlie Chaplin was known for his trademark hat and cane, his granddaughter Laura has made a splash with a pair of purple suede boots.

The artist, 34, wore the eye-catching footwear at her wedding. She exchanged vows with lawyer Etienne Monnier in their native Switzerland.

Laura is the daughter of the screen legend's eldest son, Eugene, and his wife, Bernadette.

'Love, laughter and happily ever,' says Laura, who creates pictures of her famous forebear.

The couple will have a second marriage ceremony this summer on a Spanish farm.

While Charlie Chaplin was known for his trademark hat and cane, his granddaughter Laura has made a splash with a pair of purple suede boots

The artist, 34, wore the eye-catching footwear at her wedding. She exchanged vows with lawyer Etienne Monnier in their native Switzerland

Laura never met Chaplin, who died ten years before she was born, but says she has always felt a close connection with him.

'I've inherited his artistic and creative genes, and his perfectionism,' she explained. 'He also gave me the importance of laughter. I've seen how it affects people and like him, feel the need to make people smile.'

There was an innocent, canine victim of the Rolling Stones stars' drug-fuelled lifestyle. In The Stones And Brian Jones, a new BBC2 documentary about the band's guitarist Brian Jones, who died in 1969 aged 27, his friend, the model Penelope Tree, reveals: 'He had a dog, she was a spaniel, such a sweet dog.

'She was maybe about five years old and she looked about 20 because she had eaten a cake with acid [LSD] in it.

'She had gone on a trip which had lasted months and months. You know, sad things happened.'

Bake Off's Prue has her cake and eats it too

The Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith cannot believe her luck in enjoying a highly paid television career at the age of 83.

'It's extraordinary,' says the founder of Leith's School of Food and Wine. 'It's so easy. I've been so lucky. I don't have to do anything. I don't have to write a script, learn lines. I don't have to do rehearsals.

The Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith cannot believe her luck in enjoying a highly paid television career at the age of 83

'Most cookery programmes are really complicated. You have to worry about the ingredients and the gas [being] turned on at the right moment. I don't have to do any of that. I just walk on, eat cake, say what I think, walk off and get paid.

'I'm rather nervous that one day the producers will think, 'Why are we paying her all this money if it's that easy?' '

TV explorer Levison Wood is known for getting into tricky situations abroad. But one of his most worrying moments occurred on a South London council estate, where he was confronted by armed police late at night.

The former paratrooper was running for a taxi while in dress uniform worn for a wedding  complete with ceremonial sword. 'The sword was slapping against my leg, so I thought I'll pull [it] out, he says on the podcast My Wardrobe Malfunction. It just so happens that a police armed response van was driving past.

'These coppers screeched in front of me, lights flashing, guns out. Luckily they were all ex-military themselves and p***ing themselves laughing. And they dropped me off at home.'

Bookworm Bea relishes stepson's bedtime stories

Princess Beatrice, who became a stepmother when she married property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020, has revealed that reading bedtime stories has helped her connect with his son Christopher, known as Wolfie.

Princess Beatrice, who became a stepmother when she married property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020, has revealed that reading bedtime stories has helped her connect with his son Christopher, known as Wolfie

'Being a parent is such a busy thing, and building that connection through reading with the children makes me stop and think.'

King Charles's niece, 34, who has a 19-month-old daughter, Sienna, with Edo, adds that regular reading with her children helps her cope with a learning difficulty. 'Having dyslexia, I get a little bit of a challenge of remembering to sit down and read myself.'

Bea says her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, has encouraged her passion for books. 'With my mum being an incredible author, she's taught me so much,' she says.

When Oscar winner Olivia Colman signed up for forthcoming Marvel drama Secret Invasion, she hoped her character, an MI6 agent, would be blessed with superpowers. No such luck.

'I kept asking if I could be bitten by something, or fall into a vat of something,' she says of her pleas to producers. 'They were having none of it.'

The series, which also stars Samuel L. Jackson and Emilia Clarke, is due to be released on Disney+ next month.
He launched a claim for 132 million in damages against the billionaire Candy brothers in the High Court  and lost.

But now it looks as though controversial wheeler-dealer Mark Holyoake is in line for a payday amounting to tens of millions of pounds  courtesy of the party island of Ibiza.

That's where Holyoake  who met and befriended Nick Candy at Reading University, only to fall out with him and his brother Christian over a business deal  stands to cash in on a trophy property, originally built by Thierry Roussel, final husband of tragic heiress Christina Onassis, who died aged 37.

'It's the most incredible house,' an acquaintance of Holyoake tells me. So is the price  more than $80 million, or getting on for 65 million.

That's twice the price of the most expensive house offered for sale in Ibiza last year.

Mark Holyoake with his wife Emma

It looks as though controversial wheeler-dealer Mark Holyoake is in line for a payday amounting to tens of millions of pounds  courtesy of the party island of Ibiza

That's where Holyoake  who met and befriended Nick Candy (left) at Reading University, only to fall out with him and his brother Christian (right) over a business deal  stands to cash in on a trophy property, originally built by Thierry Roussel, final husband of tragic heiress Christina Onassis, who died aged 37

Holyoake, 50, declines to comment. But the property is, I can reveal, being discreetly marketed in a sumptuous 112-page brochure, studded with mouth-watering photographs.

The Estate House boasts three 'primary suites', each with bedroom, bathroom, dressing room and private terrace; plus five further bedrooms and bathrooms; a 'restaurant-standard' kitchen; wine cellar; gym; outdoor bar; 'swimming lake' with terracing and fire-pit; a separate swimming pool; a playroom and a playground. And, of course, a two-bedroom staff house and additional three-bedroom staff quarters.

Intriguingly, images of the two new houses in the grounds of the 30-acre estate appear in the particulars, though not with quite the same clarity as those of the main house.

'They're computer-generated,' a chum explains, adding that building has begun  though it may be left to the buyer to direct the final stages. 'You can't just buy one house and not another. You buy the whole lot.'

Doubtless, prospective buyers will scrutinise all the details. Holyoake founded and ran British Seafood, which at one stage grew 40 per cent a year, propelling Holyoake to an estimated 50 million fortune by 2009. The next year, the firm went bust, with debts of 250 million.
Channel Nine is holding auditions for the next season of reality show Travel Guides.

Producers are looking for families, friends and households of between two to four people to appear on season eight of the globe-trotting series.

'Do you have a passion for travel, a sense of humour and want the adventure of a lifetime?' reads the casting call.

'Apply today for your chance to join Australia's No. 1 Logie Award Winning Travel Show.'

Applicants must be over 18 years old and available to travel for filming from July to December this year.

Channel Nine is holding auditions for the next season of reality show Travel Guides

They must also be an Australian citizen or have been a permanent resident for at least two years.

The popular travel show, narrated by comedian Denise Scott, won the silver Logie for Most Popular Lifestyle Program in 2022.

Previous seasons have seen the energetic cast flown to Japan, Thailand and New Zealand to present viewers with their unique travel experiences.

A positive attitude and a fun, down-to-earth approach will help impress producers, according to an industry source.

Back in 2019, Travel Guides star Stacey Wilburn told 9Honey that honest and 'bubbly' people are a perfect fit for the show.

Producers are looking for families, friends and households of between two to four people to appear on season eight of the globe-trotting series

Applicants must be over 18 years old and available to travel for filming from July to December this year

'Don't bulls**t on your application, be true and honest about yourself,' she said.

'And remember you will be travelling and living in each other's pockets so you want to have a very good relationship with the people you travel with.'

Travel Guides, which sees ordinary Aussies become global travel critics, has proved a ratings winner for Channel Nine, often topping its time slot.
Karlie Kloss and Ashley Graham commanded attention on Wednesday, as they arrived to the Future of Fashion Celebration and Honors event in New York.

The pregnant 30-year-old model - who's currently expecting her second child with businessman husband Joshua Kushner, 37 - wowed in a fiery jumpsuit with a plunging neckline that showed off her cleavage.

The runway sensation's look featured elaborate gold straps, which she matched with chunky gold earrings.

Meanwhile Graham, 35, slipped her famous curves into a skintight long-sleeve black dress, which she paired with wrap-around sandal heels.

The evening was hosted by Graham. Kloss was one of the fashion industry leaders who was recognized as the Fashion Icon honoree, along with designer Victor Glemaud, who was named as the Outstanding Alumni honoree.

Two beauties: Karlie Kloss and Ashley Graham commanded attention on Wednesday, as they arrived to the Future of Fashion Celebration and Honors event in New York

The event featured the annual Future of Fashion runway show, with looks created by a group of 2023 graduates of Fashion Institute of Technology's (FIT) Fashion Design BFA program.

The event benefits the FIT Foundation, which provides the next generation of FIT students with scholarships and more.

The Victoria's Secret Angel wore her brunette tresses parted in the middle and cascading down her back.

Like Ashley, Karlie also opted for heels to elevate her look, and chose a pair of strappy gold ones.

The beauty let her natural glow shine with very little makeup, aside from the red lipstick which matched her vibrant dress.

Karlie later took to Instagram with a number of fashionable snaps in her stylish outfit as she marveled at being recognized as a fashion icon.

'As a 13 year old girl from St Louis, Missouri, the idea that I would someday receive an award as a Fashion Icon" would have been unfathomable. '

'For more than half my life, I've had the privilege of working alongside brilliant members of the @fitnyc alumni community. I've seen firsthand how this institution has provided them the foundational tools to excel and become visionary leaders. '

Fiery! The pregnant 30-year-old model - who's currently expecting her second child with businessman husband Joshua Kushner, 37 - wowed in a fiery jumpsuit with a plunging neckline

Golden girl: The runway sensation's look featured elaborate gold straps, which she matched with chunky gold earrings

Bumpin' along: The Vogue cover girl showed off her baby bump from the side

Vibrant: The beauty let her natural glow shine with very little makeup, aside from the red lipstick which matched her vibrant dress

Elevated: Like Ashley, Karlie also opted for heels to elevate her look, and chose a pair of strappy gold ones

Sizzling mama: The soon-to-be mom of two - who was recognized as the Fashion Icon honoree at the event - showed off her ample cleavage in the racy red number

Bombshell: Graham, 35, who hosted the event, slipped her famous curves into a skintight long-sleeve black dress, which she paired with wrap-around sandal heels

'What excites me most is how committed the next generation is to catalyzing real change in our industry + the world the future is very bright.'

Accompanying the post were a number of images from the event, including a sweet selfie with her mom, Tracy Kloss.

She also shared a stunning selfie, showing off her glam and jewelry for the night.

'See you soon @fitnyc ,' she wrote in the caption.

She also took to her Stories to promote young designer Alexis Williams and her senior project which she said 'brings together STEM and fashion.'

The beauty famously revealed her second pregnancy at the Met Gala, earlier in May.

She and Joshua - whose brother and sister-in-law are Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump - welcomed their first child, son Levi, who is now two, in March 2021.

Meanwhile Ashley also wore a soft glam palette for the night, with just a touch of blush and nude lipstick.

A grand time: The ladies appeared to have a grand time as they posed together at the event

Loving life: The duo made for a picture perfect pair on the red carpet

Dynamic trio: The two were also pictured posing with Haitian-American designer Victor Glemaud, who showed off his style in a pale pink suit and a black turtleneck

Outstanding: Glemaud was named as the Outstanding Alumni honoree at the event

Lovely: The trio also posed with President of the Fashion Institute of Technology Joyce F. Brown, who exused elegance in a blue and green gown

Glowing: The model glowed while striking a pose with her mom Tracy Kloss, who looked elegant in a black gown

Snap happy: Karlie looked in great spirits as she snapped a series of selfies inside the event

Bumping along: The model showcased her blossoming bump in the plunging number

Meow! Also at the event was designer Andrea Pitter, who sparkled in a blue cheetah sequin suit and a matching shirt

Effortless: Designer Nicole Miller looked effortlessly cool in a black leather jacket and jeans, which she paired with nude espadrille wedges

Elegant: Executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fern Mallis, 75, looked sophisticated in a white and blue gown with a fringe trim

The host: Graham was seen taking the stage and speaking to the audience at the event

The mom-of-three styled her brunette tresses in a slick bun for the occasion.

As for accessories, she sported a number of gold earrings.

Earlier in the day Karlie and Ashley were pictured arriving to the event hand-in-hand.

The ladies were also seen posing with Haitian-American designer Victor Glemaud, another one of the night's honorees.

Glemaud showed off his style in a pale pink suit, which he paired with a black turtleneck.

The trio also posed with President of the Fashion Institute of Technology Joyce F. Brown, who exused elegance in a blue and green gown.

In another snap Karlie glowed while striking a pose with her mom Tracy, who looked elegant in a black gown.

Also at the event was designer Andrea Pitter, who sparkled in a blue cheetah sequin suit and a matching shirt.

She completed her look with a pair of pointed-toe black heels with gold accents.

Sweet: Earlier in the day Karlie and Ashley were pictured arriving to the event hand-in-hand

Host and honoree: The evening was hosted by Graham, and Kloss was one of the fashion industry leaders who was honored, along with Glemaud

Expecting: The beauty famously revealed her second pregnancy at the Met Gala, earlier in May

Will it be a boy or girl? Karlie and Joshua - whose brother and sister-in-law are Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump - welcomed their first child, son Levi, who is now two, in March 2021

Andrea wore her black tresses in long braids cascading down her back.

As for glam she went with a delicate look, sporting just a touch of lip gloss.

Designer Nicole Miller looked effortlessly cool in a black leather jacket and jeans, which she paired with nude espadrille wedges.

She finalized the look with a pair of shared and a black purse.

Nicole wore her strawberry-toned tresses in a straight style for the evening.

Executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fern Mallis, 75, looked sophisticated in a white and blue gown with a fringe trim.

She teamed the ensemble with chunky white boots.

Honored: Karlie later took to Instagram with a number of fashionable snaps in her stylish outfit as she marveled at being recognized as a fashion icon

Cradling the bump: Karlie sweetly cradled her bump in one of the snaps

Strike a pose! The stunner struck a number of poses

Fun in the sun: The beauty basked in the sun in a number of outdoor snaps

Red hot: She also shared a stunning selfie, showing off her glam and jewelry for the night. 'See you soon @fitnyc ,' she wrote in the caption

Date with mom: She also shared a selfie with her mom

Program: She shared a photo of the event's brochure

Inside: She also shared some footage of her from inside the event

New generation: She also took to her Stories to promote young designer Alexis Williams and her senior project which she said 'brings together STEM and fashion'

Fern accessorized with a multitude of gold bangles on her wrist. She wore her brunette strands parted on the side and styled straight.

In a press release FIT lauded Karlie and Victor for their contributions to fashion.

'Both individuals have made momentous contributions to the industry throughout their respective careers and have consistently been at the forefront of defining the future of fashion.'

The clothes featured on the runway this year are inspired by 'personal stories and address wide-ranging themes such as sustainability, gender fluidity, and size inclusivity.'
Maura Higgins made sure all eyes were on her as she arrived at the PrettyLittleThing x Kappa launch party in Hollywood, California, on Tuesday night.

The former Love Island star, 32, put on a very leggy display in a white satin mini dress with lace trim across the plunging neckline and hemline.

She styled her skimpy ensemble with a strapless white corset and gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of pointed stilettos.

Maura styled her glossy brunette tresses loosely across her shoulders in a straight fashion and let her feathered fringe fall loosely to frame her stunning features.

She accentuated her natural good looks with lashings of mascara and a touch of blusher as she flashed a huge grin at the event.

Glam: Maura Higgins made sure all eyes were on her as she arrived at the PrettyLittleThing x Kappa launch party in Hollywood, California, on Tuesday night

Gorgeous: The former Love Island star, 32, put on a very leggy display in a white satin mini dress with lace trim lining the plunging neckline and hemline

The launch event celebrated PrettyLittleThing's latest collection with Kappa ft the GloRilla range.

The trendy edit offers everything from loungewear to glamorous mini dresses for nights out as it gives traditional sportswear a huge makeover.

Maura's latest outing comes after she has reportedly fallen out with her pal Lucie Donlan after going on a luxury holiday together.

They were once best friends after meeting in the Love Island villa in 2019, but cracks reportedly began to show last autumn.

Maura allegedly blindsided Lucie, 25, by unfollowing her on Instagram after problems began in December 2021, when they went to the Maldives together.

Earlier this month, The Sun reported that since the trip, the pals have drifted further apart and are now no longer friends.

Maura is currently believed to be single, while Lucie is engaged to fellow Love Islander Luke Mabbott.

A source told the publication: 'Lucie and Maura just drifted apart - it was fun when they were both single and going on holidays together but Lucie's settling down in Cornwall with her fiance and Maura lives in London.

Stylish: She styled her skimpy ensemble with a strapless white corset and gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of pointed stilettos

Elegant: Maura styled her glossy brunette tresses loosely across her shoulders in a straight fashion and let her feathered fringe fall loosely to frame her stunning features

Falling out: Maura's latest outing comes after she has reportedly fallen out with her pal Lucie Donlan after going on a luxury holiday together

'When Maura unfollowed Lucie though, it was a bit of a shock - clearly they weren't as close as Lucie thought they were, as it was a bit of a harsh move and ended the friendship on a bit of a sour note.'

The two became close in the villa and remained friends afterwards, with Lucie modelling co-star Maura Higgins' Ann Summers swimsuit collection.

She shared the racy snap of her posing in the plunging costume on the beach with the caption: 'Always supporting my girl @maurahiggins #womensupportingwomen'

In an interview after leaving the villa, Lucie opened up about her friendship with Maura, saying that while they didn't get off to the best start, they became best friends and supported each other through hard times.

'It took me a while to trust Maura but now she's my best friend in the villa,' she said. 'She really supported me through everything.'

Oh dear! Maura allegedly blindsided Lucie, 25, by unfollowing her on Instagram after problems began in December 2021, when they went to the Maldives together

Rumours: Fans have long since speculated that the reason for the pair's fallout was Maura's close friendship with fellow Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague

Fans have long since speculated that the reason for the pair's fallout was Maura's close friendship with fellow Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague.

Despite Maura and Molly-Mae being close, both Lucie and Molly-Mae admitted that they were not friends with each other.

Molly-Mae told Metro in 2019: 'I do still see the people that I was close with in the villa, and Lucie and I weren't close in the villa.

'So she would say that because I'd say the same about her because we don't speak, we weren't close. And obviously circumstances just mean that we're not close like that.'
Nineties 'It girl' Alison Brahe looked remarkably youthful as she attended a health and wellness event in Sydney on Wednesday.

Alison, 53, who is married to actor and TV presenter Cameron Daddo, was one of Australia's top models in the '80s and '90s.

She famously appeared on the cover of teen magazine Dolly several times.

The mother of three was a guest at a product launch for Swiish, the lifestyle brand owned by former Channel Seven host Sally Obermeder.

The new product is Peri + Meno Relief, which helps women experiencing menopause symptoms.

Nineties 'It girl' Alison Brahe (left) looked remarkably youthful as she attended a health and wellness event in Sydney on Wednesday

Alison, 53, was one of Australia's top models in the '80s and '90s. She famously appeared on the cover of teen magazine Dolly several times (pictured here)

Alison looked chic in grey high-waisted trousers, a brown ribbed singlet and a belt.

She wore her long blonde hair loosely and opted for natural-looking dewy makeup including a touch of foundation and mascara.

The Separate Bedrooms podcast host was pictured by the media wall alongside Kylie Gillies, who co-anchors Seven's The Morning Show.

Kylie paired white trousers with a knitted jumper, while Swiish owner Sally was all business in a powder blue suit.

The mother of three was a guest at a product launch for Swiish, the lifestyle brand owned by former Channel Seven host Sally Obermeder (centre right)

Swiish's new product is Peri + Meno Relief, which helps women with menopause symptoms

After moving to the U.S. with husband Cameron in 1992, Alison walked away from her modelling career to focus on raising her family.

She told Whimn in 2019 she did not enjoy modelling in America as much as she did in Australia, and had no regrets about leaving it all behind.

'I decided I really didn't want to do it there. It really wasn't fun,' she said.

Kylie Gillies, who co-anchors Seven's The Morning Show, was a guest at the product launch

'All my friends and people I knew in Australia  the photographers and makeup artists  they were no longer there.

'So, I'd walk in, know no one and I was like, "This doesn't feel good at all." I was really, really happy when I stepped away from it.'

Alison and Cameron have previously spoken of struggles they faced after moving to America, admitting they found it tough financially.

Despite landing a string of roles in projects like Aaron Spelling's Models Inc. and F/X: The Series, Cameron was left broke and struggling for cash by the mid-2000s.

Things got so bad at one point that Cameron's friends were leaving groceries on his doorstep just so he could feed his wife and their three children.

After moving to the U.S. with husband Cameron Daddo (left) in 1992, Alison walked away from her modelling career to focus on raising her family

'Cam still deals with feeling, you know, a lot of angst or shame around that,' Alison previously told Stellar magazine.

Cameron also spoke about that challenging time in an interview with the No Filter podcast in 2017.

'It got very tense for a while on several occasions,' he said.

'Then something would open up and suddenly you forget there was a moment where we had $100 in the bank because now we're doing okay.'

Alison recently shared how going through menopause led to body insecurities.

She told Whimn in 2019 she did not enjoy modelling in America as much as she did in Australia, and had no regrets about leaving it all behind. (Pictured: Alison on the cover of Dolly magazine)

She told Body+Soul she gained some weight and feared her husband no longer found her body attractive.

'I know, for instance, that Cam's love language is physical. It's what he wants and needs and how he feels secure with me,' she said.

'A lot of the dislike of my body shape had to do with what I thought Cam wanted, or what Cam liked. Once he told me he didn't give a crap if I put on weight and that he loved me as a person.'

Alison came to accept her new body shape over time, but still has difficult periods when she feels less confident.

'There are days where I go, "You're just a cute little 52-year-old with a tubby tummy," and then I'll put on a pair of jeans and think, "Oh, God, I look six months pregnant, I can't stand it." I still go back and forwards with it,' she said.
The Brooklyn Academy Of Music held its annual gala, a celebration of its artists, patrons and supporters on Wednesday, all while helping to raise funds to ensure BAM's 'place as the home for adventurous artists, audiences, and ideas.'

Ethan Hawke and wife Ryan Hawke were among the celebrities to lend their support to the BAM Gala 2023 honoring Spike Lee, David Byrne and Claire Wood, which was held at the Howard Gilman Opera House in New York borough of Brooklyn.

Ahead of all the festivities, that included Hanif Abdurraqib as host and St. Vincent as the headlining performer, the Hawkes joined the other celebrities and made their way along the red carpet for a round or two of photos.

The four-time Oscar-nominated actor, 52, looked handsome in a classic black suit and tie that he matched with a white dress shirt black leather shoes.

For the most part, the Dead Poets Society star held hands with his wife (born Ryan Shawhughes), 40, who opted for color for her ensemble in a long ruffled skirt and a matching blouse.

Show of support: Ethan Hawke, 52, and wife Ryan Hawke (born Ryan Shawhughes), 40, attended the BAM Gala 2023 honoring Spike Lee, David Byrne and Claire Wood at Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday

The actress and producer's skirt consisted of orange, burgundy, blue, black, red and white, and it fell all the way down to her feet.

She also donned a blue blouse, which appeared to be a perfect match to the outfit, while carrying a red clutch purse.

Rounding out her overall look, Ryan wore brown open-toe heels, and had her blonde tresses styled long, straight and flowing several inches past her shoulders with a part on the left.

The couple, who will be celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary on June 8, continued holding hands as they slowly made their way in front of photographers.

Spike Lee, who's one of the gala's honorees showed off his unique sense of style by wearing a black suit, consisting of high-water slacks, with an orange tie, white shirt and blue and white high-top sneakers.

The famed director and actor, 66, also donned an orange and blue hat over his short black hair and white, large-frame glasses.

Another honoree, David Byrne, decided to make the event a family affair by brining his daughter Malu Byrne, 34, to the annual event.

The legendary Talking Heads frontman was all smiles while decked out in white pants, a white turtleneck shirt underneath a blue blazer, and white sneakers.

Stylin' couple: The four-time Oscar-nominated actor looked handsome in a classic black suit and tie, while his wife, an actress and producer, opted for a colorful skirt and blue blouse combination

Party time: The Hawkes spent some time chatting with actress Rosie Perez at the event

Unique: Honoree Spike Lee, 66, showed off his unique sense of style by wearing a black suit, consisting of high-water slacks, with an orange tie, white shirt and blue and white high-top sneakers

Hilarious: Lee, a Brooklyn Mainstay for decades, could't resist showing his comedic side

Family affair: Honoree David Byrne, 70 brought his daughter Malu Byrne, 34, to the annual gala

The main attractions: Honorees Spike Lee, Claire Wood and David Byrne would all pose together at the event

Known for her mix of edgy and elegance, St. Vincent (born Anne Erin Clark) stepped out for a round of photos rocking a black leather mini dress that hugged her toned curves.

The outfit also included a sheer black top, although only the short sleeves were visible underneath the top portion of the striking number.

The Melting Of The Sun musician, 40, also wore black stockings and black knee-high boots, and had her ever-changing hair dyed black and cut shorter that usual, over her ears with a slight center part.

Actress Gina Gershon has also been known to show off her penchant for edgy fashion at times, but on this night she went for a more chic look in a black, one-shoulder jumpsuit that at times was paired with a white blazer.

The Showgirls star, 60, also wore black shoes, carried a cool white and black purse, and had her dark tresses styled long, past her shoulders, and slightly mess with a part on the slight left.

Headliner: St. Vincent, 40, served as the headlining performer for the gala

Rockin': The musician (born Anne Erin Clark) showed off her mix of edgy and elegant style in a black leather mini dress with a sheer top underneath

Stylish: Showgirls actress Gina Gershon, 60, donned a black, one-shoulder jumpsuit and white blazer combination

Gbenga Akinnagbe oozed class dress in a fitted black suit, white shirt, which he left unbuttoned at the top without a tie, and shiny black dress shoes.

The actor, 44, who best known for his role on The Wire, was absolutely beaming as he flashed his smile the entire time he posed on the red carpet.

Patina Miller sowed off her fashion sense in a two-tone white dress that consisted of a solid-white pattern in the front and sheer fabric in the back, which helped showcase her fab figure.

The Sister Act star of Broadway and the West End, 38, also wore open-toe heels, and had her long locks pulled into a ponytail.

Leading the way: Poet Hanif Abdurraqib, 39, served as the host of the BAM Gala in a unique black tuxedo

Cool cat: The Wire actor Gbenga Akinnagbe, 44, donned a fitted black suit at the gala

Chic: Patina Miller, 38, a star of The Sister Act ion Broadway and the West End looked lovely in a two-tone white white dress that included sheer fabric on the back

Ilana Glazer would strike a pose or two by herself and again with her husband David Rooklin, as the couple held hands.

Showing her daring side, the comedian and actress, 36, wore a black suit, that consisted of a blazer, without a shirt underneath, and her dark hair styled with all her natural waves and curls, about shoulder-length with a center part.

By going shirtless the New York City native gave more than a hint of her cleavage, while also risking a wardrobe malfunction.

Rooklin, 42, who's a scientist, wore black slacks with a light tan dress shirt and black shoes, as she snuggled up next to his wife and held hands for the round of photos.

Family matters: Comedian and actress Ilana Glazer, 36, stepped out in a black suit alongside husband David Rooklin, ,42, who's a scientist, who wore black slacks with a light brown shirt

Risky: Glazer ricked the chance of a wardrobe malfunction by wearing her suit without a top

The team: BAM President Gina Duncan (center) struck a pose with Jeanne Donovan Fisher and Natalia Chefer on the red carpet of the gala

Founded in 1861, the Brooklyn Academy Of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York, often known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance.

It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in Brooklyn in 1908.

The Academy, which is incorporated as a New York State not-for-profit corporation, has been 'the home for adventurous artists, audiences, and ideasengaging both global and local communities. With world-renowned programming in theater, dance, music, opera, film, and much more, BAM showcases the work of emerging artists and innovative modern masters,' according to the organization's website.

Gina Duncan has served as president of the organization since April 2022, while David Binder became the artistic director in 2019.
Machine Gun Kelly appeared tense as he took a phone call outside a recording studio in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The rapper, 33, stepped outside of his car to take the call as he arrived to the Burbank facility.

As he spoke with the individual on the other line, he momentarily left the car door opened.

It comes amid continued scrutiny into his relationship with Megan Fox, which has been the subject of break-up rumors as of late.

MGK seemed deeply engrossed in the conversation as he juggled his phone and white sunglasses in a single hand. Fox, 36, was nowhere to be seen.

Tense moment: Machine Gun Kelly appeared tense as he took a phone call outside a recording studio in Los Angeles on Wednesday

In true Kelly fashion, his white blonde hair was disheveled and he wore a 'Motley Crue' T-shirt and cargo pants.

His nails were painted red and he wore black sneakers.

The sighting comes several months after Fox sparked break-up rumors when she abruptly deleted her Instagram page after making comments hinting at trouble in paradise.

The Transformers actress had hinted that they may be on the outs when she attended the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in March by herself and without her engagement ring on her finger.

But then DailyMail.com obtained photos of the couple officially rekindling their romance during a 'healing' holiday in Hawaii last month.

In exclusive pictures, the 36-year-old actress and pop punk rapper - born Colson Baker - can be seen holding hands on multiple romantic strolls down the beach during their picturesque vacation on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

Despite looking tense days earlier, a source close to the couple told DailyMail.com: 'They're officially back on after going through a rocky patch in their relationship. The last few months has been tough for them both but they went away together to do some healing and it's been working. They feel more connected than ever.'

'Megan is extremely spiritual and believes that Colson is her soulmate. She was never going to give up on them, but felt as though they needed to spend some quality time together.'

On the line: MGK seemed deeply engrossed in the conversation as he juggled his phone and white sunglasses in a single hand.

Engrossed: As he spoke with the individual on the other line, he momentarily left the car door opened

Continued scrutiny: The sighting comes several months after Fox sparked break-up rumors when she abruptly deleted her Instagram page after making comments hinting at trouble in paradise; pictured 2020

Still, fans shared their concern when MGK shared a series of photos taken during his 33rd birthday celebration several weeks ago, and Fox was nowhere to be found on any of them.

However, People reports that Megan did give her fiance a gift - a dessert paying tribute to his Norwegian heritage.

According to the outlet, Megan ordered MGK a Kransekake, a Norwegian desert which even made an appearance on his Instagram Stories.

In the photo, MGK wore a party hat as he sat before the candle-topped treat.

Kelly and Fox first met while shooting the film Midnight In The Switchgrass in March 2020, and then kicked off their romance two months later.

They would go public and announce their engagement back in January 2022.
A concertgoer said that conditions during a weather delay at Taylor Swift's show in Nashville this past Sunday were dangerously cramped, comparing it to the crowd surge at the Astroworld festival in Houston that left 10 people dead in October of 2021.

Swift played her third show on The Eras Tour in Music City this past Sunday at Nissan Stadium, where fans were told to shelter-in-place for three hours amid a severe weather advisory in the area.

A woman named Andrea under the TikTok handle @fantastic__fiction said in a clip on the social media site that she felt 'uncomfortable, unsafe and terrified' amid the incident.

'I love Taylor Swift with like all my heart - I'm one of her biggest fans,' Andrea said, noting that she departed the arena about two-thirds into the concert.

Andrea said that she had VIP seats to the show, adding that 'everyone who was in the lower bowl and floor seats all had to go up underneath the stadium seats where the concessions are and shelter in place until it bypassed.'

The latest: A concertgoer said that conditions during a weather delay at Taylor Swift's show in Nashville this past Sunday were dangerously cramped, comparing it to the 2021 incident at the Astroworld festival in Houston that left 10 people dead

Andrea said that 'at first, it was a little crowded, but it was fine,' as concertgoers 'did have some room,' but eventually were 'standing shoulder-to-shoulder with nowhere to go.'

Andrea said that at her height of five feet, 'everyone was towering over' her and 'it got really tight in there.'

She continued: 'I literally thought it was going to be, like, another Travis Scott fatality - I've never been so scared for my life.

'I couldn't leave, I couldn't move - there was nowhere to go.'

Andrea said that security guards at the venue behaved aggressively while paramedics were trying to make their way through the crowd as 'multiple people [were] dropping left and right and fainting.'

Andrea said that 'when it was finally showtime, chaos erupted on the floor' - as she was 'literally in tears and couldn't enjoy the show' - and her partner nearly got dragged under the masses 'because of the crowd surges.'

Andrea said that the continuation of inclement weather conditions led her to depart the venue, not wanting to risk being involved in further dangerous situations.

'When lightning started hitting ... I had to get out of there because I was not going to be in another crowd situation,' she said.

A woman named Andrea under the TikTok handle @fantastic__fiction said in a clip on the social media site that she felt 'uncomfortable, unsafe and terrified' amid the incident

Andrea said that 'at first, it was a little crowded, but it was fine,' as concertgoers 'did have some room,' but eventually were 'standing shoulder-to-shoulder with nowhere to go'

The fan said, 'I literally thought it was going to be, like, another Travis Scott fatality - I've never been so scared for my life'

The Grammy-winner took to Twitter to keep fans updated on the situation, stating she would perform when she was able to

Signs at the show Sunday read around 5:30 p.m. CT: 'Lightning Advisory. Please proceed to the shelter areas as directed by Nissan Stadium staff in your area'

Signs at the show Sunday read around 5:30 p.m. CT: 'Lightning Advisory. Please proceed to the shelter areas as directed by Nissan Stadium staff in your area.

'Please remain calm and proceed to the covered and interior areas of the stadium.'

Gates of the venue were opened and concertgoers in their vehicles were advised to remain there.

The Grammy-winner herself took to Twitter to keep fans updated on the situation, stating she would perform when she was able to.

'I know theres talk of a rainy weather vibe tonight but Im ready to play, see you soon!!' she said.

On the evening, Swift's concert was delayed for more than three hours as she began her performance at 10:30 p.m. and wrapped up at around 2:00 a.m. CT.
Country music star Charles Kelley is opening up about his journey to sobriety that put his marriage in jeopardy and forced his band, Lady A, to postpone their tour.

In a new interview with CBS Mornings, the musician sat down by himself, and eventually with wife Cassie, and shared about his struggles with alcohol that never really seemed to pose too many problems, initially.

While he knew deep down a problem with his drinking lurked underneath, he hadn't come to terms with it for the longest time.

'I remember joking with buddies, I was like, "I'm definitely a functioning alcoholic,"' he told CBS journalist Gayle King, 'I said, "I know I'm going to have to stop at some point but that's not today."

And that was always kind of his personal joke to himself, which ended up coming to fruition. 'That tells you I kind of knew,' he added, in a reference to his alcoholism.

Road to recovery: Lady A star Charles Kelley, 41, shared about his road to sobriety that put his standing with his marriage and his band in jeopardy

Kelly, 41, says his Lady A (formerly Lady Antebellum) bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood also knew he had a problem with alcohol; revealing that they confronted him about the issue about five years ago.

'I think it was more about, "I'm worried about you," and to me, if I remember correctly, it was more about how I was speaking to them when I was drinking. I'd be very dismissive, very quick,'he said. 'There was never any physical stuff, but very emotional and verbal, I think, outbursts. I can recognize that that was alcohol induced for sure.'

Eventually, his wife would confront Kelley about how his drinking had affected their seven-year-old son Ward.

She told him how Ward told her things like, 'daddy's talking a little funny' and 'you and daddy, y'all argue a lot', which Kelley in turn revealed how it 'crushed him' to hear.

After several therapists suggested that he get treatment, Kelley would ultimately check himself into a rehabilitation facility for a month, but not before being 'scared to death' to make the move.

Since successfully finishing his stay at the rehabilitation facility, Kelley has relied on 'group meetings' and 'a case manager', and 'a device' he blows in every morning and every night that gauges whether he has any alcohol in his system.

'It's for my wife. It's for my band. It's for everyone else to know,' he said of the device, 'And so slowly but sure that has helped build the trust back that eventually that won't be a necessity.'

When Cassie joined in on the conversation, she revealed how she had to learn that alcoholism is a 'family disease', and she's had to put in just as much work as Kelley has had to do in his recovery.

Problems rearing ugly head: Kelly revealed how his Lady A (formerly Lady Antebellum) bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood knew he had a problem with alcohol, and initially confronted him about the issue about five years ago; the band are pictured in March 2022

Family Affects: Ultimately, the musician's wife Cassie would also confront Kelley about his drinking and how it affected their seven-year-old son Ward, which included a family vacation to Greece where the country star went missing after a night of drinking

'When he was in rehab and I went out there for family week, one of the first messages you receive is, "You're gonna have to do just as much work here." And I remember being so mad,' she said, adding, 'Like, you did this. And now I have to do all of this work too?'

She explained, 'But the truth is they call it 'the family disease of alcoholism' and it affects every person in that family system.'

Cassie went on to share how she would eventually learn that she had to work on what she had gone through during his progression to alcoholism.

'So I could've chosen not to do the work, but then I have to live with the way that I've been affected and unhealed. So whether Charles and I were in a marriage or not, whether I saw him again for the rest of my life, I still had to deal with what I had gone through,' she explained.

When asked why she ultimately decided to stay with Kelley and put in the work amid his recovery, Cassie paused momentarily and then brought up their son Ward, and how she just couldn't come terms with being separated from him in his childhood.

'Well, we have a seven-year-old who is either going to be in my home all the time or he's going to be half the time in a home with his dad where I have no idea what's happening in that environment,' she revealed.

Family matters: Kelly admitted he checked himself into a rehabilitation facility after the family vacation to Greece, which he confessed was partially motivated by how he had affected his son with his alcohol, and the strain it had on his marriage

She continued, 'And in order for me to take myself out of his life everyday it just would have never got to be that bad - until it just is, and that's kind of where we were leaving Greece.'

The family were on a vacation to Greece when Kelley's alcoholism took a turn for the worse after the couple got into an argument and musician wound up turning to the bottle for relief.

'I just turned my phone off in the middle of nowhere and just took off and stayed up drinking with all these random people I didn't know,' he said. 'We had got[ten] in an argument, and I had one of those moments where I just was like, "I'm so sick of being told what to do."'

The Georgia native said that he woke up the next morning and called his wife, who had not slept after Kelley 'disappeared.'

It was that night of drinking that would be his 'moment of clarity' that many alcoholics and addicts talk about when revealing the catalyst moment that got them into recovery.

Cassie admitted she was weighing her options of whether to meet with a divorce lawyer at the time. And while it's still unclear when the vacation took place, Cassie did post a picture of the couple in Mykonos to Instagram last June, according to People.

Road to stardom: Formed out of Nashville, Tennessee in 2006, Lady A has released eight studio albums, with the most recent being What A Song Can Do (2021), and garnered critical acclaim, including seven Grammy Awards; the are seen in May 2008

Sobriety: The musician celebrated six months of sobriety this past January, which means he will reach the milestone one-year mark in July, if he continues on the path he's been on since that trip to Greece; the country star is seen ahead of a Lady A concert earlier this week

'The next morning I said, "You need help. You have to deal with this,"' Cassie recalled. 'And he said he knew, and he made a plan with his manager and he flew directly from Greece to treatment. But at that point I fully thought I was flying back to the U.S. I was gonna meet with a divorce attorney, like, that was it.'

Kelley celebrated six months of sobriety this past January, which means he will reach the milestone one-year mark in July, if he continues on the path he's been on since that trip to Greece.

As for Charles and Cassie: they will be celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary in June.

Formed out of Nashville, Tennessee in 2006, Lady A has released eight studio albums, with the most recent being What A Song Can Do (2021).

Along the way the band has won seven Grammy Awards, five CMT Music Awards, eight Academy of Country Music Awards and two Billboard Music Awards, among many others.
Game Of Thrones heartthrob Sean Bean glowed beside his fifth wife Ashley Moore as he made a rare red carpet appearance Wednesday.

He joined a glittering array of actors that evening for the Los Angeles premiere of his upcoming fantasy feature Knights Of The Zodiac.

The 64-year-old, whose iconic roles include Boromir in The Lord Of The Rings, cut a ruggedly handsome figure as he treated the cameras to his rakish grin.

He slipped into a cream collared sweater and jazzed up the look with a textured blue blazer that matched his trousers.

Meanwhile Ashley, who is 26 years his junior, threw an affectionate arm around him as he glowed with happiness on the red carpet.

Game Of Thrones heartthrob: Sean Bean glowed beside his fifth wife Ashley Moore as he made a rare red carpet appearance Wednesday

Hunk-tastic: He joined a glittering array of actors that evening for the Los Angeles premiere of his upcoming fantasy feature Knights Of The Zodiac

The Winchesters co-stars Meg Donnelly and Drake Rodger did little to dispel their dating rumors as they cuddled up to one another at the fete.

Diego Cinoco, one of the stars of the movie, modeled a perfectly fitted green and black chrome suit that glinted under the lights.

Slicking his dark hair up into an elegant coiff, he left the top couple of buttons of his sleek white dress shirt beguilingly undone.

Mackenyu, another one of the stars of the film, was a fashion forward figure, going shirtless under an olive green suit that featured semi-detached lapels.

Pop act Spencer Sutherland on the other hand brought back the 1970s as he struck a pose beside his blonde girlfriend Madison Iseman.

Spencer's retro chic ensemble included gold polka-dot trousers with bell bottoms, while Madison evoked an earlier era in a floor-length black gown.

X-Men icon Famke Janssen slid emphasized her toned physique in a skintight midnight blue cocktail dress for her latest public appearance.

The getup featured a peekaboo cutout that allowed her to offer up a glimpse of her impressively sculpted midriff as she posed up a storm for the cameras.

Side by side: The Winchesters co-stars Meg Donnelly and Drake Rodger did little to dispel their dating rumors as they cuddled up to one another at the fete

What a night: Diego Cinoco (left) modeled a perfectly fitted green and black chrome suit while Mackenyu (right) was a fashion forward figure, going shirtless under an olive green suit

On the town: Pop act Spencer Sutherland on the other hand brought back the 1970s as he struck a pose beside his blonde girlfriend Madison Iseman

Blonde: Spencer's retro chic ensemble included gold polka-dot trousers with bell bottoms, while Madison evoked an earlier era in a floor-length black gown

X-Men icon: Famke Janssen slid emphasized her toned physique in a skintight midnight blue cocktail dress for her latest public appearance

Sizzling sensation: Flashing a bit of leg through the thigh-slit of her dress, she let her dark hair cascade in luxurious waves over her shoulders

Use it or lose it: The getup featured a peekaboo cutout that allowed her to offer up a glimpse of her impressively sculpted midriff as she posed up a storm for the cameras

Group shot: The film's director (second from left) Tomek Baginski posed with his actors (from left) Nick Stahl, Famke, Diego, Mackenyu, Madison, Sean and Mark Dacascos

Incoming: Held at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, the premiere comes two days before the movie will enjoy a theatrical release in the United States

Flashing a bit of leg through the thigh-slit of her dress, she let her dark hair cascade in luxurious waves over her shoulders.

Famke, who hails from the Netherlands, sharpened her screen siren features with makeup and lent herself a bit of added stature with heels.

The film's director Tomek Baginski posed for a group shot with his actors Nick Stahl, Famke, Diego, Mackenyu, Madison, Sean and Mark Dacascos.

Held at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, the premiere comes two days before the movie will enjoy a theatrical release in the United States.

Knights Of The Zodiac is an American and Japanese co-production, and opened in Japan two weeks before its scheduled debut stateside.

The movie is based on the manga Saint Seiya about a phalanx of soldiers protecting the reincarnated avatar of the Greek goddess Athena.
When four of the most familiar faces on television cooking shows dine out they will inevitably turn heads, but sharing a meal for this famous group was all about toasting an absent mate.

British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay joined Australian counterparts Matt Moran, George Calombaris and Shannon Bennett to remember Jock Zonfrillo at an intimate wake.

The headline-grabbing quartet gathered to pay tribute to their late friend and swap stories over food and a few rounds of drinks.

Zonfrillo, the much-loved MasterChef judge and father-of-four, was found dead in a hotel room in Carlton on April 30 aged 46.

Gordon Ramsay joined some of Australia's best-known celebrity chefs for dinner in Melbourne on Saturday night to remember late friend Jock Zonfrillo. (Pictured from left: Shannon Bennett, George Calombaris, Ramsay and Matt Moran)

Gordon Ramsay (right) and Matt Moran (left) have spoken about a dinner they had with fellow chefs George Calombaris and Shannon Bennett in honour of their late make Jock Zonfrillo. Ramsay and Moran are pictured at Moran's restaurant on Sydney Harbour on Thursday

Moran booked the table for four at Melbourne's Di Stasio restaurant last Saturday night for what Ramsay told Daily Mail Australia was a sombre event.

'The atmosphere was solemn,' Ramsay said. 'Intense. And then we had a couple of glasses of wine to relax and we started to think about those incredible memories.'

'It was sombre because every time we went off-piste we came back to some of the magical moments that we'd witnessed and been party to.'

The 56-year-old has just finished a hugely successful three-day residency of his Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Moran's fine diner Aria on Sydney Harbour.

It was the first time Ramsay had taken his three-Michelin star London restaurant with its signature shellfish raviolo and a pecan praline dessert to an overseas site.

Zonfrillo (pictured in 2017) died on April 30 at the age of 46. 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

Moran and his chef friends might be spread across the globe but Zonfrillo's death had united them all.

Ramsay, Bennett and Zonfrillo all once worked under legendary British chef Marco Pierre White.

Bennett, who like Ramsay and Moran has regularly appeared on MasterChef, is best known from his days running Melbourne restaurant Vue de Monde.

Calombaris is a former MasterChef judge who has also run a string of eateries in the Victorian capital.

'As a chef community, I'm not just close to the Melbourne guys,' 53-year-old Moran said. 'The Melbourne guys are close to the Sydney guys.

'I've got chef mates all around the world and we are a very small community and when something like that happens, as tragic as it is, it sort of brings us all closer together.'

Ramsay has finished a successful three-day residency of his Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Moran's fine diner Aria on Sydney Harbour. He is pictured at Aria on Wednesday night

This week was the first time Ramsay had set up his three-Michelin star restaurant in London's Chelsea with its signature shellfish raviolo and a pecan praline dessert at an overseas site

That's exactly what Moran, Ramsay, Bennett and Calombaris were doing last Saturday night.

'It was all about the memories, which was great,' Moran said. 'It was more remembering and having a toast to him.

'There was a lot of talk about being young chefs and growing up in that environment.'

Ramsay said Zonfrillo had been kind to his daughter Tilly when she was a contestant on Celebrity MasterChef Australia in 2021.

'Just from a dad's point of view, how he handled Tilly and the way he looked after Tilly outside of production just goes to show the 360 of what that guy was and what he stood for and how good he was,' he said.

Ramsay reunited with George Calombaris, Shannon Bennett and Matt Moran for a bittersweet catch-up as they swapped stories about Zonfrillo over food and several rounds of drinks

After the dinner, 47-year-old Bennett posted a picture on Instagram of the chefs posing at the venue and captioned it: 'That hangover was for you, Jock Zonfrillo mate. RIP brother.'

The four men were standing in front of a table with several empty wine glasses on it.

Calombaris, 44, also posted a photo of the group, and wrote: 'A great dinner with a couple of beautiful humans. Love you boys.'

The following night The Sunday Project aired a special tribute to the Zonfrillo ahead of the premiere of his final season of MasterChef Australia.

Ramsay broke down in tears during that program as he described how Zonfrillo 'lit up the kitchen'.

'The ripples have been devastating. No one's going to get over this quickly. If there's one thing we've done as chefs is we've united and we're talking about the good times,' he said, fighting back tears.

'S**t. Sorry. It's just so painful. That's all,' he added.

Australian chef Curtis Stone remembered Zonfrillo as a 'kind, fair, genuine and honest' man.

Stone called the plain-speaking Scotsman someone who 'treated everyone with respect - unless they didn't deserve it, then he wouldn't'.

Zonfrillo 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.

Sources said police found nothing suspicious or unusual in Zonfrillo's hotel room and it appeared he had died of natural causes. A report is being prepared for the coroner.
James Lock has broken his silence after he sparked reconciliation rumours with ex girlfriend Megan Barton Hanson.

Tongues started wagging after the pair were spotted looking very cosy last month but the TOWIE star, 36, confirmed to MailOnline that the pair 'are just friends'.

James - who has dated the Love Island beauty on and off since October 2021 - said they still meet up from time to time and 'enjoy each others company' but insisted they are not getting back together.

The reality star revealed that Megan is 'very much doing her own thing' nowadays and he is very 'happy' doing his.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline at the launch event for his new brand We Are Levo, he said: 'Me and Megan are just friends. Thats it we are just friends. Thats it.

'We are just friends': James Lock shut down any rumours that he is back together with ex girlfriend Megan Barton Hanson after the pair were spotted looking very cosy last month

'I think sometime people see us together and say you cant be friends with an ex. You can be, you can be friends with an ex.

'When I see her we enjoy each others company and we have a laugh, we have a drink, we reminisce about other things.

'It's not like youre talking to an ex and your getting back with them, people jump to conclusions.

'She is very much doing her thing, Im doing my thing and were both happy which is the main thing.'

Megan and the TOWIE star have been romantically linked since October 2021 when they were captured at Mayfair's Amazonico restaurant, but split just two months after.

Since that, they have been known for their rocky relationship - constantly going on and off for a few years.

It comes after the recent romantic link between Megan and Demi Sims - after the bombshell admitted she wanted her next relationship to be with a 'dominating woman'.

Last month James and Megan looked to be giving their relationship another go as they put on a very smitten display during an event in London.

Earlier this year, James' co-star Pete Wicks quit TOWIE but the reality star revealed he will not be leaving the show because it is what 'gave him his first stepping stone'.

After 10 years of appearing on the ITVBe series the TV personality said he isn't sure yet whether he will continue full time or in a part time role.

'People jump to conclusions': The TOWIE star, 36, who has dated the Love Island beauty on and off since October 2021, confirmed to MailOnline that the pair 'are just friends'

Rocky: Megan and the TOWIE star have been romantically linked since October 2021 and have been known for their rocky relationship - constantly going on and off for a few years

James continued: 'Id always do TOWIE. It was the thing that gave me the first stepping stone and Im a firm believer of not forgetting where youve come from.

'Id always like to do it but I'm not sure if thatll be a full time or a reduced role so I can do other things.

'It is second nature to me because Ive done it for 10 years now. Its easy, its not something I struggle with because Im not in the drama.

'Everyone has been on there a while its sometimes testing being involved with some of the dramas going on but Ive sort of taken on the role of being the big brother.

'I dont get sucked into things to much and dont let things bother me. I dont get caught up in it.'

If he takes on a more reduced role in TOWIE, James would like to focus more on his new gymwear brand Levo.

Discussing why he started the brand, he explained: 'Basically Im a strong believer in having a healthy mind and body. Im in a great place mentally and physically at the minute.

'Any type of exercise for me is the best way to keep my mind straight. Being in tune creates a positive mind set for everything youre doing. Its the best therapy.

'Before I go out every morning I get up and go to the gym and then I can get on with my day. I can tell a big difference from when I have been to the gym to when I havent. It helps set me up for the day.'

James added that it has taken him a 'long time' to create Levo and he is 'still learning as he goes because he has never done anything like this before so it it trial and error'.

TOWIE's James Lock hosts launch event for new activewear brand, We Are Levo.
Ulrika Jonsson reminisced on her cringeworthy clangers while hosting Eurovision in the UK in 1998 and revealed she was later turned away from the lavish after party.

The model, 55, co-presented the show with Terry Wogan and told The Sun it took 'countless' meeting and rehearsals for the presenter to prepare for the live global broadcast which reached 'squillions' of viewers.

Despite this, the show still didn't go off without a hitch, with Ulrika recalling that when the Dutch announcer 'a mature lady' said she had previously taken part in Eurovision Ulrika 'foolishly' said: 'Oh, a long time ago?'

Meanwhile, the winner Dana International  the first transgender victor  caused herself and co-host Terry quite the panic as she didn't come to the stage to collect the award as she was busy 'lording it about backstage.'

Still not over the incident, Ulrika went on to brand the winner, as well as all performers, 'self-obsessed.'

Amazing: Ulrika Jonsson reminisced on her cringeworthy clangers while hosting Eurovision in the UK in 1998 and why she was later turned away from the lavish after party

Excited: Following UK contestant Katrina And The Waves having been victorious the year before, the model, now 55, admitted she could not have been 'keener to host' alongside legend Terry Wogan (pictured 1998)

The clangers were a blow for Ulrika who revealed that Terry 'didn't bother going to the rehearsal' one day because he really 'didn't need to'.

Whereas she attended every single one to make sure she new exactly what she was doing especially if something were to go wrong.

The model gushed that she would have been 'nothing without Terry' and she enjoyed every moment of being on the Eurovision stage.

She added that she was seriously 'surprised' that she landed the gig in the first place as she reminisced on the 'magnificent' opportunity.

She said : 'I cant deny I was, at times, overwhelmed by imposter syndrome and couldnt escape the feeling that I was, in fact, still auditioning for the role with every day that passed'.

Ulrika also revealed that she 'gave up alcohol' ahead of the show to prepare and once the show had come to an end, Ulrika admitted she was excited to finally have a drink.

However, she had forgot her 'accreditation in her handbag' and so was turned away from the after-show party.

Dedicated: To prepare Ulrika revealed that she 'gave up alcohol three months before' to make sure her mind was as 'sharp' as possible (pictured 1998 with UK contestant Imaani)

Alesha Dixon, Julia Sanina and Hannah Waddingham have taken over the hosting duties in this year's competition in Liverpool with Radio DJs Scott Mills and Rylan bring UK audiences their colourful commentary.

Alesha sent Eurovision fans wild as she harked back to her Mis-Teeq days by performing a rap about the competition earlier this week.

Hosting from M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, the Britain's Got Talent judge, 44, was branded an 'icon' by viewers - who were equally impressed by the sign language interpreter who kept up with her.

The 2023 Eurovision semi-final will take place on Thursday (11 May) ahead of the Grand Final on Saturday (13 May).
Jonah Hill took a mid-week outing to a surfboard repair shop on Wednesday, dropping off one of his boards.

The 39-year-old actor was spotted out solo, taking in one of his surfboards to a Malibu shop.

The actor was not seen with his girlfriend Olivia Millar, who DailyMail.com reported in late March appears to be pregnant with the couple's first child.

Hill stepped out with a grey surfing t-shirt with a pair of black sunglasses tucked into the collar of shis shirt.

The Superbad star also stepped out with olive green shorts that showcased the tattoos on both of his legs.

Jonah out: Jonah Hill took a mid-week outing to a surfboard repair shop on Wednesday, dropping off one of his boards

The comedian completed his look with maroon flip-flops with white stripes as he left the surf shop.

Hill and Millar sparked engagement rumors when his girlfriend was seen wearing a large diamond ring while shopping near Hill's Santa Monica home.

DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Hill, who have so far been unavailable for comment.

Millar is the co-founder of online vintage site Chasseresse with her big sister Raychel Roberts.

Liv's sighting came two months after she and the You People producer-star were spotted shopping at Hawaiian children's boutique Kokonut Kids in Hanalei.

Hill has frequently been spotted surfing over the past few years, after the Los Angeles native admitted he had a lifelong fear of the sport.

'Been terrified to surf my whole life. Totally random fear and at the same time always been a secret dream of mine,' Hill wrote of his first time in a since-deleted 2019 Instagram post.

'Turned out to be one of the most fun experiences I've ever had,' he added in the post.

Jonah's look: The comedian completed his look with maroon flip-flops with white stripes as he left the surf shop

Fear: Hill has frequently been spotted surfing over the past few years, after the Los Angeles native admitted he had a lifelong fear of the sport

Jonah belongs to a group called 'Surf Jews California' with filmmaker Spike Jonze and Beastie Boys rapper Mike Diamond, which he told GQ last year they created as an 'inside joke.'

The actor is coming off his Netflix film You People, which he stars in with Eddie Murphy, Nia Long, Lauren London, David Duchovny and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Hill will return to the director's chair for his new film Outcome, starring alongside Keanu Reeves, which Apple TV Plus picked up in April.

Reeves will star as Reef, 'a damaged Hollywood star who must dive into the dark depths of his past to confront his demons and make amends after he is extorted with a mysterious video clip from his past.'
Phillip Schofield has found himself at the centre of a reported rift with his This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby.

It has been claimed the pair - who have been good friends for years - are no longer as close as they once were and hardly speak when not on camera.

It's not the first time Phillip has found himself at the centre of a feud, with the presenter crossing hairs with several other stars over the course of his TV career.

He memorably had a rift with his ex co-host Fern Britton while he is also said to have got on the wrong side of both Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.

As his relationship with Holly reportedly hits a sour note, MailOnline takes a look at Phil's reported feuds over the years.

Rift: Phillip Schofield has found himself at the centre of a reported rift with his This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby

Fern Britton

One of Phil's most well-publicised squabbles was with his former This Morning co-host Fern Britton.

The pair presented the show together from 2002 to 2009 but have lost touch in the years since.

When Fern announced she was quitting This Morning, she addressed the entire team in general and didn't mention Phil specifically.

In 2013, Phil confirmed in an interview with Heat that the pair were 'not really' in touch anymore.

Fern confirmed the same while speaking to MailOnline: 'Like Morecambe and Wise, we chose not to live in each other's pockets. We were a great professional partnership but we never went on holiday together.'

Fern - who has since become an author - was also absent from This Morning's 25th anniversary celebrations that year but insisted it was nothing to do with Phil and she was simply busy.

Co-stars: One of Phil's most well-publicsed squabbles was with his former This Morning co-host Fern Britton (pictured in 2009)

Relationship: In 2013, Phil confirmed in an interview with Heat that the pair were 'not really' in touch anymore (pictured in 2005)

In his book Life Is What You Make It, Phil revealed he had an awkward row with Fern in 2009 when she accused him of 'meddling' with the content of the show.

He wrote: 'I walked back into the make-up room and calmly said, 'Please don't do that to me again'.

'I think, for whatever reason, that was the point Fern decided she didn't want to do This Morning any more.'

Their feud was back in the spotlight in 2018 when Fern appeared on This Morning via video link for the show's 30th anniversary and claimed she wasn't invited to the show's BAFTA ceremony.

Speaking to Phil, she said: 'Congrats on the BAFTA. That was absolutely wonderful and brilliant. I would have loved to have been there but I didn't get an invitation.'

Phil was quick to dispute this, saying Fern was on stage in Scotland at the time but she replied: 'I wasn't on Monday night, I would have come but I wasn't invited.'

Phil later suggested on Twitter that Fern was suffering from 'memory loss' and the team would have loved to have had her there.

Phillip also revealed Fern never got in touch with him after he came out as gay on This Morning in 2020, but she did message his wife Steph.

He said: 'When I came out, she didn't text me. She did text Steph though, which was really kind.'

Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford

Phillip has endured frosty relations with husband and wife presenting duo Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford over the years.

It all kicked off in 2019 when it was reported that Ruth had filed a complaint against Phil to ITV bosses.

Fans speculated the complaint may have been down to an awkward moment between the pair caught on camera that year.

Ruth appeared at the end of an episode of This Morning to preview what was coming up on Loose Women and was cut off by Phil while she was speaking.

Phil said: 'Guys, we're going to have to jump in there and stop you I'm afraid because we're a bit tight for time at this end. Thank you, Ruth.'

Ruth, who clearly looked unimpressed with the interruption, responded: 'Well I only had about two more words to say,' and looked away from the camera.

Claims: Ruth Langsford was famously unimpressed when Phil cut her off on camera while Eamonn Holmes has branded him 'passive aggressive' (pictured in 2020)

It was later claimed eight different ITV presenters have broken their silence regarding Phillip's attitude.

A report stated the situation behind the scenes at This Morning had become 'toxic' in recent months, with employees too scared to speak out publicly for fear of backlash.

Meanwhile, Phil later found himself in the crosshairs of Ruth's husband Eamonn Holmes after he left ITV in 2021 when he and Ruth were replaced on This Morning by Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary.

Eamonn took aim at Phil in an interview with the Daily Mail's Weekend magazine, calling him 'passive-aggressive' and claiming he has a habit of 'snubbing people'.

Speaking about Phil cutting Ruth short, Eamonn said: 'Phillip is renowned for snubbing people.

'He's very passive-aggressive. It's up to Ruth to say how she felt, but I was feeling hurt for her. No one would have snubbed me like that.

'I have a good Belfast street fighter in me I would be direct. I don't go for presenters who think they have a special privilege or aura or influence.'

Amanda Holden

Another star Phillip appeared to bump heads with was Amanda Holden after it was alleged he lost her a job on This Morning.

It was claimed Amanda confronted Phil after Rochelle Humes was chosen to fill in for Holly Willoughby instead of her, as she believed he had a hand in the decision.

A source told The Sun: 'Amanda was shocked. During the lunch with ITV executives, they let slip they thought the decision had been heavily influenced by Phil and that he had thrown a spanner in the works.' The insider shared with the newspaper.'

However, Phil strongly denied the claims on Twitter, writing: 'The end of another really sad weekend.

Feud: Another star Phillip appeared to bump heads with was Amanda Holden after it was alleged he lost her a job on This Morning (pictured in 2015)

'When you try for 35 years to be the easiest, most fun person to work with and you read such hurtful and wildly untrue stories from nameless 'sources'.

'Obviously I'll take it on the chin..I just hope you know me better.'

Amanda later waded in on Ruth's alleged complaint about the star, saying on Heart Radio: 'I admire anyone who sticks up for themselves as it's not an easy thing to do.'

She later took another swipe at Phil on another episode of her radio show when asked what she wouldn't like to find in her house, saying: 'Spiders, flies and Phillip Schofield!'

Piers Morgan

Phillip hasn't been shy about airing his previous tensions with Piers Morgan, although the pair have since buried the hatchet.

Phil accused Piers of being 'deceitful' when the former newspaper journalist asked for 'memorabilia' of his, which Phil believed he'd use to write stories about him.

It later emerged Piers had written an unofficial biography of the star, which Phil discussed in his memoir.

He wrote: 'I was furious. Not so much that he had written the book, but that he had deceived me.

Awkward: Phil accused Piers Morgan of being 'deceitful' when the journalist asked for 'memorabilia' of his, which Phil believed he'd use to write stories about him (pictured in 2019)

'We didn't speak for a long time. There were awkward moments: once, the two us were in a lift for what felt like an endless descent.'

But the pair soon made up after Piers began working at ITV. Phil wrote: 'One day I realised how stupid this feud was.

'I was angry, and he'd actually been flattering and kind in the biography (although utterly deceitful). It was time to make up.

'He was nervous when I walked over. 'Enough,' I said, and I shook his hand. We've been fine ever since.'

Holly Willoughby

Phil's latest feud is reportedly with his co-host and longtime close friend Holly Willoughby.

It has been claimed the pair are 'not as close as they once were' and now barely speak off camera'.

The ITV stars became 'great friends' having first met on Dancing on Ice and they have presented This Morning together since 2009. She was also described as his 'rock' when he came out as gay live on This Morning in 2020.

But their relationship is said to have become strained in recent months. They came under fire when they were accused of skipping the queue to see the Queen lying-in-state last September.

Phil took three weeks off in March as his brother convicted of child sex offences. In his absence Holly was paired with Alison Hammond and ITV bosses were said to be overjoyed and are now looking for more opportunities to pair them up.

'Their relationship has cooled': It has been claimed that Holly has made it clear she would remain hosting the ITV daytime show if Phillip ever expressed an interest in leaving

The presenting duo (pictured in November 2009) have worked together for more than a decade after Holly took over from Fern Britton as Phillip's co-host back in 2009

And Holly has reportedly made it clear she wants to remain hosting the ITV daytime show if Phillip ever expressed an interest in leaving.

An insider told The Sun: 'Holly adores This Morning and for the first time in 14 years she has made it clear that should Phil ever leave she would want to stay. They are separate entities. It has become an open secret that things aren't as rosy as they once were.

'To those around them on set, it has become clear recently that Holly and Phil are not as close as they once were. Professionally you would have no idea there was anything going on because on camera they are acting exactly the same, but behind the scenes their relationship has cooled.'

The same sources said that Holly and Phillip's banter and 'camaraderie' off-camera was not the same and had 'dwindled'.

An insider also claimed that the pair do not often speak to each other unless on camera while hosting This Morning.

Another insider added: 'It has become an open secret that things aren't as rosy as they once were, Holly however has made her position clear and that is that she wants to remain at the heart of This Morning.'
She's used to turning heads on runways around the globe.

And Wednesday was no exception for supermodel Georgia Fowler who looked stylish when she went for a walk in New York City.

The Victoria's Secret model was spotted donning a chic and understated ensemble that exuded both elegance and a touch of urban flair.

Georgia sported a striking $445 Christopher Esber top for the occasion, which perfectly complemented her slender figure.

She paired it with silky green pants that featured trendy knee cuts.

She's used to turning heads on runways around the globe. And Wednesday was no exception for supermodel Georgia Fowler (pictured) who looked stylish when she went for a walk in New York City

The Victoria's Secret model was spotted donning a chic and understated ensemble that exuded both elegance and a touch of urban flair

To complete her glamorous look, Georgia opted for a pair of oversized sunglasses.

Georgia is currently in the Big Apple with her businessman husband Nathan Dalah and their daughter.

The couple tied the knot in the NSW Southern Highlands in January.

Georgia sported a striking $445 Christopher Esber top for the occasion, which perfectly complemented her slender figure

She paired it with silky green pants that featured trendy knee cuts

The newlyweds announced their engagement on July 30 last year.

At the time, Georgia revealed on Instagram Nathan had proposed during a photo shoot for Tiffany & Co.

The model was shooting a campaign called 'Tiffany Love' when Nathan dropped down to one knee on set.

Georgia treated the pavement like a catwalk as she ran errands

In a video, Nathan was seen getting down on one knee in front of Georgia.

'I would say that I had this really crazy idea,' he said in the clip.

Georgia replied, 'Yes, I will,' before the crew cheered for the happy couple.

The mother of one is back in NYC after living in Australia for the past few years.

In a recent Instagram post, she confirmed she was working with IMG models.

'Can't believe I'm back in NYC and this time with my mini me. It was no small choice bringing my daughter to the other side of the world - that 17-hour direct [flight] is no joke! But you just couldn't kick the love of work out of me,' she wrote.
Paris Hilton oozed elegance as she attended a star-studded dinner hosted by the Kardashian family in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The 42-year-old socialite  who recently attended her first ever Met Gala  cut a glamorous figure in a floral maxi dress.

The elegant number featured tones of orange, pink and yellow as well as billowing sleeves.

Complementing her outfit, she carried a beige throw in her arms to protect her from any night-time chill.

The mother-of-one  who welcomed her baby boy, Phoenix, in January - styled her blonde tresses in loose waves, cascading past her shoulders.

Gorgeous: Paris Hilton oozed elegance as she attended a star-studded dinner hosted by the Kardashian family in Los Angeles on Wednesday

She accentuated her natural beauty with a stunning palette of makeup, including a swipe of pink lipstick.

Heading home for the night, she appeared in good spirits as she clutched onto a pair of sunglasses and her phone.

Earlier this month, the blonde beauty made her debut at fashion's biggest night to celebrate the theme of Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty in an all-black ensemble.

The reality TV star flashed her cleavage in a sparkling black leather dress, paired with statement platform heels as she posed up a storm.

Her off-the-shoulder gown cinched in at her toned waist, flowing into a dramatic leather skirt.

She added height to her statuesque frame with sparkling platform brogues and wore a black rose detail choker.

Her locks were pulled into a sleek ponytail and she sported a striking makeup look created by beauty pro Steven Tambia using products from Danessa Myricks.

Aside from her busy work schedule Paris has been enjoying motherhood, after welcoming her first child - son Phoenix - with husband Carter Reum, 42, in January of this year, via a surrogate.

First timer: Earlier this month, the blonde beauty made her debut at fashion's biggest night to celebrate the theme of Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty in an all-black ensemble

Paris and Carter - who wed in November 2021 after more than two years of dating - kept the birth of their son a secret from both of their immediate families, until Paris was on the verge of breaking the news on Instagram.

'My entire life has been so public,' she recently told Harper's Bazaar. 'Ive never had anything for myself. We decided that we wanted to have this whole experience to ourselves.'

She said of her son: 'I want to protect him and to be with him every second. You have this mother instinct that kicks in, which I've never had before.'

While the surrogate was in labor, Paris was so determined to protect her privacy that she even went to the trouble of disguising herself with a brunette wig and checking into the hospital under an alias.

On a recent episode of her podcast This Is Paris, she spilled that Phoenix was 'like over a week old' before she told mother Kathy Hilton and sister Nicky about his birth.

While this is her first child, Reum was revealed to have had a 'secret' daughter, named Evie, 10, with ex Laura Bellizzi, and has allegedly not seen her since she was an infant.
Millie Mackintosh has revealed that she suffered a panic attack on a recent flight to Cyprus.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 33, took to Instagram on Thursday to share her horrific experience in which she felt like she 'couldn't breathe' and feared the plane would have to be diverted to hospital.

Sharing a snap of herself wearing sunglasses on the flight, Millie added that though she's a 'nervous flyer', she was surprised at how quickly the attack had come on, noting that she hadn't had one in nine months.

Trying to break down the reasons for the attack, Millie recalled having a hectic 48 hours prior to her trip, which saw her have little sleep or exercise which she claims 'set her up' to 'feel anxious'.

In a lengthy post, she wrote: 'I havent spoken about my mental health for a while, its easy to get caught up in sharing the good moments and I wanted to pause and be real with you.

Ordeal: Former Made In Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh, 33, has revealed that she suffered a panic attack on a recent flight to Cyprus

Difficult: Millie took to Instagram on Thursday to share her horrific experience in which she felt like she 'couldn't breathe' and feared the plane would have to be diverted to hospital (pictured in Cyprus)

'I thought I was really on top of things but then wham out of nowhere I had a really scary panic attack on the flight to Cyprus. I am a nervous flyer but it was a smooth flight, the attack came on quickly, I suddenly felt like I couldnt breathe and for about an hour I truly believed they would need to divert to the nearest hospital because I was moments from my death.

'I know that may sound dramatic, but those who have experienced a panic attack will know, there is no rational thought process, you get so stuck in your own head and your mind just runs wild.'

Millie went on to say that though she looked happy and content in her holiday snaps, she was left 'frazzled' and 'sensitive' from her flight experience and even sought help from her therapist afterwards.

She said: 'I posted photos where I look happy and smiling, but for the first few days after, the shockwaves from the panic attack left me feeling frazzled and overly sensitive.

'I havent had a panic attack like that for nearly 9 months and the last one triggered my decision to stop drinking alcohol. Now I have had some time to reflect and a chat with my therapist and Ive learnt that although I removed a triggering substance from my life, I still need to put in the self work to heal and be in a healthy balanced head space.

'When I look back at the 48 hours before the trip I had been struggling with insomnia, I didnt have childcare so I had been juggling more than usual, I hadnt been working out, meditating or getting enough sleep.

'Now I can see that I was basically setting myself up to feel anxious. Panic attacks are the bodys way of telling us to stop and take a look at the way we are living and this has definitely made me reevaluate.'

The TV personality then went on to reflect on what she's going to do going forward as she looked for ways to improve her mental health.

Tough time: Trying to break down the reasons for the attack, Millie recalled having a hectic 48 hours prior to her trip, which saw her have little sleep or exercise which she claims 'set her up' to 'feel anxious'

Traumatic: 'I suddenly felt like I couldnt breathe and for about an hour I truly believed they would need to divert to the nearest hospital because I was moments from my death'

Snaps: Millie went on to say that though she looked happy and content in her holiday snaps, she was left 'frazzled' and 'sensitive' from her flight experience and even sought help from her therapist afterwards

She shared with her fans: 'I know that whilst the panic attack wasnt caused by turbulence the flight, I am an anxious flyer, so a fear of flying course is something I want to do over the next few months and Im also going to try EMDR [Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing] therapy.

'Whilst our experiences with our mental health are very different, having these open conversations are so important, knowing that its ok to have a bad day, ups and downs are normal and its all part of the journey.

'I love to know if you have any advice for dealing with anxiety during a flight.'

Millie has in the past been open about her mental health and last year revealed she has started taking medication to help with anxiety which she has struggled with for years.

In a candid post about her struggles with mental health, Millie explained she has been seeing a therapist to deal with some 'painful experiences' from her teenage years and has found the medication to be helpful.

She said: 'I wanted to have a catch up. I shared a lot about how I felt during my pregnancies & 4th trimester journeys, but I haven't checked in for a while so thought I'd share a bit about life lately, particularly my own self-care.

'I recently recorded a podcast for @thegoodglow.ie where I shared something, that in all honesty I didn't think I would. I have had anxiety most of my life and found helpful tools manage it.

Candid: Millie has in the past been open about her mental health and last year revealed she has started taking medication to help with anxiety which she has struggled with for years

Family: Millie is married to fellow former Made In Chelsea star Hugo Taylor and the couple are parents to daughters Sienna, three, and Aurelia, 17 months)

'However, since lockdown & becoming a mother my anxiety (particularly social anxiety) really started to take over, consuming my thoughts leading me to feeling trapped.

'I engaged with therapy, to try and understand where the anxiety stems from, which meant visiting some painful experiences from my teenage years in hope it would release some of the association and anxiety, Instead I found it really triggering & became more anxious than ever.

'After a lot of thought & discussions with my therapist we decided a low dose of prescribed medication, whilst continuing talk therapy would be the best way forward for now.

'Although I knew this was the best decision, I found it difficult to admit to myself & to my family that I needed this kind of help.

'I would always encourage and support friends and family in their own mental health journey but I guess it's different when you are the one in need.'

Millie added that she is now feeling better than ever and feels like she is 'in control' of her life once more.
Barry Humphries' son Oscar says his family is honoured to accept a state memorial in Sydney, after the comedic genius died at age 89.

The memorial will take place in Sydney, after the Victorian government also offered to host the event.

Oscar, 42, told The Australian on Thursday media speculation that the family chose Sydney over Melbourne as a 'snub' was wrong, despite Humphries being born in a posh Melbourne suburb.

'The two offers of a state memorial were a wonderful honour for my father and received with much gratitude,' he told the publication.

'It is such an honour and a touching recognition of his contribution to Australian culture and what he meant to so many people.'

Humphries, who was born in Kew in 1934, lived in London, but made a home in Sydney over the last few decades as well.

Oscar Humphries the son of the late Barry Humphries says the offer of a state funeral for the comedy legend has been accepted by his family as an honour. Both pictured

Oscar, 42, told The Australian on Thursday media speculation that the family chose Sydney over Melbourne as a 'snub' was wrong, despite Humphries being born in a posh Melbourne suburb

Oscar, a journalist and art dealer, is the son of Humphries and the comedian's third wife Diane Millstead, who he married in 1979 and divorced in 1989.

Famed for his comedy characters such as Dame Edna Everage and Les Patterson, Humphries had a career spanning six decades.

The star of stage and screen reportedly fought a secret battle with inoperable cancer for years before his death last month.

He died aged 89 on April 22, following complications from a recent hip replacement surgery.

In late April, Humphries was farewelled at a private funeral by family and friends, who made last-minute arrangements to be there after being only given 24 hours' notice.

The private ceremony was held at the Bowral estate of his long-time friend and artist Tim Storrier on Friday in the NSW Southern Highlands.

'It was a small affair, just family and close friends,' the film director Bruce Beresford said.

Humphries, who was born in Kew in 1934, lived in London, but made a home in Sydney over the last few decades as well. Pictured: Humphries as Dame Edna Everage

Beresford, 82, made the classic Aussie comedy The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972), which starred Humphries.

Also at the ceremony were Humphries' sons Oscar and Rupert, who flew in from London, as well as his daughters Emily and Tessa, brother Christopher and sister Barbara.

Beresford said no speeches were made, but excerpts from some of Humphries' favourite poems were read, including three verses from his favourite poem, The Heart of a Friend by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

'It was very touching, very warm. Everybody was either related or a great friend of Barry's,' Beresford said.
Dannii Minogue has discussed her more low-key life on the family farm back in her native Australia with her sister Kylie.

The former X Factor judge, 51, is back Down Under after 22 years spent in the UK and told how life on the farm is far from the glamour fans are used to seeing from her and pop star Kylie, 54.

Speaking on Jessie Ware's Table Manners podcast, she said: 'The minute we step on the farm, Kylie and I have clothes that are old, they've got holes in them . . . we won't let go of them.

'We look homeless. And that feels so good after all the lashes and make-up and heels and hair  which we love, but it's that balance, because it's so extreme what we do on stage.'

Dannii, known for hits include I Begin To Wonder and Put The Needle On It, also detailed her and Kylie's sisterly squabbles while they wrre growing up.

Family: Dannii Minogue has discussed her more low-key life on the family farm back in her native Australia with her sister Kylie

Humble: he former X Factor judge, 51, is back Down Under after 22 years spent in the UK and told how life on the farm is far from the glamour fans are used to seeing from her and pop star Kylie, 54 (pictured in 2014)

She said: 'We did fight. I think you have to,' before adding that they got on 'most of the time'.

Dannii moved back to Australia in 2011 as she wanted to raise her son Danny, 11, near her family.

She has been back in the UK lately to host the new series I Kissed A Boy, the UK's first ever gay dating show.

'It's so bizarre being back here,' she said. 'I went by my old hood, I used to live in Battersea, and Battersea Park was my favourite place.

'I can't imagine living here now, but when I lived here I couldn't imagine leaving. I was here 22 years.'

Discussing her role on I Kissed A Boy and said it's 'about time' such a show was on the small screen.

She said: 'We're just opening the door. 'You can think whatever you think of the show, you can judge it, be the couch judge, scream at the TV, love it, hate it, whatever  just watch it, because this is a first.

She said: 'The minute we step on the farm, Kylie and I have clothes that are old, they've got holes in them . . . we won't let go of them. We look homeless'

Career: Dannii has been back in the UK lately to host the new series I Kissed A Boy, the UK's first ever gay dating show (pictured in May 2023)

'I was learning so much stuff during the show that I came up with my drag queen name while we were on set.

'She's Scottish . . . she's Mor-gay By-the-day. I was getting more gay by the day.

Youre going to know stuff that you had no idea about before watching this show.

There are things that just come up in conversation and what I love is theyre not explained because this is made for the gay community  and its about time.
Millie Mackintosh has admitted she felt like she was 'snubbed' by Meghan Markle when she began dating Prince Harry.

Speaking on her Mumlemmas podcast, the Made In Chelsea star, 33, revealed she became pals with the Suits star after they met at a hotel event in Turkey, and even 'gave her all of her contacts,' when she moved to London.

Millie added that she and Meghan met up in the capital and she shared her favourite hotspots, but things changed when rumours swirled that she and Harry were dating.

She added that she sent Meghan a message offering her well-wishes, but was surprised to receive an 'abrupt' response.

Millie went onto tell her co-host Charlie Boud that she felt snubbed by Meghan after reading the response, and decided she wouldn't contact her again.

No contact: Millie Mackintosh has admitted she felt like she was 'snubbed' by former pal Meghan Markle when she began dating Prince Harry

Friendly: The Made In Chelsea star said she was pals with the Suits star before the actress met Harry, but received an 'abrupt' message from Meghan when she reached out after the relationship came to light

She explained: 'Years ago, I'd say about eight years ago, I went to the opening of a hotel in Istanbul and I met Meghan Markle.

'I was a fan, I watched Suits, and we met at the bar and we were both ordering a drink at the same time I started chatting. We got on really well, we got on like a house on fire, and just stayed in touch.

'Then we went to lunch, she didn't know London very well, she'd never been to Chelsea, so I took her to The Ivy on Kings Road.

'She didn't know anyone so I gave her the best places to get your nails done, basically my little black book. I gave her all my contacts.'

Millie said she and Meghan bonded over their marital troubles, as the Made In Chelsea star was married to rapper Professor Green at the time, and Meghan had previously split from her first husband Trevor Engelson.

She continued: 'When we first met I was married, going through a bit of a turbulent time, and I got divorced, and she was divorced so we had quite a lot to talk about.

'That was quite bonding, and we were both into our wellness, she had our blog, we were both just into the same things.

'We hung out a handful of times, we weren't best friends, but whenever she was in town she'd let me know and we would just hang out.'

Bonded: Speaking on her podcast , the Made In Chelsea star revealed she became pals with the Suits star after they met at a hotel event in Turkey (Millie pictured on the 2015 trip)

Former flame: Millie said she and Meghan bonded over their marital splits. She divorced husband Professor Green in 2016 after three years of marriage

Ex: Meghan also had her own experience with divorce, splitting from her first husband Trevor Engelson in 2014

'Then the last time I saw her was down at a hotel in the Cotswolds, she was staying there, what I thought was going to be a day of yoga ended up being rose and margaritas in the pool.

'It was a really fun afternoon, there were pictures taken of us riding around on the bikes. That was the last time I saw her.'

Millie explained that Meghan briefly mentioned she was dating Harry during their final meeting, and weeks later, rumours of their relationship began to swirl.

She continued: 'When I was there, we were chatting and she told me about Harry and that they were messaging, and a friend had introduced them.

'I don't know him, just to clarify, I've never met him. Me and Harry do not know each other I've never met him. I didn't really ask too much about it.'

Millie added that she reached out to Meghan when her relationship with Harry came to light.

She added: 'I messaged her and said, ''Hey I hope you're OK, thinking of you,'' and she sent me this really abrupt message, that was really unlike any of our communications before.'

Millie, who did not disclose the message she received, added that she didn't question Meghan about her relationship with Harry.

She added: 'It's not like I messaged her asking if it was true, that was none of my business.

'What I read from that message was that she needed a bit of space, to cool off.

'I didn't message her again, but I did expect that we would stay in touch. I thought she'd message back and say, ''Sorry everything is a bit stressful right now.''

'I never heard from her again. I felt like she'd basically told me to f**k off in that message. So I did. And we haven't spoken since.'

The former reality TV star then expressed her opinion on what was behind the message: 'My take on it is that, this is my instinct why it happened at the time, she thought right I'm gonna be royal now, I don't need Millie in my life.

'I was on a reality show at the time, she thought, "I can't be associated with Made In Chelsea, I'm gonna be royal."

Meghan - who has hinted at the restrictions imposed on her by the Palace when she started dating Harry - was absent from the coronation in the UK this weekend, opting to stay back in the US to celebrate her son Archie's 'lowkey' fourth birthday at her and Prince Harry's Montecito home.

Harry, 38, attended King Charles' big day, but rushed back to California afterwards.

He headed straight to the airport as soon as the ceremony concluded, and was on the plane before his father and stepmother Camilla, the newly crowned queen, had even finished having their official portraits taken.

No more: Millie went on to tell her co-host Charlie Boud that she felt snubbed by Meghan after reading the response, and decided she wouldn't contact her again

Gesture: She explained she and Meghan (pictured with Harry) originally bonded over their marital splits when they met at a hotel event in Istanbul

He was seen landing back at LAX airport around 6:30pm on Saturday - after spending a total of 28 hours and 42 minutes in the UK.

Despite Harry's quick exit, the King honoured Archie at a post-coronation buffet, raising a glass to toast the toddler's fourth birthday.

A source said that while most members of the Royal Family 'breathed a sigh of relief' that Harry didn't join them at the celebration afterwards, King Charles, 74, seemed 'genuinely quite disappointed that he didn't stay.'

Charles thanked everyone who had worked hard to make the day so special, before paying tribute to 'those that weren't there', including Archie, who he wished a very happy birthday 'wherever he was.'
Joey Essex has been welcomed to his new home of Dubai after he left the UK for the UAE following a break-in at his Essex home.

The former TOWIE star, 32, met with Dubai officials this week after he landed in the Middle Eastern city.

Dressed in a white shirt and matching trousers, Joey shared snaps of himself at the luxurious Burj Al Arab hotel upon landing.

Alongside the snaps, he wrote: 'At the world's most luxurious hotel Burj Al Arab I met up with the Dubai Government. They told me Dubai is now my home.

'Thank you to Mahmoud Al Burai & Shahab Ahmed Alsaadi for everything you have put in place for me and Dubai police, Dubai tourism board, Dubai media for getting in touch and taking time to meet me and giving me the warmest welcome to their country.

New beginning: Joey Essex has been welcomed to his new home of Dubai after he left the UK for the UAE following a break-in at his Essex home

New home: The former TOWIE star, 32, met with Dubai officials this week after he landed in the Middle Eastern city

He added: 'Happiness is the way forward. Inshallah.'

Several of Joey's followers and celebrity pals commented on the post to wish him well as he begins life in the new country.

Fellow TOWIE star Liam 'Gatsby' Blackwell wrote: 'New beginnings brother. Wish you all the happiness and luck in the world.'

Tommy Mallet added: 'Be lucky brother,' while former Love Island star Laura Anderson wrote: 'Unreal'.

The move comes following reports that a break-in at Joey's Essex home left him an 'emotional wreck'.

Joey was left 'horrified and shaken' after discovering his 3million home had been ransacked by thieves, it was reported in January.

A source told The Sun: 'Joey has started house-hunting in Dubai. He is planning to buy a base out there so he can jet off whenever he likes.

'Joey will be splitting his time between his home in Essex and his new place in Dubai.

Travel: Dressed in a white shirt and matching trousers, Joey shared snaps of himself at the luxurious Burj Al Arab hotel upon landing

Shaken: The move comes following reports that a break-in at Joey's Essex home left him an 'emotional wreck'

Joey wrote: 'At the world's most luxurious hotel Burj Al Arab I met up with the Dubai Government. They told me Dubai is now my home'

Well wishes: Several of Joey's followers and celebrity pals commented on the post to wish him well as he begins life in the new country

'He loves the lifestyle out there and feels completely safe.'

His bachelor pad was raided while he was on a night out with his pal James 'Diags' Bennewith.

Joey lost a mustard Louis Vuitton weekend bag worth 2,500, and a 1,900 grey Maison Goyard cross-body bag, as well as other valuable items, such as a black Fendi rucksack worth about 4,500.

Joey contacted Essex Police, who investigated the break-in, while friends said he was left 'terrified and shaken' and an 'emotional wreck'.
EastEnders fans are convinced they know who killed a man this Christmas and it is none of the six women the BBC producers have teased.

Earlier this year in a special flash forward episode, confirmed that someone form Albert Square is going to be killed this festive season.

A man was seen lying dead on the floor surrounded by six women - Denise (Diane Parish), Kathy (Gillian Taylforth), Linda (Kellie Bright), Sharon (Letitia Dean), Stacey (Lacey Turner) and Suki ( Balvinder Sopal).

In the scene as the women stood over the body, Sharon confirmed he was definitely dead.

Viewers currently have no idea whether it is murder or an accident but some clues from the scene have revealed possible theories.

Worked it out: EastEnders fans are convinced they know who killed a man this Christmas and it is none of the six women the BBC producers have teased

In the coming months, more information will be given before the Christmas Day episode when all will be revealed about who the murderer is and who is dead.

However, ahead of this BBC fans think they have already worked out who the actual killer is and it is not any of the women.

One fan wrote on Twitter: '#Eastenders I think there will be a secret 7th on Christmas Day, I thought it could have been Eve or Shirley but now Im starting to think it could be Karen.

'When Sharon looks up & says his dead shes looking at Karen. At the moment Im thinking Karen hits Nish & kills him'.

Another added: 'Suki and Karen need to team up to take down Nish. Karen has been abused herself and knows that Chantelle was also abused.

'Suki is between a rock and hard place at the moment with Nish and needs people on her side to bring him down including Eve Karen Stacey etc. #EastEnders.'

Previously EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw has teased to 'expect the unexpected' with the Christmas scenes.

He said: 'I've already given you a scene from Christmas; I can't give you anything more, I'm afraid! But what I will say is expect the unexpected.

Drama: Earlier this year in a special flash forward episode which aired, confirmed that someone form Albert Square is going to be killed this festive season

Figuring it out: However, ahead of this BBC fans think they have already worked out who the actual killer is and it is not any of the women

'I'm not going to give anything away that the episode hasnt already given, but what I will say is there were clues in there.

'Did you look closely? I urge everyone to re-watch the scene and look at every detail. Theres also a few treats in the scene if you look hard enough.

'What Id also say is that a lot can happen in Walford between February and December.'

He added: 'Circumstances can change, relationships can change, loyalties can change  so what you may suspect now could be somewhat different as we make our way through 2023 and head towards Christmas.'
Frida Aaesen cut a glamorous figure in a barely-there orange robe on Wednesday as she took part in the Etam Cruise Fashion Show rehearsals in St Tropez, France.

The supermodel and Victoria Secret Angel, 28, set pulses racing in the skimpy outfit, as she went braless underneath.

Frida could be seen chatting with the other models as she sat on the pier and basked in the glorious sun.

She wore her blonde locks poker straight, cascading past her shoulders.

The beauty added a pair of stylish black sunglasses to her look and finished the ensemble with blue and green Nike trainers.

Beauty: Frida Aaesen cut a glamorous figure in a barely-there orange robe on Wednesday as she took part in the Etam Cruise Fashion Show rehearsals in St Tropez, France

The models could be seen practicing their walk as they waited behind an extravagant red curtain.

Frida's appearance comes after she was spotted out in Milan with her husband Tommy Chiabra in February.

The supermodel put on a leggy display in a brown jacket and leather hot pants as she headed out for a stroll in the Italian city.

The beauty walked hand in hand with Tommy, who donned a blue T-shirt, jean jacket and dark jeans.

Last year, the Norwegian model and Italian businessman tied the knot in front of a star-studded guestlist.

Celebrity guests arrived in their droves to celebrate with the couple, who married at the Divo Martino church in Portofino.

Bride Frida looked stunning in a netted gown with a bardot neckline and a touch of sparkle which appeared to be from Ellie Saab's Fall 2022 collection.

After meeting in 2019, the couple dated for two years before the Victoria's Secret model announced her engagement to Tommy on her Instagram stories in August 2021.

On display: The supermodel and Victoria Secret Angel, 28, set pulses racing in the skimpy outfit, as she went braless underneath

Model walk: Frida could be seen chatting with the other models as she sat on the pier and basked in the sun

Beauty: She wore her blonde locks poker straight, cascading past her shoulders

Stylish: The beauty added a pair of stylish black sunglasses to her look and finished the ensemble with blue and green Nike trainers

Leggy: Frida left little to the imagination in the tiny robe

Relaxed: She seemed relaxed and at ease as she conversed with friends

Ready: The models could be seen practicing their walk as they waited behind an extravagant red curtain

Practice makes perfect: Out in full force, the models for the show could be seen walking around

She posted a video of herself being led onto a boat at Portofino harbour with a pink scarf covering her eyes.

Wearing a white lace halter-neck dress, fans might wonder if the bride-to-be had foreseen what was about to unfold as Tommy got down on one knee.

Showing off her stunning ring in a black-and-white Instagram photo Frida wrote: 'Per sempre.'

Translated into English, the phrase means: 'Always.'
Kevin Costner's marriage to second wife Christine Baumgartner is coming to an end after 18 years and three children together.

Baumgartner, 49, cited 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for the shock split, which reportedly 'blindsided' the Yellowstone star, 68.

And in wake of his latest failed union, DailyMail.com is taking a deep dive into the actor's colorful love life.

And in wake of his latest failed union to purse designer Christine Baumgartner, DailyMail.com is taking a deep dive into Kevin Costner's colorful love life; seen in 2022

First wife Cindy Silva

Costner pictured with his first wife Cindy Silva in 1991, she filed for divorce three years later ending their 16 year marriage

In November 1994, Costner's then wife, Cindy Silva, filed for divorce after 16 years of marriage.

'We have amicably resolved all issues regarding our children and financial affairs and a full marital settlement has been reached. We ask to be allowed the dignity of sorting through this more painful part of our lives in private,' a statement from the couple read in 1994.

Costner and Silva met while they were both students at California State University - Fullerton.

They would go on to have three children together.

The pair split amid multiple reports that Costner had been having an affair with a celebrated hula dancer named Michele Amaral while he was filming his multi-million dollar flop Waterworld in Hawaii.

Eventually, Silva was awarded around $80 million in the divorce settlement.

In a 1995 interview, The Bodyguard star took responsibility for his role in the demise of his marriage, but did not go into detail.

'A series of events conspired to happen at the same time. I know it hurt some people that I had failed in my marriage. And the marriage was my own failure,' he said.

Costner said in a 1995 interview with Parade Magazine that he never even spoke to Amaral on the phone.

He also listed off the other women he was supposedly linked to including Playboy model Angie Everheart and the daughter of casino magnate Steve Wynn.

'It was hard on Cindy and our children. It didn't help things. The only thing it did was hurt. The collapse of my marriage was the hardest thing of all for me,' the Dances With Wolves star said.

Costner went on to express his love for his first wife: 'You can put this on the record. Through all the pain, Cindy's been what I always thought she was a real lady. I still have love for Cindy.'

Silva supported Costner when he was a struggling actor, taking on odd-jobs that included performing as Snow White at Disneyland.

Short-lived fling Bridget Rooney

Shortly after his split from Silva, Costner had a son, Liam, with Pittsburgh Steelers heiress Bridget Rooney

Less than two years after his split from Silva, Costner had a son, Liam, with Bridget Rooney.

She is heiress to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the aunt of actresses Rooney and Kate Mara.

In 1996 Rooney insisted that she was '110% sure who the father' of her child was.

But Rooney still 'insisted on a paternity test' to prove paternity, according to a 2002 article from PEOPLE.

That months-long affair is rumored to have cost the actor $7 million.

Liam in now 27-years-old.

'Mistress' Michele Amaral

In 1994, Kevin Costner was widely reported to have had an affair with hula dancer Michele Amaral while filming Waterworld

Costner allegedly had an affair with a celebrated hula dancer named Michele Amaral while he was filming his multi-million dollar flop Waterworld in Hawaii.

Amaral was also married as well as being a mother-of-two when she met Costner.

A report at the time in the New York Daily News said that the pair met at the Mauna Lani hotel and shortly afterwards Amaral was 'spotted creeping out of his $4,500-a-day villa.

According to a Departures Magazine feature, Amaral has taught hula across the world and is known as the island's premier soloist.

The Daily News report said that Silva was alerted to the affair by someone who was working on Waterworld and was fired.

The same article accused Costner of multiple infidelities during his marriage.

At the time Costner strenuously denied the allegations saying that he was merely interviewing Amaral for a job.

During an interview where Amaral was brought up, Costner became infuriated.

'This woman has done nothing wrong and yet has had to share the harsh light of celebrity with me. I feel embarrassed, and I don't think there's one thing I can do to make her life better.'

'This woman has a name and to make her a thing is the worst part of all. It's wrong for her and her husband,' Costner said.

Second wife Christine Baumgartner

Costner and second wife Baumgartner first began dating in 1998, having met around 1996 while Costner was filming his movie Tin Cup. They wed in 2004; seen in 2022

Costner and second wife Baumgartner first began dating in 1998, having met around 1996 while Costner was filming his movie Tin Cup.

The Bodyguard star said that at the time he first met her, he wasn't ready to fall in love again.

Both are graduates of California State University - Fullerton. Baumgartner graduated with a degree in business.

They married in 2004 in Aspen, Colorado, where Costner has long maintained a 160-acre ranch, known as The Dunbar. Rooms can be rented on the property for as much as $36,000 per night.

The reason for the long courtship was because Costner was not sure if wanted more kids. The uncertainty even led them to break up for a period prior to their engagement.

'Fear kept me from marrying Christine. [She] wanted a child, but I was afraid I couldn't be an effective father.'

'I woke up and thought, 'Am I going to lose a beautiful woman who is willing to be with me to my very last breath because I am afraid to say yes to a child?' That's all it took. Sometimes you learn the thing you're most afraid of will save your life,' he told Closer Weekly in 2018.

Costner told the Daily Telegraph in 2011 that the reason for his four year hiatus from making movies was because of his new family.

As a recently as 2020, Costner spoke glowingly about how the couple's relationship strengthened during the Covid-19 pandemic. He told People: 'Our partnership has really come into focus about what we do for each other and how we deal with our family.'

The couple share three children, Grace, 12, Hayes, 14, and Cayden, 15, and both have filed for joint custody; seen in 2019

In 2022, Radar Online reported that Costner was given an ultimatum from his wife. The report said that she was demanding that he quit his hit show Yellowstone due to the fact that he was gone from home so often.

'The show is such a mega-hit, producers want it to go on forever! [Baumgartner] wants a firm commitment this is his last season  or he might have to!,' a source told the website.

And on Tuesday, May 2, it was revealed that Baumgartner had filed for divorce after 18 years of marriage.

A representative for the Yellowstone star asked for privacy while saying that 'circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action' with Baumgartner.

The couple share three children, 12, 14 and 15, and both have filed for joint custody.

The family's primary residence was in Ventura, California, 30 miles south of Santa Barbara, where they also own an oceanfront mansion.

The couple has a prenup, reports TMZ.
She's been wowing fans as the host of the Eurovision Song Contest.

But Hannah Waddingham is worlds away from the Liverpool stage as she transforms into a period seductress for her ITVX series Tom Jones.

New behind-the-scenes images from the miniseries show the Ted Lasso star, 48, in a stunning period gown and an extravagant wig as she takes on the role of Lady Ballaston.

In Tom Jones, which is now available on ITVX, Hannah stars as Sophia's scheming aunt who is determined to bring a stop to her relationship with Tom, a young man who has struggled to escape his lowly status after being abandoned as a baby.

Hannah says: 'I had always wanted to do a period drama but you know, being nearly six foot in heels is not something that has ever come my way!

Stunner! Hannah Waddingham is worlds away from the Liverpool stage as she transforms into a period seductress for her ITVX series Tom Jones

Wow! New behind-the-scenes images from the miniseries show the Ted Lasso star, 48, in a stunning period gown and an extravagant wig as she takes on the role of Lady Ballaston

'Oh my god, Lady Bellaston! she's such an over-the-top creation with this horrifically sybaritic lifestyle of debauchery. That's brilliant.'

The series focuses on young Tom, a man who was abandoned as a baby but was rescued and raised by a country gentleman, Squire Allworthy.

He goes onto to become a charming and kind man who is popular with the ladies, falling in love with wealthy heiress Sophie.

But Tom is unable to escape the status given to him by his low birth, with Lady Ballaston determined to put a stop to their romance.

While Hannah is best known for her role as Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso, this week viewers are lauding her stint as the host of the Eurovision Song Contest.

In Tuesday's semi-final, Hannah was branded the standout host of Tuesday's show as she delighted fans with her wit and hidden talents.

She left viewers in hysterics when she made a cheeky dig at Amanda Holden - who awarded points on behalf of the United Kingdom during the 2021 ceremony.

Amanda came under fire at the time for making an awkward joke while presenting. quipping she didn't know the difference between between French and Dutch, with shocked viewers branding her 'arrogant'.

Drama! In Tom Jones, which is now available on ITVX, Hannah stars as Sophia's scheming aunt who is determined to bring a stop to her relationship with Tom

Stealing the show! Hannah says: 'I had always wanted to do a period drama but you know, being nearly six foot in heels is not something that has ever come my way!'

Hannah appeared to reference the blunder as she took on presenting duties, explaining the voting rules for the semi-final in perfect French before saying pointedly: 'You see Europe, some of us Brits do bother to learn another language.'

Viewers were quick to pick up on the slight, penning on Twitter: ''Hannah Waddingham throwing Amanda Holden under Le bus, quality shade #Eurovision';

'Hannah Waddingham's French somewhat making up for the existence of Amanda Holden. Amazing start, Liverpool. #Eurovision2023'; 'HANNAH WADDINGHAM SHADING AMANDA HOLDEN

'Hannah Waddingham throwing shade at Amanda Holden already?! I love her so much!!!! #Eurovision'; 'Im still laughing at Hannah throwing Amanda Holden under the bus. #Eurovision #Eurovision2023'; 'Hannah shading Amanda Holden, you love to see it #eurovision.'

As well as cracking up fans with her comments, Hannah also left viewers in awe with her incredible singing voice.

The West End star was being taught how to 'rock out' by co-host Julia and let rip with a perfectly pitched high note while pretending to play air guitar.

The moment set Twitter alight, with fans tweeting: 'hannah waddingham not only flexing her insane air guitar skills but her unreal singing voice';

'hannah waddingham casually out singing all of the actual contestants at eurovision by hitting that high note is such a sexy flex #Eurovision2023'; 'This is Hannah Waddingham's world at the moment and we're just living in it #Eurovision';

'This years #Eurovision is all about Hannah Waddingham!'; Hannah Waddingham is the perfect Eurovision presenter. Classy, funny and totally in the spirit of the event.'

On Tuesday night, 15 countries performed at the M&S Bank arena in part one of two semi-finals for the chance to win a place in Saturday's grand final.

Ten acts made it through with Finland favourite Kaarija and Sweden's former winner Loreen who was victorious in 2012 with her hit Euphoria, also secured a place.

However there was heartbreak for Ireland, Malta, Latvia, the Netherlands and Azerbaijan who were knocked out of the running for Eurovision 2023.

The stadium was lit up by an array of wacky, moving and colourful acts, while King Charles, Queen Camilla and the late Paul O'Grady starred in a opening video to kick off the show.

The 10 acts who made it through were; Croatia, Moldova, Switzerland, Finland, Czechia, Israel, Sweden, Serbia, Portugal and Norway.

In a change to the rules this year, the decision of who goes through is entirely down to the public, with national juries being able to have their say during the final on Saturday.

Icon: Hannah was branded the standout host of Tuesday's Eurovision semi-final as she delighted fans with her wit and hidden talents

31 countries will compete in two semi-finals with 10 from each going through to the Grand Final.

Last year's winner Ukraine automatically progressed to the Grand Final, along with the big five, comprising the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

The Eurovision semi-finals will take place across two days and feature an array of performances, including from Eurovision legends and Ukrainian and British stars.

For the first time in the UK's Eurovision Song Contest history, both semi-finals are being presented live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Radio DJs Scott Mills and Rylan will bring UK audiences their colourful commentary, while Alesha, Julia and Hannah host the semi-final at the M&S Bank Arena.

The next semi-final will take place on Thursday (11 May) ahead of the Grand Final on Saturday (13 May). Tom Jones is now streaming on ITVX.
Meadow Walker revealed that she will be making a cameo in the upcoming action-adventure feature Fast X in a post that was shared to her Instagram account on Thursday morning.

The 24-year-old model shared an image from the soon-to-premiere movie that showed her appearing a scene shot inside an airplane.

The social media personality also penned a lengthy statement in her post's caption to elaborate on her connection to the Fast & Furious franchise, in which her late father, Paul Walker, previously starred.

Walker began by writing: 'The first fast was released when I was one year old! I grew up on set watching my father, Vin, Jordana, Michelle, Chris and more on the monitors. Thanks to my dad, I was born into the fast family.'

The fashion industry figure went on to express her gratitude towards Fast X's director, Louis Leterrier, for including her in the project.

On screen: Meadow Walker revealed that she will be making a cameo in the upcoming action-adventure feature Fast X in a post that was shared to her Instagram account on Thursday morning

Up, up and away: The 24-year-old model shared an image from the soon-to-premiere movie that showed her appearing a scene shot inside an airplane

'I can't believe now I get to be up there too. With those who have been around to see me grow up. Thank you @louisleterrierpro for your kindness, patience and support. It feels like you've been part of the family since we started,' she wrote.

Walker also shared her love for her late father's former producing partner, Brandon Birtel, for helping her with the cameo.

'Special shoutout to my dad's best friend who is now my best friend, @bbirtel, this wouldn't have been possible without you,' she wrote.

The model concluded with: 'I am so blessed to be able to honor my father's legacy and share this with him forever x I love you all so much.'

Walker's father previously portrayed Brian O'Conner in the Fast & Furious franchise.

The performer tragically passed away at the age of 40 in November of 2013 after he was involved in a single-vehicle crash that occurred in Santa Clarita, California.

At the time, the actor was working on the seventh installment in the movie series, Fast 7, which eventually premiered in 2015.

The actor's final scenes for the feature were ultimately completed with the assistance of his brothers, Caleb and Cody.

Heartfelt: The model concluded by writing 'I am so blessed to be able to honor my father's legacy and share this with him forever x I love you all so much.'

Leading man: Walker's father previously portrayed Brian O'Conner in the Fast & Furious franchise; he is seen alongside Vin Diesel in 2009's Fast & Furious

Taken aback: Diesel previously spoke to Extra during the premiere event for the upcoming movie's trailer and quickly became flabbergasted when he was asked about the prospect of Walker making a cameo in the flick

Fast X will serve as the tenth installment in the long-running franchise, and its sequel is currently scheduled to arrive in 2025.

Diesel previously spoke to Extra during the premiere event for the upcoming movie's trailer and quickly became flabbergasted when he was asked about the prospect of Walker making a cameo in the flick.

The performer told the media outlet's Terri Seymour: 'Hey, what is this?! You're not allowed to tell all the secrets! Who told you that? No one authorized that!'

Fast X is currently scheduled to be released to the public on May 19.
Beetlejuice 2 has added another high profile actor to its already-impressive array of stars.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed on Thursday that the Italian screen fixture Monica Bellucci would be gracing the sequel, which is helmed by original director Tim Burton.

The 58-year-old actress is known for appearing in many acclaimed French and Italian films, though she has also worked on several English-language features as well.

She'll be joining returning stars Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara and Michael Keaton, who will be reprising his role as the trickster ghost of the title.

Few details have been revealed about the production, but Bellucci is expected to play the wife of Keaton's Beetlejuice.

International star: Italian star Monica Bellucci, 58, will be joining the cast of Beetlejuice 2, according to The Hollywood Reporter; seen February 24 in Paris

Love interest: Bellucci will play the wife of Michael Keaton's title character Beetlejuice. The film is out September 6, 2024; still from Beetlejuice (1988)

Bellucci got her start as an in-demand model before transitioning to acting.

One of her earliest roles was as a blood-thirsty vampire in Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 Dracula adaptation, and highlights include 2000's Malena, 2001's Brotherhood Of The Wolf  which became one of the most successful French films of all time internationally  and the brutal 2002 French drama Irreversible.

She made some of her most high-profile English-language appearances in The Matrix Reloaded and its sequel Revolutions (both 2003), and she appeared in the 2015 James Bond film Spectre.

She currently stars opposite Toni Collette in the comedy Mafia Mamma.

New star Jenna Ortega previously revealed that she might have turned down her popular Netflix series Wednesday if not for the chance to work with Tim Burton, and she will be reuniting with him in the new film.

She stars in Beetlejuice 2 as the daughter of Winona Ryder, who will also be back.

Catherine O'Hara, who hilariously played a sculptor with little respect for classic architecture, will also be back.

She had a career resurgence in recent years thanks to her acclaimed performance on the popular comedy series Schitt's Creek.

In addition to Ortega, newcomer Justin Theroux will be freshening up the cast.

Screen star: Bellucci started as a model before becoming an in-demand star of Italian and French films. She also appeared in The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, as well as the James Bond film Spectre; seen April 11 in NYC

Star power: Original stars Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton will return to reprise their roles. It's unknown if Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin will be back

Fresh face: Newcomer Jenna Ortega will play Ryder's daughter. She previously collaborated with Tim Burton on Wednesday; seen May 1 in NYC

Mystery man: Justin Theroux will also be joining the cast in an undisclosed role; seen April 29 in Washington, D.C.

On Tuesday, Warner Bros. announced that Beetlejuice 2 will be released on September 6 2024.

That date was originally held by Marvel's horrorsuper hero remake Blade, but it was pushed back after the ongoing writers strike delay preproduction.

So far it's unknown if original stars Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis will be reprising their roles.

Beetlejuice 2 is being produced by Burton, along with Brad Pitt's Plan B production company.
The BBC has confirmed hit drama Sherwood will be returning for a second series.

Filming for the next season of the popular show is set to begin this summer after it made its debut last year on BBC One.

Sherwood, which was written by James Graham, is about murder and a manhunt in a Nottinghamshire village still riven by the miners' strike of the 1980s.

The story is loosely based on the murder of trade unionist Keith Frogson in 2004 and begins with the murder of a former union activist, Gary Jackson.

David Morrissey plays local police inspector Ian St Clair who reunites with rival Met inspector Kevin Salisbury to catch the killer.



Renewed: The BBC has confirmed hit drama Sherwood will be returning for a second series

Return: Filming for the next season of the popular show is set to begin this summer after it made its debut last year on BBC One

David stars alongside Downton Abbey actors Joanne Froggatt and Kevin Doyle, as well as Lesley Manville and Robert Glenister in the drama.

According to The Sun, the show's biggest stars David and Lesley will be reprising their roles.

Award-winning writer James will also return and has written a brand new storyline.

The second series will be 'navigating the devastating effect of two crimes on the community' in Nottinghamshire.

The themes will allegedly be similar to those of the first series, but the story told through a modern-day lense.

Three-time BAFTA nominee Clio Barnard has been announced as lead director and EP on season two, replacing Lewis Arnold and Ben A. Williams.

Drama: Sherwood, which was written by James Graham, is about murder and a manhunt in a Nottinghamshire village still riven by the miners' strike of the 1980s

Sherwood was a huge hit for the BBC, entertaining nearly 10M viewers for some episodes.

It is nominated for three BAFTAs this year, with the winners to be announced during the ceremony on Sunday.

It is up against Bad Sisters, The Responder and Somewhere Boy in the Drama Series category.

Meanwhile, stars Adeel Akhtar and Lesley are nominated for Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress respectively.
Industry body PHDCCI has urged capital market regulator Sebi to provide an early and easy process for small firms that wish to delist shares from Calcutta Stock Exchange.

In a representation to Sebi earlier this month, the chamber has recommended a single window system or one-time settlement scheme for small companies wishing to regularize their functionality on CSE.

The chamber argued that smaller companies may not have the financial resources to comply with certain regulations and may face greater challenges in meeting regulatory requirements.

An amnesty scheme or minimum penalty or waiver could help alleviate some of these challenges and encourage more companies to comply with regulations and also for the sake of the interest of shareholders, leading to erosion of capital of the small companies, PHDCCI said.

The chamber claimed that CSE is a non-trading exchange but is collecting listing fees every year from the companies that were listed decades ago.

The income of small companies is very low and some of them are facing losses. The CSE has imposed huge penalties on small companies for non-compliance or delay in compliances, which is eventually leading towards erosion of the total capital of the small company. The delay of compliance and a freeze on directors Dmat accounts are the main causes of companies wishing to delist from CSE, PHDCCI said.

The chamber has highlighted that 32 companies have been suspended by CSE recently.

Further delisting from CSE requires a company to be active/ regular on the stock exchange first and then only can apply for delisting. Here the process is difficult for companies that have been suspended by CSE or have inactive accounts, it said.

Since the exchange suspended its own operations in 2013, there has been no trading or any other operation being carried out by the same, it said.
Capital markets regulator Sebi on Wednesday allowed stock exchanges to extend direct market access facility to foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) for participation in Exchange Traded Commodity Derivatives (ETCDs).

The new provision would come into force with immediate effect, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in a circular.

Direct Market Access (DMA) facilitates the clients of a broker to directly access the exchange trading system through the brokers infrastructure to place orders without manual intervention by the broker. Also, DMA provides certain advantages to brokers such as direct control over orders, faster execution of orders, reduced risk of errors associated with manual order entry, maintaining confidentiality, lower impact costs for large orders and implementing better hedging and arbitrage strategies.

Based on representations received for enabling DMA facility to FPIs in ETCDs and deliberations by Commodity Derivatives Advisory Committee (CDAC) of Sebi, it has been decided to allow stock exchanges to extend DMA facility to FPIs for participation in ETCDs, the regulator said.

This permission is subject to certain conditions that require brokers to follow procedure for application for DMA, operational specifications, client authorisation, and broker-client agreement, risk management, among others.

In September 2022, Sebi allowed FPIs to participate in the ETCDs in order to increase depth and liquidity in the market. To begin with, the regulator permitted FPIs to participate in cash settled non-agricultural commodity derivative contracts and indices comprising such non-agricultural commodities.

The regulator had already allowed institutional investors such as Category III Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), Portfolio Management Services and Mutual Funds to participate in the ETCD market.

In a separate circular with Sebi, all debenture trustee registered in FINNET 1.0 system of Financial Intelligence Unit - India (FIU-India) will have to mandatorily enrolled in FINNET 2.0 module.

FINNET 2.0 module is aimed at providing quality financial intelligence for safeguarding the financial system from the abuses of money laundering, terrorism financing, and other economic offenses.
Adopting the One Health Approach is way forward as human, animal and plant health are interdependent

One Health is not just a concept, it is a way of life. The One Health approach summarizes a century-old concept; that human, animal and plant health are interdependent and inextricably linked to the health of the ecosystems. The COVID-19 pandemic, a public health crisis potentially resulting from a virus of animal origin, underlined the criticality of One Health in confronting global health risks. Health risks are increasing. Drivers such as changes in climate and land use, unsustainable agricultural practices, globalization, and the wildlife trade, provide multiple opportunities for pathogens to evolve into new forms, increasing incidences of spillover events from animals to humans While most risk assessments focus on the transmission of pathogens from animals to humans, diseases can also pass from humans to animals, and impact the health of animals, whether domestic or wild.

India has the world's highest livestock ownership, with 535.78 million livestock and a large variety of breeds. Nearly 280 million people, mostly marginal and landless, and women, derive multiple benefits from livestock farming. Animal-sourced foods are essential for food security, and reducing stunting and malnourishment, particularly among children. From an economic standpoint, the animal husbandry sector has realized a sustained growth of 7.93% CAGR during 2014-15 to 2020-21. The Indian dairy sector is worth more than $ 160 billion accounting for 20% of the global dairy industry. India ranks 3rd in Egg Production and 8th in meat production in the world, and the meat market in India exceeds $50 billion.

India is among the highest-risk regions for animal disease outbreaks due to its high-density livestock population, extensive animal-human interface, and porous boundaries with neighbouring countries. Over the last year alone, India saw outbreaks of diseases such as African Swine Fever, Avian Influenza, and Lumpy Skin Disease, causing substantial economic losses, impacting exports, and causing distress to livestock farmers.

Over the last year, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry has initiated and implemented some timely changes to improve the animal health systems and programs in the country. Key instances include overhauling the entire regulatory approval process, launching and implementing programs like Livestock Health& Disease Control Programme and National Animal disease control Program (NADCP), initiating the integrated disease surveillance program, and delivering quality veterinary services to the doorstep of the farmers. The focus has been on animal tagging and vaccination against FMD and Brucellosis in cattle and buffaloes, PPR in small ruminants and CSF in pigs. The Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (APPI) is envisaged to fill the identified gaps and address the issues comprehensively at the domestic level as well as anchor the global coordination efforts in emerging pandemic diseases of animals. The APPI will lead to improved prediction, preparedness, prevention & control capabilities in India, and subsequently eradication the diseases, increased access to veterinary services, higher productivity from animals, boosting trade in livestock and poultry, which, in turn, will improve the socio-economic status of livestock and poultry farmers. This is one of the worlds first comprehensive Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiatives and will serve as an anchor for regional and global cooperation.

Last week, the DAHD also launched 'The Animal Health System Support for One Health (AHSSOH)', which is a World Bank-funded initiative. This project will be implemented in five states of India, namely Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha.

The main objective of this project is to strengthen the animal health system in these states and to improve the overall One Health program. This will be achieved through strengthening disease monitoring and surveillance under a prevention approach, introducing Good Animal Husbandry Practices (GAHP), strengthening veterinary health and diagnostic infrastructure, and raising public awareness about good farm-level practices for control and containment of zoonotic and other animal health diseases.

The project focuses on preventive measures such as improving the livestock management system, disease surveillance, and testing to operationalize more effective "One Health" coordination.

To accomplish these objectives, the AHSSOH project will strengthen 75 district laboratories, upgrade 300 dispensaries and hospitals, facilitate MVUs in remote locations, support 9000 para-veterinarians/diagnostic professionals and 5500 veterinarians for efficient animal health, and increase awareness among the community (30 lakh households) about farm-level best practices in prevention and control of disease outbreaks.

The initiatives under APPI and AHSSOH are a significant step forward for India's animal health sector and will not only benefit the country but also have a global impact.

The vision for the coming years for India in animal health is to attain global leadership through these initiatives and contribute to the global animal vaccine R&D, and a robust science-driven program for animal pandemic preparedness. India has the potential to drive the global narrative around animal health and be a role model for other countries in the world catapulting the maxim Sarvajan Swasthya Sarvajan Hitaya- Health for All is Benefits for All.

(Dr Abhijit Mitra is Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, GOI and Dr Aruna Sharma is Deputy Commissioner (AH))
Any split was averted, and Ajit Pawar would think twice before making such an attempt. Add to it the ripples he created in the BJP and Congress

Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar surprised friends and foes alike with his sudden decision to give up the presidency of his Party recently, only to withdraw it after three days. It ultimately became a storm in a teacup. Had Pawar stuck to his decision, it could have considerably weakened his Party, the MVA, and the fight against the BJP in the state, which sends 48 members to the Lok Sabha. Sharad Pawar plays the guessing game better than most others. By his revocation, Sharad Pawar

has stolen a march over nephew Ajit and consolidated the support of his party workers.

Resignation is the favourite game charismatic leaders resort to when their Party rebels. Others like former Karnataka chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde, Sena Pramukh Bal Thackeray, and Sonia Gandhi used it successfully. Pawar's resignation drama gave a shock treatment to his Party and other opposition leaders. He heckled his nephew Ajit Pawar who was contemplating splitting the Party and joining the BJP with himself as the chief minister. He successfully diverted the attention that his Party was facing internal trouble.

There were three crucial players in the present power play. One was Sharad Pawar, who wanted a succession plan. The second was his daughter Supriya, and the third was Ajit Pawar. Pawar's resignation and withdrawal drama was scripted by himself. Being a clever politician, he kept his Party and the Opposition guessing whether he would take back the resignation for three days. As expected, senior leaders in the Party and even opposition leaders persuaded him to take back the resignation. The core committee to search for Pawar's successor came back and said it rejected the resignation unanimously.

As per his script known only to his family, Pawar agreed to remain, claiming he "can't disrespect the emotions of so many people." he said. Your love has made me emotional. The decision by the senior NCP leaders' committee was informed to me, and I respect it. As such, I withdraw my decision to resign from the post." The NCP chief said that although he will continue his responsibilities, his primary focus would be creating new leadership and handing over new responsibilities to them. A cancer survivor, Pawar was emotional when he said, "My political career, which started in 1960, has been going on for 63 years without any hindrance. It is time to step down and give a chance to new leadership." He asserted, "That is why I decided to leave the NCP President's post", he revealed in an interview.

Many people knew of the power struggle between his nephew Ajit Pawar and his only child Supriya Sule, a Parliament member. It is no big secret that Pawar would like to hand over the baton to Supriya Sule. Also, Pawar has been suspicious of his nephew's plan. Senior BJP leaders have assured Ajit that if he could mobilise enough NCP legislators, they would make him the chief minister, replacing Eknath Shinde.

Pawar clarified that he was not taking political sanyas, "There will be no separation from me or public retirement. I was with you; I am and will always be there till my last breath." In short, he would continue to loom large. Secondly, Pawar knew that his Party was sliding and had lost its national status recently; the NCP had not been able to penetrate new voters. Since its formation in 1999, the NCP has always ridden piggyback to share power  first with the Congress Party and later with the Shiv Sena-Congress in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. There is an urgent need to strengthen the NCP.

Thirdly, Pawar's health and his age were not on his side. Hence the urgency for a succession plan. At the national level, Pawar has already positioned himself to mobilise non-BJP parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as an influential leader with friends in all the parties. He said," My responsibility is in the larger interest of the nation to bring together like minor parties and provide an alternative to the people."

He clarified his role ahead of the 2024 polls: "I enjoy personal relations with many who said that I was required for this. They include Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and many more." He also told NDTV

While many opposition leaders are against promoting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the opposition candidate, they would support Sharad Pawar. Even Parties like BRS, YSRCP, and BJD, reluctant to join the UPA, may also support Sharad Pawar's post as PM.

On the whole, Pawar's game plan worked to his satisfaction. Any split was averted, and Ajit Pawar would think twice before making such an attempt. The non-BJP Opposition would also look up to him. Pawar, in his way, turned the disadvantage to his advantage.

(The author is a senior journalist)
To decriminalise business compliances, The Jan Vishwas Bill is a good initiative but it needs to be made more effective by increasing its reach

India has created the worlds largest democracy on the infertile soil of the worlds most hierarchical society on the strong foundations of the positive freedoms in our Constitution. But in the 75-year journey of Indias independence carrying forward The British rules having 26,134 jail provisions for an entrepreneur. The imprisonment risks faced by Indian entrepreneurs across the Centre and States are 1,536 laws in seven categories- labour, secretarial, environmental health, and safety, finance, and taxation, industry-specific, commercial, and general. This excessive criminalization hasnt created world-beating honesty but has painful consequences like breeding corruption, sabotaging job creation, and diluting justice. The compliance is to be treated as a civil wrong and not a crime to stay afloat.

To decriminalize business compliances The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill 2022, is a good initiative of the Central government but it proposed the decriminalization of only 42 laws out of a total of 678 business laws with 26,134 criminal provisions out of which only 3400 to be replaced with monetary penalties. The Punjab government also scrapped 1498 mandatory compliances to ease out regulations around doing business, still there are 1427 compliances and 1273 imprisonment clauses in the state. The Centre and State governments have to make sure that future alterations in compliance are divested of criminal provisions. This purge must extend to end the criminalization of business compliances to restore dignity to entrepreneurship that creates millions of jobs, wealth, and the economy. Therefore, more amendments are needed in Jan Vishwas Bill to decriminalize the business laws which are irrelevant in technology-driven New India.

Of the hundreds of business laws with imprisonment clauses excluded in the proposed Bill, very few of these are mentioned worthy here.

1) The Factories Act, of 1948: Under section 11, failure to whitewash the canteen kitchen and washrooms of business establishments invites a jail term to an entrepreneur extendable from three months to three years or with a fine which may extend to Rs 2 lakh or both.

2) Industrial Disputes Act, 1947: Sections 25-U, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30,31 A and 33 prescribe imprisonment of up to six months or with a fine of up to Rs 5,000. Under section 29, any person who commits a breach of any term of any settlement or award, which is binding on him under this Act, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with a fine of Rs 1000 or with both.

3) Labour Laws: Section 54 -b of The Code on Wages specifies penalties for offences committed by an employer, such as paying less than the due wages or contravening any provision of the Code. Penalties vary depending upon the nature of the offence, with the maximum penalty being imprisonment for three months along with a fine of up to Rs one lakh or both.

4) Maternity Benefit Act, 1961: Under section 6, the violation shall be punishable with imprisonment of three months but may extend to one year and with a fine. Subject to the provisions of this Act, every woman shall be entitled to, and her employer shall be liable for, the payment of maternity benefit at the rate of the average daily wage for the period of her actual absence.

5) Employee State Insurance Corporation Act, 1948: Section 85 is prescribed for different types of offences in terms of imprisonment of up to one year and a fine of up to Rs 5000. Section 85-A prescribed 3 years imprisonment and not less than 6 months, where an employer deducts contributions from the wages of his employees but does not pay the same to the corporation which amounts to a criminal breach of trust.

6) Goods and Services Tax Act of 2017: Under section 132, where the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or utilised or the amount of refund wrongly taken exceeds imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years.

7) Companies Act, 2013: Section 447 prescribes punishment for a false entry in any document concerning the company or body corporate, furnishing false statements, mutilation, and destruction of documents, section 449 for false evidence. Section 453 prescribes Punishment for improper use of Limited or Private Limited. The jail terms range from three months to as high as 10 years.

8) The Patents Act, 1970: Section 124 A prescribed for the person falsely represents that any article sold by him is patented in India or is the subject of an application for a patent in India. Where the person fails to comply, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with a fine up to Rs 25,000 which may extend to five lakh rupees, or with both.

9) The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981: Under section 39D, Offences for failure to comply and for failure to pay a penalty are to be punishable with imprisonment for a term of two years but which may extend to seven years and with a fine.

10) The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: Under section 15F, Where any person fails to pay the penalty or additional penalty within ninety days of such imposition, he shall be liable for imprisonment that may extend to three years or with a fine which may extend to twice the amount of the penalty or with both.

11) The Trade Marks Act, 1999: Under section 112 A, Where the person fails to comply with the order made within a period of ninety days from the date of the receipt of the order, shall be punishable with a fine of Rs one lakh or imprisonment for a term may extend to one year or with both.

12) The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988: Under section 192A, using a vehicle without a permit shall be punishable for the first offence with imprisonment of six months or a fine of ten thousand rupees, or with both and for any subsequent offence with imprisonment which may extend to one year with fine or with both.

13) The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991: The owner who has control over handling hazardous substances is required to take an insurance policy and pay a matching amount to the Environment Relief Fund. Under section 17B, Where any person who fails to pay the penalty imposed for non -compliance with the directions, shall be liable for imprisonment up to 3 years or with a fine up to Rs 15 lakh or with both.

14) The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registrations and Protection) Act, 1999: Under section 37 A, where the person fails to comply with the order within a period of ninety, shall be punishable with imprisonment upto one year, or with a fine of Rs 25,000 but which may extend to Rs 5 lakh, or with both.

15) The Information Technology Act, 2000: Under section 70 B, Any service provider, intermediary, data centres, body corporate or the person who fails to provide the information called for or comply shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine which may extend to one crore rupees or with both.

The Way Forward

Imprisonment should be applicable only in cases of willful destruction of the environment, negligence in food and workforce safety, loan defaults, and evasion of taxes.

An integrated institutional regulatory body could be set up to end the criminalization of business compliances and to trim down corruption.

Before giving thumbs up to The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill 2022, It seeks to deepen the debate around ease of doing business reforms in the worlds fifth-largest economy, which is headed towards becoming the worlds third-largest before 2030.

(The Writer is Vice-chairman of the Sonalika group and vice-Chairman of the Punjab Economic Policy and Planning Board. Views expressed are personal)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US will show that the partnership between the two nations is people-centric, people-driven, and is good for the world at large, a top Indian diplomat here on Wednesday said, as he called the visit "historic."

"The PM's forthcoming official state visit to the US, at the invitation of President Biden, is historic. Prime Minister and President Biden have together imparted significantly new vigour and momentum to our bilateral ties," India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu told PTI.

"The visit will be an opportunity for the two leaders to spend time together, take stock of the progress achieved and provide guidance on the future limitless possibilities. The visit will also underscore that India-US partnership is people-centric and people-driven, and that it is not just for the two countries, but for the world at large," Sandhu said.

Modi's visit will include a state dinner on June 22, the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had said earlier in the day.

"The visit will strengthen our two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space.

"The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change to workforce development and health security," Jean-Pierre said.

The White House's announcement on Biden's invitation to Modi has been widely welcomed.

"I am delighted that the White House has invited the Prime Minister for a state visit which will help strengthen the strategic partnership between our nations," Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna told PTI. Khanna is the Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, the largest country-specific caucus in the House of Representatives.

Mukesh Aghi, president of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum, said Modi's visit in June will be a wonderful opportunity to elevate the bilateral partnership to the next level.

"President Biden and Prime Minister Modi will be meeting in a few weeks' time at the Quad Leader's Summit in Australia and later this year at the G20 in India. Both leaders have used minilaterals such as the Quad, I2U2, and the G20 summits to work on common goals," Aghi told PTI.

"However, the state visit will provide a valuable and timely opportunity for both Washington and New Delhi to strengthen the edifice of this strategic partnership and work on enhancing commercial ties, building resilient supply chains, and creating new synergies in the critical and emerging technology domain," he said.

Atul Keshap, president of US India Business Council, said that the invitation is a big diplomatic gesture from the United States.

"India was last honoured with a State Visit in 2009. That PM Modi is being honoured with only the third State Visit of the Biden Administration shows the respect and affection the American people have for a rising India," he said.

"It is entirely good and proper that the world's two greatest democracies further cement their strategic, economic, and technology convergence in these turbulent geostrategic times.

"The state visit will remind the world that India and America still have so much more potential to capture in our bilateral relations, reflecting the energy and talent of our demographics and our systems, which serve to empower our free peoples," Keshap said.

Aparna Pande, from the Hudson Institute think-tank, said India is key to the security, diplomatic, and commercial architecture that the United States is building across the Indo Pacific.

"For the Modi government also, a stronger strategic partnership with the United States is critical to boosting India's leverage in the global arena," Pande said.
Nearly 60 Foreign Ministers of the world including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will take part in the European Unions (EUs) second Indo-Pacific ministerial forum hosted by Sweden on May 13.

It will be co-chaired by EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tobias Billstrom.

The participating ministers are from the Indo-Pacific region and the EU along with representatives of Indo-Pacific regional organisations and other partners, sources said here on Wednesday. China is not likely to take part as it has all along criticized the Indo-Pacific framework. Moreover, it claims the formation of Quad including India, US, Australia and Japan will lead to militarization of the Indo-Pacific.

Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Quad summit in Australia on May 24 along with US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The high-profile meet in Sweden will see three roundtable sessions on topics like Building more sustainable and inclusive prosperity together, Pursuing green opportunities and overcoming global challenges in cooperation and Facing jointly the evolving security landscape in the Indo-Pacific. The first ministerial forum took place in February in Paris last year.
The exit polls for 224-member Karnataka Assembly  which went to elections on on Wednesday with voter turnout of 69.71 per cent  predicted a close contest between the ruling BJP and the Congress, with some surveys giving an edge to the latter in a likely hung Assembly. Counting of votes will be taken up on May 13.

While the BJP is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modis charisma to break a 38-year-old poll jinx where the State has never voted the incumbent party to power, it is likely that former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) will emerge as a kingmaker as the exit polls predicted 25 to 33 seats for it.

In 2018 Assembly polls, Karnataka recorded a 72.36 per cent voter turnout which had thrown up a hung Assembly with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 104 seats, falling slightly short of getting a majority.

Five out of the seven major exit polls have given a slight edge to the Congress, whereas, two of them have predicted the BJP to emerge as the single-largest party. The aggregate of the surveys so far suggests a hung Assembly, with the Congress emerging as the single-largest party.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai rejected the exit polls, asserting that his party will win with a clear majority. Exit polls are exit polls. They cant be 100 per cent correct. There will be variation that can change the whole scenario. Our ground report says we will win with absolute majority. Let us wait till May 13.

The voting day also presented a sharp contrast where a birth and a death happened in polling booths.

The booths also witnessed brides and bridegrooms voting for their public representative before tying the nuptial knot with their chosen ones.

A woman delivered a baby boy soon after casting her vote at Korlagundi village in Kurugodu Taluk of Ballari district, according to reports. A medical team along with some other women present at the booth made the arrangements and helped the woman, who developed pain, go into labour. Without much suffering, she delivered a baby boy at the polling station. The entire polling booth burst into joy, an official said.

At Chikkole village in Belur Taluk of Hassan district, 49-year-old Jayanna died of heart attack soon after casting his vote. In another incident, Paravva Sidnal (70) died even before casting her vote at Yarajharvi village in Belagavi district.

India Today-Axis My India exit polls project the Congress leading the race in Karnataka with 122-140 seats, with BJP 62-80 and JD(S) 20-25 seats.

The C-Voter survey predicts the Congress to emerge as the single-largest party, with victory in 100-112 seats, whereas the BJP is predicted to bag 83-95. The JD(S) is seen to be winning only 21-29 seats.

Republic P-MARQ predicts 94 to 108 seats for the Congress, 85-100 for the BJP and 24-32 for the JD(S).

The India Today-Axis My India predicts varying performance by the BJP and the Congress from one region to another in Karnataka. The BJP is to sweep in coastal Karnataka and to get 16 seats and the Congress is likely to get 3 seats, the BJP likely to get 50 per cent vote share and the Congress 40 per cent vote share in coastal region.

But in central Karnataka, the India Today-Axis My India predicts that the Congress will win more than half of seats by winning 12 seats out of 23 seats, the BJP 10 seats and the JD(S) will settle with one seat in this the Lingayat dominated area and the home turf of former CM Yediyurappa.

The Congress seems to be having the edge in the Bengaluru region, with the India Today-Axis My India survey predicting 17 out of the 28 seats for the Congress, 10 for the BJP, and 1 for JD(S).

According to India Today-Axis exit survey, the Congress is set to sweep the Hyderabad Karnataka region, with a likely win in 32 out of the 40 assembly segments and BJP is predicted to win seven seats, and the JD(S) one.

According to Todays Chanakya, the BJP is likely to grab a vote share of 68 percent among the Lingayat voters, 47 percent among STs and 45 percent among the OBCs.

Brisk polling in UP, Punjab, Odisha, Meghalaya bypolls

New Delhi: Bypolls held in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Odisha and Meghalaya witnessed brisk voting on Wednesday, with the Northeastern State registering over 90 per cent voting.

The bypolls were conducted for two Assembly seats in UP, one each in Meghalaya and Odisha and the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency in Punjab.

Till 5 pm, a voter turnout of 50.27 per cent was recorded in Jalandhar, while the Suar and Chhanbey Assembly seats in UP registered 41.78 and 39.51 per cent turnout respectively. The Jharsuguda Assembly seat in Odisha witnessed 68.12 per cent polling.
Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

Mostly cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 87F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday criticised the Opposition parties for spreading negativity in the country, alleging that the Opposition leaders are adept at creating controversies and thereby not allowing development of infrastructure in the country.

Modi, who was on a visit to poll-bound Rajasthan where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects worth `5000 crore, referred to the naysayers who question the priorities between Aata and Data, Sadak and Satellite. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was present at the function.

At Nathdwara town of the State, the Prime Minister said that along with basic facilities, the creation of modern infrastructure was equally important. He said vote politics makes it impossible to plan for the countrys future. Modi decried short-term thinking of creating small assets which fall short of the growing needs very quickly. This thinking led to neglect of the construction of infrastructure at great cost to the country, he said.

Rajasthan has suffered a lot due to the lack of a futuristic vision for infrastructure in the country, the Prime Minister remarked as he pointed out that the difficulties faced by the people were not limited to travelling from one place to another but also involved agriculture, businesses and industries.

Interestingly, before Modis address, Gehlot had drawn the Prime Ministers attention to pending projects, including Dungarpur-Ratlam via Banswara rail line, Karauli-Sarmathura rail line and national project status to Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project. Gehlot also said that the Opposition should be respected in democracy and that Prime Minister Modi will also move in this direction.

If this is done, the ruling dispensation and the Opposition will be able to serve the country with more vigour, he said.

Rajasthan is slated for Assembly polls in November-December with a direct contest expected between the ruling Congress and the BJP in the State which traditionally is not known to repeat a party to power.

The factionalism in the Congress with the increasing fault-line between the Gehlot and former deputy-CM Sachin Pilot is giving BJP an added hope to its return to power in the desert State.

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra, Assembly Speaker CP Joshi, BJP State president and Chittorgarh MP Chandra Prakash Joshi, Rajsamand MP Diya Kumari, Banswara-Dungarpur MLA Kanakmal Katara, PWD Minister of Rajasthan Bhajan Lal Jatav were also present in the function.

Addressing the programme after launching various infrastructure development projects in the State, Modi said, Some people in the country have become victims of such a distorted ideology; they are so full of negativity that they do not want to see anything good happen in the country. They only like to create controversy.

He said those filled with negativity neither have a vision nor capability to think beyond their selfish political motive.

History is witness that for sustainable and rapid development, it is necessary to create modern infrastructure along with a basic system, the Prime Minister said.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday called on his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik at Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar, triggering speculation about Nitishs renewed efforts to unite the Opposition parties. However, both the CMs claimed that no discussion on any political alliance between the JD(U) and the BJD for the Lok Sabha elections next year was held in the hour-long meeting.

After meeting Patnaik, Nitish is now likely to call on Maharashtra stalwarts Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray later this week, sources in the JD(U) said here.

Patnaik and Kumar had lunch at the Odisha CMs residence and then jointly addressed the media, stating they share a very old relationship. No discussion was held on any alliance today. I am delighted that Nitish ji came to Bhubaneswar, Patnaik told reporters.

We are old friends and colleagues ever since we served in Atal Bihari Vajpayees cabinet, he said.

Patnaik said the Odisha government will provide 1.5 acres of land to Bihar government free of cost in Puri for building facilities for tourists coming for darshan of Lord Jagannath.

Patnaik shared some photographs from the meeting, and tweeted: Glad to meet #Bihar Chief Minister Shri @NitishKumar in #Bhubaneswar. #Odisha shares a special bond with Bihar and the people of the neighbouring state. Hope he had a pleasant and fruitful stay in Odisha.

Nitish said, Our relation with his (Naveen) father Biju Babu and Naveen ji is very old. Due to the COVID pandemic, we could not meet. No political discussions were held. We have good relations and there is no need to discuss any politics.

The denial of both leaders of discussing politics comes amid talks of unity among non-BJP parties ahead of next years polls.

The Bihar CM, who is trying to unite anti-BJP politicians, have so far met leaders of various parties including his West Bengal counterpart and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal with the aim to form an Opposition front.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday met his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren in Ranchi and said their talks centred around forming a united Opposition to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. This is his third meeting within a fortnight with the Chief Ministers non-BJP Governments, which includes Odisha CM Navin Patnaik.

Nitish, along with his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, held a discussion with Soren for around one hour at the latters residence. Our talks centred around forming a united Opposition and the result of the discussion will be visible in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Kumar told reporters after the meeting.

We will oppose attempts by the Centre to make changes in history. We will also restore Hindu-Muslim unity, Kumar, the JD (U) leader, said.

In all his meetings, Nitish is accompanied by his major alliance partner and his deputy in the Government RJD leader Tejashwi.

And on all the counts, sources said the leaders discussed the one-seat-one-candidate which is being dubbed as Nitish Formula. An ambitious Nitish is eyeing to be the consensus Prime Ministerial Opposition candidate, however, he has rejected the speculation.

The meeting with Soren is seen as part of Nitishs efforts to bring all non-NDA parties together to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Bihar CM, who snapped ties with the BJP last year, vowing to defeat it in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, has toured many places and met political leaders of various hues as part of his Opposition unity drive.

Nitish called on his Odisha counterpart at his residence in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday and held a discussion with him for more than an hour. Recently, he also held talks with West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.

Nitish and Yadav had in April met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi in the presence of Rahul Gandhi and pledged to bring all Opposition parties together for a united front against the BJP. Same time he also held meetings with NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury among others.

Kumar has been maintaining that he had no Prime Ministerial ambitions but said he was looking forward to play a positive role in forging Opposition unity against the ruling NDA at the Centre.
The Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court it has received responses from seven States on the issue of same-sex marriage and the Governments of Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Assam have opposed the petitioners contention seeking legal validation for such wedlock.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud that States like Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Sikkim have said the issue needed a very intense and expansive debate and they would not be able to submit their responses immediately.

The Centre had, in an affidavit filed in the top court earlier, said it had issued a letter on April 18 to all States inviting comments and views on the seminal issue raised in these petitions.

At the outset, I had said that we have written letters to the State Governments. There are seven responses, I am not reading them, from Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, Sikkim and Rajasthan. I am placing them on record, Mehta told the bench, which also comprised Justices S K Kaul, SR Bhat, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha, on Wednesday.

We have examined it and we are opposed to the position the petitioners are taking, the Rajasthan Government said, adding some States opine that the issue needed a very intense debate, so they would not be able to respond immediately.

The bench was hearing arguments for the ninth day on a batch of petitions seeking legal validation for same-sex marriage. The arguments remained inconclusive and will continue on Thursday.

Responding to the Centres letter for views of the state Governments on this issue, the State of Manipur has said its views or comments on this matter will require detailed assessment on the existing social customs, practices, values, rules etc that may be prevalent in different sections of the society.

Similarly, in its communication to the Union Law Ministry, the State of Andhra Pradesh said it has consulted the heads of various religions in the State on the same-sex marriage. Referring to their opinions, the special chief secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh has said, After considering the above views, I am to inform that the State of Andhra Pradesh is against the same sex marriage and/or persons belonging to LGBTQIA+ community.

In its communication to the Union Law Ministry, the State of Uttar Pradesh has said the question involved in these petitions is a sensitive subject affecting various sections of the society and different religious denominations. The State Government cannot formulate its comprehensive response without wide consultation with all sections of the society. Hence, it would not be possible for the State Government to provide any comprehensive response in such a short period of time, it said, while seeking additional time to prepare a proper response.

The Maharashtra Government, in its communication to the Union Law Ministry, has said the State would have to hold detailed and meaningful consultations with a cross section of society. The State of Assam has told the Union Law Ministry that the subject invokes new interpretations and challenges the validity of laws concerning marriage and personal laws enforced in the state with diverse cultures, creed, customs and religions.

Further, it would be prudent to maintain that legislation is the prerogative of legislature, at Centre and in States, and the courts may like to view the matter in accordance with core principles of our democratic structure. The legislature reflects the collective wisdom of the nation and its citizens, and it solely possesses the power to enact a law governing human relationships, the Assam Government has said. It said marriage, divorce and ancillary subjects fall under entry 5 of Concurrent list of the Constitution and hence, it is also in the domain of the State legislature in a manner that it is in the domain of Parliament.

Indian laws permit individual to adopt child even without marriage, says SC

New Delhi: Indian laws permit an individual to adopt a child irrespective of marital status, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday while asserting the law recognises there may be situations apart from an ideal family having its own biological children. In its submission, child rights body NCPCR argued that the concept of gender may be fluid but not mother and motherhood.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on an official state visit to the US, which will include a state dinner on June 22, following an invitation from President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday.

The visit will underscore the growing importance of the strategic partnership between India and the United States as the two nations collaborate across numerous sectors. The leaders will have the opportunity to review strong bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, including technology, trade, industry, education, research, clean energy, defense, security, healthcare, and deepening people-to-people connections, it said.

Prime Minister Modi and President Biden will also explore ways to strengthen India-US collaboration in pluri-lateral and multilateral fora, including in the G20. They would reflect on their shared vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific and discuss opportunities to expand and consolidate the Quad engagement.

This historic visit offers a valuable opportunity for India and the US to further deepen a comprehensive and forward-looking global strategic partnership.

Incidentally, Modi and Biden will meet at the Quad summit on May 24 hosted by Australia. Similarly, Biden is expected to visit India in September to take part in the G-20 summit in New Delhi.
Punjab Police registered no less than 177 first information reports (FIRs) against anti-social elements and drug smugglers across the State in its two-day Operation Vigil. As many as 17,500 Police Personnel, under the supervision of Gazetted rank officers, conducted checks at 185 railways stations, 230 bus stands, 1198 hotels or sarais, and 715 market places and malls across the State. During the operation, as many as 3,405 suspected people were rounded up for questioning.



The special operation, OPS Vigil, against drugs and anti-social elements, has achieved a great success after the Punjab Police have registered as many as 177 FIRs against anti-social elements and drugs smugglers across the state, said the state Special Director General of Police (DGP), Law and Order, Arpit Shukla on Wednesday.



Notably, the state DGP Gaurav Yadav, a day before, had himself gone to Ludhiana Bus Stand to lead the entire Punjab Police force from the front to carry out this multi-pronged checking and area domination programme, which commenced at 10 am on Tuesday.



ADGP and IGP rank officers from Punjab Police headquarters had also remained camped at their assigned Police districts to personally supervise the operation. The CPs and SSPs were directed to mobilize at least 75 percent of the force to carry out this operation.



Special DGP Arpit Shukla said that the Police teams have also recovered 2.5 kg heroin and over three quintals of poppy husk, besides, recovering other narcotics, pharma drugs and huge quantities of illicit liquor and lahan (raw material used to make liquor) during the statewide operation.



Under the operation, as many as 79 inter-state and 318 inter-district hi-tech nakas were also set-up in the State for a thorough search of suspected vehicles or persons, while ensuring minimum inconvenience to the general public, said the Special DGP, adding that Police teams have issued challans to at least 1596 vehicles, besides, impounding 60 vehicles.



Similarly, Police teams have also reviewed security at 6233 Gurdwaras, 2376 Temples, 517 Churches, and 425 Mosques to ensure that CCTV cameras are installed and are in working condition.



Special DGP Arpit Shukla said that the purpose behind conducting this statewide operation was to boost public confidence and increase the presence of the cops to deter anti-social elements. Police teams have carried out at least 221 flag marches across the state during this two-day long operation, he added.



Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann lauded the efforts of Punjab Police saying that the Punjab Police is committed to maintaining peace and communal harmony in the border State.




The ATS produced the Chhindwara accused in the NIA court on Wednesday, while the 10 suspects arrested from Bhopal were produced on Tuesday itself. The accused from Telangana are likely to appear in the next two days.

Madhya Pradesh and Telangana ATS arrested 11 people in raids in Bhopal and Chhindwara. Evidence has been found of their association with the radical Islamic organization Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HUT). A total of 16 HUT members were arrested across the country, 10 members were arrested from Bhopal, 1 from Chhindwara, 5 from Telangana.

Managers, teachers and engineers are also associated with this organization.

The ATS on Wednesday presented Abdul Karim (45), a resident of Co-operative Bank Colony, Chhindwara, in the court of NIA's Raghuveer Prasad Patel. The court has sent the accused on remand till May 19.

The 10 suspects produced on Tuesday were also sent on remand till May 19. Abdul Karim has been working in FDDI (Footwear Design and Development Institute) as Assistant Manager in the Maintenance branch for 13 years. The accused is basically a resident of the Damua area.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said, MP ATS has also recovered objectionable literature from the arrested HUT members. Input was being received in this regard for a long time, after which this action was taken. This organization believes in going to any extent and resorting to violence to enforce Sharia law.

Radical Islamic organization Hizb-ut-Tahrir is spreading its radical ideology rapidly while avoiding the eyes of everyone. According to the report, this organization is more dangerous than ISIS. It has spread to about 50 countries. 16 countries have banned it. This organization was formed in 1952 in Jerusalem. Its headquarter is in London. The organization has branches in Central Asia, Europe, South Asia and South East Asia. Especially in Indonesia. South Asia has a significant presence in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

All the arrested accused belonging to the organization used to practice targeting in a secret manner by setting up camps in the forests. In these camps, the trainers used to come from Hyderabad. They have also been arrested by the police. All of them used to organize religious meetings secretly, in which provocative speeches and Jihadi literature were distributed.
The state level Lifetime Cooperation Fund campaign meeting was held at the BJP state office on Thursday. State president and MP Deepak Prakash presided over it. Leader of Legislative Party and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, Regional Organization General Secretary Nagendra Tripathi, former State President and State Convenor of campaign Dineshanand Goswami, State General Secretary Pradeep Verma, Balmukund Sahay and members of State Team including Sanjeev Aggarwal, Sanjeev Vijay Vargiya district in-charges and members of the district team of the campaign were present.

State General Secretary Dr. Pradeep Verma conducted the meeting, state treasurer Deepak Banka introduced the subject and state team member Sanjeev Agarwal gave the vote of thanks.

Addressing the meeting, State President and Member of Parliament Deepak Prakash said that BJP has become a party with difference on the basis of its working methods along with its policies and principles.

Prakash said that the BJP workers are as dedicated to the five principles of the party as they are conscious about economic cleanliness. He said that every worker of the party, celebrating the death anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay ji on February 11 as dedication day.

He said that apart from the dedication day, the party also runs a Lifetime Cooperation Fund campaign for fund collection. Prakash said that this year the state BJP has decided to run the Lifetime Cooperation Fund campaign from May 15 to June 10.

He said that the party's contact and social connection will increase through the campaign, the sense of dedication for the service of the nation will be strengthened in the minds of the donors.

Leader of Legislature Party and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi said that BJP believes in development for all. It is said that the BJP not only receives public cooperation for its policies and programmes, but also receives financial cooperation from the public with full transparency for the successful functioning of the party's activities.

He said that everyone's support, everyone's development, everyone's faith and everyone's effort is not our slogan but our resolution.

Regional Organization General Secretary Nagendra Tripathi while addressing said that the public's trust on BJP's policies and programs is continuously increasing. People also want to see a strong BJP for a strong India. Therefore, not only through votes, the people also want to extend financial cooperation to take forward the programs of BJP.

State team coordinator Dr. Dineshanand Goswami said that state and district level teams have been formed for the successful operation of the campaign. In order to make the campaign successful, we have to get financial cooperation from the society by organizing meetings up to the district, divisional and booth level.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said a centrally-funded cancer institute in Hamirpur district is on the cards. Sukhu said this after a meeting in Delhi with oncologist Dr G K Rath, who heads the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at AIIMS.

The chief minister held discussions with Rath on strengthening cancer treatment facilities and overall health infrastructure in the state, a statement issued here said. Sukhu said cancer cases in Himachal Pradesh were rising alarmingly with a growth rate of 2.2 percent against the country's overall growth rate of 0.6 percent. He said though 8,500 cancer cases were detected every year on average, many cases went unreported in the remotest belts of the state, the statement said.

He urged the authorities concerned to hold cancer awareness programmes and organise workshops in collaboration with the NCI. He also asked them to ramp up screening so that proper treatment could be provided to the patients at the early stages of cancer.

Rath apprised the chief minister that 50 percent of cancer cases are curable and also briefed him about the latest technologies available for cancer treatment.

''It is my priority to provide the best health facilities to everyone in the state,'' Sukhu said. During the meeting, discussions were also held on the possibility of launching a pilot project for vaccination of adolescent girls to ensure a healthy future population in the state, it said.
All of you are now going to work by joining the judicial system as an integral part of the government. How to make justice simple, accessible and less expensive? How to get fast disposal of pending cases? How can the poor and common people get justice? You are going to play an important role in this, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said in his address today after handing over appointment letters to 107 Assistant Public Prosecutors selected for Assistant Prosecution Service at a function organized at the Ministry of Jharkhand.

The CM told all the newly appointed APPs how to maintain the trust and confidence of the common people in the judicial system. It all depends on your actions. I have full hope that you will prove to be a milestone in the field of judiciary by discharging your responsibilities.

He said that for the first time after Jharkhand became a separate state, assistant public prosecutors have been appointed. In such a situation, there will be many challenges in front of you in the direction of quick execution of the promises in the courts. The biggest challenge for you is to provide justice to the common people and especially the poor. Apart from this, you are going to play an important role in how to get justice to the innocent people who are languishing in jails for one reason or the other.

The CM said that we all are well aware of how long it takes to get justice here. Cases are heard in the courts for years. Because of this, the number of pending cases is continuously increasing. For this reason, the number of prisoners in jails is also increasing continuously. It is not better for our country and our state. All of us need to work specially in this direction to get justice to the people as soon as possible.

The CM said that many poor and innocent people could not afford the expenses of the courts due to lack of money. Because of which they are forced to remain locked in jails. It is our endeavour that all the legal facilities should be made available by the government in the direction of releasing those who have been lodged in jails in small cases for a long time. In this episode, lawyers are also being provided by the government to the poor and needy. You must inform all the people about this so that no one is deprived of getting justice in the absence of a lawyer.

Soren said that there is such a section of poor, tribals, Dalits, backward and minorities in Jharkhand, most of whom are not aware of the law. In such a situation, how difficult it would be to get justice for them, it can be easily understood. Make all such people legally aware and inform them about the legal help they get from the government, so that they are not deprived of justice.

The CM said that in the geographical environment of Jharkhand, different languages, living conditions and dialects can be seen in every district. More local and regional languages are spoken and understood than Hindi, especially in rural areas. In such a situation, unless you understand the local language and colloquialism, you will neither be able to communicate well with them nor will you be able to get justice. It is very important to know and understand your local language. In this regard, initiative will be taken in this direction so that you get knowledge of local and regional language during the training.

On this occasion, Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister-cum-Principal Secretary Home Department Vandana Dadel, Principal Secretary-cum-Legal Advisor of Law Department Nalin Kumar and Secretary to Chief Minister Vinay Kumar Choubey and many other officials were present.

Eom
Congress and the Akalis on Wednesday virtually joined hands before the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency by-election results to attack the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for deploying outsiders to manage its polling booths despite the Election Commission of Indias (ECI) directions.

The Congress-Akali joint action against the AAP led to the arrest of ruling partys legislator from Baba Bakala Dalbir Singh Tong, who was later released on bail. AAPs another MLA, Daljeet Singh Bhola from Ludhiana district, was also removed from a polling booth.

Throughout the day, the videos showing the presence of outsider AAP workers and leaders in the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency was shared by the senior leaders of the Congress, SAD and BJP leaders. In many videos, opposition leaders were being seen chasing the outsiders and handing them over to the police. They even went live on Facebook to show how the ruling AAP was violating the model code of conduct by deploying outsiders for booth management.

To substantiate their claims, the leaders shared pictures and videos of AAP leaders from Moga, Dharamkot, Patiala, Bathinda, and other places having ID cards issued as poll agents in Jalandhar, along with a screenshot of their Facebook profiles.

Notably, the ECI had directed all outsiders to leave Jalandhar parliamentary segment, after the conclusion of campaign period at 6 pm on Monday. Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer Jaspreet Singh had also issued an order on May 6 stating that no outsider should engage in election work in the constituency on the voting day.

The Akali-Congress action was primarily witnessed in the rural areas, including Phillaur, Shahkot, and Adampur, where several people from Majha and Malwa areas were seen moving around booths. Police complaints were received from nearly 30 places by the afternoon, with the Congress, SAD and BJP leaders going all out to get hold of the outsiders.

The development forced the police authorities to make announcements in several areas asking the people from other districts to leave the constituency and not to engage in election-related work.

Congress MLA from Shahkot Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia caught AAPs Baba Bakala MLA Dalbir Singh Tong from booth number 92 in Rupewal area of the formers constituency  the video of which was also widely shared. Laddi, in the video, can be heard asking the police to record his statement and take legal action against Tong.

Punjab Chief Electoral officer Sibin C, confirming the action against the MLA, said that the MLA of Baba Bakala, Dalbir Singh Tong was booked under Section 188 of the IPC and arrested for being in Jalandhar constituency and was later released on bail.

After receiving photographs of outsiders present near polling booths, the police have been instructed to conduct checks and make public announcements urging those who are not voters in Jalandhar, to leave the constituency immediately, he added. Sibin C said: Throughout the day, the EC received several photographs of outsiders manning booths of political parties. We dispatched police teams, but no outsider was found in the area."

Our people caught him and his cavalcade when he was trying to influence voters in our areas and we complained to the police, who took him alongHe was moving freely in a car here. We blocked his car from all sides and prevented him from escaping. We called in the police and handed him over to them, said Congress MLA Laddi.

BJP leader Sarabjit Singh Makkar also went live shared a video purportedly showing AAP MLA from Ludhiana district Daljeet Singh Bhola, being removed from booth number 105 in Jalandhar cantonment segment. In the video, the MLA was heard saying, Do whatever you want when Makkar was dialing the police.

I received calls from Dheena villagepeople told me that an AAP MLA is intimidating people to vote for AAP, said Makkar.

A purported video of Daljit Singh Bhola, being forced to get off a bike while he was moving about in Jalandhar, has also gone viral.

Congress MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, son of Congress candidate for Jalandhar bypoll Karamjit Kaur, also shared showing him getting hold of outsiders on Lakkar Mandi road in Phillaur constituency and then handing over to the police. They claimed that they had come to buy seeds.

An AAP leader from another district was seen in the cantonment constituency in a photo shared by Congress MLA Pargat Singh. All polling agents have to be local persons but AAP's polling agent working in a booth in city Ashish Nayyar was found to be from Patiala. Another worker Baljit Chand Sharma has been caught by our party leaders from Adampur while being deployed as AAP agent there. Sukhcharan Brar, who is AAP worker from Bathinda, was spotted in PhillaurGurinder Singh Guggu of Moga was found working in Shahkot, he alleged.

Cong Files Complaint against 6 AAP MLAs

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, in a statement, said that several AAP leaders openly violated EC guidelines that restrict leaders of other constituencies from election duty in poll-bound constituencies. Punjab government deployed its leaders and their patrolling vehicles for the Jalandhar byelectionsIt is unlawful, he said. He added that the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) had filed a complaint against several AAP MLAs  Tong, Jasbir Singh Sandhu of Amritsar (West), Daljit Singh Grewal Bhola of Ludhiana (East), Gurpreet Gogi of Ludhiana (West), Amolak Singh of Jaitu, and Ajay Gupta of Amritsar (Central)  for being present in the Jalandhar constituency despite EC guidelines.

Punjab BJP Complains against 5 AAP MLAs

Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma has also asked the ECI to take necessary action against the AAP for violating EC guidelines. Sharma has lodged a complaint with the ECI against at least five AAP MLAs and other office bearers present during bypoll in Jalandhar in violation of model code of conduct. The complaint sought strict action and registration of FIR against AAP Party MLA and leaders Mandan Lal Bagha, MLA of Ludhiana (North), Daljeet Singh Bhola, MLA of Ludhiana (East), Gurpreet Singh Gogi, Jasbir Singh Sandhu of Amritsar West, Dalbir Singh Tong MLA of Baba Bakala, Sham Sundar, Chairman of Markfed and many other leaders of AAP and workers, who are involved in illegal activities along with their workers.

AAP Denies Allegations

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said that no MLA of their party was in Jalandhar. All of them were away from the poll-bound constituencyThe photographs and video footage being shown by the Opposition could be old, of earlier elections or while they were campaigning in the area, he said. AAPs state general secretary Harchand Singh Barsat, reacting to the oppositions allegations of wrongdoing, said: The Congress and Akali leaders have nothing to say and are hence making these accusations. Most of our workers are back to their native places,

Suspend DC, Commissioner, Senior Cops Who Colluded With AAP On Polling Day: SAD

SAD on Wednesday demanded immediate suspension of Deputy Commissioner, Commissioner of Police, and senior police officers of the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency who had acted against the model code of conduct and colluded with AAP to ensure illegal benefit to its candidate during voting today. Asking the ECI to take severe departmental action against the officers, SAD-BSP joint candidate Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi said: The officers are also guilty of misleading the Election Commission and have not informed the Commission of serious irregularities including goondaism done by AAP leaders and workers.

Jalandhar records low voter turnout of 54% amidst minor clashes

Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency on Wednesday reported a low voter turnout of 54 per cent amidst the stray incidents of violence during the high stakes ballot battle. As per the final figures, a voter turnout of around 54 per cent was recorded, with the authorities concerned attributing the same to the hot weather conditions and holidays announced for two consecutive days by the administration owing to poll preparation.
A Sub-Inspector (SI) with Chhattisgarh Police, his wife and their two children were killed after their car collided head-on with a truck in Chhattisgarhs Korba district on Wednesday, an official said.

The accident took place at around 4 am near Madanpur check post on National Highway no. 130 under Morga police post limits, when the couple and their children were heading towards Bilaspur from Ambikapur in Surguja district.

The car rammed a speeding truck coming from the opposite direction when the fatal incident took place.

Sub-inspector (SI) Manoj Tirkey (40), his wife, their son and daughter died on the spot, the official said.

Tirkey was posted as SI at Jagdalpur in Bastar district. His family hailed from Ambikapur, he said.

The truck was impounded and efforts are on to track down the driver, who fled from the spot after the accident.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had expressed grief over the incident.

Baghel had instructed the officials to provide all possible assistance to the family of the victims.

A case was registered against the truck driver under relevant sections and a probe was on into the incident.
Chhattisgarh Police on Wednesday lodged an offence against unknown persons for creating fake ID of Ankit Anand, Secretary, Finance and Energy and Chairman, Chhattisgarh State Power Company.

The police stated that unknown persons had created a WhatsApp Identity (ID) in the name of Ankit Anand, Chairman, Chhattisgarh State Power Company with a fake mobile number.

They have used his photograph and were sending fake messages. The messages were being sent to people from the mobile number 971 56 559 9874, the police added. Chhattisgarh State Power Company through an official communication has urged the public not to respond to messages received from this number or any other number.
Delhi Universitys Hindu College has suspended 25 students for staging protests last month over a cultural fest and 15 more for alleged fraud during the Mecca23. At least two more students were served notices for both, their alleged involvement in protest as well as financial fraud, multiple students have confirmed.

Anju Srivastava, the college principal, did not respond to calls seeking a response. We were told by the college official that 42 students have been served notice. But we are in contact with at least 30 students. The notices for both kinds of offences mention suspension, fine and the student will be barred from taking any post, said a student who has been served notice for holding a protest. The college hosted its annual fest named Mecca on April 27 and 28.

Around 25 students have been given notice for gross misconduct and extremely inappropriate behaviour during the protest. In addition to that 15 students have been served notice regarding financial fraud or cheating during the two-day event. Sanjay Godra (18) who is a second-year student claimed that he has been served both notices.

I was not part of the organising committee. I was only protesting against the administration over the MEECA23. I have no idea why I have been served both the notices, he said. Students have alleged that there was no disciplinary committee involved, adding that no investigation was carried out before taking action.

They have imposed a Rs 10,000 penalty on us. Tell me how will students pay? This is a black law. The college did not conduct any kind of investigation, Godra alleged. Besides facing suspension, students will have to pay the fine of Rs 10,000 by May 12, the notices accessed by PTI stated.

Around 100 students gathered to protest on the campus after the administration allegedly asked them to cut short the three-day cultural fest to one on April 21. Some of the students followed the principal to her car when she was trying to leave for an event.

We have been told that only those students who followed the principal have been served notices. But I was not there. Moreover, several students who were not even part of the protest have been served notices, said another student. Those served notices for protests, allegedly blocked the principals way when she was going to attend a meeting at the university, their notices mentioned.
Haryana Home and Health and Family Welfare Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said that the State Food and Drug Administration Department has busted an international racket selling spurious injections to cure cancer. This is the first case of its kind in which the accused have been arrested in a spurious drug case by a drug control officer and an international racket has been busted in three weeks. A total of four accused, including a foreign national, have been arrested in this case so far, he added.

Addressing a press conference, Vij said that on April 11, 2023, WHO raised an alert that the spurious injection 'Defitelio 80 mg/ml, having the manufacturer's label as 'Genium Sri, Piazza XX, Septiembre 2, Villa Guardia, 22079, Italy' is being marketed internationally. FDA gathered information and laid a trap on April 21. A person namely Sandeep Bhui was nabbed in Gurugram vide selling spurious injection 'Defitelio 80 mg/ml with the same batch number and manufacturer label to decoy customers for Rs. 2.50 Lakh.

He said that on April 21, an email was sent to the original manufacturer whose name and address were on the label. The manufacturing company replied that the product was not authentic and further disclosed that the same batch was also identified in the United Arab Emirates and Kyrgyzstan. After confirmation regarding spurious product injection Defitelio 80 mg/ml from the manufacturing company, accused Sandeep Bhui was arrested by Amandeep Chauhan, Drugs Control Officer, Gurugram. Vij said that accused Sandeep Bhui disclosed that he worked for Moti Ur Rahman Ansari, resident of Okhla, Delhi. On April 28, Moti Ur Rahman Ansari was arrested. On disclosure of Ansari, Kanishk Raj Kumar was arrested.

He said that record regarding the sale of spurious injection 'Defitelio 80 mg/ml' was also seized from the premises of accused Kanishk Raj Kumar who disclosed that a Turkish citizen Mohammad Ali Tarmani has been visiting his office since January 2023. He had been purchasing the drug in question from Mohammad Ali Tarmani at the rate of Rs. 1.75 Lakh and used to sell it to his customers at the rate of Rs. 2.50 Lakh. Turmani was also arrested with the help of Mumbai Police and will be brought to Gurugram after completing all formalities.
Union Minister of State Faggan Singh Kulaste meets Hry CM



Chandigarh: Union Minister of State for Steel and Rural Development Faggan Singh Kulaste paid a courtesy call on Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at his residence. Faggan Singh Kulaste held discussions with the Chief Minister about various public welfare schemes being run by the central and state government. During the meeting, he also discussed the Parivar Pehchan Patra scheme being implemented by the Haryana Government.



Cong extends 'Haath se Haath Jodo' campaign for 3 months

Chandigarh: Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday said that the party has decided to extend the 'Hath Se Hath Jodo' campaign for three more months, in view of the tremendous support the programme is getting in the state and it would continue into May, June and July. After presiding over the Congress Legislature Party meeting, Hooda said that all the MLAs of Haryana Congress would go to Jantar Mantar to extend support to the wrestlers on May 13. On June 4, a state-level program will be organized on the occasion of Sant Kabir Jayanti at Old ITI Ground, Rohtak. On June 18, a 'Jan Milan Samaroh' will be organized in Panipat. The eighth 'Vipak Aapke Samaksh' program will be held in Bhiwani on June 25.



Special National Lok Adalat to be held on May 13 in Chandigarh

Chandigarh: A special National Lok Adalat will be organised on May 13 at 9.30 am at District Court Complex, Sector-43, Chandigarh under the supervision of learned District & Session Judge-cum-Chairman, District Legal Service Authority, UT, Chandigarh. During this year 2023, approximately 312474 E-traffic challans have been issued for different violations. All those who have been issued E-challans and other traffic challans may also attend the Lok Adalat. During 2020-21 (Lockdown period) around two thousand vehicles were impounded.



Dr Bharti Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare visits PGIMER



Chandigarh: Dr Bharti Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare who visited the PGIMER Chandigarh on Wednesday chaired a meeting with the Departmental Heads. A detailed presentation regarding the Institute was given to the Minister in the meeting. Minister appreciated the quantum of patient load handled by PGIMER. She praised the good work done by PGI with respect to the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. She reviewed the Organ Transplant Programme of PGI and appreciated the work done by the Institute. The Minister enquired about the OPD, Lab. sample collection timings and desired that the timings of the same should be increased for the benefit of the patients. Minister advised PGIMER to expedite the implementation of HIS.



Haryana National Health Mission declares result of community health officer

Chandigarh: Haryana Health and Family Welfare Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said that the result of Community Health Officer has been declared by the National Health Mission of Haryana. National Health Mission, Haryana advertisement was given for the recruitment of 527 Community Health Officer on December 30, 2022. For which the written examination was conducted on January 29, 2023. In which 9413 candidates had participated. A total of 1706 candidates were shortlisted for document verification, out of which 1466 candidates participated in the document verification held from February 13, 2023 to March 9, 2023.



SHO seeking Rs 40,000 bribe through tout in ACB net

Chandigarh: Haryana Anti Corruption Bureau on Wednesday caught a tout allegedly in the act of accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000 on behalf of an Inspector posted as SHO at the Badhaguda Police Station in Sirsa. Bureaus spokesperson said that tout was identified as Sukhraj alias Raja, while the SHO was identified as Kashi Ram. Sukhraj was arrested on the complaint of Rajkumar, a resident of district Sirsa. He has taken the bribe from the complainant in lieu of not implicating him in a case.



Police crackdown in Nuh unearths Rs 100 crore pan-India cyber fraud

Chandigarh: The Haryana Police on Wednesday announced that it had cracked down on a network of cyber fraudsters in Nuh district in April, unearthing a Rs 100 crore pan-India scam where around 28,000 people have been cheated. These scamsters cheated people across the country with fake SIM cards, Aadhaar cards etc. and used to deposit money in fake bank accounts to avoid arrest. People from Haryana to Delhi and UP to Andaman-Nicobar have been targetedWith their arrest, about 28,000 cases of cyber fraud have been traced across the country, Nuh Superintendent of Police Varun Singla said. The crackdown began with coordinated and simultaneous raids across 14 villages in Nuh district. On the intervening night of April 27 and 28, 102 teams of 5,000 policemen had raided 14 villages simultaneously. During this raid, around 125 suspected hackers were detained. Of these, 66 accused were identified and arrested. All were produced in the respective courts and taken on remand for 7- 11 days, Singla explained.



4th edition of Grey Shades for seniors fellowship prog from May 15



Chandigarh: Grey Shades for Senior Citizens  a not-for-profit start-up  on Wednesday announced the details of 4th edition of Grey Shades Fellowship program which will commence from May 15. The Grey Shades for Seniors Fellowship programme offers a unique opportunity for senior citizens who are living with loneliness and boredom after their retirement. The initiative is a 100-day long well-being and age leadership programme. Seniors, desirous of joining the fellowship, can WhatsApp on Grey Shades number  888-111-8522, said its founder Inderpreet Singh.



HRS Commission calls for departmental action against District Municipal Commissioner, Mahendergarh



Chandigarh: Haryana Right to Service Commission being tough on senior officers of the government has called for departmental action against District Municipal Commissioner (DMC), Mahendergarh for neglecting his supervisory duties under the Haryana Right to Service Act, 2014. Secretary, Right to Service Commission Hitender Kumar informed that these cases were under the purview of notified service and should be processed within a set timeline. The Auto Appeal System (AAS) launched by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on September 1, 2021 ensures that in case of delays in delivery of citizen services, appeals are automatically raised with the Grievance Redressal Authority and subsequently to the Commission. Hitender Kumar said that the Commission received 15 appeals on AAS (Auto Appeal System) pertaining to services related to ULBs of Mahendergarh, which were showing as pending and delayed by the Designated Officers. When appeals were raised on the Auto Appeal System for the delays with DMC Mahendergarh, being the grievance redressal authority, he also failed to take any action on the same leading to escalation of the matter with the Commission. Taking immediate cognizance of the matter, the Commission issued a letter to him.

Himachal's Newly Elected MLA's Association call on Chief Minister at New Delhi



New Delhi/Shimla: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met the HP Vidhan Sabha MLAs who are in Delhi to attend the three-day long 'Orientation Programme in Parliament at New Delhi on Wednesday. The first time elected MLAs led by their President Kewal Singh Pathania called on the Chief Minister after the training session and had discussion on various issues of public interest. Pathania also congratulated the Chief Minister for huge mandate to the party in Municipal Corporation elections, Shimla. Chief Parliamentary Secretary, (CPS) Information and Public Relations, Sanjay Awasthi, Vice Chairman HPTDC, R.S Bali, OSD to CM, Col KS Banshtu, Advisor Coordination to the Government of HP, Ms Nandita Gupta were also present on the occasion.
One more person Mohd Salman, of Jawaharnagar (Hyderabad), who was wanted by the Madhya Pradesh police in an unlawful activities case, was arrested on Wednesday.

Salman, a daily wager went absconding after the police raided his house at Jawaharnagar on the Hyderabad outskirts on Tuesday.

In a joint operation, the Intelligence Bureau, Madhya Pradesh police and Telangana police took into custody five persons in the city on Tuesday while Salman managed to give the police a slip. However, he was caught on Wednesday and is being taken to Bhopal by the MP police who had arrested 11 other persons in Bhopal in the same case.

Five persons Md Saleem (41), Md Abbas Ali (36), Abdur Rahman (33) Md Hameed (30) and Sheikh Junaid (31), were taken into custody on Tuesday. All of them are shifted to Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh where a case is booked against them under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The police reportedly found some incriminating literature with one of the suspects and also recovered an air gun and their mobile phones were seized and being analysed.

The group came to the notice of the intelligence agencies as they were allegedly in touch with an international terror organization Hizb-Ut- Tahrir, through social media platforms and mobile phone supported encrypted communication applications.
In a resolute effort to tackle Delhis mounting garbage crisis, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has announced significant measures to address the issue head-on. The Tehkhand Waste to Energy Plant, a crucial component of the waste management infrastructure, will undergo a capacity expansion of 50 per cent, enabling the conversion of an impressive 3,000 metric tons of waste into electricity, the civic body said in a statement.

To ensure the efficient implementation of these ambitious plans, Mayor Dr Shelly Oberoi conducted an on-ground inspection of the Tehkhand Waste to Energy Plant on Wednesday. The inspection was aimed to assess the current operations and identify areas for improvement in order to maximise the plants potential, it said.

Currently, the Tehkhand Waste to Energy Plant generates electricity from 2,000 metric tons of garbage daily. In a bid to further enhance its capacity, Dr Shelly Oberoi announced the installation of a new boiler capable of processing an additional 1000 metric tons of waste. This development will not only boost electricity generation but also contribute significantly to reducing the citys waste accumulation, the statement said.

Speaking about the governments endeavours, Dr Shelly Oberoi stated that the AAP government remains steadfast in its commitment to transforming Delhi into a garbage-free city. The increase in the Tehkhand Waste to Energy Plants capacity exemplifies our dedication to harnessing sustainable practices and converting waste into a valuable resource, she said.
DMCseeks action against BJP leader

New Delhi: The Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) has issued a notice to the police seeking a report on action against BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga over his tweet allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Sikhs. The notice issued by DMC member APS Bindra has sought the report from Delhi Police till May 17. Bagga, a spokesperson of the Delhi BJP, alleged that the notice by the DMC was issued at the behest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Bagga was picked up from Delhi by Punjab Police last year in a case registered in Mohali in the AAP-ruled state.

Prison dept meets with THSC for inmate jobs

New Delhi: The Delhi Prisons Department held a meeting with the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) to discuss job opportunities for the inmates currently being trained in the hospitality sector. The meeting was convened on Tuesday as a part of the ongoing National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) project in Tihar Jails. It was presided over by Sanjay Baniwal, Director General (prisons). In the statement, Baniwal mentioned that many initiatives are being taken by the prison department for reforming prisoners and ensuring their reintegration into the society.

SMIPAC achievment award conferred on plk Pandit

New Delhi: PLK Pandit, Doyen of Gwalior Gharana, was conferred SMIPAC lifetime achievement award for his invaluable contribution to enrich Hindustani Classical music at the Triveni Kala Sangam in the national Capital on Sunday. Supported by Peoples Foundation the ceremony witnessed mesmerizing live performances by reputed artists such as Meeta Pandit, Ajay Prasanna, Ayush Mohan, Mithilesh Jha in jugalbandis in the presence of Peoples Foundation President and veteran journalist VN Jha, according to a Press release by the foundation.

surmala 2023 organised by UAWKT

New Delhi : A superlative music recital, Surmala 2023 was organised by the Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan Trust (UAWKT) at Triveni Auditorium here on Thursday. Renowned flautist Pt. Rajendra Prasanna played Rag Shree accompanied by his son Rajesh Prasanna also on the flute and Abhishek Mishra on the tabla. The finale was a sarangi duet of Raga Bageshree with Padmashri Ustad Moinuddin Khan and his son Momin Khan with Pt Mithilesh Kumar Jha on the tabla. UAWKT was founded by sarangi Nawaz Ustad Arif Ali Khan of the Kairana Gharana.
As an anchor on Opposition unity against BJP in 2024, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who is on a country wide tour to various regional leaders, on Wednesday met Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Nitish accompanied by Bihar deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwai Yadav, JDU national president Lalan Singh had discussion with Soren for more than an hour. After the meeting the chief ministers of both the states gave a message of solidarity. Hemant Soren said that this is a brief meeting, further details will be discussed.

Nitish Kumar was seen targeting the Center after the meeting. His address revolved around the allegation of trying to change the history of the country, staying united, not fighting within the society, and creating unnecessary controversies in the country. During this, Nitish Kumar was also seen telling and expressing his old relationship with Shibu Soren. He even said that Shibu Soren had helped him in making him the Chief Minister for the first time.

Our talks centred around forming a united opposition and the result of the discussion will be visible in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections," Kumar told reporters after the meeting. "We will oppose attempts by the Centre to make changes in history. We will also restore Hindu-Muslim unity," Kumar, the JD(U) leader, said.

The meeting is seen as part of Kumar's efforts to bring all non-NDA parties together to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

However, it is still unclear about what will be the formula of the alliance for the 14 Lok Sabha seats of Jharkhand. The litmus test of real unity will happen during seat distribution.

The Bihar CM, who snapped ties with the BJP last year, vowing to defeat it in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, has toured many places and met political leaders of various hues as part of his opposition unity drive

Kumar on Tuesday called on Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik at his residence in Bhubaneswar and held a discussion with him for more than an hour. Recently, he also held talks with West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.

Kumar and Yadav had in April met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi in the presence of Rahul Gandhi and pledged to bring all opposition parties together for a united front against the BJP.

The JD(U) leader, also held meetings with NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury among others.

BJP State President and MP Deepak Prakash gave a strong reaction to the visit of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Ranchi.

He said that greed for power forced Nitish Kumar to kneel down before corruption and corrupt people. He said that those who are called followers of JP, Lohia had earlier shaken hands with Lalu Prasad's family involved in fodder scam, railway job scam in Bihar.




: Based on the recommendation of India, the United Nations declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Odisha has been a forerunner in the promotion of millets and has been recognized nationally and globally. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the Odisha Millets Mission in 2017 to revive millets in farms and plates. Millets are small seeded cereals which are a powerhouse of nutrition.



Crops like Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Foxtail, and several others are known as cereal crops or millets. Millets are highly farmer and environmental friendly as they grow with little attention, minimal water, and are climate resilient. Millets are rich in iron, zinc, calcium and with their high fibre content, they can play an important role in addressing lifestyle diseases.



The Odisha Millet Mission was launched in 2017 and the Government of Odisha has taken multiple initiatives, going out of its way to promote the consumption and production of millets in the State. Odisha is harnessing the power of women's self-help groups (WSHGs) to revive the millet in households through the Mission Shakti Department. Through the Millet Shakti initiative, it is taking diverse millet dishes to consumers in urban and rural areas.



The inauguration of the Millet Shakti outlet and Millet Shakti cafe on the collectorate premises of the Ganjam district is the most recent achievement. 10 additional such cafes as well as six millet-based food trucks are operational and run by WSHGs and FPOs. Through this, the Government aims to promote gender equity among its citizens. The Government is also collaborating with various renowned chefs and restaurants to provide training for the WSHGs.



Commenting on the mission, Chief Minister Patnaik announced that the millets mission would be implemented in all 30 districts of the State and that more farmers and organisations will be a part of it.



He also added Mandia is a powerhouse of nutrition. Millet provides nutrition to everyone from children to elderly ones. Small and poor tribal farmers are involved in cultivation of the millets. In order to improve their condition and ensure nutrition for the people, we have launched the Millet Mission. We are going to spend Rs 2,800 crores in five years.



Farmers are supported through an incentive of Rs 26,500 per hectares for 5 years and the Odisha Government also provides an assured market through ragi procurement. It celebrated diversity by recognising and supporting custodian farmers from the tribal community.
A poor turnout of voters was recorded in the by-elections to two Uttar Pradesh assembly seats  Suar Tanda in Rampur district and Chhanbey in Sonbhadra district  on Wednesday.

The voters turnout in Suar Tanda was 42 per cent and in Chhanbey 40 per cent.

The polling was peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from both the constituencies.

The chief electoral officer of UP said the voter turnout was likely to increase slightly at the time of final tabulation of the data. He said the voting started at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm.

The Samajwadi Party, in a memorandum addressed to the Election Commission of India and submitted to the chief electoral officer of UP, alleged intimidation of voters in Suar Tanda constituency in Rampur district, a citadel of SP strongman Mohammad Azam Khan.

The SP alleged that Muslim voters were prevented from casting their votes by the police.

The bypoll in Suar Tanda has been caused by the disqualification of Abdullah Azam, son of Mohammad Azam Khan, the former SP MP.

In a tweet on its official Twitter handle, the SP charged, "In Khempur, Rasoolpur, Faridpur, Samodia in the Suar seat of Rampur, police are preventing voters from voting. Voters are returned from polling booths. The Election Commission should take cognisance and ensure fair elections.

In a separate tweet, it alleged that cabinet minister Ashish Patel (of Apna Dal-Sonelal) was calling SP workers and threatening them to affect polls.

Officials, however, denied any discrepancies and said free and fair polls were being ensured in the state.

There is a direct contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party led coalition and the opposition Samajwadi Party in the bypolls. A total of 774 polling booths were set up by the Election Commission of India at 492 polling centres in the two constituencies, while there are 6.62 lakh eligible voters.

A total of 14 candidates are in the fray six in Suar and eight in Chhanbey.

The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party has kept away from the bypolls, while the Congress has fielded its candidate only in Chhanbey.

The Suar seat in Rampur district is in focus as it was held by Abdullah Azam Khan, son of senior SP leader Azam Khan, before it was declared vacant on February 13 after a Moradabad court sentenced Abdullah Azam to two years in jail in a 15-year-old case.

In the previous assembly also, the Allahabad High Court had in 2020 set aside Abdullah Azams election for not declaring his correct age in the affidavit.

In the 2022 UP assembly election, Abdullah Azam Khan had defeated Haidar Ali Khan of Apna Dal (Sonelal) in the Suar constituency by a margin of over 61,000 votes. This time, the SP has fielded Anuradha Chauhan from the seat and Apna Dal (Sonelal) has fielded Shafeek Ahmed Ansari.

The Chhanbey seat in Mirzapur fell vacant following the death of Apna Dal (Sonelal) MLA Rahul Prakash Kol in February. The party has fielded Kol's wife, Rinki Kol, while Kirti Kol is contesting as the SP candidate. Eight candidates are in the fray for this seat.

The counting of votes will be taken up on May 13.

In the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly, the ruling BJP has 255 MLAs, and its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) and the NISHAD Party have 11 and six legislators, respectively. The SP has 109 MLAs while its ally the Rashtriya Lok Dal has nine. The Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party has six MLAs, the Congress and the Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) have two MLAs each and the Bahujan Samaj Party has one member in the assembly.
Punjab New and Renewable Energy Sources Department on Wednesday launched Punjab State Energy Action Plan to ensure promotion of energy efficiency in buildings, industries, municipalities, agriculture, transport and other sectors. The Energy Action Plan is aimed at assisting Punjab government departments or agencies to adopt most sustainable, long-term, and inter-sectoral renewable or clean energy plan.



The states Additional Chief Secretary (New and Renewable Energy Sources) A Venu Prasad, PEDA chairman HS Hanspal, and Head of Indo-German Energy Programme GIZ Dr Winfried Damm also launched Decision Support Tool (DST) along with the Amritsar Smart City Portal and Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO) portal for the state of Punjab.



Amritsar will be developed as Solar City, said Venu Prasad, adding that the State Energy Action Plan will help to achieve the goals towards Net Zero in each sector, that is Agriculture, Power, Renewable, CBG, Municipalities, Transport, Buildings and Industries.



PEDA has also signed a MoU with GIZs IGEN Access to Energy programme funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development for seeking technical assistance with the help of a well-experienced team of consultants and representatives of over 20 departments or organizations.



Emphasizing on the need for fast-tracking implementation of the action plan and reviewing the progress quarterly, he asked all the departments to come forward to equip their office buildings with solar panels to decarbonize the power sector, which will help in reducing their power consumption charges to 25 to 30 per cent.



PEDA chairman HS Hanspal said that PEDA is the Punjab Governments designated agency for implementation of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 and PEDAs vision to achieve Net Zero Goals by 2070. He also mentioned about the State Energy Efficiency Action Plan (SEEAP) being prepared by BEE at the State level. Punjab has also developed a State Energy Vision 2047.



Appreciating the efforts of PEDA for taking the lead to prepare this unique document, Head Indo-German Energy Programme GIZ Dr Winfried Damm explained the importance of long-term energy planning to meet Indias ambition on achieving Net Zero Goal.



He emphasized on the role of all government departments and citizens of the state in realizing the targets set at the international stage. Dr Damm also shared examples from different European nations and their sectoral initiatives to decarbonize their economy, mostly by 2050, Germany by 2045.


The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to seek registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) to open a bank account for overseas donations for the construction of the Ram temple.

The Trust has submitted its three-year audit report to the income tax department in New Delhi, thereby fulfilling the necessary registration requirements for FCRA. The Trust members are set to meet in Ayodhya later this month to discuss the matter.

According to Anil Mishra, a member of the Trust, the Ayodhya office of the Trust receives a high volume of calls every day from overseas Indians, expressing their desire to contribute towards the construction of the Ram temple.

The Trust will have to follow FCRA regulations to receive donations from abroad. Currently, the Trust has accounts with the State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, and Bank of Baroda in Ayodhya, where it receives donations from people across India.

The Trust has also requested Tata Consultancy Services to develop software capable of generating receipts immediately upon receiving donations from overseas.

The construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is in progress, with the Trust aiming to open the sanctum sanctorum of the temple to devotees on Makar Sankranti in January 2024. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act aims to regulate the flow of foreign funds to voluntary organisations to prevent any possible diversion of such funds towards activities that are detrimental to national interests.

According to Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, a member of the Trust, approximately 70 per cent of the construction work on the Ayodhya Ram Mandir has been completed and Ram Lalla will be placed in the temple's sanctum-sanctorum by the third week of January 2024. The temple gates will be opened for devotees to worship the deity on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on January 14-15, 2024.

Regional spokesperson Vishwa Hindu Parishad Sharad Sharma said that devotees were eagerly awaiting the opening of the Ram Mandir. Celebrations in Ayodhya for the grand opening of the temple will begin in December 2023.

The Supreme Courts ruling in late 2019 paved the way for the construction of the temple, putting an end to a decades-long movement. The construction of the temple has been a consistent feature in the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) manifesto.
Wrestler Sakshi Malik has sought help from wrestlers in Madhya Pradesh, she had said that the wrestlers of Chambal region should support us. If you can't come to Delhi, then protest where you are, Wrestlers' strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh continues for the 18th day.

The 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medalist wrestler Sakshi Malik released the video on Wednesday. Other wrestlers are also seen with him in the video. She said that 'all the residents of Chambal should support us. If you people cannot come here (Jantar Mantar Delhi), then protest at your place, in your village and raise your voice. All the wrestlers who live in Chambal should also support us. Protest at your place in any way or through social media. you support us We are fighting a battle of justice and truth.

Bal Congress co-incharge Sachin Dwivedi told that we will discuss with the wrestlers of Chambal. Soon, the wrestlers of Chambal will go to Delhi to support the wrestlers' strike by taking the soil of their respective akhadas.

Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee's PCC delegate and NSUI national convenor Sachin Dwivedi reached Delhi's Jantar Mantar and extended support to the wrestlers' strike. Sakshi Malik told Sachin Dwivedi that the residents of Chambal always raised the flag of rebellion by raising their voice against injustice. Sakshi said that the wrestlers of Chambal should come forward to support us in this fight.

Hearing on the petition of women wrestlers was held in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday. The court has sought the status report of the case from the Delhi Police. Now the next hearing of the case will be on May 12.

During the hearing in the court, the advocate of the wrestlers said that we lodged a complaint, but the police did not take any action. After we filed a petition in the Supreme Court, the police registered an FIR on March 28. An FIR has been registered in the matter under the POCSO Act and other sections.

Sakshi Malik said that the Supreme Court, under its supervision, should get the narco test done for the 7 victim players and Brij Bhushan, who will be wrong, he should be hanged at the same time. With this the wrestlers held a press conference. In this, on Thursday from 10 am to 2 pm, people appealed to register their protest by tying a black band.
The polling for the second and final phase of urban local bodies elections in Uttar Pradesh will take place on Thursday.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath created a record of sort by addressing 50 election meetings for the urban local bodies elections. Yogi blurred the difference between the assembly and local bodies elections by his whirlwind campaign as he addressed 22 elections meeting for the second phase polls.

Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Union minister Smriti Irani, UP BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary also campaigned for the ruling party candidates.

The second phase polls will cover 38 districts, including Meerut, Ghaziabad, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Aligarh, Kanpur Nagar and Ayodhya. The polls are considered significant as all political contenders are trying to showcase their strength ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Though the Samajwadi Party is claiming to be the main challenger to the Bharatiya Janata Party, the campaign by party chief Akhilesh Yadav was no match to Yogi Adityanath. Akhilesh Yadav addressed only six election meetings while Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati stayed away from campaigning and none of the central leaders like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could find time to campaign for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.

From the opposition camp, Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav and Shivpal Singh Yadav extended a helping hand to Akhilesh Yadav in the campaigning for the party candidates. Dimple Yadav held a roadshow in Kanpur Nagar on Monday.

Campaigning for the final phase ended on Tuesday evening with the BJP and SP leaders criss-crossing the poll-bound areas.

Shahjahanpur, the newly-created municipal corporation, will vote to elect its first mayor. In the 2017 local body elections, the BSP had won mayoral election in Meerut and Aligarh while rest of the 14 mayoral seats were won by the BJP.

According to the State Election Commission (SEC), over 1.92 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes to elect their representatives in the second phase polling. Voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm on Thursday. The first phase of voting was held on May 4.

Counting of votes will be taken up on May 13.

As many as 39,146 candidates are in the fray in the second round of urban local bodies polls for 6,929 posts, which includes seven mayors and 581 corporators. Apart from this, voting will be held to elect 95 chairpersons and 2,520 members of nagar palika parishads, and 267 chairpersons and 3,459 members of various nagar panchayats. The SEC said 77 representatives, including nine corporators in this round, had been elected unopposed.
Delhi Polices epic response to Pakistani actor and a self proclaimed social activist from Karachi, Sehar Shinwari, who sought action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Research and Analysis Wing for spreading chaos and terrorism in her home country, is raking up likes.

Taking to the micro-blogging site, Shinwari on Tuesday tweeted, Anyone knows the online link of Delhi Police? I have to file a complain against Indian PM and Indian Intelligence Agency RAW who are spreading chaos and terrorism in my country Pakistan. If the Indian courts are free (as they claim), then I am sure Indian Supreme Court will provide me justice.

In a subsequent online outburst, Shinwari also requested the United Nations intervention in the case. The actress blamed India for trying to escalate the tension in her home country and urged the UN to take immediate action.

Delhi Police was quick and witty in its response. We are afraid we still do not have jurisdiction in Pakistan. But, would like to know how come you are tweeting when the internet has been shut down in your country!, it tweeted from its official Twitter handle.

Shinwari, caught off guard by the Delhi Polices response, found herself in a predicament  and the butt of humour.

Shinwaris tweet came against the backdrop of Imran Khans dramatic arrest outside the Islamabad High Court on alleged corruption charges. The arrest has led to violent clashes between police and Khans supporters, following which the internet was disrupted across multiple networks in Pakistan.
In its bid to promote manufacturing of electrical vehicles in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi government has decided to provide various incentives and subsidies to the investors and will encourage those investors that carry out skill development of the employees.

Provisions have been made in the EV Manufacturing and Mobility Policy in this regard. Information about financial incentives for skill development has been provided in the manual related to the implementation of the policy.

Skill development subsidy will be provided to companies investing in EV manufacturing in the state. Additionally, a separate financial incentive will also be provided to train the employees in a particular year, government spokesman said here on Wednesday.

In a recent program, the chief minister had appealed to the companies investing in the state to also make efforts for skill development of the youth in order to create a skilled workforce, and had also assured of all possible help from the government in this regard.

Notably, skill development subsidy has been mentioned in the EV policy wherein a one-time subsidy at the rate of `5000 per employee per year will be provided to a maximum of 50 employees in the form of reimbursement of stipend for all defined manufacturing projects. Under this provision, a subsidy will also be paid for training a maximum of 10 employees in a particular year, the spokesman said.

However, it should be noted that this incentive will be applicable solely to employees who have been working in the applicant manufacturing unit for a minimum period of 12 months before joining the training program.

To be eligible for this subsidy, the training programme must be certified by either the National Skill Development Corporation, Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission, a Central/State University/College, or an ITI/Polytechnic institution.

All incentive benefits will be provided only after the commencement of commercial production as per the provision made in the EV policy. The aggregate of all financial incentives for manufacturing projects should not exceed 100 per cent of the fixed capital investment.

Under this policy, the principle of 'First Come, First Serve' will be implemented for projects that have received a letter of comfort from the State Government for promotion under the policy.

An MoU has been signed to facilitate significant investments in the electric vehicle manufacturing sector in the state. Both Indian and foreign companies are interested in investing in the EV manufacturing sector in UP. The biggest investment is coming from a Hong Kong based company named Tauschen International Ltd which is a part of the Tauschen Group of Companies.

Apart from EV manufacturing, Tauschen International Ltd has signed an MoU for an investment of 1.90 lakh crores in many other sectors. Similarly, RG Strategies Group and Cosis Group have also signed major investment agreements in the EV sector.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made a fresh arrest in the Rs 2,000 crore alleged liquor syndicate scam linked money laundering case of Chhattisgarh, official sources said Thursday.

Nitesh Purohit, promoter of Giriraj hotel located in state capital Raipur, was arrested on Wednesday noon.

Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar, was the first person to be arrested by the agency in this case last week.

A third person, who is a prominent liquor businessman of the state, was also reported to have been arrested by the ED in the case but an official confirmation is awaited.

The agency told the court on Wednesday that Purohit was "aware of the illegal operations of Anwar Dhebar and willingly assisted him in movement of proceeds of crime to Anil Tuteja (an IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre)" and an another person.

Dhebar was also produced by the agency before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Raipur on Wednesday at the end of his four-day remand period, and the court later extended his custody by five more days, the sources said.

His lawyer Rahul Tyagi said Wednesday that the Additional District and Sessions Judge Ajay Singh Rajput has extended the remand of his client by five days.

The court has directed the investigating agency that the accused should not be harassed in any way. The court has also directed the agency to preserve audio and video recording of the interrogation to ascertain if any kind of torture or harassment given to the accused, he said.

The court has allowed the counsel to meet his client on a daily basis, Tyagi added.

Money was "illegally" collected from "every" bottle of liquor sold in Chhattisgarh and evidences of "unprecedented" corruption and money laundering of Rs 2,000 crore generated by an alcohol syndicate led by Anwar Dhebar, the ED had alleged.

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.
Shares of Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (TSE:AEZS  Get Rating) were up 8.6% on Monday . The company traded as high as C$4.18 and last traded at C$4.18. Approximately 400 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 76% from the average daily volume of 1,687 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$3.85.

Aeterna Zentaris Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 9.37, a current ratio of 7.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of C$3.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$4.56. The firm has a market cap of C$19.00 million, a PE ratio of -0.61 and a beta of 1.72.

About Aeterna Zentaris

(Get Rating)

Aeterna Zentaris Inc, a specialty biopharmaceutical company, engages in developing and commercializing therapeutics and diagnostic tests. Its lead product is macimorelin, an orally available peptidomimetic ghrelin receptor (GHSR-1a) agonist that stimulates the secretion of growth hormone by binding to the GHSR-1a for the diagnosis of adult growth hormone deficiency and childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency, as well as oncology indications.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Aeterna Zentaris Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aeterna Zentaris and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Catherine Thimmesh in DelancyPlace:

With alarms sounding and fuel running out, Neil Armstrong came within seconds of crashing the Apollo 11 landing module: BAM! Suddenly, the master alarm in the lunar module rang out for attention with all the racket of a fire bell going off in a broom closet. Program alarm, astronaut Neil Armstrong called out from the LM (LEM) in a clipped but calm voice. Its a twelve-oh-two. 1202, repeated astronaut Buzz Aldrin. They were 33,500 feet from the moon.

Translation: We have a problem! What is it?

Do we land? Do we abort? Are we in danger? Are we blowing up? Tell us what to do. Hurry!

In Mission Control, the words TWELVE OH TWO tumbled out of the communications loop. The weight of the problem landed with a thud in the lap of twenty-six-year-old Steve Bales. Bales, call name GUIDO, was the mission controller for guidance and navigation.

A moment earlier (after some worries with navigation problems), Bales had relaxed with a deep breath, thinking at last: Were going to make it. Now, wham! His mind, again sent racing; his blood rushing; his heart fluttering; his breath  still as stone. But he wasnt alone. A voice on another loop  belonging to one of Baless backroom support guys, twenty-four-year-old computer whiz kid Jack Garman  burst in to make sure Bales was aware of the 1202.

More here.
African Gold Acquisition Co. (NYSE:AGAC  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 400 shares, a decline of 94.1% from the April 15th total of 6,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 86,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.0 days. Currently, 0.0% of the companys stock are sold short.

African Gold Acquisition Price Performance

AGAC stock remained flat at $10.37 during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 11,313 shares, compared to its average volume of 142,109. African Gold Acquisition has a 12 month low of $9.76 and a 12 month high of $10.40. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $10.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.14.

Get African Gold Acquisition alerts:

Hedge Funds Weigh In On African Gold Acquisition

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AGAC. Cohen & Co Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in African Gold Acquisition in the third quarter worth approximately $4,950,000. Virtu Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of African Gold Acquisition by 168.7% in the 4th quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 93,832 shares of the companys stock valued at $943,000 after purchasing an additional 58,905 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. bought a new stake in African Gold Acquisition in the second quarter worth $490,000. Centiva Capital LP acquired a new position in African Gold Acquisition during the second quarter worth $124,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in African Gold Acquisition by 20.2% during the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 8,344 shares of the companys stock valued at $83,000 after buying an additional 1,401 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.09% of the companys stock.

African Gold Acquisition Company Profile

African Gold Acquisition Corporation does not have significant operations. The company focuses on effecting a merger or mergers, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses. African Gold Acquisition Corporation was incorporated in 2020 and is based in New York, New York.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for African Gold Acquisition Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for African Gold Acquisition and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Banco Macro S.A. (NYSE:BMA  Get Rating) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $17.54 and traded as high as $18.51. Banco Macro shares last traded at $17.93, with a volume of 189,485 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Banco Macro in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock.

Get Banco Macro alerts:

Banco Macro Stock Performance

The firms 50-day simple moving average is $18.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $17.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.72.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Banco Macro

Banco Macro ( NYSE:BMA Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 23rd. The bank reported $1.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.23. Banco Macro had a net margin of 6.23% and a return on equity of 8.24%. The business had revenue of $658.89 million for the quarter. Analysts forecast that Banco Macro S.A. will post 2.27 EPS for the current year.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Jump Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Banco Macro by 29.1% in the 3rd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 44,900 shares of the banks stock valued at $641,000 after purchasing an additional 10,108 shares in the last quarter. Trium Capital LLP purchased a new position in Banco Macro in the 4th quarter valued at about $170,000. Virtu Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Banco Macro by 173.4% in the 3rd quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 34,858 shares of the banks stock valued at $497,000 after purchasing an additional 22,107 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Banco Macro by 456.9% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 6,298 shares of the banks stock valued at $109,000 after purchasing an additional 5,167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in Banco Macro by 980.3% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,889 shares of the banks stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 3,529 shares in the last quarter. 4.87% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Banco Macro

(Get Rating)

Banco Macro SA engages in the provision of financial and banking services. It serves the low and mid-income individuals, and small and mid-sized companies. The firm offers savings, checking accounts, time deposits, fund management, loans, mortgages, and direct banking transactions. The company was founded on November 21, 1966 and is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Banco Macro Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Macro and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Cellular Goods PLC (LON:CBX  Get Rating)s share price fell 4% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as GBX 0.55 ($0.01) and last traded at GBX 0.60 ($0.01). 3,327,878 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 19% from the average session volume of 2,806,334 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 0.63 ($0.01).

Cellular Goods Price Performance

The stocks 50-day moving average price is GBX 0.76 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 0.92. The company has a market cap of 6.59 million, a P/E ratio of -130.00 and a beta of -1.29.

Cellular Goods Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Cellular Goods PLC, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells biosynthetic cannabinoids-based consumer products in the United Kingdom. The company provides cannabinoid solutions for skincare and ingestible products. It offers its products through retailers; direct to consumers through its website; and online.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Cellular Goods Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cellular Goods and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Lyons Bancorp Inc. (OTCMKTS:LYBC  Get Rating)s share price was down 0.4% on Monday . The company traded as low as $50.30 and last traded at $50.30. Approximately 550 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 7% from the average daily volume of 516 shares. The stock had previously closed at $50.50.

Lyons Bancorp Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $53.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $53.94.

Lyons Bancorp Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Lyons Bancorp, Inc provides financial and banking services. Its offers products within the personal and business banking realms, including direct deposit, online banking, cash manager, remote deposit capture. The company was founded on August 4, 1987 is headquartered in Lyons, NY.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Lyons Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lyons Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Premier Oil plc (OTCMKTS:PMOIY  Get Rating) hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $3.09 and last traded at $3.09, with a volume of 100 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $3.05.

Premier Oil Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $2.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.18 and a beta of 2.77. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $3.29 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $3.73.

About Premier Oil

(Get Rating)

Premier Oil plc, an oil and gas company, engages in the exploration, production, and development of oil and gas properties in the Falkland Islands, Indonesia, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, and internationally. As of December 31, 2019, its proved and probable reserves (2P) were 175 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe); and 2P and estimated contingent resources were 847 mmboe.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Premier Oil Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Premier Oil and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Public Joint Stock Company Rostelecom (OTCMKTS:ROSYY  Get Rating)s share price reached a new 52-week low on Monday . The company traded as low as $1.01 and last traded at $1.01, with a volume of 0 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $1.01.

Public Joint Stock Company Rostelecom Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $1.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1.01.

About Public Joint Stock Company Rostelecom

(Get Rating)

Rostelecom PJSC provides digital services and solutions to households, governmental and private organizations. The firm provides telecommunications services to the Russian governmental and corporate customers of all levels. It also offers technology solutions to e-government, cybersecurity, data center &cloud-based services, biometrics, healthcare, education, house maintenance, and utility services.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Public Joint Stock Company Rostelecom Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Public Joint Stock Company Rostelecom and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited (OTCMKTS:CIADY  Get Rating) saw a significant decline in short interest in April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 3,200 shares, a decline of 72.2% from the April 15th total of 11,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 30,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days.

China Mengniu Dairy Price Performance

OTCMKTS:CIADY traded down $0.39 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $41.14. 5,271 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,135. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $41.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $43.41. China Mengniu Dairy has a 12-month low of $31.92 and a 12-month high of $52.61.

Get China Mengniu Dairy alerts:

China Mengniu Dairy Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Read More

China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited, an investment holding company, produces and distributes dairy products in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Liquid Milk Products, Ice Cream Products, Milk Powder Products, and Others. The Liquid Milk Products segment produces and distributes ultra-high temperature milk, milk beverages, fresh milk, and yogurt.

Receive News & Ratings for China Mengniu Dairy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Mengniu Dairy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Deutsche Telekom AG (OTCMKTS:DTEGY  Get Rating) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 46,700 shares, a growth of 205.2% from the April 15th total of 15,300 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 371,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Deutsche Telekom Stock Down 0.6 %

Deutsche Telekom stock traded down $0.14 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $23.27. The stock had a trading volume of 261,299 shares, compared to its average volume of 218,381. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $110.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.59. Deutsche Telekom has a 12-month low of $16.77 and a 12-month high of $25.55. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $23.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $21.88.

Get Deutsche Telekom alerts:

Deutsche Telekom (OTCMKTS:DTEGY  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 22nd. The utilities provider reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter. Deutsche Telekom had a net margin of 7.11% and a return on equity of 10.09%. The firm had revenue of $30.43 billion during the quarter. Equities research analysts anticipate that Deutsche Telekom will post 1.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Deutsche Telekom Increases Dividend

About Deutsche Telekom

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 11th were issued a dividend of $0.715 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 3.02%. This is a boost from Deutsche Telekoms previous dividend of $0.67. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, April 10th. Deutsche Telekoms payout ratio is presently 42.20%.

(Get Rating)

Deutsche Telekom AG engages in the provision of telecommunications and information technology services. It operates through the following segments: Germany, United States, Europe, Systems Solutions, Group Development, and Group Headquarters and Group Services. The Germany segment comprises fixed-network and mobile activities for consumers and business customers in Germany, as well as telecommunications services for carriers.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Deutsche Telekom Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deutsche Telekom and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Leonardo S.p.a. (OTCMKTS:FINMY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 1,700 shares, a decline of 92.3% from the April 15th total of 22,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 11,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days.

Leonardo Trading Up 2.0 %

FINMY traded up $0.11 on Wednesday, hitting $5.79. 2,857 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,395. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $5.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $4.94. Leonardo has a twelve month low of $3.32 and a twelve month high of $6.45.

Get Leonardo alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, UBS Group lowered Leonardo from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st.

Leonardo Company Profile

Leonardo SpA engages in the aerospace, defense and security sectors. It operates through the following segments: Helicopters; Defense and Security Electronics; Aeronautics; Space, Defense Systems; and Other Activities. The Helicopters segment designs commercial and military rotorcrafts. The Defense and Security Electronics segment engages in the information management, sensors, and systems integration business, as well as delivers systems for critical missions, military sustainment requirements, and homeland security.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Leonardo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Leonardo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
The Korea Fund, Inc. (NYSE:KF  Get Rating) shot up 0.3% on Monday . The company traded as high as $21.74 and last traded at $21.70. 1,245 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 89% from the average session volume of 11,212 shares. The stock had previously closed at $21.62.

The Korea Fund Stock Performance

The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $21.63 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $22.57.

Get The Korea Fund alerts:

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in The Korea Fund by 10.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 27,142 shares of the companys stock worth $817,000 after purchasing an additional 2,563 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in The Korea Fund by 3,005.6% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 32,174 shares of the companys stock worth $670,000 after purchasing an additional 31,138 shares during the last quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC bought a new position in The Korea Fund in the 1st quarter worth approximately $68,000. Shaker Financial Services LLC raised its position in The Korea Fund by 18.1% in the 1st quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC now owns 13,069 shares of the companys stock worth $287,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, City of London Investment Management Co. Ltd. raised its position in The Korea Fund by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. City of London Investment Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,729,497 shares of the companys stock worth $36,025,000 after purchasing an additional 122,298 shares during the last quarter. 52.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Korea Fund Company Profile

The Korea Fund is designed to provide capital appreciation through investments in securities. Their firm screens stocks based on a broad range of variables, including price-to-earnings ratios, dividend yields and earnings-per-share growth.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for The Korea Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Korea Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Elina Nerantzi in the European Review of Books:

The core moral thread that holds the modern criminal law doctrine together is that only morally culpable humans should be convicted of a stigmatic criminal offense. A pig cannot be a sensible target of blame. Neither can a child, nor a mentally ill person, nor an offender who lacked the necessary  guilty mind  (that is, she did not act with intention, recklessness or criminal negligence), nor an offender who acted in self-defense or in a state of necessity. The culpability principle that stands as the moral foundation of twentieth-century criminal law doctrine is a victory of rationality. The loser, here, is the human id that cannot let go  that asks:  Am I supposed to forgo blame because the conduct of the perpetrator of the crime did not match the legal test of recklessness? 

A similar, but newer challenge for that same id: am I supposed to forgo blame because the perpetrator of the crime was a robot? I work in criminal law and artificial intelligence, and the main question in my research is: When an autonomous AI system commits a crime, who is to blame?

More here.
Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund (NYSE:AIO  Get Rating) was down 0.1% during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $16.52 and last traded at $16.57. Approximately 81,790 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 19% from the average daily volume of 100,632 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.59.

Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $16.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $16.88.

Get Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund alerts:

Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 13th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.94%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 12th.

Institutional Trading of Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund

Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund Company Profile

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. boosted its position in shares of Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund by 39.8% during the first quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 22,998 shares of the companys stock worth $400,000 after buying an additional 6,553 shares during the period. CWM LLC boosted its position in Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund by 92.0% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,521 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 729 shares during the period. Kovack Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund in the first quarter worth $287,000. Chapin Davis Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund by 10.1% during the first quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. now owns 18,600 shares of the companys stock valued at $324,000 after purchasing an additional 1,700 shares during the period. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC raised its stake in shares of Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund by 25.0% during the first quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 5,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $87,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter.

(Get Rating)

The Fund seeks to generate a stable income stream and growth of capital by focusing on one of the most significant long-term secular growth opportunities in markets today. A multi-asset approach based on fundamental research is employed, dynamically allocating to attractive segments of a companys debt and equity in order to offer an attractive risk/reward profile.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Adams Resources & Energy, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:AE  Get Rating) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, May 10th, Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be given a dividend of 0.24 per share by the energy company on Friday, June 23rd. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.91%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 8th.

Adams Resources & Energy has raised its dividend payment by an average of 0.7% annually over the last three years. Adams Resources & Energy has a dividend payout ratio of 31.9% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Adams Resources & Energy to earn $3.05 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.96 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 31.5%.

Get Adams Resources & Energy alerts:

Adams Resources & Energy Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of Adams Resources & Energy stock traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $32.97. The company had a trading volume of 363 shares, compared to its average volume of 39,302. The stock has a market capitalization of $83.41 million, a PE ratio of 220.01 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $42.94. Adams Resources & Energy has a 12-month low of $27.40 and a 12-month high of $61.84.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Adams Resources & Energy ( NYSEAMERICAN:AE Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 15th. The energy company reported ($0.93) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Adams Resources & Energy had a return on equity of 2.15% and a net margin of 0.10%. The business had revenue of $747.72 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $842.67 million. As a group, analysts expect that Adams Resources & Energy will post 2.76 EPS for the current year.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Adams Resources & Energy from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. TheStreet cut shares of Adams Resources & Energy from a b- rating to a c rating in a research note on Thursday, March 16th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Adams Resources & Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new position in shares of Adams Resources & Energy during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. UBS Group AG boosted its position in shares of Adams Resources & Energy by 62.1% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 822 shares of the energy companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares during the period. Mariner LLC acquired a new stake in Adams Resources & Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $203,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Adams Resources & Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $217,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in Adams Resources & Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $240,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.08% of the companys stock.

About Adams Resources & Energy

(Get Rating)

Adams Resources & Energy, Inc engages in the business of crude oil marketing, transportation and storage in various crude oil and natural gas basins. It operates through the following segments: crude oil marketing, transportation and storage, tank truck transportation of liquid chemicals, pressurized gases, asphalt and dry bulk, and pipeline transportation, terminalling and storage of crude oil.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Adams Resources & Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Adams Resources & Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Lee Financial Co lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO  Get Rating) by 1.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,766 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 360 shares during the period. Lee Financial Cos holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,315,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 1.6% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 404,894 shares of the companys stock valued at $21,248,000 after buying an additional 6,324 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 5.2% in the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 18,647 shares of the companys stock valued at $974,000 after buying an additional 929 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its position in Altria Group by 3.4% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,711,773 shares of the companys stock valued at $141,690,000 after buying an additional 89,334 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Western Trust Bank acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $498,000. 58.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Altria Group alerts:

Altria Group Trading Down 1.0 %

NYSE MO traded down $0.48 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $45.46. 1,767,038 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,026,091. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $40.35 and a 12 month high of $54.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $81.15 billion, a PE ratio of 14.76, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a 50 day moving average of $45.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $45.89.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

Altria Group ( NYSE:MO Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.01). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 245.43% and a net margin of 22.44%. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.89 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.12 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.06 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 24th were issued a $0.94 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a $3.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.27%. Altria Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 120.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on MO shares. Citigroup decreased their price target on Altria Group from $49.50 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $52.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $44.67.

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.
Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its stake in shares of Centene Co. (NYSE:CNC  Get Rating) by 4.3% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 265,377 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 11,001 shares during the quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolinas holdings in Centene were worth $21,764,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in Centene by 1,837.3% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 3,056,561 shares of the companys stock valued at $249,935,000 after acquiring an additional 2,898,790 shares during the period. Fred Alger Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Centene by 864.1% during the third quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC now owns 2,017,665 shares of the companys stock valued at $156,995,000 after purchasing an additional 1,808,394 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Centene in the third quarter worth about $118,792,000. Prudential Financial Inc. grew its position in Centene by 132.7% in the 1st quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 1,552,890 shares of the companys stock valued at $130,738,000 after buying an additional 885,683 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of Centene by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 31,270,675 shares of the companys stock worth $2,433,266,000 after acquiring an additional 855,690 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.28% of the companys stock.

Get Centene alerts:

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Sarah London purchased 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The shares were bought at an average price of $62.60 per share, for a total transaction of $1,878,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 313,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,653,457.80. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Centene news, Director Lori Jean Robinson sold 1,400 shares of Centene stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.59, for a total value of $93,226.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,508 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $566,547.72. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Sarah London acquired 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The stock was bought at an average price of $62.60 per share, for a total transaction of $1,878,000.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 313,953 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,653,457.80. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Centene Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of Centene stock traded down $0.11 during trading on Thursday, hitting $66.75. 227,433 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,776,108. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $66.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $74.74. Centene Co. has a twelve month low of $61.71 and a twelve month high of $98.53. The stock has a market cap of $36.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.33, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.07.

Centene (NYSE:CNC  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.23 by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $38.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.09 billion. Centene had a return on equity of 13.61% and a net margin of 1.01%. The businesss revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.83 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Centene Co. will post 6.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on shares of Centene in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. They set an overweight rating and a $80.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut Centene from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their price target for the company from $94.00 to $79.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. TheStreet lowered Centene from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Centene from $103.00 to $94.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Centene from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $92.00.

About Centene

(Get Rating)

Centene Corp. operates as a healthcare enterprise, which engages in the provision of programs and services to government sponsored healthcare programs. It operates through the following segments: Medicaid, Medicare, Commercial, and Other. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in St. Louis, MO.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CNC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Centene Co. (NYSE:CNC  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Centene Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Centene and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Eagle Financial Bancorp, Inc. (OTCMKTS:EFBI  Get Rating) declared a dividend on Wednesday, May 10th, investing.com reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.08 per share on Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a dividend yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th.

Eagle Financial Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of EFBI stock opened at $16.51 on Thursday. Eagle Financial Bancorp has a 12-month low of $16.50 and a 12-month high of $20.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.12 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.60 and a beta of -0.05. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $17.51 and a 200-day moving average of $18.17.

Get Eagle Financial Bancorp alerts:

About Eagle Financial Bancorp

(Get Rating)

See Also

Eagle Financial Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company. The firm, through its subsidiary, Eagle Savings Bank, provides financial banking services. It also offers deposit accounts, including checking accounts, savings accounts, money market demand accounts, and certificate of deposit accounts. The company was founded on February 21, 2017 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH.

Receive News & Ratings for Eagle Financial Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eagle Financial Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Enhabit, Inc. (NYSE:EHAB  Get Rating) shares rose 5.4% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $13.07 and last traded at $12.99. Approximately 48,435 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 543,593 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.33.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on EHAB. Credit Suisse Group restated a neutral rating and issued a $15.00 price objective on shares of Enhabit in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Enhabit from $17.00 to $18.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Enhabit in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a neutral rating and a $15.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Enhabit from $16.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $16.50.

Get Enhabit alerts:

Enhabit Trading Up 6.2 %

The companys fifty day moving average price is $13.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Enhabit ( NYSE:EHAB Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 14th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $275.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $268.15 million. Enhabit had a return on equity of 7.60% and a net margin of 5.77%. On average, equities analysts predict that Enhabit, Inc. will post 0.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EHAB. Guggenheim Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Enhabit by 66.1% during the 1st quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 21,745 shares of the companys stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 8,650 shares in the last quarter. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. grew its holdings in Enhabit by 22.7% in the first quarter. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. now owns 26,548 shares of the companys stock valued at $369,000 after purchasing an additional 4,908 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE increased its position in shares of Enhabit by 158.3% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 5,820 shares of the companys stock valued at $81,000 after buying an additional 3,567 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina acquired a new position in shares of Enhabit during the 1st quarter worth $298,000. Finally, Foundry Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Enhabit by 30.4% in the 1st quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 260,160 shares of the companys stock worth $3,619,000 after buying an additional 60,660 shares in the last quarter. 95.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Enhabit Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Enhabit, Inc provides home health and hospice services in the United States. Its home health services include patient education, pain management, wound care and dressing changes, cardiac rehabilitation, infusion therapy, pharmaceutical administration, and skilled observation and assessment services; practices to treat chronic diseases and conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, low vision, spinal stenosis, Parkinson's disease, osteoporosis, complex wound care and chronic pain, along with disease-specific plans for patients with diabetes, congestive heart failure, post-orthopedic surgery, or injury and respiratory diseases; and physical, occupational and speech therapists provide therapy services.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Enhabit Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Enhabit and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:GSLC  Get Rating) saw an uptick in trading volume on Thursday . 526,758 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 72% from the previous sessions volume of 305,623 shares.The stock last traded at $81.56 and had previously closed at $81.74.

Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF Trading Down 0.3 %

The firm has a market cap of $10.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.56 and a beta of 0.98. The companys 50-day moving average is $80.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $79.16.

Get Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF alerts:

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GSLC. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,993,615 shares of the companys stock valued at $324,362,000 after buying an additional 176,254 shares during the last quarter. Betterment LLC increased its stake in Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. Betterment LLC now owns 3,040,801 shares of the companys stock valued at $231,496,000 after buying an additional 190,256 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF by 15.2% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,917,598 shares of the companys stock valued at $207,208,000 after buying an additional 384,355 shares during the last quarter. SigFig Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. SigFig Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,950,977 shares of the companys stock worth $158,458,000 after purchasing an additional 17,710 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates increased its stake in shares of Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 1,543,525 shares of the companys stock worth $125,365,000 after purchasing an additional 26,834 shares during the last quarter.

Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF Company Profile

The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSLC) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in large cap equity. The fund tracks an index of US large-cap stocks comprising 4 sub-indexes: value, momentum, quality, and low volatility. The index uses multiple factors to pick stocks, and each sub-index receives equal weight.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
HBK Sorce Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T  Get Rating) by 109.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 393,218 shares of the technology companys stock after buying an additional 205,048 shares during the quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLCs holdings in AT&T were worth $7,239,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in T. Arcus Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of AT&T in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Red Tortoise LLC purchased a new position in AT&T in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in AT&T by 75.6% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,881 shares of the technology companys stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 810 shares in the last quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in AT&T in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Eisler Capital UK Ltd. purchased a new position in AT&T in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 51.86% of the companys stock.

Get AT&T alerts:

Analysts Set New Price Targets

T has been the topic of several recent research reports. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on AT&T from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 21st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on AT&T in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Barclays decreased their target price on AT&T from $19.00 to $18.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Cowen lifted their price target on AT&T from $24.00 to $25.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, TheStreet cut AT&T from a b rating to a c rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $21.89.

AT&T Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of T stock traded down $0.07 on Thursday, hitting $16.97. The stock had a trading volume of 7,122,471 shares, compared to its average volume of 33,744,313. The firm has a market cap of $121.32 billion, a P/E ratio of -13.35, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. AT&T Inc. has a twelve month low of $14.46 and a twelve month high of $21.53. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $18.52 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $18.82.

AT&T (NYSE:T  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The technology company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.02. AT&T had a negative net margin of 7.52% and a positive return on equity of 15.47%. The company had revenue of $30.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $30.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.77 EPS. AT&Ts quarterly revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that AT&T Inc. will post 2.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AT&T Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 10th were paid a dividend of $0.2775 per share. This represents a $1.11 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 6th. AT&Ts payout ratio is currently -87.40%.

AT&T Company Profile

(Get Rating)

AT&T, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of telecommunications media and technology service. It operates through the Communications and Latin America segments. The Communications segment offers services to businesses and consumers located in the U.S., or in U.S. territories, and businesses globally.

Recommended Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding T? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for AT&T Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AT&T and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC decreased its position in Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND  Get Rating) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,368,014 shares of the companys stock after selling 104,996 shares during the period. Sandstorm Gold comprises approximately 0.6% of Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC owned 2.13% of Sandstorm Gold worth $33,496,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its position in Sandstorm Gold by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 28,901,986 shares of the companys stock valued at $152,025,000 after purchasing an additional 159,721 shares during the last quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board bought a new position in Sandstorm Gold in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,885,000. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can bought a new position in Sandstorm Gold in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,134,000. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp raised its position in Sandstorm Gold by 12.0% in the 3rd quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 3,093,595 shares of the companys stock valued at $15,992,000 after purchasing an additional 331,369 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in Sandstorm Gold by 3,879.2% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,652,927 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,716,000 after purchasing an additional 2,586,257 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 55.62% of the companys stock.

Get Sandstorm Gold alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on SAND shares. National Bank Financial boosted their target price on Sandstorm Gold from C$8.00 to C$9.25 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. HC Wainwright reiterated a buy rating and set a $12.50 target price on shares of Sandstorm Gold in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Raymond James dropped their target price on Sandstorm Gold from $9.00 to $8.75 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Sandstorm Gold from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $6.50 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Finally, CIBC dropped their target price on Sandstorm Gold from C$12.50 to C$10.50 in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $9.66.

Sandstorm Gold Price Performance

NYSE:SAND traded down $0.25 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $5.71. 1,818,142 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,516,108. The company has a market capitalization of $1.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.62 and a beta of 0.97. Sandstorm Gold Ltd. has a 1-year low of $4.51 and a 1-year high of $7.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.72 and a quick ratio of 1.72. The business has a 50 day moving average of $5.73 and a 200 day moving average of $5.47.

Sandstorm Gold (NYSE:SAND  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.01 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $38.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $38.00 million. Sandstorm Gold had a return on equity of 3.04% and a net margin of 52.55%. Research analysts forecast that Sandstorm Gold Ltd. will post 0.09 EPS for the current year.

Sandstorm Gold Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 18th were given a dividend of $0.015 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, April 17th. This represents a $0.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.05%. This is an increase from Sandstorm Golds previous quarterly dividend of $0.01. Sandstorm Golds dividend payout ratio is currently 13.51%.

Sandstorm Gold Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Sandstorm Gold Ltd. engages in the acquisition of gold and other metals purchase agreements and royalties. It operates through the following segments: Aurizona, Black Fox, Bracemac-McLeod, Chapada, Diavik, Fruta del Norte, Hounde, Karma, Relief Canyon, Santa Elena, Vale Royalties, Yamana Silver Stream, Other, and Corporate.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Sandstorm Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sandstorm Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Ranpak Holdings Corp. (NYSE:PACK  Get Rating) CEO Omar Asali purchased 61,060 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 9th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $2.92 per share, with a total value of $178,295.20. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 2,219,620 shares in the company, valued at $6,481,290.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Ranpak Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:PACK traded down $0.14 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $3.04. 594,944 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 450,143. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $4.71 and a 200 day moving average of $5.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 2.93 and a current ratio of 3.57. The company has a market cap of $250.47 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.49 and a beta of 1.57. Ranpak Holdings Corp. has a one year low of $2.66 and a one year high of $13.18.

Get Ranpak alerts:

Ranpak (NYSE:PACK  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported ($0.15) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.05) by ($0.10). Ranpak had a negative net margin of 12.21% and a negative return on equity of 6.46%. The company had revenue of $81.20 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $83.54 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.17) EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 1.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Separately, Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on shares of Ranpak from $7.00 to $6.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc lifted its position in Ranpak by 81.8% during the third quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 8,180 shares of the companys stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 3,680 shares in the last quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Ranpak during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its stake in shares of Ranpak by 107.0% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 5,460 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 2,822 shares during the period. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd increased its holdings in Ranpak by 202.2% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 6,513 shares of the companys stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 4,358 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new position in shares of Ranpak during the 4th quarter valued at $66,000. 92.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ranpak Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Ranpak Holdings Corp. engages in the provision of product protection solutions for e-commerce and industrial supply chains in North America, Europe, and Asia. It also offers protective packaging solutions, such as Void-Fill protective systems that convert paper to fill empty spaces in secondary packages, Cushioning protective systems, which convert paper into cushioning pads, and Wrapping protective systems that create pads or paper mesh to wrap and protect fragile items, as well as to line boxes and provide separation when shipping various objects, Cold Chain, Box Lining, and Retail.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Ranpak Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ranpak and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Macquarie Group Limited (ASX:MQGPE  Get Rating) announced a interim dividend on Wednesday, May 10th, MarketIndexAU reports. Investors of record on Sunday, June 18th will be given a dividend of 1.402 per share on Sunday, June 18th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 30th. This is a boost from Macquarie Groups previous interim dividend of $1.30.

Macquarie Group Price Performance

Macquarie Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Macquarie Group Limited provides diversified financial services in Australia, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through four segments: Macquarie Asset Management (MAM), Banking and Financial Services (BFS), Commodities and Global Markets (CGM), and Macquarie Capital.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Macquarie Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Macquarie Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
MAI Capital Management reduced its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (BATS:MTUM  Get Rating) by 0.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 34,574 shares of the companys stock after selling 107 shares during the quarter. MAI Capital Managements holdings in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF were worth $5,045,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. First Citizens Financial Corp increased its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. First Citizens Financial Corp now owns 4,060 shares of the companys stock valued at $592,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. SVB Wealth LLC grew its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 7,440 shares of the companys stock worth $976,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 49.6% during the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 835 shares of the companys stock worth $108,000 after acquiring an additional 277 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP grew its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 17.9% during the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 2,123 shares of the companys stock worth $278,000 after acquiring an additional 323 shares during the last quarter.

Get iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF alerts:

iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of BATS:MTUM opened at $140.30 on Thursday. iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF has a 12 month low of $81.37 and a 12 month high of $113.60. The companys 50-day moving average price is $139.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $143.60. The firm has a market cap of $9.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.35 and a beta of 0.91.

About iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF

The iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (MTUM) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Momentum SR Variant index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap US equities, selected and weighted based on price appreciation over 6- and 12-month periods and low volatility over the past 3 years.

Recommended Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MTUM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (BATS:MTUM  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
King Wealth grew its stake in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA  Get Rating) by 0.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 18,292 shares of the credit services providers stock after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the quarter. Mastercard comprises approximately 1.5% of King Wealths investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. King Wealths holdings in Mastercard were worth $6,361,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Mastercard by 0.7% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,259,535 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $21,967,977,000 after buying an additional 568,155 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in Mastercard by 0.4% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 33,865,057 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $9,629,190,000 after buying an additional 138,753 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its position in Mastercard by 1.6% in the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 7,874,093 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $2,238,920,000 after buying an additional 121,731 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Mastercard by 1.7% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,337,588 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $1,550,168,000 after buying an additional 71,113 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its position in Mastercard by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 3,540,192 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $1,006,618,000 after purchasing an additional 128,200 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.51% of the companys stock.

Get Mastercard alerts:

Insider Transactions at Mastercard

In other news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 125,816 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $381.19, for a total transaction of $47,959,801.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 100,185,645 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,189,766,017.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 125,816 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $381.19, for a total transaction of $47,959,801.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 100,185,645 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,189,766,017.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Timothy H. Murphy sold 27,417 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $374.49, for a total value of $10,267,392.33. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 39,263 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,703,600.87. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 471,215 shares of company stock worth $177,192,971. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Mastercard Trading Up 0.1 %

Several research firms have commented on MA. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Mastercard from $410.00 to $435.00 in a research report on Friday, April 28th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Mastercard from $414.00 to $442.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Mastercard from $370.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 18th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Mastercard from $400.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Mastercard from $395.00 to $452.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $418.85.

Shares of MA traded up $0.39 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $382.93. The company had a trading volume of 488,633 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,711,998. Mastercard Incorporated has a 1-year low of $276.87 and a 1-year high of $390.00. The stock has a market cap of $362.96 billion, a PE ratio of 38.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.11. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $364.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $356.83. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The credit services provider reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $5.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.64 billion. Mastercard had a return on equity of 169.12% and a net margin of 42.33%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.76 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Mastercard Incorporated will post 12.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 7th were issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 5th. Mastercards dividend payout ratio is presently 22.78%.

About Mastercard

(Get Rating)

Mastercard, Inc is a technology company, which engages in the payments industry that connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments, and business. It offers payment solutions for the development and implementation of credit, debit, prepaid, commercial, and payment programs. The company was founded in November 1966 and is headquartered in Purchase, NY.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Mastercard Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mastercard and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of Renold plc (LON:RNO  Get Rating) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as GBX 31.80 ($0.40) and last traded at GBX 30 ($0.38), with a volume of 1198762 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 29.60 ($0.37).

Renold Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of 67.63 million, a PE ratio of 761.95, a P/E/G ratio of 0.10 and a beta of 1.00. The companys fifty day moving average price is GBX 26.40 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 24.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 192.16, a current ratio of 1.76 and a quick ratio of 0.80.

Renold Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Renold plc manufactures and sells high precision engineered power transmission products in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the United States, Australasia, China, India, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Chain and Torque Transmission. It offers standard, welded steel, and draw bench conveyor chains, as well as conveyor and trident chains for theme parks; and bucket elevator, escalator, heavy duty drag, and waste water treatment chains, as well as standard attachments and screen chains.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Renold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Renold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
George Weston Limited (TSE:WN  Get Rating)  Research analysts at Desjardins cut their FY2024 earnings estimates for shares of George Weston in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, May 9th. Desjardins analyst C. Li now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $12.22 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $12.68. The consensus estimate for George Westons current full-year earnings is $10.76 per share.

Get George Weston alerts:

A number of other brokerages have also commented on WN. Scotiabank boosted their price target on George Weston from C$181.00 to C$183.00 in a report on Monday. TD Securities boosted their price target on George Weston from C$190.00 to C$200.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, February 27th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on George Weston from C$204.00 to C$215.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. CIBC upped their target price on George Weston from C$204.00 to C$210.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on George Weston from C$172.00 to C$180.00 in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$196.67.

George Weston Trading Up 0.6 %

TSE:WN traded up C$1.09 on Thursday, reaching C$171.34. The companys stock had a trading volume of 17,800 shares, compared to its average volume of 157,501. George Weston has a 1-year low of C$138.77 and a 1-year high of C$183.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 156.68, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 1.36. The firm has a market cap of C$24.09 billion, a PE ratio of 13.97, a PEG ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.38. The businesss 50-day moving average price is C$174.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$169.40.

George Weston (TSE:WN  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 1st. The company reported C$2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. George Weston had a return on equity of 21.35% and a net margin of 3.18%. The firm had revenue of C$14.14 billion during the quarter.

Insider Buying and Selling at George Weston

In other George Weston news, Senior Officer Richard Dufresne sold 3,425 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$169.68, for a total value of C$581,143.04. In other news, Senior Officer Rashid Wasti sold 300 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$167.16, for a total value of C$50,148.99. Also, Senior Officer Richard Dufresne sold 3,425 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$169.68, for a total value of C$581,143.04. Insiders have sold 4,725 shares of company stock worth $796,594 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 56.22% of the companys stock.

George Weston Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a $0.713 dividend. This is a positive change from George Westons previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $2.85 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.66%. George Westons dividend payout ratio is currently 21.66%.

George Weston Company Profile

(Get Rating)

George Weston Limited provides food and drug retailing, and financial services in Canada and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) and Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (Choice Properties). The Loblaw segment provides grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, and financial services.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for George Weston Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for George Weston and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StockNews.com upgraded shares of Select Medical (NYSE:SEM  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Monday morning.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Credit Suisse Group upped their target price on shares of Select Medical from $24.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Select Medical from $35.00 to $37.00 in a research report on Monday. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Select Medical from $32.00 to $38.00 in a research report on Monday. Finally, Benchmark restated a buy rating and set a $39.00 target price on shares of Select Medical in a research report on Monday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Select Medical currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $35.75.

Get Select Medical alerts:

Select Medical Stock Performance

SEM opened at $29.12 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $3.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.51, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.39. Select Medical has a 1-year low of $18.86 and a 1-year high of $32.31. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $27.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Select Medical Dividend Announcement

Select Medical ( NYSE:SEM Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The health services provider reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. Select Medical had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 13.35%. The companys revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.37 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Select Medical will post 1.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, May 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.72%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 17th. Select Medicals payout ratio is 35.21%.

Insider Activity at Select Medical

In related news, VP Robert G. Breighner, Jr. sold 10,044 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.45, for a total transaction of $295,795.80. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 32,989 shares of the companys stock, valued at $971,526.05. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Chairman Robert A. Ortenzio sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.68, for a total value of $1,484,000.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 6,989,668 shares of the companys stock, valued at $207,453,346.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Robert G. Breighner, Jr. sold 10,044 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.45, for a total transaction of $295,795.80. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 32,989 shares in the company, valued at approximately $971,526.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 199,594 shares of company stock valued at $5,589,511 over the last 90 days. 19.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Select Medical

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Belpointe Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Select Medical in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in Select Medical by 275.4% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,036 shares of the health services providers stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 760 shares during the period. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new position in Select Medical in the 1st quarter worth about $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Select Medical by 105.2% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,785 shares of the health services providers stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 915 shares during the period. Finally, Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Select Medical in the 3rd quarter worth about $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.75% of the companys stock.

Select Medical Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Select Medical Holdings Corp. engages in the provision of medical rehabilitation services. It operates through the following business segments: Critical Illness Recovery Hospital, Rehabilitation Hospital, Outpatient Rehabilitation and Concentra. The Critical Illness Recovery Hospital segment serves patients with debilitating injuries and rehabilitation needs that cannot be adequately cared in a medically intensive environment, such as a skilled nursing facility.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Select Medical Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Select Medical and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Soltis Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO  Get Rating) by 18.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 93,595 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 14,583 shares during the quarter. Coca-Cola comprises 0.8% of Soltis Investment Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Soltis Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $5,954,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Paragon Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Coca-Cola during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. My Personal CFO LLC bought a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Exos TFP Holdings LLC bought a new stake in Coca-Cola in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Worth Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Coca-Cola by 956.1% in the 4th quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC now owns 433 shares of the companys stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 392 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Neo Ivy Capital Management bought a new stake in Coca-Cola in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.74% of the companys stock.

Get Coca-Cola alerts:

Coca-Cola Stock Up 0.2 %

KO stock traded up $0.15 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $63.65. The stock had a trading volume of 3,953,930 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,863,782. The firm has a market cap of $275.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.62 and a beta of 0.54. The business has a 50-day moving average of $62.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $61.62. The Coca-Cola Company has a 52-week low of $54.01 and a 52-week high of $66.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.95.

Coca-Cola Announces Dividend

Coca-Cola ( NYSE:KO Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 24th. The company reported $0.68 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.03. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 42.96% and a net margin of 22.69%. The business had revenue of $11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.78 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.64 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 15th. Coca-Colas payout ratio is currently 80.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a $67.00 target price on Coca-Cola in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Coca-Cola from $61.00 to $63.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 25th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $68.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Coca-Cola from $71.00 to $74.00 in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Coca-Cola from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, April 15th. 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 currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $67.80.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO James Quincey sold 34,875 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 351,737 shares of the companys stock, valued at $21,216,775.84. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Coca-Cola news, insider Nikolaos Koumettis sold 253,102 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.63, for a total value of $16,104,880.26. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 184,563 shares in the company, valued at $11,743,743.69. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 34,875 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.32, for a total value of $2,103,660.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 351,737 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $21,216,775.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 558,398 shares of company stock valued at $35,011,051 over the last ninety days. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Coca-Cola

(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.

Featured Stories

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.
The New Germany Fund, Inc. (NYSE:GF  Get Rating) declared a semi-annual dividend on Monday, May 8th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be given a dividend of 0.0136 per share by the investment management company on Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 12th.

The New Germany Fund has decreased its dividend by an average of 34.2% annually over the last three years.

Get The New Germany Fund alerts:

The New Germany Fund Trading Down 1.0 %

The New Germany Fund stock opened at $8.85 on Thursday. The New Germany Fund has a 52-week low of $6.81 and a 52-week high of $10.32. The companys 50 day moving average is $9.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.67.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The New Germany Fund

About The New Germany Fund

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in The New Germany Fund by 117.2% during the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,722 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 2,008 shares in the last quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP acquired a new stake in The New Germany Fund during the 4th quarter worth approximately $111,000. Almitas Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The New Germany Fund in the 4th quarter valued at $119,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in shares of The New Germany Fund by 36.1% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 56,317 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $643,000 after purchasing an additional 14,941 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in shares of The New Germany Fund by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 94,052 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $1,075,000 after purchasing an additional 1,639 shares in the last quarter.

(Get Rating)

The New Germany Fund Inc is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched by Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc The fund is managed by Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH. It invests in the public equity markets of Germany. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for The New Germany Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The New Germany Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
TransDigm Group (NYSE:TDG  Get Rating) had its price objective raised by Wells Fargo & Company from $725.00 to $840.00 in a research report issued on Thursday, The Fly reports. Wells Fargo & Companys price target would suggest a potential upside of 3.69% from the companys current price.

Several other research firms also recently commented on TDG. Credit Suisse Group boosted their target price on shares of TransDigm Group from $830.00 to $841.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Cowen boosted their target price on shares of TransDigm Group from $695.00 to $830.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of TransDigm Group from $765.00 to $793.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of TransDigm Group from $767.00 to $960.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of TransDigm Group in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $804.54.

Get TransDigm Group alerts:

TransDigm Group Trading Up 0.2 %

TDG opened at $810.14 on Thursday. TransDigm Group has a 1-year low of $499.63 and a 1-year high of $816.94. The company has a market cap of $44.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $743.47 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $684.69.

Insider Transactions at TransDigm Group

TransDigm Group ( NYSE:TDG Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The aerospace company reported $5.98 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.98 by $1.00. The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.53 billion. TransDigm Group had a net margin of 16.53% and a negative return on equity of 30.59%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 20.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.29 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that TransDigm Group will post 20.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other news, Director Robert J. Small sold 147,074 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $736.22, for a total value of $108,278,820.28. Following the transaction, the director now owns 194,689 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $143,333,935.58. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, Director W Nicholas Howley sold 9,644 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $775.27, for a total transaction of $7,476,703.88. Following the transaction, the director now owns 21,548 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $16,705,517.96. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert J. Small sold 147,074 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $736.22, for a total transaction of $108,278,820.28. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 194,689 shares in the company, valued at approximately $143,333,935.58. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 193,237 shares of company stock valued at $142,824,885 in the last quarter. Insiders own 7.18% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On TransDigm Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its position in TransDigm Group by 23.4% during the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 964 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $628,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its position in TransDigm Group by 66.7% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 800 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $519,000 after buying an additional 320 shares during the period. Panagora Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in TransDigm Group by 99.1% during the first quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,337 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $1,523,000 after purchasing an additional 1,163 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of TransDigm Group by 0.7% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 159,263 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $103,790,000 after purchasing an additional 1,132 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in shares of TransDigm Group by 7.3% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 29,629 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $19,373,000 after purchasing an additional 2,020 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.00% of the companys stock.

About TransDigm Group

(Get Rating)

TransDigm Group, Inc engages in the production of engineered aerospace components, systems and subsystems. It operates through the following segments: Power and Control, Airframe, and Non-Aviation. The Power and Control segment includes operations that primarily develop, produce and market systems and components that provide power to or control power of the aircraft utilizing electronic, fluid, power and mechanical motion control technologies.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for TransDigm Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TransDigm Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Country

Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America 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
Researchers probing one Canada's most productive fishing regions have found the area off Nova Scotia's southern tip is littered with bundles of snarled rope, drifting lobster pots and abandoned buoys that foul the marine environment and take a bite out of the industry's bottom line.

The team of Dalhousie University scientists worked with the Department of Fisheries, fishing captains, volunteers and different fisheries organizations to search for and retrieve abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) from three fishing zones that stretch from the Bay of Fundy around to Halifax over two years.

Boats towing hooked grapples over a 4,000-square kilometre swath of seafloor hauled in almost 25,000 kilograms of ALDFG  a motley collection of traps, ropes, hooks, cables and other fishing-related equipment that drift through the water column or rest on the ocean bottom.

Team members, who published their findings May 10 in Marine Pollution Bulletin, also collected almost 5,000 kilograms of assorted gear from seven shoreline searches. Of this, lobster traps made up 68 per cent and dragger cable constituted 12 per cent.

"Ghost gear continues to degrade the environment through marine pollution, but it also poses threats to target and non-target species, including those at risk," says co-author Dr. Tony Walker, an associate professor in Dal's School for Resource and Environmental Studies.

"It also results in economic impacts on an industry on which much of coastal Nova Scotia depends."

A ubiquitous global problem



Retrieved gear varied in type, age, condition and weight, with 30 per cent of lobster traps about one year old while the remaining 70 per cent ranged in age from two to 37 years old. Roughly one-third of all traps retrieved were tagged, useable and less than three to four years old. They were taken to spots where they could be returned to fishers.

The traps contained more than 650 lobsters and almost 60 fish, 42 of which were species at risk, including Atlantic wolffish, Atlantic cod, white hake, spiny dogfish and thorny skate. Most of these were released back into the ocean.

Some retrieved buoys in the Pubnico and Yarmouth areas came from the United States, highlighting the multijurisdictional nature of marine debris and ghost gear, the paper states.

They recovered more than 3,000 kilograms of cable, which was believed to be discarded by commercial trawl vessels when the cable was no longer of use to them.

"Marine debris is a ubiquitous global problem and makes up roughly 58 per cent of macro marine debris by weight," says Leah Fulton, who was doing her Master of Marine Management at Dalhousie at the time and worked with Coastal Action as a mapping technician.

"Once gear enters the water, it can degrade into micro debris, create unsuitable habitat, entangle marine species, cause vessel damage, compromise catches for marine fisheries and create safety hazards in the marine environment."

Recommended reading: Scourge of the sea  How ghost fishing gear captures species at risk

Tackling the problem



The researchers stress that ghost gear may be intentionally dumped, but that much of it is likely caused by accidental loss following storms or gear failures.

During 997 tows, the team also brought in buckets, party balloons, a chain, a bicycle tire, an engine block, a fan belt, and an aquaculture net and one of its weights. They also found aquaculture netting, "ultimately informing us that they can also be major contributors to the marine debris problem," says Fulton.

The fishing grounds in Southwest Nova Scotia span more than 21,000 square kilometres and include Lobster Fishing Areas 33, 34 and 35, which provide most of the countrys lobster supply.

The researchers estimated the economic cost associated with lost gear to be roughly $240,000 per year over the two-year study period from 2019 to 2021. Each retrieved trap contained an average of 1.6 marketable lobsters, representing significant losses to the fishery. About eight per cent of lobsters released in LFA 33 were from suspected illegal, unregulated or unreported lobster traps.

The team recommended that DFO increase compliance with ALDFG reporting and that community and fish harvester local knowledge is extensively and consistently gathered before retrieval efforts are conducted.

"This study highlights that gear can be identified and retrieved more effectively than in previous retrieval efforts as techniques and experience have improved," says Dr. Walker.

"Improving end-of-life gear and ALDFG disposal should be supported to reduce the environmental footprint of the fishing industry in marine environments and on land. Ultimately, fishers do not want to lose their gear."
Chinese businesspeople are flocking to Africa again with facilitated international travel which was disrupted by the pandemic, injecting new impetus to the continent's economic revival. The number of business groups from China visiting Kenya has been increasing over the past few months, and the Kenya Chinese Chamber of Commerce alone has received 16 business groups  each comprising three to 10 enterprises  from China since the beginning of this year, exceeding the level during the corresponding period of 2019 before the pandemic, said Zhuo Wu, chairman of the chamber, based in Nairobi, capital of Kenya. The enterprises cover different sectors, including healthcare, textiles, logistics and new energy, and many of them intend to invest and build factories in Kenya and other African countries rather than just engage in trade as before, he said. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, business trips between the two countries fell sharply. Thanks to the optimized pandemic response measures at the start of this year, China no longer requires inbound travelers to undergo quarantine. Zhang Jing, chairman of Anhui Rongsheng Energy Investment Co in Huainan, Anhui province, who arrived in Nairobi late last month, said this was his first trip to the East African country since the pandemic started three years ago. "Our target this year is to start international operations, so we have conducted inspections in several African countries over the past few days for their investment environment and opportunities," he said. "Even before the trip, we did a lot of research, and the major reason why we chose Kenya as a destination is its rapid economic development compared with other African countries." Zhang said during the trip his delegation will meet Kenyan authorities such as the investment promotion department, which has shown enthusiasm in inviting Chinese enterprises to Kenya. Prior to arrival in Kenya, Zhang and his delegation visited Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda, all of which "showed enthusiasm in cooperation with us and other Chinese companies", he said. Lyu Huabing, CEO of Zhuhai Xuzun Co in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, who also arrived in Kenya late last month, said he first arrived in Kenya in July 2019, on a business trip, and planned to visit the country again in early 2020. However, the plan had to be canceled because of the pandemic. During his trip, Lyu visited an industrial park in Baringo County, and plans to establish a factory in the park to produce electrical pots, gas ovens and TVs, he said. "We found such industrial products in Kenya almost entirely rely on imports, and there are no companies that produce them in the country," he said. "On the other hand, Chinese products are most competitive globally in terms of cost and technology. I think local production of such products can help reduce their prices and benefit Kenyans." Li Juan, chairwoman of Anhui Lianfei Business Consultancy Co, in Hefei, Anhui province, which provides consultancy services for Chinese companies investing overseas, especially Africa, said the company's business started to increase rapidly since the beginning of this year, and almost every day there are companies inquiring about investing or selling products in Africa. "The companies cover a wide range of areas ... With rich experience, advanced technology and capital, many entrepreneurs see a promising future for potential cooperation with Africa."
Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao on Thursday said that the government had not invited JPSs for talks so far. (File Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: Junior panchayat secretaries (JPSs) have determined to step up pressure on the government to address their long-pending demand for the regularisation of their services and consider their four-year probation period to fix their seniority by holding a state-level dharna in Hyderabad.

The Telangana Junior Panchayat Secretaries Federation (TJPSF) is planning its next course of action since the state government has not yet responded to their demands, despite their being on strike since April 29.

The federation believes that the agitation programmes launched at the mandal and district levels were not creating the desired impact on the government. Further, it was of the view that if all 9,500 JPSs banded together and launched a protest in Hyderabad, it will have a two-fold impact.

J. Srikanth Goud, federation president, stated that it had been two weeks since they went on strike but the government was yet to respond. The government had issued an ultimatum to the striking JPSs to join duties by 5 pm on May 9 or their services would be terminated.

The federation claimed that only 900 JPSs had rejoined duty by deadline. Their number came down to 600 by May 10 and to 200 by Thursday. The federation claimed that those who joined duties had return to the strike.

Meanwhile, minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao on Thursday said that the government had not invited JPSs for talks so far. He said the CM was sympathetic towards the demands of the JPSs, and would consider doing calling them for talks they called off their strike.
Published on: May 11, 2023 | Updated on: May 11, 2023

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference, in New Delhi. (PTI file photo)

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the speed of work in the national capital will increase manifold following the Supreme Court verdict on administration of services as his hands were earlier tied and also announced that the officers who "obstructed" the work of the people will soon "face the music".

His remarks came after the Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict, ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services except for public order, police and land.

Addressing a press conference following a meeting with his Cabinet colleagues at the Delhi Secretariat, Kejriwal said those officers who obstructed the work of people of Delhi will face the music in the coming days.

"My hands were tied and I was thrown in the water to swim. But we managed to stay afloat. Despite all obstacles, we did good work in Delhi," he said.

Kejriwal thanked the people of Delhi for supporting him throughout his fight and said they will "work to prepare a lean, thin, responsive and compassionate government".

"We gave a model of education to the country. The work will happen at 10 times speed it was happening earlier. Delhi will now present a model of able governance to the entire country," he said.

Kejriwal said he will also meet LG VK Saxena later in the day to seek his blessings.

On being asked about the Anti-Corruption Branch, he said, "The ACB is not with us but vigilance will now be with us. Disciplinary proceedings can be initiated against officers who do not work properly."

Asserting that an elected government needs to have control over the administration, a five-judge constitution bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said the Union Territory of Delhi has "sui generis (unique) character" and refused to agree with the 2019 judgement of Justice Ashok Bhushan that the Delhi government has no power over the issue of services.

CHRONOLOGY

Following is the chronology of events which culminated in the Supreme Court Thursday ruling unanimously that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over administration of services except for public order, police and land:

* May 21, 2015: Union Home Ministry issues gazette notification saying the LG will have jurisdiction over matters connected with services, public order, police and land and he may consult the chief minister whenever he thinks necessary on issues of services using his own "discretion".

* May 26, 2015: PIL filed in HC against Centre's May 21 notification giving powers to LG to appoint bureaucrats in Delhi.

* May 28, 2015: Delhi government moves HC against Centre's notification on LG's powers. Centre moves SC against HC's May 25 order terming as "suspect" its notification.

* May 29, 2015: HC asks LG to consider Delhi government's proposal on shifting nine bureaucrats from one post to another.

* Jun 10, 2015: HC refuses to stay MHA notification on powers related to Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

* Jun 27, 2015: Delhi government moves HC to restrain LG appointee ACB chief M K Meena from entering anti-graft body's office.

* Jan 27, 2016: Union government tells HC that Delhi is under Centre's control and not a full-fledged state.

* Apr 5, 2016: AAP government asks HC to refer to larger bench petitions on powers of LG on governance of Delhi.

* Apr 6, 2016: Delhi government tells HC it was competent to set up a commission to probe allegations of corruption in awarding licence to conduct CNG fitness tests.

* Apr 19, 2016: AAP government withdraws from SC its plea seeking setting up of a larger bench in HC.

* May 24, 2016: HC reserves order on AAP government's plea for a stay on proceedings on the petitions arising out of its stand-off with LG over powers to appoint bureaucrats in the national capital and other issues.

* May 30, 2016: HC turns down AAP government's request to first decide its stay application.

* Jul 1, 2016: SC agrees to hear AAP government's plea seeking a direction that HC be restrained from delivering judgement on issues, including the scope of powers of the city government to exercise its authority in performing public functions.

* Jul 4, 2016: Justice J S Khehar of SC recuses from hearing AAP govt's plea on declaration of powers of Delhi as a state.

* Jul 5, 2016: Justice L Nageshwar Rao of SC also recuses from hearing Delhi government's plea.

* Jul 8, 2016: SC refuses to entertain Delhi government plea to first decide the preliminary issue as to whether it has the jurisdiction over disputes between the Centre and the state or is it "exclusively" triable by the apex court.

* Aug 4, 2016: HC says LG is administrative head of National Capital Territory and AAP government's contention that he is bound to act on the advice of Council of Ministers was "without substance".

* Feb 15, 2017: SC refers to constitution bench the pleas on Delhi-Centre row over governance.

* Nov 2, 2017: Constitution bench of SC commences hearing.

* Nov 8, 2017: SC observes that responsibilities conferred upon LG are not absolute.

* Nov 14, 2017: SC raises a question if constitutional scheme on division of executive powers between the Centre and the states can be made applicable to the union territory of Delhi.

* Nov 21, 2017: Centre opposes AAP government's submissions in the SC, says Delhi has been accorded "special status" among union territories but that does not make it a state.

* Dec 6, 2017: SC reserves judgement on a batch of pleas on Delhi-Centre power tussle after hearing arguments for 15 days.

* Jul 4, 2018: SC says LG does not have independent decision making powers, and is bound to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. Upon deciding the interpretation of Article 239AA, the appeals directed to be listed before a regular Bench to decide the specific issues.

* Feb 14, 2019: Two-Judge bench delivers two separate judgments, recommends to CJI to set up three-judge bench to finally decide the issue of control of services in the national capital.

* May 6, 2022: Three-judge bench refers the issue of control of services in Delhi to five-judge constitution bench.

* Nov 9, 2022: Five-judge constitution bench commences hearing the matter.

* Jan 18, 2023: SC reserves judgment.

* May 11: SC rules that Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over administration of services except for public order, police and land.
Authorities have applauded the Telangana government for its progress on the Airport Metro line. (Representative image: DC)

Hyderabad: Hyderabad is developing in all directions, with swanky malls, gated communities and high-rise buildings, and a Metro Rail link that stretches 69 km, serving a large number of IT and BPO employees, but the Old City is cut off, at least as far as the Metro Rail project is concerned.

Rapid progress has been made on the Hyderabad Airport Metro Line (HAML), while the Old City Metro has stood still. While authorities have applauded the Telangana government for its progress on the Airport Metro, the Hyderabad Metro Rail Authority (HMRL) has shifted the blame to L&T, while the government has not answered the call despite being ready to implement it.

It has been four years since Hyderabad's first metro line became operational from Miyapur in 2017 and covers three corridors  Miyapur to LB Nagar, JBS to MGBS, Nagole to Raidurgam. Work on the 31-km Airport Express Corridor from Raidurg to Narsingi Junction, home to numerous IT companies, has been accelerated.

On the other hand, HMRL officials said that the state government will decide the fate of the five-km Metro Rail project from Mahatma Gandhi Bus Stand (MGBS) to Falaknuma via Salar Jung Museum, Charminar, Shamsheergunj, the heart of the Old City, shattering the hopes of the residents.

The Airport Express Metro Corridor will take off from the Raidurg terminal at Mindspace Junction, pass through Biodiversity Junction, Khajaguda road and touch Nanakramguda junction on the Outer Ring Road (ORR). An HAML official told Deccan Chronicle that the "peg marking of the alignment" had begun besides placing reflective boards in the road medians to create a visual link between the starting point and the destination. These boards will help identify the chainage of the station.

HAML authorities are preparing bid documents to float tenders in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) mode. Officials said the nodal agency has been preparing bid documents and a tender will be floated soon.

As for the Old City Metro project, although the authorities began road widening marks on the structures four years ago, the work is yet to begin. They said that unless the entire five-km widening of the road is taken up in one go, several bottlenecks would arise on the stretch and wholesalers and retailers would have to shut down their businesses until the widening of the road. As there is no alternative route to the core city, commuters will suffer major traffic bottlenecks until the road widening works are completed.
Supreme Court (PTI)

New Delhi: In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services.

Hearing the Centre versus the Delhi government over the issue of demarcation of power, a constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said an elected government needs to have control over the administration.

It refused to agree with the 2019 judgement of Justice Ashok Bhushan that the city government has no power over the issue of services.

The bench, which also comprised Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha, said democracy and federal structure are part of the basic structure of the Constitution.

The constitution bench was set up to hear the legal issue concerning the scope of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and the National Capital Territory government over control of services in Delhi.

The verdict is being seen as a victory for Aam Aadmi Party led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Supreme Court gave its verdict in the case related to the administrative control over transfers and postings of civil servants in Delhi.

The court said that control over services shall not extend to entries related to public order, police and land. Delhi government similar to other States represents the representative form of government and any further expansion of the Union's power will be contrary to the Constitutional scheme, the court said.

Supreme Court held that if administrative services are excluded from the legislative and executive domains, the ministers would be excluded from controlling the civil servants who are to implement the executive decisions.

It said that states too have the power but the executive power of the State will be subject to the law existing of the Union. It has to be ensured that the governance of States is not taken over by the Union.

Supreme Court said in a democratic form of government, the real power of administration must rest with the elected government. If a democratically elected government is not given the power to control the officers, the principle of the triple chain of accountability will be redundant.

It said if the officers stop reporting to the ministers or do not abide by their directions, the principle of collective responsibility is affected. The officers feel they are insulated from the control of the government, which will dilute accountability and affect governance

CJI DY Chandrachud said they are unable to agree with Justice Ashok Bhushan in the split judgement of 2019.

A five-judge Constitution bench of CJI Chandrachud and Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha pronounced the judgment on Thursday.

The five-judge bench had reserved its judgment on January 18 this year.

Governance of the national capital has witnessed a power struggle between the Centre and the Delhi government since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in 2014.

The case was posted before a Constitution bench after a three-judge bench had in May 2021 decided to send it to a larger bench on a request by the Central government.

On February 14, 2019, a two-judge bench of the top court delivered a split verdict on the question of powers of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and the Union government over services and referred the matter to a three-judge Bench.

While Justice Ashok Bhushan had ruled the Delhi government has no power at all over administrative services, Justice AK Sikri, had said the transfer or posting of officers in top echelons of the bureaucracy (joint director and above) can only be done by the Central government and the view of the Lieutenant Governor would prevail in case of a difference of opinion for matters relating to other bureaucrats.

The two-judge bench of the Supreme Court which was hearing pleas on six matters pertaining to a long-running conflict between the Centre and the Delhi government, had given a unanimous order on the remaining five issues except the control over services.

Prior to February 2019 judgement, a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court had on July 4, 2018, laid down the broad parameters for governance of the national capital.

In the landmark verdict, it had unanimously held that Delhi cannot be accorded the status of a State but clipped the powers of the LG saying he has no "independent decision-making power" and has to act on the aid and advice of the elected government.

It had restricted the jurisdiction of the LG to matters pertaining to land, police and public order and on all other matters, it held that the LG would have to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers.
BRS sources said the CM discussed the issue with the party's senior leaders on Thursday, following Kumar meeting his counterparts and party presidents representing regional parties in other states. (Image: Twitter)

HYDERABAD: BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is keen to support his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar's initiative for Opposition unity at the Centre for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, but with the condition that the Congress should not be given the role to lead the Opposition group.

BRS sources said the CM discussed the issue with the party's senior leaders on Thursday, following Kumar meeting his counterparts and party presidents representing regional parties in other states, and said that he plans to meet with the Opposition parties leaders immediately after the Karnataka Assembly poll results on May 13.

Rao's meeting came against the backdrop of reports that Nitish Kumar is planning to hold a meeting of non-BJP parties either in Delhi or in Patna on May 18.

With major exit polls predicting that the Congress has an edge in Karnataka, it is expected that the Congress will make a strong case for leading the Opposition against the BJP. Rao reportedly told leaders that the BRS working with the Opposition group led by the Congress would not be possible since it is the principal opposition in Telangana and has no major presence in the majority of states.

With Telangana going for Assembly polls in less than six months, in December, working with the Opposition led by the Congress for the April 2024 Lok Sabha polls would be politically detrimental for the BRS in the state, Rao reportedly felt.

Party sources said Chandrashekar Rao wsa planning to depute party working president K.T. Rama Rao to the Opposition parties meeting to be convened by Nitish Kumar in the event of the Congress too being present.

Chandrashekar Rao had earlier deputed Rama Rao to take part in the filing of nomination papers of the joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha for the Presidential election in June 2022, which was attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

Kumar accompanied by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav met NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday. On Wednesday, Kumar met JMM president and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren in Ranchi. On May 9, he had met BJD chief and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik and Trinamul Congress supremo and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on April 26.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar meets NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai, Thursday. (PTI Photo)

Mumbai: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and NCP president Sharad Pawar on Thursday discussed efforts to strengthen opposition unity ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections, the two leaders said.

Kumar, who visited Pawar at the latter's residence in south Mumbai along with deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, told reporters that what the ruling BJP is doing is not in the interest of the country. Earlier, he met Uddhav Thackeray at the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader's Bandra home.

What the BJP is doing nowadays is not in the interest of the country. In such a situation, if more and more opposition parties unite, it would be better for the country, he said.

Kumar said many parties have got in touch with them. All I can say now is that it is happening in the interest of the country, he said.

Pawar said these discussions are part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). We all have been together and we are bringing in more parties and groups, he said.

Kumar said they are trying hard to form a larger coalition in the country. We will discuss it with all the stakeholders and can give it a new name, he said.

Asked if Pawar will be the main face of the opposition alliance, Kumar said, "There will be nothing more delightful than that. I have told him that he has to work with more vigour not only for his party but for the entire country."

The more opposition parties come together, the better it is in the interest of the country, Kumar said.

Pawar said, "To save democracy, it is important to work together. After looking at the condition of the country, it seems that if we work together, there will be support for the alternative."

The NCP chief said BJP will lose in the Karnataka assembly elections. As per my info, people there will oust BJP and elect a secular government, he said.

Welcomed the Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar ji and deputy Chief Minister Shri Tejashwi Yadav ji at my Mumbai residence today. We had a brief discussion to strengthen the Opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Pawar tweeted after meeting Kumar.

Kumar has been meeting Opposition leaders to strengthen the bloc against the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls due next year.
The Karnataka results will also be an indication of the preferences of dominant vote banks including Lingayats, Vokkaliga, dalits and the OBCs.

NEW DELHI: With the crucial elections to the Karnataka Assembly behind them, poll pundits say the results will likely be an indicator of voters sentiment ahead of the 2024 general elections and also influence the outcome of the impending Assembly elections later this year.

The results will also be an indication of the preferences of dominant vote banks including Lingayats, Vokkaliga, dalits and the OBCs.

In the triangular contest between the BJP, the JD(S) and the Congress, most exit polls gave the latter an edge.

In 2018, the BJP bagged the largest number of seats but lacked a simple majority, with the Congress and the JD(S) joining hands to form a government that lasted only for 14 months.

Winning the state is crucial for both the Congress and the BJP, as the result will likely impact their performance in the coming Assembly polls, including in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. For the Congress, the verdict in its national president Mallikarjun Kharges home state will also have an impact on its electoral and political performance in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. After a long time, Karnataka witnessed the entire Gandhi clan -- Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra -- campaigning aggressively, seeking support for the party. Winning Karnataka will mark its revival for the 2024 elections.

The JD(S), on the other hand, is trying to remain politically relevant by securing enough seats to play a key role in government formation like it did in 2018.

For the BJP, Karnataka remains the "gateway to the south" and a victory will not only put the electoral graph soaring for the party but will once again prove that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the capacity to swing elections single-handedly.

The BJP leadership has been maintaining that the incumbent party will retain power despite anti-incumbency and corruption allegations by the Opposition. Reiterating his partys stand, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who is seeking re-election from Shiggaon in Haveri district for a fourth consecutive term, said he will win with a record margin. "So will the BJP," he added, "which is going to win with a record number of seats."

Bommai said the party will get a "comfortable majority". The entire BJP leadership, including its "star campaigner" Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sought votes for the "double engine sarkar".

Attracting sizable Vokkaliga votes despite a decline in its vote share in successive polls in the state, JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy said that his party is expected to take a "hit" in up to 25 Assembly segments due to a financial crunch, where it had chances of winning.

In a tweet message at the end of the polling, Mr Gandhi thanked the leaders and workers of the party for running a "dignified and solid people-oriented campaign" for the Assembly elections in Karnataka. Describing them as "babbar sher" (lions), the former Congress president also thanked people who came out to vote for a "progressive future".

"I want to thank the 'Babbar Sher' workers and leaders of Congress for a well-run, dignified and solid people-oriented campaign. Thank you to the people of Karnataka for coming out in large numbers to vote for a progressive future," Mr Gandhi tweeted at the end of the polling.

In the outgoing Assembly, the ruling BJP has 116 MLAs, followed by the Congress with 69, the JD(S) with 29, the BSP with one, independents with two, the Speaker and six vacant seats (following deaths and resignations to join other parties ahead of the polls). In 2018, the BJP had won 104 seats, the Congress 80 and the JD(S) had won 37 out of the total 224 seats. Later, 17 legislators from the ruling alliance defected to the BJP and facilitated the party's return to power.

In the bypolls held subsequently in 2019, the ruling party won 12 out of 15 seats.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister urged the people of Karnataka to vote in large numbers and enrich the "festival of democracy". Mr Gandhi too appealed to the people of Karnataka to vote in large numbers to build a progressive and "40 per cent commission-free" state.

During the polling, violence was reported in some areas. Villagers of Masabinal in Vijayapura district stopped a poll duty vehicle carrying electronic voting machines (EVMs), manhandled an officer and damaged some control and ballot units on Wednesday, following which 23 persons were arrested, the Election Commission said.

In a statement, the EC said that the villagers stopped a sector officer's vehicle, which was carrying reserved EVMs and damaged two control and ballot units each and three VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines.

"A sector officer was manhandled; 23 people were arrested," the EC said, adding that top district officials rushed to the village, which comes under the Basavana Bagewadi Assembly segment.

Police sources said the villagers' "action" came after "rumours" that officials were "changing" the EVMs and VVPATs.
Many users complained on Twitter that a major chunk of these spam calls had country codes belonging to Indonesia (+62), Vietnam (+84), Malaysia (+60), Kenya (+254) and Ethiopia (+251). (File photo/DC)

New Delhi: The IT ministry will send a notice to WhatsApp on the issue of spam calls from unknown international numbers, Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday said, asserting that the onus of ensuring user safety lies with the digital platforms.

The digital platforms are responsible and accountable for ensuring the safety of 'digital nagriks', the minister said, adding that the government will respond to every instance of alleged misuse or alleged breach of users' privacy.

The minister's comments assume significance as WhatsApp users in India have reported a massive surge in incoming international spam calls over the past few days. Many users complained on Twitter that a major chunk of these spam calls had country codes belonging to Indonesia (+62), Vietnam (+84), Malaysia (+60), Kenya (+254) and Ethiopia (+251).

Chandrasekhar on Tuesday said the ministry is taking note of the matter and will send a notice to WhatsApp on the issue.

"The Ministry is taking note of it, they will send them a notice," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI).

He also said that the government is mulling guidelines on what should be permissions for preloaded apps.

The minister made it clear that the platforms are responsible for ensuring the safety and trust of users. "I have said repeatedly that openness trust, safety and accountability are the responsibility of platforms who deliver to digital nagriks," the minister noted.

If there is an issue of spam, it is certainly an issue WhatsApp should look at or any messenger platform should look at, he added. "Government will respond to every alleged misuse or alleged breach of privacy," he said.

One of the problems being examined at this point is also how these numbers are accessed by scammers. "How are they able to identify which numbers are on WhatsApp...are they doing it blindly...is it some database they have got? If there is a database it is a violation of privacy, or if not are they are doing it through a bot... sending messages to random numbers... But that is certainly something platforms will be asked to look at," he said.

Chandrasekhar tweeted on Wednesday that the government will investigate a claim that WhatsApp accessed the microphone of smartphone users while the phone was not in use.

In a tweet, the minister had said the government will examine the alleged breach of privacy even as the new Digital Personal Data Protection Bill was being readied.

This followed a claim that WhatsApp accessed a user's microphone while he was sleeping.

WhatsApp responded saying it has been in touch with the Twitter engineer over the last 24 hours, who posted an issue with his Pixel phone and WhatsApp.

"We believe this is a bug on Android that misattributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remediate," WhatsApp said in a tweet.

The company also claimed that users have full control over their mic settings.

To a question on some online gaming platforms opposing any idea of the self-regulatory organisation (SRO) backed by the association IAMAI, the minister said it has already been clarified during the consultation process that no existing industry organisation can be an SRO.

"SRO has to be notified by the Ministry, which means SRO has to be approved by the Ministry as meeting criteria laid down in online gaming rules. There will be SRO that will be formed...100 will apply, and three will be selected based on who is most transparent, inclusive and who represents most stakeholders and who is more credible," the minister said.

On the draft digital personal data protection Bill, Chandrasekhar said he is hopeful that it will be introduced in the coming session of Parliament.
Beijing, an all-weather friend of Islamabad, had last year put holds on proposals to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists Hafiz Talah Saeed, Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Shahid Mahmood and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba terrorist Sajid Mir under the Al Qaeda Sanctions regime. AP

United Nations: China has objected to a proposal by India to blacklist senior Pakistan-based Jaish-e Mohammed (JeM) terrorist Abdul Rauf Azhar at the United Nations Security Council.Brother of JeM chief Masood Azhar, Abdul Rauf, born in 1974 in Pakistan, has been involved in planning and executing numerous terror strikes in India including the hijacking of Indian Airlines aircraft IC814 in 1999, the attack on the Parliament in 2001 and the targeting of the IAF base in Pathankot in 2016.

It is learnt that China objected to the proposal from India to add Abdul Rauf of the JeM to the UN Security Council's 1267 ISIL and Al Qaida Sanctions list.

Rauf Azhar was sanctioned by the US in December 2010.

In August last year, China, a permanent, veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, had put a hold on the proposal by India and the US to designate Rauf Azhar as a global terrorist and subject him to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

Beijing, an all-weather friend of Islamabad, had last year put holds on proposals to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists Hafiz Talah Saeed, Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Shahid Mahmood and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba terrorist Sajid Mir under the Al Qaeda Sanctions regime.

In June last year, China put a hold on a joint proposal by India and the US to designate Abdul Rehman Makki, the deputy chief of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba under the 1267 sanctions committee.

In January this year however, Makki, the head of the political affairs wing of JuD/LeT and the brother-in-law of LeT chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, was designated a global terrorist by the UN after China lifted its hold on the joint India-US proposal to blacklist him, paving the way for the Security Council's Al Qaeda sanctions committee to list him through consensus.

During India's Presidency of the UN Security Council in December 2022, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called out Pakistan and China in his remarks to the Council briefing on 'Global Counterterrorism Approach: Challenges and Way Forward', saying the 'contemporary epicentre of terrorism'remains very much active and 'evidence-backed proposals' to blacklist terrorists under sanctions regimes are put on hold without assigning adequate reason.

"At one level, we have seen protections that come close to justification. Then, there are evidence-backed proposals that are put on hold without assigning adequate reason. Conversely, there has even been recourse to anonymity so as to avoid taking ownership of untenable cases," Jaishankar had said.

The US Department of Treasury had in December 2010 designated "Abdul Rauf Azhar, a senior leader of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM), for acting for or on behalf of JEM."

The US said as a senior leader of JeM, Abdul Rauf Azhar "has urged Pakistanis to engage in militant activities. He served as JEM's acting leader in 2007, as one of JEM's most senior commanders in India, and as JEM's intelligence coordinator. In 2008 Azhar was assigned to organize suicide attacks in India. He was also involved with JEM's political wing and has served as a JEM official involved with training camps."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country's military needs more time to prepare an anticipated counteroffensive aimed at pushing back Russian occupying forces.

Zelenskyy said in an interview broadcast Thursday by the BBC that it would be unacceptable to launch the assault now because too many lives would be lost.

Also Read | Ukraines military says Crimea blast was preparation for coming offensive

With (what we have) we can go forward and be successful, Zelenskyy said in the interview, according to the BBC.

But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable, he was quoted as saying. The interview was reportedly carried out in Kyiv with public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, including the BBC.

So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time, Zelenskyy was quoted as saying.

A Ukrainian fightback against Russia's invasion more than 14 months ago has been expected for weeks. Ukraine is receiving advanced Western weapons, including tanks and other armoured vehicles, and Western training for its troops as it gears up for an expected assault.

The Kremlin's forces are deeply entrenched in eastern areas of Ukraine with layered defensive lines reportedly up to 20 kilometres (12 miles) deep. Kyiv's counteroffensive would likely face minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles.
China has objected to a proposal by India to blacklist senior Pakistan-based Jaish-e Mohammed (JeM) terrorist Abdul Rauf Azhar at the United Nations Security Council.

Brother of JeM chief Masood Azhar, Abdul Rauf, born in 1974 in Pakistan, has been involved in planning and executing numerous terror strikes in India including the hijacking of Indian Airlines aircraft IC814 in 1999, the attack on the Parliament in 2001 and the targeting of the IAF base in Pathankot in 2016.

It is learnt that China objected to the proposal from India to add Abdul Rauf of the JeM to the UN Security Councils 1267 ISIL and Al Qaida Sanctions list.

Rauf Azhar was sanctioned by the US in December 2010.

In August last year, China, a permanent, veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, had put a hold on the proposal by India and the US to designate Rauf Azhar as a global terrorist and subject him to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

Beijing, an all-weather friend of Islamabad, had last year put holds on proposals to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists Hafiz Talah Saeed, Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Shahid Mahmood and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba terrorist Sajid Mir under the Al Qaeda Sanctions regime.

In June last year, China put a hold on a joint proposal by India and the US to designate Abdul Rehman Makki, the deputy chief of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba under the 1267 sanctions committee.

In January this year however, Makki, the head of the political affairs wing of JuD/LeT and the brother-in-law of LeT chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, was designated a global terrorist by the UN after China lifted its hold on the joint India-US proposal to blacklist him, paving the way for the Security Council's Al Qaeda sanctions committee to list him through consensus.

Read | Beijing flexes muscle in South China Sea amid India-ASEAN maritime exercises

During Indias Presidency of the UN Security Council in December 2022, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called out Pakistan and China in his remarks to the Council briefing on Global Counterterrorism Approach: Challenges and Way Forward, saying the contemporary epicentre of terrorism remains very much active and evidence-backed proposals to blacklist terrorists under sanctions regimes are put on hold without assigning adequate reason.

At one level, we have seen protections that come close to justification. Then, there are evidence-backed proposals that are put on hold without assigning adequate reason. Conversely, there has even been recourse to anonymity so as to avoid taking ownership of untenable cases, Jaishankar had said.

The US Department of Treasury had in December 2010 designated Abdul Rauf Azhar, a senior leader of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM), for acting for or on behalf of JEM."

The US said as a senior leader of JeM, Abdul Rauf Azhar has urged Pakistanis to engage in militant activities. He served as JEM's acting leader in 2007, as one of JEM's most senior commanders in India, and as JEM's intelligence coordinator. In 2008 Azhar was assigned to organize suicide attacks in India. He was also involved with JEM's political wing and has served as a JEM official involved with training camps.
Banning The Kerala Story is not the right decision as the film is not against any community and is only against terrorism.

"Banning this film will not serve any purpose. Because the film is not against any community, this film is against terrorism...and a conspiracy even against the innocent girls of the Muslim community. So whoever has banned its screening is a wrong decision. Because they are under the impression that this film is against the Muslim community. This film is only against ISIS, so they must see the film before taking a decision. The film only exposes the brutal design of the terrorist organisations which are there in our country in the name of religion," Sarma told reporters after watching the movie with his cabinet colleagues and a few other BJP workers in Guwahati.

Sarma made the statement when asked by reporters about the ban on screening of the movie by the Mamta Banerjee-led Bengal government recently.

Read | 'The Kerala Story' declared tax-free in Haryana

Stating that all in Assam should watch the movie with their daughters as the film portrays a real story of how the terrorists are trying to lure young girls into terrorism. "This film will help in saving our girls from falling into the traps of terrorism and conversion, which is not morally correct in my view."

"The film highlights how our simple girls are lured into their fold and used as human bombs and takes them into unabated use of drugs. They turn the simple girls into terrorists and destroy their lives," Sarma said.

The film The Kerala Story is being screened in several multiplexes in Assam. The movie stirred a controversy after the Bengal government banned its screening saying the film tries to wrongly project the Muslim girls in Kerala as terrorists. Screening of the film in some multiplexes was also stopped in non-BJP-ruled Tamil Nadu.
24 students of a private school were admitted to a hospital here after they complained of difficulty in breathing following a suspected gas leak from an industrial unit on Thursday, said officials.

One of the students was later sent to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, they said.

Also Read | Delhi minorities commission seeks report on action against BJP leader Bagga for 'hurting' sentiments of Sikhs

The incident in Nangal area took place Thursday morning when some students started complaining of difficulty in breathing. The school was immediately shut and the affected students were taken to a hospital, they said.

Rupnagar Deputy Commissioner Preeti Yadav said 24 students were referred to the hospital and most of them have been discharged. "Four-to-five students were under observation," she said.

The student who was referred to PGIMER was also stable, she said.

A committee of officers and experts from the Punjab Pollution Control Board has been formed to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the incident. Officials said they suspected the gas leaked from a industrial unit in the area.

The DCP said the source of the leak was being ascertained but the situation is under control now.
The Delhi High Court Thursday directed the Tihar jail superintendent to allow video calls between former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and his ailing wife for an hour every alternate day.

Sisodia is in judicial custody in the Delhi excise policy case.

The high court said the interim direction shall remain in force till the time it decides Sisodias regular and interim bail pleas.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma said the court will try to decide the petitions as soon as possible.

Also read: CBI opposes Manish Sisodia's bail plea, says he was in position of power

In the meantime, the superintendent of jail is directed to ensure video conferencing of the petitioner (Sisodia) with his wife between 3 to 4 PM on every alternate day as per rules till the pleas are decided, the judge said.

The CBI had arrested Sisodia for alleged corruption in formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 on February 26, following several rounds of questioning.

On March 31, the trial court had dismissed Sisodia's bail plea, saying he was "prima facie the architect" of the "scam" and had played the "most important and vital role" in the criminal conspiracy related to alleged payment of advance kickbacks of Rs 90-100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.

Sisodia has filed regular and interim bail pleas on various grounds including his wife's poor health.

His counsel had submitted that the medical condition of the senior AAP leader's wife needs urgent attention, and urged the court to release him on interim bail.

Sisodia's wife is suffering from multiple sclerosis. She was hospitalised after her condition worsened but was later discharged.

According to the CBI and the ED, which are probing the cases against Sisodia, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders.

The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021 but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US next month is "historic" and will underscore that the partnership between the two nations is people-centric, people-driven, and is good for the world at large, India's top Indian diplomat here has said.

President Biden will host Prime Minister Modi for an Official State Visit to the United States, which will include a state dinner, on June 22, the White House announced on Wednesday.

"The upcoming visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the US and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement while announcing the visit.

India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu told PTI that Modi's forthcoming official state visit to the US, at the invitation of President Biden, is "historic".

Also Read | President Biden to host PM Modi for Official State Visit to US on June 22: White House

"Prime Minister and President Biden have together imparted significantly new vigour and momentum to our bilateral ties. The visit will be an opportunity for the two leaders to spend time together, take stock of the progress achieved and provide guidance on the future limitless possibilities," he said.

"The visit will also underscore that India-US partnership is people-centric and people-driven and that it is not just for the two countries, but for the world at large," Sandhu said.

White House Press Secretary Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday the visit will strengthen the two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and shared resolve to elevate the strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space.

The US, India and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the resource-rich region.

China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. China also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.

China and its diplomats have been attacking the Indo-Pacific concept from the beginning claiming that it is aimed at containing Beijing.

"The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change to workforce development and health security," Jean-Pierre said.

The White House's announcement on Biden's invitation to Modi has been widely welcomed.

"I am delighted that the White House has invited the Prime Minister for a state visit which will help strengthen the strategic partnership between our nations," Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna told PTI.

Khanna is the Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, the largest country-specific caucus in the House of Representatives.

Mukesh Aghi, president of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum, said Modi's visit in June will be a wonderful opportunity to elevate the bilateral partnership to the next level.

"President Biden and Prime Minister Modi will be meeting in a few weeks' time at the Quad Leaders Summit in Australia and later this year at the G20 in India. Both leaders have used minilaterals such as the Quad, I2U2, and the G20 summits to work on common goals," Aghi said.

"However, the state visit will provide a valuable and timely opportunity for both Washington and New Delhi to strengthen the edifice of this strategic partnership and work on enhancing commercial ties, building resilient supply chains, and creating new synergies in the critical and emerging technology domain," he said.

Atul Keshap, president of US India Business Council, said the invitation is a big diplomatic gesture from the United States.

"India was last honoured with a State Visit in 2009. That PM Modi is being honoured with only the third State Visit of the Biden Administration shows the respect and affection the American people have for a rising India," he said.

It is entirely good and proper that the world's two greatest democracies further cement their strategic, economic, and technology convergence in these turbulent geostrategic times," he said.

"The state visit will remind the world that India and America still have so much more potential to capture in our bilateral relations, reflecting the energy and talent of our demographics and our systems, which serve to empower our free peoples," Keshap said.

Aparna Pande, from the Hudson Institute think-tank, said India is key to the security, diplomatic, and commercial architecture that the United States is building across the Indo Pacific.

"For the Modi government also, a stronger strategic partnership with the United States is critical to boosting India's leverage in the global arena," Pande said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday effected a reshuffle in the Council of Ministers by shifting P T R Palanivel Thiaga Rajan from the high-profile Finance portfolio to Information Technology, two weeks after the latters purported audio clips caused embarrassment to the government, and inducting T R B Rajaa into the cabinet.

Thangam Thennarasu, considered one of the top performers of the DMK dispensation, succeeds Thiaga Rajan as the Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management, moving from Industries portfolio. Known for his affable nature, Thennarasu will continue to hold charge of archaeology, his pet subject.

Thennarasus track record as a fine administrator displayed in his work in the School Education department in the 2006-2011 DMK rule and in Industries portfolio for the past two years made him the obvious choice for handling the crucial Finance portfolio.

The biggest surprise was Rajaa, son of DMK veteran T R Baalu, being allotted the coveted Industries portfolio, one of the most happening departments with investments pouring in from various countries. He was inducted into the Cabinet and administered the oath of office and secrecy on Thursday by Governor R N Ravi at a simple event in Raj Bhavan.

Read | Tamil Nadu CM Stalin inducts T R Baalus son T R B Rajaa into Cabinet

T Mano Thangaraj, who was handling IT, was sent to the Milk and Dairy Development Department replacing S M Nasar who was dropped on May 9, while Information Minister M P Saminathan got Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture hitherto held by Thennarasu. Speaking at an event, Stalin said the portfolio changes were made for administrative reasons.

Change in Thiaga Rajans portfolio is significant after two purported audio clips allegedly containing his voice went viral on social media. In the clips, the person, claimed to be Thiaga Rajan, is heard talking about the DMK, Udhayanidhi, and Stalins son-in-law Sabareesan, and how they are controlling the party-led government.

The person in the audio was also heard saying that the current model of Udhayanidhi and Sabareesan managing the party affairs was not sustainable for a long time. Thiaga Rajan was shifted from Finance after he dismissed the audio clips as fabricated and even Stalin appeared to accept his explanation.

For many months now, senior ministers were gunning for Thiaga Rajan due to his prudent handling of the states finances and had even complained to Stalin. But the audio clips, which were released by whistleblower Savukku Shankar and TN BJP chief K Annamalai in April, came as a setback to Thiaga Rajan, which is believed to have led to the portfolio change.

A top banker before he quit his high-paying job to jump into electoral politics, Thiaga Rajan was allotted the Finance portfolio in May 2021 and was one of the best performers in the Stalin cabinet. During his two-year tenure as Finance Minister, Thiaga Rajan is credited with reducing the state's fiscal deficit by Rs 30,000 crore and inculcating a more stringent fiscal discipline in administration.

Known for his outspoken nature, Thiaga Rajans perceived opposition to re-introduction of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and to several demands of state government employees and refusing to fill up vacancies earned him the wrath of several sections. One of his key achievements was putting together an Economic Advisory Council to the CM consisting of big names like Esther Duflo and Raghuram Rajan for advising the state government on several key initiatives.

Also, the darling of the English media, PTRs sharp interviews attacking BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on economy and other related issues made him popular among the people.

Accepting the portfolio change, PTR said the past two years have been the most fulfilling in his life as the state government invested in a record number of social welfare schemes as well as record capital spending, all while delivering record-setting fiscal improvements, despite inheriting record deficits and debt ratios.

I am grateful that CM @mkstalin has now assigned me the portfolio of Information Technology  globally the #1 industry for investment and job-creation today. We know that technology shapes the future, he said.

Thiaga Rajan said though Tamil Nadu was a pioneer in this field during M Karunanidhis 1996-2001 term, the state unfortunately lagged its true potential in this sector in the last decade and vowed to build on the efforts of his predecessor to attract more investments, accelerate job-creation, and deliver growth to re-establish TN as a leading state in IT.

I hope my own experience in establishing and managing a pioneering Global Capability Centre 15 years ago, and the connectivity with the IT & ITES Industry gained during my professional career, will enrich my efforts in this new role, the minister added.
A tribal leader was shot dead allegedly by Maoists in Odisha's Kandhamal district, police said Thursday.

The incident happened in Saulipada village on Wednesday night, they said.

The deceased, identified as Subal Kanhar, was a former sarpanch, said Tapan Kumar Nahak, the inspector-in-charge of Phiringia police station.

Read more | Two Maoists killed in exchange of fire with police on Telangana-Chhattisgarh border

A group of over 10 armed Maoists stormed the village, and barged into Kanhar's house. They then took him to the outskirts of the village where they shot him dead, police sources said.

The Maoists suspected that he was working as a police informer, they said.

After receiving a series of threats from the Maoists, Kanhar left his village for Balliguda, where he was living for the last four years. He returned home a couple of months back after a new CRPF camp was set up nearby, locals said.

After the murder, locals started to flee the village out of fear.

Police said a search operation was underway for those behind the murder.
A Congress MLA has written to senior leader Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge accusing its Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa of failing to coordinate with the leaders of the party's state unit.

Legislator Ved Prakash Solanki, who is considered close to former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, also criticised Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for his recent remarks praising BJP leaders, including Vasundhara Raje, for helping him survive the 2020 revolt by some Congress MLAs.

"Randhawa should have ensured coordination (with local leaders). He listened to us and should have resolved our issues. He heard our points but nothing happened after that," Solanki, who was one of the many who had revolted against Gehlot, said.

Also read | Opposition should be respected, I think PM Modi will also move in this direction: Ashok Gehlot

The MLA said coordination among the party in-charge and state leaders is of utmost importance ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

And, if there is no coordination, it will harm the party, he said.

Gehlot, while addressing a programme in Dholpur on Sunday, claimed 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.

The chief minister 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 revolted against his leadership in July 2020. The month-long crisis ended after the intervention of the party's high command. Pilot was then removed as the deputy chief minister and state Congress president.

Solanki asked whether the MLAs who supported Pilot were cowards and urged Gandhi to take note of his letter as "there is no coordination in Rajasthan Congress yet".

On Gehlot's allegation of rebel Congress MLAs taking money from the BJP, Solanki said the chief minister is also the home minister of the state and if he had any evidence, he would have already taken action in the matter.

Solanki said he is a supporter of Pilot and will continue to stand by him.
California Public Employees Retirement System raised its holdings in TransUnion (NYSE:TRU  Get Rating) by 0.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 434,558 shares of the business services providers stock after acquiring an additional 1,829 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System owned approximately 0.23% of TransUnion worth $24,661,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its position in TransUnion by 1.6% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 13,272 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,372,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in TransUnion by 52.4% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 8,374 shares of the business services providers stock worth $865,000 after buying an additional 2,880 shares during the last quarter. Roundview Capital LLC increased its position in TransUnion by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 20,949 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $2,165,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of TransUnion by 50.9% in the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 6,551 shares of the business services providers stock worth $673,000 after acquiring an additional 2,211 shares during the period. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of TransUnion in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,000,000. 95.02% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get TransUnion alerts:

Insider Transactions at TransUnion

In other TransUnion news, EVP Richard Dane Mauldin sold 7,250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.63, for a total transaction of $439,567.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,805 shares in the company, valued at $1,503,927.15. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider Todd C. Skinner sold 25,989 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $1,559,340.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 28,749 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,724,940. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard Dane Mauldin sold 7,250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.63, for a total transaction of $439,567.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,805 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,503,927.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 41,235 shares of company stock valued at $2,457,958 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock.

TransUnion Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of TRU stock opened at $65.99 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $12.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.80, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.57. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $62.70 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $62.84. TransUnion has a 52-week low of $50.32 and a 52-week high of $90.08.

TransUnion (NYSE:TRU  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 14th. The business services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.74 by ($0.04). TransUnion had a return on equity of 14.47% and a net margin of 7.34%. The firm had revenue of $902.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $904.34 million. Research analysts anticipate that TransUnion will post 3.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

TransUnion Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.105 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. This represents a $0.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.64%. TransUnions dividend payout ratio is currently 29.79%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on TRU shares. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on TransUnion from $80.00 to $78.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Barclays lowered their price target on TransUnion from $72.00 to $67.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of TransUnion from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and increased their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $88.00 in a research report on Friday, January 13th. Credit Suisse Group raised their price objective on shares of TransUnion from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of TransUnion from $74.00 to $66.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $77.50.

TransUnion Profile

(Get Rating)

TransUnion engages in the provision of information and risk management solutions. It also provides consumer reports, risk scores, analytical services, and decision-making capabilities to businesses. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Markets, International, Consumer Interactive, and Corporate.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for TransUnion Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TransUnion and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Van ECK Associates Corp lessened its position in Sysco Co. (NYSE:SYY  Get Rating) by 2.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 56,571 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,162 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corps holdings in Sysco were worth $4,325,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Parnassus Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Sysco by 144.3% during the 4th quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 13,076,228 shares of the companys stock worth $999,678,000 after acquiring an additional 7,723,075 shares in the last quarter. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sysco in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $86,016,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in Sysco by 660.7% in the third quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,374,500 shares of the companys stock valued at $97,191,000 after purchasing an additional 1,193,800 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Sysco by 14.9% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,369,863 shares of the companys stock valued at $521,123,000 after buying an additional 953,110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Sysco by 95.7% during the 3rd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 1,642,830 shares of the companys stock valued at $116,165,000 after acquiring an additional 803,346 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the companys stock.

Get Sysco alerts:

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on SYY. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of Sysco from $83.00 to $80.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. StockNews.com raised shares of Sysco from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. TheStreet upgraded shares of Sysco from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Sysco from $84.00 to $83.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. Finally, Argus downgraded shares of Sysco from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $87.27.

Sysco Stock Down 3.4 %

Shares of Sysco stock opened at $73.39 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.51. Sysco Co. has a twelve month low of $70.61 and a twelve month high of $88.84. The company has a market cap of $37.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.11. The companys 50 day moving average is $75.52 and its 200 day moving average is $78.66.

Sysco (NYSE:SYY  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $18.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $18.56 billion. Sysco had a return on equity of 141.53% and a net margin of 2.05%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.71 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Sysco Co. will post 4 EPS for the current year.

Sysco Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.73%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. This is an increase from Syscos previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Syscos payout ratio is 64.90%.

About Sysco

(Get Rating)

Sysco Corp. engages in selling, marketing, and distribution of food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, and lodging establishments. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Foodservice Operations, International Foodservice Operations, SYGMA, and Other. The U.S. Foodservice Operations consists of U.S.

Recommended Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SYY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Sysco Co. (NYSE:SYY  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Sysco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sysco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
During questions to the British Secretary of State, SDLP Leader and Foyle MP Colum Eastwood has called for a more significant role for the Irish government in Northern Ireland's governance and restoring the democratic institutions.

Speaking in the british House of Commons, Mr Eastwood said: "It's been 15 months since we've had an Executive at Stormont. Health services are collapsing.

"Our economy is not taking up the opportunity that is provided by the Windsor Framework and the protocol. Surely now it's time for the Secretary of State to look at a greater role for the Irish government in the affairs of Northern Ireland?"

Following the question, Mr Eastwood said: "Ministers in the British Government can no longer shrug their shoulders and delay while people struggle and our public services continue to decline and collapse.

"The Secretary of State must seriously consider a greater role for the Irish government to help address the critical issues that have left us without democratic institutions at Stormont.
Situated in a former shirt factory, Abbazappa at The Yellow Yard is home to over 7000 records.

With the store open for eight years, co-owner Ben Allen started off trading in August 2013, and has now been trading non stop in Derry for ten years.

Speaking to the Derry News, Ben explains that there is nowhere like the store that he runs with Katie Blue, "There is nowhere like this place for about 200-300 miles, he said. "Probably the nearest shop as big as this of its kind would be Liverpool.

"The record shop has new stuff, old stuff, rare stuff and we have every genre; Jazz, Punk, Metal, Funk, Electronic, Irish Folk, Country, Ska, Reggae, World music- everything.

"We also have cassettes and around 6000 CDs. We have music from every musician you could ever imagine."

Ben explained that over the last ten years, vinyls and vintage have come back into fashion with a whole new generation falling in love with the physical artifacts.

"There are youngsters that come in to see us that have never held a CD or had any use for a CD player- they're only just starting.

"I just have to stick around long enough to give these people the things that they love," he laughed.

Ben continued: "A record is a piece of art. When I first came here, people didn't think that anyone would want to buy records- but they do.

"Every kind of person buys and loves records. The first record I sold was to a young lad in school uniform when he was 14. He understood it was the original first issue. Derry is a music city, it is undeniable and the city loves records."

The store also has a DJ booth set up for music every Saturday as Ben explained live music was missed over the last three years.

The Yellow Yard also boasts a massive bookshop and a vintage clothing store as well as vast collections of DVDs, VHA, Blu-ray, and posters.

"People love to collect these things, especially a sealed VHS- 30 years old but never played," Ben said.

"We have so many things to do with pop culture too, from Elton John to Star Wars and tattoos to leather bound books.

"The store is a wonderland of things. It's like a pop culture supermarket."

Pop down to see Ben and Katie in Abbazappa at The Yellow Yard on Derry's Palace Street.
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is welcoming applications to the second round of the Rural Engagement Arts Programme (REAP), a funding scheme, funded through The National Lottery, which aims to increase access and participation in the arts in rural areas of Northern Ireland.

Grants from 500 - 10,000 are available and applications must be made online on the Arts Councils website. Applications opened on Friday 5 May 2023 and will close at 12noon on Monday 3 July 2023.

REAP was established in 2022 by the Arts Council and seeks to provide an integrated, cohesive approach to the needs of local rural communities as they recover from the impacts of the global Covid-19 pandemic, recognising the specific and ongoing issues they face as a result.

The overarching theme of the programme is to tackle isolation and loneliness and promote social inclusion and wellbeing through participation in the arts in rural areas.

Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented: We know that taking part in arts activities can raise self-esteem, boost confidence and motivation, as well as alleviate isolation and loneliness.

The pandemic and the resulting lockdowns across the UK have taken a toll on individual lives, with mental health and well-being adversely effected as families and friends were separated for sustained periods of time, especially intergenerational. This has been particularly compounded in rural communities which are characterised by smaller and more dispersed populations.

The Chief Executive continued: Thanks to The National Lottery players, the Rural Engagement Arts Programme will increase opportunities for people living in rural communities to engage and participate in meaningful arts activities, enriching their lives for the better.

"The Arts Council believes that arts, and coming together as communities, can all make a vital contribution to building health, confidence and integrated communities and I would encourage organisations to apply.

The Rural Engagement Arts Programme (REAP) is one of the Arts Councils core National Lottery programme areas.

A previous project supported by REAP was the Derry based Northern Lights Project.

They are using their funding to create a project entitled, Cinema for the ears  soundscapes from the lives of rural LGBTQI+ young people. The project explores the lives of rural LGBTQI+ young people in the Northwest, in their own words. The goal of the project is to create an open, welcoming, safe space to tell stories, play with sound and develop a final composition.

The project began in January and will complete in July 2023. It features a series of workshops leading to a final performance on an 8-channel immersive sound system at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in Limavady. Four sound artists/composers/musicians will mentor one group of roughly 10 young people each and work with them over the period to develop the composition and provide them with the skills and knowledge of electronic music and soundscape composition.

Another past recipient of REAP funding is Big Telly Theatre Company who used their funding to create The Dock - an interactive piece of hybrid street theatre, combining live action, a digital interface and smart technology. The Dock was transported from location to location to audiences in the Causeway and Coastal Glen areas.

The Rural Engagement Arts Programme is open to rural groups across the region for people of all ages.

Please note that applications must be submitted online and opened on Friday 5 May 2023, closing at 12noon on Monday 3 July 2023.

To view the eligibility information, guidance notes and to make an online application visit www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding
The prosecution in the case of a Newry man charged in connection with the dissident republican march in Derry on Easter Monday are to appeal a decision to release him on bail.

Stephen Murney (39) of Derrybeg Terrace in Newry faced three charges of encouraging and inciting support for a proscribed organisation namely the IRA on April 10 and making a speech on that date which encouraged support.

A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail.

The court heard from a police officer that an unnotified parade had taken place in Derry on April 10.

He said that police had come under attack from youths throwing petrol bombs prior to the march.

The court heard that the parade was led by a colour party dressed in 'combat fatigues' and Murney was seen in the vicinity.

The officer said that a wreath was placed at the Republican Plot by one of the masked colour party on behalf of the Derry Brigade of the IRA.

The court heard that Murney gave a speech in which he said that they would commemorate 'our heroes'.

At the end of the speech Murney was alleged to have quoted the late Marie Drumm who said 'it is not enough to shout up the IRA but join the IRA.'

Bail was opposed due to the risk of re-offending as the officer said 'in a terrorist context' and risk of flight.

The officer said that Murney attended international conferences with 'like minded people' and so had contacts abroad.

A defence barrister Michael Ford said his client had given police a prepared statement in which he referred to 'an historical quote' from Marie Drumm.

He said that Murney had been at liberty since the April 10 incident and had not left the jurisdiction.

District Judge Barney McElholm said that at Easter there was 'this shower of clowns' and in July 'another shower of clowns'.

He said that his views on ideology were clear and while it was 'a hate filled speech I have heard worse from politicians across the water.'

The judge said that people were trying to drag us backwards but agreed to release Murney on bail.

Bail was set at 750 and is not to attend any march or rally, not to enter Derry and not to be in any company of more than 6 people.

Murney will appear again on June 8.
This years Google I/O was arguably one of the most exciting ones we have witnessed in quite some time. At this years keynote, Google focused on Artificial Intelligence and how the company is integrating generative AI into its products. We also saw exciting stuff on the hardware side, with Google finally making its first tablet and foldable smartphone official. Heres a small recap of what all was announced at Googles I/O 2023 keynote.

Generative AI on Google products

The keynote started with Google CEO Sundar Pichai taking the stage and setting the mood for the evening. Pichai said that with AI seeing massive growth in 2022 and 2023, it is now Googles turn to show what the company has been working on. To begin with, Generative AI integration in Google products. This includes Gmail, Google Maps, Google Photos and more.



In Gmail, Google is using generative AI to bring a new feature called Help Me Write. An extension of smart suggestions that we already see on Gmail, Google is bringing an AI-powered feature Help Me Write, which will write emails for users. All you will need to do is, give it a prompt, and AI will write your emails for you. There is also a Refine option, which will allow users to expand, re-generate, elaborate, or summarise their responses.

On Google Maps, the company is bringing Immersive View while navigating. This is basically a 3D view of your trip, showing the exact route you will be taking, with traffic, weather, AQI, and everything else you need in a 3D graphical representation of the actual area. This feature is coming to 15 cities by the end of 2023, Pichai said.



On Google Photos, the company is enhancing its editing chops, with a new feature called Magic Editor. Being an extension of Magic Eraser, Magic Editor will take editing photos to another level. We will get the ability to literally move things inside a frame, change the colour temperature, make things more detailed and sharp, and resize things in an image. All this, along with the power of Magic Eraser, will take editing to another level with Generative AI.

PaLM 2

At this years I/O, Google also launched PaLM 2, which is the company's new Generative AI model. PaLM 2 is Googles most sophisticated AI model so far, and has been improved to become more helpful and more powerful to facilitate all the new AI features that Google is working on. PaLM 2 basically combines two Google projects - DeepMind and Gemini, where DeepMind is Google AI research lab, and Gemini is the latest AI foundation model. PaLM 2 is now in preview for developers to use and try out.

Google Bard

Since the focus of the evening was AI, Google couldnt miss out on its big bet, Google Bard. Google Bard is now available for all users to try out for free, there is no waitlist anymore. It is available in 180 countries and cities in English, with Japanese and Korean languages coming soon. The company now says that Google Bard is powered by its new Generative AI model PaLM 2, and with the new update, Google is making Bard better at conversational AI. The company said that Bard has learnt over 20 programming languages to help users with software development. The company said that Bard is now equipped to not only give you the code but also help you understand these languages better.



Google has also introduced a new feature in Bard. This includes a button to export the AIs responses to Google Docs or Gmail. So you can basically bring your Bard responses to emails or documents with just one click. Neat. Further, Bard now has dark mode also, and the company is further enhancing this conversational AI model.



For example, during the keynote, Google said that Bard will become more visual with responses and prompts. This means that the company is also adding other visual elements like images and videos to Bard's responses. Further, there are more tools coming to Google Bard in the coming weeks, along with Google Lens integration. You will also be able to use images in prompts to give Bard better context while asking for queries.



Furthermore, Bard will also be able to locate things on the map for you, and there is also an Adobe Firefly integration coming soon, which will allow Google Bard to create designs and images for you. Pretty cool.

AI Integration in Google Workspace

So using PaLM 2 and Bard, Google is bringing many AI smarts to its workspace apps. This includes a Help Me Write feature for Google Docs. Here, you can just open a Google Doc file, and ask AI to write your document for you. For example, if you are writing an essay and are stuck somewhere, just open the Bard option and type in prompts like help me finish this essay, to allow AI to give you options.



In Google Sheets, the company is bringing a Help Me Organise feature powered by Bard. For example, if you have data about several things and want to put it in a table format in Sheets, just ask Google Bard to do it for you! This is something that will help a lot of people who struggle with numbers and tables.

In Google Slides, AI integration will help users visualise their slides, customise them further, and even come up with presentation notes for speakers!

The trials for all these new Generative AI features begin next month starting with the US. Users will be able to try out all these AI-based features for Google Workspace apps on the revamped Labs. Just go to www.google.com/labs to try out these features starting next month.

Generative AI Integration In Google Search

Google is also enhancing its Search using AI. During the keynote, Google showed how using Generative AI with its already powerful Search will enhance the product. Users will be able to search for more detailed queries. There will be a new AI-powered result, which will appear on top of the page in a snapshot-like format. This will include all the relevant information, links, and multimedia to help you understand things in a more conversational way. Further, there will also be an option for extended suggestions, which will open conversational mode, so you can keep asking questions and follow them up with more prompts.

Generative AI in Android

Coming to Android, we saw some big announcements for Android also. For example, with Android 14, Google is focusing more on the Android ecosystem apart from AI. Here, the company said that on the back of WearOS's success, it is bringing a standalone WhatsApp app for WearOS. This app will help you write texts, respond to them, and send voice notes directly from your smartwatch.



We are also getting a new update in Find My Device. Now, you will be able to locate more devices on Find My Device, including headphones, tablets, smartwatches, and more. Further, other Android users can now help you locate your lost items. Apart from that, there is an unknown tracker alert, which will detect unknown trackers on you. This also works across all devices running on any operating system.

Google also mentioned how its RCS messaging has been a game changer, along with a subtle callout to Apple to bring RCS messaging to iPhones.

With Android 14, Android users are also getting more customisation options. This time, we will get more customisable lock screens, emoji-based wallpapers, and cinematic wallpapers, which allow users to add an immersive 3D effect to their wallpapers. There is also a new option to allow AI to create wallpapers for you. With this option, you will be able to give Google AI prompts to create wallpapers.

Google Pixel Tab and Pixel Fold are finally here!

Coming to Pixel devices, Google kept the best for the last. Apart from the Google Pixel 7a, the company also made its first tablet and first foldable smartphone official! The Google Pixel Fold and the Google Pixel Tab are the two new additions to Googles lineup. Let us take a look at each of their specifications and prices:

Starting with the Google Pixel 7a, the only device to come to the Indian market, the Google Pixel 7a has been launched at a price of 43,999 (39,999 with discount) in India. The smartphone comes with a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The smartphone is powered by Google's Tensor G2 SoC paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The smartphone comes with a dual rear camera setup that includes a 64-megapixel primary shooter and a 13-megapixel ultrawide angle lens. Up front, the Google Pixel 7a has a 13MP selfie shooter. There is a 4,385mAh battery on the Pixel 7a with support for 20W fast charging and 18W wireless charging.



The Google Pixel Tablet has been launched with an 11-inch LCD display. It is also powered by Google's Tensor G2 chip, and we get a 27 Whr battery, which is good for 12 hours of video playback. There is also an 8-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera on the Pixel Tab, and we also get an option of a Charging Speaker Dock, which converts the Google Pixel Tab into a powerful Google Home device. The Pixel Tablet is available for pre-order at a price of $499 in the US. It is not known when the Pixel Tablet will be launched in India.





Coming to the Google Pixel Fold, which is also a first from Google. On the outside, we get a nice 5.8-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. When unfolded, the Google Pixel Fold reveals a 7.6-inch display with a 2K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. This also uses Ultra Thin Glass with a protective plastic layer on top. This display supports 1000 nits of HDR brightness and 1,450 nits of peak brightness. This is also powered by Google's latest chip, the Tensor G2 paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. We also get a triple rear camera setup, which includes a 48-megapixel primary shooter, a 10.8MP ultra-wide angle lens, and a 10.8MP telephoto shooter. Further, there is a 4,821mAh battery on the Pixel Fold, which supports 30W fast charging.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
Save my User ID and Password

Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site.

Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site.
A 40 year old orthodontic technician arrested on suspicion of drug dealing has had to stand down from his role in the community due to 'publication of these matters', his solicitor told Dundalk District Court last week.

Mark Curley with an address at Greenacres, Dundalk was prosecuted for having cannabis for sale or supply, and unlawful possession of the drug, at his home and on the Inner Relief Road on September 11th 2020.

When the case was originally heard in March, a detective garda told the court he was on mobile patrol on the N52/Inner Relief road where a garda checkpoint was in operation.

He said there were two lanes of traffic and as he approached the checkpoint, a Mercedes E-class pulled up alongside him.

The driver appeared to be shuffling about and when he got out to speak to him the garda said he immediately got a strong smell of cannabis from the car.

The garda said the defendant was nervous "his hand was visibly shaking" and when he was asked if there was anything in the car he shouldn't have, he told the garda there was cannabis herb in the glove compartment, where 65 grams of the drug was found.

Mr. Curley was arrested on suspicion of having drugs for sale or supply and three separate warrants were obtained to search separate properties including his home address.

There gardai recovered more cannabis along with digital weighing scales and what the witness called empty deal bags.

The drugs recovered had an estimated street value of 2,430.

The court heard he had five previous convictions, including having drugs for sale or supply in 2014 for which he was sentenced to 100 hours community service.

The defence solicitor said his client runs his own business as an orthodontic technician and employs a number of people.

He is involved with local sport and the solicitor added his client attended the Turas counselling service to rid himself of his addiction to cannabis, and the matter before the court had caused him to radically change his lifestyle.

The Garda told Judge Eirinn McKiernan that it's his belief that Mr. Curley was supplying drugs and while the witness admitted there was no other evidence before the court, he said in the context of the explanation the defendant gave, it was a large amount of cannabis to just be supplying to one other person.

The Defence solicitor argued that there wasn't any evidence to contradict the explanation his client gave and he said he had travelled to Dublin and bought a large amount to save him a number of trips there.

He urged the court to consider a penalty other than a custodial sentence as he said Mr. Curley had done everything to turn his life around and is heavily involved in the community.

Judge Eirinn McKiernan said she was not happy with the defendant's previous convictions and put back the case for a Probation report and so his suitability to perform community service to be assessed.

Last Wednesday, the solicitor said the case had "set him back" and added that the coverage had forced him to stand down from his role in the community.

However, he stressed that his client is 'clean and free of drugs' and he had engaged with the Probation Service.

Judge McKiernan said she had to take into account Mr. Curley's previous convictions saying "these offences are very serious".

She added he previously had the opportunity to do community service "He should have learned his lesson and he didn't" and said she did not accept the explanation given.

A four month sentence was imposed for having drugs for sale or supply but at the request of the Defence Judge McKiernan fixed recognizance on Mr. Curley's own bond of 300 with an independent surety of 1,000 cash to be lodged.

The other charge was taken into consideration.
Closing speeches will be heard next week in the trial of two men charged with conspiracy to commit burglaries and with a robbery that resulted in the shooting dead of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe.

Following the close of the prosecution case, lawyers for Brendan Treanor and James Flynn today, Thursday asked the three-judge, non-jury Special Criminal Court to dismiss the conspiracy to commit burglary charges.

Among the arguments made was that the common law offence of conspiracy to commit serious offences no longer exists as it was replaced by the Criminal Justice Act 2006.

John Larkin KC, for Mr Flynn, argued that the decision to charge his client with the common law offence, rather than under the 2006 Act, was an error and that the charge "doesn't exist as a matter of law".

Michael Lynn SC, for Brendan Treanor, said the charge levelled is "generic, imprecise, wholly unparticularised and doesn't capture what a conspiracy truly is in law."

He said the prosecution had not clearly stated what burglaries his client is alleged to have committed or agreed to as part of a conspiracy.

He said the prosecution case at its height is that his client agreed to commit "a type of crime" but not any specific crime.

He said "there have to be criminal acts of some specified identity" and called on the court not to allow the charge to be considered.

However, the court rejected the arguments.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt, in an ex tempore judgment, said that the indictment needs to contain "reasonable information" about what is alleged but does not have to be comprehensive or extensive.

The charge in the indictment is that the accused were in agreement with others to enter residential premises to steal the keys to cars, he said, adding that the court is satisfied that the standard of "reasonable information" had been met.

Mr Justice Hunt said that the argument that the common law offence of conspiracy no longer exists is "interesting and novel and well-argued" but the court "cannot accede to it".

He said that if the legislature, in creating the 2006 Act, had wanted to set aside the common law offence of conspiracy that "would have been clearly expressed" in the legislation.

He said the court's view is that the offence of conspiracy contrary to common law still exists.

The trial has been running for 49 days and is expected to end next week.

Bernard Condon SC, for James Flynn, said that he will call two witnesses.

Prosecution counsel Lorcan Staines said he expects to begin his closing speech on Monday and will take a little more than one day.

Lawyers for the two accused said they will take less than one day each to deliver their closing addresses.

Brendan Treanor (34), previously of Emer Terrace, Castletown Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, and James Flynn (32) from South Armagh are charged with the robbery of 7,000 at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013.

Both men are also charged that between September 11, 2012, and 23 January 2013, they conspired with convicted Garda-killer Aaron Brady and others to enter residential premises with the intention of stealing car keys.

The prosecution alleges that Mr Treanor and Mr Flynn were part of a group of young men who conspired to break into houses to steal car keys and then quietly make off with the cars.

They have pleaded not (NOT) guilty to each charge.

Aaron Brady (31) previously of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, is serving a life sentence with a 40-year minimum having been found guilty of murdering Det Gda Adrian Donohoe and of the robbery at Lordship. He denied any involvement in the robbery and is awaiting an appeal against his conviction.
Iarnrod Eireann commenced the second round of public consultation (PC2) on DART+ Coastal North on Wednesday.

Part of the DART+ Programme, DART+ Coastal North will bring the DART to Drogheda, delivering an increased and improved electrified network with additional passenger capacity and enhanced train service frequency between Howth and Drogheda and Dublin City Centre.

Proposed project plans being presented as part of this public consultation include:

Significant enhancements for Howth Junction & Donaghmede Station, in response to customer feedback from the first round of Public Consultation, to provide a more accessible, user friendly and customer focused station for all rail users

A more than doubling of service and passenger capacity from Drogheda to the city centre by increasing the number of trains from 11 to 24 and capacity for commuters from 12500  26600 per 3-hour peak period.

Infrastructure proposals to provide a more frequent and reliable DART service

Infrastructure proposed to enable operational flexibility for both direct Howth to city and Howth DART shuttle services as required.

Funded by the National Transport Authority under Project Ireland 2040, this rail improvement project will offer an increase in peak passenger capacity and train frequency between Dublin City Centre and Drogheda MacBride Station - inclusive of the Howth Line  facilitating more frequent and reliable transport to the surrounding communities.

As well as enhancing access to sustainable public transport for new and existing communities, DART+ Coastal North will alleviate road congestion and build a more connected, efficient, and safe rail network, supporting our transition to a low carbon and climate resilient society, less reliant on private cars.

The announcement comes following the order of 185 DART+ carriages from Alstom in two phases over the past 17 months, the lodgement of the Railway Order for DART+ West in July 2022 and the lodgement of the DART+ South West Railway Order in March of this year.

Welcoming Wednesday's public consultation launch, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD said: The positive public response to the first round of consultation on DART+ Coastal North showed that the people living in north County Dublin, Meath and Louth want to be able to travel by fast, frequent and low-carbon public transport.

"Battery-electric trains will be serving this demand from 2025 and the future rollout of DART+ Coastal North will further enhance rail transport options along the Northern Line. This Government is committed to providing quality, frequent and accessible transport so that people can choose to leave the car at home more often.

"The launch of the second round of public consultation on DART+ Coastal North is another sign of progress against this commitment and follows two orders of new fleet and the submission of planning applications for DART+ West and DART+ South West as part of the wider DART+ Programme.

Anne Graham, CEO, National Transport Authority said: I very much welcome todays announcement on the DART+ project and this development is a clear indication of the real progress that is being made across the Programme.

"Thanks to DART+, passenger capacity and service frequency will be vastly improved for people across the rail network in the Greater Dublin Area over the coming years. DART+ will allow more people to make sustainable travel choices and will contribute to reducing our emissions by providing a reliable alternative to the private car. NTA looks forward to continuing to work with Iarnrod Eireann in making DART+ a reality.

Chief Executive of Iarnrod Eireann Jim Meade said: This is another positive milestone in the progress and delivery of the DART+ Programme for the Greater Dublin Area. DART+ Coastal North will bring a more frequent and reliable service as well as offer greater capacity to communities along the Northern line.

"The Northern line will be the first route to benefit the new hybrid battery/electric DART+ Fleet which are set to come into service in 2025, meaning a better, more accessible service for rail users in advance of full electrification of the line. I encourage communities along the DART+ Coastal North route to engage with the consultation process and have your say in shaping the DART+ Programme.

Key infrastructural elements of the DART+ Coastal North Project include:

Significant upgrades to Howth Junction & Donaghmede Station to provide a more accessible, user friendly and customer focused station for all rail users

Extension of electrification from Malahide to Drogheda MacBride Station (approx. 37km)

Reconfiguration of the existing track layout and associated infrastructure in the vicinity of Drogheda MacBride, Malahide, Clongriffin and Howth Junction & Donaghmede Stations as well as the provision of sections of additional track, station turnback facilities

Infrastructure that will enable the operation of both a DART shuttle service on the Howth Branch, at such time that future passenger demand warrants its use, and/or the continued operation of a direct through service to/from Dublin City Centre.

Construction of a new platform at Drogheda MacBride Station;

Undertaking upgrades to existing signalling, telecoms and power supplies to support the planned increase in train services, including the introduction of new electrical substations at key locations alongside the line.

Bridge improvements/modifications as required, modifications to existing depots at Drogheda and Fairview to support the new train fleet

Ancillary civils, drainage and power work to cater for the changes.

Expected passenger capacity uplift

The scale of service uplift will vary across the extend of the route from Drogheda to Dublin City Centre. The following increase in services is expected to be delivered by DART+ Coastal North across a three hour AM peak period for inbound/southbound services to Dublin City Centre:

A more than doubling of service and passenger capacity from Drogheda to the city centre by increasing the number of trains from 11 to 24, an increase in capacity for commuters from 12,500  26,600.

Delivery of a 50% increase in service and capacity from Malahide to City Centre through an increase from 20 to 30 trains. This will mean an increase in capacity from 23,300  33,800 passengers.

A potential doubling of service frequency and capacity on the Howth Branch from 9 to 18 trains through the possible introduction of a shuttle train service between Howth and Howth Junction & Donaghmede stations. This would provide an increase in passenger capacity on the Howth Branch from 10,800  21,600 passengers per 3-hour peak period.



DART+ Coastal North Public Consultation

The Public Consultation, which commences on Wednesday for the DART+ Coastal North project, presents the Preferred Option for the project design and is the second non-statutory public consultation seeking the publics feedback for the project.

The knowledge and insight of customers, residents, and businesses adjacent to the route, as well as other stakeholders, will inform the design and help Iarnrod Eireann to shape the project plans, ensuring that it will be beneficial for customers and the communities it will serve.

All are encouraged to review the full details at www.dartplus.ie, which also features an interactive virtual room. A series of in-person consultation events as well as a public webinar to present the Preferred Option will be held over the coming weeks for those who would like to learn more about the project.

DART+ Coastal North PC2 is open from 9th May until Friday 23rd June 2023.
The African community in Louth is set to celebrate Africa Day on 25th and 28th May 2023, the second year of celebrations following the inaugural Louth World Africa Day events in 2022.

Louth County Council will support two events that will showcase the rich culture, diversity, and vibrancy of Africa.

The events, which are free and open to the public, will be held at 5.30pm, Friary Youth hall, Anne Street Dundalk on Thursday 25th May and 2pm to 7pm at O Raghallaighs GFC, North Road, Drogheda on Sunday 28th May.

Africa Day is an important day for Africans across the world and the African community in Louth is no exception.

This year's celebrations which promises to be bigger and better will feature a range of activities, including local African bands, dancers, fashion show, and singing groups. There will be African cuisines from south, north, east and west Africa.

The event will also feature talks and discussions on work life, entrepreneurs and professionals in the Louth area and recognise Africans who have made a positive impact in communities in Louth.

The celebrations in Louth are being organised by Culture Connect in collaboration with a great network of African groups and individuals in Louth, and are funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, supported by Louth County Council.

The events will feature a wide variety of African music, including traditional and contemporary styles such as Afrobeat, highlife, and soukous.

There will also be dance performances, showcasing the different styles and techniques of African dance, from the energetic moves of West African dances to the graceful steps of South African dances.

There will be an opportunity to sample some of the delicious and diverse cuisine of Africa, with food vendors on hand to offer a range of African dishes, from jollof rice, Yam porridge, fufu to Samosa and berbere-spiced meats.

In addition to the cultural displays, there will be market stalls where you can purchase unique African crafts, clothing, and accessories. It will also feature vendors from different parts of Africa, offering a chance to experience the diversity of African culture.

The event is part of a nationwide celebration of Africa Day, which will see events taking place in cities and towns across Ireland.

Commenting on the event, a spokesperson for the organising committee said:

"We are excited to celebrate Africa Day in Louth and to showcase the richness and diversity of African culture.

"We hope that this event will help to foster greater understanding and appreciation of the African community in Louth and beyond."

For more information about the Africa Day celebration in Louth, visit: https://www.facebook.com/cultureconnectie/ or follow the event on social media using the hashtag #AfricaDayLouth.

For more information visit www.africaday.ie
The Geophysics section of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) are to host a public Volcano outreach day next Wednesday 17 May, at the Foy Centre in Carlingford as part of the Improve Summer School DIAS is running in the north Louth village.

The Geophysics section of DIAS runs the National Seismic network for Ireland with support from Geological Survey Ireland (GSI). The event, which is open to all members of the public and schools from around the area to attend, is being run by 24 international PhD volcanological students that will be attending the summer school.

The organisers say there will be fun experiments like, an erupting volcano, a real seismometer with which those who take part can see earthquakes made by them when they jump, and they can listen to an underwater volcano erupting.

DIAS is an institution that attracts scholars and academics from around the world, and is the worlds second, and Irelands only, Institute for Advanced Studies.

It conducts and publishes advanced research across three disciplines: Celtic Studies, Theoretical Physics and Cosmic Physics. DIAS also leads Irelands participation in a number of international research endeavours that focus on big unanswered questions for mankind.

The Geophysics Section of DIAS applies geophysical data analysis, computation and methodological developments to gain new insights into processes within the Earth system. Find out more about what they do here.
CORK City Libraries has announced the title of this years One City, One Book as Liberty Terrace by Madeleine DArcy.

One City, One Book is an initiative to get book loving Corkonians to read and discuss the same book.

Individuals, groups, book clubs, workplaces and organisations are encouraged to take part in building a sense of community throughout the city, promoting literacy, supporting the arts and encouraging everyone to engage in reading.

This years book, Liberty Terrace, features a bevy of characters who live in a fictional area of Cork City in the period 2016 to 2020.

The residents of Liberty Terrace come and go, and their lives occasionally intersect in stories that are sometimes funny, sometimes dark, often both.

With support from the Creative Ireland Programme, books by Billy OCallaghan, Catherine Kirwan, Tadhg Coakley, Danielle McLaughlin and Conal Creedon have previously featured, proving hugely popular with readers in the city and abroad.

Senior Executive Librarian at Cork City Libraries, Patricia Looney, said: We are celebrating the eighth year of One City, One Book which showcases the brilliant literary life of the city and Cork writers.

Author Madeleine D'Arcy pictured in Cork for the announcement that her book "Liberty Terrace" is Cork City Libraries One City, One Book for 2023. Picture: Michael O'Sullivan /OSM PHOTO

One City One Book creates a unique sense of place and celebrates the city and its people. It builds a sense of community throughout the city by encouraging everyone to read the same book. Speaking about being chosen as this years One City, One Book, Madeleine DArcy said: As a writer, my aim is to create fiction that is deceptively simple, but has, underneath the surface, a deeper core of emotional truthunearth some truths about why people are the way they are and why they do the things they do. I also hope to entertain people, with a combination of darkness and humour.

I have been fortunate enough to win some awards for my writing, but this honour, from the city in which I live, is very special indeed. It really means the world to me. I am so glad I live in this City and feel deeply honoured that Liberty Terrace is this years One City, One Book.

Every year since 2017, the One City, One Book title has been the most borrowed book in Cork City Libraries.

The 2023 programme will be launched in the Friary Bar on Sunday, May 28 at 3.30pm, with fringe events taking place over the coming months including creative writing workshops with Ms DArcy, readings and interviews.

The concluding event will be hosted by Waterstones as part of Irish Book Week.
CORK'S largest celebration of maritime culture, heritage and harbour activities is set to return for 10 days this summer.

Cork Harbour Festival highlights Cork's greatest natural amenities, Cork Harbour and the River Lee, with a programme that includes events around, in and on the harbour and river from Friday, June 2 to Sunday, June 11.

This years festival offers over 80 events in a dozen beautiful locations across Cork City and Cork Harbour, including Crosshaven, Fountainstown, Monkstown, Passage West, Cobh, Spike Island, Haulbowline, East Ferry, Rostellan and city locations such as Cork City Marina, Lee Fields, Blackrock, Bishopstown, Marina Park and Nano Nagle Place.

The main event Ocean to City - An Ras Mor, Irelands most ambitious rowing and paddling race takes place on Saturday, June 3, welcoming hundreds of national and international participants as they race 28km through the harbour from Crosshaven to the finish line in Cork city.

Festival Manager Joya Kuin said she is absolutely thrilled with this years Cork Harbour Festival programme and said it is a real honour to work with 50 event partners in Cork City and County in presenting over 80 events and activities on land and on the water.

Lord Mayor of Cork City Councillor Deirdre Forde said Cork City Council is delighted to be a major sponsor of the 2023 Cork Harbour Festival which she said showcases the best of what the city has to offer.

This festival combines heritage and tradition with promotion of physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. Festivals like this are a key attraction for tourists to any city and I would recommend everyone to engage whether as a participant or a spectator, she said.

Mayor of the County of Cork Councillor Danny Collins said Cork County Council is also proud to be a key sponsor of the festival which he described as a unique celebration of maritime culture and heritage.

The programme caters for all interests and ages in locations such as Cobh, Crosshaven, Passage West and Monkstown, while also showcasing the superb offering of our harbour region.

With the festival attracting many visitors, both domestic and international, Cork Harbour Festival generates significant gains for our local economy. If youre interested in maritime history, or just looking to try a new and fun activity, I would heartily encourage you to view the fantastic programme for this festival and join us.

Registration to take part in Ocean to City  An Ras Mor via oceantocity.com closes on May 19 for rowers and May 26 for paddlers.
MEMBERS of Cork County Council have held positive meetings with three senior Cork ministers to discuss the level of funding received by the council.

The meetings were initiated by council members following the publication of an AIRO (All-Island Research Observatory) report in 2021. The independent report, commissioned by Cork County Council, showed the local authority wasnt getting its fair share of funding for its size and population. The report also indicated the county council lagged behind other counties for Leader and Clar funding, and had fallen behind on roads funding.

The Mayor of the County of Cork Danny Collins and councillors Seamus McGrath, John Paul OShea, Alan Coleman, Danielle Twomey and Alan OConnor, along with four executive members, met with Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Finance Minister Michael McGrath on Monday morning, before they met with Enterprise, Trade, and Employment Minister Simon Coveney in the afternoon.

Mr Collins said, after his election, that it was his priority to get working on the AIRO report, carried out by Maynooth University.

We have the longest length of road in the country. Director of services for roads, Padraig Barrett, explained that Cork County are getting 1,000 less per kilometre than any other local authority. We are getting just over 6,000 per kilometre for our roads, while other local authorities are getting 7,000 per kilometre.

That is why our roads are falling behind so much. Every local authority gets three applications when the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund opens. We get three local applications, while small counties, like Laois and Louth, also get the same number of applications. It is very unfair for the size of our county. It is the same with Clar funding and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. We are only getting dribs and drabs, he added.

Mr Collins said the onus is on councillors and executive members to go back with recommendations to the three Cork ministers. It was a positive meeting. They told us to come back with recommendations and, hopefully, we will see results. They also told us to reach out to other large local authorities, such as Galway and Mayo, and work with them to make a stronger case. We dont want funding to be taken away from other local authorities, but we just want more applications for our local authority.
A 37-year-old man who said that cocaine nearly destroyed his life avoided a jail term for dealing the drug as he has just received a three-year suspended sentence.

Daniel Spillane of St. Brigids Road, Gurranabraher, Cork, pleaded guilty to having cocaine for sale or supply on May 31 2022.

Detective Garda Conor Sweeney said the accused was found with a quantity of cocaine in his vehicle on that date.

The detective said the value of the drugs seized at the time was just over 4,000.

Judge Catherine Staines said that at the time of the drugs seizure last year the accused was not working and was involved in committing this offence in order to feed his own drugs habit.

I was so bad I just stopped going to work, the defendant said.

Judge Catherine Staines said, Cocaine is a very serious addiction.

Daniel Spillane agreed and said, It nearly destroyed my life.

He added that he was attending at Narcotics Anonymous and was doing much better in his life now.

Judge Staines said that mitigating factors included the fact that he made admissions in a case where it might have been difficult to prove ownership of the drugs.

His cocaine addiction at the time was out of control and he started sharing it to pay for his own addiction. He has managed to get full time employment and the shock of being arrested was enough to stop him (taking cocaine), the judge said.

The accused was given a fully suspended sentence of three years at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
A PUBLIC demonstration to show support for Cork City Fire Brigade and to demand the reopening of Ballincollig Fire Station is planned for 6.30pm tomorrow on Ballincolligs Link Road.

The demonstration has been organised by locals to highlight that Ballincollig Fire Station has been closed since November 2021 as efforts to recruit retained firefighters have been unsuccessful.

Over a fortnight ago, Siptu members employed as firefighters in Cork City commenced limited industrial action in a bid to see the station reopened, with members claiming that a lack of resources is endangering members and public safety.

Cork City Council had asked the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to get involved in the dispute.

Last week, a Siptu spokesperson said the union was ready, willing and able to engage but, as advised to the council both verbally and in writing, we require sight of the proposal that is being referred colloquially as Plan B before we engage with the WRC.

One of the organisers of tomorrows demonstration, Mags McKenna, told The Echo that when Ballincollig was incorporated into Cork city in 2019, it had a working fire station and was promised an equal to or better service after the boundary extension.

Ballincolligs population and that of our wider community of places like Ovens, Aherla, and Kilumney is over 20,000. We need a full-time service.

Ms McKenna said it was hoped people would turn out in big numbers to show support and demand the full-time reopening of the station.
Railway enthusiasts were treated to a rare spectacle of a steam train departing Corks Kent Station on Monday.

Onlookers could have been forgiven for thinking they were watching the Orient Express but the steam train billowing out of Cork was making its way to Kilkenny after an epic around-Ireland trip conveying 200 lucky passengers.

The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland is a voluntary organisation and a registered charity, explained spokesperson Fergus McDonnell.

We are a North South society with the bulk of the heavy engineering done in Whitehead, County Antrim, he said. The Steam Dreams Rail Company from the United Kingdom have chartered our train to take 200 passengers around Ireland.

We spent two nights in Galway, three nights in Killarney with a local trip to Tralee and Cork, and we are now on our way to Kilkenny for one night, and lastly one night in Wexford before returning to Dublin on Thursday, May 11.

The classic engine and carriages transport three classes of passenger: Pullman, Premier Dining, and Standard.

Some 75 per cent of the passengers are from the UK with the remaining 25 per cent from the USA.

We are using Craven carriages built in the early 60's and decorated with curtains, carpets, lamps, tablecloths and antimacassars, added Mr McDonnell. They were withdrawn in 2006 by Irish Rail.

The locomotives involved are the No. 85 Merlin, a Great Northern loco built in 1932 and withdrawn in 1963.

It was one of the express engines that ran between Dublin and Belfast. Also, the No. 131 was a Great Northern loco built in 1901 and withdrawn in 1963.
DONATIONS and messages of support have been flooding in for a five-year-old girl from Ballincollig who recently received a cancer diagnosis.

Emma Molnars mother, Renata, noticed the little girls elbow was swollen when she arrived home from school on March 16 .

Her arm was very sore. She couldnt straighten it, Renata recalled.

Emma was brought to Cork University Hospital (CUH) on St Patricks Day and an X-ray flagged cause for concern. After MRI and CT scans, Emmas parents, Renata and Balazs, were told their youngest daughter had a form of cancer.

The CT scan showed that Emma had a tumour on her right adrenal gland. It also showed that she had some cancer spots in her bone marrow.

Doctors at CUH liaised with counterparts in Childrens Health Ireland in Crumlin, where Emma was sent the following day for further tests and a biopsy to determine the type of cancer. Two days later, the Molnar family were informed that Emma had neuroblastoma, a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells found in several areas of the body, and most commonly impacts children aged five or younger.

Emma was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a form of cancer, earlier this year.

Emma will receive treatment for the next 18 months, including every 10 days until June 10.

On June 20, Emma will undergo surgery to remove the tumour, followed by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and blood transfusions.

Despite the testing circumstances, Renata said her daughter remains a funny and very happy girl, who continues to make her parents and her two sisters, Hanna and Bella, laugh.

Emma will celebrate her sixth birthday on May 22, and hopes to have a rainbow-themed party to mark the occasion.

Emma (black jacket) pictured with her parents and older sisters.

Upon hearing the news of Emmas diagnosis, neighbours of the Molnar family came together to help, and established a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Emma and her family. The Molnar family were originally reluctant to set up a fundraiser but were swayed by the outpouring of support for Emma.

So far, more than 11,000 has been raised to keep Emma smiling through treatment.

See Lets keep Emma smiling through treatment on gofundme.com to donate.
A 30-year-old Cork woman who risked her health to swallow packages of heroin worth 2,800 to transport the drug from Dublin to Cork has been jailed for another 12 months.

Patricia Hogan was originally sentenced at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to 18 months with the last 12 months suspended for possession of heroin for sale or supply having carried the drugs internally on the Dublin/Cork train.

It has now been brought to the attention of Judge Catherine Staines that the young woman failed to comply with the terms of the suspension of the main part of the sentence.

Judge Staines revoked the suspension and said she would have to serve that sentence. However, the judge said that as soon as a rehabilitation place became available for Ms Hogan at Coolmine treatment centre she should be released from prison to take it up.

The original sentence of 18 months with 12 months of that suspended was imposed on November 11 2022. 18 days later she was released from prison on a temporary release programme. She was required to come under the direction of the probation service as a condition of her release but she failed to do so.

Judge Staines was told that the accused was contacted numerous times by the probation service but failed to come under their direction.

Paula McCarthy defence barrister said the defendant unfortunately had chronic addiction issues. Ms McCarthy said that when the young woman was caught carrying the heroin internally it was an offence she was committing for someone else.

Patricia Hogan told Judge Staines she had come off heroin and wants to get into residential treatment in Coolmine.

I am clear eight months, the defendant said in court.

Judge Staines told the accused that being a serving prisoner now should speed up her chances of getting into Coolmine.

Detective Garda Linda OKeeffe said the offence was detected on October 21 2020.

On that date gardai observed Patricia Hogan of no fixed address getting off the Dublin train at Kent railway station in Cork.

She was arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act. She was taken to the Bridewell garda station and detained.

"During her time there two packages of diamorphine concealed on her person were detected. The packets weighed just over 20 grams and had a street value of 2,800. Gardai were quite concerned for her health.

Defence barrister, Ms McCarthy, said: She had concealed the drugs internally. She was in the company of a man. She was under the control of this man. Effectively, she was being used as a vessel to transport the drugs and there was an element of fear.

Ms McCarthy BL said Patricia Hogan had a chronic heroin addiction.

When this proposition was put to Det Garda OKeeffe she replied: Absolutely. She became unwell in the Bridewell and she passed the two packages of Diamorphine. She had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.
A WEEKEND that offers passionate entrepreneurs the opportunity to network with mentors and share ideas with other start-ups is taking place in Cork City this month.

Founder Weekend is organised by the National Digital Research Centre, the national accelerator programme for globally ambitious tech entrepreneurs in Ireland, and is aimed at those who are at idea stage with a business or start-up.

Over the weekend, attendees will be immersed in a creative, team-oriented environment at Republic of Works dynamic co-working space, which is home to the likes of global venture capital firm SOSV, cybersecurity startup Vaultree, and internet data extraction company Zyte.

By the time participants complete the 48-hour event, they can expect to be equipped with a well-developed start-up concept, a diverse and supportive network, and a new level of entrepreneurial knowledge.

Eshna Gogia, programme manager at Republic of Work, said: Wed really encourage anyone whos interested in starting out to attend.

Participants can attend tailored workshops covering scripting a start-up pitch, shaping an impressive pitch deck presentation, and customer development. They can also hear from successful Irish entrepreneurs who can share their experiences.

Judie Russell, founder at The Vidacademy and one of the 2022 Founder Weekend winners, said: We had the pleasure of participating in Founder Weekend last year and it was a game-changer for our business.

The weekend was incredibly engaging and provided us with invaluable insights that we continue to apply to our business strategy today.

Founder Weekend takes place at Republic of Work from May 26 to 28, kicking off on Friday at 6pm and wrapping up that Sunday afternoon.

The deadline to apply is May 21. To submit an application, visit ndrc.ie/founder-weekend
SOME call it chance and others coincidence - you know, when events or developments happen in a seemingly random manner, and then amazing links occur often in an unusual but positive way.

Like what happened me in Lourdes one year.

There I was in the Accueil (Hospital) one afternoon between ceremonies. A friend of mine said an elderly lady staying with us on the Cloyne Pilgrimage wanted to see me. The smiling, white-haired woman in her eighties asked me was I John Arnold. When I said I was, she bade me sit by her bedside.

She told me her name was Eileen Prendergast, a retired nurse, from Conna - just six miles from Bartlemy. She held my hands as she told me an amazing story.

In early September of 1961, she had been working in St Stephens Hospital, Sarsfield Court in Glanmire. She went on to tell me that on Thursday, September 7, she was on duty in the ward where my father Dan was a TB patient.

As my tears welled up, the lady explained the circumstances of his death on that fateful day. I was stunned that nearly half a century on, I met for the very first time the person who was with my father when his life came to an end at the age of 48.

We both cried as we hugged each other. I live in Bartlemy and she in Conna, yet here we were meeting hundreds of miles away in Lourdes - was that by chance or was it serendipity?

Dada had planned a trip to Lourdes in 1962 but never got there. Mam went many, many times and I found her dead in her bed in 1996 - a few days after she returned from Lourdes.

Eily and myself became great friends, a friendship that lasted til her death a few years ago - I regularly visit her grave in Castlelyons.

Happenings like this can be dismissed as pure coincidence, and sure maybe so, but I look on such events differently. Doris Day had a grand song Que Sera, Sera, What Will Be, Will Be, and theres no denying that, but Im always amazed and intrigued by the way things happen and are linked in a most unusual fashion.

Take last Saturday, for example. With the past few months, members and friends of my GAA club, Bride Rovers, have been deeply involved in a huge fundraising campaign for Grounds Development in Rathcormac.

More than 100 of us were auditioned to participate in mini versions of seven classic films. For six weeks we practised and rehearsed - and raised money - as we prepared for the film crews to arrive from Dublin.

Four films were shot on location in the last weekend of April. Last Saturday and Sunday the remaining three, The Field, Michael Collins, and Bridesmaids were finished. Its been a huge community effort, and in essence its been like a two-month long carnival or festival.

On Saturday afternoon, Michael Collins was being filmed in and around Bartlemy Cross. Collins was born near Clonakilty in 1890. The following year, another Irish revolutionary leader, Diarmuid Hurley, was born near Kilbrittain. Two great West Corkmen who played key roles in the Irish War of Independence.

Ive no record of any meetings between Collins and Hurley, but its almost certain that between 1918 and 1921 their paths would have crossed at some stage.

Collins worked in London and Hurley in Scotland. After a term in Belfast, Diarmuid took up employment in Midleton in 1918. He joined the Volunteers and, as well as being a Company Commander, he became Commander of the East Cork Active Service Unit - the Flying Column of the IRA.

He was with his Column in Clonmult in early 1921. He left their base in Garrylaurence on the morning of Sunday, February 20, 1921. Later that afternoon, the Column were surrounded and 12 Volunteers shot dead. Hurley was heartbroken and deeply traumatised.

Just three months later, Hurley was shot dead just outside Midleton when a joint patrol of RIC and Black and Tans spotted him. His body was taken to Kellys house in Carrigogna. It was here that a local woman, Lena Clohessy, recited the Rosary in Irish as she knelt by Diarmuid Hurleys bloodied body.

Lena was the daughter of John Clohessy and his wife Mary Anne Russell - a relative of renowned 1798 pike-maker, Padraig Dubh Hegarty. Lenas family name varies from Clohessy, Clahissey to Clohissy.

Since the 1700s, the family have been employed in the milling industry as spinners and weavers. They worked at the Bluebell (Bartlemy) Mill of Fieldings - later Quinlans - and also in Ballincurrig, Midleton, Blarney and Dripsey.

For many generations, the Clohessys have been buried in the hilltop cemetery of Gortroe in Bartlemy. The cemetery was in sight of Bluebell Mill, where the family toiled for decades. The oldest recorded date on their Gortroe headstone is May 6, 1735, when Denis Clahissy died.

So, last Saturday afternoon a large crowd was present at Bartlemy Cross as that famous Michael Collins rousing speech scene was being filmed. Collins implored the crowd to fight for Irish freedom and asked If I am gone, who will take my place? On Saturday we shouted with gusto We will, we will - and then the RIC arrived and broke up the meeting.

It was only a film, but I can tell ye, it was really highly charged and emotional to be there actually re-enacting that episode in Collins fight for Irish freedom.

A few takes were all that was needed before the crowd moved down to Bartlemy Parish Hall for the next scene.

I had to leave the Cross around 4pm to make the short journey over to Gortroe cemetery for a funeral. As I drove down to Bluebell and up the hilly road to the cemetery, I thought of Collins and of Diarmuid Hurley too.

Pat Clohessy, who was laid to rest in Gortroe Cemetery last Saturday.

The funeral had just arrived from Midleton. It was the last journey for Pat Clohessy, coming back home to his final resting place with his ancestors. Pat was a nephew of Lena who said the prayers for the murdered Hurley in 1921.

I got to know Pat about 20 years ago and he was so proud of his family connections with this area and always said when his time came, Gortroe was where hed be laid to rest. We gave him a good send off.

That was last Saturday, May 6, 2023 - exactly 288 years to the very day since Denis Clahissy had died - a coincidence or fate or what?

I bade farewell to Pats family and headed back to Bartlemy. The filming of Michael Collins was still going on in the Hall. The scene being shot was the bitter, divisive Dail debate on the Treaty.

Yes, Saturday was a day Ill never forget, and Michael, Diarmuid, Lena and Pat are still in my thoughts and prayers.
Kenneth Fox

Irish Rail has announced a new apprenticeship programme which allows applicants to earn while they learn.

The rail operator launched its 2023 apprenticeship campaign on Thursday and said "our apprentices are trained to the highest possible technical standards in an extremely safety conscious environment.

"Iarnrod Eireann is a proud dynamic leader in the transport network  our depots are state of the art and our fleet is expanding with growing passenger numbers."

The company said it has "exciting projects" in the pipeline to help improve and expand rail infrastructure in Ireland providing more frequent, reliable, and safer journeys.

Irish Rail is looking for applicants that enjoy practical work and working with their hands. Apprentices will get opportunity to earn an academic qualification while they work.

Successful applicants will also be required to travel and work across the rail network.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNar3RiRLWU

The company is seeking ambitious female and male apprentices to join its team across four trades: Apprentice Heavy Vehicle Mechanic, Apprentice Fitter, Apprentice Electrician, and Apprentice (OEM) Original Equipment Manufacturing.

Anyone interested in the opportunity can visit the Irish Rail website to find out more information on the requirements to apply.

Applications close on Monday, May 15th.

Placements will commence in September 2023 and applicants must be at least 16 years of age on or before the September 1st, 2023.
WE are still going strong after 30 years, says Glanmire woman, Madge Fogarty, who set up a support group for women with Post Natal Depression (PND), having suffered it herself.

Covid was difficult, adds Madge. There were no face-to-face meetings, or no coffee mornings. We relied on Zoom and WhatsApp. I worried the group might fall apart, but thankfully, it didnt.

Post Natal Depression Ireland was founded in the early 1990s by Madge.

It has gone from strength to strength. There was no support back then for women and their families going through PND.

We are a Peer Support Group, all of us having gone through PND. I founded the group after suffering severe PND.

All mums know the biological, psychological and social changes that occur after the birth of a baby. We all know about the pressures of new motherhood and the silent struggles that people can endure.

Madge knew all this too. Even though she wasnt a first-time mother, she succumbed to postnatal depression after the birth of her second son, Shane, now aged 32. Shanes brother, Thomas, is 34.

I suffered from very bad postnatal depression, (PND), after the birth of Shane, says Madge, the Founder and Chairperson of Postnatal Depression Ireland (Cork).

It was over 30 years ago, and this was an illness that wasnt talked about except in hushed tones, adds Madge, speaking about the condition that affects an estimated one in six Irish mothers.

Madge had nowhere to turn.

I felt so alone and isolated, she recalls.

I felt that nobody understood, and I would have given a fortune to be able to talk to someone that had been there.

Information was scarce.

There was no information, no internet, or no source of support back then, says Madge.

PND is scary.

I felt like I was losing my mind and going mad, says Madge.

I knew that a bout of the baby blues was normal and would go away in a few days or a week. But six to nine weeks after Shane was born, I still wasnt eating or sleeping. I found it hard to face the day.

Post Natal Depression Ireland, 30th Anniversary, held in the City Hall Cork. Pictured were Madge Fogarty (Founder) signing the visitors book with Cllr. Deirdre Forde: Lord Mayor of Cork, alongside PND supporters: Marion Harman, Geraldine Kenneally, Lillian Skillington, Jessie Shea & Ellen O'Rourke. Picture: Siobhan Russell

What kind of symptoms did she experience?

The black anxiety was the main problem, says Madge.

Believe me, it is a very scary place to be.

What was her first port of call?

I went to my GP who prescribed anti-depressants, says Madge.

The side effects of the tablets made me feel even worse. It was really a terrible time. I wondered if I was ever going to get better. I tried homeopathy; I thought there must be a miracle cure somewhere.

Was there?

I had up and down days, says Madge. When I had one good day I said; this is it, Im going to get better. Less than an hour later Id be down a black hole again. It was like a rollercoaster.

Madge always hoped she could find somebody to speak to, to share her experience.

It was like people were ignoring you. I always hoped Id find somebody to talk to, another mum, another person who had been there. Tablets were not the answer.

Madge decided that if she ever got better, she would start a group that would help people ike her.

In those dark days, I vowed that if ever I recovered, I would start a support group, says Madge.

I felt back then, and I still feel strongly now, that its just not right women are treated so badly.

They are often made to feel ashamed and a failure simply because they develop PND. There is so much pressure to be super-mum or super-dad.

Madge was ready for action.

In 1992, I held my first public meeting in the Imperial Hotel, she says.

I was terrified nobody would turn up but the biggest ballroom in Cork was packed.

The meeting was a great success and the PND group was launched.

My dining room was my first office and after four years I moved to the Erinville Maternity Hospital where I started the group with a physiotherapist. Two years later, we moved to St. Finbarrs Hospital for 11 years and we are now based in the CUMH administration building.

We were a voluntary organisation running on a shoestring, depending on donations and our own fundraising. When we received our first grant of 300, we were over the moon.

Mums came to the meetings in their droves for advice and tips on how to tackle PND.

Dads were welcome to attend too, says Madge.

Now we have funding which is grant-aided. And we were grateful to be given a slot in the ante-natal classes in CUMH where we inform parents about PND.

For more than three decades, Madge has been making others feel safe.

I get great satisfaction from helping women and their families, she says.

PND can be very serious. Sadly, women have lost their lives due to this illness.

Pictured are Madge Fogarty (Founder of PND) with Cllr. Deirdre Forde: Lord Mayor of Cork, alongside PND supporters: Marion Harman, Geraldine Kenneally, Jessie Shea, Lillian Skillington & Ellen O'Rourke. Picture: Siobhan Russell

ONE WOMANS STORY

Joining the PND group changed Jessie Sheas life. Originally from Canada, she now lives in Carrigaline.

Ailbhe is a year old, says Jessie. I joined the PND group before I gave birth, which is unusual. I was already struggling with depression.

I picked up a brochure about the PND group at the maternity hospital when I was attending for an appointment. I had my first PND meeting on Zoom two days before Ailbhe was born. That was a co-incidence and was really great, says Jessie.

There were a few people on the Zoom meeting that were new like me.

It was good to connect with other people who felt like I did. And one of the big benefits was when we could meet in person, I met other people suffering from PND. Listening to others, I thought, that sounds exactly like me.

You find that you are not alone, that others are experiencing the same things.

Jessie found that PND was all-encompassing, and it zapped her energy.

I didnt feel like doing anything, she recalls. I had no interest in anything.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

PND doesnt last forever, you can get better if you get help, says Jessie.

I go to coffee mornings once a month which are very social, and the official meetings are two weeks apart. Im also on a WhatsApp chat group which is really nice. I like the fact that now I can help and support other people who suffer from PND.

Madge wishes every county in Ireland had a PND support group.

After 30 years, we are still the main support group in Ireland, she says.

Some see the meetings as a night out to talk and let it all out.

Over 30 years, Madge has helped thousands of women beat PND.

All mums that have been through PND can come out the other side with peer support, says Madge.

It is vitally important that women talk to each other in confidence.

Madge is proud of her achievements.

We pride ourselves on being there, she says.

You cant beat the interaction and the questions and answers. It is good for partners to attend the meetings too. Often men can zone out.

Madge says PND Ireland has been like her third child.

My husband and sons have supported me over the years, she says.

PND Ireland has been my (very demanding) third child.

Id like also to thank the majority of people in the HSE, and our many volunteers who have been supportive over the years.

Helpline: 021-4922083

Website: www.pnd.ie
New speakers for Planet Textiles 2023

MILAN  More new speakers have been announced in the lead up to the opening of the 11th edition of Planet Textiles, which kicks off on June 12th at ITMA 2023 in Milan.

Alessia Scroccaro, sustainability specialist, at the Benetton Group will be joined by Christian Tubito, material innovation lab director at fashion group Kering, Begona Garcia, senior product manager at denim technology specialist, Jeanologia and Jia Liu, global sustainability director, at testing house TUV Rheinland Group.

The event is taking place at ITMA once again after a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other speakers already announced include: Amina Razvi, CEO, Sustainable Apparel Coalition; Delman Lee, vice chair, of Hong Kong apparel firm TAL Group; Pascal Brun, head of sustainability at H&M; Sophie Mather, founding director, The Microfibre Consortium and Kurt Kipka, chief impact officer at the Apparel Impact Institute.

Further speaker details can be found HERE.

Planet Textiles will once again provide the opportunity to collaborate and work towards driving collective action, change and progress within the sector and will explore the following key themes: Collective action on climate change; the data of sustainability; decent work for all; the nature of sustainable fashion; and changing legislative landscapes.

Organised by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and run in partnership with MCL News and Media, publisher of Ecotextile News, the 11th edition Planet Textiles will for the first time take place over two days from 12th  13th June at ITMA 2023, the worlds largest international textile and garment technology exhibition, inside the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition centre in Milan, Italy.

The two-day event will bring together textile and apparel organisations, industry leaders and stakeholders with a commitment to drive sustainability improvements throughout global supply chains.

As usual, Planet Textiles will bring together brands, retailers, NGOs and textile suppliers to figure out the most sustainable way forward for our industry in a rapidly changing legislative landscape that's going to shake-up the whole textile sector, said John Mowbray, founder of both Planet Textiles and Ecotextile News.

If you are serious about finding a way for your brand, retail outfit, or textile company to stay competitive while implementing new, mandated environmental solutions, then you need to be at this event  because this is where you will find all the key solutions to tomorrows way of doing business.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Major Italian oil company Eni is facing the countrys first climate lawsuit, brought by twelve Italian citizens, Greenpeace Italy and Italian advocacy group ReCommon.

The plaintiffs claim the energy company with headquarters in Rome knowingly contributed to climate change by using lobbying and greenwashing to push for more fossil fuels despite having known the risks they posed since 1970, reported The Guardian.

The urgency of taking action against the climate crisis has prompted us to bring the first climate lawsuit in Italy against the countrys largest energy company, Matteo Ceruti, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told DeSmog.

The plaintiffs  which include the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the development bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.p.A., both influential shareholders of Eni  are claiming past and potential future damages, saying Enis policies violate the Paris Agreement, a press release from Greenpeace said.

ENI scored record profits in 2022, yet it continues to invest in expanding its fossil fuels business, dismissing climate impacts and ignoring local communities in Italy and around the world who are suffering the consequences of the climate emergency, said Chiara Campione, head of the climate unit at Greenpeace Italy, in the press release.

Greenpeace Italy and ReCommon uncovered a study from between 1969 and 1970, commissioned by Enis own Isvet research center, that warned of an imminent climate crisis that could result from the burning of fossil fuels and the resulting accumulation of carbon dioxide in Earths atmosphere, DeSmog reported.

[C]arbon dioxide in the atmosphere, according to a recent report by the U.N. Secretary, given the increased use of [fossil fuels], has increased over the last century by an average of 10 percent worldwide; around the year 2000 this increase could reach 25 percent, with catastrophic consequences on climate, the report said.

DeSmog discovered that Ecos, a company magazine put out by Eni, repeatedly referenced climate change in the late 1980s and 1990s, while at the same time promoting natural gas  the main component of which is planet-warming methane  as a clean fuel in advertising campaigns.

ReCommon and Greenpeace Italy also uncovered a 1978 report, Environment and Exhaustible or Renewable Sources of Energy, by Enis Tecneco company that warned of the danger to the climate the increased risk of fossil fuels posed, with a prediction of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by the year 2000.

It is assumed that with the increasing consumption of fossil fuels, which began with the industrial revolution, the CO2 concentration will reach 375-400 [parts per million or ppm] in the year 2000, the report said, according to DeSmog. This increase is considered by some scientists as a possible long-term problem, especially since it could change the thermal balance of the atmosphere leading to climate changes with serious consequences for the biosphere.

It turns out that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the planets atmosphere rose from 325 ppm to 371 ppm between 1970 and 2000.

The lawsuits citizen plaintiffs come from areas suffering from drought, rising sea levels, coastal erosion, glacial melt and other climate change impacts, the press release said.

The region where I live, Piedmont, is already suffering the effects of dramatic drought, as the very low level of rainfall recorded this winter show[s], a problem that is likely to get worse in the future, said plaintiff Rachele Caravaglios in the press release. I dont think its fair that Italys main energy supplier, of which the state is the largest shareholder, can continue year after year, an investment program that goes against what the best available climate science recommends, limiting our options to create a sustainable, resilient and equitable future for all.

The plaintiffs are also demanding that Eni revise its industrial strategy so that emissions are reduced by a minimum of 45 percent by 2030, compared to 2020 levels, in order to pursue efforts to keep the average temperature increase worldwide below 1.5 degrees Celsius, as stated in the Paris Agreement.

They are also demanding that the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance adopt an ambitious climate policy as a guide to keep its company engagement in accordance with Paris Agreement goals, the press release said.

These findings reinforce and add to the pattern found in previous research: oil majors understood the catastrophic effects their products would have on the world, yet failed to warn the public, concealed their knowledge, denied the problem, and obstructed efforts to solve it, said Ben Franta, a senior research fellow at the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme, as The Guardian reported.

The number of climate cases around the world has more than doubled since 2015 to more than 2,000, according to the press release. These actions have increasingly been filed by non-governmental organizations and individuals asserting the rights of those suffering from the impacts of the climate crisis.

I am suing ENI and the state-owned entities that control it because their strategies do not comply with the Paris Agreement in terms of CO2 emissions. ENIs actions exacerbate the climate crisis, worsening impacts for me and for the region where I live, Polesine. Near the Po Delta, the sea will advance more and more into our lands, and as the salt wedge rises. [W]e risk finding ourselves living in a desert or being forced to abandon our home and our land, said plaintiff Vanni Destro in the press release.
On May 9th, in the Zhongqiao area of Jingxian County, which is the core area of the Yangtze Alligator National Nature Reserve in Anhui Province, staff uses a drone to aerially survey the habitat of Yangtze alligators On May 9th, within the Zhongqiao area of Jingxian County, the core area of the Yangtze Alligator National Nature Reserve in Anhui Province, the wild Yangtze alligators are sunbathing. On the night of May 8th, investigators conducted patrols in the Changle area in Jishan Town and Yijiang Town within Nanling County. "Last year, an adult Yangtze alligator crawled onto the road, blocking the vehicles. The people immediately called me. The local community of the nature reserve has taken the responsibility of protecting the Yangtze alligator seriously." On May 9th, Wang Yonghua, an ecological patrol officer, told the staff conducting the Yangtze alligator field population survey in Changle District located within the Jishan and Yijiang towns in Nanling County, Wuhu City. In order to fully grasp the population dynamics of Yangtze alligators in the wild, the field survey of Yangtze alligators in 2023 jointly conducted by the Anhui Yangtze Alligator National Nature Reserve Administration and the School of Life Sciences at Anhui Normal University was launched on May 8. The survey is divided into two phases. The first phase is from May 8 to May 12, and the second phase is from May 13 to May 15. A "carpet-style" survey will be conducted on the habitat of Yangtze alligators and ponds where wild Yangtze alligators may exist in five counties (cities, districts), including Xuancheng's Xuancheng District, Langxi County, Guangde County, Jingxian County, and Nanling County. "May and June of each year are the mating season of Yangtze alligators, during which it is easier to spot them," Professor Yan Peng from the School of Life Sciences at Anhui Normal University told reporters. Since the 1980s, ten Yangtze alligator surveys have been conducted. This is a comprehensive survey of wild Yangtze alligator resources after 2021 and 2022.
Its been ten years since Fairphone launched with the laudable goal of making a better phone than its competitors. Not better in the spec-list sense, but by building it with greener materials and ensuring that they are easily and comprehensively repairable. More importantly, the company has sought to improve the working conditions of the people building the devices in the first place. Thats by paying fairer wages or offering workplace training and other benefits that major manufacturers might be unwilling to do. All the while attempting to produce gear that can at least stand proud alongside brand-name devices costing two or three times as much.

Now, Fairphone is launching its first pair of over-ear headphones, Fairbuds XL, with the same focus on utility and repairability. The company says theyre the most sustainable headphones on the market, with almost all of the parts user-replaceable and available to buy. They cant just be repairable and last a long while, however, they also have to sound good enough that youll genuinely want to use these over what else is in the market. Specs-wise, you wont just get the basics, but active noise cancellation (ANC), multiple audio modes, two-point Bluetooth connection and a two-year warranty thats likely to include hardware support for a lot longer.

The Fairbuds XL are available either in speckled black or speckled green. I was loaned the green model for two weeks, and while the black looks like every other dull-ass pair of cans on the market, the green is utterly gorgeous. I love the orange contrast cabling and the lovely pop of copper on the four-way joystick, and enjoyed walking around in public with these on.

The design, with its visible wire connections and fold-in arms, is a generation or two behind the cutting edge. You know, your Sony XM5s and B&W Px7s and Bose QC45s, with hidden wires, hinged earcups and an overall more elegant setup. I dont think its an issue unless youre suffering from a serious case of status anxiety, but if you are, youre probably not thinking about buying these.

As for the hardware, theres the aforementioned four-way joystick, a dedicated ANC lozenge button and a USB-C port, and thats it. This minimalism carries across to what else is in the box: A recycled polyester / nylon carry bag and a little paper manual. Theres no USB-C charging cable, audio adapter or anything else, since Fairphone assumes you already have this stuff, or can just as easily buy it from its store.

Daniel Cooper / Engadget

Fairbuds XL comes with 40mm dynamic drivers, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and an Ambient Sound Mode. It has an 800mAh battery which the company says will last for 26 hours with ANC or for more than 30 hours with it switched off. Youll get around 320 hours of standby time and, once thats exhausted, charging from cold is pegged at three hours. Supporting Bluetooth 5.1, Fairbuds XL offers dual-point connectivity, letting you hook up and switch between two paired devices. This switching was mostly reliable, although I found there were some device combinations  like an Android smartphone and my mac OS laptop, that it simply refused to play nicely with. Weighing 330 grams (11.6oz), the cans dont outstay their welcome on your head, or your ears. The earcups are soft enough that Im not forced to take them off because theyre uncomfortable.

Inside, those 40mm diameter drivers have a frequency response running from 20Hz to 20KHz. That puts it in the same bracket as a number of low and mid-budget sets on the market, of which this probably sits at the higher end, price-wise. Since it lacks any real background in sound, Fairphone sought out help from Sonarworks, a sound calibration company that works with a number of pro audio companies and artists. Its SoundID software will let users calibrate their audio profile to tweak how sound comes out of their headphones for a more personalized experience.

Now on the whole, I do rather like the sound that comes out of the Fairbuds XL. Im not a massive fan of some of the genres which modern audio tests calibrate for, preferring instead something calmer, cleaner and more atmospheric. One thing Ive always used to test a headphones quality is to see how well you can hear the breaths of the horn players during Finale from the Tron Legacy soundtrack, which are really clear here. Or how alive Max Haymers piano feels when playing his jazz reworking of Optimistic that you think youre in the room. London Grammars Stay Awake feels urgent, more meaningful here than in some headphones Ive tried.

The ANC, meanwhile, was very reliable at drowning out a lot of the ambient noise in my office, inside and out. It totally eliminated the sound of my own typing, the sound of a vacuum cleaner, the building work a nearby neighbor was doing and a crying baby out in public. The one time I had an issue with it was taking a stroll around my local area and getting a face full of wind, but theres no strong wind setting in the mobile companion app like youll find on other products.

In order to offer a greater level of customization, Fairphone is also launching a Fairbuds App for iOS and Android. This will allow you to change the EQ presents  tuned by Sonarworks  for a similar level of tweaking as you could find in SoundID. The app also offers the usual bunch of guides, tutorials and access to customer service, as well as the promise of future software updates. Youll also be able to order replacement parts directly from the app, which should help prompt you to seek out a fix if things start to go wrong.

There are four sound profiles: Amsterdam (standard), Copenhagen (more treble), Tokyo (more bass) and Boston (heavy bass). Ill be honest, I found that only really Amsterdam and Boston offered much real difference, and even then, the changes werent massive. In fact, Id say that Id opt for Amsterdam over Boston even if I was listening to something pretty bassy like Lows More, with its wonderfully teeth-rattling glitchcore overdriven bass. Suffice to say, I feel like the sound profiles need to be more distinct here, but its something that Fairphone should be able to improve upon in the coming months.

Daniel Cooper / Engadget

Of course, Fairphones obligation stretches beyond the idea of simply making the hardware modular and repairable. The company says Fairbuds XL uses 100 percent recycled aluminum, 100 percent recycled tin in its solder paste and 80 percent recycled plastic. It added that it has integrated Fairtrade Gold into its supply chain, and uses 100 vegan leather for both the ear cushions and headband.

In terms of working conditions for the people who made them, the company will pay 0.55 USD per headphone made to fill the living wage gap of production line workers. And that it is working with the supplier on improving working conditions based on workers needs. It will also back carbon-reduction projects to help reduce CO2 emissions to ensure the headphones are essentially climate-neutral.

These are all laudable, but even Fairphone serially admits that the effort it makes can only make a small difference in the grand scheme of things. Its work is limited both by its size and relatively small market share, which means that it cant do everything that it would like to. As much as it can say its producing the fairest device on the market, it cant claim ownership of a halo that it doesnt deserve. The best it can hope for, however, is to try and push the technology world toward approaching a more sustainable approach for its products.

(This is a good moment to share a gripe about the companys True Wireless Earbuds, which it launched alongside the Fairphone 4. These are made with fair and recycled materials, and were dubbed as e-waste neutral, but werent modular or repairable. Given most TWS earbuds have sealed-in batteries, they become effectively unsalvageable when they break. Fairphone offered replacement cases, tips and buds, but it seemed to join the tide as opposed to swimming against it. With the Fairbuds XL, the focus has moved back toward an audio product that sails closer to Fairphones true ethos)

Fairphones overall ethos is that its products are  with the above exception  user-repairable, and easy enough that anyone should be able to take them apart and keep them going for years to come. The company has already shared a list of parts you can buy from its online store, which includes a new battery, left and right speaker modules, headband assembly and cover, as well as the ear cushions. Prices range from 19.95 (around $22) for the battery all the way to 79.95 (around $88) for a new speaker module, which connects to the setup with an integrated USB-C cable.

As for the ANC selection button, four-way joystick and the specific PCBs inside the earcups, those can be repaired, but right now, only at the companys repair center. This, to me, seems pretty fair, since users probably wont be comfortable taking a soldering iron to their cans. The deal is that you can swap in modules to keep this thing going for as long as possible, but if you want to keep it going with completely-original parts, youll need more expert help.

Fairphone customarily ships out its loan units for review with an iFixit #00-size Phillips-head screwdriver in the package. This is because it wants reviewers, and by extension potential buyers, to know how easy it is to take apart its products and put them back together. Imagine if Apple, Samsung, John Deere or any of the other companies that are regularly behind anti right to repair legislation had a similar attitude. As usual, I didnt start disassembling the Fairbuds XL until Id spent enough time listening to them, just in case something broke, but I needn't have worried.

The easiest repair to make is swapping out the battery, which requires you to pop off the outside cap on the left earcup. If youve got strong fingernails, you can lever out the battery and swap in a replacement in half a minute if youre on the slow side. Removing the ear cushions to replace them is similarly a matter of just twisting them a quarter-turn to unlock them from their mounts. This is easy stuff, which makes it all the more frustrating that most companies wont let users make these sort of common repairs.

Feeling braver, I then opted to detach the speaker modules from the headband in their entirety to mimic the process of replacing one. You just need to pop out the battery, twist off the ear cushions and then you can slide out the USB-C cable sticking up top. After that, you need to unscrew just two small screws which hold the whole assembly to the headband. The process took all of two minutes, and that was probably because I was going slow to avoid messing up.

Fundamentally, the Fairbuds XL follow through on the usual Fairphone promise of a modular, almost infinitely-repairable device. It has many of the necessary fundamentals to make them a worthwhile purchase for many people, including good ANC, long life and a comfortable design. What it lacks, for now, is a certain dynamism in its sound profiles that would give users more choice in how tunes are presented. Thankfully, thats something that could be fixed in a later update, which is something that Fairphone has historically been very good at doing. In fact, if youre happy with very good sound, and want to help make the world a slightly better place in doing so, then Id say these are a very solid bet.

The name is a bit silly, however.

Fairbuds XL will be available to buy in Europe from tomorrow, May 11th 2023, on Fairphones website, priced at 249 (around $275).
Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Elizabeth Packard was a woman ahead of her time, who dared to challenge societal norms and fight for her own autonomy. Unfortunately, her progressive views and strong will were seen as a threat to her husbands authority, leading to her wrongful confinement in a psychiatric hospital for three years.

Born in 1816 in Massachusetts, Elizabeth married Theophilus Packard in 1839, and together they had six children. Despite being a devoted wife and mother, Elizabeth did not agree with her husbands strict interpretation of religion and believed in womens rights and the abolition of slavery. Her views and actions, including publishing her own writings, teaching Sunday school, and speaking out against her husbands religious beliefs, angered Theophilus, who saw her behavior as a betrayal of her marital duties.

In 1860, Theophilus had Elizabeth declared insane and committed to the Illinois State Hospital for the Insane without a trial or a medical examination. Despite being deemed sane by the hospital staff, Elizabeth remained confined for three years due to her husbands influence and the prevailing societal belief that women were subservient to men and could not be trusted to make their own decisions.

During her confinement, Elizabeth advocated for herself and other womens rights, writing and publishing a book about her experiences called The Great Drama: A Poem of the Laws of Spiritual Development. Her case also gained national attention and helped to spark a larger conversation about the need for reform in the treatment of women with mental illness.

Elizabeths strength and resilience, as well as support from her children, eventually led to her release from the hospital in 1863, and she continued to fight for womens rights and mental health reform for the rest of her life. Her legacy serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for gender equality and the need for individuals to stand up against injustice and oppression.
Chris Pettits former Stone Oak abode has hit the market with a $1.6 million asking price.

The 5,300-square-foot mansion on a 3-acre lot at 11 Champions Run is in the guard-gated community of Estates at Champions Run.

The property is being sold as part of the disposition of assets in the disgraced ex-lawyers San Antonio bankruptcy estate. He filed Chapter 11 personally and for his now-defunct law firm in the wake of allegations that he stole millions of dollars from his clients.

Pettit celebrated his 56th birthday behind bars last month. A federal grand jury indicted him in December on five counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering, criminal charges that could land him in prison for years. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held at the Karnes County Detention Facility.

His trial had been scheduled to start later this month but was reset for August, in part to allow more time for plea negotiations.

RELATED: Wells Fargo was 'willing participant' in Chris Pettits scheme to defraud his law clients, suit says

Fred Hutt of Corie Properties Group/Compass RE Texas LLC is the listing agent for the Champions Run property.

The three-story house has four bedrooms, four full bathrooms and a half-bathroom. It also has 2,000 square feet of terraces and five balconies. Other amenities include a pool and three fireplaces.

Its high on a cliff overlooking San Antonio, Hutt said. The view of San Antonio is tremendous.

Hutt also has the listing for Pettits former Alamo Heights mansion at 555 Argyle Ave.  often referred to as the Wedding Cake house because of its tiered design. It was listed for sale for $3.9 million late last year, but the price has since dropped to $3.75 million.

It is among a number of Pettits former real estate holdings and personal items that are for sale or have been sold.

Craig McCasland / CraigMac Visuals LLC

'WEDDING CAKE' HOUSE: Photos: Chris Pettits Alamo Heights mansion on the market for $3.9 million

In December, a mansion Pettit owned in Florida was sold for $8.4 million. His former law office building at 13111 Huebner Road sold for about $2.5 million last month. His main office building, at 11902 Rustic Lane, is under contract for sale at $510,000.

Meanwhile, the latest online auction of Pettits personal belongings is underway at Mel Davis Auctions. Among the items being sold are 5-foot bronze lion statues. The high bid was $3,250 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Bexar County real estate records show that Pettit bought the Stone Oak property for almost $1.1 million in 2006.

He gave up any claims to the property and other assets as part of a compromise with the Chapter 11 trustee administering the bankruptcy case.

Late last year, some creditors and the trustee, Eric Terry, a San Antonio attorney, objected to Pettits assertion that certain assets in the bankruptcy estate  including the Stone Oak house  were his to keep and couldnt be liquidated for the benefit of creditors. Debtors in bankruptcy can claim certain property as exempt.

The assets Pettit claimed as exempt were acquired with money misappropriated from his former clients and affiliates in violation of his fiduciary duties, Terry said in an October court filing.

Even if Pettit could show that he used clean money to buy the Stone Oak property, he abandoned any homestead interest by living in the Florida mansion, Terry had said. And if the Stone Oak house were Pettits homestead, Terry said, the homestead exemption would be limited to $189,050 under federal law.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Despite objections from residents and advocacy groups, Texas environment regulators say their analysis hasn't found grounds to block a housing developers plans for a Bexar County wastewater treatment plant that could release 1 million gallons of treated wastewater per day into an area creek.

The wastewater treatment plant would be built for Guajolote Ranch, a 2,900-home project planned for a 1,160-acre site off the Scenic Loop-Boerne Stage Corridor, northwest of San Antonio. Guajolote Ranch is being developed by Lennar Homes, one of the nations largest homebuilders.

The development would be over the Edwards Aquifer contributing zone, an area that experts consider to be a vulnerable segment of the aquifer. Treated wastewater from the plant would flow into Helotes Creek, ultimately mixing with Culebra Creek and the Lower Leon Creek and running into the Edwards Aquifer. Over 2 million people depend on water from the Edwards Aquifer, a porous limestone cavern system spanning 3,600 square miles.

The San Antonio Water System  the city-owned utility that will provide water for Guajolote Ranch  has signed off on Lennar building a wastewater treatment plant for the development. Municipal Operations LLC, the company hired by Lennar to operate the proposed wastewater plant, submitted its application in May 2022. However, the plant permit also requires approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the states top environmental regulatory agency.

More on Guajolote: 'Not in my water faucet:' Residents step up fight against proposed Guajolote Ranch wastewater plant

TCEQ staffers hosted a public hearing Tuesday night to discuss the proposed subdivision and wastewater treatment plant. Held in a hotel conference room off Loop 1604, the meeting drew an overflow crowd. Some people opposed to the project wore T-shirts with the words Just say no to poop in our creek and held signs and pictures of the creek.

The hearing was often contentious, with residents and environmentalists expressing concerns about what the treatment plant could mean for local water quality.

Based on their analysis and field research, TCEQ staffers said they believe the treated wastewater from the Guajolote Ranch plant would be clean enough to swim in and would not pose any risk to wildlife or the community. Preliminary reviews of the proposed area, streams and discharge found that the existing water quality uses would not be impaired, TCEQ staffers said.

TCEQ staffers also said Lennar Homes and Municipal Operations appear to be following the regulations issued by the agency's water quality division.

John Montgomery of Municipal Operations said that the company operates 75 around the state, and that only one has had issues in the past. Municipal Operations is required to self-report any problems at their plants. TCEQ would perform site inspections at the treatment plant every other year, although additional investigations could be conducted if residents file complaints related to the facility.

Lennar Homes representative said the company had no additional comment.

Residents say they are concerned about potential failures in the wastewater plant's operations that could contaminate the creek.

A number of TCEQ staffers were in attendance, including Joy Thurston-Cook, the water section manager for the San Antonio regional office. Employees from Municipal Operations were also in attendance.

TCEQ staffers said they will go over the information presented at the hearing and send out a response to comments. The final approval decision on the wastewater treatment plan the three TCEQ commissioners and the agency's executive director.

During the meeting, Rashel Haverkorn, 47, expressed concern that there would be no immediate public notice if there was a mistake in operations and an unauthorized discharge. Haverkorn lives in the Chimney Creek neighborhood of Helotes.

So my question is how, as a community, how do we know were safe? Youre telling us that its safe, you can drink it, you can swim in it, but as a community, how do we know when there is a violation that happens? Haverkorn said. How do the rest of us know when it will stop being safe?

The wastewater plant's operators have five days to submit a written report of any failure in the plant or unauthorized discharge. Thurston-Cook said it was likely that a problem would be noticed by the public more quickly than that, and TCEQ would send out an investigator.

More on Environment: Hot car deaths claimed the lives of 8 Texas children last year. Here's how to prevent more.

Residents also expressed concern that the release of treated wastewater could raise the creek's water levels and cause flooding downstream. TCEQ staffers said those issues are beyond the agency's authority to regulate, and suggested residents to reach out to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

About 40 people signed up to speak during the public hearing. San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, the city's municipal health department, also submitted written comments in opposition to the plant.

The health care agency called on TCEQ to release documents related to its environmental review that determined the water quality would not be impaired by the wastewater plant.

Metro Health also said that the Helotes Creek system where the discharge is proposed to occur has been a contamination concern for years. Ron Green, a retired scientist from Southwest Research Institute, conducted a study in 2018 as part of the citys Edwards Aquifer Protection Plan. The study concluded that additional development and wastewater discharge could pose significant risks for Helotes Creeks water quality.

At least three incidents have occurred that have led to human illness in the area, according to Metro Health. One was a wastewater plant three miles from the proposed site, where effluent entered the creek system and residential wells and residents became ill.

Trish Terrazas, a resident from Grey Forrest, said that her home backs up to the creek. She said she, her children and grandchildren have enjoyed swimming there since the family moved in 25 years ago.

Now were being told that we will have up to 1 million gallons of septic water released down our creeks and into our aquifer daily, she said. We will be unable to enjoy our creeks if this is allowed.
When the pandemic first spread across the country three years ago, San Antonio kidney doctor Sayed Tabatabai pictured a world 40 years in the future where COVID-19 was a distant memory, only for deadlier viruses and strains to take its place.

The nephrologist shared the sobering vision as a short story on Twitter, a sci-fi cautionary tale of invisible masks and isolation as told by a nameless 80-year-old physician who, like Tabatabai himself, once fought COVID on the front lines and treated critically ill patients.

The story resonated well beyond Tabatabais Twitter account, @TheRealDoctorT, where it got more than 8,000 likes. He was invited to read the story on National Public Radio.

Now known as COVID-19, 2060, the story anchors his debut book, These Vital Signs: A Doctors Notes on Life and Loss in Tweets (HarperCollins), a collection of more than two dozen short stories Tabatabai originally wrote 280 characters at a time on Twitter. The book is out Tuesday.

READ MORE: Whos eligible for the COVID-19 booster? These are the CDCs latest guidelines.

These Vital Signs arrives just as the World Health Organization has declared an end to the COVID-19 global health emergency. Which seems like a fitting time for Tabatabais original post-pandemic Twitter story to be getting a second look.

That story keeps coming back, he said. People find it, they discover it. They revisit it.

And they have been asking for it in a more reader-friendly format, one that doesnt require scrolling through thousands of tweets.

There were readers on Twitter who would say, 'Is there a way you can collate all of these stories in one place? he said. But also I felt like it was an opportunity to try something new. Twitter is almost like poetry. Its got a very distinctive kind of cadence to it and a rhythm to it. There are not a lot of books like that.

Tabatabais tweeted short stories read like narrative poems, blips on an EKG timeline marking pivotal moments and mentors in the authors early childhood and later medical career.

Most of the pieces are autobiographical. The first two, Humsafar and In His Footsteps, tell the stories of Tabatabais grandfathers from Pakistan, one an ex-army brigadier general who wrote poetry to his wife after she died, the other a principled doctor who once refused at gunpoint to alter an autopsy report.

The bulk of the book traces the people and experiences that shaped his life in medicine. Learning the art of patient care from an old surgeon whose trembling hands steadied the moment his scalpel touched the skin. Falling in love with nephrology, a field he initially hated. And seeing the invisible everyday heroes of medicine who are the food service workers.

There are people, principles, and purpose that nourish our spirits and illuminate the path forward. That show us the signs we look for to find our way. These vital signs, Tabatabai writes in the title story.

RELATED: San Antonio station quits Twitter after Musk labels NPR as 'government-funded media'

Some of the more poignant works are Tabatabais dispatches from the pandemic. The ICU patients lying on their stomachs gasping for air. The running shoes, pets and parked cars the dead left behind. The ghosts in hospital hallways bearing silent witness to a resurgence in cases.

San Antonio was one of the hotspots for COVID-19, Tabatabai said. We were seeing death on a scale in the hospital that we had not really seen before.

Of all the stories in These Vital Signs, only two are fiction: COVID-19, 2060 and The Hand-Holder, a sequel about the 2060 doctors great-grandson, a 22nd century doctor who cares for people too poor to afford an MD, in this case a Medical Device  a cyborg med-tech.

Hand-Holder actually predates Tabatabais Twitter writing. He notes in his book that he didnt begin writing in earnest until he was in medical school and during his postgraduate medical training.

At first, writing was a means of surviving burnout from the rigorous hospital rotations and rote memorization of medical terms and data. Then after he graduated, writing helped preserve his passion for medicine.

Tabatabai started posting stories on Twitter in 2019. The character limit rekindled his passion for writing, each tweet a welcome challenge to pare down his prose to the most essential words. Hes since written more than 100 short stories on the platform.

When asked about future writing on Twitter, Tabatabai let out a long sigh. Twitter hasnt been the same since Elon Musk took it over late last year, he said. What once felt like a free-flowing conversation now seems more disconnected to him.

READ MORE: Some San Antonians keep their blue Twitter checkmarks, as Musk culls legacy verification en masse

I used to say that Twitter felt like an ocean or a raging river. Now it just feels like puddles and lakes that are disjointed and not quite connecting and not quite flowing, he said.

The latest piece in These Vital Signs is The Shoreless Ocean: Life Advice to Students and Learners, a quasi graduation speech to medical students and students of life. In it, Tabatabai writes that med school, much like life, isnt about climbing a mountain alone but swimming in an ocean with others.

Were all unique, but in many ways the things we go through, the things we experience, the things that make these stories resonate are common experiences, universal experiences, he said. The things that bind us together, that unite us, are so powerful.

And, clearly, vital.
The commander of the 19th Air Force in San Antonio, the service's pilot training arm, has been relieved of duty amid an investigation into an unspecified allegation of misconduct.

Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart, who took command of the 19th Air Force in August, was fired "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to lead," an Air Force spokeswoman said.

Stewart was removed by Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, head of the Air Education and Training Command. The 19th Air Force is part of the AETC. Both are headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.

"The Air Force takes any misconduct allegation seriously and is committed to conducting a thorough investigation," Robinson said in a statement.

Robinson offered no detail as to the alleged misconduct.

AETC spokeswoman Marilyn Holliday would not say whether the Air Forces Office of Special Investigations was involved or what the nature of the allegation was.

I cant give you any of that, Holliday said.

She stressed there had not been any finding of wrongdoing by Stewart. I think it is important to note it is alleged, his conduct," she said.

Ronald Cortes / Contributor

As head of the 19th Air Force, Stewart oversaw 32,000 employees and 1,530 aircraft assigned to 17 wings across the United States.

The command is responsible for all flight training operations within the AETC, most of which are located in the southern United States. The 19th leads cadet flight orientation at the Air Force Academy and trains both entry-level and advanced fighter pilots, as well as drone pilots, combat systems officers, and air mobility and special operations combat crews.

The 19th also trains maintenance specialists and provides survival, evasion, resistance and escape instruction.

Stewart was a command pilot with more than 2,600 hours in the air, including more than 600 hours in combat. He flew nearly a dozen types of aircraft, including the F-15C, a twin-engine tactical fighter; the U-2, a high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance plane; the T-37, a twin-engine jet trainer; and the T-38C, a supersonic trainer.

Among other assignments, he served a stint as commander of the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at Balad Air Base in Iraq and was commanding general of the NATO Train Advise Assist Command-Air in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein, vice commander of the 19th Air Force, was tapped to replace Phillips.

It marked the second time in eight years that a 19th Air Force commander abruptly lost his job. In April 2015, Maj. Gen. Michael Keltz resigned as head of the command following an inappropriate comment made in a public Air Force forum.

In 2018, the AETC relieved three commanders at Laughlin AFB because of incidents involving dangerous behavior and a threatening environment.
A professor and former dean at St. Marys University School of Law has been barred from the campus and is under criminal investigation over a students allegation that he sexually assaulted her last fall, court records show.

Texas Rangers and university police on April 12 searched the office of Stephen M. Sheppard, 60, and removed carpeting, a desktop computer and other items, according to court documents associated with the search warrant.

The student, then 23, met Sheppard in his office at 11 a.m. Oct. 6 so he could sign paperwork related to his mentoring role on an extracurricular project, a Texas Ranger wrote in an affidavit requesting the warrant.

As she sat near a round glass table, Sheppard closed the office door and began to rub her shoulders and tell her how pretty she was, according to a statement the student gave the Ranger.

The student said she became uncomfortable and attempted to stand up from the chair but that Sheppard forced her onto the table, bent her over, covered her mouth with his left hand and sexually assaulted her, the affidavit said.

She told the Ranger the sex was not consensual and that when it was over Sheppard instructed her not to tell anyone or it would be bad for her. Then he signed the paperwork she had brought, the affidavit stated. She told the Ranger she grabbed the form and her backpack and left the office in shock.

Courtesy St. Mary's University

Sheppard has not been charged, and efforts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.

Criminal defense attorney Cynthia Orr confirmed that her San Antonio firm is representing Sheppard in the matter.

Gerry and I are very proud to represent Dean Sheppard, and we look forward to his complete vindication after all processes are completed, said Orr, who represents Sheppard with lawyer Gerry Goldstein.

After the alleged assault, the student said, she met with Sheppard again in November so he could sign the same paperwork again, and she saw him around campus in January, which triggered her to report the sexual assault, the affidavit states.

She reported it to Aaron Hanna, St. Mary's vice president of university advancement, and met several times with a Title IX coordinator as the university pursued an internal investigation, which was still ongoing as of early April, the affidavit said. Title IX is a federal law that bars sexual harassment, violence or discrimination at institutions that receive financial support from the federal government.

It was unclear when the student went to law enforcement to make a report, to which agency she went or how the case ended up with the Texas Rangers. The Express-News is withholding her name in keeping with its policy not to identify victims of alleged sexual assaults.

The student said she waited to tell law enforcement because she was scared due to Professor Sheppards background and connections and feared that coming forward would ruin her law career before it started, according to the Ranger's affidavit.

She provided the investigator with emails backing up the time of the Oct. 6 meeting and the clothes she wore that day, which she had already described to him, the affidavit states.

The search warrant was signed by Bexar County Magistrate Judge Celeste Ramirez on April 12, and the Ranger searched Sheppard's office on the second floor of the Ernest A. Raba Law Building the same day. A St. Mary's University police officer witnessed the search.

Among items of evidence obtained were five fingerprints lifted from a table, court records show. The Ranger also listed "swabs" from the table in his inventory. The document provided no detail, but swabs can be used to collect trace DNA or other biological evidence from surfaces.

The university, asked for comment, confirmed that there had been a police search on the campus but has declined to elaborate.

On Wednesday, April 12, the St. Marys University Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety executed a search warrant. We take the safety and welfare of our campus community seriously and are committed to ensuring a fair and thorough investigation, the universitys statement said.

At this time, out of respect for the integrity of the investigation and the privacy of those involved, we will not confirm any names. When appropriate, we will provide additional information.

Hanna informed Sheppard on Feb. 3 that he was not allowed on the St. Mary's campus and ordered that the locks on his office be changed, the Ranger's affidavit said.

Sheppards faculty page has been removed from the university website. The St. Marys chief of police told the investigating Ranger that Sheppard was on administrative leave, according to the affidavit.

Before coming to St. Mary's, Sheppard was a professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville. He lists Picayune, Miss., as his hometown.

He became dean of the St. Mary's law school in 2014, replacing Charles Cantu, who returned to teaching.

Chosen from four finalists for the position, Sheppard really captured the enthusiasm of the entire community with his great energy and charisma, St. Marys President Thomas Mengler said at the time.

In April 2019, Mengler announced that Sheppard was stepping down as dean and would return to the faculty after taking a sabbatical to complete some research projects.

Sheppard holds Juris Doctor and Master of Laws degrees from Columbia University and a Master of Letters from Oxford University. Hes licensed to practice in Texas and Mississippi, and he lists international law, legal history, and constitutional and environmental law among his specialties.
A longtime St. Marys University School of Law professor has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the school, alleging he was denied tenure and wrongfully terminated based on his age and national origin.

Professor Roberto Rosas, 79, is seeking more than $1 million in damages.

Hes been at the university since 1994 but says his employment ends May 31.

A native of Guadalajara, Mexico, Rosas first joined the school as a visiting professor. He later served as a law instructor before becoming a research professor of law, his current position, the university said in a statement.

Rosas annual contracts have been only for nontenured teaching positions, and he has never applied for tenure in his 29 years at the university, a requirement for continuous employment for tenure-line faculty, it added.

Rosas referred questions to his Dallas lawyer, Javier Perez, who declined to comment.

In the complaint, Rosas said Patricia Roberts, dean of the law school, initially indicated that Provost William Buhrman made the decision to terminate his employment. But she later conceded the decision was hers and claimed she made it for economic reasons, the complaint alleged.

The suit called that a false reason, given that a fundraising campaign by the Catholic university brought in $165 million last year, surpassing its goal by $35 million. Rosas current employment agreement, which began Aug. 1, pays him $128,037.

As further proof that the cost of his employment is of no moment, Rosas said in the suit that he is being replaced by a younger white American professor as director of an academic program with connections to Mexico. She does not speak Spanish and is far less qualified than (him) to serve as director of the international program he developed for St. Marys in Guadalajara, Mexico, using the contacts he cultivated over 50 years.

'Strung along'

Rosas expressed outrage over his ouster in a recent email, obtained by the San Antonio Express-News, that was circulated to students and others.

It is incredible that I have been working at St. Marys for almost 29 years and I do not have tenure, something that my former and current students cannot understand, he wrote in Spanish, adding that his termination is a dishonorable and humiliating action for the university.

His departure has sparked an uprising among some 200 students, graduates, at least two St. Marys faculty and others. They attached their names to an April 6 letter of support sent to Roberts, university President Thomas Mengler and others and written by San Antonio attorney Kathryn Klokker.

As the oft-proclaimed law school with (the) second-highest Hispanic enrollment in the United States, it reads as lip service to DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) when the only Mexican, Spanish-speaking faculty member is being pushed out, said Klokker, who graduated from the law school in 2021. The letter was attached as an exhibit to the lawsuit.

Klokker added that Rosas has been strung along by school administrators.

Besides seeking relief in court, Rosas also is reaching out to a higher power  the Catholic Church. He said in the email that he is in the process of filing a formal complaint with an arm of the Holy See. He also said he contacted Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, who spoke to the universitys president. But the president ignored the archbishop, Rosas alleged.

The archbishop was at a retreat in Washington state and not available to respond, a spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio said Thursday.

Tenure track

According to Rosas resume, he earned his law degree from the University of Guadalajara. He went on to earn his doctor of juridical science  the highest law degree  at the Universidad Europea de Madrid in Spain.

Rosas has alleged that he was enticed in 1994 to leave the University of Guadalajara School of Law, where he served as a tenure-track professor, by the promise of tenure at St. Marys by then-Dean Barbara Aldave.

He said he became the first and only full-time law professor in St. Marys history who was born and educated as a lawyer in Mexico and the only one to teach courses in Spanish. He specializes in Mexican law and said he is one of the foremost authorities in canon law, the code of ecclesiastical laws governing the Catholic Church.

Rosas said he established the universitys international program, which includes an annual weeklong program for students to visit Guadalajara to learn Mexican law and meet officials of the country.

Throughout his 29 years at St. Marys, Rosas said, he was refused a tenure-track position while at least three white, non-Hispanic and younger professors were granted tenure. Academic tenure is highly desired because its an indefinite appointment that can be terminated only for cause or under extraordinary circumstances, the American Association of University Professors says.

Klokkers letter detailed a procession of St. Marys deans who supported Rosas getting tenure  Bill Piatt, Charles Cantu and Stephen Sheppard. The Express-News reported Thursday that court records show that Sheppard is under criminal investigation over a students allegation that he sexually assaulted her last fall.

INVESTIGATION: Texas Rangers search the office of St. Marys law school professor and former dean in sexual assault probe

Sheppard was succeeded as dean of the law school in 2020 by Roberts.

St. Marys extended Rosas employment over the years through a series of three-year contracts until 2016, when it offered him a five-year renewable contract, he alleged. When that contract neared its expiration, he said, the university agreed to continue employing him only through the end of the current school year.

The decision not to honor the renewal and terminate his employment came as an absolute shock, he said in the suit, especially since there have been no performance (issues) or other deficiencies.

Rosas said he filed a charge of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Texas Workforce Commission. The EEOC dismissed the charge and issued a right-to-sue notice in late January, the suit said. It was filed last month in state District Court in San Antonio.
NEAR EL PASO, BETWEEN THE BORDER WALL AND THE RIO GRANDE  The scene this week at a sprawling, dusty migrant camp south of the U.S. border was a far cry from the "chaotic" image President Joe Biden envisioned as a COVID-era immigration policy came to a close late Thursday night.

The congregation of about 1,000 asylum-seekers had filed into three orderly lines of families, women and single men, most seated on blankets in the dusty terrain bordered by razor wire on one side and the imposing steel bollard wall on the other. The group at Gate 40 functioned on an honor system that could only have been implemented by people with a shared goal and deep understanding of one anothers struggles  a border patrol van would arrive at irregular intervals to pick up a few dozen asylum-seekers for processing, and the camp would applaud. Then a group from the next line would take their place at the front, and so on, said migrants who spoke with the Houston Chronicle.

After Title 42, a pandemic-era policy that allowed officials to quickly turn away migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border under the guise of preventing the spread of COVID-19, was set to expire Thursday night, border officials will revert to policies that impose harsher consequences for people turned away and make it longer to process people's documents. Under another new policy rolled out Wednesday, asylum-seekers who do not apply at ports of entry and who have not already been denied asylum in another country will be barred from entering the United States.

TITLE 42 EXPLAINED: How the end of Title 42 impacts Houston

Federal officials believe up to 13,000 people may begin crossing every day once Title 42 expires, but nothing at the camp Wednesday night suggested a mass crossing would happen the moment the policy lifted.

Alejandro Jesus Bago, 44, had spent seven days at the camp between Juarez and the Rio Grande with his wife and six children and grandchildren. Hed waited patiently as his family slowly inched up the line, and with Title 42 set to expire at about 10 p.m. local time Thursday, he had finally secured a place near the front. But there was no telling how many vans might come in the next 24 hours. After a harrowing journey from Venezuela, through seven countries to this waiting line, he was nervous that they wouldnt be allowed in before more stringent policies took effect.

Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Bagos family, like most in the camp, sat with their backs to the gusty winds that sent thick clouds of dust flying through the air, caking everything in sight and lodging sand in peoples eyes and throats. He contemplated trying to build a life in Mexico and lamented the circumstances that had led him to this point.

I wouldnt recommend this to anyone, but I dont regret it because I have to do whats best for my kids, to make sure they have the best quality of life they can have, Bago said in Spanish.

MORE ON TITLE 42: With Title 42 ending, here's where migrants at the southern Texas border are coming from

Several people in the camp echoed Bagos nervousness about their chances of getting in before Title 42 expired. Some said they would simply linger between Juarez and the Rio Grande while they attempted to submit their application through the notoriously glitchy CBP One app. Others said they would leave it in Gods hands. No one said they would attempt a mass crossing or anything of the sort.

If people tried to cross they would just get deported. After everything weve invested, all the money weve spent, just to be deported? said Ilian Suarez, a 21-year-old from Venezuela. It would all be for nothing.

By Thursday morning, the camp where hundreds had been awaiting entry had been cleared and a border official said the migrants, many of whom had been waiting for days, had all been taken to be processed.

Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Just across the wall in El Paso, Roner Santana wasnt thinking about the upcoming changes as he lay under an American Red Cross blanket in the shade of the Sacred Heart Church, where thousands of migrants have gathered for sanctuary over the last several months after crossing from Ciudad Juarez. He only knew what he had been told by the border agents who had processed and released him: He was required to check in regularly with immigration authorities, and that he had one year to voluntarily remove himself from the country.

He might not wait that long. Santana, 26, said that after he jumped the wall, he headed to Sacred Heart Church, but was intercepted by law enforcement officials who beat him and jailed him for four days. He didn't know what law enforcement agency apprehended him. When he eventually arrived at the makeshift migrant camp sprawling around the downtown church, he heard jeers from locals who shouted that he and other migrants were not wanted. Santana, a wiry, affable young man, is now confronted with a difficult choice  he can't go home to Venezuela, where economic and political instability left him without the means to feed his wife and two children, but he doesnt want to stay somewhere he isn't wanted.

Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Thousands of people, many from Venezuela, have already crossed into El Paso in recent weeks to escape oppressive political regimes and insurmountable economic hardship at home. Thousands more wait in encampments across the border in Juarez for their chance to enter; it's unclear how many will attempt to cross once Title 42 is lifted, or when they might try. Immigration authorities in El Paso have already begun clearing space for a possible rise in entries.

This is the time, El Paso, for us to live up to our reputation of welcome and hospitality, said Mark J. Seitz, Bishop for the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, in a tweeted video. The parish already has four shelters and is planning on opening a fifth one.

Santana believes he was targeted by officers for his tattoos, but what they didn't realize is that the name tattooed on his neck, Rosianny Sofia, is that of his late 3-year-old daughter, who died in a Venezuelan hospital because doctors couldn't access the medicine she needed. He is determined to make sure his other two children do not suffer the same fate and is contemplating where he may go next. Canada, he says, is an option.

Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

"I don't feel free here. I came here with an American dream, I thought it would be different," Santana said in Spanish. "My American dream finished when they gave me that paper (telling me to leave) and the whupping that I got."

Santana was one of maybe 100 or 200 people camped at Sacred Heart Church Wednesday after border officials came through a day earlier, handing out flyers in Spanish that promised to set people on the "correct immigration path" if they voluntarily turned themselves in. Many people took them up on the offer, seeing a way out of limbo; others held back for fear that it was a trap.

It was, as it turns out, a bit of both. Yeiser Ramirez, 34, turned himself in Tuesday with a group of 13 people fearing he would be arrested and removed from the country if he did not. He, along with seven of his compatriots, were granted parole, with notices to appear in immigration court as far in the future as 2027.

The other five people he'd come with were deported, Ramirez said, though he was unsure why he was permitted to stay while others were not. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday that the department is ramping up deportation flights, which have been used by the dozens to remove migrants each week.

Ramirez sold his house and his car to provide for his wife and kids in Venezuela, but it wasn't enough. He started to cry thinking of all that he'd left behind.

TIMELINE: 40 years of U.S. border policy, from Reagan and Bush to Biden

"I came here for a better future for them," said Ramirez, who previously worked as a trucker. "I'm going to try to get a job (as a truck driver), but the truth is I'll do anything for them."

Glimmers of happiness peeked through, however, in the shelter kitchen adjacent to the church, where a group of Venezuelan women cooked up scores of their native arepas for the camp's 2 p.m. lunch under the loving supervision of volunteer Amelia "Mama Coco" Lopez Patrykus, who once stood in line for meals from the shelter herself, when she emigrated from Jalisco, Mexico, more than 20 years ago.

Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Traditional Venezuelan dish, arepas de pollo, is prepared and served by Sacred Heart Church volunteers. Some of them are Venezuelans who recently migrated into the United States on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in El Paso. (Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer) Traditional Venezuelan dish, arepas de pollo, is prepared and served by Sacred Heart Church volunteers. Some of them are Venezuelans who recently migrated into the United States on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in El Paso. (Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer)

For Patrykus, 64, working at the shelter's kitchen Monday through Friday is a way to both honor her husband, an activist who died last fall, and occupy her mind with something other than grief.

"This lets me give back, so I'm not just sitting at home thinking about him," she said.

The Venezuelan volunteers laughed and sang along to Reggaeton hits blaring from an old school boombox, shredding chicken that would later be stuffed into the cornmeal pockets sizzling on a nearby grill.

"It's a great bit of fun," said 30-year-old Pamela Iriarte. "And there's not enough of that around here.

The following morning, the crowd had thinned out and none of the people interviewed by the Chronicle were present at the site.
BERLIN (AP)  German police have detained a suspect in connection with an explosion at a residential building that injured dozens of first responders on Thursday, some of them seriously, officials said.

Police said two officers and three firefighters received life-threatening injuries in the blast at a high-rise building in the town of Ratingen. Four firefighters were seriously injured and 22 police officers suffered minor injuries, they said.
Change is a constant in life, and this is true in criminal justice.

People often evolve over decades, and so has societys understanding of what constitutes a just sentence. Too often, however, our criminal justice system works like an assembly line, with the prosecutor who sent a person to prison unable to re-examine the case many years later.

Texas lawmakers are considering a proposal to align the criminal justice system with current practices and account for changes that have occurred over time. Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing, or PIR, is a tool that would allow Texas prosecutors to look back and review certain cases in the interest of justice. In doing so, they would be carrying out their role as protectors of public safety and ministers of justice. Only after consulting with victims would there be an opportunity for resentencing in appropriate cases.

What constitutes an appropriate case? Consider, for instance, an elderly person whose physical condition and prison record indicate he or she is not a threat to public safety, or perhaps a person sentenced in their youth and completed many rehabilitative programs over decades behind bars. Another case worthy of reconsideration might involve a person whose sentence is based on an outdated, or even repealed, law.

Prosecutors should only consider invoking PIR if they determine a sentence is disproportionate based on current law and practice, as well as new knowledge regarding the facts of the case. For example, women have been identified in Texas prisons who were victims of human trafficking, which was not known or taken into account at the time of their sentencing.

Even if the threshold of an unjust sentence is met, however, the risk to public safety must be considered. Age is one key factor in this analysis. Research shows age correlates with risk while also contributing disproportionately to health care costs. After a court order required Maryland to release 188 geriatric people from prison, only three percent were reincarcerated. More than 10,000 people in Texas prisons are 60 years or older.

By providing light at the end of the tunnel, PIR incentivizes positive in-prison behavior, deterring incarcerated people from disciplinary violations and motivating people to enroll in education courses, job training, substance abuse treatment and other rehabilitative programming.

Legislation from Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, would allow  but not require  district attorneys to review certain sentences, on a case-by-case basis, that were legal and appropriate at the time of sentencing, but that may no longer serve the interest of justice or public safety.

Victims would be integral in the process. The House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee unanimously approved the bill last month. Under Texas law, victims would be given notice and the opportunity to participate in any court hearing triggered by PIR.

At such a hearing, it would be a judge who must make the final determination on resentencing, providing another layer of discretion. Other states that have implemented PIR, including Louisiana and Washington, have shown it has not been a burden on courts, with less than one percent of the incarcerated population having cases reopened.

This process would complement the work of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, or BPP. Unlike people eligible for parole, no one would be entitled to a PIR review. The tool is designed for a select number of cases and, unlike parole reviews, is limited to those where the prosecutor concludes the original sentence was unjust. Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing also can address cases where mitigating evidence not considered at sentencing becomes available.

Finally, this proposal comes amid broad support for targeted reconsideration of sentences that exceed 10 years. The nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice Task Force on Long Sentences, a group of 14 prosecutors, public defenders, crime survivors and other experts from across the political spectrum, examined data on long sentences and in March recommended limited second-look opportunities. A key basis of its reasoning was new statistical modeling showing that the vast majority of people who have served a decade or more in prison could have been released earlier without compromising public safety.

Texas has long been a leader in adopting smart criminal justice reforms that right-size the prison population and strengthen public safety. Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing builds on that tradition by creating a limited and precise tool to advance justice and maximize limited public safety resources. In so doing, we recognize that justice is not a permanent destination at which we arrive, but an ongoing pursuit to which we aspire.

Hillary Blout is the founder and executive director of For The People and a former prosecutor. Marc Levin is the chief policy counsel at the Council on Criminal Justice.
Immigrants are too often imagined as an invading force or a threat to be controlled and subdued. This week, the Texas Legislature was set to consider House Bill 20, authored by Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, which would imprison undocumented immigrants and create a state-sponsored police force immune from criminal and civil liability.

Thankfully, the bill died in committee. But on Wednesday, the House passed House Bill 7 and House Bill 800. Language from HB 20 was added as an amendment to House bill 7, authored by state Rep. Ryan Guillen, R-Rio Grande City. House Bill 7 would fund several border and border-security initiatives. House Bill 800 would increase the criminal penalties for certain criminal conduct involving the smuggling of persons, the operation of a stash house, or evading an arrest or detention.

As a Christian and minister of word and sacrament in the Presbyterian Church, I must respond to continued proposed legislation targeting immigrants. The Bible repeatedly commands Gods people to care for immigrants. In Deuteronomy 10:18, Scripture teaches that God loves the foreigner residing among you. In Matthew 2, the Gospel recalls that Jesus was a refugee infant, fleeing political persecution. In Hebrews 13, the Bible commands us to show hospitality to strangers.

While Scripture calls us to welcome and aid the stranger and the immigrant, these bills could result in widespread discrimination, not only against immigrants but also against American citizens and legal residents whose skin color, accent or language are perceived as foreign.

While Scripture calls us to treat strangers and immigrants with justice, House Bill 20 would have established an unregulated militia with police powers that answer neither to local governments nor the people.

While Scripture commands us to not bear false witness against our neighbors, House Bill 20 would have criminalized and imprisoned immigrants as trespassers and terrorists. It could have caused the arrest and prosecution of Christian congregations, church mission groups and Christian aid agencies providing food, clothing or shelter.

No one should feel unprotected in their homes or communities. Yet these bills do nothing to protect immigrants. If anything, they add vulnerabilities and dangers to the lives of those living on the border, especially to those doing Christian ministry. Are we prepared to have people arrested because their faith leads them to love the stranger and welcome the immigrant? Are we prepared for pastors and lifelong church members to be arrested by unregulated military forces for living out the tenets of their Christian faith? Does Texas oppose our First Amendment freedoms as people of faith?

I, too, am an immigrant, a naturalized citizen of the United States. But here, I am writing as a Christian pastor, recalling that Abraham was an immigrant who left his home in response to Gods call. Hagar, Sarah, Ruth and Rahab were immigrants. Joseph and Mary were immigrants who fled with their son Jesus to Egypt. The earliest church was a church of immigrants from all over the Mediterranean world (Acts 2). Immigration is not a hot-button issue for Christians because the church has always been an immigrant community.

Let us answer our holy call to shelter and support the strangers and immigrants among us. Let us raise our voices as Christians calling lawmakers to act with justice and compassion.

Rev. Dr. Margaret Aymer is a minister of word and sacrament of the Presbyterian Church, (U. S. A.) and a minister-member of Mission Presbytery.
With the $5 million verdict against Donald Trump for sexual abuse and defamation in the E. Jean Carroll trial, the #MeToo movement comes full circle.

Trumps election in 2016, after hed been heard boasting of sexual assault on the Access Hollywood tape and accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women, set off a tsunami of female fury. That fury powered the Womens March. It inspired countless women  some of them previously apolitical suburbanites  to put their lives on hold and throw themselves into activism or to run for office themselves. And that fury, that intolerable sense of incredulous disgust and civic violation, was the spark that set off the #MeToo movement, as women, unable to do anything about the abuser running the country, turned their energy toward those in their own institutions, including the entertainment industry. Ive long been convinced that Trump was the reason revelations about Harvey Weinstein led to a nationwide paroxysm.

The #MeToo movement is why Carroll wrote the memoir in which she revealed that Trump violated her in a Bergdorf Goodman changing room in the mid-1990s. As the riotous, sickening stories of #MeToo surged across the country, I, like many women, could not help but be reminded of certain men in my own life, she wrote. The movement is the reason that in 2022, New York passed the Adult Survivors Act, which created a window during which sexual assault survivors could sue their attackers even beyond the statute of limitations. (The movement is also the reason the bill was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, not a disgraced Andrew Cuomo.)

Carrolls lawsuit was one of the first filed under the Adult Survivors Act. And because of her perseverance, Trump will, for the first time, face legal accountability for his treatment of women. Because of the #MeToo movement, the man who started it all gets some measure of comeuppance.

The trial itself was a test of how much #MeToo has changed the culture. Carrolls lawyers asked a jury of six men and three women to understand why someone whod suffered sexual abuse might keep quiet for decades, why she might not remember the date the assault happened and why her trauma might not manifest in predictable, easily legible ways.

Trumps lawyer Joseph Tacopina, on the other hand, tried the case as if #MeToo hadnt happened. He badgered Carroll about why she hadnt screamed, why she hadnt called the police, why she hadnt gone to the hospital. He asked Jessica Leeds, who testified that Trump had groped her on an airplane, whether she ever recalled telling the man to stop or say no or anything like that?

I spent a few days in the courtroom, and honestly, I worried that this retro tack might work with a couple of the jurors. One of them, a 31-year-old security guard, had said he got his information mainly from podcasts like the one hosted by far-right figure Tim Pool, whom Trump invited to the White House in 2019. But clearly, the jurors did not find the Trump teams defense, such as it was, persuasive, since it took them only a few hours to decide against him.

Yes, its odd that the jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse but not rape, which is what Carroll accused him of, and Trumps defenders may cling to that as a fig leaf of exoneration. But what matters is that for the first time, a court has affirmed what the women who reacted with stunned horror to Trumps election have always understood. Hes not just a misogynist. Hes a predator.

Im not naive enough to think that Republicans will now stampede away from Trump. Id rather have a president that isnt found liable for battery, Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican, told reporters, but its not a disqualifier. Had the case gone the other way, however, it would have been a great boon to Trump, burnishing his reputation for impunity. Instead, its a reminder that theres a legal onslaught coming at him and it cant be deflected with lies, bluster and wishful thinking. Trumps election made it seem that the allegations of so many women were unimportant. Carroll forced it all to matter. I only hope his other antagonists are as valiant.
The largest Army post in Texas is now Fort Cavazos.

The former Fort Hood, outside Killeen, gained a new identity Tuesday in a ceremony that changed its name from that of a controversial confederate general to one that honors the Armys first Hispanic four-star general, Richard E. Cavazos.

Fort Cavazos is one of nine installations around the country dropping their Confederate namesakes in favor of exemplars who did not take up arms against the United States in defense of slavery. The changes also better reflect the nations and militarys values and diversity.

There never should have been ties with the Confederacy, but there were, and severing this association has proved enormously challenging. At Fort Cavazos, the rebranding offers a fresh start and a step away from a troubled namesake and difficult history. Its also a small step in the much larger battle to create a culture of dignity and respect thats free from harassment and violence. On this front, the military has much work to do.

On ExpressNews.com: Who was Kingsville native Richard Cavazos, the namesake general of the renamed Fort Hood?

Born in Kingsville and raised on the King Ranch, Cavazos attended Texas Technological College before earning his Army commission. He fought in Korea and Vietnam, earning numerous decorations for bravery in combat, including two distinguished service crosses and two silver stars. He retired from the Army in 1984 after 33 years of service. In 2017, Cavazos died in San Antonio at 88.

He was a soldiers soldier. He wasnt a commanding officer that flew around in a helicopter and directed battles. He was down on the ground with the troops doing the maneuvering and taking control, Mel Brav, 80, of San Diego, Calif., told the Express-News. Brav served as a lieutenant under Cavazos in Vietnam. He was a soldier that the men could identify with because where the men went, he went.

By contrast, the posts former namesake, John Bell Hood, was a traitor and white supremacist who was ultimately relieved of his command after major defeats during the last year of the Civil War.

Despite that history, tens of thousands of soldiers assigned to the post have served bravely and honorably around the world in peacetime and at war.

Their legacy has been tarnished by spasms of evil and violence that have plagued the post for years. The name change doesnt free the 340-square-mile installation, which is home to 35,000 soldiers, of a past that includes mass shootings, murders, suicides, and other violent crimes.

On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: More than a name change needed at Fort Hood

The post came under heavy scrutiny after Spc. Vanessa Guillen was murdered there in 2020 after revealing to her family she had been sexually harassed. An investigation following her death found a permissive environment for sexual assault and sexual harassment at Fort Hood.

The Express-News has also reported that at least 101 soldiers have died on and off post since 2020. Forty-four were suicides. The suspected suicides of two female soldiers in March remain under investigation.

During the ceremony Tuesday, soldiers carried away the Fort Hood garrison flag and raised the new Fort Cavazos flag in a symbolic changeover. The gesture offers optimism for the posts future and challenges those serving at Fort Cavazos to live up its namesake  a charismatic, fearless leader of integrity who loved his soldiers.

Throughout our nations history, Hispanic and Latino servicemembers have served with valor and distinction  despite, at times, facing discrimination at home and abroad, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said after the naming commission announced Cavazos selection. I hope the new Fort Cavazos will be a welcoming community that our service members and military families are proud to call their home.

On ExpressNews.com: Whats in a military base name? Now, it will be honor.

Castro cosigned a letter from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to the naming commission recommending several Latino military heroes, including Cavazos.

The commission that was formed in 2021 recommended the name changes, and in an October memo, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed the services to remove the names, symbols, displays, monuments and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America.

U.S. military installations, he wrote, are powerful public symbols, and their names should inspire all those who call them home, fully reflect the history and the values of the United States, and commemorate the best of the republic

May Cavazos legacy inspire everyone connected to the post now bearing his name.
Some Texas Republicans are refusing to take up a bipartisan plan to transform special education funding in the state unless private school vouchers are included. The stalemate has puts hundreds of millions of dollars at stake for schools as they struggle to keep up with a mounting number of special education assessments.

BACKGROUND: Texas House votes to block school vouchers, clashing with governor, Texas Senate

The reforms, recommended last year by a group of state lawmakers, include more money for transportation and in-class services around dyslexia and other disabilities, as well as increased funding for assessments of students with special needs, which have exploded in recent years while also becoming more expensive to carry out.

Those changes are now in jeopardy as part of a larger voucher fight between the Senate, which supports using public dollars to fund private education, and the House, which has been more hesitant on the issue.

Andrea Chevalier, a lobbyist with the Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education, said the special education reforms are being held hostage by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the GOP-led Senate, so long as a voucher measure doesnt pass the House.

Our really positive change weve been talking about for probably over five years, now its being held hostage if we dont accept a voucher, she said. Well just get nothing. How does this help anybody?

A spokesman for Patrick did not respond to a request for comment.

MORE: Texas House and Senate at odds on pay, vouchers as school funding push intensifies

The infighting reached a boiling point Wednesday night when House members blocked the chambers Public Education Committee from holding a last-minute meeting on a revised voucher bill, which would scale back eligibility to low-income or special education students.

The committee is still pushing forward, however, and plans to now meet next week, though its unclear whether they have the votes to move the proposal out of committee, let alone pass the full House. Public comments wont be allowed at the hearing.

Many districts already are operating their special education services at a deficit, while the number of students identified for those services is expected to continue to grow as the result of policy changes in recent years. Public school advocates warn the situation could soon become a crisis.

Larger school districts have been most affected, and several, such as Houston ISD and Austin ISD, already have faced sanctions from the Texas Education Agency for failing to meet their special education obligations under federal law.

The entire special ed funding model needs to change, Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said Monday. Bettencourt was a member of the Texas Commission on Special Education Funding, which recommended the reforms, and is authoring them in the Senate.

But his bill includes a voucher-like education savings account policy, which parents could use to pull their kids out of public school and place them in private schools.

Bettencourt said vouchers can give families of students with special needs more options. If you get in a situation where they need to go get help, we just need to get the government out of the way so they can go get help, he said.

The commission last year did recommend that the Legislature consider vouchers, but by a split vote of 4-3.

This is an area that I hope everyone can agree with the education savings accounts, Bettencourt said. These are special needs children and families that have tremendous burdens.

Public education advocates oppose vouchers in any form, warning they will drain funds from public schools. Students also surrender their federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act rights when they depart a public school for a private one, a concern among many advocates.

'Weve found a whole lot more kids'

Between the 2012 and 2021 school years, total enrollment in Texas public schools increased by about 7.5 percent, while the number of identifications  when districts or charter schools find that a child qualifies for special education services  increased by about 38 percent.

Much of this dates back to 2016, when a Houston Chronicle investigation found the Texas Education Agency had been enforcing a secret cap on districts for number of special education students they could assess. TEA ditched the cap the following year, opening the door for hundreds of thousands of students to receive special education services who had not been.

In 2018, the federal government penned a letter to TEA informing the agency that it was failing to properly find all the students who needed special education in the state. If it didnt shape up, the letter warned, Texas could lose federal grant money.

Since then, according to TEA officials, the agency has ramped up the amount of pressure it places on school districts to find all the kids who require special education services, as well as the amount of resources, technical support and programs for districts to help them meet the need.

Weve found a whole lot more kids, a much larger percentage of kids, than we did previously, Justin Porter, a TEA associate commissioner, said of the results.

And as the number of assessments and identifications have gone up, the cost for the districts doing those assessments has increased, too. Because of an ongoing labor shortage in Texas schools, there arent enough diagnosticians to run the assessments, so districts are forced to contract out the work, which is more expensive than paying someone internally.

Porter and Jennifer Alexander, a deputy commissioner at TEA, acknowledged that theres still a large gap between how much districts spend on special education and how much funding they receive from the state and federal governments. Although this is not true of every school district, they said, and larger districts are more likely to be running a deficit than smaller ones.

You have no idea what to budget because some kid could move in that needs a really expensive service that you dont have in your plan, Porter said, noting that by federal law, public schools arent allowed to take this under consideration when enrolling a student. You just figure out what the kid needs and then you give it to them, and then somehow you figure out how to pay for it.

The number of kids receiving special education in Texas is likely to start increasing even faster because of a 2021 decision from the State Board of Education to align the states policies around handling dyslexia with the requirements of federal law.

The effect is for dyslexia to be treated more like other learning disabilities, said Audrey Young, a Republican member of the elected state board and the director of student support services at Nacogdoches ISD.

I do not feel, based on my involvement in the special education world, that it has ever been funded 100 percent, Young said. Students with learning differences are oftentimes seen as an expenditure to the district instead of an excellent opportunity to improve a childs life.

In the 2014-15 school year, there were about 126,000 dyslexia identifications in the state. This school year, there have been 302,621, a more than 140 percent increase. And the TEA officials said the number of identifications is likely to continue to increase.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON  The White House is bracing for what President Joe Biden expects to be a "chaotic" end to a public health order used to turn away migrants millions of times since the COVID-19 pandemic began, even as officials say they have spent years preparing a border management strategy to replace Title 42 when it lifts Thursday night.

The last major piece of the plan was finalized on Wednesday as the Democratic administration rolled out a new rule barring asylum seekers who do not apply at ports of entry, or who have not already been denied asylum in another country.

That change, aimed at reducing illegal border crossings, is a major shift from longstanding asylum rules, and a throwback to a similar policy pushed by former President Donald Trump. It also represents Biden's approach to the border in a nutshell: Expanded legal pathways to enter the country, coupled with harsher consequences  in this case a five-year ban on entry  for those who do not follow them.

RELATED: Texas Democrats gut GOP-backed citizen border patrol bill with late-night tactic

Officials say the full strategy, which is controversial among Democrats, will take time to gel. Border patrol facilities and community shelters are already strained along the border, where potentially hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers are expected to try to cross in the coming weeks.

"We're doing all we can," Biden said this week. "It's going to be chaotic for a while."

Border patrol has logged as many as 9,000 crossings daily in recent days, and officials have said they expect that to rise to 10,000 or more a day.

In downtown El Paso, Sacred Heart Church has become a nexus for the thousands of asylum seekers who have arrived in recent weeks, with many sleeping on sidewalks under makeshift tents made from tarps and Red Cross blankets. Volunteers handed pizza to the hundreds of people gathered there Tuesday night, some of whom walked the streets without shoes.

EXPLAINER: The end of Title 42 will impact Houston more than many cities. Here's how and what to expect.

Jorge Benites, a 35-year-old man from Venezuela, said he had made a treacherous journey through the Darien Gap in Central America and faced intimidation from cartels and police as he traveled through Mexico.

Dont judge us immigrants as bad, dont think we come here to do harm, Benites said in Spanish. We only come for opportunity in this one life we have to make progress for our children, our parents.

The administration is surging resources to screen migrants, including some 1,500 active-duty troops, 1,400 Department of Homeland Security personnel and 1,000 processing coordinators. With the Title 42 rollback looming, long lines have formed at border patrol facilities in El Paso, and Customs and Border Protection officials have handed out flyers encouraging migrants to turn themselves in to "be placed in the correct immigration proceedings."

The federal government has sent more than $330 million in emergency management funding to communities for shelters and other services, including $38 million heading to San Antonio.

LATEST: Gov. Greg Abbott makes public show of sending more troops to border

Officials are also working to increase the frequency of deportation flights, dozens of which have been used to remove migrants each week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday. The administration has also launched digital advertising campaigns in Central and South America and in the Caribbean to communicate that those who unlawfully cross the U.S. border will be presumed ineligible for asylum, subject to expedited removal and barred from reentry for at least five years.

Mayorkas said the next few weeks stand to be "very difficult," and that the anticipated rise in crossings will place "an incredible strain on our personnel, our facilities and our communities with whom we partner closely."

"Our plan will deliver results, but it will take time for those results to be fully realized," he said.

BACKGROUND: Biden is sending 1,500 troops to border as COVID-era restrictions on immigrants are lifted

'It's going to get ugly'

The Texas National Guard, meanwhile, said Monday that it activated 545 service members at locations around Texas to reinforce the border mission in anticipation of the end of Title 42.

Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted a video Wednesday showing Texas National Guard soldiers and Department of Public Safety troopers physically blocking migrants  including several young children  from entering the U.S. near Brownsville. The video showed troops with razor wire at the top of an embankment and a line of migrants wading in the river.

"Great work by Texas National Guard and Texas DPS," tweeted Abbott, who has sparred publicly with the administration over its immigration policies. "Biden sent 1,500 troops to the border to do paperwork. Texas deployed trained soldiers and troopers to take real action and respond to this crisis."

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican who represents a vast swath of the border from San Antonio to El Paso, said that every border sector in his district is already overwhelmed. He said he has spoken with local officials in both big cities and smaller communities along the border who say they are already over capacity.

And many more migrants are on their way. Gonzales said the president of Guatemala told him last week that 80,000 were passing through the country on the way to the U.S.

"Its already at a breaking point," Gonzales said. "You give it five days, its going to get ugly."

Experts say time and space will be among the biggest struggles once Title 42 lifts.

The order, which was put in place by Trump at the beginning of the pandemic, allowed border patrol to turn away most migrants quickly, sending them back to Mexico in a matter of hours.

The standard removal proceedings that were in place before Title 42 and will be back in place after it lifts can take days, which can lead to cramped border patrol facilities and long backlogs. Those turned away under the standard proceedings, however, face harsher consequences, including a five- to 10-year bar from entering the country and potential jail time for those who cross the border illegally multiple times.

"Title 42 allows the U.S. to quickly expel people back to Mexico, and that is why it was efficient," said Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, a policy analyst at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. "Even though border patrol has increased its capacity, it is still not likely to be enough for the flows were seeing today and likely to see increase.

"When the numbers pile up, when border patrol takes longer to process migrants, thats going to delay the system as a whole and youll likely see more migrants at some point be able to come into the U.S.," he said.

The Biden administration has already begun to release some migrants from overcrowded facilities without setting court dates, NBC News reported Wednesday. Mayorkas said that is only a "fraction" of those who have been apprehended, and that Customs and Border Protection screens and vets every individual in custody.

He blamed Congress for refusing to provide more funding or act to reform the immigration system.

"We are taking this approach within the constraints of a broken immigration system that Congress has not fixed for more than two decades and without the resources we need  personnel, facilities, transportation and others  that we have requested of Congress and that we were not given," he said.

Sam Gonzalez Kelly contributed reporting from El Paso.

ben.wermund@houstonchronicle.com
Roof joists are being prepared for a new house being built in the Ironwood subdivision in Billings, Montana. (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan)

Two of the biggest legislative priorities to start the 2023 session in Montana  addressing housing and prison space and upgrades  came down to a flurry of work done in the final days to try to find compromises, though leadership from both parties said they feel the body could have done more specifically to try to fix Montanas housing issues.

House Bill 819, sponsored by Rep. Paul Green, R-Hardin, during the final weeks of the session became the lone vehicle for several bills that had either died or languished along the way dealing with workforce housing for the prison in Deer Lodge and the hospital in Warm Springs, a housing infrastructure loan program, a land trust use study, and a multi-million bump toward the low- and middle-income housing program run through the permanent coal tax trust fund.

But all of it nearly died in the House less than half an hour before the Senate voted to adjourn, as members of both parties voiced opposition to various parts of the bill and voted the conference committee report for the bill down 49-50.

Some Republicans said they were opposed to parts of the bill about using land trust parcels for possible state employee housing and to the last-minute changes to the bill, which contains around $175 million in spending. Democrats said the conference committee made the bill worse and disregarded amendment proposals they said were reasonable to ensure some of that money would be used for long-term affordable housing instead of just extra general housing built by private companies.

But several lawmakers said at the late hour  the House would vote to adjourn about six hours later  the bill was the last option lawmakers had to go home and tell their constituents that they did something to addressing housing needs, which were seen by many lawmakers as their top priority this session because of the lack of affordable housing and skyrocketing property taxes.

Weve spent the last four months massaging this thing, bringing it together. It was a bipartisan problem that affects every single part of the state, and I feel very blessed to have been able to carry this bill, to be able to work with people from both sides of the aisle, Green told the House in his closing remarks on the conference committee report.

This helps everyone and its a great opportunity for us to look at our constituents when we go back and say, Ive done something; weve done our part. Now let the free market reign. There is a provision in here that does exactly that. The free market has that opportunity to build itself. Were giving them the vehicle; theyre going to put the fuel in it, he added.

The House would reconsider its action on the vote, and would pass the conference committee version of the bill on second reading later that afternoon, and then on third reading in a final 58-38 vote  with a mix of Republicans and Democrats opposed to it.

The bill creates a $106 million revolving loan fund that the board of investments will invest that could go toward infrastructure development to try to create more housing with a minimum gross density of 10 units per acre; puts $50 million toward a community reinvestment plan account so community reinvestment organizations can buy down mortgages for workforce housing; sends $6 million toward deed-restricted state workforce housing near Deer Lodge and Anaconda and sites of other state-run prisons and hospitals; and adds another $50 million toward the middle-income affordable housing program through the coal trust.

The bill also allows the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to study whether there are state trust lands that could be used to try to build more workforce housing.

The final product was a mix of pieces of bills, and there was both bipartisan support and opposition to the final measure in the end.

Its not perfect. I had a bill I brought this session that I liked better, that I thought could have been incorporated. Didnt happen. No big deal. This is our chance to invest in Montana and to invest in housing at a critical time, and a no vote on this bill would be a real shame just because its not perfect, said Rep. George Nikolakakos, R-Great Falls, during the final floor discussion on the conference committee version of the bill.

We came out of conference committee with a bill that actually did less to guarantee affordability for Montana communities than when we went in, said House Minority Leader Kim Abbott, D-Helena. Im starting to get the sense that this needs Democratic votes to pass, but Democratic compromises were not included in it, and so I dont know what to say about that other than were no on the conference committee report. The bills a different thing.

Its the one thats left, added Rep. Marty Malone, R-Pray.

At post-session news conferences, leadership from both parties said while they were happy they passed at least something to address the workforce and affordable housing needs to an extent, they left some on the table.

Along with HB819, Senate Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, also lauded zoning changes passed by the legislature but also said he wished the body could have done more.

I think something is better than nothing, without a doubt, he said. So, I think we really moved the needle at the end of the day.

House Majority Leader Sue Vinton, R-Billings, said she felt like lawmakers had streamlined some housing regulations despite some in the party questioning whether the government should have any role in addressing the affordable housing crisis.

I think that by removing and streamlining regulations for housing, thats going to bring costs down as a builder, she said. I know that as much as we can streamline the process, its going to benefit those folks that are out there wanting to purchase homes, and I think we did accomplish some really great things for housing across Montana.

Abbott and Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, said Democrats had hoped to have another conference committee on the bill to try to get some of their requests into the bill.

Rep. Alice Buckley, D-Bozeman, who was a member of the conference committee, reiterated that she felt the Democrats requests were not considered during the committee, but that the caucus can still find a win in that it had a voice in the housing discussion throughout the session and perhaps shifted measures along the way.

I think a lot of stakeholders that we trust, and folks in our community, would say that yes, it is in some ways better than nothing, she said. Especially to add money into the coal trust homes, I think we can all feel really proud going back to our communities.

Flowers was less positive about where the Republican supermajority-controlled legislature ended up on housing.

We provided no immediate solutions to the housing crisis. Theres nothing for renters that came out of this session, he said. Ive worked on it all session; youre probably tired of hearing about it. We offered solutions in both the House and the Senate, as Democrats, and none of those moved forward. So, were going to go home and tell our friends and neighbors, Sorry, we couldnt help you out.

Funding for 120 prison beds included in final prison infrastructure package

Through HB819 and House Bill 817, lawmakers approved $25 million for workforce housing that both parties have said is needed to house employees at the Montana State Prison and Montana State Hospital.

The latter bill is a $200 million infrastructure upgrade package for the state prison that includes upgrades to the perimeter fence, an emergency notification system, new low-security housing and other renovations.

It also contains one of the more contentious pieces of law from the whole session  the $8 million in funding over the biennium to house up to 120 Montana prisoners  which in the final days of the session was removed from and added back to bills several times, then saw the requirement the contract go to private prison company CoreCivic removed from the language.

The Department of Corrections will still be able to contract the beds to CoreCivic under the language that was passed in HB817 and an accompanying bill that died on the final day of the session, but the language no longer mandates the state contract with the company specifically.

Prior discussions and appropriations would have sent the money directly to CoreCivic so Montana prisoners could be shipped to its prison in Arizona.

Lawmakers from both parties have acknowledged the shortage of prison beds in Montana, but there has been disagreement for months as to whether additional beds were needed or if tweaks to community corrections programs and other diversion efforts could alleviate the backlog of more than 200 people awaiting transfer from local jails to prison.

Despite the death of Senate Bill 95 from Sen. Barry Usher, R-Billings, which would have made property theft worth $1,500 or more punishable by up to 10 years in prison and contained jail time for theft of under $1,500, several other bills that passed increase criminal penalties or add new ones for various offenses, leading Republicans to say the extra beds are necessary right now.

Sen. Ryan Lynch, D-Butte, who had fought against funding the extra beds when the funding was discussed in the Senate Finance and Claims Committee, had said on the Senate floor in response to Majority Leader Fitzpatrick calling projects in a separate bill pork that the funding for private prison beds was the biggest piece of pork youve ever seen.

But Rep. John Fitzpatrick, R-Anaconda, who sponsored HB817, told lawmakers on the final days of the session that it should support the bill because he believes there are few other short-term options.

Its really unclear in the departments mind as to how many people well be able to move out of the prison without them being backfilled from other locations in the state. The legislature has passed several pieces of legislation which increase the length of sentences and add to the number of crimes that will relate to incarceration at the Montana State Prison, Fitzpatrick said. You combine that with a growing population, youve simply got a math problem that cannot be resolved simply be releasing prisoners into the community.

HB819 had been returned from the enrolling process as of Wednesday, while HB817 was still being enrolled, meaning both are still awaiting action by the governor.

The post Montana housing and prison infrastructure bills await governors consideration appeared first on Daily Montanan.
A Lewis and Clark County District judge has granted a temporary restraining order blocking the state from allowing a newly signed abortion restriction law from being enforced until after a hearing because the law is likely a violation of the Montana Constitution.

Judge Mike Menahan issued the temporary restraining order on Thursday afternoon, which stops House Bill 575 from becoming an enforceable law just a day after Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the measure, along with four other anti-abortion restrictions, and five more on the way to his desk. He pledged to sign those measures as well.

House Bill 575 is part of several abortion measures that are being challenged in district court. The new law would have required healthcare providers to perform an ultrasound on a woman who seeks an abortion, and also requires written documentation to be kept on file that documents that the fetus is not viable. The bill defines viability at 24 weeks, effectively banning it after that point.

Opponents to the bill during the 2023 legislative session criticized the measure brought by Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway, R-Great Falls, because it added unnecessary procedures, paperwork and expense, while interfering with the medical care and privacy of patients.

Menahan said in the three-page order that the bill impermissibly infringes on Montanans constitutional right to a pre-viability abortion both by requiring all patients to undergo an ultrasound before receiving an abortion and by suggesting advance practice registered nurses cannot perform abortions.

A hearing for a preliminary injunction was also set for 11 a.m., May 12 at the Lewis and Clark County Courthouse.

Abortion has been repeatedly declared legal and protected by the Montana Constitution under the landmark Montana Supreme Court Ruling in 1999, State vs. Armstrong, which said that a citizens right to privacy includes medical decisions made by a doctor and patient.

Planned Parenthood sought the immediate restraining order on Wednesday, even as the governor was cheering about the number of anti-abortion laws passed by the Legislature.

Our Declaration of Independence clearly states that we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, Gianforte said. But without life, there is no liberty or the pursuit of happiness.

On Thursday, the leader of Planned Parenthood of Montana said the organization continues to go to court to enforce Montanans rights.

As Montana courts have reaffirmed time and time again, the rights to privacy and access to abortion are clearly protected under our state constitution. We are pleased that the court took action to block this dangerous law today and hope its ruling will send a message to anti-abortion lawmakers who continue trampling on our rights, said Martha Fuller, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Montana. HB 575 represented legislative interference and unwarranted intrusion into the patient-provider relationship. But this isnt about politics for our patients, its about their health and their lives. Despite these ongoing attacks, Planned Parenthood of Montana is prepared to do everything in our power to ensure abortion access remains permanently secured in our state.

The post The law barely lasted 24 hours: Judge issues restraining order against new abortion requirement appeared first on Daily Montanan.
BOISE, Idaho - The trial of Lori Vallow Daybell for the murder of her two children and husband's former wife entered its seventh day following Monday's opening statements. Rexburg Police Department detective, Ray Hermosillo, was the first witness called to the stand.
Fairfield, MT (59436)

Today

Generally cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 66F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 44F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph, becoming SSW and decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.
LISBON, Ohio  Doug Hiscox isnt a salesman, but hes found that aquaponics has a way of opening up conversations when he stops at local markets and restaurants to pick up new business.

People are naturally fascinated by the agricultural system that combines aquaculture, or raising fish, and hydroponics, growing plants in water instead of soil.

We grow three things: fish, bacteria and lettuce, Hiscox said.

Together with his wife, Linda, Hiscox started Cave Creek Aquaponics. Its a second career for him. He retired from his job as a school administrator three years ago. They sold their first cutting of lettuce about a month ago.

Hiscox sees a lot of potential in aquaponics. It conserves resources. Theres no soil required and most of the water used is recycled back through the system. It doesnt require much land to operate. It doesnt use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Youre not reliant on good weather and other uncontrollable factors for a good crop.

This is another way of farming that has a lot of potential, he said.

Getting started

Hiscox had no experience in growing vegetables before getting into aquaponics. He was an educator and administrator, who did some farming on the side with his family. They raised beef cattle and some crops, but it was a hobby more than anything.

He got interested in aquaponics about 10 years ago. Hiscox said he liked the science behind it. That appealed to his science teacher background. It also helped ease his mind over environmental issues that bothered him about conventional farming  the immense land use and the reliance on fertilizer and pesticides.

Doug and Linda Hiscox jumped into the new adventure less than two years ago. They cleared the ground in November 2021 on a half acre property they own north of Lisbon and started building the greenhouse in April 2022. The greenhouse is 100 feet by 130 feet.

The system was turned on for the first time early this year. Taking care of fish was a whole new experience for Hiscox.

Ive taken care of animals before, but with fish, it was a different ball game, he said. You dont know what you dont know, but you figure it out.

How it works

The fish arrive in the mail as fingerlings from New Mexico. They stay in the smaller nursery tanks until theyre about 10 weeks old. At that point, they are moved into the main aquaponics system into 500 gallon tanks.

The fish are ready for harvest at 26-weeks-old. Theyll weigh between 2-2.5 pounds. Hiscox said he hasnt yet harvested fish but hes working on building those connections to sell live fish or whole fish on ice to Asian markets. The first batch of fish should be ready in June.

Lettuce is planted every day and harvested every day. Thats 200 seeds planted every day, and about 200 pounds of lettuce harvested each day.

The lettuce plants grow for 14 days in a large combined mat before being separated and moved into individual spots to grow another 14 days. Then, its time for the lettuce to go into the water bed in the full system. Plants are placed in foam boards that float in about 18 inches of water. Itll be another couple weeks until the lettuce is ready to be harvested.

The same water flows through the entire system and is continuously recycled. Water from the fish tanks goes through a nitrification process that uses bacteria to create nitrates to fertilize the plants in the water beds. Fish give off ammonia from their gills and in their excrement.

Solid waste that is separated out of the fish tank water is filtered and also gets turned into nitrates.

The plants like about 13 hours of light a day, so there are lights on timers that turn on when the daylight is short in the winter months. The water temperature stays at about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The air temperature is about 65 degrees. Its a nice place to be in the dead of winter or on a rainy day, Hiscox said.

Benefits

Hiscox said the aquaponics systems are resilient. Its relatively self-contained. A fertilizer shortage or a price spike, like what happened last year, wouldnt impact his crop operation.

Theres little waste in an aquaponics system. There is some evaporative loss in the system. Hiscox said he replaces about 100 gallons of water a week. But thats a small amount compared with how much water is flowing through the system at any given time.

There was the initial investment to put up all the infrastructure. The aquaponics system, a small commercial aquaponics system, came from a Wisconsin based company called Nelson and Pade and cost $85,000. Hiscox said it cost him about $300,000 total to get started.

He estimated hell have a return on his investment in four years. Hiscox feels the costs are comparable to getting started in other types of commercial agricultural businesses.

You can buy Cave Creek Aquaponics lettuce in local markets, like White House Fruit Farm, in Canfield or Catalpa Grove Farm, in Columbiana. He also sells to restaurants. They hope to find more markets for their year-round, locally raised produce as they go.

(Reporter Rachel Wagoner can be reached at 724-201-1544 or rachel@farmanddairy.com.)
Rod and Amy Summers, of Flemington, West Virginia, spent a week in Scotland and a week in Ireland all the while carrying the latest issue of Farm and Dairy with them. Rod said it was great to see the sheep industry is very alive in both countries and farming is very active there. They spent one night in a castle on a dairy farm and saw that dairy farming is very alive and well in Ireland. We talked with every farmer we could find and always took as many back roads as we could including one county road that had livestock crossings. We had to stop to let the livestock cross the road. We made a complete circle around both countries enjoying it greatly, Rod said.

They kissed the Blarney Stone, toured massive castles, yielded to all their farm tractors that use the interstate highway systems, etc. The Summers encourage everyone to visit.
A cross-party group of MPs has urged Defra to set out actions to help UK pork exporters regain access to the important Chinese market.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee has highlighted that some of the UK's largest abattoirs are still unable to export to China.

Abattoirs surrendered their licences to export to the world's largest consumer of pork in 2020 when they had Covid-19 outbreaks in their facilities.

Earlier this year, the Chinese government lifted Covid restrictions, with abattoirs having to complete requirements set out by the General Administration Customs China (GACC).

The chair of EFRA, Sir Robert Goodwill MP has now called for Defra Secretary Therese Coffey to lead a "rapid cross-government solution" to help UK abattoirs regain access to the vital market.

This includes by engaging with the GACC in order to restore the pre-pandemic status quo of UK pork exporters access to China.

Sir Robert said: "Some of our biggest pig abattoirs remain unable to export to the key Chinese market following the voluntary surrender of their licences in 2020 after outbreaks of Covid.

"I understand there the plants have fulfilled all the requests made by the General Administration Customs China (GACC) necessary for the suspensions to be lifted.

"I also believe that there has been some positive dialogue recently, and note that China relaxed all Covid-19 restrictions on 8 January 2023."

He added: "The Committee calls on Defra to lead a rapid resolution by government to this issue, including engagement with the GACC, in order to restore the pre-pandemic status quo for the licencing of UK pork exports.

"The Committee requests that you set out the steps the government plans to take in this regard."

The pig sector has faced unprecedented challenges over the last year, with rising costs and global labour shortages putting pressure on producers and processors.

The sector has lost almost one-fifth of its pig breeding capacity as a result of two years of crisis.

Last month, Defra announced new regulation for written contracts to provide 'fairness and certainty' for UK pig producers.
Kaleb Cooper, who stars in Clarkson's Farm, has helped launch a new bursary for people hoping to get on the farming ladder.

The Royal Agricultural University's (RAU) annual bursary will provide 3,000 to support a student in exploring different paths into agriculture.

Kaleb Cooper, who stars in the hit series Clarkson's Farm as Jeremy Clarkson's companion, has joined forces with RAU to launch the bursary.

The farming contractor says he is a passionate supporter of UK agriculture and opportunities for young people to enter the sector.

Launching the bursary at the Cirencester university, he said: Encouraging the younger generation into agriculture has always been so important to me.

"Launching this bursary means so much, as it can support students who want to pursue an agricultural career or who might be struggling to get into farming.

The bursary will also give the applicant the opportunity for a work placement with Kaleb himself, or one of his industry partners, either during their course or as a gap year placement.

Open to RAU undergraduate students who are living in the UK, the bursary will open for applications in September with the first student receiving their award in early 2024.

RAU vice-chancellor Professor Peter McCaffery said: We are delighted that Kaleb has chosen to support RAU students through this bursary.

"His passion for farming comes through loud and clear in his appearances on Clarksons Farm and he has definitely helped bring farming and agriculture even more into the public eye.

This bursary will help to give the successful applicant the chance to follow their dreams and pursue a career in agriculture as Kaleb himself did. We are very excited to be working with him.

Applicants who are not from a farming or agricultural background are particularly encouraged to apply for the bursary.

Kaleb added: Having come from a non-farming background myself, I believe agriculture can be for anybody.

"I know theres so much potential for young people to have brilliant careers in agriculture. It should be open to all and if you have financial difficulties or youre completely new to farming, please do apply.
Farmers and landowners in the south of England are being urged to report sightings of oak processionary moth caterpillars, a pest which carries health risks.

The UK is now entering the greatest risk period as the caterpillars emerge between June and August to feed before turning into adult moths.

The Forestry Commission has urged farmers, landowners and the public to report sightings of the tree pest, which was first identified in London in 2006.

Since then, it has spread to some surrounding counties in the South East of England.

Its caterpillars and nests contain hairs which can cause itchy rashes, eye and throat irritations, with the Forestry Commission saying they should not be touched "under any circumstances".

Oak processionary moth caterpillars also feed on the leaves of several species of oak trees, which can cause trees to lose their leaves, negatively impacting their growth, and become more vulnerable to other stresses, like drought.

Andrew Hoppit, project manager at Forestry Commission, said: "Its important that those living in affected areas understand the health risks so that they can be vigilant when enjoying outdoor spaces."

Professor Nicola Spence, UK chief plant health officer, added: "Reporting any sightings to the Forestry Commission will both minimise the pests spread and reduce the damaging impact it poses to tree health.

"The caterpillars and their nests can also cause irritation when touched by members of the public.

"As such, I would advise that those living in London and the surrounding areas avoid the pest."

A government programme to manage oak processionary moths has been in place since 2012.
A new alliance representing Northern Irish farmers and the agri-food industry is calling for 'appropriate solutions' in cutting the sector's carbon emissions.

The Northern Ireland Carbon Steering Group says it wants the farming industry to be better heard as the industry moves toward its net zero targets.

The group, consisting of the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) among others, says that agriculture has a key part to play in NI reaching net zero carbon emissions.

However, the new alliance says it wants to "mould an approach that will be farmer friendly" while providing the basis for measuring and managing emissions.

Legal obligations and targets have been set and the group says it will "deliver opportunities that will advance local agriculture sustainably".

Under the NI Climate Change Act 2022, targets have been set which the farming industry is required to meet.

To align with this, Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture (DAERA) will publish its first Climate Action Plan in December 2023 requiring significant reduction in emissions.

George Mullan, member of the Carbon Steering Group said: "We have come together to act on behalf of our farmers and agri-food industry to ensure we achieve consistency in the direction of travel.

We want to ensure that appropriate solutions are provided to measure carbon emissions and identify innovative ways to reduce emissions.

"As a group, weve been able to lead from the front to develop a market strategy and support farmers to intercept potential livestock reductions.

Reducing carbon emissions is becoming a requirement for our customers, not only in the UK, but also in export markets.

"It has presented us with an opportunity to find a workable system that can deliver the information required and enable the NI agri-food sector to remain competitive.

The steering group is working in partnership with DAERA to create a programme which will help farms understand where they are on the carbon journey.

As part of this, the alliance intends to test the concept of whole farm data collection with 100 farms in the next few weeks.

Information required to test this concept will be collected following a NI Beef and Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (FQAS) inspection and during the same farm visit.

David Brown, chair of the NI Carbon Steering Group, explained more: We need to ensure that we develop a programme with the farmer in mind at all times.

"It needs to be workable for them, ensuring an accurate and efficient process that causes minimal disruption to the farm business.

"The delivery of information is a key element to ensure its suitable for all parties and supports appropriate carbon reduction strategies while protecting farmers data.

The NI Carbon Steering Group includes representatives from other groups such as the Livestock and Meat Commission and Dairy Council for Northern Ireland.
Payments to hill farmers and crofters under the 2022 Scottish upland sheep support scheme (SUSSS), worth more than 7m annually, have commenced.

The scheme gives direct support to help maintain sheep flocks in farm businesses reliant on poorer quality rough grazing found in Scotland.

It is seen as a vital source of support for more than a thousand hill sheep farmers and crofters in Scotland.

Last year, 1,134 farmers and crofters applied with 115,886 animals claimed, resulting in a payment rate per head of 61.25.

NFU Scotland has welcomed the commencing of the payments, calling it a valuable funding stream "in a year when every penny counts."

The union's LFA chair, Peter Kennedy said: This support is not only important for farmers producing a fantastic product from some of the toughest farmland, but also to the local communities which see a huge amount of reinvestment from these businesses.

It underlines the importance of headage schemes and the value they deliver as we start to transition towards new support arrangements for farmers and crofters in the future.

Sheep farming plays an integral role in the preservation of our natural landscapes and prosperity of our rural communities, as well as making an important contribution to our national economy.
Donald Trump claims that he could end the Ukraine war in a day.

Donald Trump believes he could resolve the Ukraine war in 24 hours

The former US president has boldly claimed that he would be able to solve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in just a single day if he returns to the White House in 2024.

Trump - who was ruled to have sexually abused magazine columnist E Jean Carroll at a New York department store in the 1990s by a jury in a civil case earlier this week - told CNN: "If I'm president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours."

The controversial politician is prepared to meet Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to find a solution to the conflict.

Trump said: "They both have weaknesses and they both have strengths and within 24 hours that war will be settled. It'll be over, it'll be absolutely over."

The billionaire said that Putin had made a "mistake" invading Ukraine and it would not have happened if he was in office but refused to say if the Russian leader is a war criminal.

He told an audience in New Hampshire: "If you say he's a war criminal it's going to be a lot tougher to make a deal to make this thing stopped.

"If he's going to be a war criminal, people are going to grab him and execute him, he's going to fight a lot harder than he's fighting under the other circumstance.

"That's something to be discussed at a later day."

Trump also declined to say who he wants to win the war despite being asked the question on three occasions.

He said: "I don't think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people.

"Russians and Ukrainians, I want them to stop dying. And I'll have that done in 24 hours."
Japanese people are learning how to smile again.

Japanese people are being taught how to smile

Authorities and companies in the country have been offering "smiling lessons" as they get used to taking their masks off in public after the government downgraded the threat posed by coronavirus.

The classes have been on offer since last year in anticipation of the guidelines being relaxed and business is booming since risks associated with the disease were lowered earlier this week.

Miho Kitano, owner of the Smile Expression Muscle Association, told The Daily Telegraph newspaper: "We are extremely busy now because people want to be seen smiling again.

"Japanese people have been wearing masks for more than three years now and some say they have almost forgotten how to smile."

Kitano started her company five years ago but inquiries have soared since it was announced that Covid restrictions would be lifted.

She said: "Smiling is very natural and very important because it's a signal to the people that we meet that we accept them.

"A smile has to be natural to get through to the other person, but for anyone who does not smile much, the brain forgets how to use the facial muscles."
Vladimir Putin is planning to "put a stop" to Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Vladimir Putin plans to 'put a stop' to Wagner warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin

The Russian president was branded as a "complete a******" and a "happy grandfather" by his longtime crony and a new report suggests that Putin is ready to use his brutal security services to take action against the mercenary.

Prigozhin claims that his foul-mouthed tirade was aimed at Putin's chief of the general army staff Valery Gerasimov - who he blames for ammunition shortages on the frontline in the war with Ukraine - but many feel it was aimed at the despot himself.

The independent news site Meduza reported that Kremlin sources feel that Prigozhin has crossed a "red line" in his attacks on Putin's staff.

The source said: "If this continues, official security forces will certainly put a stop to it."

It is unclear if this means that Prigozhin could face arrest which could see the warlord jailed for up to 21 years.

The report claims that Moscow's propaganda agencies have received a "warning" from the Putin administration that if Prigozhin continues to criticise the Defence Ministry and reports "failures on the front", journalists should start "portraying him as a traitor".

Other sources say that Putin is no longer taking Prigozhin's calls but the Wagner chief is being protected by the despot's cronies General Viktor Zolotov, head of the Russian national guard, and Tula governor Alexey Dyumin.

It is unclear whether the pair will be able to save Prigozhin after his latest outburst.
Arnold Schwarzenegger appears to have admitted his cheating scandal was tough on his kids.

Arnold Schwarzenegger appears to have admitted his cheating scandal was tough on his kids

The Terminator actor, 75, who has children Katherine, 33, Patrick, 29, Christopher, 25, Christina, 31, with his ex-wife Maria Shriver, 67, divorced her in 2021 after he was unfaithful during their marriage and had lovechild Joseph Baena, 25, with his familys housekeeper Mildred Baena, 62.

He is seen saying in a trailer for his upcoming Arnold documentary series on Netflix, which is due for release on 7 June: People will remember my successes and they will also remember those failures.

He then mentions his marriage to Maria, who he wed in 1986, and in a potential nod to his cheating, added: It was very tough on my marriage, on my relationships with the kids I have caused enough pain for my family. I'm going to have to live with it the rest of my life.

It has been reported Maria decided to end their marriage after Arnolds infidelity was exposed.

Arnold also seems to address why he didnt give up his movie and politics careers in the wake of the scandal by saying in the preview: Well, because my vision didnt talk about giving up. My vision was climbing that mountain.

There is problems and problems but I want to do the things that everyone calls impossible.

Youre always hungry. Youre never really satisfied.

Netflix has said about Arnold: (He) provides audiences with context and insight into three key chapters of his life: Arnold as an athlete, Arnold as an actor and Arnold as an American.

The streamer announced the series was directed by Lesley Chilcott and will follow the upcoming release of Arnolds new action series FUBAR, which will be released on 25 May.
Donald Trump has labelled E. Jean Carroll a "wack job" after a jury found the former US President guilty of sexual abuse.

Donald Trump has hit out at E. Jean Carroll

The 76-year-old billionaire has mocked Carroll, after a jury in a civil case ruled that he assaulted - but didn't rape - the journalist in a New York City department store in the 1990s.

Trump told CNN: "What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up and within minutes, you're playing hanky panky in a dressing room?"

The former 'Apprentice' star suggested that the trial won't have any impact on his political ambitions.

Asked if the verdict would deter women from voting for him, he replied: "No, I don't think so."

Trump also slammed the American judicial system, claiming that the "Clinton-appointed" judge was biased and that he didn't get a fair hearing.

Earlier this week, Trump was found liable for defamation after calling the writer's accusations "a hoax and a lie".

He was ordered to pay Carroll $2 million for sexual abuse and nearly $3 million for defamation. However, Trump was found not liable for raping Carroll.

Trump has always denied the allegations and he intends to appeal the verdict.

Meanwhile, Trump has also repeated claims that the 2020 US election was rigged.

The controversial businessman - who served as the 45th US President between 2017 and 2021 - insisted that he'll return to the White House, provided the next election isn't rigged.

Asked if he would accept the results of the 2024 election regardless of the outcome, Trump told Kaitlan Collins: "Yeah, if I think its an honest election, absolutely."

The journalist subsequently insisted that the election wasn't rigged and she asked Trump to stop repeating the allegation.

She said: "The election was not rigged, Mr President. You cant keep saying that all night long."
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburghs police escort motorbike has left a woman in her 80s fighting for life in hospital after striking the pensioner.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburghs police escort motorbike has left a woman in her 80s fighting for life in hospital after striking the pensioner

Buckingham Palace has said the 58-year-old royals thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family after the accident at Earl's Court in west London at around 3.21pm on Wednesday. (10.05.23)

A Met Police spokesperson said: A woman has been injured after being involved in a collision with a police motorcycle in west London.

At approximately 15.21hrs on Wednesday, 10 May a police motorcycle on escort duties was involved in a collision with a member of the public on the junction of Cromwell Road and Warwick Road, SW5.

Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and Londons Air Ambulance attended and a woman, aged in her 80s, has been taken to hospital.

She remains there in a critical condition. Her family have been informed.

There are no reports of any other injuries. Enquiries into the circumstances of the collision are ongoing.

Road closures remain in place while the scene is dealt with. As is routine, the Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed.

The injured pensioner has not been named.

A palace spokesman said about Sophie, married to King Charles youngest brother Prince Edward, 59: The Duchesss heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family.

She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments.

Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated.

It is understood the duchess was being escorted with a rolling police escort manned by motorcycle outriders when the collision happened.

Two bikes, including one bearing King Charles cypher, were seen inside the cordon on Wednesday evening.

The Met Police's Special Escort Group provides armed escorts for the royal family, VIPs, members of the government, visiting royals and other dignitaries.
analysis

"Based on the fact that non-tolerance of illegalities in all courts of law is the baseline of all legal structures and Judicial proceedings internationally, this case is a weighing scale on the independence of the Ugandan Judiciary."

Can Kiryowa Kiwanuka's political influence as current attorney general and Mr. Karugire's Marital status Save Diamond Trust Bank from the illegalities committed and admitted on Court records or this case is a beam of hope to all Ugandans as a solution to this cancer of the exploitative foreign banks that unlawfully debit monies from Ugandans' accounts? Is Kiryowa Kiwanuka being the attorney general and at the same time a partner in K & K advocates amounting to conflict of interest thus frustrating and compromising the independence of the Judiciary?

In any given society once politicians and public servants start financially competing with the private business community it compromises social-economic development and upward transformation of the society at large as they start using their positions to undermine all structures, systems and policies put in place to carry the nation forward.

Quick Facts to Note:

Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) unlawfully debited Ugx.120 Billions from Ham Enterprises (U) Limited accounts and admitted to committing illegalities at high court on court records when Mr. Kiryowa Kiwanuka told the court that DTB had no license to operate in Uganda and judgment was made in favor of ham enterprises at the high court for recovery of the debited monies from the bank.

The bank and its lawyers k&k advocates additionally at supreme court admitted failure of the Court of Appeal to address the substantial point of illegality in their submission of 5th November 2021.

On 11 November 2021 Ham filed an application stating that DTB had concurred with him that the Court of Appeal (COA) justices; Richard Buteera, Christopher Madrama, and Keneth Kakuma, did not address the issues of illegality contrary to the provisions of the financial institutions act on which grounds judgment was rightfully entered at high court.

Key Questions to Note:

Can the Ugandan Supreme Court Shield an Illegality contrary to the international baseline for judicial proceedings and legal structures? Are the Supreme Court judges strong enough to administer justice and Uphold the Law.

Can Kiryowa Kiwanuka's political influence as the current Attorney General and Mr. Karugire's Marital status Save Diamond Trust Bank from the illegalities committed and admitted on Court records?

Is Kiryowa Kiwanuka being the attorney general and at the same time a partner in K & K advocates amounting to conflict of interest and frustrating and compromising the independence of the Judiciary?

Can Diamond Trust Bank Escape the Law given our weak legal structures and policies as a nation.

Will this case serve Ugandans from the current exploitative poorly regulated banking system.

file image Independence of the Judiciary on Public Trial in the HAM Vs DTB Case

Court Convened on Friday May 5th, 2023 at 11:39 AM to re-institute a panel of Judges following the demise of Justice Ruby Opio Aweri on December 7, 2022.

A panel composed of Justices: Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, Chief Justice of Uganda, Micheal Chibita, Percy Night Tuhaise, Faith Essy Mwondha, and Justice Stephen Musota was selected to decide the case adopting the case court records including the November 11, 2021 Ham's application for Judgment on admission by DTB and its Lawyers K&K advocates.

Case Background.

In March 2020, Ham filed a suit against DTB for recoveries of monies unlawfully debited in Excess of Ugx.120 Billion from its accounts. the bank unlawfully and deceitfully withdrew these amounts over a spread period of 10 years in excess of all the companies liabilities to the bank on top of which Kirwowa Kiwanuka admitted on court records In September 2020, that DTB Kenya did not have a license permitting it to conduct banking business in Uganda and neither did DTB Uganda have the authority to conduct agency business on behalf of DTB Kenya thereby contravening sections; 4 (1) and 117 of the Financial Institutions Act and the banking regulations.

On October 7, 2020 a judgment was entered in favor of Ham Enterprises (U) Limited at the high court by Hon Justice Henry Peter Adonyo.

Karugire and Kilyowa Kiwanuka using their political influence resultantly demoted and transferred the said judge immediately from the head of high court, commercial division to Soroti. Now that the public has witnessed K & K advocates controlling judges and influencing judgements in their favor in so many cases, victimizing and subjecting Ugandans to unfair and unjust political waves that always frustrate justice using political positions undermining the legal procedures with total absolute impunity, can they Successfully, politically bulldoze the Supreme Court, or the law shall prevail?

Diamond Trust Bank admitted on court records by their submissions that they committed illegalities where they emphasized that; "The Court of Appeal justices erred at law when they failed to address the Substantial point of illegality upon which judgment was rightfully entered at the high court specifically stating that: "The learned Justices were entitled to first deal with the grounds regarding the procedure adopted by the trial Judge in striking out the defendants' pleadings and granting the impugned orders before dealing with the other grounds.

file image Hams grounds of appeal at the supreme court is that the justices at the Court of Appeal failed to address the substantial issue of illegality as rightfully ruled at High Court since DTB admits the same, Ham made an application for judgment on admission on the 23rd November 2021. Ham Enterprises (u)limited awaits judgment on court admission while DTB is stuck with the illegality as admitted both on court records from the high court and the admissions on court record in their submissions at the supreme court.

It was within these admissions in the bank's submissions that they clearly stated that the appellant Judges never addressed the circumstances under which the Bank never sought the permission of the Bank of Uganda to carry out its business in Uganda as required hence violating sections; 4 (1) and 117 of the Financial Institutions Act.

Ham's grounds of appeal at the supreme court is that the justices at the Court of Appeal failed to address the substantial issue of illegality as rightfully ruled at High Court since DTB admits the same, Ham made an application for judgment on admission on the 23rd November 2021.

Ham Enterprises (u)limited awaits judgment on court admission while DTB is stuck with the illegality as admitted both on court records from the high court and the admissions on court record in their submissions at the supreme court.

In our opinion, this case puts the Ugandan Judicial System and independence on Trial whether non-tolerance of illegalities as the baseline of all legal structures and Judicial proceedings in all courts of law throughout the world or its too weak to handle political pressure compromising all constitutional rights of Ugandans.

Can Kiryowa Kiwanuka's political influence as current attorney general and Mr. Karugire's Marital status Save Diamond Trust Bank from the illegalities committed and admitted on Court records or this case is a beam of hope to all Ugandans as a solution to this cancer of exploitative foreign banks that unlawfully debit monies from Ugandans' accounts? Is Kiryowa Kiwanuka being the attorney general and at the same time a partner in K & K advocates amounting to conflict of interest thus frustrating and compromising the independence of the Judiciary?

In any given society once politicians and public servants start financially competing with the private business community it compromises social-economic development and upward transformation of the society at large as they start using their positions to undermine all structures, systems, and policies put in place to carry the nation forward.
Prince Harry is said to have quickly stopped at Buckingham Palace after King Charles coronation without seeing the royal family.

Prince Harry is said to have quickly stopped at Buckingham Palace after King Charles coronation without seeing the royal family

The Duke of Sussex, 38, travelled to the UK on Friday (05.05.23) to see his dad crowned at Londons Westminster Abbey the following day, and jetted home to his California mansion hours after the historic event to be with his wife Duchess Meghan, 41, and celebrate their son Archies fourth birthday.

It has now been claimed by the Daily Telegraph the royal slipped in and out briefly of Buckingham Palace, where he is said to have spent less than 30 minutes before travelling to Heathrow Airport while the rest of his family were still tied up with coronation duties.

A source told the newspaper his apparent brief stop was for logistical reasons as it allowed him to take a moment out of the public gaze following the two-hour Abbey service.

Harry was absent from the royal familys official coronation portraits, and is not known to have seen or spoken to his relatives, according to the Telegraph. Insiders also stressed the apparent lack of contact was for practical reasons only as Harry was keen to return to his wife and children in America as soon as possible.

It would have been the first time the duke had been at the palace since the funeral of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth, who died aged 96 in September.

He stayed at his former family home of Frogmore Cottage for his 36-hour coronation stay.

The crowning ceremony was the first time the duke had appeared with his family since the publication of his memoir Spare, released in January, and he was seated in the third row for the event  two rows behind his brother the Prince of Wales.

His attendance is said to have pleased the King, who had hoped to have both his sons at the ceremony.
Susan Sarandon was arrested while partaking in a protest for fair wages for restaurant workers on Monday (08.05.23).

Susan Sarandon has been arrested at a protest before

The Hollywood actress and activist was reportedly one of eight arrested in Albany, New York.

The protestors were taken into custody, booked, issued appearance tickets, and later released, Spectrum News 1 Albany reports.

The One Fair Wage campaign is trying to raise the minimum wage for tipped New York waiters to $17 after they were excluded from the planned increase to the minimum wage.

Sarandon, 76, was previously arrested during the 2018 Capitol Hill protest of then-President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

The 'Tammy' star had tweeted at the time: "We demand ... end all detention camps."

After being processed at the scene, Sarandon tweeted: "Arrested. Stay strong. Keep fighting. #WomenDisobey."

More than 500 were arrested as they campaigned for families separated at the US-Mexico border to be reunited.

Meanwhile, the 'Thelma and Louise' star previously admitted she has "no filter" because she'd rather be outspoken than have any "regrets".

The actress would rather get into trouble for telling it how it is than not say anything at all because "life is too short" and it's important to be authentic.

She told Irish Tatler magazine: "Life is short, isn't it? I mean at the end of the day I think it's always easier to make mistakes and apologise. The things you regret are the things you don't do so I think that's where the [idea of] no filter comes."

Sarandon insists speaking your mind is always the best thing to do because even if people hate you for it, you are being your true self.

She explained: "Sometimes it's painful when everyone turns against you and it backfires but I think it's worth taking the chance and that your job is just to grow as much as you can towards being authentic.

"And you know when something's off, you know when you're not being true to who you are, neither morally nor aesthetically."

And Sarandon also admits being in the spotlight means you are criticised in a "louder way" because you have more expectations to succeed.

She added: "The more visible you become the more criticism you get in a louder way and the more expectations are on you. And that weighs in too, when you become so self-conscious because you are a public figure."
During the first quarter of this year, men's garments had the lowest share among Turkiye's total apparel exports to the world. However, there has been a positive trend in men's garment exports year-on-year since 2021. Recent trade data indicates that Turkiye exported apparel worth $4.847 billion between January and March 2023. The exports of men's garments were valued at $1.198 billion, accounting for 24.72 per cent of the total exports.

Women's garment exports had the largest share of the total shipments. The value of women's garment exports reached $1.473 billion in the first quarter of the current year, constituting 38.65 per cent of the total apparel exports worth $4.847 billion. Unisex garments had a significant share of 34.77 per cent in the total exports, with a shipment value of $1.685 billion during the same period, according to Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro.

While men's garments had the lowest share of 24.72 per cent in the total apparel exports, they have been showing growth since the easing of the COVID pandemic in 2021. In the first quarter of 2021, the value of men's garment exports from Turkiye was $814.198 million, which was 1.65 per cent lower than the previous year's first quarter in 2020. However, it increased by 28.28 per cent to $1,044.443 million in Q1 2022 and further grew by 14.75 per cent to $1,198.504 million in Q1 2023.

In Q1 2023, men's garments had the lowest share among Turkiye's total apparel exports. However, there has been a positive year-on-year trend since 2021. Turkiye exported apparel worth $4.847 billion during this period, with men's garment exports valued at $1.198 billion, accounting for 24.72 per cent of the total. Women's garments had the largest share.

Among different garment categories, trousers and shorts emerged as the largest category, accounting for 24.44 per cent of Turkiye's total apparel exports to the world. The value of trousers and shorts shipment stood at $1,184.670 million in the first quarter of this year. Other significant categories included T-shirts with exports worth $788.034 million (16.26 per cent), shirts with $600.793 million (12.39 per cent), dresses with $505.059 million (10.42 per cent), jerseys with $441.568 million (9.11 per cent), socks with $291.404 million (6.01 per cent), jackets and blazers with $215.546 million (4.45 per cent), baby wear with $89.918 million (1.85 per cent), and ensembles with $86.475 million (1.78 per cent), according to TexPro.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Uorfi Javed Madhuri Dixit Controversy: Model-actress Uorfi Javed recently made allegations against Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit and lashed out at the organisers of an award show for un-inviting her at the last minute.

The social media sensation took to Instagram to share the episode and said that the organizers told her that she was dropped from the event as her name was not on Dixit's guests list.

UORFI JAVED CLAIMS MAHDURI DIXIT GOT HER DISINVITED FROM AN EVENT

While sharing a post of Madhuri from the event's red carpet on her Instagram Stories on Monday, Uorfi had revealed that she was also invited to the event. Mentioning that she had kept an outfit aside for the awards show, Urfi added that her invitation was cancelled at the last minute and claimed it was Madhuri's team that got her uninvited.

Uorfi wrote, "Fun fact about this event - they reached out to my team inviting me, I accepted the invitation, cancelled my plans, arranged my outfit, last moment they told me team that I'm no more invited - when we asked them the reason they said I'm not on Madhuri's guest list (what a weird reason)."

Uorfi Javed CLAIMS Madhuri Dixit Got Her 'Uninvited At An Event, Empathises With Kangana Ranaut. Here's Why

Further she lashed out at the organisers and added, "Bhai Mai mar nahi rahi kahi jaane k liye (I am not dying to go anywhere) but to tell someone not to come last moment after inviting them. Grow some balls or borrow from me!"

EVENT ORGANIZER REFUTES UORFI JAVED'S CLAIM

The event in question was the Brand Empower's National Quality Awards 2023, which honoured several companies, organisations, artists, and professionals for their exceptional quality and leadership. '

After Uorfi Javed' claims spread like wildfire and soon turned into a controversy. Reacting to Uorfi's claims, the organizers' CEO, Rahul Singh, took to Instagram and shared a video refuting her allegations against Madhuri Dixit.

Clarifying on why Urfi was not invited, Mr Singh said that Madhuri Dixit was the guest of honour at the event and had no role in Uorfi's invitation to the awards show. Requesting the media not to publish any defaming articles on Madhuri, he further added that the actress is one of the most celebrated stars of the country.

He also requested Urfi to not make any such false claims about Madhuri Dixit. He then went on to explain in the video why the Bigg Boss OTT star was not invited to the awards event.

Class Vs Classless: Netizens HILARIOUS Reaction To Urfi Javed & Zeenat Aman's VIDEO Will Make You ROLF

Sharing the video, Mr Singh wrote," Reason why @urf7i Was not invited to Brand Empower's. Global Excellence Awards 2023 ! Being the organiser of Brand Empower's Global Excellence Awards 2023, its our prime responsibility to keep our guest of honour unharmed directly or indirectly, therefore, we are publishing our official statement on the controversial statement by Uorfi Javed." Watch the video here.

Meanwhile, 25-year-old Uorfi Javed is a well-known television personality who shot to fame after her appearance on reality shows Bigg Boss OTT and MTV Splitsvilla. She is often trolled and hardly criticized for her bizarre and unusual clothing choices.
Parineeti Chopra Raghav Chadha Engagement: Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha were clicked on Tuesday leaving Mumbai airport for Delhi. Both have been reported to get engaged on May 13 amid close friends and family members. While the couple chose to maintain silence on their relationship, Parineeti's Mumbai house has been decked up with lights.

PARINEETI CHOPRA MUMBAI HOUSE DECKED UP WITH LIGHTS

While the duo's reported engagement is around the corner, Parineeti's Mumbai home has been decorated with lights, meaning the celebrations have begun! On Thursday, a video of Parineeti's house was doing the rounds on the internet.

As the video went viral, fans were already excited and showered the couple with blessings and congratulatory comments. Watch the viral video here:-

Reacting to the video, one fan said, "Cute pic together," while another user wrote, "Congratulations.. waiting for wedding piks. One said, "Congratulations to both of you."

Parineeti Chopra Raghav Chadha Engagement: Actress Finalises This TOP Designer To Make Her Outfit

ABOUT PARINEETI AND RAGHAV ENGAGEMENT

Filmibeat earlier reported that Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha's engagement will take place on Saturday, May 13, and only 150 guests have been invited. The engagement ceremony will begin with the Sukhmani Sahib Path and Ardas prayer, which will be followed by a ring exchange ceremony and then a lunch and dinner party.

Meanwhile, a source was quoted by India Today as saying, "Parineeti and Raghav's roka is done. It was a family affair and they both are very happy. The duo is likely to get married by October-end of this year. Parineeti and Raghav are in no rush and they both have work commitments that they need to take care of before getting into the wedding festivities."

Exclusive & Confirmed! Parineeti Chopda & Raghav Chadha To Get Engaged On May 13 In Delhi, Deets Inside

Workwise, Parineeti Chopra was last seen in Uuchhai with Amitabh Bachchan. She next has Chamkila and Capsule Gill.
Devu's Birthday Wish To Daughter: Sreedevi Menon, aka Viber Good Devu's exit from Bigg Boss Malayalam season 5, was totally unexpected. Devu was an active contestant in the Bigg Boss house right from the beginning.

From the very first day of this season, Devu's voice was heard loudly in the Bigg Boss house. Devu had been in the front to argue, fight, and comment. But in the later days, Devu lost her initial enthusiasm.

Black Money In Malayalam Cinema: Actor-Producer Fined Rs 25 Crore; 'Propaganda' Films Under Scanner

But Devu had to bid farewell to the Bigg Boss house. In a double eviction, Devu was evicted from Bigg Boss. Maneesha was the other one who got kicked out of the show, along with Devu. Both of them bid farewell to the Bigg Boss house unexpectedly.

Devu is a single mother who has been lauded for her struggles many times. Devu has expressed her love for his daughter many times, inside and outside the Bigg Boss house. Now Devu is wishing Ponnu, her daughter, a happy birthday. Greetings via Instagram post.

Sharing a photo of her with daughter Ponnu, she wrote: Simply mine always. My everything. My Ponnu, my everything, who understands me the most in this world, knows when my pulse changes. She understands me, and that is my confidence. We are more friends than mom and daughter. I feel blessed to have a cutie pie like you, dear. Sometimes she is my Amma. Happy birthday Stay blessed.

Re-Entry Of Devu To Bigg Boss House!

After coming out of Bigg Boss, Devu has reacted through social media. that it was an unfair eviction. "Thank you all for the support. I would say it was an unfair eviction," she said.

"Because I played genuinely. I never expected this eviction. I will say from the bottom of my heart that it was unfair. I want re-entry and need your support." Devu said soon after her eviction.

Bigg Boss Malayalam 5: Sruthi Mocks Sobha As An "Iron Woman," Both Get In A Heated Argument

Devu's fans are also waiting for her return to Bigg Boss. Dev is most eligible for a re-entry on Bigg Boss, according to her fans. Recently, there were discussions that Devu was returning to Bigg Boss.

In a photo she posted on Instagram, Devu can be seen standing at the Mumbai International Airport. The caption she chose for the image raises doubts about her return to the show. The caption given to the picture is 'Time, Trust'. Hashtags: #bb, #biggbossmalayalamseason5, #waiting, and #reentrymatters are also given below the cryptic caption. In another image captioned "Inside the caravan," she can be seen with make-up and dressed beautifully as if she is going to re-enter the show.
New Delhi, 10th February, 2023: There is no doubt that the purpose of cinema is to entertain people but there are some films which not only entertains the audiences but they also make people think and convey messages which are very important in nature. Trailer of one such film titled 'The Creator - Sarjanhar' was launched today in PVR Plaza situated in Cannaught Place in New Delhi. The film raises the issue of a world which is not bound by any boundaries and propagates the idea of 'one world, one religion'.

During the launch of the trailer of the film all the prominent cast and crew from the film were present including the director and producer of the film who expressed their happiness on making an extraordinary film.

The credit of conceptualising the film goes to Rajesh Karate 'Guruji' who is also the producer of the film wherein the film has been written and directed by Praveen Hingonia and notably, it is his directorial debut. The film will be released on 26th May, 2023 in theatres across India.

The conceptualizer and producer of the film Rajesh Karate 'Guruji' said, "The biggest tragedy of our world is that we have divided it into several countries and created artificial borders which is one of the biggest reasons of our sufferings." He also said, "That's the reason I first so desperately wanted to make this film. Hence, I conceptualised and then decided to produce it myself."

The film boost of stellar cast which includes Dayanand Shetty, Shaji Choudhary, Bhuvnesh Mam, Rohit Chaudhari, Jashn Kohli, Raza Murad, Himani Sahani, Eliza Sehgal, Bushra Sheikh, Anant Mahadevan, Ssanjay Swaraj, Pramod Mahoto in powerful roles.

In the movie, actor Shaji Chaudhary will be seen playing the character who firmly opposes the idea of unifying the world and is against the idea of a world which is without borders. Shaji has previously played many important characters in various films which includes Ashutosh Gowarikar's 'Jodha Akbar', popular web series 'Mirzapur' and recently released superhit film 'Pathan'.

Writer and director Praveen Hingonia always believed in making meaningful cinema with a message which could resonate with the masses easily. He said, "The subject of the film is very topical which will make the audiences aware about the concept of an world which can be better without borders".

Notably, the film will have a wide release. It will be released on 26th May, 2023 in more than 250 cinemas across the country. Don't forget to watch a film which is based on the most relevant subject or our time.

Excited about playing a revolutionary scientist in the film who wants to change the world, Dayanad Shetty said, "The story of the film is so unique that I couldn't resist myself and immediately said to work in the film. By propagating the idea of a world which can function better if the borders are removed, the film talks about saving humanity on a global level. I am playing the role of a scientist named Dr. Ray who totally believes in the concept of 'one world, one religion. I am pretty sure that people will not only like our film but they will also appreciate my character very much."
opinion

Joint Op-ed by Lydia Zigomo, Regional Director, UNFPA East and Southern Africa and Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, Director of UNFPA Technical Division

The wonderful experience of giving life carries the risk of morbidity and mortality.

However, this risk is steadily declining in Sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2000 and 2020, the maternal mortality ratio has declined by one-third or from 807 to 545 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. This is noteworthy; however, despite progress, the risk of dying while giving birth is still unacceptably high. Lifetime risk of maternal deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa is at least eight times higher than other regions.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, too many women, an estimated 202,000, died from giving life in 2020. This represents 70 per cent of global maternal deaths and translates into over 550 maternal deaths per day, which is one maternal death every two and half minutes. For every death, 20 to 30 more morbidities including obstetric fistula and perinatal mental health occur. The deaths leave behind devastated husbands, partners, children, communities, societies, and nations. Most of these maternal deaths could be prevented by improving availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of human rights-based Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child, Adolescent Health services.

One of the major barriers to improving access to comprehensive maternal and newborn care in Sub-Saharan Africa is the difficulty in ensuring availability of skilled, motivated, supported and regulated health providers. The good news is that well-trained and supported midwives have the potential to provide 90 per cent of all essential sexual, reproductive, maternal and new-born health services. The bad news is that currently they represent only 10 per cent of the health workforce.

Globally, there are 900,000 midwife deficits by 2035 with 500,000 in Africa.

As the United Nations' sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA is a leader in supporting quality midwifery care across the world. We support governments to improve competency-based training, midwifery regulatory mechanisms and workforce policy that comply with international standards. We are also harnessing the power of technology to train midwives in remote areas or emergency crisis zones.

We are committed to strengthen 'midwifery-led care' as a critical pathway to end preventable maternal and new-born deaths and stillbirths.

We are not alone. We are glad to partner with the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and with more than 20 global partners from civil society, academia, private sector, professional bodies and development partners to host the 5th Global Midwifery Symposium on 7 and 8th May 2023, a pre-event to the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC2023).

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Women Africa International Organisations 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.

During the Symposium, Global Partners appealed to the United Nations member states to: Promote midwifery care; Strengthen the Midwife Workforce; Improve Working Conditions and Support for Midwives; Address Barriers to Accessing Care from Midwives; Ensure Provision of Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and Rights (SRHR) by Midwives; and Monitor Progress and Strengthen Accountability.

The current pace of progress in preventing maternal deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa is significantly less than the pace of progress required to take the region closer to the Sustainable Development Goals target of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 births by 2030. In fact, the current pace of progress needs to be improved by five-times to be able to meet the SDG-3 maternal mortality target in Sub-Saharan Africa.

African mothers deserve better. They deserve to feel safe and supported as they bring new life into the world. Investing in midwifery education, training, and professional development is the least we can do to deliver a brighter future for generations to come. Together, we can eliminate preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and empower every woman to give birth with confidence, without having to pay the ultimate price.

Let's take action now, and make sure that no more lives are needlessly lost in the miracle of childbirth.
Suriya and Siva's Kanguva: It is well-known that Surya will be next seen in the upcoming movie Kanguva directed by Siruthai Siva. Set in a historical background, the movie has been shot in various locations such as Coimbatore, Kodaikanal, and Chennai. Recently, the flashback scenes were filmed in the dense forests of Kodaikanal, completing a significant part of the shooting.

Suriya's sudden weight gain: Recent photos of Suriya with his family went viral on social media. In the photos, it can be noted that the Iyan star has gained weight massively. While it can be assumed that the weight gain would be for his role in the movie, it is still concerning his fans, as the weight gain is pretty significant. The photo is now making the rounds as fans are commenting on his weight gain.

Reason for the weight gain: As per reports, Suriya has put on weight for the film's flashback scenes, where he has multiple characters. The actor has always been meticulous in his approach to his roles and gains or loses weight according to the film's demand. A recent photo posted by him on social media with his wife Jyothika while shooting in Kodaikanal shows him with a heavier build.

Know more about Kanguva: Meanwhile, actresses Disha Pattani and Mirnal Thakur will play opposite Suriya in the film. Suriya, who always manages to find time for his family and fans amidst his hectic shooting schedule, recently threw a biryani party for the crew after the completion of the flashback scenes in Kodaikanal. The next phase of shooting is expected to start soon.

As Suriya is known for promoting his films extensively, expectations are high among his fans for Kanguva. With the shooting progressing well, the film's release is eagerly awaited by the audience.
Company also strengthens its network of Taiwan implementation partners, providing reliable, local expertise to ensure a seamless, convenient user experience for customers

TAIPEI, Taiwan, May 11, 2023/PRNewswire/ -- Wolters Kluwer, a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services, today announced the expansion of its CCH Tagetik Corporate Performance Management (CPM) portfolio in Taiwan - introducing new functionality to help Taiwan multinational companies address evolving Global Minimum Tax and ESG regulations.





More than 1,700 global enterprises currently utilize the CCH Tagetik expert solution. In Taiwan, 10 of the region's 14 major general insurers - including Hotai Insurance Co. Ltd. and Shinkong Insurance Co., Ltd. - already use the CCH Tagetik IFRS 17 expert solution to deliver accurate, compliant data and reports in a timely manner. The broader CCH Tagetik Corporate Performance Management solution digitally-enables finance functions by delivering:

Productivity improvements, reduced financial close cycle times, and increased benefits from automation

Simplified processes, clear visibility into enterprise-wide financial information, and built-in compliance for finance departments

Faster completion of everyday processes, so teams can focus on strategic goals

Data integration that connects enterprise-wide insights to drive growth and help finance leaders better navigate change

Artificial Intelligence-based predictive intelligence to support better decision-making

Following two years of successful operations in the Taiwan market, the CCH Tagetik expert solution portfolio is being further expanded to meet two high-priority challenges faced by Taiwan finance leaders: ESG and Global Minimum Tax reporting and strategy development.

New CCH Tagetik functionality will support multinational Taiwan companies that will be impacted by new, Global Minimum Tax requirements , which the Ministry of Finance expects to adopt as early as 2024 for certain global enterprises. Specifically, the CCH Tagetik Global Minimum Tax solution will empower enterprises collect, align, calculate and report integrated finance and tax data in compliance with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Pillar Two tax requirements. It will also help CFOs better understand how Pillar Two regulations will impact their business model and operations.

, which the Ministry of Finance expects to adopt as early as 2024 for certain global enterprises. Specifically, will empower enterprises New CCH Tagetik ESG & Sustainability Performance Management functionality helps companies comply with ESG reporting and disclosure requirements, while driving long-term, sustainable growth . This new, audit-friendly functionality captures, consolidates and facilitates the reporting of ESG data and operational key performance indicators (KPIs), as required by an increasing number of global governing bodies and by the Taiwan Stock Exchange's new ESG disclosure platform .

Wolters Kluwer also reinforced its long-term commitment to the Taiwan market by establishing a Taiwan-based legal entity (Wolters Kluwer Taiwan Limited) and by ensuring a local team of CCH Tagetik experts are in place in Taiwan, to provide customers with reliable implementation support. Wolters Kluwer has also established a network of Taiwan implementation partners, including Asgard and Mercuries Data Systems Ltd, who provide reliable, local expertise to ensure customers can implement the CCH Tagetik expert solution with ease.

Michael Chung, Greater China General Manager of CCH Tagetik for Wolters Kluwer, said:

"CCH Tagetik has a proven track record for digitally enabling Taiwan CFOs to gain visibility into, connect and analyze enterprise-wide data in a way that helps them better manage complex global requirements, drive growth and navigate change. The solution's new Global Minimum Tax and ESG capabilities, combined with our growing network of local implementation partners, reinforces our long-term commitment to empowering Taiwan finance leaders to improve efficiency and enhance decision-making, even in the face of constantly evolving business challenges."

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer (EURONEXT: WKL) is a global leader in information, software, and services for professionals in healthcare, tax and accounting, financial and corporate compliance, legal and regulatory, and corporate performance and ESG. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2022 annual revenues of 5.5 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.

For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Media Contact:

Beatriz Santin

CCH Tagetik

+1 339 229 2447 office

+39 058396811 office

beatriz.santin@wolterskluwer.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1441883/Wolters_Kluwer_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/wolters-kluwer-expands-cch-tagetik-corporate-performance-management-capabilities-to-help-taiwan-companies-address-esg--global-minimum-tax-requirements-301821506.html
*Since Netcore's platforms are no-code they will enable Domino's to save upto 150 man hours per week impacting costs effectively*

JAKARTA, Indonesia, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Netcore Cloud , a profitable SaaS company and global leader in customer communication, engagement and retention, has been onboarded by multinational pizza restaurant chain, Domino's in Indonesia. Netcore Cloud's AI-powered capabilities will help the brand build a 360-degree understanding with user analytics improving overall marketing and product strategy.





Netcore's Customer Engagement platform creates a unified profile of each customer by stitching together data points from every customer interaction across online and offline channels. Therefore, the customer behavior can be analysed at every stage of their conversion journey enabling marketers to tweak their strategy using real-time dashboard insights on revenue, DAU, app stickiness, user flows, or any other north star metric. The Product Experience Platform makes it possible to deploy walkthroughs and nudges guiding users through the app or website with intuitive and delightful experiences ensuring goal-driven actions. Therefore, moving users down the conversion funnel faster is made possible. With the combined powers of these platforms, Domino's will be able to create journeys for customers that are more contextual and relevant. Increased relevance means better user experience & therefore repeated engagement.

Siddhesh Sawant, Regional Vice President - Indonesia Netcore Cloud, "Empowered by our Contextual Nudges & Walkthroughs, Indonesians will now be able gain one-on-one suggestions while ordering their favorite pizzas & beverages on the Domino's app & website. With our Customer Engagement platform, Domino's will now be able to analyze customer behavior at every stage of their conversion journey and undertake appropriate actions. This will naturally improve customer satisfaction & thereby sales for Domino's and thereof is a sure win-win."

Mayank Singh, Chief Digital Officer & VP - Marketing, Digital Business & IT, Domino's Pizza Indonesia, "At Domino's Pizza Indonesia, we take pride in our position as the country's number one QSR food ordering app. Being the World's number one Pizza chain, we are committed to providing the best customer experience for both our iOS and Android users, whether they order takeaway (2 mins Pickup Guarantee) or delivery (30 mins Delivery Guarantee). To enhance our customer experience and engagement and further improve our order conversion rate, we are excited to partner with Netcore and leverage their Nudges and Customer Engagement Platforms. With Netcore's advanced customer experience products and services, we are confident that we can continue to deliver unparalleled value to our loyal customers."

Consumer Engagement expert, Netcore Cloud has been making successful strides for over two decades in 22 markets globally and today serves over 6500 clients including CIMB Niaga, FWD Life, Bluebirdgroup, Panorama JTB, Bussan Auto Finance, Qerja & Capital Life.

About Netcore Cloud: https://netcorecloud.com/about-us/

For more information, visit https://netcorecloud.com/

Media Contact:

Simone Pious

simone.pious@netcorecloud.com

+91 9930354205

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2002062/Netcore_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dominos-indonesia-onboards-saas-major-netcore-clouds-customer-engagement--product-experience-platforms-to-enhance-user-experience-301820962.html
Kinarus Therapeutics Holding AG / Key word(s): Financing

Kinarus Therapeutics signed CHF1.5 million convertible loan agreement with ChaoDian (Hangzhou) Investment Management



11-May-2023 / 07:00 CET/CEST

Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

Basel, Switzerland, May 10, 2023 - Kinarus Therapeutics Holding AG ("Kinarus") (SIX: KNRS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics to treat viral, respiratory and ophthalmic diseases, today announced the signing of a strategic convertible loan agreement for a CHF 1.5 million investment by ChaoDian (Hangzhou) Investment Management Co., Ltd., an investment company based in Hangzhou City, China ("CDIM"). Further, this agreement forms the basis for discussions on the introduction, development and commercialization of KIN001 for the treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) in China. Great Health Companion Group Ltd (GHCG), a subsidiary of Hakim Unique Group, introduced CDIM to Kinarus.

Under the terms of the loan agreement, CDIM grants a subordinated loan in the amount of CHF 1.5 million to Kinarus for a fixed term of three years without any interest. During the term of the agreement, the outstanding loan amount can be converted at any time into Kinarus shares with a nominal value of CHF 0.01 at a fixed conversion price of CHF 0.01 per Kinarus share.

The loan will strengthen the financial position of Kinarus.

Dr Hari Kumar, Chairman of the Board of Kinarus Therapeutics Holding AG, commented: "We are pleased that our relationship with GHCG has led to this exciting partnership with CDIM. We believe this investment aligns the parties' interests and demonstrates CDIM's confidence in our mutual success, in finding the best solution for KIN001 development and commercialization for treatment of IPF in China. IPF is a devastating disease with important unmet medical need in Asia and other markets around the world. This partnership further validates the high potential value of KIN001 in IPF and other indications. We also are actively evaluating potential partnerships for KIN001 in other indications and territories. This convertible loan will strengthen our financial position."

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis is a devastating disease with high morbidity and mortality and significant unmet need. Currently approved drugs have limited efficacy and significant side effects/drug-drug interaction potential. Often patients suspend treatment despite severity of the disease. KIN001 targets multiple underlying mechanisms of disease progression, with potential to reverse fibrosis and loss of respiratory capacity.

KIN001 is a patented combination of two active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs): pamapimod and pioglitazone. Pamapimod is a highly selective clinical stage small molecule inhibitor of the p38 MAP kinase signaling pathway. Kinarus has discovered that combining pamapimod with pioglitazone, a safe and well-tolerated marketed drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, leads to synergistic efficacy and increased duration of action in preclinical models of wet AMD, IPF and other autoimmune/inflammation indications. KIN001 enjoys broad patent protection in the US, EU, China, and other countries through at least 2037.

Kinarus Therapeutics Holding AG (www.kinarus.com) was founded in 2017 by experienced pharmaceutical executives in Basel, Switzerland. The Kinarus team utilizes its knowledge and drug development competencies to in-license and develop mid-stage clinical assets in which they have identified an increased probability of clinical and regulatory success and a rapid path to market. Kinarus possesses the exclusive worldwide license to pamapimod, covering all indications, and has patented KIN001, its novel mechanism in combination with pioglitazone.

Kinarus Therapeutics Holding AG

Hochbergerstrasse 60C

4057 Basel, Switzerland

+41 61 633 29 71

info@kinarus.com Investors & Media

Chris Maggos

Cohesion Bureau

+41 79 367 6254

chris.maggos@cohesionbureau.com

THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL NOR AN INTIMATION TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR THE ACQUISITION OF SECURITIES OF KINARUS THERAPEUTICS HOLDING AG. THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, INTO OR WITHIN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO BE DISTRIBUTED.
Regulatory News:

Sensorion (FR0012596468 ALSEN) a pioneering clinical-stage biotechnology company which specializes in gene therapies in the ear, is pleased to announce its participation in the ASGCT Annual Meeting taking place on May 16-20, 2023, in Los Angeles, USA. Geraldine Honnet, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Laurent Desire, Ph.D., Head of Preclinical Development will participate in-person.

Sensorion will present the two following posters at the ASGCT 26th Annual Meeting:

"An Integrated Adeno-Associated Vector Development Platform for Inner Ear Disorders" (poster board number: 459), the poster session will take place on Wednesday May 17, 2023, from 12.00pm to 2.00pm PDT.



An abstract of the poster can be found here.

"Preclinical Development of an Adeno Associated Vector-Based Gene Therapy (SENS-501) for the Autosomal Recessive Non-Syndromic Deafness 9 (DFNB9)" (poster board number: 946), the poster session will take place on Thursday May 18, 2023, from 12.00pm to 2.00pm PDT.



An abstract of the poster can be found here.

About Sensorion

Sensorion is a pioneering clinical-stage biotech company, which specializes in the development of gene therapies to restore hearing loss disorders, a significant global unmet medical need.

Sensorion has built a unique R&D technology platform to expand its understanding of the pathophysiology and etiology of inner ear related diseases, enabling it to select the best targets and mechanisms of action for drug candidates.

It has two gene therapy programs aimed at correcting hereditary monogenic forms of deafness, developed in the framework of its broad strategic collaboration focused on the genetics of hearing with the Institut Pasteur. OTOF-GT targets deafness caused by mutations of the gene encoding for otoferlin and GJB2-GT targets hearing loss related to mutations in GJB2 gene to potentially address important hearing loss segments in adults and children. The Company is also working on the identification of biomarkers to improve diagnosis of these underserved illnesses.

Sensorion's portfolio also comprises clinical-stage small molecule programs for the treatment and prevention of hearing loss disorders.

Sensorion's clinical-stage portfolio includes one Phase 2 product: SENS-401 (Arazasetron) progressing in a planned Phase 2 proof of concept clinical study of SENS-401 in Cisplatin-Induced Ototoxicity (CIO) and, with partner Cochlear Limited, in a study of SENS-401 in patients scheduled for cochlear implantation. A Phase 2 study of SENS-401 was also completed in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) in January 2022.

www.sensorion.com

Label: SENSORION

ISIN: FR0012596468

Mnemonic: ALSEN

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Sensorion and its business. Such forward looking statements are based on assumptions that Sensorion considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will be verified, which statements are subject to numerous risks, including the risks set forth in the 2022 full year financial report published on March 30, 2023, and available on our website and to the development of economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which Sensorion operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Sensorion or not currently considered material by Sensorion. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Sensorion to be materially different from such forward-looking statements. This press release and the information that it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe for, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for, Sensorion shares in any country. The communication of this press release in certain countries may constitute a violation of local laws and regulations. Any recipient of this press release must inform oneself of any such local restrictions and comply therewith.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510005654/en/

Contacts:

Investor Relations

David Lawrence, Chief Financial Officer (US/UK)

Noemie Djokovic, Investor Relations and Communications (Europe/France)

ir.contact@sensorion-pharma.com

International Media Relations

Consilium1Strategic Communications

Matthew Cole/Jessica Hodgson/Sue Stuart

+44 7593 572720

+44 7561 424788

Sensorion@consilium-comms.com
ESSEN (dpa-AFX) - German utility RWE AG (RWEOY.PK) reported Thursday that its first-quarter adjusted net income was 1.67 billion euros, compared to prior year's 2 million euros, thanks to higher earnings in green core business. Adjusted EBIT was 2.30 billion euros, compared to 251 million euros a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA Group surged to 2.80 billion euros from prior year's 613 million euros. Adjusted EBITDA Core business was 2.30 billion euros, up from 406 million euros a year ago. The company said the increase in earnings year-on-year was primarily due to higher earnings from international power generation in the Hydro/Biomass/Gas segment. In?addition,?the previous year's earnings were impacted by charges from sanctions on hard coal from Russia in the Supply & Trading segment. Further, the company confirmed dividend target of 1.00 euro per share for fiscal 2023. Looking ahead for fiscal 2023, RWE continues to expect adjusted net income in the range of 2.20 billion euros to 2.70 billion euros, adjusted EBIT of 3.60 billion euros to 4.20 billion euros, and adjusted EBITDA Group of 5.80 billion euros to 6.40 billion euros. For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
EQS-Ad-hoc: Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. / Key word(s): Dividend/Dividend

Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A.: Majorel announces proposed dividend for 2022 of EUR 0.68 per share



11-May-2023 / 08:00 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) 596/2014.



Majorel announces proposed dividend for 2022of EUR 0.68 per share

Luxembourg, May 11, 2023: Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. (Euronext Amsterdam: MAJ) ("Majorel", the ''Company"), a global customer experience (CX) leader, today announces its proposed dividend for 2022.

The Company proposes a 2022 dividend payment of EUR 0.68 per share, subject to shareholder approval at its Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM, which is scheduled for 14:00 CEST on June 22, 2023, will be held in a hybrid manner at the Hotel Novotel Luxembourg Kirchberg, 6 Rue du Fort Niedergrunewald, L-2226 Luxembourg. More information on how to attend and all documentation relating to the AGM will be announced in due course.

If the dividend proposal is accepted at the Annual General Meeting, the intended dividend 2022 schedule will be as follows:

Ex-Date 26 June 2023

Record date 27 June 2023

Payment Date 18 July 2023

Dividends are paid in Euros. A Luxembourg withholding tax of 15% will be applied on the gross dividend amounts. In order to benefit from exemption of Luxembourg withholding tax at source, an "Informative Memorandum" describing the procedure is available here .

For Majorel shares held via Euroclear Nederland, ABN AMRO is offering a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP). Shareholders have the opportunity to reinvest their net dividend in ordinary shares of Majorel. Shareholders should make the decision to participate in the DRIP via their own bank, broker, custodian or financial institution.



ABOUT MAJOREL

We're a global CX leader. Clients say that our agile culture makes us special, which means that doing business with us is easy. As experts in customer experience management, we've seen it all, so we're able to ensure the reliability our clients need and the care their customers deserve. Our team members love nothing more than to just get things done, secure in the knowledge that we strive to be the best home for their talent. Our spirit is resourceful, resilient, and relentless, and this is what drives us to go further.

82,000+ team members; 70+ languages; 45 countries; end-to-end CXM; tech-human augmentation; global and local. Majorel: Driven to go further. www.majorel.com



CONTACT

Investor Relations

Michele Negen

ir@majorel.com

Media Relations

Andrew Slater

media@majorel.com



DISCLAIMER

This announcement is released by Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. ("Company") and contains information that qualified or may have qualified as inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR). This announcement is made for the purposes of MAR and pursuant to Article 2 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1055.

11-May-2023 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Rolls Royce Holdings plc. (RYCEF.PK, RR.L, RYCEY.PK) Thursday said its financial performance year-to-date has been in line with expectations, and that it continues to expects fiscal 2023 underlying operating profit guidance of 0.8 billion pounds to 1.0 billion pounds. In its trading update to April 30, ahead of today's Annual General Meeting, the company said its financial performance is improving reflecting positive changes driven by transformation programme workstreams and good end market demand for products and services. In Civil Aerospace, long term service agreement large engine flying hours were 83% of 2019 levels in the four months to 30 April, and on track for the 80% to 90% range for the full year. The company said it is encouraged by the early progress of commercial optimisation and working capital workstreams, with positive results expected to build as the year goes on. The strategic review is on track and as previously indicated, the firm plans to communicate the findings and medium term targets in the second half of 2023. Chief Executive Tufan Erginbilgic, said, 'We are transforming Rolls-Royce into a high quality and competitive business with a strong balance sheet and growing profit, cash flows and returns. . We are making good progress and our financial performance year-to-date is in line with expectations.' The company is scheduled to release first-half results on August 3. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
The ESA- and EC-supported EAGLE-1 LEO satellite will be equipped with innovative security features developed by TESAT, Europe's leading laser communication technology company

EAGLE-1 consortium lead SES announces a new key partner, TESAT, responsible for developing and integrating the Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) payload for the EAGLE-1 satellite. The SES and TESAT partnership is aimed at achieving the next key milestone in building and implementing Europe's pioneering quantum secure communications initiative EAGLE-1. Supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission, EAGLE-1 is a quantum key system integrating both space and ground segments that will deliver secure transmission of encryption keys across geographically dispersed areas and connect EU's national quantum communications infrastructures for truly sovereign networks.

Consortium member and Europe's leading laser communication technology company TESAT will manufacture the QKD payload comprising the Scalable Optical Terminal SCOT80 to establish a secure optical link from space to ground, as well as the QKD module of the satellite.

The technology integrated into the EAGLE-1 system's payload will include built-in redundancy and is specifically designed to be associated with the satellite communications and data transmission for such areas as government, telco operators, cloud providers and banking, to add guaranteed security of the cryptographic applications.

"EAGLE-1 is a project that will benefit the whole of Europe, and being able to work with the leading technology players in the market to co-develop it and together shape this innovative secure technology is a privilege to SES," said Ruy Pinto, Chief technology Officer of SES. "The addition of the secure optical links and the actual QKD module brings us closer to implementation, testing and further scaling the technology, that can ultimately serve millions of users. This elevates secure communications to an entirely new level, supporting development of reliable pan-European quantum communications infrastructures."

"We are delighted to be selected as payload prime by SES and looking forward to bring our expertise in integrating secure technologies, and a track record of almost 80,000 executed optical satellite links for the benefit of this highly-important and timely European project," said Thomas Reinartz, CEO of TESAT. "The EAGLE-1 system allows for achieving synergies together with leading industry partners, SMEs and institutes, reducing time to service and to market for the quantum secure technologies and its future key users, such as governments and institutions, or banking sector. Together with our partners, we are looking forward to strengthen European collaboration at all levels, including SMEs and institutions and contributing to European sovereignty in space."

About EAGLE-1

The EAGLE-1 project comprising satellite and ground infrastructure is developed by SES and its consortium of 20 European partners, and is co-funded by the ESA contribution of Germany, Luxembourg, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Czech Republic under ARTES, as well as the European Commission through Horizon Europe.

Once launched in 2024, the EAGLE-1 satellite will complete three years of in-orbit mission. During the operational phase, the satellite will allow European Union governments and institutions as well as critical business sectors early access to long-distance QKD that would path the way towards an EU constellation enabling ultra-secure data transmissions.

Learn more about EAGLE-1 and SES-led consortium of European partners here.

Follow us on:

Twitter Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Instagram

Read our Blogs

Visit the Media Gallery

About SES

SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world's only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world's leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES's video network carries over ~8,200 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 369 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com

About TESAT

TESAT is a world-leading manufacturer for satellite equipment. More than 1,100 employees, based in Backnang, Germany, develop, manufacture and distribute systems and equipment for satellite communications every day. The product range spans from the smallest space-specific components to modules, entire assemblies or payloads. As the world's leading provider of in-orbit-verified optical communication terminals for data transmission via laser, TESAT has a focus on commercial and institutional space programs. Thanks to the deep understanding of the market needs, customer focus and technological innovation, TESAT offers products that contribute to sustainable development and security, for the people, for a better world. More information at www.tesat.de.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510006052/en/

Contacts:

Victoria-Louisa Kirstein

Head of Marketing Communications, TESAT

Tel: +49 7191 930-1039

victoria-louisa.kirstein@tesat.de



Suzanne Ong

External Communications, SES

Tel. +352 710 725 500

suzanne.ong@ses.com
STOCKHOLM, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SmartCella Holding AB today announces that Niklas Prager has been appointed as the new CEO. SmartCella is an innovative biotech and medtech company that combines targeted delivery of medical substances to organs and tumors through a unique device, and the development of future stemcell and RNA-based treatments and methods for administering such treatments.

Niklas Prager has extensive and solid experience from the global pharma industry and has held leadership positions in research-focused pharmaceutical companies such as Merck/MSD and Pfizer, with both Sweden and the USA as a base. He has also been CEO and board member/chairperson of several medtech and biotech companies such as Medivir AB and CellaVision AB, and has experience with different types of ownership, from listed to private and private equity. Niklas is 52 years old and holds a Master of Science in Business Administration from the Stockholm School of Economics and has also studied in the MBA program at the University of Michigan.

"Niklas has a perfect background for SmartCella. He has experience from the global pharma industry and has also led projects that fundamentally transformed pharmaceutical companies through creative ideas and great determination. With Niklas as CEO, we intend to accelerate our expansion, and this will mark the beginning of SmartCella's next era. The fact that Niklas has had so many different roles in his career, both operational and as an advisor, is a fantastic asset for us given all the different stakeholders the company has within both big pharma, medtech, biotech, and throughout the entire research field. He will be an inspiring leader of a competent team of employees from over 22 countries," says Christian Kinch, Chairperson of SmartCella Holding AB.

Christian Kinch continues, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Johan Rugfelt, who has been acting CEO since March 2022 and navigated the business over a period of strong growth and transformation - under his leadership, the organization has developed competence-wise and grown from 20 to almost 60 employees. Johan has also ensured that we have a stable financial base, relevant for our future expansion plans. He will return to the role of COO and continue as a member of the management team, and I look forward to a continued productive collaboration with Johan."

SmartCella was founded in 2014 and today consists of three areas. SmartWise with the patented device Extroducer, which in a unique way delivers substances directly to organs via the endovascular route (invented by Staffan Holmin, Professor of Clinical Neuroimaging at Karolinska Institutet). The device is FDA-approved and clinical studies with various treatments in humans are planned to begin in 2023. SmartCella Solutions conducts research focused on developing new RNA-based treatments and methods for their delivery. Procella established a collaboration with AstraZeneca in 2018 to develop a cardiac stem cell therapy to repair parts of the heart that have been damaged after a heart attack. Other types of stem cell-based therapies are also under development.

"SmartCella is a truly unique company. Its strength lies in the combination of a commercializable medical device for the delivery of targeted treatments to organs and tumors where the medical need is enormous, and world-leading cell and gene therapy with both treatments and new methods for the administration of such treatments, where the agreement with AstraZeneca validates the technology. Sweden once again has a company at the forefront of the booming niche of global drug research. The potential to radically change the treatment of serious illnesses is staggering, and I cannot imagine a better opportunity to be a part of and influence the future for seriously ill patients. I look forward to taking over the baton and embarking on the next step in SmartCella's development together with the board, management, and staff. Both the company and the board have an impressive mix of medical and entrepreneurial expertise with a strong track record, and I am confident in what SmartCella can achieve," says Niklas Prager. Niklas will assume the role of CEO during the summer of 2023.

SmartCellas management team consists of, in addition to the CEO, of Johan Rugfelt (COO), Malin af Petersens (CFO), Staffan Holmin (CMO, MD and PhD), Jonathan Clarke (Head of Procella, MD) and Kylie Foo (Head of SmartCella Solutions, PhD).

CONTACT:

Contact

Nina Nornholm, Communications & PR, +46 708 550 356 nina.nornholm@smartcella.se

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/21365/3767213/2052334.pdf Press release Niklas Prager 230511 ENG https://news.cision.com/smartcella-holding-ab/i/niklas-prager-may-2023,c3177687 Niklas Prager May 2023

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/niklas-prager-appointed-new-ceo-of-smartcella-301821861.html
analysis

In July 2022, BBC Africa Eye released a documentary on gang activity in northwestern Nigeria. The programme, The Bandit Warlords of Zamfara, examined the raids on villages, abductions and murders that have plagued swaths of the country. Notably, it included interviews with so-called bandits, who described their violent actions and laid out their grievances.

The Nigerian government responded furiously to the documentary's airing. The minister of information, Lai Mohamed, called it "a naked glorification of terrorism and banditry". The National Broadcasting Commission, which regulates broadcasting, said it "undermines national security in Nigeria".

The commission slapped fines of 5 million (about US$11,922) each on MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, NTA-Startimes Limited and TelCom Satellite Limited Trust Television Network for airing the programme.

The documentary, and the Nigerian government's response to it, sparked a fierce debate over the limits of media freedoms. Some justified the fines, saying the BBC's reporting was "becoming a tool for terrorists". Others condemned the reporting as "whitewashing" reality to serve the government and as undercutting the public's right to learn.

The debate gets to the heart of a question facing all democracies: when, if ever, should the government impose limits on media?

In 2021, I joined a team of researchers from Afrobarometer on a project to understand how citizens think about media freedom. Afrobarometer is an independent, pan-African research organisation dedicated to the study of public opinion. In over a year, we focused on four countries: Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda.

Read more: Restricting digital media is a gamble for African leaders

We found that citizens in these countries cannot be simply characterised as either for or against media freedom. People who supported democracy were more supportive of protecting the media from government interference. But this group swung behind the need for censorship when it came to hate speech and false information.

Thorny questions

Thorny questions about media freedoms and democracy face other African countries too. On the one hand, empowering governments to limit media might undermine fragile democracies by allowing incumbents to squelch investigative reporting and opposition voices.

On the other hand, free media bring potential problems. These include disinformation, hate speech and even calls to violence.

Our project sought to provide insights into how people from various African countries weigh these potential reasons for and against limiting media freedom. Are citizens more supportive of limits to particular kinds of content than others? And how do characteristics of individuals, such as their support for democracy, shape their attitudes about media?

These questions are important in light of recent declines in support for media freedom across Africa, even as attacks on those freedoms by governments increase. For example, in 2022, dozens of journalists were arrested in Ethiopia, and more than 120 attacks on media houses and practitioners were documented in the Democratic Republic of Congo. And new laws in countries like Tanzania target foreign and independent media, often in the name of addressing misinformation and divisive messages.

Limiting freedoms to protect democracy?

To answer our questions, we conducted interviews with experts on media, using nationally representative phone surveys and focus groups. We also analysed data from nationally representative surveys Afrobarometer conducted in the four counties in 2019 and 2020.

Attitudes about democracy affected how citizens felt about the media. Those who thought positively about democracy and rejected non-democratic alternatives were more likely to agree with the statement:

The media should have the right to publish any views and ideas without government control.

Democracy sceptics were more likely to agree with the alternate statement:

The government should have the right to prevent the media from publishing things that it disapproves of.

We delved deeper by providing different types of potentially problematic media content and measuring support for government censorship of each one.

Those who supported democracy were more likely to oppose the censorship of messages that a government disapproved of. In other words, supporting democracy again meant supporting media's rights to share content that might upset those in power.

However, we found very different results when it came to two other kinds of content: hate speech and false information.

In these cases, people who were the most committed to democracy were the most likely to support censorship. Supporting democracy meant supporting restrictions on what the media could say.

Justifying censorship for democratic ends

We normally associate censorship with authoritarianism. What then explains why people who were most supportive of democracy were also most supportive of certain kinds of censorship?

We posit that Africans in the countries we studied actually found limiting certain content as necessary for defending democracy. Sixty per cent of our phone survey respondents told us that media spread too much hate speech. Such language can harm the public good by generating violence and disorder. But it can also lead to discrimination and other violations of individual rights central to democracy.

As one focus group participant in Lagos told us:

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Media 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 pen is created for writing. But I can also use it to stab somebody. So, if it is misused, it becomes bad.

Our study participants had similar concerns about false information. Just over 60% called it a problem. As a Ugandan from Rwampara district told us, media nowadays are

all about the business, so much so that they have been known to report un-researched facts, and in other cases lied outright.

Democracy requires an informed citizenry, which false information undercuts. It is easy to see how many committed democrats might see censorship as a necessary step.

Complicated paths forward

Many of our study participants did see the dangers of empowering governments to censor media. Most who supported democracy erred on the side of supporting media's right to produce content without serious limits. As a Kenyan participant put it:

If we are not careful about this, the steady erosion of media freedoms will continue and will end up in a bad place.

It is clear to most that democracy cannot survive without free media. The challenge is that, in many citizens' eyes, democracy cannot survive with it, either. Finding the right balance between freedom and limits remains one of the greatest challenges modern democracies face.

Jeffrey Conroy-Krutz, Associate Professor of Political Science, Michigan State University
Vasco Lobo joins Cleanwatts in the role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) to lead commercial operations, international accounts, corporate business development, M&A, and the company's Project Management Office. In addition, Mahomed Bashir becomes Head of Capital Services, taking responsibility for leading relations with project level financial investors in support of the company's growth across all regions.

Cleanwatts, a leading climate tech scaleup, has appointed Vasco Lobo as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), and Mahomed Bashir as Head of Capital Services, as the company enters its next stage of growth.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005046/en/

Vasco Lobo, Cleanwatts Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)

As CCO, Vasco will lead commercial operations, international accounts, corporate business development, M&A, and the company's Project Management Office as the group expands its business across Europe, the United States and Asia. As Head of Capital Services, Mahomed will lead the company's capital services unit, including debt and equity fundraising and risk management for project financing across all regions.

Vasco Lobo is an international executive with a passion for renewable energy and a breadth of experience in finance, and business commercial operations. Prior to joining Cleanwatts, Vasco held multiple leadership positions with General Electric, in divisions like GE Corporate, GE Capital, GE Renewable Energy, and GE Healthcare. During his 21-year tenure with GE, Vasco worked in over 10 countries, holding various global and regional roles in Finance and Operations. Most recently, he served as CFO for GE Healthcare, in Latin America.

Mahomed Bashir brings almost 25 years of experience in financial advisory, investment banking, and business development and structuring infrastructure projects in Portugal, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. He joined KPMG Portugal in 1999 in the Financial Advisory Services department and in 2011 he stepped down to serve as CFO of Alliance Healthcare Portugal (Walgreens Boots Alliance). Shortly after, he took a leading role in the infrastructure advisory practice of the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) in Brazil for almost 6 years. In 2018, Mahomed was appointed Country Head for Spain of Banco Atlantico Europa with an additional mandate to structure the Impact Investment Banking practice at the bank. Most recently, he served as Global Head of Business Development at Mota-Engil Ambiente e Servicos.

Cleanwatts CEO and co-founder Michael Pinto commented, "It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome Vasco and Mahomed to Cleanwatts. Vasco is a highly accomplished leader with global experience, versatility, and aptitude for delivering results across diverse business cultures. Mahomed's extensive experience in international infrastructure project financing and business development makes him uniquely qualified to help us as we establish ambitious new projects. Most importantly, they are deeply committed to our goal of delivering the energy transition where it matters most: locally."

Cleanwatts CCO Vasco Lobo commented, "Cleanwatts' unique approach to establishing Renewable Energy Communities, combining industry expertise, proprietary software, financial capital and management capabilities, is a game-changer for improving access to clean energy for all. I look forward to leading our commercial expansion and sustainable growth."

Cleanwatts Head of Capital Services Mahomed Bashir said, "I am very excited to join such an incredible talented team in pursuit of one of the greatest challenges ahead of us: addressing climate change through sustainable energy solutions. Cleanwatts encapsulates this mission and is already having a great impact on the communities it serves. I look forward to working closely with Cleanwatts leadership to develop and execute financing strategies that will support the company's continued growth and success."

Ends

About Cleanwatts

Cleanwatts is a climate tech leader committed to simplifying, amplifying, and accelerating the global energy transition for local communities around the world. Cleanwatts delivers value by originating and managing Renewable Energy Communities (REC), deploying domain expertise, proprietary technology, financial capital, and management capabilities for the benefit of our clients. Put simply, we offer energy as a service with zero upfront investment.

By simplifying, amplifying, and accelerating the energy transition for local communities, we are addressing the most urgent trilemma of our time: decarbonizing the grid while bolstering energy security and abating the high cost of energy.

In 2021, the European specialist growth equity investor Verdane invested up to 25 million in Cleanwatts through its impact fund Idun to support the growth and international expansion of the company. Cleanwatts grew year-on-year revenues by 137 in 2022 and expects 2023 revenue growth of more than 800%, and is building a world in which clean energy is decentralized, digitalized, and democratized.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005046/en/

Contacts:

Michael Wilkinson

Cleanwatts Head of Corporate Communications PR

Email: mwilkinson@cleanwatts.energy Phone: +351913015447
Industry-leading food tech company Meatable held its first-ever cultivated meat tasting in Singapore with future commercial partners and the Singapore Economic Development Board

Meatable received approval from the Singapore Food Agency for the first tasting, an important step towards receiving regulatory approval for sale of its cultivated meat

With this milestone, Meatable is on track to launch into the Singaporean market in 2024, followed by the US

DELFT, Netherlands, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Meatable , the innovative Dutch food tech company that is on a mission to deliver cultivated meat at scale, has reached a major milestone in its history by holding its first-ever tasting in Singapore after receiving the Singapore Food Agency's (SFA) approval.





The SFA has stringent safety requirements to give approval for holding cultivated meat tastings, with a clear framework of criteria that companies need to meet. In the last few months, Meatable has worked in cooperation with the SFA to ensure it fulfilled all these criteria to gain approval for its first-ever tasting. This is an important step in the process for Meatable on the way to receiving regulatory approval for sale of its cultivated meat products.

Following this approval, a select group of retail partners and the Singaporean Economic Development Board (EDB) were invited to try the company's cultivated meat product, a cultivated pork sausage, featuring the pronounced pork flavor, bite, and texture that is found in traditional meat. These partners will help Meatable to develop, optimize and launch its products in restaurants and supermarkets, with the plan to have them on sale in 2024.

Karen Tay, Managing Director at Classic Fine Foods Singapore - a leading global distributor of fine food across Asia, the Middle East and the UK said: "My vision for cultivated meat is that it will become a mainstream option. Some existing processes and practices are not sustainable for the world that we live in. The Meatable sausage I tasted today was very delicious. I wouldn't have known if you didn't tell me it was cultivated meat."

Tom Gray (pictured on the right), Commercial Director at Little Farms - Singapore's freshest grocery, said:

"The taste and texture were great. It was a very satisfying and a very interesting experience all around."

Andre Huber, Executive Director at Huber's Butchery - Singapore's premier butcher, said:

"I think cultivated meat is probably the future of meat. We had conventional, traditional meat for centuries and thankfully now we found a new way to produce meat. To help our earth, to help our future generations. I've tried Meatable's sausage and I like where it stands. It has that nice meaty texture and it clearly has that meat flavor which plant-based proteins are lacking."

The first of many tastings to educate the world

As the first country to approve cultivated meat in 2020, Singapore has quickly become one of the most forward-thinking regulatory environments in the world for cultivated meat. Its 30 by 30 strategy means the country is working to build up its agri-food industry's capability and capacity to produce 30% of its nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030.

This also makes Singapore the perfect launch country for Meatable's first products, followed later by the US. The tasting follows previous investments Meatable has made in Singapore's growing innovative food ecosystem, including a partnership with Esco Aster , the first and only commercially licensed cultivated meat manufacturer, and a collaboration with plant-based butcher Love Handle . The recent tasting took place at Country Foods' Experiential Centre at The Arts House (Old Parliament House), where Meatable and Love Handle are building their Future of Food Innovation Centre together in downtown Singapore.

In the coming months, Meatable will organize more tastings in Singapore and internationally, to educate future partners and consumers as well as gain learnings as a company on how to best develop and provide cultivated meat at scale.

Krijn de Nood, co-founder and CEO of Meatable, said: "We were delighted to receive the exemption from the SFA to deliver our first tasting in Singapore. This marks a significant milestone for Meatable. First of all, it allows our partners to taste and experience our delicious products and secondly for us as a company, this is an important step towards regulatory approval for sales in Singapore. This is all part of our mission to satisfy the world's appetite for meat without harming people, animals, or the planet."

Contact:

YourStory PR for Meatable

Email: Meatable@yourstorypr.com

Phone: +44(0)7867488769

About Meatable

Meatable is an innovative, Dutch food company, aiming to deliver, at scale, the new natural , cultivated meat that looks like, tastes like, and has the nutritional profile of traditional meat. Use of opti-ox technology enables Meatable to produce meat rapidly, sustainably, and without harming animals. Founded in 2018 by Krijn de Nood (CEO), Daan Luining (CTO), and Dr. Mark Kotter (principal inventor of opti-ox technology), Meatable has brought together a team of experts with unique knowledge in fields including molecular biology, chemistry, tissue engineering, bioprocess development, food safety, and food science to create the new natural meat. The company has raised $60 million in funding from leading life science and food investors including Section 32, DSM Venturing, BlueYard Capital, Agronomics, and Dr Rick Klausner. Follow Meatable : LinkedIn , Twitter , Instagram , Facebook .

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2074076/Meatable_Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2073080/Meatable_Sausage.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2073081/Meatable_Tom_Gray.jpg









View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/meatable-holds-its-world-first-tasting-in-singapore-with-aim-to-launch-in-2024-301821936.html
Poland stands out as having the highest levels of support for advanced nuclear energy, report reveals

WARSAW, Poland, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new, multinational report released today found that there is widespread public support for using advanced nuclear energy technologies to generate electricity. Based on a survey of more than 13,000 respondents across eight countries - Poland, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, Japan, and South Korea - the study showed strong support for advanced nuclear energy in each country, with Poland having the highest level of support, boasting a 10:1 ratio of supporters to opponents.

Surveyed Poles said that advanced nuclear can play a significant role in boosting the country's economy and ensuring energy security, with 85% believing it is needed for economic growth. Almost 80% agree that advanced nuclear can help solve today's energy crisis, and 76% say it can help reduce energy dependence on third countries.

Furthermore, more than 75% of people in Poland believe that nuclear energy is necessary to meet climate goals, the highest level of agreement amongst the countries surveyed. The study also found that, in contrast to countries where opposition is centered on older citizens, support for advanced nuclear energy in Poland is consistently strong across all age groups.

Today's report was produced through a collaboration between the nongovernmental organizations ClearPath, Third Way, Potential Energy Coalition, and RePlanet.

Mark Lynas, co-founder of RePlanet, said:

"It is often thought that nuclear power is unpopular. Our results show conclusively that this is not the case, and that nuclear as a source of clean, carbon-free energy commands majority support in every single country. This majority support even extends in most cases to members of environmental groups and Green parties, and shows that policy-makers and investors should not fear public opinion when making urgently-needed decisions about supporting new advanced nuclear deployment."

Josh Freed, Senior Vice President for the Climate and Energy Program at Third Way, said:

"Real world concerns about energy security and climate change have a way of focusing people's minds. That is why growing numbers of people in the US and across the world are turning to advanced nuclear as one of the sources of clean, reliable, and secure energy they support. It is encouraging that policymakers, including most of the countries surveyed, are responding with ambitious policies that embrace advanced nuclear as part of their energy strategies."

John Marshall, CEO of Potential Energy Coalition, which led the design and analytics behind the study, said: "Our approach is to use the most sophisticated tools from private sector consumer research and marketing to explore what people value, their concerns, their priorities, and how they see 'brand nuclear.' We follow the data, and what this data tells here is a new story. We've known for years that public opinion on nuclear energy has been changing, but we haven't understood what's behind that shift or what it means for the clean energy transition. In particular, the degree of support from environmentalists is noteworthy and perhaps contrary to general perception."

Rich Powell, CEO of ClearPath, said:

"A robust American energy policy should make energy reliable, secure and clean. Nuclear energy checks each of these boxes and with public support continuing to improve, we are well on our way to an exciting energy future that will enhance our quality of life in the U.S. and abroad."

View and download the full report here.

Other recent surveys have also confirmed a shift in public support in favor of nuclear energy - including a Gallup poll last month that found Americans' support was at the highest level in a decade - but this new report is the first large-scale study to apply a private sector market research methodology to understand attitudes towards nuclear energy across eight countries.

One new finding revealed by the study was that almost all of the opposition to advanced nuclear energy comes from a small, distinct segment of the population - only 15 percent - whose members are older, skeptical about innovation, and unmovable in their views. All of the other groups identified by the report overwhelmingly support advanced nuclear energy, even if they vary widely in their political outlook, economic position, and views on issues like climate change.

Support for advanced nuclear energy is not partisan, the report found. In all but two countries in the report, Germany and Japan, a majority of the supporters of every major political party also back using advanced nuclear energy.

The study found that 52 percent of self-described supporters or members of environmental groups in Poland strongly agree with using advanced nuclear energy, with only 4% strongly disagreeing. In Germany, which recently closed its last nuclear power plants, more than half of respondents said they support the use of advanced nuclear energy, and supporters outnumbered opponents by a factor of two to one. German supporters cited energy independence as the strongest argument in favor of using nuclear technology.

Read the full results, including detailed breakdowns of the country-specific findings, and download a copy of the report here.

Contact:

Sayoko Oyama

soyama@kreab.com

+44 20 7074 1830

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/new-study-finds-strong-public-support-for-advanced-nuclear-energy-across-multiple-countries-301821985.html
LONDON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sucden Financial, the multi-asset execution, clearing and liquidity provider, is pleased to announce the establishment of our charitable fund ('the Fund') to support economically disadvantaged local communities in East London. The initiation of the Fund is one of a number of initiatives to commemorate Sucden Financial's 50th anniversary in 2023.





The Sucden Financial Community Fund will help address challenges faced by vulnerable communities in East London by tackling four critical issues that are central to Sucden Financial's business: the energy crisis, rising food prices, financial literacy, and a lack of IT skills. The Fund will be operated in partnership with the East End Community Foundation (EECF) to support selected local charities.

Sucden Financial has committed to allocating 50,000 with a target to raise a further 50,000 to support the Fund's activities in 2023 through charitable initiatives.

Challenges and fundraising events will take place throughout the year involving our key stakeholders. Find out more on The Sucden Financial Community Fund page that has been set up to facilitate fundraising activities.

Marc Bailey, Chief Executive Officer at Sucden Financial Limited, said, "We recognise that the role of any business in the coming decades will be more aligned with the needs of individuals within our society. Our new fund enables the company, our staff, clients, and other partners to leverage their strengths to help alleviate some of the immediate challenges faced by vulnerable communities in East London and support their longer-term resilience. While this initiative is linked to Sucden Financial's 50th anniversary, we intend to provide sustained support over the coming years."

Tracey Walsh, CEO of East End Community Foundation, added, "We're delighted that Sucden Financial has chosen us to manage their new Fund. It will provide urgent and much-needed support to disadvantaged communities and enable frontline organisations to continue delivering essential services. Our partnership ensures Sucden Financial's investment will be targeted where it will have maximum impact, making a real difference to local people's lives across the East End."

Notes to Editors

About Sucden Financial

With a history and heritage in commodity futures and options trading, Sucden Financial has evolved and diversified to become a leading multi-asset execution, clearing and liquidity provider across FX, fixed income and commodities.

Sucden Financial has a proven track record of 50 years in financial markets. Since its foundation in 1973, it has been supported by its parent, Sucden, one of the world's leading soft commodity trading groups, while remaining fully independent in its day-to-day trading operations.

Sucden Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by Financial Conduct Authority.

About the East End Community Foundation

The EECF is part of the UK Community Foundation network and is the leading charitable foundation and funder in the East End.

The Foundation convenes philanthropists and invest in local communities by allocating grants to grassroots charities in the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Newham, and the City of London. The EECF has raised and distributed more than 27m to support communities in East London since 1990.

EECF - East End Community Foundation

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2041201/3957397/Sucden_Financial_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sucden-financial-launches-community-fund-to-celebrate-50th-anniversary-301821986.html
New data from Global Blue (NYSE:GB) shows that the overall dynamic recovery for Tax Free Shopping remains strong across Continental Europe and Asia Pacific.

Globally, issued Sales in Store like-for-like recovery remains solid at 106%1 in April vs. 101%1 in Q1 2023.

This acceleration of the recovery in April is due to the progressive return of Mainland Chinese shoppers. This is despite an unfavorable calendar effect linked to the absence of Gulf Cooperation Council Citizens traveling in April due to Ramadan2

For the first time, the Asia Pacific recovery rate almost reached 2019 levels, at 99%1

Continental Europe recovery remains solid

In Continental Europe, the recovery is stable at 110%1 in April compared to 109%1 in Q1 2023.

Regarding origin markets, the return of Mainland Chinese residents has accelerated, with a recovery rate reaching 47%1 in April vs. 31%1 in Q1. This acceleration has offset the slowdown in the Gulf Cooperation Council residents' recovery at 109%1 in April vs. 255%1 in Q1 due to the Ramadan unfavorable calendar effect2

US shopper recovery remains strong at 274%1 in April vs. 288%1 in Q1.

In terms of destination markets, the solid recovery in April was across all destinations, predominantly led by Greece at 155%1, France at 138%1, Spain at 123%1, Italy at 111%1, and Switzerland at 107%1

An accelerating recovery in Asia Pacific

In Asia Pacific, the recovery reached 99%1 in April vs. 87%1 Q1.

In terms of origin markets, the return of Mainland Chinese shoppers has also been a key contributor to the strengthening recovery in Asia Pacific. In April, Mainland Chinese shopper recovery in South Korea reached 105%1 in April vs. 47%1 in Q1, whilst in Singapore Mainland Chinese shopper recovery reached 83%1 in April vs. 40%1 in March.

With regards to the other origin market nationalities, Hong Kong and Taiwan residents continue to have an elevated recovery level at 349%1 in April vs. 368%1 in Q1. This was followed by South East Asia residents at 164%1 in April vs. 145%1 in Q1.

Regarding destination markets, Japan and South Korea are leading the Sales in Store like-for-like recovery, both reaching 102%1 in April, followed by Singapore at 94%1

A gradual recovery for Mainland Chinese shoppers

Since China's borders reopened in January 2023, air capacity recovery from Mainland China to key destinations has been gradually on the rise.

In Continental Europe, air capacity recovery reached 36%3 in April vs. 22%3 in March. In Asia Pacific, air capacity recovery reached 31%3 in April vs. 14%3 in March as a result of the easing of Covid restrictions in the region. The willingness to travel for Mainland China shoppers has significantly increased, reaching 79%4 in April vs. 70%4 in March.

The average spend progression is also strong for Chinese shoppers. In April, it increased by 59%5 in Continental Europe and 127%5 in Asia Pacific.

On the back of this progressive air capacity recovery and average spend increase, there is a steady improvement in the Sales in Store like-for-like Mainland Chinese recovery which has reached 45%1 worldwide in April vs. 32%1 in Q1.

Projected Air

capacity recovery

from Mainland

China3 May

2023 June

2023 Q3 2023 Continental Europe 41% 46% 51% Asia Pacific 42% 49% 49%

APPENDIX

YTD Data

Issued SIS L/L recovery1 (in of 2019) April

2023 Q1

2023 Q4 2022 Q3

2022 Q2

2022 Q1

2022 Continental Europe 110% 109% 104% 101% 75% 53% Asia Pacific 99% 87% 80% 51% 39% 16% TOTAL 106% 101% 97% 89% 65% 40%

Glossary

Gulf Cooperation Council countries include: Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman

- South East Asia includes: Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore

- North East Asia includes: Japan, South Korea

ABOUT GLOBAL BLUE

Global Blue pioneered the concept of Tax Free Shopping 40 years ago. Through continuous innovation, we have become the leading strategic technology and payments partner, empowering retailers to improve their performance and shoppers to enhance their experience.

Global Blue offers innovative solutions in three different fields:

Tax Free Shopping: Helping retailers at over 300,000 points of sale to efficiently manage 35 million Tax Free Shopping transactions a year, thanks to its fully integrated in-house technology platform. Meanwhile, its industry-leading digital Tax Free shopper solutions create a better, more seamless customer experience.

Helping retailers at over 300,000 points of sale to efficiently manage 35 million Tax Free Shopping transactions a year, thanks to its fully integrated in-house technology platform. Meanwhile, its industry-leading digital Tax Free shopper solutions create a better, more seamless customer experience. Payment services: Providing a full suite of foreign exchange and Payment technology solutions that allow acquirers, hotels, and retailers to offer value-added services and improve the customer experience during 31 million payment transactions a year at 130,000 points of interaction.

Providing a full suite of foreign exchange and Payment technology solutions that allow acquirers, hotels, and retailers to offer value-added services and improve the customer experience during 31 million payment transactions a year at 130,000 points of interaction. Complementary RetailTech: Offering new technology solutions to retailers, including digital receipts and eCommerce returns, that can be easily integrated with their core systems and allow them to optimize and digitalize their processes throughout the omni-channel customer journey, both in-store and online.

In addition, our data and advisory services offer a strategic advisory to help retailers identify opportunities for growth, while our shopper experience and engagement solutions provide data-driven solutions to increase footfall, convert footfall to revenue and enhance performance.

For more information, visit https://www.globalblue.com/about-us/media

Global Blue Monthly Speaker Notes Data, April 2023Source: Global Blue

1 Recovery rate is equal to 2023 Issued Sales in Store divided by 2019 Issued Sales in Store, like-for-like (i.e.: at constant merchant scope and exchange rates).

2 Ramadan took place from May 5th to June 3rd in 2019, while it took place from March 22d to April 20th in 2023, leading to an unfavorable basis effect in March and April 2023.

3 Air capacity: ForwardKeys data platform March 2023

4 Global Blue Willingness to travel survey

5 Chinese shoppers increase of average spend per international shopper versus 2019

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005441/en/

Contacts:

MEDIA CONTACTS

Virginie Alem SVP Marketing Communications

Mail: valem@globalblue.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS

Frances Gibbons Head of Investor Relations

Mob: +44 (0)7815 034 212

Mail: fgibbons@globalblue.com
11 May 2023

Marechale Capital plc

("Marechale" or the "Company")

Investment Update

The Directors of Marechale Capital plc (AIM: MAC) are pleased to note the announcements by Burgh Island Hotel ("Burgh Island") and Weardale Lithium Limited ("Weardale"), companies in which it holds investments.

In 2018, Marechale acted as adviser on the acquisition of Burgh Island. The Company notes that, on 10 May 2023, Burgh Island announced its proposed sale. In the event that its sale concludes, the Directors of Marechale anticipate there will likely be an opportunity to realise its investment. Marechale holds an interest in 4.9 per cent. of the equity of Burgh Island and the quantum of any realisation will depend on the completion terms of the sale. The Company will provide a further update to the market in the event of the completion of the sale.

Further, the Company also notes the announcement by Weardale on 11 May 2023 advising that Weardale, a lithium exploration and development business based in the Weardale Valley, County Durham in the north of England, has successfully extracted lithium carbonate from geothermal brines and that these positive tests results are amenable for lithium production. Weardale further states that it now intends to accelerate and scale-up of its testing of increased volumes of lithium carbonate towards demonstrating commercial scale production. The Directors of Marechale are pleased to note the positive developments at Weardale, a company in which it holds an 8.5 per cent. interest.

When the Company's half-yearly results were reported on the 2 December 2022, the Company's balance sheet showed net assets of approximately 3.48 million, representing approximately 3.6 pence of value per share in issue.

For further information please contact:

Marechale Capital plc

Mark Warde-Norbury / Patrick Booth-Clibborn Tel: +44 (0)20 7628 5582 Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nomad)

Jo Turner / Sandy Jamieson Tel: +44 (0)20 7213 0880 BlytheRay (Financial PR)

Tim Blythe / Megan Ray Tel: + 44 (0)78 7574 4070

marechalecapital@blytheray.com

About Marechale Capital

Marechale is an established City of London based corporate finance house, with a long-term track record and a strong reputation in advising & financing high growth consumer brands, leisure, clean energy, and technology companies. The Company uses its balance sheet to co-invest in its client companies, along with warrants and founder equity, in order to create shareholder value.

Cautionary statement

Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from any expected future events or results expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Persons receiving this announcement should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, regulation or accounting standard, the Company does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
The Business Research Company's global market reports are now updated with the latest market sizing information for the year 2023 and forecasted to 2032

LONDON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As per The Business Research Company's Transdermal Skin Patches Global Market Report 2023, the global transdermal skin patches market size will grow from $7.1 billion in 2022 to $7.42 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 4%. The transdermal patch market size is then expected to grow from $8.4 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of more than 3%.





The rapidly increasing aging population is expected to propel the transdermal skin patches market growth going forward. The aging population refers to persons, aged 60 and above. Transdermal skin patches are a good alternative route of administration for the geriatric population, who are polymedicated, and ensure a constant rate of drug administration and prolonged action. For instance, according to the World Health Organization, 80% of older people are expected to live in low- and middle-income countries by 2050. 1 in 6 people in the world will be aged 60 years or over by 2030. The number of persons aged 80 years or older is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050 to reach 426 million. Therefore, the increasing size of the aging population will drive the growth of the transdermal skin patches market.

Learn More On The Transdermal Skin Patches Market Report - https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/transdermal-skin-patche-global-market-report

Major transdermal skin patch companies are focused on product innovations and developing new product solutions to strengthen their position in the market. For instance, in 2022, Corium, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company launched transdermal patch, Adlarity for treating Alzheimer's. Aldarity, a one-weekly patch, delivers consistent doses of donepezil through the skin. Further, in April 2021, BASF SE, a Germany-based chemical company, introduced Sacred Patch, a new transdermal skin patch with a skincare active component to promote emotional well-being. Sacred Patch is based on BASF's MicroPatch technology and is designed to maximize the value of the valuable algal extract sacran.

In addition, companies in the transdermal skin patches market are focusing on diabetes transdermal patches to capitalize on expanding investment prospects. Diabetes skin patches provide a noninvasive sampling of interstitial glucose levels and has the potential to revolutionize this process. For instance, in 2021, the University of Bath, England, a public research university developed a transdermal patch that is capable of testing glucose from the interstitial fluid without the need of measuring blood glucose itself.

Request A Free Sample Of The Transdermal Skin Patches Market Report - https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/sample.aspx?id=2829&type=smp

North America was the largest region in the transdermal skin patches market, accounting for 35.2% of the total in 2022, as per the transdermal skin patches analysis. The transdermal skin patches market size will gain the most in the USA at $227.24 million. It was followed by Asia Pacific, and then the other regions. Going forward, the fastest-growing regions in the transdermal skin patches market will be South America and Asia Pacific.

The transdermal skin patches market report describes and explains the transdermal skin patches market and covers 2017-2022, termed the historic period, and 2022-2027 termed the forecast period, along with further forecasts for the period 2027-2032. The report evaluates the market across each region and for the major economies within each region.

View More Similar Market Reports:

Digital Diabetes Management Global Market Report 2023

https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/digital-diabetes-management-global-market-report

Cardiovascular Devices Global Market Report 2023

https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/cardiovascular-devices-global-market-report

Alzheimers Drugs Global Market Report 2023

https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/alzheimers-drugs-global-market-report

Interested to know more about The Business Research Company?

The Business Research Company has published over 3000+ detailed industry reports, spanning over 3000+ market segments and 60 geographies. The reports draw on 1,500,000 datasets, extensive secondary research, and exclusive insights from interviews with industry leaders.

The World's Most Comprehensive Database

The Global Market Model, The Business Research Company's flagship product, is a market intelligence platform covering various macroeconomic indicators and metrics across 60 geographies and 27 industries. The Global Market Model covers multi-layered datasets that help its users make better strategic decisions.

Contact Information

The Business Research Company

Europe: +44 207 1930 708

Asia: +91 8897263534

Americas: +1 315 623 0293

Email: info@tbrc.info

Follow Us On:



LinkedIn:https://in.linkedin.com/company/the-business-research-company

Twitter:https://twitter.com/tbrc_info

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBusinessResearchCompany

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC24_fI0rV8cR5DxlCpgmyFQ

Blog:https://blog.tbrc.info/

Healthcare Blog:https://healthcareresearchreports.com/

Global Market Model: https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/global-market-model

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1751581/3970581/tbrc_logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/transdermal-skin-patches-market-size-and-share-analysis-2023-2032-by-the-business-research-company-301815795.html
PUNE, India, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent market study published by Growth Market Reports, titled, "Global MRI Contrast Agents Market by Products (Paramagnetic Contrast Agents and Superparamagnetic Contrast Agents), Types (Preclinical and Clinical), Application( Gastrointestinal, Intravenous, Hepatobiliary, Neurological Imaging, and Others), Route of Administration (Intravascular and Oral), End-users (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Diagnostic Centers), Modality (X-ray, CT scan, Ultrasound, and MRI scan), and Regions: Size, Share, Trends, and Opportunity Analysis, 2023-2031", the market was valued at USD 1.65 Bn in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 2.41Bn expanding at a CAGR of 4.30% by the end of 2031. The market growth is attributed to the increasing awareness about early diagnosis of health complications and the rising need for advanced imaging techniques in the healthcare sector.





Key Market Players Profiled in the Report

Bayer AG

Bracco Diagnostics

Guerbet

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc

General Electric Company

LIVEALTH

Nano Therapeutics Pvt. Ltd

Spago Nanomedical AB

Magnus Health

Trivitron Healthcare

Beijing BeiLu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd

Rege Imaging & Cine Films Private Limited

Unijules Life Sciences Ltd

Megapro Biomedical Co. Ltd.

J B Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Download PDF Sample here: https://growthmarketreports.com/request-sample/218

The report covers comprehensive data on emerging trends, market drivers, growth opportunities, and restraints that change the market dynamics of the industry. It provides an in-depth analysis of the market segments, which include products, applications, and competitor analysis.

This report also includes a complete analysis of industry players and covers their latest developments, product portfolio, pricing, mergers, acquisitions, and collaborations. Moreover, it provides crucial strategies that are helping market players to expand their market share.

Highlights on the Segments of the Global MRI Contrast Agents Market

On the basis of product type, the global MRI contrast agents market is divided into paramagnetic contrast agents and superparamagnetic contrast agents. The paramagnetic contrast agents segment is expected to expand at a significant growth rate during the projection period, due to its easy availability and administration techniques. These agents provide good clinical outcomes with enhanced imaging of organs.

Based on type, the global MRI contrast agents market is bifurcated into preclinical and clinical. The clinical segment is expected to register robust growth during the forecast period, due to its use before and during surgeries for enhanced visibility of the organs. MRI contrast agents improve the signal intensity of tissues by reducing the time taken by water protons to level up with the magnetic field created by the imaging machine. This characteristic of the contrast agents helps in improving the clinical outcome by helping surgeons in clear imaging.

In terms of application, the global market is segregated into gastrointestinal, intravenous, hepatobiliary, neurological imaging, and others. The neurological imaging segment is projected to expand at a considerable CAGR during the forecast period, owing to the rising use of MRI contrast agents in studying complex neurological abnormalities with the help of imaging. Contrast agents used in MRI during neurological scanning provide high-precision imaging to help doctors plan a suitable line of treatment for patients.

To Buy the Complete Report: https://growthmarketreports.com/report/mri-contrast-agents-market-global-industry-analysis

On the basis of the route of administration, the global MRI contrast agents market is segmented into intravascular and oral. The intravascular segment is expected to register robust growth during the forecast period, owing to enhanced visibility of body structures such as blood vessels, tracts, and issues. The intravenous type of administration is effective, as it leads to immediate and improved imaging results.

Based on end-user, the global MRI contrast agents market is segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and diagnostic centers. The hospital segment is projected to expand at a considerable CAGR during the forecast period, owing to the substantial rise in the installed base of MRI units in hospitals and the high patient visit rate at these medical institutions. Other factors propelling the hospital segment are the growing rate of chronic diseases such as colon cancer, diabetes, and heart failure.

For Any Questions on This Report: https://growthmarketreports.com/enquiry-before-buying/218

On the basis of modality, the global MRI contrast agents market is segregated into X-ray, CT scan, ultrasound, and MRI scan. The CT scan segment is expected to register a robust growth rate during the forecast period, due to high-resolution 3D images provided by contrast agents. The use of contrast agents for CT scans enhances the visibility of organs, body tissues, and blood vessels by blocking the X-rays and highlighting the tissues in the body.

In terms of region, the global MRI contrast agents market is classified as Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to dominate the market during the projection period, owing to growing investments in research activities and the presence of well-established healthcare infrastructure to develop effective MRI contrast agents. Growing incidences of cancer and cardiac disorders and rising advancements in diagnostic imaging technology are expected to fuel the MRI contrast agents market in Europe during the forecast period.

Get Full Access to this Report: https://growthmarketreports.com/checkout/218

Key Takeaways from the Study:

Increasing demand for accurate imaging in clinical practices for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and health complications elevates the growth of the MRI contrast agents market.

Rising prevalence of complex chronic diseases and health complications and the subsequent requirement of high-quality imaging for the purpose of choosing an optimum line of treatment is fueling the market.

Health concerns associated with the health complications of contrast agents hamper the market growth.

Improvements in the healthcare infrastructure and technical innovations in the medical equipment to facilitate efficient health services boost the demand for MRI contrast agents.

Rising awareness about conducting preventive diagnosis for suitable treatment methods and high acceptance of high-quality imaging in the healthcare sector drives the market.

Read 239 Pages Research Report with Detailed TOC on "Global MRI Contrast Agents Market by Product (Paramagnetic Contrast Agents and Superparamagnetic Contrast Agents), Type (Preclinical and Clinical), Application( Gastrointestinal, Intravenous, Hepatobiliary, Neurological Imaging, and Others), Route of Administration (Intravascular and Oral), End-users (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Diagnostic Centers), Modality (X-ray, CT scan, Ultrasound, and MRI scan), and Regions: Size, Share, Trends, and Opportunity Analysis, 2023-2031"

Key Segments Covered

Product

Paramagnetic Contrast Agents

Superparamagnetic Contrast Agents

Type

Preclinical

Clinical

Application

Gastrointestinal

Intravenous

Hepatobiliary

Neurological Imaging

Others

Route of Administration

Intravascular

Oral

End-user

Hospitals

Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Diagnostic Centers

Modality

X-ray

CT scan

Ultrasound

MRI scan

Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

Other Related Reports:

Open System MRI Market by Resolutions (Low-field Scanner, Mid-field Scanner, and High-field Scanner), Applications (Cardiology, Neurology, Gastroenterology, Oncology, and Others), and Regions ( Asia Pacific , North America , Latin America , Europe , and Middle East & Africa ) - Global Industry Analysis, Growth, Share, Size, Trends, and Forecast 2021 - 2028





Global Medical Imaging Systems Market by Type (Computed Tomography (CT) Scanners, X-Ray Imaging Systems, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Systems, Ultrasound Imaging Systems, Nuclear Imaging Systems, Mammography Systems), By Application (Obstetrics/Gynecology (OB/GYN) Health, Orthopedics and Musculoskeletal, Neuro and Spine, Cardiovascular and Thoracic, General Imaging, Breast Health) And By Region ( North America , Latin America , Europe , Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa ), Forecast From 2022 To 2030





Global MRI Contrast Media Market by Type (Injection Type, Oral Type), By Application (Hospitals, Clinics) and Region ( North America , Latin America , Europe , Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa ), Forecast To 2028





Global Contrast Media API Market by Type (Iodine, Gadolinium), By Application (X-ray & CT, MRI, Ultrasound) and Region ( North America , Latin America , Europe , Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa ), Forecast From 2022 To 2030

About Growth Market Reports:

Growth Market Reports provides global enterprises as well as small & medium businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Industry Intelligence Solutions". Growth Market Reports has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients in making strategic business decisions and achieving sustainable growth in their respective market domains.

Our key analysis segments, though not restricted to the same, include market entry strategies, market size estimations, market trend analysis, market opportunity analysis, market threat analysis, market growth/fall forecasting, primary interviews, and secondary research & consumer surveys.

Contact:

Alex Mathews

7th Floor, Siddh Icon,

Baner Road, Pune.

Maharashtra - 411045. India.

Phone: +1 909 414 1393

Email: sales@growthmarketreports.com

Web: https://growthmarketreports.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/growth_reports

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growth-market-report/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1980656/Growth_Market_Reports_Logo1.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/global-mri-contrast-agents-market-set-to-reach-usd-2-41-bn-by-2031--with-a-sustainable-cagr-of-4-30--growth-market-reports-301822062.html
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Steppe Gold Ltd. (TSX: STGO) (OTCQX: STPGF) (the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"), raising a total of $12.1 million, which was upsized from the original estimate of $9 million. The private placement included participation from the Company's management and 2176423 Ontario, a company beneficially owned by Eric Sprott.

Under the Private Placement, the Company issued an aggregate of 11,000,000 common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") at a price of $1.10 per Common Share for aggregate gross proceeds of $12,100,000.

Bataa Tumur-Ochir, President and Chief Executive Officer of Steppe Gold, stated: "I am thrilled to participate in this offering, and we are delighted to welcome a significant new shareholder and grateful for the continued support of our existing major shareholders, including Eric Sprott.



"The funds raised through this placement will be instrumental in achieving our strategic goal of securing project financing for the Phase 2 Expansion at ATO. We are confident that this expansion will unlock significant value for our stakeholders and drive sustainable growth for our company."

The Common Shares issued in connection with the Private Placement will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance pursuant to applicable securities laws.

Eric Sprott through 2176423 Ontario Ltd. ("217 Ontario"), a Corporation beneficially owned and controlled by him acquired an aggregate of 909,091 Common Shares for a total of $1,000,000 pursuant to the Private Placement (the "Sprott Participation"). Mr. Sprott is an insider of the Company and, as a result, his participation in the Private Placement constitutes a "related party transaction" as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Sprott Participation is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 in reliance upon the exemptions contained in Section 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, of MI 61-101. A material change report was not filed more than 21 days in advance of the closing as the details of the Private Placement and the participation therein by Mr. Sprott was not settled until shortly prior to the closing of the Private Placement, and the Company wished to close the Private Placement on an expedited basis for sound business reasons.

On the Closing date, Bataa Tumur-Ochir ("Bataa") acquired an aggregate of 1,818,182 Common Shares for a total of $2,000,000 pursuant to the Private Placement (the "Bataa Tumur-Ochir Participation"). The Bataa Tumur-Ochir Participation is equal to approximately 2.18% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares following the completion of the Private Placement. Mr. Bataa Tumur-Ochir is an insider of the Company and, as a result, his participation in the Private Placement constitutes a "related party transaction" as defined in MI 61-101. The Bataa Tumur-Ochir Participation is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 in reliance upon the exemptions contained in Section 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, of MI 61-101. A material change report was not filed more than 21 days in advance of the closing as the details of the Private Placement and the participation therein by Mr. Bataa Tumur-Ochir was not settled until shortly prior to the closing of the Private Placement, and the Company wished to close the Private Placement on an expedited basis for sound business reasons.

Immediately prior to the completion of the Private Placement and the Bataa Tumur-Ochir Participation, Bataa beneficially owned a total of 6,650,883 Common Shares, representing undiluted beneficial ownership of approximately 9.17% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares prior to the completion of the Private Placement. Bataa also directly holds a convertible debenture with a principal amount of US$3,000,000 convertible into Common Shares at a price of US$0.68 per Share, with a maturity date of January 27, 2024 (if converted to Common Shares, would be an estimated total 4,411,764 Common Shares), 800,000 options exercisable to purchase Common Shares, 66,666 restricted stock units exercisable to purchase Common Shares, representing on a partially diluted basis, beneficial ownership of approximately 15.33% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares prior to the completion of the Private Placement.

Immediately following to the completion of the Private Placement, Bataa now beneficially holds a total of 8,469,065 Common Shares, representing undiluted beneficial ownership of approximately 10.14% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares following the completion of the Private Placement. Bataa also directly holds a convertible debenture with a principal amount of US$3,000,000 convertible into Common Shares at a price of US$0.68 per share, with a maturity date of January 27, 2024 (if converted to Common Shares, would be an estimated total 4,411,764 Common Shares), 800,000 options exercisable to purchase Common Shares, 66,666 restricted stock units exercisable to purchase Common Shares, representing on a partially diluted basis, beneficial ownership of approximately 15.48% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares following the completion of the Private Placement. This portion of this news release is issued pursuant to NI 62-103, which also requires an early warning report to be filed with the applicable securities regulators containing additional information with respect to the foregoing matters. A copy of the early warning report of Mr. Bataa Tumur-Ochir will be available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Steppe Gold Ltd.

Steppe Gold Ltd. (TSX: STGO) (OTCQX: STPGF) is Mongolia's premier precious metals company.

For more information, please contact:

Bataa Tumur-Ochir, CEO and President

Shangri-La office, Suite 1201, Olympic Street

19A, Sukhbaatar District 1,

Ulaanbaatar 14241, Mongolia

Website: www.steppegold.com

Email: investors@steppegold.com

Tel: +976 7732 1914

Forward looking and other cautionary statements

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, statements with respect to the Private Placement and the use of proceeds from the Private Placement. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information, including the factors disclosed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2022. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict", and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events, or results "may", "can", "could", "would", "might", or "will" be taken, occur, or be achieved.

These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance, and results and speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except as required by securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if the Company's expectations regarding future events, performance, or results change.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165703
Watershed, the leading enterprise climate platform, today announced the formation of the Watershed Policy Advisory Board, a group of climate policy leaders who will offer strategic advice to Watershed as it helps companies navigate a fast-changing climate policy landscape.

The Watershed Policy Advisory Board will be chaired by Mark Carney, who has been a strategic advisor to Watershed since 2022. Carney is the former Governor of the Bank of England and founder of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ).

The members of the newly formed Watershed Policy Advisory Board are:

Robert J. Jackson Jr. , former SEC commissioner, co-director of the Institute for Corporate Governance and Finance, director of the Program on Corporate Law and Policy at New York University School of Law

, former SEC commissioner, co-director of the Institute for Corporate Governance and Finance, director of the Program on Corporate Law and Policy at New York University School of Law Annette Nazareth , former SEC commissioner, chair of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market

, former SEC commissioner, chair of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market Sarah Bloom Raskin , former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, former Governor of the Federal Reserve Board

, former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, former Governor of the Federal Reserve Board Curtis Ravenel , founder of Bloomberg's Sustainable Business Finance Group, advisor to GFANZ, founding member of TCFD

, founder of Bloomberg's Sustainable Business Finance Group, advisor to GFANZ, founding member of TCFD Tom Rivett-Carnac OBE , former president of CDP North America, co-founder of Global Optimism and the Climate Pledge

, former president of CDP North America, co-founder of Global Optimism and the Climate Pledge Paul Simpson OBE , co-founder and former CEO of CDP, strategic advisor to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)

, co-founder and former CEO of CDP, strategic advisor to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Lord Adair Turner, former chair of the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA), former chair of the UK Climate Change Committee, chair of the Energy Transitions Commission

"We're thrilled to welcome a board of advisors who have built the foundations of global climate policy," said Watershed co-founder Taylor Francis. "The climate policy landscape is changing fast, and we're grateful for their guidance as we help companies navigate the climate economy."

"These leaders have been key architects of global climate policy, and I'm excited to work with them and Watershed to translate climate policy and private sector climate commitments into climate action," said Watershed Policy Advisory Board chair Mark Carney.

"I am thrilled to work with Watershed and their leading team as we transition to a climate economy. In addition to regulatory readiness, I look forward to supporting their work to drive high quality clean power and carbon removal for companies as carbon markets mature," said Annette Nazareth, former SEC Commissioner and Watershed Policy Advisory Board member.

Robert J. Jackson Jr. served as an SEC commissioner from 2018 to 2020 where he was an outspoken advocate for protecting investors, calling for more transparency in capital markets, and championing evidence-driven policymaking. Jackson is co-director of the Institute for Corporate Governance and Finance, and director of the Program on Corporate Law and Policy at the New York University School of Law. Previously, he was on the faculty of the Columbia Law School and served as a senior policy advisor at the U.S. Treasury Department.

Annette Nazareth served as an SEC commissioner from 2005 to 2008. In 2021, she was appointed co-chair of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market, setting and enforcing global standards for high-integrity voluntary carbon markets. She is currently a partner at Davis Polk Wardwell where she works on regulatory matters and transactions. Prior to her appointment as an SEC commissioner, Nazareth served as the SEC's director of the Division of Market Regulation.

Sarah Bloom Raskin is a Partner at Kaya Advisory, Ltd, a climate advisory firm. After serving as first a Governor of the Federal Reserve Board, and then as the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, Raskin emerged as a leading voice in understanding climate change as it pertains to the economy and financial markets. She is the Colin W. Brown Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law at the Duke Law School where she teaches Business Associations, Law and Financial Anxiety, and Climate Change and Financial Markets.

Curtis Ravenel is a senior advisor to the co-chairs and vice chair of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) and a founding member of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Ravenel founded the Sustainable Business Finance Group at Bloomberg LP and served as its global head. Under his leadership, Bloomberg integrated sustainability considerations into the firm's operations globally and developed a full range of sustainable finance products to evaluate sustainability-related risks and opportunities for finance professionals. He was appointed by the Obama administration to serve on the U.S. chapter of the G8 Advisory Board on Impact Investing in 2013, and received the Columbia Business School Exemplary Leadership Award in 2016.

Tom Rivett-Carnac OBE is a former political strategist for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and former president and CEO of CDP North America. Rivett-Carnac co-founded Global Optimism with Christiana Figueres in 2016. The organization builds transformative partnerships that tackle the climate crisis with the conviction, scale, and speed that science demands. He also leads Global Optimism's work as co-founder of the Climate Pledge, a partnership with Amazon that brings together more than 200 influential companies with the shared objective of reaching net zero by 2040.

Paul Simpson OBE is the co-founder and former CEO of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the global nonprofit that drives companies, cities and governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Simpson is a prominent thought leader on climate change, with a focus on the actions governments, companies, and investors must take to deliver the Paris Agreement and keep the world at no more than 1.5C of warming. He is a strategic advisor to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and was previously a high-level panel member for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Lord Turner chairs the Energy Transitions Commission, a global coalition of major power and industrial companies, investors, environmental NGOs, and experts working out achievable pathways to limit global warming to well below 2C by 2040, while stimulating economic development and social progress. Previously, he was chair of the UK's Financial Services Authority and was the first chair of the UK Climate Change Committee, which advises the UK government on policies to reach zero CO2 emissions by 2050. He served as the vice chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe and director at McKinsey Company. He became a crossbench member of the UK House of Lords in 2006.

ABOUT WATERSHED: Watershed is the enterprise climate platform. Leading companies like BlackRock, Airbnb, Stripe, Klarna, and Block use our software to run end-to-end climate programs with quantifiable results. Watershed delivers granular, audit-grade carbon measurement; one-click disclosure and reporting; and real emissions reduction-all in a single, intuitive, enterprise-grade software platform. Watershed customers have access to our exclusive marketplace of scientifically vetted, high-additionality carbon removal projects and high-quality offsets; in-house climate and policy expertise; and ongoing support throughout their climate journey. For more information, please visit https://watershed.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005225/en/

Contacts:

Amelia Penniman (amelia@watershed.com)
analysis

While Sudan's generals have unleashed indiscriminate destruction and occupation on wide swaths of the capital, Khartoum, neighbourhood resistance committees and pro-democracy activists have stepped up to respond to the needs of citizens.

They have risked their lives to drive people to safety or to working hospitals. They have maintained up-to-the-minute information on where medicine can be found or which roads are safe.

These actions have solidified this decentralised network of youth and civil society groups as the most trusted and legitimate organisations in Sudan. Resistance committees are part of a diverse collection of Sudanese pro-democracy groups. These groups include political parties, university students and staff, professional associations and unions, and civil society organisations.

Together, they helped bring down long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 after months of protests. Women emerged as particularly visible and vocal in these protests, stepping forward after years of being arbitrarily targeted by Bashir's morality police.

Sudan's hopes for democratic change were dashed, however, when General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan led a coup in October 2021 against the transitional government.

Resistance committees led marches against the military takeover. Their insistence on non-violence maintains their status as citizens and civilians. They are not insurgents, combatants or the enemy.

I have spent nearly two decades researching the role of Sudan's civil society organisations in managing conflict. I have also studied the rise of resistance committees and what keeps them going in the face of vicious repression by Sudanese security forces.

In my view, these groups' consistency of action and messaging has given them a form of political power that Sudan's traditional elites have struggled to attain. Sudan's resistance committees provide a model for young people in Africa to participate in politics, even without the approval of established structures.

The growth of a movement

Sudan's resistance committees grew out of youth activist groups that formed in 2009-2010. The members were largely aged below 40. The groups coalesced around years of anger at Bashir's authoritarian regime, its inability to provide basic services and its divisive politics.

They engaged in a range of political activities, including voter registration and awareness raising around the 2010 general elections. The hope was that they could bring down Bashir's National Congress Party.

Read more: Omar al-Bashir brutalised Sudan - how his 30-year legacy is playing out today

Bashir's reelection only made the groups more determined. They continued to operate in local and decentralised ways. For example, they assisted during disasters such as floods and other emergencies where the government was absent.

In 2012-2013, the regime hit back hard. It attacked demonstrators, arrested known activists, and tortured and killed youth leaders. This forced a pause in activities as activists lay low.

In the years that followed, many youth leaders began to study the techniques of non-violent movements in other countries and shared the lessons with their colleagues. In early 2019, when pro-democracy protests began in regions outside Khartoum, many of these leaders and new youth activists joined in. Drawing structure and cohesion from their home bases, neighbourhood committees became part of the resistance, too.

These groups augmented the coalition of trade unions, political parties and civil society organisations that brought down al-Bashir.

After the October 2021 coup that ousted prime minister Abdalla Hamdok, resistance committees took centre stage in the fight against a return to military rule.

Alongside other civilian protest groups, they led relentless street marches and social media campaigns calling for the coup leaders to step down and make way for legitimate civilian leadership.

Despite a violent clampdown by security forces, resistance committees persisted. They maintained a momentum for protest that kept civilians motivated to march right up until the recent war between Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti. The committees' campaign slogan of "the three nos" - no negotiation, no partnership, no legitimacy - affirms their resolve to change Sudanese politics.

The potential for democracy

In March 2023, resistance committees set out plans to form a parallel government. This was to be done through local legislative councils based on collectively negotiated charters written and approved by two main clusters of committees.

These local councils didn't take root, but if they had, they would have represented a serious challenge to the two generals' claims to the sovereignty of Sudan. While Sudan has collapsed into war and appears to be further than ever from a democratic transition, it would be wrong to disregard the potential of resistance committees to bring change.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan 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.

Read more: Sudan crisis explained: What's behind the latest fighting and how it fits nation's troubled past

They continue to act collectively and provide for citizen needs.

During the course of my research between June 2022 and March 2023, resistance committee leaders explained to me that their commitment stems from a belief that their generation is the one to carry the burden of standing for change. Therefore, they would rather risk paying the ultimate price than stand by and watch their country be looted.

In continuing to provide public safety and services at the local level, resistance committees are actively performing legitimate citizen-centred leadership.

And the lesson for Africa's youth from Sudan is that when it comes to providing leadership at the local level, they don't need permission from absent government structures. They can provide civilian-led, citizen-centred governance.

Linda Bishai, Adjunct Professor of International Affairs, George Washington University
Edouard Cukierman, Managing Partner at Catalyst Funds: "Catalyst will play a crucial role in supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators in Israel"

The new Fund was announced at the International Investments Conference, GoforIsrael, which hosted over 1000 participants, including hundreds of investors from Europe, the US, Mexico, Asia and Israel

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Catalyst Funds announced the closing of its fourth Fund - Catalyst IV, that will manage assets of $150 million. Catalyst Funds have a total of $450 million in managed assets. The new fund, which has already invested in 3 companies - Curalife, Addionics and Nexar - will invest in growth companies in various sectors including: Cybersecurity, Life Sciences, DeepTech, Mobility, Climatech, Foodtech and Renewable Energy.





The partners in Catalyst are Edouard Cukierman, Yair Shamir, Boaz Harel and Lisya Bahar-Manoah, Luc Muller.

"We are proud that 50 percent of our portfolio companies from our last Catalyst Fund went public in the US", said Edouard Cukierman, Managing Partner at Catalyst and Chairman of Cukierman Investment House. "The fund had five exits out of 8 investments, while four of them were IPOs and one was an M&A transaction", he added. Among the IPOs are Tufin, Taboola, and Arbe Robotics.

Catalyst IV was announced at GoforIsrael, the International Investments Conference, organized by Catalyst Fund and Cukierman Investment House, which marked this year its 30th anniversary. The Conference hosted over 1000 participants, including hundreds of investors from Europe, the US, Latin America, and Asia.

"As we look to the future, we recognize that the challenges and opportunities before us are greater than ever before", said Cukierman. "We saw in our last 30 years of investment activities so many crises, and how the Start-Up Nation managed to overcome all obstacles. We believe that we are well-positioned to meet these challenges head-on. Catalyst will play a crucial role in supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators in Israel."

In addition to the new fund, Catalyst also announced the launch of Catalyst Investors' Club (CIC), a global technology startup in the Fintech market.

CIC is aninvestment platform that enables accredited investors to invest alongside VCs or lead investors.It aims to democratize access to unique investment opportunities, available only to the VC community, reduce risk and personalize the investment process by using AI to make informed decisions.

The platform provides a VOD interface designed to serve as a gateway for startups seeking exposure within the accredited investors community. The simple onboarding process allows companies to showcase their technology through engaging videos.

CIC works closely with Catalyst Investments as well as Cukierman & Co., the leading Israeli investment house, with more than 30 years of experience and proven success.

About Catalyst Funds:

Catalyst is a prominent multi-fund firm based in Israel with over 24 years of experience in investing in mature, disruptive technology companies that have an Israel nexus. Established in 1999, it is currently the only fund still operating with the same managing partners. Catalyst recently announced the closing of Catalyst IV. Catalyst III resulted in five exits out of eight investments, with four going public in America and one through M&A.

For Further Information please visit our websites:

https://catalyst-fund.com /

https://goforisrael.com/

https://cukierman.co.il/private-equity-fund/

https://www.catalyst-ic.com/

Contact:

Omer Hochbaum, Positive Communications, Omerh@gopositive.co.il

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2074877/GoforIsrael_Team.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2042016/GoforIsrael_Logo.jpg





View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/catalyst-announces-the-closing-of-catalyst-iv-fund-301822065.html
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - ATEX Resources Inc. (TSXV: ATX) ("ATEX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that is has completed drill holes ATXD-22A and ATXD-23 in its Phase III drill campaign at the Valeriano Copper-Gold Project ("Valeriano" or the "Project") located in Atacama Region, Chile.

Highlights include:

ATXD-23 intersected 550 metres of mineralized early porphyry, between 1,500 and 2,050 metres downhole (Figures 1&2)

ATXD-23 extends the strike length of the Western Trend by approximately 200 metres north of hole ATXD-11B that intersected 1,342.5 metres of 0.73% CuEq (0.46% Cu, 0.31 g/t Au and 43 ppm Mo) and was released on March 30, 2023.

Copper mineralization in the early porphyry consists mainly of chalcopyrite and to a lesser extent bornite, consistent with mineralization observed in ATXD-11B.

Additionally, ATXD-23 intersected 650 metres of chalcopyrite-bearing Rock Milled Breccia ("RMB") above the early porphyry interval from a depth of 850 metres downhole to the porphyry contact at 1,500 metres.

ATXD-22A (daughter hole) drilled southeast out of ATDX-22 intersected altered chalcopyrite bearing RMB and mineralized late porphyry units.

The final two holes of the program, ATXD-24 and ATXD-22B are anticipated to be completed by the end of May.

Complete assays for ATXD-23 and ATXD-22A are expected by late May.

"Our Phase III drill program continues to successfully deliver on its objectives with hole ATXD-23 significantly extending the newly discovered Western Trend which remains open along strike to the northeast," stated Raymond Jannas, President, and CEO of ATEX. "We have now confirmed 750 metres of strike extent along the Western Trend between drill holes VAL-09 and ATXD-23, demonstrating continuity of the geology and mineralization within this new trend."





Figure 1: Valeriano Project - Plan View

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6303/165654_8d7b96876440ebb3_001full.jpg





Figure 2A: Valeriano Project - ATXD-23 (Projected 200m North) - Cross Section;

Figure 2B: Valeriano Project - Western Trend - Longitudinal Section

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6303/165654_8d7b96876440ebb3_002full.jpg

Outlook

The Phase III campaign continues to focus on its stated objectives of expanding the mineralized corridor through step out drilling along strike, primarily to the northeast, testing new targets along this corridor and seeking to define the continuity and geometry of the porphyry trends.

Two diamond drill holes are currently underway:

ATXD-24 an inclined drill hole is drilled from surface to intersect the Western Trend 200 metres south along strike from ATXD-11B and is planned to reach the Central High-Grade Trend at depth.

ATXD-22B, (daughter hole) being drilled to the northwest out of ATXD-22 (970 metres of 0.51% CuEq and was released on March 30, 2023). This hole is testing the northern extension of the Central High-Grade Trend 200 metres beyond ATXD-11A which intersected 0.63% CuEq over 1,270 metres including 0.81% CuEq over 170 metres along this trend. (See Company release dated February 7, 2023)

Diamond drill hole ATXD-23 was drilled 200 metres to the north of hole ATXD-11B along the Western Trend. It was drilled at a dip of -83 degrees and an azimuth of 125 degrees. Alteration commenced from 525 metres downhole where quartz-sericite alteration was intersected in the overlying rhyolitic tuffs. Mineralized RMB bearing chalcopyrite was intersected from 825 metres with the quartz-sericite alteration transitioning to potassic alteration, increasing in intensity, to a depth of 1,500 metres. At this depth, the top of the early porphyry unit was intersected with pervasive potassic alteration and chalcopyrite present from 1,500 metres to the bottom of the hole at 2,050 metres. Bornite occurs with chalcopyrite from approximately 1,720 metres to the end of the hole.

Additionally, three intervals of mineralized intermineral porphyry were intersected within the early porphyry interval at 1,729 to 1,825 metres 1,832 to 1,848 metres and from 1,920 to 1,980 metres.

Hole ATXD-22A (Daughter hole) was drilled out of ATXD-22 which intersected 970 metres of 0.51% CuEq (0.38 % Cu, 0.10 g/t Au and 99 ppm Mo) and was released on dated March 30,2023. The hole commenced at 921 metres downhole at an azimuth of 135 degrees and a dip of -65 degrees. From start ATXD-22A commenced in RMB with chalcopyrite mineralization and weak potassic alteration to a depth of 1,823.1 meters where a large fault was intersected, terminating the mineralized geology. The hole was stopped at a depth of 1,871 metres.

The final drill holes of the Phase III program are expected to be completed by late May and complete assay results for these holes are anticipated by late July.

Once all assay results from the Phase III drill program are received, the Company intends to update the copper-gold porphyry resource statement for the Valeriano Project and file an updated NI-43 101 compliant technical report. Additionally, metallurgical test work using core from the Phase III program will be conducted.

QAQC

Drill holes are collared with a PQ drill bit, reduced to HQ and, sequentially, to NQ as the drill holes progressed deeper. Drill core produced by the drill rigs was extracted from the core tubes by the drill contractor under the supervision of ATEX employees, marked for consistent orientation and placed in core boxes with appropriate depth markers added. Full core boxes were then sealed before being transported by ATEX personnel to the Valeriano field camp. Core at the field camp is processed, quick logged, checked for recovery, photographed, and marked for specific gravity, geotechnical studies and for assays. From camp, the core is transferred to a secure core-cutting facility in Vallenar, operated by IMG, a third-party consultant. Here, the core trays are weighed before being cut using a diamond saw under ATEX personnel oversight. ATEX geologists working at this facility double-check the selected two-metre sample intervals, placing the samples in seal bags and ensuring that the same side of the core is consistently sampled. Reference numbers are assigned to each sample and each sample is weighed. The core trays with the remaining half-core are weighed and photographed. Additionally, core logs are updated, and the specific gravity and geotechnical samples are collected. The remaining core is stored in racks at the Company's secure facility in Vallenar.

From Vallenar samples are sent to an ALS preparation facility in La Serena. ALS is an accredited laboratory which is independent of the Company. The prepared samples were sent to the ALS assay laboratories in either Santiago, Chile and Lima, Peru for gold (Au-AA24), copper (Cu-AA62), molybdenum (Mo-AA62) and silver (Ag-AA62) assays as well as and multi-element ICP (ME-MS61) analysis. No data quality problems were indicated by the QA/QC program.

Qualified Person

Mr. Ben Pullinger, P.Geo., registered with the Professional Geoscientists Ontario, is the Qualified Person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects, for the Valeriano Copper Gold Porphyry Project. Mr. Pullinger is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is Senior Vice President Exploration and Business Development of ATEX. He has reviewed and approved the disclosure of the scientific and technical information contained in this press release.

About ATEX

ATEX is exploring the Valeriano Copper Gold Project which is located within the emerging copper gold porphyry mineral belt linking the prolific El Indio High-Sulphidation Belt to the south with the Maricunga Gold Porphyry Belt to the north. This emerging belt, informally referred to as the Link Belt, hosts several copper gold porphyry deposits at various stages of development including, Filo del Sol (Filo Mining), Josemaria (Lundin Mining), Los Helados (NGEX Minerals/JX Nippon), La Fortuna (Teck Resources/Newmont) and El Encierro (Antofagasta/Barrick Gold).

Valeriano hosts a large copper gold porphyry deposit overlain by a near surface oxidized epithermal gold deposit. In 2022, ATEX completed the Company's first limited drill test of the copper gold porphyry system that is now being followed up with campaign of directional drilling to extend the high-grade trend, test new targets and expand the mineralized envelope.

For further information, please contact:

Raymond Jannas,

President and CEO

Email: rjannas@atexresources.com

Ben Pullinger,

Senior Vice President of Exploration and Business Development

Email: bpullinger@atexresources.com

or visit ATEX's website at www.atexresources.com

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including predictions, projections, and forecasts. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "planning", "expects" or "does not expect", "continues", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "potential", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, prediction, projection, forecast, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements include, among others: plans for the evaluation of exploration properties including the Valeriano Copper Gold Project; the success of evaluation plans; the success of exploration activities; mine development prospects; potential for future metals production; changes in economic parameters and assumptions; all aspects related to the timing and extent of exploration activities including the Phase III drill program contemplated in this press release; timing of receipt of exploration results; the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities and mineralization; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; the results of regulatory and permitting processes; future metals price; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; the results of economic and technical studies; delays in obtaining governmental and local approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration; timing of assay results; as well as those factors disclosed in ATEX's publicly filed documents.

Although ATEX has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepts

responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165654
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - York Harbour Metals Inc. (TSXV: YORK) (OTC Pink: YORKF) (FSE: 5DE0) (the "Company" or "York") is pleased to announce the launch of a field exploration program designed to carry out exploration programs that will include geological mapping as well as testing and sample outcrops for rare earth metals at the Bottom Brook Rare Earth Project in northwestern Newfoundland. This program is part of our ongoing effort to expand our technical databases and outlining new drill targets for initial testing this summer.

The field exploration program will focus on several target areas that include areas where geological studies have indicated the presence of rare earth metals as well as new potential discovery areas. The program will involve detailed geological mapping, prospecting, and sampling of outcrops to identify the mineralization patterns of rare earth metals. The exploration team consists of experienced geologists and exploration professionals who will be using the latest technologies and techniques to carry out the program efficiently and with an aim to move known and potentially mineralized target to the drill-ready stage as quickly as possible.

The significance of rare earth metals is growing exponentially, with these elements being integral to high-tech products, including smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, medical equipment, and various areas of military hardware. The booming demand for these commodities underscores the necessity of ensuring a sustainable and dependable supply chain as the world races towards electrification.

"The launch of this field exploration program is an exciting milestone for our company," said Bruce Durham, President and CEO. "We are dedicated to responsibly exploring and developing our critical minerals projects. This program represents a significant step towards our goal of identifying a new deposit and securing a reliable supply of rare earth metals. The field exploration program is expected to run for the next few months in advance of a planned drilling program that we expect to kick off later in the summer. The results of the initial program will guide our decisions regarding the drilling of the various targets we develop."

About York Harbour Metals

York Harbour Metals Inc. (TSXV: YORK) (OTC Pink: YORKF) (FSE: 5DE0) is an exploration and development company focused on two high-grade projects in Newfoundland. The York Harbour Copper-Zinc-Silver Project is located approximately 27 km from Corner Brook in Newfoundland. The Company intends to continue drilling the 11 known mineralized zones and explore new massive sulphide targets.

Recently, the Company announced the acquisition of a high-grade Rare Earth Elements ("REE") project also located in Newfoundland. The Bottom Brook Rare Earth Project, covering 15,150 hectares, is located next to the Trans Canada Highway and is just 27 km from the deep-water port at Turf Point. York Harbour intends to actively identify diamond drill targets through property-wide prospecting, focused soil sampling, and geological mapping. A substantial drill program is scheduled for this year.

For further details on York Harbour Metals, please reach out via email to info@yorkharbourmetals.com or call +1-778-302-2257. You may also visit the Company's website at www.yorkharbourmetals.com for past news releases, media interviews and opinion-editorial pieces by management.

On Behalf of The Board of Directors,

"Signed"

Bruce Durham

CEO, President, and Director

Telephone: 778-302-2257 | Email: info@yorkharbourmetals.com

Website: www.yorkharbourmetals.com

1518 - 800 Pender Street W, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 2V6

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements herein include but are not limited to statements relating to the prospects for development of the Company's mineral properties, and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market and economic risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165714
Strategic Land Acquisition Includes Associated Water Rights

Ivanhoe Electric Now Has Agreements in Place to Own a Complete Private Land Package and Mineral Rights Encompassing the Entire Santa Cruz Project

PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Ivanhoe Electric (NYSE American:IE)(TSX:IE) Executive Chairman, Robert Friedland and President and Chief Executive Officer, Taylor Melvin are pleased to announce the signing of a binding Purchase and Sale Agreement ("PSA") with Wolff-Harvard Ventures LLC ("Seller" a.k.a. "Legends Property") for the acquisition of surface land at its Santa Cruz Copper Project in Casa Grande, Arizona. The acquisition totals 6,205 acres of surface title and associated water rights.

Ivanhoe Electric also holds the option to acquire all the mineral titles contiguous with the acquired surface lands. Those mineral rights will be formally acquired upon the completion of scheduled payments by Ivanhoe Electric to the current mineral title holder in August 2023 and 2024. At that time, Ivanhoe Electric will have a unified land and mineral package encompassing the entire Santa Cruz Project.

Mr. Friedland commented: "Acquiring the surface land at our Santa Cruz Project is a significant step towards realizing our vision of developing a high-grade, low carbon dioxide footprint underground copper mine on private land. We are designing our Santa Cruz Project to be a modern, responsible underground mining operation that will employ a skilled workforce and provide an economic boost to Arizona's growing industrial economy while supporting supply chain independence in the United States for electric metals. The large area of flat land that we are acquiring is ideally suited for renewable solar energy, which we plan to utilize to power our Santa Cruz Project. This important transaction is the culmination of our hard work to reunite the surface land with the subsurface mineral rights we already have the option to acquire, giving Ivanhoe Electric control of a large, high-grade copper project on private land in the Copper State."

Mr. Melvin commented: "This agreement is a major milestone for our Santa Cruz Project. Acquiring such a large area of private land and associated water rights, in the heart of a growing industrial area near Casa Grande with excellent access to infrastructure including nearby rail, highways and electric transmission lines, is a tremendous advantage for Ivanhoe Electric. Acquiring this land gives our team the flexibility they need to design and develop a minimally disruptive, efficient and modern underground copper mining operation, and provides significant potential for on-site solar power. This land will be a valuable long-term asset for the future of the Santa Cruz Project and our company."

Video footage of the Santa Cruz Copper Project, located just west of Casa Grande and approximately 40 miles south of Phoenix, Arizona. Click on the image below for the high-resolution video.

Terms of the Legends Land Acquisition

Under the terms of the PSA, Ivanhoe Electric will acquire 6,205 acres for a total purchase price of $120.5 million to be paid in installments over a 4.5-year period, as follows:

$5.0 million deposit, paid upon signing of the PSA;

$34.3 million payable at the time of closing, expected in May, inclusive of the $5.0 million deposit (the "First Closing Payment");

$34.3 million, plus accrued interest, payable on or before six months following the date of closing (the "Second Closing Payment");

Four equal principal payments of $13.0 million on the first, second, third and fourth anniversaries of the Second Closing Payment, plus applicable accrued interest.

Interest on future payments will accrue at a rate of Prime plus 1%. In the event that Ivanhoe Electric elects to begin mine construction prior to completing the final principal payment, the full outstanding balance shall be paid to Seller prior to commencement of major mine construction activities.

Map of land being acquired at the Santa Cruz Copper Project, Casa Grande, Arizona

Map showing the substantial regional infrastructure located near the Santa Cruz Copper Project, Casa Grande, Arizona

Drill site location at the Santa Cruz Copper Project, Casa Grande, Arizona

Christopher Seligman, Principal Development Geologist, examining core samples at the Santa Cruz Copper Project

About Ivanhoe Electric

Ivanhoe Electric is an American technology and mineral exploration company that is re-inventing mining for the electrification of everything by combining advanced mineral exploration technologies, renewable energy storage solutions and electric metals projects predominantly located in the United States. Ivanhoe Electric uses its Typhoon transmitter, an accurate and powerful geophysical survey system, together with advanced data analytics provided by its subsidiary, Computational Geosciences Inc., to accelerate and de-risk the mineral exploration process as well as to potentially discover deposits of critical metals that may otherwise be undetectable by traditional exploration technologies. Through its controlling interest in VRB Energy, Ivanhoe Electric also develops and manufactures advanced grid-scale vanadium redox battery storage systems. Finally, through advancing its portfolio of electric metals projects located primarily in the United States, headlined by the Santa Cruz Copper Project in Arizona and the Tintic Copper-Gold Project in Utah, as well as projects in Montana, Nevada, Oregon and North Carolina, Ivanhoe Electric is also well positioned to support American supply chain independence by delivering the critical metals necessary for electrification of the economy.

Contact Information

Investors: Valerie Kimball, Director, Investor Relations 720-933-1150

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable US and Canadian securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this news release.

Such statements in this news release include, without limitation: statements regarding the final terms and conditions, potential satisfaction of closing conditions and closing of the strategic land transactions; the schedule of payments; the anticipated benefits of the transactions; the development of the Santa Cruz Project and the potential benefits thereof.

Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Such statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to various factors, including uncertainties as to the timing of closing the transaction, including the potential failure to close; the Company's ability to complete due diligence on the timeline or at all; the satisfaction of conditions to closing; the risk that the Company cannot complete the payments owed; changes in the prices of copper or other metals Ivanhoe Electric is exploring for; the results of exploration and drilling activities and/or the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations; the final assessment of exploration results and information that is preliminary; the significant risk and hazards associated with any future mining operations, extensive regulation by the US government as well as local governments; changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; and the impact of political, economic and other uncertainties associated with operating in foreign countries, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global economy. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements and risk factors described in Ivanhoe Electric's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

No assurance can be given that such future results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Ivanhoe Electric cautions you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release, and Ivanhoe Electric expressly disclaims any requirement to do so.

SOURCE: Ivanhoe Electric Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754165/Ivanhoe-Electric-to-Acquire-6205-Acres-of-Private-Land-at-the-Santa-Cruz-Copper-Project-Near-Casa-Grande-Arizona
Nextech3D.ai is a Preferred 3D Model Supplier for Amazon

Nextech3D.ai Now Approved for Amazon Exclusive "Early Access" Program

The Company is Seeing a Global Surge in the 3D Modeling Business

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Nextech3D.AI (formally "Nextech AR Solutions Corp' or the "Company") (OTCQX:NEXCF) (CSE:NTAR) (FSE:EP2), a Generative AI-Powered 3D model supplier for Amazon, P&G, Kohls and other major e-commerce retailers is pleased to announce the Company has signed an expansion 3D modeling contract with Vornado Air LLC. In Q3 2022, the Company attained approval as a preferred 3D model supplier for Amazon and was granted early access to introduce customers' 3D models into the Amazon marketplace through an exclusive "early access" program. Nextech3D.ai was among a select few companies chosen by Amazon and granted "early access" based on its distinguished expertise in the field of 3D modeling.

Nextech3D.ai CEO Evan Gappelberg commented, "Our position as a preferred 3D model supplier for Amazon, which we achieved in Q32022 was a watershed moment for Nextech3D.ai and is a testament to the quality and innovation of our AI technology. With today's news, we announced that we have achieved yet another milestone by being granted "early access" to Amazon's marketplace. This means we can now start to bring our customers over the wall and onto the Amazon platform. Today we are bringing Vornado Fans, one of my favorite fan companies, which is known all over the world over for its innovative fan designs."

He continued, "Being granted this "early access" has significant upside for our business as it positions us as one of a very small number of companies that can bring e-commerce customers onto the Amazon platform. We are excited about the significant revenue opportunity presented by Amazon's upcoming platform expansion for 3D models, and we believe Nextech is perfectly aligned to capitalize on this multi-decade, $100 billion mega-trend for 3D models in e-commerce. We remain committed to driving innovation in the industry and delivering exceptional value to our clients and shareholders, as we continue to position ourselves as the dominant 3D model supplier in this rapidly growing market."

In a recent article, "5 Technology Predictions for 2023 and Beyond", Werner Hans Peter Vogels made a bold statement about 3D models and the future of e-commerce. Vogels is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Vice President of Amazon, in charge of driving technology innovation within the company. "Static 2D product images on the internet will become a thing of the past, replaced by 3D models that you can pick up, rotate, and place in your living room as seamlessly as you can see them in a web browser today." - Amazon CTO, Werner Hans Peter Vogels

With Nextech's breakthrough generative-AI technology, the Company believes it has revolutionized the 3D modeling industry, and gained a major competitive edge, solidifying its leadership position in the global 3D model space for e-commerce. Nextech3D.ai is making it possible to create photo-realistic 3D models as digital replicas of real-world products at scale for large enterprise customers in the global $5.5 trillion dollar e-commerce market. The Company believes that a total addressable market (TAM) of $100 billion exists within the e-commerce industry for 3D models and is available for capture.

Nextech's position as a preferred supplier for Amazon provides a significant revenue opportunity. Amazon currently has over 10 million merchants and over 300 million product SKUs, highlighting the potential for Nextech to further establish its position as a top 3D model supplier.

Try it yourself - Existing Vornado 3D product Models on Amazon Website

Open the link on your phone, click the 3D product model to spin and rotate. View it in your space with augmented reality.

Vornado Whole Vortex Heater

https://www.amazon.com/Vornado-Whole-Vortex-Heater-Black/dp/B00MB4BQ0G

Vornado Velocity Personal Space Heater:

https://www.amazon.com/Vornado-Velocity-Humidifier-Notification-Capacity/dp/B08B44MWW8

About Vornado

Vornado Air LLC is a leading American company that specializes in manufacturing and marketing air circulators, air purifiers, heaters, and humidifiers. Founded in 1989, Vornado has been dedicated to improving indoor air quality through its innovative and high-quality products that provide efficient and effective air circulation, filtration, heating, and humidification.Vornado's commitment to providing quality products has made it a well-respected brand in the air quality industry and a go-to for those seeking to improve their indoor air quality. Learn more: https://www.vornado.com/home

Recent News

Nextech3D.ai Signs Enterprise Renewal and Expansion Contract With Major Ecommerce Brand For 3000 3D Models

Nextech3D.ai Achieves Major Generative AI Breakthrough In Text to 3D Material Generation

Nextech3D.ai to Release First Quarter 2023 Earnings on May 18

Nextech3D.ai Files 2022 Audited Annual Financial Statements

Nextech3D.ai Announces Conditional Listing Approval & Updates on Generative-AI IPO Spin-Off SaaS Platform Toggle3D.ai

Nextech3D.ai Expands Its AI Team With New Key Hires To Meet The Accelerating Demand For 3D Models For Ecommerce at Mass Scale

To learn more, please follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, or visit our website: https://www.Nextechar.com.

About Nextech3D.ai

(formally "Nextech AR Solutions Corp" or the "Company") (OTCQX: NEXCF) (CSE: NTAR) (FSE: EP2 is a diversified augmented reality, AI technology company that leverages proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) to create 3D experiences for the metaverse. Its main businesses are creating 3D WebAR photorealistic models for the Prime Ecommerce Marketplace as well as many other online retailers. The Company develops or acquires what it believes are disruptive technologies and once commercialized, spins them out as stand-alone public Companies issuing a stock dividend to shareholders while retaining a significant ownership stake in the public spin-out.

On October 26, 2022 Nextech3D.ai spun out its spatial computing platform, "ARway" as a stand alone public Company. Nextech3D.ai retained a control ownership in ARway Corp. with 13 million shares, or a 50% stake, and distributed 4 million shares to Nextech AR Shareholders. ARway is currently listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE:ARWY), in USA on the OTCQB (OTC: ARWYF) and Internationally on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE: E65). ARway Corp. is disrupting the augmented reality wayfinding market with a no-code, no beacon spatial computing platform enabled by visual marker tracking.

On December 14, 2022 Nextech announced its second spinout of Toggle3D, an AI-powered 3D design studio to compete with Adobe. Toggle3D is expected to be public in the first half of 2023.

To learn more about ARway, visit https://www.arway.ai/

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations Contact

Lindsay Betts

investor.relations@Nextechar.com

866-ARITIZE (274-8493) Ext 7201

Nextech3D.ai

Evan Gappelberg

CEO and Director

866-ARITIZE (274-8493)

Forward-looking Statements

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the completion of the transaction are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Nextech will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Nextech3D.ai

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754138/Nextech3Dai-Signs-3D-Modeling-Expansion-Contract-With-Vornado-Air-LLC-To-Bring-3D-Models-Onto-The-Prime-Marketplace
St. Albert, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Enterprise Group, Inc. (TSX: E) (OTCQB: ETOLF) (the "Company" or "Enterprise"). Enterprise, a consolidator of energy services (including specialized equipment rental to the energy/resource sector), is pleased to announce its Q1 2023 results.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Three months

Mar 31, 2023 Three months

Mar 31, 2022 Revenue $ 10,008,332 $ 7,629,418 Gross margin $ 5,099,298 51% $ 3,521,822 46% Adjusted EBITDA(1) $ 4,392,685 44% $ 3,029,861 40% Net income and comprehensive income $ 2,801,335 $ 1,678,048 Income per share - Basic $ 0.06 $ 0.04 Income per share - Diluted $ 0.06 $ 0.03

(1) Identified and defined under "Non-IFRS Measures".

The strength of 2022 has carried into the first quarter of 2023. Higher capital spending in the energy industry combined with increased customer activity levels in has resulted in improved results. The supply and services agreements signed in the previous year with three of the Company's tier one clients along with an increasing customer base, continued to contribute to the improved operating results. Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2023, was $10,008,332 compared to $7,629,418 in the prior period, an increase of $2,378,914 or 31%. Gross margin for the three months ended March 31, 2023, was $5,099,298 compared to $3,521,785 in the prior period, an increase of $1,577,476 or 45%. Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2023, was $4,392,685 compared to $3,029,861 in the prior period, an increase of $1,362,824 or 45%. Increases in revenue, gross margin and EBITDA for the quarter are reflective of increases customer activity in 2023 while maintaining the operating efficiencies of the Company.

For the three months ended March 31, 2023, the company generated cash flow from operations of $4,965,708 compared to $2,679,056 in the prior period. This change is consistent with the higher activity levels during the quarter. The Company continues to utilize a combination of cash flow and debt to right-size and modernize its equipment fleet to meet customer demands. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company purchased $2,616,545 of capital assets, primarily for natural gas power generation, upgrading the energy efficiency of existing equipment and meeting specific requests from customers. The Company continues to see its customers switching to natural gas as a cleaner and more efficient alternative to diesel, increasing the demand for natural gas generators and micro-grid packages.

During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company repurchased and cancelled 694,000 shares at a cost of $266,215, or $0.38 per share. These shares had a carrying value of $1.32 per share for a total of $912,746 which has been removed from the share capital account. Since the initiation of the share buyback program, the Company has purchased and cancelled 10,751,500 shares at a cost of $2,657,775 or $0.25 per share. These shares have a carrying value of $1.41 per share for a total of $15,201,897 which has been removed from the share capital account over the entire share buyback program. Enterprise has renewed its normal course issuer bid through to August 29, 2023. The Company believes its stock remains undervalued as the Company's book value is $0.75 per share. In addition, the Company has available tax losses of $0.16 per share and is in the process of developing a consolidated tax plan to utilize those losses. Management will continue to be aggressive in acquiring its shares.

In April of 2022, Enterprise Group officially launched a new wholly owned subsidiary, Evolution Power Projects, Inc. EPP is the leading provider of low emission, mobile power systems and associated surface infrastructure to the Energy, Resource, and Industrial sectors. The Company's innovative methods are delivering to its client's low emission natural gas-powered systems and micro-grid technology, allowing clients to eliminate diesel entirely. A significant portion of Enterprise's capital expenditures for 2022 and in the first quarter of 2023 was for additional natural gas-powered systems, including turbine generators. EPP can now provide mobile micro-grid technology in the 1-megawatt range which has allowed EPP to expand its services into water pumping and drilling support, further eliminating the use of diesel power. Also, EPP's systems are equipped to deliver real-time emission metrics providing its clients the assurances necessary for them to accomplish their ESG reporting and objectives.

On January 23, 2023, the Company's common shares began trading on the OTCQB Venture Market under the ticker symbol ETOLF. In addition to the listing, Enterprise's shares are now eligible for electronic clearing and settlement with the Depository Trust Company for trading in the United States. This listing will help to increase Enterprise's visibility and accessibility to a growing audience of U.S. investors.

About Enterprise Group, Inc.

Enterprise Group, Inc is a consolidator of services-including specialized equipment rental to the energy/resource sector. The Company works with particular emphasis on systems and technologies that mitigate, reduce, or eliminate CO2 and Greenhouse Gas emissions for itself and its clients. The Company is well known to local Tier One and international resource companies with operations in Western Canada. More information is available at the Company's website www.enterprisegrp.ca. Corporate filings can be found on www.sedar.com.

For questions or additional information, please contact:

Leonard Jaroszuk: President & CEO, or

Desmond O'Kell: Senior Vice-President

contact@enterprisegrp.ca

780-418-4400

Forward-Looking Information

This news release may contain certain forward-looking information, as defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation, that is not based on historical fact, including without limitation statements containing the words "believes", "anticipates", "plans", "intends", "will", "should", "expects", "continue", "estimate", "forecasts" and other similar expressions. In particular, this news release includes forward-looking information relating to the Company's intention to purchase Shares pursuant to the normal course issuer bid, the number of Shares to be purchased, the timing of such purchases and the impact of such purchases on the value of the remaining Shares. Actual results, events or developments could be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. There is no assurance that any of the events or expectations will occur or be realized. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions and risk factors including those discussed in the Company's Annual Information Form and most recent MD&A which are incorporated herein by reference and are available through SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and are made as of the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention and has no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165620
Highlights

Bliss Lake Lithium Project is 5,798 hectares in area and totals five contiguous licences;





Less then 15km from Li-FT Power Ltd's "Road Access Group" where numerous lithium bearing pegmatites have been identified and sampled with over 1% Li2O;





Numerous pegmatite occurrences identified from Landsat images on the Bliss Lake Project the largest of which is interpreted to be over 300 metres in strike length;





30 kms from Yellowknife, 5 kms from road networks; and





Exploration to commence immediately.

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - ION Energy Limited (TSXV: ION) (OTCQB: IONGF) (FSE: 5YB) ("ION" or the "Company") announces that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Bliss Lake Lithium Pegmatite Project in NWT, Canada in an all equity, milestone driven transaction, which ultimately allows the seller to reach a 5% ownership interest in the Company.

The immediate consideration for the acquisition will consist of two equity tranches. The first tranche will be a value of $150,000 of the Company shares at a deemed value of $0.35 and the second tranche will have a value of $350,000 of Company shares at a deemed value of $0.35 subject to a 4 month hold period. The Company will also grant to the seller a 1.0% Net Smelter Royalty (NSR), with the Company having the right to repurchase one half of the NSR at any time for $500,000.

The Bliss Lake Lithium Project encompasses 5,798 hectares and is located between 13-15 km away from lithium properties held by Li-FT Power Ltd. (see Li-FT Power press release dated Dec. 20, 2022 as filed on SEDAR) and 20km from Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (see PMET's MD&A report dated 30 June 2022 as filed on SEDAR). Investors should note that exploration results of third parties in the vicinity are not indicative of potential results at the Company's project.

Lithium bearing pegmatites in the Yellowknife area are well documented in the published literature and in the records on file with the Mineral Resources Division, Canadian Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, Ottawa. The significant resources occur as steeply dipping tabular, unzoned pegmatite dikes of Pre-Cambrian age dated 2200 million years. The numerous pegmatites are localized in metamorphic aureoles of knotted schists associated with granitic intrusions. Detailed mapping and surface sampling of fourteen properties within the district (Lasmanis, 1978)[1] indicated a mineralized potential of 49,000,000 tons of pegmatite to a depth of 152m having an average grade of 1.40% Li2O.

"The Company is very pleased to have signed a binding definitive agreement for the acquisition of 5,798 hectares Bliss Lake Lithium Project in the Northwest Territories. The prospect is within 10s of kilometers from other proven pegmatite fields and allows ION Energy to be a multi-jurisdictional, multi-asset company that has the ability to serve two major, established geographies," says Ali Haji, CEO & Director of ION Energy Ltd.

The technical content in this news release was reviewed and approved by Mr. Don Hains, P.Geo, Consulting Geologist, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

Shareholder Summit - Wednesday, May 24, 2023:

With this exciting milestone in ION Energy's aggressive growth strategy to build a diversified global portfolio of high-quality lithium resources in strategic jurisdictions, join ION's CEO, Ali Haji on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 11 am EST, to learn more about this new addition to the company's portfolio and what else is in store for the Company in the coming months.

REGISTER HERE TO ATTEND: https://my.6ix.com/84wWhLfp

About ION Energy Ltd.

ION Energy Ltd. (TSXV: ION) (OTCQB: IONGF) (FSE: 5YB) is committed to exploring and developing high quality lithium resources in strategic jurisdictions. ION's flagship, 81,000+ hectare Baavhai Uul lithium brine project, represents the largest and first lithium brine exploration licence award in Mongolia. ION also holds the 29,000+ hectare Urgakh Naran highly prospective lithium brine licence in Dorngovi Province in Mongolia. With the acquisition of the Bliss Lake project in NWT, Canada, ION will have significantly enhanced its lithium asset and jurisdiction profile. ION is well-poised to be a key player in the clean energy revolution, positioned well to service the world's increased demand for lithium. Information about the Company is available on its website, www.ionenergy.ca, or under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

For further information:

COMPANY CONTACT: Ali Haji, ali@ionenergy.ca, 647-871-4571

MEDIA CONTACT: Siloni Waraich, siloni@ionenergy.ca, 416-432-4920

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company's objectives, goals or future plans, statements, potential mineralization, exploration and development results, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from ION Energy's expectations include, among others, uncertainties relating to availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, risks related to international operations, the actual results of current exploration activities, delays in the development of projects, conclusions of economic evaluations and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined as well as future prices of lithium. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

[1] R. Lasmanis (1977):Lithium Resources in the Yellowknife Area, Northwest Territories, Canada, Energy, Vol. 3, pp. 399-407

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165715
NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - Alcoa Corp. (AA) announced Thursday that it has reached a tentative agreement with the United Steelworkers on a new three-year labor agreement for employees at two U.S. locations. The union will now schedule a vote with its members to ratify the proposed contract, the result of extensive negotiations between the Company and the United Steelworkers. The proposal will cover approximately 860 active employees at the smelter at Warrick Operations in Indiana and the smelter at Massena Operations in New York. The existing contract was set to expire on May 15th 2023, but the parties reached agreement prior to expiration. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Utility industry's leading startup investor finds growing global support for alliance to fight climate change

LOS GATOS, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The NextGrid Alliance (NGA), a first-of-its-kind network that brings together utilities and startups to address the energy transition, today announced it now counts 100 utility companies from around the world as active members.





Founded in 2020, the NGA has made rapid headway attracting participation from global utilities that provide power to hundreds of millions of people, including Duke Energy, EDF, ConEd and Southern California Edison. The organization was founded by National Grid Partners (NGP), the corporate venture and innovation arm of National Grid, as a platform to fight climate change and scale energy innovation faster.

"The climate challenge is too big for any one company to solve. Utilities around the world are realizing significant value by sharing strategies and becoming co-innovators with startup leaders to scale technology across the energy ecosystem," said Lisa Lambert, chief technology and innovation officer at National Grid and founder and president of National Grid Partners.

NGP also today introduced its two newest portfolio investments to accelerate the clean energy transition:

ev.energy ( London, U.K. ), incentivizes electric vehicle drivers to charge at optimal times based on energy price and emissions. Its software platform services utilities such as National Grid, ConEdison New York and Volkswagen Naturstrom Elli to provide managed charging solutions for their customers. Drivers with home solar arrays also can use ev.energy to optimize their EV charging with clean energy, reducing their power bills and reliance on fossil fuels. ev.energy was founded by National Grid alumnus Nick Woolley and software engineer Chris Darby .





( ), incentivizes electric vehicle drivers to charge at optimal times based on energy price and emissions. Its software platform services utilities such as National Grid, ConEdison New York and Volkswagen Naturstrom Elli to provide managed charging solutions for their customers. Drivers with home solar arrays also can use ev.energy to optimize their EV charging with clean energy, reducing their power bills and reliance on fossil fuels. ev.energy was founded by National Grid alumnus and software engineer . Modern Hydrogen ( Bothell, WA ) is a cleantech company focused on heat & hydrogen. It helps utilities and commercial and industrial (C&I) heating equipment companies that rely on natural gas today and are looking for ways to reduce emissions quickly. Modern's revolutionary system decarbonizes natural gas & biogas to produce clean hydrogen onsite, by removing the carbon before it can be become CO2. The company's other investors include Bill Gates , MIURA Co., and NextGrid Alliance member NextEra Energy.

"Utilities have historically avoided risk to prioritize reliability and compliance, but now we're in the midst of cultural and business sea-change. For the first time, they're incentivized to innovate and adopt clean energy, but many are seeking direction on where to start," Lambert said. "By convening the NextGrid Alliance and investing in startups like these, we're fostering progress across the industry."

"We place great value in collaboration and in nurturing innovation," said Alexina Jackson, Vice President, Strategic Development at the AES Corporation. "The Alliance and its working groups give us the opportunity to explore ideas with other utilities and startups. Together, we can look at the future vision of the energy transition and, in the near-term, what catalyzing technologies are going to get us there."

The NGA provides member forums such as quarterly working groups and technology days, where utilities and startups can dive deeply into some of the most compelling challenges in the industry and accelerate innovative solutions. Today, five working groups bring together executives focused on net-zero carbon emissions, transmission networks, cybersecurity, innovation and corporate venture capital.

NGP has backed 42 companies since its 2018 launch, with seven successful exits and an industry leading percentage of portfolio "unicorns" (valued at more than $1B).

"The NGA really opens up the industry in a unique way," said James Dean, CEO of London-based startup Sensat. "It's a thesis around, 'Where can we as utilities do better?'"

Sensat automates how infrastructure is planned, built, and managed by creating digital twins to enable faster, more effective decision making. The company has worked with National Grid on major infrastructure projects in the U.K., where Sensat's visualization software platform dramatically streamlined the planning process and reduced costs. Sensat subsequently joined the National Grid Partners investment portfolio and will soon present its platform to other utilities at an NGA transmission working group.

"These utilities all have the same challenges, and the alliance gives them an opportunity to work together," said Dean. "There's no other forum for them to do this."

About the NextGrid Alliance

The NextGrid Alliance brings the world's energy providers together to ensure utility investment and innovation initiatives make an industry-wide impact. National Grid Partners launched the alliance to convene innovation, strategy, business development and operational executives from power utilities around the globe. Learn more at ngalliance.energy .

About National Grid Partners

National Grid Partners (NGP) is the venture investment and innovation arm of National Grid plc, one of the world's largest investor-owned energy companies. NGP invests for strategic and financial impact and leads companywide disruptive innovation efforts. The organization provides a multi-functional approach to building startups, including innovation (new business creation), incubation, corporate venture capital, business development and venture acceleration. NGP is headquartered in Silicon Valley and has offices in Boston, London, and New York. Visit ngpartners.com or follow us on Twitter (@ngpartners) and LinkedIn.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/900226/4030508/National_Grid_Partners__Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nextgrid-alliance-reaches-100-member-milestone-national-grid-partners-announces-newest-investments-301821733.html
New Altrata report examines the rate of turnover and other leadership trends across the UK's largest companies

LONDON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Altrata, the global leader in intelligence on the world's most influential people, launched a new report providing insight into CEO and CFO turnover trends and patterns. 2023 Spotlight: CEO and CFO Turnover in the UK, examines the leadership landscape across FTSE 350 companies.





The appointment and retention of specialist talent to leadership roles is vital to any organization. 2023 Spotlight: CEO and CFO Turnover in the UK explores recent appointments as well as trends over the past five years. Among the numerous insights, the report finds -

CEO turnover rose to 12.7% in 2022, the highest level over the past three years

CFO turnover declined for a third straight year in 2022 to 13.8%.

CEOs and CFOs typically stay in post for around four years

The age at which CEOs and CFOs are appointed is now in the low 50s

Female CFO appointments have tripled since 2018 to reach 36% in 2022

Female CEO appointments remain much lower at 8-9%

"By providing insight into CEO and CFO turnover trends and patterns, this report is an essential read for companies looking to make a change at the top," said Maya Imberg, Senior Director at Altrata and lead author of the report. "In addition, executive recruiters and other organizations looking make the most of their talent need to stay up-to-date on changes in the leadership landscape."

The report also explores the path to the C-suite, revealing that new CEOs continue to be appointed internally but the CFO picture is more mixed. Given the greater stakes for public companies from a reputational and governance perspective, internal CEO candidates offer a proven track record and a demonstrated ability to cope with the pressures of managing a public company.

The report leverages BoardEx data and explores some of the drivers behind the numbers.

Access the complete findings here.

About Altrata

Altrata is a global leader in people intelligence. It includes more than 100 million profiles on wealthy individuals around the world and more than 12 million profiles on senior decision makers, board members and C-suite leaders. Altrata provides intelligence on the people who are most impactful to their clients' success. Altrata's advanced integration solutions allow deeper insights and access to billions of connections helping clients close more deals, manage risk, and identify key talent quickly. Actionable, accurate, and comprehensive data powered by a global team of more than 400 researchers and data specialists, maintaining millions of profiles, enables clients to effectively engage and make meaningful, lasting connections.

Altrata is a registered trademark of Delinian Limited and its affiliated companies, and is comprised of five dynamic offerings: BoardEx, Boardroom Insiders, RelSci, WealthEngine, and Wealth-X.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1819781/Altrata_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/female-cfo-appointments-have-tripled-since-2018-301821648.html
analysis

China will no longer be the world's most populous nation. India's population will overtake it this year at an estimated population of 1.42 billion.

It's an epochal transition which speaks to other underlying demographic changes across the world, including the fact that China's population has peaked and is now falling. Meanwhile, the region with the fastest-rising population - from a current base of around 1.4 billion - is Africa.

I have researched the economics of China, and China-Africa relations, for nearly two decades. I've also specifically analysed the political economy of demographic change in China.

On the surface, China losing the "world's most populous country" crown means nothing for African countries. However, as I outline in my new paper, the transition embodies a number of opportunities and risks for many African countries.

China has been a leading economic partner to the continent for most of this century. Demand for China's manufactured goods is consistent across the continent. It is an especially important import partner for some of Africa's resource-rich countries, such as Angola, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. A slow-down in China's economy - or a shift away from commodity-intensive manufacturing and infrastructure construction - could especially challenge African commodity exporters whose main buyer is China, such as Angola.

So, as China's population declines and ages, there'll be direct and indirect repercussions for many African countries. Here are some of the possible implications.

Opportunities

End of labour-richness

African countries with a large working-age population can theoretically benefit from the end of China's period of labour-abundance. China had a massive number of low-wage workers from the 1980s until the 2000s. The broad passing of this abundance - in terms of both price and quantity - theoretically opens a window for other "younger" and low-wage economies. Labour-rich countries already banging on China's door include Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam.

African countries wanting to take advantage of this will need relevant policies. They will need enough qualified workers to take part in manufacturing opportunities; affordable and reliable energy; and competitive labour productivity. Ethiopia, for instance, has been attracting Chinese foreign direct investment in recent decades with more than 70% going into manufacturing.

Increased service demand

For a decade or more, China has also been pushing, if very incrementally, for services - such as financial services, healthcare and tourism - to drive its domestic growth. This presents new opportunities for African goods and services providers too.

Things are already in the works. The official 2035 China-Africa Vision - which defines the overall framework of China-Africa cooperation - includes finance, tourism, media, and culture and sports. Some of these links, like the media industry, are relatively advanced already. Some countries, for example Mauritius, have already signed trade agreements which include financial services. And, more recently, Kenya Airways and China Southern Airlines signed an agreement to expand Nairobi's role as a regional aviation hub for Chinese destinations.

China's pensioner boom

The pensioner population is expected to peak mid-century when China is forecast to be home to some 400 million pensioners - a massive target market. Cambodia, for example, already has an official strategy for attracting elderly tourists.

African countries could tap into this demographic, for instance to support tourism industries. East African countries are looking for emerging tourist markets and also looking to expand offerings to include activities such as cruises - these would be ideal for an older demographic.

Risks

Slowdown in China's economy

A big risk is that as China's population declines and ages it will cause China's economic development engine to falter.

As it's one of the world's largest economies, a stagnation would cause ripples across the world. It would slow China's potential to trade with and invest in Africa.

For instance, China is South Africa's largest export market. Nigeria, Angola, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo are also major exporters of goods to China. Nigeria is the leading importer from China, followed by South Africa, Egypt and Ghana.

Some countries are relatively China-dependent for growth and development. These include Zimbabwe and Guinea.

China could become more risk-averse in lending to African countries, and conservative in foreign aid allocations. Leading Chinese companies might also have less revenue to re-invest in other markets, and less reason to do so given lower growth. This could challenge African government budgets and leave many in poverty and unable to find formal jobs in their working-age prime.

Keeping production at home

There is also the risk that automation will directly replace labour in China, instead of shifting production to another country with a younger workforce. And foreign investors in China might seek to secure their own supply chains - at home - rather than shift production to a new labour-rich location after China.

Regulatory challenges

Africa could face new regulatory challenges as China's population ages. Products demanded by an older Chinese population, with inputs sourced in Africa, may elevate existing regulatory challenges.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Business 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.

For instance, a Chinese traditional medicine known as ejiao uses collagen from donkey hides. It is believed to support sleep, blood vitality and those ageing in general. This has led to a trade in African donkeys that has harmed Africa's own poor .

Read more: China's demand for Africa's donkeys is rising. Why it's time to control the trade

Conclusion

In my opinion a probable scenario is that China's economy lumbers forward at a slower pace than in the past, but fast enough to stave off a crisis at home.

On the surface this may reduce the scale of opportunity for Africa. But, since China's economy is many times larger than any economy in Africa, there'll still be enough growth volume to tap for trade, investment and specific projects. Slower growth in China may even compel Chinese investors to turn to faster-growing African economies.

Africa is the world's youngest continent, and fast-ageing population-declining China is the continent's most important trade partner and economic partner. African governments must keep a close eye on what happens next to tap into all potential opportunities - and mitigate any risks.

Lauren Johnston, Senior Researcher, South African Institute of International Affairs and Associate Professor at the China Studies Centre, University of Sydney
Papendrecht, 11 May 2023



FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

Busy quarter with revenue growth and higher earnings

Favorable market conditions

Increase in order book to record high level of EUR 6.5 billion

Solid balance sheet with positive net cash position

Boskalis concluded a busy and good first quarter. Both revenue and earnings increased compared to Q1 2022 and both major divisions - Dredging & Inland Infra and Offshore Energy - contributed to this growth.

A lot of new work was secured during the quarter leading to an increase of the order book of both divisions. The company's overall order book reached a record high level of EUR 6.5 billion at the end of March.

Boskalis' strategy focuses on activity clusters that bring value to society with the objective of creating sustainable growth. During the past quarter numerous impressive projects were under execution and new high-profile works were acquired. A selection of these projects are highlighted below.

Protection through Climate Adaptation

For more than a century Boskalis has been providing protection against the forces of nature. Today, we help protect people and the natural environment from the consequences of climate change, such as rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions through our coastal defense and riverbank protection activities.

The first polder in the region is being realized by Boskalis in Singapore on an island threatened by climate change. The project includes many innovations with the highest standards in terms of flood protection and water management. These innovations provide valuable knowledge that can be used in the development of new polders elsewhere.

In the Netherlands, several projects have contributed to the strong quarter. The multi-year project to reinforce the Markermeer dikes north of Amsterdam is progressing well and the first northern section of the reinforced dike has been completed. In addition to strengthening the remaining section of the dike, work is also underway on the establishment of a city beach near Hoorn. The project is part of the national High Water Protection Program and is being carried out in an innovative alliance contract. New projects and variation orders were also obtained during the quarter for the coastal protection of Texel, Vlieland and Bergen and for the Zwolle-Olst dike reinforcement project.

In early 2023, Boskalis acquired a contract to further develop and climate-proof the island of Gulhifalhu in the Maldives. The development of Gulhifalhu is part of the government's strategic plan to improve and develop the port infrastructure, and also serves as a climate adaptive solution to climate-proof this part of the Maldives.

Advancing theEnergy Transition

Boskalis is advancing the energy transition by developing infrastructure for renewable energy.

In Taiwan, Boskalis' presence was ongoing last quarter on several offshore wind projects. Good progress is being made on the Changfang & Xidao project with the installation of pinpiles and jackets. Furthermore, Boskalis was active with dredging activities and rock installation on another project for which a variation order was recently awarded.

In recent years, Boskalis has built a strong position in the United States with local representation, serving the fast-growing offshore wind market off the US East coast. A significant portion of the installation work for the Southfork Wind and Revolution Wind projects was awarded to Boskalis in 2021. These projects will start this year. Late last year, the US portfolio was complemented with the foundation and cable scope of Sunrise Wind and the export cable installation scope for the Ocean Wind project.

In Scotland, Boskalis was awarded part of the Moray West offshore wind farm in early 2023. Boskalis will deploy its broad range of specialist activities on this project, including geophysical surveys, transportation of the foundations from China and seabed preparation prior to installation of the foundations. Such multidisciplinary assignments demonstrate Boskalis' unique versatility in the industry.

Survey provides specialist marine geophysical survey services and offshore geotechnical services. Under favorable market conditions, a lot of work was carried out in the North Sea and the Middle East during the past quarter.

In the area of decommissioning and oil spill prevention, a number of noteworthy projects are underway. For example, Subsea Services recently won a sizable contract to decommission old subsea infrastructure in the North Sea.

In addition, Heavy Marine Transport is due to transport an old, inactive FPSO from a field on a heavy transport vessel to a green scrapping yard.

On behalf of the United Nations (UN), Boskalis will remove oil from the FSO Safer off the coast of Yemen in the coming period. This project is part of a UN-coordinated operation to pump more than one million barrels of oil from this decaying tanker into a safe modern tanker and to aid in the disposal of the FSO Safer in a responsible manner.

Distinctive Assets

Along with our human capital, Boskalis' strength lies in its ability to deploy proprietary, distinguishing assets.

In the past couple of months, the recently commissioned crane vessel Bokalift 2 has been prepared for three offshore wind projects in the United States. In Schiedam, the Netherlands a leading-edge new motion compensated pile gripper frame (MCPGF) was installed. The MCPGF ensures that the monopile foundation, with a length of more than 100 meters, is vertically stationary during piling. The gripper frame can grip monopiles with a diameter of up to 12 meters, which also makes it suitable for the next generation of wind turbines.

Very recently, Boskalis commissioned a new subsea rock installation vessel - the Seapiper. The vessel, like the Bokalift 2, is a conversion of an existing vessel that was no longer economically viable in the market. In addition to the environmental benefits of reusing an existing vessel, this approach also has a cost advantage and a shorter time-to-market relative to a new-build vessel. The Seapiper will mainly be used on offshore wind projects in the coming years to cover and protect cables and foundations with rock.

Outlook

With its exceptionally well-filled order book of EUR 6.5 billion, Boskalis has a solid basis for the rest of this year and the period thereafter. Based on this portfolio and given the favorable market conditions, Boskalis expects to exceed last year's result, adjusted for exceptional items.

Furthermore, Boskalis' financial position remains unchanged and strong. Boskalis has a net cash position and on balance is therefore debt-free. Focused on market opportunities, Boskalis intends to invest further in sustainable growth in line with its strategic agenda.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Martijn L.D. Schuttevaer

press@boskalis.com

T +31 786969310

?

Boskalis is a leading global services provider operating in the dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services sectors. The company provides creative and innovative all-round solutions to infrastructural challenges in the maritime, coastal and delta regions of the world. With core activities such as coastal defense, riverbank protection and land reclamation Boskalis is able to provide adaptive and mitigating solutions to combat the effects of climate change, such as extreme weather conditions and rising sea levels, as well as delivering solutions for the increasing need for space in coastal and delta regions across the world. The company facilitates the development of offshore energy infrastructure, including renewable wind energy. Boskalis is furthermore active in the construction and maintenance of ports, waterways, access channels and civil infrastructure, thus helping to facilitate trade flows and regional socio-economic development. In addition, Boskalis is a global marine salvage expert and has a strategic partnership in terminal services (Smit Lamnalco). With a versatile fleet of more than 500 vessels and floating equipment and approximately 10,000 employees, including associates, Boskalis is creating new horizons around the world.

This press release can also be found on our website www.boskalis.com.

Attachment
Presentation highlights results from 13- and 39-week studies of eneboparatide in non-human primates demonstrating no evidence of deleterious impact on bone quantity or quality as measured by multiple bone parameters



Findings further substantiate the potential of eneboparatide as a treatment for hypoparathyroidism, where many patients suffer from, or are at risk of developing osteopenia and osteoporosis

LYON, France and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amolyt Pharma, a global company specialized in developing therapeutic peptides for rare endocrine and related diseases, today announced that it will deliver an oral presentation at the European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE) 2023 Annual Meeting, which is being held May 13-16 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The presentation details the results of two studies of eneboparatide in non-human primates which demonstrated no deleterious impact on bone quantity or quality as measured by multiple bone parameters at 13 and 39 weeks of treatment.

Key findings include:

In the 13-week study, there was no evidence of a treatment effect of eneboparatide on either bone mineral density (BMD) or histopathology

In the 39-week study, there were no significant effects of eneboparatide at any dose level on either BMD or histopathology, and analysis of blood samples for the anabolic bone biomarker, N-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen (P1NP), and the catabolic bone biomarker, C-terminal telopeptide (CTX), revealed no treatment-related changes.

"We are pleased to present these study results at this year's ECE meeting as they serve to highlight a key potential benefit for patients with hypoparathyroidism - the possibility to treat the underlying disease without compromising bone quantity or quality," said Thierry Abribat, Ph.D., founder and chief executive officer of Amolyt Pharma. "We believe the clinical profile of eneboparatide observed in trials to date gives it the potential to become the future standard of care for hypoparathyroidism, and to that end, we are eager to initiate our recently announced Phase 3 trial."

Mark Sumeray, M.D., chief medical officer of Amolyt Pharma, added, "Many patients with hypoparathyroidism have, or are at risk of developing osteopenia or osteoporosis, so an optimal treatment for this indication must be able to control serum calcium without the need for oral calcium and vitamin D supplementation, normalize urinary calcium excretion, and avoid deleterious effect on bone. The positive results from these pre-clinical studies contribute to the significant and growing body of evidence suggesting that eneboparatide can achieve these clinical goals without deleteriously affecting bone, even when administered over an extended period. This is a critical potential benefit for eneboparatide, and we look forward to further confirming these findings in our upcoming Phase 3 Calypso clinical trial."

Presentation details:

Title:



Eneboparatide, a Novel PTH-1 Receptor Agonist, Has No Impact on Bone Parameters Following Chronic Treatment of Non-Human Primates Format:



Oral Presentation Session:



Oral Communications 8: Calcium and Bone Date:



Monday, May 15, 2023 Time:



2:10 p.m. CEST (8:10 a.m. EDT)

The full abstract can be found here:

https://www.endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0090/ea0090oc8.2

About Hypoparathyroidism

Hypoparathyroidism is defined by a deficiency of parathyroid hormone (PTH) that results in decreased calcium and elevated phosphorus levels in the blood. Approximately 80% of the estimated 80,000 people in the U.S. and 110,000 in the European Union with hypoparathyroidism are women. Despite available treatments, patients experience persistent, life-altering symptoms and often develop complications and comorbidities that diminish quality of life and create segments of the patient population with specific clinical needs. Clinical manifestations of hypoparathyroidism impact many tissues and organ systems, in particular, the kidneys and bone.

17% of patients with hypoparathyroidism have osteopenia or osteoporosis and 53% are peri- or postmenopausal women with an increased risk of developing osteoporosis. Approximately 26% of patients with hypoparathyroidism have chronic kidney disease or failure, highlighting the importance of reducing urinary calcium excretion as a key treatment goal.

About Eneboparatide

Eneboparatide is an investigational therapeutic peptide designed to target a specific conformation of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor to produce sustained and stable levels of calcium in the blood and thereby manage the symptoms of hypoparathyroidism, and to limit urine calcium excretion by restoring calcium reabsorption by the kidney, with the goal of consequently preventing chronic kidney disease. In addition to its unique receptor profile, eneboparatide is also designed to have a short half-life to potentially preserve bone integrity, an important potential benefit, since the majority of patients are peri- and postmenopausal women with an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.

About Amolyt Pharma

Amolyt Pharma, a clinical stage biotechnology company, is building on its team's established expertise to deliver life-changing treatments to patients suffering from rare endocrine and related diseases. Its development portfolio includes eneboparatideand LinkedIn.

Media Inquiries:

Jordyn Temperato

LifeSci Communications

jtemperato@lifescicomms.com

Investors Inquiries:

Ashley Robinson

LifeSci Advisors, LLC

arr@lifesciadvisors.com

+1.617.430.7577
NEW DELHI (dpa-AFX) - President Joe Biden will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Official State Visit to the United States next month. It will include a state dinner at the White House on June 22. 'The upcoming visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together,' the White House said in a statement announcing Modi's visit. The visit will strengthen our two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defense, clean energy, and space, it added. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the leaders will discuss ways to further expand Indo-U.S. educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as the two nations' work together 'to confront common challenges from climate change, to workforce development and health security.' On the eve of his meeting with Biden, Modi is likely to lead International Yoga Day celebrations at the United Nations, reports say. He will also meet top business and political leaders during his visit. Despite his multiple visits to Washington, this will be Modi's first state visit to the United States at the invitation of President Biden. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Convertible Debt Repayment Eliminates Equity Dilution and Prepares Company for Rapid Expansion

FAIRFAX, VA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Visium Technologies, Inc., ("Visium" or the "Company") (OTC PINK:VISM), a global cybersecurity and analytics company, announced today that it has fully repaid and satisfied $93,000 of principal and accrued interest related to its toxic convertible note. The note was initially issued in October, 2022 and is being paid off with cash advances from the Company's officer and directors. The payoff of the toxic note is expected to have a positive impact by allowing the company to redirect its resources towards growth and expansion opportunities. The company has a strong pipeline of new projects and investments, and is well positioned to capitalize on emerging market trends and customer needs.

Mark Lucky, Visium's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Retiring this convertible note is a significant financial milestone and an important step in creating value for our shareholders, and eliminates the dilution of our common stock and the selling pressure that we have seen on the Company's share price in recent weeks. Retiring this toxic convertible note through personal cash advances from management and the board of directors should provide insight into the high level of confidence in pending corporate developments."

Lucky added "We continue to make significant progress in our sales strategy, with multiple near-term opportunities for contracts in Africa and the Caribbean. We look forward to communicating these anticipated successes in the near future."

About Visium Technologies, Inc.

Visium Technologies (OTC PINK:VISM) is a cyber security solutions provider that uses graph database technology to deliver an analytics-driven, risk-based approach to cybersecurity that provides context to data so that users can make intelligent decisions in real time. Built for the US Army Cyber Command by MITRE Corporation (CyGraph), and then further developed by Visium, our world class TruContextTM technology provides visualization, advanced cyber monitoring intelligence, data modeling, analytics, and automation to help reduce risk, simplify cyber security, and deliver better security outcomes. TruContextTM plugs the gaps left by other security tools.

For more information please visit www.visiumtechnologies.com and our YouTube Channel.

Safe Harbor Statement: Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release includes forward-looking statements that reflect management's current views with respect to future events and performance. These forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and information currently available. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "project" and similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. Investors should be cautious in relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, whether the reverse stock split will be beneficial to the Company and its shareholders, any inability to meet the NYSE American continued listing standards in the future for any reason, and those other factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any responsibility to update forward-looking statements is expressly disclaimed.

CONTACT:

Visium Technologies, Inc.

Corporate: Mark Lucky, Chief Executive Officer

mlucky@visiumtechnologies.com

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter | Instagram

Corporate Office:

4094 Majestic Lane Suite 360

Fairfax, VA 22033

Phone: 703-273-0383

SOURCE: Visium Technologies, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754008/Visium-Technologies-Pays-Off-Outstanding-Toxic-Convertible-Note
Riverbed, the leader in unified observability, will highlight its unique and differentiated Unified Observability portfolio at the Gartner Digital Workplace Summit on May 15-16 in London, UK. During the Summit, a keynote featuring Riverbed's long-standing customer, Unilever, will demonstrate how they are using Riverbed's Alluvio Aternity Digital Experience Management (DEM) solutions to deliver an enhanced digital employee experience (DEX) for its 127,000 employees.

At the Gartner Digital Workplace Summit, attendees, which include IT Executives and Application leaders to Digital Workplace leaders and Architects, will come together to learn how to radically change and advance an effective digital workplace strategy. By boosting workforce productivity, organisations can truly intensify the impact of technology and talent.

Riverbed will showcase and demo its highly differentiated Unified Observability strategy and portfolio, which unifies full-fidelity data, insights and actions across all IT to enhance the digital experience and improve business performance. The portfolio brings together leading DEM and NPM monitoring solutions, along with the Alluvio Unified Observability platform and services. This includes Alluvio IQ, a cloud-native, SaaS-delivered Unified Observability service that empowers IT with actionable insights to remediate problems faster and improve the digital experience. Additionally, Riverbed's Acceleration portfolio, which provides fast, agile and secure acceleration of any app, over any network, to users anywhere, will also be featured.

During the keynote, Unilever, a British multinational consumer goods company, will discuss how hybrid working is creating an inclusive, flexible environment, and why having Riverbed's technology is vital to ensuring high employee satisfaction. Attendees will learn how Unilever is partnering with Riverbed, and have deployed 100,000 Alluvio Aternity licenses to identify and resolve issues as quickly as possible including self-healing and proactive service assurance before end-users even notice. As part of their journey, the Unilever team are using powerful data-driven dashboards to: identity where the real challenges are; take on the most relevant IT change projects based on the potential impact on the business; and ensure they deliver the expected improvements to the business.

When/Where:

InterContinental London The O2

One Waterview Drive London, Greenwich Peninsula

May 15-16, 2023

Riverbed Keynote: Enhancing Unilever's People Experience Journey with Riverbed

Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Time: 1:30PM 2:00PM UK time

Presenters: Andrew Colley, Global Service Manager at Unilever and John Atkinson, Director Solutions Engineering, UKI at Riverbed Technology

For further information, please register here to attend or meet the local Riverbed team at booth #104.

About Gartner Digital Workplace Summit: Gartner analysts will provide additional analysis on digital workplace strategies and technologies at the Gartner Digital Workplace Summit taking place from 15-16 May 2023 in London, UK. Follow news and updates from the conferences on Twitter using GartnerDW.

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

About Riverbed

Riverbed is the only company with the collective richness of telemetry from network to app to end user, that illuminates and then accelerates every interaction, so organizations can deliver a seamless digital experience and drive enterprise performance. Riverbed offers two industry-leading portfolios: Alluvio by Riverbed, a differentiated Unified Observability portfolio that unifies data, insights, and actions across IT, so customers can deliver seamless, secure digital experiences; and Riverbed Acceleration, providing fast, agile, secure acceleration of any app, over any network, to users anywhere. Together with our thousands of partners, and market-leading customers globally including 95% of the FORTUNE 100 we empower every click, every digital experience. Riverbed. Empower the Experience. Learn more at riverbed.com

Riverbed, Alluvio and certain other terms used herein are trademarks of Riverbed Technology LLC. All other trademarks used herein belong to their respective owners.

Connect with Riverbed

Facebook

LinkedIn

Riverbed Blog

Riverbed Partner Blog

Riverbed Community

Twitter (@Riverbed) (@RiverbedPartner)

YouTube

SlideShare

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005145/en/

Contacts:

Helen Bainton

Riverbed Technology

+44 (0)7827 806990

helen.bainton@riverbed.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Prismo Metals Inc. (CSE: PRIZ) (OTCQB: PMOMF) ("Prismo" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the 2023 drilling campaign at its Palos Verdes Project in the Panuco mining district of Sinaloa State, Mexico has started.

The Company will complete a drill program of a minimum of 2,500-meter program to test the 65% of the strike length of the Palos Verdes vein that has not yet been drilled, along with some other veins mapped at the surface. It is believed that potential for a large ore shoot is present on Prismo's concession, similar to the drilling accomplished by Vizsla Silver Corp. (TSXV: VZLA) on their adjacent land package.

"We are excited to begin drilling along the Palos Verdes vein in areas that were not previously accessible for drilling," said Dr. Craig Gibson, President and CEO of the Company. "The upcoming drill program will begin by testing the Palos Verdes vein to the northeast of the previous intercepts, initially with shallow drilling to confirm the orientation of the vein to be followed by deeper holes. A ten to fifteen-hole program that will take two months to complete is currently underway," he stated.

The Palos Verdes property is contiguous to the Panuco silver-gold project of Vizsla Silver Corp. (TSXV: VZLA) and the Palos Verdes vein originates on Vizsla's concession to the south-west of the Palos Verdes concession and has 750 meter of strike length on Prismo's ground (Fig. 1).



Figure 1. Geologic map of the Palos Verdes and adjacent concessions.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7434/165702_a96e53b0b4e97ae1_002full.jpg

Previous drilling has intersected high grade mineralization with the best intercept of 2,336 g/t Ag and 8.42 g.t Au over a true width estimated at 0.8 meters within a larger mineralized interval with 1,098 g/t Ag and 3.75 g/t Au over a true width of 2.3 meters (see Prismo's news release dated September 30, 2020).

Figure 2. 3D plan view of drilling at Palos Verdes with existing (colored) and planned holes (gray).

Fault zone in blue.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7434/165702_a96e53b0b4e97ae1_003full.jpg

Figure 3. 3D perspective view of drilling at Palos Verdes looking NW with existing and planned holes.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7434/165702_a96e53b0b4e97ae1_004full.jpg

Dr. Craig Gibson, PhD., CPG., a Qualified Person as defined by NI-43-01 regulations and President, CEO and a director of the Company, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release.

About Palos Verdes

The Palos Verdes project is located in the historic Panuco-Copala silver-gold district in southern Sinaloa, Mexico, approximately 65 kilometers NE of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, in the Municipality of Concordia. The Palos Verdes concession (claim) covers 700 meters of strike length of the Palos Verdes vein, a member of the north-easterly trending vein family located in the eastern part of the district outside of the area of modern exploration. Shallow drilling (<100m) conducted in 2018 on the Palos Verdes Vein was targeted 30 to 50 meters beneath largely barren vein outcrops and cut a well mineralized multistage vein two to seven metres wide with narrow intervals of high-grade precious metal values and subordinate base metals (see table of intercepts at www.prismometals.com). This mineralization is open in all directions and the currently planned drilling program is designed to follow it along strike and to depth.

About Prismo

Prismo (CSE: PRIZ) is mining exploration company focused on two precious metal projects in Mexico (Palos Verdes and Los Pavitos) and a copper project in Arizona (Hot Breccia).

Please follow @PrismoMetals on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube

Prismo Metals Inc.

1100 - 1111 Melville St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3V6

Contact:

Craig Gibson, President & Chief Executive Officer craig.gibson@prismometals.com

Jason Frame, Manager of Communications jason.frame@prismometals.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement and exploration program results, the ability to complete future financings, required permitting, exploration programs and drilling, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.

The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the commodity markets generally, variations in the nature, the analytical results from surface trenching and sampling program, including diamond drilling programs, the results of IP surveying, the results of soil and till sampling program. the quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including CSE acceptance, for its planned activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, the potential impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the Company's exploration program and on the Company's general business, operations and financial condition, and other risks and uncertainties. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165702
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Founders Metals Inc. (TSXV: FDR) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the mobilization of two diamond drills to the Antino Gold Project. The equipment is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Paramaribo on May 29, 2023, and will be mobilized to the Upper Antino Camp area in early June. An in-country drill crew, with ongoing support from on-site Canadian operators, will transport, set up, and operate the drills throughout the 2023 drill campaign. The Company plans to begin drilling by late June.

Figure 1 - Drilling equipment being loaded for shipping to Suriname.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7574/165660_foundermetalsimage1.jpg

Founders Metals has shipped two Hydracore HC2000 Surface Core Drills with all the necessary equipment to commence diamond drilling at the Antino Gold Project (Figure 1). These drills can be operated in Suriname year-round and are capable of efficient core drilling to depths >1000 m. Included with the purchase are sufficient additional drilling supplies and equipment to maintain and repair the drills as needed to minimize any downtime.

"Mobilizing our drills to site is a crucial milestone in our 2023 exploration program," said Colin Padget, President, CEO, and Director of Founders Metals. "We have an experienced team and with our own equipment on site, we're confident that we can make the most out of the upcoming drill program. In addition, with fast turnaround times on analyses, we are excited to provide steady news on our progress."

The Antino Gold Project boasts several logistical advantages beneficial to drilling and other exploration work. Among these advantages are a well-established road network, on-site heavy equipment, and proximity to the town of Maripasoula. Additionally, there are local ports with barge landings available for use, as well as a commercially serviced airstrip that is over one kilometer in length. These features are illustrated in Figure 2 and offer significant support for the project's operations.

Figure 2 - Infrastructure Map - Antino Gold Project



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7574/165660_foundermetalsimage2.jpg

About Founders Metals Inc.

Founders Metals is a Canadian exploration company focused on advancing gold projects in the Guiana Shield. Its flagship project is the >20,000 ha Antino Gold Project in South America's underexplored and mining-friendly country of Suriname. Historical surface/alluvial gold mining on the property has produced over 500,000 gold ounces to date1. Historical exploration work at Antino includes, over 30,000 m of historical drilling, >35,000 auger gold-in-soil samples, property-wide aeromagnetic survey data, and a 2022 LiDAR survey, providing numerous opportunities to expand known high-grade greenstone gold mineralization and delineate new targets.

12022 Technical Report - Antino Project; Suriname, South America. K. Raffle, BSc, P.Geo & Rock Lefrancois, BSc, P.Geo.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Per: "Colin Padget"

Colin Padget

President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director

For further information, please contact:

Nick Stajduhar, Director

Telephone: +1 (780) 701-3216

Email: nicks@fdrmetals.com

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date of this news release. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether because of new information or future events, results, or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165660
Victoria, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - GoldON Resources Ltd. (TSXV: GLD) ("GoldON" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Hagarty Creek lithium property (the "Property").

Comprised of 17 mining claims covering 7,731 hectares, the Property is approximately 46 kilometres (km) southeast of the town of Longlac in the municipality of Greenstone, Ontario. Access is excellent year-round via Trans-Canada Highway 11, Ontario Highway 625, and a network of logging roads that cover the claim group.





Location of the Hagarty Creek Property within the Quetico Subprovince.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7436/165677_c2fccb1244e30acd_001full.jpg

The Property lies within the Quetico Subprovince of the Superior Province, which is known to host significant deposits of rare-element pegmatite-hosted mineralization. Lithium is a rare element, and the Georgia Lake pegmatite field, with its numerous lithium deposits and occurrences, lies within the Quetico Subprovince.

According to Ontario Geological Survey (OGS) mapping, the Property hosts an S-type peraluminous muscovite-bearing granite. These types of granites are the parental fertile rocks that fractionate rare-element pegmatite-hosted mineralization. The peraluminous granite is in contact with clastic metasediments. These are excellent hosts for rare element fractionation and volatile enrichment of pegmatite dykes. There are multiple north trending faults on the Property that provide fracture systems and pathways needed for parental melts to invade metasediments (Breaks et al., 20031).

Mapping by the OGS (Map 40f) to the northeast of the Property has identified pegmatites hosting muscovite, tourmaline, apatite, and cordierite in and around a similar geological environment as the Property. Apparently, the OGS mapping did not extend to the location of the claim group.

"A key reason we are pursuing the Hagarty Creek property is the extensive network of logging roads. They not only provide access but are also indicative of significant outcrop exposure, which is well supported by Google Earth imagery," said Mike Romanik, president of GoldON. "Access with the ability to sample the majority of the Property will enable us to determine if the project is worth committing additional resources to after our initial fieldwork."

Under the terms of the option agreement, GoldON can acquire a 100% interest in the Property for cash payments totaling $90,000 over three years ($18,000 within seven business days, $18,000 on the first anniversary, $24,000 on the second anniversary, and a final payment of $30,000 on the third anniversary); and the issuance of 300,000 common shares upon regulatory acceptance. The optionors will retain a 1.5% net smelter returns royalty, of which the Company may repurchase 0.5% for $500,000.

Mike Kilbourne, P.Geo., an independent Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release on behalf of the Company.

References:

1. Breaks, F.W., Selway, J.B. and Tindle, A.G. 2003. Fertile peraluminous granites and related rare-element mineralization in pegmatites, Superior Province, northwest and northeast Ontario: Operation Treasure Hunt; Ontario Geological Survey, Open File Report 6099, 179p.

About GoldON Resources Ltd.

GoldON is an exploration company focused on discovery-stage properties located in the prolific greenstone belts of northwestern Ontario, Canada. Our current project portfolio includes six properties in the Red Lake Mining District (McDonough, Springpole East, Pipestone Bay, Pakwash North, McInnes Lake, and West Madsen) and a seventh property in the Patricia Mining District (Slate Falls).

For additional information, please visit our website or you can download our latest investor presentation. You can also follow us on Twitter.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Signed "Michael Romanik"

Michael Romanik, President

GoldON Resources Ltd.

Direct line: (204) 724-0613

Email: info@goldonresources.com

179 - 2945 Jacklin Road, Suite 416

Victoria, BC, V9B 6J9

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or results or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165677
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Wedgemount Resources Corp. (CSE: WDGY) (OTCQB: WDGRF) ("Wedgemount" or the "Company"), announces it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement of up to 4,794,118 units (each a "Unit") at CAD$0.17 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to CAD$815,000 (the "Offering"). Each Unit is comprised of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company (each a "Common Share") and one (1) transferable Common Share purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one (1) Common Share at CAD$0.30 for two years from the date of issuance, subject to an accelerated expiry provision, whereby in the event the closing price of the Company's Common Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "Exchange") exceeds CAD$0.60 for a period of 20 consecutive trading days, at the Company's election, the period within which the Warrants are exercisable, will be reduced and the holders of the Warrants will be entitled to exercise their Warrants for a period of 30 days commencing on the day the Company provides notice, any outstanding Warrants not exercised during the 30 day period will expire. In connection with the Offering, the Company may pay finder's fees to qualified non-related parties, in accordance with the policies of the Exchange, being 7% cash commission on total proceeds raised by the finder and 7% in Warrants on total Units sold by the finder. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general working capital purposes. All securities issued under the Offering, including securities issuable on exercise thereof, will be subject to a hold period expiring 4 months and 1 day after issuance, in accordance with the rules and policies of the Exchange and applicable Canadian securities laws.

About Wedgemount Resources Corp.

Wedgemount is a junior natural resources company focused on maximizing shareholder value through the acquisition, discovery and advancement of natural resource projects in North America.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

WEDGEMOUNT RESOURCES CORP.

Mark Vanry, President and CEO

For more information, please contact the Company at:

Telephone: (604) 343-4743

info@wedgemountresources.com

www.wedgemountresources.com

Reader Advisory

This news release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements made in this news release include the proposed use of the proceeds of the Offering. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, availability of funds, personnel and other resources necessary to conduct exploration or development programs, successes of the Company's exploration efforts, availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165685
Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - ConverSolo Inc., a privately-held AI-powered language acquisition software company, is seeking to raise up to $2 million in a pre-IPO share offering to qualifying investors.

The company is offering shares to accredited investors pursuant to private issuer exemptions and resale restrictions in securities law and regulations. The company is planning an Initial Public Offering (IPO) early next year.

The founder and CEO of ConverSolo is native Montrealer, Nicholas Walker, who is also an award-winning professional linguist, college professor and software developer.

ConverSolo has developed an AI-powered app that teaches language pronunciation, one of the key factors in language acquisition. The AI-powered app is a working product and is currently in the process of being scaled up. The company says it can have a version ready for the consumer market in 12 months.

"ConverSolo can compete head-on with the other products in the market," said Nicholas Walker. "ConverSolo has more features. It teaches language pronunciation in a conversational and meaningful context."

ConverSolo Inc. has been in business for thirteen years under another name and currently provides consumers, students and teachers with on-line language learning acquisition software powered by AI-modules. This service is presently offered through two websites: virtualwritingtutor.com and labodanglais.com/EnglishLab.ca. The company also publishes and markets on-line textbooks for students and teachers.

The company says it is looking forward to its IPO.

"The great thing about an IPO is that the company's shares become available to the general public," says Mr. Walker. "Up until now these opportunities have mostly only been available to super-wealthy people located in and around San Francisco. Now, Quebecers and other Canadians will have the chance to participate in an early-stage opportunity in the AI revolution."

"This level of language learning was previously only available to CEOs and other wealthy people who had access to private tutors. Now it will be available to everyone," said Walker. "It will be a revolution in language learning."

ConverSolo's products are currently available to the consumer market to help students excel with automated evaluation and productivity tools. It currently has 58,900 memberships (free and paid), 100,000 visitors per month, and 1 million visitors per year. It has also provided 340 automated writing evaluations (International English Language Testing System, "IELTS") tasks, emails, argument essays, and literary analysis.

ConverSolo also has a grammar checker which enables autonomous learners to check their writing for common errors. The company also offers a public Application Program Interface (API) for developers to integrate the company's grammar checker into any website.

Using Conversolo's automated writing evaluations, students write complex writing tasks, such as emails to clients or pen pals, argument essays, and literary critiques. The system provides detailed feedback on students' use of grammar, discourse structure, vocabulary, cohesion, complexity, and argument strength. ConverSolo offers a Moodle plugin and public API for developers to integrate the company's essay scoring system into any website.

Students and teachers can evaluate the proficiency level of any text such as emails, essays, or narratives. The system checks the text for vocabulary profile, error profile, and error density. The company offers a public API for developers to integrate our proficiency checker into any website.

Autonomous learners preparing for the workforce or a particular field of study can check the sophistication of a text, the vocabulary profile (conversational or academic), and its field-relatedness.

Students participate in secure pen pal exchanges, create essay outlines, screencast scripts, multimedia glossaries, hypertext narratives, and virtual dialogues to get oral practice for job interviews or other interactions.

The following software has been developed over the last ten years and underlies the development of ConverSolo:

Labodanglais.com/EnglishLab.ca is an extended Moodle learning management website used by 15 teachers and 900+ students per semester with approximately 8000 active student accounts in the past three years.

"This kind of opportunity comes once in a century," said Chairman, Michael C. Judson. "Nicholas has been able to develop breakthrough apps employing his vast knowledge and expertise in pedagogy, education and his single-minded ambition to make language acquisition as simple and effective as possible. Using AI in this regard is one of his most recent advancements."

About ConverSolo:

ConverSolo Inc. is a private, Montreal-based company that has developed an AI-powered learning software that teaches users pronunciation within an oral exchange, one of the key factors in successful language acquisition. This powerful web-based software is in the process of being scaled up to address the needs of consumers and a broad range of industries that will include the development of a consumer-market website and mobile app. ConverSolo currently provides consumers, students and teachers with on-line language learning software powered by AI-modules, offered through VirtualWitingTutor.com and labodanglais.com/EnglishLab.ca. The company also publishes and markets on-line textbooks for student and teachers.

For more information on the technology please communicate with Nicholas Walker: nicholas@conversolo.com T. +1-514-690-2953

For more information on the financing opportunity please contact Robert Kramberger: robert@conversolo.com T +1-514-758-8080

Website: www.conversolo.com

Cautionary Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes", an or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would" , "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. This forward-looking information reflects the Company's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions the Company believes are reasonable. . Forward looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market price for securities; and the delay or failure to receive board, shareholder, court or regulatory approvals. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165716
China launches new cargo mission to space station

SOURCE: CASC UPDATED: 2023-05-11

China launched a new cargo mission on Wednesday night to transport supplies to its orbiting Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft, a Long March-7 Y7 rocket lifted off at 9:22 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, the agency said.

After around 10 minutes, Tianzhou-6 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded and began working. The agency declared the launch a complete success.

The cargo vessel will later conduct an automated rendezvous and docking with the station combination in orbit.

The launch of Tianzhou-6 marks the first spaceflight since China's space station entered into the application and development stage after construction was completed late last year.
blog

Amidst a flurry of international voices working to mediate the crisis in Sudan, the United States must not allow Sudanese civil society to be drowned out.

As rival security forces continue vying for power in Sudan by terrorizing its population, the prospects for an end to the crisis seem to grow more distant by the day. The "pre-negotiation talks" in Saudi Arabia hold only a tenuous promise of the most minimal steps toward easing the suffering. Most indicators point toward continued fighting, and the stream of bad news and failed ceasefires can make it seem as though an even deeper crisis is inevitable. But there are two important truths about Sudan that analysts and policymakers should keep front and center in the weeks ahead to point the way forward.

The first truth concerns responsibility for the current fighting. The United States' approach to Sudan over the past several years has faced criticism from multiple sources, most of whom decry Washington's failure to hold the generals accountable for the October 2021 coup and credulous continued engagement with them. Others point to the way the United States linked its Sudan policies so closely to those of Gulf states with no interest in support of the country's pro-democracy movement. One can agree with these arguments and desperately hope that Washington will learn from these mistakes without losing sight of the fact that Sudan's crisis today is due to the decisions of the Sudanese Armed Forces' (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces' (RSF) leadership. The blame for the death and destruction unfolding in Sudan lies with them, not the diplomats who have tried to coax them toward a transition to civilian rule, however ineffectually. An honest assessment of diplomatic policy failures cannot be permitted to muddy the waters of accountability.

It is critical that, at long last, policymakers reckon with exactly who the antagonists in Sudan's conflict really are and what the institutions they lead are all about. The SAF and RSF were both part of the system of repression and elite accommodation that the Sudanese people courageously rejected in 2018 and 2019. They shared responsibility for derailing the transitional government in 2021 and have repeatedly demonstrated that their commitments at the negotiating table are not credible. With each new report of vital infrastructure targeted and civilians assaulted as men with guns loot and commandeer their homes, the world can see how far they are willing to go to cling to power.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan U.S., Canada and Africa 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 second truth relates to the factor that differentiates Sudan from other states that have fallen into instability at the hands of power-hungry warlords. Sudan's pro-democracy movement is a marvel. It has been resolute in demanding accountable, civilian governance; prescient in their warnings about a transitional process that kept armed actors in the driver's seat; visionary in developing ideas for decentralizing power in the country; and practical in finding concrete ways to help each other amid a disorienting and destructive crisis. This has been an undervalued asset in Sudan, and while it is terribly late in the day to focus on elevating their voices, doing so is also essential to avoid worst-case scenarios.

By all means, the United States should continue urgent work aimed at achieving a ceasefire, preventing external actors from fueling the conflict, and delivering humanitarian assistance to Sudanese in need. These are challenging tasks, made even more difficult by the multiplicity of potential mediators and fora that could keep the international community busy, and in the worst case distracted from the realities on the ground, for the foreseeable future. But that crisis management agenda should not crowd out a broader strategy that aims to shrink the space for discredited armed actors and elevate the voices of Sudanese civil society in the international conversations about the way forward.
(Oslo/Dublin, 11 May 2023) Statkraft and its offshore partners Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) have welcomed today's provisional results from Ireland's first offshore wind auction in which they secured 500 MW.



The partnership participated in the Irish government's ORESS-1 (the first Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme) to win 500 MW to develop the landmark North Irish Sea Array (NISA) offshore wind project off the east coast. NISA was one of seven offshore renewable energy projects issued with a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) last December.

The project, which is earmarked for an area off the coast of counties Dublin, Louth, and Meath, will have the capacity to power approximately half a million Irish homes and businesses.

Commenting on the results, Donal O'Sullivan, VP for Development and Offshore with Statkraft Ireland, said: "Today's announcement is a significant achievement for Statkraft and CIP - and a signal that Ireland is well on its way to a future powered by clean, renewable energy. We are delighted that we can now start to focus on the next steps for bringing this sustainable energy to people's homes and businesses."

David Flood, Senior VP for Offshore Wind with Statkraft, added: "Being successful in Ireland's first offshore auction is a truly momentous event - not just for Statkraft, but for the entire country. Ireland's energy security and our collective future climate depend on the ability to harness the clean, renewable energy like the vital resource which currently remains untapped off the Irish coast. Today's positive result means that we, alongside our partners, CIP, can continue to work apace to get our offshore project, NISA, off the ground and put Ireland firmly on track to a decarbonised future."

Nischal Agarwal, Partner at CIP said: "We are very pleased with the successful outcome which is an important milestone for us and our partnership with Statkraft. The 20-year contract provides a strong basis on which to continue the development of the NISA project which will contribute towards Ireland's 2030 renewables target and unlock the potential of offshore wind in the market."

In January, Statkraft announced a partnership with CIP to develop up to 2.2 gigawatts of offshore wind off the Irish coast. The joint venture saw CIP acquire a 50% stake in Statkraft's offshore wind portfolio in Ireland.

For further information, or to request an interview, please contact:

Joanne O'Connor, Communications Manager

087 189 8660 / joanne.oconnor@statkraft.com

Jennifer Foley, Communications Advisor

087 782 9872 / jennifer.foley@statkraft.com

Notes to Editor:



About Statkraft



Statkraft is a leading company in hydropower internationally and Europe's largest generator of renewable energy. The Group produces hydropower, wind power, solar power, gas-fired power and supplies district heating. Statkraft is a global company in energy market operations. Statkraft has 5,300 employees in 21 countries.



About Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners



Founded in 2012, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S (CIP) today is the world's largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind. The funds managed by CIP focuses on investments in offshore and onshore wind, solar PV, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, storage, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X.

CIP manages ten funds and has to date raised approximately 19 billion for investments in energy and associated infrastructure from more than 140 international institutional investors. CIP has CIP has approximately 400 employees and 11 offices around the world. For more information, visit www.cip.com




ROSEMONT, IL / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / International Powder and Bulk Solids (iPBS), the largest biennial event in the Western Hemisphere for dry processing and the bulk solids handling industry, wraps the three-day show with over 4,000 guests in attendance, doubling the previous 2021 expo.

Held at the Donald E. Stevens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, the expo hosted more than 321 commercial companies on the show floor, producing an 11% increase in booths year-over-year. Top exhibiting companies at the manufacturing show included Haf, National Bulk Equipment, REMBE Inc., Komline-Sanderson, Dedert Corp., Anton Parr USA Inc., Coperion K-Tron, SWECO, Kason and Material Transfer and Storage, Inc., among others, spanning industries from thermal processing, food, pharmaceutical, metals, chemicals or personal care manufacturing.

Opening Day keynote on "Bulk Handling" hosted a filled to capacity theater full of guests ready to hear real-life examples from key players within the industry. The two-day conference held over 300 delegates and a 97% verification rate in attendance, showcasing an incredible 45% increase in conference attendance from the 2021 show.

"Seeing our event have an explosive increase in both expo and conference attendance shows the eagerness to connect and learn within the trade," says Steve Everly, Group Event Director, Informa Markets. "The dry processing and bulk solids handling sector accounts for 70% of the manufacturing lifecycle of every product on earth , making education and connection an essential part of the industry. This event stands as a networking hub year after year for trade professionals, and we are proud to provide this opportunity and showcase that manufacturing continues to grow and impact all verticals within consumers daily lives."

Trending educational topics in this year's sessions included combustible dust safety, conveying & feeding, workforce development and more. The sessions were interactive and engaging and even featured live demonstrations from the show floor, such as explosion control within the combustible dust safety track and a live trivia session providing surprising facts about material characteristics, behaviors, and more.?

65% of 2023 exhibitors have re-signed with over 50,000 nsf committed for the 2025 event. The Powder Show will return to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois in April 24 - May 2, 2025. For more information, please visit www.powderandbulkshow.com .

Launching the upcoming year, an all-new Powder Bulks Solid (PBS) conference will take place in Houston, Texas on September 10-12, 2024, aiming to provide continued annual education and networking in an additional southern region market with over two days of technical meetings.

For more information on the only powder and bulk solids conference in Texas, contact clientservices.ime@informa.com .

About Informa Markets - Engineering:

Informa Markets Engineering portfolio is the leading B2B event producer, publisher, and digital media business for the world's $3 trillion advanced, technology-based manufacturing industry. Our print and electronic products deliver trusted information to the engineering market and leverage our proprietary 1.3 million name database to connect suppliers with buyers and purchase influencers. We produce more than 50 events and conferences in a dozen countries, connecting manufacturing professionals from around the globe. The Engineering portfolio is organized by Informa Markets, a subsidiary of Informa plc (LON:INF), the world's leading exhibitions organizer that brings a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, visit www.informamarkets.com , and keep up to date with the latest Informa Markets engineering news on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

Jordan Douglas

Informa Markets Engineering

pr.ime@informa.com

SOURCE: INFORMA MARKETS - ENGINEERING

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754019/International-Powder-and-Bulk-Solids-Show-Observes-100-Increase-in-Attendance
UCB's expertise in macrocyclic peptide discovery, using its proprietary mRNA-display platform, ExtremeDiversity, will aid Ariceum's discovery of treatments for solid tumors

Ariceum's expertise in radiopharmaceuticals and labelling technology will aid UCB's discovery of treatments for immune-related diseases

Potential to expand Ariceum's pipeline with three new programs at discovery stage

BERLIN and BRUSSELS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ariceum Therapeutics (Ariceum), a private biotech company developing radiopharmaceutical products for the diagnosis and treatment of certain hard-to-treat cancers, and UCB (EURONEXT BRUSSELS: UCB), a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced an exclusive, strategic research collaboration agreement to identify and develop novel systemic targeted radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of solid tumors and immune-related diseases.

Under the terms of the research collaboration, UCB and Ariceum will utilize each other's proprietary technology platforms to enable the discovery of peptide-radioisotope conjugates as potential therapeutics for immune-related diseases and cancer. Ariceum will also gain access to UCB's expertise to discover novel synthetic macrocyclic peptides using its mRNA-display technology platform, ExtremeDiversity. UCB will benefit from Ariceum's expertise in the field of radiochemistry and labelling technology to enhance its ability to explore how this technology might lead to the discovery of highly differentiated products for immune-related diseases. Both companies will have the opportunity to explore several targets under this research collaboration.

Manfred Rudiger, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Ariceum Therapeutics, said: "We are excited about this strategic collaboration between UCB and Ariceum which aims to broaden Ariceum's pipeline with potentially several new programs at discovery stage. Through this partnership, Ariceum will have access to a unique library that will be used to screen against targets of interest for oncology for which current targeted approaches have failed, while working with UCB on enabling targeted systemic radiotherapy approaches in other areas of severe diseases."

Dhaval Patel, Chief Scientific Officer of UCB, commented: "The collaboration with Ariceum further enhances our strategic drug discovery capabilities and provides UCB with the opportunity to learn and explore the potential of this modality in our drive to continuously innovate. We look forward to working with Ariceum's scientists and are eager to leverage the technology platforms and disease expertise at each company."

About Ariceum Therapeutics

Ariceum Therapeutics (Ariceum) is a private, clinical stage radiopharmaceutical company focused on the diagnosis and precision treatment of certain neuroendocrine and other aggressive, hard-to-treat cancers. The name Ariceum is an anagram of 'Marie Curie' whose discovery of radium and polonium have been huge contributions to finding treatments for cancer.

Ariceum's lead targeted systemic radiopharmaceutical product, 177Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan ("satoreotide") is an antagonist of the somatostatin type 2 (SST2) receptor which is overexpressed in neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and some aggressive cancers such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC), all of which have few treatment options and poor prognosis. Satoreotide is being developed as a 'theranostic' pair for the combined diagnosis and targeted radionuclide treatment of these tumours.

Ariceum Therapeutics, launched in 2021, acquired all rights from Ipsen. Ipsen remains a shareholder in the Company. Ariceum is headquartered in Berlin, with operations in Germany, Australia and Switzerland and activities currently across Europe, North America and Australia.

Ariceum is led by a highly experienced management team and supported by specialist investors including EQT Life Sciences (formerly LSP), HealthCap, Pureos Bioventures, Andera Partners and Earlybird Venture Capital. For further information, please visit www.ariceum-therapeutics.com

About UCB

UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or the central nervous system. With approximately 8 700 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of  5.5 billion in 2022. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB).

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ucb-and-ariceum-therapeutics-sign-a-strategic-research-collaboration-to-discover-new-modalities-for-the-treatment-of-immune-related-diseases-and-cancer-301821049.html
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / GBX International Group, Inc., (OTC:GBXI) an emerging leader in international economic development, is pleased to confirm its 2023 projected revenue growth reports. GBXI forecasts its business combinations to fuel strong revenue growth quarter by quarter and year over year. This is simply based on releasing the wide range of completed products and services from the respective Companies acquired and its targeted industry sector. Putting these revenues on the books of GBXI is the key to significantly increased shareholder value and increased market capitalization.

The GBXI's strong 2023 revenue growth guidance is projected to be well over several million in revenues when you combine the projected revenues for each company under the new GBXI umbrella of Companies. Below you will find the itemized revenue growth guidance tables that paint a much stronger picture of the immediate and sustained revenue growth. GBXI has put itself in a very strong position to capitalize and dramatically increase its shareholder value from the last (4) four acquisitions and their respective product lines being released over the coming quarters.

GBXI will separate each acquired company product line and assign them to enrolled American States University student groups for their business acumen and experience with real world products and services. This is all centered through its newly acquired American States University Digital Business HUB student scholarship and apprenticeship programs.

1. Cannabis Science Inc. (CSi-EDP)

HARVARD Award Winning Cancer Killing Drug Development. Our Top CSi-Drug Valuation targets are ready for Pharmacokinetics and FDA IND# application:

Stage 4 Lung Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

Stage 4 Breast Cancer

Basil Cell Carcinoma (Skin Cancer

The Company has found a viable FDA drug development partner. The Company is now finalizing the terms to begin the FDA IND # process to commercialize its cancer drugs in the USA and Europe. This tremendous Success is for "Just one Cancer Drug". Most Successful drug companies have 10 - 25 drug targets or more.

The Lung Cancer Market: $15,404,467,199.85. EACH YEAR, Worldwide, $15 Billion.We have at least four or five Cancer Targets ready. Two are ready for FDA IND # packaging and launch.

Most Companies do not go into business unless they think they can attain 5-15% market share before they begin. If we ONLY attain 1% of that Market share:

*** 1% of the Worldwide market is approx., $150,000,000.00 per year.

*** 1% of the USA Market is approx., $10,000,000.00 per year.

2. Thermic Science (ENDO)

Thermic Heating paint is unique in market size $100's of Millions in revenues and multiple worldwide sustainable green energy for heating and power supply applications. History in the making. The Top Thermic market product lines are ready for distribution. Our ASU students will enjoy making History with our Renewable Green Energy Products and Applications:

Thermic Heating Paint Portable Units

Thermic Heating Paint Installation Home and Building Units

Thermic Heating Paint Various Construction Applications

Thermic Heating Fog Free Mirror and Basic Glass Applications

Thermic Portable Self-Generating Electrical Power Units

Thermic Solid-State Ceramic Renewable High-Performance Battery Units

*** Combined retail and wholesale market penetration is well into the hundreds of millions USD.

*** Thermic Science has the first four products ready for manufacturing & distribution, tested and proven.

3. TW Christian (TWCI) Formerly known as XRAYMEDIA

History has been made as the Live Negotiating Technology has been developed and fine-tuned for many years. XRAYMEDIA was the first and only Company to attain this advanced level of live real-time simultaneous negotiating technology. The status level of marketable success is proven, and its time has now come as the general public internet usage has sky rocketed since the technology was first released providing a stable strong international opportunity for advanced technology. XRAYMEDIA's initial partnership with the 4A's (AAAA) American Association of Advertising Agencies out of NYC solidifies that fact back in the early 2000's.

XRAYMEDIA

Live Negotiator

Motorsport Negotiators

Negotiate Property

iCannabinoid

Private Jets Live

(5) five versions are completed and several more key industries under rapid development for our ASU students to take part in making more History with this Avent-guard advanced negotiating technology. The revenues to be attained in this business model product line can be evidenced by direct competition in the web-based consumer and business marketplaces industry sector.

1% of each industry market share will change things quickly for GBXI. Each industry sector has $100's of Millions in revenue available for new useful technological advances. Media, Automobiles, Real Estate, and general products for real-time private and simultaneous negotiations worldwide. The Company will obtain its revenues through several business models including the regular fee for service business model, licensing, and industry vertical partnership opportunities.

4. American States University (ASU) Digital Business HUB

With multiple Schools of Excellence, the ASU University is positioned to become an Internationally recognized leader in traditional and digital hybrid mix of Prestigious Degree and Certificate Trades Programs, wrapped in an international economic entrepreneurial bevy of jobs and choices for growth for everyone enrolled. The ASU/CSi-EDP Partnership is focused on introducing one of the largest Nationwide University Scholarships Programs offered, City by City, Coast to Coast, Scholarships for education, family, and business.

With the new Digital HUB online software integration well underway, ASU, a Hybrid University offers the "big three" mix of on-line, in-class, and on-the-job training, ready to grow all ASU/CSi-EDP Partnership companies Entrepreneurial education, rapid deployments for distressed communities, focused on individuals, families and youths ranging from the affluent students programs right through to the distressed communities worldwide, aggressive integration and inclusion of growth.

ASU will provide the financial and managerial resources needed to expand those offerings rapidly' into communities of need and establish several new paradigms for instant non-traditional hybrid education, expanding across the country and Internationally as market conditions dictate.

About ASU

The University curriculum delivers hybrid foundational knowledge and real-world skills to immediately prepare you for your career. The University will provide real-time Digital Business HUB access for all its Students and Business Scholars, along with several new and existing partner companies for constant flow of jobs in various industries. The work is real as these Companies are already providing some of these services to the University and other Companies they will be listed in real-time as each job contract presents itself.

The ASU University Scholarship & Apprentice Project will cover most industries and will be an ongoing University Project of mass-scale to include all industries categorized and assembled with real-time Digital access. Covering Education, Food, Medical, Agriculture, High-Tech, Manufacturing, Real Estate, Transportation, Defense Security, Aerospace, Television & Media and so much more. Job creation, business consulting, partnership opportunities, personal enhancement education, including business and personal Scholarships.

Any Community, any Student, any Business, coupled with the aggressive Student Scholarship Apprentice Programs creates any job, or any company, for any Student, in any Industry, anyone that wants to join the Scholarship Apprentice Program.

Scholarship Apprentices: Mobilizing large work force groups, any Industry, any Contract, even Community Clean up, Construction, Security, full University Digital HUB Integration, Mass Job creation, Apprentice Scholarship Programs, and Family Assistance Programs. American States University believes that everyone should have an opportunity to learn and earn if they want too, so we do.

Forward Looking Statements

This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. A statement containing words such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "project," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based drugs and products. The Company does not undertake any duty, nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements.

Contact Information:

https://www.americanstatesuniversity.com/

American States University

GBX International Inc.

Raymond C. Dabney

President & CEO

raymond.dabney@americanstatesuniversity.com

+1.778.288.1389

SOURCE: GBX International Group, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754246/GBX-International-Group-Inc-OTCGBXI-Confirms-2023-Strong-Revenue-Growth-Guidance-Projections-by-Combining-Each-Acquired-Operating-Company-Product-Release-Expects-Strong-Growth-Sector-by-Sector-Through-its-Multiple-Product-Releases-into-North-American
CHICAGO, May 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The nuclear medicine industry is poised for significant growth in the near future, driven by the increasing incidence of cancer and chronic diseases that require advanced diagnostic and treatment options. Advancements in imaging technology, such as hybrid imaging and PET-CT scans, are also fueling demand for nuclear medicine. Additionally, there is a focus on developing radiopharmaceuticals and theragnostic that can target specific diseases and deliver treatments directly to affected areas. Despite potential challenges such as the high cost of equipment and the shortage of trained professionals, the outlook for the nuclear medicine industry is positive, and it is expected to continue to innovate and improve patient care in the coming years.





Nuclear Medicine Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $5.5 billion in 2023 and is poised to reach $9.4 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 11.3% from 2023 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The nuclear medicine market is mainly driven by factors such as rising incidence and prevalence of target disease and need for adoption of nuclear medicine for early diagnosis of diseases. However, hospital budget cuts and high equipment prices have made it difficult for a section of end users to opt for nuclear medicine are challenging the growth of this market.

Download an Illustrative overview: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=417

Browse in-depth TOC on "Nuclear Medicine Market"

449 - Tables

39 - Figures

359 - Pages

Nuclear Medicine Market Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $5.5 billion Estimated Value by 2028 $9.4 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 11.3% Market Size Available for 2021-2028 Forecast Period 2023-2028 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Type, Application, Procedure volume, End User & Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, ROW Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Use of radiopharmaceuticals in neurological applications Key Market Drivers Increasing incidence and prevalence of target conditions

The diagnostic nuclear medicine segment is expected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period.

On the basis of type, the nuclear medicine market is segmented into diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. The diagnostic nuclear medicine segment is further categorized as SPECT and PET radiopharmaceuticals, while the therapeutic nuclear medicine segment is further divided into beta emitters, alpha emitters, and brachytherapy isotopes. The diagnostic nuclear medicine segment is expected to holds the largest share of the nuclear medicine market during forecast period. The rising prevalence of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and advancements in radiotracers are some of the key factors driving the growth of this segment.

The diagnostic procedure segment is projected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period.

On the basis of procedural volume, the nuclear medicine market is segmented into diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The diagnostic procedure segment is further categorized as SPECT and PET procedures. The diagnostic procedures accounted for the largest share, in the nuclear medicine market. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the diagnostic radioisotopes finding wider demand and use as compared to therapeutic radioisotopes.

The diagnostic application segment is expected to account for the largest share of the nuclear medicine application market in 2022.

On the basis of application, the nuclear medicine market is segmented into diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The diagnostic application segment is further categorized as SPECT and PET applications, while the therapeutic nuclear medicine segment is further divided into endocrine tumors, thyroid indications, bone metastasis, lymphoma, other therapeutic applications. The diagnostic application segment is expected to account for the largest share of the nuclear medicine market. The increasing demand for SPECT diagnosis owing to the rising demand for minimally invasive surgeries and targeted radiotherapy is the major factor driving the adoption of the diagnostic application using nuclear medicine.

North America accounted for the largest share for players operating in the nuclear medicine market in 2022

On the basis of region, the nuclear medicine market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World (RoW). North America holds the largest share of the nuclear medicine market in 2022. This can be attributed to the rising surge of geriatric population, growing requirement of nuclear medicine in the early diagnosis of diseases, technology advancement for radioisotope production, government funding, and key players in this region are also impelling the nuclear medicine market in the region.

Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=417

Nuclear Medicine Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

Increasing incidence and prevalence of target conditions Development of alpha-radioimmunotherapy-based targeted cancer treatments Initiatives to reduce demand and supply gap of Mo-99

Restraints:

Short half-life of radiopharmaceuticals

Opportunities:

Use of radiopharmaceuticals in neurological applications Growth opportunities in emerging economies

Challenges:

Hospital budget cuts and high equipment costs

Key Market Players:

The nuclear medicine market is highly consolidated. Some of the major players operating in this market include GE HealthCare (US), Cardinal Health (US), Curium (France),Bayer AG (Germany), Lantheus Holdings, Inc.(US), Bracco Imaging S.p.A. (Italy), PharmaLogic Holdings Corp. (US), Eczacibasi-Monrol Nuclear Products (Turkey), NTP Radioisotopes SOC Ltd (South Africa), Nordion Inc.(Canada), Advanced Accelerator Applications (France), NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes (US), Eckert & Ziegler (Germany), Isotope JSC (Russia), Siemens Healthineers (Germany), Jubilant DraxImage,Inc. (Canada).

Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=417

Recent Developments:

In January 2023 , NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes (US) achieved a major milestone in advancing its new technology for non-uranium-based production of the critical medical radioisotope, molybdenum-99 (Mo-99).

, NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes (US) achieved a major milestone in advancing its new technology for non-uranium-based production of the critical medical radioisotope, molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). In November 2022 , Curium ( France ) announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved DaTscan (Ioflupane I 123 Injection) to assist in evaluating adult patients with suspected Parkinsonian Syndromes.

, Curium ( ) announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved DaTscan (Ioflupane I 123 Injection) to assist in evaluating adult patients with suspected Parkinsonian Syndromes. In October 2022 , Blue Earth Diagnostics (UK) signed a data-sharing agreement with Siemens Healthineers ( Germany ) and the University Hospital of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) for 18F-rhPSMA-7.3, an investigational PET imaging agent, to support AI-based algorithms development.

, Blue Earth Diagnostics (UK) signed a data-sharing agreement with Siemens Healthineers ( ) and the University Hospital of the Technical University of (TUM) for 18F-rhPSMA-7.3, an investigational PET imaging agent, to support AI-based algorithms development. In January 2021 , Advanced Accelerator Applications ( France ) signed a multi-year exclusive supply agreement for lutetium-177 with the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR). Through this agreement, MURR will supply AAA with GMP-quality lutetium-177 chloride, the precursor for developing Lutathera and other Lu-177-based therapeutics.

Nuclear Medicine Market Advantages:

Accurate diagnosis: nuclear medicine allows for highly accurate diagnosis of various diseases and conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders. This is because it enables imaging and functional assessment at a molecular level, providing more precise information about the disease.

Personalized treatment: Radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine can be customized to target specific tissues or cells, enabling personalized treatment for patients. This approach can improve treatment outcomes and reduce side effects.

Minimally invasive: nuclear medicine procedures are minimally invasive and require only small amounts of radioactive materials. This means that they are generally safer and less invasive than surgical procedures.

Early detection: nuclear medicine can detect diseases and conditions at an early stage, before symptoms appear. This can lead to earlier treatment and better outcomes.

Non-invasive: Nuclear medicine procedures are generally non-invasive, which means they do not require incisions or other invasive techniques. This can lead to faster recovery times and lower risk of complications.

Nuclear Medicine Market - Report Highlights:

The updated version of the report covers the historical market for the nuclear medicine market for the years 2021 and 2022, the estimated market for 2023, and the forecast for 2028, along with CAGR from 2023 to 2028.

UPDATED MARKET OVERVIEW:

The current edition of the report covers regulatory bodies, government agencies, and other organizations, industry trends, pricing analysis, key conferences & events, pipeline analysis, and key stakeholders & buying criteria in the market overview chapter.

ADDITION OF END USER:

The current edition of the report includes the end user chapter.

UPDATED COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE CHAPTER:

The competitive landscape chapter has been updated with the company evaluation quadrant (DIVE Matrix), company evaluation quadrant for start-ups, footprint of nuclear medicine/radiopharmaceuticals market by type, and geographical assessment of the top market players.

The competitive landscape also includes the updated strategies adopted by key players, a revenue share analysis of the top market players, as well as competitive situations and trends section.

COMPANY PROFILES:

Company profiles give a glimpse of the key players in the market with respect to business overviews, financials, product offerings, and recent developments. One additional company profile has been added (a total of 25 companies profiled).

UPDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION/PRODUCT PORTFOLIOS OF PLAYERS:

The new edition of the report provides updated financial information in the context of the nuclear medicine market until 2022 for each listed company in a graphical representation in a single diagram (instead of multiple tables). This will easily help analyze the present status of profiled companies in terms of their financial strength, key revenue-generating country/region, business segment focus in terms of the highest revenue-generating segment, and investments in R&D activities.

UPDATED MARKET DEVELOPMENTS OF PROFILED PLAYERS:

Recent developments are important to understand the market trend and growth strategies adopted by players in the global nuclear medicine market space. The current edition of this report provides updated developments of profiled players from January 2019 to March 2023, indicating a continuation of the previous version. Partnerships, collaborations, agreements, product approval & enhancements, expansions, and acquisitions have been the principal growth strategies adopted by the market players in this period.

ADDITION OF RECESSION IMPACT:

The current edition of the report consists of the impact of the recession on the nuclear medicine/radiopharmaceuticals market.

A section on the impact of the recession on all regional markets, such as North America , Asia Pacific , Europe , and Rest of the World have been included.

Related Reports:

Radiation Detection Monitoring Safety Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Surgical Robots Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Electroceuticals Market - Global Forecasts to 2026

Diagnostic Imaging Market - Global Forecasts to 2026

Nuclear Imaging Equipment Market - Global Forecasts to 2025

About MarketsandMarkets:

MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients.

The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing.

Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry.

To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Contact:

Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com

Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/radiopharmaceuticals-market.asp

Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/

Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/radiopharmaceuticals.asp

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nuclear-medicine-market-worth-9-4-billion--marketsandmarkets-301816918.html
GEA (dpa-AFX) - GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, (G1A.DE), a company manufacturing machines and plants for the food, beverages and pharmaceutical sector, on Thursday, said that it will invest around 50 million euros in its German centrifuge production facilities in Oelde (NorthRhine-Westphalia) and Niederahr (Rhineland-Palatinate) by the end of 2024. This investment will modernize the production facilities in Oelde and Niederahr. It will also enable further growth to important GES industries like food, beverages and pharmaceuticals. GEA centrifuges are used in more than 3500 different processes in a wide range of industries. 'This year, we look back with pride at 130 successful years in separation technology. With the investments announced today, we are future-proofing our sites by producing in an even more climate-friendly, efficient and modern way. As a result, we strengthen the competitiveness of both of these German sites,' commented Stefan Klebert, GEA CEO Currently the shares of GEA are trading at 40.18 euros up by 60% or 0.24 euros on the Xetra Stock exchange. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed Goldshore Resources, Inc. (OTCQB: GSHRF) ("the Company"), an emerging junior gold development company, and owns the Moss Gold Project located in Ontario. CEO of the Company, Brett Richards, joined Stock Day host Kevin Davis.

Davis began the interview by asking about the Company's background and current projects. "Goldshore Resources is a mid-tier development company," said Richards. "We are about two years old, and we own the Moss Gold Project in Ontario," he shared. "We have a large endowment of gold and other elements, and we have recently announced a brand new mineral resource estimate."

"Could you tell me more about the new mineral resource estimate and what that means for Goldshore?" asked Davis. "Over the last two years, we have raised about $60 million and we have been drilling the deposit extensively to understand the size, scale, and potential of it to become an economic deposit," said Richards. "We announced today that we have 6 million ounces of contained gold at 1.02 grams per ton at the Moss gold Project; contained in that is high-grade sheer domain, which is 3.35 million ounces at 1.84 grams per ton."

"6 million ounces is considered a very large endowment, however we actually have the potential to grow this resource extensively over the next one to two years with more drilling," continued Richards. "We have extensions along strike of where the resource is that can add to the size of this resource immensely over the next 12 to 24 months with drilling."

"We have only drilled about 10% of the targets on our land package, so we believe we have an exciting growth story beyond this project," said Richards. "We expect to encapsulate our Moss Gold Project, put a project around it, and execute a PEA," he added. "It is quite extensive."

The conversation then turned to the Company's goals and expectations for 2023. "We will commence a PEA immediately to better understand the economic outputs of what this resource means to us," said Richards, before elaborating on the Company's potential and current valuation. "We believe there is significant scale here for our stock to re-rate in the short-term," he said. "There could be extensive growth potential as the market starts to understand all of these factors."

"Why do you think Goldshore could represent such an attractive investment opportunity?" asked Davis. "We have flown under the radar and the market was simply in a different place last year," said Richards. "We are starting to see new money come back in to the market now and starting to see people look at gold projects with authority."

To close the interview, Richards elaborated on the Company's potential as an emerging junior gold development company, especially its size and scalability. He also encouraged listeners and shareholders to keep up-to-date on their current and upcoming projects as they continue to develop their Moss Gold Project.

To hear the entire interview with Brett Richards, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8299095-goldshore-resources-inc-discusses-new-mineral-resource-estimate-and-upcoming-preliminary-econom.

Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/.

About Goldshore

Goldshore is an emerging junior gold development company, and owns the Moss Gold Project located in Ontario. Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. is currently a large shareholder of Goldshore. Supported by an industry-leading management group, board of directors and advisory board, Goldshore is positioned to advance the Moss Gold Project through the next stages of exploration and development.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For More Information - Please Contact:

Brett A. Richards

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Goldshore Resources Inc.

P. +1 604 288 4416 M. +1 905 449 1500

E. brichards@goldshoreresources.com

W. www.goldshoreresources.com

Facebook: GoldShoreRes | Twitter: GoldShoreRes | LinkedIn: goldshoreres

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements relating to expectations regarding the exploration and development of the Project, the filing of a technical report supporting the MRE, commencement of a preliminary economic assessment and prefeasibility study, and other statements that are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, among others: the Company may require additional financing from time to time in order to continue its operations which may not be available when needed or on acceptable terms and conditions acceptable; compliance with extensive government regulation; domestic and foreign laws and regulations could adversely affect the Company's business and results of operations; the stock markets have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the performance of companies and these fluctuations may adversely affect the price of the Company's securities, regardless of its operating performance; the impact of COVID-19; the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine; and other risk factors outlined in the Company's public disclosure documents.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

About The "Stock Day" Podcast

Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America.

SOURCE:

Stock Day Media

StockDayMedia.Com

(602) 821-1102

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165726
The global automotive chip market is driven by factors such as increase in demand for advanced driving assistance system (ADAS), rise in demand for electric vehicles, and surge in demand for autonomous driving.

PORTLAND, Ore., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Automotive Chip Market by Product (microcontrollers, logic ICs, sensors, analog ICs, others), by Application (powertrain, body electronics, safety systems, chassis, telematics & infotainment systems), by Propulsion Type (ICE vehicles, electric vehicles): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". According to the report, the global Automotive Chip industry generated $49.8 billion in 2021, and is anticipated to generate $121.3 billion by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 9.6% from 2022 to 2031.





Download Sample of Research Report - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/11775

Prime determinants of growth

Increase in demand for ADAS, rise in demand for electric vehicles, and surge in demand for autonomous driving drive the growth of the global automotive chip market. However, complexity of design and high manufacturing costs are hampering the automotive chip market growth. On the contrary, increased focus on cybersecurity, and rise in demand for connected cars are expected to offer remunerative opportunities for expansion of the automotive chip market during the forecast period.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2031 Base Year 2021 Market Size in 2021 $49.8 billion Market Size in 2031 $121.3 billion CAGR 9.6 % No. of Pages in Report 313 Segments covered Product, Application, Propulsion Type, and Region. Drivers Increase in demand for advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) Rise in demand for electric vehicle Surge in demand for autonomous driving Opportunities Increased focus on cybersecurity Rise in demand for connected cars Restraints Complexity of design High manufacturing costs



Covid-19 Scenario

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent global lockdowns, the automotive chip market faced a downturn.

However, as the global situation started ameliorating, the demand has increased for EVs and ADAS-equipped vehicles which require chip manufacturers to increase their production capacity and invest in new technologies to meet the growing demand for advanced automotive chips.

The microcontrollers segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on product, the microcontrollers segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for nearly one-third of the global automotive chip market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Microcontrollers provides automotive chip to support the growing demand for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving technologies that helps in increasing demand in this segment. However, the sensors segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 11.3% from 2022 to 2031, as it offers automotive chip with various applications such as engine control, safety systems, and driver assistance.

Procure Complete Research Report Now - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/automotive-chip-market/purchase-options

The safety system segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on application, the safety system segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than one-fourth of the global automotive chip market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the rise in awareness of the important safety features in vehicles, as well as the implementation of new regulations and standards such as Euro NCAP and NHTSA. Moreover, the same segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 10.5% from 2022 to 2031, owing to their use in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), collision avoidance systems, electronic stability control (ESC), and airbag control systems.

The ICE vehicles segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on propulsion type, the ICE vehicles segment accounted for the largest share in 2021, contributing to around four-fifth of the global automotive chip market revenue and is estimated to rule the roost throughout the forecast period. ICE vehicles help many manufacturers investing in more efficient engines and lightweight materials to improve fuel economy. These innovations require advanced chips to control and monitor engine performance. However, the electric vehicles advertising segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 16.3% from 2022 to 2031. This is due to a rise in the governments incentives and subsidies to encourage the adoption of EVs as a part of their efforts to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.

North America to maintain its dominance by 2031

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2021, accounting for nearly one-third of the global automotive chip market revenue, owing to rise in the adoption of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and electric vehicles. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 11.4% from 2022 to 2031 and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period, owing to the increase in demand for electric and autonomous vehicles, as well as the developments in the automotive industry in this region.

Leading Market Players: -

Analog Devices, Inc.

Infineon Technologies AG

NVIDIA Corporation

NXP Semiconductors

Renesas Electronics Corporation

Robert Bosch GmbH

ROHM CO.

LTD, STMICRO Electronics

Texas Instruments Incorporated

TOSHIBA CORPORATION

Interested to Procure the Research Report? Inquire Before Buying - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/11775

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players of the global Automotive Chip market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

Similar Reports We Have on Automotive Industry:

Space Electronics Market Research Report 2023-2035

Automotive Semiconductor Market Research Report 2023-2035

Automotive Power Electronics Market Research Report 2023-2035

Semiconductor in Military and Aerospace Market Research Report 2023-2035

High-Speed Biometric and Microchip Ticketing System Market Research Report 2023-2035

About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of " Market Research Reports " and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact:

David Correa

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022

UK: +44-845-528-1300

Hong Kong: +852-301-84916

India (Pune): +91-20-66346060

Fax: +1(855)550-5975

help@alliedmarketresearch.com

Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/automotive-and-transportation

Follow Our Blog: www.theinnovativereport.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/3950895/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/automotive-chip-market-to-reach-121-3-billion-globally-by-2031-at-9-6-cagr-allied-market-research-301822173.html
The news comes weeks after Alteon swept the 2023 Product of the Year and Best of Show awards at the National Association of Broadcasters conference.

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Alteon.io , a comprehensive cloud-based platform that streamlines creative workflows for content creators of all backgrounds, is expanding into Toronto, Canada. The U.S.-based startup is looking to hire front-end and back-end engineers, project managers and QA specialists to build out their comprehensive, future-proof collaborative platform, now used around the world by thousands of freelancers, contractors, production companies and in-house brands. They will be hosting a recruitment mixer at Pauper's Pub in downtown Toronto on May 18 from 6-9 p.m.



The Alteon team at the 2023 NAB Show in Las Vegas

The announcement comes shortly after Alteon won 2023 Product of the Year and TV Tech Best of Show awards at the annual National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference in Las Vegas, the largest annual event in the domestic media and broadcast industry. Before that, buoyed by Alteon's Q1 surge in the media landscape, Alteon's parent company, Third Summit, received $2.75 million of their $4.5-million seed funding from investment group Florida Innovation Capital.

Alteon's leadership is choosing Toronto to establish its first formal presence outside of the United States, despite waves of layoffs hitting the Canadian tech sector. In 2023 to date, more than 6,600 Canadian employees have been let go by 108 companies, including homegrown giants such as Shopify, Wealthsimple, Ritual, FreshBooks, Unbounce and Hootsuite, which are now returning to leaner staffing models after artificially ballooning during the pandemic. Shielded by a business model designed to weather economic storms, Alteon sees this tech sector crater as a bullish opportunity to attract world-class talent, allowing employees to primarily work from home with regular in-person gatherings.

"We examined multiple cities and agreed Toronto is the best option given the area's strong support of business development, the high quality of workers and the city's status as a cultural capital," said Matt Cimaglia , co-founder and CEO of Alteon. "As we continue to scale up our product with an aggressive roadmap, we look forward to establishing and in the near future expanding Alteon in Canada."

In addition to hiring top tech talent, Alteon will leverage its expansion to make inroads in the cross-border creative community, helping international film and TV productions collaborate more easily and efficiently in the current era of increased remote work.

In March 2022, the City of Toronto announced its local production industry broke new records, achieving more than CAD$2.5 billion in direct spending in 2021. Significant recent industry investments have followed: Netflix launched its first Canadian office in Toronto in April 2023, and Pinewood Toronto Studios, a massive studio complex in the Port Lands district, recently began a multi-stage expansion to add 200,000 square feet of filming space. Later this year, construction is set to begin on the Basin Media Hub, a $250-million, 636,000-square-foot film hub for film, TV and digital media.

In its expansion, Alteon worked closely with Toronto Global , a team of experienced business advisors assisting global businesses looking to expand into the Toronto Region. "Toronto is a world-class city for film and TV production, employing more than 30,000 people across the region. We are so excited to see that community continue to grow rapidly," said Stephen Lund, CEO of Toronto Global. "Alteon.io understands the trends in this market and we are proud to support them in their mission of democratizing the creative industry through innovation and technology."

Cimaglia, himself a 20-year veteran of the production world, visited Toronto on April 30 as part of the 2023 Hot Docs film festival, of which Alteon was an industry partner .

About Alteon.io

Alteon.io is democratizing the media industry by creating professional-grade tools that are accessible to all. By empowering content creators of all backgrounds with a fully streamlined workflow that lets them upload, share, collaborate, review and store projects within a single platform, Alteon can cut production time from days to minutes. Alteon is a subsidiary of Third Summit. For more, visit alteon.io .

Press Contact:

Megan Linebarger

Publicist, Grithaus Agency

megan@grithaus.agency

SOURCE: Alteon.io

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754069/Alteonio-Announces-Canadian-Expansion-Bullish-on-Torontos-Tech-and-Creative-Sectors
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / World Wildlife Fund



The Jucara Palm mother tree.  WWF-Brazil / Adriano Gambarin

This time of year we celebrate mothers and all caregivers who take on the critical role of protector and nurturer. Mother figures are strong; they are resilient; and they create the conditions that allow others to grow and thrive. But this doesn't just apply to people-mothers are just as important to forests. Every forest has "mother trees": certain species of fully-grown, reproductive trees that allow forests to establish themselves, adapt to adversities and develop for the long-term.

In the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, the jucara palm tree plays that caregiver role. These trees are resilient and healthy and less impacted by pests and disease. They grow taller and faster than other species and establish the canopy that protects more sensitive trees from the hot sun or pelting rain. They produce plentiful, genetically robust seeds that have a better chance of surviving once planted. The seeds are also a critical food source for threatened wildlife species.



Unfortunately, after centuries of deforestation-only around 12% of the original Atlantic Forest exists in Brazil-and over-harvesting for their palm hearts, jucara palm mother trees are getting harder and harder to find. If we want to save the Atlantic Forest, a critical source of water for more than 145 million people (60% of Brazil's population) and home to wildlife species like jaguars, sloths, and toucans, we can't lose these mother trees.

That's why HP and World Wildlife Fund are working in collaboration with our local, on-the-ground partners, like REGUA, to reseed native jucara palm mother trees through a comprehensive forest landscape restoration effort that will help the forests and all of its diverse species thrive in the long-term. Together, we're developing a data bank of mother trees so that we can keep a record of their location and progress. The team in Brazil then goes to physically collect their seeds, nurtures the seedlings, and plants them in restoration areas.

With HP's support, since 2019, the local teams in the Atlantic Forest have planted more than 390,735 seedlings of 220 different species of plants, including the jucara palm. These mother trees will help provide protection for the other species, allowing our restoration areas to transform from planted saplings into thriving forests. And that also means more mother trees to provide seeds for the next generation of forest restoration.

Learn more about how HP and WWF are partnering to conserve nearly 1 million acres of forests, and their mother trees.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from World Wildlife Fund on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: World Wildlife Fund

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/world-wildlife-fund

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: World Wildlife Fund

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754271/Thanking-Our-Forest-Mothers
analysis

Namibian president Hage Geingob used his recent state visit to South Africa to also address a meeting of the national executive committee of the governing party, the African National Congress (ANC). This underscored the ANC's historic ties to Namibia's governing party, South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo).

According to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who also heads the ANC, the party had a "wonderful engagement" with Geingob, who posted on Facebook:

As former liberation movements, we learn from one another, a manifestation of the deep bonds of solidarity formed during our struggle against oppression.

As political scientists and sociologists, we both followed individually and jointly the performance of the two organisations since the days of the liberation struggles. We have continuously analysed and commented on trends in their governance of the countries.

In our view, the nostalgic reminiscences of the parties' days as liberation movements serve as a heroic patriotic history turned into a form of populism. Such romanticism uses the merits of the past to cover failures in the present. It also is a potential threat to the achievements of constitutionalism.

Geingob's visit came at a time when both governments under the former liberation movements, Swapo and the ANC, face an erosion of their political legitimacy. With elections in 2024 in both countries, their challenges are similar.

Both face tough choices about how best to handle the challenges when entering the election year. They have, since moving into office, disappointed expectations, not least in their failures to fight corruption. Voters in South Africa and Namibia will in 2024 pass their verdict at the ballot boxes.

How they perform will shape the future of democracy in both countries.

History with lasting bonds

South African-Namibian relations have a special history.

After the first world war, the Treaty of Versailles officially ended the war between Germany and the Allied powers. It turned the German colony South West Africa into a C-mandate of the new League of Nations. Its administration was delegated to South Africa. It effectively annexed the territory and entrenched apartheid.

This led the national liberation movement Swapo to take up arms. Recognised by the UN General Assembly as the "sole and authentic representative of the Namibian people", Swapo and the ANC, which had likewise launched an armed struggle, became close allies. Both received wide international support.

From liberation movements to governments

Under UN supervised elections in November 1989, Swapo obtained an absolute majority (58%). Independence was proclaimed on 21 March 1990. The date was chosen by the elected Constituent Assembly in recognition of the Sharpeville massacre in 1961 - when apartheid police murdered 69 unarmed black people protesting against being forced to carry identity documents controlling their movement. Released only weeks earlier from prison, Nelson Mandela attended the ceremony as the celebrated guest of honour.

Apartheid in South Africa came officially to an end through the result of the first democratic elections in 1994. Like Swapo, the ANC emerged as the majority party (62.7%). It indicated the success of the democratic settlements in both countries that Swapo and the ANC led processes leading to the drawing up of final constitutions. These embedded accepted democratic principles: free and regular elections, independent judiciaries, bills of fundamental human rights, and the separation of powers of the three branches of government.

Since then, both countries have continued to rank among the top African democracies. Regular elections were largely free and fair. Judiciaries have remained independent and have served as a check on executive power. Both parties initially increased their majorities. Crucially, however, the parliaments dominated by Swapo and the ANC have failed to hold governments to account on major issues.

Popularity in decline

Support for the ANC peaked at nearly 70% in the third democratic election in 2009, but by the 5th election in 2019, it had fallen to 57.5%. Even this was regarded as a triumph, put down to the personal popularity of its latest leader, Cyril Ramaphosa.

In the run-up to the elections in 2024, surveys predict the ANC will lose its absolute majority, and be forced to form a coalition to remain in power. It is also anticipated that it will lose its majority in several provinces. It may even lose Gauteng, the country's economic hub, and KwaZulu-Natal. It has long lost control of the Western Cape to the opposition Democratic Alliance.

In Namibia, Swapo has fared comparatively better. By 2014, it had consolidated its political dominance into a whopping 80% of votes for the National Assembly, and 86% of votes for its directly elected presidential candidate Hage Geingob. But the National Assembly and presidential elections in 2019 marked a turning point. With 65.5% the party lost its two-third majority.

For both, ANC and Swapo, the loss of control over the regional, provincial and local levels of government has turned politics into a matter of alliances, with shifting coalitions. Politics has become a negotiated commodity.

Principles are regularly traded for power, eroding the trust which citizens place in politicians and democracy. For all that they continue to dominate central government. But, their dominance is being steadily eroded by their lacklustre performance in power and failures in delivery of basic services. State capture has become a form of governance.

2024 and the limits to liberation

It is too early for any reliable predictions regarding the 2024 election results. While many assume that the ANC will lose its absolute majority, it has an uncanny ability to defy expectations. But even if it squeaks home, its credibility is likely to be further damaged. Unless he is shuffled aside by the ANC (a possibility whispered quietly in dark corners as the brightness of his image dims), Ramaphosa is likely to remain in office as South Africa's president. But he could be compelled to lead a coalition government.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Namibia Governance South Africa 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.

Swapo's electoral prospects seem less bleak, even though it is thought that the opposition will make gains. Geingob's two terms as state president ends. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah Swapo's first female candidate, might become the head of state. But in both countries, those holding office will face an uphill battle.

Numerous analyses have explored how former liberation movements in southern Africa have failed the ideals of the liberation struggle when in power, even becoming undemocratic and increasingly corrupt. They have transited from dominance to decline. In many ways, this was to be expected.

Few parties can retain power for decades without losing their popularity. Yet in southern Africa, liberation movements' loss of popularity is combined with accusations that they have betrayed the promises of freedom. They have displayed a democratic deficit. By dismissing accountability for the lack of delivery they have squandered their trust and support.

How Swapo and the ANC respond to any further decline will define the future of democracy. Opposition parties are expected to play an increasing role. But the former liberation movements might benefit from their fragmentation and dilemma. After all, opposition parties have so far offered little if any credible alternatives which promise more well-being for the ordinary people.

Henning Melber, Extraordinary Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria

Roger Southall, Professor of Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand
Amsterdam, 11 May 2023 - Brunel International N.V. (Brunel; BRNL), a global provider of flexible workforce solutions and expertise, today announced the voting results of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) of 11 May 2023.

On 11 May 2023, the AGM approved all voting items that were on the agenda.

The shareholders adopted the financial statements for the 2022 financial year and approved the proposal to distribute a dividend of  0.55 per share for the 2022 financial year. On 15 May 2023, the Brunel International share will quote ex dividend and the dividend will be made payable on 8 June 2023.

Kitty Koelemeijer was reappointed as a member of the Supervisory Board for a new term of four years.

The AGM voting results will be placed on the Company's website.

Source: Brunel International NV
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Edison International



(L-r) Edison International President and CEO Pedro Pizarro, 2023 Edison Scholar Jackie Li and Li's mother YangYan Ou.

Energized by Edison

Diane Castro ENERGIZED by Edison Writer

It was a typical morning in first period AP physics for Temple City High School senior Jackie Li until an unexpected guest speaker walked into the classroom.

Edison International President and CEO Pedro Pizarro called Li to the front of the class to surprise her with the life-changing news: "Congratulations, you're an Edison Scholar, Jackie!"

"It was unbelievable. I kept thinking, 'Is this for real? Is this really for me?'" said Li. "I don't think I can fully comprehend the scale of what this means. I need to sit down."

Li is among 30 high school seniors in Southern California Edison's service area who earned a $50,000 Edison scholarship to study science, technology, engineering or math (STEM), cybersecurity or data analytics. Edison Scholars are also eligible for a paid summer internship with SCE upon completing their first year of school.

For Li, the immediate future is to major in chemistry. Through her teachers and various science competitions, Li found a love for environmental science and how it intersects with other scientific fields such as biology, chemistry and physics.

"I grew up in rural China, where it was mainly farmland, and you can see for miles on a clear day," said Li. "However, in Los Angeles, when you look out toward the mountains, you see a layer of yellow smog and can't really see the stars. I find a drastic difference between the two environments, and I don't want L.A. to continue to be like this. I want to do something for the environment, make the world a better place and make an impact on the future."

For the first time since 2019, students received the scholarship news with in-person surprise check presentations delivered by Edison representatives during school events that included a pep rally, an open house and in-classroom visits.

"The Edison Scholars Program is all about helping students achieve their dreams. Meeting these talented students and their families is the most fun I have in my job every year," said Pizarro, who was joined in the classroom by Li's mother, grandmother, school counselors, administrators and district representatives. "It is so gratifying to help bright and motivated students pursue their passion, be successful in college and lead the transition to a clean energy future. We believe in Jackie and all the scholars and hope they come to work with us someday."

"I came to the United States as a Chinese immigrant when I was in kindergarten. Now, I am the first in my family to go to college in the U.S. It is nice to carry on the legacy," Li said.

The morning was even more significant for her mother, YangYan Ou, from the surprise announcement to watching the newly named Edison Scholar pose for photo ops with school officials. "I am very proud of her. She has worked very hard for a long time," Ou said, beaming with pride.

Li explained how the scholarship would allow her to forgo a part-time job: "This scholarship will allow me to pursue things like a paid internship in a research lab instead of just getting a job for the money."

Edison International, the parent company of SCE, is one of the largest corporate philanthropic contributors in Southern California. The Edison Scholars Program is funded entirely by Edison International shareholders.

SCE will host a reception to celebrate Li and all the 2023 Edison Scholars at the company's Rosemead headquarters on May 5. To learn more about the Edison Scholars, visit the Edison Scholar 2023 Spotlight Page.

CONTRIBUTORS

PHOTO CREDIT: ERNESTO SANCHEZ

VIDEO CREDIT: ERNESTO SANCHEZ AND ROBERTO LAZARTE

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Edison International on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Edison International

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/edison-international

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Edison International

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754273/Winning-Formula-50000-Scholarship-for-Chemistry-Major
Austin, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - The Angel Capital Association (ACA) will host "ACA 2023 - The Summit of Angel Investing" (ACA Summit) from May 16-18 in Las Vegas. The flagship angel investing event of the year will bring together angel investors from across North America to learn from industry experts and network with a diverse investor community to support better investment decisions.

During the ACA's Innovation Funders Showcase, Maxwell Biosciences (Maxwell), a preclinical drug discovery platform company, will present on their development of synthetic compounds that mimic and enhance molecules found in the innate human immune system designed to treat a broad spectrum of currently untreatable infectious diseases. The showcase provides national and international visibility to promising, innovative companies and their founders, leading to meaningful support before, during, and after the ACA Summit. Maxwell was nominated by Keiretsu Forum after being selected as a "Most Valued Company" during a recent Investor Capital Expo hosted by Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic & South-East in Atlanta, GA. Maxwell has previously received investment from many angel investors including members from 8+ different Keiretsu Forum chapters around the world.

Over 500 attendees, including angel investors and angel investor group operators, are expected at the 2023 ACA Summit. The event's 2.5-day agenda includes keynote presentations and breakout sessions on topics such as "Investing in a Down Market" and "The Best Time to Be a Life Sciences Investor is Now."

About Maxwell Biosciences: Founded in 2016, Maxwell Biosciences, a preclinical drug platform company, develops biomimetic therapeutics - synthetic compounds that imitate key components of the human immune system. Inspired by nature, these low-molecular weight compounds are created by Maxwell's exclusive first-in-class, CLAROMER brand drug platform and have been shown to be effective in destroying a broad spectrum of infectious pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi and biofilm formations, while avoiding healthy cells. Maxwell's drug candidates have been shown to be well-tolerated in human tissues in vitro and in animal studies. Maxwell's technology is protected by granted patents and is led by a world-class team of experienced life science executives. To learn more about Maxwell Biosciences, visit MaxwellBiosciences.com, or follow us on Twitter (@MaxwellBiosci) and LinkedIn.

About the Angel Capital Association: ACA is the largest angel investor professional development organization in the world, representing more than 15,000 angels who invest individually or through 250+ angel organizations, online platforms, and family offices. ACA members work alongside motivated, successful early-stage investors to identify prospective investments, conduct due diligence research, mentor and advise early-stage companies and enhance local startup ecosystems.

About Keiretsu Forum: Keiretsu Forum is a global investment community of accredited private equity investors, venture capitalists and corporate/institutional investors. Keiretsu Forum members belong to over 55 chapters around the world and invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities. Keiretsu Forum is a conglomeration of individuals or small companies organized around private equity funding for mutual benefit. Through a holistic approach, Keiretsu intends to provide the highest quality deal-flow and investment opportunities.

Contact Info: Maxie McFarland, Maxie@Maxwellbiosciences.com, 303-808-2503

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165721
TAIPEI, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, won Red Dot Design Awards in 2023 for all its major product lines. This remarkable achievement not only showcases GIGABYTE's enduring dedication to innovation and design excellence but also further reinforces the company's everlasting design legacy.





GIGABYTE is committed to creating products with innovative technology and durability, and its hardware components have received prestigious accolades. The Z790 AORUS XTREME, Z790 AORUS MASTER, Z790 AERO G, X670E AORUS XTREME, X670E AORUS MASTER, and B650 AERO G motherboards were highly praised for their exceptional performance and DIY-friendly designs that meet the requirements of the gaming enthusiasts. The latest-gen AORUS GeForce RTX 4080 16GB MASTER graphics card impresses with its upgraded WINDFORCE cooling system and the innovative bionic shark fan design for keeping the noise to a bare minimum and increasing the air pressure.

GIGABYTE has also been offering top-of-the-line consumer electronics products with exquisite craftsmanship and design aesthetics. This effort is reflected in the company's Red Dot achievement this year. All the GIGABYTE's latest gaming-focused AORUS and AERO creator laptops have received overwhelming recognition. The AORUS 17X/15X, 17/15, and AERO 16/14 OLED 2023 models fascinate with exceptional performance backed by Intel's 13th-gen processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series Laptop GPU, all in a thinner and lighter package for enhanced portability. The AERO's up to 4K+ OLED HDR panel featuring perfect color accuracy also gives a special appeal to creative professionals. Furthermore, the GIGABYTE M32U Arm Edition gaming monitor also convinces of its unique adaptability to multiple setups, easy-to-install design, and ergonomic benefits.

This year marks the fourth consecutive year that GIGABYTE motherboards and laptops have received esteemed recognition. The company remains committed to putting consumer needs at the forefront of its design thinking and will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, delivering more stunning products to the market. For more information on the award winners, please visit: https://bit.ly/GIGABYTE_Design

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2073921/GIGABYTE_Honored_with_Red_Dot_Design_Awards_Across_Diverse_Product_Lines_in_2023.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/gigabyte-honored-with-red-dot-design-awards-across-diverse-product-lines-in-2023-301820830.html
CHICAGO, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The advent of IoT in retail sector and adoption of new retail technologies to integrate online and offline shopping experiences is expected to drive the growth of the global Retail Cloud Market.





The Retail Cloud Market size is expected to grow from USD 47.0 billion in 2023 to USD 114.9 billion by 2028 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.6% during the forecast period, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The growing need for enhancing online shopping experience, increase in adoption of SaaS solutions, and surge in demand for hybrid cloud solutions with the adoption of remote working has driven the market growth.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Retail Cloud Market"

278 - Tables

58 - Figures

276 - Pages

Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=27978752

Scope of the Report

Report Metrics Details Market size available for years 2019-2028 Base year considered 2022 Forecast period 2023-2028 Forecast units Value (USD Million/Billion) Segments covered Component, Service Model, Deployment Model, Organization Size, and Region Regions covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America Companies covered AWS (US), Microsoft (US), Google (US), Oracle (US), Salesforce (US), SAP (Germany), Accenture (Ireland), Alibaba Cloud (China), IBM (US), Cisco (US), VMware (US), Fujitsu (Japan), Blue Yonder (US), Cognizant (US), Workday (US), Infor (US) and many more.

By Component, the services segment is expected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period.

The retail cloud service segment is further segmented into professional services and managed services. Retail cloud services refer to the services that cloud infrastructure providers offer to retailers to help them manage their cloud-based solutions. These services may include cloud storage, database management, application hosting, security services, and more. Retailers can use these services to ensure that their cloud-based solutions are secure, scalable, and always available to their customers. Retail cloud services typically include a range of offerings, such as software-as-a-service (SaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS), infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), and other cloud-based services that are specifically tailored to meet the needs of the retail industry.

By Organization Size, large enterprises hold the largest market size during the forecast period.

Enterprises with more than 1,000 employees are considered large enterprises. The retail industry is highly competitive, and large enterprises need to stay ahead of the curve to survive. The adoption of retail cloud solutions allows large enterprises to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer experience. Large enterprises have the resources and infrastructure to implement and manage retail cloud solutions, making it easier for them to leverage the benefits of the technology. They have a large customer base and a vast amount of data that needs to be managed efficiently, which can be achieved through retail cloud solutions.

Inquiry Before Buying @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=27978752

By Region, Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period.

The Asia Pacific region is the fastest growing region in the global Retail Cloud Market. The growth is mainly driven by the utilization of public cloud services. Public cloud services are widely used by retailers in the Asia Pacific region to enhance their operations, improve customer experiences, and drive innovation. Cloud-based marketing solutions are becoming popular among retailers in the Asia Pacific region who want to personalize their marketing efforts and reach customers across multiple channels. Cloud-based marketing providers such as Adobe and Hubspot offer tools for email marketing, social media marketing, and customer segmentation. In addition, many cloud service providers are expanding their reach by launching new data centers in the region. For instance, In 2022, Alibaba Cloud opened its data centers in Thailand, South Korea and Japan.

Top Key Companies in Retail Cloud Market:

Some of the key players operating in the Retail Cloud Market are AWS (US), Microsoft (US), Google (US), Oracle (US), Salesforce (US), SAP (Germany), Accenture (Ireland), Alibaba Cloud (China), IBM (US), and Cisco (US).

Recent Developments:

In April 2023 , AI Babtain Group, a trading business in Kuwait extended its use of Oracle Cloud by replacing its legacy applications with Oracle Retail Store Point of Service (POS) systems and Oracle Retail Customer Engagement Cloud Service to provide customers with personalized experience.

, AI Babtain Group, a trading business in extended its use of Oracle Cloud by replacing its legacy applications with Oracle Retail Store Point of Service (POS) systems and Oracle Retail Customer Engagement Cloud Service to provide customers with personalized experience. In March 2023 , Salesforce announced Einstein GPT for Commerce Cloud to offer personalized customer experience with AI.

, Salesforce announced Einstein GPT for Commerce Cloud to offer personalized customer experience with AI. In February 2023 , Google Cloud announced a collaboration with Accenture to support retailers in modernizing business, including new updates to Accenture's ai.RETAIL platform, which integrated Google Cloud's leading capabilities in data analytics, AI, and product discovery.

, Google Cloud announced a collaboration with Accenture to support retailers in modernizing business, including new updates to Accenture's ai.RETAIL platform, which integrated Google Cloud's leading capabilities in data analytics, AI, and product discovery. In January 2023 , Google Cloud announced four new and updated AI tools to offer a smoother online shopping experience to retail customers and assist retailers in inventory management in the stores.

, Google Cloud announced four new and updated AI tools to offer a smoother online shopping experience to retail customers and assist retailers in inventory management in the stores. In November 2022 , AWS launched AWS Supply Chain, a cloud application which will improve supply chain visibility and provides actionable insights and overcome risk related to supply chain risks, lower costs, and improve customer experiences.

, AWS launched AWS Supply Chain, a cloud application which will improve supply chain visibility and provides actionable insights and overcome risk related to supply chain risks, lower costs, and improve customer experiences. In August 2022 , Accenture acquired The Stable, a commerce company to help consumer companies operate and build their digital channels and drive sales across the North American region.

, Accenture acquired The Stable, a commerce company to help consumer companies operate and build their digital channels and drive sales across the North American region. In February 2022 , Best Buy, a consumer electronics retailer, partnered with AWS for cloud infrastructure services and its strategic partner for developing cloud engineering talent.

, Best Buy, a consumer electronics retailer, partnered with AWS for cloud infrastructure services and its strategic partner for developing cloud engineering talent. In February 2021 , Virgin Megastore was an international retailing chain partnered with SAP to implement SAP Commerce Cloud to provide an omni-channel experience.

Retail Cloud Market Advantages

Without a physical infrastructure, retail enterprises may quickly scale their operations up or down in response to demand. Their ability to adapt quickly to shifting market conditions is aided by this.

Retailers can access their data and apps with cloud solutions from any location, at any time, and on any device with an internet connection. Employees can now work from home, which enhances productivity and teamwork.

Retail cloud providers make significant investments in security measures to safeguard the data of their clients from online dangers. Retailers can simply backup their data with cloud computing, lowering the risk of data loss.

Cloud-based analytics tools may give merchants insightful data on consumer behaviour and preferences, which can help them improve their marketing and sales plans.

Whether customers are making purchases online, in-store, or on mobile devices, companies can offer a smooth, omnichannel shopping experience thanks to cloud technology.

Report Objectives

To define, describe, and forecast the global Retail Cloud Market based on component (solutions and services), service model (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS), deployment model (public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud), organization size, and region.

To provide detailed information about the major factors (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and industry-specific challenges) influencing the growth of the Retail Cloud Market

To analyze the market with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the overall Retail Cloud Market

To forecast the market size of main regions: North America , Europe , Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Latin America

, , (APAC), & (MEA), and To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high-growth segments of the Retail Cloud Market

To profile the key players in the Retail Cloud Market and comprehensively analyze their core competencies in each subsegment.

To track and analyze competitive developments, such as mergers and acquisitions, new product launches, and partnerships and collaborations, in the market.

Browse Adjacent Markets: Cloud Computing Market Research Reports & Consulting

Related Reports:

Cloud-based Quantum Computing Market - Global Forecast to 2028

Cloud Professional Services Market - Global Forecast to 2028

Virtual Event Platform Market - Global Forecast to 2027

Application Hosting Market - Global Forecast to 2027

Cloud Compliance Market - Global Forecast to 2027

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients.

The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing.

Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry.

To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Contact:

Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com

Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/retail-cloud-market.asp

Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/

Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/retail-cloud.asp

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/retail-cloud-market-worth-114-9-billion-by-2028---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-301822036.html
WOOD GROUP (JOHN) PLC - John Wood Group PLC - Result of AGM

John Wood Group PLC ("Company")

LEI: 549300PLYY6I10B6S323

Annual General Meeting - Voting Results

Issued share capital at meeting date: 691,839,369 Number of votes per share: 1 vote per share.

At the Annual General Meeting of John Wood Group PLC held on 11 May 2023, all resolutions put to shareholders were passed on a poll with the required majorities.

The full text of each resolution is contained in the Notice of Annual General Meeting, which is available on the Company's website www.woodplc.com/investors/annual-general-meeting

Resolutions 19 to 22 were considered and passed as Special Resolutions.

The final vote received in respect of each resolution was as follows:

Resolutions Votes For (Including Discretionary) % Votes Against % Total Votes (excluding Votes Withheld) Votes Withheld* % of Issued Share Capital Voted ** 1 Report & accounts 463,704,900 99.98% 73,563 0.02% 463,778,463 1,034,633 67.04% 2 Remuneration report 355,501,006 76.98% 106,323,283 23.02% 461,824,289 2,988,807 66.75% 3 Remuneration policy 443,012,707 95.38% 21,459,521 4.62% 464,472,228 340,868 67.14% 4 Re-elect Roy A Franklin 440,391,598 94.85% 23,933,447 5.15% 464,325,045 488,051 67.11% 5 Re-elect Birgitte Brinch Madsen 455,122,107 98.02% 9,199,249 1.98% 464,321,356 491,740 67.11% 6 Re-elect Jacqui Ferguson 454,539,591 97.89% 9,781,670 2.11% 464,321,261 491,835 67.11% 7 Re-elect Adrian Marsh 455,095,660 98.02% 9,204,825 1.98% 464,300,485 512,611 67.11% 8 Re-elect Nigel Mills 455,103,262 98.02% 9,206,707 1.98% 464,309,969 503,127 67.11% 9 Re-elect Brenda Reichelderfer 455,074,114 98.01% 9,255,303 1.99% 464,329,417 483,679 67.12% 10 Re-elect Susan Steele 455,158,827 98.02% 9,209,134 1.98% 464,367,961 445,135 67.12% 11 Re-elect David Kemp 459,994,544 99.03% 4,494,595 0.97% 464,489,139 323,957 67.14% 12 Elect Ken Gilmartin 462,578,118 99.57% 1,980,454 0.43% 464,558,572 254,524 67.15% 13 Re-appointment of KPMG LLC as auditors 462,989,490 99.69% 1,461,696 0.31% 464,451,186 361,910 67.13% 14 Authorisation of auditors' remuneration 464,299,331 99.95% 250,873 0.05% 464,550,204 262,892 67.15% 15 To authorise the Company and its subsidiaries to make political donations and incur political expenditure 445,191,630 95.84% 19,324,819 4.16% 464,516,449 296,647 67.14% 16 Authority to allot shares 458,426,016 98.68% 6,123,411 1.32% 464,549,427 263,669 67.15% 17 Wood Discretionary Share Plan 445,090,116 95.81% 19,482,592 4.19% 464,572,708 240,388 67.15% 18 Wood Employee Share Plan 463,984,443 99.86% 636,326 0.14% 464,620,769 192,327 67.16% 19 Disapply pre-emption rights 455,061,275 98.04% 9,107,469 1.96% 464,168,744 644,352 67.09% 20 Disapply pre-emption rights for acquisitions and other capital investment 454,414,926 97.87% 9,869,806 2.13% 464,284,732 528,364 67.11% 21 Authority to purchase own shares 462,526,415 99.58% 1,957,599 0.42% 464,484,014 329,082 67.14% 22 Notice of general meetings 447,251,584 96.26% 17,399,038 3.74% 464,650,622 162,474 67.16%

* A vote withheld is not a vote in law and is not counted in the calculation of the proportion of votes 'For' or 'Against' a resolution.

** Votes withheld are excluded from the percentage of issued share capital voted calculation.

While the Board is pleased that all resolutions were carried, we note that Resolution 2 regarding the Remuneration Report gained support of 76.98% in favour. The Board is committed to open and transparent dialogue with shareholders and will continue to engage with them to understand their views regarding this Resolution. In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, we will publish a further statement detailing the outcome of our shareholder engagement in relation to the above resolution, including any actions taken as a result, within six months of the 2023 Annual General Meeting.

These votes are also available on the Company's website at: www.woodplc.com/investors/annual-general-meeting

In accordance with LR 9.6.2, those resolutions passed at today's AGM which are required to be made available for inspection will shortly be available to view at: https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism .

Notification authorised by:

Martin J McIntyre

Company Secretary
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Suncor Energy



Originally published on May 5, 2023

Lana Hill, who is a trusted advisor to many young Indigenous people in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, holds her own teenage daughter closer each time the name of another missing Indigenous person is released. Joy Flett is the knowledge keeper for her close and extended relatives, but pieces of her family tree have been stolen, and she feels a heartache that is shared by countless other Indigenous families across Canada. Both women will be wearing red on May 5.

Also known as Red Dress Day, May 5 marks a day to honour, remember and create awareness and action for Missing, Murdered and Exploited Indigenous Peoples (MMEIP) in Canada. The statistics are startling -Indigenous women in Canada today are seven times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be a murder victim, and three times more likely to be violently or sexually assaulted.

Lana, originally from Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan, and Joy, from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Alberta, are part of Suncor's Indigenous and Community Relations team in Fort McMurray, Alta. They both agree that more action is needed to end the MMEIP crisis.

"Since the time of residential schools and everything leading to today, we've been stripped of our names, our languages, our hair. To be able to take back our power and voice, we need to keep speaking out against what is happening," says Joy. "There are so many Indigenous people who've gone missing or have been murdered in our own city. We need to continue to say their names. They are important to somebody. We can all play a role in ending the violence."

One of the national organizations helping to move the needle with this progress is the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC). For almost 50 years NWAC has played a lead role in advocating for the rights of Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, transgender and gender-diverse people, which includes critical advocacy on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG2S+) and reconciliation. The organization has been pressing the federal government to act since the National Inquiry issued the 231 Calls for Justice in 2019.

When reflecting on Red Dress Day, NWAC urges Canadians to consider the many aspects of colonization that continue to affect Indigenous people. NWAC's Chief Executive Officer, Lynne Groulx, believes that a critical component to reconciliation is acknowledging the past.

"We invite everyone across the country to play an active role in reconciliation through education and raising awareness, as well as learning about Indigenous knowledge systems and the impacts of colonialism and racism that face many Indigenous people," says Lynne. "We have taken urgent and significant action to increase awareness and address the 231 Calls for Justice and have been working hard to implement our own MMIWG2S+ Action Plan."

NWAC's Action Plan includes 66 concrete actions they will take to help end the MMEIP. Last year NWAC reported progress on over 85 per cent of the proposed actions. This includes the Safe Passage Platform - a national reporting tool that maps cases of MMIWG2S+ and provides information on resources and services available across the country.

Lynne also suggests reading books, listening to podcasts or participating in educational programs created by Indigenous authors and media to see the world through their lens. She also encourages people to help amplify messages and initiatives from Indigenous voices to ensure they are being heard.

On May 5 and beyond, both Lana and Joy will be found honouring and remembering - the missing, murdered and exploited Indigenous peoples - in their own way of healing and active support.

"Through my mom's experience growing up of being called a dirty Indian, to now my 15-year-old daughter who is able to stand proud and march to the beat of her own drum, we can see there has been a lot of progress for Indigenous people to feel seen and accepted," says Lana. "But we also must acknowledge the pain and trauma that is still prevalent today. We are not victims, we are survivors."

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Suncor Energy on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Suncor Energy

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/suncor-energy

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Suncor Energy

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754300/Suncor-Indigenous-Employees-Lana-and-Joy-Want-Everyone-To-Be-an-Ally-on-Red-Dress-Day-and-Beyond
Calls on the United States and European Union to Utilize Diplomatic Relations and Sanctions to Ensure Western Values are Protected.

FAIRFAX, Va., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid concerns about rampant corruption in the government, gross negligence for the rule of law, manipulation of a free-market economy and a recent slide in democracy, an independent foundation in the United States, Frontiers of Freedom, announced their concerns for the current situation in Romania and called on the international community, to include the United States and the European Union, to apply diplomatic pressure and targeted sanctions to ensure western values and interests are protected in Eastern Europe - particularly in Romania.

Frontiers of Freedom issued the criticism of the Romanian government officials as concerns grow towards potentially corrupt Romanian politicians and bureaucrats at the Autoritatea de Supraveghere Financiara (ASF) who are more than likely contributing to the destabilizing efforts by targeting Euroins Romania, a key unit of Euroins Insurance Group, the only insurance group providing critical maritime cargo for grain shipments and travel insurance for Ukrainians fleeing their country (through its two Ukrainian subsidiaries - Euroins Ukraine and Euroins Ukraine), with unjust regulatory interference. By destabilizing Euroins Ukraine, Romanian politicians and bureaucrats are making attempts to undermine the sustainable business model of Euroins, thus negatively impacting the group's business in Ukraine as well.

"While corruption is certainly a problem in many countries, it is particularly concerning in Romania due to the context of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," said George C. Landrith, President of Frontiers of Freedom. "By accepting bribes or other forms of corrupt payment from Russian entities, corrupt Romanian politicians, and bureaucrats at the ASF may be directly contributing to Putin's efforts to undermine Ukraine and destabilize the broader international community. These individuals may be using their positions to influence regulatory decisions or steer business away from Euroins in a way that is detrimental to not only the company, but the greater international business and investor community," added Landrith.

Maritime cargo insurance is a critical component of global trade, providing protection for goods in transit across the world. In the context of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, this coverage is particularly essential, as it allows Ukrainian businesses to safely ship goods abroad and maintain important trade relationships.

"Russian President Putin has made no secret of his desire to assert Russian influence over Ukraine, in any ways possible, and undermine Ukrainian businesses and individuals far beyond the borders of Ukraine," Landrith. "To address such concerns in Romania, it is critical that the Romanian government takes proactive steps to root out corruption and ensure that politicians and bureaucrats at the ASF are held accountable for any illicit activities - particularly those supporting Putin. Such measures could include strengthening the anti-corruption laws and regulations, increasing transparency and accountability at the AFS, and providing additional resources and training to law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute corruption cases," added Landrith.

Despite the critical importance of maritime cargo and travel insurance for Ukraine, the Romanian government has thus far failed to take meaningful action to address Putin's efforts to undermine these industries. It may not fully appreciate the significance of these industries. While the Biden-Harris Administration and other European governments are taking steps to support Ukraine through direct financial aid and economic sanctions against Russia, Romanian and Western governments have not focused on the critical role that insurance companies play in providing protection and support to Ukrainian businesses and individuals. By allowing Russian pressure to continue to erode these industries, the Romanian government is failing to fully support Ukraine in its efforts to resist Russian aggression.

In addition, it is important for international partners to continue working together to support Ukraine and counter Russian aggression. This could include providing financial support to Euroins and other Ukrainian insurers, engaging in diplomatic efforts to pressure Romanian regulators to cease their unfair and aggressively overreaching activities, and collaborating on intelligence and law enforcement efforts to identify and disrupt corrupt activities.

About Frontiers of Freedom

Frontiers of Freedom is a 501(C)4 nonprofit organization founded in 1995 by U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallup. The organization is an educational foundation with the mission to promote the principles of individual freedom, peace through strength, limited government, free enterprise, free markets, and traditional American values as found in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

For more information about Frontiers of Freedom's position on current events in Romania or to speak with a representative about our work around the world, please contact Frontiers of Freedom at info@ff.org.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/frontiers-of-freedom-voices-concerns-about-corruption-rule-of-law-and-a-weakening-of-democratic-values-in-romania-301822427.html
Regulatory News:

Sopra Steria Group (SOP, Euronext Paris [Compartment A] ISIN: FR0000050809) (Paris:SOP) today announced the success of its We Share 2023 employee share ownership plan, to which one in three eligible Group employees, and nearly one in two in France, subscribed.

In February, Sopra Steria announced the launch of its We Share 2023 employee share ownership plan, based on the same conditions as previous plans, given their success.

The plan comprised 200,000 shares 100,000 shares purchased by employees and 100,000 free shares granted as Sopra Steria's matching employer contribution and was oversubscribed by more than 160%. It was carried out exclusively through the transfer of existing shares.

During the presentation of the results of this plan, Sopra Steria Chairman Pierre Pasquier welcomed employee engagement: "With this plan, we want to give our employees a lasting stake in the Group's development and performance.The success of We Share 2023 once again attests to their confidence in our strategy as an independent Group."

Upon completion of this plan, investments managed on behalf of employees represented around 7% of the share capital and 8.5% of voting rights, bolstering Sopra Steria's position as one of France's leading listed companies when it comes to employee share ownership. After adding the shares held directly in registered form by current and former Group employees, these proportions amount to 10% of the share capital and 13% of voting rights, thereby making employees the Group's second-largest shareholder.

Shares subscribed under the We Share 2023 plan were delivered on 10 May 2023.

The features of this plan were detailed in a press release dated 24 February 2023.

About Sopra Steria

Sopra Steria, a European Tech leader recognised for its consulting, digital services and software development, helps its clients drive their digital transformation to obtain tangible and sustainable benefits. It provides end-to-end solutions to make large companies and organisations more competitive by combining in-depth knowledge of a wide range of business sectors and innovative technologies with a fully collaborative approach. Sopra Steria places people at the heart of everything it does and is committed to putting digital to work for its clients in order to build a positive future for all. With 50,000 employees in nearly 30 countries, the Group generated revenue of 5.1 billion in 2022.

The world is how we shape it.

Sopra Steria (SOP) is listed on Euronext Paris (Compartment A) ISIN: FR0000050809

For more information, visit us at www.soprasteria.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005396/en/

Contacts:

Investor Relations

Olivier Psaume

olivier.psaume@soprasteria.com

+33 (0)1 40 67 68 16

Press Relations

Caroline Simon (Image 7)

caroline.simon@image7.fr

+33 (0)1 53 70 74 65
Cell-Easy SAS ("Cell-Easy"), a rapidly growing Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization ("CDMO") that specializes in cell therapy, has appointed Dr. Sebastien Ribault, PhD, to its board of directors, to further accelerate its growth.

Cell-Easy is a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with a strong foothold in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) manufacturing services for immune cells (T, NK cells) and adult stem cells (MSCs, iPSCs). Since 2020, the company keeps expanding into genetically modified cells such as CAR-T and CAR-NK, while also broadening its service offerings of development and analytical services. To further accelerate its expansion plans and drive leadership in the immune cell therapy market, Cell-Easy is pleased to announce the appointment of Sebastien Ribault, PhD, to its board of directors.

Sebastien brings nearly three decades of executive leadership in the CDMO and biotechnology industries, including successful experience in end-to-end CDMO expansion. He began his career in the biotech field, at the gene specialist biotech Transgene, before moving to the instrumentation and CDMO industry. Most recently, Sebastien was Vice President Head of Biologics and Viral Vector CDMO at Merck Life Science, where he demonstrated expertise in rapidly growing business units. Currently, Sebastien is the Chief Commercial Officer at Oxford Biomedica, a leading viral vector specialist, which is notably used in the generation of CAR-T and CAR-NK cell products.

Guillaume Costecalde, Co-Founder and President of Cell-Easy, said, "As we continue to scale our organization to meet the growing demand from clients, we are excited to welcome Sebastien to the team. With his proven track record in leading rapidly expanding CDMOs, he will provide strategic guidance to help Cell-Easy achieve market-leading status."

Sebastien Ribault added, "I am delighted to join Cell-Easy's Board of Directors at this exciting time for the company. Cell-Easy has already built an amazing team and successfully delivered on its core business in record time. I am excited to contribute to the company's journey as it continues to expand its services in cell therapy CDMO, with a focus on genetically modified cells and analytical services, building on its strong foundation and industry-leading expertise."

With its focus on expanding its range of services and its experienced leadership team, Cell-Easy is well-positioned to continue its growth and success as a trusted partner for biotech and pharma companies looking to develop and manufacture innovative cell therapies.

About Cell-Easy

Cell-Easy takes pride in its proficiency in GMP manufacturing coupled with robust quality assurance and regulatory support to ensure successful process completion. Cell-Easy provides a range of services, in the manufacturing of qualified cell therapy products (T-cells, NK-cells, MSCs, iPSCs) and genetically modified cells (Car-T, CAR-NK) along with a broadened service catalogue of development and analytical services. Its relatively small team size enables it to adapt to the specific needs and preferences of clients.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005389/en/

Contacts:

Media and Investor Contacts:

Emercell, Dr. Patrick Henno, President, patrick.henno@emercell.com, (+33)-6-14-77-39-21

Cell-Easy, Dr. Guillaume Lay, Business Development, Guillaume.lay@cell-easy.com, (+33)-6 15 18 13 13
Sudanese refugees shelter under a tree in a village 5 kilometres across the border in neighbouring Chad

Heavy air attacks and clashes were witnessed in several major Sudanese cities, as the UN warned more people will go hungry amid a prolonged conflict.

Fighting in Sudan raged in the capital Khartoum on Wednesday, with battles between the Sudanese Army and rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) also taking place in nearby Omdurman and Bahri.

The army led by Abdel-Fattah Burhan has been using air strikes since Tuesday to weed out the RSF from these three cities. The RSF, led by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has pressed on with its counterinsurgency against the government.

According to the US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, over 750 people have died from the violence in Sudan, with more than 5,000 people also having been injured.

Reports of tribal fighting amid dire hunger warnings

The Sudanese Medical Committee reported fighting in Kosti, located about 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of the capital.

Sudanese local media reports said Wednesday that 25 people have died in southern Sudan amid tribal clashes. It's unclear whether that violence is connected to the conflict between the Army and RSF.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned Wednesday that a prolonged conflict may result in millions more going hungry in Sudan. The WFP said "an additional 2-2.5 million people in Sudan" are expected to go hungry in the next months amid rising food insecurity.

WFP executive director Cindy McCain said the delivery of aid to Sudan has been difficult, with WFP offices being looted and nearly 25% of WFP food being stolen.

Could talks in Jeddah bear fruit?

Meanwhile, political talks between the two sides continued in Saudi Arabia, with the US saying it is "cautiously optimistic" that a temporary humanitarian truce would be reached.

"Our goal for these talks has been very narrowly focused first on securing agreement on a declaration of humanitarian principles and then getting a cease-fire that is long enough to faciliate the steady delivery of badly needed services," State Department official Victoria Nuland told lawmakers in the US Senate.

The talks in the Saudi port city of Jeddah are the first since fighting first broke out in Sudan on April 15. The crisis in Sudan poses major risks for other countries in the Sahel region, such as neighboring Chad.

(Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)
Approval of all resolutions put forward by the Board of Directors, including the unconsolidated and consolidated financial statements for the year 2022

Ratification of the co-option of Mattias Perjos as an independent director

The short- and medium-term outlooks are confirmed

Regulatory News:

The Combined General Shareholders' Meeting of EUROAPI (Paris:EAPI) was held on May 11, 2023 in Paris, under the chairwomanship of Viviane Monges, and was attended by all directors. All resolutions put forth to a vote were adopted by the shareholders.

The General Meeting approved the unconsolidated and consolidated financial statements for the year 2022, the ratification of the co-option of Mattias Perjos as an independent director and all the compensation arrangements of the corporate officers. Following the General Meeting, the Board of Directors is comprised of thirteen members, of whom seven are independent members and two are Directors representing the employees. The Board of Directors remains comprised of a large majority of Independent Directors.

The General Meeting was an opportunity to confirm both the short- and medium-term outlooks and present several recent events, including:

The announcement of the resumption of all prostaglandin production in Budapest in mid-April as planned

An overview of the new R&D organization with the creation of five technology platforms

An update on the continuation of the API Solutions business excellence strategy with the acquisition of approximately 20 customers since the beginning of the year and expansion of the API portfolio through the creation of an intermediate product portfolio

An update on continued commercial progress in the CDMO business with 46 requests for proposals received in the first quarter, and the signing of several projects, including:

- a contract with Noveal in the field of cosmetics; and

- a partnership with a French biotechnology company: SQY Therapeutics for an antisense oligonucleotide to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare genetic disease.

The voting results and the videocast of the Annual General Meeting are available on:

https://www.euroapi.com/en/investors/regulatory-information/annual-general-meetings

About EUROAPI

EUROAPI is focused on reinventing active ingredient solutions to sustainably meet customers' and patients' needs around the world. We are a leading player in active pharmaceutical ingredients with approximately 200 products in our portfolio, offering a large span of technologies, while developing innovative molecules through our Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) activities.

Taking action for health by enabling access to essential therapies inspires our 3,450 people every day. With strong research and development capabilities and six manufacturing sites all located in Europe, EUROAPI ensures API manufacturing of the highest quality to supply customers in more than 80 countries. EUROAPI is listed on Euronext Paris; ISIN: FR0014008VX5; ticker: EAPI). Find out more at www.euroapi.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release is forward looking and not historical data. These forward-looking statements are based on opinions, projections and current assumptions including, but not limited to, assumptions concerning the Group's current and future strategy, financial and non-financial future results and the environment in which the Group operates, as well as events, operations, future services or product development and potential. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans" and similar expressions. Forward looking statements and information do not constitute guarantees of future performances, and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, a large number of which are difficult to predict and generally outside the control of the Group, which could cause actual results, performances or achievements, or the results of the sector or other events, to differ materially from those described or suggested by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those that are indicated and detailed in Chapter 3 "Risk factors" of the Universal Registration Document approved by the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des marches financiers, AMF) on April 14, 2023, under number R.23-009 and the Amendment to Universal Registration Document approved by the AMF on April 25, 2023 under number R.23-015. These forward-looking statements are given only as of the date of this press release and the Group expressly declines any obligation or commitment to publish updates or corrections of the forward-looking statements included in this press release in order to reflect any change affecting the forecasts or events, conditions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005495/en/

Contacts:

Media Relations Contact:

Laurence Bollack

Mob.: +33 (0)6 81 86 80 19

mr@euroapi.com

Investor Relations Contact:

Sophie Palliez-Capian

Mob.: +33 (0)6 87 89 33 51

ir@euroapi.com
11 May 2023

Rightmove plc

Share buy-back programme

Rightmove plc - Transaction in own shares

Rightmove plc ("Rightmove"), announces that today it purchased 90,000 of its 0.1p ordinary shares at a volume weighted average price paid per share of 566.577p. The highest price paid per share was 570.400p and the lowest price paid per share was 564.400p. Rightmove purchased these shares through UBS AG London Branch.

The number of shares purchased represented 0.0110% of the voting rights attributable to the total ordinary shares in issue prior to such purchase. The purchased shares will be cancelled.

Since announcing a share buy-back programme on 28 December 2007, Rightmove has purchased in aggregate 487,636,932 ordinary shares.

The total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) following this announcement is 819,365,914. Rightmove holds 12,051,234 shares in treasury.

In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as amended by The Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the "UK MAR"), the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by UBS AG London Branch on behalf of the Company as part of the buyback programme.

-Ends-

Contact: Michelle Palmer, Assistant Company Secretary

CompanySecretary@rightmove.co.uk

Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions
Paris, Amsterdam, May 11, 2023

Press Release

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield SE: Results of the Annual General Meeting of May 11, 2023

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield SE's Annual General Meeting, held today at Palais des Congres de Paris, under the chairmanship of Mr Leon Bressler, Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

The General Meeting approved all the resolutions (more than 90%) and in particular:

approved the statutory and consolidated accounts for fiscal year 2022, as well as the decision not to pay a dividend for this financial year, in line with the Group's deleveraging strategy announced in 2021;

approved the renewal of the terms of office of Ms Susana Gallardo, Mr Roderick Munsters and Mr Xavier Niel as members of the Supervisory Board;

appointed Mr Jacques Richier and Ms Sara Lucas as members of the Supervisory Board;

appointed KPMG S.A as Statutory Auditor and renewed the term of office of Deloitte & Associes as Statutory Auditor;

approved all the resolutions related to the remuneration of the Management Board and the Supervisory Board (2023 remuneration policy, 2022 remuneration report, the remuneration due related to 2022, as well as the total remuneration envelope of the members of the Supervisory Board).





The Supervisory Board, which met after the General Meeting, appointed Mr Jacques Richier as Chairman of the Supervisory Board and member of the Audit Committee, and appointed Ms Sara Lucas as a member of the Audit Committee. Ms Susana Gallardo, Mr Roderick Munsters and Mr Xavier Niel were reappointed as members of the Governance, Nomination and Remuneration Committee, with Mr Roderick Munsters continuing as Chairman of the Committee.

The presentation made during the General Meeting, the detailed voting results per resolution, and the answers to all written questions sent by shareholders are available on the Company website). The webcast of the General Meeting will also be made available on the website.

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations

Alex Estruch

VP, Chief of Staff to the CEO

+1 424 303 1948

Alex.Estruch@urw.com

Media Relations

UK/Global :

Cornelia Schnepf - Finelk

+44 7387 108 998

Cornelia.Schnepf@finelk.eu

France :

Sonia Fellmann - PLEAD

+33 6 27 84 91 30

Sonia.Fellmann@plead.fr

United States :

Molly Morse - Kekst CNC

+ 1 212 521 4826

Molly.Morse@kekstcnc.com

About Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is an owner, developer and operator of sustainable, high-quality real estate assets in the most dynamic cities in Europe and the United States.

The Group operates 78 shopping centres in 12 countries, including 43 which carry the iconic Westfield brand. These centres attract over 900 million visits annually and provide a unique platform for retailers and brands to connect with consumers. URW also has a portfolio of high-quality offices, 10 convention and exhibition venues in Paris, and a 3 Bn development pipeline of mainly mixed-use assets. Currently, its 52 Bn portfolio is 87% in retail, 6% in offices, 5% in convention and exhibition venues, and 2% in services (as at December 31, 2022).

URW is a committed partner to major cities on urban regeneration projects, through both mixed-use development and the retrofitting of buildings to industry-leading sustainability standards. These commitments are enhanced by the Group's Better Places 2030 agenda, which strives to make a positive environmental, social and economic impact on the cities and communities where URW operates.

URW's stapled shares are listed on Euronext Paris (Ticker: URW), with a secondary listing in Australia through Chess Depositary Interests. The Group benefits from a BBB+ rating from Standard & Poor's and from a Baa2 rating from Moody's.

For more information, please visit www.urw.com

Attachment
NAPERVILLE, Ill., May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Track Group, Inc. (OTCQX: TRCK), a global leader in offender tracking and monitoring services, today announced financial results for its fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2023 ("Q2 FY23"). In Q2 FY23, the Company posted (i) total revenue of $8.3 Million ("M"), a decrease of approximately 12% over total revenue of $9.5M for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 ("Q2 FY22"); (ii) Q2 FY23 operating loss of ($0.9M) compared to Q2 FY22 operating income of $0.0M; and (iii) net loss attributable to common shareholders of ($1.5M) in Q2 FY23 compared to a net income attributable to common shareholders of $0.5M in Q2 FY22.



"While we celebrated a number of new contracts in Q2, the quarter ended March 31, 2023, was challenging as some of our larger programs, which increased use during the pandemic, have returned to pre-covid utilization rates. In addition to being re-awarded two (2) key long-term incumbent accounts, we were awarded eight (8) new contracts in Q2, among them a new statewide program estimated at $1.6M in annual revenue. We anticipate that the Company will grow both revenue and operating income for the remainder of FY23 and are seeing such growth so far in the month of April 2023. Lastly, the Company worked closely with its largest debtholder to renegotiate the terms of an amended facility agreement on April 26, 2023, extending the maturation date to July 2027, amidst a difficult banking environment," said Derek Cassell, Track Group's CEO.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Total Q2 FY23 revenue of $8.3M was down 12% compared to Q2 FY22 revenue of $9.5M. Revenue for the six months ended March 31, 2023 ("6M FY23") of $17.2M was also down approximately 10% compared to revenue of $19.1M for the six months ended March 31, 2022 ("6M FY22"). The drop in revenue was caused by less activity at customers in Illinois, California, Bahamas, Canada and decreases in revenue for customers in Saudi Arabia, partially offset by increases in monitoring revenue for customers in Nevada and Panama.

Gross profit of $3.7M in Q2 FY23 was down approximately 18% compared to Q2 FY22 gross profit of $4.5M. Gross profit for the 6M FY23 was $7.9M compared to gross profit of $9.3M for 6M FY22, due to a decline in revenue of approximately $1.9M and higher device repair and server costs partially offset by lower depreciation and amortization expense and reduced monitoring center costs.

An operating loss in Q2 FY23 of ($0.9M) compared to operating income of $0.0M in Q2 FY22. An operating loss for the 6M FY23 of ($1.0M) compared to operating income of $0.6M in 6M FY22. The decline of approximately $1.6M in operating income for 6M FY23 is attributable to the decline in gross profit and an increase of approximately 2% in operating expenses.

Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 FY23 was $0.5M, compared to $1.7M for Q2 FY22. Adjusted EBITDA for 6M FY23 was $1.7M compared to the Adjusted EBITDA for 6M FY22 of $3.9M, a decrease of $2.2M due to the drop in revenue, gross profit and the increase in certain operating expenses. Adjusted EBITDA in for 6M FY23 as a percentage of revenue declined to 10.1%, compared to 20.6% for 6M FY22 for the same reasons.

Cash balance was $4.0M for Q2 FY23, compared to $5.3M at September 30, 2022. The decrease in cash was due to an increase in net cash provided by operating activities of approximately $2.1M offset by purchases of monitoring equipment and the repayment of debts.

Net loss attributable to common shareholders in Q2 FY23 was ($1.5M) compared to net income attributable to shareholders of $0.5M in Q2 FY22. Net loss attributable to common shareholders for the 6M FY23 was ($1.4M), compared to net income of $0.1M for the 6M FY22 a change principally attributable to a decline in operating income, offset by higher currency exchange gains, lower net interest expense and a reduction in tax expense.

Business Outlook

Now that the 3G swap out in the U.S. is complete, Track Group remains confident that our continued focus on account retention and growth in both existing and net new customers will generate results in the second half of calendar 2023. As a result, the Company's revised outlook for FY23 is as follows:

Actual Revised Outlook FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 Revenue: $ 39.7M $ 37.0M $ 35-36M Adjusted EBITDA Margin: 25.9 % 18.0 % 17-19%

About Track Group, Inc.

Track Group designs, manufactures, and markets location tracking devices; as well as develops and sells a variety of related software, services, and accessories, networking solutions, and monitoring applications. The Company's products and services are designed to empower professionals in security, law enforcement, corrections, and rehabilitation organizations worldwide with single-sourced offender management solutions that integrate reliable intervention technologies to support re-socialization and monitoring initiatives.

The Company currently trades under the ticker symbol "TRCK" on the OTCQX exchange. For more information, visit www.trackgrp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "if", "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to Track Group, Inc., and subsidiaries ("Track Group") are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and reflect Track Group's current beliefs and expectations with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties and subject to change at any time. Track Group may from time-to-time update these publicly announced projections, but it is not obligated to do so. Any projections of future results of operations should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur. These projections are subject to change and could differ materially from final reported results. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see "Risk Factors" in Track Group's annual report on Form 10-K, its quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and its other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. New risks emerge from time to time. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they are made.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This release includes financial measures defined as "non-GAAP financial measures" by the Securities and Exchange Commission including non-GAAP EBITDA. These measures may be different from non- GAAP financial measures used by other companies. The presentation of this financial information, which is not prepared under any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles, is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures are based on the financial figures for the respective period.

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA excludes items included but not limited to interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, impairment charges, gains and losses, currency effects, one-time charges or benefits that are not indicative of operations, charges to consolidate, integrate or consider recently acquired businesses, costs of closing facilities, stock based or other non-cash compensation or other stated cash and non-cash charges (the "Adjustments").

The Company believes the non-GAAP measures provide useful information to both management and investors when factoring in the Adjustments. Specific disclosure regarding the Company's financial results, including management's analysis of results from operations and financial condition, are contained in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors are encouraged to carefully read and consider such disclosure and analysis contained in the Company's Form 10-K and other reports, including the risk factors contained in such Form 10-K.

TRACK GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited) March 31, September 30, 2023 2022 Assets Current assets: Cash $ 4,014,530 $ 5,311,104 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $197,748 and $102,570, respectively 5,490,432 6,236,555 Prepaid expense and deposits 509,431 769,006 Inventory, net of reserves of $0 and $0, respectively 991,754 1,053,245 Other current assets - 284,426 Total current assets 11,006,147 13,654,336 Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $1,893,809 and $1,829,588, respectively 147,391 170,329 Monitoring equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $6,400,702 and $5,950,639, respectively 5,703,446 3,624,101 Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $16,141,503 and $14,804,269, respectively 14,889,905 15,661,417 Goodwill 8,032,723 8,061,002 Other assets 3,056,248 3,509,655 Total assets $ 42,835,860 $ 44,680,840 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 2,218,609 $ 2,858,915 Accrued liabilities 3,013,254 3,042,443 Current portion of long-term debt 545,865 456,681 Total current liabilities 5,777,728 6,358,039 Long-term debt, net of current portion 42,873,560 42,979,243 Long-term liabilities 329,133 398,285 Total liabilities 48,980,421 49,735,567 Commitments and contingencies (Note 23) Stockholders' equity (deficit): Common stock, $0.0001 par value: 30,000,000 shares authorized; 11,863,758 and 11,863,758 shares outstanding, respectively 1,186 1,186 Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value: 20,000,000 shares authorized; 0 shares outstanding - - Series A Convertible Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value: 1,200,000 shares authorized; 0 shares outstanding - - Paid in capital 302,550,802 302,437,593 Accumulated deficit (307,667,763 ) (306,218,889 ) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,028,786 ) (1,274,617 ) Total equity (deficit) (6,144,561 ) (5,054,727 ) Total liabilities and stockholders' equity (deficit) $ 42,835,860 $ 44,680,840





TRACK GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/(LOSS)

(UNAUDITED)

Three Months Ended Six Months Ended March 31, March 31, March 31, March 31, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Revenue: Monitoring and other related services $ 8,179,025 $ 8,842,486 $ 16,468,807 $ 18,312,215 Product sales and other 129,021 641,633 694,930 767,560 Total revenue 8,308,046 9,484,119 17,163,737 19,079,775 Cost of revenue: Monitoring, products and other related services 3,721,527 4,152,219 7,623,521 8,083,797 Depreciation and amortization included in cost of revenue 843,714 792,915 1,616,733 1,656,764 Total cost of revenue 4,565,241 4,945,134 9,240,254 9,740,561 Gross profit 3,742,805 4,538,985 7,923,483 9,339,214 Operating expense: General & administrative 2,869,799 2,770,657 5,624,320 5,269,016 Selling & marketing 768,871 720,709 1,498,341 1,418,581 Research & development 706,772 625,477 1,296,577 1,216,329 Depreciation & amortization 247,574 414,771 495,283 831,572 Total operating expense 4,593,016 4,531,614 8,914,521 8,735,498 Operating income (loss) (850,211 ) 7,371 (991,038 ) 603,716 Other income (expense): Interest expense, net (400,976 ) (458,176 ) (820,526 ) (939,736 ) Currency exchange rate gain 71,792 396,369 554,943 290,091 Other income, net - 633,471 - 633,471 Total other income (expense) (329,184 ) 571,664 (265,583 ) (16,174 ) Income (loss) before income tax (1,179,395 ) 579,035 (1,256,621 ) 587,542 Income tax expense 305,863 126,794 192,253 440,623 Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders (1,485,258 ) 452,241 (1,448,874 ) 146,919 Foreign currency translation adjustments 93,585 20,085 245,831 (2,773 ) Comprehensive income (loss) $ (1,391,673 ) $ 472,326 $ (1,203,043 ) $ 144,146 Net income (loss) per share - basic: Net income (loss) per share $ (0.13 ) $ 0.04 $ (0.12 ) $ 0.01 Weighted average shares outstanding 11,863,758 11,541,452 11,863,758 11,533,296 Net income (loss) per share - diluted: Net income (loss) per share $ (0.13 ) $ 0.04 $ (0.12 ) $ 0.01 Weighted average shares outstanding 11,863,758 11,955,969 11,863,758 11,961,407





TRACK GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NON-GAAP ADJUSTED EBITDA MARCH 31 (UNAUDITED)

(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

Three Months Ended

March 31, Six Months Ended

March 31, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders $ (1,485 ) $ 452 $ (1,449 ) $ 147 Interest expense, net 401 458 821 940 Depreciation and amortization 1,091 1,207 2,112 2,488 Income tax expense (1) 306 127 192 441 Board compensation and stock-based compensation 101 75 238 150 Currency exchange rate gain (72 ) (396 ) (555 ) (290 ) Gain on forgiveness of accrued vendor expenses - (633 ) - (633 ) Other charges, net (2) 204 453 369 692 Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA $ 546 $ 1,743 $ 1,728 $ 3,935 Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA, percent of revenue 6.6 % 18.4 % 10.1 % 20.6 % Non-GAAP earnings per share - Basic Weighted average common shares outstanding 11,863,758 11,541,452 11,863,758 11,533,296 Non-GAAP earnings per share $ 0.05 $ 0.15 $ 0.15 $ 0.34 Non-GAAP earnings per share - Diluted Weighted average common shares outstanding 11,863,758 11,955,969 11,863,758 11,961,407 Non-GAAP earnings per share $ 0.05 $ 0.15 $ 0.15 $ 0.33

(1 ) Currently, the Company has significant U.S. tax loss carryforwards that may be used to offset future taxable income, subject to IRS limitations. However, the Company is still subject to certain state, commonwealth, and other foreign based taxes. (2 ) Other charges may include gains or losses and non-recurring accrual adjustments.





Peter Poli

Chief Financial Officer

peter.poli@trackgrp.com




Abbott

New efforts focus on research infrastructure, continued training of diverse clinical research personnel and improved diversity within Abbott's own clinical trials

Abbott's Diversity in Clinical Trials initiative aligns with the company's continued focus for greater health equity, expanded access, affordability and removing barriers to life-saving technology and innovation

The new programs build on a successful first year of the multi-million-dollar corporate initiative

ABBOTT PARK, IL / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Abbott (NYSE:ABT) today announced a series of new programs within its multi-million-dollar initiative to increase diversity in clinical trials and improve care among under-represented populations. The new additions to Abbott's Diversity in Clinical Trials initiative build on the partnerships, scholarships, and the focus on diversified participants in the company's own clinical trials during the initiative's first year.

The latest programs include the launch of a new initiative with the Norton Healthcare Foundation to build and implement new models of sustainable clinical research alongside the Institute for Health Equity, a Part of Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Ky.; a new training program for clinical research coordinators in partnership with Barnett International; and a newly-created Diversity in Research Office at Abbott focused on ensuring diverse representation in clinical trials.

"Clinical trials drive new, innovative tools to fight diseases, and overcoming barriers to access to clinical trials for under-represented communities is critical to improving health equity," said Andrea Wainer, executive vice president, Rapid and Molecular Diagnostics, and co-executive sponsor for the company's Diversity in Clinical Trials steering committee alongside Lisa Earnhardt, executive vice president of Medical Devices at Abbott. "Abbott has been focused on breaking down barriers and implementing new, sustainable partnerships and programs to drive even more diversity in our clinical trials and to ensure trials are offered in more places to reach underserved areas."

Improving Access Through New Clinical Research Models

Through a new five-year commitment, Abbott will work alongside the Institute for Health Equity at Norton Healthcare to build research program models that can be implemented by historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and clinics serving under-represented communities so they don't need to design and develop their own research programs from the ground up, which can be expensive and resource intensive.

Within the program, Abbott and Norton Healthcare will provide a roadmap of best practices to help community-based clinics create clinical trial research centers of excellence. The initiative will also provide grants to support the hiring and training of research coordinators and data managers and help guide the launch of research programs. Alongside building sustainable research programs, the effort aims to increase the number of trial sites that can reach underserved populations to reduce barriers to clinical trials.

The first pilot project stemming from the new grant will work to better connect more people from underrepresented communities to clinical trials. The first project will develop a new research center in Louisville, Ky., focused on helping more African American patients access clinical trial opportunities. The project will specifically support patients in historically redlined areas of Louisville. "Redlining" is a discriminatory practice of withholding services from neighborhoods with significant numbers of racial and ethnic minorities and low-income residents. As a result, those communities have had reduced access to health services, including clinical research opportunities.

"As we focus on improving access to innovative health care options for patients who have been historically under-represented in clinical research, developing new models for research centers that can be implemented within rural or urban community clinics can have a profound impact on improving access to clinical trials for these patients," said Kelly McCants, M.D., a heart failure cardiologist and executive director of the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Advanced Heart Failure & Recovery Program, who will help launch one of the pilot programs.

Expanding the Pool of Diverse Clinical Research Coordinators

Clinical research coordinators within healthcare clinics, doctor's offices and hospitals are essential to the success of clinical trials. They are key to improving the diversity of clinical trials because they serve as a central point of contact for patients, their families and the investigating physician leading the clinical trial. Through a partnership with Barnett International, Abbott is providing a comprehensive education program to support the training of new coordinators who are from diverse backgrounds and who will work with under-represented communities.

Upon completion of this course, participants will have a strong foundation in essential core areas of conducting clinical research. This includes training on study execution, the patient consent process, Good Clinical Practice guidelines, source documentation requirements and other regulatory required procedures. Offering training to clinical research coordinators with diverse backgrounds will address another key barrier for potential study participants.

New Diversity in Research Office within Abbott

Alongside new external partnerships and programs, the company has established a Diversity in Research Office to further Abbott's focus on driving diversity in the company's clinical trials and improving access to care among under-represented populations.

The new Diversity in Research Office will be led by Jennifer Jones-McMeans, Ph.D., divisional vice president of global clinical affairs for Abbott's vascular business, and Aparna Ahuja, M.D., divisional vice president for medical, clinical, and scientific affairs, Infectious Disease, for Abbott's rapid diagnostics business. The office will be responsible for ensuring that research efforts include diversity plans, key performance goals and foster collaboration across Abbott, the industry and regulatory bodies.

"Ensuring that clinical trials are as diverse as the people a product intends to serve is critically important in providing the best health care, so we're developing programs to address as many barriers as possible," said Jones-McMeans. "At Abbott, we've implemented programs that will increase the diversity of trials, including assessing how we conduct our own trials to make sure that we're doing all we can do to increase diversity in our clinical trials by increasing participation from under-served and under-represented populations."

Building Sustainable Change

Abbott's Diversity in Clinical Trials initiative aligns with the company's continued focus for greater health equity, expanded access, affordability and removing barriers to life-saving technology and innovation.

In the first year of the program, Abbott established a Diversity in Clinical Trials Medical Advisory Board comprised of external experts, an internal steering committee and has focused on increasing diversity enrollment in the company's own clinical trials. Through $5 million in grants, the company also sponsored more than 300 scholarships at the four HBCU medical schools and the National Black Nurses Association and National Association of Hispanic Nurses to support future leaders of clinical research.

To learn more about Abbott's Diversity in Research Initiative, visit https://www.abbott.com/diversity-in-clinical-trials.html.

Innovating for Greater Access and Equity in Health

Abbott's work to drive diversity in medical research is one example of the company innovating for greater access and affordability in health, the key priority of Abbott's 2030 Sustainability Plan. Abbott's ongoing commitment to address health equity challenges also includes targeted programs to create opportunities in STEM for women and underrepresented groups, build a more diverse healthcare supply chain and empower communities to break down social and economic barriers to better health.

About Abbott:

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews.

SOURCE Abbott

For further information: Abbott Media: Justin Paquette (651) 756-6293, Alicia Swanson (669) 210-7204, Abbott Financial: Mike Comilla (224) 668-1872

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Abbott on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Abbott

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/abbott

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Abbott

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754309/Abbott-Announces-New-Partnerships-and-Programs-To-Advance-Its-Diversity-in-Clinical-Trials-Initiative
Poster presentation will highlight durable, long-term responses in relapsed/refractory DLBCL patients treated with ZYNLONTA

ADC Therapeutics SA (NYSE: ADCT) today announced updated results from LOTIS-2, the pivotal Phase 2 clinical trial of ZYNLONTA (loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl) in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), have been accepted for presentation at the European Hematology Association 2023 Hybrid Congress (EHA2023), which will be held in Frankfurt, Germany from June 8-11, 2023.

"We are encouraged by the latest developments from our pivotal LOTIS-2 trial, which further validate the long-term disease control of ZYNLONTA in heavily pretreated patients with DLBCL," said Mohamed Zaki, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of ADC Therapeutics. "ZYNLONTA has substantial single-agent antitumor activity and produces durable responses with an acceptable safety profile. We look forward to sharing our new data with the hematology community at EHA2023."

Details of ADC Therapeutics' poster presentation are as follows:

Long-Term Responses with Loncastuximab Tesirine: Updated Results From LOTIS-2, the Pivotal Phase 2 Study In Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Session: Aggressive Non-Hodgkin lymphoma Clinical

Session Date and Time: Friday, June 9, 2023, 18:00 19:00 CEST // 12:00 pm 1:00 pm EDT

Location: Poster area

Location Time: Poster area opens at 9:00 am CEST

Presenting Author: Paolo F. Caimi, MD, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA

Abstract Code: P1132

About ZYNLONTA (loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl)

ZYNLONTA is a CD19-directed antibody drug conjugate (ADC). Once bound to a CD19-expressing cell, ZYNLONTA is internalized by the cell, where enzymes release a pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) payload. The potent payload binds to DNA minor groove with little distortion, remaining less visible to DNA repair mechanisms. This ultimately results in cell cycle arrest and tumor cell death.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ZYNLONTA (loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory (r/r) large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy, including DLBCL not otherwise specified, DLBCL arising from low-grade lymphoma and also high-grade B-cell lymphoma. The trial included a broad spectrum of heavily pre-treated patients (median three prior lines of therapy) with difficult-to-treat disease, including patients who did not respond to first-line therapy, patients refractory to all prior lines of therapy, patients with double/triple hit genetics and patients who had stem cell transplant and CAR-T therapy prior to their treatment with ZYNLONTA. This indication is approved by the FDA under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial. Please see full prescribing information including important safety information about ZYNLONTA at www.ZYNLONTA.com.

ZYNLONTA is also being evaluated as a therapeutic option in combination studies in other B-cell malignancies and earlier lines of therapy.

About ADC Therapeutics

ADC Therapeutics (NYSE: ADCT) is a commercial-stage global leader and pioneer in the field of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). The Company is advancing its proprietary ADC technology to transform the treatment paradigm for patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.

ADC Therapeutics' CD19-directed ADC ZYNLONTA (loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl) received accelerated approval by the FDA and conditional approval from the European Commission for the treatment of relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy. ZYNLONTA is also in development in combination with other agents and in earlier lines of therapy. In addition to ZYNLONTA, ADC Therapeutics has multiple ADCs in ongoing clinical and preclinical development.

ADC Therapeutics is based in Lausanne (Biopole), Switzerland and has operations in London, the San Francisco Bay Area and New Jersey. For more information, please visit https://adctherapeutics.com/ and follow the Company on Twitter and LinkedIn.

ZYNLONTA is a registered trademark of ADC Therapeutics SA.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those described. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the benefits, if any, of the updated clinical data from the LOTIS-2 study of ZYNLONTA to be presented at EHA 2023; the success of the Company's updated corporate strategy including operating efficiencies, capital deployment and portfolio prioritization; the Company's ability to achieve the 2023 net product sales guidance for ZYNLONTA and the decrease in total operating expenses for 2023 and 2024, the expected cash runway into the middle of 2025, the effectiveness of the new commercial go-to-market strategy and the Company's ability to continue to commercialize ZYNLONTA in the United States and future revenue from the same; Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (Sobi) ability to successfully commercialize ZYNLONTA in the European Economic Area and market acceptance, adequate reimbursement coverage, and future revenue from the same; our strategic partners', including Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation and Overland Pharmaceuticals, ability to obtain regulatory approval for ZYNLONTA in foreign jurisdictions, and the timing and amount of future revenue and payments to us from such partnerships; the Company's ability to market its products in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; the Company's expectations regarding the impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; the timing and results of the Company's or its partners' research projects or clinical trials including LOTIS 5, 7 and 9, ADCT 901, 601 and 602, the timing and outcome of regulatory submissions and actions by the FDA or other regulatory agencies with respect to the Company's products or product candidates; projected revenue and expenses; the Company's indebtedness, including Healthcare Royalty Management and Blue Owl and Oaktree facilities, and the restrictions imposed on the Company's activities by such indebtedness, the ability to repay such indebtedness and the significant cash required to service such indebtedness; the Company's ability to obtain financial and other resources for its research, development, clinical, and commercial activities and other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, and involve predictions. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, achievements or prospects to be materially different from any future results, performance, achievements or prospects expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. In some cases you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "would", "expect", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "seem", "seek", "future", "continue", or "appear" or the negative of these terms or similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements is contained in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F and in the Company's other periodic reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this document. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005589/en/

Contacts:

Investors

Eugenia Litz

ADC Therapeutics

Eugenia.Litz@adctherapeutics.com

+44 7879 627205



Amanda Loshbaugh

ADC Therapeutics

amanda.loshbaugh@adctherapeutics.com

+1 917-288-7023



Media

Mary Ann Ondish

ADC Therapeutics

maryann.ondish@adctherapeutics.com

+1 914-552-4625
Regulatory News:

MotorK Plc (AMS: MTRK) ("MotorK" or the "Company") held its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") today.

MotorK's shareholders duly passed all the resolutions proposed, including the adoption of the Company's 2022 financial statements and the reappointment of Mrs. Laurel Bowden as a director of the Company. Each of the resolutions put to the AGM was voted on by way of a poll. Resolutions 1 to 8 (inclusive) were passed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions 9 to 12 (inclusive) were passed as special resolutions.

The text of all the resolutions is contained in the Company's Notice of Annual General Meeting dated 18 April 2023, which is available for inspection on the Company's website at www.motork.io.

The results of the polls (incorporating the proxy votes lodged in advance of the meeting) taken on the resolutions have today been uploaded to the Company's website at www.motork.io.

Important information

This press release contains information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014).

ABOUT MOTORK PLC

MotorK (AMS: MTRK) is a leading software as a service ("SaaS") provider for the automotive retail industry in the EMEA region, with over 400 employees and eleven offices in eight countries (Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, the UK and Israel). MotorK empowers car manufacturers and dealers to improve their customer experience through a broad suite of fully integrated digital products and services. MotorK provides its customers with an innovative combination of digital solutions, SaaS cloud products and the largest R&D department in the automotive digital sales and marketing industry in Europe. MotorK is a company registered in England and Wales. Registered office: 5th Floor One New Change, London, England, EC4M 9AF Company Registration: 9259000. For more information: www.motork.io or www.investors.motork.io.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005724/en/

Contacts:

MotorK Investor Relations

Etienne Jacquet

etienne.jacquet@motork.io

+33 6 22 18 39 09
NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As per Facts and Factors study, the global pet supplement market size was worth around USD 1.91 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around USD 3.12 billion by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 5.91% between 2023 and 2030.





Report Link with All Related Graphs & Charts: https://www.fnfresearch.com/pet-supplement-market

Pet Supplement Market: Overview

The industry works with the production, storage, and distribution of vitamins, nutritional supplements, and other products that can be critical to the health and growth of pets including birds, dogs, cats, and other types of domesticated animals. The products are heavily researched and undergo quality checks before they become available in the commercial market. The end goal of the products or supplements is to ensure animal well-being and encourage healthy growth during their lifetime.

Some supplements have generic applications while some may target specific concerns like digestive issues, joint pain, and skin-related problems. The industry is showing tremendous growth in the coming years but may also struggle with challenges and restraints due to several factors.

Get a Free Sample Report with All Related Graphs & Charts (with COVID 19 Impact Analysis): https://www.fnfresearch.com/sample/pet-supplement-market

Key Insights:

As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the global pet supplement market is estimated to grow annually at a CAGR of around 5.91% over the forecast period (2022-2030)

In terms of revenue, the global pet supplement market size was valued at around USD 1.91 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 3.12 billion , by 2030.

in 2022 and is projected to reach , by 2030. The market is projected to grow at a significant rate due to the growing pet ownership rate

Based on application segmentation, hip & joint was predicted to show maximum market share in the year 2022

Based on form segmentation, chewable were the leading form in 2022

On the basis of region, North America was the leading revenue generator in 2022

Facts and Factors published the latest report titled "Pet Supplement Market Size, Share, Growth Analysis Report By From (Powders, Pill & Tablets, Chewables, and Others), By Pet Type (Cats, Dogs, and Others), By Application (Digestive Health, Skin & Coat, Hip & Joint, and Others), and By Region - Global and Regional Industry Insights, Overview, Comprehensive Analysis, Trends, Statistical Research, Market Intelligence, Historical Data, and Forecast 2023 - 2030" into their research database.

Industry Dynamics:

Global Pet Supplement Market: Growth Drivers

The growing rate of pet ownership propels market demand.

The global pet supplement market is projected to grow owing to the increasing rate of pet adoption observed across the globe. There are several reasons, including personal choices and medical factors, that are causing a rise in the number of people opting for pets. For instance, an increasing number of people choose to not have biological children voluntarily and instead adopt pets in addition to couples of individuals who, for medical reasons, are unable to biologically produce. Furthermore, there are certain medical issues in which patients are recommended to be accompanied by pets like dogs at all times. These animals are companion pets and play a crucial role in a patient's physical and mental safety. With the rise in the number of pet owners, the demand for associated supplements is growing at a rapid rate since owners are willing to spend extra money on their pet's well-being and safety.

Global Pet Supplement Market: Restraints

Restricted research to act as a major restraint.

Although the research community is growing, there is a significant lack of resources invested in the research and development of existing or new pet supplements. This issue, most concretely, exists in the global industry where there is limited research on understanding the implications of supplement consumption in pets over a period of time.

Some of the most commonly occurring side effects due to supplement consumption include allergic reactions, overdose, and digestive concerns. Some of them may be more serious than others. However, it is one of the major growth restrictions in the industry.

Directly Purchase a Copy of the Report @ https://www.fnfresearch.com/buynow/su/pet-supplement-market

Pet Supplement Market: Opportunities

Innovation to open more doors for expansion.

One of the key opportunities is that the market players can invest in innovation and development in the industry. Currently, there is a significant lack of product innovation in the global pet supplement market. With the changing lifestyle and eating patterns of pets, their medical issues are bound to change over the years. More resources need to be invested in understanding the largely unexplored segment of pet health leading to higher development for supplements that target specific concerns with no side effects.

Pet Supplement Market: Challenges

Distribution of expired or illegal supplements acts as a major challenge for the players.

One of the most significant challenges faced that largely affects the sales volume in the industry is the sales and distribution of illegal or illicit pet supplements along with the presence of suppliers that are responsible for the circulation of expired medicines in the market. Such supplements can severely impact the health of the pets and due to the absence of regulatory measures in place that ensure such activities are stopped, the number of illegal suppliers has increased over the years.

Global Pet Supplement Market: Segmentation

The global pet supplement market is segmented based on form, pet type, application, and region.

Based on form, the global market segments are powders, pills & tablets, chewable, and others.

Although the preference depends on various factors, the largest contributor in the segment was the chewable form of supplements

This was followed by pills & tablets, and powders

The popularity of chewable is owing to the ease of administration in terms of intake along with the convenience they offer to pet owners

Pills & tablets generally have specific applications and are used to target certain health conditions

Powders are used by pet owners that require to add supplements to pet food products

A recent report by Animal Medicines, Australia , suggested that on average, Australians spend a total of AUD 12 billion on pet supplements every year

Based on pet type, the global market divisions are cats, dogs, and others.

Based on application, the global market is divided into digestive health, skin & coat, hip & joint, and others.

Currently, the industry is led by the hip & joint segment owing to the increasing population of older pets

These medicines are used in pets who suffer from physical liability owing to age or other concerns

Digestive health is another major leading segment whereas skin & coat supplements are used in cases related to skin concerns and shredding, which is very common in pets like dogs and cats

The food intake of an adult dog is generally between 2 to 3% of its body weight

Get More Insight before Buying@: https://www.fnfresearch.com/inquiry/pet-supplement-market

List of Key Players in Pet Supplement Market:

Church & Dwight Co. Inc.

Bayer Animal Health

Merck Animal Health

Ceva Sante Animale

Kemin Industries

Hill's Pet Nutrition

Dechra Pharmaceuticals

Mars Petcare Inc.

NutriScience Innovations LLC

Nestle Purina PetCare

PetIQ Inc.

Nutramax Laboratories

Virbac Group

Nutri-Pet Research Inc.

PetLife Pharmaceuticals Inc.

PetMed Express Inc.

PetAg Inc.

Key questions answered in this report:

What are the growth rate forecast and market size for Pet Supplement Market?

What are the key driving factors propelling the Pet Supplement Market forward?

What are the most important companies in the Pet Supplement Market Industry?

What segments does the Pet Supplement Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Pet Supplement Market sample report and company profiles?

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2021 USD 1.91 Billion Revenue forecast in 2030 USD 3.12 Billion Growth Rate CAGR of almost 5.91% 2023-2030 Base Year 2022 Historic Years 2016 - 2021 Forecast Years 2023-2030 Segments Covered By From, Pet Type, Application, and Region Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2028 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Companies Covered Church & Dwight Co. Inc., Bayer Animal Health, Merck Animal Health, Ceva Sante Animale, Kemin Industries, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Dechra Pharmaceuticals, Mars Petcare Inc., NutriScience Innovations LLC, Nestle Purina PetCare, PetIQ Inc., Nutramax Laboratories, Virbac Group, Nutri-Pet Research Inc., PetLife Pharmaceuticals Inc., PetMed Express Inc., PetAg Inc., and others. Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail of customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.fnfresearch.com/customization/pet-supplement-market

Free Brochure: https://www.fnfresearch.com/ask-to-analyst/pet-supplement-market

Regional Dominance:

North America to register the highest growth.

North America to lead with the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The US and Canada are expected to lead the regional market owing to the rising rate of pet adoption along with the financial capabilities of the regional population to care for pets as compared to various developing or under-developed nations. Furthermore, the high awareness rate about the availability of pet supplements and their benefits along with growing investment toward developing a better infrastructure for pet care could lead to higher revenue.

Europe is another important market for the industry as the pet adoption rate is growing steadily with France and Germany as potential contributors. Asia-Pacific may emerge as a lucrative market due to rising urbanization leading to a higher number of people adopting pets along with a significant number of players from the pharmaceutical sector entering the pet care market.

Global Pet Supplement Market is segmented as follows:

Pet Supplement Market: By From Outlook (2023-2030)

Powders

Pill & Tablets

Chewables

Others

Pet Supplement Market: By Pet Type Outlook (2023-2030)

Cats

Dogs

Others

Pet Supplement Market: By Application Outlook (2023-2030)

Digestive Health

Skin & Coat

Hip & Joint

Others

Pet Supplement Market: By Region Outlook (2023-2030)

North America

The U.S.

Canada

Europe

France

The UK

Spain

Germany

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Southeast Asia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Press Release: https://www.fnfresearch.com/news/global-pet-supplement-market

Browse Other Related Research Reports from Facts and Factors

Enzyme Label Analyzer Market : According to the report published by Facts & Factors, the global enzyme label analyzer market size was worth around USD 2.32 billion in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around USD 3.96 billion by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 7.90% between 2022 and 2028.

According to the report published by Facts & Factors, the global enzyme label analyzer market size was worth around in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 7.90% between 2022 and 2028. Functional Food Market : According to the report published by Facts Factors, the global functional food market size was worth around USD 233,620.2 million in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around USD 418,440 million by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 8.79% between 2022 and 2028.

According to the report published by Facts Factors, the global functional food market size was worth around in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 8.79% between 2022 and 2028. Tapioca Pearls Market : According to the report published by Facts Factors, the global tapioca pearls market size was worth around USD 5.21 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around USD 8 billion by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 1.9% between 2023 and 2030.

According to the report published by Facts Factors, the global tapioca pearls market size was worth around in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 1.9% between 2023 and 2030. Food Pathogen Testing Market : According to Facts and Factors, the global food pathogen testing market size was worth around USD 4.51 billion in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around USD 9.1 billion by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 8% between 2022 and 2028.

According to Facts and Factors, the global food pathogen testing market size was worth around in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 8% between 2022 and 2028. All-in-One Cooking Food Processors Market: According to Facts and Factors, the global all-in-one cooking food processors market size was worth around USD 1987.88 million in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around USD 3068.89 million by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 6.4% between 2022 and 2028.

Browse through Facts and Factors's coverage of the Global Food & Beverages Industry

Follow Us on: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook

About Us

Facts and Factors is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting-edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, and company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the client's needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to us-after all-if you do well, a little of the light shines on us.

Contact Us:

Facts and Factors

Tel: +1 347 690-0211

USA/Canada Toll-Free No. +44 2032 894158

Email: sales@fnfresearch.com

Website: https://www.fnfresearch.com/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1981423/FnF_Research_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/insights-on-global-pet-supplement-market-size--share-to-surpass-usd-3-12-billion-by-2030--exhibit-a-cagr-of-5-91--pet-supplement-industry-trends-demand-value-analysis--forecast-report-by-facts--factors-301822533.html


President Director of PLN, Darmawan Prasodjo (middle) inspecting the electrical support

for the ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara.

JAKARTA, May 12, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - PT PLN (Persero) shows its readiness to support the 42nd ASEAN Summit on 9th-11th of May 2023 in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). This commitment is conveyed by President Director of PLN, Darmawan Prasodjo during his speech in electricity standby rally with the Governor of NTT, Viktor Laiskodat at the Flores Gas Engine Power Plant (PLTMG), Rangko, East Nusa Tenggara, Sunday (7/5)."The electricity for ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo will be supplied by Flores System with the capacity of 105.38 megawatts (MW) and the estimated peak load during the event is 89.93 MW, so the power reserve is very sufficient," said Darmawan.PLN also made extensive preparations to safeguard the electricity provisions at prioriy locations. A total of 70 Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), 35 mobile substations, 31 generators, and 93 operational vehicles have been deployed to ensure the consistency of supply throughout the Summit."Behind all that, we have also deployed more than 600 highly qualified field officers," said Darmawan. PLN also ensured the readiness of supporting infrastructure such as Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (SPKLU) to support the needs of 282 units of delegation and security electric vehicles, as well as 89 units of operational vehicles."PLN ensures that the availability of SPKLU is sufficient to meet the needs of electric vehicles during the ASEAN Summit. There are 7 Ultra-Fast Charging SPKLU units at the West Manggarai Regent's Office, 1 Fast-Charging SPKLU unit in Ujung Village, and 100 Home-Charging spread across seven strategic locations," said Darmawan.Darmawan also explained that the strengthening of the electricity system that PLN had prepared in Labuan Bajo was more than usual. Starting from the addition of power reserves to the interconnection system."As one of the Super Priority Tourism Destinations, Labuan Bajo is one of our focused area, so we are preparing the infrastructure from now on. In the future, we are optimistic that there will be more international events here and Labuan Bajo will become a favorite destination for all visitors who have contributed to drive economic growth in NTT and even for national growth," said Darmawan.He also explained that the preparation of electricity infrastructure in NTT was also carried out more quickly. "Last year, preparation for the G20 Summit took almost a year, PLN successfully supported this international. Now, preparation for the ASEAN Summit are faster, only two months. Not because we are chasing targets, but because PLN's electricity system is better organized," Darmawan explained.Governor of NTT, Viktor Laiskodat, appreciated PLN's steps in ensuring electricity supply for the ASEAN Summit."I give respect to PLN's support for the ASEAN Summit in NTT. PLN is so well-prepared that I can sleep more soundly when I come home from this meeting, Previously, international events were always in Jakarta or Bali, now NTT is ready to host," Viktor explained.He also hopes that the collaboration between PLN and the Government of NTT can take place in a sustainable manner. "Energy is not a commodity, energy is infrastructure. If there is energy anywhere, economic growth will be there. This province will be one of the richest provinces in Indonesia in the next 15-20 years. Because if renewable energy becomes a guide for future energy, then NTT is one of the NRE reservoirs," said Viktor.Viktor also said that the ASEAN Summit was a momentum for NTT to rise the regional economic growth. "Thank you for the dedication PLN has given to this republic, nation and country. Let's make the 42nd ASEAN Summit a success, may God always be with us all," said Viktor.About PLNPT PLN (Persero) is a state-owned electricity company that continues to be committed and innovative in carrying out a mission to illuminate and move the nation. With a vision to become the leading electricity company in Southeast Asia, PLN is moving towards becoming the number one choice for energy solutions. PLN is committed to transformation with aspirations of being Green, Lean, Innovative, and Customer Focused to provide electricity for a better life. PLN can be contacted through the PLN Mobile application available on the PlayStore or AppStore. https://web.pln.co.id/Contact:Gregorius Adi TriantoExecutive Vice President, Corporate Communications & CSR, PLNTel. +62 21 7261122Source: PT. Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero) [IDX: PLN]Source: PT PLN (Persero)Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
The India edition of Lenovo's global Work For Humankind initiative commemorates the International Year of Millets, aiming to improve the accessibility and productivity of millet farmers in Kanthalloor, Kerala

Kanthalloor, a pristine location, is home to 13 tribal wards that have traditionally farmed millet for generations.

Using Lenovo technology, volunteers, local students, and influencers will collaborate to make a lasting positive impact in a currently underserved community whilst working remotely.

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Following the global success of Lenovo's Work For Humankind initiative, Lenovo announces the launch of its India edition of Work For Humankind, which will use Lenovo's smarter technology to revive millet cultivation in the scenic village of Kanthalloor, Kerala. In partnership with Dream India Network and local student volunteers, Lenovo employees will make a long-lasting positive impact on the millet farming community while working remotely from Kanthalloor.

Work For Humankind's location, Kanthalloor, is a village surrounded by the Western Ghats mountains. It's a location under constant cover of mist and evergreen forest, and a fertile agricultural paradise. Historically, over 18 varieties of millet were grown in this region, but today it has dwindled to just two types.1 The farmers of this village have given up on traditional millet cultivation due to factors such as climate change and a lack of formal market access.2 Only one tribal community, isolated deep within the protected forests, continues to grow millet for self-consumption. To revive millet farming practices in this secluded community, Lenovo's smarter technology will play a pivotal role in improving accessibility, increasing awareness around the benefits of millet farming, and enhancing local farming knowledge and best practices. Market linkages are essential to transforming the millet food system into a profitable and sustainable model that supports rural livelihoods. Building digital inclusion for local farmers is the first step in this direction.

Lenovo employees, student volunteers, agriculture experts, and influencers with diverse skill sets will be chosen to participate in this initiative, supporting the local community in millet cultivation while continuing to work their regular day jobs remotely from Kanthalloor. The project will tap into Lenovo's broad portfolio from devices such as ThinkPad, Yoga, motorola edge, and tablets to solutions and services like Lenovo's CO2 Offset Service and cloud solutions. Lenovo is setting up the 'Lenovo Digital Centre for Kanthalloor Millets' at IHRD College Kanthalloor, the first centre of its kind for the millet farming community. The centre will be powered by Lenovo's broad portfolio of cutting-edge devices, services, and solutions. The aim of the Digital Centre, is to become a hub that provides famers with access to critical information and best practices on millet farming, help Work For Humankind volunteers gather data and analyze the impact of implemented solutions, develops early adopters in millet production, and builds awareness for market linkages. Lenovo volunteers will be working to provide digital access to information on government programs and millet cultivation methods to key stakeholders within the local community. This intervention will work towards improving the technological access of the community at large, addressing the overarching challenge of the 'digital divide' in the region.

The United Nations declared 2023 as the 'International Year of Millets', and subsequently the national and global millet value chain has seen significant increases in productivity and momentum. However, several marginalized farmers who run smaller, independent operations in pockets across India have not been able to leverage the benefits. Reasons being: lack of awareness, lack of skill sets, limited market linkages, and inaccessibility to the latest agri-tech.3 These barriers have led to inefficient production and little to no profitability. To bridge this gap, Lenovo employees and student volunteers will collaborate with partners to run an in-depth analysis of the local millet food system and prototype a model to help farmers cultivate millet through sustainable farming practices. By the end of the initiative, the students at the IHRD College will be trained to continue this work and help ensure that insights from this work are correctly used, and that positive changes are long-lasting.

Lenovo's global research on the link between technology and humanity recognizes that technology is instrumental in fulfilling modern employees' desires to work remotely in a location that also offers them the opportunity to give back. The creation of the 'Work-from-Anywhere' model is essential as many Gen Z employees in the workforce believe philanthropy and making a positive impact within communities is important.4 In fact, Lenovo's research highlighted that a third of respondents in India would use their spare time while "working from anywhere" to volunteer and give back to the local community. At Lenovo, this belief is captured in the Work For Humankind initiative, which combines the vision of delivering smarter technology for the millet farming community in Kerala, with the volunteer work of skilled employees, to address their most pressing needs.

Announcing the initiative launch, Shailendra Katyal, Managing Director, Lenovo India, said, "With India gearing up to become the global millet hub, Lenovo's Work For Humankind initiative will help Kanthalloor's farmers to make millet cultivation more profitable and sustainable. By bringing together the right expertise and Lenovo's cutting-edge tech devices, solutions and services, we aim to mobilize the local community and make millet farming more commercially viable for them. At Lenovo, we are committed to leaving a lasting legacy with the community work we undertake and for the benefits to be felt long after the Work For Humankind initiative is complete. That's why we are partnering with Dream India Network, Organic Kerala, and the Gram Panchayat in Kanthalloor to bring this vision to life. We are also thankful to the College of Applied Science, IHRD, Kanthalloor, and the Forest Department for their ongoing support of this initiative."

Dr. Saju Parackal, Board Member, Dream India Network, commented, "We look forward to contributing our expertise in developing the infrastructure and agricultural training programs to benefit the farming community in Kanthalloor. Lenovo's Work For Humankind India program seeks to engage farmers and the local youth, and build awareness of the benefits they can reap from millet cultivation. Access to information on farming best practices that are rooted in science is key to transforming the current food system into one that is commercially viable and desirable. Dream India Network will work closely with the student and Lenovo volunteers to capture learnings on-the-ground and report the progress of the interventions introduced."

Kanth Mohandas, Kanthalloor Gram Panchayat President, expressed that, "Kanthalloor welcomes Lenovo's partnership to create a one-year roadmap to boost local millet cultivation. Millet is part of Kanthalloor's history, and we must revive our traditional farming practices with the help of modern interventions. Technology, accessibility, and market avenues are necessary to create a profitable model for millet farming. The Gram Panchayat will support awareness-building activities, and work with Lenovo volunteers to increase the production of millet and market linkages in Kanthalloor. We look forward to hosting various local millet-themed events and seeing our farming community thrive."

Dr. S. Sindu, Principal of IHRD College Kanthalloor, said, "The IHRD College of Applied Science is partnering with Lenovo for its Work For Humankind campaign and will host the Kanthalloor Millet Tech Centre on our campus. Our students will be volunteering to monitor and develop opportunities for local millet farmers by manning the Tech Centre, powered by Lenovo technology. We are excited to play a key role in enabling digital inclusivity in the region and to build on shared synergies for millet cultivation in Kanthalloor."

1 https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2022/feb/20/millet-reigns-supreme-in-idukki-tribal-settlement-2421589.html

2 Work for Humankind: Mobilizing the local community to revive millets in Kanthalloor by leveraging Lenovo's technology ecosystem, Baseline Report, 2 March, 2023

3 Out of 227 households surveyed, all reported having no information about schemes for millet cultivation and other market avenues, except for their local markets. They also reported having no awareness and access to technological tools for millet production. Work for Humankind: Mobilizing the local community to revive millets in Kanthalloor by leveraging Lenovo's technology ecosystem, Baseline Report, 2 March, 2023

4 Out of 15,000 respondents surveyed, 70% say they would have a highly favorable view of a tech company that could enable "Work from Anywhere" and help to identify ways to give back and make a positive impact in that location. Work for Humankind: Global Research Report

About Work for Humankind Initiative:

Work For Humankind is Lenovo's global initiative to make a positive, and long-lasting difference in the world, while working from a remote place with Lenovo's smarter technology. The India edition of the 'Work For Humankind' initiative will seek to leverage Lenovo's tech ecosystem to enhance the efficiency and productivity of farmers in Kerala, allowing them to move from self-consumption to commercial production of millets. This initiative is a result of the global research study, spanning 8 countries, including India, and building on Lenovo's journey towards understanding the powerful connection between technology and humanity.

About Lenovo:

Lenovo (HKSE:992) (ADR:LNVGY) is a US$70 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #171 in the Fortune Global 500, employing 82,000 people around the world, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, Lenovo has built on its success as the world's largest PC company by further expanding into key growth areas including server, storage, mobile, solutions and services. This transformation together with Lenovo's world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and sustainable digital society for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Lenovo on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Lenovo

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/lenovo

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Lenovo

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754346/Work-For-Humankind-India-Lenovos-Smarter-Technology-Supports-the-Millet-Revival
A Federal High Court Abuja, on Wednesday, gave an order of perpetual injunction restraining the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from imposing fines henceforth on broadcast stations in the country.

Justice James Omotosho, in a judgment, also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed, on March 1, 2019, on each of the 45 broadcast stations.

Justice Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations.

He further held that the NBC Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law.

He said the court would not sit idle and watch a body imposing fine arbitrarily without recourse to the law.

He said that the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at the same time, the court and the judge on its own matter.

The judge agreed that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, being a subsidiary legislation that empowers an administrative body such as the NBC to enforce its provisions cannot confer judicial powers on the commission to impose criminal sanctions or penalties such as fines.

He also agreed that the commission, not being Nigerian police, had no power to conduct criminal investigation that would lead to criminal trial and imposition of sanctions.

"This will go against the doctrine of separation of powers," he said.

Omotosho held that what the doctrine sought to achieve was to prevent tyranny by concentrating too much powers in one organ.

"The action of the respondent qualifies as excessiveness" as it had ascribed to itself judicial and executive powers.

The NBC had, on March 1, 2019, imposed the sum of N500,000 each on 45 broadcast stations in the country over alleged violation of its code.

However, the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda had, in an originating motions marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1386/2021, sued the NBC as sole respondent in the suit.

In the motion dated November 9, 2021 by its lawyer, Noah Ajare, the group sought a declaration that the sanctions procedure applied by the NBC in imposing N500,000 fines on each of the 45 broadcast stations on March 1, 2019 was a violation of the rules of natural justice.

The lawyer also said that the fines were in violation of the right to fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Articles 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap AQ) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria 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 group argued that this was so because the code, which created the alleged offences of which the broadcast stations were accused, was written and adopted by the NBC, "and also gives powers to the said commission to receive complaints of alleged breaches, investigate and adjudicate the complaints, impose sanctions, including fines, and ultimately collect the fines, which the commission uses for its own purposes".

They, therefore, sought an order setting aside the N500,000 fines purportedly imposed by the NBC on each of the 45 broadcast stations on Friday, March 1, 2019.

They also sought "an order of perpetual Injunction restraining the respondent, its servants, agents, privies, representatives or anyone acting for or on its behalf, from imposing fines on any of the broadcast stations or any other broadcast station in Nigeria for any alleged offence committed under the Nigerian Broadcasting Code".

Delivering the judgment, Justice Omotosho described the NBC's act as being ultra vires.

He held that the fines imposed by the NBC as punishment for commission of various offences under its code were contrary to the law and hereby declared as unconstitutional, null and void.

The judge also made an order of perpetual injunction restraining the commission from further imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country. (NAN)
Bermuda's Deputy Premier, The Hon. Walter Roban, JP, MP will kick off the second annual Bermuda Climate Summit, presented by the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA), in partnership with KBRA on June 26.

The Deputy Premier will discuss Bermuda's key attributes as the world's climate risk finance capital in a keynote seaside chat with Mark Baker, President CEO, KBRA.

Deputy Premier Roban said, "I look forward to once again participating in the Bermuda Climate Summit in order to highlight Bermuda's strengths in climate risk finance, including our strong regulatory environment, long-history of environmental stewardship and wealth of financial services experience."

The keynote address will be given by Joshua Rosenberg, Chief Risk Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Other sessions confirmed to date include: The Power of Partnerships, which will be moderated by Jeff Manson, SVP Underwriting and Head of Global Public Sector Partnership, Renaissance Re Ltd, and will include panellists, Ekhosuehi Iyahen, Secretary General, Insurance Development Forum, Sid Miller, Director, Climate Wise, Rebekah Clement, Head of Sustainability, Lloyds, and Chair of SMI Climate Action Committee, and Tim Nielander, Founder and President, GP3 Institute.

Impact of a Changing Climate on Atlantic Hurricane Frequency and Severity will be moderated by Marla Pourrabbani, Data Scientist, Senior Manager, ESG and Sustainability, Deloitte, and features panellists, Dr. Pete Dailey, Head of Research, Aeolus, Liz Henderson, Co-Head Catastrophe Analytics, Executive Managing Director, Reinsurance Solutions, Aon, Dr. Peter Sousounis, Vice President/Director Climate Change Research, Verisk, Craig Tillman, President, RenaissanceRe Risk Sciences.

Net Zero? will be moderated by Miqdaad Versi, Head of ESG, Oxbow Partners, UK, and feature panellists Rachael Dalheise. Head of Sustainability, Convex, Andrew MacFarlane, Head of Climate, AXA XL, a Division of AXA, and Andrew Smith, Chief Risk and Sustainability Officer at Conduit Re.

Global Climate Risk will include Dr. Mark Guishard, former Director, Bermuda Weather Service, Dr. Raveem Ismail, Head of Parametric Underwriting, Africa Specialty Risks (ASR Re) and Dr. Simon Young, Senior Director, Willis Towers Watson.

What's Ahead in the United States? will be moderated by John Huff, President CEO, Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR) and include panellists, Ricardo Lara, Insurance Commissioner, California Department of Insurance and Lori Wing-Heier, Director, Alaska Division of Insurance, and National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Representative, Sustainable Insurance Forum.

Chlora Lindley-Myers, NAIC President and Director of the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance will speak on a panel entitled The U.S. Federal Flood Programme and the (Re)Insurance Sector, moderated by Peter Giacone, Global Head of Insurance, KBRA and including fellow panellists, Chris Brown Partner, Mindset and Andy Neal, Managing Director, Public Private Partnerships, Aon.

David Hart, BDA, CEO said, "The theme of this year's event is 'Bermuda Climate Central' and we are honoured to have Deputy Premier Roban join us to open the 2023 Bermuda Climate Summit. We are equally pleased to have so many leading climate experts across different fields coming to Bermuda to engage with our audience on why climate is such an important topic. We also look forward to meeting with potential overseas investors to share why Bermuda is the perfect place to develop climate risk finance solutions."

Click here to register for this important event. Overseas guests are also reminded to book their hotel rooms online before May 25, to enjoy special rates at our event hotel, the Hamilton Princess Beach Club.

The BDA is grateful for the continued support of our headline sponsor KBRA, as well as: diamond sponsor Conduit Re; platinum sponsor Aon, gold sponsors Deloitte, Fidelis and Hub Culture; and silver sponsors Aeolus, Aspen, AXA XL, Belco, and KPMG. Our supporting sponsors are Butterfield and HSBC. Our media partners are The Insurer, Insurance Insider and Bermuda:Re+ILS. Goslings is our spirits partner. Other sponsorship opportunities are still available; please e-mail bermudaclimate@bda.bm if you wish to participate.

CONNECTING BUSINESS

The BDA encourages direct investment and helps companies start up, re-locate, or expand their operations in our premier jurisdiction. An independent, public-private partnership, we connect you to industry professionals, regulatory officials, and key contacts in the Bermuda government to assist domicile decisions. Our goal? To make doing business in Bermuda smooth and beneficial.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005841/en/

Contacts:

Stuart Roberts, Director of Marketing Communications

stuart@bda.bm +1 441 707 0038
AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / The three day event opened with remarks from founding member Nancy Easton, Executive Director of Wellness in the Schools who stated "we are not an organization, we are a collaborative; and this is not a conference, it is a gathering. There are no vendors here to sell you anything, only a space to connect and learn from each other." ScratchWorks was conceived during the summer of 2019 when a group of nonprofits and school food service operators came together to consider what could be done to accelerate change in school food. ScratchWorks was born, a collective of school food professionals and non-profit organizations, developed by and for food service operators, committed to supporting school districts in cooking school meals from scratch using whole, fresh ingredients. Unique to this collective is its funding model - the donors, Life Time Foundation and Whole Kids Foundation, are also its partners who continually collaborate with the districts to meet their goals.

A significant component of support offered by this collective was the development of a multi-day professional development and networking event that brought together school food programs from across the country wanting to increase their scratch cooking practices. The inaugural event took place in Austin, TX on April 24-26, 2023. Representatives from over 100 school districts came together for this multi-day event, featuring nearly 20 educational sessions led by school food operation leaders from across the country. Sessions included topics such as Scratch vs. Speed Scratch, Message Development for Your Program, Policies and Legislation Supporting Scratch Cooking, Recipe and Menu Development and many more. Founding member and Minneapolis Public Schools, Director Culinary and Wellness Services Bertrand Weber commented, "You could feel how different this event was and how invigorated attendees were after the three days, building these relationships will ensure we have a network to lean on when we have questions,"

The event opened up with a keynote address by Chef Andrew Zimmern, TV personality, chef, writer and social justice advocate. Chef Zimmern applauded the attendees for pushing past the status quo and emphatically stated, "the question isn't can we afford to do this? The fact is we can't afford not to. It would cost us17B$ to fully restore scratch cooking in our national public school system, including equipment, re-builds, product and staff. Sounds like a lot. But our federal budget is 6.3T$ annually. So 17B$ is a rounding error when it comes to the cost, it's .0027% of the federal budget."

School food leaders from districts across 18 states and representing enrollment of over 1.1 million students shared in their excitement for a new kind of event. While there are many conferences that support a broad spectrum of school food operation topics, this gathering was the first national event to focus all of its educational sessions and experiences around scratch cooking in schools. It is well known that scratch cooking presents more complexities than serving packaged food and we believe that bringing leaders together to share their experiences and build relationships is one of the most significant things that can be done to increase scratch cooking in schools in our country.

The closing session was an interview with USDA's Food and Nutrition Services Administrator, Cindy Long, who offered up her philosophy on scratch cooking in schools; "what I feel like I've learned is that there is no one answer for every circumstance. Scratch cooking clearly offers benefits. You have much more control. You can tailor to your community. It supports engagement and connection with food". When the floor was opened for questions, district leaders asked about the new proposed rule, particularly around more stringent sodium standards. Administrator Long emphasized that new proposed updates to the nutrition standards are to be executed over 10-years and they are applied to a menu cycle not a meal, so with scratch cooking there is more flexibility.

Since cooking and food were at the core of the experience, districts were encouraged to submit their recipes prior as event planners chose breakfast and lunch menus. Some of the favorites included a Chickpea Masala submitted by Bellingham Washington Public Schools and a Cambodian Lok Lak served at Lowell Public Schools in MA, which caters to their local Southeast Asian student population.

ScratchWorks is a collective of school food professionals and non-profit organizations committed to supporting school districts in cooking school meals from scratch using whole, fresh ingredients that provide students with the nutrition they need for their educational success, health and wellbeing. Founding members include Andrew Benson, Ann Cooper, Amy Maclosky, Ryan Mikolaycik, Stephen O'Brien and Bertrand Weber as well as Chef Ann Foundation, Life Time Foundation, Wellness in the Schools and Whole Kids Foundation.

Contact: Nona Evans

Email: Nona.Evans@outlook.com

Tel: 512.289.9258

ScratchWork Gathering attendees - Photo by Jetter Photo

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Whole Foods Market Foundations on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Whole Foods Market Foundations

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/whole-foods-market-foundations

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Whole Foods Market Foundations

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754355/Over-100-School-District-Food-Service-Leaders-Gather-in-Austin-TX-for-the-First-National-Gathering-to-Increase-Scratch-Cooking
The Company will update its shareholders on its Endurion battery program, discuss the importance of its latest provisional patent, and outline objectives through the rest of 2023

ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 11, 2023(OTCQB: CRTG), developers of silicon anode active materials for lithium-ion batteries and cyclohexasilane (CHS) for electric vehicles (EVs), cleantech, and emerging tech applications, will host a shareholder call at 10:00 a.m. EST on Thursday, May 18, 2023, to discuss the achievements and progress of its Endurion battery program, while also providing insights into the innovation and commercialization goals the Company seeks to achieve throughout the rest of the year.



Endurion applies the Company's expertise in silicon nanoparticles to the development of silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries that charge faster and last longer than the current industry standard. On the call, the Company will discuss the significant progress Endurion has made in recent months, as well as the strategies intended to commercialize its product. These efforts include R&D, developing key partnerships with industry players, and the importance and capabilities of its recently-filed provisional patent. The patent identifies three distinct strategies to extend the life and increase energy density of lithium-ion batteries, with an emphasis on manufacturing scalability.

The Coretec Group will also review other 2023 milestones and events, including hosting an EV industry panel discussionwith peer companies, Graphex Groupand Blink Charging. Company scientists have also spent productive time attending key industry conferences, such as JCESRand NAATBatt, where they liaised with and learned from many of the brightest minds in the battery sector. The Company worked with outside battery labs, including the University of Michigan Battery Laband Polaris, where they collaborated with in-house battery development teams on vital new strategies for Endurion.

Chief Executive Officer Matthew Kappers, Chief Technology Officer Dr. Ramez Elgammal, Ph.D., and VP of Partnerships & Development Dr. Michelle Tokarz, Ph.D., will discuss the company's recent achievements and future plans, in addition to answering questions submitted from the investment community and news media.

To submit questions for the hour-long shareholder call, please send an email to IR@thecoretecgroup.com by 5 p.m. EST on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

Participants/Audience

Webcast link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/wd27fpuz

Call link: https://register.vevent.com/register/BIbf6737c841ee42a9b25a7b1291cf013b

Canada dial-in number (Toll Free): 1 833 950 0062

Canada dial-in number (Local): 1 226 828 7575

United States: 1 844 200 6205

United States (Local): 1 646 904 5544

All other locations: 1 929 526 1599

Access code: 642462

About The Coretec Group

The Coretec Group, Inc. is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based developer of engineered silicon, working to improve lives and power the EV, cleantech, and emerging technology markets of tomorrow. The company's current battery program is Endurion; the Coretec team is applying its expertise in silicon nanoparticles to develop silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries in EVs that will charge faster and last longer than the current industry standard.

Additionally, Coretec is also utilizing its engineered silicon to develop a portfolio of energy-focused products, including solid-state lighting (LEDs), semiconductors, 3D volumetric displays, and printable electronics. The Coretec Group's groundbreaking work is revolutionizing the EV and energy storage markets and will continue to be a pioneer in this fast-paced industry.

For more information, please visit thecoretecgroup.com.

Follow The Coretec Group on:

Twitter - @CoretecGroupInc

LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/24789881

YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UC1IA9C6PoPd1G4M7B9QiZPQ/featured

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this press release that relate to The Coretec Group's expectations with regard to the future impact on the Company's results from operations are forward-looking statements and may involve risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control. Such risks and uncertainties are described in greater detail in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Since the information in this press release may contain statements that involve risk and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Company's actual results may differ materially from expected results. We make no commitment to disclose any subsequent revisions to forward-looking statements. This release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of offers to buy any securities of any entity.

Corporate Contact:

The Coretec Group, Inc.

Lindsay McCarthy

info@thecoretecgroup.com

+1 (866) 916-0833

Media Contact:

Spencer Herrmann

FischTank PR

coretec@fischtankpr.com

+1 (518) 669-6818
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11th, 2023 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with Etruscus Resources, Pan Global Resources, POET Technologies, Odd Burger Corp, Barsele Minerals, Beacn Wizardry & Magic, Avrupa Minerals, Nextech3D.ai and ARway discussing their latest news.

The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives.

Drill Program Begins at Lewis Property 10 km West of Keats Discovery, Newfoundland

Etruscus Resources Corp. is pleased to announce its 2023 drill program has commenced at the Company's Lewis Property. The Property is road accessible and is located 5 km south of the Trans Canada Highway in the Gander Gold Belt, approximately 10 km west of New Found Gold's Keats Zone discovery in Newfoundland. The geological team arrived last week and has quickly established core cutting and staging areas along with conducting ground truthing to confirm collar locations for the entire Program. Drilling is now underway.

For the full interview with Carl Ryan and to learn about Etruscus Resources Corp., click here.

Pan Global Secures Surface Access to Explore a 680 Hectare Area West of the La Romana Copper-Tin Discovery at the Escacena Project, Spain

Exploration to commence immediately at Romana West, including ground geophysics and an initial 25-30 drill hole program. Potential to extend the current 1,200m strike-length of the La Romana mineralization a further 800-1,000m to the west. Surface access agreement allows exploration to also commence at three additional untested targets: Barbacena, El Pozo and Romana Nort.

For the full interview with Tim Moody and to learn about Pan Global Resources, click here.

POET Technologies Announces First Volume Purchase Order For Its Optical Engines

POET Technologies Inc., the designer and developer of the POET Optical Interposer and Photonic Integrated Circuits and light sources for the data center, tele-communication and artificial intelligence markets, today announced the first volume production order for its optical engines placed with the Company's 80%-owned joint-venture company, Super Photonics Xiamen.

For the full interview with Vivek Rajgarhia and to learn about POET Technologies Inc., click here.

Odd Burger Signs Letter of Intent to Open 150 locations in India and Singapore and Provides Corporate Update

Odd Burger Corporation is pleased to announce it has signed a non-binding letter of intent with 14728696 Canada Inc. o/a Earthlings Canada Inc. to open 145 locations in India and 5 locations in Singapore over a period of 10 years.

For the full interview with James McInnes and to learn about Odd Burger Corporation, click here.

Barsele Announces Plans for Resumption of Diamond Drilling Activities in 2023

Diamond drilling is budgeted for 3,000 metres (approximately 15 holes) and will test for Intrusive-hosted "Orogenic Gold" and Volcanogenic Massive Sulphides. Drilling will commence near the Risberget Zone and will test Orogenic Gold targets in the vicinity of previously intersected gold mineralization, along the southeasterly extension of the 3.6-kilometre Avan-Central-Skirasen gold trend. The Avan Zone, where high gold grades have been locally encountered, is the second principal target where drill testing will take place. Additionally, drill testing for Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide mineralization will take place along the southeastward extension from the Norra VMS Deposit.

For the full interview with Steve Cope and to learn about Barsele Minerals, click here.

BEACN Announces Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2022

BEACN Wizardry & Magic Inc. is pleased to report that sales of the BEACN Mic, Mix and Mix-Create for the year ended December 31, 2022, resulted in revenue of $4,325,458 (2021 $nil) gross profit of $1,636,687 (37.8%) (2021 $nil) and net loss of $451,154 (2021 loss of $2,713,756).

For the full interview with Craig Fraser and to learn about BEACN Wizardry & Magic Inc., click here.

Avrupa Minerals Completes Definitive Agreement with Western Tethyan Resources to Option Out the Slivova Gold Project, Kosovo

The Definitive Agreement outlines a path towards potential gold production from the Slivova deposit. Western Tethyan Resources completed a robust Due Diligence review, a Concept Study, and continues to work on a Preliminary Economic Assessment, including a metals resource update for the Slivova deposit; WTR can earn-in to 85% of the Slivova Project.

For the full interview with Paul Kuhn and to learn about Avrupa Minerals, click here.

Nextech3D.ai Signs 3D Modeling Expansion Contract With Vornado Air LLC To Bring 3D Models Onto The Prime Marketplace

Nextech3D.AI, a Generative AI-Powered 3D model supplier for Amazon, P&G, Kohls and other major e-commerce retailers is pleased to announce the Company has signed an expansion 3D modeling contract with Vornado Air LLC.

For the full interview with Evan Gappelberg and to learn about Nextech3D.AI, click here.

ARway.ai 'The Augmented Reality Experience Platform' Gaining Momentum as 2023 Sales Pipeline Reaches Over $1.4M in Revenue Potential

ARway.ai. is an AI powered Augmented Reality Experience platform with a disruptive no-code, no beacon spatial computing solution enabled by visual marker tracking with centimeter precision announces a sales pipeline of over $1.4MM in potential enterprise contracts, representing a significant revenue opportunity for ARway.ai as it expands its reach across the globe in the indoor navigation industry.

For the full interview with Evan Gappelberg and to learn about ARway.ai., click here.

Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit? The Power Play by The Market Herald.

About The Market Herald

The Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets.

DISCLAIMER: Report Card Canada Media Ltd. ("Report Card") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market Herald Limited, an Australian company ("Market Herald"). Report Card is not an advisory service, and does not offer, buy, sell, or provide any other rating, analysis or opinion on the securities we discuss. We are retained and compensated by the companies that we provide information on to assist them with making information available to the public. All information available on themarketherald.ca and/or this press release should be considered as commercial advertisement and not an endorsement, offer or recommendation to buy or sell securities. Report Card is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority in any province or territory of Canada, will not be performing any registerable activity as defined by the applicable regulatory bodies and do not provide nor claim to provide investment advice or recommendations to any visitor of this site or readers of any content on or originating from themarketherald.ca. Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees may from time to time acquire, hold or sell securities and/or commodities and/or commodity futures contracts in certain underlying companies mentioned in this site and which may also be clients of Market Herald's affiliates. In such instances, Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees will use all reasonable efforts to avoid engaging in activities that would lead to conflicts of interest and Market Herald and/or its affiliates will use all reasonable efforts to comply with conflicts of interest disclosures and regulations to minimize any conflict. All the information on this document and/or the website - themarketherald.ca - is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. Report Card does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information you find on this document and/or website (themarketherald.ca) is strictly at your own risk. Report Card will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website. From our website, you can visit other websites by following hyperlinks to such external sites. While we strive to provide only quality links to useful and ethical websites, we have no control over the content and nature of these sites. These links to other websites do not imply a recommendation for all the content found on these sites. Site owners and content may change without notice and may occur before we have the opportunity to remove a link which may have gone 'bad'. Please be also aware that when you leave our website, other sites may have different privacy policies and terms which are beyond our control. Please be sure to check the Privacy Policies of these sites as well as their "Terms of Service" before engaging in any business or uploading any information.

CONTACT:

The Market Herald

marketing@themarketherald.ca

themarketherald.ca

SOURCE:?The Market Herald

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754368/The-Power-Play-by-The-Market-Herald-Releases-New-Interviews-with-Etruscus-Resources-Pan-Global-Resources-POET-Technologies-Odd-Burger-Corp-Barsele-Minerals-Beacn-Wizardry-Magic-Avrupa-Minerals-Nextech3Dai-and-ARway-Discussing-Their-Latest-News
PORT HUENEME, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / The Oxnard Union High School District (OUHSD) selected businesses in the community to recognize for its 2023 Business Champions Awards. This celebration was an opportunity to thank the Port of Hueneme and other businesses for their efforts to create prosperity in communities through collaboration, college readiness efforts, and career preparation.

Port of Hueneme Community Outreach Manager Miguel Rodriguez, Harbor Commissioner Jess Ramirez and Community Outreach Representative Drew Rodriguez accept the Business Champion Awards for the Port of Hueneme.

"The Port of Hueneme has gone above and beyond for the students of Oxnard Union High School District- stepping up as a partner to host field trips, tours, talks at our annual District Career Fair, and a Global Trade and Logistics after-school program," said Dr. Tom McCoy, Superintendent of the District. "We are looking forward to the Port of Hueneme partnering with the District's Career Technical Education Department to begin a Global Trade and Logistics career pathway course sequence at our new Del Sol High School."

Twice a year, the Port of Hueneme offers a Global Trade & Logistics (GTL) 12-week Tuesday after school class program to OUHSD students that has resulted in dozens of district students earning a deep understanding of the Port's operations, customers, maritime careers, and environmental initiatives. After completion of the GTL program, excelling students are offered paid internships at the Port of Hueneme. The OUHSD Business Champions Award is a recognition of these efforts.

"The Port of Hueneme is proud of our partnership with the Oxnard Union High School District," said Oxnard Harbor Commissioner Jess Ramirez. "We remain committed to supporting community enrichment and outreach. This is a wonderful example of an effective collaboration that works for the betterment of our youth."

"We are happy to support our community and especially our local students who will undoubtedly be a part of our future workforce. We pride ourselves in being able to create employment opportunities in our region so that no one will be left out as we continue to grow," said Miguel Rodriguez, Community Outreach Manager. "At the Port, we are proud to be of service and will continue to partner with everyone interested in creating pathways to education, social equity and economic prosperity in our region."

Kristin Decas, CEO & Port Director said: "It is important for the Port to be a part of the community by forging partnerships with individuals as well as organizations. We hope to inspire the workforce of tomorrow by exposing today's students to the Port of Hueneme."

About the Port of Hueneme

The Port of Hueneme is one of the most productive and efficient commercial trade gateways for niche cargo on the West Coast. Five locally elected Port Commissioners govern the Port. The Port consistently ranks among the top ten U.S. ports for automobiles and fresh produce. Port operations support the community by bringing $2.2 billion in economic activity and creating 20,032 trade-related jobs. Trade through the Port of Hueneme generates more than $173.2 million in direct and related state and local taxes, which fund vital community services. In 2017, the Port of Hueneme became the first port in California to become Green Marine certified and was voted the Greenest Port in the U.S. at the Green Shipping Summit. www.portofh.org.

PRESS CONTACT

Letitia Austin

Public & Government Relations Manager

laustin@portofh.org

(805) 271-2205

SOURCE: Port of Hueneme

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754374/Port-of-Hueneme-Receives-Recognition-from-Oxnard-Union-High-School-District-for-Community-Outreach-Efforts
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX:SKE)(NYSE:SKE) ("Skeena" or the "Company") reports interim financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2023. The interim financial statements and management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") are available on Skeena's website and have been posted under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Skeena is also pleased to announce the publication of its Environmental, Social, and Governance ("ESG") report for the 2022 financial year. Skeena made significant progress last year across economic, environmental, social, and governance factors and continues to create value for its shareholders, broader stakeholders and First Nation partners through improved ESG performance. The ESG report is available on Skeena's website here.

About Skeena

Skeena Resources Limited is a Canadian mining exploration and development company focused on revitalizing the past-producing Eskay Creek gold-silver mine located in Tahltan Territory in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company released a Feasibility Study for Eskay Creek in September 2022 which highlights an after-tax NPV5% of C$1.4B, 50% IRR, and a 1-year payback at US$1,700/oz Au and US$19/oz Ag.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited,

Walter Coles Randy Reichert

Executive Chairman President & CEO

Contact Information

Investor Inquiries: info@skeenaresources.com

Office Phone: +1 604 684 8725

Company Website: www.skeenaresources.com

Qualified Persons

In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration & Resource Development, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated, and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting the exploration activities on its projects.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

Certain statements and information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or our future performance. The use of words such as "anticipates", "believes", "proposes", "contemplates", "generates", "targets", "is projected", "is planned", "considers", "estimates", "expects", "is expected", "potential" and similar expressions, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "might", "will", "could", or "would" be taken, achieved, or occur, may identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Specific forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the results of the Feasibility Study, processing capacity of the mine, anticipated mine life, probable reserves, estimated project capital and operating costs, sustaining costs, results of test work and studies, planned environmental assessments, the future price of metals, metal concentrate, and future exploration and development. Such forward-looking statements are based on material factors and/or assumptions which include, but are not limited to, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and the assumptions set forth herein and in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, its most recently filed interim MD&A, and the Company's Annual Information Form ("AIF") dated March 22, 2023. Such forward-looking statements represent the Company's management expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances on the date the statements are made, and are necessarily based on several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date hereof, are not guarantees of future performance. Actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein, and are subject to significant operational, business, economic, and regulatory risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others: the inherent risks involved in exploration and development of mineral properties, including permitting and other government approvals; changes in economic conditions, including changes in the price of gold and other key variables; changes in mine plans and other factors, including accidents, equipment breakdown, bad weather and other project execution delays, many of which are beyond the control of the Company; environmental risks and unanticipated reclamation expenses; and other risk factors identified in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, its most recently filed interim MD&A, the AIF dated March 22, 2023, the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated January 31, 2023, and in the Company's other periodic filings with securities and regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States that are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and the Company does not undertake any obligations to update and/or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Skeena Resources Limited

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754313/Skeena-Reports-Q1-2023-Financial-Results-Publishes-ESG-Report
Changeblock, a global carbon market technology company that develops innovative technologies for creating high integrity tradeable offsets from trustworthy and transparent sources, today voiced its support for the recent reforms to the European Union (EU) carbon credit programme. The changes provide the 27-member organization with additional and more sophisticated tools to reduce (CO2) emissions by key industries, ranging from shipping to manufacturing.

Changeblock CEO Billy Richards, a computational biochemist and entrepreneur, commended the significant overhaul by the EU of its main climate policy, stating, "This is a pivotal moment in our fight against climate change. The reforms demonstrate an actionable and firm commitment that will better align the true cost of pollution with the cost of offsetting and other instruments. This will strengthen the incentive to adopt cleaner practices across all sectors, as well as promote increased liquidity for environmental instruments, such as carbon credits."

Richards added, "At Changeblock, our purpose is to enable and promote environmental asset investment through enhanced credit integrity, transparency, and trading functionality. We anticipate these changes will accelerate demand for new ways to fight pollution as heavy industries and airlines will require effective tools to help achieve regulatory compliance in the face of losing their free CO2 permits."

Richards also addressed the rising appeal of carbon removal technologies. "Long-term carbon credit deals, backed by new government subsidies, are making these technologies increasingly attractive to investors. At Changeblock, we have taken a risk-mitigating approach that enables us to facilitate portfolio management and risk-rated returns for investors in this evolving landscape. We're encouraged by the innovative mechanisms driving private wealth into climate investments, providing important liquidity for these instruments, and reducing the hurdles for enterprises to adopt these tools. Our goal is to streamline the credit creation process and ensure high-integrity transactions, and thereby play a crucial role in accelerating the transition to a global net-zero economy."

About Changeblock

Changeblock is a leading provider of environmental asset investment solutions. Its 'data-to-credit' technology enhances credit integrity, transparency, and trading options, providing new risk management tools and enabling more efficient transactions. The company's mission is to drive changes in the financial ecosystem required to decelerate global warming and accelerate biodiversity. For more information, please visit www.changeblock.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005595/en/

Contacts:

Cameron Thomas for Changeblock

416 660 9801 (Canada)

cameron@verbfactory.com
WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / In March, Russia announced that it, together with China and Iran, was conducting joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman. This is one of many recent events connecting these three states, and their growing alliance has major implications for the U.S.

MEMRI's Russian Media Studies Project (RMSP), launched in 2016, is closely monitoring this and other developments in the region, providing an invaluable window to understanding it. Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, the project's output has increased by orders of magnitude in order to keep up with the rapid pace of events and of official and media statements on them - and to analyze what they mean for the U.S. and the rest of the West.

The MEMRI RMSP publishes up-to-the-minute translations and analyses of statements and trends in Russian politics, diplomacy, think tanks, military, and media These, along with MEMRI's translations from Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Urdu, Pashto, and Chinese and original MEMRI analysis, are aimed at informing media, academia, legislatures, governments, and the public at large. No one else does the work that we do. Register today for a free subscription to RMSP emails to follow the latest developments in Russia.

Topics monitored 24/7 by the MEMRI RMSP over the past seven years have included: Russia's foreign and domestic policy, Russia-U.S. relations, anti-U.S. indoctrination, cyber war, the rising U.S.-Russia military tensions, Russia-China relations, Russia-Turkey relations, Russia-Iran relations, Russia-NATO relations, the Russia-U.S.-NATO clash over Ukraine, Russia's intervention in Syria, Russia's geopolitical interests, Russia's influence in Europe and its potential allies, Russia's return to the developing world including Latin America, Russia's vision of the post-coronavirus world, Russia's rivalry with the U.S. in the former Soviet republics and in the Arctic, and energy and arms shipments as force multipliers of Russian diplomacy.

Following the one-year mark of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the MEMRI Russian Media Studies Project (RMSP) has released a four-part series of videos compiled from MEMRI TV clips on the topic - see below. Below are links to dozens of highlighted reports from the RMSP concerning the war.

FOUR-PART VIDEO COMPILATION SERIES

Part I: Clips on the Russia-Ukraine Crisis

Clips on the Russia-Ukraine Crisis Part II: Clips on Support For Russia from the Arab and Muslim World

Clips on Support For Russia from the Arab and Muslim World Part III: Clips on Russian Officials' Threats Against and Attacks on the U.S. and Discussions of Russian Weapons - on Russian and Arab TV Channels

Clips on Russian Officials' Threats Against and Attacks on the U.S. and Discussions of Russian Weapons - on Russian and Arab TV Channels Part IV: Clips Praising Russia's Relations with the Arab World and with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Clips Defending Terrorist Organizations, on Russian, Arab, and Iranian TV.

Click on the links below to view the videos.

MEMRI RUSSIAN MEDIA STUDIES PROJECT VIDEO COMPILATION PART I - CLIPS ON THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CRISIS

To view this video, click here or below:

MEMRI RUSSIAN MEDIA STUDIES PROJECT VIDEO COMPILATION PART II - CLIPS ON THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CRISIS: RUSSIA RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM THE ARAB AND MUSLIM WORLD

To view this video, click here or below:

MEMRI RUSSIAN MEDIA STUDIES PROJECT VIDEO COMPILATION PART III - CLIPS ON RUSSIAN OFFICIALS' THREATS AGAINST AND ATTACKS ON U.S. & DISCUSSIONS OF RUSSIAN WEAPONS - ON RUSSIAN & ARAB TV CHANNELS

To view this video, click here or below:

MEMRI RUSSIAN MEDIA STUDIES PROJECT VIDEO COMPILATION PART IV - CLIPS PRAISING RUSSIA'S RELATIONS WITH THE ARAB WORLD AND WITH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN, AND CLIPS DEFENDING TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS - ON RUSSIAN, ARAB & IRAN TV

To view this video, click here or below:

Below are selected translations and original analysis from the RMSP about the Russia-Ukraine war from the past year:

RMSP TRANSLATIONS & ANALYSIS ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

REPORTS ON RUSSIA'S MILITARY AND ITS INVASION OF UKRAINE

Russian 'Military Review' Contributor Staver Calls For Setting An Example By Punishing Commanders Responsible For Makiivka Carnage

Russian Military Expert Skomorokhov: The Russian Army Is In A Very Deep Crisis, There May Be No Hope For Victory

Russian Military Analyst To Defense Ministry And Kremlin: 'Do You Actually Believe That We Have No Right To The Truth?'

Russian Military Expert Knutov: There Is No Difference Between Ukrainians And ISIS; The Souls Of Ukrainians Have Been Possessed By Demons

Russian Military Analyst Biryukov: Russian Leadership Promised Quick Victory, But Now Believes Ukraine And The West Will Succumb To A War Of Attrition; What If They Are Wrong Again?

Russian Military Expert Felgengauer Punctures The Hope That Tension Between China And Taiwan Could Open Up A Second Front To Distract The US

Russian Special Forces Veteran Kozlov: Russia Must Prepare For Ukrainian Guerilla Warfare That Will Recruit Russians

Russian Military Expert Pukhov: The Accession Of Finland And Sweden To NATO Deteriorated Russia's Strategic Position

Russian Military Analyst Viktor Litovkin: If The West Declares War On Russia, Sends Forces To Ukraine - This Would Mean All-Out War; Russia's Nukes Are Capable Of Destroying Many Countries

Russian Military Expert Linin Concedes NATO's Vast Air And Naval Superiority, But Insists That Russia's Military Potential Equals That Of The North Atlantic Alliance

Retired Russian Colonel-General Ivashov: One Year Ago, I Warned That Invading Ukraine Will Hurt Russia; The Current Reality Is Much Worse Than I Predicted

Russian Foreign Ministry Diplomatic Academy Vice Rector Oleg Karpovich: Russia Will Not Meekly Wait For Western Tanks To Cross Its Borders

Russian Political Scientist Mirzayan: Ukraine War Will Conclude In Partition, As In Korea

Russian Former Colonel Trenin: Russia Failed To Assess The Western Response To Ukraine Invasion, But There Is No Way Back, Russia Must Persevere And Conquer Most Of Ukraine

Cracks Appear In Russia's Stonewall Denial Of Using Iranian Drones In Ukraine

Russian Topwar.ru Outlet Publishes Devastating Takedown Of Ukraine Invasion

Russian Foreign Policy Analyst Yusin: Russia Needs A String Of Victories Or One Spectacular Victory In Ukraine To Reassure Wavering Allies

Purported Putin-Whisperer Dugin: 'Solar' Putin Must Mobilize The Entire Russian People To Win The Struggle Between The Forces Of Light And The Forces Of Darkness

REPORTS ON RUSSIAN OFFICIALS AND LEADING EXPERTS TALKING ABOUT NUCLEAR STRIKES AND NUCLEAR WAR

Anti-Liberalism Russian Philosopher Dugin: 'We Are On The Brink Of A Third World War;' 'The Likelihood Of A Nuclear Armageddon Is Growing Day By Day'

Russian Military Expert Maxim Klimov: Our Commanders In Ukraine Should Be Allowed To Use Tactical Nuclear Weapons In Self Defense; The Nuclear Testing Moratorium Should Be Lifted

Consensus Among Russian Commentators: Ukraine Poses A Greater Risk Of Nuclear Escalation Than The Cuban Missile Crisis

Russian International Affairs Expert Kortunov Criticizes Russia's Recent Ambiguity On Nuclear Weapons Use

Russian Arms Control Expert Arbatov: If The START Agreement Collapses, We Return To The Nuclear Uncertainty That Prevailed During The Cuban Missile Crisis

Russian State Duma Member Andrey Gurulev: We Shouldn't Nuke Ukraine Because We Still Need To Live There, But We Can Nuke Berlin And Turn Britain Into A Martian Wasteland In Just Three Minutes

Russian Nationalist Pro-War Telegram Channel Calls For Nuclear Strikes On Ukrainian Targets, Criticizes Russian Leadership In Face Of Equipment Shortages At The Front

REPORTS ON NON-CONVENTIONAL RUSSIAN FORCES, INCLUDING THE WAGNER GROUP AND THE DESIGNATED TERRORIST RUSSIAN IMPERIAL MOVEMENT (RIM)

Wagner Group Recruitment Video Addresses U.S. Veterans: You Gave Your Best Years To America, But Realized That It Is Evil, Destroys The World; Russia Is The Only Country Fighting Evil - Join The Ranks Of Its Warriors Before It Is Too Late For Everyone

Wagnering The Dog: Russian Military Expert Skomorokhov Believes That Prigozhin's Private Army Represents The Future Of The Russian Army

Terrorist-Designated Russian Imperial Movement Holds Recruitment Drive And Opens Training Courses For Volunteers

Russian Imperial Movement (RIM), Designated Terrorists By U.S. Government, Is Short On Medical Supplies While Fighting In Ukraine, Calls For Assistance

Exclusive: Terrorist-Designated Fascist 'Russian Imperial Movement' Addresses President Putin: Total Ukrainian Surrender Is The Only Acceptable Outcome Of This War; Start Purging Domestic Enemies

REPORTS ON RUSSIA'S DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS -U.S., CHINA, IRAN, NORTH KOREA, AND MORE

Russia Lashes Out At Armenia For Drawing Closer To The International Criminal Court

Russian Political Scientist Karaganov: Xi's Visit Is Vindication Of Eurasian Approach

Russian Media On The Drone Incident Between The U.S. And Russia: A Cause For Jubilation Or Trepidation?

Russian Conservative Business Daily 'Vzglyad': Selling Sukhoi-35 Fighter Jets To Iran Is A Middle East Game Changer

Russia Hails Saudi-Iranian Agreement As Rebuff To The U.S. And Its Confrontational Approach

Russian Columnist Popov: Unleash The Russian Bear To Strike Fear In The Enemy So That Even The Americans Hasten To Return Alaska

Russian Foreign Policy Commentator Yusin: Mass Demonstrations In China May Force Beijing To Reduce Support For Russia

Russian Commentator Alksnis: Ukraine Will Be Bulldozed For The Next Decade Until Russia's Relationship With The West Is Sorted Out

Russian Foreign Policy Analyst Petrov: The UNGA Vote Rejecting Russian Annexation Revealed Russia's Isolation

Russian Political Consultant With Kremlin Ties: Time To Declare Victory And Wind Things Up, Otherwise We Will Become A Chinese Satellite

Russia And North Korea, Two Sanctioned Countries, Draw Closer To Each Other

Senior Russian Journalist Rostovsky: Putin Has Seen Russia's Future In Iran

Russian Expert Lukyanov: Russia's Foreign Policy Gains Since The Collapse Of The Soviet Union Have Been Largely Erased As A Consequence Of Russia's Sovereign Decisions

Alaska Is Russian Territory - From Throwaway Remarks In Russia's Duma To An Overly Clever Billboard Campaign

Russian Ambassador To Lebanon Alexander Rudakov: We Have Significant Military Coordination With Iran; I See No Problem With Russia Using Iranian-Made Drones Or Other Weapons

Russian Diplomatic Academy Official: Only Victory In Ukraine Will Allow Russia To Return To Arms Control Discussions From A Position Of Strength

REPORTS ON RUSSIA'S ECONOMY AMID THE INVASION OF UKRAINE

The Russian Economy At A Crossroads

As Russian National Deficit Grows, Government Seeks To Persuade Citizens To Voluntarily Extend It Long-Term Credit

As Shortfall In Russian Energy Export Revenues Persists, Russian Government Turns To Businessmen For 'Contributions'

Russian Oligarch Deripaska: Free Enterprise Must Be Unshackled To Develop Siberia Because State Intervention Is A Proven Failure, And Government Money Will Not Be Available

Leading Russian Economist Nikolayev: Russia Burning Through Its Finances At Alarming Rate, May Soon Have To Take Money From Citizens

Russian Expert Alexei Maslov: China Is Not A Magic Wand For Solving Russia's Economic Problems

Russian Political Scientist Bordachev: Energy May Not Be An Effective Weapon Against Europe

Russian Economics Professor Portansky: The Putin Regime Is Repeating The Bolsheviks' Mistake By Driving Russia's Most Talented Citizens Into Exile

Kommersant Columnist Gurevich: Russia Has Altered The Internet From A Source Of Information To An E-Commerce Venue

Russia Faces A Bumpy Road To 'Technological Sovereignty'

REPORTS ON RUSSIAN SOCIETY - PERCEPTIONS OF THE WAR AND NOSTALGIA FOR SOVIET UNION

Russian Polls Show Russians, Too, Suffer From Ukraine Fatigue

Russia's Information Space Shifts From 'Everything Is Going According To Plan' To Blood, Sweat, And Tears

Firewall Insulating Putin From Criticism Breaks Down After Fall Of Kherson; Regime Loyalists Scramble To Reimpose It

Russian Nationalist Aputkhin: Putin Will Have To Chose Between The Traitorous Elite That Is Sabotaging The War In Ukraine And The People, Who Insist On Total Victory

Russian Journalist And Human Rights Activist Merkacheva: The Soviet Union Once Prided Itself On Short Prison Sentences; Russian Courts Today Are Enamored Of Draconian Sentences

Russian Officials Push For Revival Of Soviet Youth Organization That Arouses Bad Memories Amongst Some

Senior Russian Columnist Kamakin: Force-Feeding Patriotic Education To Adults Can Provoke 'Indigestion'

Russian Journalist: Extrajudicial Execution Of Yevgeny Nuzhin Presages The Restoration Of Capital Punishment In Russia

Register here to receive free updates from the Russian Media Studies Project.

ABOUT MEMRI

Exploring the Middle East and South Asia through their media, MEMRI bridges the language gap between the West and the Middle East and South Asia, providing timely translations of Arabic, Farsi, Urdu-Pashtu, Dari, Turkish, Russian, and Chinese media, as well as original analysis of political, ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious trends.

Founded in February 1998 to inform the debate over U.S. policy in the Middle East, MEMRI is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization. MEMRI's main office is located in Washington, DC, with branch offices in various world capitals. MEMRI research is translated into English, French, Polish, Japanese, Spanish, and Hebrew.

MEMRI - Middle East Media Research Institute: www.memri.org

MEMRI TV - www.memri.org/tv

Jihad & Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) - www.memri.org/jttm

Cyber & Jihad Lab (CJL) - www.memri.org/cjlab

MEMRI Twitter: https://twitter.com/memrireports/

MEMRI YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59Cpk70K2TwdmApJOTuW9g/videos

MEMRI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memrireports/

Contact Information:

MEMRI

media@memri.org

202-955-9070

www.memri.org

SOURCE: Middle East Media Research Institute

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/754390/The-MEMRI-Russian-Media-Studies-Project-Provides-A-Window-Into-Developments-In-The-Region
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - American Woodmark has recalled nearly 235,000 kitchen cabinets as they can detach from the wall, posing a risk of injury. The company said there have been 90 reports of incidents involving 111 cabinets partially separating or detaching from the wall. No injuries have been reported. The company has asked its customers to immediately stop using the recalled cabinets and contact American Woodmark for a free repair kit which includes two brackets with aesthetic covers and screws. The company said it will provide assistance with the repair kit installation if requested. The recall involves Continental Cabinets Kitchen Wall Cabinets with model numbers CBKW3018, CBKW3030, CBKW3036, CBKW3612, CBKW3630 and CBKW3636. The recall also involves Hampton Bay Kitchen Wall Cabinets with model numbers KW3015, KW3018, KW3030, KW3036, KW3612, KW3630 and KW3636. The model names and numbers are printed on the product packaging or purchase receipt. The recalled products were sold at Ace Hardware, Allied Building Stores, Cimarron Lumber Supply, Do it Best, House Hasson Hardware, HD Supply, True Value Company, and Wurth Wood Group nationwide, and The Home Depot stores. The cabinets were sold from February 2022 through March 2023 for between $80 and $265 depending on the cabinet model. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Australia will on Friday see May results for the consumer sentiment index from Westpac Bank, highlighting a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. The index is expected to dip 1.7 percent on month after spiking 9.4 percent in April.



South Korea will release March figures for its M2 money stock, with forecasts calling for an increase of 4.8 percent on month following the 4.4 percent increase in February.



Malaysia will provide Q1 figures for gross domestic product and current account. GDP is predicted to expand 4.8 percent on year, slowing from 7.0 percent in the previous three months. The current account surplus three months earlier was MYR25.70 billion.



Hong Kong will release Q1 data for gross domestic product, with forecasts calling for an increase of 5.3 percent on quarter and 2.7 percent on year. The follows the flat quarterly reading and the 4.2 percent contraction in the three months prior.



Japan will provide April figures for money stock, with forecasts calling for an increase of 2.5 percent on year for M2 - down from 2.6 percent in March.



New Zealand will see April results for the manufacturing PMI from BusinessNZ, with forecasts suggesting a score of 50.7 - up from 48.1 in March.



Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Report: Gefallene Big-Techs - Hier winken jetzt bis zu 200%! Marktexperte ist uberzeugt: Diese groen Tech-Aktien sind zu stark gefallen und kommen jetzt zuruck! Hier klicken
The report noted that in 2020, 788 women and children died 'per thousand' in India and 540 women and children 'per thousand' died in Nigeria.

A new report has shown that Nigeria accounts for the second-highest number of maternal and child deaths globally.

The report, which was titled: 'Improving maternal and newborn health and survival and reducing stillbirth: Progress Report 2023' and released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday shows that Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation is only behind India in the latest ranking.

The report noted that in 2020, 788 women and children died 'per thousand' in India and 540 women and children 'per thousand' died in Nigeria.

In the same year, India accounted for 17 per cent of global maternal, and neonatal deaths and stillbirths, while Nigeria accounts for 12 per cent.

Eight other countries with high maternal, neonatal , and stillbirths are Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and the United Republic of Tanzania.

The report estimates that globally, there were a combined 4.5 million maternal, neonatal deaths and stillbirths in 2020.

"Sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia are the regions experiencing the largest numbers of deaths, although, across all regions, there is variation regarding the pace at which countries are progressing in their efforts to achieve the global 2030 targets.

"The top 10 countries with the highest-burden account for 60 per cent of global maternal deaths, stillbirths, and newborn deaths, and 51 per cent of the world's live births," the report noted.

Nigeria in retrospect

It is no longer news that Nigeria's Maternal Mortality Rate is one of the highest in the world.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa says that one in seven global maternal deaths occurs in Nigeria. That is more than 50,000 women dying per year in Nigeria.

Health experts, however, said about 95 per cent of deaths during childbirth are preventable.

Nigeria's health minister, Osagie Ehanire, had earlier attributed the high maternal, infant and under-five mortality in the country to lack of access to quality healthcare services.

The report

Speaking on the report, the WHO in a statement said COVID-19 pandemic, rising poverty, and worsening humanitarian crises have intensified pressures on stretched health systems.

It said according to the report, global progress in reducing deaths of pregnant women, mothers and babies has flatlined for eight years due to decreasing investments in maternal and newborn health.

The WHO, Director of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, Anshu Banerjee, said pregnant women and newborns continue to die at unacceptably high rates worldwide.

Mr Banerjee said the COVID-19 pandemic has created further setbacks to providing women and babies with the healthcare they need.

"If we wish to see different results, we must do things differently. More and smarter investments in primary healthcare are needed now so that every woman and baby - no matter where they live - have the best chance of health and survival," he said.

In his remark, Steven Lauwerier, UNICEF Director of Health, said since the COVID-19 pandemic, babies, children, and women who were already exposed to threats to their well-being, especially those living in fragile countries and emergencies, are facing the heaviest consequences of decreased spending and efforts on providing quality and accessible healthcare.

Mr Lauwerier said funding shortfalls and underinvestment in primary healthcare can devastate survival prospects.

"For instance, while prematurity is now the leading cause of all under-five deaths globally, less than a third of countries report having sufficient newborn care units to treat small and sick babies," he said.

"Meanwhile, around two-thirds of emergency childbirth facilities in sub-Saharan Africa are not considered fully functional - meaning they lack essential resources like medicines and supplies, water, electricity or staffing for 24-hour care."

Human Rights' violation

The Director of the Technical Division at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Julitta Onabanjo, said the death of any woman or young girl during pregnancy or childbirth is a serious violation of their human rights.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Children Nigeria 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.

Ms Onabanjo said this also reflects the urgent need to scale up access to quality sexual and reproductive health services as part of universal health coverage and primary health care, especially in communities where maternal mortality rates have stagnated or even risen during recent years.

"We must take a human rights and gender transformative approach to address maternal and newborn mortality, and it is vital that we stamp out the underlying factors which give rise to poor maternal health outcomes like socio-economic inequalities, discrimination, poverty, and injustice," she said.

She said to increase survival rates, women and babies must have quality and affordable healthcare before, during, and after childbirth as well as access to family planning services.

She noted that more skilled and motivated health workers, especially midwives, are needed, alongside essential medicines and supplies, safe water, and reliable electricity.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Austin Gold Corp. (NYSE American: AUST) ("Austin" or the "Company") reports the results of its annual general meeting (the "Meeting") of shareholders held on May 10, 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

A total of 7,412,259 shares were represented in person or by proxy at the meeting, being 55.85% of the issued and outstanding shares at the record date. A summary of the Meeting results is outlined below.

Election of Directors Number Voted For Percentage Voted For Joseph J. Ovsenek as Director 6,749,889 91.06% Dennis L. Higgs as Director 6,749,762 91.06% Kenneth C. McNaughton as Director 6,749,762 91.06% Barbara A. Filas as Director 6,749,887 91.06% Benjamin Leboe as Director 6,749,889 91.06% Tom Yip as Director 6,744,939 91.00% Guillermo Lozano-Chavez as Director 6,749,810 91.06% Proposals



Fix Number of Directors at Seven (7) 6,751,910 91.09% Appoint Manning Elliott LLP as Auditors 7,405,288 99.91% Approve a New Stock Incentive Plan 6,730,352 90.80%

About Austin Gold Corp.

Austin Gold is a gold exploration company focused on gold targets and making district-scale gold discoveries in the southwestern United States.

Austin Gold has three projects in Nevada. The Kelly Creek Project is located on the Battle Mountain-Eureka (Cortez) gold trend in Humboldt County, the Lone Mountain Project is on the Independence-Jerritt Canyon gold trend in Elko County, and the Miller Project is on the Carlin gold trend in Elko County. Collectively, these Nevada properties comprise 110.2 km2 of unpatented and patented mining claims and mineral tenure. In Oregon, the Stockade Mountain Project consists of approximately 21.5 km2 of unpatented mining claims situated in a geological environment that appears the same as the nearby Grassy Mountain Deposit that is being permitted for underground mining.

For further information, please contact:

Darcy A. Higgs, Corporate Secretary

604-644-6580

darcy.higgs@austin.gold

Website: www.austin.gold

Safe Harbor / Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws that is intended to be covered by the safe harbors created by those laws. "Forward-looking information" includes statements that use forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "potential" or the negative thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking information includes, without limitation, the Company's expectations, strategies and plans for the Kelly Creek Project, the Stockade Mountain Property, the Miller Project, and the Lone Mountain Project including the Company's planned expenditures and exploration activities.

Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management at the date the statements are made. Furthermore, such forward-looking information involves a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

The Company cautions that there can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165823
AudiencePlus, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based media software for B2B brands to build, connect, and engage with audiences, raised $5.4M in Seed funding.

The round was led by Emergence Capital, with participation from Forum Ventures, Worklife Ventures, and GTMfund. As part of the funding, Gainsight CEO Nick Mehta joined AudiencePlus board as an independent director.

The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach.

Led by Anthony Kennada, Co-founder & CEO, AudiencePlus is a software platform that allows people to use owned media to create a sustainable business pipeline. It replaces the corporate blog, resource center, or becomes a standalone property that empowers marketing teams to build, engage, and monetize their audiences. Specifically, it allows marketers to do the following:

It uses videos, podcasts, articles, and live digital experiences (like webinars or virtual events).

Builds a subscriber-owned audience and sets content as exclusive to them.

Connects audience engagement with revenue outcomes with CRM and marketing automation platforms.

FinSMEs

11/05/2023
Catalyst, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based multi-fund firm, closed Catalyst IV, that will manage assets of $150m.

The fund, which has already invested in 3 companies  Curalife, Addionics and Nexar  will invest in growth companies in various sectors including: Cybersecurity, Life Sciences, DeepTech, Mobility, Climatech, Foodtech and Renewable Energy.

In addition to the new fund, Catalyst also announced the launch of Catalyst Investors Club (CIC), a global technology startup in the Fintech market. CIC is an investment platform that enables accredited investors to invest alongside VCs.

Established in 1999 and led by partners Edouard Cukierman, Yair Shamir, Boaz Harel, Lisya Bahar-Manoah, and Luc Muller, Catalyst is a multi-fund firm with over 24 years of experience in investing in mature technology companies that have an Israel nexus. Established in 1999, it is currently the only fund still operating with the same managing partners.

Catalyst Funds have a total of $450 million in managed assets. Catalyst III resulted in five exits out of eight investments, with four going public in America and one through M&A.

FinSMEs

11/05/2023
Driveco, a Paris, France-based electric vehicle charging company, raised 250M in funding.

Backers included APG, Mirova, and Corsica Sole. The completion of the deal is subject to applicable regulatory approvals and is expected to take place during the first half of 2023.

The funding will support the companys expansion plan and consolidate its position as a player in electric vehicle charging infrastructure in France and in Europe.

Led by CEO Ion Leahu-Aluas, Driveco works to bring electric mobility within everyones reach. To this end, the company leverages renewable energy resources and a network of 8,000 charging points in operation or under construction. Since its inception, Drivecos charging points have enabled the charging of 80 million kilometres driven in electric vehicles and supplied more than 13 million kWh of electricity.

The company has generated record-level revenues of 25m in 2022, tripling the result achieved in 2021 with plans to operate over 60,000 charging points in Europe by 2030.

FinSMEs

11/05/2023
ecoSPIRITS, a Singapore-based circular economy technology company focusing on low carbon, low waste distribution systems for the premium wine and spirits industry, raised $10M in Series A funding.

The round saw participation from Pernod Ricards (Paris:RI) venture capital fund, Convivialite Ventures, along with New York-based circular economy investment fund Closed Loop Partners and Asian and global investors, including Proterra Asia, Pavilion Capital, and Wavemaker Partners.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate its research and development program, scale up its hardware, software and Internet-of-Things (IoT) research and development program, expand operations in key markets worldwide, including the United States, and grow its regional customer and engineering teams in Miami, London, Singapore and Shanghai.

Founded in 2018, ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed a low carbon, low waste distribution technology for the spirits industry. Its patent-pending, closed-loop technology is active in 25 countries worldwide, including many of consumer markets. It is now available in more than 15 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas where more than 1,500 bars, restaurants and hotels have adopted the technology.

ecoSPIRITS serves its customer base from offices in Singapore, Shanghai, London and Miami.

FinSMEs

11/05/2023
New Delhi: Budget carrier SpiceJet on Thursday said it has no plans to file for insolvency proceedings and has also started the process of reviving its grounded fleet with $50 million.

The statement from SpiceJet comes at a time when a lessor has filed an insolvency resolution plea against the airline and crisis-hit rival Go First being admitted for voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Wednesday.

While citing the recent developments in the Indian aviation market, SpiceJet said it has no plans whatsoever to file for insolvency.

We want to scotch any speculation that may have arisen due to the filing by another airline. The airline is firmly focussed on its business and remains in active talks with investors to raise funds, it said in a statement.

On May 8, the NCLT issued a notice to the budget carrier on the insolvency plea filed by lessor AirCastle (Ireland) Ltd and the matter is scheduled for a hearing next week.

Besides, lessors have sought the deregistration of three planes of SpiceJet.

There is absolutely no question of filing for insolvency. Any rumour regarding the same is completely baseless. We are focused firmly on reviving our grounded fleet and getting more and more planes back into the air. Work on this front has already begun, and the company is using the USD 50 million ECLGS funds and our own cash, SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said.

SpiceJet also said that it has initiated the process of reviving its grounded fleet with the USD 50 million funds received by the airline from the governments Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) and internal cash accruals.

Shares of the airline fell 1 per cent to Rs 29.62 in the afternoon trade on the BSE.

Last week, the airline announced plans to revive 25 grounded aircraft.

The airline has around 80 planes in its fleet and is looking to revive 25 grounded Boeing 737 and Q400 aircraft.



Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Back in April, Netflix landed in trouble for their new documentary African Queens: Queen Cleopatra. And it had to do something with the portrayal of the historic figure Cleopatra.

What was the matter exactly?

Viewers werent really pleased with the idea of Cleopatra being presented a black woman. One archeologist weighed on the fact that Cleopatra was not black but light-skinned. A lawyer too filed a complaint against the makers, alleging this was nothing but an attempt to erase the Egyptian identity. He further stated that the show was misleading in terms of media laws and said Netflix is trying to promote the Afrocentric thinking which includes slogans and writings aimed at distorting and erasing the Egyptian identity.

Director Elizabeth Taylor speaks out

The director of African Queens: Queen Cleopatra has now spoken on the controversy to Variety. She said, I am not saying you are Cleopatra but somehow you share her story and are connected. Less than a month later, I got a call from a production company making Jada Pinkett Smiths African Queens and was subsequently hired to direct four episodes of a drama-documentary on the life of the controversial leader. The joke was on me.

She added, I remember as a kid seeing Elizabeth Taylor play Cleopatra. I was captivated, but even then, I felt the image was not right. Was her skin really that white? With this new production, could I find the answers about Cleopatras heritage and release her from the stranglehold that Hollywood had placed on her image?

Speaking about her research, she revealed, Doing the research, I realized what a political act it would be to see Cleopatra portrayed by a Black actress. For me, the idea that people had gotten it so incredibly wrong before  historically, from Theda Bara to Monica Bellucci, and recently, with Angelina Jolie and Gal Gadot in the running to play her  meant we had to get it even more right. The hunt was on to find the right performer to bring Cleopatra into the 21st century.

Celluloids Cleopatras statement

The actress playing the figure had said in a statement- If you dont like the casting, dont watch the show. The producer of the Netflix production also said that her heritage is highly debated.

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 Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as working members of the Royal Family in 2020. According to GBnews, Grant Harrold, a former royal butler, has predicted the couple will be allowed to keep their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles due to the fact they were granted by the late Queen.

Harrold said: I know a lot of people think that King Charles should strip Harry of his royal title. Kings and Queens would historically strip royal titles for treason to the crown.

I think Charles is damned if he does, and damned if he doesnt when it comes to Harry. At the moment, I think there is not a real justified reason for him to strip Harrys Duke of Sussex title.

Another reason he probably will not is that the Queen gave it to Harry as a gift, added Harrold. For Charles to take the title off Harry, hes taking a gift from his mother away from her grandchild. I really dont think he will. He added during an interview with Slingo: I think the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is something that will definitely remain with Harry and Meghan.

On the personal front rumours about Prince Harry and Meghan Markles divorce

According to the Daily Mail report, Meghan Markles estranged half-sister has launched another blistering attack on the Duchess of Sussex by claiming that her marriage to Prince Harry will end in divorce unless they get extensive counselling. Samantha Markle suggested the Duke may already be questioning the marriage and predicted it could get nasty until he starts dissenting or pulling back from her. The 56-year-old American also called on the Sussexes to go on an apology tour after the couple made accusations of racism within the Royal Family during their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.

A royal commentator had earlier mentioned that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are breaking apart and leading separate lives. The rumors, according to royal expert Tom Bower, are coming out of London. There are many now in London who say Meghan is getting tired of Harry. There is speculation that the Duchess of Sussex, 41, will at any moment say This is enough and negotiate with King Charles III some deal to break off the marriage.

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 Golden Temple in Amritsar, the most revered sites for Sikhs in India, was shaken on Thursday morning when a low-intensity blast took place around the area. This is the third such incident taking place around the holy site, raising many questions about the security in the area.

Shortly after Thursdays incident, the Punjab Police said that it had nabbed five people. The Tribune reported that a newly-wed couple was among the five miscreants that had been arrested for the blast.

Whats going on at the temple? Who is responsible for these attacks? How have the authorities reacted?

Three blasts in a week

In the wee hours of Thursday, around 12.30 am, a low-intensity blast was heard near Shri Guru Ramdas Ji Niwas near Golden Temple in Amritsar.

#WATCH | Amritsar: Visuals from outside the building of Shri Guru Ramdas Ji Niwas from where suspects were rounded up in the aftermath of a loud sound, that was heard near the Golden Temple, which, as per the police, could be another explosion.#Punjab pic.twitter.com/CXzms3FdYw  ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

The Punjab Police immediately rushed in and apprehended five people for the attack, with the Director General of Punjab Police tweeting, Amritsar low-intensity explosion cases solved.

Police official Naunihal Singh told news agency AFP, The area is totally sealed and a forensic team is working on it.

According to Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami it was a team of their members who quickly investigated the explosion and apprehended the accused. Speaking to Indian Express, he said, Our staff noticed the incident on CCTV cameras. They visited the spot and noticed a man entering and leaving a washroom. Then, they used CCTV footage to track that man and apprehended him.

According to reports, the main accused threw the bomb from the window of a washroom situated on the second floor of an inn near the site of worship. He then returned to room 225 and slept outside it.

SGPC president Dhami also came down heavily on the state government and emphasised that these matters should not be taken lightly. He was quoted as telling ANI, This is the failure of the Punjab government. We will strengthen our own task force now. We urge police to hold a thorough probe into the matter.

This is the third such blast around the Golden Temple. The first took place on 6 May at Heritage Street near the revered site and the second followed on 8 May at the same location. In the first blast, one sustained minor injuries and similarly one more was hurt in the second. The explosive used in the two blasts on Heritage Street in Amritsar were packed with two health drink cans.

Later on Thursday, Punjab Police DGP Gaurav Yadav in a press conference revealed details about the accused and gave further details about the blasts. He said the incidents were aimed to disturb the peace in the area. He added that firecracker explosives were used in the blasts.

DGP Yadav identified the five accused as Azadvir Singh, Amreek Singh, Sahib Singh, Harjeet Singh and Dharmendra Singh. He said that of the five, three were involved in the sourcing of the explosives. One woman is also being questioned, he said. In the press conference, he further added that three containers of explosives triggered the last blast.

#WATCH | Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav gives details about recent low-intensity explosions near Amritsar's Golden Temple and the arrest of five persons in this connection pic.twitter.com/ObwilIPxRR  ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2023

No mention of Khalistani elements or of their involvement has been mentioned as of now, with News18 reporting that one of the accused was identified as a former government employee, with extreme radical views.

Past attacks at Golden Temple

The Golden Temple is revered by the Sikhs all over the world. However, it has been a scene of violence on multiple occasions.

The most significant of these was in 1984 when the Indian Army stormed their way into the 17th-century shrines compound to flush out more than 2,000 Sikh militants. Indira Gandhi, the then-prime minister of India, had ordered the military operation  Operation Bluestar. Several people were killed and the temple was destroyed during the operation, which took place between 1 June and 8 June 1984.

The operation was aimed at neutralising Sikh preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale and his armed supporters who had taken up residence in Amritsars Golden Temple complex.

In June 2014, the temple once again witnessed violence when rival groups of Sikhs clashed at the shrine, with ceremonial swords and staffs being swung in anger, resulting in injuries and panic. The incident, as per a Times of India report, took place when a group of radical Sikh activists wanted to brandish their swords and chant slogans calling for a separate Sikh homeland, or Khalistan. Other news outlets said the clash followed an argument over who would be allowed to speak at the event, and in what order.

In December 2021, tensions had erupted again around the temple complex when a man in his 20s was beaten to death after being accused of a sacrilege attempt.

In March, the Golden Temple was the site of unrest when hundreds of Amritpal Singh supporters came out and chanted slogans of Amritpal Singh Zindabad after the police had issued a lookout circular, non-bailable warrant against the pro-Khalistan leader.

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 significant verdict today (11 May), the Supreme Court ruled that the then Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyaris decision asking the Uddhav Thackeray government for a floor test was wrong. However, it court said it cannot restore the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government as Thackeray resigned last year from the chief minister post without facing the floor test in the Assembly.

Had Thackeray not resigned, this Court could have restored his government, the apex court said.

As per LiveLaw, the apex court also announced Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekars decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale, backed by the Shinde camp, as the whip of the Shiv Sena party was illegal.

The remarks come as the court was hearing a disqualification plea of 16 MLAs of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

According to ANI, the top court has referred the disqualification petitions to the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker who has to take a call within a reasonable time.

Supreme Court says the Speaker must decide on disqualification petitions within a reasonable time. Supreme Court further states that the status quo cannot be restored as Uddhav Thackeray did not face the Floor test and tendered his resignation. Hence, the Governor was justified https://t.co/Zn81QefXMl  ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2023

The Supreme Court verdict on Sena vs Sena tussle is expected to have wider repercussions. The case was heard by a five-judge Constitution Bench, comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli, and PS Narasimha.

The apex court had concluded the hearing on a batch of pleas filed by both the warring Sena factions on 16 March and reserved its verdict.

What did the court say in todays judgement, what is the Sena vs Sena battle case, and how will the verdict impact the Maharashtra government? We explain.

Supreme Courts verdict

The Supreme Court questioned the governor for directing Thackeray to prove majority in the House following the rebellion by a group of Shiv Sena MLAs led by Shinde.

It said the governor had no objective material to doubt the confidence of the MVA govt and call for a floor test. The resolution relied on by the government did not indicate that MLAs wanted to withdraw support, reported LiveLaw.

In a significant statement, the five-judge bench observed: Neither the Constitution nor the law empower the Governor to enter the political arena and play a role either in inter-party or intra-party disputes.

CJI : Even if it is assumed that the MLAs wanted to exit the govt, they constituted only a faction.#ShivSena #MaharashtraPoliticalCrisis #SupremeCourt #UddhavThackeray #EknathShinde  Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) May 11, 2023

Governor erred in relying on the resolution of a faction of MLAs of Shiv Sena to conclude that Thackeray had lost support of the majority of MLAs, the bench said in its verdict.

But as Thackeray resigned without facing a floor test, the governor was justified in administering oath to Shinde with the support of the largest party BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), the top court added.

Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena

It all started last June when the rebellion by Shinde and some other MLAs resulted in the collapse of the Thackeray-led MVA government in Maharashtra.

Thackerays Sena camp moved the apex court seeking the disqualification of 16 rebel MLAs including Shinde. These lawmakers were issued disqualification notices for failing to attend a party meeting convened by the then chief minister Thackeray despite the whip.

The Shinde group approached the top court challenging the disqualification notices. They also filed a plea against then Maharashtra deputy speaker Narhari Zirwals decision to recognise Ajay Choudhari as leader of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party (SSLP) in place of Shinde.

ALSO READ: In Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena tussle, how Uddhav Thackeray is keeping up the fight

Meanwhile, the Thackeray camp also urged the apex court to set aside Koshyaris order to Thackeray to take a floor test.

On 27 June 2022, the Supreme Court granted more time to Shinde to file responses to the disqualification notices. Later, the top court refused to stay the floor test called by the governor.

Thackeray resigned before the trust vote could be held on 30 June, leading to Shinde taking oath as the chief minister with BJPs Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy.

On 3 July, BJP MLA Narwekar was elected the Assembly Speaker. The Shinde-Fadnavis government proved a majority on the floor by securing the vote of 164 out of the 288 MLAs.

The rival Sena factions accused each other of defying the party whip on 3 and 4 July, seeking disqualification of lawmakers from both sides, reported Indian Express.

The Thackeray camp then moved the top court challenging the governors appointment of Shinde as chief minister and Narwekars decision to appoint the Shinde groups candidate as the Shiv Senas chief whip.

What happens now?

For now, the Shinde government seems to be safe. As the apex court refused to interfere with the formation of the current Maharashtra government, it means that Shinde can continue as the chief minister of the state.

The disqualification petitions now lies with the Speaker. A senior BJP leader had told The Hindu ahead of the verdict, If the matter is referred to the Speaker, it is highly likely that the composition of the government and the Chief Ministers position would remain unchanged.

Welcoming the verdict, Shinde and Fadnavis called it a victory for democracy and the democratic process.

Today, MVAs conspiracy has been defeated. Now, no one should doubt that the Maharashtra government is completely legal, Fadnavis told reporters.

Today, Maha Vikas Aghadis (MVA) conspiracy has been defeated. Now, no one should doubt that the Maharashtra government is completely legal: Maharashtra Deputy CM & BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis https://t.co/9Wyz3Iacyr  ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2023

Reacting to the Supreme Court ruling, Shinde faction MP Rahul Ramesh Shewale told ANI: This is a big relief to the Shinde government in Maharashtra. Now the State will get a stable government.

Slamming Shinde after the verdict, Thackeray called the chief minister to leave the top post. Eknath Shinde won after murdering democracy. He should resign as Chief Minister like I did, Thackeray said at a press conference, as per NDTV.

#WATCH | If the current Maharashtra CM and deputy CM have any ethics, then they should resign: Uddhav Thackeray #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/wqNPrnG36F  ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2023

Supreme Court has said that the Shiv Sena Shinde groups whip is illegalThe current government is illegal and formed against the Constitution, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut was quoted as saying by ANI.

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.
At least 74 people were killed last month following clashes that erupted between farmers and herders in different communities in the state.

The Senate has condemned the attacks that claimed many lives and destroyed properties in some communities in Benue State.

This was a sequel to a motion moved by Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) at the plenary session on Wednesday.

At least 74 people were killed last month following clashes that erupted between farmers and herders in different communities in the state.

Police spokesperson in the state, Catherine Anene, said 28 bodies were recovered at a camp for internally displaced people in Mgban Local Government Area between Friday evening and Saturday morning, some hours after the last attack was recorded.

Speaking on the attacks at the plenary, Mr Moro said many lives and properties of his people have been displaced as a result of the clashes.

He said the attacks were carried out by suspected killer herdsmen, noting that none of the perpetrators have been arrested since the incident.

The senator urged the Senate to mandate security agencies in the country to investigate the attacks and fish out the perpetrators.

He requested that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) should be directed to mobilise its officers to the affected communities to support survivors of the attacks.

Mr Moro also requested that the Senate should observe one minute of silence in memory of those that lost their lives in the attacks.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, therefore, ordered security agencies to investigate the attacks and arrest the perpetrators.

Mr Lawan also directed NEMA to mobilise its officers to the affected communities.

The upper legislative chamber also observed a minute silence in memory of the dead victims.
As Turkish voters head to polls for the presidential and parliamentary elections on 14 May, the biggest question is whether President Recep Tayyip Erdogans two-decade-long grip on power can be challenged.

Turkeys main opposition parties have made a range of promises that include boosting the economy, democratising the political system, separating religion from state affairs and improving the countrys ties with the West.

However, it is increasingly clear there are significant differences in the positions of each party in the Opposition coalition. Serious questions remain as to how much change one can expect to see, even if Erdogan is defeated.

Many Turkish citizens would like to see new policies to lift Turkey out of one of the most severe economic crises it has experienced in the last two decades. But the political issues are even more complex. Any issues related to the political system, secularism and foreign relations have become more polarised as Erdogan has consolidated his power in recent years.

A divided Opposition

Turkeys largest opposition party is the Republican Peoples Party (the Turkish acronym for which is CHP). Formed by the founder of Turkeys secular republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, this party remains loyal to the ideology of Turkish nationalism and is considered to be in the centre-left of politics.

CHP has aligned itself with other nationalist and conservative forces in a coalition called the Nation Alliance, whose combined shares of the vote might be enough to defeat Erdogans Justice and Development Party (also known as the AK Party).

While there is widespread scepticism about polling in Turkey, the most recent surveys have showed that CHPs position is relatively strong in the presidential race. In the parliamentary elections, however, Erdogans conservative policies seem to be serving the AK Party well.

This is a problem for the Opposition, which has not done enough to counter the conservative politics of the ruling alliance.

The leader of the Opposition is Kemal Kilicdaroglu, whom the Nation Alliance has nominated as its presidential candidate. This is despite Kilicdaroglus relatively low credibility with the public, as compared to other CHP figures.

Kilicdaroglu has pledged to deport the large number of refugees who have sought shelter in Turkey since 2011 when the war began in Syria. The Opposition has argued this is a primary reason why Turkey is suffering economically, despite the widely acknowledged role of Erdogans disastrous monetary policy.

However, other nationalist and left-leaning forces with significant public support have decided to stay outside the Nation Alliance.

On the nationalist side, the Opposition candidate for the 2018 presidential elections (Muharrem Ince) is running on behalf of his new Homeland Party. Ultra-nationalists are also being represented by the Ancestral Alliance coalition, led by Sinan Ogan.

Also Read: Who is Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Erdogans key challenger and the future of Turkish democracy?

Parties on the left, on the other hand, have only been able to run in the parliamentary elections. Potential candidates from Turkeys large Kurdish minority have faced particular difficulty in nominating themselves for the presidential race.

Many of them have been imprisoned on charges of being linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party. Their only option is to back Kilicdaroglu, which some have done.

Erdogan is, of course, the AK Partys candidate for president. The party has been in power since 2002 when it won a majority of seats in the parliamentary elections for the first time.

Erdogan became prime minister in 2003, and then won the presidential election in 2014 before being reelected in 2018. If he is elected, this would be his final term.

The AK Party is a conservative party with Islamist origins, currently in a coalition with the far-right Nationalist Movement that has become fragmented and unpopular. Despite this unpopular coalition, Erdogan himself has managed to maintain somewhat favourable ratings with the public.

No checks on the president

One of the biggest pledges the Nation Alliance has made is to return Turkeys presidential political system back to a parliamentary system. Since Erdogan pushed through a referendum in 2017 to abolish the prime ministers office, the president has been able to exercise an unprecedented level of power.

Many observers blame the referendum for removing crucial checks on presidential power.

Also Read: Turkeys landmark elections: Whats at stake for the nation and the world?

In addition, the Opposition has also assured voters it will mend fences with Europe after ties deteriorated sharply under Erdogans rule. It would try to unfreeze Turkeys European Union accession talks, which have been stalled since 2018 due to the countrys democratic backsliding. Turkeys economic and political partnerships with Russia have also been an issue for the EU.

Perhaps more importantly, in terms of foreign policy, the Opposition is promising to foster better relations with countries in the Middle East. These ties have frayed because of Turkeys aggressive foreign policy and incidents like the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, which caused a rift between Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

The Opposition is also pledging to expedite the countrys rapprochement with Israel, the Gulf states, Egypt and Syria.

Erdogan has yet to fully normalise relations with these states, as they are still wary of Turkeys regional influence under the AK Partys rule. Erdogan has positioned Turkey as a middle power with strategic influence in the Middle East and the wider region, particularly after the Arab Spring. This influence is unlikely to fade soon, regardless of the elections.

Also Read: Turkish presidential polls: Erdogan may have an edge but the battle isnt over yet

So, will a change in Turkish leadership transform Turkey and the region?

The answer is not simple. But its likely much will stay the same. Many key institutions in Turkey like the parliament, judicial system and press have lost their independence during the Erdogan era.

Erodgans party has become very influential in both domestic and foreign policy, which means his footprint will not disappear immediately, even if he is not re-elected. Rather, Erdogan will have a lasting social, economic and political legacy for both Turkey and its neighbours.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Thailand is grappling with a major issue ahead of its general elections  weed.

The country, which decriminalised cannabis last year, has been left without a law to regulate the use of the substance after its Parliament concluded its final session.

Lets take a look at how cannabis became a major election issue in Thailand:

What happened?

In June 2022, Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to decriminalise cannabis.

The country till that point had some of the worlds harshest drug laws, as per Time Magazine. Merely possessing cannabis could land an offender a 15-year prison stint.

Thailands deputy prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul of the Bhumjaithai party, was the driving force behind this move.

Anutin, also the health minister, argued that legalising the drug would both reduce overcrowding in prison and boost the hemp industry  which in turn would drive down the poverty rate.

According to SCMP, the country also wanted to provide a fillip to its nascent medicine and culinary industry  which is expected to generate billions of dollars in revenue down the line.

Indeed, within weeks of decriminalisation, thousands of cannabis shops and businesses popped up in Bangkok and in tourist hotspots.

At the same time, a raft of rushed piecemeal regulations to curb its potential unchecked use, including by children, was passed by authorities.

Parliament was considering a cannabis draft bill, but in February it concluded its final session before the 14 May general elections without endorsing the bill.

Which left the country without an umbrella law to regulate the use of the substance.

Parties turn up the heat on govt

Anti-drug feeling runs deep in largely conservative Thailand.

Public outrage has been stoked by videos of schoolchildren and tourists smoking weed as well as pre-rolled marijuana buds being sold on the streets, as per SCMP.

The Bhumjaithai Party, which successfully pushed for legalisation and campaigned on the issue in the 2019 elections, has come under fire from the Opposition and some of its coalition partners in government.

The Opposition Pheu Thai Party, whose leader Sreetha Thavisin is a frontrunner to become the next prime minister, said the recreational use of cannabis posed a threat to society, especially young people.

SCMP quoted Thavisin, an ex-real estate CEO as saying, Since Ive been on campaign trail I have experienced first-hand the suffering of the people and their discontent with images of 10-year-olds smoking ganja as well as other drug problems in communities.

These are images that many Thai people  including myself  cannot have expected to see and we dont want the future of our children to be like this.

I sincerely hope Anutin will see the problem in the way that I see it  to build a better future for our children.

The party only supports the use of cannabis for medical purposes, spokesperson Trichada Sritada added.

We dont want any more weed. Were done with it, Pheu Thai secretary-general Prasert Chanruangthong was quoted as saying last week by VOA.

Pheu Thai is for medicinal marijuana, not recreational. Do you remember brothers and sisters, the party which sold you Ganja as a magic pill to cure every illness and a cash crop for whoever grows it to become rich? The only people who got rich from it are the capitalists.

Pheu Thai candidate for District 10 in Buriram, Jamras Wiangsong, told CNA, Today, there are kids walking around with bongs. I think its such a huge risk. If the government doesnt cut this issue out quickly, it will become a social issue for the youth who are the future of this country.

The Move Forward party, which is looking to supplant the Bhumjaithai as the second-largest party, has also criticised the bill.

There should have been a sandbox concept  certain areas slowly first and controlled, its face Pita Limjaroenrat told This Week in Asia.

Satit Wongnongtoey, a lawmaker from the Democrat Party, a Bhumjaithai coalition partner, said the decriminalisation of cannabis without proper legislation was a mistake and vowed to address it after the election.

His party only supported its medical use, he said.

Bhumjaithai remains undaunted

But Bhumjaithai is, however, planning to submit the same draft bill to restart the process in the next Parliament after the upcoming elections, senior party member Supachai Jaisamut said.

If there is a cannabis law, we can regulate it 100 per cent, he said. But with what we have, we can already regulate it 70 per cent.

Theres no such a thing as too fast, too soon when it comes to legalizing weed. The whole world has already done it, Jaisamut told VOA News.

Politicians who are now against the legalisation are the same ones that voted for it to pass [first reading] in parliament. But now theyre speaking out against it because its one of our policies.

Anutin, meanwhile, remains defiant.

He has vowed that his party will not join a coalition that does not support cannabis regulation legislation, as per SCMP.

Whoever wants to form the government with us must support the cannabis policy, Anutin said in April, as per VOA. We cant keep holding the Thai people hostage like this.

Anutin told Time Magazine in April the drug had been stigmatised for many years and it would take time and effort to change the perception of people.

What happened is that weve got a new cash crop or industrial crop. And like other industrial crops, it comes with economic opportunity. In the near future, we can maximize the opportunity by positioning Thailand as the leader in the market and becoming the source for products and know-how, Anutin was quoted as saying.

Cannabis growers and dispensary owners are waiting and watching.

Worapot Kotcharat, a rice and cannabis farmer in Buriram, told CNA, Right now things are not looking good because lots of people are trying to use the political situation to take cannabis hostage. That is why cannabis in Thailand is very fragile and a very sensitive topic now.

The concept of making it illegal again does not make sense. No one will get rid of marijuana, but its about how strict the laws will be. This will be a challenge for the farmers who will have to adapt to the situation, local farmer Siwasan said.

A major party clearly says it wants marijuana to be back on the narcotics list, but in reality, marijuana laws have progressed far beyond that, and I dont think they would dare to go up against the new wave of entrepreneurs who have jumped into this business, Siwasan added.

Theres not really a chance for the law to go backwards, said Chokwan Chopaka, who runs a dispensary, told VOA.

But theres a high chance of rule-making that would bar people from entering the industry. Think of it like beer  alcohol  it wont be illegal, but it will be extremely regulated.

But experts say anything could happen after the polls.

Everyone will do whatever it takes to win. And once the election process is over, it will stand on the basis of what benefits each party the most, Sathaporn of Buriram Rajabhat University told CNA.

Bhumjaithai Party used to be a part of the Thai Rak Thai Party for a while, so its not difficult for them to return to the same place they were before  like a river with many streams that in the end all ends up in the same place.

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 final vote has been cast for the Karnataka Assembly election and the results for the southern state will only be known on 13 May. However, in the meantime, various exit polls have been released, painting the political picture of the state and deciding the future of the parties  the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S).

The exit polls for Karnataka have predicted a hung assembly, with most giving a slight edge to the Congress. The other big takeaway from the exit polls is that HD Kumaraswamys JD(S) is most likely to play kingmaker in the 224-seat Assembly.

It remains to be seen, however, if pollsters are right, as they were in 2018. For those who have forgotten, in 2018, the exit polls had predicted a hung assembly with the BJP emerging as the single largest party and the actual results had gone the same way.

Will 2023 be a repeat of 2018? Have the pollsters correctly predicted the political future? Heres an in-depth look of what happened then and now.

What 2023 looks like?

Of all the exit polls carried out, most of them have predicted a hung assembly in Karnataka but given the upper hand to the Congress. They stated that it would be the JD(S) that could decide who would be in power in the state.

Of all the exit polls, two of them  News 24-Todays Chanakya and India Today- Axis My India  predicted a clear win for the Congress. In the 224-member Assembly, a clear majority is 113 seats. While News 24-Todays Chanakya predicted 120+ seats for the Congress, the India Today- Axis My India gave the Congress 122-140 seats. The exit poll by Zee News Matrize has predicted a win for the Congress by the narrowest of margins  103-118. Similarly, the India TV-CNX has also given it to the Grand Old Party with 110-120 seats.

Two of the exit polls, however, gave the win to the BJP. The News Nation-CGS exit poll has the BJP just inching past the majority mark, bagging 114 seats. It says the Congress will win 86 and the JD(S)s tally to be 21.

The Asianet Suvarna-Jan Ki Baat exit poll has given BJP between 94 to 117 seats and Congress, 91 to 106 seats. JD(S) is projected to get us 14 to 24 seats.

The BJP has rejected most of the predictions, with Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai, being quoted as saying in his constituency of Shiggaon, Exit polls are exit polls. They cant be 100 per cent correct. There will be variation that can change the whole scenario.

Our ground report says we will win with absolute majority. Let us wait till May 13 (the counting day), he said.

It was a sentiment that even his predecessor and BJP strongman BS Yediyurappa held. Speaking to ANI, Yediyurappa said, Even now I am 100 per cent confident that we are going to form the government with absolute majority.

The big Karnataka Assembly election news right here

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: Which poll issues will decide the fate of the parties?

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: Beta, beti, bhai and biwi the nepo netas in the fray

Explained: The Lingayat-Vokkaliga factor in Karnataka elections

BJPs I-T head Amit Malviya also refuted the exit polls, saying there was nothing that suggests that the Congress will have a run away win  not in voting percentage, not on the ground. These are just exit polls and not the actual result. Keep an ambulance handy in case the result flips, which is very likely.

The Congress, on the other hand too, refuted the results of the exit polls, saying their numbers would be even bigger than what was predicted. DK Shivakumar, Congress senior leader, and troubleshooter, speaking to news agency ANI said, My first reaction is that I dont believe these numbers (exit polls). I stand by my numbers that we will cross 146 seats. People are highly educated and are looking at larger interests because the double engine has failed in Karnataka. The situation will not arise (to form alliance with any party).

Jagadish Shettar, a veteran BJP leader who switched to the Congress ahead of the polls, was also confident of a win, saying: Congress will get a clear majority and form the government. There is no question of coalition with any other party, especially JD(S).

Interestingly, both Congress and BJP are gaining vote share percentages in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly election when compared to the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election. According to the ABP-CVoter exit poll, the Congress is predicted to get 41 per cent of the total votes  an upswing of 3.1 per cent vote share.

The same exit poll has also recorded growth for the BJP. It has predicted a 38.3 per cent vote share for the saffron party. JD(S) is the one taking a fall in vote share percentage, with 14.6 per cent of the votes coming their way.

What happened in 2018?

The results predicted by the exit polls presently  a hung assembly  is very similar to what was predicted in 2018, with the big difference being that they had predicted the BJP as emerging as the single largest party then.

Of the eight major exit polls aired on television channels, six had predicted that the BJP would get the largest number of seats in the Assembly. All the polls had then suggested that the JD(S) would be kingmaker, with the party predicted to get between 20 and 40 seats.

The ABP-C Voter, NewsX-CNX, Republic-Jan ki Baat and News Nation exit polls predicted the BJP would be the largest party in the Assembly. A similar prediction was made by the regional Dighvijay-Vijayawani survey.

Times Now-VMR gave the Congress a narrow lead, while the Times Now-Todays Chanakya gave the BJP a clear majorit. The India Today-Axis exit poll said the Congress would be the single largest party.

The ABP-C Voter survey predicted 104-116 seats for the BJP, followed by 83-94 for the Congress, and 20-29 for the JD(S). NewsX-CNX predicted 102-110 seats for the BJP, 72-78 for the Congress, 35-39 for the JD (S), and 3-5 for others. The Republic-Jan ki Baat poll said the BJP would get 104, Congress 78, JD(S) 37, and others 3.

While the exit polls rightly predicted the BJP emerging as the single largest party  the saffron party in the 2018 Assembly elections won 104 seats  they overestimated the seat share of the Congress, while underestimating that of the JD(S).

Come 13 May and we shall know if the southern state has maintained its voting record since 1985 of going against the incumbent government. The BJP would hope not and has put up a spirited fight, which saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi carrying out a mammoth roadshow in Bengaluru and 18 public rallies.

The Congress, on the other hand, is hoping to win in Karnataka and regain some ground it has lost to the saffron party. If they win, it could also set the foundation for the upcoming general elections of 2024.

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.
Come summer and you become the favourite target of mosquitoes. If you are among those who relate to this and are fed up with attracting the insects, then it might be time to look at your soaps. A new study conducted by researchers from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has found that certain soapy fragrances are likely making you a mosquito magnet.

Published in the journal iScience, the study involved five human volunteers, four brands of soap and a mosquito species, noted The Atlantic.

How was the study carried out, what are the findings and how can you repel mosquitoes? Lets take a closer look.

What did researchers do?

They examined the odour profiles of their volunteers, before and after washing with one of the four different brands of soaps  Dial, Dove, Native, and Simple Truth.

Fabric samples that had absorbed each humans scent were used for the trial instead of exposing the volunteers to the female Aedes aegypti.

According to Forbes, these fabric samples were tested before and one hour after volunteers washed with these soaps.

What did they find?

According to the study, washing with Dove, Dial and Simple Truth enhanced the attractiveness of some, but not all, volunteers for the mosquitoes.

Another important finding was that a coconut-and-vanilla-scented body wash by Native seemed to repel mosquitoes.

This could be because of the coconut smell, as scientists believe coconut oils are a natural deterrent for mosquitoes, reported The Guardian.

It must be noted that all soaps used in the experiment contain limonene, which is known to repel mosquitoes.

Despite this, three of the four soaps used in the trials heightened attractiveness for mosquitoes.

Why does this happen?

Researchers involved in the study say mosquitoes may be attracted to soapy fragrances because they also feed on plant nectars when they are not sucking blood.

The fact we are taking those flowery, fruity smells and putting them on our bodies means that now the same object smells like a flower and a person at the same time, Clement Vinauger, who led the work at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, was quoted as saying by The Guardian. It would be like waking up and smelling something that was like both coffee and muffins. Very appealing.

Chloe Lahondere, co-author of the study, said in a press release that, soaps drastically change the way we smell, not only by adding chemicals but also by causing variations in the emission of compounds that we are already naturally producing.

Our results indicate that more than the absolute amount of a given chemical, what really matters to the mosquitoes is the relative amounts of chemicals in mixtures. How these interactions are processed in the brain of the mosquito is something that we are going to pursue, Vinauger told Medical News Today.

The study also noted that the effects of the soaps differed between people owing to the interactions between the soaps and each persons unique odour profile. Moreover, even if soaps are used or not, some people will continue to draw mosquitoes while others repel them.

This makes it hard to say, Hey, this soap will make you really attractive or That soap will keep mosquitoes completely away from you, Seyed Mahmood Nikbakht Zadeh, a chemical ecologist and medical entomologist at CSU San Bernardino, who was not a part of the study, was quoted as saying by The Atlantic.

Speaking to Healthline, Louisa Messenger, a UNLV School of Public Health researcher who specialises in the control of tropical infectious diseases spread by insects, said there are previous studies that show peoples level of attractiveness for mosquitoes varies due to their body odours.

Using different soaps can alter each individuals unique scent.

Its well known that microbial composition on the skin plays a key role in the production of human body odour. The soaps tested in the study are presumably having a dual effect of altering the skin microbiota as well as the attractant or repellent chemicals in the specific soaps tested, Messenger explained.

So, how to repel mosquitoes?

David Price, associate certified entomologist for Mosquito Joe, told Healthline that using soaps that have neem oil may help as it has been scientifically proven to repel mosquitoes in various countries.

Daniel Peach, an assistant professor in vector ecology and infectious diseases at the University of Georgias Savannah River Ecology Lab & Department of Infectious Diseases, suggested using products containing DEET, which as per him is the best repellent out there, reported Medical News Today.

However, there are other options for those who seek to avoid DEET, such as picaridin. If you are particularly attractive to mosquitoes you can do things to try and minimise this attraction, he added.

Not wearing dark clothing can also keep mosquitoes at bay, Peach said.

And well, there are always coconut-scented options that can be tried.

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 will make a state visit to the United States in June.

Modi will make the trip after an invitation from US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden and attend a state dinner.

Though the prime minister has made several trips to the United States, this is his first state visit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on an Official State Visit to the United States of America, which will include a state dinner on 22 June, 2023, following an invitation from President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, the MEA said in a statement.

Lets take a closer look at what a state visit is, how it differs from a regular visit and visits by other Indian leaders to the United States:

What is a state visit?

According to Indian Express, a state visit is one made by the head of government or a state.

It can be made only at the invitation of the sitting US president in his or her capacity as head of state.

State visits are the highest-ranking visits that can be made by foreign leaders.

Given their lofty status, they also occur extremely rarely.

A country can have just one state visit during a US presidents four-year term, as per RFERL.

According to Indian Express, while such trips are only made for a few days, they are filled with pomp and circumstance.

The visiting dignitary is afforded among other ceremonies

Greetings on the tarmac after landing

A 21-gun salute at the White House on arrival

A state dinner

Exchange of diplomatic gifts

An invite to stay at the US presidents guesthouse Blair House

Flags streetlining

Other types of visits and how they differ from state visits

According to RFEL.org, the other types of visits a member of a foreign government can make in order of importance are.

Official visit

Official working visit

Working visit

Private visit

Official visits also come at the invitation of the US president. The visiting dignitary is also offered many of the ceremonies held during a state visit including Blair House, arrival and departure ceremony and official dinner.

The main difference here is the rank of the visitor, the number of guns used during the salute and the type of dinner held in their honour  an official dinner versus a state dinner.

During an official working visit, a stay at Blair House is offered and the dignitary is given a meeting with the president and a working luncheon with the president and secretary of state at the White House.

A dinner or reception may or may not be held. There are no ceremonies on arrival and departure, gifts are not exchanged and spouses do not attend the working luncheon.

A working visit comprises a meeting at the White House with the president.

A private visit is when the foreign dignitary makes the trip without being invited by the president. A meeting with the US president may be requested and granted as a working session.

While state visits have the most prestige attached to them, the type of visit makes little difference when it comes to the actual amount of work done, as per Indian Express.

According to the newspaper, working visits can do as much as state visits when it comes to improving relations with other nations.

The newspaper added that given the pomp and circumstance surrounding state visits, more work is actually conducted during other less-prestigious visits.

As Mel French, who worked as the protocol director at the state department, told RFERL, Ranking the visits gives a level to what the president wants to do when he invites someone to this country.

Often they really need an official working visit where they can sit down and work through problems or things that they need to talk about. An official working visit is really a visit of substance and policy. A state visit and an official visit are more of a ceremonial type thing where we are honoring a country.

The prime minister previously visited the United States on five occasions, according to the state departments Office of The Historian.

In 2019, Modi participated in a Houston Rally

In 2017, Modi made an official working visit

In 2016, Modi had a working lunch

In 2016, Modi attended the Nuclear Security Summit and

In 2014, Modi made a working visit

This will be Modis first state visit.

State visits by Indian leaders to US

While several Indian leaders have visited the United States, just two have made state visits  prime minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009 under president Barack Obama and President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan under president John F Kennedy.

Singhs visit to the United States was Obamas first state visit after being elected. He was accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur.

In 2016, then chief White House photographer Pete Souza put up images of Obama and his wife Michelle respectively escorting Manmohan and Kaur during the visit.

Obama, Manmohan and other delegates held a meeting the White House and also addressed the media.

Manmohan during the trip also met then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Radhakrishnan, who was President of India from 1962 to 1967, was known as a philosopher-statesman.

He visited Williamsburg (Virginia), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Cape Canaveral (Florida), Denver (Colorado), Los Angeles, and New York City.

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.
Queen Cleopatra of Egypt was formidable and remains an iconic part of history. That is something everyone agrees on. She has been immortalised by Shakespeare and Hollywood on numerous occasions. However, Netflixs recent attempt of jumping on the Cleopatra bandwagon has caused outrage in Egypt.

A new docudrama series by Netflix titled Queen Cleopatra, which released on 10 May, has stirred massive controversy, with not only the Egyptian government intervening, but also ordering its own version based on the iconic character.

Whats the row all about? Why are Egyptians unhappy with the Netflix serial?

Queen Cleopatra and the show

Queen Cleopatra was the seventh, but most well-known Egyptian ruler, to hold this name. She was the last member of the Ptolemy dynasty to rule Egypt after 5,000 years of Pharaonic rule; her reign lasted 21 years before she died by suicide in August 30 B.C.

Her story has been told in literature and by Hollywood for years, and while shes often portrayed primarily as a temptress, historians note that she was also very likely a consummate politician. It is said that she maintained Egypts autonomy through astute diplomacy and personal charisma amidst the ever growing Roman Empire throughout her 21-year-long reign.

Seeing how significant she is, Jada Pinkett Smith decided to add her to her drama-docuseries hybrids, African Queens. Queen Cleopatra consists of four episodes and has been directed by Tina Gharavi. It stars biracial British actor Adele James as Queen Cleopatra and was released on the platform on 10 May.

When speaking on the series, Jada Pinkett Smith had said in a Netflix-sponsored article, We dont often get to see or hear stories about Black queens, and that was really important for me, as well as for my daughter, and just for my community to be able to know those stories because there are tonnes of them.

The big row over Netflixs Cleopatra

The decision to cast British actor Adele James, who is biracial, has stirred massive controversy in Egypt. Ever since the trailer dropped last month, local academics and others are claiming that Cleopatra, who was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 69 BC and belonged to a Greek-speaking dynasty, was of European descent and not Black.

Zahi Hawass, a prominent Egyptologist and former antiquities minister, told the al-Masry al-Youm newspaper: This is completely fake. Cleopatra was Greek, meaning that she was light-skinned, not Black.

Hawass added that the only rulers of Egypt known to have been black were the Kushite kings of the 25th Dynasty (747-656 BC). Netflix is trying to provoke confusion by spreading false and deceptive facts that the origin of the Egyptian civilisation is black, he was quoted as saying and called on Egyptians to take a stand against the streaming giant.

Egypts Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities also waded into the controversy, issuing a long statement on Twitter, stressing that Queen Cleopatra had light skin and Hellenistic (Greek) features.

The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities stated that the appearance of a heroine of the documentary Queen #Cleopatra, which will be shown on the Netflix platform, with African features and dark skin, is considered a falsification of Egyptian history. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/d8Zwuho9Bx  Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (@TourismandAntiq) April 30, 2023

An Egyptian lawyer has also sued Netflix for depicting Cleopatra as a black woman. Mahmoud al-Semary in his lawsuit said that portraying Cleopatra as a black African was an attempt to erase the Egyptian identity.

We have known for thousands of years that Cleopatra is of Greek origin and was born in Egypt. This is a fact. Our main objection is the falsification of these facts. It is not about being Black or White or even yellow. Lets say they wanted to portray Cleopatra as a man, we would also object to that, he told CBS News in an interview.

The Black portrayal of Cleopatra also has prompted outrage from the youth of the country. They have launched a counter-campaign #EgyptforEgyptians. In the campaign, young Egyptians share their photos online with half of the picture including their face and the other half showing the face of kings, queens or historic figures from ancient Egypt. Through these photos, the campaign aims to show the similarities between Egyptians today and ancient Egyptians.

And on the day of the release of the series, a government-owned Egyptian broadcaster announced that it would be producing its own series on Queen Cleopatra. The Al Wathaeqya channel  which is a subsidiary of Egypts state-affiliated United Media Services  said that it would start production on a high-end documentary about the true story of Queen Cleopatra, which it claims in a statement is based on the utmost levels of research and accuracy.

Popular comedian Bassem Youssef in a recent TV interview with British journalist Piers Morgan also slammed the portrayal of Cleopatra in the Netflix show.

"Hollywood has been erasing my people." Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef responds to Netflix's casting of black actress Adele James as Cleopatra.@Byoussef | @piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #PMU pic.twitter.com/0NHjgElkTZ  Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) April 24, 2023

While Netflix has remained mum on the issue, the director of the series, Tina Gharavi in an opinion piece in Variety wrote, Why shouldnt Cleopatra be a melanated sister? Why do some people need Cleopatra to be white?... Perhaps its not just that Ive directed a series that portrays Cleopatra as Black, but that I have asked Egyptians to see themselves as Africans, and they are furious at me for that.

Also read: Is California going to pay Black people billions of dollars in reparations for slavery?

Black or White  the Egypt debate

This isnt the first time that a debate has emerged on Cleopatras racial identity. Gaps in her family tree leave room for people to misinterpret indigenous Egyptian identity as Black.

While Cleopatras grandfather had two Macedonian-Greek wives, he also had a concubine of possibly Egyptian origin. Same is the case with Cleopatras father. Contemporary historical sources do not shed light on the identities of Cleopatras mother and grandmother but, as per Roller, while it is quite possible that Cleopatra was pure Macedonian Greek it is probable that she had some Egyptian blood, although the amount is uncertain.

The issue, for some isnt about the depiction of Cleopatra, but more about the blackwashing of Egyptian history. Some Egyptians view the casting of James as an overreach by the Afrocentrism movement and a bid by non-Egyptians to claim Egyptian heritage as their own.

I am against the film because it is pushing an Afrocentric agenda, regardless of the historical accuracy of whether Cleopatra was Black or White, Egyptian archaeologist Dr Monica Hanna told CBS News. They are imposing the identity politics of the 21st Century and appropriating the ancient Egyptian past, just as the Eurocentrists and the far-right in Europe are doing.

In recent times, Egypt has been hitting back at claims made by many Afrocentrists, claiming the ancestors of the country were Black. They allege that the civilisation was started by black Africans who had their role in its establishment erased by invading Muslims in the latter half of the first millennium AD.

These claims have been refuted by many historians, with Zahi Hawass, a former antiquities minister and world-famous Egyptologist, saying in a 2021 interview that Afrocentric comments about ancient Egypt are baseless.

While this debate rages on and Egypt fumes at Netflix, Rebecca Futo Kennedy, an associate professor of Classics at Denison University, tells TIME magazine, Asking if Cleopatra was Black, white, or another race is the wrong question because it suggests that these are universal and not historically contingent categories.

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 UK has its first baby created from the DNA of three people.

Lets take a closer look at this technique known as the mitochondria donation treatment (MDT), how it works, and why it is used:

As per The Guardian, the technique was developed by doctors at the UKs Newcastle Fertility Centre.

The technique is employed to allow women with faulty mitochondria  which power human cells  to conceive babies without passing on defects.

People inherit all their mitochondria from their mother, so harmful mutations in the batteries can affect all of the children a woman has.

These defects can result in diseases such as muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, heart problems and intellectual disabilities.

The process unfolds thus  the fathers sperm is used to fertilise eggs from both the mother and the female donors eggs.

Nuclear genetic material from the couples fertilised egg then replaces the material from the female donors egg.

The embryo is thus born with chromosomes from both parents but also has the female donors healthy mitochondria.

This embryo is then implanted in the mothers womb, as per The Guardian.

The genetic material from the donated egg comprises less than 1 per cent of the childs genetics.

The three three-parent baby moniker, though eye-catching is thus slightly misleading, according to Science in The News website.

For affected women, natural conception is often a gamble. Some babies might be born healthy because they inherit only a tiny proportion of the mutated mitochondria.

But others may inherit far more and develop severe, progressive and often fatal diseases. Around one in 200 children in Britain is born with a mitochondrial disorder.

Britains Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority said fewer than five babies have been born this way, but no further details have been released to protect the families identities.

The UK was the first country in the world to adopt legislation in 2015 specifically regulating such methods, which help prevent women with faulty mitochondria.

Mitochondrial donation treatment offers families with severe inherited mitochondrial illness the possibility of a healthy child, the UK fertility regulator said in a statement Wednesday.

The agency said it was still early days and was hopeful the scientists involved, at Newcastle University, would soon publish details of the treatment.

Britain requires that every woman undergoing the treatment be approved by its fertility regulator, which says there must be no other options available for the family to avoid passing on genetic disease.

To date, 32 patients have been given the green light to receive such treatment.

Many critics oppose the artificial reproduction techniques, arguing that there are other ways for people to avoid passing on diseases to their children, like egg donation or screening tests, and that the experimental methods have not yet proven to be safe.

Others warn that tweaking the genetic code this way could be a slippery slope that eventually leads to designer babies, where parents not only aim to avoid inherited diseases but also seek taller, stronger, smarter or better-looking children.

According to The Guardian, we still dont have a clear picture about how mitochondria work and this could have unintended consequences.

Some are also concerned that mutant mitochondria may accidentally be transferred during the process, as per Science In The News.

If this happens, some think such children might develop diseases or even pass them on to their children.

Others say much remains unknown.

As Dr Jonathan Tilly, chair of the department of biology at Northeastern University, told Time Magazine, We bring the mom and dads genetic material together, but then we introduce a different dance partner.

Is there a compatibility issue that we havent seen yet, or that we havent considered in enough detail yet? And if there is, what does that mean for the long-term fate of the cell or the fate of a newly conceived baby?

Robin Lovell-Badge, a stem cell expert at the Francis Crick Institute, said it would be critical to monitor the babies future development.

It will be interesting to know how well the (mitochondrial donation) technique worked at a practical level, whether the babies are free of mitochondrial disease and whether there is any risk of them developing problems later in life, he said in a statement.

Scientists in Europe published research earlier this year that showed in some cases, the small number of abnormal mitochondria that are inevitably carried over from the mothers egg to the donors can reproduce when the baby is in the uterus, which could ultimately lead to a genetic disease.

Lovell-Badge said the reasons for such problems were not yet understood and that researchers would need to develop methods to reduce the risk.

Oher countries have used this technique as well.

Doctors in the US announced the birth of the worlds first baby using the mitochondria donation technique in 2016, after the treatment was conducted in Mexico.

As per The Guardian, such a baby was born in Greece in 2019.

According to Time Magazine, a 32-year-old woman delivered a six-pound healthy baby boy.

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 coronation of King Charles III is long over but the hangover continues.

More than 20 million people tuned in to watch the historic ceremony that took place after 70 years on 6 May. However, one man, in particular, stole the show.

Sir Karl Jenkins, a Welsh composer and former jazz rocker, became the talk of the town as fascinated Twitter users failed to identify him.

At the ceremony, Jenkins was seen sporting a mullet and moustache while he sat beside Andrew Lloyd Webber. He finished his look with a pair of tinted sunglasses, which immediately caught the eye of curious netizens.

Taking to Twitter, the users questioned who the mysterious yet cool man was.

Lets take a look.

Also read: King Charles Coronation: The British royal familys line of succession explained

The man in question  Sir Karl Jenkins

Sir Karl Jenkins, 79, composed a piece titled Tros y Garreg/Crossing the Stone for the crowning ceremony of King Charles. It was performed by the Coronation Orchestra with a solo by royal harpist Alis Huws before the crowning at 11 am on Saturday, according to People magazine.

Jenkins describes the piece as haunting and very Welsh.

As per BBC, the track is not new and the British King had the music commissioned over two decades ago as a part of a concerto when he was Prince of Wales.

His famous works include Palladio, Adiemus, The Armed Man, and Requiem, among others.

According to Sportskeeda, the 79-year-old musician was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2005 New Year Honours and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.

He was later promoted as a Knight Bachelor in 2015.

While speaking about the coronation with the BBC, the musician said that he was honoured.

He said, It obviously sums up Welsh culture  the harp  and he (King Charles III) has always supported Welsh music. I dont know whether he chose it, but he was happy to have it there. I know he likes it, otherwise, he wouldnt have asked me.

Also read: Explained: The many, many controversies of Britains King Charles III

The bizarre theory

According to a conspiracy theory making rounds on social media, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle had attended the coronation of King Charles in disguise.

When a picture of Jenkins took over the internet, a number of eagle-eyed royal watchers speculated that Jenkins was actually Markle who faked a moustache, a wig and sunglasses in order to fly undercover.

I dont know much about the #Coronation but I do know this is obviously a disguise and 100% theyre going to try and steal the crown jewels pic.twitter.com/uuchDtfi2S  Edward DeRuiter (@edwardderuiter) May 6, 2023

A section of Twitter users questioned who the man was and said that it was Markle, 41, in disguise.

It is pertinent to mention here that Markle reportedly stayed back at her California residence with her two children as her husband, Prince Harry attended the ceremony.

A section of users also joked that the man was former US president Donald Trump attending the event. While several people called him the star of an upcoming Netflix series.

Also read: Long Live the King! The best moments from King Charles historic coronation

Jenkins blows the cover

Setting the record straight on his connection to Meghan Markle, Jenkins took to TikTok and confirmed that he genuinely attended the crowning ceremony.

He began by introducing himself and saying, I understand there has been a lot of interest in me since I appeared at the coronation of King Charles III.

He laughed, I was there because Id written some music, for the service really. I was quite surprised that some people thought I was Meghan Markle in disguise. Someone wrote I was there to steal the crown jewels. I look this way all the time!

Love this. Remember the guy from #CorrieCharlie that everyone thought was Meghan Markle in a disguise he has done a response video  he is a composer. Sir Karl Jenkins pic.twitter.com/MDsPWSnMuQ  Andy Barr (@10Yetis) May 11, 2023

The celebrated musician went on to show the evidence  the Knights Bachelor badge which was awarded to him in 2015 for his services to music. He also wore the badge as he attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

Jenkins added that he has had a moustache since he was 18 and concluded, So thats me. Nothing sinister about it or surprising at all.

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.
For the first time since formally entering the 2024 presidential race, Joe Biden headed Wednesday on a fundraising trip for a contest that could once again top all campaign spending records.

After taking the Republicans to task on the debt ceiling standoff in a speech in the northern suburbs of New York City, the US leader was due in Manhattan for two potentially lucrative receptions with wealthy donors.

One will be hosted by Tony James, the former executive vice chairman of the Blackstone Group, a global asset management firm. The price of admission to Jamess apartment shindig? A cool $25,000 (Rs 20 lakh) a person, according to CNBC.

Afterwards, Biden will head to a campaign fundraising dinner at the home of businessman George Logothetis.

Also Read: How much did US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill earn in 2022?

Outside the United States, such events at swanky homes mixing politics, money and cocktails can seem unseemly, especially with the head of state in attendance.

In America, money makes the campaigns go around, and a candidate can even be measured by his or her ability to attract political donations  the theory being that if enough influential people are willing to donate, that person is a winner.

More than $2 billion

Bidens campaign advisors have told The Washington Post that they hope to raise more than $2 billion (Rs 1.64 lakh crore) to help carry the 80-year-old Democrat to a second term in the White House.

In the camp of former president Donald Trump, seen as his most serious potential Republican adversary, aides insist his indictment on 34 criminal charges over hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels has only fuelled campaign donations.

Open Secrets, a nonprofit organisation that tracks campaign finance data, estimates that the 2024 presidential election cycle could be the most expensive in US history.

In 2020, when Biden ultimately defeated Trump, the presidential election cost a whopping $5.7 billion (Rs 4.67 lakh crore)  more than double the amount spent in 2016, the group says.

Of course, campaign contributions dont just come from billionaires and huge companies; in 2020, according to Open Secrets, Biden received more than $400 million (Rs 3,283 crore) from small individual donors  who each gave less than $200 (Rs 16,418).

The US media broadly insists that Biden can once again count on the deep pockets of technology executives and other business heavyweights. But will the donations be more modest this time around?

The latest opinion polls contain no good news for Biden, who must overcome voter concerns about his age and a higher cost of living.

Is he too old?

One recent poll conducted by ABC News and The Washington Post reveals that 68 per cent of Americans surveyed believe the Democrat is too old for a second four-year term. Just 44 per cent think the same thing about the 76-year-old Trump.

And Bidens approval rating has hit a new low of 36 per cent, the poll revealed. That is worse than numbers seen for Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Trump at the same point in their presidencies. All three failed to win re-election.

Biden must therefore be sure not to lose the fundraising battle to Trump, who formally launched his bid for a second term in the Oval Office late last year.

US campaign law makes it difficult to know exactly how much any one candidate has on hand, with various limitations on donations set by the Federal Election Committee, but there are multiple ways an individual can contribute.

Most of the money flows through political action committees  traditional PACs or so-called Super PACs  which play a fundamental, though often murky, role.

Super PACs are freed from certain restrictions provided they do not give the money directly to a candidate or coordinate how funds are spent with a candidate. That allows the corporate money to pour in.

These political investment funds play an essential, albeit often underground, role in the campaign.

The two receptions Biden took part in Wednesday will benefit so-called Joint Action Committees, organisations that are increasingly popular in the political world, and which make it possible to raise larger sums.

Trump says he has raised about $18 million (Rs 147 crore) from 15 November to 31 March, according to data released to the public.

But his campaign says he raised nearly as much  more than $15 million (Rs 123 crore), according to Politico  in the two weeks following his indictment in New York on 31 March for allegedly falsifying business records.

On Tuesday, Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming an American former magazine columnist and ordered to pay $5 million (Rs 41 crore) in damages  it remains to be seen how that decision might affect his campaign or his fundraising.

As for Floridas Republican governor Ron DeSantis, who could soon join the 2024 race, he reportedly could be sitting on a campaign war chest of more than $100 million (Rs 820 crore).

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Six students, including three girls, have died by suicide in separate incidents in Hyderabad and Telanganas Nizamabad district after the declaration of the intermediate exam  equivalent to Classes 11 and 12  results. The pupils were allegedly upset with their performance in the examination.

Five of the deaths by suicide were reported from Hyderabad, while the sixth was reported from Nizamabad district, Telangana. The students took the extreme step within 24 hours after the declaration of Manabadi TS Inter Results 2023.

The results for the Intermediate first-year and second-year examinations were announced on Tuesday on the official websites  tsbie.cgg.gov.in and results.cgg.gov.in.

6 students die by suicide in Telangana

A 17-year-old girl, who was a first-year intermediate student, died by suicide at her house in Hyderabads Vanasthalipuram. She hanged herself at her residence on Wednesday, police said.

Another girl, 16-year-old first-year intermediate student, jumped off from a building in Raidurgam on Tuesday. She was rushed to hospital but she later succumbed to her injury on Wednesday.

A second-year intermediate student ended her life in Panjagutta on Wednesday.

Two boys, both second-year intermediate students, died by suicide on Tuesday in Neredmet and Saifabad.

Another first-year intermediate student from Nizamabad district took his own life on Tuesday by hanging himself, police said.

Earlier too, Telangana witnessed student deaths by suicide after the declaration of intermediate exam results.

In December 2021, after six students died by suicide, the state government had declared everyone as passed to reduce stress on students so that they could appear in the intermediate final-year exams.

TS Inter results 2023 were declared on 9 May. As many as 9.47 lakh students appeared in the Telangana exam. A total of 4,82,677 first-year students and 4,65,022 second-year students were eligible to write the exams which was conducted at 1,473 centers across the state.

Students, who have secured 35 per cent of the aggregate marks, were declared qualified in the exam. However, for CWSN students, the qualifying marks are 25 per cent.

With inputs from agencies

A collection of suicide prevention helpline numbers are available here. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022-27546669

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 court also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed by NBC on 1 March 2019, on each of 45 broadcast stations.

The Federal High Court Abuja, on Wednesday, gave an order of perpetual injunction restraining the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from imposing fines, henceforth, on broadcast stations in the country.

The judge, James Omotosho, in a judgement, also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed, on 1 March 2019, on each of 45 broadcast stations.

Mr Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations.

He further held that the NBC Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law.

Mr Omotosho said the court would not sit idle and watch a body imposing fine arbitrarily without recourse to the law.

He said that the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at the same time, the court and the judge on its own matter.

The judge agreed that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, being a subsidiary legislation that empowers an administrative body such as the NBC to enforce its provisions cannot confer judicial powers on the commission to impose criminal sanctions or penalties such as fines.

He also agreed that the commission, not being Nigerian police, had no power to conduct criminal investigation that would lead to criminal trial and imposition of sanctions.

"This will go against the doctrine of separation of powers," he said.

Mr Omotosho held that what the doctrine sought to achieve was to prevent tyranny by concentrating too much powers in one organ.

"The action of the respondent qualifies as excessiveness" as it had ascribed to itself the judicial and executive powers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NBC had, on March 1, 2019, imposed the sum of N500, 000 each on 45 broadcast stations in the country over alleged violation of its code.

Suit

However, the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda had, in an originating motions marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1386/2021, sued the NBC as sole respondent in the suit.

In the motion dated November 9, 2021 by its lawyer, Noah Ajare, the group sought a declaration that the sanctions procedure applied by the NBC in imposing N500,00Q fines on each of the 45 broadcast stations on March 1, 2019 was a violation of the rules of natural justice.

The lawyer also said that the fines were in violation of the right to fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Articles 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap AQ) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria 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 group argued that this was so because the code, which created the alleged offences of which the broadcast stations were accused was written and adopted by the NBC, "and also gives powers to the said commission to receive complaints of alleged breaches, investigate and adjudicate the complaints, impose sanctions, including fines, and ultimately collect the fines, which the commission uses for its own purposes."

They, therefore, sought an order setting aside the N500,000 fines purportedly imposed by the NBC on each of the 45 broadcast stations on Friday, 1 March 2019.

They also sought "an order of perpetual Injunction restraining the respondent, its servants, agents, privies, representatives or anyone acting for or on its behalf, from imposing fines on any of the broadcast stations or any other broadcast station in Nigeria for any alleged offence committed under the Nigerian Broadcasting Code."

Delivering the judgment, Mr Omotosho described the NBC's act as being ultra vires.

He held that the fines imposed by the NBC as punishment for commission of various offences under its code were contrary to the law and hereby declared as unconstitutional, null and void.

The judge also made an order of perpetual injunction restraining the commission from further imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country. (NAN)
As many as 40 people including women and children allegedly fell ill after consuming food items in a post-death ritual programme in Assams Goalpara district on Wednesday, the police said.

According to the police, the victims were immediately rushed to Rangjuli Primary Health Centre where the doctor said that it seemed to be cases of food poisoning.

At least 40 people fell ill after allegedly consuming food at a post-death ritual programme held at Mariumpur area in Goalpara district on Wednesday, the police said.

When some people who attended the post-death ritual programme started vomiting after consuming the food, they were immediately admitted at Rangjuli Primary Health Centre on Wednesday night, said the police.

The doctor at the Health Centre informed that it is suspected to be a case of food poisoning, however, the actual cause of the ill-health of the people is yet to be ascertained.

The family members of the victims told us that they ate fish along with other food in the post-death ritual programme. The actual cause is yet to be ascertained, however, it seems to be a food poisoning case. So far, 20-25 people have been admitted to the hospital and many other sick people are coming. They are now undergoing treatment, the doctor at Rangjuli Primary Health Centre said.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.
A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict, on Thursday ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services.

Hearing the Centre versus the Delhi government over the issue of demarcation of power, a Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said an elected government needs to have control over the administration.

It refused to agree with the 2019 judgement of Justice Ashok Bhushan that the city government has no power over the issue of services.

The bench, which also comprised Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha, said democracy and federal structure are part of the basic structure of the Constitution.

The Constitution bench was set up to hear the legal issue concerning the scope of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and the National Capital Territory government over control of services in Delhi.

(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.
Delhi University has accused former congress MP Rahul Gandhi of trespassing in the campus after the latter reportedly spent hours with male students inside their hostel last week.

According to reports, on May 5, Rahul Gandhi visited DUs post-graduate mens hostel and engaged in interactions with the residents. It was alleged in the varsity statement that commotion caused by Gandhi and other outsiders frustrated students and disrupted their lunch routine.

The following day, Anoop Lather, the universitys public relations officer and administrator of the DU Media Official WhatsApp group for media professionals covering the university, released an official statement addressing the matter.

Lather clarified in an interview with The Telegraph on Wednesday that the message served as an official release from the university.

The statement declared Rahuls visit as unauthorised.

The University was informed by the authorities and guards of the PG Mens hostel that Shri Rahul Gandhi, a Congress leader, along with several outsiders, entered the PG Mens hostel during the lunch hour on 05/05/2023 without any prior notice. This caused disruption to the lunch routine of many residents, who were frustrated by the commotion caused by his entrance and the accompanying crowd. This incident raises significant security concerns for both the hostel residents and the leader. The University authorities will take appropriate measures to prevent such trespassing incidents in the future and ensure that they do not recur, the statement read.

University move to publicly call Gandhi a trespasser received mixed reactions from students.

Many pointed out that there have been previous instances of political leaders visiting DU colleges without any objections being raised.

J.P. Nadda, the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), used to visit colleges and hostels regularly when he was associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in the 1990s.

An anonymous student cited in The Telegraph report said, Rahul mostly listened to students. No one was compelled to participate in the interaction. Students willingly gathered, and there was no disruption.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Delhi Polices Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has reportedly filed an FIR against Former BharatPe MD Ashneer Grover, his wife and other family members over allegations of diverting Rs 81 crore of companys money into personal use.

Ashneer Grover, who co-founded BharatPe, has been involved in several legal disputes over the past six months.

He was terminated from the fintech company in March 2022 on allegations of financial irregularities.

BharatPe subsequently filed both a criminal complaint and a civil lawsuit against Grover and his family in December 2022, accusing them of fraud and seeking damages.

The company also initiated an arbitration claim in Singapore to reclaim restricted shares and restrict Grover from using the title of founder.

Furthermore, a former colleague filed a lawsuit against Grover in January 2023, and he was sued by BharatPes co-founder, Shashvat Nakrani, over unpaid shares.

The charges against Grover and his family encompass serious cognizable criminal offenses such as criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.

The FIR in the Economic offense wing came after a thorough investigation into the allegation against Grover, EOW officials claimed.

BharatPe has welcomed the filing of the FIR, considering it a positive development that exposes dubious transactions carried out by the family for personal financial gain.

The company expressed confidence in the countrys judicial and law enforcement systems and expressed its willingness to cooperate fully with the authorities.

MZM Legal, the firm advising BharatPe on the criminal complaint, expressed satisfaction with the registration of the FIR and acknowledged the thorough inquiry conducted by the EOW based on voluminous documentary evidence.
In the 1990s and the early 2000s, Nitish Kumar took refuge in Delhi when his going got difficult in Patna. He hopes to do the same in the mid-2020s. History, after all, repeats itself. But then, to his hard luck, Indian politics has moved on
Following a string of accidents, a major government regulatory body that oversees the certification of military aircraft is conducting a thorough examination of the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH Dhruv), the main workhorse of the Indian military.

Officials in the defence and security establishment told the media that the preliminary studys issues have already been identified by the committee formed by the Bengaluru-based Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), which includes representatives from the manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), and the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).

To certify the airworthiness of military aircraft, helicopters, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), aero-engines, air launched munitions, and other airborne items, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) established CEMILAC.

The review follows a recent string of ALH Dhruv helicopter crashes. Since March, three ALH have crashed, one of which occurred only last week and resulted in the death of an Indian Army technician.

In the previous five years, there have been roughly a dozen helicopter accidents. In response to the crash earlier this month, the Indian armed forces grounded the ALH Dhruv for safety inspections.

A report in ThePrint quoted officials as claiming that there are no design flaws in the ALH Dhruv helicopters, which has accumulated over 3 lakh hours of intense flying.

According to officials, there are around 300 helicopters in use by the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force (IAF), and the Coast Guard. They also noted that so far, the committee has discovered that some sections tyre more quickly than others.

The collective, which regulates the power to the rotors and back, broke during the accident of an ALH known as the Rudra in Arunachal Pradesh in October of last year.

Officials had then said that the Court of Inquiry (CoI) into the miraculous escape of former army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh in an ALH crash 2019 had occurred because of the failure of the collective.

The CoI discovered that the rod had split in half, as if it had been cut. However, additional examination revealed that, similar to other helicopters, the rod had considerable fatigue marks.

The CEMILAC panel has found that certain parts are showing higher fatigue than what the time frame is. So this is something that one would be considering to change, a source told ThePrint.

According to the official, if a specific item typically has a flying life of roughly 300 hours, it is maintained or replaced after 300 hours.

To allow for the essential replacement or service, the flying life must be reduced if the fatigue starts to set in significantly earlier than 300 hours.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
New Delhi: The IT Ministry will send a notice to WhatsApp on the issue of spam calls from unknown international numbers, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday said, asserting that the onus of ensuring user safety lies with digital platforms.

The government will respond to every instance of alleged misuse or breach of users privacy, he added.

Sending out a clear message that digital platforms are responsible for the safety of their users, the Minister of State for IT said the ministry is taking note of the international spam calls issue.

He indicated that one of the aspects being examined is also how these WhatsApp numbers are being identified and accessed in the first place, and whether databases or bots are being leveraged for this.

The ministers comments assume significance as WhatsApp users in India have reported a massive surge in incoming international spam calls over the past few days. Many users complained on Twitter that a major chunk of these spam calls had country codes belonging to Indonesia (+62), Vietnam (+84), Malaysia (+60), Kenya (+254) and Ethiopia (+251).

Chandrasekhar on Tuesday said the ministry is taking cognizance of the matter and will send a notice to WhatsApp on the issue.

The Ministry is taking note of it, they will send them a notice, he told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI).

The digital platforms are responsible and accountable for ensuring the safety of digital nagriks, the minister said, adding that the government will respond to every instance of alleged misuse or alleged breach of users privacy.

If there is an issue of spam, it is certainly an issue WhatsApp or for that matter any messenger platform should look at, he added.

One of the problems being examined at this point is also how these numbers are accessed by scammers.

How are they able to identify which numbers are on WhatsAppare they doing it blindlyis it some database they have got? If there is a database it is a violation of privacy, or if not are they are doing it through a bot sending messages to random numbers But that is certainly something platforms will be asked to look at, he said.

In an email statement, a WhatsApp spokesperson said international scam calls are a new way that bad actors have recently adopted, and that the platform has quickly ramped up AI and ML systems to bring down such incidents significantly.

Our new enforcement will reduce the current calling rate by at least 50 per cent and we expect to be able to control the current incidence effectively. We will continue to work relentlessly towards ensuring a safe experience for our users, the WhatsApp spokesperson said.

Protecting the privacy and security of users is fundamental to Meta and WhatsApp, the spokesperson said, adding Our users are at the heart of everything we do and we are fully aligned with the Governments goal of keeping users safe.

WhatsApp is a leader among end-to-end encrypted services in protecting user safety. We continue to provide several safety tools within WhatsApp like Block and Report, consistently build user safety education and awareness, as well as, proactively weed out bad actors from our platform.

However, bad actors find different ways to scam users. International scam calls are a new way that bad actors have recently adopted. By giving a missed call, they lead curious users to call or message back only to get scammed, the WhatsApp spokesperson said.

Chandrasekhar tweeted on Wednesday that the government will investigate a claim that WhatsApp accessed the microphone of smartphone users while the phone was not in use.

In a tweet, the minister had said the government will examine the alleged breach of privacy even as the new Digital Personal Data Protection Bill was being readied.

This followed a claim that WhatsApp accessed a users microphone while he was sleeping.

WhatsApp had then responded saying it has been in touch with the Twitter engineer over the last 24 hours, who posted an issue with his Pixel phone and WhatsApp.

We believe this is a bug on Android that misattributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remediate, WhatsApp said in a tweet.

The company also claimed that users have full control over their mic settings.

The minister on Thursday said the government is mulling guidelines on what should be permissions for preloaded apps.

To a question on some online gaming platforms opposing any idea of the self-regulatory organisation (SRO) backed by the association IAMAI, the minister said it has already been clarified during the consultation process that no existing industry organisation can be an SRO.

SRO has to be notified by the ministry, which means SRO has to be approved by the ministry as meeting criteria laid down in online gaming rules. There will be SRO that will be formed100 will apply, and three will be selected based on who is most transparent, inclusive and who represents most stakeholders and who is more credible, the minister said.

On the draft digital personal data protection Bill, Chandrasekhar said he is hopeful that it will be introduced in the coming session of Parliament.

The next phase of consultation on the much-awaited Digital India Act  that will replace the 23-year-old IT Act  will happen this month, and the early draft will be ready by May-end.

The minister said that the government is also planning to increase the incentives for IT hardware to about Rs 17,000 crore, and approval is expected by the month-end.

The government wants to encourage sustainability in data centres and is also keen on ways to create more choice and competition in the cloud space.

Today, it is only Amazon and Azure, and our Meghraj, which is NICwe dont want it to become a Big Tech space and have only Azure and Amazon, so we certainly want more players in that, and that is do-able and many Indian companies are capable of doing it, he said.

Asked if the government plans to reopen the application process for the chip manufacturing scheme, the minister confirmed that the window will be open indefinitely.

That window will now be open indefinitely, as against the original idea of keeping it open for 45 days. It will now be open for as many players including players in the first round who could not compete for some reason, they can all reapply, he said.

Earlier while addressing the PAFI Dialogue, he exhorted the industry to participate actively and constructively in the consultation process as India frames new laws and regulations in the digital space.

I would urge that you leave behind the concept of lobbying, which was really a less-satisfying outcome, and sometimes the outcomes are very focused on one entity or one enterprise, he said, calling for open, transparent and high-quality engagements as the country draws up new frameworks.



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 Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said that efforts are on to work towards the restoration of peace and order in the northeastern State. The minister also appealed to people in Manipur to abstain from any form of violence.

In an open letter written on behalf of the North East Member of Parliament Forum, Rijiju, who is also chairman of the body extended condolences to families of those who have lost their loved ones in the incidents in the State recently.

The pain caused by the loss of lives and properties is irreplaceable, and our hearts go out to those who have been affected by these tragic events. We understand that emotions are running high at this moment, and people may be induced to violence. However, we appeal to every member of the community to abstain from the use of force or any kind of violence. Such acts will only exacerbate the situation and cause more harm to innocent people, the union minister wrote.

We believe that every life is precious, and we are committed to working towards the restoration of peace and order in the affected areas. We are aware that our efforts will be incomplete without the cooperation of the public. Hence, we appeal to all members of the society to kindly help us in our endeavours to restore peace and order, he elaborated.

As per the official figures close to 60 people lost their lives while more than 230 were injured and close to 1700 houses were burnt down during the violence that erupted on May 3. We urge all members of the community to come together during these difficult times and work towards restoring peace and harmony in our society, the Cabinet Minister appealed.

Meanwhile, officials told the PTI that a total of 3,583 people from Manipur fled to Mizoram after ethnic violence broke out last week,

These people were lodged at temporary relief camps across six districts of Mizoram, while many were also given shelter by their relatives, they said.

A total of 1,351 people has taken shelter in the Kolasib district, 1,214 people in the Saitual district and 934 others in the Aizawl district, a statement said.

The remaining 84 people took shelter in Champhai, Serchhip and Khawzawl districts, it added.

Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the 10 hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The clashes were preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.

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.
National Technology Day is marked every year on 11 May with fervour and this year is no different. The special day is celebrated to recognise the importance of engineers, researchers, scientists and tech giants in the field of technology. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the programme which marked the National Technology Day 2023 in New Delhi.

On National Technology Day, we salute the dedication and tenacity of our scientists and those passionate about technology. https://t.co/WHP1hwBxNB  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 11, 2023

The day also marks the beginning of the 25th year of National Technology Day celebration, which will take place from 11 to 14 May. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister Jitendra Singh were also graced the event.

#WATCH | PM Modi at National Technology Day celebrations in Delhi Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh are also present pic.twitter.com/YAXWePsq2g  ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2023

On the occasion, PM Modi laid the foundation stone to multiple projects relating scientific and technological advancement in the nation. The projects worth more than Rs 5,800 crore.

The theme of this years National Technology Day is School to Startups-Igniting Young Minds to Innovate.

National Technology Day was established by Indias former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in order to celebrate the Pokhran nuclear test. The day was first marked in the year 1999.

Here are some wishes and quotes to share on National Technology Day:

Change is crucial. It brings new thought; new thought leads to innovative actions.  Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Scientist and former president of India

Technology is anything that wasnt around when you were born.  Alan Kay, Computer scientist

Just because something doesnt do what you planned it to do doesnt mean its useless.  Thomas Edison, Inventor

Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic.  Arthur C. Clarke, Author

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.  Albert Einstein, Physicist

We have to stop optimising for programmers and start optimising for users. -Jeff Atwood, Software developer

Technology made large populations possible; large populations now make technology indispensable.  Joseph Krutch, Writer

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Amritsar Blast: Five alleged conspirators were arrested by the Punjab Police on Thursday for the low-intensity explosion that has taken place near Sri Guru Ram Dass Niwas and the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

In a statement on social media platform Twitter, Punjab Director-General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that the case has been solved after the arrest of five people who were allegedly involved in the Amritsar blast.

Amritsar low-intensity explosion cases solved. 5 persons arrested, the Punjab Police DGP tweeted.

He further said that a press conference will be held regarding the blast.

An explosion was heard near Sri Guru Ram Dass Niwas, in the vicinity of the Golden Temple in Amritsar during the wee hours of Thursday. This was the third explosion to hit the historic area in a week.

The blast had taken place at around 12.30 am on Thursday.

A Punjab Police official told news agency ANI that the motive behind the blast was to disturb peace.

Explosives used in firecrackers were applied in the blast, he added.

However, no fatalities were reported in the incident.

While talking to the reporters, Commissioner of Police Naunihal Singh earlier said, A loud sound was heard at around 12.15-12.30 am. Theres a possibility that it could be another explosion. Its being verified and is yet to be confirmed. We have found some pieces behind the building. But since it is dark we are trying to find out.

The suspects are being rounded up and the probe is on, he added.

Sri Guru Ram Dass Niwas is the oldest sarai (lodge) in Amritsar.

Punjab Police personnel and forensic team members rushed to the site of the incident and an investigation is underway.

(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.
Mr Tinubu is scheduled to return shortly for preparations towards his official swearing-in as the 16th president of the country on 29 May.

President-elect, Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, left Nigeria for Europe on a working visit.

A statement from the office of the president-elect signed by Tunde Rahman on Wednesday said Mr Tinubu, during the visit, will engage with investors and other key allies with the goal of marketing investment opportunities in the country and his administration's readiness to enable a business-friendly climate through policies and regulations.

This is the second time Mr Tinubu will be travelling out of the country after he was declared president-elect on 1 March. He returned to Nigeria on 24 April after a four-week vacation in France.

The statement said the president-elect will use the opportunity of the trip to fine-tune the transition plans and programmes, and his policy options with some of his key aides without unnecessary pressures and distractions.

Already, meetings with multi-sectoral actors in Europe's business community, including manufacturing, agriculture, tech and energy have been lined up, a part of the statement noted.

The statement also said that Mr Tinubu hopes to convince them of Nigeria's readiness to do business under his leadership through mutually-beneficial partnerships premised on job creation and skills acquisition.

"Reviving the country's economy forms a major plank of Tinubu's Renewed Hope agenda and the meeting is part of his efforts to re-establish Nigeria's importance in the global economic chain and create empowering opportunities for the country's huge youth population," the statement said.

The president-elect has hitherto promised to hit the ground running and the visit is reflective of his commitment to the promise as he has already begun talks with global actors in the important areas of the economy and security.

The statement said he is scheduled to return shortly for preparations towards his official swearing-in as the 16th president of the country on 29 May.

Before he left the country, the president-elect met with the House of Representatives candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker endorsed by his party, the All Progressives Congress, Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu, who were presented to him by the Joint Task Team of the House.

Mr Tinubu's victory is being challenged at the presidential election petition tribunal which started hearing on Monday.
Bengalurus MG Road tops the list of high streets in India, followed by Somajiguda in Hyderabad, according to Knight Frank Indias flagship annual retail report, Think India, Think Retail 2023  High Street Real Estate Outlook, in association with Phygital Retail Convention, 2023.

The report also features Linking Road in Mumbai and South Extension in Delhi among the top 10 high streets in the country.

With four of its markets making it to the top 10, Bengaluru was deemed to have the best high streets that provide a significantly better shopping experience, according to the survey conducted by global real-estate consultancy Knight Frank.

The survey was conducted across 30 high streets across the top eight cities of India, based on parameters that determine the quality of experience high streets provide to customers.

The study also found that modern retail (malls) occupies only 6 per cent (5.7 mn sq ft ) of the lease-able shopping area of 92.9 mn sq ft on high streets.

A look at top 10 high streets that are convenient in terms of access, parking facilities, and have a varied assortment of retailers.

Bengaluru top spot for high street shopping

Mahatma Gandhi Road (MG Road) at Bengaluru is on top of the list followed by Commercial Street on seventh position, Brigade Road on ninth and Church Street on 10th spot. All these streets are in the same vicinity. In Bengaluru, the lease-able shopping area on high streets is 15.2 mn sq ft, of which modern trade occupies 1 mn sq ft.

Hyderabads high street

Hyderabads high street at Somajiguda is on the second position. The city also has other popular shopping streets like Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Ameerpet and Gachibowli

Mumbais high street

Mumbais Linking Road ranks third on the top 10 list for shopping in the country. Some of the other popular streets in the busy city include Colaba Causeway Market, Lower Parel and Lokhandwala market. Linking Road commanded average rents of Rs 670 per sq ft per month, according to the study.

Linking Road and Turner Road are also among the high streets where retailers have to shell out hefty rents to maintain brand presence.

Famous shopping streets in Delhi

Delhis South Extention-Part 1 and Part II is on the fourth position while the city also boats of other shopping destinations like Connaught Place, Lajpat Nagar and Khan Market. New Delhis Khan Market is among the high streets where retailers have to shell out hefty rents to maintain brand presence. The average monthly rents to lease retail space on the high streets vary across the top eight cities. Khan Market commanded average rents of Rs 1,249 per sq ft per month.

Kolkatas shopping spots

Kolkatas Park Street and Camac street are in the fifth position. According to the findings, Kolkata is among the top three markets with a high concentration of traditional retail.

Chennais high streets

Chennais Anna Nagar is on the sixth position while Noidas Sector 18 market is on the 8th position.

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.
As voters exercised their right to franchise in Karnataka on Wednesday, it must be said that this has been unlike any elections that the state witnessed in the past. From one perspective, it portends to be both historic and poses a challenge to the states destiny as well.

The last stable government that Karnataka witnessed was during the tenure of SM Krishna who left office in 2004. Ever since it has been a tumultuous journey of unwieldy and warring coalition governments barring Siddaramaiahs chief ministership. However, Siddaramaiahs tenure didnt exactly bring stability to the state. He was perhaps the first and will probably be the last chief minister who ran Karnataka based on an overtly Far Left ideology. Even a cursory study of his reign shows that economically, he set back the state by at least 20 years. And this doesnt include his dangerous experiments with extreme Muslim appeasement and the serial murders of Hindu activists that occurred under his watch in Karnataka.

On the other side, the track record of the BJP-led coalition governments hasnt been quite stellar. The BJPs greatest failing in Karnataka so far has been four-pronged. One, the inability to consolidate power. Two, ineptness at containing factionalism. Three, a distinct paucity of perception management. Four, lack of foresight or negligence in grooming generational leadership. A combination of one or many or all of these drawbacks have perhaps contributed to the selection of Basavaraj Bommai as chief minister who is not really an original BJP in the sense that Yeddyurappa, Eshwarappa, Suresh Kumar, CT Ravi, et al., are.

In the Congress camp, the situation appears far worse than its domesticated media wants to project. Its seniormost leader, the token AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge is not even contesting (he has fielded his son) and at 81, is not exactly a youth icon. Leaders of his vintage have either retired or are inactive. Others have been marginalised. The only faces weve seen so far are that of DK Shiva Kumar and Siddaramaiah, both at each others throats in a highly public fashion. This is notwithstanding the stage-managed bouts of bonhomie. Indeed, a visible clue has been available since the Congress campaign was launched: when was the last time any Congress-friendly media splurged such coverage over DK Shiva Kumar who until last year was regarded as a minor leader by this legacy media establishment? It can be argued that he gets this coverage because hes the KPCC president but that is only a partial truth. The full story is that there is simply no leader of any stature in the Karnataka Congress who this legacy media has been able to find. A good chunk of blame for this state of affairs should belong to Siddaramaiah. A rank import from the JD(S), he joined the Congress in 2006 and with it, inflicted a body blow on the JD(S). The other facet of his chief ministership was the manner in which he bulldozed the existing power structures in the Congress. Back then, the common refrain in the Congress was that it was made up of 60 percent JD(S) defectors  i.e., Siddaramaiah loyalists. And with it, he also notched up an impressive array of internal enemies.

This is the brief historical backdrop to the current Karnataka elections.

On the campaigning front, the Congress began with gusto while the BJP took a measured approach, reserving its energies for the last leg. However, it sorely lacked three crucial elements. One, a central poll pitch would resonate with the voters. Its manifesto was a mix of rehashing and imitation. Freebies and brazen copying from the AAPs playbook. Two, a robust and committed leadership, both at the state level and from Delhi. Unlike the 2018 polls, Rahul Gandhis presence in Karnataka was conspicuous by the distance he maintained from it. Three, over the last ten days or so, the Congress ground force had dwindled to just a trickle. Congress insiders have attributed this to a lack of funding, some even claiming that a lot of money was poured in to financing Rahul Gandhis disastrous Bharat Jodo Yatra. Notwithstanding this, this has a practical dimension. An extremely feeble Congress cannot afford to compete on the ground with a cadre-based party like the BJP with this pathetic level of preparation and homework. A big reason for the BJPs success is the fact that a significant chunk of its workers do not campaign for it solely for monetary reasons.

On points two and three above, the BJP clearly has an edge. Narendra Modi is still its greatest vote-catcher and the tremendous response to his rallies across the state indicate precisely this. Other star campaigners like Yogi Adityanath, Himanta Sarma and Annamalai have pitched in with their respective might. All three have proven track records as strong-willed and popular leaders with relatively clean balance sheets. On the contrary, both Siddaramaiah and DK Shiva Kumar have tainted baggages which they cant easily wipe off. This is precisely what the BJP is attacking. If that was not enough, the Congress, habituated to an outdated electoral grammar, scored several distinctive hit-wickets. Kharges snake-slur against Modi was one. But perhaps the most expensive one was the promise to ban the Bajrang Dal. It should take suicidal levels of genius to include this line item in the Congress manifesto. And in both cases, the panicked Congress embarked on face-saving antics in less than twenty-four hours. But learning nothing from these fiascos, the Congress rushed headlong and published a tweet about Sonia Gandhi saving Karnatakas sovereignty. Another cherry ripe for the BJPs picking.

Narratives are paramount in an era of information overload. And the Congress clearly has no overarching narrative or a central theme when contrasted with a BJP which remains firmly moored in its core ideology. It is this ideological anchorage that helped the BJP tide over its decade-long political wilderness from 2004-2014 when the Congress appeared unchallengeable. And it is precisely for the lack of any ideology that the Congress has reached the brink of extinction.

Election after election over the last nine years have revealed that the Congress desperately hangs on to any straw that promises to put it in power. Planning to ban the Bajrang Dal and protecting Karnatakas sovereignty are signs of desperation, not confidence. Specifically, both these items are variants of a vintage Extreme Left plot of breaking India, now repackaged as United States of South India.

As for the Janata Dal (Secular), it has been reduced to a fringe player, sapped of energy and willpower. What is notable this time is its muted rhetoric about protecting the minorities. This had been one of its traditional electoral gambits. Roughly after the 2019 general elections, the BJP has been making serious inroads into the JD(S) strangleholds in the Old Mysore region and has met with rather impressive success. The near-zero coverage of the JD(S) even in the Kannada media is likely a harbinger of its future.

In the overall assessment, the BJP seems to have edged past the Congress in an extremely complex contest. The Narendra Modi blitz and Congress self-goals in the last leg of the campaign are big contributors to this change. A surprise factor might be the fifty-two fresh candidates who have been given tickets by the BJP. This resembles the same experiment that it tried and succeeded with aplomb in Gujarat. The other theme that could swing the polls its way is its repeated emphasis on sampoorna bahumat  absolute majority.

Which makes sense and brings us back to an earlier point. For the better part of the last 15 years, the BJP in Karnataka never got its act together in a cohesive manner. The emphasis on full majority is clearly aimed at severing this legacy. Narendra Modi and the central party leadership might well deliver this full majority but that would be just half the battle won. The real challenge is to discover, groom and support a state leadership that will not only rejuvenate the state unit but ensure stability and good governance to Karnataka.

Karnataka is the inheritor of a noble legacy for nearly three centuries. This is an inheritance which got the (erstwhile) Mysore State the honoured moniker of model state. It has given India a long line of distinguished administrators, educationists, businessmen, scientists and cultural stalwarts. Their edifying lives and legacies have been archived, and the patient researcher will discover veritable treasures therein. And for more than half a century, the Congress has squandered this heritage.

In this light, if the voter gives a hung verdict on 13 May as the exit polls predict, it will be respectable for the BJP to sit in the opposition and attend the gym regularly to strengthen itself for the next five years.

The author is the founder and chief editor The Dharma Dispatch. Views expressed 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.
He was seriously wounded by a car bomb planted by a Ukrainian terrorist. This week, he recovered and began to write posts, describing what happened to him. And he is Russias best living writer, with international fame.

My first personal meeting with this man, Zakhar Prilepin, was in 2008 in Delhi, at the International Book Fair. At that time nobody could have imagined that this shy and relatively young man would author his famous The Monastery in 2014 and become the established leader of all possible ratings of those who write fiction in Russia today.

So why would Ukrainian terrorists hunt a man of letters? There are two answers to that. First, their numerous strikes regularly target the opinion leaders of Russia.

The most known case was the murder of Darya Dugina, 29, by yet another Ukrainian car bomb. That was supposed to be a mistake, her father, Alexander Dugin the philosopher, was thought to be the real target. But the people in the know are saying that the father has never been that important, the rumours of his influence on the Russian government are false. Nobody at the top paid his ideas any attention. While his daughter, a writer and a TV star, was a real darling of many audiences  and, by the way, we met and talked a couple of times.

And then, there is a second answer to the question of why terrorists are hunting the best writer in Russia. Prilepin is not only writing, but he is also fighting at the front, and writing books about it, not to mention his almost daily posts are read by huge crowds. Currently, he is the political commissar of the International Battalion there, composed of all kinds of foreigners who came to help Russia, be it Serbs, or French, or Syrians. He has been present in the former breakaway East Ukrainian republics ever since the war started there in 2014, fighting or delivering caravans of medicines or literature.

His most famous book from the battlefield, The Platoon, is not a novel, its a collection of short biographies of Russian poets of the early 19th century, arguably the Golden Age of Russian literature. These people, almost without exception, wore the uniform and fought for their country in all kinds of wars. Prilepins idea was simple, he said that the great Russian literature has always been telling the nation that, when innocent people were suffering from invasions, carnage and atrocities, the poets or writers duty was to take up weapons.

There have to be at least two new books to follow, Prilepin told me when we met recently at a TV discussion. One about writers in uniform in the late 19th century, starting from Leo Tolstoy, an artillery officer. Yet another one would have to be about such writers of the 20th century. That might be two very thick books, I told him.

Whats noticeable about the attempt on his life, as well as about other numerous acts of terror, is that they happen deep inside Russia. You may add to that the recent futile attempt to bomb the Kremlin residence of President Vladimir Putin with two drones.

There is not much official information on all these subjects, and the media is quoting security people saying that the style of all these actions is similar. Ukrainian special services are not only sending their own citizens across the border, they are drafting local people in Russia, while splitting operations into small parts. In most cases these Russians, hired, say, to deliver a parcel to another person, have no idea that they work for Ukraine and may be carrying explosives, to be passed on to yet another blind agent.

Whats shocking is the habit of Ukrainian officials admitting openly that they are engaged in the murder of civilians in another country. It may be enough to quote the head of Ukraines military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, who said that his people are going to kill Russians in any place of the world. And that has not stopped military support of Ukraine by the US or by American allies.

You may say that youve heard it all before, a nation that used to be a part of another nation sending terrorists across the border, with military intelligence service making almost no secret of it, and the outside world pretending not to notice. But in the case of Ukraine, nobody is even pretending.

There were a lot of attempts to establish international norms and rules in warfare. However bizarre may be an idea to make mass murder civilized, its still slightly better than having no rules at all. In any case, most of such norms are about not harming civilians, civilian infrastructure and even soldiers, if and when they become prisoners.

But the current war of the West against Russia, with China being a possible target too, seems to chuck away all previous norms or precedents. Explosions at the Nord Stream Russian gas pipeline in the Baltics, where everyone knows who was the only possible perpetrator, went unpunished. Daily shelling of civilian areas by Ukrainians, with long-range weapons supplied by the West, seems to be acceptable these days. Torture of Russian prisoners is a norm, tolerated by the same West. Terrorism against civilians in Russia is also not anyones problem.

An international political discussion, these days, often boils down to two opposing positions. One is, Russia, and China, and the world should accept the rules-based order. The standard answer to that is, Which rules do you mean and who dictates them? Moscows position is, the world has to get back to the bounds of international law. Its that law, among other things, that has codified, in numerous international agreements and conventions, the relatively civilized way of fighting wars.

Not murdering writers, poets, philosophers or musicians seems not to be a part of any convention. Anyway, Im really happy that our national pride, Zakhar Prilepin, will have to take some rest and maybe give us a couple of new books.

The author is a columnist for the Russian State agency website ria.ru, as well as for other publications. Views expressed after 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.
On Thursday, Australias trade minister travelled to Beijing, intending to persuade China to eliminate hefty tariffs on his countrys exports.

After years of strained commercial and political ties, trade minister Don Farrell expressed optimism for unimpeded trade with Australias largest trading partner.

During my visit, I will be advocating strongly for the full resumption of unimpeded Australian exports to China  for all sectors, he said in a statement, adding it would benefit exporters and producers in both countries.

According to Farrell, he will meet with Wang Wentao, Chinas minister of commerce.

At the height of a contentious conflict with the previous conservative administration, China levied heavy tariffs on important Australian exports like barley, meat, and wine in 2020.

Additionally, it halted the importation of other important exports from Australia, such as coal.

Since Australias centre-left government adopted a less combative stance towards China after its election a year ago, the tense relations seem to have warmed up.

After an unofficial two-year embargo, China received its first cargo of Australian coal in February of this year, and commerce in other items looks to be about to resume.

The Australian government is pleased there have been several positive trade developments, including the resumption of coal, cotton, and copper trade and Chinas agreement to undertake an expedited review of duties on Australian barley, Farrell said.

Even with the restrictions, two-way trade between the countries was worth Aus$287 billion (US$195 billion) last year.

Farrell said he would also raise other issues of importance to Australians, without giving details.

Canberra called last week for jailed Australian journalist Cheng Lei to be reunited with her family after 1,000 days in detention in China.

Cheng Lei, a former anchor at Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, disappeared on 13 August 2020, and was later charged with supplying state secrets overseas.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Britain has provided Ukraine with Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles, a Western authority said on Thursday.

CNN originally reported the decision, citing various top Western officials. It said Britain had received assurances from the Ukrainian government that these missiles would be used only within Ukrainian sovereign territory and not inside Russia.

In recent weeks, Britains defence minister, Ben Wallace, and foreign minister, James Cleverly, have been in the United States for talks about assisting Ukraine.

The Ministry of Defence in London declined to comment.

Britain and other Western countries have scaled up their military aid for Ukraine this year, with Britain saying in January it would send 14 of its main Challenger 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, a pledge that was followed by other nations including the United States and Germany.

Last week, a British-led group of European countries asked companies for expressions of interest to supply Ukraine with missiles with a range of up to 300 km (190 miles), but Britain said on Tuesday that no final decision had been taken on supplying the weapons.

Storm Shadow, manufactured by European missile maker MBDA, is an air-launched long-range missile, designed for attacks against high-value targets such as hardened bunkers and key infrastructure, according to the companys website.

They have a range of more than 250 kilometres (155.34 miles), according to the manufacturer.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
United Nations: China has objected to a proposal by India to blacklist JeM chief Masood Azhars brother Abdul Rauf Azhar at the United Nations Security Council.

Abdul Rauf Azhar, who was born in Pakistan in 1974, participated in the planning and execution of a number of terror attacks in India, such as the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC814 in 1999, the attack on the Parliament in 2001, and the 2016 attack on the IAF base in Pathankot.

It is learnt that China objected to the proposal from India to add Abdul Rauf of the JeM to the UN Security Councils 1267 ISIL and Al Qaida Sanctions list.

Rauf Azhar was sanctioned by the US in December 2010. In August last year, China, a permanent, veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, had put a hold on the proposal by India and the US to designate Rauf Azhar as a global terrorist and subject him to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

Beijing, an all-weather friend of Islamabad, had last year put holds on proposals to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists Hafiz Talah Saeed, Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Shahid Mahmood and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba terrorist Sajid Mir under the Al Qaeda Sanctions regime.

In June last year, China put a hold on a joint proposal by India and the US to designate Abdul Rehman Makki, the deputy chief of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba under the 1267 sanctions committee.

In January this year however, Makki, the head of the political affairs wing of JuD/LeT and the brother-in-law of LeT chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, was designated a global terrorist by the UN after China lifted its hold on the joint India-US proposal to blacklist him, paving the way for the Security Councils Al Qaeda sanctions committee to list him through consensus.

During Indias Presidency of the UN Security Council in December 2022, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called out Pakistan and China in his remarks to the Council briefing on Global Counterterrorism Approach: Challenges and Way Forward, saying the contemporary epicentre of terrorism remains very much active and evidence-backed proposals to blacklist terrorists under sanctions regimes are put on hold without assigning adequate reason.

At one level, we have seen protections that come close to justification. Then, there are evidence-backed proposals that are put on hold without assigning adequate reason. Conversely, there has even been recourse to anonymity so as to avoid taking ownership of untenable cases, Jaishankar had said.

The US Department of Treasury had in December 2010 designated Abdul Rauf Azhar, a senior leader of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM), for acting for or on behalf of JEM. The US said as a senior leader of JeM, Abdul Rauf Azhar has urged Pakistanis to engage in militant activities. He served as JEMs acting leader in 2007, as one of JEMs most senior commanders in India, and as JEMs intelligence coordinator.

In 2008 Azhar was assigned to organize suicide attacks in India. He was also involved with JEMs political wing and has served as a JEM official involved with training camps.

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.
China has reportedly rejected the possibility of a meeting between Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu and his United States (US) counterpart Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of a security forum in Singapore due to a dispute over sanctions.

According to media reports, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin wants to meet Li Shangfu, Chinas new defence minister, at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore in June.

However, arranging such a meeting is not exactly easy since because the US had slapped sanctions on Li in 2018 over imports of Russian weapons and defence equipment by China when he was serving as a general in the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).

US officials have reportedly agreed to a meeting between Austin and Li in a third country, but Chinese officials have said it will be almost impossible for China to agree to a meeting while the sanctions remain in place. Li became defence minister of China in March.

The latest stalemate in diplomatic ties between the US and its global rival China relations comes as the two nations struggle to arrange high-level visits by American cabinet secretaries to Beijing.

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had agreed that the two countries need to stabilise bilateral relations when they met at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia last November. But efforts to normalise by starting high-level diplomatic engagement were derailed when a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over North America in February this year.

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 another potential flashpoint in the South China Sea, a Chinese research vessel flanked by the coast guard and nearly a dozen boats on Wednesday entered a gas block operated by Russian and Vietnamese state firms, two monitoring groups told Reuters.

It follows a pattern of assertive moves of late by Beijing in its neighbours exclusive economic zones (EEZ), as it presses its claim to sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, testing the United States and its allies at a time of heightened regional tension.

The Chinese group was also close to blocks 05-1 B and 05-1 C, operated by Idemitsu Oil & Gas, a unit of Japans Idemitsu Kosan (5019.T), the data showed.

Strong relations between Russia and China are a major factor supporting global stability, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in March, but the two countries have conflicting interests in the South China Sea.

China has been accused of using its coast guard and an armada of fishing boats widely considered militia to intimidate and disrupt energy activities, including off Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Beijing says it is lawfully operating in its waters.

But the move on Wednesday was extraordinary, according to Ray Powell, who leads Stanford Universitys Project Myoushu on the South China Sea, because of the sheer number of militia and coast guard ships involved.

It seems they are sending a message about Chinas jurisdiction over Vietnams oil and gas operations, Powell said, adding at least three Vietnamese fisheries surveillance vessels had moved close to the Chinese ships.

Chinas Jurisdiction

Chinas foreign ministry said those activities were normal. Chinese fishing and scientific research vessels carry out normal production and work activities in maritime areas under Chinas jurisdiction, it said.

It made similar remarks on Tuesday after Chinese boats approached an area where the navies of India and Southeast Asian countries held exercises.

Japans Idemitsu declined to comment. Vietnams foreign ministry and the other companies involved did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

On Wednesday, the Chinese vessels were about 10 nautical miles (18 km) from the Japanese operating rig and about 20 miles from the Russia-Vietnam rig, according to South China Sea Chronicle Initiative (SCSCI), an independent non-profit.

The Chinese research vessel moved at full speed before entering Vietnams EEZ but slowed to 4-5 knots, suggesting the ship was conducting a survey there, said SCSCIs Van Pham.

Surveys in a countrys EEZs without prior notification have in previous instances been considered hostile or provocative.

It follows similar incidents in March in two blocks involving Russian firms off Vietnam, which has licensed operations of more than 150 blocks.

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.
New Delhi: The Inspector General of the German Armed Forces Carsten Breuer has said that the weather conditions for the much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive are still not right but the preparations for the operation are in full swing.

According to a Russia Today report, citing German news agency DPA, the General said the German-made tanks Western nations had supplied to Ukraine had allegedly already seen some action.

It was explained to me how the battle is fought on the frontlines. The ground is still muddy and moist, Breuer said, following a two-day visit to Kiev last week where he met commander-in-chief of Ukraines armed forces Valery Zaluzhny and Defence Minister Aleksey Reznikov.

Admitting that conditions for a comprehensive offensive were not yet in place in the last few weeks, Breuer said some fields in Ukraine still look like large lakes.

Kiev has nonetheless assured that plans for the Ukrainian offensive are underway, Breuer said.

He also informed that Germanys Leopard battle tanks had already been used in the fighting.

Noting that Ukrainians now have enough equipment to survive in combat, Breuer said it was made clear to me that (they) are in action.

He admitted, however, that Kievs requirements will adapt over time.

The German Armed Forces chief spoke in favor of further military aid to Ukraine, arguing that Kievs troops were supposedly fighting for all of us.

Before arriving in Kiev, Breuer also inspected the Western logistics system in Poland used to deliver military equipment and supplies to Ukraine.

The long-awaited counteroffensive was originally expected to start in the spring  even as early as late winter  but has not materialised thus far. Many Ukrainian and Western officials have since urged the public not to set their expectations for the operation too high.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyys aide Mikhail Podoliak said on Tuesday that the much-touted offensive should not be treated as a make-or-break moment in the ongoing conflict.

When we talk about a counteroffensive, that it will cause a collapse for Russia or, conversely, there will be no gains for Ukraine, it looks like we are in a Hollywood movie, where a big battle for Middle-earth begins and one battle for Gondor will decide everything. Things do not happen like that, a Russia Today report quoted Podoliak as saying.

The long-hyped offensive is a set of many events, some of which may be more successful, while others  less (successful), he added.

Multiple senior US officials have also expressed doubt that Ukraine will be capable of reaching its proclaimed goal of expelling Russian troops from all the territories it claims as its own anytime soon.

Moreover, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby recently warned that Moscow might launch a new offensive of its own shortly.

In the spring, when the weather improves, and its already starting to improve  we can expect the Russians to want to go on the offensive in some areas, Kirby told the state-run Voice of America outlet on Friday.

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 an unfortunate incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, a police motorbike escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh struck an 80-year-old woman, resulting in severe injuries.

According to report citing police sources, the collision took place around 3:21pm near the junction of Cromwell Road and Warwick Road in Earls Court, west London, as the motorbike was accompanying Sophie.

Emergency services promptly responded to the scene, and paramedics quickly transported the injured woman to the hospital. She is currently in critical condition.

The family of the woman was subsequently notified about the incident.

Buckingham Palace released a statement expressing that the Duchess of Edinburghs thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family.

The statement also acknowledged the swift response of the emergency services, for which Sophie is grateful.

Fortunately, there have been no reports of any additional injuries.

Meanwhile, Directorate of Professional Standards informed that an enquiry has been initiated to ascertain the facts of the incident.

The Metropolitan Police have reportedly confirmed that investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident are still underway.

In a separate event on Saturday, the Duchess of Edinburgh, accompanied by her husband Prince Edward, attended King Charless Coronation, marking a significant occasion.

The royal couple was joined by their children, James (Earl of Wessex) and Lady Louise.

During the celebrations, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, along with other senior members of the Royal Family, made an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony to witness the flypast.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Medical doctors at the Ibadan Central Hospital (ICH) say unavailability of basic health facilities is a major factor fueling maternal deaths in Oyo State.

They stated this during a maternal health gathering organized by ICH to mark its 25th anniversary.

They called for improvement in the number and standards of basic health facilities in the state to reduce the high maternal mortality.

Dr Desmond Oludele, a medical director at ICH, said, "One of the major causes of maternal mortality in Ibadan is lack of access to basic health facilities. ICH is well equipped with facilities to help pregnant women and also educate them because education is also very important as most of them are not aware of what to do before, during and after pregnancy."

Speaking on the plight of pregnant sickle cell mothers, Oludele said there is a need for early diagnoses of mothers' genotypes and regular medical checkup at competent medical facilities to forestall instances of complications related to their condition.

He said: "For sickle cell patients, our advice is that as much as possible, go to the hospital or any diagnosis centre to do the tests and know your genotype and once this is confirmed, you can always go to health facilities to do a checkup if they have any illness so that they can be tested and treated as soon as possible because most times, sickle cell patients die from their health condition because of lack of access to basic health".

He added that this was necessary because sickle cell patients are more prone to anaemia and infection which, when not promptly addressed, leads to further complications.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria 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.

Dr Oludele said with the availability of basic healthcare systems, a number of sickle cell patients successfully go through pregnancy and child delivery without hitches.

Also speaking, Dr Ajayi Segun, a general practitioner, said delayed response to maternal complaints due to the inaccessibility of medical facilities and personnel also causes irreversible complications that could lead to maternal or child death.

He enjoined pregnant mothers and their families to put in place emergency mechanisms to address unexpected complaints or issues especially in the 3rd semester.

Olajumoke Caxton- Martins, the General Manager of ICH, also called on the government to establish more primary healthcare centres and equip them.

"The elite and educated ones know they have to go to the hospital but at the grassroots level, the rural people still patronise traditional birth attendants and go to mission houses to have babies. What happens here is that there is no adequate medical care. They do not understand when labour is obstructed and need to get the right type of medical care.

"So what the government needs to do in the first place is to get these traditional birth attendants and educate them on how to take care of the women."

Over 500 pregnant women benefited from the event. They were fed, entertained and presented with gifts such as baby wardrobes, beddings, toiletries and clothing.
Tokyo: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday arrived in Japan for a two-day official visit and is scheduled to attend G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Niigata tomorrow.

She was received at Haneda Airport in Tokyo by Indian Ambassador to Japan and Marshall Islands, Sibi George.

Union Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman arrives in Japan for a two-day official visit. FM is welcomed by Shri @AmbSibiGeorge, Indian Ambassador to Japan and Marshall Islands @IndianEmbTokyo, at Haneda Airport, in Tokyo (JST). pic.twitter.com/FGcRTkiAfO  Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) May 10, 2023

Taking to Twitter, the finance ministry had earlier said, Union finance minister is on an official two-day visit to Niigata, Japan, for a Dialogue with partner countries at the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting tomorrow (12 May, 2023).

During her visit, Sitharaman will also have multilateral and bilateral engagements with her counterparts, besides a roundtable meeting with business leaders and investors, the finance ministry said in a tweet.

The office-bearers of Tokyo Tamil Sangam also called on the Union finance minister during her two-day visit, according to a tweet from the office of the finance ministers office.

Office bearers of Tokyo Tamil Sangam (@TamilTokyo) call on Smt @nsitharaman during her two-day visit to Japan. pic.twitter.com/ObpvTtoyhG  NSitharamanOffice (@nsitharamanoffc) May 11, 2023

Tokyo Tamil Sangam is a non-profit organisation that aims to promote Tamil language and culture in Tokyo, Japan.

The G7 meeting will be chaired by Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki and the Governor of the Bank of Japan Kazuo Ueda.

During the meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) held in New Delhi on Monday, FM Sitharaman said regulators must take appropriate and timely action to mitigate any vulnerability and strengthen financial stability.

She said regulators should maintain a constant vigil as ensuring financial sector stability is a shared responsibility of the regulators. The heads of the regulators of the G7 member countries will be here during the meeting.

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.
At the recently concluded I/O keynote, Google unveiled significant upgrades to its Pixel range and showcased its newest advancements in artificial intelligence.

Googles 15th annual developer conference was focused heavily on artificial intelligence for businesses and users. With updates coming to pretty much all of Googles core apps, the future of AI is coming soon alongside new Pixel devices.

In case you missed the live event, weve compiled the most significant highlights from the Google I/O keynote.

Expanding the Pixel lineup

During the keynote, Google placed a strong emphasis on its Pixel hardware and introduced three new products: the Pixel Fold, the Pixel Tablet, and the budget-friendly Pixel 7A.

Making its debut in the foldable market, the Pixel Fold comes with a price tag of $1,799. It showcases a 5.8-inch OLED outer screen, which unfolds to reveal a larger 7.6-inch OLED display featuring a 120Hz refresh rate. Additionally, the new 11-inch Pixel Tablet is priced at $499 and serves as both a conventional tablet and a smart display. It includes a magnetic charging dock that also functions as a speaker.

In terms of the midrange A-series lineup, Google unveiled the Pixel 7A. Similar to the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet, this device incorporates Googles Tensor G2 chip and features a 6.1-inch 1080p display capable of running at up to 90Hz. The base model of the phone is priced at $499, while certain carriers offer a higher-priced $549 option that supports millimeter wave (mmWave) technology.

Bard is now open to everyone

Google has made an exciting announcement, stating that its AI-driven chatbot is now accessible to all users, eliminating the need for a waitlist. Additionally, the company has introduced several new enhancements. Users can now enjoy the chatbots capabilities in Japanese and Korean languages, and an improved method for exporting generated text to Google Docs and Gmail.

Furthermore, Google has introduced dark mode and visual search features, with plans to introduce further functionalities in the future. These upcoming additions include AI image generation utilizing Adobes AI image generator, named Firefly. Google also intends to integrate its chatbot with third-party services like OpenTable and Instacart, expanding its functionality even more.

AI-powered snapshots for Google Search

Google Search is receiving a significant update through a new feature called AI snapshots. By opting in to the Search Generative Experience (SGE) feature, users will begin to see AI-generated answers at the top of their search results for specific queries, providing additional context to the search. Follow-up questions can then be used to narrow down the information presented in the snapshot.

These AI snapshots are fueled by the updated version of Googles large language model (LLM) known as PaLM 2, which was also announced at I/O. The updated model is currently used by 25 Google services, including the Bard chatbot, and offers improved capabilities in reasoning, coding, and translation.

Android is getting better with AI

Googles AI-powered advancements are not limited to Google Search alone. The company has recently announced the introduction of new AI-driven features for Android as well. One of these features, known as Magic Compose, will be integrated into Androids Messages app, allowing users to respond to text messages using AI-generated suggested responses.

Another notable addition is the ability to create personalized wallpapers using AI. Rather than selecting from a pre-existing collection, users will soon have the option to describe an image, and their device will generate the corresponding wallpaper using Googles text-to-image diffusion model. Furthermore, Google plans to launch a Pixel-exclusive feature next month, enabling users to enhance their devices with a cinematic wallpaper that adds depth to their own photos.

Google Photos Magic Editor  Replacing Photoshop Mobile

The tech giant is also introducing a new AI-powered editing tool called Magic Editor ot its Photos App. With this feature, users will have the ability to make significant enhancements to their photos. These include enhancing the sky, moving individuals or objects within the photo, and even removing people from the background. Initially, the Magic Editor will be made available in early access to a select group of Pixel users later this year.

A new and improved WearOS 4

Despite the fact that Wear OS 3 has not yet been completely implemented, Google is preparing for the release of Wear OS 4. Google has revealed that the upgraded operating system will offer enhanced battery life, a feature enabling users to back up and restore their watches, as well as new accessibility functionalities.

Moreover, Wear OS 4 will boast improved integration with smart home devices, allowing users to conveniently adjust lighting, control media, and view animated previews of camera notifications directly from their watches. Currently, Wear OS 4 is only accessible in a developer preview and emulator, but it is expected to be fully available later this year.

Duet AI for Workspace

In the I/O keynote, Google made another significant announcement by introducing a new name for its collection of AI tools that will be integrated into Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and Gmail: Duet AI. These features within Workspace empower users to perform tasks such as composing emails or generating images from text in Slides. However, at present, they are exclusively accessible to individuals who join the waitlist for access.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Gilgit Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid has been placed under house arrest in Pakistans capital city Islamabad. It comes amid the ongoing protests by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in various cities of the country against the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.

A heavy contingent of police have been deployed outside Gilgit Baltistan (GB) House to prevent any untoward incidents, a notification issued by the office of the Chief Commissioner, Islamabad read.

Khurshid is also President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Gilgit Baltistan.

Violent protests continue across Pakistan since Imran Khan was arrested by paralimitary Rangers from Islamabad High Court on Tuesday on National Accountability Bureaus (NAB) warrant

At least eight people were killed and dozens others injured in clashes between PTI protesters and police officials across Pakistan.

During the protests, the PTI supporters stormed into cantonment areas in different cities while the Lahore Corps Commanders house was ransacked in a violent attack. Also, the private residence of sitting prime minister Shehbaz Sharif was ransacked and set on fire by the agitators.

Pakistan police has already arrested several PTI leaders including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry in a bid to defuse violent situation in the country.

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.
Google organised its annual developers conference, Google I/O 2023 last night. As with each year, the main focus of I/O was Googles software, although there were a few hardware launches as well. For software though, 2023 is clearly going to be a year for Googles AI projects if there ever was one.

Google has often teased audiences about its upcoming AI-based projects and features in previous editions of the I/O, albeit with a careful and measured approach. However, this time around, Google has been forced to go all out with its AI offerings.

Here are some of the biggest AI-related announcements that Google made at I/O 2023.

Bard opening up to all

Google has revealed that its competitor to ChatGPT, known as Google Bard, will now be accessible in more than 180 countries, with the waitlist no longer in effect. During the Google I/O 2023 event on May 10, Google shared the news that Bard would soon become available to additional countries and regions.

Simultaneously, Google presented forthcoming enhancements for Gmail, including an AI-powered tool designed to assist users in composing emails based on specific prompts. This particular feature is anticipated to be launched within this year.

Furthermore, Google has announced that Bard will soon offer support for languages such as Japanese and Korean. The software giant has also made a commitment to adding support for an additional 40 languages, though the specifics of those languages have not yet been disclosed.

A revamped Search and a refreshed Bard

To enhance user experience, Google Bard is incorporating more visual elements. For example, users now have the ability to request the AI to search for must-see sights in a specific region, and the AI, utilizing the power of Google Search and Knowledge Graph, will present relevant results accompanied by images.

This is a feature that ChatGPT does not possess. Additionally, Bard allows users to customize their viewing style, such as opting for a tile or list format.

Google is also making improvements to Google Lens, a tool that enables users to search for objects within images. With the latest enhancements, users can upload an image to Lens and request the AI to generate a humorous caption for it.

Furthermore, Google emphasizes that Bards citations will become more precise, aiding users in locating accurate sources of information. A new export feature will be introduced, allowing users to directly upload the generated text into Gmail or Google Docs for seamless integration.

Regarding collaborations and image-related advancements, Google is partnering with Adobe, the company behind Adobe Firefly, which enables creators to generate original images based on text prompts. This collaboration will enable users to create high-quality images effortlessly by providing text inputs such as Create a birthday invitation for my unicorn-loving daughter. The AI-powered tool will swiftly generate an image incorporating relevant elements based on the input.

PaLM 2: a new large-language mode

Google introduced PaLM 2, a new large-language model with impressive capabilities across various domains. PaLM 2 is capable of performing tasks such as coding, reasoning, multilingual translation, and natural language generation.

It has been trained on a vast collection of over 100 spoken languages, enabling it to excel in multilingual tasks that require understanding nuanced phrases, including idioms, poems, and riddles, which often involve ambiguous and figurative word meanings.

One notable aspect of PaLM 2s training is its exposure to extensive math and science texts, encompassing scientific papers and mathematical expressions. This training has enhanced the models reasoning abilities, which is evident in its problem-solving capabilities, particularly in puzzle-solving scenarios.

Google emphasizes that PaLM 2 powers more than 25 Google products behind the scenes, showcasing its wide-ranging application within the companys services. Additionally, Google recently introduced a specialized version of PaLM 2 called Med-PaLM 2, which focuses on medical knowledge. It has demonstrated remarkable performance, capable of answering medical exam questions at an expert doctor level with an impressive 85% accuracy rate.

AI meets Gmail  Googles Help Me Write feature

Google has introduced an enhanced email composition feature on Gmail that leverages AI and Google paML2 technology, enabling users to create emails rapidly. This feature, referred to as Help Me Write, eliminates the need for downloading ChatGPT-powered extensions.

During the Google I/O 2023 event, Google showcased a new pencil icon within Gmail, which allows users to utilize prompts when composing emails. For example, if a user receives an email regarding cancelled flights, they can click on the pencil icon and type Ask for a full refund. A smart reply will be generated based on this input.

Google emphasizes that the suggested reply is provided as a reference, and users have the freedom to modify or adjust the text according to their personal style. If users are dissatisfied with the initial suggestion, they have options such as recreate and elaborate to further refine their email response.

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 Pixel 7a has been recently unveiled in India, priced at Rs 43,999. This device is Googles most affordable 5G smartphone and serves as the successor to the Pixel 6a.

Interestingly, the Pixel 7a has been released at the same price point as its predecessor, while offering improved features. Google believes that with a price tag of nearly Rs 44,000 the Pixel 7a is a budget device. The Indian market and people may not agree with Googles definition.

Nevertheless, this launch essentially makes the Pixel 6a seem a little less attractive, as consumers can now enjoy a superior version at a reasonable price. With the inclusion of bank offers, it will be possible to purchase the new Pixel phone for approximately Rs 40,000.

Lets take a closer look at the specifications, price, and other details of the Pixel 7a smartphone in India.

Google Pixel 7a: Specifications and features

The newly launched Pixel 7a features a 6.1-inch OLED display with Full HD+ resolution and an enhanced 90Hz refresh rate, an upgrade from the 60Hz display on the Pixel 6a. The front of the phone retains the familiar punch-hole design, while the back maintains the same design language as the Pixel 7 series and Pixel 6a, featuring a horizontal camera module housing two cameras.

The rear camera setup consists of a 64MP primary camera accompanied by a 13MP ultra-wide sensor. For selfies, there is a 13MP front camera. The Pixel 7a offers various camera features including Magic Eraser, Unblur, Long Exposure mode, and more.

Powering the Pixel 7a is Googles in-house Tensor G2 chipset, the same powerful processor found in last years flagship Pixel 7 smartphone. It is supported by 8GB of RAM and available in a 128GB UFS 3.1 storage variant. The phone houses a 4,410mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging technology, as well as wireless charging capability. Additionally, the Pixel 7a features stereo speakers and holds an IP67 water-resistant rating.

The Pixel 7a comes pre-loaded with Android 13 as its operating system. Google commits to providing three years of major Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates for the device. It is expected to be among the first devices to receive the upcoming Android 14 OS, scheduled for release in August of this year.

Google Pixel 7a: Pricing and offers

In India, the Pixel 7a is priced at Rs 43,999. As part of the launch, there is a discount offer of Rs 4,000 available for customers who have an HDFC bank card. With this offer, the effective price of the mid-range 5G phone on Flipkart will be reduced to Rs 39,999.

Its worth noting that Google has introduced only one model of the phone, which includes 128GB of storage. The Pixel 7a will be available for purchase starting May 11 through Flipkart.

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 seven people were reportedly killed during demonstrations appealing in part for the release of three civil society leaders in Guinea who had been imprisoned for months, their release was announced without conditions on Wednesday.

More than 30 people were shot during the riots in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, between opposition supporters and the juntas security forces, according to an opposition coalition.

AFP enquiries for confirmation of the gunshot victims were not immediately answered by Guinean officials.

According to FNDC communications manager Abdoulaye Oumou Sow, the three anti-junta National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) leaders  Ibrahima Diallo, Mamadou Billo Bah, and Oumar Sylla, also known as Fonike Mangue  were freed around 10:30 pm (GMT and local).

They are completely free, Sow added.

One of the lawyers representing the trio, Me Salifou Beavogui, said in a statement that the defence had just learned of the release of our clients without procedure, without condition.

Beavogui went on to criticise authorities handling of the case, and the fact that for several months citizens were deprived of their liberty without trial.

Mangue and Diallo had been detained since July 2022, while Bah had been held since January 2023. The courts reasons for releasing them were not immediately known.

Day of protests

Earlier on Wednesday, fast-moving groups of young protesters in several districts of the capital had hurled stones at police, who responded with tear gas, an AFP reporter saw.

In addition to the seven people reported killed, the opposition alliance said that 32 people had suffered gunshot wounds and 56 were arrested while calling in a statement for new peaceful demonstrations on Thursday.

Protests also took place in the northern town of Labe and at Nzerekore in the southeast, witnesses said.

The demonstrations were called by the Living Forces of Guinea (FVG), an alliance of political parties, trade unions and civil society groups.

They are demanding talks with the junta to fast-track a return to civilian rule, the lifting of a ban on demonstrations imposed last year, and the release of the jailed activists.

Prime Minister Bernard Gomou on Wednesday voiced readiness for talks with the opposition.

The government is trying to respond to the demands of all political and social movements while respecting legal procedures, he said.

But some amongst them refuse to join the framework of inclusive dialogue.

Truly regrettable

Gomou denied claims that the authorities had blocked talks.

These calls to demonstrate are truly regrettable and those behind them are solely responsible, he said.

The West African nations army seized power in September 2021, overthrowing elected president Alpha Conde, who faced mounting opposition for perceived authoritarianism.

The junta, led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, has pledged to restore civilian rule after implementing government reforms.

The transition period was fixed at two years from January this year following pressure from the regional ECOWAS bloc, which has also had to deal with coups in Mali and Burkina Faso since 2020.

Last May, the junta announced a three-year ban on all demonstrations likely to hinder activities.

Protests resumed on Wednesday despite an attempt by religious leaders to broker a solution with the opposition.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Environmental health professionals and experts have said that huge plumes of dust released from demolished buildings during earthquakes in Turkey and Syria carried poisons into rivers and plants, lungs and organs, risking serious health problems for years to come.

Asbestos, silica, mercury and lead were among thousands of toxins released by the huge earthquakes in February that killed more than 54,000 people in the two countries.

According to Reuters report, the sheer volume of debris left by the quake is enormous, even compared to other major disasters. The United Nations estimated the disaster generated at least 10 times as much rubble as the last big Turkish earthquake in 1999.

People in many places have rushed to clear mountains of wreckage and dumped the contents of buildings indiscriminately, according to numerous eyewitness reports and television footage.

Some experts said a secondary disaster of toxic contamination could be even more severe than the quakes themselves.

With an optimistic estimate, I would say that 3 million people will be sick, Reuters quoted Mehmet Seyhmus Ensari, civil engineer and Chairman of Turkeys Association of Asbestos Dismantling Experts, as saying

Turkeys Ministry for Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, the Health Ministry, and the Disaster Management Authority (AFAD) did not respond to requests for comment for this story, Reuters reported.

Hatay province, Turkeys worst-hit region, shows the scale of the unfolding health hazards.

A province of 1.7 million people and part of an area known as the Fertile Crescent, it is critical for agricultural production and the food industry, accounting for 14.5 per cent of Turkeys agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Haphazard waste disposal

Efforts to dispose of the waste have been so haphazard that some locals are staging weekly protests calling for better protection, Reuters reported.

In April, a group of medics, environmental engineers and lawyers filed a lawsuit to ban dumping near houses, hospitals, places of worship, olive orchards and coastal wetlands.

They said construction debris containing 85,000 toxic substances had been dumped in at least 15 sites, reported Reuters which said it was not able to confirm that independently.

A local court has yet to rule on their appeal.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan faces the toughest reelection battle of his two decade rule at elections on Sunday amid widespread anger in the quake region over the speed of his governments initial response. Erdogan has focused much of his campaign on pledges to rebuild the destroyed areas quickly.

A statement on the local governments website on 2 May said that more than 70 per cent of the rubble had been moved and authorities were still actively clearing 82 of the provinces roughly 500 districts.

Ensari, the chairman of the association of asbestos experts, told Reuters it had made many applications to the authorities as volunteers to supervise the demolition of buildings and handling the debris, but our applications remain unanswered.

The environment ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the applications.

The harms will manifest over decades, the experts said. Many more people  particularly children  will be liable to cancers, kidney disease and nervous disorders.

Respiratory diseases, eye diseases, asthma attacks, allergic reactions, and lung diseases will increase, said Ali Kanatli, head of the delegation of the Turkish Doctors Association in the quake-hit areas. We will face these problems in the coming years.

In normal demolitions, hazardous substances are removed from buildings before they are brought down.

Earthquakes make that impossible.

In many cities, rescue teams were replaced in the weeks after the quake by thousands of trucks and excavators clawing away at the mountains of concrete. More than 13,000 vehicles were deployed to work in the affected areas, according to the disaster management agency AFAD.

Deputy Environment Minister Mehmet Emin Birpinar said in a tweet on 25 February, the authorities would separate materials that are hazardous or recyclable from the rubble.

Birpinar said dust suppression systems were being used to prevent harmful substances like asbestos from circulating. He did not respond to requests for further details.

Turkeys disaster regulations state that workers wearing protection should first ensure the dead have been removed, then especially white goods should be taken away and debris recycled or disposed of without causing pollution.

Reuters journalists observed some water trucks hosing down debris as it was lifted into trucks in cities including Antakya and Osmaniye, but in many other cases, there were no such measures.

Scenes of unprotected people, including children and rescue workers, moving through the dusty rubble played across television screens for weeks after the first quake struck on Feb. 6.

Colossal dumps

The quakes left a trail of destruction that could cost Ankara more than $103 billion, equal to one-eighth of Turkeys 2021 GDP, reported Reuters citing the government.

They devastated multiple cities across 11 provinces, toppling homes and hospitals, mosques and monuments.

Across the affected regions, more than 300,000 buildings collapsed, needed to be demolished or were moderately damaged, according to a March statement from Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change.

The UN Development Program (UNDP) says the volume of rubble generated from the destruction would top 100 million cubic meters (130 million cubic yards)  around 10 times the volume left by a major earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010.

If piled up, it would be the equivalent of over 38 enormous heaps, each the size of the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt, according to the report.

The capital of Hatay province is Antakya. Whole areas were reduced to shattered concrete and steel.

Satellite images from before and after the quake show the trail of destruction along the western banks of the Asi river and the downtown area.

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 Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistani governments crackdown against the countrys main Opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said he is not in favour of banning any political party and will be the last person to agree on such a decision.

After the arrests of top leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, including former prime minister Imran Khan and former ministers Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Fawad Chaudhry, Bilawal said it was imperative for the PTI to maintain its status as a political party and not transform into a group that supports terrorism, Dawn reported.

This would help prevent any need for the party to be banned, Bilawal said.

He further alleged that if PTI decides to engage in an armed rebellion against the state, then it may become necessary for the government to ban the party.

However, he expressed hope that the Pakistani government would not head in that direction.

Qureshi, a close aide of Imran Khan, was arrested on Thursday for inciting violent protests and threatening peace, amid the worsening political turmoil in the country that has left at least eight people dead.

A video shared by PTI on Twitter shows plain-clothed men taking him away, with him waving at party workers before departing from the location where he was detained.

The PTI claimed that 66-year-old Qureshi was arrested by the Islamabad police in the early hours of Thursday and transferred to an undisclosed location.

Police said PTI leaders Qureshi, Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Falaknaz Chitrali, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema and Maleeka Bokhari had been arrested so far.

Arrests had been made for inciting arson and violent protests under a well thought out plan for threatening peace, it tweeted on Thursday.

Qureshis arrest comes two days after paramilitary forces whisked away Imran Khan on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials who barged into a room of the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday.

An anti-corruption court on Wednesday sent the 70-year-old former prime minister on an eight-day physical remand to the anti-corruption watchdog.

Khans dramatic arrest on Tuesday sparked widespread violent protests across Pakistan, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 300 others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies and prompting the authorities to deploy the army in the countrys capital Islamabad, as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces on Wednesday to maintain law and order.

In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said strict action would be taken against states enemies as he slammed Khans PTI for violence that gripped the country after his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.

The miscreants will be dealt with iron hands. They will be punished according to the law, the prime minister said and urged PTI protesters to immediately stop anti-state activities.

They attacked sensitive property as if they were enemies. I have never seen such heartbreaking scenesWe will not allow anyone to conspire. We will not let their nefarious agenda succeed, he 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.
Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was arrested on Wednesday in front of the Supreme Court (SC) in Islamabad, according to Geo News.

The new incident coincides with the continuing campaign against PTI employees and officials. According to a news report, Fawad Chaudhry has been inside the Pakistan Supreme Court since 11 a.m. (local time) in an effort to avoid being arrested.

After leaving the grounds of the highest court, Chaudhry was detained. In accordance with Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Ordinance (MPO), the Islamabad police detained Chaudhry and sent him to the Secretariat Police Station.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf tweeted, SVP @fawadchaudhry has been arrested outside Supreme Court despite having protective bail from IHC till 12th May. Law of the jungle is ruling in Pakistan.

SVP @fawadchaudhry has been arrested outside Supreme Court despite having protective bail from IHC till 12th May. Law of the jungle is ruling in Pakistan. #ReleaseImranKhan  PTI (@PTIofficial) May 10, 2023

Speaking to reporters before his arrest, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said the lawyers' community had become weak as there was infighting among them. He said, "Never has a petitioner been arrested in such a manner," Geo News reported. He further said that Islamabad High Court had a day earlier, approved his pre-arrest bail which he had shown to Islamabad police earlier in the day.

Chaudhry said Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest has resulted in a division in the country, as per the Geo News report. He said that space should be given to political opponents to pave the way for dialogue. Before Fawad Chaudhry's arrest, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested PTI Secretary General Asad Umar from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's accountability court has granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) eight-day remand of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust graft case, Samaa reported. The Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir had earlier heard the case and reserved his verdict.

At the outset of the hearing, the country's top anti-corruption body sought 14-day physical remand of the former premier, Samaa reported. Imran's council contended that NAB has no jurisdiction in the case, adding the anti-graft watchdog also did not share the inquiry report.

He maintained that a fair trial is Imran Khan's fundamental right. "Imran Khan's trial should be held in open court," his counsel urged the court. After the hearing, the former PM's lawyer held a press conference where he claimed that Khan alleged in court that he was tortured in custody and was not allowed to even use the washroom, according to the video posted by PTI's official Twitter handle.

On Tuesday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Khan was arrested in a graft case, and presented before the accountability court at the Police Lines Headquarters. The accountability bureau will investigate the former premier at the Police Lines. Protests have erupted in Pakistan after Imran Khan's arrest. The protests have led to widespread destruction of properties.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Around 24 Palestinians, inlcuding a top Islamic Jihad commander, were killed as the Israeli army continued its attack on Gaza on Thursday.

According to Al Jazeera, those killed included five women and five children.

The southern Gaza Strip neighbourhood of Khan Younis was the focus of the strike conducted early hours of Thursday, targeting a commander of a rocket unit, Al Jazeera reported quoting Israeli forces.

Ali Ghali, the commander of a rocket launch team, was killed in the southern Gaza Strip in the Israeli pre-dawn strike, according to a statement from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The Israeli army tweeted, OPERATIONAL UPDATE: We just targeted Ali Ghali, the commander of Islamic Jihads Rocket Launching Force, as well as two other Islamic Jihad operatives in Gaza.

Ghali was a central figure in IJ, as well as responsible for the recent rocket barrages launched against Israel, the tweet read.

Ghali was a central figure in the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad. The southern Gaza Strip neighbourhood of Khan Younis was the focus of the strike, which, according to Al Jazeera as per the Palestinian media accounts, killed numerous persons, including an Islamic Jihad commander.

According to the Israeli Army, over 300 rockets were fired at civilians across the country, as civilians in cities like Tel Aviv ran to shelters for safety.

At least 12 people were killed in the air raids on Gaza Strip by Israels military on Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported, adding that 20 others sustained injuries in an early morning operation.

At around 2 am (local time) on Tuesday (23:00 GMT on Monday), explosions targeting residential flats were reported throughout Gaza. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement said that three of its leaders were killed, including their wives and several children.

Dozens of strikes were reported across the Strip in the ensuing hours, sending fireballs skyward as the army targeted terror training sites. The army called the campaign Operation Shield and Arrow.

The bombings came after Adnan, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad activist, passed away last week after going on a hunger strike for almost three months.

(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.
A Chinhoyi magistrate this Tuesday acquitted Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC) activist, Godfrey Makoko, who was facing charges of threatening to kill MDC president, Douglas Mwonzora.

This dealt a huge blow to Mwonzora who earlier this week suffered yet another legal defeat after the Constitutional Court dismissed a court application challenging Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)'s delimitation report and seeking postponement of impending 2023 elections.

Chinhoyi Magistrate Toendepi Zhou set free Makoko (40) after a lengthy trial that saw State calling four "weak" witnesses who gave conflicting versions.

Testimonies by Mwonzora's three security aides were riddled with inconsistencies and therefore, unreliable, the court ruled.

In his judgement Zhou noted one named private security guard, who works at Chinhoyi Court Complex where the purported threats were made, testified that he never saw or heard accused person issuing threats of violence.

Makoko, in his earlier defence outline through his lawyer Kudzai Choga, put it that charges against him were concocted to settle political scores.

Court heard the MDC president had laid charges to retaliate humiliation by CCC activists who chanted political songs outside the courthouse on November 11, 2022 after his application for a spoilation order against CCC was ruled defective.

"The State did not crucially interrogate fourth State witness who said he never saw accused person near complainant," the magistrate ruled.

"The State shot itself in the foot by calling the fourth witness (name supplied) who said he didn't see any such incident of threats of attack on Mwonzora by accused person.

"The State failed to prove itself beyond any reasons doubt and, therefore, this court will give benefit of doubt to accused person who is hereby acquitted and discharged."

Earlier in March, the same court acquitted Makoko's co-accused: CCC interim provincial secretary Tawanda Bvumo, former Chinhoyi mayor and incumbent Ward 12 Councillor Dyke Makumbi and party security officer, Taurai Justin Munyaradzi.

Lawyer Kudzai Choga and Makoko following the latter's acquittal

Speaking exclusively to NewZimbabwe.com following his acquittal, Makoko said: "That was a long awaited judgement, and at the end of the day l am free. I am ready to serve my party to bring freedom to our nation. That's what the struggle is about.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Zimbabwe 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.

"Inspite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, l have got a dream and goal to free fellow citizens".

He added: "It feels good to be acquitted when somebody fabricates allegations against you, especially someone who is saying he wants to be president of this country.

"It is so shameful because a genuine leader is not a searcher of consensus, but a moulder of consensus. He is trying to use the courts, notwithstanding that the law cannot change the heart.

"I will never change my ideas for trying to bring change in our country, no! He is trying to have power, but power without love is reckless and abusive. That's why he is abusing the court. I never thought Mwonzora can do something like this.

"The road to freedom is hard and difficult, and it always makes for temporary setbacks.

"We are one people with one vision of freeing fellow citizens from the bondage of Zanu PF but we should not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred," Makoko said.

Mwonzora, who was milling outside Chinhoyi Court Complex moments before judgement was delivered, curiously disappeared from the scene and could not be reached for comment.
Top European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell claimed that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine that has been going on for over a year can be ended in just days.

I know how to end the war immediately, Borrell said in an interaction with Spanish broadcaster La Sexta.

Josep Borrells solution to end Ukraine war

The EU top diplomat said the Russia-Ukraine war can be ended if military aid to Kyiv is stopped.

Stop providing military aid to Ukraine and Ukraine [will] have to surrender in a few days. Thats it, the war is over, Borrell said.

A report by RT said that the Ukraine war would be over if EU and other Western nations wanted. According to Borrell, an immediate end to the conflict on such terms would not only see Ukraine occupied and turned into a puppet country but the much-smaller nation would be deprived of its freedoms as well.

The diplomat further blamed continued hostilities on Moscow stating that Russia has repeatedly said it will not stop until all its military goals are met and that the peace efforts by China and Brazil are detached from reality.

Borrell on wanting to push Russia to withdraw

Borrells fresh claims come days after a Euronews report claimed him of saying the present situation inside the war-torn country is not conducive for launching formal peace talks.

In a conversation with Euronews, he had said back then, If you want peace, push Russia to withdraw. Push Russia to stop the war. Dont tell me to stop supporting Ukraine, because if I stop supporting Ukraine, certainly the war will finish soon.

Ukraine reacts to Borrells words

Reacting to Borrells statements, Ukraine said that withdrawal of military aid would not end conflict immediately.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyys aide Mikhail Podoliak tweeted that it would only lead to further escalations as hostilities would spill over to other territories.

UN chief Antonio Guterres skepticism

Borrells words come less than a day after the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed skepticism about the peace efforts being carried out by Brazil and China.

In an interaction with Spains El Pais he said that any mediation efforts would be in vain for now since both parties to the conflict are still fully involved in the fight.

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.
Microsoft Corporation has decided not to increase salaries for full-time employees in the current year, according to a report by Insider. Additionally, the company is reducing the budget allocated for bonuses and stock awards.

The information was cited from an internal email sent by CEO Satya Nadella. As of now,

The report quoted Nadella explaining that the decision was influenced by the different economic conditions compared to the previous year when the company made significant investments in compensation due to market conditions and company performance, nearly doubling their global merit budget.

Last year, we made a significant investment in compensation driven by market conditions and company performance, nearly doubling our global merit budget This year, the economic conditions are very different across many dimensions, Nadella said.

In January, Microsoft announced plans to lay off 10,000 employees, contributing to the broader trend of job cuts within the technology sector due to a sluggish economy. However, Microsoft has shifted its focus to generative artificial intelligence (AI), which is considered a promising area within the industry.

As part of this shift, Microsoft has been working closely with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, which has received significant funding from Microsoft. They have been incorporating AI technology into their Office products and their search engine, Bing. By leveraging the advancements in AI, Microsoft aims to enhance the functionality and capabilities of their offerings.

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 22 Palestinians were murdered over the course of two days in the worst escalation of violence to rock the coastal region in months as Israels army and Gaza militants battled a heavy cross-border fire overnight.

An AFP correspondent saw rocket launches from Gaza as sirens in the Tel Aviv region and southern Israel warned of impending missiles, while Israeli officials said that Egypt was negotiating a potential cease-fire with the terrorist organisation Islamic Jihad.

In a pre-dawn attack on Thursday, Israeli soldiers, according to Islamic Jihad, killed one of its military leaders.

Ali Ghali commander of the rocket launch unit was assassinated in the south of the Gaza Strip along with other martyrs, said a statement from the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed branch of the group.

After Israel declared it would be attacking the groups missile launch facilities, smoke began to billow from the heavily populated coastal area.

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, noticed more than 400 rockets from Gaza late on Wednesday, while Islamic Jihad claimed that the Palestinian resistance continued to fire.

Israeli authorities said that a home and a car were struck by rockets in the southern Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Sderot, and the army reported a number of additional attacks on the blockaded Gaza Strip.

A day after 15 Palestinians were murdered in Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave, the health ministry in Gaza reported seven fatalities on Wednesday.

According to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, four of those dead were combatants.

Late Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was still in the midst of the campaign, noting that no Israeli civilian has been wounded up to now.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has escalated since Netanyahus latest coalition, including extreme right and ultra-Orthodox parties, took office in December.

The escalation has come against the backdrop of Israels biggest domestic crisis in decades around now-shelved judicial reforms proposed by the government of Netanyahu, who is himself on trial for corruption he denies.

Egypt ceasefire efforts

Earlier, an Israeli official had told AFP on condition of anonymity that Egypt was trying to facilitate a ceasefire.

Sources in Gaza close to Islamic Jihad and Hamas confirmed Egyptian efforts to secure a truce, without providing further details.

In Washington, the White House said that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had spoken with his Israeli counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi and reaffirmed the US ironclad support for Israels security.

The latest violence comes a day after Israeli strikes on Gaza killed three top Islamic Jihad militants and 12 others, including four children, according to a health ministry toll.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told public broadcaster Channel 11 late Wednesday that Islamic Jihad were begging for a ceasefire.

Islamic Jihad had vowed Tuesday to retaliate, with Israel warning its residents near the border to stay near bomb shelters.

Ahead of Wednesdays exchange of fire, Gazas usually bustling shops were closed.

People in Gaza expect the worst, said resident Monther Abdullah.

Everyone feels anxious and people arent on the street much. I definitely feel like theres a war coming, the 50-year-old told AFP.

In Tel Aviv, Odelia Abromovitch said the rocket fire at her city was scary.

Its one of the first times I hear a siren in Tel Aviv, she said. But this is the situation we live in.

West Bank deaths

The latest violence comes on the second anniversary of a devastating 11-day war fought between Gaza militants and Israel.

Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou said Wednesday that the strikes of the unified resistance are part of the process of responding to the massacre committed by (Israel).

Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad are considered terrorist organisations by Israel and the United States.

The top Islamic Jihad militants killed on Tuesday were named as Jihad Ghannam, Khalil al-Bahtini and Tareq Ezzedine.

On Wednesday, Israeli troops raided the West Bank town of Qabatiya, killing two people whom the army accused of firing at soldiers.

The Palestinian health ministry identified the two men as Ahmed Jamal Tawfiq Assaf, 19, and Rani Walid Ahmed Qatanat, 24.

Barbaric strikes

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967 and its forces regularly operate in Palestinian cities.

The Arab League on Wednesday condemned the aggressive (and) barbaric Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip, which targeted civilians, children and women in residential neighbourhoods.

Germany meanwhile strongly condemned the indiscriminate Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, which it said must stop immediately.

This weeks Gaza violence is the worst since a three-day escalation in August killed 49 Palestinians, with no Israeli fatalities.

While Hamas has fought multiple wars with Israel in recent years, the group stayed on the sidelines of last years conflict between Israel and Islamic Jihad.

The latest violence brings to 132 the number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so far this year.

Nineteen Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have been killed over the same period, according to an AFP count based on official sources from the two sides.

These figures include combatants as well as civilians, and, on the Israeli side, three members of the countrys Arab minority.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari asserted that he was not in favour of banning the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf despite the party attacking sensitive state installations.

Bhutto asked Imran Khans party to not make matters worse and end its violent protest against his arrest

Addressing a press conference, Bilawal Bhutto, also the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), said the PTIs reaction to Imran Khans arrest in a corruption case was completely unjustified.

He advised the PTI leadership to not make matters worse [and] call for an end to violent protests, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Imran Khan, 70, was arrested on Tuesday on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) by paramilitary Rangers, who barged into a room of the Islamabad High Court where the PTI chief was present for biometrics before the hearing of a corruption case.

His dramatic arrest sparked widespread violent protests across Pakistan, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 300 others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies.

It (the protest) is violent and has created a situation in which serious conversations need to be had, Bilawal Bhutto said, adding that those involved [in violence] will be held accountable.

He called on the PTI supporters to declare that you will abide by the rule of law and Constitution, and asked them to accept that they will engage with the NAB as citizens and not terrorists.

What has happened, has happened. Dont make things more difficult for yourself, he was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune newspaper.

Army was deployed in the countrys capital as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces to maintain law and order after Mr Khans supporters stormed the General Headquarters of the Army in Rawalpindi and set the residence of the Lahore Corps Commander on fire while attacking military vehicles and installations.

I think the events show the extreme restraint was shown not only by the Pakistani state but also the Pakistan Army, Bilawal Bhutto said, stressing that if a generals house would be invaded or the headquarters of the armed forces attacked in any other country they would be met with straight fire immediately.

He said that there were only two examples of the Pakistan Army General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi coming under attack  once by the banned terror outfit Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and then by Imran Khans supporters.

Bilawal Bhutto stressed that he was principally opposed to the banning of any political party, but added that such decisions are made in view of the circumstances.

Imran Khan was on Wednesday sent on an eight-day remand to the anti-corruption watchdog, while a sessions court indicted him in a separate graft case amid violent protests. Separately, the District and Sessions Court indicted Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case.

The Toshakhana case was filed last year by the Election Commission of Pakistan, and Mr Khan had skipped several hearings in the past months. The charges are about the allegation that Imran Khan concealed the proceeds of sale from the state gifts.

Imran Khan was present in the court and pleaded not guilty when the charges were read. He also refused to sign the court documents, according to Geo News channel.

The PTI chief was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.

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.
Republican leaders in the House are making it plain that they plan to wait for the legal process to conclude with New York Rep. George Santos before taking action to compel his resignation or expel him in order to preserve a slim, four-vote majority.

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged the freshman congressman with embezzling cash from his campaign, fraudulently claiming unemployment benefits, and misrepresenting to Congress about his financial situation. If found guilty, the lawmaker could spend up to 20 years in prison. Santos made a not-guilty plea.

Republican leaders were undeterred and brushed aside requests  including those from some colleagues  that they take immediate steps to remove Santos from Congress. Republican leaders have been dealing with rising doubts about Santos for months after the majority of his campaign biography was shown to be a fraud.

In America, theres a presumption of innocence. But theyre serious charges. Hes going to have to go through the legal process, said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

Scalise was seconded by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the No. 3 House Republican, who sidestepped the question of whether Santos should resign.

As Ive said from the very beginning on questions on this subject, this legal process is going to play itself out, she said.

The position Republican leaders have staked out generally follows the precedent that Congress has set in similar criminal cases over the years. The House has expelled just two members in recent decades, and both votes occurred after the lawmaker had been convicted on federal charges. But many say the narrow majority that Republicans won in the House is surely another factor in the GOP leaderships thinking.

There are a few members of the New York delegation and a few others calling for his immediate expulsion on the Republican side, which could tilt the leaderships hand. But given where were at with the debt limit and a four-vote majority, they dont want to lose any of those votes right now, said Casey Burgat, an assistant professor who leads the legislative affairs program at George Washington University.

Santos is adamant that he will stay in Congress and seek reelection. In a press conference outside a Long Island federal courthouse, he spoke Wednesday of getting back to Washington so he could vote on a top House GOP priority, a border bill that would restrict some asylum seekers and boost border enforcement. Its expected to be a close vote.

Santos also voted last month for the House GOP bill that ties a debt limit extension to an estimated $4.8 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years. In a dramatic flourish, Santos was the last Republican to cast a vote in favour of that bill, helping it win passage by a paper-thin margin  217-215.

While GOP leaders say the legal system needs to run its course, a few Republicans have seen enough.

The people of New Yorks 3rd district deserve a voice in Congress, tweeted Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas. George Santos should be immediately expelled from Congress and a special election initiated at the soonest possible date.

The House and the Senate have the power to punish members of their chamber for misconduct, including through expulsion. To date, according to the Congressional Research Service, 20 members have been expelled, but the large majority of them occurred at the outset of the Civil War. Half of the 20 expulsions were the result of a single vote in the Senate involving senators who represented states that had seceded from the Union but had not formally resigned.

The two most recent expulsions followed convictions on public corruption charges were:

Rep. Michael J. Ozzie Myers, D-Penn., was convicted of bribery and conspiracy for taking money from FBI agents who posed as Arab sheikhs. He was expelled in 1980 following his conviction and served more than a year in prison.

Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, was expelled in 2002, three months after he was found guilty of 10 federal charges, including racketeering, bribery and fraud for taking bribes and kickbacks from businessmen and his own staff.

Some lawmakers have also resigned upon being convicted of a crime, pre-empting an expulsion vote.

Last year, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., resigned from office after a California jury convicted him of lying to federal authorities about an illegal campaign donation from a foreign national.

Two years earlier, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., submitted his resignation about a month after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiring with his wife to steal about $250,000 in campaign funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle, from vacations to outings with friends and private school tuition. Then-President Donald Trump pardoned Hunter shortly before he left office.

Trump also pardoned former Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., who resigned in 2019 ahead of admitting to helping his son and others dodge $800,000 in stock market losses when he learned that a drug trial by a small pharmaceutical company had failed.

More than three dozen Democratic lawmakers have signed onto a bill from Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., that would expel Santos from the House.

Its pretty clear to everyone, including his constituents, that he is a complete fraud and shouldnt be in Congress, Garcia said.

Garcia said McCarthy is not pushing to expel Santos because he needs his vote. He urged several Republicans from New York who have criticized Santos to sign on to the expulsion legislation.

He can barely keep his caucus together on votes, so its clear that hes using George Santos support to keep him in leadership, Garcia said.

Republicans deny that Santos has been a distraction and say they are focused on other issues.

This place is bigger than any one member, said Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., the chairman of the powerful Republican Study Committee.

Despite the reports that Santos was facing federal charges and a crush of media attention at his arraignment in New York, Republicans said there was no discussion of him during their weekly, closed-door caucus meeting on Wednesday morning.

I never heard his name mentioned once, said Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.

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 top UNICEF official said maternal and newborn deaths have seen a persistent decline in South Asia amidst their stagnation globally and even an increase in some regions of Latin America in the last five years.

Dr Gagan Gupta, Senior Advisor, Maternal and Newborn Health at UNICEF said the decline in maternal mortality in South Asia since 2016 has been driven by good performance in countries like Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

However, he noted that the progress on reduction in neonatal mortality needed a greater push in the region. India has been one of the exemplar countries with a rapid rise in institutional deliveries, rapid scale-up of newborn care units and several policy changes to improve access of mothers and newborns to quality health services, he told PTI.

Gupta has been addressing various sessions at the ongoing International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC 2023) in Cape Town.

The four-day conference hosted by the South African government and AlignMNH, a global initiative funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) began here on May 8.

Bangladesh has shown a 42 per cent decline in maternal mortality between 2016-2020.

India also showed a 20 per cent decline in maternal mortality ratio (MMR) during the same period which is especially significant given the stagnation in global progress, Gupta noted.

Many of the learnings from India and Bangladesh are relevant for other countries in the region and also for sub-Saharan Africa.

Some of these learnings were shared at the IMNHC being held here.

To further accelerate progress in the region, there is a need to now focus on districts which are poorly performing and prioritise the pockets of home deliveries and communities which are not able to access healthcare, he said.

Local action will be critical if countries and regions have to meet the SDGs for maternal and newborn health, Gupta said.

He stressed the urgency to increase investments in maternal and newborn health as the joint ENAP/EPMM progress report by the WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA has shown that 12 per cent of countries have a fully financed maternal and newborn health plan.

These countries include India, Bangladesh and Bhutan from the region. The allocations for maternal and newborn health have further declined after Covid-19 with 40 per cent of countries reporting a decrease in allocations for maternal and newborn health programmes after the pandemic, Gupta said.

The average annual rate of reduction in maternal mortality in South Asia from 2016-2022 was 4.4 per cent per year while it remained stagnated globally during the same period.

The SDG targets envisage reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births and an end to preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1000 live birth by 2030.

(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.
Police have confirmed that a shooting at a Mercedes-Benz factory in southwestern Germany has resulted in the deaths of two individuals.

According to local media reports, the incident occurred at around 07:45 local time (05:45 GMT). The suspect has been identified as a 53-year-old man.

In response to the tragedy, Mercedes-Benz released a statement expressing their deep shock and sadness, extending their condolences to the victims, their families, and all personnel at the site.

The company noted that those involved in the shooting were employed by an external service provider.

According to reports, one of the victims succumbed to their injuries at the scene, while the other passed away later in the hospital.

No other individuals were harmed during the incident, and authorities have already apprehended a suspect.

The Stuttgart prosecutors office has clarified that the shooting was carried out by a lone perpetrator, with no involvement of individuals outside the factory premises.

The Sindelfingen plant, where Mercedes-Benz manufactures its S-Class luxury model, employs approximately 35,000 individuals.

According to a BBC report, police have assured the public that there is no ongoing threat or danger to the general population.

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 global monitors of migration  Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) have together observed a massive 20% year-to-year increase in the number of people displaced with their own country due to multiple crisis, internal and external in 2022.

According to an AFP report, a record-breaking number of internally displaced people (IDPs) have registered as a result of the situation.

In 2022, an unprecedented 71.1 million IDPs were documented, indicating a 20 percent increase compared to the previous year, the study finds.

It stated that the surge in displacement was primarily caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine led by Russia and the devastating monsoon floods in Pakistan.

And even as conflict-related displacement surged, natural disasters continued to account for most new internal displacement, spurring 32.6 million such movements in 2022  up 40 percent from a year earlier.

Additionally, a staggering 60.9 million new cases of internal displacement were reported in 2022, with some individuals being forced to flee multiple times throughout the year.

This represents an all-time high in terms of new displacements, marking a significant 60 percent rise compared to the approximately 38 million fresh displacements recorded in 2021.

Describing the figures as extremely high, Alexandra Bilak, the head of IDMC, highlighted the impact of the Ukrainian conflict, the floods in Pakistan, various ongoing conflicts worldwide, as well as numerous sudden and gradual disasters spanning from the Americas to the Pacific region.

Regions which saw maximum migration

While internal displacement is a global phenomenon, nearly three quarters of the worlds IDPs live in just 10 countries: Syria, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, Colombia, Ethiopia, Yemen, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan.

The year 2022 witnessed a significant increase in new internal displacements due to conflicts, reaching a staggering 28.3 million cases. This figure nearly doubled compared to the previous year and was three times higher than the average annual displacement over the past decade.

Among these displacements, 17 million were caused by the internal conflict in Ukraine, while an additional eight million people were forced to flee their homes due to the devastating floods in Pakistan.

Sub-Saharan Africa experienced approximately 16.5 million displacements, with more than half attributed to conflicts, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.

Is there an end to it?

These numbers indicate that global internal displacement is expected to continue growing this year, driven partly by emerging conflicts such as the ongoing violence in Sudan, which has compelled hundreds of thousands of people to flee.

According to United Nations data, over 700,000 individuals have already become internally displaced since the outbreak of conflict on April 15th, while another 150,000 people have fled the country altogether.

We have already recorded the same number of displacements since the start of the most recent conflict in April as we did for the entire year of 2022, stated Bilak, emphasizing the volatile situation on the ground.

She further highlighted that those newly displaced by the conflict were joining the ranks of over three million people who were already displaced across Sudan.

Progress lost

In the AFP report, Jan Egeland, the head of the NRC (Norwegian Refugee Council), referred to the simultaneous crises that have led to an escalating number of displacements worldwide as a perfect storm.

In a statement, Egeland expressed how conflicts and disasters intertwined in the past year, exacerbating the vulnerabilities and inequalities that people already faced, ultimately resulting in an unprecedented scale of displacement.

He further emphasized that the war in Ukraine not only contributed to the displacement crisis but also amplified a global food security emergency that disproportionately affected internally displaced individuals.

Egeland stated that this convergence of crises, known as the perfect storm, has significantly undermined the progress achieved in reducing global hunger and malnutrition over the years.

(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.
Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the United States (US) and other western nations to deliver crucial military aid for a much-anticipated counter-offensive against Russia.

According to Volodymyr Zelensky, delayed arrival of promised aid has stalled the planned military offensive by Ukraine.

With (what we already have) we can go forward, and, I think, be successful. But wed lose a lot of people. I think thats unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time, the Ukraine president told the media.

Zelensky said that the combat brigades of the Ukrainian military are almost ready for the offensive against Russia, but still needed some things, including armoured vehicles that were arriving in batches.

Western nations are hoping that the expected attack by Ukraine will be decisive in the war against Russia and will rearrange frontlines that have remained unchanged for months.

However, the Russian military is preparing to thwart the Ukrainian attack and have fortified their defences along a frontline that runs for 1,450km from the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine to Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south.

The Ukrainian government has attempted to lower expectations over the coming offensive with a senior government official admitting that the assault should not be seen as a potentially decisive move in the war against Russia.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Russias pipeline supplying oil to Europe was attacked in the Bryansk region, bordering Ukraine. The pipeline operator Transneft branded the incident as a terrorist attack.

The attack was reported at a filling point on the Europe-bound Druzbha pipeline in a Russian region.

 there was an attempt to commit a terrorist act against the Druzhba oil pipeline system at the Bryansk filling station, a report by TASS quoted Transnefts spokesman as saying.

The competent authorities are investigating the circumstances of the incident, Transnefts spokesman said, adding that no one was hurt in the incident.

On Wednesday, Baza, a Telegram channel with links to Russias law enforcement agencies, reported that three empty oil reservoirs at the Druzhba pipelines filling station came under attack.

It further informed that there were no leaks following the attacks.

Transneft is involved in operation of the oil pipeline system. Founded in 1993, its main activities include transfer, coordination and management of transportation of oil and oil products through pipelines within Russia and abroad, and preventive, diagnostic, and emergency rehabilitation work on oil and petroleum products.

Supplies of Russian oil through the Soviet-built pipeline have not be sanctioned, however, European nations have reduced usage of the route amid broader sanctions slapped on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine last year.

Transnefts Druzbha pipeline attacked several times

Druzbha pipeline of Transneft was attacked several times after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine on 24 February, 2022.

On 1 February this year, Transneft claimed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had attempted to shell a station on the Druzhba pipeline.

The pipeline again came under attacks in the Bryansk region in March. On 15 March, Transneft claimed that it found explosive devices on the Novozybkov oil pumping station on the pipeline, while on 21 March the local governor informed about a Ukrainian drone attack on the pipeline.

The attack on Druzbha pipeline comes months after Nord Stream gas pipeline, transporting the natural gas from western Russia to Europe through the Baltic Sea.

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.
South Africa: Thousand hectares of land to be released for housing development

Human Settlements Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, says the process of releasing land will continue in this financial year, with a further 1 500 hectares of publicly and privately owned land in the process of being acquired.

Presenting the departments budget for 2023/2024, Kubayi said a total of 539 hectares of land have been released in various provinces by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to the Housing Development Agency (HDA) for human settlement development during 2022/2023 financial year.

Kubayi said breaking the apartheid spatial development requires acquisition of land in well located areas that will bring people closer to their places of work.

She said governments efforts to break the apartheid spatial development will include a combination of programmes, namely social housing, urban renewal, first home finance, informal settlement upgrading and provision of serviced sites, amongst others.

I am pleased to report that over the past year, the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA) has successfully completed the construction 14 social housing projects. The investment into the sector has led to more than 7 900 job opportunities being created, Kubayi said.

R220m allocated to remove asbestos roofs

Kubayi has reaffirmed the departments commitment to remove asbestos roofs and walls in old township properties across all nine provinces.

She reported that during the past financial year, a total of 1 500 asbestos roofs have been removed in Seshego, Limpopo, and 2 100 in KaNyamazane, Mpumalanga.

In the current financial year, a total budget of R220 million has been allocated to the provincial Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) business plans in the Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal to implement 27 projects across the provinces to remove asbestos roofs.

Eradication of mud houses

Kubayi announced that seven provinces have planned to eradicate 11 791 mud houses this financial year, with a budget of R1.7 billion allocated for the process.

We will introduce the use of remote sensing through satellite technology and other modern technology applications to help us locate and get a total count of all mud houses across the country. This means we will have to acquire the skills to capacitate our department to be able to utilise these technologies, the Minister said.

Since last years pronouncement on the prioritisation of the eradication of mud houses, five provinces have implemented the programme to eradicate mud houses, with a total of 8 262 mud houses eradicated during the past financial year.

Skills shortage

Meanwhile, Kubayi reported that the department is currently embarking on a skills audit in a bid to close the skills gap and deliver on its mandate.

Human settlements development, by its very nature, is a highly technical sector, which requires very specialised skills, such as civil engineering, town planning, geoscience and many more.

"We will relentlessly pursue excellence and performance improvement by applying a strict framework skills allocation system without exception, she said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-05-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has backtracked on a controversial decree through a Statutory Instrument (SI) stating that procurement in construction, medicines and drugs will not be publicly disclosed.

Earlier on, Information ministry spokesperson Nick Mangwana defended the illegality of the document which had caused an uproar, saying it is meant to disentangle purchases of emergency medical supplies or critical equipment repairs from the long drawn procurement process.

"So the import of the General Notice is not to avoid public accountability but to allow life saving procurement. Supposing there is an urgent need for certain theatre sundries, without the "Notice", it would mean the hospital would need to publish a tender first, and go through the long drawn process putting patient safety and life at risk.

"This "Notice" gives room for direct procurement of such sundries without the need for bureaucratic procurement processes," he said.

However moments after, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda, dismissed the SI saying it had been published without Mnangagwa's authorisation.

"His Excellency the President, Dr ED Mnangagwa. has been made aware of some document gazetted as General Notice 635 of 2023, purporting ( place the procurement of certain goods outside public scrutiny. On grounds of "national interest".

"Upon further investigations, it has come to light that the so-called Government Gazetted Notice is nullity, having been published without authorisation, and without the signature of the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, as is the norm," read the statement.

Sibanda added that investigations are underway to determine how the 'illegal' document was leaked.

"While further investigations are underway, Government wishes to advise the public that, on the instruction of His Excellency the President, the document in question has been rescinded as it has no standing at law, policy and in terms of set Government in procedures. It thus should be disregarded.

"Government remains committed as ever to managing a transparent public procurement policy and process as required by the law of the country," added the statement.

The nullified SI on Tuesday drew fierce criticism from opposition Citizens Coalition for Change, Civil Society Organisations and legal experts who described it as a counterproductive move to cover up rampant corruption.
A Russian government building in Bryansk Oblast, which shares a border with Ukraine, was attacked by a Ukrainian drone, said Governor Alexander Bogomaz in the early hours of Thursday.

Bogomaz said that the Ukrainian drone targeted the building which was a military enlistment office.

The raid took place in Starodub, a town of 17,000 people, Bogomaz said, adding that no one was hurt.

This came shortly after Ukrainian drone attacks were reported in Russias Belgorod Region, which also border Ukraine.

Through his Telegram Channel, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov on Wednesday evening said two drones exploded over a residential area, damaging a couple of houses and a car.

An hour later, Gladkov said a third UAV was shot down by air defences.

The Belgorod governor also confirmed that there were no casualties in the attacks in the region.

As per reports, regions bordering Russia have been constantly witnessing shelling and have been targeted by drones after Vladimir Putin launched special military operation in Ukraine on 24 February, 2022.

A report by RT said the shelling of the city of Shebekino in the Belgorod Region on Wednesday claimed the life of one person.

According to a report by The Telegraph, at least ten Russian troops have been injured in a suspected Ukrainian attack on an airfield in southern Russia.

The report quoted popular Russian Telegram channels Astra and Baza citing unnamed sources claiming that the airfield outside Voronezh was attacked by two drones on Wednesday. Media reports about the casualties varied from 10 to 14 people.

Alexander Gusev, governor of Voronezh, confirmed the attack but did not mention anything about the potential casualties.

Gusev said that the Russian forces managed to foil an attack by two UAVs. One was reportedly shot down, and the other veered off course and crashed near an unnamed military site.

Though there has been no official announcement from Russia, but the drone strike, if confirmed, would mark the attack with the largest number of casualties on Russian soil since the beginning of the invasion last year.

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 landmark case, a US Army sergeant has been handed a 25-year prison sentence for the killing of a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020.

Daniel Perry, 36, was convicted of fatally shooting Garrett Foster, 28, during a protest in Austin.

The sentencing took place on Wednesday, presided over by a judge. It is worth noting that both Perry and Foster were white.

The punishment has caused a stir among the Republicans as they have constantly supported Perry on his self-defence narrative.

Even as Texas Governor Greg Abbott had expressed his intention to pardon Perry once an official request reached his desk.

Sheila Foster, the mother of Garrett Foster, addressed the court on Wednesday and expressed her relief, stating, After three long years, were finally getting justice for Garrett, as reported by the Associated Press.

She also added, Mr. Perry, I pray to God that one day, you will get rid of all this hate that is in your heart.

The sentencing comes a month after a Travis County jury unanimously found Perry guilty of Fosters murder.

However, Perry was acquitted of an additional charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

As the judge announced the sentence, Perry, who was dressed in prison attire, began to cry.

Clinton Broden, one of Perrys lawyers, released a statement denouncing the case as a political prosecution and pledged to file an appeal.

How it happened?

On July 25, 2020, Garrett Foster lost his life in a tragic incident. Daniel Perry, an Uber driver and soldier at the time, turned onto a street where Black Lives Matter demonstrators were marching, ran a red light, and came to a stop.

Foster, a former Air Force mechanic who was lawfully carrying an AK-47 style weapon in Texas, was among a group of protesters who approached Perrys vehicle.

Perry, who had no passengers at the time, claimed that some of the demonstrators began banging on his car.

Media reports indicate that the protesters informed the police that they feared the vehicle might intentionally collide with them.

Perrys defence argued that Foster began to raise his assault rifle towards Sgt. Perry. According to authorities, Perry rolled down his window and fired five shots with a .357 revolver, hitting Foster. He then drove away and promptly called 911.

Prosecutors contended that Perry could have chosen to drive away if he felt threatened instead of resorting to using his firearm.

During Perrys sentencing, a forensic psychologist, who examined him, testified that Perry suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, which was exacerbated by his military service, and that he had developed an us vs. them mentality.

According to court documents, Perry had been actively searching for the locations of Black Lives Matter protests in the weeks leading up to the shooting.

Additionally, records show that he had sent messages on social media to friends, making derogatory comparisons between protesters and monkeys flinging excrement in a zoo.

Perrys legal team argued that he had acted in self-defense within the boundaries of the law when he shot Foster.

The case of Perry has become a focal point for the discussion around Stand Your Ground laws, which are implemented at the state level and generally allow individuals to protect themselves using reasonable force, including deadly force, to prevent death or serious bodily harm.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,

India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
AJEYA WARRIOR-23: India-UK joint military exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-23 came to an end in Salisbury, England on Thursday. Army personnel from both nations displayed their military skills during the exercise which concluded May 11.

This year, exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-23 featured soldiers from the UKs 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles and Indias 6th Battalion of the Bihar Regiment.

#WATCH | Indian Army troops raise war cries of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai- Bajrang Bali Ki Jai' during the 7th edition of India-UK joint-military exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-23 being conducted at Salisbury Plains, UK pic.twitter.com/D7PwKVIF7V  ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2023

"Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR is testing both our troops to the hilt, including the uncertainty and complexity experienced in contemporary multi-domain operations, Brigadier Nick Sawyer, Defence Adviser, British High Commission told the media.

According to an official statement, throughout the exercise, both armies showcased their capabilities and emerging military technologies as part of their respective drives towards modernisation. Along with this, the soldiers of both the countries are getting to learn from each other.

Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR has made both countries understand each other's military capabilities and strategy closely. This is vital to the UK-India strategic partnership, Brigadier Nick Sawyer said.

Not only are we training our two battle groups on the special occasion, but we are also training with our Indian brothers. We have a very strong shared history and strategic partnership with India. This Indo-UK joint exercise provided an ideal platform to drill and share best practices of operations in urban and semi-urban environments. The exercise has achieved the desired level of results and set new benchmarks of joint venture and interoperability, he added.

#WATCH | The 7th edition of joint-military exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-23 between India and the United Kingdom is being conducted at Salisbury Plains, United Kingdom from 27 April to 11 May 2023. pic.twitter.com/pvuCCxZsjs  ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

Indian High Commissioner to Britain Vikram Doraiswami said that the aim is to try to increase interoperability between the forces and also to learn from each other.

There is something the British Army can learn from us and our troops can learn from the quality and experience of the British Army's planning processes, he 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.
Women in Pakistan, who have come out to protest the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, are being beaten up, sexually molested and tortured by police and army personnel. Shocking videos of brutality have been creating buzz on social media.

A video shows women saying that they have been abused and beaten by male police officers. It seemed as if we are in India and were treated in similar way the police in India beat terrorists these days.

Pakistani women saying Pakistan Military/Police treated us like India treats terrorists these days. https://t.co/4K6RhMY7mH  Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) May 11, 2023

Another video showed a middle-aged woman being beaten up and dragged by a police officer in Pakistan.

Shared on the official Twitter account of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the video shows two women with a child and an infant, with one of them involved in a physical clash with the cop while the other tries to save her.

Sharing the video, PTI wrote: "#PakistanUnderSiege - Everyone, please tag all influencers and human rights activists to propagate this fascism in Pakistan!"

#PakistanUnderSiege - Everyone, please tag all influencers and human rights activists to propagate this fascism in Pakistan! pic.twitter.com/5d5xnwCrag  PTI (@PTIofficial) May 10, 2023

In another video, Pakistan police in riot gear can be seen mercilessly dragging women protesting against the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan.

This is how Pakistan army treats women.  #PakistanCivilWar pic.twitter.com/NcU3rfutYI  Dr. Syed Rizwan Ahmed (@Dr_RizwanAhmed) May 11, 2023

One of the videos going viral on social media shows male cops of Lahore Police sexually molesting women who were taken into custody for protesting.

#Pakistan's Security Establishment Shows Its Ugly Face. Women who were taken into custody by #Lahore police and Rangers were sexually molested by their men throughout the night. pic.twitter.com/sfZltlj2Xi  Nepal Correspondence (@NepCorres) May 10, 2023

Pakistan protests Imran Khan's arrest

Protests have erupted across Pakistan over the arrest of Imran Khan on Tuesday from Islamabad High Court. The PTI chief was nabbed by paramilitary rangers on National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) warrant.

At least eight people have died and nearly 300 have been injured across Pakistan since the violent protests broke out in the cash-strapped country.

The Pakistan army has been deployed in capital Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces on Wednesday to maintain law and order.

On Tuesday, the protesters had ransacked and set ablaze the Corps Commander's house in Lahore. They also pelted stones at the Governor's House and attacked the ruling PML-N headquarters in Lahore, torching the vehicles parked over there.

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.
Several vehicles caught fire after an explosion in the center of Italys Milan city on Thursday. The explosion happened in Milans Porta Romana neighborhood, SkyTG24 reported.

According to a report by Italys La Repubblica, a vehicle exploded, triggering domino explosions that currently involve at least 5 vehicles, in addition to some mopeds.

The explosion was triggered by a truck that was carrying oxygen cylinders, the report added. One person was injured in the incident.

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.
When air-raid sirens warning of an impending Russian attack are heard by inhabitants of Kyiv, Ukraines air-defence battalions have already left. They dash out by vehicle to farm areas near the capital from concealed positions, ready to shoot down hostile drones or missiles.

Since Russia started frequent air assaults on Kyiv on 28 April after an almost two-month pause, the scramble has practically become a nightly occurrence. Since then, every drone and missile fired against the capital has been intercepted by the forces.

It represents a significant improvement over the early stages of the conflict when waves of Russian missiles and planes evaded many Ukrainian defences and severely damaged Kyivs air force.

With the help of Western weapons and growing experience, Ukraines air defences have made great strides in the past 14 months, saving infrastructure and lives and preventing Russia from achieving air superiority  a critical step as Ukrainians prepare for a counteroffensive.

The bolstered defences have deterred Russian aircraft from going deep behind the front lines and greatly shaped the course of the war, Ian Williams wrote this month in an analysis for the Center For Strategic and International Studies, or CSIS.

Since 28 April, Russia has fired a total of 67 missiles and 114 drones at Ukraine, according to Ukrainian air force reports. Only seven missiles and 11 drones got through, and none hit Kyiv.

Last week, Kyiv units reported they had shot down Russias most advanced hypersonic missile, a weapon that was previously considered unstoppable by Ukraine. A newly acquired American-made Patriot battery made it possible.

On the first day of the invasion, Russia targeted Ukraines ground-based air-defence systems, first with a wave of missiles, then with dozens of bomber sorties supported by electronic warfare measures that essentially blinded Ukrainian radar, wrote Justin Bronk in an April analysis for the Virginia-based Center for Naval Analyses.

But Ukraine had received intelligence from allies ahead of the Russian attacks, allowing Ukrainian defenders to move mobile units out of harms way, although some fixed positions were destroyed.

The units were scattered, and for a brief time, Russia was able to fly in waves of helicopters, supported by fighter jets, and inflict heavy losses on Ukrainian aircraft sent to intercept them.

But the Russians failed to follow up on their initial attacks, allowing Ukraine to regroup quickly, said Douglas Barrie, a defence aerospace specialist with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

They didnt go back and check: Did we destroy it? Disable it? Do we need to go back and do it again? Have they relocated? he said.

The brigade commander of the air defence command Center is a colonel who could only be identified by his callsign, Granite, in keeping with the Ukrainian militarys policy of protecting soldiers identities. During a visit by The Associated Press to his unit this week, he said his brigade was hit on the first day of the war with 20 Russian missiles, which took out barracks and command posts and killed people.

After abandoning fixed positions, they now operate strictly as mobile teams that can quickly spring into action and just as quickly slip away  a tactic commonly referred to as shoot and scoot.

After the initial setbacks suffered by Ukraines air defences, enough mobile units were back in operation by the wars third day that they were able to shoot down multiple planes, prompting Russia to pull back its attack aircraft and deprive it of a key advantage.

But many of the Russian missiles were still getting through.

Granite estimates in the early months that Ukraine was intercepting about 50 per cent of incoming Russian missiles. The CSIS report suggested the figure might actually have been much lower.

With the arrival of new Western-made air defence systems in October and November, as well as the growing skill of the Ukrainian batteries, Ukraine reported intercepting some 80 per cent of incoming Russian cruise missiles by December.

Today, Granite said the figure is closer to 90 per cent, and he said the defence systems around Kyiv have taken down 100 per cent of missiles shot at the city since 28 April.

Kyiv is protected, he said.

Two key systems used by Ukraine since the start of the war have been the Soviet-era long-range S300 and medium-range Buk systems, also known as the SA-10s and SA-11s.

Ukraine has gradually added new systems from Western allies, including IRIS-T batteries from Germany in October and the American and Norwegian-built NASAMS in November.

It has also received European-built SAMP/T systems, and American-built HAWK missiles, and last month added two US-built Patriot batteries.

The air defence teams are set up with overlapping range rings, starting from short, almost point-blank defences using shoulder-launched missiles and anti-air cannons to greater distances.

A single layer would not be enough to stop all strikes or even most of them, Barrie said. But the more layers you have, the greater the chances you have.

Though all recent attacks on Kyiv have been thwarted, debris from falling missiles and drones has caused injuries and damage in the capital. But that is nothing compared with what could have happened, Granite said. In the 28 April attacks, a missile hit an apartment building in the central city of Uman, killing 23.

With so many Russian assaults, some speculate that Moscows strategy is to try to deplete Ukraines air defence resources to the point where Russia will again be able to exploit its advantage with fighters and bombers. But there are also signs that Russia is running lower on missiles.

So far Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has successfully pressed allies for more air-defense supplies. The US on Monday announced $1.2 billion more in long-term military aid, including new HAWK systems, drones and air-defence munitions.

Moscow could also be banking that Western support will eventually wane and put pressure on Ukraine to make concessions, Williams wrote.

Morale seemed high among Granites troops this week, as a short-range team clowned around despite being on duty long into the early morning hours as Kyivs air defences took down 35 explosive Iranian-made Shahed drones. The team then scrambled back to their posts around midday for what turned out to be a false alarm.

Beetle, who took down a Russian helicopter over Kyiv on the first day of the war with a shoulder-launched missile, said the success gave him confidence that he still holds.

I realized that its not over yet, that we can fight, he said. So theyre not that scary.

Range, a driver who joined the military on the first day of the war after seeing missiles rain down, said he could not sit on the sidelines.

Its history, he said. And were currently writing it.

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 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has condemned social media attacks on the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christain Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye.

He has also distanced himself and members of the Obidients family from what he described as another campaign of calumny from opposition ranks.

Obi spoke via a statement from the Obi-Datti Media Office on Wednesday.

The statement, which was signed by the Head of the Media Office, Diran Onifade reads, "Our attention has been drawn to yet another campaign of calumny emanating from opposition ranks, this time blaming 'Obidients' for recent unjustified social media attacks on the revered General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.

"We wish to state categorically that supporters of Mr Peter Obi, like their Principal, have great respect for Pastor Adeboye and therefore are not involved in any social media hounding of the revered man of God most especially over a statement he did not make.

"It has become a pattern for desperate political operatives to orchestrate a ruse and blame it on Peter Obi's supporters in furtherance of the opposition's subterfuge strategy which has failed back to back.

"We wish to appeal to fellow Nigerians to ignore the antics of election riggers who believe that demarketing Peter Obi is their sure means of keeping a stolen mandate.

"Nigerians are aware by now that issuing personal insults is not Peter Obi's character and he does not encourage his followers to engage in same."
Google released Android developer preview for Android 14, the next major Android release, back in February and released the beta 1 last month. At the Google I/O, it released the Android 14 beta 2.

Android 14 continues to improve privacy and security, and enhancements to the platform around camera and media, privacy and security, system UI, and developer productivity.

The company also announced that the beta update will also be available for more brands including iQOO, Lenovo, Nothing, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Tecno, vivo, and Xiaomi. This time Nokia, ASUS, SHARP and ZTE are not in the list.

You can head to the links in the respective pages to download the Android 13 Beta ROM and flash them on to the devices. Most of them have roll back ROM so that you can go back to the previous version.

Google said that each partner will handle their own enrolments and support, and provide the Beta updates to the users directly.
Earlier today, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar at an event organized by the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI) replying to questions of reporters said that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will send a notice to WhatsApp regarding the international spam calls issue.

For the past few days, several users have been reporting spam and scam call issue on WhatsApp from unknown international numbers from countries like Kenya (+254), Malaysia (+60), Indonesia (+62), Vietnam (+84), and Ethiopia (+251).

In response, WhatsApp said that protecting the privacy and security of users is fundamental to Meta and to WhatsApp. It said that it is fully aligned with the Governments goal of keeping users safe.

WhatsApp added that there are several safety tools within WhatsApp like Block & Report options in the app, and it continues to educate users about safety and awareness, as well as, proactively weed out bad-actors from its platform.

However, bad actors find different ways to scam users, it said. International scam calls is a new way that bad actors have recently adopted. By giving a missed call, they lead curious users to call or message back, only to get scammed, WhatsApp said.

After the governments call, WhatsApp has ramped up its AI & ML systems, which it says will bring down such incidents significantly. The company said that the new enforcement will reduce the current calling rate by at least 50%, and it expects it to be able to control the current incidence effectively.
The ECOWAS case is contesting the power of the NBC to impose fines on erring broadcast stations, an issue a Nigerian court ruled on Wednesday.

The ECOWAS Court has fixed 27 September for judgement in a suit challenging some provisions of the Nigerian government's national broadcasting code.

The contested provisions of the code empower the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to impose fines on any erring Nigerian broadcast station. The NBC can shut down broadcasting stations that fail to comply with its sanctions.

Major Nigerian broadcast stations have been strained by exorbitant fines for breaches of the code in the last few years, some of which have triggered court actions.

Coincidentally, a Nigerian court, on Wednesday, invalidated NBC's power of to impose fines on the country's broadcast stations in a judgement on Wednesday.

A panel of the ECOWAS Court led by Dupe Atoki had heard a case filed in 2020 on a similar matter on Monday (8 September), a statement by the court's information unit stated Wednesday.

The court picked 27 September to deliver its judgement after the hearing.

Plaintiff's case

The plaintiff in the ECOWAS Court case, the Expression Now Human Rights Initiative (ENHRI), a non-governmental organisation, had filed the suit alleging that aspects of the broadcasting code of Nigeria encroached on the rights of a free media which should operate freely without "undue interference."

The organisation, which says it is concerned with the protection and promotion of human rights, maintained in its suit that the NBC Code is used to suppress the right of citizens to freedom of expression.

ENHRI told the ECOWAS Court that NBC arbitrarily issued letters of alleged violation of the code on broadcasters, while also imposing sanctions, thereby acting as complainant and judge.

The organisation filed its suit marked ECW/CCJ/APP/35/20 filed on 4 September 2020, citing the allegedly offensive aspects of the code to include Articles 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 15.2.1 and 15.2.1 of its 6th Edition and Articles 11.5.1 of the amendments to the 6th Edition.

Its lawyer, Solomon Okedara, argued that the cited aspect of the code suppressed its rights to freedom of expression as well as those of its associates and collaborators.

The NGO added that this amounted to a violation of Articles 9 and 19 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) and Article 19 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Mr Okedara added that NBC Code and its amended version were alien to a democratic society and that the Code's definition of "hate speech" and "offensive reference" is vague and ambiguous, and described the sanctions for violations as disproportionate and excessive.

He contended that the NBC Code did not provide broadcasters with any avenue or platform to be heard before the imposition of sanctions.

He urged the court to determine the legality of the stated Articles of the Code, the amendments, and the powers of the NBC to impose sanctions especially exorbitant fines particularly in relation to the context of "offensive reference" and "hate speech."

Among its prayers, the plaintiff urged the court to declare that the stated provisions of the Code, its amendments and sanctions/fines, breached Nigeria's obligation under international laws and treaties to which it is a signatory.

Counter-argument

In a counterargument, the Nigerian government's counsel, I.I. Hassan, told the court that the NBC was established to regulate the broadcast industry in line with its mandate to ensure standard broadcast content.

He added that the Nigerian Constitution makes provisions for sufficient safeguards for human rights.

He said the right to freedom of speech is not absolute and can be curtailed as opposed to under appropriate circumstances. He said, for instance, a person or organisation cannot commit slander or libel under the pretext of exercising freedom of expression.

He urged the court to dismiss the case describing the allegations as unfounded and speculative as the NGO did not establish that it suffered from the alleged violation.

Earlier on 2 May, the presiding judge, Ms Atoki, had informed both parties of a change in the panel of judges following the replacement of two judges whose tenure in the court had ended.

The matter had been adjourned for judgement before the exit of the two judges. But because they could not deliver their judgement before their exit, parties to the suit had to make their final submission before the new panel.

The case was eventually heard on 8 May.

Apart from Ms Atoki, the two other judges on the panel are Sengu Mohamed Koroma and Ricardo Claudio Monteiro Goncalves.

Controversial restrictions

The NBC has come under criticism in the last few years over what is widely seen as its increasingly strangling restrictions on broadcast stations.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines West Africa 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.

Press freedom and human rights activists have described NBC's sanctions as arbitrary actions which feed into the broader climate of information blackout and disregard for the rule of law by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The agency has hit many broadcast stations with exorbitant fines for various breaches of the broadcasting code, including the promotion of hate speech - a hazy concept that many rights activists argue is being deployed to curtail free press.

premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/546675-Nigerian-govt-fines-trust-tv-n5-million-for-airing-terrorism-documentary.html

The controversial actions of the NBC have triggered a slew of legal actions in the last few years, some of which have been dismissed, while others are pending in court.

The ECOWAS Court has the records of ruling against member states including Nigeria in human rights cases, the only subject matter the court's jurisdiction covers. But the implementation of the court's decisions has always been an issue.

In March last year, the court ordered the Nigerian government to amend the controversial section 24 of its cybercrime law which is widely viewed as authorities' weapon for muzzling citizens' rights to freedom of expression. The Nigerian government has yet to show a willingness to implement the court's decision.
Thousands of migrants deported from Algeria and abandoned in the desert of northern Niger are stranded without access to shelter, health care, protection, and basic necessities, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says.

analysis

Algeria has been deporting African migrants to neighboring Niger for years. Authorities force thousands to cross the border through the desert to Assamaka, where the humanitarian situation reportedly is catastrophic.

There's a sense of excitement at the airport in Lagos, Nigeria. In the arrivals' hall, numerous migrants are seen returning from Libya, where conditions for migrants are widely known to be atrocious.

One of them is Felicity; her enthusiasm is almost palpable:

"There is nothing better than home," the 20-year-old Nigerian national says upon arrival. "Now we are back and safe. No one can look down on us anymore. We are happy."

Felicity had embarked on her dangerous journey through the Saharan desert in September 2020 already, hoping to reach Europe at any cost. But like thousands of other people, she eventually got stuck in Libya, which for much of the past decade has become the main country of departure for migrants undertaking the expensive - and perilous -crossing to Europe.

Many, however, don't even get anywhere near there. In Libya, migrants are known to be brutally abused by criminal gangs, struggling to survive. The actual number of those who die under inhumane conditions of captivity, servitude or violence is unknown.

Felicity managed to get by with odd jobs for more than two years. But in the end, she says she just wanted to get away.

Shattered dreams and broken promises

In the past three years, according to the United Nations, a total of 13,000 Nigerians have voluntarily returned to their home country with the help of Nigerian government authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Their dream of a better life in Europe has turned into a nightmare, forced to experience violence, abuse and racism in Libya.

"The biggest challenge is the mental health of the migrants," says Victor Lutenco, IOM staff member at the transit center, where returnees are registered upon arrival. "In addition to material support, psychosocial assistance is our priority."

But these are the images that many people don't see or know when they engage in discussions about migration. The emphasis in such public debates is usually placed firmly on people on small rubber dinghies suffering shipwreck while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

However in truth, the majority of migration narratives featuring Africans actually take place on their own continent: according to the IOM, around 21 million Africans lived in another African country in 2020.

In comparison, the number of Africans living in other regions of the world stood at over 19.5 million the same year.

Reluctant return the desert

More than 70% of migratory movements within Africa take place within West Africa alone, according to the IOM. Many people search for better work opportunities. However, in recent years, irregular migration from sub-Saharan Africa to Europe as well as between West and Central Africa has also increased significantly.

However, as migration patterns increase, so do deportations in many regions. Transit countries are increasingly overwhelmed with the influx of migrants. One of the leading countries carrying out mass deportations is Algeria.

Between January and the end of March 2023, the North African nation has sent more than 10,000 migrants back to the desert region along its border with Niger, reports the activist network Alarme Phone Sahara (APS), which advocates for migrants and refugees in the Sahel.

According to APS director Moctar Dan Yaye, deportation activities to this no-man's land can be divided into two categories: official and unoffical ones.

In the so-called "official" deportations, the main nationals affected are Nigeriens; on the basis of an agreement between Niger and Algeria, Nigeriens are taken directly to the small border town of Assamaka, from where they are then transported to Arlit or Agadez by Nigerien authorities.

In contrast, "unofficial" transports involve people from West and Central Africa as well as from Middle Eastern or Asian countries.

"In Algeria, these people are usually arrested during raids," Yaye told DW. He added that they normally are driven across the desert in trucks and then dropped off, often by the hundreds, at a place known as "Point Zero" in the no-man's land region on the Algerian-Nigerian border.

Death in the Nigerien desert

"After all the trauma they have suffered, they still have to walk to reach a village where they can get first aid," Yaye explained. Usually, he says, these are young people between the ages of 20 and 30, but there typically are a number of pregnant women, children or elderly also among them.

Not everyone makes it through the ordeal; some die and are left behind in the desert.

Human rights organization Medico International, a partner organization of Alarme Phone Sahara, says these deportation practices are "deplorable."

"People have to walk through the desert in scorching heat, without food and without enough drinking water," Kerem Schamberger, migration officer in public relations at Medico International, told DW.

Last year, he says, more than 24,000 people were deported across the Algerian border in what he refers to as "cloak and dagger operations." Among the deportees, he says, where many individuals who had been injured.

Meanwhile in the small border village of Assamaka, these mass deportations appear increasingly to be leading to a humanitarian crisis, which only is exacerbated by the fact that the local IOM reception center there has not been in a position to accept any new deportees for almost six months.

Human rights organization Doctors Without Border (MSF) described the situation in the town as "unprecedented," calling on the West African Economic Community (ECOWAS) to step in and immediately offer protection to those who are finding themselves stranded there.

Right-wing elements to blame

Activist Yaye blames the "rise of the far-right in the world" for the current trend: "There have been hateful racist speeches against migration all over Europefor some time now, be it in Italy, Spain, France or Germany," he told DW.

That right-wing wave, however, seems also to have reached Africa by now. According to Yaye, there are many young migrants from sub-Saharan Africa currently in Tunisia, who find themselves "trapped there because they are often harassed by the population and the authorities."

APS has appealed to the African Union to intervene and follow its own protocols to provide protection for migrants . to no avail to date.

In fact in recent months, racially motivated attacks on people from sub-Saharan Africa have been increasing in the North African country following a series of incendiary remarks about immigrants by Tunisian President Kais Saied.

EU policies echoing in the Sahel

Schamberger from Medico International says, however, that such deportations are an extension of the EU policy commonly described as "Fortress Europe" - the attempt of the European Union to shield itself from mass migration by keeping irregular migrants outside its external borders:

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Migration Africa Europe and Africa 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.

To that end, he highlights that there is a law passed in Niger in 2015 "under pressure from Europe" essentially criminalizing any migration to the north, automatically turning anyone aiding or abetting any given migrant, e.g. by selling food or providing shelter into a supporter of irregular migration

In other words, according to the wording of the law, anyone helping a migrant in exchange for money can be considered a smuggler.

"In concrete terms, this has also led to an increase in the death toll in the Sahara," Schamberger told DW, adding that such laws do not stop migration but rather result in people taking even more dangerous routes through the desert in a bid to avoid security checks.

Acoording to Schamberger, the IOM is just as complicit as the EU in making sure migrants never make to their intended destinations at almost cost: He regards the UN institution as a "border regime" that only pretends to help migrants. In his view, voluntary return programs are a last resort dressed up as an alternative.

Schamberger thinks that between all these political actors, life is made so difficult for migrants that they see no other way out. But despite all the dangers and pitfalls of migration, people continue to seek a better future in Europe and beyond.

Nigerian returnee Felicity meanwhile has had to recalibrate her intentions and plans for the future. Following the trauma she suffered in Libya, she has decided to take matters into her own hands and empower herself by focusing on her education.

Feclity says she wants to go back to school - and stay in Nigeria.

Collaboration: Olisa Chukwumah (Lagos)

Edited by Sertan Sanderson
Aspirants for the position of the Speaker House of Representatives as well as members-elect in the 10th Assembly have warned the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and stakeholders of the party to prepare for a repeat of 2015 scenario should the party allow the released zoning formula to stand.

Recall that in 2015, Senator Bukola Saraki emerged as the President of the Senate, while Hon. Yakubu Dogara emerged as the Speaker against the Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila preferred by the party.

The contestants for House of Representatives Speaker and members-elect, led by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Idris Wase, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, Hon. Muktar Betara, Hon. Ahmed Jaha, Hon. Femi Bamishile, Hon. Abubakar Nakraba, Hon. Mariam Onuaha, Hon. Sani Jaji, Hon. Sada Soli and Hon. Mariam Onuoha held a meeting with the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, and other members lof NWC on Wednesday in Abuja

Speaking, Wase said for such a decision to be arrived at, there was need for serious consultations with all members.

He reminded the party that it does not have the majority in the House, hence, the need to have everyone to agree with such a zoning template.

Wase recalled that the leadership of the party summoned lawmakers-elect to a meeting after the presidential election, where the aspirants were encouraged to slow down their campaigns till after the governorship election.

The Deputy Speaker said while they awaited another meeting with the leaders of the party on the zoning arrangement for the leadership positions, it never came to fruition.

His words: "What was on social media, again, was the zoning and the micro zoning to particular individuals. As I speak to you sir, I want to say categorically that none of us here was approached or consulted even for a second to find our opinion and thoughts on what was going to be done or what had happened."

Wase described the decision of the party not to consult them as unfortunate.

According to him, "that is the crux of matter and we feel betrayed by that action. We feel as if our contributions are not recognized, we feel as if we are not members of this family. We feel that we have given our best but now the best is no longer needed."

Wase noted that he told Gbajabiamila that he misled the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, in the choice of the Speaker, stressing that Tinubu was not behind the choice of Tijani Abass.

He stated: "We are here to protest and to appeal to you to go again to look into this matter. That what had been ushered out will not stand. And we are disciplined party people.

"I want to say too in 2019, Your Excellency, I was going in for speakership. I was pretty sure I was going to win. Leaders of the party called me including the president and appealed to me to step down for Hon. Femi. I did that and that was how I came in to take the position of the deputy speaker. I want to say that what has happened, I think that they are taking us for granted.

"We do not want a repeat of what has happened in the past. We should not forget about the "Tambuwalisation" of what happened in the House of Representatives. We should not forget about how Saraki became the senate president. The party as of today we do not have the majority to be that arrogant, and we should take people for granted," Wase warned.

On his part, Betara said there was no time two presiding positions were zoned to the same zone.

His words: "We are not against our leaders, but if we should sit down and say sit amongst yourselves and pick somebody you think you can work with, it is easy. But the person, the speaker (Gbajabiamila) is trying to even pick, there are some of our colleagues that don't know him. That's the truth, I am not lying. If today the party said we zone to the North-west, I have to sit and think because now the party is zoning the deputy senate president and the speaker to the same zone.

"We have been in this Assembly, there is no time, two presiding officers are zoned to one area. It has never happened. And in our discussion here, on our inauguration day, it's what happened in the Senate that will determine what is going to happen in the House.

"So, we need to sit down and look at it. We might produce the Senate President from a different zone. It happened in 2015. So as a party, we are pleading, we need to sit again with all of us and do more consultations."

Betara also denied the allegation that he was involved in anti-party activities.

He said: "Another thing I need to clear here sir, somebody told me that the same group are saying, I gave money to a presidential aspirant. So if there is any transfer to anybody, the banks are there. I want to still tell you as leaders if I should give money to a presidential aspirant and he wins, what is he going to give me. My own, I want to become speaker in my party. If another party wins, can I become speaker? No. So we don't need to blackmail ourselves. Politics is about give and take.

Responding, Adamu assured the lawmakers that the party would embark on further consultations and would get back to them.

The chairman stressed that the statement issued by the party clearly stated that the party leadership would endeavour to do more consultations so that everyone would be carried along.

Adamu said: "There is nothing we do that may not be challenged here and there. But let us be able to attend the best possible consultation with people giving them their right of fair hearing before we can say yes we are changing positions or we are not changing positions.

"I plead with you in good conscience to give us a little time to take a good and better look at your presentation and open our ears and our eyes the more to hear more and see more before we can come with finality of your submission and the outcome of it. I thank you for your approach.

"Approximately important, you should know this is a party, you organise and you are here and you didn't follow the backdoor to talk to us; you have come straight to us. I, on behalf of my colleagues, we appreciate you. I want to assure you that God in his infinite mercy will guide us to ensure that we do what is acceptable for all.

"We will re-invite you in due course. After the national assembly election, we invited all Senators and House of reps-elect. And by the time of that meeting with you at Banquet Hall a number of you have started canvassing for these positions you are interested in and I remember vividly, I did advise that the meeting was not to talk about zoning.

"This is a controversial subject matter, every National Assembly regime has always been a controversy. For those who have been following the history, it is the matter of us to sit and take a look at what is going on and to be honest to ourselves, honest with the country and to our party and we hope to get to the promise land."

Meanwhile, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has warned that any attempt to foist a National Assembly leadership on the nation would be roundly resisted.

The CNG Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, gave the warning while addressing a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

The group, therefore, called on the leadership of the APC to reclaim its statesmanship by immediately reversing the decision on Akpabio and Abass, and setting the stage for the emergence of a credible National Assembly leadership through democratic elections by its members as enshrined in the Constitution.

It described as ridiculous, contradictory and shameful for the APC, which stoutly resisted the temptation to limit the contest for the presidential ticket to zoning and opted for democratic primaries, to now confine the democratic space for the selection of the Senate leadership.

The group added that it was unreasonable and irresponsible for the party to suggest that a set of eminent personalities carefully elected by their respective constituencies as Senators and Representatives in the federal legislature cannot democratically elect leaders for themselves.

It, therefore, called the attention of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to watch his back and guard against "entrenched Judases" who it said were bent on pitching him against democracy, against popular national will and against such regions as the North, that made massive sacrifices to keep the nation united and push it past a critical turning point by working to ensure his victory at the February presidential poll.

The group specifically cautioned the President-elect against the antics of vested personal interests like those represented by the Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna and Dr. Abdulahi Ganduje of Kano state.

It stated: "To categorically hold that any attempt to foist a National Assembly leadership on the nation by resorting to draconian, michavelian, undemocratic and unconstitutional means is downright repugnant to the collective sensibilities of Nigerians, blatant disrespect for constitutionalism, disregard for rules of fairness and ordinary decency and therefore unacceptable and would be roundly resisted."

"To warn that if this and any similar arrangements are allowed to pass through, the North as a whole would be deliberately shortchanged by stripping it of the three main democratic influences; the executive, the legislature and the Judiciary which would be absolutely unacceptable as it is unjustifiable."

The northern group encouraged all other aspirants for any position in the National Assembly to disregard this purported, undemocratic arrangement and insist on the emergence of their leadership through acceptable, constitutionally recognized democratic elections.

The group specifically called on Senator Abdul-Aziz Yari, who it said at present assumed the symbol of Northern aspiration to the Senate presidency, that he would lose respect and relevance if he submits to the temptation to quit the race for any undemocratic arrangement other than elections.

It also urged all aspirants for the position of Speaker, such as Betara, Wase, Doguwa and the rest from all sections of the country to insist on a transparent and democratic emergence of leaders of the House.

The group noted that the ruling APC has glaringly failed to learn from lessons of history by not reflecting on the events of 2015 when the party attempted the same costly adventure which ultimately failed.

10th Assembly: Prepare for 2015 Scenario If Zoning Arrangement Stands, Aspirants Warn

We were betrayed, says Wase

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Aspirants for the position of the Speaker House of Representatives as well as members-elect in the 10th Assembly have warned the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and stakeholders of the party to prepare for a repeat of 2015 scenario should the party allow the released zoning formula to stand.

Recall that in 2015, Senator Bukola Saraki emerged as the President of the Senate, while Hon. Yakubu Dogara emerged as the Speaker against the Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila preferred by the party.

The contestants for House of Representatives Speaker and members-elect, led by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Idris Wase, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, Hon. Muktar Betara, Hon. Ahmed Jaha, Hon. Femi Bamishile, Hon. Abubakar Nakraba, Hon. Mariam Onuaha, Hon. Sani Jaji, Hon. Sada Soli and Hon. Mariam Onuoha held a meeting with the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, and other members lof NWC on Wednesday in Abuja

Speaking, Wase said for such a decision to be arrived at, there was need for serious consultations with all members.

He reminded the party that it does not have the majority in the House, hence, the need to have everyone to agree with such a zoning template.

Wase recalled that the leadership of the party summoned lawmakers-elect to a meeting after the presidential election, where the aspirants were encouraged to slow down their campaigns till after the governorship election.

The Deputy Speaker said while they awaited another meeting with the leaders of the party on the zoning arrangement for the leadership positions, it never came to fruition.

His words: "What was on social media, again, was the zoning and the micro zoning to particular individuals. As I speak to you sir, I want to say categorically that none of us here was approached or consulted even for a second to find our opinion and thoughts on what was going to be done or what had happened."

Wase described the decision of the party not to consult them as unfortunate.

According to him, "that is the crux of matter and we feel betrayed by that action. We feel as if our contributions are not recognized, we feel as if we are not members of this family. We feel that we have given our best but now the best is no longer needed."

Wase noted that he told Gbajabiamila that he misled the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, in the choice of the Speaker, stressing that Tinubu was not behind the choice of Tijani Abass.

He stated: "We are here to protest and to appeal to you to go again to look into this matter. That what had been ushered out will not stand. And we are disciplined party people.

"I want to say too in 2019, Your Excellency, I was going in for speakership. I was pretty sure I was going to win. Leaders of the party called me including the president and appealed to me to step down for Hon. Femi. I did that and that was how I came in to take the position of the deputy speaker. I want to say that what has happened, I think that they are taking us for granted.

"We do not want a repeat of what has happened in the past. We should not forget about the "Tambuwalisation" of what happened in the House of Representatives. We should not forget about how Saraki became the senate president. The party as of today we do not have the majority to be that arrogant, and we should take people for granted," Wase warned.

On his part, Betara said there was no time two presiding positions were zoned to the same zone.

His words: "We are not against our leaders, but if we should sit down and say sit amongst yourselves and pick somebody you think you can work with, it is easy. But the person, the speaker (Gbajabiamila) is trying to even pick, there are some of our colleagues that don't know him. That's the truth, I am not lying. If today the party said we zone to the North-west, I have to sit and think because now the party is zoning the deputy senate president and the speaker to the same zone.

"We have been in this Assembly, there is no time, two presiding officers are zoned to one area. It has never happened. And in our discussion here, on our inauguration day, it's what happened in the Senate that will determine what is going to happen in the House.

"So, we need to sit down and look at it. We might produce the Senate President from a different zone. It happened in 2015. So as a party, we are pleading, we need to sit again with all of us and do more consultations."

Betara also denied the allegation that he was involved in anti-party activities.

He said: "Another thing I need to clear here sir, somebody told me that the same group are saying, I gave money to a presidential aspirant. So if there is any transfer to anybody, the banks are there. I want to still tell you as leaders if I should give money to a presidential aspirant and he wins, what is he going to give me. My own, I want to become speaker in my party. If another party wins, can I become speaker? No. So we don't need to blackmail ourselves. Politics is about give and take.

Responding, Adamu assured the lawmakers that the party would embark on further consultations and would get back to them.

The chairman stressed that the statement issued by the party clearly stated that the party leadership would endeavour to do more consultations so that everyone would be carried along.

Adamu said: "There is nothing we do that may not be challenged here and there. But let us be able to attend the best possible consultation with people giving them their right of fair hearing before we can say yes we are changing positions or we are not changing positions.

"I plead with you in good conscience to give us a little time to take a good and better look at your presentation and open our ears and our eyes the more to hear more and see more before we can come with finality of your submission and the outcome of it. I thank you for your approach.

"Approximately important, you should know this is a party, you organise and you are here and you didn't follow the backdoor to talk to us; you have come straight to us. I, on behalf of my colleagues, we appreciate you. I want to assure you that God in his infinite mercy will guide us to ensure that we do what is acceptable for all.

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.

"We will re-invite you in due course. After the national assembly election, we invited all Senators and House of reps-elect. And by the time of that meeting with you at Banquet Hall a number of you have started canvassing for these positions you are interested in and I remember vividly, I did advise that the meeting was not to talk about zoning.

"This is a controversial subject matter, every National Assembly regime has always been a controversy. For those who have been following the history, it is the matter of us to sit and take a look at what is going on and to be honest to ourselves, honest with the country and to our party and we hope to get to the promise land."

Meanwhile, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has warned that any attempt to foist a National Assembly leadership on the nation would be roundly resisted.

The CNG Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, gave the warning while addressing a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

The group, therefore, called on the leadership of the APC to reclaim its statesmanship by immediately reversing the decision on Akpabio and Abass, and setting the stage for the emergence of a credible National Assembly leadership through democratic elections by its members as enshrined in the Constitution.

It described as ridiculous, contradictory and shameful for the APC, which stoutly resisted the temptation to limit the contest for the presidential ticket to zoning and opted for democratic primaries, to now confine the democratic space for the selection of the Senate leadership.

The group added that it was unreasonable and irresponsible for the party to suggest that a set of eminent personalities carefully elected by their respective constituencies as Senators and Representatives in the federal legislature cannot democratically elect leaders for themselves.

It, therefore, called the attention of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to watch his back and guard against "entrenched Judases" who it said were bent on pitching him against democracy, against popular national will and against such regions as the North, that made massive sacrifices to keep the nation united and push it past a critical turning point by working to ensure his victory at the February presidential poll.

The group specifically cautioned the President-elect against the antics of vested personal interests like those represented by the Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna and Dr. Abdulahi Ganduje of Kano state.

It stated: "To categorically hold that any attempt to foist a National Assembly leadership on the nation by resorting to draconian, michavelian, undemocratic and unconstitutional means is downright repugnant to the collective sensibilities of Nigerians, blatant disrespect for constitutionalism, disregard for rules of fairness and ordinary decency and therefore unacceptable and would be roundly resisted."

"To warn that if this and any similar arrangements are allowed to pass through, the North as a whole would be deliberately shortchanged by stripping it of the three main democratic influences; the executive, the legislature and the Judiciary which would be absolutely unacceptable as it is unjustifiable."

The northern group encouraged all other aspirants for any position in the National Assembly to disregard this purported, undemocratic arrangement and insist on the emergence of their leadership through acceptable, constitutionally recognized democratic elections.

The group specifically called on Senator Abdul-Aziz Yari, who it said at present assumed the symbol of Northern aspiration to the Senate presidency, that he would lose respect and relevance if he submits to the temptation to quit the race for any undemocratic arrangement other than elections.

It also urged all aspirants for the position of Speaker, such as Betara, Wase, Doguwa and the rest from all sections of the country to insist on a transparent and democratic emergence of leaders of the House.

The group noted that the ruling APC has glaringly failed to learn from lessons of history by not reflecting on the events of 2015 when the party attempted the same costly adventure which ultimately failed.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday asked the Senate to approve a fresh $800 million loan from the World Bank to enable his administration sustain its social investment programme.

Buhari in the letter read at plenary by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, explained that the approval of the loan would specifically enable his government continue with the conditional cash transfer window of the programme.

He said government would transfer the sum of N5,000 per month to 10.2 million poor and low-income household for a period of six months with a multiplier effect on about 60 million individuals.

He said in order to guarantee the credibility of the process, digital transfers would be made directly to the beneficiaries' account and mobile wallets.

Part of Buhari's letter read: "It is with pleasure that I forward the above subject to you. Please note that the Federal Executive Council (F EC) approved an additional loan facitity to the tune of USD800 million to be secured from the World Bank, for the National Social Safety Net Programme (NASSP).

"There is the need to request for your consideration and approval to ensure early implementation (Copy of FEC Extract attached).

"The Senate, may wish to note that the programme is intended to expand coverage of shock responsive Safety Net support among the poor and vulnerable Nigerians. This will assist them in coping with the costs of meeting basic needs.

"You may wish to note that the Federal Govemment of Nigeria under the conditional cash transfer window of the programme will transfer the sum of N5,000 per month to 10.2 million poor and low-income household for a period of six months with a multiplier effect on about 60 million individuals.

"In order to guarantee the credibility of the process, digital transfers will be made directly to beneficiaries' account and mobile wallets.

"The NASSP being a social intervention programme will stimulate activities in the informal sector, improve nutrition, health, education and human capital development of beneficiary households.

"Given the above, I wish to invite the Senate to kindly approve an additional loan facility to the tune of USD8OO million to be secured from the Wortd Bank for the National Social Safety Net Programme (NASSP).

"While hoping that these submissions will receive expeditious consideration by the Senate, please accept, Distinguished Senate President, the assurance of my highest regards."

Nigeria's Debt Profile Becoming Unsustainable, DG Budget Office Laments

However, the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Mr. Ben Akabueze, has raised the alarm that the nation's debt profile is becoming unsustainable.

Akabueze stated this while delivering a lecture titled, "Budget Process and Money Bills," at the ongoing induction programme organised by the National Assembly Management and the National Institute For Legislative And Democratic Studies for members elect for the 10th National Assembly.

He said: "We now have very limited borrowing space, not because our debt to GDP is high, but because our revenue is too small to sustain the size of our debt. That explains our high debt service ratio.

"Once a country's debt service ratio exceed 30 per cent, that country is in trouble and we are pushing towards 100 per cent and that tells you how much trouble we are in.

"We have limited space to borrow. When you take how much you can generate in terms of revenue and what you can reasonably borrow, that establishes the size of the budget.

"The next thing would be to pay attention to government priority regarding what project gets what.

"You may have heard that we have one of the lowest GDP to debt ratio in the world. While the size of the federal goverment budget for 2023 created some excitement, the aggregate budget of all government in the country amount to about N30 trillion.

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.

"That is less than 15 per cent in terms of ratio to Gross Domeatic Product. Even on the African continent, the ratio of spending is about 20 per cent.

"South Africa is about 30 per cent, Morocco is about 40 per cent and at 15 per cent, that is too small for our needs.

"That is why there is a fierce competition for the limited resources. That can determine how much we can relatively borrow."

Akabueze noted that for Nigeria to be able to fix the infrastructural needs of the country, "we need to be spending about $100 billion annually as a country, including private spending on infrastructure."

He said: "The aggregate budget of the federal government is only about $30 billion and the aggregate of the states and FCT budget don't even add up to the federal budget.

"This means that even if we spend everything, we will still be left with a huge infrastructural deficit."
The Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Board (RAB) is gearing up to launch a groundbreaking 'farmer field school' program aimed at addressing the lack of professional personnel in the fishing industry.

Aligned with the country's Vision 2050, which seeks to transition from subsistence to commercial aquaculture, the farmer field school (FFS) will be a significant step towards achieving this goal.

Fish farmers, including Fine Fish Ltd, an enterprise operating in Rubavu District's Lake Kivu, are grappling with a shortage of skilled workers for their fish farms situated in Kivu and Muhazi lakes.

Themistocle Munyangeyo, the Managing Director of Fine Fish Ltd, expressed the need for the government to establish more fish farming schools to train professionals. He recounted the losses incurred by the company, emphasizing the importance of practical training rather than theoretical knowledge, as even university graduates have caused extensive damage to harvests.

Jean Marie Vianney Nzabahonimana, a fisherman from Rutsiro District, shared the same concerns regarding the lack of skills in the fishing industry, which adversely affects income levels. He aspires to witness an improved and more developed sector.

Addressing the challenges faced by aquaculture, Solange Uwituze, the Deputy Director General in charge of Animal Resources Research and Technology Transfer at RAB, acknowledged the absence of fishing schools. However, she assured that the issue would be addressed through the new National Aquaculture Strategy for Rwanda 2023-2035.

The new strategy aims to boost annual fish production from 4,000 tonnes to 80,620 tonnes through aquaculture by 2035.

Uwituze stated, "Professional development is indeed a focal point in our efforts with this new strategy." She revealed that RAB is collaborating with the Rwanda TVET Board, particularly Karongi TVT, to facilitate training programs ranging from three to six months, up to diploma, bachelor's, and master's levels.

Expected to launch in the upcoming fiscal year, the farmer field school will enhance the skills of fish farmers across the country. The farmer field school (FFS) is a collaborative learning approach that empowers farmers to independently solve problems they encounter.

Introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources in 2012, this innovative program has shown promise in driving sustainable development within the industry
Sursa foto: Ilona Andrei / G4Media

Ludovic Orban anunta ca va depune plangere pentru cei care l-au agresat la protestul AUR / Nu o fac din ranchiuna personala. O fac pentru ca violenta nu poate fi tolerata in societate
Eskom board chairperson, Mpho Makwana, says utterances made by the power utility's former Group CEO, Andre de Ruyter, are misleading.

Makwana was briefing the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) in Parliament on Wednesday.

De Ruyter made bombshell allegations about corruption at the power utility during a televised interview in February this year, and was released from his position as a result.

Makwana said following the interview, the Eskom board met with De Ruyter and found that he had brought the organisation into disrepute.

"A good number of the allegations that were made misled the public as if there were new developments that had been shared firstly with the board, and that was not the case. Secondly, it would have misled the public in indicating as if there was no action taken internally by Eskom and all concerned (sic)," he said.

Makwana explained that following the State Capture Commission's report into Eskom, a task team had been appointed to deal with issues in that report and take action.

"Since the establishment of that State Capture task team, a lot of disciplinary hearings have occurred inside Eskom. In the public domain, it is known that in the period around late September or mid-October, a good 26 former executives - including a former acting CEO of Eskom - had been arrested and appeared in court in relation to the allegations that were made.

"When Eskom made a statement that there was nothing new [in De Ruyter's allegations], it is because these matters were already in court, with regard to the 26 executives that had been arrested."

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Energy 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.

Makwana said the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has also recovered some R1 billion in Eskom funds that were taken from the organisation through illegal activities.

Makwana said beyond the issues cited in the State Capture Commission's report, the board also asked its internal task team to look for any other issues that may arise.

"We asked the internal State Capture and corruption task team to look further into whether there were any other matters that the board may not be aware of that could not have been cited in all these various documents.

"The board further resolved that it is important, in keeping with our fiduciary duties and responsibilities, that an independent legal panel be appointed, where you could have perhaps a senior counsel or someone senior in the legal profession that could revisit everything that has been done to date by both the internal State Capture task team and any other investigation that Eskom would have done internally, and to look at whether there's anything further that the board should be doing," he said.
Flaunt It reached #1 for five weeks, spent 39 weeks in the Australian ARIA Top 50 (including 31 weeks inside the Top 40), and won the 2006 ARIA Music Award for highest-selling single and best dance release. Gough left TV Rock in 2013 to pursue solo work.
Honoured to be asked by Calvin to remix this monster of a record, Wilkinson said in the caption of an Instagram video of him blasting the track in Welly. Its been a big moment in my sets recently, including last night in Wellington to kick off my New Zealand tour! Thanks for all the messages on this one and big thanks again to Calvin and Ellie.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille says the COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly left a dent in the tourism industry, but the resilient sector is recovering.

"South Africa offers travellers unparalleled beauty and affordability, making it an irresistible destination," De Lille said when addressing a media briefing on the sidelines of Africa's Travel Indaba, which is underway in Durban.

De Lille said the sector is geared to catapult inbound tourism numbers beyond pre-COVID-19 levels.

"Achieving this monumental goal requires a united front: government, private sector, and all tourism stakeholders joining forces to redefine the travel experience in our beloved country."

She said 2022 heralded a resurgence, with nearly 5.8 million visitors gracing South Africa's shores, including four million from Africa. This was a 152.6% increase from 2021.

"We're not quite at the 10 million arrivals of 2019 but rest assured, our tireless collaboration with the private sector and Africa will take us there and beyond in no time.

"As the world reawakens, tourists are flocking back to South Africa, enticed by our unparalleled natural beauty and the warmth of our people. We are broadcasting a clear message - South Africa is open for tourism, welcoming business, and eagerly awaiting travelers from across Africa and the globe."

De Lille said the world is rediscovering South Africa, and will that will not only reach but will surpass pre-COVID numbers.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Travel South Africa 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.

"Our determination and unity will light the way to a brighter future for South African tourism. From a domestic perspective, we have seen an incredible resilience, with Q1 2023 performance surpassing pre-pandemic levels and those of Q1 2022," De Lille said.

De Lille said tourists from Europe contributed the most spend of R10.8 billion, followed by Africa with a collective spend of R9.3 billion.

According to recent statistics, an impressive 2.1 million visitors were recorded, a 102.5% increase compared to the same period in 2022.

The African continent led the way again, with 1.6 million arrivals, followed by Europe's 387 000 and the Americas' 104 000 visitors.

De Lille said a significant driver of these remarkable figures is as a result of lifting of travel restrictions and affordability.

"After two years of restrictions and confinement, travellers are eager to explore wide-open spaces, and South Africa offers these in abundance," De Lille said.

Over 500 000 Zimbabwean travellers journeyed to South Africa between January and March 2023 compared to 643 000 in the same period in 2019 and 173 000 in 2022.

Mozambique followed as the second-largest source market, boasting over 354 000 arrivals between January and March 2023.

According to De Lille, South Africa offers a diverse range of captivating destinations for travellers, with Gauteng taking the lead in international arrivals, spend and bed nights.

International visitors tend to spend most of their nights in the Western Cape, followed by Gauteng. The Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, KZN and the North West draw tourists to their unique charms.
felicilin at 11-05-2023 08:20 AM (3 days ago) (f)

A husband and wife were left stunned after they discovered that they were never actually legally married six years after their wedding.

A husband and wife were left stunned after they discovered that they were never actually legally married six years after their wedding.

Stand-up comedian Atsuko Okatsuka, 34, from Los Angeles, California, tied the knot with her husband, Ryan Harper Gray, back in June 2017.



The couple exchanged vows in front of 180 of their closest friends and family members - but more than half a decade later, they were told the paperwork for their marriage was never filed.



Speaking about the predicament to Insider recently, Atsuko explained that they made the shocking discovery after they tried to get Ryan added to her health insurance.



'We were asked for proof that we were married, specifically, our marriage certificate,' she explained.



Stand-up comedian Atsuko Okatsuka, 34, from Los Angeles, California, tied the knot with her husband, Ryan Harper Gray, back in June 2017.The couple exchanged vows in front of 180 of their closest friends and family members - but more than half a decade later, they were told the paperwork for their marriage was never filed.Speaking about the predicament to Insider recently, Atsuko explained that they made the shocking discovery after they tried to get Ryan added to her health insurance.she explained. Quote 'We thought we'd had one at some point, but we're not very good at paperwork, and when we went to look for it, we couldn't find one anywhere in the house.



'So we sent off a request to the City of Los Angeles for a copy of our marriage certificate, then set off for a holiday in Tokyo, and Taipei, Taiwan, thinking the marriage certificate would be in our mailbox when we returned. It wasn't.



'My husband called the city, and when he finally got through, it told him that we weren't legally married.



'There was no record of us being married. Though we had a wedding in 2017 with 180 of our closest friends and family, the paperwork had never been filed.'

Atsuko said that after spending some time 'laughing' about the situation, they headed to the courthouse to get married for a second time.

'It was starting to sink in that we hadn't been married this whole time,' she continued.



'For the past six years, we'd basically just been dating, like boyfriend and girlfriend. That's when we started laughing. After all, I'm a comedian. You couldn't write this stuff.'



Atsuko and Ryan, who is an actor best known for his roles in This Is a Love Story, Go Back to China, No Way to Live, and The Frontier, met on a film set nine years ago.



When the pair married two years later, their mutual friend Clayton officiated the wedding. But they now believe he was the one who accidentally caused the mishap, since it was 'his job to file the paperwork.'



Thankfully, they're now legally husband and wife - and after paying a fee of $200 and bringing two witnesses to prove the wedding actually happened, they were even able to have the certificate backdated to 2017.



Husband and wife stunned to discover they were never legally married six years after their wedding.



'They didn't ask for pictures or anything - we could've got two witnesses off the street,' Atsuko joked.



'The whole thing seems so silly to me: The straights got married again. It was just like, "Give us $200. Here's your wedding certificate, dumb-dumbs."'



She concluded: 'I can't believe we withheld marriage from gay people this long when we're so careless with it. I had to remarry the same person without us ever splitting up.' Atsuko said that after spending some time 'laughing' about the situation, they headed to the courthouse to get married for a second time.she continued.Atsuko and Ryan, who is an actor best known for his roles in This Is a Love Story, Go Back to China, No Way to Live, and The Frontier, met on a film set nine years ago.When the pair married two years later, their mutual friend Clayton officiated the wedding. But they now believe he was the one who accidentally caused the mishap, since it was 'his job to file the paperwork.'Thankfully, they're now legally husband and wife - and after paying a fee of $200 and bringing two witnesses to prove the wedding actually happened, they were even able to have the certificate backdated to 2017.Husband and wife stunned to discover they were never legally married six years after their wedding.Atsuko joked.'The whole thing seems so silly to me: The straights got married again. It was just like,She concluded: 'I can't believe we withheld marriage from gay people this long when we're so careless with it. I had to remarry the same person without us ever splitting up.'

Post Reply Posted: at 11-05-2023 08:20 AM (3 days ago) | Addicted Hero
Villagers want Musina-Thohoyandou road tarred

Hundreds of protesters from four Limpopo villages closed two main roads on Tuesday demanding that the road from Musina to Thohoyandou be tarred.

The protesters, from Tshikhudini, Folovhodwe, Tanda and Tshisimani villages, closed the R525 connecting Musina to Masisi and the D3675 connecting Musina to Thohoyandou. They want the provincial Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure (DPWI) to tar the D3675.

They used stones and burning tyres. Police put out the fire and the roads were opened around midday.

"No-one seems to be willing to take responsibility for this road," said Joseph Manyuha, one of the organisers of the march. "We visited our local municipality several times but were referred to the Limpopo DPWI. DPWI would refer us to the Road Agency Limpopo."

Manyuha told Groundup that farmers lost business because the road was impassable on rainy days. South of the villages are two primary schools, a secondary school and a clinic. On rainy days learners do not attend school, a grade 10 learner at Dzimauli secondary school in Tshikhudini village said. Anyone who is sick has to travel 70 km to Musina hospital.

"This time we are not going anywhere until we hand over our memorandum to the MEC," said Manyuha.

Protesters had gathered at the intersection of R525 and D3675 by 4am. Spaza shops and schools were closed. Workers who usually travel to Musina,Thohoyandou or Masisi could not report to work as no vehicles were allowed through by the protesters except army and lawyers' vehicles.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Transport 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.

One of the farmers who identified himself only as Jonasi told Groundup that on rainy days buyers' trucks cannot reach the farms. "We get customers from as far as Johannesburg but they get stuck here. At times we have to throw away rotten tomatoes. We are demanding the department tar this road," said Jonasi.

"I cannot blame the protesters, but today I will not be able to make the usual four trips from Nwanedi farms to Musina," said Moses Ngwena, driver of a truck loaded with tomatoes for Musina. Ngwena had been stuck for two hours.

Manyuha read out the memorandum and handed it to Koti Donald Rankwe, manager of Infrastructure in the DPWI.

Later the DPWI delegation inspected the stretch of road that the community wants tarred.

Witness Tiva, spokesperson for the provincial DPWI, told GroundUp the department would respond within seven days.
Googles AI Writing Tool, Bard, Expands Language Support and Drops Waitlist News oi -Kabir Jain

Google's I/O keynote was an AI extravaganza, with the company using the term "AI" 140 times in its two-hour presentation. Google's Bard was one of the first demonstrations of the company battling Microsoft and OpenAI with its own chatbot, and now the Mountain View giant has supercharged the chatbot with new capabilities, removed geographical limitations, and given the chatbot a sweet new dark theme. Let's jump in.

You Can Take Bard for a Spin...from Anywhere Now

When Bard first launched, it was restricted to a waitlist and had a limited release, but Google is now bringing the AI chatbot to 180 countries and regions with no waitlist in the way.

The official announcement of Bard's global expansion was made in a blog post by Sissie Hsiao, Google's Vice President and General Manager for Assistant and Bard. Hsiao stated that Bard is now available in over 180 countries and regions, without the need for a waitlist. The aim of this expansion is to encourage more users to try out Bard and provide feedback to Google, as the company continues to improve and add new features to the chatbot.

Additional Language Support Is Coming Soon

Google has also revealed plans to add language support for Korean and Japanese to Bard. In addition, the company intends to further expand the chatbot's language capabilities, with plans to support an additional 40 languages in the future. This move will enable more users around the world to access and benefit from the features of Bard.

Today were removing the waitlist process and making Bard available in over 180 countries and territories, with more coming soon. #GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/m6HSzScs4P  Google (@Google) May 10, 2023

There's a Sweet New Dark Theme

I love dark mode on all my devices, and it irks me whenever a service or an application doesn't ship with one. Bard initially left a sour taste in my mouth, not just because of its limited functionality and outright incorrect answers but also because of the blindingly white interface, which my eyes don't want to see.

Bard Will Spew More Visually-Rich Content Soon

Well, Google fixed that by introducing a proper dark theme, which my eyes welcomed. Great job, Google!

Google has also revealed plans to introduce multimodal content to Bard, which will enable the chatbot to deliver answers in a format beyond just text. In an official blog post, Sissie Hsiao announced that Bard's responses and prompts will become more visual in the near future. Users will be able to ask Bard questions that require more than just text-based answers, such as "What are some must-see sights in New Orleans?" and receive rich visuals in response, providing a better understanding of the subject matter.

At present, these rich visuals will primarily consist of pictures, but it is expected that maps, charts, and other visual aids will also be incorporated in the future.

AI didn't steal the show for long (though it did); the company also unveiled a slew of new services and some slick new hardware. We've covered everything in a separate article, so head over there to get the inside scoop on everything that happened at Google I/O.

Source

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications
Biggest Announcements From Google I/O 2023: Annual Developer Conference Reveals New AI, Hardware Tech Biz oi -Alap Naik Desai

Google I/O is one of the most anticipated annual conferences as it is packed with the latest developments in software and hardware. Besides the latest Pixel smartphones such as the Pixel Fold, and the tablet, Google had a lot to offer in terms of Generative AI.

Microsoft may have had a lead over Google initially but the latter has now revised its strategy. The search giant claims it has infused Bard, ChatGPT's main competitor, into nearly every service and device it offers. Let's look at the biggest announcements made at the Google I/O 2023.

Hardware Announcements At Google I/O 2023

Google announced its first folding phone, the Pixel Fold. It is surprisingly thinner than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold4.

Having learned from its competitors, the Pixel Fold has a wide, external display that offers a normal smartphone experience. The internal 7.6-inch OLED screen is intended for watching movies, multitasking, or reading. The Google Pixel Fold costs a startling $1,799 (1,47,500) but preorders get a Pixel Watch for free.

Alongside the Pixel Fold, there's a Pixel 7a, a supposedly affordable Pixel smartphone. However, this year's model costs $499 (41,000), which is costlier than the Pixel 6a.

The Pixel 7a does get a 90Hz screen refresh rate, wireless charging support, and 64MP primary rear camera. Preorders for the latest Pixel smartphone get a free case and a $100 (8,200) coupon for another Google-branded accessory.

Google also launched the Pixel Tablet, which was announced last year. It is powered by Google's latest Tensor G2 chipset. While attached to a dock, the Google tablet can recharge.

For $499 buyers get a sleek device that does not have a stylus or a keyboard. It does benefit from more than 50 Google apps optimized for the larger screen.

Software Announcements At Google I/O 2023

Google's primary focus at this year's event was AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Android 14. The search giant announced the latest iteration of its Android operating system that drives millions of devices around the world.

Google claims Android 14 has several new enhancements to boost privacy. However, the search giant has essentially infused a lot of AI-based tools, functions, and features into the latest version of the operating system.

Google's Bard Generative AI is now integrated directly into Android messaging. Users can ask Bard AI questions right in the chat box and adjust the syntax of their messages to adapt to different tones.

As previously indicated, Google is actively rolling out AI into its Workspace apps like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Google is calling it Duet AI for Workspace and it can use Google's generative AI to create diverse content such as job descriptions and creative stories.

Bard AI can auto-generate spreadsheets for tracking information, and even build whole presentations. It can subtly suggest text for slides or instantly generate custom visual elements like photos.

Some of the other notable developments include the Magic Eraser photo-editing feature, which is now called Magic Editor. It is a powerful AI-based tool that will allow users to change nearly every element of a photo.

Google promises the Magic Editor can adjust lighting, remove unwanted foreground elements like backpack straps, and even move the subject of the photo into other parts of the frame. Last, but certainly not least, Android Auto will now support video, gaming, and browsing in cars.

Best Mobiles in India
Google Outlines Bard Roadmap: Catchup With Microsoft ChatGPT And Then Race Ahead? Tech Biz oi -Alap Naik Desai

Google I/O 2023 had several announcements about the Google Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel 7a. However, the primary focus of the search giant clearly remains Bard, its Generative AI platform.

Google Bard AI was recently upgraded to PaLM 2, just like ChatGPT is now based on GPT-4. In a blog post dedicated to Bard, Google offered some insights into the development of conversational AI and offered some glimpses into the immediate future of the Generative AI platform.

Google Promises To "Bring Bard To More People"

Microsoft launched ChatGPT last year, well before Google introduced its Bard AI to the world. Google is now racing to get "Bard into more people's hands".

Google has officially removed all waitlists and opened up access to Bard AI. Users in over 180 countries and territories will now be able to use Bard AI without waiting in any queue.

Google Lens Now Baked Into Bard AI

Google announced it is bringing the power of Google Lens right into Bard. Simply put, images captured from Google Lens will now benefit from the Generative AI platform.

Users will be able to capture photos in Google Lens. These photos will be analyzed by Bard AI to recognize the various aspects, objects, and context. AI will be able to create captions or content based on users' inputs.

Bard AI Now Powers Google Workspace And Its Multiple Services

As announced previously, Google is now seeding Bard AI into nearly every software product and service it offers. While Google Docs, Drive, Gmail, and Maps would obviously benefit from the Generative AI platform, there are several more services from across the web, with extensions from partners that will get Bard AI.

Google has confirmed it is integrating Adobe Firefly, Adobe's family of creative generative AI models, into Bard. This will allow users to easily and quickly turn their own creative ideas into high-quality images.

Images generated by Bard AI can then be edited further. Users can also add their own designs in Adobe Express.

Third-party service providers such as Kayak, OpenTable, ZipRecruiter, Instacart, Wolfram, and Khan Academy are also collaborating with Google to incorporate Bard AI into their platforms. It is obvious that Google is actively seeking partners who will readily embed Bard AI.

Google Introduces Coding Upgrades And Export Features

Google claims it has been listening to developers' feedback. It has added a few key coding upgrades to Bard AI, such as:

Source Citations : Starting next week, Bard AI will make citations even more precise. If Bard brings in a block of code or cites other content, users can just click the annotation and Bard will underline those parts of the response and link to the source.

: Starting next week, Bard AI will make citations even more precise. If Bard brings in a block of code or cites other content, users can just click the annotation and Bard will underline those parts of the response and link to the source. Dark Theme : Google has launched a Dark Theme, which is another feature developers have asked for. Google claims this could help make interacting with Bard a lot easier on the eyes.

: Google has launched a Dark Theme, which is another feature developers have asked for. Google claims this could help make interacting with Bard a lot easier on the eyes. "Export" Button: Google will soon add the ability to export and run code with its partner Replit, starting with Python.

Generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Bard are being increasingly used to jumpstart emails and documents. Knowing this Google is launching two more Export Actions, making it easy to move Bard's responses right into Gmail and Docs.

Google is serious about moving Bard closer to users and nudging them away from OpenAI's ChatGPT, which has already been adopted by millions. Now that Google has done away with the waitlist, it could boost the adoption and usage of Bard AI significantly.

Best Mobiles in India
May 10, 2023

Release

Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen H. Hicks' Engagement at the U.S. Fleet Forces Command Commanders' Conference

Pentagon Spokesman Eric Pahon provided the following readout:

Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks spoke with senior U.S. Navy military and civilian leaders via video-teleconference today during the U.S. Fleet Forces Command Commanders' Conference, a two-day event hosted by USFFC Commander Adm. Daryl Caudle.

During opening comments, Deputy Secretary Hicks addressed strategic competition with the Peoples Republic of China, aligning Department resources with the National Defense Strategy, the Navy's role in modernizing strategic deterrence, and Secretary Austin's focus on continued progress toward Taking Care of People initiatives.

"Taking care of our people ties directly to readiness," Deputy Secretary of Defense Hicks said. "What it means to be ready, and what it takes to lead in this era of competition, will depend on the might of our greatest advantage- by far and without question- our people."

She discussed the Department's creation of a "Prevention Workforce," a new and dedicated workforce that will integrate prevention activities at the installation-level and ensure the Department is building the healthy climates necessary to address and prevent a range of problematic and harmful behaviors, to include suicide.

The scale and scope of the prevention workforce - over 2,000 personnel across installations around the world - is unprecedented, and reflects the Department's commitment to making lasting, substantial change to how we address risk factors and increase resilience.

She also discussed leaders' responsibilities to prevent and report sexual harassment and sexual assault, the importance of the Brandon Act, destigmatizing mental health care, removing barriers for service members to get the help and care they need and addressing living conditions which can negatively affect mental health.

Deputy Secretary Hicks encouraged the Navy leaders to ensure they are engaged with their service members so they can detect issues early and provide a critical link to identifying policy solutions.

She finished the meeting with a question and answer session on a variety of topics, primarily centered on quality of life and force generation issues, and thanked the Fleet Forces Command attendees for their continued leadership and service.

*Note: The Department of Defense is hiring for Prevention Workforce positions right now. Ideal candidates will have a public health or social science background. Visit https://www.dodciviliancareers.com/dod-spotlight for more information.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3391662/

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Guns stolen by two police officers killed more than 1,000 people, Gun Free SA and nine families claim in court papers

A class action against the police has been launched by Gun Free SA and nine Cape Town families.

They want damages for victims shot by guns stolen by two police officers and supplied to gangs.

In court papers they say 2,000 guns stolen from police stores were used to kill more than 1,000 people including 67 children.

Gun Free South Africa (GFSA) and nine families have launched a class action against the South African Police Service, seeking to recover damages for those killed and injured in shootings involving about 2,000 guns stolen by two police officers and supplied to gang leaders on the Cape Flats.

The first step in what will be a protracted legal battle, is the certification of the class action in the Western Cape High Court.

If the certification is granted, all victims and their families who can prove that one of these guns - named "Prinsloo Guns" after one of the rogue officers, Colonel Christiaan Prinsloo - will automatically be included in the action unless they opt out.

GFSA alleges that between 2007 and 2015, Prinsloo and Colonel David Naidoo stole and distributed the guns which were awaiting destruction in police stores in Silverton, Pretoria.

SAPS records, GFSA says, show that as of 2016, "Prinsloo Guns" had killed more than 1,000 people, 67 of them children. Thousands more were injured.

The court action is being handled by Norton Rose Fulbright, with advocates Wim Trengove and Riaz Itzkin, who are acting pro bono.

GFSA said affected families comprise both direct and indirect "Prinsloo Gun" victims. In total nine family members are named in the class action papers.

They represent four categories of victim: children who were killed (represented by their parents/guardians); children who were injured (represented by their parents/guardians); adults who were killed (represented by their families); and injured adults (who represent themselves).

They are: Andre and Dianne Cornelius whose son, Dillan Cornelius, was killed in a shooting incident in Manenberg; Melanie Kiel, whose son Dudley Richards, was killed in 2013 in a shooting incident in Mitchells Plain; Denise Mentor, the legal guardian of Leana van Wyk, a child who sustained serious head injuries during a shooting incident in Hanover Park in 2012; Evenlyn Davids, the legal guardian of Liam Davids, a minor male child who sustained serious neck injuries during a shooting incident in Hanover Park in 2012; Simone Julies, the mother of Mogamat Moeneer and Mogamat Nazeer, two children who were injured in 2014 in a shooting in Mitchells Plain; Natalie Dirks, the mother of Lukas Dirks, who was killed in January 2015; Mansoer Eksteen, who was injured in October 2014; and Niezaam Cupido, who was injured in 2013 during a shooting in Mitchells Plain.

In her affidavit, GFSA's Director Adele Kirsten quotes a range of sources, including SAPS' own records, which, she says, show that SAPS was at fault for failing to uphold its constitutional, statutory, and international obligations. This allowed Prinsloo and Naidoo to steal and distribute guns and ammunition undetected for years.

Kirsten says reports show that as of 2016, more than 1,000 "Prinsloo guns" were still in circulation. She argues that the class action must include victims from 2007 to the present day.

Kirsten says most of the class action members come from extremely poor communities and would otherwise not have access to legal representation and would be unlikely to bring a personal claim "even if they were aware that such a claim existed in principle".

"Accordingly, a class action is the only realistic means by which they might have access to justice."

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa 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.

Expert witnesses in the case include Mark Mastaglio, an independent forensic scientist, who, in an affidavit, states that identifying a "Prinsloo Gun" is possible because of the unique markings.

Richard Matzopoulos, an epidemiologist and specialist scientist at the South African Medical Research Council, states in an affidavit that gun-related death rates significantly increased as "Prinsloo Guns" flowed onto the Cape Flats.

"While the class action aims to claim for damages and costs, all claimants are clear that it won't bring their loved ones back and it won't heal those who have been injured or disabled - but it may bring a sense of justice and closure if the state is forced to acknowledge the suffering caused by its negligence and corruption. It may also force the state to take control of firearms so that no more families lose a loved one to a Prinsloo Gun," GFSA said in a statement.
May 10, 2023

Release

Readout of ASD Wallander's Participation in the 43rd U.S.-Jordan Joint Military Commission

Pentagon Spokesperson Lt Col Phil Ventura provided the following readout:

Senior delegations from the United States and Jordan met May 8-9 in Amman, Jordan for the 43rd meeting of the U.S.-Jordan Joint Military Commission (JMC). The Jordanian delegation was led by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Major General Yousef Hnaity, who hosted the event. The U.S. delegation was led by Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander. The JMC is the premier bilateral forum for senior U.S. and Jordanian government and military officials to discuss shared and mutually beneficial defense priorities.

U.S. and Jordanian officials reiterated their commitment to further advance their robust security partnership, which is a pillar of regional stability. The delegations discussed a broad range of issues that reflect mutual priority and focus: Iran's destabilizing regional activities, the status of the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS, border security, and regional efforts to deescalate tensions. The delegations discussed the deepening military cooperation between Iran and Russia and the negative implications of this cooperation for the region. The U.S. delegation also praised Jordan's diplomatic efforts in furtherance of a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

The U.S. delegation reaffirmed its commitment to deepening economic and military cooperation between the countries, underpinned by the seven-year, $10.15 billion U.S.-Jordan Memorandum of Understanding. The U.S. delegation praised the professionalism of the Jordanian Armed Forces and expressed deep appreciation for U.S.-Jordan military cooperation, as well as Jordan's contributions to regional security, in particular efforts to facilitate integrated maritime, air, and missile defense cooperation with allies and partners.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3390549/

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






May 10, 2023

By C. Todd Lopez , DOD News

SACEUR Provides Update on Deterrence, Defense of Euro-Atlantic Area

At NATO Headquarters in Brussels today, members of the alliance's Military Committee met to discuss, among other things, Russia's war on Ukraine, planning for deterrence and defense, and development of regional plans.

U.S. Army Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, who serves as both commander of U.S. European Command and supreme allied commander Europe spoke during a briefing that followed the meetings and provided an update on implementation of the Deterrence and Defense of the Euro-Atlantic Area concept, also called DDA.

"The DDA family of plans is really the 'how' of how the alliance will operate in peace, crisis and war to provide for our collective defense," Cavoli said. "The plans that come out of DDA, the strategic plans as well as the regional plans  these will drive our structure, our operations, our activities, and importantly ... our investments into the future."

Cavoli said Allied Command Operations, which he heads and which is responsible for the planning and execution of all NATO military operations, has worked over the past several months to develop what he said are sound, objective defensive plans.

"I can proudly say that we are on track," he said. "We are rapidly increasing the readiness and enablement of our forces, and we're making sure that they are ready to face current as well as future threats."

The continued development of regional plans was a significant part of the meeting in Brussels. The geographically specific plans describe how NATO expects to defend key locations within the alliance against both Russia and terrorist groups.

"Our regional plans ... blend national defense plans of our frontline nations into NATO plans," Cavoli said. "And this optimizes NATO's ability to move forces ... to the right place at the right time. This change will move us from an alliance that was optimized for out-of-area contingency operations, to an alliance fit for the purpose of large-scale operations to defend every edge of the alliance's territory."

While planning for the future ensures the continued strength of the NATO alliance, Cavoli said the plans themselves are not NATO's best asset.

"Our strongest and most enduring advantage ... will continue to be the unmatched unity of this alliance," he said. "The DDA strategy is a powerful demonstration of this cohesion and it's designed to ensure our alliances remain strong, our citizens safe and our values secure."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






May 10, 2023

By C. Todd Lopez , DOD News

Milley Reflects on 25th Secretary of Defense

Late last year, Ash Carter, who served as the 25th secretary of defense, died at his home in Boston.

In Washington yesterday, the Special Competitive Studies Project hosted the "Ash Carter Exchange on Innovation and National Security"  a forum where a host of experts discussed ways to advance collaboration in the pursuit of national security.

Closing out the day-long event was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, who offered his insight into Carter's influence on national security and the Defense Department.

"I had the great privilege of working very closely with Secretary Carter on many, many occasions over the years, and I can attest to you that he was a great patriot, a real patriot, and a great American," Milley said. "The first thing I think of when I think of Ash Carter was his human touch. He was, of course, a physicist, a scientist  but more than that, he was just a great human being. He was approachable and affable and got along with everyone. He was positive, he was upbeat, and he communicated especially well."

More so, Austin said, Carter had been a committed public servant.

"Ash Carter's decision-making was always motivated by the care and safety of the men and women in uniform," Milley said. "He was incredibly talented at cutting red tape and speeding up the bureaucracy in order to improve the lives of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines."

One example, he said, was with the mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle  a vehicle that was put to use in Afghanistan and Iraq. At the time, it was Secretary of Defense Robert Gates who conceived of the idea, but it was Carter  then the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics  who pushed it over the finish line.

"I was witness to that," Milley said. "His action, the action of Ash Carter, saved American lives on the battlefield, to include my own."

This year is the first time the "Ash Carter Exchange on Innovation and National Security" has been held. Carter's wife, Stephanie, helped organize the event. According to the event's website, the purpose of the exchange was to gather "pioneers and champions of innovation" to "advance collaboration in pursuit of national security."

That type of effort, Milley said, was something Carter himself excelled at.

"Perhaps his greatest legacy is a sense of urgency for the U.S. military to adopt new technology, to accept risks, and to think of creative solutions to our ... problems," Milley said. "Secretary Carter was forward-thinking, he was always talking about generative AI [artificial intelligence] ... he was the rare person who could understand and speak to both the science and the policy of new technology."

Carter's vision and pursuit of innovation, Milley said, reshaped the direction of the U.S. military, making it more agile and nimble.

"I believe ... that Ash Carter instinctively understood that we are in the middle of the largest fundamental change in the character of war throughout all of human recorded history," Milley said. "And he also understood that the stakes were enormously high. At the end of the day, it was about preventing great power war and preserving the rules-based international order that had maintained the great power peace for the last 80 years."

Today, Milley said, both China and Russia are looking to disrupt that world order to advance their own interests, and that is something Carter understood more than most.

"Both China and Russia have the means to threaten our interests and our way of life," Milley said. "But we must keep in mind that war with either is neither imminent nor inevitable. And we must continue to deter a great power war, which was the central purpose of Ash Carter's professional life. That is what drove Ash Carter."

Today, Milley said, the U.S. will continue to deter great power war by being ready and demonstrating its readiness to the world. That is something was one of Carter's "first principles," he said.

"It is readiness in the future, otherwise known as modernization, that Ash Carter recognized," Milley said. "And he understood that we were at an inflection point in human history where we are experiencing a fundamental change in the character of war."

While the nature of war will always remain the same  one nation's desire to impose its will on another nation,  how wars are fought has changed and will change in the future.

In World War II, for instance, Nazi Germany was the first to be able to successfully combine new technologies  such as aircraft, wheeled and tracked vehicles, and radio  and use that to their advantage.

"They took these technologies and they combined them into a way of war  the German way of war  a way of war that allowed them ... to overrun Europe in 18 months," Milley said.

The United States, the Soviet Union and allies against Nazi Germany eventually caught up, Milley said. But the Nazi's initial mastery of technology had given them an early advantage.

"We are in a comparative moment today," Milley said. "And Ash Carter was one of the few who recognized it very early on. He knew that we might not have 18 months to ramp up production and build up the military when the next great power war breaks out. He knew that we must be ready now, and we must be ready in the future."

The challenge now is figuring out the best combination of technologies, integrated with the right training, doctrine and organizational structure. Some of those technologies  including assured communications, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing and 3D printing  were all highlighted by Carter early on, Milley said.

"Your military was directed years ago by Secretary Ash Carter to develop those technologies," Milley said. "And those are coming to fruition today. You're seeing that in the Army with a multidomain task force and long-range fires. You're seeing that in the Marines with a littoral regiment. You're seeing that in the Navy with experiments in 5th Fleet in the Central Command area of operations with unmanned maritime surface and subsurface vessels. And you see it in the Air Force."

All those concepts, Milley said, were initiated by Ash Carter. And the challenge today for the U.S. armed forces is to take new technologies and merge them into a way of war that gives the U.S. the tactical and strategic advantage over adversaries.

"We do this to prevent war. And to achieve this, we must operate seamlessly in our joint force," he said. "On Day 1 of the next war, we must be fully integrated and able to maneuver through space and time in a fast-paced, high-tech, rapidly changing environment, [while] remaining invisible and in a constant state of movement. And [if we] do that, we might prevail. But, more importantly, to do that, if your enemy knows it, you'll deter."

To advance that effort, Milley said, the DOD is initiating the third iteration of it's joint warfighting concept  the first version was drafted by Carter.

Milley also called on those in attendance at the event to recommit to Carter's vision for a military that includes the best of the best  based on merit.

"Everyone who is this room now, anyone who is watching this, and all of us that wear the uniform, we all must recommit ourselves to the vision of Ash Carter," Milley said. "We must always remember that we take our oath to the Constitution; Ash Carter never let us forget that."

Carter, Milley said, understood that in America and for the U.S. military, differences like race, religion, gender or social status don't matter

"What matters was your commitment, your talent," Milley said. "What matters is that you're an American. What Ash Carter cared about was your merit, your skills, your knowledge, your attributes. He understood it, and he lived it. And he knew that you'd be judged by the content of your character. He was committed to that idea of America. Ash Carter was someone that we all should try to emulate. All that he stood for is what we should recommit ourselves to  the idea that is America. That is what Ash Carter had as his North Star, and that should always be our North Star."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Sudan: EU launches Humanitarian Air Bridge to provide essential supplies

European Commission

Press release

10 May 2023

Brussels

In view of the rising humanitarian needs due to the raging conflict in Sudan, the EU launched a Humanitarian Air Bridge transporting critical supplies to our humanitarian partners in Port Sudan. The 30 tonnes of essential items, including water, sanitation and hygiene as well as shelter equipment were transported from the warehouses of the United Nations in Dubai to Port Sudan. Upon arrival, they were handed over to UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

The Humanitarian Air Bridge is organised in the framework of the European Humanitarian Response Capacity, a tool designed to fill gaps in the humanitarian response to natural hazards and human-induced disasters.

The EU has already allocated 200,000 for the immediate relief and first aid assistance to populations injured or exposed to high risk in the capital, Khartoum, and other areas affected by the ongoing violence. It supports the Sudanese Red Crescent Society in the provision of first aid, evacuation services, and psychosocial support. This funding is on top of the 73 million already allocated to Sudan in 2023 in humanitarian assistance. In addition, 200,000 were allocated to the Egyptian Red Crescent, for the provision of support to refugees arriving in Egypt from Sudan.

Background

Violent armed clashes broke out in Sudan on 15 April between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. This development comes following a prolonged political gridlock after the 2021 military coup. Prior to the outbreak of violence, the political, security and economic instability, combined with a poor harvest, led to the worst humanitarian crisis in a decade. The EU had stepped up its humanitarian aid to support the most vulnerable.

According to the latest reports by the country's Ministry of Health, as of 5 May, at least 550 people have been killed - including 18 health and humanitarian workers - and more than 5,000 injured. The actual toll is expected to be much higher.

The EU has strongly urged all parties for a full compliance with international humanitarian law, including protection of civilians and humanitarian space. Safety and security of aid workers, premises and assets must be guaranteed so that they can provide emergency assistance to those affected.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Address to the Storting on Norway's membership of the UN Security Council

Government of Norway

Speech/statement | Date: 10/05/2023

By Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt

On 17 January, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt gave an address to the Storting on Norway's membership of the UN Security Council in the period 2021-2022.



Mr President,

We have just concluded our fifth term as an elected member of the UN Security Council. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to come here and talk about our Council membership, and perhaps this will lead to some critical debate. Because it is easy to be critical of the way the Security Council works. Serving on the Security Council involves facing up to the realities of the world around us.

Our task has been to try to work constructively to address those realities. To seek to establish frameworks for how states behave towards each other and how states and the international community can ensure that the rights of all individuals are upheld.

The first time Norway served on the Security Council was in 1949-1950. The Korean War was at the top of the agenda for much of our first term as an elected member. Norway had a seat on the Council again in 1963-1964, 1979-1980 and 2001-2002. Last time, it was 9/11, the subsequent war on terror, and the run-up to the war in Iraq that were the overriding issues.

We have had to deal with unforeseen crises and conflicts all five times we have served on the Council. We have been close to historic events as they have unfolded. But we have never found the situation - or the basis for cooperation in the Council - to be as challenging or contentious as we did this time.

Because Norway's fifth term as an elected member of the Security Council has been shaped by a series of conflicts. Such as the military coup in Myanmar, the war in Ethiopia, and the Taliban's takeover of power in Afghanistan.

But it is obviously Russia's brutal war of aggression in Ukraine, launched on 24 February 2022, that has dominated the past year. The war represents a turning point for security policy.

Mr President, the climate for international cooperation has become tougher. More polarised. At the same time, democracy is under pressure in many countries.

Today, well under half the world's population live in democracies. The number of authoritarian, illiberal regimes is growing.

But the more unpredictable and rife with tensions the world becomes, Mr President - the more complex it becomes - the more important the Security Council is. Both as a meeting place and as a decision-making body.

Although it has become more difficult to achieve consensus, this meeting place is invaluable. The world will not be a better place if we come together less, talk to each other less.

Mr President,

In his book Lille land - hva na? ('Small country - what now?' (Norwegian only)) from 1982, former Foreign Minister Knut Frydenlund wrote that the best way for a small country like Norway to safeguard its national interests was by working to promote a better organised international community. This work is also the best contribution we can make to building a better world, he continued.

A better organised world does not automatically mean a safer or more just world. But it is the basic prerequisite for achieving such a world, wrote Frydenlund.

And this is still the case today, 50 years after he became Foreign Minister.

In my address on 5 January last year, I pointed out that an important reason why Norway had sought to become an elected member of the Security Council was to safeguard and promote our own interests. That respect for international agreements and a strong UN are crucial to Norway's security and national interests.

And upholding respect for international law is without doubt one of Norway's defined national interests. As a small country, we are dependent on there being rules governing how states behave, and on it not being the law of the strongest that prevails.

And international law, Mr President, is developed in part through binding decisions taken by the Security Council.

Norway's two-year term on the Council has involved a great deal of work and required considerable resources. But these efforts have not been at the expense of other foreign policy priorities.

Nor have we found conflicting pressures from the various great powers to be a problem, as some people had warned about before we took up our seat. On the contrary, at times, we ourselves have challenged one or other of the great powers.

Norway has used the Security Council as an arena to promote clear, consistent Norwegian policies, in line with our core principles. And we have helped to solve problems, with a view to preserving the Council's role as a decision-making body. In an extremely tense situation.

During its membership, Norway has taken part in negotiations leading to the adoption of 111 Security Council resolutions. We have ourselves initiated and led the negotiations on a number of resolutions.

Such as the resolution on maritime security and combating piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, considered to be among the most dangerous waters in the world.

The resolution was adopted unanimously following several months of negotiations. Regional cooperation and business development in West Africa have been strengthened as a result.

Over the past three years, the number of piracy attacks in this region has been halved. And the resolution will help to ensure that this positive trend continues. Security in the world's oceans and seas is important for Norway as a major shipping nation.

The resolution, the first of its kind to be adopted in ten years, was put forward by Norway and Ghana. These were the some of the most difficult negotiations we experienced during our term on the Council. China, in particular, had concerns. It did not want the resolution to include a reference to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as the overall legal framework for all maritime activities. For us, however, this was critical. Close cooperation with Ghana and other African countries was vital in ensuring that our view on this issue prevailed.

Systematic efforts by Norway also helped to strengthen various other Council resolutions. In areas of great importance to us.

Such as women, peace and security; protection of civilians, including children; and climate, peace and security.

Norway has also helped to make resolutions on UN sanctions regimes more effective and targeted. We played a part in securing the adoption of a Security Council resolution in December 2022 approving a humanitarian exemption in order to prevent UN sanctions from inadvertently inhibiting the ability of aid organisations to provide assistance to people in need.

This will help to ensure that UN sanctions do not have unintended negative impacts. This was called for by - and will be of great significance to - Norwegian and international aid organisations.

Some of the resolutions adopted by the Security Council would never have come about without Norway. Such as the resolution on protection of education in conflict.

This was a completely new kind of resolution, which we put forward together with Niger. The resolution condemns attacks on schools and educational facilities. It underlines the obligations that parties to armed conflict have under international law to protect these facilities.

It encourages UN member states to take concrete measures to prevent attacks against, and the military use of, schools. The resolution reaffirms the right of all children to education, including in situations of armed conflict. Safeguarding the right to education during a conflict is essential to rebuild societies in the wake of conflict.

Mr President,

The Security Council Chamber was a gift from Norway to the UN in 1952. But in the first five months of our term on the Council, the Chamber was hardly used at all. Because of the pandemic, most meetings were held digitally.

Diplomacy suffers when we cannot meet in person. Negotiations become more complicated. But when we took up our seat in January 2021, the Council had already been adapting to new ways of working for nearly a year. It proved that it was able to carry out its tasks without physical meeting places.

And there were some advantages. Digital meetings provided more opportunities for foreign ministers to participate. Member of the Storting Ine Eriksen Sreide took part in many Security Council meetings during her term as Foreign Minister.

Her participation combined with mine means that Norway has been represented at the political level in a huge number of Council meetings. On topics ranging from Israel and Palestine, Syria, climate and security, the COVID-19 pandemic, Colombia and Afghanistan, to name a few.

I would like to thank Ms Eriksen Sreide for all that she did for Norway during the campaign for a seat on the Council and during the first part of Norway's term.

In 2021, the Security Council in general displayed a willingness to cooperate and an ability to take unanimous decisions.

But in certain cases, we would have liked to have seen a far clearer response from the Council.

The conflict in Ethiopia, which started before we became a Council member, is one example. The situation in Myanmar, following the military junta's seizure of power in a coup on 1 February 2021, is another.

In both cases, we worked to encourage the Security Council to take a clear stance.

In December 2022, we helped to secure the adoption of the first-ever Council resolution on the conflict in Myanmar.

We had wanted the resolution to include a stronger condemnation and impose clearer obligations on the coup leaders. But it was still important. The resolution sent a clear message to the military junta of the need to release all political prisoners and end all forms of violence.

The conflicts in Ethiopia and Myanmar have been challenging to deal with. In both cases, the Security Council's response has been too weak and too late. The Security Council did play a role when the African Union managed to broker a peace agreement for Tigray towards the end of 2022. But in Myanmar, the situation remains bleak.

Mr President,

On 31 January, the last day of our Security Council presidency, we convened an extraordinary emergency meeting on Russia's military build-up near Ukraine's borders.

This was followed by a flurry of meetings in the first weeks of February. The Security Council was in session when the first reports of Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine came in.

In Europe, it was already the morning of 24 February.

Our Ambassador to the UN, Mona Juul, was sitting right next to her Russian colleague at the horseshoe-shaped table.

She was the first Council delegate to condemn the attack that night - before live cameras.

Ukraine's Ambassador to the UN was also present. And stated clearly that this was a declaration of war by Russia. And that it was the responsibility of the Security Council to get Russia to stop the war.

But everyone knew that Russia, as a permanent member with veto power, would block any initiative to condemn or halt the war of aggression. And this is precisely what Russia did. Two days later, when Norway and a group of like-minded countries put forward a draft resolution condemning the war.

Obviously, when one of the permanent members starts a war, it limits the Security Council's capacity for action. The Council's mandate is to maintain international peace and security. Now, we found ourselves in a situation where Russia was using its veto to prevent the Security Council from fulfilling its mandate.

In response, Norway chose to work along two main tracks:

First, we sought to make active use of the tools that were actually at the Security Council's disposal. Such as Council meetings - where Russia could be confronted directly.

Meetings where Ukraine was also given the opportunity to participate.

Meetings where the participants received impartial briefings from the UN Secretariat, civil society representatives and others. To date, the Security Council has held nearly 50 meetings on the war in Ukraine. Most of them initiated by Western countries.

These meetings have had political significance. They have helped to keep up the pressure on Russia. They have played a part in making the members of the Security Council adopt and convey a clear position.

And they have been an important arena for Ukraine to openly confront and debunk Russian war propaganda.

When Russia misused its power of veto to prevent the Security Council from adopting the draft resolution condemning Russia's attack, we played a key role in ensuring the necessary support to enable the Council to call an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly. This was the first time in 40 years that such a step has been taken. Even though the General Assembly cannot impose sanctions in the same way as the Security Council, its overwhelming condemnation of the war has been very important.

The three subsequent votes in the UN General Assembly, between March and October, clearly showed how alone and isolated Russia was. Only four countries supported Russia.

More than 140 UN member states have condemned the war in each of these three resolutions in the General Assembly. Russia's war propaganda has not won it new friends.

The other main track we pursued was to prevent Russia's brutal war from completely paralysing the Security Council.

The hardened fronts in the Council as a result of the war increased the risk that the Council would also be unable to deal effectively with other conflict situations.

While it has become more challenging and complex to deal with other matters, we - and other Council members - managed to prevent the Security Council from becoming immobilised.

It has retained its ability to take decisions. Despite more vetoes and less unanimity.

Mr President,

Security Council resolutions are not just symbolic pronouncements; they have practical significance. Several of the resolutions Norway has been responsible for negotiating have directly benefited people in need.

During its term on the Council, Norway has had responsibility for following up matters relating to the humanitarian situation in Syria, and the situation in Afghanistan.

Nearly three million people in northwestern Syria have access to life-saving humanitarian aid because the Security Council twice - following negotiations led by Norway and Ireland - extended the mandate for cross-border aid delivery from Turkiye.

The UN administers and checks these humanitarian deliveries at the Turkish-Syrian border. And works to ensure that the aid reaches people in northwestern Syria.

And just before the end of our term on the Council, in late December 2022, we succeeded in securing agreement on a further six-month extension of the mandate. This was adopted by a unanimous vote on 9 January this year. This was the third time Norway and Ireland managed to bring these negotiations, which had been extremely difficult, to a successful conclusion.

Our work as penholder on Afghanistan became far more demanding after the Taliban took power in August 2021. Norway's overall aim has been to promote maximum unity within the Council.

Because a divided Security Council will only benefit the Taliban. A number of key Taliban leaders are subject to Security Council sanctions. So far, the Taliban regime has not been recognised by any of the members of the Security Council.

It was therefore a milestone when, after several rounds of tough negotiations, Norway succeeded in securing agreement on a new mandate for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). This was in March 2022, just three weeks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The resolution - that is, the mandate - was adopted nearly unanimously. Only Russia abstained. It was a victory for diplomacy.

The resolution provides the UN with a mandate to monitor and report on human rights, particularly women's rights. It also authorises the UN to coordinate the provision of humanitarian assistance and facilitate inclusive political dialogue in Afghanistan.

In addition, Norway initiated and led negotiations on 20 press statements - supported by all members of the Council - on Afghanistan.

These included statements on girls' right to education and women's participation in society. Right at the end of its term on the Security Council, Norway succeeded in securing a strong Council response in the form of a press statement expressing concern about the Taliban's increasing infringement of women's rights.

Moreover, throughout its term, Norway has given Afghan women the opportunity to brief the Council and make recommendations.

As well as its special responsibility for Syria and Afghanistan, Norway has played a key role in the Council's discussions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Security Council is rarely able to agree on a common position on this conflict because the members have such widely differing views on what the Council's role should be. We succeeded, however, in securing agreement on two press statements - in May 2021 and May 2022 - both of which were initiated by Norway.

We also initiated a number of emergency meetings on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In particular in 2021, together with China and Tunisia, following the military escalation in and around Gaza.

I also chaired a meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict under our presidency of the Security Council in January 2022.

Norway has made it clear that the current situation is unacceptable. Israel cannot continue to occupy Palestinian land. This is in violation of international law. And this is why Norway reacts to it.

And the Palestinian leadership must increase its legitimacy among its own people. As of today, no negotiations are taking place between the parties. The younger generation will gradually lose hope of a peaceful solution if there is no willingness to negotiate and the occupation continues.

Mr President,

During its term, Norway has delivered more than 800 statements to the Security Council. These have all had two things in common: they have presented a clear, consistent message. And they have been in line with our core principles. The other Council members have not been in any doubt as to what Norway stands for.

Not least when it comes to matters relating to international law. But also on issues relating to our identified thematic priority areas:

Political inclusion and protection of women;

Protection of civilians (especially children);

and climate and security, where we have worked systematically to increase recognition of the links between climate change, peace and security.

This applies to all of the Council's ongoing work and its decisions and outcomes.

Norway has also worked actively to strengthen transparency in the Council, for example by inviting civil society representatives, including women peacebuilders and human rights defenders, to brief the Council.

We were also involved in initiating an effort to increase women's participation in Council meetings. During the month in which Norway held the presidency, more than half the people giving introductory briefings at open Council meetings were women.

In order to find solutions to conflicts, it is vital that women participate in the political arena. But in many places, women who choose to be politically active are subjected to threats and reprisals. This is clearly unacceptable, and is why Norway has considered it important to address this matter. Under our presidency, the Council held its first formal meeting on reprisals and their effects on women's participation.

Women's political participation has, for example, been important for the monitoring mechanisms of the peace agreement in Mali. The constitutional process in South Sudan. Reform of the security sector in Somalia. And for the efforts to promote human rights in Afghanistan.

Norway's efforts during its two-year period as chair of the Council's Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict also yielded results. This was another challenging role, but we succeeded in securing the adoption of conclusions with concrete recommendations for the authorities in eight countries.

Eight countries in conflict that have now received strong recommendations on the need to prevent and respond to grave violations of children's rights.

Mr President,

The links between climate change and conflict are becoming increasingly evident. Although climate change in itself is rarely the direct cause of war and conflict, the impacts of climate change are often among the underlying contributory factors. Shortages of food, water and jobs create greater social and economic uncertainty.

And lead to greater competition for natural resources such as water and arable land. At the same time, trust in the authorities and others around us can be diminished. The risk of violence and armed conflict increases. It creates a growing breeding ground for violent extremist and rebel groups.

Norway has worked systematically to ensure that the Security Council recognises the correlation between climate change and conflict. We have worked to incorporate this into Council resolutions and statements. Much of this work has been done behind the scenes. In close cooperation with African countries.

Norway has also helped to enhance the knowledge base for the Council's efforts in the area of climate, peace and security.

For example in our capacity as co-chair, with Kenya, of the Informal Expert Group on Climate and Security. And through the extensive research efforts of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). We have also focused on how closer climate cooperation can promote peacebuilding.

In 2021, Russia used its veto to block the Council's first thematic resolution on climate and security. And four Council members have put up strong opposition.

Nevertheless, we have made progress. And achieved results in the form of new obligations relating to climate and security in the mandates of a number of UN peacekeeping operations and political missions.

Mr President,

There have been some clear hallmarks to our efforts and diplomacy in the Security Council.

First, we have talked to all the members of the Council. Including Russia, on matters not related to its war in Ukraine.

This has been essential to reach agreement on decisions and resolutions. More than once, this has had direct significance for people in conflict-affected areas. Such as in Syria.

We have cooperated with all the regional groups in the Security Council. Primarily with our allies and partners. But in many cases, we have sought to cooperate across established regional blocs. To secure broadest possible support.

Security Council resolutions require at least nine votes in favour and no veto to be adopted.

There are always three African Council members. They play a crucial role in addressing the conflicts in Africa. And it is these conflicts that dominate the Security Council's agenda.

Our cooperation with Niger on the resolution on the protection of education in conflict and our cooperation with Ghana on the resolution on maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea were absolutely vital to securing the adoption of these resolutions.

Mexico has been a key partner in our efforts to strengthen preventive diplomacy. Together, we succeeded in securing the adoption of a presidential statement expressing support for the UN Secretary-General's efforts to seek a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine and to put in place an agreement on grain exports from Ukrainian ports.

This statement is still the only substantive outcome on Russia's war in Ukraine to be adopted by the Security Council.

The Security Council has 10 elected members. Norway has played an active role in promoting closer cooperation between them. The importance of this cooperation increased after Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, partly because cooperation between the five permanent members became much more difficult.

Achieving unity among the elected members does not happen on its own. These countries often have diverging interests. But in certain situations - on certain deadlocked issues - promoting unity among these Council members has been vital to achieve results.

The second hallmark of our diplomacy in the Security Council has been our consistency and predictability, and this has served us well. During Norway's campaign for a seat on the Council, we made it clear that promoting respect for international law would be at the core of our membership of the Council. And it has been.

Our steadfast adherence to our principles has been a strength in handling complex issues and situations. For example, in our dealings with the US on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With China on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. With Russia on humanitarian access in Syria. We have gained acceptance for our views - without compromising our own principles.

Maintaining a clear, consistent and principled approach has also benefited Norway in its role as chair of several of the Security Council's subsidiary organs, such as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee and the ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.

Here, our focus has been on legal safeguards, human rights, the role of civil society and preventing the sanctions from having negative humanitarian impacts.

The work of the DPRK Sanctions Committee in particular has been affected by deep polarisation among the Council members.

Our experience, networks and expertise - gained in part from our peace and reconciliation work - are a third hallmark of our efforts. This has given us weight and credibility, and has enhanced our ability to exert an influence.

Norway has invited parties to conflict - and sometimes representatives of civil society - to a number of informal meetings of the Council members.

For example on the conflicts in Colombia, Myanmar and Afghanistan. These meetings have strengthened Norway's standing as a peace and reconciliation actor.

We also made good use of our diplomatic networks when we organised an informal gathering for the ambassadors serving on the Security Council and the UN Secretary-General to discuss preventive diplomacy, based on the Oslo Forum model. Conflict mediators and representatives of the parties to the conflicts took part in the discussions.

We have also benefited greatly from maintaining ongoing contact with civil society and research institutes in Norway. They have provided constructive input throughout our term on the Council. I would like in particular to highlight our close dialogue with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).

Mr President,

When we look back on our two years in the Security Council, it is easy only to see the dark clouds. And yes, it has been very challenging.

But nevertheless, as is usually the case, the situation could have been worse.

And would have been worse without the UN Security Council.

Moreover, it is important to bear in mind that even in cases where the Security Council responds successfully to a conflict, it is always the parties themselves who hold the key to peace.

Our basic approach has been to work to achieve the best possible political and diplomatic solutions.

We will maintain our long-term commitment to international cooperation and the world order that has served us so well for over 75 years.

Serving on the Security Council has not lost us friends. Rather, it has brought us new ones.

We have shown that it is possible for an elected member of the Council to play a meaningful part in promoting international peace and security. Even in very challenging times.

Mr President, when former Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Frydenlund visited China in 1978, he was asked by his Chinese counterpart how Norway as a small country viewed its relationship with the great powers. In his answer, Frydenlund referred to the story of Gulliver and the people of Lilliput.

The Lilliputians bound Gulliver to the ground using innumerable small threads. In much the same way, it is the task of the smaller countries to bind the major powers to an international legal order by means of countless threads, Frydenlund told his Chinese colleague.

One of Norway's most important tasks is to help prevent these threads from fraying. From snapping. And this is what we have helped to do as a member of the Security Council.

The alternative to the UN Security Council, international cooperation and common solutions is that might prevails. That the major powers can do what they like. Just as Russia is now attempting to do in Ukraine.

Our membership of the Council has not, as some had warned beforehand, limited Norway's room for manoeuvre in the area of foreign policy.

Quite the contrary.

Our two-year term on the Security Council has strengthened our position as a clear and consistent, but results-oriented and constructive partner. A partner that is committed to promoting a world order based on international law and common rules for all countries.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Palestinians step up rocket attacks on Zionist positions in retaliation for Gaza aggression

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 10, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- Palestinian resistance forces have stepped up rocket attacks against positions in the Israeli-occupied territories in response to the Zionist regime's aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip.

As of Wednesday night, the Zionist regime reported 400 rockets fired from Gaza towards Israeli settlements, Palestinian media said.

Those rocket attacks reportedly left more than a dozen Israelis injured.

The Zionist regime began pounding the Gaza Strip early on Tuesday, taking the lives of at least 21 Palestinians including women and children.

At least three commanders of the Palestinian resistance movement, the Islamic Jihad, were among those killed as well.

4194

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






We are united by the need to think about a joint response to the common threat, says A. Anusauskas to Ambassador of Poland

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2023-05-10

International cooperation

May 10, Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anusauskas met with Ambassador of Poland to Lithuania HE Konstanty Radziwi newly appointed to the position. Minister thanked Poland for the engagement in strengthening the region, discussed further cooperation between the countries in security and defence. According to him, partnership with Poland remains high among Lithuania's security policy priorities.

"We value Poland's active role in ensuring security in our region, your contribution to the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states, bilateral initiatives between our respective Special Operations Forces. We are united by the common threat, therefore we have to start thinking about a joint response. We need to continue the intense bilateral political-military cooperation," said Minister A. Anusauskas thanking Poland for its leadership in supporting Ukraine.

The fourth Lithuanian-Polish Defence Ministers' Council will take place in Warsaw within several weeks. According to A. Anusauskas, both countries have to join forces to ensure that the NATO Summit in Vilnius results with decisions on stronger regional defence plans and defence, force-pre-deployment, 2% of GDP defence spending, and support to Ukraine's NATO integration.

Mutual Lithuanian-Polish assistance and coordinated response to the security challenges arising in the region has grown over the past years: cooperation has been strengthened on defence planning, air defence, maritime awareness, procurement and cybersecurity, Defence Ministers' Council is held annually, new joint military initiatives have been launched.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






The President in Spain: We must continue working together to strengthen NATO

President of the Republic of Lithuania

May 10, 2023

President Gitanas Nauseda continues preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius with a working visit to Spain. On Wednesday, the President met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The meeting focused on the NATO Summit agenda, security and defense cooperation between Lithuania and Spain, and Russia's war against Ukraine.

The President underlined the need for the upcoming NATO Summit to take decisions that will further strengthen the security of NATO's eastern flank and the Alliance as a whole, adding that enhanced allied presence in the region is a prerequisite for effective deterrence. Gitanas Nauseda highlighted the importance of investing in missile and air defense for the Baltic region and the eastern flank of the Alliance and stepping up defense spending. According to the President, Ukraine is part of the transatlantic security architecture, and the NATO Summit in Vilnius provides a historic opportunity to explore this perspective. Gitanas Nauseda thanked Spain for its contribution to the security of Lithuania and the Baltic region. To date, the Spanish Air Force has deployed nine rotations to the Baltic Air Policing mission.

"Lithuania and Spain are EU partners and NATO allies. I am delighted that our countries stand united in the defense of European values, in support of Ukraine and in the pursuit of peace on the continent. We are grateful to the Spanish Air Force for its continued presence in our region. We must continue working together to strengthen NATO's eastern flank and the Alliance as a whole," the President said.

The President and the Spanish Prime Minister also discussed support for Ukraine. Gitanas Nauseda pointed out that the speed and scope of allied assistance to Ukraine are decisive for resisting Russia's aggression. He underscored the need to increase pressure on Russia by continuing the EU's effective sanctions policy and making the Kremlin regime accountable for the crime of aggression. The President said that EU sanctions must also apply to Belarus, with no exceptions. He expressed hope that during Spain's Presidency of the European Union, a decision will be taken to open accession negotiations with Ukraine if the European Commission's recommendations are fully implemented.

On the priorities of the Spanish EU Presidency, the President and the Prime Minister agreed to place a stronger focus on enhancing the EU's competitiveness and resilience in health care, energy, technology, and food security, on expanding relations with other countries and international associations, as well as on EU enlargement and illegal migration. "Today, it is crucial for the European Union to bolster its industry and internal market, position itself in global supply chains, increase energy independence, and invest in high value-added sectors," the President said.

Gitanas Nauseda expressed his strong wish to expand and intensify bilateral economic relations, building on the achievements of both countries in renewable energy, information technologies, financial technologies, photonics, and biotechnologies.

"In recent years, Lithuania's exports to Spain increased by 43 percent and the volume of bilateral trade grew by 24 percent. We must continue strengthening business contacts and promoting mutually beneficial projects," the President said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Secretary General thanks Allied military leaders for their work in transforming NATO for a new era of collective defence

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

10 May. 2023

On 10 May 2023, NATO's highest Military Authority, the Military Committee, is meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. The meeting brings together Allied Chiefs of Defence and their invitee counterpart from Sweden. The Chiefs of Defence are supported by General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and General Philippe Lavigne, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT). NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg joined the meeting's first session to address the Alliance's key priorities and challenges ahead of the Vilnius Summit.

In his opening remarks, Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the Military Committee, commended the Secretary General for his unparalleled leadership during challenging times for global security. On Russias war of aggression against Ukraine, Admiral Bauer said that Russia is now in the fifteenth month of what they hoped would be a 3-day war. "Goliath is wavering. And that is because David has shown immense resilience and tactical brilliance, supported by 50 nations around the world," he said.

The Secretary General thanked NATO's military leaders for their work in transforming the Alliance over the past decade and ensure that it is well prepared for a "new era of collective defence." Following President Putin's full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, NATO activated all its defence plans, put 40,000 troops under NATO command, backed by significant air and maritime power, and strengthened its forward defences. "These actions reduce the risk of miscalculation and escalation. By making crystal clear we will defend every inch of NATO territory," Mr Stoltenberg said.

The NATO Military Authorities are developing Regional Plans. These are geographically specific plans that describe how the Alliance will defend itself against the two threats described in NATO's Strategic Concept and the NATO Military Strategy: Russia and terrorist groups. The Regional Plans require a new NATO Force Model to produce more troops at high readiness across the Alliance, as well as a New Force Structure to determine the number and types of equipment and organisations needed to conduct NATO operations.

Admiral Bauer praised the herculean effort accomplished by SHAPE and the Joint Force Commands Brunssum, Naples and Norfolk to integrate NATO and national military planning on such a detailed level. Admiral Bauer: "This makes it possible to collectively defend not only the physical safety of our one billion people and 31 nations... but also the democratic values we all hold dear".

The Secretary General outlined some of the main priorities for the Vilnius Summit in July to further strengthen NATO's deterrence and defence. These include supporting new regional defence plans, along with an ambitious new defence investment pledge and a new Defence Production Action Plan. "We need that investment and production capacity now and for the long-term. We are moving in the right direction, but not as fast as the dangerous world we live in demands," Mr Stoltenberg said.

Today at 17:30 there will be joint press conference by Admiral Bauer, General Cavoli and General Lavigne. This will be livestreamed on the NATO website.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






NATO Deputy Secretary General visits Washington

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

10 May. 2023

Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana is in Washington, D.C. this week for talks with senior U.S. officials as well as several public engagements. On Tuesday (9 May 2023) he met with Senator Jeanne Shaheen and other members of the Senate NATO Observer Group, as well as the Special Presidential Climate Envoy, John Kerry, and the Department of Defense's Chief Digital and AI Officer, Dr Craig Martell. He also participated in a discussion hosted by the Atlantic Council's Freedom and Prosperity Center, stressing the enduring value of NATO for both North America and Europe.

"There is an absolute direct connection between freedom, prosperity and security," he said. "There is absolutely nothing in our lives, but nothing - no business, no personal life, no tranquility, no dreams, no hope - if we don't have peace and stability. And the business of NATO is to make sure that this very foundation of peace and stability is preserved for one billion people". Mr. Geoana also emphasized how Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has reminded young people across the Alliance why NATO matters in upholding freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.

Later on Wednesday, Mr. Geoana will join Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger for a discussion on cybersecurity and technology, in an event hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He will also meet with Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl, and other members of Congress.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Reporters fear arrest after expose links businessman to Zimbabwean president

Journalists Sam Sole, Micah Reddy and Dewald van Rensburg, of the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, believe they are under threat of arrest because of an expose they wrote implicating businessman Zunaid Moti in a mining deal with Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Their attorney Stephen May says in letters to senior South African Police Service (SAPS) and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) officials that: "I have been informed that a criminal complaint has now been laid against amaBhungane and one or more journalists by Zunaid Moti or another employee in his group of companies."

May says his clients will cooperate with any investigation and will present themselves at court if summonsed.

He says any arrest would be "patently unlawful" and would infringe on their constitutional rights, including media freedom, and any case against them is weak.

The first letter, dated 5 May this year, is addressed to the station commander at Sandton SAPS, Gauteng provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, national commissioner, Lieutenant General Fannie Masemola; and to NPA boss Shamila Batohi, NPA Gauteng head Andrew Chauke, and the Senior Public Prosecutor at Randburg court.

May says any charge against his clients is likely to be connected with the matter against Clinton van Niekerk, a former employee of the Moti Group who was arrested on charges of theft of information at Durban's King Shaka Airport earlier this year as he was about to board an international flight.

He was held overnight and taken to Randburg magistrate's court but he was released without charge after he obtained a court order from Acting Judge Warren Shapiro in the Durban High Court.

During that hearing, it was alleged that van Niekerk feared being taken to Sandton (and Randburg) because Moti, who was described as a dangerous man, had police connections there.

Van Niekerk is reportedly now in witness protection. A director of one of the Moti group of companies subsequently launched a court application in an attempt to overturn Shapiro's order claiming it was a travesty of justice. That application remains part-heard.

In his letter, May says his clients had published several investigative news articles about Moti and his group of companies based on documents disclosed to them in the course of their work as journalists. He says Moti has claimed that the documents were provided by van Niekerk, and that van Niekerk had stolen the documents. Van Niekerk is also May's client.

May said the journalists were not aware of the precise nature of the charges although it could be assumed that these arose from the same allegations as those against Van Niekerk.

"This letter is therefore written out of an abundance of caution ... to bring facts and information to your attention which are material to any prospective decisions by SAPS or the NPA whether or not to arrest my clients and whether to enrol the matter at court."

He said his clients would give every assistance required and would attend any court which they are legally requested to attend.

But an arrest was unnecessary - and would be disproportionate and implicate their rights to media freedom - and they could simply be summonsed to appear.

May said the stories published by amaBhungane indicated the possible involvement of Moti and his group of companies in several crimes including fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering in South Africa and abroad.

Moti had been given a right-to-reply but had delayed giving any answer. There had been no application to interdict the publication of the articles.

"My clients and I have every reason to believe that the recently laid criminal charges, if they exist, are merely an attempt to achieve a de facto gagging order by abusing criminal procedure. This would be tantamount to a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) which the Constitutional Court has recently recognised as an illegitimate tactic designed to intimidate and undermine freedom of expression."

He said the allegation that the publication of the information involved receiving "stolen property" was mere speculation.

"It is abundantly clear that any case against my clients is very weak," May said, requesting that "we simply arrange that my clients be summonsed to come to court on a date that is mutually acceptable."

On 9 May, in a further letter, May notes that neither SAPS nor the NPA has responded.

He says he infers from this that they do not view his clients as a risk to any ongoing investigation (if there is one), do not view them as flight risks and do not view the matter as urgent.

Based on this, any arrest would be "patently unlawful".

Paul O'Sullivan

May says his clients had received email correspondence from Paul O'Sullivan, who has been acting in a "quasi representative capacity" for the Moti group, in which he had indicated that he knew that May was now representing the journalists "when this had not been disclosed to anyone except the recipients of my correspondence of 5 May 2023".

May said this suggested that his letter had been sent to O'Sullivan who then used it to "intimidate, harass and defame my clients".

"This correspondence indicates a blurring of the line between the state and complainant and calls into question who is, in fact, driving any intended arrest, detention and prosecution of my clients."

In the correspondence, which was sent on 5 May to attorney Dario Milo (who also represents the journalists) O'Sullivan accuses them of being criminals masquerading as journalists, of using "stolen goods" and choosing to collude with "the criminal" (van Niekerk).

He says he is "thinking of his options" including getting the state to criminally charge them, "because there can be NO DOUBT whatsoever, that you were BOTH in possession of stolen property and KNEW it".

"I also heard that you guys appointed the lawyer of the thief Stephen May, who was on record for the thief at the Randburg Court, to look after your backsides.

"Where am I going with this? Well, I did warn you that, if you want war, you'll get it ... You try to destroy my reputation and I'll try to destroy yours - your move Sam."

Approached by GroundUp for comment, O'Sullivan said he had not written the email on behalf of the Moti group but in his personal capacity.

He said he had been told by a well-informed source that May was now acting for Sole. "Amabhungane are not the only people in South Africa with well-placed 'sources' as they very well know."

"The truth here is - Stephen May, in order to try and get some leverage for his criminal client, has teamed up with the same journalists that his criminal client supplied, either directly or indirectly, stolen documents to."

"Thereafter, Stephen May has fabricated a story, in writing, falsely pretending that the arrest of the journalist recipients of the stolen files is imminent, in the hope that he can interfere in the decision that has already been taken, to arrest and prosecute his first client (van Niekerk)."

"Yet he cannot state the docket number, or who may arrest his new clients. He cannot state who is funding him either, the person who stole the documents, or those caught in possession of them. If that's not obstructing justice, I don't know what is," O'Sullivan said.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Legal Affairs Media 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.

Moti response

In a statement, Zunaid Moti, who recently resigned as CEO of the group, says any warrants of arrests for the journalists had nothing to do with him and he had "not yet laid any criminal complaints".

"AmaBhungane's latest allegations are completely false and the entire story is disingenuous, to say the least. AmaBhungane is clearly using cheap media tactics in an attempt to gain sympathy among other journalists and the public for its unprofessional and unethical behaviour in using stolen information," he said.

He said the group had laid charges against van Niekerk after a digital forensic investigation confirmed that he was responsible for the theft of more than 4,000 confidential company documents.

"These documents were shared with various third parties, including The Sentry, an international investigative journalism organisation based in the United States of America. The Sentry then collaborated with amaBhungane to release a sensationalised article about Moti's business dealings in Zimbabwe."

Moti said the "stolen documents" had been used by amaBhungane "to pursue sensationalist accusations which they cannot prove".

"This latest story about their fear of arrest or persecution is clearly a sign of a guilty conscience, as they have made themselves party to a crime. They cannot hide behind the fact that they are journalists - they knew that they were dealing with stolen documents, and that doing so has made them complicit. No one is above the law, not even journalists, and justice will eventually take its course."

Neither the NPA nor SAPS responded to GroundUp's requests for comment.
A look at the Defence news 1 - 7 May

Netherlands Ministry of Defence

News item | 10-05-2023 | 14:00

President Zelenskyy thanks Defence personnel

At a special gathering in Soesterberg, attended by around 200 military and civilian Defence personnel, Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for their efforts in supporting the armed forces of his country.

Netherlands State Secretary discusses military service with Swedish counterpart

In Sweden, compulsory attendance regarding military service is in force, in addition to conscription. However, the country manages to fill its armed forces almost entirely with volunteers. Each year, over 6,000 Swedes opt for voluntary military service, with 25% of them being women. The Netherlands State Secretary for Defence Christophe van der Maat is interested to know how the Swedes manage to achieve this, and therefore visited his Swedish counterpart Peter Sandwall in Stockholm last week to learn more about their approach.

NATO trains rapidly deployable spearhead force

NATO is currently training part of its spearhead force, the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force. This is the fast-moving vanguard of the NATO Response Force. Around 2,200 military personnel are taking part in the training exercise, that goes under the name of Exercise Noble Jump. Approximately 500 of these are Dutch military personnel. The training exercise is being conducted on the Italian island of Sardinia.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Displaced Sudanese double to 700,000 in a week: UN

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 10 May 2023 8:59 AM

The persisting war between Sudanese military chiefs have severely impacted civilians in the North African state, with the number of people forced to flee their homes doubling in the past week to 700,000, the United Nation has said.

Hundreds of people have already been killed in the war amid fresh concerns about the emerging ethnic clashes that have left at least 16 people killed so far in south of the country as well as demonstrations held in support of the army by a powerful group in eastern Sudan, an area that had not been affected by the war.

Paul Dillon, spokesman for the UN's International Organization for Migration in Geneva, said more than 700,000 people are currently internally displaced by the fighting, which is now in its fourth week.

This is while the figure had stood at 340,000 people last Tuesday.

Many Sudanese cross the border to escape the raging battle between the country's army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his new rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who is in charge of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The fighting is concentrated in the capital Khartoum, though other areas -- particularly the West Darfur region bordering Chad -- have also witnessed heavy fighting.

The United Nations Refugee Agency announced on Monday that in addition to internally displaced people, another 150,000 people have fled to neighboring countries.

People who are left behind in the war zones face a lack of water, electricity, food and medical care in a country where, according to the United Nations, about a third of its population needed humanitarian aid even before the war began.

Before the war, Sudan suffered from local conflicts, which according to the United Nations killed about 900 people last year.

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Israel Assessing Egypt-Brokered Proposal for Truce With Gaza Strip

Sputnik News

20230510

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Israel is currently assessing an Egypt-brokered proposal for a ceasefire with militants in the Gaza Strip, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on Wednesday.

"We have received a truce proposal from Egypt and are now assessing it," the minister told Israeli broadcaster Kan 11.

On Tuesday night, Israel launched a military operation against militants of the Islamic Jihad Movement and its military infrastructure, including rocket launchers and mortars. As a result of the airstrikes on Tuesday, 15 people, including four women and six children, were killed. The victims included a Russian citizen. On Wednesday, four more Palestinians were killed in another series of airstrikes.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Twitter that the targets of the strikes were military facilities of Islamist movement Islamic Jihad in Gaza. The military said it hit ten arms production facilities and military facilities, six Islamic Jihad facilities that were used as weaponry storage and logistics infrastructure, and killed several operation chiefs of the Islamic Jihad.

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the country was willing to intensify its campaign against radical militants in the Gaza Strip and conduct further strikes.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Poland to Get Abrams Tanks, HIMARS Systems From US This May

Sputnik News

20230510

WARSAW (Sputnik) - Poland will receive US tanks Abrams and multiple rocket launchers HIMARS by the end of May, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and National Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Wednesday.

"Our goal is to create a very powerful military unit equipped with Abrams tanks. Before this month ends, first American Abrams will be in Poland and will join the 18th mechanized unit deployed in the east of our country," Blaszczak told Polish broadcaster.

In April 2022, the Polish Ministry of Defense acquired 250 new tanks Abrams from the United States. In January, Warsaw signed a supply agreement on another 116 used tanks.

"Also in May, we will have first HIMARS, meaning missiles with a range up to 300 kilometers [190 miles]. Those are the systems ordered in 2019. Now, we are negotiating another transaction regarding 500 such systems," Blaszczak added.

In 2019, Poland acquired the first squadron of 20 HIMARS worth $414 million from the US.

In mid-March, Blaszczak said that the US Congress approved Poland's order for another 500 HIMARS Launcher Loader Module kits, worth $10 billion.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Romania to Decommission MiG-21 LanceR Fighter Jets on May 15

Sputnik News

20230510

CHISINAU (Sputnik) - Romania will officially decommission MiG-21 LanceR military aircraft on May 15 and replace it with US-made F-16s, the Romanian Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday.

The ministry has decided to suspend the operation of MiG-21 LanceR aircraft from April 15 due to technical problems and replace them with F-16s. In May of 2022, the ministry expanded the lifespan of fighters for another year in order to perform air policing tasks and maintain pilot training.

"May 15th will mark the last flights with MiG-21 LanceR aircraft of the Air Force. The MiG-21 watched over Romania's skies for over six decades; the LanceR variant contributed to the defense of the Romanian and NATO airspace for over a quarter of a century," the ministry said on Twitter.

The press office of the ministry has earlier said that the increase in the country's defense spending to 2.5% of GDP had created opportunities to modernize Romania's army.

Last June, Romania approved the purchase of 32 F-16 aircraft from Norway worth 454 million euros ($477.5 million).

At the moment, Romania has 17 F-16 aircraft in the M5.2R configuration, which will be modernized to the M6.6 configurations.

In mid-April, the Romanian Supreme Council of National Defense decided it will purchase F-35 aircraft from the United States after 2030 to replace F-16s.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Ex-Property Mogul Wants to Be Thailand's Next PM on His Own Terms

By Rattaphol Onsanit May 10, 2023

Days before Thailand's national elections, the Pheu Thai party has winning numbers from the polls, a buzz from a baby and a candidate for prime minister who says there is still a reason for him to "gladly turn down" the top job of the executive branch.

On the morning of May 1, the candidate Srettha Thavisin, a real-estate mogul turned politician, felt under the weather, but he had a flight to catch from Bangkok to the northeast, his party's stronghold.

Before the busy day of campaigning began, Srettha took a moment to send a text message to Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who co-leads the Pheu Thai party, a political machine that had taken on many other official names during the waves of political tumult over the past two decades but never lost an election.

In the text, Srettha sent best wishes to Paetongtarn, who just gave birth to a baby boy, nicknamed Thasin, a nod to the new mother's father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the mastermind of that political machine.

Thaksin's populist ideals and grassroots support have outlasted two military coups  he was ousted in 2006, and his younger sister, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, in 2014  are now setting Pheu Thai on course for victory in the May 14 elections.

As Srettha spoke at the rally in Sakhon Nakhon, about 650 kilometers northeast of Bangkok, he pumped up the crowd with the news of Baby Thasin's arrival.

"Let's congratulate the Shinawatra family. Today at 7 a.m., Mr. Thaksin just had his seventh grandchild," Srettha said, the mic amplifying his voice so raspy he apologized.

In recent polls, Pheu Thai has consistently been projected to win the biggest bloc of seats in the parliament. After the election, the party will pick its final nomination of prime minister from the list of three  Srettha, Paetongtarn and Chaikasem Nitisiri, a former attorney general and a justice minister.

A survey released on May 3 by a research arm of the National Institute of Development Administration, NIDA Poll, said Pheu Thai is most likely to win more seats than its rivals. NIDA based the results on 2,500 respondents who participated in the poll from April 24-28. It also asked whom eligible voters prefer for the next prime minister. Paetongtarn came ahead of Srettha, winning 29.20% of the surveyed voters versus 6.76%, while Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha chalked up a 14.84% share.

They all trailed behind Pita Limjaroenrat of the youth-backed Move Forward Party who dominated the poll at 35.44%.

Srettha said he will decline the prime minister post if his party has to form a coalition government with Prayuth, who led the 2014 coup, or with the party of General Prawit Wongsuwon, an ally of Prayuth.

"I don't believe in military coups," Srettha said in an interview with VOA Thai. "The idea of me working with them in the same government, sitting in the same Cabinet ... I can't see myself doing that."

"I want to be prime minister, not for the sake of being a prime minister. I want to be the prime minister who can make huge difference for the Thai society economically and socially. If the environment is not conducive for me to do that, I would gladly turn down the position of prime minister," he added. Domestic economic issues have dominated the campaign season.

Political interest

The 60-year-old straight-talking Srettha lacks the instant sparkle that generates mass appeal, but he has business acumen that could evoke the confidence millions of voters had in Thaksin. And the 6-foot-4-inch onetime property developer has a flair for brand building.

Before his political debut this year, Srettha helped build a family real-estate business into an empire called Sansiri Development, worth $880 million in market capitalization. Srettha positioned his company to attract upper-income home buyers and dialed up its posh image by completing construction on an uber-lux Bangkok condominium project, 98 Wireless, seven years ago at a prime location  next door to the residence of the U.S. ambassador to Thailand.

Srettha was able to sell 98 Wireless at the country's top market price of more than $16,000 per square meter. He told the Thai Rath newspaper the 25-floor structure features rare Italian marble surfaces, Ralph Lauren Home interior designs and elaborate wall details executed by craftspeople who worked on Buckingham Palace and the White House.

For decades, Srettha has known Thaksin, whose family also runs real estate businesses. But the despair Srettha felt for Thailand led him into politics, he said.

"We, you, look around yourself when you're sitting at the top of the pyramid, you don't just look at the same levels. You look at below of how other people live," Srettha said, a gold Rolex watch with a green dial encircling his wrist.

"I feel saddened by what I have seen. Because of social disparity, in terms of education, in terms of getting healthcare, in terms of basic things like getting food on the table, it's still not the way it's supposed to be for a country that has enormous potential like Thailand," he said.

Srettha said he felt more motivated to be in politics after seeing the impact of COVID-19 on Thailand. The country's GDP fell by 6.1% in 2020, according to the International Monetary Fund and 70% of households experienced a decline in income, according to a World Bank poll.

"What gravitated me toward the Pheu Thai party is they have the people's interest at heart," he said. "They weren't really actively persuading me to join. It's more like mutually agreed."

Realistic about change

Pheu Thai shares a common goal with the Move Forward Party: ending the regime under Prayuth, who has been prime minister for almost nine years.

But Pheu Thai and Move Forward also compete with each other to win progressive constituents as the latter positions itself as the fiercest advocate for fighting against business monopoly and amending the strict royal defamation laws, known as lese-majeste, that carry a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.

While Srettha wants to resolve both topics through parliamentary debates, he knows more about monopolies than lese-majeste.

On handling large conglomerates in Thailand, he said: "You have to have realistic expectations. You won't break them up, but you would make sure that they actually do allow the small businesses to grow ... I'm not here to hurt the big guys. I'm here to help the small guys."

However, Srettha, the father of three adult children, all Western educated, wants to take a step back to find out whether the harsh royal defamation law is actually at the heart of discontent among the youths who help drive national discussion on the topic.

"I haven't talked to them long enough. I don't know what are their unhappiness ... I don't know what their happiness is. We need to talk. If we talk, we discuss," Srettha said. "Maybe monarchy is not one of their issues. But if it is, then let's continue talking ... If you think the current law needs to be changed, then you work through parliament."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Thai PM Hopeful Seeks to End Cycle of Coups

By Rattaphol Onsanit May 10, 2023

Pita Limjaroenrat was on a Thai Airways flight from New York on September 19, 2006, bound for Bangkok to attend his father's funeral. En route, the aircraft stopped in London.

That day, on that very plane, Thailand's then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was wrestling with what would abruptly end his term: A Thai army chief had staged a coup in Bangkok, usurping the billionaire politician who had been attending the U.N. General Assembly in Manhattan.

Any tension eluded Pita as Thaksin  determined to fend off the junta from afar  had arranged to disembark at London's Gatwick Airport.

"They must have been busy, but I wouldn't have known. My father had just passed away," Pita said of what happened onboard between Thaksin and government officials, some of whom had been Pita's bosses before he entered a graduate program in public policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School just weeks before.

Grief over the loss of his banker-turned-entrepreneur father may still shroud Pita's recollections of 2006. But the repeat of military intervention in Thai politics in 2014 gave rise to his political fortune as he leads the youth-backed Gao Glai or Move Forward Party in the nationwide May 14 election.

In this contest, Pita offers ideas for change matching the party's slogan: "Vote for Move Forward, and Thailand will never be the same." He envisions a victory ending the cycle of military coups that has disrupted Thai politics roughly every seven years since the kingdom established itself as a democratic constitutional monarchy in 1932.

"First is you have to demilitarize and make sure that the power and the finances of the army are in check, in balance," said Pita, 42, in a recent interview with VOA Thai. He is also proposing a seven-year break before a military officer can enter politics after leaving service. Pita added that a new constitution should be drafted by the people with clauses preventing public servants from supporting a coup and allowing no impunity for coup leaders.

The Move Forward platform highlights universal welfare benefits from child care allowances to financial support for elders, worth nearly $20 billion. Some 7.7% of that sum would come from downsizing the military.

In a poll by the newspapers Matichon and Daily News, conducted from April 22-28, Pita dominated the results on the question about choices for prime minister, with 49.17% support, followed by Paetongtarn Shinawatra at 19.59% and property magnate turned politician Srettha Thavisin at 15.54%. Both are from Pheu Thai, the party that is expected to emerge with the largest bloc of seats in parliament. The results are based on responses from 78,583 online participants.

Pheu Thai had an edge over Pita in earlier surveys, including one by a research arm of the National Institute of Development Administration, NIDA Poll, during April 3-7.

Pita's closest competitor in the newspapers' poll comes from a politically prominent family. Paetongtarn, 36, is Thaksin's daughter, and the two candidates have known each other since middle school as Pita's uncle was close to Thaksin's family.

Rebuilding the party

In 2014, another army chief, General Prayut Chan-ocha, ousted then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's younger sister, paving the way for Prayut's more than eight years of premiership. In the middle of the general's rule, Thailand held an election on March 24, 2019.

Pita's party, then called Future Forward, was led by a scion of the Thai auto-parts empire, Summit Group. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit's progressive ideology and youthful charisma attracted new, mostly young people to politics.

Just over a year after its founding, Future Forward won 81 seats in the 2019 election to become Thailand's third biggest party. Pita, with experience as a management consultant before obtaining his graduate degrees from Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management, entered the lower house of parliament.

Future Forward captured the imagination of voters and dared to push back against the establishment's power that had long centered on the revered institution of the monarchy.

But Prayut, with the backing of the 250-member senate controlled by his allies, formed a coalition government in 2019. Then, in February 2020, the Constitutional Court handed down a decision to disband Future Forward, finding the party had illegally accepted a $6 million loan from Thanathorn.

The ruling also barred key members of the party, including Thanathorn, from holding political offices. Pita, who had earned accolades from both sides of the aisle for his oratory skills, emerged from the chaos as the new leader of Future Forward's new incarnation, the Move Forward Party.

Pita told VOA Thai that he wants Move Forward to win more seats in the upcoming elections than Future Forward did in 2019.

"I (am trying) to institutionalize the party to make sure that it's a political institution with structure, strategy, processes," Pita said. "Once we've done that, we could replicate the model and we could do better next time and next time."

Avoiding 'personalized politics'

In Thailand where many leaders from kings to commoners have been informally called "father" and revered, that patriarchal practice often holds sway in elections as politicians emerge as a brand.

Political figures in large and small districts of Thailand's 77 provinces measure mass popularity by the number of flowers and long, colorful checkered scarves supporters place on them, reminiscent of the way worshipers pay homage to a sacred shrine.

Thaksin, who now lives in self-imposed exile in Dubai following a controversial corruption conviction, personifies this culture as he endorses candidates from afar. The populist firebrand stirs an almost visceral revulsion in his detractors. His supporters mock that as "fearing the ghost of Thaksin." Few other elected Thai officials in recent history have inspired such a cult of personality.

"I don't believe so much in personalized politics. I believe in institutionalized politics because it has to be ... teamwork. There has to be a system in place," Pita said. "Personalized politics, I don't think, (will) work with the current challenges here in Thailand. To have some sort of personality that can approach the people with humility, with sincerity, might be something that is good so that people can relate to you and listen to what you have to propose. But institutionalized politics is the way to go."

During a recent rally in Thailand's northeastern province of Nong Khai across the Mekong River from Laos, the crowd showered Pita, who is divorced and has custody of his daughter, with adulation. The onetime Boston Consulting Group consultant campaigned in breathtaking heat with piles of traditional heavy garlands of golden orange marigolds coiled around his neck.

The constituents treated the man who wants to institutionalize politics as the modern technocrat version of the paternalistically branded politician he hopes to edge from the system.

"Gao Glai understands the new generation, but also cares about the elders," Pita told his supporters before leaving in a van with tinted windows. A tube of sunscreen and a copy of Bernie Sanders' book, "It's OK To Be Angry About Capitalism," were in a bag next to him.

Youth-backed party

Young voters who propelled Thanathorn into a political force are now coalescing behind Move Forward. The party distinguishes itself from some 70 competitors in the May 14 race as the most vocal advocate for ending mandatory military conscription, decentralizing power to provincial Thailand, dismantling the monopoly in the alcohol industry and amending the country's strict royal defamation laws.

Social media and data analytics are connecting the Move Forward Party with Thai youth, a tactic adopted from Barack Obama's winning 2008 election strategy for the U.S. presidency. Pita understands the importance of building an online base, having accompanied his American classmates who volunteered in the Obama campaign while at the Kennedy School.

The online strategy has attracted voter participation. A few weeks ago, a TikTok user with the account named misterknp2 produced a viral clip showing how to add Pita's photos to an album on the dating app Tinder in an effort to canvass for voters on behalf of Move Forward.

But the old ways have their place, specifically Pita's back, right arm and right foot, where he has tattoos, including a Maori design, which he says invokes "good luck, when you want some victory in a competition."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Hunger set to hit record high in Sudan as fighting continues

World Food Programme

10 May 2023

ROME/PORT SUDAN -- The UN World Food Programme warned today that an additional 2 - 2.5 million people in Sudan are expected to slip into hunger in the coming months as a result of the ongoing violence in the country. This would take acute food insecurity in Sudan to record levels, with more than 19 million people affected, two fifths of the population.

The biggest spikes in food insecurity are expected in West Darfur, West Kordofan, Blue Nile, Red Sea and North Darfur states. Meanwhile, the cost of food is soaring all across the country, and the price of basic food items is expected to increase by 25 percent in the next three to six months. If farmers are prevented from accessing their fields and planting key staples between May and July, it will drive food prices even higher.

Insecurity and violence forced WFP to temporarily pause its operations in Sudan, but it has since restarted them and since last week has reached over 35,000 people with lifesaving food. Operations are focused on assisting a total of 384,000 people, including families who have recently fled the conflict, pre-existing refugees and internally displaced people and the vulnerable communities hosting them across Gedaref, Gezira, Kassala and White Nile states.

Additionally, the WFP-managed UN Humanitarian Air Services (UNHAS) is starting regular air connections between Port Sudan and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia facilitating the safe transportation of frontline humanitarians and critical aid.

In the coming months, WFP will scale up its emergency assistance to support 4.9 million vulnerable people in areas where the security situation allows, in addition to preventing and treating moderate acute malnutrition for 600,000 children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women. Prior to the outbreak of conflict, WFP had a funding gap of more than US$300 million for its life-saving operations, and the needs are expected to rise significantly with the crisis.

Supporting immediate needs in neighbouring countries

The conflict has triggered displacement within and outside Sudan, with people fleeing to neighbouring countries needing basics like shelter, food and water. In Chad, WFP rapidly provided emergency food assistance to new arrivals and has so far reached over 16,000 people. But the response is at risk because of a low level of funding for operations in Chad.

Over 40,000 people have already crossed into South Sudan, where WFP is providing hot meals each day at transit centres as well as nutrition screening for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. For an already cash-strapped WFP in South Sudan, extra pressure on resources could force WFP to take food and funding from others to support new arrivals.

In Egypt, which is seeing the largest influx of refugees, WFP is working with the Government and the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) to provide food assistance to those fleeing the crisis in Sudan. More than 20 metric tons of fortified food items have been delivered to the two entry points and are currently being distributed by the ERC. WFP is coordinating with the Government of Egypt, ERC and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) to start immediate emergency food distribution of ready-to-eat food rations (that do not require cooking facilities and can be used immediately) to displaced families arriving from Sudan.

In the Central African Republic, nearly 9,700 people have crossed the border from Sudan and reached Amdafock in Vakaga prefecture. WFP is responding and plans to assist nearly 25,000 new arrivals expected over the coming days. The Vakaga prefecture is seeing 'Emergency' levels of hunger and the increase in food needs with new arrivals from Sudan is putting pressure on the already scarce WFP resources in the country.

WFP remains committed to the people of Sudan and calls on all parties to the conflict to take immediate steps to stop the fighting and facilitate the humanitarian access so that we can scale up our operations in a country with some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the world.



# # #

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Israeli Airstrikes Hit Gaza Strip

By VOA News May 11, 2023

Israel carried out airstrikes overnight in the Gaza Strip, including one early Thursday the Israeli military said killed the head of Islamic Jihad's rocket squad.

The strikes came amid a multiday burst of violence, with Israeli raids in the West Bank and cross-border rocket fire from Palestinian militants.

Officials from both sides said Egypt was working to broker a cease-fire.

The violence has left at least 23 Palestinians dead since Tuesday, including three senior Islamic Jihad commanders and 10 civilians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address late Wednesday that no Israelis had been injured.

Netanyahu said his forces had dealt a harsh blow to the militants, but that Israel's operation was not over.

"We say to the terrorists and those who send them, we see you everywhere," Netanyahu said. "You can't hide, and we choose the place and time to strike you."

In Washington, the White House said national security adviser Jake Sullivan discussed the conflict Wednesday with his Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi, emphasizing "the need to deescalate tensions and prevent further loss of life."

The statement said Sullivan reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel's security and its right to defend itself from rocket attacks.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russo-Ukraine War - 10 May 2023 - Day 441

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 on 09 May 2023, the make-up of Russia's annual Victory Day Parade in Red Square highlighted the materiel and strategic communications challenges the military is facing 15 months into the war in Ukraine.

Over 8,000 personnel reportedly took part in the parade, but the majority were auxiliary, paramilitary forces, and cadets from military training establishments. The only personnel from deployable formations of regular forces were contingents of Railway Troops and military police.

A vintage T-34 from a ceremonial unit was the sole tank on parade. Despite heavy losses in Ukraine, Russia could have fielded more armoured vehicles. The authorities likely refrained from doing so because they want to avoid domestic criticism about prioritising parades over combat operations.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during this day, Russian forces struck a C-300 missile strike on the civilian infrastructure of Konstantinovka in Donetsk region. In addition, they launched 35 air strikes and carried out 4 bombardment from jet systems of Ukrainian troops and settlements of Kherson region. civilians were injured, destroyed and damaged private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure.

The probability of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains high.

Russia continues to focus his main efforts in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdiiv and Maryinsky directions. During the day, Russian forces carried out more than 30 attacks on mentioned areas of the front. The fiercest battles continue for the cities of bahmut and marinka.

In Volyn and Poliskomu directions, no signs of the formation of offensive groups have been detected. The landfill of the Republic of Belarus continue to be identified units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Russia continues to maintain a military presence in the Siverskomu and Slobozanskomu directions. During the day, Leonivka carried out mortar and artillery shelling of the settlements of Chernihiv region; Bacivsk, Khodine, Boyaro-Lezaci, Volfine, Bilovodi and Popivka of Sumy region, as well as Veterinary, Zelene, Gatishche, Zybine and Budarki in Kharkiv region.

In the Kupyan direction during the day, Russian forces did not conduct offensive actions. He made air strikes in the areas of Mas tivka, Pershotravneve and Terni. Russian artillery and mortar shelling struck the settlements of Nikolaevka, Krasne Perse, Figolivka, Novomlinsk, Dvoricna, Mas tivka, Port First, Kislivka Kharkiv region and Stelmahivka Luhansk region.

In the Limansky direction, during the day, Russian forces led unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of Serebryansk forestry. He made air strikes in the areas of bilogorivka and spirne. Artillery shelling suffered makiii vka, bilogorivka, merry luhansk region and yampolivka, spirne and berestove donetsk region.

In the Bakhmutskomu direction, Russia continues to lead the attack.

During the day, there were unsuccessful offensive actions in the city of Bakhmut. Russia made aviation strikes in the areas of the settlements of Torske, Bakhmut, Kli ,i .vka and Kurdy mivka. Russian forces shelling suffered from orihovo-vasilivka, bogdanivka, bahmut, ivanivske, times gap, stupocki, iron and new york donetsk region.

In the avdiii vskomu direction, Russian forces led unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of avdiiivka. I made air strikes in the areas of Novokalynovogo and Avdiii vka. They carried out shelling of settlements Berdyci, Avdiiivka, Pervomaisk and Nevelske of Donetsk region.

In the Marins komu direction, the Ukrainian defense forces units repelled numerous Russian attacks in the area of the city of Marinka. At the same time, the settlements of Georgiyevka and Pobed of Donetsk region were under attack.

In the Shakhtar direction during the day, Russia was leading offensive actions in the area of Novomykhaylivka, had no success. It conducted air strikes in the areas of Precistivka and Novosilki. It shelled the settlements of Novomykhaylivka, Vugledar and Novoukrainka.

Russia continues to conduct defensive actions on Zaporizhzhya and Kherson directions. Made aviation strikes in the areas of the settlements of gulajpole, small tokmachka, stepnogirsk, kizomis and stanislav. In the meantime, carried out shelling at the settlements next to the line of combat. Among them - Vremivka, Novopil Donetsk region; Malinivka, Gulyaypole, Mykilske, Mala Tokmachka, Orikhov, Kamyansk Zaporizhzhia region; Dudchany, Antonivka, Dniprovsk, Belozerka, Beregovove Kherson region and the city of Kherson.

Mass dissatisfaction of locals with the temporarily captured Tokmak of Zaporizhzhia region, which the Russian occupation administration "evacuated" to Berdyansk. In particular, people complain that the Russians placed them in terrible household conditions, in rooms without windows, lighting, hot water and furniture. Also, the invaders have banned indefinitely "evakujovanim" citizens to return back to the city of tokmak.

Russian occupation troops continue to suffer heavy losses on the battlefield. As a result, Russia equips civilian educational institutions temporarily occupied territories under medical institutions. Yes, in Luhansk, the premises of three local hospitals are fully equipped by occupants under military hospitals with mild and medium-severe injuries.

Russian occupants, under the pretext of the evacuation of civilians, continue to remove looted property from the frontline settlements of the Zaporizhzhia region. Yes, in Enerhodar, soldiers of Russian occupation troops completely looted all city medical institutions, all medical equipment of the city was taken to the temporarily occupied Simferopol of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Also completely looted all enterprises, which are located in the industrial zone near the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.

The Defense Forces aviation struck 3 strikes in the areas of the focus of the Russian forces' personnel and military equipment in a day. And the missile and artillery units hit 1 anti-aircraft missile complex, 2 life force focus areas, 1 fuel and lubricant warehouse, and the Russian forces' radio-electronic combat station.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Kupyansk direction, Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery of the Zapad Group of Forces have engaged the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Timkovka Sinkova, Zagoryukovka, and Tabayevka (Kharkov region).

Close to Krakhmalnoye and Timkovka (Kharkov region) and Stelmakhovka (Lugansk People's Republic) the Russian Armed Forces have prevented infiltration attempts of five sabotage and reconnaissance groups.

The enemy suffered losses of up to 50 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, and one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system.

In Krasny Liman direction, Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery of the Tsentr Group of Forces have inflicted fire damage on enemy manpower and hardware close to Stary Karavan, Terny (Donetsk People's Republic) and Chervonaya Dibrova and Nevskoye (Lugansk People's Republic).

The enemy suffered losses of up to 60 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, as well as one D-20 howitzer.

In Donetsk direction, assault detachments continued their offensive in the north-west and west part of the city of Artyomovsk. Airborne Troops support the action of the assault detachments paralysing the enemy on the flanks. Russian aviation conducted 10 sorties in this area during the past 24 hours. The artillery of the Yug Group of Forces have performed 98 fire tasks overnight.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery of the Yug Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on the 67th Mechanised Brigade, 80th Air Assault Brigade, and 5th Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) close to Krasnoye, Stupochki (Donetsk People's Republic) and in the western suburbs of Artyomovsk.

The enemy has suffered losses of over 240 Ukrainian troops and mercenaries, three armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, as well as one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system in the past 24 hours.

Moreover, a missile artillery storage of the 55th Artillery Brigade of the AFU close to Belokuzminovka (Donetsk People's Republic) has been destroyed.

In South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems of the Vostok Group of Forces carried out an attack against AFU units in the areas of Ugledar, Nikolskoye, Vodyanoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and Orekhov (Zaporozhye region).

Close to Vladimirovka, the Russian Armed Forces have prevented infiltration attempts of five sabotage and reconnaissance groups.

In these directions, up to 70 Ukrainian troops, one command post vehicle, three armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, and one Msta-B howitzer have been neutralised during the day.

Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 65th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU has been destroyed close to Preobrazhenka (Zaporozhye region).

In Kherson direction, Russian troops have neutralised up to 80 Ukrainian troops, four motor vehicles, and one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery systems during the day.

Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 121st Territorial Defence Brigade close to Kizomys (Kherson region) has been destroyed.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged 98 AFU artillery units, manpower, and hardware in 119 areas during the day.

Close to Petrovskoe (Donetsk People's Republic), the 107th Territorial Defence Brigade's command outpost has been eliminated.

Moreover, close to Orekhov (Zaporozhye region), the 65th AFU Mechanised Brigade's weaponry and hardware maintenance post has been obliterated.

Russian air defence units have shot down one Su-27 airplane of Ukrainian Air Force near Izyum (Kherson region).

Air defence systems have downed four HIMARS projectiles during the day.

In addition, 10 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed close to Avdeevka (Donetsk People's Republic), Kuzemovka, Varvarovka (Lugansk People's Republic)), Zherebyanki, and Rovnoye (Zaporozhye region).

In total, 420 airplanes and 230 helicopters, 4,062 unmanned aerial vehicles, 421 air defence missile systems, 9,067 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,098 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 4,780 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 10,103 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.





NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Advocate Elaine Zungu led evidence showing that the judge ordered payment to Siyaya when she chaired the PRASA board

The instruction to "finalise" the payment of the Siyaya settlement came from an email sent by Judge Tintswalo Annah Nana Makhubele.

The email was presented by evidence leader and advocate Elaine Zungu during her re-examination of Martha Ngoye at the Judicial Conduct Tribunal against Judge Makhubele.

Advocate Vincent Maleka, acting for Judge Makhubele, had previously argued during cross-examination that Makhubele did not give instruction for PRASA to pay a settlement to Siyaya.

Judge Tintswalo Annah Nana Makhubele instructed Lindikhaya Zide, former acting CEO of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to "finalise" the payment of the settlement to corruption-accused company Siyaya. This came to light on Wednesday during advocate Elaine Zungu's re-examination of whistleblower Martha Ngoye, the suspended head of legal, risk and compliance at the rail agency.

Zungu is the evidence leader at the Judicial Conduct Tribunal in Rosebank, Johannesburg. The tribunal, in its second sitting, was recommended three years ago by the Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) after activist group #UniteBehind lodged a complaint against Makhubele with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) in 2019.

#UniteBehind accuses Makhubele of breaching the separation of powers principle, and of improper conduct while she was interim board chairperson of PRASA. The organisation claims she entered into a confidential settlement agreement with Siyaya.

The settlement in question was a payment of about R56-million, which PRASA was set to make to Siyaya following summonses the rail agency had received from Siyaya. Led by Ngoye, PRASA's legal department had taken a decision to defend the summonses. But Ngoye told the tribunal that they were "sidelined and excluded" from the Siyaya matters by Makhubele.

A public outcry prompted the Minister of Transport to permit a rescission of the settlement, leading Ngoye to successfully apply for an urgent interdict to stop the payment.

Advocate Vincent Maleka, acting on behalf of Makhubele, previously told the tribunal that documents before the tribunal showed no mention of an instruction from Makhubele to PRASA, "directly or through attorneys", to pay the settlement. Maleka concluded his cross-examination on Wednesday.

Zungu cited an email with the subject "arbitration for Siyaya/PRASA" from Makhubele on 21 December 2017 addressed to Diale Mogashoa Attorneys, the law firm appointed to act on behalf of PRASA in the matter. Also included in the email was then PRASA group CEO Lindikhaya Zide. The email stated: ".... Mr Zide please attend to finalise the matter wrt to payment ...".

Ngoye, who has stood firm under cross-examination by Maleka, said this email confirms her testimony that Makhubele was insistent that the matter with Siyaya be settled and not opposed by PRASA.

Since calling out corruption at PRASA, Ngoye has been suspended from her position and has been in a protracted legal battle with the PRASA board. She won an arbitration ruling against her dismissal, but PRASA has appealed the ruling.

Maleka attempted to discredit Ngoye's testimony by questioning her affiliation with #UniteBehind. In her response to Maleka's question regarding her relationship with the activist group, she denied being a member of #UniteBehind and said it was among the civil society organisations she had engaged with regarding issues of corruption at PRASA.

In his cross-examination, Maleka also argued that Ngoye and her department were in contravention of the Public Finance Management Act and the Public Audit Act by continuing to enlist the services of a legal panel against which the Auditor General (AG) made findings in March 2017. Maleka told the tribunal that PRASA's interim board during Makhubele's tenure resolved to suspend the rail agency's legal panel in December 2017, because PRASA's management - of which Ngoye formed a part - failed to implement remedies to address the AG's findings.

Ngoye told the Tribunal that PRASA's legal department did attempt to appoint a legal panel that was compliant, but faced numerous challenges with the rail agency's supply chain management function. They communicated this to the AG but received no response.

Maleka and Ngoye debated the validity and implementation of the December 2017 resolution to suspend the legal panel, which Ngoye said her department could not adopt because it was not signed by the interim board at the time. She said there was also no direction regarding what would happen to ongoing matters for which the services of law firms on the panel had been sought.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa 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.

Maleka said the interim board had made contingency plans by instructing PRASA's legal department to make use of the South African Civil Aviation Authority's panel. But Ngoye said this contravened section 16A of the National Treasury Regulations, which did not make provisions for PRASA to use the legal panels of other public entities.

Maleka rebutted Ngoye's testimony, saying a 2003 amendment to the act made provision for PRASA to use the legal panels of other public entities. Ngoye said she was not aware of this.

Before adjournment, tribunal leaders retired former Judge President of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court Achmat Jappie, retired Judge Seun Moshidi, and attorney Noxolo Maduba-Silevu sought clarity regarding the validity of the interim board's decisions and resolutions, given that it was not quorate.

The tribunal resumes at 10am on Thursday.
Government denies Gou accusations on handling of failed vaccine deal

ROC Central News Agency

05/10/2023 06:59 PM

Taipei, May 10 (CNA) The government on Wednesday denied a claim by business tycoon Terry Gou () that Taiwan's planned purchase of Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT) COVID-19 vaccines in early 2021 was blocked because of how Taiwan was to be described in the sale's announcement.

In a statement issued Tuesday night by Gou's office, the deal fell through because Taiwan's government insisted on being called the "Independent Government of Taiwan" in the public announcement of the purchase of the vaccines.

The statement alluded to an email Gou received from a German contact, identified as a major BioNTech shareholder, who wrote that he spoke to BioNTech Chairman Helmut Jeggle, which the writer identified as "Helmut Jackle."

The writer confirmed that an agreement was negotiated between BioNTech and Taiwanese government.

"The only reason why this agreement has not been implemented, according to Helmut, was because the Taiwanese government insisted that in the public announcement about this agreement it is stated that this agreement is between BioNTech and the INDEPENDENT Government of Taiwan," the email read.

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., the distributor of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the Greater China area, denied the request and the deal was canceled as a result, according to the email.

Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) denied the claim early Wednesday morning in a statement, presenting an email from BioNTech and an attached planned press release dated Jan. 0, 2021 to rebut the claims of Gou's office.

The email showed the German company objecting to the use of the phrase "our country" () in the Chinese headline and Chinese text of the CDC's proposed press release, though the term "country" did not appear in the English version.

"The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) secured supply to our country of 5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from the German biotechnology company BioNTech on January 0, 2021," the Chinese text read, the "0" indicating a not yet determined date.

The CDC attached another email on Jan. 9, 2021, showing that it revised the Chinese content, changing "our country" to "Taiwan," and that the revisions were accepted by BioNTech, but the deal collapsed within a week.

According to the CDC, contract negotiations stalled after BioNTech suddenly requested on Jan. 15, 2021 to re-evaluate the amount of vaccines and adjust the schedule of the deal.

Taiwan has accused China of interfering in the transaction and blocking the deal.

The issue has emerged as a hot topic as Gou, the founder of electronics manufacturing services giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., tries to secure the presidential nomination of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) in part by criticizing the government's handling of vaccine purchases in 2021, when they were hard to acquire.

Gou has accused Taiwan's government of blocking his attempt in May 2021 to buy 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The Presidential Office reiterated in a statement Wednesday that the government never obstructed efforts by the private sector to buy vaccines from BioNTech.

Gou reiterated his claim of being blocked by the government from buying the BNT vaccines in a Facebook post Tuesday, and said it was former Presidential Secretary-General David Lee () who relayed a message from President Tsai telling him not to buy the vaccines.

Lee has denied the allegations, saying the conversation never happened.

The former head of the CECC, Victor Wang (), confirmed that the June 16, 2021 email from the BioNTech shareholder was "real," and that Gou knew from it that he could not buy vaccines as an individual.

"Since BioNTech and Fosu are not allowed to sell to anybody else other than a government body, there does not seem to be a workable solution," the email said, in response to Gou's interest in buying the vaccines.

In the end, Taiwan bought 15 million vaccines from BioNTech in July 2021 through the support of three organizations, including a foundation affiliated with Gou's Hon Hai.

(By Chen Chieh-ling, Shen Pei-yao, Liu Kuan-ting and Evelyn Kao)

Enditem/ls

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Mexico declares end of COVID-19 health emergency

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 11:23, May 10, 2023

MEXICO CITY, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Mexico has declared an end to the COVID-19 health emergency in keeping with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, Undersecretary of Prevention and Health Promotion Hugo Lopez-Gatell said Tuesday.

"The decision was made given that the conditions the WHO took into account to suspend the public health emergency of international concern have been met," Lopez-Gatell said at a press conference.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador signed a decree that marked the end of the initial March 23, 2020 document declaring the start of the health emergency.

On May 5, the WHO declared the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency due to the steady decline in cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

According to Lopez-Gatell, 95 percent of Mexico's population has the antibodies needed to repel the virus, providing the country with a "high level of immunity."

In addition, the variants currently circulating have a "lower virulence" than previous ones, causing only mild illness, he said, adding that clinical treatment of patients has improved.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Members of Congress on Illicit Fentanyl

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

May 10, 2023



The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary Antony J. Blinken met today with bipartisan members of the House of Representatives and Senate to discuss mutual efforts to counter fentanyl trafficking worldwide. The Secretary and Members addressed the threat that Illicitly manufactured fentanyl and other synthetic drugs pose to national security, global health, and public safety, and the devastating impact on U.S. communities. The Secretary underscored the State Department's commitment to countering the illicit manufacture and trafficking of fentanyl. He discussed ongoing engagements with international partners to establish a global coalition to address this shared threat and noted the importance of coordination between governments at the federal and subnational levels and the private sector to confront this complex challenge. Secretary Blinken also highlighted efforts he witnessed on his travel within the United States - including to Denver and the Centers for Disease Control - where innovative work is taking place to deal with treatment, prevention, recovery, and partnership with law enforcement when it comes to illicit fentanyl. He also expressed his commitment to continue working with Congress to develop solutions.



NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Chinese officials' trips to Europe seek to prevent potential risks, enhance communication on core issues

Global Times

Europe should refrain from rolling out hostile China policies, or it will risk reversing ties

By GT staff reporters Published: May 10, 2023 11:08 PM

As relations between China and Europe are gaining momentum as exchanges increase, high-level Chinese officials' visits to the continent were expected to enhance communication on core issues, and guard against potential risks. However, the complexity and delicacy of China-Europe ties was laid bare by EU's possible sanctions of Chinese firms which are accused of assisting Russia during the crisis and some European politicians' challenge of China's stance on the Ukraine crisis as well as their tough rhetoric to provoke conflicts with China.

The seemingly warming bilateral ties between China and the continent, are in fact facing severe hurdles, as European countries are still bickering about a unified China policy, said experts. At this key conjecture of "restart of relationship," it is wise for Europe to stick to strategic autonomy strategy, and refrain from rolling out hostile policies toward China, otherwise it will risk reversing the thawing ties.

Both Vice President Han Zheng and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang are currently on visits to Europe. In remarks made during a meeting with Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Han, who was visiting the country from Sunday to Tuesday, said cooperation should be the mainstay for ties between Beijing and Lisbon, as well as China and the EU.

Qin met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday. Scholz said he is looking forward to the seventh round of China-Germany inter-governmental consultation, and is preparing for it, according to a readout posted by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The German Chancellor also said Germany attaches great importance on China's role and influence, and is willing to strengthen communication with China on major issues such as the Ukraine crisis.

Qin said on the Ukraine crisis, China's stance is to push for peace negotiation. As long as the conflict drags on, more suffering will be caused, said Qin, urging for ceasefire as soon as possible, and realizing political settlement via dialogue and seeking a path to lasting political stability in Europe.

Qin said that strengthening dialogue and cooperation between China and Germany is conducive to injecting more stability, certainty and positive energy to the world.

After visiting on Wednesday the site where the Potsdam Conference was held in 1945, Qin said the US claims to uphold the international order whilst casting aside the Potsdam Declaration it drafted, indulging Taiwan secessionism and sabotaging the international order. The Chinese people will never agree to such behavior, he said.

Qin said we must remember the lessons history teaches us, the post-war order must be maintained, and international justice must be upheld. Qin vowed that supporting Taiwan secessionism and challenging the international order is against historical trend and is a dead end. China's reunification must be realized.

When meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Berlin on Tuesday, Qin said that China and Germany, both major countries with global influence, should strengthen dialogue and cooperation under the current international situation featured with interwoven turmoil.

The two sides should join hands to prepare for the seventh round of China-Germany inter-governmental consultation, ensure a good design, accumulate achievements and make comprehensive plans for bilateral practical cooperation in various fields in the future, said Qin.

Tests ahead

Qin and Baerbock also discussed EU's reported sanctions against Chinese companies for alleged cooperation with Russia.

Seven Chinese businesses accused of selling equipment that could be used in weapons have been listed in a new package of sanctions to be discussed by EU member states this week, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

Qin said that China does not sell weapons to parties involved in the Ukraine crisis and prudently handles the export of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations.

Normal exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian enterprises should not be affected. China resolutely opposes long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions against other countries in accordance with its own laws, and will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, said Qin.

The sanctions, if imposed, will cause big friction between China and the EU, as China will surely slap back with countermeasures, Sun Keqin, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

Sun said such a hostile move, if true, will not only affect bilateral ties but also comes at a time when European countries are increasingly betting on hope to join hands with China to push for peaceful negotiation between Russia and Ukraine.

Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, believes the sanctions mirrored Europe's "carrot and stick" policy on China, which is to cooperate where interests converge and play tough on China in conflicting areas.

Experts warned that when the wound of the tit-for-tat sanctions between China and the EU over Xinjiang is yet to be healed, the new round of sanction could deal a heavy blow to bilateral ties, and thwart cooperation between China and Europe on solving the Ukraine crisis.

On the Ukraine issue, Qin elaborated on China's view, stressing that China's consistent position is to facilitate talks for peace, and to work for the broadest common understanding in the international community for settling the Ukraine crisis. European countries should address both the symptoms and root causes of the crisis, and make efforts for the restoration of peace and security.

Challenging China's stance on the crisis, Baerbock was quoted by media as saying that "neutrality means taking the side of the aggressor, and that is why our guiding principle is to make it clear that we are on the side of the victim."

As the crisis dragged on so long, Germany still failed to grasp China's proposition on this issue, and has always tried to impose its stance on China, Cui told the Global Times. He said when China's effort in promoting peaceful negotiation is winning wider recognition internationally, Baerbock's remarks appeared outmoded; and said the German foreign minister is deliberately showing toughness.

Risk-prevention trips

After Portugal, Han will visit the Netherlands, and Qin is also scheduled to visit France and Norway in the coming days.

The "restart" of China-Europe ties has entered what experts called "fast lane" since high-level European officials visited China in waves since the end of last year. However, debate about a unified China policy also started to pick up among those countries.

After his visit to China last month, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to reduce its reliance on the US and to be cautious about being dragged into a conflict between Beijing and Washington over the Taiwan question. He also noted that Europe should not blindly follow the US in its rivalry with China.

In a conflicting statement, Scholz on Tuesday urged the European Union to reduce its reliance on China, accusing the government in Beijing of increasingly acting as a rival and competitor rather than a partner, Bloomberg reported.

Almost two weeks after her trip with Macron to Beijing, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech that China's plan to pit European Union countries against each other in order to advance its own geopolitical interests is already "in action." She called on EU countries to come up with a new unified strategy on how to deal with China.

Chinese experts slammed this "divide and conquer" remark, saying that the division is in fact growing within European countries, as some have woken up to US' coercion and tactics of sacrificing Europe's interest in the face of the Ukraine crisis; although some are still willing to be swayed by US influence.

Qin told Baerbock it is worth noting that some countries are launching a "new Cold War." They have been breaking international rules, stoking ideological confrontation and bloc confrontation, attempting to decouple with others and sever supply chains, abusing the monopoly power of their currency to impose long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions on other countries.

Qin warned that the "new Cold War," if initiated, would harm not only the interests of China, but also EU's.

China-Europe relations, which seem to be warming up, will face multiple tests. High-level Chinese officials' visits at the moment, partly serve to prevent a possible crisis, such as warning Europe about the reported sanctions, Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.

In general, the communication between high-level Chinese and European officials will help Europe to shake off their countries' biased and subjective view on China, and explore a new model for China and Europe to communicate and interact in the future, said Wang.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on May 10, 2023

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Bloomberg: AccordingatoaBloomberg,athe Italian Prime Minister told US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Rome last week that while the final decision hasn't been made, her government may consider an exit from its role in the Belt and Road Initiative. Does the foreign ministry have any comment?a

Wang Wenbin: Since China and Italy signed a cooperation document on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) between the two governments,a fruitful outcomes have been achieved in our cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, industrial manufacturing, clean energy and the third market. There is a need for both sides to further tap into the potential of our Belt and Road cooperation, step up mutually beneficial cooperation across the board and strive to make sure that the outcomes of growing China-Italy relations will bring more benefits to the two countries and peoples.a

AFP: Yesterday, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged Beijing to take a clear stance against Russian aggression in Ukraine. These comments were on the same day that an AFP journalist tragically lost his life during a rocket fire in Donetsk. Does the Chinese foreign ministry have any reaction?

Wang Wenbin: You mentioned the remarks of the German Foreign Minister during State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang's visit to Germany. I would like to take this opportunity to share some details about the visit.

On May 9 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang held talks and jointly met the press with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Berlin. The main purpose of this visit is to prepare for the upcoming seventh round of China-Germany intergovernmental consultation.

State Councilor Qin noted that China and Germany are both major countries with global influence and need to step up dialogue and cooperation in a rapidly changing and turbulent world. The two sides need to make good preparations for the seventh round of China-Germany intergovernmental consultation and draw up a comprehensive plan for practical cooperation going forward. China and Germany need to follow the right path, stand together against a new Cold War, decoupling and severing of supply chains, and be a source of confidence and strength for world peace and prosperity. China is a key partner for Europe in the face of risks and challenges. We welcome Europe to share China's market opportunities and development dividends and hope to see the mutual success of Chinese modernization and European integration.a

State Councilor Qin noted that while China appreciates Germany and the EU's statements of not aiming for decoupling from China, China is, however, concerned about what the EU said about "de-risking". What China brings to the world are opportunities, cooperation, stability and reassurance, not crises, confrontation, turmoil or risks. To ditch China in the name of "de-risking" is to throw away opportunities, cooperation, stability and development. It is essential that China, Germany and the EU all abide by international trade rules and honor the spirit of contract, stay open to each other, refrain from politicizing normal economic, trade and investment cooperation and do not interfere in market mechanisms.

State Councilor Qin stressed that Taiwan's return to China is an inherent component of the post-war international order. Anyone who truly hopes for cross-Strait peace and stability and upholds the international order needs to adhere to the one-China principle and oppose any act of "Taiwan independence".a

China and Germany agreed to lay a solid ground for the seventh round of China-Germany intergovernmental consultation and make a comprehensive plan for practical cooperation in various fields. The two sides agreed to step up coordination in multilateral fields and strengthen cooperation on COP28 and biodiversity.

China's position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. As State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang made clear during his visit to Germany, the Ukraine issue is highly complex. An over simplified or emotionally driven approach clearly would not be the right way forward. The only viable approach is to stay calm and rational and create conditions for a political settlement. China is neither the one that created the conflict nor a party to it. We advocate peace and promote talks for peace. We hope that Germany will play a leading role and offer concrete proposals for building a balanced, effective and durable European security architecture.

Al Jazeera: One year ago today, my colleague, a journalist from Al Jazeera Shireen Abu Aqleh was shot by Israeli troops during an interview in occupied Palestine territory. The tragedy has yet to be handled in a just manner and the perpetrators have yet to be held accountable. On the one-year mark of her death, can the foreign ministry say something on the protection of journalists? Thougha stationed in different countries, we are all like Shireen. Does the Chinese side still remember her? Does the spokesperson have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: China supports a thorough, transparent, fair and impartial investigation into this incident and hopes it will be handled justly in accordance with the law.

I would also stress that China is deeply concerned over the recent worsening of the Palestine-Israel conflict. We call on all parties, Israel in particular, to show maximum calm and restraint, avoid taking any action that may heighten the tensions, and prevent further escalation of the situation.a

China Review News: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement on May 9 saying that the US strongly encourages the WHO to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer at this year's World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting. Taiwan has participated as an observer in previous WHA meetings. The United States will continue to advocate for Taiwan's return as an observer at the WHA and participation throughout the UN system. It is in line with the US's one China policy. Do you have any response?

Wang Wenbin: China firmly opposes the US statement.

There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Taiwan region's participation in the activities of international organizations, including the WHO, must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle. This is an important principle affirmed in the UNGA Resolution 2758 and the WHA Resolution 25.1. With the DPP authorities refusing to recognize the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle and headstrong on "Taiwan independence", the political foundation for cross-Strait consultation has been thrown into jeopardy, and the political foundation for the Taiwan region to participate in the WHA no longer exists. The US statement is misguided and misleading. It is intended to connive at and support separatist acts for "Taiwan independence".

The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests. It is the number one red line that must not be crossed between China and the US. We once again urge the United States to adhere to the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiquAs, observe international law and the basic norms governing international relations, act on the US leader's assurances of not supporting "Taiwan independence" and not supporting "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan", stop hyping up issues related to Taiwan using the WHA. The one-China principle has the overwhelming support of the international community and represents the trend of the world. This is not to be denied, nor can it be held back. Any attempt of playing the Taiwan card and using Taiwan to contain China will be rejected by the international community and not succeed.

The Paper: A Spokesperson of the US State Department said a few days ago that "Syria does not merit readmission into the Arab League, and we continue to believe that we will not normalize our relations with the Assad regime and we don't support our allies and partners doing so either". In the meanwhile, the US announced the decision to extend the regime of unilateral sanctions against Syria for one year more, starting from May 11, 2023. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: The Middle East belongs to the people of the Middle East, and its affairs should be decided by the people of the Middle East independently. Syria's return to the Arab League meets the aspiration of the Arab people, and is conducive to the strength and unity of Arab states as well as peace and stability in the region. The US needs to respect the aspiration of the people of Middle East countries, stop coercive diplomacy, stop disrupting the dialogue and reconciliation process among Middle East countries, and stop manufacturing tension to divide the Middle East.

Phoenix TV: On May 9, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused China of collecting human genomic data against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet as an additional form of control and surveillance. He also said that the US is concerned over this. What's China's comment?

Wang Wenbin: These claims do not hold water and mean nothing except manufacturing sensational news items.a

China is a country governed by law. The privacy of all Chinese citizens, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, are protected by law.a

The US widely collects and uses genomic information. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon has formulated R&D plans for hitting opponents with genetically engineered weapons. Those involved disclosed that the genomic data of Asian Chinese, European Aryans and Middle Eastern Arabs are all being collected by the US military. According to the website of Russia-based RT, the US Air Education and Training Command (AETC) once issued a tender seeking to acquire samples of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and synovial fluid from Russians. It's pretty clear who exactly is using genomic information for secret purposes.a

Shenzhen TV: We have noted some scholars at the Jeju Research Institute recently wrote an article saying that the Japanese government will make a big mistake by choosing the worst way to dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water which may cause humanitarian disasters, instead of other options suggested by experts for so-called economic reasons. What's your comment?a

Wang Wenbin: I have noted relevant reports. Many people may wonder why Japan won't discharge the nuclear-contaminated water, which it claims to be safe and harmless, into Japan's inland rivers or use it for agricultural and industrial purposes and instead insists on dumping it into the ocean? It is extremely irresponsible of Japan to selfishly put the world at risk.

One would expect Japan to show more sense of responsibility in addressing international concerns as the G7 presidency puts it in the spotlight this year. Disappointingly and disturbingly, despite the concerns of its Asian neighbors and the international community, Japan has kept pushing the ocean discharge plan, dramatically increased its defense spending, developed offensive weapons, repeatedly sought to break away from the pacifist constitution and commitments to an exclusively defense-oriented policy, and often sought to honor the militarists and justify their war crimes during World War II.

Japan keeps saying that it is a responsible member of the international community. We would like to remind Japan that to be a responsible country, it can't rely on empty talk. Japan needs to take the concerns of the international community seriously and take real actions to earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the rest of the world.

Xinhua News Agency: We noted that a joint statement was reached at the fifth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue. This is the first international document that has the participation of the Afghan interim government since its establishment. In this document, the three sides noted explicitly that terrorism is not allowed, naming specifically the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM). Do you think the pledge of the Afghan side to fight terrorist groups in the country, especially the ETIM, will help it receive recognition from the world?

Wang Wenbin: Yesterday we shared the outcomes of the fifth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue. I would like to take this opportunity to share more on the Dialogue.

The fifth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue successfully held a few days ago is the first formal dialogue among the foreign ministers of the three countries since the major change in the situation in Afghanistan in August 2021. It has played a leading role in continuing the good neighborliness, friendship and practical cooperation among the three parties, contributing to the political settlement of the Afghan issue, and encouraging international efforts to stabilize the situation and provide help to Afghanistan under the new situation. Thanks to the vigorous efforts of China, a joint statement was issued at the Dialogue, laying out common understandings and charting the course for deeper cooperation between the three countries in political, development and security domains.

As you said, the joint statement is the first multilateral document that has the participation of the Afghan interim government, and also the first time that Afghan Taliban made a written pledge of not allowing the ETIM and other forces to conduct terrorist actions and activities. This is of great significance to the future development of China-Afghanistan relations and to counter-terrorism and security cooperation in the region.

As a traditionally friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China always believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community, the interests and wellbeing of the Afghan people should be given attention, the peaceful reconstruction of the country should be encouraged, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan should be respected. In the meanwhile, we also noted that there are quite some concerns and expectations about the Afghan interim government from the rest of the world. Specifically, it is hoped that the Afghan side will make more progress in adopting moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, and protecting the rights and interests of women and children. It is also hoped that the Afghan side will take a firmer attitude on countering terrorism and strive for more tangible outcomes in this regard. We hope the Afghan interim government will take concrete steps in the right direction to win the understanding and trust of the international community. This will create favorable conditions for Afghanistan to further develop its good-neighborly and friendly relations with its neighbors and better integrate in the international community.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






China urges US to respect aspiration of West Asian nations

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 10 May 2023 7:17 PM

China has urged the United States to respect the aspiration of the people of West Asian countries as Washington opposes Syria's return to the Arab League.

Late last week, the Arab League, a 22-member intergovernmental organization of Arab states, agreed to welcome Syria back into the fold with immediate effect after 12 years.

The Arab country has been gripped by a campaign of militancy and destruction sponsored by the US and its allies since March 11, 2011, but Syrian government forces, backed by Russia and Iran, have managed to win back control of almost all regions from terrorist groups.

The Arab League, however, suspended the membership of Syria in November 2011, citing an alleged crackdown by Damascus on opposition protests. Syria denounced the move as "illegal and a violation of the organization's charter."

Washington has already voiced discontent with Syria's return to the Arab League, with US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel saying, "We do not believe that Syria merits readmission to the Arab League at this time, and it's a point that we've made clear with all of our partners."

He said Washington would not "normalize relations" with the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and that the White House did not support its "allies and partners doing so either."

Furthermore, the US announced the decision to extended for another year the national emergency declared with respect to Syria, starting from May 11.

In response, China on Wednesday urged the US to respect the aspiration of West Asian nations and stop what Beijing called coercive diplomacy.

"The Middle East belongs to the people of the Middle East, and its affairs should be decided by the people of the Middle East independently," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin at a regular news briefing.

Wang urged Washington to stop disrupting the dialog and reconciliation process among countries in West Asia, and stop causing tension to divide the region.

In May 2004, then US President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13338, which classified the Syrian government's conduct as a national emergency. Successive presidents extended the classification each year, citing false excuses.

Under President Joe Biden's decision, the US national emergency on Syria will remain in effect until May 2024.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






China targets foreign-linked consultancy firm for 'endangering national security'

The raids come as lawmakers widen the definition of 'espionage' to include sharing data on 'national interests.'

By Gu Ting for RFA Mandarin 2023.05.10 -- China state security police raided the offices of Suzhou-based Capvision as part of an investigation into alleged "espionage" at the high-profile consultancy firm, Chinese financial media reported on Wednesday.

Just days after similar raids targeting foreign consultancy firms, police have accused Capvision of "facilitating the leaking of state secrets," raided its offices and questioned its employees in Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou and Shenzhen, according to Jiangsu's state-run provincial TV station.

Police told the broadcaster that Capvision had been in "regular contact" with people working in sensitive industries like defense and science, and that the company had paid huge salaries to such people in a bid to "illegally obtain all kinds of nationally sensitive data."

"The state security bureau of Suzhou city ... together with the Municipal Market Supervision Administration and the Municipal Statistics Bureau launched a joint law enforcement action against the Suzhou branch of the consulting company Capvision ... which is suspected of endangering national security," Sina.com's finance channel reported.

The raid comes after China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress, revised its counter-espionage law last month to broaden the definition of spying to include "sharing documents, data, materials and items related to national security and interests."

The Chinese authorities have typically employed a highly elastic definition of what constitutes a state secret, and national security charges are frequently leveled at journalists, rights lawyers and activists, often based on material they posted online.

Capvision was founded by a former employee of the U.S. management consultancy Bain & Co., which also received a visit from police in Shanghai last month, following a raid on U.S. due diligence firm Mintz in March. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned in April that the risks of doing business in China are rising.

The company said via its official WeChat account on Monday that it would "resolutely implement" its response to national security developments, pledging to step up its self-regulation, according to FX168 Financial News (Hong Kong) News.

A warning signal

Citing the company's own prospectus, Sina.com said the number of "experts" working with Capvision rose from 230,000 at the end of 2018 to 395,000 in the third quarter of 2021.

"Capvision undoubtedly played an important role in [a] wave of incidents endangering national security," the report said, citing state security police.

"When experts refuse to answer, Capvision would incite them to answer sensitive questions by increasing their fee," it said. "It also told experts that they can use examples, analogies and other flexible methods to answer sensitive questions obliquely."

The company also introduced clauses into consultant contracts shifting responsibility for sensitive data onto their contractors, the report said.

"The experts were attracted by the generous fees offered ... and leaked internal sensitive content and even state secrets and intelligence to foreign-linked consultants, taking them down the path of illegal and criminal actions," Sina.com quoted police sources as saying.

Independent current affairs commentator Ji Feng said the move is a warning signal to Western companies and organizations operating in China.

"First, they want to frighten ordinary people, but they also want to send a reminder to Western countries ... it's a bargaining chip in [China's strategic] games with the West," Ji said.

Commentator Zhang Shengqi said leaks do occur from sensitive areas of government and the economy, often from retirees from companies with military links.

"There are military-linked technology companies in the system, and they sell their tech for a profit," Zhang said. "They form cooperative relationships and will do anything to find overseas buyers."

"When I was in Beijing, I saw these veteran officials looking for buyers, saying that they had stolen these technologies from the United States via declassification and military tech making the transition to civilian use," he said. "These technology products were originally stolen from the West, and they were selling them to countries that are less developed than China."

Control over economic information

Veteran current affairs commentator Ma Ju said the authorities are also targeting consulting firms because they are sources of fairly reliable economic data, and the ruling Chinese Communist Party wants total control over the flow of information about the economy.

"These consulting companies have branches all over the world, and they have been fine in China for so many years, yet suddenly they have become problematic," Ma said. "I believe everyone who understands the Chinese system knows very well [what is happening]."

Eric Zheng, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, called on authorities to "more clearly delineate" which areas of due diligence were permissible.

"Without proper due diligence, foreign companies will be unable to invest in new projects in China," he said in comments quoted by Reuters on Tuesday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the raid on Capvision was part of "normal law enforcement."

"Recently, Chinese national security authorities and departments concerned have jointly taken public law enforcement actions on the company mentioned," Wang said.

"These are normal law enforcement actions consistent with Chinese laws that aim to promote sound and well-regulated growth of [the] sector and safeguard national security and development interests."

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Matt Reed.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content May not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Struggling with debt, local governments across China call for help from Beijing

Analysts say there is a risk that regional governments could start declaring bankruptcy, one after the other.

By Cheryl Tung for RFA Cantonese 2023.05.10 -- Authorities in the southwestern province of Guizhou have hired a state-owned debt management company, as analysts warned of a potential financial crisis sparked by "domino-like" bankruptcies among local authorities.

China Cinda Asset Management has sent a panel of experts to the province in a bid to "prevent and defuse various risks and offer stronger financial services," to the local government and state-owned enterprises, the company announced in a WeChat post cited by the state-run China Daily newspaper on April 25.

Cinda specializes in the "reform and risk mitigation of small and medium-sized financial institutions," acquiring their distressed debt assets and investing in trusts, default bonds, judicial auction funds, according to a March 29 report in the same newspaper.

The company facilitates "local government-led regional bailout and risk mitigation of large real estate groups" and mergers and acquisitions of "high-quality real estate enterprises," the paper said, adding that it had already intervened in the central province of Henan, where it set up a 10-billion yuan bailout fund for the purpose of bailing out property developers.

Official figures released ahead of the National People's Congress showed that China's public revenue totaled more than 20 trillion yuan last year, while expenditure topped 26 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.1% on the previous year, finance minister Liu Kun told a March 1 news conference in Beijing.

Lockdowns, quarantines and testing

Local governments have been hit by the triple whammy of increased pandemic spending while absorbing tax reductions, exemptions and early tax refunds, as the ongoing downturn in the real estate industry has led to a sharp drop in land transfer fees, which once accounted for 40% of local fiscal revenues, analysts have told Radio Free Asia in recent interviews.

Financial analysts have estimated that around one-third of public expenditure last year went on the rolling lockdowns, mass quarantines and compulsory daily COVID-19 testing programs of ruling Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy, which ended in December.

The policy has left local governments struggling with an ever-mounting debt burden, prompting officials to borrow more to pay back old debts, and to raid the coffers of medical insurance funds to make ends meet, resulting in cuts to medical benefits and mass protests in major cities in February, they said.

Bloomberg cited official data in a Feb. 27 report as saying that at least 17 of China's 31 provinces and municipalities are facing severe fiscal deficits, with local borrowing exceeding 120% of income, which the Ministry of Finance set as a "warning level" for local government debt in 2020.

Guizhou, with a population of nearly 40 million, recently issued a rare public appeal to the central government for assistance, despite warnings from Beijing in January that there would be no bailouts, sparking fears that it could be the first Chinese province ever to go bankrupt.

The government announced on its website on April 11 that its financial and fiscal research teams had visited a number of cities to discover the extent of the problem, and concluded that there is a "significant and urgent" problem that "can't be effectively resolved by this government alone."

Local governments struggle

Commentators saw the report as tantamount to a direct appeal to Premier Li Qiang for central government support.

"I think we're going to see a domino effect, as more provinces in the southwest follow Guizhou's lead and start sending out warning signals about bankruptcy," Beijing-based financial analyst Si Ling told RFA in a recent interview.

"Local governments declaring bankruptcy could affect public opinion, and put pressure on China's central government, namely the State Council and the Ministry of Finance," he said.

He said if the financial crisis spreads to richer regions of China, such as the Pearl River and Yangtze River delta regions, it could spark an international sell-off of China's sovereign debt.

"If one local government after another goes bankrupt, then even the central government and the People's Bank of China won't be able to buy up the piles of sovereign debt that will be sold off on international money markets," Si said.

There are already signs that other governments are also struggling, with two county governments in the southwestern province of Yunnan recently announcing they had set up special task forces to address mounting debt.

Authorities in Yunnan's Tongchong county said on April 24 that they could barely make their payroll given the current schedule of repayments.

Financial commentator Si Ling said the fact that local governments like those in Yunnan are openly talking about the problem suggests they have reached the end of the line.

"Economic recession has undermined the ability of governments to pay back their loans," Si said. "When the financial crisis breaks, it will affect everyone."

"Local debt crises and huge debt burdens, governments going bankrupt, all of that could really happen, and happen all at once in an overwhelming way," he warned. "The Chinese government won't be expecting it, because it has never happened before."

China's local government debt exceeds U.S.$9 trillion (about 61.55 trillion yuan), and continues to increase, according to a recent Reuters report.

'No choice but to borrow'

Yunnan resident Xiao Tai, who gave only a nickname for fear of reprisals, said the local government in his local region of Xishuangbanna is in debt to the tune of 16 billion yuan, and is already falling behind on wages to civil servants.

"Everyone is in debt," he said. "The central government is rich, and so are the banks, but ordinary people and local governments have no money."

He said many people in China, faced with a tanking economy, poor job prospects or unpaid wages, are being forced to borrow just to survive.

"Ordinary people used to be afraid of owing tens of thousands of yuan, but now they have no choice but to borrow hundreds of thousands," he said. "If they don't borrow, they will have nothing to live on."

He said moves are afoot where he lives to get property developers to build heavily subsidize housing for civil servants in lieu of wages, and to issue supermarket vouchers to enable people to buy daily necessities, staving off public unrest over unpaid wages.

But he said much of the central government funding allocated to the region as part of "poverty alleviation" schemes had disappeared. "There are many reasons why there is no local fiscal revenue, and the biggest of them is corruption," Xiao Tai said.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Matt Reed.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content May not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Visa-Free Travel, Investment, And Summits As 'New Era Of Cooperation' For China and Central Asia Is Heralded

By Reid Standish May 10, 2023

As China continues to reopen its economy and reinvigorate its diplomatic dealings around the world after three years of strict COVID-19 restrictions, Beijing has its sights set on Central Asia, analysts and officials say.

As trade and commerce links between Beijing and the five countries in Central Asia continue to rebound from the shutdowns caused by the pandemic, Chinese leader Xi Jinping will hold Beijing's first in-person summit with Central Asian leaders on May 18-19 in Xi'an.

China will use the summit to try to build on the major progress it has made recently by establishing visa-free travel deals with several regional governments.

A new bilateral deal came into effect this month between Kazakhstan and China that allows passport holders of the countries to stay in the other country for 30 days. The move comes after Uzbekistan approved two weeks of visa-free travel for Chinese tourists and with Kyrgyzstan currently in talks for its own visa-free regime with Beijing that it hopes will boost its economy through increased cross-border trade, investment, and tourism.

"We've discussed visa issues for our citizens, including for truck drivers [and] also about the introduction of a visa-free regime," Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev told the country's parliament on May 3 while discussing a recent meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang. "Now our side has to do the work...but in general, China is ready to discuss and is open to dialogue."

The current push in Central Asia comes as China looks to breathe new life into its multibillion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) foreign-policy project and attempt to normalize the situation in its western Xinjiang Province, which borders Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. China views Central Asia as integral to its long-term economic strategy for Eurasia and experts say Beijing is looking to send a symbolic message to the region as its domestic economy gathers steam again since its reopening.

"China's image and its trade relationship took a hit during the pandemic when Beijing closed its borders [with Central Asia]," Raffaello Pantucci, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told RFE/RL. "The assumption here is that this can bring economic benefits, but it's also a clear message that China is open for business and that Central Asia is open to China."

A New Chapter

Beyond the rigid COVID-restrictions in China during the pandemic that led to a major drop in cross-border trade, Xinjiang saw stricter border controls come into effect ahead of a multiyear repression campaign launched by Beijing against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the western province such as ethnic Kazakhs and Kyrgyz.

That expansive campaign in Xinjiang -- which included detention camps and prisons as well as forced labor and birth control, among other abuses -- led to what a 2022 UN report called "serious human-rights violations" and recognized as genocide by several Western parliaments.

In Central Asia, the crackdown became a flashpoint for activism due to family connections, particularly between Kazakhs and Xinjiang's ethnic Kazakhs, with several former detainees publishing testimonies after fleeing China for the Central Asian country.

The Kazakh government and its Central Asian peers have since silenced most forms of activism about Xinjiang, with only a select few relatives of those missing in Xinjiang still willing to protest in the face of continued repression.

Central Asian governments now have their sights set on reaping the economic rewards of a reopened China and increasing trade links with neighboring Xinjiang.

"This will dramatically increase the flexibility of Kazakh business and its ability to provide not only local, but also the Central Asian, Eurasian, and Chinese markets with the necessary goods. This will also provide more investment opportunities," Adil Kaukenov, an expert at the state-run Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies in Astana wrote on April 13 when legislation for the visa-free deal was approved.

Xinjiang's importance is underlined by the fact that the province alone accounts for 40 percent of total Chinese-Kazakh trade, according to Kazakh government statistics.

As a whole, China's economic footprint in Central Asia is growing despite the pandemic-caused setbacks. By the end of 2020, total Chinese investment in the region reached $40 billion, a figure that grew to $70 billion by the end of 2022.

Kazakhstan continues to account for a leading percentage of Chinese capital in the region. In addition to being a leading site of investment, Chinese-Kazakh trade grew by 33 percent year-on-year in 2022 to set a new record of $24 billion -- and local officials are seeking to increase it further.

During a March visit, Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev welcomed Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary Ma Xingrui and a visiting trade delegation to Astana, where the countries signed $565 million worth of new contracts.

Astana also continues to position itself to capitalize as a key transit point for ferrying goods overland between China and Europe, as Kazakhstan aims to fill the void left as shipping companies look to bypass Russia -- which had been the main transit route -- due to sanction risks caused by its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago.

Kazakhstan and other countries like Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey are trying to boost investment and interest in the Middle Corridor -- also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route -- a transit route under the guise of the BRI that links East Asia and Europe via Central Asia and the Caucasus.

"In principle, China's relationship with Central Asia hasn't changed a lot," said Pantucci, who is the author of Sinostan: China's Inadvertent Empire. "It's seen as integral to Xinjiang's security and development and it's clearly a region where Xi and the Chinese government are comfortable and continue to cultivate better ties."

A Milestone Summit

The focus on boosting regional infrastructure and connectivity will follow Beijing as it holds the high-profile summit with Central Asian leaders in Xi'an, which will be chaired by Xi. It marks the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union that a Chinese leader will host all five Central Asian heads of state.

Chinese officials have already said the summit will showcase burgeoning trade between Beijing and the region, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin telling reporters on May 8 that it will be a milestone that heralds "a new era of cooperation." He added that an "important political document" is due to be signed that will "draw a new blueprint for China-Central Asia relations."

Wang did not go into detail about the agenda, but the summit will be closely watched as Central Asia navigates the political and economic fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Haiyun Ma, a professor at Frostburg State University who studies Beijing's relations with Russia and Central and South Asian countries, told RFE/RL.

Ma said the direct economic benefits from measures like the new visa-free deals are still unclear, but they are an important symbol for Beijing's growing sway and the regional reordering under way as China grows its ties with Moscow but continues to pursue its interests in Central Asia, where Russia has traditionally guarded its influence.

The war in Ukraine has proved awkward for Central Asians as they looked to forge new long-term economic relationships with other countries, leverage concessions from Moscow because of its weakened status, and distance themselves from the Kremlin politically.

Despite Moscow's diminished stature, however, it continues to be a key player in the region.

It's continued influence was on full display as all five Central Asian leaders hurriedly came to Moscow for the May 9 Victory Day, which many analysts viewed as a result of Kremlin pressure.

With that in mind, Ma added that Beijing will use the summit to reassure the region's countries that it supports their political independence and will take new steps towards creating "a China-centered economic circle" in Eurasia.

"This is basically a two-birds, one-stone strategy: to weaken Russian influence [and] to further integrate Central Asia more closely with China and its other [projects] in the region," Ma said.

Written and reported by Reid Standish in Prague with additional reporting by RFE/RL's Kazakh and Kyrgyz Services.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/china-central-asia- visa-free-travel-investment/32405178.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






Anti-spy actions send warning to anti-China forces, not legitimate foreign businesses

Global Times

By Wang Cong Published: May 11, 2023 11:40 AM

A detailed report by China Media Group (CMG) detailing Chinese national security and other authorities' recent law enforcement action against consultancy Capvision has drawn widespread attention from foreign media outlets and representatives of certain Western business groups in China. But instead of focusing on the facts and merits of the case against Capvision, they resorted to the type of hyperbolic, biased and vicious rhetoric aimed at smearing China, with which we have become all too familiar.

Here are some examples of such rhetoric: "Capvision: China raids another consultancy in anti-spy crackdown," the BBC declared. "China consultancy crackdown sends jitters across foreign business," Reuters asserted. "'Everybody is worried': China raids offices of consultancy firm Capvision in widening industry crackdown," CNN claimed. Just by reading these headlines, it's obvious that these are not objective, fair and balanced coverage of what actually happened, but sensationalized and biased reports - an attempted hatchet job on China's law enforcement actions and its broader business environment.

Here is what actually happened: On Monday evening, CMG aired a 15-minute report on Chinese authorities' law enforcement action against Capvision. In great detail, the report chronicled how the consultancy received tens of millions of dollars from foreign clients over the years for consulting projects, some of which were sensitive and closely related to foreign governments, military and intelligence agencies. It also offered details of how the firm induced domestic experts in key fields such as national defense and high-tech sectors to provide state secretes and intelligence to overseas entities.

In one example, a former senior researcher at a major state-owned enterprise (SOE) was "persuaded" by Capvision downloaded nearly 5,000 documents via the firm's internal network and provided three pieces of state secret information, 13 pieces of intelligence and 18 pieces of commercial secrets to foreign entities. The former researcher was sentenced to six years in prison. Like in any country, there are specific laws and regulations in China for employees at Chinese SOEs and other government agencies to protect state and commercial secrets. In the case of Capvision, authorities uncovered many complex foreign entities that, in order to evade China's laws and regulations, conceal their foreign backgrounds and use domestic consulting firms to steal state secrets and intelligence related to vital areas, according to CMG.

For any fair-minded person, all of these key facts and details should indicate that the case against Capvision is normal law enforcement action aimed at protecting China's national security. It is not an industry-wide "crackdown" campaign targeting foreign consulting firms, as these sensational foreign media reports suggest. It is in no way "a warning to foreign companies operating in China," as some "foreign pundits" claim.

Admittedly, this does send a "warning" or "jitters," but the target is anti-China forces in the West that are constantly expanding their spying activities under the guise of commercial projects to steal vital state and commercial secrets from China, as part of their broader attempt to contain China's development. It is a stern warning to these forces that Chinese authorities will further step up their efforts to crackdown on illegal malign actions in China.

Specifically, China will implement a revised Counter-Espionage Law on July 1, which refines the definition of espionage, specifying acts such as carrying out cyberattacks against state organs, confidential organs or crucial information infrastructure as acts of espionage. Among other changes, the revised law also properly expands the scope of targets of espionage, with all documents, data, materials and articles concerning national security and interests included for protection.

The upcoming implementation of the revised anti-espionage law and recent law enforcement actions surely indicate that China is intensifying its anti-spy efforts to protect national security, as the US-led West is stepping up its espionage activities in China. It must be pointed out that such moves are completely in line with international standards. All countries have similar anti-espionage laws and regulations in place and take law enforcement actions to protect their national security. Some, noticeably the US government, actually constantly abuse such laws and regulations to target other countries, businesses and even their own citizens in espionage and surveillance activities.

In a way, recent hype by foreign media outlets and manufactured "concerns" raised by some representatives of certain Western business groups actually underscored the necessity for China to step up anti-espionage efforts. The more outraged these anti-China forces are about China's normal efforts to protect its national security, the more it shows that China's actions are hitting the real targets. Foreign businesses that are involved in such malicious activities should be worried. But for foreign businesses that are operating in China normally and legally, they have nothing to worry about. Indeed, the crackdown on these criminal activities is good news for the industry and their businesses.

The author is an editor at the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has disclosed that Facebook is the most leading social network used by citizens in the country.

According to the Regulator's Q1 report (January-March, 2023), Facebook used more bandwidth in terms of Gigabytes (GB).

During the period, according to the TCRA dossier, Tanzanians used a total of 48.99 million GBs browsing through Facebook.

In Tanzania, according to the report, Facebook trailed other networks including YouTube (35.96GB).

On YouTube, the report says: "Video streaming services have increased consumption of bandwidth than other services."

Other leading social networks are WhatsApp followed by TikTok and Instagram.

The regulator pointed out that an increase in the number of internet users in the country is a catalyst for the growth of the digital economy where users benefit from the opportunities of improving their lives through the internet.
Coup-supporting US advised to stop interfering in Iran's affairs

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 10, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has advised the US regime, which he says has a record on supporting coups d'etat in other countries, to avoid interfering in Iran's internal affairs.

The (US) regime supporting coups against popular governments, which has always supported undemocratic systems and unelected governments, including the former regime in Iran, and has sacrificed the freedom and fundamental rights of nations for its illegitimate interests is better to accept responsibility for its international obligations and the systematic violation of human rights within the US, especially minorities and people of color, Kanaani said in a post in Farsi on his Twitter account on Wenesday.

The US should observe the principles of the United Nations Charter instead of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and judging the freedom of speech and the basic rights of the other nations, Kanaani said.

His comments came in response to remarks made by US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Tuesday at Freedom House 2023 Annual Awards about the freedom of speech and the situation of internet in Iran.

9376**2050

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iran warns against threatening statements by US National Security Advisor

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Wed / 10 May 2023 / 13:24

Tehran (ISNA) - Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani in a letter to the President of the Security Council and the Secretary General of the United Nations warned against threatening statements by Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor to the President of the United States.

The full text of his letter is as follows:

Excellency,

Upon instructions from my Government, I would like to draw the Security Council's attention to yet another violation of international law by the United States of America against Iran. In his statements addressed to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on May 4, 2023, Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor to the President of the United States, implicitly threatened to use force against Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities by way of the US support of the so-called recognition of the Israeli regime's freedom of action. While Mr. Sullivan expressed the United States' diplomatic involvement with Iran on the matter, he went on to say, "...But we have made clear to Iran that it can never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon. As President Biden has repeatedly reaffirmed, he will take the actions that are necessary to stand by this statement, including by recognizing Israel's freedom of action".

Without a doubt, this irresponsible, provocative, and belligerent statement violates international law and the United Nations Charter, particularly Article 2(4), as it threatens to use force against the peaceful nuclear facilities of a Member State of the United Nations. Furthermore, such a statement not only implies the United States' potential complicity in any future acts of terrorism or aggression carried out by the Israeli regime against Iran, including against its peaceful nuclear facilities, but it also serves as an admission of responsibility by the US for its role in assisting, facilitating, and supporting Israel's terrorist and sabotage operations against Iranian officials, scientists, civilians, and peaceful nuclear facilities, thus requiring the United States to bear the consequences of such internationally wrongful acts, in accordance with international law.

The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program and its adherence to international obligations. The Islamic Republic of Iran has always maintained that its pursuit of nuclear technology is exclusively for peaceful purposes, and it has never sought, nor will it ever seek, to develop nuclear weapons. This is a firm and unwavering decision of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In this context, any claim to the contrary is completely unfounded and invalid. The assertion that the United States will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons is a distortion of reality and another cynical attempt of the United States to further its political agenda. Therefore, the United States should stop propagating false allegations and misinformation about Iran's peaceful nuclear program.

Considering the foregoing, the Islamic Republic of Iran warns against any possible miscalculation or adventurist acts against its peaceful nuclear program and reserves its inherent and legitimate right under international law to take all necessary measures to protect and defend its citizens, interests, installations, and sovereignty against any aggression, including any terrorist, military, or sabotage acts.

I would be grateful if you would circulate the present letter as a document of the Security Council.

End Item

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iran says U.S. pullout from nuclear deal "fatal blow" to rule of law

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:52, May 10, 2023

TEHRAN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said on Tuesday that the United States dealt a "fatal blow" to the rule of law at the international level by its "unlawful" withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal five years ago.

Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, made the remarks in a post on his Twitter page one day after the fifth anniversary of the U.S. unilateral pullout of the nuclear deal in 2018.

Ever since its withdrawal, the U.S. has failed to reverse its "wrongful" deeds, said the Iranian official, stressing that Iran will continue its "legitimate" remedial measures under the nuclear pact.

The full implementation of the nuclear deal, the main precondition for which is the "effective and lasting" removal of the sanctions, could be resumed should "the reneging party," the European Union, and E3 group of France, Britain and Germany demonstrate "credible" political will to that effect, he said.

He said that the opportunity to resume the full implementation of the nuclear deal would not be available forever.

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 on May 8, 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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iranian FM holds separate talks with Turkish, Russian counterparts on sidelines of Moscow meeting

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 10 May 2023 6:44 PM

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, have met and conferred on the sidelines of a four-party meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Syria, Russia and Iran in Moscow.

The two diplomats held a closed-door meeting in the Russian capital on Wednesday and discussed "issues of mutual interest," with reports saying the expansion of bilateral ties in the fields of trade, transit and tourism was on top of the agenda.

Amir-Abdollahian attached great importance to the quadrilateral meeting of the four countries' foreign ministers with regard to the situation in Syria, saying the talks were "positive and a step forward," adding, "We will continue our efforts to make these talks a success."

The Iranian foreign minister also hailed cooperation between Tehran and Ankara in economic fields, including transportation, trade and tourism "as good, developing and progressing."

Cavusoglu, for his part, pointed to the important role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in organizing the four-party meeting and thanked the "positive and constructive" positions of Tehran in this regard.

The Turkish foreign minister also appreciated Iran's assistance and delivery of relief aid to the victims of the recent earthquake in the country.

At the meeting, the two diplomats exchanged views on efforts to normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus and discussed the fight against terrorism, political processes, and humanitarian matters, including the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.

Earlier in the day, Amir-Abdollahian said at the quadrilateral meeting, aimed at reconciliation between Damascus and Ankara, that any political solution to issues related to Syria must take into consideration Syria's full sovereignty over its territory, adding that Turkey can play a key role in this regard.

Amir-Abdollahian said Syria's neighbors, especially Turkey, can cooperate with the Arab country so that it would be able to gain full control over its national sovereignty "because it will be in favor of Syria's stability and security and is also in line with security and border stability of the neighboring countries."

"We believe that a strong and independent Syria will be able to overcome terrorism, separatism, and the US forces' occupation and plunder of the country's national resources," he added.

Turkey severed its relations with Syria in March 2012, a year after the Arab country found itself in the grip of rampant and deadly violence waged by foreign-backed militants, including those supported by Ankara.

The two neighboring countries are currently taking steps toward reconciliation after 11 years.

In the last bid to mend ties between Ankara and Damascus, defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Russia, Syria, Turkey, and Iran met in Moscow late last month and discussed the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria.

The process of normalizing ties between Ankara and Damascus kicked off on December 28, 2022, when the Russian, Syrian and Turkish defense ministers met in Moscow, in what was the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in January that a rapprochement with Turkey would depend on Turkey ending its occupation of northern Syria and its support for militant groups fighting against the Damascus government.

FMs of Iran, Russia meet in Moscow

Also on Wednesday, Amir-Abdollahian and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov met and discussed ways of expanding relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation in all fields, especially in the economic and commercial fields.

The two top diplomats described as "positive" the growing trend of relations between Tehran and Moscow.

Amir-Abdollahian noted that efforts should be made to promote the progressing relations between the two countries, which he said were on the right track.

Expressing his satisfaction with the close cooperation between the two countries in the political settlement of the Syrian issue, the Iranian foreign minister said the four-party meeting in Moscow was a "positive outcome" of this collaboration.

Lavrov said holding a joint commission on economic cooperation in Tehran in the near future will be important in deepening the relations between the two countries, calling for the active presence of Iran's commercial and economic sectors in the upcoming Russia-Islamic world international economic forum to be held in the city of Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The two foreign ministers also stressed the development of the North-South transit corridor, financial and banking cooperation as well as the expansion of economic and commercial relations.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iranian technicians bring Bushehr nuclear plant back on grid

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 10 May 2023 6:33 PM

Iran's only nuclear power plant has been reconnected to the country's electricity grid after a home-grown program of overhaul and refueling.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said on Wednesday that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, located over 1,200 kilometers south of the capital Tehran on the Persian Gulf coast, had resumed supplying electricity to the national power grid two days earlier.

It said local experts, technicians, companies and contractors played a major role in the plant's overhaul and refueling program that had started in mid-February.

The overhaul program included annual replacing of fuel rods and periodic inspections, said the AEOI.

Iran Grid Management Company (IGMC) also said in a Wednesday statement that Bushehr plant was supplying electricity to the national power grid at a full production capacity of 1 gigawatt per hour.

It said the output is enough to respond to electricity demand in a city of one million people in warm regions in south Iran.

Iran has plans to launch new reactors in Bushehr power plant to increase electricity output in the facility.

Authorities say the country needs to expand its nuclear power to respond to an increasing demand for electricity in household and manufacturing sectors.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iran warns US, Israel over adventurist acts against its nuclear program

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 10 May 2023 7:20 AM

Iran's permanent ambassador to the UN has reiterated Tehran's right to respond to any act of aggression by the Israeli regime against the country's nuclear program, warning that Iran will hold the US to account for explicitly supporting such terrorist acts.

Amir Saeid Iravani made the remarks in a Tuesday letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the head of the Security Council, days after US national security advisor Jake Sullivan said Washington would do whatever was necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a "nuclear weapon,... including by recognizing Israel's freedom of action."

"Without a doubt, this irresponsible, provocative, and belligerent statement violates international law and the United Nations Charter, particularly Article 2(4), as it threatens to use force against the peaceful nuclear facilities of a Member State of the United Nations," Iravani said.

"Such a statement not only implies the United States' potential complicity in any future acts of terrorism or aggression carried out by the Israeli regime against Iran, including against its peaceful nuclear facilities, but it also serves as an admission of responsibility by the US for its role in assisting, facilitating, and supporting Israel's terrorist and sabotage operations against Iranian officials, scientists, civilians, and peaceful nuclear facilities, thus requiring the United States to bear the consequences of such internationally wrongful acts."

The envoy also noted that the assertion that the US will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons is "a distortion of reality and another cynical attempt" to advance the American political agenda, urging Washington to stop "propagating false allegations and misinformation" about Tehran's nuclear activities.

"Iran reiterates the peaceful nature of [its] nuclear program and adherence to international obligations. The Islamic Republic has always maintained that its pursuit of nuclear technology is exclusively for peaceful purposes, and it has never sought, nor will it ever seek, to develop nuclear weapons."

"This is a firm and unwavering decision of the government [and] ... any claim to the contrary is completely unfounded and invalid," he added.

Iravani further stressed Iran's right to defend itself in the case of any attacks against its nuclear facilities.

"Iran warns against any possible miscalculation or adventurist acts against its peaceful nuclear program and reserves its inherent and legitimate right under international law to take all necessary measures to protect and defend its citizens, interests, installations, and sovereignty against any aggression, including any terrorist, military, or sabotage acts," he said.

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said on Friday that the United States would be blamed for all of the Tel Aviv regime's acts of terror targeting the Iranian nuclear facilities and the people working for the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani also responded to Sullivan's remarks, saying they were not compatible with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s 15 reports which confirmed Iran's adherence to its nuclear commitments.

"Unfortunately, the US government, directly and indirectly, bears the responsibility for the destructive measures of the Zionist regime in the region, especially in connection with Iran," he asserted.

"Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful and we are a member of the IAEA and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)... We do not accept baseless claims about Iran's nuclear activities. Iran will not tolerate any aggression against its interests, security and assets and will deliver a decisive and regret-inducing response."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iranian Executes At Least Seven More People Despite Mounting Criticism

By RFE/RL's Radio Farda May 10, 2023

Iran executed at least seven more people in the early hours of May 10 despite mounting criticism from governments and rights activists over Tehran's frequent usage of the death penalty.

According to the judiciary's Mizan news agency, three people executed at a prison near the capital on May 10 were identified as members of the "largest cocaine distribution cartel in Iran."

Human rights websites have identified the individuals as Hossein Panjak, Abdulhossein Emami Moghaddam, and Babak Aghaei. The Iran Human Rights Organization and the rights group Hengaw also reported that they were sentenced to death in connection with drug-related crimes.

In a separate case, four people were executed at the Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj on May 10 on charges of "violent rape."

The executions occurred hours after families and relatives of prisoners who are scheduled to be executed gathered late on May 9 to protest against the death penalty. Social media reports indicate that the rally was met with gunfire and tear gas by security forces.

The recent spike in executions has drawn international attention and condemnation. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on May 9 called the statistics "frightening" and demanded a halt to executions by the Islamic republic. He said Iran has executed an average of 10 people per week this year.

Human rights activists say authorities in Iran are using the executions to try to instill fear in society rather than to combat crime. The recent increase in executions, especially those related to charges of "insulting the Prophet," has sparked widespread anger among Iranian citizens.

In the past week, Iran has admitted to executing two men -- Yousef Mehrdad and Sadrollah Fazeli Zare -- who had been sentenced to death for using social media to promote "atheism and insulting religious and Islamic sanctities," as well as Habib Chaab, a Swedish-Iranian dissident who went missing from a Turkish airport two years ago before turning up in Iranian custody, accused of terrorism.

According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights organization, Tehran has executed one person every six hours in the past two weeks.

Iranian opposition activist Hamed Esmaeilion reacted to the rise in death sentences "of innocent people caught under the oppressor's blades" in Iran by calling for people to "return to the streets."

Iran Human Rights, which maintains a running log of executions in the country, said 205 people have been executed in Iran so far this year, most of them on drug charges. Half of the more than 40 people killed in the past two weeks belonged to the Baluch ethnic minority, according to the rights group.

In March, Amnesty International accused Iran of executing members of ethnic minorities as a "tool of repression."

Maulvi Abdul Hamid, the influential Sunni Baluch leader of Iran, last week condemned the wave of executions, saying that the Islamic republic had made capital punishment an "art."

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-death-penalty- mounting-criticism/32405135.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






May 10, 2023

Release

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant

Pentagon Spokesperson Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone on May 10 with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.

Secretary Austin underscored his continued support for Israel's right to defend its people from indiscriminate rocket attacks launched by terrorist groups, and Defense Minister Gallant reviewed assessments of Israel's operations in Gaza. Secretary Austin reaffirmed his ironclad support for Israel's security and urged de-escalation towards a sustainable calm.

The two leaders agreed to remain in close coordination in the coming days and weeks.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3391836/

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page..
Kishida's Visit to South Korea under Fire

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK

Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) -- The full text of the article "What did Kishida's visit to south Korea contribute to the security of Japan" which was issued by Kim Sol Hwa who is a researcher of the Institute for Japan Studies of the DPRK Foreign Ministry on Wednesday is as follows:

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida visited south Korea from May 7 to 8.

The Japanese prime minister flew to south Korea amid the mounting public denunciation and criticism at home and abroad of the south Korean chief executive's visit to the U.S., which revealed his humiliating diplomacy toward the U.S. This further amplified the concern of the region and the international community.

The visit perfectly showed what its purpose is, as expected by the public at home and abroad that it will pour oil on the fire.

At a meeting with the south Korean chief executive, Kishida groundlessly took issue with the DPRK and neighboring countries, asserting that "they reached a consensus on the importance of strengthening the deterrent and countering ability through the Japan-U.S. alliance, the south Korea-U.S. alliance and the Japan-U.S.-south Korea security cooperation, amid the continued provocative acts of north Korea and its visible attempt to unilaterally change the current situation by force."

What should not be overlooked is that Japan openly revealed its attempt to get involved in the "Washington Declaration", the most typical product of the heinous hostile policy toward the DPRK, which was devised by the U.S. and south Korean rulers.

There is no doubt that such reckless behavior of Japan blindly trusting the U.S. is pursuant to the proactive backstage manipulation by its U.S. master.

The south Korean chief executive, obsessed with sycophancy toward the U.S., said "Japan's participation in the Washington Declaration would not be ruled out" and south Korea would cooperate with Japan any time. This represents the U.S. sinister intention to establish the U.S.-led "nuclear military alliance" in Northeast Asia by setting up the "tripartite extended deterrence consultative group" with Japan and south Korea.

The "Washington declaration", the keynote of which is to form a "nuclear consultative group" and deploy a U.S. strategic nuclear submarine in south Korea, is the most undisguised scenario for nuclear confrontation seriously threatening peace and security not only of the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia but also in the rest of the world.

Japan should ponder over what his act of joining the U.S- south Korea nuclear cooperation means.

The U.S. firmly promised to protect the Japanese archipelago as its mainland whenever an opportunity presented itself. This is prompted by its attempt to use Japan as a tool for carrying out the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy.

It is worth remembering that the editor-in-chief of Wall Street Journal once said that San Francisco might be destroyed by a nuclear attack and there is no prospect that the U.S. would defend Japan.

Japan should not forget that the U.S., which had made hundreds of thousands of innocent Japanese people fall victim to the world's only nuclear holocaust, considers the Japanese archipelago as a war powder magazine and logistic base only.

If Japan persistently resorts to forming the U.S.-led tripartite military alliance, turning its face away from the reality, it will plunge Northeast Asia into instability and finally turn it into a sea of flames, where it will perish.

Japan's attempt to protect its security with its pro-U.S. one-sided policy is nothing but a short-sighted one to live in a house built near a nuclear powder magazine.

If Japan truly wants the security of the archipelago, it would be wise to do things helpful to maintaining the stable relations with neighboring countries, away from its policy of kowtowing to the U.S. -0-

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Tanzania collected a total of 409.66bn/- from the mining sector by the end of first half of 2022/23, equivalent to 85 percent of the projected 479.51bn/-.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said the contribution of the lucrative sector into the economy has jumped to 7.2 per cent by 2021, up from 4.4 per cent recorded in 2017.

The Premier revealed this in Mwanza on Tuesday when he was officiating mineral exhibition week and the general meeting of Federation of Miners Association of Tanzania (FEMATA).

"The amount of money has been derived from collections obtained through royalty sources, mining license fees, inspection fees, as well as mineral sales at markets and centers," he said.

He said that the government will continue to oversee contracts in the mining sector to contribute more to the country.
Southeast Asian leaders 'deeply concerned' about deadly Myanmar violence

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 10 May 2023 9:29 AM

Southeast Asian leaders have expressed "deep concerns" about the violence in Myanmar, condemning a recent attack on a convoy of diplomats delivering humanitarian aid to the country.

Unrest in junta-ruled Myanmar has dominated talks at this week's Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Indonesia, as the regional bloc faces criticism for its inaction.

ASEAN has led diplomatic efforts to resolve the escalating crisis, but its efforts have so far failed to stop the bloodshed and clashes that followed a military coup in 2021.

"We were deeply concerned with ongoing violence in Myanmar and urged the immediate cessation of all forms of violence and the use of force to create a conducive environment for the safe and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance and inclusive national dialogues," ASEAN leaders said in a statement.

The junta has ignored international criticism and refused to engage with its opponents, who include ousted lawmakers, the anti-coup "People's Defense Forces" and armed groups.

Pressure on the regional bloc increased on Sunday after a convoy of vehicles carrying diplomats and ASEAN humanitarian aid coordinators in Myanmar came under attack.

"We condemned the attack and underlined that the perpetrators must be held accountable," ASEAN leaders said in their statement.

An air strike on a village in a militant stronghold last month that reportedly killed about 170 people sparked global condemnation.

Foreign ministers and country leaders meeting on the Indonesian island of Flores are trying to launch a five-point plan agreed with Myanmar two years ago after mediation efforts to end the violence failed. .

Myanmar is also a member of ASEAN, but due to the non-implementation of the peace plan by the military government, it has been banned from participating in high-level summits.

Jakarta's presidency of the bloc this year raised hopes that ASEAN could use its economic weight as well as its diplomatic experience to push for a peaceful solution.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on Friday that his country was using "quiet diplomacy" to talk to all parties involved in Myanmar and encourage renewed peace efforts.

ASEAN's principles of consensus and non-intervention have weakened its ability to stop the violence in Myanmar, which critics say is an existential threat to the bloc.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the 2021 coup, with attacks by resistance fighters challenging the rule of the military, which has responded with air strikes and heavy weapons, including in civilian areas.

The United Nations estimates that some 14,000 people have been arrested and at least 2,000 killed since the military takeover, which plunged the South Asian country into an economic as well as security crisis.

Late last year, the UN Security Council voted in favor of the first-ever resolution on Myanmar in more than seven decades, calling on the military rulers to end violence and release all political prisoners. The 15-member Council urged the junta to "immediately release all arbitrarily detained prisoners," including ousted leader Suu Kyi.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Cash for carbines: Myanmar's junta offers reward to fighters who turn in weapons

Observers say the offer smacks of desperation as military losses mount on the battlefield.

By RFA Burmese 2023.05.10 -- Myanmar's military is taking out its pocketbook to try to persuade rebels to stop fighting.

The generals in Naypyidaw want to give members of the anti-junta People's Defense Force and other "terrorist groups" who surrender their weapons and renounce their loyalty to resistance forces as much as 7.5 million kyats (U.S.$3,570) - a princely sum for most people in Myanmar.

That's according to an offer made Tuesday to those willing to "return to the legal fold," as well as anyone "illegally armed for reasons of personal security" who agrees to "apply for a weapons license."

It's the latest attempt by the Burmese army to defeat resistance forces, who have reported growing success against a depleted military two years after generals took control of the country in a February 2021 coup d'etat.

Facing losses on the ground, the military has increasingly relied on airstrikes to win its battles - often at devastating cost to civilians.

Based on the announcement, the regime is prepared to provide anywhere from 200,000 to 7.5 million kyats (U.S.$95 to $3,570) to rebel fighters who throw themselves at the mercy of a military tribunal, depending on the type of weapon and ammunition they hand over to authorities when they surrender.

Those who have committed murder, rape, and other crimes will have to face legal proceedings in court, the announcement said, but "relaxations will be made according to the law," depending on the scale of the offense.

Applicants for a license to carry firearms for the purpose of personal security "will not be questioned" about how they obtained the weapons and ammunition and can expect to be approved, provided they "comply with the principle of possession."

No thanks

Rebel fighters responded to the proposition with disdain.

"The junta inviting the PDFs to return to the 'legal fold' is just an example of how it manipulates the law as it sees fit," said a 19-year-old with the Ye-U township PDF in Sagaing region, who asked to be identified as "Nway Oo," and said he would not be accepting the offer.

"Their statement is full of false intentions. As long as [the junta generals] are in power, the country will continue to suffer, so we must fight to root them out," he said. "We'll never give up - we will fight until they are brought to justice and made to answer to the will of the people."

Nway Oo graduated from high school in 2020 and joined the anti-junta Civil Disobedience Movement branch of students who boycotted education under the military following the coup.

In the Sagaing region, which has offered up some of the stiffest resistance to military rule since the takeover, it's "obvious that the junta's strength on the ground is decreasing," he said, as the number of troop patrols is dwindling and airstrikes are on the uptick.

Sayar Kyaung, the leader of the anti-junta Yangon UG Association, told RFA that the military has never stopped cracking down on the PDF and called the sudden announcement "an attempt to distort the revolution."

"The junta's announcement is a bit funny - rule of law in Myanmar ceased to exist once they staged a coup," he said. "Their offer to 'relax legal procedures' indicates that they are weakening."

Sign of desperation

The junta's offer is part of a genuine bid to resolve Myanmar's armed conflict, said Thein Tun Oo, executive director of the Thayninga Institute for Strategic Studies, which is made up of former military officers.

"[Anti-junta fighters] will not find it easy to continue on a path of armed resistance," he said, adding that those directly involved in the fighting "understand the situation."

"Some youths naively and impulsively joined the resistance groups," he said. "This is a chance for them to come back."

But Nay Phone Latt, spokesman for the shadow National Unity Government's Office of the Prime Minister, said the junta's announcement showed its desperation.

"It's pretty obvious - they have invited the PDFs to return just because they finally came to realize that they cannot beat them on the ground," he said. "That's why they appear to be forgiving with this invitation. But we all know what [junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing] said earlier."

Just a month ago, in a March 27 speech to mark Armed Forces Day, Min Aung Hlaing called the NUG, PDF, and armed ethnic organizations "terrorists" who seek to destroy the nation, vowing to eradicate them.

Tuesday's announcement marks the second time the military has called on members of the PDF and other anti-junta groups to surrender their weapons and "rejoin Myanmar's legal framework," following an overture in June last year.

International call for resolution

It also came as observers suggested there was no political off-ramp from Myanmar's conflict on the horizon, despite calls by state leaders, international diplomats and fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, states in recent weeks for an immediate cessation of violence and dialogue between all stakeholders.

After the former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Naypyidaw at the end of April to discuss an end to violence with the junta leaders, the military bombed a hospital, said NUG spokesman Kyaw Zaw.

And when the Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang was visiting in mid-April, the junta dropped bombs on a civilian population, he said.

"By looking at incidents like that, you can see whether they're complying with the international community's pleas to stop the violence," he said.

The latest call to stop hostilities came on Monday from Indonesia, the current chair of ASEAN, after an attack over the weekend on a diplomatic convoy delivering humanitarian relief to displaced people in Myanmar. The convoy included members of the ASEAN disaster management agency and diplomats from Indonesia and Singapore.

There were no reports of injuries in the shooting, which the Myanmar military blamed on anti-junta forces. The junta's opposition has denied any involvement.

Attempts by RFA to contact junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on the regime's response to international calls for dialogue went unanswered Wednesday.

Inclusive dialogue 'not yet possible'

Thein Tun Oo, of the Thayninga Institute for Strategic Study, told RFA there are "still many requirements to be fulfilled before the nation's problems can be solved through dialogue," although he did not provide details.

Furthermore, he suggested that the junta would not be swayed by external pressure.

"Although the leaders meet and hold discussions with international diplomats and act agreeable, in fact, Myanmar rarely follows international guidelines as a result of pressure," he said, noting that such a tactic has never led to all-inclusive dialogue in the country.

Sai Kyi Zin Soe, a political analyst, told RFA that an all-inclusive dialogue "is not yet possible," in part because of an unwillingness to engage on the part of the armed resistance.

"International leaders visiting Myanmar to discuss the crisis and, after that, all stakeholders holding an inclusive dialogue and coming to an agreement ... is a scenario that the international community hopes for but is impossible," he said.

"Under the current circumstances, it may only cause controversy among revolutionary groups over whether or not to follow the advice for a dialogue, which could create tension and lead to disputes between them."

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content May not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






ASEAN condemns attack on humanitarian convoy in Myanmar

The perpetrators of the Shan state incident "must be held accountable," Southeast Asian leaders say.

By Ahmad Syamsudin for BenarNews 2023.05.10 -- ASEAN leaders condemned a weekend attack on a convoy carrying regional diplomats and aid workers in Myanmar, as they opened a summit on Wednesday amid escalating violence in the Southeast Asian country under military rule.

The meeting of government leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations began in Labuan Bajo, a picturesque seaside town on the Indonesian island of Flores, as pressure mounted on the 10-nation bloc to take firm action on member-state Myanmar. The country has been ravaged by bloodshed since the military seized power from an elected government more than two years ago and unleashed a brutal crackdown on dissent.

In a joint statement, leaders of the regional bloc said they "condemned the attack" on a humanitarian convoy in Myanmar's Shan state on Sunday and "underlined that the perpetrators must be held accountable."

Indonesia President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, this year's chair of ASEAN, urged members of the bloc to unite in the face of challenges.

"At the moment, the global economy has not fully recovered. Major power rivalries continue to sharpen. The global dynamic becomes more unpredictable," he said in a speech to open the summit.

"Will ASEAN remain a spectator? Will ASEAN stay silent? Furthermore, will ASEAN be capable of being the engine for peace and economic growth?" he asked. "I am confident that we are certain ASEAN is capable, as long as we hold the key element: ASEAN unity."

In their collective statement, the Southeast Asian leaders expressed support for efforts by Jakarta to push for the implementation of a five-point peace plan, which ASEAN and Myanmar's military rulers had agreed to during an emergency summit in April 2021.

The five-point consensus called for an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, constructive dialogue among all parties, appointment of an ASEAN special envoy, provision of humanitarian assistance and a visit by an ASEAN delegation.

The junta has largely ignored the plan, prompting ASEAN to bar its leaders from attending the group's summits.

ASEAN's founding charter established the group's principles of consensus and non-interference in its members' affairs. This has led to criticism of ASEAN as being ineffective.

Among the critics is Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia, who was at the summit in eastern Indonesia.

On Wednesday, he called for the five-point plan to be implemented in its entirety.

"Malaysia is disappointed that there continues to be a lack of meaningful and real progress in the implementation of the 5PC [five-point consensus]," Malaysian state media quoted Anwar as saying.

Analysts: Deadlines, more intense pressure needed

The violent incident in Shan state took place as an ASEAN convoy was delivering humanitarian aid to Hsihseng township. Diplomats from Indonesia and Singapore were traveling with the convoy when it came under gunfire.

There were no reports of injuries in the shooting, which the Myanmar military blamed on anti-junta forces. The opposition to the junta denied any involvement, according to reporting by Radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with BenarNews.

Marina Ika Sari, a researcher at the ASEAN Studies Program of The Habibie Center, a think-tank in Jakarta, said the bloc should set a timetable to make the five-point peace plan work.

"What is needed is a practical plan - short-term, medium-term, long-term, with targets and timelines," she told BenarNews.

She also said that ASEAN should discuss how to protect foreign diplomats and aid workers who are at risk in Myanmar.

"The security protection of civilians such as foreign diplomats and humanitarian workers in Myanmar is an important issue to be discussed after the attack," she said.

Muhammad Waffaa Kharisma, an ASEAN researcher at the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said the situation in Myanmar was no longer only a domestic political issue.

"It has degenerated into a civil war, with spillover effects such as refugees and transnational crimes," he told BenarNews.

Kharisma acknowledged that the consensus system limits ASEAN in what the bloc can do. In his opinion, barring Burmese military leaders from summits is not enough to change their behavior.

"More varied and intense pressure is needed," he said.

Myanmar's military has faced widespread resistance from pro-democracy protesters, ethnic armed groups and other anti-coup forces since seizing power in February 2021.

The ASEAN summit was also expected to address issues such as a roadmap to Timor Leste's full membership in the bloc, the South China Sea disputes and maritime security as well as the promotion of human rights and democracy in the region.

In his opening remarks, Jokowi said ASEAN, which has a combined population of about 650 million and a gross domestic product of about U.S.$3 trillion, had major assets as the "epicenter of growth," such as a fast-growing economy, a young and dynamic workforce and a stable political environment.

He urged the leaders to work together to strengthen economic integration, inclusive cooperation, regional health architecture, food security, energy resilience and financial stability.

Tria Dianti in Jakarta and Iman Muttaqin Yusof in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content May not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






In Myanmar jade town, junta arrests 700 to use some for human shields, residents say

Villagers are forced to march with troops or taken to junta camps to keep rebel fighters away.

By RFA Burmese 2023.05.10 -- As fierce fighting has enveloped a jade mining town in northern Myanmar, the military has arrested more than 700 civilians and used some of them as human shields in battles with rebel groups, residents told Radio Free Asia.

So far this year, 20 people - mostly civilians - have been killed in the fighting in Kachin state's Hpakant town, 711 miles north of Yangon.

The junta troops are trying to win back territory lost to People's Defense Forces, made up of ordinary citizens who have taken up arms against the military, which took control of the country in a February 2021 coup d'etat.

The civilians were apparently arrested for supporting PDF or Kachin Independence Army, an armed ethnic group, and held in custody near junta camps. It isn't clear if they have been formally charged. About 500 of them have been allowed to return to their homes, while about 100 remain detained.

"They were arrested to be used as hostages or human shields for the junta troops. Most of them, about 75%, were released later," a Hpakant resident, who declined to be named, told RFA.

"Some of them were specifically arrested at home by junta forces that were acting as if they were carrying out a mission and were not released," the resident said. "They were prosecuted and given prison sentences."

No clear charges

In March, the junta arrested the owner of the Shu Daunt Thit tea shop in Hpakant, who was an officer in the Kachin Independence Organization, or KIO, the KIA's political wing. They also arrested 30 civilians, including four that they found in the home of the KIO officer. Another 17 Hpakant civilians were arrested on May 2 and 3.

On April 21, nearly 200 residents of a single village in Hpakant Township were arrested for allegedly supporting the KIA and the PDF, and about 150 have not yet been released, according to a resident.

"They have released about 50 of them. Since they arrested about 200, 150 of them are still in their custody," he said. "They do not cite any particular law for the arrests. They have detained them just by accusing them of supporting the KIA and the PDF."

The villager said that those arrested were kept in the police jail in Ma Sut Yang village and Htwal Aung, one of the detainees, was killed when he was beaten during interrogation.

On April 18, the military council troops entered a different village and arrested more than 80 civilians to be used as human shields, said a resident who escaped.

"They arrested about 80 people. They made us walk in front of them, making us keep our heads down," he said. "They asked us not to look at them. When we got to the motor road, the junta soldiers made us split into two groups and made us ride with them in two big trucks."

Men were put in a truck in the front and women in the rear - which was hit by gunfire, he said.

"The truck in the front was not hit, only the one behind. Seven of the detained civilians were hit by the bullets and one of them died," he said.

The woman who died was 20-year-old Sai Mon Mai, while the six injured women were Bauk Mai, La Ban Kharn Shaung, In Khun Bauk Sant, Maran Sai Mai, Zar Zar Myo and La Bya Kharn Nan, he said.

"We have seen that the junta troops shoot, arrest and kill everyone on their way as a strategy to rule the country by putting fear in the people," said a human rights activist in Kachin state who refused to be named for security reasons.

'Failed state'

Kyee Myint, a justice lawyer, said Myanmar has become a "failed state" under the junta.

"There is no more law and order," he said. "That's why it is questionable as to who is really in charge. The junta has totally failed to uphold the rule of law."

On April 23, 5 people, including several businessmen and a military junta major were shot and killed at a karaoke room in Hpakant's Ma Shi ka Htuang ward. The next morning, the junta shot and killed a KIO member and a PDF member they had captured.

Locals said that unidentified bodies of people who had been killed are often seen in Hpakant.

Regarding these events, Win Ye Tun, Kachin State social affairs minister and spokesman for the junta, said that although he has heard the news, it is difficult for him to confirm because it is a security issue.

"We have heard of some of the cases but we can't confirm the news from our department," he said. "The security departments might have more news, but we are trying to help the government to be able to take action in accordance with the law."

A Hpakant resident told RFA that she no longer felt safe living there.

"In the current situation, I have to be afraid of everything," she said. "I dare not go out. I am facing life-threatening danger everywhere."

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content May not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






ASEAN Summit Urges End to Violence in Myanmar

By VOA News May 10, 2023

Leaders of the nine active members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations called for an end to the violence in Myanmar on the first day of a two-day summit in Indonesia Wednesday.

"We were deeply concerned with ongoing violence in Myanmar and urged the immediate cessation of all forms of violence and the use of force to create a conducive environment for the safe and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance and inclusive national dialogues," the leaders said in a statement from the town of Labuan Bajo on the southeastern island of Flores.

Myanmar has been mired in chaos since the military overthrew the democratically-elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

The coup immediately triggered anti-junta demonstrations across Myanmar that have led to the deaths of more than 3,000 civilians and upwards of 18,000 arrests at the hands of the military, according to an independent monitoring group. The unrest has also evolved into a deadly rural conflict between the military and several ethnic rebel groups who have been fighting for decades for greater autonomy.

ASEAN has issued a five-point plan aimed at ending the violence in a deal reached with Myanmar's military rulers. But the junta has yet to follow through in implementing the plan, which has led to criticism of ASEAN as irrelevant.

The charter of the 10-nation ASEAN - which includes Myanmar - established the group's principles of consensus and non-interference into its members affairs. But ASEAN has barred Myanmar's leaders from attending the summits due to the military's failure to implement the peace plan.

The ASEAN leaders also denounced Sunday's attack on a convoy of vehicles carrying diplomats from Indonesia and Singapore and delivering humanitarian aid to displaced residents in Myanmar's eastern Shan state. "We condemned the attack and underlined that the perpetrators must be held accountable," the statement said.

The summit is also expected to issue a code of conduct for nations operating in the South China Sea in response to China's aggressive actions in the region.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Nearly 1,000 arrested in Pakistan's Punjab amid anger, protests over ex-PM arrest

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 10 May 2023 10:28 AM

Pakistani police have detained nearly 1,000 protesters in eastern Punjab Province as the arrest of the country's last prime minister Imran Khan has sparked violent nationwide protests.

The police declared in a Wednesday statement that 945 "law breakers and miscreants" were detained across the province, adding that 130 officers were injured in violent clashes that broke out with Khan's supporters.

The official statement further added that more than 25 police vehicles were set on fire, while 14 government buildings were attacked and looted by the protesters,.

Khan, a popular premier who was forced out of office last year by the country's judiciary and legislature, was arrested during a court appearance on alleged corruption charges in the capital Islamabad on Tuesday.

Video broadcast on local TV channels showed the former prime minister being manhandled by paramilitary rangers of the Army into an armored car inside the Islamabad High Court premises.

The protesters took to the streets in several cities across the country just hours after Khan's arrest.

The Pakistani police used water cannons and fired teargas canisters to disperse angry protesters that insist the former prime minister has been arrested on trumped up allegations to bloc his return to power.

On Wednesday, Khan appeared in a special court at the capital's police headquarters to respond to alleged graft charges.

Some local media, citing unnamed sources, reported that prosecutors had asked for Khan to remain in custody for 14 days.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi, vice chairman of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Party, has urged supporters to keep protesting in a "lawful and peaceful manner," adding that party lawyers would file appeals and petitions against Khan's arrest.

Khan's graft case is only one of over 100 politically-motivated legal complaints brought against him since he was ousted by a legislative no-confidence vote last year.

He has since led a popular campaign against the current, un-elected government led by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, accusing it of colluding with the country's military to remove him from office.

After his ouster in March last year, Khan accused an unnamed "foreign power" -- in a clear reference to the United States -- of funding a "conspiracy" to topple his democratically elected government.

Khan insisted that the "foreign power" sent millions of dollars to opposition parties to launch a no-confidence vote against him in the parliament.

The former prime minister has declared he fears for his life if detained, and that authorities want him jailed to prevent him from contesting an election.

Last year, Khan was shot in the leg during a political rally, an assassination bid he blamed on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Previous attempts to arrest Khan from his home in Lahore saw clashes between his supporters and security forces.

Local observers widely believe that many of Pakistan's high-ranking politicians and military officials have long maintained close ties with Britain and the United States, and many of them and their family members also live and work in the two Western countries.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Foreign Ministry statement on the disruption of the Russian Embassy's Victory Day commemoration ceremony in Poland

9 May 2023 18:31

882-09-05-2023

On May 9, Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreyev and Russian Trade Representative to Poland Anton Morozov, together with staff from Russian foreign missions in Warsaw, arrived at the Memorial Cemetery of Soviet Soldiers-Liberators in the Polish capital to lay wreaths and flowers on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of the Soviet people's victory in the Great Patriotic War.

A large crowd of "protesters against Russia's aggression in Ukraine" had gathered at the cemetery, preventing the Russian diplomats from reaching the place where the flowers were to be laid at the main monument and thereby disrupting the commemoration event.

The Polish Foreign Ministry was informed in advance of the Embassy's planned ceremony, but the Polish authorities did not prevent the provocation staged by the "protesters." A strong protest will be made to the Polish side. We consider this to be another manifestation of Poland's unfriendly attitude and, above all, an insult to the memory of over 600,000 Soviet soldiers who died liberating Poland from German occupation and a failure to fulfil obligations to prevent such incidents.

The incident once again demonstrates the duplicity of Warsaw's policy of assessing the events of the Second World War and attempts to forget the role of our nation in saving the countries of Europe that were enslaved by Nazi Germany. This policy of the Polish authorities will receive an appropriate response.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Sanctioned Billionaire Fridman Linked To Insurance On Russian Military Vehicles Used In Ukraine

By Heorhiy Shabayev May 10, 2023

KYIV -- An insurance company co-owned by sanctioned Russian billionaire businessman Mikhail Fridman has underwritten Russian National Guard vehicles that were later deployed to Ukraine, Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, has found. The discovery could lead to Kyiv attempting to seize Fridman's assets in Ukraine.

Documents on Russia's government procurement website show that AlfaStrakhovanie earned at least 63.4 million rubles ($800,000) in 2022, the year Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, from insuring National Guard vehicles. Using social media and Russian government websites, Schemes established that many of these insured vehicles took part in the invasion of Ukraine - though the insurance was not in effect when the vehicles were outside of Russia.

The company's insurance also extends to vehicles used by a security detail for President Vladimir Putin.

A separate company in Fridman's portfolio, X5 Group, registered in The Netherlands, runs a joint venture with Voentorg, a sanctioned vendor that is owned by the Russian Defense Ministry and supplies Russian troops with food and clothing.

In both Ukraine and the European Union, actions considered to have undermined Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence can lead to sanctions.

The Schemes findings were published on May 1. On May 3, the Luxembourg-registered holding company that is the parent of AlfaStrakhovanie, ABH Holdings, responded to the Schemes report and announced plans to disinvest from its Russian insurance and banking businesses. The firm, in which Fridman has a roughly 33-percent stake, denied that AlfaStrakhovanie had violated EU sanctions and stressed that ABH Holdings' sanctioned shareholders do not take part in the company's management.

AlfaStrakhovanie does not appear to have concealed its role in insuring National Guard vehicles. A press release published online in August 2022, bearing the corporate logo, announced that the company had begun insuring 340 vehicles for the Far Eastern branch of the Russian National Guard.

About four months earlier, in April 2022, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Directorate of Intelligence reported finding documents from this unit among a convoy of Russian National Guard "special forces" it said it had "destroyed" outside Kyiv.

Ukrainian Justice Minister Denys Malyuska told Schemes that if "law enforcement" confirms Schemes' findings, it could lead Kyiv to file a lawsuit to confiscate Fridman's assets in Ukraine.

Under Ukrainian law, a Russian citizen who is sanctioned for ties to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine can lose all of his or her assets in Ukraine without compensation. Kyiv sanctioned Fridman in October 2022.

Aside from a branch of AlfaStrakhovanie, Fridman is reported to have stakes in Sense Bank, one of Ukraine's largest retail banks and a sibling of Russia's Alfa-Bank; mineral-water producer International Distribution Systems; and telecommunications company Kyivstar.

The 59-year-old, London-based Fridman is listed on the Bloomberg Billionaire Index as one of the world's 200 richest people, with a total net worth of about $11.5 billion. Both the European Union and the United Kingdom have sanctioned him for allegedly supporting the invasion of Ukraine financially.

Using a letter-writing campaign and lawsuits against the European Union, Fridman has contested both the British and EU sanctions. Though the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency has reduced its probe of criminal allegations against the businessman, an investigation into money-laundering allegations continues, The Financial Times reported in April.

In remarks to Schemes, Fridman, who in March 2022 called the war in Ukraine a "huge tragedy" that "should be stopped," did not deny that he controls AlfaStrakhovanie -- EU sanctions bar him from selling his shares -- but noted that he resigned from the management of all companies in which he owns shares in February 2022. Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

"At the moment, I have no right to participate in the work of these companies in any way," Fridman told Schemes via a Telegram chat on April 26. "You should address your questions directly to the management of the companies."

Insuring The Russian National Guard

A 2022 promotional video posted on YouTube for AlfaStrakhovanie's 30th anniversary declares that the company offers insurance for everything from cell phones to "sea ships, space equipment, and nuclear risks."

The video does not mention insuring Russian National Guard and presidential security vehicles. Using a Virtual Private Network, Schemes found proof of those transactions on Russia's state procurement site, known as Goszakupki.

A series of official documents that confirm that a government client has received contracted services from a provider, known as Acts of Provided Services, shows that the Russian National Guard has ranked as one of AlfaStrakhovanie's largest government clients since 2018, with over 280 million rubles ($3.5 million) in vehicle insurance policies.

In its May 3 press release, ABH Holdings board member Andrew Baxter said that all the "contracts" cited by Schemes were concluded before February 2022. An Act of Provided Services, however, is not a contract, but a log of services rendered under the terms of a contract.

Formed by President Vladimir Putin in 2016, the Russian National Guard, commonly known as Rosgvardia, has been "directly involved" in Russia's combat operations in Ukraine, including using artillery to destroy targets, according to its director, Viktor Zolotov, a close Putin ally.

An April 2023 film by the government-aligned NTV network identified Rosgvardia's "most important function" in Ukraine as ensuring "the security of facilities of special importance," including the Russian-held Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.

AlfaStrakhovanie's compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance for the Russian National Guard - a type of policy known by the acronym OSAGO -- provides up to 400,000 rubles ($5,200) for repairs to vehicles and up to 500,000 rubles ($6,500) for victims involved in accidents with Rosgvardia vehicles in Russia.

In the May 3 press release, ABH Holdings' Baxter emphasized that "these contracts are NOT valid on territory where hostilities are taking place" - an assertion Schemes independently verified.

That restriction, however, does not appear to apply to vehicles traveling in Russia on their way to Ukraine.

A December 22, 2022 document details AlfaStrakhovanie insurance services in 2022 for regional Russian National Guard units, all of which have spent time fighting in Ukraine. It is based on a December 27, 2021 contract, signed before Fridman's resignation from his management positions.

A video posted in late April 2022 on RuTube, a Russian alternative to YouTube, shows the Russian National Guard's commander for the Bryansk region, Colonel Ivan Vanchugov, congratulating troops recently returned from Ukraine on the end of their "business trip in the area of the so-called special military operation."

An Act of Provided Services states that a Bryansk-based Rosgvardia unit received services from AlfaStrakhovanie worth roughly 1.17 million rubles ($15,100) in 2022.

A video posted on April 16, 2022 on the Russian social-media platform VK by Lenin's Testament, a local outlet in the Voronezh region, which also borders Ukraine, shows a column of KAMAZ trucks bearing the Russian flag returning from Ukraine.

Schemes traced the registered license-plate numbers of two of the vehicles seen in the video to Russian National Guard units in the Kaluga region, southwest of Moscow, and the Voronezh region.

License plate 0766KA15 belongs to Russian National Guard unit 6681, which Goszakupki reports paid over 1.08 million rubles ($14,000) to AlfaStrakhovanie in 2022:

License plate number 0369z15 belongs to the Voronezh region branch of the Russian National Guard, which received services from AlfaStrakhovanie at a cost of just under 947,270 rubles ($12,000) in 2022:

A video posted on RuTube in early July 2022 shows Russian National Guard troops from the city of Tula, south of Moscow, returning home from Ukraine to cheers from residents.

Schemes identified one of the convoy's vehicles as the property of the Tula region branch of the Russian National Guard:

The Russian government procurement site indicated that as of December 12, 2022, AlfaStrakhovanie had provided to the Tula region branch services valued at over 850,000 rubles ($11,000).

AlfaStrakhovanie also insured military unit 5598, which is part of the Russian National Guard and is based in Kazan, the capital of the Tatarstan region.

In early March 2022, Ukrainian military intelligence said it had identified 5598 as a Russian National Guard special forces unit that carried out "punitive operations" against civilians in occupied areas of Ukraine.

Protecting Putin

AlfaStrakhovanie's vehicle insurance services for the Russian government extend beyond the Russian National Guard, however, to Putin's security.

A February 7, 2023, Goszakupki document states that the company will cover four vehicles from military unit 26116 - a mini-bus, truck, plow, and jeep -- for 7,161.41 rubles ($90). The contract expires by the end of 2023.

According to Russia's registry of legal entities, military unit 26116 answers to the Main Directorate of Special Programs of the President of the Russian Federation, which oversees the concealed emergency facilities popularly called Putin's "bunkers."

Z-Shirts, Food, And More For The Russian Military

Another company in the so-called "Alfa" family, X5 Group, which is traded on the London Stock Exchange, cooperates with the Russian military in a different sphere - retail.

A joint venture between the X5 Group's Pyatyorochka chain of hypermarkets and the Russian Defense Ministry's Voentorg, which outfits and feeds Russian troops and manufactures Z-emblazoned T-shirts, has expanded since the 2022 fighting began. In August 2022, the 57th Voentorg-Pyatyorochka store opened in the Volga River city of Engels, the site of an air force base from which heavy Russian bombing raids against Ukraine regularly depart.

The European Union and Switzerland sanctioned Voentorg in June 2022 for "material and financial support for actions that undermine the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine."

The X5 Group, which is registered in the Netherlands, did not respond to Schemes' request for comment about this retail partnership.

Written by Elizabeth Owen based on reporting by Heorhiy Shabayev of Schemes.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-fridman-russian- military-vehicles-schemes-scandal/32404641.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






Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the resumption of flights and the introduction of short-term visa-free travel to Russia for the citizens of Georgia

10 May 2023 12:58

884-10-05-2023

Direct flights to Georgia will resume following the adoption on May 10, 2023, of the Presidential Executive Order Declaring Null and Void the Presidential Executive Order No. 287 On Measures to Ensure the National Security of the Russian Federation and to Protect Citizens of the Russian Federation from Criminal and Other Illegal Actions, signed on June 21, 2019. A comment to this effect will be issued shortly by the Transport Ministry of Russia. In addition, the Foreign Ministry's recommendation, dated June 21, 2019, that Russian citizens refrain from travelling to Georgia will be cancelled as well. On the other hand, Russian citizens should bear in mind all aspects of security and exercise caution when in Georgia. Additional information for Russian citizens is available on the official webpage of the Russian Federation Interests Section at the Embassy of Switzerland in Georgia at georgia.mid.ru.

We would also like to provide clarification regarding the Presidential Executive Order on Regulating the Entry to and the Exit from the Russian Federation for the Citizens of Georgia, which comes into effect on May 15, 2023. From that date, the citizens of Georgia will be able to enter the Russian Federation via border checkpoints that are open to visa-free international passenger transportation and stay in Russia for 90 days in any 180-day period for diplomatic, official, private, business, tourist and humanitarian purposes, as well as for short-term training. At the same time, citizens of Georgia who intend to study at Russian educational establishments for more than 90 days, or to work or live in the Russian Federation on a temporary or permanent basis are required to enter and exit the country on an entry/exit visa.

In addition, citizens of Georgia can now use a 72-hour visa waiver if they enter Russia on board cruise ships that hold a passenger transportation licence and enter the country via international passenger sea and river ports or enter Russia for tourism on ferry vessels that hold a passenger transportation licence and enter ports mentioned in the relevant resolutions of the Government of the Russian Federation.

The presidential decisions to resume flights and introduce a short-term visa-free regime for the citizens of Georgia are in line with our principled approach to gradually improving conditions for communication and contacts between the citizens of Russia and Georgia in the absence of diplomatic relations.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov's answer to a media question on launching the denunciation of the CFE

10 May 2023 19:11

889-10-05-2023

Question: Today, the President of the Russian Federation signed a directive on your appointment as his representative at the review of the denunciation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) by both chambers of the Federal Assembly. This suggests the conclusion that Russia will soon withdraw from this treaty. Why did Russia take such a step now? After all, it suspended this treaty many years ago.

Sergey Ryabkov: This issue is long overdue. The treaty was signed in 1990 and entered in force in 1992. It has become desperately obsolete. The agreement on adaptation drafted at Russia's insistence and signed in 1999 has become invalid due to the destructive position of the US and other NATO members. The NATO countries were de facto obviating the treaty by moving eastward. This is why we had to suspend it in 2007. That said, we left the door open, giving the Western countries an opportunity to reconsider their attitude to the treaty and show common sense. But there was little common sense in the West even at that time and the situation did not improve.

Recently, Helsinki and Stockholm applied for NATO membership. Finland joined NATO and signed an agreement with the US, which created a foundation for deploying American troops on Finnish territory. These events have substantially worsened the military-political situation in Europe. Under the circumstances, the CFE Treaty has finally become a vestige of the past.

Hence, the President of Russia made a decision to submit a draft law on denunciation of the treaty to the Federal Assembly. Without anticipating the decision by the chambers, I would like to note that in ratifying the Agreement on Adaptation of the CFE Treaty in 2004, the State Duma adopted a statement reflecting the opinion of the deputies on a number of issues related to the treaty. It said that in the event of extraordinary circumstances that might threaten the supreme interests of the Russian Federation, the Duma would take political, diplomatic and other measures to eliminate such circumstances, and if necessary, the Duma would take measures affecting the CFE Treaty regime and the Adaptation Agreement in accordance with the Federal Law on the International Treaties of the Russian Federation. These afore-mentioned circumstances include "a radical change of the military-political situation" compared to 2004.

Apparently, it is time to take such measures.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






The suspects have admitted to the crime.

The Police have paraded two security officials - naval personnel and the Nigerian Correctional Service official - for their alleged involvement in car snatching.

The suspects, Ibrahim Adamu, 25, a naval personnel and Abdullahi Abdulwahab, 26, of the Correctional Service were paraded on Tuesday by the police in Edo State, Punch newspaper reported.

The police said the two security officials, after snatching the car, forced the victim to transfer the N400, 000 to their account, the police spokesperson in Edo State, Chidi Nwabuzor, told reporters.

The suspects snatched the car in Delta State but were arrested in Ekpoma, Edo State while on their way to Abuja to sell it, according to the police.

Mr Nwabuzor, a police superintendent, said the suspects who were arrested in military uniforms claimed to be personnel of the two security agencies.

He said the vehicle and military uniform were recovered from them.

The naval personnel, Mr Adamu admitted to reporters that he was arrested for stealing a Mercedes Benz C300 in Delta State.

"I was recruited into the Navy in 2019. I worked in Lokoja, Kogi state before I was posted to Warri, Delta state. It was when I went on a course in Sapele that I made the plan to steal a vehicle.

"After my course, Mr Abdulwahab (NCS officer) came to visit me and I told him my plans, assuring him that we would make money and he agreed to join me. We chartered a tricycle from Warri to Sapele for the operation.

"We saw a vehicle without a number plate in Sapele, we asked him to stop but he refused. We pursued him to a village where he finally stopped. And I told him, we are taking him to our office for driving an unregistered vehicle and he pleaded that we should settle the matter there but we refused.

"I took over the steering from him and started driving but when we got to Oghara Road, he offered us money to settle the matter and I told him to pay N500,000 but he paid N400,000 to a Point of Sale account which I gave him and was later transferred to me. We were driving to Abuja to sell the car when the police arrested us," Mr Adamu said.

Mr Abdulwahab admitted being invited for the job but said it was his first involvement in robbery.
The Russian Pacific Fleet corvettes Gromkiy and Sovershenniy take part in drills with naval helicopters landing on board

10.05.2023

In the Peter the Great bay, the Russian Pacific Fleet corvettes Gromkiy and Sovershenniy took part in drills with Ka-27 antisubmarine and rescue naval helicopters, during which the ships and helicopter crews ensured the aircraft safe onboard landing.

The helicopters took off from the base in Primorsky Krai and performed the tasks, laid out in the training plan.

Upon approaching the corvettes, the helicopter crews conducted training on interaction with the ships' air command and control posts.

The Russian servicemen successfully performed a series of task to guarantee helicopter landing on ships' board.

After Ka-27 helicopters landing, corvettes Gromkiy and Sovershenniy carried on naval assignments at sea.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia Denounces Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe

Sputnik News

20230510

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has denounced the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, and President Vladimir Putin has appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov as his representative during consideration of this decision by the parliament, according to the relevant decree published on the official legal information portal on Wednesday.

"To appoint Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey ... Ryabkov the official representative of the Russian president when the chambers of Russia's Federal Assembly consider the issue of the denunciation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe by Russia, signed in Paris on November 19, 1990," the document reads.

The original Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe was signed at the end of the Cold War by 16 NATO and six Warsaw Pact members. The accord imposed limits on five categories of conventional armaments and military hardware.

An "adapted" version of this Treaty was signed in 1999, but NATO countries did not ratify it. In 2007 Moscow imposed a unilateral moratorium on the Treaty, citing its "irrelevance" over NATO expansion. The complete withdrawal from the agreement took more than fifteen years.

A Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Saudi-Tunisian Military Exercise Kicks Off

Saudi Press Agency

Tunis, May 11, 2023, SPA -- Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF) represented by paratroopers units and the special forces, and the Tunisian army have started the military exercise "Kairouan 23" at the Special Forces Training Center in the Tunisian city of Kairouan.

The drill of Kairouan 23 witnessed the participation of several Saudi-Tunisian officers and personnel qualified in modern combat methods in different environments.

The exercise aims to enhance cooperation, coordination, and exchange of military expertise between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Tunisia.

--SPA

02:16 LOCAL TIME 23:16 GMT

0005

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iran FM hopes Syria, Turkiye can reach agreement in Moscow meeting

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 10, 2023

Moscow, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian says he is hopeful that Syria and Turkiye can agree to a political solution to the crisis in Syria during a quadrilateral meeting in Moscow that also features Iran and Russia.

Amirabdollahian made the remarks speaking to IRNA upon arrival in Moscow early on Wednesday hours before the start of the quadrilateral meeting on Syria.

Last year, diplomatic efforts were made to prevent a new conflict in the region and on the joint border between Syria and Turkiye, Amirabdollahian said, while stressing the need to focus on a political solution at the Moscow meeting.

About the Moscow meeting, the spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Nasser Kanaani had already said that the Islamic Republic always emphasizes the need for Syria and Turkiye to resolve their disputes.

1483**9417

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iran emphasizes need for Syria, TArkiye to resolve disputes through political solutions

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Wed / 10 May 2023 / 12:27

Tehran (ISNA) - Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian emphasized the need for Syria and TArkiye to resolve their disputes through political solutions.

Upon his arrival in Moscow on Wednesday before the start of the quadrilateral meeting on Syria, Amir-Abdollahian told reporters, "Last year, a lot of diplomatic efforts were made to prevent a new conflict in the region and on the common border between Syria and TArkiye".

He expressed hope that the quadrilateral meeting conveys a strong message that TArkiye and Syria are focused on a political solution and the withdrawal of military forces and the American occupying forces from the northern regions of Syria.

The quadrilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Syria, TArkiye, Iran, and Russia will be held today in Moscow.

End Item

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Top diplomats underline Syria's territorial integrity, roadmap to advance Ankara-Damascus ties in Moscow talks

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 10 May 2023 4:26 PM

Top diplomats from Iran, Turkey, Russia and Syria have wrapped up their landmark summit on the Syrian conflict in Moscow, underscoring the Arab country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and setting up a roadmap to improve strained ties between Damascus and Ankara.

The foreign ministers made the remarks in a final communiquA at the end of the four-party meeting aimed at reconciliation and resumption of ties between Damascus and Ankara in various dimensions on Wednesday.

"Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and official statements in the Astana process, the participants emphasized their commitment to the territorial integrity of Syria, non-interference in its internal affairs and fighting all forms of terrorism, separatism and extremism in the country," the final communiquA said.

Endorsed in 2015, Resolution 2254 supports a Syrian-led political process facilitated by the United Nations.

"They also emphasized the importance of increasing international humanitarian aid to Syria with the aim of facilitating the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Syrians to their homeland and post-war reconstruction," it added.

According to the final communiquA, the participants agreed that deputy foreign ministers of the four countries should undertake the task of preparing a roadmap for advancing relations between Turkey and Syria in coordination with their defense ministries and intelligence chiefs.

There had been a "positive and constructive atmosphere" in the exchange of views, the communiquA said, and the ministers agreed that high-level technical contacts and discussions will continue in the same four-party format in the future.

The agreement comes a week after Syria and Arab governments meeting in Jordan agreed to set up a roadmap of their own to resolve the Syrian conflict and improve ties.

Syria has been returning to the Arab fold and restoring relations with its neighbors in a slow but steady process that culminated with a decision Sunday by the Arab League to reinstate Syria's membership after 12 years.

Turkey severed its relations with Syria in March 2012, a year after the Arab country found itself in the grip of rampant and deadly violence waged by foreign-backed militants, including those supported by Ankara.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched several military incursions in northwest Syria and captured an important enclave previously held by US-backed Kurdish forces fighting the Assad government.

Russia and Iran, on the other hand, entered Syria at the request of Damascus, and played a key role in defeating the terrorists and reclaiming much of the country back.

Syria and Turkey are currently taking steps toward reconciliation after 11 years.

In the last bid to mend ties between Ankara and Damascus, the defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Russia, Syria, Turkey, and Iran met in Moscow late last month and discussed the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria.

The process of normalizing ties between Ankara and Damascus kicked off on December 28, 2022, when the Russian, Syrian and Turkish defense ministers met in Moscow, in what was the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in January that a rapprochement with Turkey would depend on Turkey ending its occupation of northern Syria and its support for militant groups fighting against the Damascus government.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Syria-Turkey dAtente must lead to Damascus's sovereignty over its territory: FM

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 10 May 2023 11:09 AM

Any political solution for issues related to Syria must take into consideration Syria's full sovereignty over its territory, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Wednesday, adding that Turkey can play a key role in this regard.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks at a quadrilateral meeting with his Syrian, Turkish and Russian counterparts in the Russian capital Moscow on Wednesday aimed at reconciliation between Damascus and Ankara.

He said Syria's neighbors, especially Turkey, can cooperate with the Arab country so that it would be able to gain full control over its national sovereignty "because it will be in favor of Syria's stability and security and is also in line with security and border stability of the neighboring countries."

The top Iranian diplomat added that the deployment of the Syrian army on the borders and the establishment of security in cooperation with the neighbors can allay the security concerns of Ankara and other neighboring countries and prevent the activities of terrorists and separatists.

It could also restore the neighborly and strategic relations between the two sides and prepare the ground for the withdrawal of the Turkish military forces from joint border areas with Syria based on a mutually-agreed timetable, he noted.

"We believe that a strong and independent Syria will be able to overcome terrorism, separatism, and the US forces' occupation and plunder of the country's national resources," Amir-Abdollahian added.

Turkey severed its relations with Syria in March 2012, a year after the Arab country found itself in the grip of deadly violence waged by foreign-backed militants.

Now, after 11 years, the two neighboring countries are taking steps toward reconciliation.

Turkey has deployed forces in Syria in violation of the Arab country's territorial integrity.

Ankara-backed militants were deployed to northeastern Syria in October 2019 after Turkish military forces launched a long-threatened cross-border invasion in a declared attempt to push militants of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) away from border areas.

Ankara views the US-backed YPG as a terrorist organization tied to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been seeking an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey since 1984.

Elsewhere in his speech, Amir-Abdollahian pointed to the current "special and unique" situation in international relations and said, "All the signs and variables testify to the transition process in the world order, the decline of the US power, and the strengthening of regionalism."

The Iranian foreign minister added that the world's traditional powers are no longer able to impose their views and act unilaterally as in the past, emphasizing that grounds have been prepared to solve Syria's problems with maturity and political initiatives and to ensure security, stability and development in this country and across the region.

He also called for joint cooperation among countries and international bodies to help return the Syrian refugees to their homeland, reconstruct the war-ravaged country and promote people's welfare.

The top Iranian diplomat, however, warned that any political precondition and dual approaches would not only fail to solve such a humane issue but would add to its complications.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks at a meeting with Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Faisal Mekdad and Foreign Minister of the Republic of TArkiye Mevlut Cavusoglu, Moscow, May 10, 2023

10 May 2023 13:43

885-10-05-2023

Ministers, colleagues, friends,

I am delighted to meet with you. This meeting is an important result of multilateral efforts during the implementation of an initiative of our presidents to normalise relations between TArkiye and Syria. We have been moving towards today's event for a long time but consistently.

We launched talks involving our military and special services, and they are making headway. On April 25, 2023, Moscow hosted the second meeting involving the defence ministers of Russia, Syria and TArkiye, as well as Iran, which also joined this format. Special services maintain useful contacts.

On April 4, 2023, Moscow hosted quadrilateral consultations at the level of deputy foreign ministers who prepared the meeting we are holding today. At last, we have managed to meet despite the packed schedule of every participant. I would like to thank my friends, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Faisal Mekdad and Mevlut Cavusoglu for accepting our invitation and arriving in the Russian capital.

In itself, the launch of the process of TArkiye-Syria normalisation involving all three countries that are guarantors of the Astana Format, proving its viability, exerts a noticeable positive influence not only on the situation around Syria but on the overall atmosphere throughout the Middle East. While paying tribute to an agreement on the normalisation of Saudi-Iranian relations, reached in Beijing on March 10, 2023, I would like to note that our efforts added momentum to the process of restoring ties between Damascus and its regional neighbours, including Arab states.

In the past 12 months, the Syrian Arab Republic has normalised its relations with most of them. As you know, on May 7, 2023, it was decided to invite Syria to resume its membership in the Arab League and to take part in the League's summit, scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia. I would like to note that Saudi Arabia also played a constructive and important role here.

In this situation, new prospects and opportunities are opening up before the Astana Format (that all of us value). I believe that we should take advantage of important advances made during earlier contacts in this format between our colleagues from the defence ministries and special services. We see our task in politically formalising progress that has been attained and in charting common guidelines for advancing our efforts.

An agreement to instruct experts to draft a roadmap for bringing the Syria-TArkiye relations back to normal so that we can review it at the next ministerial meeting could become an optimal outcome of our current conversation, unless you have any objections. We would subsequently present this roadmap to the heads of our states. We believe that this document contains a number of principles that, as we understand, are supported by all the parties to the quadrilateral format.

I am talking about our unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and unity of all countries involved in the meeting, as well as the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. All of us are interested in restoring neighbourly relations between Syria and TArkiye as soon as possible on an equitable and mutually beneficial basis. We are committed to close interaction for the sake of an leading an uncompromising struggle against all manifestations of terrorism and terrorist organisations, as well as to working together to counter separatist trends that, as all of us know, are incited from the outside. We assume that any gross interference in regional affairs, particularly using military force, as well as the deployment of foreign military contingents on Syrian territory, are unacceptable.

I cannot help but comment on information, received by us, that the United States is no longer content with supporting the self-proclaimed Kurdish authorities in the Trans-Euphrates region and supplying weapons to illegal paramilitary units, established by them. According to our sources, the Americans have started establishing the Free Syrian Army near Raqqa, Syria, with the involvement of representatives of local Arab tribes, as well as fighters from ISIS and other terrorist organisations. Their goal is obvious: They want to use these fighters against the legitimate authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic to destabilise the situation in the country. Our military colleagues recently discussed this issue, and they agreed on a concept of joint actions in this sphere. I hope that all the steps we have outlined will be implemented.

On numerous occasions, we have expressed our opposition to any unilateral sanctions that violate international humanitarian law and the UN Charter. We have called for preventing discrimination or subjecting to politicised preconditions the provision of humanitarian assistance to countries affected by armed conflicts and natural disasters, such as the earthquake of February 6, 2023, which caused massive loss of life and colossal destruction in TArkiye and Syria. It is quite telling that even this disaster did not prompt the United States and the European Union to show mercy. There has been no easing of the inhumane and illegal anti-Syrian sanctions. This year's UN humanitarian plan for the Syrian Arab Republic has been funded at eight percent. But the same UN emergency appeal for assistance in the territories outside Damascus' control was immediately "paid for" almost in full.

On June 15, 2023, the European Union will convene the latest Donors' Conference for Syria. Syrians, representatives of the Syrian Arab Republic, are not invited as usual. Almost all the funds, at least the lion's share, that will be raised will be spent, as in previous such cases, on refugee camps, that is, on keeping refugees outside Syria for as long as possible.

For all of the countries here, promoting the safe and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their places of permanent residence in Syria and ensuring their right to be supported is a key principle. Each of these countries is launching one or more areas of work that could be recorded in the roadmap, which I have mentioned, listing the practical measures needed to develop solutions and defining indicative timeframes for their implementation. It should enable the positions of the negotiating parties (Syria and TArkiye) to be clearly outlined on the priority topics for them, which also implies solving the problems of restoring Syrian government control over the entire country and ensuring the security of Syria's 950 km joint border with TArkiye, preventing cross-border attacks and terrorist infiltration and the activities of individuals or groups that aim to harm the neighbouring state. At the end of the 20th century, Damascus and Ankara, faced with similar problems, found a way to solve them. I think this experience will be quite useful for us today. It also seems important to start discussing the restoration of transport logistical links between the two neighbouring countries, which have been interrupted, and the resumption of trade and economic interaction without any barriers.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish our Turkish colleagues a successful general election. These elections, as I know, have already started outside the country. I am confident that they will be fair, transparent and will ensure that the will of the Turkish people is expressed without any external interference.

TArkiye is our good neighbour and an important partner. We see how much its international and regional authority has grown over the recent years. We are committed to further expanding and strengthening our bilateral cooperation with the Republic of TArkiye, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary on May 19. In this connection, I cannot but mention the unprecedented mutual support that Moscow and Ankara provided to each other in those already distant and complicated times, when the Republic of TArkiye was shaping its statehood while our country had to face the well-known developments on its territory.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Press Release n the Meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Faisal Mekdad, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of TArkiye MevlAt AavuAYoAYlu



10 May 2023 15:03

886-10-05-2023

On 10 May, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Faisal Mekdad, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of TArkiye MevlAt AavuAYoAYlu met in Moscow.

The ministers had a substantive and frank discussion on issues related to resuming the interstate relations between Syria and TArkiye in various aspects.

In accordance with the UNSC Resolution 2254 and official statements issued in the framework of the "Astana format", the participants affirmed their commitment to Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity and to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The relevance of increasing international aid to Syria was also underlined, including with a view to facilitating the voluntary, safe and dignified returns of Syrians to their homeland and the post-conflict reconstruction. The participants also agreed on tasking the Deputy Foreign Ministers to prepare a road map to advance the relations between TArkiye and Syria in coordination with the work of ministries of defense and special services of the four countries.

The ministers noted a positive and constructive atmosphere of their exchange during the meeting and agreed to further maintain high-level contacts and technical talks in this quadripartite format in the upcoming period.



NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Defense chief: Iran ready to help Syria develop defense infrastructure

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 11 May 2023 6:26 AM

Iran's defense minister says Tehran is ready to assist Syria with its reconstruction process and development of its defense infrastructure in the post-conflict era.

"I assure you that Iran's Defense Ministry stands ready to ... help Syria rebuild and develop the infrastructure of its defense industry in the post-war era, as it stood by the Syrian armed forces during the fight against terrorism," Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said on Wednesday.

Ashtiani made the remarks during a meeting with the Chief of the General Staff of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces, General Abdul Karim Mahmoud Ibrahim, in Tehran.

He also underlined the need for holding a joint defense-technical cooperation commission with Syria.

The Iranian defense minister emphasized that the Tehran-Damascus relations are at their best due to a strategic and more importantly fraternal pact between them.

Touching on Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi's landmark visit to Syria last week, Ashtiani said the agreements reached and the issues raised during the trip are being followed up.

The Syrian people's support for their political establishment and the non-adherence of many countries to the United States' unilateral policies show the declining power of the global arrogance, he added.

"The regional countries' acknowledgment of the fact that Syria's role in regional developments cannot be dismissed demonstrates the true might of Syria and its victory over the conspiracy of the enemies, especially the US and the Zionist regime," he said.

On Sunday, the Arab League, a 22-member intergovernmental organization of Arab states, agreed to welcome Syria back into the fold after more than a decade of suspension. the move consolidates a regional push to normalize ties with the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Referring to Wednesday's quadrilateral meeting between the top Iranian, Syrian, Turkish and Russian diplomats in Moscow, Ashtiani said the Islamic Republic has in different summits stressed principles such as the withdrawal of all occupation forces from Syria, the fight against terrorists, and respect for the Damascus government's national sovereignty.

Ibrahim, for his part, appreciated the all-out support provided for Syria by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, as well as the Iranian government and nation.

"Syria's current situation is the result of joint sacrifices and steadfastness of the two countries in confronting terrorism and preventing the spread of the ominous scourge to the region and the world. Syria will never forget the assistance and cooperation of its true friends," he said.

The Syrian general also called for enhancing the Iran-Syria ties in all areas, especially in the military and defense sectors.

Iran was the first country to rush to Syria's aid following the 2011 outbreak of foreign-backed violence. In 2017, military advisory assistance provided by the Islamic Republic helped the Arab nation score a monumental victory over the Daesh terrorist group.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






The Presidential Election Petition Court had on Monday fixed Wednesday for further hearing of Mr Obi's petition against Mr Tinubu's victory.

The Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja on Wednesday adjourned hearing in Peter Obi's petition challenging Bola Tinubu's victory as Nigeria's president-elect.

Mr Tinubu, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defeated Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mr Obi of Labour Party (LP) in the 25 February presidential election.

A five-member panel of the court headed by Haruna Tsammani adjourned the petition until 17 May following a request by Mr Obi's lawyer.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Livy Uzoukwu, Mr Obi's lead lawyer, informed the court of an agreement by lawyers to parties in the petition to file and exchange necessary documents for a smooth hearing of the substantive petition.

Respondents' lawyers - Abubakar Mahmoud (INEC), Wole Olanipekun (Mr Tinubu's lawyer), Lateef Fagbemi (APC), all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), confirmed Mr Ozoukwu's submissions before the court.

The court which had its inaugural sitting on Monday adjourned Mr Obi's petition until Wednesday.

Mr Obi, who was the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, came third in the election.

He is, however, challenging Mr Tinubu's election as president-elect.

Mr Obi is praying the court to nullify the poll over allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act by Nigeria's electoral commission, INEC.

The Labour Party candidate also accused INEC and Mr Tinubu of manipulating the poll in favour of the latter.

Earlier on Wednesday, the court dismissed a petition by the Action Peoples Party (APP). This came after the party's lawyer, Obed Agu, announced the party's decision to withdraw the case to the court.

The development leaves Mr Tinubu with three remaining petitions against his victory to battle in court.
Iran vows to strengthen Syrian army's resistance axis against Israel

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 11 May 2023 12:24 AM

Top Iranian General has vowed that the Islamic Republic will help further strengthen the Syrian army and stand up to the Israeli regime alongside the Arab country.

Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Baqeri made the remarks in Tehran on Wednesday, in a meeting with the visiting Chief of the General Staff of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces, General Abdul Karim Mahmoud Ibrahim.

Baqeri described the Syrian army as "the important anti-Zionist resistance axis" in the region, saying that,"We will reinforce this axis in cooperation with each other, and will stand up together to the Zionist regime's bullying."

He said his meeting with his Syrian counterpart had featured discussion over provision of training for the Syrian forces across various levels.

The military officials also addressed transference of the Islamic Republic's experience in the military field to the Syrian armed forces as well as "rebuilding of the Syrian army in the post-war period."

Baqeri hailed that the Syrian military's counter-terrorism efforts had helped establish proper security across the Arab country. "I hope for Syria's reconstruction period to start soon," he added.

Syria found itself in the grip of rampant foreign-backed militancy and terrorism in 2011.

The terrorist groups soon overran huge swaths of the Syrian territory amid crucial support provided for them by the Israeli regime. The regime would routinely target Syria's defenses and also provide safe haven for the terrorists in the Arab country's Golan Heights, which has been under Tel Aviv's occupation since 1967.

The overall situation prompted Damascus to seek out the assistance of its allies, including Iran, in its bid to reverse the terror outfits' gains.

The Islamic Republic then began providing vital military advisory assistance for Syria's anti-terror efforts.

The joint efforts helped Syria push successfully back against the terror groups to the point that the country has now managed to restore its sovereignty over the biggest part of its soil.

For his part, the Syrian official said Tehran and Damascus could "cooperate with each other towards expediting cessation of the domination of imperialist countries."

"We have enjoyed cooperation with the Islamic Republic since a long time ago and will continue to do so in line with the countries' interests," Ibrahim said.

The meeting between the top Generals came a week after Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi's historic visit to Syria.

During his meeting with President Bashar al-Assad, Raeisi stressed that the Islamic Republic will stand by its Syrian brothers in the post-war era of reconstruction and development as it was the case during the fight against terrorism.

The Syrian president also hailed Iran's support for Syria throughout the Arab country's conflict, and said the Syrian nation won't forget Iran's assistance to them in their hard times.

President Assad called for Iran to play a bigger role in the establishment of sustainable peace in the country and reconstruction of war-torn parts of Syria.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taiwan to receive HIMARS one year earlier than expected: Military

ROC Central News Agency

05/10/2023 06:32 PM

Taipei, May 10 (CNA) Taiwan will receive the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) M142 launchers it bought from the United States a year earlier than originally scheduled, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced on Wednesday.

The Army will take delivery of 29 HIMARS, a long-range precision strike weapon system, beginning 2026, a year earlier than the original 2027 date, after Washington agrees to prioritize sending the rocket system to Taipei to meet its needs, the ministry said in a press release.

The MND press release was issued early Wednesday and made public an updated contract awarding notice on the HIMARS project.

Taiwan and the U.S. originally signed a deal in 2021 to buy 11 HIMARS M142 launchers.

Taiwan decided to buy 18 more in 2022 after the MND scrapped its plan to buy 40 M109A6 "Paladin" self-propelled howitzers after Washington said the howitzers would not be delivered on time due to insufficient production capacity.

Based on that decision, the two sides renewed the HIMARS deal contract in late April and made public the updated deal on Wednesday in accordance with Taiwan's Government Procurement Act, the MND said.

The HIMARS, a multiple launch rocket system mounted on a military truck, is mobile and has a strike distance of 300km when carrying M57 Army Tactical Missile Systems.

The press release comes six days after Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (ea) said Taiwan will not receive financial compensation over a nearly one-year delay to the delivery of F-16V fighter jets purchased from the United States.

U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher, who chairs the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, told U.S. media after visiting Taiwan in February that Taipei is concerned about delays in the delivery of weapons by Washington.

(By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/AW

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taiwan thanks Blinken for again supporting WHA bid

ROC Central News Agency

05/10/2023 11:43 AM

Taipei, May 10 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) expressed its gratitude Wednesday for a statement released by United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken supporting Taiwan's bid to take part in the annual World Health Assembly (WHA) later this month.

It was the third consecutive year that the U.S.' top diplomat has issued a statement backing Taiwan's bid to participate in the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision-making body, which Taiwan welcomed and was grateful for, MOFA said in a statement.

Taiwan will continue to work closely with the U.S. and other like-minded countries to contribute to global pandemic control and public health affairs, MOFA said.

The MOFA statement came in response to a statement issued by Blinken on Tuesday in which he said the U.S. strongly encourages the WHO to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer at this year's WHA meeting "so it may lend its expertise to the discussions."

"Inviting Taiwan as an observer would exemplify the WHO's commitment to an inclusive, 'health for all' approach to international health cooperation," Blinken was quoted as saying in the statement.

He praised Taiwan as a "highly capable, engaged, and responsible member of the global health community and has been invited to participate as an observer in previous WHA meetings."

"Taiwan's distinct capabilities and approaches -- including its significant public health expertise, democratic governance, and advanced technology -- bring considerable value that would inform the WHA's deliberations."

He criticized Taiwan's isolation from the WHA as being "unjustified and undermines inclusive global public health cooperation and security, which the world demands."

Similar appeals by the U.S. and other countries have fallen on deaf ears in the past, as the People's Republic of China (PRC) has successfully blocked Taiwan's participation from the meeting since 2017.

This year the WHA will hold its annual meeting from May 21-30 in Geneva to discuss global public health priorities.

Taiwan, formally called the Republic of China, was expelled from the WHO in 1972 after losing its seat to the People's Republic of China in the United Nations due to the issue of "China's representation."

Since then, Taiwan has not been able to attend the WHA due to objections by China, except from 2009 to 2016, when cross-Taiwan Strait relations were warmer under the then Kuomintang government.

Meanwhile, asked to comment on the possibility of Taiwan being invited to this year's WHA, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu () said in Taipei that the ministry is still working on it while thanking the U.S. for its long-term support on the issue.

Aside from the U.S., Wu said on the sideline of a legislative session that a growing number of other "like-minded countries" are joining the effort, and he expected support for Taiwan at the WHA to reach its highest level in recent years.

(By Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/ls

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






China firmly opposes US to invite Taiwan island as WHA observer, urging it to stop playing up 'Taiwan card'

Global Times

By Global Times Published: May 10, 2023 08:32 PM

China expressed firm opposition and urged the US to stop playing up Taiwan-related questions at the World Health Assembly (WHA), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at Wednesday's press briefing in response to US' statement encouraging the World Health Organization (WHO) to invite China's Taiwan island to participate as an observer at this year's WHA.

There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Taiwan island's participation in the activities of international organizations, including the WHO must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle. This is also an important principle affirmed by UNGA Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1, Wang said.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities stubbornly stick to the position of "Taiwan independence" and refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus, undermining the political foundation for cross-Straits consultations. As a result, the political foundation for the island to participate in the WHA no longer exists, said Wang.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement on May 9 that the US strongly encourages the WHO to invite the island to participate as an observer at the WHA meeting.

What the US has said is to confuse the public. In essence, it is conniving and supporting the "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities, Wang noted.

The Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests, and is the first uncrossable red line in China-US bilateral relations. China urges again the US to abide by the one-China principle and stipulations in the three China-US joint communiquAs, abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations, said Wang.

China also urged the US to follow through on US leader's remarks of not supporting "Taiwan independence" and stop hyping up Taiwan-related questions through the WHA, according to Wang.

The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations. It represents the trend of the world, and no force can hold back this trend, Wang pointed out.

Wang reiterated that any attempt to play the "Taiwan card" to contain China will be firmly rejected by the international community and is doomed to fail.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Canadian Armed Forces to train Ukrainian junior officers in Latvia

National Defence

News release

Canada and Latvia underscore strength of defence relationship

May 10, 2023 - Ottawa, Ontario - National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Today, Defence Minister Anita Anand welcomed the Minister of Defence of Latvia, Ms. Inara Murniece, to Ottawa. During the visit, Minister Anand reaffirmed Canada's commitment to Latvia's security. Approximately 800 Canadian Armed Forces members are currently deployed to Latvia, where Canada has served as Framework Nation of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Latvia since 2017.

Ministers Anand and Murniece announced that Canada and Latvia will jointly train Ukrainian combat leaders on Latvian soil, beginning as early as May 15 of this year. Jointly developed by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Latvian National Armed Forces, this program will see CAF and Latvian National Armed Forces members delivering much-needed Junior Officer leadership development training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) through Operation UNIFIER.

This training comes in addition to the Canadian Armed Forces' other ongoing deployments through Operation UNIFIER in support of Ukraine:

Approximately eighty Canadian Armed Forces members are deployed to Poland under Operation UNIFIER. This mission includes: Approximately 45 CAF combat engineers training sappers on a range of basic and advanced engineering skills, engineering reconnaissance, the use of explosives for demolition work, and demining; Approximately 25 CAF members training AFU tank crews on the use of Leopard 2 main battle tanks; Approximately 10 CAF members and training members of the AFU with the skills needed to save lives in combat situations; and

Approximately 170 Canadian Armed Forces members are deployed to the United Kingdom under Operation UNIFIER, where they are training members of the AFU on individual skills required for frontline combat, including weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics and the Law of Armed Conflict.

Minister Anand and Minister Murniece also reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Canada-Latvia Joint Declaration signed in June 2022 at the Madrid Summit. In this joint declaration, Canada agreed to:

continue to lead NATO forces as the Framework Nation in Latvia;

work with Latvia and NATO Allies to generate and stage forces in order to surge to a combat capable brigade;

establish and lead elements of a forward brigade command and control;

and be prepared to provide critical capabilities to operations, such as ammunition and explosives, air defence systems, and anti-tank weapons systems.

Planning continues between Canada, Latvia, and other eFP Battle Group contributing nations in order to surge the battle group to a combat capable brigade.

Canada and Latvia share a long history of military cooperation and partnership. Ministers Anand and Murniece discussed issues of mutual interest in the lead-up to this summer's NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, and reaffirmed both countries' commitment to strengthening NATO's deterrence and defence posture and the security of the Euro-Atlantic area.

On May 9, 2023, the two ministers visited 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group at 4th Canadian Division Support Base Petawawa where they met with Canadian soldiers and participated in a tour of military vehicles and specialized equipment.

Quotes

"Latvia and Canada are close NATO Allies, united through our strong defence relationship and mutual commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war. The expansion of our training for Ukrainian military officers will contribute to Ukraine's battlefield success, and provide yet another opportunity for Canadian and Latvian troops to work together. I thank Minister Murniece for her strong cooperation, and I thank the people of Latvia for their ongoing hospitality to members of the Canadian Armed Forces." The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence

Quick facts

Canada is committed to strengthening NATO's deterrence and defence posture in Eastern Europe. Approximately 1,100 CAF members are currently deployed as part of Operation REASSURANCE, Canada's current largest international military operation.

As the Framework Nation for NATO's enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia, Canada leads an eleven-nation multinational battle group and coordinates with Latvia and the contributing nations to help set the tone, pace, and vision for this Battle Group.

The Canadian component of the enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group comprises a mechanized infantry company, an artillery battery, a combat support company, and a combat service support company.

The CAF is currently supporting four training ongoing missions under Operation UNIFIER, providing both basic and advanced military skills to the Security Forces of Ukraine, enabling them to apply those teachings on the front lines. These training missions include basic recruit training in the United Kingdom, as well as more specialized combat engineer, combat medical, and tank crew training occurring in Poland, and will soon begin Leadership training in partnership with Latvia.

Since the beginning of 2022, Canada has committed over $8 billion in direct financial, military, humanitarian, and other assistance to Ukraine.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






No end in sight to war in Ukraine: Iran military chief

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 10, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- The chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces says he expects the war in Ukraine will rage on unabated as the United States and Russia both appear determined to achieve their conflicting objectives at all costs.

Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri made the remarks on Wednesday as he addressed the opening ceremony of an international conference in Tehran, called "Geometry of the New World Order".

"It seems that with the United States insisting on continuing the war, even at the cost of the destruction of Ukraine's entire infrastructure, on the one hand, and Russia's insistence on creating a buffer zone between its western borders and NATO forces on the other hand, this war will not end easily," he said.

With trade and energy routes to Western Europe disrupted and extensive sanctions imposed against Moscow, Major General Baqeri said Russia is now effectively turning its focus towards the East and the South to seek new trade partners and allies.

This shift in focus, according to the general, has significant geopolitical implications and marks a fundamental change in Russia's global stance. It is also likely to have economic repercussions for the world, as Russia seeks to establish new trade routes and partnerships to mitigate the impact of Western sanctions, he added.

Major General Baqeri said Russia's resolve to deter NATO's eastward expansion left it with no choice but to launch the military operation in Ukraine.

"A war that appears to be with Ukraine, but in reality, is a broader confrontation with the advancing forces of the United States and its allies," he said in the speech.

The economic, political and technological rise of China, which will soon place it as the main global economic power ahead of the United States, is another important sign of the ongoing fundamental shift in the world order and power geometry, Iran's military chief said.

**2050

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant Warns Of 'Catastrophic Lack' Of Workers Amid Russian Evacuation Plans

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service May 10, 2023

Enerhoatom, the operator of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, has warned that Russia plans to forcibly "evacuate" about 3,100 employees of Europe's largest nuclear station, which already faces a "catastrophic lack of qualified personnel."

According to a statement from Enerhoatom on May 10, at first 2,700 employees who signed contracts with Russian energy officials are to be moved from the city of Enerhodar, located near the plant, which has been occupied by Moscow's troops since they seized control of it soon after Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Enerhoatom said Russia has shown an "inability" to secure operations at the plant and that the evacuation of such a large number of employees will affect the facility's security, even in its current shutdown mode.

"This [evacuation] will exacerbate the already extremely urgent issue of having a sufficient number of personnel to ensure the safety of operation of the [plant]," it said, adding the company is working on establishing a group of experts who would work at the nuclear power plant after the Zaporizhzhya region's "de-occupation."

Ukraine's armed forces General Staff said on May 10 that Russian troops had started the evacuation of family members of the plant employees.

Last weekend, 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 capital of the Zaporizhzhya region, the city of Zaporizhzhya, which was captured early on 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."

Russia's nuclear power plant operator, Rosenergoatom, said on May 9 that there have been no changes in the plant's operation and that the situation was "stably tense."

Since Russian forces captured the nuclear plant, Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of targeting the plant.

The reactors at the Soviet-designed plant have been shut down, but there is a risk that nuclear fuel could overheat if power supplies to the plant's cooling systems are cut off.

The plant has been forced to operate on backup generators several times since the Russian invasion.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zaporizhzhya-catastrophic- lack-workers-evacuation-russia/32404842.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 Forces Hold In Bakhmut As EU Considers New Sanctions On Russia

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service May 10, 2023

Ukrainian defenders continued to hold out against a fresh wave of Russian assaults in the fiercely contested eastern city of Bakhmut despite Russian claims of advances, the military said on May 10, as the European Union discusses a fresh batch of sanctions against Moscow over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russian forces carried out 46 attacks on the positions of Ukrainian forces on the Bakhmut-Avdiyivka-Maryinka front line in the eastern region of Donetsk, where Moscow has been focusing its main efforts, Ukraine's General Staff reported on May 10 in its daily update.

In addition to continuous shelling, Russian forces also used aircraft to attack Ukrainian positions in Avdiyivka, the military said.

Russia has made claims of advances around the fiercely contested city of Bakhmut, which Moscow reportedly wanted to capture outright in time for May 9 Victory Day celebrations, but a Ukrainian military unit on May 10 said the situation on the ground was the opposite, with Russian forces abandoning their positions in the city in weekend fighting.

The press service of the unit quoted Andriy Biletskiy, a commander of a tactical group within the unit, as saying that two companies of a Russian brigade were "completely destroyed" in the operation.

"Brigade reconnaissance was broken, a significant number of armored vehicles were captured, and many prisoners were captured," Biletskiy said on Telegram, adding that forces of the Wagner private mercenary group suffered "heavy losses."

The operation resulted in the liberation of more than 7 square kilometers of territory, Biletskiy said. The retreat of the 72nd Separate Motor-Rifle Brigade is what Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin referred to on May 9 when he said Russian forces had fled around Bakhmut, he said. He also said he had lost around 500 soldiers in the battle.

The claim could not be independently verified, and Moscow has not commented on the report.

Prigozhin has gone back and forth with claims on the situation in Bakhmut in recent days, especially regarding support he was getting from Moscow.

He claimed on May 9 that his forces were inching forward in Bakhmut but then accused the Russian Defense Ministry of failing to supply his fighters with enough ammunition and admitting that several kilometers of front line territory was lost.

On May 10, he reiterated his complaints, saying his troops are still not receiving sufficient ammunition from the Russian Defense Ministry.

In an audio statement on Telegram, Prigozhin said his units have been getting just 10 percent of the ammunition they need, accusing the Defense Ministry of holding long meetings on the delivery of ammunition to Wagner that bring no results.

The Defense Ministry has not commented on Prigozhin's latest statement, but the Kremlin said hours earlier that it had not seen Prigozhin's appeal for more ammunition a day earlier.

Early on May 10, the governor of the Russian region of Kursk, which borders Ukraine said that an "enemy drone" had been shot down.

Roman Starovoit claimed the drone had been shot down near Kursk, and the debris fell in the village of Tolmachovo, causing some material damage.

His claim could not be independently verified.

In Brussels, EU envoys are holding a first debate on May 10 on a proposed new batch of sanctions -- the 11th -- over Russia's war in Ukraine. The package would also take aim at Chinese and Iranian firms that support Russia, and allow export curbs on third countries that violate existing trade restrictions.

Talks are expected to be heated, according to diplomatic sources quoted by Reuters, and a rapid deal is not expected.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the new sanctions would focus on cracking down on the circumvention of curbs on trade already in place.

"If we see that goods are going from the European Union to third countries and then end up in Russia, we could propose to the member states to sanction those goods' export. This tool will be a last resort and it will be used cautiously," she said.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-eu-russia- sanctions/32404296.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






Top British, U.S. Diplomats Discuss Importance Of Continuing Support For Ukraine

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service May 10, 2023

The outcome of Russia's war against Ukraine will have consequences for the whole world, and the upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive "is not a movie," British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said on May 9 during a joint press conference in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"There is no certainty when it comes to conflict," Cleverly said, adding that while the Ukrainian military consistently has exceeded expectations, "there can be no guarantees in war."

Cleverly made the comments in response to a question about how Britain plans to convince Washington of the need to continue supporting Kyiv if Ukrainian troops "do not show a decisive victory in the next few months."

The British foreign minister said Ukrainian forces have learned quickly and defended effectively, and Western countries "have to continue to support them whether or not this coming offensive makes big gains on the battlefield."

He also pointed out the importance of the West's decisive response thus far to Russia's invasion.

"The eyes of the world are watching how we respond to this challenge," he said, adding that it's important that Ukraine's allies show determination and strategic tenacity "to see it through to a successful conclusion."

Blinken disagreed with the notion that support for Ukraine in the United States is wavering.

He pointed to the decisive statement made last week by Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy (Republican-California) about support for Ukraine and the determined intention to see it through.

McCarthy said on May 1 that the United States would continue to support Ukraine after a Russian journalist questioned support for continued U.S. arms sales.

Blinken also said he agreed with Cleverly that supporting Ukraine is in line with the interests of Western countries and said Ukraine has what it takes to "continue to be successful in regaining territory that was seized by force by Russia over the last 14 months."

During Cleverly's visit, the United States announced a new $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine to boost the country's air defenses and provide additional artillery ammunition.

The package underscores the continued U.S. commitment to Ukraine "by committing critical near-term capabilities, such as air-defense systems and munitions, while also building the capacity of Ukraine's armed forces to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression over the long term," the Defense Department said in a statement.

The package includes ammunition for systems meant to foil the threat of Iranian-made drones that Russia has used against Ukraine, as well as 155 mm rounds -- a key type of artillery ammunition for Ukraine's forces.

However, the items must be procured from the defense industry as opposed to being drawn from U.S. stocks. This means a delay before the items reach the battlefield.

The latest assistance brings total U.S. military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February 2022 to more than $36 billion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the new assistance, saying on Twitter that "we appreciate this sign of solidarity with Ukraine shown on a symbolic day for us -- Europe Day and the Day of Victory over Nazism in WW2. Together we're moving towards a new victory!"

With reporting by AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-us-uk-continuing- support/32404262.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






Russia's Air Defenses Shoot Down Drone in Kursk Region

Sputnik News

20230510

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian air defenses on Wednesday morning shot down a drone over the village of Tolmachevo in the Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, the region's governor, said.

"In the early morning, air defense forces shot down an enemy drone near Kursk. The wreckage fell in the village of Tolmachevo. No one was injured," Starovoit said on Telegram,

He added that a gas pipeline and the facade of a house were damaged as a result.

A Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Mr Akeredolu called on the APC NWC to urgently convey a meeting of the NEC of the party for a " robust National Caucus/Stakeholders parley to agree on terms that would strengthen our great party."

Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has condemned the zoning arrangement of the APC per the leadership of the forthcoming 10th National Assembly which will be inaugurated in June.

In the zoning arrangement by the NWC of the ruling party, which is believed to have the imprimatur of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, the South-south is to produce the senate president while the North-west will produce the deputy senate president.

Similarly, the North-west is expected to produce the Speaker of the House of Representatives while the South-east will produce the deputy speaker.

Accordingly, based on the zoning arrangement, the leadership of the APC has endorsed Godswill Akpabio from Akwa Ibom(South-south) and Jibrin Barau from Kano State(north-west) as the senate president and deputy senate president respectively while it also endorsed Tajudden Abass from Kaduna State(North-west) and Benjamin Kalu from Abia State(South-east) as the speaker and deputy speaker.

Condemning the zoning, which he described as skewed, Mr Akeredolu, in a press statement he personally signed on Wednesday, said the purported arrangement stands logic on its head as one geo-political zone, North-west, will be favoured with two presiding officers out of four while the North-central despite its loyalty to the party won't have any

The governor, who is the chairperson of the Southwest Governors' Forum, said the move to zone the National Assembly leadership positions by some interested personalities perceived to be close to Mr Tinubu manifestly lays "the dangerous foundation of distrust, needless suspicion even as it structures nothing but a combination of booby traps", which he said must be avoided.

He commended some aspirants to the office of the speaker of the House who have rejected the zoning, saying they must ensure they pursue their objection of what he described as a teleguided arrangement to a logical conclusion.

Mr Akeredolu, who recently returned to the country from his annual leave, called on the APC NWC to urgently convey a meeting of the NEC of the party for a " robust National Caucus/Stakeholders parley to agree on terms that would strengthen our great party."

Read the full statement below:

PROPOSED APC ZONING FORMULA FOR NASS LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IS A SKEWED ARRANGEMENT THAT REINFORCES INJUSTICE AND ENHANCES INEQUITY

It is with great concern, and indeed, with a huge burden that I read in the news of the purported zoning arrangement released by the National Working Committee of our Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) as regards the leadership positions in the yet-to-be inaugurated National Assembly.

Aside from the unpretentious ambiguity in the purported Press Statement issued by the leadership of the APC, the contents, intentions and motives of the zoning formula represent early signs of steps aimed at attempts to cabin the hard-earned Presidency for our Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu by a few individuals with eyes on ASO ROCK POWER BUTTONS.

It is trite to aver, that, it stands logic on the head that one geo-political zone, Northwest in this regard, will be favoured with two presiding officers positions out of four while North Central suffers the consequences for its innocence and shrewd loyalty by having none.

It is an insidious permutation that North East will be deprived in the face of the unsavoury generosity dispensed through two slots to a particular geo-political zone. It is self-repudiating for one to argue, therefore, that the Speaker of the House of Representatives cannot also emerge from the North East.

Therefore, the move to zone the National Assembly leadership positions on the behest of interested personalities with perceived closeness to the President-elect manifestly, lays the dangerous foundation of distrust, needless suspicion even as it structures nothing but a combination of booby traps. We must avoid all these.

Let the North play a stronger, more robust and all-inclusive roles in the emergence of the positions zoned to the region, especially the Speakership.

Furthermore, it strikes a huge ingratitude that the role of the Progressive Governors Forum appears unimportant. As leaders of the Party in their respective States, there cannot be a greater disservice to them that a consensus was yet to be reached when the NWC hurriedly released a dangerous tool for the opposition in the guise of a zoning formula. To me, even on this note, it's unacceptable.

Does it not also exude a serious discomfort that the aspirants to the Speakership were not consulted, approached and effectively engaged before the purported zoning formula? It does, and clearly so.

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.

It is in this regard that I salute the courage of the Speakership aspirants for their show of solidarity, companionship and applaudable love for the Party in their rejection, resentment and objection to the brazenly teleguided zoning arrangement that is skewed and targeted against some zones and identified individuals. Their action is commendable just as they are urged to ensure they pursue this to a logical conclusion. This is an unworkable arrangement that reinforces injustice and enhances inequity; and I join them in rejecting this zoning formula.

I call on the NWC of our great Party to follow the path of purity and Justice. It is perhaps expedient that Mr. President-elect interrogates this skewed arrangement and give direction that reflects our collective commitment to equality and fairness.

In this particular case, and for the purpose of avoiding a repeat of untoward situations, it is advised that the APC NWC immediately summons the National Executive Committee (NEC)after robust National Caucus/Stakeholders parley to agree on terms that would strengthen our great Party.

Signed:

Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON

Governor, Ondo State and Chairman Southwest Governors' Forum
Russia must realise that it can never win in Ukraine. If it keeps fighting, it will keep losing: UK statement to the OSCE

UK military advisor, Ian Stubbs, says Moscow's reprehensible actions in Ukraine corrupt the memory of past sacrifices and Russia's once-proud global reputation.

10 May 2023

Thank you, Madam Chair. Over the past week, Russia has again conducted massive missile and UAV strikes against inhabited areas across Ukraine, with minimal regard to discrimination or proportionality. Of note, on Monday, the Ukrainian Red Cross reported that a missile strike completely destroyed 1,000 square metres of humanitarian aid stored in a large warehouse for the Odesa region. Such attacks by Russia seek to punish the Ukrainian people and to spread terror. They are cruel acts of vengeance and a disgraceful manifestation of the failure of the Russian military leadership.

At the same time, the Kremlin and our Russian colleagues in this room continue to attempt to distract from failures on the battlefield with a campaign of lies, threats and propaganda. Last week the Russian delegate repeated familiar false narratives on confrontation. I would like to again highlight the irony of this coming from a country which invaded Georgia in 2008, illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and then launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February last year.

Madam Chair, the Russian leadership's unprovoked, illegal, and senseless invasion of Ukraine; their attacks against innocent civilians and their homes; and their widespread atrocities corrupt the memory of past sacrifices and Russia's once-proud global reputation. These actions are reprehensible and cowardly.

Europe has terrible memories of the totalitarian regimes of the 1930s and 40s, with their disregard for human life, cultural heritage, territory and sovereignty of smaller states. Moscow's actions now corrupt the memory of all those who fought against tyranny and paid the ultimate sacrifice in the belief that they would save future generations from the scourge of war.

We pay tribute to the sacrifice of those who fought for the Soviet Union in the Second World War. But this year, Moscow's celebration of Victory Day highlights the failings of its invasion of Ukraine. The cancellation of many military parades and Immortal Regiment processions across Russia hints at the grim reality of its enormous losses that beyond the many innocent Ukrainian victims, young Russian men are being killed in their thousands in the name of Putin's war - leaving mothers without sons, wives without husbands, and children without fathers.

Madam Chair, in a desperate attempt to try and replenish its numbers, the Russian Ministry of Defence has ramped up its recruitment campaign of prisoners for fighting in Ukraine. Reports indicate that up to 10,000 convicts were recruited in April 2023.

Russian military recruiters have also been targeting central Asian migrant workers in Russia to serve in Ukraine. Recruiters have visited mosques and immigration offices to recruit. At immigration offices, staff who speak Tajik and Uzbek routinely attempt to recruit migrants. Radio Free Europe reported recruiters offering sign-up bonuses of USD $2,390 and salaries of up to USD $4,160 a month. Migrants have also been offered a fast-track Russian citizenship path of six months to one year, instead of the usual five years.

However, both the convicts and migrant workers recruited by the Russian Ministry of Defence appear to have been sent to the Ukrainian frontlines in attritional combat where the casualty rate is extremely high. On 3 May 2023, Russian private military company Wagner head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, stated that his forces had suffered 116 fatalities in one day fighting in and around Bakhmut.

Madam Chair, the persistent and institutional poor decision making by the Kremlin is having a terrible impact on the Russian people - more needless deaths; more grieving families; more defeats; more demoralised troops; more discontent; and more isolation. Putin is creating a legacy which millions of young Russians did not choose and did not vote for, but will be forced to bear the cost of for years to come.

Russia must realise that it can never win in Ukraine. If it keeps fighting, it will keep losing. We do not underestimate the continuing threat posed by the Russian Federation but, in time, there will be cause for Ukraine to celebrate. Ukraine will continue to demonstrate their resolute courage, determination and enduring moral strength as they fight to liberate more of their homeland. Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence will be fully restored. The UK and the international community will remain steadfast in our support - we will stand by Ukraine for however long it takes. Thank you.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Further support for Ukraine urged at meeting of NATO defence chiefs

Military support for Ukraine and a radical overhaul of NATO's deterrence and defence topped the agenda for meeting of Alliance's Defence Chiefs

10 May 2023

Ongoing military support to Ukraine and NATO's continuing transformation to face key security challenges were the focus of a meeting of the Alliance's Chiefs of Defence, held today in Brussels.

Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, represented the UK for the meeting in Brussels, the first in-person session of NATO Chiefs of Defence since Finland's accession to NATO.

Sweden was also represented as an invitee and NATO's closest partner, ahead of its accession to the Alliance. The UK was the fifth NATO member to ratify Sweden and Finland's membership, and welcomed Finnish accession to NATO.

The UK continues to encourage all Allies to ratify Sweden's membership as soon as possible. Finnish and Swedish membership will make all Allies safer, and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure.

UK Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, said:

As the war in Ukraine reaches another important phase, it is of the utmost importance that the United Kingdom and its Allies stay strong in our ongoing support to Ukraine, as they seek to drive Russian forces from their sovereign territory.

With Finland now a full member of NATO, and Sweden expected to complete its accession in the coming months, Putin has only succeeded in ensuring our Alliance is stronger than ever. I look forward to working with other Chiefs of Defence to finalise the transformation of NATO's deterrence and defence ahead of July's NATO Summit in Vilnius.

With his counterparts, Admiral Radakin welcomed the new NATO Regional Plans, which give NATO military commanders a wide range of options to defend Alliance territory against threats from Russia and terrorist groups.

This is the first time NATO has developed such plans since the end of the Cold War. The plans form part of a decade-long process of transformation for the Alliance, which is stronger and more united than ever.

The UK is committed to standing with Ukraine for as long as it takes to defend themselves against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion. We are one of the leading providers of military support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and have committed so spend another A2.3bn on military support for Ukraine this year. By making this commitment we are strengthening Ukraine's position to repel Russia's barbaric invasion and secure its long-term sovereignty.

The meeting of Defence Chiefs comes just days before the start of Exercise Spring Storm, the largest annual exercise involving the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in Estonia, which will see more than 1,000 members of the UK Armed Forces leading the multinational training exercise.

The two-week exercise will showcase the UK's ability to deploy hundreds of personnel, as well as armoured vehicles and helicopters to Europe, for an exercise to boost interoperability with NATO allies.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






It is in Ukraine that the world will see what Europe is capable of - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine

10 May 2023 - 22:25

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

Briefly about this day, about our actions.

Our international block is working vigorously and thoroughly with partners on new defense packages for Ukraine. New decisions are already at the working level. More protection for our skies, more opportunities for our defense and movement on the ground. I held several meetings today where we discussed all this. And we expect appropriate steps from our partners in the near future.

Let us not forget for a single minute that every day of the occupier's presence on our land is a temptation for him to think that he will succeed. He will not! We must return freedom, security and Europe to all Ukrainian land - to all European land. We will do it! We will not leave a single piece of our land to the enemy - tyranny will not reign anywhere. And I thank our partners-leaders, all partner countries, each and every one who helps us increase our strength and make Ukrainian defense even more active.

Today, I held a very informative meeting with government officials on programs to restore our territory and Ukrainian life after hostilities and the war in general. We are working on all aspects of recovery, and each of them is in a new security format. Economy and industry, defense industry, energy, infrastructure, education, social sphere, healthcare sector, including the rehabilitation component... All that needs to be built, what the world is ready to invest in, what will give Ukraine and Ukrainians reliable protection and steady development of our social capital.

Now, in May, we will finalize the specific points of these state programs, and in June we will start practical work with our partners on our plans, including both the reconstruction of critical systems here and now and the strategic transformation of our country. I am confident that our reconstruction project will give impetus to the development of at least our entire region - following Ukraine and all our partners who will cooperate with Ukraine.

It is here, in Ukraine, that the world will see what Europe is capable of. Here, in Ukraine, we will have the maximum of Europe in Europe - the maximum possible of what European values are capable of, what European and global cooperation is capable of.

Step by step, based on the resources we have now, we are implementing programs for the ongoing recovery of our country. In particular, today "eVidnovlennia" public service has been launched. It is aimed to support people who need to repair their homes or apartments after war damage. Already today we have received a significant number of applications in Diia. In total, we are talking about hundreds of thousands of damaged objects. Moreover, we have to fulfill this task also for those of our people who were able to restore their damaged housing on their own. Equality in assistance is very important, and we need an appropriate algorithm. The next step is compensation for lost housing. It will also be implemented.

Of course, today I communicated with our commanders and intelligence chiefs. The situation on the frontline is an obvious first priority.

Today, I also signed new decrees on presenting our warriors with state awards. The 10th separate mountain assault brigade. The 14th, 28th, 53rd, 59th and 72nd separate mechanized brigades. The 3rd separate assault brigade. The 27th rocket artillery brigade. The 112th separate territorial defense brigade. The 67th separate infantry battalion. The 65th military mobile hospital. These are the Lyman direction, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Avdiivka direction, Shakhtarsk direction.

In total, today's decrees honor 266 of our defenders. The bravest, the most worthy - those whose lives are the life of Ukraine, our beautiful and unbreakable Ukraine.

Glory to all our warriors who are now in combat, at combat posts and on combat missions!

Glory to every Ukrainian family that has raised such sons and daughters!

Glory to Ukraine!

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Latest in Ukraine: US Sends Ukraine Cash Seized From Russian Oligarch

By VOA News May 10, 2023

New developments:

United States to provide $1.2 billion in new military aid to Ukraine, including air defenses and ammunition.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says it is "only a matter of time before we can restore a sustainable and just peace for our part of Europe, for Ukraine."

Agence France-Presse journalist Arman Soldin was killed by rocket fire in eastern Ukraine where journalists were with a group of Ukrainian soldiers.

The U.S. said Wednesday that for the first time it has sent an unspecified amount, possibly millions of dollars, seized from the U.S. accounts of a Russian oligarch to Ukraine for use in its fight against Russia's 14-month invasion.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland authorized the payment to the Kyiv government, money he said the U.S. seized from Konstantin Malofeyev, who had been blacklisted for violating sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. said he provided financing for Russians promoting separatism in Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014.

"While this represents the United States' first transfer of forfeited Russian funds for the rebuilding of Ukraine," Garland said in a statement, "it will not be the last."

Russia forcing out nuclear workers

Ukraine's state-owned nuclear power plant operator warned Wednesday that Russia planned to evacuate 3,100 workers from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Energoatom posted on Telegram that "there is now a catastrophic lack of skilled personnel" at the plant, which is Europe's largest nuclear power plant.

Energoatom said workers who signed employment contracts with affiliates of Russia's nuclear agency Rosatom to operate the power plant are set to be taken to Russia along with their families. Energoatom didn't say whether the employees would be forcibly moved out of the plant.

Russia has occupied the site since the early stages of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and fighting near the facility has occurred regularly.

Energoatom said the new evacuations of the Ukrainian personnel living in the town of Enerhodar "will exacerbate the already extremely urgent issue of having enough staff to ensure the safe operation" of the Zaporizhzhia plant.

The company said it will do its best to ensure safe operations by pulling together teams of staff who are in areas under Ukrainian control and specialists from other nuclear power plants in Ukraine.

The United Nation's nuclear watchdog has repeatedly highlighted safety and security concerns regarding the Zaporizhzhia plant, both in regard to fighting nearby and the staffing situation.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi said Sunday that the situation around the plant "is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous."

"We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment," Grossi said in a statement. "This major nuclear facility must be protected."

Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






CardinalOps Updates Techniques in MITRE ATT&CK v13 Describing New Adversary Methods for Hijacking Corporate Email Systems

May 2023 by CardinalOps

CardinalOps announced their contribution to the latest version of MITRE ATT&CK. The security research teams updates provide recommended detections in the native query languages for Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, IBM QRadar and Sumo Logic, in an effort to combat cyber adversaries abusing email rules during attacks. According to Kaspersky, in 2022 phishing attacks doubled in comparison to the previous year, reaching over 500 million phishing attempts.

New methods highlight growing sophistication of compromises targeting corporate email systems such as Office 365, Microsoft Exchange, and Google Workspace

CardinalOps, the detection posture management company, today announced it contributed updates to the latest version of MITRE ATT&CK describing new ways in which adversary groups like LAPSUS$ hijack corporate email systems such as Office 365, Microsoft Exchange, and Google Workspace.

As the industry-standard framework for understanding adversary playbooks and behavior, MITRE ATT&CK now contains over 600 techniques and sub-techniques employed by both cybercriminal and nation-state threat groups. The latest version, MITRE ATT&CK v13, was released on April 25th.

The updated methods contributed by CardinalOps are used by adversaries to abuse email transport rules. These are the administrative rules that control how messages flow through corporate email systems. Adversaries employ these methods to:

 Perform reconnaissance by automatically forwarding sensitive emails to mailboxes controlled by attackers.

 Launch internal spear phishing attacks in order to steal privileged credentials for ransomware campaigns.

 Send spam emails from compromised Exchange domains while removing headers that would flag them as suspicious.

 Evade detection by hiding critical emails such as internal security alerts and command-and-control communication (C2) from mailboxes.

Defending Against Email Transport Abuse Attacks

Organizations can protect themselves by ensuring they have the right detections in the SOC to quickly detect and respond to these types of email system compromises.

To support the defender community, CardinalOps has published a technical blog post providing native detection rules covering these ATT&CK techniques for popular SIEM platforms including Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, IBM QRadar, and Sumo Logic. Detecting attacks in the SIEM is critical because the SIEM is the last line of defense for detecting attacks missed by other security tools.

CardinalOps security research team is constantly working on new ways to detect attacks based on threat actor activity, vulnerabilities, and malware found in the wild. Here are the techniques and sub-techniques that were updated in MITRE ATT&CK v13 based on research performed by Liran Ravich, cybersecurity architect at CardinalOps:

 Hide Artifacts: Email Hiding Rules (T1564.008)

 Indicator Removal: Clear Mailbox Data (T1070.008)

 Email Collection: Email Forwarding Rule (T1114.003)

 Phishing for Information (T1598)

 Phishing (T1566)

Examples of Email Transport Abuse Campaigns

In March 2022, Microsoft published a report describing attacks by DEV-0537, also known as LAPSUS$. In these attacks, the adversary gained access to global admin accounts and later configured a tenant-level transport rule to send all mail in and out of the organization to a newly-created account controlled by the attackers. And in September 2022, Microsoft published a blog post describing how malicious OAuth applications abuse cloud email services to spread spam.

Phishing Attacks Double Year-Over-Year

Phishing attacks have seen rapid growth in popularity and have increased year over year. According to recent Kaspersky research, in 2022 phishing attacks doubled in comparison to the previous year, reaching over 500 million attempts. Phishing is an important tool in the adversarys arsenal because its often used to steal corporate credentials or perform reconnaissance that can be used in later stages of an attack.

"Preventing breaches starts with having the right detections," said Yair Manor, CTO and co-founder of CardinalOps. "Were honored to be collaborating with MITRE to strengthen ATT&CK in new ways that help the defender community. Our security research team benefits from the nation-state expertise that its members have developed during their careers. Well continue to leverage their insights to help organizations continuously assess and improve their detection posture using MITRE ATT&CK as the underlying framework."
Cleveland, OH, May 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- YACSS SEO Conference 2023 is pleased to share that Randy Rohde from 38 Digital Market will present at the 2-day conference on May 1920, 2023, at the Comwell Hotel Hvide Hus in Aalborg, Denmark. Randy is the founder and CEO of 38 Digital Market, a full-service SEO and digital press release agency. Although operating from Chagrin Falls, OH, this agency has been offering digital marketing services for global clients for over 7 years now. Randy has been helping businesses dominate their market by leveraging the power of social media, Google, and press releases.



Randy Rohde - "The News Guy"

It was in 2017 that 38 Digital Market established their own private newsroom and started publishing directly on media outlets like APNews, Globe Newswire, Google News, MarketWatch, and more. They have also built an in-house news distribution network consisting of hundreds of Google News sites. They continue to build new sites, distribution networks, and tiered networks to provide their clients with powerful and robust ranking support. Considered the best digital marketing agency in Chagrin Falls, 38 Digital Market provides solutions for businesses of all sizes and tools that can be customized according to their needs.

Randy also runs a podcast, Running the Bases with Small Businesses, where entrepreneurs and small business owners share their experiences in the industry as well as with 38 Digital Market.

Randy will speak at the YACSS Conference 2023 and share his experiences and knowledge, the tools that he uses, and valuable inputs to the event participants. His topic of discussion will mainly focus on creating and using digital press releases and PR links to boost organic rankings.

The conference has a total of 9 keynote speakers who are all experts in the industry. Along with Randy, they include Jesper Nissen, Terry Power, Bradley Benner, Holly Starks, Roman Alexander Wellington, Carolyn Holzman, and Henrik Bondtofte. At the end of the YACSS SEO Conference, participants will discover new ways of link building, learn how Google works today, learn tested secrets from industry experts, and experience knowledge sharing with other YACSS users. VIP ticket holders are also invited to a Sunday Mastermind at Jesper Nissens private home. The open talk with speakers will allow the participants to learn ranking secrets from the SEO experts.



YACSS SEO Conference 2023

To learn more, visit https://yacss.site/yacss-conference-2023/.

About 38 Digital Market

The digital marketing agency based out of Chagrin Falls has made its mark with clients and earned their trust by helping them get results in keeping with their business needs and goals.

About YACSS SEO Conference

YACSS SEO Conference is the first SEO conference in the world that will be held on May 1920, 2023, in the historic city of Aalborg in Denmark at the Comwell Hotel Hvide Hus. The two-day conference, with a special focus on link building and cloud stacking, will see speakers and SEO experts from all over the world.

###

Media Contact

38 Digital Market

1188 Bell Rd. Suite #206, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022

Phone: 216-577-8452

URL: https://38digitalmarket.com/



YACSS

Jesper Nissen

Phone: +45 29871113

Website: https://yacss.site/yacss-conference-2023/









Attachments
TORONTO, May 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dundee Corporation (TSX: DC.A) (the Corporation or Dundee) today announced its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2023. All currency amounts in this press release are in Canadian dollars except as otherwise indicated.



FIRST QUARTER 2023 RESULTS

Reported consolidated general and administrative expenses of $4.8 million (2022  $5.9 million), representing a 19% year-over-year decline as strategic cost cutting efforts take hold. Corporate head office general and administrative expenses (before non-cash stock-based compensation) fell to $2.0 million in the first quarter of 2023, declining 26% from the $2.7 million incurred from the same period of the prior year.

Reported net loss from total portfolio investments for the first quarter of 2023 of $7.5 million (2022  earnings of $46.6 million). The key drivers of performance were the decline in market values in holdings of Reunion Gold Corporation by $5.8 million and Centaurus Metals Limited by $3.3 million.

Reported share of loss from equity accounted investments for the first quarter of 2023 of $1.9 million (2022  $46,000)

Reported net loss attributable to owners of the Corporation for the first quarter of 2023 of $11.4 million (2022  earnings of $31.1 million), or loss of $0.14 per share (2022  earnings of $0.34 per share, before the effect of any dilutive securities). Correspondingly, Dundee reported net loss from continuing operations of $11.1 million (2022  earnings of $31.9 million), or loss of $0.14 per share (2022  earnings of $0.35 per share, before the effect of any dilutive securities), and losses from discontinued operations of $0.2 million (2022  $0.8 million), or a loss of $nil per share (2022  $0.01 per share).



Jonathan Goodman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dundee Corporation, commented:

Market prices for some of Dundees core investment holdings, namely Reunion Gold, experienced a pull back in the first quarter of 2023, after delivering strong performance in 2022. At the time of writing, Reunion has reversed those losses and is trading near its 52-week high. Reunions Oko West project is unquestionably one of only a handful of world-class new gold discoveries of this cycle with the potential for robust project economics in a geopolitically stable jurisdiction. The company is aggressively drilling, delineating, and de-risking this deposit with the goal of a maiden resource estimate mid-year and a preliminary economic assessment by year-end.

On factors that are in our control in the short-run, I am pleased to report continued progress in our cost cutting initiatives. By continuing to shed non-core assets and reducing year-over-year general and administrative expenses by 20%, we free up more resources that can be deployed to unlock sustainable shareholder value.

We believe depressed market valuations in the mining sector create an opportunity for Dundee, as we hold to our strong conviction that the need for high quality and sustainably sourced mining assets has never been greater. We remain focused on investing for the long-term and working with our investee companies to maximize asset value and realize their full potential. In addition, our share price trades at a considerable discount to corporate net asset value per share. Furthermore, we believe that our portfolio assets, whose share prices make up our underlying NAV, also trade at a significant discount to their underlying value. This presents a unique opportunity for our shareholders to acquire a high-quality portfolio of assets at a significant double discount to their underlying value with leverage to rising commodity prices.

Mr. Goodman concluded: The entire team at Dundee continues to work diligently to implement and execute on our strategy across all fronts. I am encouraged by our ability to sustain and grow our momentum in 2023 and we are excited by the opportunity set ahead of us. Our team remains committed to growing the core business, streamlining operations, divesting our remaining non-core businesses and investments, and positioning Dundee to deliver long-term, sustainable value for our stakeholders, shareholders and partners. I would like to thank the entire team for their hard work in navigating a time of continued evolution.

SEGMENTED FINANCIAL RESULTS

Mining Investments

In the first quarter of 2023, the Corporation reported net loss from mining investments of $9.7 million (2022  earnings of $47.2 million). Performance from the mining investment portfolio contributed $8.7 million to this loss. Share of loss from equity accounted mining investments during the first quarter of 2023 was $1.0 million (2022  $nil).

Mining Services

Dundee reported a net loss from mining operations of $1.3 million (2022  $0.7 million) during the three months ended March 31, 2023. Dundee Technologies contributed $1.3 million to the net loss in this segment in the first quarter, compared with $0.7 million incurred in the same period of the prior year.

Corporate and others

The Corporation reported a net loss from corporate and others, including non-core subsidiaries, of $3.3 million (2022  $5.7 million) during the three months ended March 31, 2023. During this period, the Corporation reported head office general and administrative expenses (before non-cash stock-based compensation) of $2.0 million, which decreased by 26% from the $2.7 million expense incurred from the same period of the prior year. Stock-based compensation added a further $0.6 million (2022  $0.6 million) to general and administrative expenses during the three months ended March 31, 2023.

Net income from other portfolio investments partially offset the overall loss in this segment, delivering a $1.1 million gain compared to a loss of $0.6 million during the same period last year.

Other subsidiaries and equity accounted investments contributed $1.3 million and $0.9 million, respectively, to this segments total loss during the first quarter of 2023 (2022  $1.6 million and $0.05 million, respectively).

During the quarter, corporate subsidiary Goodman & Company, Investment Counsel Inc. launched its most recent tax-assisted limited partnership, CMP 2023 Resource Limited Partnership, raising approximately $10.2 million.

SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY ON A PER SHARE BASIS

Carrying Value Carrying Value March 31, 2023 December 31, 2022 Mining Investments Portfolio investments $ 158,900 $ 168,598 Equity accounted investments 27,309 26,506 186,209 195,104 Mining Services Subsidiaries 4,380 3,081 4,380 3,081 Corporate and Others Corporate 29,807 36,333 Portfolio investments  other 68,591 67,455 Equity accounted investments  other 29,078 28,557 Real estate joint ventures 6,300 6,796 Subsidiaries 19,120 16,814 152,896 155,955 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 343,485 $ 354,140 Less: Shareholders' equity attributable to holders of: Preference Shares, series 2 (27,667 ) (27,667 ) Preference Shares, series 3 (45,438 ) (50,423 ) SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO CLASS A SUBORDINATE SHARES AND CLASS B SHARES OF THE CORPORATION $ 270,380 $ 276,050 Number of Class A Subordinate Shares and Class B Shares of the Corporation outstanding: Class A Subordinate Shares 84,968,090 84,968,090 Class B Shares 3,114,491 3,114,491 Total number of shares outstanding 88,082,581 88,082,581 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY ON A PER SHARE BASIS * $ 3.07 $ 3.13 * Shareholders' Equity on a per share basis is calculated as total shareholders' equity per the financial statements, less the carrying amount of preference shares series 2 and series 3, and divided by the total number of Class A and Class B shares issued and outstanding



The Corporations unaudited interim consolidated financial statements as at and for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, along with the accompanying managements discussion and analysis, as well as the annual information form, have been filed on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) and may be viewed by interested parties under the Corporations profile at www.sedar.com or the Corporations website at www.dundeecorporation.com

ABOUT DUNDEE CORPORATION:

Dundee Corporation is a public Canadian independent holding company, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol DC.A. Through its operating subsidiaries, Dundee Corporation is an active investor focused on delivering long-term, sustainable value as a trusted partner in the mining sector with more than 30 years of experience making accretive mining investments.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects Dundee Corporations current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Dundee Corporations control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed under Risk Factors in the Annual Information Form of Dundee Corporation and subsequent filings made with securities commissions in Canada. Dundee Corporation does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Investor and Media Relations

T: (416) 864-3584

E: ir@dundeecorporation.com
NEWARK, Del, May 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Asian sea bass market is forecast to reach a valuation of US$ 960 million in 2023. From 2023 to 2033, the market is slated to experience a CAGR of 5%, concluding at a valuation of US$ 1,492 million. Consumption of Asia sea bass is inclining, given its enhanced nutritional value, as well as the consistent meaty texture. As of 2022, sales of Asian sea bass reached a valuation of US$ 853.2 million.



Globally, consumption of food products involving high protein and low-calorie content is rising. Sea bass consists of 25 grams of protein and around 125 calories. In addition to the high protein content, sea bass is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B-12, B-6, and a lot of other nutrients. The omega-3 helps maintain good cardiac health, regulate HDL cholesterol levels, and reduce the possibility of cancer.

On the innovation front, several cutting-edge initiatives in production and aquaculture have been introduced. From automating production techniques to incorporating artificial intelligence, the aquaculture sector is witnessing improvements in output generation. This has also extended to sea bass production.

Identify key trends, drivers, and challenges in the market, which will help vendors improve their strategies to stay ahead of their competitors. View our PDF Sample Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6256

Key Takeaways from the Market Report

From 2018 to 2022, the Asian sea bass market expanded at a 2% CAGR

By source, farmed Asian sea bass was the most widely consumed, comprising 61.5% of all sales in 2022

More than 37% of Asia sea bass was consumed in the form of fillets in 2022

By distribution channel, 2/3 rd of all Asian sea bass sales occurred through retail channels

of all Asian sea bass sales occurred through retail channels Australia remains the largest consumer of Asian sea bass, accumulating a share of 10.5%

The United Kingdom is expected to be the fastest-growing market, registering a CAGR of 4.1%

India to be the fastest growing market for Asian sea bass, expected to register a 5.4% CAGR





Asian sea bass are robust creatures, capable of thriving in the most hostile environments and spawning effortlessly. Market players are capitalizing on this opportunity to ramp up their production capacities, leading to immense growth opportunities, says an analyst at Future Market Insights.

Competitive Landscape

Prominent players profiled in the Asian sea bass market include Amacore Seafood B.V., Viet Asia Foods (VAFCO), MainStream Aquaculture, Shwe Yamone Manufacturing Co. Ltd., A.O. Kingdom International Co. Ltd., Nghi Son Aquatic Product Exim Co. Ltd, Oceanpick, Barramundi Asia, Allegro Aqua, Mattes Seafood and Ocean Treasure. Specific developments with regard to Asian sea bass are as follows:

In March 2019, Oceanpick Ltd. was awarded the Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP) certification. The receipt of this award led to Sri Lanka becoming a pioneer in aquaculture practices across South Asia. The certification also reinforces the companys commitment to sustainable farming practices, especially with regard to barramundi production



In May 2022, MainStream Aquaculture received a US$ 30 million grant from the Australian government. This grant was disbursed to further the Latrobe Valley Aquaculture project, which is aimed at enhancing Asian sea bass production capacity. In collaboration with Opal, the company has proposed to develop the worlds largest indoor bio-secure aquaculture facility for growing and processing sustainable Australian barramundi



Barramundi Asia, or Barramundi Group Ltd., forged a strategic partnership with Wild Ocean Australia Pty. Ltd. in December 2022. This partnership secured Barramundi Groups continued involvement in the development of its Kimberley Ocean Barramundi Project; allowing for significant expansion in the region across 13 seawater sites that will ultimately allow the sustainable production of up to 30,000 tons annually.





Request for Report Customization@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-6256

More Insights Available

Future Market Insights offers an unbiased analysis of the Asian sea bass market, providing historical data from 2018 to 2022 and forecast statistics from 2023 to 2033.

To understand opportunities in the Asian sea bass market, the report is segmented on the basis of source (farmed and wild), form (whole, headed and gutted, fillet and frozen), and sales channel (direct sales-B2B, food service and retail sales) across seven major regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Oceania, and Middle East & Africa).

Key Segments Profiled in the Asian Sea Bass Industry Survey

By Source:

Farmed Freshwater Brakishwater

Wild

By Form:

Whole

Headed and Gutted

Fillet

Frozen

By Sales Channel:

Direct Sales-B2B

Food Service

Retail Sales Modern Trade Convenience Store Specialty Food Stores Wholesale Store Discount Stores Online Retail Other Retail Stores



Talk to Our Analyst for Your Queries: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-6256

Table of Content

1. Executive Summary | Asian Sea Bass Market

1.1. Global Market Outlook

1.2. Demand-side Trends

1.3. Supply-side Trends

1.4. Technology Roadmap Analysis

1.5. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy

2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations

3. Market Background

3.1. Market Dynamics

3.1.1. Drivers

3.1.2. Restraints

3.1.3. Opportunity

3.1.4. Trends

3.2. Scenario Forecast

3.2.1. Demand in Optimistic Scenario

3.2.2. Demand in Likely Scenario

3.2.3. Demand in Conservative Scenario

3.3. Opportunity Map Analysis

3.4. Product Life Cycle Analysis

3.5. Supply Chain Analysis

3.5.1. Supply Side Participants and Their Roles

3.5.1.1. Producers

3.5.1.2. Mid-Level Participants (Traders/ Agents/ Brokers)

3.5.1.3. Wholesalers and Distributors

3.5.2. Value Added and Value Created at Node in the Supply Chain

3.5.3. List of Raw Material Suppliers

3.5.4. List of Existing and Potential Buyers

3.6. Investment Feasibility Matrix

3.7. Value Chain Analysis

3.7.1. Profit Margin Analysis

3.7.2. Wholesalers and Distributors

3.7.3. Retailers

3.8. PESTLE and Porters Analysis

3.9. Regulatory Landscape

3.9.1. By Key Regions

3.9.2. By Key Countries

3.10. Regional Parent Market Outlook

3.11. Production and Consumption Statistics

3.12. Import and Export Statistics

4. Global Asian Market Analysis 2018 to 2022 and Forecast, 2023 to 2033

4.1. Historical Market Size Value (US$ Million) & Volume (MT) Analysis, 2018 to 2022

4.2. Current and Future Market Size Value (US$ Million) & Volume (MT) Projections, 2023 to 2033

4.2.1. Y-o-Y Growth Trend Analysis

4.2.2. Absolute $ Opportunity Analysis

Explore FMIs Extensive Coverage in Food & Beverage Domain:

Sea Salt Market Share: The sea salt market size is anticipated to be valued at US$ 18,310.2 Million in 2022 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 3.2% to be valued at US$ 25,089.4 Million by 2032.

Sea Bream Market Value: The sea bream market is valued at US$ 275.9 Million in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period, to reach a value of US$ 522.7 Million by 2032.

Seaweed Protein Market Forecast: The global seaweed protein market size is valued at USD 456.2 Mn in 2022 and it is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3% from 2022 to 2032.

Seaweed Extracts Market Size: The global seaweed extracts market driving factors are increasing demand for seaweed extracts in agriculture industries which helps in improving seed germination, resistance to pests such as aphids and red spider mites, coupled with high resistance to frost.

Seaweed Protein Market Growth: The global seaweed protein market size is valued at USD 456.2 Mn in 2022 and it is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3% from 2022 to 2032.

Seafood Market Demand: The global Seafood market is expected to reach a market valuation of US$ 110.2 Bn by the year 2022, accelerating with a CAGR of 3.6% by 2022-2032.

Seafood Takeout Market Overview: The seafood takeout market is anticipated to have an effective CAGR of 6.50% during the period 2022-2032. The seafood takeout market is expected to expand from US$ 31.1 Billion in 2022 to US$ 51.3 Billion in 2032.

Surimi Market Outlook: As per Future Market Insights (FMI), the global surimi market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 3,572.7 million by the year 2023. It is likely to exhibit a CAGR of 6.1% from 2023 to 2033. It is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 6,548.3 million by 2033.

Frozen Smoked Salmon Market Volume: The global Frozen Smoked Salmon market is expected to witness a market value of US$ 2.4 Billion in 2023 and is expected to accumulate a market value of US$ 4.8 Billion by registering a CAGR of 6.9% in the forecast period 2023 to 2033.

Fishmeal Market Scope: The fish feed market is estimated to account for about USD 112 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach a value of about USD 158.5 billion by 2032.

About Future Market Insights, Inc.

Future Market Insights, Inc. is an ESOMAR-certified business consulting & market research firm, a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and is headquartered in Delaware, USA. A recipient of the Clutch Leaders Award 2022 on account of a high client score (4.9/5), we have been collaborating with global enterprises in their business transformation journey and helping them deliver on their business ambitions. 80% of the largest Forbes 1000 enterprises are our clients. We serve global clients across all leading & niche market segments across all major industries.

Contact Us:

Future Market Insights Inc.

Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive,

Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA

T: +1-845-579-5705

For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com

LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube
Austin, TX, USA, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Custom Market Insights has published a new research report titled Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Size, Trends and Insights By Type (Refurbished Phones, Used Phones), By Pricing Range (Low-priced, Mid-priced, Premium), and By Region - Global Industry Overview, Statistical Data, Competitive Analysis, Share, Outlook, and Forecast 20232032 in its research database.

According to the latest research study, the demand for Global Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market size & share was valued at approximately USD 64.10 Billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 62.79 Billion in 2023 and is expected to reach a value of around USD 146.43 Billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 11.45% during the forecast period 2023 to 2030.

A used smartphone that has been returned to the manufacturer is refurbished. After testing and inspecting the devices internal and external states, the business remanufactures them into new-looking gadgets.

Once a smartphone has some damage, it gets discarded and dumped in landfills. However, if it is repaired and sold, it will have had an opportunity to live. Any smartphone with even a few dings or scrapes on it should never be discarded since it is extremely harmful to the environment. Many smartphone components are made of plastic, and we all know how difficult it is to harm lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, it would be preferable to sell these as refurbished phones that could be offered at a lower cost while still being in excellent shape.

Click Here to Access a Free Sample Report of the Global Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market @ https://www.custommarketinsights.com/request-for-free-sample/?reportid=18409

Beginning with attracting internet commerce, facilitating correspondence, and completing the growth of digitalization, cell phones have become an essential component of peoples life. Modern buyers who are well-informed gravitate toward high-quality, advanced mechanical hardware. Due to the brief upgrade cycle, many buyers are unwilling to commit much time to their new devices.

Market Dynamics

Drivers.

Modern shoppers who are well-educated gravitate toward high-quality, advanced mechanical hardware. Due to the brief upgrade cycle, many buyers are unwilling to commit much time to their new devices. As a result, a sizable portion of the population is demonstrating a preference for second-hand mobile phones, which have their desired features at an affordable price. It is widely acknowledged that factors driving the global market for refurbished and used mobile phones include increasing economies, growing demand for low-priced commodities, and growing consumer acceptance of smartphones.

In addition, increasing consumer dependency on electronic devices in developing countries is necessary to support demand in the global market for refurbished and used mobile phones. Manufacturers of smartphones in developing nations are investing resources in new work to produce high-quality mobile phones that will quickly satisfy customer mechanical demands. Additionally, such a factor is anticipated to promote the global market for refurbished and used mobile phones.

Request a Customized Copy of the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Report @ https://www.custommarketinsights.com/request-for-customization/?reportid=18409

The market for used mobile devices is not as small as first thought. On the contrary, it is progressively becoming the new standard and moving into the mainstream electronics retail arena.

The growth has been exploding as the demand has been increasing. Across all regions, the practicality of used gadgets has equally infiltrated and opened up new use-case possibilities. For several reasons, including a lack of precious metals, cost-conscious consumers, increased access to high-quality refurbished devices, the availability of quality assurance and warranty, and environmental concerns, Asia is predicted to be one of the top markets for refurbished smartphones in the coming years.

A reconditioned product will generate more interest and build the ecosystem if it can give the customer the best possible value, establish a reputation, and offer proactive after-sales services. Hence, this is driving the market for used smartphones market.

Due to the enormous smartphone adoption in emerging nations, the demand for refurbished smartphones has increased significantly in recent years. There is now a greater emphasis on developing distribution channels and acquiring customers to preserve a competitive edge and market share. It is believed that increasing emerging markets in developing nations, increased consumer desire for low-cost items, and rising smartphone penetration all impact the worldwide market for refurbished and used mobile phones.

(A free sample of the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones report is available upon request; please contact us for more information.)



Our Free Sample Report Consists of the following:

Introduction, Overview, and in-depth industry analysis are all included in the 2023 updated report.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak Impact Analysis is included in the package.

About 220+ Pages Research Report (Including Recent Research)

Provide detailed chapter-by-chapter guidance on the Request.

Updated Regional Analysis with a Graphical Representation of Size, Share, and Trends for the Year 2023

Includes Tables and figures have been updated.

The most recent version of the report includes the Top Market Players, their Business Strategies, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis

Custom Market Insights (CMI) research methodology

(Please note that the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones report sample has been modified to include the COVID-19 impact study prior to delivery.)





Request a Customized Copy of the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Report @ https://www.custommarketinsights.com/report/refurbished-used-mobile-phones/

Restraints

The availability of low-quality mobile phones and growing customer security concerns are the main factors limiting industry expansion. The low-quality products also threaten the environment as they contain a high quantity of plastics in them.

Opportunities

Consumers growing reliance on inexpensive, high-quality smartphones is opening up new market expansion prospects. Consumers are technology-oriented and do not want to invest in a lump sum, creating new opportunities for the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones market.

Challenges

The market for refurbished smartphones faces challenges throughout the forecast period due to the widespread availability of smartphones in online stores. Online stores, including Walmart Inc., eBay Inc., and Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon), provide a variety of cell phones at a discount. Additionally, they collaborate with nearby banks to provide discounts via credit and debit cards. They also provide discounts during holidays and the summer, attracting many customers. As a result, the growth of e-commerce companies might have a detrimental effect on the market for refurbished cell phones.

Report Highlights

Based on type, the refurbished phones category is expected to grow at the greatest CAGR and will be in a dominant position in the future. Many buyers are drawn in by the inexpensive prices and discounts sellers offer on refurbished phones. This is driving the market.

Based on the pricing range, the mid-priced segment is leading and is expected to contribute to the refurbished and used mobiles market. This is attributed to the fast-expanding e-Commerce platforms and the advantageous EMI alternatives for customers purchasing old mobile phones in the midrange price band. On the other hand, the widespread usage of semiconductors and the entrance of new competitors have reduced the cost of producing portable reconditioned gadgets.

Request a Customized Copy of the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Report @ https://www.custommarketinsights.com/report/refurbished-used-mobile-phones/

Key questions answered in this report:

What is the size of the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones market and what is its expected growth rate?

What are the primary driving factors that push the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones market forward?

What are the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Industry's top companies?

What are the different categories that the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market caters to?

What will be the fastest-growing segment or region?

In the value chain, what role do essential players play?

What is the procedure for getting a free copy of the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones market sample report and company profiles?

Key Offerings:

Market Share, Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20232030

Market Dynamics  Growth Drivers, Restraints, Investment Opportunities, and Leading Trends

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis by Types of Services, by End-User Services, and by regions

Competitive Landscape  Top Key Vendors and Other Prominent Vendors

Directly Purchase a copy of the report [220+ Pages] @ https://www.custommarketinsights.com/report/refurbished-used-mobile-phones/

Regional Snapshots

Asia-Pacific held a dominant position and is predicted to dominate during the forecast period in the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones market due to the areas increasing infrastructure development. The market for refurbished and used mobile phones in this region may also be driven by rising urbanization, a growing number of tech-savvy people, and quick technical improvements. In China, the usage of reconditioned and used mobile phones has become very popular over time.

China is now one of the nations making large investments in the resale of old and refurbished cell phones. Many buyers and resellers find selling or refurbishing mobile devices through conventional channels challenging. E-Commerce is proving to be the finest platform for buyers and shoppers under these circumstances. These reasons are driving the Refurbished Used Mobile Phones market in this region.

Report Scope

Feature of the Report Details Market Size in 2021 USD 52.34 billion Projected Market Size in 2030 USD 146.43 billion CAGR Growth Rate 11.45% CAGR (2022-2030) Base Year 2022 Forecast Period 2023-2032 Prominent Players Apple Inc., Amazon, Samsung, Verizon Communications Inc., Cashify, Walmart, eBay, Paytm, Huawei, Yaantra, AT&T Inc., and Others Key Segment By Type, Pricing Rang, and Region Report Coverage Revenue Estimation and Forecast, Company Profile, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors and Recent Trends Regional Scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South & Central America Buying Options Request tailored purchasing options to fulfil your requirements for research.

Key Players

Apple Inc.

Amazon

Samsung

Verizon Communications, Inc.

Cashify

Walmart

eBay

Paytm

Huawei

Yaantra

AT&T Inc.

Others

Recent Developments

Around 30 of Walmarts physical locations now offer refurbished iPhones, iPads, and other Apple gadgets as part of the companys In-Store test program. The programs member retailers provide goTRG-certified refurbished Apple goods with a 12-month guarantee.

In January 2022, Flipkart Group bought Yaantra, a company that sells used goods. The acquisition made the recommerce business stronger and gave its smartphone clients better after-sales services.

Phixman and Detel formed a strategic relationship in May 2022 so that Phixman could sell refurbished smartphones with a warranty and extra parts for a very low price. It also planned to offer services at fair prices in all places in India.

In September 2022, Fairphone, a Dutch social enterprise that is building a market for ethical smartphones, started selling refurbished smartphones, called Fairphone 3, New Life Edition, on its website. This was done to encourage smartphones to last longer, reduce e-waste, and save important resources.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro versions were added to the Apple Certified Refurbished store in March 2022. When you buy a product from Apple's Certified Refurbished store, it comes with a new battery, a new shell, genuine Apple part replacements (if needed), and a one-year guarantee.

Request a Customized Copy of the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Report @ https://www.custommarketinsights.com/report/refurbished-used-mobile-phones/

(We customized your report to meet your specific research requirements. Inquire with our sales team about customizing your report.)

Still, Looking for More Information? Do OR Want Data for Inclusion in magazines, case studies, research papers, or Media?

Email Directly Here with Detail Information: support@custommarketinsights.com

Browse the full Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Size, Trends and Insights By Type (Refurbished Phones, Used Phones), By Pricing Range (Low-priced, Mid-priced, Premium), and By Region - Global Industry Overview, Statistical Data, Competitive Analysis, Share, Outlook, and Forecast 20232032 Report at https://www.custommarketinsights.com/report/refurbished-used-mobile-phones/

Segments covered in the report

By Type

Refurbished Phones

Used Phones

By Price Point

Low-priced Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones (Less than $200)

Mid-Priced Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones ($200-$500)

Premium Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones (More than $500)

By Sales Channel

Online/ e-Commerce Sales of Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones

Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Sold at Physical Retail Stores

By Application

Individual

Businesses

Click Here to Get a Free Sample Report of the Global Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market @ https://www.custommarketinsights.com/report/refurbished-used-mobile-phones/

On the basis of Geography

North America

The U.S.

Canada

Mexico

Europe

France

The UK

Spain

Germany

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

Australia

South Korea

Rest of Asia Pacific

The Middle East & Africa

Saudi Arabia

UAE

Egypt

Kuwait

South Africa

Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Latin America

Brazil

Argentina

Rest of Latin America

Click Here to Access a Free Sample Report of the Global Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market @ https://www.custommarketinsights.com/report/refurbished-used-mobile-phones/

Spectacular Deals

Comprehensive coverage

Maximum number of market tables and figures

The subscription-based option is offered.

Best price guarantee

Free 35% or 60 hours of customization.

Free post-sale service assistance.

25% discount on your next purchase.

Service guarantees are available.

Personalized market brief by author.

Browse More Related Reports:

Latin America Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market : Latin America Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Size, Trends and Insights By Type (Refurbished phones, Used phones), By Price point (Low-priced, Mid-priced, Premium), and By Region - Industry Overview, Statistical Data, Competitive Analysis, Share, Outlook, and Forecast 20232032

Middle East and Africa Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market : Middle East and Africa Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Size, Trends and Insights By Type (Refurbished phones, Used phones), By Price point (Low-priced, Mid-priced, Premium), and By Region - Industry Overview, Statistical Data, Competitive Analysis, Share, Outlook, and Forecast 20232032

North America Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market : North America Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Size, Trends and Insights By Type (Refurbished phones, Used phones), By Price point (Low-priced, Mid-priced, Premium), and By Region - Industry Overview, Statistical Data, Competitive Analysis, Share, Outlook, and Forecast 20232032

U.S. Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market : U.S. Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Size, Trends and Insights By Type (Refurbished phones, Used phones), By Price point (Low-priced, Mid-priced, Premium), and By Region - Industry Overview, Statistical Data, Competitive Analysis, Share, Outlook, and Forecast 20232032

Europe Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market : Europe Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Size, Trends and Insights By Type (Refurbished phones, Used phones), By Price point (Low-priced, Mid-priced, Premium), and By Region - Industry Overview, Statistical Data, Competitive Analysis, Share, Outlook, and Forecast 20232032

Asia-Pacific Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market : Asia-Pacific Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Size, Trends and Insights By Type (Refurbished phones, Used phones), By Price point (Low-priced, Mid-priced, Premium), and By Region - Industry Overview, Statistical Data, Competitive Analysis, Share, Outlook, and Forecast 20232032

China Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market : China Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Size, Trends and Insights By Type (Refurbished phones, Used phones), By Price point (Low-priced, Mid-priced, Premium), and By Region - Industry Overview, Statistical Data, Competitive Analysis, Share, Outlook, and Forecast 20232032

GCC Countries Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market : GCC Countries Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Size, Trends and Insights By Type (Refurbished phones, Used phones), By Price point (Low-priced, Mid-priced, Premium), and By Region - Industry Overview, Statistical Data, Competitive Analysis, Share, Outlook, and Forecast 20232032

This Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Research/Analysis Report Contains Answers to the following Questions.

What Developments Are Going On in That Technology? Which Trends Are Causing These Developments?

Who Are the Global Key Players in This Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market? What are Their Company Profile, Product Information, and Contact Information?

What Was the Global Market Status of the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market? What Was the Capacity, Production Value, Cost and PROFIT of the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market?

What Is the Current Market Status of the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Industry? What's Market Competition in This Industry, Both Company and Country Wise? What's Market Analysis of Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market by Considering Applications and Types?

What Are Projections of the Global Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Industry Considering Capacity, Production and Production Value? What Will Be the Estimation of Cost and Profit? What Will Be Market Share, Supply and Consumption? What about imports and exports?

What Is Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Chain Analysis by Upstream Raw Materials and Downstream Industry?

What Is the Economic Impact On Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Industry? What are Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis Results? What Are Global Macroeconomic Environment Development Trends?

What Are Market Dynamics of Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market? What Are Challenges and Opportunities?

What Should Be Entry Strategies, Countermeasures to Economic Impact, and Marketing Channels for Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Industry?

Click Here to Access a Free Sample Report of the Global Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market @ https://www.custommarketinsights.com/report/refurbished-used-mobile-phones/

Reasons to Purchase Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Report

Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Report provides qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market based on segmentation involving economic and non-economic factors.

Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market report outlines market value (USD) data for each segment and sub-segment.

This report indicates the region and segment expected to witness the fastest growth and dominate the market.

Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Analysis by geography highlights the consumption of the product/service in the region and indicates the factors affecting the market within each region.

The competitive landscape incorporates the market ranking of the major players, along with new service/product launches, partnerships, business expansions, and acquisitions in the past five years of companies profiled.

Extensive company profiles comprising company overview, company insights, product benchmarking, and SWOT analysis for the major market players.

The Industry's current and future market outlook concerning recent developments (which involve growth opportunities and drivers as well as challenges and restraints of both emerging and developed regions.

Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Includes in-depth market analysis from various perspectives through Porter's five forces analysis and provides insight into the market through Value Chain.

Reasons for the Research Report

The study provides a thorough overview of the global Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones market. Compare your performance to that of the market as a whole.

Aim to maintain competitiveness while innovations from established key players fuel market growth.

Directly Purchase a copy of the report [220+ Pages] @ https://www.custommarketinsights.com/report/refurbished-used-mobile-phones/

What does the report include?

Drivers, restrictions, and opportunities are among the qualitative elements covered in the worldwide Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones market analysis.

The competitive environment of current and potential participants in the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones market is covered in the report, as well as those companies' strategic product development ambitions.

According to the component, application, and industry vertical, this study analyzes the market qualitatively and quantitatively. Additionally, the report offers comparable data for the important regions.

For each segment mentioned above, actual market sizes and forecasts have been given.

Who should buy this report?

Participants and stakeholders worldwide Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones market should find this report useful. The research will be useful to all market participants in the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones industry.

Managers in the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones sector are interested in publishing up-to-date and projected data about the worldwide Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones market.

Governmental agencies, regulatory bodies, decision-makers, and organizations want to invest in Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones products' market trends.

Market insights are sought for by analysts, researchers, educators, strategy managers, and government organizations to develop plans.

Request a Customized Copy of the Refurbished and Used Mobile Phones Market Report @ https://www.custommarketinsights.com/report/refurbished-used-mobile-phones/

About Custom Market Insights:

Custom Market Insights is a market research and advisory company delivering business insights and market research reports to large, small, and medium-scale enterprises. We assist clients with strategies and business policies and regularly work towards achieving sustainable growth in their respective domains.

CMI provides a one-stop solution for data collection to investment advice. The expert analysis of our company digs out essential factors that help to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The professional experts apply clients inside on the aspects such as strategies for future estimation fall, forecasting or opportunity to grow, and consumer survey.



Follow Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/custom-market-insights/

Follow Us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/custommarketins

Follow Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cmarketinsights

Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@custommarketinsights



Contact Us:



Joel John

CMI Consulting LLC

1333, 701 Tillery Street Unit 12,

Austin, TX, Travis, US, 78702

USA: +1 801-639-9061

India: +91 20 46022736

Email: support@custommarketinsights.com

Web: https://www.custommarketinsights.com/

Blog: https://www.techyounme.com/

Blog: https://atozresearch.com/

Blog: https://www.technowalla.com/

Blog: https://marketresearchtrade.com/
English Finnish

SATO Corporation

Stock exchange release, 11 May 2023 at 9:30 am





Laura Laamanen, MA, has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer and member of the Corporate Management Group at SATO Corporation effective 11 May 2023. Laamanen has been Director, Marketing and Communications at SATO since 2021.



As Chief Commercial Officer, Laamanen will be responsible for the renting of homes to private and corporate customers, SATOs marketing and communications, and digital customer experience development. The commercial organisation at SATO employs around 50 professionals in the fields of sales, marketing, communications and business development. Laura Laamanen reports to President and CEO Antti Aarnio.



Laamanen has a solid track record in the successful development of marketing, communications and the digital customer experience, and also perspectives into a holistic commercial view. Her experience will support the implementation of SATOs strategy and the further improvement of the customer experience we provide, SATO President and CEO Antti Aarnio says.



Customer experience enhancement, particularly on digital platforms, along with responsibility and sustainability in rental housing are at the very core of SATOs strategy. I am very much looking forward to further opportunities to work together with SATO colleagues as well as our stakeholders, notes Chief Commercial Officer Laura Laamanen.





CV Laura Laamanen

born 1972, education: Master of Arts

with SATO since 2021



Key work experience:

SATO Corporation: Director, Marketing and Communications, 20212023

OP Financial Group: Business Lead, Digital Sales, 20162021

NearMe Services: CMO, 20142016

Wunderman Helsinki: Client Service Director, 20112014

Blyk Services: Brand and Design Lead, Brand Manager, 20112006

Satama Interactive: Client Manager, 20022006

Benefon: Regional Manager, 19982002



Members of SATO Corporations Corporate Management Group from 11 May 2023:



Antti Aarnio, President and CEO

Arto Aalto, Executive Vice President, Investments

Markku Honkasalo, Chief Financial Officer

Laura Laamanen, Chief Commercial Officer

Elina Vaurasalo. Executive Vice President, Housing Business





For more information please contact:



SATO Corporation, Antti Aarnio, President and CEO, phone +358 201 344 200, antti.aarnio@sato.fi

Sato Corporation, Laura Laamanen, Chief Commercial Officer, phone +358 400 312 612, laura.laamanen@sato.fi







SATO Corporation is an expert in sustainable rental housing and one of Finlands largest rental housing providers. SATO owns around 25,000 rental homes in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Tampere and Turku.

SATO aims to provide an excellent customer experience and a comprehensive range of urban rental housing alternatives with good access to public transport and services. We promote sustainable development and work in open interaction with our stakeholders. SATO invests profitably, sustainably and with a long-term view. We increase the value of our assets through investments, divestments and repairs.

In 2022, SATO Groups net sales totalled EUR 291.2 million, operating profit EUR 198.9 million and profit before taxes EUR 151.9 million. The value of SATOs investment properties is around EUR 5 billion. www.sato.fi

Attachment
Mr Dangote says NNPC Ltd can become Africa's Saudi Aramco. Mr Elumelu confessed being a beneficiary of the oil company's new efficiency

Africa's richest man and the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd has what it takes to become the African version of Saudi Arabia's Aramco.

Mr Dangote believes that the NNPC can generate billions of dollars in revenue if the right decisions are made.

Mr Dangote made the remark on Wednesday at the ongoing 2023 Upstream Investment Management Services Ltd (NUIMS) Annual Value Assurance Review (AVAR) Workshop in Lagos.

The year's theme is, 'Consolidating for Growth in PIA Era.'

The event was attended by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC Mele Kyari; the Executive Vice President (Upstream), NNPC Adokiye Tombomieye; the Chief Upstream Investment Officer, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services, Bala Wunti; the Chairman, Heirs Holding, Tony Elumelu and other top investors in the Nigerian economy.

According to Mr Dangote, the Petroleum Industry Act brought the transformation of NNPC from a government establishment to a commercial entity with no recourse to government funding.

He said NUIMS has a critical role to play in unlocking funding to take advantage of the huge opportunities in the sector as well as to actively manage the investments to repay its loans, generate reasonable returns, and fund investment in new opportunities.

Mr Dangote said, "I truly believe that NNPC should be our African Aramco. You have what it takes to take you up there and I am very happy. There is nothing that is impossible. You can make it possible and don't let anything scare you. It is just the same thing with us. If I tell you about our own story, you will be shocked as to how. It wasn't only the refinery that we started about six years ago. We had 32 projects that we all rolled out at the same time.

"But then, on the way we had lots of hitches here and there where the devaluation of the currency, Covid, and challenges of infrastructure set in. If you want to want to do a real project in Nigeria, you have to look at the infrastructure that we have, because the infrastructure we have is not meant for mega projects.

"We need to look at our infrastructure and see how we can take ourselves to the next level and it has to be driven by NNPC because they are the largest conglomerate and whatever happens to NNPCL their assets, it actually happens to us either directly or indirectly.

"Without you doing well, the country cannot do well. As the investment arm of NNPC, NUIMS plays a critical role in managing the Federal Government's interest in the oil and gas industry - you are a partner in the Joint Venture (JV) assets and the Concessionaire in the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) arrangements. As important as its oversight function is, my expectation in this post-PIA era is that NUIMS should pivot from being overly focused on its role as a "watchdog" to acquiring the mindset of an aggressive Investment Manager."

The billionaire in his feedback said the NNPC needs to roll out massive investments in terms of oil and gas to meet demand, adding that there are many off-takers waiting to invest.

Mr Dangote said, "Let me quickly illustrate with a personal experience. My businesses in Nigeria require 635 million scf of gas per day with further additional demand as we expand capacity. No businessman will leave such an opportunity on the table. Unfortunately, I hardly get 300 million scf per day and there is no clarity as to when the required gas will become available."

According to the chairman of the Dangote Group, a good investment manager actively seeks out investment opportunities, assesses them and takes an investment decision.

According to him, as a manager, NNPC's principal objective should focus on: delivering strong returns; growing the investment portfolio and managing portfolio risks.

He pointed out that the NNPC must first look into the cost component of its production.

According to Mr Dangote, Nigeria has one of the highest break-even prices globally for extracting oil and gas which results in a long payback period.

He said, "Let's begin with delivering strong returns, which of course is a function of price and cost. While price in your industry is determined by the market and so clearly outside your control, the same cannot be said about cost. More aggressive cost targets need to be adopted and NUIMS staff rewarded with juicy bonuses if they meet these targets.

"You need to benchmark costs with producers in similar basins and aim to be the lowest amongst your peers. Some existing government policies, as laudable as they may be, also need to be re-evaluated. For instance, we need to strike a delicate balance between encouraging local participation in the oil & gas sector and compromising efficiency and cost."

Mr Dangote suggested to the NNPCL that the next course of action as a manager should be to grow its investment portfolio explaining that it would reduce the influence of IOCs.

The Chairman of Heirs Holding, Mr Elumelu, in his comment, lauded the NNPC for the effort it made to curb crude oil theft.

According to him, due to the efforts of the NNPC Ltd, Heirs Oil & Gas has witnessed 96 per cent recovery rate.

Mr Elumelu said, "When I listened to the Group CEO speak today, talking about us moving to 2.5 million barrels, we challenge him to do more. I believe that it is achievable. From losing 97 per cent of our 50,000 barrels production, interestingly and it will be bad of me to have this platform and not share this here.

"That day, I got a call from the GCEO and I thought he was going to kill me for speaking up, to my greatest surprise, he said to me Tony we are sorry about what is happening, we are doing something about it, it will be corrected.

"They worked as a team and the Board of the NNPC, the FG, the security agencies, and last month our recovery factor was 96 per cent. So GCEO NNPC, you have delivered.

"I speak from experience, a beneficiary and one who cried out before and today standing up today to say we have improved our production and that is what we need to encourage more investments in the industry."

He added, "Today, we lifted 501,000 barrels of oil bringing our total lifting this year alone to 2.6m barrels of oil. I am a great beneficiary of the new NNPCL."

Also speaking at the event, Mr Kyari said the challenges facing the oil and gas industry globally has made it compelling for the NNPC to come with more ingenious ways of doing things.

He admitted that there have been challenges with security and underinvestment in recent times, adding that with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act, the NNPC is better positioned to create value for Nigerians.

He said, "The crux of the industry is to make sure the upstream industry works. If the upstream works, there would be cash in the country. We are in cash crunch in the country today, we are in forex crunch today because the upstream has not gotten to a level where we can have surplus to support the economy.

"And the reason is because we have challenges of security, decarbonization issues, energy transition, and reluctance of finance institutions to lend.

"The practicality of all these is that there is difficulty in having access to capital today and this is very obvious, the whole world is lamenting today and there is absolute supply gap in gas in the market in the short term and for a while to come and everyone is taking a step backwards on what could be done to arrest the situation.

"As a company, NNPC is leading this process, we are required to ensure that production cost is optimum, we have interest in nearly every business in the upstream sector and even in the midstream and our performance determines what happens in the industry. We are in a position to go back to normalcy.

"Production target that we have kept over the years of 2 million barrels are realizable but have remained on the powerpoint and this is the time to take them off the powerpoint and resolve the insecurity, investment and financing issues."

As a National Oil Company, Mr Kyari said the NNPC must cooperate with its partners to solve the energy challenges facing the country.

He said it is only through collaborative efforts with its stakeholders and partners that the NNPC can guarantee energy for the nation's industrialization.

Mr Kyari added, "We can solve the problem of energy poverty in the country, we can also support the rest of the world particularly West African countries to resolve the energy crisis that we are facing today. We can also help to resolve the issue of food security and by doing this, we will make more money for the country and businesses make more money.

"We will invest in power and we are doing it and we believe that at the end of the day, we will create sufficient power for the country so that industries will spring up everywhere and create that prosperity that we desire.

"We have the best of workforce that we have anywhere in the world and we have seen many things that they have done. This means that our short term is real, our short term is achievable and as a company, we will satisfy the requirements of our partners and shareholders.

"Our performance will speak for our us and our country and this is what we are focused on doing, we will work with you, we will work with the industry, we will work with our partners, we will work with our shareholders and ultimately, we will deliver value in a short time of three years and this is sufficient to bring all the value on the table.

"We are getting all the support from the security agencies to make sure this works and we are getting maximum cooperation and we will overcome the security challenges and this company will deliver value for all of us."

In his speech at the event, Mr Tombomieye said the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (2021) came with so many expectations for NNPC Limited, which has been transformed into a fully commercial entity.

He said the oil and gas reserve base in Nigeria is enormous as available data indicate that the current crude oil and condensates production of 1.210 million barrels per day as of April has fallen short of the desired aspirations of 1.395 mmbopd for NUIMS.

According to him, additional effort will be required to meet the objectives of growing reserves, oil and gas production, and monetizing the subsurface resources.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Petroleum 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.

He said, "There is no gainsaying that several challenges have be-devilled our operations over time, ageing facilities, obsolete technologies, evacuation challenges, high production cost, inadequate workforce, inadequate funding.

"NUIMS has consistently demonstrated the zeal to overcome some of these challenges, as depicted in the recent strides for the emplacement of the industry-wide Security architecture, which has assisted in restoring production in some corridors.

"We are no longer in the PowerPoint era, and you must channel your energy towards reducing costs and growing production and revenue. Nigerians are watching us, and we must remain accountable to them.

"The Board and Management of NNPC Limited have tasked us with specific deliverables. We have executed the KPIs with timelines on when to deliver and can no longer afford to return with excuses to our principals for nonperformance.

"Let us consider ourselves partners in progress, and every contribution is for the collective good of the Company. Knowing fully that the strength of a chain is at its weakest link, we must strive to support each other on this journey of making the Upstream Directorate the shining light of the Company as it has always been. "

In his address of welcome, Mr Wunti said NUIMS currently has over $60bn assets under its management which has position it effectively to contribute significantly to the development of the Nigerian economy.

He said," We have assets under management that are $60bn and out of these assets, we are expected to produce so much hydrocarbon in a very difficult environment and that hydrocarbon we will produce tends to achieve the things NNPC has set as responsibility.

"There's no better engine of growth in any economy than its SMEs. Our SMEs today are being faced with several problems. But one problem outside physical issue is the inadequacy of energy. And this energy security is our responsibility and we are having various challenges and if we have $60bn of assets under our management, and if those assets represent 75 per cent of the total assets of the country, it means 75 per cent of our inability to deliver that energy is a result of our action or inaction.

"We needed to understand what exactly we are doing right and wrong, and particularly what we can improve on."

He said NNPC would continue to conduct its operation in a manner that ensure financial discipline, execution discipline, and operational discipline.

"The only way we can achieve this is to use our human capital and we will listen to our partners so we can move further while actualizing what they expect from us," he concluded.
BERLIN, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Aircraft Braking Systems Market Size accounted for USD 11.6 Billion in 2022 and is estimated to achieve a market size of USD 17.7 Billion by 2032 growing at a CAGR of 4.4% from 2023 to 2032.



Aircraft Braking Systems Market Highlights and Stats:

In 2022, the worldwide Aircraft Braking Systems market was valued at USD 11,600 million, and it is projected to expand to USD 17,700 million by 2032. The market is expected to experience a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.4% during this period.

The Aircraft Braking Systems Market in North America was valued at over USD 4.3 billion in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific market for aircraft braking systems is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 5% from 2023 to 2032.

Within the market, the power brake systems sub-segment saw significant growth, generating over US$ 5.2 billion in revenue in 2022.

In terms of distribution channel, the OEM sub-segment had the largest market share, accounting for 74% of the market in 2022.



Request For Free Sample Report @ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/request-sample/3141

Aircraft Braking Systems Market Report Coverage:

Market Aircraft Braking Systems Market Aircraft Braking Systems Market Size 2022 USD 11.6 Billion Aircraft Braking Systems Market Forecast 2032 USD 17.7 Billion Aircraft Braking Systems Market CAGR During 2023 - 2032 4.4% Aircraft Braking Systems Market Analysis Period 2020 - 2032 Aircraft Braking Systems Market Base Year 2022 Aircraft Braking Systems Market Forecast Data 2023 - 2032 Segments Covered By Component, By Aircraft Type, By Actuation, By Fit Type, By Distribution Channel, And By Geography Aircraft Braking Systems Market Regional Scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa Key Companies Profiled Honeywell International Inc., Meggitt PLC, Safran Landing Systems, Parker Hannifin Corporation, Beringer Aero, Collins Aerospace, Lufthansa Technik AG, Crane Aerospace & Electronics, Goodrich Corporation, Mersen SA, and UTC Aerospace Systems. Report Coverage

Market Trends, Drivers, Restraints, Competitive Analysis, Player Profiling, Regulation Analysis

Aircraft Braking Systems Market Analysis:

The Aircraft Braking Systems Market is expected to grow due to the increasing demand for air travel and the rising number of aircraft in operation globally. Aircraft braking systems play a crucial role in ensuring the safe landing and takeoff of aircraft, and advancements in technology have led to the development of more efficient and reliable braking systems. The market is also being driven by regulatory requirements for improved safety standards and the need for lightweight and energy-efficient systems. However, challenges in the market include the high cost of development and maintenance, as well as the complexity of integrating braking systems with other aircraft systems. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the aviation industry and could impact the growth of the aircraft braking systems market in the short term. Nevertheless, the increasing demand for air travel and the need for modernization of aging aircraft fleets are expected to drive the growth of the aircraft braking systems market in the long run.

Aircraft Braking Systems Market Trends:

Electric Braking Systems: The aviation industry is transitioning towards more energy-efficient aircraft braking systems, with electric braking systems gaining traction due to their reduced weight and improved performance.

Carbon Brakes: Carbon brakes are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to withstand high temperatures, reduce weight, and increase efficiency compared to traditional steel brakes.

Anti-Skid Systems: Anti-skid systems are being integrated into aircraft braking systems to prevent skidding on wet or slippery runways, improving safety and reliability.

Autonomous Braking Systems: Autonomous braking systems are being developed to assist pilots during landing and takeoff, reducing the risk of accidents and increasing efficiency.

Intelligent Braking Systems: Intelligent braking systems are being designed to optimize braking performance by monitoring factors such as runway conditions, aircraft weight, and speed.

Regenerative Braking: Regenerative braking systems are being developed to capture energy during braking and store it for later use, reducing fuel consumption and increasing efficiency.

Brake-by-Wire Systems: Brake-by-wire systems are being developed to improve the responsiveness and accuracy of braking systems, reducing the risk of accidents.

Landing Gear Systems: Landing gear systems are being designed to integrate with braking systems, improving overall landing and takeoff performance.

Emergency Braking Systems: Emergency braking systems are being developed to provide a failsafe mechanism in case of system failures or emergencies.

Thrust Reversers: Thrust reversers are being integrated with aircraft braking systems to reduce landing distances and improve efficiency.

Green Braking Systems: Green braking systems are being developed to reduce carbon emissions and improve the environmental sustainability of aviation.



Growth Dynamics in the Aircraft Braking Systems Market:

Increasing Air Traffic: The growth of the aviation industry and increasing air traffic has driven the demand for more advanced and efficient aircraft braking systems.

Safety and Reliability: The importance of safety and reliability in aviation has led to increased investment in advanced braking systems that can withstand extreme conditions and reduce the risk of accidents.

Increasing Awareness: Increasing awareness among airlines and aircraft manufacturers about the importance of advanced braking systems in improving safety and reducing costs has also contributed to market growth.

New Product Launches: The launch of new and innovative products by key market players has also driven the growth of the aircraft braking systems market.

Growing Defense Budgets: Increased defense spending in various countries has driven the demand for advanced braking systems in military aircraft.

Globalization: The globalization of the aviation industry has driven the demand for more standardized and efficient aircraft braking systems.

Increasing Demand for Cargo Transportation: The growth of e-commerce and online shopping has driven the demand for more efficient cargo transportation, driving the demand for advanced aircraft braking systems.

Mergers and Acquisitions: Mergers and acquisitions among key market players have also contributed to market growth, by enabling the consolidation of resources and expertise.

Focus on Cost Reduction: The need for cost reduction in the aviation industry has driven the demand for more efficient and cost-effective aircraft braking systems.



Aircraft Braking Systems Market: Reasons for Slowdown:

Economic Recession: Economic downturns and recessions can significantly reduce air travel, leading to a decline in demand for aircraft braking systems.

High Development Costs: The high cost of developing new and innovative aircraft braking systems can be a significant barrier to entry for new market players.

Limited Innovation: A lack of innovation in the market could reduce the demand for aircraft braking systems and limit market growth.

Competition from hydraulic or pneumatic braking systems could reduce demand for aircraft braking systems.

Limited Adoption of Electric Aircraft: Limited adoption of electric aircraft, which require electric braking systems, could slow down the growth of the aircraft braking systems market.

Fluctuating Raw Material Prices: Fluctuating prices of raw materials used in manufacturing aircraft braking systems can lead to increased costs and reduced profitability.

Dependency on Aircraft Manufacturing Industry: The aircraft braking systems market is highly dependent on the aircraft manufacturing industry, which can be volatile and subject to economic downturns.

Safety Concerns: Safety concerns related to the use of aircraft braking systems can lead to increased regulation and reduced demand for the systems.

Check the detailed table of contents of the report @

https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/table-of-content/aircraft-braking-systems-market

Segmentation of the Aircraft Braking Systems Market:

Based on Component

Wheels

Brake Discs

Brake Housing

Electronics

Other



Based fit type

RetroFIt

Line Fit

Based on Aircraft Type

General Aviation

Regional Jet

Military

Helicopter

Commercial



Aircraft Braking Systems Actuations

Independent Brake Systems

Boosted Brake Systems

Power Brake Systems





Based on Distribution Channel

Aftermarket

OEMs

Aircraft Braking Systems Market Regional Analysis:

Aircraft Braking Systems market share for the North American region is the largest worldwide in revenue terms, due to the presence of leading aircraft manufacturers, including Boeing and Airbus, in this region. The demand for commercial aircraft is expected to increase in the region due to the rise in air travel, which will drive the market growth. Moreover, the presence of major market players, such as Honeywell Aerospace, Meggitt, and UTC Aerospace Systems, in the region, further boosts market growth.

Aircraft Braking Systems Market share for the Asia-Pacific region is experiencing the fastest growth, due to the increasing demand for air travel in the region. The rise in passenger traffic is driving the demand for new aircraft in the region, which will drive the market growth. Moreover, the increasing defense spending in countries such as China and India is expected to boost the growth of the military aircraft segment in the region.

Europe is an important market for Aircraft Braking Systems, due to the presence of established aviation infrastructure and several aircraft manufacturing companies in the region. The demand for advanced braking systems is increasing due to the rising demand for fuel-efficient aircraft and the adoption of new technologies in aircraft manufacturing. Moreover, the growth in air traffic in the region is driving the demand for new aircraft, which is expected to further boost market growth.

The MEA and South American regional markets have a smaller Aircraft Braking Systems market share, due to the increase in air travel in the region. The demand for new aircraft is increasing due to the growth in the tourism industry in countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia etc, which is driving the market growth. The region also has a significant military aircraft market, which is expected to further boost the demand for aircraft braking systems.

Buy this premium research report 

https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/buy-now/0/3141

Key Players in the Aircraft Braking Systems Market:

Honeywell International Inc., Safran S.A., Crane Aerospace & Electronics, Meggitt PLC, United Technologies Corporation, Beringer Aero USA, Carlisle Companies Inc., Collins Aerospace, Grove Aircraft Landing Gear Systems Inc., GKN Aerospace Services Limited, Lufthansa Technik AG, MAT Holdings Inc., Parker Hannifin Corporation, UTC Aerospace Systems, SGL Carbon SE, Turbomeca (Safran), Weststar Aviation Services Sdn Bhd, Allied Motion Technologies Inc., Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), Brembo S.p.A., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Heroux-Devtek Inc., Messier-Bugatti-Dowty (Safran), Nissin Kogyo Co. Ltd. and Snecma (Safran).

Browse More Research Topic on Aerospace Industries Related Reports:

The Global Inflight Advertising Market Size accounted for USD 3.1 Billion in 2022 and is estimated to achieve a market size of USD 7.8 Billion by 2032 growing at a CAGR of 9.7% from 2023 to 2032.

The Global eVTOL Market Size accounted for USD 6,937 Million in 2021 and is estimated to achieve a market size of USD 30,519 Million by 2030 growing at a CAGR of 18.3% from 2022 to 2030.

The Global Space Power Electronics Market accounted for USD 203 Million in 2021 and is estimated to reach USD 770 Million by 2030, with a significant CAGR of 16.4% from 2022 to 2030

About Acumen Research and Consulting:

Acumen Research and Consulting is a global provider of market intelligence and consulting services to information technology, investment, telecommunication, manufacturing, and consumer technology markets. ARC helps investment communities, IT professionals, and business executives to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and develop firm growth strategies to sustain market competition. With the team size of 100+ Analysts and collective industry experience of more than 200 years, Acumen Research and Consulting assures to deliver a combination of industry knowledge along with global and country level expertise.

For Latest Update Follow Us on Twitter , Instagram and LinkedIn

Contact Us:

Mr. Richard Johnson

Acumen Research and Consulting

USA: +13474743864

India: +918983225533

E-mail: sales@acumenresearchandconsulting.com
May 11, 2023

Late-breaking data presented from largest-ever randomized controlled multicenter clinical trial on optimizing patient safety during coronary procedures

Philips-hosted symposiums and onsite trainings to empower better heart care through integrated imaging, devices, software, informatics and services

Amsterdam, the Netherlands  Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, is showcasing end-to-end cardiology solutions through the care pathway at the annual meeting for the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EuroPCR, May 16-19, Paris, France) to deliver better heart care for patients with greater efficiency. The Philips cardiology portfolio addresses the need for integrating imaging, devices, software, informatics, and services at each point in the cardiac patient journey. Philips proven physiology technologies can enable interventionalists to perform ultra-low contrast percutaneous coronary intervention (ULC-PCI) procedures with greater confidence.

Late-breaking clinical sessions on evidence-based coronary imaging

In line with the companys commitment to supporting its innovations with clinical evidence, Philips clinical partners will present new data during late-breaking sessions at EuroPCR that could help inform treatment for PCI patients.

Dynamic coronary roadmap for contrast reduction trial (DCR4Contrast) : Prof. Javier Escaned, Head of the Interventional Cardiology Section at Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid Spain, will present results from the DCR4Contrast trial, the largest-ever randomized controlled clinical trial on this topic, which investigated the ability of Philips Dynamic Coronary Roadmap (DCR) to reduce the total iodinated contrast media volumes administered during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures, compared to PCI performed without DCR guidance. The late-breaker presentation will take place on Tuesday, May 16 at 12:00 to 13:30 (CET) in Room Maillot. Prof. Escaned will also present the results from the DCR4Contrast trial and is available for questions during the EuroPCR 2023 Press Conference taking place on Tuesday 16 May from 08:05  09:15am CET in the Press Room on Level 3.





(DCR4Contrast) Prof. Javier Escaned, Head of the Interventional Cardiology Section at Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid Spain, will present results from the DCR4Contrast trial, the largest-ever randomized controlled clinical trial on this topic, which investigated the ability of to reduce the total iodinated contrast media volumes administered during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures, compared to PCI performed without DCR guidance. The late-breaker presentation will take place on Tuesday, May 16 at 12:00 to 13:30 (CET) in Room Maillot. Prof. Escaned will also present the results from the DCR4Contrast trial and is available for questions during the taking place on Tuesday 16 May from 08:05  09:15am CET in the Press Room on Level 3. iFR versus FFR-guided revascularization decision-making: Dr. Takayuki Warisawa, Interventional cardiologist at NTT Medical Center in Tokyo, Japan, will present new data on iFR versus FFR-guided revascularization decision-making in disease of the left main ventricle. The late-breaker presentation adds to a growing body of evidence showing iFR improves patient outcomes and optimizes procedural results. The session will take place on Tuesday 16 May from 12:00 to 13:00 CET in Room Maillot.





Dr. Takayuki Warisawa, Interventional cardiologist at NTT Medical Center in Tokyo, Japan, will present new data on iFR versus FFR-guided revascularization decision-making in disease of the left main ventricle. The late-breaker presentation adds to a growing body of evidence showing iFR improves patient outcomes and optimizes procedural results. The session will take place on Tuesday 16 May from 12:00 to 13:00 CET in Room Maillot. DEFINE-FLAIR five-year follow-up: Prof. Javier Escaned will also present 5-year data from the DEFINE FLAIR clinical trial comparing patient outcomes using instant wave-free ratio (iFR) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. The late-breaker presentation will take place on Thursday, May 18 from 15:15 to 16:45 CET in Room Maillot.





Prof. Javier Escaned will also present 5-year data from the DEFINE FLAIR clinical trial comparing patient outcomes using instant wave-free ratio (iFR) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. The late-breaker presentation will take place on Thursday, May 18 from 15:15 to 16:45 CET in Room Maillot. Radiographic imaging validation and Evaluation for angio iFR (ReVEAL iFR): Dr. Yoshinobu Onuma will present the results of this multi-center, prospective, single-arm, open-label data collection with centralized off-line data analysis intended to demonstrate the diagnostic performance of angiographic-derived iFR single plane angiogram derived physiology model using the invasive physiological measures of both iFR and FFR as the reference standards. The late-breaker presentation will take place on Thursday, May 18 at 15:15 to 16:45 CET in Room Maillot.

More information on these sessions and the full EuroPCR 2023 program can be found here .

Highlight innovations from Philips cardiology portfolio on display at EuroPCR include Philips Image Guided Therapy System  Azurion , Philips Interventional Applications Platform  IntraSight , next to visualization solutions such as Philips Precision Guidance System  SyncVision , Philips Dynamic Coronary Roadmap , live echo and live X-ray fusion tool  EchoNavigator, Pressure Guide Wire  OmniWire and its intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheters . Next to this, Philips will showcase atherectomy solutions, such as RX PTCA Scoring Balloon Catheter  AngioSculpt Evo , and its coronary laser atherectomy catheter  ELCA .

Live expert-led training sessions, symposiums and in-booth displays will give physicians and media insights into the latest developments in optimizing ULC-PCI procedures. Philips will also hold IVUS Simulation Sessions on recognizing different types of calcified plaque by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography. In the Philips Training Village visitors can learn more about how Philips solutions support interventionalists in minimizing the contrast load for the patient and physicians, and in performing interventional procedures with clarity and confidence using solutions such as IVUS, iFR, FFR and laser, improving cardiac care experiences for staff and patients.

For a full calendar of Philips events, session registration and to learn more about cardiology solutions being showcased in Philips Booth #F20 at EuroPCR 2023, please visit our website .

For further information, please contact:

Joost Maltha

Philips Global Press Office

Tel: +31 6 10 55 8116

Email: joost.maltha@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2022 sales of EUR 17.8 billion and employs approximately 74,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter .

Attachments
Dublin, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Organ Transplant Diagnostics Market - A Global and Regional Analysis: Focus on Offering, Application, Technology, Transplant Type, End User, and Country Analysis - Analysis and Forecast, 2023-2033" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global organ transplant diagnostics market was valued at $4.03 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $11.78 billion by 2033, with a CAGR of 10.45% during the forecast period 2023-2033.

The key factors driving growth include a rise in the incidence of chronic diseases leading to organ failure increases in the use of transplant diagnostics, increase in the adoption of stem cell therapy and incidences of leukemia leading to an upsurge in demand for transplant diagnostics tests, advantages of developing advanced molecular and genomic technologies in the transplant diagnostics, and presence of favorable regulatory scenario including reimbursement schemes.

Market Lifecycle Stage

The global organ transplant diagnostics market is in the developed phase. The development of non-invasive techniques for monitoring transplant recipients using NGS and advancements in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing tests for an organ transplant are some of the major opportunities in the global organ transplant diagnostics market.

Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the healthcare segment in different ways. The organ transplant segment of the industry got highly impacted by the pandemic, as the focus of hospitals and ambulatory centers shifted toward the affected patients. Moreover, as a method of prevention, surgeries got delayed, which had a significant effect on organ transplant procedures and on organ transplant diagnostics tests.

Recent Developments in the Global Organ Transplant Diagnostics Market

In April 2023, bioMerieux S.A. and Oxford Nanopore entered into a strategic partnership agreement to develop innovative infectious disease diagnostics, which would also lead to the development of infectious disease tests used during transplantation.

In April 2023, CareDx and Miromatrix announced an exclusive partnership to advance research using bioengineered organs for human transplantation.

In December 2022, GenDx partnered with Azure Biosystems, a leading provider of innovative bioanalytical solutions for protein and genomic research, to demonstrate the compatibility of the Azure Cielo 6 qPCR System with the GenDx KMRtype and KMRtrack kits.

In November 2022, Bio-Rad Laboratories and NuProbe USA signed a licensing agreement for digital PCR assay development. The technology would advance Bio-Rad's portfolio.

In October 2022, Eurobio Scientific finalized the purchase of a 100% stake in Genome Diagnostics BV (GenDx) in a deal valued at $132.3 million.

In September 2022, BioMAdvanced Diagnostics announced fundraising of $1.3 million. The fundraising would allow BioMAdvanced Diagnostics to finalize the design of its first products and to start two clinical studies, one on the rejection of kidney transplants and the other on the lung.

In September 2022, BioMAdvanced Diagnostics announced the launch of Design Freeze of its IVD test for transplant kidney rejection.

In September 2022, GenDx announced that it signed a non-exclusive service agreement with Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford Nanopore) to bring its new NGS-Turbo product to the transplant market for high-resolution HLA typing.

Demand - Drivers and Limitations



The following are the drivers for the Global Organ Transplant Diagnostics market:

Rise in the Incidence of Chronic Diseases Leading to Organ Failure Increases the Use of Transplant Diagnostics

Increase in the Adoption of Stem Cell Therapy and Incidences of Leukemia Leading to an Upsurge in Demand for Transplant Diagnostics Tests

Advantages of Developing Advanced Molecular and Genomic Technologies in the Transplant Diagnostics Tests

Presence of Favorable Regulatory Scenario Including Reimbursement Schemes

The market is expected to face some limitations as well due to the following challenges:

Increased Gap in Organ Donation and Organ Transplant Demand, which Hinders the Growth of the Organ Transplant Diagnostics Market

High Cost of Investment for Transplant Diagnostics Tests

Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis

The companies that are profiled have been selected based on inputs gathered from primary experts and analyzing company coverage, product portfolio, and market penetration.

Key Companies Profiled

Abbott Laboratories

BAG Group GmbH

bioMerieux S.A.

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

Eurobio Scientific

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Illumina, Inc.

Immucor, Inc.

Omixon Inc.

QIAGEN N.V.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

ARUP Laboratories

CareDx, Inc.

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 212 Forecast Period 2023 - 2033 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $4.36 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2033 $11.78 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 10.5% Regions Covered Global

Key Topics Covered:

1 Product Definition

2 Market Scope

3 Research Methodology

4 Global Organ Transplant Diagnostics Market: Overview

4.1 Current Market Scenario

4.1.1 For Researchers

4.1.2 For Diagnostics

4.2 Market Footprint

4.3 COVID-19 Impact on Market

4.3.1 Impact on Operations

4.3.2 COVID-19 Impact: Current Scenario of Market

4.3.3 Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Impact Assessment

4.3.3.1 Pre-COVID-19 Phase

4.3.3.2 Post-COVID-19 Phase

5 Global Organ Transplant Diagnostics Market: Industry Analysis

5.1 Overview

5.2 Legal Requirements and Regulatory Frameworks in the U.S.

5.2.1 U.S. FDA Regulation

5.2.2 CMS Regulation

5.3 Legal Requirements and Framework in Europe

5.4 Legal Requirements and Framework in Asia-Pacific

5.4.1 China

5.4.2 Japan

5.5 Reimbursement Scenario

5.6 Patent Analysis

5.6.1 Patent Filing Trend (by Country)

5.6.2 Patent Filing Trend (by Year)

6 Global Organ Transplant Diagnostics Market: Market Dynamics

6.1 Impact Analysis

6.2 Market Drivers

6.2.1 Rise in Incidence of Chronic Diseases Leading to Organ Failure Increases the Use of Transplant Diagnostics

6.2.2 Increase in Adoption of Stem Cell Therapy and Incidences of Leukemia Leading to an Upsurge in Demand for Transplant Diagnostics Tests

6.2.3 Presence of Favorable Regulatory Scenarios including Reimbursement Schemes for Some Organ Transplant Diagnostics

6.2.4 Advantages of Developing Advanced Molecular and Genomic Technologies in Transplant Diagnostics Tests

6.3 Market Restraints

6.3.1 Increased Gap in Organ Donation and Organ Transplant Demand Hinders the Growth of Organ Transplant Diagnostics Market

6.3.2 High Cost of Investment for Transplant Diagnostics Tests Acts as a Barrier to Growth of the Market

6.4 Market Opportunities

6.4.1 Development of Non-Invasive Techniques for Monitoring Transplant Recipients using NGS

6.4.2 Advancements in Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Typing Tests for Organ Transplant

7 Competitive Insights

7.1 Overview

7.2 Key Strategies and Development

7.2.1 Synergistic Activities

7.2.2 Product and Service Launches

7.2.3 Product Approvals

7.2.4 Acquisitions and Mergers

7.2.5 Regulatory Accreditions

7.3 Market Share Analysis 2021 vs. 2022

7.4 Growth-Share Analysis

7.4.1 By Company

8 Global Organ Transplant Diagnostics Market: (by Offering)

8.1 Overview

8.2 Products

8.2.1 Kits and Assays

8.2.2 Consumables

8.3 Services

9 Global Organ Transplant Diagnostics Market: (by Transplant Type)

9.1 Overview

9.2 Solid Organ Transplant

9.2.1 Kidney

9.2.2 Liver

9.2.3 Lung

9.2.4 Pancreas

9.2.5 Other Organs Transplant

9.3 Stem Cell Transplant

10 Global Organ Transplant Diagnostics Market: (by Application)

10.1 Overview

10.2 Diagnostics

10.2.1 Donor Testing

10.2.1.1 Pre-Transplantation Testing

10.2.1.1.1 Histocompatibility Testing

10.2.1.1.2 Blood Profiling Testing

10.2.1.1.3 Other Testing

10.2.1.2 Post-Transplantation Testing

10.2.1.2.1 Post-Infection Testing

10.2.1.2.2 Risk of Disorder Testing

10.2.1.2.3 Other Testing

10.2.2 Recipient Testing

10.2.2.1 Pre-Transplantation Testing

10.2.2.1.1 Histocompatibility Testing

10.2.2.1.2 Blood Profiling Testing

10.2.2.1.3 Other Testing

10.2.2.2 Post-Transplantation Testing

10.2.2.2.1 Post-Infection Testing

10.2.2.2.2 Risk of Disorder Testing

10.2.2.2.3 Other Testing

10.3 Translational Research

11 Global Organ Transplant Diagnostics Market: (by Technology)

11.1 Overview

11.2 Molecular Technologies

11.2.1 PCR

11.2.2 Sanger Sequencing

11.2.3 Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)

11.2.4 Other Molecular Technologies

11.3 Non-Molecular Technologies

11.3.1 Serology

11.3.2 Flow Cytometry

11.4 Other Technologies

12 Global Organ Transplant Diagnostics Market: (by End User)

12.1 Overview

12.2 Hospitals and Transplant Centers

12.3 Academic and Research Institutions

12.4 Reference Laboratories

12.5 Other End Users

13 Region

14 Company Profiles

14.1 Overview

14.2 Manufacturers

14.3 Service Providers

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gcoabt

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
London, United Kingdom, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Market Research Future (MRFR) 's report highlights Menswear Market Information By Type, Season, Distribution Channel, And Region - Forecast till 2032, the market will achieve USD 988.24 billion by 2032 at a 6.20% CAGR.

Menswear Market Overview

In 2022, the global menswear market was estimated to be worth USD 575.1 billion. The menswear market is expected to increase from USD 610.75 billion in 2023 to USD 988.24 billion by 2032, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.20% between 2023 and 2032. Growing fashion concerns among males, as well as the proliferation of e-commerce, have contributed to the market's growth.

Market Synopsis

Market The adoption of a luxury lifestyle by consumers has affected millennials' purchasing power to choose luxury clothes. People often invest in trendy clothing, party dress, and even sleepwear. Rapid development and increased urbanisation result in a modern consumer class with more disposable income, which develops a growing interest in contemporary fashion.

Menswear is seeing an upsurge in demand for occasion-specific clothing. The digitalization of online shopping applications, men's improved spending power, and their expanding awareness of apparel are expected to fuel long-term market CAGR.

expanded Internet and e-commerce exposure has expanded fashion awareness as well as the availability of luxury brands and one-of-a-kind things. Companies have changed their focus to men's apparel in recent years due to increased purchasing power in burgeoning markets such as China and India. The growing influence of the media and advertising methods used by e-commerce platforms, such as celebrity endorsements, promotional discounts, and seasonal sales, is expected to fuel industry growth in the future years.

Furthermore, as the number of Internet users has grown, so has the volume of online transactions and the average amount of money spent online. Users are willing to purchase things quickly due to the ease, convenience, and time-saving benefits of online purchasing. Several luxury businesses are forming alliances with technology companies to improve the shopping experiences of their customers. As a result, such things contribute to the revenue of the menswear market.

Increased internet and e-commerce exposure has increased fashion consciousness and the availability of high-end brands and unique products. Companies have targeted men's apparel in recent years as a result of rising purchasing power in emerging markets such as China and India.

Along with men's wear businesses such as Ralph Lauren, Burberry, and Armani, well-known designers see men's wear as a market with enormous potential. Furthermore, when men's purchasing power increases around the world, the situation improves.

Celebrity appearances in movies, television, news, publications, posters, and talk programmes have a tremendous influence on fashion and wearing patterns. Celebrities affect fashion by wearing what is currently fashionable, but they also create trends. Their looks at airports, red carpet events, and premieres have a significant fashion influence. This has been consistently establishing new fashion trends.

Get Free Sample PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/11509

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2030 2032: USD 988.24 Billion CAGR 6.20% CAGR (2023-2032) Base Year 2022 Forecast Period 2023-2032 Historical Data 2018-2022 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Type, Season, Distribution Channel, and By Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Key Market Drivers Growing adoption of fashion among men

Key Companies in the Menswear market include 

Adidas AG

Burberry Group Plc

Gap Inc

Giorgio Armani S.p.A

H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB

Kering S.A.

Levi Strauss & Co.

Nike Inc.

Prada S.p.A.

PVH Corp.

Ralph Lauren Corporation

Zara S.A. (Industria de Diseno Textil, S.A.)

Browse In-depth Market Research Report (128 Pages) on Menswear Market: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/menswear-market-11509

Segmentation

The global menswear market is segmented on the basis of type, season, distribution channel, and region.

By type, the menswear market is segmented into trousers, denims, shirts and t-shirts, ethnic wear, and others. Of these, the others segment dominated the market with 35% of market revenue and is expected to remain dominant over the forecast period.

By season, the menswear market is segmented into summer wear, winter wear, and all-season wear. Of these, the all-season wear segment held largest share and is likely to remain dominant over the forecast period.

By distribution channel, the market is segmented into supermarkets and hypermarkets, exclusive stores, multi-brand retail outlets, online stores, and others. Of these, the supermarkets and hypermarkets segment held largest share in the revenue and is likely to be dominant over the forecast period.

By region, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World.

Buy Now: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=11509

Regional Analysis

This market will be dominated by the North American menswear market. The market is growing as a result of rising demand for luxury items, strong purchasing power, and celebrity endorsements. Retailers in the region are integrating digital marketing displays and payments to improve the in-store experience in order to gain momentum with offline businesses. The area will be the next key market for menswear over the projection period due to the robust economic expansion and the digital revolution.

From 2023 to 2032, the Asia-Pacific menswear market is predicted to develop at the quickest CAGR. In recent years, China and India have seen substantial expansion in their menswear industry. This is because manly buyers value quality and fashion and prefer to buy high-grade clothing. Today's youth are heavily influenced by actors and fashion models. They want clothing that is both versatile and trendy. In India, there are various festivals for which men must dress differently.

Indian companies are developing relationships with well-known designers to boost the quality and fashion of menswear. Furthermore, the Chinese menswear market is being driven by the country's rapid economic development, the rising spending power of China's urban middle-class customers, brand awareness, and desire for high-quality garments. The future of online shopping for men will continue to grow as customer acceptance of the Internet as an alternative purchasing channel grows. Furthermore, China's menswear market had the biggest market share, while India's menswear market was the fastest expanding in the Asia-Pacific region.

Discover more research Reports on Consumer and Retail Industry , by Market Research Future:

Marktforschungsbericht fur Loungewear Informationen nach Material (Baumwolle, Wolle, Seide und andere), Endverbraucher (Frauen, Manner und Kinder), Vertriebskanal (Geschafte {Supermarkte und Verbrauchermarkte, Fachgeschafte und andere} und nicht im Geschaft) und Region (Nordamerika, Europa, Asien-Pazifik und Rest der Welt) - Prognose bis 2027

Luxusmodemarkt Informationen nach Produkttyp (Kleidung und Bekleidung, Schuhe und Accessoires), nach Endverbraucher (Manner, Frauen und Unisex), nach Vertriebskanal (im Geschaft und nicht im Geschaft) und Region (Nordamerika, Europa, Asien-Pazifik, Rest der Welt)  Prognose bis 2028

Denim Market Research Report Information By Distribution Channel (Online, Offline), By Technology (Rigid, Semi-rigid, Flexible), By End User (Men, Women, Children), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World)Forecast till 2030

About Market Research Future:

Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis with regard to diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions.

Contact:
Dublin, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Partnering Terms and Agreements 2010 to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Partnering Terms and Agreements 2010 to 2023 report provides an understanding and access to the artificial intelligence partnering deals and agreements entered into by the worlds leading healthcare companies.

Trends in artificial intelligence partnering deals

Disclosed headlines, upfronts, milestones and royalties by stage of development

Artificial intelligencepartnering contract documents

Top artificial intelligence deals by value

The Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Partnering Terms and Agreements 2010 to 2023 report provides an understanding and access to the artificial intelligence partnering deals and agreements entered into by the worlds leading healthcare companies.



The report provides a detailed understanding and analysis of how and why companies enter artificial intelligencepartnering deals. The majority of deals are early development stage whereby the licensee obtains a right or an option right to license the licensors artificial intelligencetechnology or product candidates. These deals tend to be multicomponent, starting with collaborative R&D, and commercialization of outcomes.



This report provides details of the latest artificial intelligence, oligonucletides including aptamers agreements announced in the healthcare sectors.



Understanding the flexibility of a prospective partner's negotiated deals terms provides critical insight into the negotiation process in terms of what you can expect to achieve during the negotiation of terms. Whilst many smaller companies will be seeking details of the payments clauses, the devil is in the detail in terms of how payments are triggered - contract documents provide this insight where press releases and databases do not.



This report contains a comprehensive listing of all artificial intelligence partnering deals announced since 2010 including financial terms where available including over 950 links to online deal records of actual artificial intelligence partnering deals as disclosed by the deal parties. In addition, where available, records include contract documents as submitted to the Securities Exchange Commission by companies and their partners.



Contract documents provide the answers to numerous questions about a prospective partner's flexibility on a wide range of important issues, many of which will have a significant impact on each party's ability to derive value from the deal.



For example, analyzing actual company deals and agreements allows assessment of the following:

What is actually granted by the agreement to the partner company?

What exclusivity is granted?

What are the precise rights granted or optioned?

What is the payment structure for the deal?

How are sales and payments audited?

What is the deal term?

How are the key terms of the agreement defined?

How are IPRs handled and owned?

Who is responsible for commercialization?

Who is responsible for development, supply, and manufacture?

How is confidentiality and publication managed?

How are disputes to be resolved?

Under what conditions can the deal be terminated?

What happens when there is a change of ownership?

What sublicensing and subcontracting provisions have been agreed?

Which boilerplate clauses does the company insist upon?

Which boilerplate clauses appear to differ from partner to partner or deal type to deal type?

Which jurisdiction does the company insist upon for agreement law?

The initial chapters of this report provide an orientation of artificial intelligence dealmaking and business activities. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the report, whilst chapter 2 provides an overview of the trends in artificial intelligence dealmaking since 2010, including details of average headline, upfront, milestone and royalty terms.



Chapter 3 provides a review of the leading artificial intelligence deals since 2010. Deals are listed by headline value, signed by big pharma, most active artificial intelligence dealmaking companies. Where the deal has an agreement contract published at the SEC a link provides online access to the contract.



Chapter 4 provides a comprehensive listing of the top 25 most active companies in artificial intelligence dealmaking with a brief summary followed by a comprehensive listing of artificial intelligence deals, as well as contract documents available in the public domain. Where available, each deal title links via Weblink to an online version of the actual contract document, providing easy access to each contract document on demand.



Chapter 5 provides a comprehensive and detailed review of artificial intelligence partnering deals signed and announced since Jan 2010, where a contract document is available in the public domain. The chapter is organized by company A-Z, deal type (collaborative R&D, co-promotion, licensing etc), and specific therapy focus. Each deal title links via Weblink to an online version of the deal record and where available, the contract document, providing easy access to each contract document on demand.



Chapter 6 lists artificial intelligence deals by technology type announced since Jan 2010. Each deal title links via Weblink to an online version of the deal record and where available, the contract document, providing easy access to each contract document on demand.



In addition, a comprehensive appendix is provided organized by artificial intelligence partnering company A-Z, deal type definitions and artificial intelligence partnering agreements example. Each deal title links via Weblink to an online version of the deal record and where available, the contract document, providing easy access to each contract document on demand.



The report also includes numerous tables and figures that illustrate the trends and activities in artificial intelligence partnering and dealmaking since 2010.



In conclusion, this report provides everything a prospective dealmaker needs to know about partnering in the research, development and commercialization of artificial intelligence technologies and products.



Report scope



Global Artificial Intelligence Partnering Terms and Agreements is intended to provide the reader with an in-depth understanding and access to artificial intelligence trends and structure of deals entered into by leading companies worldwide.



Global Artificial Intelligence Partnering Terms and Agreements includes:

Trends in artificial intelligence dealmaking in the biopharma industry since 2010

Access to headline, upfront, milestone and royalty data

Access to over 850 artificial intelligence deals

The leading artificial intelligence deals by value since 2010

Most active artificial intelligence dealmakers since 2010

The leading artificial intelligence partnering resources

In Global Artificial Intelligence Partnering Terms and Agreements, the available contracts are listed by:

Company A-Z

Headline value

Stage of development at signing

Deal component type

Specific therapy and technology target

Each deal title links via Weblink to an online version of the deal record and where available, the contract document, providing easy access to each contract document on demand.



Companies Mentioned

HistoIndex

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

Boehringer Ingelheim

Worthington Biochemical Corporation

Loop Insights

Roux Institute

Wyss Institute

Endpoint Health

EndPoint Technologies

MILA International

Lore IO

CoreBiome

Relation Therapeutics

DecisionQ

KBP BioSciences

AUM Biosciences

SOM Biotech

Vir Biotechnology

1ST Biotherapeutics

BurstIQ

Covaris

Genesis Therapeutics

C4X Discovery

Atomwise

IrisVision

PolarisQB

ChemDiv

Adaptive Biotechnologies

Kebotix

AltaML

Medial

Reveal Biosciences

Medial EarlySign

Global Good Fund

Mendel Health

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9ib7fs

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
Pune,India, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to Fortune Business Insights, global Warehouse Management System Market Size was valued at USD 3.50 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow from USD 3.89 billion in 2022 to USD 9.14 billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.0% during the forecast period.

This information is provided by Fortune Business Insights, in its report titled, Warehouse Management System Market Forecast, 2023-2029.

Key Industry Development:

Q&L Industrial Services, a Slovakian logistics company, according to an announcement from Infor, is switching to the Infor WMS cloud system to improve the efficiency of stock operations. For its clients, Q&L offers quick and accurate assistance.





Request a Free Sample PDF- https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/warehouse-management-system-wms-market-101788





Key Takeaways-

Warehouse Management System Market is expected to flourish & reach USD 9.14 Billion in 2029

The market is anticipated to rise as a result of an increase in demand from e-commerce companies for warehouses with improved forecasting and monitoring.

To maintain demand and considerable freight movement in the expanding e-commerce industry, continuous inventory and equipment tracking is required.

The market is split into cloud and on-premise segments according to deployment.

Document Management System Market Size in North America was USD 1.26 Billion 2021

Discover the Leading Players Featured in the Report-

Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), Oracle Corporation (U.S.), Infor Inc. (U.S.), SAP SE (Germany), Manhattan Associates, Inc. (U.S.), Korber AG (Hamburg, Germany), Fishbowl Inventory (U.S.), Tecsys Inc. (Canada), 3PL Central LLC (U.S.)

Report Scope & Segmentation-

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022 to 2029 Forecast Period 2022 to 2029 CAGR 13.0% 2029 Value Projection USD 9.14 Billion Base Year 2021 Warehouse Management System Market Size in 2021 USD 3.50 Billion Historical Data for 2018 to 2020 No. of Pages 140 Segments covered Deployment, Type, Industry, Regional













Browse Complete Report Details- https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/warehouse-management-system-wms-market-101788





Drivers and Restraints-

Rapid Growth in e-Commerce to Drive Market Growth

The market for warehouse management system is anticipated to grow as e-commerce businesses require greater forecasting and monitoring capabilities for their facilities. To maintain demand and considerable cargo movement in the expanding e-commerce sector, continuous inventory and equipment tracking is required. It handles the shelf, bin, and pallet positions, keeps better returns records, and records inventories, commodities, and orders.

Leading Segments Covered in this Report-

By Deployment

Cloud

On-premise

By Type

Standalone

Enterprise Resource Planning Module

Supply Chain Module

By Industry

Discrete Industries

Process Industries

Others





Quick Buy - Warehouse Management System Market: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/101788





FAQs

How big is the Warehouse Management System Market?

The Warehouse Management System Market size was USD 3.50 Billion in 2021. It is expected to reach USD 9.14 Billion by 2029.

How fast is the Warehouse Management System Market growing?

The Warehouse Management System Market will exhibit a CAGR of 13.0% during the forecast period, 2022-2029

Related Reports-

Supply Chain Management Market Size, Share, Revenue Forecast and Opportunities

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Market Overview, Industry Share and Forecast

Artificial Intelligence Market Demand, Indepth Analysis And Estimated Forecast Till 2030

About Us:

Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

Contact Us:

Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd.

US: +1 424 253 0390

UK: +44 2071 939123

APAC: +91 744 740 1245
English French

MONTREAL, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viral hepatitis is one of the worlds deadliest infectious diseases, affecting 58 million people worldwide. In Canada, Hepatitis C reduces life expectancy more than any other infectious disease, including HIV. And Hepatitis C is the only chronic viral infection that can be cured. A new $1.35 million gift from Scotiabank to the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation is helping to fund Montreal sans HepC, an innovative new program that aims to eliminate hepatitis C in Montreal through community-based advocacy and health care. The goal is to make Montreal one of the first cities in the world to stop the transmission of the infection.



We are proud to invest in life-changing health initiatives that help to break through the barriers that keep people in our communities from reaching their full potential, says Meigan Terry, SVP and Chief Sustainability, Social Impact and Communications Officer at Scotiabank. Through ScotiaRISE, we are pleased to take part in supporting the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation and Montreal sans HepC to advance this innovative community-based advocacy and health care initiative.

Montreal sans HepC has an ambitious goal: it plans to completely eliminate hepatitis C infections in Montreal by working closely with affected communities in affected communities, and tailor support to their needs. Led by Dr. Marina Klein, Research Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Chronic Viral Illness Service at the MUHC, Dr. Julie Bruneau, drug addiction clinical scientist at the Centre hospitalier de lUniversite de Montreal (CHUM), and Dr. Christina Greenaway, Professor of Medicine at McGill University and a leader in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Jewish General Hospital, the initiative has partnered with 16 community organizations to create grassroots interventions tailored to underserved, at-risk groups: Indigenous communities, immigrants, prisoners, people experiencing homelessness, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs.

Hepatitis C impacts our most vulnerable patients the hardest. They're often living with a lot of challenges and have difficulty accessing care. With Montreal sans HepC, we're finding new ways to bring these people care so they can be diagnosed and cured. We believe that our community-based approach will help us eliminate hepatitis C in Montreal.

Dr. Marina Klein, Research Director, Division of Infectious Diseases and Chronic Viral Illness Service, MUHC

Hepatitis C is a chronic infection of the liver that can lead to cirrhosis, an impairment of liver function caused by severe scarring that can be deadly. Hep C is treatable in 95% of cases, but many individuals dont seek treatment because of the stigma surrounding the disease or simply because they are unaware of the risk. Even baby boomers are unaware of their increased risk due to improper sterilization of surgical and dental equipment before 1990. It is also much more likely to affect vulnerable populations, such as Indigenous communities, immigrants and refugees, who often face significant barriers to health care.

I believe strongly in tailored and quality health care access for all. With Montreal sans HepC, we can reduce barriers to care for some of Montreals most vulnerable inhabitants. Hepatitis C is curableand curing Hepatitis C contributes to reducing transmission, a key element to HCV elimination.

Dr. Julie Bruneau, Clinical scientist, Addiction Medicine, CHUM; and Canada Research Chair in Addiction Medicine

Montreal sans HepC has partnered with the Centre associatif polyvalent daide hepatite C (CAPHAC) to reach people living with hepatitis C in their own communities. CAPHAC has built the trust of Montreals most vulnerable communities, and the partnership will ensure individuals with untreated hep C can receive care without judgment or the intimidation of a traditional medical setting.

Our organization has been working in the field of hepatitis C for 20 years. Montreal sans Hep C will allow us to complete this final stretch towards elimination of the disease. Together, we will seek the means to screen and treat communities that face the greatest barriers in accessing care. We are extremely grateful for Scotiabanks generosity in championing this public health challenge.

Laurence Mersilian, Executive Director, Centre associatif polyvalent daide hepatite C.

Thanks to Scotiabank, Dr. Klein and Dr. Bruneaus work will make Montreal one of the first cities in the world to eliminate hepatitis C and serve as a model for addressing health needs of vulnerable populations.

Montreal sans HepC brings MUHC/RI-MUHCs internationally renowned expertise in infectious diseases out into the community. It is a perfect example of how collaboration between doctors, researchers, patient advocates, social workers, lawyers, policy makers, and community workers can change the course of vulnerable peoples lives and medicine. We are grateful to Scotiabank for its generous gift.

Dr. Lucie Opatrny, President and Executive Director, MUHC

The stigma surrounding hepatitis C means thousands of individuals dont receive the care they need. No one can build  or rebuild  a solid life without solid health care. The MUHC Foundation is incredibly proud to support Dr. Klein and Dr. Bruneaus work to ensure the health of our citys most vulnerable. Their concerted efforts will leave no hiding place, no lurking reservoir of infections left for hepatitis C in Montreal. Years of careful planning will finally unfold into action. We thank Scotiabank for their transformative gift.

Julie Quenneville, President and CEO, MUHC Foundation

About the McGill University Health Centre Foundation

The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation raises funds to support excellence in patient care, research and teaching at the McGill University Health Centre, one of the top university hospitals in Canada. Our Dream Big Campaign to change the course of lives and medicine is raising millions of dollars to solve humanitys deadliest puzzles: infectious diseases; end cancer as a life-threatening illness; fix broken hearts through innovative cardiac care; detect the silent killersovarian and endometrial cancersearly; create the best skilled health care teams in Canada; and much more. We are rallying our entire community to solve the worlds most complex health care challenges. https://muhcfoundation.com

About Scotiabank



Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of over 90,000 employees and assets of over $1.3 trillion (as at January 31, 2023), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @Scotiabank.

Tarah Schwartz

Vice-President, Communications & Marketing

McGill University Health Centre Foundation

tarah.schwartz@muhc.mcgill.ca

Kelly Albert

Senior Communications Officer

McGill University Health Centre Foundation

kelly.albert@muhc.mcgill.ca

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/28f443b8-ae18-4d26-b32e-bb8634dd80b9
Dublin, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Philippines Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics Databook - 50+ KPIs on Social Commerce Trends by End-Use Sectors, Operational KPIs, Retail Product Dynamics, and Consumer Demographics - Q1 2023 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The social commerce industry in Philippines is expected to grow by 24.3% on annual basis to reach US$928.8 million in 2023.



The social commerce industry is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 16.7% during 2022-2028. The social commerce GMV in the country will increase from US$928.8 million in 2023 to reach US$2348.3 million by 2028.



This report provides a detailed data centric analysis of social commerce industry, covering market opportunities and risks. With over 50+ KPIs at country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of social commerce market dynamics, market size and forecast, and market share statistics.



The research methodology is based on industry best practices. Its unbiased analysis leverages a proprietary analytics platform to offer a detailed view on emerging business and investment market opportunities.

Reasons to buy

In-depth Understanding of Social Commerce Market Dynamics: Understand market opportunities and key trends along with forecast (2019-2028).

Insights into Opportunity by end-use sectors - Get market dynamics by end-use sectors to assess emerging opportunity across various end-use sectors.

Develop Market Specific Strategies: Identify growth segments and target specific opportunities to formulate social commerce strategy; assess market specific key trends, drivers, and risks in the industry.

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 70 Forecast Period 2023 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $928.8 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $2348.3 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 20.4% Regions Covered Philippines

Scope



Philippines Ecommerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028

Philippines Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028

Philippines Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Retail Product Categories, 2019-2028

Clothing & Footwear

Beauty and Personal Care

Food & Grocery

Appliances and Electronics

Home Improvement

Travel

Hospitality

Philippines Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Segment, 2019-2028

B2B

B2C

C2C

Philippines Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Device, 2019-2028

Mobile

Desktop

Philippines Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028

Domestic

Cross Border

Philippines Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028

Tier-1 Cities

Tier-2 Cities

Tier-3 Cities

Philippines Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Payment Method, 2019-2028

Credit Card

Debit Card

Bank Transfer

Prepaid Card

Digital & Mobile Wallet

Other Digital Payment

Cash

Philippines Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Platforms

Video Commerce

Social Network-Led Commerce

Social Reselling

Group Buying

Product Review Platforms

Philippines Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Demographics & Behaviour,2022

By Age

By Income Level

By Gender

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/at1tz6

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
Dublin, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Self-driving Cars And Trucks Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Transportation, Defense), By Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, Middle East & Africa), And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global self-driving cars and trucks market demand is anticipated to reach 3, 195.5 thousand units by 2030, it is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46.8% from 2023 to 2030.

Several technology providers such as Google Inc. and Tesla Motors have entered the market and contributed to the research and development of self-driving vehicles.



For instance, In March 2023, Google LLC, a U.S.-based technology company, collaborated with Mercedes-Benz, a luxury vehicle company in Germany, to develop a customized navigation interface. This collaboration aims to use Google's AI and data functionalities to help Mercedes-Benz accelerate its sustainability efforts, advance autonomous driving, and improve the customer experience.



The automobile industry is dynamic and changes with technological advancements. Several major players, such as General Motors Company, Volkswagen AG, Mercedes-Benz, and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), invest a significant part of their revenue in the R&D of technologies. Currently, there is a growing trend of self-driving vehicles in the automotive industry, thus attracting larger investments in the development of these vehicles.



For instance, In February 2020, Pony.ai, an autonomous vehicle technology company in the U.S., raised around $400 million, led by an investment by Toyota Motor Corporation, an automotive manufacturer in Japan, to strengthen and extend the two companies' partnership in mobility services. This initiative aims to improve Pony.ai's autonomous driving system's integration with Toyota's robust vehicle platforms and technologies.



The self-driving cars and trucks industry has been segmented based on transportation and defense applications. Furthermore, the transportation segment has been bifurcated into industrial and commercial applications. The transportation segment is expected to have a higher market share; however. The defense segment is expected to portray the highest growth over the forecast period.



The defense sector witnessed a growth in demand for autonomous vehicles. Moreover, it is expected to be one of the most prominent applications during the forecast period due to various initiatives. For instance, in September 2022, Autonomous vehicles are currently being tested by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), U.S. Department of Defense, to generate autonomous vehicles that can function as traditional combat vehicles that the American military can utilize.



North America accounted for the largest market share in 2022. The demand for self-driving vehicles is expected to increase over the forecast period in line with rising government regulations and increased acceptance of self-driving vehicles in the U.S. Government amendments to traffic regulations to support autonomous mobility on public roads are the primary factor accelerating the region's growth.

For instance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a traffic regulation institute in the U.S., approved testing for self-driving vehicles in several states, including California, Nevada, Michigan, Florida, and Washington, D.C.



Self-driving Cars And Trucks Market Report Highlights

The demand for self-driving cars and trucks is expected to grow owing to the rising number of regulations laid down by the governments of various developed and developing nations

The transportation sub-segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 43.8% over the forecast period. The growing popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles with various degrees of automation has significantly increased the demand for autonomous vehicles in the transportation segment

The U.S., Chinese, and Japanese markets are expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period owing to the large-scale testing and adoption of self-driving cars and trucks in the transportation sector

Audi AG, BMW AG, Daimler AG (Mercedes Benz), Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Google LLC, Honda Motor Corporation, Nissan Motor Company, Tesla, Inc, Toyota Motor Corporation, Uber Technologies, Inc, Volvo Car Corporation, and Volkswagen AGare some of the key incumbents of the self-driving cars and trucks industry

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 100 Forecast Period 2022 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $103.4 Thousand Units Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $3195.5 Thousand Units Compound Annual Growth Rate 46.8% Regions Covered Global

Companies Mentioned

Audi AG

BMW AG

Daimler AG

Ford Motor Company

General Motors Company

Google LLC

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.)

Nissan Motor Company

Tesla

Toyota Motor Corporation.

Uber Technologies, Inc.

Volvo Car Corporation

Volkswagen AG

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Methodology and Scope



Chapter 2 Executive Summary

2.1 Market Outlook

2.2 Global

2.2.1 Global Self-driving Cars and Trucks Market, 2021 - 2030

2.2.2 Global Self-driving Cars and Trucks Market, by Region, 2021 - 2030

2.2.3 Global Self-driving Cars and Trucks Market, by Application, 2021 - 2030

2.3 Segmental Trends



Chapter 3 Self-driving Cars and Trucks Market Variables, Trends & Scope

3.1 Market Segmentation & Scope

3.2 Self-driving Cars and Trucks Market - Value Chain Analysis

3.3 Market Dynamics

3.3.1 Market Drivers

3.3.2 Market Restraints

3.3.3 Market Opportunities

3.4 Industry Analysis - Porter's

3.5 Key Opportunities - Prioritized

3.6 Self-driving Cars and Trucks Market - PEST Analysis



Chapter 4 Self-driving Cars and Trucks Market: Application Outlook

4.1 Self-driving Cars and Trucks Market Share by Application, 2022 & 2030

4.2 Transportation

4.3 Defense



Chapter 5 Self-driving Cars and Trucks Market: Regional Outlook

5.1 North America

5.2 Europe

5.3 Asia Pacific

5.4 South America

5.5 MEA



Chapter 6 Competitive Landscape

6.1 Company Overview

6.2 Financial Performance

6.3 Product Benchmarking

6.4 Recent Developments



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7tk0a

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
Dublin, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "France Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics Databook - 50+ KPIs on Social Commerce Trends by End-Use Sectors, Operational KPIs, Retail Product Dynamics, and Consumer Demographics - Q1 2023 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The social commerce industry in France is expected to grow by 22.7% on annual basis to reach US$9163.3 million in 2023.



The social commerce industry is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 13.3% during 2022-2028. The social commerce GMV in the country will increase from US$9163.3 million in 2023 to reach US$19391.5 million by 2028.



This report provides a detailed data centric analysis of social commerce industry, covering market opportunities and risks. With over 50+ KPIs at country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of social commerce market dynamics, market size and forecast, and market share statistics.

Reasons to buy

In-depth Understanding of Social Commerce Market Dynamics: Understand market opportunities and key trends along with forecast (2019-2028).

Insights into Opportunity by end-use sectors - Get market dynamics by end-use sectors to assess emerging opportunity across various end-use sectors.

Develop Market Specific Strategies: Identify growth segments and target specific opportunities to formulate social commerce strategy; assess market specific key trends, drivers, and risks in the industry.

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 70 Forecast Period 2023 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $9163.3 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $19391.5 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 16.2% Regions Covered France

Scope



France Ecommerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028

France Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028

France Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Retail Product Categories, 2019-2028

Clothing & Footwear

Beauty and Personal Care

Food & Grocery

Appliances and Electronics

Home Improvement

Travel

Hospitality

France Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Segment, 2019-2028

B2B

B2C

C2C

France Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Device, 2019-2028

Mobile

Desktop

France Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028

Domestic

Cross Border

France Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028

Tier-1 Cities

Tier-2 Cities

Tier-3 Cities

France Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Payment Method, 2019-2028

Credit Card

Debit Card

Bank Transfer

Prepaid Card

Digital & Mobile Wallet

Other Digital Payment

Cash

France Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Platforms

Video Commerce

Social Network-Led Commerce

Social Reselling

Group Buying

Product Review Platforms

France Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Demographics & Behaviour,2022

By Age

By Income Level

By Gender

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/td01f1

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
Reigning beauty queen, Ada Agwu Eme, who was crowned the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, MBGN, last year, has reiterated her commitment towards empowering the girl-child in the society through education.

Miss Eme made these remarks, while speaking with Vanguard team during her courtesy visit to the organization's Hub, located in Ilupeju, Lagos, yesterday.

The 25-year-old beauty queen, who hails from Abia State beat 36 other contestants from across the country to clinch the coveted crown.

She said following the passion she has for education, she has awarded scholarships to not less than 100 children in her local community.

This, she said, is to help the girl-child realize that the sky is just a starting point which is how the Ada 'Goes to School' Initiative was born.

"Before I won the crown, I was into charity. I feel that I can do it on a broader scale now."

On what inspired the 'Ada Goes to School' project, the beauty queen said "I read a novel while I was in primary school titled, Emeka Goes to School. So later I started my education project, which was inspired by my father who was very passionate about education before he died. That made me start an educational scholarship fund, where I have empowered about 100 children in my community.

I awarded scholarships to them and also providing mentorship. The project is still growing beyond just education," the beauty queen stated.

Speaking further, she said that the project has since metamorphosed into so much more than scholarship funds and now a tool against barriers to education. From Pad-A-Girl outreaches- highlighting the impact of period poverty on school girls, to Medical Outreaches for the cure and prevention of schistosomiasis, to visitation of flood victims in Bayelsa State and donation of relief items and school materials to school children, the beauty queen has been everywhere.
Dublin, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "U.S. Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Charger Type, By Connector Type, By Level of Charging, By Connectivity, By Application, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The U.S. electric vehicle charging infrastructure market size is expected to reach USD 24.07 billion by 2030, expanding at 29.1% CAGR from 2023 to 2030

The market growth can be attributed to the growing environmental concerns and rising demand for sustainable and energy-efficient transportation. Additionally, the increasing advancement in communication technologies such as the availability of real-time information on all the electric vehicle charging stations for better connectivity will propel the market growth.



Several electric vehicle charging station providers are focused on launching innovative payment technologies on all of their stations across the U.S. to provide a better customer experience.

For instance, in November 2020, Electrify America, an electric vehicle charging station provider, launched the Plug&Charge payment capability on all its charging stations across the U.S. The charger efficiently communicates with the vehicle to authenticate, identify, authorize, and bill the customer's registered account for the charging session. The entire process allows for a seamless charging experience for the customer.



The technological progress of both the charging software and hardware is expected to change the way electric vehicle owners use and benefit from electric vehicle charging applications. Technologies such as Smartcar API and charging networks precisely determine an electric vehicle's charge time even before the car driver plugs the car into a station. Such initiatives are expected to drive the market's growth. Additionally, green energy is expected to play a significant role in the growth of both public and residential electric vehicle charging spaces.



The COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse impact on the market. The lack of electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI) is seen as a major impediment to the electric vehicle sector. However, as governments across the globe are focusing on emerging from this global pandemic with a stronger and more resilient economy, electric vehicles are expected to continue to gain significant attention.

For instance, in the U.S., California is emerging with strong electric vehicle targets, which is expected to have a positive impact on the electric vehicle charging infrastructure industry over the forecast period.



U.S. Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Market Report Highlights

Technological progress in battery technology and the growing impetus on autonomous vehicles are driving the U.S. electric vehicle charging infrastructure industry's growth. In addition, eco-friendly benefits offered by EVs also help increase their sales

Consumers' preference for using electric vehicles for long-distance travel and increasing deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure by corporates is anticipated to drive the U.S. demand for fast chargers over the forecast period

Easy integration with smart grid infrastructure and bi-directional charging capability is anticipated to drive the growth of the CHAdeMO segment over the forecast period

The level 3 charging level segment is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period. The growth can be attributed to the ability of level 3 charging stations to fast charge EVs, with time ranging from an hour to just fifteen minutes. Growing deployment for commercial charging stations is anticipated to boost the growth of level 3 chargers

Connected charging stations are expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period. The growth of the segment can be attributed to its ability to establish a wireless connection, which allows real-time communication between the charging station, EV driver, maintenance, and service provider

The commercial segment is anticipated to gain traction owing to the rise in the deployment of fast-charging stations across highways, hotels, shopping malls, and public parking facilities

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 105 Forecast Period 2022 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $3.15 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $24.07 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 29.1% Regions Covered United States

Market Dynamics

Market driver analysis

Growing contribution of transportation sector toward carbon emissions

Advances in battery technology and growing emphasis on autonomous vehicles

Government regulations and tax exemptions further promote the adoption of EVs

Market restraint analysis

High costs of setting-up EV infrastructure

Need for dedicated charging space and fluctuating power tariffs

Emergence of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles

Market opportunity analysis

Declining lithium-ion battery costs

U.S. Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Market - Porter's Five Forces Analysis

U.S. Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Market - PESTEL Analysis

U.S. Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI) - Trend Analysis

U.S. Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure - Pricing Analysis

U.S. Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Market - Evolving Role Of Utility Companies

Competitive Profiles

ChargePoint, Inc.

Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.

SemaConnect, Inc.

Tesla, Inc.

ClipperCreek, Inc.

General Electric Company

Delta Electronics, Inc

Webasto Group

ABB Ltd.

bp pulse

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lygj8j

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
Dublin, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "CNC Milling Machines Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Structure, X-Axis Working Range, Number of Axis, and Application" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The CNC milling machines market is expected to grow from US$ 8,616.03 million in 2023 to US$ 14,419.53 million by 2028; it is estimated to register a CAGR of 10.8% from 2023 to 2028.



The aerospace & defense sector includes manufacturing aircraft and their components, defense vehicles, and various weapons. Aerospace CNC machining is one of the industry's most critical components. It is utilized for manufacturing seats, shafts, oxygen-generation safety system components, valve components, electrical connectors, housings, bushings, hinges, clamps, and filter bodies, among others.

Safety and precision machining are vital aspects of the aerospace industry, and hence, each component is required to meet the industry's highest safety standards. The capability of CNC milling machines to achieve very tight tolerances for engineered parts from lightweight materials which allows their wide adoption in the industry.

In March 2022, Arrowsmith Engineering received a top-up grant of ~US$ 10,000 from Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub's Coventry and Warwickshire Investment Fund [partly funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)], for purchasing a DN Solutions CNC milling machine.

The company is a custom-made precision components supplier for the aerospace industry, and it wanted to procure the new machine for specialist work orders from Parker Meggitt, Rolls-Royce, and Wesco Aircraft Holdings Inc. The company received an initial funding of ~US$ 30,000 in March 2019 for procuring a CNC 4-axis machine and a cobot. CNC milling machines are ideal for fabricating missiles and weapons because of their high precision, versatility, and compatibility with various materials.

Raytheon Technologies Corporation, one of the world's largest producers of guided missiles, strongly relies on multi-axis CNC machines to fabricate its 20-foot cruise missiles. These factors are thereby influencing the demand for CNC milling machines from the aerospace & defense industry contributing to the CNC milling machines market growth.

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 246 Forecast Period 2022 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $8616.03 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $14419.53 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 8.6% Regions Covered Global

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Surge in Automotive Production

Increase in Production of Military Aircraft

Restraints

Availability of Alternate Manufacturing Methods

Opportunities

Integration of Smart Manufacturing Technology with CNC milling machines

Future Trends

Rise in New Product Development by CNC milling machines Market Players

Companies Mentioned

Okuma Corporation

Nidec

NICOLAS CORREA, S.A

AWEA MECHANTRONIC CO., LTD

Fives Group

EMCO GmbH

TOS Varnsdorf a.s.

JOBS SPA Societa con Socio Unico

Gruppo Parpas

F Zimmermann

Mighty USA, Inc.

PIETRO CARNAGHI SPA

Johnsford

Trimill

KRC Machine Tool Solutions

VISION WIDE TECH CO., LTD.

Ken Ichi Machine Co Ltd

Amera-Seiki's

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sbu2tb

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
Dublin, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Asia Pacific Minibus Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis By Propulsion" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Asia Pacific minibus market is expected to grow from US$ 30,870.82 million in 2023 to US$ 43,690.33 million by 2028; it is estimated to register a CAGR of 7.2% from 2023 to 2028.



APAC has a few of the most rapidly growing economies in the world, including China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. These countries are experiencing massive infrastructural developments such as hotels, airports, and schools.

Hotels and airports use minibuses to offer pick-up and drop services to their customers and passengers to enhance their overall stay and traveling experience. Thus, the construction of several hotels and airports across the region is expected to increase the demand for minibuses, contributing to the APAC minibus market growth over the forecast period.



Asia Pacific is experiencing an increased investment in infrastructure development of airports, hotels, and corporate offices by both private and public organizations. Several countries across APAC such as China, India, South Korea, and Thailand are increasing the construction and expansion of several new and existing airports.

The Thailand Ministry of Transportation announced its expansion plans for Suvarnabhumi Airport with an investment of US$ 236 million in January 2022.

Minibuses are used across airports for passenger travel from one point to another. Thus, the increase in the number of airports across the region, coupled with the existing airport expansion plan to increase their passenger capacity, is driving the demand for minibuses from the airports, thereby contributing to the growth of the market.

However, minibus manufacturers such as Tata Motors experienced a 23% decline in their commercial vehicle sales in FY 2020. The automobile industry in Asia Pacific is highly dependent on immigrant workers. Thus, the shortage of labor across manufacturing plants due to social distancing norms hampered the production of minibus.



Australia is one of the developed countries in APAC. The country has been observing several infrastructural developments over the years.

For instance, the Ministry of Transportation announced the renovation project of the Melbourne Airport with an investment of US$ 220.3 million in 2021. Similarly, the Western Sydney international airport terminal construction started in November 2021. These projects are expected to increase the airport's passenger capacities, thereby growing the demand for buses across the airports.

The Australian government is promoting tourism across the country. Tourism also plays a significant role in the country's GDP. For instance, according to the Australian Trade & Investment Commission, the visitor economy across the country accounted for US$ 166 billion in 2019. Thus, the growing tourism industry is further expected to increase the demand for minibuses among tour and travel agencies for offering enhanced inter and intracity travel for a group of tourists in the coming years, thereby contributing to the minibus market growth in APAC.



The Asia Pacific minibus market size is bifurcated on the basis of propulsion and country. Based on propulsion, the Asia Pacific minibus market is bifurcated into electric and internal combustion engine (ICE). By country, the Asia Pacific minibus market is segmented into Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, New Zealand, Laos, Cambodia, and the Rest of Asia Pacific.



Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 217 Forecast Period 2022 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $30870.82 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $43690.33 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.0% Regions Covered Asia Pacific

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Increase in Shuttle Services Across APAC

Rise in Tourism in APAC

Restraints

Availability of Substitute Modes of Transportation

Opportunities

Rise in New Infrastructure Construction

Future Trends

Government Initiatives to Promote Adoption of Electric Vehicles

Companies Mentioned

Toyota Motor Corp

Hyundai Motor Co

BYD Co Ltd

Zhongtong Bus Holding Co Ltd

Higer Bus Co Ltd

Jiangling Motors Corp Ltd

Yutong Bus Co Ltd

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp

Tata Motors Ltd

Force Motors Ltd

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cykn5u

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
SAN FRANCISCO, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hagens Berman urges Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.



Class Period: Oct. 8, 2020  Mar. 3, 2023

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 15, 2023

Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/NSC

Contact An Attorney Now: NSC@hbsslaw.com

844-916-0895

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) Securities Fraud Class Action:

The complaint alleges that Defendants misrepresented and concealed material facts concerning Norfolk Southerns increased risk-taking at the expense of reasonable safety precautions due to the companys near-term focus on profits.

Specifically, the company invoked a plan to, among other things, use longer, heavier trains staffed by fewer personnel, which led to increased train derailments and the risk of future catastrophic events. The complaint also alleges that while failing to make proper capital expenditures in safety risk programs, the company concurrently lobbied for policies undermining its ability to provide safe, efficient, and reliable rail transportation services.

The complaint alleges that this undisclosed conduct made Norfolk Southern more susceptible to accidents that could seriously harm the company, its workers, its customers, third parties, and the environment.

The true facts began to emerge on Feb. 3, 2023, when a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The derailed equipment included 11 tank cars carrying hazardous materials that subsequently ignited and required the immediate evacuation of those within a one-mile by two-mile area. According to regulators, the derailment was entirely preventable.

An additional revelation of Norfolk Southerns safety lapses occurred on Mar. 14, 2023, when another of its freight trains derailed near Springfield, Ohio.

Were focused on investors losses and proving Norfolk Southern put profits over safety, said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.

If you invested in Norfolk Southern and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firms investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.

Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Norfolk Southern 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 NSC@hbsslaw.com.

About Hagens Berman

Hagens 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.
Wilmington, Delaware, United States, May 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc. - The global medical loupes market was estimated at a market value of US$ 338.9 million in 2022. During the forecast years of 2023 to 2031, the market is expected to grow at a rate of 5.4% CAGR and finally reach US$ 570.6 million by the end of 2031.



The rise in minimally invasive procedures worldwide is one of the key factors anticipated to propel the growth of the medical loupes market during the forecast period. It is predicted that the market for medical loupes would expand more slowly as more procedures take place that need extensive use of medical equipment.

Further potential prospects for the expansion of the medical loupes market in the upcoming years will be provided by the rise in the significance of research and development, which will enhance a competitive edge in the market.

Better visual clarity and improved magnification capabilities are offered by modern medical loupes. They have LED lights as well as filters built in for enhanced vision and precision during medical operations.

For Insights on Global, Regional, and Country-Level Parameters with Growth Opportunities by 2031 - Download a Sample Report!

Key suppliers are spending heavily in R&D of new products in order to widen their client base and boost their medical loupes share of the marketplace. They are creating items that provide healthcare workers improved comfort and usability by having sturdy ergonomic designs and adjustable features. These items are portable, versatile, and lightweight. They also meet each user's unique demands.

Insufficient use of medical loupe items due to a lack of awareness is also anticipated to restrain market expansion for medical loupes throughout the forecast period. The market for medical loupes may face more difficulties in the near future due to the growing popularity of surgical microscopes.

Market Snapshot:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue US$ 338.9 Mn Estimated Value US$ 570.6 Mn Growth Rate - CAGR 5.4% Forecast Period 2023-2031 No. of Pages 180 Pages Market Segmentation By Product Type, By Lens Type, By Magnification, By Price, By Application, By End-use, By Distribution Channel Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, South America Companies Covered Admetec Ltd., Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Designs for Vision, Inc., Enova Illumination Inc., Halma plc, Heine Optotechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Neitz Instruments Co., Ltd., Orascoptic, SheerVision Inc., Univet S.r.l.

Key Findings of Market Report

By lens type, the Galilean lens will occupy the dominant share.





By magnification, below 4.0x will take up more than 30% share of the global market in 2022.





The low-priced segment will gain traction during the forecast period.



Buy this Premium Research Report | Immediate Delivery Available - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=73745<ype=S

The Global Market for Medical Loupes: Market Trends

The Galilean lens segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period. The accuracy and precision of surgical procedures are enhanced with Galilean lenses. These lenses amplify the picture by combining positive and negative lenses. They are frequently cheaper and lighter than prismatic lenses.





Concave eyepiece and convex objective lenses are the two lenses found in Galilean lenses. These lenses give an adequate field width and greater field depth, which assist create a picture that is clearer than one created by a single lens.



Global Medical Loupes Market: Regional Outlook

The engagement of stakeholders has led to North America dominating the medical loupes business. The regional medical loupes market will experience further growth as a result of local medtech industry output that is ultimately exported each year during the anticipated term.





An increase in the elderly population and the need for medical services would likely accelerate the growth of the medical loupes market in these areas from 2023 to 2031.





Europe is predicted to have considerable growth in the medical loupes market till 2031. In the upcoming years, it is also projected that the region's high-quality, reasonably priced healthcare system and robust medical tourism sector would fuel the market for medical loupes.



Global Medical Loupes Market: Key Players

Some of the key players in the global medical loupes market are:

Admetec Ltd.

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG

Designs for Vision, Inc.

Enova Illumination Inc.

Halma plc

Heine Optotechnik GmbH & Co. KG

Neitz Instruments Co., Ltd.

Orascoptic

SheerVision Inc.

Univet S.r.l.

Get Customization on this Report for Specific Research Solutions: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=73745

Some developments by the key players in the global market for medical loupes are:

SurgiTel provided 9 partner service programs in October 2020 , including free evaluation, declination angle modification, customised nose pad, monthly educational publication, free lecture, hands-on workshop support, and equipment loans for mission trips and charitable programs. These programs were designed to assist doctors in educating patients about ophthalmic loupes and their benefits.





provided 9 partner service programs in , including free evaluation, declination angle modification, customised nose pad, monthly educational publication, free lecture, hands-on workshop support, and equipment loans for mission trips and charitable programs. These programs were designed to assist doctors in educating patients about ophthalmic loupes and their benefits. Carl Zeiss Meditec AG increased its foothold in France by establishing a new factory in La Rochelle, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, in March 2023. The new structure seeks to manufacture supplies for ophthalmology. The new structure will be an addition to the current facility in La Rochelle and is designed to provide office and production space for the production of ophthalmic consumables.



Global Medical Loupes Market Segmentation

By Product Type



Flip-up

Through-the-Lens Headband

By Lens Type

Galilean

Prismatic

By Magnification



Below 4.0x

4.0 - 8.0x Above 8.0x

By Price

Low (Below US$ 500)

Medium (US$ 500 - US$ 1,500)

High (Above US$ 1,500)

By Application

Dentistry

Surgical

Others (Hygienists, Veterinary, etc.)

By End-use

Hospital

Dental Clinic

Medical Institute

Others

By Distribution Channel



Direct

Indirect



By Region:

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Middle East and Africa



About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyses information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

Contact:

Nikhil Sawlani

Transparency Market Research Inc.

CORPORATE HEADQUARTER DOWNTOWN,

1000 N. West Street,

Suite 1200, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 USA

Tel: +1-518-618-1030

USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453

Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Blog: https://tmrblog.com

Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) between August 18, 2021 and May 17, 2022, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important May 30, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Target 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 Target class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6812 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 30, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Targets strategy for mitigating supply-chain constraints by over-ordering inventory had severely limited the Companys ability to timely respond to evolving consumer behavior; (2) as a result, the purported massive influx of insights gained from the extraordinary heightened demand during the pandemic could not be leveraged by Target to react to rapidly changing trends; and (3) as a result of Targets inability to timely react to changes in consumer trends, Targets sales declined and the Company was left with an overabundance of inventory, forcing Target to take large markdowns, and severely impacting the Companys financial results. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Target class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6812 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

lrosen@rosenlegal.com

pkim@rosenlegal.com

cases@rosenlegal.com

www.rosenlegal.com
TORONTO, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MANITOU GOLD INC. (TSX-V: MTU) ("Manitou" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that at its special shareholder meeting held today (the "Meeting"), Manitou obtained the requisite shareholder approval of its previously announced proposed plan of arrangement pursuant to which Alamos Gold Inc. (TSX: AGI, NYSE: AGI) ("Alamos") will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Manitou ("Manitou Shares") not already owned by Alamos (the "Arrangement"). For further details of the Arrangement, please refer to the Company's press release dated February 28, 2023, and the management information circular of the Company dated April 10, 2023, in respect of the Meeting, each available on SEDAR under Manitou's profile at www.sedar.com.



About Manitou Gold

Manitou Gold Inc. is a Canadian exploration company that has consolidated over 360 km2 of prospective gold properties on the Michipicoten Archean Greenstone Belt, between the Island Gold Mine (operated by Alamos Gold Inc.) to the west and, to the east, the former producing Renabie Gold Mine, (owned by Barrick Gold). The lands assembled consist of 37 kilometres of strike length with at least seven under-explored large-scale deformation zones showing favorable lithology supported by more than 50 government-documented and registered gold occurrences. Manitou Gold also owns a 148 km2 land package of highly prospective gold properties located in the historical Gold Rock District, in Northwestern Ontario (Dryden). All scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been prepared under the supervision of Richard Murphy, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Manitou and a "qualified person" within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101.

Contact

Manitou Gold Inc.

Richard Murphy

President and CEO

(705) 698-1962

www.manitougold.com

Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements and Information

Certain of the information contained in this news release constitutes 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements relating to: the ability of the parties to satisfy the conditions to closing of the Arrangement and the anticipated timing of the completion of the Arrangement, involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Manitou has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Manitou does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

The forward-looking statements in this press release involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Manitou's actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied therein. Neither TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. None of the securities to be issued pursuant to the transaction have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and any securities issuable in the transaction are anticipated to be issued in reliance upon available exemptions from such registration requirements pursuant to Section 3(a)(10) of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable exemptions under state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.
ARLINGTON, Va., May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded DexteriTech Solutions (DTS)  a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Joint Venture between The Green Technology Group (TGTG) and Planned Systems International, Inc. (PSI)  a task order under the Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology Next Generation (T4NG) contract vehicle to provide executive support services to the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and other executive leadership within OIT.



The Department of Veterans Affairs is the countrys largest healthcare system, serving more than 9 million veterans. Under the contract, the DTS Team will assist the Assistant Secretary and top leadership in building administrative processes, standard repositories, executive response capability, oversight facilitation, and corresponding policies to provide leadership with the ability to make better informed decisions as they continue to provide high quality, effective, and efficient services to those responsible for overseeing health care to the nations veterans.

We look forward to continuing to provide innovative solutions to the VA and support their efforts to serve veterans by providing leadership with responsive, mission-focused Executive and Business support, said The Green Technology Group President Darryl Green.

We are extremely proud to continue our support of the VA and their vital mission to provide better health care for our veterans and improve the veteran experience, said Mash Rahman, president of PSIs Health Sector. Our joint venture partner TGTG is the right fit for this customers contract needs, and the results of this effort are a testament to our incredible team and our People First culture.

About Planned Systems International, Inc.

Founded in 1988, PSI is a CMMI Maturity Level 3-appraised, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 20000-1:2018, ISO 27001:2013, and ISO 14001:2015-certified enterprise IT solutions and management consulting services provider specializing in Health Solutions, IT and Consulting Solutions, Environmental Solutions, and Defense and National Security Solutions. PSI has a stellar record of past performance and award-winning experience, and our core capabilities include System Integration & Modernization; Cyber Security & IA; DevSecOps; Environmental Remediation; Data Analytics; Clinical Support & Human Performance; Cloud Advisory Services; Modeling & Simulation; Enterprise Testing & IV&V; IC/C4ISR; and NextGen Technologies.

PSI has earned a reputation for applying the state-of-the-art technologies and the industry's most successful methodologies to support business solutions for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other Government clients.
OMAHA, Neb., May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iowans and Nebraskans joined together for a coal-free future rally outside the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting in Omaha on Saturday, May 6. Numerous organizations hosted the rally, including the Iowa Environmental Council, Sierra Club, Great Plains Action Society and the Clean Up MidAm Coalition.



Its past time investors put their money where their talking points are, said Kerri Johannsen, Energy Program Director with the Iowa Environmental Council. Utilities owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy are some of the top coal burners in the country, doubling down on expensive fossil fuels in Iowa and throughout the country, with no plan to quit. Thats not just a threat to the future of any number of industries that rely on a stable climate, its reckless investment.

Berkshire Hathaway operates one of the largest fleets of coal plants in the nation. According to the  Benchmarking Air Emissions  report, Berkshire Hathaway Energy had the fourth-highest CO 2 emission among electric power producers in the U.S. while generating the ninth-most electricity. Two large coal units operated by Berkshire's MidAmerican Energy Company in Council Bluffs, IA sit across the river from Omaha, and Iowa and Nebraska residents have been impacted by the pollution.

In Iowa alone, the Berkshire coal plants operated by MidAmerican Energy lead to 90 premature deaths according to Sierra Clubs recent  Out of Control: The Deadly Impact of Coal Plant Pollution report. In addition, MidAmericans coal plants lead to $145 million in increased healthcare costs for Iowans according to the EPA CO-Benefits Risk Assessment (COBRA) screening tool (shown in IECs 2021 Condition of the State report ).

There was a time when MidAmerican Energy was a national leader on clean energy and climate. We believe that kind of leadership is possible again, but only if there is a plan in place for the company to move entirely away from coal by 2030, said Katie Rock, Iowa Campaign Representative for Sierra Club Beyond Coal. Those who call Iowa and Nebraska home deserve clean air and water and a healthy and prosperous future. Its time for Berkshire Hathaway to step up.

During the rally, the Great Plains Action Society performed a round dance, which is aimed at helping to bring Native communities together and raise awareness about how the coal pollution is impacting their communities.

Berkshire Hathaways coal plants in Iowa, owned and operated by MidAmerican Energy, are polluting both our air and our water, causing immense harm to our surrounding communities and to our relative, the Missouri River, said Sikowis Nobiss, Executive Director at Great Plains Action Society. Across the country, Indigenous communities and other communities of color often bear a disproportionate impact of pollution.

In addition to the rally, representatives from the organizations attended the shareholder meeting in hopes of asking a question about the future of Berkshires coal operations.

The Iowa Environmental Council (IEC) is the state's largest and most comprehensive environmental alliance, comprised of diverse organizations and individuals working together to protect Iowa's natural environment. Through education, advocacy and coalition building, the Council raises awareness, generates action, and creates large-scale change. We work on federal, state, and local public policy issues to ensure a just, healthy environment and sustainable future for all Iowans. Learn more at iaenvironment.org .

The Sierra Club is Americas largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org .

The Clean Up MidAm campaign is a coalition of organizations, including the Iowa Environmental Council, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Clean Energy Districts of Iowa, Iowa Interfaith Power & Light, the Sierra Club, Moms Clean Air Force, Great Plains Action Society and countless Iowans who care about our future. Learn more at www.cleanupmidam.com .

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ff904f7c-0ee6-4ad0-851f-613db41398e1

The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.
CALGARY, Alberta, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crew Energy Inc. (TSX: CR; OTCQB: CWEGF) (Crew or the Company), a growth-oriented, liquids rich natural gas producer operating in the world-class Montney play in northeast British Columbia (NE BC), is pleased to announce the voting results for the election of directors at our annual general meeting of shareholders held on May 11, 2023 (the "Meeting"). Each of the seven nominees proposed by Crew and as set forth in the Information Circular  Proxy Statement provided to shareholders in connection with the Meeting were elected as directors, with common shares represented at the Meeting voting in favour of individual nominees as follows:



Nominee Name Votes For (%) Votes Withheld (%)

John A. Brussa 90.52% 9.48% Gail A. Hannon 98.45% 1.55% John M. Hooks 92.22% 7.78% Karen A. Nielsen 99.65% 0.35% Ryan A. Shay 97.06% 2.94% Dale O. Shwed 98.91% 1.09% Brad A. Virbitsky 99.46% 0.54%

For complete voting results, please see the Companys Report of Voting Results which will be available under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Crew

Crew is a growth-oriented natural gas and liquids producer, committed to pursuing sustainable per share growth through a balanced mix of financially and socially responsible exploration and development. The Companys operations are exclusively located in northeast British Columbia and feature a vast Montney resource with a large contiguous land base in the Greater Septimus, Tower and Groundbirch areas in British Columbia, offering significant development potential over the long-term. Crew has access to diversified markets with operated infrastructure and access to multiple pipeline egress options. The Companys common shares are listed for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol CR and on the OTCQB in the US under ticker CWEGF.

FOR DETAILED INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Kampala  There is tension at Makerere University following the suspension of a student, Kizza Adonia, by Vice-Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe for allegedly organizing an illegal demonstration on campus.

On Monday, a group of Makerere University students had planned to hold a peaceful demonstration to draw attention to their grievances, which they claimed had been neglected by the University management.

These grievances included the ban on political parties, the controversial Guild statute, the delay in the disbursement of government-sponsored students' allowances, and the presence of military personnel within the University grounds, among other concerns.

In an attempt to mobilize support for the demonstration, students used their WhatsApp groups to disseminate information about the planned strike and coordinate participation from various colleges within the University.

However, their efforts were hindered by a heavy security deployment, which prevented the strike from taking place. In a May 8th, 2023 letter, Nawangwe alleged that Adonia was involved in acts of indiscipline and had participated in an illegal demonstration.

"Among the illegal acts that you were allegedly involved in is participation in an illegal demonstration, during which you beat fellow students and disrupted teaching and learning activities that were ongoing in the College of Education and External Studies, College of Humanities and Social Sciences as well as School of Law calling for defiance and disruption of University activities," reads the letter in part.

Nawangwe stated that Adonia's alleged involvement in the above illegal activities posed a threat to the safety and security of the University community and property. "I hereby suspend you from Makerere University with immediate effect and until further notice to allow for further investigations," he wrote.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Legal Affairs Education 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 Vice-Chancellor also ordered the Dean of Students and the University Disciplinary Committee to commence proceedings against Adonia and instructed the Chief Security Officer to ensure that Adonia vacates the University premises immediately. Robert Maseruka, a student leader at Makerere, confirmed that the original plan was to hold a peaceful demonstration to protest the delay in disbursing allowances to government-sponsored students.

However, the strike was temporarily suspended after the University Secretary, Yusuf Kiranda, assured the students that their allowances would be disbursed within six working days. Maseruka believes that while the students' grievances are legitimate, the issue of delayed allowances should take priority.

He advised his fellow students to be patient and tackle issues one at a time, as attempting to address all problems simultaneously may hinder efforts to resolve the delayed allowances issue. "As we are proceeding we need leadership in each and everything, and as a leader I informed them before that we need not bring all reasons, because if we bring all of them, the government allowance issue which is the main concern will lose sense," he said.

Another anonymous student suggested that it would be an opportune time for the students to take a stand and pressure the administration to address their concerns, as their counterparts at Kyambogo University did last week with positive results. Maseruka stated that he is engaging the University management to secure Adonia's reinstatement.
SYDNEY, Australia, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Conservative Parties will hold a Majority

Previous Veto held by Left Wing Parties Removed

Dear Stakeholder

Lithium Power International Limited (ASX: LPI) (LPI or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on the recent vote in Chile over the weekend on the Chilean Constitution reform.

Following Chiles national plebiscite on 4 September 2022, when a proposed constitution drafted by the Constitutional Convention was rejected by a 62-38 margin, lawmakers announced a new agreement in December 2022. The first draft was considered too radical and too long by a large majority of the Chilean people, and now a second attempt is being made to draft a new constitution with different rules.

The new draft agreement states that a group of 50 directly elected constitutional advisors will draft changes to the constitution, based on a preliminary draft prepared by a commission of 24 experts appointed by Congress. Additionally, a 14-member body appointed by Congress will ensure that the proposed text aligns with the 12 institutional and fundamental principles outlined in the agreement.

Under the new agreement, Council members will be directly elected. There will be equal representation of men and women, and there will be participation from indigenous peoples.

A three-fifths majority vote in the Council will be required to approve the new articles. This is lower than the two-thirds majority required in the previous convention. Unlike the previous convention, the number of seats reserved for indigenous representatives will not be fixed. That will depend on the number of votes that each one receives. The commission of experts will work on a first draft between 6 March to 6 June, and the Constitutional Council will commence its work 30 days after its election on 6 June 2023.

The Council must deliver the draft constitution by 6 November. A mandatory referendum will be held on 17 December 2023 to either approve or reject the new text for the constitution.

The Chilean right-wing parties last Sunday won more than a 60 per cent majority of constitutional council members - 34 votes to 51 - to freely draft a new constitution and remove the veto option for the left wing camp. Only one indigenous member was elected. This is a sharp shift from the left-wing majority elected in the first stage of the process in 2021, and who drafted the rejected text.

The Republican Party, which is mostly comprised of conservative, right-wing members, has now become the leading political force in Chile. It holds 34 per cent of the vote with its 23 members, giving them a veto on amendments. President Borics left-wing coalition garnered about 30 per cent and 16 seats, which included the indigenous members. A separate coalition of traditional, right-wing parties gained more than 20 per cent of the vote with 11 seats. Centrist parties took the remainder of the vote but failed to gain any seats.

The result is expected to have a positive impact on the recovery of economic activity and foreign investment in the country. It will eliminate uncertainties created by the previous constitutional process and provide confidence in the long term on Chiles political stability and quality of its institutions.

The Companys CEO, Cristobal Garcia-Huidobro commented

LPI expects this outcome will provide further clarity and confidence in Chile as an investment destination for any potential funders and/or interested parties in the Maricunga Stage One lithium brine project.

Authorised for release by the Board of Directors of Lithium Power International Limited.

For further information, please contact:

Cristobal Garcia-Huidobro  CEO; or Andrew Phillips  CFO Lithium Power International

E: info@lithiumpowerinternational.com Ph: +612 9276 1245

www.lithiumpowerinternational.com

@LithiumPowerLPI

For Australian investor relations enquiries:

Jane Morgan  Jane Morgan Management Pty Ltd

Investor and Media Relations

+ 61 (0) 405 555 618

jm@janemorganmanagement.com.au

For Asian investor relations enquiries:

Mary Leung - 121 Group (HK) Ltd

Investor and Media Relations

+ 852 9247 6058

mary.leung@weare121.com

For U.S. and other international investor relations enquiries:

Thomas Renaud - Arrowhead Business and Investment Decisions, LLC
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prime Mining Corp. (Prime, or the Company) (TSX.V: PRYM) (OTCQX: PRMNF) (Frankfurt: O4V3) is pleased to report its operating and financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2023. Unless otherwise stated, all amounts are presented in Canadian dollars. Prime is focused on the exploration and development of its wholly owned high-grade Los Reyes Gold-Silver Project in Sinaloa State, Mexico (Los Reyes or the Project).



Prime released an updated mineral resource estimate (MRE1) for the Los Reyes Gold-Silver Project on May 2, 2023 that included Prime drilling results through December 2022. The MRE contains 1.47 million Indicated gold equivalent (AuEq2) ounces at a 1.68 grams per tonne (gpt) average grade. This is 1.0 million ounces of gold at 1.16 gpt and 35 million ounces of silver at 40.4 gpt. The MRE also contains 0.73 million Inferred AuEq ounces at a 1.26 gpt average grade. This is 0.5 million ounces of gold at 0.85 gpt and 18.4 million ounces of silver at 31.5 gpt. The MRE areas remain open along strike and at depth.

Prime is executing an expanded drilling program during 2023 of up to 60,000 metres (m). Prime has already drilled over 20,000 m year-to-date. About one half of the planned 2023 drilling will occur down dip and along strike within the MRE areas and the other half at multiple new target areas such as Las Primas, Fresnillo, Zapote 300 and the Orito trend.

With a current cash balance of $45.5 million, Prime is funded for the increased exploration drilling program in 2023 and for its expected similar-sized drill program in 2024. Work will also continue in technical areas such as ongoing metallurgical test work and geotechnical assessments.

Corporate Highlights During the Quarter

On February 15th, the Company announced granting of incentive securities;

700,000 incentive stock options at price of $1.97 per share granted to management.

307,328 deferred share units granted to board of directors.

On April 11th, the Company announced the acceleration of the expiry date of warrants issued as part of the December 22, 2022 financing. A total of 14,025,410 warrants were exercised for gross proceeds of $28,050,820.

Appointment

Effective April 24, 2023, the Company also announces the appointment of Ms. Indi Gopinathan as Vice President of Capital Markets and Business Development. Her responsibilities include leading Investor Relations functions for the Company and supporting corporate and business development opportunity assessments, in addition to technical leadership in advancing our understanding of the Los Reyes Project.

Ms. Gopinathan started her career with the Falconbridge/Noranda group, before moving on to equity research, senior corporate roles, independent consulting and teaching. She was most recently Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications at IAMGOLD, responsible for corporate marketing strategy and communications. She joins Prime with a range of experience across the mining industry life cycle: through the exploration, project development and operating stages, and from the perspectives of engineering, logistics, information technology, finance and capital markets. Ms. Gopinathan currently serves on the board of Ascot Resources. Outside of industry, she is a dedicated volunteer, elected in 2022 to the Governing Council of the University of Toronto. Ms. Gopinathan holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Queens University. She is a designated P.Eng. and CPA, CMA (both Ontario).

Exploration Highlights During the Quarter

On January 11th, the Company announced multiple high-grade intercepts in the Z-T area including bonanza grade intervals, as well as additional drill hole results.

Highlight intercepts include:

10.00 gpt Au and 131.0 gpt Ag over 3.1 m estimated true width (etw), including 28.5 gpt Au and 310.0 gpt Ag over 1.1 m etw;

4.7 gpt Au and 103.0 gpt Ag over 8.7 m etw, including 39.6 gpt Au and 174.0 gpt Ag over 0.7 m etw;

2.7 gpt Au and 451.0 gpt Ag over 4.8 m etw including 4.8 gpt Au and 821 gpt Ag over 2.3 m etw.

On February 7th, the Company announced its 2023 drill program to focus on continued resource expansion and renewed focus on known early-stage exploration targets with a plan for 35,000 m drilling initially. During the quarter, the company subsequently increased the planned 2023 drill program up to 45,000 m.

On February 27th, the Company announced discovery holes in several new gold- and silver- bearing areas with results confirming high potential exploration targets to drive continued expansion beyond existing resource.

Highlight intercepts include:

Fresnillo Area: 1.4 gpt Au and 18.0 gpt Ag over 15.8 m etw, including 4.7 gpt Au and 48.0 gpt Ag over 2.9 m etw;

Fresnillo Area: 1.3 gpt Au and 13.0 gpt Ag over 5.5 m etw, including 7.5 gpt Au and 53.0 gpt Ag over 0.8 m etw and 0.88 gpt Au and 36.0 gpt Ag over 4.6 m etw;

Orito Area: 1.0 gpt Au and 2.5 gpt Ag over 4.7 m etw, including 2.2 gpt Au and 4.4 gpt Ag over 1.5 m etw;

Mariposa Area: 4.9 gpt Au and 22.0 gpt Ag over 34.7 m etw including 41.5 gpt Au and 40.0 gpt Ag over 1.5 m etw.

Maintaining Health and Safety Protocols

The Company continues to successfully mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on operations. To-date Covid-19 has not had a material effect on the Companys activities. Prime remains engaged with local stakeholders and is proactive in monitoring employees and contractors during this uncertain period. The Company continues to closely adhere to the directives of all levels of government and relevant health authorities in Mexico and Canada.

Changes to Mining Laws in Mexico

On April 29, 2023, the Mexican government approved a bill amending several laws relating to mining concessions and on May 8th published the approved laws in the Official Gazette. The Company is reviewing details on these amendments to determine the impact, if any, on the Companys operations.



Community Engagement and Environmental Stewardship Strategy

We continued to gather environmental and community data in the quarter to help support our ESG programs, including completion of a materiality assessment, strategic plan and disclosure matrix. We strive to minimize the environmental impact of our activities and ensure that Los Reyes has a positive impact on our host communities.

The Company released its initial sustainability report during April 2023 which establishes a baseline and a new yardstick to measure our progress in meeting our commitments regarding sustainability and stewardship of the environment, relevant social issues and corporate governance.

Selected Financial Data

The following selected financial data is summarized from the Companys consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto (the Financial Statements) for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022. A copy of the Financial Statements and MD&A is available at www.primeminingcorp.ca or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

Three months ended

March 31, 2023 Three months ended

March 31, 2022 Loss and comprehensive loss $5,995,467 $8,038,370 Loss per share  basic and diluted $0.05 $0.07





March 31, 2023 December 31, 2022 Cash $19,240,951 $23,811,434 Total assets $33,829,051 $38,105,206 Total current liabilities $1,140,878 $1,209,140 Total liabilities $2,013,629 $2,092,161 Total shareholders equity $31,815,422 $36,013,045

Notes

Resource estimate is based on economically constrained pits using a $US 1700/ounce gold price, $US 22/ounce silver price, and an assumed 0.22 g/T gold cutoff grade. For more information and other assumptions, please see Primes May 2, 2022 press release, or our website. Gold equivalent grades are calculated as in-situ contained grades, applying the assumed ratio of gold to silver prices using the following formula: AuEq grade (gpt) = Gold grade (gpt) + Silver grade (gpt) x ($US 22 / $US 1700). Relative recoveries are not considered in the in-situ contained grade estimate but are assumed to have mill recoveries of 93% and 83% for gold and silver, respectively and heap leach recoveries of 73% and 25% for gold and silver, respectively. For more information and other assumptions, please see Primes May 2, 2022 press release, or our website.

Qualified Person

Scott Smith, P.Geo., Executive Vice President of Exploration, is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content in this news release.

Los Reyes Gold and Silver Project

Los Reyes is a rapidly evolving high-grade, low sulphidation epithermal gold-silver project located in Sinaloa State, Mexico. Historic operating results indicate that an estimated 1 million ounces of gold and 60 million ounces of silver were recovered from five separate operations at Los Reyes between 1770 and 1990. Prior to Primes acquisition, recent operators of Los Reyes had spent approximately US$20 million on exploration, engineering, and prefeasibility studies. The Project remains underexplored and holds potential for additional discovery and resource expansion.

Since acquiring Los Reyes in 2019, Prime has spent approximately US$30 million on direct exploration activities and has completed two phases of comprehensive drilling totaling over 110,000 m. Results to date suggest the three known main deposit areas, Guadalupe, Central and Z-T are much larger than previously reported. Potential exists for new discoveries outside of the current defined resource areas.

About Prime Mining

Prime Mining is an ideal mix of successful mining executives, strong capital markets personnel, and experienced local operators focused on unlocking the full potential of the high-grade Los Reyes Gold-Silver Project in Mexico. Prime Mining has a well-planned capital structure with significant team and insider ownership.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Daniel Kunz

Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Daniel Kunz

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Prime Mining Corp.

1307 S. Colorado Ave.

Boise, Idaho 83706

Telephone: +1 (208) 926-6379 office

email: daniel@primeminingcorp.ca

Scott Hicks

Executive Vice President

Prime Mining Corp.

710  1030 West Georgia Street

Vancouver, BC, V6E 2Y3

Telephone: +1 (604) 428-6128 office

email: scott.hicks@primeminingcorp.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation as may be amended from time to time, including, without limitation, statements regarding the perceived merit of the Companys properties, including additional exploration potential of Los Reyes, potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, the potential size of the mineralized zone, metallurgical recoveries, the timing and results of permitting and the Companys exploration and development plans in Mexico. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts which address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Companys management on the date the statements are made, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements were made, including without limitation, assumptions regarding the price of gold, silver and copper; the accuracy of mineral resource estimations; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained, including concession renewals and permitting; that political and legal developments will be consistent with current expectations; that currency and exchange rates will be consistent with current levels; and that there will be no significant disruptions affecting the Company or its properties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements involve significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to: risks related to uncertainties inherent in the preparation of mineral resource estimates, including but not limited to changes to the cost assumptions, variations in quantity of mineralized material, grade or recovery rates, changes to geotechnical or hydrogeological considerations, failure of plant, equipment or processes, changes to availability of power or the power rates, ability to maintain social license, changes to interest or tax rates, changes in project parameters, delays and costs inherent to consulting and accommodating rights of local communities, environmental risks, title risks, including concession renewal, commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations, risks relating to COVID-19, delays in or failure to receive access agreements or amended permits, risks inherent in the estimation of mineral resources; and risks associated with executing the Companys objectives and strategies, including costs and expenses, as well as those risk factors discussed in the Companys most recently filed managements discussion and analysis, as well as its annual information form dated April 22, 2022, available on www.sedar.com. Except as required by the securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
TORONTO, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As grilling season approaches, Gardein, a brand of Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), is excited to offer two delicious and unique veggie burger options for those looking to elevate their BBQ game. The new Gardein SUPREME Black Bean Burger and SUPREME Falafel Burger elevate the sensory and taste experience of the traditional veggie burger, delivering full flavour and texture you can really sink your teeth into. Both products are part of Gardeins popular SUPREME line, offering consumers more variety for summer.



The SUPREME Black Bean Burger is a mouth-watering veggie patty that includes veggies like cauliflower and avocado and is seasoned with serrano peppers and ancho chili, and a touch of guajillo chili. The Gardein SUPREME Falafel Burger is a delicious veggie patty made from a combination of vegetables like chickpeas and kale along with a bold spice blend. Both are a source of fibre, high in iron, contain no artificial colours or flavours, prepared in Canada, Non-GMO Project Verified, and vegan.

"At Gardein, we are proud to be Canada's #1 frozen meat alternative brand1, and we are always striving to provide delicious plant-based options that satisfy the taste buds of everyone. We are committed to continuously innovating to meet the changing brand preferences of our consumers," said Veronika Popkova, Senior Brand Manager at Conagra Brands Canada. "We wanted to provide consumers seeking plant-based barbeque options even more variety and flavours this season. Gone are the days of a veggie burger being bland, the SUPREME Black Bean and Falafel burgers deliver on taste, texture and unique flavour combinations that will heat up your summer grilling routine.

The Gardein SUPREME Black Bean & Falafel Burgers are perfect for outdoor barbecues, picnics, or any other occasion where delicious food and fun are on the menu. So, why not fire up the grill this summer and try Gardein SUPREME Veggie Burgers?

Gardein SUPREME Black Bean Burger and SUPREME Falafel Burger are available in the natural frozen section at select grocery stores nationwide.

For more information on Gardein and recipe ideas, please visit gardein.ca.

About Conagra Brands Canada

Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago with a Canadian presence in Mississauga, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Orville Redenbachers, Marie Callender's, Hunts, Healthy Choice, Slim Jim, POGO, and VH, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Earth Balance, and Gardein offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.ca.

For more information, please contact:

MEDIA: Sarah El-Bakri

Harbinger Communications

selbakri@harbingerideas.com

1Nielsen MarketTrack NATIONAL EXCL NFLD GB +DR +MM l Latest 52 Weeks Period Ending WE Mar 25 23

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d2e4a7e8-b512-44b4-8c8e-cc1da1615d05
TORONTO, May 10, 2023 - Denison Mines Corp. ('Denison' or the 'Company') (TSX: DML) (NYSE American: DNN) today filed its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis ('MD&A') for the quarter ended March 31, 2023. Both documents will be available on the Company's website at www.denisonmines.com, SEDAR (at www.sedar.com) and EDGAR (at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). The highlights provided below are derived from these documents and should be read in conjunction with them. All amounts in this release are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. View PDF version

David Cates, President and CEO of Denison commented, "Our Q1'2023 operational highlights showcase the multiple facets that make up our dynamic company. During the quarter at our flagship Wheeler River project ('Wheeler River'), we progressed our efforts on the Phoenix deposit ('Phoenix') Feasibility Study ('FS'), incorporating results from the highly successful leaching and neutralization phases of the Feasibility Field Test ('FFT') completed in late 2022. With the FS nearing completion, and the environmental assessment for Phoenix progressing in parallel to our technical de-risking efforts over the last several years, Phoenix remains squarely positioned to become the next new uranium mine in the eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region.

We also reported notable news from other assets in our vast project portfolio - including the discovery of high-grade uranium mineralization at the Moon Lake South exploration project and positive results from the completion of an internal concept study ('Concept Study') for the use of the in-situ recovery ('ISR') mining method at Denison's 25.17% owned Midwest development project ('Midwest'). The discovery at Moon Lake South is in the very early stages and illustrates the untapped potential of our large exploration property portfolio. Moon Lake South is a particularly exciting property, given that it is nearly surrounded by Denison controlled exploration properties and is adjacent to our flagship Wheeler River property. At Midwest, we are collaborating with our long-time joint venture partner Orano Canada Inc., to take steps that could see Midwest emerge as another meaningful source of low-cost future production for Denison. Based on the positive results of the Concept Study, the Midwest joint venture has approved a program and budget for 2023 that will support the further de-risking of the application of the ISR mining method at Midwest, and which may result in the completion of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ('PEA').

With truly meaningful developments ahead on multiple Denison projects and the uranium market benefiting from a sustained stream of positive developments increasing projections of global demand for nuclear power, Denison is well positioned to offer investors unique leverage to the uranium market from our multi-stage / multi-asset portfolio of high-grade Athabasca Basin projects."

Highlights

Completed an internal Concept Study examining the application of the ISR mining method at Midwest

The Company completed a Concept Study examining the potential application of the ISR mining method at Midwest. The Concept Study was prepared by Denison during 2022 and formally issued to the Midwest Joint Venture ('MWJV') in early 2023. Based on the positive results of the Concept Study, the MWJV has provided Denison with approval to complete additional ISR-related work for Midwest in 2023.

Evaluation activities planned for Midwest during 2023 include the collection of deposit-specific information and the completion of select preliminary engineering studies to support the further evaluation and de-risking of the key criteria required to further assess the potential application of the ISR mining method, which may result in the preparation of a PEA to support the development, if warranted, of future field tests.

Discovered high-grade uranium mineralization at Moon Lake South

In April 2023, Denison reported that drill hole MS-23-10A intersected 1.38% eU 3 O 8 over 8.7 metres (0.05% eU 3 O 8 cut-off), including a sub-interval grading 2.88% eU 3 O 8 over 3.1 metres, intersected approximately 30 metres above the unconformity in the Athabasca sandstone, as part of the recently completed winter exploration program at the Moon Lake South property. Uranium mineralization was encountered in four of the six drill holes completed during the 2023 winter exploration program, which was designed to evaluate the strike length of low-grade mineralized occurrences identified in the 2021 and 2016 drill programs.

Feasibility Study for Wheeler River Phoenix deposit on track for completion by mid-2023

Feasibility level engineering design, well field production modelling and cost estimation for the application of ISR mining for the high-grade Phoenix uranium deposit at Wheeler River progressed during the first quarter of 2023, and is currently on track to support the announcement of the results from the FS by mid-2023.

Released 2022 ESG report, highlighting progress on environmental, social and governance initiatives

In April 2023, Denison released its 2022 ESG Report, which provides information on the Company's environmental, social and governance ('ESG') initiatives and demonstrates its ongoing commitment to sustainability and transparency. Denison's 2022 ESG Report focuses on key ESG topics including the Company's objective to maintain excellence in corporate governance practices, "best in class" engagement with communities potentially impacted by its activities, diversity in the Company's workforce, and robust assessments of the environment and biodiversity in the regions within which it operates.

About Denison

Denison Mines Corp. was formed under the laws of Ontario and is a reporting issuer in all Canadian provinces and territories. Denison's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol 'DML' and on the NYSE American exchange under the symbol 'DNN'.

Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The Company has an effective 95% interest in its flagship Wheeler River Uranium Project, which is the largest undeveloped uranium project in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan. A Pre-Feasibility Study ('PFS') was completed for Wheeler River in late 2018, considering the potential economic merit of developing Phoenix as an ISR operation and the Gryphon deposit as a conventional underground mining operation. Denison's interests in Saskatchewan also include a 22.5% ownership interest in the MLJV, which includes several uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill, which is contracted to process the ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest Main and Midwest A deposits and a 67.41% interest in the Tthe Heldeth Tue ('THT', formerly J Zone) and Huskie deposits on the Waterbury Lake property. The Midwest Main, Midwest A, THT and Huskie deposits are located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill.

Through its 50% ownership of JCU, Denison holds additional interests in various uranium project joint ventures in Canada, including the Millennium project (JCU, 30.099%), the Kiggavik project (JCU, 33.8118%) and Christie Lake (JCU, 34.4508%).

Denison's exploration portfolio includes further interests in properties covering approximately 300,000 hectares in the Athabasca Basin region.

Denison is also engaged in post-closure mine care and maintenance services through its Closed Mines group, which manages Denison's reclaimed mine sites in the Elliot Lake region and provides related services to certain third-party projects.

Technical Disclosure and Qualified Person

The technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Chad Sorba, P.Geo., Denison's Director, Technical Services, and Andy Yackulic, P.Geo., Denison's Director, Exploration, who are both Qualified Persons in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes 'forward-looking information', within the meaning of the applicable United States and Canadian legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison.

Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as 'plans', 'expects', 'budget', 'scheduled', 'estimates', 'forecasts', 'intends', 'anticipates', or 'believes', or the negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results 'may', 'could', 'would', 'might' or 'will be taken', 'occur', 'be achieved' or 'has the potential to'.

In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: projections with respect to exploration, development and expansion plans and objectives, including the scope, objectives and interpretations of the technical de-risking process for the proposed ISR operation for the Phoenix deposit, including the FFT and metallurgical testing programs described herein and the interpretation of the results therefrom; expectations with respect to a FS for Phoenix; expectations regarding regulatory applications and approvals and the elements thereof, including the EIS; objectives and interpretations of the Midwest Concept Study and any potential for further studies and/or an EA; the Company's ESG objectives; expectations regarding the performance of the uranium market and global sentiment regarding nuclear energy; expectations regarding Denison's joint venture ownership interests; and expectations regarding the continuity of its agreements with third parties. Statements relating to 'mineral reserves' or 'mineral resources' are deemed to be forward-looking information, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions that the mineral reserves and mineral resources described can be profitably produced in the future.

Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For example, the results and underlying assumptions and interpretations of the PFS as well as de-risking efforts such as the ISR field programs discussed herein may not be maintained after further testing or be representative of actual conditions within the applicable deposits. In addition, Denison may decide or otherwise be required to extend its evaluation activities and/or the FS and/or otherwise discontinue testing, evaluation and development work if it is unable to maintain or otherwise secure the necessary approvals or resources (such as testing facilities, capital funding, etc.). Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate and results may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the factors discussed in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 27, 2023 under the heading 'Risk Factors'. These factors are not, and should not be, construed as being exhaustive.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking information and the assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of this press release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this press release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in Denison's expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/denison-reports-financial-and-operational-results-for-q1-2023-301821552.html

SOURCE Denison Mines Corp.
Vancouver, May 11, 2023 - Manning Ventures Inc. (the "Company" or "Manning") (CSE:MANN) (FRA:1H5) (OTC:MANVF) is pleased to provide an update on upcoming exploration activities at it's 100-percent owned Dipole Lithium Property (the "Property") in Newfoundland. The Company is in the planning stages of an extensive field program as soon as weather permits.

Manning Ventures Dipole Lithium project is a 997.3-hecatre project located within the Hermitage Flexure structure approximately 50 kilometers along strike of the Sokoman/Benton Kraken Lithium discovery. The Hermitage Flexure is a regional-scale structural corridor containing volcano-sedimentary rock units, which are favorable host-rocks for spodumene-bearing LCT pegmatites. The Hermitage Flexure is thought to be the continuation of the Avalonia to Kings Mountain/Piedmont Trends as discussed below.

During the first half of 2022, Dahrouge Geological Consulting ("DGC") completed a regional metallogenic study of southern Newfoundland and recommended the acquisition of The Property due to its prospective nature for hosting Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum type pegmatite- and/or tungsten mineralization. The Property is host to several positive indicators for lithium mineralization.

The Company completed a reconnaissance scale program in late 2022 that successfully accomplished the task of validating the Property's LCT-style affinity by returning highly anomalous lithium values (up to 472 ppm Li) hosted in a felsic intrusive host rock. This program successfully confirmed that lithium-enriched intrusives are present at Dipole while delineating a newly discovered 100m zone that produced five samples of highly anomalous lithium values from 367 ppm to 472 ppm Li (see Manning news release dated February 8, 2023).

"These highly anomalous lithium values are significant, well above expected background levels, and justify further exploration efforts," said CEO, Alex Klenman. "Given the promising results from the reconnaissance scale program, combined with the positive results nearby, we are eager to conduct further recon and sampling over the summer months with the goal to identify potential first phase drill targets for Q3/Q4," continued Mr. Klenman.

The Company will provide more details on the timing and full scope of planned activities in the coming weeks.



Click Image To View Full Size

Figure 1: Dipole Lithium Property Location

Newfoundland Lithium Belt Discovery

Newfoundland's pegmatite belt is over 450 kilometers in length and is analogous to the Avalonia Lithium Belt in Ireland and Kings Mountain/Piedmont Lithium Belt in North Carolina. * LCT-style pegmatites have been identified in regional mapping of Newfoundland since the middle of the 1900s. During the mid-1960s, the Newfoundland government conducted two seasons of pegmatite surveys to evaluate their economic potential. Beryl bearing pegmatites were mapped, but very little was known about the zonation of metals like beryllium, tantalum, and lithium within pegmatite fields. Since then, significant amounts of new regional geochemical data have been released yet no modern-day lithium exploration techniques have been applied in this highly prospective region.

Through their research, various companies actively exploring for lithium in Newfoundland have identified numerous lithium-caesium-tantalum pegmatite targets within belt, and Sokoman Minerals/Benton Resources have made the most significant progress so far*:

https://sokomanmineralscorp.com/2023/05/02/sokoman-and-benton-announce-start-of-2023-drilling-program-at-the-kraken-lithium-and-hydra-cesium-discoveries-in-southwestern-newfoundland/

* Readers are cautioned that information regarding mineral resources, geology, and mineralization on adjacent or similar properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on the Company's properties.

QP Disclosure

Neil McCallum, B.Sc., P.Geo., of Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

About Manning Ventures

Manning is a broad-based mineral exploration and development company with a focus in Canada. Manning holds a 100% interest in the Bounty Lithium Project, located in Quebec, and the Dipole Lithium Project, in Newfoundland. The Company also retains interest in six Iron Ore properties located in the Province of Quebec, and portfolio of polymetallic projects in Newfoundland.

For further information contact:

Manning Ventures Inc.

Alex Klenman - CEO

Email: info@manning-ventures.com

Telephone: (604) 681-0084

www.manning-ventures.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Completion of the acquisition is subject to a number of conditions, including receipt of appropriate regulatory approvals. The acquisition cannot close until all such conditions are satisfied. There can be no assurance that the Acquisition will be completed as proposed or at all.

Certain information in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the failure to satisfy the conditions of the relevant securities exchange(s) and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law.

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Montreal, May 11, 2023 - Glen Eagle Resources Inc. (the "Corporation") (TSXV:GER) announces that it has disposed of 436,500 common shares (each, a "Share") of First Phosphate Corp. ("FPC"), and that it has entered into an agreement dated May 10, 2023 to dispose (the "Disposition") of an additional 2,700,000 Shares on or before May 31, 2023.

The Corporation currently owns 5,400,000 Shares, representing approximately 10.45% of the issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis. On closing of the Disposition, the Corporation will own 2,700,000 Shares, representing approximately 5.23% of the issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis.

All securities of FPC controlled by the Corporation are held for investment purposes. In the future, it (directly or indirectly), may acquire and/or dispose of securities of FPC through the market, privately or otherwise, as circumstances or market conditions may warrant.

This press release is issued pursuant to the early warning requirements of National Instrument 62-104 - Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids and National Instrument 62-103 - The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues. A copy of the early warning report to be filed by Glen Eagle in connection with the transaction will be available on the FPC's SEDAR profile once it has been filed in accordance with applicable securities laws and may be obtained by contacting:

ABOUT GLEN EAGLE RESOURCES INC.

Glen Eagle Resources Inc. is a small producer and an exploration company of precious metals in Canada and the central America area.

For more information, please contact:

Karl Trudeau

President

1-819-440-8495

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has appointed Prof Elifas Bisanda to chair the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) National Commission for a second term.

The Tanzania National Commission for UNESCO is the focal point in Tanzania for implementation of UNESCO programmes and activities.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director of Presidential Communications Ms Zuhura Yunus, the President also appointed Engineer Abdallah Mohammed Mkufunzi to chair the National Water Fund board.

The statement added that the appointment of the appointees was effective from May 5, 2023.
analysis

Azali Assoumani, president of the Union of Comoros and the African Union rotating chairman, told RFI that he will not accept the forced repatriation by France of around ten thousand people from Mayotte to the Comoros. Nor will he accept a financial compensation to take undocumented Comorians from Mayotte as part of the "Wuambushu" operation.

"I will not today accept money in exchange for Comorians expelled from Mayotte. One does not trade like this," Colonel Azali Assoumani, president of the Union of the Comoros, told RFI and its sister TV station, France 24 on Sunday.

Assoumani is the president of the three islands, Grande-Comore, Moheli and Anjouan as well as the rotating chairman of the African Union for 2023.

He said that he spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron twice over the phone recently and has requested to meet him.

The so-called "Wuambushu" ('take back' in Comorian) operation started on 21 April 2023 in Mayotte, a French department, in order to fight illegal migration and organised crime on the island.

The beginning of the operation did not go smoothly, despite the 1,800 members of the French security forces deployed specifically for this task.

Speaking at the French Senate in Paris on 3 May, Interior minister, Gerald Darmanin said the wild proliferation of "bangas", or slums with "no water, electricity or gas" must be stopped.

Estelle Youssouffa, a locally elected member of Parliament (MP) in Mayotte, said that the Wuambushu operation was launched at the request of MPs and the population.

"In Mayotte, one can no longer go out because of the rampant crime and violence. We no longer have a night life, or a social life," said another local MP, Mansour Kamardine, who supports the operation launched to fight organised crime.

Mayotte is a "French problem"

"France has been managing Mayotte for the last 47 years. It is responsible, if not guilty, for what is happening there, Assoumani said.

"The people traffickers are from Mayotte. It's not me.

"I take responsibility for what is going on in the three islands [Grande-Comore, Moheli, Anjouan] when it comes to juvenile delinquency but not for what is going on in Mayotte," Assoumani added.

Mayotte voted against independence in 1975, as opposed to the other three islands of the Comoros archipelago. It became France's 101st department in 2011 and its poorest.

In 2019, the Union of Comoros agreed to a financial aid of 150 million from France to put a stop to human trafficking and the use of "kwasa-kwasa" (traditional Comorian fishing boats) to transport people illegally to Mayotte.

But according to MP Estelle Youssouffa, the situation has worsened since 2018.

"Insecurity in Mayotte and an out-of-control migration make life unbearable on the island," she added.

President Assoumani told RFI that he will not accept any financial support in return for allowing in the ten thousand people deported from Mayotte.

"France is a state that abides by the rule of law. It needs to legalise the situation of the people there. It is up to France to manage the Comorians in Mayotte, I will not accept them on the three islands," he added.

"The people [who are to be expelled] are not only from the three [Comorian] islands but also from Rwanda, Madagascar, Burundi".

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Comoros Europe and Africa 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.

Visa blackmail

In 2018, France initiated financial retaliation and a visa freeze for Comorians when no solution could be found with the Union of Comoros. Could France exert some form of retaliation if the Comoros insist on refusing to take in the undocumented Comorians?

"A visa blackmail is undignified for a country like France. And, in the past, the visa freeze did not yield any results," he commented.

The Comorian ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Defense will meet their French counterparts "to find a solution to this problem".

"We want the meetings to be at a broader governmental level, not reduced to an issue between the Interior ministries only," Assoumani added.

The President of the Union of Comoros also spoke about the Sudanese meeting in Jeddah and the war opposing Russia and Ukraine.
Four former Formula 1 drivers agree that Max Verstappen is the strongest driver of his generation - and perhaps one of the all-time greats.

"Of course he is," Italian Emanuele Pirro, still an occasional FIA steward, told La Gazzetta dello Sport when asked if the Dutchman is on Senna, Schumacher and Hamilton's level.

"He is at the level Senna and Schumacher were when they were at the stage he is at now," said the 61-year-old.

"That is also thanks to the team, which is excellent not because it's the best car but also because of the conditions they've put him in.

"Red Bull are very good at developing talent and making it grow."

According to former Ferrari driver and Frenchman Rene Arnoux, meanwhile, Verstappen may be a Senna-like driver inside the car - but not outside.

"The Ayrton I met was very reserved, kind. Max is tougher," said the 74-year-old. "The reaction he had in Baku with Russell was unacceptable.

"Besides that, he's very good - makes no mistakes and with such a fast, stable car, with the right traction, a deadly DRS. He's in an ideal situation.

"I don't see anyone who can even get close to him."

A more recent former F1 star, Giancarlo Fisichella, agrees: "I fear Max is going to dominate for a long time if the partnership with Red Bull remains so strong.

"At the beginning he crashed a lot, he made mistakes because of inexperience, but now he's almost always perfect. He has achieved an incredible consistency of performance, eliminating all the weak points," said the 50-year-old former 3-time GP winner.

"He is fast in the wet, in the dry, in qualifying, in the race. He is complete," Fisichella added.

"If we talk about skill, considering what he has done and is doing at his age, he is even ahead of the greats of the past who preceded him," he insisted.

"A driver like Verstappen is born only once in 20 years."

Finally, 11-time GP winner Felipe Massa thinks Verstappen has ideal team conditions within Red Bull but admits he is "the best driver with the fastest car".

"He has a lot of say within the team - everyone follows him and is on his side," said the Brazilian. "It is even difficult to think that the limitations in the wind tunnel could hurt their performance this year.

"But there is another winning feature of Verstappen - that he is focused only on racing without any other distractions. If he could, he'd be in the simulator or on the track 24 hours a day."

(GMM)
Surfline hit with liquidity challenges: Shuts down data centre, radio access network

Charles Benoni Okine Business News May - 11 - 2023 , 07:43

Surfline, which prides itself as Ghana's first 4G LTE company that offers fast and reliable internet services, has been hit by serious financial difficulties leaving customers in limbo.

Consequently, the company has shut down its data centre.

Prior to that, the company, which aggressively hit the market with exclusive services and product offerings, also shut down its radio access network, leaving its subscribers dumbfounded.

The action of the company is also said to be a result of serious cost issues.

The industry regulator, National Communications Authority (NCA), confirmed to the Daily Graphic, the dire state of the company and why it is unable to continue with its services.

The NCA Director-General, Joe Anokye, said: So, Surfline actually wrote to us that they shut down their data centre.

Prior to that, they informed us that they were shutting down their radio access network because of cost.

He said the NCA was working to issue a press release to clarify issues concerning Surfline but I think its a major liquidity issue.

Mr Anokye said the company was facing serious issues with some of its major vendors and I think it's been very challenging for them.

Notice

On the companys home page on its website, it has left a notice which reads: Surfline has, in the past few days, experienced a total network downtime, resulting in a service interruption for some of you.

Please be assured that Surfline management is working very hard with all stakeholders to resolve the matter.

It goes without saying that the validity of your data bundle will be extended proportionally, once the network is up again.

Surfline will also ensure that you, as our cherished customers, are compensated for all the inconvenience.

We are grateful to you for bearing with us and very much appreciative of your custom.

In another instance, the company also sent an SMS to customers saying: Dear Customer, we acknowledge the impact of the service interruption and all the inconveniences.

As we make progress to restore services, please be assured that the validity of your bundle will be extended.

Customers livid

Meanwhile, customers of the company are unhappy about the turn of events, with some threatening legal action against the ailing and cash-strapped company.

According to them, they have paid huge money for data, which they have not been enjoying for some time now.

Customer Protection

They blamed the industry regulator for the current turn of events.

One said the NCA should be able to up its game to protect customers against such occurrences.

Other regulators are able to do so at least, but the NCA has never done so and that is most unfortunate.

Can you imagine the telcos going down and packing out after collecting money from customers? he quizzed and indicated that the earlier such a safety net was provided, the better for customers in the telecom sector.
Music promotion is big problem Kofi Kinaata

Kofi Duah Showbiz News May - 11 - 2023 , 12:05

WITH his popularity, one would think it is a given for Highlife musician Kofi Kinaata to get his music played on the various radio and TV stations anytime he releases a song but that is not the case. He has to pay a lot of money to get his music on the airwaves.

Thus, music promotion has become a big problem and most musicians are struggling with it.

Speaking in an interview with Graphic Showbiz, he said, I can say on authority that promoting songs is a big deal now. If you dont pay, forget about your songs getting any airtime. You can have the nicest song but without money to push it, just forget about it. This has been going on for a while and my colleagues will bear me out that it is not easy at all.

We virtually have to pay for all the hit songs you hear on radio and TV. In fact, you need to have a big budget for promotion anytime you release a song, he revealed.

Kofi Kinaata at the moment is getting a lot of buzz with his latest single, Effiakuma Love, a song rendered in Reggae. He explained that he wanted to try Reggae with Fante and he is glad Ghanaians love the song.

I wanted to try something different from the usual use of Patios when doing Reggae songs. I wanted to use Fante and the comments I am getting is massive. The DJs play it a lot it and I see loads of people doing videos with the song. The reception has been great, he added.

Kofi Kinaata, winner of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) Song Writer of the Year for four consecutive times has done major collaborations with artistes such as Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, Samini, Stonebwoy, Kwesi Arthur, Jayso, Castro, Becca among others.

One major collaboration that blew him into mainstream music and the limelight is Odo Pa by Castro. The song also features the then Ghana Black Stars Captain, Asamoah Gyan.

Other songs by Kinaata which have been very well received include Susuka, Adam and Eve, Time No Dey, Last Show, Single and Free and Things Fall Apart.
Your hate my blessings, Yul Edochies second wife, Judy tells critics

vanguardngr.com Showbiz News May - 10 - 2023 , 18:00

Judy Austin, the second wife of Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie has expressed her gratitude to critics bent on criticizing and hurling insults at her.

According to Judy, those curses and insults get returned to her as blessings.

She said this in a video shared recently by her husband, Yul on his Facebook page.

To the people who hate me, who curse me, who attack me without knowing anything about me, I want to say thank you, a very big thank you, because without your curses, God wont be blessing me as much as he is blessing me now, I would not have come this far in life so soon, so fast, so I am thanking you for making it your duty to lay curses on me every day, she said.

Judy noted her haters are as important as her lovers, praying that all their attacks on her will return to them as blessings.

She said, Yes! I have nothing against you other than love. In fact, youre important as much as those who love me. Because God is turning your hate to my blessings. I pray all the insults, attacks will return to you as blessings.

She equally appreciated her lovers for standing by her and her family through thick and thin.

Related: 'I cant question God' -grieving Yul Edochie breaks silence on son's death
Nigerian president extends UK trip for dental care

International News May - 10 - 2023 , 11:33

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has extended his stay in London by a week for dental treatment, his aide has said.

The president had initially travelled to the UK capital last week to attend the coronation of King Charles III.

He was scheduled to return to Nigeria this week but will now stay on "at the behest of his dentist, who has started attending to him.

The specialist requires to see the president in another five days for a procedure already commenced," presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina said in a statement released on Tuesday night.

The president's extended stay has sparked criticism from some at home, who say that he should prioritise domestic issues - including its security challenges.

Since coming to office in 2015, Mr Buhari has travelled to the UK on a number of occasions for undisclosed medical reasons.

He is scheduled to hand over to President-elect Bola Tinubu on 29 May.
Mbale  Anti-Counterfeit Network Africa in conjunction with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Interpol, Judicial Training Institute (JTI), Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), National Drug Authority (NDA), Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries, Feed the Future/Inclusive Agriculture Markets launched the "Fight Against Fakes" Campaign and the anti-counterfeit whistleblowing platform called The Fakes desk in Mbale City.

The Fight Against Fake campaign was activated through a Song Competition with the sub-theme "FAKE is FAKE". The Champion against Fakes intervention found it prudent to use Music and the arts as agents of behavioural change.

This sub-event was intended to ensure that farmers, brand owners, consumers, agro-input traders, and public and private sector thought Leaders are systematically rallied against fakes and galvanized around Intellectual Property Rights protection and promotion.

According to the Feed the Future/Inclusive Agriculture Markets Activity - ACN Africa 2022 study that was carried out in the Elgon sub-region of Uganda, 66% of the Respondents "agree that counterfeits will always be among us" pointing to normalcy and a sense of public resignation.

In fact, in all cases where suspected counterfeiters are raided, the common argument that the suspects and their sympathizers present is that "I am trying to fend for my family"; meaning that if crime serves a higher family interest, then it is justifiable. The artists' & media campaign response is "What is criminal is criminal and cannot be righted by the nobility of a cause; -Fake is Fake!

Anti-Counterfeit Network Africa not only did they launch the "Fight Against Fakes" campaign but they also launched Fakes Desk which will be used by the people in the Elgon region to report counterfeits and counterfeiters.

Fakes Desk is a dual-purpose platform that is designed to bring the latest news and information about the fight against fakes in the region and on the other hand facilitates the reporting of counterfeit incidences through a physical desk for walk-ins, WhatsApp, and telephone. This will help improve the ease, quality, and effectiveness of investigation and eventual prosecution of counterfeit cases.

Speaking at the function, Collins Apuoyo, the Chief of Party Feed The Future Uganda Inclusive Agricultural Markets Activity, lauded the winners, the launch of the "Fight Against Fakes" and Fakes Desk saying that it's a novel idea. "This is a good idea. People can report counterfeits online and they get redressed. This idea of the fake desk will change the way counterfeits are," said Apuoyo.

Apuoyo added that one of the objectives of the Feed the Future Uganda Inclusive Agricultural Markets Activity is to increase productivity in Uganda yet one of the challenges they have encountered is farmers using agricultural products that are counterfeited. "We are interested in driving the change that would lead to fewer counterfeits on the market in Uganda. What we have seen is one of the strategies we are using to try to make people understand the message of fake is fake," he said.

Fred Muwema, ACN Africa's Chairman, said that the launch of the fake desk is indicative of ACN's belief in action rather than words.

"We don't just talk but work and we do research," said Muwema, CAN's legal Director.

He said that there's a need for several stakeholders to work together to combat counterfeits.

"We can't leave the fight against counterfeits to farmers in Bulambuli," he said alluding to one of the districts that form the Elgon region.

"We started with a baseline study here in the Elgon and the study revealed a lot of ignorance about counterfeits. We are all ignorant because the study showed no single case was reported to the police. No case went to the ODDP's office. No case went to the Court." He added

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.

In the end, Alex Wandeka, marched away with Shs 3 million having got the better of four other competitors in the FAKE is FAKE singing competition that targeted upcoming artists in and around the Elgon region. "When I joined the competitions I didn't expect to win but I'm happy I've won. I want to be an apostle in this fight against counterfeits in Agro-products," Wandeka said.

With the Elgon Sub-region being the pioneer of the campaign, we are pleased to inform Ugandans that we shall be rolling out in most parts of Uganda, we shall be in the Western Region, West Nile, Southern Region and Central Region. Ugandans will all benefit from this.

The Fake is Fake campaign is important to all Ugandans because they get to know the dangers of using counterfeit products. We started with the farmers because we all consume food and side effects always happen after using fake products. And we are all calling upon people that if they encounter anyone selling counterfeit agriculture products they can report them to our Fakes Desk.
14 Institutions fined GH1.3m for non-compliance with RTI Law

Justice Agbenorsi May - 11 - 2023 , 11:02

Fourteen public institutions have been slapped with a total of GH1,310,000 penalty for refusing to comply with the Right to Information (RTI) Commissions orders to grant applicants access to information requested.

The institutions formed part of 26 review applications determined by the Commission since its operationalisation in 2020.

The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who disclosed this when he took his turn at the Meet-the-Press series in Accra yesterday, cited limited cooperation from public institutions as one of the challenges affecting the implementation of the RTI Law which depicts the number of compliance exercises conducted by the Commission.

The press briefing was to highlight the success stories, challenges and the way forward for the RTI Commission while offering journalists the opportunity to ask questions about the implementation of the RTI Law.

The RTI Act 989 was passed by Parliament on May 21, 2019.

The Right to Information is enshrined in the 1992 Constitution under Article 21 (1) (f).

The act is a guarantor for the public to access information from public institutions and relevant private agencies.

It further makes it easier for the public to enjoy the benefits that come with the right to access information, as provided by the 1992 Constitution.

Although the RTI Act provides for the right of access to information from public agencies, some classes of information are, by legal tenets, withheld from the public.

Some classified information on the Presidency, Cabinet, law enforcement, public safety, among others, may be exempted from public exposure.

Institutions

Some of the institutions that have been fined include the Lands Commission, Keta Municipal Assembly and Ghana Oil PLC (GOIL).

Also penalised are Ghana Cocoa Board, Ministry of Education and the Ghana Police Service, among others.

More requests

Mr Nkrumah indicated that so far, access to information requests had increased over the three years of implementation of the Act with information requests increasing from 50 in 2020, to 382 in 2022.

He explained that in most cases, the heads of institutions who were subjected to administrative penalties were those who turned away information officers assigned by the ministry to such institutions.

While urging heads of institutions to embrace fully the RTI Law, Mr Nkrumah noted that the Office of the Head of Civil Service had incorporated the Right to Information (RTI) as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for all Chief Directors.

Now it is an obligation under the performance contract of Chief Directors to ensure that the RTI law is fully institutionalised, he emphasised.

The Information Minister further said efforts were underway to achieve same with the Local Government Service.

That, he explained, was aimed to guarantee the complete institutionalisation of the RTI culture within various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Listing some actions taken by the RTI Commission, Mr Nkrumah noted that the Commission had so far distributed guidelines to over 590 institutions.

The guidelines, he said, would serve as a guide to public institutions on the relevant information that shall be contained in their Information Manuals.

As part of compliance measures, the minister said the commission carried out mystery shopping exercises of institutions to ascertain whether or not the RTI implementation was being executed in accordance with the advertised standards.

The ministry, Mr Nkrumah also indicated, through the ATI Division, and in consultation with the RTI Commission, was working to operationalise an Online Records Management System (ORMS) to enable applicants to apply for information online, aid information officers in keeping accurate records and increase efficiency.

The platform, which has been developed in accordance with Section 18 of the RTI Act, 2019, will not only digitise the application and processing of RTI requests, but will also transform records management across public institutions in the country, he said.

He noted that a draft Legislative Instrument for the RTI ACT was also undergoing stakeholder consultation and would be laid when Parliament resumed.
Agric offers prospects for employment, prosperity "Graphic MD lauds Miss Agriculture Ghana initiative"

Delali Sika May - 11 - 2023 , 11:28

The Managing Director of Graphic Communications Group Limited, Ato Afful, has encouraged the youth to venture into agriculture as it is a profitable sector with a wide range of employment opportunities.

He said agriculture offered far more than the perception of labour and pain.

The negative perceptions about the sector, he added, impacted the growth of the industry which, he said, had great prospects and offered promising avenues for financial development and self-actualisation.

It actually gives you an opportunity to make money, this job enables you to be very free.

Farmers are self-sufficient, and that is what we call independence.

You cannot pretend to be independent when you are not able to feed yourself.

Some years ago, we used to be exporters of crops, but for some reason we have become importers, and in that arrangement we are stressing ourselves and frustrating our economy by gathering currencies that are not ours to go and bring in food just to eat, he said.

Mr Afful made the observation yesterday when he received Miss Agriculture Ghana, Ruth Adolwine Awintanga, who visited the media house to share ideas on how both parties could work to make agriculture more attractive, especially to women and the youth.

Ms Awintanga was in the company of the Chairperson of the Chamber of Women in Agribusiness Ghana (CHAWA), organisers of the pageant, Theresa Aniagyei-Bonsu, and the Project Lead, Oheneba Akosua Kyerewaa.

Also at the meeting were the Director of Marketing, Franklin Sowa, and the Editor, Graphic, Theophilus Yartey.

Mr Afful said the rate at which the country imported agricultural products was lamentable.

If you are bringing in something that will expand your development agenda and enable you to make more in terms of revenues, that is a worthwhile investment, but to bring in something that you will eat and thats about it, then seriously you are not helping anybody, he said.

He noted that his outfit was also contributing its quota to increase eyeballs on the agricultural sector.

On our side as a business, this year, as part of our national development series, we have agriculture, agro-processing and food security at the core of it.

We are pushing to bring the nations mind to the essence of depending on ourselves, producing for ourselves and feeding ourselves, Mr Afful said.



Initiative

He also commended the Miss Agriculture team for the initiative, stressing that: You are on the path to something significant and ground shifting.

Mr Sowa said capacity-building was vital to making the agricultural sector an attractive one, noting that it was time the sector was seen as a lifestyle and also an arm of tourism.

It is a rewarding venture, but a conscious effort is needed to make it attractive to the youth, and that is where we come in.

We are working tirelessly on that with a lot of initiatives, he said.

Mr Yartey also noted that with the right advocacy, the sector would be beneficial to a lot of people.

He said he would use his influence as the Editor of the newspaper to do his best to make sure the needed attention was given to such initiatives to maximise desired results.



Commendation

The team from CHAWA commended the management of GCGL, promising that the scheme would set the pace to make agriculture sexy and attractive.

The engagement today shows that we are not at the wrong place.

A lot has to be done if what we have discussed here would see the light of day.

We are on a mission to change the narrative.

"Farming is no longer boring.

The primitive ways of doing things have changed due to technology, and we want to encourage the youth and women, especially, that agriculture is worth pursuing," Ms Aniagyei-Bonsu said.
Bauxite, iron ore will no longer be exported in their raw state soon - President Akufo-Addo

Enoch Darfah Frimpong May - 11 - 2023 , 14:22

Bauxite and iron ore will no longer be exported out of Ghana in their raw state very soon, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.

Making references to how many minerals mined in Ghana are exported in their raw state without value addition, President Akufo-Addo said, "We should not do with these minerals [bauxite and iron ore], what we have done with our gold resources over the years".

President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the opening of a stakeholders dialogue on natural resource management, organised by the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), in partnership with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in Accra today (May 11, 2023).

President Akufo-Addo said all the necessary laws and policy documents were being finalised on the exploitation, utilization and management of crucial minerals in Ghana.

Retaining the minerals value chain, ensuring stricter enforcement of laws to tackle illegal activities in the mining and forest sectors, as well as eliminating barriers to effective land administration is at the centre stage as policymakers and stakeholders gather in Accra today for the maiden dialogue on natural resource management.

Bauxite

Opening the dialogue, President Akufo-Addo revealed that the policy document being finalized by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on the exploitation, utilization and management of crucial minerals in Ghana, will be tabled before Cabinet for "consideration in the next few weeks."

"I assure you that we will do whatever it takes to ensure that the exploitation and utilization of these green minerals are done not only in an environmentally sound manner, but also in a way that ensures optimum benefit to the people of Ghana," the President said.

"This, we will never compromise," he added.

Indeed by Section 28 of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) law, and Section 30 of the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) law, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources is empowered to make regulations to ensure that no bauxite or iron ore in their raw state is exported out of the country after five years of the coming into force of these laws.

"With the policies and measures we are putting in place, we intend to invoke these provisions of our laws and soon, bauxite and iron ore will longer be exported in their raw state from the country [Ghana].

"We will ensure that the highest values of these minerals is retained in our country, President Akufo-Addo assured.
Court 'throws out' Ato Essien motion to renegotiate GH60million payment

Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson May - 11 - 2023 , 15:42

The High Court in Accra has rejected an attempt by the founder of the defunct Capital Bank, William Ato Essien, to renegotiate a GH60 million settlement to the state.

Essien who was convicted for stealing over GH90million of Bank of Ghanas liquidity support to the bank was supposed to have paid 20 million of the 60million by April 28 this year and pay the rest by the end December this year.

Failure to pay the amount per the agreed terms will lead to the court jailing Essien

Essien failed to pay the GH20million by the April 28 deadline and rather paid GH4million Wednesday and has further assured the court that he has another Ghc1m to pay by the close of Thursday (May 11, 2023).

In court today Counsel for Essien, Thaddeus Sory moved an application urging the court to halt any proceedings that could lead to his client being jailed and also allow the convict to renegotiate the settlement agreement with the Attorney - General (A-G).

A Deputy A-G, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, opposed the motion and urged the court to dismiss, arguing that a grant of the motion would set a dangerous precedent.

The court, presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, dismissed the application, describing it as one without merit.

Hearing continues on May 17, 2023 for the court to rule an application by the A-G for the court to imprison Essien over his failure to meet the payment deadline.
Dont allow unauthorised persons to operate facilities - Pharmacists cautioned

Doreen Andoh May - 11 - 2023 , 07:12

Pharmacists have been cautioned against displaying their licences in facilities and leaving them in the care of unauthorised persons while working elsewhere.

The Pharmacy Council and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) describe the practice as unacceptable and have, therefore, advised members against such practices.

At an induction ceremony for 625 newly qualified and registered pharmacists in Accra yesterday, the President of the PSGH, Samuel Kow Donkor, said it was by law established that whenever classes A and B medicines - prescription only and pharmacist only-- were requested, a pharmacist must be available to oversee its dispensation.

The Pharmacy Council and the PSGH, therefore, frowns on pharmacists who hang their licences in facilities and work in absentia without making arrangements for other pharmacists to stand in, he said.

The event was on the theme: Digital health interventions in pharmaceutical care delivery- the role of the pharmacist.

Obligation

Mr Kow Donkor said the new pharmacists were being inducted at a time the practice was shifting from product-centred to a more patient-centred position.

Pharmaceutical care is our obligation and ultimately, we want to deliver the best of it to our clients or patients.

Whichever area you choose to practise, always remember that the ultimate beneficiary of your professional duties is the patient, he said.

The president urged them to improve upon their competences, knowledge and abilities, especially in new medications, devices and technology to remain relevant at all times in an ever-changing profession and world.

The newly inducted members taking the oath of allegiance

Digitalisation

In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said pharmacists must reflect on the critical role they played in healthcare delivery and ensure that their roles were in tune with contemporary technological advancement.

The vision of the government is to ensure that all government business processes are digitalised to ensure that the public is able to access government business without any hindrance. he added.

The Chairperson of the Governing Board of the Council, Doris Fosu-Hemaa Addae-Afoakwa, also urged them to use technology in their practice to enhance service delivery and ensure that they remain relevant at all times.

Adherence to standards

The Registrar of the Pharmacy Council, Dr Audu Rauf, called on members to adhere strictly to the highest standards of the profession.

COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of digital health technologies and has accelerated their adoption and development.

Digital health technologies have shown that they can improve healthcare access, efficiency and quality, including cost reduction, he said.

According to him, digitalisation of pharmacy practice would also enhance access to pharmaceutical services and health care, improve efficiency and quality of care delivery, and eventually improve patient outcomes.

We have launched an E-pharmacy platform to provide safe and effective policy guidelines and regulatory framework to ensure adherence to quality standards, he added.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID)s Mission Director, Kimberly Rosens, said the pharmaceutical industry was the backbone of a strong healthcare system.

He said the USAID was committed to working with other stakeholders to strengthen the countrys healthcare system.
EU invests GH75m to support Ghana's exports

Maclean Kwofi May - 11 - 2023 , 08:04

The European Union (EU) has invested GH75 million (6.2 million) to help boost the competitiveness of the country's exports on the international market.

The investment, made in the last four years, focused on three main value chains which included cassava, fruits (mango and pineapple), cosmetics and personal care products.

It was a contribution to the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP), a partnership initiative between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the EU.

The programme seeks to strengthen the competitiveness of West African products and to enhance the integration of ECOWAS countries into the regional and international trading system, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

The EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, who made this known at WACOMP Ghana SMEs Product Exhibition in Accra yesterday, observed that the investment would help Ghanaian businesses to build better access and become more competitive in regional and international markets.

The EU has contributed around GH75 million to the programme, with the aim to boost the competitiveness of Ghanaian exports and support sustainable production and processing.

We are focusing on three main value chains: cassava, fruits (mango and pineapple), cosmetics and personal care products, he said.

The exhibition was held by WACOMP in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) for more than 50 EU-supported SMEs of fruits, cassava and shea butter products.

Some of the firms that showcased their products included Unique Solution Farms, Ghana Home Foods, NyCa Pro Beauty, Leam Shea Products, Agape Cosmetics, Exotic and Hapriam Cosmetics.

The exhibition was part of several activities marking the 2023 EU Month celebrations which spans May 9 to May 27, this year.

Showcasing innovation

The ambassador observed that the event was an opportunity to showcase innovative products made by young entrepreneurs in the context of the EU Month celebrations focusing on youth and skills in the country.

Alongside this exhibition of more than 40 SMEs supported by WACOMP, we will also hold a 2-day training on waste management in the country.

The main objectives of WACOMP are to strengthen the competitiveness of West African products and to enhance the integration of ECOWAS countries into the regional and international trading system, including AfCFTA, he said.

According to him, the exhibition was a unique opportunity to promote the success stories of small and medium Ghanaian businesses in key value chains, including tropical fruits, cassava and shea butter, important export items for the country.

He explained that those products were exported to all corners of the world such as Asia and the Middle East, United States, the EU.

Under WACOMP, we are constantly working with SMEs to keep increasing export opportunities in particular to the EU.

Our SMEs work in clusters as this provides a more enabling environment for the exports and exporters, he added.

Govts commitment

The Chief Director of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Patrick Yaw Nimo, expressed the commitment of the government to partner many international organisations to help improve the countrys competitiveness and export capacity on the international market.

He said it was refreshing to note that the WACOMP initiative had impacted more women-owned firms to boost their export fortunes.

I have been associated with WACOMP from its inception and Ghana has performed appreciably well, he said.

He urged the SMEs participating in the exhibition to make cautious efforts to expand their operations starting from the West African sub-region.
EU sets 34m for job creation in Ghana

Justice Agbenorsi May - 11 - 2023 , 11:12

The European Union (EU) will this month launch a 34 million initiative to support young Ghanaian jobseekers.

At least, 25m of the amount will cater for the EU-Ghana Pact for Skills, while the remaining 9 million will be dedicated to the EUs Jobs, Migration and Development project.

This was announced by the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, at this years Europe Day in Accra last Tuesday.

The Pact for Skills is a key building block of the European Skills Agenda, and aims to mobilise investment flowing into upskilling and reskilling the working-age population, engage stakeholders, and facilitate cooperation in the skills and education sector.

The European Skills Agendas top priority is to reskill and upskill people so that everyone can benefit from the green and digital transition of Europe.

The Charter of the Pact for Skills demands that signatories promote a culture of lifelong learning for all; build strong skills partnerships; monitor skills supply/demand and anticipate skills needs; and to work against discrimination and for gender equality and equal opportunities.

EU Day

The event was on the theme: Celebrating Youth and Skills.

It was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, ministers of state and other government officials; traditional rulers, civil society organisations, members of academia and the media.

The Ga Mantse, King Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, and the wife of the Vice-President, Second Lady, Mrs Samira Bawumia, were also present.

There was also an official exhibition of projects being undertaken by Ghanaian youth with sponsorship from the EU.

The Europe Day is held on May 9 each year to celebrate the peace and unity in Europe.

The day also marks the anniversary of a former President of the European Parliament, Robert Schumans declaration in 1950, proposing the formation of an economic partnership between France and Germany.

His vision was to create a union within Europe that would make it impossible for war to occur among European nations.

Priority

The EU Ambassador explained that supporting and including the youth to contribute to the prosperity of nations was an EU priority, both in Europe and across their international partnerships.

In line with that, he said, the EU had just announced the European Year of Skills to help talented youth achieve their professional ambitions and make valuable contribution to the community, adding that: A young, dynamic and skilled workforce reduces unemployment and boosts sustainable and inclusive growth.

Highlighting some strides made in the country, the Ambassador disclosed that the EU had supported over 100,000 young jobseekers to gain skills and training through a number of projects.

The EU, he said, had also inaugurated the Ghanaian-European Centre for Jobs, Migration and Development, in partnership with Germany and the Ghana government, to provide direct support to returning migrants and resident Ghanaians looking for jobs and training in Ghana and in Europe.

He said the EU, through its Erasmus+ programme, sent 45 talented Ghanaian students to European universities last year.

Gratitude

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, expressed gratitude to the EU for supporting Ghana and other African countries to strengthen their health systems during the pandemic.

We are also grateful to the EU for the continuous support for the youth in the area of education through the provision of scholarships for Ghanaian students to study in various European universities.

We are hopeful that other EU projects in the pipeline aimed at empowering and developing the youth will be launched soon for mutual benefits, he said.

The minister further noted that the initiatives undertaken by the EU were a testament to the strong partnership and cooperation between the country and the EU.

Ghana remains committed to strengthening our partnership with the EU, promoting trade, investment and sports, as well as deepening our cooperation in other sectors of our economies, he said.
LIVE VIDEO: Graphic-Lands Ministry dialogue today: Law enforcement tops agenda

Timothy Ngnenbe May - 11 - 2023 , 11:29

Retaining the minerals value chain, ensuring stricter enforcement of laws to tackle illegal activities in the mining and forest sectors, as well as eliminating barriers to effective land administration will take centre stage as policymakers and stakeholders gather in Accra today for the maiden dialogue on natural resource management.

As stakeholders converge on Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel for the dialogue being organised by Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), in partnership with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the stakes are high as they expect an honest post-mortem of the country's natural resource conundrum and proffer solutions for the sustainable management of resources.

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is the Guest of Honour for the dialogue.

Some of the stakeholders have called for inclusiveness in the search for ideal modules for effective management of the countrys natural resources.

Those who made the call in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic are the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Telecoms Chamber (GTC), Dr Kenneth Ashigbey; the National Chairman of the Commercial Quarry Operators Association (COQOA), Dr Ebenezer Mireku; and the Director for Climate Change and National REDD+ Focal Point at the Forestry Commission, Roselyn Fosuah Adjei.

Prior to the dialogue, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had called on stakeholders in the natural resource sector to support the governments agenda to promote value addition in the minerals value chain.

The minister had said it was the vision of the government to build robust infrastructure to add value to the countrys mineral resources and create more employment opportunities along the value chain.

While upholding the ministers call for value addition, the stakeholders stressed the need for stricter enforcement of laws and regulations in the natural resource sector to weed out illegalities that threaten the judicious use of those resources.

Action now

Dr Ashigbey, who is also the Convener of the Media Coalition against Galamsey, stressed that the dialogue must be the turning point for an inclusive search for solutions to the myriad of challenges confronting the land, mining and forestry sectors rather than the usual talk shops.

This is not the time to be talking; we have done a lot of talking about the state of our natural resources. Our water bodies are getting more polluted, our gold is getting smuggled out of the country, our forest reserves are being wiped out; so, this dialogue must be one for solutions, he stressed,

He further stressed that we cannot keep talking; the laws must be strictly enforced in a transparent way, and it should not matter whose ox is gored.

Dr Ashigbey added that solutions that would be proffered at the dialogue must focus on promoting inclusiveness in natural resource management by ensuring that key stakeholders such as academia, professionals and industry players were involved.

GCGL is a strong media brand, so the company should sustain this initiative by ensuring that solutions that come out of the dialogue are keenly followed, he said.

Dr Mireku underscored the need for stakeholders to explore viable ways of addressing the daunting challenges confronting the quarry sector.

He said it was worrying that although the quarry sector played a critical role in national development, it had not been properly harnessed.

"The quarry materials are strategic products without which we cannot construct bridges and roads or build classrooms and the hospitals we all need. Without stones, the government cannot undertake development projects, but it is unfortunate that the sector is virtually in coma," he said.

Dr Mireku said the major challenges the over 170 quarry companies were grappling with were massive encroachment activities by estate developers, infiltration of the industry by foreigners and delay in the renewal of licences by the relevant state agencies.

"And the few that are in operation are being crowded out be foreigners who have infiltrated the system and operating against the local laws.

Our worry is that with the way they are extending and taking over what is the reserve of locals, they will soon take over the market and dictate the prices of stones," he said.

He said some of the quarry operators had sent their licence renewal requests to the appropriate state agency "but for about three years now, the renewals have not been done".

Climate action

Ms Adjei stressed the need for policymakers and state regulatory agencies to enforce environmental laws to protect the forest from destruction.

She said it was unacceptable that despite the presence of laws that forbade mining in forest reserves, illegal mining activities were still rife in such places.

Ms Adjei said given that the forest played a crucial role in human survival, especially within the context of the climate crisis, it was important for the state to ramp up action to halt the drivers of forest destruction, including expansionist agriculture activities, illegal logging and illegal mining.

She said when such illegal activities were controlled, it would facilitate the achievement of the emission reductions targets under the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme (GFCRP).

Background

Environmental crimes such as mining in forest reserves, illegal logging, the harvesting of Rosewood, and felling of economic trees have resulted in loss of land, forest reserves and pollution of water bodies.

Since 2017, the government has taken a number of measures to restore the degraded landscape and forests.

Among those interventions are the Green Ghana project instituted in 2021 as a national day for tree planting.

Two years on, 31 million trees have been planted so far (seven million in 2021 and 24 million in 2022), according to the Forestry Commission.

A further 10 million trees are expected to be planted this year on June 9.

A national land reclamation exercise has also begun under the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP) targeted at reclaiming lands destroyed by illegal miners along river bodies.

Under the Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Programme, some degraded lands are being reclaimed.

Additionally, the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme has also been implemented across six regions to reduce emissions and address drivers of deforestation such as galamsey, expansionist agriculture activities and illegal logging.
Minister grateful to Prez Akufo-Addo for leadership in managing Ghana's natural resources

Kweku Zurek May - 11 - 2023 , 17:03

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his leadership in the management and utilization of Ghana's natural resources.

Speaking at the Natural Resources Dialogue today in Accra, the Minister mentioned some of the measures taken by the government to ensure the effective management of natural resources, including ramping up local content and local participation in the mining industry, increasing the items on the Local Procurement List of goods and services reserved for Ghanaians, working with the Ghana Chamber of Mines and the Securities and Exchange Commission to ensure large-scale mining companies list on the Ghana Stock Exchange, and bringing back the Obuasi mine to life.

"As always, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is grateful to the President of the Republic, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for the extraordinary leadership demonstrated in the management and utilisation of our natural resources," Mr. Jinapor said.

He added that three new large-scale mining operations, including Newmont Ahafo North in the Ahafo Region, Azumah Resources in the Upper West Region, and Cardinal Namdini in the Upper East Region, were scheduled to start production within the next two years, which would contribute significantly to the country's economy.

Mr Jinapor also mentioned that a technical committee was finalizing a policy document on the exploitation, management, and utilization of the country's green minerals, including lithium, for the consideration of the Cabinet.

He said that the goal was to ensure that the country retains the value chain of these future and other minerals in-country.

In the forestry sector, the Minister said that the government was implementing programmes such as the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy and the Green Ghana Project, which had helped cultivate some 690,000 hectares of forest between 2017 and 2022.

Minister Jinapor said that the dialogue was aimed at discussing how to manage and utilize the country's natural resources responsibly and sustainably.

The first day of the Natural Resources Stakeholder Dialogue ended with a call for all stakeholders to work together to manage and utilize Ghana's natural resources responsibly and sustainably for the collective good of all."
Oguaa donates 10 acres of land for school project

Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor May - 11 - 2023 , 10:54

The chiefs of Oguaa in the Sekyere East District in the Ashanti Region have donated 10 acres of land to the Jehovah Jireh Ministry (JJM) an US based nongovernmental organisation, to undertake development project in the area.

The donation is part of the development agenda of the traditional council of Oguaa under the leadership of Nana Obeng Bediako Frimpong, Oguaahene.

The objective is to open up the area, which is a farming community, and to create jobs for the people and promote infrastructural development.

The land is to be used to set up a preschool, a teacher training college and an empowerment training centre to provide technical and vocational training for the residents particularly teenage mothers who have dropped out of school.

Empowerment

Speaking at a durbar on Friday, April 7, 2023, the President of JJM, Esther Fife, said her organisation has over the years been engaged in providing hot meals for the homeless, helping students to go back to school and restoring destitute and substance addicts.

She said the ministry has been partnering with the Africa Women Rising (AWR), a local NGO, to support students of Oguaa SDA school with educational materials.

She said with the proposed establishment of the empowerment centre, the ministry would focus on mostly teenage mothers and school dropped out and train them to acquire skills to enable them to become self reliant.

She was grateful to chiefs and people of Oguaa for the warm reception and also releasing land to the Ministry for the construction of the school project.

Donation

To help the community to celebrate the Easter festivities, AWR in partnership with JJM donated food items thousands of Ghana cedis to the community members.

The items donated included boxes of mackerel, bags of rice and cooking oil.

School project

The president of AWR, Rev Nana Sekyere, said her organisation believed in women empowerment and has over years been working with the community to promote girl education, women empowerment and education in general.

She said AWR was currently sponsoring the education of two girls from the community with one at the University.

She said it was through the effort of AWR that JJM had come to sponsor the construction of a school project for the community.

All these, according to her, were geared towards empowering the community members particularly the girls with education.

She said her organisation would continue to support the community especially the women and children to have a head start in life.

Appeal

The Kontihene of Oguaa, Nana Afreh Sika, who represented the Oguaahene, appealed to the two organisations to help the community to complete its community centre and the 20-seater public toilet the traditional council was building for the people.

He expressed the community appreciation to them for the donation and the intention to develop the community through the building of the educational facilities.
Recurring attacks by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to drive forced displacement and extreme hardship for millions of Congolese, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.

The country has 6.2 million internally displaced people, while more than 1.3 million have become refugees.

UNHCR said that Goma, the capital of eastern DRC's North Kivu province, hosts over 560,000 displaced people in and around the city. Many live in spontaneous sites on the side of the road, in dire conditions, despite the efforts of humanitarian actors.

Constant fear of attack

Elizabeth Tan, UNHCR's Director of International Protection, recently returned from North Kivu, and she told reporters about one woman she had met, with five children:

"She didn't have any food even for that day and so she had sent her children out to collect firewood and to try and make a little bit of money. And her main concern was, would her girls come back, without having suffered an attack in the forest."

UNHCR warned that the lack of adequate sanitation and overcrowding are fuelling risks of cholera and measles outbreaks, while people desperately try to survive.

Emergency shelters

She said in Buchagara, an official IDP site on the outskirts of Goma hosting more than 15,500 displaced people, vulnerable individuals and families were now being housed in 3,000 emergency shelters alongside recently installed community kitchens, with water and sanitation facilities up and running.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Congo-Kinshasa International Organisations Refugees 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.

"Currently, the emergency shelter provided only covers three per cent of the estimated needs. Women and youth are particularly exposed to protection risks, including gender-based violence", she warned.

Adequate shelter is key to restoring personal security and dignity - Elizabeth Tan, UNHCR

She said IDPs had appealed for more shelters, and ways of making some income, through agriculture or small business opportunities.

Safety and dignity

"Adequate shelter is key to restoring personal security and dignity", said Ms. Tan.

More than 180,000 have recently arrived in Kalehe territory, tens of thousands of whom are sheltering in the town of Minova, she added, a two-hour drive south of Goma.

"Local hosting communities have generously shared their limited resources with the displaced populations so far, but they are under enormous strain."

She said UNHCR had scaled up shelter, site management and protection responses, thanks to generous support from the international community.

"However, the needs are great. The DRC is one of the most underfunded humanitarian situations globally. UNHCR requires $233 million to respond to the needs of displaced people in DRC this year, but so far, has only received 15 per cent of that amount."
Omanhen of Effutu Traditional Area invested as chancellor of UEW

Shirley Asiedu-Addo May - 11 - 2023 , 11:35

The Omanhen of the Effutu Traditional Area in the Central Region, Neenyi Ghartey VII has been invested as Chancellor of the University of Education Winneba (UEW).

Neenyi Ghartey becomes the second Chancellor after Alhaji Asuma Banda who was appointed in 2010 and ended his tenure in 2015.

At an impressive investiture ceremony fused with academic veneration and culture and graced by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Neenyi Ghartey was robed as chancellor by the Chairman of the universitys Governing council,Nana Ofori Ansah, the vice chancellor, Prof Mawutor Avoke and assisted by the President.

He was then placed on the seat as chancellor.

Excitement and cheers

The Creative Arts Department of the university brought the assembly to excitement and cheers when they presented the robes for the chancellor in a deer in a creative enactment of the famous deer hunt festival of the people of Winneba.

The President Nana Akufo Addo in his remarks said he was certain that Neenyi Ghartey, an outstanding traditional ruler would work to ensure UEW stayed with its core mandate to produce professional educators to spearhead a new national vision of education aimed at redirecting Ghanas efforts along the path of rapid economic and social development.

He said he was optimistic the university which he described as one of Ghanas best would continue to produce graduates who were prepared to take on opportunities and possibilities for higher achievement through innovation and creativity in todays science and technology and knowledge driven economic and champion prosperity for the mass of Ghanaians.

President Akufo-Addo observed that Neenyi Ghartey was taking over from one of Ghanas notable sons, Alhaji Asuma Banda who for his selfless service to the university helped it be adjudged the third best university in the country in 2016 and the most sustainable university last year.

Worthy chancellor

He indicated that the university could not have picked a worthy successor saying he was hopeful that Neenyi Ghartey, a firm believer in academic freedom would employ his wealth of experience to ensure a seamless transition and further propel the university to greater heights.

Touching on the youth and development, he said he had a guiding principle that leaders had the responsibility to bring up a generation that fulfilled the dreams of the great patriots of the country and who would bring to bear the full meaning of freedom and justice, a generation who would live a new Ghanaian civilization equal to any on the face of the planet and the urged the nations youth to work to to embrace the greatness that beckons.

He further gave the assurance that government was steadfast to the commitment of continued support to UEW and all other universities in the country.

Neenyi Ghartey for his part thanked thanked the president and the governing council and management of the university for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to execute the role to the best of his abilities.

Concerted efforts needed

He said the challenging times that contend educational institutions and the global constraints amidst fierce competition from among Ghanaian universities for students necessitated concerted efforts from all stakeholders to achieve the universitys mandate.

He said the opportunity to lead the university filled him with great zeal dedication and commitment and pledged to work to make the university the best teacher education university in West Africa.

Close working relationship

Neenyi Ghartey said he had had close working relationship with the management of the university since it was a college of education saying he would work propel the university to higher heights using all his experience saying it was a university with promise for the government and people of Ghana.

He said he would work with management to put the past behind and reorient the workforce to work to uplift the university, its campuses and the Winneba community.

He thanked the President the management of the university and his predecessor for the successes chalked so far and pledged to build on it.

Nana Ofori Ansah

Nana Ofori Ansah for his part described Neenyi Ghartey as a friend of the university who had made remarkable contributions to the development of the university as a member of the universitys Governing council from 2017-2021.

He pledged the councils support for the chancellor to ensure he his stewardship successful.

Background

Neenyi Ghartey had his Ordinary and Advanced level certificates from Accra Academy and Winneba Secondary School and then to the University of Ghana where he was he gained a bachelor of science in Agriculture.

He earned a commonwealth scholarship to study in India where he obtained advanced knowledge poultry nutrition and feeding and also undertook further studies in Israel.

He has worked an agricultural officer extensively supporting the farmer development.

He also holds a Master of Philosophy from the University of Cape Coast.

He was enstooled as Omahen of the Effutu Traditional Area in 1996.
President swears in Vaccine Institute Board, inaugurates office

Donald Ato Dapatem May - 11 - 2023 , 07:00

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Wednesday swore in a 13-member governing board of the newly established National Vaccine Institute (NVI), with a former Deputy Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, as its chairman.

Other members are the Chief Executive of the institute, Prof. William Kwabena Ampofo; Dr Baffour-Awuah, Mustapha Tawiah Kumah, Dr Daniel Gyingiri Achel, Fredrica Sala Illiasu and Dr Delese Darko.

The rest are Prof. Alex Dodoo, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Kofi Nsiah-Poku, Prof. Kofi Opoku Nti, Prof. Gordon A. Awandare and Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson.

The functions of the board include facilitating partnerships for vaccine and serum research, mobilising resources for vaccine and serum research, development and manufacture.

Others are facilitating the establishment of domestic vaccine manufacturing plants and market development, technology transfer arrangement with vaccine developers and the pharmaceutical industries, and advising the Health Minister on matters of policy, among others.

The President later inaugurated a two-storey building to house the institute at Cantonments in Accra.

The institute has so far received $25 million for its operations.

The front view of the National Vaccine Institute

Partnerships

President Akufo-Addo urged members of the board to help forge bilateral and multilateral partnerships for vaccine deployment and manufacture, funding of clinical trials, technology transfer, human capital development, licensing and assignment of intellectual property rights.

He said already, the national vaccine committee, which was now the national vaccine institute, had achieved some milestone in its operations which included the development of a roadmap for vaccine development and manufacture in the country.

It has also supported the upgrade of laboratory facilities of the Food and Drugs Authority to achieve WHO maturity level Four and entered into international collaboration with Rwanda, Senegal and an MRNA vaccine technology company, Deontic of German, on a fill-finished project for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The President further said that it helped in the establishment of a local vaccine manufacturing plant by Atlantic Life Sciences and the DEK Vaccines Manufacturing, and also set up the national vaccine institute and secretariat.

He assured the board of the governments support and non interference in their activities, but he urged them to engage in further stakeholder consultations to ensure the successful fulfilment of the institutes mandate.

President Akufo-Addo thanked the EU, the German government, the European Investment Bank and the WHO for their assistance in establishing the facility.

Appreciation

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Dr Asamoa-Baah expressed appreciation for the honour done them, and described the institute as a legacy of the countrys response to COVID-19.

He said their remit was part of the broader national vaccine agenda because as a nation we still have challenges with vaccine literacy, vaccine hesitancy, vaccine shortage and vaccine financing.

The chairman pledged to collaborate with agencies and institutions to achieve the desired results as entailed in their mandate
COMOG calls for passage of proper human sexuality bill

Daily Graphic Politics May - 11 - 2023 , 08:25

The Coalition of Muslim Organisations, Ghana (COMOG) has called for the passage of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Value Bill, currently before Parliament, with dispatch.

A statement issued and signed by the president of COMOG, Hajj Abdel Manan Abdel Rahman, said as a member of the larger Coalition on Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values which included other faith-based institutions working towards the realisation of the passage of the bill, it was its mandate to protect the sanctity of the religion of Islam, its cultural values and the welfare of children.

We deem it an obligation to work around the clock to ensure that everything legally possible is done to prevent the introduction and practice of gay, lesbianism and its associated activities in Ghana, he said.

Menace

Mr Rahman said in pursuit of the noble agenda, the association deemed it expedient to support all personalities, especially Members of Parliament, who were sponsoring the bill to ensure its passage in the shortest possible time.

He reiterated that the group remained nonpartisan to protect the sanctity of our cultural values as Ghanaians and the future of our children.

The group, however, urged all delegates across the political divide to consider the aforementioned interest and elect candidates in the upcoming primaries who would associate themselves with the fight against the act.

We remain resolute in the struggle, and wish all crusaders against the practice and promotion of LGBTQI+ the best of luck, the statement said.
Govt prioritising value addition in natural resources

Graphic Online Politics May - 11 - 2023 , 17:09

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has disclosed government is prioritising value addition in the natural resources sector to ensure the state derives optimal benefits.

The government, he said, is also strengthening local content and local participation as well to ensure Ghanaians have more roles in the extraction of these resources.

According to him, this is imperative in view of the fact that the worlds poorest countries are those with the largest deposits of mineral resources.

Delivering the keynote address at the Natural Resources Stakeholder Dialogue in Accra on Thursday, 11th May 2023, President Akufo-Addo indicated that 60% of the worlds extremely poor live in sub-Saharan Africa with most resource-rich countries on the continent being among the poorest in the world.

These include countries that hold huge deposits of iron ore, diamonds, bauxite and the largest mineral reserves in the world; the largest producer of cobalt, the second largest producer of industrial diamonds, and fifth largest producer of copper; as well as the worlds largest reserves of bauxite.

Worst of all, many of the areas where these resources are found appear to be among the most deprived areas in the world. In our country for example, Obuasi, which, for years, hosted the richest gold mine in the world, remains largely underdeveloped. The story is no different from other areas such as Tarkwa, Prestea, Wassa, and Bibiani, which have for centuries been the attraction for adventurers and fortune seekers.

According to the President, many reasons account for these including poor and short-sightedness in negotiations with companies that exploit these natural resources; corruption, incompetence and political instability, failure to put in place the requisite framework to establish the highest end of the value chain of the extractive industry and extensive tax and royalty exemptions among others.

These, he said, have resulted in extraordinary profits to mining companies at the expense of owners of these resources.

He stressed that after centuries of exploitation, Africa still holds some 30% of the worlds mineral reserves, and even higher proportions of gold, diamond, bauxite and manganese but the contribution of these resources to socio-economic development has been somewhat awful.

With all these resources, we should have been the richest continent in the world. The irony, however, is that Africa remains the poorest continent on the planet.

We cannot repeat these mistakes. While we understand that mining companies must make a profit from their business, it is important that this is done not at the expense of the lands and the people that provide these resources, he said.

President Akufo-Addo stressed that these states should harness their natural resources for sustainable development, which requires exploitation of these resources do not destroy the natural environment.

Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, in his address, assured the government remains committed to working with all stakeholders to construct a sustainable and value-added natural resources sector anchored on transparency, integrity and utmost good faith for the benefit of the Ghanaian people, the true owners of these resources.

According to him, the management of natural resources is not just about protection and exploitation, but also more importantly about sustainability, environmental protection, mitigating climate crisis, and ensuring optimal benefit for the owners of these resources.

That is why, pursuant to the instructions of President Akufo-Addo, we have been taking several measures, over the past few years, to ensure the effective, efficient and sustainable management of our natural resources, and even, significantly, implementing policies aimed at retaining the value chain of these resources in-country.

He expressed hope through the Dialogue, a common path would be charted to manage Ghanas natural resources sustainably, add value to them, retain the highest end of the industry, contribute to the national economy and protect the environment for the collective good.
LPG opens nominations for parliamentary candidates

Daily Graphic Politics May - 11 - 2023 , 08:19

The Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) is to open and close filing of nominations for the partys parliamentary candidates from May 15 to July 31, 2023.

The General Secretary of the party, Jerry Owusu Appauh, who disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic said the nomination forms could be obtained from the Generals Secretarys office.

Asked why the party was not decentralising the purchase of the forms, Mr Appauh explained that it was to avoid duplication of the forms.

He said the filing fees for the parliamentary candidates of the party was at GH2, 000 and the form was going for GH500.

Qualification

To qualify to become a parliamentary candidate aspirant of the party, Mr Appauh said a person must first satisfy the 1992 Constitutions requirements for Members of Parliament.

He added that the individual must also be a paid up member of the party in good standing and must not be a dual citizen or owe allegiance to any other country aside from Ghana.

Mr Appauh said the party was determined to field parliamentary candidates for all the 275 constituencies in the country for the 2024 general election.

He said the party was on course with its preparations towards the 2024 general election, and called on Ghanaians to vote for the party to form the next government in 2025 to implement its human-centred, industrialisation and sound economic policies for the country.
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)two leading professional societies dedicated to advancing the application of chemical engineering expertise internationallyhave signed a letter of intent to collaborate on building a global alliance centered on the use of hydrogen.

The partnership will bolster the professional societies shared interest in supporting industry in the adoption of hydrogen as an energy carrier for industrial and commercial applications that will form a vital part of the road to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

The letter of intent was signed on 10 May 2023, by Billy B. Bardin, AIChEs 2023 President and Global Climate Transition Director at Dow, and Trish Kerin, Director of the IChemE Safety Center, during the 2023 World Hydrogen Summit and Exhibition, taking place May 911 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

As part of the agreement, AIChE and IChemE will collaborate on a series of roadmapping activities and will solicit contributions from knowledgeable stakeholders such as manufacturers, academic and research institutions, technology and engineering providers, government entities, transportation experts, and end-users of hydrogen.

Hydrogen represents a promising, clean energy carrier for industry and transportation in the global transition toward net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Its adoption will require contributions from engineers and scientists across disciplines, as well as from government agencies, to create cost-efficient, safe, and sustainable means of hydrogen production, distribution, storage, and use, and to help industry and consumers transition safely and smoothly to a future where hydrogen is a commonly-used resource.
Arcadia eFuels has selected Sasol and Topsoe technologies for its Vordingborg eFuels plant. The signing of the agreement represents a major milestone in maturing the project and ahead of the next major milestone being Arcadias final investment decision.

The technology support for Arcadia marks the first single-point license between Topsoe and Sasol, whereby the two companies will deliver their proprietary technology (G2L), converting CO 2 and H 2 into eFuel for aviation.

The technology primarily differs from production of natural gas-based fuels in the feedstock and technology for synthesis gas production. In eFuels plants, the feedstock is carbon dioxide, water, and power. The water is converted into hydrogen by means of electrolysis and the synthesis gas is produced from carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

TOPSOE SynCORT Gas-to-Liquids technology has been adapted to convert CO 2 and hydrogen through a two-step RWGS (Reverse Water Gas Shift) process to produce syngasa fully commercialized process that gives high conversion rates. With the novel eREACT Fuels technology, the process is further electrified, meaning syngas can be produced from renewable energy, water and CO 2 in a very compact reactor.

The commercially proven Sasol Low Temperature Fischer Tropsch technology (Sasol LTFT) relies on a catalytic process to convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen (syngas) to long-chain, largely paraffinic molecules. These are ideally suited for producing synthetic kerosene for jet fuel and diesel fuels. The technology and catalyst are in commercial operation in various plants across the globe.

The TOPSOE hydroprocessing unit breaks down the long chain molecules while saturating and isomerizing to produce final products. The required product slate can be tailored to market needs.





How the G2L eFuels solution works

Once operational, the plant will deliver eFuels for the Danish and European aviation markets to help meet the European Union mandate of 1.2% RFNBO (Renewable Fuels of non-Biological Origin) or eFuels in 2030.
Born in a Tanzanian village with no electricity, Gibson Kawago, decided to start a business producing off-grid clean electricity for communities like his own. His successes led to his appointment as one of the UN Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mr. Kawago is the founder and Chief Technical Officer of WAGA, a company which produces solar lamps, power banks and mini-power walls, to help rural dwellers access off-grid clean and affordable energy for lighting and power solutions, and urban dwellers to cope with power cuts.

Currently, Mr. Kawago is working with Tanzanian radio station Wasafi FM, educating over 13 million people on solving digital problems and raising awareness of new technologies.

He spoke to UN News during the 2023 ECOSOC Youth Forum, which took place at the end of April.

'It was hard to communicate with the outside world'

"Because there was no electricity in my village when I was growing up, those with mobile phones couldn't charge them when the battery ran out. So, I would bring five to 10 phones with me on a bicycle, and travel around thirty miles to the nearest town with power.

But sometimes it would take two days to recharge the phones, because there was a queue. This made it very hard for people to communicate with the outside world, but we had no choice.

This made want to find solutions to this problem, of living in a community that was not connected to the electricity grid. That's why I set up Waga, but we work together with NGOs and the government to solve the problem together.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines International Organisations Tanzania Energy 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.

'Radio is powerful'

I decided to get involved with Wasafi FM because radio is powerful. You can listen on the public transport, at home or on your mobile phone. And nowadays we can live stream online.

At the moment, I have a daily five-minute segment, where I share information about the latest trends in technology. I talk about things like internet security, explaining how young people can make their social media accounts more secure, because a lot of them don't know how to do this. I also teach them about phishing attacks, and how to protect themselves from hackers who will try to steal their accounts.

So, I educate them on how they can secure their accounts, but also I to get them on new technologies. There are so many technologies that me as gives them I have access to and have knowledge about. But those people living in rural places who listen to radios can't access the internet.

'We know where we are going'

We often look to the bosses of big companies to change things, but we can also make a difference. At WAGA, we are also trying to help people to fight climate change in Tanzania with our e-mobility solutions. We make powerpacks, for example, that can turn regular motorbikes into electric bikes. But first we need to change people's mindsets. They need to understand why it's important to use electric bikes and, for that to happen, they need to be educated.

Young people have a lot of potential to change the world. And, as we have seen at the Youth Forum, although we come from many different backgrounds, we are united in our common aim, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The world makes a road for those who know where they are going. And we know where we are going."
Sony Xperia 1 V



Exp. release 2023, June

187g, 8.3mm thickness

Android 13

256GB/512GB storage, microSDXC

85% 168,770 hits

179 Become a fan

6.5" 1644x3840 pixels

48 MP 2160p

12 GB RAM Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

5000 mAh Li-Po

Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. Read more
Sony just took the wraps off its new Xperia 1 V flagship, bringing the first of its kind Exmor T for mobile stacked sensor that promises to elevate low-light smartphone photography to a new level. We also get the trademark for the series 21:9 4K OLED display and the latest and greatest Snapdragon chipset.

The Sony Xperia 1 Vs screen measures 6.5 inches and refreshes at up to 120Hz. It retains the X1 for mobile engine from the Xperia 1 IV that aims to enhance quality of videos with some clever software enhancements. Its covered with by a sheet of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and features a classic full bezel on top for the 12MP selfie camera with 1/2.9 sensor.

The back is also covered by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and features a unique grippy finish that is unlike any other phone out there. Combined with the ridged sides it really boosts the Xperia 1 Vs handling. IP65 and IP68 certifications mean you dont have to worry about dust and water either.

Inside the Xperia V is a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Unlike just about every other premium smartphone out there the Sony flagship comes with a microSD card slot that enables easy expansion of the storage. Sony is keen not to repeat the overheating fiasco that was the Xperia 1 IV and so the Xperia 1 V comes with a 60% larger heat diffusion sheet volume. The company has also worked hard to reduce the power consumption of the camera, which is one of the main heat producers inside a modern smartphone.

Thankfully, the lower power draw wasnt achieved by reducing the sensor size. Rather, behind the F/1.9 lens sits a 1/1.35 imager that is 70% larger than what the Xperia 1 IV had. Its a 52MP multi-aspect sensor, which is to say it has a 4.3:3 ratio that sits mid-way between the 4:3 still photos normally use and the 16:9 of most videos. So while you cant use the full resolution in either scenario you get a little cropping in each instead of a lot in one of the cases. You might remember the Nokia 808 PureView pulling off a similar trick back in the day.

But the Sony Xperia 1 V doesnt have the ancient FSI sensor of the 808 - instead its equipped with a modern BSI Quad-Bayer imager with 1.12m individual pixels that combine 4-to-1 to produce 12MP stills with 2.24m pixels. But what makes it really unique is the pixel structure that sees the photodiode and transistor divided in two separate layers, which helps maximize amount of light captured and reduce noise.

Sony claims that the new sensor will enable the Xperia 1 V to perform twice as well as its predecessor in low-light environment. The company has also finally enabled night mode to assist in those super dark environments.

Looking beyond the main camera the new Sony flagship brings the same 85-125mm F/2.3-F/2.8 12MP telephoto camera with continuous zoom as the old one. Another 12MP sensor sits behind the 16mm ultrawide camera with autofocus. The TOF sensor is gone, as Sony claims its AI algorithms are so advanced at this point that they have made it redundant.

Sony updated its creator-meant apps Photo Pro and Video Pro with vertical UI and focus peaking, while streamers now get the option to monitor the live chat right from the phones screen.

On the audio side the Sony Xperia 1 V brings enhanced stereo speakers with more loudness and richer bass. The 3.5mm audio jack is here to stay for those that still prefer to use wired headphones.

The Sony Xperia 1 V is powered by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 30W wired charging to regain 50% charge in 30 minutes. The phone also comes with wireless and reverse wireless charging and Sony promises it will retain at least 80% of its battery capacity after three years of use.

The Sony Xperia 1 V will be available in black, platinum silver and khaki green color options from late June with specific market availability to be detailed later on. It will cost 1,399 in continental Europe and 1,299 in the UK. US pricing will be confirmed shortly.
Michael Lujan Bevacqua is an author, artist, activist and the curator for The Guam Museum.
The Guam Girl Scouts Troop 406 is inviting Guam residents to donate gently used books to their book drive.
Laws approving $500 worth of power credits over the past five months and lowering the retirement age for public safety personnel would not be voided due to any noncompliance with the Open Government Law, according to an opinion issued by Attorney General Doug Moylan.

The power rebate and retirement measures were two of a slew of significant pieces of legislation passed by the 36th Guam Legislature during its final session last December.

Freshman Sen. Will Parkinson in February took issue with the fact that notice of the December session, among others, were not posted on the Guam Public Notice Website ahead of time.

Public Law 36-34, passed by the last cohort of senators, made it so that failure to properly notice any government meeting results in the meetings actions being voided.

But according to AG Moylan, failure to comply with the Open Government Law does not invalidate bills that are properly passed by lawmakers.

Though the Legislature is considered a public agency during session, and any agency that met publicly without proper notice would be held in violation of the law, the question  is not so simply answered since it would require the judicial branch of government to determine the validity of bills passed by the legislative branch of our government, the AG opined.

The Supreme Court of Guam has declined to weigh in on whether legislation was validly passed, Moylan stated, pointing to previous suits lodged by the Calvo Administration.

The Legislature has the final say whether a bill validly passed  if the Court were to act as adjudicator of fact and find that past bills of the 36th Guam Legislature were not validly passed, the Court may well be usurping the legislative authority vested in the legislature under the Organic Act, he opined.

So long as no procedural laws were broken, lawmakers are immune from outside intrusion on their actions.

Troubling

Parkinson in a Thursday statement called the decision troubling.

He called it a loophole in the law that opens up the people of Guam to laws which they did not have proper notice of and no proper say in. Transparency and public notice and participation in the lawmaking process is a bedrock principle of a representative democracy. How can we be properly representative of the people when the Open Government Law has no teeth when it comes to the Legislature.

Parkinson said that he would call on Congress to amend the Organic Act in response.

The Legislature  along with several agencies of the government  was slow to start using the website, which was mandated in 2013 but never activated until 2021. Sessions were regularly noticed via print publication through the last term.

Vice Speaker Tina Muna Barnes asked the attorney general to address the question in February, following Parkinson publicly airing his concerns.

Speaker Therese Terlajes office likewise told the PDN that a standardized policy was instituted to prevent any notice errors in the 37th Legislature.
With tougher school sanitation requirements now being enforced before the beginning of next school year, the Department of Education asked the Department of Public Health and Social Services to give all schools a break on some of the requirements, including the requirement for comfortable classroom temperatures.

Occupied classrooms are supposed to be 83 degrees or cooler, with a maximum humidity of 60%, according to school sanitation rules and regulations which were adopted in July 2019.

Schools had a five-year grace period, until the summer of 2024, to fully comply with the new rules.

But, after several public schools failed their inspections in recent months, lawmakers now require all schools to pass sanitation inspections before the start of next school year or risk losing their sanitary permits, which would force them to immediately close.

Oceanview Middle School, Southern High School and Simon Sanchez High School failed their inspections in recent months, with D sanitation ratings, but continue to operate because of the grace period.

Public Health last week sent lawmakers a report on the sanitation variances requested by the public schools in April  some of which already have been granted by Public Health.

Public Health received a total of 31 variance requests, including nine requests by the Department of Education on behalf of all public schools and 22 requests by individual schools, including Simon Sanchez, Liguan Elementary, Benavente Middle School and Adacao Elementary School.

The education department asked for school-wide variances related to: classroom temperature; shower facilities; hand washing units; the number of restrooms; exterior doors; restroom partitions; shower partitions; the use of acoustic ceiling tiles; and the requirement that building exteriors and outside structures are clean and in good repair.

According to Public Health, DOE wants a variance to allow room temperatures to be outside the limits stated in the regulations. It has not asked for a variance on room humidity, which must be below 60%, according to Public Health.

Oceanview, during its last failed inspection, received four demerits because of its doors, including many exterior doors which opened inward instead of outward, as required by the sanitation rules.

According to the report, Public Health granted DOEs request for a variance related to acoustic ceiling tiles, but continues to review other proposed variances. The sanitation rules state school ceilings must be flat and easily cleanable.

Public Health also approved all six variances requested by Sanchez High, the report states, related to: lighting; doors; ceiling tiles and classroom waste containers.

Public Health still is reviewing the variance requests made by the other schools, the report states.
After 27 years of serving classic breakfast pastries, desserts and other treats, Cup & Saucer bakery and cafe in Hagatna will be closing its doors permanently effective June 3.

Cup & Saucer executive chef and co-owner Veronica Ronnie Calvo Perez announced the artisan bakerys final days in a May 10 open letter to customers.

After much consideration, I have made the difficult decision to retire and permanently close Cup & Saucer bakery effective June 3, 2023, Perez said in her letter, a copy of which was also posted on the bakerys glass door. The decision to close after 27 years of serving you, getting to know you and making you a part of our Cup & Saucer family comes with a heavy heart.

Perez expressed her deep gratitude to Cup & Saucers past and present staff for helping the bakery create all the delicious baked goods and specialty drinks, as well as to their cherished customers for their support and generosity over these many years.

Loyal customers and residents have also taken to social media to express their gratitude and well wishes to Perez and the whole staff at Cup & Saucer, which has become a Hagatna landmark.

Cup & Saucers Bestseller Cafe at GPO, meanwhile, will remain open through June 30th, from 1-5:30 p.m. daily, Perez said. After that date, it will also permanently close.

Its just one of the businesses that have recently announced permanent closures. KD Toys at Micronesia Mall has also said it will be closing down and has been selling all its merchandise, from toys to electronics and watches, with deep discounts, along with store fixtures and equipment.

Over the past three years, Guam has seen the permanent closures of many longtime or popular businesses, mostly citing the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include Travel Pacificana in Hagatna after 44 years in business, Java Junction coffee shop in Hagatna, Tango Theatres at the Agana Shopping Center, Chuck E. Cheeses in Tamuning after 10 years, Poki Fry in Hagatna, and Forever 21 in Tamuning, among others.

Corrections and clarifications: This story has been updated with corrections to Calvos gender.
The medication naloxone, which is an antidote to an opioid overdose, will be able to be legally purchased over the counter in Guam after federal approval, according to the Office of the Attorney General.

Commonly sold under the brand Narcan, the medication used to require a prescription for someone to buy it at a pharmacy.

However, on March 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan to be sold in 4-milligram doses of nasal spray over the counter without a prescription.

Attorney General Douglas Moylan said that since the islands drug sale laws for the most part follow federal laws, Guam retailers will now be allowed to purchase and sell Narcan.

Of the pharmacies that responded to questions for this article, only Minutes Rx Pharmacy and the Guam Seventh-day Adventist clinic pharmacy carry naloxone.

Minutes Rx Pharmacy carries Narcan nasal spray but is currently only selling it with a prescription as they have not received information about over-the-counter sales.

The Guam Seventh-day Adventist Clinic has naloxone that can be injected, but it is only for urgent care use at the clinic.

The move by the FDA is in response to the increasing number of opioid overdose deaths in the states.

More than 101,750 reported fatal overdoses occurred in a 12-month time frame ending in October 2022, according to the FDAs website.

Opioid drugs include illegal substances like fentanyl and prescribed medications that can be abused such as morphine and oxycodone.

From a law enforcement perspective, the approval benefits our community in fighting the illegal and accidental injuries occurring from fentanyl exposure, said Moylan.

According to Moylan, opioid use as well as incidents of death and injuries from fentanyl exposure are not common in Guam, but the availability of naloxone will help save the lives of users and first responders who are exposed.

The FDAs approval for over-the-counter sales meets a need that luckily Guam has yet to see in the level of overdoses being experienced on the mainland, he said.

While cases are low, concern on the island this year has grown.

Guam Police Department Chief Stephen Ignacio announced in January that two fentanyl overdoses were confirmed on island and two seizures of the drug were made by federal law enforcement and the Customs and Quarantine Agency.

In response, local lawmakers approved a bill, signed into Public Law 37-2 on March 20, which authorizes law enforcement, first responders and community members who regularly come into contact with those overdosing to buy Narcan without a prescription.

To tackle the problem before it grows, the Office of the Attorney General organized the Opioid Recovery Advisory Council meeting in February.

The council is made up of government employees, law enforcement and community recovery groups that discuss the best use of $2.7 million Guam received from a 2022 settlement in a case against opioid manufacturers.

The funds are to reduce opioid misuse and assist people in drug recovery.

Moylan said the next meeting of the council is being planned, but a date has not been announced.
St. Lukes Medical Center in the Philippines started accepting Guam patients who are under Medicaid and the Medically Indigent Program, making healthcare services that are not available on the island accessible to those with limited income.

While St. Lukes has already been taking care of countless numbers of Guam residents, this is its first time to also accept island patients with Medicaid and MIP coverage, officials said.

The agreement has been 10 years in the making and is the first of its kind, in which a foreign countrys hospital has formally become an enrolled provider for Guams Medicaid, St. Lukes Medical Center President and CEO Dr. Dennis Serrano and Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services Director Art San Agustin said during a provider agreement signing at Adelup on Thursday, with Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero.

This is both historic and sort of a landmark agreement, according to Serrano, who brought with him a team of specialists from St. Lukes.

St. Lukes already accepted its first Medicaid/MIP patient from Guam on Wednesday, Serrano said, adding that while other formalities can wait, patient care cannot.

Service is in our DNA, he said, before paraphrasing a quote from an American author. Service is the rent we pay for our time in this world and I cant agree more.

The governor, in a statement, said this partnership is a great example of how healthcare providers and government agencies can work together to improve the health outcomes of communities.

Some 47,300 individuals or about 31% of Guams population of 150,836 is on Medicaid, San Agustin said. About 27% of Guams 51,555 households are in the program, he said.

So theres obviously a significant number of people on Guam who access health care who use public insurance to address their health care needs, the DPHSS director added.

He cited the benefits of this partnership with St. Lukes for Medicaid and MIP patients, from having access to critical medical services that are not available on Guam, to traveling only about 3.5 hours to get that care, and the cultural and familial ties between Guam and the Philippines.

DPHSSs mission, he said in a statement, is to help citizens get the care that they deserve, regardless of their financial status.

During question-and-answer with the media, Serrano said St. Lukes as a tertiary hospital provides a full gamut of services with its state-of-the-art equipment and cutting-edge technology for cardiac care, surgical care, neurology, orthopedics, maternal and child health, among other things.

He said the hospital provides everything from basic executive check-ups to the most complicated robotic surgeries, minimally invasive surgeries and noninvasive procedures like high-intensity focused ultrasound.

St. Lukes is at the forefront of these treatments, treatments that are not available in any and many of the hospitals in the Philippines. We are and try to always be at par with centers of excellence in the Asia Pacific region and even in the United States, he added.

After the ceremony, Serrano said that Guams Medicaid and MIP patients can be referred to either St. Lukes at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, or in Quezon City.
The United Kingdom Supreme Court has ruled in favour of leading British multinational oil and gas company, Shell on Wednesday that it was too late for Nigerian claimants to sue its two subsidiaries over a 2011 offshore oil spill.

On December 20, 2011, there were allegations that an estimated 40,000 barrels of crude oil leaked when a tanker was loaded at Shell's Bonga oilfield, 120km off the coast of Nigeria's Niger Delta.

Shell disputed the allegations and said the Bonga spill was dispersed offshore and did not have adverse effects on the shoreline, according to Reuters.

The case was one of a series of legal tussles that Shell has been battling with in London courts against Nigerians who live in the oil-rich Niger Delta, a region faced with pollution, conflict and corruption connected to the oil and gas industry.

A group of 27,800 individuals and 457 communities have made several attempts to drag Shell to court, arguing that the resulting oil slick polluted their lands and waterways, destroying farming, fishing, drinking water, mangrove forests and religious shrines.

But a panel of five Supreme Court justices unanimously upheld rulings by two lower courts that found they had brought their case after the expiry of a six-year legal deadline for taking action.

The claimants' lawyers had argued that the ongoing consequences of the pollution represented a "continuing nuisance", a type of civil tort, which would have meant the deadline did not apply.

"The Supreme Court rejects the claimants' submission. There was no continuing nuisance in this case," Justice Andrew Burrows said during the ruling.

Reuters said while it was two Nigerians that were appellants in the Supreme Court case, the verdict would be applicable to the thousands of other claimants.

Shell said the Supreme Court ruling had brought to an end all legal claims in English courts related to the spill.

"While the 2011 Bonga spill was highly regrettable, it was swiftly contained and cleaned up offshore," a Shell spokesperson said.

A lawyer for the Nigerian appellants did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

The Supreme Court has previously ruled against Shell in another case involving pollution in the Niger Delta. In February 2021, it allowed a group of 42,500 farmers and fishermen from the Ogale and Bille communities to sue Shell over spills, and that case is currently going through the High Court.

In a separate case, Shell agreed in 2015 after a protracted legal battle in London to pay out 55 million pounds ($70 million) to the delta's Bodo community in compensation for two spills.
Catherine Bejerana Camacho is a Filipino-American attorney raised on Guam and licensed to practice in Guam and California. She specializes in employment and family-based immigration law, corporate law and family law.
The Guam Memorial Hospital Authority held opening ceremonies on May 8, 2023 to officially commence National Hospital Week. Front row from left: Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio. Back row from left: Jennifer Cruz, Senior Vice-President, Chief Nursing Officer (GRMC); Eric Plinske, Vice President, Marketing and Business Development (GRMC); Belle Rada, Assistant Administrator, Professional Support Services (GMHA); Charlotte Huntsman, Senior Vice-President, Human Resources & Organizational Development (GRMC); Dr. Joleen Aguon, MD, Associate Administrator of Medical Services (GMHA); Alan Funtanilla, CEO and President (GRMC); Lillian Posadas, Hospital Administrator/CEO (GMHA); Captain David Barrows, MD, Commanding Officer (USNH); William Kando, Associate Administrator, Operations (GMHA); Dr. Dustin B. Prins, MD, Associate Administrator of Clinical Services (GMHA); Christine Tuquero, Assistant Administrator, Nursing Services (GMHA); and Bernie Lobaton, Vice President, Support Services (GRMC).
Armed groups - both local and foreign - must lay down their arms in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and efforts must be redoubled to advance a lasting, sustainable peace in the region, the UN chief said on Friday during his first visit to the African nation as Secretary-General.

"Everyone must put an end to hate speech, work to restore trust, and refrain from any action that could undermine the progress made for peace" in DRC, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, on the eve of the high-level meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for DR Congo and the region, which opens on 6 May in the capital, Bujumbura.

"I renew my call for de-escalation...and restraint," he added.

With a focus on ending recurring cycles of violence in DRC and resolving conflict, tackling instability, and building sustainable peace in the region, the high-level meeting will review progress and challenges on implementing the Framework agreement, signed in Ethiopia in 2013, including by the guarantor institutions: the UN, African Union, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Noting Burundi's national progress in accelerating the country's development and economic growth, he said much remains to be done to ensure that efforts consider the needs of the most vulnerable populations and urged donors and the international community to support the Burundian authorities in this endeavour.

'Significant progress'

Turning to Burundi's "positive role" in the region and the forthcoming regional meeting, he commended nations that are implementing the Framework agreement, in light of "significant progress" in economic cooperation and integration.

But, the current crisis in the region underscores the need to redouble efforts to fully implement the commitments of the Framework agreement, he said.

This will require a collective political will to fully implement all elements of the agreement to address the root causes of instability, break the vicious circle of conflict in the region, and put an end to the plight of populations, who have suffered only too much, especially in DRC, the UN chief said, adding that his Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the UN mission in the country (MONUSCO) will continue to support ongoing efforts.

"All international partners must do the same and contribute to strengthening technical and financial support and work for peace and stability in the DRC and the region," he said.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Burundi International Organisations 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.

Crisis in Sudan

With regard to the restive situation in Sudan, where rival military groups have been fighting since 15 April, he said the violence poses a threat to not only the Sudanese people, but to the security landscape in the Sahel and East Africa.

"The country is facing a humanitarian catastrophe," he said, noting that more than 100,000 people have fled and as many as 800,000 people could leave Sudan in the coming days and weeks.

In addition, he said, millions of Sudanese are trapped by fighting and face growing food insecurity.

'Fighting must stop'

"The fighting must stop immediately, before this conflict turns into a civil war that could destroy the country and upend the region for years to come," he said, stating that all parties must de-escalate tensions, come to the negotiating table, and agree on a stable and lasting ceasefire, with the interests of the Sudanese people at the forefront.

"A return to peace and civilian rule is crucial, and these objectives are at the heart of our exchanges with the parties to the conflict," he said, emphasizing that the UN is working closely with the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

"Safe and unhindered humanitarian access must be guaranteed, so that aid can be immediately distributed to those in need," he stressed.

Civilian populations and infrastructure must be protected, and humanitarian personnel must be respected, he said, calling on the international community to support the Sudanese people in their quest for peace and a return to a transition to civilian rule.




Haiti - Crisis : UN independent experts urge the Haitian Government





Tuesday, May 10, 2013 in Geneva (Switzerland), UN experts (1) expressed grave concern over increasing violence in Haiti, including sexual violence and exploitation perpetrated by gangs against women and children.



"Scenes of chaos have been reported on the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas, forcing residents to remain in their homes and depriving them of access to basic services, education and medical care," the experts said. "Growing insecurity has reportedly forced thousands of people to settle in makeshift camps, before being evicted, hunted down and assaulted again, including by the police."



Armed gangs have reportedly taken control of urban areas and are engaged in killings, violence, rape, kidnapping and intimidation in order to expand their influence, in a context of widespread impunity.



"Within the context of such terror, it appears that systematic violence against women and girls, including sexual violence, is used as an instrument of power and as a means of exerting territorial control by rival gangs that have devastated the capital for more than a year," the experts said.



"We have received reports of gang rapes in public, and in front of relatives and children, without the deployment of sufficient resources to stop such violence, to bring those responsible to justice or to protect and compensate victims."



The experts stressed that it was difficult to quantify the number of victims in Haiti, as the majority of cases are either ignored or go unreported, making any data produced unreliable.



"Gender-based and sexual violence against women and girls in a conflict, post-conflict or peacekeeping context must never be normalised, the experts said. Gender-based violence, including sexual violence, must be recognized for what it is, namely forcing communities and individuals into submission and as a form of punishment for those who resist," they said.



According to the experts, the current economic and political crisis in Haiti is exacerbating the climate of fear in the country.



In areas where opposing factions operate, marginalised communities are being impacted the most, with some being drawn into using weapons and entrenching the power of rival gangs, they said. They noted that the situation was even more critical given access to high-powered weapons and ammunition being smuggled into the country from abroad.



"We urge the Haitian authorities to adopt adequate measures to stem the ongoing violence and hold perpetrators of violence, including sexual violence, to account, in accordance with the rule of law and the national strategy on disarmament, dismantlement, reintegration and community violence reduction adopted by the Government in July 2021," the experts said.



They also urged the international community to support the Haitian Government and other international and local actors to increase the capacity of relevant institutions, maintain civic space, ensure accountability for human rights violations, including gender-based violence, and ensure victims receive necessary and adequate protection and support.



(1) Note : The Special Rapporteurs (experts) are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Councils independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39501-haiti-crisis-the-oas-reiterates-the-need-for-international-security-support.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39498-haiti-flash-binuh-alarmed-by-the-increase-of-more-than-28-in-violence-in-the-1st-quarter.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39492-haiti-crisis-un-security-council-statement.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39491-haiti-flash-violence-in-haiti-leaves-more-than-600-dead-in-april-alone.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39457-haiti-crisis-the-country-is-dangling-over-an-abyss-dixit-volker-turk.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33434-haiti-politic-the-pm-launches-a-task-force-for-the-reduction-of-insecurity.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Justice : A former Divisional Inspector of the PNH, arrested in the USA





Wednesday May 19, 2013, As part of the cooperation between the National Police of Haiti (PNH) and the United States, the former Divisional Inspector of the PNH, Jean Milhomme has been arrested in Philadelphia, United States.



Milhomme was the subject of a wanted notice and an arrest warrant issued by the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ) for his alleged involvement in the attack on the Leclerc police station in Martissant 23, on the night of October 12 to 13, 2022 where an armored vehicle and several weapons had been taken away by gangs https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37886-haiti-news-zapping.html



Let's recall that the former Divisional Inspector had fled to the United States after refusing to appear at several summonses from the DCPJ and the General Inspectorate.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Migration : US expects large number of arrests

On Wednesday May 10, Alejandro Mayorkas, the US Secretary of Homeland Security said at a press conference on Wednesday that the US government expects a "large number" of arrests of irregular migrants at its border with Mexico after the lifting this Thursday, of title 42 underlining that anyone who does not have a legal basis to remain in the United States will not be eligible to legalize their status and will be subject to deportation See also :< /B> https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39437-haiti-flash-new-radical-us-measures-to-reduce-illegal-migration-at-the-border.html



Explosion in a micro propane center

On Wednesday May 10, 2023, an explosion occurred in a micro propane center in Clercine (north of Port-au-Prince). Several people were injured, some seriously. in the fire caused by the explosion.



Health : deadly strike

A patient died this week in the urology department of the Justinian University Hospital in Cap-Haitien, due to lack of care. The Hospital Center has been paralyzed for almost two months because of the strike by medical residents who are demanding better conditions and the departure of the current leading administration.



PNH : muscular deployment

The National Police of Haiti (PNH), through the deployment of several units including the SWAT, the Temporary Anti-gang Unit (UTAG), is hard at work in the Bicentennial area of Port-au-Prince and close to Village de Dieu.



EDH needs $1.2 billion

Rosemond Pradel, the Ministry of Public Works needs nearly 1.2 billion US dollars to definitively solve the problems of the Electricity of Haiti (EDH). A public-private partnership is essential, as the State does not have the resources to finance the major infrastructure needed. The Minister took the opportunity to present a recovery plan for this institution.



Ad hoc committee to lead the Episcopal Church of Haiti

The Committee of Senior Priests announces the formation of an ad hoc Permanent Committee, called to take the direction of the Episcopal Church of Haiti. This ad hoc committee is composed of Reverend Father Jean Jeannot Joseph acting as President, Reverend Father Irnel Duveaux Vice-President; Omana Pierre, secretary and three members, Reverend Father Jackson Laguerre, Charles Myrthil and Hedruche Pierre. Its mission is to work to restore relations with state authorities and promote harmony within the ecclesiastical community See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39506-haiti-arms-trahaiti-arms-trafficking-the-reverend-father-fritz-desire-placed-in-policefficking-the-reverend-father-fritz-desire-placed-in-police-custody.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2023/05/10 | Source

Han So-hee received a coffee truck gift from Song Hye-kyo.

Advertisement

Actress Han So-hee said on her Instagram on the 10th, "Unnie! Ugh!"

The photo released shows Han So-hee acting cute in front of a coffee truck that Song Hye-kyo sent as a gift.

With Han So-hee joining Song Hye-kyo in her next film, "The Master of Confession", the two are already showing off their extraordinary friendship, which is expected to create synergy in the work.

Meanwhile, Han So-hee is currently filming the Netflix series "Gyeongseong Creature". "Gyeongseong Creature" is a creature thriller when in the spring of 1945, when the darkness of the era was the deepest, and two young people, whose survival was all about, confronted a monster born on greed.
Published on 2023/05/10 | Source

Actor Park Bo-gum showed off his neat beauty.

Advertisement

On the 10th, Park Bo-gum released a photo on his account. Park Bo-gum, who was selected as an ambassador for the Homme Line of French beauty brand B in January, showed off an image that matches the line's meaning of 'blue'.

Blue symbolizes cleanliness, innocence, integrity, and straightness. Blue, which embraces the sky or the sea, is sometimes pure just by looking at it, and sometimes makes you fascinated by the vast and in-depth scenery. The same is true of Park Bo-gum's appearance. Park Bo-gum, who can be felt digitally, covers his neatness with a clean face that shivers down his no-tie outfit. His beauty is great, including the unflattering eyes, straight fingers, and lips that may leak out.

Meanwhile, Park Bo-gum will appear in the drama "You Have Done Well" with Lee Ji-eun.
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."

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Central Africa Conflict International Organisations 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.

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."
The values of human dignity and freedom, enshrined in the UN's founding Charter in 1945, have never been so under threat, warned the Secretary-General on Tuesday, delivering a wide-ranging speech in Spain after receiving the Carlos V European Award.

In response to the assault on the principles behind the United Nations, Antonio Guterres said that the international community needed to raise the alarm, and "reaffirm those values."

'Elusive and fragile'

Above all, "we need peace" he told the audience gathered for the prestigious award championing multilateralism in Europe, at the Royal Monastery of Yuste, in Extremadura, noting that the UN and the European Union, were created in the name of peace amid the ashes of World War Two.

"Peace remains our North Star and our most precious goal. Yet the struggle for peace may seem at times like a Sisyphean task. We live in a world today in which peace is elusive and fragile."

He said that violence had become rampant, in too many parts of the world, citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a plain violation of the Charter, coming on the heels of the "economic dislocation" triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Wars and humanitarian crises are spreading, sometimes before our very eyes, but often far from the spotlight. They are more complex, and interconnected, and their impact is growing by the day."

He said that the sudden explosion of violence across Sudan, was a reminder that peace can often fall apart "dramatically overnight" and should never be underestimated or taken for granted.

Working for peace

"We must work to make peace and to keep it, every day, tirelessly", he added. "In a world that is tearing itself apart, we must heal divisions, prevent escalation and listen to grievances."

Diplomacy must replace rule by the gun, centred around negotiation, mediation, conciliation, and arbitration. To do this, women need to play a full part, and have a leadership role in diplomacy, he urged.

He voiced concern also at the war against nature, reiterating his view that humanity's very survival is now in danger, unless the pace of climate change can be slowed.

"Climate chaos is unleashing fires, floods, drought, like here in Spain, and other extreme weather events on every continent. Each year these events are uprooting millions of people who often have to seek refuge in countries and communities that are equally vulnerable."

Likewise, he argued that taking action for the planet, was also action for peace itself: "And by the same token, reducing emissions, protecting our environment and helping affected communities is taking action for justice."

Peace through human rights

He also said that for peace to be sustainable, it needed to be based on respect for human rights, with widespread attacks mounting across the board.

"Hate speech, the polarization, racism and xenophobia, are spreading at the speed of a mouse click. We must look back and learn from our past."

He said that with new dangers looming daily, "the struggle for these rights is now more crucial than ever", and it was time now to "defend our common humanity."

Bridge building

"Today more than ever, in our divided world, building bridges is the only option", declared the Secretary-General. "We must work together to build sustainable, inclusive societies and economies, based on human rights and dignity.

If we join forces, there is hope - UN Secretary-General

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines International Organisations Conflict Africa 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.

"This is what continues to motivate the efforts of the United Nations, day in and day out, in each of the countries in which we work. If we join forces, there is hope."

That hope was embodied by campaigners for peace across the world, who sometimes risk their lives, for change, and demands for accountability.

It is embodied in the younger generation, and civil society, seeking to build community, with a focus on national justice and equality.

He also pointed to the "everyday heroes of humanitarian action" who were striving to deliver vital aid worldwide, pledging to give part of the Carlos V European Award to a scholarship fund for students specialising in migration, refugees and human rights.

On this Europe Day, he concluded, "let us reaffirm the ideals of peace, justice and international cooperation. And together, let us tirelessly defend human dignity and human rights, dialogue and mutual respect."
By Kris Testori

Blowing Rock residents packed city council chambers, taking advantage of the public comments session to express their opinions on the Underground Utilities Project in Blowing Rock. The Town of Blowing Rock was considering burying the electrical and communication lines along Main Street in conjunction with the water and sewer line replacement.

The council voted 3-2 to reject the proposal. With votes against the resolution by Mayor Pro-Tem Doug Matheson, Councilman Albert Yount, and Councilwoman Melissa Pickett. Councilman David Harwood and Councilman Pete Gherini voted in favor of the proposal.

The first person to speak during the public comments portion of the meeting was Mayor Charlie Sellers. Sellers concluded his comments asking those in attendance, I am asking you, lets get back to one Blowing Rock, okay? If wed sold tickets, we could have paid for our underground utilities.

Eleven residents took the stand to speak in favor of the project during the three-minute public comments session. Four spoke in opposition. Resident Janie Sellers, speaking in opposition, said, I urge counsel not to be swayed by the once in a lifetime argument and to vote no on moving ahead now with the underground utilities.

Resident Mike Quinto spoke in favor of the project. He addressed the crowd, stating, I am going to give you all two numbers, this is real quick. Real easy. Two numbers. $225. Does anyone know what that is? That is the cost of a 3 cent tax increase, annually. $18,000. Does anyone know what that is or pay that bill? That is your annual cost of being a member of the country club. Weve got millionaires and billionaires complaining about pennies. Its ridiculous.

The meeting ended with council members thanking City Manager Shane Fox for his service. Fox resigned in April.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn

Reddit

Pocket


In Espoo's Tapiola , a major accident has occurred where a walking bridge collapsed near a construction site. The pedestrian bridge, which was made of plywood, was in public use when it collapsed, causing several people to be injured, including many schoolchildren from Kalasataman middle school. According to reports, some of the children fell several meters when the bridge collapsed, resulting in various degrees of injuries, including serious ones. The injuries mainly included fractures in limbs.

As per the fire department, there were a total of 27 injured individuals, out of which 15 have been taken to hospitals. The Helsinki University Hospital (Hus) has provided medical attention to the injured, and they have been sent to four different hospitals, including Siltasairaala, The New Children Hospital, Peijas, and Jorvi. Hus has also set up a patient information center for relatives, where they can inquire about their loved ones' condition.

The accident happened at around 9 am, and the fire department immediately responded, sending several units to the location. The police are currently investigating the accident and conducting a technical investigation of the site. The situation is still being assessed, and the police will release more information as it becomes available.

Many prominent figures, including President Sauli Niinisto, expressed their condolences and sympathies on social media. The accident has caused a massive uproar, and many are calling for better safety measures to be implemented in public areas. This tragic event has reminded us of the importance of safety regulations and the need for proper maintenance of public infrastructure.

HT
Whereas the Finns Party wants cut funding for development co-operation as much as possible, the Swedish Peoples Party wants to increase it to 0.7 per cent of gross national income, in accordance with national commitments made to both the EU and UN.

THE FINNS PARTY and Swedish Peoples Party are at odds over funding for development co-operation.

Were naturally not ready to make major cuts. Wed like to increase development co-operation appropriations so that we can reach 0.7 per cent of gross gross domestic product, Anna-Maja Henriksson, the chairperson of the Swedish Peoples Party, stated to reporters as she arrived at the House of the Estates in Helsinki on Wednesday.

Finland has spent less than 0.7 per cent of gross national income on development co-operation since the early 1990s, when the target was reached momentarily as a consequence of the economy shrinking. The Ministry of Finance has reported that the appropriations amounted to 0.42 per cent of national income in 2022.

The aim of development co-operation is to, for example, support democracy, education, the rights and status of girls and women, efforts to combat the climate crisis, and job creation and economic consolidation in emerging economies.

Jussi Halla-aho, an ex-chairperson of the Finns Party, on Monday stated that the populist right-wing party wants to cut the appropriations by as much as possible, a view that was rejected by Henriksson.

In a situation where theres a war in Ukraine, well have to continue to pay for support to Ukraine for a long time, but it doesnt mean that we can forget about everything else. Finland has to be a reliable partner also in the future, Henriksson was quoted saying by YLE.

Anja Nygren, a professor at the University of Helsinki, said to the public broadcasting company that cutting development co-operation appropriations would be bad not only for the co-operation partners, but also for Finland.

Itd do reputational harm to Finland. Weve been a fairly well known player internationally in the development co-operation space: weve promoted democracy questions, principles of the rule of law, human rights questions, been fairly important for climate questions. Will Finland shut off from the rest of the world if you tear all this down?

The possible harm extends beyond reputation, she added. The climate crisis, for example, will have an impact on the country no matter how sound its national policy decisions.

The world is simply so interlinked that the idea of a strict nation state and state-run control where you only consider the actions of a single country is inevitably outdated, argued Nygren. Development co-operation has pretty substantial indirect and direct effects on the perception of Finland, she said, pointing to an image of openness as a pull factor for foreign investment.

A withdrawal from international co-operation and generally more passive stance on international issues could also have an impact on businesses and universities.

If Finland scales back its internationalisation effort and reputation, foreign students and skilled workers may no longer be as interested in coming to the country, for example. Highly educated Finns, in turn, may become more inclined to move overseas in search of better opportunities, warned Nygren.

Both the Finns Party and Swedish Peoples Party are involved in the coalition formation negotiations led by the National Coalition. The National Coalition is intent on implementing fiscal adjustments worth six billion euros in the next four years and has voiced its readiness to "critically evaluate" appropriations for development co-operation.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
A MAN has been arrested in connection with a hit and run crash in Sonning that left three people seriously injured.

A 53-year-old woman and two men, aged 51 and 62, were hit by a white Ford Transit Connect van outside the French Horn restaurant on the B478 at around 10.55pm on Friday.

The driver failed to stop at the scene.

The woman sustained a serious head injury and the men suffered broken bones All three are still being treated in hospital

A 25-year-old man from Reading has been arrested on suspicion of driving while above the prescribed alcohol limit and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He is in police custody.

Police are appealing for witnesses and anyone with CCTV or dash-cam footage.

Sgt Ed Crofts, of the roads policing unit, said: This incident has left three people seriously injured and I would like to speak to anyone who witnessed it.

I would be particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has dash-cam footage or CCTV images which could relate to the incident.

If you saw a Ford Transit van driving from Reading prior to the incident, or witnessed the damaged vehicle travelling from the scene on to the A4 towards Maidenhead afterwards, you could have vital information which could be of benefit to our investigation.

If you have any information, call 101, quoting reference number 43230196862, or make a report online.
Smoke rises following a shelling in the Al-Tayif neighbourhood of Khartoum, Sudan (file photo).

The impact of ongoing violence among rival military parties in Sudan is threatening to derail bilateral political progress with neighbouring South Sudan, worsen the fragile humanitarian situation, and pose fresh risks, top UN officials warned the Security Council on Tuesday.

"The outbreak of violence in the Sudan may deeply impact the chance for political progress on Abyei and border issues," Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, told the Council.

Security in Abyei, a disputed oil-rich border region straddling both African nations, had been a point of contention, but agreements had been reached before the outbreak of violence in Sudan on 15 April, she said, providing updates to the UN Secretary-General's latest report on the unfolding situation.

Deployments disrupted

Among several pressing concerns were ongoing conflict-triggered disruptions to deployment routes of the Council-mandated UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), established in 2011 to implement bilateral border agreements, which Ms. Pobee also heads.

"With fighting ongoing and mediation efforts underway, the United Nations will continue to support Sudan and South Sudan when dialogue on Abyei resumes," she said.

"The arrival of additional personnel and equipment will need to be postponed, affecting force capacity," she said, adding that planning is currently underway to make alternative arrangements that minimize the delay while safeguarding the security of personnel and equipment.

Progress made

Prior to the crisis, she said UN country teams in Sudan and South Sudan, with UNISFA, had finalized administrative arrangements for the Abyei Joint Programme, and had begun implementing projects to create an environment conducive to peaceful co-existence, including a nutrition centre for women and children and vocational training for youth.

"UNISFA is monitoring the potential impact of the fighting in the Sudan, such as an influx of displaced persons, the entry of armed groups into the area or the emboldening of spoilers in local inter-communal relations," she said, noting that evacuations have been conducted.

"While none of these risks have materialized in a major way so far, the Mission remains alert to their possibility," she said. "With fighting ongoing and mediation efforts underway, the United Nations will continue to support the Sudan and South Sudan when dialogue on Abyei resumes."

Juba raises concerns

Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, told the Council said the conflict is jeopardizing pre-conflict stable relations between Juba, South Sudan's capital, and Khartoum.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Sudan East Africa 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.

"The humanitarian, security, economic and political consequences of developments in Sudan have raised concerns among the South Sudanese political leadership," she said.

Thousands of South Sudanese hosted in Sudan are returning, with a potential of another 200,000 returnees fleeing the violence "if we do not see stability returning soon", she said. This would pose a challenge to South Sudan, where two thirds of the population need humanitarian assistance.

Border safety risks

As Sudan is not currently in a position to effectively protect its borders, she raised additional concerns about a possible spike in cross-border movements of armed and criminal groups.

Meanwhile, the fighting in Sudan has already choked off deliveries of essential goods and food, and could threaten South Sudan's oil exports, she warned.

"The priority now is to stop the fighting and to start constructive negotiations that hopefully would lead to a permanent ceasefire," she said, emphasizing that her Office will continue to engage with Sudan and South Sudan towards resolving outstanding issues.

Learn more about the "One UN" effort to build sustainable peace in Abyei here.
Smoke rises following a shelling in the Al-Tayif neighbourhood of Khartoum, Sudan (file photo).

The grim prospect of record hunger levels in Sudan is becoming more likely by the day, as heavy fighting continues, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday.

In an alert on the situation, the World Food Programme (WFP) said that it expected between two and 2.5 million more people to face acute hunger in the coming months, because of conflict that erupted on 15 April between forces loyal to rival Generals Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

This development would take the already dire food insecurity in Sudan to a "record high", WFP said, with two-fifths of the country's population affected.

According to the UN agency, the biggest spikes in food insecurity could occur in West Darfur, West Kordofan, Blue Nile, Red Sea and North Darfur states.

'Huge' needs, scarce resources

Meanwhile, the UH High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi shared on Twitter that more than 150,000 people have now fled Sudan - both Sudanese citizens and refugees hosted in the country.

"Needs are huge. Resources are scarce. Aid is required, urgently!" Mr. Grandi wrote.

Soaring food prices

UN humanitarians expect the price of basic food items to increase by 25 per cent in the next three to six months.

If the situation in the country bars farmers from accessing their fields and planting key staples between May and July, food prices could rise even more, WFP said.

Lifesaving aid

The UN agency has resumed its operations in Sudan, after a temporary pause following the killing of three of its aid workers at the start of the conflict. Since last week, and despite a dire security situation, WFP has reached over 35,000 people with food assistance.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan International Organisations 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 aid is a lifeline for the most vulnerable, including families who have recently fled the conflict, refugees living in Sudan and internally displaced people and their host communities.

Overall, the agency aims to support 4.9 million vulnerable people in areas where the security situation allows, in addition to "preventing and treating moderate acute malnutrition" for 600,000 children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

WFP also said that the UN Humanitarian Air Services (UNHAS), which it manages, is starting "regular" air connections between Port Sudan and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to enable the "safe transportation of frontline humanitarians and critical aid".

Support for neighbouring countries

The UN agency is also providing emergency food assistance to thousands who have fled Sudan to neighbouring Chad, South Sudan, Egypt and the Central African Republic, amid dire funding shortages.

In South Sudan for instance, where more than 40,000 returnees have fled across the border, WFP says that it is "cash-strapped" and that any extra pressure on resources could force it to take food and funding from others to support new arrivals.

According to figures from the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR's data portal, the largest outflows from Sudan have been to Egypt, which has seen the arrival of over 68,000 Sudanese refugees and close to 5,000 refugees of other nationalities fleeing the fighting.

Last week, the agency appealed for $445 million to support the displaced until October.
Washington  US President Joe Biden has called the violence in Sudan a 'tragedy', and signed an executive order on Thursday, paving the way for the USA to impose sanctions on "certain persons destabilising Sudan and undermining the goal of democratic transition". The order extends exiting sanctions, but does not impose any specific additional sanctions at this time, however, as pointed out by White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, "I wouldn't read it as a warning... it's the president setting up the proper authorities in case we want to use those kinds of tools."

In a statement following the signing, Biden called the current conflict in Sudan "a betrayal of the Sudanese people's clear demand for civilian government and a transition to democracy."

Biden's order expands the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13067 of November 3, 1997 (blocking Sudanese government property and prohibiting transactions with Sudan), and expanded by Executive Order 13400 of April 26, 2006 (blocking property of persons in connection with the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region), finding that "the situation in Sudan, including the military's seizure of power in October 2021 and the outbreak of inter-service fighting in April 2023, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the USA."

'It is the policy of the USA to support a transition to democracy and civilian transitional government in Sudan...' - US President Joe Biden

In his statement, Biden said: "It is the policy of the USA to support a transition to democracy and civilian transitional government in Sudan, to defend such a transitional government from those who would prevent its initial formation through violence and other methods, and, once formed, to protect it from those who would undermine it. The USA, in cooperation with like-minded partners, will help such a transitional government, when formed, meet the needs of the Sudanese people and prepare for democratic elections."

Washington imposed economic sanctions on the Sudan since 1997. They include a comprehensive trade embargo, and block the assets of the government of Sudan. President George Bush renewed the sanctions in April 2006 because of the conflict in Darfur, and ordered the "blocking of property of certain persons connected to the conflict".

In 2014, President Barack Obama extended the sanctions, saying that "Khartoum continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of his country".

In 2015, Washington came down hard on European banks that evaded their sanctions. In response, European and Saudi Arabian banks announced that they would stop their transactions with Sudan.

President Donald Trump renewed the US national emergency with respect to Sudan in 2017, saying that actions and policies of the government of Sudan "continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the USA".

Thursday's executive order chimes with calls from the international community. Writing for Atlantic Council, Ernst Jan "EJ" Hogendoorn said that economic sanctions are an appropriate course of action to pressure the warring parties to cease fighting and hand over power to a civilian government.

"Now, it is not enough to simply call for a ceasefire and a return to negotiations because those outcomes could re-establish the fraught balance of power between the SAF and RSF," the former senior advisor to the US special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan states. "Rather, international partners must increase financial pressure on the RSF, former Bashir-era government officials, and the SAF to change their political calculations at the negotiation table.

"Sudan cannot be stable if there are two armies and if former regime elites/Islamists are allowed to sow discord. International partners need to put coordinated financial pressure on RSF leaders to commit to integrating rapidly into the army and on former regime leaders to stop inciting violence; international partners should also put SAF generals on notice that they must honor their pledges to hand over power."

USA-Sudan relations

After a distinct thaw in US-Sudan relations following the overthrow of the Al Bashir regime and a movement toward democratic transition, relations between Washington and Khartoum have been strained following the subsequent military coup d'etat of October 25, 2021.

The USA suspended all aid to Sudan following the coup, stating that "the USA is pausing assistance from the $700 million in emergency assistance appropriations of Economic Support Funds for Sudan. Those funds were intended to support the country's democratic transition as we evaluate the next step for Sudan programming."

In 2022, the US Senate confirmed John Godfrey as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USA to Sudan. Sudan had been served by a deputy ambassador, making Ambassador Godfrey the first fully ranked US ambassador to Sudan in 25 years.

On May 11, the US Senate passed a draft resolution "to condemn the military coup in Sudan and support the Sudanese people," and the UK House of Commons also unanimously passed the non-binding resolution with a quick vote without any objections.

On March 23, the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee unanimously approved a draft resolution condemning the military coup in Sudan and calling on the US administration to impose sanctions on those responsible for the coup.

The draft resolution came two days after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on the paramilitary Central Reserve Forces (popularly called Abu Teira) that stand under the command of the police, in accordance with the Global Magnitsky Act* on serious violations of human rights.

The Treasury listed the excessively violent repression of peaceful pro-democracy protests by the security forces as the main reason.

There have been wide calls for targeted US sanctions on the Chairman of Sudan's Sovereignty Council Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan and deputy Chairman Mohamed 'Hemeti' Dagalo for their involvement in serious human rights abuses following the coup.

In March, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions on the Sudan Central Reserve Police (CRP, popularly known as Abu Tira) for serious human rights abuse yesterday. The Treasury listed the excessively violent repression of peaceful pro-democracy protests by the security forces as the main reason.

Last week, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against 'Sudan companies with links to Hamas', with one financier, Hisham Younis Yahia Qafisheh, allegedly "operating and managing at least two Sudan-based companies, Agrogate Holding and Al Rowad Real Estate Development, in order to generate revenue for the Palestinian group."

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Conflict U.S., Canada and Africa 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.

Bilateral agreement

In November 2020, Sudan and the US signed a bilateral claims settlement to resolve "default judgements and claims based on allegations that Sudan's prior regime supported acts of terrorism". According to the agreement, Sudan had to pay $335 million, on top of approximately $72 million already paid, for distribution to victims of terrorism.

Sudan's removal from the SST list, decreed in the dying days of the Donald Trump administration, was conditional on a bilateral claims settlement signed in November 2020 to resolve "default judgements and claims based on allegations that Sudan's prior regime supported acts of terrorism". Sudan had to pay $335 million, on top of approximately $72 million already paid, for distribution to victims of terrorism.

In exchange, after payment of compensation to the families of the victims of the bombing of the destroyer USS Cole in Yemen in 2000, and the 1998 bombing of the US embassies in Dar El Salaam in Tanzania and Nairobi in Kenya, the default judgments and claims against Sudan in US courts would be dismissed, and Sudan's sovereign immunities under US law would be restored to those enjoyed by countries that have never been designated by the US as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST).

*The Global Magnitsky Act of 2016 authorises the US government to sanction foreign government officials worldwide who are deemed to be human rights offenders. Sanctions can include freezing their assets and banning them from entering the USA.
Daniel Handler, author of the popular children's book series "A Series of Unfortunate Events" will write the film for a modern retelling of the story of the Golem of Prague.

(JTA) - The Jewish author of best-selling children's book series "A Series of Unfortunate Events" has been tapped to write a horror film based on the legend of the Golem of Prague.

Daniel Handler, known by his pen name "Lemony Snicket," will write the movie for independent Jewish production company Leviathan Productions, from veteran film producer Ben Cosgrove and Josh Foer, a freelance journalist, the co-founder of the adventure travel brand Atlas Obscura and co-founder of Sefaria, the open-source Jewish text library.

The film will update the 16th century narrative of the golem of Prague, where Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel created an anthropomorphic golem out of clay or mud to protect the ghetto from antisemitic attacks.

In the upcoming film, "a young woman on a college campus finds herself terrorized by a creature with a mysterious past," Deadline reports.

In the classic golem legend, the Hebrew word for "truth," "emet," is inscribed on the golem's body, giving it its powers. Once the golem becomes destructive, the only way to kill it is to remove the letter "aleph," which leaves the remaining word for "death," or in Hebrew, "met."

Handler grew up in a household that "hovered between Reform and Conservative Judaism," he told Moment Magazine in 2007. And the main characters of his beloved gothically dark and humorous "Series of Unfortunate Events," which was adapted into a 2004 film and a 2017 Netflix series, are Jewish.

"Yes. The Baudelaires are Jewish! I guess we would not know for sure, but we would strongly suspect it, not only from their manner but from the occasional mention of a rabbi or bar mitzvah or synagogue," he said. "The careful reader will find quite a few rabbis."

Handler is also the author of a children's book, "The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming," about an angry latke telling the Chanukah story while running into various Christmas symbols who are uneducated about Jewish history.

Leviathan Productions has acquired a number of other projects with Jewish themes, including "Photograph 51," a play by Anna Ziegler about Rosalind Franklin, the British Jewish chemist who discovered the structure of DNA; "The Secret Chord," a novel by Geraldine Brooks about King David; and "The Pledge," a 1970 nonfiction book by Leonard Slater about the U.S.'s role in Israel's 1948 war for independence.

"Jewish stories have incredible resonance because they explore ideas that are universally identifiable," Cosgrove told Deadline. "Everyone knows what it feels like to be the underdog, the outsider, or the immigrant. Jewish stories tackle these ideas with humor and drama, and people around the world see themselves in our stories."
Children having ice cream standing in front of a car littered with the shrapnel that was packed into the rocket, shrapnel that was meant to cut apart their bodies.

Good morning from the Judean mountains. I slept well last night but when I woke up I realized that just 30-40 miles from my home, for hundreds of thousands of Israelis it was a horrible night. Again.

Palestinian Arab terrorists in Gaza fired over 60 rockets at Israeli communities, trying to kill, maim, and terrorize as many Israelis as possible. Despite the Iron Dome that typically shoots down 90 percent of all incoming rockets aimed at Israeli communities, some broke through and there have been injuries.

As immoral as it is for terrorists to fire rockets deliberately at population centers, unfortunately that's very much the norm. The impact is felt widely.

Parents who spent all night worried about protecting their children from rockets every hour or two have had to wake up (assuming they even slept at all) to get their kids off to school, and get to work. As if everything is normal.

Children who spent all night in bomb shelters ate breakfast, got dressed, and ready to go to study math and science and history, and socialize with friends. As if everything is normal. They'll play in the playgrounds during recess, but not more than 15 seconds away from a bomb shelter. Just in case they have to take cover.

Rocket fire began before they went to bed last night. At the scene of one rocket landing in the middle of a residential street, children gathered to have ice cream, displaying their bravery and resolve, as if everything was normal: a rocket lands on your street and you have ice cream. But they were standing in front of a car littered with the shrapnel that was packed into the rocket, shrapnel that was meant to cut apart their bodies.

Their teachers have to be the adults in the room but are no less well rested, no less stressed. They have children of their own too. Teachers have to engage their students in basic education, but also serve as a sounding board for children who are physically exhausted from not sleeping, and emotionally fearful.

Elderly and infirm Israelis, some Holocaust survivors, will calculate whether they really need to go out for milk or eggs, and may decide it's safest and smartest to stay indoors, hiding just like many did to survive the Nazis, just in case.

Hundreds or thousands of orphans and at-risk children who may not have had parents to protect them overnight, coming from homes that are not safe, have woken up to the reality that they are not safe at home, not safe in their community, and struggle with the trauma and stress of all this even if they are too young to articulate why. For those who can articulate it, it doesn't make them less stressed or traumatized. As if everything is normal.

Just a few miles away, thousands of Palestinian Arabs from Gaza will line up at the Erez Checkpoint to cross the border into Israel, coming to work, shopping, or getting medical care in the communities and among the people who Palestinian Arab terrorists spent all night loading and firing rockets at, to kill, maim and terrorize as many as possible. Civilians. Men, women and children. Just because the terrorists are evil and don't sanctify life. Just a normal day on the Israel-Gaza border.

Israelis wonder why our government and military don't end the threat of terror from Gaza's Palestinian Arab hate groups and target those responsible. Why are they allowed to hide behind their civilians, firing rockets from urban areas knowing that Israel won't fire back to take out the terrorists and risk the lives of Palestinian Arab civilians? Are their lives worth more than ours?

People of good conscience around the world who see the black and white, the evil of the terrorists, and can't imagine this happening in their community because it never would. But many don't. They think Israel is somehow at fault or deserving of ongoing rocket and other terrorist attacks because for some, morality is malleable, relative.

Anywhere else would not tolerate it. In no other circumstance would it be considered normal. Nowhere else would the terrorist perpetrators be celebrated, and excuses made for their actions, while blaming the victims.

Two months ago, I visited Sderot, the Israeli city that's closest to the Gaza border. It's a lovely growing community. Less than a mile separates Gaza where terrorists reign, and some 30,000 Israelis just trying to live. I visited a program for orphans and at-risk youth for whom the trauma of their existence requires ongoing care and comfort, and which I have been privileged to support. They were engaged in a group therapy when I arrived, before playing in the yard, and then getting help with their homework and a hot meal before heading home. Their parents are not able to care for them properly so the community steps up to help. Across the street is a playground made of concrete so that if they are playing and rockets come, they can duck inside one of the "climbing toys" and be protected. This is their normal.

You can join the Genesis 123 Foundation to provide urgently needed and ongoing therapies and care for the most vulnerable, orphans and at-risk youth. While we can't stop the rockets, we can build resilience, show love and support, and enable these young people to stay strong, even when living in their normal lives is not normal.

If you woke up rested and not suffering the threat of terror or rockets, not worrying about protecting your children and staying strong for them albeit while you know that you can only protect your children to a limit, please join us to help parents and children whose days started very differently.

Jonathan Feldstein is a former Soviet Jewry activist, born and educated in the United States, who immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation, building bridges between Jews and Christians and Christians and Israel, and writes and broadcasts regularly in a variety of Christian media, sharing the experience of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel. He can be reached at firstpersonisrael@gmail.com.
An egg cream was my father's kitchen claim to fame. He assembled them with great flourish - Fox's U-Bet chocolate syrup, cold milk from a glass bottle, and a long, hard shpritz of seltzer, followed by a vigorous stir. Even today, when I drink or think of it, it takes me back to my family's Brooklyn roots, and him.

To my surprise, I have discovered that I am not alone in my nostalgic connection to this fancy-named but pedestrian drink. According to Pete Freeman, co-owner, cofounder and chief soda jerk at Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain, nostalgia is at least half of the egg cream's appeal. There was a time when every New York diner and ice cream parlor offered them. As Elliot Willensky wrote in his book "When Brooklyn Was The World: 1920-1957," "a candy store minus an egg cream, in Brooklyn at least, was as difficult to conceive of as the Earth without gravity."

In 2021, there aren't many candy stores or pharmacies with marble counters where you can still order an egg cream. But those eateries that offer the beverage do so with pride and purpose.

When Matthew Grogan partnered with Patsy and Carol Grimaldi to open Juliana's Pizza, rated best pizzeria in New York in 2017 by Zagat's, they crafted a menu that would bring back foods from the Grimaldi's youth: pizza made with fresh mozzarella in a coal-fired oven; seltzer from glass bottles and egg creams made with U-Bet chocolate syrup. Pre-pandemic, they sold about 40 egg creams a week to customers of all ages, many of them curious tourists.

Aside from nostalgia, though, what is the egg cream's appeal? When you break it down it's just carbonated chocolate milk with foam on top. If you're thirsty, said Brooklyn Farmacy's Freeman, it satisfies you on a physical level. But on a cultural level, "it is tied to being Jewish."

The egg cream was born in the poor and crowded Jewish communities of the Lower East Side and Brooklyn. According to Barry Joseph, author of "Seltzertopia," in the 1920s and 1930s Auster, the Jewish immigrant credited with creating the egg cream, would report selling 3,000 - on hot days, up to 12,000! - egg creams a day.

Plus, two of the egg cream's three ingredients have strong Jewish connections. The seltzer trade in New York City was dominated by Jews, and Jews loved to drink it. According to Sara Gardner in her article, "Why Jews Love Seltzer," seltzer is a pareve beverage, "beloved by Jews, observant and assimilated alike." It was "a welcome digestive aid to the heavy Eastern European fare" people ate in delis. Fox's U-Bet chocolate syrup was produced by a Jewish man, Herman Fox, in his Brooklyn tenement home at the beginning of the 20th century. Herman was a gambler who lost his money in a Texas oil well investment but turned things around when he struck gold with his syrup. While his money stayed in Texas, the Texan term, "you bet it's good" became part of his syrup's name: Fox's U-Bet.

In the 2018 documentary, "Egg Cream," food historian Andrew Coe describes egg creams as a cheap copy of the soda fountain drinks from the fancier neighborhoods of New York. The drink, said Coe, "gave people a sense that they were having a fancy, uptown kind of drink for a very downtown kind of price." Even the name - egg cream - Coe explains, sounds rich. But it's also misleading; the standard egg cream has no egg and no cream.

Some say the name is a bastardization of the Yiddish word "echt" which means genuine or real. Grogan, of Juliana's Pizza, heard that when Louis Auster was making the drinks he would, "call to his staff and ask them to bring up more of the [grade] 'A' cream which, given New York accents, morphed over time to 'egg cream'." Brooklyn Farmacy's Freeman believes the original egg cream really was made with egg. In the '20s, he said, refrigeration was bad. Soda jerks would whip egg whites and dollop them on top of the chocolate soda. In so doing, they could turn a 2-cent chocolate soda into a 5-cent egg cream. Only later, he believes, was egg replaced by milk when good refrigeration became more widespread.

Just as there is no consensus on the origins of the name, there are myriad ways to make the drink. Freeman first mixes milk and seltzer for a white, foamy head; the purity of the foam is important to him. Then he adds the chocolate syrup. Grogan, however, makes his egg cream with cream! He mixes cream with Fox's U-Bet syrup and then adds Brooklyn Seltzer Boys seltzer for a thick, rich head.

For Freeman, the egg cream is not just a drink - it's a mission. When he and his sister opened Brooklyn Farmacy, the egg cream was disappearing from menus and people weren't giving it the attention he felt it deserved. "Your legacy can only survive," said Freeman, "if one generation passes it down to the next. You can bemoan that or do something about it. Parents and kids now come to our shop. Our egg creams are codified in those kids' memories. They will grow up and share it with their children. And the egg cream will live on."
Nyala / El Geneina  Traders in Nyala, capital of South Darfur, warn of an imminent food gap in the region, after the city's crop market was destroyed by fire. In West and Central Darfur, many displaced are living rough again.

In clashes between army soldiers and paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces in Nyala over the weekend, the South Darfur largest crop market burned to the ground.

Initial reports about the losses say that about 10,000 [100 kg] sacks of sorghum, millet, wheat, chicken peas, lentils, fava beans, onions and garlic are lost.

"The destruction of the crops market will certainly lead to a food gap in the state," trader Mersal Abdelkarim reported on Monday. "In addition to the shops at the market, the fire devoured the entire stock."

He said that the losses of the small traders range between SDG2 to 3 million, and called on the authorities to compensate the affected.

Abdelkheir Ahmed, head of the Nyala Crop Market Committee and member of the South Darfur Loss and Damage Committee, told Radio Dabanga that the wholesale crop market provides food to the entire state.

"The crops come in from South Darfur, but also from Central and West Darfur, and from Chad," he explained. He said he fears that the prices of the remaining crops will skyrocket. "The prices before the fire were appropriate. A [100 kg] sack of millet amounted to SDG35,000 pounds for instance."

The Loss and Damage Committee has called on the merchants to file their complaints at the police station individually. "We have started the inventory process and hope to announce the final amounts of losses soon."

Camps for the displaced

The Darfur Displaced and Refugee Camps Coordination Committee has warned of the disastrous effects of the war on the displaced.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Coordination Committee issued "an urgent appeal" to the regional and international community and the United Nations, regarding "the catastrophic humanitarian and health situation in the camps for the displaced in Darfur".

The Committee mentioned in particular the burning and plundering of 105 shelters within El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, in addition to homes in the Abuzar camp for the displaced near the city, and the camps surrounding Zalingei in Central Darfur.

"Many displaced are now living in the open again. They need urgent services such as drinking water, food, life-saving medicines, and shelter materials, the statement reads.

The Coordination Committee called for the provision of safe passages for humanitarian aid purposes. "The biggest losers in this war are the Sudanese people."

Humanitarian disaster

In the end of April, the Washington DC-based Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) reported that the fierce fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted on April 15 has led to a rapid deterioration in food security conditions.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Food and Agriculture 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.

As a near-term resolution to the conflict is "highly unlikely", FEWS Net said, it foresees "a sharp, rapid increase" in the population facing Crisis and Emergency outcomes, with the largest increases anticipated in densely populated urban areas such as Khartoum and Darfur.

"Before the outbreak of conflict, Sudan already faced a high burden of food insecurity given the exceedingly high cost of living amidst the persistence of poor macroeconomic conditions and intercommunal conflict," the network added.

On May 3, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that "Khartoum is in turmoil, Darfur is burning once again". Citing statistics from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) he said that the current "humanitarian catastrophe" has resulted in the displacement of at least 100,000 people, estimating that a further 800,000 would flee in the coming days and weeks.
(JTA) - Rabbi Harold Kushner, one of the most influential congregational rabbis of the 20th century whose works of popular theology reached millions of people outside the synagogue, died on April 28, 2023.

Kushner, who turned 88 on April 3, died in Canton, Massachusetts, just miles from the synagogue where he had been rabbi laureate for more than three decades.

Kushner's fairly conventional trajectory as a Conservative rabbi was altered shortly after arriving at Temple Israel of Natick when, on the day his daughter Ariel was born, his 3-year-old son Aaron was diagnosed with a fatal premature aging condition, progeria.

"When Bad Things Happen to Good People," published in 1981, represented Kushner's attempt to make sense of Aaron's suffering and eventual death, just days after his 14th birthday. It was turned down by two publishers before being released by Schocken Books, a Jewish imprint.

In the book, Kushner labors to reconcile the twin Jewish beliefs in God's omnipotence and his benevolence with the reality of human suffering. "Can I, in good faith, continue to teach people that the world is good, and that a kind and loving God is responsible for what happens in it?" he writes.

Ultimately, he concludes that God's ability is limited when it comes to controlling the hazards of life that result in tragedy on a widespread and smaller scale, such as the Holocaust and the death of a child.

It is a view that runs afoul of traditional Jewish teaching about God, and it earned Kushner critics among some Orthodox Jews and also drew rebuttals from other Jewish theologians. But it resonated widely for a long time and with many people, Jewish and non-Jewish, rocketing to the top of The New York Times' best-seller list. More than 4 million copies have been sold in at least a dozen languages.

He scaled back his duties at his synagogue, then stepped away, as other books followed, tackling topics equally as daunting: the meaning of life, talking to children about God, overcoming disappointment. "To Life: A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking," published in 1993, became a go-to resource for people exploring Judaism, while "Living a Life That Matters: Resolving the Conflict Between Conscience and Success," published in 1986, was another best-seller.

"I think that Rabbi Kushner was successful because he catered to everybody," Carolyn Hessel, the director of the Jewish Book Council, said in 2017 when it revived the Lifetime Achievement Award to honor Kushner. "He reached everybody's heart. It wasn't just the Jewish heart. He reached the heart of every human being."

Kushner was born in Brooklyn and educated in the New York City public schools. After his ordination at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1960, he went to court to have his military exemption waived.

For two years he served as a military chaplain in Oklahoma before assuming his first pulpit, as an assistant rabbi at another Temple Israel, this one in Great Neck, New York.

Four years later he moved to Natick, where he remained even as he became a celebrity. In 1983, with his book a best-seller and demanding more of his time, Kushner cut back to part-time at the synagogue. Seven years later he stepped down to devote himself fully to writing.

The congregation, believing their then-55-year-old rabbi too young to be named rabbi emeritus, made Kushner their rabbi laureate, a title held by only a handful of American spiritual leaders.

It would be one of a growing number of accolades: Kushner was honored by the Roman Catholic organization the Christophers as someone who made the world a better place, and the organization Religion in America named him clergyman of the year in 1999. In 2004 he read from the book of Isaiah at the state funeral of President Ronald Reagan.

He remained involved in the Conservative movement after leaving the pulpit, serving as a leader in the New England region of its rabbinical association and, with the novelist Chaim Potok, editing its 2001 Etz Hayim Torah commentary.

"My seminary training was all about Jewish answers. My congregational experience has been more in terms of Jewish questions," Kushner told JTA in 2008. "I start with the anguish, the uncertainty, the lack of fulfillment I find in the lives of the very nice, decent people who are in this synagogue and who are my readers. And Judaism is the answer."

He added, "How do I live a fulfilling life is the question. And Judaism is the answer."

Kushner's wife, Suzette, died in 2022, 45 years after their son Aaron. Kushner is survived by his daughter, Ariel Kushner Haber, and two grandchildren.
Israelis Tamir Rotman (l) and Rami Bader founded a therapy program in northern Israel for emotionally troubled Diaspora Jewish youth, Free Spirit Experience, and now are opening a therapy program in Cyprus focused on Jewish youths with drug problems.

TEL AVIV - Young people with substance-abuse dependencies often face a stark challenge when trying to overcome their problem: Any kind of lapse is seen as a failure, and if they backslide even occasionally they start to see themselves as hopeless recidivists.

"This 12-step idea says that once you're an addict, you're always an addict - that as soon as you touch drugs, you're off the wagon," said psychologist Tamir Rotman. "But it's very detrimental to teens at such an early stage of their lives and self-exploration. It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Rotman is the director of change at Free Spirit Experience, a program in Israel for troubled Jewish teens and young adults struggling with issues such as anxiety, depression, or other social and emotional problems.

Now Free Spirit Experience is launching a new program for Diaspora Jewish teens and young people with drug or alcohol dependencies that interfere with their daily living. This new therapy program, Free Spirit Holina, is organized around the idea that their problems can best be addressed by zeroing in on the core impetus for the substance abuse.

"It's a different paradigm than the traditional rehab center; we deal much more with the underlying issues of drug usage, rather than the usage itself," said Rotman, stressing that it is not meant to be a full-blown rehab center or a detox clinic. "We expect these kids to have a better sense of self that will enable them to function on a daily basis. The main point is for them to be productive and positive in life."

The program, which opens this month, will be run by Israeli therapists but situated in Cyprus, a Mediterranean island about a 45-minute flight from Tel Aviv. Designed to be a three-month course, the program will enroll 15 youths per session, divided into two groups: one for ages 14-17 and the other for ages 18-26.

The site for Free Spirit Holina Cyprus, located about half an hour's drive northeast of the airport in Larnaca, is a 2.5-acre tract of land with horses, farm animals, a swimming pool and fruit trees. The farm previously was used by Chabad-Lubavitch of Cyprus, which will be involved in some aspects of the new program including kosher food, communal Shabbat dinners and celebration of Jewish holidays for those who choose to participate.

The therapists behind the program are importing many of the practices and principles that undergird their successful Israeli therapy program, Free Spirit Experience, an immersive therapy program located at Kibbutz Hazorea in Israel's Carmel mountains. While some participants of that program have struggled with drug or alcohol use, the new program in Cyprus is geared toward young Jews from North America for whom substance-abuse is their primary problem.

Free Spirit Holina will be staffed by 12 employees in Cyprus, most of them Israelis with specialized training in addiction issues. Besides taking care of horses and other animals, daily activities will include routine farm labor, building projects, meditation and yoga.

There's to be more than just farm chores and mindfulness, however. The program will include excursions to the Troodos Mountains, cliff jumping off the Mediterranean coast near Ayia Napa, and eventually sailing to Israel - a trip that takes 24 hours - on a yacht that can accommodate seven participants and two staffers.

"It's the same Free Spirit program for people with dependencies who need a more isolated environment," said Rotman, explaining that Kibbutz Hazorea "is not an appropriate environment for people with addictions because it's a living community and it's not isolated enough."

Rotman and Free Spirit's managing director, Rami Bader, had been looking to expand their program for a while, scouting out potential sites in Israel's Negev. But then an opportunity appeared from an unexpected source: Thailand.

Holina, an addiction treatment and wellness center on a remote island in the Gulf of Thailand called Koh Pahngan, works exclusively with adults. When Holina began fielding numerous inquiries from parents looking for treatment solutions for their teenage children, Holina's owner approached Free Spirit. The two eventually entered into a partnership to run the center in Cyprus.

Tuition will cost $20,000 per month for the three-month course. Comparable programs in the United States can cost as much as $30,000 to $40,000 a month, according to Rotman.

Chabad's Cyprus director, Rabbi Arie Raskin, has lived in Larnaca since 2003. He says the new program will fill a gap because drug use among youths is high - and Orthodox Jews are no exception.

"Cannabis and alcohol use is becoming almost normal, and among haredim as well," Raskin said. "Recently I was at an Orthodox wedding in B'nai Brak [Israel] and I smelled grass everywhere. In the past, when people smoked marijuana, they were ashamed. Today, they hold a joint in their hand and smile at you. This is very worrying."

Rotman agreed, though he noted that dependency on marijuana is not necessary the main issue; it's the underlying anxieties and depression that may have led youths to cannabis use in the first place. While most marijuana users can smoke pot occasionally and be OK with it, about 20 percent of youths become depressed and anxious.

"We're seeing a lot of weed issues," he said. "The idea that weed isn't addictive or harmful is medically true, but that allows teens to be persistent in their usage."

The campus of Free Spirit Holina Cyprus is located about half an hour's drive northeast of Larnaca, a port city on the island with an international airport.

This, in turn, leads to a lack of motivation. In some cases, youths reach a point where they aren't motivated to do much other than smoke weed, Rotman said.

"A lot of these kids don't have coping skills," Rotman added. "They learn to deal with their emotions via medications, so they don't develop sufficient emotion regulation skills. Feeling anxious or depressed are normal parts of life. But for them, it just means they need more medication."

In order to enroll in Free Spirit Holina Cyprus, Rotman insists on a crucial condition: The kids themselves must agree to the treatment. "We need to hear them say in their own the voice, 'We want to come.'"

This story was sponsored by and produced in collaboration with Free Spirit Experience, a unique therapy program in Israel where at-risk teens and young adults from all over the world can have meaningful communal experiences away from home. The story was produced by JTA's native content team.
Nonpartisan watchdog nonprofit StopAntisemitism has teamed up with the Christian advocacy organization Philos Project to fight rampant Jew-hatred with a billboard campaign across Florida.

Troubled by the amount of antisemitism coming from white supremacist groups based in Florida, the Philos Project wants to ensure Jewish Floridians know that groups such as the Goyim Defense League and NatSoc do not represent Christian values. For support, Philos turned to StopAntisemitism, which has been at the forefront of condemning these hate groups.

Partnering with StopAntisemitism was a natural fit: we both believe in driving grassroots action to support diversity, said Philos Project Deputy Director Luke Moon. Florida has unfortunately become a hotbed of antisemitism, which goes against Christian values, and we could not allow our Jewish neighbors to shoulder this burden alone.

StopAntisemitism has become a target of these white supremacist groups because of its work exposing the perpetrators behind hateful flyers, banners, and vandalism across America through its relationships with law enforcement and the media. StopAntisemitism was honored when Philos Project asked to partner to promote unity.

We need more non-Jewish groups like the Philos Project to take a public stand against antisemitism, said StopAntisemitism Executive Director Liora Rez. Jews cannot be alone in this fight; bigotry and hatred being spewed in Florida will not end with the Jewish people nor stop at the state border. We hope these billboards encourage and empower more of our allies.

One Orlando billboard is located on Southbound FL-15 near Orlando International Airport; the other on Turkey Lake Road near Sand Lake Road in Doctor Phillips. Three floating billboards, one in Miami and two on Pinellas Countys Gulf Beaches, could not have been accomplished without the generous support of Ballyhoo Media. Ballyhoos core values of boldness, innovation, and community perfectly aligned with the mission of this campaign.

The opportunity to expand the reach of this important campaign was a no-brainer. Bringing our community together against hate is an invaluable initiative for our brand, said Adam Shapiro, CEO of Ballyhoo Media.

If you would like more information or to speak with Liora Rez of StopAntisemitism, Luke Moon of Philos Project, or Adam Shapiro of Ballyhoo Media, please contact Solomon Howard at solomon@redbanyan.com.
LONDON (JTA) - At a reception of faith leaders at Buckingham Palace the day after Queen Elizabeth's death in September, King Charles pulled Britain's chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, aside for a word.

The reception was pushed earlier in the day than originally planned to accommodate Mirvis, since it fell on a Friday. But it ran long and Shabbat was approaching. According to Rabbi Nicky Liss, head of the Highgate Synagogue, Charles asked Mirvis what the rabbi was doing sticking around - didn't he have to get home by Shabbat?

The protocol is that no one is allowed to leave the room before the king does, Mirvis responded. Charles then promptly told him to get home.

Both men brought that spirit of mutual respect to Charles' coronation day on May 6, as the new king included a range of faith leaders who had never before been featured in a royal ceremony of this magnitude.

While much of the ceremony is still rooted in Christian rituals, representatives of Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Bahai and Zoroastrian communities were incorporated into the proceedings. In fact, non-Jewish faith representatives entered Westminster Abbey before Anglican clerics. Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh members of the House of Lords handed Charles objects of the royal regalia. And in a notable cross-cultural mash-up, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is Hindu, read a passage from St. Paul's letter to the Colossians, which includes language on the "loving rule of Christ over all people and all things."

There is one large obstacle for observant Jewish participants and onlookers: The ceremony fell on Shabbat. But Charles had invited Mirvis to sleep in his home on Friday night - Clarence House, located a 15-minute walk from Westminster Abbey, the site of the coronation - so he could easily get to the event without using electricity. And when religious leaders recited a "spoken greeting in unison" to Charles at the end of the ceremony, Mirvis did not use a microphone.

While many Orthodox interpretations of Jewish law hold that Jews should not enter churches, London's top rabbinical court ruled in the 1970s that chief rabbis may do so if their presence is requested by the monarch. Coronations have held at Westminster Abbey since 1066; the last time one was held on Shabbat was in 1902.

Some Jews around London last week were not excited about the Shabbat timing, and like many other Britons, were still mourning Queen Elizabeth, Charles' mother whose 70-year reign guided the kingdom through the second half of the 20th century and through the upheaval of the 21st.

"It's a shame that we can't fully participate in it but we do need to acknowledge that we're such a minority and I don't expect them to take us into account," said Naomi Joseph, who was walking around Golders Green, a heavily Jewish neighborhood, on Tuesday. "But it does make me feel less enthusiastic. It's like not being invited to a party."

"The queen's funeral did feel more poignant than the coronation," said Keren Rechtschaffen, who researches Judeo-English, a local dialect. "People seemed more invested in it. We haven't had a chance to see how Charles is going to reign. Although I'm sure he's going to be great."

But many Jewish congregations and families have for weeks been in the royal spirit, which engulfs England in an excited frenzy - and creates a huge market of monarch-themed merchandise. Some congregations closed off the roads near their synagogues to have celebrations on the street. Others held ceremonies and services of their own to honor the king, but a week later - so their members can watch the coronation live on TV on the day.

Musical celebration and tribute is a recurring theme. United Synagogue, the union of British Orthodox synagogues, commissioned a new children's choir recording of "Adon Olam," a prayer perhaps most recognizable as the conclusion of Shabbat services, and dedicated it to the new king. The Shabbaton Choir, a group that frequently records for radio and television shows, created a new musical version of the Prayer for the Royal Family that's recited by British Jewish congregations every week.

"We've waited a long time for this coronation. It's exciting," said Sahar Dadon, an Israeli who runs a pita restaurant and has lived in London for 20 years. "We bless the king with shem malchut [of God's name]. It's a divine thing."

He added, "My wife feels it more. She's English and goes to all the ceremonies. The kids are very excited, too."

The Jewish connection to the coronation ceremony got literal, too - the king and the soldiers involved wore at least some pieces stitched by Kashket & Partners, a Jewish family-owned tailoring company that is the main supplier for Britain's armed forces. Baroness Merron of Lincoln, a former chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, handed Charles the long Imperial Mantle robe, which was first made for George IV in 1821.

"We've got our day-to-day business going on too but obviously the coronation takes priority over everything else," Cheryl Kashket told the London Jewish Chronicle. "There is nothing more important than what is going on. It is very exciting and we realize how fortunate we are to be a part of history."

Israeli President Isaac Herzog was in attendance on Saturday, too; a kosher caterer provided food for him and Mirvis.

Ivan Binstock, a longtime senior leader for multiple London Jewish communities, said the actual coronation ritual, which involves anointing the new king with oil consecrated in Jerusalem, was especially resonant for the Jewish community.

"The most significant part of the coronation, that is shielded from public view, is in fact biblical," he said, noting that the ritual has its roots in the anointing of high priests in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. "It's a source of great pride."
(JTA)  At least two American couples have been caught by Israeli customs for attempting to smuggle a total of more than 650 pounds of Fruit Roll-Ups into Israel, as the country experiences a dire shortage of the snack due to a TikTok craze.

A video posted on Tuesday by Mako, an Israeli news website, appears to show a customs official at Ben Gurion International Airport sifting through at least three open suitcases each filled with hundreds of the colorful, sugary treats. An American-accented voice off screen, in a mix of Hebrew and English, explains that he brought the snacks across the ocean for his family in Israel. When the customs official asks if the man packed clothes for himself, he responds that he has clothes in Israel.

Why did he fill two checked bags with Fruit Roll-Ups? It has something to do with ice cream, the mans voice says.

The man was almost certainly referring to a viral TikTok trend, ongoing since at least March, in which users of the video social network wrap the sweet, sticky roll-up around a small scoop of ice cream, which then freezes over and becomes hard and crunchy.

Weve also fallen into this trend, says an Israeli in one TikTok video from late March, as he places a box of Fruit Roll-Ups on the counter. My whole TikTok is exploding with Fruit Roll-Ups and ice cream.

Israelis routinely ask travelers from the United States to bring back goods that either cost more in Israel (such as electronic devices) or are hard to find on Israeli shelves (Entenmanns Donuts, for example). But in attempting to import Fruit Roll-Ups to Israel, the American couples were tapping into a real market shortage.

Around the country, supermarkets, convenience stores and online retailers have reportedly sold out of Fruit Roll-Ups, driving up the cost of the snack. According to Israeli press reports, enterprising merchants are selling individually wrapped Fruit Roll-Ups for prices exceeding $5 or $6 each. By comparison, a box of 10 Fruit Roll-Ups in the United States typically costs less than $3.

One article in the Israeli daily Israel Hayom jokingly compared those rising costs to the value of a mortgage in Israels infamously expensive housing market.

We bought them for the price of a diamond, one parent said, according to the article. I said I would find out how many I could get in exchange for my kidney.
(Israel Hayom via JNS)  Preserving the Eternal, an advocacy group that seeks to prevent the destruction of Jewish national heritage sites by Palestinians, has sounded the alarm over what appears to be a deliberate effort to destroy a key landmark in Samaria.

El-Unuk, one of the six Gilgal sites that were identified by the archaeologist Adam Zertal as dating to the Israelites entry into the land following Joshuas conquest, is in Area B of Judea and Samaria, under Palestinian civilian control and Israeli security governance. It is in the vicinity of Nahal Tirzah, one of the streams that flows from eastern Samaria into the Jordan River, and from there to the Dead Sea.

The site is under immediate threat of destruction because of construction work being carried out by the Palestinian Authority, which has already paved a road at the complex, Preserving the Eternal told Israel Hayom.

A few weeks ago, serious damage was discovered caused by infrastructure and road construction that seems to have been carried out as preparation for a residential neighborhood or a commercial area. An inspector from Preserving the Eternal has identified a large residential building at the site. Shai Bar, a lecturer at the University of Haifa and director of an archaeological survey at the site, warned: This is doing terrible damage at an important Iron Age site, which was revealed many years ago in a survey of Manasseh Hill.

According to Bar, Building on an ancient site without taking the necessary steps to preserve it is unbelievable incompetence, demonstrating a lack of governance by the authorities, who are supposed to ensure that this doesnt happen in areas under its control. The authorities need to immediately halt the construction work and attempt to save the findings from the damaged site.

The indiscriminate destruction of Jewish heritage sites in Judea and Samaria is a common and disturbing trend. In the best-case scenario, the P.A. takes control of sites and co-opts them as Palestinian. In the worst-case scenario a common occurrencePalestinians carry out massive and irreparable destruction.

Adi Shragai, activities director at Preserving the Eternal, said, Building on an archaeological site means destruction, which cant be restored or reconstructed, with the findings being lost forever. This site, one of the most important for the beginnings of the Jewish people, has only been surveyed and not yet excavated. The [Israeli Defense Ministrys] Civilian Administration has refused to operate in Area B, claiming that it is under Palestinian civilian authority.

This is a site with national and global significance, and Israel has a legal and moral obligation to protect it, Shragai continued. The government must immediately intervene and demand that the P.A. and the European countries supporting the project halt the construction immediately. The Oslo Accords dont give the P.A. the authority to destroy world heritage sites.

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, said: The PAs goal is to wipe Jewish history from Samaria. It is barbarically destroying, crushing, breaking and eliminating another heritage site, and regretfully there is no significant response. This is a national abandonment.
(JNS) - Both houses of Congress reintroduced legislation this week to honor the late Roddie Edmonds, who put his life in danger to save Jews during World War II and the Holocaust, and is one of five Americans Yad Vashem names as "Righteous Among the Nations."

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) put the bill up again in the House after an unsuccessful bid last session. This time is different, he told JNS.

"I've been here a little longer. I've got a little more seniority, and I know a few more people," he said. "It's not a partisan issue."

Burchett noted that the two Jewish members of Tennessee's congressional delegation, Reps. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), are among 15 co-sponsors of H.R. 2800, the Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds Congressional Gold Medal Act.

On April 27, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced the Senate's version of the bill, S.1230, to honor Edmonds, who died at the age of 65 in 1985.

"Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds embodied true American heroism in the face of indescribable evil and intimidation," stated Blackburn. "Awarding him with Congress's highest expression of national appreciation is an appropriate way to honor his actions and legacy."

Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Rafael Warnock (D-Ga.) are co-sponsors.

'A history with Jewish communities'

An evangelical Christian, Edmonds was fighting in the Battle of the Bulge when Nazi forces captured and transferred him to a prisoner of war camp, where they held him for 100 days.

During that time, German soldiers ordered Jewish prisoners to step outside the prison barracks, ostensibly to separate them and send them to labor and extermination camps. All of 1,275 men under Edmonds stood outside their barracks in unity with Jewish prisoners.

When the Nazis demanded at gunpoint that Edmonds identify personally which soldiers in his company were Jews, he refused. "We are all Jews here," he said, saving up to 200 Jewish soldiers, whose identities he protected.

Edmonds has been nominated several times for a congressional gold medal but the effort, which requires the support of two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate before it can even make it to committees for discussion, has stalled.

Only 185 Congressional Gold Medals have been awarded since its inception in 1776. Prior recipients include former U.S. presidents-George Washington, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Ulysses S. Grant, Harry S. Truman, Gerald R. Ford and Ronald Reagan; world leaders Nelson Mandela, Shimon Peres, Tony Blair, Pope John Paul II and Winston Churchill; and historical luminaries Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa, Frank Sinatra, Elie Wiesel, Simon Wiesenthal and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson; and even one of our own -Maitland resident, Rouben Sami, Z"L, a former Monuments Men.

The effort to award Edmonds, a native of Knoxville, strikes close to home for Burchett and the Tennessee delegation. A marker in downtown Knoxville tells the story of his bravery.

For Burchett, the issue runs even deeper. "My dad fought in the Second World War. My mom lost her brother fighting the Nazis. And my family and I built a Holocaust memorial in Knoxville," said Burchett, a former Knox County mayor. "I just have a history with Jewish communities."

Burchett told JNS that he encourages those who want to see the effort to honor Edmonds pushed across the finish line to contact their local representatives.

"I just think it's so fitting, though he's no longer with us," said Burchett. "I think it's a fitting thing that we remember folks like him and the sacrifice they made."
(JNS)  Israel and the United Kingdom struck a landmark deal last month to heighten trade, technology and security ties for the next seven years.

The 2030 Roadmap for U.K.-Israel Bilateral Relations, which was signed on March 21, pledges 20 million (nearly $25 million) in joint funding commitments for technology and innovation projects, which will enable both countries to remain at the forefront of the technological revolution, stated the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The announcement of the new agreement came as Eli Cohen, Israels foreign minister, met in London with his British counterpart James Cleverly, secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs.

Israels and the United Kingdoms current trade relations are worth around 7 billion (nearly $9 billion) annually, and some 400 Israeli technology firms operate in the United Kingdom. Those businesses have created some 16,000 jobs in Britain since 2015, according to an FCDO release.

In 2019, the United Kingdom and Israel signed an agreement to permit trade without any additional barriers or tariffs, following the formers exit from the European Union.

In July 2022, the two states launched negotiations for a free trade deal that was touted to be worth 78 million (nearly $97 million) per year, but an agreement is yet to be reached.

The new roadmap is the culmination of efforts that began officially with the signing of a post-Brexit Memorandum of Understanding in November 2021. Both countries agreed to expand cooperation over the next decade on cybersecurity, technology, trade and defense, which scaled up their relationship to a strategic partnership.

The British government maintains that a new trade deal, by lowering barriers and championing free trade, is a key priority for both governments.

The FCDO also stressed that the new bilateral roadmap builds on 75 years of close relations between the two countries and includes shared commitments to tackle the scourge of antisemitism.

In 2024, the United Kingdom will chair the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, and Cleverly stated in late March that the United Kingdom will promote fact-based knowledge of the Holocaust and strengthen media and information literacy. The foreign office did not respond to questions from JNS on what that might entail.

Continue to serve mutual interests

Toby Greene, assistant professor of political studies at Bar-Ilan University, told JNS that the roadmap is a step towards a trade deal.

The agreement is not yet an upgraded trade deal, said Greene, who is a former head of policy at the lobby group Labour Friends of Israel. Instead, she noted that a trade deal is part of the package for the roadmap for coming years.

The announcement came before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited London and following a spike in tensions between Britain and Israel after Cleverly said that the FCDO had no plans to work with Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israels national security minister.

The presence of the far right in the Israeli cabinet will create problems for elements of U.K.-Israel strategic cooperation, but that cooperation is institutionalized at many levels through many different channels, said Greene.

Both countries have a lot to gain from deeper strategic cooperation, she continued. The U.K. sees a lot of potential in deeper strategic and economic ties with Israel post-Brexit. That said, some may find this announcement ill-timed given the depth of Israels domestic political crisis and the extremist character of the current Israeli government.

Steve Winston, managing director of the National Jewish Assembly, told JNS that the group applauds the British and Israeli governments for committing to the 2030 roadmap.

The strategic partnership will continue to serve mutual interests, ranging from security and defense cooperation to research and development in science, technology, health care and other fields, he said.

The roadmap also promises to combat the scourge of antisemitism, added Winston.

He said his group represents an increasing number of British Jews and is proud of the deep and historic partnership between Israel and the U.K.a testament to our shared values of freedom, innovation and democracyand we look forward to seeing this strategic partnership evolve and grow over the coming years.

Israel and the United Kingdoms respective foreign minister and foreign secretary also discussed countering Irans destabilizing activity in the Middle East; Russias invasion of Ukraine; and the United Kingdoms support for the Abraham Accords.

The FCDO also stated that the foreign secretary raised the U.K.s concerns about the recent spike in violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and the need for all parties to take steps to de-escalate and end the cycle of violence.

Simon Round, a spokesman for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish communitys largest representative body in the United Kingdom, told JNS that it warmly welcomed the news that the government has signed the 2030 Roadmap for UK-Israel Bilateral Relations.

This is an agreement that includes not only trade, security and cultural agreements, but also the commitment for the U.K. to continue its work fighting antisemitism and delegitimization of Israel globally, he said.
In her true spirit of community-mindedness, Abby Nelson - owner of the Abby Nelson Group at RE/MAX 200, which is a silver sponsor of the Jewish Pavilion - included Kenya Matthews, a RAISE graduate, to welcome everyone at her end of April client appreciation party.

Matthews, who has been working for Nelson for about 7 years, was the perfect person to greet attendees. Her vivacious personality helped kick off the fun event.

Over 100 Real Estate clients and colleagues of all ages joined the Nelson family for an afternoon of bowling, pizza, gifts and celebration of the Abby Nelson Group and their dedication to building a better community.
Heritage Florida Jewish News is accepting nominations for the 2023 Heritage Human Service Award, which will be presented at the annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando this summer.

For more than 30 years, individuals who have made major, voluntary contributions of their talent, time, energy and effort to the Central Florida community have been honored with the selection and presentation of this award, said Jeff Gaeser, editor and publisher of the Heritage. Last years recipient was Dr. Edward Zissman. Former recipients have included Sarah Stern (2017), Loren London (2014), and Roz Fuchs (2018).

According to Gaeser, Each recipient chose their own path, but made considerable and long-lasting contributions to the Jewish community. Nominees for the 2023 award are individuals who do not look for recognition, but perform tikkun olam  repairing the world  out of internal motivation.

Nominations should be emailed to news@orlandoheritage.com with the subject Human Service Award or typed on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and sent by mail to Heritage Florida Jewish News, Human Service Award, 207 OBrien Road, Suite 101, Fern Park, FL 32730. Included should be the name and phone number of the nominee, a documented list of his or her accomplishments, and the name and phone number of the nominator(s).

The Heritage is accepting nominations until Friday, June 9.
Khartoum / Omdurman / Khartoum North (Bahri)  Battles between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continued on Monday, despite a declared armistice. The conflict caused the water supply to be completely cut in many parts of Khartoum. The collapse of online banking services in the country has made it even more difficult for people to purchase their daily necessities.

Aerial bombardments and shooting were reported in various areas, including Shambat in Khartoum North (Bahri) on Monday. According to a Radio Dabanga listener, violent clashes took place as well in El Mohandesin and Ombadda in Omdurman.

In Shambat, bombing by warplanes resulted in the death of a South Sudanese woman and her children.

In East Nile in Khartoum North, locals reported limited movement due to the RSF's control of the area, leading to a significant increase in transportation tariffs and commodity prices.

No water

According to the Engineers Syndicate Formation Committee, most areas of Khartoum are out of water.

The committee said in a report yesterday that the water stations in El Salha in Omdurman, Burri, El Mugran, and El Jereif stations in Khartoum have been restored, but the El Manara and Soba stations are still non-operational.

The ongoing fighting forced engineering teams to stop repairing the stations for security reasons.

The committee noted that the solution to the problem is an agreement between the army and RSF to ensure the safety of the workers.

RSF troops are stationed near El Mek Nimr bridge. Weapons are stored directly east of the El Mugram water station.

Banks

The operator for online banking services in Sudan collapsed on Saturday, leading to a complete stoppage of the service system.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Conflict Banking 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 popular Bankak online application of the Bank of Khartoum stopped working, but according to a statement of the Engineers Syndicate yesterday, the app now operates again, though providing limited services, intermittently.

The Ocash online application of the Omdurman National Bank and the Fawry application of Faisal Islamic Bank are operating again, in a limited manner, due to fluctuations in the electricity provision and limited access by providers.

The suspension of the online banking applications has greatly affected access to their money, even in regions of Sudan where the situation is relatively stable.

Many banks have been attacked and plundered in the past days. The Omdurman National Bank in El Morada, Omdurman, was reportedly looted and torched over the weekend.

Similar reports of burglary and vandalism in other parts of the Sudanese capital have prompted the Sudanese Banks Union to issue a statement reassuring its customers that their financial information, balances, and deposits remain secure.
State funds $1.5 million of Florida Holocaust Museums $7.5 million request

(JNS)  Having requested $7.5 million to improve security, among other things, the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg received $1.5 million in funding from the state senate for 2023-24. In 2022, it received $5 million for the same reasons.

The money is for facility improvements, remediation and related costs to expand, preserve and secure the museums environment, and resources for students, teachers, scholars, descendants and visitors.

Per the museums appropriations request, it has also received $500,000 from the state and $350,000 each from the county, Pinellas, and the city, St. Petersburg, where the museum is located, in addition to $100,000 from private donors.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, on a trip to Jerusalem last week, signed a bill that increases penalties for religious and ethnic harassment.

Open call for artists to design mural for Philadelphia Holocaust memorial

(JNS)  Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation issued an open call to artists to design a 2,000-foot mural to be a part of the citys Holocaust memorial. The site is home to a 1964 statue that reportedly is the oldest such work commemorating the Holocaust in the United States.

The foundation would like the mural to address the themes of hope, resilience, tolerance and unity, said Eszter Kutas, its executive director. Given its prominent location in the citys center on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the mural will not contain disturbing imagery, she added.

Holocaust survivors commissioned Jewish artist Nathan Rapoport (1911-1987) to create the sculpture, titled Monument to Six Million Jewish Martyrs, on the site, which also contains a 30-foot maple tree that comes from one that children tended at Theresienstadt.

You look beautiful tonight, Biden tells Omar, Tlaib at White House Eid al-Fitr

(JNS)  At a reception in the White Houses East Room celebrating Eid al-Fitr, which concludes Ramadan, on Monday evening, U.S. President Joe Biden complimented two female members of Congress known for antisemitic statements on their looks.

Congresswoman Omar. Where are you, Congresswoman Omar? Biden asked, per an official White House transcript, although in video footage, he appeared to say congressman. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) made her location known.

There you go. God love you, Biden said, to laughter. Im not supposed toIll get in trouble for saying this, but you look beautiful tonight. After the applause died down, he kept going. And Congresswoman Tlaib. Whereswheres the congresswoman? There you are. Okay. So do you! he said, with the official transcript again correcting his apparent references to congressman.

White House says still no plans to host Netanyahu

(JNS)  U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday that no visit is currently planned for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to come to the White House, repeating comments from March.

Israeli leaders have a long tradition of visiting Washington. President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu have known each other for a long, long time. I expect the prime minister will visit at some point, Kirby said.

Kirby was reacting to comments made on Monday by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). I expect the White House to invite the prime minister over for a meeting, especially with the 75th anniversary, said McCarthy, who is leading a bipartisan delegation to Israel this week on the 75th anniversary of the states founding.

Kirby told reporters he was aware of McCarthys comments.

McCarthy said on Sunday that if the president doesnt invite Netanyahu to the White House, then he will extend his own invitation to the premier to come to Washington.

Hes a dear friend, as a prime minister of a country that we have our closest ties with, McCarthy told the daily.

McCarthy said that Israeli President Isaac Herzog will be visiting the White House. I know President Herzog will be coming soon for a Joint Session [of Congress], he said.

Documents detail Ehud Baraks close relations with Jeffrey Epstein

(JNS)  New documents reveal that leading figures continued to associate with hedge fund manager Jeffrey Epstein years after he was convicted of sex crimes.

The Wall Street Journal culled through thousands of pages of unreported emails and schedules from 2013 to 2017 to discover that Epstein arranged multiple meetings with prominent individuals after he had served jail time in 2008 for a sex crime involving a teenage girl and had been registered as a sex offender.

A name frequently mentioned in the April 30 report was former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, described as a regular guest.

In September 2013, Epstein arranged a meeting with Barak and Joshua Cooper Ramo, who then served on the boards of Starbucks Corp. and FedEx Corp.

In 2015, Barak met Epstein with Noam Chomsky, a linguistics professor who has expressed virulently anti-Israel views.

Chomsky said Epstein arranged the meeting with Barak to discuss Israels policies with regard to Palestinian issues and the international arena, according to the Journal.

Barak said he frequently met with Epstein on trips to New York, where he was introduced to Ramo, Chomsky and others. He often brought other interesting persons, from art or culture, law or science, finance, diplomacy or philanthropy, Barak said.

Epstein, then 66, was arrested in July 2019 on charges of molesting underage girls in his homes in Florida and New York. He had previously served a relatively light sentence of 13 months in jail after a plea deal in 2008 on similar charges, avoiding a life sentence.

Barak admitted at the time that he had met Epstein at least 10 times. In fact, Epstein planned at least three dozen meetings with Barak between 2013 and 2017. Documents show they had appointments every month for 11 consecutive months beginning in December 2015.

However, Barak condemned Epsteins actions. I am a feminist. The deeds attributed to Epstein are heinous and I had nothing to do with them, he said, adding that hed cut all ties with the billionaire financier.

Baraks reputation was damaged as he attempted to make a political comeback at the age of 77 with a new political party he founded, the Israel Democratic Party. He has since taken an active role in the anti-judicial reform movement.

On Aug. 10, 2019, Epstein was found dead in his jail cell at Manhattans Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Herzog to represent Israel at King Charles coronation

(JNS)  Israeli President Isaac Herzog will represent the Jewish state at Saturdays coronation in London of British monarch King Charles III.

Herzog will depart Israel on Thursday, and the following day attend a reception at Buckingham Palace for visiting heads of state.

The Israeli president said that he would walk to the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Shabbat, in order not to publicly desecrate the Jewish day of rest.

This will be Herzogs third meeting with Charles since becoming president. The two men met in November 2021 when Charles was still crown prince, and again last September at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.

King Charles to be anointed with oil from Mount of Olives

(JNS)  On May 6, oil that comes from the Jewish state will be used to crown King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

The oil that will be used to anoint him as king was consecrated in Jerusalems Old City, two minutes away from my office, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Rabbi Nechemia Coopersmith, editor-in-chief of Aish.com, wrote in a recent column.

The oil is made from olives of Mount of Olives fame, according to Coopersmith, who notes that Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury, has noted the deep historic link between the oil that will crown King Charles and that of biblical kings.

New forum to boost Israel-Baltics security cooperation

(JNS)  MK Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, met online Monday with his counterparts from the parliaments of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. They decided to establish a joint forum to boost military and intelligence cooperation.

Lawmakers Zygimantas Pavilionis, Marko Mihkelson and Rihards Kols, who respectively chair the Lithuanian, Estonian and Latvian parliamentary committees on foreign affairs, expressed interest in tightening security collaboration in light of the developments in the Middle East and Russias invasion of Ukraine. Of particular interest was Russian cooperation with Iran.

Edelstein called on his Baltic counterparts to push for the European Union to designate Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization.

Every terrorist incident or attack against Israel, on its territory or outside, bears the imprint of Iran, Edelstein said.

The Baltic lawmakers agreed to jointly visit Israel in the coming months to learn more closely about its experiences in security affairs.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, now in its second year, prompted European countries to boost defense spending, contributing to a spike in Israeli arms sales.

Three civilians wounded by Gaza rocket

(JNS) A 25-year-old civilian was moderately wounded on Tuesday by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip into the southern Israeli city of Sderot.

The victim was evacuated in critical condition to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, the Magen David Adom emergency medical service said.

The injured man was lying on the ground floor of the construction site, unconscious and suffering from shrapnel injuries to his body, said an MDA first responder.

Two other civilians were lightly wounded while working on the same construction site.

The Israel Defense Forces said the terrorists fired at least 22 projectiles in a major barrage.

Earlier Tuesday, IDF Armored Corps tanks fired shells at terrorist assets in the Gaza Strip in response to Palestinian rocket fire targeting Israeli civilian population centers in the morning.

The military has instructed residents along the border with the Hamas-ruled enclave to remain close to shelter, in anticipation of a possible escalation in violence.

Four projectiles fired at Israel after terrorists hunger-strike death

(JNS)  Nearly three months after Israeli forces arrested Khader Adnan, the senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative has died in prison, following an 87-day hunger strike.

Reuters cited Israeli prison authorities who said Adnan, 45, refused to undergo medical tests and receive medical treatment and was found unconscious in his cell at Nitzan Prison in Ramle early Tuesday morning.

Efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

Around 6:30 a.m., sirens sounded in southern Israel.

Three rockets were launched from Gaza towards Israeli territory. No interceptors were launched in accordance with policy, the Israel Defense Forces tweeted.

A fourth projectile was shortly thereafter fired towards the Jewish state, striking in an open area.

The Iron Dome missile defense system only fires interceptor missiles to down projectiles headed towards populated areas.

The occupation [Israel] will pay the price for [Adnans] death, which will be a lesson for generations, said PIJ in a statement. We will not leave this path as long as Palestine remains under occupation.

Hamas, which rules Gaza, described Adnans death as a coldblooded execution by the Israeli security services, and warned that the Palestinian people will not let this crime pass by in silence.

The path of revolution and resistance will escalate, said the terror organization.

The IDF instructed residents of the South to stay close to shelter and was preparing for a possible escalation in Palestinian violence.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called Adnans death a deliberate assassination. Ramallah said it would lodge a complaint at the International Criminal Court.

In February, Israeli security forces detained Adnan in his hometown of Arrabe, near Jenin, on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities.

Adnan, long accused of being a spokesperson for PIJ, has regularly been held in administrative detention over the past 15 years, and is known for having gone on several lengthy hunger strikes.

IDF tanks shell terror assets in Gaza amid rocket barrages

(JNS)  IDF Armored Corps tanks fired shells at terrorist assets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday afternoon, following Palestinian rocket fire targeting Israeli civilian population centers in the morning.

After the IDF strikes, a barrage of rockets was fired from Gaza into southern Israel, setting off warning sirens in numerous communities.

The military instructed residents along the border with the Hamas-ruled enclave to remain close to shelter, in anticipation of a possible escalation in violence.

IDF hits terrorist targets in Gaza after day of rocket barrages

(JNS)  The Israel Defense Forces struck terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday night following a series of rocket attacks throughout the day, the army said in a statement.

In the latest barrage, terror groups launched rockets at Israeli territory after dark. Sirens sounded in the southern city of Sderot with one of the projectiles intercepted by the Iron Dome air-defense system and the other three landing in open areas.

Four rockets were also launched at Kibbutz Kissufim on Tuesday night, according to the IDF, with one intercepted and the others falling on the ground.

According to Israeli media reports, some three-dozen rockets had been launched during the course of the day from the Palestinian coastal enclave. One of the rockets hit a construction site in Sderot with the shrapnel moderately wounding a 25-year-old foreign national and lightly wounding two other foreign workers. They were evacuated to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.

A 75-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman were slightly injured when they tripped and were bruised on their way to a protected area. Also, several people were treated for anxiety. In Gaza, it was reported that five Palestinians were moderately and slightly injured by shrapnel from an Iron Dome battery in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.

The security system will act with determination and strength against anyone who tries to harm the citizens of Israel, said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant after completing a security assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.

Israel, China hold first direct talks on free-trade agreement since 2019

(JNS)  Israel and China participated in the first direct talks on a free-trade agreement at the end of March since November 2019 and the eighth round since 2016, Globes reported.

A source close to the talks told Globes that the two sides were at an advanced stage of tying up loose ends and that the agreement between the two countries could be signed this year.

China is Israels second-largest trading partner by country after the United States, with the value of trade increasing last year by 11.6 percent to $24.45 billion. Israels exports to China in 2022 were valued at $4.68 billion, second to the United States.

Israel is also negotiating bilateral trade agreements with Abraham Accords partner Bahrain as well as Australia, India, Japan, Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Lucy Dees family meets patients that received her organs

(JNS)  Lucy Dees family on Tuesday participated in an emotional meeting with the recipient of the murdered Israeli womans heart.

The gathering took place at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva and featured a touching moment when Dees surviving daughters Keren, 19, and Tali, 17, felt their mothers heart beating in Lital Valencis chest.

Valenci, 51, a mother of two, suffered from severe heart failure for five years before receiving Dees heart last month.

The surgery was performed in the early hours of April 11, shortly after Dee died on April 10 at Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem from wounds sustained in 0the attack.

I was so moved when I learned who I was receiving a heart from as I had read about Lucy Dee and what an incredible woman she was, with an exemplary family, said Valenci.

Dees husband, Rabbi Leo Dee, and their son Yehuda, 14, were also present at Beilinson for the meeting.

A total of five people received organ transplants from Dee. The Dee family also met Mordechi Elkabetz, 51, who received one of her kidneys, and Daniel Geresh, 25, who received her liver. Ahmed Suliman, 38, also received one of her kidneys but was unable to attend. He instead sent a plaque with bible verses as a tribute to Dee.
(JNS)  On Sunday, Jan. 8, in Davie, Fla., the organization Teach Florida had their legislative breakfast with members of the Florida legislature. More than 750 people attended to thank the group for its increased financial support for school choice.

After the event ended, I spoke to Republican Rep. Randy Fine about my idea to combat the rise of antisemitism in Florida. Fine told me he had the same idea, but it could be helpful if I spoke to the Speaker of the Florida House about it.

I approached the speaker and it was clear from his comments that he was supportive. I relayed his comments back to Fine, who became the lead sponsor of the initial draft of a corresponding bill on Jan. 19.

This past week in Israel, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation into law. He said the law will protect the Jewish community and others from harassment and intimidation. You dont have a right to threaten people, you dont have a right to harass people, you dont have a right to intimidate somebody, particularly on the basis of somebodys religious affiliation, he said.

Fine, who has been the target of such harassment, including an antisemitic flyer on his property in recent weeks, said, Nazis are not welcome in Florida. The behavior theyre using to terrorize, intimidate and assault Jewish Floridians is going to come to an end.

Fine traveled to Israel for the signing and wrote on Twitter last Thursday that the law was the strongest antisemitism bill in the United States.

To Floridas Nazi thugs, I have news: Attack Jews on their property and youre going to prison, he added.

The law criminalizes acts such as putting hate flyers on private property and public displays on property without the permission of the owner. It also makes it a crime to maliciously harass, threaten or intimidate people based on their religious affiliation. In other words, it criminalizes conduct that is central to the rise of antisemitism in America.

Kenneth L. Marcus, the founder and chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, and previously the assistant secretary for civil rights at the United States Department of Education, provided Floridas Jewish community with constitutional and legal analysis in support of the bill. He welcomed the signing of the legislation and hopes it will be replicated nationally.

It is important to juxtapose the action Florida has taken against antisemitism with the lack of action taken by New York. Americans Against Antisemitism studied 194 antisemitic assaults and 135 attacks on Jewish property in New York that have taken place since 2018. According to their July 2022 report, only two of the perpetrators went to prison.

On April 27, the New York City Council voted to establish April 29 as End Jew-Hatred Day. Sadly, four City Council members abstained and two voted against the resolution.

Your antisemitism is showing, Jewish Councilwoman Inna Vernikov told the six members who refused to support the resolution.

DeSantis has kept to his promise to be the most pro-Israel governor in America. With this legislation, his state is now the leader in the fight against antisemitism in America.

As chairman of the Israel Heritage Foundation, I can say that we strongly support this legislation and encourage other states to follow suit. Antisemitism can be significantly curtailed when antisemites are punished and deterred.

Farley Weiss is chairman of the Israel Heritage Foundation and former president of the National Council of Young Israel, as well as an intellectual property attorney for the law firm Weiss & Moy. The views expressed are the authors and not necessarily representative of NCYI.
This year 2023 marks the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the 75th anniversary of the Jewish State of Israels independence. It is also the 35th anniversary of the first annual March of the Living.

In that first March of the Living, Jews from around the world descended on the city of Oswiecim, Poland to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camps. They walked in the same path that over one million of our people  men, women, children and babies  unbeknownst to them, made on their one-way trek from Auschwitz to the gas chambers of Birkenau.

Later Jews would be transferred by train to streamline the extermination scheme, to be slaughtered by gas if not shot along the way, cremated to ash and dumped as common trash in mass graves or washed away by the currents of nearby rivers.

Today almost all of the Nazi extermination camps have been converted to museums, and many of the original facilities have been restored because the Nazis in retreat, destroyed as much evidence of their crimes as possible, knowing that imminent defeat would bring punishment and retribution. Unfortunately, many perpetrators among the German people and local collaborators in the invaded countries of Europe ultimately escaped justice.

In April I traveled to Poland to participate in the 35th anniversary of the annual March of the Living, to visit several of the sites where Jewish people lived and thrived for over a thousand years and where they met their ultimate destruction.

This trip was like no other I have ever anticipated. I would be traveling with a group of strangers coming from different places, different stages and experiences in our lives, and yet I felt we were destined to meet, to affirm life, to enjoy each others company; and at the sites of our greatest tragedy to celebrate the eternal survival of the Jewish people!

Pre-trip I had several dreams of Jewish men, women and children with real faces, none of which I recognized, but with real human features none the less, running down unknown streets of unrecognized neighborhoods in no-name European towns; some carrying bags, some suit cases, and some babies and young children. Clearly, even before it began, the destination was already having an effect on me.

Ironically, the only airline flying from Orlando International Airport with one stop to Krakow, Poland was Lufthansa. I left the day after Passover arriving in Krakow Saturday evening, after a several hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany.

A quick claim of baggage, a timely taxi ride to my hotel and check into a nice but modest room after a 19-hour travel time to my destination found me exhausted from travel. I immediately fell asleep and awakened on Sunday morning to a brilliant sunny and spectacular day in the city of Krakow.

Our official tour group was not scheduled to meet until that afternoon so after breakfast I ventured out for a walk to discover that our hotel was located along the banks of the beautiful Vistula River, near a park where the trees were just returning to their greenery, as spring was beginning to make its entry into Northern Europe.

The sunshine brought with it crowds of people. There were young and old on bicycles, couples walking hand-in-hand, mothers pushing baby carriages, fathers running after toddlers. For a moment I could not help but think I had mistakenly landed in Paris and was walking along the Seine.

But this was not the Seine; this was the very river where for almost 1,000 years until 1939 young and old bicyclists, couples walking hand-in-hand, mothers pushing baby carriages and fathers chasing toddlers were Jews of Krakow enjoying the morning walk in the sunshine of a spring day. And it was in this very river, further downstream near the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camps, that the ashes of Jewish remains were dumped like common garbage.

I returned to my hotel to re-group, to recover my composure and to prepare to meet the group I was joining for this week of touring, marching and reflecting on the great calamity that had befallen our people in this land.

To be continued.

If you wish to comment or respond you can reach me at melpearlman322@gmail.com. Please do so in a rational, thoughtful, respectful and civil manner.

Mel Pearlman holds B.S. & M.S. degrees in physics as well as a J.D. degree and initially came to Florida in 1966 to work on the Gemini and Apollo space programs. He has practiced law in Central Florida since 1972. He has served as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando; was a charter board member, first vice president and pro-bono legal counsel of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida, as well as holding many other community leadership positions.
(FLAME via JNS)  Over the last 75 years, since Israels founding, the Palestinians have achieved the dubious distinction of being among the worlds most persistent and brutal terrorists.

Against all evidence, Palestinian leaders apparently believe this strategy will eventually achieve self-determination.

Note that the worlds most famous and beloved leaders usually motivate their people with an uplifting vision regarding how to achieve freedom, prosperity, or greatness. Martin Luther Kings I have a dream speech, for example, was an inspiration to black Americans who yearned for equal rights.

Unfortunately, the Palestinians have never had such a visionary. Instead, their leaders attempt to motivate Palestinians with the nightmarish vision of eliminating the Jewskilling them and driving them from their ancestral home in Israel. Hardly the vision of Dr. King.

Notwithstanding, historical evidence is crystal clear: Palestinian terrorism, since Israels independence 75 years ago, has not worked at all. Whats also clear is that while the Palestinians have become skilled at the art of terrorism, they have failed miserably to establish the conditions needed for independence and statehood.

Indeed, it would seem that Palestinian leaders have focused on precisely the wrong skills. They have steadfastly ignored the arduous political work of instilling democratic values, creating governmental institutions and building an economy. Rather, Palestine Liberation Organization leaders like Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas, as well as Hamas leaders such as Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashaal have been better revolutionaries than statesmen.

What should be abundantly obvious, though, is that a strategy of terrorist murder will never bring Israel to the peace table. What should also be self-evident is that without leaders who dream of peace and democracyin a well-oiled, functioning state, with a financially independent economythe Palestinians will never create the independent nation they say they crave.

Surely, the Palestinians commitment to terror as a strategy cannot be doubted. They rank as some of the longest practicing and heartless freedom fighters. They have killed thousands of innocent Israelisfrom the murder of a 19-year-old Israeli girl in 1952 to the Munich Olympics massacre in 1970, the Achille Lauro piracy murders in 1985, and 1,500 more killings of Israeli citizens during the First Intifada (1987-1993) and Second Intifada (2000-2005).

Tragically, such Palestinian murder and attempted attacks on innocents continue at a record-breaking pace today in Israel.

Nonetheless, despite this decades-long war waged by Palestinian leaders on Israeland despite numerous Israeli offers to relinquish nearly all the West Bank, grant a Palestinian capital in Jerusalem, plus eliminate settlementsthose same leaders have still refused to accept peace.

Indeed, it would seem Palestinians leaders are more committed to their violent strategy against Israel than to their actual liberation.

Surely the money and effort spent by Palestinian leaders on anti-Zionist violence could better have been used to create a culture and diplomatic atmosphere conducive to peace and democracy. As it is, the Palestinian people are so indoctrinated in Jew hatred and the injustice of a Jewish state, some reports say their leaders fear assassination if they were actually to sign a peace treaty.

Just as important as failing to promote a mentality that supports peace, the Palestinians have also allowed their terrorist zeal to distract them and misdirect their resources from building governmental institutions and a self-sufficient economy.

Current Palestinian political organizations are in shambles. The Palestine Liberation Organization has effectively disintegrated and has long excluded Hamas and other Islamist factions. The Palestinian Legislative Council, supposedly the governing parliament, has not met as a body in some 11 years, nor held elections since 2006.

The Palestinian Authority, established by the Oslo Accords, has become a corrupt iron hand of P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas regime. Two thirds of Palestinians say they want Abbas, now in the 18th year of his four-year term, to resign. In any case, the frail 87-year-old Abbas is bound to leave office soon, one way or the other. Unfortunately, he has created no line of succession or even designated an heir-apparent, so chaos will only escalate following his departure.

Finally, major efforts by Abbas and his bitter competitorsthe designated-terrorist Hamas regime in Gazato reconcile have utterly failed. Rather than a single, well-oiled Palestinian government, the two dictatorships are in a frozen stalemate, effective only in generating effete gestures of anti-Israel violence.

Struggling national movements that inherit legacy industrieslike the Iraqi Kurds oil fieldshave it tough enough. But Palestinian leaders have zero experience managing a national economy, let alone launching one.

Both the P.A. and Hamas have been dependent for survival on funding from international sources, which have been unreliableand shrinkingover the decades. While the P.A. has received more than $40 billion in foreign aid since 1994, it has developed no functioning economy, its effectively bankrupt, and sadly, still lives hand to mouth.

Hamas, famously, spends a huge part of its revenuemostly from Iran and Qataron funding military equipment and troops for the futile, unending war it wages against Israel. Its unemployment rate is around 50 percent.

No wonder U.S. President Biden on his trip to the Middle East last year told Abbas, in a blinding flash of the obvious, that the ground is not ripe for peace negotiations.

On top of the Palestinians abject lack of readiness for their own state, Israelis have grown skeptical even of their neighbors desire for independence. Indeed, the Palestinians strategy of heartless murder of Jewish women, children and men, combined with their refusal to seize numerous Israeli offers of land for peace, have made the Jewish population bitter, distrustful and fed-up.

In short, Israel is unlikely to welcome another painful peace process, let alone repeat their generous peace offers of the past.

Palestinian leaders have left their movement bereft of the basic qualities required of statehood: A commitment to peace and democracy, stable governmental institutions and a functioning economy. Above all, if its cruel strategy of terror ever made sense in the pastit did not, of coursetoday it only causes Israelis to dig in and fight back more fiercely.

James Sinkinson is president of Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME), which publishes educational messages to correct lies and misperceptions about Israel and its relationship to the United States.
As the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or the Department) continues the process of transitioning away from the policies enabled by the COVID-19 emergency declarations, the Department would like to provide clarity regarding the future of federal flexibilities related to telehealth and tele prescribing to ensure that patients may continue to access and receive the care that they need. Below is a Fact Sheet outlining key details of what will change and what will stay the same for patients and providers when the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) declared by the Secretary of HHS under Public Health Service Act section 319 (referred to below as the COVID-19 PHE) PHE ends. Congress extended many telehealth flexibilities under the Medicare program that people relied on during the COVID-19 PHE through the end of 2024 via the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. HHS will share additional guidance on updates and timing relating to the continuation of these flexibilities. In addition, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) manages an HHS website, www.Telehealth.HHS.gov, which will continue to be a resource for patients, providers, and states to get information about telehealth, such as telehealth best practices, policy and reimbursement updates, interstate licensure, broadband, funding opportunities, and events.

Healthcare Coverage and Telehealth

Medicare and Telehealth

During the PHE, individuals with Medicare had broad access to telehealth services, including in their homes, without the geographic or location limits that usually apply, as a result of Medicare telehealth waivers issued by the Secretary, which were facilitated by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020, and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Telehealth includes services provided through telecommunications systems (for example, computers) and allows health care providers to give care to patients remotely in place of an in-person office visit.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, extended many Medicare telehealth flexibilities for people with Medicare through December 31, 2024, such as:

Access to telehealth services in any geographic area in the United States, rather than only in rural areas.

Allowing patients to stay in their homes for telehealth visits that Medicare pays for rather than requiring travel to a health care facility.

Certain Medicare telehealth visits can be delivered using audio-only technology (such as a telephone) if someone is unable to use both audio and video, such as a smartphone or computer.

Additionally, after December 31, 2024, when these flexibilities expire, some Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) may offer telehealth services that allow doctors and other practitioners participating in the ACO to care for patients without an in-person visit, no matter where they live. If a health care provider participates in an ACO, individuals should check with them to see what telehealth services may be available. Medicare Advantage plans must cover the telehealth benefits covered by Medicare and may offer additional telehealth benefits. Individuals in a Medicare Advantage plan should check with their plan about coverage for telehealth services.

Medicaid, CHIP, and Telehealth

States have a great deal of flexibility with respect to covering Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) services provided via telehealth. As such, telehealth flexibilities vary by state: some are tied to the end of the COVID-19 PHE, some are tied to state PHEs and other state emergency declarations, and some had been offered by state Medicaid and CHIP programs long before the pandemic. After the end of the federal PHE, Medicaid and CHIP telehealth policies will continue to vary by state. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) encourages states to continue to cover Medicaid and CHIP services delivered via telehealth. To assist states with the continuation, adoption, or expansion of telehealth coverage and payment policies, CMS has released the State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit and a supplement that identifies for states the policy topics that should be addressed to facilitate widespread adoption of telehealth: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/downloads/medicaid-chip-telehealth-toolkit.pdf;

https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/downloads/medicaid-chip-telehealth-toolkit-supplement1.pdf.

Private Health Insurance and Telehealth

As is currently the case during the COVID-19 PHE, coverage for telehealth and other remote care services will vary by private insurance plan after the end of the COVID-19 PHE. When it covers telehealth and other remote care services, private insurers may impose cost-sharing, prior authorization, or other forms of medical management on such services. For additional information on an insurers approach to telehealth, patients should contact their insurers customer service number located on the back of their insurance card.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Rules and COVID-19

During the COVID19 PHE, health care providers subject to the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules (HIPAA Rules) sought to communicate with patients and provide telehealth services for the first time through readily available remote communications technologies that may not have fully complied with the requirements of the HIPAA Rules. The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that, effective March 17, 2020, it would exercise its enforcement discretion and would not impose penalties for noncompliance with the HIPAA Rules against covered health care providers. Providers using any remote monitoring technology could use these technologies without risk that OCR might seek to impose a penalty for noncompliance with the HIPAA Rules. This exercise of discretion applied to telehealth provided for any reason, regardless of whether the telehealth service was related to the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions related to COVID19.

On April 11, 2023, OCR announced that this notification of enforcement discretion will expire at 11:59 p.m. on May 11, 2023, due the expiration of the COVID-19 PHE. OCR will continue to support the use of telehealth after the PHE by providing a 90-calendar day transition period for covered health care providers to make any changes to their operations that are needed to provide telehealth in a private and secure manner in compliance with the HIPAA Rules. During this transition period, OCR will continue to exercise its enforcement discretion and will not impose penalties on covered health care providers for noncompliance with the HIPAA Rules in connection with the good faith provision of telehealth. The transition period will be in effect beginning on May 12, 2023, and will expire at 11:59 p.m. on August 9, 2023.

For more information, please visit OCRs website to view the Notice of Expiration of Certain Notifications of Enforcement Discretion Issued in Response to the COVID-19 Nationwide Public Health Emergency.

Tele-Behavioral Health and the COVID-19 PHE

Tele-Behavioral Health in Opioid Treatment Programs

Since the start of the PHE, the HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released guidance regarding several Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) regulatory flexibilities designed to help address the impact of social distancing on OTPs and their patients.

Waived In-Person Physical Examinations: SAMHSA exempted OTPs from the requirement to perform an in-person physical evaluation for any patient who will be treated by the OTP with buprenorphine if a program physician, primary care physician, or an authorized healthcare professional under the supervision of a program physician, determines that an adequate evaluation of the patient can be accomplished via telehealth. SAMHSA has announced that it is extending this flexibility until May 11, 2024. The extension goes into effect on May 11, 2023, and SAMHSA has also proposed to make this flexibility permanent as part of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking it released in December of 2022.

Take Home Doses: In March 2020, SAMHSA issued an exemption to OTPs whereby a state could request a blanket exception for all stable patients in an OTP to receive up to 28 days of Take-Home doses of the patients medication for opioid use disorder. States could also request up to 14 days of Take-Home medication for those patients who are less stable but who the OTP believes can safely handle this level of Take-Home medication.

In the three years since this exemption was granted, states, OTPs, and other stakeholders report that it has resulted in increased treatment engagement and improved patient satisfaction with care, with relatively few incidents of misuse or medication diversion. SAMHSA has concluded that there is sufficient evidence that this exemption has enhanced and encouraged use of OTP services at a time of significant fentanyl-related overdose mortality. In April 2023, SAMHSA updated the guidance in full by revising the standards applicable to OTP provision of methadone for unsupervised use.

This newly-revised April 2023 Guidance will be effective upon the expiration of the PHE and will remain in effect for the period of one year from the end of the PHE, or until such time that HHS publishes final rules revising 42 C.F.R part 8. A notice of proposed rulemaking has been published that proposes revisions to 42 C.F.R. part 8 entitled Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (87 FR 77330), which SAMHSA is working to finalize.

Subject to the conditions identified below, the updated April 2023 Guidance will offer an exemption from the unsupervised take-home medication requirements of 42 C.F.R.  8.12(i). Specifically, OTPs taking advantage of this exemption, may provide unsupervised take-home doses of methadone in accordance with the following time in treatment standards:

In treatment 0-14 days, up to 7 unsupervised take-home doses of methadone may be provided to the patient

For Treatment days 15-30, up to 14 unsupervised take-home doses of methadone may be provided to the patient

From 31 days in treatment, up to 28 unsupervised take-home doses of methadone may be provided to the patient

SAMHSA has previously announced that it will extend this flexibility until May 11, 2024. States will need to affirmatively register their concurrence with this specific exemption in order for OTPs within the state to utilize it. States, or State Opioid Treatment Authorities authorized to act on behalf of the state, may, at any time following the issuance of this guidance, register their concurrence with this exemption by submitting a written concurrence to the Division of Pharmacological Therapies mailbox. To ensure a seamless transition from the flexibility issued during the COVID-19 public health emergency to this guidance, states are encouraged to do this no later than May 10, 2023. If a state previously did not utilize the exemption announced on March 16, 2020, then the state may still submit a written concurrence.

SAMHSA has also proposed to make this flexibility permanent as part of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released in December of 2022. Since this exemption was granted, states, OTPs, and other stakeholders report that this flexibility has resulted in improved patient satisfaction with care, and increased patient engagement. The support for this flexibility has been overwhelmingly positive, and reports from the State Opioid Treatment Authorities and individual OTPs suggest that this measure has encouraged and enhanced care, while decreasing stigma associated with opioid use disorder (OUD).

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Rules and the PHE

Since March 2020, HHS and DEA have allowed practitioners to prescribe schedule II-V controlled substances (controlled medications) pursuant to a telemedicine visit without conducting an initial in-person medical evaluation. Additionally, DEA has waived the requirement for practitioners to obtain a DEA registration in the state where a patient is located, as long as the practitioner is authorized to prescribe controlled medications via telemedicine in both the state in which the practitioner is registered with DEA and the state in which the patient is located. Collectively, these are referred to as the controlled medications telemedicine flexibilities.

In March 2023, DEA solicited comments on two notices of proposed rulemaking for the controlled medicines telemedicine flexibilities. These proposals are intended to facilitate broader access to controlled medications, including for individuals who have initiated treatment under the flexibilities. DEA, in concert with SAMHSA, plans to promulgate final rules by November 11, 2023.

As of the end of the PHE and while they consider revisions to the proposed rules based on public feedback, DEA and SAMHSA have issued a temporary rule extending the controlled substance telemedicine flexibilities through November 11, 2023. Further, practitioners who have established relationships with patients via telemedicine on or before November 11, 2023, may continue prescribing controlled medications to these patients without conducting an in-person medical evaluation and without respect to whether the practitioner is registered with DEA in the state in which the patient is located until November 11, 2024.

Licensure for Tele-Behavioral Health

During the COVID-19 PHE, many health care providers were able to deliver telehealth services across state lines through state-issued license waivers.To use tele-behavioral health to its fullest extent, states can facilitate the delivery of telehealth across state lines through licensure portability. Licensure portability is the ability of a health care professional licensed in one state to practice health care in another state through a transfer, recognition, or issuance of a license with minimal barriers and restrictions. Expanding licensure portability increases access to health care services and helps improve continuity of care for patients.

Among other benefits, licensure portability allows states to retain regulatory authority while giving health care providers the ability to serve more patients, allowing patients to receive care from a larger network of health care providers, and helping states to improve access to care for rural and underserved communities. Licensure compacts are agreements between states that streamline the process and allow providers to submit a single application to practice in participating states. Licensure compacts may ease the burden and decrease wait time for health care providers to practice across state lines, preserve state regulatory oversight, and retain health care provider fees to state licensure boards. Licensure compacts are helpful for both in-person and telehealth services. Existing licensure compacts include: the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact, Counseling Compact, Emergency Medical Services Compact, the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, the Nurse Licensure Compact, the Occupational Therapy Compact, the Physical Therapy Compact, and the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, with the potential to expand to other professions.

The behavioral health crisis and shortage of behavioral health providers, including for substance use disorder treatment, has demonstrated the need for an increase in cross-state licensure efforts. There are several opportunities for states to take advantage of federal resources to support an expansion of telehealth through interstate licensure:

HHS, through HRSA, tripled support to the Federation of State Medical Boards and the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, which created the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, the Provider Bridge, the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, and the Multi-Discipline Licensure Resource, respectively, through the Licensure Portability Grant Program.

In addition, a new licensure resource shares the latest information on licensing across state lines, licensure compacts, and licensure for behavioral health professionals. This resource has the latest guidance on how to practice legally and ethically across state lines and encourages the uptake of licensure models that increase access to health care.

Broadband Access

Broadband internet connections play a key role in helping underserved communities and individuals utilize telehealth services. To expand broadband access for households and states, Congress appropriated $3.2 billion through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB Program) that helped low-income households to pay for broadband access and internet-enabled devices.

On November 15, 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provided $65 billion in funding for broadband, of which $48.2 billion will be administered by the Department of Commerces National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in the new Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth. The IIJA also provided the FCC with $14.2 billion to modify and extend the (EBB Program) to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and $2 billion to the Department of Agriculture to establish cooperatives to offer broadband.

Several broadband programs include:

These broadband programs will help improve patients access to Internet services and devices that are needed for telehealth services thereby reduce disparities and economic burden in accessing video and technology-enabled health care services.
In the ever-evolving world of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, the recent news of Australian blockchain startup, Everledger, filing for bankruptcy has sent shockwaves through the industry. Meanwhile, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried claims he is innocent of 10 out of 13 charges put against him and requests they be dismissed. On the other hand, in more positive turn of events, the meme coin sphere welcomes a new token capturing the attention of many investors.

Gem of a Startup Loses Its Shine

Everledger, founded by Leanne Kemp, has been a pioneering force in the Australian blockchain space. The company has leveraged blockchain technology to bring transparency and traceability to the global supply chain, specifically focusing on diamonds and other valuable assets. Everledger's platform utilizes distributed ledger technology to record and verify the origins, characteristics, and ownership history of these items, providing stakeholders with a trusted and immutable source of information.

Despite its innovative approach and promising potential, Everledger faced financial difficulties that ultimately led to its bankruptcy filing. The company's recent investment round failed to materialize, resulting in the need for voluntary administration. The decision to lay off workers and appoint administrators was made to safeguard shareholder interests and allow the company to address its financial challenges effectively.

Despite its innovative approach and promising potential, Everledger faced financial difficulties that ultimately led to its bankruptcy filing.

FTX Founder Seeks Charge Dismissal, Claims Prosecutors Jumped the Gun

FTX's founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, is seeking to have the majority of the charges against him thrown out by a US court. In a pretrial motion filed on Monday, Bankman-Fried's lawyers argued that prosecutors had acted too hastily in charging their client and asked the court to dismiss 10 of the 13 charges, which include money laundering and fraud. One of the reasons cited was that prosecutors had failed to state an offense.

According to Bankman-Fried's lawyers, the government had overstepped its bounds by trying to turn civil and regulatory issues into federal crimes. The founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX had been a prominent figure in the crypto world, but his empire crumbled amid allegations of massive fraud. While he was once hailed as one of the world's youngest billionaires, Bankman-Fried is now fighting to clear his name and have the charges against him dismissed.

Join the Galactic Revolution of PAT WARS

The PAT WARS exclusive NFTs will be integrated into the platform, providing a valuable utility project for holders while also serving as collectibles.

Step into the galactic world of PAT WARS (PAWS), where community values reign supreme! This innovative token is built on the principles of community-driven governance and decision-making. The PAWS clan values unity and collaboration, prioritizes security and transparency, and stands for sustainable, innovative, user-centric growth.

The PAT WARS exclusive NFTs will be integrated into the platform, providing a valuable utility project for holders while also serving as collectibles. Users have the opportunity to vote on initiatives and developments, shaping the future of the project.

In a world of meme coins, PAT WARS stands out with its unwavering commitment to the community and its advanced technology. The token's mascot comprises four Jedi cats, representing the force behind the commitment to maintaining balance and harmony throughout the galaxy.

The blockchain industry has seen its fair share of ups and downs recently. The bankruptcy filing of Everledger has sent shockwaves through the industry. Meanwhile, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is fighting to clear his name by asking a US court to dismiss the majority of the charges against him. On a more positive note, the community-driven token PAT WARS has entered the meme coin sphere and is gaining attention with its commitment to community-driven governance.

Click the Links Below for More Information on PATWARS!

Website: https://www.patwars.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PATWARSOfficial

Telegram: https://t.me/PATWARSOfficial

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/ editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/ subscribe to the contents of the article/advertisement and/or views expressed herein.

The reader is further advised that Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions.

Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the views, opinions, announcements, declarations, affirmations etc., stated/featured in same. The decision to read hereinafter is purely a matter of choice and shall be construed as an express undertaking/guarantee in favour of Hindustan Times of being absolved from any/ all potential legal action, or enforceable claims. The content may be for information and awareness purposes and does not constitute a financial advice.
New Delhi (India), May 11: India's leading healthcare provider, Metro Hospital, has taken a step further towards expanding its reach internationally with the launch of its new branch, Muscat Premier Polyclinic, in Oman. The state-of-the-art medical centre offers world-class healthcare facilities to people in Oman and the surrounding regions, and this marks the second international branch after a successful launch in Cambodia.

The launch of Muscat Premier Polyclinic has not only brought advanced medical technologies and exceptional patient care but has also strengthened the relations between India and Oman. Dr. Sahil Lal, who is responsible for taking his father's legacy internationally, has been very active in expanding the reach of the hospital and promoting medical tourism in the future.

Dr. Lal said, Metro Hospital is committed to providing the best possible care to patients around the world. We are proud to bring our expertise and advanced medical technologies to Oman and the surrounding regions.

The Muscat Premier Polyclinic is equipped with modern medical technologies and a team of highly qualified doctors and healthcare professionals. After the successful launch of the new branch, Muscat Premier Polyclinic is now looking to hire healthcare professionals from India. They are seeking qualified and experienced Radiologists, Non-invasive Cardiologists, Laboratory Assistants, Physiotherapists, and Nurses for their international clinics.

The new job openings at Muscat Premier Polyclinic are a great opportunity for healthcare professionals who are looking to take their careers to the next level. The hospital offers competitive salaries and benefits, as well as a supportive work environment. It is expected to be the choice of every medical professional in India to work in, providing them with employment and opportunities to gain experience in an international setting.

In addition to offering high-quality medical services, Muscat Premier Polyclinic is also committed to providing affordable medicines and healthcare to patients. The hospital has a team of dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to ensure that patients receive the best possible care. Dr. Lal aims to promote medical tourism by bringing in the best healthcare facilities and inviting patients from all around the world, giving them various facilities and packages that include their stay, travel expenses, and more.

The launch of the new branch in Oman and the job openings for healthcare professionals are expected to help Metro Hospital continue to grow and succeed in the years to come, not just in Oman but globally.

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
New Jersey  In addition to physical dangers posed by bullets and shells, Sudanese are being bombarded with propaganda by the warring parties, making it increasingly challenging to get an idea of the situation on the ground. The latest Sudan Conflict Monitor report sheds light on the escalating propaganda campaigns in the ongoing conflict in the country.

The report, published by the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker yesterday, draws attention to the increasing use of propaganda, consisting of a mixture of disinformation, misinformation, by both sides of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, as well as by Islamists loyal to former President Omar Al Bashir. The primary tool for disseminating these messages is social media, which is being used to polarise the Sudanese people and draw them to one side or the other.

The report notes that both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are active on social media, with 1.4 million and 988,000 followers respectively. Islamist groups aligned with the SAF and the now dissolved National Congress Party (NCP) are also allegedly using social media platforms to spread propaganda.

The SAF and the RSF are both attempting to present themselves as guarantors of stability and defenders of democracy and civilian rule. The RSF depict themselves as fighting against an Islamist clique that allegedly 'hijacked the SAF command'. The militia also claims to be more reliable by filming its forces in locations they claim to control, and sometimes even featuring live streaming of battles.

In addition, Islamists aligned with the ousted president, the Muslim Brotherhood, jihadist organisations, and some radical imams have also stepped up their propaganda efforts. They are said to be using a coordinated social media script to incite hatred and sow divisions.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Media 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.

According to the report, some of these groups claim that the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) requested the RSF to attack the army and allege that the RSF initiated the war to allow civilians to seize power. They urge the military to let jihadist groups join the fight and vehemently oppose the army's talks with the RSF, arguing that more bloodshed is needed to reform the state.

Some Islamist figures, such as Abdelhay Yousif, have even issued death threats, calling for the leaders of the RSF to be killed. Yousif is said to be accused of issuing a fatwa during the 2018-2019 mass protests, allowing the Al Bashir regime to kill up to one-third of the nation to preserve the other two-thirds under their rule.

The report highlights that these messages raise the stakes for ordinary people by warning them that not taking a side makes them even more vulnerable.

Overall, the Sudan Conflict Monitor report paints a grim picture of the situation on the ground, where urban warfare and lawlessness have become the new norm in Khartoum, forcing residents to rely on one another for assistance.

The report also highlights the spiralling violence in West Darfur and the recruitment from ethnic communities in Darfur by both the RSF and the SAF.

You can read the full report here.
Sonipat, Haryana, India  Rishihood University proudly announces the opening of its University Library, The Ashok Goel Library, on May 5, 2023, which coincides with Buddha Purnima. The library aims to serve not only the Rishihood University community but also the residents of Sonipat and Delhi NCR. This unique model marks the first time a public library is integrated within a private university.

The Ashok Goel Library is a testament to the university's commitment to serving the community and promoting access to education for all. Ashok Goel, the library's benefactor, is a world-renowned businessman who began his journey in Hissar, Haryana. The community library boasts an extensive collection of books, including academic resources, literature, history, and other genres. Additionally, the library provides a digital collection accessible to all members, featuring e-books, journals, and other online resources.

Equipped with comfortable seating, study tables, discussion and project rooms, computer stations, an outdoor zone, and a reading hall, the library creates an ideal environment for learning and research. Library staff are available to help users find resources, navigate databases, and access online materials. Alongside its impressive collection, the library plans to host various community engagement programs, such as author talks, writing workshops, book fairs and exhibitions, and other cultural and educational activities.

"We are thrilled to open the doors of our University Library to the community," said Shri. Suresh Prabhu, Chancellor of Rishihood University. "We believe that access to education and knowledge should be a right for everyone, regardless of their background or status. We hope that The Ashok Goel Library will serve as a hub of community engagement, promoting lifelong learning and fostering a culture of curiosity and exploration."

The Ashok Goel Library is open to all Delhi NCR residents, with membership available for those wishing to borrow materials and access the resources and facilities.

About Rishihood University: Rishihood University, Indias first social impact university, is located in Sonipat, Haryana, India. The University offers Undergraduate, Postgraduate and PhD programs across various fields, including business, education, liberal arts, and social entrepreneurship. Rishihood University's mission is to promote a culture of lifelong learning, innovation, and social impact while contributing to the growth and development of Sonipat and the surrounding areas.

Contact:

Anju Jayraj

Director, Admissions and Marketing

Rishihood University

anju.j@rishihood.edu.in

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
The tussle between Go First Airlines and Pratt and Whitney (P&W) can now take a legal turn as the US jet manufacturer has defended itself against the budget airline's claim that P&W is responsible for its financial condition and bankruptcy. A Go First airline aircraft, formerly known as GoAir, is seen parked at the apron of the Mumbai International airport on May 3, 2023.(AFP)

"Go First's allegations that Pratt & Whitney is responsible for its financial condition are without merit. Pratt & Whitney will vigorously defend itself against Go's claims, and is pursuing its own legal recourse," a P&W spokesperson told ANI.

The airline, owned by the troubled Wadia Group, had earlier blamed P&W for the faulty engines that led to its ongoing financial crisis, and was later forced to file an involuntary bankruptcy petition.

Go First has cancelled all its flights till May 19 citing operational reasons, "Go First flights until 19th May 2023 are cancelled. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and request customers," it had said in a statement.

On Wednesday, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted Go First's plea for voluntary insolvency and admitted for the initiation of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) proceedings. NCLT has granted Go First protection under moratorium from recovery by lessors and lenders.

NCLT, in its order, said that, "we admit the plea of Go Airlines for insolvency proceedings. It said that we appoint Abhilash Lal as IRP (insolvency resolution professional)."

"The suspended board of directors will cooperate with the IRP. Suspended directors are also ordered to deposit 5 crore to make the immediate expenses," the order read.

Soon after NCLT order, Go First Airline Chief Executive Officer Kaushik Khona on Wednesday said in an exclusive interview with ANI, "I think this is a historic decision. It's going to really help the process...Millions of prayers have been heard and I think we could not have got a better order than this... We are very happy that we got this order, an admission and a moratorium."

"The airline was grateful for the entire process of NCLT and noted that this is in line with the spirit of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). I am sure this is in line with the spirit of IBC so that we are able to take the decision on the revival, which obviously the IRP (Insolvency Resolution Professional) will do," Khona told ANI.

Jet Engines manufacturer P&W earlier also stated that GoFirst has a long history of missing financial commitments to Pratt & Whitney.

"Pratt & Whitney continuously offered its support over several years and particularly through COVID. Go First leadership chose to pursue litigation," P&W official told ANI.

According to P&W, "The GTF engine powers more than 1,600 aircraft delivered to over 60 airline customers worldwide, and continues to deliver its promised fuel efficiency and emissions reductions, as we work to improve durability."

Days after Go First grounded its aircraft, major international carrier Lufthansa on Thursday temporarily grounded a third of its 'Airbus A220' fleet in Zurich, Switzerland, citing some issues with the Pratt & Whitney engines.

"Lufthansa temporarily grounds a third of its Airbus A220 fleet in Zurich due to Pratt & Whitney engine issues," Lufthansa said in a statement on Thursday.

Headquartered in the US, Pratt and Whitney is a leading player in the design, manufacturing and servicing of aircraft engines.
MG Motor has unveiled an electric roadster in its first break from the family-oriented models it has sold since being bought by Chinese investors 16 years ago. The MG Motor's' two-seater Cyberster will hit showrooms in China in 2023 before arriving in the UK and Europe in the middle of next year.(MG Motor)

The two-seater Cyberster, which taps into the marques 1960s design classics like the MG Midget and MGB, will hit showrooms in China in 2023 before arriving in the UK and Europe in the middle of next year, according to Guy Pigounakis, commercial director for MG Motor UK Ltd. With a starting price of 50,000 ($63,300), the car is a key part of MGs mission to capitalize on the brands British heritage.

This is about the brand going back to its roots, said Carl Gotham, MGs design director. The two-seater sportscar, featuring scissor doors, will be a brand builder, rather than a driver of mass sales.

ALSO READ: MG Motor reveals Comet EV variants and prices. Details here

MG has jumped on the transition to EVs, becoming one of the earliest Chinese-owned manufacturers to break into the European market. So far this year, sales in the UK are 55% higher than last at 25,000 cars, and that rate is being eclipsed in mainland Europe, according to Pigounakis.

The growth in part reflects MGs success in keeping prices down, something that has evaded many of the European EV manufacturers, enabling it to compete with rivals such as Tesla Inc. Its all-electric SUV, the MG ZS EV, starts at about 30,495.

The Cyberster release marks a significant moment for MG in appealing to its British origins after being bought by the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation in 2007. While MG retains design facilities in the UK, it hasnt produced cars there since shutting its Longbridge plant near Birmingham in 2016.
Bengaluru KPCC president DK Shivakumar made a quick visit to Kanakapura along with his brother and Congress MP DK Suresh, and met his mother Gouramma in Kodihalli. (HT Photo)

With the dust of a high-decibel campaigning settling down and Karnataka eagerly awaiting the results, leaders of all political parties took a much-needed breather on Thursday.

The top brass of all major parties were on a campaign blitz across the state the past few weeks to woo voters. The contest is between the ruling BJP, Opposition Congress which is looking to script a comeback, and the JD(S) eyeing to play the role of a kingmaker.

While some political leaders spent time with their families, others unwinded by catching up with their friends before the counting day jitters creep in.

KPCC president DK Shivakumar made a quick visit to Kanakapura along with his brother and Congress MP DK Suresh, and met his mother Gouramma in Kodihalli. In his trademark white shirt and pant, Shivakumar was seen bowing down to seek his mothers blessings as Suresh sipped tea.

The DK brothers went on to have the famed masala dosa at Vasu hotel, even as party workers and the media surrounded them with election-related queries. Shivakumar was also seen resting in his vehicle with the seat stretched, before returning to Bengaluru and relaxing at his Sadashiva Nagar residence.

In contrast, Opposition leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah discussed poll probabilities and the partys next strategy with state Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala in Bengaluru.

He also thanked the party workers and supporters on Twitter, for working day and night, forgetting meals and rest on behalf of Congress candidates. Making a special appeal to the party workers, the Congress veteran urged them to take some time off and spend time with family. Our honest struggle will definitely bear fruit. Thanks again, and best wishes to you all, he added.

For former chief minister and JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy, it was again time to fly out of the country. After an arduous campaign for the JD(S) and the Pancharatna Yatra, Kumaraswamy left to Singapore on Wednesday night for a few days of rest, and is expected to return to Bengaluru on May 13 when the fate of the contestants will be sealed.

The JD(S) leader had made a similar trip to Singapore a day after polling during the 2018 assembly elections. He is very much relaxing in Singapore with friends. But both the parties (Congress and BJP) are trying to reach him, a JD(S) leader said on condition of anonymity.

Other leaders including chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and former minister KS Eshwarappa sought solace and hope at places of worship. Bommai visited Saundatti Renuka Yellamma temple in Belagavi district along with his wife as polling ended and offered special pooja. Eshwarappa visited Kukke Subrahmanya temple in Kadapa taluk of Dakshina Kannada district along with his family.

For JD(S) candidate Devraj Patil, oil massage did the trick. The leader was seen getting his nerves relaxed as the massage therapist ran the oil and tools over his body.

KPCC campaign committee president MB Patil, who toured the polling stations and the state for over a month, also spent the day resting at his residence in Vijayapura.

Its not just the political leaders who kept a distance from the media and the day-long rallies. I had a peaceful lunch after a really long time. It feels like I just completed my 12th board exam, a member of Congress strategy team quipped.
Bengaluru Former CM and senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa with his family members after casting votes for Karnataka assembly elections, in Shikaripura on Wednesday. (PTI)

Former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party would secure an absolute majority and return to power for a second term to form government in the southern state.

I am 100 per cent confident that the BJP will secure an absolute majority and form the government, the 80-year-old, who has tasked himself with bringing the BJP to power, told reporters in Shivamogga.

Yeddyurappas response came after exit polls predicted Congresss edge over the BJP in Karnataka polls.

The BJP leader refuted any possibility of a hung assembly.

On a question about forming an alliance with JD(S), in case the party falls short of a majority, he said, At that time, national leadership is going to take a decision. The question does not arise. I am certain that the party will get 115-117 seats.

All leaders worked hard. I am confident that the BJP will form the government. Let us wait and watch, the BJP veteran said.

His younger son BY Vijayendra, who is contesting his first election from Shikaripur, is busy gauging poll trends in the constituency leaving nothing to chance. Vijayendra is aiming to win by a margin of 40,000-50,000 votes. But it looks like he will have a tough fight from the other candidates. Its a matter of prestige and anything less than this will be an insult, a local party worker said.
Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said that he never claimed the party would win 150 seats in the assembly elections. He, however, claimed that the party will win with a majority, rejecting the exit poll predictions that give the Congress an edge . Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai with his family after casting vote for Karnataka assembly elections, in Shiggaon on Wednesday. (PTI)

Talking to reporters in Hubballi, he said that there are no chances of a hung assembly and the party would get a clear majority. During the 2018 assembly elections, surveys indicated that Congress would win over 107 seats. However, when the results came, that was not the case, he said.

All the exit polls predicted that Yogi Adityanath will not come back but he came back in Uttar Pradesh. Last time, they (exit polls) predicted only 80 seats for BJP and 107 for Congress but it became reverseAs per our ground reports, we are confident we will get a comfortable majority...We will get an absolute majority, mark my words, Bommai said.

Former chief minster BS Yediyurappa said that he has travelled across the state and he is confident that the exit polls will be wrong. Whatever the exit polls say, we will win with a majority. I am certain that we are getting a majority, he said.

A day after voting ended for Karnataka assembly elections, BJP leader and revenue minister R Ashoka said that the Congress would not come to power at any cost and that his party would do everything possible to return to power.

When asked about the BJPs plan if the party fails to cross the majority mark of 113 seats, the minister said, We are hopeful of getting a majority but if we become the single-largest party and fall short of the majority mark, by all means, we will still form the government. Naturally, we will consider all the available options and take a decision after consulting our national leaders. We had done it the last time also.

A day after the polls, the Congress held a crucial meeting to decide the partys future action. Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar met with Randeep Singh Surjewala, the AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka, to review the partys strategy in view of the exit poll predictions.

Siddaramaiah on Thursday expressed gratitude to the party workers for working relentlessly during the election campaign and hoped that their struggle will definitely bear fruit, as the exit polls gave an edge to the grand old party.

I have a special appeal to our party workers: You have left home and family to work for the election. Now take some time off and spend time with your parents, wife and children. Our honest struggle will definitely bear fruit. Thanks again and best wishes to you all, Siddaramaiah tweeted.

As the party continues to be optimistic about the winning a majority, senior Congress leader Krishna Byre Gowda on Thursday said both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar must be considered for the chief ministers job. Both should get the opportunity. This is what people and party workers are saying. Thats my opinion also, said Gowda

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Twenty-four students of a private school were admitted to a hospital here after they complained of difficulty in breathing following a suspected gas leak from an industrial unit on Thursday, said officials. Students of a private school, hospitalised after a gas leakage incident took place in a factory near to the school in Rupnagar district of Punjab on Thursday. (ANI Photo)

One of the students was later sent to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, they said. The incident in Nangal area took place Thursday morning when some students started complaining of difficulty in breathing. The school was immediately shut and affected students were taken to a hospital, they said.

Rupnagar deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Preeti Yadav said 24 students were referred to the hospital and most of them have been discharged. Four to five students were under observation, she said. The student who was referred to PGIMER was also stable, she said.

A committee of officers and experts from the Punjab Pollution Control Board has been formed to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the incident. Officials said they suspected the gas leaked from an industrial unit in the area. The DCP said the source of the leak was being ascertained but the situation is under control now.

Punjab education minister Harjot Bains also visited the spot and took stock of situation. He has ordered inquiry into the matter. He also spoke with the PGIMER authorities. He said that the state government has asked PPCB to conduct inquiry, and strict action would be taken against the guilty, whosoever it be.
Three of the five accused arrested in the Amritsar blasts case are drug addicts and already facing criminal cases, police officials familiar with the matter said. Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav with commissioner of police Naunihal Singh inspecting the spot where a blast took place at Heritage Street near Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Police on Thursday arrested five persons identified as Azad Veer Singh, 36, of Wadala Kala village in Baba Bakala sub- division, Saheb Singh of Gate Hakima area, Dharminder Singh and Harjit Singh, both residents of 88-Feet Road area in Amritsar, and Amrik Singh, 26, of Gurdaspur, hours after the third blast took place near Golden Temple in Amritsar around midnight.

Director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said Azad and Amrik had assembled the explosives while Dharminder, Harjeet and Saheb were held for sourcing and providing the explosives.

In 2021, Azad was booked for hurting religious sentiments of Hindus. Similarly, Amrik was booked for stealing motorcycles in Gurdaspur and Saheb is facing a case under the Explosives Act.

Also read | Its failure of Punjab govt: SGPC president on Amritsar blasts

Deepak Sharma of Chheharta area in Amritsar on whose complaint a blasphemy case was registered against Azad had also informed the police about is suspected Pakistan links.

Had the police thoroughly investigated the complaint, blasts near the Golden Temple would have been averted, Deepak said, adding: We also traced his travel history to Pakistan via Dubai. We repeatedly told the police that he should be interrogated for his Pakistan links, but to no avail.

Police have also released a picture of Azad, which was taken by him before planting an IED on the rooftop of Saragarhi parking on Heritage Street leading to the Golden Temple.

Azad was working as a clerk at the Tarn Taran SDM office. He was dismissed from the job after he remained absent for some years. During his absence, he visited Dubai and Pakistan, said Deepak.

Links to Tarn Tarans village blast being probed

Police are also probing the role of Saheb, who is running a cracker-making establishment at Angarh area of Amritsar, into the Tarn Tarans Pandoori Gola village blast that took place in September 2019 killing two people and injuring one. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case, said the explosive was procured from the Angarh area.

A senior police official said: The explosive used in the Pandoori Gola blast was supplied by Sahebs brother. We are also examining Sahebs role in the case.

Saheb was booked under the Explosives Act for allegedly running a cracker-making factory without licence at the Anhgarh area on May 7  a day after the first blast at Heritage Street.

A senior police official who is part of the investigation said: Azad and Amrik met while they used to do volunteer service at the Golden Temple. Similarly, Dharminder met Azad at a drug rehabilitation centre situated on the Sultanwind road in Amritsar. Dharminder and Harjit were known to Saheb.
Himachal Pradeshs State Environment Impact Assessment Authority has granted environmental clearance for the construction of PGI satellite hospital in Una district, officials said on Thursday. Himachal Pradeshs State Environment Impact Assessment Authority has granted environmental clearance for the construction of PGI satellite hospital in Una district, officials said on Thursday. (Getty Images/iStockphoto for representational purpose)

The construction work would start in the next 15 days, chief engineer Anil Gupta told news agency PTI, adding that a residential complex for doctors and paramedical staff would also be built.

The foundation stone of the PGI satellite hospital was laid in Una on March 7, 2019. A tender has been issued for the construction of the hospital for which 402 kanals of land has been allotted in Mahalat village.

One acre is equal to eight kanals.

The hospital will be built at a cost 450 crore. Of this, 283 crore will be spent on the construction of buildings and the rest on acquiring equipment, according to officials.
Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala on Thursday chaired grievances meeting here and settled 12 of 17 complaints on the spot. He gave directions to officials to sort out the remaining five complaints. GHaryana deputy CM Dushyant Chautala (File photo)

Dushyant said the officers should act promptly on the complaints received in the district public relations and grievances committee so that the same concern does not come before the committee again.

On a farmers complaint, the deputy CM directed the officer concerned of a bank to pay crop compensation to the farmer concerned within the next 15 days. He also directed the officials of the public health department to start the construction work of boosters under the AMRUT scheme at the earliest.
Khartoum / Geneva  The Republican Palace at the centre of the fierce fighting between Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum has been "destroyed in an airstrike," the RSF says. At least 600 Sudanese have been killed since the war broke out on April 15. More than 800,000 people fled their homes.

In a statement yesterday evening, the RSF claimed that air raids completely destroyed the colonial-era building.

"We pledge an appropriate response," the RSF added. "The army has persistently attacked civilian areas, factories, and private and governmental institutions, leading to the death and injury of many innocent civilians."

In Omdurman, the situation was quite calm yesterday, Salah Hashim reported.

"Fighter jets are flying above the neighbourhoods but there are no clashes on the ground," he said, and added that "the sounds of gunfire and bombing have become normal to the people here because we hear it almost daily".

On Tuesday morning, we heard an explosion in El Muweile and it is believed that the area was bombed," he told Radio Dabanga.

He spoke about a general sense of insecurity in Omdurman. "Street gangs are wreaking havoc almost everywhere. Banks and shops at the Omdurman Market have been plundered."

Victims

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that 604 people were killed and about 5,000 people were injured in Sudan since the beginning of the intense fighting on April 15.

Out of the 88 hospitals in and near 'clash zones' in the capital, 60 are still out of service and the remaining 28 hospitals are threatened with closure due to the lack of staff and essential supplies.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) spokesperson Paul Dillon said in a press conference yesterday that the displacement in Sudan doubled within one week. More than 700,000 people are now displaced within Sudan. Last week, the IOM reported that 340,000 people fled their homes.

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.

"Many of the internally displaced are sheltering with relatives, while others are staying in schools, mosques, and public buildings. It is very difficult right now (for them) to find money. The ATMs are not working, and the banking system is not functioning. Fuel is difficult to get and expensive," Dillon said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported on Tuesdaythat more than 100,000 Sudanese and refugees of other nationalities fled to neighbouring countries or returned home in adverse circumstances - notably to Chad, the Central African Republic (CAR), South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt.

According to the UNHCR, more than 27,000 people have fled to Chad and 6,328 reached CAR. South Sudan received 856 people and Ethiopia 264. Nearly 68,700 Sudanese sought refuge in Egypt.
Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said the youth will lead the world in offering pragmatic solutions on climate change and other global challenges of the 21st century. J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha addressing the Y20 conference attended by foreign delegates in Srinagar. (Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)

Sinha was addressing the inaugural session of the Youth-20 (Y20) Consultation on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life at the University of Kashmir here.

Young delegates from various G20 countries participated in the conference where LG Sinha said that massive participation in the Y20 Consultation conference signals the encouraging prospect of a new energy in a global partnership on environment, development and our collective effort to ensure equity, prosperity and better quality of life for all.

He said in the last one year, the J&K government planted more than 15 million trees. I take pride in the fact that our natural resources are growing. The green cover has increased in the past few years to 55%.

Welcoming the delegates of foreign countries, the LG said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear to the global family that climate change cannot be fought from conference tables alone.

It has to be fought from the dinner tables in every home. PM Modi has called upon the global community to transform the effort of tackling climate challenge into a mass movement and promote an environmentally conscious lifestyle. I firmly believe that under the leadership of PM Modi, India will guide the world in building a sustainable society that will an economic powerhouse as well as a major contributor in restoring the delicate balance of nature, he said.

At the Y20 Consultation, LG Sinha called upon the youth to ensure that ideas to create productive harmony between nature and human are translated into action and contribute towards a better world.

Youth will lead the world in offering pragmatic solutions to climate and global challenges of the 21st century. I believe that young generation will synergise innovative ideas and actions to preserve natural resources and also become stakeholders in policymaking for sustainable development, he said.

Sinha in his address also talked about the vision of Indias G20 presidency and collective responsibility of the global community to nurture the nature for benefit of humanity.

Vision of Indias G20 Presidency focuses on our shared responsibility to tackle two great challenges -- protection of climate and promotion of sustainable development. As one family, we need to nurture the earth that sustains life and commit for inclusive development to transform lives of a common man, he added.

Y20 and U20 integration, a joint initiative by the respective engagement groups for Jan Bhagidari, was also launched. Delegates and panellists from various countries and across India, prominent citizens, senior officials, youth representatives, students and scholars were present at the conference.
Forty-five months after suspending vehicular movement on a stretch of the national highway-7 crossing through Bathinda city to construct an overbridge, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will reopen the road soon without any change in the infrastructure. The work of a portion of road going from Bathinda to Zirakpur is under construction for the last two years . (HT Photo/Sanjeev Kumar)

Officials familiar with the infrastructural plan said on Thursday that tenders have been floated for the construction of the road. Work is likely to be allocated within next few days while shelving an earlier proposal to connect two flyovers at Barnala bypass.

As the flyover is closed for the last several months after the NHAI dug up the road, highway users are forced to use narrow service lanes. A delay in road construction caused inconvenience to highway users and city commuters.

NHAI project director Vipul Gupta declined to comment. Official sources said the earlier project was not conceived well as it would have caused traffic mismanagement on the service lanes.

Demand for an elevated highway was also looked into but it was rejected due to higher cost, said an official.

Following a political intervention, an overbridge was planned at Barnala bypass. After strong opposition, a revised plan was submitted for final approval by the NHAIs higher authorities. It wasted enough time and commuters faced hardships. Now, there will be no changes in the project as the traffic lights would be there on the highway with no overbridge or underpass, he added.

On August 7, 2021, the former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal had laid the foundation stone for an overbridge in his political turf of Bathinda Urban. The  50-crore project was aimed at ensuring a hassle-free drive for the commuters on Fazilka-Zirakpur highway users passing through Bathinda.

As a traffic light intersection was planned to be replaced with an overbridge on the NH, it was claimed that the flyover would further ensure safer vehicular movement for the city road users on either side.

Before the project could take-off, a section of city residents and Badals political opponents started opposing the overbridge at the green city intersection while claiming that it would devalue the commercial and residential properties on both sides of the NH. A section demanded an elevated highway with ample space underneath for vehicular parking.

Following protests from the people and public representatives to bring a change in NH design, the road from Barnala bypass to Bhatti road spreading over about 700 meters, was lying shut for more than 45 months.
Separate delegations of the Punjab Congress and the BJP on Thursday met chief electoral officer (CEO) Punjab, C Sibin, demanding action against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs for allegedly violating the model code of conduct in the recently held Jalandhar bypoll. Punjab Congress delegation, which met Punjab CEO, submitted a complaint against half a dozen AAP MLAs . (HT File Photo)

Led by Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Punjab Congress delegation, which met Sibin in Chandigarh, submitted a complaint against half a dozen AAP MLAs and leaders hailing from other constituencies, who were seen around the polling booths in the Jalandhar constituency on the polling day.

Warring warned that if no action was initiated by those at the helm, the Congress would be left with no option but to file a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Meanwhile, a BJP delegation also called on Punjab Election Commission to submit a formal complaint against AAP for flouting norms on polling for Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll conducted on Wednesday.

Leading the delegation, vice-president of the Punjab unit of BJP Dr Subhash Sharma said, No FIR has been registered so far even though we brought the issue into the notice of local administration, he said.

A formal complaint has also been registered by the State party president Ashwani Sharma to the ECI.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa said the FIR registered against Baba Bakala MLA, Dalbir Singh Tong is mere eyewash as there is no mention of the violations nor is the name of the MLA mentioned in the FIR.

The FIR is a blank paper only as there is nothing in it, Bajwa said.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has also appealed ECI to register a case against all AAP MLAs and other leaders who were seen near polling booths.

SAD also demanded action against Punjab CEO C Sibin, Jalandhar deputy commissioner Jaspreet Singh and Jalandhar Rural SSP Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar for colluding with AAP to help its candidate in the byelection. Former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said CEO Punjab compromised and had willfully not taken any action against AAP legislators and leaders.
Keeping aside their political differences and joining hands for larger interest of the nation, vidhan sabha speakers of AAP-ruled Punjab, BJP governed Haryana and that of Congress in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday vowed to send maximum number of MLAs to attend the first-ever National Legislators Conference Bharat (NLC-Bharat) to be held in Mumbai in June to exchange ideas at one place. Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Gian Chand Gupta (centre), with his Himachal Pradesh and Punjab counterparts Kuldeep Singh Pathania and Kultar Singh Sandhwan in Chandigarh. (HT photo)

About 3,000 members of the legislative assemblies and councils from across the nation are expected to assemble for the first time ever at one place in Mumbai for three days, beginning June 15.

The objective of the conference is cross-learning and it will also provide a platform to the participants to showcase cultural flavour of their state/region.

MIT School of Government, Atulya Bharat Nirman Foundation and Bhartiya Chhatra Sansad are jointly organising the conference, with support of various state and UT legislatures.

Haryana speaker Gian Chand Gupta said the objective of the conference was to share ideas for the unity of the country and to further strengthen the democracy.

Punjab speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan said the very idea of organising the conference was a very positive and big step. Sandhwan said legislators from across the country and from different ideological backgrounds assembling at one place to learn from others is nothing short of a dream.

Endorsing their views, Himachal Pradesh speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said the conference would prove to be a much-needed step in the direction of nation building. He said the conference would also give an opportunity to the legislators to discuss contentious inter-state issues in an informal setting.

So far, 47 MLAs of Haryana, 40 from Punjab and 37 from Himachal Pradesh have registered to attend the meet.

Among the patrons and members of the governing council of NLC-Bharat include former Lok Sabha speakers Sumitra Mahajan, Meira Kumar, Manohar Joshi, and Shivraj Patil.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Courts verdict that the lieutenant governor (LG) is bound by the elected governments advice in everything other than public order, police, and land, calling it a victory for democracy. He thanks the Supreme Court for providing justice to the people of Delhi. This decision will lead to many fold jump in the progress of Delhi, tweeted Kejriwal, who has also called a meeting of his Cabinet over the verdict. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (PTI)

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud said it is ideal to hold that a democratically elected government shall have control over its officers.

Ruling Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh echoed Kejriwal and hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led central government for wasting eight years of people of Delhi by creating obstacles in the work of the elected government. Their ill-intentioned operations have now ended. The elected government now has all the rights, not the LG. The decisions of the Cabinet will be binding on the LG, Singh said.

AAP Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha called the courts verdict landmark. He said it has sent a stern message that officers are now meant to serve people through the elected government and not unelected usurpers the Centre parachutes to stall governance.

Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj tweeted Kejriwal fought the legal battle for over eight years and now finally the people have won in the court.

Education minister Atishi said now no one will be able to create hurdles in their work. This is a historic judgment and a victory of the people of Delhi. Delhi will now progress at double pace.

AAP chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar thanked the Supreme Court and questioned will the BJP again misuse Parliament or bring a new law to disturb the people of Delhi. The BJP has only this unconstitutional way left for it, she tweeted.

There was no immediate response from the BJP or LGs office to the Supreme Court verdict.
After the Supreme Court ruling in favour of the Delhi government regarding power over services, except law and order and land, Aam Aadmi Party chief and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal hailed the verdict. Delhi LG VK Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal are seen during the former's oath-taking ceremony as 22nd Lt Governor of Delhi, at Raj Niwas in New Delhi. (File)(PTI)

Extending his gratitude to the SC for delivering justice, he tweeted that the decision will help boost the national capitals pace of development. He also noted the victory of democracy.

He wrote, Heartfelt thanks to the Hon'ble Supreme Court for doing justice to the people of Delhi. With this decision, the pace of development of Delhi will increase manifold. Democracy won.

According to news agency ANI, Kejriwal has also called for a meeting of his ministers today following the SC decision.

A constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said that in a democratic form of government the real power of administration must rest with the elected government. It refused to agree with the 2019 judgement of Justice Ashok Bhushan that the city government has no power over the issue of services.

The unanimous verdict is being seen as a big win for AAP in its tussle for power with the Centre.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
More than 90 jail officials here were transferred on Thursday, days after gangster Tillu Tajpuriya was killed inside Tihar Jail allegedly by members of a rival gang, officials said. The plan that comes in the aftermath of imprisoned criminal Tillu Tajpurias murder outside his Tihar cell by members of a rival group. (PTI)

Director General (Prisons) Sanjay Beniwal ordered the transfer of 99 officials including assistant superintendents, deputy superintendents, head warders and warders, an officer said, adding more transfers could take place in the next few days, including from the jail headquarters.

According to a senior official, the Tajpuriya murder was viewed seriously by the authorities which prompted a streamlining of things and also necessitated the need for ground level changes.

The step has been taken with a view to send out a strong message that laxity in duties will not be tolerated, the officer added.

CCTV footage showed Tajpuriya was assaulted with improvised weapons allegedly by four members of the Gogi gang inside the high-security prison last week.

A footage that surfaced days later purportedly showed Tajpuriya being attacked in front of security personnel as well when they were carrying him away after he was stabbed.
The AAP-led Delhi government removed services secretary Ashish More from his post on Thursday, hours after the Supreme Court gave the AAP dispensation control over the transfer and posting of officers in the state. Former Delhi Jal Board CEO A K Singh, a 1995-batch (AGMUT cadre) IAS officer, will replace More. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses the media at the Delhi Secretariat after the Supreme Court's ruling on the regulation of services matter, in New Delhi, Thursday, May 11, 2023.(PTI)

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal at a press conference said a major administrative reshuffle was in the offing as he warned action against officials who obstructed public works. He said transfers will be made on the basis of the work the officers have done.

Some officers, who in the last one and a half years obstructed the work of the people of Delhi, stopped the supply of medicines to mohalla clinics and hospitals, stopped water supply at some places...will have to pay for their deeds, he said.

The chief minister stressed that the officers who are efficient, honest, responsive and compassionate will be given the opportunity to serve the people of Delhi.

There will also be an overhaul of the administrative system. The entire system is rotten. We will create a system that is accountable and responsible towards the public, he said.

The AAP government has blamed top officials including chief secretary Naresh Kumar, and principal secretary (finance) Ashish Chandra Verma for obstructing its work. HT reached out to Kumar and Verma for their responses to Kejriwals comments. But there were no immediate responses.

Earlier in the day, the apex court pronounced that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over the administration of services except for matters relating to public order, police and land. Prior to the verdict of the court, the Services department was under the control of Delhi's Lieutenant Governor.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Reacting to the Supreme Court verdict on power tussle between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, which favoured the former, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked chief minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday and alleged the Aam Aadmi Party chief will transfer officials in large numbers now. Delhi LG VK Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attend a function in New Delhi. (PTI file)

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said "Arvind Kejriwal has got what he was desperate for...he will transfer officials in large numbers, this means he will now make transfer postings an industry. Officers will now not be asked to serve on merit but on personal preferences of the AAP government, he said.

Sachdevas comments followed Kejriwal's press conference, in which the CM expressed gratitude to the court for delivering justice and issued a warning to officers who hindered the Delhi government's work, and said they will have to pay for their deeds. As Kejriwal indicated a major reshuffle in the bureaucracy in the days ahead, soon a notification by the AAP government followed in the evening, which said that it had removed services secretary Ashish More from his post.

Also Read: Kejriwal govt removes services secretary Ashish More hours after Supreme Court verdict

There will also be an overhaul of the administrative system. The entire system is rotten. We will create a system that is accountable and responsible towards the public, Kejriwal had said in the conference.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court ruled that the Delhi government holds legislative and executive powers regarding the administration of services, with the exception of public order, police, and land matters. Prior to the ruling, the Services department was controlled by the LG under a 2015 notification under which the Centre claimed control over services in the national capital.

In the verdict, A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, ruled unanimously that the democratically elected government should have control over its officers.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
After the Haryana Space Applications Centre (Harsac) reported that Gurugram had seen nine instances of wheat stubble burning in the last month, the Gurugram deputy commissioner of police on Thursday formed teams to monitor and control this eco-unfriendly practice prevalent among farmers due to its cost-effectiveness. Stubble burns in a field in Makdola village on Farrukhnagar road near SGT university on Thursday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Teams led by sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) and police officers will visit locations where we have received reports that stubble burning has taken place and levy fines, said deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, adding that the teams have been ordered to submit three weekly reports about the stubble burning incidents and mitigation steps are taken.

Officials said two cases of stubble burning were reported from Chandu Budhera and Bilaspur area on Thursday morning. According to the Harsac data in HT possession, one case was reported on May 7, one on April 26, two on April 24, one on April 23 and two on April 16.

In partnership with Harsac, the district administration is employing geospatial data to detect crop fires and take prompt action. According to experts, this year, cases of stubble burning have decreased, but further vigilance is needed to prevent pollution and encourage alternate, eco-friendly disposal.

Though stubble burning is not widely practised in the district, farmers still use it to dispose of farm waste because it is less expensive and more convenient. Officials said they are trying to resolve this issue and have taken a few steps to ensure farmers use machines and other methods but they need more vigilance in the area.

The district administration imposed a fine of 2,500 per acre on any farmer found burning crop residue last year and urged farmers not to burn stubble because it causes pollution in the city.

However, the fine has not deterred farmers, who find the burning cheaper than the 6,000-7,000 per acre stubble processing cost. According to farmer Anil Kumar, the high machinery and labour cost also incentivises stubble burning.

Similarly, Mukesh Panghal from the Bilaspur area confirmed that despite trying various methods, stubble burning remains the cheapest and easiest solution.

We set fire to wheat fields after harvesting paddy to clear the way for rice or mustard. But, if we plan to use machinery, we must hire labourers, machinery cost, diesel and other overheads. More than eight litres of diesel are required per hour, so what will we save after investing this amount? he asked.

Harsac, which uses geospatial data to detect crop fires, alerts the concerned deputy commissioner through mobile phone messages. Harsac uses remote sensing (RS), geographic information system (GIS) and global positioning system (GPS) to collect geospatial data, which is used to take immediate action against farmers who burn stubble.

According to officials, most complaints come from areas prone to stubble burning such as Chandu Bhudhera, Pataudi, Farrukhnagar and Manesar.

This year, there are fewer cases of stubble burning than in previous years. Our teams regularly visit villages to raise awareness and ensure villagers do not violate the rules by burning crop residue. We keep a close eye on whats happening in the farms, Yadav said.

He added that he receives satellite monitoring images every day. We provided farmers with straw management equipment at subsidised prices. Straw cutters, straw rippers, bailers, and other cutters cut the paddy and mix it in the soil to become natural manure. The straw is also used as cattle fodder, he said.

Sultan Singh, head of GIS at Gurugram metropolitan development authority and a senior scientist at Harsac, said they have been doing satellite-based monitoring twice daily across Haryana to check stubble burning for the last two years. For each crop, two sensors are considered for reporting, due to which enforcement agencies find out about burning events and location. They can then focus on those areas with higher events in two ways  by making farmers aware of the ill effects of the practice and by imposing fines if required, he said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Malawi President Dr Lazarus Chakwera wound up his visit to the United Kingdom (UK) with a call to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Poundstretcher, Aziz Tayub, to consider investing in Malawi.

Poundstretcher is one of the world's leading chain store company. President Chakwera therefore felt having the company invest in Malawi would create opportunities to both Malawians and the investor himself.

Writing on his Facebook page, President Chakwera said the businessman and his associates pointed out potential areas of investment in line with the incumbent administration's agenda to revolutionise the agricultural sector through value addition and securing of new markets.

"I have granted him a positive response to start formalising the processes with relevant agencies and departments so that we fast track this promising opportunity," said the President.

Meanwhile, Chakwera has departed London for Lilongwe after a week-long tour of the UK.
The Calcutta high court on Thursday set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe into the alleged rape and murder of a teenage girl at Uttar Dinajpur in north Bengal that had triggered violent protests in the area in April. The SIT would be headed by former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) additional director Upen Biswas (Representative Photo)

Violent clashes had erupted in Bengals Uttar Dinajpur district on April 21 after a 17-year-old girls body was found by locals following which two, including a 20-year-old prime accused, were arrested.

The SIT would be headed by former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) additional director Upen Biswas, who made headlines in 1997 by arresting the then Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam case, people familiar with the matter said.

According to the court order, discrepancies had cropped up in the police investigation. The time mentioned in the inquest report didnt match that of the autopsy report. The family had lost faith in the probe by the state police. The court set up an SIT to probe into the incident, said advocate Lokenath Chatterjee.

Also Read: Kerala train arson probe: NIA searches 10 places in Delhis Shaheen Bagh

We have no faith in the state police. We wanted a CBI probe. We are not satisfied with the high courts order of an SIT investigation, the deceased girls grandfather had told media persons.

The three-member SIT will include Biswas, former IPS officer and retired inspector general of West Bengal police Pankaj Dutta and special commissioner of Kolkata police Damayanti Sen, according to the people.

The SIT has been directed to submit its preliminary report on June 28. The court has left it to the SIT to decide whether the victims body needs would be exhumed for a second autopsy.

While the opposition welcomed Thursdays high court order, it didnt go down well with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Its a historic order. We all wanted a CBI probe. The court has ordered a SIT probe. The family may not get justice. The police investigation was echoing the ruling party, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya told reporters.

The court order proves that it has lost faith in the state police,, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

The TMC questioned the courts order of allowing an SIT probe. We have nothing to say with the court order, but what is the criteria for including a member in the SIT? Should the person who attacks the government be in the SIT? There should be some transparency, said Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson.
To raise awareness about the importance of water conservation, the first Jal Gyan Yatra was organised by the Namami Gange Mission and rural water supply department here on Thursday in which over 100 school students participated. Students taking part in Jal Gyan Yatra in Lucknow on Thursday. (HT)

Besides, the students of the state capital were exposed to the ambitious projects of the Prime Minister like Har Ghar Jal Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission.

In this first Jal Gyan Yatra, a group of 120 students from 11 schools including St Josephs College and Lucknow Public School, actively participated in the educational tour to Bharwara sewage treatment plant (STP). The objective of the visit was to enhance the academic knowledge of the students by providing them with practical experience of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) functioning.

The staff of Suez, the organisation managing sewage infrastructure in Lucknow, welcomed the students and their teachers and they were thoroughly introduced to the functioning of STP. The students also interacted with the officials present at the STP and asked various questions related to the treatment of sewage water.

The students were given information about how STP works, its structure and other information. The students were also informed about the structure of the sewerage system of the city.

Expressing happiness over the educational tour, Rajesh Mathpal, project director, Suez India said, We are happy to organise this educational tour to acquaint the students with the working of STP. We hope that this programme has enhanced their knowledge about the importance of clean water and the role of STPs in ensuring sustainable environmental protection. We urge all students to take an active interest in water conservation and contribute towards creating a better tomorrow.

During the educational tour, project manager finance Ankita Patel, district coordinator Dr Harpal Singh, capacity building and training coordinator Sumit Bhatnagar and other officials were present.

In the first phase of the Jal Gyan Yatra, students of government primary council and private schools in Lucknow were shown the changing picture of rural UP with the efforts of the state government.

The department had made complete preparations for the health, safety and facilities of the students. Keeping the weather in mind, the ambulance of the health department was resent on the spot.
Long pending inquiry against retired IPS officer and former chief managing director (CMD), U.P. Police Housing Corporation (UPPHC), Hari Ram Sharma is likely to expedite as the state Lokayukta office has asked the Uttar Pradesh DGP to direct the two members committee, which was set up to probe the allegations against Sharma, to submit its report by the end of this month. A government official said an Allahabad high court lawyer complained the matter to Lokayukta office in May 2022. (For Representation)

A senior government official said an Allahabad high court lawyer complained the matter to Lokayukta office in May 2022, accusing the then CMD of UPPHC Hari Ram Sharma of allowing tender for construction of Reserve Police Lines in Kasganj district worth 80 crore to a company against the norms.

He said the complainant had alleged that the company didnt even have the capacity to do work worth 10 crore but the tender was passed in its favour by the then CMD. Sharma, an additional director general rank IPS officer of 1993 batch, served as the CMD of UPPHC from August 2019 till his retirement in July 2022.

The inquiry has been pending against him for past one year even after multiple reminders sent by the Lokayukta office in this regard. The Lokayukta is an anti-corruption ombudsman in Uttar Pradesh that functions as a statutory authority probing cases primarily related to corruption, government mismanagement or abuse of power by public servants or ministers.

The official further said the complaint of the alleged corruption is pending with Uplokayukta (retired judge) DK Singh. The official also said the inquiry committee comprising two director-general rank IPS officersDG (special inquiry) Chandra Prakash and DG (fire services) Avinash Chandrawas formed by the DGP headquarters in December 2022 only after multiple reminders.

Thereafter, the committee didnt submit its report in this connection, he added. He said senior member of the inquiry committee Chandra Prakash is scheduled to retire in May end and the Uplokayukta office has sent the reminder to the committee to submit its report before it.
Strap: Bihar CM, Tejaswi meet NCP chief, Thackeray, invite them to Patna meeting HT Image

MUMBAI: Amid talks of opposition unity ahead of the general elections 2024, Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar on Thursday called on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. He invited both the leaders to a meeting to be held in Patna, for which he has also invited most of the opposition leaders.

The date of the meeting is yet to be decided but it is expected to be held by the end of this month. Both Thackeray and Pawar have favoured the formation of a national coalition against the BJP.

Kumar was accompanied by deputy chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejaswi Yadav. Both the leaders first met Thackeray at his residence Matoshree in Bandra and later reached Silver Oak, Pawars residence at Peddar Road.

You will come to know the details when it happens, Kumar said, confirming about the meeting planned in Patna. We want to bring maximum opposition parties together and will decide when we all will hold a joint meeting, he added.

Kumar has been meeting most of the opposition leaders in the last one month to build a consensus over bringing all the opposition parties together in the Lok Sabha elections. He had met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi last month. On Tuesday, he met Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar and is likely to meet a few more in the coming days.

On Thursday, Kumar said that they are trying to build a coalition of maximum opposition parties and eventually, it will happen. Kumar also said he would be more than happy to see Pawar becoming the face of the opposition.

I will be more than happy if he (Pawar) becomes the oppositions face. I told him today (about the same). We all felt bad when he resigned (from the post of NCP national president). Now when he is back, I told him you will have to work strongly not only for your party but also for the country, the Bihar chief minister told reporters in response to a question.

Pawar was quick to add that they have decided to work together as of now. We are not going into who will be the face of opposition. What we know is that the people want all of us together, remarked the veteran leader.

Earlier, both Pawar and Kumar slammed the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre and said that there is a need to unite the opposition considering the impending danger to democracy in the country. The duo has agreed to attend the meeting in Patna.

The country needs a viable alternative, and we can see that if we work together then it will get support from the people, Pawar said adding that going by their information, Karnataka people are removing the BJP and bringing a secular government.

This will not be limited to Karnataka, the situation is similar in major parts of the country but to achieve success we all will have to work together, Pawar stressed.

Kumar said, Those ruling at the Centre are doing nothing for the country except renaming places and trying to change history. It would be in the interest of the country that there should not be any differences among communities. There should not be discrimination over caste and religion such as Hindu and Muslim.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde along with other Shiv Sena party leaders and workers on Thursday broke into a celebration after the Supreme Court gave its verdict on last years political crisis in the state that had led to the collapse of the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government following a rebellion by the Shinde faction. In a video shared by the news agency ANI, the leaders can be seen distributing sweets among each other outside Shinde's official residence Varsha Bungalow. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and other leaders of the party celebrate SC verdict outside Varsha bungalow in Mumbai.(ANI)

The top court said that it cannot disqualify the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government and rejected the submission to reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister because the latter had chosen to resign.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud also held that the then Speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of the Shiv Sena in the Maharashtra Assembly was contrary to law. The whip has to be appointed by a political party, the court observed.

Meanwhile, after the verdict, Uddhav Thackeray asked Shinde to resign from the CM post on moral grounds. People who left my party have no right to ask me questions. If this CM has any morality, he must resign as I did. They betrayed my party and the legacy of my father. I may have done wrong by resigning but I did it on moral grounds, he said.

Responding to this, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Thackeray has no right to speak about morality as Sena won the assembly elections in alliance with BJP but then went with Congress.
Former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Thursday steered clear of commenting on the Supreme Court verdict on the Shiv Sena crisis earlier in the day. The top court questioned his decision to call for the trust vote that triggered Uddhav Thackerays resignation and said he had no reason to conclude the Sena boss had lost the confidence of the House. (Follow LIVE updates here.) Former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.(PTI file)

When questioned about the ruling, Koshyari stated that he had stepped down from the governor's position three months ago and preferred not to engage in political tussles. The Supreme Court has pronounced its verdict but any comments on it should come from law expertsI dont know these intricaciesBut based on my knowledge about the Assembly affairs, I did what I knew best, he said.

He further defended his decision and said, If someone has sent me their resignation, should I have advised them otherwise? He chose not to offer any remarks regarding the Court's determination that his actions were unjustified in calling Thackeray to prove majority in the Assembly in June last year and said the political analysts were better suited to speak on the matter as it was not his job.

A five-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, delivered a unanimous verdict on a series of petitions on the nearly year-long political crisis in the state which resulted in the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Thackeray after a rebellion led by CM Eknath Shinde in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. The court held the speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was 'illegal' but maintained that the Thackeray government cannot be restored as he had resigned as CM on his own.

Following the verdict, the former CM said it reinstated trust in democracy and added that he resigned on moral grounds. He also called on CM Shinde and his deputy Fadnavis to resign after the ruling if they had any ethics. To this, Fadnavis replied saying Thackeray shouldn't be the one talking about morality since he initially won the election with the BJP but later allied with the Congress. He resigned on moral grounds but due to fear after those who were with him left him, he said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
NAVI MUMBAI: The Vashi police have arrested a 40 year old man for raping a female doctor on the pretext of marriage. The accused identified as Mukund Gade, a resident of Vashi and a government employee from Charni road, was arrested after a 38 year old woman doctor registered a complaint against him accusing him of raping her. HT Image

Both complainant and the accused are divorcees who were looking for alliance and had registered on matrimonial site. The duo met through the site in July 2022 and had many meetings since then.

By the year end, the accused had started avoiding her saying that he cant marry her but on February 4, he asked her to visit him at his residence in Vashi stating that he was ill. According to the complainant, the accused then allegedly forced himself upon her.

The complainant alleged that after forcing himself upon her, she asked him to marry her which he refused. She approached us last week with a complaint following which he has been arrested today and is currently in police custody, senior police inspector Shashikant Chandekar from Vashi Police Station said.
Mumbai: After the apex court, in its May 11 verdict, left it to the assembly speaker to decide on the petitions related to the disqualification of the 16 MLAs who defected from the Shiv Sena last year, Speaker Rahul Narwekar is expected to be at the epicentre of political activities in the state. His decision will decide the real Sena on the floor of the assembly, the fate of the MLAs from the Thackeray group and, in turn, the existence of the 10-month old Shinde-Fadnavis government. Mumbai, July 03 (ANI): Newly-elected Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar speaks during a special session of the State Legislative Assembly, in Mumbai on Sunday. (ANI Photo) (ANI)

Narwekar, a BJP MLA from Colaba, was elected as speaker by 164 MLAs after the Shinde-Fadnavis government was formed in June last year. Although he maintained that on the records of the legislature the Shiv Sena was one party, he recognised the Shinde factions Bharat Gogawale as the party whip in place of the Thackerays groups Sunil Prabhu. Gogawales appointment was termed illegal by the SC on Thursday.

On Thursday, Narwekar, who is in London, said he would have to recognise which faction was the real Sena before going on to the disqualification petition. After giving hearings to the pending petitions, examination, cross-examination, verification and looking at the provisions of the party constitution, a decision will be taken on recognition, he said after the SC order. This will help in deciding the appointment of the whip.

Narwekar said that the decision on the disqualification would be taken by following due process and keeping natural justice in mind. It would not be possible to set a time-frame, keeping in mind the doctrine of Justice hurried is justice buried, but at the same time even justice delayed is justice denied, he said.

While speaking on the SCs stricture on his appointment of the whip, Narwekar said that calling it a stricture would be a misinterpretation of the judgement. Gogawales being made whip was not an appointment, he said. Its just that his name was recognised after the Shinde faction made an application.

All the legalese notwithstanding, Narwekar is expected to give the Shinde-led Sena recognition as the real Sena. This could be on the lines of the Election Commission of Indias decision in February to give it the symbol and name of the original Shiv Sena. In such a case, the 16 members with the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the party could be fit to be disqualified if they defy the whip issued by the Shinde-led Sena.

When asked what would happen to the Thackeray faction, Narwekar said it would not be appropriate to speak about either faction till one or the other was recognised. The disqualification depends on various factors, including defying the partys order, opting to not vote according to the party order or a member opting voluntarily to give up membership, he said.

Constitutional expert Ulhas Bapat said that the Supreme Court has not set a deadline to decide on the disqualification, and its order was also silent on the defection by 16 members of the undivided Shiv Sena. There is ambiguity if others who joined them later come under the purview of the defection, he said. Though the Election Commission allotted the party name and symbol to the Shinde faction, the speaker will decide on the recognition of the real Sena and, in turn, the whip of the party. Unfortunately, the speakers in our country are not free from party obligations, and thus one can predict the decision.

When asked to comment, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that the disqualification decision would now have to be taken by the speaker, and the parties would have to appear before him with their stands. The speaker is a constitutional entity, and and it is his duty to safeguard the sanctity of the house. It would not be appropriate to comment on his stand without actually waiting for his verdict, he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said, Though the SC has recognised the constitutional right of the speaker by leaving it to him to take a call on the disqualification, it has clarified that the whip issued by us will be applicable. It has said that the whip issued by the rebel group will no more be applicable. If the people sitting in constitutional chairs have any integrity left, they should learn a lesson from the courts strictures.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Mumbai: The first indication that Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtras 19th chief minister, was thinking of quitting came on June 22, two days after several Shiv Sena MLAs had cross-voted in the MLC elections in Mumbai, and then fled to Surat in the dark of the night. Mumbai, India - May 11, 2023: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray at his residence Matoshree, Bandra (East), in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, May 11, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

A coup was underway, and a Thackeray could not afford to appear defeated was his logic when he first broached the idea of resignation with his party. Uddhav Thackeray however was not just the chief of the Shiv Sena but also the head of a coalition government. Sharad Pawar and other MVA leaders prevailed upon him to stay on and fight. Over the next week however, a steady stream of Sena MLAs, some of whom he considered as insiders, continued to leave. Most prominent among them was Uday Samant, part of his crisis management group, who also defected to join Eknath Shinde. As his circle of confidantes grew smaller and smaller, Uddhav felt tricked and hurt, says a senior leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT). He was hurt by the way a majority of the MLAS had turned against him without any dialogue.

On June 29, when the Supreme Court refused to stay then Governor BS Koshyaris directive to take the floor test, Uddhav felt he had had enough. By this time 38 of his MLAs had switched sides, a sufficient number to beat anti-defection provisions. Only 5 people knew of this decision: his wife Rashmi, his sons Aaditya and Tejas and Sena leaders Subhash Desai and Anil Parab who later informed others in the party. That day, Uddhav Thackeray held his last Cabinet meeting where he thanked his colleagues.

No legal advice was sought and neither did he consult NCP or Congress leaders who were trying to save his government. Ten months later, that decision would come to haunt him. The Supreme Court in its verdict on Thursday said Thackerays resignation meant that the SC would not reinstate Thackeray as chief minister under the status quo ante sought by his lawyers.

But Uddhav Thackeray who may have been the first Thackeray to hold a constitutional position, came from Balasaheb Thackerays school of emotive politics. In 1992, when Chhagan Bhujbal became the first Shiv Sainik to rebel against Balasaheb, the Sena supremo had offered to quit leading to an outpouring of support from his cadre. Uddhav, who announced his resignation as CM on social media, saying he sought no trappings of power, thought his resignation might prompt a similar outpouring of support. In a democracy, heads are counted to show numbers. I am not interested in that. I dont want to play these games. I had come (to power) in an unexpected manner and I am going out in a similar fashion, he said in his resignation address.

He thought he had been dragged into a dirty power game and he did not deserve to face allegations by the rebels on the floor of the assembly. Besides, we also suspected that a few more MLAs would cross over to the Shinde faction during the debate on trust vote. That would be insulting and embarrassing and he wanted no part of that, disclosed the leader close to Uddhav.

On Thursday, after the SC verdict, NCP chief Sharad Pawar refused to publicly comment on Uddhavs resignation which he was so opposed to, but pointed the media to what he had already written in his recently-released memoirs. In politics, one has to move fast to retain power. But at the first hint of a political crisis, he (Thackeray) backed out, writes Pawar in Lok Mazhe Sangati. The MVA leaders, he writes, knew that there would be attempts to destabilise their government. We were capable of handling such attempts at our level. We did not anticipate that there would a storm within the Shiv Sena after we had appointed Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister. The Sena leadership failed to handle the rebellion in its party and the MVA lost power because Uddhav resigned without a fight.

His resignation in fact complicated matters for Thackeray as Eknath Shinde did not just stop at pulling down his government but even took over the party. This is what we had anticipated. The way the rebellion was planned, it was clear that the Shinde-Fadnavis combine did not just want to form the government but also take over the Shiv Sena, leaving Thackeray without the official party, said a senior NCP leader after the SC verdict. Other than Sharad Pawar other NCP leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil and Jayant Patil too had given the Sena leadership an inkling of what could be in store for them. But for Uddhav, emotion rather than cold logic prevailed at that time.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
NAVI MUMBAI: Even as there has been a controversy over payment of taxes by some industrialists claiming lack of work by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) in the MIDC region of Navi Mumbai, the civic body has completed 1,520 cr of road concretization while the remaining 210 cr worth of road projects are underway in the TTC industrial area. HT Image

NMMC, as the nodal agency of the region has gone all out to provide infrastructure and civic services in the TTC industrial area over the years. Under the three phases of its road vision, NMMC has so far constructed 83.98 km concrete roads out of the total of 136 km roads in the region. Work on the remaining roads is being undertaken jointly by NMMC and MIDC.

In the second phase, MIDC is sprucing up 21.28 km long roads. In the third phase work is being undertaken on 30 km long roads. Of this MIDC has undertaken 15 km road work and the rest is being undertaken by NMMC.

Said NMMC city engineer Sanjay Desai, NMMC has been making efforts to provide pothole free roads in the TTC industrial area. Most of the roads in the region were of asphalt and often didnt last in the monsoon.

He added, NMMC hence decided to concretise the roads to ensure smooth flow of traffic. We are glad that a large part of the work has been completed for which we have already spent 1,530 cr.

Informed Desai, The 15 km road work presently undertaken by us at the cost of 210 cr involves road concretization of 11.55 km roads in Digha, Kopar Khairane, Turbhe and Nerul MIDC areas and includes work on drains and footpaths.

He added, These include works at Digha biscuit lane, L & T road in Kopar Khairane electronic zone, Mahape MBP road, along with Everest IT Park, Turbhe MIDC areas of Ganpatipada, Ambedkar Nagar and Nerul TTC areas Chemical zone.

Concluded Desai, The works are in final stage and we hope to complete them by the end of this month.

Box

The transfers

NMMC has a total of 505 km long road in its jurisdiction of which 136 km is in TTC area. MIDC had in November 2004 transferred all roads in the TTC area except the Shil-Mahape road to NMMC. NMMC has since then been repairing and maintaining the roads. In December 2005, the busy and perennially pothole ridden Thane-Belapur road too was transferred to NMMC. The civic body later concretised this 13.80 km long road spending 162 cr.
Ramathan Mugalu has been kicked out of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) as the secretary general in a power struggle that has hit the institution once again amidst counter accusations over mismanagement of Muslim property.

Last week UMSC Joint Session Committee appointed Muhammad Ali Aluma as the Acting UMSC Secretary General for the next three months commencing April 5, 2023.

The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Lubega at UMSC headquarters at Old Kampala. Moments after being elected, Aluma took an oath of allegiance and promised to serve well in his new position.

A source told the Nile Post that Mugalu attempted to block the joint session meeting but his efforts were in vain and the meeting went on uninterrupted.

The Nile Post understands that Aluma, a lawyer by profession, had been working with the UMSC education department.

UMSC Joint Session Committee comprising the Executive Committee and Majlis Al Ulama Committee (College of Eminent Sheikhs) is the second most top organ of the council.

The meeting among other things also sworn in ten newly appointed regional representatives to the property & endowment ( Awqaf) committee.

Others sworn in were 21 members of the Muslim Arbitration & Conciliation Committee under Sheikh Abdu Obeid Kamulegeya and Sheikh Luutu Sulaiman Wandera. The committee is mainly comprised of the former Muslim leaders and included Sheikh Hussein Rajab Kakooza among other prominent elderly Sheikhs.

The committee reached the decision of relieving Mugalu of his position as the secretary general following findings from a five member team appointed by the Joint Session Committee in their last sitting on April 1, 2023 to investigate the validity of the contract of Ramathan Mugalu, the former UMSC Secretary as he had claimed.

The team chaired by Counsel Musa Kabega authored a nine page report indicating that the tenure of Mugalu had long expired following his nomination and appointment by a similar organ on January 21 2015 in line with the UMSC Constitution.

Dr. Adam Rajab Makmot Kibwanga read the report to the attentive members who later deliberated the findings and resolved to appoint an acting Secretary General pending the election of a substantive office holder within three months.

Muhamood Kateregga and Muhammad Ali Aluma were presented as candidates and at the end Aluma carried the day as was nominated and sworn in for the position by Were Abubaker Wadangho the UMSC Electoral Commission Chairperson.

In his speech, the Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje described the newly amended UMSC Constitution as a bitter pill, which aims at curing administrative illnesses that had affected the wellbeing of the council.

"I am really delighted that the Constitution is being implemented. So the noise made in public by disgruntled individuals is because they found themselves lacking the necessary academic qualifications for their desired Council positions, "Mubaje said.

Sheikh Kamulegeya called upon Muslims to utilize his committee to settle their disputes while Mr. Mugaino pledged to offer all the necessary expertise in management of Muslim properties.

Aluma pledged to create an enabling environment that will facilitate a smooth transition to the substantive Secretary General.

Last year in the same fight, Magulu was shown the exit over alleged abuse of office but the Joint Session of the same body reinstated him with the helping hand of Mufti Shaban Mubaje.

The Joint Session is the second top most organ of UMSC and comprises the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the UMSC and the College of Sheikhs.

In the same period before the committee resolved to suspend Mugalu from his position as the UMSC secretary general, he had appeared in the High Court in Masaka in a case where the UMSC was accused of irregularly selling off land belonging to Muslims in Sembabule district.

This land and other Muslim properties were placed under the leadership of Mugalu in which he is accused of failing to account for, according to our highly placed sources which are well acquainted with the matter.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Religion 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.

According to the UMSC constitution, the secretary general is the accounting officer and he is in charge of everything and finances that concern Muslims at the institution.

Mugalu is accused of forgery, indiscipline and mishandling of the registration of Muslim properties in Uganda where it is alleged that most of these properties are registered in his name instead of UMSC.

For instance, another source that sits at the College of Sheikhs told the Nile Post that Mugalu had registered the Old Kampala based Call Islamic University in his name instead of UMSC, something which angered most of the members of the committee.

Mugalu is also accused of bribery and forging signatures, minutes to pave his way to engage in various dirty deals which has tainted the image of the institution and the entire Muslim community.

In a phone interview, Mugalu declined to make a comment until he receives an official letter that relieves him of his position.
The Supreme Courts verdict in the case regarding disqualification of Shiv Sena MLAs who quit along with Eknath Shinde has rendered Uddhav Thackerays resignation on moral grounds political hara-kiri. Had he not resigned from the chief ministers post, we could have restored status-quo-ante, the bench said. The current order came almost a year after Thackeray resigned from the chief ministers post. Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and CM Eknath Shinde address media persons. (HT photo | Anshuman Poyrekar)

However, the moot political question in Maharashtra remains as unsettled as it was when Uddhav Thackeray became the chief minister in an alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Shiv Sena (SS) in 2019.

Here is why.

Shiv Senas break with the BJP was territorial not ideological

The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been allies in every national and state election in Maharashtra since the 1989 Lok Sabha election. While the Senas Hindutva posturing was a change from its earlier politics of nativism, the 1990s saw it being completely identified with Hindutva, an agenda the BJP had mainstreamed at the national level.

The terms of the alliance, in terms of seat sharing, were such that the Shiv Sena used to play the senior partner in the state while the BJP would contest more seats in Lok Sabha elections. This arrangement came under strain after the BJPs landslide victory in the 2014 general elections.

The long-time allies fought separately in the 2014 assembly elections in the state. The BJP finished with a much bigger seat tally than the Sena and a post-poll alliance with a BJP chief minister was formed. While the BJP was careful to placate the Sena by offering it more seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections than in 2014, it became the senior partner in the alliance in the 2019 assembly elections.

This would have laid to rest Senas claim to the chief ministers post and by extension its dominance in the states politics.

The 2019 assembly elections also came on the back of the 2017 municipal elections in Mumbai  the metropolis where the Sena cut its teeth in politics  where the BJP managed 82 seats, just two less than what the Sena . Uddhav Thackeray was not wrong in concluding that the Senas future as the BJPs junior partner would reduce it to nothing but a satellite of the BJP in the state.

It is this fear which forced his hand in breaking an old ideological and pre-poll alliance , and ally with the Congress and the NCP.

Seat share contested for BJP and Shiv Sena in LS and AE since 1989

But an adjustment in the MVA would have forced the Sena to cede even more territory

Questions of ideology apart, even a seat sharing arrangement in the Maharashtra Vikas Angadi (MVA) comprising the Congress, NCP and the Shiv Sena, assuming such a pre-poll alliance were to happen, say in the 2024 state elections, could be more damaging to the Sena. Let us assume that any such alliance negotiations were to happen on the following formula: every party gets to keep the assembly constituencies (AC) it won and also those where it came second to the BJP. Depending on whether one is looking at 2014 or 2019 performance, the Sena would see the biggest decline in its share. This power dynamic (not the calculation) may well have preyed on the mind of Eknath Shinde and his supporters. If the NCP were to become a bigger legislative party than the Shiv Sena, it is eminently possible that the former will stake claim to the chief ministers post. Such an eventuality would have defeated the very purpose of Senas break with the BJP.

Potential seat sharing

This is where the NCP holds the key to the Maharashtra puzzle

Results of 2014 and 2019 make it clear that the Congress and the NCP, on their own, cannot pose an effective challenge to the BJP and Shiv Sena. This is where Uddhav Thackeray bring an X-factor to the elections. With even the Mumbai municipal elections having been delayed, it is difficult to say with certainty how much of Senas actual support base has moved to the pro and anti-BJP factions. But if the primary beneficiary of an MVA alliance in Maharashtra will be the Congress at the national level (greater numbers for a UPA like alliance) and the Sena at the state level (chief ministers post for Thackeray) then what does the alliance bring for the NCP? Ideological purists might find this scandalous, but Sharad Pawar and his party have been master practitioners of self-preservation rather than ideology. In the absence of any worthwhile returns, the NCP may continue to vacillate and efforts to keep the MVA grouping going could come to nought.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday expressed satisfaction over the Supreme Court verdict on the issue of disqualification of 16 MLAs and dared chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to resign on moral grounds and face elections. The former chief minister also demanded that former Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari should face action for his illegal decisions. Mumbai, May 11 (ANI): Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thakarey) chief, Uddhav Thackeray speaks at Matoshree, in Mumbai on Thursday. (ANI Photo) (Nitin Lawate)

Shinde and Fadnavis, however, claimed victory and insisted that the SC verdict has rendered their government legal and valid.

This was not the case to decide the future of Shiv Sena but the future of democracy in the country. The Supreme Court has exposed those who are greedy for power and their politics, said Thackeray while speaking to the media at Matoshree after meeting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday.

The court has also cleared that the decisions of the then Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari were not according to the spirit of law. The SC also ruled that appointment of Bharat Gogawale as chief whip of the party was illegal, added Thackeray.

When my own MLAs left me, I resigned immediately on the grounds of morality. After this verdict of the SC, now chief minister Eknath Shinde and DCM Devendra Fadnavis should resign immediately on the grounds of morality, said Thackeray.

Thackeray also said that even if the SC has handed over the issue of disqualification to the Speaker of the assembly, the court has made it clear that Gogawales appointment was illegal. So, Sunil Prabhu from our party is a whip and expects the speaker will soon give his decision.

Thackeray said he accepts that his decision to resign from the post of CM before facing the house might be wrong in a legal battle but was correct on moral grounds.

That time I felt it was morally wrong to continue as CM when my own MLAs are standing against me. So, I resigned. The court says it would have reinstated the MVA government If I had not resigned. I might be wrong in legal terms but morally I was correct. said Thackeray.

Thackeray launched a bitter attack on the role Koshyari citing the SC remarks. Nowadays, it seems that Governors are used as servants by the ruling party (BJP). This is time to rethink if there is any need for the post of Governor.

The court has slammed the role of the then Governor Khoshyari. So, he should also be punished for his illegal decision. Otherwise, it will create a wrong precedent and the people holding the post of Governor will do whatever they or their masters want them to do and will happily go home after the term ends. said Thackeray.

Shinde and Fadnavis addressed a joint press conference after the SC verdict and claimed victory and insisted that the verdict has rendered their government legal and valid.

The Supreme Court judgement was a rap for those who were repeatedly calling this government illegal and unconstitutional. Truth has won and this government was formed after completing all the legal formalities, said Shinde.

Fadnavis said he is happy with the SCs decision. This is a victory of democracy and public mandate. The status quo ante cant be given, and Uddhav Thackeray will not be made CM, and this was very clear in judgement. said Fadnavis.

He also welcomed the decision that the rights of Shiv Sena MLAs, who faced disqualification are retained. Uddhav Thackeray has said that he resigned on moral grounds. But he cant speak on morality. I want to ask him where his morality was when he left the BJP and joined hands with the NCP and Congress. Thackeray resigned because of shame and fear of getting defeated, said Fadnavis. He also said that Governor Koshyari was right in calling Shinde to form the government.

Shinde said that the right of disqualification was with the Speaker and the SC acted accordingly. He also added that the Election Commission of India had already recognised them as Shiv Sena and given them the party symbol. Shinde reiterated that his party is the original Shiv Sena and this decision was taken three months after they split. He added that Thackeray had resigned from the post of CM as he had no majority.

We had the majority, and he (Uddhav) was left with no alternative but to resign. We acted as per peoples mandate and followed the thoughts of late Balasaheb Thackeray, said Shinde and claimed that he saved Balasahebs Shiv Sena. Shinde refused to speak on the role of the then Governor Koshyari.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar termed the SC verdict as important and expressed hope that the Speaker will maintain the reputation of the institution.

The court has taken a strong stand in the case, and it appears to be an important verdict. The court has pointed out that the legislative party is not final, but the order of the political party is important as it asks candidates to contest elections. Some decisions are yet to happen as the Speaker has been given the responsibility to decide on disqualification of MLAs in a specific time period. Lets see, when the Speaker takes its decision, at that time we will express our stand.

The Speaker is an institution and those having the responsibility are expected to maintain its reputation, said Sharad Pawar.

with inputs from Faisal Malik
The Supreme Courts decision on Thursday, citing its inability to restore the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra despite a staunch attack on the manner in which it was toppled was celebrated by Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the BJP. For the Uddhav-led Sena however, it only deepens the ditch they find themselves in. Other than sympathy, they hope to garner, they get little from the Supreme Courts order. Mumbai, India - April 11, 2023: Former Maharashtra chief minister and chief of Shiv Sena (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray addresses a press conference, at Matoshree, Bandra (East), in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

The SCs scathing attack on the role of the former governor and its observations about procedural lapses in the formation of the current government is an important precedent in constitutional law. It also underlined the fact that Uddhav Thackerays decision to resign as chief minister before a floor test, was wrong, leaving no scope for a legal remedy.

What it also means is that if he has to salvage his career, his party and his pride, Uddhav will have to start from scratch. He has not only lost MLAs but also the name and symbol of the party his father created. Sympathy for his decency and his handling of the pandemic in Mumbai are two factors that are still in his favour.

The verdict however, highlighted once again, the huge distinction between crude political realities and a moral appeal. What is the role of morality in political outcomes today? Are sympathy and likeability enough to win elections? And most importantly, can Uddhav and other MVA partners still find common purpose out of power?

The Shiv Sena functions as a party and a movement at the same time. It is possibly the only party in the state that commands a strong cadre at the grassroots with the shakhas functioning as its nervous system. If Uddhav has to rebuild the party, his team has to rebuild the immense trust among sainiks and local leaders. While this might seem easy in the Mumbai-Thane belt where the shakhas are well established, it is a gigantic challenge in the rest of Maharashtra as the Shinde faction has managed to poach most MLAs who command strong local influence elsewhere. While public rallies are an excellent way of creating media spectacle, Uddhav Thackeray needs to be conscious of the fact that crowds do not necessarily translate into electoral outcomes.

The Shinde-BJP combine is an excellent consolidation of power at the formal and the informal level. With a huge control over power and a considerable hold over brokerage and patronage networks at the local level, Shinde does have a well-oiled machinery to fight elections today. At a time when the role of money and muscle is only growing in elections, this is a big asset.

Even as Bal Thackerays charisma and Senas Hindutva has a strong appeal in Maharashtra, the partys organisational structure beyond the Mumbai-Thane belt was largely built by local leaders. Uddhav now faces the herculean task of identifying, recruiting and building a parallel leadership to fight the challenge that the MLAs from the Shinde faction pose. With the battle for the symbol and name lost, retaining his existing support base is also going to be difficult as he navigates uncertain waters with no formal identity other than his Thackeray surname.

A considerable amount of effort would also have to be put into improving the communication between the Thackerays and the common party worker. Since Uddhav took over the reins of the party, there have been numerous charges of disconnect between the grassroots worker and the top leadership. To change this, Uddhav and Aaditya will have to become much more accessible leaders and will have to venture out of the comforts of Matoshri.

While ideological pragmatism has been a crucial aspect of Shiv Senas style of functioning, Uddhav will now have to define what his party stands for. At the same time, he will have to reclaim his bargaining power within the MVA especially after the verdict and in the backdrop of internal skirmishes within the alliance partners.

As Bal Thackerays heir apparent, Uddhav will have to translate the sympathy and appeal he commanded to address the above-mentioned challenges. What he still has in his favour are what Nietzsche call, Invisible threads that are the strongest ties

*Dr. Sanjay Patils doctoral work looks at the journey of Shiv Sena between 1985 and 2022. He works at the University of Mumbai and has been chronicling the Shiv Senas journey for the last ten years.
Gautam Budh Nagar registered 57.43% voting turnout in the urban local body (ULB) elections on Thursday, which was at least five percentage points lower than the turnout of 63.78% recorded in the previous elections in 2017. A pink polling booth at Noida. (Sunil Ghosh/ HT Photo)

District magistrate Manish Verma said the district administration had made all efforts to ensure a good voter turnout these elections.

Officials of the district administration carried out several inspections of polling stations across the subdivisions where voting was held and the turnout was good in the morning. The turnout during the second half was, maybe, not so good but we are yet to analyse the reasons for that. The district administration made all efforts to bring out more voters through motivation exercises and awareness drives, said Verma.

A total of 154,000 voters were registered to vote for 31 candidates in the four town councils in Dankaur, Bilaspur, Jewar and Jehangirpur, and one municipality of Dadri. However, only 88,918 voters exercised their franchise on Thursday.

During the last election, there were 144,000 registered voters and 63.78% had turned out to vote.

This time, the total number of voters were reduced from 168,000 to 154,000 after 12 candidates of Rabupura town council were elected to power unopposed when the nomination process ended.

According to district administration data, the lowest turnout was registered in Dadri municipality at 51.88%. Dadri has the highest number of registered voters at 95,006, of whom 49,292 cast their votes.

Voting turnout was the highest in Jehangirpur town council at 74.01%. This ULB has the second lowest registered voters at 9,420. The voting turnout at the other ULBs was 64.73% in Jewar town council, 64.28% in Dankaur town council and 65.73% in Bilaspur town council.

These civic elections are being viewed by political pundits and parties as a key exercise to gauge the mood of urban voters ahead of the 2024 general elections.

According to political analysts, the reason for lower voter turnout could be disorientation among voters.

Although 57.43% voter turnout is not very low for civic elections, in comparison to last elections, it can be considered a dip. Low voter turnout is often a caused when there is disorientation among the voters regarding the current ruling party or the incumbent representatives. Since these are grassroots level elections, people identify with their candidates more closely and are more emotive about their votes. If the people have not come out to vote, it means there is some resentment among the people regarding the current regiment, said Rajesh Upadhyay, associate professor, department of political science, Delhi University.

He added that since the last elections were held in the month of November, when the weather was much more cooler, that could be another reason for the low turnout this time.

The voting began at 7am and ended at 5pm and the maximum temperature in Gautam Budh Nagar on Thursday was 38.6 degree Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department.

No incident of violence was reported from any of the voting areas though seven fake voters were arrested by the Gautam Budh Nagar police from Dadri and Bilaspur ULBs and two others were arrested from Dadri for allegedly trying to pressure voters to vote for a particular party.

SM Khan, deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida, said the maximum deployment was in Dadri municipality area.

Since Dadri has the highest number of voters, force deployment was highest there. All of Greater Noida zones were divided into three key zones and seven super zones to ensure tight security, said the DCP.

Laxmi Singh, commissioner of police, Gautam Budh Nagar, said, The voting went on smoothly and there was no violence reported in any area. Adequate arrangements were made for barriers and pickets on the border to ensure that the elections are conducted peacefully. Inspections were carried out by senior officers to ensure fair elections.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
When voting for the nine local bodies in Ghaziabad district ended on Thursday evening, the district recorded a dismal turnout of about 45.52%, which was the second lowest among the 38 districts which went to polls in the second phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh. Ghaziabad municipal corporation recorded the lowest voter turnout of 41.43% with only 638,903 voters of a registered base of 1,542,126 turning up to vote on Thursday. (Sakib Ali/ HT Photo)

According to the provisional figures released by the Uttar Pradesh election commission at 8pm on Thursday, the lowest turnout was recorded in Kanpur City at 42.64%. The Ghaziabad district went to polls with a total of 2,583,546 voters spread across nine local bodies and only 1,175,989 of them exercised their franchise on Thursday.

Among the nine local bodies, Ghaziabad municipal corporation recorded the lowest voter turnout of 41.43% with only 638,903 voters of a registered base of 1,542,126 turning up to vote on Thursday.

The turnout in Khoda was 44%, Muradnagar 66.35%, Modinagar 55%, Loni 47.16%, Dasna 66.80%, Niwari 72.34%, Patla 73.10%, and Faridnagar 72.19%.

District officials said it was a slow start to voting day. The district till 9am reported a turnout of 7.87% and it touched 19.67% by 11am. The voting picked up pace after that and the turnout touched 27.23% by 1pm, 34.69% by 3pm and 41.92% by 5pm.

The state election commission reported the overall provisional figure of 45.52% at the end of polling on Thursday at 8pm.

In the last local body elections in 2017, the corporation registered a lowest turnout of 41.74 per cent while four Nagar Palikas of Khoda, Muradnagar, Modinagar and Loni recorded turnout of 50.68 per cent, 65.19 per cent, 59.39 per cent and 49.22 per cent, respectively.

The fate of 1,837 contesting candidates is now sealed in the electronic voting machines and ballot boxes.

The contesting candidates expressed satisfaction with the voting and each of them said they would emerge victories on counting day on May 13.

We got overwhelming support from all sections of society and also in areas dominated by minority communities such as Kaila Bhatta, Shaheed Nagar and Sahibabad, among others. The voters cast their ballots beyond the party lines and we expect a huge win. Our agenda for city development and connect with locals also helped a lot. The low voter turnout in the urban segment has remained a cause of concern since the past few election but it will not impact our position, said Poonam Yadav, Samajwadi Partys mayoral candidate.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates have held the post of mayor, Ghaziabad municipal corporation, ever since the municipal board was upgraded to a corporation in 1994.

We expect that this time the victory margin will be huge and more than what we saw in 2017. Our agenda for city development and the work done by our party workers will help us emerge successful. The voting percentage remained low and this is also a cause of concern. It was expected that people who raise questions would also come out and vote for the citys development, said Sunita Dayal, BJPs mayoral candidate.

This election, there was an increase of 306,656 voters from the previous polls in 2017, district officials said.

The turnout has been on the lower side in the district but we had made all arrangements from our side. The voters in urban segments did not come out as expected but the voters in rural segments turned out in large numbers and this increased the overall turnout, said Vipin Kumar, additional district magistrate and nodal officer for local bodies.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
LUCKNOW As part of an ongoing rescue operation, 32 more students were brought back to Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. These students were pursuing higher education in violence-hit Manipur. With this, the Yogi Adityanath government has managed to rescue 130 Uttar Pradesh-based students who got stuck in the north-eastern state due to ethnic clashes. Earlier, on Tuesday and Wednesday, 98 such students had returned to Uttar Pradesh. The Yogi government arranged for flight tickets to rescue these students. (HT Photo)

The rescued students were first airlifted to Delhi and then brought back to their respective districts in Uttar Pradesh. The Yogi government arranged for flight tickets to rescue these students, who are enrolled in different educational institutions in Manipur. The government also coordinated with Manipur authorities to ensure that these students reach the Imphal airport safely.

Now, 12 more students are expected to return to U.P. on Friday. After this, 16 more Uttar Pradesh-based students would be left in Manipur. However, among these 16 students, five have refused to come back while the other 11 have decided to come back on their own, said Prabhu Narain Singh, relief commissioner, Uttar Pradesh.

The commissioner added, Our priority is to safely bring back the students from U.P. who are studying in Manipur. Earlier, we got information about 136 students in Manipur. Subsequently, a campaign was launched to bring them back. Later, we got to know about 22 more students being stuck there. We are committed to bringing everyone back. The state government is taking these students to their homes in luxury buses and cars. All these students are being properly taken care of.

Notably, students landing in Delhi from Manipur are first being taken from the airport to RC office and then, to the U.P. Bhawan, where eating and sleeping arrangements have been made for them. Arrangements have also been made to send these students back to their homes.

Simultaneously, students landing at Lucknow airport are being sent to their homes in Volvo buses while cars have been arranged for students who are from nearby areas. According to the relief commissioner, a 24X7 helpline 1070 has been set up by the state government. Significantly, the Manipur government is cooperating fully with the U.P. government to evacuate students as per received information.
Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of trying to implicate him in the alleged liquor scam in the state. He claimed that the ED has been acting as an agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) (ANI photo)

He claimed that the ED has been acting as an agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Our claim that the ED has been acting as an agent of the BJP has been proved right. The way it has been threatening people to implicate them in false cases, they are now trying to implicate me in the alleged excise scam. Their main aim is to defame the Congress government, he said.

The CM asked why the ED was not taking any action against distillers if they had accepted that they were selling liquor without paying the excise duty.

Also Read: Explained: How liquor scam of over 2,000 cr in Chhattisgarh was unearthed by ED

The ED has continuously released press statements stating that distillers were selling liquor without paying the excise duty in the state. Now the question arises that if they were doing so, then will they become offenders or witnesses? Why action was not taken against distillers as they (illegally) got the benefit and have accepted it, Baghel said.

He further alleged that the act reflects there is a nexus between the ED and distillers or between the BJP and distillers.

The CM further said his government has been discussing the issue with legal experts as scheduled offences like extortion and corruption in the state do not come under the EDs jurisdiction.

The ED on Saturday claimed that a liquor scam of more than 2,000 crore in Chhattisgarh in the last four years in which a syndicate comprising high-level state government officials, private persons and political executives of the state government.

The ED in its remand application for Anwar Dhebar, who was arrested and produced on Saturday, also claimed that IAS officer Anil Tuteja who is joint secretary in the department of industry and commerce, was the kingpin of this illegal syndicate along with Anwar Dhebar.

Anwar is elder brother of Raipur mayor Aijaz Dhebar.

The ED in the remand application stated the sale of unaccounted illicit liquor was almost 30-40% of the total sale of the liquor in the state
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested one Pappu alias Trilok Bhatia, a Bhilai-based liquor businessman, in connection with the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh, officials said on Thursday. (Representative Photo)

The ED produced Bhatia in a special court in Raipur which sent him four-day remand. On Wednesday, the ED arrested Nitesh Purohit, promoter of Giriraj Hotel located in Raipur and produced him before the court.

The agency had told the court on Wednesday that Purohit was aware of the illegal operations of Anwar Dhebar and willingly assisted him in the movement of proceeds of crime to Anil Tuteja (an IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre) and another person.

The economic intelligence agency has also claimed that Tuteja, who is joint secretary in the department of industry and commerce, was the kingpin of this illegal syndicate along with Anwar Dhebar.

Also Read: ED trying to implicate me in alleged liquor scam: Chhattisgarh CM Baghel

The ED had on May 6 arrested Anwar Dhebar, a liquor trader and an accused in the case, who also happens to be the elder brother of Raipur mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar.

The ED last week uncovered a multi-crore corruption and money-laundering syndicate in Chhattisgarh involved in an unaccounted country-made liquor scam.

The agency had claimed that it has unearthed corruption and money laundering of multi-crore by a syndicate comprising high-level state government officials, private persons and political executives of the state government who controlled and manipulated the entire chain of the liquor trade in the state.

The agency in a statement on Sunday said that it has collected evidence of unprecedented corruption and money laundering to the tune of 2,000 crore between 2019 and 2022.

According to the ED, the illegal, offthebook sale of country-made liquor amounted to an estimated 40% of the total sale of liquor in the state.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar Thursday said he would be more than happy if Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar becomes the face of the coalition of parties he is trying to put together to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 parliamentary elections. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav meets NCP chief president Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Thursday. (HT PHOTO)

The Janata Dal United leader, who snapped ties with his long-time ally BJP last year, was speaking to reporters in Mumbai, where he called on Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and invited them to Patna for a meeting of various leaders, whose date is yet to be decided.

Both Thackeray and Pawar have favoured formation of a national coalition against the BJP and agreed to attend the meeting in Patna.

Kumar was accompanied by Bihars deputy chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav. Both the leaders first met Thackeray at his Matoshree residence in Bandra and later reached Silver Oak, Pawars residence on Peddar Road.

Also read | In PM Modi's presence, Gehlot's respect for Opposition swipe: I think you will also move in this direction

After his meeting with Pawar, Kumar said he would be more than happy to see the NCP chief becoming the face of the opposition to challenge BJP. I will be more than happy if he (Sharad Pawar) becomes the oppositions face. I told him today (about the same). We all felt bad when he resigned (from the post of NCP national president). Now when he is back, I told him you will have to work strongly not only for your party but also for the country, the Bihar chief minister told reporters in response to a question.

Pawar was quick to add that they have decided to work together as of now. We are not going into who will be the face of opposition. What we know is that the people want all of us together, said the political stalwart, who has served as a union minister with key portfolios as well as Maharashtra chief minister during his decades-long political career.

Confirming about the meeting planned in Patna, Kumar said, You will come to know the details when it happens.

The Bihar CM has been meeting leaders of various political parties for several months now. He had met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi last month. On Tuesday, he had met Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar and is likely to meet a few more in the coming days.

After their meeting, Pawar and Kumar also slammed the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre.

The country needs a viable alternative. If we work together, it will get support from the people, Pawar, a former defence minister, said, adding that as their information, Karnataka people are removing the BJP and bringing a secular government. This will not be limited to Karnataka. The situation is similar in major parts of the country but to achieve success, we all will have to work together, he said.

Kumar said, Those ruling at the Centre are doing nothing for the country except renaming places and trying to change the history. It would be in the interest of the country that there should not be any differences among communities. There should not be discrimination over caste and religion such as Hindu and Muslim.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Speaking publicly for the first time after being granted remission by the Bihar government, former MP Anand Mohan said he was innocent in the murder of young IAS officer G Krishnaiah and added he would rather be hanged than being falsely accused. Former Bihar MP Anand Mohan (Twitter Photo)

Mohan was addressing a public gathering in Bihars Araria district on Wednesday.

Mohan was initially sentenced to death by a trial court in 2007. However, he was commuted to life by the Patna high court in 2008, a decision which the Supreme Court upheld in July 2012 for the alleged murder of Gopalganj district magistrate G Krishnaiah in December 1994.

Also Read: The role of a jail manual in state politics

Notably, neither Araria Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP nor the local BJP MLA shared a dais with Mohan during the function organised to unveil the statue of Veer Kunwar Singh.

Citing his close relationship with former Union home minister Lal Krishna Adwani and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, he dared his critics to talk to these leaders and ask them about his nature.

The former MP alleged that the widow of the slain IAS was being made a scapegoat by some political parties.

Terming himself a leader who has been obeying the Constitution in letter and spirit, Singh said, Yeh Desh kisi ke baap ka nhi hai (This country is nobodys property), adding everybody has irrigated it with blood and asserted he was out of jail as he was innocent.

The function which was organised by Araria district Kshatriya Samaj is believed to project Mohan as the sole leader of the Rajput community.

Mohans wife and former MP Lovely Anand, who accompanied him during the function, said, Killing innocent is tantamount to implicating innocent into false cases asserting her husband was innocent.

Declaring the protests against the remission granted to her husband unlawful and illogical she tried to play an emotional card saying Nobody knows how I spent my days without my husband during all 16 years.

During the function, several Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders, including disaster management minister Shahnawaz Alam shared a dais with Mohan.

Also Read: SC notice to Bihar, Centre on premature release of ex-MP Anand Mohan

Political observers have said that Mohans speech was a calculated move of RJD to garner the support of upper castes. This was a calculated step towards the extension of M-Y in Bihar politics, said political observer Prof Naresh Kumar Srivastava, adding, This is likely to strengthen RJD in Bihar.

The Supreme Court recently issued notice to the Bihar government asking them to respond to a petition filed by the wife of slain bureaucrat G Krishnaiah, explaining the remittance granted to the man behind his murder, gangster-turned-politician Mohan, who walked out of jail on April 27 after serving 15 years and nine months in prison after on April 10, the state government amended Rule 481 (1-a) of the Bihar Prison Manual 2012, according to which anyone sentenced for the murder of a government servant on duty was earlier ineligible for remission even after 20 years.
Exhumation of bodies of victims of cult leader, Paul McKenzie Nthenge at the Shakahola massacre scene in Kilifi.

Nairobi  The death toll from the shocking massacre in Shakahola has shot up to 145 Wednesday, even as the exhumation exercise continued.

This follows the recovery of 12 more bodies Tuesday.

Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha said 11 of them were exhumed while one was found in the expansive forest.

The recoveries came even as the High Court ordered three more weeks of detention for doomsday cult leader Paul Mackenzie who is accused of urging people to starve to death so as to "meet Jesus."

The controversial pastor faces terrorism charges over what has been dubbed the "Shakahola Forest Massacre" after the grisly discovery last month of mass graves near the Indian Ocean town of Malindi.

A court in the port city of Mombasa ordered Mackenzie, his wife and 16 other suspects held for 30 days, dating from his first court appearance when he was arraigned on May 2.

Magistrate Yusuf Shikanda said that releasing the suspects would jeopardise their safety as well as the ongoing investigation.

Prosecutors had been seeking their detention for another 90 days.

Police believe most of the bodies found near Malindi were followers of Mackenzie, a taxi driver-turned-preacher who is accused of inciting them to starve to death "to meet Jesus."

While starvation appears to be the main cause of death, some of the victims -- including children -- were strangled, beaten or suffocated, according to chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor.

Court documents filed on Monday said some of the corpses had their organs removed, with police alleging the suspects were engaged in forced harvesting of body parts.

But Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki urged caution.

"It is a theory we are investigating. The reports that came from the morgue are still being finalised and I do not want to pre-empt the matter," he told reporters on Tuesday.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Legal Affairs Religion 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.

Coast Regional Commissioner Onyancha has said that as many as 500 people have been reported missing, including from villages around the forest.

Mackenzie, who founded the Good News International Church in 2003, turned himself in on April 14 after police acting on a tip-off first entered Shakahola forest.

The case has stunned Christian-majority Kenya and led President William Ruto to set up a commission of inquiry into the deaths and a task force to review regulations governing religious bodies.

Another pastor accused of links to Mackenzie and to the bodies found in the forest, was released on bail at a court hearing last Thursday.

Ezekiel Odero, a high-profile and wealthy televangelist, is being investigated on a raft of charges including murder, aiding suicide, abduction, radicalisation, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud and money laundering.
Food is an important marker of cross-cultural exchanges. It is both global, as it is consumed worldwide, yet highly local, as there are significant variations in food across countries and cultures. Cream cheese is a soft, usually mild-tasting fresh cheese made from milk and cream. It is not naturally matured and is meant to be eaten fresh, so it differs from other soft cheeses such as Brie. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

Towards the end of the nineteenth century in New York, a new dish became a part of the staple Jewish cuisine. It consisted of a bagel topped with cream cheese, lox (filets of brined salmon), capers, tomato, and red onion. It was often served for breakfast, sometimes for brunch.

The dish had come into existence owing to the popularity of a certain variety of cheese. In 1874, William A Lawrence from New York started mass-producing an unripened fresh cheese, known generically as cream cheese. A few years later, he created the first brand of cream cheese with the logo having a silhouette of a cow followed by the words Neufchatel & Cream Cheese.

Cream cheese is a soft, usually mild-tasting fresh cheese made from milk and cream. It is not naturally matured and is meant to be eaten fresh, so it differs from other soft cheeses such as Brie.

Cream cheese soon became popular in the Jewish community of New York, especially among the Polish immigrants, where it was commonly known as schmear. It soon became the basis of several common open-faced sandwiches.

Almost at the same time, in May 1879, a fascinating letter appeared in the Poona Observer. Poona was suffering a massive heat wave then. The anonymous letter urged the Europeans living in the city to combat the treacherous summer heat with certain summer foods like native sherbets, curd, watermelon and muskmelon, the Poona kheera (cucumber), unripe mangoes, khus, and the Poona cream cheese.

The writer had provided some recipes for the benefit of readers. The Poona cream cheese could be purchased from the native milkman and sugar be added to it. The mixture could be smeared on bread and had for breakfast. Thinly sliced cucumber, chopped coriander, and black pepper could be added to the cream cheese and used as a topping.

It is interesting to note that this letter appeared when cream cheese had just been made commercially available in the United States and was yet to gain popularity there.

For several years, I was puzzled by the mention of Poona cream cheese. The manufacture of European cheese was practically unknown in India till Keventer began his famous Poona experiment in the 1880s. So was there any other variety of European cheese that was made in the city before Keventer manufactured cheese? Or was it some other native cream cheese available in the city?

The eureka moment came when a couple of years ago, I came across a report detailing the prevalence of enteric fever and typhoid in the North-West Province. The report mentioned cream cheese. In the North-West Provinces in the early 1890s, typhoid bacilli were found by the sanitation department in the aerated waters and the dahi was supplied to the East Surrey Regiment. Manufacturers of aerated waters were then summoned by government officials and asked to maintain proper hygiene. A couple of months later, owing to precautions taken by the manufacturers, aerated waters were no longer open to suspicion. But bazaar dahi was eaten in the form of either cream cheese or sweetmeats and the authorities felt that there was a danger of introduction of the typhoid bacillus. It was advised by the government authorities that even though native doctors advised consuming dahi and cream cheese in the summer, it better be avoided.

The cream cheese mentioned in the report (and the Poona cream cheese from Poona Observer) was called chakka in Marathi. It was similar to strained yoghurt and was made by draining the dahi in a muslin cloth. Chakka had been used for centuries to make shrikhand, a very popular dessert in the western provinces of India. It was also a popular accompaniment to be eaten with lamb meat and naan in the Pashtun community of the western regions of the subcontinent.

Dahi is a kind of curd or rather coagulated milk. To prepare this, the milk is first boiled, then soured by being thrown into an unwashed vessel in which dahi had been previously kept. Many times, a dahi starter, (virajan in Marathi) is used. Anglo-Indians employed an acid to precipitate the solid ingredients of the milk, and rennet was used by some Indian Christian families. Dahi thus differed from curd as prepared in Europe in being practically sour boiled milk. The milk was boiled almost immediately after being obtained from the cow and thus contained all its fat.

Dahi was largely consumed without removing the water, called whey, it contained. Dahi, even if separated from the whey, contained too much fat to be made into cheese. It was, in fact, cream cheese, and on drying crumbled to powder. The whey was separated by pressing the dahi inside a muslin cloth. The cream cheese (chakka) was made in Western India in many homes on festive occasions. It was a delicacy and few could afford to consume it regularly.

The trade in chakka was very extensive, and within a radius around Poona large quantities were carried by train in the late nineteenth century  chakka being contained within a cloth and resting in open baskets.

Dahi was not usually eaten alone to any large extent since it was considered to cause severe constipation. Hence, water was removed from dahi, and the chakka thus formed was used to make several sweets in the summer. European doctors believed that the sweetmeats so largely consumed as a midday meal in the Bombay Presidency partook of all the ingredients of food and were not mere luxuries like the sweets of Europe. This might be the reason why the anonymous writer came up with the brilliant idea of using chakka as a topping to make open-face sandwiches.

The letter in Poona Observer detailing recipes for open-face sandwiches using Poona cream cheese depicts a delightful episode of cross-cultural exchange of cuisines. The Europeans found inspiration to come up with a recipe for open sandwiches with chakka in Poona, and in faraway New York, the Jewish community used cream cheese to make the same. Who inspired who? Or, did they come up with the ideas independently? We would never know.

Chinmay Damle is a research scientist and food enthusiast. He writes here on Punes food culture. He can be contacted at chinmay.damle@gmail.com
The much-discussed Balbharati-Paud Link Road has taken another turn after the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) shared a detailed project report (DPR), traffic survey and Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report on its website on May 10. Civic activists have raised objections to this report, stating that the decision to construct the road, was made long before the reports were ready. Environmentalists and residents have opposed construction of the road through Vetal tekdi (hill). (ht file photo)

Sushma Date, member of Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti said, It appears as if neither the consultants, nor PMC take technical reports seriously. The decision to construct the road was made long before the reports were ready. Environment Impact Assessment and Traffic survey were approved in July 2021, the construction of Balbharati-Paud Link Road was approved in August 2021 and DPR was approved in December 2022. The changes in the documents are suspicious. We received all documents under Right to Information (RTI), so we could easily spot the changes.

There are changes in alignment of roads that we got via RTI in December 2022 and the one in the uploaded DPR. The change in Survey 44 has yet to be approved by building department, municipal commissioner and state government, yet it has blatantly been shown on the website, she added.

A senior official from the road department requesting anonymity said, We have uploaded a draft report. This is not the final report. The DPR has been prepared to get an idea of the whole project. Changes will be made when required as the traffic scenario changes every year. There may be typo errors, however, it does not mean that the entire report is incorrect.We changed the alignment in survey number 44 to minimise the rehabilitation cost.

Ujjwal Keskar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said, PMC should upload all reports. If activists already had access to reports via RTI, they should have put them up on their websites. The PMC and civic activists do not trust each other.

In traffic report, PMC has mentioned that some measures can be taken to temporarily reduce the congestion on existing Law College Road such as creating No-Parking zones on the main road and allowing vehicles to park on Bhandarkar and Prabhat Roads on alternate days or declare Law College Road as one-way, with the return from Pashan Road or Kothrud-Pashan tunnel (yet to be constructed). These would be short-term measures.

PMC insists that the proposed Balbharati-Paud Link Road is much-needed to decongest traffic on Law College Road.
Though the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has approved 13 tenders worth 8.10 crore to clean sewage lines at regional ward offices, contractors quoted 35%-40% less than the estimated cost. If the contractors are quoting 35 to 40 per cent less than the estimated cost, it could either be that they will carry out poor work or take bills without doing any work on ground, say activists. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The civic body standing committees approval of cleaning sewer lines at projected cost higher than contractors rates has raised eyebrows of administration and politicians.

Civic activist Vivek Velankar said, Either the estimated cost is inflated or contractors would do substandard work. If the contractors are quoting 35 to 40 per cent less than the estimated cost, it could either be that they will carry out poor work or take bills without doing any work on ground.

One of the senior politicians on condition of anonymity said, Most of the drainage cleaning works done in wards are bogus. Most of the people given the contracts ate related to politicians. They do not carry out the project and pocket the bill. Even PMC officers do not inspect the work carried out on ground.
What should prison authorities do to ensure that high-profile inmates are not stabbed violently in full public view? If the administration of Delhis jails is to be believed, the answer is to ship them out of the state, even if it means amending a statute from 1950. This newspaper reported on Thursday that gangsters in Delhis three jails may be moved to prisons in other states, in what was described as a measure aimed at snapping criminal syndicates built and operated from behind bars. Such a move will require amendments to the Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950  a process that needs approval from the home ministry, after which undertrials, too, may be shifted to other states. PREMIUM The brutal killing saw the gangster being stabbed nearly 100 times by members of a rival gang and raised serious questions about the conduct of the prison staff. (Shutterstock)

The context is obvious: The murder of gangster Sunil Balyan, better known as Tillu Tajpuria, last week. The brutal killing saw the gangster being stabbed nearly 100 times by members of a rival gang and raised serious questions about the conduct of the prison staff who appeared to have condoned egregious violations of regulations. The Delhi high court, too, flagged these unacceptable developments last week when it said it was unable to comprehend why no action was taken when the incident was being recorded on CCTV. As the court rightly noted, the security of every prisoner is the responsibility of the government, and the authorities would do well to probe the alleged lacunae thoroughly, and on priority. As the experience with employing guards from outside the state has shown  Tamil Nadu personnel are deputed in Tihar and other Delhi jails but were unable to control the flare-up in Tajpurias death  there is no quick fix. Only the painstaking process of establishing oversight and adherence to regulation will work.
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras has launched Department of Medical Sciences and Technology on Thursday, May 11. The newly launched department will offer four-year B.S. program in medical sciences and engineering. IIT Madras to offer 4-year B.S. program in medical sciences and engineering

Lakshmi Narayanan, Co-Founder, Cognizant, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Medical clinicians on the Steering Committee of the Department and other stakeholders were present at the launch event.

As per a press release issued by IIT Madras, the course will offer an interdisciplinary approach to prepare students for designing life-saving medical devices, drug discovery, artificial intelligence in medicine, and fundamental medical research. The department will train physicians to effectively apply technology in their clinical practice and lay the foundation for physician-scientists training in India.

The main aim of this initiative is to equip scientists and engineers with the necessary skills to advance medical research.

The Department will offer the courses which includes- BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering, PhD programme for Doctors, MS by Research for Doctors, MS in Medical Sciences and Engineering and PhD program for Science and Engineering graduates.
Recently, data obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act revealed that 16 of the 19 Scheduled Caste /Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) cells in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) across the country are non-functional, while four IITs didnt even have an SC/ST cell. Though the Centre claims that 19 of the 23 IITs have dedicated cells for the welfare of SC-ST students, 16 of them are non-functional, the data revealed. While 18 cells did not have any funds, 16 have not conducted any events since August 2022. Twelve cells have no rooms allotted for meetings or discussions and 10 do not have any information about reservation, or any mechanism to check quota implementation, the application filed by Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC), a students association based in IIT-Bombay, found. PREMIUM IIT Delhi (Agency File Photo)

A spate of suicides among students at IITs sparked allegations of caste-based discrimination at the countrys premier higher education institutions, and shone the spotlight on the SC/ST cells that were required to come up in all higher education institutions according to a University Grants Commission (UGC) mandate from 1998. The mandate, however, is not binding on IITs, where since 2018, 33 students from marginalised communities, including Dalit communities, have died by suicide, according to a reply in Parliament made earlier this year.

On March 16, IIT-Delhi set up an SC/ST cell to ensure effective implementation of the reservation policy at its campus. Professor Pravin P Ingole, chairperson of the cell and SC/ST liaison officer at IIT-Delhi, said that the cell has now become fully functional and has already conducted a meeting with its members and stakeholders. The IITs are not bound to follow UGC regulations and guidelines because they are autonomous. But, IIT-Delhi has gone a step ahead and constituted a SC/ST cell in accordance with the UGC mandate. The cell will not only monitor the implementation of the reservation policy at the campus but it will also look into the grievances of students from SC, ST and OBC communities, he said.

In February, the death of an 18-year-old Dalit student at IIT-Bombay sparked allegations of caste discrimination even as the institution denied it. Four cases of death by suicide among students of IIT-Madras between February and April alone, also brought back the debate on the lack of a proper mechanism for addressing caste discrimination in these institutions. The issue itself gained nation-wide prominence after the tragic death by suicide of Hyderabad University PhD student Rohith Vemula on January 17, 2016.

In such a context, the cell set up by IIT-Delhi is a significant move: it is meant to implement, monitor, and evaluate continuously, the institutes reservation policies for admissions as well as recruitment to teaching and non-teaching staff. The institute is among two  the other being IIT-Bombay  to have launched separate websites for the cell. According to the RTI data obtained by APPSC, IIT-Bhubaneswar is the only institute to mention the quota on its website, but it does not have a cell either.

Rajakumar Guduru, liaison Officer SC, ST, OBC, PWD & Minorities of IIT Bhubaneswar said the institute is yet to create a special cell for SC/ST students. "We have proposed a special cell for the SC/ST students, but it is yet to materialize. The existing arrangement is that all such complaints would be addressed by the director. However, we have not got any complaint from SC/ST students so far, said Guduru.

Responsibilities of the cell

According to an official notification issued by the institute on March 16, the cell is mandated to implement, monitor and evaluate the reservation policy and plan measures for ensuring effective implementation of the policy and programme of the government of India.

As per government of Indias reservation policy, the IIT Delhi reserves 27% seats for students from Other Backward Classes (OBC) section, 15% for Scheduled Caste (SC) and 7.5% Scheduled Tribe (ST) students. The process of implementing the Teachers' Reservation Bill 2019 (SC 15%, ST 7.5%, and OBC 27%) is under consideration and soon to be implemented.

The notification further elaborated that the cell will deal with the representatives received from SC, ST, and OBC candidates regarding their admissions, recruitment, proportions and other similar matters. It will provide necessary help in solving the academic and administrative issues of SC, ST and OBC students and employees.

The cell will soon constitute a separate committee to specifically deal with the complaints of SC and ST students. The committee will be in line with the UGC guidelines issued on April 11. We already have a mechanism to address the grievances of students but we do not have any special committee to address the grievances of SC and ST students. Therefore, we are thinking of devising a separate mechanism to address the complaints of SC and ST students by incorporating the students' grievance committee specifically for such students under the cell, Ingole said.

The UGC had last month issued its Redressal of Grievances of Students Regulations, 2023, which will replace the 2019 guidelines, and made it mandatory to include one member from a marginalized caste or tribe, and one woman, students grievance redressal committees (SGRCs) that are supposed to be constituted by every higher educational institution to deal with student complaints.

Our committee will be formed on similar lines. However, it will specifically deal with the issues of only SC and ST students, Ingole said.

The cell is also planning to come up with an online platform through which the students from marginalized communities will be able to register their grievances. We are planning to add an option in our existing service portal of the institute through which students from marginalized communities can raise their complaints directly. The complaint will be directed to the SC/ST cells liaison officer and then the officer will forward those complaints to the grievance redressal committee, he said.

However, till that mechanism is set up, any student can directly reach out to us at the cell, he added.

When asked if the cell will have powers to punish faculty members or students found guilty in any case of discrimination against their SC, ST, and OBC colleagues, Ingole said, The cell will not directly deal with the complaint. It will be dealt with by the concerned committee. Our job is to monitor the progress of the complaint and ensure that it is being taken up in an unbiased manner. We will also be focussing on speeding up the process as well.

Concerns over autonomy

While students and faculty members at the campus welcome the constitution of the cell, they raised concerns over its autonomy. The cell should work independently without any pressure from the administration. It should not become a token gesture, said a PhD student at the institute, who belongs to the SC community, requesting anonymity.

Responding to which, Ingole said that the cell will work independently. There wont be any interference from administrations side in the functioning of the cell. The cell will maintain the privacy of each and every student who will approach it with a grievance, he said.

The liaison officer said that the SC/ST cell, with the help of other existing centres or committees at the campus, will carry out sensitisation programmes at the campus. The cell will ask the other bodies in the institutions to carry out sensitisation programmes and workshops and ensure that students from unreserved categories should also attend these sessions. Sometimes students dont even know what all falls under the ambit of discrimination, Ingole said.

We are also considering introducing a course or at least a module to sensitize students towards the issues of SC and ST communities, he added.

Ingole further said that the cell may also explore the bridge courses that are being offered at the institute during the summer vacations for students from marginalized communities. In case, we feel that there is a need to introduce more courses, we will discuss that with the administration, he said.

Meanwhile, the cell is also considering offering separate counselling services to students from SC, and ST communities. We may hire counsellors from SC and ST communities for the purpose, he added.

(With inputs from Debabrata Mohanty)
Alia Bhatt has reacted to the debate around nepotism and privilege and said that she acknowledges it and never takes her work for granted. The actor has faced a lot of unfavorable attention regarding the topic of nepotism in the past. (Also read: Alia Bhatt says this recent habit of daughter Raha has become the best thing in her life: 'Its like a romantic moment') Alia Bhatt has reacted to the existence of nepotism in Bollywood.(Instagram/aliaabhatt)

This is not the first time that the actor has responded to the debate around nepotism. The daughter of film director Mahesh Bhatt and actor Soni Razdan, Alia had said in an earlier interview that she had not got her first break because of her parents but after auditioning for Karan Johar. Alia debuted with Karan Johar's Student of the Year in 2012, alongside Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra.

Now, in an interview with Harper's Bazaar Arabia, Alia opened up about the existence of privilege and nepotism in the industry and said, It has definitely come up a lot in conversation over the last couple of years. The long and short of it is, I empathise. I understand that its possibly been easier for me to get through the door than maybe the next person. And I compare my dreams to another persons dreams: no dream is bigger or smaller, or more intense. Everybodys dreams are the same, everybodys desire is the same. So I completely understand where that conversation comes from. The only thing I can say is that I acknowledge the fact that I have gotten that head start. I acknowledge the fact that I do have that privilege, which is why I give 100 per cent every day and I never take my work for granted. The only thing I can do is keep my head down and keep working.

Alia completed ten years in Bollywood in October last year. She recently won her fifth Filmfare award, this time for her performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi. She also marked her debut at the Met Gala red carpet in a white Prabal Gurung gown earlier last week.

Alia will be making her Hollywood debut with Heart of Stone, where she stars alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. She has Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani with Ranveer Singh in the pipeline. Alia is yet to start shooting for Farhan Akhtar's Jee Le Zaraa.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Actor Parineeti Chopra and AAP leader Raghav Chadha are all set for their intimate engagement ceremony. Ahead of the day, visuals from actor's house in Mumbai have reached on social media. Her entire house has been decked up for the festivities. Also read: Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha cannot stop smiling as paparazzi ask, Shaadi me bulane wale ho?' Watch Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha will be getting engaged in Delhi. (Photo: Varinder Chawla)(Photo: Varinder Chawla)

While Parineeti or her family members were not seen, her house was adorned with lights. Their engagement is going to be a traditional ceremony to be held at Kapurthala House, Connaught Place in Delhi on May 13. It will take place in the evening.

Parineeti and Raghav are slated to wear colour-coordinated outfits for their engagement day. While Raghav has opted for a minimalist achkan designed by his maternal uncle, fashion designer Pawan Sachdeva, the Ishaqzaade actor will wear a subtle Indian outfit from Manish Malhotra. Parineeti was snapped several times at the designer's house which further sparked rumoured of her wedding with Raghav.

The two are occasionally spotted together on dinner outings. They are also seen at airport. Parineeti also flies out of the city quite frequently. On Tuesday, Parineeti and Raghav were spotted exiting the Delhi airport together when the paparazzi asked them about their wedding.

Reacting to the questions from media and photographers, Parineeti was seen blushing. Raghav who also did not comment, smiled as the photographers who asked him if he will invite them to the wedding.

Meanwhile, reports also claim that Parineeti and Raghav's engagement is going to be an intimate affair. The guest list for the function is a very tight one. It's likely to feature the whos who of the country. While the ceremony is set to take place in Delhi, it's not known if the rumoured couple will host a party for their friends in Mumbai.

Parineeti made her debut with Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl in 2011. She was last seen in filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya's Uunchai, which also featured Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzongpa, Neena Gupta and Sarika. Parineeti has films like Chamkila and Capsule Gill lined up for release this year. Raghav, on the other hand, is a Member of Parliament.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
On Wednesday, actor Shraddha Kapoor shared photos of herself showing off her new look. The actor shared a witty caption as she debuted her short hairstyle on Instagram. She wrote, "Dil chota mat karo, baal karo (don't make her hearts small, make your hair short)." The actor gave a couple of cute poses in the pictures taken at her home. While some fans could not get enough of Shraddha's new look, others wanted to know 'why' she went short. Also read: Shraddha Kapoor's 'incredible French and British accents, impress fans Shraddha Kapoor has cut her hair shot, and shared new photos of her hairstyle.

Shraddha wore a pink top and a pair of blue jeans with white sneakers as she sat on the floor in the photos. She smiled for the camera in a selfie and posed with her eyes closed as she touched her hair that barely reaches her shoulder in another picture. A fan commented on her post, "What a cutie." A comment also read, "Too cute!!!" One more wrote, Rest of the girls on one side, and Shraddha Kapoor on the other (heart emojis).

Some people also wanted to know the story behind the actor's new look. A person joked, "Don't lie @shraddhakapoor, did you cut your hair at home?" Another one asked, "Shraddha what did you do?" One more asked, "Ye kya kar diya (what have you done)?" A fan also said, "Oh but why. You look cute with long hair..." Some also asked if Shraddha had chopped her hair off for an upcoming project.

Shraddha Kapoor was last seen in Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar alongside Ranbir Kapoor, which was released in theatres on March 8. The film directed by Luv Ranjan was recently released on Netflix. The film also features Dimple Kapadia, Boney Kapoor and Anubhav Singh Bassi in supporting roles.

Shraddha will next be seen in Stree 2 alongside Rajkummar Rao, Aparshakti Khurrana and Abhishek Banerjee. The film will hit theatres on August 31, 2024. Stree (2018) was a horror-comedy directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan. Almost five years later, the cast had announced the release date of Stree 2. The same was announced at the Jio Studios Infinite Together event, which was held last month.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Twinkle Khanna has said that her first job was delivering fish and prawns. It was her grandmother's sister who ran a fish company and Twinkle helped her out. (Also read: Twinkle Khanna shares video of her 'doing coronation the right way) Twinkle Khanna recalls her first job.

I remember my first job was - I used to go and deliver fish and prawns. My grandmothers sister had a fish company, her name is Macchiwala. That was my first job. When I used to tell someone, they would say, Tu machhiwali hai? (Are you a fisherwoman), Twinkle said on Tweak India, during a conversation with Johnny Lever.

Citing her own example, Twinkle asked Johnny to name the weirdest jobs he did before taking to comedy as a profession. Johnny told Twinkle that he used to sell pens on the streets and would mimic actors and the sale would be better. Twinkle's husband, actor Akshay Kumar also made a special appearance on the show.

This is not the first time Twinkle talked about her first job. Talking about her changing professions, Twinkle had told The Khaleej Times in 2016, I wrote half a novel when I was 18 and I always thought I would eventually write because my world has been filled with words. She said that she is a passionate reader and wanted to be a chartered accountant (CA) when she was young.

I have been working my whole life. My first job was working for my grandmother's sister's company and delivering boxes of fish and prawns. Then, I was working as an assistant to an interior decorator while I was also applying for my CA entrance exam. Math was always my favourite subject, Twinkle added. Twinkle then said that she started getting offers for films and her mom told her it was the right age for a girl to make that sort of money.

Twinkle made her Bollywood debut with Bobby Deol in 1995 in Barsaat. She also featured in films such as Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai, Baadshah and Joru Ka Ghulam, among a few others.

After working in films for some time, Twinkle quit acting in 2001 and ventured into writing in 2015. Her first book was Mrs Funnybones that received wide appreciation. She also wrote another book that was an anthology of stories - The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad - in 2017.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Nairobi  Kenya will from this year begin to export 700, oo0 cattles to Indonesia as the Government seeks to diversify its export.

This comes after Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria signed an agreement with the Indonesia Animal Production and Animal Health Director General Ir Nasrullah.

The first shipment will be on August this year.

"We discussed the opportunity for Kenya to access the 700,000 cattle per year import market in Indonesia," Kuria said on his Twitter handle.

"We agreed to hasten approval protocols that will enable the first shipment of 20,000 herds by August 2023," he added.

CS Kuria is on a visit to the South East Asian country, exploring business partnerships between Kenya and Indonesia.

The CS also met his Indonesian counterpart, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, for discussions ranging from trade and investment cooperation, economic growth, and strategies for sustainable development.

Kuria and Pandjaitan also discussed a possible preferential trade agreement between Kenya and Indonesia.

"Both ministers expressed their commitment to exploring the possibility of a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between Kenya and Indonesia," the statement said, adding that the ministers highlighted the potential for collaboration in the manufacturing sector, specifically in textile and apparel.

Kuria visited Indonesia on Monday to embark on a three-day visit to engage in bilateral ties.

The visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations and explore future trade and investment partnerships between Kenya and Indonesia in various sectors.

"This visit follows a significant milestone in the diplomatic ties between our two countries, as senior Indonesian Ministers visited Kenya in January 2023," stated the statement.

Kuria was accompanied by a high-level government delegation will engage their Indonesian counterparts, government officials, and industry leaders on ways of exploring future trade and investment opportunities in several sectors, among them edible oils.
Priyanka Chopra doesnt get jealous. The actor said in a new interview that she didnt care about husband Nick Jonas romantic past at the beginning of their relationship. Priyanka said she doesnt give a f*** about Nick's ex-girlfriends. She also spoke about what convinced her to go on a date with him. Also read: Priyanka Chopra says all her actor ex-boyfriends were great, wonderful people Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas have been married since 2018.

Nick Jonas, who had proposed to Priyanka Chopra in July 2018 after two months of dating, has a long list of famous exes, including Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Olivia Culpo, Lily Collins, Kendall Jenner, Kate Hudson and more. Nick and Priyanka married in December 2018 in Rajasthan. They welcomed daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas in January last year.

"I dont give a f*** who hes dated... Were talking about the future. I always say this, I dont read my book backwards. I believe you go forward in your chapters," Priyanka said on Alex Coopers Call Her Daddy podcast.

After Nick slid into Priyanka DMs in 2016, she took to Google and searched his name. Priyanka said she was convinced to give Nick her number after watching the music video for his song Close with Tove Lo. She said, "That body deserves at least a date. I landed on that video (for Close). I saw it, and I had to like open the window or something."

Priyanka further said that she's had a lot of people slide into her DMs, but what set Nick apart was that he directly asked her out, something she said not many people did. Priyanka added she found his message  I've been told we should meet  'cocky' and 'sexy' as she lauded his 'confidence'. The actor also called herself a 'serial monogamist' on the podcast, explaining that she had often dated actors she worked with before her relationship with Nick.

On Wednesday, Priyanka shared a loved-up post with Nick from New York. Sharing a photo of the two walking side-by-side at Central Park along with daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas, Priyanka wrote in her Instagram caption, "What dreams are made of MM (Malti Marie)... family time..."

Priyanka's latest film, rom-com Love Again, was released earlier this month. She is now working on her next Hollywood film, Heads of State. She will share screen space with Idris Elba and John Cena in the upcoming movie.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Soundarya Rajinikanth, daughter of actor Rajinikanth, has filed a police complaint with regard to the missing key of her sport utility vehicle (SUV). The complaint has been filed at the Teynampet police station in Chennai. (Also read: Aishwarya Rajinikanth files police complaint alleging her gold jewellery was stolen from Chennai home) Soundarya Rajinikanth filed a complaint at the Teynampet police station in Chennai.

As per report by The Hindu, Soundarya said in her complaint that she had lost the key of her Range Rover car when she used another car to travel to a function at a private college.

In March, Soundaryas older sister Aishwarya had filed a police complaint over the theft of jewellery worth 60 sovereigns.

As per the FIR copy, Aishwarya had kept the jewellery in a locker and revealed that some of her house servants were aware of it. Teynampet Police had registered a case under Section 381 of the IPC and have started an investigation.

In her complaint, Aishwarya had revealed that she wore the jewellery for her sister Soundaryas wedding in 2019. Since the wedding, the jewellery was kept in a locker which has been in Aishwaryas possession.

However, over the last three years, the locker had been moved around including her ex-husband Dhanushs apartment in 2021 and later to her apartment in the same year. Last year, it was finally shifted to her father Rajinikanths residence, while the keys to the locker remained in her flat.

The report further added that Aishwarya said that diamond sets, antique gold pieces, Navaratnam sets, bangles and nearly 60 sovereigns of gold worth 3.60 lakh have been stolen. She named her two maids and driver as suspects in her complaint. The police had arrested driver and a domestic help in connection with the case.

Soundarya is the younger daughter of Rajinikanth and his wife Latha Rajinikanth. She made her directorial debut with Kochadaiiyaan, a motion capture film, in 2014. It starred her father in a lead role with Deepika Padukone. She also directed Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 with Dhanush and Kajol in lead roles.

She got married to businessman Vishagan Vanangamudi in February 2019. They welcomed their first child, a son Veer, in 2022.

ott:10

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Actor Naga Chaitanya, who is gearing up for the release of Tamil-Telugu bilingual film Custody, has opened up about the quality he really likes in his ex-wife Samantha Ruth Prabhu in an interview. Chaitanya said that hes always been amazed by Samanthas determination. Also read: Naga Chaitanya opens up on his failed marriage with Samantha Ruth Prabhu Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya with his father Nagarjuna in an old photo.

He added that if Samantha Ruth Prabhu wants something, she will go get it. Chaitanya and Samantha were married for about four years. They announced their separation on October 2, 2021.

In a promotional interview for Custody, Chaitanya was asked about the quality he likes in Samantha. Samantha go-getter, hard worker. Her determination is amazing. If she wants something, she will go get it, Chaitanya said in an interview with Prema the Journalist. Speaking about the films that he liked of her in recent times, he mentioned Oh Baby! and the show Family Man 2.

In the same interview, Chaitanya opened up on his failed marriage as well. When asked about how he sees his relationship with Samantha, he said he only has immense respect for that phase.

Whatever happened in my personal life with my marriage, thats very unfortunate. But I have immense respect for that phase of my life. It is due to the media reportage and how theyve portrayed everything by speculating and spreading rumours, the whole respect is lost, diminished in the public eye. This is what hurt me a lot, Chaitanya said.

In the Venkat Prabhu-directed film Custody, Chaitanya plays a police constable and he recently took out time to interact with some police constables in Hyderabad about the experience of turning into a cop. The project marks Chaitanyas foray into Tamil industry. He has dubbed his own lines in Tamil for the first time.

In a press interaction, Chaitanya said that he was excited to play a constable, a role thats rarely explored in mainstream cinema. It is a role that has not been explored much in recent times. Constables are fresh out of training and they have the fire in them to make a change. The future is in their hands, he said.

ott:10

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
In a recent media interaction, Sobhita Dhulipala addressed the rumours that have been doing the rounds about her relationship with actor Naga Chaitanya. The actor, who has been busy promoting her latest film Ponniyin Selvan: II, said she is focussing on her career right now. Sobhita added she doesn't need to answer to people 'who speak without knowledge'. Also read: Naga Chaitanya opens up on his failed marriage with Samantha Ruth Prabhu Sobhita Dhulipala has reacted to Naga Chaitanya dating rumours.

Naga Chaitanya was previously married to actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Ever since they ended the relationship in 2021, his name has been linked to Sobhita Dhulipala. A couple of months ago, a picture of Chaitanya and Shobhita at a restaurant surfaced online, further fuelling their realtionship rumours. Neither of the actors have confirmed or denied their alleged relationship. Sobhita has now reacted to the dating rumours.

"I'm very fortunate for having a chance to work in beautiful films. I'm a classical dancer and I like dancing. To have performed three AR Rahman's songs in Mani Ratnam's film is a very big thing for me. I am focused on it right now. For people who speak without knowledge, I don't think I need to answer them. I don't feel the urge to clarify things when I'm not doing any wrong and it is not my business," Sobhita was quoted as saying in a report by Filmibeat.

Sobhita added that instead of clarifying things, 'people write with half-knowledge', and therefore, she prefers to be 'calm' and focus on her life. She said, "Instead of answering or clarifying about things people write with half-knowledge, one must focus on your life, improve it, be calm, and try to be a good person."

Samantha Ruth Prabhu tied the knot with Naga Chaitanya in October 2017. The actors were married for almost four years before they ended their marriage. The two announced the separation in October 2021. They had issued statements on their respective social media accounts at the time. Recently, Naga Chaitanya confirmed that his and Samantha's divorce has come through.

Speaking with Karan Johar on Koffee With Karan season 7, last year, Samantha had referred to Chaitanya as her ex-husband and added that the split was not amicable. Speaking about the separation, Samantha had said on the show, It has been hard."

Sobhita is known for her role as Tara Khanna in Made In Heaven (2019). Sobhita was last seen Ponniyin Selvan: II, the second part of 2022's Ponniyin Selvan: I. Before that she appeared with Anil Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur in The Night Manager.

ott:10

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Former Shark Tank India judge Ashneer Grover shared a post after Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) filed an FIR (first information report) against him and his family members. Besides Ashneer, his wife Madhuri Jain Grover, and family members Deepak Gupta, Suresh Jain, and Shwetank Jain are also accused for an alleged 81 crore fraud in December last year, complained by BharatPe. Amid this, Ashneer posted a photo from his home. Also read: Ashneer Grover reveals getting in trouble with wife for liking Mouni's bikini pic Ashneer Grover shares a photo from his South Delhi home.

The photo featured a glimpse into a corner of his house. Ashneer posed next to a mantel. He looked casual in a shirt and jeans. Sharing the photo, Ashneer wrote in the caption, Just another day in paradise!

Ashneer and Madhuri live in a lavish apartment in South Delhi. While the photo shows only a corner of their house, the apartment also comes with several amenities. It has an esthetically pleasing living area with ivory couches and a tea table with gold-plated coasters.

Ashneer also has an in-house bar adjacent to the living area, with over 100-150 bottles of alcohol, as shown in a house tour video by Brut India. He also showed his infamous ivory-coloured dining table, which was rumoured to be worth Rs10 crore. Their Abode with huge corridors, kids' rooms, a modern kitchen, spacious bedrooms, connecting elevator and a personal garage with a collection of their swanky cars.

Businessman Ashneer is the co-founder and former managing director of BharatPe. Reportedly, he was fired from the fintech in March 2022 on charges of financial irregularities. Since his removal from the company, Ashneer has been entangled in several court disputes.

Currently, Ashneer and his family members are charged under eight sections of serious cognisable criminal offences, including 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, banker, merchant, or agent), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

He rose to popularity with the show Shark Tank India Season 2 and became a household name. Despite the success of the first season, he didn't return in Season 2. He also released a book called Doglapan.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Norway will on Thursday take over from Russia the chairship of the intergovernmental forum Arctic Council, which seeks to promote cooperation on issues such as environmental protection in the Arctic and includes India as one of the observers. Research and collaboration on the Arctic are critical for India particularly because how ice melts in the region impacts the Indian monsoon, the lifeblood of the countrys economy. Intergovernmental cooperation with the largest Arctic state was stalled following Russias invasion of Ukraine. (Twitter)

Russia held the chairship for two years. But intergovernmental cooperation with the largest Arctic state was stalled following Russias invasion of Ukraine in February last year and impacted issues related to climate change.

Union earth sciences ministry secretary M Ravichandran said the chairship to Norway is important to India. Norway has been one of the main drivers for our work in the Arctic. We will have more collaboration now. Norway has given us two berths in a Norwegian ice-breaker ship which will be used by Indian scientists to go to the North Pole this year.

He added they are uncertain as to how the council will function without Russia and how will their activities roll out. We will try to contribute and collaborate, said Ravichandran. The Arctic Sea ice melting contributes to an increase in extreme rainfall events during monsoon. More heat released due to extreme events is transported to the Arctic.

Former earth sciences ministry secretary M Rajeevan said India has a small presence in the Arctic Council as an observer country with a limited role. We have an observatory in Svalbard in Norway. We were exploring setting up an observatory in Canada which may come up soon. The Arctic plays a very important role in India. The snow and sea ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic contributes to global energy balance and any changes there can impact the Indian monsoon.

He cited impacts on the atmospheric circulation and added India needs to be present in the Arctic not only for science and climate but for its political and economic potential. The region has a lot of potential. With the melting of sea ice, new shipping routes will open which will have implications for economy and trade.

The World Meteorological Organisation has cited satellite records from 2009 to 2018 and said they show increasing maritime ship traffic in the Arctic as sea ice declines. The most significant increases in traffic are occurring among ships traveling from the Pacific Ocean through the Bering Strait and the Beaufort Sea. This opens economic opportunities for new trade routes and also poses potential human-caused stresses on Arctic people and ecosystems.

The 2021-2022 Arctic snow season saw a combination of above-average snow accumulation and early snowmelt, consistent with long-term trends of shortening snow seasons in several areas.

The Russian town of Verkhoyansk recorded a temperature of 38C on June 20, 2020. It was a new Arctic temperature record. Average temperatures over Arctic Siberia reached as high as 10C above normal for much of summer in 2020, fuelling fires, and driving sea ice loss.

London-based think tank Polar Research and Policy Initiative said the problems the Arctic Council faces will not disappear with Norway taking over its chairship. But the change will make it possible for the majority of member states (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, and the US) to have a close working relationship with the chair once again, it added. The think tank said this will aid the forums work.

Polar Research and Policy Initiative managing director Dwayne Ryan Menezes said Russias invasion of Ukraine had such dramatic reverberations across the region that every long-held assumption relating to Arctic exceptionalism was called into question.

In March last year, seven of the eight members of the Arctic Council issued a joint statement of condemnation, declaring that their representatives would not travel to Russia for meetings of the council over the Ukraine war. They temporarily paused participation in all meetings of the council and its subsidiary bodies.

On 7 July 2022, seven of the eight member states of the Arctic Council (US, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Kingdom of Denmark) issued a joint statement affirming their intention to implement a limited resumption of Arctic Council cooperation in projects which do not involve the participation of Russia.

In February, Russia amended its focus on multilateral regional cooperation formats such as the Arctic Council. It said it will rather focus on the prioritisation of its national interests.
Sudan is bleeding. Hundreds of people have been killed, according to the United Nations' World Health Organization (WHO). The fighting started on April 13 when Rapid Support Force (RSF) forces invaded Merowe town, located 210 kilometres north of the capital, and tried to capture the airport. In the early hours of April 15, the Sudanese people woke up to a violent fight in Khartoum and other parts of the country, and so far, there is little sign of de-escalation. FILE PHOTO: Smoke is seen rising from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan. (REUTERS)

Currently, each side is blaming the other for starting the war. The national army claimed that Hemedti's soldiers had started a rebellion against the government, resulting in this violence. The RSF stated that it retaliated in response to a military attack at one of its bases in South Khartoum. On April 17, The Sudanese foreign ministry declared the RSF a rebel entity and ordered its dissolution. And the agreement between civilians, the military, and paramilitaries intended to reinitiate the democratic transition in Sudan appears to be frozen once more.

What makes this conflict in Sudan so intractable? This conflict needs to be considered in terms of three overlapping layers: Local, regional and global. These three layers, which feed through and affect one another, represent various stages of conflict escalation, engagement, and potential resolution. And this conflict in Sudan is a prime example of a local conflict that is becoming increasingly intertwined with regional and international power dynamics, making it impossible to find a standalone solution.

If the Sudanese problem can be divided into three layers, the local level corresponds to the conflict's primary driver. In essence, this layer is concerned with the issue of who will control Sudan and under what type of political structure. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, commander of the Sudanese National Army, also known as the SAF (Sudanese Armed Force), and General Muhammad Hamdan' Hemedti, Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary group RSF are allegedly involved in a power struggle that is at the heart of this conflict.

Around 2003, to combat non-Arab individuals who started rising against his rule, then president Omar-al Bashir enlisted the Janjaweed, a collection of Arab tribal militias primarily drawn from tribes that traded camels. In 2013, Bashir elevated this tribal militia group parallel to the national army as a semi-organised paramilitary structure under Hemedti's leadership. He even established a separate command structure and funds for RSF.

The primary purpose of Bashir behind forming this powerful paramilitary group RSF was to balance the national army, prevent military coups, and put down counterinsurgencies across the nation. But in 2019, the SAF and RSF joined to overthrow Bashir. After Bashir was overthrown, the armed forces and citizens came to an agreement to establish a transitional government. But Burhan's armed forces overthrew that transitional government in October 2021. A new sovereign council was established after a few months of power struggles between various players and massive pro-democracy demonstrations running concurrently. Since then, Burhan has been the head of the council, and Hemedti is the deputy head, with Burhan as de facto president.

But, a political framework agreement reached on December 5, 2022, caused their ties to deteriorate. The leaders constantly disputed the agreement's parameters, which were initially intended to be settled by April 1, 2023, to have a new civilian government in place by April 11, 2023. One key component of the agreement was the merger between the national army and RSF. General Burhan scheduled this restructuring to take place within two years to neutralise his rival and preserve the dominance of the Sudanese army. However, Hemedti preferred it to take place over ten years, demanding several internal reforms within the army.

Both the SAF and the RSF have extensive patronage and ethnic networks in Sudan. The Islamists surrounding General Burhan are particularly well entrenched in the Sudanese administration and business. Most likely, al-Burhan was under pressure to bring down Hemedti from the top military officers in the army, who were either Islamists or Bashir supporters or both. This Islamist fraction of the army will not accept any outcome other than the complete demobilisation of the RSF and Hemedti's exile from Sudan. And they might launch a coup against Burhan itself if necessary.

Hemedti is also vulnerable from within his own ranks and tribe. The top RSF brass comprises senior officers from the Arab Rizeigat tribe, which hails from Darfur. However, many local leaders in the tribe are suspected to be more loyal to Musa Hilal, a local sheikh and former Janjaweed leader. In 2017, the RSF, under Hemedti, arrested him and took control of his gold mine in Darfur. Hilal got eventually released from prison thanks to a pardon by the civilian-military transitional government in March 2021.

Although Hilal's current whereabouts are unclear, the Rizeigat is home to a sizable militia. He may also have followers in the RSF. Therefore, it is possible the disintegration of RSF from within, under the control of two distinct power blocs comprised of Musa Hilal and Hemedti supporters. A civil war along ethnic lines with further disintegration of the RSF would be more dangerous than the current scenario of two equally powerful blocks pitted against each other.

The second layer at the regional level is about who can have the most significant influence in Sudan and the larger Red Sea region. As Sudan is situated where the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and the Red Sea converge, it is considered valuable by many countries. The strategic location and agricultural resources of Sudan have attracted regional power struggles. Sudan shares its border with seven countries: Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Libya, and Egypt. As all these countries have their own vested interests, the conflict risks getting more interwoven with regional rivalries and power struggles.

There is a Burhan and a Hemedti supporter in practically every surrounding nation. Therefore, if the disagreement persists, regional friends of both leaders might step forward to support their ally. Burhan underwent multiple joint military exercises and received his training at an Egyptian military academy. He has the solid backing of the Egyptian army. Meanwhile, Khalifa Haftar, the commander of eastern Libya, is reportedly close to Hemedti and has delivered at least three planes with military supplies.

The third layer involves the international power rivalry playing out in the Sudanese crisis. In this layer, Sudan serves as a microcosm for a struggle for regional and international power. Energy-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia have long sought to influence Sudan's politics. Both have made significant investments in sectors including agriculture, where Sudan has tremendous potential, aviation, and ports near the Red Sea coast. Initially, both the Saudis and the UAE have seen Sudan's transition from al-Bashir's rule as an opportunity to push back against Islamist influence in the region. However, the interest of both countries diverged, with Saudi Arabia prioritising its national interest vis-a-vis Saudi Vision 2030 over its alliance with the UAE.

Egypt's primary concern in Sudan is the safety of its water resources since the Nile runs through Sudan. Egypt is attempting to sway Sudan in order to assert its geopolitical supremacy and settle the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute with Ethiopia. Turkey's interests in Sudan and the broader Red Sea region hinge on trade and security. Turkey is keen to rebuild the Suakin Island facility in Sudan to reduce its dependency on Egypt. Suakin is a historically Ottoman Red Sea port used for commercial and naval purposes.

Russia has a significant presence in Sudan owing to Wagner, a private military company. The main objective of the Wagner Group is to transport gold to Russia via the UAE while protecting mineral resources, particularly those used for gold mining. Russia also seeks to build a naval station in Port Sudan under a 25-year leasing arrangement, which would house about 300 Russian troops. Russia's proposal for a port in Sudan has received public support from military leaders in Sudan, particularly Hemedti.

China is concerned about its accessibility to the Red Sea trade route and the over 1,000 Chinese nationals who live in Sudan. China has not taken any side so far, calling for restraint and de-escalation. However, if the conflict escalates further and Chinese interests in Sudan are threatened, there may be a more active role, primarily through its special envoy for the Horn of Africa. For the European Union, stability in Sudan is essential to control migration. Last but not least, the ongoing conflict in Sudan brings to light the United States (US) waning influence in the region. The US is trying to pressure Sudan's warring factions to accept a ceasefire in exchange for some financial incentives for development and debt relief, in vain.

The fact that the three layers are inextricably interwoven presents a challenge for the international community. The two competing factions are engaged in a personal power battle on a personal level as they contend for control of Sudan and its rich resources. There would be just one leader when the two forces were to combine, and at the moment, that commander is General Burhan. Burhan and Hemedti have realised that the leadership competition has transformed into a zero-sum game, and, therefore, they continue to fight each other in this war to the death.

However, things could become more complicated if more players become involved in this war. The international community must re-evaluate and substantially change its strategy for mediating Sudanese peace. Coordinated steps must be made so that neighbouring and regional states maintain neutrality. Instead, regional forces must participate in the negotiation process, as was the case with the African Union's negotiation of the peace accord in Ethiopia.

Authored by Samir Bhattacharya, senior research associate, Vivekananda International Foundation and doctoral scholar, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
What a slap; Eknath Shinde should resign: Uddhav Sena leaders on SC verdict Sanjay Raut, Priyanka Chaturvedi on Thursday interpreted the Supreme Court verdict on Sena versus Sena as a tight slap to the Shinde coup as the top court termed the floor test that brought the Shinde government to power- illegal. Read more Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi.(Ishant)

'They chant Dhoni's name will wait for me to get out': Jadeja not keen on batting higher for CSK in IPL 2023

It's not easy being a middle-order batter in the side featuring MS Dhoni. Yes, the experience helps a lot, mostly during high-pressure run-chases but the fan-following and focus that someone like Dhoni attracts can be daunting at times, especially for the ones coming ahead of Dhoni in the batting order. Read more

Sobhita Dhulipala breaks silence on Naga Chaitanya dating rumours: 'Don't wish to clarify things, not doing any wrong'

n a recent media interaction, Sobhita Dhulipala addressed the rumours that have been doing the rounds about her relationship with actor Naga Chaitanya. The actor, who has been busy promoting her latest film Ponniyin Selvan: II, said she is focussing on her career right now. Sobhita added she doesn't need to answer to people 'who speak without knowledge'. Read more

Alia Bhatt named Gucci's first Indian Global Ambassador, will make first appearance at Gucci Cruise 2024 show in Seoul

Actor Alia Bhatt is adding another feather to her cap. The Italian fashion house Gucci announced her as their first Indian Global Ambassador today. Just after her much-anticipated and successful debut at the Met Gala 2023, Alia will become one of the global faces of the luxury label. According to a report, Alia will make her first appearance as the brand's latest global ambassador at the Gucci Cruise 2024 show, to be staged in Seoul next week. Read more

US e-commerce company sells charpai for over  1 lakh

Every now and then, we come across instances where everyday items are being sold at exorbitant prices. For example, on Amazon, there was a plastic bucket listed for 25,999, and that too, after a 28 percent discount. Similarly, weve seen a tablecloth priced at 31,000 on Sona Home by Priyanka Chopra. Read more

Sara Ali Khan's Kedarnath visit. Pics

Sara Ali Khan recently visited Kedarnath visit and shared some pictures from her trip on her Instagram account. Read more

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar on Thursday sounded confident as he said there is no threat to the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government at a time when the unanimous verdict of the Supreme Court Constitution Bench in the Uddhav versus Shinde case was awaited. Suspense over Maharashtra's political situation refused to die down as Ajit Pawar struck a different chord from his Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance partners and said, "Many call this government unconstitutional. But as long as they have the support of 145 MLAs, there is no danger. The comment triggered speculation about whether Ajit Pawar is still in touch with the BJP and in case the MLAs who joined the Shinde camp last year are disqualified whether Ajit Pawar and his MLAs will extend support to the Shinde-Fadnavis government. Ajit Pawar says 'no threat to Shinde-Fadnavis govt' ahead of SC verdict

Uddhav vs Shinde Supreme Court verdict today: What's at stake? 10 points

ED summons Jayant Patil

Ahead of the Supreme Court verdict, the ED summoned NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Jayant Patil in connection with a money laundering case. Maharashtra minister Uday Samant said the ED notice coming to Jayant Patil on the day of the Supreme Court verdict is merely a coincidence.

The issue has been going on since June 2022 when Eknath Shinde announced a rebellion with the support of some MLAs and on the floor test order of then-governor BS Koshyari, the Uddhav Thackeray-led government collapsed making way for Shinde to take oath as the chief minister.

Uddhav faction challenged the validity of the government and if the verdict is in favour of Uddhav Thackeray, Eknath Shinde may have to resign in case his MLAs are disqualified. But Ajit Pawar's confidence in the stability of the incumbent government confirms there can be more than one possibility after the Supreme Court verdict.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Thursday hit out at Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for hailing the Supreme Court's verdict that allowed Eknath Shinde to continue as chief minister, saying the BJP leader has scraped the bottom of immorality. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said the Supreme Court has given the Shinde-Fadnavis government the stamp of illegal and unconstitutional. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde with his deputy Devendra Fadnavis addresses a press conference after Supreme Court's verdict. (HT Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar)

Addressing a press conference after the top court's verdict on a batch of petitions related to the political crisis that led to the fall of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Fadnavis on Thursday said he was satisfied by the judgment refusing to reinstate the MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray. Calling the verdict a victory of democracy and the democratic process, Fadnavis asserted that the five-judge bench held the Shiv Sena-BJP government legal and constitutional.

Today, Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) conspiracy has been defeated. Now, no one should doubt that the Maharashtra government is completely legal, said Fadnavis.

Reacting to Fadnavis's statement, Chaturvedi tweeted: His credibility falls every single day: from plotting this unconstitutionality to being forced to be a deputy to an illegal CM then the fashion designer story and now saying democracy has won.

Immorality ke bhi limits hote hain (There are limits even to immorality), he has scraped that bottom too. Illegal and Unconstitutional is the stamp SC has given youll (sic), she added.

In a unanimous verdict, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud held that the then Speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of the Shiv Sena in the Maharashtra Assembly was "contrary to law". The court also pulled up former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and said he did not have reasons based on objective material before him to arrive at the conclusion that then chief minister Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that Shinde and Fadnavis should resign on moral grounds like he did last year.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Nairobi  Second Lady Pastor Dorcas Rigathi has cautioned against attempt to regulate churches saying the government has no capacity and lacks the authority to regulate churches.

Pastor Dorcas insisted that while the government is political unit exercising authority to rule, churches are spiritual movements that operate based on faith as the moral compass and conscience of society.

She argued that because government lacks an understanding of how spiritual movements function, it would not have capacity to control them.

"You cannot be able to legislate church, you cannot be able to regulate that which you don't understand," she said.

"When they say that the church should be governed by a person who has gone to school and who has degrees and PhDs, I ask them, where is it written in the Bible? Which college did Jesus go to? When it comes to matters divine, they better leave it to us," the Second Lady, herself a preacher, said on Tuesday.

Freedom of worship

Pastor Dorcas also said regulating churches would amount to restricting the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution (2010) and that the government should not condemn all churches uniformly because most of these churches are founded on values that aim at enhancing society.

She added that while churches could be audited, such an activity could only happen internally and not be instigated externally by the government.

"You cannot find one prophet and say that all prophets are false. It is wrong to wrap everybody up and criminalize them. People are different and behave differently," she stated.

"As teachers in the church of God, we play an integral role in the government and in society; the Church and Government can never be separated because both are called to serve God's people. They complement each other to dignify the lives and future of all citizens."

She made the statement days after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki proposed stronger regulations for future religious activities in the nation, including self-regulation of the organizations.

The Senate has already established a committee to propose laws aimed at bringing sanity to religious institutions.

Senate inquiry

Senators cited cases of leaders of religious institutions taking advantage of gullible Kenyans and especially children, the latest incident in Shakahola leading to the deaths of more than 100 citizens.

In a motion moved by Majority Whip and Kakemega Senator Bonny Khalwale, the Senate mandated an 11-member committee to investigate circumstances leading to the death of followers of the Good News International Church.

The Senate tasked the team to investigate the role played by the church's controversial pastor Paul Mackenzie, his pastoral team, and the Kilifi County security apparatus in the mass deaths blamed on starvation.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Religion Legal Affairs Kenya 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.

Further the committee was tasked to establish, through the Office of Registrar of Societies, the number, and activities of religious groups in the country and to audit the legal and registration framework for religious organizations.

The team is also required to develop legislative proposal on regulation of religious activities in the country and make any other recommendation that will prevent religious organizations from extreme indoctrination of their followers, including radicalization, spiritual and financial exploitation.

Khalwale noted most of the victims found at the Shakahola murder site demonstrated that religious leaders were taking advantage of Kenyans who were weak, especially children.

"It is appalling that in his own home, where he lives with his wife and children, a mass grave of children aged between 3 and 12 were buried; how a two-year-old is denied food in the name of fasting beats logic," said the Senator.

"The committee owes the 53 million Kenyans that never again will a Christian child, never again will a Muslim child, never again will the child of this country, be denied an opportunity to drink water, to eat food in the name of religion," he said.
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
The intense battle between Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde over the Shiv Sena party symbol prompted the constitution bench on Thursday to articulate some key principles for the Election Commission of India to take note of in deciding disputes between two rival factions of a political party. Supreme Court (Representational image)

As the first legal principle, the bench, led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, declared that pendency of disqualification proceedings against members of a rival faction in a political party will not prevent ECI from deciding a dispute before it under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, for allotment of the party symbol.

The top court rejected Thackerays plea that the constitution bench should lay down a constitutional sequence by holding that proceedings under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law) must be adjudicated before the dispute under the Symbols Order is determined.

To hold that the ECI is barred from adjudicating petitions under Paragraph 15 of the Symbols Order until the final adjudication of the disqualification petitions would be, in effect, to indefinitely stay the proceedings before the ECI. This is because an order of the Speaker attains finality only after all avenues for appeal have been exhausted or are barred by the passage of time. The time that it would take for an order of the Speaker to attain finality is uncertain, it noted.

Also read | SC verdict on disqualification of 16 Maharashtra MLAs today. Who are they?

Proceedings before one constitutional authority cannot be halted in anticipation of the decision of another constitutional authority, held the bench, adding: The ECI cannot be prevented from performing its constitutional duties for an indefinite period of time.

That said, the court went on to point out that an election symbol remains frozen till the time ECI finally decides the dispute between the two factions. It may well end the association between the reserved symbol and the political party in the minds of the electorate. This will no doubt be a blow to the political party which is lawfully entitled to the symbol reserved for its use. Therefore, the ECI must render a decision as to which group constitutes that political party, it said.

Although nothing prevents an MLA facing disqualification proceedings under the anti-defection law from approaching ECI for the allotment of a party symbol, the court said, the poll body must look beyond the test of legislative majority to decide the contention in favour of one of the rival factions.

The essence of the decision of the ECI cannot be understood as solely a determination as to who is entitled to the symbol for the purposes of election. While that is the outcome of the decision under Paragraph 15, the substance of the decision is the determination as to which of the groups is the lifeblood of the recognised political party. the ECI determines who the real political party is and the symbol is allotted as a consequence of this decision, said the bench.

In arriving at this decision, the court noted, it is not necessary for ECI to rely on the test of majority in the legislature alone. In cases such as the present one (Thackeray Vs Shinde), it would be futile to assess which group enjoys a majority in the legislature. Rather, the ECI must look to other tests in order to reach a conclusion under Paragraph 15 of the Symbols Order. The other tests may include an evaluation of the majority in the organisational wings of the political party, an analysis of the provisions of the party constitution, or any other appropriate test, said the bench.

It added that ECI must apply a test which is best suited to the unique facts and circumstances of the case before it. The parties in the dispute before the ECI are free to propose a suitable test and the ECI may either apply one of the tests proposed or fashion a new test, as appropriate. The ECI must remain a neutral body and refrain from passing a subjective judgement on the approaches preferred by the rival factions, the court further noted.

In the present case, Shinde had approached ECI under Paragraph 15 of the Symbols Order for the allotment of the bow and arrow symbol of Shiv Sena to the faction led by him. By a decision on February 17, ECI ruled that Shindes faction will inherit the original partys name and its symbol, capping an eight-month-long feud between the two leaders over control of the regional party that suffered a vertical split last year when Shinde and 39 other legislators walked out of the party then led by Thackeray, and joined hands with the BJP to form the government.

ECI followed the procedure laid down in a 1971 Supreme Court judgment in Sadiq Ali Case, which says such cases must be decided on the basis of a triple test. ECI found that the conclusion of the first two benchmarks were inconclusive.

The first test  objectives of the party constitution  was deemed improper because the 2018 constitution of the Shiv Sena was found to be undemocratic and concentrated power in the hands of a few.

The second test  that of the majority in the organisational body of the party  was also not considered because the poll panel found that neither side provided accurate details of the composition of internal bodies, and no determinable or satisfactory findings could be ascertained.

Therefore, ECI relied on the third prong  the test of majority in the legislative wing. Here, the poll body found that 40 of the 55 members of legislative assembly backed the Shinde faction, which translated to 76% of the total votes polled by the unified party in the 2019 assembly elections. Moreover, 13 of the 18 Lok Sabha members of the party backed Shinde, which translated to 73% of the total votes polled in the 2019 general elections.

To be sure, Thackeray has challenged ECIs decision before the top court and the appeal is pending.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Constitution bench verdict on Thursday in the Maharashtra political crisis case seems to strengthen the hands of the speaker in deciding disqualification petitions under the anti-defection law, effectively suspending the operation of a 2016 judgment that deprived presiding officers of legislatures of their authority when motions seeking their own removal are pending. A speaker can examine if the application is bona fide or intended only to evade adjudication, the Supreme Court has said.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, not only referred the 2016 judgment in the Nebam Rabia (the Arunachal Pradesh disqualification ) case to a seven-judge bench, but also laid down an interim mechanism that empowers the speaker more until the larger bench decides on the issue.

Prescribing a procedure that it said would give some amount of clarity and certainty, the bench said that by virtue of the exclusive power given to the speakers under the Tenth Schedule (the anti-defection law), they will be the authority to also decide whether to go ahead with a disqualification petition or not.

The investiture of exclusive adjudicatory jurisdiction upon the Speaker to determine the complaints under the Tenth Schedule will entitle the speaker to rule upon and decide applications questioning their jurisdiction, said the bench, which also included justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha.

According to the bench, speakers are entitled to rule on applications which require them to refrain from adjudicating proceedings under the Tenth Schedule on the ground of initiation of a motion for their removal under Article 179(c). A speaker can examine if the application is bona fide or intended only to evade adjudication, it declared.

The court added that it is for the speaker to adjudge if the motion is valid and reasonable. If the speaker believes that the motion is well founded, they may adjourn the proceedings under the Tenth Schedule till the decision for their removal is concluded. On the other hand, if they believe that the motion is not as per the procedure contemplated under the Constitution, read with the relevant rules, they are entitled to reject the plea and proceed with the hearing, it directed.

Any decision taken by the speaker, the Constitution bench added, will be amenable to judicial review  although this is a statement of a legal position that exists even today.

The decision of the speaker, either to adjourn the proceedings under the Tenth Schedule in view of the pending proceedings under Article 179(c) or to proceed with the hearing will be subject to judicial review, it said.

Going a step ahead, the bench further declared that since the decision of the speaker relates to their jurisdiction, the bar of a quia timet action, will not apply and that there cannot be an injunction against the speaker from deciding a disqualification petition. The doctrine of quia timet applies in cases where a party seeks an injunction against an apprehended act.

The Constitution bench on Thursday relied on the 1992 judgment in Kihoto Hollan case which held that the speaker cannot be restrained from making a decision on the ground of imminent apprehended danger which will be irreparable in the sense that if the speaker proceeds to decide that the person be disqualified, he would incur the penalty of forfeiting his membership of the House for a long period.

NEEDS BOILER PLATE ON NEBAM REPIA

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Ex-MP Anand Mohan calls himself innocent in 1994 IAS murder case Speaking publicly for the first time after being granted remission by the Bihar government, former MP Anand Mohan said he was innocent in the murder of young IAS officer G Krishnaiah and added he would ratherread more. Former Bihar MP Anand Mohan.(PTI)

Sharad Pawar as opposition's face? Nitish says nothing more delightful

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday backed the idea of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar being the face of opposition alliance, saying there will be nothing more delightful thanread more.

Finland's prime minister Sanna Marin files for divorce as she leaves office

Finland's outgoing prime minister Sanna Marin and her husband Markus Raikkonen have filed for divorce. Marin and Raikkonen, who until recently worked at a venture capital firm, have a five-year-oldread more.

Yuzvendra Chahal breaks Dwayne Bravo's spectacular record to rewrite history in KKR vs RR match at IPL 2023

Rewriting history in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday, senior spinner Yuzvendra Chahal added another feather to his illustrious T20 cap during Rajasthan Royals' (RR) away gameread more.

Gauahar Khan, Zaid Darbar blessed with baby boy, celebs congratulate them

On Thursday, Gauahar Khan and Zaid Darbar shared on Instagram that their first child, a baby boy was born on May 10, 2023. The couple got married in December 2020 and announced that they were expecting tworead more.

Mother's Day 2023: Nutrition tips for mothers across different age groups

International Mother's Day (May 14, 2023) is around the corner and it's the perfect occasion to express gratitude for mothers who leave no stone unturned to bring up their children and nurture them with love and careread more.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Supreme Court on Thursday in a unanimous judgment ruled in favour of the elected government and said it will have power on all services except law and order and land. LG shall exercise powers under the administrative role as entrusted by the president. Executive administration can only extend to matters which fall outside the legislative assembly but is limited to the powers entrusted by President and it cannot mean administration over the entire NCTD, otherwise the purpose of having a separate elected body in Delhi will be rendered futile, the top court said. It is ideal to hold that democratically elected govt shall have control over its officers, it ruled. Centre vs Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that day-to-day administration of IAS and joint cadre officers posted in Delhi shall be with the Delhi government.

If a democratically elected govt is not allowed to control its officers and hold them to account then its responsibility towards the legislature and public is diluted. If an officer is not responding to govt the collective responsibility is diluted.. if an officer feels they are insulated from elected govt they feel they are not accountable, the CJI said.

The Constitution Bench said it does not agree with Justice Ashok Bhushan in the split judgment of 2019 on who has the power over Delhi's services etc  the Delhi government or the Centre. As CJI DY Chandrachud read the verdict, he said the principle of democracy forms a part of basic structure federalism, ensures the survival of diverse interests and accommodates diverse needs. As the Delhi government is elected by the electorates it must be interpreted to further the cause of representative democracy, the CJI said.

"Article 239A(3)(A)(a) does not confer multiple safeguards to ensure that the interests of Union Govt are protected. It provides GNCTD legislature has no power to deal with entries 1, 2 and 8 of list 2. Article 239AA stipulates legislative power of Delhi Govt is excluded with respect to specified lists. entries 1, 2 and 18 of list 2(public order, police and land). The legislative structure is to exclude only specified entries from the power of the legislative assembly of GNCTD," Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said.

"Delhi assembly is given powers to legislate to represent the will of the people. The principle of democracy and federalism form a part of basic structure. Federalism ensures the survival of diverse interests and accommodates diverse needs," the CJI said.

The Delhi case involves the continuation of a dispute that two smaller benches failed to resolve  who controls the Capitals bureaucrat, the lieutenant governor or the elected government?

In May 2022, when it referred the matter to a five-judge bench, the court clarified that the bench shall adjudicate the limited issue relating to services in Delhi and that no other substantial issue on interpretation of Article 239AA shall be adjudicated afresh. Article 239AA delineates the legislative and executive powers of the Delhi government while clarifying that three subjects, namely land, police and public order, shall remain under the exclusive domain of the Centre in the capital.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court's verdict on the Centre-Delhi services row as historic as he targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a 2015 notification by the Union home ministry that claimed control over services in the national capital. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said the Delhi government did good work even as he was thrown in the water with his hands tied by the Centre. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses the media at the Delhi Secretariat after the Supreme Court's ruling on the regulation of services matters.(PTI)

The chief minister thanked the five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, for the unanimous verdict in favour of the Delhi government and assured that the speed of developmental work in the national capital will increase manifold.

"We gave a model of education to the country. The work will happen at 10 times speed it was happening earlier. Delhi will now present a model of able governance to the entire country," he said.

Kejriwal also indicated a major reshuffle in the bureaucracy in the coming days and said the officers who put obstacles in the Delhi government's work will have to pay for their deeds. The chief minister stressed that the officers who are efficient, honest, responsive and compassionate will be given the opportunity to serve the people of Delhi.

There will also be an overhaul of the administrative system. The entire system is rotten. We will create a system that is accountable and responsible towards the public, he said.

Kejriwal said he will also meet LG VK Saxena later in the day to seek his blessings.

On being asked about the Anti-Corruption Branch, he said, "The ACB is not with us but vigilance will now be with us. Disciplinary proceedings can be initiated against officers who do not work properly."

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services except for public order, police and land. Asserting that an elected government needs to have control over the administration, the apex court said the Union territory of Delhi has "sui generis (unique) character" and refused to agree with the 2019 judgement of Justice Ashok Bhushan that the Delhi government has no power over the issue of services.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
External affairs minister S Jaishankar has a packed schedule over the next week, travelling to Bangladesh for a conference focused on cooperation in the Indian Ocean before heading off to Europe for two crucial meetings on security in the Indo-Pacific and trade and technology collaboration. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (File Photo)

On Thursday, Jaishankar arrived in Bangladesh for a two-day visit, during which he will participate in the Indian Ocean Conference being organised in Dhaka by the India Foundation in partnership with the foreign ministries of the two countries. He will also meet his Bangladesh counterpart AK Abdul Momen and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the trip, people familiar with the matter said.

From Dhaka, Jaishankar will fly directly to Sweden to participate in the second EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum. He will hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of several of the 60 countries expected to take part in the forum. The forum will have three roundtable sessions, including one devoted to the evolving security landscape of the Indo-Pacific that is expected to discuss Chinas growing assertiveness across the region.

Also Read: How EAM Jaishankar got one up on Paks Bilawal Zardari at Goa

After the two-day visit to Sweden, Jaishankar will be in Belgium during May 16-17 to participate in the maiden ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council along with commerce minister Piyush Goyal and electronics and information technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The Indian Ocean Conference, to be addressed by leaders such as Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina, US deputy secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Nepal foreign minister Narayan Saud, will focus on regional cooperation under Indias SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region) initiative. Against the backdrop of Chinas increased military activities in the Indian Ocean, there will be sessions devoted to forging partnerships in the Indo-Pacific for peace and prosperity and dealing with non-traditional security challenges.

As part of his first visit to Sweden since becoming the foreign minister, Jaishankar will take part in the EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum that will be co-chaired by Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billstrom and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Ahead of the meeting, European and Swedish officials said India is perceived as a key partner for trade and maritime security initiatives in the Indo-Pacific. There are also plans for EU states to enhance joint patrols and exercises with the Indian Navy in the northwest Indian Ocean, they said.

The people cited above said Chinas actions across the Indo-Pacific, especially in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, the creation of secure and resilient two-way supply chains and Russias invasion of Ukraine are expected to figure during discussions at the forum in Stockholm.

The forum will also deliberate on building more sustainable and inclusive prosperity and pursuing green opportunities and jointly overcoming global challenges. The forum is being hosted by Sweden as part of its presidency of the Council of the EU.

Also Read: Stop looking for a China fix: Jaishankar on how Indian economy, businesses can grow

Jaishankar will also hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of several countries on the margins of the Indo-Pacific forum, call on the leadership of Sweden and meet key Swedish ministers, the external affairs ministry said. Jaishankar and his Swedish counterpart will also participate in the inaugural session of the India Trilateral Forum which groups India, Europe and the US.

On the last leg of the visit, Jaishankar will travel to Brussels during May 15-16 for bilateral engagements with Belgian and EU officials. He will also join the first ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council on May 16.

India is only the second country, after the US, with which the EU has established a trade and technology council. This is a strategic coordination mechanism that will give India access to advanced technologies and allow the two sides to set standards in crucial and sensitive areas such as 5G and artificial intelligence.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Kejriwal's warning to officers after Supreme Court verdict: Have to pay for their deeds Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court's verdict on the Centre-Delhi services row as historic as he targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a 2015 notification by the Union home ministry that claimed control over services in the national capital. Read more Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference after the judgment by the Supreme Court of India at Delhi Secretariat (Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times)

Will win with comfortable majority, says CM Bommai on Karnataka exit poll

Soon after voting ended on Wednesday at 6 pm in a single phase in Karnataka, exit poll results from various surveys showed the Congress party edging ahead of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and predicted it may even gain a majority of its own in the 224-member assembly. Read more

Jadeja likes controversial post about feeling pain, trauma and being criticised' in CSK under Dhoni's captaincy

Ravindra Jadeja has been one of Chennai Super Kings' top performers in IPL 2023. Yes, the spin-friendly Chennai pitches have helped him take 16 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of just 7.14 but overall his confidence with both bat and ball has been right up there. Read more

Ashneer Grover shares happy pic from paradise after FIR against him and wife for  81 crore alleged fraud

Former Shark Tank India judge Ashneer Grover shared a post after Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) filed an FIR (first information report) against him and his family members. Besides Ashneer, his wife Madhuri Jain Grover, and family members Deepak Gupta, Suresh Jain, and Shwetank Jain are also accused for an alleged 81 crore fraud in December last year, complained by BharatPe. Read more

Celebrating pet moms: Exploring the joys and challenges of raising fur babies

Mother's Day is a special occasion to honour all the hardworking and loving moms, including pet moms who play a crucial role in raising and caring for their pets. Although raising pets may not involve the same challenges as raising human babies, it still requires significant responsibility. Read more

Tips to support kids during a divorce

Here are a few tips to support your kids during divorce. Read more

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Punjab Police on Thursday claimed to have solved the case of the low-intensity blasts in the vicinity of the Golden Temple in Amritsar after the third explosion took place at 12.30am on Thursday. Taking to Twitter, Punjab Director-General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that the case has been solved with the arrest of five people who were involved in the incident. The motive behind the blasts was to disturb peace, police said. Punjab police personnel stand guard near the blast site at Galiara near Shri Guru Ram Das Sarai of the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Thursday. (Sameer Sehgal/Hindustan Times)

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami blamed the negligence of the government and said the security squad of the gurdwara body apprehended three persons including a couple who were staying in Guru Ramdas Serai behind which the fresh explosion took place. The apprehended persons were handed over to the police later. He said the government showed negligence in handling this matter and that is why the third explosion took place. The newly wed couple threw the explosives from the bathroom of the sarai where they were staying towards the Galliara. Reports said they were staying in room number 224 of the sarai. Police recovered some handwritten pages from the possession of the accused. Sources said firecrackers material was used to make the explosions. None of the arrested persons has any known terror link.

He said a scanner will be installed for the devotees entering the Golden Temple and appealed to the devotees to carry only necessary things while visiting the shrine complex.

3rd blast in a week

The first blast took place on Saturday night on Heritage Street leading to the Golden Temple. Some tourists were injured. The second blast took place on Monday around the same place. Nobody was injured in it.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Supreme Court verdict on the political crisis has brought former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhagat Singh Koshyari back in discussion. Koshyari was Maharashtra governor when the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was in turmoil last year, following a split in the Shiv Sena. Eknath Shinde with Bhagat Singh Koshyari. (ANI)

On Thursday, the top court held that Koshyari had no objective material to doubt the confidence of the MVA government and call for a floor test. The apex court also remarked that floor tests cannot be used to resolve internal party disputes.

The former governors role has been in question ever since the MVA government came to power. He was accused of stalling fresh elections to the speakers post after Congress leader Nana Patole stepped down to take over as Maharashtra Congress chief. Koshyari did not permit the erstwhile MVA government to elect a new speaker on grounds that he wished to study the amendment in the rules passed by the state government for the speakers election by allowing open voting instead of a secret ballot. The ruling combine made the amendment to keep cross-voting by its MLAs at bay.

The government sought to hold the speakers election on December 28, 2021, at the winter session in Nagpur. Uddhav Thackeray then wrote three letters to Koshyari, but the latter did not grant permission. On the other hand, the former governor gave the go-ahead within days of the Shinde-Fadnavis government assuming power. The absence of a speaker turned out to be a handicap for the ruling coalition in the initial stage of the political crisis.

The Thackeray-led government had frequent run-ins with Koshyari. The latter did not allow an election for the legislative council as Thackeray had to get elected to the legislature within six months after being appointed as CM, leading to Thackeray petitioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Koshyari was also at the centre of skirmishes with the government over restrictions on visits to temples during the pandemic and demolition of parts of actress Kangana Ranauts office, which was declared illegal by the civic body.

Earlier, the former governor recommended that Presidents Rule be lifted overnight, following which Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the CM and Ajit Pawar as his deputy on November 23, 2019. At the time, the MVA was still in the process of being formed. However, the government could not last for more than three days after the SC had ordered a floor test.

Pawar, Thackeray speak up

Both NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray slammed Koshyari following the Supreme Court verdict for his role in the split. The former governor, however, said that the apex court has proved that his decision on Thackerays resignation and giving oath to Eknath Shinde as the chief minister was not erroneous.

Pawar said Koshyari had brought disrepute to the governors position. We would have demanded his removal but now he is not here. He has done all the damage he could to Maharashtra. He will be remembered in the states history for ignoring all democratic norms while functioning, said the NCP chief.

Thackeray demanded action against the former governor, as it will become a tradition of people continuing to take such decisions and by the time the matter comes up in court, they are out of office or already retired.

My decision was not wrong. Thackeray resigned, as he had no majority. Even SC could not overturn it, said Koshyari in response to the verdict. He resigned from the governors position in February this year.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Security operatives from the Directorate of Crime Intelligence have cracked down on an organised criminal gang robbing cars from Kampala city.

According to police, this criminal gang also had a garage in Iganga town where they could dismantle and alter the chassis and registration number plates of stolen cars.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said "This criminal gang is involved in a string of motor vehicle robberies in the KMP area and neighbouring districts. They transport them to their criminal hub in Iganga, where they alter them before selling them off."

Enanga revealed to the press that operatives recovered nine suspected stolen motor vehicles and also arrested nine suspects, who form part of a wider criminal gang, behind such aggravated robberies of motor vehicles in the capital.

He said that this operation was built on the intelligence gathered in an incident of aggravated robbery involving a car that happened in March at the Kajjansi-Lumuli zone in Wakiso district.

"During the robbery, two female adults were sexually assaulted and thereafter, transported to a bush near the National Medial Stores offices, where they were tied to a tree. They were rescued by residents. The thugs robbed their motor vehicle, a spacio white in colour registration number UAX 773C, Shs 900,000, 5 mobile phones and their IDs," Enanga said.

The motor vehicle was traced and recovered in Iganga town, with tampered number plates.

Dan Makelere Idinda Mubarak, Nkolawano Burhan, Muitebi Shafik, Kakelele Shafik, Muutebi Faiso, Kafero Dirisa, Kafero Sulaiman, and Nabirye Margret were among the nine suspects arrested. However, a major manhunt for other members of the criminal gang is still underway.

According to reports, Iganga town is one of the major hotspots for stolen vehicles. They are altered here before being sold both locally and to neighbouring countries.

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.

It was stated that the arrest of this notorious gang represents a victory for law enforcement in the fight against organised crime targeting motor vehicles. The massive operations are still ongoing, with the goal of apprehending more gang members and holding them accountable for their crimes.

The vehicles have been transferred to CI KMP Headquarters and the police have called upon victims of car theft and robberies to liaise with the KMP team, for further follow-up and inspection.

The recovered motor vehicles with tampered number plates include;

Toyota Harrier, white in colour, under registration number UAW 853K.

Toyota Spacio, white in colour, under registration number UAT 019U.

Toyota Spacio, white in colour, registration number UAT 382E.

Prado green in colour, registration number UAT 385G.

Toyota Noah, dark blue, registration number UAP 714E.

Toyota Noah, white in colour registration number UAR 297Q.

Salon Corolla Black registration number UAG 127T.

Premio Grey in colour registration number UAH 763U.

Fuso white in colour registration number UAQ 148F.
For those who know Subrahmanyam Jaishankar from his bureaucratic days, the external affairs minister has always been known to bat straight with an uncanny ability to call a spade a spade. The last foreign minister to learn about this candid and blunt trait of EAM Jaishankar was Pakistans Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who tried to play to the galleries back home for his own political ambitions at Goa on May 4-5 and in turn, scuppered any chance of India-Pak detente in the far future. External affairs minister S Jaishankar addressing the media post-SCO FM meeting in Goa on May 5.

While the Left-Liberal media in the Indian sub-continent found the EAM unusually aggressive on Pakistan in the post-SCO Foreign Ministers meeting briefing on May 5, the fact is that it was the below-the-belt tactics of Zardari that provoked Jaishankar to call the bluff of Pakistan. Left to him, he would focus on Pakistans elder brother China.

That India was not interested in any bilateral meeting with Pakistan was evident much before the Goa meeting but EAMs Jaishankar mood got soured after he found out that Zardari had plans to raise all the bilateral issues on Indian soil to score political points for family-run Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) back home. The EAM was briefed in advance that Bilawal had planned three interviews with two Indian media groups and one with BBC, with the interviews embargoed for publishing till he left India on May 5. Jaishankar was also correctly told that Zardari would also address an orchestrated press conference with Pakistan media who had travelled to Goa with entry prohibited for Indian media. Scion of the Bhutto-Zardari political dynasty and whose both mother and maternal grandfather were India baiters, Bilawal raised all the issues dear to the Pakistani narrative in the interviews and the press conference in Goa like Kashmir, Article 370, Human Rights etc. It was these below-the-belt tactics of Zardari which got the goat of normally affable EAM as he has vivid memories of Pakistani dictator General Pervez Musharraf derailing the July 14-16, 2001, Agra summit. Gen Musharraf raised the Kashmir issue and downplayed cross-border terrorism before the liberal media in Delhi, a day before the formal summit with then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Agra summit had failed even before it had started.

Not the one to take things lying down, Jaishankar asked his able foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra, who was supposed to address media post SCO FM Goa summit on May 5, to step aside so that he could demolish Zardaris lies and the propagated false Pakistani narrative before Indian media.

Zardari, whose mother Benazir wanted to fight a 1000-year war to wrest Kashmir from India and whose grandfather Zulfikar Ali wanted Islamic nuclear bomb at any cost for Pakistan, had also made personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS in the past.

It was in this context that Jaishankar made it clear that Pakistan had neither anything to do with G-20 nor with Srinagar in the context of the May 22-24 scheduled G-20 meeting on Tourism in the UT. He said the only issue to discuss with Pakistan was when will Islamabad vacate Occupied Kashmir. The strong riposte by Jaishankar ensured that all the statements given by Zardari to Indian and Pakistani media were overshadowed and made redundant.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The government is set to launch a Trusted Traveller Programme for travellers with Indian passports across international airports in the country, in a move aimed at decongesting airports by speeding up immigration checks while departing and arriving. The government is set to launch a Trusted Traveller Programme for travellers with Indian passports across international airports (Agencies)

The programme, which allows quick immigration clearance for pre-verified travellers, will be started on pilot basis at Delhi and Mumbai airports this year and will eventually be implemented at 15 airports by 2027 and all airports by 2032, officials familiar with the development said, asking not to be named.

Three electronic gates  two for arrival and one for the departure passengers - have already been established at Delhis Indira Gandhi International airport. Trials are yet to commence, said one of the officers.

Also read | Indian passport gives visa free access to 60 countries. List here

The initiative, a second officer said, will allow Indian passport holders to use e-gates, thus avoiding the hassle of standing in a queue.

The idea is to make the immigration clearance process simpler and quicker with the help of technology. The United States department of homeland security has a similar Global Entry Program, which allows for expedited security and immigration clearance of pre-approved, low-risk travellers, said a third officer, who works in the home ministry.

The American system, to be sure, applies only to arrivals and the pre-verification process involves what the Global Entry Programs website described as rigorous background checks and in-person interviews.

In Indias case, the third official quoted above, said the modalities of the verification system are yet to be worked out, as well as how passports will be stamped, as they are done when someone enters or exits India via any of the immigration checkpoints.

India is not considering opening the scheme to those with other passports for now, this person added.

Read | Australia's big changes to its immigration system, visa processing. Details

The ministry of home affairs (MHA), in consultation with the civil aviation and Bureau of Immigration, has already prepared a roadmap for the trusted traveler programme, this officer added.

Amit Singh, an aviation expert, said the key will be for the policy to define pre-verified travellers.

E-Gates are only to reduce the workload or automate the process but someone at the backend must verify and approve the passengers identity based on the immigration database. If the person is of interest, then the e-gate will reject the entry and the person will have to proceed to the manual counter, he added.

As air traffic increases, Indian airports are coming under strain. Last year, several passengers flying into and out of Delhi complained about congestion at the airport. In response, the aviation ministry asked airlines to reduce flights during peak hours (between 5 am to 9 am), and the airport to have more X-ray machines, with minister Jyotiraditya Scindia carrying out multiple reviews on this intervention.

The Bureau for Civil Aviation Security has mandated that airports dealing with 10 million passengers per annum or more introduce full body scanners (FBS) by December 31. All greenfield non-regional connectivity airports will have them before the start of the operation itself.

According to aviation consultancy CAPA India, in 2023-24, air passenger traffic, including domestic and international, is expected to reach 395 million passengers.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Questioning the absence of a formal notification regarding the imposition of Article 355 in violence-hit Manipur, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Thursday remarked that the spirit of Article 355 was being enforced, if not the letter. According to the Manipur government, at least 60 people have lost their lives till now (PTI)

What exactly is going on in regard to the imposition of Article 355 of the Constitution in Manipur? Senior state officials say it has been invoked but the Modi govt has NOT issued any notification to this effect. But its actions certainly seem to indicate that the spirit of Article 355 is being enforced if not the letter, Ramesh posted in a tweet.

Attacking the BJP-led double-engine governments at the Centre and of Manipur the latter was re-elected in March last year with N Biren Singh retaining his chief ministership  Ramesh said people of the northeastern state were suffering, regardless of the community they belong to.

The Congress general secretary in-charge of communications also took on prime minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister continues to be silent and has moved on to start campaigning for the next round of state elections in November 2023. The Union Home Minister has not deemed it fit to visit the state and assess the situation, Ramesh said.

Article 355 in Manipur

On May 5, a day after the violence began, the Centre invoked Article 355 of the Constitution in Manipur, reports said, quoting senior police officials. It must be noted, however, that a formal notification regarding the enforcement is yet to be issued.

On the other hand, former CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh, sent to Manipur by the Modi regime to assist the N Biren Singh government, denied its implementation.

What is Article 355?

It states that it shall be the duty of the Union of India to protect states against external aggression and internal disturbance, and to ensure that the government of each state is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

Manipur violence

Clashes broke out between the tribal Kuki and non-tribal Meitie people over a high court proposal calling for the inclusion of the Meities  who constitute 53% of the state's population  to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list, with the Kukis opposing the proposal.

After the violence escalated, central troops were rushed to bring the situation under control. According to official estimates, at least 60 people have lost their lives, with several injured.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Doctors' body FORDA on Thursday wrote to Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and sought his immediate intervention and decisive action after a doctor was fatally stabbed in Kerala by a man while she was dressing his wound. Thiruvananthapuram: Doctors and medical students raise slogans during their protest against the killing of a female doctor, outside Kerala Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, Wednesday, May 10, 2023. (PTI)

Wednesday's murder of medic Vandana Das by Sandeep, a school teacher under suspension, has led to widespread outrage in the state, and triggered protests by the medical community.

This brutal act of violence while on duty calls for immediate action to ensure justice and the safety of healthcare professionals, said Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA).

The health minister, it appealed, must take the following measures: the accused be given maximum punishment for homicide; maximum financial compensation for the victim's family as is done in the recognition of the sacrifice of a martyr; and, the implementation of the Healthcare Protection Act.

Also, FORDA urged all Resident Doctors' Associations (RDAs) associated with it to observe mourning and pay homage to the victim by holding black-ribbon protests, candlelight marches, and observing silence in her remembrance.

The murder

According to the police, the incident took place on Wednesday morning at a hospital in Kollam district's Kottarakkara area. Sandeep, who was hospitalised after being involved in a fight with his family members, suddenly got provoked, and attacked everyone standing there with scissors and a scalpel.

Das succumbed to her injuries at a Thiruvananthapuram hospital a few hours after the attack. Police personnel who accompanied the man were also injured.

The Kerala government has promised a 'thorough investigation' into the matter.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday slammed the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government after the Supreme Court held the governor, speaker, and the chief whip's action illegal during the political crisis in the state. Ramesh alleged that the double engine sarkar in Mumbai is triply illegal. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. (PTI File Photo)

Today in relation to the overthrow of Uddhav Thackeray & the MVA Govt in Maharashtra the Supreme Court held: 1. Governor's actions were illegal. 2. Speaker's actions were illegal. 3. Chief Whip's actions were illegal, Jairam Ramesh wrote on Twitter.

He further quoted advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi - who argued for Uddhav Thackeray's side in the top court in the Maharashtra political crisis case - saying, In the words of my senior colleague, Dr. Abhishek Singhvi, what moral authority is left for the Shinde-Fadnavis regime to cling to power?

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud noted that it cannot disqualify the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government and rejected the submission to reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister because the latter had chosen to resign.

While the verdict was seen as a win for the Shinde coup, the top court also said that former governor BS Koshyari erred by calling a floor test that toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led government. It observed that Devendra Fadnavis and the independent MLAs did not move a no-confidence motion and the governor's exercise of discretion was not in accordance of the law.

According to the SC, the then Speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of the Shiv Sena in the Maharashtra Assembly was contrary to law. The whip has to be appointed by a political party, the court observed.
The first indication that Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtras 19th chief minister, was thinking of quitting came on June 22, two days after several Shiv Sena MLAs had cross-voted in the legislative council elections in Mumbai, and then fled to Surat in the dark of the night. Uddhav Thackeray submits his resignation from the post of CM to then governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, on June 29, 2022. (File Photo)

A coup was underway, and a Thackeray could not afford to appear defeated was his logic when he first broached the idea with his party. Uddhav Thackeray, however, was not just the chief of the Shiv Sena but also the head of a coalition government. Sharad Pawar and other MVA leaders prevailed upon him to stay on and fight. Over the next week, however, a steady stream of Sena MLAs, some of whom he considered as insiders, continued to leave. Most prominent among them was Uday Samant, part of his crisis management group, who also defected to join Eknath Shinde. As his circle of confidantes grew smaller and smaller, Uddhav felt tricked and hurt, says a senior leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT).

Read | Could have reinstated Uddhav Thackeray had not he resigned as chief minister: SC

He was hurt by the way a majority of the MLAS had turned against him without any dialogue.

On June 29, when the Supreme Court refused to stay then-governor BS Koshyaris directive to take the floor test, Uddhav felt he had had enough. By this time, 38 of his MLAs had switched sides, a sufficient number to beat anti-defection provisions. Only five people knew of this decision: his wife Rashmi, his sons Aaditya and Tejas, and Sena leaders Subhash Desai and Anil Parab, who later informed others in the party. That day, Uddhav Thackeray held his last Cabinet meeting where he thanked his colleagues.

Visible threats and invisible threads: What Uddhav needs to do next

No legal advice was sought and neither did he consult NCP or Congress leaders who were trying to save his government. Ten months later, that decision would come to haunt him. The Supreme Court in its verdict on Thursday said Thackerays resignation meant that it would not reinstate Thackeray as chief minister under the status quo ante sought by his lawyers.

But Uddhav Thackeray, may have been the first Thackeray to hold a constitutional position, came from Balasaheb Thackerays school of emotive politics. In 1992, when Chhagan Bhujbal became the first Shiv Sainik to rebel against Balasaheb, the Sena supremo had offered to quit leading to an outpouring of support from his cadre. Uddhav, who announced his resignation as CM on social media, saying he sought no trappings of power, thought his resignation might prompt a similar outpouring of support. In a democracy, heads are counted to show numbers. I am not interested in that. I dont want to play these games. I had come [to power] in an unexpected manner and I am going out in a similar fashion, he said in his resignation address.

He thought he had been dragged into a dirty power game and he did not deserve to face allegations by the rebels on the floor of the assembly. Besides, we also suspected that a few more MLAs would cross over to the Shinde faction during the debate on trust vote. That would be insulting and embarrassing and he wanted no part of that, disclosed the leader close to Uddhav.

On Thursday, after the Supreme Courts verdict, NCP chief Pawar refused to publicly comment on Uddhavs resignation, which he was so opposed to, but pointed the media to what he had already written in his recently released memoirs. In politics, one has to move fast to retain power. But at the first hint of a political crisis, he (Thackeray) backed out, writes Pawar in Lok Mazhe Sangati. The MVA leaders, he writes, knew that there would be attempts to destabilise their government. We were capable of handling such attempts at our level. We did not anticipate that there would a storm within the Shiv Sena after we had appointed Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister. The Sena leadership failed to handle the rebellion in its party and the MVA lost power because Uddhav resigned without a fight.

His resignation, in fact, complicated matters for Thackeray as Eknath Shinde did not just stop at pulling down his government but even took over the party. This is what we had anticipated. The way the rebellion was planned, it was clear that the Shinde-Fadnavis combine did not just want to form the government but also take over the Shiv Sena, leaving Thackeray without the official party, said a senior NCP leader after the SC verdict. Other than Sharad Pawar other NCP leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil and Jayant Patil too had given the Sena leadership an inkling of what could be in store for them. But for Uddhav, emotion rather than cold logic prevailed at that time.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday appeared to quash talk of his Biju Janata Dal joining a 'third front' of opposition parties to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party and prime minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. "There is no possibility of a 'third front' as far as I am concerned," he said after meeting Modi in Delhi, before adding, "Not now." Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik (PTI Photo)

He then indicated his BJD - which is not allied with the BJP but has offered support at times - would fight the 2024 election solo; "That has always been the case..." he replied when asked about his party's plans for next year.

Patnaik said he met Modi to discuss 'issues related to Odisha'. "I spoke for the international airport we have to set up in Puri... Bhubaneswar is a lot of (air) traffic now, so that is why we want an expansion," the chief minister explained.

"PM said he will definitely help in every way possible," Patnaik said.

The 'third front' and Nitish Kumar's efforts

Talk of a 'third front' has grown these past weeks with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav on a round of high-profile visits.

Patnaik and Nitish met Tuesday but both played the meeting down; the former spoke about his friendship with the Bihar CM and labelled it a 'courtesy' call.

READ | Nitish Kumar and Naveen Patnaik meet, say no alliance talks

Nitish Kumar has already met Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party boss Arvind Kejriwal and ex-Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav. Kejriwal last month called 'people's unity' more important.

The Bihar chief minister has also met Bengal's Mamata Banerjee, who, in turn, met Patnaik last month and underlined the strength of regional parties.

READ | Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik call for 'strong' federal structure

Earlier today Nitish and Tejashwi met ex-Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and called on opposition parties to unite ahead of the 2024 poll.

"There should be no dispute and everyone should stay united," he said.

The two then met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and all three stressed the need (again) for the opposition to unite and work for the nation.

Nitish and Tejashwi also met Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren this week, after which the former said, "Our talks centred on forming a united opposition..."

READ | Nitish meets Jharkhand CM Soren, says will work together for 2024

Nitish's meeting with Congress

The Bihar chief minister's rounds come after a potentially significant meeting with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and top leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi last month, which was claimed a 'historic step' in attempts to challenge Modi.

"We will try to unite as many political parties as we can and move forward together," Nitish Kumar said then with Rahul Gandhi by his side.

Kumar's efforts since have been seen as an attempt do what the Congress seems to have failed - to rally strong regional leaders around and unite an opposition that isn't, perhaps, fully convinced by Rahul Gandhi and his challenge to Modi.

Another 'third front'

Nitish Kumar isn't the only opposition leader bidding for a united opposition.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao - whose national ambitions are clear - is plotting something similar. However, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin - one of those contacted by KCR - poured cold water on the idea.

In March, Stalin urged all opposition parties to 'understand simple electoral arithmetic logic and stand united' behind the Congress, with whom he is allied.

With input from agencies

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has reacted to the poster of UP BJP leader Abhijat Mishra where Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee and Owaisi could be seen taking instruction for a 'masked man' to ban 'The Kerala Story'. "Yeh sab ek hi 'Laila' ke Dewaane hain," Owaisi tweeted. The movie which became controversial because of its claims on the number of Muslim women in Kerala inducted into ISIS has been declared tax-free in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana. The West Bengal government has declared a ban on the movie. The poster appeared in Lucknow after West Bengal banned The Kerala Story

The poster in question surfaced after the ban by the West Bengal government. The four leaders were shown as speaking to someone opposing the movie. "Yes Sir, I am trying my best," Rahul Gandhi was shown as saying while Owaisi was given this dialogue: "Neither the government nor the court is listening."

The team of The Kerala Story, comprising producer Vipul Shah, lead actor Adah Sharma and director Sudipto Sen, met UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and praised the UP government's law against forced conversion.

As soon as the teaser of the movie dropped, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan called it Sangh Parivar's propaganda, while Kerala Congress MP Shashi Tharoor slammed the makers for their exaggerated claims. "This is not our Kerala story," Tharoor said. BJP leaders on the other hand threw their weight behind the movie with PM Modi mentioning it at a campaign in Karnataka ahead of the elections. The movie was released on May 5 and added more fuel to the controversy as the West Bengal government officially banned the screening; Tamil Nadu theatre owners pulled the movie out citing poor business as there is no big star in the movie.

"Why did they make Kashmir Files? To humiliate one section. What is this Kerala files? If they can prepare Kashmir files to condemn the Kashmiri people... now they are defaming Kerala state also. Every day they are defaming through their narrative," Mamata Banerjee said inviting a legal notice from The Kashmir Files director Vivek Agnihotri.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the petition by the producers of The Kerala Story challenging the ban in West Bengal -- on May 12.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO-India) and dedicated scientific projects worth over 5800 crore to the nation on the occasion of National Technology Day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases commemorative postage stamp at the National Technology Day function. (PTI photo)

The National Technology Day is a big day for our country. We salute and commend the scientists of this country who have dedicated their life and work for the scientific advancements of India... Over the last nine years, we have laid a strong foundation so that India can move forward and make notable advancements in the field of technology, PM Modi said in his address.

Also Read:PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate 3-day international museum exhibition on May 18

The celebration of National Technology Day was started by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 to honour Indian scientists, engineers and technologists, who worked for Indias scientific and technological advancement and ensured the successful conduct of Pokhran tests in May 1998.

Since then, National Technology Day is observed every year on May 11.

PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for LIGO-India, Hingoli; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Jatni, Odisha; and Platinum Jubilee Block of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

LIGO-India, which is coming up in Hingoli, Maharashtra, is one of the handful laser interferometer gravitational wave observatories in the world and an extremely sensitive interferometer of 4 km arm length capable of sensing gravitational waves generated during the merger of massive astrophysical objects such as black holes, and neutron stars.

The LIGO-India will work in synchronisation with two such observatories operating in the United States; one in Hanford, Washington and the other in Livingston, Louisiana.

He also dedicated the Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Plant in Vishakhapatnam to the country.

The facility will mark the entry of India into a league of nations that can produce rare earth permanent magnets.

It has been developed on the campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre at Visakhapatnam.

The facility has been established based on indigenous technology and using indigenous rare earth material extracted from indigenous resources.

PM Modi also announced the foundation of the National Hadron Beam Therapy Facility of Tata Memorial Centre in Navi Mumbai, which is a state-of-the-art facility which works to undertake highly precise delivery of radiation to the tumour with minimal dose to the surrounding normal structures.

The precise delivery of dose to target tissue reduces the early and delayed side effects of radiation therapy.

Fission Molybdenum-99 Production Facility, located in Trombay Campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, was another project that was dedicated to the country on Thursday.

Molybdenum-99 is the parent of Technetium-99m, which is used in more than 85% of imaging procedures for early detection of cancer, heart disease, among others.

The facility is expected to enable about 9-10 lakh patient scans every year.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the programme marking National Technology Day 2023 in the national capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh releases commemorative stamp during the National Technology Day function at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.(PTI)

The programme also marked the commencement of the celebration of the 25th year of National Technology Day, which will be held from May 11-14.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh were also present at the event.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple projects related to scientific and technological advancement in the country, worth more than 5800 crore.

The projects for which the foundation stone was laid include Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory-India (LIGO-India), Hingoli; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Jatni, Odisha; and Platinum Jubilee Block of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

The celebration of National Technology Day was started by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 to honour Indian scientists, engineers and technologists, who worked for India's scientific and technological advancement and ensured the successful conduct of Pokhran tests in May 1998.

Since then, National Technology Day is observed every year on May 11.

It is celebrated with a new and different theme every year. This year's theme is 'School to Startups- Igniting Young Minds to Innovate'.
press release

Tunis  Prominent Leaders Arbitrarily Arrested; Party Headquarters Shut Down

Tunisian authorities have intensified their attack on opponents of President Kais Saied's 2021 power grab, moving to neutralize the country's largest political party, Ennahda, Human Rights Watch said today.

Since December 2022, the Tunisian government has arrested at least 17 current or former members of the party, including its leader, and shut its offices across the country. The authorities should immediately release all those arbitrarily detained and end restrictions on freedom of association and assembly.

The arrests have continued following a wave in mid-February that targeted figures of various political affiliations, bringing the number of public figures deemed critical of Saied behind bars to at least 30. Most have been accused of "conspiring against state security." The Ennahda-linked detainees include four former ministers and several former parliament members. The party President and former speaker of parliament Rached Ghannouchi and two party vice presidents, Ali Laarayedh and Nourredine Bhiri, are among them. None has been formally charged.

"After demonizing the Ennahda Party and making serious accusations without proof, President Saied's authorities have moved to effectively dismantle it," said Salsabil Chellali, Tunisia director at Human Rights Watch. "Tunisian authorities' latest tactic to muzzle critical voices consists of tossing around conspiracy charges left and right against all those who challenge the president's increasingly authoritarian bent."

The authorities have accused most of the detainees of "conspiracy against state security" without clarifying the criminal acts that constitute the alleged conspiracy.

Seven Ennahda-related cases for which Human Rights Watch has been able to get additional information show the political nature of the arrests, the reliance on flimsy evidence, and disregard for due-process rights. At least four of these cases amount to barring peaceful expression.

Founded in 1981, Ennahda - formerly the Islamic Tendency Movement - was legalized only in 2011, after a popular uprising ousted the longtime authoritarian President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Ennahda played a central role in all government coalitions until 2019.

Ennahda President Ghannouchi has been a prominent opponent of Saied's one-man-rule that followed his seizure of extraordinary powers on July 25, 2021. On April 17, plainclothes officers arrested Ghannouchi at his home. They did not show an arrest warrant, one of his lawyers told Human Rights Watch.

On April 20, an investigative judge issued a detention warrant for Ghannouchi on charges of attempting to "change the nature of the state" and "conspiring against internal state security," crimes for which a death sentence is possible. The accusations are based on a warning by Ghannouchi on April 15 during a meeting that alienating opposition political movements, including Ennahda and "the left," was a "project for civil war."

Over the past 18 months, Ghannouchi, 81, has been questioned in relation to 19 different investigations, his lawyer Mokhtar Jemai said in a radio interview.

The police closed Ennahda's headquarters in Tunis on April 18, without presenting any court decision or formal document, another lawyer said. Security forces have prevented members from accessing the offices of the party across the country, the lawyer said.

The same day, the authorities shut the Tunis headquarters of a party known as the Tunisia Will Movement, which hosted activities of the National Salvation Front (NSF), an opposition coalition cofounded by Ennahda.

An unverified Interior Ministry memorandum invoking the state of emergency - which has continuously been extended since 2015 - ordering the closure of Ennahda's offices and banning their meetings across the country, as well as the NSF's gatherings in Tunis, has circulated online.

The two Ennahda vice presidents, Laarayedh and Bhiri, are being held in Mornaguia prison. Laarayedh, 67, a former interior and prime minister, is facing prosecution for decisions he made in office between 2011 and 2014 that allegedly failed to combat fundamentalism and Islamic extremist violence "in the necessary way." He has been held since December 19, without being brought before a judge.

Former Justice Minister Bhiri was arrested on February 13 for attempting to "change the nature of the state," his lawyer, Amine Bouker, told Human Rights Watch, for a Facebook post urging, Tunisians to demonstrate against Saied on January 14, the anniversary of Ben Ali's ouster. Bhiri's lawyers said he did not write or post the call.

Said Ferjani, another Ennahda leader who was in the Parliament dissolved by Saied in March 2022, was arrested in Tunis on February 27 as part of an investigation into the digital content production company Instalingo, one of his lawyers said. The state prosecutor has accused the company, whose customers include Arabic-speaking media organizations critical of Saied, of inciting violence and slandering Saied.

Ferjani is accused of "money laundering," attempting to "change the nature of the state," "undermining external State security," and inciting violence, among other charges - including under the 2015 Anti-Terrorist law - some of which are punishable by death. An investigative judge questioned Ferjani on March 1 about his relationships and finances. His family and lawyer told Human Rights Watch that he has no link with the company. He is in Sousse prison and he has not been further questioned by a judge.

At least two other Ennahda members are detained in the Instalingo case: the former Investment Minister Riadh Bettaieb, his lawyer told Human Rights Watch, and Ghannouchi, who was placed under a detention warrant in this case on May 9.

Mohamed Mzoughi, Ennahda's head of public relations in the city of Beja, was arrested on March 9. The following day, Mohamed Saleh Bouallagui, Ennahda's general secretary in Beja, was arrested. They remain in detention, accused of "conspiracy against state security" including through "contacts with a foreign power," "insulting the president" and terrorism-related charges for their alleged role in managing social media pages critical of Saied's rule, their lawyers said.

Documents filed by the state prosecutor indicate that Bouallagui and Mzoughi are being investigated under the 2015 Anti-Terrorist law for offenses punishable by up to 20 years in prison, including "membership in a terrorist organization," "using the Tunisian territory to commit terrorist offenses," "providing weapons" and money laundering. They are also being investigated under articles of the Penal Code and article 86 of the Telecommunications Code. The investigative judge last questioned Mzoughi on March 24 and Bouallagui on March 28.

Mohamed Ben Salem, a former Ennahda leader and former minister of agriculture, was arrested on March 3, without a warrant, in the southeastern town of Bir Lahmar. He is being investigated for "forming an organization aiming to prepare and commit the crime of illegally leaving the Tunisian territory" under article 42 of law 1975-40 on Travel Documents and "holding sums of money in foreign currency," under articles of the foreign exchange code.

Ben Salem has not been questioned by a judge since his detention. However, the financial crimes police unit interrogated him on April 12 in a separate investigation into alleged corruption.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Tunisia Governance 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.

Four other people are detained in relation to the cases against Ben Salem, including former Ennahda parliament member, Ahmed Laamari, his lawyer told Human Rights Watch.

Ben Salem, detained in Sfax prison, has lost his ability to walk and suffered two strokes since his arrest, his lawyer, Abdelwahhab Maatar, told Human Rights Watch. He has had a heart condition and chronic diseases for years, his family said.

Ruling by decree, Saied has systematically undermined judicial independence, raising fair trial concerns for these and other people accused after they criticized him. In February 2022, Saied dissolved the High Judicial Council, which was mandated to guarantee the independence of the judiciary, and appointed a temporary body over which he has broad control. In June 2022, he granted himself the authority to unilaterally dismiss magistrates and fired 57. The authorities have refused to comply with an administrative court order to reinstate 49 of them.

Under international law, a suspect should be held in pretrial detention only in exceptional circumstances when the court provides reasons for holding them that are compelling, individualized, and subject to periodic review and appeal. Pretrial detention is only to be imposed as "an exception" under article 84 of Tunisia's Criminal Procedure Code.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Tunisia is a party, protects the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, association, and assembly. Tunisia is also bound under the ICCPR and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights to respect the right to a fair trial.

"The Tunisian authorities should stop their reprisal against Ennahda and other opponents and release all those jailed in the absence of credible evidence of crimes," Chellali said.
The Punjab Police on Thursday said they have solved the cases of low-intensity explosions in Amritsar with the arrest of five people hours after another blast near a community kitchen of the Golden Temple, Sikhisms holiest shrine. The scene of the fresh blast. (HT PHOTO)

In a tweet, Punjab Police chief Gaurav Yadav said a press conference will be held in Amritsar in this regard. He added the Punjab Police are committed to maintaining peace and harmony in Punjab as per chief minister Bhagwant Manns directions.

Thursdays blast was the third such explosion in five days. The scene of the third blast is around 1.5 km from the earlier two explosions.

Police commissioner Naunihal Singh rushed to the spot for an investigation and to seal the scene as the third explosive went off.

The Punjab Police earlier claimed to have tightened the security around the Golden Temple as they held flag marches with the support of paramilitary forces.

Singh said they detained suspects and were questioning them. The investigation is on and the media will be briefed later.

The first two blasts rocked the busy Heritage Street leading to the Golden Temple. The first blast took place around 11:30pm on Saturday while the second blast on Monday morning.

Yadav earlier said that the terror angle cannot be ruled out.

Harjinder Singh Dhami, the head of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) that manages Sikh places of worship, said the security personnel of the gurdwara caught three suspects, including a couple who were staying in Guru Ramdas Serai (inn), based on CCTV footage. He added the three were responsible for the fresh explosion. The three were handed over to the police later.

People aware of the matter said the couple from Gurdaspur was staying in the inn of the Golden Temple from where they allegedly threw a bomb on Thursday. Police said they have recovered some handwritten pages from the possession of the accused.

Dhami accused the government of negligence in handling the matter and taking it lightly. ...had the government taken the previous two explosions seriously, the third explosion would not have taken place.

He said a scanner will be installed for the devotees entering the Golden Temple and appealed to devotees to carry only necessary things while visiting the shrine.

Dhami appreciated SGPC employees for catching the suspects with the help of technology within hours of the third blast. He asked pilgrims to visit the shrine without fear as the situation is entirely peaceful.
Launching a veiled attack on Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday said some people got scared after he demanded a fair investigation into alleged corruption that took place when the BJP was in power in the state. Pilot said he never used foul language against anyone but that doesn't mean we lack self-respect. Congress leader Sachin Pilot during his Jan Sanghrah Yatra in Ajmer, Thursday, May 11, 2023.(PTI)

I was the deputy CM, I could have spent my time comfortably. But we need to do much more to fulfil the dreams of the people of Rajasthan, the Congress leader told a gathering on the first day of his 125-km foot march from Ajmer to Jaipur.

I have always kept my tongue under control. People have said a lot of things about me...Not using foul language doesn't mean that we lack self-respect, he said.

A month back, the former deputy chief minister had defied a warning from the party to hold a daylong fast targeting Gehlot on inaction over the alleged corruption.

When we raised the corruption issue, I wanted a fair investigation. But they were scared. I became clear that no investigation is going to take place, Pilot said as he asked for support in his efforts.

Referring to the scorching heat as aag ka dariya, he told his supporters, This is a river of fire, we have to swim across it.

The Congress leader later interacted with media persons where he said insisted that his demands were ideological and not personal.

When asked about speculations about him quitting the party soon, he said, There is no need to speculate. Whatever is happening, is all before you. Whatever I say or do, I do it openly. I don't play hide and seek. My demand is ideological, not personal. Nobody can accuse me of being ambitious for a post. Everyone knows of my politics.

Apart from corruption, the yatra focuses on cases of paper leaks in government recruitment exams. The Congress leader said his march is not against anyone but over issues.

Earlier today, Gehlot indirectly referred to dissidence in the party. In a democracy, those who take everyone along are successful and those who create factions can never become successful," the chief minister said.

Congress's state unit chief Govind Singh Dotasra was dismissive of the Pilots yatra.

"This is his personal yatra. This is not a Congress organisation yatra, he told reporters who sought his response.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday backed the idea of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar being the face of opposition alliance, saying there will be nothing more delightful than that. Addressing a joint press conference after meeting Sharad Pawar in Mumbai, Nitish Kumar said they are trying hard to form a larger coalition, and more opposition parties come together, the better it is in the interest of the country. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar with NCP president Sharad Pawar at latter's Silver Oak residence in Mumbai on Thursday, 12 May 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande)

Nitish Kumar visited Pawar at the latters residence in south Mumbai along with his deputy Tejashwi Yadav amid efforts to strengthen opposition's unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

What BJP is doing nowadays is not in the interest of the country. In such a situation, if more and more opposition parties unite, it would be better for the country, he said. All I can say now is that it is happening in the interest of the country.

Asked if Pawar will be the main face of the opposition alliance, Kumar said, There will be nothing more delightful than that. I have told him that he has to work with more vigour not only for his party but for the entire country.

Pawar said these discussions are part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Both Kumar and Pawar are in alliance with Congress in their respective states.

To save democracy, it is important to work together. After looking at the condition of the country, it seems that if we work together, there will be support for the alternative, the NCP chief said.

He claimed that the BJP will lose in the Karnataka assembly elections. As per my info, people there will oust BJP and elect a secular government, he said.

Welcomed the Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar ji and deputy Chief Minister Shri Tejashwi Yadav ji at my Mumbai residence today. We had a brief discussion to strengthen the Opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Pawar tweeted after meeting Kumar.

Earlier today, Kumar met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray at 'Matoshree' in Mumbai as part of his efforts to bring Opposition leaders under one roof to strengthen the bloc against the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
If there is one person who holds all the cards after the Supreme Court verdict in the Maharashtra political crisis case, it is the Speaker of the Maharashtra legislative assembly, Rahul Narwekar. Maharashtra speaker Rahul Narwekar. (ANI)

Thanks to the constitution bench judgment, Narwekar, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, has emerged the exclusive authority to take a call on a spectrum of issues -- from deciding the disqualification petitions to identifying the real Shiv Sena; from recognising the new chief whip of SHiv Sena to notifying its leader of the House.

In its 141-page judgment, the bench led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya y Chandrachud emphatically affirmed the election of Narwekar, even as it quashed his decisions on July 3 to recognise Eknath Shinde as the leader of the Shiv Sena legislature party and Bharat Gogawale as the chief whip. At the same time, the apex court left it to Narwekar to recognise the new leader of the Shiv Sena legislature party and the chief whip again following an enquiry by him into the state of affairs when there could be two factions of the same party (Shiv Sena).

While the Thackeray camp claimed that Narwekars election was illegal since he got the support of Eknath Shinde and the other rebel MLAs, the top court was emphatic that every member of the House was entitled to participate in the proceedings of the House until he or she was not declared disqualified following the procedure laid down under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law).

An MLA has the right to participate in the proceedings of the House until they are disqualified...The decision of the Speaker does not relate back to the date when the MLA indulged in prohibitory conduct. The decision of the Speaker and the consequences of disqualification are prospective, declared the bench.

Noting that the constitutional sanctity of the proceedings in Parliament or the state legislatures cannot be set in a state of uncertainty, it also junked Thackerays plea that Narwekars position should be subject to the outcome of the pending disqualification petitions against Shinde and the MLAs supporting him.

For the above reasons, the action of the House in electing the Speaker, Mr Rahul Narwekar, on 3 July 2022 is not invalid merely because some MLAs who participated in the election faced disqualification proceedings, said the court.

It then went on to hold that since Narwekar has been duly elected by the MLAs in terms of the procedure laid down under the 1960 Maharashtra Assembly Rules, he is the appropriate constitutional authority to decide the question of disqualification under the Tenth Schedule.

We are also unable to accept the alternative submission of the petitioners to direct the Deputy Speaker to adjudicate the question of disqualification for the simple reason that the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has duly elected the Speaker, who has been entrusted with the authority to decide disqualification petitions under the Constitution. The Deputy Speaker can perform the duties of the Speaker only when the office of the Speaker is vacant, said the bench, leaving it to Narwekar to decide the disqualification petitions pending against MLAs of both factions.

The court, in its verdict, quashed the recognition of Shinde and Gogawale as the leader of the Shiv Sena legislature party and the chief whip of the Shiv Sena respectively, noting that he did not conduct any exercise to ascertainof they were duly authorised by the political party through a valid resolution.

In a contentious situation such as this, the Speaker should have conducted an independent inquiry based on the rules and regulations of the political party to identify the Whip authorised by the Shiv Sena Political Party, said the bench.

It directed that the Speaker shall recognize the Whip and the Leader who are duly authorised by the Shiv Sena political party with reference to the provisions of the party constitution, after conducting an enquiry in this regard and in keeping with the principles discussed in this judgement.

While deciding the disqualification petitions as well the recognition of the party leaders in the House, the bench underscored that the Speaker will also determine who the real political party is when there are two factions.

Further, the Speaker must not base their decision as to which group constitutes the political party on a blind appreciation of which group possesses a majority in the Legislative Assembly. This is not a game of numbers, but of something more. The structure of leadership outside the legislative assembly is a consideration which is relevant to the determination of this issue, it said.

The bench, however, clarified that the Speakers determination of the real party is a prima facie determination and will not impact any other proceedings including the proceedings before the Election Commission under the Symbols Order.

It is also expected that Narwekars decisions in future are likely to land at the courts doorstep all over again with the Thackeray camp laying fresh legal challenges.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Supreme Court could have reinstated Uddhav Thackeray had he refrained from resigning as the Maharashtra chief minister last year following Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena lawmakers rebellion, a constitution bench said on Thursday. The Supreme Court. (ANI)

The five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud said the court cannot quash a resignation. It added status quo ante cannot be given since Thackeray resigned.

Shinde took over as the chief minister of Maharashtra with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s support after his rebellion prompted Thackeray to resign before a floor test.

The bench said the governor erred in concluding that Thackeray had lost the majority in the House after the rebellion. It added the governor had no objective materials to call for a floor test. Floor test cannot be used as a medium to resolve inter or intra-party disputes.

The bench said deputy chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadanvis and independent MLAs also did not move a no-confidence motion. Governors exercise of discretion was not in accordance with the law.

The CJI, who delivered the judgment on behalf of the bench which also comprised justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli, and PS Narasimha, said the appointment of Shinde camps Bharat Gogawale as the new whip of Shiv Sena was illegal. Speaker shall recognise the new whip again after an inquiry.

The bench added the speaker will determine which is the real Shiv Sena and then decide on disqualification petitions of the rebels. It said the disqualification petitions before the speaker cannot be linked with proceedings before the Election Commission of India.

The bench said the whip is appointed by a political party and not a legislative party while rejecting Shindes contention on this count. Courts can go into the speakers decision to appoint a party whip.

The Supreme Court also held that the 2016 Nebam Rabia decision, which held the speaker cannot decide a disqualification petition when his own removal has been sought, by a five-judge bench requires reference to a larger bench.

In its order of reference, a three-judge bench doubted the correctness of a 2016 judgment by another five-judge bench in the Nebam Rabia (Arunachal Pradesh disqualification) case in holding that the Speaker cannot initiate disqualification proceedings when his own removal is sought.

The Maharashtra legal battle in the Supreme Court commenced on June 27 last year when the court restrained the then deputy speaker of the Maharashtra assembly  a Thackeray loyalist -- from disqualifying a group of rebel Shinde-led Shiv Sena legislators.

Two days later, it refused to stay the governors direction to the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance to face the floor test, and within hours, Thackeray resigned.

Thackerays resignation and Shindes dramatic take over as the chief minister within 24 hours triggered a spate of petitions by the formers faction. They challenged the election of the new Speaker, a new whip of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, disqualification proceedings initiated against his own MLAs, and the validity of the floor test that witnessed Shinde sailing by with the support of the BJP.

In August 2022, the Supreme Court referred the adjudication of legal issues arising out of the split in Shiv Sena to constitution bench of five judges, noting that the matter raises important issues involving the contours of disqualification proceedings and the powers of the governor and the speaker in their respective spheres.

The three-judge bench had at that time held that the spectrum of legal questions emanating from the tussle between the factions belonging to Shinde and Thackeray requires to be dealt with by a larger bench for an authoritative pronouncement.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Supreme Court on Thursday invalidated the Maharashtra governors decision asking then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to face a floor test last year and flagged a flurry of errors during the political drama that toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, but refused to put Uddhav back in the saddle because he voluntarily resigned instead of facing the trust vote in the assembly. Supreme Court on Thursday delivered verdict in the Eknath Shinde vs Uddhav Thackeraty case.

Though it does not change the power dynamic in Maharashtra, the judgment of the five-judge bench found fault in steps taken by then governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in ordering the floor test, by speaker Rahul Narwekar in recognising the Eknath Shinde group as the real Shiv Sena, and by Thackeray for quitting as CM without facing the trust vote. While analysts and the Uddhav faction saw the judgement as a moral victory and claimed that it proved the illegality of the current government in the state, the BJP-Sena faction currently ruling the state seemed relieved and celebrated the judgement which keeps it in power.

Read | What the Sena ruling entails

This court cannot quash a resignation that has been submitted voluntarily. Had Mr Thackeray refrained from resigning from the post of the chief minister, this court could have considered the grant of the remedy of reinstating the government headed by him, said the Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, adding the status quo ante (situation that existed before) cannot be restored after Thackeray chose not to face the floor test.

But court made two key legal points -- the floor test cannot be used as a medium to resolve internal party disputes by governors, who are not empowered under the Constitution or any law to enter the political arena and play a role in party disputes. And that the political party, not the legislative party, is the authority to issue whips to its members and appoint the leader of the legislative party and the chief whip in the House.

The verdict marks a new turn in the political saga which began shortly after Shinde and a clutch of Sena lawmakers went incommunicado in the evening of June 20. The ensuing political crisis saw more legislators joining the rebel-led group over the next few days, before the governor called for a floor test, one that Thursdays judgement made clear he had no business calling. Thackeray moved the Supreme Court, but after the top court refused to suspend the trust vote, he resigned. The next day, Shinde took oath as chief minister with support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Devendra Fadnavis was appointed as deputy CM. Since then, Thackerays problems have only mounted, especially after the Election Commission of India (ECI) decided to award the Sena name and its iconic bow-and-arrow symbol to Shinde.

Read | As Fadnavis hails SC verdict, Uddhav's Sena retorts: scraped bottom of immorality

The bench, which also comprised justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha, divided the political upheaval in the Maharashtra last year into two periods -- events that led to Thackerays resignation on June 29 and the subsequent developments.

Thus, even as it declared that Koshyari was not justified in asking Thackeray to face the floor test since he had no objective material to construe that the MVA government had lost the majority, it found nothing wrong with Koshyari inviting Shinde to form the new government on June 30 on the basis of a letter of support from BJP MLAs.

After Thackeray resigned on June 29, the bench noted that the post of the CM fell vacant. The leader of the party (Devendra Fadnavis) that had returned the highest number of candidates to the state assembly extended support on behalf of the party to Mr Shinde. Thus, the decision of the governor, dated June 30, inviting Mr Shinde to form the government was justified, the bench underlined.

The court junked Thackerays contention that Shinde was barred from becoming the CM since there was a disqualification petition pending against him under the anti-defection law when he was invited to form the government. It said that the mere institution of a disqualification petition cannot render an MLA ineligible, adding that Shinde will cease to be the CM only if the speaker finally decides the plea against him.

The 141-page unanimous verdict was welcomed by both factions of the Shiv Sena, with Thackeray calling for the resignation of the current government, and Shinde saying his decision to form the government with the BJP had got the stamp of approval from the apex court.

Adversely commenting on Koshyaris mandate to Thackeray on the floor test, the Constitution bench said that the exercise of discretion by him in this case was not in accordance with the law since the governor drew an inference that a letter from the Shinde camp complaining against Thackeray amounted to withdrawal of support from the MVA government.

The communication expressing discontent on the part of some MLAs is not sufficient for the governor to call for a floor test. Once a government is democratically elected in accordance with law, there is a presumption that it enjoys the confidence of the House...The governor had no objective material on the basis of which he could doubt the confidence of the incumbent government, it said.

The court went into granular detail to clarify the position on floor tests, the role of the governor, and the distinction between the powers of political and legislative parties, in the backdrop of the anti-defection law.

When the anti-defection law seeks to curb defections from a political party, it is only a logical corollary to recognise that the power to appoint a whip vests with the political party. To hold that it is the legislature party which appoints the whip would be to sever the figurative umbilical cord which connects a member of the House to the political party, said the bench, adding a constitutional court cannot be barred from inquiring into the validity of the action of the speaker recognising the whip.

Based on this principle, the Constitution bench declared the decision of Narwekar, the BJP leader who was elected as speaker on July 3 after Shinde took over as CM, to appoint Shindes supporter Bharat Gogawale as the new whip illegal. It also quashed the appointment of Shinde as the leader of the Shiv Sena legislative party in the House on the grounds that Narwekar failed to conduct an enquiry into the claims of the rival factions before him and deciding whether it was a decision of the real Shiv Sena.

The speaker must only recognise the whip appointed by the political party. The decision of the Speaker recognising Mr Gogawale as the chief whip of the Shiv Sena is illegal because the recognition was based on the resolution of a faction of the SSLP (legislature party) without undertaking an exercise to determine if it was the decision of the political party, it noted.

The court said that Narwekar will recognise the new chief whip and leader of the legislative party afresh with reference to the provisions of the party constitution, after conducting an enquiry in this regard and in keeping with the principles discussed in this judgement. The bench, however, clarified that the recognition of the original political party by the Speaker for the purposes of appointing whip or deciding disqualification petitions will have no bearing on the proceedings before the Election Commission regarding the symbol dispute.

Narwekar was also entrusted by the bench with deciding the disqualification petitions pending against both Shinde and Thackeray groups. While Thackeray urged the court to decide the disqualification petitions by itself because of the alleged bias of the BJP leader, the Constitution bench ruled that the question of disqualification ought to be adjudicated by the constitutional authority concerned, namely the Speaker of the legislative assembly, by following the procedure prescribed.

Therefore, this court is of the opinion that the Speaker of the Maharashtra legislative assembly is the appropriate constitutional authority to decide the question of disqualification under the Tenth Schedule, it added.

Drawing the curtain on a series of litigation arising from both camps -- at least for now -- the top court found no fault with a decision of its two-judge bench in June when it declined to stay the floor test. This court cannot stay the proceedings of the House until the disqualification petitions are decided. To do so would amount to interfering with the proceedings of the House, it held.

The decision was welcomed by all political parties in Maharashtra.

Thackeray said he may have been wrong to resign but added that those who back-stabbed him had no right to question him. If the current Maharashtra CM and deputy CM have any ethics, then they should resign after the SC ruling and face elections, Thackeray added.

But Shinde rejected this demand. The government we formed was within the legal and constitutional framework. The Supreme Court has now put its stamp on it, he said. Fadnavis said Thackeray resigned out of shame.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), an ally of Thackeray, said the Shinde government had lost the moral right to continue. Though the Shinde government survived, it has lost the moral right to remain in power because the court has explained how all the decisions taken by (the then) governor were wrong, said NCP state chief Jayant Patil.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Supreme Court on Thursday said Uddhav Thackeray can not be reinstated as the Maharashtra chief minister because he resigned from the post but the floor test which in the case of Maharashtra toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led government was not legal either. The then-Governor, BS Koshyari, erred as he concluded that Uddhav lost the majority in the House, the Supreme Court said in a crucial judgment. Floor test can not be used as a medium to resolve inter- or intra-party disputes, the apex court also observed.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Even as the principles laid down in the 2016 five-judge bench verdict of the Supreme Court did not impact the outcome of the Maharashtra political crisis case, the Constitution bench on Thursday held that a larger bench must settle the controversy and the substantial questions of law involved in restraining a speaker from deciding disqualification petitions under the anti-defection law when his own removal has been sought. Maharashtra governor Ramesh Bais with chief minister Eknath Shinde and assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. (ANI)

The bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud noted that the June 2022 order of the Supreme Court restraining the then deputy speaker from adjudicating the disqualification petitions against Eknath Shinde and MLAs supporting him was based on the principles of natural justice to allow the Shinde faction more time to file replies to the notices.

However, the bench, also comprising justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha, said that in view of the facts of the present case and the arguments made before it as regards the 2016 judgment in the Nebam Rabia (Arunachal Pradesh disqualification) case, the 2016 five-judge bench decision merits reference to a larger bench because a substantial question of law remains to be settled.

The Nebam Rabia verdict laid down the legal proposition injuncting the speaker from exercising his power to decide disqualification petitions moved against the members of the House under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law).

But, according to the bench, the previous Constitution bench judgment failed to consider two crucial aspects.

One, whether the temporary disablement of the functions of the speaker under the Tenth Schedule is prone to misuse by MLAs who anticipate that disqualification petitions will be instituted against them or by MLAs against whom disqualification petitions have already been instituted, noted the court in its judgment.

Two, the bench added, whether a constitutional hiatus is in the operation of the Tenth Schedule ensues because of the temporary disablement of the speaker.

At the same time, the CJI-led bench underlined that the 2016 judgment did not take into consideration another judgment by a Constitution bench in Kihoto Hollohan Case (1992) which clearly that there is no reason to doubt the independence and impartiality of the Speaker when adjudicating on proceedings under the Tenth Schedule. In contrast, in Nabam Rebia, this court doubted the ability of the Speaker to remain neutral while deciding disqualification petitions after a notice of intention to move a resolution for the removal of the Speaker has been issued, the court pointed out.

Further, Article 181 of the Constitution provides that the speaker shall not preside over a sitting of the legislative assembly only when a resolution for their removal is under consideration and thus, the bench said, the 2016 judgment did not consider if there could be an additional reason for disabling the Speaker.

To give a quietus to the issue, the court said, it is referring the key issue to along with any allied issues which may arise during the future proceedings to a seven-judge bench. Whether the issuance of a notice of intention to move a resolution for the removal of the Speaker restrains them from adjudicating disqualification petitions under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, underlined the bench while framing the prime issue for an authoritative pronouncement by the larger bench.

The issue regarding impeccability of the 2016 judgment landed before the CJI-led bench after a smaller bench in August 2022 doubted its correctness. We may prima facie observe that the proposition of law laid down by the constitution bench in Nebam Rebia, stands on contradictory reasoning, which requires gap filling to uphold the constitutional morality. As such, this question needs a reference to a constitution bench for the requisite gap filling exercise to be conducted, the August order by then CJI N V Ramana and justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli.

Since the CJI-led bench was also a bench of coordinate strength, judicial decorum required the legal controversy arising out of the 2016 judgment to be referred to bench of more than five judges.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The lieutenant governor (LG) is bound by the advice of the elected government in everything other than public order, police, and land, a Supreme Court constitution bench said on Thursday as its delivered its verdict over the power tussle between the Centre and the Delhi government over the control of bureaucrats in the national capital. The Supreme Court. (ANI)

The five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud said it is ideal to hold that a democratically elected government shall have control over its officers. If a democratically elected government is not allowed to control its officers and hold them to account, then its responsibility towards legislature and the public is diluted. if an officer is not responding to government the collective responsibility is diluted.. if officers feel they are insulated to the elected government, they feel they are not accountable.

The CJI delivered the judgment on behalf of the bench which also comprised justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli, and PS Narasimha.

He said LG shall exercise powers under the administrative role as entrusted by the president. ...executive administration can only extend to the matters which falls outside legislative assembly but is limited to the powers entrusted by the president and it cannot mean administration over entire NCTD [National Capital Territory of Delhi]... otherwise the purpose of having a separately elected body in Delhi will be rendered futile.

The case involved the continuation of a dispute that two smaller benches failed to resolve  who controls the Capitals bureaucrat, the LG or the elected government?

In May 2022, when it referred the matter to a five-judge bench, the court clarified that the bench shall adjudicate the limited issue relating to services in Delhi and that no other substantial issue on interpretation of Article 239AA shall be adjudicated afresh.

Article 239AA delineates the legislative and executive powers of the Delhi government while clarifying that three subjects, namely land, police, and public order, shall remain under the exclusive domain of the Centre in the capital.

The Centre pleaded for a fresh adjudication by a Constitution bench to set the boundaries of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi in so far as it relates to the transfer and appointment of bureaucrats in the capital.

It contended that a Constitution bench judgment in July 2018 delineating the powers between the two power centres did not specifically hold that the Delhi government could make laws on all subjects other than land, police, and public order.

The AAP government countered this submission, arguing the 2018 verdict by the constitution bench is unequivocal in demarcating the powers of the Delhi government and that the submissions by the Centre are aimed at eroding the federal structure.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Delhi government has control over bureaucrats assigned to departments under its purview, a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, giving chief minister Arvind Kejriwal a significant boost at a time when his administration has been locked in a bruising fight with the Union government for executive control over the Capital. HT Image

While the legal battle was about services, the bench reiterated Delhis unique status, and listed the powers of its elected government, effectively elaborating on a 2018 judgement. With the passage of a new law in Parliament in 2021, the Union government, through the lieutenant governor (LG), had taken on more powers unto itself  a practice that Thursdays judgment will likely end.

The order laid down that officers working in all departments except those relating to public order, land and police fell within the administrative and legislative control of the Delhi government, capping a dispute that began with a notification issued eight years ago by the Union government, and led to a protracted court battle with split verdicts.

If a democratically elected government is not allowed to control its officers and hold them to account, then its responsibility towards legislature and the public is diluted. If an officer is not responding to government, the collective responsibility is diluted if officers feel they are insulated to the elected government, they feel they are not accountable, said the five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, in a unanimous verdict.

The judgment laid down that the government of national capital territory of Delhi (NCTD) has legislative and executive power over services, that is, those listed under Entry 41 of List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.

It clarified that the order does not extend to what are known Entries 1, 2 and 18 of the State list  police, land and public order  since Article 239AA of the Constitution, which provides for the powers of the Delhi Assembly, specifically excludes these subjects and places them under the legislative control of the Union Government.

Kejriwal welcomed the verdict, saying it will lead to many fold jump in the progress of Delhi.

The Supreme Court has sternly said that the powers of the Delhi government snatched by the Centre in 2015 was unconstitutional and its only motive was to fail the AAP government, Kejriwal, who is AAPs national convener, said. His reference is to a 2015 notification of the Union government that laid down that the Delhi government will have no powers over services as is the case under Entry 41 of State list under the constitution, which gives state assemblies the prerogative on state public services.

The LGs office did not comment on the Supreme Court ruling but contested Kejriwals remarks on Thursday that the LG had held up work.

The bench also held that references to state government in relevant rules of All India Services or Joint Cadre Services, of which the Delhi government is a part or which are in relation to it, shall mean the UTs elected government.

This relates to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act passed by Parliament in 2021, which made the LGs nod mandatory prior to executing any policy approved by the Delhi governments council of ministers. The amendment laid down that references to the state government would mean the LG, which now become inoperative.

This is the second Constitution bench decision on the power balance between the Union and the Delhi government in the Capital, which has two power centres: one in the chief ministers office and the other at that of the LG, a functionary who virtually reports to the Union home ministry.

The two power centres have been locked in an increasingly bitter confrontation, which at one point prompted bureaucrats to go on a protest alleging they were caught in the crossfire, involved an alleged attack on the chief secretary, and snowballed into criminal cases that have led to the arrests of two Delhi ministers in cases AAP says is false. Federal agencies that have filed these cases, accusing Kejriwals former deputy Manish Sisodia and cabinet colleague Satyender Jain, have said the probes were genuine.

The Union government through Solicitor General Tushar Mehta justified its 2015 notification on multiple grounds, one of them being that Delhi is a Union territory and does not have its own public service like other states do.

It also argued that control over bureaucracy ought to rest with Centre owing to the national and international implications on account of Delhi being the national capital.

The bench responded by saying: A constitutionally entrenched and democratically elected government needs to have control over its administration, and added that in a democratic form of government, the real power of administration must reside in the elected arm of the State, subject to the confines of the Constitution.

The court examined the role played by civil servants under the Westminster parliamentary democracy where officers are accountable to ministers, who in turn are collectively responsible as an elected government to the people. It said: an unaccountable and a non-responsive civil service may pose a serious problem of governance in a democracy.

Writing the 105-page judgment for the bench, CJI Chandrachud said the policies of the government are implemented not by the people, Parliament, the Cabinet, or even individual ministers, but by civil service officers, who are required to be politically neutral. If the government is not able to control and hold to account the officers posted in its service, then its responsibility towards the legislature as well as the public is diluted, added the bench.

Seeing further dangers of accepting the Centres submissions, the bench said: A democratically elected government can perform, only when there is an awareness on the part of officers of the consequences which may ensue if they do not perform.

If the officers feel they are insulated from the control of the elected government, which they are serving, the bench added, they become unaccountable or may not show commitment towards their performance.

The Union government had relied on the words in so far as any such matter is applicable to Union territories in Article 239AA(3) to limit legislative and executive control of Delhi government. The court said Article 239AA provides sufficient safeguards by limiting the role of Delhis legislative assembly to decide on subjects under state and concurrent lists but if a wider interpretation was to be made, it would defeat the very purpose of granting a special status to NCTD.

The court said that its earlier 2018 judgment gave a broad and expansive meaning to Article 239AA in the interest of representative democracy and federalism, which are part of the basic structure of the Constitution.

The members of the legislative assembly have been chosen by the electorate to act in their stead. Thus, the legislative competence of NCTD must be interpreted to give full impetus to the will of the electorate, it said.

The court also asked Centre to act in a spirit of cooperative federalism.

NCTD, having a sui generis federal model, must be allowed to function in the domain charted for it by the Constitution. The Union and NCTD share a unique federal relationship. It does not mean that NCTD is subsumed in the unit of the Union merely because it is not a State, the court ruled.
"Three million children have been enrolled in the project, we have renovated over 5,000 classrooms..."

The federal government has enrolled three million girls in secondary schools across the country through the Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme.

The National Project Coordinator of AGILE, Amina Haruna, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday at the launch of a National Campaign, tagged 'Madubi', to boost the enrollment of girls in school and reduce the number of out-of-school children.

AGILE, which is a federal government initiative in partnership with the World Bank, is currently running in Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Plateau and Katsina States.

The campaign, targeted at increasing enrolment and retention among girls, is aimed at improving the secondary education of girls in the focal states.

"The Madubi is a national campaign we want to advocate for the outside society on the importance of girl-child education that is why we are adopting this, and it means a mirror of a child" she said.

"Three million children have been enrolled in the project, we have renovated over 5,000 classrooms and we are now going on constructions of classrooms.

"We also have the financial incentives where it will allow retention of girls in school as well as financial incentives for beneficiaries and caregivers," she said.

Ms Haruna added that 11 other states would be joining the seven participating states in June to further give more girls access to education.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Education 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.

Meanwhile, Khadiyat Bello, an official of the campaign, noted that the project was essential.

Ms Bello said that Nigeria was faced with a gender learning crisis as 60 per cent of the out-of-school children were girls and less than 30 per cent of primary school girls transit to secondary school.

She said this had affected enrolment retention and completion rate of the girl-child.

She said there was a need to acknowledge the role of females as multipliers of society and the first point of contact in learning.

"Our future is a mirror of the opportunities afforded to the girl child today.

"Education is 'Madubi', a mirror or looking glass through which we can view not just a reflection of the girl child's potential but that of the entire society.

"Adolescence is a critical stage in human development, more so for girls. After early years, adolescent and secondary education are the periods most capable of influencing the kind of woman and humans that they turn to become.

"Agile is one intervention tackling multi-sectoral issues, it addresses the concerns on the demand and supply ends of education divide.

"It addresses the issues of access and capacity, providing financial scholarships and conditional cash transfers to send girls to school," she said.

She called on stakeholders to ensure that all girls were educated so as to project society in a good light.

(NAN)
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP on Thursday said he was satisfied by the Supreme Court's verdict refusing to reinstate the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray and called it a victory of democracy and the democratic process. Fadnavis asserted that the apex court's judgment held the Shiv Sena-BJP government legal and constitutional even as the five-judge Constitution bench pulled up then Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for calling a trust vote and held the Speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena illegal. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis address a press conference after Supreme Court's verdict.(HT Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar)

Today, Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) conspiracy has been defeated. Now, no one should doubt that the Maharashtra government is completely legal, said Fadnavis.

Earlier today, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Fadnavis should resign on moral grounds like he did last year.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis should resign on moral grounds like I did, Thackeray told a news conference shortly after the Supreme Court delivered its verdict in last years Shiv Sena-centric political crisis in the state.

Responding to Thackeray's demand, the deputy CM said he has no right to speak about morality as Sena won the assembly elections in alliance with BJP but then went with Congress.

It doesn't suit Uddhav Thackeray to talk about morality. I want to ask him if had he forgotten his morals when he went with NCP and Congress for the CM post. He had not resigned on moral grounds but due to fear after those who were with him left him, Fadnavis said.

Shinde hailed the judgment as a victory of truth and said the Speaker will decide on the merit of the disqualification petition submitted by both camps. The chief minister said the Uddhav camp had previously asserted that his government was unlawful and against the constitution, solely for their own satisfaction. He emphasized that the Supreme Court has now dispelled any doubts that were being propagated. He also claimed that Uddhav Thackeray decided to resign as chief minister after realising he lacked sufficient support from his followers.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Supreme Court s verdict on Thursday brings the curtains down, at least for now, on a saga that began in June last year when a group of Shiv Sena lawmakers led by Eknath Shinde went incommunicado. PREMIUM Supreme Court on Thursday delivered verdict in the Eknath Shinde vs Uddhav Thackeraty case.

The days since have seen the dramatic collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, more rebels joining Shinde and the Election Commission according the Sena name and symbol to Shinde. Thursday marked a new twist. Here is how it may affect the primary players in Maharashtras turbulent politics.

Also read | Quit on moral grounds like I did: Thackeray tells Shinde, Fadnavis

Eknath Shinde

Even though the Supreme Court did not validate Eknath Shindes rebellion and Uddhav Thackerays petition for his party name and symbol is still under review, Shinde, 59, has undoubtedly emerged stronger after Thursdays verdict. It would not be surprising if more members of Shiv Sena (UBT) make their way towards his party. Also, after the verdict, the Sena UBTs allegation that his government is illegal stands nullified.

The decision on disqualification of 16 MLAs including him now rests with Speaker Rahul Narwekar which buys Shinde time. He will also find comfort in his deputy Devendra Fadnaviss announcement that the next elections will be fought under Shindes leadership. In the long term though there are two issues: does he have the ability to transfer the Shiv Senas traditional vote to his combine with the BJP, and second, now that the original Shiv Sena has been split and weakened, will a resurgent BJP let him flourish?

Read | Maharashtra may see cabinet expansion soon, says Shiv Sena spokesperson

Uddhav Thackeray

The Supreme Courts decision to refer the disqualification of 16 rebel MLAs including Eknath Shinde to speaker Narwekar and its refusal to reinstate Thackeray as CM is a setback. However, he can take comfort from the fact that the top court came down strongly on then governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, saying he had erred in holding the floor test. The court also termed Narwekars decision to appoint Shinde nominee, Bharat Ghogawala as whip to be illegal. These observations support Thackerays case against the ruling alliance. He can go to his electorate saying he has been wronged by the BJP and Shinde. He will use that narrative to rouse his traditional Marathi Manoos vote bank. The verdict however also means that his dependence on the Maha Vikas Aghadi will only grow and he may well have to resign himself to playing second fiddle to the Congress-NCP combine.
The Supreme Court on Thursday said Uddhav Thackeray can not be reinstated as the Maharashtra chief minister because he resigned from the post but the floor test which in the case of Maharashtra toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led government was not legal either. The Governor, BS Koshyari, erred as he concluded that Uddhav lost the majority in the House, the Supreme Court said in a crucial judgment. Floor test can not be used as a medium to resolve inter- or intra-party disputes, the Supreme Court observed. Supreme Court on Thursday delivered verdict in the Eknath Shinde vs Uddhav Thackeraty case.

Maharashtra political developments : Follow LIVE updates

The Supreme Court observed that Devendra Fadnavis and the independent MLAs did not move a no-confidence motion and the governor's "exercise of discretion was not in accordance of the law".

Ajit Pawar says 'no threat to Shinde-Fadnavis govt' ahead of SC verdict

Shinde coup illegal, but Thackeray can't be reinstated

The top court said it could have reinstated Uddhav as the chief minister has he not resigned. "neither the Constitution nor the law empower the governor to enter the political arena and play a role either in inter-party or intra-party disputes," the Supreme Court observed. The Supreme Court also held that the Speaker's decision to aapoint Shinde group-backed gogowale as the whip of the Shiv Sena party was illegal. "Nothing in any of the communications relied on by the Governor indicated that the dissatisfied MLAs wanted to withdraw support to the Government," the order said.

What a slap; Eknath Shinde should resign: Uddhav Sena leaders on SC verdict

"Even if it is assumed that the MLAs wanted to exit the govt, they constituted only a faction," CJI DY Chandrachud said.

Who is real Shiv Sena?

The Supreme Court said the Speaker and the Election Commission are to decide who is the real Shiv Sena. The question of disqualification will also be decided by the Speaker.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
In a major cabinet reshuffle, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Thursday replaced finance minister P Thiaga Rajan with industries minister Thangam Thennarasu. In all, the portfolios of four ministers were changed. (Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) | Twitter)

The new industries minister is Dr TRB Rajaa while Rajan gets the information technology (IT) portfolio.

In a statement released on Twitter, Rajan said, The past two years have been the most fulfilling in my life. Under the leadership of CM @mkstalin, I presented one revised budget (21-22) during the pandemic, and two annual budgets (2223, 2324) post-pandemic. Despite inheriting record deficits and debt ratios, we have invested in a record number of social welfare schemes as well as record capital spending, all while delivering record-setting fiscal improvements. This is the epitome of my public service, and indeed of my life.

Also Read: BJP team meets Tamil Nadu governor seeking probe into ministers clip

He added that while fiscal consolidation and social spending are necessary steps for an equitable society, the drivers of development and growth are investment, enterprise expansion and job-creation.

I am grateful that CM @mkstalin has now assigned me the portfolio of Information Technology  globally the #1 industry for investment and job-creation today. We know that technology shapes the future, he said, adding that he wants to replicate the work of his predecessor Manoj Thangaraj to attract more investment in the IT sector.

I hope my own experience in establishing and managing a pioneering Global Capability Centre 15 years ago, and the connectivity with the IT & ITES Industry gained during my professional career, will enrich my efforts in this new role, he said.

In all, the portfolios of four ministers were changed.

This is the first reshuffle in DMK government which came to power in 2021.
Between May 11 and 13, 1998, India conducted five atomic tests at the Indian Armys Pokhran test range  a swathe of desert in Rajasthan  as the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government sought to build on the work done over several decades by previous administrations to give the country the nuclear option. PREMIUM Speaking soon after the nuclear tests in 1998, Vajpayee had pointed out that the word peaceful, often used to characterise Indias first nuclear test in 1974 (Pokhran-I), had not figured in official statements issued after the five tests.(HT Archive)

Speaking soon after the nuclear tests in 1998, Vajpayee had pointed out that the word peaceful, often used to characterise Indias first nuclear test in 1974 (Pokhran-I), had not figured in official statements issued after the five tests.

Our intentions were, are and will always be peaceful. But we do not want to cover our action with a veil of needless ambiguity. India is now a nuclear weapons state. Ours will never be weapons of aggression, the late PM had said at the time.

A statement of strength was necessary. Arrangements for nuclear tests had reached an advanced stage during the administration of late former premier PV Narasimha Rao, who came very close to carrying out the blasts in December 1995 but held off after United States satellites reportedly picked up signs of preparations at the testing range at Pokhran in Rajasthan.

Among the most ardent advocates for the testing of Indias nuclear devices were late APJ Abdul Kalam, who was chief scientific adviser to the prime minister and secretary of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and K Subrahmanyam, the father of external affairs minister S Jaishankar who was then convenor of the National Security Council Advisory Board.

At the time, leaders such as then defence minister George Fernandes had cited the challenge from China, which he described as potential threat no 1, as a key reason behind the nuclear blasts, which allowed defence scientists to calibrate the weapons and prepare better designs.

Self-reliance

The nuclear tests also came at a time when India was facing growing pressure from the US, with which it had strained relations, to sign on to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). India considered both pacts discriminatory and supporters of nuclear testing had argued that the tests would allow India to establish a credible nuclear deterrence and stand up to nuclear blackmail from the West.

The Pokhran-II tests in Rajasthan laid the foundation for achieving self-reliance in the development of nuclear weapons, and confirmed Indias capability to build more powerful weapons with higher yields, officials and experts said.

India has built on the gains from those tests, and 25 years on, the country is considered to have a fully operational nuclear triad of airborne, naval and land-based platforms that can deliver the weapons, said one of the officials cited above, speaking on the condition that he shouldnt be named.

We have modernised our nuclear arsenal over the years to deliver a prompt response, if required. The Pokhran-II tests paved the way for India developing enduring nuclear strike and counterstrike capabilities, he said.

The landmark underground tests in the desert firmly established Indias capability for nuclear weapons development, the officials and experts said.

The 1998 tests were a clear demonstration that India would do whatever is required for its national interests and not be bound by unequal international treaties that hobble the countrys security, said strategic affairs expert and former Northern Army commander, Lt Gen (retired) DS Hooda.

India has been a responsible nuclear power with a clearly stated nuclear doctrine, he pointed out.

With two nuclear-armed neighbours, Indias nuclear arsenal serves as an integral part of its military strategy to deter any adversary from using nuclear blackmail. We only have to see the example of Ukraine to understand that non-nuclear states will find it hard to deter a nuclear state that decides to use military force, Hooda said.

A changed scenario

The nuclear tests received an angry response from countries around the world, particularly the US and its allies and Japan, and led to the imposition of sanctions. However, India mounted a worldwide campaign, sending senior officials, diplomats and academics to countries to explain the pressing reasons behind the blasts.

Indias nuclear doctrine, promulgated in 2003, commits the country to a no first use posture, with weapons to be used only in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian territory or Indian forces.

In a stand that reflects the capabilities India has built over the years, the doctrine further states that nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to inflict unacceptable damage.

The enunciation of Indias position also became necessary after Pakistan carried out a series of five retaliatory nuclear blasts on May 28, 1998. The neighbours coming into the open with their nuclear weapons has not prevented conflicts, with the Kargil border conflict showing there could be hostilities under a nuclear overhang.

Under Indias doctrine, retaliatory attacks can only be authorised by the civilian political leadership through the Nuclear Command Authority consisting of a political council and executive council. The prime minister chairs the political council, while the national security advisor chairs the executive council.

Former navy chief Admiral (retired) Arun Prakash said the Pokhran-II tests proved that Indian scientists had the competence to weaponise the countrys nuclear capability without any external help.

The tests were conducted after a hiatus of 24 years. It was an encouraging development, and hopefully we have built on it over the past 25 years as we have two nuclear-armed neighbours who are expanding their nuclear arsenal, he said.

Prakash made a strong case for tweaking Indias nuclear doctrine in view of changes taking place in the countrys neighbourhood.

Our nuclear doctrine is sound, but it was promulgated two decades ago and much has changed since, he said. We need to make some adjustments to allow for the intentions of our neigbours, who are not only enhancing the quality and quality of their nuclear arsenals but perhaps also changing their doctrines.

In recent years, experts have pointed to Pakistans tactic of developing battlefield or tactical nuclear weapons as a worrying development that should be factored into Indias nuclear stance and doctrine.

Prakash said India should look at enhancing the range, numbers, accuracy and yield of its nuclear weapons, factoring in changes taking place in China and Pakistan into its decision-making. The nuclear doctrine should stay dynamic, he said.

China has a stockpile of 350 nuclear warheads, Pakistan 165 and India 160, according to a 2022 yearbook on Armaments, Disarmament and International Security published by Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

China is in the middle of a substantial expansion of its nuclear arsenal, the Sipri yearbook said. This comes against the backdrop of India and China being locked in a military standoff in Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for more than three years.

The US believes China is modernising, diversifying and expanding its nuclear capabilities at a swift pace. In a report to the US Congress last year on military and security developments involving China, the Department of Defense said that if China continued the current pace of its nuclear expansion, it is likely to have a stockpile of 1,500 warheads by 2035.

While there is little official information in the public about India and Pakistans nuclear weapons programmes, the SIPRI yearbook said the two countries appear to be expanding their nuclear arsenals, and both introduced and continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems in 2021.
In his first reaction to the Supreme Court verdict which on Thursday said that Uddhav Thackeray could have been reinstated had he not resigned, the former Maharashtra chief minister said this is not his personal fight to be the chief minister. "My resignation could be a mistake but I am not seeing things like that. I am fighting for the people, for democracy, for the people who follow my father Balasaheb Thackeray," Uddhav said as he faced the media at a joint press conference which was also attended by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. On Supreme Court's observation on Governor's role in the floor test, Uddhav said it is time to decide whether governors are needed. (Satish Bate/Hindustan Times)

Maharashtra political developments: Follow LIVE updates

"I resigned on ethical grounds. Those who were given everything by the party turned traitors and asked me to prove the majority. I did not want to participate in it," Thackeray said justifying his resignation before the floor test.

"Like I took a moral stand, they (Shinde and Fadnavis) should resign now," Uddhav Thackeray said. "The Supreme Court said if I had not resigned, probably I would been reinstated. But I am not fighting for myself. I am fighting for my country, my state," Uddhav said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday gave its crucial verdict on the Uddhav versus Shinde case -- with both groups having something to cheer for. The Supreme Court did not disqualify the MLAs who joined the Shinde group and said the Speaker will decide who is the real Shiv Sena. Election Commission has already recognised the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena with the bow and the arrow symbol.

The Supreme Court called the floor test ordered by then-Governor BS Koshyaru illegal. Since it was that floor test order which precipitated the fall of the Uddhav government, the Uddhav faction interpreted the order as a slap on the incumbent government.

The top court also said Uddhav Thackeray could not be reinstated as the chief minister as he had resigned from the post even before the floor test.

(With inputs from Mumbai bureau)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Sanjay Raut, Priyanka Chaturvedi on Thursday interpreted the Supreme Court verdict on Sena versus Sena as a tight slap to the Shinde coup as the top court termed the floor test that brought the Shinde government to power- illegal. Uddhav Sena MP Sanjay Raut said Eknath Shinde should now resign on moral grounds as the Supreme Court in its verdict called the Shinde-Fadnavis coup illegal. "Supreme Court has said that the Shiv Sena Shinde group's Whip is illegal...The current govt is illegal and formed against the Constitution," Uddhav Sena MP Sanjay Raut said. Uddhav Sena said the verdict is against the Shinde-Fadnavis government. But Supreme Court's 'Uddhav can't be reinstated' is a relief to the incumbent government. (Ishant)

Maharashtra political developments: Follow LIVE updates

"As per the judgement today, The entire government of Shinde Fadnavis was formed on the basis of an illegal whip deciding who to vote for and a trust vote carried out on the orders of a biased Governor. What a slap on the face of this illegal cabinet," Uddhav Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said.

The judgment without literally saying it has called the Maharashtra government illegal and unconstitutional! An unconstitutional call by governor for floor test and an illegal whip deciding the CM to be from his illegal faction, Chaturvedi added.

The Governor of Maharashtra should not allow this unconstitutional and illegal government to function or take any important decisions till the illegal whips decision to support change of government is withdrawn and the illegal faction is disqualified by speaker for indulging in immoral acts of betrayal to the state and its political party, the Sena MP added.

"-The whip Bharat Gogawale appointed by Shinde judges as illegal- The Governors floor test decision was outside his jurisdiction and authority. Slap on the face of the unconstitutional and illegal government enjoying the perks of power minus accountability," Chaturvedi tweeted.

'Moral victory for Uddhav camp'

The Supreme Court said the floor test order by then governor BS Koshyari was wrong as he erred in concluding that Uddhav Thackeray lost majority. Devendra Fadnavis and other independent MLAs could have moved a no-trust motion, the top court observed. Apart from criticising the role of the governor, the top court said the Speaker was wrong in appointing whip of the Eknath Shinde group. It also said had Uddhav not resigned before the floor test, he could have been reinstated.

'Moral victory for incumbent government'

The Supreme Court said status quo -- the situation before June 2022 -- can not be restored because the top court can't quash Uddhav Thackeray's resignation.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Actor Alia Bhatt is adding another feather to her cap. The Italian fashion house Gucci announced her as their first Indian Global Ambassador today. Just after her much-anticipated and successful debut at the Met Gala 2023, Alia will become one of the global faces of the luxury label. According to a report, Alia will make her first appearance as the brand's latest global ambassador at the Gucci Cruise 2024 show, to be staged in Seoul next week. Alia Bhatt is Gucci's First Indian Global Ambassador. (Instagram)

Alia Bhatt becomes Gucci's first Indian Global Ambassador

On Thursday, Gucci announced Alia Bhatt as their Global Ambassador. The actor, producer and entrepreneur will make her first public appearance as the luxury fashion house's face at the upcoming Gucci Cruise 2024 runway show in Seoul. It will take place at the city's Gyeongbokgung Palace. The show will mark the fashion house's 25 years in the country. The news excited her fans, who took to social media to congratulate her.

Meanwhile, Alia Bhatt recently made headlines with her debut at this year's Met Gala. Alia turned muse for designer Prabal Gurung, who dressed her according to the theme 'In Honour of Karl'. She wore a white bridal gown featuring a long train and about 1 lakh pearls and crystal embellishments. Her ensemble was inspired by supermodel Claudia Schiffer's 1992 Chanel bridal look. Karl Lagerfeld had designed Claudia Schiffer's dress. According to Prabal, Alia's Met Gala outfit was hand-embroidered in India on silk tulle and made at Atelier Prabal Gurung in New York.

On the work front, Alia Bhatt will soon make her debut in Hollywood alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan in Netflix's spy thriller Heart of Stone. It will mark her first American film release. The movie is slated to premiere on the streaming platform on August 11. She also has Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani with Ranveer Singh in the pipeline and is yet to start shooting for Farhan Akhtar's Jee Le Zaraa with Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra.
A bowl of ramen sits in front of you, broth steaming and studded with a soft egg, pinwheel fish cakes and plump chashu, or braised pork belly. You hoist a judicious amount of noodles, ready for a satisfying slurp. At this moment, the noodle is everything. If too soft or too tough, stale tasting or sticky, the ramen might well be ruined. Ramen has become an increasingly popular dish around the UK and Europe. Shipments of noodles to Europe have risen by more than 40% over the past seven years(Pixabay)

In the US, the company ramen experts count on to avoid disaster is Sun Noodles. What the Big Green Egg is to grill enthusiasts, Suns long strands are to purveyors of the Japanese standard.

Now, Sun is coming to improve the lives of ramen fans across Europe and the UK. On May 8, the company opened a 700-square-meter (7,535-square-foot) facility in Rotterdam, its first outside the US.

The Hawaii-based, family-owned company has supplied some of the best, most popular ramen spots around the US for decades. These include Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York and Tsujita in Los Angeles. This is is great news for ramen enthusiasts like myself, says Ivan Orkin, chef and owner of the seminal Ivan Ramen in downtown Manhattan. The noodles made by Sun are simply the bestand not just because they successfully scaled my recipe from a 10-seat Tokyo ramen shop into portions for thousands a week.

The factory cost about 3.5 million ($3.8 million) to build and will produce about 4 million portions of ramen for customers from London to Warsaw by the end of the year, says Kenshiro Uki, president of Sun Noodle North America. Rotterdam was selected for its port and centrality to international markets.

We are very excited for their opening in Europe, says John Husby, co-owner and chef de cuisine at Chuka Ramen Bar in Madrid. For us and our customers, it means more consistent supply and the ability to use a wider variety of their products. He uses three kinds of the noodles: Tokyo wavy for the shoyu, which has a soy sauce broth; matsu for rich tonkotsu; and temomi for mazemen, which has no broth. Besides making your own noodles, SN is the highest-quality noodle in the Western world.

Husby estimates that Suns product costs about 10% more than the closest competition in the fresh-frozen noodle category in Madrid, from the Japanese company Momotaro. (Dried ramen is considerably cheaper but quality is markedly inferior.)

The best noodle quality out there in the market thats made with proper craft and technique says Guy Quirynen, founder and chief executive officer of Ramen Umamido, which has locations around in Belgium. The chef has worked with Sun to create an umamido noodle with customized thickness, length and chewiness. The Rotterdam opening will enable his company to go further, customizing flour and so on, says Quirynen.

Sun Noodles was started in the early 1980s by Hidehito Uki, Kenshiros father, who came to Hawaii from Japan to get into the ramen business. It It has grown steadily over the past 40 years; Sun now has three factories in the US, including ones in Oahu, Los Angeles and Carlstadt, New Jersey, near Teterboro. From those locations, it produces around 300,000 servings of ramen daily; on the US mainland, it makes more than 110 varieties of the noodle, with more than half specially designed to suit one restaurant or group. (In Hawaii, the company produces around 200 kinds of ramen.)

Ramen has become an increasingly popular dish around the UK and Europe. Shipments of noodles to Europe have risen by more than 40% over the past seven years, according to Elizabeth Krojansky, the companys director of marketing, and they currently supply noodles to more than 75 restaurants around the UK. Before the new facility opened, Europe took about 5% of the volume from the New Jersey factories. By being in the logistics center of Europe, well be able to reduce freight costs to our food service partners by at least 20% and reduce transit time for our customers, she says.

That will help Sun solve some of the issues theyve faced in Europe, especially as a result of the supply chain issues that were standard a year ago. If you order today, you get [the ramen] in two weeks, says Uki. Because of ships being delayed sometimes, it became a four-month delay. He adds: We lost some customers.

Uki says that demand for Suns noodles is continually growing in European places both obvious and unexpected. The regions biggest demand for noodles comes from Paris and London. In Italy, demand is soft, and the Sun Noodle team hopes that market will grow. Still, Uki says, they have an surprisingly enthusiastic audience in Poland. In Warsaw, theres big enthusiasm for ramen, Uki says. They are flying over Japanese chefs to teach them to make it.
Naveen Kumar (30), completed his B.Tech in textile technology between 2010 and 15 in IIT-Delhi. PREMIUM Naveen Kumar (30), completed his B.Tech in textile technology between 2010 and 15 in IIT-Delhi.(Courtesy: The Author)

I was 17 when I left my small village in Bihars Sitamarhi district and came to Delhi to fulfil my IIT dream in 2010. I was the first person from my scheduled caste-dominated village who made it to an IIT. I was so excited about the opportunities ahead. But little did I know about the challenges waiting for me there. Being a government school student all my life, I was not acquainted with the English language. No one in my family ever had exposure to a single word of the English language. The language barrier was the first challenge I encountered when I landed at the IIT campus. There were several instances where I asked my professors if I could present things in Hindi instead of English in the classroom, but I was not allowed to do that. It was really demotivating. We were told that our marks will be deducted if we use any other language than English. There was no culture of multilingualism in classrooms. The language barrier was not just limited to the classrooms. I witnessed that in conversations in the corridors, hostel gatherings, and canteen debates. I joined the institutes dramatics team, but felt left out and unable to adjust. This is one of the major reasons why SC students like me confine themselves to their own groups. I worked very hard to improve my communication skills. It took me almost three years to gain confidence in spoken English. But, I always remained conscious because my fellow students coming from certain backgrounds, who had internalized the language, were so fluent. I started encountering subtle discrimination on a daily basis. But, I can never forget an incident that happened in 2011. Some students wrote SC, ST are not allowed on a friend's door. It shook us all. We first tried to find if there was someone in the faculty who belonged to the SC, ST community whom we could approach. There was none. Then we approached the administration and reported the incident. The administration took cognisance of our complaint and asked us if we wanted it to restrict that student from appearing in the semester exams. We could not say yes to that. We were young and terrified. Also, I personally believe that punishment is not a solution. That incident is still etched in my memory.

While the majority of my fellow students were understanding, there were some who had the perception that students like me were undeserving because we got into IIT through reservation.

While the majority of my fellow students were understanding, there were some who had the perception that students like me were undeserving because we got into IIT through reservation. Comments like ye reservation se aya hai'' and mere bhai ka do number se admission nahi hua, tumhara 50 number kum s bhi admission ho gaya were very common for us. They thought that we did not work hard like them. But they completely ignored Indias harsh reality; the social, educational and economic backwardness of the marginalized and backward classes.

I dont blame them now because we cannot expect that much maturity from 18-19-year olds. They should be sensitized in schools and colleges. Unfortunately, that does not happen. In fact, in colleges also, if there were some seminars and talks on SC and ST issues, only students from these communities would join them. It makes me feel really angry to see that cases of caste-based discrimination are still rampant in our higher education institutions. The recent cases of suicides in IITs clearly show that the system has not changed much. When I talk to students at different IITs, they still tell me how they face subtle discrimination on a day-to-day basis. This is the time to think about making campus a place where marginalized students also develop themselves and become the best version of themselves instead of being forced to take their life because of the kind of treatment they receive as though they are second-class citizens. Coming back to my journey, I had to take a years extension as I failed in some subjects. I would say this was less due to academic pressure and more due to the trauma of living a life where choice and dignity were compromised. Eventually, I completed my B. Tech in 2015. I then decided to prepare for the Civil Services exams. Since my parents were government school teachers in the village, I also wanted to do something for society, and now campus life taught me there is a lot to do. In 2018, I, along with some of my friends and alumni of different IITs launched a political party called Bahujan Azad Party (BAP), to work for the cause of marginalized and backward communities. However, things couldn't work out well after the Covid-19 pandemic hit us in 2020. The party is still there, I am still attached to it, but I dont get to spend much time with it. I have responsibilities to fulfil. In the meantime, I also started an English-medium school in my village, up to class 8, mostly catering to students from backward communities. Now, I give my full attention to the school and guide those students who want to prepare for IIT or medical entrance examination. We also teach students about Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Savitribai Phule. My team is trying to prepare them not only to face the harsh realities of society with courage but also to inspire them to strive to change it. (As told to Fareeha Iftikhar)

Enjoy unlimited digital access with HT Premium Subscribe Now to continue reading Start 14 Days Free Trial Already Subscribed? Sign In
The joint effort between the police, military, and vigilante groups in crime-fighting is paying off in Anambra, says an official.

Security agencies have killed seven gunmen in Anambra State, south-east Nigeria, during separate operations on Wednesday.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Echeng Echeng, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press conference in Awka, the state capital.

Mr Echeng said five of the hoodlums were suspected members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), while two others were suspected kidnappers.

How they were killed

The police commissioner said the five suspected IPOB members were killed when joint security operatives accosted them in Akwaihedi, a community in Nnewi South Local Government Area of the state.

Akwaihedi, a community in Anambra State, shares boundaries with communities in Imo, another state in the South-east.

Mr Echeng said the hoodlums were heading to Anambra State on a motorcycle for a planned attack before the operatives intercepted them.

"The operatives engaged the assailants (and) neutralised five of the gang members," he said.

Two rocket launchers, four AK-47 rifles, one automatic pump action, four magazines, eight live ammunition, police berets and charms were among the items recovered from the gunmen, according to the police.

The commissioner said in a separate operation on the same day, police operatives attached to Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Unit, Awkuzu, also killed the two suspected kidnappers while attempting to rescue two kidnap victims in the suspects' hideout in Ifite, Ogbunike, a community in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State.

He said the operatives stormed the suspects' hideout following a tip-off about their criminal activities in the area.

A black Lexus SUV and several security camouflages comprising police and military uniforms were the items recovered from the suspects, the police said.

Mr Echeng said the synergy among various security agencies, including the police, military and vigilante operatives, has helped "immensely" in the fight against hoodlums in the state.

"For us today, this is a big positive one that happened to avert a major planned attack in the state," he said.

The police commissioner urged residents of the state to continue to support the security agencies and the state government in their efforts to provide security in the state.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria 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.

Increased attacks

Like other states in Nigeria's south-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target government officials, security agencies and their facilities.

The latest incident comes barely two days after police killed two gunmen along Umusiome Nkpor, a community in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.

Hours ago, gunmen, suspected to be IPOB members enforcing a sit-at-home order, shot a chief security officer of a commercial bank at Nkwo Market in the Ihiala Council Area of the state.

The Nigerian government has accused the IPOB of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

The secessionist group is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria.
The evacuation of thousands of stranded people across Manipur, fleeing the violence inflicted by an organised mob, has shocked the world. The mayhem that broke out on May 3 has wrongly been linked to the high courts directive on granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meiteis because it happened on the day a tribal solidarity march was organised; some even tried to give it communal overtones. But the riots were a manifestation of a deep-rooted political problem going back decades. This fault line has stoked violence in the past and will continue to roil the state until addressed. PREMIUM Security personnel during a rescue operation in Manipur on Sunday. (ANI)

The historical experience of colonial expansion toward the hills from the Imphal valley laid the foundation for an ethnic democracy in Manipur. Before the British, the hill and the valley were different political entities, but administrative conveniences of the colonial government brought the two together under one unit, the Manipur state. They drew a line at the base of the hills, and for their administrative and military conveniences, carved out certain parts of contiguous hill ranges (Naga Hills, Lushai Hills, Chin Hills, and Cachar Hills) and put some regions within the fold of Manipur, which later merged within India, and left out others. Consequently, those who inhabited these territories were separated from their cognate tribes by state and even international borders. This process minoritised the hill tribes and laid the grounds for Meitei dominance in Manipur.

Knowing well the complexity of this problem, the Constituent Assembly formed a sub-committee to look into the matter of various tribes in the Northeast. This panel came up with a constitutional schema, known as the Sixth Schedule, which offered limited autonomy and self-rule to some tribal regions. It was directed at various tribes in erstwhile undivided Assam and left out the two princely states  Manipur and Tripura  because they were separately administered. In 1985, the Sixth Schedule was extended to the tribal areas of Tripura. For about half a century, Manipur hill tribes have asked for Sixth Schedule status, but to no avail. This has created a peculiar situation where each tribal community has a significant chunk of people living across state limits, and even the international border in Myanmar.

In 2015, the then Congress government passed three contentious bills  the Protection of Manipur Peoples Bill, 2015, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015, and the Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015. The government said the bills aimed to protect the rights of indigenous people and imposed bars on outsiders from entering the state, buying land and setting up businesses. But due to procedural lapses, these bills didnt get the assent of competent authorities.

The legislation stoked long-simmering anxieties among tribal groups, who said the bills will end up undermining all constitutional protections. Violent clashes followed, in which nine people died. It did not help that in a multi-ethnic state such as Manipur, where ethnic identity is highly politicised, the local police force is often compromised and divided along community lines. This situation had justified the existence of underground militant groups for the people.

The trust deficit, between the hills and the plains, and the tribals and the state government, further widened after a string of actions by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government soon after it took power in 2017. First, chief minister N Biren Singhs administration decided to build a memorial park to 19th century Meitei monarch Chandrakirti Singh in Behiang, Churachandpur. The Meitei king had never ruled the hill areas and so this act was seen as a grave affront in the Kuki-majority town. Then, in 2022, the state government served show-cause notices to some villages in Churachandpur district as part of its drive to enforce Khoupum protected forest restrictions. Some houses were demolished, shattering long-held compacts of leaving tribal villages undisturbed. And finally, in April 2023 as part of an anti-encroachment drive, the administration in Imphal demolished three churches in tribal colonies that they said were built on unauthorised government land.

The fire burning in Manipur today, therefore, has a long trail in history with its roots in colonial governance patterns and ethnic fault lines, which have sprouted deep resentment, anxieties among young people, and underground militancy. Once the fire subsides, the government will need to address these long-pending concerns, equitably and on priority.

L Lam Khan Piang is a professor of sociology at the University of Hyderabad

The views expressed are personal
The high-stakes Karnataka elections concluded on Wednesday. As we wait for the election results on May 13, a close look at past electoral results can help shed light on the key narratives emerging from this election. The high-stakes Karnataka assembly elections concluded on Wednesday. (PTI)

Karnataka has a set of caste equations that do not map cleanly to any other place in India, and the Congress has historically built a broad, stable coalition across these identities. In the last four state elections, the Congress vote share has stayed between 34% and 38%. In the 2018 election, the BJP was once again able to consolidate votes from the powerful Lingayat community after welcoming back former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, surging to 104 seats  just nine seats shy of the magic number of 113. Many believed that the Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)] would pledge its 37 seats to support BJP in forming government. But, in a big surprise, the JD(S) joined with the Congress (78 seats) to form government ; HD Kumuraswamy from JD(S) became the states chief minister.

This time many observers are suggesting the election may be more of a bipolar contest between the BJP and Congress, with a segment of JD(S) voters shifting to one of the two larger parties instead of allowing the party to play kingmaker, splitting votes at the constituency level.

What would be the impact of this consolidation, or what if, contrary to expectations, the JD(S) increases its vote share? To investigate the matter, in figure 1, I simulated seat shares using the 2018 election results at the constituency level and assuming a transfer of votes from JD(S) to Congress and vice versa while holding BJPs votes constant.

Somewhat surprisingly, even with a net transfer of votes from JD(S) to Congress of 5 percentage points, the BJP would barely drop from the 104 seats it won in 2018 to 99 seats. There are two key reasons for this.

First, the BJP, as compared to Congress, disproportionately won seats with a high margin of victory. The BJP won 86 seats (as compared to 46 for Congress) where the margin of victory was greater than 5 percentage points, while it won 19 (as compared to 32 for Congress) where the margin of victory was less than 5 percentage points.

Second, the JD(S) had a concentrated vote share  failing to reach 5% of the vote in 65 (33%) of the 199 constituencies in which it contested  and the BJP did better than the combined vote share of Congress and JD(S) in a majority of the seats (55) it won. This means that JD(S) vote has limited capacity to push the Congress past the BJP in most constituencies. On the other hand, given the lower margins of victory for Congress, figure 1 demonstrates that further fragmentation of the vote in favor of JD(S) would decimate the party compared to its 2018 performance and rapidly boost BJPs seat share. In fact, just a 1.8 percentage point transfer of vote from the Congress to the JD(S) would get BJP to the magic number of 113 (based on 2018 electoral results).

Another key narrative emerging from Karnataka is anti-incumbency due to, among other factors, corruption and fragmentation of the aforementioned Lingayat vote. How might these factors affect electoral outcomes?

In figure 2(a), using 2018 electoral data, we model how a shift of vote share from BJP to Congress (due to anti-incumbency) would impact outcomes. Here the impact to the BJP is far greater. Just a 2.2 percentage point shift in vote share from the BJP to the Congress would see the Congress emerge the single largest party, and a 4.1 percentage point shift would allow Congress to reach the magic number of 113 seats.

The impact of the Lingayat vote is more difficult to discern. One strategy is to use a historical event, when BS Yediyurappa formed his own party, the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP), that contested alone in 2013. While it won only 6 seats in 2013, it played a major spoiler for the BJP  winning at least 20% vote share in 48 (24%) of the 204 constituencies it contested. In the 48 seats with at least 20% vote share for KJP in 2013, the BJP won 29 seats (compared to 13 for Congress and 3 for JD(S)) in 2018. In the 154 seats where KJP had less than 20% vote share in 2013, the BJP won 65 seats (compared to 58 for Congress and 29 for JD(S)) in 2018. This suggests that BJPs 2018 performance was highly dependent on winning back former KJP voters, mostly Lingayats.

Figure 2(b) models the impact of erosion of vote of the BJP to the Congress in Lingayat and non-Lingayat areas by using the KJP vote shares, as a percentage of the seats the BJP would win as compared to a benchmark of its 2018 performance. The BJP is far more susceptible in Lingayat areas, suggesting that fragmentation of the Lingayat vote (something that has been rumored with disenchantment of certain Lingayat leaders with BJP and the subsequent defection to Congress) would be particularly detrimental to the BJP.

This exercise provides key insights to interpret the upcoming electoral results. The lack of a pre-electoral coalition between the Congress and JD(S) is unlikely to have much of an impact on final results (in fact, it might be beneficial for the opposition if JD(S) can pull away some anti-Congress voters). The BJPs performance is highly sensitive to an erosion in vote share, particularly in Lingayat areas. The final result will hinge on the BJP being able to defend its 2018 vote share, and its Lingayat base.

(Neelanjan Sircar is senior fellow, Centre for Policy Research)
The Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) filed a FIR (first information report) on Wednesday against Ashneer Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain Grover, and family members Deepak Gupta, Suresh Jain, and Shwetank Jain for an alleged 81 crore fraud in December 2022 complained by BharatPe. Ashneer Grover is married to Madhuri Jain Grover.

The complaint was received at EOW and enquiry has been conducted into the allegations levelled against alleged persons. From the contents of the complaint and enquiry conducted so far, prima-facie offences punishable under Sections 406/408/409/420/467/468/471/120B IPC (Indian penal code) are made out," the FIR copy reads, reported by Hindustan Times sister publication Mint.

They are charged under eight sections of serious cognisable criminal offences, including 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, banker, merchant, or agent), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

ALSO READ: Biggest data theft in India at BharatPe? Former co-founder Ashneer Grover's sensational charge

What is the case?

Over the last six months, Ashneer Grover, the co-founder and former MD of BharatPe, has been entangled in a number of court disputes.

He was fired from the the fintech in March 2022 on charges of financial irregularities. BharatPe filed a criminal charge and a civil suit against Grover and his family in December 2022, alleging fraud and seeking damages.

ALSO READ: Shark Tank's Ashneer Grover bought dining table for 1 crore, rented penthouse: Staff reveals his 'lavish lifestyle'

In addition, BharatPe filed an arbitration claim in Singapore to reclaim restricted shares and prohibit Grover from using the title "founder." Another lawsuit was launched against the Shark Tank India-fame in January 2023 by a former colleague. He was also sued by the fintechs co-founder Shashvat Nakrani over unpaid shares".

BharatPe reaction on the FIR

The fintech company termed filing of the FIR as a positive move, saying it reveals a number of dubious transactions the family carried out for their own financial advantage.

 This FIR will now enable the Law enforcement agencies to investigate deeper into the criminality and bring the culprits to books. We have full faith in our country's judicial and law enforcement systems and are optimistic that this case will reach its logical conclusion. We will continue to extend all possible cooperation to the authorities," BharatPe said in its statement, Mint reported.

MZM legal, which is advising BharatPe on the criminal complaint, said, After a detailed complaint was filed with the EOW, a thorough inquiry was conducted with voluminous documents on record. We are glad that cognizance has been taken and an FIR is now registered against Ashneer, his wife and others," Zulfiquar Memon, managing partner.
Google has announced a new feature for its popular email service, Gmail, that will leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to assist users in writing emails. The announcement was made during Google's I/O event 2023 on Wednesday. The new feature will work on user's prompt to automate the writing process making it more efficient. CEO Sundar Pichai unveiling the Gmail AI feature at Google I/O event.(Google)

ALSO READ| Google I/O 2023: ChatGPT rival Bard now in India. How to use it for free

The newly unveiled "Help me write" feature for Gmail can generate a complete email in response to user prompts. The feature will be included in Google Workspace updates in the coming months for both web and mobile users.

It is an upgrade over Smart Reply - short responses that one could select with just one click, and Smart Compose- offered writing suggestions as one type in the email, which the tech giant has introduced in past.

During the Google I/O event, chief executive officer Sundar Pichai Google explained that user can simply type in the prompt of what they want, for example - an email that asks for a full refund. Hit on create, and a full draft will appear in front of you.

ALSO READ| Google CEO Sundar Pichai announces major AI features at Google I/O event: From Bard update to Google Search

How to generate email automatically in Gmail?

Once the feature is available, log in to your Gmail account. Click on the compose button to create a new email. Start typing your email message. Look for a small pencil icon with a sparkle next to the send button as you type. Click on the pencil icon to open the "Help Me Write" menu. The menu provides different options such as suggesting words and phrases, completing sentences, generating email templates, and checking grammar and spelling. Select the option you want to use and let the AI help you with your email. Once you finish writing your email, click on the send button to send it.
Anand Mahindra recently took to Twitter to share a picture of a lioness with a camera in her mouth. Inviting people to caption it, he promised a toy truck to the creator of the best caption. Taken by wildlife photographer Barbara Jensen Vorster in Botswana back in 2018, the image quickly became a canvas for imaginative captions on the micro-blogging site. While each one was better than the other, Anand Mahindra announced the winning caption a few hours ago. Anand Mahindra announced the winner of the lioness caption challenge. (Twitter/@anandmahindra)

Ive been reminded that I havent done a caption call for quite a while now. So heres something to compete for your time on a Sunday! Send me your proposed caption for the image of the lioness on the left. And the writer of the best captionin my opinionwill receive a model Mahindra #Furio model toy truck shown in the video on the right. Entries have to be given by 3 pm IST on Tuesday 9th May. On your marks, get set, wrote Anand Mahindra on Twitter.

Alongside, he shared a picture of a lion holding a camera in its mouth and a video of a toy truck which he intends to offer as a reward.

Take a look at the tweet below:

Mahindra announced the winner a few hours ago. He wrote, Announcing the winner of my most recent caption contest. Congratulations, @nimishdubey A clever & compact caption.... The winning caption is: Say cheese. Or I will say lunch.

Anand Mahindras tweet has raked over 1.4 million views. It has also accumulated a plethora of comments so far.

Check out other captions here:

Mumbai Police replied, Would you like your next generation to see me on camera or on the ground? They even added the hashtag #LionKing. A Twitter user wrote, Please Like, Sher & Subscribe!! Enough of selling my photos with 1.0$ETH, I never signed any consent form for you, lets make the deal first, added another. A third commented, I own everything here; I am the Queen! Photography is a roaring passion for me! joined a fourth. A fifth shared, Simba-razzi , when she can own her paparazzi!

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The quick action and thinking of Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel have, time and again, helped save the lives of multiple people. Now, a video showcasing something similar has caught the attention of many. The official Twitter handle of RPF India shared a CCTV video footage from Tatanagar station in Jamshedpur. In the clip, you can see a constable saving a person's life who slipped while getting on a moving train. RPF constable saves life of passenger.(Twitter/@Railway Protection Force)

"Quick response by lady constable S.K. Meena saved a passenger's life who slipped towards the platform gap while attempting to board a moving train at Tatanagar Station," wrote RPF India in the post. The video shows a passenger trying to climb a moving train, and then they suddenly slip. That's when the constable rushes to them and saves their life.

Watch the video below:

This post was shared just one day ago. Since being posted, it has been viewed over 5,000 times. The share has also received more than 500 likes. Many have also shared several comments on the clip.

Check out the reactions below:

An individual wrote, "Good work by RPF." A second added, "Utmost excellent service." A third posted, "Good job." "Well done." What do you think about this video?
Chinas struggle against spying is extremely grim, said a spokesman for the countrys rubber-stamp parliament late last month. The techniques used by foreign spooks, he added, were becoming ever harder to detect. To tackle this, the legislature approved a new, more sweeping, version of the countrys counter-espionage law on April 26th. Among foreigners in China, it is causing jitters. In what Chinese officials call their smokeless war against spies, risks to the innocent are growing. PREMIUM Chinas struggle against spying is extremely grim, said a spokesman for the countrys rubber-stamp parliament late last month. The techniques used by foreign spooks, he added, were becoming ever harder to detect.(AFP)

Even before the law was passed, anxieties had been rising. The arrest in March of a Japanese businessman in Beijing caused shivers among fellow executives in China. The man, a senior employee of a Japanese drug firm, Astellas Pharma, and a longtime resident of China, has been accused of spying (no other details have been released). Such charges are far from rare. The foreign ministry in Tokyo says he was the 17th Japanese to be seized by Chinas counter-espionage police since 2015. But the latest detainee was unusual: a prominent member of the business community from a big company.

In April family members of a Chinese journalist, Dong Yuyu (pictured), revealed that he had been arrested last year while meeting a Japanese diplomat in Beijing, and accused of spying. Mr Dong is well known among foreign diplomats and journalists. He had been working as a senior editor at Guangming Daily, one of the countrys official newspapers. He also contributed to Yanhuang Chunqiu, a magazine, when it was strongly pro-reform (it was neutered after a hostile takeover in 2016), as well as the Chinese website of the New York Times. On the same day as the revised law on spying was passed, the authorities announced the arrest of Li Yanhe, a China-born Taiwanese publisher who had been visiting the mainland. He has been accused of endangering national security. Books produced by Mr Lis firm include works critical of Chinas Communist Party.

Recent police raids on firms offices have also rattled foreign businesspeople. In one such swoop, in March, five Chinese employees of Mintz Group, an American due-diligence firm, were detained in Beijing for reasons that have not been made public. In April police in Shanghai questioned staff at the premises of Bain, an American consultancy, and took away computers and phones, according to the Financial Times. Again, the reason is unclear. But amid growing tensions between China and America, Western businesspeople worry that police may be looking for excuses, whether security-related or otherwise, to flex muscle.

For the police, the new wording of the counter-espionage law provides plenty of excuses to target people they dislikeboth Chinese and foreign. The old version listed colluding to steal, pry into, purchase or illegally provide state secrets or intelligence as one kind of espionage. Now it also applies to other documents, data, materials or items related to national security or interests. In theory this could mean that obtaining non-classified information on topics ranging from the economy to politics could be construed as spying.

In practice it has always been so. But making this clearer in law aims to send a message to Chinese: they must be super-cautious about sharing with foreigners any information that is not available in the countrys highly censored public-facing media. China also has many publications that provide news of a more genuine kind, but they are classified. The partys main mouthpiece, the Peoples Daily, produces a thrice-weekly digest of commentary from social media, but even this is restricted to internal circulation among officials.

Since the country first adopted its spying law in 2014, it has mounted a publicity campaign mainly aimed at ordinary citizens. Propaganda teams even tour villages, urging vigilance against foreign spooks. In 2015 the Ministry of State Security set up a hotline, 12339, for people to report suspected threats, with substantial rewards offered. That year the government also declared that April 15th would be marked annually as National Security Education Day. It says it wants the whole of society to mobilise to make it difficult for criminals who engage in spying and sabotage even to take a step. It is certainly making foreigners feel less welcome.

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Two police officers and several firefighters were injured in an explosion at an apartment building in the western German town of Ratingen on Thursday, said the state interior ministry. Police and firefighters were called to aid a helpless person and, when they arrived, there was an explosion at the door to the apartment, said a police spokesperson. (Picture for representation)

Police and firefighters were called to aid a helpless person and, when they arrived, there was an explosion at the door to the apartment, said a police spokesperson.

It was unclear what caused the explosion, said police and the interior ministry for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

A large-scale police operation was underway, the ministry said.

Broadcaster ZDF reported that 10 firefighters and 2 police officers had been injured, and security sources could not rule out a targeted attack.

At around 0800 GMT, the apartment owners' association notified police that the mailbox of one of the residents was overflowing, ZDF reported, citing the state interior minister.

Police then called in firefighters to open the door to the flat where a mother and her son were living, and there was a fire in the room, the broadcaster reported.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser was set to make a statement on the incident in the afternoon, ZDF said.
China will resolutely object if the US restricts its firms from investing in Chinese semiconductor industry, said Shu Jueting, a spokesperson at China's commerce ministry on Thursday. Semiconductor chips are seen on a circuit board of a computer in this illustration picture. (Reuters File Photo)

Shu said at a news briefing that such US behaviors will affect companies' normal operation and damage the international economic and trade order.
A Chinese research vessel flanked by coast guard and nearly a dozen boats on Wednesday entered a gas block operated by Russian and Vietnamese state firms, two monitoring groups said, another potential flashpoint in the South China Sea. A China Coast Guard vessel patrols at the disputed Scarborough Shoal. (File/ Reuters)

Read here: US demands China halt provocative South China Sea acts after near-collision with Philippine vessel

It follows a pattern of assertive moves of late by Beijing in its neighbours' exclusive economic zones (EEZ), as it presses its claim to sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, testing the United States and its allies at a time of heightened regional tension.

Strong relations between Russia and China are a major factor supporting global stability, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in March, but the two countries have conflicting interests in the South China Sea.

The Chinese research ship, two coast guard and 11 fishing boats entered block 04-03 of Vietsovpetro, a venture between Russia's Zarubezhneft and PetroVietnam, and were still in the area by nightfall, data from two independent vessel monitors reviewed by Reuters showed.

The Chinese group was also close to blocks 05-1 B and 05-1 C, operated by Idemitsu Oil & Gas, a unit of Japan's Idemitsu Kosan, the data showed.

China has been accused of using its coast guard and an armada of fishing boats widely considered militia to intimidate and disrupt energy activities, including off Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Beijing says it is lawfully operating in its waters.

But the move on Wednesday was "extraordinary", according to Ray Powell, who leads Stanford University's Project Myoushu on the South China Sea, because of "the sheer number of militia and coast guard ships involved".

"It seems they are sending a message about China's jurisdiction over Vietnam's oil and gas operations," Powell said, adding at least three Vietnamese fisheries surveillance vessels had moved close to the Chinese ships.

'CHINA'S JURISDICTION'

China's foreign ministry said those activities were "normal".

"Chinese fishing and scientific research vessels carry out normal production and work activities in maritime areas under China's jurisdiction," it said.

It made similar remarks on Tuesday after Chinese boats approached an area where the navies of India and Southeast Asian countries held exercises.

Japan's Idemitsu declined to comment. Vietnam's foreign ministry and the other companies involved did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

On Wednesday, the Chinese vessels were about 10 nautical miles (18 km) from the Japanese operating rig and about 20 miles from the Russia-Vietnam rig, according to South China Sea Chronicle Initiative (SCSCI), an independent non-profit.

The Chinese research vessel moved at full speed before entering Vietnam's EEZ but slowed to 4-5 knots, suggesting the ship was conducting a survey there, said SCSCI's Van Pham.

Read here: Vietnam reports record-high temperature, experts warn of prolonged extreme weather

Surveys in a country's EEZ's without prior notification have in previous instances been considered hostile or provocative.

It follows similar incidents in March in two blocks involving Russian firms off Vietnam, which has licensed operations of more than 150 blocks.
Namibia has shown significant improvement on the overall investment attractiveness index in the 2022 Fraser Institute survey of mining companies, moving up seven points from 52 to 59.

The country ranked 38th out of 62 jurisdictions surveyed, compared to 59th out of 84 in 2021. Namibia also ranked sixth out of 16 African jurisdictions surveyed.

"Namibia's performance in the 2022 Fraser report is fairly good, although it could have been better. This is especially so as the Namibian government has greatly improved legislation that encourages exploration," said chamber of mines president Zebra Kasete.

The index measures a country's competitiveness, combining the policy perception index and the best practices mineral potential index.

While Namibia improved on the best practices mineral potential index, its policy perception index score fell by six points due to concerns related to the "unilateral powers of the minister of mines to make various determinations like royalty levels" and "a lack of mineral rights security," according to the report.

However, Namibia was commended for having "good foreign investment policies into mining."

Veston Malango, CEO of the Chamber of Mines, emphasised that the chamber is actively engaging mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo on the Minerals Bill.

Malango said he is confident that the policy concerns cited in the survey will be addressed in the Minerals Bill review which is at an advanced stage.

"The chamber is positive that the finalisation of this bill will elevate Namibia's overall investment attractiveness in the global mining space," Malango said.
Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has sparked outrage on social media once again, this time for showing support for Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Tate's tweet, in which he claimed that Pakistan has an honest judicial system, was in response to the news that the Supreme Court in Pakistan had deemed Khan's arrest as illegal. Andrew Tate has sparked outrage on social media once again, this time for showing support for Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan. (ANI, AP)

This unexpected show of support from Tate, who has been in the headlines for his controversial views has left many scratching their heads. Earlier this week, Tate tweeted, "All the good guys go to jail," after the news of Khan's arrest was announced. It seems that Tate sees a kindred spirit in Khan, who has been embroiled in numerous scandals and controversies over the years.

The reaction to Tate's tweet was swift, with supporters and critics alike taking to social media to voice their opinions. One Twitter user, who seems to be a fan of both Tate and Khan, wrote, "Top G, my man, a much-awaited podcast with you, Khan, Trump, and Putin by an honorable and unbiased host would be a huge favor to this world." Meanwhile, another user wrote, "Not at all. It's one of the worst judicial systems. But this time they did well."

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest on corruption charges by paramilitary troops sparked protests and deadly clashes. Pakistan's Supreme Court declared Khan's arrest unlawful, and he will appear again on Friday. Khan was held in a guesthouse inside police headquarters and remanded in custody for eight days by Pakistan's anti-corruption agency. His lawyers had filed a petition against holding judicial proceedings against their client in the police headquarters instead of a courthouse. Khan's arrest led to a wave of reactions on social media, including support from controversial influencer Andrew Tate.

Andrew Tate's involvement in this latest controversy is just the latest in a long line of scandals and legal troubles. In late 2022, Tate was arrested in Romania on charges related to human trafficking, rape, and forming an organized criminal group. Alongside his brother Tristan and two Romanian women, Tate was detained but later released from jail and placed under house arrest pending further investigation.
A federal grand jury has indicted a Delaware man and woman on multiple charges, including sex trafficking and forced labor trafficking, in what authorities describe as a despicable and harrowing case. The accused, Clifton H. Gibbs, 66, and Brooke D. Waters, 44, of Lewes, Delaware, allegedly ran a sex trafficking ring between 2014 and 2020. Their modus operandi was to threaten their victims with severe harm if they did not comply with their demands. Delaware couple indicted on sex trafficking and forced labor charges, accused of running a ring from 2014-2020 using threats to control victims.(Getty Images)

The indictment details that the duo recruited, transported, and forced nine victims into commercial sex acts. They also compelled six individuals to work for them under duress, threatening them with severe harm if they refused. Additionally, they transported three victims across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity.

The allegations against the duo are deeply disturbing, with their alleged crimes amounting to sex trafficking and forced labor trafficking. The exact nature of the relationship between the duo remains unclear.

If the duo is found guilty, they could face life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years for the sex trafficking charges and a maximum of 20 years for the forced labor charges. The interstate transportation of individuals for criminal sexual activity is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

News of the duo's alleged crimes has sent shockwaves through the coastal town of Lewes, with residents expressing outrage and dismay. The community is struggling to come to terms with the horrific nature of the charges against Gibbs and Waters, who were both residents of the town, located just eight miles north of Rehoboth Beach.

The case is a sobering reminder of the dark side of human trafficking, a pervasive issue that affects millions of people worldwide. As the legal process unfolds, authorities are committed to bringing justice to the victims and holding those responsible for such heinous crimes accountable for their actions.
In a live CNN town hall, former US President Donald Trump doubled down on his false claims as he faced interview questions from the outlet for the first time since 2016. Ahead of the interview, Donald Trumps campaign said that he was appearing on the network to step outside of his comfort zone as he might be in a potential 2024 general election rematch with Joe Biden, again. Former US President Donald Trump speaks.(AP)

His appearance came a day after a New York jury found him liable for sexually abusing columnist E. Jean Carroll nearly 30 years ago and defaming her. The jury ordered Donald Trump to pay the columnist $5 million in damages but rejected her claim of rape, saying that Donald Trump was responsible for a lesser degree of sexual assault.

Donald Trump, when asked about the verdict, said that his poll numbers went up and repeated his statements that he didnt know Carroll.

I dont know her. I never met her. I had no idea who she is," he said. He dismissed a question about whether it would impact his standing with female voters and in response, recounted E. Jean Carrolls claims in a mocking voice. Donald Trump then called it a fake story and referred to the columnist as a wack job.

When questioned about the infamous Access Hollywood video in which he bragged about grabbing womens genitals without asking permission, Donald Trump defended his comments by saying that he had said women let him grab their genitals without permission because he was a star.

I cant take that back because it happens to be true, Donald Trump said.

The former US President also repeated his lies about the 2020 presidential election, repeating claims of election fraud. Calling, it a rigged election and a shame, Donald Trump called for honest elections and then pivoted to other subjects.

On the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, Donald Trump said, They were there proud. They were there with love in their heart. That was unbelievable and it was a beautiful day."

Responding to a question about the US Supreme Court overturning abortion rights last year, Donald Trump took credit for appointing three of the justices who joined in the majority ruling.

It was such a great victory and people are starting to understand it now," he said. He then repeatedly said he would do whats right, without specifying what that was.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Former US president Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to say if he wants Ukraine or Russia to win the war. Former US president Donald Trump (AP)

Read here: Donald Trump tells CNN on wack job sex abuse verdict: My poll numbers up

"I don't think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled," Trump said in a CNN town hall before a live audience in the state of New Hampshire.

"I want everybody to stop dying. They're dying. Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I'll have that done," Trump said, opposing the establishment Republican policy of backing Kyiv.

"I'll have that done in 24 hours. I'll have it done. You need the power of the presidency to do it," Trump said.

Earlier in the town hall, Trump insisted that he could halt the war that began in February last year by negotiating directly with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

"I'll meet with Putin. I'll meet with Zelensky. They both have weaknesses and they both have strengths. And within 24 hours, that war will be settled. It'll be over," Trump said.

At another moment, Trump declined to say if he believes that Putin is a war criminal for alleged atrocities committed in Ukraine.

"If you say he's a war criminal it's going to be a lot tougher to make a deal to make this thing stopped," he said.

"If he's going to be a war criminal, people are going to grab him and execute him, he's going to fight a lot harder than he's fighting under the other circumstance. That's something to be discussed at a later day."

The former president also said he thinks that "Putin made a mistake" by invading Ukraine.

Read here: After Donald Trump's civil rape verdict, what lies next for ex-US President?

When asked to elaborate, Trump said, "His mistake was going in. He would have never gone in if I was president."

Trump, 76, has already announced his bid for a 2024 comeback and is a frontrunner to be the Republican Party's nominee, despite having been criminally indicted and remaining under multiple other investigations on serious allegations.
New Delhi: Pakistans former premier Imran Khan got a reprieve on Thursday as the Supreme Court ruled his arrest in a corruption case was unlawful and ordered his release, though he would continue to be held in protective custody at a police facility till his case comes up in the Islamabad high court on Friday. Supporters of Pakistans former prime minister Imran Khan celebrate, as according to Khan's lawyer the Supreme Court ruled that his arrest was illegal, outside of Khan's house, in Lahore, on Thursday. (REUTERS)

The ruling issued by a three-judge headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial added another twist to the political crisis triggered by Khans arrest on Tuesday in connection with allegations of money laundering. Supporters of Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had organised violent protests in cities across the country that targeted several military facilities and left 10 people dead.

The Supreme Courts ruling was immediately mired in controversy. Even before Bandial issued the order, Khans lawyer purportedly told a journalist in a recorded phone conversation how the apex court would rule in the matter, giving very specific details. Pakistans defence minister Khawaja Asif accused the judiciary of double standards, saying it provided relief to Khan within two days of his detention while other arrested political leaders had languished in jail for months.

Khans supporters in Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar welcomed the top courts decision and organised impromptu celebrations. Authorities had rounded up close to 2,000 workers and supporters of the PTI in a crackdown, and party leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Fawad Chaudhry were among those detained.

During the hearing in the Supreme Court, the bench said Khan, 70, should be kept at the Islamabad Police Lines guesthouse but not treated as a prisoner. Police were directed by the court to ensure Khans security and provide him the requisite facilities.

The top court further ruled that Khan was no longer in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the anti-graft body investigating allegations that he and his wife obtained billions of rupees and vast tracts of land from the firm of real estate tycoon Malik Riaz for laundering 50 billion that was returned to Pakistan by the UKs National Crime Agency after a probe against Riaz.

Imran Khan will stay at the [police] guesthouse as a guest [and] his protection will be the governments responsibility, Bandial was quoted as saying by the media. Bandial urged Khan to tell his supporters to remain peaceful. The government had contended that Khans release would encourage further violence.

The top court issued the order in response to a petition by the PTI challenging Khans arrest. The bench also said Khan should be presented in the Islamabad high court on Friday for the hearing of cases against him. Bandial also suggested that Khan should begin a dialogue with his political opponents, even if he doesnt like them, to ensure peace in the country.

Khan, who was ousted as premier in a parliamentary vote of confidence last year, appealed to supporters to remain calm and said his party only wanted fresh elections. He also contended that he was unaware of the violent protests and didnt want anarchy in Pakistan. How am I responsible for the protests? Khan said.

Addressing a news conference shortly after the Supreme Court gave its ruling, defence minister Khawaja Asif, a close aide of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, decried the ruling and rubbished Khans claims that he had been hit while in custody and that he was unaware of the violent protests across the country.

Asif pointed to the top court asking about facilities to be provided to Khan and said: There are double standards everywhere, in everyday life, in justice...How long will the people continue to be fooled?

He referred to a video message issued by Khan before his arrest and accused the former premier of preaching violence and inciting supporters. The Supreme Court should have taken suo moto notice of Khans supporters defacing monuments dedicated to military personnel killed in wars and attacking army installations and facilities such as the corps commanders house in Lahore, Asif said.

Before the PTI, only the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had attacked the [armys] General Headquarters, Asif said. He also referred to audio recordings that appeared in the local media on Thursday of PTI leaders purportedly discussing attacks on military installations during protests and questioned why the judiciary hadnt taken notice of this matter.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal signaled on Wednesday that the finalisation of an Early Progress Trade Agreement or EPTA with Canada may be possible this year. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal at a reception organised by the Canada-India Business Council in Toronto on Wednesday. (Piyush Goyal/Twitter)

During the course of a media interaction in Toronto, Goyal, who is on a bilateral visit to Canada, said that getting the deal done in 2023 is not beyond the realm of possibility.

Im usually very optimistic, I do wish its much faster than that, he added. Were working to ensure early conclusion to the Early Progress Trade Agreement which we believe will send a strong signal to business on both sides, in terms of our desire of leaders of both Governments to expand business and investment partnerships, he stressed.

He said that his discussions with his Canadian counterpart, International Trade Minister Mary Ng even though informal, were quite substantive and have moved the needle on a fast-track basis.

Goyal also said speed was of the essence, but didnt want to set a deadline for the concluding the pact, as it pays to be pragmatic and practical and careful.

He did say that discussions had gone on longer than I like a FTA (free trade agreement) negotiation to take place. Theyve had seven rounds already.

Weve both agreed sensitivities on both sides will be respected and recognized, he said, noting that was what clinched the agreements with Australia and the United Arab Emirates. In fact, the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement which came into force in December is useful as it generates confidence and gives Ottawa a template to look at given the similarities between Canada and Australia.

Ng was also optimistic, as she tweeted, Our trade agreements open the doors for businesses to walk through. Both Ministers were present at a reception organised in Toronto by the Canada-India Business Council. She announced she will lead a trade mission from Canada to India in October or November this year but the Ministers will meet in Jaipur before that when she attends the G20 trade vertical there in August.

A release from her office said the ministers made progress on key trade initiatives such as ongoing talks toward an Early Progress Trade Agreement..

They reaffirmed that EPTA would cover shared areas of importance such as high-level commitments in goods, investment, service, a focus on rules-based international order, technical barriers to trade and dispute settlement, it added.

It also said they shared a commitment towards enhancing cooperation in key sectors like critical minerals, clean tech, renewable energy and AI. They discussed continuing to work together in coordinating investment promotion, information exchange and mutual support between Canada and India through a Memorandum of Understanding later this year.

The ministers discussed continuing to work together in coordinating investment promotion, information exchange and mutual support between Canada and India through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) later this year.

Goyal also said the Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment or MDTI delivered several outcomes, which include a relaunch of the CEO Forum, in a fashion thats more outcome-oriented, more aggressive. Both countries are looking at an agreement between their investment promotion bodies to act as an interface, to handhold and support businesses and investments. A dialogue on a critical minerals partnership is being considered along with strengthening a talent and innovation partnership.

Goyal said while the history of the India-Canada economic relationship was one of lost opportunities, he and Ng were attempting to script the future different from the past and create the necessary eco-system and ingredients for a robust and resilient partnership.

Two rules-based transparent democratic economies with a strong complementarity between them are poised for a rapid growth in the years to come, he emphasised.

He said he had an outstanding visit to Canada and will return to New Delhi very excited about the Canada-India partnership.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Toronto: Even as India and Canada work towards deepening economic ties, a new report has underscored the value Indian businesses bring to Canada, with 6.6 billion Canadian dollars ($4.92 billion) in investments and the creation of 17,000 jobs in the North American nation. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal with Canadas International Trade Minister Mary Ng at a reception organised by the Canada-India Business Council in Toronto on Wednesday. (Mary Ng/Twitter)

The report, From India to Canada: Economic Impact and Engagement, was prepared by the Confederation of Indian Industry or CII, in partnership with the Canada  India Business Council or C-IBC and Indias High Commission in Ottawa.

It was released by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and his counterpart, Canadas International Trade Minister Mary Ng, at a reception organised by C-IBC in Toronto on Wednesday. This was the final day of official engagements for Goyal, who was on a bilateral visit to Canada that began with a Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment in Ottawa on Monday.

A CII release noted that this was the first known attempt to capture Indian Industrys growing Canadian presence in order to highlight the contributions of Indian companies to the competitiveness of the Canadian economy in the form of FDI, jobs created and saved, and funding for research and development as well as local corporate social responsibility initiatives.

The report sampled 30 Indian companies. They operate in eight of Canadas provinces, and have also spent over 700 million Canadian dollars ($522 million) in R&D expenditure.

Given the greater degree of engagement weve now embarked upon with high-level exchanges on both sides, the India-Canada economic relationship can improve very significantly. We see a lot of Indian talent contributing to the Canadian economy, and even investments coming in from India to Canada. I am confident that this will be a two-way traffic, and both countries stand to benefit, Goyal said of the report. Ng noted that it shows the benefits that come when we collaborate. Working together is how we create jobs and opportunities for growth, and by reinforcing our trade ties were setting our businesses up for success.

The figure for total investment may not be the full picture and the overall investment by Indian firms may be much higher. The companies that responded to CIIs survey are a sample of the current level of bilateral economic engagement, and the extent of the true impact of Indian investment in Canada is expected to be considerably deeper than the aggregate results reported, the report concluded.

Victor Thomas, president and CEO of C-IBC was hopeful these companies would prove trailblazers paving the path for others to follow as Canada offered a robust environment for Indian companies with favourable immigration policies, strong post-secondary institutions, a diverse talent pool, and is next to one of the largest economies in the world. CII director general Chandrajit Banerjee said, As Indias business footprint grows in Canada, our economic collaboration will lead to a stronger, more integrated strategic and comprehensive partnership.

Technology services accounted for the largest chunk of these companies, at 32%, while manufacturing and engineering as well as life sciences, pharmaceuticals and healthcare comprised 25% each.

The report said, With the resilience and vigor of business activity and several foundational agreements under bilateral negotiation, the future is bright for India-Canada economic partnership.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
"The January 6th rioters were not good people", Joe Biden tweeted in response to claims made by former US President Donald Trump in his first interview on CNN since 2016. Donald Trump refused to concede his 2020 electoral loss, maintaining his repeated false stolen election claims several times during the televised town hall in New Hampshire. Joe Biden on Donald Trump: US President Joe Biden speaks.

That was a rigged election and it was a shame we had to go through it, Donald Trump said.

US President Joe Biden tweeted along with a video of Donald Trump, There were not fine people on both sides of Charlottesville. The January 6th rioters were not good people. End of story.

On the January 6, 2021 attack on US Capitol to overturn his electoral loss, Donald Trump said he would pardon a large portion of his supporters.

I am inclined to pardon many of them. I cant say for every single one, Donald Trump said in response to a question from an audience member. The former US President also refused to commit to accepting the 2024 election results saying he would only do it if I think its an honest election.

The interview came after a federal jury in New York found Donald Trump liable for sexually assaulting writer E. Jean Carroll and then defaming her, the first verdict against the former US President in a string of legal cases. Donald Trump said that the case was politically motivated and that he didnt get a fair trial in New York, mocking E. Jean Carrolls story about the attack in the dressing room of a Fifth Avenue department store.

Donald Trump said, No, I dont think so because I think the whole thing, just so you understand, ready, I never met this woman. I never saw this woman.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
On Wednesday night, CNN hosted a town hall event featuring former United States President Donald Trump. FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts after arriving at Aberdeen International Airport (REUTERS)

The event, which lasted for over an hour, was characterized by Trump's frequent lies and attacks on the moderator, Kaitlin Collins. According to Rolling Stone, CNN insiders spoke out against the decision to host Trump, calling the event a "disgrace" and a "huge platform to spew his lies."

Despite Collins' several efforts to correct the controversial political figure, he continued to push misinformation about the 2020 election and the investigations into his conduct. It is being reported that, CNN anchor Jake Tapper led a team of fact-checkers to counter Trump's false claims immediately after the event.

He called a black law enforcement officer a thug. He said people here in Washington, D.C., and Chinatown dont speak English. He attacked Kaitlan as a nasty woman..he made fun of [Carrols] sexual assault and many in the audience laughed, Tapper stated.

The town hall was a fu**ing disaster, according to a network insider who spoke to Rolling Stone. It was a 1000 percent mistake to host Trump, the insider expressed their grief. No one [at CNN] is happy.

The CNN insiders voices reflect the widespread criticism that CNN has faced for hosting the 45th U.S. President. Several netizens argue that the American cable news network gave Trump an organized stage to spread a plethora of lies and misinformation, and that they legitimized his dangerous rhetoric.

Furious fans are calling out CNN and wondering why did they stoop so low for TRPs. Boycott CNN is trending on Twitter. Did CNN really not know a misogynist like Trump would talk all over Kaitlin Collins and treat her disrespectfully? asks a viewer.

Another one says, Dear @CNN, I just unfollowed you on all my social media accounts. I wont watch you ever again. Gonna give @MSNBC my ratings from now on. Too bad for you. Im a better demographic for your advertisers than your new MAGA lunatic audience. #BoycottCNN

What infuriated many was that CNN ensured Trump was surrounded by his followers in the audience who applauded his statements and only helped him spread his lies. 'Trump taking questions from a friendly crowd on national TV isn't newsworthy. It's basically a campaign event.' tweeted Jess Coleman

CNN has defended its decision to host Trump, arguing that Collins exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist by asking tough, fair, and revealing questions, and fact-checking Trump in real-time to arm voters with crucial information about his positions as he enters the 2024 election as the Republican frontrunner.

That is CNNs role and responsibility: to get answers and hold the powerful to account, stated one of the networks primetime producers.

Although, the networks critics are unlikely to be satisfied with this explanation and want to boycott CNN.

ALSO READ| Donald Trump tells CNN on wack job sex abuse verdict: My poll numbers up

However, members of Trump's team lamented the event as a success, with some suggesting that he should "literally do this every night."

We want to thank CNN for their generous donation to President Trumps campaign! one Trump devotee said on Wednesday.

According to sources, the former president's strategy is to saturate major media outlets with his presence, a tactic he has used in the past to control the agenda.

During the live event, Trump's supporters filled the audience seat, and they applauded his deflections when Collins tried to push him to take a side in the war in Ukraine. Trump's lies about the 2020 election and his boasts about crowd size set the tone for the evening.

The event highlights the ongoing battle between Trump and the media, with Trump using his platform to push lies and misinformation, and the media struggling to hold him accountable. As the 2024 election approaches, it remains to be seen how much of an impact Trump's tactics will have on the American public.
Prince Harry's attendance at the coronation will "stabilize" the "spiraling effect" of his memoir Spare, a PR expert told Newsweek. The event showed the royal pecking order as Prince Harry visited London to join his family at Westminster Abbey as his father was crowned alongside his stepmother Queen Camilla, the expert said. Prince Harry (AP)

Prince Harry left soon after the coronation and was photographed at London's Heathrow Airport less than an hour after the ceremony finished much before King Charles and Camilla stepped onto the Buckingham Palace balcony. Expert Eric Schiffer said that the historic occasion would boost King Charles' reputation in America but had not had the same impact for Harry.

The king further elevated himself and also tied himself to the dreamlike, fantasy elements of monarchy in a way that will only benefit him as he moves forward, Eric Schiffer said.

It was a smooth transition and one where he has a way about him that is always prepared and ready, and his popularity will increase in America. His son, Harry, was not served by it in full. On the positive side, he showed loyalty, which he needed to sure up given Spare and how that hurt his brand. But it also showed the pecking order and how he's been relegated to the out house in terms of how the Crown views him, Eric Schiffer explained.

"It must be difficult on a personal level and, from a brand perspective, it hurts the cachet," he added.

Prince Harry's memoir accused his brother Prince William of launching a physical attack during an argument about Meghan Markle.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Managing Director of FBNBank Ghana, Mr Victor Yaw Asante, has charged new inductees of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CI MG) to be professionals and add value while practising as marketers.

He said that marketers need to relentlessly seek to understand the demands of their customers and commit to proffer the necessary solutions to them.

Mr Asante was speaking at the induction ceremony for new Chartered Marketers held over the weekend in Accra.

The event was also used to launch the CIMG Chartered Marketer, a training and learning programme that leads to the award of Chartered Marketer status, which represents an up-to-date, experienced, and qualified marketing professional.

According to Mr Asante, "as professionals, we must live by the values of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana in delivering our mandate; we must be creative, show leadership, have integrity and be professional; all of which if well delivered, will make us very professional in our work".

"I want to encourage all those climbing up the ladder not to give up on their dreams of becoming Chartered marketers, which is the pinnacle of the profession."

The Chairman for the occasion, Prof. Emeritus Stephen Adei said, "Being a marketer is not what we do today but about the impact it will have on the future, tomorrow. I want to take this opportunity to also congratulate the new inductees to go out and make a difference because as a marketer, you are responsible for anything and everything with regards to marketing. As such, a marketer has the authority to implement decisions that are deemed to be profitable from his end".

On that night, the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) decorated existing Chartered Marketers, including Victor Yaw Asante, as Chartered Marketers.

The Chartered Marketer status is conferred on persons who achieve the highest standards in marketing knowledge, experience and enhance the skills professionally qualified marketers (ProM) need to deliver to customers, clients, employers, and the community.

The event witnessed the induction of some 71 new professional members into its fraternity.
Prince Harry's visit to King Charles III's coronation has led to a flurry of reports around his strained relationship with the royal family. During the ceremony, Harry wasn't seen interacting with King Charles and brother Prince William and received a cold reception. After the ceremony, Harry had made a hurried exit from United Kingdom and flew back to California to attend the birthday celebration of his son Archie. Prince Harry(AP)

In an intercation with Us Weekly on Tuesday, royal historian Gareth Russell said Prince Harry feels very strongly he deserves an unequivocal apology.

I dont think the royal family  believe he deserves one, added Russell.

ALSO READ| Laundering, lies and Covid fraud: Republican Party's George Santos indicted

The rift between Prince Harry and the royal family had widened further after the Duke of Sussex made sensational revelations in his memoir, "Spare". Through the published book, Prince Harry had brought to the fore his differences with King Charles and Prince William. In "Spare," Prince Harry has even accused his brother Prince William of attacking him.

Russell also analysed Harry's subtle way of putting the blame for his differences with the royals on the family itself, in the book "Spare". Having read the book, Russell pointed out that there are not many times if any that Harry says that he did something that pushed an argument forward. More often than not, Prince Harry hints that he doesnt seem to think that he really did anything wrong when it comes to dealing with his family.

Talking about Prince Harry's decision of attending the coronation( albeit for a very short time), Russel said that it appeared to be a pause of intentions rather than a resolution.

Coming through such a short window of time implies that he wanted to be there to honor and support his father. Leaving again so quickly suggests that maybe relations with the rest of the family and his stepmother, [Queen Camilla], and his eldest brother are not yet restored, said Russell.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country needs more time to launch a counteroffensive against Russia as Kyiv still needs promised Western aid. "With [what we have] we can go forward and be successful," the president said as per the BBC. Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gestures as he speaks during a press conference.(AFP)

"But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable," he added, saying, So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time.

Ukrainian army still needed "some things", including armoured vehicles that were arriving in batches, he said.

Expressing confidence, Zelensky praised the Ukrainian military but warned of the risks of a "frozen conflict" which was what Russia was "counting on".

Everyone will have an idea. [But] they can't pressure Ukraine into surrendering territories. Why should any country of the world give Putin its territory?, he said.

Dismissing fears about losing US support if President Joe Biden is not re-elected in 2024, Zelensky said that he still enjoyed bipartisan support in the US Congress.

"Who knows where we'll be [when the election happens]?" he said, adding, "I believe we'll win by then."

In support of more Western sanctions against Russia, Zelensky said that they were having an impact on Moscow's defence industry.

They still have a lot in their warehouses but we already see that they've reduced shelling per day in some areas, he said, adding that Moscow had found ways to bypass some of the measure.

The Ukrainian President also rejected Russian accusation against Kyiv of an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin last week which was described by Moscow as an attempt to assassinate President Putin.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A Ukrainian unit said on Wednesday it had routed a Russian brigade near the stronghold of Bakhmut in an incident underlining the task facing the Kremlin as it carries out what it calls a "very difficult" military operation. Russia-Ukraine war: Smoke erupts following a shell explosion, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Bakhmut, Donetsk region. (via REUTERS)

Read here: Cluster of Chinese vessels spotted near Russian rig off Vietnam

The unit's claim appeared to buttress comments by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner private army, who on Tuesday said the Russian brigade had abandoned its positions in Bakhmut, Moscow's primary target in its winter offensive and scene of the bloodiest ground combat in Europe since World War Two.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who heads Ukraine's ground forces, said Russian units in some parts of Bakhmut had retreated by up to two km (1.2 miles) as the result of counter attacks. He gave no details.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the situation on the ground. Wagner units have led a months-long Russian assault on the eastern city, suffering heavy losses, but Ukrainian forces say the offensive is stalling.

"The special military operation continues. This is a very difficult operation, and, of course, certain goals have been achieved in a year," Tass new agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as telling a Bosnian Serb television channel.

"We managed to beat up the Ukrainian military machine quite a bit," said Peskov, citing Russian missile strikes in Ukraine. "This work will continue".

Peskov said he had no doubt that Bakhmut "will be captured and will be kept under control". He also said the Russian campaign in eastern Ukraine was proceeding slowly because Russia "is not waging war".

"Waging war is a completely different matter - it means complete destruction of infrastucture, it means complete destruction of cities," he said. "We are not doing this. We are trying to preserve infrastructure and preserve human lives."

Peskov's comments did not address claims that Russia's 72nd Separate Motor-rifle Brigade had abandoned positions on the southwestern outskirts of Bakhmut.

In a statement, Ukraine's Third Separate Assault Brigade said: "It's official. Prigozhin's report about the flight of Russia's 72nd Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade from near Bakhmut and the '500 corpses' of Russians left behind is true."

A Russian brigade is typically formed of several thousand troops.

Read here: Vladimir Putin has no strategy in Ukraine: Former Russian commander

"Our army is fleeing. The 72nd Brigade pissed away three square km this morning, where I had lost around 500 men," Prigozhin said on Tuesday, complaining his troops were receiving only 10% of the shells they needed.

In a statement later on social media, Prigozhin said Wagner forces had advanced 170 metres (530 feet). Ukrainian troops were confined to an area of 2.25 sq. km. (just under a square mile) and were coming under pressure in western districts dotted with high-rise apartments.

MERCENARY CHIEF TAKES ON THE MILITARY

Prigozhin has clashed with Russia's defence ministry and expressed concerns about a promised Ukrainian counter-offensive to recapture territory Russia occupied after the invasion was launched on Feb. 24, 2022.

Ukrainian military analyst Roman Svitan said the successes

near Bakhmut amounted to the beginning of the counter-offensive.

"We are the ones who launched the moves to advance," Svitan told Ukrainian NV Radio. "We can say that the offensive that we have been expecting for at least the past six months got underway about a week ago."

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar wrote on Telegram that pro-Kyiv units had not lost a single position in Bakhmut on Wednesday.

Russian troops invaded Ukraine in what Moscow calls a special military operation and initially captured large amounts of territory, but Kyiv's forces pushed back. Western officials estimate more than 200,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded.

In his evening video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy named the Third Brigade and noted its report "about the flight of Russia's 72nd Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade from near Bakhmut".

In Brussels, NATO's top military official said the war would increasingly be a battle between large numbers of poorly trained Russian troops with outdated equipment and a smaller Ukrainian force with better Western weapons and training.

Read here: Red crosses being seen on Moscow streets amid Ukraine war? What reports said

Admiral Rob Bauer, a Dutch officer who is chair of NATO's military committee, noted Russia was deploying T-54 tanks - an old model designed in the years after World War Two.

In Washington, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said he had authorized the first transfer of forfeited Russian assets for use in Ukraine.
A van transporting oxygen gas canisters exploded in a Milan street on Thursday, injuring one person and setting nearby cars and motorbikes ablaze, local officials said. Several vehicles are in flames in the centre of Milan in northern Italy after an explosion(ANI)

The city's mayor, Giuseppe Sala, ruled out foul play and confirmed that no-one had died in the incident.

Sala said the driver of the van had told the fire brigade that the blaze had started in his engine. "He quickly grabbed the oxygen cylinders he was carrying ... He tried to limit the damage but then there was an explosion," the mayor said.

He added that the driver had sustained only light injuries.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, which had sent clouds of thick black smoke into the sky.

Eyewitnesses said the fire appeared to have spread to a nearby building, which was evacuated. A local school was also evacuated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyis expected to meet Pope Francis in the Vatican on Saturday, diplomatic sources said on Thursday, days after the pope said the Holy See was involved in a peace mission to try to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. (AFP)

The planned trip has not been officially announced. Pope Francis has given no further information about the peace initiative.

There was no immediate comment from the Kyiv government on reports of the possible trip. Zelensky's office never releases details of his travel plans ahead of time for security reasons.

An Italian political source confirmed that Zelensky might be in Rome at the weekend and said if that was the case, he would also see Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is a staunch defender of Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February 2022.

News of the planned visit was first reported by Italy's Ansa news agency. It said Zelenskiy was also expected to travel to Germany this weekend.

Since the invasion, the pope has pleaded for peace practically on a weekly basis, and has repeatedly expressed a wish to act as a broker between Kyiv and Moscow. His offer has so far failed to produce any breakthrough.

Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met the pope last month and said he had discussed a "peace formula" put forward by Zelensky. He said he had also invited the pontiff to visit Kyiv.

Pope Francis, 86, has said previously that he wants to visit both Kyiv and Moscow on a peace mission.

Tens of thousands have been killed, millions uprooted and whole cities have been flattened during the war in Ukraine.
The United Nation's top human rights body adopted a resolution Thursday that drew attention to mounting civilian deaths and rights abuses in Sudan since a bloody conflict erupted between the African country's two top generals last month. FILE PHOTO: Smoke is seen rising from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan. April 2 (REUTERS)

The violence in Sudan has so far killed more than 600 people, including civilians, and displaced hundreds of thousands. The fighting has also spread to other regions, namely the restive Darfur province.

The Human Rights Council - made up of 47 U.N. member states - narrowly passed the resolution with 18 states voting for the resolution, 15 against and 14 other nations abstaining. The resolution aims to further scrutinize human rights violations taking place in Sudan since April 15.

The fighting in Sudan started as a result of a power struggle between the chief of Sudans military, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and rival Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Arab and African nations - including Sudan - featured heavily among the 15 countries that rejected the U.N. move, citing it as a potential barrier to ongoing peace talks.

Algeria's representative, Faouzia Boumaiza-Mebarki, said the resolution could send a negative message to the opposing sides and scupper ongoing talks between the military and the RSF in Saudi Arabia. Likewise, China's ambassador said the country and its warring parties should be free from external pressure.

Meanwhile, most Western countries voted in favor, with Europe and the United States having co-sponsored the draft resolution.

During the opening speech of the session, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk accused both forces of violating international humanitarian law.

Turk blamed the Sudanese military for launching attacks in densely populated areas and the RSF of taking over numerous buildings in the capital, Khartoum, to use as operation bases, evicting residents and launching attacks.

The U.N. has raised concerns about the plight of civilians caught up in the crossfire and worries about food security and aid deliveries, and urged support for neighboring countries hosting people fleeing the ongoing violence.

We have also received several reports alleging sexual violence by uniformed men, as well as allegations of unlawful killings and enforced disappearances, Turk said.

Echoing Turk's remarks, the U.S. ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council, Michele Taylor, condemned the targeting of hospitals and healthcare providers. Amid the fighting, numerous hospitals across Khartoum have been damaged and forced to close.

Separately, dozens of independent experts working with the U.N. rights office issued a joint statement Thursday, citing reports that civilians of all ages are experiencing various human rights abuses in Sudan, including sexual assault, gender-based violence, looting, and shortages of food, water and healthcare.
Washington: The United States and China have renewed their high-level engagement with American national security adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan meeting Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi on Wednesday and Thursday in Vienna. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan (left) and Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi. (AFP/AP)

The two officials, according to a statement by the White House, had candid, substantive, and constructive discussions on key issues in the bilateral relationship, global and regional security issues, Russias war against Ukraine, and cross-Strait issues, among other topics.

This meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage competition. The two sides agreed to maintain this important strategic channel of communication to advance these objectives, building on the engagement between President Biden and President Xi in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022, the statement read.

When President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in Bali, Biden, according to a White House readout, had told the Chinese leader that while the US will continue to compete vigorously with China, this competition must not veer into conflict. This required both sides to maintain open channels of communication. They then agreed that Secretary of State Antony J Blinken would travel to Beijing to follow-up on the leader-level discussion.

In early February, just days before Blinken was scheduled to visit Beijing, the US discovered a Chinese surveillance balloon traversing across its continental territory and subsequently shot down the balloon. The US Congress, and wider American public opinion, turned even more sharply against China and Blinken rescheduled his visit for a later date. China rejected the allegation that it was a surveillance balloon, asserted it was meant for meteorological purposes that had veered off course, and claimed that the US overreacted. Washington however said that this was a part of a wider pattern of Chinese surveillance balloons dispatched to dozens of countries across the world.

Subsequently, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Blinken met and warned Wang Yi against China providing lethal arms to Russia to aid its aggression against Ukraine. The US had intelligence inputs that China was considering providing such aid, but had not done so yet.

While the relationship went in deep freeze for a few weeks, American policymakers have recently been emphasising that they do not seek a decoupling with Chinese economy and reiterated the need to maintain channels of communication. Earlier this week, US ambassador to China R Nicholas Burns met Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang, who had until recently had served as Chinas ambassador in Washington DC.

When asked about the meeting, and whether it meant that he would now reschedule his visit to China, Blinken, at a press appearance on Tuesday, said that he would not go into the details of the ambassadors conversations.

What I can say is this. What we have communicated to our colleagues in the government in Beijing is the importance from our perspective in engagement, precisely because we have a deeply complicated and also consequential relationship that is important to people in the United States and China, but beyond that around the world; that our two presidents agreed when they met in Bali at the end of last year that it would be important to establish and strengthen our lines of communication; and that we believe that thats in our interests and also something that the rest of the world expects us to do because theres an expectation that we will responsibly manage the relationship.

Blinken added that it was precisely because they had profound differences, the two countries had some responsibility not only to manage those differences so that the competition didnt veer into conflict, but also explore areas of cooperation where it was in mutual interest and to respond to global needs. Engagement is the way that we try to pursue both of those responsibilities. So thats the nature of the conversation that were having with China in this moment, and well see where that goes.

A person familiar with the US systems thinking on China pointed out that efforts at engagement should not be read as a dilution of the American commitment to compete with China in any way. He said that both the US national security and national defence strategy had already recognised China as the primary challenge; the US had imposed severe technology restrictions on China; Washington was committed to Quad (which includes US, Japan, Australia and India) and AUKUS (the nuclear submarine pact between Australia, United Kingdom and the US); and that the US had worked closely with Japan, South Korea and Philippines in recent months, all of which have concerns about China.

Given the larger strategic environment, as well as domestic political mood in the US with the Congress keeping a vigilant eye on China, there is no possibility of a reset with Beijing. What Washington hopes for is finding a way to calm tempers. It also shows to the rest of the region which doesnt want to get caught in a Washington-Beijing conflict that US is open to engagement. Diplomacy involves talking. And talking doesnt mean agreement, the person added.

While Sullivan had been primarily engaging, till last year, with Yang Jiechi, a reshuffle in Chinese political ranks saw Wang Yi move on from being foreign minister to taking on Yang Jiechis role as director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission this January. The Sullivan-Wang Yi channel appears to have now set the stage for the US Secretary of States visit to Beijing in the coming weeks.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A barrister-at-law from Northern Ireland, Dr Venkat Lyer, has asserted that the regulation of hate speech through criminal law will not be possible.

This, according to Dr Lyer was due to reasons such as the definition of hate speech as individuals hold different view point on it, identification of its dangers, and cultural sensitivity.

Dr Lyer made the assertion while speaking at a public lecture organised by the University of Media, Art and Culture Ghana Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-GIJ) yesterday on the topic, "The Legal Regulation of Hate Speech, Fake News. Is it desirable? Is it Possible?"

The public lecture also provided a platform for issues related to hate speech, and fake news to be discussed as calls for it's regulation across the world intensify.

According to Dr Lyer although calls for the regulation of hate speech was in the right direction, it was important to consider its potential effect on the freedom of speech.

In furtherance, he said "merely causing offences should not be a ground for banning hate speech because there are some that lead to a positive effect."

To address the issue, Dr Lyer emphasised the need to resort to formal and informal education, while ensuring that ethical principles were strictly adhered to.

He also underscored the need to provide adequate protection for judges who interpret the law about hate speech which differs from various countries across the world.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ghana 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.

Moreover, Dr Lyer urged anchors of television and radio programmes to try and tame panellists, individuals who turn up for discussions or allow for the opposite viewpoint to be heard when the issue of hate speech was realised.

He also entreated television and radio anchors to be careful not to make comments that may harm their audience about their race, culture, and ethnicity by adhering to ethical standards.

Although there were countries that had enacted laws on fake news, Dr Lyer said criminalising and having laws that banished it was not the best as there were different understandings of what fake news was and could undermine freedom of speech.

"Judges need to be careful to ensure that people are not convicted unfairly when it comes to the interpretation of the law with regards to fake news," Dr Lyer added.

The Barrister-at-Law from Northern Ireland further noted that there was the need to avoid self-censorship as many individuals were afraid of speaking or sharing their opinions on issues for fear of being sanctioned or penalised.

The chairperson, an academic and a former Supreme Court Judge, Ghana and The Gambia, Justice Kofi Samuel Date-Bah, in his closing remarks said "addressing the issue of hate speech involves a process of discussion, taking into account the basics to arrive at a conclusion which reflects our culture and does not defeat the freedom of speech."
At least seven male worshippers of the Word Action Church suffered injuries when their one-storey church building collapsed at Old Bortianor near Weija in the Ga South Municipal yesterday.

The victims, one in critical condition and yet be identified were rushed to the Bortianor Polyclinic and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment.

The collapsed buildings, brings the number to four in the past week in Accra and some parts of the region and Tamale, resulting in the death of two persons and three others suffering injuries.

The incident brought together personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Police Service, the National Disaster Management Organisation and officials from the Ga South Municipal Assembly who rescued the victims and sent them to the hospital.

The Commanding Officer of the Weija Fire Command, Divisional Officer Grade One (DOI) Isaac Saah, confirmed these to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.

He said the Command received a distress call at 11:08am and dispatched personnel to the scene to help in rescue operations.

The Commander said they went to the scene and saw the collapsed building and rescued the victims and sent them to the hospital.

He said preliminary investigations revealed that the seven victims were in the auditorium cleaning the place for evening church service when the building collapsed.

DOI Saah said, according to the victims, they were in the auditorium when they heard a loud noise outside the church and they went out to check when the building collapsed.

He said the cause of the collapse was under investigations.

Collapsed buildings recently in the country have become a concern to the public and they have called on authorities to put measures in place to address the issue to save lives and property.

Last Saturday, a six-storey building under construction at the University for Development Studies, City Campus at Sagnarigu in Tamale collapsed after a rainfall.

Last Thursday, one person died after being trapped under debris when a three-storey building collapsed at Nanakrom in the Adentan Municipality in Accra.

Another three-storey building under construction collapsed at the SDA junction at the Adenta side of La-Nkwantanang at Madina.
The said letter also advised that any Civil Servant who wished to participate in any political activity should resign from the service and warned to deal with anyone who flouted the directive. Consequently, by a writ filed on 29th of April, 2016 the Plaintiff, an umbrella body of Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOSSAG) pursuant to Article 2(1) and 130(1) of the Constitution, invoked the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court for the following reliefs:

1. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of article 12(2), article 21(3), article 21(1) (a) and (d), article 35(6) (d), article 55(1), (2) and (10) and article 284 of the Constitution, 1992, a member of the Civil Service has a right to join any political party of his choice whilst still a member of the Civil Service.

2. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of article 12(2), article 21(3), article 21(1) (a) and (d), article 35(6) (d), article 55(1), (2) and (10) and article 284 of the Constitution, 1992, a member of the Civil Service has a right to manifest his or her political affiliation whilst still a member of the Civil Service.

3. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of article 12(2), article 21(3), article 21(1) (a) and (d), article 35(6)(d), article 55(1), (2) and (10) and article 284 of the Constitution, 1992, a member of the Civil Service has a right to contest for elections for political party office and to hold political party office whilst still a member of the Civil Service.

4. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of article 12(2), article 21(3), article 21(1) (a) and (d), article 35(6)(d), article 55(1), (2) and (10) and article 284 of the Constitution, 1992, a member of the Civil Service has a right to remain a member of the Civil Service until he/she resigns prior to his/her nomination by a political party or otherwise to contest as a member of Parliament.

5. A declaration that the provisions of the code of conduct for members of the Civil Service enacted by the Council of the Civil Service and/or any other authority barring a member of the Civil Service from engaging in political party activities is unconstitutional.

6. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of article 12(2), article 21(3), article 21(1) (a) and (d), article 35(6) (d), article 55(1), (2) and (10) and article 284 of the Constitution, 1992, a member of the Civil Service has a right to contest local government elections whilst still a member of the Civil Service.

7. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of article 12(2), article 21(3), article 21(1) (a) and (d), article 35(6) (d), article 55(1), (2) and (10) and article 284 of the Constitution, 1992, a member of the Civil Service has a right to remain a member of the Civil Service after being sworn in as a member of a district assembly.

8. A declaration that the provisions of the code of conduct for members of the Civil Service enacted by the Council of the Civil Service and/or any other authority barring a member of the Civil Service from contesting and/or being a member of the Civil Service is unconstitutional.

9. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of article 12(2), article 21(3), article 21(1) (a) and (d), article 35(6)(d), article 55(1), (2) and (10) and article 284 of the Constitution, 1992, a member of the Local Government Service has a right to join any political party of his or her choice whilst still a member of the Local Government Service.

10. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of article 12(2), article 21(3), article 21(1) (a) and (d), article 35(6)(d), article 55(1), (2) and (10) and article 284 of the Constitution, 1992, a member of the Local Government Service has a right to contest for elections for political party office and to hold political party office whilst still a member of the Local Government Service.

11. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of article 12(2), article 21(3), article 21(1) (a) and (d), article 35(6)(d), article 55(1), (2) and (10) and article 284 of the Constitution, 1992, a member of the Local Government Service has a right to remain a member of the Local Government Service until he/ she resigns prior to his/ her nomination by a political party or otherwise to contest as a member of Parliament.

12. A declaration that the provisions of the code of conduct for members of the Local Government Service enacted by the Council of Local Government Service and/ or any other authority barring a member of the Local Government Service from engaging in political party activities is unconstitutional.

13. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of article 12(2), article 21(3), article 21(1) (a) and (d), article 35(6)(d), article 55(1), (2) and (10) and article 284 of the Constitution, 1992, a member of the Local Government Service has a right to contest in local government elections whilst still a member of the Local Government Service.

14. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of article 12(2), article 21(3), article 21(1) (a) and (d), article 35(6)(d), article 55(1), (2) and (10) and article 284 of the Constitution, 1992, a member of the Local Government Service has a right to remain a member of the Local Government Service after being sworn in as a member of a District Assembly.

15. A declaration that the provisions of the code of conduct for members of the Local Government Service enacted by the Council of Local Government Service and/ or any other authority barring a member of the Local Government Service from contesting and/ or being a member of a district assembly whilst still a member of the Local Government Service is unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court after reading and listening the arguments of both the Plaintiff and Defendants, distilled that, "Civil Servants are part of the exclusion list with respect to eligibility for members of Parliament and although the exclusion list in article 94(3)(b) makes a distinction between qualification and eligibility, yet, at the same time, being qualified to become a member of Parliament does not make a member of the Civil or Local Government Service eligible".

The Court also decided the issues before them in the following manner:

1. On a true and proper interpretation of the Constitution, a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service has a right to join any political party of his or her choice, however, such a person does not have the right to participate overtly in political party activities whilst still a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service.

2. On a true and proper interpretation of the Constitution, a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service does not have a right to contest for elections for political party office or hold political party office whilst still a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service.

3. On a true and proper interpretation of the Constitution, a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service does not have the right to remain a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service after his or her nomination by a political party or otherwise to contest for election as a member of parliament. Moreover, such a person shall resign from his or her office immediately his or her political activities become overt.

4. The provisions of the Code of Conduct for members of the Civil Service or Local Government Service, enacted by the Councils of Civil Service or Local Government Service and any other authority barring a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service from engaging in political party activities are not in contravention of the Constitution and are therefore not unconstitutional.

5. On a true and proper interpretation of articles 12(2), 21(1)(a) and (d), 21(3), 35(6) 55(1), (2) and (10) and 284 of the Constitution, a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service has the right to contest in local government elections whilst still a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service.

6. However, on a true and proper interpretation of articles 12(2), 21(1)(a) and (d), 21(3), 35(6) 55(1), (2) and (10) and 284 of the Constitution, a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service does not have the right to remain a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service after being sworn in as a member of a District Assembly.

7. The provisions of the Code of Conduct for members of the Civil Service or Local Government Service enacted by the Councils of the Civil Service or Local Government Service and or any other authority, barring a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service from contesting election to become a member of a District Assembly, while still a member of either service, are not in consonance with the provisions of the Constitution and are therefore unconstitutional; HOWEVER, the provisions of the Code of Conduct for members of the Civil Service or Local Government Service enacted by the Councils of the Civil Service or Local Government Service and or any other authority, barring a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service from being a member of a District Assembly while still a member of the Civil Service or Local Government Service do not contravene any provision of the Constitution and the same are not unconstitutional.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ghana Governance 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.

The Supreme Court noted that whereas a member of Civil Service may have qualified to become a member of Parliament, he/she may not be eligible by virtue of the bar placed on Civil Service workers in article 94(3)(b) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. The Constitution of Ghana is the supreme law of Ghana and any other law found to be inconsistent with any provision of the Constitution shall be void to the extent of that inconsistency. The limitation placed on the category of workers who are not to take part in active politics cannot go beyond what the framers of the Constitution has decided. Therefore, the Ministry of Health got it wrong in placing a political embargo on their staff who desire to be active in politics. As earlier stated, the Ministry is within its right in dissuading its workers from tainting their official assignment with political colour. Or better still, a worker must not be seen to be in campaigning mood or engaging in active partisan politics while undertaking official duties or use the premises of the Ministry to achieve a political goal. Anything short of that will be a serious attack on the fundamental human rights of these workers. The notice from the Ministry of Health clearly infringes on the fundamental and political rights of their workers who want to identify with a political party or stand for a political office while still working under the Ministry. Whereas a member of Civil Service, the Police, Military, Immigration and others mentioned in article 94(3)(b) are estopped from engaging in active partisan politics, the same is not with the workers at the Ghana Health Services.

From the principle of laws enunciated above, there is no need for the Ministry of Health to have come out with such a directive. I believe if they do not withdraw their directive, some aggrieved officers will challenge it at the Court of law. It is said that the Constitution is a living organism capable of growth and development. However, the Supreme Court has also stated without number that where words used in a provision of the Constitution or statute are clear, precise and unambiguous, there will be no need for their original jurisdiction to be invoked upon. It is about time the Supreme Court started placing hefty costs on State bodies and especially officers whose deliberate application of laws result in unnecessary 'wahala' to those affected by their capricious and arbitrary decisions.

The writer is a legal researcher]BY TAMIM ABUBAKAR
Remington Hotels, a dynamic hotel management company that manages over 115 hotels, has welcomed Pam Colpoys as Vice President of Risk Management. Joining the Remington team from parent company, Ashford Inc., Colpoys brings over 20 years experience to her new role and will be responsible for managing claims and litigation to assess, identify, and mitigate risks that could impede the safety, security, reputation, or financial success of the company.

As Vice President of Risk Management, Colpoys will develop, lead, and implement training programs for subsidiary and portfolio companies ensuring compliance with regulatory agencies and internal best practices to reduce the organization's risk-related costs. She will also be responsible for directing the company's worker compensation, property, casualty, errors and omissions insurance, and EPLI/crime programs through risk identification, mitigation, prevention, and transfer.

During her time at Ashford, Colpoys collaborated with industry partners on new and developing risks for the protection of ownership's financial interests and was responsible for insurance policy evaluation to ensure risks were adequately evaluated, transferred, and/or managed internally. Prior to joining Ashford, Colpoys held risk management roles at Omni Hotels and Harold's Stores. Colpoys has a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin and holds the Associate in Risk Management certification from Risk and Insurance Management Society where she has been an active participant and has held several board positions during her time with the organization.
Casi joined M3 as a Director of Training in 2000 and was promoted to Support Manager in 2005. Following a few years in that role, she moved into the position of Vice President of Operations, and in 2009, she opened M3s training center in Tampa, Florida. In 2016, M3 was expanding the service department for new products and training, and the company named Casi as Chief Operations Officer-Innovations Leader, which she still holds today. In this role, she is responsible for the overall operations of M3 and ensuring the company is on the path to meeting the hospitality industrys ever-changing needs. Casis accomplishments have only increased as her time in the industry lengthens. In 2019, Casi won Business Woman of the Year - Tampa Bay Business Journal, and she is ensuring that the future of hospitality is bright as a graduate school student mentor at USF Muma College of Business! Casi is a strong female leader in the hospitality industry and continues to share her twenty years of knowledge and take the initiative when and where she can. By stepping into these leadership roles, she is able to influence current and future generations of the hospitality industry.
Members of the Pensioner Bondholders Forum for the second consecutive day yesterday picketed at the Ministry of Finance to implore on government to pay outstanding coupons on their matured bonds.

The government has not been able to pay the coupons on matured bonds for the pensioner bondholders who were exempted from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

Following Ghana's signing on an International Monetary Fund programme last year for a balance of payment support to address the macroeconomic challenges, the government embarked on a DDEP to bring the country's debt on the path of sustainability.

The members of the Pensioner Bondholders Forum asked to be exempted from the DDEP and the government promised to pay their matured coupons principals in full.

The government promised to pay the bondholders who were exempted from the DDEP, but the Finance Ministry is said to have failed to make the settlement.

But according to the group, government had not paid them, making life difficult and unbearable for them and this led them to troop to the Finance Ministry to asked government to pay them their locked up funds.

The group said the latest picketing at the Finance Ministry this week beginning on Monday was to protest the failure of the government to pay them their outstanding coupons of their matured bonds.

The Convenor for the group, Dr Adu Anane Antwi, said the group would not sue government to seek for the payment of their monies in view of the long processes and delays associated with court cases.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ghana 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.

He said a legal course would not help their cause and what was needed was to put pressure on government to pay them.

Dr Antwi said life had become difficult and unbearable for the members of the group.

He said the failure of government to honour them their money compelled them to picket at the Finance Ministry.

He said the group would continue to picket until their monies were paid.

"We are fighting for exemptions, we have been exempted, and now we are not being paid. We are fighting for coupons and payments," Dr Antwi is reported as saying.

He said the government had failed to pay 19 coupons and three principals since February after exempting the pensioners from the DDEP.

Dr Antwi said the picketing would continue and start from 10 am to 11 am every working day until further notice.

The Convenor suggested to government to borrow from Treasury Bills to pay the outstanding matured coupons of the Pensioner Bondholders.

"The government can borrow from the Treasury Bills market to pay us. If you borrow from the Treasury Bills market, it will raise your debt level, but you are faced with a situation where you have to do that for people who need their money for medication," Dr Antwi stated.

"We are pensioners. We need this money for important things such as drugs and upkeep. After serving the nation, you don't expect pensioners to go through this ordeal for their own money," he stated
Hotelbeds and the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality have launched a collaboration to explore and inspire the next generation of tech start-ups through the companys TravelTech Lab initiative and the schools Innovation Hub (HI Hub) Incubator Programme.

The two organizations  leaders in their respective business and academic fields  will work together over the next three years to uncover disruptive ideas to propel the travel and hospitality ecosystems forward through new technologies aimed at improving customer experience.

While the NYU SPS Tisch Center has an established start-up programme, which it launched in 2021, to cater to the disparate needs of the industry and companies seeking to build the next generation of travel technology products, Hotelbeds entered the space earlier this year through the launch of its TravelTech Lab in partnership with Telefonicas innovation arm, Wayra. The initiative aims to reshape the future of travel and support start-ups to explore innovative tech-based solutions to change the way travelers move, connect and explore.

The TravelTech Lab will complement the Hospitality Innovation Hub Incubator Programme, which helps NYU-affiliated start-ups plan, launch and manage their businesses by providing support and mentorship to help the owners grow their businesses. The agreement will also open new avenues for collaboration between entrepreneurs in the US and Europe.

Hotelbeds is a progressive industry innovator whose values and commitment to evolve and reimagine the next generation of global travel technology align with our mission for the Tisch Center and our HI Hub initiative. With the support of organizations like Hotelbeds, our HI Hub and its Incubator Programme will be well-positioned to be the launching pad for companies and technologies that will impact our industry for years to come. Nicolas Graf, chaired professor and associate dean of the NYU SPS Tisch Center

As part of the new platinum sponsorship agreement, Hotelbeds will host one of the Tisch Center Incubators future Pitch Your Passion & Seal the Deal competitions at the companys headquarters in Palma de Mallorca or its TravelTech Lab in Madrid. The competition has been a highlight of recent semesters at the Tisch Center, in which NYU-affiliated hospitality start-ups have the opportunity to develop their businesses and compete for cash prizes.

Innovation has always been part of our DNA and is a key focus on our goal to reduce friction across the travel ecosystem. Bringing our two innovation hubs together is a powerful combination. Were looking forward to seeing what initiatives the start-ups in the programme develop and how we can work together to bring them to market. Nicolas Huss, chief executive officer at Hotelbeds

This relationship with Hotelbeds will bring significant value to our Incubator Programme cohort and their start-ups. Hotelbeds industry experience and connections will allow our entrepreneurs to tap into expertise to help build their businesses into true industry players. Dr. Richie Karaburun, MBA, DPS, clinical assistant professor and director of the HI Hub Incubator Programme

Collaborating with the NYU SPS Tisch Center of Hospitality, just two months after launching our TravelTech Lab innovation hub underscores our ambition to identify and implement disruptive ideas to redesign the travel experience. Not only does NYUs global footprint match our goal for our Lab but this collaboration reinforces our strategy to work closely with like-minded institutions that have a wealth of expertise and knowledge in the hospitality sector to help us take innovation to the next level. Jose Maria Pestana, chief innovation officer, Hotelbeds

About Hotelbeds and the TravelTech Lab by Hotelbeds

Hotelbeds are global leaders in the TravelTech space, connecting and empowering businesses by facilitating bridges in the ever-changing and expanding travel ecosystem. Our cloud-based technology platforms offer fast and simple access to a global network of travel products, from accommodation to ancillaries and payments, while rich data and intelligence helps to generate demand. By operating exclusively in the B2B arena, we are uniquely placed to drive growth for our partners without competing for the end customer. Our teams of 3000+ experts on the ground provide local expertise and support to boost trading even further, even in the most hard-to-reach spaces. Our unique blend of technology, data and passionate people serves as a catalyst for B2B travel players aiming to unlock their full potential.

The TravelTech Lab by Hotelbeds is on a mission to re-imagine the world of travel. The Labs creation was driven by a passion for innovation in product development and finding new ways to use technology to help customers succeed, and to help business partners to exceed their goals.

Through the Traveltech Lab, Hotelbeds wants to create a collaboration and shared knowledge platform so that global leaders in innovation can provide answers to the challenges of people's mobility.

The Lab supports trail-blazing start-ups that are focused on collaboration and have a disruptive mindset to help Hotelbeds change the way that tomorrows travelers move, connect and explore. From cutting-edge technologies to payment solutions and more, the TravelTech Lab by Hotelbeds is where ideas can soar. Start-ups invited to join the initiative gain access to state-of-the-art working spaces in Palma de Mallorca and Madrid, as well as mentorship from the Hotelbeds team. The most enterprising initiatives may also receive investment to bring their ideas to life.

To find out more, visit https://www.traveltechlab.net/

About the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality

The NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, now celebrating 25 years of academic excellence, is a leading center for the study of hospitality, travel, and tourism. Founded in 1995, the Tisch Center was established in response to the growing need for hospitality and tourism undergraduate and graduate education. Its cutting-edge curricula attract bright, motivated students who seek to become leaders in their fields.

Through its undergraduate degree in hotel and tourism management, its graduate degrees in hospitality industry studies, tourism management, and event management; a plethora of Professional Pathways programs; and its world-renowned hospitality investment conference, students gain the knowledge and the skill sets that enable them to manage change, to communicate, to thrive in complex work environments, and to advance the businesses of hospitality, travel, and tourism. The Tisch Center recently launched the Hospitality Innovation Hub (HI Hub), which will foster entrepreneurship and creative solutions for the industries it serves. The state-of-the-art facilities offer students, start-ups, established industry partners, and investors opportunities to learn, discover, innovate, and invest.

For more information about the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, visit sps.nyu.edu/tisch.
A bespoke new bed & breakfast concept brings forth Palisocietys vision of a traditional small inn experience, layered with an upscale interpretation of the brands revered charm and personal approach to travel and hospitality

An homage to the carefully considered and the delightfully distinct.

Introducing Le Petit Pali. The newest addition to Avi Broshs Palisociety portfolio, this bespoke, unique, and thoughtfully curated collection reimagines small inns in exceptional neighborhoods for todays well-traveled and discerning guest.

Set to debut in the summer of 2023 in the illustrious coastal community of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Le Petit Pali will open with two signature properties, Le Petit Pali at Ocean Ave and Le Petit Pali at 8th Ave, in the ever-charming Central California town, with close proximity to the areas pristine shoreline, quaint dining and shopping district, and one of the most recognized residential enclaves in the country, admired by design and architecture aficionados from around the world.

At Le Petit Pali, the guest experience is a carefully orchestrated one, with every detail and opportunity to delight considered. The hotels design, courtesy of Brosh and the Palisociety in-house design team, layers the brands signature look and feel with a refined and whimsical, yet inspired allure. A heavy adornment of personally chosen details, amenities and accoutrements lend each space a true air of comfortable, understated luxury that feels like a natural extension of Carmels inimitable sense of casual and storied style.

The 34 newly designed guest rooms at Le Petit Pali at Ocean Ave, many with fireplaces, have a moody, seaside palette featuring sage green walls, natural jute rugs, rich wood furniture, vintage art and floral textiles mixed and matched throughout the space. A few blocks south, Le Petit Pali at 8th Ave is home to 24 guest rooms in a classic California craftsman-style property surrounding a central, al fresco courtyard perched on a quiet Carmel Street. Accommodations there feature in-room fireplaces, suite layouts with graciously appointed living spaces and the same design imprint found on Ocean Ave, customized to each unique space. Every Le Petit Pali guest room is lovingly equipped with Diptyque bath amenities, Bellino fine linens, plush robes and slippers, Marshall speakers, and a generously curated mini bar featuring locally sourced items, a brand signature. Antipodes bottled water and Baci chocolates are delivered daily, on the house.

Beyond the guest room, Le Petit Pali shines with a thoughtful, almost theatrical approach to independent inn-keeping intended to ignite a memorable feeling that lingers far beyond your stay. Spaces exude a casual elegance with thought given to everything from the Diptyque Baies scent wafting through the air to the all-day soundtrack carefully compiled with a meticulous ear. Guests are greeted with warm hospitality and a relaxed, yet attentive sense of service at every turn. Never mind a perfect beverage.

A champagne continental breakfast awakens guests daily with tableside Taittinger, mimosas, green juice, tea, and freshly brewed coffee, alongside an assortment of locally baked pastries and sourdough bread from Rise + Roam bakery, topped with bright marmalades from Marmalade Grove. Seasonal and local fruit pairs with granola and Greek yogurt, while perfectly cooked 8-minute eggs offer savory sustenance. Throughout the day, guests are encouraged to explore the ever-charming streets and shores of Carmel with a suite of Linus bicycles and a highly personal and selective neighborhood guide at the ready. Hop between Le Petit Pali at 8th Ave and Le Petit Pali at Ocean Ave at your leisure. When ready to rest between afternoon and evening, a guest-exclusive social hour awaits at each hotel with house made cocktails, fine wines and beers, and a rotating assortment of small bites and snacks from the very best of Carmels dining visionaries, including The Stationaery, Chez Noir Carmel and Folktale Winery. Come evening, fresh house made cookies are delivered to each guest room and thoughtful touches like hot water bottle service are at the ready to usher you into an always restorative nights rest.

Long before we were hoteliers, we were passionate travelers, and the destinations we have been fortunate to experience around the globe have forever informed our vision of a great proprietor-driven inn, said Avi Brosh, founder of Palisociety. Le Petit Pali is a true iteration of everything we love about travel. Its small, chic, carefully considered at every turn, and introduces the delight of the European-inspired bed & breakfast model that we have always admired with our own sense of charm and detail.

Le Petit Pali at Ocean Ave and Le Petit Pali at 8th Ave will open in Carmel in July. From there, the brand will expand with forthcoming hotels in Brentwood (Los Angeles) and Laguna Beach, joining 14 existing Palisociety hotels across its Palihouse, Palihotel, ARRIVE by Palisociety and independently branded portfolios.

For more information, please visit www.lepetitpali.com or follow @lepetitpali.

About Palisociety

Palisociety is a fully integrated hospitality company that acquires, designs, develops, owns and operates unique hotels and residences across the country under three distinct monikers: Palihouse, Palihotel, ARRIVE by Palisociety and a collection of independently branded properties. The company's proprietary brands, development and operational expertise also includes specialized retail spaces, highly curated restaurants, bars and event venues. Palisociety properties have been featured on Conde Nast Traveler' Hot List, Travel + Leisure IT List, and more, with accolades from the New York Times, Architectural Digest, Wallpaper* and countless others. Avi Brosh founded Palisociety in 1998 in Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.palisociety.com or follow @palisociety.
Leading hotel executives support technology and sustainability as major industry objectives. Madrid is quickly rising to the top of Europe's most sought-after luxury travel destinations. In order to explore how to further innovate and enhance the guest experience in the luxury hospitality sector, Les Roches brings together students, professionals, and experts.

Madrid - On May 3, Les Roches organized a discussion about the new issues facing the luxury, innovative, and sustainable hospitality sector at Madrid's renowned Mandarin Oriental Ritz in collaboration with The Vendom Company, the Spanish Association of Hotel Managers (AEDH), and the Glion Institute of Higher Education. The Madrid Luxury & Hospitality Summit, intended for prospective postgraduate and master's students, featured the knowledgeable perspectives of Greg Liddell of Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Stephane Le Fort of The Vendom Company, Jaime Hervas of Les Roches, and Frederic Martinez and Rosario Laso of Group Paraguas. Attendees had the opportunity to enjoy the event, which was presented by Andreu Ore, Director of Masters, Postgraduate, and Executive Education Admissions at Les Roches and Glion Institute of Higher Education.

The role of technology in new hotel management:

Greg Liddell, general manager of Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid, began his speech by highlighting sustainability as the sector's main challenge. We are getting better; technology is making life easier, as long as we don't eliminate the human factor. We are trying to personalize, create experiences, justify them, and, at the same time, link with the community. Our job is to make everyone happy.

Rosario Laso, Director of Human Resources at Grupo Paraguas, defended the importance of companies caring for and maintaining the satisfaction of their teams, as they are the driving force behind an excellent customer experience: Our goal is to generate satisfaction through the enormous possibilities for growth that a company like ours allows, as well as training, not only in the maintenance of skills but also in professional improvement training, such as sommelier or cocktail training, as this allows them to grow in their professional skills."

Roberto Requena, member of the board of directors of the Spanish Association of Hotel Managers, explained that Today's manager must have very important qualities, not only technical qualifications. We also need to have some soft skills, such as those related to emotional intelligence, change management, leadership, etc. Training is the main asset of all our members, both seniors and juniors.

Frederic Martinez, Corporate Director of Grupo Paraguas, stated, One of the most obvious current trends in the luxury, travel, leisure, hospitality, and retail sectors is the growing expectation of customers to live "experiences". This requires brands to move away from a classic transactional approach to respond to this customer demand for experience personalization and to reinforce the emotional connection that binds customers to their brand. This requires brands to think and act in terms of experience creation and to deliver the recognition and level of personalization that customers expect. It also requires new profiles, balancing the obsession for excellence in service quality with an understanding of technology, which can support an increased level of personalization and human contactthat personalized attention that, particularly in the premium and luxury world, is what is and will continue to be of most value to customers. Another obvious evolution is that there is a growing demand for hospitality-trained profiles far beyond the world of hotels and restaurants because sectors such as luxury and retail increasingly need profiles that have that complete vision of the customer journey, that ability to create experiences, which is undoubtedly the specialty par excellence of hospitality profiles.

Stephane Le Fort, Head of Development EMEA at The Vendom Company, spoke about the changes in recent years at the experience level: With globalization and digitalization, the concept of wealth has changed dramatically. Many luxury brands have customers expecting different experiences, especially with the entry of the Z generation. Only 20% of young people are willing to work for a company that does not represent their values.

Sustainability is key to the sector's future:

In addition to technology, sustainability was defended throughout the day as one of the main challenges facing the luxury industry. Jaime Hervas, Professor of Accommodation and Sustainability at Les Roches and Coordinator of the Master's programme in Marketing Management for Luxury Tourism at the Marbella campus, asserted: It is very important to listen to stakeholders, both internal and external. To begin with, we must have a structure that allows us to train staff in sustainability, and this can be done by any hotel without the need for certification. Sustainability must be integrated into the mission, vision, and values of the company. The education part is very important right now. In addition, Hervas listed some of the most important tools for hotels to act on sustainability, such as the UN Global Compact, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and ISO 26000, and explained that there are more specific certifications, depending on where you want to focus, such as the environment, quality, corporate social responsibility, and events . Jaime Hervas closed his speech by talking about Spark, the Les Roches innovation center that incubates start-ups and helps them create innovative and sustainable projects.

Aurora Parreno and Jose Benitez, Les Roches alumni, told the audience about their experience at the institution, stressing that they not only achieved academic training but also personal development with the latest innovations and technologies in sustainability.

The speakers concluded by inviting the audience to take part in a contest with bonuses such as tours to two days of the Les Roches premium experience or career orientation sessions with Vendom professionals. In addition, the Spanish Hotel Managers Association offered a free youth membership for 20232024, due to the courtesy of Les Roches. Benevolence of Les Roches, the Spanish Hotel Managers Association also provided a free youth membership for 20232024.

About Les Roches

Les Roches is a Swiss institution focused on creating the innovative and entrepreneurial minds of tomorrow. Founded in 1954, Les Roches offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Hospitality and Tourism Management following the Swiss model of education. With campuses across Switzerland and Spain; a student body of more than 100 different nationalities, the institution provides students with a unique culturally diverse experience. As of 2021, Les Roches also has an academic alliance with the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) with a partner campus in Gurugram (Delhi NCR).

Les Roches ranks 4th in the world's higher education institutions for hospitality and leisure management (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023). Part of Sommet Education, worldwide leader in hospitality education, Les Roches is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

For more information, visit Les Roches.

Anouck Weiss

Chief Communication Officer, Sommet Education

Les Roches

View source
BETHESDA, Md.  Rooted in discovery and the spirit of the neighborhood, Renaissance Hotels  part of Marriott Bonvoy's extraordinary portfolio of 31 hotel brands  announced that it will celebrate its annual Global Day of Discovery on May 18, 2023. A day when all 170+ Renaissance properties around the world, together as a collective drumbeat, put on elevated experiences  underscoring how the brand delivers unexpected discoveries beyond the convention of travel.

To celebrate Global Day of Discovery's 9th anniversary, Renaissance Hotels is featuring unscripted adventures that place the brand's revamped Evenings at Renaissance program in the spotlight. With the hotel and travel industry back in full swing, guests traveling both for business and leisure are looking for authentic local experiences. Unforgettably unique, the brand's signature Evenings program shifts Renaissance properties into curators of culture  embracing and expanding through surprise-and-delight bar rituals to unexpected collaborations on and off property.

"This year's Global Day of Discovery and the reintroduction of our Evenings program highlight Renaissance Hotels' passion to uncover the unique DNA of the neighborhood, in an unexpected way," said Jennifer Connell, Global Brand Leader, Renaissance Hotels and Vice President, Distinctive Premium Brands, Marriott International. "Today's travelers crave a genuine connection with the locale, and with our properties celebrated as cultural hubs of their community, we cannot wait to ignite the neighborhoods around the globe with moments that make you look and look again, and adventures you won't forget."

Discover This Way Night & Day: From an Unscripted Tea After Dark in London to Spotlighting Ecotourism Efforts in Bali's Uluwatu, Local Neighborhoods Unite in Fresh Ways on Global Day of Discovery

Headlined by a cultural curator, four properties across the globe will offer immersive moments beyond the expected, showcasing the newly evolved Evenings at Renaissance program. These handpicked tastemakers each push the envelope of exploration while traveling, discovering more about their unexpected passions, not known by the masses. Together with Renaissance Hotels, the cultural curators serve as beacons of their neighborhoods, providing guests with unscripted experiences at Global Day of Discovery events taking place May 18.

Renaissance New York Chelsea Hotel will be restored to the properties' historic Antiques Garage market on Global Day of Discovery. Frequented by the likes of Andy Warhol back in the day, guests will travel through the past, present, and future, on a whimsical exploration to the unexpected, as curated through the eyes of model-turned-fashion icon Lily Aldridge . Guests will discover antique treasures and vintage finds hand-selected by Lily from New York Vintage  one of the city's finest stores  enjoy speakeasy-inspired bar rituals, and an intimate performance by soulful songstress Caroline Vreeland in the upstairs Somewhere Nowhere Lounge. Following the event, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, the Vintage Pop-Up Shop will be open for hotel guests and locals to shop, featuring fashion and accessories from New York Vintage hand-curated in partnership with Lily. The hotel plans to host monthly vintage store pop-ups with various local notable vintage shops as part of their Evenings at Renaissance programming. Limited tickets available here for an evening of antiquated vintage finds and musical guest appearances.

will be restored to the properties' historic Antiques Garage market on Global Day of Discovery. Frequented by the likes of Andy Warhol back in the day, guests will travel through the past, present, and future, on a whimsical exploration to the unexpected, as curated through the eyes of model-turned-fashion icon . Guests will discover antique treasures and vintage finds hand-selected by Lily from New York Vintage  one of the city's finest stores  enjoy speakeasy-inspired bar rituals, and an intimate performance by soulful songstress Caroline Vreeland in the upstairs Somewhere Nowhere Lounge. Following the event, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, the Vintage Pop-Up Shop will be open for hotel guests and locals to shop, featuring fashion and accessories from New York Vintage hand-curated in partnership with Lily. The hotel plans to host monthly vintage store pop-ups with various local notable vintage shops as part of their Evenings at Renaissance programming. Limited tickets available for an evening of antiquated vintage finds and musical guest appearances. Celebrating its 150th year anniversary, St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London

will welcome guests to behind-the-scenes immersive tours of the iconic landmark property by day. By night, guests will experience a multi-course dinner with theatrical design and elevated bar rituals, curated by model-turned-mixologist, Portia Freeman , and author and podcast host Alexandra Dudley , featuring a new way to enjoy high tea: tea-infused cocktails in partnership with iconic London brand Fortnum & Mason. The hotel will offer the immersive historical tour of the property once per month, bookable via reception and open to the public, and Portia's specialty cocktails will be featured on the hotel's Booking Office menu.

will welcome guests to behind-the-scenes immersive tours of the iconic landmark property by day. By night, guests will experience a multi-course dinner with theatrical design and elevated bar rituals, curated by model-turned-mixologist, , and author and podcast host , featuring a new way to enjoy high tea: tea-infused cocktails in partnership with iconic London brand Fortnum & Mason. The hotel will offer the immersive historical tour of the property once per month, bookable via reception and open to the public, and Portia's specialty cocktails will be featured on the hotel's Booking Office menu. At Renaissance Sao Paulo Hotel , by day guests will enjoy a curated art walk to the renowned Batman Alley. By night, the hotel will spotlight the drumbeat of the neighborhood by blending music and art in partnership with Art Battle Brazil, featuring visual artist-turned-DJ, Mariana Mats . Four local talented artists will compete live in front of locals and guests, with the winner being awarded the exclusive title of "Artist-In-Residence" with their gallery of work to be featured and available for purchase on property through July 2023. The other participating artists' final pieces will also be on display and available for purchase. The debuted specialty cocktail menu and bar ritual will complement the Evenings at Renaissance series, bridging mixology and art in an unexpected way.

, by day guests will enjoy a curated art walk to the renowned Batman Alley. By night, the hotel will spotlight the drumbeat of the neighborhood by blending music and art in partnership with Art Battle Brazil, featuring visual artist-turned-DJ, . Four local talented artists will compete live in front of locals and guests, with the winner being awarded the exclusive title of "Artist-In-Residence" with their gallery of work to be featured and available for purchase on property through July 2023. The other participating artists' final pieces will also be on display and available for purchase. The debuted specialty cocktail menu and bar ritual will complement the Evenings at Renaissance series, bridging mixology and art in an unexpected way. Guests of Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa will celebrate local traditions and shine a light on social impact and ecotourism, near and dear to the property's surrounding area. Hosted by model and ecotourism advocate Veronika Krasnasari, the three-day celebration features an impressive line-up including engaging tours at the nearby ZeroWaste Center, elevated punchbowl rituals showcasing the flavor of Bali with rockstars in Indonesia's bar scene like Kiki Moka, an in-depth discussion on Endek Bali  the island's indigenous fabric with Agung Indra, followed by an Endek-themed fashion show by local designer Dwi Iskandar, and a traditional 12-course Balinese Dinner using all sustainably sourced, island-grown produce by Balinese Chef Wisnu Adiyatma, accompanied by an enchanting performance from Gus Teja, a Balinese flute maestro. Many of these moments will be incorporated into the property's on-going programming following the celebration to encourage guests around the world to be immersed in the traditions of the Uluwatu region. Limited tickets available here for the celebration centered around fashion, sustainability, art, and rich Balinese traditions.

"It's an honor to collaborate with Renaissance Hotels and New York Vintage to revive the concept of the historic Antiques Garage Market, situated in its same location now home to Renaissance New York Chelsea," said Lily Aldridge. "This capsule collection of vintage pieces was carefully selected with the heart and soul of Chelsea in mind, a neighborhood that's known for its vibrant self-expression and bold fashion choices that withstand the test of time."

To learn more about Renaissance Hotels and its Evenings at Renaissance program, please visit www.renhotels.com . To explore Global Day of Discovery events happening at the 170+ properties across the globe, please visit www.renaissance-hotels.marriott.com/events .

About Renaissance Hotels

With over 170 hotels in nearly 40 countries and territories around the world, Renaissance Hotels has a dynamic and inspiring global portfolio, where every trip is an opportunity for unscripted discoveries. Renaissance Hotels connects travelers to the spirit of the neighborhood through its theatrical design, entertaining evening bar rituals, and engaging Navigators, extending an open invitation to experience the unexpected both inside and out of the hotel. For more information, please visit www.renaissancehotels.com and stay connected on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter . Renaissance Hotels is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including free nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit marriottbonvoy.com .

About Marriott Bonvoy
Later this month, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) is featuring Laura Lee Blake, president and CEO of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), for an HFTP Virtual Education webinar: U.S. Legislative Updates from AAHOA. The webinar is scheduled for May 23 at 1:00 p.m. CDT and is complimentary to all industry stakeholders. This exchange is part of a deepening partnership between the associations with a shared pursuit to advance the hospitality environment to the benefit of their members and the overall industry.

This webinar is an example of our associations synchronized partnership at work to advance our industry, said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE. AAHOA represents 60 percent of hotel owners in America and works tirelessly on behalf of its individual members and the industry to improve hospitality as a profession, to maintain our attractiveness as an investment opportunity and to preserve the American dream.

The AAHOA session will address its initiatives on the U.S. Federal level, as well as state and local government levels. These efforts are to ensure the sustainability of hotels and the broader American travel industry. Blake will cover policy recommendations that address the industry's labor shortage and SBA loan limits. In addition, she will discuss how AAHOA works with states on STRs, OTA, evictions, and human trafficking awareness training and prevention. HFTP offers a robust Virtual Education program for its members, hosting between two to four hour-long sessions a month on a variety of topics of interest to its stakeholders. Registration for this session is now open.

Our industry is stronger when we work together, and when we work together to address critical issues affecting Americas hotel owners, we tend to see better outcomes, said AAHOA President and CEO Laura Lee Blake. AAHOA has nearly 20,000 members, and as the voice of Americas hotel owners, we will continue to track and engage on legislative and regulatory issues to promote sound public policy.

At the recent AAHOACON last month in Los Angeles, HFTP was able to contribute its expertise for the events Tech Pitch, where numerous companies competed to be named the 2023 winner. With experience running the start-up pitch competition Entrepreneur 20X, HFTP was able to help power this event.

The two associations will continue to collaborate going forward on similarly mutually beneficial initiatives. Beyond the webinar, HFTP and AAHOA are co-producing the HITEC Young Professionals Event on June 27 from 6:00  8:00 p.m. at the Radisson Blu Toronto Downtown Hotel. The event is open to registered HITEC attendees who are 35 and under and must RSVP to attend. HITEC, produced by HFTP and the largest and longest-running hospitality technology event, will be held June 2629 in Toronto.

About AAHOA

AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in the nation, with Member-owned properties representing a significant part of the U.S. economy. AAHOA's 20,000 members own 60% of the hotels in the United States and are responsible for 1.7% of the nations GDP. More than one million employees work at AAHOA member-owned hotels, earning $47 billion annually, and member-owned hotels support 4.2 million U.S. jobs across all sectors of the hospitality industry. AAHOA's mission is to advance and protect the business interests of hotel owners through advocacy, industry leadership, professional development, member benefits, and community engagement.

About HFTP

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), established in 1952, is a hospitality nonprofit association headquartered in Austin, Texas USA with offices in the EU and Middle East. HFTP is recognized as the spokes group for the finance and technology segments of the hospitality industry with an international network of members and stakeholders. HFTP uniquely understands the industry's pressing issues, and assists its stakeholders in finding solutions to their challenges more efficiently than any organization. HFTP offers expert networks, educational resources, career development programs, research, leadership opportunities and conferences and events. HFTP produces international events throughout the year, including the world's largest hospitality technology tradeshow and conference brand: HITEC. In addition, it oversees the hospitality-specific Pineapplesearch.com and the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI). For more information about HFTP, visit www.hftp.org. For the latest news, visit the HFTP News page at news.hftp.org and the HFTP Connect blog at blog.hftp.org.

Eliza Selig

Staff VP, Marketing and Communications

+1 512 220 4026

HFTP
Cambria Hotels Breaks Ground on Hotels in Portland and Hillsboro, Oregon

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) announced the start of construction on Cambria Hotel Pearl District - Portland and Cambria Hotel Hillsboro with an expected Spring 2025 opening.

"The groundbreaking of the Cambria Hotels in Hillsboro and Portland represents another proud moment for the brand. This milestone marks Cambria's entry into the Pacific Northwest and commemorates yet another fantastic destination for modern travelers who know and love the Cambria brand," said Janis Cannon, senior vice president, upscale brands, Choice Hotels. "Portland is known for the vibrancy and uniqueness of its many neighborhoods, each with a distinct sense of place just like Cambria Hotels, and we look forward to showcasing the diverse communities through the new properties."

Representatives from Choice Hotels and developer, Evergreen Hotel Development Group, along with Portland city officials attended formal groundbreaking ceremonies to commemorate the development milestone and express their excitement about the brand's entrance into the Pacific Northwest.

Cambria Hotel Pearl District

Located at 165 NW Park Ave, the six-story, 178-room Cambria Hotel Pearl DistrictPortland sits in the heart of Portland's Pearl District, a fashionable and lively area known for its shopping, craft breweries, and artisanal coffee shops, and across from the historic North Park Blocks. Just a short walk from downtown, Old Town Chinatown and Northwest Portland, the hotel provides guests with convenient access to the many attractions that Portland has to offer. The property's design reflects the relationship between nature and industry that can be seen in the surrounding Portland community. The Cambria Hotel Pearl District  Portland will be developed in collaboration with HighSide Development, architect and interior designer Baskervill, and general contractor Deacon.

Cambria Hotel Hillsboro

Situated at 5523 NE Huffman St, the four-story, 115-room Cambria Hotel Hillsboro is located just 20 minutes outside of Portland and a short drive from the Hillsboro airport and Highway 26, making it a convenient destination for business and leisure travelers alike. The property's design is inspired by Oregon's state bird and flower and Hillsboro's designation as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. The Cambria Hotel Hillsboro is being developed by Evergreen Hotel Development Group.

Cambria Hotels are modern, approachable and stylish, offering an experience that's tailored to the needs of business travelers and the wants of leisure guests. All Cambria Hotels feature locally inspired decor and upscale amenities, including:

Sophisticated guest rooms with design-forward fixtures, abundant lighting and plush premium bedding

Immersive spa-inspired bathrooms with Bluetooth mirrors

Elegant onsite dining with menus that capture the local flavors, local craft beer, wine and specialty cocktails, as well as to-go options

State-of-the-art fitness center

Multi-purpose indoor and outdoor spaces for work or relaxation

Stylish meeting and event spaces

Cambria Contactless Concierge text messaging service for housekeeping requests, to-go food orders and more

Mobile check-in option

Free WiFi and other tech-friendly features

There are currently over 65 Cambria hotels open across the U.S. in popular cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, New Orleans, and Phoenix, with over 70 hotels in the pipeline.
A total of 219 deals* were announced in the global Travel and Tourism sector during January to April 2023, which is a 43% decline over 384 deals announced during the same period in 2022, finds GlobalData.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: Deal activity in the travel and tourism sector suffered a significant setback across several key markets and regions as deal-makers seemed to have become cautious amid recession fears, geopolitical tensions, and uncertain economic conditions.

North America, the traditionally dominant region in terms of travel and tourism related deal activity, recorded a massive 50.4% decline in deals volume during January-April 2023 compared to January-April 2022.

Other regions such as Europe, Asia-Pacific and South and Central America also experienced a decline in deal activity by 48.1%, 28.9% and 66.7% during January-April 2023 compared to January-April 2022, respectively. Meanwhile, deal volume for the Middle East and Africa region remained unchanged.

Travel and tourism related deal activity also remained subdued across several key markets. The US, the UK, Japan, France, India, and South Korea saw deals volume decline by 51.1%, 39.5%, 47.6%, 18.2%, 55.6%, and 30%, respectively during January to April 2023 compared to January to April 2022. Meanwhile, deal activity in China and the Netherlands showcased some improvement.

Bose adds: All the deal types under coverage also witnessed a significant year-on-year decline in volume during January-April 2023. The numbers of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), venture financing, and private equity deals declined by 41.4%, 36.2%, and 62.7% during January-April 2023 compared to January-April 2022, respectively.

*Comprising mergers & acquisitions, private equity, and venture financing deals
Train Your Hospitality Staff To Elicit Kama Muta (Commonly Called That 'Warm, Fuzzy' Feeling)

Its something that virtually all humans have experienced in our lives, especially those who work in guest-facing jobs in the hospitality industry when we make an authentic, personalized, and heartfelt connection with another human. For me, it seems to happen more often with strangers, rather than with loved ones we routinely see.

It is a mutually experienced feeling, felt across cultures, nationalities and languages. There is even a common gesture that humans around the globe use when the feeling arises, which is raising the right hand and placing it over the heart.

Recently while preparing for a conference keynote presentation, it occurred to me that perhaps there is a word for this feeling, whether in English or perhaps in some other language. So, I asked Google: What is the name of that warm, fuzzy feeling in our hearts when we connect with others? Sure enough, my search yielded the result I was looking for.

While we in Western Cultures apparently dont have a word for this feeling, one can be found in the ancient Sanskrit language. The word is Kama Muta, which means being moved by love. It is written in as   As I understand, Sanskrit is believed by many to be the oldest language in the world, dating back 3,500 or more years.

How amazing to consider that this uniquely human feeling has endured as long as the Pyramids of Egypt and Central America. Across the imaginary, man-made borders of country, despite language differences, regardless of cultural norms, it is a mutually experienced feeling we all still share today.

My earliest memory of this feeling is from childhood when a distant relative would come to visit and shower me with attention and compliments. I remember asking my mom what the feeling in my chest was. Having started in customer service at age 9, when my mom opened a small retail store known as the Kennedy Craft Shop, I remember having this feeling when customers thanked me profusely after I helped them find the exact supplies they needed for their holiday or gift project.

I experienced it while chatting up strangers as a bellman, while welcoming guests across a front desk, and even during conversations I had while working in reservations and hotel sales.

These days I get to experience Kama Muta almost weekly while conducting our KTN hospitality and sales training workshops. It usually happens during the part of our classes where we ask participants to share stories about when they had to go above and beyond to meet a guests special needs, or at the end of the day when I say my goodbyes to those participants whom Ive especially connected with.

Now, as implied by the headline, I definitely do think that you can train your staff to initiate a mutual experience of Kama Muta. I know that many of my best clients tell me they firmly believe you cannot train someone to deliver hospitality, and to some extent, I agree.

Certainly, there are humans who fully embody the spirit of hospitality. Today social scientists call this Emotional Intelligence. In my personal life, Ive met many people on both sides of the spectrum. On one side are those who have high emotional intelligence, who can easily identify emotional cues, lift everyones spirits, and bring out the best in others. On the other side, there are those who have virtually no people skills and seem to completely lack empathy, and perhaps those at the extreme of this side truly cannot deliver hospitality experiences.

But in the middle lies the rest of the human race, and when it comes to those, I definitely think that you can train the spirit of hospitality, although a better word is to nurture it.

As a hospitality leader, encourage your staff to better-understand the diversity of human travel experiences being lived out every day on the other side of the front desk, guest room door, on the receiving end of the phone call or chat exchange, or across the bar or restaurant table. Very often those who work the frontline jobs in hotels have very little experience staying in them. They may view travel as being fun, glamorous, and exciting. Their personal hotel experiences may be limited to family vacations or traveling to attend weddings and events.

If youve not experienced the loneliness of being a business traveler who is missing a childs milestone birthday, yearning for home, or longing for the sad eyes of your loyal dog, its hard to understand why guests may seem cold, detached, and unresponsive to our gestures.

If youve not been the parent who has taken a long drive with a car full of young kids shouting Hes touching me! or Shes doing it AGAIN! or Theres NO Internet here, then its hard to understand why mom and dad are so cranky upon arrival. If youve never stayed in a hotel near a hospital while attending to a family member, or near a funeral home attending (or planning) services, you may wonder why guests seem so distant and distraught. If youve never experienced flight delays, lost luggage, bad rideshare drivers, and annoying seatmates, you may just see a frustrated, upset guest, or cranky guest.

By talking about the stories such as these that play out every day in your lobbies and guest rooms, you can help even the most hardened hearts sprout the seeds of empathy. If you take the time to water and fertilize those seeds, they can create cracks in a cold heart to the point that it begins to emit the hospitality vibe residing deeply inside.

The more we as leaders remind our frontline staff that the person on the other side is someones mother or father, someones brother or sister, someones son or daughter, or someones special someone, the more often the feeling of Kama Muta will occur naturally in our lobbies, restaurants, guest corridors, and even the locker rooms and back hallways.

Doug Kennedy

About Doug Kennedy

Doug Kennedy is President of the Kennedy Training Network, Inc. a leading provider of hotel sales, guest service, reservations, and front desk training programs and telephone mystery shopping services for the lodging and hospitality industry. Doug continues to be a fixture on the industrys conference circuit for hotel companies, brands and associations, as he been for over two decades. Since 1996, Dougs monthly training articles have been published worldwide, making him one of the most widely read hospitality industry authorities. Visit KTN at www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com or email him directly doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com.

Doug is the author of So You REALLY Like Working With People? - Five Principles for Hospitality Excellence.
What does Traveler Tribes 2033 tell us about Asia Pacific?

Asia Pacific is a wonderfully diverse region. It is home to billions of people, creating an exciting mix of established, growing, and emerging outbound markets, where an increasingly digitally literate population are looking to travel, domestically, regionally, and internationally.

This market is a vital foundation for future success and Amadeus Traveler Tribes 2033 is essential reading for any seller or supplier looking to understand how travelers from the region will travel in the future.

Predicting trends using traditional segmentation techniques for travelers - age, income, education, and country of origin  are less relevant than how they feel about travel and life in general - their motivations for taking a trip, expectations, aspirations, and outlook.

Amadeus distilled more than 5.3 million data points from the major global markets and came up with four Traveler Tribes which it thinks cover the travelers of the future: Pioneering Pathfinders are positive about travels future, open to new technology; Memory Makers distrust new technology and eschew sustainability; Excited Experimentalists are excited about travels future but are concerned that AI will take over; Travel Tech-fluencers are excited about tech but concerned about cybersecurity and data privacy.

Nation states across a diverse region

The global study also looked specifically at Indonesia, Thailand, China, Singapore, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. There was no dominant Tribe across the region  hardly surprising considering the differences between the nations. However, it found Pioneering Pathfinders dominated China, India, Indonesia, and Thailand while Memory Makers were prevalent in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

Of the other Tribes, The Travel Tech-fluencers had little influence on any market (apart from Indonesia).

Meanwhile, Excited Experimentalists emerged as relevant in all markets, without being dominant in any.

Regional developments driven by tech

When looking at the general travel preferences data included in the study, some common themes across all markets were revealed. Cryptocurrency is the technology which most excites travelers in every APAC region (apart from New Zealand, where travelers are excited about data).

Data emerged as the next most exciting technology for all markets (apart from New Zealand, again, where VR came second and Japan with biometrics).

Other regionally consistent findings emerged when asked about their concerns around traveling in 2033, with cybersecurity causing the most headaches in all markets apart from Singapore  where the worry is specifically about data sharing  and Japan which is worried about political instability.

There was a wider range of responses to questions about what specific aspects of the travel experience in 2033 is the most exciting. Travelers from Singapore, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand were most excited at the prospect of being able to get to a destination more quickly. Artificial intelligences potential to improve the trip planning process enthused travelers from India and Indonesia while the Chinese are looking forward the most to virtual reality tours.

Big countries with some commonalities

By synching the Tribes segmentation with the general preferences, sellers and suppliers have the potential to identify strategies on which to double down on and  potentially - what to avoid.

India and China are among the biggest outbound markets in the world today and will remain so come 2033. With Pioneering Pathfinders, the dominant Tribe in both, there is a viable business case for sellers and suppliers to invest in specific technologies for this market, such as the Chinese preference for VR tours.

Similarly, market-specific digital channels for outbound travel  such as Fliggy in China, MakeMyTrip in India  can be engaged with today.

Sellers should however be wary of a lack of interest in apps which have everything needed to plan travel. Super-apps did not make the top five for China or India when travelers were asked to rank how interested they are in a range of technologies.

On the other hand, travelers from the other two markets led by Pioneering Pathfinders (Thailand and Indonesia) did include super-apps in their top five. Travelers in both these markets expressed concern around cyber-security and data sharing. These issues are  or should be  priorities for any business in any vertical in any market, so perhaps sellers targeting these markets should emphasize security in the design of their sites, or their marketing.

The Memory Makers, with their distrust of tech and disinterest in sustainability, offer a different challenge. First off, perhaps the travel industry should think about what it can do to change these travelers mindset on the environment because fighting the climate emergency is as much about education as it is about enforcement.

Travelers from this segment put a lot of emphasis on who they travel with. Any product which supports this preference  easier ways for groups to book and pay, configurable family rooms in hotels, whole house vacation rentals, child-friendly options  will suit this Traveler Tribe in these markets.

Key takeaways for Asia Pacific

Amadeus has never seen Asia Pacific as a homogenous region, and the Traveler Tribes data shows that there are material differences between the biggest markets. The conversations that the study can spark will be based on legitimate data, from a variety of sources. Traveler Tribes 2033 is a great conversational springboard for sellers or suppliers thinking about how to consolidate their presence in the market, or how to make their first steps.
Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

Dow plans to develop its first set of small modular nuclear reactors at its facility in Seadrift, about 150 miles south of Houston, in partnership with Maryland-based nuclear developer X-energy Reactor Co.

The four-reactor project is part of the Michigan-based chemical giants mission to grow its production while reducing emissions at its manufacturing facilities. Dow CEO Jim Fitterling has said small modular reactors can deliver clean, compact energy at a reasonable cost  a cluster of the small onsite reactors could bring an industrial facility to net-zero emissions.
One state institution that does not enjoy public respect commensurate to its efforts in nation building is the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

The Western Regional Fire Commander, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) 1 Frederick Ohemeng, has complained that while firefighters work in challenging circumstances for which the public must show them sympathy, they are rather attacked both physically and verbally.

We also know of pranks played on them, which result in waste of human energies and both financial and material resources.

Meanwhile, the Service is constrained in particularly financial and material resources such as firefighting equipment because the government has not procured for it.

That means the firefighters are making do with their obsolete equipment and so must be saved some peace of mind.

It seems some people think firefighters only put out blazing fires and so when there are no such fires, then they are idling.

The fire prevention education they give is rather priceless because if the public would heed their advice, certain fires could be prevented and loss of lives, property and in some cases money avoided.

They also go to accident scenes to extricate passengers from mangled vehicles.

Besides, firefighters are able to save drowning people.

Unfortunately, in an effort to discharge these duties, some of them lose their lives.

The call by ACFO1 Ohemeng on the media to help make the public outlive some misconception about firefighters and rather value their roles and sacrifices in nation building is, therefore, appropriate and one to be heeded.

Let all media outlets in every community incorporate in their programming a slot that they would occasionally use to remind the public about the need to give the GNFS the critical support rather than attack them in any way.

We wish we can speak for individual state institutions just as we have done for the Ghana National Fire Service but that is not possible in this piece.

We therefore wish to state that the country needs institutions to help it to function as a sovereign state to protect the people in all ways for them to go about their various endeavours for their own good and that of the state.

These institutions also make it easy for the country to plan to ensure law and order to develop and meet the needs and aspirations of the people.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ghana 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.

Think about the police, the armed forces, the courts, the electoral commission and educational institutions among others.

The public need to give all these institutions the needed respect because they exist for the public good.

It is about time detailed information of public interest relating to these institutions is incorporated into the curricula of primary, junior high and senior high schools.

We know some education about such institutions is being given.

However, we can say it is not enough because of the disrespect shown to some of them by the public and certain groups within the society.

The National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) also should craft relevant messages about such institutions and disseminate them to the general public to highlight their importance and the need to give them particular regard and support.
Fugro, a geo data company based in the Netherlands, signed a 75,000-square-foot lease at Republic Square for the relocation of its Americas headquarters to the Energy Corridor. Bill Insull and Blake R. Virgilio of Lee & Associates represented the landlord, Houston EC Development, an entity of Dart Interests, along with Houston EC Development's Jon Herbster. Bob Cromwell and Bob Gulley of Moody Rambin, and Zack Taylor with Colliers International represented the tenant. Republic Square, on 35 acres at 13501 Katy Freeway, overlooks a central lake and Terry Hershey Park. Fugro will move from its longtime office on Hillcroft near the Southwest Freeway this year.

The Fugro team is very excited about our move to Republic Square, Celine Gerson, Fugro's group director of the Americas and president of Fugro USA said in an announcement. The new location not only puts us closer to our clients, but also provides our employees with a modern and highly efficient workspace with access to green spaces and numerous amenities. We're thrilled to create an exceptional work environment that will benefit Fugro in the Americas for the long run.

With the new lease, the four-story, 320,000-square-foot Republic Square is 70 percent leased. The campus, which extends from the Katy Freeway south to Memorial Drive, was formerly home to Exxon Chemical.

With the planned addition of a 100-plus person conferencing facility and onsite restaurant, we expect Republic Square to continue to attract tenants looking for amenities and a connection to the outdoors at their doorstep, Virgilio said.

Hanwha Power Systems leased 9,022 square feet at 580 Westlake Park in the Energy Corridor. Ryan Hartsell of Oxford Partners represented the tenant. Michell Wogan and Evelyn Ward with Transwestern represented the landlord, Younan Properties.

Cushman & Wakefield

Kelsey-Seybold Clinic announced plans to build a 20,000-square-foot clinic in the Woodway Square shopping center at 6401 Woodway for the relocation of its Tanglewood Clinic in 2024. The space was previously occupied by Goody Goody Liquor. The Tanglewood Clinic at 1111 Augusta has served patients for nearly 50 years.

Urban Bird Hot Chicken leased 1,520 square feet at the Shops at Morton Ranch Crossing at 3011 W. Grand Parkway North in Katy. The Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant is slated to open this fall. Eric Lestin and Michael Burgower of Cushman & Wakefield represented the landlord, Brandale Properties. Eddie Lang of Quenby Commercial represented the tenant.

MORE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS: Chair King set to show off new design at future Sugar Land store

PostScript HTX, a new concept of GAP Concepts of Dallas, will open a 9,300-square-foot female-forward restaurant and lounge with a flirty and festive theme in the Shops at Arrive River Oaks this fall. Jeffrey Abel of Abel Design Group is designing the space, which will occupy the former Del Frisco's Grille. Josh Weisman of Construction Concepts & Design is handling construction. The team includes consulting chef Bryan Caswell and hospitality designer Erin Hicks.

GAP Concepts

Iron 24 Fitness + Recovery opened a 4,560-square-foot gym at 120 Circle Way in the Four Corners Shopping Center in Lake Jackson. It is the third location of the Pearland-based brand, following openings in Conroe and Pearland this year. Members can join or upgrade using an app and there are no long-term contracts.

Maya & Associates leased 7,275 square feet at 10333 Richmond. John Zivley of Partners Real Estate represented the tenant. Kim Shapiro of Avison Young represented the landlord, Accesso Partners.

Gulf Coast Commercial Group announced the openings of Salon Lofts, Ideal Dental and James Avery Artisan Jewelry at Lower Heights District, a mixed-use development on Interstate 10 between Studemont and Sawyer streets. Additionally, The Blow Up Bar and Radiant Waxing signed leases for spaces.

Advance Auto Parts leased 8,640 square feet in Kirkwood Market Place at 11960 Westheimer. Josh OToole of Phillip Edison & Co. represented the landlord. Katherine Wildman of Wulfe & Co. represented the tenant.

Capital Real Estate Investments bought a 69,125-square-foot single-tenant industrial portfolio totaling five buildings at 12839 FM 529 and 6919 Mayard. Cary Latham and Hunter Stockard of Partners Real Estate represented the seller AMAG Holdings. Blake Deer and Carson Deer represented the buyer.
Rani Puranik was having brunch with her daughters when inspiration struck: It was time to write a book.

She describes that aha moment in her new memoir: Every so often, a moment of clarity and a ray of light become present, sometimes through song, a conversation, something you watch or experience," she writes. You realize all the things youve learned, how much youve grown, sacrificed, shared, faced, overcome, succeeded in, or endured.

In this case, her two daughters  Bhakti and Sharayu  provided that clarity. Others had suggested that she write about her life, but when her daughters told her, thats when I took it seriously, she said. 7 Letters to My Daughters: Light Lessons of Love, Leadership and Legacy launches May 24.

MORE FROM LINDSAY PEYTON: Mistletoe the one-eared Doberman finds new home after being saved by Houston Humane Society

Puranik is co-owner, executive vice president and global chief financial officer of Worldwide Oilfield Machine, a privately held, family-owned oil and gas equipment manufacturing firm. Based in Houston, the company operates globally with more than 4,000 employees across 13 locations.

Overcoming the challenges to become a leader in the oil industry is only a small part of her story. The book dives into career, marriage, motherhood, being a daughter and first-generation American, spirituality and adventure.

Courtesy

Puranik, who lives in the Rice Village area, recounts her most difficult times  from feeling like a disappointment to her father and suffering an attack as a young girl in India to going through a divorce and experiencing the tragic death of her brother near his 35th birthday.

She writes how her mother taught her that hardships in life are lessons, singing the classic Marathi lullaby: Arey saunsar saunsar, adhi hatala chatake, tewha melatey bhakar. Oh, life, dear life, only when my hands learn from the burn of the stove will I get my bread to eat.

I assumed next-level achievement or progress always meant easier with less stress and struggles, Puranik says in the book's introduction.

She realized the opposite is true. Life is a continuous journey of ups and downs, wanes and waxes, tests and tribulations . . . we get to the next level by increasing our skills, recognizing the patterns, learning strategies to maneuver through challenges, and never giving up.

The book then becomes a gift, as Puranik says, for my daughters and all daughters of the world, one that provides lessons to equip them to maneuver through the phases of life.

Book signings Brazos Bookstore: 6:30-7:30 p.m. May 30, 2421 Bissonnet Tootsies: 4-6 p.m. May 31, 2601 Westheimer Information: ranipuranik.com. See More Collapse

Puranik started writing the book in 2018. She approached it the way she would any challenge, by organizing. What is my life composed of? Are there any common threads? she wondered.

Then my first draft was an Excel sheet, she laughed.

Puranik breaks her life into seven-year cycles: becoming a girl, a woman, a daughter and a mother.

She was able to partition her life experiences. starting with her birth in India and childhood growing up in Sugar Land.

Gender and spirituality are through-lines in the story. Puranik is often faced with a certain expectation based on her gender, one that she typically soon shatters.

She credits her maternal grandmother, oraaji, Leela Date, for nurturing her strength as a young woman. She was letting me know at a young age that I was meant to be a girl, and a powerful one at that.

Puraniks spirituality evolves throughout her life, starting with a great childhood admiration of the Hindu god Krishna.

I loved Krishna because Krishna understood love, she writes. There are many powerful and important figures in the Hindu pantheon . . . Krishna was the only one who delighted in simply being.

Puranik attended ninth grade at a Hindu school in India , and was introduced to yoga and meditation. Then she went to Lamar High School in Houston.

Later she returned to India to study music. Singing ragas was a way to stay in touch with her spirituality. She also began teaching children, and in the evening they would chant the Hindu scriptures together.

For years, my mother pushed and instructed me on Hindu values, but living in India and being with those children made me appreciate the true meaning of the scriptures I once mindlessly memorized. Puranik writes. I had discovered a portion of my purpose in life.

As an adult in Houston, she describes attending worship at Lakewood Church and how her spirituality now also incorporates Jesus.

I was increasingly interested in the overlap and interplay between Krishna and Jesus, the struggles they faced, the leaders they were, and the values they espoused. I saw them as intertwined, part of the same divine entity, she writes.

Her story is about determination, passion and adaptability. She received her bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Pune in India, then started a dance school and launched the Integral Search for Harmony through Art, or ISHA, a platform for underserved and underrepresented girls in India.

Puranik served as ISHA's CEO for about 20 years, working as the lead choreographer, program designer and mentor. The confidence and love gained on her spiritual journey guides her as she takes a foothold in the family business.

After returning to Houston, she went back to school, earning an MBA in finance from Rice University at age 40.

The pages of her book are full of practical advice, and her journey continues. The last chapter is hardly a conclusion, and instead demonstrates her continued search for growth opportunities and lust for adventure. She describes steering a sailboat through a storm and taking welding lessons to overcome her fear of fire.

Puranik hopes that the book helps readers while navigating their own challenges. Every lifetime and every situation provides an opportunity for learning, she says.

She already has her next book in mind, one that delves into a 200-year plan for business growth.

In the meantime, she says, I want each individual to know they have the power to choose a full life. Whatever life may throw at you, we have the power to make the next decision and keep a positive mindset.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Montgomery County has approved several new developments since January, including Montgomery Farms off FM 1486 south of Old Highway 105 and Lone Star Landing off FM 2854 near Honea Egypt Road.

Montgomery Farms will bring 26 single-family lots spanning 47 acres and Lone Star Landing will bring 62 new single-family homes.

Nancy Mikeska, assistant city administrator and director of community service for Conroe, said the rental market in the city and county also is seeing increased growth.

On YourConroeNews.com: Conroe ISD investigating knife fight at College Park High School

There are a handful of single-family rental projects at different levels of development in Conroe including Preserve at Conroe on Frazier Street which will feature 271 homes on 32 acres and the Villas at League Line on League Line Road which will include 183 homes on 22 acres, Mikeska said.

Several other projects include one by Continental 710 Fund which is developing 16 acres off Drennan Road that will feature 288 two-story units with garages and another by Provident Realty which is developing 28 acres near Interstate 45 and FM 3083. The number of units has not yet determined.

Rent-to-own projects are not a new concept, Mikeska said. They have their place in Conroes market.

The Woodlands-based Signorelli Co. is developing Cielo which will span 261 acres and include 858 single-family lots just outside the city limits on Airport Road near FM 1484.

County and community leaders attribute this growth to local government, law enforcement and schools.

County Judge Mark Keough said the county historically has been an attractive place for residents and businesses and the growth continued during and after the COVID pandemic.

We have communicated common sense, Keough said. New growth is a benefit to the community. It allows us to have a tax rate that is being fed by new construction and people moving into the area.

Magnolia-based developer Kane Dunbar recently finished construction on a new retail and professional center that brings more than 14,000 square feet of space to the FM 1488 corridor. He said Montgomery County is a great place to develop due to its location.

"You can get to Houston and to Aggieland, he said. This area is all about family."

The 2020 U.S. Census numbers pegged the countys new population to be 620,443, which is a 36.1 percent increase over 2010s population of 455,746.

Attracting families, Keough said, are the countys school districts and its tough approach on crime.

A demographic study commissioned by Conroe ISD last year estimates that to accommodate the growth of the district, CISD will need to build 25 new schools across multiple feeder zones.

In the last two years, that rate of growth has really accelerated, Superintendent Curtis Null said in March.

The study indicates CISD could grow to 100,000 students in the next 10 years. The district now has around 71,000 students with the districts 67 schools operating at an average capacity of 102 percent.

Commissioners have remained committed to funding law enforcement. In May 2022, using donated funds, Keough installed a billboard along Interstate 45 at the Harris County border warning would-be criminals Montgomery County will prosecute.

District Attorney Brett Ligon said public safety is critical in making the county a destination for families.

Anytime you have s community that has vibrant growth, its due to an abundance of resources, good governance and public safety, Ligon said. Montgomery County has become a destination location for many families and commissioners court reflects those values in prioritizing personnel that contribute to a community where folks want to live, work, play and pray.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  A federal appeals court on Wednesday affirmed the conviction of the leader of an Illinois antigovernment militia who was sentenced to 53 years in prison for masterminding the 2017 bombing of a Minnesota mosque, an attack that terrified the local Muslim community.

A three-judge panel rejected all the legal arguments raised by Emily Claire Hari. Her attorneys argued that the key federal law involved  which pertains to damaging religious property and the free exercise of religion  was invalid because it exceeded Congress' authority.

The court also rejected Hari's claim that prosecutors violated attorney-client privilege when authorities seized two pages of notes from Hari's cell during a shakedown.

No one was hurt in the bombing of the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center, but more than a dozen members of the mosque community gave victim impact statements about the trauma they felt. Judge Donovan Frank said at sentencing that the evidence clearly showed an intent to scare, intimidate and terrorize individuals of Muslim faith.

Several men were at Dar al-Farooq for early morning prayers on Aug. 5, 2017, when a pipe bomb was thrown through the window of an imams office. A seven-month investigation led authorities to the rural community of Clarence, Illinois, where Hari and co-defendants Michael McWhorter and Joe Morris lived.

Authorities say Hari led a small group called the White Rabbits that included McWhorter, Morris and others and that Hari came up with the plan to attack the mosque. Prosecutors said at trial that Hari was motivated by hatred for Muslims.

McWhorter and Morris each pleaded guilty to five counts and testified for the prosecution. Michael McWhorter was sentenced to just under 16 years in prison while Morris got about 14 years.

Hari's attorney said in a filing during the proceedings that gender dysphoria fueled her inner conflict, saying she wanted to transition from male to female but knew she would be ostracized, so she formed a rag-tag group of freedom fighters. But prosecutors said gender dysphoria was no excuse.

Hari is incarcerated at a federal prison in Oklahoma that houses male and female prisoners. After a review, the Biden administration last year updated Bureau of Prisons policies to restore Obama-era protections for transgender inmates, undoing a rollback ordered during the Trump administration.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)  The Florida judge who gained a national profile while presiding over the Parkland school shooting trial announced Wednesday that she is resigning June 30 to pursue unspecified career opportunities.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer rose in prominence when she oversaw the televised penalty trial of Nikolas Cruz. He received a life sentence last year after a divided jury was unable to agree on the death penalty for the 2018 mass killing of 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

It has been a a privilege to serve the people of the State of Florida for over 10 years, Scherer wrote in her brief resignation letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The resignation was first reported by Court TV.

Scherer, a 46-year-old former prosecutor, was appointed to the bench in 2012. Broward County's computerized system randomly assigned her Cruz's case shortly after the shooting. It was her first murder trial.

Her handling of the case drew frequent praise from the parents and spouses of the victims, who said she treated them with professionalism and kindness, but her clashes with Cruz's attorneys and others sometimes drew criticism from legal observers.

Before the trial she criticized two reporters from the Sun Sentinel newspaper for publishing a sealed Cruz educational record that they obtained legally. She threatened to tell the paper what it could and couldnt print, but never did; legal experts say such a move would have been unconstitutional.

Scherer also had frequent heated arguments with Cruz's lead public defender, Melisa McNeill. Those boiled over for the first time when McNeill and her team suddenly rested their case after calling only a small fraction of their expected witnesses. Scherer called it the most uncalled for, unprofessional way to try a case," though the defense has no obligation to call all of its witnesses or announce its plans in advance.

McNeill countered angrily, You are insulting me on the record in front of my client, before Scherer told her to stop. She then laid into her.

Youve been insulting me the entire trial, Scherer barked at McNeill. Arguing with me, storming out, coming late intentionally if you dont like my rulings. So, quite frankly, this has been long overdue. So please be seated.

The two clashed again during Cruz's sentencing hearing in November over the verbal attacks some victims' family members made against the defense team during their courtroom statements. Scherer refused to curtail the statements and ejected one of McNeill's assistants after he complained.

After sentencing Cruz, 24, to life without parole as required, Scherer left the bench and hugged members of the prosecution and the victims' families.

That action led the Florida Supreme Court last month to remove her from overseeing post-conviction motions of another defendant, Randy Tundidor, who was sentenced to death for murder in the 2019 killing of his landlord. One of the prosecutors in that case had also been on the Cruz team, and during a hearing in the Tundidor case a few days after the Cruz sentencing, Scherer asked the prosecutor how he was holding up.

The court said Scherer's actions gave at least the appearance that she could not be fair to Tundidor.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  A man is suing a sheriff's office in South Carolina saying deputies shot at him nearly 50 times when he was having a mental health crisis in a parked truck with a shotgun in his lap, even though he says his hands were raised.

Trevor Mullinax survived being hit nine times in May 2021, with three wounds to the head, according to the lawsuit filed against the York County Sheriffs Office earlier this month.

The four sheriff's deputies started shooting only a few seconds after arriving on the scene and yelling Hands! several times, as seen in police dash cam video released by Mullinax's lawyers. The barrage lasted all of five seconds, leaving the pickup windshield riddled with bullet holes.

Those officer went out there like John Wayne cowboys. They came out there like gunslingers, attorney Justin Bamberg said at a news conference Tuesday.

Prosecutors reviewing the case did not charge the four deputies who shot at Mullinax. Each officer gave a statement to investigators 11 days after the shooting and after reviewing body camera and other footage.

The officers said in those seconds they thought Mullinax was getting ready to flee, then they saw him reach back to the trucks rear seat, grab the shotgun and point it at them, according to the State Law Enforcement Division report on the shooting.

Mullinax's mother, Tammy Beason, said she'd been trying to comfort her son after he threatened to kill himself. She was standing by the driver's-side window when the officers opened fire.

She wasn't wounded. But deputies handcuffed her, wailing and clearly distraught, less than a minute after the shooting. Two deputies hustled her away as she cries, What are they going to do with my son?

The video begins with the deputies driving up to Mullinax's truck parked on his family's land near Rock Hill on May 7, 2021. A family member had called 911 because Mullinax was threatening to kill himself. He said We're just trying to get our buddy some help, and gave the operator the cellphone numbers for him and his mother, according to the 911 call.

The deputies never called either of them, driving to the truck after Mullinax's grandfather told them where it was located, Bamberg said.

There were 47 shots fired. The video shows two deputies pull a bleeding Mullinax out of the truck and handcuff him.

Youre not a death squad. Youre supposed to try to help people, even if youve got to shoot them, Bamberg said. They handcuff this man with three bullet holes in his head and then they handcuff his mama. Treat her like a criminal. This was disgusting.

Mullinax's mother told investigators hours after the shooting it appeared her son might be reaching for a gun.

According to medical records obtained by state investigators, Mullinax told a doctor at the hospital he was talking to his mother about getting help when officers arrived, and when they arrived suddenly, he reached for the gun so they would shoot him because he didnt have the courage to do it himself. He said couldnt say why he changed his mind from seeking help to wanting to die.

Mullinax was the only person charged in the 2021 shooting and faces one count of pointing and presenting a firearm, a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. At the time of the shooting, Mullinax had a warrant for his arrest on a different charge, but his lawyers said that burglary charge was dismissed and there are no court records of it.

Mullinax couldn't have a gun legally because he was a felon, York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said at a news conference Wednesday where he took no questions.

If a suspect pulls a weapon on a man or woman wearing a badge that says York County Sheriff's Office, that situation is not going to end well, Tolson said.

Police officers shouldn't have to handle people in mental crisis or the other duties piled on them daily, and shouldn't be second guessed after they are cleared by investigators, the sheriff said.

For those of you who are out there making snap judgements about the actions of police officers, hiding behind a computer screen with your thumb courage on Facebook, Instagram  the York County Sheriff's Office is hiring deputies every day. Please put in an application so you can see firsthand what a police officer faces, Tolson said.

Mullinax's mother said it was hours before anyone told her that her son survived the shooting. She says she no longer trusts the police and flinches every time she sees a police cruiser.

I wonder if that's the one who almost killed me that day. Or thats the one who tried to kill my son that day, Beason said.

Mullinax said he hates what his mental crisis turned into.

But if it helps one single person in this world to not have to go through what me and my family have, Im OK with it, he said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A Houston police officer was shot Thursday afternoon, but escaped serious injury, while responding to a complaint about a person firing a gun inside a southwest Houston apartment, officials said.

Around 12:44 p.m., officers were dispatched to an apartment in the 10200 block of Forum Park Drive, because of complaints about a suspicious person with a weapon and about a person firing a gun, Houston Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite said.

MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Ohio couple questions Buc-ee's semi truck policy after being escorted out of Baytown location

An anonymous 9-1-1 caller had given dispatchers a unit number, but when three officers arrived at the scene, they weren't sure if that unit belonged to the caller or the person firing a gun, Satterwhite said. When one of the officers approached the unit, a man opened the door and fired one shot at the officer, Satterwhite said.

The officer, a 15-year-veteran of the department, was grazed in the right forearm, Satterwhite said. He ran for cover and fired his own gun toward the man in the apartment, as the man closed the door and went back inside.

Soon after, the man came out of the apartment unarmed and was arrested. The man wasn't injured, Satterwhite said.

"Our officer was just trying to figure out what was going on and the door opened and it appears the suspect just started firing," Satterwhite said.

The wounded officer "appears to be OK, but was seriously shaken up," Satterwhite said. "We're very thankful that he's OK."

The name of the officer and of the man who was arrested weren't immediately released.

Satterwhite said officers had been called about the man at least four times before, including one call about a man having a possible mental health crisis. It's unclear if any of the previous calls involved a gun or if there was anything in the man's history that prohibited him from owning a legal gun, Satterwhite said.

The department's homicide special investigation unit and the Harris County District Attorney's Office were investigating the shooting, Satterwhite said. The officer who fired his weapon was placed on administrative duty, which is standard procedure after an officer fires his service weapon.

Satterwhite said the officers may have been in less danger if the 9-1-1 callers had given dispatchers more information about the situation at the complex.

"We always need as much information as the public has and can share for us," Satterwhite said. "We want to prepare our officers. They're already going into a dangerous situation every day, with these types of calls. The more information we have the better prepared we can be."
A Humble man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for smuggling 20 migrants in two cargo trailers marked FedEx Ground.

Vince Ruiz III, 33, pleaded guilty to the smuggling on July 6, 2022. He was sentenced Wednesday in Corpus Christi federal court.

Ruiz was taken into custody Oct. 5, 2021 after he drove his white Freightliner through the primary inspection lane at the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias, a Justice Department news release said. Ruiz had a valid driver's license, however, a K-9 alerted authorities to one of the trailers during the inspection.

Officials searched the trailer and discovered 20 migrants inside, behind a locked door. The group included a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Law enforcement also found 15 grams of marijuana and five grams of cocaine in the trailer.

SMUGGLERS SENTENCED: Five smugglers sentenced for holding nearly 100 migrants in Houston home in 'deplorable conditions'

As part of his plea, Ruiz told authorities he drove to Edinburg to pick up the trailer. At some point during the trip, he pulled over to the side of a road in a secluded area and loaded the migrants into the trailer. The plan was to return with the migrants to Cypress, according to the news release.

Ruiz worked for Warrior Logistics Inc., a trucking company that holds a contract with FedEx Ground, court documents show.

Homeland Security Investigations later determined the migrants were not authorized to enter the U.S.

Ruiz has been and will remain in custody until he's transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility that will be determined in the near future, officials said.
Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a bill making Stephen F. Austin State University a member of the University of Texas System.

Senate Bill 1055 technically abolishes the existing Nacogdoches-based institution and establishes it as a new university placed under the authority of the UT System Board of Regents.

LEGISLATIVE SESSION: UH, Texas Tech systems ask for permanent endowment

The law passed Wednesday, the same day that Stephen F. Austin accepted the retirement of President Steve Westbrook and named Gina Oglesbee, currently vice president for finance and administration, as interim president beginning June 1. Oglesbee has been involved with the transition to the UT System, and she will not be a candidate for the permanent position.

Stephen F. Austin State Universitys transition into the UT System is proceeding exceedingly well, and were delighted that Ms. Oglesbee has agreed to take the leadership role at this critical time, UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife said. Everyone with whom we have worked, from Chair (Karen) Gantt and the SFA board to President Westbrook and the entire SFA university community, has contributed tirelessly to make this transition a success.

HIGHER ED: Texas commission urges community college funding overhaul that could help rural schools

The university, which enrolled 11,300 students last fall, is independently operated and controlled by its own board. Four of Texas major university systems sought to acquire the east Texas school, and the UT System won out last December.

Stephen F. Austin regents identified the deciding factor as access to the Permanent University Fund, or PUF, according to the Texas Tribune. The PUF is state-owned investment fund that collects royalties from oil and gas leases on 2.1 million acres of land in West Texas, benefiting members of UT and Texas A&M Universitys systems.

UT System officials had also told SFA leaders that it would immediately provide $1 million more for annual scholarships and $5.5 million for faculty salaries, the Tribune reported. And a financial analysis by both institutions showed that joining the system would also provide them $124 million in additional value.

The UT System will now be home to nine academic institutions and five health institutions. Stephen F. Austins money, facilities and contracts will be transferred to the UT System Board of Regents, according to the bill.

Tenured faculty will still be entitled to tenure, and tenure-track faculty will remain on the tenure track. Students who are currently admitted to the university will also maintain their enrollment.
Texas Childrens Hospital has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor for failing to adopt policies that protect its employees who work with behavioral health patients from assault following multiple incidents of workplace violence, the agency announced this week.

The agencys Occupational Safety and Health Administration said there were 15 recordable incidents last year in which visibly aggressive patients attacked employees, according to a copy of the citation issued on Wednesday. In one incident, a security officer had been responding to an alert on Nov. 10, 2022, when an aggressive patient pulled them to the ground by the hair and kicked them repeatedly in the chest and abdomen, OSHA said. The officer lost consciousness and was hospitalized, the documents said.

MORE TCH NEWS: Texas Childrens announces search for new president to succeed Mark Wallace, who will remain CEO

Texas Children's officials said they disagreed with the federal findings.

The safety of the employees, faculty and patients remains a key priority at Texas Childrens Hospital and we are very proud of our efforts to provide a safe workplace, Texas Childrens said in a statement. We are actively engaged in dialogue with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and disagree with the initial findings released by OSHA. Texas Childrens has strong safety protocols and training procedures in place and we are constantly optimizing our processes to ensure a safe environment.

OSHA inspections found that hospital workers, including nurses and patient care assistants, had been exposed to physical threats and assaults, according to the citation. The incidents involved biting, punching, kicking, scratching and spitting by behavioral health patients in the Pediatric Acute Care Unit and other departments. The assaults have resulted in injuries including sprains, contusions, lacerations and concussions, the citation said.

The agency issued one citation with a proposed fine of $15,625. The hospital has 15 days to contest the citation, after which the fine amount could change. The violation was deemed serious, which means the hazard could cause an accident or illness that likely would result in death or serious physical harm, unless the employer did not know or could not have known of the violation, according to OSHAs website.

In a statement, Mark Briggs, OSHAs area director in Houston, said the incident at Texas Childrens represented one of many recent attacks by patients against healthcare workers.

Healthcare employers must protect their employees, particularly those in contact with aggressive or potentially aggressive patients, from the danger of being attacked by a patient, Briggs said. Employers must have certain effective policies and procedures in place so employees dont have to work in fear of their safety.

OSHA requires employers to report all severe work-related injuries that result in amputation, inpatient hospitalization or the loss of an eye. From 2015 through the first half of 2022, OSHA has recorded two incidents at Houston-area hospitals, neither of which occurred at Texas Childrens, in which patients attacked employees and sent them to the hospital, according to a review of agency data.

In its citation against Texas Childrens, OSHA offered suggestions to fix the problem, including hiring a workplace violence coordinator and developing clear procedures for requesting assistance. If the hospital does not contest the citation, it has until July 14 to address the issue, documents show.

The OSHA documents released Wednesday also include a letter from May 9 to the hospital from Briggs, pointing out a high rate of musculoskeletal disorders among the staff  low back pain, sciatica and rotator cuff injuries  that may be a result of regular exposure to ergonomic risk factors. The hospital was not cited for those risk factors, but OSHA said the hospital should voluntarily take steps to address the problem.

Alexandra Kanik contributed to this story.
The Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU) supported by the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ghana is demanding the reinstatement of their three Local Union leaders who have been dismissed by the Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited for joining the Union.

Clad in red and black attires, members of the Union, yesterday, protested the dismissal of their members following the expiration of the ultimatum given to the company to reinstate the workers.

Numbering about 600, the members converged at the Mt. Sanai Methodist Church hoisting placards with inscriptions such as 'Enough of the intimidation of workers' right; stand up for your rights,' 'Bring back the three dismissed local Union leaders of Sunon Asogli Power Limited' and 'Stop interfering in the unionisation of workers.'

They matched through the street of Kpone amidst singing through to a barricaded area of the Sunon Asogli Power Limited under the guide of the Police but did not enter the premises of the Power plant.

There, the Union described the dismissal of the local Chairman, Secretary and Assistant Secretary as unfair, unlawful, suppressive and disrespect to national institutions.

General Secretary of the TUC, Dr Yaw Baah therefore implored the government to intervene and facilitate the reinstatement of the workers within two weeks.

He warned that the entire 1.5 billion membership of the Union would picket at the Jubilee House if government fails to address the issues within the given ultimatum.

General Secretary of GMWU, Abdul Moomin Gbana clarified that the GMWU and Sunon Asogli Power Limited went through the necessary legal processes to acquire a Collective Bargaining Certificate which empowered the Union to represent and negotiate with the company on behalf of the workers.

"In doing so, the Union did not only adopt the procedure and approach required by law but worked collaboratively with regulatory institutions of the state including the Labour Department of Ghana.

"It was therefore not surprising that when the same claims of the company bothering on the list of workers and the Collective Bargaining Certificate ended up at the National Labour Commission, the Commission directed and ruled that management demand for the list of the unionised workers did not arise at the stage of the unionisation process and that the Certificate was properly and legally acquired so the Company should comply and enter negotiations with the Union," he added.

According to him, the Commission also made it clear to Sunon Asogli that it was frustrating the unionisation process and violating the rights of the workers to form and join trade unions of their choices as guaranteed by the Constitution of Ghana, the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) 87 and 98.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ghana Labour Energy 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.

He said the Union was displeased with the blatant disrespect for the order and directives of the NLC by disregarding the decision of the NLC with impunity and rather resorted to acts of abuse, intimidation and victimisation of workers for the simple decision to join a Union.

While recognising the effort of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Gbana said calls for the management of the company to reinstate the workers had fallen on death ears.

Consequent to that, the Union would use any appropriate means including demonstrations across the country and picketing at the seat of government to demand the reinstatement of their dismissed members, Mr Gbana said.
An organization that helps refugees fleeing persecution resettle in cities across Texas said it was in dire financial straits and announced it would lay off staff members, close offices and pause some of its work helping new arrivals for the next four months.

In a news release Wednesday, Refugee Services of Texas said it was dealing with a "severe budget shortfall" and is seeking to raise $4 million by June 1.

The 45-year-old nonprofit organization said part of the reason for the shortfall was the number of refugees from Afghanistan it has helped settle in Texas in recent years.

MORE FROM HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Dan Crenshaw breaks from House GOP on border security bill

Since September 2021, Texas has received 10,594 Afghan refugees. Of those, 2,720 had been placed by Refugee Services of Texas, according to the group. The group has helped resettle another 1,014 from other countries in the same time period. The number of refugees helped was more than what the organization planned for in the past two fiscal years combined, according to the news release.

"Nevertheless, RST provided life-saving services to clients even though the agency had budgeted for and anticipated to resettle a much smaller number of refugees during this period," the group said. "To meet refugees broader needs, RSTs resettlement efforts have required a severe drawdown of RSTs financial reserves to nearly zero."

The organization said it planned to lay off about 107 employees by June 1 and close its office in Fort Worth and Houston. Other employees may be furloughed and Refugee Services will pause new refugee arrivals for 120 days while it "undergoes needed organizational restructuring and budget alignment," according to the statement.



"RST leadership expects the agency to weather the storm and emerge stronger and better able to serve new clients in the months ahead," the group said.

Refugee Services of Texas is one of a handful of agencies that help coordinate refugee resettlements in Houston. After the U.S. military left Afghanistan in 2021, Houston became one of the top designations for evacuated Afghans. At the time, resettlement organizations said they were rushing to expand to handle the increased demand.

Resettlement organizations rely on a mix of public and private funds to maintain their programs and also get money from the U.S. State Department for each new person they resettle. During former President Donald Trump's administration, the number of refugees in the country dropped drastically and funding to resettlement programs was cut.

Refugee Services of Texas said it was seeking donations from individuals and organizations and urged people to donate money through its website, RSTX.org.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

New images suggest Mars once had a rollicking river.

Mosaics from NASA's Perseverance rover show two important clues  coarse sediment grains and cobbles  that suggest a dried-up river had been deeper and faster than scientists thought.

MORE IMAGES: UAE releases stunning images of Deimos, Mars' smaller moon, that could challenge a long-standing theory

Those indicate a high-energy river thats truckin and carrying a lot of debris," Libby Ives, a postdoctoral researcher at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a news release. "The more powerful the flow of water, the more easily its able to move larger pieces of material."

One location in the Jezero Crater, nicknamed Skrinkle Haven, has curved layers that scientists determined were formed by powerfully flowing water. But there is debate on if this river was more like the Mississippi River, which winds snakelike across the landscape, or a braided river like Nebraskas Platte, which forms small islands of sediment called sandbars.

A second location, dubbed "Pinestand," is a hill with sedimentary layers that curve toward the sky  some as high as 66 feet. Scientists think these tall layers might have been formed by a powerful river, but they're also exploring other explanations.

"These layers are anomalously tall for rivers on Earth, Ives said. But at the same time, the most common way to create these kinds of landforms would be a river.

NASA's Perseverance rover landed on the Red Planet in February 2021. It is searching for signs of tiny ancient life forms, and it's collecting rock and dirt samples that a future mission could return to Earth to be studied in high-powered labs.
A couple from Ohio recently learned Buc-ee's is not a truck stop.

Two weeks ago, Dawn and Richard Thompson parked their trailer-less semi-truck at the Baytown Buc-ee's parking lot and walked inside the famous convenience store to purchase merchandise.

Before they were able to make their purchases, employees escorted them out of the store, Dawn wrote in a social media post on Facebook.

"They approached us and asked my husband if it was his truck," Dawn told mysanantonio.com.

She said employees told the Thompsons, "You are not allowed to purchase anything here, you have to leave now."

According to mysanantonio, the Thompsons sold their home in Liberty City, Ohio in September 2022 and became full-time truckers. They apparently drove through Texas several times, but this was the first time they stopped at Buc-ee's.

Little did they know, Buc-ee's is known for being a destination, not a pitstop.

A Buc-ee's spokesperson in 2019 told KVUE Austin the layout of its travel centers is, "Optimized for passenger vehicles," and its driveways and parking lots are not designed for use by 18-wheeler trucks.

The Facebook group America Over The Road suggested in 2018 Buc-ee's anti-semi-truck policy is "offensive" and unfair for seemingly calling out truckers.

The Thompsons questioned Buc-ee's policy, saying their trailer-less semi-truck fit in just two parking spaces while RVs in the parking lot took up 4, 6, and even 8 spaces.

"Trucks with trailers (are) OK but we don't want truckers in here," Thompson wrote on Facebook, suggesting that's what Buc-ee's employees told her.

The Chronicle reached out to Buc-ee's for clarity on its semi-truck policy and Thompsons' concerns but did not immediately receive a response.

Commenters on Thompson's Facebook post suggested they sue Buc-ee's for discrimination. Another pointed out Buc-ee's has signs telling customers not to park semi-trucks at Buc-ee's and they should have parked on the street.

Thompson told mysanantonio Buc-ee's receives deliveries from truckers all the time but questioned why truckers are not allowed in their stores.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Misleading claims about the neo-Nazi gunman responsible for Saturday's mass shooting at a Dallas-area shopping center are reverberating across Twitter, in large part because of Twitter owner Elon Musk.

Musk has questioned whether the man identified by authorities as the shooter, Mauricio Garcia, really had an account on a Russian social media platform, and Musk suggested that revelations about the shooter's background could be a psyop, or psychological operation, in which the public is misled about the real details of the shooting.

Garcia proclaimed his white supremacist views on social media and sported Nazi tattoos. Authorities and independent researchers have confirmed his interest in far-right extremism and white supremacism. When police killed Garcia, he was wearing a patch that read RWDS, an acronym that stands for  Right Wing Death Squad.

We do know he had neo-Nazi ideation, Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Director Hank Sibley said a news conference on Tuesday. He had patches. He had tattoos.

Musk also cast doubt on a Netherlands-based research group known as Bellingcat that released information about Garcia's online history when he tweeted that it specializes in psychological operations. He offered no evidence to support his claim, but the attack led to a barrage of harassment directed at Bellingcat from Musk's online fans.

This is either the weirdest story ever or a very bad psyop! Musk wrote in a tweet viewed more than 3 million times. Musk also responded to revelations about the gunman's ideology, with posts suggesting he didn't believe them. Very strange, Musk wrote in one instance. This gets weirder by the moment, in other.

Garcia's online history leaves little doubt that he harbored deeply negative views of Jewish people, people of color and women, according to an analysis of his posts conducted by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, an Alabama-based nonprofit that tracks extremist groups online.

Going back 10 years, the posts and diary entries show that Garcia held deep-seated white supremacist and neo-Nazi beliefs, as well as misogynistic and incel views, and a proclivity for violence, the organization concluded in its report.  Incel  refers to involuntarily celibate, a term used by a largely online movement of men who blame women for their lack of sexual and romantic opportunities.

Musk has laid off much of the staff at Twitter dedicated to ferreting out misinformation and toxic content and has since emerged as a source of misinformation himself. A new Twitter feature called community notes was created to allow users to add context or fact check claims themselves. But no community notes were attached to Musk's own Tweets about the gunman as of Wednesday.

Twitter did not answer questions seeking comment about Musk's misleading tweets, and instead responded in its now regular fashion, with an automated email containing only the excrement emoji.

Musk wasn't the only prominent user spreading false claims about the shooter on Twitter.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., shrugged off Garcia's self-professed racist views, noting that he was Latino. Only dumb white people would believe that a Mexican gang member is killing people for white supremacy.

Greene's Tweet ignores the fact that white supremacist groups have long tried to recruit Latinos; some such groups have created Spanish-language versions of their websites. And Enrique Tarrio, a Cuban American, is the former leader of the Proud Boys, one of the nation's most influential far-right groups.
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP)  Nevada lawmakers on Wednesday passed a joint resolution that would codify reproductive rights  including already-existing abortion access up to 24 weeks  into the state constitution.

The state Assembly approved of the measure 28 to 14 along party lines, about three weeks after the state Senate passed it 13 to 8 along party lines. State lawmakers must pass the resolution again in 2025 before it would go before voters as a ballot question in 2026. If passed, the resolution would provide the highest level of state protection for not only abortion rights, but also other reproductive access, including postpartum and prenatal care, as well as birth control.

Our state, among many other states, are being tested whether we stand up for reproductive and medical freedom for Nevadans, said Democratic Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch before voting for the resolution. Decisions about our health care, especially our reproductive health care, should be between a doctor, a patient, and those they trust.

Since last years reversal of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized the right to an abortion, more than a dozen states have effectively outlawed abortion and others have moved to further tighten abortion laws, including neighboring Utah and Idaho.

Abortion rights up to 24 weeks are already codified into Nevada law through a 1990 referendum vote, where two-thirds of voters were in favor. That can be changed with another referendum vote.

The standards are higher for amending the constitution, which requires either approval from two legislative sessions and an election, or two consecutive elections with a simple majority of votes. A governor is unable to veto a constitutional amendment.

Republicans spoke out against the proposal, mentioning that the protections are already codified into law and that it includes reproductive protections that extend beyond the 1990 referendum vote.

Republican Assemblywoman Danielle Gallant said she would be in favor of splitting the resolution into two proposals  one with abortion protections outlined in the 1990 referendum vote and another with the other reproductive protections  but would ultimately vote against the measure.

In an emotional speech, Republican Assemblyman Ken Gray recounted how his mother considered having an abortion before deciding against it, saying if I weren't here, my kids wouldn't be here.

I cannot and will not view (abortion) as anything other than evil, he said.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro led a group of 40 Democratic lawmakers in co-sponsoring the measure.

___

Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Stern on Twitter: @gabestern326.
How many decibels can convey the pain of a grieving father? How many can cut through the silent indifference at the Texas Capitol? How many does it take to stir Texans who havent yet lost a child to gun violence to join in calls for change?

These questions were no concern to state troopers under the pink dome on Tuesday night where Brett Cross, once again, was leading thunderous protests for a commonsense gun reform bill a year after his little boy, 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia, was killed during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

2744! Put this bill on the floor! Cross and about a dozen other gun safety advocates yelled late into the night in the echoing halls of power, calling the number of the house bill that would raise the age to purchase assault-style rifles from 18 to 21. Such legislation could have stopped the Uvalde shooter, who had tried and failed to get weapons when he was under-age and then promptly obtained them legally when he turned 18.

The parents pain and bewilderment couldnt be measured after months of rejection from mostly Republican lawmakers. But their decibel level could, by a handy device that troopers pulled out to record the noise level and justify ejecting Cross from the building for a rarely enforced infraction of disorderly conduct in a public place.

The footage of Cross being escorted out by several troopers, fist raised, defiantly leading a call and response with the advocates who remained stationed outside the House chamber, is emblematic of the righteous anger and courage displayed by the Uvalde families over the past year.

The hushed subtlety with which they were thwarted, perhaps for the final time this session, is emblematic of the cowardice on the other side.

There was no dramatic roll call vote on the House floor. There were no passionate speeches by lawmakers in favor of the measure, nor tears or solemn prayers among spectators in the gallery. Instead, the bill, by Rep. Tracy King, D-Batesville, much like the 21 victims at Robb Elementary, was killed behind closed doors, without any heroes left to save it.

Tuesdays 10 p.m. deadline for HB 2744 to be placed on the legislative calendar for a full House vote came and went, even as Cross and his fellow protesters rallied until the bitter end.

As months wore on, it appeared that many Republican lawmakers came to view Uvalde families for whom they had previously offered thoughts and prayers as run-of-the-mill nuisances on par with lobbyists for other dead-end liberal causes such as legalizing weed or raising the states minimum wage.

For the rest of us Texans who believe sensible gun laws can vastly reduce the tragic gun deaths of innocents, the families gave us hope. We couldnt give up because they wouldnt.

Every week since the legislative session began, they made the 3-hour drive from Uvalde to Austin. They once waited 13 hours to testify during a hearing on HB 2744. They sat in the offices of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, sharing photographs of their dead children, stories, tears and prayers, all the while remaining clear-eyed that the bills fate was virtually assured the moment that Gov. Greg Abbott declared such a measure unconstitutional during his re-election campaign last year. Legal experts disagree and so do states that already have such a law.

Still, the families had a plan, a modest goalpost they thought they could reach. They werent going to spend their limited time in Austin, away from work and family obligations, on some legislative fools errand. They clung to a surprising commitment from Speaker Dade Phelan at the beginning of the session not to stand in the way of a House floor debate on the bill. First they had to get the bill out of the House Select Committee on Community Safety, then out of calendars committee, which schedules the floor debate lineup. Once the bill was on the floor, theyd get to hear a full-throated case for it from supportive lawmakers and then, during the record vote, theyd take the names of every single lawmaker who voted against it  and work like hell to vote them out of office next year.

Of course, the bills opponents fought like hell to keep that from happening. A surprise albeit meager victory this week, in which the families managed to pressure lawmakers to pass the bill out of the first committee, with the support of two Republicans, no less, brought still more hope and euphoric reactions from the Uvalde contingent. Tears streamed down faces. They gripped each other in emotional embraces.

We commend the two Republicans, state Reps. Sam Harless, of Spring, and Justin Holland, of Rockwall, for seemingly voting their conscience in defiance of partisan inertia in the 8-5 committee vote.

Too many other lawmakers decided to simply plug their ears and wait for the inevitable. But Republicans shouldnt get too comfortable in their cruel victory.

This is just another f attempt to slow and stop us, Cross said on Twitter. 2744 may have died tonight, but we will never stop!

Nor will we. As long as innocent Texans and their children keep dying  in schools, in churches, in Walmarts, in outlet malls  someone needs to keep calling for gun reforms that many, many Texans support: raising the age for assault weapons, red flag laws, closing background check loopholes, restoring license requirements for concealed handguns.

Thank you, Uvalde families, for your courage, your leadership, and your unrelenting decibels.

Correction: A previous version of this editorial misstated Uziyah Garcias gender. We regret the error.
Regarding After Allen shooting, Abbott should unite Texans not inflame anti-immigrant fears, (May 10): The problem, I believe, is profound grief among the tribes of white, male, Christian nationalists about the changes in the world that presumably leave them without their power, privilege and role in the world. Such grief expresses itself first in denial, then in anger, then in involved political, economic and cultural manipulative schemes to maintain their status quo. Their sadness cannot be comforted with quiet reasoning, since it does not arise from what they consider reasonable changes.



The acting out of this grief can be seen (at least according to Robert Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute) in the Trump phenomenon and its correlates. Another example might be the recent coronation of Charles III, with all its beauty and irrelevancy. Ah, the last of the great European monarchs, symbol of the greatness of northern European white Christian civilization and all it accomplished. And now simply the subject of gossip columns. Or the greatness of Russia, or China, or any smaller fiefdom ruled by a leader who promises order, the kind of order that maintains some sort of status quo circa 1950.

We (Im white, male, Christian, 87 years old) have not learned to deal with all these changes without the strength of violence. Perhaps we can learn that sometimes, unlike the individualistic Wild West ideal of our imagination, it would be better to have the community share in a barn-raising for neighbors.

George M. Atkinson, Houston

Within hours after the mass shooting at an outlet mall in Allen on May 6, federal officials gave media reports about white supremacist postings and images on the shooters electronic devices, but we still have not been allowed to learn anything about the manifesto authorities talked about in the immediate aftermath of the March 27 Nashville school shooting perpetrated by Audrey Hale, who identified as a male at the time of the shooting.

This is a good example of why many Americans believe major media and government agencies are conspiring to promote an agenda trying to manipulate public opinion. What the heck did Audrey Hale write thats deemed so dangerous to the public that we cant see it? By the time authorities are done analyzing her writings, massaging the message, redacting parts they dont want released and possibly changing some of it, her manifesto will have no remaining value upon release. But well find out immediately if not sooner if a shooter has any ties to white supremacist groups, no matter how tenuous or speculative those ties may be.

Greg Groh, Houston

In order to win office in Texas you, have to convince the extreme Republican voting block that shows up for the primary that you lack compassion. Abbott demonstrates a lack of compassion by ignoring the majority of Texans with compassion who want something, anything, done to stop the mass casualties at schools and shopping malls. Abbott has to say in response to the death of a three-year-old that the solution is more guns. Really?

Republicans who vote for extreme candidates such as Greg Abbott have been convinced by wealthy individuals and corporations financing carefully engineered culture wars to support policies and candidates that actually have terrible consequences for their families and communities. Health insurance, safety, a living wage, an environment free from pollution, freedom to vote and control of your own body are the matters that define compassionate people.

Dale Stevens, Plantersville

License to crab

Regarding In Texas, you need a license to crab, but not to buy a gun (Opinion), Once again a writer conflates a privilege with a right as he compares crabbing to buying a gun. No one has a constitutional right to go crabbing. Like driving on a public roadway, it is a privilege for which a license is required.



Exercising our constitutional rights does not require licenses. At most, we simply have to prove who we say we are to exercise that right, be it buying a gun or casting a vote. There is no certification test to buy a gun, just as there is no intelligence test to cast a vote. Clearly, some argue both are needed, but at least with the latter, thats already been settled as usurping our constitutional rights.

Some like to point to the gun as the common denominator in all this mayhem, but if we were honest, wed admit the common denominator is the decline in the family unit and the associated educational and mental health issues, often brought on by drug use, that arise from that.

Tim Graney, Katy

Beyond common sense

Regarding Why must mothers bodies stop the bullets? Pray for action after Allen, Cleveland and Uvalde, (May 8): When we hear a politician preface a response to gun violence with the words common sense gun legislation, you know that whatever follows will not deal with the real issue. Gun violence has three basic parts: opportunity, perpetrator and means.

Opportunity refers to situations where there are groups of people in one location such as schools, shopping centers, places of worship etc. Steps can be taken to minimize exposure in these places but these opportunities cannot be eliminated. Perpetrator is the gunman or gunmen. How can they be identified beforehand with any degree of certainty? They cant.

The most effective way to stop gun violence is to deal with the means, which is to greatly limit the number of guns available to the general population. We need politicians who have the humanity, ability and passion to provide the leadership necessary to do this. Our families have a basic, universal, human right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This is more important, by far, than the rights of gun owners.

Norman Bunch, Houston
Key Hispanic political leaders in Texas and beyond are blasting President Joe Biden for the administrations new policy that will prevent many asylum-seekers at the border from claiming protection on U.S. soil.

LATEST: Biden administration braces for 'chaotic' end to Title 42 border policy

With the Trump-era rule Title 42 lifting, the Biden administration is putting in place a new program that requires people to make their claim in Mexico or another country before coming to the U.S. border, or be ruled ineligible for entry.

The Biden administration says the program will have tougher consequences for people who dont follow the rules and try to enter the country illegally. Most notably, they could be barred from making an asylum claim for five years.

Its all brought condemnation from Hispanic leaders in Congress and from Julian Castro, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and former mayor of San Antonio, who took to social media to point out Bidens flip-flop on the issue. During the 2020 presidential campaign, the Democrat blasted Trump for making migrants remain in squalor on the other side of the border and preventing them from making legitimate asylum claims.

But Castro said Biden is now doing the same thing, preventing people from making their claim on U.S. soil.

Promise broken, Castro tweeted.

He followed that with more criticism on MSNBC, saying Biden has had more than two years to prepare for the lifting of Title 42.

The administration has been approaching the issue of immigration based on fear and really just trying to do what it can to avoid it for the last 2 years instead of being proactive, Castro said.

He said because the Biden administration has dragged its feet so long on lifting Title 42, it has created the bottleneck of asylum-seekers the U.S. is now seeing at the border.

MORE: Gov. Greg Abbott makes public show of sending more troops to border

It didnt have to be this way, said Castro, the former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama.

In Congress, U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J.; Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M.; and Alex Padilla D-Calif., all slammed the new policy in a joint letter to the White House.

It is disappointing to see the Administration instead chose to move forward with a harmful transit ban that fundamentally limits access to our nations asylum system, they said.

Biden officials have defended their approach, saying they are hindered by Congress not addressing immigration reform. They say despite expecting an initial influx in migrant crossings at the U.S. border with Mexico, they feel good about the policies they have implemented.

Our plan will deliver results, but it will take time for those results to be fully realized, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Wednesday before the new policy went into effect.

Other Democrats like U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat whose district includes parts of the South Side of San Antonio, has called Bidens new program a reasonable step and disagreed with immigration advocates who say it is too similar to what Trump had in place.
The use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in settling conflicts has superior benefits compared to the court system, President of the Ghana National Association of ADR Practitioners (GNAAP), Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng has said.

"Beyond the cost effectiveness and timely benefits of ADR, it is able to reconcile disputants to de-escalate conflicts and prevent them from degenerating to violent levels," he said.

Mr Owusu-Koranteng made these remarks at the graduation ceremony of 48 graduates who had completed the Executive Master in Professional ADR at the Institute of Paralegal Training and Leadership Studies (IPLS) in Accra over the weekend.

He therefore, called on the government to support the training of ADR professionals and ensure that people appointed to positions of responsibility and trust have training in ADR since conflict resolution was a key management function.

The GNAAP president advocated the need for government to invest in the promotion of ADR in Ghana because the country had the potential to be the ADR hub for Africa and at the global level.

Mr Owusu-Koranteng stated that ADR had its roots in "our traditional system of dispute Resolution where peace building is an important aspect of conflict resolution."

He advised the graduates to take ethics of the ADR Practice serious as they would soon be inducted into GNAAP which was now the only ADR Professional body in Ghana.

"We are putting structures in place to ensure that members undertake their professional practice based on the ethics of the profession," he stated.

Mr Owusu-Koranteng congratulated the graduands for sacrificing their busy schedules to undertake the 15-Week ADR course.

The guest speaker, Reverend Dorcas Koomson of the Methodist Church of Ghana described the work of ADR Practitioners as very important because ADR Practitioners were agents of peace.

"Our society needs honest and dedicated people to be ADR Professionals to be able to reduce the number of cases that have piled up in the courts, "she said.

The Governor of IPLS, Mr Alex Nartey commended them for the choice they have made to promote ADR in the country.

He encouraged professionals to add knowledge in conflict resolution to their already existing professions.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Pappas Restaurants accused the city of using law enforcement Thursday to prevent it from taking expensive equipment it had purchased, including dishwashers and sinks, as it worked to move out of Hobby Airport by the end of the day.

The restaurant group was required to be out of the airport Thursday night after losing its 20-year concession rights in a bitter fight with the city over the procurement process that ended with another company winning a $470 million, 10-year contract to sell food to travelers at the airport.

As Thursday's transition got underway, however, Pappas said airport security and police interrupted the process. The company said it was exploring its legal options.

"We were working extraordinarily hard to take out all removable equipment when our team was met by the head of airport security and law enforcement who instructed them not to remove equipment that was purchased by Pappas Restaurants," said Christina Pappas, the company's marketing director. "The city is working on behalf of Areas to forcefully acquire expensive equipment without paying. The behavior of the city continues to be disgraceful. Houston deserves better.

Pappas and the city had clashed over the fixtures in court. At a hearing last week, lawyers for the two sides argued over sinks, refrigerators and water heaters. The city sent a default notice to recover the costs of some of the disputed fixtures, which Pappas said would affect its credit.

In response, the city Legal Department issued a statement saying under its contract Pappas is allowed to take away "removable" fixtures.

"However, Pappas is also seeking to dismantle and take away other key fixtures, such as three compartment sinks, that are bolted or otherwise permanently affixed to Hobby Airport," the statement reads. "Such removals are contractually impermissible, cause damage to the airport facilities and would inevitably cause customer service disruptions as the airport switches vendors."

The statement said Pappas has ignored repeated reminders of its contractual obligations.

Pappas was working to shutter eight restaurants at the airport Thursday into Friday, after two separate judges rejected the company's requests to stay in the terminals while its lawsuit plays out. Areas, a company new to Hobby, will take over the food-and-beverage scene at the airport.

LaTrelle's, a Houston company that started with a bakery at the airport in the 1980s, won half of the contract last year. The city said Wednesday that 300 of Pappas' 400 employees at the airport have been hired by the new companies, with the remaining 100 hired on by Pappas or other jobs.

Starting Friday, travelers passing through Hobby will see temporary eateries until the two companies can fully set up their permanent restaurants. They no longer will be able to eat at Pappadeaux, Pappas Burger, Pappasito's, Pappas Bar-B-Q or a combined location of Dunkin' and Baskin Robbins.

We are proud of what we have achieved at Hobby Airport," CEO Chris Pappas said Wednesday. "It has been an honor to serve the city of Houston and Houstonians. We would like to thank the Houston Airport System, Southwest and all the other airlines for their partnership.

THE LATEST: Pappas set to leave Hobby next week after judge rejects bid to stay amid new fight over fixtures

In their place Friday will be a Hubcap Bar & Grill, Pink's Pizza, Gastrohub Bistro and Bar, Streat Bar, Bullrito's and Pick Up Stix.

Travelers still will have options at Chick-fil-A, Buffalo Wild Wings, one of two Peet's Coffee locations, Wendy's and Starbucks,venues that are open now and will continue to operate under the new contracts.

In the fall, Fat Cat Creamery, a new Dunkin', The Spot Bar and Velvet Taco are expected to join the lineup. They will be followed next year by The Rustic, Jersey Mike's, Pei Wei, a new Chick-fil-A, Throughgood Coffee, two Starbucks locations, Common Bond Cafe, Yard House, Killen's Barbeque, Spindletap Brewery, Dish Society and Longhorn Steakhouse, along with a new Pink's Pizza location and Wendy's.

Cramer James, project director for LaTrelle's, said the company would begin construction of Velvet Taco on Friday, the first phase of its permanent lineup.

"LaTrelles, who has been in operation at Hobby Airport since 1985, is excited to bring these new and fresh brands to the Hobby traveler," James said

Areas deferred questions to the Houston Airport System.

"The temporary options are a priority of Houston Airports to minimize impact to our passengers while we move forward with the phased transition of the new food and beverage concepts," HAS spokeswoman Melissa Correa said.

Pappas waged a spirited public campaign to get City Council to reverse the city's decision and let it continue its two-decade tenure at Hobby, alleging the city led a faulty contracting process. That effort proved unsuccessful in March, when the council voted 11-6 to give the deal to Areas.

Mayor Sylvester Turner responded by saying Pappas was running a "smear campaign" against the city, which he said used the same process that resulted in new, uncontroversial contracts at both of the city's commercial airports last year.

BACKGROUND: Pappas sues Houston over Hobby Airport deal, citing call from former mayoral aide during bid process

In April, the popular local chain sued the city, asking a judge to throw out the city's contract with Areas and to let Pappas stay at the airport while the case plays out. The company argues the city violated several of its own procurement rules in awarding the concessions contract. The city had asked for proposals for the contract in three separate rounds of bidding over four years, an unusually protracted process.

The Pappas-led group, 4 Families of Hobby, had finished tied for first in the scoring last year, and came in third after the city asked for best-and-final offers. LaTrelle's won half of that contract after the final offers, but SSP America and 4 Families were separated by .2 points, and the city canceled the other half due to close scoring. Areas came in fourth and was not asked for a best-and-final offer in that round.

Areas, though, won the new round of bidding earlier this year by a fraction of a point. It had proposed a higher cut of its revenues to the city, 22 percent, than Pappas, at 15.5 percent.

Two separate judges have rejected the Pappas' requests to let the restaurants stay in the airport while the case plays out.

RELATED: Mayoral aide was offered more than $10K to help bar pass inspection, fast-track permit, records show

As part of the Pappas case, the company introduced a voicemail message that a mayoral aide named William-Paul Thomas had left for Chris Pappas in 2019, when the contract was in its first round of bidding. Thomas told Pappas that he "had a great meeting with a couple of folks and I'm going to share with you some of the thoughts that we had going forward."

Pappas did not return the call, which likely violated a city rule that prohibits communication between companies bidding on contracts and city officials, save for the city's designated representative handling the contract. Thomas retired last year after admitting to federal prosecutors that he accepted bribes in an unrelated case.

A judge has not yet heard Pappas' request to nullify the contract between the city and Areas.
WASHINGTON  After months of infighting led by Texas Republicans, the House GOP on Thursday advanced a sweeping border security package that would resume border wall construction, reinstate Trump-era immigration policies and restrict asylum to block the vast majority of migrants seeking refuge in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Texas Reps. Tony Gonzales and Chip Roy are at center of a GOP split over border security bill

The razor-thin 219-213 vote made good on midterm campaign pledges by Republicans, who took control of the House vowing to crack down on what they deemed a crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, where illegal crossings topped 2 million for the first time last year. It was timed to coincide with the end Thursday night of a public health order that has been used to immediately turn away most migrants since the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

Texans voted along party lines, with every Republican supporting the bill and every Democrat opposed.

"Republicans are leading," said U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, an Austin Republican who was a key driver of the legislation. "We are doing the job the president refuses to do. The American people know it, they see it, and my Democratic colleagues are going to suffer the consequences for this abject failure."

The bill is unlikely to go further without major changes. Democrats, who control the Senate and White House, have rejected it as "harmful, dangerous, irresponsible and just plain wrong."

"This bill is an extremist Republican wish list that caters to the partys most warped values by jailing children and families and extinguishing asylum," said U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat. "The cruelty, unfortunately, is the point. Its no wonder this bill has been called un-Christian."

Despite its long odds, Texas Republicans cheered the bill's passage in the House. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who has been a key negotiator on bipartisan legislation in the past, called it "a welcomed starting point for the Senate to begin discussing border security and enforcement legislation."

The bill would direct Customs and Border Protection to hire 22,000 more Border Patrol agents and would authorize $9,000 bonuses. It would also send $110 million to local law enforcement in counties along the border.

RELATED: Dan Crenshaw breaks from House GOP on border security bill

The legislation would reinstate Trump-era rules requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico while their claims are adjudicated. And it would greatly restrict who can claim asylum and how they can do it, in part by banning asylum to anyone who crosses the border between ports of entry and anyone who traveled through a third country on their way to the U.S. but did not seek asylum there.

The bill also would significantly restrict who could be paroled into the U.S., barring the Homeland Security Department from allowing groups of migrants to enter the country, as the Biden administration has done for Ukrainians and Afghans, as well as some Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans.

The legislation would restart the detention of migrant families and increase detention capacity. It would lengthen the time unaccompanied children can be held, as well, from three days to 30.

It also includes a provision to commission a national strategy for dealing with Mexican drug cartels that was added in the last minute to appease U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Houston Republican who complained that the bill didn't do enough to combat cartels.

But the legislation does not include more sweeping proposals pushed by Roy, whose district stretches to San Antonio. Roy's bill would have allowed the Homeland Security secretary to shut the border completely if the federal government is unable to detain all migrants.

TITLE 42: Biden administration braces for 'chaotic' end to pandemic-era border policy

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a San Antonio Republican, vocally opposed Roy's bill, stalling it earlier this year when it appeared to be on the fast track to a floor vote. Gonzales, who co-chairs the Congressional Hispanic Conference, blasted the proposal as un-American and vowed to do whatever it took to fight it, including opposing GOP efforts to use debt ceiling negotiations with the White House to rein in spending.

"I won," Gonzales declared in an interview with Hearst Newspapers. Gonzales said he would not have written some of the bill as it was, but "I was able to take the really nasty stuff out of it, and thats kind of the way it works up here on the Hill.

"Ive been very clear at what my red lines were," he said. "Im trying to protect legal immigration, those that are doing it legally, those that have legitimate claims."

Democrats blasted Gonzales and other Republicans who had previously criticized pieces of the legislation.

"Unfortunately, it sounds like the speaker has tempted those individuals who were talking with their values to now vote yes with a few meaningless concessions and promises," said U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington. "Their constituents will still know exactly what they're doing when they vote yes on the bill. The bill today has only gotten more extreme from when those initial comments were made. It still ends asylum, it still strips protections for unaccompanied children, it still mandates the detention of families and children, and it will still wreck our economy."
Title 42, the pandemic-era federal border policy that gave officials the power to forego the asylum process and immediately expel migrants, is expiring Thursday and thousands of asylum seekers are at the border waiting for a chance to legally gain entry.

Migrants will face harsher penalties for crossing the border unlawfully, including a five-year ban on entry.

Crossings are expected to increase, with migrants and asylum seekers fleeing desperate conditions in their home countries. In the El Paso area, where migrants are sleeping on sidewalks, non-profit organizations are accepting help through donations or volunteering.

FROM THE BORDER: The Title 42 immigration policy ends today. Here's what's happening in El Paso and the Texas border.

Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Asylum seekers face a stark reality in the U.S.: at the end of 2022, immigration courts had a backlog of over 806,000 asylum cases and the average wait time for a hearing was over four years, researchers at Syracuse University found.

An analysis of 2022 immigration court filings from Syracuse University shows where people have been impacted by volatility in different parts of the world.

Researchers found the top 10 nationalities of migrants to the U.S. in 2022 were: Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Colombians, Hondurans, Haitians, Mexicans, Guatemalans, Peruvians and Russians. Here are some of the reasons people have made a long, dangerous trek, sometimes through multiple countries, to try and claim asylum in the United States.

Cuba

Cubans are fleeing their country in the largest numbers in more than four decades, driven by poverty and fears of political oppression, the Associated Press reported in August. Hundreds of government critics remain behind bars, including many who participated in demonstrations in 2021, according to Human Rights Watch.

DANGEROUS TRAVEL: Haitian Odyssey: 10,000 miles in search of home

Historic numbers of Cubans crossed the U.S.-Mexico border last year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which clocked more than 175,000 encounters with Cubans at the southwest border. The influx of Cuban asylum seekers comes as economic conditions in the country have deteriorated, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Venezuela

More than 7 million refugees and migrants have left Venezuela as a result of political and socioeconomic instability, generating one of the largest migration crises in the world, according to Human Rights Watch.

The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela was spurred by mismanagement and corruption ushered in by authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro. Faced with international sanctions, including from the United States, and a collapse in the county's oil production, Venezuela's GDP shrank by roughly two-thirds between 2014 and 2020. The instability has led to shortages of food, medicine and other necessities.

MIGRATION LAW: Texas Democrats gut GOP-backed citizen border patrol bill with late-night tactic

As a result, the number of Venezuelans arriving at the U.S. border has skyrocketed  increasing over 300 percent between August 2021 and August 2022, according to CBP data.

Many Venezuelans are leaving the country without documents to cross borders, facing tremendous danger from smugglers and traffickers, the International Organization for Migration has reported.

Nicaragua

Under the leadership of increasingly authoritarian President Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua has seen democracy erode and violence against protestors escalate. As of 2020, more than 100,000 Nicaraguans had fled the country, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; that number had roughly doubled by 2022, with many Nicaraguans seeking asylum in Costa Rica.

CBP recorded nearly 165,000 encounters with unauthorized Nicaraguan migrants in 2022, a 52-fold increase over 2020, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

TIMELINE: 40 years of U.S. border policy, from Reagan and Bush to Biden

Colombia

After the pandemic left many businesses in Colombia bankrupt, the country saw massive protests in 2021 over proposed income tax hikes, the Associated Press reported. Human Rights Watch said their organization gathered evidence linking police to the slaying of 25 protesters during the wave of demonstrations.

Immigration court filings showed border crossings by Colombians amounted to about 84,000 in 2022.

Houston-area court filings show some 2,000 Colombians were headed to the area in the last fiscal year.

MORE ON TEXAS IMMIGRATION: Gov. Greg Abbott comments on Texas shooting, calling victims 'illegal immigrants'

Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News

Honduras

Houston was a major destination for Hondurans in 2022  nearly 9,000 received new notices to appear in local immigration courts.

It was the fifth most common nationality to enter the country and face deportation  roughly 69,000 people, according to the Syracuse University analysis of immigration court records.

Some migrants are fleeing widespread gang violence in Honduras; the country's homicide rate ranks among the highest in the world, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

jen.rice@houstonchronicle.com
WFO LAKE CHARLES Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, May 10, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

Severe Weather Statement

National Weather Service Lake Charles LA

542 PM CDT Wed May 10 2023

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN CAMERON AND

SOUTHWESTERN CALCASIEU PARISHES...EAST CENTRAL JEFFERSON AND

SOUTHEASTERN ORANGE COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 545 PM CDT...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe

limits, and has exited the warned area. Therefore, the warning will

be allowed to expire. However gusty winds and heavy rain are still

possible with this thunderstorm.

TX

. TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

DALLAM HARTLEY OLDHAM

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northern Cameron Parish in southwestern Louisiana...

Southwestern Calcasieu Parish in southwestern Louisiana...

East central Orange County in southeastern Texas...

* Until 615 PM CDT.

* At 546 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Toomey, or

near Orange, moving northeast at 30 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Orange, West Orange, Vinton, Pinehurst, Toomey, Edgerly and

Carlyss.

This includes the following highways...

Interstate 10 in Texas between mile markers 880 and 875.

Interstate 10 in Louisiana between mile markers 1 and 16.

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.

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 MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, May 11, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Midland has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northeastern Gaines County in western Texas...

Western Dawson County in western Texas...

* Until 330 AM CDT.

* At 223 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles southeast

of Seagraves Airport, or 7 miles southeast of Seagraves, moving

northeast at 45 mph.

THIS IS A DESTRUCTIVE STORM FOR NORTHEAST GAINES AND WESTERN

DAWSON COUTNIES.

HAZARD...80 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

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...

Lamesa, Seagraves Airport, Welch, Loop, Punkin Center, Patricia and

McKenzie Lake.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO SHREVEPORT Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, May 11, 2023

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

South Central Bossier Parish in northwestern Louisiana...

Southern Caddo Parish in northwestern Louisiana...

De Soto Parish in northwestern Louisiana...

Northwestern Red River Parish in northwestern Louisiana...

Northwestern Sabine Parish in northwestern Louisiana...

Northeastern Shelby County in eastern Texas...

Eastern Panola County in northeastern Texas...

* Until 1045 AM CDT.

* At 744 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or

expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

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...

Mansfield, Stonewall, Logansport, Joaquin, South Mansfield,

Keachi, Grand Cane, Longstreet, Stanley, Carmel, Kingston, Reeds

Store, Gloster, Kickapoo, Frierson, Keat Chie, Pelican, Grand

Bayou, Caspiana and Evelyn.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
Click here for a Print Subscription with Online Digital included.

Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Below you will see test that reads Print Subscribe Access. Click this to then Get Started attaching your account number and zip code to you online user account.

Click on the banner above if you would like to become a print subscriber with digital access.

If you simply want online access without print click get started below.
Subscribers to Register-Star or The Daily Mail are eligible to receive full access to HudsonValley360.

If you have an existing print subscription, please make sure your email address on file matches your HudsonValley360 account email.
A 50 year-old Harare man was recently nabbed after he was found with 410 ecstasy tablets stashed under his car seat.

Tonderai Musekiwa appeared before Harare magistrate Ngoni charged with unlawful possession of dangerous drugs.

He was also found in possession of 19 sachets of cocaine hidden in the fuel cap.

The cocaine recorded 18,1826 grams with an estimated street value of $1 800 000, while ecstasy tablets recorded 134,64277 grams valued at $902 000.

Musekiwa was denied bail after the state argued that available evidence shows that he is dealing with dangerous drugs.

He denied the allegations arguing that the drugs were planted in his car.

"The state was able to specify how the accused deals with the drugs...drugs are addictive and hard to let go once engaged. Drug peddling harms the public," said the magistrate in denying Musekiwa bail.

According to court papers, Musekiwa was arrested after detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics, Harare, received information to the effect that he was supplying cocaine to residents in Harare using a blue mini cooper vehicle.

The court heard on April 3, detectives spotted the said motor vehicle parked along Leopold Takawira Street, Harare.

They reportedly approached the motor vehicle and found Musekiwa seated on the driver's seat.

After introducing themselves, they conducted a body search but could not find anything.

Further searches were carried out in the vehicle, leading to the recovery and seizure of one big sachet containing 410 tablets and the cocaine.


remaining of

Thank you for using HudsonValley360! On your next view you will be asked to log in or create an account to continue reading.
The Adams Fire District holds its annual meeting on Tuesday evening.

Adams Fire District May Expand to Entire Town



Voters approved all 19 articles within a half-hour with little to no discussion. Updated (5-11-2023 at 9 a.m.) with clarifications from the Prudential Committee Chairman Thomas Satko Satko said the vote taken Tuesday only ratified the special legislation needed to expand the district. That legislation has already been filed. He said district membership voting to expand the district was only an early step in the process that will certainly include input from members of the public potentially coming into the district. "We want to do this the right way, and we want townspeople to be part of this decision," he said. Satko said the district council is working with town council to organize a community meeting to discuss the matter that will be followed by a townwide vote. He did not have an exact timeline for when these meetings would occur and noted many details still needed to be worked out. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ADAMS, Mass. The Fire District membership voted to increase the district's size to the town's limits at the annual meeting bringing a new fire protection and street lighting charge to new members.

The Fire District flew through 19 articles in about a half-hour Tuesday and voted, without question, to expand the district so that all those receiving fire protection outside of the district's current overlay would now have to pay a fee.

"We've been asked by the members of the district. They would like to see those outside the district pay for fire protection," Prudential Committee Chairman Thomas Satko said after the meeting about Article 17. "So we're doing what our members of the district asked us to do."

Currently, the district is focused in the downtown area of Adams, and there are about 168 houses outside of the district. Although firefighters still respond to fires outside of the district, these residents do not pay any fees to the district.

Now, all property owners will be charged a semi-annual fee that, at this moment in time, is 91 cents per $1,000 valuation. The district also runs the Water Department but properties not on the water lines will not be charged for water.

The town is completely separate from the fire district, and Town Administrator Jay Green said the expansion can be done unilaterally from the town.

"There are specific provisions in Massachusetts General Law for a Fire District to expand," Green said. "It is the responsibility of the Adams Fire District to ensure that they are complying with any legal requirements and to communicate to the community the reasons why the Fire District wishes to expand so a healthy and informative conversation can take place in the proper venues."

Green added that without a fire district, fire protection services would fall to the town.

"Generally speaking, there are no ramifications to the operation of local town government. However, I think it is important for perspective and discussion that if there was no Fire District, local town government would be responsible for structural fire protection, and those costs would be covered by real estate tax as part of the town budget rather than a separate tax," Green said. "Therefore, it is worth asking the question, what is the value to the community in having a separate Fire District?"

The entire meeting passed with few questions or opposition with only one single no vote from the dozens of district members who attended the meeting held in the fire station.

Article 6 represented the proposed operating budget and asked members to appropriate $596,905.90 from district taxes.

Article 8 authorized the district to raise and appropriate $1,570,659.63 from rates for the Enterprise Fund and to pay loans maturing during the upcoming fiscal year

Article 5 set the salaries of district employees totaling $24,750.92.

Article 7 will allocate $5,000 from district taxes for the Adams support fee.

Article 9 allowed the district to place $40,000 of surplus revenue into the reserve fund and Article 10 drew $15,500 from the surplus revenue to purchase fire safety equipment. This amount will be fully reimbursed by the state.

Article 11 raises $100,000 from rates for the radio read meter replacement and Article 12 raises $10,000 from rates for the Cheshire PILOT Invoice.

Satko clarified that Cheshire is billing the district for the land it uses in Cheshire. This includes the well fields and land on West Road and Orchard Street.

Article 13 will appropriate from available funds $16,000 for an engineering review of the Greylock Glen and Article 14 will allow the district to pull $50,000 from the surplus account to go toward the Lead Service Line Inventory. This money will be reimbursed by the state.

Article 15 pulls $50,000 from stabilization to put toward a down payment on a new fire engine.

The same day, the Fire district held its election in which 72 voters cast ballots.

Richard Kleiner will return to the Prudential Committee with 55 votes and John Pansecchi will remain chief engineer with 56 votes.

David Lennon was voted in as first assistant engineer with 69 votes, Edward Capeless as second assistant engineer with 69 votes, Mark Therrien as third assistant engineer with 65 votes, and Dylan Grimes as fourth assistant engineer with 67 votes.
Pittsfield Council Hears Emergency Response Plans for Train Derailment

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  In light of a recent train derailment in Ohio that spread hazardous materials, the City Council heard of Pittsfield's plan for a similar situation if it were to happen.



"We haven't had a train derailment in Pittsfield in a long time. The last one was in Dalton and it happened to be a train car full of refrigerators. That doesn't mean it can't happen," Fire Chief Thomas Sammons said.



"Fortunately, the trains go very slow through Pittsfield because it's an urban environment and then once they get to Dalton they start to go uphill and they continue to head east."



If the unfortunate event were to happen, the initial response would be Car 2, three engines, and one truck company to assess the situation. For a confirmed derailment, the District 5 hazardous materials response team, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, and the state Department of Environmental Protection would be contacted immediately.



There would be a parallel response from the Fire department, the railroad, and from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.



"Our initial actions would be to establish a unified command that would be police, fire, medical response, railroad, and a representative from MEMA. MEMA trains extensively in these kinds of emergencies so they are nothing but your friend," Sammons explained.



"Obviously rescue is our No. 1 priority and then we decide whether to evacuate an area or shelter in place and that would depend on a lot of things."



Once the hazardous materials team gets involved, emergency personnel can set up air monitoring stations to determine where hot zones, warm zones, and cold zones are so that priorities can be established. The hazmat trucks also have the ability to do plume modeling to predict the paths and concentrations of airborne contaminants.



Hazardous materials also need to be contained, confined, and diverted into a safe location keeping them out of storm drains, groundwater, and other bodies of water.



If a train car ignites, the plan is to let it burn off in a clean way.




iciHaiti - France : Inauguration of the solar power plant of the Port-au-Prince Police Station





As part of the cooperation between the National Police of Haiti (PNH) and the Directorate of Security and Defense Cooperation (DCSD) of France Diplomacy, the Ambassador of France, Fabrice Mauries, inaugurated Wednesday at the police station of Port-au-Prince, a solar power plant with a capacity of 9KW.



Thanks to this plant, the police station will now be self-sufficient in terms of electricity. Ambassador Mauries also handed over to the Inspector General of the PNH and to the Chief Commissioner of Port-au-Prince the keys of 17 motorcycles in order to strengthen their operational capacities. These donations are the first step of the 2023 cooperation plan.



According to the Ambassador, other announcements will follow "[...] training of agents in anti-gang techniques, including in France, donations of materials and equipment, permanent presence of a technical expert. France will do more in 2023 to help the PNH in its fight against insecurity."



IH/ iciHaiti


















THE government has liberalised the marketing of grain by bringing on board the CBZ Bank and AFC Bank as the first private players allowed to purchase directly from farmers.

The latest development announced by the Cabinet this week is expected to ease the burden of processing payments from every farmer.

"The nation is being informed that the Second Republic has liberalised the marketing of grain and allowed CBZ Bank, AFC Bank as well as private financiers to purchase directly from farmers the grain which they contracted to those farmers," said the cabinet.

Under the arrangement, the Grain Marketing Board will purchase the grain from farmers who received government support, and from those who financed their own farming operations.

Farmers were being assured that payments for grain deliveries will be processed as soon as possible in order to facilitate preparations for their next operations.

Cabinet also revealed that current grain stocks held by the GMB comprise 220 000 metric tonnes of maize, 40 000 metric tonnes of traditional grains, and 160 000 metric tonnes of wheat.

Millers and stock feed manufacturers are being allocated 27 000 metric tonnes of maize and up to 7 000 metric tonnes of sorghum per month excluding private sector stocks amid revelations that the nation is food secure until the next harvest.

Market watchers however, believe that if the modalities are properly implemented, farmers may be motivated to dispose of their grain through formal channels as opposed to resorting to black market sales in a development which may see the nation building adequate stocks.

However, some expressed fears that if improperly implemented, the measures may result in higher grain prices prompted by the pursuit of proper market pricing likely to be pursued by the private players.
analysis

Uganda has tried to venture into the manufacturing of motor vehicles. This effort was herald by the innovations by the Makerere University students who produced an EV vehicle they named Kiira EV. Subsequently, they went to produce the Kayoola bus.

Reeling with this excitement of local innovation, government committed funds to establish a motor vehicle factory in Nakasongola and at Mutai in Jinja. The private sector not to be left out, an ambitious businessman from Kisoro also got into the fray. Under his flagship of Metu industries based in Namanve, he is also gearing up to start producing buses.

Since government's financial investment in both the NEC's Nakasongola and the Kiira Motors project in Jinja has been in phases or piecemeal, it is not yet readily ascertained how much in total government has injected in these two undertakings. It was reported that Metu Bus Industries also sought to get government funding and protection.

What is not yet known is how long the country has to wait to see the locally produced buses and vehicles in the motor show rooms and plying our roads.

What is known however is that our neighbours such as Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda after having assessed and found out such government undertakings to manufacture locally vehicles would not only be a long shot but also not competitive, they decided to resort to courting the renown foreign motor vehicle manufactures to set assembling shops in their respective countries. We now know that, the Swedish truck manufacturers, Scania have set up an assembling plant in Tanzania. Volkswagen, have set up an assembling plant in Rwanda where they are currently producing various models of VW.

There are many heads up advantages when you team up with an already global market player in producing locally a particular vehicle model. First, you as a country don't have to carry all the financial burden of construction, equipping and operating the plant. Secondly, with such a partnership, there is immediate technological and human knowledge transfer to the country. Thirdly and probably one of the critical aspect of vehicle manufacture is that your product automatically gets to fit in the global supply chain which enable whatever you produce locally to avoid the direct and normally very fierce market competition with the already established brands.

It just now needs to be seen how our Kayoola Bus will compete with the Scania and Isuzu buses produced in Tanzania and Kenya respectively.

Yes, it is possible that government can decree that all purchases of buses for use in the country must be from Kayoola in order to give the local buses manufacturers protection, however it is to be seen as for long that policy can be economically sustainable in such a liberal economic environment that we have.

The economists do know of the power of the long established economic phenomena of comparative or competitive advantage in being fundamental in guiding a successful and sustainable business decision.

May be, this would bring us to asses what actually our country's competitive advantage is in this undertaking of producing vehicles locally here. In doing this assessment we need to also consider other production sectors that we as a country do engage in.

Here, agriculture must be closely considered side by side with the vehicle manufacturing with a view of ascertaining whether if we had injected all that amount of money that we have put in the vehicle manufacturing endeavours instead in drastically improving our agricultural production.

Would similar investment yield in terms of improving on extension services, provision of better quality planting materials, provision of irrigation, provision of tractors to the medium land holders? How much would it improve on post harvest handling in terms of storage and processing, provision of updated market information and provision of small scale cottage processing equipment for value addition? Wouldn't all these change make us more competitive in agricultural production in the region than in manufacturing vehicles?

The cardinal theory in economic development is that no country can produce all that it requires, so and that is why there continues to be flourish trade between and among nations. This inter trade enables countries to sell to others what they produce competitively and buy what from others what they can't produce competitively. That has been the norm and trend of things. There is absolutely no point or economic benefit for anyone to venture into producing what won't probably be competitive and thus won't return you expected returns. Days of going into production of articles or commodities for just glory are long gone.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Manufacturing 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.

Once a country realises and zeroes on certain product/s that it can produce at a comparative competitive advantage than the rest, that country will rush to mass produce in order to also take advantages of the economies of scale. This is why we continue to see that the Chinese products flood African markets in untold quantities. Currently, it makes no sense for any African country to try to compete with China in the production of a large array of manufactured goods. The Chinese have certainly mastered the art of mass production and at very globally competitive costs. This includes the manufacture of buses and trucks.

The question we need to be asking ourselves as we try to nature our motor vehicle manufacturing potential is are we still going to be competitive and are we going to be able to sustain this manufacturing given our current given constrained local consumption capacity?

It might be the time for us to start engaging the global motor vehicle producers to try and interest them in a partnership with our local efforts so that our dream as a country can continue to glow and shine.
Last March, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) issued an El Nino Watch, warning the public about the possible repercussions of the dry season in the Philippines. Notifying the start of the summer season, Pagasa warns that heatwaves can worsen, especially with the changing weather conditions because of climate change. Last April 10, Pagasa computed the highest heat index in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, and Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, which went up to 47 degrees Celsius.

El Nino is a cyclical climate phenomenon that occurs in the Pacific Ocean and can significantly impact weather patterns. In the Philippines, El Nino is often associated with prolonged periods of drought and high temperatures, which can pose significant challenges for data center operators.

"Dealing with the extreme spike of temperatures should not be taken lightly. This is when data center operators must be vigilant in monitoring their facilities. If not taken seriously, providers risk losing their reliability and connectivity," said Pamela Albar, Associate Director for Channels & Enterprise Sales, Vertiv Philippines.

For data center operators to keep their cool, here's how they can protect their operations from extreme temperature spikes during summer.

Run as many cooling units as possible. It's better to double or triple the operation of your cooling units to keep the refrigerant pressures as low as possible so operators can prevent trips on high pressure. By running the cooling units simultaneously, they can minimize the load on each data hall.

If cooling systems are not running at their total capacity, it can result in equipment overheating and potentially cause costly downtime. Cooling units are designed to remove heat from the data center environment. If they are not functioning correctly, the equipment can suffer from thermal stress, leading to premature failure or reduced performance.

Regular maintenance is a must. With the increased temperature, data center cooling units must double its usual work. This means the units must undergo frequent checking and maintenance, especially the condenser coils.

Condenser coils are responsible for releasing heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the evaporator coil. When it is blocked with dirt and dust or covered with rust, it reduces its heat-transfer capability and becomes ineffective when the ambient temperature climbs. Dirty coils can also cause a system shutdown due to uncontrolled high pressure. This endangers not only the facility but also the operations during a critical time.

Invest in high-quality cooling systems. It is expected for data centers to experience unpredictable temperature changes, which is why the facility needs to have the best cooling system. Operators must invest in high-quality equipment to increase its lifespan, maintain a stable temperature environment, and reduce the risk of thermal stress.

It also enhances the facility's performance, ensuring the data center's reliability. Consequently, investing in high-quality cooling systems is more cost-efficient because they are energy-efficient, lowering operating costs.

Some types of cooling systems that data center facilities can invest in are immersion, water-free, and evaporative free cooling systems designed to deliver reliability and efficiency in high-temperature environments.

As architects of continuity, these solutions are offered by Vertiv, making them a reliable helper in upgrading thermal systems and creating a maintenance plan to keep the facility cool, particularly during the El Nino phenomenon. The company also provides cutting-edge, sustainable, and innovative solutions that improve the performance and scalability of data centers, communication networks, and other critical IT facilities.

To learn more about how Vertiv supports the continuity of today's vital business, visit Vertiv.com.
The PUBG Mobile competition is kicked into high gear with national pride at stake in the 32nd South East Asian Games. Bearing the Philippine Flag is team SIBOL, the national esports team whose players hail from different PUBG Mobile Clubs in the country that have topped the selection process back in February 2023.

Team SIBOL will be competing for gold against 9 other countries and will aim to bag the gold this time in in both individual and team categories. The 32nd SEA Games PUBG Mobile event will start this May 11, 2023 with the finals round on May 15, 2023.

Rally together and cheer for the home team!

Fans of the Philippine PUBG Mobile team will also have a chance to show their support as Level Infinite is hosting online and onsite watch parties for the 32nd SEA Games. Both online and onsite events will also include different activities including a Karaoke contest, mini-games and raffles with rewards to be given away to participating fans. The 32nd SEA Games PUBG Mobile event Online Watch Party will be done through the official PUBG Mobile Philippines discord channel from May 11 to May 13, 2023 while the on-ground event will be May 14, 2023 in the Glorietta Cinema, Makati City.

To get updated with Team SIBOL PUBG Mobiles progress at the 32nd SEA Games, be sure to check out the following pages.
Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic 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

The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Cillian Murphy has opened up about his complicated relationship with fame, saying that it can ruin experiences.

The 46-year-old Irish actor is best known for starring in several Christopher Nolan films, including The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Dunkirk, and his forthcoming drama Oppenheimer. Yet it was perhaps his most recent turn leading BBCs drama Peaky Blinders for six seasons that hes become a global phenomenon and a recognisable face.

It can ruin experiences because it fetishises everything, Murphy said of fame in a new interview with Rolling Stone UK. You can be walking down the street and someone takes a picture like this is a f***ing event.

I dont like being photographed by people. I find that offensive. If I was a woman, and it was a man photographing me..., he added.

Comparing fame to commuting, he said: You have to commute to get to your destination.

I think thats the way the best people are: theyre not doing it for any other reason but love of the craft. They have a compulsion to make work, not to be famous or get attention.

Continuing, he argued that fame evaporates with regularity.

Im around here all the time and no one gives a f***ing s***. Nobody cares. I go to the shop. It dissipates. But if one of the guys from Succession walked in here, Id be all intimidated and shaky. When youre confronted with someone youve invested a lot in, or you think is amazing, the encounter is strange.

Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders (ROBERT VIGLASKY PHOTOGRAPHY)

Murphy said hes often stopped by Peaky Blinders fans, who expect this mysterious, swaggering like his character Tommy Shelby.

I do feel people are a little bit underwhelmed. Thats fine, it means Im doing my job, he admitted. But sometimes I feel a little sad that I cant provide  like  that charisma and swagger. He couldnt be further from me.

Elsewhere in the interview, Murphy discussed his views on religion.

I have no problem with people having faith he said. But I dont like it being imposed. When its imposed, it causes harm. Thats where I have an issue.

So, I dont want to go around bashing the good things about institutionalised religion, because there are some. But when it gets twisted and fucked-up, like it did in our country, and imposed on a nation, thats an issue.
Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic 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

The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Will Poulter said that during a recent trip to LA, a man mistook him for Sid from Toy Story.

For years, people have joked that the actor looks like Andys troubled neighbour who tortures toys in the Pixar classic. The actor even leant into the memes, dressing up as the character for Halloween in 2017 to raise awareness for anti-bullying.

In a recent interview with GQ Hype, the British actor said that a stranger he met might have taken the joke too seriously.

A guy at a urinal in LA last week turned to me and said, Youre in Toy Story, right? And I was like, Well, that was animated, Poulter said.

I dont want to be rude. I also appreciate theres a meme going round of me  I dressed up as Sid from Toy Story for anti-bullying week. So arguably I havent helped my case. But [Toy Story came out in] 1995. I was two. And they werent doing it through live action.

The British actor currently stars as the artificial being Adam Warlock in Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 alongside Chris Pratt.

Sid from Toy Story and Will Poulter (Pixar/Getty Images)

Elsewhere in the GQ interview, Poulter shared the advice given to him by Pratt about working with director James Gunn.

I remember Chris Pratt said to me, Sometimes James is going to throw things at you and youre going to be like, What are you talking about? Youve lost your mind. Just trust him. I did that, and by the end, I felt really confident in just doing whatever James said.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 has been described as one of the best Marvel properties in years and earned a four-star review from The Independents film critic, Clarisse Loughrey.

Yet some viewers took issue with some of the films disturbing and graphic content, sparking questions about its age rating.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is in cinemas now.
The son of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has called the UK government incredibly weak after it failed to condemn and act against the crackdown on dissent in mainland China.

The 75-year-old founder of the now-shut Apple Daily newspaper is behind bars in a high-profile case filed by Hong Kongs authorities after a crackdown on the pro-democracy movement. He was accused of colluding with foreign forces and charged with sedition under the contentious national security law.

Mr Lais British-origin son Sebastien Lai on Wednesday slammed the hypocrisy displayed by some governments still trying to trade with China as unexpected.
The managing director of Centenary Bank, Fabian Kasi has revealed that financial inclusion has been at the heart of the bank's operations in its 40-year journey of achievements.

Fabian made the remarks on Monday at the bank's headquarters at Mapeera House.

This year, Centenary Bank, a subsidiary of Centenary Group celebrates 40 years of transforming lives.

Addressing the media, Kasi noted that through the 40 years of existence, their aim has been to impact people's livelihoods through financial inclusion countrywide. This, he says has partly enabled Centenary to grow it's footprint.

"So, wherever you will go in this country, you will see us, and of course you've started hearing of us outside the boundaries of this country, and we are very happy and grateful to our customers," Kasi said.

He also acknowledged that to achieve their goals, over the past 40 years, their banking solutions have had to be affordable, accessible and sustainable, alongside additional support like financial literacy and other community development activities.

"Today, we have the largest number of customers as you all know (2.5 million)..and we invest at least 2% of our previous years' profits to the community development. So, we always give back to the communities that we operate with," he said.

Kasi added, "This journey has required us to educate our target audience about best practices, and we support them to understand how to use our solutions, to start and grow their businesses, and give them the necessary aid to be the best they can be. Ultimately, we believe this helps to alleviate poverty in the country because that is our purpose here."

Centenary Bank was founded in 1983 as a credit trust of the Uganda National Lay Apostolate.

To date, the bank controls the largest customer base with over 2.5 million customers, almost a quarter of the entire banking industry's share.

The bank also has 80 branches, 189 ATMs and over 5,200 bank agents.

As at end of 2022, Centenary's assets stood at Shs5.7 trillion while the net profit was Shs249.6 billion, making it the largest locally-owned bank in Uganda.
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 }}

Pakistans Supreme Court ordered the release of Imran Khan on Thursday, two days after his arrest sparked nationwide deadly protests and the government called in the army to help restore order.

Supreme Court chief justice Umar Ata Bandial said the former prime ministers dramatic detention had been unlawful  but asked Mr Khan to urge his supporters to remain peaceful.

Supporters were seen dancing near the court building to celebrate Mr Khans release. After being ousted from power in a no-confidence vote by lawmakers, Mr Khan was faced with multiple corruption charges in Pakistani courts.

Authorities clashed with his supporters, detaining hundreds in overnight raids and sending troops to stop the wave of violence that followed his arrest earlier this week.

An accountability court in Islamabad sent Imran Khan to eight days in custody on Wednesday and the police arrested senior leaders of the former prime ministers Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and PTIs senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry were among those who were taken into custody. Just hours earlier, secretary general Asad Umar was also arrested.

Islamabad police confirmed that other PTI leaders, including Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Falak Naz Chitrali, Mussarat Jamshed Cheema, and Maleeka Bukhari, were also taken into custody.

Police detain a supporter of Imran Khan who along with others are protesting against the arrest of their leader, in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, 10 May 2023 (AP)

Local reports said that at least 10 people were killed and about 300 injured in protests that started on Tuesday after Mr Khan, PTIs chair, was arrested from the Islamabad High Court.

Demonstrators burned down a railway station on the outskirts of Islamabad. They clashed with the police in neighbourhoods around Pakistans second-largest city, Lahore, setting fire to a police car and blocking a train.

Mr Khan was dragged from a courtroom in Islamabad where he showed up to face graft charges on Tuesday. He is now being held at a police compound in Islamabad where, at a temporary court, a judge on Wednesday ordered the 70-year-old opposition leader detained for at least another eight days, raising the prospect of more unrest.

Police detain a supporter of Imran Khan who along with others are protesting against the arrest of their leader, in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, 10 May 2023 (AP)

After briefly hearing a petition from Mr Khans lawyer, the Supreme Court expressed displeasure over the manner in which he was arrested and ordered authorities to present him before it. Mr Khans lawyer had sought his release, arguing that the arrest was illegal.

If an individual surrendered to the court, then what does arresting them mean? the chief justice said. The court reportedly said Mr Khans arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case was unlawful.

The court ordered that Mr Khan should be immediately released.

The court said that the PTI chief would be kept at the Police Lines guest house but would not be considered a prisoner, and directed the Islamabad police chief to ensure the ex-premiers security, according to the Dawn newspaper.

The government would have to guarantee Imrans security, Chief Justice Bandial said.

It would be unfair if you give any reprieve to him, information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb told a news conference, addressing the top courts chief justice. She pointed to violence carried out by Mr Khans followers, saying the court would be giving a license to kill to everyone if the former premier is freed.

Mr Khan said after the court order that no harm should be caused to the country and asked his supporters to remain peaceful.

We only want elections in the country, Dawn quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile, analysts feared that Pakistans government was using chaos as an excuse to put off impending elections.

Police on Thursday filed new terrorism charges against Mr Khan and top leaders from PTI on charges of inciting mobs to violence.

Foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the late Benazir Bhuttos son, urged Mr Khans followers to end the violence but stressed that peaceful protests are their right.

What has happened, has happened. Dont make things more difficult for yourself, he said.

The military has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of the 75 years since the country gained independence from British colonial rule and wields considerable power over civilian governments.

With additional inputs from 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 Chinese research vessel accompanied by two coast guard ships and 11 fishing boats entered a gas block operated by Russian and Vietnamese state firms, sparking concern among monitoring groups and raising tensions in the already tense South China Sea.

The move by Beijing on Wednesday follows a pattern of assertive behaviour in the region as it presses its claim to sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a claim disputed by several other countries.

The Chinese group entered block 04-03 of Vietsovpetro, a venture between Russia's Zarubezhneft and PetroVietnam, and was still in the area by nightfall, according to data from two independent vessel monitors analysed by Reuters news agency,

The group was also close to blocks 05-1 B and 05-1 C, operated by Idemitsu Oil & Gas, a unit of Japan's Idemitsu Kosan.

The move was described by an expert at Stanford University's Project Myoushu on the South China Sea as "extraordinary" due to the large number of militia and coast guard ships involved.

The expert suggested that it seemed to be a message from China about its jurisdiction over Vietnam's oil and gas operations.

It seems they are sending a message about Chinas jurisdiction over Vietnams oil and gas operations, Ray Powell said, adding at least three Vietnamese fisheries surveillance vessels had moved close to the Chinese ships.

This is not the first time that China has been accused of using its coast guard and fishing boats as a militia to intimidate and disrupt energy activities in the South China Sea. The incident has raised concerns among several countries in the region and comes at a time of heightened regional tensions.

China's foreign ministry said that the activities were "normal" and that Chinese vessels were carrying out "normal production and work activities in maritime areas under China's jurisdiction."

Such moves by China are seen as testing the United States and its allies in the region, who have been working to counter China's growing influence.

Additional reporting by agencies
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 }}

Sepsis kills around 50,000 people every year in the UK, and takes more lives than breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined worldwide.

But what is this deadly condition that can overwhelm and kill previously healthy adults and children within a matter of hours?

Sepsis expert and paediatric intensive care consultant Dr Colin Begg, a trustee of the charity Sepsis Research FEAT, explains: Sepsis is a major cause of serious illness and death in the UK and across the globe. Its main impacts are on the very young and the very old, but it still remains one of the few disease processes that can kill a healthy young adult in hours.

Sepsis arises when the bodys normal response to an infection injures and overwhelms its own tissues and organs. It may lead to shock, multi-organ failure, and death  especially if not recognised early and treated promptly.

Begg, a consultant at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow warns sepsis is the final common pathway to death from most infectious diseases, including Covid affecting between 47 and 50 million people every year worldwide, and killing at least 11 million of them. In fact, 20% of all deaths worldwide are associated with sepsis.

Begg says sepsis mortality in developed countries like the UK is about 15%, but warns that many surviving patients suffer from the consequences of sepsis, which can include amputated limbs, for the rest of their lives.

Acting fast and seeking early medical treatment can save lives, particularly for primary sepsis in otherwise healthy people, he stresses. Sepsis usually begins with an infection, for example in the chest, skin, urine or meningitis, but in the early stages symptoms can be vague and hard even for doctors and nurses to recognise. Some people describe it as feeling like being hit by a bus, and often confuse it with bad flu-like symptoms.

Colin Graham, chief operating officer at Sepsis Research FEAT, explains that the biological processes that cause sepsis still arent understood, and more research is needed. Many people are still unaware of how serious sepsis is, he says. Thats why raising awareness of this deadly condition is vital, so more people are able to recognise the signs.

Sepsis can be mistaken for the flu as symptoms are sometimes similar, but the difference is that these symptoms worsen rapidly when sepsis is the cause. The most important thing is to react fast and seek urgent medical attention as this can improve chances of survival.

(Alamy/PA)

5 sepsis symptoms

Although in the early stages, sepsis, flu and chest infections can have similar symptoms, Graham stresses there are 5 key sepsis symptoms

1. High/low temperature

Sepsis can cause a patient to develop a high fever as part of the bodys immune response, although in some cases theyll develop a low body temperature (hypothermia) instead. Hypothermia during sepsis is considered very dangerous, stresses Graham. Theres more risk of fatality than when a patient develops a fever.

2. Uncontrolled shivering

Sepsis can cause a drop in body temperature and severe shivering, which is one of a response to fighting infection, and is the bodys way of trying to increase its temperature.

3. Confusion

Sepsis can cause acute inflammation and swelling, making it difficult to breathe, and leading to a drop in oxygen levels. Low levels of oxygen in the blood can cause mental confusion and delirium, explains Graham.

4. Passing little urine

As sepsis progresses, blood pressure may become very low, which means not enough blood and oxygen can reach the bodys organs, says Graham. This can cause organ failure, he says, and when kidneys start to fail it can lead to a drop in urine output.

5. Blotchy or cold arms & legs

During sepsis, the clotting mechanism works overtime. Nutrients cant get to the tissues in the fingers, hands, arms, toes, feet, and legs and the bodys tissues begin to die, says Graham. At first, the skin may look mottled or blotchy and may appear blueish. In severe cases of sepsis, the areas of dead skin can turn black and limbs may need to be amputated.

Someone with sepsis might not show all these symptoms at once, says Graham, and may have other symptoms like difficulty breathing and a rapid heartbeat, which may occur because sepsis can make arteries dilate or widen, causing a drop in blood pressure, which means the heart has to work harder to push the blood through at a normal pressure.

On their own, these symptoms can be an indication of other health problems, says Graham, but a combination of two or more of them, becoming progressively worse, means you need to seek urgent medical attention, so call 999 or go to A&E. He stresses that for every hour treatment is delayed, the chance of survival reduces by over 7%.

National Early Warning Score (NEWS)

The difficulty in spotting that flu-like symptoms are actually sepsis was one of the reasons that led to the development of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS and NEWS2) for the detection of deteriorating patients, a measure which has been widely implemented to improve patient safety in the NHS.

Professor Bryan Williams is chair of medicine at University College London (UCL), and clinical lead for the Royal College of Physicians team that led the NEWS development. He says: Sepsis doesnt have a single type of presentation and thats one of the reasons it can be so dangerous and recognition can be delayed.

He explains that in NHS hospitals, doctors and nurses are encouraged to review patients NEWS2 score, which is based on routine vital signs measurements such as heart rate, temperature, respiratory rate, oxygen levels etc. If the score is five or more, medics should consider whether sepsis could be causing the illness, and the patient should be reviewed urgently by an experienced clinician, he stresses.

2G868TA World sepsis day. Medical design concept for 13 September. Banner with text and blood drop. Vector illustration.

If the patient has risk factors for sepsis such as evidence of infection, a skin rash, is immune compromised or has a wound that that might be a source of infection, then this strengthens the likelihood of sepsis, he says.

Nevertheless, even in the absence of such indicators, this NEWS2 warning system is an important tool to alert medical staff that the patient is acutely ill and may have sepsis as an underlying cause.
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 }}

Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh has claimed her friendship with Meghan Markle abruptly ended after the Duchess of Sussexs romance with Prince Harry went public.

The reality star, 33, recently shared details about her former friendship with the duchess in an episode of her Mumlemmas podcast on 10 May, where she claimed she had been ghosted by the then-Suits actor once she began dating the royal.

The mother of two revealed that she became friends with Meghan around eight years ago, when the pair met at a hotel opening in Istanbul, Turkey. I was a fan, I watched Suits, Mackintosh told podcast co-host Charlie Boud. We met at the bar and we were both ordering a drink at the same time and just started chatting. We got on really well, we got on like a house on fire.

According to Mackintosh, the pair initially clicked over their marital troubles. The TV personality was married to British rapper Professor Green at the time, while Meghan had split from her first husband Trevor Engelson in 2013 after two years of marriage.

The women stayed in touch, and Mackintosh eventually gave Meghan her little black book of favourite spots and contacts when the actor visited the United Kingdom. When she would come to London, she didnt know London very well or know that many people, Mackintosh said, adding that the two would go out for brunch or attend yoga classes together.

The last time Mackintosh said she saw Meghan was in September 2016, when the two were pictured together during a girls weekend at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire. What I thought was going to be a day of yoga and chilling ended up being rose and margaritas in the pool, she said, adding that she and Markle had a really fun afternoon.

It was during that trip that Meghan admitted she had been messaging Prince Harry after the two were introduced by a friend, according to Mackintosh.I didnt ask too much of it, didnt really think too much of it at the time, Mackintosh recalled. If only I had known.

When news of Prince Harry and Meghan Markles relationship broke in the press just one month later, Mackintosh decided to reach out to Meghan amid the intense media attention. I messaged her and just said: Hey, hope youre okay. Thinking of you, she recalled.

However, Mackintosh claimed the duchess sent back a really abrupt response that was unlike any of our communication before. While she didnt disclose the message she received from Meghan, Mackintosh said that she felt like [Meghan] kind of told me to f*** off, basically.

She cut me dead. I never heard from her again, she added.

The former reality TV star went on to describe her thought process behind the message she allegedly received from Meghan, saying: My take on it is thatshes like, Im going to be royal now, I dont need Millie in my life.

Mackintosh explained how the media attention surrounding her short-lived friendship with Meghan was total bollocks, as tabloids claimed she had introduced the duke and duchess and was planning the royal wedding. At the time, honestly, it was quite hurtful, she added. Looking back, I do remember when they got married. I was a bit like, feels a bit s*** because she ghosted me.

Meghan and Prince Harry began dating in July 2016, after they were reportedly introduced by mutual friend and Soho House consultant Markus Anderson. In their six-part Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, the two detailed how they kept their romance secret from the public  from their first date in London to an impromptu trip to Botswana, Africa.

In the first episode of Harry & Meghan, which was released in December 2022, Meghan recalled that Harry was late to their date, which almost put her off  but the prince won her over after he arrived as a hot, sweaty red ball of mess who was genuinely so embarrassed and late.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also detailed their last night of freedom before news of their relationship broke to the world. The pair decided to pull the pin on the fun grenade and go out in costumes to a Halloween party in Toronto with Harrys cousin, Princess Eugenie, her then-boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank, and Meghans friend, Marcus. She recalled Harry saying at the time: Well, if its gonna come out tomorrow, lets go have fun tonight.

The two were married in May 2018 in a fairytale wedding ceremony at St Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle. But the media attention surrounding the couple soon worsened, as they later claimed that Buckingham Palace was briefing the press against them by leaking and planting negative stories about Meghan to distract from less favourable coverage about other royals.

In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were stepping down from the royal family and relocating to the United States. Since then, theyve gone on to raise their two children  Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet  at their home in Montecito, California.

Last week, Prince Harry returned to the United Kingdom for the coronation of his father, King Charles III, and stepmother, Queen Camilla.

The Independent has contacted a representative for the Duchess of Sussex for contact.
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 }}

Meghan Markle is a cuckoo in the royal nest and her woke Californian hang-ups are likely to destroy her marriage to Prince Harry, according to a senior Labour politician.

In an outspoken attack on the couple, former Labour minister and diarist Chris Mullin suggests the Duke of Sussex will come limping home when the marriage ends in tears.

He says Meghan is clearly the main mover in the couples relationship with Harry very much second fiddle.

The claims are contained in Mullins latest memoir, Didnt You Use To Be Chris Mullin?, which is being serialised exclusively in The Independent.

The novelist, diarist and former MP, 75, played a key role in freeing the Birmingham Six, Irish men wrongly convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the 1974 pub bombings.

His new book, released this week, is full of his trademark wickedly indiscreet accounts of meetings and conversations with royals, politicians and celebrities.

Mullin dismisses the duchesss now famous complaint that an unnamed royal speculated about the skin colour of her and Harrys son, Archie.

EXCLUSIVE: CHRIS MULLIN DIARIES Chris Mullin, who was a Labour MP for more than 20 years and a minister under Tony Blair, has won plaudits for the first three instalments of his political diaries, described as wickedly indiscreet and a treat to be savoured. The Independent is exclusively serialising the fourth volume.

He says people have often observed they can see Vietnamese blood in Sarah, his daughter by Vietnamese born wife Ngoc, and it is not in the least offensive.

It is not the first time he has sparked royal controversy.

In his 2020 memoir, he revealed the Queen sent a man to the gallows with the words do you know, he even shot the dog?. She turned down an appeal by a man convicted of murder in Bermuda, a story leaked to Mullin by a privy counsellor friend.

Mullins new diaries, which cover 20102022, claim the former Duke of Edinburgh once said charm is a greatly overrated value. He also describes Prince Philip as a cantankerous old buffer and says his reaction to media blanket coverage of the dukes death was thank f*** for Netflix.

And he revealed that, as a foreign office minister in Tony Blairs government, a senior diplomat told him a trade mission led by Prince Andrew was like a rugby club outing.
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 }}

Sir Karl Jenkins has responded to speculation surrounding his viral appearance at King Charles IIIs coronation over the weekend.

The 79-year-old composer shared a video on TikTok on Tuesday, with a caption that read: Sir Karl Jenkins sets the record straight on his attendance at the coronation. His remarks came days after fans questioned his mullet and white moustache, with some claiming that he was Meghan Markle in a disguise.

Jenkins started his TikTok video by introducing himself before acknowledging how he went viral at the coronation. He also shared a picture of himself at the event, wearing a black jacket with a medal around his neck and tinted sunglasses on his face.

I understand there has been a lot of interest in me since I appeared at the coronation of King Charles III, he said, as he sat in a chair and spoke to the camera. I was there because Id written some music for the service.

He shared a laugh about the false claims that he was the Duchess of Sussex, who skipped the coronation over the weekend, in disguise. Meghan stayed in California with her children, Archie, four, and Lilibet, one, while her husband, Prince Harry, attended the event.

I was quite surprised that some people thought I was Meghan Markle in disguise, the musician continued. Someone wrote I was there, whoever I was, to steal the crown jewels. I look this way all the time.

Jenkins continued his video by holding up the knighthood medal he received in 2015 that he wore at the coronation.

He also addressed his now-viral facial hair: Oh, and my moustache has been referred to in The Times as well. But Ive had this moustache since 18-years-old. It was very trendy then.

As he finished introducing himself, Jenkins also hit back at claims surrounding his coronation look.

So thats me, he conceded. Nothing sinister about it or surprising at all!

As of 10 May, Jenkins video has more than 826,400 views, with TikTok users in the comments continuing to poke fun at his coronation appearance.

This is just what Meghan Markle in disguise would say,one quipped, while another joked: We wont tell on you Meg.

A third wrote: You being Meghan Markle in disguise was my favourite story about you!! Lovely to meet you properly Sir.

Other people went on to praise the composers reaction to the jokes about him.

I have been waiting for this response, one wrote. And this man is verified and passes the vibe check.

Thank you for introducing yourself. A sense of humour and humility is very attractive. Really enjoyed your music in the ceremony. Xx, another added.

For the coronation over the weekend, Jenkins composed a piece titled Over The Stone - IV. Tros y Garreg. During an interview with BBC, he noted how honoured he felt after he found out that his Welsh folk song was going to be a part of the coronation.

It obviously sums up Welsh culture - the harp - and he [the King] has always supported Welsh music, he told the publication, leading up to the event. I dont know whether he chose it, but he was happy to have it there. I know he likes it otherwise he wouldnt have asked me

During the interview, he also reflected on watching the late Queen Elizabeth IIs coronation in 1953, adding: We had one of the first TV screens in the street, in the village I guess...12in (30cm) screen, two rows of friends and neighbours watching.
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 }}

A couple has revealed how they gave up their 9-5 jobs and left everything behind to travel the world in a van they built themselves  and now save almost 1,000 in bills per month.

Marcel Popp, 33, and Vendula Zakova, 31, first met while on holiday and fell in love over their shared passion for travelling.

They spent just two days together before parting ways but kept in touch, meeting two more times, with Vendula flying to New Zealand to see Marcel, before he returned the favour, going to visit her in Argentina.

Both feeling an intense wanderlust urge and with their romance blossoming, the duo decided to quit their jobs, Marcel as a mining engineers and Vendula as a HR manager, and travel off-grid in a van.

Now they are exploring South America on a 25,000-mile round trip  sharing the experience with their 19,000 Instagram followers.

Most of our friends from home have settled down and are a little envious, Vendula told NeedToKnow.co.uk.

Marcel and I spent just two days together in Vietnam [where we met] and then parted ways.

But then both quit our jobs and sold everything that we couldnt fit into the van and set off around New Zealand for seven months.

We quickly realised that we didnt need a lot of materialistic items to live and be happy  just the essentials plus a few toys like fishing and diving gear and surfboards.

Following their 2019 New Zealand adventure, they decided to upgrade, converting a 2003 Toyota Hiace ex-ambulance into their new home before setting off to explore the Chilean countryside.

They spent $6,000 on the van, with another $6,000 to convert it into a fully functional home which included a solar shower, a roof-top deck, a working kitchen and a 40 litre fridge.

(Jam Press/@salty_vanventures)

Vendula said: We started our journey in Santiago de Chile, have already travelled 10,000km (6,214 miles) to the bottom of the world, Ushuaia, Argentina, and now we have our sights on the rest of South America mainly, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.

We are thinking this trip will take around a year and around 40,000km (24,854 miles).

The couple have avoided hefty bills by relying solely on a leisure battery.

The pair estimate they previously spent $2,500 a month on rent and bills, but now only pay $600 for their fuel and $10 a month on propane, saving around $1,800 a month.

Both now work remotely, Vendula, who is from Czech Republic, as a remote HR manager, and Marcel, who is from New Zealand, as a van build consultant, allowing both to travel and work simultaneously.

Despite all the benefits to their nomad life, sharing a space of only 75 sq ft does place a strain on their relationship at times.

Marcel said: When it rains for days in a row and you are stuck inside, you start to get a bit of cabin fever, usually increasing tension in the van.

You need to get comfortable peeing in the van toilet in front of your partner, multiple times a day.

It can get frustrating moving around a small space with two people, the other person always seems to just be in the way of what you're trying to do.

You definitely need to come to terms and adjust to the fact you will be living with someone in very close quarters in essentially a very small room with not a lot of privacy.

(Jam Press/@salty_vanventures)

Lack of privacy aside, the excitement of their lives compared with their previous situations is ultimately worth it for the couple.

Vendula said: We love the minimalist life and want to continue living this way.

With our full off-grid solar system we dont have to pay any power bills as we charge using the sun or the alternator while driving.

A real positive is it only takes two minutes to heat the van up in winter if you dont like where youre staying, or if you dont lie your neighbours you can just leave.

Our family are thrilled we are living life on our terms from wherever we want, although they do always want us to come home.

The couple are now in the midst of planning their next trip, around Australia, investing in an entirely new van for their next endeavour.

And their adventure is getting plenty of exposure on social media.

In one post that has over 23,500 views, the couple show off a day in their lives, with followers flocking to comment.

One follower said: You guys are the best! Helped us so much with our van build and were kind enough to reply to us directly for any questions we had! Best of luck to you and happy travels!

Love the honesty in your dream life, commented another person.

I want to live like this, said Mariana.

One viewer commented: Ahh love you guys! Enjoy the journey.

Melissa added: Pan fried pizza! Looks so good! Any chance you could share more about how you make this?
Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check 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

Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Hollywood star Robert De Niro has highlighted the health issues of becoming an older dad after revealing he has fathered his seventh child at the age of 79.

While De Niro said that parenthood never gets easier, the Godfather actor  whose first child was born in 1971  said he was good with it, after being asked about the news at a New York premiere.

The actor is far from the only celebrity to have had a child in older age, with musicians Mick Jagger and Billy Joel both among those to have become new fathers aged 72 and 68 respectively, and less recently silent film legend Charlie Chaplin at the age of 73.

Across the population in the UK, the typical paternal age has been increasing for years, with the average first-time father found to be 33.7 years old in 2021.

But while some men remain fertile all their lives, studies have found a number of health risks associated with fathering children at an older age.

An exhaustive review of studies into the matter, published in the US governments National Library of Medicine in 2015, described disturbing links between increased paternal age and rising disorders in their offspring.

According to the study, increasing paternal age has shown to increase the incidence of different types of disorders like autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and childhood leukemia in the progeny.

The risk of male infertiliy also rises among older men, who were found to have a lower IVF success rate and higher rate of preterm births, which can bring a greater risk of complications.

One of the main risks that we see a lot of at the moment is the DNA fragmentation, said Dr Bryan Woodward, a consultant reproductive scientist at the X&Y fertility clinic.

As you get older, we know that the DNA starts to fragment in sperm  so its not just in female fertility that you get a decline, you also get a decline in male fertility, Dr Woodward told The Independent.

This means you could have a really good concentration of sperm, very good movement  [but] if you delve a little bit deeper, you often find that the chromatin  the genetic material  might be a little bit fragmented, and of course that can lead to problems going forward.

However, problems in the sperm of older men may be offset by having a younger partner, he suggested.

Asked about the potentially heightened chance of conditions such as schizophrenia and childhood leukemia among children born to older fathers, he said: As you get older, your DNA is less competent, so one would assume youre going to get more diseases linked to possible problems in the DNA.

But if you have a younger partner, often those DNA problems may be resolved because the DNA can be repaired within the egg once the fertilisation takes place.

Dr Woodward added: What you find with older celebrities such as Mick Jagger and Robert De Niro is that, when you have a younger egg  so if your partners, say, in their 20s or 30s  then a lot of the machinery within the egg may help to repair DNA issues in the sperm.

Robert De Niro and Kim Cattrall discussed his new baby at the premiere of their film About My Father (Getty Images)

While studies suggest that children born to older fathers may be at increased risk of genetic disease, Dr John Parrington, of the University of Oxford, believes the link to be very subtle and hard to quantify, given that there are so many other factors influencing foetal development.

While there is a much higher risk of infertility among women over 35, and a greater risk of pregnancy complications, miscarriages and a clear link with Downs Syndrome, Dr Parrington told The Independent that age-related fertility issues are not anywhere near as clear for men.

Aside from the menopause, one huge difference between men and women is that womens eggs are actually formed when they are still in the foetal stage, added Dr Parrington, an associate professor in cellular and molecular pharmacology.

This means that a 35-year-old womans eggs are actually 35 years old, whereas men constantly produce new sperm, meaning theyre much newer cells.

So although there is an increased risk of genetic disease, it seems to me very subtle really. Its something to be aware of if you are an older father but I dont think its the sort of thing where you would say, oh definitely dont conceive at that age, he added.

Because I dont think weve got enough evidence that that is the critical thing. Theres so many more effects on foetal development of say, the environment, poverty, all these things  youd have to weigh that up versus the genetic risks.

He added: Theres evidence that anxiety and stress in mice can be passed on to offspring via the sperm, so I guess it would also depend quite a lot on whats happened to a person in their lifetime  how stressed theyve been, how anxious, what sort of life theyve had, he said.

That could all equally have an impact on progeny as well as ... [DNA] mutations.
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 Home Office minister has denied the Governments Illegal Migration Bill goes against Christian values after the Archbishop of Canterbury condemned it as morally unacceptable.

Sarah Dines MP urged the Most Rev Justin Welby to look at it again following his rare intervention in the House of Lords over the proposed legislation.

The Bill aims to ensure that people arriving in the UK without permission will be detained and swiftly removed, either to their home country or a third nation such as Rwanda.

Touring broadcast studios on Thursday, Ms Dines said she respectfully disagreed with the church leader.

Responding to a suggestion that the Bill was not very Christian, she told Good Morning Britain: I dont accept that at all.

I dont accept that it is in any way immoral, she added.

Speaking on LBC, Ms Dines said: I have a great deal of respect for the Archbishop, of course. He plays a very important constitutional role, but the House of Commons did pass this and I do ask him to look at it again.

Theres nothing moral about allowing criminal gangs to traffic people across the Channel, and as we all know, it can lead to death. We cant allow criminal gangs to screw up our immigration system.

The Archbishop sparked criticism among some quarters in Westminster for his intervention on Wednesday.

Tory peer Lord Dobbs told him no amount of handwringing or bell-ringing will solve the misery of the Channel crossings.

(The Archbishop) plays a very important constitutional role, but the House of Commons did pass this and I do ask him to look at it again Sarah Dines, Home Office minister

Conservative former Cabinet minister Lord Forsyth of Drumlean also took a sideswipe at the comments, saying: I am in strong agreement where he is concerned with issues spiritual, rather than temporal.

Critics argue the draft legislation breaks international law and threatens modern slavery protections.

The Archbishop argued it was also politically impractical and Liberal Democrat and former senior police officer Lord Paddick described it as a low point in the history of this Government.

The exchanges came during a lengthy, impassioned debate of the Bill in the Lords that lasted more than 10 hours.

The flagship legislation faces a stiff test in the unelected second chamber but cleared its first parliamentary hurdle in the Lords after a Liberal Democrat bid to block it was rejected by 179 votes to 76, majority 103.
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 }}

Boris Johnson joked about sending a message to Rishi Sunak calling him a c*** in the aftermath of his resignation as chancellor, it has been claimed.

Guto Harri, who served as No 10s director of communications under Mr Johnson, claimed the ex-prime minister found a video he wanted to send to Mr Sunak in the days after he left Government.

Rishi walked about, didnt even tell Boris he was going to go. Basically went public with a resignation and a few days later, Boris found a little video on the internet that expressed what he wanted to basically say to Rishi, he said on a new podcast about his time in Number 10.

He didnt send it, but he sent it to me and said: Thinking of sending this to Rishi.

The video, Mr Harri claimed, contained the words: Youre a c***.

So there you have it. If you really want to know how Boris Johnson felt about Rishi Sunak in the immediate aftermath of his toppling and the great betrayal of all time, as he sees it, there you have it.

The departure of Mr Sunak is seen by allies of Mr Johnson as having helped precipitate the ministerial exodus that eventually forced him from office last summer.

In the same podcast, Unprecedented, which is released on Thursday for Global, Mr Harri reveals the policy tensions between the two men and the fundamental disagreement between the pair on economic policy and tax decisions.

There was a moment when Boris blew up, sadly Rishi was not in the room, Mr Harri says.

F**k this shit man, f*** this s***. We need to clear out the Treasury, the Treasury is acting like a bank manager, not an engine of growth. We need Singapore-on-Thames, we need dynamism, were not just here to manage the decline, we need the growth engine of the British economy to be humming.
Experts from Goldstone Enterprise Consulting and Training Limited have expressed commitment towards mentoring Ugandan entrepreneurs to develop their businesses to the point where they are attractive to investors.

The remarks were made as the company hosted investment readiness training at the 8 Winx Hotel in Ntinda.

The training aimed to equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills necessary to secure investment for their businesses, and was attended by a diverse group of individuals from various sectors and industries.

Experts noted that many entrepreneurs in Uganda lack the necessary skills and knowledge to develop their businesses to the point where they are attractive to investors.

Ugandan entrepreneurs often face significant challenges when it comes to securing investment for their businesses.

One of the main reasons for this is that their businesses are not investor-ready, according to experts.

Daniel Bukenya Yiga, the Managing Director of Goldstone Enterprise Consulting and Training Ltd said they are working towards changing this narrative in Uganda.

"Our investment readiness training equips entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge they need to take their businesses to the next level and attract investment," he said.

Yiga emphasised that the investment readiness training was just the beginning of a long-term support program for the entrepreneurs.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Sustainable Development Investment 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.

Over the next three months, participants will receive continuous support in preparing company profiles, financial management, investor pitching, creating marketing strategies, and route to market.

This support, according to experts, will enable the entrepreneurs to meet potential investors and partners and help them get listed in investor deal books.

The training was designed to provide practical tools and resources to help businesses attract and secure investments, and the follow-up support will ensure that the entrepreneurs can put their newfound knowledge and skills into practice.

With the support of Goldstone Enterprise Consulting and Training Ltd, Yiga said Ugandan entrepreneurs can overcome the challenges they face in becoming investor ready and access the capital they need to grow and succeed.

Dison Kareng, the Chief Eruptive Officer(CEO) of Bros Coffee Uganda Limited said the training has exposed loopholes in his organisation that have previously prevented them from getting partners, investors, and funding to grow and expand their business.

"I am confident that with the continuous support provided over the next three months, we will be able to address these gaps and become investor-ready. We plan to apply for grants, capital, and partnerships to elevate Bros Coffee Uganda Limited to the next level and contribute to the development of the Ugandan economy," he said.

The successful entrepreneurs who underwent the investment readiness training will now join the pool of investable businesses, making it easier for them to onboard investor programmes such as the USAID-Strategic Investment Activity (SIA), ACELI Africa, and Pearl Capital Partners.
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 senior British Army officer cheated the system to dishonestly claim taxpayer cash to pay his childrens private boarding school fees, a court has heard.

Retired colonel Marcus Reedman, 51, was posted to a desk job at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) building in Whitehall at the time of the allegations, between October 1 2016 and August 17 2017.

It is alleged that Reedman claimed continuity of education allowance (CEA) payments to help fund his three childrens 75,000-a-year private school fees, which matched his entire army salary.

Southwark Crown Court heard his eldest daughter and son attended Brighton College, costing around 30,000 each a year, while his youngest daughter was a daygirl at the Marlborough House prep school in Kent, for which no CEA was claimed.

If Mr Reedman had to fund his own childrens school fees from his own salary it would have been 75,000 which would have been his entire salary, said prosecutor James Dawes KC.

He could not afford on his income to pay for his three childrens private education.

The court heard the CEA covers up to 90% of the cost of private boarding school fees for the children of eligible service personnel to enable them to stay in continuous education while their serving parent is posted away from home accompanied by their spouse.

Mr Dawes said the system is largely administered by commanding officers relying on trust, adding: It is really easy to cheat the system.

It is subsequently open to abuse.

This case is about a senior officer who the prosecution say cheated the system.

He didnt act honestly in his application and his receipt of CEA.

Prosecutors say Reedman defrauded the MoD by dishonestly failing to disclose information which had an effect on his eligibility to claim CEA.

The indictment states he failed to disclose a change in his personal circumstances that his wife Astrid Reedman and family werent living at his residence at work address (RWA) in Biggin Hill, south-east London but instead staying at the family home in Rye, East Sussex.

Reedman denies a single count of fraud and the trial continues.
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 66-year-old man is facing trial charged with the murders of a father and son who were shot dead in two villages six miles apart in Cambridgeshire.

The bodies of Gary Dunmore, 57, and Joshua Dunmore, 32, were discovered at properties in The Row, Sutton, and Meridian Close, Bluntisham on 29 March .

Stephen Alderton, of no fixed abode, appeared before Cambridge Crown Court charged with two counts of murder and one count of possession of a firearm.

Alderton, wearing a grey tracksuit with the sleeves rolled up, spoke only to confirm his identity at the brief hearing.

He listened to proceedings from the secure dock of the court on Monday.

Joshua and Gary Dunmore were found dead in villages six miles apart (Cambridgeshire Police)

The defendant was not asked to enter pleas to the charges and was remanded in custody until 11 May when he is due back at the court for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

No application for bail was made.

Judge Mark Bishop set a provisional trial date of 16 October, allowing time for a two-week hearing.

He will be deeply missed and the devastation this has caused will never heal Family statement

The victims family paid tribute to the devoted father and son in a statement released via Cambridgeshire Police on Friday.

They said: Josh was a devoted father and a loving uncle.

He was a wonderful son and brother and leaves behind an extensive group of family and friends. He will be deeply missed and the devastation this has caused will never heal.

Floral tributes left outside the home of Gary Dunmore (PA)

Gary was the most devoted son, brother, dad and grandad, who gave everything for those he loved.

He was a gentle and generous person who always put others before himself and hell be massively missed by his family and all those who knew and loved him.

Post-mortem examinations which took place at Peterborough City Hospital on Monday concluded both men died as a result of gunshot wounds.
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 }}

Coronation Street star Michael Turner was accused by fellow cast members of being a mole amid alleged phone hacking by journalists, the High Court has been told.

The actor, who has appeared in the role of Kevin Webster in the Manchester-based soap since 1983, is among a number of individuals describing the upsetting, damaging and long-lasting impact of allegedly being targeted by unlawful information gathering activities.

His former Coronation Street co-star Nikki Sanderson felt like she was public property and experienced abuse in the street following false insinuations in articles published by Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the court was told.

Fiona Wightman, the ex-wife of TV comedian Paul Whitehouse, received an apology from the publisher over the unlawful gathering of her medical information while she was undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, court documents revealed.

MGN, publisher of The Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, is contesting damages claims brought by the trio, as well as the Duke of Sussex, over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles.

Their representative claims are being considered by a judge during a seven-week trial which began on Wednesday.

Lawyers for Mr Turner, known professionally as Michael Le Vell, said between 1991 and 2011 he was of considerable interest to MGN due to his career and his 2011 arrest for suspected rape, for which he was later found not guilty.

Mr Turner was also an actors informal union rep, which meant he was privy to private information about his Coronation Street co-stars, his legal team said in a court document.

The actor claims it is likely voicemail messages he left on an associates phone were unlawfully accessed and listened to by MGN journalists.

His barrister, David Sherborne, said in the court document that Mr Turner had set out the enormous and long-lasting impact of these alleged activities explaining that Coronation Street cast members accused him of being a mole due to his position as union rep, which he was absolutely devastated by.

He also became extremely paranoid and blamed people close to him for stories which were public, even abandoning his local pub as a result, the lawyer said.

He is shocked and horrified by MGNs targeting of him for over 15 years.

The impact of the stories on Nikki Sanderson was aggravated by their false insinuations that she was promiscuous, causing her great upset and giving rise to her being subjected to mental and physical abuse, having people shout at her in the street calling her a whore, slag or slut and even being physically assaulted on numerous occasions Lawyer David Sherborne

MGN denies Mr Turners claims, arguing there is no evidence of voicemail interception or unlawful information gathering relating to him.

Ms Sandersons legal team said in court documents that she experienced unusual telephone and media-related activity which was consistent with the unauthorised accessing of her voicemails and other unlawful information gathering, with private information appearing in newspapers with no legitimate explanation as to how it was obtained.

Mr Sherborne said she said it was scary feeling like she was always being watched, and upsetting that MGNs conduct caused the lines between her public and private life to blur, making her believe that she was public property.

The impact of the stories on Nikki Sanderson was aggravated by their false insinuations that she was promiscuous, causing her great upset and giving rise to her being subjected to mental and physical abuse, having people shout at her in the street calling her a whore, slag or slut and even being physically assaulted on numerous occasions, Mr Sherborne said.

It gave rise to her feeling in a constant state of paranoia, distrusting everyone around her.

He added that payment records to private investigators show Ms Sanderson was subjected to very large amounts of unlawful information gathering.

This made her feel angry and distressed, with the actress claiming: I was a young girl and they were hiring random men to follow me  they could have done anything to me.

In its trial defence, the publisher says Ms Sandersons claim is brought too late, but unreservedly apologises over four payments made to private investigators which it admits are evidence of instructions to unlawfully obtain her private information.

The publisher also claims that evidence does not suggest Ms Sandersons phone was successfully hacked.

MGN said it unreservedly apologises to Ms Wightman and admitted she was the subject of unlawful private investigator activity on six occasions, but denied she was targeted through voicemail interception.

Its lawyers said instructions to private investigators, shown in payment records, appear to relate to seeking information about Ms Whitehouses medical treatment.

Mr Sherborne said in a court document: It is difficult to conceive of more intrusive and damaging PI activity.

This was plainly unlawful, and Fiona Wightman explains that she was even door-stepped by journalists in relation to her diagnosis and how she, quite understandably, finds the PI activity to be despicable and deeply shocking, the barrister said.

MGN also argues that Ms Wightman is time barred from bringing her case.
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 Duke of Sussex did not have an expectation of privacy over a report he was allegedly punished by the King for dressing up as a Nazi, The Mirrors publisher has told the High Court.

Several high-profile figures are bringing claims against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles The Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People.

Claims brought by four individuals, including the duke, are being heard in a seven-week trial as representative cases of the types of allegations facing the publisher  including voicemail interception, securing information through deception and hiring private investigators for unlawful activities.

The High Court in London previously heard the dukes case is that 148 articles published between 1996 and 2010 by MGN titles included information that was allegedly obtained through unlawful means, including phone hacking.

That the claimant, as a high-profile member of the royal family, had carried out some work on a farm was not information in respect of which he had a reasonable expectation of privacy, particularly if it was in response to his wearing of a Nazi uniform Andrew Green KC

Mr Justice Fancourt previously ruled that 33 of the articles should be considered at the trial.

On the second day of the case on Thursday, details of each of the 33 articles and MGNs response to them were made public.

The subjects of the articles in the case include Harrys relationship with his family and ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, a few injuries and illnesses, his military service and allegations of drug use.

MGN repeatedly denied that details contained in various articles published during Harrys life was private information belonging to the duke.

It defended some of its reporting by alleging a public interest in stories or claimed published information was trivial in nature.

In the document put into the case by the publishers lawyers, the court heard that one of the articles in Harrys claim, published in the Sunday Mirror in February 2005, said that the duke had been made to do farm work by Charles  the then-Prince of Wales  after wearing a Nazi uniform at a party.

Andrew Green KC, for MGN, denied the details in the article had been sourced unlawfully or through phone hacking.

He said: The information complained of came from prior reports in the public domain. The other information in the article came from a confidential source.

The publisher also denied that Harry had any expectation of privacy over the story.

The barrister continued: That the claimant, as a high-profile member of the royal family, had carried out some work on a farm was not information in respect of which he had a reasonable expectation of privacy, particularly if it was in response to his wearing of a Nazi uniform.

Alternatively, any minimal privacy interest was outweighed by the public interest in this information about his work and the royal familys response to his wearing a Nazi uniform.

Another article in the dukes claim was published in the Sunday Mirror in January 2002 under the headline Harry took drugs which alleged the duke had smoked cannabis.

MGN said the information came from a set of articles published in the now-defunct News Of The World, which were widely followed up.

Mr Green continued: The palace had confirmed the story to the News Of The World, after the Prince of Wales decided to co-operate with the title.

The barrister said that quotes from royal sources and family friends were, it is to be inferred, authorised by the palace  in an effort to manage the story.

He added: A senior member of the royal family does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in taking illegal drugs, particularly when he did so at a public house in combination with illegally drinking alcohol underage.

Other articles at the centre of Harrys claim include:

 A September 1996 Daily Mirror story with the headline Diana so sad on Harrys big day which the publisher said came from prior reports in the public domain.

 A Daily Mirror story from November 2000 about Harry breaking his thumb, which MGN said came from extensive prior reports in the public domain and had been disclosed to the press by the palace.

 A Sunday Mirror article entitled Rugger Off Harry, published in November 2001 about an injury he had is also in the dukes claim and is attributed to a confidential Eton source and not illegal methods by MGN.

 A March 2002 piece in the Daily Mirror about Harrys diagnosis with glandular fever, which MGN said it was likely that information was discreetly released by the palace in advance of a family trip to Switzerland.

Prince or not, the blatantly unlawful and illegal methods used by the defendants ... was quite frankly appalling David Sherborne

Lawyers for the duke said that unlawful information gathering by MGN journalists was habitual and widespread amid a flood of illegality and that Harrys case is significant not just in terms of the span but also the range of activities.

David Sherborne, for Harry, said on Wednesday: We all remember the images of him walking behind his mothers coffin.

From that moment on, as a schoolboy and from his career in the army and as a young adult he was subjected, it was clear, to the most intrusive methods of obtaining his personal information.

Prince or not, the blatantly unlawful and illegal methods used by the defendants  was quite frankly appalling.

MGN is contesting the cases at trial and has said there is no evidence, or no sufficient evidence, of voicemail interception in any of these four claims.

The court previously heard that MGN has admitted that a private investigator was instructed, by a journalist at The People, to unlawfully gather information about Harrys activities at the Chinawhite nightclub one night in February 2004.

Mr Green said the publisher unreservedly apologises to the duke and that it accepts he was entitled to appropriate compensation.
Police staff with links to organised crime, sex offenders and drug dealers are still slipping through the vetting net despite warnings to tighten up checks, the Home Office has been warned.

His Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found 13 cases of concern among 300 vetting files that police forces handled between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2023, where clearance had been given to unsuitable applicants.

The cases included a member of police staff who had a connection with an organised crime group and another who had a history of allegations of domestic abuse against several partners.
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 }}

Actor Stephen Tompkinson has been cleared of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a man he confronted for drunkenly making noise outside his house.

The DCI Banks star was accused of punching Karl Poole in the head after finding him and a friend drinking at the bottom of his driveway in the early hours of 30 May 2021.

Mr Poole fell to the ground and broke his skull when his head hit the pavement, Newcastle Crown Court was told.

Prosecutors claimed Tompkinson snapped and lashed out at Mr Poole in disgust at his behaviour.

But Tompkinson told jurors he only pushed Mr Poole away in self-defence and the contact wasnt enough to knock a sober man off his feet.

On Thursday, a jury found him not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm after deliberating for just under two hours.

The trial was told Mr Poole and his friend Andrew Hall had been drinking since midnight that bank holiday Sunday and had gone to the beach before passing Tompkinsons home in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, on the walk back.

Tompkinson, who was living with his partner and her seven-year-old son at the time, heard strange noises at around 5.30am.

The 57-year-old called 999 after seeing the pair try to stand up and fall several times while drinking from a bottle of Jagermeister, jurors heard.

While waiting to be connected, Tompkinson went outside wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown and told the heavily intoxicated men who he was calling.

Actor Stephen Tompkinson arrives at Newcastle Crown Court (PA)

Neighbour Caroline Davidson, who was watching from her bedroom window, told the court she saw Tompkinson slap and punch Mr Poole, causing him to stumble and fall backwards, hitting his head on the ground.

Tompkinson said he could not have punched Mr Poole because he was holding his phone.

He told the court the two men took great objection to me complaining about them being there and had started to move towards him.

He said he put his hand out to stop Mr Poole coming any further.

I didnt want to hurt him, I wanted to stop him to change his mind about coming towards me and further on to my property, Tompkinson said.

Tompkinson told the court he has lost acting work since being charged and any association with him in the industry was on hold while the legal proceedings were hanging over him.
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 }}

Stephen Tompkinson  regarded as one of Britains finest actors with almost 40 years on stage and screen  has been cleared by a jury of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

He was found not guilty of punching a drunk man he confronted for making noise outside his house in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, in the early hours of May 30 2021.

The trial at Newcastle Crown Court heard that the 57-year-old had been working solidly since attending drama school in the 1980s, and had become a big star but had been left virtually unemployed since being charged with the assault on Karl Poole.

Before swearing the jurors in, Judge Paul Sloan KC told them the defendant was a well-known actor  many if not all of you will know of him.

Tompkinson was born in Stockton-on-Tees and grew up mostly in St Annes-on-the-Sea in Lancashire.

He told the court some of his teachers saw potential in my acting ability during school plays and encouraged him to audition for drama school.

Tompkinson attended the Royal Central School for Speech and Drama in London from 1984 to 1987, and in his final year won the Carleton Hobbs Award, getting an Equity card.

He then joined the BBCs radio drama company and performed in 54 radio plays in seven months.

Tompkinson told the court the first thing of any note he appeared in was TV news sitcom Drop The Dead Donkey, which started in 1990 and ran for nine years.

He became a household name after starring as Father Peter Clifford in 1996s Ballykissangel, and in the same year appeared in hit film Brassed Off as a miner turned childrens party clown.

Giving evidence at his trial, Tompkinson said Ballykissangel was probably the most popular show Ive done after reaching 15 million viewers.

Other notable TV credits include Wild At Heart, Minder, New Tricks, Grafters and Ted And Alice.

He also appeared in ITV crime drama DCI Banks for six years until the show was axed in 2016.

Tompkinson also starred in a 2021 stage adaptation of Educating Rita, and told a court he had interspersed stage and screen throughout his career.

He is due to star as playwright Samuel Beckett in a new play called Stumped, which is scheduled to start touring in less than two weeks.

The trial heard that since being charged with the assault on Mr Poole, Tompkinson had had work taken away and any association with him in the industry was on hold while the charges were hanging over him.

Asked by his barrister Nicholas Lumley KC if he had anything to gain by assaulting Mr Poole, Tompkinson said: Absolutely not. Any member of the public is potentially a member of your audience and you have to treat them with respect at all times.

People know hes good under pressure Andy Hamilton

After we got 15 million viewers for Ballykissangel, my father, who was alive at the time, said, You have been invited into peoples living rooms and you must always treat them with respect, and I always try to.

It would be career suicide to do something as outrageous as assault someone.

A parade of character witnesses from the world of television appeared or wrote statements in support of Tompkinson during the trial.

Comedian and writer Andy Hamilton, who worked with him on Drop The Dead Donkey, told jurors Tompkinson had worked pretty much permanently since he had known him and had become a big star over the years.

One of the reasons for that is people know hes good under pressure, he said.

Andy Harries, chief executive of Left Bank Pictures, described Tompkinson in a statement as a terrific actor and said he knew how much he loves his daughter and partner.

Arthur McKenzie, a former Northumbria Police detective turned writer, said in his statement: It was very quickly abundantly clear to me why he is regarded as one of Britains finest actors.

His Wild At Heart co-star Hayley Mills said Tompkinson played a vet in the series and worked with every sort of animal, all of which responded to the calm way he dealt with them.
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 youth has appeared in court accused of fatally stabbing a schoolboy with a machete in front of fellow pupils.

Renell Charles, 16, a pupil at Kelmscott School in Walthamstow, east London, was killed last Friday afternoon in what police described as a brutal attack.

It happened close to the school on Markhouse Road shortly after the end of the day, and was witnessed by other students and passers-by.

Renell had left school and was walking along the road when his attacker allegedly got out of a taxi and ran towards him, assaulted him and knocked him to the ground.

The attacker then chased Renell, pulled out a large machete and stabbed him several times, it is claimed.

Police and medics were called to the scene but the victim could not be saved.

A post-mortem examination identified two particularly significant injuries  a fatal wound to the chest and a deep stab to the back.

A 16-year-old youth, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, walked into Forest Gate police station on May 8 and was later charged with murder.

On Thursday, he appeared at the Old Bailey for a preliminary hearing by video link from Feltham Young Offenders Institute.

Judge Nigel Lickley set a timetable for the case with a plea hearing on July 27 and a provisional 10-day trial from January 22 2024.

Setting out the allegation, he told the defendant: The facts of this case as described by the prosecution are that you in the middle of the afternoon on May 5 armed with a machete got out of a taxi and attacked Renell Charles who had just left his school in Walthamstow.

The defendant was further remanded into custody.

Previously, headteacher Sam Jones said the attack marked the darkest of days for the school community, adding: A Kelmscott student was tragically killed in a senseless knife attack.

Kelmscott is a large and tight-knit family and this loss will be felt for a long time to come.
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 head of the civil service union has called on mandarins to vote for strike action, saying he has had enough of attacks from ministers.

Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA, hit out on Thursday at claims that civil servants are part of an establishment blob working to frustrate Government policy and undermine ministers.

He told the unions annual conference in Westminster that ministers need to demonstrate they value civil servants.

To applause from delegates, he said: Now, having been told youre a lazy, woke, inefficient, Remainer, activist, snowflake, you are also now apparently a Machiavellian genius, able to unseat ministers and undermine the settled will of Government.

I dont know about you, conference, but Ive had enough of this.

He also criticised the Governments handling of pay negotiations with civil servants, saying they had been treated as second-class public sector workers after the Government refused to offer them the additional cost-of-living payment that had been offered to other public sector staff.

The union announced in April that it would be balloting on strike action for the first time in 40 years, and Mr Penman said on Thursday that the FDA intended to start the ballot by the end of May.

If successful, the FDA could begin walkouts in the summer.

Calling for FDA members to vote in favour of strikes, Mr Penman said: I know what an extraordinary, difficult choice that is going to be for members.

I know you value the vital public services you are so passionate about delivering and I can assure you, conference, that I and the executive committee would not ask this of you unless we thought it was absolutely necessary.

There comes a time for everyone when enough is enough, when the only response can be a demonstrable one that signals to ministers exactly how strongly you feel. That time is now, conference.

His call follows a period of deteriorating relations between ministers and the civil service.

Most recently, Jacob Rees-Mogg on Thursday accused the civil service of idleness over plans to rip up EU rules carried over after Brexit, while Dominic Raab claimed there was resistance in Whitehall to the policy.

Recent months have also seen allegations that senior ministers have bullied staff and claims that activist civil servants are working against Government policy and have deliberately tried to bring down ministers they disagreed with.

Mr Penman denied having a hit list of ministers, saying: The FDA does not go around encouraging complaints  but the FDA has, and it always will, stand up to bullies on behalf of its members.

He also directly criticised Dominic Raab, who resigned from the Cabinet after an independent report found he had bullied staff, and accused Rishi Sunak of knowing about concerns regarding his behaviour before appointing him as deputy prime minister.

Mr Penman said: We now know there were written complaints of bullying submitted about Dominic Raab whilst he was justice secretary under (Boris) Johnson.

We also know, because the Prime Minister refused on five separate occasions to answer a direct question about it, that this new Prime Minister was aware about those concerns as well.

Downing Street has consistently denied that Mr Sunak was aware of any formal complaints about Mr Raabs behaviour, but has not denied suggestions that there had been informal complaints.
Gaborone  The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has accused East African forces deployed to fight rebels in his country of working with the enemy. Felix Tshisekedi made the remarks Tuesday during a visit to Botswana, where he welcomed the planned deployment of Southern African forces as a replacement.

Addressing journalists in Gaborone, Tshisekedi, who spoke through an interpreter, said there are issues within the East African Community regional force deployed to fight the M23 rebels in the east of DRC.

"We are going to evaluate the situation because there are problems with the regional force. The first reason that pushes us to ask questions is the role that was assigned to this regional force, which is not fulfilled," he said. "Today, in certain regions, there is a co-habitation that we have noticed between the contingents of the regional force of Eastern Africa and the terrorists of M23, which was not the plan."

The DRC president did not specify how the East African forces are working with the rebels, but said his government has had to reevaluate its operations in the east.

"We had to stop. Working together with the forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo so that we get peace, it means a cease-fire and a retreat," Tshisekedi said. "But unfortunately today, we have noticed that there are forces that are tolerating that and we also have some officers, either from the countries of these contingencies, where the military officers of those countries, when they get to DRC, they clearly say they are not coming to fight the M23, which was not part of the plan."

The DRC president said he is also concerned over Kenya's decision to appoint a replacement commander for the regional forces, without consulting authorities in Kinshasa.

This came after the commander of the East African forces, Kenyan General Jeff Nyagah, abruptly quit the DRC mission at the end of April.

"He is talking about threats but he has never told us about those threats," Tshisekedi said. "Why didn't he tell us about the threats? He alone knows. And when he decides to leave the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya directly sends another commander of the force without consultations, as if that force only belongs to Kenya. There must be a problem and we need to talk about it."

Tshisekedi said the planned deployment of Southern African Community Development (SADC) troops is welcome, particularly at a time when the tour of duty of some East Africa regional forces is coming to an end.

Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi, speaking Tuesday night during a state banquet organized for Tshisekedi, said there is a need to find a solution to challenges in the eastern DRC.

"Let us not make a mistake; the agents of instability are hard at work to frustrate genuine efforts aimed at finding a lasting solution to the problems of the region," Masisi said. "Which is why Botswana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo should in the context of the regional, economic and other structures to which they both belong, redouble their efforts to finding a lasting solution to the security challenges in the Eastern DRC."

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Congo-Kinshasa East Africa 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.

Nairobi-based political commentator Wene Owino said Tshisekedi's concerns over the conduct of the East African regional force are valid.

"Tshisekedi is right about forces from East Africa. The SADC forces might be seen as neutral because of the historical bad blood between some of these [regional] militaries and the DRC," he said. "Remember, Uganda and Rwanda were involved when President [Laurent] Kabila rose to power in the 1990s. So these troops have been compromised all along. But whether the coming of SADC troops will bring lasting peace to DRC is another issue, it's a more complex issue than just neutral troops."

Fierce fighting has raged for years in the North Kivu province of DRC, with more than 100 armed groups battling for valuable mineral resources.

Attempts by VOA to get a comment from the East African Community forces were not successful.
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 }}

Civil servants who accused Dominic Raab of bullying them have said they would not go through the process again because it is flawed, the head of the civil service union has said.

Mr Raab resigned from the Cabinet in April after an independent investigation found he had bullied staff engaged in an abuse or misuse of power that undermines or humiliates while foreign secretary.

The five-month investigation by lawyer Adam Tolley was launched after multiple official complaints were made against the then-deputy prime minister, but Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA, told the PA news agency on Thursday that Mr Raabs accusers would not recommend complaining again.

He told PA: I spoke to some of the people who raised complaints, and theyve said: Wed never do it again, we would not go through this again.

I just simply wouldnt advise anyone, because the process is so completely flawed and one-sided, I wouldnt advise anyone to go through this again.

Mr Penman also criticised Rishi Sunaks handling of the report into Mr Raabs conduct as appalling, saying it had sent an absolutely clear message to civil servants whose side hes going to be on.

I just simply wouldnt advise anyone, because the process is so completely flawed and one-sided, I wouldnt advise anyone to go through this again. Dave Penman, FDA general secretary

He said: Every civil servant who was brave enough to come up and raise a complaint, whether it was found against or not  and Tolley said all of the complaints were made in good faith  had to sit at home and wait and watch this unfold on telly.

They werent told what was happening, theyve no rights in the process, and the Prime Minister allowed Dominic Raab to go in there and try and restore his reputation, and then sent him a letter that looked like he was retiring to be with his family, rather than a minister who had been found to be bullying civil servants in breach of the ministerial code.

In his response to Mr Raabs resignation letter, the Prime Minister acknowledged he had rightly promised to resign if a finding of bullying was made against him, but praised his record of delivery and said there had been shortcomings in the investigations process that had negatively affected everyone involved.

Mr Raab also gave an interview to the BBC in which he claimed activist civil servants were effectively trying to block government.

The reaction to the findings of bullying against Mr Raab led Hannah White, director of the Institute for Government, to warn that no civil servant would feel encouraged to speak out in future.

Downing Street has already pledged to learn lessons from the investigation about how bullying claims are handled in government.

On Thursday, Mr Penman used his speech to the FDA conference to criticise ministers for undermining the civil service and call on union members to vote in favour of industrial action after the Government refused to offer a cost-of-living payment to civil servants.

He told PA: If youre constantly going to treat people like that, then what ends up happening is some things just tip the balance.

Its about being called woke, its being accused of being the blob, and now youre doing this about pay as well, and I think thats the difficulty.

Once you do that and you essentially say youre not valued across a whole range of measures, thats when people decide to go.
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 }}

Former prime minister Gordon Brown will use a rally next month to call on people to unite around a mission to change the UK.

The former Labour leader will speak about the need for change in both Scotland the United Kingdom at the event in Edinburgh on June 1.

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford and Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, will also speak at the event, as will Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and actress, comedian and writer Arabella Weir.

It comes in the wake of a report produced by Mr Brown for Labour on the future of the UK, which recommended abolishing the House of Lords and replacing it with a new, democratic upper chamber.

The rally is being staged by Our Scottish Future, the think tank set up by the former prime minister to campaign for change for Scotland as part of the UK  with organisers hoping the event will highlight demands for political reform from different parts of the country.

Speaking ahead of the rally, Mr Brown said: In our politics, people are looking for a hopeful message which shows how Scotland and the UK can work together.

There are many things we are divided about as a country, whether its over culture, the constitution, or on the economy.

But we can all unite around a mission to change the UK and tackle the great challenges of the 21st century  poverty, inequality, climate change, and sustained economic growth.

Mr Drakeford argued that a new strengthened union between the different nations of the UK is needed.

The Welsh First Minister said: The current union of the United Kingdom isnt working for people in any part of this country we are proud to call home.

We need a new, strengthened union, which guarantees that no-one will find themselves unable to eat or relying on a food bank, facing old age or illness at the margins of society.

A union which offers strong devolution for all parts of the UK, a union where all four nations are treated as equals.

Mr Burnham said communities in the north of England have lost out as a result of power being concentrated in the south, similar to the situation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Greater Manchester mayor complained about the over-concentration of political and economic power in the south east of the UK, as he called for further devolution.

He said: Places in all parts of the UK should have the ability to build a better future from the bottom up and collaborate with neighbours.

The creation of mayoral combined authorities in England is enabling places like Greater Manchester to begin to chart our own destiny.

But whilst devolution needs to spread throughout England, its also important that powers are devolved out of Holyrood and into local areas.
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 }}

Tributes have been paid to a very special British military volunteer killed during fighting in Ukraine.

Jay Morais, 52, from Bristol, fought in some of the fiercest battles in the countrys eastern region - including the Donbas cities of Severodonetsk and Bakhmut.

The death of Mr Morais, a veteran of the French foreign legion who signed up to fight last year, was confirmed by Ukraine on Tuesday.

He is thought to have died in Kharkiv in February after fighting Russian troops further east, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Mr Morais is the ninth known British national to have died in Ukraine since Russia invaded the country on 24 February last year.

Lidiya Martynova, his Ukrainian fiancee, told the paper he was a very special guy. He met Ms Martynova, a local humanitarian volunteer, while serving in the war.

Jay was a very special guy, she told The Telegraph. He was a professional soldier, but he would always say that it wasnt important how many enemies hed killed, but how many people hed saved.

Mr Morais had previously served in the French legion in Kosovo and Ivory Coast before leaving in 2007 to work as a sales manager at Three, the mobile phone network company, in the Bristol area.

He returned to visit the UK last year having spent some time fighting in Ukraine and friends said he appeared to have been burdened by the intensity of the fighting.

The last time he came in, you could tell what the war had done to him, Marcus Pinson, the owner of an army surplus shop that Mr Morais used to buy equipment from, said.

At times he would sound quite upset. But he felt he had to go back for another tour of duty as he didnt want to let his comrades down.

Mr Morais was reportedly given a funeral with military honours in Ukraine.

Mr Morais is the ninth known British national to have died in Ukraine (Jay Morais/Instagram)

He did not have children.

His death was confirmed by Ukraines International Legion, a multinational unit of volunteers set up by President Zelensky.

A spokesperson said that Mr Morais had been killed in the line of duty" but did not give any further details about his death.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We supported the family of a British man following his death in Ukraine."

Other Britons killed in Ukraine include Andrew Bagshaw, a 48-year-old New Zealand resident and Christopher Parry, 28, born in Cornwall, who were killed attempting a humanitarian evacuation from the town of Soledar in the eastern Donetsk region in January.

Andrew Bagshaw and Christopher Parry were killed attempting a humanitarian evacuation from the town of Soledar in the eastern Donetsk region in January (Reuters)

A statement released through the Foreign Office said the pair had saved over 400 lives in Ukraine.

Simon Lingard, from Lancashire, died fighting for the Ukrainian side on 7 November after his military unit was attacked.

Simon Lingard died on 7 November (Supplied)

Jordan Gatley, described as truly a hero who previously served as a British Army rifleman based in Edinburgh, was shot dead in Sievierodonetsk, a key city in Russias efforts to advance in eastern Ukraine in June last year.

Jordan Gatley previously served as a British Army rifleman in Edinburgh (Facebook)

Scott Sibley, a British Army veteran from North Lincolnshire, was the first known Briton to be killed in the war when his death was confirmed by the Foreign Office in April last year.

Craig Mackintosh, from Norfolk, was killed in August while volunteering as a medic.

Craig Mackintosh was killed in August ( )

Paul Urey, 45, from Culcheth near Warrington , Cheshire, is believed to have died in July while imprisoned in the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic.

Paul Urey went to Ukraine as an aid worker (Family handout/PA)

Jonathan Shenkin, 45, from Glasgow, was serving in the embattled country as a paramedic. His relatives say he died in December.
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 }}

A royal superfan attending the coronation says she was arrested just for standing next to Just Stop Oil protestors before being held for 13 hours.

Alice Chambers had headed to the Mall on Saturday morning to try and get a glimpse of King Charles.

But as she waited among the crowds she found herself handcuffed by police and arrested on suspicion of potential to cause a breach the peace alongside roughly a dozen other people. The incident, which was caught on camera by Sky News, took place at around 9am.

Alice Chambers - whose arrest was captured here on Sky News - missed the coronation as a result (Sky News)

The 36 year-old architect, who is from Australia but lives in London, said she had no idea she was even near protestors as they hadnt started their demonstration at that point.

Despite her repeated attempts to explain the situation to the police, she says the Met took hours to acknowledge she was just an innocent bystander.

Speaking to the i newspaper, Ms Chambers said she was held for 13 hours in a cell, repeatedly questioned, underwent physical searches, and her DNA, fingerprints, and mugshot taken before she was finally released.

I explained the whole thing, how I went down there at 7am to get a good spot, how I went one way and it was blocked and I ended up walking back to where there seemed to be some space, she said.

They [police officers] looked at each other and asked have you ever heard of Just Stop Oil? I said, Up until today no. They said we have no further questions and were really sorry youve been caught up in this.

That was the point I started crying and got emotional  that was the first time anyone had been able to listen to my side of the story.

Ms Chambers had headed to the Mall in the hope of seeing King Charles (PA)

Ms Chambers said she understood why the police were on edge that day but was still upset by the ordeal and devastated to have missed the opportunity to witness a once-in-a-lifetime historical event. She has now made a complaint to the Met Police and the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The incident comes after the Met faced widespread criticism for arresting dozens of republicans ahead of the coronation service on Saturday.

When contacted for comment on Ms Chambers experience, a Met spokesperson: "We are aware that a woman was arrested in relation to a protest on 6 May 2023."

The Met Police has faced criticism for arresting anti-monarchy protesters (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

"The arresting officer was from Lincolnshire Police and the complaint has therefore been passed to the relevant force to investigate. The Met will assist by providing any relevant information they require."

Chief Inspector Simon Outen from the Professional Standards Department at Lincolnshire Police, said: Our officers were in central London providing mutual aid support to colleagues in the Met on Saturday 6 May, and during that time, a woman in her 30s was arrested in connection with a Just Stop Oil protest.

She was subsequently released with no further action. We have now received a complaint and we are reviewing the incident, and we are in contact with the complainant to establish the full details of her allegations.
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 }}

A judge has been criticised for ordering a rape victim to directly arrange childcare with an ex-husband who subjected her to rape and domestic abuse.

The family courts found the man, who has not been identified in the court case, had raped the woman on more than one occasion and subjected her to domestic abuse which involved physical abuse, emotional abuse and elements of controlling and coercive behaviour.

The judge also ruled the man should be allowed to have unsupervised contact with his son despite the mother calling for the visits to be overseen.

During a remote hearing in the family courts in November, district judge Alan Jenkins asked the man and woman to negotiate directly on child contact arrangements and adjourned the hearing so they could discuss the issue amongst yourselves.

According to the appeal judgment, the pair met in 2006 before getting married in 2010 and divorcing in 2018, with the woman going to the police in 2020 to accuse her ex-husband of rape and sexual abuse.

Judge Emma Nott, a senior judge, ruled in March that there must be a new court hearing because the original trial judge did not conduct the court case properly.

Writing in the appeal judgment, Judge Nott states: I accept entirely [the] mothers statement that she was intimidated by and felt distressed by  and therefore felt she was not able properly to represent her views  her direct dealings with father.

She later added: It was inappropriate in my view for the mother to be directed to negotiate directly with father about the issue of contact.

Judge Nott warned the mother is the victim of significant and serious domestic abuse and violence, including sexual violence. She said the father would sexually intimidate the mother and, on one specific occasion, coerced her into sex during child contact when their child was in the room next door.

Barrister Charlotte Proudman, who led the appeal in the family courts, told The Independent the man submitted intimate images of his ex-wife to the court and had been reported to the police for doing so.

The human rights lawyer criticised the lack of special measures in place for the woman, which forced a rape victim to look at her rapist on a screen.

She added: The judge asked the rapist and victim to speak to each other. I think it is appalling that happened.

It shows unfortunately the family courts are still not implementing special measures for victims of rape and other forms of domestic abuse consistently in every case, and that can result in victims feeling intimidated, distressed, and suffering emotionally.

The hearing had a detrimental impact and emotionally harmed the rape victim, she added.

Dr Proudman said: The way the trial judge spoke to the mother was not acceptable. He shut down any explanation she tried to give and dismissed her concerns about contact with a rapist and her child.

She added that the womans treatment in the family courts is part of a bigger picture and pattern where the family courts fail to implement special measures in all cases.

It will deter other victims from seeking justice from the family courts  if they fear they could be put in a position where they have to speak to their rapist, she warned.

The Independent has contacted the district judge and the courts and tribunals judiciary for comment.
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.
Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report 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

The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Two Metropolitan Police officers have been dismissed without notice for punching and kicking a 14-year-old boy during his arrest before lying about the incident in their statements immediately afterwards.

The child is Black, The Independent has learned.

The officers were dismissed at a gross misconduct hearing which followed an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said: "The force used on this child was neither reasonable nor proportionate in the circumstances. "The public must have confidence that when officers are required to use force to detain and arrest members of the public, they will only use the minimum amount of force necessary.

"To compound matters, they then tried to justify their actions by lying on their initial statements following the incident. Their dismissals send a strong message that there will be serious consequences for police officers who use gratuitous violence and are dishonest about their actions.

"Both officers will also be added to the police barred list, preventing them from future employment with any police service."

The misconduct hearing heard that police constables Alexei Zalesskiy and Conor Ryan were accused of using excessive force on the boy, who was part of a group of young people gathered at Finsbury Park, north London in April 2021.

Police fficers attended following reports of fighting in the park where a knife had been seen. A number of police units responded, and a group of young people were stopped by officers. Some further stop and searches were conducted but no knife was found.

During attempts to disperse the group, one boy became agitated at being pushed by police, according to the IOPC; he began shouting at officers and spat in an officers face.

The child then ran away from the officers who chased him on foot to arrest him for assaulting an officer. Shortly after, he was detained on Wilberforce Road nearby, placed in handcuffs and arrested for the assault on an emergency worker and a public order offence. The boy was not charged and no further action was taken.

During the arrest, force was used on the boy which the IOPC investigated to see if it was necessary.

PC Zalesskiy punched him at least once and PC Ryan kicked him in the neck/head area and struck him in the thigh with his knee.

Evidence gathered by IOPC investigators included police body-worn video and CCTV which showed the officers punching and kicking the boy. The police watchdog also found evidence that they had lied in their statements immediately following the incident, dishonestly claiming they believed the boy was going to spit at PC Zalesskiy for a second time, justifying their actions.

After receiving a voluntary referral in April 2021 from the Metropolitan Police about the officers conduct, the IOPC conducted a five-month investigation into the matter and concluded that there was a case to answer for gross misconduct against both officers and an indication they may have committed assault by beating.

At the end of its investigation, the IOPC passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service. However, the CPS decided not to press charges against the officers.

The watchdog says it found no evidence that the officers excessive use of force was because of racism on their part.

Met Police officers are four times more likely to use force against Black people compared with the white population, the latest figures show.
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 }}

An Army colour sergeant told an officer cadet she had had enough male company a day before she was found hanged at Sandhurst military academy, an inquest has heard.

Olivia Perks, 21, was discovered dead at the elite military training school in Berkshire on February 6 2019.

An earlier inquest hearing recorded her provisional cause of death as asphyxia due to hanging.

Warrant Officer (Class 2) Carl Lamb, who was then a colour sergeant, told her inquest at Reading Town Hall he made the remark in front of mainly men who were asking her questions about what happened between her and a non-commissioned officer named only as Colour Sergeant Griffith, whose room she had been found in after the Falklands Ball on 1 February, 2019.

WO2 Lamb claimed he said it because of the rumours that were said at the time about what happened.

He added: One hundred per cent I should not have made the comment.

Army officer cadet Olivia Perks (PA Media)

He told the hearing that colour sergeants would not be expected to know about officer cadets welfare in detail despite being the first significant link between them and the chain of command.

He was not aware of a suicide attempt made by Ms Perks during a Royal Engineers visit in July 2018 or her behaviour while drunk on a trip to Normandy in November that year until after she died.

He said: We knew if someone had a family member pass away. That was probably the extent of where I knew about welfare, unless someone had gone through a hard time with their partner and said, Can I have the afternoon off, can I have Friday off?

Major Thomas Rossiter, who was Ms Perks adjutant at the academys New College, told the inquest he had not recognised her banging her head against a wall after the Falklands Ball as self-harm.

He said: I should have made that connection. At that point in time I didnt have the knowledge or professional expertise to make that connection or draw that conclusion.

He told a colleague Ms Perks needed to go to the medical centre after the incident, which he claims stemmed consciously from a concern for her physical welfare but he subconsciously knew something wasnt right with her mental health.

He also said he did not see Ms Perks between the ball and her death and had little understanding of the academys vulnerability risk management (VRM) policy.

Asked by counsel to the coroner Bridget Dolan KC whether there was any expectation on him to look at the policy, he replied: No.

Ms Dolan asked if the unit welfare officer being away would have required him to look at the VRM policy, Maj Rossiter said: I didnt understand what the VRM exactly was or what its purpose was.

Asked by coroner Alison McCormick whether he understood the required authority on welfare was the welfare officer, he replied: Thats correct.

She asked if he understood that to mean he didnt have to do anything around the policy and he replied: Yes.

He added: That was a professional failing. I should have had the professional curiosity to know that doesnt sound right and I should have had more of an active involvement in that.

He also admitted to a professional failing by not making further enquiries about the policy and admitted nothing was done in reality when Ms Perks risk was raised from amber to red after the ball.

The inquest continues.

For anyone who needs help, Samaritans can be contacted for free on 116 123, emailed at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
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 }}

A trial in one of the Duke of Sussexs legal battles is set to begin at the High Court in London.

Prince Harry is one of a number of high-profile figures bringing damages claims against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles.

The trial  expected to last up to seven weeks  is due to restart today, with the duke set to appear as a witness in June.

Here we look at the legal cases the duke has been involved in over the last few years:

Privacy claim against Splash News and Picture Agency

In May 2019, Harry accepted substantial damages and an apology from a news agency which took pictures of his home in the Cotswolds from a helicopter.

Harry settled privacy and data protection claims against Splash News and Picture Agency over photographs of and into the living area and dining area of the home and directly into the bedroom.

The court heard Splash agreed to pay damages and legal costs.

Legal action against the Home Office

The duke is bringing legal action against the Home Office over the security arrangements for himself and his family when they are in the UK.

He is challenging the February 2020 decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec)  which falls under the remit of the Home Office  over his security, after being told he would no longer be given the same degree of personal protective security when visiting.

The dukes legal team argue that the security arrangements set out in a letter from Ravec, and their application when he visited the UK in June 2021, were invalid due to procedural unfairness because he was not given an opportunity to make informed representations beforehand.

There will be a full High Court hearing to review the dukes claim on a date to be set.

Libel claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL)

The duke is bringing a libel claim against ANL  the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail On Sunday  over an article about his case against the Home Office.

The story was published online and in the newspaper in February 2022 under the headline: Exclusive: How Prince Harry tried to keep his legal fight with the government over police bodyguards a secret then  just minutes after the story broke  his PR machine tried to put a positive spin on the dispute.

Justin Rushbrooke KC, for Harry, said the Mail On Sunday article purported to reveal, in sensational terms that information from court documents filed by the duke contradicted public statements he had previously made about his willingness to pay for police protection for himself and his family whilst in the UK.

ANL is contesting the claim, arguing the article expressed an honest opinion and did not cause serious harm to his reputation.

At a preliminary hearing in March, the High Court heard the dukes bid to strike out ANLs honest opinion defence or grant judgment in his favour on it.

A judgment is expected later this year.

Alleged unlawful information gathering at News Group Newspapers (NGN)

Harry is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World, over alleged unlawful information gathering.

The duke alleges he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for the papers.

At a hearing in April, the publisher asked a judge to throw out his claim, arguing it was brought too late, along with a similar claim brought by Hugh Grant.

However, Harrys lawyers said it is an attempt to go behind an alleged secret agreement between the royal family as an institution and NGN, which the duke was informed of in 2012.

NGN denies that such an agreement was in place.

A judgment is expected later this year.

Alleged unlawful information gathering at Associated Newspapers Limited

Harry is one of seven people, also including David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Liz Hurley and Sir Simon Hughes, bringing legal action against ANL over denied allegations it carried out or commissioned unlawful information gathering.

The allegations include hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, blagging private records and accessing and recording private phone conversations.

ANL, which firmly denies the allegations, asked a judge to rule in its favour without a trial, arguing the legal challenges against it were brought far too late.

A judgment is expected later this year.

Alleged unlawful information gathering at Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN)

A small number of representative claimants were previously selected as test cases for the trial starting on Wednesday, including the duke.

The court previously heard that Harrys case is that 148 articles published between 1996 and 2010 included information that was allegedly obtained through unlawful means, including phone hacking.

The other claimants selected for trial are former Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson, comedian Paul Whitehouses ex-wife Fiona Wightman and actor Michael Turner.

MGN is contesting the claims, arguing that some have been brought too late.
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 Conservatives have pledged not to enter any electoral pacts with other political parties after being told by Labour to rule out a grubby, desperate deal for power.

Rishi Sunaks press secretary had refused to rule out entering a coalition government with rivals despite the Prime Minister accusing Sir Keir Starmer of plotting to team up with others.

She declined to speculate on the outcome of the next general election after being asked if Mr Sunak could form a pact with the DUP or other parties.

The spokeswoman would not rule out deals with Reform, which was founded with Nigel Farages backing, or Reclaim, the party led by actor Laurence Fox, who has just welcomed in MP Andrew Bridgen after he was expelled from the Tories for comparing vaccines to the Holocaust.

But hours later, the Conservatives released a statement saying: We will not be doing a deal with any other party.

Labour leader Sir Keir has ruled out doing a deal with the SNP, but left the door open to working with the Liberal Democrats if he does not secure a Commons majority after the next election.

Mr Sunak attacked Sir Keir on the issue during Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, accusing him of being busy plotting coalitions while the Conservatives are running the country.

But Labour called on Mr Sunak to rule out a grubby, desperate deal to cling to power after the press secretary declined to rule out the Tories entering any pacts.

I dont think anyone at this stage is going to speculate on the results of the next election, she said.

Shadow Scotland secretary Ian Murray responded: Rishi Sunaks refusal to rule out a grubby deal with the SNP is a sign of his desperation to cling to power.

Mr Sunaks spokeswoman had denied he was being hypocritical by targeting Labour when the Tories have been in coalition with the Lib Dems and entered a pact with the DUP during the last 13 years.

The row came after the Conservatives were punished by voters in last weeks local elections, with the party losing nearly 1,000 councillors.

Labour made large gains but some projections cast doubt on whether Sir Keir is in a position to say he is on course for a majority after the next general election, expected next year.

On Tuesday, the Labour leader repeatedly declined to rule out doing a deal with the Lib Dems in the future after they performed strongly in the local polls.

He insisted he is going for an outright majority but declined to answer hypotheticals when asked about doing a deal with Sir Ed Daveys party.

However, Sir Keir said he is absolutely clear there are no terms in which we will do a deal with the SNP because there is a fundamental difference between Labour and the Scottish nationalists.

Last Thursday, the Tories lost 957 councillors and control of 48 authorities under Mr Sunaks leadership, but the next general election is not expected until 2024.

With results in from all 230 councils up for grabs, Labour gained 643 seats, the Lib Dems 415 and the Greens 200.

Downing Street said Mr Sunak has confidence in Tory Party chairman Greg Hands despite the losses.

Yes, of course, the press secretary said.

Mr Hands attended a meeting of the 1922 backbench committee on Wednesday evening in the wake of the results, but attendance was limited to only between 20-40 MPs.

He told reporters that the discussion had been business-like and about the way forward for the party.

Tory MP Chris Skidmore called on his colleagues to show humility and change course, as he warned that voters were not preoccupied with small boats and culture wars.

You cant repair any damage without actually accepting youve got to be able to listen and learn and re-engage, he told ITVs Peston programme.

Meanwhile, former Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable suggested that secretive discussions will be going on between Labour and his party.

You can be sure that serious, but deniable, conversations will be taking place over the next year, he wrote in an article for the Comment Central website.

But a Lib Dem source responded: Vince doesnt speak for the party. We hope he continues to enjoy his retirement.
interview

Question: Mr. President, the situation in the Sudan has an impact, to varying degrees, on the countries in the Horn of Africa and other countries that have contiguous borders with it. At this time of conflict, the region can play a facilitating role, although the solution rests primarily on the Sudanese people themselves. Is there regional consensus on this approach? What are the initiatives and efforts underway; if any? What effective mechanism can be contemplated to foster harmony and synergy with external initiatives or interventions that are already underway or that may be launched in the period ahead?

The overarching objective of regional integration is to nurture mutual cooperation and complementarity. In our region, each country can operate separately - this is not, evidently, a problem. But integration has an advantage. This is indeed too palpable to merit elaboration. We need to have a shared platform that enables us to solve issues and tacklechallenges that are common tothe region. The crisis in Somalia provides a clear example.We put forward aproposal for a Consultative Forum with our regional partners and stakeholders instead of focusing on our own individual initiative. We believed that the sum of our contributions would bemore effective in resolving the problem at hand.We also believed that this would help pave the way for the much-desired, long-term, regional integration. The efforts exerted in Somalia were not easy. Unfortunately, things did not work out as expected.In 2006, unnecessary interferences and the subsequent invasion that ensued compounded the problem. In protest, we opted tosuspend our membership in IGAD as its very existence as a viable and independent organization was put in serious doubt.

IGAD was originally established to combat drought. In 1991, however, with the end of the Cold War and the Independence of Eritrea, a new situation emerged in the region and IGAD was reformed as a regional body that would catalyzethe coordination and implementation of regional development programmes and cooperation between themember countries. Each country can evidently formulate its own development plans. Buthaving integrated development programmesoptimizes aggregate output. Marshalling our efforts for higher yield and dividends thus becomes desirable.

The regional landscape incorporates various other bodies - CEN-SAD, COMESA. The objectives of these regional bodies are similar in nature - to transform the economies of member countries from a subsistence stage to developed industrial economies. If we can mobilize our resources and implement joint programmes in infrastructure, energy, water, agriculture, health, education, and various other sectors, the overall output would be much higher.

In the current global reality, creating a competitive force entails collective endeavors. The fact is the separate domestic development efforts of each country cannot be as effective as the collective one. As such, not only does integrationcontribute to development, but it can also augment stability and prosperity at the regional level. If there are obstacles and challenges, instead of trying to resolve them individually, we would have common solutionsor mechanisms. With time and experience, this can be made more effective. Thiswould help us tackle our challenges and move forward. The case of South Sudan provides a clear example of a viable regional engagement through the framework of IGAD. This particular initiative may indeed be invoked as a concrete manifestation of broad regional cohesion.

Challengessuch as the one we are currently witnessing in theSudan may arouse the concern of the whole world.Countries may be interested individually. The easiest and most effective mechanism, however, is a regional initiative. There is now a trilateral group of facilitators in the Sudan - the United Nations, the African Union, and IGAD. How was this formed? What is it achieving? Does it have profound knowledge of the case? We do not want to digress into all the details.

Suffice it to say that the regional body is much more affected, and as such, much more concerned about this issue than anyone else. Questions may arise on its capabilities and what it can concretely deliver. These are tangential issues. But, its engagement is absolutely vital.

IGADD's presence is important in the affairs of the countries of the region: Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea. It cannot arguablybe dismissed for being weak or for not being ableto create its own mechanism. It must be allowed the time and space to develop its capabilities in the process. It must be able to work towards solutions while becoming familiar with the issues in each country in the region; knowing the problems in depth.

The status of currentinitiatives in the Sudan are disjointed. One of the factors that is amplifying the distortions is the multiplicity of interventions. Some of these are benign in intention. Obviously, there are others which are not altruistic. But we do not need to delve into these matters.

As is usually the case in different parts of the world, there are those who wait for corpses so that they can sweep in and act as Undertakers whenever calamities unfold. They wait for and pray to see/handle corpses; their whole preoccupation is not how to save people from dying. These tragic events are callously seen as lucrative businesses to them. Obviously, identifying who these are is not difficult.

Interventions, both benign and sinister, continue to be too many. They predate the eruption of the conflict today; they have indeed remained part and parcel of the political landscape since 2019. These phenomena will continue to exacerbate the distortion. Hence it is critical to take remedial action and restore and bolster the viable regional framework. Even if the countries of the region are deemed as lacking in capabilities, they must be given a chance. We must recall the interferencesthat occurred in Somaliain 2006 and its deleterious consequences. That was one of the reasons that prompted us to suspend our membership in IGADD. Still,as part of this region, we will not shirk our responsibilities.

Therefore, the regional body must acquire higher capabilities and increase its contributions. Unfortunately, what we are witnessing in the Sudan at this time is almost adversarial; and includes blocking and marginalization. There is no serious attempt tostudy the issue in depth orto find a solution through collaborative effort with others in a spirit of complementarity. This is done in plain view. Anyone who turns on the radio or television can see this. Unbridled rivalry will only compound and distort the domestic issue. This wayward initiative may appear as a major one; or as if it is prompted by purely humanitarian considerations. In general, the outwardly impressive interventions are not few in number.

One factor remains constant: the ultimate ownership of the issue belongs to the Sudanese people and they must be allowed the space and time to solve their challenges. The neighboring countries of this region can offerassistance, but they cannot replace the Sudanese people. As such, any cooperation must be carried out in a well-researchedand coordinated manner. There is no room for rivalry. That being the case,and as I stressed earlier, we have no reason or appetite to compete in a bazaar.

We will do what we have to do because it is our duty and obligation. The same applies to others. Our sole aim and wish is to contribute whatever we can in accordance with our obligations. In the end, the Sudanese people must emerge from this most recent conflict as well as from all other challenges of the past yearsand be able to shoulder the burden of the transitional period.

Irrespective of potency, knowledge or other credentials; no one can act asa substitute for the Sudanese people. But all can assist in creating an enabling environment to the Sudanese people. On the basis of this key principle, all the neighbors of Sudan can make their own contributions. The most effective way to expedite this process would be to coordinate their initiatives, rather than compete and claim that this issue affects one more than the other.

The fact remains that neighboring countries are the ones that can contribute the most, and their engagement must be continuous - whether in the present time or in the future - and this remains truein spite of limitations in capacity and coordination. This does not mean that there is no room for other partners to engage. Far from it,any opportunity to cooperate must be accepted. This challenge does not only affect the Sudan. There are other problems in the region, and these countries must create a platform to tackle all the problems together.

Question: Mr. President, as you mentioned, Eritrea's desire and efforts, as well as the desires and efforts of neighboring countries is for this conflict to come to an immediate end; for a reliable ceasefire agreement to be reached;and for the brotherly Sudanese people to focus on a permanent political solution. Unfortunately, however, the critical issue at the moment is the displacement of civilians living in Sudan, including Eritreans. What are the efforts taken by the Eritrean government to welcome its citizens and facilitate the evacuation of other nationals via Eritrea, including overflight permits?

We have one constant policy. We do not enter into the relief/aidmarketplace. Our citizens and others in Sudan are obviously at risk in view of the prevailing instability. In such a situation, crossing through Eritrea is not discussed whether in the context of gettingnecessarypapers, visas, permits, or transport. If you skim through media coverage, Eritrea is not in the picture. We choose not to get into that exercise of publicity. Because, undue focus on people fleeing fromthe conflict; narrations on "exodus"to Chad or South Sudan etc.exacerbate the distortion.

When such unexpected disasters arise, the best approach is to calmly think about how to deal with them and how to pool our resources together for a better solution. The countries in the region must work and coordinate their efforts. If extraneous entities deem the region does not have the capability to address the problem and insist they alone will shoulder the responsibility, we can express our good wishes and let them try. As far as we are concerned, however,we have no problem accepting anyone who leaves the Sudan and comes to us because of the crisis. Our air, land and sea borders are open.

This is not a new policy declaration. We do not need to issue any declaration because it isan established principle and normative practice to us. How many Eritreans are there in Sudan? Are some of these Eritreans refugees in Sudan or not? Would Sudanese be considered refugees when they enter Eritrea or not?These are irrelevant questions. Distorted labels and stereotypes do not existin our vocabulary. We have never contemplated setting up refugee camps here and there. This is a job reserved for Undertaker entities that I mentioned earlier.They have no other job. Their existence depends on the creation of refugees - they open shops, set up camps, set up tents with different colors, all with the name of the United Nations written on them. The aim is to create refugees. It is a business. I call it the business of Undertakers.

When personal and humanitarian calamities unfold, what is of paramount importance is the moral responsibility to help. This responsibility cannot be shrugged off because of paucity of resources, food, medicaments, shelter etc. The main thing is for humans to care about other humans. Let alone Sudanese, even if foreigners living in the Sudanwant to come here and be sheltered, they are welcome. We can even offer them our homes. We do not have any problem doing this. If we have bread to eat, then we can share it. There is absolutely no issue and we are willing and able to offer whatever assistance is required of us.

This applies the more so to Eritrean nationals in the Sudan, whether they were made to live in refugee camps or residing elsewhere outside this arrangement. We have a consistent policy - aid shops, shops for the poor, or refugee camps will not be opened in Eritrea. We do not engage in this. The people of this region must be able to accommodate each other when problems arise while the borders remain in place.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Eritrea 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.

It is hard to believe that the Sudan, with all of its wealth and resources, and that was once referred to as the 'breadbasket' of this region, has fallen into such a predicament. It is especially hard to believe that the Sudanese people find themselves in such a dire situation.Nonetheless, the key question now must be how dothe Sudanese get out of this predicament - this must be the principal objective now. Surely, they have the capacity and more than adequate resources. The assistance from the region that we are talking about is a stop-gap measure only for this brief period of hardship.

The airwaves continue to be flooded with harrowing images and thousands of Sudanese fleeing from their country. Why is this newsworthy? Why do you film them? Is it pleasant to see them depressed, crying? Do you do that primarily and solely for purposes of sensationalisation?This is absolutely tabooand unacceptable in our culture (as the primary efforts must be marshalled for the solution of the underlying problem).

Our border is open, anyone who needs sanctuary can come. Whether we have enough resources or not,whether there isfood and water, whether there areenough tents or shelters isa secondary topic. What we do have is the faith and spirit that we can share whatever we have; share whatever meal we have. If there is a need to mobilize resources for this,we can do that. This does not only apply to Eritrea but we also have high hopes that all the other neighbors of Sudan will do the same.

But for the long term, the regional institution and framework of cooperation that we have talked about must build the capacity to fully address such emergencies whenever and if they occur. How do we deal with not only war, but other natural disasters as well? How do we work together? How do we strengthen our advance preparations? It is necessary to develop the capacity and methodologies of mitigating and addressing unexpected developments.

To discuss numbers of people fleeing a crisis and crossing borders and to track their whereabouts and movements each day is simply shameful, and it is absolutely unacceptable in our culture.

During the struggle, when our people were in exile in Sudan, they lived as Sudanese, as Sudanese citizens. Sudan was the rear base of the Eritrean people. Whether during the liberation struggle or after the struggle, an Eritrean living in the Sudan never thought of themselves as a stranger and foreigner.

By the same token, any Sudanese who comes here must be able to think that he or she is at home; whether in times of trouble or prosperity. When you create such an environment, you can cope with any challenge whether it is war or natural disasters. The issue of resources is secondary. Our policy is not to enter into the bazaar and Public Relations stints of Undertakers.

(President Isaias also spoke in Arabic to stress the solidarity of Eritrea with, and convey a message to, the people of the Sudan who had offered sanctuary to Eritreans as full citizens during the dark decades of the liberation struggle).
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 }}

Hallucinations, psychosis, involuntary body movements and Hulk-like strength.

Those are just some of the reported effects of monkey dust - a relatively new and dangerous drug linked to a range of crime and health problems.

The Class B drug, already banned in the US, could soon face tougher penalties in the UK, following reports some users have jumped off buildings or tried to eat glass.

Government officials have asked drug experts to review the substance, which could potentially be upgraded to Class A.

What is monkey dust?

Monkey dust is a synthetic - or manmade - cathinone. Cathinones are a naturally occurring stimulant drug found in the plant, khat.

It is also sometimes called Butylone M1, Magic Crystals, Mdpv, Methylone or Pyrovalerone and comes in a powder form, usually white, off-white, yellowish or brown and a hit can cost as little as 2, according to an MP.

Cathinones were originally sold over the internet as legal alternative to drugs like speed, ecstasy and cocaine.

To avoid trouble with the police, sellers marked the cathinones they were selling as not for human consumption, and sold them as plant food or bath salts.

The government later banned the substance.

How is it taken?

Monkey Dust is a synthetic cathinone. Cathinones are a naturally occurring stimulant drug found in the plant, khat. (Getty Images)

Monkey dust is usually snorted. It can also be found as capsules and pills and can be smoked or, in rare cases, injected.

Evidence is still emerging about the effects of monkey dust, which broadly has similar effects to amphetamines (speed) and to MDMA (ecstasy), experts say.

Police officers have described tackling people under the influence of the drug as like trying to wrestle with the Incredible Hulk - the comic book character who has superhuman strength.

In one case a man who had taken monkey dust climbed up a building and then jumped off it.

He landed on a car, jumped up and began grappling with police officers, apparently unable to feel any pain.

The drug has been particularly problematic in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

Jack Brerton, the Conservative MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, said he was glad the government is reviewing the drug.

Lives destroyed

Many peoples lives have been completely destroyed as a result of taking this drug, he said.

"There is no treatment for those who become addicted - and it is very addictive. For those who succumb to it, its very profound."

He added: "Its so cheaply available, its cheaper than the price of alcohol and people are able to just pick it up readily.

We need to see reclassification and put the consequences up for those who are pushing this drug."

Chris Philp, the minister for crime and policing, said the government was committed to tackling the supply and demand for illegal substances to reduce antisocial behaviour and crime.

Our drug laws must keep pace with their evolution, he added.

Rob Hessell, chief inspector and operational lead on drugs at Staffordshire Police, said the force would support reclassifying the substance to Class A.
Joe Biden has said he visited Northern Ireland for the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in April to make sure the Brits didnt screw around.

The US president made the apparently sceptical remark about the UKs governments approach to post-Brexit issues at a fundraising event speech in New York on Wednesday.

I got to go back to Ireland for the Irish Accords, to make sure they werent  the Brits didnt screw around and Northern Ireland didnt walk away from their commitments, Mr Biden said.
A shadow minister has said no Labour employee should be allowed to keep their job following reports a senior aide still works for the party despite a sexual harassment complaint being upheld.

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he was upset to read reports about a former Labour intern allegedly being groped by a staff member who was said to be 20 years older than her.

Mr Reynolds told Times Radio: I dont think anyone who behaves that way should continue in employment in any circumstance.
Senior BBC figure Sir Robbie Gibb told a news editor not to investigate the Vote Leave campaigns infamous claim that Brexit would mean 350m a week going to the NHS, according to a new book.

Sir Robbie, editor of live politics programmes at the time of the referendum, was reportedly horrified at the idea of scrutinising the claim after the vote and urged colleagues to move on.

Rob Burley, who edited The Andrew Marr Show at the time, made the claim in a new book about his time at the BBC called Why Is This Lying Bastard Lying To Me?
Business secretary Kemi Badenoch has received a furious dressing down from the Commons Speaker over her attitude towards parliament and her U-turn on EU laws.

Speaker Lindsay Hoyle demanded to know "who do you think you are speaking to?" after Ms Badenoch gave what appeared to be a flippant response to concerns about the governments approach.

The clash came during an urgent parliamentary question about the ministers U-turn on the governments "bonfire" of Brexit laws.
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 }}

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill has reiterated her plea to the DUP to return to the Stormont Assembly.

The DUP has been boycotting devolved government for the past year, pressing the UK government to address their concerns around Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson earlier insisted his party will stand firm after this election until we have properly secured and protected our place within the United Kingdom.

We should have been in Stormont from last May, from immediately after the election. That remains my case today and my message to the DUP, they need to be in the Executive with the rest of us Michelle ONeill

He also made a plea during his partys manifesto launch in Belfast for unionist co-operation at next weeks council elections against opponents of the union.

Last years Assembly election saw Sinn Fein emerge for the first time as the largest party at Stormont.

Speaking during a visit to the Balmoral Show, Ms ONeill insisted her election message is one of positivity.

They (DUP) can fight what type of campaign they wish, my message is one of positivity, one about the future, one about building a better society for us all to live side by side, so Ill just keep focused on what I offer the electorate, she said.

We should have been in Stormont from last May, from immediately after the election. That remains my case today and my message to the DUP, they need to be in the Executive with the rest of us making politics work, and focusing on the future and making this a better place for everybody who lives here.

Ms ONeill also said she rejects the assessment by some that the overall mood of the election has been flat.

Im out at different hustings, at different events, on the doorsteps meeting people and its not flat in my experience, people are very engaged, and very engaged in terms of the bigger picture politics, theyre being crystal clear with me that they want politics to work, they want politicians working together, they want the Executive up and running, they want us to fight back against Tory austerity and they want good local government councillors, she said.

Actually I find it quite an engaging election.
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 }}

Students have voiced fear their degrees will be devalued amid a marking boycott by lecturers as part of an ongoing pay dispute.

The University and College Union (UCU) and members of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-Fela) are taking action short of strike in a bid to secure higher wages.

It means lecturers will mark work but will not enter it into recording systems, as they are no longer carrying out duties beyond their contract.

The industrial action includes 145 UK institutions, including all Scottish universities and colleges.

Universities are considering a raft of measures in response, which could include basing final grades on work already submitted.

Ollie Lewis, a politics student at Edinburgh University, said his dissertation took six months to complete but it may never be looked at.

The student, from Cambridge, said his 9,250 per year studies could essentially go to waste amid the uncertainty.

He told the PA news agency: After four years of studying and committing to pay over 37,000 to this university, not marking our final work is the ultimate slap in the face.

If students graduate without all our work being marked, it could run the risk of our degrees being devalued. The university has miscalculated here.

In a Twitter thread, Mr Lewis said staff have been left with no choice but to take the action, and he said some tutors cannot afford to feed or clothe themselves.

Meanwhile, more than 500 Edinburgh University staff have written an open letter to the institution over concerns that degrees could be awarded to students without necessary expertise.

A university spokesperson said: The university has robust measures in place to reduce the impact of industrial action and we are making every effort to provide results, degree award outcomes and progression decisions to students by the published timelines.

They added that temporary variations are in place to ensure academic standards are not compromised.

Meanwhile, New College Lanarkshire student Sher Khalid-Ali urged the Scottish Government to intervene in the pay dispute as she warned students could be prevented from moving on to higher or further education if their results are disrupted.

She said: If the Scottish Government really cares about helping adults out of poverty, why are they ignoring a pay dispute which threatens to stop thousands of students having access to a better life which they have worked hard to achieve?

It comes as 46 million of funding originally pledged to colleges and universities was withdrawn by the Scottish Government after it was marked as an essential saving.

Scottish Labour education spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy said: Students who have been working hard towards their degrees for years face their work not being marked or counted towards their degree, while staff face their wages being docked for taking legal action to protect their pay, terms and conditions.

Its a complete mess and is a direct result of the SNPs 13-year freeze to university budgets  a 25% reduction in funding in real-terms  and their repeated failure to avoid strike action and support staff and students.

They deserve much better than this.

Lib Dem education spokesman Willie Rennie said: This generation of young people have already suffered from a pandemic body blow, now they are under a cloud of industrial action.

Ministers need to work to break the logjam so students can fully benefit from the best education experience possible.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: The Scottish Government is not directly involved in the national collective bargaining process. It is for colleges and universities, as the employer, to negotiate with the unions on pay, terms and conditions in the spirit of collaboration and co-operation.

It is important that unions and the employers continue to hold talks to avoid any potential industrial action and subsequent disruption to learners.

We expect management and unions to make every effort to reach a settlement that is fair and affordable.
Burkina Faso is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that has seen 1.99 million internally displaced people flee violence perpetrated by jihadist groups (OCHA, 31 March 2023). The northern town of Djibo has now been under blockade by non-state armed groups for over a year and remains largely cut off from food and aid. The movement of the population is restricted and access to basic services has been severely affected, leaving the population surviving with little food, water, electricity, and limited means of communication. The ongoing clashes between the Burkinabe defence and security forces and non-state armed groups on the outskirts of Djibo have resulted in a mass influx of people seeking refuge in the town. Of the 300,000 inhabitants, almost 270,000 (269,894 according to the National Council for Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation: CONASUR) are internally displaced, half of whom are children, living in camps or with host families.

Caught in the conflict, living conditions are deteriorating rapidly and the community is surviving by means of humanitarian assistance. Unable even to find salt, resources are so scarce that for long periods of time, inhabitants have resorted to eating leaves. "I had nothing left to eat for my children," said Safi, a 30-year-old internally displaced mother of five. Safi left her village of Yalanga, 100 km from Djibo, with her entire family, her husband was killed on the way by armed groups. Her daily life is marked by distributions from the World Food Programme as she looks for small household jobs to survive.

"It's getting a little bit better these days," she says, on 21 March, as a convoy of food and necessities finally managed to reach Djibo, under armed escort, four months after the last supplies reached the town. The improvement is notable, even if the combined effects of the food and security crisis remain critical.

The difficulties in accessing Djibo have led to an alarming food and nutrition crisis, the extent of which is difficult to measure. With insufficient information on the nutritional status of the population, actors struggle to adapt their responses. Since the first warnings in October 2022, several organisations have mobilised, but aid is still largely insufficient. Nutritional activities implemented in recent weeks are responding to the needs of malnourished children, but the lack of food and perspectives for the coming months remains deeply concerning.

On 8 and 9 April, MSF teams distributed 57 tonnes of BP-5 biscuits to 12,456 children aged between 6 months and 5 years, which is equivalent to a month's worth of food. BP-5 biscuits are used as a nutritional supplement to prevent malnutrition in children (a fortified food with high energy value based on cereals: cooked wheat flour, fat, vegetable oil, sugar, soya protein, vitamins, and minerals). This distribution has temporarily contributed to responding to the immediate needs of a large portion of the population.

Access to health care is also heavily affected by the blockade: most medical staff have left and difficulties in obtaining medicines have led to the closure of several facilities. Those that remain are operating at minimal capacity, with limited capacity to respond to an already extremely vulnerable population. "We are living in great suffering", said one community leader.

Since 2018, MSF in collaboration with the Ministry of Health has been supporting Djibo medical centre with a surgical unit (centre medical a antenne chirurgicale), two advanced health posts and three community health sites.

At the medical centre with a surgical unit, patient care is free: patients and their families receive three meals a day. The surgery and the emergency care unit are autonomous thanks to solar panels installed by MSF.

MSF is also working on the rehabilitation of water points and building boreholes, facilitating access to drinking water for the inhabitants whilst also reducing risks for women who no longer need to walk long distances to fetch water.

Hamadoum Moussa, health promotion supervisor, explains "In addition to what MSF is doing for the people of Djibo, we also have been supported, do not forget that this situation had an impact on us and our families". Food supplies were flown in at the height of the blockade to ensure supply to our teams, who continued to work tirelessly. Despite the extremely difficult context, solidarity and social cohesion prevail in the city and our teams as they respond to the ever-growing needs of the community.

Backlinks are basically votes from other websites. Each of these votes tells search engines: This content is valuable, credible and useful. When you add trustworthy and relevant website links to your content, it improves the credibility of your website. In addition, valuable external links provide your readers with references, which will enhance your website's authority.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Burkina Faso Governance 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.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is a global network of principled medical and other professionals who specialise in medical humanitarian work, driven by our common humanity and guided by medical ethics. We strive to bring emergency medical care to people caught in conflicts, crises, and disasters in more than 70 countries worldwide.

In South Africa the organisation is recognised as one of the pioneers of providing Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) in the public sector and started first HIV programmes in South Africa in 1999. Up until today, the focus of MSFs interventions in the country has primarily been focused on developing new testing and treatment strategies for HIV/AIDS and TB in Eshowe (Kwa-Zulu Natal) and Khayelitsha (Western Cape).

In Tshwane, we run a migration project, and we offer medical and psychosocial care to migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, who struggle to access public health services under South Africas increasingly restrictive.

Previously we offered free, high-quality, confidential medical care to survivors of SGBV in Rustenburg.
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 }}

Four teenagers in Chicago have been charged in the shooting death of a city police officer, according to law enforcement reports.

Chicago Police Department officer Areanah Preston, 24, was walking home from work on Saturday when she was shot and killed.

Police arrested Joseph Brooks and Trevell Breeland, both 19, as well as Jakwon Buchanan, 18, and a 16-year-old boy in connection with the shooting, CBS News reports.

All four have been charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery. The 16-year-old will be tried as an adult, according to CBS Chicago. They have also been charged with burglary, motor vehicle theft, and other offenses related to incidents on Friday and earlier on Saturday.

Police said Ms Preston was shot around 1:40am during a robbery spree. The suspects allegedly spotted Ms Preston walking home after her shift while driving around in a sedan. Residential surveillance video viewed by police alleges that the suspects ran up to Ms Preston while she was outside her home and fired at her. One of the suspects allegedly grabbed Ms Preston's gun before they fled in the car.

An initial emergency call around 1:42am was made to police, but due to delays police did not immediately respond to the call. A second 911 alert was sent from Ms Preston's Apple Watch approximately 20 minutes later.

The 16-year-old allegedly bragged about the shooting to a friend, who then reported it to the police, according to CBS Chicago. The friend then called the teen back, but with detectives listening in on the call.

"During this phone call defendant, [the suspect] made additional admissions to the robbery and the shooting - including details that had not been released," Assistant State's Attorney Anne Rodgers McCord said.

Judge David Kelly ordered the four suspects to be held without bail during a hearing on Wednesday, citing a "mountain of evidence" collected by prosecutors.

The city's mayor, Lori Lightfoot, issued a statement following the announcement that Ms Preston's alleged killers had been apprehended, calling the incident a "heinous murder."

Ms Preston was only three years into her job with the department when she was killed.
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 }}

Four teenagers have been charged in the fatal shooting of a Chicago police officer who was slain last weekend as she was heading home from work, authorities said Wednesday.

Nineteen-year-olds Joseph Brooks and Trevell Breeland, Jakwon Buchanan, 18, and a 16-year-old boy face charges of first-degree murder and armed robbery in Saturday's killing of Officer Areanah Preston, 24.

The Chicago Police Department said Preston was fatally shot about 1:40 a.m. Saturday during a robbery spree.

All four were also charged with armed robbery, burglary, motor vehicle theft and other offenses in connection with incidents that occurred on Friday and Saturday, police said. They were facing initial court appearances Wednesday and it wasn't immediately known if they had lawyers who could comment for them.

Cook County prosecutors said Preston was off duty and on her way home after her shift early Saturday on the city's South Side when the suspects passed her in a sedan, circled back and approached her as she stood in front of her house.

Residential surveillance video shows three people getting out of the sedan and running toward Preston, who was still in uniform, before several muzzle flashes are visible on video and she falls to the ground, according to court documents. The attackers ran back to the sedan before one person returned to grab Preston's gun, court documents allege.

Interim Police Superintendent Eric Carter said Preston's death was a tragedy for the city.

Tyrone Pendarvis, the commander of the 5th District where Preston served, said the officer was a rising star whose death affected all who know her.

She will truly be missed, he said.

Preston worked for the department for just three years prior to her killing, according to department officials. Hers is considered a line-of-duty death, which entitles her family to financial assistance from the state, the Chicago Tribune reported.
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 man in Louisiana has been detained after he shot his 14-year-old neighbour in the back of the head as she played hide and seek in his yard.

David Doyle, 58, told the authorities that he unknowingly struck the girl after he discharged his firearm at a group running away from his home who turned out to be a number of children playing hide and seek.

A press release from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriffs Office states that police were called to the scene in a small Lake Charles neighbourhood early on Sunday.

The wounded teen girl was found at the scene, after which police learned that multiple children had been playing in the area and hiding on the property of a neighbour.

When detectives spoke with the property owner, David V. Doyle, 58, [of] Starks, he stated he observed shadows outside his home, at which time he went inside and retrieved his firearm, the press release said.

Mr Doyle told investigators that he went outside and started firing his gun at those he spotted running away from the home.

The teenager was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the Sheriffs Office said.

Members of her family told KPLC7 News that shes okay and recovering.

The local TV station reported that the area where the shooting occurred is a dead-end road with only three residents: Doyle, the victims family and a relative to the victims family.

An area resident connected to the teenagers family told The Daily Beast that Mr Doyles nephew was one of those playing hide and seek with the wounded teen girl.

Things like this need to stop, the resident told the outlet. I believe in people owning guns, but your life has to be in danger first. That mans life was not in danger It was just lucky, that her guardian angel had their hand on her, and it wasnt worse than it was.

Mr Doyle was booked on Sunday at 6.45am, according to online jail records.

He has been charged with aggravated battery, aggravated assault with a firearm, and illegal discharge of a firearm.

This incident is just one of several similar incidents recently. Older people have shot several younger individuals after they made simple and harmless mistakes.

Ralph Yarl, a Black 16-year-old honour student, was shot and wounded last month after he accidentally rang the door of an 84-year-old resident in Missouri.

Two days later, Kaylin Gillis, 20, was shot and killed by a 65-year-old man after she was in a car alongside others that entered his driveway in upstate New York as they were looking for the house of a friend.
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 man who was filmed with his arm wrapped around the neck of Jordan Neely on a New York City subway traincar will be criminally charged for his death and surrender to authorities as early as 12 May.

Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old former US Marine, will be charged with manslaughter in the second degree, according to the Manhattan District Attorneys office. Prosecutors expect his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday, according to a statement shared with The Independent.

On 1 May, a man identified as Mr Penny placed the 30-year-old homeless former street performer in a fatal chokehold for several minutes until he died on the floor of an F train on the Broadway-Lafayette platform in Manhattan. The citys medical examiner determined Neelys cause of death was homicide.

Potential charges were first reported by ABC News and NBC News. Mr Pennys attorneys did not immediately return a request for comment.

Neely  who was experiencing a mental health crisis in the days leading up to his death  was known among social work teams involved in outreach to New Yorks homeless community. He had numerous interactions with law enforcement and health responders over the years.

When he walked into the F train on 1 May, Neely complained of hunger and thirst, according to witnesses and journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez, who posted a video of part of the incident on his Facebook page.

Mr Vazquez said Neely threw his jacket to the floor of the train car before another passenger grabbed him from behind in a headlock. Others grabbed at his arms. The widely shared video footage shows Mr Penny and two other men holding Neely to the floor of a train car for several minutes, while Mr Penny grabs Neely in a chokehold.

Another passenger can be heard in the video telling the men that his wife was in the military and warned them that placing Neely in a chokehold could kill him.

You dont have to catch a murder charge, he said. You got a hell of a chokehold, man.

A statement from attorneys for Mr Penny on 5 May said Mr Penny was involved in a tragic incident ... which ended in the death of Jordan Neely.

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, according to the statement.

Attorneys for Neelys family said the statement from Mr Pennys legal team was neither an apology nor an expression of regret but character assassination and a clear example of why he believed he was entitled to take Jordans life.

Neelys death has sparked widespread demands for support for homeless and mentally ill New Yorkers, as advocates and lawmakers condemned what they characterised as an act of vigilantism in a city that has marginalised and targeted its most vulnerable residents with violence.

Within the week after his death, NYPD officers have arrested at least 24 people  including a photojournalist, targeted by a high-ranking police official  at protests and vigils demanding an arrest.

In his remarks on 10 May, more than one week after Neelys death, Mayor Eric Adams did not mention how Neely died or discuss the events surrounding his death, but issued his strongest statements yet in the wake of the incident, in contrast to his initial remarks in its aftermath.

Jordan Neely did not deserve to die, he said. A New Yorker who struggled with tragedy, trauma and mental illness, a man whose last words were crying for help.

Mr Adams outlined his administrations response to people experiencing homelessness and mental health distress, including legislation proposed to lawmakers in Albany, the creation of outreach teams, and a controversial policy that allows authorities to involuntarily hospitalise people who are considered too mentally ill to care for themselves.
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 }}

Lori Vallow turned on her lover, fellow cult member and alleged accomplice Chad Daybell in a dramatic closing statement where she made a final bid to avoid life in prison for the murders of her two children and Mr Daybells first wife.

In Ada County Court in Boise, Idaho, on Thursday, Ms Vallows attorney Jim Archibald sought to paint her as a hardworking good mom whose life suddenly changed when she met Mr Daybell.

One year after meeting Chad, four people are dead, said Mr Archibald.

Who is Lori Vallow? What happened? Where did it happen? When did it happen? Why did it happen? he asked.

Thats what youve been asked to figure out.

Mr Archibald walked jurors through Ms Vallows backstory, of how she grew up in California and got married straight out of high school.

Ms Vallow married three times in total before marrying fourth husband Charles Vallow. The couple adopted JJ Vallow, 7, and they lived together with Ms Vallows daughter Tylee Ryan, 16.

Mr Archibald said that the Vallows were a good fit for JJ, who had autism, and they loved and cared for him.

Then the story about Lori Vallow changes dramatically in October 2018, he said.

That month, Ms Vallow met Mr Daybell in person for the first time at a religious conference while they were both married. Prosecutors say their love affair, cult beliefs and murderous plans all grew from there.

First, Charles was shot dead by her brother Alex Cox in Arizona in July 2019 and Ms Vallow then moved with JJ and Tylee to Rexburg, Idaho, where Mr Daybell lived.

JJ and Tylee were last seen alive in September 2019 and for months Ms Vallow refused to reveal their whereabouts.

Tylee Ryan and Joshua JJ Vallow (Family handout)

One month later, Tammy died suddenly aged 49 and Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell flew to Hawaii and married on a beach.

In June 2020, JJ and Tylees remains were discovered buried in Mr Daybells backyard.

JJ died by asphyxiation with multiple layers of plastic bags wrapped around the little boys head and duct tape over his mouth.

Tylees cause of death was impossible to determine because her remains were so badly burned and mutilated, with body parts and bones found scattered in the ground on the Daybell property.

Now, Ms Vallow is facing life in prison on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy and grand theft over the deaths of JJ and Tylee as well as conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Tammy.

She is facing charges over Charles murder separately in Arizona.

In closing arguments on Thursday, Ms Vallows defence attorney argued that everything changed when Ms Vallow met Mr Daybell.

From then on, he claims that Ms Vallow was under the control of the doomsday author, under the spell of the craziness of his cult beliefs.

Why cant people escape religious leaders? Why cant Lori escape and get back to her good mom life? he asked.

Lori is not a leader in Chads new church  the Church of the Fireborn. Lori so wants to testify of Jesus. She wants to tell the world how much she loves Jesus. She wants to tell you she personally met him on more than one occasion.

Mr Archibald asked the jury to question whether Ms Vallow is a leader or a follower.

But is Lori a leader or a follower of Chad? She so wants to be a leader but shes not leading anyone, he said.

Shes following Chad. She thinks Chad is following Jesus but hes not. Hes unfortunately being led by the storm - not the first guy to be led by the storm.

Mr Archibald said that while people may question how can someone have that much control over you, reason and common sense go out the windows sometimes when religious principles are involved.

He pointed to testimony from witnesses who described Ms Vallow as a good mother prior to meeting Mr Daybell.

Lori Vallow outside court during a hearing last year (AP)

The defence attorney went on to blame the murders of Tylee and JJ squarely on Mr Daybell and Ms Vallows brother Alex Cox.

He argued that  while it is undeniable that JJ and Tylee were murdered  there was no evidence placing the 49-year-old mother-of-three at their murders or on Mr Daybells property when they were buried there. There is also no mention of murders in the 15,000 texts of evidence, he said.

Look for the lack of evidence of whos doing what, he said.

By contrast, he pointed to cellphone data placing Cox in Mr Daybells yard on the day that JJ was buried there and Mr Daybells actions  looking over his shoulder and attempting to flee the scene  when investigators began digging up the yard months later.

Chad knew what was in his backyard, said the defence attorney.

Mr Archibald also dismissed the significance of Ms Vallows hair being found on duct tape used to wrap a plastic bag around JJs head.

Rather than being a smoking gun, he claimed that this would be expected when JJs pyjamas and clothes were also in the bag.

I would hope all of you who are mothers, I hope your hair is somewhere on your kids pyjamas, socks or blanket, he said.

He also argued that there was no evidence to show that Ms Vallow was involved in planning any of the murders  pointing instead to steps such as hiring a babysitter, listing JJ and Tylee on her rental application for her homne in Idaho and a lack of life insurance purchase for the children.

Lori didnt have a plan. The state wants you to think that this was Loris plan to kill her kids, he said.

The defence attorney also questioned whether Mr Daybells wife Tammy was even murdered or whether she did in fact die of natural causes as initially thought.

In an attempt to pick holes in the prosecutions argument that she was driven by money, sex and power to kill her children and Mr Daybells first wife, Mr Archibald made numerous scathing digs at Mr Daybell calling him nutty and scoffing at Mr Daybells attractiveness, the lack of money he could offer Ms Vallow in their new life and the couples doomsday beliefs that lie at the heart of the case.

In terms of the financial motive, he compared Charles salary of $400,000 to $500,000 a year to Mr Daybells $30,000 as the doomsday author cant sell enough stupid books about the end of the world.

Chad Daybell is awaiting trial at a later date (Post Register)

In terms of power, he pointed out that between them Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell managed to only recruit around six of the 144,000 they believed they were gathering for the second coming.

At the rate of six people a year, that will take Chad 24,000 years to get this army assembled. The math is ridiculous, he said.

Mr Archibald went on to compare Mr Daybells appearance to Charles appearance, saying it wasnt about sex but was about Ms Vallow buying into his religious claims.

Shes reading his books during a hard time in her life and this guy is telling her shes a goddess... and by the way, weve already been married in previous life so its not really cheating. And we were best friends with Jesus and Jesus approves so everything is okay, he said.

Thats quite the pickup line by Chad to Lori and it worked. Pretty scary that the pickup line from Chad to Lori worked.

If convicted, Ms Vallow faces life in prison.

Mr Daybell is also charged over the murders but is due to stand trial separately at a later date.

Cox, meanwhile, died before he could face charges.

On 11 December 2019, Cox died suddenly at the age of 51. His death was also ruled natural causes, with indications of a blood clot wedged in the arteries of his lungs. However the overdose drug Narcan was also found in his system.

Ms Vallow is also facing charges in Arizona of conspiring with Cox to murder her fourth husband Charles Vallow.
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 }}

Cult mom Lori Vallow groomed and manipulated her new lover Chad Daybell and brother Alex Cox to murder her two children and Mr Daybells first wife, according to the prosecutions dramatic closing statement.

In Ada County Court in Boise, Idaho, on Thursday, prosecutor Rob Wood laid out the states case against the mother-of-three, placing her firmly front and centre of a plot to kill her son JJ Vallow, 7, daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and 49-year-old Tammy Daybell  and then steal their money.

Lori Vallow is the one that ties this all together, he said.

The prosecutor argued that Ms Vallow was driven by money, power and sex  and that she used all of those things to manipulate her alleged accomplices to do her bidding.

They used religion as a tool to manipulate others. Lori manipulated Alex Cox through religion, he said.

She manipulated Chad through emotional and sexual control. They manipulated their friends.

Mr Wood pointed to text messages showing how Ms Vallow was grooming her brother Cox, including one message where she praised his silence with the phrase: Good boy.

Lori Vallow is telling Alex Cox what to do. You never see Alex tell her what to do. She is always telling him what to do, he told jurors.

In the prosecutions rebuttal, Mr Wood hammered the point home, arguing that Ms Vallow was the one common thread tying all the suspects and killings together.

The evidence in this case points to one common thread and that thread is Lori Vallow, he said.

The defence says shes not a killer. She is a killer. Lori is the connection to the deaths.

What connection does Chad Daybell have to Charles Vallow? Lori. Why did we talk about Charles Vallow? The motive.

Ms Vallow is facing life in prison on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy and grand theft over the deaths of JJ and Tylee as well as conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Tammy.

JJ and Tylee were last seen alive in September 2019 and for months Ms Vallow refused to reveal their whereabouts.

One month later, Tammy died suddenly aged 49 and Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell flew to Hawaii and married on a beach.

In June 2020, JJ and Tylees remains were discovered buried in Mr Daybells backyard.

Lori Vallow in court in 2020 (AP)

After a grueling month-long trial, Mr Wood walked jurors through the states case against Ms Vallow and what they say led to the deaths of the three victims.

Money, power, and sex. Beginning in October 2018, Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell set in motion events, Mr Wood began, echoing the states opening statement.

Along the way, they included her brother Alex Cox to participate in a conspiracy unencumbered and free of obstacles.

This plan was driven by Lori Vallows desire for and use of money, power and sex. And this plan must end today in the verdicts you render in this trial.

On the first driver of money, the prosecutor pointed to evidence showing that Ms Vallow was receiving the childrens Social Security payments directly to her accounts, and continued to receive and spend them after they had both been murdered.

Lori learned a lesson with Charles Vallow, he said  referring to Ms Vallows fourth husband who was shot dead by Cox in July 2019.

This lesson, he said, was to secure the money before the victim is killed.

Jurors were shown evidence that Ms Vallow altered Tylee and JJs Social Security payments so that they would go directly to her  just days before the respective child would wind up dead.

Get the money and then commit the murder, he said.

This photo of Tylee Ryan and her brother Joshua JJ Vallow with their uncle Alex Cox was taken on the day Tylee was killed (Handout)

As well as the power Ms Vallow held over Cox, the prosecutor argued that she also used sex to hold power over Mr Daybell and get him to do what she wanted.

Mr Wood pointed to texts where the doomsday couple moved between steamy, sexual messages to messages which he said were about the deaths of their spouses and her children.

Pointing to the cult beliefs which were also allegedly a driver in the case, Mr Wood said that Ms Vallow used religious beliefs to justify murder.

Jurors have heard how Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell believed that they were on a religious mission to gather the 144,000 and they believed in a rating system of light and dark for how they ranked the spirits of the people around them.

Over time, this evolved into the belief that some people  including the children  were zombies and the only way to get rid of the zombies was for the human body to be destroyed.

Mr Wood said that the beliefs themselves are not a crime, but the way they used these beliefs to justify murdering three people are.

It does not matter what they believed. It matters what they did, he said.

They can believe whatever they want. But when they use that to justify homicide, that changes.

The prosecutor laid out evidence that the murders were premeditated and planned  from the stash of burner phones the three alleged accomplices had, Coxs practice at a shooting range prior to a botched attempt on Tammys life and what he said was a deliberate plan for Ms Vallow to be in Hawaii at the time of Tammys murder.

Tammy was murdered in her own home after the three plotted to kill her, he said  and Ms Vallow then wasted no time benefitting from the $400,000 life insurance Mr Daybell got from her death.

The prosecutor reminded jurors about the harrowing details of the childrens murders and the way the three alleged accomplices disposed of their bodies after  showing the court graphic images of Tylee and JJs remains.

JJ died by asphyxiation with multiple layers of plastic bags wrapped around the little boys head and duct tape over his mouth.

Tylees cause of death was impossible to determine because her remains were so badly burned and mutilated.

She was burned and buried in Chad Daybells backyard. What was left of her body they dumped in a green bucket and buried in a pet cemetery on top of a piece of her skull, Mr Wood described of Tylees remains.

Speaking about JJ, he said that the little boy was silenced forever by a strip of duct tape placed across his mouth.

A white plastic bag was placed over his head where it was secured tightly with duct tape wrapped around and around from his forehead to his neck, he said.

The evidence says he struggled and well never know how long he fought before they wrapped tape around his wrists and ankles. He stopped breathing, his heart stopped beating and he died. It was a brutal, horrific murder of a seven-year old boy with special needs.

Chad and Tammy Daybell before her death in October 2019 (Facebook)

Following the childrens murders, Ms Vallow continued collecting their social security payments, he said.

She never reported them missing or dead and lied to multiple people about their whereabouts as she needed to keep the bodies hidden so she could keep getting the money.

Ms Vallow faces life in prison on the charges.

Mr Daybell is also charged over the murders but is due to stand trial separately at a later date.

Cox, meanwhile, died before he could face charges.

On 11 December 2019, Cox died suddenly at the age of 51. His death was also ruled natural causes, with indications of a blood clot wedged in the arteries of his lungs. However the overdose drug Narcan was also found in his system.

Ms Vallow is also facing charges in Arizona of conspiring with Cox to murder her fourth husband Charles Vallow.
 Close Lori Vallow trial: Cult mom convicted of murders of children and Chad Daybells wife

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 }}

Doomsday cult mom Lori Vallow has been found guilty of the first-degree murder of her two children and conspiracy to murder her husband Chad Daybells late wife.

The jury of seven men and five women reached a verdict at around 11.45am on Friday after nearly seven hours of deliberations at the Ada County Courthouse, Boise, Idaho.

Vallow, 49, was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son Joshua JJ Vallow, 7, and Tammy Daybell, 49.

Tylee and JJ were last seen in September 2019. In June 2020, their remains were found buried on the Daybell property. Tammy died one month after their disappearance in October 2019.

Over six weeks, prosecutors argued that Vallow conspired with Mr Daybell and her brother Alex Cox to kill the three victims, motivated by greed and their doomsday cult beliefs.

Following the verdict, the Maricopa County Attorneys Office announced that they have submitted a request to extradite Vallow to Arizona, where she is facing charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of her previous husband Charles Vallow and the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux, who was married to her niece.
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 }}

Lori Vallow was silent when authorities demanded to know where her missing children JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan were.

She wouldnt speak when their remains were found  Tylee hacked to pieces and burned, JJ still in his red pyjamas  in shallow graves on her new husband Chad Daybells property.

She refused to give any answers when confronted by her distraught surviving child, sister and other loved ones as they begged her to tell them the truth in heartbreaking jailhouse phone calls.

She even continued to stay quiet over the next three years as she was hit with new charges for the murders of her fourth husband Charles Vallow and Mr Daybells first wife Tammy Daybell, spent time in a psychiatric facility and had her case severed from her alleged co-conspirator.

And now, even as she stares down the prospect of spending the rest of her life behind bars, she is still silent.

This week, during her high-profile murder trial, the 49-year-old shocked the court when she not only declined to take the stand to testify in her own defence  but refused to entertain putting on any defence case at all.

In a final bid to save herself from life in prison, Vallows attorneys (in what many are mulling may have been a revolt against their client) turned on her lover, fellow cult member and alleged accomplice Mr Daybell in closing arguments  arguing that she was under his control but that she was not involved in any of the murders.

But it wasnt enough.

On Friday (12 May), Vallow was convicted of all charges.

The jury took less than seven hours to find her guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft over the deaths of Tylee and JJ. She was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Mr Daybells first wife Tammy, 49.

Dressed in a black suit, with her blonde hair down in waves around her shoulders, Vallow once again said nothing as she learned that she would likely be spending the rest of her life behind bars.

But given her silence, its perhaps unsurprising.

Lori Vallow Daybell stands and listens as the jury's verdict is read (AP)

When jurors retired for deliberations, the only story they had about what happened to little JJ, 7, teenager Tylee, 16, and mother-of-five Tammy was the one laid out by the state of Idaho.

And it was a horrifying story at that  one involving a warped plot to kill off almost everyone around the doomsday cult couple.

Money, power, and sex  thats what this case is about, prosecutors said in both opening and closing statements.

Over 27 days of trial, prosecutors laid out their case that Vallow conspired with Mr Daybell and her brother Alex Cox to murder JJ, Tylee and Tammy  driven by her doomsday cult beliefs, her lust to be with Mr Daybell and greed.

The trio allegedly spent months orchestrating a plot whereby they justified their plans to kill by claiming that the victims were demons or dark spirits.

Then, after brutally murdering the two children and mother-of-five, Vallow looked her concerned family, friends and authorities in the eye, refusing to reveal where her son and daughter were.

Instead, she and Mr Daybell began a new life together, swanning off to Hawaii to get married in what appeared to be every inch the perfect fairytale romance.

This photo of Tylee Ryan and her brother Joshua JJ Vallow with their uncle Alex Cox was taken days before they were killed (Handout)

Doomsday cult beliefs

Over a dramatic month-long trial, jurors heard how bizarre cult beliefs lie at the centre of the case against Ms Vallow.

Jurors heard how the deadly saga began when Vallow  a member of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints  and Mr Daybell  an LDS member and self-published doomsday books author  embarked on a romance.

After speaking for some time, they eventually met in person at a religious conference in October 2018 while they were both married and prosecutors say their love affair, cult beliefs  and murderous plans  all grew from there.

Vallow and Mr Daybell believed that they were on a religious mission to gather the 144,000 and they believed in a rating system of light and dark for how they ranked the spirits of the people around them.

Over time, this evolved into the belief that some people  including the children  were zombies and the only way to get rid of the zombies was for the human body to be destroyed.

Prosecutors alleged that these beliefs were used to justify the murders of those around them.

In the weeks and months leading up to the murders, Vallow told friends that her children and fourth husband Charles Vallow had become demons or dark spirits  some of them bearing names.

In February 2019, Vallow allegedly told a friend that she believed Charles was possessed by demon called Ned Schneider and that he was already dead with the demon using his body as a host.

Two days before Charles was murdered, Vallow texted her niece Melani Boudreaux: They have an elaborate plan... This week will change everything.

Two days later, in July 2019, Cox shot Charles dead at Vallows home in Arizona in what was claimed to be self defence at the time. (Now, Vallow is facing murder charges in Arizona.)

Chad Daybell is set to face his own trial for the murders (Post Register)

Then, in September 2019, Vallow allegedly told another friend that JJ and Tylee had been taken over by dark spirits and that JJ would say things like I love Satan. Tylee was possessed by a demon named Hillary and had to be freed, Vallow told another friend.

Text messages between Vallow and Mr Daybell also reveal her complaining about being tired of taking care of demons while referring to her children.

We r both so tired of taking care of demons, she wrote in a bombshell text in August. We are weary. Please ask the Lord to take them.

Jurors also heard how the couple discussed inflicting pain on the children, giving them a reason to scream and also spoke about the so-called death percentages of Tylee and JJ.

In the defences closing statement, Vallows attorneys argued that Ms Vallow was only a follower of her new lover Mr Daybell and was under his control and the craziness of his cult beliefs.

Conspiracy and greed

Prosecutors alleged that  as well as the cult beliefs  greed also drove the three alleged accomplices to conspire to kill the victims.

And based on text messages, internet searches, financial records and witness testimony presented in court, the murders were months in the making.

Internet searches revealed that Vallow shopped for life insurance policies for her children in July 2019  two months before they were murdered.

That same month, her Gmail account also searched for how to sell a service dog  like the one JJ, who had autism, was using at the time.

In the months leading up to the murders, jurors heard that Vallow also made several suspicious changes to Social Security payments meant for Tylee and JJ.

It was a pattern where Vallow altered the payments to go directly to her and then the respective child wound up dead days later.

Even after the deaths of JJ and Tylee, prosecutors say Vallow continued to collect the Social Security payments.

Mr Daybell, meanwhile, also made a life insurance claim for Tammy just days after she died.

The doomsday couple was also planning for their new  spouse-less and child-less  life together in other ways, jurors heard.

In August 2019  while Tammy was still alive  Vallow searched for malachite wedding rings. She then bought a pair on 2 October 2019  days before Tammy was killed  and wedding photos show her and Mr Daybell wearing matching rings.

Chad and Tammy Daybell before her death in October 2019 (Facebook)

Brutal murders

The most harrowing and disturbing part of the trial came as jurors learned harrowing details of the childrens murders and saw graphic photos of the state of their remains.

Tylee was last seen alive on 8 September 2019 when she, JJ, Cox and Vallow went on a trip to Yellowstone National Park. A photo of the teenager at the park marks her last proof of life.

The next day, Mr Daybell sent a chilling text message to Tammy claiming he had shot a raccoon and buried it in the pet cemetery on the grounds of their property in Rexburg  the same location where Tylees remains would be found months later.

Days later on 22 September, JJ was last seen alive at his mothers apartment. A photo taken that night showed the little boy sitting on a sofa dressed in a matching set of red pyjamas.

Vallows former friend David Warwick testified that he saw JJ that night when he and his wife Melanie Gibb were staying with her for the weekend. The next morning, JJ was gone.

When he asked about the boys whereabouts, Vallow allegedly told him that JJ had an episode and knocked over a picture of Christ.

It wasnt until 9 June 2020 that the childrens remains were discovered on Mr Daybells property  JJs body buried in a shallow grave close to a tree and Tylees remains close to a fire pit in the pet cemetery.

Graphic photos revealed that JJ was still wearing his red pyjamas and a pull-up nighttime diaper.

His arms were wrapped in duct tape and his head was wrapped in plastic bags with thick layers of duct tape over his mouth.

Autopsy findings showed that the little boy had the date rape drug GHB in his system when he was smothered to death with the plastic bags. He also had scratch marks on his neck suggesting he was awake and fought for his life to get the bag off his head.

Jurors heard that Coxs fingerprints were found on the plastic bag.

Tylees body meanwhile was so badly burned that an autopsy to determine her cause of death was impossible with jurors hearing gruesome testimony of how search teams found pieces of bone, charred flesh, just globs of flesh belonging to the 16-year-old.

Investigators are seen digging up the bodies of JJ and Tylee in June 2020 (Post Register no sales no mags)

Before her remains were dispersed on the grounds, the killer or killers had brutally attempted to dismember her body with a pickaxe which was found at the Daybell home, with Tylees DNA found on both the pickaxe and on a shovel.

Despite the efforts to hack at the teenagers body, the killer did not appear to manage to dismember her and her burned body parts were scattered in the grounds.

While all horrifying, perhaps the most damning evidence tying Vallow alone to the murders was the discovery of a hair.

DNA analyst Keeley Coleman testified that a single hair had been found on the duct tape used to wrap the plastic bag around little JJs head. That hair belonged to Vallow.

Jurors heard that the chances of finding a match were one in 71 billion.

A search of Vallows home in November 2019  when the children were reported missing  also uncovered a trove of concerning items including several guns, ammunition, empty magazines, silencers, Army-grade knives and Hazmat-style suits. Meanwhile, JJs toys and prescription medication were found in black trash bags and Tylees in a storage unit.

Just one month after the children were last seen alive, Tammy was also murdered.

Jurors heard how the healthy 49-year-old died suddenly on 19 October 2019, with a chilling 911 call revealing Mr Daybell bluntly saying shes clearly dead. At the time, Mr Daybell declined an autopsy and her death was ruled natural causes.

Tammys sister Samantha Gwilliam told the court that she sensed things didnt add up as her sister was perfectly healthy when she saw her two weeks earlier.

Jurors also heard how 10 days before her death, Tammy had been shot at by a masked man on the driveway of her home.

Two separate witnesses had testified that Mr Daybell had a dream or vision that his wife would die before she turned 50.

When Tammys death was tied to the disappearance of the children, her body was exhumed and an autopsy revealed she died of asphyxiation.

Cox allegedly raised concerns about being made the fall guy for her death by the doomsday couple.

One day after he made that comment  on 11 December 2019  Cox also died suddenly at the age of 51. His death was also ruled natural causes, however the overdose drug Narcan was also found in his system.

Silence and secrecy

In the aftermath of the murders, Vallow showed no concern for her children and refused to reveal what had happened to them.

Despite repeatedly being confronted by family members and authorities, she made a series of lies about where they were.

In one instance, she allegedly told police that JJ had gone to see Frozen 2 with Ms Gibb and had asked her to take photos of random children to show to authorities.

In another instance, she allegedly threatened to kill another friend, cut her up and then bury her remains in a place nobody would ever find when she questioned her about the missing children.

Following the June 2020 discovery of the bodies, Vallow showed no signs of her surprise at their deaths.

Video shows the moment Lori Vallow was served with court documents over her missing kids (FOX 10/ screenshot)

Instead, in one jailhouse phone call with her sister, she appeared to confess that she was aware the children were dead all along.

In the 24 June 2020 call, a distraught Summer Shiflet accuses her sibling of throwing her murdered children away like garbage and questions how she could have gone to Hawaii and married Mr Daybell in a fairytale wedding on the beach knowing that her children were dead and buried in a pet cemetery.

You were dancing on a beach with a smile on your face taking wedding photos, she shouts.

At this point of the call  where she repeatedly dodges questions about what she knew  Vallow appears to unwittingly slip up.

Yeah, months later, she says of the gap between the deaths and her wedding.

In both this call and a distressing call with her eldest son Colby Ryan, Vallow continues to give no account as to what happened even in the face of confrontation from some of her closest family members.

While the remains of her children lay buried on Mr Daybells property, the couple headed to Hawaii where they got married on the beach on 5 November 2019.

They were still there two months later relaxing by a pool when Vallow was served with court papers demanding that she present her children to authorities.

Shocking video, taken in January 2020, captured the bikini-clad mother-of-three sunbathing by a pool with Mr Daybell in Hawaii when she was confronted about JJ and Tylees whereabouts.

There was no effort to argue against the official. No explanation for where the children might actually be. No concern for their safety.

Instead  true to form  Vallow simply asked: Do you need something from me?
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 Holloway family has been fighting for justice for their daughter and sister, Natalee Holloway, who went missing in 2005 after going on a trip to Arbua and was declared dead in 2012.

Now, the man suspected of being involved in her disappearance and presumed death, Joran van der Sloot, is being extradited from Peru to the United States.

Perus government said it will allow Mr van der Sloots extradition on Wednesday, to face trial on wire fraud charges and extortion, according to the Associated Press.

Mr van der Sloot, a Dutch citizen, is accused of trying to profit off the Holloway family after he was connected to Ms Holloways disappearance.

Ms Holloway disappeared at 18 years old in 2005 while on a high school class trip to Aruba.

She was last seen around 1.30am on Monday 30 May leaving Carlosn Charlies, a nightclub and bar, with Mr van der Sloot, a 17-year-old honours student who was living in Aruba.

Also in the car were Mr van der Sloots two Surinamese friends, Deepak Kalope and Satish Kalope.

Extensive searches went underway to locate Ms Holloway but her body was never found. Mr van der Sloot, Deepak and Satish were identified as suspects in Ms Holloways disappearance but her body was never found and no charges were filed.

In 2010, prosecutors accused Mr van der Sloot of the murder of 21-year-old student Stephany Flores. Mr van der Sloot pleaded guilty in 2012 and is serving a 28-year prison sentence.

US prosecutors allege that Mr van der Sloot accepted $25,000 in cash from the Holloway family in 2010, in exchange for information that would supposedly lead them to her body.

Mr van der Sloot went to Peru after receiving the money.

According to an affidavit, Mr van der Sloot reached out to Holloways mother, Elizabeth Holloway, asking for $25,000 to reveal the location where Ms Holloway was and another $225,000 when Ms Holloways remains were recovered, according to AP.

Mr van der Sloot pointed to a house where he claimed Ms Holloway was buried, however, an FBI agent claimed Mr van der Sloot later admitted to lying about the location in an email.
A validation meeting on the successor National Industrial Policy (NIP), held in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa Sub-regional Office for Southern Africa (ECA SRO-SA) in Lilongwe, Malawi

press release

Lilongwe, Malawi, 10 May 2023  Industrialisation is central to the Government agenda of structural transformation of the economy. It is envisaged that industrialisation will transform Malawi from a predominantly consuming and importing country to a predominantly producing and exporting country, thereby reducing the overriding trade deficit says Ms. Sphiwe Mauwa, Director of Administration, Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI).

She was speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary (MoIT) Ms. Christina Zakeyo at a validation meeting on the successor National Industrial Policy (NIP), held in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa Sub-regional Office for Southern Africa (ECA SRO-SA) in Lilongwe. Ms. Mauva lauded ECA SRO-SA for supporting the comprehensive analysis and review of the newly drafted National Industrial Policy so that it is aligned to the regional industrial policies as well as aligning the Industrial Policy to the Malawi 2063 Agenda.

ECA SRO-SA supported the development of the new NIP that is aligned to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Industrialization Strategies and the, the Malawi 2063 agenda and its first implementation plan (MIP1), the National Export Strategy II and other relevant polices and strategies of the Government of Malawi. The purpose of the validation meeting was to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss, validate and suggest changes to the draft policy document.

Ms. Olayinka Bandele, Chief, Inclusive Industrialization ECA, speaking on behalf of ECA SRO-SA Director, said that this important step Malawi is taking is vital as it plays a pivotal role in driving economic growth, promoting diversification, generating employment, adding value to exports, fostering technology transfer and innovation, facilitating regional integration, advancing sustainable development, and improving social welfare.

She emphasised the need for Malawi to diversify its economy away from over-dependence on agriculture that makes the country vulnerable to external shocks. She noted that Industrialization has the potential to create employment opportunities, alleviate poverty and improve livelihoods. Furthermore, value addition to raw materials through industrialization enhances market competitiveness and export earnings. Technological advancements and innovation fostered by industrial development leads to productivity gains and global competitiveness.

The participants were welcomed by Mr. Jabusile Shumba, Development Coordination Officer, representing the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Malawi, Ms. Rebecca Adda-Dontoh, and the UN family in Malawi. He underpinned UN support to the Industrialization development agenda in Malawi in support of Sustainable Development Goal 9: Industry, Innovations and Infrastructure and through support of national priorities, development strategies and plans to improve the impact, efficiency and effectiveness of industrial policy development in Malawi.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of the draft policy document by ECA Consultant Dr Christopher Guta who shared broad policy directions, which included: policy goals, outcomes, objectives, guiding principles and intervention areas. The proposed seven priority areas for policy action and reform include among others: increasing productive capacities in manufacturing, agriculture and services, greening industrialization, value addition and deepening value chains as key to Malawis industrial development.

The presentation was followed by plenary discussions and break out sessions that tackled industrial policy priority areas and policy recommendations, implementation arrangements, costing the implementation plan and monitoring and evaluation. The group session recommendations were aligned to the draft policy document, with the suggestions put forward aimed at strengthening the policy directions in the final NIP.

The meeting was closed by the Department of Industry and ECA, who challenged stakeholders to own the process, so that the industrial policy serves its purpose. The partners also presented the way forward and timelines of the policy document, which will be in the hands of the Malawi government following finalization of the policy document in June.

-Ends-

About the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

Established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) in 1958 as one of the UNs five regional commissions, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africas (ECAs) mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its Member States , foster intraregional integration and promote international cooperation for Africas development. ECA is made up of 54 Member States and plays a dual role as a regional arm of the UN and as a key component of the African institutional landscape.

For more information, visit: www.uneca.org

Issued by:

Communications Section

Economic Commission for Africa

PO Box 3001

Addis Ababa

Ethiopia

Tel: +251 11 551 5826

E-mail: eca-info@un.org
 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 }}

As a gunman opened fire on people shopping at the Allen Premium Outlets in Texas, police scrambled to locate the suspect and subdue him.

Recently released audio from police revealed that the gunman, Mauricio Garcia, was still shooting when authorities arrived at the scene on Saturday (6 May).

Eight people, including three young children, died and seven others were injured after Garcia, 33, brought a stash of eight legally-purchased weapons to the mall to conduct the shooting.

The gunman had left signs he was planning an attack at the outlets on his digital footprint, specifically from his profile on a Russian website, which police confirmed on Tuesday belonged to him.

One of the posts, reviewed by The Independent, was a video, posted the day of the shooting, showing Garcia removing a Scream Ghostface mask saying, Not quite what you were expecting, huh?

The video appeared to be his final message among a trove of Nazi-related images and hate-filled rants against women and racial minorities posted in the run-up to the massacre.
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 }}

Banning licensed firearms dealers from selling guns to adults under the age of 21 is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Virginia has ruled.

US District Judge Robert E Payne argued in a 71-page filing on Thursday that federal age regulations in the purchase of handguns violate the Second Amendment, the Washington Post reported.

Currently, adults between the ages of 18 and 20 are able to purchase guns through their parents or guardians but are not allowed to buy them from registered dealers themselves.

Judge Paynes decision is expected to be challenged by the Justice Department in the following days. It will then be reviewed by a higher court.

The ruling responded to a civil lawsuit brought up last year by three plaintiffs after a gun dealer refused to sell them handguns because they were older than 18 but younger than 21, citing the Gun Control Act of 1968 and ATF age regulations.

If the Court were to exclude 18-to-21-year-olds from the Second Amendments protection, it would impose limitations on the Second Amendment that do not exist with other constitutional guarantees, the judge wrote in his opinion.

By adopting the Second Amendment, the people constrained both the hands of Congress and the courts to infringe upon this right by denying ordinary law-abiding citizens of this age the full enjoyment of the right to keep and bear arms unless the restriction is supported by the Nations history.

Elliott Harding, the lawyer for plaintiff John Corey Fraser welcomed the decision.

Were pleased the court ruled in favour of [my client] and the other named plaintiffs in such [a] well-written and thorough decision, the attorney told the Post in a statement.

Even though it ensures that future buyers can now purchase these firearms in the federal system, one that includes background checks and other requirements, we expect the defendants will appeal. Nevertheless, we remain optimistic that the decision will be affirmed in due course.

Meanwhile, gun reform advocacy groups have filed amicus briefings noting that the set of federal age requirements, some of which date back from the 1880s, is justified and should be upheld.

In Virginia, open carry without a permit is legal for licensed gun owners over the age of 18.

In recent years, the state has passed several gun reform policies, including requiring background checks for all sales and relinquishment for domestic abusers under restraining orders, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
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 Indiana sheriffs deputy was killed as she tried to protect her eight-year-old son when a dog they were looking after attacked them at their home.

Deputy Tamieka White, 46, was pronounced dead shortly after Indianapolis police responded to her home in the city on Wednesday evening and found her body. She was a longtime Marion County Sheriffs Office deputy and had served with the force since 2007.

The dog was fatally shot by a responding officer when it charged at them, according to The Indianapolis Star.

Whites son was bitten in the attack and is recovering from non-life-threatening injuries.

She died last night protecting the most important person in her life, said Brittany Seligman, Whites commander at the Sheriffs Office.

The agency described White as a  bright light to everyone and said that she would be missed by all who knew her.

It is with great sadness that the Marion County Sheriffs Office shares the unexpected and tragic passing of one of our own, Deputy Tamieka White. Deputy White was a courageous and dedicated public servant, having worked with our agency since 2007, the force said in a statement. Most recently, she served in our Judicial Enforcement Division. She was a bright light to everyone, and will missed by all who knew her. We will work tirelessly to uphold her memory.

Indianapolis Animal Care Services said that the dog in question appeared to be a pitbull-type but could not confirm that without a DNA test.

Police told WRTV that White was looking after three dogs owned by another person when the attack took place.

Officials say that the owner of the animal has been identified and that no charges have been brought.
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 }}

The prime suspect in the disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway, who was last seen on a Dutch Caribbean island, is facing extradition from Peru to face criminal charges in the United States - almost 20 years after Holloway went missing.

Dutchman Joran van der Sloot, who is currently imprisoned for the murder of a Peruvian student, will be prosecuted for alleged extortion and wire fraud charges involving promises to lead Holloway's family to her body, which was never found.

The 18-year-old American student was on a high-school graduation trip to the Caribbean island of Aruba when she disappeared.

Despite her remains never being recovered, she was declared dead by a US judge in 2012.

She would be 36 years old now. It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee, her mother Beth Holloway said, according to the Daily Mail.

The Peruvian government issued an executive order on Wednesday, allowing the temporary extradition of Van der Sloot, who has never been charged in connection with Holloways disappearance.

A 2001 treaty between Peru and the U.S. allows a suspect to be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country. It requires that the prisoner be returned after judicial proceedings have concluded.

Timeline of Natalee Holloways disappearance:

MAY 2005

Holloway, from Mountain Brook, Alabama, a wealthy Birmingham suburb, vanished while on a high school graduation trip to Dutch-owned Aruba.

According to an FBI posting about Holloway, she had travelled with Mountain Brook, Alabama High School seniors and chaperones to Aruba on May 26, 2005.

Reportedly, on the evening of May 29, 2005, Holloway and a large group of students went to Carlos N Charlies Nightclub in Oranjestad, Aruba. When Carlos N Charlies was closing around 1:00 a.m., some of the group headed back to the Holiday Inn where they were staying, and others in the group gathered at various area bars.

Holloway was last seen around 1:30 a.m. leaving the area in a silver Honda with three young males, Joran van der Sloot, Deepak Kalpoe, and Satish Kalpoe.

Holloway did not return to her hotel room, and her personal belongings remained in her room. On the morning of May 30, 2005, when the Mountain Brook group was scheduled to meet in the lobby of the hotel in preparation for their departure from Aruba, Holloway never joined them. The Mountain Brook group returned to the United States, however Holloways whereabouts remain unknown.

Her disappearance made international headlines and sparked a furore in the US. The teenagers parents went to the island to pass out fliers and monitor searches, also appearing on national television shows to maintain pressure on investigators.

Classmates said they had seen Holloway outside a nightclub in a car with van der Sloot, then 17 years old, and two other local residents  Surinamese brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe.

They claimed to have dropped her off at her hotel.

All three were repeatedly detained but freed over a lack of evidence of a crime. The Kalpoes, who were security guards at a hotel near the one where Holloway was staying, were taken into custody in June and held for nearly a month.

Van der Sloot was held for an additional 60 days.

APRIL 2007

Van der Sloot and a journalist published a book in Dutch about the case in which he denied killing Holloway, commenting: I hope every day that Natalee will be found.

MAY 2010

Five years to the day that Holloway vanished, Stephany Flores was killed. The 21-year-old business student had met van der Sloot at a Lima casino.

Van der Sloot fled to Chile, but was arrested four days later and taken back to Peru, where he confessed to killing Flores. He later tried to retract the confession.

Van der Sloot told police he flew into a rage when Flores discovered his connection to Holloway while they were playing online poker in his hotel room. Prosecutors accused him of killing Flores to rob her after learning she had won money at the casino.

The day he was arrested, van der Sloot was indicted in Alabama. Prosecutors accused him of accepting $25,000 in return for a promise to lead a lawyer for Holloways mother to her daughters remains. He never delivered on the offer.

JANUARY 2012

Van der Sloot pleaded guilty to killing Flores, telling a judge: I truly am sorry for this act. I feel very bad.

His lawyer argued that the killing was triggered by trauma from being the prime suspect in Holloways disappearance.

That same week, a judge in Alabama declared Holloway legally dead. A day later, van der Sloot was sentenced to 28 years in prison by a three-member panel of judges in Peru for killing Flores.

In January 2023, he was given an additional 18 years in prison for trafficking cocaine while behind bars.

The original sentencing document said van der Sloot was guilty of first-degree murder with aggravating factors of ferocity and great cruelty and detailed how he elbowed Flores in the face, beat her repeatedly, then strangled her with his bloodied shirt.

He also was ordered to pay $75,000 in reparations to the victims family.

Meanwhile, prison authorities said that van der Sloot was transferred from a Lima prison to a high-security Piedras Gordas lockup in response to reports that he had enjoyed privileges such as television, internet access and a cell phone. Piedras Gordas holds local crime bosses and terrorism convicts, including guerillas from Peruvian terror origanisation Shining Path.

JULY 2014

Van der Sloot married his pregnant Peruvian girlfriend, Leidy Figueroa, 24, in a private ceremony at the prison, having met her while she was selling goods inside the prison, according to his attorney.

AUGUST 2014

Van der Sloot was sent to a prison high in the Andes, after authorities said he had threatened to kill the warden of the Piedras Gordas lockup near Lima, where he was being held.

SEPTEMBER 2014

Van der Sloot became a father. His attorney said his daughter was born in Lima, but far from the remote prison where van der Sloot is serving his prison sentence. The child was named Dushy, after van der Sloots grandmother.

MAY 2023

Peru's government decided to allow van der Sloot's temporary extradition to the US to face charges there. Under a 2001 treaty between the countries, a suspect can be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country, but must be returned after judicial proceedings are concluded.
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 }}

Donald Trump refused to acknowledge that he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden at CNNs controversial town hall event and called his defeat rigged and sad.

The one-term president was immediately confronted by moderator Kaitlan Collins over his election lies and was asked to finally admit that he had been fairly and legally beaten by Mr Biden.

Unless you are a very stupid person you see what happensmost people understand what happened, it was a rigged election and it was a shame we had to go through it, he told Collins.

She then asked him to acknowledge that he lost the election, telling him that he and his supporters had lost more than 60 lawsuits across the country.

Mr Trump then cited claims by True the Vote, a conservative vote monitoring organisation, and said that they had found millions of votes on government cameras where they were stuffing ballot boxes, it is a sad thing for our country and for the world.

Collins told him that the false election claims had already been debunked by Republican election officials across the country.

Mr Trump then claimed that people were afraid to take on the issue and that we have elections that were horrible in this country, citing Philadelphia, Detroit and Atlanta, all cities in swing states that went to Mr Biden.

Trump pushes the big lie during his very first response. Kaitlan Collins interjects that "it was not a rigged election." Trump responds by lying some more. pic.twitter.com/NZaOAk9mHc  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2023

There is no evidence of that, she told him.

The event, which has been criticised for giving Mr Trumps election lies and baseless conspiracy theories live airtime, took place in front of an audience of 400 Republican and GOP-leaning independent voters in New Hampshire on Wednesday night.

Later, when Mr Trump claimed the election was rigged while talking about the border wall, Collins told him, The election was not rigged Mr President, you cant keep saying that all night long.
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 }}

Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasted CNNs controversial Donald Trump town hall as shameful as the former president used the live event to push rigged election lies and baseless conspiracy theories.

CNN should be ashamed of themselves. They have lost total control of this town hall to again be manipulated into platforming election disinformation, defenses of Jan 6th, and a public attack on a sexual abuse victim, the Democratic lawmaker from New York tweeted.

The audience is cheering him on and laughing at the host. This falls squarely on CNN. Everyone here saw exactly what was going to happen.

Instead they put a sexual abuse victim in harms way for views. This was a choice to platform lies about the election & Jan 6th w/ no plan but to have their moderator interrupted without consequence.

The event took place in front of an audience of 400 Republican and GOP-leaning independent voters in New Hampshire on Wednesday night.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez then went on MSNBC where she criticised CNN for allowing Mr Trump to criticise the $5m E Jean Carroll sexual abuse verdict against him.

I know you said earlier that you will not comment on the platforming of such atrocious disinformation, but I would, she said on air.

"What we saw tonight was a series of extremely irresponsible decisions that put a sexual abuse victim at risk...in front of a national audience, and I could not have disagreed with it more. It was shameful." pic.twitter.com/XvCAa9oDl4  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) May 11, 2023

I think it was a profoundly irresponsible decision. I dont think I would be doing my job if I did not say that what we saw tonight was a series of extremely irresponsible decisions that put a sexual abuse victim at risk, that put that person at risk in front of a national audience and I could not have disagreed with it more. It was shameful.

In a statement, CNN defended the event and praised the work of Collins.

Tonight Kaitlan Collins exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist. She asked tough, fair and revealing questions, a spokesperson said.

And she followed up and fact-checked President Trump in real time to arm voters with crucial information about his positions as he enters the 2024 election as the Republican frontrunner. That is CNNs role and responsibility: to get answers and hold the powerful to account.
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 }}

Lawyers for E. Jean Carroll tried unsuccessfully to get a man booted off the jury that found former President Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse because he occasionally listens to the provocative podcaster Tim Pool, newly unsealed court records revealed Wednesday.

The 31-year-old male juror ultimately joined eight other anonymous jurors in delivering a unanimous verdict Tuesday awarding Carroll $5 million in damages, finding that Trump abused the magazine columnist in 1996 at a luxury Manhattan department store.

Trump denied ever knowing Carroll and said the encounter at Bergdorf Goodman never happened. The jury rejected Carrolls claim that she was raped.

At one point in the trial, Carrolls attorneys secretly complained to the judge that the scale might be tipped against their client because Juror No. 77 was biased in ways requiring his dismissal from the jury.

In a court filing on April 30 that was initially sealed, they noted that the juror, a Bronx man who worked a job in security, had told the judge during the jury selection that he got his news from listening to Pool, whom Carroll's lawyers described as an extreme right-wing podcaster who consistently, aggressively, and unreservedly espouses highly prejudicial views on social and political issues directly implicated by this case.

In arguing for removal of the juror, Carrolls lawyers said Pool had at least twice on his show spoken of Carrolls case, saying in a June 2019 episode: This woman: Should we take her seriously? In my opinion, no. ... Im sorry, when youre accusing someone of a crime 30 years after the fact, I dont know what we can do for you.

Carroll's lawyers said they would have objected sooner  by then the trial was already underway  but an initial court transcript of the juror's comments misstated Pool's name.

Journalists covering the trial, however, had noticed the juror's mention of Pool and written about it. The lawyers said they sought the jurors removal the morning after the news reports came out.

The judge agreed to further question the juror, who told the court hed heard Pool three or four times in the past six months and believed his show featured guests including political figures and celebrities on the left, on the right, you know, balanced. The juror also said hed never heard of Carroll before, or anything on any podcasts about women suing Trump over sexual harassment. He said he was confident he could be fair and impartial on both sides.

Trumps attorney, Joe Tacopina, opposed the juror's removal.

A jurors political affiliation is not grounds for dismissal, even in a case involving a political figure, he wrote. He said Carrolls lawyers were trying to get Juror 77 kicked off the panel because he acknowledged occasionally listening to a podcast that might be considered conservative at times.

The judge let the juror stay on the panel.

The debate over the juror was revealed Wednesday when the judge unsealed documents related to the dispute.

After the jury announced its verdict, Tacopina said Trump was firm in his belief, as many people are, that he cannot get a fair trial in New York City.

He said Trump's belief was based in part on the jury pool.

Tacopina did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

One of Carroll's lawyers, Roberta Kaplan, said in an email: "We are grateful that all nine jurors, including Juror No. 77, were not only faithful to their oath as jurors, but deliberated to reach a fair, impartial and unanimous verdict.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who is unrelated to Roberta Kaplan, told jurors after they delivered their verdict that they now had the right to speak about the case and to relate their experiences.

But, he added: You would each individually have the right to identify yourself as someone who was on this jury or not. My advice to you is not to identify yourselves  not now and not for a long time.

Pool, who has objected to being labeled extremist, tweeted about the dispute over the juror Wednesday, saying, If you think the show is far right youre in a cult.
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 }}

Author and journalist David Simon has called for CNN staff to quit their jobs over Donald Trumps town hall with moderator Kaitlan Collins in New Hampshire.

The former president unleashed an avalanche of lies on Wednesday night in front of a friendly audience of Republicans on GOP-leaning voters as Ms Collins attempted to fact-check him.

CNN was widely criticised for hosting Mr Trump both before and after the event took place as Mr Trump doubled down on his many false claims.

But as Garrett Haake of NBC News noted, If you havent been paying attention to Donald Trump for a while, the CNN town hall is a reintroduction to what hes been telling his supporters for two years.

Mr Simon urged CNN staff to walk out.

When I did the job, Id imagine being a decent line reporter at a Fox outlet, or the WSJ, or NY Post and having my best work adjacent to miserable editorial stances and choices? What, I wondered, might compel me to resign? Well, If I worked at CNN today, I would quit. Honestly, he wrote.

NBC News presidential historian Michael Beschloss tweeted: While running for President in 1968, [President Richard] Nixon appeared in question-and-answer broadcasts paid for by his campaign. Directed by Roger Ailes, they featured a friendly moderator (Bud Wilkinson) and [a] carefully-chosen studio audience.

Mr Simon retweeted Mr Beschloss, adding: There is a reason the oldest profession is that. #CNN

MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan tweeted: Can you imagine CNN hosting a town hall with [Vermont Senator] Bernie [Sanders] and the audience being filled with socialists who booed Dems and Republicans alike, cheered Bernie when he attacked the media, and applauded every reference to Medicare for All and justice for the Palestinians?

Its funny that when the liberal media shows balance, its only ever indulging *the right*, he added.

CNN is dead to democracy, Mr Simon wrote on Wednesday night.

One Twitter user responded to him, writing, This is the process. Hes a former president and the leading GOP pres contender by a mile. He should be questioned by voters and the media on a national stage. If its a shitshow let everyone see. We shouldnt want some executive deciding who we are and are not allowed to hear from.

Hes a fascist who refused to peacefully relinquish power, provoked coup and constitutional crisis, Mr Simon responded. Addressing this within the normal construct of our political contests is relentlessly naive and destructive.
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 }}

CNN has praised Trump town hall moderator Kaitlan Collins as the network faced mounting criticism for giving a platform to the former president to share his many false claims.

Tonight Kaitlan Collins exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist, CNN said in a statement.

She asked tough, fair and revealing questions. And she followed up and fact-checked President Trump in real time, to arm voters with crucial information about his positions as he enters the 2024 election as the Republican frontrunner. That is CNNs role and responsibility: to get answers and hold the powerful to account.

Collins was also backed up by fellow CNN anchor Poppy Harlow, who criticised pro-Trump analyst David Urban for comparing the event to Joe Biden appearing on Fox News.

Harlow hosted CNN This Morning on Thursday alongside Phil Mattingly with panellists Mr Urban, Maggie Haberman of The New York Times and Van Jones.

This was a forum where Kaitlan got a lot of news made. A lot of things that we have not heard him talk about. A lot of issues that he has not been pushed [on] because when people are travelling aboard his plane or hes going to a rally, its something very different, Haberman said. And so how it all plays for his team, and theyre feeling good that theyre getting cheers, is very different than what it might play out.

Kaitlan was like a matador against the biggest bull in American history. And I think she put a lot of knives in that are going to pay off later on in terms of getting him to say stuff that he had not actually said on the record before, I think thats very important, Jones added.

Yeah, but with Maggies point ... Republicans got what they needed out of this  Trump ... hes tough, pugilistic. People like the base like to see that, Urban noted. Hes in there mixing up with the media again. Not a friendly environment for Donald Trump to come back to CNN. I kind of joked that you would never see Joe Biden wading into Fox News, a debate...

I dont think thats a fair comparison, Harlow said.

Mr Jones noted that the audience for Mr Trumps CNN appearance was friendly.

I also think you cant get a more objective journalist and interviewer than Kaitlan Collins, Harlow added.

Kaitlan did a great job. Im just saying that Biden is not going to, hes not going to stand up and do that. I would love to see him take questions, Urban said.

But with whom? Sean Hannity? Haberman pressed.

Elsewhere in the broadcast, Mr Jones said, I think if youre a Democrat watching that you think, Weve been criticizing and complaining about Biden? This is a horror show that we dont want a rerun of, and I think a lot of Democrats were appalled.

According to former CNN media reporter Brian Stelter, network CEO Chris Licht began an editorial call on Thursday morning by praising Ms Collins for a masterful performance last night.

I couldnt be more proud of her, he added.

You do not have to like the former presidents answers, but you cant say that we didnt get them, Mr Licht told employees, many of whom are furious about the Trump event, according to Stelter.

Kaitlan pressed him again and again and made news. Made a lot of news, Mr Licht said. That is our job.

While we all may have been uncomfortable hearing people clapping, that was also an important part of the story, Mr Licht added.

He said covering Mr Trump is messy and tricky, but its our job and that America was served very well by what we did last night.

Stelter wrote, Many CNN employees strongly disagree.

Former Florida Republican Congressman and host of Morning Joe on MSNBC, Joe Scarborough, led the chorus of outrage on Thursday morning, saying that I'm constantly telling people not to catastrophize over Trump, that he's actually going to lose because he keeps drilling down deeper and deeper into his base.

I'm gonna use catastrophizing language here, but it was just it was disgraceful on every level. I wouldn't say it's dangerous for democracy because we passed that a long time ago, but it showed the corrosive effects of Trumpism over eight years, he added.

And I've got to say the most shocking part was an audience who cheered on a president who tried to overturn American democracy. An audience that mocked and ridiculed a woman who a jury of her peers, of Donald Trump's peers, found had been sexually assaulted. Those Americans their last night turned that into a punch line.

They laughed and dismissed cops getting the s*** kicked out of them on January the sixth, over and over again. Calling a cop a thug, who actually was trying to stop people on the House floor from being killed. I could go just could go on and on, he said.

Author and journalist David Simon said, When I did the job, Id imagine being a decent line reporter at a Fox outlet, or the WSJ, or NY Post and having my best work adjacent to miserable editorial stances and choices? What, I wondered, might compel me to resign? Well, If I worked at CNN today, I would quit. Honestly.

Former MSNBC broadcaster Keith Olbermann called the town hall the Hindenburg of TV news.

@CNN gave its credibility to Trumps madness It must fire CEO Chris Licht: its owners must sell the brand they destroyed; E. Jean Carroll must sue over new defamation; @kaitlancollins must sue her agent, he tweeted.

If you havent been paying attention to Donald Trump for a while, the CNN town hall is a reintroduction to what hes been telling his supporters for two years, Garrett Haake of NBC News wrote.
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 }}

Donald Trump is appealing the verdict in the E Jean Carroll case after he was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Ms Carroll was awarded $5m earlier this week by the jury in the civil trial in Manhattan.

The appeal was filed not long after Judge Lewis Kaplan entered the jurys verdict in the case, according to CNN.

Ms Carroll, an author and magazine journalist, claimed in the trial that Mr Trump raped her in a dressing room at the Berghof Goodman department store in the mid-1990s.

Mr Trump has consistently denied the allegation.

The Trump legal team filed the notice of appeal in the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday.

The notice was filed only hours after Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over the civil trial, wrote a ruling in support of the jurys verdict, ordering the former president to pay the full $5m.

The Trump legal team previously indicated that they would appeal the case.

Ms Carroll argued that Mr Trump raped her and that he then defamed her when he rejected her claim and said she made up the story to sell books.

The jury awarded Ms Carroll about $2m for the civil battery claim in relation to the sexual assault and about $3m for the subsequent defamation. The jury didnt find Mr Trump liable for rape.

While Ms Carroll testified extensively in the trial, Mr Trump didnt attend.

The twice-impeached ex-president mocked Ms Carroll at the CNN town hall that aired just a day after the verdict.

The town hall has been criticised as divisive and even being a volcano of bulls*** by commentators who accused the network of providing Mr Trump with a platform for airing several dubious claims.

Mr Trump described Ms Carroll as a whack job and called the trial rigged.

He was asked what he would tell voters who said the verdict disqualifies him from being president.

Well there arent too many of them because my poll numbers just came out  they went up, Mr Trump said to the crowd, which, according to CNN, was composed of Republicans and undecided voters.

The former president also called Ms Carrolls allegations a made-up story.

I swear on my children, which I never do, I have no idea who this woman  this is a fake story, a made-up story, he said.

Mocking her, he said he was too famous to hang around department stores.

Ms Carroll had told the jury in her testimony that she and Mr Trump had engaged in playful banter after a chance encounter at Bergdorf Goodman one evening in the mid-1990s.

But after taking an escalator up to a deserted 6th floor to look for lingerie, Mr Trump led her to a dressing room, pushed her up against a wall and sexually assaulted her, she claimed.

I was very famous then and I owned the Plaza Hotel right next door and I owned the buildings around it  Im not going into a dressing room of a crowded department store, he said at the town hall.

He also reiterated claims he did not know Ms Carroll at all, and called the trial rigged.

She wasnt raped, OK?  And I didnt do anything else either, OK, because I dont know who the hell she is, he said during the town hall, as the audience was heard laughing.

On Thursday, Ms Carroll told The New York Times that she may sue Mr Trump again after his vile comments on CNN.

Ms Carroll said that the former presidents comments were just stupid, its just disgusting, vile, foul, it wounds people.

Her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, told the paper that Everythings on the table, obviously, and we have to give serious consideration to it.

We have to weigh the various pros and cons and well come to a decision in the next day or so, probably, she added.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) wishes to inform the general public that the Nursing and Midwifery Training College, 37 Military Hospital has commenced the sale of online admission application e-vouchers for the 2023 Academic Year.

The application e-voucher can be obtained at all branches of Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG) nationwide at Two Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH 200.00) per voucher.

The sale of e-vouchers started on Thursday, 4th May and will end on Friday, 30th June 2023. The closing date for the submission of all completed online applications is Friday, 7th July 2023.

GAF cautioned that no agents or individuals have been commissioned to sell the e-vouchers aside from the mentioned authorized sources.
 Close Trump calls Jan 6 a beautiful day during CNN town hall

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 }}

Donald Trump and his likely 2024 rival Ron DeSantis were planning on fighting for voters at duelling events in Iowa on Saturday.

Mr DeSantis, whose presidential campaign announcement could come any day now, spent the day shaking hands at a congressmans annual picnic and then an Iowa Republican Party fundraiser in Cedar Rapids.

Mr Trump was originally slated to hold an outdoor rally in Des Moines tonight, but later had to cancel because of a tornado warning.

His critics on the right jumped on the decision, however, given that Mr DeSantis continued on with his own hand-shaking and voter outreach just a few minutes away from where the former president was set to speak.

One GOP strategist even speculated on CNN that Mr Trump feared being unable to gather a larger crowd than Mr DeSantis.
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 }}

Donald Trump used his platform on CNN to lash out at E Jean Carroll just a day after a jury found that he had sexually abused and defamed the former journalist.

Ms Carroll, 79, sued the former president for raping her in a dressing room at a Bergdorf Goodman in New York in 1996, and then destroying her reputation when he claimed she was lying.

The jury didnt find Mr Trump liable of raping Ms Carroll, but it found the one-time president more likely than not sexually abused Ms Carroll.

Mr Trump was also found liable for defamation and awarded her a total of $5m.

The twice-impeached president mocked Ms Carroll at the CNN town hall that aired just a day after the verdict.

The town hall has been severely criticised as divisive and even being a volcano of bulls*** by commentators who accused the network of providing Mr Trump a platform for airing several dubious claims.

He described her as a whack job and called the trial rigged.

He was asked what he would tell voters who said the verdict disqualifies him from being president.

Well there arent too many of them because my poll numbers just came out  they went up, Mr Trump said to the crowd which, according to CNN, was composed of Republicans and undecided voters.

The former president also called Ms Carrolls allegations a made-up story.

I swear on my children, which I never do, I have no idea who this woman  this is a fake story, a made-up story, he said.

Mocking her, he said he was too famous to hang around department stores.

Ms Carroll had told the jury in her testimony that she and Mr Trump had engaged in playful banter after a chance encounter at Bergdorf Goodman one evening in the mid-1990s.

But after taking an escalator up to a deserted 6th floor to look for lingerie, Mr Trump led her to a dressing room, pushed her up against a wall and sexually assaulted her.

I was very famous then and I owned the Plaza Hotel right next door and I owned the buildings around it  Im not going into a dressing room of a crowded department store, he said at the town hall.

He also reiterated claims he did not know Ms Carroll at all, and called the trial rigged.

She wasnt raped, OK?  And I didnt do anything else either, OK, because I dont know who the hell she is, he said during the town hall, as the audience was heard laughing.

Earlier on Tuesday after the verdict, Mr Trump had falsely claimed he wasnt able to defend himself in the trial after he rejected an offer to testify.

On Tuesday morning, the former president wrote on Truth Social that he was waiting for a jury decision on a False Accusation where I, despite being a current political candidate and leading all others in both parties, am not allowed to speak or defend myself, even as hard nosed reporters scream questions about this case at me.
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 }}

Eric Trump has reportedly threatened to sue MSNBC's Rachel Maddow for pointing out that he will appear alongside anti-Semitic speakers during a ReAwaken America Tour stop at Trump National Doral in Miami this weekend.

Donald Trump's younger son is scheduled to speak this weekend along with his wife, former Fox News contributor Lara Trump, alongside right-wing influencers Scott McKay and Charlie Ward, who have been accused of spreading anti-Smitic conspiracy theories and praising Adolf Hitler, according to The Daily Beast.

Maddow made note of the speaker schedule and expressed shock that one of Mr Trump's sons would publicly appear alongside them.

I cant really believe they are going ahead with it, she said on a Monday broadcast.

Eric Trump took to Twitter the following night to complain about the story, saying Maddow was "walking a fine line" and insisting that his family is the "most pro-Israel family in American political history."

He also pointed to the fact that his sister, Ivanka Trump, and brother-in-law Jared Kushner are Jewish while justifying appearing alongside the other speakers.

If [Maddow] or anyone else even remotely suggests I am anti-Semitic I will not hesitate to take legal action against them personally, he wrote.

However, it appears the criticism may have had an impact; high-profile attorney Alan Dershowitz claimed during a stream on right-wing platform Rumble that he convinced the Trump son to kick Mr McKay, and possibly Mr Ward, off the tour.

A guy with views like this should not be anywhere near your fathers hotel, or anywhere neary anything to do with Republicans or the Trump family, Mr Dershowitz said of his conversation with Eric Trump. He is a Nazi, a Nazi  not even a neo-Nazi, hes an old fashioned Hitler Nazi.

He said Eric Trump responded by saying he would consider his advice.

This morning I got the following message: As a follow up, I took your advice ... I asked the event organiser that the speaker be uninvited and they  because theres more than one  wont be allowed on our property, he said, quoting a text message from Eric Trump.

The Independent has reached out to Eric Trump and the oraniser of the ReAwaken tour for comment.

Mr McKay has previously said that Hitler was actually fighting the same people we are trying to put down today, referencing a conspiracy theory that Jewish people control the world's banks, according to Media Matters. He also suggested that Jewish people orchestrated 9/11 and were behind the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, and John F Kennedy.

Mr Ward has previously denied the Holocaust and suggested that Jewish people were behind viral outbreaks, Media Matters reports.

Eric Trump has also been accused of making anti-Semitic comments, though not to the degree of his tourmates; while dismissing the reporting of Bob Woodward on the chaotic Trump White House, Eric Trump called the famed reporter's book "sensational" and said the controversy would allow him to "sell three extra books" to make "three extra shekels," according to the Times of Isreal.

Jonathan Weissman, the Washington deputy editor of The New York Times, said the comment was outrageous.

If you want to see how the neo-Nazis use the term shekels take a quick glance at The Daily Stormer, he tweeted. Eric Trumps three extra shekels attack on Bob Woodward is not some accident any more than Hillary Clintons image over a Star of David.

Conservative writer and Trump critic Bill Kristol, the editor-at-large of the Weekly Standard, also called out Eric Trump for the comment.

Eric Trump said this morning that Bob Woodward made three extra shekels at the behest of the American people with his book, he wrote on Twitter. Is Eric too stupid to know hes being anti-Semitic?
 Close George Santos pleads not guilty to 13 charges, including wire fraud and theft

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 }}

George Santos, the New York Republican congressman who rose to prominence for a string of exaggerations, lies, and irregularities related to his personal background and campaign finances, has pleaded not guilty after being hit with a series of federal charges.

He told the press after exiting a Long Island courthouse on Wednesday that the probe amounted to a witch hunt and that he is planning to run for re-election.

Mr Santos surrendered to the authorities and was taken into custody earlier in the day before being released on a $500,000 bond ahead of his next court appearance on 30 June.

He has been charged with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives.

In the 13-count indictment, unsealed on Wednesday morning, federal prosecutors accused Mr Santos of lying on financial disclosure forms he filed to the House when he became a candidate, first by overstating his income from one job and failing to disclose income from another, and second by lying about his earnings from his company, the Devolder Organization.

Prosecutors also allege that Mr Santos fraudulently used donations to his political campaign for his own benefit, spending thousands of dollars of the solicited funds on personal expenses, including luxury designer clothing and credit card payments.

The indictment alleges that Mr Santos fraud began before his successful run for Congress, accusing him of running an unemployment insurance fraud scheme in which he applied for government assistance in New York while still employed by a Florida-based investment firm.

Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself, Breon Peace, the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement.

Utah GOP Senator Mitt Romney led the calls for him to go, saying: He has demonstrated by his untruthfulness that he should not be in the United States Congress  perhaps should not even be on the public streets.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has now said he will not back Mr Santoss proposed re-election bid.
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 }}

Former president Donald Trump has now been found to be both a sexual abuser and a defendant in a criminal case  at a time when he is eyeing a third run for the White House.

On 9 May, a Manhattan federal jury found that Mr Trump sexually abused Elle magazine columnist E Jean Carroll in a dressing room in Manhattans Bergdorf Goodman department store in the 1990s.

Ms Carroll, 79, sued the former president for raping her and then destroying her reputation when he accused of lying about the encounter, claiming that she wasnt my type.

Across two weeks, jurors heard harrowing testimony from Ms Carroll as well as two other women who have accused Mr Trump of sexual assault.

While the jury found that Mr Trump sexually abused Ms Carroll, the panel did not find that she had proven that he raped her and so he was not found liable for rape.

As it is a civil case, Mr Trump does not face any jail time following the verdict but has been ordered to pay Ms Carroll almost $5m in damages for battery and defamation.

The verdict marks the latest legal trouble for the former president  coming just over a month after he became the first current or former US president to ever be arrested and charged with a crime.

On Thursday 30 March, a grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump on criminal charges following Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs investigation into hush payments leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

In that case, he stands accused of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in order to conceal an alleged scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election by suppressing negative stories about him.

At a hearing in New York City on Tuesday 4 April, Mr Trump pled not guilty to all charges.

Throughout February and March, the long-running probe had entered a new phase and Mr Braggs office contacted the presidents lawyers to offer an opportunity for voluntary testimony, a sign that meant an indictment or multiple indictments were likely in the works.

Mr Trump himself predicted on 18 March that he would be arrested the following week on Tuesday 21 March, which did not come to pass.

Trump at the NRA convention in April 2023 (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Now that Mr Trump has actually been arrested and charged, it marks the first time an investigation into his inner circle (of which there have been several, with the most famous leading to multiple indictments for figures connected to the 2016 campaign) has actually drawn blood from the former president himself.

The Justice Departments protocol against charging a sitting president appeared to cool any ability of the agency to do so while he was in office, but the presidents loss in 2020 opened the door to prosecution over the 2016 Stormy Daniels matter as well as an investigation into the January 6 attack and Mr Trumps efforts to overturn the election.

That second investigation continues, with the distinct possibility of potential charges for both Mr Trump and members of his legal team.

Can Trump still run for president?

Now that Mr Trump has been found to be a sexual abuser by a court and he is under criminal indictment, it raises a key question about the future: What happens to the 2024 race and Donald Trumps ability to participate in it?

The short answer is, not much.

The E Jean Carroll case was a civil trial meaning that Mr Trump faces no jail time or criminal conviction.

And when it comes to the criminal indictment, there are no restrictions in the US Constitution preventing anyone indicted or convicted of a crime, or even currently serving prison time, from running for or winning the presidency. Even if he were tried and convicted in one of the so-called quick trials he has repeatedly cheered Chinas government for operating in the cases of drug offences, Mr Trump could still run the entirety of his presidential campaign from a prison cell.

What is far less clear is what would happen were he to win in that scenario. Just as there are no restrictions in the Constitution for a person to run while under indictment, theres no explanation for what should occur in the event that they win. Theres nothing in the document that would automatically grant Mr Trump a reprieve from prison time, save for the likelihood that any charges brought by federal authorities, were they still being litigated at the point when Mr Trump assumed the presidency for a second time, would be dropped due to the Department of Justices refusal to prosecute a sitting president.

State-level charges like the ones being filed by Mr Bragg are far trickier, and fall outside of Mr Trumps pardon power were they to conclude in a conviction.

Were conviction on state charges to occur alongside a Trump election victory, it would likely lead to a massive legal fight to determine whether there was a way for the former president to worm his way out of serving time. If Mr Trump was unable to avoid that outcome, it would almost certainly lead to his impeachment or removal via the 25th Amendment, which allows the Cabinet to remove a president who is unable to perform their duties. There are many duties and trappings of the presidency that would simply be impossible to be operated or performed from a prison cell, the viewing of classified materials just to name one.

Any potential conviction of Mr Trump is still a long way off and little more than a distant possibility. But the conversations he has started with his bid for the presidency despite facing one indictment and multiple criminal investigations have already pushed parts of theoretical US constitutional law into a much realer place than many experts ever thought it would see.

This story was updated on Wednesday 10 May 2023 to reflect new developments
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 }}

Former President Donald Trump doubled down on his support for his fans who attacked the US Capitol, during a contentious CNN town hall on Wednesday where Mr Trump steamrolled moderator Kaitlan Collins and repeated numerous falsehoods.

During Wednesday nights broadcast, the president enjoyed a friendly audience that was receptive to both his continued lies about fraud in the 2020 election as well as his vow to pardon some of the January 6 rioters prosecuted by the Justice Department.

And he spoke glowingly about the day when his supporters stormed the steps of American democracy and fought with police while screaming threats, insults, and slurs.

It was a beautiful day, he said, adding that his fans were there with love in their hearts when they left dozens of police officers with injuries and chanted death threats targeting lawmakers as they marched through the Capitol.

The former president talked over Collins at numerous points, aided by his cheering fans in the crowd, and repeated lie after lie about supposed instances of fraud in the 2020 election before moving on to the day of the attack on Congress itself. Speaking of the attack, the former president minimised the violence as well as the danger that lawmakers inside faced, including his own vice president who Mr Trump said was never really threatened.

He would even falsely accuse the police officer who killed rioter Ashli Babbitt, as she attempted to breach the House floor with lawmakers still inside, of bragging about the shooting on TV.

Above all else, it was classic Donald Trump: Unabashed support for anyone willing to go to the mat for him and his political movement, and an absolute refusal to accept facts that contradict his narrative.

It was also, to the lament of many journalists online, classic CNN circa 2016: Half-hearted attempts at corrections for a smattering of the ex-presidents falsehoods undermined by the networks various choices  including Collins own to move on to other topics quickly after issuing one of those various editorial notes.

Mr Trump remains the leading candidate for the 2024 GOP nomination even as he continues to face a criminal investigation in Georgia into his and his legal teams conduct and their efforts to interfere in Georgias election results; the Department of Justice also continues to investigate and mull potential charges for members of Mr Trumps inner circle including the former president himself related to the attack on the Capitol.

Hundreds of other Americans have already been charged and in many cases convicted for their roles in the brutal assault.
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 }}

Louisiana Republicans have refused to add exceptions for rape and incest to one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country after the US Supreme Court revoked a constitutional right to abortion access.

The states anti-abortion Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards opposed the exclusion, but he signed the states anti-abortion law last year despite pleas from abortion rights advocates to veto the measure.

This year, state Rep Delisha Boyd introduced a bill that would amend the law to add exceptions for pregnancies from rape or incest, but lawmakers on a state House committee voted down the proposal, effectively killing it for the remainder of the legislative session.

On 10 May, the committee struck down the bill after hearing testimony from rape survivors and abortion rights advocates who shared their experience and urged lawmakers to support survivors. Lawmakers voted 10-5 on party lines to keep exemptions from rape or incest out of Louisianas anti-abortion law.

Lawmakers also heard from anti-abortion activists and John Raymond, a former Survivor contestant and pastor accused of taping students mouths shut and hanging another student by his ankles.

Mr Raymond, who has pleaded not guilty to the allegations, told the committee that women will clamor to put old boyfriends behind bars in order to dispense with the inconvenience of giving birth if the state allows rape survivors to access abortion care.

In this years legislative session, lawmakers are considering a package of bills aimed at loosening the states near-total ban on legal abortion care, but most of the proposals have been shelved.

During the committee hearing, Ms Boyd revealed that she was born after her mother was sexually assaulted when she was 15 years old. My mother never recovered, she said. No one looked after my mother. No one looked out for me.

Republican state Rep Tony Bacala said he opposed the legislation by pointing to Ms Boyd, who was born from rape, as a good person.

In a statement, the governor said he was deeply disappointed by the vote.

The committees decision to prevent this important bill from being debated by the full House is both unfortunate and contrary to the position of a vast majority of Louisianans, who support these exceptions, he added.

I simply do not understand how we as a state can tell any victim that she must be forced by law to carry her rapists baby to term, regardless of the impact on her own physical or mental health, the wishes of her parents, or the medical judgment of her physician, said the anti-abortion Democratic governor, who signed the law that bans nearly all abortions, without exceptions, last year, despite pleas from abortion rights advocates to veto the bill.

As I have said before, rape and incest exceptions protect crime victims, he added.

Roughly 3 million women in the US have experienced rape-related pregnancy during their lifetime, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana also had one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation, disproportionately impacting Black women, according to the states Department of Health.

Louisiana is among more than a dozen states, mostly in the South, that have effectively outlawed or severely restricted access to abortion care in the wake of the Supreme Courts decision last year to reverse the half-century precedent for abortion access affirmed by Roe v Wade.

The state also is central to a closely watched case that could determine the future of a widely used abortion drug used in more than half of all abortions in the US.

The legal case over the federal governments approval of mifepristone will return to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on 17 May, the next step in one of the biggest abortion rights cases after the fall of Roe.

The Supreme Courts decision on 21 April maintains the US Food and Drug Administrations approval of the drug after a federal judge in Texas struck it down in a ruling that would have profound and potentially dangerous consequences for millions of Americans if allowed to go into effect.

A three-judge panel at the federal appeals court in Louisiana will hear arguments in the case next week.
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 }}

Nearly 3 million people seeking asylum in the US have been barred from entering the country under a public health order issued by Donald Trump.

After midnight on 11 May, people who make the treacherous journey to the US-Mexico border desperately seeking a better life could end up waiting weeks or months for an appointment to hear their claims, and years to reach legal status in the US, if they get that far. If they make such an attempt outside legal barriers, they could end up losing what could be their only chance to enter the country.

With the end of the Covid-19 emergency comes the expiration of Title 42, a public health order invoked by then-President Donald Trump purportedly to prevent people from crossing the US-Mexico border during the pandemic, but wielded by the administration as a broad tool under his anti-immigration agenda.

President Joe Bidens administration has repeatedly stressed that the nations southern border is closed, and would-be migrants must seek entry through an asylum process or other legal means before arriving. But asylum claims only can be made at a port of entry; people arriving at the border surrender to authorities to begin the lengthy asylum process.

Without Title 42, authorities will return to enforcement under Title 8, which outlines the process for seeking asylum, and swiftly expel people under an expedited removal process and ban them from trying to re-enter for another five years.

Our borders are not open. People who cross our border unlawful and without legal basis  will be promptly removed, US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at a White House briefing on 11 May.

Administration officials have also repeatedly warned that smugglers and traffickers have sought to prey on vulnerable migrants and exploit them for profits by lying about the immigration process at the border.

Smugglers at work spreading false information that the border will open. They are lying, Mr Mayorkas said on Thursday. Do not risk your life and your life savings only to be removed by the United States if and when you do arrive here.:

The end of Title 42 also begins a new series of immigration policies under the Biden administration, which will presume people crossing through Mexico to reach the southern border are ineligible for asylum unless they first sought refuge from a country they passed through  or unless they made an appointment through an app run by the US government to be screened.

The app, CBP One, has been dogged by complaints of crashes, malfunctions, instability and access, with up to 1,000 appointments available for booking daily, which fill up quickly.

The US State Department also plans to open regional processing centres in the western hemisphere to help migrants apply for asylum before traveling towards the US.

Title 8 processing begins with a credible fear screening to determine whether people returning to their home countries could expose them to further persecution or threats. Following a screening, they are released while awaiting a court hearing for their asylum case.

More than 1.15 million people were apprehended at the southern border under Title 8 in 2022, according to US Customs and Border Protection. Another 1 million people were expelled under Title 42 within that same period.

More than 665,000 people were removed during the first half of the fiscal year, according to Mr Mayorkas.

Over the last several years, millions of people have fled Central and South American countries in the wake of economic and political collapse, food and medicine shortages, cartel threats and other dangers before making a long and dangerous journey through Central America and Mexico. Regimes in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua also drove a new wave of migration, spiking encounters at the southern border over the last two years, according to US Customs and Border Protection.

Meanwhile, Republican governors in Arizona, Florida and Texas bused thousands of migrants out of their states, spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to do so, in protest of what they falsely characterised as President Bidens open border agenda.

For years, Democratic lawmakers have urged Congress to overhaul immigration policies and address the broken system that directs how people can legally enter the country, while immigration advocates have warned against relying on a punitive and carceral system that fails to address global displacement issues that are not exclusive to the southern border.

Human rights watchdogs and immigration advocacy groups have warned that new restrictions under the Biden administration, compounded by global failures to address humanitarian crises driving migration patterns, will only exacerbate an enduring problem.

Human Rights First has reported more than 13,000 kidnappings, rapes and other attacks under the Biden administration in a series of reports documenting the impacts of Title 42.

While the end of its use could be a cause for celebration, the Biden administration decision to replace Title 42 with new onerous bars to asylum is an irresponsible detour into nativist politics that will only perpetuate the cruel and dangerous situation at the southern border of the United States, Human Rights First president Michael Breen said in a statement.
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 }}

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday warned migrants that the end of pandemic-era border restrictions will not enable them to enter the United States by crossing the US-Mexico border.

Mr Mayorkas appeared at the daily White House press briefing to explain the Biden administrations preparations for the end of Title 42  a Trump-era public health restriction which allowed most asylum seekers to be quickly turned back  and stressed that despite the end of the controversial policy, Americas borders are not open.

If anyone arrives at our southern border after midnight tonight, they will be presumed ineligible for asylum and subject to steeper consequences for unlawful entry, including a minimum five-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution, he said.

Mr Mayorkas told reporters the Biden administration has been preparing for the eventual end of Title 42 for the past two years, but he also said he and administration officials are clear-eyed about the challenge that will be posed by the large numbers of migrants who are expected to attempt to cross into the US in hopes of gaining asylum.

With fewer than 12 hours before the expiration of that public health authority, the Homeland Security Secretary said Customs and Border Protection personnel are already seeing high numbers of migrant encounters that are placing an incredible strain on our personnel, our facilities and our communities with whom we partner closely.

But Mr Mayorkas said he is confident that the Biden administrations plans, which include opening 100 regional processing centres in Western Hemisphere nations to handle asylum applicants claims before they set off for the US, as well as new, tough regulations which presume anyone entering the US outside of an authorised port of entry is ineligible for asylum, will deliver results.

He also cautioned that it will take time for the new policies to show their utility, but he reiterated his warning that as of 12am on Friday, the administrations new policy will be applied to anyone attempting to enter the country.

I want to be very clear: Our borders are not open. People who cross our border unlawfully and without a legal basis to remain will be promptly processed and removed, he said, adding later that any such people removed under pre-pandemic authorities known as Title 8 will be subject to a five-year ban on entering the US in any capacity, as well as criminal prosecution if they attempt to cross into the US once more.

The DHS Secretary said criminal human smuggling operations are currently peddling disinformation to potential migrants, who are led to believe that the Biden administration has opened the US-Mexico border to all comers.

Smugglers had been long, hard at work spreading false information that the border will be open. They are lying to people who are thinking of making the journey to our southern border, he said.

He then addressed potential migrants directly, telling them the smuggling rings care only about profits, not people.

Do not risk your life and your life savings only to be removed from the United States, if and when you arrive here, he said.

Mr Mayorkas appearance in the White House briefing room to speak about the new border policies is the latest in a series of White House-directed efforts to highlight how the administration is opening avenues for people to seek asylum in the US while cracking down on crossings between lawful ports of entry.

Late last month Mr Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken unveiled plans to open the regional processing centres across the Western Hemisphere to pre-screen asylum seekers and obviate the need to travel to the border to claim asylum.

At the time, senior administration officials said personnel at the centres would expedite pre-screening of individuals for lawful pathways to the United States with interviews to determine if they are eligible to be referred for refugee resettlement or other lawful pathways such as parole programmes, family reunification or existing labour pathways.

The regional processing centres will also provide information on local options, including regularisation opportunities in the host countries and available social services, said the official, who added that the US governments criteria for refugee resettlement will not change under the new programme.

Individuals will be screened first for refugee resettlement, and then, if not found amenable for refugee resettlement, they will also be looked at in terms of the various parole programmes, family reunification programmes, existing labour pathways, and our international organisation partners will also be providing them with information on local options in many of the countries in the region have been very generous, and have been doing regularisation opportunities so that people can integrate locally, they said.

The new policies have drawn fire from immigration advocates who say they are little different from programmes which were widely condemned during the Trump administration.

But Mr Mayorkas told reporters the work done to handle migration issues under President Joe Biden has been markedly different from his predecessors administration, under which the system by which the government processed and resettled asylum seekers was gutted in an attempt to prevent anyone from being able to seek refuge in the US.

This President has led the unprecedented expansion of lawful pathways ... we have rebuilt an asylum system that was dismantled in the prior administration, we have resumed refugee processing are all around the world, and these regional processing centres are going to accelerate the board meet the refugee process in an unprecedented way, he said.

We are a nation of immigrants and we are a nation of laws, and those laws provide that if one qualifies for humanitarian relief, then one has established a basis to remain in the United States and if one has not, then one is to be removed.
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 }}

E Jean Carroll says that she may sue Donald Trump again after the former president branded her sexual abuse claim against him fake and a made up story during a CNN town hall.

Mr Trumps lashed out at Ms Carroll just one day after a jury found him liable for sexually assaulting her in the 1990s and ordered him to pay $5m in damages.

Ms Carroll, 79, sued the former president for raping her in a dressing room at a Bergdorf Goodman in New York in 1996, and then destroying her reputation when he claimed she was lying.

E Jean Carroll, center, walks out of Manhattan federal court, Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in New York (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The jury didnt find Mr Trump liable of raping Ms Carroll, but it found the one-time president more likely than not sexually abused Ms Carroll.

During the CNN event on Wednesday evening, Mr Trump described her as a whack job and called the trial rigged.

I swear on my children, which I never do, I have no idea who this woman  this is a fake story, a made-up story, he said.

Ms Carroll told The New York Times that she had slept through the town hall event, but that her lawyer had sent her Mr Trumps comments on Thursday.

Its just stupid, its just disgusting, vile, foul, it wounds people, she told the newspaper as she insisted had been insulted by better people than the one-term president.

And she added: I am upset on the behalf of young men in America. They cannot listen to this balderdash and this old-timey view of women, which is a cave-man view.

Ms Carrolls lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, told the newspaper that no decision had yet been made on suing Mr Trump for a third time.

Everythings on the table, obviously, and we have to give serious consideration to it, she said. We have to weigh the various pros and cons and well come to a decision in the next day or so, probably.
The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson, has called for measures to save the fisheries sector from decline globally.

The minister, who made the call at a symposium on fisheries in the global framework of Biodiversity post-2020 at Rabat, Morocco, indicated that fish is one of the most traded food commodities in most nations but that the fishing sector is faced with issues such as IUU fishing, climate change and plastic pollution.

She stated that Ghana is witnessing a decline in fish catches, especially for small-scale fisheries due to environmental issues.

"There is evidence of rising water surface temperature and sea level, increase in water salinity, ocean acidification, and changes in fish distribution due to the impact of climate change," she added.

That, according to Mrs Koomson, has resulted in a declining profit of fishing operations, especially the artisanal fishers and the prevalence of poverty in fishing communities.

She intimated that climate change and the loss of some fish species are affecting the amount and quality of water resources needed for aquaculture development.

She lauded the Ministerial Conference on Fisheries Cooperation Among African States Bordering the Atlantic Ocean (ATLAFCO) for organizing the symposium and expressed hope that the topics treated would help find solutions to the challenges facing the sector.
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 }}

Former president Donald Trumps hour-long appearance at a CNN town hall ended with the indicted former president having repeatedly lied about the 2020 election, refused to say whether he wants Ukraine to successfully drive out Russian forces from its territory, and praising the rioters who attacked police officers and damaged the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection.

Mr Trump, who lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden and whose supporters rioted Congress, was immediately pressed on the election he still claims to have won by moderator Kaitlan Collins during his first appearance on the network since 2016.

Unless you are a very stupid person you see what happensmost people understand what happened, it was a rigged election and it was a shame we had to go through it, he said.

The former president attempted to cite True the Vote, a conservative vote monitoring organisation, and claimed the group had found millions of votes on government cameras where they were stuffing ballot boxes.

Trump on CNN: Lies about abortion, election, sexual abuse verdict

It is a sad thing for our country and for the world, he added.

There is no evidence that the 2020 election was rigged in any way. Multiple recounts in numerous states have confirmed that Mr Biden won the election.

Yet Mr Trump steadfastly refused to acknowledge that fact despite multiple corrections from Collins, who covered his former administration for CNN and previously at the conservative Daily Caller website.

Mr Trumps refusal to accept reality confirmed the fears of Democrats and many media figures who believed that CNNs decision to platform the disgraced former president would allow him to spew untruths with abandon.

Michael Fanone, the ex-Washington DC police officer who was attacked during the January 6 riot and is now a CNN analyst, said in a Rolling Stone essay that he felt a sucker punch when he learned his current employer would be hosting the man whose supporters left him hospitalised on January 6.

Trump appears at a CNN town hall in New Hampshire. (CNN)

He wrote that treating the ex-president like a normal candidate who didnt get people killed in the process of trying to end the democracy hes attempting to once again run, would only serve to normalize his actions today and for future candidates.

After the town hall, Mr Fanone told HuffPost: Its worse than I could have ever imagined. Its an absolute disaster. Theres no way to fact-check this guy in real time. Hes a volcano of bulls***.

One anonymous CNN on-air personality told The Daily Beast that Mr Trumps performance validated the networks critics.

It is so bad. I was cautiously optimistic despite the criticism. It is awful. Its a Trump infomercial. Were going to get crushed, the CNN employee reportedly said.

Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez added that CNN should be ashamed.

This falls squarely on CNN. Everyone here saw exactly what was going to happen. Instead they put a sexual abuse victim in harms way for views. This was a choice to platform lies about the election & Jan 6th w/ no plan but to have their moderator interrupted without consequence, she wrote on Twitter.

Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021 (AFP via Getty Images)

On MSNBC, Ms Ocasio-Cortez added: I think it was a profoundly irresponsible decision. I dont think I would be doing my job if I did not say that what we saw tonight was a series of extremely irresponsible decisions that put a sexual abuse victim at risk, that put that person at risk in front of a national audience and I could not have disagreed with it more. It was shameful.

Mr Trump also refused to acknowledge that the riot in January 2021 was, in fact, a riot and an attempt by his supporters to prevent a peaceful transfer of power to the Biden administration.

The ex-president, whose actions leading up to January 6 are the subject of two separate criminal investigations, spoke glowingly about the day when his supporters stormed the steps of American democracy and fought with police while screaming threats, insults, and slurs.

It was a beautiful day, he said, adding that his fans were there with love in their hearts when they left dozens of police officers with injuries and chanted death threats targeting lawmakers as they marched through the Capitol.

He also promised to pardon most of the rioters and refused to rule out issuing pardons for members of white nationalist and extremist groups who have been convicted of seditious conspiracy as a result of their participation in the Capitol attack.

The former president also refused to tell attendees at the town hall that he supports Ukraines efforts to repel Russian forces from its territory following the February 2022 invasion.

He was repeatedly asked by Collins if he backed Ukraine in its 15-month conflict with Vladimir Putins forces, and repeatedly dodged the question.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump hold a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019 (SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

I dont think in terms of winning and losing, I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people and breaking down this country, he told Collins when asked about his support for Ukraine.

She then asked him again if he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the conflict.

I want everyone to stop dying. They are dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying, he replied.

Mr Trump also repeated his bogus claim it would take him one day in the Oval Office to end the conflict.

Youre a nasty person, Ill tell ya Donald Trump attacks Kaitlan Collins

Ill have that done in 24 hours, you need the power of the presidency to do it. And he added: You know what, I will say this, I want Europe to put up more money. They should equalise, they have plenty of money.

The ex-presidents performance at the CNN town hall was consistent with the belligerent way he conducted himself during his term in the White House under questioning from the press.

He repeatedly lied about the investigation into whether he unlawfully retained classified documents at his Florida home after the end of his term, telling Collins that he had the right to take such documents under the Presidential Records Act.

That law, which was signed by Jimmy Carter after the government had a dispute with Richard Nixon over that disgraced ex-presidents White House records, states that all presidential records are property of the United States  not any former president.

At one point, the cross-talk became so intense that Mr Trump attacked the CNN moderator.

Do you mind? Mr Trump said.

I would like for you to answer the question. Thats why I asked it, Ms Collins said.

Youre a nasty person, Ill tell ya, Mr Trump said, which elicited applause from the GOP-leaning audience.
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 }}

CNNs controversial live town hall with Donald Trump was blasted by its own anchors on air and slammed by insiders at the news network.

The former president used the Wednesday night event in New Hampshire to again push his debunked 2020 election lies and conspiracy theories. He also refused to say he supported Ukraine.

Mr Trumps bombastic performance in front of an audience of 400 Republicans and GOP-leaning independents was widely panned for giving him a platform to push his fraudulent claims.

And it did not go unnoticed by the CNN hosts who went on air after the town hall, hosted by Kaitlan Collins, ended.

He called a Black law enforcement officer a thug. He said people here in Washington, DC, and Chinatown dont speak English. He attacked Kaitlan (Collins) as a nasty woman... he made fun of (E Jean Carrols) sexual assault and many in the audience laughed, said Jake Tapper to Anderson Cooper.

And applauded, added Cooper.

Tapper added: It was an interesting night, Mr Trumps first lie was told just seconds into the night with his false and familiar claim that the 2020 election was quote a rigged election and the falsehoods kept on coming fastened furious, about the January 6 insurrection, about the threat to vice-president Pences ability to overturn the election, about Covid, the economy and more.

Jake Tapper sums up Trump's town hall: "He called a black law enforcement officer a thug. He said people here in Washington, D.C. and Chinatown dont speak English. He attacked Kaitlan as a nasty woman... he made fun of [Carrol's] sexual assault and many in the audience laughed." pic.twitter.com/NSzVzVEApP  Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) May 11, 2023

Justin Baragona of The Daily Beast tweeted that he had been contacted by a CNN on-air personality, whom he did not name, who gave them their shocked reaction to the town hall.

It is so bad. I was cautiously optimistic despite the criticism. It is awful. Its a Trump infomercial. Were going to get crushed, the CNN employee told him.

Another CNN insider told the Rolling Stone that the town hall had been appalling and criticised their employer for giving Mr Trump a huge platform to spew his lies.

Yet another CNN insider told the magazine that the event has been a f*****g disgrace and that giving Mr Trump airtime like that was 1000 per cent a mistake. No one (at CNN) is happy.

Just brutal, a CNN primetime producer told the Rolling Stone.
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 }}

Former President Donald Trump called Kaitlan Collins a nasty person during a tense exchange over classified documents during CNNs New Hampshire town hall.

During a combative back-and-forth over Mr Trump retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Mr Trump and Ms Collins spoke over each other for several moments.

Follow our live blog for latest updates

Do you mind? Mr Trump said.

I would like for you to answer the question. Thats why I asked it, Ms Collins said.

Youre a nasty person, Ill tell ya, Mr Trump responded, which elicited applause from the GOP-leaning audience.

Can you answer why you held on to the documents? Collins asked again.

Its very simple. I was negotiating and I was talking to Nara (National Archives and Records Administration), he began, arguing why he believed he was right to have held onto documents the government was looking for.

Collins was unflinching and continued to push back on Mr Trumps false interpretation of the Presidential Records Act.

Moments later after another contentious back-and-forth between the two over election interference in Georgia, Mr Trump said he would only accept the results of the 2024 election if he thought they were honest.

Their allotted time was up and Collins closed out the town hall. The former president shook her hand and told her she had done a good job.

Collins joins the roster of women in public life who he has called nasty after they challenge him in some way: Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen... there are were at least 14 incidents documented by The Washington Post as of August 2019.
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 }}

Former President Donald Trump made his first live CNN appearance since 2016 on Wednesday as he sat down with the networks Kaitlan Collins in the early GOP primary state of New Hampshire.

What transpired over the nearly 90-minute broadcast was almost nostalgia-evoking as Collins was largely unable to make fact checks of the former president stick amid a seemingly unending cascade of lies put forward by an unrepentant Mr Trump.

Lets take a look at exactly why Wednesdays return to mainstream cable news by the former president was so significant, and why CNN was facing ridicule on all sides before the evening ended:

Trump steamrolls Collins

Kaitlan Collins made a serious attempt to make sure that the truth got as much airtime as Donald Trumps falsehoods during her moderation of the event on Wednesday, but sometimes a serious attempt still falls flat.

Thats what happens when a journalist is set up to fail by their network; Collins, battling a raucous crowd that appeared to be almost exclusively in the former presidents corner, was often overshadowed by cheers and jeers as she attempted to shoehorn in last-second corrections after Mr Trumps various spiels. She also found herself with no backup from the control room or CNNs production team in general, who left her without any way to pull up examples of factual information, statements by Trump appointees, and other useful bits of media that would have greatly aided her fact-checking endeavors.

As a result, the town hall at many times resembled the first Joe Biden-Donald Trump debate of the 2020 cycle, when moderators were sharply criticised for allowing Mr Trump to constantly talk over his opponent. By the end, the CNN host had been labeled a nasty person by Mr Trump on her own network while his supporters roared their approval.

The production was roundly criticised by other journalists and by Democrats especially as the interview continued, with Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling the programme irresponsible.

Trump steamrolls the truth, too

There seemed to be no end to the whitewashing which Mr Trump engaged in Wednesday evening. He called the deadly January 6 attack a beautiful day, his supporters supposedly throwing themselves against police barricades and shields with love in their hearts. He repeated his long-debunked conspiracies about 2020, despite Collinss reminder that he had failed to prove any of his claims in court (no mention by the CNN host that Mr Trumps own lawyer had admitted to not having any evidence).

He even lied about supposedly issuing an order to deploy thousands of troops on January 6, an order his own defence chief later testified never came.

E Jean Carroll faces furious attacks and an accusation of racism from Trump

The former president made no secret of his displeasure regarding a New York jurys decision this week to find him liable for sexual abuse in the case brought by author E Jean Carroll. He repeatedly denounced her as someone he had supposedly never met, while accusing her of calling her own husband a word with racist connotations.

Little of this was fact-checked by CNN; Collins instead asked him if he regretted not testifying in the trial himself. Mr Trump described Ms Carrolls lawsuit as election interference  despite the election being more than a year away.

The Access Hollywood tape returns

In easily the most surreal moment of the night, Mr Trump gave perhaps his longest philosophical defence yet of his infamous grab em by the p**** comment.

That remark, which surfaced in the fall of 2016 just weeks before voters elected him to the White House for four years, was made during a conversation on the set of an Access Hollywood taping. It would go on to haunt Mr Trump long afterwards.

But on Wednesday, Mr Trump went into excruciating detail about that comment: He wasnt talking about his own personal behaviour, he claimed, nor was he talking (supposedly) about non-consensual encounters. Instead, the former US president argued, he was merely making an observation about the power of money and how rich men use it to attract women, albeit in the crudest possible manner.

Whether that explanation was believable is another story entirely, but it was nonetheless remarkable to hear out loud.

Trump cheers default as debt ceiling deadline looms

The ex-president gave a hefty piece of ammunition to his furthest-right allies in the US House of Representatives as he talked about the economy on Wednesday. Asked by Collins about the GOPs debt ceiling negotiation strategy on Capitol Hill, Mr Trump responded that Republicans may need to force the US to default on its loan obligations in order to rein in spending. And he made the bizarre prediction that such a decision may not have real negative effects, calling the possible economic catastrophe nothing but psychological problems.

"We have to start paying off debt ... I say to the Republicans out there  congressmen, senators  if they dont give you massive cuts, youre going to have to do a default, and I dont believe theyre going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave because you dont want to have that happen, but its better than what were doing right now because were spending money like drunken sailors, he told CNN.

Expect Republicans to hunker down and be more willing to risk passing the 1 June deadline after which the federal government may be unable to pay obligations to its creditors with the former presidents encouragement, knowing that their party enjoys only a slim majority in the House.
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 }}

Donald Trump has been blasted for refusing to say he supported Ukraine to win its bloody war with Russia and was branded Putins puppet by Chris Christie.

The one-term president was repeatedly asked by CNN host Kaitlan Collins if he backed Ukraine in its 15-month conflict with Vladimir Putins forces, and repeatedly dodged the question.

Donald Trump refused to say tonight that he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia. More proof that he continues to be Putins puppet, the former Republican candidate for president tweeted.

Collins asked Mr Trump during the town hall from New Hampshire to say on the record that he supported Ukraine.

I dont think in terms of winning and losing, I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people and breaking down this country, he told Collins.

She then asked him again if he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the conflict.

I want everyone to stop dying. They are dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying, he replied.

Donald Trump refused to say tonight that he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia. More proof that he continues to be Putins puppet.  Chris Christie (@GovChristie) May 11, 2023

Mr Trump also repeated his bogus claim that it would take him one day in the Oval Office to end the conflict.

Ill have that done in 24 hours, you need the power of the presidency to do it. And he added: You know what, I will say this, I want Europe to put up more money. They should equalise, they have plenty of money.

And he boasted that the conflict would never even have happened if he had remained in office.

COLLINS: Do you want Ukraine to win this war?



TRUMP: I don't think in terms of winning and losing pic.twitter.com/XmeYFsEH3O  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2023

If I were president this never would have happened and even the Democrats recognise that. Putin knew it would never have happened and his pipeline would never have happened, a lot of things would never have happened, he said.

All those dead people, both Russian and Ukrainian, would not be dead today, and all those cities that are blown up and disintegrated to the ground would not have happened.

Mr Trump also tried to claim that he had a very good relationship with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mr Trump was impeached for the first time over a call in which he tried to get Mr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden in return for weapons.

I have a very good relationship with President Zelensky, because as you know he backed me up with phoney impeachment hoax number one when he said the president did nothing wrong. I was totally exonerated, by the way, a total waste of time and money, said Mr Trump. Collins reminded viewers that the former president had been impeached by Congress.

"He made a tremendous mistake" -- Trump on Putin pic.twitter.com/KRnSoSQX9O  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2023

Collins then asked Mr Trump if he still had tremendous respect for Vladimir Putin, as he claimed while president.

He made a tremendous mistake. He is a smart guy...they want you to say he is a stupid person, okay, he is not a stupid person, he is very smart and cunning and Putin made a bad mistake in my opinion.

His mistake was going in. He would never have gone in if I was president, we used to talk about it too.

And he refused to answer if he believed Mr Putin is a war criminal for his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

I think its something that should not be discussed now, it should be discussed later, Mr Trump said, suggesting it would make ending the conflict even more difficult.

If you say hes a war criminal its going to be a lot tougher to make a deal to make this thing stopped. If hes going to be a war criminal, people are going to grab him and execute him, hes going to fight a lot harder than hes fighting under the other circumstance. Thats something to be discussed at a later day.
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 }}

Josef Fritzl, the notorious rapist who locked his daughter in a cellar for decades and fathered seven children with her, has said he believes his family will forgive him.

The 87-year-old was jailed for life in 2009 after he was found to have imprisoned and raped his daughter in a purpose-built basement under their family home in Austria for 24 years, over which period she gave birth to seven of his children.

Having told his family and police that Elisabeth had run away to join a cult in 1984, aged 18, Fritzl planted three of the children as foundlings and raised them with his unsuspecting wife in their Amstetten home, while keeping the others hidden downstairs, one of whom died shortly after birth in 1996.

His crimes were discovered in 2008 shortly after he relented to take Elisabeths eldest daughter to hospital, setting in motion a chain of events which saw police arrest him seven days later.

In a rare statement issued through his laywer Astrid Wagner, Fritzl told The Sun: I miss my family very, very much. I am always thinking of them, and how I would like to see my grandchildren.

But I definitely believe that I am going to see them again one day. I am sure that we are going to be reunited and I think they are going to forgive me for what I have done. Im sure of it.

Claiming to be extremely sorry and to regret my crimes and the hurt I have caused, Fritzl continued: I would just add though, that I didnt murder anyone or anything like that, so I do reject some of the ways I am sometimes referred to.

Fritzl was convicted by a jury in 2009 of incest, rape, enslavement, coercion and causing the death of his child by negligence, having eventually pleaded guilty to all charges.

Josef Fritzl admitted to raping his daughter at least 3,000 times while holding her captive (Getty Images)

Insisting that his 14 years at the high-security Stein prison, near Vienna, have most definitely changed me, Fritzl said: Through having been incarcerated myself I have developed a deeper appreciation of what this feels like for others.

In a bizarre turn, Fritzl described himself as a monarchist and a big fan of King Charles, and said he had watched the splendid coronation on television from prison.

Saying it was very, very sad that Diana is no longer around, he sought to compare the monarchs marriage to his own as he added: But I know that Camilla makes King Charles happy as his wife, so that is okay too, as this is what really counts. My wife and I also made things work in our own way.

Three years after his imprisonment, Fritzl was reported to have divorced his wife of 52 years, Rosemarie  who was cleared of any involvement in his crimes  for failing to visit him in jail.
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 }}

One person was killed and another injured as shots were fired in a Mercedes Benz manufacturing plant in southern Germany.

Germanys Bild newspaper reported that rescue workers were at the site at the Factory 56 in Sindelfingen, which assembles the S-Class.

Police said in a statement on Twitter: "There is currently a police operation on the factory premises. Police and rescue workers are on duty.

"There is no danger to the population."

Police also said to the outlet that one person has been detained in connection with the incident but did not provide further details.

One person was killed, one seriously injured. The background is still unclear. The perpetrator was arrested, a spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Police said they received emergency calls from the plant from around 7.45am local time.

Subsequently a special task force cordoned off the area.

Rescue workers, including two helicopters and several emergency doctors, were present at the site.

Police later said that there was no immediate danger at the site.

There is no longer any danger for the employees in the plant.

Mercedes in a statement also confirmed that an incident had taken place at the plant, reported Reuters.

"We are in contact with the authorities and are trying to clarify the facts. The safety of the employees comes first," the company said.

In 2012, a shooting at a factory site for technology firm 3M in the western German town of Hilden left one dead and four injured.

There have been a string of shootings in Germany in recent years.

In March, six people were killed and eight injured in Hamburg at mass shooting at a Jehovahs Witness hall.

In 2022, an 18-year-old man opened fire in a packed lecture at Heidelberg University, killing one person and wounding three others before killing himself.

In 2020, there were two high-profile shootings, one in which six people were killed and another in which nine people died.
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 }}

Several vehicles went up in flames in central Milan on Thursday as a van transporting oxygen tanks exploded in the heart of the Italian city.

At least one person has been reported injured in the incident due to inhalation of smoke from the explosion.

Local police said the van and other vehicles had caught fire, forcing evacuation of a nursery and residential apartment buildings in the neighbourhood.

Witnesses present at the spot reported a loud explosion at around 11.45am at local time, while dramatic footage aired by SkyTG24 from Milans Porta Romana neighborhood, showing high plumes of black smoke and firefighters on the scene.

Firefighters were responding to the flames, which spread to other vehicles parked in the bylane and burnt the facade of one of the buildings, reported the LaPresse news agency.

The origins of the fire are still being investigated, but Milans mayor Giuseppe Sala told reporters at the scene that police were ruling out terrorism or criminal action being involved.

The explosion has not caused any deaths and the situation is under control, Mr Sala said.

It was unclear whether the fire originated from the van carrying oxygen canisters or in one of the nearby parked cars that also caught fire, firefighters said.
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 pope has said sexually abusive priests are children of God who must be loved as well as enemies who should also be punished.

Speaking at a meeting with Jesuits, Francis pondered the possibility of offering Christian love to Paedophile priests who had destroyed childrens lives and the Catholic churchs reputation.

"It's not at all easy," the Pope said. "How can we get close, how can we speak to abusers for whom we feel disgust? Yes, they too are children of God, but how can we love them? It's a very tough question."

He continued, "The abuser must be condemned, indeed, but as a brother. Condemning him is to be understood as an act of charity, adding that it was like "loving the enemy".

During the private meeting with 32 Jesuits on 29 April in Budapest, Hungary, as reported on Tuesday by the Italian Jesuit publication La Civilta Cattolica, Francis was responding to a question from an unnamed Jesuit priest, who asked, I would like to offer the compassion and love that the Gospel asks for everyone, even the enemy. But how is this possible?

Francis said, Even talking to the abuser involves revulsion; it's not easy. But they are God's children too."

He added: They need a punishment but also pastoral care. How do you do that? No, its not easy.

Despite tightening the rules, Francis has been faced with fresh scandals relating to sexual abuse in the priesthood throughout his 10-year papacy.

He introduced a commission on abuse prevention, one of his flagship initiatives - but it has been rocked by resignations over church officials lack of acknowledgment of the scale of the crisis.

As recently as Friday, the Pope sought to encourage his embattled child protection advisory board, following weeks of turmoil sparked by the latest resignation of a founding member and fresh questions about its direction.

Francis urged his Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors to pursue a spirituality of reparation with abuse survivors and build a culture of safeguarding to prevent priests from raping and molesting children.

Boston Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Francis announced the creation of the commission in 2013 to provide best-practices advice on combatting abuse in the church. The commission has gone through several iterations in the decade since, most significantly with resignations of members frustrated by the resistance of the Vatican bureaucracy to its recommendations and exasperated about the commissions unclear mandate and model.

The latest departure was the Rev. Hans Zollner, a German Jesuit who runs a child protection institute at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. In a blistering statement March 29 announcing his resignation, Zollner identified a series of internal problems in the commission that he said made it impossible for him to remain.

He cited a lack of financial accountability, lack of transparency about decision-making and lack of clarity about what members are supposed to do and how they're appointed. Zollners criticisms underscored broader questions about the purpose and direction of the commission, which has never found its place in a Vatican bureaucracy inherently resistant to change and defensive in particular about the abuse dossier.
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 }}

Against the deadly beat of artillery fire, the drone commander picks his way through the destroyed remains of the village which lies just a few hundred metres away from Russian positions.

Around him civilian life is now absent, the remnants frozen in a tableau of hasty and desperate evacuations.

We are in the region of Zaporizhzhia, and he is taking us to meet his unit hiding somewhere near the southeastern frontline of the Ukraine war. The unit need to keep out of sight of Russian drones, which are also flying overhead.

The fight above Ukraine's frontline | On The Ground

No one can live here anymore because its too close to the frontline, Val, 39 the commander of Vyhor drone squad says, peering at a clear blue sky.

Only the military are here doing their tasks, he adds, radioing his team who emerge silently from their camouflage into an empty cattle shed.

We have to move from our spot every two days because we are high-profile targets, says a 31-year-old drone operator known by his codename Odesa, who is readying his equipment for another round of surveillance.

The artillery cant work randomly, they need to see where they are shooting, if they [have] got the shot. So we are the eyes.

If they take us out, they take out the armys eyes.

The Zaporizhzhia region is the often-overlooked southeast corner of Ukraines now 900-mile (1,500km) frontline. The speedy capture of parts of this region just a week into President Putins invasion of the country last February helped Moscow forge a strategic land bridge to occupied Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

It also gave the Kremlin control of Europes largest nuclear power plant, sparking global panic over the risk of a possible meltdown. Missile strikes have caused dangerous outages and left the plant running on emergency diesel generators on more than one occasion.

These fears will only increase with the suggestion on Wednesday by Ukraines state-owned Energoatom company that Russian forces are planning to evacuate more than 3,000 workers from the town that serves the plant. Last week it was reported that Russia evacuated some 1,500 people including 600 children  from 18 towns and settlements around the atomic energy facility.

Rafael Grossi, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency, said this week the situation is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous.

This has placed Zaporizhzhia right in the heart of the conflict and has made it a popular contender for Ukraines much-anticipated spring counteroffensive to take back Russian-controlled territory.

Infantry soldiers discuss an upcoming counteroffensive in a bunker near Orikhiv (Bel Trew)

Ukraine hopes its counterattack  which has been labelled its possible D-Day by some commentators  will break what has become a gruelling frontline deadlock with Russian forces in many areas, with Moscow's forces having consistently outnumbered and outgunned the Ukrainian military.

The invasion launched on 24 February 2022 has evolved into a grinding war of artillery attrition, punctuated by some spectacular gains by Ukraine before the winter. The Ukrainians have vowed to do that again, knowing that the unconditional military and financial support of the country from Western allies has a shelf life.

For now, the West has stepped up.

On Tuesday the US said it will provide $1.2bn (950m) more in long-term military aid to further bolster Ukraines air defences as Russia continues to pound the country with drones, rockets and surface-to-air missiles.

Along the Zaporizhzhia frontline citizens are forced to live below ground (Bel Trew)

On the same day, European Union legislators decided to fast-track legislation to boost ammunition and missile production for the Ukraine war effort, following the announcement in March of plan to send a million rounds of artillery shells.

Getting badly needed ammunition to Ukraine quickly is essential, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday during a meeting with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv.

Zelensky also reiterated the need for help to launch the spring offensive, and on Wednesday said in an interview with European public service broadcasters that Ukraine would have to wait for more Western weaponry before making its move, or risk los[ing] a lot of people. I think thats unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time, he said.

As well as the specific timing, other details of Ukraines long-anticipated counterattack have been kept tightly under wraps.

De-occupation of all territories is the key strategic idea, says Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Zelensky, vaguely.

Everything related to specific tactical plans, scenario ideas, priority or secondary directions of the counteroffensive does not make sense to discuss he tells The Independent.

This is a matter of security, operational play, and potential loss minimisation. Real plans also depend on the operational situation, which is constantly and significantly changing, he adds.

Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukraines minister of defence, also would not go into details but promises the country is almost ready to launch.

A Ukrainian drone operator surveys Russian movement just a few hundred metres from their positions (Bel Trew)

As you can see missile terror continues, civilian deaths continue  destruction continues, he says. We need to hurry to finish this as soon as possible.

Initial speculation on the counteroffensive focused on the war-ravaged Donbas region in the east, which contains both the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk that Russia wants to control. The focus of the Russian army and its mercenary groups like Wagner has been on the battle raging around the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk, once famous for sparkling wine but now utterly decimated.

There was also conjecture the Ukrainians would aim to push back Russian lines in the northern border region of Kharkiv  following similar gains there in the late summer. But eyes have also turned to the southeast.

Soldiers in the Zaprozhizhia region, though silent about counteroffensive speculation, have told The Independent the Russians have been quietly fortifying their positions here. Over the last few months they have been digging trenches, bringing armoured vehicles and bolstering troops perhaps in anticipation for what is coming, perhaps to try to open a new route to Kyiv.

They are trying to advance here, and are shelling all the time. You see the city is completely destroyed, said an infantry commander known by his codename Shepherd, as he sat in a bunker in the frontline town of Orikhiv.

If they take this area they could cut off Ukrainian forces in Donbas, and allow them to effectively come around the back. They can open a new road to Kyiv, he adds.

But we havent let them take one metre.

We havent let then take one metre Shepherd, infantry commander

Ukraine could, however, act first. If, in its counteroffensive, Kyiv's forces advances south from Zaporizhzhia towards Melitopol, an occupied city along the countrys Black Sea coastline, it would break Russias land bridge to Crimea.

That would cut off Russian supply lines to areas in Zaporizhzhia including the nuclear plant and also to its positions further west in Kherson.

The Kherson region, which straddles the Dnipro River, was the scene of one of Russias lightning victories early on: an advance that was so quick it sparked accusations from Ukrainian officials that there was regional administrative support for the invading army.

Facing mounting pressure from the Ukrainian military, in November Russian forces eventually withdrew to the eastern bank of the Dnipro and has been heavily shelling the now Ukrainian-controlled regional capital from the other side of the river bank. Dozens of civilians were killed in the barrages last week.

An advance by Ukraine to Melitopol would cut their positions off in Kherson, with deadly consequences.

For now, the Ukrainians are holding the line in areas of Zaporizhzhia under increasingly heavy fire.

In abandoned frontline villages, the handful of civilians who have stayed put stare blankly at the moonscape of craters that were once their backyards.

In the towns, residents scatter as a soldier shouts incoming air raid and a Russian fighter jet roars overhead.

Luda who rescues pets on the frontline seconds before diving for cover due to fighter jets (Bel Trew)

There are about 1,500 of us still left here with no electricity, gas or water, says Luda, 39, while taking cover under her home in Orikhiv. She stayed put to look after hundreds of now-abandoned pet cats and dogs.

I go to bed [each night] thinking I hope I wake up, she adds.

Further east at artillery positions along the regional border between Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk  another hotspot  the brigades are busy pounding Russian positions, which are also apparently fortifying.

There the commanders have one simple request: more Western support.

Ammo ammo ammo, says brigade commander Khmara, 24, as we take cover after a volley of howitzer fire towards Russian tanks.

Definitely ammo is what we need, then we will finally end this war.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has inaugurated the governing board of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) to develop policy direction and implementation for vaccine production and manufacturing in Ghana.

At a separate event on Wednesday, President Akufo-Addo also commissioned the NVI Secretariat at Cantonments in Accra to coordinate and facilitate activities of vaccine production and manufacturing in the country.

The NVI board has Dr Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, Chairman; Prof William Kwabena Ampofo, Chief Executive Officer and other members include Dr Baffour-Awuah, Mr Mustapha Tawiah Kumah; Dr Daniel Gyingiri Achel and Ms Fredrica Sala Illiasu.

The rest are Dr Delese Darko, Prof Alex Dodoo; Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye; Mr Kofi Nsiah-Poku; Prof Kofi Opoku Nti; Prof Gordon A. Awandare and Prof Rita Akosua Dickson.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony at the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo explained that the vaccine nationalism that played out by the developed world with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines meant that the government had to take urgent, critical steps towards making sure never again would Ghanaians fall victim or pawns to international vaccine order.

He added that "We needed to take our destiny into our own hands."

That, the President emphasised, was the reason for the establishment of a committee, under the chairmanship of Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, to formulate a concrete plan of action towards domestic vaccine development and manufacturing.

That plan of action, he explained, culminated in the announcement of the establishment, in July 2021, of the National Vaccine Institute, with seed funding of $25 million from the European Investment Bank.

The Vaccine Institute establishment forms part of the recommendations of the Committee set up by the government to formulate a concrete plan for vaccine development and manufacturing in Ghana.

The NVI mandate also is to coordinate and facilitate the capacity of DEKS Vaccines Ltd and other domestic pharmaceutical companies to fill, finish and package mRNA COVID-19 and other vaccines such as those against malaria and tuberculosis.

In the short term of two years, DEKs Vaccines Ltd will fill, finish, and package COVID-19 and the other vaccines for those against malaria and tuberculosis.

And in the medium term, that is in five years, the target is to continue the establishment of more domestic vaccine manufacturing plants in the country to manufacture vaccines to meet WHO GMP standards.

The long-term target is to produce a candidate vaccine using innovative technologies.

While congratulating the Committee, which is now turned into the National Vaccine Authority, President Akufo-Addo listed some noteworthy achievements of the Committee.

They include the development of a roadmap for vaccine development and manufacturing in Ghana; support of the upgrade of Laboratory facilities of the Food and Drugs Authority; international collaboration with Rwanda, Senegal and the mRNA in Vaccine Technology Company, BioNTech SE, Germany.

Other achievements are the establishment of a Local vaccine manufacturing plant by Atlantic Lifesciences, commissioned in April 2022 and the commencement of DEKs Vaccines Limited and the setting up of the National Vaccines Institute and its Secretariat.

He said the competencies and experiences of the composition of the board demonstrate amply the necessity for thorough engagement and consultation for the successful implementation of the Institute's mandate.

"The task ahead of you is a challenging one, and it is my expectation and hopes that you would be up to it, the President told members of the board.

President Akufo-Addo assured the Board of "my full support to undertake all that is required to make our nation a vaccine manufacturing hub not only in West Africa but also in the entire African continent."

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ghana 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.

The lack of a sustained supply of vaccines to fight against diseases in the country informed the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute.

Ghana established the Expanded Program on Immunisation (EPI) in 1978, afterwards, the programme received substantial and technical support from GAVI, the vaccine alliance.

Currently, GAVI supports over 89 per cent of the cost of vaccines and vaccine delivery within the country.

However, Ghana has attained the lower middle-income country status and has to transit from GAVI's support by 2027.

Consequently, Ghana has to be self-reliant, especially in the domestic development and manufacturing of vaccines and sera.

The establishment of the National Vaccine Institute, thus, is expected to operationalise the government's vision of securing much-needed vaccines through domestic development and manufacturing in the short and medium long term phases.
 Close Zelensky welcomed with military honours as he visits Germany

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 }}

Two of Russias military commanders were killed in eastern Ukraine as Kyivs forces renewed efforts to break through Russian defences in the embattled city of Bakhmut.

In a daily briefing on Sunday, the Russian ministry of defence said that Commander Vyacheslav Makarov of the 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade and Deputy Commander Yevgeny Brovko from a separate unit were killed trying to repel Ukrainian attacks.

It said that Makarov had been leading troops from the front line, and that Brovko died heroically, suffering multiple shrapnel wounds. The defence ministry rarely announces the deaths of military command in its daily briefings.

It also said Ukrainian forces waged attacks in the north and south of Bakhmut over the past 24 hours, but that they had not broken through Russian defences. All attacks by units of Ukraines armed forces have been repelled, it said.

Moscow acknowledged on Friday that its forces had fallen back north of Bakhmut amid a surge of Ukrainian attacks, but Kyiv has played down suggestions a huge, long-planned counteroffensive has officially begun.
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 }}

Britain has supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow stealth cruise missiles, giving Volodymyr Zelenskys government the capability to carry out long-range strikes against Russian forces.

The missiles, with a range of 155 miles, will provide a vital boost to Ukrainian forces when they launch their much-publicised spring offensive. They have a shorter reach than the 185-mile American Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which President Zelensky has asked for repeatedly, but they will enable Ukrainian forces to carry out strikes not just in occupied territories but inside Russia.

Leaked Pentagon papers revealed, based on electronic eavesdropping, that Ukraines president complained in late February to the head of the countrys military, General Valeriy Zaluzhny, that Ukraine does not have long-range missiles capable of reaching Russian troop deployments in Russia.

The Ukrainian government has assured Britain, the US and Nato allies that the Storm Shadow will not be used outside Ukrainian sovereign territory. However, Crimea, which was annexed by the Kremlin in 2013, is considered to fall within the term of sovereign territory by the UK.

Storm Shadows, if deployed against targets in Crimea and offshore seas, will place Russias Black Sea Fleet under threat and also significantly limit the capabilities of Moscow to supply its forces around the peninsula by sea.

General Ben Hodges, a former commander of the US army in Europe, said recently he believed Russias Black Sea fleet would already have departed Sevastopol if Ukraine had Storm Shadow. He held that President Zelensky would not want to lose the trust of the West by using long-range missiles beyond agreed limits

The US has been extremely cautious about providing weapons to Ukraine that could help them strike within Russian territory. Colin Kahl, under secretary of defence for policy, said in August that it is the assessment of the US that Ukraine does not currently require ATACMS to service targets that are directly relevant to the current fight.

Even with the arrival of the missiles, the offensive may be delayed. President Zelensky said on Thursday that Western military supplies, including armoured vehicles, are coming through in batches and needed to be integrated into Ukrainian forces.

Going too early would lead to needless loss of lives, said the president. He added: With what we already have we can go forward and, I think, be successful. But wed lose a lot of people. I think thats unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time.

US president Joe Biden met Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv in February (AFP/Getty)

Mr Zelensky dismissed fears about losing US support if president Joe Biden, who has vowed to support Ukraine as long as it takes, is not re-elected in 2024. Ukraine, he said, still enjoyed bipartisan support in the US Congress. Who knows where well be [when the election happens]? he said. I believe well win by then.

Donald Trump, who may well get the Republican nomination, has said in the past that he would recognise Russian ownership of Crimea. He refused at a CNN town hall on Wednesday to say whether he would continue supporting Ukraine until victory is achieved. I dont think of winning or losing, I think in terms of getting it settled. I want everybody to stop dying, said the former president.
An "isolated" Vladimir Putin does not have enough poison to kill all his critics, a former Russian state TV journalist has said.

Marina Ovsyannikova made global headlines last year when she sprinted onto a live show on Channel One Russia, where she had been employed since 2003, with a sign that read "Stop the war, don't believe the propaganda, here you are being lied to."

Now Ms Ovsyannikova hopes Putin could be forced from power by members of the Russian elite.
A 70-year-old man was killed on Thursday 11 May after a rocket fired from Gaza hit Israel amid the current wave of fighting.

Palestinian militants launched an unrelenting rocket attack on Israel after Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed two militant commanders.

One of the rockets launched from Gaza hit an apartment block in the central Israeli city of Rehovot, killing a 70-year-old man and injuring four others, according to MADA rescue service.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said a total of 28 people have been killed since the fighting erupted.

Click here to sign up to our newsletter.
Donald Trump has vowed to appeal against a jurys verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing a newspaper columnist.

The New York civil jury awarded E Jean Carroll $5 million after ruling on Tuesday 9 May that the former US president had sexually abused and defamed her.

Mr Trump rejected the verdict, implying the jurors were biased against him and claiming US District Judge Lewis Kaplan had somehow directed the lawsuits outcome.

He described the judge as Trump-hating and Clinton-appointed.

Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
A former Russian state TV journalist has suggested that Vladimir Putin doesnt have enough Novichok to kill his growing number of critics.

Speaking to Beth Rigby Interviews on Sky News, dissident Marina Ovsyannikova also explained that Russians are facing repressions of Stalins scale.

I think that Putin doesnt have enough Novichok for all his opponents, she explained.

Because actually when the war started, many more people started speaking against the regime and many more will do that, she said.

Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
Citizens of Turkey are heading to the polls on 14 May to vote in the next general election just three months after two devastating earthquakes hit the country, killing over 50,000 people.

One of the many issues that could affect Erdogan's re-election is the delays in rescue operations.

Muslum Dalklc, 46 and co-chair of the British Alevi Federation in London, witnessed first-hand people who paid for a digger themselves to recover the bodies of their family members.

Normally the government should provide all this help trying to rescue the people, but they said they didnt have enough, Muslum Dalklc told Independent TV.

President Erdogan publicly apologised for the delays in the rescue operations, but some voters believe this could cost him the elections after 20 years in power.

Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
The UK will send long-range missiles to Ukraine to assist the war effort against Russia's invasion.

In a statement made to the House of Commons on Thursday 11 May, defence secretary Ben Wallace committed to send the Storm Shadow projectiles.

'The donation of these weapons systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russia's continued brutality', Mr Wallace said.

Ukraine has been asking for long-range weaponry for some time but has faced reluctance from the US, fearing an escalation in tensions.

Storm Shadows are air-launched missiles with a range of up to 350 miles (563 kilometres).

Click here to sign up to our newsletter.
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 }}

Oh, to be a fly on the wall at CNNs editorial meeting on Thursday.

What did they think would happen when they put Donald Trump and an audience of friendly supporters on live television for an hour and a half?

Did they think treating him like a normal candidate would lead him to act like a normal candidate?

Did they think making the moderator of the town hall a young, female reporter who once worked for the right-wing Daily Caller would lead him to treat her with respect even when she pointed out that he was blatantly lying on any number of topics?

Look, I get the reasoning behind offering Mr Trump a town hall appearance.

Hes the current frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination and theres at least some chance that he could somehow win next years general election.

And after years of open warfare between the ex-president and CNN (leading in some cases to their White House reporters needing full-time security details), the networks new management wanted a reset.

But did they actually think Donald Trump was going to turn over a new leaf and act respectful?

I spent four years covering then-president Trump in the White House. Before that, I watched him on the campaign trail. Since leaving office, he has never really left the political scene.

And one thing is clear about Donald Trump  he does not change, ever.

Instead of making a decision based on the evidence that journalists  including moderator Kaitlan Collins  collected over the last seven-plus years, CNN executives engaged in what was wishful thinking at best and outright delusion at worst.

The result was what one anonymous CNN on-air personality described as awful and a Trump infomercial.

CNN viewers, the American people, and Collins herself, deserved better.

I know Collins. I worked alongside her and many other excellent journalists during the most tumultuous days of Mr Trumps administration.

She is a diligent, fair and conscientious reporter. And her bosses put her in an impossible position by forcing her to contend with the most shameless liar in American politics while he was being cheered on by an audience that sounded more like a sitcom laugh track than anything else.

And for her efforts to counter his lies while remaining respectful, he treated her like hes treated so many other female  always female  reporters who dare to call him out.

He called her nasty.

Which in the end, returns me to the same question: What did they think was going to happen?
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 }}

At some point, in the not-very-distant future, Rishi Sunak is likely to have a lot of time to wonder why it was he ever wanted to be prime minister at all.

Should he not have seen the inevitable coming when his party chose Liz Truss over him  and would certainly have chosen Boris Johnson over either of them? That ultimately he wouldnt be able to ignore forever the overwhelmingly obvious evidence that you simply cannot lead a party that has become entirely deranged?

Within a week of losing more than a thousand seats at local elections, his backbenchers are redoubling their efforts to project themselves as an even more toxic prospect than they were before. Jacob Rees-Mogg is telling him that he has broken his word over a promise to scrap thousands of EU laws by the end of the year, a word he believes Sunak gave in the form of an odd leadership campaign video featuring a very large shredder.

Rees-Mogg, European Research Group leader Mark Francois and various other wingnuts are screaming betrayal. Theyre screaming it at Kemi Badenoch specifically, who suddenly wants to take a more pragmatic approach to breaking with EU regulations and, she said, do what is right.

Both she and Sunak really do seem to think that a pragmatic approach to Brexit is going to pay dividends. It seems unlikely. The whole of British politics  Tory and Labour  are still entirely trapped in a world of purest make believe, in which they have to pretend that Brexit isnt already massively economically damaging and isnt only going to get worse.

It is highly questionable whether there is a single voter in the entire country who cares whether various EU regulations are scrapped by the end of 2023 deadline or after.

Jacob Rees-Mogg still seems to think such regulations are holding the country back from making the most of the opportunities of Brexit. But he was the Brexit opportunities minister for almost two years and, by his own admission, the only opportunity he found (despite regularly asking readers of The Sun newspaper to write in with them) was the chance to purchase high-powered South Korean vacuum cleaners  but only if South Korea could be bothered to sell them to us. Which, at the moment, they cant.

Its not merely that all these highly tedious and increasingly unhinged infighting damages the partys reputation. There are precious few people that care about that anymore. But the countrys reputation continues to nosedive.

Today, various Tories (and indeed non-Tories) seem furious that President Biden has said he only visited Northern Ireland last month to make sure the Brits didnt screw around and Northern Ireland didnt walk away from their commitments.

There have been angry condemnations: from the prime ministers spokesperson, from various Tory Northern Ireland secretaries for his apparently regrettable language.

Lets have some perspective. They were off-the-cuff remarks from an octogenarian President. Not, taking one example, the carefully selected language of highly qualified lawyer Brandon Lewis, who infamously stood at the despatch box and announced new legislation for the Northern Ireland protocol which he said breaks international law in a specific and limited way.

Not the former Downing Street senior adviser Dominic Cummings breezily admitting that the UK government always intended to ditch the NI protocol.

And yet Conservatives still imagine themselves justified in claiming offence that a US President has had the temerity to notice such skullduggery and describe it honestly.

The consequences for deliberately and recklessly untrustworthy behaviour is immense reputational damage on the international stage, and that lives longer than a change of leadership.

And one suspects Sunak is about to find out that you cant placate the unhinged with pragmatism.

There can be no Brexit pragamatism which doesnt ultimately lead to admitting the obvious: that it was a mistake. That there are no upsides, not economically anyway  and nor will there ever be.
The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) on May 5 and 6 successfully endorsed the nomination of four presidential candidates and their running mates.

The four political parties included the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the United National People's Party (UNPP), the Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP), Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP) and the Republic National and Independent Party (ReNIP).

Mohamed C. Bah, Presidential Candidate and Madam Saudatu Turay as his running mate for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) were nominated and endorsed on May 5, while the United National People's Party (UNPP), the Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP) and the Republic National Independent Party (ReNIP) endorsed Dr. Saa Henry Kabuta and Gabriel Samuka, Abdulah D. Saccoh and Alice K. Pyne and Bresford Victor Williams and Kadija Bangura as presidential and vice presidential candidates were respectively nominated and endorsed by ECSL on Saturday May 6.

The four political parties are the latest to join five other political parties including the APC, SLPP, UDM, PDP and PLP that had gone through nomination at the ECSL Headquarters.

The Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed K. Konneh, expressed his commitment to ensuring peaceful, free, and fair elections.

According to the ECSL, the endorsement is part of the requirements that all political parties cleared to contest the June 2023 elections by the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) must meet.

The Presidential Nomination is a legal process that involves screening the candidates recommended by political parties, approving their candidacy, and printing their names on the ballot paper.

All four Presidential aspirants assured ECSL and by extension the people of Sierra Leone of their unwavering commitment to peace, stability and tranquility in the interest of national development. The three aspirants promised to move the nation from the present economic mess to an economic viability for the betterment of the nation.

NDA founders created the party with a vision to rebuilding Sierra Leone on the foundation of exemplary leadership. The party committed to helping build a strong economy, offer opportunities for quality education, create jobs for Sierra Leoneans, secure quality health care for all, help fight global terrorism, unite the nation, and make tribalism a thing of the past.

Since its formation, the party had twice withdrew its candidacy in support of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP)

In August 2007 general election, the party did not win any seat in parliament and its presidential candidates, Amadu Jalloh, won only 17,748 votes (0.96%).

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sierra Leone 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 Revolutionary United Front (RUF) was organized in 1991 by Foday Sankoh and two partners, Abu Kanu and Rashid Mansaray, along with financial assistance from future Liberian leader Charles Taylor.

Its goal was to overthrow the dictatorial government of Sierra Leone, headed by President Joseph Saidu Momoh.

The United National People's Party is a political party formed in 1996. The UNPP received 21.6% of the votes in the parliamentary election, winning 17 of the 68 seats. UNPP candidate John Karefa-Smart finished second to former and late President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in the first and second rounds of voting, receiving 22.62% and 40.5%.

In the election held on 14 May, 2002, the party won 1.3% of popular votes and no seats in parliament, while its candidate in the presidential election, Karefa-Smart, won 1.0% of the vote.

In the August 2007 general elections, the party did not win any seats in parliament, and its presidential candidate, Abdul Kady Karim (whose running mate was Mohamed Sei, took seventh and last place with 7,260 votes, 0.39% of the total

The Republic National Independent Party (ReNIP) was formed in 2017. On January 7th, 2018, ReNIP was the last political party that the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) gave clearance to contest the 2018 elections, and during the election the party secured 2, 555 votes nationwide, with 0.10% and no seat in parliament.
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 }}

It says Various v Mirror Group Newspapers above the door of court 15 of the Rolls Building, but what will go on over the next seven weeks will be going by a catchier moniker: Harry vs Piers. The prince and the troll.

Both men were ghosts at what will be another feast for the lawyers when it began on Wednesday morning down at the High Court. One of them, Prince Harry, will certainly turn up eventually. Hes scheduled to testify three weeks from now; the first time a senior royal has done so in any significant way in modern times.

Morgan may not make it at all. He has no formal reason to, but as Prince Harrys barrister went through the painful case against Mirror Group Newspapers it was not hard to visualise how its erstwhile editor might be looking had he made it down: just imagine a slightly wobblier-jowled version of the gnashing teeth emoji.

All this  the court cases against half the UK newspaper industry  the Duke of Sussex has described as his new lifes mission. At day one of his case against the Daily Mail, he made a surprise appearance in court with Elton John  but not today.

No stubbled ginger jawline, no glowering eyes poked out from the back row of benches. There was precious little to distract attention from the clipped vowels of David Sherborne as he set off, yet again, for a rapid gallop around the dysfunctional tabloid world of the late Nineties and early 2000s, all of which has been extensively covered before.

Actually, thats not quite true. The rest of team various was out in force. Michael Turner, better known as Michael Le Vell, better known as Kevin Webster, the mechanic from Coronation Street sat dutifully behind Mr Sherborne. So did Nikki Sanderson, also of Corrie fame, and Ingrid Tarrant, of Chris Tarrants ex-wife fame.

All of them had to walk past the gathered flashbulbs and in through the side door of the courthouse. (Its main revolving door, made briefly famous 10 years ago when Bernie Ecclestone found himself unable to get out through it, was out of action.)

The Rolls Building was built not long before then, chiefly to hear cases of high finance. Court 15 is directly below court 23, and in both architecture and decor is identical. For those of us who were here 12 years ago, to listen to four long months of Roman Abramovich being unsuccessfully sued for 6.6bn, it is somewhat disconcerting to see Corries Kevin sitting in the seats that were once very much filled by the now-deceased Boris Berezovskys ex-Mossad goons.

Sherbornes opening speech could easily have been a casting meeting for Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! circa 2003. For most of the day, hardly a sentence was uttered that did not feature some vaguely famous person or other. Mark Bosnich got a mention several times, as did Sarah Harding.

What was happening at the tabloids back then is not seriously contested. Private investigators used the well-known and regularly unchanged default PINs of the big mobile phone companies to secretly listen to the voicemails of celebrities to get stories about them. It was so laughably easy it barely felt like a crime, but sadly it was. And it had terrible consequences.

Almost all of its victims have settled out of court, taken the money, and most of it from News International. But not all of them. Some have taken it all the way to court, in which the actual human consequences of what must have seemed like a bit of fun at the time were made clear. Paul Gascoigne, for example, has spoken of the deeply troubling impact of, say, arranging to go to a restaurant with a close family member, and then turning up to find photographers hanging around outside. The only way they can possibly have known, he thought, is through deliberate betrayal. It is not long before you stop trusting everyone, which is simply no way to live.

But Harry is not going to settle. He is not interested in any kind of out-of-court payment. He is going to go on to the end, in a fight that he believes, with some justification, is a kind of vengeance for his mothers death.

The Duke of Sussexs claim goes from 1995 to 2011 said Mr Sherborne. His claim will benefit the other claimants by demonstrating the breadth of unlawful activities engaged in by MGN.

Prince Harry, in other words, is having the case fought through him.

But, as with his case against the Mail, it will not be the suffering of famous people that turns the case in the court of public opinion, where Harry is very deliberately choosing to fight it. Just as Milly Dowlers voicemails in effect had the News of the World shut down, this time around we have already seen invoices sent from private investigators to the Mirror group newspapers, wanting payment for their voicemail services with regard to survivors of the 7/7 bombings, sent just six days after the bombing itself.

All the public has thus far heard from Morgan is a tweet picture of the South Park Harry and Meghan piss-take episode, in which the pair of them go on a Worldwide Privacy Tour angrily demanding privacy from people who arent even remotely interested in them and just want to be left alone.

But, however irritating you might find them, the charge of hypocrisy is a tricky one. Selling your life story for money while suing news organisations who tried to steal it from you might not be entirely likeable behaviour  but is it really hypocritical?

You dont need to have suffered the burdens of fame to know that it might not be a moral outrage to object to illegal and frightening intrusions into your private life, even if you were planning to put it all on Instagram anyway.

The best hope, at this stage, is that the newspapers involved can do enough to convince people that everythings changed now. That it all happened a very long time ago was made very clear indeed by virtue of most of the first days evidence seeming to concern whose number was saved in whose PalmPilot.

Fleet Street, frankly, just wants all this to go away. But Prince Harry doesnt. And hes got not only time on his hands, but a lot of new media money too.
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 }}

Earlier this year, I spoke to Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina about the dilemma that the GOP faces when it comes to women after the Supreme Courts Dobbs v Jackson ruling. During that time, she excoriated her fellow Republicans for their stance on abortion and told me the GOP was not going to win hearts and minds over by being a******* to women.

But on Wednesday, Ms Mace joined a swath of Republicans who alleged, without any hard evidence, that President Joe Biden had committed multiple federal crimes. While the press conference took place, news broke that Representative George Santos, the New York Republican who has come under fire for fabricating large parts of his story out of thin air, surrendered himself to authorities at a federal court in Long Island.

Just the day before, a jury found that former president Donald Trump liable for writer E Jean Carrolls sexual assault, but not her rape, and said that Mr Trump must pay her $5m. In the days after the January 6 riot, Ms Mace has said that Mr Trump had erased his legacy, but voted against his impeachment and later, ahead of her primary last year, posted a video of herself in front of Trump Tower.

But despite House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comers proclamation that his committee will not pursue witch hunts, or string the American people along for years with false promises of evidence that is beyond circumstantial evidence, they failed to produce any hard evidence during the press conference, and many reporters seemed incredulous that the chairman would waste time with such flimsy evidence. In doing so, Mr Comer seemed to break one of the cardinal rules of politics, especially when feeding something to reporters: he over-promised and he under-delivered.

Afterward I asked Ms Mace, who is herself a sexual assault survivor who later dropped out of high school before earning her GED and being one of the first female graduates of the Citadel military academy, about the jurys ruling in New York. She replied, I haven't had a chance to look at it. I hear the deposition interviews is pretty bad. So I'll take a look at it later this week. She then pivoted to say, But it's important that that the American people that both sides are held accountable, Republican or Democrat. That's why we're asking the media today to follow the money on the Biden paper trail and all these bank records like what the hell was going on? This clearly was unethical, immoral, and probably maybe possibly allegedly illegal.

To her credit, she said Mr Santos needed to resign long before many of her Republican colleagues stepped up to call for his ouster.

But Mr Santos legitimate legal trouble as well as Mr Trumps wound up making the House GOPs allegations seem all the more farcical and more of a reach. So far, House Republicans have yet to produce a smoking gun showing that Mr Biden directly knew about any legal impropriety or conducted anything illegal during his tenure as vice president.

Furthermore, Mr Comer, and other ostensibly Responsible Republicans (it would be a mistake to all any of them moderate) choosing to tie themselves to more right-wing MAGA figures like Jim Jordan, who engaged in a long-winded rant about the US-Mexico border when it was his time to speak, or the election-denying Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona, strained the credibility of their investigations and made them seem more conspiratorial and farcical.

But the press conference revealed the biggest problem: The GOP looks like they are being a******* to women because they are being led by someone who has prided himself on behaving like one and now the legal system has caught up with him. And since the GOP has refused to expel him, or his acolyte Mr Santos, they have hamstrung their ability to accuse anyone else of impropriety.
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 }}

One of lifes simple pleasures is the occasional overpriced coffee at my local Brooklyn cafe. Even before placing an order, I have reckoned with the fact that Ill be paying upwards of $6 for an iced oat milk latte. As the cashier rings me up, Im faced with the obligatory iPad screen prompting me to choose between three tip percentages (and, of course, the custom tip option).

Whether its my four-year experience in the service industry, or my susceptibility to guilt tipping, Ive never hesitated to leave a 20 percent tip for baristas, restaurant servers, or food delivery drivers. But for others, being prompted to leave a tip at almost any establishment  including self-checkout lines, airports and grocery stores  is reflective of a tipping culture gone out of control.

A recent report from The Wall Street Journal suggested that Americans have turned a corner on their once-revered tradition of tipping workers for a job well done. Tipping practices have rapidly changed in recent years, with customers unsure exactly how much is an appropriate amount to tip.

The increased use of tip screens has been called an example of tip creep  a phenomenon that has seen companies prompting customers to leave more sizable tips in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many people claimed they were prompted to leave a 20 percent tip for an already expensive bottle of water or bag of chips at the airport. Others say guilt-tripping customers into tipping when they normally wouldnt is emotional blackmail.

We need to take a step back.

Living in New York City has become almost unaffordable. A new report from the Fund for the City of New York found that half of New Yorkers are struggling to cover their basic needs, such as housing, food, health care, and transportation. From rising monthly rent to the cost of living crisis, this city will only get more expensive.

This likely contributes to complaints around constantly being asked to leave a tip, the classic: Everything is expensive as it is, why should I pay $8 for a $6 coffee? And while thats a valid concern, the debate surrounding tipping requires a major shift in focus. Why are we directing our outrage towards the customer-facing workers, who probably feel equally as awkward flipping the iPad screen, rather than the businesses that refuse to pay their employees a living wage?

For many, tips are necessary in the restaurant industry. Servers are often paid minimum wage, so rely on gratuity to support themselves. Sure, prompts to leave a tip have become more common at self-checkout lines, where  more often than not  employees arent present to help customers scan and bag items. This leaves people wondering whos actually receiving the tips collected at self-checkout lines. But should workers be punished? Maybe it is in fact the businesses that are taking advantage of the rise in tip screens. Many experts say self-checkouts are just a way to cut down on labour costs. Tip prompts transfer the responsibility of fair wages onto the customer, rather than the employer.

Meng Zhu  a professor at Johns Hopkins who studies consumer decision-making and marketing  recently told Vox that not only does simply asking people to leave a tip push someone into doing exactly that, but its also designed to push the customer into leaving an amount that the business suggests.

Some would say that our age-old tipping system reflects the beauty of capitalism  excuse me while I stifle a laugh. It was always up to the customer to decide how to tip, rather than a tip screen presenting them with three limited options. Its easy to conclude that our outrage towards modern-day tipping culture simply comes down to the Americanism of not liking being told what to do.

Frankly, theres no winning this debate aside from  god forbid  paying people higher wages. If the price of goods and services were to increase in order to support workers without tips, then people would find a way to complain about rising costs. But if tipping culture was to return to the good old days, before the invention of those blasted iPad screens, then its likely customer-facing workers wont be making the money they deserve.

Perhaps shifting the blame onto business owners is the only way we can absolve ourselves of this so-called tipping crisis, rather than punishing servers.
The warehouse in Fonthill Business Park is the headquarters of Carrolls Irish Gifts

The property in Fonthill Business Park is a detached industrial unit on a large self-contained site of about two acres

A warehouse and office investment let to Carrolls Irish Gifts has come on the market with a guide price of 6.9m. Located in Fonthill Business Park, Dublin 22, the premises at Unit 20 extends to approximately 39,721 sqft.

It is generating a passing annual rent of 417,071 which equates to 10.50 per sqft and Fergal Cleary, senior surveyor in investments at selling agent Savills, says: This offering provides investors with an opportunity to acquire a long-term industrial investment with the added benefit of CPI-linked rent reviews with a cap-and-collar of plus 3pc and minus 3pc annually.

This means that rents may increase or decrease in line with the CPI at a maximum or minimum of 3pc.

Its guide price would also equate to a net initial yield of 5.5pc after standard purchasers costs and price of 174 per sqft.

Fonthill Business Park is strategically located for a logistics distribution business as it is within 2.5km of the M50/N4 motorways interchange which gives easy access to Dublin Port, Dublin Airport and the national roads network. Fonthill has a track record of attracting large domestic and multinational occupiers including Glanbia, Musgrave, Whirlpool and An Post.

The property is a detached industrial unit on a large self-contained site of about two acres and benefits from a warehouse clear internal height of about 9.4 metres, a gated yard to the rear, as well as front and rear access. Internally the unit includes ancillary offices over two storeys extending to about 9,399 sqft.

Carrolls took occupation of the building as their new headquarters in 2022 and have since upgraded the office element.

Established in 1982, Carrolls is one of Irelands leading gift item retailers and is 100pc Irish owned. Its product range includes some of Irelands most famous brands like Guinness and Newbridge Silverware products. Its retail outlets trade from many city centre locations including high-profile units on Dublins high streets, the most recent of which is 6-8 College Green, part of the Hines-owned Central Plaza complex.

The chain currently operates 18 stores throughout the country including Dublin, Cork, Kilkenny and Belfast while also having a strong e-commerce presence. Its suppliers now stand at about 75pc Irish.
Ireland had the highest birth rate in the EU in 2021

Despite Ireland's population being younger than the EU average, Finance Minister Michael McGrath says pension costs are set to skyrocket. Photo: Damien Storan   PA

Ireland continues to have one of the EUs youngest and fastest-growing populations, according to the blocs statistics agency  despite population ageing.

Birth rates in Ireland outpace our EU neighbours, even though first-time mothers here are older than in most other countries.

Ireland's overall population has grown 30pc in the last two decades, Eurostat said, the third-fastest rate in the EU. Only Luxembourg (43pc) and Malta (31pc) grew faster.

EU average population growth in the period was 4pc, while Lithuania and Latvia both saw population decline of around 20pc.

The median age in Ireland was 38.8 years last year, the second-lowest in the 27-member EU after Cyprus, and almost 10 years younger than the median age in Italy.

However, Irelands median age has increased by six years since 2002, at a slightly faster rate than the EU average.

Still, Ireland has the highest share of under-20s in the EU, at 26pc, though that figure is declining.

And Ireland has the EUs joint-lowest share of over-65s, at 15pc in 2022, the same as in Luxembourg.

Ireland had the highest birth rate in the EU in 2021, Eurostat said, with 12 live births per 1,000 people.

Ireland also had the lowest death rate in the EU that year, at 6.8 deaths per 1,000 people.

It means the rate of natural population change was positive, at 5.2, the highest in the EU.

The blocs population fell on average in 2021 (-2.7 per 1,000 people), with the largest decreases in Bulgaria, Latvia and Lithuania.

Irish mothers tend to be older than their EU counterparts.

The average age of first-time mothers here was 31.2 in 2021, compared to 29.7 in the EU. Italy and Spain had the blocs oldest first-time mothers, at 31.6 years of age, while Bulgaria had the youngest at 26.5.

And Ireland had the fifth-highest share of births to mothers over 40, at 8.4pc of all live births.

The highest was Spain at just over 10pc.

Despite the figures, Government estimates show the ratio of working age people to pensioners is set to halve in the next decade, meaning the income tax take will decrease and pension costs will rise.

This week Finance Minister Michael McGrath outlined plans for a sovereign wealth fund which would set aside a portion of Irelands windfall corporation tax receipts to help pay for future age-related costs.
The MS Star which will be transformed into the Irish Ferries 'Oscar Wilde' to operate on the Rosslare to Pembroke route from June.

The owner of Irish Ferries has called for green lanes for freight on routes between Ireland and the UK, for goods destined for Northern Ireland.

Irish Continental Group (ICG) used a trading update on Thursday to call for the recent post-Brexit Windsor Agreement - which will see most customs checks suspended for trade between Britain and Northern Ireland - to be replicated for freight travelling from the UK, via Ireland, to the North.

If a trader can be trusted to enter Northern Ireland and not enter the Republic of Ireland, then it would appear logical that the trader can be equally trusted to enter via the Republic of Ireland and go directly to Northern Ireland, ICG said.

This would allow Northern Ireland goods to travel via the shortest, most efficient, and environmentally friendly route.

ICG said it has written to the Irish government and the EU to ask them to consider the proposal.

It comes as revenue and volumes in its container and terminal division remain down, while its ferries division saw a boost.

Total container and terminal revenues in the first four months of the year were down 2.9pc on 2022, driven by a reduction in volumes.

For the year to 6 May, container freight volumes shipped were down 13.9pc on the previous year, primarily due to a slowdown in deep sea volumes.

Units handled at ICG terminals in Dublin and Belfast decreased 8.3pc year on year.

However, ICG said it expects a continuation of the trend of freight customers returning to the UK land bridge for trade between Ireland and the EU.

Total revenues in its ferries division were up 8.7pc on last year.

For the year to 6 May, Irish Ferries carried 129,600 cars, an increase of 5.9pc on the previous year.

Freight carryings were 229,200 roll-on, roll-off units, an increase of 3.2pc compared with 2022.

Consolidated group revenue for the first four months of the year was 163.4m, up 1.4pc compared with last year.

Last week ICG took delivery of the Oscar Wilde, its largest and fastest passenger cruise ferry on the Irish Sea, which will initially enter service on the Rosslare to Pembroke route in early June, replacing the chartered Blue Star 1 for the summer period.
Emerald Airlines says it has already significantly improved pay and conditions

Pilots at Emerald Airlines, the Dublin-based carrier that operates the Aer Lingus Regional service, have commenced a ballot that could result in industrial action.

TheIrish Independent revealed last week that the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA) had written to its members at Emerald Airlines to inform them that the union and the airline are now officially involved in a trade dispute and that a ballot for action could be held.

This afternoon, IALPA and trade union Forsa issued a statement saying that a ballot at the airline has now commenced.

The ballot will finish next Thursday.

IALPA principal officer Owen Kelly claimed the dispute is a result of a failure by the airline to engage with the union on forming a collective agreement for pilots employed at Emerald Airlines, despite continuing efforts by the union.

The company does not recognise the trade union as the representative negotiating body for its pilots, said Mr Kelly.

He added: We are balloting for industrial action up to and including strike action in order to provide pilots the opportunity to send a clear message to Emerald.

But Emerald Airlines, which was founded by its executive chairman, Conor McCarthy, has already criticised the union for threatening to stage a ballot.

Emerald Airlines CEO Keith Butler told theIrish Independent last week that the carrier is already engaged in direct dialogue and negotiations with its staff through its Employee Representative Group, resulting in significant improvements in pay and conditions.

Today, he criticised the union ballot moves.

"We are surprised by IALPAs unnecessary developments as we are continuing to progress positively with our internal discussions with pilot employee representatives," Mr Butler said after the union launched its trade dispute.

"We are pleased with the progress we are making with this direct engagement approach," he said.

Emerald Airlines is understood to have about 140 pilots flying its ATR turboprop fleet, 70 of them based in Dublin. It employs 400 people.

The carrier was awarded a 10-year contract in 2021 to operate the Aer Lingus Regional service.

Emerald has significantly expanded the number of routes it operates under the franchise agreement, and now serves 30 from Dublin, Cork and Belfast.

However, like any startup airline, it has racked up significant losses in its first year of operation.

IALPA officer Daniel Langan said other airlines that previously refused to engage with unions now do so to achieve the certainty and stability of a collective labour agreement.

Emeralds position suggests its currently out of touch on how best to sustainably establish terms and conditions for its employees in a highly competitive labour market, he claimed. This is why this ballot is necessary.

In a previous letter from IALPA to Mr McCarthy and Mr Butler, the union warned that a ballot of its members for industrial action is possible.

We remain available to meet with you to negotiate and agree a collective labour agreement on pay, pension, terms and conditions of employment of our pilot members working in Emerald Airlines, it said.
Prior CEO experience topped the table for Irish appointees, at 56pc of the total, followed by those with CFO experience at 19pc

Irish stock market-listed companies appointed more women than men to their boards in the past year but it is becoming harder for first-time directors to break into roles.

The latest Board Monitor Europe report from headhunting firm Heidrick & Struggles found the number of board appointments to Irish stock market-listed firms fell in the period under review.

Where appointments were made, there has been a renewed focus on more experience, including retired board members, the firm said, in what appears to be bad news for younger people looking to develop their experience.

The report analysed the non-executive board appointments of Irish ISEQ-listed companies between March 2022 and March 2023,

Retired executives accounted for 69pc of Irish appointments, the highest in Europe.

They also overwhelmingly have board level experience already, just 19pc of Irish appointees were first-time non-executive directors.

In Britain, almost half of non-executive director appointments were of people working in a main role in another business.

The Irish numbers appear to bear out criticism the make-up of Irish boards is pale and stale, but suggest it is no longer male.

A heavy focus from shareholders and advocates on diversity and inclusion has helped boost the number of women, who accounted for 56pc of new non-executive board appointments in 2022, though remain an absolute minority among directors.

Focus from shareholders and advocates on diversity and inclusion has helped boost the number of women

Last years hires included Carolan Lennon, Salesforce Country Head for Ireland, who joined Flutter as a non-executive director in April.

The former Eir boss was already a director of AIB.

Heidrick & Struggles said the analysis suggests Irish boards proactively sought board members with prior board and executive experience over the past year amid a potentially deteriorating economic outlook.

There is also evidence of boards looking for more traditional skill sets to weather this economic uncertainty, they said. Prior CEO experience topped the table for Irish appointees, at 56pc of total appointments, followed by those with CFO experience at 19pc.

Stafford Bagot, the firms Irish head, said: Its always interesting to see the trends in Ireland stand out compared to the rest of Europe.

"This year, more than ever, the report suggests that Irish PLCs are notably more cautious, turning to members with proven experience to navigate an increasingly complex and volatile landscape.
A tech support workers claims of being bullied by her manager were not upheld by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

Neither the complainant nor the company was named in the case, in which the worker alleged she felt unsafe around her manager, despite never having met him in person.

None of the allegations made by the worker were upheld by the WRC. The complainant worked as technical support staff for a US outsourcing firm with operations in Ireland.

The worker started on a contract for one company in 2020, which then withdrew from the Irish market. Her contract was transferred to a new employer in April 2021.

The worker said she was transferred from one department to another and began suffering anxiety episodes which were not accommodated by her new manager. In August 2021, the complainant raised several issues with her employer, claiming that she received a lack of training while other employees were being trained over her.

She also said she made a bullying complaint" against her manager. In December, she sent an email titled second bullying complaint with similar issues.

The employer said it fully investigated the complaints but they were not upheld. During this time the employer gave the complainant numerous verbal and written warnings regarding her disrespectful conduct shown towards colleagues.

The workers employment was terminated on the grounds of misconduct in March 2022.

I find that the employer explained to the worker, in writing, that management decisions the worker does not like do not constitute bullying. For the reasons set out above, I do not recommend in favour of the worker, the WRC determined.
Departing union leader says new terminal should be privately operated

A third terminal is needed as quickly as possible at Dublin Airport to facilitate a surge in passenger numbers at the gateway in coming years, according to the outgoing president of the Irish Airline Pilots Association, Evan Cullen.

Mr Cullen is stepping down from the role on Monday after 20 years holding one of the most powerful union positions in the country.

He is being succeeded by Aer Lingus captain Mark Tighe, who held the role immediately prior to Mr Cullens appointment in 2003.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, Mr Cullen insisted that a new terminal should be built to the west of the airport complex near the N2, and should be operated independently of the DAA, the semi-state company that controls the gateway.

We need an independent Terminal 3 that will ultimately have 100-plus contact stands and we need to start working on that immediately, he insisted.

Dublin Airport: 'I actually support this strike, even though it's not very convenient'

The DAA, whose chief executive is Kenny Jacobs, has previously insisted that the two existing terminals will be able to handle as many as 40 million passengers a year. This year, Dublin Airport is on track to see 31.1 million pass through its doors.

We disagree with that, said Mr Cullen. We need to be best positioned with our infrastructure to become a gateway into and out of the EU.

He said the new terminal should be designed to handle up to 30 million passengers a year.

Mr Cullen has also called on the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA)  whose commercial air navigation services have just been formally hived off into a new body called AirNav Ireland  to redouble efforts to underpin a strong regulatory and safety environment for the aviation sector.

Mr Cullen and IALPA pushed for the separation for 20 years.

A new IAA should use the opportunity now to re-establish a direct relationship with all its licence holders  pilots, engineers and air traffic controllers  and build a level of trust where people feel they can make safety reports and that they will be dealt with rapidly and fairly, he said.

Mr Cullen said the 2017 crash of Coast Guard helicopter R116 was a low point for him and IALPA. He knew all four crew members who were killed.

A subsequent investigation found that the crew had been provided with inaccurate and misleading chart and map data and that there were serious and important weaknesses with the coast guard air service operators safety management systems.

I was never going to accept the crew being blamed, said Mr Cullen.

Its the easiest thing in the world to blame the pilots, particularly when theyre dead and they cant defend themselves, said Mr Cullen.

Mr Cullen also said the broader aviation industry needs to be able to better analyse data generated by aircraft operations to understand what works from a safety point of view.
Thirty-five year-old murderer, Juana Kelfala, was last Friday sentenced to 30 years imprisonment by Justice John Bosco Alieu presiding at the Freetown High Court for killing Tamba Yeabu Kamara, age 32.

State counsel, Alberta Kargbo alleged that the convict on Saturday 8th June 2019, at During Town in the Western Area Rural District, murdered Tamba Yeabu Kamara.

Giving brief fact of the matter, Justice Allieu said during the prosecution's case, to prove the guilt of the convict they called five witnesses including Dr. Semion Owizz Koroma who testified against the convict.

He said Dr. Owizz in his testimony told the court that the deceased died as a result of cutlass wounds and profuse bleeding.

Justice Allieu said the convict in his defense said he relied on his statement made to the police where he confirmed that he indeed killed the deceased as a self-defense because when the deceased with some community members went to collect the cutlass from him, they pelted him with stone.

He said the convict further told the police that when he came out from his hut the deceased was trying to escape from the scene but fell on the ground.

He said he chased the deceased and chopped him in the neck with the cutlass.
Firm will add 30 jobs in Ireland this year

Shein Ireland Country Manager Shiwei Yu, Director for Europe Cui He, Global Head of Government Relations Leonard Lin, Enterprise Trade and Employment Minister Simon Coveney TD and IDA Head of Growth Markets Eileen Sharpe

An Irish MEP has expressed concerns about online fashion behemoth Sheins plans to expand in Ireland.

The Chinese fast-fashion retailer aims to add 30 jobs in Ireland this year after opening a new regional hub in Dublin.

The Dublin city centre office will become the firms Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters and host Sheins strategic IT hub for the region.

Shein said it was looking to increase staff numbers in Ireland beyond 30 as the company grows.

But Fianna Fail MEP Barry Andrews said he was deeply concerned about Sheins environmental and human rights record, and said the company has questions to answer about how it can sell clothing at such a discount.

Obviously I welcome investment into Dublin and Ireland  but at what cost? he said.

Shein has been consistently criticised for its promotion of ultra-fast fashion and for its unwillingness to share details about its manufacturing practices.

Shein is facing dozens of US lawsuits from other clothing designers over copyright infringement.

Last year a Reuters investigation found the retailer had not made mandatory UK public disclosures about working conditions along its supply chain.

And following a recent Channel 4 investigation, Shein announced a $15m (14m) investment in its supplier factories after it admitted that working hours at two sites breached local regulations.

On its website, Shein says it does not use child or forced labour and that it produces limited quantities of new lines to help reduce waste.

Mr Andrews said the Irish Government should "encourage Shein to explain their business model and ensure that consumers have more transparency about what they are buying  particularly as the firm plans to host a pop-up shop from Friday in Opera Lane in Cork.

"Human rights and environmental abuses should not be allowed in our shopping baskets, he said.

Leonard Lin, Sheins global head of government relations, said the retailer was looking forward to contributing to the growth of the local economies and to supporting local communities in the EMEA region.

Sheins IDA Ireland-supported move was welcomed by Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney, who said it was a vote of confidence in Ireland and "highlights that we have the environment to attract FDI companies to our shores.

The news comes after tech firms led a 21pc jump in foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in Ireland last year, according to consultants EY.

It puts Ireland in 10th place in Europe, the same position it held last year, according to EYs latest FDI attractiveness survey.

Ireland attracted 184 new or expansion projects last year, up from 152 in 2021, with almost half located outside Dublin.

The share of software and IT services in that number was 31pc, with business and professional services at 27pc. Medical devices and pharmaceutical firms were the next-largest investors.
Every mortgage provider should offer its customers fixed-rate loans, the Finance Minister has said.

Michael McGrath was responding after the Irish Independent revealed how a court decision forced mortgage servicer Pepper to give a borrower couple a low fixed rate of 2.5pc for 25 years.

I welcome the judgment, the minister told reporters yesterday, after his department published an options paper on a new sovereign wealth fund.

I believe that loan owners and mortgage providers should be offering fixed-rate options to their borrowers. Pepper has not been offering fixed-rate product solutions.

I do think, for some customers, that certainty of knowing how much they will have to pay over the years ahead is very valuable  so I welcome the judgment.

Hopefully we will see more such outcomes into the future.

He spoke after Tullamore Circuit Court approved a formal personal insolvency arrangement (PIA) that will force Pepper to give a borrower couple a rate of 2.5pc, fixed for 25 years.

The courts decision led to the Central Bank being accused of sitting on its hands, instead of helping homeowners whose mortgages are trapped with vulture funds.

The Central Bank in Dublin. Photo: Bloomberg

The court decision has huge implications for the thousands of mortgage prisoners, whose loans were sold to vulture funds and are managed for the funds by credit-servicing firms.

David Hall of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation said: The courts acted to recognise the impact of variable rates faced by people in mortgage arrears, where the Central Bank has sat on its hands.

He said Mr McGrath had asked the Central Bank whether it wanted more powers to force vulture funds and their credit servicers to give borrowers trapped with them fixed rates  but it said it did not want additional powers.

Mr Hall accused the Central Bank of failing in its statutory obligation to protect vulnerable borrowers, especially those whose loans were sold to vulture funds and are unable to get fixed rates, or switch lenders.

And leading personal insolvency practitioner Mitchell OBrien of IRS Ireland said the Tullamore case involving Pepper was very significant.

He said the Central Bank had encouraged the mainstream banks to sell non-performing loans to vultures  but did not want extra powers to force funds to offer fixed rates.

David Hall of the Irish Mortgage Holders' Organisation: Picture: Collins

He said that when vulture funds entered the Irish lending market and took over distressed loans  which are serviced by companies including Pepper Finance  there were assurances that borrowers would be treated the same as if they were still with the banks selling the loans.

Now we see some of their customers were paying variable rates of 8pc and the rates were due to go up again, he said.

Pepper had told the court it does not offer fixed rates.

Insolvency experts said the court decision meant the refusal of vulture funds and mortgage firms to offer fixed rates to mortgage prisoners would now backfire on them.

This was because thousands of trapped borrowers, who are being hit hard by rocketing rates, were now likely to seek PIAs to force funds to give them similar low fixed rates over long periods.

The Central Bank did not respond to the claims it is sitting on its hands instead of dealing with financial pressure on mortgage prisoners.
The Indo Daily: I didn't meet a Protestant until I was 16  Aoife-Grace Moore on school segregation in Northern Ireland
TAKING SIDES: Three out of Five stars

Michael Portillo unearths some new information but not nearly enough of it in his latest RTE documentary on the Civil War

A little bit of Michael Portillo goes a long way, especially if hes travelling by train.

The former Conservative Party politician, who served in the cabinets of prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and her successor John Major, has to date made 13 series of Great British Railway Journeysfor the BBC, as well as a string of other rail-themed documentaries and series.

But as Portillo told a British newspaper some years ago, its not the trains that interest him the most, its the history  his subject at university  through which they chugged.

In recent years, Portillo found a fresh television track to follow in a trio of documentaries for RTE, looking at Irelands revolutionary history from the point of view of a Briton.

1916 Rising: The Enemy Fileswas followed by Hawks and Doves,dealing with the War of Independence, and then the self-explanatory Partition 1921,which notably featured a polite but rather strained first meeting between Portillo and former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams.

The tension was understandable. Portillo was in Brighton in 1984 the night the IRA set off a bomb in the Grand Hotel, the venue of that years Conservative Party conference  although he was staying at a different hotel.

While the primary target of the bomb, Thatcher, narrowly avoided the blast and was left shaken but unharmed, five people were killed, including Sir Anthony Berry MP, and 31 others were injured, in some cases to a life-changing degree.

It was Berrys seat that Portillo stood for and won in the Enfield Southgate by-election two months after the bombing.

While the sight of a former Tory MP and secretary of state for defence fronting Irish history documentaries on the national broadcaster held a certain novelty value for a while, Portillos latest offering, Taking Sides: Britain and the Civil War (RTE One, Wednesday), suggests this particular journey had reached the end of the line and is looping back on itself.

Coming just a week after the superior two-parter The Silent Civil War, the whole of Taking Sides, which sets out to detail how Britain intervened decisively, including furnishing the pro-Treaty forces with arms and ammunition to ensure they would win, is rather less than the sum of its parts.

That said, some of those parts, freshly drawn from secret military reports, British cabinet memos, diaries and private letters, are fascinating, as well as often startling and occasionally downright bizarre.

Irish revolutionary Michael Collins

Winston Churchill, revered in Britain as the greatest of all wartime leaders and reviled by many in Ireland for unleashing the Black and Tans on the country, predicted the Civil War, says Portillo.

Churchill considered the Irish to have a genius for conspiracy rather than government. His opinion of Michael Collins, whod entered a Faustian pact with the old foe, shifted. At first, he considered him nothing but a murderer. He later regarded him as a fellow man of action, but during the Treaty negotiations as someone who couldnt be trusted.

It was amusing to learn that Collins and the other delegates at the Treaty talks happily mingled with the cream of London high society, which included the artists Sir John and Lady Lavery (Hazel).

In a letter, Lavery recalled how Collins arrived to have his portrait painted and insisted on holding tightly on to his overcoat at all times. When Lavery asked why, he was told there was a gun in one of the pockets.

Portillo suggested the role of the Laverys  who were close friends of Churchill and reportedly passed on to him a valedictory letter from Collins thanking him for all hed done  in keeping the Treaty talks rolling has been undervalued by historians.

The documentary contained two truly shocking revelations. At one point, Churchill, at his most gung-ho, proposed painting some RAF planes in Irish colours and having them drop bombs on Dublin city centre on behalf of the Provisional Government.

It was rejected as too extreme. No less extreme, however, was Collinss short-lived idea of using gas grenades, like the ones used in the First World War trenches, to clear out the rebels occupying the Four Courts.

Overall, though, Taking Sides offered relatively slim pickings for viewers suffering centenary exhaustion.
Farmers must apply for BISS and other area-based payments using the Department's online facility (agfood.ie).

With the deadline of the 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) applications less than three weeks away, Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, has urged farmers to submit their applications as soon as possible.
Crime

EXCLUSIVE | Gerry The Monk Hutch gave gardai 48 hours to talk to him before he fled to Spain  weeks after Regency attack
Lawrence fled Ireland in 2014 with her then-partner, who is now serving a sentence for an unrelated violent crime

Neville van der Westhuizen is serving 15 years in South Africa for culpable homicide

Dublin woman Ruth Lawrence had been on the run since 2014 before being arrested in South Africa last October. Photo: South African Police Service

IRISH detectives are to fly to South Africa in 10 days time to bring double murder suspect Ruth Lawrence back to Dublin to face trial.

Ms Lawrence (42) has already spent six-and-a-half months in custody following her arrest after eight years on the run.

She will be released into the custody of a team of gardai in Johannesburg, then flown home.

Ms Lawrence was arrested on October 4, 2022, by an elite South African police unit known as The Hawks.

A spokesman for the South African Department of Justice confirmed: The minister, Mr Ronald Lamola, has approved extradition.

The paperwork has been signed for formal extradition to take place and Lawrence will be handed to the Irish police to be returned to Ireland.

Her co-accused, Neville van der Westhuizen, is currently serving 15 years in South Africa for culpable homicide and will serve his sentence first.

When he has completed his sentence, then the Interpol extradition warrant against him will be acted upon and an extradition case will be heard.

Van der Westhuizen had been convicted in 2020 of the culpable homicide of a teenager

Ms Lawrence is alleged to have fled Dublin in 2014 with her South African lover van der Westhuizen (40) after two local men were shot dead.

It is believed they had run up debts to a Dublin drugs gang. When two men called to them to collect a five-figure sum, both men were killed.

Eoin OConnor (32) and Anthony Keegan (33) were found buried in a shallow grave. Post-mortem examinations showed they were shot in the head.

An Interpol warrant was issued for the arrest of Lawrence and Van der Westhuizen, who were by then living under the radar in South Africa.

The two professional tattooists are believed to have split up in 2015, with Lawrence working in Johannesburg, Pretoria and finally Bloemfontein.

Neville van der Westhuizen is serving 15 years in South Africa for culpable homicide

She had dyed her hair from blonde to black and used the name Ruth Lawless to work in ink parlours.

But her luck ran out in October last year after the Irish Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) issued a new arrest warrant to try and trace the fugitives.

South African Police already had Van der Westhuizen behind bars as he had been convicted in 2020 of the culpable homicide of a teenager.

He was sentenced to 15 years at Durban High Court for the crime, as well as kidnapping and grievous bodily harm, which ended with the death of the victim.

Lawrence was picked up after a tip-off that she was laying low at a suburban location in Bloemfontein.

She put up no resistance and admitted who she was. She has been held in custody ever since at the Bainsvlei Police holding cells.

Lawrence and van der Westhuizen met through their passion for tattoos and did their apprenticeships together

At her first court appearance, Lawrence chose not to apply for bail and said she wanted to be extradited to Ireland and would even pay the air fare.

Since December, when the extradition paperwork was completed between the South African Police and An Garda Siochana, she has been awaiting return.

This month, the South African justice minister, Mr Lamola, signed the extradition paperwork, meaning the gardai can take her.

Lawrence, from Clontarf, north Dublin, is expected to be formally charged with murdering OConnor and Keegan in April, 2014.

It is thought both men were shot in the head at close range either in the Dublin home she and van der Westhuizen were renting or close by.

Detectives believe their bodies were rowed by the couple by boat to a nearby island on a lake just off Co Cavan and buried in a shallow grave.

Six weeks later, a local butcher was fishing nearby and recognised the smell of rotting flesh. He called the gardai, who subsequently found the two bodies.

Lawrence and van der Westhuizen met through their passion for tattoos and did their apprenticeships together.

Van der Westhuizen is going through an extradition case at Durban High Court but there is no extradition deal between Ireland and South Africa.

A National Prosecuting Authority spokesman said: As Ruth Lawrence did not object to extradition then it was relatively easy to do the paperwork.

But van der Westhuizen has a sentence to serve before his extradition.

South African Police will drive Lawrence in handcuffs and leg shackles 250 miles from the Bansvlei holding cells in Bloemfontein to Johannesburg.

Gardai will fly from Dublin on May 21 to Johannesburg, then complete the legal paperwork and return home with Lawrence on May 24.
Dr Pamela Byrne of the FSAI said the orders represent a clear disregard for compliance with food legislation.

A Dublin food business has been told to remove some meat products from shelves as the majority of food had passed its use-by date or had no use-by date.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) served three businesses with closure orders in April and told transporter Pak Halal at 76 Main Street, Swords that some of their products are not to be used for human consumption.

Cobwebs, no electricity and poor hygiene were among what inspectors found at some food businesses in Limerick, Meath, Navan and Dublin last month.

An inspector served Pak Halal at 76 Main Street, Swords, Co. Dublin with a prohibition order after finding a number of food items were not compliant with food legislation.

Poor labelling and damaged packaging were found by the inspector, who told the business to withdraw a number of lamb, turkey and other products.

Frozen food was labelled as fresh food, the inspector noted. The majority of the food had also passed its use by date or had no use by date.

There was no information on the boxes and bags of food that showed when the food had been frozen and some packaging had been damaged. It was not protected from contamination, the inspector said.

20 items from the food transporter Pak Halal  including an unlabelled bag of frozen bones  should not be used for human consumption or placed on the market following the inspection.

It should also be restricted or prohibited from being placed on the market and in the interests of public health destroyed in a manner as prescribed by the authorised officer.

A restaurant in Limerick was served a closure order last month as it had no continuous supply of hot water, no electricity at the time of inspection and the boiler was not working.

The inspector visiting Little Neros, The Square, Abbeyfeale noted some high risk food was stored at unsafe temperatures, including meat.

The full premises was served with the closure order under the FSAI Act 1998.

In Tipperary, the deli of Meaghers Daybreak on Kerry Street in Fethard was closed as it was unclean with some parts of the floor accumulating food debris, dirt and cobwebs.

One refrigerated display unit was found to be exposing some high-risk, ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat food to potentially unsafe temperatures.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) asked that the the deli and the refrigerated unit be closed. The rest of the store was not impacted.

In Navan, Co. Meath, the take-away Vicos Grill was told that all of the business, its establishments, holdings or other premises be closed due to a number of hygiene issues.

The inspector found that there was a failure at the business on 1 Ludlow Street to put in place proper hygiene procedures.

Dirty and greasy equipment were found by the inspector and an insufficient ventilation system.

Those handling the food were found to lack food safety knowledge in relation to the storage, handling and production of food at the business.

Both Vicos Grill and Meaghers Daybreak have since had their closure orders lifted.

Dr Pamela Byrne, the Chief Executive of the FSAI said the enforcement orders served represent a clear disregard for compliance with food legislation which has been put in place to protect consumers.

She added: Consumers have a right to safe food. Maintaining a clean premises with constant and reliable access to hot water and electricity is a basic, legal and mandatory requirement of all food businesses.

"Food businesses are also legally obliged to provide consumers with accurate written allergen information on all food, whether prepacked or not.


Local councils will be instructed to allow farmland to be de-zoned so farmers will be exempt from paying a new land tax.

The move comes after calls from the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) to remove farmland from the residential zoned land tax, which kicks in next year.

The 3pc tax aims to release land zoned for housing but lying idle to reduce hoarding and stimulate housing supply.

Residential zoned land has a much higher value than that used for agricultural, and farmers raised the alarm about having to pay tens of thousands of euro in the new tax.

For land use to be switched from residential to agricultural, farmers must apply to local councils to get it de-zoned, and they have until next month to do this.

However, some have said their applications have been rejected.

The Department of Housing will instruct councils in the coming weeks to enable rezoning.

This will apply only to farmland that is zoned residential and is serviced, which means it can be connected to a water and electricity supply.

Farmers who have absolutely no plans to use the land for housing can apply to get it re-zoned, and there have been some instances where they are rezoned. That is a decision for a local authority, a government source said.

Where they are looking to the local authority for it to be de-zoned, we are looking at telling local authorities, without infringing on their independence, to facilitate that.

Ultimately, the decision to de-zone will be up to local councils.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dail this week that up to 200 landowners who had sought de-zoning had applications rejected by An Bord Pleanala.

He said the Government was working on allowing farmland to be exempt from the tax where the owner had tried to get it de-zoned.

Mr Varadkar said he spoke last week about the issue with the ministers for housing, finance and public expenditure.

We do accept that anomalies have arisen in cases where somebody has sought a de-zoning, or where it is [land that could be used for residential purposes], and we do want to fix it, he said.

It may require a change in primary legislation to do so. We should have an answer in the next couple of weeks.

Government sources have suggested the change would not need any changes in primary legislation, and will instead be communicated by the Department of Housing to the local authorities.

I sought clarity from the Taoiseach in the Dail, and I want that clarity made one way or another so that farmers are not liable for this tax, said Galway East Independent TD Sean Canney.

He referenced an article, featured in the Sunday Independent, about a farmer who is facing a 120,000 tax bill on land in north Dublin used for growing vegetables.

This is causing a great deal of stress to many farmers I know, Mr Canney said. No matter where the land is, if it has been farmed for generations, you want to keep it for farming.
EXCLUSIVE |

If my story helps one woman or man then it will have been worth it  Nicola Gallagher on domestic abuse claims
In order to support the work of the commission, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), European Union (EU) and Irish Aid on Tuesday, 2nd May, donated some office equipment to the Political Parties Regulations Commission (PPRC).

The donation ceremony took place at the Commission's conference room, Lamina Sankoh Street in Freetown.

The donated items include 16 laptop computers, 1 all-terrain vehicle, internet connectivity equipment, 75 conference chairs and table, 1 generator, 2 air conditioning units, 8 sets of tables and chairs for the new PPRC offices.

Executive Secretary for PPRC, Olushogo A. David, welcomed and thanked the partners for their continued support and said the items given to them will make their work easier.

He said the mandate of the commission is to regulate, monitor and supervise the conduct of political parties, adding that they will make sure that they deliver on their mandates and continue contributing to peaceful, credible, inclusive and multi-party elections in June.

"I will not be afraid to mention here that the commission now has one of the biggest conference rooms with more furniture and IT equipment in Freetown," he said.

While handing over the items to PPRC on behalf of development partners, Resident Representative from UNDP, Pa Lamin Beyai said as the general elections are fast approaching and preparations are gathering momentum, they are fully committed to supporting the elections management bodies in the 24 June elections in a peaceful, transparent, and inclusive environment.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sierra Leone Aid and Assistance 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.

He said they are also committed to supporting institutional stakeholders like the PPRC so that they can discharge their duties in optimal and efficient conditions. He added that as per their Electoral Assistance Project, they have worked to strengthen the PPRC's capacities.

I am pleased to report that our partnership has been fruitful. We have already provided technical support for redesigning the PPRC corporate website. We have also helped to organize leadership, dialogue, and negotiation training programmes for women and youth political party leaders. With UNDP assistance, UN Women have also organized training courses for aspiring women candidates promoting public speaking, fund-raising, management, and leadership skills. Today, we are convened to witness the handover of ICT material and office furniture to support the PPRC's essential mission further," he said.

He continued that with the expanded role of the PPRC, they consider it critical that the mandate is applied with the aim of ensuring a level playing field for all political parties and in a transparent manner to continue to foster and enhance public trust in the institution.

"We are confident that this contribution will help the PPRC fulfil its role and successfully meet these elections' operational and logistical challenges. We intend to collaborate constructively and transparently with you as we near, during, and after 24 June," he said.

After receiving the donated items from development partners, the PPRC Executive Secretary said they will make sure that they take good care of the items and it will capacity their work, increase their access to so many areas.
Many GPs have no room for new patients   Anthony Devlin

A growing number of people who have been granted a medical card in recent months have been rejected by multiple GP practices because they are not taking on new patients, it has emerged.

Medical card holders have brought their predicament to the attention of the offices of the Citizens Information Board across the country as they struggled to be accepted by a GP. They said they were unable to get on the lists of local doctors, despite being entitled to free access through the medical card, which generates an annual capitation fee for the GP.

The board said it received more than 10,000 queries about medical cards in the first quarter of this year.

The medical card resumed its place as the most asked-about single payment brought to the attention of its offices in the first quarter of 2023.

It had been slightly eclipsed by fuel allowance enquiries at the end of last year as energy bills soared.

For the past number of years, the predominant issue being reported in relation to the medical card has been difficulties for people in applying for and renewing their cards online, the board said.

As the relative share of concerns relating to online access issues has been decreasing, the reporting of difficulties accessing GPs, as well as dentists, has increased and it is now the leading concern.

Many of the cases provide details of patients approaching multiple medical practices in their local area and beyond to be met with rejections on the basis that practices are full.

The knock-on impact on patients follows warnings that waiting times to see GPs are getting worse for non-urgent appointments.

The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), which holds its annual meeting later this week, has estimated 74pc of family doctors are unable to take on new private patients and nearly eight in 10 are turning away people with a medical card or GP visit card.

It said many practices are limiting access and cannot take on any new patients.

This places further pressures on patients, local hospitals, emergency departments and GP out-of-hours services or online GPs, the board said.

Medical card holders are allocated a temporary replacement GP by the HSE or allocated to other GPs. This impacts considerably on continuity of care.

The Government last month agreed to postpone the extension of around 500,000 GP visit cards following objections by GPs, who warned they would be swamped and it would lead to longer waiting times for appointments.

More patients who find themselves shut out of practices are having to go to out-of-hours GP services, which are only supposed to be for emergencies, or hospital emergency departments.

In response to queries from TDs about the failure of medical card holders to get on to the books of a GP, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that if there was evidence that a patient with a medical card had applied to three GPs in their area, they could apply to the HSE national medical card unit and it has the power to assign them to a GPs list.

The number of people covered by a medical card is projected to increase from around 1.5 million last year to 1.6 million this year.

Meanwhile, the Citizens Information Board also reported that it received an increase in queries from pensioners who were having difficulty dealing with the Revenue Commissioners online servives.

It would seem that the Budget 2023 increase in state pension has meant that some pension recipients are liable for tax for the first time as pensioners and are being required to engage with Revenue online, it said.

Many of these clients will not have had to deal with Revenue for many years and may have never had to register with the myAccount facility.
Guide Dog day events will be held across May 27 and 28. Photo: John Allen   John Allen

Former Ireland captain Roy Keane today launched Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind's national fundraising campaign, Guide Dog day.

Keane, who has worked with the charity for a number of years, is once again lending his support to the fundraising campaign, which will see a number events nationwide, over May 26, 27 and 28.

Puppy raisers needed for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind

National Guide Dog day falls on May 26 this year, and the charities is urging dog lovers across the country to get involved and donate.

Guide Dog day events will be held across May 27 and 28. Photo: John Allen   John Allen

Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind is aiming to change the lives of 85 people this year, by pairing them with a guide dog.

The charity said its breeding programme is continuing to grow with three litters successfully born so far this year.

One hundred and five puppies are currently being raised and they will start their formal training later in this year and during 2024.

Roy Keane at the Guide Dog day launch. Photo: John Allen   John Allen

Thirty-three pups who are undergoing formal training, will hopefully be successfully matched in the coming months, while 39 families are on the waiting list for its Assistance Dog Programme, the charity said.

Chief Executive Officer of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Tim OMahony, said: "Guide Dog Day in 2022 enabled us to successfully match 55 Guide Dog and Assistance Dog partnerships and place nine Community Dogs in schools and facilities around the country.

Roy Keane with Irish guide dogs. Photo: John Allen   John Allen

"With the training of one Guide Dog costing approximately 53,000 we need immense support on Guide Dog Day this year to achieve our target of changing the lives of 85 families through the provision of our services.

Donations can be made at www.guidedogs.ie.
The accommodation crisis is threatening the future of small festivals as organisers struggle to find affordable beds for artists and festival goers, TDs and Senators have been told.

The Oireachtas Tourism Committee was told the lack of affordable hotel beds space is a very real issue as the festival season gets underway.

Rachel Holstead, the Arts Facilitator at Ealain na Gaeltachta, which promotes arts in the Gaeltacht, said it funds between 20 and 25 festivals, many of which are in high profile tourist areas.

Theyre experiencing significant difficulties accessing accommodation for their guest artists as well as for attendees, either Irish or international. And when they can access accommodation, its significantly more expensive, she said.

Its a very real issue. Its potentially limiting the activity of festivals, its potentially limiting the accessibility of great festival activity to local communities.

Senator Malcolm Byrne said there is a knock-on impact if affordable accommodation cannot be sourced either for artists or for revellers who are travelling down the country to attend festivals.

If somebody is going to be travelling to a community for an arts festival and there isnt accommodation available, that has a knock on, he said.

The role that arts organisations have been playing in terms of integration and displaced persons has been hugely important.

It comes as the Government has been told the tourism industry faces a 1bn hit due to hotel bed shortages throughout the country.

Currently, 37,500 refugees are being accommodated in hotels and guesthouses and only 2,500 beds have come back to the market since the start of the year.

The figures are contained in a briefing paper which was presented to ministers last week.
At 65 degrees north, Iceland is one of the best places in the world to see the Aurora Borealis

The breathtaking ribbons of colour that make up the Northern Lights are a sight remembered forever by those lucky enough to have witnessed them. The experience is surreal, with vibrant hues of blue, green, pink and violet dancing across the night sky.

From its latitude at 65 degrees north, Iceland is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights, otherwise known as the Aurora Borealis. As a rule, the Northern Light belt is between 65 and 72 degrees north, but the further you go above 66, the more chance you have of witnessing the phenomenon.

One benefit of heading to Iceland on the hunt for the aurora is that the gulf stream makes it a warmer location than other viewing places in Scandanavia if you go in September or March, when the average night-time temperature is 4C.

To see the Northern Lights, you need clear, cloudless skies, and Iceland offers plenty of remote spots with no light pollution. The countrys variety of dramatic landscapes, from waterfalls, cliffs and glaciers to rock formations and mountains, also creates unique opportunities for taking pictures of the lights as they hover overhead.

Its never guaranteed that youll see the Northern Lights during a trip to Iceland, but youll increase your chances of experiencing them if you go when its completely dark and watch from a non-urban environment surrounded by nature. Weve rounded up some of the countrys best destinations for star-gazing along with all the details you need to plan the perfect bucket list trip.

The Northern Lights in Iceland. Photo: Getty   Getty Images

When is the best time to see the Northern Lights in Iceland?

From September through to mid-April is when the nights are longest in Iceland, and is therefore the best time to see the Northern Lights.

As youll have more chance of seeing the lights when its completely dark, its a good idea to look at a lunar calendar so you can avoid going around the time of a full moon, which could dim the light show. Aim to arrive about five days before new moon for a very dark week ahead, creating optimal conditions for viewing the lights.

September and March are the peak months of the period, especially around the times of the equinoxes. This is because the magnetic field of the solar wind from the sun that causes the Northern Lights faces at an optimal angle relative to Earth, so youre likely to see brighter and bolder lights. The weather is also usually less cloudy during these months, meaning better visibility for auroras.

The strongest lights tend to appear between 9pm and 2am, though the best sightings often occur between 11pm and midnight.

What are the best destinations in Iceland for spotting the Northern Lights?

You can view the Northern Lights in Iceland amid a variety of spectacular landscapes. These are some of the best.

Mount Kirkjufell

Catching the curtains of dancing lights against the backdrop of one of the most spectacular mountains in Iceland (pictured top) is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You may recognise this place from Game of Thrones, where it was known as Arrowhead Mountain.

Located on the Snfellsnes Peninsula, its more than two hours by car from Icelands capital of Reykjavik, so youll need to find a base in a town like Grundarfjordur, which has plenty of self-catering accommodation plus a few hotels for Northern Lights hunters. Once there, Grunjufell has a car park thats around 100m walk from viewing positions.

Just remember to pack some torches as the area is incredibly dark and you dont want to lose your footing on the way.

Where to stay: The Kirkjufell Hotel by Snfellsnes Peninsula West Iceland is less than 2km from the mountain so you can fall happily into bed after seeing the Northern Lights. The 29 rooms are basic at this three-star establishment but it is comfortable, clean and right in the heart of a fishing village so you feel like a local rather than a tourist. kirkjufellhotel.is

Grotta Lighthouse

Located at the end of the Seltjarnarnes peninsula, there is minimal light pollution around the Grotta Lighthouse, making it a magical place to see the light displays. The lighthouse adds a dramatic touch, offering a sense of perspective as a backdrop to the larger-than-life Northern Lights displays.

Some visitors go in the day for bird-watching and stay on as it gets dark for the lights. However, its only a five-minute drive from the center of Rekjavik, so its possible to go to dinner in the city and pop over to the lighthouse before retiring to one of the capitals many hotels (which does mean it can be a busy spot on a clear night). The area around the Grotta lighthouse is also home to an Icelandic hot spring footbath known as Kvika, offering visitors the chance to dip their feet in its geothermal waters.

Where to stay: Theres a huge choice of budget, boutique and luxury hotels in nearby Reykjavik. If you want to be within walking distance from most of the citys top tourist sights, Grandi by Center is a modern four-star hotel with a lively bar and a popular restaurant called HEDINN, serving up traditional Icelandic cuisine. Set in a former steelhouse, the decor combines modern architecture and industrial chic for hip but homely vibes. centerhotels.com

Vatnajokull National Park, Iceland. Photo: Getty   Getty Images

Jokulsarlon

The Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon is the deepest lake in Iceland, full of a series of gargantuan icebergs which have broken off the glacier wall and then float their way out to sea. Being situated in Vatnajokull National Park, the lagoon has no light pollution, so theres a clear view of the skys activity. Should the aurora play ball and put on a show, the slabs of ice here reflect the colours of the lights. Its not the easiest place to reach, but there are several tour companies based in the nearby town of Hofn offering guided visits.

Where to stay: Overlooking Hofn harbour and with views towards the Vatnajokull Glacier, the environmentally friendly Hofn Hostel is a short drive away from Jokulsarlon. As well as dorms, it offers single and twin rooms should you want more privacy. The staff can help arrange glacier tours, boat and snowmobile trips. hofnhostel.is

Skogafoss Waterfalls

With its remote position near the Eyjafllajokull volcano, where theres absolutely no light pollution, Skogafoss offers potentially perfect viewing conditions for the Northern Lights. As the falls face north and the lights come from a northern direction, its an ideal composition for a scene-stealing photograph. Not only does the sky light up in colorful hues when the aurora is visible, but the waterfall adds an ethereal quality by reflecting the lights. However, due to its proximity to the water, the ground can often get slippery. Be sure to wear sturdy, slip-proof shoes for the most comfortable viewing experience.

Where to stay: The Hotel Skogafoss is stationed close by. Breakfast is included in the price of a stay and the hotels restaurant offers a taste of traditional Icelandic cuisine. As youre so close to the waterfall, its also worth seeing it by day for a different experience of the powerful 25m drop of water. hotelskogafoss.is

Thingvellir National Park

Thingvellir National Park is a Unesco World Heritage Site and there are no buildings or sources of man-made light anywhere near it, making for spectacular views of the night sky. Once inside, aim for Silfra, which is a rift valley formed by the meeting point of two tectonic plates, the American and Eurasian. Its still and silvery water can capture sharp reflections of the Northern Lights. The secluded Oxararfoss waterfall is another key draw; the dark rock provides a dramatic contrast to the white foamy water and the greens, blues and violets that make up the Aurora Borealis.

Where to stay: The ION adventure hotel is located 11 miles from the national park, situated at the bottom of Mount Hengill. Its isolated location and spa and sauna offer peace and quiet just an hour away from Reykjavik. The spa features outdoor thermal pools with brilliant views over the mountainside, while sustainability is another key feature, with lava, reused wood, Icelandic wool and other natural materials used extensively in furniture throughout the hotel. ioniceland.is

Lake Kleifarvatn. Photo: Chakarin Wattanamongkol / Getty   Getty Images

Lake Kleifarvatn

Lake Kleifarvatn is only a 30-minute drive from Reykjavik, making it easily reachable from the capital (plus there are fewer crowds here than at the Grotta Lighthouse). The area is surrounded by active volcanoes, black sandy beaches and underwater hot springs, making it a fun destination for adventurers by day as well as by night. The lake is still and glassy, making for reflection shots of the Northern Lights, while the volcanic landforms add some imposing drama to the scene.

Where to stay: Located a 10-minute drive from Lake Kleifarvatn, the small coastal town of Hafnarfjordur has plenty of guest house and hotel accommodation. The quirkiest is Hotel Viking, which pays homage to Icelands Viking history with a feasting hall carved from timber where food is served by Viking staff. If youre travelling in a group, you can arrange to be kidnapped by a ragtag bunch of Vikings who will take you to the hotels annex-cave where all kinds of fun games and traditional food await. You can also go whale watching or relax in the hotels geothermal pool. fjorukrain.is

Myvatn

Myvatn offers hot spring bathing and thousands of years of history. The region was formed 2,300 years ago by a huge lava fissure eruption across a range of 12km. A river was blocked by the quick development of a huge lava field leading to the creation of several different lakes. The Myvatn nature baths are lagoonlike outdoor baths with milky blue, mineral-rich water, naturally heated by hot springs. By night, they reflect the spectacular colours of the Northern Lights when visible.

Where to stay: Located next to Lake Myvatn in the north of Iceland and just a short drive from the geothermal area of Hverir, Fosshotel Myvatn prides itself on its close-to-nature design, with a grass roof and picturesque views across the water. Includes a sauna with views over the lake. islandshotel.is

Seljavallalaug

Want to watch the Northern Lights while feeling warm and cosy? Then try viewing them while in one of Icelands famous hot springs. Seljavallalaug is a wonderful pick: the outdoor swimming pool is free and open 24 hours a day. Its also one of the oldest pools in Iceland, and in the middle of nowhere, so you have clear views of the sky. Its not every day you can swim in a 25m pool halfway up a mountainside. Its also a 30-minute drive from Vik, where theres a wide range of budget and more luxurious places to stay, as well as puffin-watching on offer.

Where to stay: Hotel Vik i Myrda offers a touch of luxury in the middle of nowhere. Set 450 yards from Black Sand Beach, the hotel has a chic bar that wouldnt be out of place in more metropolitan European cities. Each room offers views looking out over the beach, to the sea or the Reynisdrangar Pillars. stayinvik.is
"This is the direct impact - the thousands of smiles of people who can go swimming independently"

At each site, a wheelchair-friendly wooden walkway leads to a chair set on a single track. Users transfer themselves into the recliner and "drive" into the water. Seatrac photo   Handout

The Seatrac group has provided additional amenities for beachgoers with mobility challenges, such as accessible changing rooms, showers and bathrooms. Seatrac photo   Handout

"It provides dignity and independence to people with mobility issues that want to enjoy swimming," said Ignatios Fotiou. Seatrac photo   Handout

This summer, beachgoers with mobility issues will have more opportunities to swim in the Mediterranean without having to worry about traversing the sand.

Starting this month, more than 200 Seatrac chairs will be installed at beaches to help holidaymakers access the sea in Greece and a few neighbouring countries, including Italy and Cyprus.

At each site, a wooden walkway leads to a solar-powered chair set on a single track. Users transfer themselves into the recliner and "drive" into the water via a remote-control device that is available at the beach or delivered to their hotel with advance notice.

Once in the sea, they can lift themselves out of the chair for a swim and then return to the chair for the trip back to the docking station.

The Seatrac group has provided additional amenities for beachgoers with mobility challenges, such as accessible changing rooms, showers and bathrooms. Seatrac photo   Handout

The device lets them bypass the sand, which can be a hazard for people who use wheelchairs, canes or walkers, or are wobbly on their feet. It also allows them to enjoy the sea on their own volition - no extra hands required.

The "Seatrac does not provide only independent access to the sea. It provides dignity and independence to people with mobility issues that want to enjoy swimming," said Ignatios Fotiou, one of the Greek inventors of the innovative beach device. "They can choose where to go and ask their friends to join them, not the other way around."

In 2012, a company called TOBEA unveiled nine of the mobile chairs at several beaches in Greece. Last year, the company installed 180 devices in Greece, plus several in Cyprus, Italy and Latvia. This summer, it plans to operate more than 220 of them during high beach season, roughly May through October.

"In 2022, we had more than 40,000 uses," said Fotiou, the chief executive of TOBEA in Greece, of the gratis experience. "This is the direct impact - the thousands of smiles of people who can go swimming independently."

At each site, a wheelchair-friendly wooden walkway leads to a chair set on a single track. Users transfer themselves into the recliner and "drive" into the water. Seatrac photo   Handout

In Greece, the program was co-funded by the EUs European Regional Development Fund and national government agencies. Municipalities and beach operators purchase the majority of the equipment. A handful of seaside resorts and bars have also added the amenity.

"An increasing number of beaches around Greece are becoming accessible for visitors with mobility difficulties. Although there are frequently customised requirements for people with disabilities, there are also various accessibility solutions to meet their needs," said Jenny Leivadarou, an inclusion consultant and wheelchair user based in Greece. "The chairs are well-tested and have successfully contributed toward this cause."

Seatrac grew out of conversation between Fotiou, an aerospace engineer, and a Greek friend who uses a wheelchair and said they disliked being carried into the water like "a sack of potatoes." To this point, Seatrac frees the beachgoer from having to rely on friends for a lift.

Seatrac installed 180 of its devices in Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Latvia last year. Seatrac photo   Handout

"I like that wheelchair users can use [Seatrac] independently without needing assistance," said Kristin Secor, who created the World on Wheels blog and watched a video demonstration of the chair from her New York home. "It looks like transferring from one's wheelchair to the device is relatively easy."

When Secor, who was born with muscular dystrophy, visited Greece in 2010, she relied on a cane for support. At a beach in Mykonos, she struggled to maintain her balance on the loose sand and in the waves. She now uses a wheelchair and ventilator, and her needs and abilities are different from a decade ago. Because she lacks upper body strength, she said she might not have enough power to lift herself in and out of the water from the chair. However, she said she can still splash around without fully submerging.

"Maybe I could partially go in or dangle my legs in the water," she said. "That might be a nice option."

In addition to the Seatrac chairs, TOBEA has provided additional amenities for beachgoers with mobility challenges, such as accessible changing rooms, showers and bathrooms; walkways amenable to wheelchairs; and a shaded lounge area. A directory shows which beaches are equipped with those perks.

"Seatrac is not just a device," Fotiou said. "It is a holistic solution."

A map of beaches with Seatrac devices. Source: seatrac.gr

To help people plan their beach outing, the company created an interactive map and beach directory (above) with nearly 200 listings. Each profile includes the available amenities, such as parking and showers; photos and a live video feed that will help guests determine whether, based on wave size and wind gust, it's a good beach day.

"I have seen them in Corfu and Syros. The chairs are definitely helpful," said Aliki Chamosfakidou, managing director of Dolphin Hellas, an Athens-based travel agency. "They make people feel more welcome and they can enjoy their stay more."

Fotiou said the company plans to expand within Europe and beyond. Officials in the US Virgin Islands, Spain and Croatia have expressed interest.
A four-day working week could be on the cards for workers   Getty Images/iStockphoto

Senior civil servants have called for a four-day week with no loss of pay and condensed working arrangements to be rolled out across government departments and offices.

Delegates at the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants annual conference backed motions yesterday instructing its executive committee to support campaigns for a four-day week.

They want the committee to seek the introduction of work condensing programmes in all government departments and offices.

Delegates also backed a motion calling on the unions officials to join a group promoting a four-day week.

They said this would help move towards a four-day week becoming the standard work arrangement across the economy, with no loss of pay.

Delegates from the unions health branch argued that the pandemic provided evidence that working patterns across the civil and public service can be fundamentally reformed.

Conference also believes that condensed working weeks can be an important mechanism for sharing the benefits of improved productivity that flow from changed work practices, automation and other technological developments implemented by members, said the motion.

Delegates also backed a motion raising concerns about secret recordings being made at work meetings.

Eoin Dornan of the unions health branch said staff should be able to work in confidence that their colleagues are trustworthy and that their employer would support them in their duties.

He claimed files from the department had been removed without permission and in bulk, and a huge amount of resources had been taken up to deal with the fallout.

Mr Dornan said some staff felt let down and had left the department.

He said the union had written to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly in November about comments indicating that recordings could be in the public interest, but there had been no response.

Seconding the motion, Eimear Allen said the issue was a huge violation of privacy and had affected how staff carry out their work.

She said they have the right to have meetings and constructive debate without the threat of secret recordings.

Deputy general secretary of the union, Paul Malone, said whistleblowers role is to uncover wrongdoing in the public administration.

He said there was absolutely no wrongdoing involved in staff having a conversation in the course of their daily business.

Mr Malone said it was wrong for somebody to make secret recordings and leak them to the media. He said it was long past time that the issue was progressed not just for the department, but across the civil service.
A Ukrainian soldier fires a rocket-propelled grenade towards Russian positions at the frontline near Kremenna in the Luhansk region of Ukraine. Photo: AP   AP

Ukraines ballyhooed spring offensive hasnt even begun, but western politicians are already using it to reframe their thinking about Kyivs defensive war against Russian president Vladimir Putin. This is a problem. By hyping expectations for the Ukrainians imminent military push, the US, Europe and Nato might jeopardise Kyivs long-term prospects.
You've heard of the curse of Hello, but what about the curse of the Forbes 30 under 30? From Elizabeth Holmes to Sam Bankman-Fried, getting name checked as the next big thing in tech could ironically turn out to be a shortcut to notoriety, prosecution, maybe even jail. What is it about the culture in Silicon Valley, the fake it till you make it approach, that leads some entrepreneurs to take that one step too far?

This week on the Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler is joined by Jon Ihle, Deputy Business Editor of the Irish Independent to discuss why being young and majorly successful in tech, mightnt be all it seems.

Now we have a much more tech dominated economy. So it's natural that the scandals that emerge are going to come from that area, Jon explains.

There's an aspect of the markets that I think we can't ignore...I think from the financial world to the tech world, we saw a lot of these very ambitious, very successful, very wealthy tech entrepreneurs, life sciences entrepreneurs, come up at a time when money was effectively cheap, it was free. In fact, you had rates at zero.

The price of risk was nothing, which meant that money poured into all kinds of bad ideas.

But what about the culture in tech, that can see massive investment into products or ideas that could never work?

"The distinction I would make is between the individual and the institution. As a personality trait, you can say I'm going to be larger than I really am...I'm going to put my imposter syndrome aside and I'm going to do the faking part. On an individual basis, that's more or less harmless.

When you scale that up to the size of a company, especially a successful one, that may be taking in millions or billions of investor dollars, and then you start selling a product on the basis of faking it, [for example] Oh, we're just going to fake these blood tests until we figure out how to do them correctly, then it's something else. Then you're just into fraud.
Concubhar O Liathain remembers a special Eurovision 1993 when Niamh Kavanagh won with In Your Eyes

Niamh Kavanagh, the winner of the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest, takes questions from the media following her win and is flanked by Noel C. Duggan and Michael D. Higgins, then the Minister for Arts and Culture. Picture; Sean Radley

Niamh Kavanagh singing 'In Your Eyes' during the Eurovision Song Contest when it was held in the Green Glens Arena in Millstreet in 1993. Picture: Sean Radley

The Eurovision Song Contest which took place in Millstreets Green Glens Arena in 1993 was the only edition of what is a truly global event that I attended and its the only one I didnt watch on TV for as long as I can remember.

It seems so long ago now that I shouldnt remember the details of it but, because I was on duty as a reporter for the Killarney based newspaper, The Kingdom. I kept my wits about me and there are some flashbacks from the night which I can recall from a glorious Eurovision night for Ireland and possibly one which signalled a change in direction which has landed us where we are today, the long ago kingpins of the competition sitting on the sidelines as the new powers battle it out for top honours.

It was really a perfect summers evening and Millstreet, unlikely though it was to have been chosen as a venue, was the centre of Europe for that short period. The next day the media circus would move on to the next centre of the world.

Millstreet was unlikely to be chosen as a venue  it was then  and probably still is  the smallest venue ever to be chosen to host the Eurovision, an event which has a global reach to an audience in the hundreds of millions.

It was really a perfect summers evening and Millstreet, unlikely though it was to have been chosen as a venue, was the centre of Europe for that short period

While the emphasis back then was, as now, on making everything spectacular, it was meant to be a spectacle in a conventional sort of way. We didnt have the laser light shows like we have now where any wild dream can be recreated in some sort of form on the stage. Men wore suits and collars and ties, women wore ball gowns.

The Eurovision in Millstreet had 23 finallists  there were no semi-finals  or no semi-finals at least as know them now. There was a prequalifying round which was aimed at countries that had either never previously competed in the contest or, as in the case of the former republics of Yugoslavia, had never competed as nations in their own right. Six Eastern European countries competed in a pre qualifying sing off in Llubljana on April 3 to select three to compete in the final. These were Croatia, Bosnia and Herzogovina, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania and Estonia. And the winners of that first semi-final were Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. We may have laughed at the idea that Ireland would have to qualify back then  were not laughing now!

Read more Millstreet remembers when the Cork town hosted Eurovision in 1993

The next year after Millstreet, the Eurovision in Dublin (oops, I should have given a spoiler alert!) would see a host of Eastern European entrants, including Russia, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia add to the number.

Back to Millstreet. Why did Millstreet get selected as the venue  Dublin had hosted the contest on every other occasion it had been held in Ireland? Noel C. Duggan is the why. Once Linda Martin had won the previous year, the Millstreet entrepreneur had set his sights on landing the event for the Green Glens Arena and he proved an unstoppable force.

One British journalist asked the Millstreet man how he had convinced the authorities to host the Eurovision in a cowshed. Noel C corrected him by saying the Green Glens was a horseshed

And there he was on the night at the shoulder of then Taoiseach, the late Albert Reynolds and answering questions from the media. One British journalist asked the Millstreet man how he had convinced the authorities to host the Eurovision in a cowshed. Noel C. corrected him by saying the Green Glens was a horseshed and added that, unlike the Grand National which had taken place a few weeks previously (and had to be voided after a number of false starts), it will start on time, it will finish on time and there will be a result. The British broadcaster later apologised for his cowshed remark, as well he should.

Niamh Kavanagh, the winner of the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest, takes questions from the media following her win and is flanked by Noel C. Duggan and Michael D. Higgins, then the Minister for Arts and Culture. Picture; Sean Radley

The Green Glens Arena was actually perfectly suited to host the Eurovision. The venue itself was set in an idyllic setting, it was well able to host the 3,000 people who attended and the facilities were excellent. The stage itself was magical, a triangular performance area which was lit from above and from beneath the floor and a mirrored ceiling to reflect the lighting.

The Master of Ceremonies for the evening was broadcaster Fionnuala Sweeney, an RTE journalist who was picked to present the Eurovision and shortly afterwards became a CNN anchor in that broadcasting giants headquarters in Atlanta.

Whoever had chosen Niamh, had chosen wisely. She sang the song like no one else could and it seemed obvious she would be in the running for the title

The contest itself proved to be a re-run of the previous years battle between a poppy number from the UK and a soaring ballad from Ireland. Sonia, who was one of the Brit Pop generation which included the Spice Girls, sang Better the Devil You Know while Niamh Kavanagh, a bank clerk by day, was singing In Your Eyes, a song composed by Jimmy Walsh. Initially Niamh didnt want to sing in the Eurovision Song Contest but she was convinced by the composer who said he would withdraw the song if she wouldnt sing his composition.

But whoever had chosen Niamh, had chosen wisely. She sang the song like no one else could and it seemed obvious she would be in the running for the title. The voting, which I viewed from the press area where the champagne was on ice, went down to the wire and eventually it was all down to the Maltese jury. Irelands entry was ahead of the UK by 11 points. More than one would secure the win  in the event Ireland scored douze points while the UK went pointless and the victory was ours.

Eurovision Song Contest winner Niamh Kavanagh pictured with Noel C Duggan in Miillstreet 1993

The champagne corks started popping to such an extent that they surely registered on the Richter Scale. I remember meeting An Taoiseach with a bottle of champagne in his hand as he sipped from a glass in the other hand and chatting with him for a few minutes. The bubbly stuff would continue to flow until the next day when there was a press reception in Killarneys Europa Hotel to toast the victory. If budgetary constraints are an issue now, they werent back then as the Champagne flowed Niagarously.

And then the circus moved on. Millstreet was left with a newly extended railway station platform and many happy memories. Noel C. Duggans Green Glens Arena had an enhanced reputation as a result. Everybody was happy.

Irelands win meant the country would host it again the following year, the hosting which gave us Riverdance and moved us further down the road to the Eurovision we have now with up to 40 countries competing, including on more than one occasion Australia.

Last years winner, Ukraine, didnt compete in 1993. It would first enter in 2003 and has won it three times since.

Politics has always played a part in the Eurovision  to complain about it, as some have since Ireland was knocked out again at the semi-final stage, is to tilt at windmills

The rivalry between Ireland and the UK over past conflicts was small potatoes compared to the enmity between Russia and Ukraine which competed against each other in 2016, shortly after Russia had invaded the Crimea. Ukraine won the Eurovision with a song about the Russian oppression of their country in 1944.

Politics has always played a part in the Eurovision  to complain about it, as some have since Ireland was knocked out again at the semi-final stage, is to tilt at windmills. If Ireland is really invested in the contest, it has to invest in it with resources and imagination. My own feeling is that Ireland should use the Eurovision to build up the Irish language contemporary music sector in this country  there hasnt been an Irish language song at Eurovision since Ceol an Ghra in 1974.

Back in the 1990s, songs in English from most countries was the norm. This trend is being reversed with more and more songs in the national languages of the participating countries. These countries see the value in building up their own music industry and using the Eurovision as a platform to do this. Maybe we should learn that lesson and try something new for a change. Who knows, if Ireland do win again, the Eurovision Song Contest could return to Millstreet.
The family of a Cork man  who sustained catastrophic injuries in a motorbike accident in Vietnam  have launched a fundraising appeal tohelp meet the huge cost of medical treatment.

49-year-old Damien Horgan, originally from Doneraile, is in an induced coma in Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, after suffering life-threatening injuries in a crash on April 26.

His sister Fiona said he is in critical condition and had to have further emergency surgery on a collapsed lung earlier this week.

He catastrophically damaged the left side of his body. He has eleven badly displaced ribs; had a ruptured spleen which he needed to have removed; a broken collar bone and shoulder and he had a ruptured bronchus and several other tears to his left lung.

He had a collapsed lung which would not reinflate, so he had to undergo more life-saving surgery for that in the last few days . . . he will need further surgery to stabilise his rib fractures once he is well enough.

He had to be transferred by ambulance from a provincial hospital as they could not cater for his medical needs, they had limited equipment and staff, it was like something you would see out in a war zone . . . there were babies being born in the same room.

Thankfully he was able to be transferred to Cho Ray Hospital which is the top hospital in Vietnam and they have been so proactive in his care.

He is still critical, is ventilated on life support; on an ECMO machine to replace the function of his lungs and heart and is on dialysis for kidney damage, as he is so unwell.

He has received multiple units of blood, IV antibiotics, everything is itemised and charged for, said Fiona, who works as a nurse in Cork.

The language barrier was also a major issue, but his friends and the Irish Embassy have been so helpful with translating and supporting us, she said.

Damien has been living in Vietnam for the past four years and was working as an English language teacher. Fiona explained that he was due to start a new job and his insurance was linked to the previous job  the family has already spent more than 30,000 on medical treatment in the past fortnight and has pleaded for the publics help with the bills.

Unfortunately, he was in the process of getting a new job teaching English around the time of his accident and his medical insurance was linked to his old job, so he has no medical cover at all  so every single thing has to be paid for.

We as a family have been trying to cover the cost of his treatment. His stay in the ICU alone costs approximately 1,000 a day; we had to give an advance payment of 7,800 for the surgery to apply the ECMO machine and for its usage for however many days he will need it and his surgeries are costing thousands of euro each time.

She added that because Damien is still unconscious, a family member is needed to stay near the hospital to consent to any medical procedures on his behalf, so there is the additional cost of flights and accommodation.

Any donation big or small would make a massive difference to us. We, as a family, were hoping to cover the cost ourselves but it is just unsustainable as his recovery will take several months and we have already paid about 30,000 in the space of two weeks, said Fiona.

She described Damien as a gentle soul and very kind, who would give you his last penny.

He loves traveling and had spent nine years in South Korea and some years in China also teaching English and he was fascinated by their different cultures. He has made many friends around the globe.

She also praised Damiens friends in Vietnam who have been unbelievably supportive.

They have covered the cost of some medical bills and have been an absolutely massive support to Damien and our family since his accident. They have adopted us as their own, wiped away out tears, given much needed hugs, food and have translated for us also, we will never be able to do enough to show how appreciative we are.

And also thank you to the amazing medical staff who have worked tirelessly to keep him alive and give him the best chance of life against so many odds, said Fiona.

Anyone who would like to donate, can do so via the Damiens Fight For Life GoFundMe page.
Scoil Ghobnatan Principal Donal O Shea, Chair of Board of Management James Stanton, Sean Sherlock TD, French Ambassador Vincent Guerard, Billy Kelleher MEP and Deputy Principal Eleanor Walsh pictured at the School during the Europe Day celebrations on Monday

His Excellency Vincent Guerard, French Ambassador to Ireland raising the Green Flag during his visit to Scoil Ghobnatan Mallow. This is the Schools 6th Green Flag and was awarded for Global Citizenship-Litter and Waste, enabling pupils and staff to discover how Green Schools work has positively influenced people and environments worldwide

Europe Day at Scoil Ghobnatan Mallow turned out to be tres magnifique when the French Ambassador to Ireland dropped in to celebrate the day with pupils, staff and visitors.

His Excellency Vincent Guerard was accompanied by Billy Kelleher MEP and local TD Sean Sherlock, who is a past pupil of the school.

530 pupils from 45 nationalities attend Scoil Ghobnatan and on Europe Day pupils and staff from Ecole Notre Dame Du Sacre Coeur, France were also present for the celebrations.

James Stanton, Chair of Board of Directors, welcomed everybody and Principal Donal OShea said that everybody at Scoil Ghobnatan has been working tremendously hard on Global Citizenship with a specific focus on Irelands involvement with the EU.

This has been greatly enhanced through our engagement with the Big Friendly Guide to the European Union programme and we want to thank Dr. Emmanuelle Shown Quinlivan from UCC for her time, support and guidance over the past two years with this programme. As France is our closest EU neighbour, we are honoured to welcome His Excellency Vincent Guerard here to Scoil Ghobnatan, Donal said.

Sean Sherlock TD said that as a past pupil he is immensely proud of the many initiatives undertaken at the school which prioritise sustainability and inclusion. We have a new generation of really responsible citizens currently growing up here in Ireland, he said.

Billy Kelleher MEP noted that Ireland is now a multi-cultural country. We are now looking at a place of hope and opportunity and many young people around the world want to come to Ireland. We want to maintain peace, stability and prosperity in Europe and we should never take peace and stability for granted he said.

French Ambassador to Ireland His Excellency Vincent Guerard commended the pupils on their knowledge about the EU and the work they have done on various Projects. He said that historically there are many similarities between France and Ireland. Now we are proud to share the same European flag, it is very good also to see the twinnings between French and Irish towns and the exchange of students between schools, he said.

Scoil Ghobnatan and French pupils performed Ode to Joy for the visitors at the Europe Day celebrations and after the formalities were over Ambassador Guerard planted a tree in the school grounds and raised the Green Flag. This is the Schools 6th Green Flag which was awarded for Global Citizenship-Litter and Waste, enabling pupils and staff to discover how Green Schools work has positively influenced people and environments.

Scoil Ghobnatan has undertaken numerous EU related initiatives including The Big Friendly Guide to the EU Programme which was studied by 17 Classes. Pupils have taken part in question and answer sessions via Zoom with Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament. They have been involved in an etwinning initiative named Sharing Our Stories with a Primary School in Romania whereby pupils learned about their shared histories and cultures. Fourth Class Teacher Rachel O Callaghan received a European Star Award at the Hub in Active European Citizenship event. Pupils also received the European Citizen Award in June 2022 and they are aiming for a second award in that field this year.
Community forum chair asks TII why no action in wake of deaths?

Always busy, at peak times Main Steret in Charleville is choc-a-bloc with traffic travelling between Cork and Limerick.

In response to the most recent fatality involving a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) in Charlevilles Main Street, the chair of Charleville Community Forum, Evelyn OKeeffe, has submitted a series of questions to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the body responsible for the N20 roadway, which includes the towns Main Street.

Ms OKeeffes letter was copied to all local TDs and councillors as well as Cork County Council and the Ministry of Transport. In it, she said the forum will be calling a public meeting and invites everyone who either lives, works or shops or drives in the town to share their views on pedestrian safety in the local Main Street.

We need the TII to review the deaths of all those fatalities caused by HGVs on Charlevilles Main Street. She also asks the questions as to why adequate traffic calming measures were not put in place after the initial accidents claimed the lives of pedestrians? Was there road safety inspections and risk assessments done, and what were the recommendations, and did the report indicate the risks to pedestrians from HGVs?

The high Volume of HGVs passing through the town poses environmental risks for both workers and people living in the town centre. They are being exposed to the high volumes of emissions from these HGV vehicles, said Evelyn.

The main street was built in 1661 for 400 residents and horses and carriages. The street has changed little since then but we now have nearly 5,000 residents and well over 15,000 vehicles coming into the town daily, according to latest data available to us.

We as a community want you [TII] to prioritise this individual issue as a matter of urgency in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act, she said.

Ms OKeeffe also asks the question as to why there was not a simple relief road built to take the heavy goods vehicles off the Main Street, and so ensure the safety of pedestrians using the street.

In this regard a submission was jointly made by the old Charleville Chamber of Commerce and Cork County Council in 2014 to the then National Roads Authority, now the TII, for a relief road for this very purpose, but was rejected by the NRA.

PUBLIC MEETING ON TRAFFIC ISSUES

Charleville Community Forum has called a public meeting for Wednesday, May 31, at the Charleville Park Hotel at 7.30 pm.

The meeting will deal with Charlevilles pedestrian safety issues and local people will get the opportunity to air their views on this extremely important topic and decide what further action needs to be taken to remedy the situation.

The Forum has been informed that 62% of fatal accidents in the country have occurred on the N20 National Primary Route (Cork - Limerick) over the past 25 years, according to the TIIs own statistics. Included in this figure are the fatalities that have occurred on Charlevilles Main Street, which is part of the N20.

Having access to this information begs the question as to why no action has been taken by the TII to alleviate the danger to pedestrians in the town. Community Forum chair Evelyn OKeeffe says these questions will be addressed at the forthcoming meeting at the end of May, to which all are welcome.
A free brain health information evening will take place in the Millennium Hall of Cork City Hall on Monday, May 15, from 7-9pm.

The North Cork Dementia Alliance (formerly The Crystal Project) are hosting the evening, with special guest speaker Dr Sabina Brennan. The event is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.

Dr Sabina Brennan, host of the Super Brain podcast, is a health psychologist and a neuroscientist. Her first book, 100 Days to a Younger Brain, was a No.1 best-seller and she leads Brain Fit - a study of brain health, lifestyle, genetics and dementia - at Trinity College Dublin.

She has advised both the Irish and UK governments on matters related to ageing, brain health and dementia and is the Irish national representative on the Medical and Scientific Advisory Panel for Alzheimers Disease International.

An accomplished motivational speaker, Dr Brennan specialises in translating complex, cutting-edge, neuroscience into everyday language to show how anyone can harness their brain power to navigate challenge, build resilience and optimise performance.

Sheena Cadoo, HSE Occupational Therapist with the North Cork Dementia Alliance says: We are excited to welcome Dr Sabina Brennan to Cork and this brain health seminar will provide us with a fantastic opportunity to learn new ways in which to unleash our brains potential.

The brain health seminar is supported by Cork Kerry Community Healthcare and the Cork North Community Work Department. The seminar free to attend, but prior booking is necessary. To book phone Laura on 021 492 8371 or email brainhealthcork@gmail.com.
Donna Kerrigan of Galtymore Park in Drimnagh, Dublin 12, faced animal welfare charges over the condition of her five-year-old Shih Tzu Charlie.

A Dublin woman has been ordered to pay more than 13,000 after refusing to bring her sick and starving dog to a vet.

Donna Kerrigan of Galtymore Park in Drimnagh, Dublin 12, faced animal welfare charges over the condition of her five-year-old Shih Tzu Charlie.

The pooch had suffered from prolonged starvation and had rope and cord lodged in its stomach when it was seized by the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) on October 4, 2021.

The rope and cord removed from Charlie's stomach

Kerrigan repeatedly failed to turn up for scheduled appearances at Dublin District Court and the hearing proceeded in her absence on Monday.

DSPCA inspector Bartley Finnerty told Judge Anthony Halpin that he visited the defendant's home after receiving complaints about the dog's welfare from a member of the public.

He said Kerrigan allowed him to see the dog, which he described as being underweight, lethargic, and not behaving normally.

The inspector advised her to take the animal to a vet but when he returned a day later, he found it on a public footpath in the same condition.

He seized the dog and later interviewed Kerrigan, who claimed that she tried to bring the Shih Tzu to two different vets but was refused as they were not taking new customers.

DSPCA vet Elise O'Flynn White said the dog weighed just 4.8kg and was "unable to hold its own body weight".

She described it as very weak, dehydrated, and emaciated with visible bones. It also had a foul odour from faecal matting and fresh diarrhoea.

The dog would not eat, but its weight increased within a day to 5.7 kg after drinking water.

During surgery, vets discovered a blockage in its intestine caused by the rope and cord material, and its stomach was "completely blocked".

Blood tests showed it suffered "prolonged starvation" but has since recovered and now weighs 11kg.

Judge Halpin convicted Kerrigan of recklessness regarding the health or welfare of her dog as well as failing to protect and feed the animal.

He banned the woman from owning pets for five years before handed her down fines totalling 1,500 and ordering her to pay 11,580 towards DSPCA costs within three months.

Judge Halpin also ordered that the dog be forfeited as it has remained in the DSPCA's care for the past 19 months. The society can now find a new home for Charlie, who has made a full recovery.
Parents of children with special needs in north Dublin are absolutely exhausted trying to access disability services, the Dail has heard.

The Childrens Disability Network Team (CDNT) provides specialised support and services for children with disabilities and complex health needs.

Sinn Fein TD Louise OReilly said there are now 1,000 children on the waiting list seeking treatment in the Balbriggan area.

At a recent meeting, HSE representatives admitted that it is likely the worst in this state, she said.

Deputy OReilly raised the case of a four-year-old child with autism spectrum disorder whose parents have been trying to access services since she was one and a half years old.

To date, Deputy OReilly said the child has received just 30 minutes of speech and language therapy.

She will be five in July and they started this process when she was one and a half, said Ms OReilly.

She is just one child out of over 1,000 on a list for the Balbriggan district covering a huge area in north county Dublin.

The frustration is absolutely palpable and parents are burnt out, they're absolutely exhausted and they feel like their kids are put on a waiting list and just forgotten about, she added.

The Dublin Fingal TD read out a letter in the Dail from a concerned parent trying to access services in Balbriggan.

Parents of children on the waiting list were invited to a meeting in the Bracken Court Hotel in Balbriggan by the CDNT on March 22 in an attempt to discuss a family forum plan, said the letter.

However, during the two plus hours, most of the time was spent by distressed parents shouting out their concerns and questions.

My husband and I witnessed many parents tears as they tried to voice their concerns regarding the complete lack of services for their children, the letter continued.

The CDNT in Balbriggan district has a waiting list of over 1,000 children. It was abundantly apparent that all the other parents we saw were exhausted to the point of being completely worn down.

We are desperate and frustrated at the lack of information, communication and support.

The overpowering feeling in the room that day was that we parents felt unheard and our children are being forgotten about, the letter added.

In response, Minister for Children Roderic OGorman said he recognised the very real impact that delays in receiving therapies or receiving assessment have had for children and families.

He said the progressing disability services programme has been challenging due to staffing issues.

Im aware that these challenges have resulted in unacceptable delays in families seeking to access essential therapies for their children, he said.

The key enabler to address these figures is recruitment and we need to see therapists installed in teams to enhance capacity.

CDNTs are experiencing challenges in the recruitment and retention of health and social care professionals.

Although funding has been allocated to fill vacancies, Community Healthcare Organisations in Dublin North City and County have an average vacancy rate of 35pc, and a 40pc vacancy rate for clinical posts in the Balbriggan CDNT.

The Minister added that targeted international recruitment is under way to recruit therapists.
The goats are already hard at work, grazing the land on Howth Head

The public are being asked to find the perfect names for 37 new additions to the herd of wild goats in Howth so far this year.

Fingal County Council and the Old Irish Goat Society announced the birth of several kid goats who will live at Howth Head, and they are inviting the public to help name the newest additions.

The little goats are already hard at work, grazing the land to prevent gorse fires as Ireland approaches the summer season, while keeping the area healthy and vibrant all year round.

Fingal supports the breeding programme of The Old Irish Goat Society as they look to prevent the extinction of Irelands only indigenous goat breed. Fifteen new kid goats joined the herd last year.

The Fingal website reads: The conservation grazing project utilises traditional methods of management with a goat herder. For the first time in Ireland, the Norwegian no-fence system employs GPS tracking to define fenceless grazing areas.

This critically endangered, native breed of goat enhances the biodiversity of the priority heathland habitats.

The old Irish goat has the ability to control the accumulation of gorse, and due to their grazing behaviour and efficient digestive systems, adapt to feeding on harsher environments with low nutritive quality heathlands.

They effectively offer a more economical and sustainable solution to managing the landscape.

The public have a chance to be part of Howths rich history. The council is encouraging everyone to get creative with their name suggestions.

Theyre looking for people to suggest a name that reflects their Irish roots and the work they do to keep Howth Head beautiful.

It could be using a name from Irish Mythology, names with Irish language origins or something which has Irish cultural significance.

Once the judges have shortlisted the names, they will go out to a public vote. The lucky winner will then be invited to meet their named goat for a photoshoot on picturesque Howth Head with the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Howard Mahony.

You submit a name suggestion here. Entries must be received by 5pm on May 17.
Africa Day will take place on Sunday, May 21 at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham

Excitement is growing ahead of Africa Day in Dublin, with almost 40 performers, artists and organisations set to take part.

The special celebration of African cultures will take place at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on Sunday, May 21, from 11am to 6pm.

Artist Tobi Balogun said: Africa Day is a coming together of the vibrant, diverse cultures from the African continent present in Ireland.

Growing up in Ireland, being African/Irish wasnt always seen as a celebratory thing.

So, over the years its been incredible to see communities be able to come together, share their culture and their uniqueness with each other as well as the larger Irish community.

Its a great celebration of the valuable, positive impact these cultures have had on Ireland. Creatively, through music, fashion, dance and within communities also.

I will be in attendance as I have been in previous years and am looking forward to the performances, the food, the vibrant clothing.

On the mainstage, headline acts include Galway-born artist and one of the most exciting names in the Irish hip-hop and rap scene, Celaviedmai.

I'm so proud to be Irish but to have heritage somewhere so beautiful like Ivory Coast is extra special, Celaviedmai said.

Africa Day is a way to mark the place where our families and heritage originate and show appreciation and love to our ancestors.

Not only will this day allow us to showcase our work, talent and art, it will unify us.

This is a celebration that will allow us to move in strength, unity, love and joy and Im so grateful to be a part of something so special.

Other acts on the main stage include the Discovery Choir, Rhythm Africana, Kiruu, SBEZ, Troy Okay and Monte DJ.

There will be 40 performers, artists and organisations set to take part in a special celebration of African cultures.

Inside the historical courtyard of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in the dance and spoken word area, Tobi Balogun, No Whahala Crew, the Zoryanna, Iggy Kelly, the Congolese Community in Ireland, and more will take to the stage.

The event will also see over 20 organisations take part in a cultural village to showcase art and culture from across Africa.

China Soribe and Liswa McDonald, co-owners of fashion retail site Umoja Linn, said: As Africans in the diaspora, we are proud to take part in the annual celebrations of Africa Day.

For us, Africa Day is an opportunity to intentionally celebrate African diversity and success.

Africa is endowed with diverse cultural heritage and with that comes the beautiful prints and styles which us at Umoja linn celebrate proudly.

The full event line-up includes:

Live music showcasing artists with links to Africa.

A cultural village providing local groups with an opportunity to highlight their culture, art, industry and craft.

Food vendors.

Childrens entertainment.

Africa Day at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham is organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs in partnership with Dublin City Council.

In addition to the Kilmainham event, the Department of Foreign Affairs is funding 30 Local Authorities to host a wide range of cultural, artistic, and family-friendly events celebrating Africa Day.

These will include contemporary African/Irish culture, as well as family fun days, fashion, art, film, music, dance, and food events, which will take place in towns and cities across the country.
An Taoiseach Michael Martin, keeping a close eye at at the release site of the White Tailed Eagles cage in the Tarbert last year. Photo by Valerie O'Sullivan.

Once again National Parks and Wildlife Service staff at Killarney National Park are delighted to announce that White Tailed Eagles have again nested in the Old Oak woodlands of Killarney National Park. Photo by Valerie O'Sullivan.

The success of the White Tailed Eagle reintroduction programme is once again evident as the Birds of prey have again nested in Killarney National Park.

The wonderful birds have now become part of the lore and culture of Killarney and many visitors to Killarney National Park experience the sight and sound of White Tailed Eagles soaring above the Lakes of Killarney and onto Tomies and Purple Mountain and also Knockrower to Molls Gap.

And the latest news that they have nested again will bring even more to the skies in Kerry, if all is successful.

And they are not the only magnificent birds to soar in the park with a rare sighting of an Osprey also, according to staff at Killarney National Park.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) are planning to re-introduce this spectacular bird also, so such a sighting is significant.

The re-introduction of the White-Tailed Eagles has seen 100 young eagles released over between 2007-2011 in Killarney National Park, The second phase of the programme, led by the NPWS, resulted in 47 more birds being released at sites in Munster.

Just last year 16 White-Tailed Eagles were released in Munster with the then Taoiseach Micheal Martin releasing the birds in Tarbert in the Shannon Estuary on a visit to the county.

At the time he said he was delighted to play a part in the project.

I have followed this project for a number of years now and watching the eagles take to the skies for the first time is something that will last long in the memory. It is wonderful to see the development since the first introduction of chicks a number of years ago.

The white-tailed Eagle chicks arrived in July 2022 at Kerry Airport from Norway and were released at three sites across Munster, including Killarney National Park, Lough Derg and the lower Shannon estuary.

To date, over 40 white-tailed sea eagle chicks have fledged from nests in counties Kerry, Cork, Clare and Galway.

This is not the first time Eagles have nested in the Park and over the past 10 years the White Tailed Eagles have sporadically nested and successfully fledged young back to the wild from nest sites located within Killarney National Park.

Staff of Killarney National Park are however delighted with the news given the role that the park has played in the re-introduction programme first launched in 2007,

This iconic flagship reintroduction project now has White Tailed Eagle nest sites in Kerry, Cork, Tipperary, Clare and Galway.

Divisional Manager National Parks and Wildlife Service, Eamonn Meskell, said the park is an ideal habitat.

Killarney National Park is particularly suitable for White Tailed Eagles because of a readily available fish supply from the Lakes of Killarney. Also, the habitat is particularly suitable with a plentiful and healthy suite of Woodlands and suitable trees within those woodlands to accommodate White Tailed Eagle nest sites.

This apex predator is now firmly establishing itself into the landscape and ecosystem and is a credit to the sterling work that National Parks and Wildlife Service staff have put into this project over the past 16 years.
Performed by Aedin Moloney

Adapted from Ulysses by Aedin Moloney and Colum McCann

Wexford Arts Centre

This three-way collaboration (Joyce, Moloney, McCann) is based on the final section of Ulysses, but so vivid, humorous and human is Aedin Moloneys performance that Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom at Wexford Arts Centre required minimal prior acquaintance with Joyces once-banned durty buke.

All you have to do is watch and listen, and she takes you wherever you need to go.

Throughout the show Molly is dressed only in a simple light white dress as she recuperates in her boudoir after a day and a night of sex. She internally reminisces about her early years in Gibraltar, her life as a woman, the strangeness of men, her singing, her desires and her relationship with her husband Leopold Poldy Bloom.

In the process she circles around from frustration to bawdy humour amid explicit street references to body parts and idle gossip.

Whereas Joyces vulgar language so disgusted Irelands moral guardians that it was not a good idea to admit that you had any knowledge of the book at all, in Moloneys astute rendering it all comes across as colourful banter as if she was gifting us the liberty to enjoy it. Which we certainly did.

Moloneys performance is an impressive feat of memory over a non-stop stretch of ninety minutes. She has the flexibility to inject the script with an endless variety of nuances that turn it into verbal music as her monologue becomes a kind of release for Molly.

Moloney can sing too, hardly surprising given that her father was the late Paddy Moloney who composed a backdrop of subtle Irish tunes to accompany this work.

In lesser hands than Moloney and McCann, the final 40-odd pages of Ulysses could have become a tedious, literal transference from page to mouth, but instead Moloney delivers a Molly brimful of as much humanness as one body can contain. All you can say is yes
Having warned that somebody will be killed as a result of speeding traffic on the main N25 Rosslare Road at Tagoat in the last Rosslare District meeting, Cllr Ger Carthy asked for the results of a road traffic survey carried out on the main road passing through the village.

He came forearmed to the monthly county council meeting and pointed out that 40% of all Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) were breaking the speed limit while passing through Tagoat.

"An articulated truck fully loaded weighs in at about 46 tonnes, Cllr Carthy told the meeting. Imagine if that were to collide with you. Weve had a 300% increase in HGV activity in Rosslare in recent times. This can't go on. I'd like Wexford County Council and TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) to do something about this.

Addressing Cllr Carthys concerns, Director of Services and Deputy Chief Executive of Wexford County Council Eamonn Hore said that traffic calming was installed at the village 20 years ago and these works were improved in the past seven years.

"Im not sure what more we can do, he said. Weve sent on the results of the survey to TII and An Garda Siochana. Perhaps the road needs more garda presence.

Cllr Carthy was not pleased.

"So were alright with 40% of trucks breaking the speed limit then? he said. Why are Wexford County Council officials now the spokespeople for organisations like TII and Irish Water and the IDA? Why do we always have to defend these people?

Growing frustrated at Cllr Carthy's implications, Mr Hore said:

"Of course were not happy. I've sent the info on to An Garda Siochana. They didn't carry out the traffic survey, we did, and they've got it today. Obviously, theres a case to be made for greater enforcement there.

"Of course its a matter for the gardai. No matter what we do there, theres people that will speed. Thats a matter for the gardai to deal with.

Cllr Carthy still seemed to feel that the council could be doing more.

"Im not here for the laugh like," he said. I'm here to represent the people of Tagoat. Theyre not happy. You can take this personally if you want, but Im dealing in facts.

After the meeting Cllr Carthy said he would be calling for motorway-style crash barriers to be installed near the bus-stop in the village to protect schoolchildren from being swept out in front of a truck there.
This wasnt Reillys first visit to the Irish American presidential pit-stop

The Irish American actor, John C Reilly, startled delighted staff at the world-famous Barack Obama Plaza near Moneygall, Co Offaly after he dropped in for a visit.

The Hollywood star, who was on his back from presenting the IFTAs in Dublin, stopped in to the motorway service station located on the border of Offaly and Tipperary, near the ancestral home of former US President Barack Obama.

Barack Obama Plaza said in a social media post on Monday, May 8: John C Reilly made Obama Plaza his destination of choice (again) as he visits Ireland!"

"John was happy to stop and be pictured with Cathal & Kinga today, they added, alongside a photo of the actor with two staff members.

However, this wasnt Reillys first visit to the Irish American presidential pit-stop.

"We were delighted to have John C Reilly in," the plaza said on social media back in January 2019.

"Like everyone else he had to get a selfie and a Supermacs."

The plaza, that opened in 2014, three years after Obama's visit to Ireland, features a bronze statue of Barack and Michelle Obama that was unveiled at the site in 2018.

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

Reilly was attending the IFTAs on Sunday night in Dublin, where he presented the award for Best Film, which went to The Banshees of Inisherin.

The Illinois native has strong Irish roots and served as the International Guest of Honour at the 2022 St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin.

Speaking the day before the parade, Reilly said it had a deep meaning for him as an Irish American.

I know that my father who is somewhere watching right now couldnt be more proud, he said at the time.

You know, I have always been a big supporter of Ireland. I have come here many, many times over the years; I have vacationed here, I have worked here but it feels especially important to come here now to let people know that Ireland is open for business again.

Reilly made an appearance on The Late Late Show while in Ireland for the festivities in 2022, where he performed heartfelt renditions of the Irish classics Raglan Road and The Wild Rover.

He has always been a big supporter of Ireland and had previously attended the St Patricks Day celebrations in his home city with his Irish father.
Piers Morgan has said he has never told anybody to hack a phone amid an ongoing court case over alleged unlawful information gathering at the Daily Mirror (PA)   Jonathan Brady

Piers Morgan has said he is not going to take lectures on privacy invasion from the Duke of Sussex amid allegations of phone hacking while he was editor of the Daily Mirror newspaper.

Prince Harry is one of a number of high-profile figures bringing claims against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles in a seven-week trial which began on Wednesday. The tabloid publisher unreservedly apologised to the prince for an instance of unlawful information gathering at the start of the hearing.

Journalist and broadcaster Morgan, who was editor of the Daily Mirror between 1995 and 2004, was later asked by an ITV reporter if he would also apologise to the royal over the claims.

The 58-year-old said: All I am going to say is I am not going to take lectures on privacy invasion from Prince Harry, somebody who has spent the last three years ruthlessly and cynically invading the royal familys privacy for vast commercial gain and told a pack of lies about them.

So I suggest he gets out of court and apologises to his family for the disgraceful invasion of privacy that hes been purporting.

I think Prince Harry should be apologising for his disgraceful invasion of privacy of the royal family and others by the way, he added.

This afternoon Morgan tweeted a screenshot from a recent South Park episode that mocked the royal couple for going on a world wide privacy tour.

In 2021, Morgan made headlines after leaving Good Morning Britain following an on-air clash with weather presenter Alex Beresford over the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Morgan said he did not believe Meghans claims from the headline-making special, with his comments sparking more than 50,000 complaints  the most in Ofcoms history.

The watchdog later ruled Good Morning Britain was not in breach of the broadcasting code over Morgans comments.

At the start of the trial, barrister David Sherborne said the case featured unlawful activities on an industrial scale carried out across three newspapers over a period of about 20 years or so.

Mr Sherborne told a hearing in London: It was a flood of illegality. But worse still, this flood was being authorised and approved of by senior executives.

Addressing Harrys case, the barrister said his claim covered the period 1995 to 2011 and is significant not just in terms of the span but also the range of activities.

MGNs barrister Andrew Green KC, in written submissions, said the publisher denied that 28 out of the 33 articles in Harrys claim involved phone hacking or other unlawful information gathering.

Instead, he said that stories came from a variety of other sources  including other members of the royal family. The barrister added that it was not admitted that five of the 33 articles contained unlawful information gathering.
Tony Blairs most senior No 10 aide warned that George Bush and his f***ing lunatics in the White House would lead Britain into trouble after he won the presidential election, according to a new book.
LATEST | Putins puppet  Donald Trump blasted for refusing to say he supported Ukraine in war against Russia

Former US President repeats claim he would end war in 24 hoursTrump says he would pardon many of the January 6 rioters

Former US President Donald Trump (Evan Vucci/AP)   Evan Vucci

Nathan Layne and Tim Reid Thu 11 May 2023 at 08:48






One of the officers has since died.

A man in Ontario shot and killed one police officer and wounded two others in what authorities described as an ambush in a rural part of Canada's most populous province early on Thursday.
Image Credit: Pixabay

New Delhi: The Union Commerce Ministry has intervened to address the increasing trade deficit between India and Russia, media reports said.

The ministry has asked the Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) to identify supplementary products that India can offer to Russia, aiming to enhance India's exports to the country, Moneycontrol.

Government data indicates that India's trade deficit with Russia amounted to $34.79 billion during the period between April 2022 and January 2023.

This increase in the trade deficit is the result of India's purchases of Russian crude oil.

Russia, previously ranked as India's 25th largest trading partner in FY22, has now ascended to the second position, surpassed only by China.

We are looking at having some balance in trade with Russia. We need to increase our exports. India is looking to push exports of textiles and agricultural products to Russia. All Export Promotion Councils have been notified to identify the potential of Indias exports, a senior government official told Moneycontrol.

In the financial year 2022-23, India witnessed a substantial surge in its merchandise imports from Russia, with a staggering increase of 369 percent with imports rising from $9.87 billion in 2021-22 to $46.3 billion.

Notably, nearly two-thirds of these imports comprised of crude oil, as India diversified its sources away from costlier Middle Eastern crude following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This shift in import patterns led to an increased trade deficit between the two countries.
Kharagpur/Varanasi: IIT Kharagpur has developed a database software, free of cost for Vivek Sanjivani, an initiative for Healthcare and Education of Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service, Luxa, Varanasi.

The database softwareMatri Sevawill work on patients particulars and it has been hosted in the Microsoft Cloud-based server to provide easy access to all the centres.

It is used for primary healthcare, mental healthcare, follow-up visits, management of chronic-disease conditions, medication management, health education and other clinical services.

Vivek Sanjivani Telemedicine Service is a real-time telemedicine solution that offers a virtual alternative to the in-person doctors visit.

It expands access to quality patient care, especially in regions with underserved populations.

It provides a way to cut down on healthcare spending and keep connected patients throughout the year. iMediX, the telemedicine system that was launched by the Computer and Science Department of IIT Kharagpur on 02 October, 2020 provided emergency healthcare services for the IIT KGP students, campus residents and employees which was further expanded to MSMEs for commercialization.

Its open-source version is named iMediXcare. The telemedicine system iMedix offers special telemedicine services through Vivek Sanjivani includes psychiatrist, ENT, Medicine, Oncologist and Community Medicine at the door step of the rural people.

Vivek Sanjivani, an initiative for Healthcare and Education of Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service, Luxa, Varanasi offers Telemedicine services through Twelve Centres in which six Stationary Telemedicine Units (STUs) are fixed at a place and six Mobile Telemedicine Units (MTUs) are roaming.

It provides Mother-Child, Primary Healthcare, Adolescence Healthcare, Community Mental Healthcare, Eye Check-up, General Movement Assessment in neonates and infants and distribution of Nutritional Food Supplements in three districts including one aspirational district of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and one aspirational district of Uttarakhand.

During 2022-23, Vivek Sanjivani served 27,875 patients through Stationary Telemedicine Units and Mobile Telemedicine Units and conducted Non-Communicable Disease Screening for 18,878 patients.

The telemedicine programs of Vivek Sanjivani are backed by a 195 bedded referral hospital of the Ashrama in Varanasi.

Speaking on Matri Seva, Prof. Jayanta Mukhopadhyay, the Lead Researcher of the open-source telemedicine software iMediXcare, IIT Kharagpur remarked, Matri Seva is an extension of services of the existing Telemedicine system iMedixcare dedicated to the service of the community that Vivek Sanjivani initiated for the underprivileged. We are still living in the pandemic which showed us where we stand as a nation when it comes to a proper Healthcare System. iMedix has served the IIT Kharagpur community providing emergency consultancy services through remote consultation by physicians. I am hopeful that this technology will be further incorporated and adopted in other community health services as well.

According to Swami Divyasukhananda, Coordinator, Vivek Sanjivani, this Telemedicine Service directly provides improved access, cost efficiency and quality healthcare services to patients from marginalised group within the reach of their homes in three Districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh including one Aspirational District and One Aspirational district of Uttarakhand.

Mobile Telemedicine Units of Vivek Sanjivani offer flexible and viable options to offer healthcare facilities to the vulnerable groups in the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh.
Image Credit: PIB

New Delhi/UNI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the programme marking National Technology Day (NTD) 2023 and dedicate several scientific projects to the nation at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on Thursday.

The programme will also mark the commencement of celebration of the 25th year of National Technology Day, which will be held from May 11 to May 14.

"The National Technology Day 2023 has a special focus on Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)" said the PM office in a statement.

Highlighting the theme of this year's National Technology Day, the AIM Pavilion will showcase multiple innovative projects and provide an opportunity for the visitors to witness live tinkering sessions, engage in tinkering activities, witness outstanding innovations and products by Startups.

During the programme, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Expo showcasing scientific & technological advancements made in India in the recent past. He will also release commemorative stamps and coins on the occasion.

The celebration of National Technology Day was started by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 to honour Indian scientists, engineers and technologists for successful conduct of Pokhran tests in May 1998.

Since then, National Technology Day is observed every year on May 11. It is celebrated with a new and different theme every year. This year's theme is School to Startups- Igniting Young Minds to Innovate.

As per the statement by the Prime Minister office, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation multiple projects related to scientific and technological advancement in the country, worth more than Rs 5800 crore.

"This is in line with the Prime Ministers vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat through strengthening scientific institutions in the country" it said.

The release said the projects whose foundation stone would be laid include Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory  India (LIGO-India), Hingoli; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Jatni, Odisha; and Platinum Jubilee Block of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

LIGO-India, to be developed in Hingoli, Maharashtra, will be one of the handful Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave observatories in the world.

It is an extremely sensitive interferometer of 4 km arm length capable of sensing gravitational waves generated during the merger of massive astrophysical objects such as black holes, and neutron stars.

The LIGO-India will work in synchronisation with two such observatories operating in the United States; one in Hanford, Washington and the other in Livingston, Louisiana.
Image: UNI

Srinagar/UNI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday is raiding nearly a dozen locations in Kashmir in the ongoing investigation into the terror funding case by banned Jamaat-e-Islami, officials said.

They said the searches are underway at 11 locations in Budgam and Baramulla districts of J&K .

"The raids are being carried out in the case of terror funding by Jamaat-e-Islami J&K an unlawful association under UAPA," officials said.

JeI was banned in February 2019 by the union government for five years under anti-terror laws.

Ahead of the high profile G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting from May 21 to 23 in Kashmir, which is the first major international event J&Ks special status was scrapped in August 2019, NIA has stepped up its crackdown against militants, their affiliates, overground workers and financers.

The anti terror Agency carried out massive raids in two different cases in the last two days.

On Tuesday, NIA cracked down on newly launched militant outfits in J&K- including the group behind the recent killing of five soldiers in Rajouri, and carried out searches at 16 locations across the union territory.

A day later, NIA attached the properties of three militants linked with various banned organisations.
The International Forum For Rights and Security (IFFRAS), in its comprehensive report on the Khalistan movement, has provided a valuable resource for understanding the complexities and global implications of this issue.

Drawing on these findings, this article aims to explore the wider dimensions of the Khalistan propaganda movement. More than just a challenge to Indian sovereignty, this movement also presents a significant threat to Western countries and ironically, to the very principles of Sikhism it purports to uphold.

The Khalistan movement, a propaganda-driven campaign demanding a separate state for Sikhs, has long been a source of discord in India, the report states.

While the movement has largely been eliminated within Indias borders, it continues to thrive among some sections of the Indian diaspora, causing serious concerns. Its implications, however, extend far beyond Indias sovereignty, posing a significant threat to Western countries and even the very ethos of Sikhism.

The report talks about certain organizations as the key propagators of Khalistan ideology. These entities are not just ideological extremists; they engage in real-world disruptions, from the vandalism of public property to strategic attacks on Indian diplomatic missions, such as those seen in Melbourne, London, and San Francisco. Their actions dont merely pose a threat to Indias territorial integrity; they also exploit the liberal laws of their host countries, using the power of social media to spread their divisive narrative far and wide. These entities have been proscribed by the Indian government as terrorist organizations.

As per the report, the Khalistan movement bears an unsettling resemblance to the Muslim Brotherhood, in its demand for a state based on a narrowly defined religious doctrine and its disregard for democratic principles. Both celebrate illiberalism, advocating violence and displaying intolerance towards other religions.

This subversive campaign is fueled by funds from Pakistani intelligence and Khalistani sympathizers in the West. Western governments need to recognize the gravity of this threat and take decisive action against this hateful agenda propagated through social media and obscure internet platforms. Its time for the West to secure the rights of the Indian diaspora, acting decisively to quell the communal tensions being instigated by foreign entities.

India, undoubtedly, has a significant role to play in educating Western nations about the complexities of South Asian geopolitics. However, the question remains: is the West willing to listen and understand?

The report states that pro-Khalistan outfits in the West have notorious connections with terrorists and banned organizations/entities. These individuals and groups are allegedly involved in training young Sikh youths in Canada with automatic and sniper rifles, pointing to a serious, and urgent, security concern.

The Western governments lack of urgency in addressing the Khalistan threat is worrying. Political sensitivity towards the Sikh minority, particularly in regions like British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta, seems to hinder a full-scale crackdown. Its high time that this issue is confronted, not sidestepped.

The era of foreign entities stirring up communal tensions in India is regrettably resurfacing in Western countries. The said report highlights incidents like those in Australia, where armed Sikhs attack the Indian diaspora, which is deeply concerning. The collaboration of Pakistans Khalistani project runners with organized crime syndicates in the West further compounds this threat.

Perhaps the most tragic irony of this entire situation is that the Khalistani propaganda hurts Sikh sentiments and contradicts the principles of Sikhism, a religion that promotes peace, equality, and universal brotherhood. The manipulation of the faith for political gains is a grave injustice to millions of Sikhs worldwide.

The IFFRAS report has provided a much-needed lens to examine the multifaceted threat that the Khalistani propaganda presents. Its clear that this issue extends beyond the boundaries of India, affecting Western nations and tarnishing the tenets of Sikhism.

The report underscores the urgency for unified international action, grounded in an understanding of South Asian geopolitics and the principles of peaceful co-existence that Sikhism truly upholds. We must use these findings as a catalyst for change, to counter extremist narratives, and to promote a global community that respects territorial sovereignty, religious tolerance, and the true essence of every faith.

(Image and Text Credit: Khalsavox.com)
Image: UNI

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on an Official State Visit to the United States of America, which will include a state dinner on June 22, 2023, following an invitation from President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, officials said on Wednesday.

"The visit will underscore the growing importance of the strategic partnership between India and the United States as the two nations collaborate across numerous sectors," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

"The leaders will have the opportunity to review strong bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, including technology, trade, industry, education, research, clean energy, defense, security, healthcare, and deepening people-to-people connections," read the statement.

Prime Minister Modi and President Biden will also explore ways to strengthen India-US collaboration in pluri-lateral and multilateral fora, including in the G20.

They would reflect on their shared vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific and discuss opportunities to expand and consolidate the Quad engagement.

This historic visit offers a valuable opportunity for India and the US to further deepen a comprehensive and forward-looking global strategic partnership.
Beneath the iconic spires of Londons Downing Street, an extraordinary gathering took place.

Among the esteemed guests was a trailblazer who leveraged his engineering prowess to better the lives of thousands around the globe.

This individual, Navjot Sawhney, is an Indian-origin Sikh engineer, and the recent recipient of the prestigious Points of Light Award.

Sawhneys story is an inspirational tale of passion, innovation, and deep-seated compassion. Born in London to Indian parents, Sawhney pursued a career in engineering, landing a prestigious role at Dyson, the technology firm globally recognized for its innovative vacuum cleaners. However, his life took a transformative turn when he volunteered with Engineers Without Borders in southern India.

While there, Sawhney was struck by the disproportionate burden placed on women to carry out handwashing.

This seemingly mundane chore was a demanding, time-consuming task that prevented women from pursuing education and employment.

Determined to help, Sawhney leveraged his engineering skills to design a hand-cranked, off-grid, fully sustainable washing machine, dramatically reducing water consumption by 50% and saving up to 75% on time compared to handwashing.

Named after his neighbour, Divya, the washing machine marked the genesis of the Washing Machine Project, an initiative aimed at producing these devices on a larger scale.

To date, over 300 Divya machines have been distributed worldwide, benefiting more than 1,000 families in underdeveloped countries and refugee camps, including Ukrainian families living in humanitarian aid centres in Poland.

For his incredible work, Sawhney was awarded the Points of Light Award by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The award honours outstanding volunteers who have made significant contributions to their community. Sunak, in a personal letter to Sawhney, praised his ingenuity and compassion, stating, Your innovative, hand-cranked washing machines are giving families the dignity of clean clothes and the time you are saving them is empowering many women who have been held back from education and employment.

This recognition has propelled Sawhney onto the global stage, leading him to the impending Coronation lunch at Downing Street, hosted by Prime Minister Sunak and First Lady Akshata Murty.

This event, part of the nationwide initiative called The Big Lunch, aims to bring communities together to celebrate the Coronation.

Sawhneys story serves as a reminder that innovation is not just about flashy gadgets or sophisticated software.

It can be as simple as a hand-cranked washing machine, engineered with empathy and purpose.

His invention is more than just a device; its a tool that gives back time, dignity, and opportunity to disadvantaged communities worldwide.

Navjot Sawhneys journey from a London-born engineer to a global humanitarian is a testament to the power of ingenuity and compassion. His relentless dedication to improving the lives of others serves as an inspiration, offering a beacon of hope in our increasingly complex world.

As he attends the special Coronation lunch at Downing Street, his incredible journey and impactful work stand as a shining example of the transformative power of engineering when used to uplift humanity.

(Image and Text Credit: Khalsavox.com)
Image Credit: Twitter/Sharad Pawar

Mumbai/IBNS: On Thursday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejasvi Yadav Thursday met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray here in their bid to cobble up an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance at the national level.

Along with them, Janata Dal (United) national president and MP Rajiv Ranjan, Bihar assembly speaker Deveshchandra Thakur and minister Sanjay Kumar Jha were also present during the two separate meetings.

During both meetings, the deliberations centered around a plan regarding the role of leaders of various opposition parties as part of efforts to cobble up a grand opposition alliance against the BJP at the Centre ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections.

In the meeting with Pawar at his residence Silver Oak, his daughter MP Supriya Sule was also present. Pawar has extended support to Kumar's initiative to unite the opposition, sources present during the discussions said.

Welcomed the Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar ji and deputy Chief Minister Shri Tejashwi Yadav ji at my Mumbai residence today. We had a brief discussion to strengthen the Opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.@NitishKumar @yadavtejashwi @supriya_sule pic.twitter.com/dTx3cmjhoU  Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) May 11, 2023

The Bihar delegation's meeting with Maharashtra leaders took place on the day when Supreme Court declined to restore the erstwhile Thackeray government even as it said the then Maharashtra Governor had no objective material, to call for a floor test in June 2022.

Kumar expressed solidarity with Thackeray, stating, The courts verdict rectifies the significant injustice done to Uddhav Thackeray. We stand united.
Image Credit: Twitter/PMO

New Delhi/IBNS: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday ruled out the possibility of forming an alliance with the opposition in the 2024 national election, announcing that his Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party will contest alone.

Patnaik met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this evening and called it a "courtesy call".

Asked whether the BJD would maintain its "equidistant" stance, he told reporters: "That has always been the plan."

This comes two days after his meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the prime mover in opposition unity moves ahead of 2024.

Patnaik's announcement is a blow to Nitish Kumar's efforts to set up an anti-BJP alliance ahead of the 2024 polls.

Glad to meet #Bihar Chief Minister Shri @NitishKumar in #Bhubaneswar. #Odisha shares a special bond with Bihar and the people of the neighbouring state. Hope he had a pleasant and fruitful stay in Odisha. pic.twitter.com/tPGtvRisAz  Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) May 9, 2023

Patnaik said he had met PM Modi to discuss shifting the international airport from Bhubaneswar to Puri, one of Odisha's biggest draws. "The PM said he will help in any way possible," he added.

The Odisha CM said he had no plans to meet any other political parties on this visit to Delhi.

"Not on this trip, not as far as I am concerned," he said, contradicting reports that suggested a flurry of meetings with opposition leaders including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

Patnaik had earlier met with Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, one of the BJP's sharpest critics.
Image: UN News

New York: The Russian government must provide the jailed opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, with urgent and comprehensive medical care in light of his gravely deteriorating health, the UN-appointed independent expert on torture cases said on Wednesday.

Alice Edwards, who is officially known as the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, said she was distressed by the deteriorating state of Mr. Navalnys health and the apparent lack of satisfactory diagnosis and medical treatment.

'A form of torture

In a statement also backed by six of her fellow Human Rights Council-appointed experts, she said that the alleged placement of the Russian politician, lawyer and anti-corruption campaigner in isolation on 11 separate occasions, amounting to 114 days in solitary confinement over seven months, appears disproportionate and would amount to a form of torture, if confirmed.

Mr. Navalny is reportedly suffering from serious ill-health, including chronic spinal disease and problems related to neurological damage, Ms. Edwards said.

The jailed leader returned to Russia in 2021 from receiving extensive medical treatment in Germany, after what laboratory tests indicated had been an attempt to poison him with a nerve agent, while in Siberia in August 2020.

He was immediately arrested after resolving to fly home to Russia, from Germany.

Jailed

The 46-year-old is serving concurrent sentences of 11.5 years for fraud and contempt of court  on charges which he said were trumped up to remove him from public life.

Russia has denied all previous allegations that any prison employees have mistreated Mr. Navalny, saying that he has been given access to medical treatment when needed.

Immediate care needed

He must immediately and continuously be provided with adequate care, including comprehensive medical check-ups, treatment and monitoring of his health situation in a civil hospital.

She also raised the cases of three of his political supporters, who are also being held in Russian jails  Liliya Chanysheva, Vadim Ostanin and Daniel Kholodny.

The Special Rapporteur said their cases should be promptly, thoroughly and impartially investigated.

Release supporters without delay

If it is found that these individuals are being arbitrarily deprived of their liberty, they should be released without delay.

She said in the case of Mr. Ostanin, whose condition is reportedly deteriorating, Russia should as a matter of urgency provide adequate medical care in a civil hospital.

Liliya Chanysheva is the previous head of Mr. Navalnys office in the city of Ufa. She was arrested on charges of managing a structural subdivision of an extremist group in November 2021, said the UN rights office, OHCHR.

Mr. Ostanin, ran the Navalny office in the city of Byisk, and was arrested on similar charges in March 2022.

Mr. Kholodny, an employee of Mr. Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation, was arrested at the same time on charges of belonging to an extremist group, and for allegedly providing or collecting money to finance an extremist organisation, OHCHR said.

Concerns registered

The Special Rapporteur and other experts have been in direct contact with the Russian Government about these cases and will continue to monitor them.

Special Rapporteurs and other UN Human Rights Council-appointed rights experts, work on a voluntary and unpaid basis, are not UN staff, and work independently from any government or organisation.
Image: Shah Mehmood Qureshi Twitter page

Islamabad Police have arrested several PTI leaders, including the country's former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, for allegedly ' inciting violent protests' following the arrest of ex-PM and party chief Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The police statement comes a day after PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry and Secretary General Asad Umar were also taken into custody in Islamabad, reports Dawn News.

The PTI also shared a video of Qureshis arrest, which took place during the early hours of Thursday, the newspaper reported.

According to reports, PTI claimed the former minister was taken to an undisclosed location following his arrest.

Subsequently, Islamabad police issued a statement which said that Qureshi, Umar, Chaudhry, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Falaknaz Chitrali, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema and Maleeka Bokhari had been arrested so far.

Arrests had been made for inciting arson and violent protests under a well-thought out plan for threatening peace, police was quoted as saying by Dawn News.

It added that all arrests were made after fulfilling the legal requirements and warned that further arrests were also expected. It also asked people to not spread rumours and incitement amongst the public.

Amid the ongoing violence across the country allegedly performed by PTI supporters, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said he is against the concept of banning any party.

Responding to a query at the presser, the minister said that it was imperative for PTI to maintain its status as a political party and not transform into a group that supports terrorism.

This would help prevent any need for the party to be banned," he was quoted as saying by Dawn News.
Image:  FAO/Hashim Azizi

New York: A large-scale outbreak of the Moroccan Locust, one of the worlds most damaging plant pests, across eight provinces in Afghanistans wheat basket, could cause massive crop losses and dramatically worsen food insecurity.

The UNs Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sounded the alarm on Wednesday after locusts were spotted in the countrys north and northeast. FAO said that a full outbreak this year could destroy up to 1.2 million metric tonnes of wheat, or a quarter of the total annual harvest.

FAO Representative in Afghanistan Richard Trenchard said that together with partners, the agency was racing to help reduce the impact of the outbreak.

With pesticides in short supply, thousands of people in communities across the affected provinces were working day and night to eradicate the pests using traditional mechanical control methods before they become adults and begin to swarm, he said.

Left untreated, the Moroccan Locust population could increase 100-fold in the next year, according to FAO.

Earlier this year, the UN World Food Programme warned that six million Afghans were one step away from famine.

Huge concern

Sightings of locusts at different development stages have been made in Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz, Samangan, Sar-e-Pul and Takhar, with fresh reports coming in from Heart and Ghor provinces.

The reports of Moroccan Locust outbreak in Afghanistans wheat basket is a huge concern, said Mr. Trenchard.

The Moroccan locust eats more than 150 species of plants, including tree crops, pastures and 50 food crops, all of which grow in Afghanistan. It represents an enormous threat to farmers, communities and the entire country, he added.

He noted that the last two big infestations which took place 20 and 40 years ago, cost the country an estimated 8 per cent, and 25 per cent of production.

Harvest forecasts this year are the best we have seen for the last three years  but this outbreak threatens to destroy all these recent gains and dramatically worsen the food insecurity situation later this year and into next year, the FAO Representative continued.

The Moroccan Locust is ranked among the most economically damaging plant pests anywhere in the world, and the value of the potential loss, adds up to between $280 million and a staggering $480 million, going by todays prices, FAO warned.

The agency said that the year had seen perfect conditions for a locust outbreak so far, in the north and northeast, with over-grazing, drought and very limited control measures, creating an ideal environment for locusts to hatch and swarm.

Swinging into action

The alarm bells rang late, but FAO, its incredible NGO partners, local communities and local authorities sprang into immediate action, said Mr. Trenchard.

Chemical supplies were low across the country so we were forced to focus on traditional mechanical control methods to reduce the impact of the outbreak.

He said that cash-for-work had been a way to put money into the pockets of farmers most at risk while accelerating mechanical control in communities across the North and Northeast regions, and there had been a strong, rapid and encouraging response from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, although their capacity to respond is heavily constrained by a lack of resources.

Ominous threat

Typically, after decimating pasture, large locust hopper bands and adult swarms move down to cropland areas and eat rain-fed and irrigated wheat and other crops.

FAO warned that there is not a single crop which is spared from Moroccan Locust damage.

If numbers do increase up to 100-fold, it would create even bigger problems for agriculture and food security in Afghanistan, and neighbouring countries.

If the Moroccan locust population is left untreated, it could increase its numbers by 100-fold in the next year, creating even bigger problems for agriculture and food security for Afghanistan and that of its neighbours.

Chemical control methods are far more effective than mechanical control, said Mr. Trenchard.

Afghanistan used to have a very strong locust control system in place. But this has been heavily eroded in the last two years. At this point in time, all we can hope is that the mechanical control approaches will reduce the overall impact of the swarms. But we must start now to prevent 2024 from seeing even bigger outbreaks, he concluded.
Image Credit: Twitter @AnitaAnandMP

Ottawa/IBNS: Canada s Defence Minister Anita Anand reaffirmed the country's commitment to Latvias security as she welcomed her Latvian counterpart Inara Murniece to Ottawa, a news release has said.

Serving as Framework Nation of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Latvia since 2017, Canada has deployed approximately 800 Canadian Armed Forces members to Latvia.

Much-needed Junior Officer leadership development training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) would be delivered by CAF and Latvian National Armed Forces members through Operation UNIFIER to reportedly begin as early as May 15 of this year, Ministers Anand and Murniece announced.

This training is in addition to the Canadian Armed Forces other ongoing deployments through Operation UNIFIER in support of Ukraine.

Commitment to implementing the Canada-Latvia Joint Declaration signed in June 2022 at the Madrid Summit, was reaffirmed by both Anand and Murniece.

Canada, Latvia, and other eFP Battle Group contributing nations are continuing their planning to surge the battle group to a combat capable brigade.

Sharing a long history of military cooperation and partnership, Anand and Murniece discussed issues of mutual interest in the lead-up to this summers NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Anand and Murniece met with Canadian soldiers and participated in a tour of military vehicles and specialized equipment during their visit on May 9, 2023 to 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group at 4th Canadian Division Support Base Petawawa.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
Do minutes of Federal Reserve Meeting reveal any surprise regarding interest rates? Copy Link

Federal Reserve members want interest rate to be taken up to neutral level
Navigating relationships with a full-time career isn't a cakewalk. While modern dating has become more complex and daunting, some people believe in sharing their experiences to teach people a thing or two.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas reveals her relationship break and personal growth before meeting nick jonas.

Instagram

In a candid interview on the call her daddy podcast, hosted by Alex Cooper, PC shared insights into her love life.



Priyanka shared that she intentionally took a hiatus from romantic relationships to gain clarity on her patterns and past mistakes.

AFP

She openly discussed a period when she found herself transitioning from one relationship to another.

Priyanka Chopra/Twitter

"I did not give myself time at all between relationships... I think I worked a lot and always ended up dating the actors I worked with. And I think I just thought I had an idea of what a relationship should be like. I kept seeking that and trying to fit the people that came into my life into my idea of that relationship," the 40-year-old actor said.



Instagram/PriyankaChopra

"After my ex (boyfriend) and before my husband, I literally took two years off. And there was a big reason. I didn't even date Nick then because I just needed to know why I kept repeating my mistakes. The repeating of the mistake was always feeling like I need to be the caretaker, always feeling like it's okay to cancel my job, my work, my meeting or my priority to make sure that he's propped up," Priyanka said.



The actor said she had normalized the idea of "giving the power in such a skewed way" that she never stood up for herself.

"I literally would become like a doormat, and I was like, 'okay, that's fine.'" she added.



Priyanka said she realized that getting into a new relationship soon after one ended wasn't good for her.

BollywoodMDB

"I reached a point where I was like, what the f**k are you doing? This was self-destructive when I had to choose myself; I had to be like I don't owe anyone anything except my family and the people who truly love me. "When you are in relationships where you stop rerecognizingho who you are, you stop having your own identity, or you stop knowing what is it what you want for yourself, what your goals are, then you are invisible. And, I just started feeling invisible in my relationships," she added.



Priyanka married Jonas in December 2018. The couple welcomed their daughter Malti Marie in January 2022.

AFP

Meanwhile, on the work front, Priyanka is busy promoting Citadel, which is created by The Russo Brothers. The action-packed show revolves around two elite agents, Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka), of the global spy agency Citadel.



She will share screen space in Bollywood with Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif in Farhan Akhtars directorial Jee Le Zaraa. The shooting for the film has not been started yet.



(With PTI inputs)

(To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment)


Internet services have been suspended in Manipur for over a week since the violence broke out in the northeastern state earlier this month.

The current suspension of internet services will remain in place till May 13, Saturday, after which it may be extended or withdrawn, depending on how volatile the situation is.

REUTERS

Manipuri students struggle

But as the internet suspension continues, thousands of Manipuris living outside the state, especially students, are struggling with their wallets running dry.



There are an estimated ten thousand students from Manipur in Delhi-NCR alone who are entirely dependent on the money sent by their families back home for everything from paying rent to travel and buying food.

Since the internet services were suspended to prevent the spread of misinformation amid the unprecedented clashes in several parts of Manipur, the students have been struggling.

AFP

Can't pay rent, buy food

"As students, our money come from home; that is how we pay our rent and buy food. Since the internet shutdown, our parents have not been able to send the money. Most of us have already run out of money or will run out of money in a couple of days. We have not been able to pay our rents as well," Donald Takhellambam, a student from Manipur, told Indiatimes.



With their rent payments due, Takhellambam said students like him are worried about harassment and even eviction by their landlords.

Don't harass students for rent

Takhellambam, an advisor to the Manipur Students Association Delhi (MSAD), said his organization, along with other student outfits from North East, has been running from pillar to post, meeting officials and leaders to seek help.

BCCL

"We are not asking them to waive off the rent. We are hoping that the RWAs and other bodies can urge the landlords to not harass the students in the name of rent due to the ongoing situation in Manipur," he said.

Even if the internet services are restored on May 13, Takhellambam said he feels it will take at least a few more days before their parents can send the money to them.

"Back home, people are really worried, about even stepping out. So just because the internet may be restored on May 13, there is no guarantee that our parents will be able to transfer us the money. People have been displaced and lost their houses and other savings. Even if the internet is restored such people may not be in a position to send the money to their children. And until things get back to normal, we don't want any student from Manipur to face any kind of harassment," he said.

AFP

Distributing ration for students

In the meantime, MSAD and other northeast student associations have been trying to raise funds and supply rations to students who are running out of food.

"We have been reaching out to the Delhi government, Central government, Manipur government, MPs from the northeast, all the northeast bhavans in Delhi, and more to raise funds and provide rations to the students," he said.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Amidst nationwide efforts to reduce the risk of mass shootings, two schools in Michigan have implemented a significant measure by prohibiting students from bringing backpacks. The decision comes in response to several recent incidents of mass shootings.

As per Grand Rapids Public Schools officials, the backpack ban occurred after a third-grader's bag contained a loaded handgun.

These actions reflect the schools' commitment to enhancing safety and preventing potential threats.

The school district's statement revealed that this incident marked the fourth occurrence involving a student in the current academic year.

Startlingly, ABC News reports that the United States has already witnessed over 202 mass shootings in 2023, surpassing the number of days in the year.

"This is not a decision we've taken lightly, and we know this poses a significant inconvenience for our families. I am more than frustrated that a decision like this is necessary. Still, we must put safety first, and that's what this decision is about," CNN quoted Grand Rapids Public Schools Superintendent Leadriane Roby.

"This is just one step in an ongoing conversation about how we can best protect our children in our rapidly changing world," Ms. Roby said.

The school has declared that the backpack ban will remain in effect "until further notice," as mentioned in their statement.

Joining the initiative, the Flint Community School in Michigan has also implemented the backpack ban, which became effective on May 1st.

(Also read: 'Mom Will Find You': US Mom Teaches 5-Year Old Son 'Steps To Follow' During A School Shooting)

"We have reached a point where we must make difficult decisions to ensure school safety," school officials said in a statement announcing the backpack ban.



To prevent mass shooting incidents, schools in the US are conducting drills such as mass shooter drills and installing metal detectors.

Twitter

According to CNN, there have been 16 shootings at schools in the US this year, including an incident in Newport News, Virginia, where a 6-year-old shot a teacher with a gun from his backpack.



In March, six people, including three children, were killed in a shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville.

(For the latest trending stories, keep reading Indiatimes)


By inspecting the jaws of the ancient European ape they suggested that humanitys forebearers may have evolved in Europe before migrating to Africa
The accused had reportedly come to a village to help a childless couple. But when he entered their house, he tried to rape the woman.
The Anambra State Police Command has revealed that hoodlums terrorizing some communities in the state have gone a step further by sewing police and army uniforms inside bushes, which they use to carry out their operations.

Security operatives, who invaded the bush at Ifite Ogbunike in Oyi local government area of the state, came face to face with a place the hoodlums had made their home, from where they launch attacks on various communities.

READ ALSO: Bank Security Shot During Police, Sit-At-Home Enforcers Gun Battle

Items discovered at the site include a multipurpose sewing machine, police and military uniforms already produced, food items and cooking utensils, as well as charms which they believe, protect them.

The hoodlums apparently relocated to Ogbunike following their dislodgement from Lilu and Orsumoghu bushes in Ihiala local government area by security operatives.

Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr Tochukwu Ikenga described the Ogbunike discovery as a major breakthrough in the battle against crime in Anambra State.

Ikenga said: Following credible information to the Police command from the residents of Anambra, we have identified some of their criminal hideouts/camps.

The Police operatives attached to Rapid Response Squad, Akwuzu in the earlier hours of today, while in an attempt to rescue two kidnapped victims, stormed a camp at ifite, Ogbunike, Oyi LGA,

The Police neutralized two of the armed men, recovered a black Lexus SUV with a lot of security uniforms, which comprises those of the police and military.

Ikenga also said that joint security forces who stormed Akwaihedi, Nnewi South local government area, which is a border town between Imo and Anambra states, accosted a deadly gang of five operating on motorbikes suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Brafia IPOB and Eastern Security Network ESN, en route to Anambra for a planned attack/operation.

According to him, the operatives engaged the assailants in a gun battle, neutralized five of the gang members, and recovered two rocket launchers, four Ak47 rifles, one automatic pump action, four magazines eight live ammunition, police berets, charms and other incriminating items.

He observed that the synergy between the police, military, other security agencies and vigilante outfits, had helped immensely in the fight against the insurgents in the state.

For us, this is a big positive operation to avert a major planned attack in the state. I urge everyone to cue in and continue to support the security agencies and the state government to bring security stability to the state, Ikenga added.
As a thoroughly modern web framework, ASP.NET Core has built-in support for response compression, allowing you to reduce the size of responses and shorten response times. In this article we will examine how response compression works and how we can take advantage of response compression middleware in ASP.NET Core.

Compression is an easy way to reduce network traffic and increase the speed of communication between web server resources and clients or consumers. The popular algorithms available to achieve this compression include Brotli, Gzip, and Deflate, and most modern-day web browsers support response compression. ASP.NET Cores response compression middleware uses Brotli or Gzip compression by default, depending on which is supported by the client.

We will implement response compression here using middleware. Note that, if your ASP.NET Core application is being deployed on an IIS, Apache, or Nginx web server, you should instead use the built-in compression provided by the web server, for better performance. Use the response compression middleware only if youre unable to use the web servers compression, or if your app is being hosted on a web server that lacks built-in compression, such as Kestrel.

Note that the application pipeline in ASP.NET Core contains a series of request delegates that are invoked sequentially. We will take advantage of one of these middleware components to implement request compression. The middleware pipeline is configured in the Program.cs file. This is where you can chain together your ASP.NET Core pipeline. We will discuss this further in the sections that follow.

Create an ASP.NET Core minimal Web API project in Visual Studio 2022

First off, lets create an ASP.NET Core 7 minimal Web API project in Visual Studio 2022. Follow these steps:

Launch the Visual Studio 2022 IDE. Click on Create new project. In the Create new project window, select ASP.NET Core Web API from the list of templates displayed. Click Next. In the Configure your new project window, specify the name and location for the new project. Optionally check the Place solution and project in the same directory check box, depending on your preferences. Click Next. In the Additional Information window shown next, select NET 7.0 (Current) as the framework and uncheck the check box that says Use controllers Well be using minimal APIs in this example. Leave the Authentication Type set to None (default). Ensure that the check boxes Enable Docker, Configure for HTTPS, and Enable Open API Support are all unchecked. We wont be using any of those features here. Click Create.

Next, install Microsofts ResponseCompression package via the NuGet Package Manager in the ASP.NET Core minimal Web API project you just created. As of this writing, the latest stable version of the ResponseCompression package is 2.2.0.

> Install-Package Microsoft.AspNetCore.ResponseCompression -Version 2.2.0

Well use this ASP.NET Core 7 minimal Web API project to implement response compression in the sections below.

Configure response compression in ASP.NET Core

You can enable response compression in the Program.cs file using the following code.

builder.Services.AddResponseCompression();

The above code snippet will add response compression services to the container. If you want to enable response compression for HTTPS, you should enter the following piece of code in the Program.cs file:

builder.Services.AddResponseCompression(options => { options.EnableForHttps = true; });

To add the response compression middleware to the request processing pipeline, in order to compress responses dynamically, you should configure the HTTP request pipeline using the following piece of code.

app.UseResponseCompression();

Configure compression providers for optimal performance

Note that once youve added a compression provider, no other compression provider will be added automatically. You will need to write your own code to add them as needed.

builder.Services.AddResponseCompression(options => { options.EnableForHttps = true; options.Providers.Add<BrotliCompressionProvider>(); options.Providers.Add<GzipCompressionProvider>(); });

You can configure the Brotli and Gzip compression providers for optimal performance (meaning faster compression, but bigger payload) as shown in the code snippet given below.

builder.Services.Configure<BrotliCompressionProviderOptions>(options => { options.Level = CompressionLevel.Fastest; }); builder.Services.Configure<GzipCompressionProviderOptions>(options => { options.Level = CompressionLevel.Optimal; });

The complete source code of the Program.cs file

Heres the complete source code of the Program.cs file for your reference.

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.ResponseCompression; using System.IO.Compression; var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args); // Add services to the container. builder.Services.AddResponseCompression(options => { options.EnableForHttps = true; options.Providers.Add<BrotliCompressionProvider>(); options.Providers.Add<GzipCompressionProvider>(); }); builder.Services.Configure<BrotliCompressionProviderOptions>(options => { options.Level = CompressionLevel.Fastest; }); builder.Services.Configure<GzipCompressionProviderOptions>(options => { options.Level = CompressionLevel.Optimal; }); var app = builder.Build(); // Configure the HTTP request pipeline. app.UseResponseCompression(); app.MapGet("/", () => "Hello World!"); app.Run();

Create a custom compression provider in ASP.NET Core

You can also create your own compression and decompression providers in ASP.NET Core minimal APIs.

To create a custom compression provider, first create a class that implements the ICompressionProvider interface as shown below.

public class CustomCompressionProvider : ICompressionProvider { public Stream CreateStream(Stream outputStream) { // Write your code here to compress return outputStream; } }

Next register and configure the custom compression provider in the Program.cs using the code given below.

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args); builder.Services.AddResponseCompression(options => { options.Providers.Add<BrotliCompressionProvider>(); options.Providers.Add<GzipCompressionProvider>(); options.Providers.Add<CustomCompressionProvider>(); }); var app = builder.Build(); app.UseResponseCompression(); app.MapGet("/", () => "Hello World!"); app.Run();

Implement a controller in ASP.NET Core

Now that response compression has been installed in the project and configured, lets implement a controller to demonstrate response compression. To do this, select the Controllers solution folder of your project and then click Add -> Controller. Select the API Controller - Empty template from the list of templates displayed in the Add Scaffold window and enter a name for the controller when prompted. Then replace the default code with the following.

[Produces("application/json")] [Route("api/Default")] public class DefaultController : Controller { // GET: api/Default [HttpGet] public List<Message> Get() { List<Message> lst = new List<Message>(); for(int index=0; index <100; index++) { Message message = new Message(); message.Text = This is a text message.; lst.Add(message); } return lst; } }

The Message class contains just one string property.

public class Message { public string Text { get; set; } }

When I executed this controller method, I could see that the size of the compressed response was 0.091 KB. When compression was disabled, the size of the response was 3.419 KB. To disable response compression, you can simply comment out the appropriate lines in the Program.cs file.

//builder.Services.AddResponseCompression(); //app.UseResponseCompression();

For response compression to work, the client must inform the server of its capabilities by sending the Accept-Encoding header with the request. The server in turn should include this header with compressed response to inform the client that the response has been compressed.

Note that while response compression in ASP.NET Core is flexible, easy to configure, and easy to use, it is slower than IIS compression. Youll want to rely on the compression provided by IIS and other web servers whenever you can. You can learn more about response compression in ASP.NET Core from Microsofts ASP.NET Core documentation.

Using HTTPS compression

Note that compression over HTTPS could expose sensitive data to CRIME and BREACH attacks. An attacker could intercept HTTPS compression traffic to steal credentials or session cookies, compromising the security of the application. You can prevent such attacks by configuring the web server to utilize TLS instead of HTTPS compression.

TLS compression compresses data at a higher layer than HTTPS, making it harder for attackers to exploit. Unlike traditional compression techniques that compress content at the application layer, TLS compression compresses data at the transport layer.
Workers at East Penn Manufacturing Company were not properly paid for their time spent showering and changing into and out of protective gear, which was a safety requirement of their jobs, a federal jury found. Read more

East Penn Manufacturing Company Inc., a battery manufacturer based in Berks County, owes $22 million for failing to pay workers properly for time spent changing clothes and showering after their shifts. Its the largest Fair Labor Standards Act verdict ever obtained by the Department of Labor, according to a spokesperson for the department.

The 7,500 employees impacted by the case must wear protective gear and shower after their shifts to avoid lead exposure and other health risks from working in the manufacturing complex. According to the Department of Labor, East Penn had been paying workers for their eight-hour scheduled shifts, but not for additional time spent showering and changing. That should have been compensated as overtime, the department said.

The 30-day trial included testimony from 39 workers, many of whom testified that East Penn was not giving them enough time during their shifts to shower and change, said Regional Solicitor Oscar Hampton.

The employees werent educated about whether or not they had a right to be paid for putting on their uniform [at the beginning of their shifts] and showering at the end of the day, Hampton said.

Advertisement

The department started investigating East Penn after a worker complained seven years ago about not getting paid for that time, Hampton added. The suit was filed in federal court in 2018.

This verdict of more than $22 million is a long-overdue victory for more than 7,500 workers at East Penn Manufacturing, said Jessica Looman, principal deputy administrator for the departments Wage and Hour Division. Federal law requires employers to pay workers for the hours they work, including time these workers needed to protect themselves from dangerous workplace hazards.

The department will try to recover another $22 million in liquidated damages for the workers to compensate them for the time it took to recover their back pay, Hampton said, and generally to discourage companies from underpaying employees.

East Penn may file an appeal, company spokesperson Donna Snyder said in an emailed statement, also noting that the final judgment amount could change.

East Penn had made every effort to comply with the laws as it understood them, Snyder said. As a company, it stands behind the time paid to employees to put on and take off uniforms and to shower. The company believes it provided proper compensation for these activities and was fair in determining the reasonable time required to perform them.

Snyder also noted that the jurys award was less than the amount the department sought before trial. According to court documents, the department had planned to seek nearly $110 million in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages.

East Penn was established in 1946 in a one-room creamery, according to the companys website, and grew into one of the worlds largest battery manufacturers with over 10,500 full-time employees. The battery manufacturing complex in Lyons Station, Berks County, is 520 acres. The company also has a facility in Iowa.
Tioga-Franklin Savings Bank was founded in Philadelphia's Nicetown section in 1873. Since then, mergers or closures of what had been older banks have rendered Tioga-Franklin the oldest chartered bank in the city. New leadership at the bank is promising to retain the personal touch of a small institution while expanding the bank's role in underserved communities. Read more

Tioga-Franklin Savings Bank was chartered on March 31, 1873, and is headquartered in a former rowhouse at the corner of Girard Avenue and Oxford Street in Fishtown.

It has neither branches nor ATMs.

But its hardly a museum of banking, said John T. Coleman, the retiring CEO. Weve taken this tiny little bank into the 21st century by transitioning to digital banking so successfully that more than 90% of client transactions are now virtual.

The latest step forward is designation as a minority depository institution (MDI) by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The bank plans to expand lending and other services to underserved communities in the Philadelphia region, South Jersey, and northern Delaware, according to a statement on the Tioga-Franklin website.

Advertisement

Being recognized as an MDI establishes a platform for us. We want to make sure that access to capital is [central] to our mission, said Terry McEwen, who has served as president of the 150-year-old community bank in Fishtown since August and took over the CEOs position in late April. He replaces Coleman, who is retiring after eight years at the helm of Tioga-Franklin and nearly 51 years in banking.

Weve been meeting with small businesses and nonprofits in order to know where the needs are, said McEwen, who has 40 years of banking experience.

A neighborhood anchor

Founded in the Nicetown section of North Philadelphia, Tioga-Franklin has provided mortgages and loans that generations of neighborhood residents and businesspeople have relied upon. The bank also has played a role in the resurgence of Fishtown in recent years.

Even back in the day when houses in Fishtown sold for $10,000 and a pack of cigarettes, I thought the neighborhood could be something. But I never envisioned what it has become, said Keith McHenry, a Tioga-Franklin customer who renovates and rents properties in Fishtown.

As a small bank, they understand local, small investors, he said. When they understand you and your business, they can think outside the box. They can be creative. Youre not going to get that at a bigger bank.

Bigger offers some advantages but is not always better, said Kevin Shivers, president and CEO of the 70-member Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers.

Over the last few months, our nation has experienced three major failures of banks that were too big to fail, but for 150 years Tioga-Franklin has lived through it all  because of their business model, he said.

Fishtown is thriving because of banks like Tioga-Franklin that focus on banking as a betterment of the community, said Shivers. These banks have powerful, personal relationships with customers and with the communities they serve.

Dionne N. Jackson, an IRA specialist at Tioga-Franklin, said many customers say they feel at home at the cozy little bank on the corner.

I dont feel like Im in a box and have to quote some sort of script even when interacting with customers on the phone or online, said Jackson, a banking professional since 1998. Im free to listen so I can understand what the customer wants and needs.

Help during the pandemic

During the worst of the pandemic, Tioga-Franklin also stepped up to provide businesses with access to the Paycheck Protection Program offered by the federal Small Business Administration. It remained open and provided small businesses in the region with 857 PPP loans totaling $115 million.

Tioga-Franklin also teamed up with its neighbor and friendly competitor, Hyperion Bank, devising a plan to accommodate each others customers should COVID-19 force either one of their institutions to close.

Fortunately, the arrangement didnt have to be put into practice, said Charlie Crawford, Hyperions chairman and CEO. More often than not, small community banks tend to work together. I hope were not a dying breed.

Coleman, whos 71, said Tioga-Franklins previous board of directors had long sought to create a succession plan.

They wanted this bank to be around for many more years, he said. So we brought on eight additional board members, all of them people of color, who brought with them the strategy to become an MDI bank so we can better serve and grow our market in the Philadelphia region.

Among the new members was McEwen, who served as director of New Jerseys Department of Banking and Insurance for four years under Gov. Jon Corzine.

Now Terry is masterminding where we want to take the bank going forward, said Coleman, adding that his plans include road trips with his wife, Jeannie, and their chocolate Labrador, Lewy.
People wait in the TSA line at the Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday. Read more

Philadelphia International Airport is nearly doubling its economy parking capacity as it prepares for what is expected to be the busiest summer travel season since before the pandemic.

Airport officials estimate that 4,049,765 people will board flights at the Philly airport this summer, spokesperson Heather Redfern said. The number would represent a 12% increase over last summer, though still lower than 2019, a record year in which 34 million passengers traveled through the airport.

Memorial Day weekend, informally the kickoff of the summer travel season, is expected to see a similar increase. Officials estimate that about 263,000 people will depart from PHL between Wednesday, May 24, and Tuesday, May 30.

If you will be among the passengers flying out of Philly this summer, be prepared and pack your patience, airport officials said Thursday at a news conference.

Advertisement

Here are a few other things they said you should know before you go.

Where to park at the Philadelphia Airport

Some good news: The number of parking spaces will increase over the next several weeks.

The economy lot will soon grow from 1,840 to 3,600 spots. These parking spaces are in addition to the 11,133 in airport garages and the 793 in the short-term lots.

The economy lot is the best value at $15 a day for travelers who plan to leave their car at the airport, though there are far fewer spots in that lot than there used to be.

Before the pandemic, the airport had 7,100 parking spots in its 40-acre economy lot. The airport shuttered the lot entirely in March 2020, then partially reopened it in April 2022, making 1,480 spots available. The unused portion of the lot, which touches the runways, needs to be used by PHL cargo partners, Redfern said, as part of the airports strategic plan to expand its cargo services.

If youre picking someone up, you can use short-term parking, where youll pay as little as $5 for half an hour. You can also wait for departing passengers in the cell phone lot until you hear that the plane has landed, recommended Megan OConnell, the airports director of marketing and branding.

Below is the nitty-gritty of each parking option:

Economy parking

Location: 4400 block of Island Avenue Cost: $15 flat rate (including taxes and fees) for up to 24 hours Number of spots: 1,840 currently; 3,600 in a few weeks First-come, first-served Has 24/7 complimentary shuttle service to terminals, including on holidays Not allowed: Buses, trailers, semis, any car over 9,000 pounds gross vehicle weight More information can be found at phl.org/parking/garages/economy-parking

Short-term and garage parking

Location: Right outside the airport, at various points along Garage Access Road depending on which terminal Cost: $5 for a half hour; $2-$3 more for each additional half hour up to 3 hours; $28 for 4 hours Number of spots: 11,926 Not allowed: Vehicles over 62 More info can be found at phl.org/parking/garages

Cell phone waiting lot

Location: Right outside the airport; accessible from I-95 and Route 291; follow signs Cost: Free, with a half-hour wait-time limit Number of spots: 150 spaces Drivers must stay with their cars in this lot. Less than a one-minute drive to baggage claim More info can be found at phl.org/to-and-from/meeting-passengers/cellphone-lot

Private off-site lots

Location: More than a half-dozen places in the vicinity of the airport Cost: Varies Can be reserved in advance Shuttles to the airport are provided by lot operators. More info, and links to each lots website, can be found at phl.org/parking/offsite-parking

What to expect from security at the Philadelphia Airport

For the most part, it should be business as usual at TSA checkpoints despite the increased volume of passengers, said Christine Assili, TSA deputy federal security director for the airport.

We have a plan in place, so expect wait times to be within normal ranges of 10 minutes to 20 minutes, depending on whether youre pre-check or not, said Assili.

A possible exception, she said, are peak times, which in Philly are early in the morning and around midday.

She suggested reviewing which items you are and are not allowed to bring on a plane before you head to the airport. She reminded travelers that any liquids, gels, and aerosols in a carry-on must be in 3.4-ounce bottles that all would fit in a one-quart-size bag.

Arrive at the airport at least two hours early for domestic flights and at least three hours for international flights. Get out your ID and boarding pass while you wait in the security line.

Be courteous of your travelers behind you, she said. They will appreciate you trying to expedite the screening process.

Passengers with specific questions can get live answers from TSA officials from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 365 days a year by tweeting at @AskTSA, messaging them on Facebook, or texting Travel to 275-872.

Where to eat, shop, and wait for your flight

Philadelphia Airport has 170 food and shopping locations across all terminals and available to any traveler who has cleared a security checkpoint. (Anyone waiting for a friend coming off a delayed plane will have to settle for vending machines).

Inside the airport, some new options include Good Luck Pizza, which has pizza, small plates, and cocktails in Terminal E, and Everything Travel, which is run by Amazons Just Walk Out technology, said Dana Pyle, the marketing and guest experience manager for MarketPlace PHL.

At Everything Travel in Terminal D, customers scan a credit card (or the digital equivalent on their phone) upon entrance and artificial intelligence uses cameras and sensors to track what items they walk out with, sending an itemized receipt to their phone.

Hungry passengers who are in a rush can also order food ahead of time at several airport eateries, skipping any potential lines. That service is available at orderatphl.com.

Gym buffs will soon be able to fit a workout in during a layover or flight delay. For $25 a day (or a $35 a month membership for frequent fliers), ROAM Fitness will offer a full-service gym, complimentary rental workout gear, training sessions, private showers, and an infrared sauna for passengers and employees. ROAM, which already has a location at the BWI Airport, is set to open its Philly location in Terminal F in the next few weeks.
A 20-year-old rapper has been charged with fatally shooting a 16-year-old in North Philadelphia last month, and police are searching for another man they say also played a role in the killing.

Aysir Clark, known as Lil Bape, surrendered to authorities on Tuesday and has been charged with murder, illegal gun possession, and related crimes for his role in the death of Nafis Betrand-Hill in North Philadelphia last month, police said.

A warrant has also been issued for 18-year-old Ranief Allen, a friend of Clarks who police say also shot the teen.

According to court records, on April 12, Clark and Allen drove to the 2300 block of West Montgomery Street in a KIA that had been reportedly stolen from Drexel Hill one week earlier.

Advertisement

It was just before 9 p.m., and Betrand-Hill was walking down the sidewalk when the two men started shooting at him from the car, court records say. Surveillance video recovered from the scene showed that the men jumped out of the car and chased the teen, firing more than 30 times, the records say.

Officers found Betrand-Hill badly wounded and took him to Temple University Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Philadelphia police who responded quickly to the scene of the shooting saw a KIA fleeing the area with no lights on, driving in the wrong direction down Norris Street, according to the records. Officers pursued the car but lost it in a brief chase. They found it a short time later abandoned on the 2300 block of Glenwood Avenue, and inside, there was a Glock 27 handgun, the records say.

Surveillance footage from the Raymond Rosen public housing complex, where the car was found, showed the two young men wearing identical clothing to the shooting suspects getting out of the car, the records say. They then took off their sweatshirts, which police found discarded inside the courtyard.

Police also recovered fingerprints on the car that matched those of Clark and Allen, the records say, and the locations of their phones line up with the path of the getaway car.

Clarks lawyer, Robert Gamburg, said Clark maintains his innocence, and we look forward to our day in court.

Clark is a fairly well-known local rapper from North Philadelphia, and has more than 30,000 followers on Instagram. His page says he is represented by Mir Gunna Management and Solid Unity Records. Neither could be immediately reached for comment.

Court records say Clark and Allen were friends and had posted music videos together.

Clark was being held without bail at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for later this month.
Have you ever eaten a well-crafted meal, the kind youd expect the hungry crowds to clamor for, only to look up and realize youre the only occupied table in a restaurant?

Its happened to me several times over the past few months. There was the dinner when my wife and I spooned through the schmaltz-laced romance of an oversized matzo ball soup for two followed by a meltingly tender smoked short rib with rye spaetzle and Comte foam. But this cleverly upscaled riff on Jewish deli was served to us in an essentially empty room.

There was the very quiet brunch with superbly flaky house biscuits and country gravy filled with house-ground pork, followed by a French toast mountain drizzled in miso caramel.

At a sunny lunch a few weeks later the vibe was also so sedate  despite perfect fried chicken sandwiches drizzled in Thai curried hot sauce  you could hear the sound of my teeth crunching through the buttermilk crust.

All three lonely meals happened to have transpired at the same restaurant, Redcrest Kitchen in Queen Village, despite what I considered to be some fairly delicious food. The service was outgoing. The well-rounded drink list has appeal, from produce-infused cocktails to wines from the owners German relatives and well-chosen brews (Maine Peeper!). The comfy banquette that parallels the room-length bar seems ready to host an energetic 60-seat crowd. So what gives?

Redcrests slow start is a curious case study in the delicate art of harnessing momentum for new restaurants. Its lack of early traction appears to be the result of a combination of factors, from plain bad luck with city infrastructure to marketing mistakes.

An indecisive, ever-shifting concept resulted in an identity crisis for this promising newcomer that opened this past October in the former Bainbridge Barrel House space. Is it a $40 entree destination for a three-part homage to dry-aged duck? A laidback corner brunch hang for avocado toast and Eggs in Purgatory? Or is it a fried chicken sandwich joint cranking out some of the best crispy cluckers in Philly for lunch?

It has been all that and more, and Ive not even mentioned the grocery shelves tucked into the corner where you can buy Luxardo cherries, Rival Bros. coffee, spices, flowers, and craft beer to go. Confused? I am, too, considering Redcrest has such a talented team in executive chef Evan Snyder, chef-founder Adam Volk, and partners Chivonn Anderson and Brandon Chamberlain.

Locals have come to know Volk for Redcrest Fried Chicken, the popular, fried chicken corner he ran with Anderson on East Passyunk for the past five years. It opened to a frenzy of deep-fried glory just before the Eagles won the Super Bowl, and this fast casual concept hummed robustly until it temporarily closed when its lease ended in July last year.

Volk concedes he miscalculated by thinking that the Redcrest brand could easily transfer in the publics mind into a more ambitious sit-down restaurant where fried chicken was not initially a major feature. Volk, 43, a Souderton native and Culinary Institute of America grad, earned kudos in New York for his modern American cooking at Esme in Brooklyn, where he also met Chamberlain. They have the experience to run such an enterprise.

Advertisement

But other challenges arose. Unplanned delays from a burst city water main that turned its basement into an aquarium, followed by a crumbling lintel on the buildings facade, postponed its opening for another few capital-draining months. By the time Redcrest finally opened, there was little marketing budget to hire a PR firm and the common strategy of comping social media influencers free food for favorable posts has provided only fleeting bumps. (Reminder: I never accept free food from restaurants; The Inquirer pays my way.)

The biggest early misstep was misjudging this corner as a special occasion draw when this space still feels like a more accessible neighborhood restaurant and bar. But the team has smartly begun to recalibrate, recently dropping menu prices by up to 20%  lowering the short ribs by $8 a plate, for example  and shrinking what were overly generous portions to more reasonable sizes. Almost all entrees are under $30. And the multicourse, family-style tasting menu, which feels like a deal for $55, is a great option to taste the chefs range.

The slightly smaller plates are a good thing for Snyder, 30, whose vibrant creative impulses benefit from the size constraints. On Redcrests previous larger plates, there always seemed to be one too many flourishes, like a duck offal scrapple that lacked the typical softness (and corn porridge slurry) of scrapple, to accompany the already busy presentation of a beautiful breast lacquered with pear and Szechuan peppercorns, duck fat beignets, liver mousse, and a salad topped with shaved smoked duck hearts. Or the country terrine-stuffed cabbage over white beans, whose garnish of buttery rock shrimp felt like a random distraction (and detoured some at our table from choosing it).

When Snyder hones in on smaller plates, his knack for showcasing prime ingredients shines, as with his mashed butternut squash toast flared with the spice and tang of Nduja for a brilliant veggie twist on the spreadable Calabrian salami. Or his creative riffs with chicken liver mousse, paired with Concord jam and shaved smoked peanuts for a grown-up take on PB&J during my visit, or his more recent version with blackberries and corn bread.

Id order anything as an excuse to eat a plate of the fresh sesame-dusted milk buns, but the Wagyu tartare, moistened with dill aioli and dusted with shaved horseradish, is pure carnivore luxury, especially tucked with fresh potato chips into those soft rolls.

Snyder, who previously worked at Bresca in Washington, Balise in New Orleans, and FISH by Jose Andres in Oxon Hill, Md., offers some memorably original takes on pasta, from a chicken mortadella-stuffed cappelletti with robiola fonduta to hand-cut truffled taglioni with clams and uni foam.

I was especially taken by the muhammara fagottini, which transformed the Middle Eastern dip into diamond-shaped golden dumplings filled with roasted red peppers, almonds, and sweet-tart pomegranate molasses, artfully served over tahini and chickpeas.

As Redcrest keeps expanding into other phases, like brunch, its easy to see its potential broader appeal. Snyder doesnt overdo basics like eggs Benedict, adding a light flourish of Calabrian chile heat to the hollandaise. And good technique, like soaking buttery brioche in a vanilla-rich base typical for ice cream, created one of the fluffiest French toasts Ive eaten lately, its custardy sweetness tempered by the savory tang of red miso caramel.

The presence of Redcrest Fried Chicken, meanwhile, still hovers, and Volk has finally resurrected it to his projects favor. While he still plans to open a brick-and-mortar location, Volk has used the kitchens facility to reboot the chicken sandwich delivery service, and also a daily lunch service in Redcrests dining room, where I was reminded by the shattering buttermilk crunch, moist flesh, and red curry-flared sauce of its signature sandwich why it was a sensation to begin with.

They even serve a mini-version of that sandwich as a wink to Redcrests roots in the kitchens tasting menu. If thats what it takes to bring more attention to this worthy, overlooked newcomer, let those chicken sandwiches fly, Redcrest, fly.

Redcrest Kitchen

625 S. Sixth St., 215-454-6951; redcrest.kitchen

Kitchen dinner menu served Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, until 10 p.m. Brunch Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Redcrest Fried Chicken available for delivery Wednesday through Saturday, and in the dining room for lunch only Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Sunday.

Dinner entrees, $23-$37.

Wheelchair accessible.

Gluten-free options available.
A COVID-19 test kit vending machine at the Regional Transportation Commission's Bonneville Transit Center, on Thursday June 9, 2022, in Las Vegas. The Southern Nevada Health District and its partners installed the vending machine. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS) Read more

The national COVID-19 emergency declarations that for three years gave the federal government powerful tools to combat a deadly pandemic and support struggling Americans are set to expire Thursday.

The national and public health emergency declarations, in place since early 2020, gave the federal government flexibility regarding policies and requirements related to public health. The White House announced in January the declarations would expire this week.

That doesnt mean COVID-19, responsible for the deaths of more than 18,000 people in Philadelphia and its neighboring New Jersey and Pennsylvania counties since 2020, is gone.

The virus has killed more than a million people nationally. It was responsible for the deaths of 1,109 just in the week ending May 3, the most current data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of May 2, about 250 people in Pennsylvania hospitals had COVID, according to state data, though it does not specify how many were hospitalized specifically for COVID treatment.

While we are now in a very different place in the COVID-19 pandemic with the availability of effective COVID-19 vaccines and other treatments, ensuring access to these interventions is critical, said Eric Chow, chief of communicable disease epidemiology at Public Health  Seattle & King County.

Advertisement

COVID-19 continues to spread and mutate, but two years of vaccinations and infections created widespread immunity responsible for declines in serious illness and death.

The number of Americans COVID killed the week of May 3 was half the number killed in roughly the same week in 2022, and a quarter the number of deaths during the same period in 2021. Hospitalizations likewise have dropped precipitously.

In New Jersey, 161 people were hospitalized with COVID as of May 9, that state reported, roughly one-third the number hospitalized a year ago.

There were periods during the pandemic when 100 or more Philadelphians died in a week from COVID, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health reported. The virus killed 248 in Philadelphia the week of April 12, 2020, the citys most deadly week of the pandemic. Since December, Philadelphias weekly COVID death counts have been in the single digits.

Still, health professionals caution, it is important to take the disease seriously and be mindful of preventative tactics.

 READ MORE: Coronavirus coverage

The declarations end comes on the heels of the World Health Organization lifting its pandemic public health emergency earlier this month.

COVID-19 has been so much more than a health crisis, disrupting economies, travel, shattering businesses and plunging millions into poverty, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference. This [downward] trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before COVID-19. Therefore, with great hope, I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency.

While in place, the emergency declarations allowed millions of people to receive Medicaid, the state and federally funded health coverage program for low-income families and individuals.

The emergency declarations also allowed the government to provide free COVID vaccines, tests, and some treatments to every American. That will now change, too. Heres what you need to know.

Medicaid

Thousands of Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents qualified for Medicaid under the emergency declarations.

People on Medicaid typically renew their coverage annually and are required to prove they still meet income requirements. States suspended the plan-renewal process throughout the pandemic but it resumed last month.

Over the next year, people who signed up for Medicaid during the pandemic will receive renewal packets in the mail with instructions about how to continue their coverage if theyre still income-eligible. If someones renewal application is denied because they now earn too much to qualify, theyll be able to enroll in private health insurance through the Obamacare marketplaces.

The Urban Institute, a Washington think tank, estimated in a December report that 18 million people nationwide are expected to lose Medicaid coverage within the next 14 months, including more than 3 million children who will transfer to Childrens Health Insurance Programs. An additional nearly 4 million people will lose their insurance entirely.

COVID-19 tests

With the declarations lifted, COVID-19 at-home tests will no longer be mailed to households for free.

Most free COVID-19 PCR test sites have closed. People with insurance  including Medicare  will no longer have access to free COVID-19 home tests. Tests are still available for purchase and may be covered or partially covered by some insurance policies. People without insurance will have to pay for tests.

Those enrolled in government Medicaid programs will continue to be eligible for free home tests until next year.

COVID-19 vaccines

Vaccines will no longer be free for every American.

Once the federal governments supply of COVID-19 vaccines runs dry, vaccine manufacturers will start charging.

Vaccine stock is anticipated to last through the summer. From there, Pfizer and Moderna announced that they will charge for vaccines. Pfizer expects to charge $110 to $130 a dose.

People without insurance will generally have to pay to get vaccinated, unless the cost is waived by certain pharmacies or community health centers. Some areas are working on initiatives to provide free vaccines for children.

Private insurance companies  including those available through the Affordable Care Act  will continue to pay for COVID-19 vaccines administered by health-care providers within network. The Affordable Care Act requires those programs to cover recommended vaccines without co-pays.

Treatment

The federal government continues to go through its millions of doses of Paxlovid  a primary treatment for people with COVID  and will distribute it for free while that supply lasts, said Ashish Jha, the White House COVID response coordinator.

Once the governments supply runs out, treatments will be available through the commercial market. Some, including Paxlovid, will be covered by Medicare, while others will be partially covered, according to Kaiser.

Private insurers are also expected to cover the treatments, though some members may have co-pays.

People without insurance or support from other safety-net programs will be responsible for the full costs.

Telehealth

Virtual appointments were critical in keeping people connected to their doctors during the pandemic.

Medicare and Medicaid agreed to temporarily cover these visits as they would for in-person appointments. Once the health emergency ends, Medicare recipients can permanently use telehealth for behavioral and mental health care, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. They will also be able to use telehealth for other medical services through the end of 2024, unless they live in a rural area, according to KFF.

Doctors and patients both want telehealth to continue, and Pennsylvania legislators are considering measures that could require private insurers to pay for telehealth visits.

COVID sick time

Philadelphia continues to require employers to provide workers with COVID 40 paid hours of sick leave in addition to any paid sick time already offered. That is expected to expire at the end of this year.
Einstein nurses, currently in contract negotiations, rally on Thursday outside Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. Read more

Cars honked in support as nurses wearing red shirts waved signs that read retain us, respect us Thursday morning on North Broad Street outside Einstein Medical Center.

The picket was organized by the Einstein local of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, which represents nearly 900 nurses at the Philadelphia hospital. The union is negotiating a new contract, after their existing one expired April 30. Einstein nurses are seeking wage increases for veteran nurses and better hospital security to protect staff.

The negotiation comes at a time when many hospitals across the state are short-staffed, and many nurses are considering leaving the field.

 READ MORE: Tired and frustrated, some Philadelphia nurses look for life and work outside hospitals

Advertisement

Thursdays picket culminated with a rally featuring elected officials, candidates in the forthcoming primary elections, and nurses. Speaking into a microphone, Patrick Kelly, an ICU nurse and copresident of the local, asked the crowd to recall how in the early months of the pandemic management had put up signs that proclaimed heroes work here. But in negotiations, he said, management has not followed through by meeting the nurses demands.

The hospital has about 300 open nursing positions and relies on temporary nurses supplied by outside agencies to fill the gap. Other local hospitals have been making changes to retain and attract nurses, he said, while Einstein took a different path under owner Jefferson Health.

They dont do anything for retention, Kelly told the crowd. Not a darn thing.

State Sen. Nikil Saval attended one of the first sessions of negotiations between Jefferson and the Einstein nurses earlier this year and said executives ignored testimony of nurses on the conditions in the hospitals.

The executives from Einstein have the gall to say that they know best how to run a hospital, the Democrat said, rallying the picketing nurses. That is B.S. You know whats best.

Nurses attending the picket said care is suffering because they are assigned too many patients.

Without proper staffing, shifts can become overwhelming, labor and delivery nurse Gina Gowans said.

Were really doing our best to rush around and give patients the care that the need, but sometimes, unfortunately, we fall short, she said rocking a stroller decorated with picket signs, with her 1-year-old son sleeping inside.

Jefferson spokesperson Damien Woods said in a statement that the negotiations are ongoing.

Jefferson/Einstein is committed to negotiating in good faith for a new contract that provides nurses with fair, competitive wages and benefits while allowing the hospital to continue delivering safe, high-quality care, Woods said.

 READ MORE: Should hospitals be required to have a certain number of nurses?

Last week, the Pennsylvania House Health Committee heard testimony on the Patient Safety Act, which would require hospitals to meet minimum staffing levels for nurses. Representatives from nurses unions said the bill would improve their working conditions, and encourage nurses who have left patient care to return to hospitals.
A judge ruled that attorney Tom Bosworth could keep displaying two TikTok videos critical of Penn Medicine, including the one from which this image is taken, where he alleges that the health system's radiology department is understaffed. Read more

Representing a man who died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, lawyer Tom Bosworth turned to an unusual platform in April to argue that the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania was at fault.

He went on TikTok, where more than 175,000 followers know him as the blunt-spoken tommythelawyer.

In a pair of videos, Bosworth accused Penn Medicine of failing to hire enough doctors to read the X-rays of his client and others, despite having plenty of money. One of the posts, on April 4, was titled Medicine Has Become a Money Machine, in which he quoted a Penn physician who had testified in the case that the radiology department was massively understaffed.

Lawyers talk about their cases in the media all the time, but Bosworths outspokenness and his use of social media were unusual  as was Penn Medicines response. Lawyers for the health system filed emergency motions to try to shut him down, testing how the legal system grapples with a platform on which posts can be readily shared and re-shared by the thousands.

Advertisement

The videos misrepresented the facts and had poisoned any potential pool of jurors, Penns lawyers argued before Common Pleas Court Judge Denis Cohen. They asked the judge to order that the videos be taken down, that Bosworth be barred from making additional public comments about the case, and that he be hauled before a state disciplinary board.

They did not succeed. In an April 14 ruling, Cohen said the videos could stand, ruling that Bosworth had not violated the states rules of professional conduct for lawyers. The judge did not elaborate, nor did he address the content of the videos, but it was clear he believed that the case had pushed the law toward a new frontier.

These are incredibly important issues and fascinating from an intellectual standpoint, as well, Cohen said during the hearing.

Lawyers for the health system arent the only ones who have questioned Bosworths approach. His boss at the time the lawsuit was filed, prominent lawyer Thomas R. Kline, urged him not to publicly criticize Penns radiology department before gathering more facts.

Bosworth initially complied. But separately, he continued to post other criticisms of health systems and insurance companies on his TikTok page. In one titled The Dirty Truth About Hospitals, he claimed all hospitals have executives whose job is to cover up medical mistakes. Kline and partner Shanin Specter grew increasingly uneasy. In November, they fired him, accusing him of devoting too much energy to his social-media presence and not enough time to managing cases.

The aftermath has been one of the messier public disputes in recent memory of the Philadelphia legal community, prompting more than a dozen articles in the Legal Intelligencer since late December.

Kline and Specter have filed two lawsuits against their former associate, accusing him of defamation and poaching clients, and he has sued them  in addition to responding on TikTok. In a series of videos, one of which drew 1.4 million views, Bosworth accused his former bosses of greed.

The 34-year-olds bluntness also can be apparent in traditional legal settings, the Intelligencer reported. On May 2, a federal judge accused him of being abusive and obnoxious toward opposing lawyers in the case of an Altoona, Pa., baby who died in a rocking-sleeper device, and imposed sanctions.

Criticizing how Penn reads X-rays

Bosworth has continued to represent the widow of and the estate of George Kaplan, the man who died of the ruptured aortic aneurysm in August 2019. He alleges that some of the blame lies with Penns radiology department  the target of the videos he posted April 4 and 6.

The first video specifically mentions the aneurysm case, in which Bosworth alleges that partly because of understaffing, Penn physicians took more than five hours to read his clients X-ray, contributing to his death. The other video is more general, alleging that Penn Medicine increasingly uses technicians with no medical training to interpret patient X-rays.

Not accurate, the health system says. The formal term is radiologic technologists, and some of them do get special training to perform preliminary reviews of X-rays, at Penn and elsewhere. But they do not interpret the images or render a diagnosis. Those functions are the job of radiologists  physicians  and Penn Medicine has plenty, health system officials said in a statement.

Our radiology departments staffing model has consistently been aligned with national standards and our peer institutions, the statement read. In addition, we do not now and have never relied on radiology technicians to issue diagnostic reports on imaging studies. All imaging studies at Penn Medicine are interpreted by qualified and experienced radiologists.

Still, some in the radiology department believe that there is room for improvement, according to depositions that Bosworth quoted in the videos. The massively understaffed comment was from Benoit Desjardins, the Penn radiologist who interpreted the X-ray in the aneurysm case.

Bosworth also deposed Penns chief of radiology, Mitchell Schnall, who testified that the department could be 10% to 15% better staffed, a quote not included in the video.

Penns use of technologists to look at X-rays also has drawn fire from an advocacy group called Physicians for Patient Protection, which argues that the task is best left to doctors. After Penn physicians published two studies in which they found the practice was promising, the advocacy group challenged the methodology of the second study, and Penn withdrew it.

Using TikTok to warn of health risks

Within a week after Bosworth posted the videos, lawyers for Penn filed the motions to try to get them taken down.

In the state rules that govern lawyers conduct, there is no express prohibition against publicizing testimony from pretrial depositions.

But ordinarily, such testimony is not part of the public record, and lawyers for Penn argued that by broadcasting excerpts from it, Bosworth had prejudiced the pool of potential jurors. They warned that Bosworths use of TikTok had enabled him to spread the information with remarkable speed, as one of the videos had been forwarded hundreds of times.

Bosworth countered that there was nothing special about TikTok from a legal standpoint, and that the First Amendment protected his right to alert the public about a health risk. As for Penns objections to his quoting from closed-door depositions, Bosworth said they all came from excerpts of testimony that he referenced in motions he filed in the case  meaning they were part of the public record.

The judge agreed. That means the case will continue to drag on as before, now nearly four years since Bosworths client died in the hospital.

The question of whether Penn Medicine is at fault in that death may someday be up to a jury. In the meantime, Bosworth is free to keep advocating for his client  both in court and as tommythelawyer on TikTok.

And he has made clear he will keep using the platform to advocate other views  whether theyre criticisms of hospitals and insurance companies, or other public-health threats such as the recent chemical spill in a Delaware River tributary. This year alone, he has posted 115 videos on the social-media site, an average of nearly one video a day.
Khalif Mujahid-Ali, founder of the Beloved Care Project, sought to support victims of gun violence and prevent crime. He died this week at age 60. Read more

Khalif Mujahid-Ali, 60, a devoted community organizer who wrapped his arms around the citys youth and took every homicide personally, died this week.

Mr. Mujahid-Ali, of Southwest Philadelphia, was found dead in Bellmawr, N.J., Tuesday morning, police said. While an official cause of death is not yet available, his family said they believe he died of a heart attack.

Mr. Mujahid-Ali was the founder of the Beloved Care Project, a nonprofit that sought to mentor and support children from West and Southwest Philadelphia through writing, trauma and grief counseling, field trips, neighborhood marches, and interfaith prayer. The goal, he said, was to uplift the voices of people and communities most affected by gun violence, and to build a village for the citys children so that they could see a future for themselves.

They dont have no hope, he said of the citys young people in a recent interview. We have to show them that we love them, we care, we want to save their lives.

Advertisement

He was born in Philadelphia on April 21, 1963, as Lewis Edward Brooks, and attended Philadelphia public schools. He converted to Islam in the 70s, his family said, and adopted a new name.

Mr. Mujahid-Ali had a contagious laugh and kept a short, graying beard, and was almost always wearing a hat  his signature look was sporting a black beret.

He spent some of his adult life in Delaware, Virginia, and Maryland, and over the years, worked as a kitchen and flooring specialist at Home Depot, an associate at a county landfill, and as a truck driver.

But he did not realize his true calling until he served a 6-year jail sentence for aggravated assault in 2014. It was during his time behind bars, he said, that the idea for the Beloved Care Project was born  he was determined to ensure other Philadelphia children did not repeat his mistakes, and that even if they did, it would not define them.

He founded the nonprofit in 2020, and funded it largely out of his own pocket as an Uber and Lyft driver. He most recently worked full-time at the Penn Injury Science Center at the University of Pennsylvania, as a community outreach supervisor and violence interrupter.

People who knew Mr. Mujahid-Ali described him similarly: He was selfless  everything he did was for his community. He was humble  he never wanted the spotlight at the events he organized, and made sure attendees were the ones holding the microphone. And, above all else, he was committed to building trusting relationships with community members, especially youth.

His whole philosophy was, show up. He would say, I dont want your money, I want your support. This work cant be territorial, we have to work together, said friend and confidant Natasha McGlynn, executive director of the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia.

McGlynn recalled the first time she met Mr. Mujahid-Ali, at a community meeting in early 2021, where he told the group that he regularly cried for the citys children and the violence they were enduring.

The two spoke almost daily after that. I had a 60-year-old best friend, said McGlynn, 37.

He wanted to make a change and he wanted voices to be heard, said Mecca Robinson of Forget Me Knot, who organized anti-violence events with Mr. Mujahid-Ali. We really lost a soldier.

Mr. Mujahid-Ali personally knew the pain wrought by gun violence  in 2009, his sister Tara Monique Brooks was fatally shot.

He was tired of politicians and institutions telling his community what they thought they needed, he said, and wanted those most impacted by violence to be heard.

You cant walk in our house and tell us how to fix it, he told The Inquirer. Were gonna tell you how to fix it.

Recently, hed become a key volunteer for mayoral candidate Rebecca Rhynharts campaign and appeared in multiple commercials.

Rhynhart called Mr. Mujahid-Alis anti-violence work inspiring and contagious.

Khalif genuinely believed we could improve our neighborhoods through compassion  and I hope we all can lead by following his example, she said in a statement.

Rhynharts campaign manager, Kellan White, added: He just cared in a way that was so authentic. He took every homicide personally. Whether it was Northeast Philly, Center City, Southwest, Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, didnt matter to him. It was all a disease that was warping our city in a way that was unacceptable to him.

Mr. Mujahid-Ali built close relationships with many families whod lost loved ones to gun violence, standing alongside mothers such as Crystal Arthur, whose son Kristian Hamilton-Arthur was killed in 2017, to call for justice in their unsolved cases.

We have to keep it alive, Arthur said. We cant just let the Beloved Care Project go. His legacy has to be fulfilled.

Family was at the heart of all of his work, McGlynn said. He was a loving son and father and was especially devoted to his grandchildren, said his niece Shannon Brooks.

Even if he was in a meeting, she said, when his twin granddaughters called him, he stopped what he was doing and answered the phone.

They were inseparable, Brooks said.

Mr. Mujahid-Ali is survived by his mother and children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. A janazah prayer will be held Saturday, May 13, at 1 p.m. at the West Philadelphia Masjid, at 4700 Wyalusing Ave.
The Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center Monday as the Philadelphia Department of Prisons reported the escape of two prisoners the day before. Read more

A 21-year-old woman has been charged with helping coordinate the escape of two prisoners from a Philadelphia jail this week by putting them in touch with a potential get-away driver, authorities said.

Xianni Stallings, of North Philadelphia, was called twice on a recorded jail line by Ameen Hurst, one of the two escapees, about 5:15 p.m. Sunday  just hours before Hurst and his accused co-conspirator broke out of the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center through a hole in a chain-link fence, according to an affidavit of probable cause for Stallings arrest.

During the calls, the affidavit says, Stallings connected Hurst with a man who discussed picking him up at the bridge behind the jail.

Stallings was arraigned early Thursday morning on charges including conspiracy and hindering apprehension, court records show. Bail was set at $500,000. Jane Roh, a spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office, said prosecutors had asked for bail to be set at $2 million and were in the process of appealing the decision.

Advertisement

Stallings was being represented by the Defender Association of Philadelphia, which declined to comment.

Court records show Stallings was released from jail earlier this year after charges connected to a stabbing she was accused of participating in fell apart due to a lack of evidence. An accused coconspirator, 43-year-old Taren Stallings is free on $750,000 bail while awaiting trial on charges including attempted murder, the records say.

Stallings new arrest added a twist to a situation that has outraged city officials and led to a search for Nasir Grant, 24, who is charged with gun and drug offenses, and Hurst, 18, who is accused of committing four homicides. U.S. Marshals are continuing to look for them.

Grant was taken into custody Thursday night after a car stop on the 2800 block of West Dauphin Street, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark.

 READ MORE: One of the two men who escaped from a Philly jail was arrested Thursday night, authorities say

Their disappearance from the jail went unnoticed by staff for nearly 19 hours, despite the fact that, according to Prisons Commissioner Blanche Carney, three body counts were performed during that time.

A number of questions remained unanswered Thursday, including how and when the triangle-shaped hole was cut in the fence, and by whom. Officials have otherwise remained tight-lipped on investigations into how the breakout happened and why it went undetected for so long.

Several sources briefed on the probes, who requested anonymity to discuss it, have said investigators are exploring the possibility that Hurst and Grant may have been aided in some capacity by prison staff. It remains unclear whether authorities believe the escape was actively assisted by any employees or simply enabled by ongoing staffing shortages that have plagued the jails for years.

Carney said in a statement: We are leaving no stone unturned in order to make sure this doesnt happen again.

The escape followed more than two years of warnings by prisoners, advocates and union officials of a growing crisis at the citys jails, where nearly 4,400 people are held. Last week, the union representing officers announced a vote of no confidence in Carneys leadership, saying the prisons are about 800 officers short, posing a public safety crisis.

Carney, meanwhile, had raised concerns with other city officials for months about the flow of drugs, phones, tools, and other contraband into the jails. And two sources familiar with the ongoing investigations into the breakout said Carney has told others in the days since that she believes it could have been a so-called inside job.

David Robinson, president of Local 159 of AFSCME District Council 33, which represents corrections officers, called the notion of guards helping prisoners break free absurd.

That somebody would help an inmate escape, especially with those charges? he said. I couldnt believe that. I refuse to believe that.

Suspicious conversations

Long before Hurst escaped on Sunday, investigators had taken a keen interest in his recorded phone conversations with people outside the jail.

Shortly after he was incarcerated in 2021, a law enforcement source said, Hurst proved surprisingly loose-lipped on calls to relatives in which he discussed goings-on in the jail, and even the particulars about other crimes.

In court documents, prosecutors said that when Hurst was facing charges for one murder, he essentially confessed on a recorded line to another: The fatal shooting in 2021 of 20-year-old Rodney Hargrove on State Road, near the front gates of the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility.

You heard about that State Road s? Hurst asked on a call in March 2021, according to court documents. I thought that was Sid, we got the wrong [person] though.

Hurst was later charged with killing Hargrove, and his phone conversations were cited in the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest in that case.

On Monday afternoon, after Hurst had escaped  but before prison officials realized he and Grant were missing  Stallings spoke with another prisoner, also on a recorded line, and almost immediately brought up the breakout, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in her case.

You didnt hear about no inmates leaving? Stallings asked, the affidavit said. Stallings was shocked that the prisoner knew nothing about it, the document said. They just climbed the fence and run, she said.

Earlier this year, Stallings spent several months in jail after she was charged with counts including attempted murder over a stabbing on the 2600 block of Susquehanna Avenue in November 2022, court records say.

A criminal complaint said she and Taren Stallings stabbed a man several times in his head, neck, and body, screaming: Lets kill him! Lets kill him! The complaint does not identify the victim, or say how Xianni and Taren Stallings might be related.

The complaint also does not specify which role either person may have played in the crime. Court records show that on Feb. 14, Municipal Court Judge Karen Y. Simmons ruled that Taren Stallings should be held for trial on charges including attempted murder and aggravated assault, but that all charges against Xianni Stallings should be dismissed for lack of evidence.

A Twitter account that appears to be Stallings contains numerous posts lamenting her boyfriends incarceration, though it did not mention a name. My man really [gonna] be home the end of this month, a post on Sunday morning said.

The next afternoon  hours before the escape was known to the public or even to prison officials  came an update: This boy really scatted.

It was not clear how, or whether, Hurst and Grant may have known theyd be able to escape undetected Sunday night.

Robinson, the union executive, has said staff shortages should be scrutinized. The unit from which Grant and Hurst broke free, known as H Unit  which was designated as one of the most secure units in the entire jail complex  was unstaffed for four hours around the time of the escape Sunday night, he said. And he said two other critical posts outside had been unstaffed for nearly a year.

Carney, the prisons commissioner, has denied that any section of the prison was completely unstaffed, though she acknowledged that the whereabouts of staff on Sunday and Monday are part of the ongoing investigations.

Unsafe and violent environment

If the escape was in some way assisted by one or more staff members, it would add to a troubling list of accusations that employees have at times contributed to wrongdoing at the jails, where prisoners and staffers alike have long been experiencing harsh conditions.

Last fall, the District Attorneys Office charged a correctional officer with taking more than $23,000 in bribes in return for helping an incarcerated man run a criminal enterprise out of the jails  including by letting the prisoner sell drugs within the facility, prosecutors said.

A year before that, a corrections officer was federally charged with sneaking $70,000 worth of cell phones and drugs into the institutions.

An expert testifying in a federal lawsuit last year concluded the jails were awash in contraband, contributing to an unsafe and violent environment.

Amid multiple grand jury probes, the city in 2021 contracted to bring state-of-the-art body scanners, capable of detecting an array of contraband, into the jails. But they have never been used, Robinson said: Staff go through a metal detector and a pat down instead.

Robinson acknowledged that was due to pushback by union leaders, who had cited concerns over radiation and possible invasion of privacy.

John Mitchell, a spokesperson for the citys Department of Prisons, said the scanners are used when processing prisoners, but are not in use for staff.

After the escape, the city called in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections for a security assessment in response to the breakout, Carney said. And each jail facility is expected to remain on lockdown through Friday for a thorough review of the perimeter and security points, the city said.

Before Grant was caught, Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said his department remained focused on quickly locating the escapees.

Authorities ask that anyone with information call 911, the U.S. Marshals Service at 800-336-0102, or Philadelphia Police at 215-686-TIPS (8477). Officials were offering a reward of as much as $25,000 for the capture of each man.

Right now, Vanore said, were doing everything we can to find those two.
Rothman's main building is at 925 Chestnut Street, the old federal reserve building, but it's also the home of Jefferson Health's Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. Though separate institutions, Rothman and Jefferson are financially and academically linked. Read more

A former Rothman Orthopaedic Institute surgeon and a former medical resident at Thomas Jefferson University settled their civil court case over sexual assault allegations Wednesday midway through a trial.

Lawyers for John Abraham, an orthopedic oncology surgeon, and Jessica Phillips, a medical resident at the time of the alleged assault, declined to divulge details of the agreement. Neither side received monetary damages, according to sources involved in the case.

 READ MORE: The quiet handling of rape allegations at two Philly health institutions

Abraham, 48, sued Phillips and her husband for libel, slander, fraud, and other claims after Phillips alleged that Abraham had raped her after a June 2018 pool party, which he hosted at his Main Line home for Jeffersons orthopedic surgery residents and operating room staff. Abraham said he was forced into sex and himself a victim.

Advertisement

Phillips, 34, now an orthopedic surgeon on the West Coast, countersued for assault, battery, and emotional distress. Montgomery County authorities closed the criminal case in late 2018 without any charges against Abraham.

Were thrilled that Dr. Abraham was able to testify and present even just a fraction of the evidence that has thus far been ignored or overlooked by many, said Abrahams lawyer, Lane Jubb Jr., in a statement. Dr. Abraham is happy for everyone involved that this ended when and in the way it did.

The settlement came ahead of Jessica Phillips scheduled testimony on what would have been the third day of the trial in a Philadelphia Common Pleas courtroom. Instead, at just after 10 a.m., Judge Ann Butchart dismissed the 12-member jury, made up of four men and eight women.

While our clients were looking forward to testifying and presenting the evidence to the jury, they are very happy that the parties could reach a mutually amicable resolution of this matter, said Stewart Ryan, the lawyer for Jessica and her husband, Reid Phillips, in a statement Wednesday.

Trial testimony cut short

Testimony presented during the abbreviated trial largely centered on Abrahams claims against Phillips, with his side expected to rest its case on Wednesday.

Abraham took the stand Monday, at times crying as he told jurors about the fallout of her allegations. He lost his job at Jefferson and, ultimately, at Rothman, he said.

The settlement between Abraham and Phillips has no bearing on Abrahams employment at either institution, which are financially and academically tied. Doctors at Rothman, which bills itself as the nations largest private orthopedic practice, train Jeffersons medical residents. In addition, several of Rothmans top doctors hold leadership roles at Jefferson, a nonprofit that runs 18 hospitals in the Philadelphia region.

Some of the testimony focused on Jeffersons sexual misconduct investigation under Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at any university that receives federal funds.

In late June 2018, the university launched the inquiry after Phillips alleged that she was too drunk to consent to sex with Abraham. She said she awoke in Abrahams bed the following morning disoriented, in pain, and covered in bruises.

Abrahams said in his testimony that Phillips forced him into sex in the early-morning hours after the party, and that he was also too drunk to consent.

Jefferson and Rothman were not defendants in the civil lawsuit between Abraham and Phillips, but the case highlighted how the institutions handled the sexual assault allegations.

In an article published Monday, The Inquirer detailed how leadership at Rothman and Jefferson quietly took steps to limit each institutions liability, resulting in claims by both Phillips and Abraham that they were treated unfairly. Jefferson and Rothman declined to comment on The Inquirers reporting, citing pending litigation.

Abraham has a separate, ongoing civil rights lawsuit against Jefferson in federal court. In that suit, Abraham says the university failed to investigate his claim that Phillips sexually assaulted him and conducted an unfair, gender-biased investigation. Jefferson has denied his assertion.

The Inquirer article revealed that Jeffersons and Rothmans leadership brokered a deal that avoided a sexual misconduct hearing and ultimately closed the Title IX investigation.

Jefferson closed its sexual misconduct investigation  without consulting Phillips  after Abraham agreed to voluntarily relinquish his roles as a professor and supervising physician at Jefferson. In exchange for Abrahams departure, Rothmans leadership allowed him to retain his partnership and work at a New Jersey hospital not affiliated with Jefferson, The Inquirer found.

Subsequently, Rothman fired Abraham last year for allegedly failing to bring in $1.3 million in annual revenue as part of his partnership agreement. Abraham has a separate pending legal action against Rothman, claiming in a court filing that Rothmans leadership orchestrated a plan to starve him of patients and cook the financial books after he refused to drop his federal lawsuit against Jefferson.

Rothman, in a court filing, disputes Abrahams claims.

Title IX investigation challenged

Jefferson had fought for two years to keep private its Title IX investigative report, which Abraham and Phillips each sought in their Common Pleas case.

Days before the trials start, after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected the institutions request to appeal a Superior Court ruling, Jefferson provided copies to Abraham and Phillips.

On Tuesday, one of Abrahams lawyers, Andrew Marth, questioned Jeffersons then-Title IX coordinator, Zoe Gingold.

Marth pointed out that Jeffersons report noted Phillips flirtatious interactions with other guests.

Under questioning from Marth, Gingold said such behavior could be considered sexual harassment under the universitys policy. She acknowledged that the university didnt investigate those claims against Phillips. However, Phillips lawyer countered that no one at the party initiated a complaint against Phillips.

Jefferson completed its investigation without getting Abrahams side of events, Marth said in court.

You only had one side of the story, right? Marth said, questioning Gingold.

Jefferson, in its court filings, has said that the university handled the case fairly and took into consideration that Abraham was a professor and Phillips was a medical resident.
Danita Sherrod, left, mother of Najah Sherrod. (right) displays a sign for her daughter outside the Liacouras Center. Najah graduated with a master's in education. Read more

The 70-something-degree, sunny weather on Thursday was perfect for commencement pictures, by the Owl statue, by the Bell Tower in campus center, in front of the stately Charles Library and dozens of other places dear to graduates who have called Temple University home.

Certainly, Temple and its students deserved it.

Its been a tough year for the North Philadelphia-based university, which endured a 42-day graduate student worker strike, leadership tumult, and the death of an on-duty Temple police officer, which exacerbated off-campus safety concerns. And going back even further, these graduating seniors  at least the ones that started in fall 2019  had their education upended when they were just freshmen and the pandemic hit.

 READ MORE: JoAnne Epps, named Temples acting president, says she can calm waters

Advertisement

But Temples 136th commencement was different. It was a time for smiles, celebration and appreciation for their university and their own educational journeys.

I feel on top of the world, gushed Nya Spencer, 22, a finance major from Hillside, N.J. Just to be here in nice weather, a nice day, no masks. Its just super relieving.

And while safety has been a concern for the school community, she said she cherishes the education she got at the Fox School of Business.

 READ MORE: Temple should lead a collective effort to make North Philly safer, says long-awaited report

They really prepared us for the real world and taught us crucial skills, said Spencer, who already has a job lined up in Houston.

Other students agreed.

I wouldnt have traded it for the world, said Nick Diminick 22, an engineering technology major from Danville.

Ben Kauffman, 30, an adult organizational development major from Bryn Mawr, said he struggled with some mental health issues in his early 20s and then Temple proved to be a place where he could take care of himself and thrive.

Temple just provided a spot for me to really come into my own and to really find a program that matched with my desire to educate and help people, he said.

He also is proud to have attended a university with employees who would strike for better pay and benefits so they can have better lives, he said, referring to the strike by the Temple University Graduate Students Association.

Despite the early disruption of the pandemic, Erika Narducci said her daughter, Amelia, a graphic design major, was able to attend classes at Temples Rome campus in 2021. And though Narducci said she heard about safety challenges on the Philadelphia campus, she believed her daughter was safe and well-protected.

I felt very confident in the school in that they were doing the best they could, said Narducci, an oncology social worker from Glen Mills. We also think she received an excellent education.

Spencer, Diminick, Narducci and Kauffman were among more than 9,500 students who collected degrees at Temple this spring, coming from 115 countries, as far away as Indonesia. One graduate was getting a fifth Temple degree. The oldest was 72.

And the youngest was Egypt Cann, 19. Her mortarboard noted the speed with which she got her degree: Why do it in four when you can do it in two?

She took dual enrollment classes in high school in Bermuda and graduated with her associates degree, then transferred to Temple.

Her family was in town to celebrate, wearing T-shirts with her name and face on it.

At Temple, she said she became comfortable meeting new people and living in a city.

Just finding myself really, she said. Im kind of sad to leave.

But shes excited to start work in the human resources department of a Bermuda law firm in June.

It was a big day, too, for JoAnne A. Epps, a longtime faculty member, law school dean and provost who presided over her first commencement as acting president. Looking out at the crowd of black gowns and hats inside the Liacouras Center, Epps  who took the helm at Temple after Jason Wingard resigned  said she thinks about what their futures hold.

Some of them are going to be famous, she said. Some are going to help people. Others are going to establish policies that change the way we live and think about things that matter. Others are going to be caregivers. Its monumental.

She still recalls the deep feelings from her own graduation ceremony at Trinity College, where she was among the first class of female graduates, an experience that was challenging. She recalled how proud her family was. Each graduate only got four tickets to the ceremony and she had 17 relatives who had driven to Hartford, Conn., to watch.

So my father went in with three people, came out with four tickets, she said. Went back in with three people, came out with four tickets. All 17 of my family got in.

Remembering how important it was to her family, Epps asked parents, guardians, aunts, uncles and other loved ones to stand and be applauded for helping graduates on their journey.

Students also heard from commencement speaker Gov. Josh Shapiro, whose parents graduated from Temple. He recounted some of the difficulties and tragedies Temple and its students faced, including the pandemic, a drop in enrollment and increased off-campus crime  he said aloud the name of slain Temple Police Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald and encouraged the audience to remember him.

But he said the challenges have made the class of 2023 stronger.

You are the ones I want on the front lines dealing with the big challenges of tomorrow, Shapiro told them. You have that resiliency. You got knocked down and then you got back up, even stronger. Youve got the tenacity to fight for the better world that you know you deserve.

Pennsylvania, Shapiro said, needs Temple to thrive, a comment that brought applause from the audience.

Im here today to make clear that I support the efforts of this board, the leadership of Temple, the students, the new alums, all of you who have a voice in this work to confront these challenges and help see us through, he said. I believe in Temple and I believe in this community, and I believe as a Commonwealth, we must ensure its success.
Neighbors kept watching historic homes in their communities being torn down. So they decided they needed to do something.

Thats why Philadelphia got three new large neighborhood historic districts last year  something a staffer at the Philadelphia Historical Commission called remarkable.

Philadelphians have gotten more on board with historic districts and their property protections  and owner restrictions  in recent years as development has spread.

I talked to the neighborhood groups that made these three districts happen and asked them how they did it.

Advertisement

Keep scrolling for that story and to learn from a local custom home builder about trends hes seeing, discover the benefits of reimagining your laundry room, and see how an East Kensington artist finds inspiration inside homes.

 Do you have a photograph, painting, drawing, or some other visual representation of your home? For a chance to be featured in my newsletter, email me about it.

 Speaking of questions, do you have a burning one  big or small  about a regional quirk, local legend, or something youve always wondered? Im happy to say The Inquirer has revived Curious Philly, which invites you to ask questions for us to answer for you and your fellow readers. Try it out.

If you see this  in today's newsletter, that means we're highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

 Michaelle Bond

Philadelphia has 40 historic districts, which are collections of resources linked by location or theme that are placed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

Some have just a few properties. The Rittenhouse-Fitler Historic District, created in 1995, has the most  2,233.

After years of research, lobbying, and public meetings, three neighborhood groups created three large districts last year.

Some interesting facts about them:

One is the first local historic district designated to recognize Black history. Another became the largest district the Historical Commission has designated in almost 20 years. One was able to use research from the creation of a previous historic district in its nomination.

Residents told me how they achieved historic status for their neighborhoods and offered their advice. One group raised $47,000 from neighbors to hire a team of professional historians and preservationists.

But they all had something in common: coalitions of people determined to make their historic district happen.

This spring, I wanted to know what buyers are looking for in newly built homes. So I asked Peter Rotelle, the head of a Chester County-based company that builds homes across Southeastern Pennsylvania.

He shared a few of the trends hes seeing among his buyers. Theyre not mainstream yet, but dont be surprised if you see some of them at a friends future housewarming.

More people are prioritizing quality and personalized features over more space, thanks in part to the tiny house movement, which I ate up a few years back. (In theory, not practice.)

Read my story for details about what Rotelle calls sexy pantries and mudrooms on steroids.

The latest news to pay attention to

I think its safe to say that most of us dont look forward to doing our laundry.

But homeowners who have spruced up their laundry rooms say theyve become more enthusiastic about the chore. One pair of owners painted the walls dark pink and added a rotating, multicolored overhead light. So the laundry room has more of a party feel.

Since house guests dont usually see laundry rooms, homeowners can feel more comfortable taking risks with colors and patterns that dont match the rest of the house.

Redoing a laundry room also can make the chore easier by improving access or creating more storage.

Read on for tips for rethinking your laundry room and examples of how homeowners have renovated theirs.

Becky Suss and Micah Danges had to replace the antique dining table Suss had gotten from her parents, who had gotten it from her grandparents. The wobbly table was dangerous for their toddler.

So they got a contemporary gray, granite-topped table with a study metal base. But the family heirloom lives on.

Suss memorialized the wooden table in a painting that is now in a museum at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts also have some of her paintings of home interiors.

Other pieces in the couples early 20th century East Kensington rowhouse, including ceramic lovebirds from her grandparents, also appear in her paintings.

Peek into the familys three-story home and look at the art inside.

 Trivia time 

Last week, an environmental nonprofit donated 3,100 acres in our region for permanent preservation. Along with thousands more acres, this piece of land will now form the Forked River Mountain Wilderness Area, where the public can hike.

Question: What county received the land donation?

A) Cumberland County

B) Burlington County

C) Ocean County

D) Chester County

This story has the answer.

The market

The usually busy spring housing market is off to a slower start this year, thanks to higher mortgage rates, uncertainty in the economy, and relatively few homes for sale.

But the Philly metro areas housing market has been stronger than many others in the Mid-Atlantic region, according to the multiple listing service Bright MLS. Low housing supply has kept prices rising.

April is usually one of the busiest months of the year. Last month, home prices and pending sales both grew, but not as much as usual for the time of year.

Here are some April stats for the Philly metro area from Bright MLS:

 1.2% increase in median sales price compared to a year earlier. It was the smallest annual price increase since June 2020.

 The regions median home price  $329,000  was still 40% higher than it was before the pandemic.

 2.4% increase in new pending sales between March and April

 20% decrease in new pending sales compared to a year earlier

 Photo quiz 

You can see the Center City skyline through these windows. Where is this?

 If you think you know, email me.

Shout out to Tawnie W., Jack M., and Mare G., who correctly guessed that last weeks photo was of a library in Germantown. Bonus points for Mare, who taught me the dragons name is Ricky.

 Your home experience 

Last week, I asked who among my readers has the oldest home. I heard from folks who told me their homes were built in 1911 (Glassboro) and 1908 (Lower Merion). One said she used to live in a Ridley Township home built in 1888 with a wing added in 1937.

But the winner so far is Len F., who owns a farmhouse in Lower Providence Township, Montgomery County, that he bought in 1974. He said it was built around 1702.

Thats pretty old. Can anyone beat that? Enjoy the rest of your week.
Our country is being destroyed by stupid people  by very stupid people.

 Ex-President Donald Trump, in a CNN town hall Wednesday night

Like the several million others who went against their better instincts and watched CNNs New Hampshire town hall with Donald Trump on Wednesday night, I thought I was mentally prepared for what was going to be a predictably demoralizing 70-minute torrent of full-force lies.

Just as there was no new Nixon in 1968, there is no new Trump, as the short-fingered vulgarian sits poised to gain the GOP nomination for the third straight time in 2024. A numbed nation saw Trump continue to deny President Joe Bidens seven million vote victory in 2020, create a bizarro world around the Jan. 6, 2021, attempted coup in which a violent insurrection was a beautiful day and the Black cop who shot Ashli Babbitt as she threatened Congress was a thug, and slander the woman he now owes $5 million for sexually abusing and defaming.

Advertisement

That was all too predictable. But heres what I wasnt prepared for, and it gutted me.

The applause.

I never expected Trumps inanities like the assertion that U.S. elections are routinely rigged (spoiler alert: they arent) or the inevitable attack on CNN moderator Kaitlin Collins as a nasty person would be greeted with a roomful of cheers, like platitudes on a late-night TV talk show. As the night dragged on, it felt like Trump had become a kind of Johnny Carson for a new version of middle America that I no longer recognize, trapped in a bubble of alternate reality and exploding with glee when the rhetoric turned violent or ugly.

The absolute rock bottom came when the former president of the United States launched into the all-too-foreseeable hateful and misogynistic rant about E. Jean Carroll, the writer who just won that $5 million judgment from a jury that agreed with her allegation that the then-developer assaulted her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s and that Trump since defamed her in denying what happened. On CNN, Trump lashed out and called Carroll a whack job, and the audience laughed and whooped as if that were a late-night zinger.

This utterly depressing event came after days of debate over whether CNN should be giving a national platform of essentially free advertising to Trump after his role in that attack on American democracy on Jan. 6, and as he promises retribution as a new form of American fascism if he returns to the White House on Jan. 20, 2025. Much of the focus was on whether Collins could ask the right kind of tough questions that Trump largely avoids in his own bubble of sycophants and true believers  thus exposing the candidate at the dawn of his new campaign.

 READ MORE: America needs to confront its Mussolini moment | Will Bunch Newsletter

It seems we werent asking the right questions. Where CNN went off the rails was in creating an audience at St. Anselms College in Manchester, N.H., comprised of Republican primary voters  the people completely oblivious to insurrection or sexual abuse as they continue to hail Trump as their champion  and, allegedly, some undecideds. Rather than reflect the many questions about POTUS 45 that caused the majority to reject him in 2020, this group became the mob from every other Trump rally, leaving Collins totally isolated as the nasty woman asking the rude questions, earning the enmity of these self-anointed real Americans.

The audience questions may have been forged in New Hampshire, but it felt like they were coming from Mars. The most surreal moment came when  as workers in Texas are still mopping the blood from an outlet mall where an avowed white supremacist used his legally purchased AR-15 assault rifle to mow down eight innocent people  the president of college Republicans at St. Anselm stepped forward to ask Trump what he will do to prevent the government from repressing gun rights.

This is not the concern of average young American voters, who are traumatized by a childhood of active-shooter drills and who have been marching since the Trump presidency for stricter gun laws. But then, CNNs supposedly representative audience didnt raise the other very real concerns of Gen Z voters, like climate change. No wonder young citizens are so alienated that they might just stay home on Nov. 5, 2024  which would hand the presidency back to Trump. That irony is painful  as was so much about Wednesdays unreality show.

Even CNN  albeit not for attribution  now seems to realize this town hall was a terrible mistake. One unnamed CNN insider acknowledged afterward to Rolling Stone that the night was appalling, lamenting that the network gave Trump a huge platform to spew his lies. Most non-brainwashed viewers would agree, but Im not sure that either CNN insiders or media critics understand that the dishonesty on the main stage wasnt as appalling as the adulation from the peanut gallery.

The crowd that became St. Anselms fire didnt speak for the nations majority, yet they represent a powerful phenomenon that America doesnt know how to reckon with. The applause for conspiracy theories and the punch-line laughter for rape denial was the physical embodiment of todays public opinion polls, which show Trump cruising to renomination next summer in Milwaukee and running a neck-and-neck race with Biden  even winning in one recent survey. Trumps politics of personal narcissism is not forever  whether it succumbs to the overlapping criminal probes or his next trip to the KFC drive-through  but those voters, who numbered 74 million in the fall of 2020, arent going away anytime soon.

Trumps firehose of lies about everything from election integrity to the federal deficit (massively accelerated by his disastrous tax cuts on the wealthy) is deeply disturbing. But what matters more is the mass delusion that causes millions to prefer the Big Lie as popularized on Facebook over the nasty truths when presented by the mainstream media or the deeply ingrained racism and misogyny that laughs at a Black officer as a thug and a victim of sexual abuse as a whack job. Until society figures out how to break that fever, the CNN town halls of future elections might make us nostalgic for Trumps goofball version of fascism.

But in the short term, Wednesdays town hall did reveal Trump as a dangerous threat  highly energetic for a 76-year-old, able to stay focused and unfazed in his mission of crafting a fake United States, ruled by grievance and resentment. And the GOP front-runner  although unintentionally  framed the question that matters most for 2024: Is the future of America going to be determined by very stupid people?

 READ MORE: SIGN UP: The Will Bunch Newsletter
Campaign signs for Heather Boyd and Katie For in Aldan on on May 4. The two are running in a special election in the Philadelphia suburbs. Read more

Pennsylvania Democrats have a new slogan: Majority matters.

And their majority in the state House is at stake in next weeks special election for a suburban Delaware County seat.

Democrats have a one-seat advantage over Republicans  their first House majority in more than 12 years. But if Republicans win the 163rd House District seat, the chamber would have a Republican majority again just three months after Democrats took control.

Whoever controls the House will set the agenda on state policies for elections, school funding, taxes, abortion access, and more.

Advertisement

The control of the House is at stake, so we are not taking anything for granted, said Rep. Leanne Krueger (D., Delaware), who also leads the House Democrats campaign arm.

Democrats won a majority of the chambers seats in November, but three vacancies kept the party from control until special elections in February. Democrats elected the states first woman and first Black woman to the speakership, Rep. Joanna McClinton (D., Philadelphia).

And House Democrats used their new majority to advance a number of long-sought legislative priorities they previously couldnt even get a vote for in committee, such as gun reforms and protections from discrimination for LGBTQ residents.

Voters in Montour County and parts of Northumberland County are also going to the polls for a special election, but that vacant House seat is in a district widely expected to remain in Republican hands.

With such a slim majority, Democrats werent willing to take any chances on the Upper Darby seat left open, with the state Democratic Party spending nearly $1 million in ad buys, mailers, polling, and more, according to campaign finance filings.

Republicans, on the other hand, spent only a small fraction of that, in what seems like a half-hearted attempt to flip the seat.

I believe in being humble, and I believe in putting in the hard work, which I have done, said Katie Ford, the Republican candidate.

Whos running for the 163rd House seat

Two women are vying to fill the suburban Delaware County seat vacated by former Rep. Mike Zabel after he resigned in March over three public sexual harassment allegations, including accusations from a female lawmaker and a lobbyist. Libertarian Alfe Goodwin is also running.

Democratic candidate Heather Boyd has centered her campaign on maintaining her partys House majority  and by extension, reproductive rights. Shes focused on preventing a constitutional amendment that would declare abortion is not a constitutional right in Pennsylvania, a change reproductive rights activists say could open the door to a state abortion ban. The Pennsylvania General Assembly approved the measure last year in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade, but it must be passed again this year in order to get before voters.

Boyd, 46, chairs the Upper Darby Democratic Committee and left her job as a senior adviser to U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D., Delaware) in March to run. Shes been involved in Democratic politics in the Philadelphia suburb for years and previously served on the local school board.

Ford, 43, is an early intervention specialist who is deeply involved in the local Home and School associations. Shes a lifelong Upper Darby resident and military veteran who describes herself as a political newcomer, spending her free time rescuing dogs.

Ford, a Republican, has emphasized Zabels misconduct  and Boyds knowledge of it  along with her mission to make residents excited to be Upper Darby again, she said.

Zabel first flipped the seat in 2018 from longtime Republican control, and its become bluer ever since: Under new district maps approved last year, 51% of registered voters in the district are Democrats, 37% are Republicans, and 12% are not affiliated.

Turnout in a municipal primary is always low. Add in a special election that will determine which party controls the state House, and turnout is even more unpredictable.

This is a Democratic-leaning seat, but in low-turnout primary elections like this, we need to make sure that voters turn out, Krueger said.

Democrats even employed the help of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro in a recent ad asking Upper Darby voters to support her, again focusing his message on abortion access in the state.

Abortion rights are threatened right now in Pennsylvania, Shapiro said in the 30-second ad. Delaware County, I need your help in the special election for state representative. The winner will determine which party controls the legislature.

If Republican extremists win, theyll take away my veto power by putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot to outlaw abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, Shapiro said in the ad. Delco, dont let them.

However, Ford said she wouldnt support the proposed constitutional amendment. Republican lawmakers have shown little interest in advancing the measure in recent months, following big Republican losses in the midterm election attributed in part to fears of abortion restrictions. She said she believes there should be exceptions and parameters for any abortion restrictions.

With a Democratic governor and Republican Senate, were not changing [abortion laws] anytime soon, and I have no interest in doing that, Ford said.

Money talks

Since May 2, hundreds of thousands of dollars have flooded into the race to represent the district, which includes parts of Upper Darby and Darby Townships and Clifton Heights, Collingdale, and Aldan Boroughs.

About $178,000 in contributions went to Boyds campaign in the last week, mostly from labor union political action committees. The House Republican Campaign Committee and other House Republicans were the biggest contributors to Fords campaign in recent days, which raised nearly $59,000 since May 2. (Candidates are required to file 24-hour campaign finance reports before the election, but not required to report their spending until after the election.)

However, Ford has spent only a fraction of what Boyd and Democrats have spent since the special election was announced in March.

Fords campaign only spent about $26,000 and accepted $16,000 in in-kind contributions through May 1. Boyd spent $103,000 on her campaign, with the state Democratic Party spending nearly tenfold of that: almost $978,000 in mailers, ad buys, polling and more.

Boyd said shes confident shell win on Tuesday.

This is a community that voted overwhelmingly for Josh Shapiro to be their governor, Boyd said. They voted for Democrats, and they want a Democrat.

Still, Ford hopes her campaigns ground game, with its knocking on more than 7,500 doors, will help her overcome what shes always known was going to be an uphill battle, she said. Shell also continue questioning Boyds assertion that she is a champion for womens rights, when Boyd admitted to The Inquirer in March that she previously knew about allegations against Zabel.

Boyd said she met one of Zabels accusers, a lobbyist for Service Employees International Union 32BJ, in 2021, who later confided in her about a 2019 experience with Zabel.

The lobbyist, Andi Perez, shared her experience at a listening tour event and asked state House leaders to change the rules to allow non-employees to file sexual harassment complaints.

Perez, in a prepared statement last month, said Boyd had been a true ally and did what she could do within the scope of her power while not breaching my trust.

Ford, however, said Boyd should have used her position on the county Democratic committee to ensure Zabel did not run again or that the party didnt support him. Like in 2020, the Democratic Party endorsed Zabel in 2022.

You can protect the privacy of the person whos gone through this and respect that [they dont want to go public], Ford said. However, you cant keep pushing someone into the position that allowed other women to be victimized.

Boyd said she talked with Zabel about his behavior, but followed Perezs lead.

Do you need to perform your trauma in order to get respect and protect your own body? I think that thats offensive, Boyd said.

An SEIU political action committee contributed $50,000 to Boyds campaign last week.

Mail ballot requests for 2,784 Democrats, 883 Republicans and 305 third-party or nonaffiliated voters were approved as of the Tuesday deadline to request one, according to Department of State data.
City Councilmember Michael Driscoll, of the city's 6th District, has introduced legislation to crack down on loud nuisance vehicles. Read more

Philadelphia City Council may implement new penalties on people who play excessively loud music from vehicles by increasing fines to $2,000 per offense and allowing police to confiscate the cars.

The legislation, which was introduced Thursday by Councilmember Mike Driscoll, aims to curb so-called boom parties, which have been happening for years. Partygoers park cars and other vehicles along the Delaware River and play music through large speakers, a trend that has angered residents both in Northeast Philadelphia and across the river in South Jersey.

The bill defines a nuisance vehicle as any vehicle playing a radio or other sound device that can be heard more than 100 feet away, unless it is being used as part of a city-permitted event.

Under the new legislation, violators would face a $2,000 fine and risk having their vehicle confiscated.

Advertisement

Thats significantly higher than current fines under city code. The citys noise ordinance includes quiet hours between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m., and violators can be fined $100 and $300. Anyone who accumulates four or more offenses is subject to $500 fines or higher.

The bill authorizes police to issue noise violation citations and confiscate the nuisance vehicles.

 READ MORE: Loud booming from Philadelphia keeping South Jersey residents awake at night

A person whose vehicle is confiscated would be able to claim that it was wrongfully seized and get it back after an expedited hearing. If an owner did not contest the citation or pay the fine within eight days, the vehicle would automatically be considered forfeited to the city.

Residents along the river have endured the excessive noise long enough, at all hours of the day and night, Driscoll, who represents parts of the Riverwards and Northeast Philadelphia along the river, said in Council on Thursday. We need to take strict enforcement measures and signal that were not going to tolerate it anymore. Enough is enough.

The bill  which was cosponsored by Majority Whip Mark Squilla and developed in partnership with police leadership  was referred to a Council committee, where a hearing will be held before members vote on it.
Philadelphia City Councilmember Quetcy Lozada speaks next to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (right) during a news conference last month. On Thursday, she introduced legislation that would effectively ban supervised-injection sites in about half the city. Read more

Five Philadelphia City Council members are moving to prohibit supervised drug consumption sites from opening in their districts, meaning the facilities could be effectively banned in about half the city if the legislation becomes law.

The bill was introduced Thursday by Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, whose Kensington-based district has been the epicenter of the citys opioid crisis. Four other district Council members signed on to the zoning legislation, meaning it would cover large swaths of Northeast Philadelphia, the Riverwards, and all of South Philadelphia.

The news comes just five days before the May 16 primary election, when Council members are running to retain their seats. Lozada, who has been in office for less than a year, is facing a Democratic primary challenger and has struggled with fundraising.

It also comes as lawmakers in Harrisburg consider a statewide ban on supervised consumption sites, and as the nonprofit spearheading plans to open a site in Philadelphia remains embroiled in litigation over its efforts.

Advertisement

Lozada said Thursday that opening a supervised consumption site would serve only to exacerbate the open-air drug market that has plagued Kensington for years. Lozada said Kensington needs a Marshall Plan, a reference to the massive American recovery effort in Europe after World War II, thats focused on getting as many people as possible into recovery.

We cannot continue to allow them to find ways where they can continue to remain in the same cycle, she said. The decisions that are going to come in the future are going to be difficult.

It wasnt yet clear Thursday whether the bill was on track for passage before Councils summer break in July and August. Scheduling is largely up to Council President Darrell L. Clarke, who isnt seeking reelection and did not include his North Philadelphia-based 5th District in the legislation.

The legislation will be referred to a Council committee, which must hold a hearing before a vote takes place. If the legislation moves out of committee, it would need to be voted on twice by the full Council and then signed by the mayor in order to become law.

Sarah Peterson, a spokesperson for Mayor Jim Kenney, said the administration remained supportive of supervised consumption sites.

The overdose crisis in Philadelphia takes more than 1,200 lives every year and as this crisis worsens, we believe it is critical to use every available method to save lives, she said.

Kenney is term-limited, and 10 candidates are vying to replace him. Of the five top contenders for the Democratic nomination, three have said they oppose establishing a supervised consumption site.

 READ MORE: Community groups, police union mobilizing against proposed supervised injection site as negotiations continue

If it makes it out of committee, the bill would be likely to pass Council, given the bodys powerful tradition of councilmanic prerogative, or the practice that district council members have near-total control over land-use decisions in their districts.

Besides Lozadas 7th District, the zoning overlay would also apply to:

The 1st District, which is represented by Majority Whip Mark Squilla and stretches from South Philadelphia to Fishtown along the Delaware River. The 2nd District, which is represented by Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson  a Democrat who is vying to become the next Council president  and includes parts of Southwest and South Philadelphia. The 6th District, which is represented by Councilmember Mike Driscoll, a Democrat, and includes parts of the Riverwards and Northeast Philadelphia. The 10th District, which is represented by Councilmember Brian ONeill, a Republican, and includes much of Northeast Philadelphia.

Driscoll, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, said a supervised consumption site in his district could attract a new open air drug market, saying you fish where the fish are.

I did not want that anywhere in my district, he said.

District City Council members have increasingly used overlays, which essentially patch the citys zoning code to create individualized rules for specific neighborhoods or districts, to pursue hyperlocal policy goals and for political ends.

Given the prerogative tradition, overlays allow district Council members to pursue goals in their territory that they might not be able to win citywide. Critics say these bills create a patchwork of rules across the city that give Council members a way to pursue short-term interests or satisfy specific constituents without winning over a majority of their colleagues.

The danger of overlays is always that they are an easy work-around, said Greg Pastore, a former member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment. They have, in general, very much become a political tool, not a planning tool. The purpose of them is to do whatever you want in your own mini-kingdom.

Councils move comes less than two weeks after a bipartisan majority of Pennsylvania senators passed a bill that would ban supervised consumption sites statewide. To become law, that bill would have to pass the state House  which is currently controlled by Democrats  and be signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who opposes the sites.

Supervised consumption sites, or supervised injection sites, are spaces where people can use their own drugs under clinical supervision to prevent overdoses. Using drugs by oneself is a leading risk factor for fatal overdose  most overdose deaths in Philadelphia, for example, occur in private homes.

Such sites do not provide drugs to clients; instead, site staff test drugs, provide sterile needles and other equipment for safer drug use, and monitor clients in case they exhibit overdose symptoms. If they do overdose, site staff will revive them, with either supplemental oxygen or the opioid overdose-reversing drug naloxone.

Only two sites exist in the United States, both in New York City; staff there say that they have prevented hundreds of potentially fatal overdoses since their opening in 2021. Internationally, supervised drug consumption sites operate in dozens of other countries and have been shown to lower deaths from overdose.

Safehouse, the nonprofit that has spearheaded efforts to open a site in Philadelphia, has been involved in a legal battle over its plans since 2018, when then-U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain sued in federal court to block Safehouse from opening.

A U.S. District Court judge sided with Safehouse, but the nonprofit lost on appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case. The nonprofit went back to U.S. District Court on a different legal argument.

Recently, Safehouse and the federal government have been engaged in settlement talks. Last month, a coalition of neighborhood groups urged a federal judge to hear their concerns before signing off on any agreement between the government and Safehouse.

In a separate court filing, five Democratic state senators also raised misgivings, including state Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D., Phila.), who also introduced the Senate bill banning the facilities.
(left) Christian Perucho, of Graduate Hospital, takes a photo of Alyssa Campbell posing at the Taylor Swift mural by Emily Kelley near 2nd and South Streets in Philadelphia, Pa. on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Taylor Swift performs in Philly this weekend. Read more

Hi readers! Im Hira Qureshi, city and culture service reporter, filling in for my wonderful colleague Rosa this week.

Philly is officially in its Swifty era, as we welcome Taylor Swift and her tour at the Linc this weekend. I am taking in every ounce of the big Philly love for our Berks County girlie. Sadly, I wont be belting out All Too Well at her three-night stint but for others without tickets like myself, I rounded up special events around town pulling out the disco balls for Philly Swifties, from dance parties to lavender libations.

My colleagues are also all about Miss Americana, creating a dedicated place for all our coverage. For those who scored tickets, our guide to Tay-Tays Eras Tour has you covered on all the parking, public transportation, and food details. Want merch? Weve got your back, with a round-up of local makers. Ahead of the show, music critic Dan DeLuca offers a deep-dive into Swifts eras via her songbook. We also chatted with local Swifties to help you prep for the concert like a pro, strategize, and avoid scams if youre still on the hunt for last-minute tickets.

We also asked a meteorologist if you should expect a midnight rain.

Whether youre spending Swift week dancing at a Tay-Gate or at the concert, I wish all my fellow Swifties a weekend bathed in that lavender haze.

 Hira Qureshi (@itshiraqureshi, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

If you see this  in todays newsletter, that means were highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

Advertisement

Gaga for Tay-Tay

This weekend, were all in for Taylor Swifts return to Philly, where she first performed at age 12. Its been five years since Swifts Reputation Stadium Tour and Philly Swifties are ready to sing, dance and cry at the Linc. With plenty of material to cover, Swifts three-night stint covering the eras of her prolific career comes on heels of her Speak Now announcement (the rerecorded version of Swifts 2010 album is expected to drop July 7), adding to the excitement. Heres everything you need to know about Swift at the Linc.

Your weekly social calendar

 Its a great weekend to check out our insiders guide to 22 essential Philadelphia museums.

 From an exhaustive, gorgeous guide to North American mushrooms to a satire about a death-match style dystopia (think Hunger Games), these are our favorite reads for May.

 Craig LaBan calls Redcrest Kitchen in Queen Village an overlooked gem. 

 More from Craig: In a recent Reddit AMA (ask me anything), he shares his picks for Phillys best Mexican restaurants and mezcal bars.

 Mark up your calendars now, as cineSPEAK brings back its summer Friday programming, with free outdoor movie nights.

 Dont miss the best things to do in Philadelphia this weekend.

Thing of the week: Wandering Brewerytown

Few neighborhoods in Philly can claim they have a Parisian-style cafe dedicated to foster cats and a funky garage filled with about half-a-million records. Named after a dozen or so defunct breweries, Brewerytown is the place for hidden mom and pop gems reflecting an ever-evolving community. Stay tuned for my full guide to the neighborhood, but in the meantime, spend your weekend exploring Fishtown, Manayunk, El Centro de Oro, or other neighborhoods we have covered.

Our intrepid reporters on Team Now are bringing back one of our favorite features, Curious Philly, to answer questions big and small about the city we love. Is Philadelphia Cream Cheese actually from Philadelphia? No. Do Phillys street names run from hardwood to soft? Yes. Whats the latest with the I-95 overcap park? Still in progress. Whether your question is silly or useful, we want to hear from you about something youre curious about in the Philadelphia region  who knows, it might be a story!

Pop quiz

Where did Taylor Swift spend her formative years in Pennsylvania?

A) The Poconos

B) The Delaware Water Gap

C) A Christmas tree farm

D) Wawa

 To let me know which of the above is false, write me back.
Surely this should be the moral, financial and legal responsibility of the institution under whose watch children were harmed? The Blue Knot Foundation president, Cathy Kezelman, told The Guardian. Arguably taxpayers would be concerned that their money is being used to enable a powerful institution to effectively abrogate its responsibilities.
Badgery said these insurance businesses were making collaborative decisions across their organisations about where they should prioritize their investment in data. They were also encouraging people to engage with data, work with the data and identify areas where they could get value out of the data.
"Diversity, equity, and inclusion continue to be key priorities of IBAO, and collaborations like this help drive our objectives," said Pountney. The alliance will facilitate Link's expansion across the Ontario insurance industry and jointly develop inclusive leadership best practices. Through these combined efforts, DEI initiatives and programs will be expanded throughout the sector.
Tim has had great success at Chubb, most recently leading the substantial growth and consistently improving margins in our P&C division, Ortega said.During his tenure at Chubb, Tim has also led our international financial lines business as well as professional lines in North America. He has been a trusted partner and has played a key role in promoting and nurturing talent around the world. We congratulate Tim for a remarkable global insurance career and wish him all the best in this new stage of his life.
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

New York officials reported they have secured $615,000 from three companies that supplied millions of fake public comments to influence a 2017 proceeding by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to repeal net neutrality rules.

New York Attorney General Letitia James identified the three companies as LCX, Lead ID, and Ifficient. She said an investigation by her office found that the fake comments used the identities of millions of consumers, including thousands of New Yorkers, without their knowledge or consent.

Collectively, the three companies have agreed to pay $615,000 in penalties and disgorgement. This is the second series of agreements secured by the office of the attorney general (OAG) with companies that supplied fake comments to the FCC to create the false impression of popular support for repeal of net neutrality rules put in place in 2015 rules.

Public comment opportunities are a chance for Americans to give their input on important government policies, and these companies abused that for their own selfish purposes, said James. No one should have their identity co-opted by manipulative companies and used to falsely promote a private agenda.

Net neutrality prohibits internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking, slowing down, or charging companies to prioritize certain content on the internet. Net neutrality rules supporters maintain that they ensure a free and open internet. Broadband groups contend the rules discourage investment.

The FCC under former President Barack Obama adopted net neutrality rules in 2015 that barred ISPs from blocking or slowing internet content or offering paid fast lanes. In 2017, the FCC under former President Donald Trump overturned those rules.

According to a report by the OAG, the nations largest broadband companies funded a secret campaign to generate millions of comments to the FCC in 2017. These comments provided cover for the FCC to repeal net neutrality rules, according to the OAG.

The agreements are the result of an investigation that OAG said uncovered widespread fraud and abusive practices surrounding efforts to sway the FCC in the agencys 2017 net neutrality rulemaking proceeding.

According to the report, to help generate these comments, the broadband industry engaged commercial lead generators that used advertisements and prizes, like gift cards and sweepstakes entries, to encourage consumers to join the campaign. However, nearly every lead generator that was hired to enroll consumers in the campaign instead simply fabricated consumers responses, according to the OAG. As a result, more than 8.5 million fake comments that impersonated real people were submitted to the FCC, and more than half a million fake letters were sent to Congress.

Two of the companies, LCX and Lead ID, were each engaged to enroll consumers in the campaign. Instead, each independently fabricated responses for 1.5 million consumers. The third company, Ifficient, acted as an intermediary, engaging other lead generators to enroll consumers in the campaign. Ifficient supplied its client with more than 840,000 fake responses it had received from the lead generators it had hired.

The OAGs investigation also revealed that the fraud perpetrated by the various lead generators in the net neutrality campaign infected other government proceedings as well. Several of the lead generation firms involved in the broadband industrys net neutrality comment campaigns had also worked on other campaigns to influence regulatory agencies and public officials.

In nearly all of these advocacy campaigns, the lead generation firms engaged in fraud, according to the OAG. As a result, more than 1 million fake comments were generated for other rulemaking proceedings, and more than 3.5 million fake digital signatures for letters and petitions were generated for federal and state legislators and government officials across the nation.

LCX and Lead ID were responsible for many of these fake comments, letters, and petition signatures. Across four advocacy campaigns in 2017 and 2018, LCX fabricated consumer responses used in approximately 900,000 public comments submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Similarly, in advocacy campaigns between 2017 and 2019, Lead ID fabricated more than half a million consumer responses. These campaigns targeted a variety of government agencies and officials at the federal and state levels.

The agreements require the three companies and their principals to pay penalties and disgorgement. LCX and its principals will pay $400,000 in penalties and disgorgement to New York and $100,000 to the San Diego District Attorneys Office. Lead ID and its principal will pay $30,000 in penalties and disgorgement to New York. Ifficient will pay $63,750 in penalties and disgorgement to New York, and $21,250 to Colorado.

In May 2021 James announced agreements with three other lead generators that were responsible for millions of the fake comments submitted in the net neutrality proceeding: Fluent, Inc., responsible for approximately 4.8 million fraudulent comments; Opt-Intelligence, Inc., responsible for more than 250,000 fraudulent comments; and React2Media, Inc., responsible for approximately 329,000 comments in the net neutrality proceeding. Fluent and React2Media were also responsible, collectively, for millions of fake comments and messages submitted in dozens of other advocacy campaigns. The agreements with the OAG required the companies to adopt comprehensive reforms in future advocacy campaigns and pay more than $4.4 million in penalties and disgorgement.

Topics New York
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a measure that would curtail the use of geographical location in the rating of private passenger auto insurance, a factor that critics say now penalizes urban and minority drivers.

But the insurance industry says zip codes are among the most meaningful underwriting tools and keys to a competitive market in a state that already bans the use of gender and credit score in rating.

Senator Pavel M. Payano (D- First Essex) told fellow lawmakers on the Joint Committee on Financial Services that his legislation (S 703) could go a long way towards making sure auto insurance prices are more equitable across the state.

He said urban drivers are now being gouged by insurance companies just because of their zip code.

While insurers that use territorial rating can now use 100% of the loss costs within a zip code, the bill would require a 75%/25% weighting of territory to statewide loss cost experience. Thus an insurers base rate must give 75% weight to a zip codes loss cost data and 25% weight to the statewide average loss cost data.

In his testimony on the bill, Payano said data from the state Merit Rating Board show that communities with the highest percentage of people of color paid on average 90% more than drivers in less diverse zip codes. Also, drivers in urban and minority neighborhoods often pay as much as 80% more than drivers in wealthier suburban neighborhoods, even if they are safe drivers without at-fault accidents on their record. Even experienced drivers with excellent records in urban communities pay more than drivers in less diverse communities with a recent history of at-fault accidents or violations, he told lawmakers.

These prices are not equitable or fair, he said.

Michael DeLong, representing the Consumer Federation of America, backed the bill. He said his groups research shows auto insurance premiums on average are $300 or 63% higher in urban and minority zip codes than in white suburban zip codes. He suggested making insurance more affordable in urban areas would reduce the number of uninsured motorists in the state.

Christopher Stark, executive director of the Massachusetts Insurance Federation, representing the states insurers, said his group strongly opposes the bill because it would undermine underwriting freedom that fuels consumer choice and competition. Stark called territory a primary driver of claims experience and a well-established and widely used rating variable.

Theres a lot to balance in that from roadway safety and infrastructure investment in some of these areas, but when claims and exposures in certain areas are higher, the rates for those individuals are also going to be higher, he said.

Frank OBrien, of the American Property and Casualty Insurance Association, reminded lawmakers that the law already requires that auto rates not be unfairly discriminatory. He said territory is an actuarially significant rating factor that is very important to maintaining a competitive market in Massachusetts since the state doesnt allow the use of gender or credit scores in rating as most other states do. Higher losses in urban areas have a lot to do with congestion, road conditions, more accidents and other factors, he added.

OBrien said the result of the 75%/25% framework would be to have suburban drivers subsidize urban drivers. He told lawmakers that whether the state should disallow or de-emphasize the use of territorial rating is a public policy decision for lawmakers.

The insurance industry representatives noted that Massachusetts does not have much of an uninsured motorist population compared to other states.

Payano modeled his bill on a law in Connecticut that implemented the 75%/25% rule on the use of loss costs in rating.

Topics Legislation Auto Massachusetts
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

After Maryland lawmakers recently eliminated the statute of limitations for child sex abuse lawsuits amid heightened scrutiny of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced plans Tuesday to bring a series of civil claims on behalf of victims.

The threat of litigation comes as the the archdiocese faces continued fallout from a state report released last month that found more than 150 priests and other clergy in the archdiocese sexually abused over 600 children with impunity. The report, which the Maryland Attorney Generals Office produced after a yearslong investigation, paints a damning picture of the nations oldest Catholic diocese.

Days after the reports release, Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation to end Marylands statute of limitations for child sex abuse lawsuits effective Oct. 1. Previously, victims couldnt sue after turning 38.

Crump, best known for representing victims of police brutality, held a news conference Tuesday outside the Baltimore Basilica with attorney Adam Slater, his partner on some earlier high-profile sex abuse cases. Several potential plaintiffs shared their stories of abuse; some overlapped with findings of the attorney generals investigation while others presented new allegations.

You cannot outrun the trauma that was inflicted, no matter how hard they tried,  Crump told reporters. Many of them  for years, for decades  believed it was their fault.

A spokesperson for the archdiocese didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Marc Floto, one of the potential plaintiffs, said the attorney generals investigation inspired him to come forward and speak publicly about childhood abuse he said caused so many problems in his life.

Still to this day, I have so much anger, so much hate, he said, sobbing silently between sentences. The church needs to be held accountable.

Floto displayed a printed photo of himself  in suit and tie, his blonde hair neatly combed  from around the time he said the abuse occurred.

The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly.

This little boy had his innocence stolen, Crump said.

Floto said he wasnt interviewed for the attorney generals investigation but his abuser, Father James Dowdy, is named in the report.

Ordained in 1969, Dowdy served in several Maryland parishes before abuse allegations surfaced in 1991, according to the report. He denied the allegations, saying it was nothing more than horseplay with boys, and apparently he faced no consequences.

Two years later, another man reported Dowdy had sexually abused him in the 1970s and 80s. Dowdy was then placed on leave and his ministerial faculties were removed, the report says. Church officials agreed to pay the victims counseling and medication costs while simultaneously bankrolling Dowdys therapy, health care and living expenses for years. His expenses cost the church well over $100, 000, more than 10 times what the victim received, according to the report. During therapy, Dowdy disclosed many more instances of abuse. Finally, in 1977, his church employment was terminated.

The Baltimore archdiocese has already paid more than $13.2 million for care and compensation for 301 abuse victims since the 1980s, including $6.8 million toward 105 voluntary settlements.

But the recent law change, including a provision making it retroactive, could allow for a deluge of additional lawsuits.

The Maryland Catholic Conference, representing the three dioceses serving the state, opposed the measure, arguing the retroactive window was unconstitutional and citing potentially devastating impacts on the Baltimore archdiocese and other institutions. Anticipating a court challenge, lawmakers included language in the bill that would further delay lawsuits until the Supreme Court of Maryland can determine whether its constitutional.

Several other states have passed similar legislation in recent years, and in some cases, resulting lawsuits have driven dioceses into bankruptcy.

Also present at Tuesdays news conference, former Maryland Sen. Tim Ferguson said he was 13 or 14 when a priest asked to take him fishing for the weekend. The guest bedroom was being renovated, the priest claimed, so they would have to share his bed.

Ferguson said he froze during the assault, then laid awake all night. He was afraid to report the abuse to his parents, worried what his father might do.

Joe Taylor said his abuser, Father Thomas Smith, would take boys on beach trips and make them swim with him in dark waters.

Smiths name appears multiple times in the attorney generals report, which said he both perpetrated abuse and helped protect other abusers in congregations across the Baltimore area. He died by suicide in 1993, not long after a second victim accused him of assault and filed a lawsuit against the archdiocese. The claim was later dismissed because of the statute of limitations, but a judge found the archdiocese committed a possible dereliction of duties in its handling of abuse cases.

The lawsuit came five years after Smith admitted to church officials that he had abused multiple boys in the 1960s  a revelation that was brushed under the rug, according to the report. Shortly after learning of the abuse, then-Archbishop William Borders wrote Smith a letter praising his many fine years of priesthood and ordering him not to engage in any form of youth work, according to the report.

Dozens more victims came forward after Smiths death.

Taylor, who grew up in a devout Catholic family, said his own relatives didnt believe him when he reported Smiths abuse, believing priests to be infallible.

Just a lifelong battle, he said. No amount of money can bring back 45 years of lost friends and family.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Legislation Maryland
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, N.J.  A metallic object believed to be a meteorite punched a hole in the roof of a central New Jersey home this week, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom. The family who owns the home discovered the black, potato-sized rock in a corner  still warm.

Nobody was hurt and there was no serious damage to the residence, said police in Hopewell Township, north of the state capital Trenton. The object measures about 4 by 6 inches (10 by 15 centimeters) and weighs about four pounds (1.8 kilograms), police said.

Suzy Kop, whose family owns the home, said they initially thought someone had thrown a rock into an upstairs bedroom Monday, but soon realized that wasnt the case. The family plans to meet with an astrophysicist who will further examine the object.

We are thinking its a meteorite, came through here, hit the floor here because thats completely damaged, it ricocheted up to this part of the ceiling and then finally rested on the floor there, Kop told KYW-TV in Philadelphia. I did touch the thing because it thought it was a random rock, I dont know, and it was warm.

Kop said hazmat officials responded to their home to check it out along with her family, in case they had been exposed to some type of radioactive material, but those checks were all negative.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Photo: This image provided by Hopewell Township Police Department shows a metallic object believed to be a meteorite on a hardwood floor at a residence in Hopewell Township, N.J. The object punched a hole in the roof of the central New Jersey home, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom. The family who owns the home discovered the black, potato-sized rock in a corner  still warm. (Hopewell Township Police Department via AP)

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics New Jersey
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

European Union lawmakers investigating the use of Pegasus spyware against opposition politicians and journalists on May 9 raised deep concern about abuses in Hungary and Poland and lamented a lack of cooperation with their inquiry.

The spyware developed by developed by Israeli cyber-intelligence company NSO has been used around the world to break into the phones and computers of political figures, human rights activists, reporters and even Catholic clergy. It was allegedly only made available to government agencies.

Cybersleuths have found traces of Pegasus or other spyware in Poland, Hungary, Spain and Greece. But after a year-long investigation, members of the European Parliament said they had been unable to come up with a smoking gun.

Do we have evidence? No, because none of the authorities are cooperating, said Dutch Liberal lawmaker Sophie Int Veld, who helped lead the probe.

Int Veld said the lawmakers suspect, but cannot prove, that Greece exported Predator spyware to Cyprus, which then delivered it to Sudan, where more than 600 people have been killed since April 15 in fighting between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and a rival paramilitary group.

Dutch conservative lawmaker Jeroen Lenaers said the refusal of Polands right-wing government to cooperate appeared to be part of a wider approach to silence any kind of dissent in Poland and its extremely concerning.

In their final report, the lawmakers said that Polands use of Pegasus was part of a system for the surveillance of the opposition and critics of the government  designed to keep the ruling majority and the government in power. 

They argued that the use of spyware in Hungary was part of a calculated and strategic campaign to destroy media freedom and freedom of expression by the government. Hungarys justice minister refused repeated requests for talks.

The lawmakers said they sent questionnaires to authorities in the EUs 27 member countries but that very few came back with relevant information. Some, including the Netherlands, did not reply at all. Others refused to provide information due to what they said were national security grounds.

The abuse of spyware has nothing to do with national security, Int Veld said. She also raised concern about where the victims might turn for help when the authorities are accused of doing the spying. In not one single case has justice been done so far. Not one, she said.

NSO has been subject to export limits by the U.S. federal government, which has accused the firm of conducting transnational repression. Major technology companies, including Apple and Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, also have brought NSO to court.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Europe
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

Insurtech funding increased nearly 38% from Q4 2022 to Q1 2023, from about $1 billion to about $1.4 billion, according to a new analysis released by Gallagher Re.

The U.S. leads France and the UK as the nation funding the most insurtechs. India and Germany round out the top five countries.

The definition of insurtech is important, according to Dr. Andrew Johnston, global head of insurtech and the author of Gallagher Res Q1 2023 Global InsurTech Report. Because the overall use of the term tends to be vague and overarching, the numbers captured will vary.

Currently 57% of global insurtechs  defined as technologically enabled, and those that offer technology as product and/or service to the re/insurance industry, such as software as a service (SaaS)  fit the technologically enabled business type. The remaining 43% of companies offering technology as a product or a service are less likely to test the boundaries of insurtech.

Within the insurtech funding cycle, four unique phases were identified: early-stage incubation, early-stage acceleration, mid-stage expansion and late-stage growth.

This initial report, a collaboration between Gallagher Re, Gallagher and CB Insights, focuses on Q1 and examines early-stage incubation funding, the funding activity captured during Angel, Convertible Note, Pre-seed, Seed and Seed venture capital (VC) deals.

The majority of insurtech investments from re/insurers occurred during the early stage for the sixth consecutive quarter.

Early-stage, also known as pre-seed, seed or angel investing, typically attracts investors who view themselves in a similar light. At this stage, investors are funding an idea and the founding members, since the product or service is unlikely to have been developed yet. Company valuations can fluctuate wildly at this stage and typical initial investors are the founders themselves.

The report found that 37.7% of all insurtech deals (as individual deal counts, not funding amount) were in the early-stage incubation category, a figure consistent with long-term insurtech data.

MassMutual Ventures led corporate venture activity among re/insurers in Q1 2023 with six investments. Five other re/insurers made multiple investments in Q1: Avanta Ventures (5), MS&AD Ventures (4), Munich Re Ventures (4), American Family Ventures (2), AXA Venture Partners (2) and State Farm Ventures (2).

Notable partnerships identified in the report from Q1 2023 between re/insurers and insurtechs include: AXA XL and Document Crunch, Nationwide and Waffle, NEXT Insurance and LegalZoom, Progressive and Zendrive, Tokio Marine Kiln and LOADSURE.

Series C investments netted 20% of deals from re/insurers  the largest percentage since Q1 2019.

A source of much speculation was the unexpected dip in insurtech investing, after what appeared to be a steady rise over the course of several years. Careful examination led to a more realistic conclusion  2021s mega round funding skewed the numbers. Rather than look at 2022 as a significant loss, Gallagher Re suggests that 2022 figures are indicative of the overall course of isurtech funding over time.

In 2021, 62% of funding came from mega-rounds, while only 41% of 2022s funding came from mega-rounds. In 2021, there were two noticeable periods of mega-round activity, according to the report; Q2 and Q4 (when combined totaled more investment than the entirety of 2022).

Going a step further, Gallagher Re removed the mega-round figures from 2021 overall insurtech funding and found it was a stable year, similar to preceding years.

The detailed report states while insurtech investment numbers look huge, a handful of standalone deals can, and do, have an enormous impact on the overall totals.

Taking into consideration all deals from 2012 to present, 51% of all capital invested into insurtech came from mega-rounds. This, Johnston stated, suggests that a large amount of money invested in a handful of startups can greatly influence final numbers.

Additional analysis of both the mean and median averages provide a clearer picture. Early-stage funding reveals less deviation mainly because it is where the most volume is. Once funding moves to the mid and late stages, where check sizes rise, deviations in the average funding becomes more pronounced.

According to Johnston, the key distinctions between funding rounds have to do with the valuation of the business, as well as its maturity level and growth prospects. This impacts the type of investor involved and the reasons behind the need for capital.

Combining all deals together from 2012 to year-end 2022, across each investment life cycle, the report highlighted the mean averages as follows; early-stage incubation $2 million, early-stage acceleration $12 million, mid-stage expansion $38 million and late-stage growth $110 million. Viewing all investment life cycles, the mean average insurtech investment round size is $22 million from 2012 to the end of 2022.

Though mega-round funding has been a significant funding source for insurtechs historically, the typically nine-figure fundraisers contributed to just 12.9% of total Q1 2023 insurtech funding, the lowest contribution rate since Q1 2020.

For many insurtechs, SVB was the go-to bank, the reports author noted, indicating its demise could create more difficulty locating funding sources. Gallagher Re expects a significant reduction in the IPOs that might have been brought by insurtechs, unwilling to take on debt. In addition, strong M&A is expected.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Trends InsurTech Tech A.J. Gallagher
Marsh & McLennan Cos.s reinsurance broker sued a London rival, saying it secretly planned an unethical raid of 38 people across Europe, in the latest lawsuit to pore over clandestine staff poaching allegations.

Guy Carpenter & Co. said that its competitor, private equity-backed Howden Group Holdings Ltd., went on a hiring spree of its senior staff, including the head of its European business, at the end of March. Waves of resignations followed over the next few days, with one employee writing in a message that Howden conducted a raid on our company.

City firms regularly take to the courts to stop rivals swooping for staff, and in the increasingly-small and consolidating world of reinsurance broking, there are just a few key individuals with the contacts and long-term relationships needed to negotiate on behalf of clients.

In a ruling published Wednesday, the judge said that this was at least the third legal action brought against Howden by Guy Carpenter in recent years. The Howden companies have a track record of arranging team moves, lawyers for Guy Carpenter said.

The judge said Howden was yet to formally defend any of the allegations in the lawsuit and a spokesman separately declined to comment but the firm has agreed to stop any further recruitment of Guy Carpenter staff ahead of a the judge-ordered speedy London trial later this year.

Howden counts major funds General Atlantic LP, Hg Capital and Canadian pension fund Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec as external investors following a wave of mergers of insurance brokers. About one-third of the firm is owned by employees.

Guy Carpenter sued a number of Howden companies including its founder David Howden and other former executives. A spokesman for Guy Carpenter said in a statement that Howden unlawfully and unethically coordinated a raid on our business with blatant disregard for the law and Guy Carpenters rights.

The case began when Massimo Reina, Guy Carpenters chief of its European business, and one of the most trusted and senior employees, resigned on the evening of March 27. Reina acted as a recruiting sergeant, whose job it was to persuade other employees to join him, Guy Carpenters lawyers alleged.

The executives are are senior staff earning substantial sums who, on the evidence before me, deliberately set out on a course of conduct, which involved them breaching their contracts of employment, Judge David Lock said.

Reina is alleged to have used an off site management meeting to recruit a senior executive weeks before his resignation, Guy Carpenters lawyers said in a court filing. Reina told the executive he would receive a sign-on bonus of 500,000 ($546,680) and bonuses likely to exceed 1 million.

Guy Carpenters lawyers also disclosed a series of what they called troubling messages from former staff two weeks before they resigned to join Howden. See you in a bitJudas, wrote one former staffer.

Copyright 2023 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits Agencies
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  Minnesota is on the verge of banning non-essential uses of forever chemicals. And lawmakers say they are naming the legislation after a woman who spent the last months of her life campaigning for restrictions that will be some of the toughest in the country.

Legislators, environmentalists and family members paid tribute Tuesday to Amara Strande. She died two days shy of her 21st birthday last month from a rare form of liver cancer. She grew up in a St. Paul suburb where the groundwater is contaminated by PFAS and believed the chemicals were part of what caused her cancer, which was diagnosed when she was 15.

Through her pain and exhaustion, Amara was willing to be a voice of those who have become the victims of illnesses that are linked to these forever chemicals,  said her father, Michael Strande. Amara called on the lawmakers of Minnesota to do what is right in passing laws that will not only protect our environment, and human lives, but also force industries to find alternative ways of manufacturing their products without these deadly chemicals.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have spread around the globe and dont break down in the environment. They have been linked to a broad range of health problems, including low birth weights and certain cancers. The chemicals have been used since the 1940s in many consumer and industrial products, including nonstick pans, fast-food packaging, fabrics and firefighting foam.

I have spent the last five years fighting cancer with every ounce of my being. And I will for the rest of my life, Amara Strande said at an emotional news conference with lawmakers and her parents back when they announced the legislation in January. Corporations must stop the production of these toxins and be held accountable and pay for the damage theyve done. Through no fault of my own, I was exposed to these toxic chemicals. And as a result, I will die with this cancer.

Amaras Law will allow only limited exceptions to the ban, such as firefighting foam used at airports and oil refineries and in protective clothing for firefighters. It also will require companies to disclose if the products they sell in Minnesota contain the chemicals. The ban would take effect in 2025 for a long list of products including carpets, cleaning products, cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, fabrics and fabric treatments, furniture, products for children, menstruation products and ski wax.

A House-Senate conference committee that is negotiating the details of a broad environment and natural resources bill agreed last Thursday to the PFAS language that will be included. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and his administration support the ban. He is expected to sign it after the House and Senate complete work on the final package.

This will be the strongest PFAS legislation in the nation, said Democratic Rep. Sydney Jordan, of Minneapolis, who went on to say: Minnesota invented PFAS. By passing this, Minnesota is going to invent the solution.

Supporters said Minnesota has a special responsibility because the chemicals were invented by Maplewood-based 3M, which announced in December that it is exiting PFAS manufacturing and discontinuing their use in its products.

We have a duty to lead the charge in their eradication from the environment, from our bodies, from our consumer products, from our water, said Democratic Sen. Judy Seeberger, of Afton, the lead sponsor in the Senate. She said the issue is personal because her home well is contaminated with PFAS, forcing her to use a filtration system to get safe water.

Andrea Lovoll, legislative director of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, said the Minnesota legislation goes farther than any other states and has the strictest list of what counts as non-essential uses. For example, she said, Californias restrictions dont cover cookware or require as many comprehensive disclosures. Up until now, she said, Maine has had the strongest restrictions. But Maines 2021 law mandates a phaseout by 2030 while Minnesotas law kicks in faster.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last year designated the chemicals as hazardous substances under the Superfund law. But the EPA stopped short of an outright ban, after warning that the compounds were more dangerous than previously thought and pose health risks even at extremely low levels.

Photo: A water researcher tests a sample of water for PFAS, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Center For Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response in Cincinnati.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Minnesota Chemicals
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Four people were injured in an apparent explosion at a Madison condominium building Tuesday evening, the citys fire chief said.

One person was taken to an area hospital by ambulance, and three other people transported themselves for treatment of minor injuries, Madison Fire Chief Chris Carbon said.

There are no reports of any missing people, but firefighters were searching the rubble to make sure no one else was inside, Carbon said.

The building is no longer habitable, Carbon said.

The explosion occurred around 6 p.m., he said.

One of the units in the building was believed to be the origin of the explosion, and Carbon said at least six units were affected. The entire building was uninhabitable, Carbon said.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Numbers Wisconsin
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

Altria Group Inc said Wednesday that it will pay $235 million to settle at least 6,000 lawsuits accusing it of fueling a teen vaping epidemic through its former investment in e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc.

The deal ends nearly all of the litigation brought against the tobacco giant over Juul by local government bodies and individuals across the United States. It came shortly after San Franciscos public school district finished presenting its case against the company in a jury trial, which will now be cut short.

Sarah London, one of the lead attorneys for plaintiffs in the litigation, in a statement said the deal would provide extraordinary and truly meaningful relief for youth, parents, and governmental organizations nationwide.

Altria expects to record a pre-tax charge of $235 million in the second quarter of 2023 and intends to exclude it from adjusted earnings per share.

While we continue to believe the claims against us are meritless, we believe this settlement avoids the uncertainty and expense of a protracted legal process and is in the best interest of our shareholders, said Murray Garnick, Altrias executive vice president and general counsel.

The company in March announced that it had given up its 35% stake in Juul in exchange for licenses to some of Juuls intellectual property. As of December, its share of Juul was valued at $250 million, down from $12.8 billion in 2018.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuits claimed that Juul marketed to teenagers with sweet flavors and flashy social media campaigns. They said Altria helped the strategy by letting Juul use its sales force and place its products next to Altrias on shelves.

Juul previously settled most of the cases against it, paying more than $1 billion to 48 states and territories and $1.7 billion to individuals and local government entities.
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

A federal judge ordered a new round of settlement talks between Johnson & Johnson and lawyers who spurned the companys offer to pay $8.9 billion to end tens of thousands of cancer claims filed by people who used the companys popular baby powder.

Holdouts want to take their claims to juries around the country instead of joining a proposal that would resolve all current and future lawsuits related to the health-care giants talc-based products. About 40,000 people have sued J&J claiming the company for decades sold products like baby powder that were so contaminated that they caused cancer.

J&J denies that the products were harmful and is trying for a second time to use a bankruptcy case filed in New Jersey by a small unit to force claimants to accept a deal. US Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan overruled objections from some of the holdouts who had opposed one of two mediators that will oversee the confidential settlement discussions.

I always think talking serves a purpose in trying to come to a consensus, Kaplan said.

The $8.9 billion settlement proposal is backed by as many as 80,000 claimants, company lawyer Gregory Gordon told Kaplan in federal court last month. Opponents dispute that figure, noting that many new people who say they were hurt by J&J products have not had their allegations verified.

The proposal has split the law firms representing tens of thousands of women who say say the companys baby powder gave them cancer. The holdouts have accused J&J of wrongly putting the unit, LTL Management, back into bankruptcy just hours after its first effort was dismissed on orders from a federal appeals court.

The two sides were in court Wednesday in Trenton, New Jersey, to talk about how the second bankruptcy case should proceed. The holdouts have asked Kaplan to dismiss LTLs Chapter 11 case so the claimants can pursue their cases in courts around the country. Kaplan has halted all but a handful of the cancer cases while the bankruptcy continues. New cases can be filed, but not taken to trial.

Kaplan schedule a hearing for June to decide if the bankruptcy should be thrown out for a second time.

The new bankruptcy filing is LTL Management LLC, 23-12825, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey (Trenton).

Photo: Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Copyright 2023 Bloomberg.

Topics New Jersey
Alliant Insurance Services has acquired McAnally Wilkins, LLC, a leading provider of property and casualty (P&C) insurance solutions for the oil and gas service industry. Based in Odessa, Texas, McAnally Wilkins provides insurance and risk management expertise as well as comprehensive employee benefits programs for businesses focused in oilfield service and oil transportation.

McAnally Wilkins offers a broad range of insurance programs to meet the complex needs of oil and gas businesses and contractors. McAnally Wilkins understands the unique risk exposures impacting the oil and gas service industry and delivers customized insurance programs from leading insurers that help reduce risk.

McAnally Wilkins will continue to service clients from its Texas and Oklahoma-based office locations.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Texas
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

When a bill passed at a December special session of the Florida Legislature required all Citizens Property Insurance policyholders to buy flood insurance, many owners in high-rise condominiums were outraged. Already facing soaring premiums on HO-6 policies, now they were expected to pay hundreds more for flood insurance they couldnt imagine ever needing.

Last week, lawmakers signaled that they had heard the outcry  and rolled back the flood insurance requirement for condos. Legislators also amended and clarified some of the landmark condominium inspection and reserve funding measures required by the much-heralded Senate Bill 4D, approved during last summers special session.

In short, the 2023 regular legislative session cleaned up some bills approved during the three-day-long special sessions held last year. The regular session adjourned May 5. Its now up to Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign the changes into law.

Heres a look at the bills.

Senate Bill 154, sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, and House Bill 799 both address the condo market. They would allow condominium buildings master flood coverage to suffice and would no longer require individual unit owners to purchase separate policies.

Florida lawmakers approved the flood requirement for all Citizens policyholders in Senate Bill 2A in December. The rationale was that it would help avoid litigation over whether the damage to a property was from wind or water, and might even force Citizens consumers to seek more-affordable wind coverage in the primary market.

And even though thousands of condo unit owners are on upper floors, far from storm surge and cresting rivers, they would have benefitted, advocates of the requirement said. Some policies, for example, cover association assessments that might be levied on all units if theres damage to common areas in a flood.

But many people didnt get it. State Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Miami, called the flood requirement for high-rises nuts, Tampa TV news WFLA reported.

Its difficult to explain why people on upper floors need flood coverage, acknowledged Scott Johnson, a longtime Florida insurance industry educator and consultant who had advocated for the flood coverage mandate

To add insult to the perceived injury, the cost of flood insurance this year has dropped for some properties, but has doubled or tripled for many under a new federal risk-rating program.

The flood requirement hit condo owners especially hard, because most of them now have little choice except to insure their units with Citizens, the state-created insurer of last resort. A number of primary market carriers pulled back from the Florida condo market after the Champlain Towers South collapse in 2021.

Theres really no admitted market for condos anymore. Its all Citizens, said Travis Moore, a consultant and lobbyist who represents condo associations and owners in Florida.

And the flood requirement was practically impossible to achieve, in some cases, he said: The National Flood Insurance Program does not allow policies to be stacked. If the association or condo building has a master flood policy, usually covering up to $250,000 per unit, the unit owner cant buy another policy on top of that, Moore noted.

HB 799, if signed into law, will also require that, for insurers that do require flood coverage, the carrier must verify the policy. Otherwise, the insurer cannot later deny a wind claim solely because the insured does not have flood insurance.

The bill could raise insurance costs for some Florida property owners: It provides that the Citizens glidepath, which currently limits premium increases to no more than 12% per year, does not apply when Citizens assumes policies from an insurer that was deemed to be unsound or insolvent.

On condominium inspections, SB 154 seeks to settle some confusion and allow condominiums some flexibility.

The Legislature in December mandated more structural inspections, in the wake of the 2021 collapse, which killed 98 people. All condos above three stories have to be inspected 30 years after construction and regularly thereafter. Those within three miles of the coastline would have to be examined more frequently. And condo associations could no longer defer maintenance and funding for major repairs.

But Moore said the three-mile limit was not always clear and arbitrarily exempted some populous areas like Tampa, home to hundreds of aging condominiums. The new bill, if signed, will eliminate the three-mile line and require the 30-year inspections for all residential community high-rises.

The measure also authorizes local jurisdictions to extend the deadline for inspections if engineers and architects cannot complete their reports on time, due to high demand for their services. The inspections may also be handled by other professionals, as long as an engineer or architect is in charge of the team. Unit owners may also vote to waive or reduce reserve funding for nonstructural items.

Topics Florida Flood
A New Mexico judge has approved a $1.15 million settlement between a medic who worked on the Rust film set and one of several defendants she accused of negligence in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal.

Court records show the partial settlement between Cherlyn Schaefer and prop master Sarah Zachry was approved during a hearing Monday. Schaefer told the judge theres not a day that goes by when she doesnt think about what happened, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.

In her civil complaint, Schaefer said she fought desperately in a failed attempt to save the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. She said the shock, trauma and emotional distress that followed has made it impossible for her to continue working in her field.

Prosecutors dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor and producer last month, citing new evidence and the need for more time to investigate.

State District Judge Kathleen McGarry Ellenwood had entered a default judgment against Zachry in November after the film worker failed to file responses within court deadlines.

Zachrys current attorney, Nathan Winger, told the court Monday that her previous attorney, William Waggoner, let deadlines pass without her permission, and she intends to seek damages from him to fund her settlement with Schaefer. Waggoner disputes the claim.

Justin Rodriguez, one of several attorneys representing Schaefer, said the settlement is a small portion of what we expect to receive in the future. The remaining defendants include Rust Movie Productions, weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and assistant director David Halls, but not Baldwin.

Schaefers complaint claims Zachry and Gutierrez-Reed failed to ensure there were no live rounds in Baldwins weapon. An involuntary manslaughter charge remains pending against Gutierrez-Reed, but her attorneys have said they fully expect her to be exonerated.

Related:

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Mexico New Mexico
A Black former Tesla Inc TSLA.O factory worker has accused the electric automakers lawyers of egregious misconduct after a jury awarded him $3.2 million in a race bias case, and asked for a third trial so he can seek more money.

Lawyers for plaintiff Owen Diaz said in a filing in San Francisco federal court late Tuesday that Teslas lawyers asked improper questions, baselessly accused a witness of lying and made misleading statements during closing arguments in the five-day trial in March.

A different jury in 2021 had found Tesla liable for allegedly rampant racial harassment Diaz suffered at the companys flagship Fremont, California, assembly plant and awarded him $137 million. A judge said that amount was excessive and ordered a second trial on damages after Diaz rejected a reduced award of $15 million.

The judge barred both sides from presenting new evidence or testimony at the retrial. But Diazs lawyers on Tuesday said Teslas legal team improperly questioned him and other witnesses about alleged incidents, which Diaz has denied took place, where he called a coworker a dumb Mexican and sexually harassed female employees, which did not come up in the 2021 trial.

There is no other explanation for the extraordinary gap between the first and second jurys damages verdicts, his lawyers wrote.

Diaz also renewed a motion for a mistrial on similar grounds, which the judge had denied in the middle of the retrial.

Tesla in a separate filing moved to lower the award to about $1.6 million, saying the jurys $3 million award of punitive damages meant to punish illegal conduct was too large in light of the $175,000 granted to Diaz for emotional distress. The U.S. Supreme Court has said punitive damages should be no more than nine times the amount of other damages.

Lawyers for Tesla and Diaz did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. A hearing on the motions is scheduled for July 19.

In his 2017 lawsuit, Diaz had accused Tesla of failing to act when he repeatedly complained to managers that coworkers frequently used racist slurs and scrawled swastikas, racist caricatures and epithets on walls and work areas.

Tesla has said it does not tolerate discrimination and takes complaints from workers seriously.

The company has also denied wrongdoing in a series of other lawsuits claiming employees at assembly plants and service centers have faced racial or sexual harassment.

(Reporting by Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Daniel Wallis)

Topics California Tesla
An energy company should be fined nearly $3.4 million for safety violations involving a 2021 oil pipeline spill that fouled Southern California beaches, a federal regulator said.

Amplify Energy Corp. ignored 83 alarms indicating the offshore pipeline had leaked and failed to notify federal authorities or shut down the pipeline to San Pedro Bay until 17 hours after the first alarms, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said in a letter proposing the fine that was sent April 6 to the companys president.

An email to the Houston-based firm seeking comment wasnt immediately returned.

The pipeline carries oil to shore from platforms in San Pedro Bay, near the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors.

The October 2021 spill of 25,000 gallons of crude oil created a miles-wide sheen in the ocean and sent blobs of crude ashore, primarily affecting the cities of Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. It further shuttered beaches for a week and fisheries for more than a month, oiled birds and threatened area wetlands.

Amplify Energy said the spill was linked to damage from two ships it accused of dragging anchors and striking the pipeline during a January 2021 storm. It reached an $85 million settlement with the vessel companies.

Southern California fishermen, tourism companies and property owners sued Amplify and the shipping vessels seeking compensation for their losses. Amplify agreed to pay $50 million and the vessel companies agreed to pay $45 million to settle those lawsuits.

Amplify also reached a plea deal with federal authorities for negligently discharging crude.

The company announced last month that it received approval from federal regulatory agencies to restart the pipeline.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California Energy Oil Gas
May 11, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) NoMeme ($NOMEME) - a Milady Coin launched shortly after Elon Musk tweeted a Milady NFT image - has seen its price pump 700% in its first hour and a half of existence.

The new coin is trading at $0.0007525 on decentralized exchange Uniswap, quickly amassing a trading volume of $12 million.

$NOMEME has an impressive liquidity of $4.5 million too and analysts are already talking up its 100x returns potential.

In Musk's tweet he overlays the NFT image with a caption reading:

"There is no meme - I love you". It was a typically cryptic comment by Musk, or perhaps not cryptic at all.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1656326406618619910

Maybe Musk just likes the collection. It is a typically mysterious tweet, which is fitting for the Milady NFT collection, surrounded as it is by mystery. The collection is thought to be the work of the New York based Remilia art collective and the meanings behind the

Not surprisingly perhaps, Elon Musk's tweet has sent Milady NFT prices through the roof. The MIL floor price is a whopping $10,575, or 5.7134 ETH at the current exchange rate.

The Milady Maker NFT collection's value has shot up by 54% on top NFT marketplace Opensea.

Has Elon Musk birthed a new coin category with $NONAME in its vanguard?

Elon Musk is well known for his role in pushing up the price of meme coins Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, so fast-moving crypto engineers and teams are showing great agility in promptly taking advantage.

It is not known who is behind $NOMEME, but it was launched at 19:00 UTC, within three hours after Musk posted his tweet.

Those in the know who watch the latest hot trends in the crypto market will have moved quickly to seize this opportunity for gains that could bring token owners astronomic returns.

NoMeme is trending at No.1 on Dexscreener:

NOMEME is also trending at No.1 on high-profile exchange Crypto.com:

$NOMEME immediately raced ahead to kill a zero, breaking through $0.0010 an hour into the start of trading. The new coin is at the time of writing trading at $0.0007772.

As news of the coin's existence spreads, expect early price action to see its price rapidly appreciate in the coming hours.

Such is Elon Musk's influence - his Milady tweet has been viewed 15.6 million times already and liked 141,500 times - the "NoMeme" news is spreading like wildfire across the internet, and so too is buying interest in $NOMEME.

It looks like the team behind the coin has made it super easy to buy the token. Just head over to the https://nomeme.io/ website, connect your wallet to the Uniswap widget and make your purchase.

By recent standards, Ethereum gas fees are currently a reasonable $20 or so as opposed to the $90 or more seen last week.

$NOMEME is waiting - get ready for 100x price gains

Will Milady-branded coins and No Meme skits provide the basis for a whole new breed of coins and become the 'cancel culture' kryptonite that extinguishes the Pepe and $SPONGE meme coin new wave? Probably not.

Whatever the immediate outlook of meme coins, $NOMEME is already providing another magnetic pole of attraction for speculative funds flowing into the crypto space.

In fact $NOMEME could be the meme coin anti-hero that becomes the ultimate meme coin.

It is not the only player in town either. Milady Meme Coin is another Musk-inspired token and it is up massively too, by 5,400% to $0.00000007964.

The smart money is on $NOMEME to more than match those returns in the coming hours and days. Are you ready for a 100x return on investment? Of course you are.

More Info:

This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/

Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp
May 11, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Does the unexpected rise in weekly crude oil inventories herald a further fall in demand?

The commercial crude oil stocks rose unexpectedly last week in the United States, as imports fell less than exports, according to figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

U.S. Crude Oil Inventories

Indeed, during the week ended May 5, US commercial inventories swelled by 2.951 million barrels while analysts expected a decline of 0.917 million barrels:

Overall, crude oil inventories amounted to 462.6 million barrels, which remains 1% lower than the average of the last five years.

U.S. Gasoline Inventories

On the other hand, gasoline stocks fell by 3.168 million barrels following an increase in demand (+685,000 barrels per day), whilst a decline of 1.233 million was expected:

An important point to make is that the government also dipped slightly into the U.S. strategic petroleum reserves (SPR), which fell by almost 3 million barrels to 362 million barrels.

Regarding refinery activity, a slight acceleration was noticed, with operations running at 91% of capacity compared to 90.7% the previous week.

In brief:

Crude exports almost halved last week (nearly 2 million barrels per day less), which partly explains the increase in reserves.

Imports remained strong even if they fell to a lesser extent (by almost 0.850 million bpd).

S. crude production remained stable well above 12 million bpd.

Demand for petroleum products increased by almost 0.360 million barrels per day, bringing it to over 20 million.

Gasoline demand, as the busy car travel season approaches, has inflated by 685,000 bpd to reach 9.3 million bpd.

Banking Crisis

The authorities and players in the banking sector hoped that the takeover of First Republic by JPMorgan on Monday would sound, at least temporarily, the end of the turmoil in the world of finance, but regional banks remained under pressure on Wall Street.

This is why the shares of regional banks took a hit amid contagion fears.

Macroeconomics

On the macroeconomic side, a stricter monetary policy could weigh on the world's largest economy by increasing the cost of credit for households and businesses.

This would increase the risks of recession and, therefore, of a drop in demand for oil, as crude oil is probably one of the most sensitive assets to recession fears.

China

In addition, some negative signals about China's economic growth add to general apprehensions about the global economy, with a contraction observed in April for the purchasing managers' activity index (PMI) in China, reflecting the health of the industrial world.

Technical Charts

Energy Futures (Continuous: current contract in front, daily charts)

Sebastien Bischeri,

Oil & Gas Trading Strategist

More Info:

This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/

Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp
Source: Streetwise Reports

May 11, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Libero Copper and Gold Corp. is partnering with Anglo Asian Mining Plc on the initial design, engineering, and financial modeling work on its Mocoa project in Putumayo, Colombia.

Libero Copper and Gold Corp. (LBC:TSX.V; LBCMF:OTCQB) is partnering with its largest shareholder, Anglo Asian Mining Plc (AAZ:LON), on the initial design, engineering, and financial modeling work on its Mocoa project in Putumayo, Colombia.

Anglo Asian is an experienced project developer, mine builder, mine operator, and explorer, Libero said.

Studies will be focused on low-impact underground bulk tonnage mining methods and using other innovations to minimize the project's environmental footprint.

Libero President and Chief Executive Officer Ian Harris called the partnership an "important milestone."

"A key objective of the design is maximizing production chain development in Putumayo through a secure, long-term supply of copper for national green industries, in line with the Colombian government's commitment to industrialization, tackling climate change, and transitioning toward sustainable industries," Harris said.

A pit-constrained inferred resource at Mocoa contains 636 million tonnes of 0.45% copper equivalent (Cu eq) containing 4.6 billion pounds Cu and 511 million pounds molybdenum (Mo).

The deposit appears to be open in both directions, along and at depth. The company also has identified additional porphyry targets, including a possible expansion of the known mineralization.

The project could be "larger than currently defined as suggested by previous alteration and geophysical studies," Red Cloud Securities Inc. analyst Taylor Combaluzier wrote in a February research note.

"Additional discoveries and resource expansion at Mocoa are two factors we believe are key to a potential re-rating of Libero's stock price," wrote Combaluzier, who rated the stock a Buy with a target of CA$0.95 per share.

Technical analyst Clive Maund of CliveMaund.com rated the stock an immediate strong speculative Buy in February.

"This looks like an excellent point to pick up Libero Copper on its reaction back to support following a powerful high-volume breakout from a Head-and-Shoulders bottom late last month," he wrote. "It looks like we have a perfect entry point here."

The Catalyst: Minimizing Impact on the Environment

Mocoa, discovered in 1973, is the largest copper resource in Colombia, according to the company.

Surface work was conducted in the 1970s and early 1980s, and some drilling was done in 2008 and 2012. Libero drilled at the project in 2022 and intercepted 840 meters of 0.72% Cu eq.

A soil geochemical anomaly also extends north and south of the area previously drill tested, and elevated copper was in soil samples for an additional 2 kilometers south of the main copper-molybdenum anomaly.

Libero previously identified nine new porphyry targets near the existing deposit at the site. The ongoing field program is now collecting soil samples from these additional targets.

A large part of the design of the site will involve minimizing the mining's impact on the local environment as the company aims to meet the surging demand for copper in the renewable energy and electric vehicle (EV) industries, Libero said.

"Anglo Asian Mining already has a strong track record of protecting the earth while having a positive impact on the living standards where we operate," said Reza Vaziri, president and chief executive officer of Anglo Asian. "As the mining industry continues to evolve, we are committed to embracing changes that will help create a sustainable and mutually beneficial future for all."

Colombia at the Forefront

Mining companies had been worried when leftist Gustavo Petro was elected last summer, promising a halt to new gas and oil and development. But he's proven to be more supportive of green metals like copper. He wants Colombia to be at the forefront of the world's energy transition.

"We believe Petro would have to acknowledge copper's fundamental role in achieving this goal, which should benefit Libero Copper," Combaluzier of Red Cloud Securities has written.

EVs, as they are now, would not exist without the red metal. They use three times the amount of copper as cars with internal combustion engines.

One out of five vehicles sold worldwide could be an EV in less than two years, and Ford and General Motors have set a goal of achieving 40-50% of their sales from EVs in the U.S. by 2030. This is expected to cause demand for copper to rise 16% and outstrip supply by more than 6 million tonnes by the end of the decade, according to independent energy research company Rystad Energy.

The transition to clean energy is expected to bring 10.3 million new jobs globally by 2030, the World Economic Forum noted in March. That increase will offset the 2.7 million jobs expected to be cut in fossil fuels.

"It's a done deal," Harris has said of the economic shift. "It's something that's going to be happening in some form."

Ownership and Share Structure

About 5.2% of the company is held by management and insiders, 28.5% is held by institutional investors, about 29.3% is held by strategic and high-net-worth investors, including 19.6% owned by Anglo Asian, the largest shareholder. The rest is retail.

Among insiders, Executive Chairman Ian Slater owns 3.96%, and Director Robert Pease owns 0.43%, according to Reuters. Palos Management Inc. owns 0.46%.

The company is covered by Taylor Combaluzier of Red Cloud Securities and newsletter writers Clive Maund of Clivemaund.com, Bob Moriarty of 321gold.com, David Forest of International Speculator, Brien Lundin of the Gold Newsletter (Jefferson Financial), and Gwen Preston of Resource Maven. Click in the data box above to view more of what they are saying.

Its market cap is CA$13.4 million, and it has 108.19 million shares outstanding, 84.24 million floating. It trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.65 and CA$0.115.

More Info:

This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/

Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp
Alexandria, Virginia - May 11, 2023 (Newsfile Corp.) (Investorideas.com Newswire) Pay Later Flights announces its launch as a new website that offers customers the ability to pay for flights and hotels with flexible payment plans, allowing travelers to take their trips without worrying about immediate payment.

At Pay Later Flights, customers can book flights and hotels with no upfront cost. They are also offered several plans that they can choose from depending on their budget and needs. The flexible payment plans allow travelers to spread out payments over a period of time, with a range of up to [six] months.

"We are thrilled to be offering a new way of booking flights and hotels that is suited to fit the financial needs of travelers today," said Robert Nickles, chief marketing officer at Pay Later Flights. "We understand that travel can be expensive, and our goal is to make it easier for customers to pay for their trips without having to worry about immediate cost."

How Does Pay Later Flights Work?

In a simple process, Pay Later Flights allows travelers to book their flights and hotels without paying the full amount upfront: First, customers choose a destination and select the flight and hotel they would like to book. Then, customers will be asked to provide basic personal information such as name, address, and employment status to apply for a payment plan.

Payments can be made through various options, including credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers. Once the payment plan is accepted, customers will receive their travel documents, such as tickets and hotel reservations, via email.

"We understand that many people can't afford to pay for a once-in-a-lifetime experience in one lump sum, so we developed this payment plan option to make traveling more accessible and affordable," said Nickles. "Our goal is to make it easier for customers to experience the world without worrying about how they are going to pay for it."

To learn more about the company, visit its website at www.paylater.flights.

Press Contact:

Robert Nickles

Chief Marketing Officer

support@paylater.flights

More Info:

This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/

Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp
Cork-based retail tech company Everseen has raised over 65m in funding led by US private equity firm Crosspoint Capital Partners.

A collection of the latest business articles and business analysis from Cork.

The company was founded in 2007 with its headquarters located in Blackpool. It reportedly has over 1,000 employees worldwide.

Everseen announced news of the funding on Thursday morning which it said would allow it to further invest in its AI technology as well as help scale the company.

Its technology is already used by a number of the worlds top retailers to streamline operations and help mitigate inventory shrink which the retail sector sees as a $100bn-a-year (91.5bn) problem.

The company's video-camera technology, which monitors self-service checkouts, has also helped some stores drastically reduce the number of interactions staff have with customers observing millions of items and customers every day, reducing friction and delays.

The company was founded by Alan OHerlihy who serves as its chief executive. Crosspoint Capital made its original investment into Everseen in June 2021 citing the company's disruptive computer vision AI technology and strong customer relationships.

Following news of the investment, Mr OHerlihy said Crosspoint Capital has been a fantastic partner over the last two years we are excited to further our relationship.

Everseens computer vision AI platform has scaled the automation of scene-based processes with impact  in use across 6,000 major retail stores and connecting 80,000 point-of-sale devices, he said.

We have created generic process-aware technology that can be applied to a broad spectrum of business functions, leveraging our growing dataset.

Greg Clark, managing partner of Crosspoint Capital, called Everseen a refreshing example of the business value of the AI revolution. We are excited to bring the power of Crosspoint to support its vision and help them scale into this significant market opportunity.

Crosspoint Capital Partners focuses its investments on the cybersecurity, privacy and infrastructure software markets.
Guangzhou-based online shopping brand, SHEIN has chosen Ireland as its location for its new European headquarters, with the Dublin office operating as the "heart of SHEIN's operations in the region."

The new site will also host the company's IT hub for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with thirty roles being created as the fashion conglomerate expands across Ireland.

Attending the opening of the firm's headquarters, Minister for Enterprise, Simon Coveney said he "warmly welcomed the announcement."

"It is a vote of confidence that another global leader has chosen Ireland to launch their EMEA HQ and highlights that we have the environment to attract FDI companies to our shores," Mr Coveney continued.

The opening follows the company's announcement that it would be launching a pop-up store in Cork city centre this month, which will operate from May 13th to 17th, fuelling criticism surrounding the company's sustainability and climate impacts. Last year, SHEINs pop-up store at Jervis Shopping Centre, Dublin, attracted over 4,000 visitors per day.

Valued at $100bn in April last year, the brand has seen soaring commercial success due to its popularity across prominent social media sites. With the slogan, "Save Money. Live in Style," the brand is known for its cheap clothing products, with garments available to buy online for as little as 2.

Founded in 2008 by current chief executive, Chris Xu, the Chinese company has since expanded with distribution hubs across Poland, Italy and the UAE.

However, while shipping to more than 150 countries worldwide, the brand has been accused of contributing to the climate crisis due to its use of cheap synthetic fossil fuel fibres, toxic dyes, plastics and microplastics to make clothes, resulting in the product's famously low prices.

Additionally, the Chinese multinational has also faced accusations of underpaying employees found to work up to 18 hours per day.

Following these accusations, the company says it has made monetary donations and donations-in-kind to various charities, including Irish charities such as the Marie Keating Organisation and The Society of St. Vincent De Paul.

Speaking on the opening, Global Head of Government Relations, Leonard Lin said he was "delighted" to launch in Ireland, complimenting its "pro-business environment and great access to talent," making it an excellent hub for companies.

Michael Lohan, IDA chief executive said the arrival was a "welcome addition," to Ireland's IT sector, calling Dublin the "ideal location," in terms on talent and resources.
The first meeting of the Food Vision 2030 Tillage Group has been held.

The group is chaired by Matt Dempsey, and participants are drawn from farming organisations, industry, and state bodies.

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said that tillage plays a "significant role" in Ireland's food and feed security by providing high-quality produce to the animal feed industry and to the food and drinks industry.

Government has committed to growing Ireland's tillage area to 400,000 hectares by 2030.

Addressing the group, the minister acknowledged the current difficulties being experienced by tillage growers, saying: "I am acutely aware of the current concerns among tillage growers with lower grain prices and high input costs combined with difficult weather conditions that impacted on autumn and spring sowing.

"We must focus on developing the many opportunities that are within our control and I believe that working together we can grow this important sector in the years ahead while further enhancing its competitiveness and environmental credentials.

"The tillage sector is of immense and critical importance to the overall ecosystem of our agri-food sector.

"From food to feed to the drinks sector, the tillage sector is the backbone of so many elements of our sector."

Targets

Chairman Matt Dempsey said that Ireland has the capacity to produce high yields of high-quality tillage crops for a wide variety of uses.

He added: "Setting clear targets and recommending policies to increase output given the high level of imports in the sector is the primary objective of this Food Vision Tillage Group.

"I am honoured to have been asked to chair such an informed and representative grouping and look forward to working with the members to develop a blueprint that will stimulate the Irish tillage sector in its drive for greater output, efficiency, and profitability."

The minister has tasked the group with providing a detailed plan and recommendations by the end of July with a final plan to be submitted during the final quarter of 2023.

Potential shortages

The Food Vision Tillage Group will "need to get to grips quickly" with all the issues facing the sector, a farm organisation has said.

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association tillage chairman Gavin Carberry said that with 30% of spring sowing yet to be done, this "will only add to the already predicted shortage of straw and grain later in the year".

"What the tillage sector can or cannot produce in any given year has a huge knock-on effect on all the other sectors," Mr Carberry said.

"Already this year we know the overall tillage area is set to fall by some 8,000 hectares, and in terms of our ability to supply enough grains for feed or straw for bedding over the winter, the outlook does not look good."

Mr Carberry said options for tillage farmers are "diminishing" and there is now a possibility that land could be left idle.

"The weather has been against us in recent weeks; the advice from Teagasc is to try to keep sowing for another week or two but there is no guarantee that it will be possible," he said.

"If we cannot sow grains and cereals, we are looking at planting maize or beet crops which itself is problematic as there may be no market for it."

Work cut out

Mr Carberry added that tillage farmers are also experiencing "massive difficulties" when it comes to leasing land.

"Many dairy farmers are looking to increase their holdings due to changes in the nitrates regulations which leaves the lower income sectors unable to compete," he explained.

"Grain prices are also down to 2018 levels - despite big increases in our costs. None of this tallies with the Government's stated aim of increasing the national tillage area as part of our climate strategy.

"It is clear the Food Vision Tillage Group will have its work cut out, but it is also clear that more tactical planning encompassing all sectors is required. We need solutions that address the needs of each sector without negatively impacting other sectors."
An official message received in Dublin from Macroom, Co Cork, states that while the auxiliary police were searching a house at noon to-day at Ballingarry [sic], a civilian named Christopher Lucy, of Cork, fired on them. The police returned the fire and Lucy was killed.

The spellings of Ballingeary (Beal Atha n Ghaorthaidh) and the name of the UCC medical student shot dead near the village on November 10, 1920, were not the only questionable aspects of reports carried in The Times and other newspapers. The veracity of official accounts of the final moments of Volunteer Christopher Lucey (Criostoir O Luasa) is still causing debate in the Gaeltacht area more than a century later.

That the 22-year-olds demise is a hot topic in 2023 owes much to the fact that the events surrounding the War of Independence shooting have now become the somewhat unlikely subject of a bilingual community musical.

Jamie O Duinn in a scene from An Tuairin Dubh.

Tuairin Dubh, the townland in which Lucey was hiding out in a cave while on the run and where he met his untimely end, now lends its name to the latest production from the creative team behind last years musical dramatisation of the Dripsey Ambush, Shame the Devil.

Sean Og O Duinnin, local secondary school principal and one third of the writing/production team with Kevin Connolly and Alan Kiely, hints that the account of one of the Auxiliaries present in Tuairin Dubh that day casts doubt over the official version of events.

The common accepted story is that he was shot from the roadside at Tuairin Dubh by a marksman at what looks to me like two or three hundred yards distance up a hill, he said.

Theres a monument there on the side of the road and a cross on the side of the hill but were not so sure thats how it happened. There are other versions of events in diaries  contentious versions, said O Duinnin. Weve looked at the diaries of [Lt Raymond] Cafferata, who was an Auxiliary in the area at the time and is a character in the play, and his version of events is quite different.

Cafferata, who names the person he believes responsible for shooting Lucey, suggests it was an act of vengeance for the IRA killing of Auxiliary cadets Bertram Agnew and Lionel Mitchell, who disappeared on November 6, their bodies never found.

Lucey may have been targeted following his involvement in the ambush of two military paint lorries near Tuairin Dubh, an event which features strongly in the musical.

The son of a wealthy merchant from Corks Pembroke St, Lucey had been on hunger strike in Mountjoy jail and was the subject of arrest warrants, including for a raid on Murrays gun shop on Saint Patricks St, when he was sent for his own safety to the home of his cousins the Twomeys in Tuairin Dubh. The Beal Atha n Ghaorthaidh area was a hub of Republican activity and home to Colaiste na Mumhan, attracting the likes of Terence MacSwiney and Tomas Mac Curtain.

A scene from An Tuairin Dubh. Picture Shay O'Donovan

Interest in War of Independence events in the locality has been rekindled since An Tuairin Dubh rehearsals began. Some people would have been aware, or would have half-known from monuments, but we see these things and we dont even stop to see whats written on them, said Kiely.

But once you start digging and creating an awareness, people start to volunteer bits of information and theres a sense of ownership of [the musical] thats really strong, he said, adding that some parts are played by the characters own descendants. The fact that they are singing and acting about their own relations, theres a great sense of pride.

Cumann na mBan features strongly, as does Ian Scottie McKenzie Kennedy, a Volunteer from the Scottish Highlands, said to be a descendent of Robert the Bruce, and who is remembered in Beal Atha n Ghaorthaidh with a plaque in his honour.

While McKenzie, complete with kilt, is among the most colourful characters in An Tuairin Dubh, so terrifying is the appearance of his fellow countryman Cecil Guthrie and other gun-wielding Auxiliaries that tears have been shed by frightened young audience members during rehearsal.

Little more than a fortnight after Luceys shooting, Guthrie was wounded at the Kilmichael Ambush before being shot and his body dumped in Annahala bog, while McKenzie was killed during the Civil War. Ceremonial swords belonging to the bagpipe-playing Scot are among artefacts to come to light, along with ammunition shells, letters, prison records, and photographs, as the musical becomes a catalyst for a collective recollection of the areas part in Irelands struggle for independence.

By presenting the story of Tuairin Dubh in the locality of the events of 1920, people will learn a lot of history and it will come alive very strongly, emotionally, very powerfully, said O Duinnin, but my main remit was to bring drama back to the area, to give people a place to speak Irish, do something fun through Irish, and the goal was to bring theatre back to Beal Atha.
Cork actor Cillian Murphy has given a rare interview in which he spoke on topics like Peaky Blinders, living with fame and his new movie, Oppenheimer.

Murphy, 47, is on the cover of the latest Rolling Stone magazine in the UK and he speaks candidly from the set of Small Things Like These about his career as well as aspects of his private life.

Small Things Like These is an adaptation of Claire Keegans acclaimed novella. Keegan also wrote the book behind the Oscar-nominated An Cailin Ciuin. With the story's focus on the place of a Magdalene laundry in Wexford, Murphy says mediums like books and films can help Ireland process its relationship and history with the Catholic church.

Everyone in Ireland that you talk to, of a certain generation, more or less has a story. Its just in Irish people, he said. What happened with the church, I think were still kind of processing it. And art can be a balm for that.

Small Things Like These filming with Cillian Murphy in New Ross, Co.Wexford. Picture: Mary Browne

Filming is taking place in Wexford at a former school that once operated as a laundry and Murphy noted the atmosphere adds to their acting.

You can feel the texture, and in the tiny house where we shot, you can feel the claustrophobia. Chris [Nolan] is also a big fan of that. If youre put in the right environment, you will act differently when you walk on set with your fucking soy latte, or whatever.

Murphy and Nolan have worked together numerous times in the past and they have teamed up once more for Oppenheimer, a film about the creator of the atomic bomb, who is played by Murphy. The film is highly anticipated and there has already been some Oscar buzz around it. Murphy said the script, which was written entirely in the first person, is amazing.

I think its the best script I ever read, Murphy said. [Nolan] just said he wanted everything to be seen through the eyes of Oppenheimer.

With that intellect  which I think can actually be a burden  youre not seeing stuff in the normal plane that we do. Everything is multifaceted and about to collapse. Itd be a terrible way to buy milk or cut the grass, Id say.

Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer

Away from the screen, Murphy discussed his familys move from London to Ireland in recent years, saying the promise of a dog sealed the deal for his sons. He said he and his wife, artist Yvonne McGuinness, wanted their children to be reared Irish.

We had 14 years in London. But as you hit your late thirties and have kids, living in a major metropolis is less exciting. Also were both Irish. We wanted the kids to be reared Irish. I think its the best decision we made, he said.

Theyre really good boys. We dont do Dads Movie Night, but they like some of my films. They say all my films are really intense.

One intense role Murphy is famous for is that of Tommy Shelby, who he played for six seasons in Peaky Blinders. On the possibility of a Peaky Blinders film, Murphy said he would be willing to be involved  but only if the story is right.

If theres more story there, Id love to do it, he said. But it has to be right.

Steve Knight wrote 36 hours of television, and we left on such a high. Im really proud of that last season. So, it would have to feel legitimate and justified to do more.

Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders

One downside to his success, he says, is having to do media interviews, and Rolling Stones writer Christina Newland notes Murphys evident nerves ahead of their chat. At one point, Murphy said: interviews are like commuting. You have to commute to get to your destination.

I dont really partake. I dont go out. Im just at home mostly, or with my friends, unless I have a film to promote. I dont like being photographed by people.

I think its the Tommy Shelby thing. People expect this mysterious [person]  its just a character. It can ruin experiences, because it fetishizes everything: You can be walking down the street and someone takes a picture, like this is a fucking event. It kind of destroys nuance and human behavior, but thats part and parcel of [fame].

Fame evaporates with regularity. Im around here [a restaurant in Wexford] all the time and no one gives a fucking shit. It dissipates. But if  one of the guys from Succession walked in here, Id be all intimidated and shaky. When youre confronted with someone youve invested a lot in, or you think is amazing, the encounter is strange.

Cillian Murphy on the cover of Rolling Stone
Its gone Royal on our WhatsApp group, Douglas Road Stunners Who Wouldnt Mind Being Kate Middleton. (Even though wed hate to be called after a town in East Cork.)

Fifi_FutureQueen said she was glued to the coronation last weekend and if you married William youd be devastated the way he turned into a baldy old man overnight, but it would still be worth it for all the nannies.

Orla_PrincessOrlaToYou said not to mention how proud youd make your mam.

Well Audrey, mic-drop moment on the Stunners WhatsApp group. Weve been going eight years now and thats the first time anyone used the word mam, unless were mocking the cleaner.

We called an Extraordinary General Meeting at Chi Chi Caffeine, the latest bee-atching hotspot on Douglas Boulevard, and we put Orla in The Circle Of Shame.

We were sitting around her chanting: Its mummy not mam, your language is a sham  really brilliant afternoon except for Orla who couldnt stop crying.

But Fifi_FutureQueen did raise the big question  what do you call your father if you want to make it clear that you are A Highly Suitable Person?

I read that Prince William calls his father pa, but that wont work in Ireland because it sounds like a culchie version of Pat. So, Audrey whats the correct name for your dad?

- Jenni, Douglas Road.

I rang the Posh Cousin there and said: Remind me again, what do you call your dad? She said: Twice a day. I said, What? She said: I call him twice a day in case he writes me out of the will. #Focused



Cmere, whats the story with paying to watch hurling?

Myself and Budgie are after discovering this white wine from Austria, Gruner Veltiliner its called. I know what youre thinking, white wine from Austria, thats like a southsider with a sense of common decency, but this stuff is the berries and it creeps up on you, like all good drinks should.

So Budgie arrives over to my place with a couple of bottles last weekend to watch Cork playing Tipperary, on goes the telly, no sign of the match.

Quick bit of Googling told us we have to pay for it, and we were a couple of glasses into the Gruner at this stage, so I said: Come on Budgie, well stroll down to the Pairc and watch it in the flesh.

Off down we go, Blackrock end because the city end was jointed, were in among the pointy brown shoe brigade from Tipperary.

Doesnt one of them catch me pouring a glass of Gruner for Budgie and then the mocking started and I laid into them over their cider habits and it was good craic to be honest.

So much so that were invited to Roscrea this weekend for a Gruner-cider taste-off with the locals. So Audrey, my question is, wheres Roscrea?

- Dowcha Donie, Blackpool

My aunt married a guy from Tipperary, she always had a poor sense of smell. I rang her there and asked her to sum up Roscrea in five words or less. She said: At least its not Nenagh.

Hello its Rosealeen here in Ballydesmond. You know summer is around the corner when my bitch of a sister arrives down from Dublin every weekend because she wants to show her Yankee-accent children what its like to live in the countryside.

One of them asked me last Sunday if Id get her a gelato, well didnt I march her down to Bernas shop for a 99, it never did us any harm.

Berna hands your one the ice cream, and didnt the ungrateful little tyke start effing and blinding, it was like the time Fr OShea had that turn during Mass and told us we were a shower of mother-effers.

I said: Where did you learn that language, Petronella? (The names on them!) She said: From my mom you effin cow.

Well I dragged her up home by the mohawk and reared up at my bitch of a sister, whats with the swearing says I, and she was all, Would you ever calm down Rosealeen from Ballydesmond, theyre just effin words.

Am I missing something now Audrey, are ye all cursing away at each other up in the cities?

- Rosealeen from Ballydesmond

The only time I curse is when I get my weekly letter from Rosealeen from Ballydesmond. No offence.

So my main man, Bryan with a Y calls over yesterday with his new start-up idea  Hurling Drones.

Were going to buy four drones and use them to broadcast big hurling matches for free.

We havent figured out a way to make money yet, but we both went to Pres so it should be no prob rustling up 10m in start-up investment from the old class-mates.

Bryan with a Ys old man is a barrister and he said its illegal, but when was the last time you heard a barrister telling the truth?

So like, what should we call our new company?

- Ed, Ballintemple

The brother is great at snappy names. I rang him there and said: I have one for you  what do you call something that flies around breaking the law? He said: Donald Trump.
Should a parent be allowed to take their child on holidays during term time? Does a school have any right to say no?

Maybe? Maybe a family cant afford the hiked-up summer prices? Few among us dont feel the draw of that particular argument.

And what is education anyway? Surely, its not confined to the classroom? Maybe a trip to another country with loved ones offers an educational experience beyond a schools reach? Life is the greatest educator and travel expands the mind and the senses; it offers the real thing, not a watered-down version in a book or on a screen.

Maybe we need to pause right here Before we all decide that theres no harm in yanking children out of school when it suits parents.

We easily forget that rules against parents removing children from school are put in place to protect all children, the every child. In Ireland, certainly compared to neighbouring countries, we do far more to protect the rights of parents and far less to protect the rights of children.

Yes, one family might be taking their child to a remote village in China to learn Chinese for a month, but another might be leaving their child alone, in a home ravaged by addiction. Or more commonly, they might be leaving them on a screen playing computer games all day while they work double shifts to make the rent. Or they might be struggling to support a child without our help.

NOT HALF ENOUGH

It is the States job to ensure that every childs right to an education is protected. Schools are legally required to report high rates of absences. In all honesty, Im not sure we do nearly half enough.

It is incredibly rare that Tusla follows up on these. As Jess Casey reported in January, 3,500 notices were issued over the last seven years. Break that down: Thats 500 notices a year. There are more children than that in a secondary comprehensive school. And out of that, over seven years, only 830 court summonses were issued.

According to TD Denis Naughton, speaking in the Oireachtas in 2020, one primary school child in eight misses more than 20 days of schools a year. Whats going on? The truth is that children are falling through the cracks all the time in Ireland.

They stop coming to school for various reasons, often to the heartbreak of decent, struggling parents. But they also stop coming because they are being neglected and denied their fundamental rights.

Home is sadly not always where the heart is. According to the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland, despite Ireland voting in favour of childrens rights over a decade ago, children are still not front and centre of family law cases. In 44% of child sexual violence cases processed by the State, the perpetrator is a family member. We need the State to consider the level of autonomy parents are given in Ireland for the sakes of those children.

FLIMSY SAFETY NETS

Irish parents enjoy an incredible amount of freedom when it comes to child-rearing. We have a proprietorial attitude towards our children. We focus on our rights as parents and our constitution backs us up. A parent in Ireland can home-school with little to no supervision.

In mainstream, our children are given 20 days of unauthorised absences before we receive a notice from Tusla, and then what? In reality, very little happens. Parents complain about this notice as if it is an affront, but these notices are a safety net. And a bloody flimsy one at that.

Certainly, this process should be explained to parents to avoid unnecessary upset. The reason why they cant take an impromptu trip to China for a month of the year should be outlined also. It is to protect vulnerable children.

Irish parents might be surprised to know that if they lived in the UK they would only have 10 days to play with, not 20. They would be far more likely to face fines of up to 2,500.

In Austria, parents can be fined for only three consecutive days of unauthorised absence or they can end up in prison for up to two weeks.

German police are known to actively check airports for parents absconding with their school-going children.

In Norway, interestingly, a head teacher can grant leave on a case-by-case basis. Now this might be something we could consider, but Im loathe to add any more to a principals to-do list in Ireland.

In Portugal, the state restricts what parents can call their babies. All parents must choose from a list of names.

Can you imagine that in Ireland? Wed give up unnecessary driving first.
Irish trawler owners are being asked to voluntarily install remote onboard monitoring cameras that will one day be used to record potential breaches of EU law.

The request has been made by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA), which wants to see how remote CCTV systems work on trawlers as part a Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) pilot project the fishing industry watchdog is launching.

Once completed, data from the pilot project may be used to design a remote monitoring fisheries system that will be introduced across the EU fishing fleet in the coming years to ensure trawlers comply with EU fisheries regulations.

However, the scheme has been compared by a leading fishing industry representative to asking turkeys to vote in favour of Christmas. Irish South and West Fish Producer Organisation CEO Patrick Murphy also said:

This is another example of how an already highly-compliant Irish fishing industry is being micromanaged to death by regulatory authorities.

The Irish Examiner has learned the SFPA has told potentially interested parties it would not be in its interests to prosecute participating vessels for regulatory breaches captured on CCTV during the pilot project.

This is, it stated in an April 25 email, to ensure the scheme runs to its conclusion over the course of a year.

Boat owners were also assured the SFPA does not profit in seeking to prosecute participant vessels.

The scheme has been compared by Irish South and West Fish Producer Organisation CEO Patrick Murphy, to asking 'turkeys to vote in favour of Christmas.' Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The email states that instead there would be a "stepped approach" to regulatory enforcement which would begin with an owner caught breaking the law being re-trained.

But, the SFPA also said that it may be difficult to progress any issue beyond the initial warning phase. Mr Murphy said:

That the SFPA is deploying a relaxed enforcement policy with the pilot project is astonishing. It is not exactly immunity from prosecution, but its not far off.

He said this is in complete contrast to some of the procedural issues members have faced sanction for.

In contrast, some of our members have been hit with extremely strict enforcement measures over basic procedural issues.

One member recently failed to enter details of the amount of fish caught before a midnight deadline.

This had been because the onboard fish count had finished in the early hours of the following morning.

He was boarded by the Irish Naval Service later that day and subsequently sanctioned.

Fortunately, he successfully appealed against the SFPA sanction.

Of the pilot scheme, the SFPA told the Irish Examiner: A stepped compliance methodology was devised for this project to allow learnings be maximised for the vessel owner and the SFPA.

This allows the identification of issues to increase the chances of a successful conclusion for the SFPA and any participant vessel. The project is designed around the vessel owner being a willing participant."

The SFPA is not in a position to offer immunity for any suspected fisheries-related offences.

The focus of the project is to assess the effectiveness and applicability of (sensors and CCTV) technology to provide data on the movement of fish from capture through to the end of the grading and packing process."
Conspiracy theorist critics of the 15-minute city concept have fundamentally misunderstood what it means, one of Ireland's leading climate scientists has said.

Check out our Sustainability and Climate Change Hub where you will find the latest news, features, opinions and analysis on this topic from across the various Irish Examiner topic desks and their team of specialist writers and columnists.

Maynooth University professor of geography and climate change Peter Thorne said critics suggesting people would be "prisoners" within such a city are absurdly wrong, and that it means having "nice and livable environments for individuals" to enjoy a full life locally.

The 15-minute city concept has become a new target of conspiracy theorists, who suggest it is an international socialist plot designed to keep people herded in closely so that Government authorities can keep them under surveillance.

In reality, it means sustainable community growth that would allow people to be able to work, socialise, go to school, access healthcare, and exercise within a 15-minute walk, cycle, or bus and train journey from their homes.

We need to get away from single detached houses out in the country, miles from services, that lock in high energy intensity. Moving forward, we need more compact developments that enable low-carbon, high-quality lifestyles.

"Hopefully we can do better than concrete monstrosities that might become sink estates. Long gone are those days. We have the capability to create nice, livable environments for individuals that allow them to do everything that they need.

"The 15-minute city has been lambasted, ticking off some people chronically. We need more things that are close but that does not mean you are a prisoner within a 15-minute walk, cycle, or public transport of your home. I would love to not have a 45-minute commute on a regular basis."

There are also "obvious and glaring" policy gaps in the planning system that are stifling progress in renewable energy targets, Prof Thorne said.

"The planning system is at the heart of meeting our legislative carbon budgets, particularly for electricity, heat, and transport. There are gaps that need to be addressed quickly to give greater local support, in particular for meeting our renewable energy targets, but also for compact growth targets," he said.
Physically violent and aggressive children were the biggest single cause of calls to Parentline from worried parents in 2022.

The national parent helpline was inundated with calls from parents experiencing abuse from their children in 2022.

Around 1,991 of the total calls to Parentline in 2022 related to physical violence and aggression, with 34% of parents contacting the charity reporting anger, aggression, and abusive behaviours.

Parentline CEO Aileen Hickie, who will release the 2022 figures in full later this month, said: Child to parent violence continues to be a hugely worrying issue for parents all over Ireland.

Parentline, which offers non-violent resistance programmes to parents dealing with this form of domestic violence, was inundated with requests for the programme in 2022.

She said that while there are varying degrees of child to parent violence, ultimately it leaves parents in fear  in their own home  of their own child.

Ms Hickie said the charity has had to put 20% more of its non-violent resistance programmes in place for parents than the previous year.

The programmes are intended to help parents address issues including aggression, anger, physical violence, verbal abuse, coercion, controlling behaviours, intimidation, school refusal, and damage to property.

A further 7.4% of callers to the charity were concerned about school refusal.

A report to be published by Parentline later in May analysing the trends and statistics from 2022, is based on the 5,857 calls logged last year.

While the volume of calls is approximately the same as that logged in 2021, the 40% increase in call numbers over 2020 has held firm.

Calls from fathers to the helpline service also increased markedly in 2022.

Nearly one in five callers to the helpline is now male, an increase of 25% on the number of men ringing Parentline in 2021.

Twenty years ago, the only calls from fathers were concerning the parenting skills of their partners, Ms Hickie said.

So, things have moved on significantly and there's now a marked increase in paternal involvement with fathers expressing concern about their children and the issues that are affecting them.

She said another more worrying trend is the increase in calls from parents concerned at the levels of anxiety being displayed by their child or children.

One in every 10 callers to the helpline now reference their childs anxiety as the reason for the call.

This is up 10.4% since 2021. Ms Hickie said:

Anxiety is a normal and natural occurrence

But it can become overwhelming.

Children can experience anxiety about different issues at different stages of their lives, she said, but noted that the rise in calls relating to anxiety, self-harm and depression is worrying.

Anxiety can interfere with a child's daily life and severe anxiety can harm a child's mental and emotional wellbeing and affect their self-esteem and confidence, she added.

She said that while calls about anxiety usually related to teenage children, the age at which anxiety is being flagged as an issue is now as low as seven.

The charity, set up in 1982 as a support group for new mothers with young babies, has grown into a national helpline.

As a result of the increase in calls during covid-19, the service is seeking more volunteers to cope with demand.

Parentline can be contacted during the day on 01 8733500.
More than two-thirds of newly registered vets in 2022 qualified outside of Ireland, as demand has outstripped supply, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

Just 80 vets who registered with the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) last year received their qualification from University College Dublin (UCD), while the remaining 222 graduated from accredited schools abroad.

Currently, UCD is the only third-level institution to offer veterinary training, with demand far outstripping places every year due to CAO points ranging from 601-625 for the 82 places.

The Government is now looking to expand the number of places available through various possible scenarios presented by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

UCD has between 135 and 140 places each year, the committee heard, 82 of which are obtained through the CAO system. The remainder is for international students and graduates.

Approximately 48 spots are taken by North Americans each year, which provides significant income, while also contributing to the courses worldwide reputation, the committee heard.

Department of Higher Education assistant secretary general Keith Moynes told the committee between 860  1000 apply for one of the 82 CAO spots each year, resulting in a few hundred studying abroad.

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris previously said it is "utterly wrong" for so many students to have to go abroad.

The HEA sought to identify opportunities to create additional capacity through programme creation or expansion in academic years 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Possible solutions

Five expressions of interest were received by the HEA, four of which related to the creation of new programmes, in addition to UCDs proposed programme expansion.

The HEA said a number of these viable submissions not only show the possibility for increased capacity but also bring opportunities to bring regional balance to the provision of veterinary medicine education.

HEA chief executive Alan Wall echoed the consideration of regional balance and said the HEA presented a number of scenarios for the department to consider, saying it is a once in a generation opportunity in relation to the provision of veterinary and neglected to isolate one of the Universities.

The University of Limerick is tipped to be the base of the new school, while UCD has also made a submission for expansion of its course.

It is understood that UCC, MTU, and the Atlantic Technological University in the north-west are also being considered.

Mr Moynes said regional balance is very important to the department, adding that it would be a strong consideration in the selection.

He added that the delivery of the additional places by way of a new school and/or the expansion of UCDs programme in the 2023/24 academic year would be too ambitious. However, he did not rule out delivery by the following year.

VCI chief executive Niamh Muldoon described the CAO as a very unforgiving system and noted that the number of students who do study abroad but do not return to practice in Ireland is not captured.

Of the 222 vets that graduated abroad, the most popular was Budapest University of Veterinary Science, which accounted for 35 newly registered vets last year, and Warsaw University of Life Sciences which accounted for 14 registered vets.

Ms Muldoon said despite the number of vets on the register at an all-time high at 3,300 and strong demand for employment, anecdotally there are recruitment and retention issues that are particularly apparent in rural large animal practices in Ireland, which additional places could alleviate.

Unlike several committee members who lobbied for their own respective counties, Ms Muldoon said the VCI is wholly objective in terms of the potential location, focusing solely on standards.
Ireland is an outlier in not allowing dyslexic students extra time in State examinations, prompting calls to help level the playing field.

The Dyslexia Association of Ireland is calling on the State Examinations Commission (SEC) to urgently review its reasonable accommodations policy for dyslexic students.

Students who qualify for the Reasonable Accommodations at Certificate Examinations (Race) scheme may receive a waiver from the assessment of spelling, grammar, and punctuation in the language subjects or access to a reader or a scribe.

They may also be granted the use of a recording device or word processor or laptop.

However, extra time is not among the options, although it is available as standard in exams for dyslexic students at third level.

It is also well established internationally: in France, dyslexic students have access to 33% extra time, in Italy 30%, and in the UK 25% for second-level exams.

Dyslexia affects about one in 10 people, so this is an issue which impacts tens of thousands of students every year in Ireland, according to Dyslexia Association of Ireland chief executive Rosie Bissett.

Extra time is universally recognised as a reasonable accommodation in timed exams and is available to second-level students with dyslexia across most of Europe, so why are young people with dyslexia in Ireland denied this accommodation?

We are calling on the SEC to urgently review their reasonable accommodations policy to bring it in line with international best practice, and prioritise the needs of young people with dyslexia and other learning difficulties.

Petition

More than 7,000 people have so far signed a petition launched this week calling on the SEC to introduce extra time for dyslexic students.

A spokesman for the SEC said it noted the initial results from the survey by the Dyslexia Association of Ireland.

The SEC will be happy to listen to the views of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland on this and other issues of concern when it meets with them at a planned meeting at the end of the month.

From the 2016/17 school year, the Race scheme underwent fundamental reform, he added.

This focused on ensuring greater integration of the Race scheme with the overall Department of Education special educational needs policy.

It also looked at enabling greater access to the scheme by students with learning difficulties and allowing greater autonomy to schools and certainty to students about the examination supports which will be available to them.

Additional time in which to complete the written or practical examinations is not an accommodation that can be sanctioned in its own right under the Race scheme, the spokesman said.

The challenge in determining the allocation of additional time was for candidates with learning difficulties, including dyslexia, was recognised by the expert advisory group.

Two measures were introduced to the scheme in response.

This included the introduction of additional time of 20 minutes per examination paper in 2000 for all candidates in the Leaving Certificate subjects Irish, English, history and geography.

It remains the case that the examinations in these subjects are 20 minutes longer than the time they were designed to require.

The introduction of a waiver from spelling, grammar and punctuation in the language subjects which was also specifically developed to address the time issue for candidates with learning difficulties.

It should be noted that to our knowledge the waiver from spelling grammar and punctuation in language subjects, which essentially exists in lieu of additional time, is unique to the Irish examinations system.
Two of the main Garda representative bodies have reacted with anger after it emerged a member of the force faces criminal prosecution after being involved in the pursuit of three members of a Dublin criminal gang who died in a road collision.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors have both reacted angrily after details emerged at an inquest of the criminal prosecution.

On Wednesday, the inquest into the deaths of the three men  Dean Maguire, 29, Karl Freeman, 26, and Graham Taylor, 31  was adjourned until May 23, after coroner Clare Keane was told at Dublin District Coroners Court that the Director of Public Prosecutions is planning to initiate the prosecution.

It follows an examination of a file submitted by the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) after its investigation into the deaths.

A designated officer with Gsoc, Sean Campbell, told the hearing that the garda facing the prosecution was still not aware of the precise offence.

The DPPs decision was communicated to Mr Campbell on Tuesday evening.

The men were killed when the BMW vehicle they were travelling in burst into flames after a head-on collision with a truck between Citywest and Baldonnel in Dublin on July 7, 2021.

They were driving on the wrong side of the carriageway at the time.

In a statement, the GRA said: The news that any member would face the threat of criminal charges for any actions while carrying out their duty for the protection of the public has come as a shock and is extremely concerning for our members.

Meanwhile, the AGSI said it was scandalous that the garda had found out through a public forum that a charge was being brought against him.

The associations general secretary, Antoinette Cunningham, said: Once again we have a situation whereby a garda is subject to a protracted Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission process to only find out in a public domain that he is to face charges. The personal impact is grave, and the professional impact is damaging.

She added: It is in no way the best practice and most certainly will have a negative consequence on ongoing Garda recruitment.
A pensioner who used his dead brother's identity to claim more than 93,000 in benefits has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Aidan Byrne had pleaded guilty to a range of fraud charges at Donegal Circuit Court. The 75-year-old had conned the social welfare system by using the identity of his dead brother Anthony who died tragically in a drowning accident in England in 1972.

Judge John Aylmer said the offences were "very much pre-meditated" and extended over a "significant period of time". He added that Byrne was also the recipient of an English pension and he was not claiming his dead brother's pension out of financial necessity.

The accused, a native of Wexford, had lived in England for a number of years but returned to Ireland in 2000 and later began to use his dead brother's identity to claim various benefits.

Between June, 2015 and August, 2021 Byrne claimed a total of 83,157 in pension and fuel allowances on behalf of his dead brother. He also applied for a medical card from the HSE in his brother's name and claimed 10,858 for various different treatments including optical and doctor's visits between June, 2012 and December, 2021.

Byrne had been enabled after applying for a passport in his dead brother's name using his brother's birth certificate but his own picture on the passport.

Garda investigation

His bogus claims only came to light when he made another passport application under his own name in 2019.

Eagle-eyed passport office workers using facial imaging noticed both pictures under two different passport names were identical and the information was passed on to the Department of Social Protection. The information was in turn passed onto Gardai who launched an investigation.

Byrne pleaded guilty to a range of charges including theft from both the Department of Social Protection and the HSE, forgery and using a false instrument. Barrister for the State, Mr David Keane, said there was a number of other charges which could be taken into consideration by the court.

Detective Garda Paul Lynch outlined the background to the case and how Byrne had emigrated to England in the 1960s along with his brother who had then drowned in an accident in Epping in 1972. He told how Byrne used his dead brother's birth cert to get a passport under his brother's name but using his own picture.

He applied to get the State pension under the name Anthony Byrne between June 2015 and August 2021 during which time both pension and fuel allowance payments totalling 83,157.29 were all lodged through electronic fund transfer to Byrne's account at Ulster Bank.

Detective Lynch recounted that Byrne also used the false identification to obtain a medical card through the HSE and claimed 10,858 in various treatments, including doctor's visits and optical treatments.

'Fall from grace'

When gardai called to his home at 26 Ard McGill, Glenties on August 16, 2021, they found 2,840 in cash at the house and later found Byrne had 16,238 in a bank account which has since been frozen. Gardai also found a medical card and a death certificate in the name of his brother Antony Joseph Byrne showing he had died on September 28, 1972, in a drowning accident.

Byrne was arrested and on December 6, 2022, and he pleaded guilty to a number of related charges. Barrister for the accused, Mr Colm Smith, SC, said his client had never been in trouble before and this was a huge "fall from grace" for him.

His family, including his three daughters, no longer spoke to him because of his actions. He added that Byrne had suffered from a number of medical complaints such as diabetes, had also suffered a stroke and was on a range of medication daily.

The accused took to the stand and said he was very sorry and that this was "a very bad idea". The court heard the accused now lived in a council house in Glenties and was a man of no means and that monies in his bank account, some 16,000, had been frozen by the courts.

Sentencing

Pleading to the court that a custodial sentence and jail would be a "very difficult place" for a man of such years, barrister Colm Smyth said his client had never dealt with the law before either in Ireland or England.

He said that with his client paying back 50 per week to the State, it will take in excess of 30 years to pay back that money and the reality is that the bulk of the money will never be reimbursed. He added that his client did plead guilty at the first opportunity and he had been deemed as being of a low risk of re-offending.

"Prison would be a hardship for him and I ask you to be as lenient as you can," asked Mr Smyth.

Passing sentence, Judge John Aylmer placed the charges of claiming his brother's pension and also using a medical card in his brother's name in the mid-range of such offences. The pension offence merited a sentence of five years before mitigation while the use of the medical card merited a sentence of three years before mitigation.

The other offences merited a sentence of two years before mitigation and were placed at the lower end of the scale by Judge Aylmer. In mitigation, the judge said that Byrne is a man of 75 years of age who co-operated fully and followed this with an early guilty plea.

He had no previous convictions, had worked hard all his life and was suffering ill health having suffered a stroke, amongst other medical conditions. Taking all factors into consideration, including his remorse, he reduced the headline sentence from one of five years to one of three-and-a-half years.

He said he then had to consider Byrne's age, his ill health and absence of previous convictions and he further suspended the final 12 months of this sentence, meaning the accused will serve two-and-a-half years in jail.
A boy who, it was claimed, ended up with brain damage after a skull haemorrhage went undiagnosed after his delivery at The Coombe Hospital, Dublin has settled a High Court action with a 6m interim payout.

Jack Clavin, the High Court heard, nine days after his birth had to have an emergency craniotomy when his parents brought him to another hospital because he was unwell and an emergency CT scan found a subgaleal haemorrhage and he had suffered a stroke.

The Coombe Hospital, in a letter read to the court, apologised to Jacks parents, Nicolina and Dermot Clavin from Co Meath. The master of The Coombe, Professor Michael OConnell, on behalf of the hospital offered our sincere and unreserved apologies to you for failings in care that caused injury to your son Jack.

It added: We understand and sincerely regret that these failings have led to lifelong consequences for Jack and his family.

Jacks counsel Patrick Treacy SC, instructed by Cian OCarroll solicitors, told the court liability was admitted in the case, which was settled after mediation. The interim payment will be until Jack is 18 years old, when the court will then be asked to assess his future care needs.

Jack, who is now six year old and has haemophilia, also has a range of difficulties and falls a number of times a day.

Counsel said it was their case that Jack suffered the haemorrhage during the Ventouse-assisted delivery at The Coombe on May 24, 2017, but it was undiagnosed until he was brought to another hospital on June 2, 2017. Jack, he said, very sadly suffered brain damage arising from the delay in treating the haemorrhage.

Jack Clavin, from Enfield, Co Meath, had through his mother Nicolina Clavin sued The Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Dublin and the HSE.

Stunned condition

Mrs Clavin was admitted to The Coombe on the morning of May 24, 2017, and her baby was delivered by Ventouse-assisted delivery at 5.30pm. Baby Jack was noted to be in a stunned condition on delivery and he required ventilation with oxygen.

He developed a swelling and bruising of the head in the neonatal period but was discharged from hospital two days after his birth.

It was claimed the swelling and bruising continued to develop, tracking down towards his right ear and he was reviewed by a public health nurse on May 30, 2017.

At this stage, it was advised that his head measurement would be monitored and the bruising observed and the parents were advised to seek medical help if they had any concern.

His parents brought him to a hospital on June 2, 2017, and after the CT scan showed a subgaleal haemorrhage measuring up to 1cm thick, he had to have an emergency craniotomy.

It was claimed Baby Jack suffered brain damage likely to result in cerebral palsy. There was, it was claimed, a failure to correctly and expeditiously diagnose and treat his subgaleal haemorrhage.

There was, it was further claimed, a failure to take any or any timely steps to identify the cause and symptoms of the swelling and bruising to his head in the period following his delivery.

It was further alleged there was a failure to conduct any or any adequate screening tests or investigations of the baby's condition and a failure to notice the area afflicted by symptoms of swelling and bruising was expanding.

It was claimed Baby Jack was discharged from hospital when it was manifestly unsafe and inappropriate to do so.

A delayed diagnosis and treatment of the baby's haemophilia, it was further alleged, caused his haemorrhage and stroke.

Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Paul Coffey conveyed his best wishes to Jack and his parents.
It began and ended in a way that absolutely everyone could have predicted.

Appearing at a CNN town hall, Donald Trump immediately launched into a series of debunked, nonsense claims about election fraud, speaking nearly non-stop for more than five minutes.

Trump steamrolled over attempted interruptions from Kaitlan Collins, the CNN interviewer, as the town hall immediately turned into what many had feared  an opportunity for Trump to lie about dozens of topics, almost completely unfettered, across 60 minutes of primetime television.

From 8pm to just after 9pm, there was never a moment when CNN or Collins had any semblance of control. Trump lied about election fraud and about the January 6 insurrection. He obfuscated on trade tariffs and the aims of abortion advocates, and claimed, wrongly, that he had finished the wall.

At one particularly revolting point, Trump mocked E Jean Carroll, the columnist whom a New York jury found he sexually assaulted in a department store.

CNN should be ashamed of themselves, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York congresswoman, tweeted 20 minutes into the debacle.

They have lost total control of this town hall to again be manipulated into platforming election disinformation, defenses of Jan 6th, and a public attack on a sexual abuse victim. The audience is cheering him on and laughing at the host.

CNN should be ashamed of themselves.



They have lost total control of this town hall to again be manipulated into platforming election disinformation, defenses of Jan 6th, and a public attack on a sexual abuse victim.



The audience is cheering him on and laughing at the host.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 11, 2023

According to CNN, the audience in Manchester, New Hampshire, was made up of New Hampshire Republicans and undeclared voters, but in reality the crowd might as well have been scooped up from a Trump campaign rally. They laughed, whooped and applauded as Trump dished out a stream of his greatest hits.

Whoever had vetted the crowd must have winced as a series of people  almost all white, mostly male  stood up to lob softball questions at the former president about immigration, the economy, about how state governments and the federal government are going to act to repress gun rights and whether he would pardon the hundreds of people convicted of crimes on January 6.

Thrust by CNN into Trumps signature cascade of nonsense, Collins was repeatedly overrun. In the face of so many lies, it seemed difficult for Collins to know which one to factcheck, and Trump was allowed to present his alternative version of the universe, including on the aims of people attempting to protect a womans right to abortion.

You could kill the baby at 9 months or after it was born, Clara Jeffery, the editor of Mother Jones magazine, tweeted, quoting a false claim by Trump that Democrats wanted abortion to be legal up until, and apparently after, birth.

Goes unchallenged. This [is] a journalistic abomination.

"You could kill the baby at 9 months or after it was born"



Goes unchallenged.



This a journalistic abomination.  Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) May 11, 2023

The decision to give a platform to Trump, a man who has something of a track record for lying, was widely criticized before the event. Angelo Carusone, chief executive of Media Matters for America, a progressive watchdog, described the town hall as a transparent attempt to goose their ratings, while Keith Olbermann, a former MSNBC host, criticized Chris Licht, who took over from Jeff Zucker as chief executive of CNN in 2022.

I think we can say Chris Lichts conversion of CNN into a political and journalistic whorehouse is complete, Olbermann had said.

In handing airtime to Trump, CNN apparently felt it had to host some of the former presidents acolytes, perhaps in the interest of balance. That led to Wolf Blitzer, a CNN veteran, bringing on JD Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio who has dabbled in the racist great replacement conspiracy theory.

Asked what Trump needed to do to win undecided voters, Vance said, with a straight face:

Trump has the ability to appeal across the aisles.

Blitzer then turned the discussion to Trump having been found to have sexually abused Carroll. It gave Vance an on-air opportunity to attack the case as a he said-she said situation that has nothing to do with the future of this country.

So ahead of Trumps appearance on CNN, we get to watch JD Vance  a man who has pushed conspiracy theories and the white supremacist Great Replacement  come on live and do a friendly, pre-game chat, said Mehdi Hasan , who hosts a show on MSNBC. The normalization of extremism and conspiracism continues.

As the town hall dwindled to a close on Wednesday, things didnt get any better. At one point, Trump called Collins a nasty woman as she attempted to ask Trump a question. The audience laughed.

Trump also referenced New Yorks Chinatown  where they dont even speak English  and brought up impeachment hoax No 1, to cheers from the crowd.

Behind the scenes, CNN staff were apparently horrified. Justin Baragona, a media reporter for the Daily Beast, tweeted : Immediate reaction from a CNN on-air personality to me just now on this Trump town hall: It is so bad. I was cautiously optimistic despite the criticism. It is awful. Its a Trump infomercial. Were going to get crushed.

Immediate reaction from a CNN on-air personality to me just now on this Trump town hall: "It is so bad. I was cautiously optimistic despite the criticism. It is awful. It's a Trump infomercial. We're going to get crushed."  Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) May 11, 2023

When the town hall ended and the camera cut to the CNN studio, the panel of pundits seemed dumbstruck. We dont have enough time to factcheck every lie he told, said Jake Tapper, a senior CNN host.

I want to be very clear: what we saw tonight was outrageous, said Laura Coates, a legal analyst.

The CNN correspondent Jamie Gangel might have put it best. People are appalled by what they saw tonight, she said.

It was hard to disagree.

Read More E Jean Carroll elated by victory over Trump in sexual abuse suit

Guardian
President Joe Bidens nominee to head the National Archives was confirmed on Wednesday by the Senate after a months-long partisan battle over the agencys role in the investigation into sensitive documents seized at Donald Trumps Florida home.

Colleen Shogan, a political scientist, was confirmed as archivist of the United States in a 52-45 vote, gaining some bipartisan support after a nearly year-long delay.

With a long career spanning work at institutions such as the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress and the White House Historical Association, Ms Shogan has sought to assure senators she will not bring a partisan mindset to the job.

Ms Shogan also stressed to Congress that she has not been briefed on the details or directly involved in the ongoing criminal investigations into Mr Trumps handling of presidential records and more recently that of President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence.

But her nomination faced hostility from Senate Republicans, who have sought to portray her as a political actor for the left. During her confirmation hearing, they grilled Ms Shogan about her past tweets and a recent whistleblower letter alleging that she created an abusive work environment at one of her former posts.

A partially redacted image of documents seized during an FBI search of former US president Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate (Department of Justice via AP/PA)

We are living through the political weaponisation of the National Archives, the political weaponisation of the Department of Justice, the political weaponisation of the FBI, said Republican senator Josh Hawley during her first confirmation hearing.

The classified documents investigation, which began last summer with the FBI search of former president Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort, has thrust the National Archives into the public arena.

It was the National Archives that set the probe in motion with a referral to the FBI after Mr Trump returned 15 boxes of documents that contained dozens of records with classified markings.

Mr Biden nominated Ms Shogan just days before the FBI search after the last archivist, David Ferriero, announced his retirement last April. In explaining his decision to step away, Mr Ferriero cited fears about the nations political trajectory after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

Ms Shogan began her career as a congressional aide for former Senator Joe Lieberman, then worked her way up to a position with the Congressional Research Service. She also worked for a time at the Library of Congress.

Until her confirmation, Ms Shogan was an executive at the White House Historical Association, where she worked under both the Trump and Biden administrations.

As the archivist, she will now take the helm of an agency that  despite the current political tumult  mostly works as a custodian of American history.

The agency works to preserve the nations records, including treasured documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and maintains a sprawling collection that spans 13 billion pages of text and 10 million maps, charts and drawings, as well as tens of millions of photographs, films and other records.

Beyond its work in Washington, the agency oversees 13 presidential libraries and 14 regional archives across the country.

Despite majority Republican opposition, Ms Shogan was able to gain the support of three GOP senators.
A leading Islamic Jihad commander was among 23 people killed by a series of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli military.

Thursdays strikes  which follow rockets fired from Gaza the previous day  also killed two other senior militants and at least 10 civilians.

Israeli military said it targeted the commander of Islamic Jihads rocket squad in an attack on a building in the southern Gaza Strip.

They said Ali Ghali was hiding in an apartment and that two other militants from the group were killed alongside him iat a Qatari-built residential complex in Khan Younis.

They said Mr Ghali instructed and took part in rocket attacks against Israel in recent months. There was no comment from the militant group.

Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City (Fatima Shbair/AP)

Egypts Extra News television channel said the country, a frequent mediator between the sides, had brokered a ceasefire but those efforts appeared to falter as fighting intensified late on Wednesday.

In a TV address, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had dealt a harsh blow to the militants, but cautioned: This round is not over.

We say to the terrorists and those who send them. We see you everywhere. You cant hide, and we choose the place and time to strike you, he said, adding that Israel would also decide when calm is restored.

Throughout the day, rocket fire set off air-raid sirens throughout southern and central Israel, some 50 miles away.

Residents had been braced for an attack since Israel launched its first airstrikes on Tuesday.

Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel (Fatima Shbair/AP)

It was the heaviest fighting between the sides in months.

But in signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the more militant Islamic Jihad faction.

Israeli TV stations showed air defence systems intercepting rockets above the skies of Tel Aviv and the military said that for the first time, an air-defence system known as Davids Sling had intercepted a rocket.

The initial Israeli air strikes on Tuesday that set off the exchange of fire killed three senior Islamic Jihad militants (Fatima Shbair, AP)

The system, developed with the US, is meant to intercept medium-range threats and is part of a multi-layered air defence that also includes the better-known Iron Dome anti-rocket system.

Israeli media said a previous attempt to use the system several years ago had failed.

Israeli officials said over 400 rockets had been fired by Wednesday evening.

The army said that schools would remain closed and restrictions on large gatherings would remain in place in southern Israel until at least Friday.
The financial leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy nations are meeting in Japan as a stand-off over the US debt ceiling and potential default looms as one of the biggest threats to the global economy.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said one of her priorities in Niigata, a port city on the Japan Sea coast, would be to emphasise the importance of resolving the stand-off over the national debt in the worlds largest economy.

A default is frankly unthinkable, she told reporters before the broader meetings began. America should never default. It would rank as a catastrophe, she said.

The impasse over spending risks leaving the government unable to pay for teachers in classrooms, medical care for veterans and vital benefits to many Americans, she said.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is meeting other G7 finance ministers (Shuji Kajiyama/AP)

While in Japan, Ms Yellen will also be seeking to reassure her counterparts over recent bank failures that have raised worries over risks to the global financial system.

The finance ministers and central bank governors are meeting for three days ahead of a G7 summit later this month in Hiroshima.

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he and congressional leaders had a productive meeting on Tuesday on trying to raise the nations debt limit.

They will meet again on Friday to try to avert the risk as soon as June 1 of an unprecedented government default if lawmakers in the divided Congress do not agree to raise the debt ceiling.

Mr Biden said he was absolutely certain that the country could avert a default, declaring that failure to meet Americas obligations, upon which much of the worlds finances are based, is not an option.

Mr Biden said it was possible but not likely that he would need to postpone his trip to Japan, Australia and Papua New Guinea later this month.

We are taking a broad range of individual and joint actions to bring down inflation, sustain growth, and help mitigate the impact of external shocks, including to developing countries

Ms Yellen said in remarks prepared ahead of Thursdays meetings that strengthening the global financial system is a key G7 priority. So is a renewed show of support for Ukraine as a coalition of over 30 countries seeks to impose heavy economic costs on Russia for its war.

She said Mr Bidens historic investments in modernising US infrastructure were a step toward improving the resilience of an economy whose reliance on global supply chains was sorely tested during the Covid-19 pandemic.

We are taking a broad range of individual and joint actions to bring down inflation, sustain growth, and help mitigate the impact of external shocks, including to developing countries, she said.

But she added that, even as we face downside risks, I believe that the global economy remains in a better place than many predicted six months ago.

The Federal Reserve said in a report this week that US banks raised their lending standards for business and consumer loans in the aftermath of three large bank failures that were in part brought on by the central banks sharp increases in interest rates to beat down inflation that surge to four-decade highs after the pandemic.

The Fed surveyed 65 US banks and US branches of 19 foreign banks in late March and early April, well after Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed in early March, touching off the latest round of bank turmoil.

First Republic Bank failed earlier this month in the second-largest bank failure in US history.

Rate increases are meant to slow lending and borrowing but can overshoot their goal, tipping the economy into recession. Moves by banks to further limit lending could further squeeze businesses and consumers.

G7 nations include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Others invitees to the meetings in Niigata include the European Union, IMF and World Bank, and the finance ministers of Brazil, Comoros, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Singapore.
Pakistani authorities have cracked down on supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan, detaining hundreds in overnight raids and sending troops across the country to rein in violence that followed his arrest earlier this week.

Clashes with police since Mr Khans dramatic arrest on Tuesday have killed at least eight of his supporters and dozens have been injured.

Five of the deaths were reported in north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, two in the eastern city of Lahore and one person was killed in the south-western city of Quetta.

More than 200 police officers were also injured. The demonstrators burned down a railway station on the outskirts of the capital, Islamabad, on Wednesday night.

People who were injured in the clashes between police and supporters of Pakistans ex-PM Imran Khan are treated in a hospital in Peshawar (Muhammad Sajjad/AP)

Police said on Thursday that nearly 1,600 of Mr Khans supporters were arrested overnight on charges of damaging public property and attacking military installations.

In one incident  hours after Mr Khans arrest  a mob set fire to the sprawling residence of a top army commander in the eastern city of Lahore. Some 2,000 of Mr Khans supporters were arrested earlier on Wednesday and Tuesday.

Mr Khan was dragged from a courtroom in Islamabad where he showed up to face corruption charges on Tuesday.

He is being held at a police compound in Islamabad where, at a temporary court set up there, a judge on Wednesday ordered the 70-year-old opposition leader to be detained for at least another eight days, raising the prospect of more unrest.

Also on Thursday, police filed new terrorism charges against Mr Khan and top leaders from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on charges of inciting mobs to violence.

They said the mobs attacked military installations, damaged public property, burned down dozens of police vehicles, attacked police officers and disrupted life by blocking key roads and highways.

In an address to the nation late on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif  who took over after Mr Khan was ousted in April last year in a no-confidence vote in Parliament  said the unrest by the followers of the former premier had damaged sensitive public and private property, forcing him to deploy the military in Islamabad, the most populous province of Punjab and in volatile regions of the north west.

Such scenes were never seen by the people of Pakistan, Mr Sharif said, following a Cabinet meeting. Even patients were taken out of ambulances and ambulances were set on fire.

People look at a car burnt in Wednesdays clashes between police and Mr Khans supporters (Muhammad Sajjad)

Mr Sharif called the attacks unforgivable, and warned that those involved in violence would be given exemplary punishment. He said Mr Khan was arrested because of his involvement in corruption, and that there was evidence available to back up these charges.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is the late Benazir Bhuttos son, urged Mr Khans followers on Thursday to end the violence but stressed that peaceful protests are their right. What has happened, has happened. Dont make things more difficult for yourself, he said.

Following the violence, the government has shut down schools, colleges and universities in the eastern Punjab and north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, where Mr Khan has a massive grassroots following and from where most of the violence was reported after his arrest.

The government also suspended internet service in various parts of the country.

The government blames Mr Khan and senior leaders from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party for inciting people to violence, which continued on Thursday in Punjab and in the north west.

On Wednesday, the court in Islamabad decided that the National Accountability Bureau can hold Mr Khan in its custody for eight days for questioning over a corruption case.
A candidate in Turkeys presidential election has announced that he is withdrawing from the race in a move that is likely to bolster President Recep Tayyip Erdogans main challenger.

Muharrem Ince, the leader of the centre-left Homeland Party, was one of four contenders running for president in the May 14 election.
Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip have killed a fourth militant commander, raising the Palestinian death toll from the latest burst of fighting to 25.

Rocket fire towards southern Israel continued as Egypt pressed on with attempts to broker a ceasefire.

It has been the worst bout of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza in months, and among the dead were women and children. The violence comes at a time of soaring tensions and deaths over the past year in the occupied West Bank.

Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City (Fatima Shbair/AP)

Early on Thursday, the Israeli military carried out strikes against the Islamic Jihad militant group and said a senior commander in charge of the groups rocket launching force, Ali Ghali, was killed when his apartment was hit.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said 25 people have been killed since the fighting erupted.

Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told Israeli Army Radio that two other militants were also killed in the strike, although no group immediately claimed them as members, and the rest of the building remained intact.

The apartment was targeted in a very precise way, Mr Hagari said. I hope this leads to a reduction, a blow and a disruption of the Islamic Jihad rocket abilities.

The strikes targeted the top floor of a building in a residential Qatari-built complex in the southern Gaza Strip.

The pre-dawn air strike in the city of Khan Younis caused damage to three surrounding buildings.

The complex, known as Hamad City, consists of several tall buildings and thousands of housing units. The strike created panic among residents, with falling debris and shattered glass littering the streets.

My children started crying. I did not see anything because of the dust, broken glasses, and debris, said Abdullah Hemaid, who lives across from the targeted building.

Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel (Fatima Shbair/AP)

Islamic Jihad said Ghali was a commander in charge of its rocket squad and a member of its armed groups decision-making body. The group has said it will only cease fire if Israel agrees to halt targeted killings of its fighters.

Following intense fighting on Wednesday, when rockets rained down on southern and central Israel and air strikes pounded Gaza, a state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt, a frequent mediator between the sides, had brokered a ceasefire. But with the violence continuing into Thursday, it was unclear where progress on the talks stood.

The Israeli military said that in its strikes on some 150 targets, it has zeroed in on militants with what it says are precision strikes but children, among them a four-year-old, were also killed.

Mr Hagari, the military spokesman, told Army Radio that a quarter of the rockets launched during this round of fighting fell in Gaza, killing at least four, including a 10-year-old girl, two 16-year-olds and a 51-year-old man.

The initial Israeli air strikes on Tuesday that set off the exchange of fire killed three senior Islamic Jihad militants (Fatima Shbair, AP)

Efforts to mediate a ceasefire were still under way on Thursday with top Islamic Jihad political bureau member Mohamad al-Hindi arriving in Cairo to discuss details.

In a televised primetime address on Wednesday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had dealt a harsh blow to the militants but he cautioned: This round is not over.

We say to the terrorists and those who send them We see you everywhere, you cant hide, and we choose the place and time to strike you, he said, adding that Israel would also decide when calm is restored.

The initial Israeli air strikes on Tuesday that set off the exchange of fire killed three senior Islamic Jihad militants in their homes and at least 10 civilians  most of them women and children.

The Israeli military has said its attacks were focused on Islamic Jihad militant infrastructure in the coastal enclave and that it would investigate any civilian deaths.
Pakistans Supreme Court has ordered the release of former prime minister Imran Khan, two days after his arrest sparked countrywide violence.

Supreme Court chief justice Umar Ata Bandial also asked Mr Khan to issue an appeal to his supporters to remain peaceful, as the country faced growing turmoil.

Supporters of Mr Khan were seen dancing near the court building to celebrate his release.

After being ousted from power in a no-confidence vote by lawmakers, Mr Khan was faced with multiple corruption charges in Pakistani courts.

Pakistani authorities have cracked down on his supporters since Tuesday, detaining hundreds in overnight raids and sending troops across the country to rein in violence.

People who were injured in the clashes between police and supporters of Pakistans ex-PM Imran Khan are treated in a hospital in Peshawar (Muhammad Sajjad/AP)

Clashes with police have killed at least eight of his supporters and dozens have been injured.

Five of the deaths were reported in north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, two in the eastern city of Lahore and one person was killed in the south-western city of Quetta.

More than 200 police officers were also injured. The demonstrators burned down a railway station on the outskirts of the capital, Islamabad, on Wednesday night.

Police said on Thursday that nearly 1,600 of Mr Khans supporters were arrested overnight on charges of damaging public property and attacking military installations.

In one incident  hours after Mr Khans arrest  a mob set fire to the sprawling residence of a top army commander in the eastern city of Lahore. Some 2,000 of the ex-cricketers supporters were arrested earlier on Wednesday and Tuesday.

Mr Khan was dragged from a courtroom in Islamabad where he showed up to face corruption charges on Tuesday.

He is being held at a police compound in Islamabad where, at a temporary court set up there, a judge on Wednesday ordered the 70-year-old opposition leader to be detained for at least another eight days, raising the prospect of more unrest.

Also on Thursday, police filed new terrorism charges against Mr Khan and top leaders from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on charges of inciting mobs to violence.

They said the mobs attacked military installations, damaged public property, burned down dozens of police vehicles, attacked police officers and disrupted life by blocking key roads and highways.

In an address to the nation late on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif  who took over after Mr Khan was ousted in April last year in a no-confidence vote in Parliament  said the unrest by the followers of the former premier had damaged sensitive public and private property, forcing him to deploy the military in Islamabad, the most populous province of Punjab and in volatile regions of the north west.

Such scenes were never seen by the people of Pakistan, Mr Sharif said, following a Cabinet meeting. Even patients were taken out of ambulances and ambulances were set on fire.

People look at a car burnt in Wednesdays clashes between police and Mr Khans supporters (Muhammad Sajjad)

Mr Sharif called the attacks unforgivable, and warned that those involved in violence would be given exemplary punishment. He said Mr Khan was arrested because of his involvement in corruption, and that there was evidence available to back up these charges.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is the late Benazir Bhuttos son, urged Mr Khans followers on Thursday to end the violence but stressed that peaceful protests are their right. What has happened, has happened. Dont make things more difficult for yourself, he said.

Following the violence, the government has shut down schools, colleges and universities in the eastern Punjab and north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, where Mr Khan has a massive grassroots following and from where most of the violence was reported after his arrest.

The government also suspended internet service in various parts of the country.

The government blames Mr Khan and senior leaders from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party for inciting people to violence, which continued on Thursday in Punjab and in the north west.

On Wednesday, the court in Islamabad decided that the National Accountability Bureau can hold Mr Khan in its custody for eight days for questioning over a corruption case.
A metallic object that punched a hole in the roof of a central New Jersey home this week, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom, was a meteorite, experts said on Thursday.

Scientists from the College of New Jersey determined the 18cm by 10cm object, which weighs about a kilo, is a rare stony chondrite meteorite.

They came to that conclusion after conducting a visual examination, making density measurements and scanning electron microscope images.

They were assisted in their work by Jerry Delaney, a retired meteorite expert from Rutgers University and the American Museum of Natural History.

We are excited to be able to confirm that the object is a true chondrite meteorite, in excellent condition, and one of a very small number of similar witnessed chondrite falls known to science

Getting the chance to examine the meteorite (on Wednesday) was a rare and thrilling opportunity for me, as well as for a group of physics students and professors at TCNJ, said Nathan Magee, chair of the schools physics department.

We are excited to be able to confirm that the object is a true chondrite meteorite, in excellent condition, and one of a very small number of similar witnessed chondrite falls known to science.

The family that owns the home discovered the black, potato-sized rock in a corner  still warm at about 12.30pm on Monday.

The experts believe it hit the home a short time before it was found.

Nobody was hurt, and there was no serious damage to the residence, said police in Hopewell Township, north of the state capital of Trenton.

Suzy Kop, whose family owns the home, said they initially thought someone had thrown a rock into an upstairs bedroom, but they soon realised that wasnt the case.

Ms Kop said hazmat officials responded to their home to check it out along with her family, in case they had been exposed to some type of radioactive material, but those checks were all negative.
The US Abrams tanks needed for training Ukrainian forces have arrived in Germany slightly ahead of schedule and are on their way to the Grafenwoehr army base where the training will begin in two to three weeks, US officials said on Thursday.

Defence secretary Lloyd Austin told the senate appropriations defence subcommittee that the US had moved a number of tanks over into theatre so the Ukrainians could begin training on them.

By the time they complete the training, expected to last about 10 weeks, the Abrams tanks currently being built for the Ukrainian forces will be ready, he said.

A US official said the 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks needed for the training arrived at the port in Bremerhaven, Germany, last weekend and they will get to the base by early this coming week.

It is critical that the administration provide Ukraine with what it needs in time to defend and take back its sovereign territory

Their arrival at Grafenwoehr, Bavaria, is a couple of weeks ahead of the schedule that was mapped out when military leaders from around Europe and elsewhere met in Germany last month to discuss Ukraines needs for the war against Russia.

The tanks the US is providing Ukraine are being built to its militarys specifications and will get to Ukraine by early fall, just as the troops are finished with their instruction.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of the delivery not publicly released.

The tank training will be the latest and most lethal new layer of combat instruction the US is providing Ukraines troops to give them the best chance to overwhelm and punch through Russias battle lines.

Over the past few months, US troops have trained more than 8,800 Ukrainians, including on how to use Stryker and Bradley fighting vehicles and M109 Paladins together on the battlefield.

The Bradleys and Strykers are armoured, armed vehicles used to ferry troops on the battlefield, and the Paladin is a self-propelled howitzer gun.

During Thursdays hearing, Senator Susan Collins, of Maine, pressed Austin to move quickly to get the tanks into Ukrainian troops hands and into action.

We are doing everything possible to accelerate the delivery of these tanks, and early fall is a projection, Mr Austin said.

Ms Collins and others noted the urgency of the fight in Ukraine, and she told Mr Austin and army general Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to be blunt about Ukraines needs.

Defence leaders should not let budget concerns dissuade them from seeking more weapons if thats what Kyiv needs to be successful in a counteroffensive, said Ms Collins, the ranking Republican on the panel.

It is critical that the administration provide Ukraine with what it needs in time to defend and take back its sovereign territory, she said. We expect the administration not to wait until the 11th hour if the Ukrainians seek more before the end of the fiscal year.
Books Myanmars Warrior Princess: Opium Queen Olive Yang

The cover of The Opium Queen: The Untold Story of the Rebel who Ruled the Golden Triangle.

Olive Yang is legendary in Myanmar history. Now she has an actual English-language biography written about her life, and her role in the chaotic wars in the north of the country in the 1940s and after. The Opium Queen: The Untold Story of the Rebel who Ruled the Golden Triangle by Gabrielle Paluch tells Olives story, acknowledging the hyperbole, but backing up what she says with copious footnotes to archival sources in English and Mandarin Chinese, and interviews conducted in Chinese dialects, Burmese and English. The book supplements the press stories, novels, legends, and general gossip about Yang that still circulates in Myanmars myriad communities as well.

Olive Yang was born in 1927 into the noble Yang house of the Kokang region in northeast Myanmar that borders Chinas Yunnan Province. The second daughter of the ruling prince, Yang was destined for matrimony and even had her feet broken and bound as a child in preparation for this role. But she defied her parents and became known for taking pistols to the Catholic school in Lashio. By the 1940s she was known as a warrior princess commanding Olives Boys, an army of hundreds, and eventually more than a thousand, until she was imprisoned after Ne Wins 1962 coup.

As a cross-dressing commander using male speech patterns, she entered into agreements with the Nationalist Chinese forces in northern Myanmar who were seeking to retake southern China from the recently victorious Communist forces there. She played a very dangerous game, managing an alliance with the USs Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) which provided her army with weapons and materials in the context of the Nationalist Chinese soldiers which occupied parts of the then Burma from about 1950 until the 1980s. She also jousted with U Nus army, communist forces, and even Wa warriors seeking to preserve their independence.

In the 1950s, Olive turned to the opium trade as her taste for gold and money increased, sending caravans of pack mules loaded with the drug to Thailand and then onto the rapidly expanding global markets. She is credited with organizing the first deliveries of opium carried by truck out of the Golden Triangle into Thailand.

Then there were the love affairs, the occasional arrests, and finally imprisonment following Ne Wins 1962 coup. Released in 1968 she lived mostly in Yangon before moving back to northern Myanmar around 2003, supposedly to become a Buddhist nun. She died in 2017 in the border town of Muse, Shan State.

Olive Yang and the Golden Triangle

The Yang clan were the traditional Chinese-speaking rulers of the Kokang region along the remote border between Shan State and China. Her father was the Prince of Kokang and ruled under the British, the then colonial rulers. In this context Olive was destined to be used as a bargaining chip in the marital maneuverings between highland families. Her family pushed her into an arranged marriage in 1947 to a neighboring noble who she rebelled against. Nevertheless, she became pregnant following legendary knock-down fights and so fulfilled her familys wishes by giving birth to a son named Jeep, named after the American vehicles she had seen in Kunming, the capital of Chinas Yunnan Province.

Known for her marksmanship and horse-riding skills, she organized a traditional militia, in order to protect family interests in the brief period between the end of World War II and Burmese independence in January 1948. So, after Jeeps birth, Olive left her husband, and assumed her role as the head of a well-armed militia which would be used by the forces of Nationalist China and the CIA as they sought to invade southern China in a so-called secret war which took place between 1950 and 1953. The combined forces were easily beaten back by Chinas military. But a pattern was started, and such secret wars would later be conducted by the CIA in Laos, Vietnam, and ultimately Afghanistan.

After the U Nu government raised objections in the United Nations in 1953, the Americans and Taiwanese made a show of evacuating the nationalist Chinese forces to Taiwan. But of course Olive and her militia, as well as others, did not go. For that matter the CIA continued to have an interest in Myanmars eastern borderlands because of their proximity to China.

Yang and her private army became one of several militias that established the opium production capacity that would make northern Myanmar the largest producer of heroin in the world in the 1970s, and later a major methamphetamine producer in the 2000s. Olive and others transported the drugs via pack mules, introduced vehicles, the occasional aircraft, and even at one point floating hollowed-out logs down the Salween River.

Olives active personal reign in the Golden Triangle continued only until about 1962 when the new Ne Win regime imprisoned her. She was released to a comfortable retirement in Yangon around 1968. There she would enjoy the company of the citys elite and in 1989, help broker the collapse of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) on behalf of Myanmar military intelligence chief General Khin Nyunt. This in turn led to the emergence of Wa State and the ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) that exist in the Shan State borderlands today.

The ungovernable northern lands and Uncle Olive

Her troops called Yang Uncle Olive in deference to her propensity to dress like a man, and seek out beautiful young women as mistresses. A fine shot and a skilled horse rider, Yang was already famous enough in the 1950s to be fictionalized in the novel Opium Venture by British judge Gerard Sparrow, who himself apparently reigned in a Thai consular court until the 1930s, and then bragged in his own books about protecting Shan opium smugglers of the 1950s.

The Opium Queen is mainly a biography, but the other important story it tells is about the violence and independence of the highlands between China and Myanmar. This was an area never incorporated into Konbaung Burma, British Burma, China, or todays modern Myanmar. Instead it is dominated by ethnic Chinese, Kachin, and Shan clans seeking their own advantages between the empires and nations. Beyond the obvious importance of Olive to this story, there are other characters worthy of their own biographies.

For example, besides the novelist and judge Sparrow, there is a Kokang general who calls himself Gregory Peck, Lo Hsing Han, the godfather of heroin after the 1970s, and the missionary Harold Young whose family would organize secret wars for the CIA from the 1940s until at least the 1970s. A pony-tailed bandit makes an appearance, too, and so do various Burmese movie stars who Olive romanced. Dr. Tom Dooley, a CIA agent who established a Catholic hospital in northern Laos in the late 1950s, makes a brief appearance, before heading back to America to raise money on the lecture and television circuit, where he appeared on the hit program Whats My Line? Dooleys approach inspired latter-day missionaries who still blaze trails between wealthy American churches and medical missions in territory controlled by EAOs.

But my personal favorite character from The Opium Queen is the Borderland Poet, an intelligence agent and captain in the Nationalist Chinese army, whose role [and poetry] the author discovered in Taiwan.

History and journalism combined

Author Gabrielle Paluch has written an impressive book combining the archival skills of a historian, while pursuing interviews as a journalist. Her biggest strength is that she works in Mandarin and apparently has some facility in Burmese developed while living in Myanmar for about six years. Such placement helped her pursue Olives story in the Chinese-speaking areas of the borderlands, as well as in Yangon in ways that journalists who parachute in cannot. As important, she also did archival research in Taiwan and the United States, about the involvement of Olive with the Nationalist Chinese Army and the CIA.

As for her reporting skills, Paluch accessed people who are normally reluctant to talk to reporters. She is frank about people who avoided talking to her and often stood her up, or cut interviews short. She met Olive Yang briefly in 2015 and took photos which are in the book. But that interview was unfortunately terminated by staff shortly after Olive permitted her photo to be taken, and after she told Paluch to address her properly as Uncle Olive. Paluch had better luck with other family members living in Myanmar, Thailand and London, which enriches the book immeasurably. She also interviewed Yangs son Jeep, who lives in Chiang Mai.

Northern Myanmar is still all about China, the US and the fight for highland autonomy

Olive Yangs power was strongest in the 1950s, so the book would normally be primarily of historical interest only. But I do not think that this is the case. Olives command, as well as that of others, of highland politics was masterful, gaining advantage with the Nationalist Chinese, Americans, and ultimately the Myanmar military. Despite a weak base, the highland warlords play the Great Game between China and the United States well. Who else but Olive Yang invaded the Peoples Republic of China, blazed the trail of the international opium trade, and in the end was still was called in by no less than Khin Nyunt to broker a peace after the collapse of the CPB in 1989?

Such shadow games are, of course, still played in Myanmar, where the Chinese still seek to leverage advantages in illicit trade via Muse, Shwe Kokko, and Wa State. Kokang itself still marches to its own Chinese drummer. China does this while seeking to build lucrative dams, ports, railways, and enlarging the Yangon skyline. And just as in the 1950s, the US still seeks to block Beijing by proffering humanitarian assistance and support for democracy, while seeking to encircle China via the black arts of CIA agents operating out of Yangon, Chiang Mai and elsewhere.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, strange militias pop up today just like they did in the 1950s. Groups like the Border Guard Forces, EAOs, Peoples Defense Forces and others still seek sponsors able to provide the weapons and equipment needed to carry on their business, whether it be rebellion or peddling methamphetamines. If nothing else, Olive Yang pioneered a business model which continues to dominate highland Myanmar politics today. Or as the Taiwanese intelligence agent known as the Borderland Poet put it:

The Queen of Old Street became like a celestial fairy, her smile

spreading cheek-to-cheek

Guerillas bowed down. The beautiful woman from the mountaintop

praised their persistence.

Gabrielle Paluch, The Opium Queen: The Untold Story of the Rebel who Ruled the Golden Triangle, Rowman & Littlefield, 2023, pp.236.

Tony Waters is a professor of sociology, currently at Leuphana University, Germany. Previously he taught at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and California State University in Chico, California. He is an occasional contributor to The Irrawaddy. His email is [email protected].
Burma Myanmar Junta Offers Cash Rewards to Resistance Defectors

PDF fighters in Loikaw, Kayah State. / Loikaw PDF

Myanmars military regime has offered Peoples Defense Force (PDF) fighters up to 7.5 million kyats (US$3,570) each if they defect to the junta along with their weapons.

The offer contradicts junta chief Min Aung Hlaings vow, made on Armed Forces Day on March 27 this year, to take decisive action against PDFs, and appears to be a tacit acknowledgment by the regime that it is unable to crush the nationwide resistance movement.

In a May 9 announcement, the junta offered different cash rewards for different types of weapons and equipment brought in by PDF defectors, ranging from 200,000 kyats (US$95) for a walkie-talkie, two million kyats (US$950) for a pistol, and 7.5 million kyats for a mortar or rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

While the junta has previously said that it kept the door open for PDF fighters who have not committed any crimes, this is the first time the regime has offered cash rewards to resistance defectors.

The offer comes at a time when the regime has been struggling to cope with rising resistance and mounting desertions from the Myanmar military. Junta forces are also suffering heavy casualties, as PDFs allied with ethnic armed organizations are fighting hard in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Kachin, Chin, Karen and Kayah states.

The civilian National Unity Government (NUG) told a press conference on May 3 marking the second anniversary of the founding of its armed wing the PDFs that there are now over 300 PDF battalions and units across the country, as well as community-based defense forces in some 250 townships.

Since the 2021 coup and up to February this year, a total of 3,236 soldiers and 9,091 police had defected from regime forces.

Revolutionary forces said that the regimes offer of cash rewards to defectors is a sign that its propaganda programs have failed and that junta defections are continuing. The scheme is intended to sow suspicion and dissent among revolutionary forces, they added.

U Naing Htoo Aung, the secretary of the NUGs defense ministry, said: The regime is at its wits end, and has therefore resorted to giving monetary incentives with the aim of creating disunity within PDFs and encouraging them to quit the revolution. The regime will also organize fake ceremonies to deceive people into thinking that PDF fighters have defected with their weapons. It shows the low cunning of the military regime.

In April 2022, the NUG offered to pay US$500,000 to regime aviators and sailors who defect with a military airplane or navy vessel. It also offered cash incentives for damage caused to military aircraft and warships.

Previously, the regime said it would welcome resistance fighters who wished to surrender as long as they had not committed any crime. But in its May 9 announcement, the junta said that those who return to the legal fold will face trial if they have committed crimes like murder and rape, but that penalties would be reduced depending on the offenses committed.

Despite the juntas previous invitation to defect, there have been hardly any credible reports of PDF fighters surrendering to the regime. Few Myanmar people have any trust or faith in the reports of resistance fighters defecting that have appeared in junta-controlled newspapers.

The fact that the offer of cash rewards has come as large numbers of junta soldiers have defected, while the regime is fighting a war on multiple fronts across the country, shows that junta troops are losing ground, said Ko Spring, who is in charge of operations and recruiting for the Civil Defense and Security Organization of Myaung Township, a PDF in Sagaing Region.

The regime has tried to propitiate [the resistance] by making concessions bit by bit. It would not have made such a concession if it was stronger and had the upper hand, he said.

Resistance forces based in western Myanmars Chin State have vowed to fight until the end, said Salai Timmy, the general secretary of the Chin State Joint Defense Committee, a coalition of Chin-based resistance groups fighting the regime.

The invitation, in my view, is a counter-operation in response to large numbers of [junta personnel] joining the Civil Disobedience Movement. As it has been difficult for them to operate on the ground, I am sure the regime will offer talks. But we are determined to fight until the end, stated Salai Timmy.
Burma Myanmar Junta Slams KNU Calls for End to Military Rule as Confrontation

Karen National Liberation Army Brigade 5 in Papun District, Karen State, in 2018. / The Irrawaddy

Myanmars junta has condemned the Karen National Unions (KNU) recent statement to continue to join with other pro-democratic forces to end military rule.

In a statement after its 17th congress on May 5, the KNU said it would fight to establish equality and a federal, democratic union.

The juntas National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee stated on Wednesday that the KNUs statement was not constructive, contradicted the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and would lead to confrontation.

It said it would stifle efforts to build a multiparty democratic and federal system, peace, stability and development.

Armed struggle based on confrontation derails the democratic system and leads to terrorism, the committee said, adding that the NCA was the only path to peace and stability.

Chaired by Lieutenant General Yar Pyae, the juntas committee has held so-called peace talks since late last year with seven of 10 NCA signatories and three non-signatory: the United Wa State Army, National Democratic Alliance Army and Shan State Progress Party.

The juntas invitation to talks was rejected by the KNU and Kachin Independence Army.

Myanmars civilian National Unity Government (NUG) was not invited to peace talks. Its armed allies have been fighting alongside ethnic armed groups in Karen and Kachin states. Much of Myanmar sees the NUG as the legitimate government and the resistance groups as the countrys armed forces.

Like the KNU, the Karenni Army, Chin National Army and All Burma Students Democratic Front also rejected the juntas invitation and are fighting alongside various resistance groups.

The juntas committee said on Wednesday that the peace talks are open to all ethnic armed organizations (EAOs).

KNU spokesman Padoh Saw Taw Nee has previously said that the regime must first withdraw from Karen State and leave Myanmars politics before the group will hold talks.

There must also be justice. We called for transitional justice in previous talks that we attended. The military didnt accept it then. But this time there must be transitional justice. We cant forget that they have killed so many. We must ensure justice and truth, said Padoh Saw Taw Nee.

An analyst said the juntas statement was an unsuccessful attempt to spread divisions within the KNU, based on the assumption that a few members want talks with the junta. He added that the fighting would continue in Karen State.

The junta wants to divide the NUGs forces from the EAOs and eliminate them but the EAOs have experience and know they will be targeted next, the analyst said.
Burma Myanmar Juntas Persecution of Political Opponents Continues

Supporters of the National League for Democracy (NLD) celebrate in Yangon on Nov. 10, 2020, after NLD officials said they were confident of a landslide victory in the election. / AFP

The Myanmar military juntas campaign of violent political persecution continues despite the international communitys calls for dialogue and an immediate end to the violence.

Special envoys from both the UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have called for the cessation of violence. Recently, former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon held talks with junta boss Min Aung Hlaing and urged him to implement an immediate cessation of violence and to start a constructive dialogue among all parties.

However, the junta is still committing atrocities against the civilian population in resistance strongholds, as well as against the political opposition through extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and imprisonment.

It continues to crush all political opposition, dissolving at least 40 political parties including the National League for Democracy (NLD) on March 28.

The NLD won a second consecutive landslide victory in the November 2020 general election before the junta staged a coup in February 2021 alleging electoral fraud.

The junta detained and prosecuted elected members of Parliament, as well as NLD supporters and members including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

NLD members, their families and supporters have been regularly attacked and killed by pro-regime militia since then.

At least 1,235 NLD members have been detained, 26 died during interrogation or in detention, and 63 others were killed unlawfully, according to a statement released by the NLD on March 29.

On Sunday, two relatives of an NLD Central Executive Committee member were shot dead by unknown gunmen at their home in Yangon.

More than 20 NLD members and supporters including 10 from Mandalay were also allegedly slaughtered by the Thwe Thout pro-regime terror group in 2021.

Houses of NLD members and NLD offices are regularly raided and destroyed by junta and pro-regime militia groups.

An explosion occurred in the compound of the home of Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the former chief minister of Mandalay and the vice chair of the NLD, in Amarapura Township on Monday.

A pro-junta channel on Telegram reported that the attack was carried out by the Peoples Defense Force (PDF) but most of its claims turned out to be inaccurate.

No casualties were reported as the house was confiscated by the junta after the 2021 military coup.

In another incident, the regional office of the NLD in Mandalay was also destroyed by the military junta on May 5, according to local sources.

Local residents claimed junta military personnel and military-appointed administrative members used heavy machinery to raze the building at around 9 p.m.

The five-story building, which had been sealed off by the junta since February 2021, was damaged by a blast last October.

The junta also removed the signposts of NLD offices in Yangon and Mandalay in broad daylight after the party was dissolved by the military junta.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reported that at least 300 immovable properties belong to members of Parliament and NLD members had been seized by the junta as of March 31, 2023.

According to the NLD, the junta had carried out 120 searches and raids on NLD offices and confiscated the homes of 371 NLD members as of March 29.
Burma Myanmar Resistance Group Claims Attack on Chinese Pipeline Facility

60-mm rockets used to attack the off-take center / NGF

Local resistance group Natogyi Guerrilla Force (NGF) attacked junta troops guarding an off-take station for the China-backed oil-and-gas pipelines in Mandalay Regions Natogyi Township on Sunday, the second attack on the facility following one last year.

The station is located about 5 km to the east of Natogyi, and is guarded by some 20 junta soldiers. NGF attacked the control center at around 8.30 p.m. on Sunday, said Bo Zeyar, a member of the group.

We fired three 60-mm rockets at the control center on May 7. The rockets hit the building. We learned that two junta soldiers were killed and five others wounded, Bo Zeyar said.

The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the junta casualties.

The same station was damaged when a local resistance group attacked regime forces guarding the facility in February last year.

The oil-and-gas pipelines, which run from the Rakhine coast to southern China, were constructed in 2011 and began operation in July 2013.

The 973-km pipelines pass through Magwe and Mandalay regions and Shan State to Chinas Yunnan Province.

The attack comes on the heels of Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gangs meeting with Myanmar junta boss Min Aung Hlaing early this month, at which the Chinese official offered support for what he called Myanmars efforts to maintain stability, revitalize the economy, and realize sustainable development. Qin became the first top-level Chinese government official to visit the leadership of the Myanmar regime since the coup. The junta has so far killed more than 3,400 people in its crackdown on opposition to its rule.

Following the visit, anti-China protests were staged in Yangon and Sagaing Regions Yinmabin, Salingyi and Letpadaung, where the Chinese flag was burned.

China has attracted public ire for its failure to denounce the coup and for offering supportalong with Russiafor the military regime at the UN. Anti-China protests erupted across the country in the wake of the putsch and some resistance groups have threatened to attack Chinas investments in the country.

China is a major investor in Myanmar and places great importance on mines, oil-and-gas pipelines, and infrastructure projects designed to give it access to the Indian Ocean.

Referring to Sundays attack, Bo Zeyar said: I want to say that the steps recently taken by the Chinese government and Communist Party disappoint and anger the entire Myanmar people. If the Chinese government supports the military and those committing war crimes, it will also become the accomplice of a terrorist.

Following the attack, the regime reinforced the control center. Around 80 junta soldiers have been deployed there now, and security has also been tightened in the neighborhood with camouflage-clad junta soldiers guarding the area.

In May 2021, three security personnel guarding another off-take station of the pipeline in Singtaing Township in Mandalay Region were slashed to death by unidentified attackers. Despite the attacks, the twin pipelines themselves have not been affected.
Myanmars Crisis & the World Indonesia's Widodo Admits No Progress by ASEAN on Myanmar Peace Plan

Indonesian President Joko Widodo addresses the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia on May 11, 2023. / AFP

LABAUN BAJO, IndonesiaSoutheast Asian nations have made no significant progress on implementing a peace plan aimed at ending bloodshed in Myanmar, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Thursday, on the final day of a summit.

Escalating violence in junta-ruled Myanmar has dominated the three-day meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the Indonesian island of Flores.

The regional bloc has spearheaded diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis, though a five-point plan agreed upon with the Myanmar junta two years ago has yet to be enacted.

Since the military ousted Daw Aung San Suu Kyis government it has overseen a bloody crackdown on dissent, killing thousands of people and battling armed resistance to its rule.

As ASEAN leaders began their final day of talks in the fishing town of Labuan Bajo, Indonesian President Joko Widodo admitted they had made no significant progress on implementing the peace plan.

We need the unity of ASEAN to chart our way forward, Widodo said through a translator.

Divisions among ASEAN members at the summit appear to have hampered those efforts.

An internal report on the foreign ministers discussions said some countries wanted to invite the junta back to ASEAN meetings because the time for isolation has served its purpose.

There was also an observation that ASEAN might be experiencing a Myanmar fatigue, which might distract ASEAN from larger goals of ASEAN Community-building, said the document seen by AFP.

Patience, flexibility and creativity are therefore required since there will be no quick fix to the crisis.

Hamstrung

Myanmar still belongs to the 10-member ASEAN bloc but has been barred from its summits due to the juntas failure to implement the peace plan.

The junta has spurned international criticism and refused to engage with its opponents, which include ousted lawmakers, anti-coup Peoples Defense Forces and armed ethnic minority groups.

An air strike on a village in a rebel stronghold last month that reportedly killed about 170 people sparked global condemnation and worsened the juntas isolation.

Jakartas chairing of the bloc this year had raised hopes ASEAN could push for a peaceful solution, using its economic weight as well as its diplomatic experience.

Sundays armed attack on a convoy carrying diplomats and officials coordinating ASEAN humanitarian relief in Myanmar had increased pressure for tougher action.

ASEAN has long been decried by critics as a toothless talking shop, but its charter principles of consensus and non-interference have hamstrung its ability to stop the violence in Myanmar.

The latest draft of the end-of-summit statement seen by AFP has left the paragraph on Myanmar open, reflecting diplomatic difficulties over the issue.

A review of the charter was long overdue, said Lina Alexandra of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta.

When you see your next-door neighbors house is burning, what will you do? Can you just stay silent; its not my problem? she said.
Myanmars Crisis & the World UN Envoy Calls for Unity Among Regional Players to Solve Myanmar Crisis

UN Special Envoy Noeleen Heyzer meets with Indias Minister of External Affairs H.E. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi to discuss concrete steps supporting Myanmar-led solutions towards a cessation of violence. / Supplied

The United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Myanmar said a unified regional approach guided by the will of Myanmar people can make progress in solving the countrys crisis during her Tuesday meeting with government officials in India.

UN envoy Noeleen Heyzer met with Indias Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Joint Secretary (Bangladesh-Myanmar) Smita Pant in New Delhi.

Myanmar has been wracked by violence since the militarys 2021 coup. The putsch met with nationwide public opposition which the military regime responded to with deadly force, triggering armed resistance across the country.

Along with China, India is Myanmars most powerful neighbor and has been impacted by the crisis in Myanmar, with over 53,000 refugees from Myanmar currently sheltering in border regions in India, according to the Office of the UN Special Envoy to Myanmar.

During the meeting, the Indian officials told Noeleen Heyzer that there is a need for an immediate cessation of violence by all sides and the fostering of dialogue for the return of peace, stability and democracy in Myanmar.

Heyzer said a unified regional approach supporting Myanmar-led solutions, in accordance with

the will and needs of the people, can make tangible progress on the ground.

The Special Envoy reinforced the need for concrete steps to resolve the crisis and a return to civilian rule based on the will of the people, such as cessation of violence, immediate release of all political prisoners, including State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, and unimpeded humanitarian assistance through all available channels, said the Office of the UN Special Envoy in a statement.

Prior to her meeting with Indias external affairs minister, Noeleen Heyzer met with Chinas foreign minister Qin Gang, and was told that the international community should support all parties in Myanmar and restart the political transition process through political dialogue in order to bring peace to the country.

We need to act prudently and pragmatically to prevent escalating tensions and a spillover of the crisis, said Qin.

Currently, both India and China have engaged with the junta in Myanmar. Along with Myanmars other neighbors, they participated in the Thailand-initiated Track 1.5 roundtable as a way of opening additional channels for dialogue among stakeholders affected by the Myanmar crisis.

The roundtable  its second meeting was lately hosted by India  came after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Five-Point Consensus peace plan stalled, after the military regime failed to honor its commitments.

Noeleen Heyzer visited Myanmar last year and met with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, but no progress was made on breaking the political deadlock in the country.
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.
A man accused of fatally shooting one person and wounding five others at a Southern California church luncheon last year has been charged with dozens of federal hate crimes in connection with the attack, which investigators say was motivated by political hatred of Taiwan
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Israel hit Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza for a second day on Wednesday and Palestinian militants launched hundreds of rockets across the border, setting off sirens as far away as Tel Aviv, while Egypt began efforts to mediate an end to the fighting.

The second round of cross-border fire in a week came after Israel launched strikes on Tuesday against three Islamic Jihad commanders it said had planned attacks against Israelis, following months of escalating violence.

Cairo, which has mediated in previous rounds of fighting, had begun brokering a ceasefire, Islamic Jihad spokesman Dawoud Shehab said.

Israel was examining Egypts proposals, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told public broadcaster Kan.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in broadcast remarks that Islamic Jihad had sustained a serious blow, but cautioned: The campaign is not over yet.

The Israeli military said it hit more than 130 targets, including rocket-launching sites, as blasts sounded across the Palestinian enclave.

A late-night bombing of a building in the southern Gaza area of Khan Younis killed the head of Islamic Jihads rocket launching force, identified as Ali Ghali, and two other militants, the Israeli military and Islamic Jihad said.

Minutes after Wednesdays air-strikes began, sirens sounded in Israel  mostly among border communities but soon also in and around the commercial capital Tel Aviv, 60 km (37 miles) north of Gaza.

More than 400 rockets were fired, Netanyahu said, a quarter of which fell short in Gaza.

The joint command of Gazas militant groups, which includes Islamic Jihad and the enclaves Hamas rulers, claimed responsibility for the salvoes.

However Israeli military officials said they had seen no signs that Hamas, which is believed to have hundreds of rockets in its arsenal, had fired any missiles itself.

They said Israeli strikes were directed only at targets linked to the smaller Islamic Jihad group, an Iranian-backed militant organization based in Gaza which has been increasingly active in the occupied West Bank for the past year.

White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan emphasized the need for de-escalation during a call on Wednesday with the head of Israels National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, the White House said.

Sullivan  noted continued regional efforts to broker a ceasefire, and emphasized the need to deescalate tensions and prevent further loss of life, according to a White House readout.

In total, 24 Palestinians, including at least five women and five children, as well as three senior Islamic Jihad commanders and four gunmen have been killed since fighting began, Palestinian health officials said.

Among the fatalities on Wednesday was a 10-year-old girl, although the circumstances of her death were unclear.

The militant groups said the rocket salvoes were a retaliation for the Israeli strikes, which it described as a savage and treacherous bombardment of civilian houses that led to several innocent martyrs.

Multiple trails could be seen ascending over Gaza as rockets were launched. Mid-air explosions signaled interceptions by Israels Iron Dome aerial defense system and there were no reports of casualties in Israel.

Last week, Islamic Jihad fired more than 100 rockets across the border and Israeli jets hit targets in Gaza in an hours-long exchange following the death of an Islamic Jihad hunger striker in Israeli custody.

Even before Wednesdays rocket barrage began, as many as 30% of residents of Israeli border communities had been evacuated as a precaution, municipal head Gadi Yarkoni told Kan radio.

In Gaza, businesses and schools remained closed, Israel kept its two commercial and people crossings with Gaza closed. The move would stop the entry of goods, fuel, and humanitarian aid as well as patients who receive treatment in hospitals in the West Bank and Israel.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian gunmen who the military said had opened fire on them in the West Bank. Islamic Jihad claimed the men as members.

(REUTERS)
French prosecutors are calling for former president Nicolas Sarkozy to face a new trial related to alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 election campaign.

The prosecutors from Frances financial crimes unit (PNF) have demanded that Sarkozy and 12 others face trial over accusations that they sought funding in the millions of euros from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafis regime to finance his ultimately successful campaign.

Sarkozy is facing charges of corruption, illegal campaign financing, and concealing embezzlement of public funds.

The ex-president has refused the charges. The final decision on whether the trial will proceed lies with investigating magistrates, who have been examining the case since 2013.

Alongside Sarkozy, his former right-hand man Claude Gueant, then-head of campaign financing Eric Woerth, and former minister Brice Hortefeux are among those facing trial in the case.

Despite his legal issues, Sarkozy remains influential and popular on the right side of French politics, despite being convicted twice in separate cases since leaving office and facing further cases, such as the upcoming wiretapping decision on May 17 and the Bygmalion case retrial from November 2023, which are not expected to result in prison time, even if the sentences are confirmed.

(AFP)
In a bid to compete with ChatGPT backed by Microsoft, Google introduces a more intelligent Bard.

Google has announced it is expanding the use of artificial intelligence across its platform.

The company is opening Bard, a rival to Microsoft-backed ChatGPT, to 180 countries whilst applying generative AI to supercharge its leading search engine.

At an annual Google developers conference in Silicon Valley, executives revealed the companys focus on enhancing core products, which includes the Bing search engine.

Googles AI efforts will be conducted in a bold and responsible way, according to senior product director Jack Krawczyk.

Other executives revealed how generative AI is being integrated into Gmail, photo editing, online work tools and more.

Google is also letting partners build AI-enhanced browser extensions, including one from Adobe that will let users generate images.

The company also announced new Pixel devices, including a $1,799 foldable smartphone with a bendable screen that is the size of a tablet computer when opened.

Despite its potential impact on disinformation and job obsolescence, AIs uses continue to expand. Microsoft expanded public access to its generative AI programs recently, which is powered by models made by OpenAI.

The companys early investment gave it a head start in the AI battle with Google, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.

However, the risks from AI have been highlighted by experts, with risks including voice clones, deep-fake videos and convincing written messages.
Concerns have been raised over the regional force deployed by East African nations in the Democratic Republic of Congo to halt the progress of the M23 rebels in the countrys east.

Although the regional force insists that the rebels are gradually retreating from the territories they captured, the Congolese authorities remain skeptical and are calling for an open discussion on the East African Communitys forces mission.

On May 9, President Felix Tshisekedi expressed his disappointment, hinting that the troops could withdraw by the end of June. Our reporters bring you the latest update on the situation.

The East African Communitys regional force in the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing some concerns over its mission to halt the progress of M23 rebels in the countrys east. The force asserts that the rebels are gradually retreating from the territories they captured, but Congolese authorities remain skeptical and are calling for an open discussion on the matter.

President Felix Tshisekedi expressed his disappointment with the regional force on May 9 and hinted that the troops could withdraw by the end of June. The situation is still ongoing, and our reporters bring you the latest update.

The East African Communitys regional force was deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo to help the Congolese army fight against the M23 rebels. The rebel group has been active in the country since 2012 and has been accused of committing serious human rights abuses.

The regional force was welcomed by many in the country, who believed that it would help to bring peace to the troubled region. However, concerns have been raised over the forces effectiveness in curbing the M23 rebels.

The Congolese authorities have called for an open discussion on the regional forces mission, citing concerns about their ability to tackle the M23 rebels. President Tshisekedi expressed his disappointment with the regional force, stating that they had not done enough to stop the rebels advance.

The regional force, on the other hand, insists that the rebels are gradually retreating from the territories they captured. They have also expressed their commitment to working closely with the Congolese army to bring peace to the region.

The situation is still ongoing, and it remains to be seen what will happen in the coming weeks. However, it is clear that there are concerns about the regional forces effectiveness in tackling the M23 rebels.

In conclusion, the deployment of the East African Communitys regional force in the Democratic Republic of Congo has raised concerns about its effectiveness in curbing the M23 rebels.

The Congolese authorities have called for an open discussion on the forces mission, and President Tshisekedi has expressed his disappointment with their performance. The situation is still ongoing, and it remains to be seen what will happen in the coming weeks.
Donald Trump remained unapologetic and stuck to his past grievances during the first televised town hall of the 2024 US presidential election on Wednesday.

Trump made it clear from the outset that he had little intention of running a more disciplined campaign for his third bid for the White House, drawing laughter from the audience in New Hampshire when he mocked E. Jean Carrolls account of his sexual abuse of her.

During the 70-minute broadcast, Trump repeated falsehoods about his 2020 election loss and stated that he would pardon many of his supporters convicted of taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol if he was elected again.

When asked if he would acknowledge his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 by CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins, Trump asserted his baseless claims that the election was rigged.

The audience in New Hampshire, including Republicans and independent voters who plan to vote in the Republican primary, were generally supportive of Trump, giving him a standing ovation when he took the stage.

Responding to his remarks, the Democratic National Committee issued a statement criticizing Trumps characterisation of Jan. 6, 2021, as a beautiful day and stating that he lied about the 2020 election for 20 minutes.

Collins fact-checking of Trumps assertions sometimes led to the two talking over each other as Trump refused to back down. On Tuesday, a federal jury found Trump sexually abused Carroll in a department store dressing room in Manhattan in the 1990s.

After the verdict, Carroll issued a statement saying that today, the world finally knows the truth.

Trump stood by his remarks in a 2005 Access Hollywood tape and suggested stars could have their way with women, stating that he could not take it back as it was true.

When asked by an audience member what he had to say to voters who say his remarks disqualify him from being president, Trump referred to his rising poll numbers.
05/10/2023

by Abigail Harrison

JSU Jazz Ensemble I is featured in the June issue of DownBeat magazine as the winner of a DownBeat Student Music Award - the university equivalent of winning a Grammy.

Every December, colleges, universities and high schools submit recordings in various categories  such as Small Group, Large Ensemble, Vocal Jazz, Original Composition, and Arranging  and the best submissions are chosen. JSU submitted three songs and was honored for its outstanding performance in the Large Ensemble category.

This award recognizes the excellence of our jazz program, and in particular, the students in JSU Jazz Ensemble I and the hard work they put in to learn their music, said Dr. Andy Nevala, director of the JSU Jazz program. Each of the students will receive a certificate to be framed that will go on their future office walls. Those things are hard to get, and represent dedication, talent, skill and a strong work ethic. That will help these students when they apply for jobs.

It's the second time JSU Jazz Ensemble I - the university's premier jazz performance group - has won a Downbeat Award. The group was last honored in 2015. Then, it cost the program nearly $5,000 to professionally record its "DownBeat" submission. This year, the program only had to pay its $15 application fee as the recording was done in-house by Dr. Nevala and Dr. James Woodward, associate professor of music theory.

JSU Jazz currently boasts four jazz ensembles, including the award-winning Jazz Ensemble I, and six combos and a Latin Ensemble. Admission is open to students of all majors and placement auditions are held the first day of classes each semester. The university offers a Bachelor of Arts in music focused on jazz performance, as well as a minor in jazz studies. Founded with the hiring of Dr. Nevala in 2011, JSU Jazz continues to distinguish itself as Alabama's leading collegiate program.

Students are getting instruction from professionals in the industry, and it is showing up big time in the results we are getting," Nevala said. "This award means we have the largest, most successful jazz program in the state, and one of the most successful in the region. For a university of our size, to win two, thats almost unheard of."
Reddit Email 96 Shares

( Tomdispatch.com )  The way mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his private army have been waging a significant part of Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine has been well covered in the American media, not least of all because his firm, the Wagner Group, draws most of its men from Russias prison system. Wagner offers freedom from Putins labor camps only to send those released convicts to the front lines of the conflict, often on brutal suicide missions.

At least the Russian president and his state-run media make no secret of his regimes alliance with Wagner. The American government, on the other hand, seldom acknowledges its own version of the privatization of war  the tens of thousands of private security contractors its used in its misguided war on terror, involving military and intelligence operations in a staggering 85 countries.

At least as far back as the Civil War through World Wars I and II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the first Gulf War, contractors, as we like to call them, have long been with us. Only recently, however, have they begun playing such a large role in our wars, with an estimated 10% to 20% of them directly involved in combat and intelligence operations.

Contractors have both committed horrific abuses and acted bravely under fire (because they have all too often been under fire). From torture at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq to interrogations at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, from employees of the private security firm Blackwater indiscriminately firing on unarmed Iraqi civilians to contractors defending a U.S. base under attack in Afghanistan, they have been an essential part of the war on terror. And yes, they both killed Afghans and helped some who had worked as support contractors escape from Taliban rule.

The involvement of private companies has allowed Washington to continue to conduct its operations around the globe, even if many Americans think that our war on terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere has ended. I tried looking for any kind of a survey of how many of us realize that it continues in Iraq and elsewhere, but all I could find was pollster Nate Silvers analysis of lessons learned from that global conflict, as if it were part of our history. And unless respondents were caring for a combat-wounded veteran, they tended not to look unfavorably on sending our troops into battle in distant lands  so scratch that as a lesson learned from our forever wars.

None of this surprises me. American troops are no longer getting killed in significant numbers, nor are as many crowding the waitlists at backlogged Veterans Affairs hospitals as would be the case if those troops had been the only ones doing the fighting.

At points during this centurys war on terror, in fact, the U.S. used more civilian contractors in its ongoing wars than uniformed military personnel. In fact, as of 2019, according to Brown Universitys Costs of War Project, which I co-founded, there were 50% more contractors than troops in the U.S. Central Command region that includes Afghanistan, Iraq, and 18 other countries in the Middle East, as well as Central and South Asia. As recently as December 2022, the Pentagon had about 22,000 contractors deployed throughout that region, with nearly 8,000 concentrated in Iraq and Syria. To be sure, most of those workers were unarmed and providing food service, communications aid, and the like. Even more tellingly, roughly two thirds of them were citizens of other countries, particularly lower-income ones.

In 2020, retired Army Officer Danny Sjursen offered an interesting explanation for how the war on terror was then becoming ever more privatized: the Covid-19 pandemic had changed the Pentagons war-making strategy as the public began to question how much money and how many lives were being expended on war abroad rather than healthcare at home. As a result, Sjursen argued, the U.S. had begun deploying ever more contractors, remote drones, CIA paramilitaries, and (often abusive) local forces in that war on terror while U.S. troops were redeployed to Europe and the Pacific to contain a resurgent Russia and China. In other words, during the pandemic, Washington placed ever more dirty work in corporate and foreign hands.

(Not) Counting Contractors

Its been a challenge to write about private security contractors because our government does anything but a good job of counting them. Though the Defense Department keeps quarterly records of how many civilian contractors it employs and where, they exclude employees contracted with the Central Intelligence Agency or the State Department.

When Costs of War first tried to count contractor deaths by searching official government sources, we came up short. The spouse of a gravely wounded armed contractor directed me to her blog, where she had started to compile a list of just such deaths based on daily Google searches, even as she worked hard caring for her spouse and managing his disability paperwork. She and I eventually lost touch and it appears that she stopped compiling such numbers long ago. Still, we at the project took a page from her book, while adding reported war deaths among foreign nationals working for the Pentagon to our formula. Costs of War researchers then estimated that 8,000 contractors had been killed in our wars in the Middle East as of 2019, or about 1,000 more than the U.S. troops who died during the same period.

Social scientists Ori Swed and Thomas Crosbie have tried to extrapolate from reported contractor deaths in order to paint a picture of who they were while still alive. They believe that most of them were white veterans in their forties; many were former Special Forces operatives and a number of former officers with college degrees).

Limited Choices for Veterans

How do people of relative racial, economic, and gendered privilege end up in positions that, while well-paid, are even more precarious than being in the armed forces? As a therapist serving military families and as a military spouse, I would say that the path to security contracting reflects a deep cultural divide in our society between military and civilian life. Although veteran unemployment rates are marginally lower than those in the civilian population, many of them tend to seek out what they know best and that means military training, staffing, weapons production  and, for some, combat.

I recently spoke with one Marine infantry veteran who had completed four combat tours. He told me that, after leaving the service, he lacked a community that understood what he had been through. He sought to avoid social isolation by getting a government job. However, after applying for several in law enforcement agencies, he failed lie detector tests (owing to the common stress reactions of war-traumatized veterans). Having accidentally stumbled on a veteran-support nonprofit group, he ultimately found connections that led him to decide to return to school and retrain in a new profession. But, as he pointed out, many of my other friends from the Marines numbed their pain with drugs or by going back to war as security contractors.

Not everyone views contracting as a strategy of last resort. Still, I find it revealing of the limited sense of possibility such veterans experience that the top five companies employing them are large corporations servicing the Department of Defense through activities like information technology support, weapons production, or offers of personnel, both armed and not.

The Corporate Wounded

And keep in mind that such jobs are anything but easy. Many veterans find themselves facing yet more of the same  quick, successive combat deployments as contractors.

Anyone in this era of insurance mega-corporations who has ever had to battle for coverage is aware that doing so isnt easy. Private insurers can maximize their profits by holding onto premium payments as long as possible while denying covered services.

A federal law called the Defense Base Act (1941) (DBA) requires that corporations fund workers compensation claims for their employees laboring under U.S. contracts, regardless of their nationalities, with the taxpayer footing the bill. The program grew exponentially after the start of the war on terror, but insurance companies have not consistently met their obligations under the law. In 2008, a joint investigation by the Los Angeles Times and ProPublica found that insurers like Chicago-based CAN Financial Corps were earning up to 50% profits on some of their war-zone policies, while many employees of contractors lacked adequate care and compensation for their injuries.

Even after Congress called on the Pentagon and the Department of Labor to better enforce the DBA in 2011, some companies continued to operate with impunity visavis their own workers, sometimes even failing to purchase insurance for them or refusing to help them file claims as required by law. While insurance companies made tens of millions of dollars in profits during the second decade of the war on terror, between 2009 and 2021, the Department of Labor fined insurers of those contracting corporations a total of only $3,250 for failing to report DBA claims.

Privatizing Foreign Policy

At its core, the war on terror sought to create an image of the U.S. abroad as a beacon of democracy and the rule of law. Yet there is probably no better evidence of how poorly this worked in practice at home and abroad than the little noted (mis)use of security contractors. Without their ever truly being seen, they prolonged that global set of conflicts, inflicting damage on other societies and being damaged themselves in Americas name. Last month, the Costs of War Project reported that the U.S. is now using subcontractors Bancroft Global Development and Pacific Architects and Engineers to train the Somali National Army in its counterterrorism efforts. Meanwhile, the U.S. intervention there has only helped precipitate a further rise in terrorist attacks in the region.

The global presence created by such contractors also manifests itself in how we respond to threats to their lives. In March 2023, a self-destructing drone exploded at a U.S. maintenance facility on a coalition base in northeastern Syria, killing a contractor employed by the Pentagon and injuring another, while wounding five American soldiers. After that drone was found to be of Iranian origin, President Biden ordered an air strike on facilities in Syria used by Iranian-allied forces. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated, No group will strike our troops with impunity. While he later expressed condolences to the family of the contractor who was the only one killed in that attack, his statement could have more explicitly acknowledged that contractors are even more numerous than troops among the dead from our forever wars.

In late December 2019, a contractor working as an interpreter on a U.S. military base in Iraq was killed by rockets fired by an Iranian-backed militia. Shortly afterward, then-President Trump ordered an air strike that killed the commander of an elite Iranian military unit, sparking concern about a dangerous escalation with that country. Trump later tweeted, Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will.

I cant believe Im saying this, but Trumps tweet was more honest than Austins official statement: such contractors are now an essential part of Americas increasingly privatized wars and will continue to be so, in seemingly ever greater numbers. Even though retaliating for attacks on their lives has little to do with effective counterterrorism (as the Costs of War Project has long made clear), bearing witness to war casualties in all their grim diversity is the least the rest of us can do as American citizens. Because how can we know whether  and for whom  our shadowy, shape-shifting wars work if we continue to let our leaders wage an increasingly privatized version of them in ways meant to obscure our view of the carnage theyve caused?

Copyright 2023 Andrea Mazzarino

Via Tomdispatch.com
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Ximen Mining Corp. (TSXV:XIM) (FRA:1XMA) (OTCQB:XXMMF) (the "Company" or "Ximen") announces results from rock and soil geochemical surveys conducted on the Quartz Mountain property in 2022. Rock sampling of the Anderson's Pit area yielded 12.2 g/t Au, 62.2 g/t Ag, and 2.9 wt.% Pb on a channel sample of 1.2 m.

Ximen's Quartz Mountain property is located 12.5 km southwest of Kimberly, B.C. and 22 km west of Cranbrook, BC. The property consists of two blocks of claims covering 3,829 hectares and 13 mineral occurrences. The northern block was explored in 2022 and covers 8 mineral occurrences with past production and known showings of gold. Field work in 2022 consisted of GPS surveying of historic workings, verification sampling of known gold occurrences, soil geochemistry, and drone photogrammetry.

The Quartz Mountain property straddles Perry Creek, on which there are modern and historic placer gold workings. Perry Creek lies near the center of the 100 km long and 30 km wide Kimberley Gold Trend, which covers placer gold deposits on the Wild Horse River, Perry Creek and the Moyie River. Originally discovered in 1864, available information suggests at least 1.5 million ounces of gold have been recovered and small placer operations continue on each of these water courses today, 150 years after discovery. A significant lode gold source for the rich placer deposits has not been discovered, although many occurrences have been located (Geoscience BC Report 2015-1). The Kimberley Gold trend is centered around the St. Mary's and Moyie faults and overlies the Vulcan basement tectonic zone which influenced structural development and helped focus fluid flow during Jurassic and Cretaceous folding, faulting and intrusion (Thompson, 2010).

Map showing soil geochemical survey and rock sample results from Anderson's pit area.

On the Quartz Mountain property, Anderson's pit was mined historically (381 tonnes, 102 ounces gold, 167 ounces silver and 200 kg lead according to BC Minfile records). It consists of a quartz vein with a true thickness of about 2.5 m that is oriented 175/40W. Rock chip sampling in 2022 yielded 12.2 g/t Au, 62.2 g/t Ag, and 2.9 wt.% Pb on a channel sample of 1.2 m. A soil geochemical survey conducted northeast from Anderson's pit showed a gold anomaly extending along the projection of the vein (see map). Analytical results ranged from the detection limit of 0.001 to 0.167 ppm gold. The results are also encouraging because the orientation of the vein and trend of the soil anomaly coincides with the orientation of the Perry Creek fault, suggesting this fault is a fundamental control on the location of the gold mineralization. A subparallel gold anomaly is seen further east, and an isolated anomaly occurs on the easternmost extent the soil grid that coincides with another occurrence named "Gold". The local geological structure is an antiform within the Creston Formation, and the interpreted hinge area coincides with the Perry Creek fault, close to the Anderson's pit. This fold structure may be another control on the localization of gold.

Plans for 2023 are to extend the soil geochemical grid to the east. Geochemical surveys will also be done at other occurrences on the property.

Soil geochemical analyses reported herein consisted of aqua regia digestion and ICPMS (Inductively coupled plasma - Mass Spectroscopy) determination on a 50-gram sample. This multielement package provides results for 51 elements including gold and silver. Quality control blank and certified reference samples were inserted into the sample stream at a frequency of 1 in 20 for each type, or one control sample every 10 samples. Rock geochemical analyses reported herein were by fire assay of a 50 gram sample and determination by atomic absorption spectrometry.

Readers are cautioned that historical records referred to in this News Release have been examined but not verified by a Qualified Person. Further work is required to verify that historical records referred to in this News Release are accurate.

Dr. Mathew Ball, P.Geo., VP Exploration for Ximen Mining Corp. and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, approved the technical information contained in this News Release.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Christopher R. Anderson"

Christopher R. Anderson,

President, CEO and Director

604 488-3900

Investor Relations: Sophy Cesar, 604-488-3900, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About Ximen Mining Corp.

Ximen Mining Corp. owns 100% interest in three of its precious metal projects located in southern BC. Ximen`s two Gold projects, The Amelia Gold Mine and The Brett Epithermal Gold Project. Ximen also owns the Treasure Mountain Silver Project adjacent to the past producing Huldra Silver Mine. Currently, the Treasure Mountain Silver Project is under an option agreement. The option partner is making annual staged cash and stocks payments as well as funding the development of the project. The company has also acquired control of the Kenville Gold mine near Nelson British Columbia which comes with surface and underground rights, buildings and equipment.

Ximen is a publicly listed company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol XIM, in the USA under the symbol XXMMF, and in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin Stock Exchanges in Germany under the symbol 1XMA and WKN with the number as A2JBKL.

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval and the exercise of the Option by Ximen. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the possibility that the TSX Venture Exchange may not accept the proposed transaction in a timely manner, if at all. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Solitario Zinc Corp. ("Solitario") (NYSE American:XPL)(TSX:SLR) is pleased to report that the Black Hills National Forest ("BHNF"), Northern Hills Ranger District (U.S. Forest Service) has released the draft Environmental Assessment ("EA") for exploration drilling on Solitario's Golden Crest exploration drilling project.

In the BHNF announcement of the EA, the proposed project is described as follows: "This project includes up to 25 core drilling sites for gold mineralization, access road maintenance (as needed), and reclamation activities. One staging area would be used to store equipment and supplies. Drill sites are primarily located in previously disturbed sites along existing roads and trails. No new road or trail construction is proposed. No mining, milling, or processing is proposed as part of the project."

The 30-day comment period will end on June 8, 2023. The draft EA is available upon request and on-line at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=62590.

Chris Herald, President and CEO of Solitario, stated: "We are pleased that the U.S. Forest Service has completed the EA and that the document is quite exhaustive in its analysis of our proposed drilling program. This is an important milestone in securing drilling permits to test this exciting new gold project. Solitario is committed to a "best practices" policy for all of its exploration activities on Forest Service lands. For example, all proposed drill hole locations are located on existing logging roads or other logging related surface disturbances. In this way drill hole sites eliminate new surface disturbance on public lands."

Project Overview

Solitario's 100%-owned South Dakota properties collectively total over 33,000 acres and constitute strategic land holdings along the western and southwestern extensions of the Homestake-Wharf mining district that has produced approximately 52 million ounces of gold and contains another 30 million ounces in historical resources. The project area is in a politically safe jurisdiction with highly developed infrastructure, an unbroken 145-year record of continuous gold mining, a skilled mining workforce, and a history of high-grade, underground mineable gold deposits.

About Solitario

Solitario is a natural resource exploration company focused on high-quality Tier-1 gold and zinc projects. The Company is traded on the NYSE American ("XPL") and on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("SLR"). In addition to its South Dakota property holdings, Solitario holds a 50% joint venture interest (Teck Resources 50%) in the high-grade Lik zinc deposit in Alaska and a 39% joint venture interest (Nexa Resources holds the remaining 61% interest) on the high-grade Florida Canyon zinc project in Peru. Solitario is carried to production through its joint venture arrangement with Nexa. Solitario's Management and Directors hold approximately 9.2% (excluding options) of the Company's 65 million shares outstanding. Solitario's cash balance and marketable securities stand at approximately US$4.8 million. Additional information about Solitario is available online at www.solitariozinc.com.

Solitario has a long history of committed Environmental, Social and Responsible Governance ("ESG") of its business. We realize ESG issues are also important to investors, employees, and all stakeholders, including communities in which we work. We are pledged to operate our business in a manner that supports environmental and social initiatives and responsible corporate governance. Importantly, we select joint venture partners that not only value the importance of ESG issues in the conduct of their business on our joint venture projects but are leaders in the industry in this important segment of our business.

For More Information Please Contact:

Christopher E. Herald

President & CEO

(303) 534-1030, Ext. 14

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information



This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (and the equivalent under Canadian securities laws), that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such sections. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. They are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and address activities, events or developments that Solitario expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, and are based on current expectations and assumptions. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Solitario's Golden Crest land position does not cover any of the areas of historical gold production or historical unmined resources. Certain historical information concerning exploration and gold production in the Black Hills region has been obtained through both public and private sources and are believed to be substantially factual, but Solitario can give no assurances of the accuracy of such information. The existence of historic mines and resources adjacent to Solitario's land position do not necessarily support the existence economic mineral deposits on Solitario's land position. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's expectation of the projected timing and outcome of engineering studies; expectations regarding the receipt of all necessary permits and approvals to implement a mining plan, if any, at any of its mineral properties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, risks relating to risks that Solitario's and its joint venture partners' exploration and property advancement efforts will not be successful; risks relating to fluctuations in the price of zinc, gold, lead and silver; the inherently hazardous nature of mining-related activities; uncertainties concerning reserve and resource estimates; availability of outside contractors, and other activities; uncertainties relating to obtaining approvals and permits from governmental regulatory authorities; the possibility that environmental laws and regulations will change over time and become even more restrictive; and availability and timing of capital for financing the Company's exploration and development activities, including uncertainty of being able to raise capital on favorable terms or at all; risks relating to the impacts of Covid-19 or similar variants; as well as those factors discussed in Solitario's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") including Solitario's latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and its other SEC filings (and Canadian filings) including, without limitation, its latest Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The Company does not intend to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
Agnico Eagle Exercises Top-Up Right

VANCOUVER, BC, May 11, 2023 /CNW/ - Orla Mining Ltd. (TSX: OLA) (NYSE: ORLA) ("Orla" or the "Company") today announces the results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023 as well as the partial exercise by Agnico Eagle Mines Limited ("Agnico Eagle") of its top-up right.

(All amounts expressed in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)



First Quarter 2023 Highlights:

During the first quarter, gold production was 25,910 ounces and gold sold was 26,859 ounces (pre-released, April 14, 2023 ). The Company remains on track to meet 2023 annual gold production guidance of 100,000 to 110,000 ounces.

). The Company remains on track to meet 2023 annual gold production guidance of 100,000 to 110,000 ounces. All-in sustaining costs ("AISC") 1 of $693 per ounce of gold sold during the first quarter 2023. The Company remains on track to meet 2023 annual AISC guidance of $750 to $850 /oz sold.

of per ounce of gold sold during the first quarter 2023. The Company remains on track to meet 2023 annual AISC guidance of to /oz sold. Adjusted earnings 1 for the first quarter was $11.4 million or $0.04 per share.

for the first quarter was or per share. Net income for the first quarter was $13.2 million or $0.04 per share which included $6.9 million in expensed exploration and development costs.

or per share which included in expensed exploration and development costs. Cash flow from operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital during the first quarter was $nil after the Company made its first planned income tax payment (including the Special Mining Duty) in Mexico of $26.5 million related to the 2022 fiscal year.

of related to the 2022 fiscal year. Cash balance of $83.8 million and net debt 1 of $56.6 million at March 31, 2023 .

and net debt of at . Subsequent to quarter end, Agnico Eagle partially exercised its top-up right.

"The Company transitioned seamlessly into 2023 with another consistent operating quarter with strong cash margins," said Jason Simpson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Orla. "We remain committed to all our stakeholders including our local communities and host governments."

_______________________ 1 Cash cost, AISC, adjusted earnings and net debt are non-GAAP measures. See the "Non-GAAP Measures" section of this news release for additional information.



Financial and Operations Update

Table 1: Financial and Operating Highlights Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Operating Gold Produced oz 25,910 23,031 Gold Sold oz 26,859 20,884 Average Realized Gold Price1 $/oz $1,888 $1,888 Cost of Sales  Operating Cost $M $11.8 $9.4 Cash Cost per Ounce1,2 $/oz $472 NA All-in Sustaining Cost per Ounce1,2 $/oz $693 NA Financial Revenue $M $51.1 $39.6 Net Income $M $13.2 $18.8 Adjusted Earnings1 $M $11.4 $19.8 Earnings per Share  basic $/sh $0.04 $0.08 Adjusted Earnings per Share  basic1 $/sh $0.04 $0.08 Cash Flow from Operating Activities before Changes in Non-Cash Working Capital $M Nil $22.0 Free Cash Flow1 $M $(5.5) $16.3 Financial Position Mar 31,

2023 Dec 31,

2022 Cash and cash equivalents $M $83.8 $96.3 Net debt $M $56.6 $49.5

1. "Average Realized Gold Price", "Cash Cost per Ounce", "All-in Sustaining Cost per Ounce", "Adjusted Earnings", "Adjusted Earnings per Share  basic", "Free Cash Flow", and "Net Debt" are non-GAAP measures. See the "Non-GAAP Measures" section of this news release for additional information. 2. The Company declared commercial production at Camino Rojo effective April 1, 2022. Consequently, the comparative figures for cash cost per ounce and all-in sustaining cost per ounce are not applicable.

Financial and Operations Summary

The Company declared commercial production at Camino Rojo on April 1, 2022 following sixteen months of construction which began in December 2020. Camino Rojo produced 25,910 ounces of gold in the first quarter of 2023 at an average ore stacking rate of 18,902 tonnes per day. The average mining rate during the first quarter was 34,804 tonnes per day with a strip ratio of 0.61. The average grade of ore processed during the first quarter was 0.80 g/t gold, in line with our plan.

Gold sold during the first quarter totaled 26,859 ounces.

First quarter cash costs and AISC totaled $472 and $693 per ounce of gold sold, respectively. The key contributors to the AISC being at the lower end of the guidance range are attributable to mining less waste tonnes, lower blasting costs, lower maintenance costs and lower reagent costs. Lower waste tonnes mined during the quarter was due to limited access to certain areas of the pit as the Company waits for permit amendments from the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources. Mined waste tonnes are expected to remain below average during the second quarter and increase during the second half of 2023, thus contributing to lower mining cost in the first half of the year.

Mined ore tonnes are reconciling well to the block model and process recoveries to date are in line with the metallurgical recovery model.

Sustaining capital during the first quarter of 2023 was $1.1 million. Sustaining capital covered items such as the construction of a dome over the ore stockpile for dust control, the construction of water wells and IT network infrastructure. During the first quarter, the Company made its first income tax payment (including the Special Mining Duty) in Mexico of approximately $26.5 million, related to fiscal 2022 taxable income. Cash flow from operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital and cash flow per share were impacted accordingly. Beginning in May 2023, the Company expects to make monthly tax installments.

Exploration Update

Additional exploration details related to 2022 results and 2023 plans on individual country exploration programs were provided in press releases dated January 31, 2023, February 8, 2023, and February 16, 2023. In 2023, exploration spending will be increased to $35 million. In the first quarter, $8.5 million was spent in exploration with a focus on drilling near-mine Sulphides and regional targets at Camino Rojo in Mexico and regional targets in Panama.

Camino Rojo Sulphide Project and Regional Exploration Update (Mexico)

A 34,000-metre, 57-hole follow-up drill program to infill the Camino Rojo Sulphides is planned for 2023 (20% of the holes will extend to test the deep potential of the deposit). During the first quarter, about 25% of the Sulphide infill program was completed. Initial results are positive and will be released as the program is advanced further.

In addition to the Sulphide infill program, 6,500 metres will be drilled on the extensions of the Camino Rojo oxide deposit to update and expand resources and reserves. This program is planned to begin in the second quarter.

Confirmatory resource drilling on the Camino Rojo Oxide Layback Area is expected to begin early in the second quarter and 2,500 metres is planned.

On the regional exploration program, the Company continued to drill-test the Guanamero target area, approximately 7 km northeast of the Camino Rojo Deposit, during the first quarter. This recent drilling is following-up on encouraging results (previously reported) from the first diamond drill hole completed by Orla outside of the Camino Rojo Deposit in 2022. Through the remainder of the year, regional exploration will consist of drill testing multiple targets outside the Camino Rojo Deposit along the northeast-southwest mine trend.

For additional detail, please see the news release dated January 31, 2023, Orla Mining Continues to Intersect Wide, Higher-Grade Sulphide Zones and Expose Deeper Potential at Camino Rojo, Mexico.

South Railroad Project and Exploration Update (Nevada, US)

Drilling at South Railroad is expected to commence in the second quarter. The exploration objectives are to upgrade and grow resources at satellite deposits and drill test multiple targets for new discovery. For additional detail, please see the news release dated February 8, 2023, Orla Mining Drills Significant Gold Intersections at Multiple Oxide Targets upon Reactivation of Exploration at South Railroad Project, Nevada.

Cerro Quema Exploration Update (Panama)

The 2023 exploration program has been following up on encouraging results generated at La Pelona and La Prieta regional targets in 2022. Exploration activities at Cerro Quema will be concentrated in the first half of 2023. Exploration and operational activities will be reduced in Panama in the second half of 2023.

Agnico-Eagle Exercises Top-Up Right

Further to the amended and restated investor rights agreement dated December 17, 2019 (the "Investor Rights Agreement") between Agnico Eagle and the Company, Agnico Eagle partially exercised its top-up right and has subscribed for 3,987,241 common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") at a price of C$6.27 per Common Share, for total gross proceeds of C$25 million (the "Investment").

In accordance with the Investor Rights Agreement, Agnico Eagle's top-up right was triggered as a result of its percentage ownership in the Company's Common Shares being diluted by at least 1% due to the exercise or settlement of convertible securities of the Company. The top-up right gave Agnico Eagle the right to increase its ownership up to 15%. The subscription price of C$6.27 per Common Share was calculated in accordance with the Investor Rights Agreement and is equal to the five-day volume weighted average price of the Common Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange on April 17, 2023, being the date the Company advised Agnico Eagle that its top-up right had been triggered. The Investment increases Agnico Eagle's ownership in the Company from 7.65% to 8.82% on a non-diluted basis, and from 10.65% to 11.76% on a partially diluted basis.

Financial Statements

Orla's unaudited financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, will be available on the Company's website at www.orlamining.com, and under the Company's profiles on SEDAR and EDGAR.

Qualified Persons Statement

The scientific and technical information in this news release was reviewed and approved by Mr. J. Andrew Cormier, P. Eng., Chief Operating Officer of the Company, and Mr. Sylvain Guerard, P. Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration of the Company, who are the Qualified Persons as defined under NI 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

First Quarter 2023 Conference Call

Orla will host a conference call on Friday, May 12, 2023, at 10:00 AM, Eastern Time, to provide a corporate update following the release of its financial and operating results for the first quarter 2023:

Dial-In Numbers / Webcast:

Conference ID: 5844017

Toll Free: 1 (888) 550-5302

Toll: 1 (646) 960-0685

Webcast: https://orlamining.com/investors/presentations-and-events/

About Orla Mining Ltd.

Orla's corporate strategy is to acquire, develop, and operate mineral properties where the Company's expertise can substantially increase stakeholder value. The Company has three material gold projects: (1) Camino Rojo, located in Zacatecas State, Mexico, (2) South Railroad, located in Nevada, United States, and (3) Cerro Quema, located in Los Santos Province, Panama. Orla is operating the Camino Rojo Oxide Gold Mine, a gold and silver open-pit and heap leach mine. The property is 100% owned by Orla and covers over 160,000 hectares which contains a large oxide and sulphide mineral resource. Orla also owns 100% of the South Railroad Project, a feasibility-stage, open pit, heap leach gold project located on the Carlin trend in Nevada. Orla also owns 100% of Cerro Quema located in Panama which includes a pre-feasibility-stage, open-pit, heap leach gold project, a copper-gold sulphide resource, and various exploration targets. The technical reports for the Company's material projects are available on Orla's website at www.orlamining.com, and on SEDAR and EDGAR under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively.

Non-GAAP Measures

The Company has included certain performance measures in this news release which are not specified, defined, or determined under generally accepted accounting principles (in the Company's case, International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"")). These are common performance measures in the gold mining industry, but because they do not have any mandated standardized definitions, they may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Accordingly, the Company uses such measures to provide additional information and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP").

In this section, all currency figures in tables are in thousands, except per-share and per-ounce amounts.

Average Realized Gold Price

Average realized gold price per ounce sold is calculated by dividing gold sales proceeds received by the Company for the relevant period by the ounces of gold sold. The Company believes the measure is useful in understanding the gold price realized by the Company throughout the period.

AVERAGE REALIZED GOLD PRICE Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Revenue $ 51,131 $ 39,645 Silver sales (424) (219) Gold sales 50,707 39,426 Ounces of gold sold 26,859 20,884 AVERAGE REALIZED GOLD PRICE PER OUNCE SOLD $ 1,888 $ 1,888

Net Debt

Net debt is calculated as total debt adjusted for unamortized deferred financing charges less cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments at the end of the reporting period. This measure is used by management to measure the Company's debt leverage. The Company believes that in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, net debt is useful to evaluate the Company's leverage and is also a key metric in determining the cost of debt.

NET DEBT Mar 31, 2023 Dec 31 2022 Current portion of long term debt $ 45,000 $ 45,000 Long term debt 95,390 100,795 Less: Cash and cash equivalents (83,809) (96,278) NET DEBT $ 56,581 $ 49,517

Adjusted Earnings (Loss) and Adjusted Earnings (Loss) per share

Adjusted earnings (loss) excludes deferred taxes, unrealized foreign exchange, changes in fair values of financial instruments, impairments and reversals due to net realizable values, restructuring and severance, and other items which are significant but not reflective of the underlying operational performance of the Company. We believe these measures are useful to market participants because they are important indicators of the strength of our operations and the performance of our core business.

ADJUSTED EARNINGS Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Net income (loss) for the period $ 13,235 $ 18,782 Unrealized foreign exchange (1,803) 1,013 Loss on early settlement of project loan   ADJUSTED EARNINGS (LOSS) $ 11,432 $ 19,795 Millions of shares outstanding  basic 306.3 247.8 Adjusted earnings (loss) per share  basic $ 0.04 $ 0.08

Companies may choose to expense or capitalize their exploration expenditures. We generally expenses our exploration costs based on our accounting policy. To assist the reader in comparing against those companies which capitalize their exploration costs, we note that included within Orla's net income (loss) for each period are exploration costs which were expensed, as follows:

Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Exploration & evaluation expense $ 6,866 $ 2,466

Free Cash Flow

The Company believes market participants use Free Cash Flow to evaluate the Company's operating cash flow capacity to meet non-discretionary outflows of cash. Free Cash Flow is not meant to be a substitute for the cash flow information presented in accordance with IFRS. Free Cash Flow is calculated as the sum of cash flow from operating activities and cash flow from investing activities, excluding certain unusual transactions.

FREE CASH FLOW Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Cash flow from operating activities $ (4,922) $ 20,493 Cash flow from investing activities (592) (4,151) FREE CASH FLOW $ (5,514) $ 16,342 Millions of shares outstanding  basic 306.3 247.8 Free cash flow per share  basic $ (0.02) $ 0.07

Cash Costs and All-In Sustaining Costs

The Company calculates cash cost per ounce by dividing the sum of operating costs and royalty costs, net of by-product silver credits, by ounces of gold sold. Management believes that this measure is useful to market participants in assessing operating performance.

The Company has provided an AISC performance measure that reflects all the expenditures that are required to produce an ounce of gold from operations. While there is no standardized meaning of the measure across the industry, the Company's definition conforms to the all-in sustaining cost definition as set out by the World Gold Council in its guidance dated November 14, 2018. Orla believes that this measure is useful to market participants in assessing operating performance and the Company's ability to generate free cash flow from current operations.

Figures are presented only from April 1, 2022, as the Camino Rojo Oxide Gold Mine commenced commercial production on that date.

CASH COST Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Cost of sales  operating costs $ 11,792 $  Royalties 1,306  Silver sales (424)  CASH COST $ 12,674 $  Ounces sold 26,859  Cash cost per ounce sold $ 472 $ n/a

ALL-IN SUSTAINING COST Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Cash cost, as above $ 12,674 $  General and administrative 3,265  Share based payments 1,107  Accretion of site closure provision 144  Amortization of site closure provision 125  Sustaining capital 1,145  Lease payments 162  ALL-IN SUSTAINING COST $ 18,622 $  Ounces sold 26,859  All-in sustaining cost per ounce sold $ 693 $ n/a

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the United States Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, or in releases made by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, all as may be amended from time to time, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's 2023 guidance, including production, operating costs and capital costs; and the Company's exploration plans, including timing, expenditures and the goals and results thereof. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts which address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements were made, including without limitation, assumptions regarding: the future price of gold, silver, and copper; anticipated costs and the Company's ability to fund its programs; the Company's ability to carry on exploration, development, and mining activities; tonnage of ore to be mined and processed; ore grades and recoveries; decommissioning and reclamation estimates; the Company's ability to secure and to meet obligations under property agreements, including the layback agreement with Fresnillo plc; that all conditions of the Company's credit facility will be met; the timing and results of drilling programs; mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates and the assumptions on which they are based; the discovery of mineral resources and mineral reserves on the Company's mineral properties; that political and legal developments will be consistent with current expectations; the timely receipt of required approvals and permits, including those approvals and permits required for successful project permitting, construction, and operation of projects; the timing of cash flows; the costs of operating and exploration expenditures; the Company's ability to operate in a safe, efficient, and effective manner; the Company's ability to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; and that there will be no material adverse change or disruptions affecting the Company or its properties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements involve significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to: uncertainty and variations in the estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves; the Company's dependence on the Camino Rojo oxide mine; risks related to the Company's indebtedness; risks related to exploration, development, and operation activities; risks related to natural disasters, terrorist acts, health crises, and other disruptions and dislocations, including the COVID-19 pandemic; foreign country and political risks, including risks relating to foreign operations and expropriation or nationalization of mining operations; concession risks at the Cerro Quema project; the receipt of a Category III EIA for Cerro Quema; delays in obtaining or failure to obtain governmental permits, or non-compliance with permits; environmental and other regulatory requirements; delays in or failures to enter into a subsequent agreement with Fresnillo plc with respect to accessing certain additional portions of the mineral resource at the Camino Rojo project and to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals related thereto; the mineral resource estimations for the Camino Rojo project being only estimates and relying on certain assumptions; loss of, delays in, or failure to get access from surface rights owners; uncertainties related to title to mineral properties; water rights; financing risks and access to additional capital; risks related to guidance estimates and uncertainties inherent in the preparation of feasibility and pre-feasibility studies; uncertainty in estimates of production, capital, and operating costs and potential production and cost overruns; the fluctuating price of gold, silver, and copper; unknown labilities in connection with acquisitions; global financial conditions; uninsured risks; climate change risks; competition from other companies and individuals; conflicts of interest; risks related to compliance with anti-corruption laws; volatility in the market price of the Company's securities; assessments by taxation authorities in multiple jurisdictions; foreign currency fluctuations; the Company's limited operating history; litigation risks; the Company's ability to identify, complete, and successfully integrate acquisitions; intervention by non-governmental organizations; outside contractor risks; risks related to historical data; the Company not having paid a dividend; risks related to the Company's foreign subsidiaries; risks related to the Company's accounting policies and internal controls; the Company's ability to satisfy the requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; enforcement of civil liabilities; the Company's status as a passive foreign investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes; information and cyber security; gold industry concentration; shareholder activism; and risks associated with executing the Company's objectives and strategies; as well as those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion and analysis, as well as its annual information form dated March 20, 2023,, which are available on www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov. Except as required by the securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Cautionary Note to U.S. Readers

This news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian standards for the reporting of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, which differ from the previous and current standards of the United States securities laws. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve", "probable mineral reserve", "inferred mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources", "measured mineral resources" and "mineral resources" used or referenced in this news release are Canadian mineral disclosure terms as defined in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM")  CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended (the "CIM Definition Standards").

For United States reporting purposes, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") has adopted amendments to its disclosure rules (the "SEC Modernization Rules") to modernize the mining property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The SEC Modernization Rules more closely align the SEC's disclosure requirements and policies for mining properties with current industry and global regulatory practices and standards, including NI 43-101, and replace the historical property disclosure requirements for mining registrants that were included in Industry Guide 7 under the U.S. Securities Act. As a foreign private issuer that is eligible to file reports with the SEC pursuant to the multijurisdictional disclosure system, the Company is not required to provide disclosure on its mineral properties under the SEC Modernization Rules and provides disclosure under NI 43-101 and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, mineral reserve and mineral resource information contained in this news release may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by United States companies.

As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources." In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "proven mineral reserves" and "probable mineral reserves" to be "substantially similar" to the corresponding CIM Definition Standards that are required under NI 43-101. While the above terms are "substantially similar" to CIM Definition Standards, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definition Standards. There is no assurance any mineral reserves or mineral resources that the Company may report as "proven mineral reserves", "probable mineral reserves", "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the reserve or resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules or under the prior standards of Industry Guide 7. Accordingly, information contained in this news release may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

MI 61-101

Agnico Eagle is related party of the Company and, accordingly, the Investment constitutes a related party transaction for the purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Investment does not result in a material change to Agnico Eagle's shareholding of the Company. The Investment, including the participation of Agnico Eagle and the issuance of Common Shares to Agnico Eagle in connection therewith, was considered, and ultimately approved by the board of directors of the Company. Mr. Jean Robitaille, a director of the Company, declared an interest with respect to the approval of the Investment, as a result of his role as an officer of Agnico Eagle, and abstained from approving the Investment. The Company is relying on the exemption from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements set out in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 as the fair market value insofar as it relates to interested parties is not more than 25% of Orla's market capitalization. As the Investment does not result in a material change for the Company, no material change report was filed more than 21 days prior to the closing of the Investment and no material change report will be filed in connection with the closing of the Investment.
Vancouver, B.C.  TheNewswire - May 10, 2023  RT Minerals Corp. (TSXV:RTM) (OTC:RTMFF) (the Company) announces that it has acquired two additional nickel-chromium-cobalt properties and one rare earth element (REE) niobium property within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in Northeastern Ontario.

Nordica Property (Cu, Ni, Co, Cr, Pd)

The Nordica property is comprised of 34 claims in Nordica Township that cover the ultramafic layered Nordica Intrusive Complex in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, within the Superior Province, 60 km southeast of Timmins, Ontario (Figure 1). The Company acquired 14 of the claims through map staking (MLAS, Ontario) and 20 of the claims (the Vendor Claims) by way of a purchase and sale agreement (the Agreement) with an arms length vendor for consideration of 300,000 common shares of the Company and a 2% Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalty on the Vendor Claims as well as any claims that the Company has acquired within a 2 km area of interest surrounding the Vendor Claims, of which 0.8% NSR may be purchased for $2,500,000 at any time. The Agreement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Nordica property is prospective for copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), and palladium (Pd) mineralization. Previous exploration activity on the Nordica property has encountered Cu grading up to 0.292% (rock-grab samples), Ni up to 0.24% in drill core over 1.0 m, Co up to 614ppm (outcrop), Cr up to 17.7% (grab-rock sample) and Pd up to 1.2ppb (outcrop chip sample and drill core interval over 1.0m) (MNDM files OFR 6102). The property covers approximately 75% of the ultramafic layered intrusion which is currently inferred to be approximately 4.0 km long, 250 m wide and 100m deep (MNDM files 20000008666/2000113735) (Figure 2).

Galna / Moody Property (Cu, Ni, Co, Cr)

The Galna / Moody property is comprised of four separate claim blocks totalling 24 cells in the Galna and Moody Townships, Ontario that the Company acquired a 100% royalty free interest by map staking (MLAS, Ontario).

The Galna-Moody property is located 35 km east of Iroquois Falls, Ontario. The claim blocks are prospective for Cu, Ni, Co and Cr contained within individual peridotite ultramafic cumulate intrusive complexes that are intruded into the meta volcanic sequences of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The intrusive lenses are characterized by strong magnetic signatures (MNDM files 42h02SE0001, M81908) (Figure 3).

Previous exploration activities have identified up to 0.35% Ni and 0.57% Cr in peridotite grab-rock samples from within individual peridotite lenses up to 150 m in thickness (MNDM files 42H02SE0001, 42A16SW0081).

Kendrey Property (REE)

The Kendry property is comprised of 32 claims that the Company acquired a 100% royalty free interest by map staking (MLAS, Ontario) in the Kendrey and Colquhoun Townships located 14 km southeast of Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario.

The Kendrey property covers what appears to be a large, inferred carbonatite complex that is prospective for rare earth elements, specifically niobium. The intrusive is approximately 2.8 km wide and 2.7 km long. It is positioned along a southeastern extensional splay fault belonging to the Kapuskasing Structural Trend. The magnetic signature is very similar to several documented carbonatite complexes that contain an internal low magnetic central core surrounded by a highly magnetic circular outer ring (MNDM files PO 452, M82813, M82824). The intrusive is bounded to the east by a large north-south trending fault (Figures 4 and 5).

The exploration programs contemplated on the three new property acquisitions are eligible under the Federal Government of Canada flow-through shares and critical minerals exploration tax credit programs, subject to acceptance. Work permitting programs are being submitted on seven of the properties for 2023 and 2024 exploration. Exploration plans are subject to financing.

Qualified Person

The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Garry Clark, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The true widths of the historical drill intercepts contained above herein on the Nordica Property are not known.

About RT Minerals Corp.

RT Minerals Corp. is a junior exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol RTM. The Company holds a 100% interest, largely royalty-free, in a portfolio of rare earth element, gold and base metal properties in Ontario. The Company also holds an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Link-Catharine RLDZ gold property located 22 km south-southeast of the town of Kirkland Lake, Ontario.

Ireland Property (Rare Earth Element  Case Batholith) is a royalty free 52 claim block covering an inferred carbonatite complex (the Ireland Complex) located in Ireland Township, 45 km northeast of Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario. The Ireland Complex is 100% owned by RTM and is approximately 4.0 km long, 2.8 km wide, oval shaped and is positioned along a southern extensional splay fault contained within the Kapuskasing Structural Trend. The Kapuskasing Structural Trend contains several well documented carbonatite complexes that contain Niobium, Iron, Titanium and Rare Earth Element resources within various assemblages of carbonatite rocks.

Case Batholith Group 1 (Rare Earth Element) consists of 90 claims covering the Case Batholith centered on Heighington Township, 85 km northeast of Cochrane, Ontario. The Case Batholith properties are 100% owned and royalty free. The properties occur within the boundaries of the Case Batholith and are specifically located in Heighington, Kenning, Sequin, and Case Townships. Five properties are situated 12 km north of the Power Metals Case Lake lithium/cesium discovery in Steel Township.

Case Batholith Group 2 (Rare Earth Element) consists of four properties (113 claim blocks) that are 100% owned and certain of the claims are subject to a 2% NSR royalty, within the boundaries of the Case Batholith in northern Ontario. The four properties are located in Agassiz township (29 claims), Potter township (51 claims), Seguin/Challies township (14 claims) and Bragg township (19 claims). The properties are located to the northwest of Power Metals Corp. Case Lake lithium/cesium discovery in Steel township, Ontario. All of the claim blocks have been acquired on the basis of magnetic signatures resembling east - west trending pegmatitic dykes and laccolith structures contained within the tonalite/granodiorite rock assemblages of the Case Batholith.

Kendrey Property (Rare Earth Element) consists of 32 claims in the Kendrey and Colquhoun Townships located 14 km southeast of Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario that are 100% owned and royalty free. The property covers what appears to be a large, inferred carbonatite complex that is prospective for rare earth elements, specifically niobium. The intrusive is approximately 2.8 km wide and 2.7 km long. It is positioned along a southeastern extensional splay fault belonging to the Kapuskasing Structural Trend.

Kenogaming, Pharand I and Pharand II Properties (Nickel, Chromium, Cobalt) consists of 38 claim blocks that are 100% owned and certain of the claims are subject to a 2% NSR royalty.

Nordica Property (Cu, Ni, Co, Cr, Pd) consists of 34 claims in Nordica Township that cover the ultramafic layered Nordica Intrusive Complex in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The Company acquired 100% interest in 14 of the claims through map staking and 20 of the claims are under a purchase and sale agreement pending submission to the TSXV.

Galna / Moody Property (Cu, Ni, Co, Cr) consists of four separate claim blocks totalling 24 cells in the Galna and Moody Townships, located 35 km east of Iroquois Falls, Ontario. The Company acquired 100% interest in the property by map staking.

Link-Catharine RLDZ Property (Gold) is comprised of fifteen unpatented single cell mining claims with a total area of 220 hectares in one claim block. The Link-Catharine property is located 22 km south-southeast of the town of Kirkland Lake, Ontario. RTM has an option to earn a 100% interest in this property subject to a 2% NSR.

Milligan Property (Gold) is a royalty free 16-claim block located approximately 75 km northeast of Timmins, Ontario, and is 100% owned by RTM. The Milligan property covers the southeast extension of the volcanic stratigraphy hosting the Eastford Lake gold discovery of 142.2 g/t Au over 3.0 m announced by Explor Resources in 2009.

Blakelock Property (Gold) is a royalty free 9-claim block located approximately 75 km northeast of Cochrane, Ontario, and is 100% owned by RTM. The property is host to a massive east-west trending magnetic high intrusive complex that was subject to limited drilling in 1967.

Mcquibban Property (Gold) is a royalty free 19-claim block located approximately 50 km north of Cochrane, Ontario, and is 100% owned by RTM. The property hosts a strong 3.0 km long east-west trending inferred oxide facies banded iron formation, in which one historical drill hole encountered a gold mineralized interval of 5.47 g/t Au over 1.2m.

Timmins Property (Base Metals) is a royalty free 16-claim block located approximately 50 km southeast of Timmins, Ontario, and is 100% owned by RTM. The property features several mineralized fault systems that suggest proximity to a base metal source.

For more information on the Company and its properties, please visit the Companys website at www.rtmcorp.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Douglas J. Andrews, B.Sc., M.Sc.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: 403-200-6542

RT Minerals Corp.

Telephone: 604-681-3170

Fax: 604-681-3552

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect managements current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected including, but not limited to, market conditions, availability of financing, actual results of the Companys exploration and other activities, environmental risks, future metal prices, operating risks, accidents, labor issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry. All the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required by applicable law.




Exploration to commence immediately at Romana West, including ground geophysics and an initial 25-30 drill hole program

Potential to extend the current 1,200m strike-length of the La Romana mineralization a further 800- 1,000m to the west

strike-length of the La Romana mineralization a further 800- to the west Surface access agreement allows exploration to also commence at three additional untested targets: Barbacena, El Pozo and Romana North

VANCOUVER, BC, May 11, 2023 /CNW/ - Pan Global Resources Inc. ("Pan Global" or the "Company") (TSXV: PGZ) (OTCQB: PGZFF) is pleased to announce that a surface access agreement has been reached clearing the way for exploration and drilling to commence immediately on the Romana West target. The Romana West target is on-strike from the La Romana copper-tin-silver discovery at the Company's 100%-owned Escacena Project ("Escacena") in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, southern Spain. The agreement also provides access to several other large untested gravity and heliborne-electromagnetic (HEM) targets within Escacena.

"This access agreement is a significant breakthrough on a largely unexplored part of Escacena and allows exploration to commence immediately on the potential on-strike continuation of the near-surface La Romana copper-tin-silver mineralization at the Romana West target," said Tim Moody, Pan Global President and CEO. "Gaining access to Romana West follows on from the strong relationships already established and developed with local communities. The access agreement also allows exploration to begin on several other compelling gravity and HEM targets at Escacena that are untested. Pan Global will expand geochemical sampling and ground geophysics to this area and execute a drill plan on the Romana West target testing a further 800-1,000 meters along strike west of the La Romana copper-tin-silver mineralization."

The access agreement opens up 680 hectares of Escacena to exploration for the next three years, with potential to continue beyond this period. The area represents 12% of the existing Pan Global mineral rights at the Escacena Project and has remained largely unexplored since the mineral rights were granted. This includes the potential western extension of the La Romana discovery at the Romana West target as well as the Romana North, Barbacena, and El Pozo targets. See Figure 1 below.

While the agreement encompasses a number of targets, the priority is Romana West. The Romana West target includes the westward projection of a large gravity anomaly coincident with the La Romana mineralization and indicates potential to extend the La Romana mineralization a further 800 to 1,000m. Ground geophysics, including detailed gravity and IP, will commence immediately at Romana West and two drill rigs will begin mobilizing to the area. Drilling to-date at La Romana shows the mineralization extends over approximately 1.2 kilometers of strike and remains wide open to the west in the direction of the historical La Romana mine workings and Romana West target. The mineralization also remains open down dip in several areas.

The planned drill program at Romana West includes an initial 25 to 30 drill holes on north-south lines approximately 100m apart to delineate the western extent of the near-surface La Romana mineralization.

Exploration will also expand to the largely unexplored Barbacena, El Pozo, and Romana North targets as part of the ongoing systematic exploration program to define and prioritize further targets for drill testing.

Drill rigs are currently operating at the La Romana and Canada Honda and results are pending for approximately 20 drill holes at La Romana, Canada Honda, and Zarcita. Negotiations are also continuing with land owners for access along strike to the east of the La Romana mineralization and the Bravo target.

About the Escacena Project

The Escacena Project comprises a large, contiguous, 5,760-hectare land package controlled 100% by Pan Global in the east of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. Escacena is located near operating mines at Las Cruces and Riotinto and is immediately adjacent to the former Aznalcollar and Los Frailes mines where Minera Los Frailes/Grupo Mexico is in the final permitting stage with construction anticipated to start in 2023. The Escacena Project hosts the La Romana copper-tin-silver discovery and a number of other prospective targets, including Zarcita, Hornitos, La Jarosa, Romana Deep, Romana North, Romana West, Canada Honda, Bravo, Barbacena, El Pozo, and San Pablo.

About Pan Global Resources

Pan Global Resources Inc. is actively engaged in base and precious metal exploration in southern Spain and is pursuing opportunities from exploration through to mine development. The Company is committed to operating safely and with respect to the communities and environment where we operate.

Qualified Persons

James Royall, Vice President Exploration for Pan Global Resources and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information for this news release. Mr. Royall is not independent of the Company.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

www.panglobalresources.com

Statements which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. It is important to note that actual outcomes and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information included in this news release are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental, environmental and technological factors that may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and prices. Readers should refer to the risk disclosures outlined in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis of its audited financial statements filed with the British Columbia Securities Commission.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Prismo Metals Inc. (CSE: PRIZ) (OTCQB: PMOMF) ("Prismo" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the 2023 drilling campaign at its Palos Verdes Project in the Panuco mining district of Sinaloa State, Mexico has started.

The Company will complete a drill program of a minimum of 2,500-meter program to test the 65% of the strike length of the Palos Verdes vein that has not yet been drilled, along with some other veins mapped at the surface. It is believed that potential for a large ore shoot is present on Prismo's concession, similar to the drilling accomplished by Vizsla Silver Corp. (TSXV: VZLA) on their adjacent land package.

"We are excited to begin drilling along the Palos Verdes vein in areas that were not previously accessible for drilling," said Dr. Craig Gibson, President and CEO of the Company. "The upcoming drill program will begin by testing the Palos Verdes vein to the northeast of the previous intercepts, initially with shallow drilling to confirm the orientation of the vein to be followed by deeper holes. A ten to fifteen-hole program that will take two months to complete is currently underway," he stated.

The Palos Verdes property is contiguous to the Panuco silver-gold project of Vizsla Silver Corp. (TSXV: VZLA) and the Palos Verdes vein originates on Vizsla's concession to the south-west of the Palos Verdes concession and has 750 meter of strike length on Prismo's ground (Fig. 1).

Figure 1. Geologic map of the Palos Verdes and adjacent concessions.

Previous drilling has intersected high grade mineralization with the best intercept of 2,336 g/t Ag and 8.42 g.t Au over a true width estimated at 0.8 meters within a larger mineralized interval with 1,098 g/t Ag and 3.75 g/t Au over a true width of 2.3 meters (see Prismo's news release dated September 30, 2020).

Figure 2. 3D plan view of drilling at Palos Verdes with existing (colored) and planned holes (gray). Fault zone in blue.

Figure 3. 3D perspective view of drilling at Palos Verdes looking NW with existing and planned holes.

Dr. Craig Gibson, PhD., CPG., a Qualified Person as defined by NI-43-01 regulations and President, CEO and a director of the Company, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release.

About Palos Verdes

The Palos Verdes project is located in the historic Panuco-Copala silver-gold district in southern Sinaloa, Mexico, approximately 65 kilometers NE of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, in the Municipality of Concordia. The Palos Verdes concession (claim) covers 700 meters of strike length of the Palos Verdes vein, a member of the north-easterly trending vein family located in the eastern part of the district outside of the area of modern exploration. Shallow drilling (<100m) conducted in 2018 on the Palos Verdes Vein was targeted 30 to 50 meters beneath largely barren vein outcrops and cut a well mineralized multistage vein two to seven metres wide with narrow intervals of high-grade precious metal values and subordinate base metals (see table of intercepts at www.prismometals.com). This mineralization is open in all directions and the currently planned drilling program is designed to follow it along strike and to depth.

About Prismo

Prismo (CSE: PRIZ) is mining exploration company focused on two precious metal projects in Mexico (Palos Verdes and Los Pavitos) and a copper project in Arizona (Hot Breccia).

Please follow @PrismoMetals on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube

Prismo Metals Inc.

1100 - 1111 Melville St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3V6

Contact:

Craig Gibson, President & Chief Executive Officer This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jason Frame, Manager of Communications This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement and exploration program results, the ability to complete future financings, required permitting, exploration programs and drilling, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.

The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the commodity markets generally, variations in the nature, the analytical results from surface trenching and sampling program, including diamond drilling programs, the results of IP surveying, the results of soil and till sampling program. the quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including CSE acceptance, for its planned activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, the potential impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the Company's exploration program and on the Company's general business, operations and financial condition, and other risks and uncertainties. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zacatecas Silver Corp. (Zacatecas Silver or the Company, ZAC:TSX Venture; ZCTSF: OTC Markets; 7TV: Frankfurt) is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement financing (see news release dated May 1, 2023) on a fully subscribed basis by issuing 7,809,502 units (each, a Unit) at a price of $0.45 per Unit for total proceeds of $3,514,275.90 (the Offering).

Each Unit consisted of one common share (each, a Common Share) and one common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a Warrant). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase a Common Share at an exercise price of $0.55 for a period of three years from the date of issue.

The securities under the Offering will be subject to restrictions on resale for a period of four months and day pursuant to applicable securities law, until September 11, 2023. The Company paid finders fees totalling $61,967.56 and 137,706 non-transferrable warrants, with each warrant exercisable at $0.45 per share for a period of two years from the date of issue.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to further advance studies at the Esperanza Gold Project, exploration and drilling activities at the silver projects and general working capital purposes.

The securities referred to in this news release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This release does not constitute an offer for sale of, nor a solicitation for offers to buy, any securities in the United States.

About Zacatecas Silver Corp.

The Company has two key projects. The Esperanza Gold Project in Morelos State, Mexico and the Zacatecas Silver Project in Zacatecas State, Mexico.

Esperanza is an advanced stage, attractive low-cost, low-capital-intensity and low-technical-risk growth project located in Morelos state, Mexico. Alamos has progressed the project through advanced engineering, including metallurgical work, while also focusing on stakeholder engagement, including building community relations. The Company announced a Mineral Resource Estimate at Esperanza consisting of a Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource Estimate of 30.5 million tonnes at 0.97 g/t AuEq for 956 thousand ounces AuEq and an Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 8.7 million tonnes at 0.98 g/t AuEq for 277 thousand ounces AuEq (see news release dated November 16, 2022).

The Zacatecas Silver Project is located in Zacatecas state, Mexico, within the highly prospective Fresnillo silver belt, which has produced over 6.2 billion ounces of silver. The Company holds 7,826 hectares (19,338 acres) of ground that is highly prospective for low-sulphidation and intermediate-sulphidation silver base metal mineralization and potentially low-sulphidation gold-dominant mineralization. The Company announced a Mineral Resource Estimate at the Panuco Deposit consisting of 2.7 million tonnes at 187 grams per tonne (g/t) silver equivalent (AgEq) (171 g/t silver (Ag) and 0.17 g/t gold (Au)) for 16.4 million ounces AgEq (15 million ounces silver and 15,000 ounces gold) (see news release dated December 14, 2021).

The property is 25 kilometres (km) southeast of MAG Silver Corp.'s Juanicipio Mine and Fresnillo PLC's Fresnillo Mine. The Property shares common boundaries with Pan American Silver Corp. claims and El Orito, which is owned by Endeavour Silver.

On behalf of the Company

Bryan Slusarchuk

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect managements current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Zacatecas Silver cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by many material factors, many of which are beyond their respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Zacatecas Silvers limited operating history, its proposed exploration and development activities on is Zacatecas Properties and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Zacatecas Silver does not undertake to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information: Adam Ross, Investor Relations, Direct: (604) 229-9445, Toll Free: 1(833) 923-3334, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
VANCOUVER, BC, May 11, 2023 /CNW/ - Archer Exploration Corp. (CSE: RCHR) (the "Company" or "Archer Exploration") is pleased to announce that a near-resource diamond drilling program is underway at its 100% owned Grasset Nickel Project ("Grasset") located in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt of Quebec, Canada. The Company launched the diamond hole drilling program to test for immediate extensions of the Grasset nickel deposit.

Tom Meyer, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The objective of the next few diamond holes is to test for nickel sulphide mineralization extensions immediately to the southeast and below the center of the Grasset deposit before resuming the targeting of the deeper extensions."

A plan view shows the location of the two new drill holes (GR23-03 and GR23-04) relative to previous drilling and the projected location of the mineralized zones at Grasset (Figure 1).

The objective of hole GR23-03 is to test for an extension of the nickel mineralisation some 300 meters to the southeast of the actual resources. The hole is targeting approximately 200 metres beneath historical hole GR-14-38 which intercepted 0.51% nickel over 4.51 metres, including 0.80% nickel over 1.07 metres in the H1 mineralized horizon. The only other completed hole in the area is GR12-09, approximately 110 meters to the east from GR14-38. This hole intersected 0.53 % Ni over 8.55 meters, including 1.34% Ni over 0.40 meters and 0.94% Ni over 0.49 meters. Boths holes are 300 meters from the eastern limit of the Grasset deposit resource and are located within an interesting circular magnetic anomaly. The planned hole length is approximately 550 metres and should test the southeast extension of the H1 mineralized zone at a vertical depth of about 300 m below surface.

Hole GR-23-04 is designed to test for an extension of the H3 mineralised zone below the current resource depth of 350 metres within the middle of the deposit area. The hole length is planned to be about 900 meters and will test both H3 and H1 at a vertical depth of 400 and 600 metres, respectively.

The primary objective of the 2023 exploration program at Grasset is to test the vertical continuity of the H1 and H3 mineralized zones at depth and to explore for additional high-grade Ni-Cu-PGE magmatic massive sulphide lenses proximal to the current resource.

The Grasset Project

The Grasset Deposit, discovered in 2012 and located at the southern end of the Grasset Ultramafic Complex, comprises two sub-parallel, and sub-vertically dipping zones (H1 and H3) of disseminated to locally semi-massive sulphide mineralization. The H1 and H3 zones both remain open at depth and along strike to the northwest and southeast.

In 2021 an updated mineral resource estimate, using a 2016 drilling cutoff, was completed with an Indicated Resource Estimate of 5.5 Mt grading 1.53% nickel equivalent (NiEq) and an Inferred Resource Estimate of 217,000 tonnes grading 1.01% NiEq.

The vast majority of the Grasset Ultramafic Complex is underexplored and limited exploration prior to 2016 resulted in the discovery of several significant nickel sulphide showings along the entire 23km long belt. Most notable is the GUC Central discovery, 7km northwest of the Grasset Deposit, which hosts a 950m thick ultramafic sequence with several horizons of nickel sulphides and a best mineralized intercept of 4.14% Ni over 0.65m, within 7.58m of 1.05% Ni.

The Grasset deposit is one of the largest nickel sulphide deposits in Canada's Abitibi region and the only North American nickel sulphide deposit, with more than 50,000 contained tonnes of nickel and an average NiEq grade of over 1.5%, not controlled by a major mining company.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical content of this press release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Jacquelin Gauthier, P.Geo, Vice President, Exploration, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Archer

Archer Exploration is a Canadian Ni-Cu-Co-PGE focused exploration and development company with an extensive portfolio of assets in Quebec and Ontario, Canada. The Company's flagship asset is the Grasset Project, located within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, with an Indicated Resource of 5.5Mt @ 1.53% NiEq. In addition, the Company holds a strategically significant portfolio of 37 properties and over 300 km2 in the world-class mining district of Sudbury, Ontario.

The Company's growth strategy is focused on the exploration and development of its nickel sulphide properties within its portfolio. Archer's vision is to be a responsible nickel sulphide developer in stable pro-mining jurisdictions. Archer is committed to socially responsible exploration and development, working safely, ethically, and with integrity.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that Archer expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof.

Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the anticipated cost of planned exploration activities, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct Archer's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by Archer in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, among others: risks associated with the conduct of the Company's mining activities; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company's management team and outside contractors; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; the ability of the communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with the implications of COVID-19; the economic and financial implications of COVID-19 to the Company; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company's interactions with surrounding communities; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; the speculative nature of exploration and development; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; litigation risk; the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine; general economic factors (including inflationary pressure); the price of commodities; and the factors identified under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's public disclosure documents.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of Archer as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. Archer does not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
Vancouver, British Colombia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - US Critical Metals Corp. (TSXV: USCM) (OTCQB: USCMF) (FSE: 0IU0) ("USCM" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") has approved the Notice of Intent ("NOI") filed for the Phase 1 drill program at the Clayton Ridge Lithium Property ("Clayton Ridge" or the "Project"). The Project is located in Esmeralda County, Nevada and spans a total of approximately 3,600 acres within the Clayton Valley region, which is the only lithium producing region within the US.

Clayton Ridge is located in the volcanic mountains above the Clayton Valley. The volcanic mountains potentially represent the source of lithium within the lower valley system, as the genesis of the lithium in the region is volcanic in nature. USCM has the right to a 100% interest in the Project subject to completing the following in 2023: (i) drill 1,500 meters on the Project, (ii) pay US$75,000 in cash to the property vendor; and (iii) issue 500,000 common shares of the Company to the property vendor. Upon completion of the foregoing conditions, USCM will acquire a 100% interest in Clayton Ridge.

The NOI permits 4.72 acres of disturbance area, which will include 11 drill pads and approximately 2,900 meters of constructed roads. Upon completion of this drill program, the Company will seek to reclaim additional acres in order to advance with subsequent programs prior to completing a Plan of Operations. Westland Engineering & Environmental Services, Inc. prepared and filed the now approved NOI with the BLM.

The Company is currently making operational arrangements to commence the drilling at the Clayton Ridge and will be forthcoming with further details.

Management Commentary

Mr. Darren Collins, Chief Executive Officer and Director of USCM, comments: "We extend our thanks to the BLM from an efficient and professional permitting process. USCM now has a full drill ready and permitted property that we intend to test in the near future."

QP Statement

Robert J. Johansing, BSc (geology), MSc (economic geology), who is a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (the "QP"), has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Robert J. Johansing is a consultant for the Company.

Project Overview

The Clayton Ridge Lithium Property (the "Property") is a lithium claystone deposit located in Esmeralda County, Nevada on the east flank of the Clayton Valley, the only lithium producing region of the United States. The Property is located just 18 kilometers west of Goldfield, Nevada and roughly 17 km southeast of Silver Peak, Nevada, lying within a topographic swale between the Montezuma Range and Clayton Ridge. The project is comprised of 180 unpatented lode mining claims, covering 3,600 acres, with easy driving access to all claims. The Property is one of several lithium projects in region. In addition to the only operating lithium producer in the US (Albemarle), the Clayton Valley and immediate surroundings host several lithium projects ranging from early- to late-stage exploration (including, but not limited to, Noram Lithium, Pure Energy, American Lithium, Ioneer Ltd., Cypress Development and Spearmint Resources).

About US Critical Metals Corp.

USCM is focused on mining projects that will further secure the US supply of critical metals and rare earth elements, which are essential to fueling the new age economy. Pursuant to option agreements with private Canadian and American companies, USCM's assets consist of four agreements, each providing USCM with the right to acquire interests in five discovery focused projects in the US. These projects include the Clayton Ridge Lithium Project located in Nevada, the Sheep Creek Rare Earth Project located in Montana, the Haynes Cobalt Project located in Idaho, the Lemhi Pass Rare Earth Project located in Idaho and the Long Canyon Uranium Project located in Idaho. A significant percentage of the world's critical metal and rare earth supply comes from nations with interests that are contrary to those of the US. USCM intends to explore and develop mineral resources with near- and long-term strategic value to the advancement of US interests.

For further information please contact:

Darren Collins

Chief Executive Officer and Director

US Critical Metals Corp.

Telephone: 1-786 633-1756

www.uscmcorp.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain information that may be deemed "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information includes statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may include, without limitation, the expectation that the Company will acquire the Project in 2023, the expectation that the Company will commence drilling shortly; exploration plans and expected exploration results at the Project, results of operations, and the expected financial performance of the Company.

Although the Company believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by its nature, forward-looking information involves assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with general economic conditions; the COVID-19 pandemic; adverse industry events; the receipt of required regulatory approvals and the timing of such approvals; that the Company maintains good relationships with the communities in which it operates or proposes to operate, future legislative and regulatory developments in the mining sector; the Company's ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; mining industry and markets in Canada and generally; the ability of the Company to implement its business strategies; competition; the risk that any of the assumptions prove not to be valid or reliable, which could result in delays, or cessation in planned work, risks associated with the interpretation of data, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, as well as other assumptions risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company, including as set forth in the Company's public disclosure documents filed on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of USCM as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While USCM may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.
TORONTO, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red Pine Exploration Inc. (TSXV: RPX, OTCQB: RDEXF) (Red Pine or the Company) is pleased to report new drilling results from its ongoing exploration program. The new results continue to indicate that broad zones of gold mineralization exist in the hanging wall and footwall of the Jubilee Shear in geological structures that were sparsely tested by historic drilling programs.

Hanging wall of (above) the Jubilee Shear (Figure 2) Minto B Shear Intersection of 2.68 g/t gold over 25.22 m in SD-23-419 that includes 38.33 g/t Au over 0.98 m and 12.72 g/t Au over 0.87m (Figure 3): Minto C Shear System Near-surface intersection of 5.06 g/t gold over 13.28 m including 11.22 g/t gold over 3.51 m and 10.19 g/t gold over 2.34 m in the Minto C shear system in SD-22-408 0.97 g/t gold over 7.86 m including 3.49 g/t gold over 1.06m in the Minto C Shear system in SD-23-419

Footwall of (below) the Jubilee Shear Old Tom Vein Network Intersection of 7.67 g/t gold over 5.89 m, including 48.8 g/t Au over 0.83 m in SD-22-418 (Figure 3) Other intersections in the Old Tom Vein Network include 70.9 g/t gold over 1.14 m in SD-22-414 and 2.06 g/t gold over 11.45m, including 13.00 g/t Au over 1.00 m in SD-22-417 (see press releases of February 16 th and 23 rd 2023)

Jubilee Shear outside the boundary of the 2019 resource 5.85 g/t over 6.82 m including 13.73 g/t gold over 2.63 m in SD-22-412 57 m down-plunge of the intersection of 5.46 g/t gold over 10.51 m including 11.48 g/t gold over 3.27 m in SD-22-414 in the same gap in the 2019 boundary of the resource (see press release of February 23 rd 2023).



Quentin Yarie, President and CEO of Red Pine Exploration commented:

The intersection of significant gold mineralization above and below the Jubilee Shear continues to support that a revised resource would include a shallow pit constrained resource. Gold mineralization in hanging wall structures like the Minto B Shear, demonstrates lateral and vertical continuity with the peripheral materials also being mineralized (intrusion related gold system). The extensional vein networks recently identified on the property continue to demonstrate the significant increased size potential of a revised resources. The combination of all these new zones of mineralization associated with both the Surluga and Minto Mine South deposits have the potential to substantially increase our gold inventory.

Table 1 Highlights from drilling in the Wawa Gold Corridor (Figure 1)

Hole From (m) To

(m)

Length

(m)* Visible

Gold Gold

(g/t) Zone SD-22-399 353.83 374.88 21.05 0.70 Minto B / Jubilee

Shear Including 353.83 355.16 1.33 6.67 SD-22-400 151.3 157.13 6.82 0.67 Minto B Shear SD-22-408 5.49 9.40 3.91 1.15 Minto C shear

System 25.37 38.65 13.28 5.06 Including 29.29 32.8 3.51 11.22 36.31 38.65 2.34 10.19 SD-22-409



99.05 102 2.95 2.96 Minto B Shear 156.72 163.27 6.55 1.09 SD-22-410 88.54 98.06 9.52 0.61 Minto B Shear 175.21 180.27 5.06 0.55 289.78 296.7 6.92 1.90 Jubilee Shear Including 290.98 292.18 1.20 5.49 SD-22-412 141.74 147.47 5.73 0.94 Minto B Shear SD-22-412 244.3 250.22 5.92 0.82 Jubilee Shear 279.97 286.79 6.82 5.85 Including 281.92 284.55 2.63 13.73 SD-22-416 87.15 99 11.85 1.10 Minto B Shear Including 92.08 93.36 1.28 6.41 SD-22-418 370.49 376.38 5.89 VG 7.67 Old Tom Vein

Network 375.55 376.38 0.83 VG 48.8 SD-23-419 62.46 70.32 7.86 0.97 Minto C shear

system Including 68.23 69.29 1.06 3.49 243.91 269.79 25.22 2.68 Minto B Shear Including 259.47 260.34 0.87 12.72 Minto B Shear 267.84 268.82 0.98 38.33 Minto B Shear

*Assay results presented over core length. True width for the intersections varies between 50 to 95% depending on the intersected geological structure.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control ("QA/QC") Measures

Drill core samples were transported in security sealed bags for analyses to Actlabs in Ancaster, Ontario. Individual samples were labelled, placed in plastic sample bags and sealed. Groups of samples were then placed into durable rice bags and shipped. The residual coarse reject portions of the samples remain in storage if further work or verification is needed.

Red Pine has implemented a quality-control program to comply with best practices in the sampling and analysis of drill core. As part of its QA/QC program, Red Pine inserts external gold standards (low to high grade) and blanks every 20 samples in addition to random standards, blanks, and duplicates.

Qualified Person

Quentin Yarie, P.Geo. and Chief Executive Officer of Red Pine and the Qualified Person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed, and approved the news releases technical information.

About Red Pine Exploration Inc.

Red Pine Exploration Inc. is a gold exploration company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Company's shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "RPX" and on the OTCQB Markets under the symbol RDEXF.

The Wawa Gold Project is in the Michipicoten Greenstone Belt of Ontario, a region that has seen major investment by several producers in the last five years. Its land package hosts numerous historic gold mines and is over 6,900 hectares in size. Led by Quentin Yarie, CEO, who has over 25 years of experience in mineral exploration, Red Pine is strengthening its position as a major mineral exploration and development player in the Michipicoten region.

For more information about the Company, visit www.redpineexp.com

Or contact:

Quentin Yarie, President and CEO, 416-364-7024, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Or

Carrie Howes, Director Corporate Communications, 416-644-7375, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report for the Wawa Gold Project, Brian Thomas P.Geo. Golder Associates Ltd, report effective August 18, 2021. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains statements which constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities and operating performance.

Forward-looking information is often identified by the words may, would, could, should, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect or similar expressions. Forward-looking information contained in this news release includes but may not be limited to: the potential for a hybrid pit and underground project. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect managements expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Such opinions, assumptions and estimates are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: the Company's expectations in connection with the projects and exploration programs being met, the impact of general business and economic conditions, global liquidity and credit availability on the timing of cash flows and the values of assets and liabilities based on projected future conditions, fluctuating gold prices, currency exchange rates (such as the Canadian dollar versus the United States Dollar), variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in accounting policies, changes in the Company's mineral reserves and resources, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, changes in project development, construction, production and commissioning time frames, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, higher prices for fuel, power, labour and other consumables contributing to higher costs and general risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, unexpected changes in mine life, seasonality and weather, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, permitting time lines, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims, and limitations on insurance.

This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in filings made by the Company, including the Companys annual information form, financial statements and related MD&A for the year ended July 31, 2022, and the interim financial reports and related MD&A for the period ended January 31, 2023, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Figure 1 - Plan Map of the Drilling Results

Figure 2 - Minto B Shear Zone in the Hanging Wall of the Surluga Deposit

Figure 3 - Cross Section of Holes SD-22-418 and SD-23-419
VANCOUVER, BC, May 10, 2023 /CNW/ - Sandstorm Gold Ltd. ("Sandstorm Gold Royalties", "Sandstorm" or the "Company") (NYSE: SAND) (TSX: SSL) has released its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023 (all figures in U.S. dollars).

FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

Record attributable gold equivalent ounces 1 of 28,368 ounces (Q1 2022  18,741 ounces);

of 28,368 ounces (Q1 2022  18,741 ounces); Record revenue of $44.0 million (Q1 2022  $35.4 million );

of (Q1 2022  ); Record total sales, royalties, and income from other interests 1 of $54.0 million (Q1 2022  $35.4 million );

of (Q1 2022  ); Record cash flows from operating activities, excluding changes in non-cash working capital 1 of $42.7 million (Q1 2022  $26.7 million );

of (Q1 2022  ); Net income of $15.6 million (Q1 2022  $9.1 million );

of (Q1 2022  ); Average cash cost per attributable gold equivalent ounce 1 of $230 resulting in cash operating margins 1 of $1,652 per ounce (Q1 2022  $283 per ounce and $1,604 per ounce respectively);

of resulting in cash operating margins of per ounce (Q1 2022  per ounce and per ounce respectively); SSR Mining assumes operational control of Hod Maden project: SSR Mining Inc. ("SSR Mining") recently announced that it has reached an agreement with Lidya Madencilik ("Lidya") to acquire up to a 40% interest in Hod Maden and assume operational control of the project. SSR Mining is an experienced international mining company with producing assets located in the United States , Turkiye, Canada and Argentina . SSR Mining has expertise in project exploration, construction, mining and processing as well as an existing partnership with Lidya on the producing Copler mine. SSR Mining will continue early-works construction activities at Hod Maden with its development team mobilizing to site immediately. SSR Mining will assume the project finance process that is currently underway while working to advance Hod Maden to a full construction decision in 2024. SSR Mining anticipates commercial production to commence in 2027.

SSR Mining Inc. ("SSR Mining") recently announced that it has reached an agreement with Lidya Madencilik ("Lidya") to acquire up to a 40% interest in Hod Maden and assume operational control of the project. SSR Mining is an experienced international mining company with producing assets located in , Turkiye, and . SSR Mining has expertise in project exploration, construction, mining and processing as well as an existing partnership with Lidya on the producing Copler mine. SSR Mining will continue early-works construction activities at Hod Maden with its development team mobilizing to site immediately. SSR Mining will assume the project finance process that is currently underway while working to advance Hod Maden to a full construction decision in 2024. SSR Mining anticipates commercial production to commence in 2027. Renewal of Normal Course Issuer Bid: In April, Sandstorm renewed its normal course issuer bid allowing the Company to purchase up to 24.0 million of the Company's common shares from time to time when Sandstorm's management believes that the shares are undervalued by the market.

OUTLOOK

Based on the Company's existing royalties, attributable gold equivalent ounces for 2023 are forecasted to be between 90,000 and 100,000 ounces. The Company's production forecast is expected to reach approximately 125,000 attributable gold equivalent ounces within the next five years, with a sustainable average annual production of approximately 110,000 attributable gold equivalent ounces over the next 15 years.

FINANCIAL RESULTS

For the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company realized record quarterly revenue of $44.0 million compared with $35.4 million for the comparable period in 2022. The Company also had record total sales, royalties, and income from other interests of $54.0 million during the quarter ($35.4 million for the comparable period in 2022), which includes $10.0 million in other contractual income related to a one-time contractual payment from the Company's Mt. Hamilton royalty. The increase in revenue is largely attributable to a 23% increase in attributable gold equivalent ounces sold, excluding attributable ounces related to the Mt. Hamilton contractual payment.

Net income and cash flows from operating activities were $15.6 million and $39.9 million, respectively, compared with net income of $9.1 million and cash flows from operating activities of $22.4 million for the comparable period in 2022. The increase is partially attributable to an $8.6 million increase in revenue (as described above) as well as the $10.0 million in contractual income related to the Mt. Hamilton contractual payment and a $2.9 million increase in the gains recognized on the revaluation of the Company's investments mostly driven by an increase in the fair value of the Horizon Copper debenture. The increases were partially offset by a $9.3 million increase in finance expense, primarily related to interest paid on the Company's revolving credit facility, and a $6.9 million increase in depletion expense, partly driven by an increase in attributable gold equivalent ounces sold.

STREAMS & ROYALTIES

Of the gold equivalent ounces sold by Sandstorm during the first quarter of 2023, approximately 9% were attributable to mines located in Canada, 32% from the rest of North America, 49% from South America, and 10% from other countries.

Revenue

(in Millions) Gold Equivalent

Ounces Canada $5.0 2,641 North America excl. Canada $6.8 8,947 South America $26.7 13,883 Other $5.5 2,897 Total $44.0 28,368

Canada

Streams and royalties on Canadian mines contributed 20% less gold equivalent ounces to Sandstorm when compared to the first quarter of 2022. The change is primarily due to a decrease in royalty revenue from the Diavik mine in the Northwest Territories, driven by the timing of sales, production rates, and diamond prices, as well as a decrease in royalty revenue from the Bracemac-McLeod mine in Quebec, which discontinued operations in the second half of 2022. The decrease was partially offset by an increase in gold equivalent ounces received and sold from the CEZinc smelter in Quebec, which was acquired as part of the Nomad Royalty acquisition in August 2022.

North America Excluding Canada

The gold equivalent ounces sold from operations located within North America, but outside of Canada, contributed 93% more gold equivalent ounces when compared to the first quarter of 2022, excluding attributable ounces related to the Mt. Hamilton contractual payment which is included in Other Income. The change was primarily driven by an increase in gold equivalent ounces received and sold from the Mercedes mine in Mexico, which commenced making deliveries to Sandstorm in the second quarter of 2022, and an increase in the number of attributable ounces sold from the Santa Elena mine in Mexico, partly due to the timing of sales. The increase was partially offset by a decrease in ounces received and sold from the Relief Canyon mine in Nevada, largely due to the timing of sales.

South America

Operations in South America contributed 22% more gold equivalent ounces sold when compared to the first quarter of 2022. The increase was largely driven by an increase in royalty revenue from the Antamina mine in Peru and the Caserones mine in Chile, both of which were acquired in the second half of 2022, as well as an increase in royalty revenue attributable to the Fruta del Norte mine in Ecuador and the Aurizona mine in Brazil. The change was partially offset by a decrease in the number of ounces received and sold attributable to the Cerro Moro mine in Argentina and revenue attributable to the Vale Royalties, largely due to the timing of sales.

Other

Streams and royalties on mines in other countries contributed 36% more gold equivalent ounces sold when compared to the first quarter of 2022. This change is primarily due to an increase in gold equivalent ounces received and sold from the Blyvoor mine in South Africa and the Bonikro mine in Cote d'Ivoire. The Blyvoor and Bonikro streams were acquired as part of the Nomad Royalty acquisition in August 2022.

WEBCAST & CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

A conference call will be held on Thursday, May 11, 2023, starting at 8:30am PDT to further discuss the first quarter results. To participate in the conference call, use the following dial-in numbers and conference ID, or join the webcast using the link below:

International: (+1) 416-764-8688

North American Toll-Free: (+1) 888-390-0546

Conference ID: 22359231

Webcast URL: https://bit.ly/3LK1FYz

Note 1 Sandstorm has included certain performance measures in this press release that do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") including (i) total sales, royalties, and income from other interests, (ii) attributable gold equivalent ounce, (iii) average cash cost per attributable gold equivalent ounce, (iv) cash operating margin, and (v) cash flows from operating activities excluding changes in non-cash working capital. Total sales, royalties and income from other interests is a non-IFRS financial measure and is calculated by taking total revenue which includes sales and royalty revenue, and adding contractual income relating to royalties, streams and other interests excluding gains and losses on dispositions. The Company presents Total Sales, Royalties and Income from other interests as it believes that certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance and ability to generate cash flow in comparison to other streaming and royalty companies in the precious metals mining industry. Attributable gold equivalent ounce is a non-IFRS financial ratio that uses total sales, royalties, and income from other interests as a component. Attributable gold equivalent ounce is calculated by dividing the Company's total sales, royalties, and income from other interests, less revenue attributable to non-controlling shareholders for the period, by the average realized gold price per ounce from the Company's gold streams for the same respective period. The Company presents Attributable Gold Equivalent ounce as it believes that certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance in comparison to other streaming and royalty companies in the precious metals mining industry that present results on a similar basis. Average cash cost per attributable gold equivalent ounce is calculated by dividing the Company's cost of sales, excluding depletion by the number of attributable gold equivalent ounces. The Company presents average cash cost per Attributable Gold Equivalent ounce as it believes that certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance and ability to generate cash flow in comparison to other streaming and royalty companies in the precious metals mining industry who present results on a similar basis. Cash operating margin is calculated by subtracting the average cash cost per attributable gold equivalent ounce from the average realized gold price per ounce from the Company's gold streams. The Company presents cash operating margin as it believes that certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance and ability to generate cash flow in comparison to other streaming and royalty companies in the precious metals mining industry that present results on a similar basis. The Company has also used the non-IFRS financial measure of cash flows from operating activities excluding changes in non-cash working capital. This measure is calculated by adding back the decrease or subtracting the increase in changes in non-cash working capital to or from cash provided by (used in) operating activities. The Company presents cash flows from operating activities excluding changes in non-cash working capital as it believes that certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance in comparison to other streaming and royalty companies in the precious metals mining industry that present results on a similar basis. Refer to pages 2932 of the Company's MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2023, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, for a numerical reconciliation of the non-IFRS financial measures described above. The presentation of these non-IFRS financial measures is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Other companies may calculate these non-IFRS financial measures differently.



ABOUT SANDSTORM GOLD ROYALTIES

Sandstorm is a gold royalty company that provides upfront financing to gold mining companies that are looking for capital and in return, receives the right to a percentage of the gold produced from a mine, for the life of the mine. Sandstorm holds a portfolio of 250 royalties, of which 40 of the underlying mines are producing. Sandstorm plans to grow and diversify its low cost production profile through the acquisition of additional gold royalties. For more information visit: www.sandstormgold.com.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS TO U.S. SECURITYHOLDERS

The financial information included or incorporated by reference in this press release or the documents referenced herein has been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, which differs from US generally accepted accounting principles ("US GAAP") in certain material respects, and thus are not directly comparable to financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP.

This press release and the documents incorporated by reference herein, as applicable, have been prepared in accordance with Canadian standards for the reporting of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, which differ from the previous and current standards of the United States securities laws. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve", "probable mineral reserve", "inferred mineral resources,", "indicated mineral resources," "measured mineral resources" and "mineral resources" used or referenced herein and the documents incorporated by reference herein, as applicable, are Canadian mineral disclosure terms as defined in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM")  CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended (the "CIM Definition Standards").

For United States reporting purposes, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has adopted amendments to its disclosure rules (the "SEC Modernization Rules") to modernize the mining property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the Exchange Act, which became effective February 25, 2019. The SEC Modernization Rules more closely align the SEC's disclosure requirements and policies for mining properties with current industry and global regulatory practices and standards, including NI 43-101, and replace the historical property disclosure requirements for mining registrants that were included in SEC Industry Guide 7. Issuers were required to comply with the SEC Modernization Rules in their first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021. As a foreign private issuer that is eligible to file reports with the SEC pursuant to the multi-jurisdictional disclosure system, the Corporation is not required to provide disclosure on its mineral properties under the SEC Modernization Rules and will continue to provide disclosure under NI 43-101 and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, mineral reserve and mineral resource information contained or incorporated by reference herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by United States companies subject to the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources." In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "proven mineral reserves" and "probable mineral reserves" to be "substantially similar" to the corresponding CIM Definition Standards that are required under NI 43-101. While the SEC will now recognize "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources", U.S. investors should not assume that all or any part of the mineralization in these categories will be converted into a higher category of mineral resources or into mineral reserves without further work and analysis. Mineralization described using these terms has a greater amount of uncertainty as to its existence and feasibility than mineralization that has been characterized as reserves. Accordingly, U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources, or inferred mineral resources that the Company reports are or will be economically or legally mineable without further work and analysis. Further, "inferred mineral resources" have a greater amount of uncertainty and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. Therefore, U.S. investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred mineral resources will be upgraded to a higher category without further work and analysis. Under Canadian securities laws, estimates of "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. While the above terms are "substantially similar" to CIM Definitions, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral reserves or mineral resources that the Company may report as "proven mineral reserves", "probable mineral reserves", "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the reserve or resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules or under the prior standards of SEC Industry Guide 7.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This press release contains "forward-looking statements", within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Sandstorm Gold Royalties. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the impact of general business and economic conditions; management's expectations regarding Sandstorm's growth; the future price of gold, silver, copper, iron ore and other metals, the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, realization of mineral reserve estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans", or similar terminology.

Forward-looking statements are made based upon certain assumptions and other important factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of Sandstorm Gold Royalties to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Sandstorm Gold Royalties will operate in the future, including the receipt of all required approvals, the price of gold and copper and anticipated costs. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, amongst others, failure to receive necessary approvals, changes in business plans and strategies, market conditions, share price, best use of available cash, gold and other commodity price volatility, discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries, mining operational and development risks relating to the parties which produce the gold or other commodity the Company will purchase, regulatory restrictions, activities by governmental authorities (including changes in taxation), currency fluctuations, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility and competition.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the impact of general business and economic conditions, the absence of control over mining operations from which the Company will purchase gold, other commodities or receive royalties from, and risks related to those mining operations, including risks related to international operations, government and environmental regulation, actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, risks in the marketability of minerals, fluctuations in the price of gold and other commodities, fluctuation in foreign exchange rates and interest rates, stock market volatility, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risks to Sandstorm" in the Company's annual report for the financial year ended December 31, 2022 and the section entitled "Risk Factors" contained in the Company's annual information form dated March 23, 2023 available at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are contained or incorporated by reference, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Hot Chili Limited (ASX:HCH) (TSXV:HCH) (OTCQX:HHLKF) (the Company) is pleased to announce that its application to join the US-based OTCQX market has been accepted and the Companys shares will commence trading in the US on the OTCQX Best Market under the ticker OTCQX: HHLKF on 7 April 2022. The... Read More
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2023) - Rome Resources Ltd. (TSXV: RMR) (FSE: 33R) (" Rome " or the " Company ") is pleased to announce that it has fully exercised the First Options under, respectively, (a) the option agreement made effective as of the 15th day of August... Read More
The French judiciary has launched a war crime investigation into the death of AFP reporter Arman Soldin who was killed in Ukraine, anti-terror prosecutors said Wednesday.

Soldin, 32, died when he and his AFP colleagues came under fire by Grad rockets on Tuesday while they were with Ukrainian troops near Chasiv Yar, in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

The French probe will be handled by the OCLCH, an investigating unit specialising in crimes against humanity and hate crimes, and will seek to determine the exact circumstances of Soldin's death, the prosecutors said.

His death brings to at least 11 the number of journalists, fixers or drivers for media teams killed since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago, according to advocacy groups.
The United States is "cautiously optimistic" that Sudan's warring factions will reach a new temporary ceasefire during talks in Saudi Arabia to allow in aid, a senior official said Wednesday.

Envoys from the warring generals -- army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo -- have been meeting since Saturday in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah for "pre-negotiation talks" with the participation of the United States.

"Our goal for these talks has been very narrowly focused first on securing agreement on a declaration of humanitarian principles and then getting a ceasefire that is long enough to facilitate the steady delivery of badly needed services," said Victoria Nuland, the State Department's number three official.

"I talked to our negotiators this morning who are cautiously optimistic," she told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The top UN aid official, Martin Griffiths, outlined proposals in which the two sides would guarantee safe passage for humanitarian relief, according to a UN spokesman.

If a new temporary ceasefire is reached, talks will expand to work toward a permanent end to hostilities, Nuland said.

"We and our partners continue to make clear to the warring parties led by these two generals that there can be no military solution to this crisis and negotiations are the only way forward," Nuland said.

The violence broke out nearly a month ago as the paramilitary forces refused to integrate into the army in line with an agreement as part of a fragile transition to civilian rule.

President Joe Biden last week threatened sanctions against the warring sides after the last ceasefire, brokered largely by the United States, ended.

Asked about potential sanctions, Nuland said the US administration would "look at appropriate targets in various categories, particularly if we cannot get these generals to allow the humanitarian aid and put their guns down."

More than 750 people have been killed in the fighting which has wounded more than 5,000, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.

- 'The guys with the guns' -

In the hearing, several senators criticized the Biden administration for not imposing sanctions ahead of the crisis and for focusing on the generals instead of pro-democracy forces.

"I respect that the administration took tough actions in terms of suspending bilateral aid, suspending debt relief, and I think that had real impact on leaders," said Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat who is usually a close ally of Biden.

"But there are critics who say that in the absence of targeted individual sanctions, there's the continuation of a sense of impunity," he said.

He drew a comparison with the lack of prosecution against former dictator Omar al-Bashir, who was toppled in 2019 and has been charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court.

"We cannot allow the civilian leadership of the groups that led the brave uprising that overthrew Omar al-Bashir to be shoved aside," Coons said.

Nuland said the United States hoped to engage more with the civilians.

"We can't get anything done in Sudan -- we can't even restore a process in which civilians are participating -- until the violence stops and we get some aid in," she said.

"That's why these Jeddah talks are narrowly scoped, and you have to work with the guys with the guns."
Fighting raged in the Sudanese capital and a city to the south Wednesday, residents said, pushing more people to undertake dangerous journeys to safety across the country's borders.

Those unable to escape grapple with shortages of food and other essentials, surviving only thanks to Sudanese charity networks among friends and neighbours, as the United States expressed cautious optimism over talks to secure the safe delivery of aid.

"We were woken by explosions and heavy artillery fire," one resident of Khartoum's sister city Omdurman told AFP as smoke drifted over the capital.

Other witnesses reported new air raids over the capital and counter-fire from anti-aircraft guns, in the fourth week of battles between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

More than 750 people have been killed in the fighting which has wounded more than 5,000, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.

In El Obeid, the North Kordofan state capital about 350 kilometres (190 miles) southwest of Khartoum, residents on Wednesday also reported fighting and explosions.

More than 700,000 people are now internally displaced by battles that began on April 15, and another 150,000 have fled the country, UN agencies said this week.

An average of 1,000 are registered every day by the International Organization for Migration at the dusty, sun-scorched Ethiopian border town of Metema.

- Checkpoints -

Every person interviewed by AFP in Metema spoke of the terror leading up to their departure -- days spent holed up at home in a city gripped by gunfire and bombings, followed by a 550-kilometre journey haunted by fear of armed robbery en route.

Ethiopian waiter Mohamed Ali, who moved to Khartoum seven years ago, said he left everything behind to flee.

"At each checkpoint, (armed men) searched us... and took whatever they found, including our money and any belongings we had," he told AFP.

Envoys from the warring generals have been meeting since Saturday in the Saudi Arabian coastal city of Jeddah for "pre-negotiation talks" with the participation of the United States.

They are very narrowly focused "first on securing agreement on a declaration of humanitarian principles and then getting a ceasefire that is long enough to facilitate the steady delivery of badly needed services," said Victoria Nuland, the State Department's number three official.

"I talked to our negotiators this morning who are cautiously optimistic," she told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

During the fighting, multiple ceasefires have been declared and flouted, including a week-long truce which South Sudan last week said had been "in principle" agreed until May 11.

Fighting has continued every day since, and on Monday a Saudi diplomat told AFP the Jeddah talks had yielded "no major progress".

"A permanent ceasefire isn't on the table... Every side believes it is capable of winning the battle," the diplomat said.

Kholood Khair, founder of the Khartoum-based think tank Confluence Advisory, said earlier that the delegations were in Jeddah "mostly to curry favour with the Saudis and the Americans", rather than to credibly pursue an agreement.

Asked about potential sanctions, Nuland said the US administration would "look at appropriate targets in various categories, particularly if we cannot get these generals to allow the humanitarian aid and put their guns down."

In the Washington hearing, several senators criticised Biden's administration for not imposing sanctions ahead of the crisis and for focusing on the generals instead of pro-democracy forces.

Several aid workers have been killed in the fighting and humanitarian facilities ransacked.

Cindy McCain, World Food Programme executive director, said nearly 25 percent of the agency's food has been looted.

- Millions in need -

Outside of Khartoum, the long-troubled Darfur region bordering Chad has seen some of the worst unrest.

"More than 250,000 people have been displaced in Darfur, where armed groups kill and attack civilians, loot premises and trucks of aid workers," the Islamic Relief aid group reported.

In Zalingei, Central Darfur's capital, the local market had been pillaged, Islamic Relief said.

Two decades ago a rebellion began in Darfur against perceived domination of Sudan's power and wealth by the country's Arab elites. In response, the government of Omar al-Bashir unleashed the Janjaweed militia, leading to war crimes charges against Bashir and others.

The RSF are descended from the Janjaweed.

Despite the dangers and challenges, the UN continues "to ramp up our efforts to respond to the crisis," Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters on Wednesday.

Even before this war triggered what the UN calls a "catastrophic" humanitarian situation, one-third of Sudan's population needed aid.

On Wednesday an Emirati military plane arrived in Port Sudan with humanitarian supplies, after two Saudi Arabian aircraft loaded with aid landed there on Tuesday, AFP journalists said.
How did the Kober detainees, who can be seen on several videos shared on social networks, get out of their cells on Sunday 23 April 2023? Did the guards decide that they could no longer take care of the detainees in the midst of explosions and bombings, without water, electricity or food?

The two protagonists of the current fighting in Sudan, the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), blame each other. No one wants to take responsibility for what happened in Sudan's largest and most notorious prison, whose white and green walls have seen many political prisoners pass through.

This is because the issue goes beyond the release of hundreds of common criminals. Certainly, their release adds to the fear of the Sudanese capitals inhabitants traumatized by the war of the two formerly allied generals -- Abdelfattah al-Bourhan, commander-in-chief of the army and head of the junta, and his former number two in the de facto government FRL head Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemetti.

The prison built under the British occupation on the eastern bank of the Blue Nile housed special prisoners. First and foremost was Omar al-Bashir, the former president of Sudan, who was deposed in April 2019 and is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). His extradition to The Hague has been announced but never carried out. He is on trial in his country for corruption.

As soon as the escapes were announced, the question stirred the social networks: has he been released? Where is he? After a few hours, the army announced that it had transferred him to a military hospital in Omdurman, on the west bank of the Nile, a few days before. Since his imprisonment, Al-Bashir had been going back and forth between the prison and this hospital.

Two ICC suspects free

Several other high dignitaries of his regime were imprisoned there since his fall in April 2019, including two senior officials also wanted by the ICC: former defence minister Abdelrahim Hussein, under arrest warrant since March 1, 2012 on seven counts of crimes against humanity and six for war crimes committed in Darfur in 2003 and 2004; and Ahmed Haroun, former Minister of Interior and Humanitarian Affairs, Governor of North Kordofan and South Kordofan States, who is also wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It was he who, in a statement broadcast on 25 April on al-Tayba TV, announced their release: "We stayed under crossfire in Kober for nine days, even when there were no guards or prisoners left. But now we are responsible for our own protection.

In addition to these people wanted by international justice, the "Kober group" includes some of the most important members of the National Congress Party (NCP), the backbone of Al-Bashir's military-Islamist regime. These include: vice-presidents Ali Osman Taha and Bakri Hassan Saleh, considered at the time as potential successors; the former head of the NISS, Sudan's powerful intelligence service, Nafi Ali Nafi; former parliamentary speaker Al-Fateh Ezzedine; and former oil minister Awad al-Jaz. All are being prosecuted for their involvement in the 1989 coup that brought Al-Bashir to power.

No ICC reaction

Since Haroun's public statement, these men have vanished into thin air. The ICC has not issued a statement expressing concern about the fate of the suspects whose transfer it has been seeking for years. When contacted by Justice Info, the ICC spokesperson responded soberly: "We are monitoring the situation but are not issuing any comment at this stage.

The question remains as to who opened the doors. The army accuses the RSF, because such an action would fit the image that it wants to project of its enemy: not a paramilitary force planned in the last talks to be integrated into the regular army, but a militia made up of looters sowing chaos in the capital.

The RSF, who present themselves as defenders of a revolution against the Islamists of the former regime, accuse the army of being behind their release. "Freeing from prison the symbols of the former regime is part of the army's plan to bring the Islamists back to power," said a political adviser to the RSF, quoted by the Sudanese online newspaper Dabaga.

The army's goal: to reinstall an Islamist regime

Analyst Suliman Baldo, executive director of the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker, links the Kober releases to other events that took place in the big Omdurman prison a few days earlier. Thousands of inmates had fled after an assault on the prison. "An armed group released 35 NISS members sentenced to death and told the other inmates to go free. I got this from one of those prisoners. Al Bourhan has reconstituted the NISS special forces," he says.

The National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), the secret service formerly under the direct orders of Al-Bashir, had been dismantled in 2019. But it did not completely disappear from the landscape: its former members are suspected of having acted undercover in most of the destabilisation operations of the transitional civilian government, from September 2019 to the military coup of October 2021.

And the security apparatus has been described as having strong links to the hardcore Islamists in Al-Bashir's party. "The Islamists are everywhere in the army. They have had plenty of time in 30 years of power to ensure that every student recruited by the military school is from their ranks," Baldo continues. They don't care about the ICC, the objective is to get their leaders back to reinstall the Islamist regime. That's what this war is about.

The future of the transitional justice cases, for which a hypothetical agreement was expected in early April, will therefore depend on the outcome of the current conflict. "If the army prevails, the leadership will strengthen the hand of the former regime, then the issue of justice wouldnt be discussed properly," says Abdulsalam Sayyed Ahmed, a transitional justice expert who has worked for the United Nations. "If it ends in negotiations that succeed in restoring the political process, then the issue of justice will once again come onto the agenda. Then the options, including the issue of the ICC, will be explored."
Despite the zero nominations, fans are thrilled to see Lee Je Hoon as a presenter at the Baeksang Arts Awards 2023.

The actor graced the stage looking dapper as ever, along with Taiwanese actor Greg Hsu, who handed out the Best Director Award to Yoo In Shik for the hit Netflix series "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," and to Park Chan Wook for winning the Best Director for Film category for the movie "Decision to Leave."

At the time, netizens gushed over the duo's unexpected interaction, and even manifested to headline a project together.

However, following the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards, Lee Je Hoon's confession caught his fans' attention.

Lee Je Hoon Reveals Not Getting Paid for Being Baeksang Arts Awards 2023's Presenter

During his appearance at "Calm Down Man's" live broadcast, he spoke about attending the ceremony as a presenter. The host asked if award giving bodies like Baeksang Arts Awards provided fees to actors who participated in the event, but Lee Je Hoon said that he didn't receive any.

At this point, Lee Mal Nyeon pointed out that presenters need to be compensated for their appearance and the time and effort they allotted to the ceremony.

According to a media outlet, people were surprised to hear that celebrities don't get paid for performance fees as presenters, noting that an award-giving body as huge as the Baeksang Arts Awards should provide enough compensation to the artists.

IN CASE YOU MISSED: Lee Je Hoon Reveals Hilarious Story About His Friendship With Bae Suzy

On the other hand, others expressed a different stance and said that the "award ceremony is a symbol and honor."

To recall, the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards was hosted by the returning trio, Shin Dong Yup, Bae Suzy, and Park Bo Gum, who entertained the audience with their chemistry and charms.

As for presenters, Goo Kyo Hwan and Kim Hye Jun presented the Best New Actor and Actress for TV category, while Lee Junho and Kim Tae Ri announced the Best Actor and Actress for TV category.

Joining as the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards presenters were Park Shin Hye, Park Hyung Sik, Yoo In Na, Yoon Hyun Min, and more.

Lee Je Hoon New Drama: Actor Returns as Detective in Upcoming Series

After the huge craze created by "Taxi Driver 2," Lee Je Hoon confirmed his return to the small screen with an interesting K-drama. He will headline the upcoming remake of "Chief Inspector 1963" and will transform into Detective Park Young Han.

Set in the 1960s, it depicts the story of a legendary detective, Park Young Han, before becoming the chief inspector.

Lee Je Hoon's new drama will be directed by Kim Sung Hoon of "Confidential Assignment 1" and "Rampant."

In addition, "Taxi Driver 3" gets the green light, but officials are yet to confirm if Lee Je Hoon will reprise his role.

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
The government has been forced to suspend the implementation of the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) assessment under the new lower secondary curriculum after a number of schools across the country reported challenges in its implementation.

DIT was supposed to assess the first cohort of the students who are taking the new curriculum and are now in senior three this year in November.

However, sources have revealed that the Ministry of Education has resolved to suspend the assessment indefinitely until all the necessary facilities required for assessment have been put in place by schools and the government to enable its implementation.

According to sources, parents and schools are protesting the Shs80, 000 fee each learner is supposed to pay in order to be assessed by DIT. This is in addition to Shs164, 000 a similar learner is supposed to pay in senior four to be able to undertake the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE).

According to the new curriculum whose implementation kicked off in 2020, each learner was expected to pursue a vocational occupation, out of the 118 programmes, with the aim of equipping them with employable skills for the world of work.

According to the Deputy Director of Research, Consultancy, and Library Service at National Curriculum Development Center (NCDC), Dr Richard Irumba, the suspension of DIT assessment will not affect the other competence training and learning in the curriculum.

According to him, students will continue with the curriculum until next year when they will be subjected to UNEB examinations, asserting that the vocational component is affected by the suspension.

When contacted yesterday, the Ministry of Education spokesperson, without disputing the suspension, said that schools should wait for communication from the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education.
The city Executive Committee Report has pinned Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) technical wing bosses over mismanagement of the $288M loan from the African Development Bank (ADB).

KCCA secured the loan to help in road and drainage renovation projects, street lighting, and skilling vulnerable city women among others.

Scrutinizing the loan usage, the committee headed by Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, discovered that right from awarding and execution of the contracts, there were irregularities.

Lukwago noted that there were powers of attorney that are not registered with the registration bureau, and some KCCA bosses acted as agents to the contractors which is against the law.

The report also indicates that KCCA accounted for Shs40 billion to relocate utilities like powerlines, water cables, and internet cables from road reserves yet the Uganda Roads Fund Act states that these should be relocated by line sectors.

The report also reveals that huge amounts of money were spent on buying condoms and phones for contractors.

Speaking to the media after the Wednesday council meeting where the report was presented to the councilors, Lukwago said they have given the KCCA technical wing a month to defend themselves about the said irregularities.
By Babra Anyait

Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, has urged the government to prioritize health workers.

Speaking during the launch of the Health Professions Education Conference 2023 held in Kampala, Nawangwe based on a study to emphasize his point. The said study indicates that 50 percent of Ugandan Medical workers are leaving the country to look for greener pastures.

Nawangwe adds that medical workers are less likely to leave the country when they are paid well. He further noted that the scientists only need salaries that can enable them to do their work.

As a country, within the little resources that we have, let us prioritize and make sure we dont continue losing these health workers. Let us do everything possible to increase their salaries. They are not looking for huge amounts of money, they just want a salary that enables them to do their work, Nawangwe said.

Meanwhile, Prof Sarah Kiguli, a lecturer of doctors at Makerere University asked government to work on the medical workers salaries, in a bid to improve the health standards of the country.

The event was held under the theme, Health professions education for improved health outcomes.
River Katonga in Gomba district has burst its banks, paralysing traffic flow on Thursday morning.

Police have consequently issued an alert to road users using the Kampala-Masaka highway advising them to use alternative routes.

According to Police, the water levels at Katonga River have risen significantly, posing a serious risk to motorists and pedestrians attempting to cross.

Travellers from Kampala are now encouraged to utilize the Mpigi-Butambala-Ssembabule road as a viable alternative.

While individuals travelling from Masaka are advised to take the Masaka-Ssembabule road as a diversion.

For your safety, we strongly advise using alternative routes while we collaborate with @UNRA_UG to address the situation promptly, Polices tweet reads in part.

Motorists have also been advised to exercise caution, follow traffic instructions, and watch out for further updates.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Affairs John Mulimba has attributed the recent statements made by the DRC president on the regional force deployed in his country to mere suspicion.

During his state visit in Botswana on Tuesday, President Felix Tshisekedi accused the regional force deployed to the east of his country of not doing its job and instead colluding with M23 rebels.

The East African Force, known as the EACRF, was deployed last year to help quell the fighting and enforce a ceasefire.

He has revealed that the force will exit his country by June if it fails to fulfill its peacekeeping mandate.

However speaking to KFM, Mulimba says in any situation of war, suspicion is common.

I think he (Tshisekedi) is full of suspicion especially when you are in a situation like hes confronted with and you are having multiple fighting forces. The number of negative forces in Congo are not known to the Congolese government, neither do we know, says Mulimba.
The Lay Dominican Chapter at the Black Abbey, together with its newly appointed Prior Fr Damien Polly, assisted by Fr Brian Doyle, all the Dominican Community and the many loyal Black Abbey supporters, have now organised a fifth annual Novena to Our Lady of Fatima.

The Novena will open at 10am on Saturday, May 13 (the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima) and conclude on Sunday, May 21 after the 2.30pm session at the Dominican Black Abbey Church, Kilkenny. The Novena will be led by Fr Colm Mannion OP.

With the recently formed Childrens Rosary group in Kilkenny by Laura, Aishling, and others, some of the children will lead proceedings in the recitation of the Contemplative Holy Rosary. Then, together with all the children who would like to join in, they will walk in procession with their Roses to the Crowned Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, at the specially erected Novena Shrine.

The Novena will run for 9 days with two sessions each day commencing at 10am and 7pm with recitation of the Contemplative Rosary. To assist everybody in this prayer, the relevant images from the great Rosary Window will be projected during each holy Rosary mystery.

The great Rosary window of the Dominican Black Abbey boasts the largest stained glass window in Ireland. The window was created in 1892 by the Mayers Stained Glass Company of Munich Germany and is composed of five lights of vertical panels each depicting five mysteries of the Rosary.

From the outside this great window looks dark and dreary but once you enter the Abbey Church the window comes alive reflecting the sunlight that passes through the tiny panels of glass which make up each mystery.

On each of the two Sundays, there will be just one session and on Saturday evening the start time is 6.10pm instead of 7pm.

Thursday, May 18 will be a Special Day of Prayer for students and Sunday, May 21 will have the anointing of the sick in a 3 pm session.
The family of a woman who bled to death following a massive post partum haemorrhage at St Lukes Hospital in Kilkenny are calling for an inquiry into maternity services at the hospital.

Tracey Campbell Fitzpatrick bled to death at St Lukes Hospital in March 2016 following repeated phone calls to an on-call consultant to attend to her. David McMurray was on call in the early hours of March 28, 2016 when he was called on three occasions by a senior midwife.

David McMurray, who was a locum consultant at St Lukes Hospital at the time was found guilty of professional misconduct and poor professional performance by a fitness to practise (FTP) hearing of the Medical Council in February of this year. David McMurray admitted a charge of professional misconduct over his failure to attend to Ms Campbell Fitzpatrick in a sufficiently timely manner when he knew her clinical condition required his attendance at the hospital.

The hearing heard it took more than 40 minutes for Dr McMurray to arrive at St Lukes after he was alerted to the need to bring the patient to theatre, to deal with extensive postpartum bleeding, despite living just five to eight minutes away from the hospital.

The first phone call was made at 1.37am and David McMurray did not attend the hospital until 2.20am. Tracey was pronounced dead at 3.45am on March 28, 2016.

Grief

Tracey (36) died within three hours of giving birth to her second son Max. More than seven years after Traceys death the pain and grief that her family carry is palpable, but even stronger than that is their love for her and their unwavering courage in taking on the HSE and St Lukes Hospital to seek answers in relation to Traceys death.

Her family want to know what the midwife said to David McMurray during the three phone calls and why it took 43 minutes for him to attend the hospital. They have also requested that a new inquest be held into Traceys death and do not agree with the findings of death by natural causes from the original inquest.

What was natural about a healthy young woman going into hospital to have a baby and coming out in a coffin? said Traceys father, James.

Correspondence from the Irish Medical Council to the Campbell family said that they had received correspondence from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation which stated that the midwife in question was not in a position to provide any information to the Preliminary Proceedings Committee in relation to the matter. The family want to know why this is.

The awful truth of this is that Dr Mc Murray could have saved Traceys life if he responded to the phone calls asking for assistance. Instead he did not come into the hospital until it was much too late and by doing so he allowed Tracey to bleed to death, a death that could and should have been avoided, said Traceys father, James who has campaigned tirelessly for the truth into the circumstances surrounding his daughters death along with the rest of her family.

In 2021, the HSE admitted liability in Ms Campbell Fitzpatricks High Court case and both the HSE and St Lukes Hospital apologised unreservedly for the failings in her care.

As a family we are calling on the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to carry out a public inquiry into the maternity services at St Lukes Hospital following a series of adverse findings against consultants who worked at the hospitals maternity unit in recent years.

Share story

We want to share our story and our pain and to raise awareness about what has gone on. It has been absolutely horrendous and we still are looking for answers. David McMurray never explained why he didnt come when he was called the first time. If he had he could have saved Tracey by carrying out emergency surgery, we have never got the answers we wanted from David McMurray or the senior midwife who rang him that night.

There is a legacy of failures at the maternity unit of St Lukes Hospital and we are calling on the Minister to carry out an inquiry we need something to restore confidence for the people who rely on the hospital, he added.

The familys call for an inquiry comes in the wake of a number of other incidents relating to womens healthcare.

Three other consultants in gynaecology and obstetrics have come under scrutiny at St Lukes Hospital in recent years.

Professor Ray OSullivan was placed on administrative leave on full pay in August 2019 by his employer, the HSE, after complaints were made against him by other members of staff. He allegedly carried out unauthorised and unapproved actions and procedures on five female patients in September 2018.

None of the patients were informed about the research or consented to the procedure, nor were they aware of it until afterwards, it is claimed.

The women were not physically harmed by the procedures but on learning what happened were allegedly psychologically injured.

Prof OSullivan has strongly rejected all allegations of wrongdoing against him. The HSE appealed a ruling by the Court of Appeal last year that Prof OSullivan, who denies all wrongdoing, was entitled to return to his job.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the HSE acted fairly and reasonably when it suspended and recommended that consultant gynaecologist Professor Ray O'Sullivan be dismissed from his former job at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny.



Failures

In September 2021 Dr Trevor Hayes, the clinical director for obstetric and gynaecological services at St Lukes, admitted that there were failures by St Lukes General Hospital in Kilkenny in the care of a baby boy who died five days after an acute event at his birth as well as the treatment of his mother, who was 11 days overdue.

Dr Hayes offered an apology on behalf of the hospital to the boys mother and her family, as he appeared before an inquest into the babys death.

In 2018 a fitness to practice inquiry found Dr Trevor Hayes guilty of poor professional performance in relation to several allegations made against him. A case was taken against the Kilkenny-based consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist regarding the treatment of his patient between 2009 and 2014.

The patient died as a result of bladder cancer in 2015.

Dr Hayes has admitted to poor professional performance regarding failing to adequately investigate the patients complaint of haematuria between 2012 and 2014, and failing to refer her to urology for review.

When contacted by the Kilkenny People for comment, the Ireland East Hospital Group said it could not comment on individual patient cases. In a statement issued, it said the Serious Incident Management Team (SIMT) in St Lukes General Hospital with the Ireland East Hospital Group review all maternal deaths. All maternal death reviews are carried out in line with the HSE Incident Management Framework and are reported to the HSE and NWIHP (National Womens and Infants Health Programme).

In 2019 a HIQA report identified several issues with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in St Lukes General Hospital Carlow/Kilkenny, said the statement.

Recommendations were made and significant work improvements have been made in the delivery of care to women in St Lukes General Hospitals maternity unit. Hospital management and the Ireland East Hospital Group have worked closely with the maternity unit to address all issues raised through consultation and reviews which were undertaken with staff and patients with immediate actions taken to implement a robust structure to provide safety assurance for all patients.

Significant steps have been taken to improve all aspects of maternity/obstetric care with the addition of further specialist clinical staff to the service.

QUALITY CARE

St Lukes General Hospital, Kilkenny endeavours to provide the highest standard of care to all women who attend at the maternity unit. The hospital, along with the Ireland East Hospital Group are committed to continuously monitoring and working with the hospital and staff, listening to patients to ensure that safe, quality care is being provided to all patients attending the hospital.

All maternity hospitals and units, which includes St Lukes General Hospital publish their safety statements on a monthly basis.

The IEHG says that all national maternity data (mortality and morbidity) is monitored.
A quarter of older tenants expect to remain in the private rental sector for life, new research indicates.

Those respondents said they simply felt there were no other options available to them unless an opportunity to access a social housing or other housing presented itself.

A joint report by housing charity Threshold together with Alone  the charity supporting older people  looked at a mix of existing data, interviews with 31 older renters and qualitative interviews with 22 representatives of specialist organisations across statutory, voluntary, property-owner and academic backgrounds.

It found that 42% of respondents felt high stress levels in the private rental sector associated with the insecurity of their accommodation.

Of those interviewed, 16 said they were in receipt of Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), and said while this was necessary to afford their accommodation, some experienced a shortfall when covering their rent.

A further 17% of those interviewed said landlords were reluctant, and sometimes refused, to accept tenants on HAP.

The report, entitled The Double Deficit: Older And Ageing Persons In The Irish Private Rental Sector was based on interviews with representative older tenants in the private rental sector and an analysis of data from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).

According to the RTB and Amarach research, 17% of all renters in the private sector were aged over 45, making up 67,000 households, of which just under 16,000 are headed by individuals aged 60 or over.

At the time of interview, 14 of the 31 study participants (45%) had either recently or previously received a termination of tenancy notice from their landlords in respect of their current or most recent accommodation, several of which had been invalid.

The report also found that insecure accommodation was aggravated by other concerns such as older age profiles, illness and health conditions, and low income.

A 55-year-old interviewee who is recovering from cancer told the study: We didnt expect to be in this position. Housing is at the root of all my concerns  over and above my illness.

A woman, 72, told researchers: Landlords are not interested in me, they wont accept HAP, theyre not willing to take a chance on a pensioner. They have plenty of excuses, choose other people over you.

The absence of data and planning for older peoples accommodation, as Irelands elderly population is projected to grow in the coming years, was also raised in the report.

Minister for Housing Darragh OBrien welcomed the joint research and said it would help inform policies, and target government actions.

Housing for All, the governments national strategy, mandates local authorities to develop and submit housing action plans for each of their local authority areas, he said.

These plans must include provision for age-friendly housing, both social and private, and ensures that housing provision appropriate to the needs of older people will be delivered, matching the scale and extent of housing demand.

Housing for All is backed by more than four billion euro in funding ensuring we can meet and even exceed the objectives of the plan.

As people enter the so called golden years of their lives we dont want them to suffer worry and stress if they are renting, we want them to have options. Rapidly increasing the supply of new homes, of all types, will provide those options.

The chief executive of Alone, Sean Moynihan, said the report highlights an issue that has been growing for years.

This evidence now further shows the housing needs of older people and proves the effect of no security of tenure for older people in the rental sector.

Older people in private rented accommodation have lower standards of living and have poorer health & wellbeing outcomes.

Approved Housing Bodies completed 176 age-friendly homes in 2022. This was 3 times larger than in 2021. According to figures published today by the Irish Council for Social Housing. Approved Housing Bodies completed 176 age-friendly homes in 2022. pic.twitter.com/xpVXmJR6sO  alone_ireland (@ALONE_IRELAND) May 3, 2023

We need to plan and build for this increasing amount of people, before it is too late, for whom renting is their only housing option.

This report highlights the areas that we need to focus on now, including ring fencing social housing in line with demand, specifically for older people to meet this need now and in the near future.

The alternative is that the current system will lead to large levels homelessness and poor housing conditions in old age, he added.

Ann-Marie OReilly, national advocacy manager at Threshold, said 17% of renters are from older demographics and that the findings of the report indicate a poor outlook for older and ageing renters across Ireland.

It is critical that the recommendations provided in this report are taken into account and the private rental sector becomes a viable and sustainable option of housing for older renters in the coming years.

Co-author of the report Neil Haran of Nexus Europe said: This study reveals considerable challenges associated with the States reliance on the private rental sector to accommodate many of its citizens.

It also reveals that older renters in private rental are placed at a disproportionate disadvantage in the market, contributing to high levels of stress, vulnerability and a lack of predictability.

But of equal concern is the absence of a data-informed approach to planning for the accommodation of a rapidly growing ageing cohort.

There is a clear need for safeguards to improve the position of older people in the private rental sector; for increased investment in social and age-friendly housing, with supports, as well as a distinct need to commit to gathering age-related, tenure-specific data to aid effective planning.
Local students will be gearing up for the next BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, which returns to the RDS from January 10 to 13, 2024, and will celebrate 60 years of the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.

The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for young people on the island of Ireland. It is an all-encompassing celebration of science and technology under one roof.

BT Ireland, the communications services company, and the education charity, Young Scientist and Technology of the Year Limited (YSE ltd), have also announced that they have extended their partnership for a further three years through to the 2026.

The three-year sponsorship extension will see BT Ireland continue as custodian and organiser of the exhibition. BT Ireland has been the title partner of the Young Scientist and Technology exhibition since 2000 and will mark 25 years as custodian and sponsor of the exhibition in 2025.

Applications for the 2024 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition will open in late August 2024 and students from across the island of Ireland are encouraged to submit project proposals and be part of the countrys leading live STEM event.

At BT Ireland were extremely proud of our history with the exhibition and we are thrilled to be extending our partnership with the Young Scientist and Technology of the Year for another three years. The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition has become part of our organisations DNA, with 200 of our colleagues volunteering their time each January to help make the exhibition a success," said Shay Walsh, Managing Director, BT Ireland.

The exhibition is much more than a competition, it is an unforgettable experience of a lifetime for the students who take part. We continue to see the positive impact the exhibition has on fostering young talent in the areas of science, technology, engineering and maths in Ireland, and we look forward to growing the exhibition further in the years to come with our exhibition partners.

UCD Professor Pat Guiry, Chair of YSE Ltd, said: On behalf of the board of the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition were delighted to be continuing our partnership with BT Ireland. BT Ireland has helped the exhibition reach new heights since it became the custodian of the exhibition 23 years ago, increasing engagement levels amongst students and the public and strengthening relationships with exhibition partners.

"They have introduced a science festival around the annual exhibition as well as extending the exhibition to primary school students through the Primary School Science Fair and developed a business skills extension programme for exhibition alumni. We look forward to celebrating 60 years of the exhibition in January and our partnership with BT Ireland.

Under its tenure BT Ireland has helped grow the exhibition over the past 20 years to reach new audiences and further the STEM agenda in Ireland. BT Ireland has introduced a science festival at the exhibition with live acts appearing daily. Since 2001, the Primary Science Fair has been a core component of exhibition week. The Primary Science Fair takes place on the Thursday and Friday of exhibition week at the RDS.

The BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp has been a very successful initiative, which has been an extension programme of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition for fourteen years. It was created by BT as a way to encourage participating BTYSTE students to develop key business and innovation skills.
Demand for agri-lending from Credit Unions has continued to grow over the past 12 months.

Having joined the 'Cultivate' group of credit unions, St. Canice's Credit Union is now actively supporting farmers needs in this market. The first three months of 2023 have seen a sizable jump in Cultivate loans issued and in enquiries from farmers around the country.

Some are seeking to fund long term capital projects with many farms also availing of short term working capital expenses such as meal and fertiliser due to the unprecedented increase in prices recently.

There are numerous reasons why the Cultivate product is attractive but the local and personal touch are definitely foremost in farmer's thoughts while quick turnaround times are also given as a reason for choosing St. Canice's.

There is no requirement to have an existing account, this can all be done as part of the loan application with the entire process generally completed within a couple of days.

With loan amounts up to 75,000 and terms up to 7 years the Cultivate product is simple and flexible with no hidden fees or charges.

Any farmer interested in discussing their plans can call into any one of the nine St. Canice's branches, call the Member Service Centre on 056-7722042 or call the Business Development Officer Tom McWey on 086-4400582 to arrange a farm visit or make your application by phone.

For further info click here.

* Sponsored content
May 10 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google is rolling out more artificial intelligence for its core search product, hoping to create some of the same consumer excitement generated by Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) update to rival search engine Bing in recent months.

At its annual I/O conference in Mountain View, California, on Wednesday, Google offered a new version of its namesake engine. Called the Search Generative Experience, the revamped Google can craft responses to open-ended queries while retaining its recognizable list of links to the Web.

"We are reimagining all of our core products, including search," Sundar Pichai, Alphabet's CEO, said after he took the stage at the event.

He said Google is integrating generative AI into search and other products, including Gmail, where it can create draft messages, and Google Photos, where it can make changes to images like centering figures and coloring in empty space.

Alphabet's shares were up nearly 4%.

U.S. consumers will gain access to the Search Generative Experience in the coming weeks via a wait list, a trial phase during which Google will monitor the quality, speed and cost of search results, Vice President Cathy Edwards said in an interview.

Googles foray into what is known as generative AI comes after the startup OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, the darling chatbot of Silicon Valley that launched a furious funding race among would-be competitors. Generative AI can, using past data, create brand new content like fully formed text, images and software code.

OpenAI, backed by billions of dollars from Microsoft and now integrated into Bing search, has become for many the default version of generative AI, helping users spin up term papers, contracts, travel itineraries, even entire novels.

For years the top portal to the internet, Google has found its own perch in question since rivals began exploiting the technology as an alternative to presenting content from the Web. At stake is Googles slice of the gigantic online advertising pie that the research firm MAGNA estimated at $286 billion this year.

Edwards told Reuters that Google's aim was to employ generative AI to reduce steps for consumers to make decisions and to let people ask a broader set of queries, including creative ones. Addressing how AI can spout incorrect information, Edwards said the company prioritized accuracy and citing trusted sources.

"AI can provide insight," Edwards said. "But what fundamentally people want at the end of the day is to be connected to information from real people and organizations, knowing, for example, that this health information comes from the WHO," or the World Health Organization.

WHAT OUTFIT TO WEAR

With the embedded AI, Google still looks and acts like its familiar empty search bar.

But while a search for "weather San Francisco" will as usual point a user to an eight-day forecast, a query asking what outfit to wear in the California city prompts a lengthy response generated by AI, according to a demonstration for Reuters earlier this week.

You should bring layers, including a short-sleeved shirt and a light sweater or jacket for the day, the result stated, including links to websites where it gleaned such advice.

Searches for news or to navigate to a specific website did not result in a response by generative AI, though users can prompt a chat and press a button for a follow-up query, the demonstration showed.

Bing search and Microsoft's corresponding Edge browser, through its partnership with OpenAI, can summarize Web pages, synthesize disparate sources, compose emails and translate them. Microsoft has said every percentage point of share it gains in search advertising could draw another $2 billion in revenue.

Another challenge is the high expense of drawing on such AI, known as large language models. Edwards said, "We and others are working on a variety of different ways to bring down the cost over time."

Ads will remain a central part of the experience, Edwards said. "We only get paid when there's a click."

BARD FOR 180 COUNTRIES

In more news for I/O, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian told Reuters the division is lining up customers to put its newest technology to the test, among them Deutsche Bank AG (DBKGn.DE) and Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N).

In recent years, however, Google's rivals have taken its research breakthroughs and run with them in products, outpacing their inventor.

ChatGPT came to light after an AI system Google revealed in 2017. The speed at which the chatbot grew - faster than any consumer application in history - encouraged the often deliberative Google to prod staff to hurry along projects so they were ready for public consumption.

In February Google announced its competing chatbot called Bard. A promotional video that month that showed Bard answering a question incorrectly propelled a stock slide shaving $100 billion off Google's market value.

Now, Bard will be multimodal like OpenAI's GPT-4, the company said on Wednesday, and it will make the chatbot accessible to people in more than 180 countries and territories.

That means customers will be able to prompt Bard with images, not just text - for instance asking the chatbot to write a caption to a picture they hand it, it said.

Behind Bard also is a more powerful AI model Google announced called PaLM 2, which it said could solve tougher problems. One of its PaLM 2 models is lightweight enough to work on smartphones, Pichai also said.
Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here!

(Kitco News) - Hester Peirce, a commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), believes that the European Unions recently passed Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework would serve as a good model for crypto regulation in the United States.

MiCA can serve as a model for us, Pierce said while participating in a panel discussion at the Financial Times Crypto and Digital Assets Summit in London.

She added that the regulatory approach being taken by the UK could also inform the U.S. process.

I share with you the approach of telling people look, there are risks here, you can choose to opt into those risks or opt out, and then trying to figure out a regulatory model that allows for innovation, Peirce said.

The European Parliament voted in favor of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation on April 20. MiCA lays out a framework for the European Unions approach to regulating the cryptocurrency sector. Under the text of the legislation, the issuance of cryptocurrencies will be brought under the wing of institutional regulation, and it establishes a new regime for crypto-asset service providers across the EUs member states.

If we built a good regulatory regime, people would come, Peirce said. Were shooting ourselves in the foot by not having a good regulatory regime in the U.S.

She added that she's "not very optimistic about the regulatory system in the U.S. providing clear regulatory guidance anytime soon.

Hester has been a vocal critic of the enforcement actions of her own agency, and has often come out forcefully and publicly against the positions of SEC chair Gary Gensler.

Following the April 14 announcement that the SEC wants to amend the definition of exchange to include decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms that trade cryptocurrencies, Peirce released a response statement entitled Rendering Innovation Kaput, in which she criticized the agencys proposal.

Stagnation, centralization, expatriation, and extinction are the watchwords of this release, she wrote. Rather than embracing the promise of new technology as we have done in the past, here we propose to embrace stagnation, force centralization, urge expatriation, and welcome extinction of new technology. Accordingly, I dissent.

After the SECs bombshell decision on Feb. 9 to charge the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange with the unregistered offer and sale of securities for its staking-as-a-service product, Peirce offered a comprehensive and devastating dissent against the agencys move.

She said that in the current anti-crypto climate, crypto-related offerings are not making it through the SECs registration pipeline, and added that the regulator has been aware of these crypto staking programs for a long time.

Instead of taking the path of thinking through staking programs and issuing guidance, we again chose to speak through an enforcement action, she said. Using enforcement actions to tell people what the law is in an emerging industry is not an efficient or fair way of regulating.
Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here!

(Kitco News) - The European Banking Authority (EBA) wants central banks to veto big stablecoins if they believe the cryptocurrencies could threaten their monetary policy.

Central banks should have the power to veto the widespread introduction of so-called stablecoins, said EBA Chair Jose Manuel Campa on Thursday.

Campa was speaking in London at the Central banks and Digital Currencies Symposium, an event hosted by the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF), an independent think tank for central banking, economic policy and public investment.

Campa's agency will be directly responsible for supervising major issuers under the European Unions Markets in Crypto Assets regulation (MiCA). The European Parliament voted in favor of MiCA on April 20, and the legislation establishes a new regime for crypto-asset service providers across the EUs member states.

In addition to requiring stablecoin issuers to obtain a license and hold suitable reserves, MiCA also lets central banks intervene on proposals to issue new stablecoins, referred to in MiCA as asset-referenced tokens. It will also require issuance of the stablecoins to cease if the tokens reach over 1 million transactions per day.

Campa said he could imagine a future where stablecoins will become even more relevant as a means of payment, in the same way that private payment systems complement central bank money today. He added, however, that these stablecoins would need to comply with sensible guardrails, including respecting anti-money laundering laws.

Stablecoin issuers who wish to operate in the European Union have to ask for permission, he said. You have to put forward your project and that project has to be assessed, particularly for the concerns that have been put forward by the U.S. regulators.

The U.S. Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) have all expressed concern that stablecoins on decentralized and permissionless blockchains could entail risks to policy goals and the broader economy.

Campa added that more ambitious projects would receive more scrutiny from the EBA.

All issuers will be subject to a robust authorization and also supervisory framework going forward, Campa said. This includes prudential governance, redemption arrangements, and business conduct, and the largest issuers can expect enhanced stress testing of their reserves under the new regulatory regime.

MiCA is expected to get final approval from European finance ministers next week, and the new regulatory regime will likely be implemented in Q3 2024.
FRANKFURT, May 11 (Reuters) - Around half of Thyssenkrupp's 5.7 billion euros ($6.27 billion) in pension liabilities are tied to the group's steel division, which is up for sale, the company's finance chief Klaus Keysberg told journalists on Thursday. The size of steel-related pension liabilities, which have come down from 4 billion euros a few years ago, have been a hurdle to any deal to sell or hive off the business. ($1 = 0.9084 euros) (Reporting by Christoph Steitz, Editing by Friederike Heine)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here!

(Kitco News) - Standard Chartered, the British multinational bank specializing in consumer, corporate and institutional banking, has announced that it plans to launch digital asset custody services in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) with a focus on servicing institutional investors, pending regulatory approval.

Ledger Insights was the first to report on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Standard Chartered and the DIFC, which outlines how the bank will utilize one of its subsidiaries, Zodia Custody, to offer the service in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Zodia Custody recently conducted a Series A funding round where the institutional-grade crypto asset custodial platform raised approximately $36 million from a variety of investors including SBI Holdings and Standard Chartereds venture arm, SC Ventures. SBI Holdings is now the second largest shareholder in Zodia after Standard Chartered.

The future direction of the digital asset ecosystem is clear, said Julian Sawyer, CEO of Zodia Custody following the funding round. As investors demand greater assurance and rigor, compliance is crucial to the future evolution of our sector.

The MoU, which aligns with Dubais vision of being at the forefront of the future of finance, was signed by DIFC governor Essa Kazim and Standard Chartered group CEO Bill Winters at the recent Dubai Fintech Summit.

We see digital assets as an important part of the future of financial services and we are committed to investing in the infrastructure and talent necessary to be a leader in this space, said Winters. The UAE has a well-balanced approach to digital asset adoption and financial regulation, making it an ideal first market for us to launch our digital asset custody proposition.

Both parties have also expressed the goal of finding other partnership opportunities that support their visions and promote a thriving digital asset ecosystem which can bring benefits to Dubai and the broader economy of the United Arab Emirates.

According to Kazim, the Dubai fintech sector can accommodate innovation and has already established a fintech market that has emerged as a critical driver of innovation and economic growth. This aligns with the governments Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), which is targeted at making the jurisdiction one of the top four financial hubs in the world.

DIFC welcomes collaboration with partners such as Standard Chartered to further accelerate growth and enable collaboration that triggers new innovation as we continue to shape the future of finance together, Kazim said.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made significant advances in the past year in its efforts to become a blockchain and fintech hub for the MENA region.

In April, the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) of the UAE announced that it had begun accepting license applications from companies wishing to establish virtual asset-related businesses in the region. Now, all companies that provide virtual asset services in the UAE, aside from companies licensed in financial-free zones, are required to make their status official by submitting an application to obtain an operating license from the SCA. They are also required to obtain a license for the Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA).

The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) is also progressing in the development of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The first phase of the CBUAEs CBDC strategy, which will take place over the next 12 to 15 months, has three goals: The soft launch of mBridge, which facilitates CBDC transactions for international trade, proof-of-concept work for bilateral CBDC bridges with India, one of the UAEs top trading partners, and domestic CBDC issuance for wholesale and retail use.

The Dubai FinTech Summit, which took place on Monday and Tuesday, was organized by the DIFC and Standard Chartered was the host sponsor. The summit focused on education and networking, helping connect start-ups, investors and industry leaders.

The demand for FinTech services has grown significantly in the last few years, powered by digital technologies and innovation across sectors, said Mohammad Alblooshi, Head of DIFC Innovation Hub and FinTech Hive. During 2022 alone, investment in DIFCs FinTech and innovation community exceeded USD615 mn and the total number of active firms in the sector grew 36% to 686.

This partnership is a testament to our long-term commitment to creating a better future for the industry, said Rola Abu Manneh, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank UAE. As the region continues to witness increased digital transformation, especially across the financial sector, we expect the demand for digital financial services and products to continue to rise. This would likely spur a wave of innovation that will not only drive economic growth but also improve financial inclusion across the region.
Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here!

(Kitco News) -Torex Gold (TSX: TXG) reported on Wednesday that the company delivered gold production of 122,918 oz for the quarter (Q1 2022: 112,446 oz) driven by a record milling rate of 13,073 tpd and a record mining rate at ELG Underground of 1,738 tpd.

This represents a strong start to the year and puts the company on track to meet annual production guidance of 440,000 to 470,000 ounces, Torex said in a press release.

In Q1 2023, the company sold 118,455 oz of gold at an average realized gold price of $1,899 per oz, contributing to revenue of $228.8 million (Q1 2022: $207.7 million).

Total cash costs were $709 per oz sold (Q1 2022: $748 per oz) and all-in sustaining costs were $1,079 per oz sold (Q1 2022: $1,034 per oz). All-in sustaining costs margin was $820 per oz sold, implying an all-in sustaining costs margin of 42%.

Given the strong cost performance during the quarter, the company is on track to achieve full year total cash costs guidance of $740 to $780 per oz and all-in sustaining costs guidance of $1,080 to $1,130 per ounce, Torex added.

The company also reported net income of $68.2 million (Q1 2022: net income of $40 million) or earnings of $0.79 per share on both a basic and diluted basis; adjusted net earnings were $50.3 million (Q1 2022: adjusted net earnings of $37.2 million) or $0.59 per share on a basic and $0.58 per share on a diluted basis.

Torex said it generated EBITDA of $102.5 million (Q1 2022: $103.1 million) and adjusted EBITDA of $132.7 million (Q1 2022: $110.7 million), adding that the quarter closed with net cash of $318.4 million.

Importantly, the company noted that development of the Media Luna project is tracking to schedule and budget, with the project approximately 24% complete at quarter end.

2023 is an important year for Torex and we are off to an excellent start. With $564 million of available liquidity at quarter-end, strong cash flow from ELG, and continued momentum on production and cost management, we are well-positioned to fund the remaining $683 million of capital on the Media Luna project while delivering on our commitments and generating solid value for shareholders, said Jody Kuzenko, President and CEO of Torex.

Torex is an intermediate gold producer based in Canada, engaged in the exploration, development, and operation of its 100% owned Morelos property, an area of 29,000 hectares in the highly prospective Guerrero Gold Belt located 180 kilometres southwest of Mexico City. The companys principal asset is the Morelos complex, which includes the El Limon Guajes mine complex, the Media Luna project, a processing plant and related infrastructure.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Generally cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 82F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Rain likely. Low 51F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
Hong Kong: CE meets Chongqing officials

Chief Executive John Lee continued his visit to Chongqing today by meeting CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee Secretary Yuan Jiajun and attending the High-Level Meeting & First Plenary Session of the Hong Kong/Chongqing Co-operation Conference.

At the plenary, Mr Lee and Mr Yuan jointly witnessed the signing of co-operation agreements between Hong Kong and Chongqing.

Before attending the plenary, the Chief Executive visited the Jinfeng Laboratory this morning to learn about its innovation achievements in biotechnology and medicine.

He then toured the International Logistics Hub in Inland China Exhibition Centre to find out more about the development of the city's logistics infrastructure.

Mr Lee also paid a visit to Ciqikou Ancient Town, a local cultural and tourism landmark, where he watched cultural performances.

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau and Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong also attended the plenary and joined the visit.

This story has been published on: 2023-05-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
COLUMBIA  Multiple Columbia organizations will hold a job fair next week for local employers and job seekers.

The job fair will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 18 at the Columbia Mall.

The job fair is open to the public and individuals of all skills and experience levels are able to attend.

Up to 40 employers from different industries will be at the event, and many will host in-person interviews.

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce, the Columbia Mall, the Missouri Job Center of Columbia, Regional Economic Development Inc., the Source Summit, and the City of Columbia are hosting the job fair.

Interested job seekers may sign up for the job fair by visiting the job fair registration page.
Joran van der Sloot, one of the last people to see American Natalee Holloway alive in Aruba in 2005 before she disappeared, will be extradited to the US. Van der Sloot is seen here in the Lurigancho prison in Lima in January 2012.
British American Tobacco p.l.c. (OTCMKTS:BTAFF  Get Rating) saw a large drop in short interest in the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 61,700 shares, a drop of 77.5% from the April 15th total of 273,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 12,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.0 days.

British American Tobacco Stock Down 0.5 %

BTAFF stock traded down $0.18 on Wednesday, reaching $35.22. 7,013 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,584. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $38.19. British American Tobacco has a one year low of $34.55 and a one year high of $45.65.

Get British American Tobacco alerts:

British American Tobacco Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Recommended Stories

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).

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.
Dr. Martens plc (OTCMKTS:DOCMF  Get Rating) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 3,192,900 shares, an increase of 185.3% from the April 15th total of 1,119,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2,456.1 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Dr. Martens from GBX 240 ($3.03) to GBX 230 ($2.90) in a research note on Monday, April 17th. HSBC lowered shares of Dr. Martens from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Dr. Martens from GBX 270 ($3.41) to GBX 195 ($2.46) in a report on Friday, February 17th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Dr. Martens from GBX 226 ($2.85) to GBX 205 ($2.59) in a report on Friday, January 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Dr. Martens from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd.

Get Dr. Martens alerts:

Dr. Martens Price Performance

DOCMF remained flat at $2.02 during trading on Wednesday. 70 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 23,179. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $1.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $2.20. Dr. Martens has a twelve month low of $1.58 and a twelve month high of $3.51.

About Dr. Martens

Dr. Martens plc designs, develops, procures, markets, sells, and distributes footwear in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific. Its product segments include originals, fusion, kids, and casual, as well as accessories. The company offers its products under the Dr. Martens brand name.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Dr. Martens Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dr. Martens and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Electronic Data Processing PLC (LON:EDP  Get Rating)s share price was up 1,916.9% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as GBX 90.50 ($1.14) and last traded at GBX 90.50 ($1.14). Approximately 4,657,952 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 57,849% from the average daily volume of 8,038 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 4.49 ($0.06).

Electronic Data Processing Price Performance

The businesss 50 day moving average price is GBX 90.50 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 90.50.

About Electronic Data Processing

(Get Rating)

Electronic Data Processing PLC provides computer software solutions in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company provides ERP solutions for the merchanting/wholesale distribution industry, as well as e-business, application hosting, and sales intelligence solutions. It also offers hosting services, such as Software as a Service managed hosting, disaster recovery/business continuity, and online backup.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Electronic Data Processing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Electronic Data Processing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE  Get Rating) had its price target reduced by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $28.00 to $10.00 in a research note released on Monday, The Fly reports.

Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Spirit Airlines in a report on Monday, April 3rd. They set a sell rating on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Spirit Airlines presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $24.14.

Get Spirit Airlines alerts:

Spirit Airlines Trading Down 0.8 %

SAVE opened at $15.66 on Monday. Spirit Airlines has a fifty-two week low of $15.44 and a fifty-two week high of $25.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.15, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.68 and a beta of 1.12. The companys 50 day moving average price is $17.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $18.08.

Spirit Airlines Dividend Announcement

Spirit Airlines ( NYSE:SAVE Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported ($0.82) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.89) by $0.07. Spirit Airlines had a negative net margin of 8.50% and a negative return on equity of 6.24%. The firm had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($1.60) EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 39.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Spirit Airlines will post 0.34 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Monday, April 24th were given a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 21st. This represents a dividend yield of 2.31%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Huntington National Bank lifted its position in shares of Spirit Airlines by 198.0% during the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,505 shares of the companys stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Spirit Airlines during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Johnson Midwest Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of Spirit Airlines by 75.2% during the 1st quarter. Johnson Midwest Financial LLC now owns 2,050 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 880 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in shares of Spirit Airlines by 272.4% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,119 shares of the companys stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,550 shares during the period. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Spirit Airlines during the 1st quarter valued at $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.72% of the companys stock.

Spirit Airlines Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Spirit Airlines, Inc engages in the provision of air transportation services. Its operations are concentrated in markets such as South Florida, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Northeast and Northern Midwest regions of the United States. The firm offers travel insurance, carry-on and checked baggage, online booking, and other services.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Spirit Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Spirit Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Maiden Holdings North America, Ltd. (NYSE:MHNC  Get Rating) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, April 14th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be given a dividend of 0.4844 per share on Thursday, June 1st. This represents a $1.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 10.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th.

Maiden Holdings North America Price Performance

NYSE:MHNC opened at $17.82 on Thursday. Maiden Holdings North America has a 12-month low of $14.84 and a 12-month high of $20.49. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $16.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $17.88.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Maiden Holdings North America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Maiden Holdings North America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX:RHC  Get Rating) insider Karen Penrose purchased 822 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of A$60.73 ($41.31) per share, for a total transaction of A$49,921.70 ($33,960.34).

Ramsay Health Care Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 242.31, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.72.

Get Ramsay Health Care alerts:

Ramsay Health Care Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a Interim dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 29th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 29th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a yield of 0.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Sunday, March 5th. This is an increase from Ramsay Health Cares previous Interim dividend of $0.49. Ramsay Health Cares dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 74.81%.

About Ramsay Health Care

Ramsay Health Care Limited owns and operates hospitals. The company also offers health care services to public and private patients. It operates facilities in approximately 532 locations in the Asia Pacific, the United Kingdom, France, and Nordics. The company was founded in 1964 and is based in Sydney, Australia.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Ramsay Health Care Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ramsay Health Care and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Coca-Cola HBC AG (OTCMKTS:CCHGY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 3,000 shares, an increase of 500.0% from the April 15th total of 500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 5,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.5 days.

Coca-Cola HBC Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of OTCMKTS CCHGY traded up $0.06 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $31.59. 2,567 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,915. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $28.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $25.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.24 and a quick ratio of 0.98. Coca-Cola HBC has a one year low of $19.30 and a one year high of $31.84.

Get Coca-Cola HBC alerts:

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CCHGY has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Credit Suisse Group reduced their target price on Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,600 ($32.81) to GBX 2,500 ($31.55) in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,250 ($28.39) to GBX 2,350 ($29.65) in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,580 ($32.56) to GBX 2,545 ($32.11) in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. Barclays boosted their price target on Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,500 ($31.55) to GBX 2,700 ($34.07) in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their target price on Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,200 ($27.76) to GBX 2,125 ($26.81) in a report on Tuesday, January 10th.

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.
Earl D. Brooks II, Trine University president, right, reacts after Rick L. James, left, chair of the Trine University Board of Trustees, announced the universitys College of Health Professions and its new Fort Wayne facility will be named in honor of Brooks and his wife Melanie, center.
Angola High School seniors spent some time with the residents of local nursing homes during their Steuben Couny United Way Days of Caring volunteerism on April 21. Adult Days of Caring projects with United Way will take place throughout the month. Projects and volunteers are still being accepted through the Steuben County United Way office in the Steuben Community Center.
Yes, by at least $1

Yes, by $2 or more

No

Vote

View Results
The question of whether Indiana courts have the authority to order a change to the birth certificate gender marker of a transgender Hoosier looks to remain unresolved for the near future after the Supreme Court declined to definitively address the issue.

In separate 3-2 decisions, the state's highest court denied transfer Wednesday in the matter of K.G. and in the matter of O.J.G.S., leaving intact recent rulings by three-judge Court of Appeals panels that Indiana courts cannot direct the gender marker on the birth certificate of a transgender individual be corrected.

Those rulings conflict, however, with a string of Court of Appeals decisions from 2014 to 2021 that specifically authorize Indiana courts to order a gender marker change when requested by transgender adults, even for transgender minors when the change is sought by their parent or guardian.

The Supreme Court did not explain why it opted against resolving the competing precedents and clarifying the law once and for all.

Only Justice Derek Molter, a Newton County native, thought the high court should hear both cases. He was joined by Chief Justice Loretta Rush in the matter of K.G.; and by Justice Geoffrey Slaughter, a Crown Point native, in the matter of O.J.G.S.  but three of the five justices voted against transfer on both cases.

The recent Court of Appeals rulings say the earlier appellate decisions directing birth certificate changes for transgender Hoosiers fundamentally misread the relevant law concerning permissible birth certificate adjustments.

"The statute simply does not grant courts of this state the authority to order a change of a gender marker on a birth certificate," said appeals Judge Robert Altice Jr. "In my view, the mechanism for such a change, no matter how vital to certain members of our society, must be crafted by the General Assembly."

In contrast, appellate Judge Paul Mathias said that with more than 38,000 transgender Hoosiers potentially affected by the uncertainty over birth certificate gender changes, and no law forthcoming that addresses the issue, it's the responsibility of the judicial branch to fashion a solution.

"Unless and until the General Assembly and governor create a fair resolution structure, or clearly forbid any change of gender markers on birth certificates for any reason, equity jurisprudence provides the remedy to consider a request," Mathias said.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly chose not to tackle birth certificate gender changes during its recently completed four-month session, which saw a slew of anti-transgender proposals introduced and several then enacted into law by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb.

The Indiana Department of Health still indicates on its vital records website that it will change a gender marker, or a name, on a birth certificate upon receipt of a valid court order.
MAS Financial Services consolidated AUM crosses` 8500 crore during the quarter; PAT up by 27.68 per cent to Rs 200.96 cr in FY23

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], May 11 (ANI/NewsVoir): The Board of Directors of MAS Financial Services Limited (MAS Financial) (BSE: 540749, NSE: MASFIN), specialized in MSME financing, announced today the audited financial results for the quarter ended 31st March, 2023.

The consistent financial performance during all the past turbulent period is the testimony of the strong fundamentals of the company; which is being followed over more than two decades. We witnessed a healthy growth in business activities across the segments we serve, during the quarter. The disbursement was ` 2491.72 Crore during the quarter ended 31st March 2023 as compared to ` 1962.33 Crore during the corresponding period.

Also Read | ChatGPT Rival Google Bard Is Now Available In India For Free  See Below To Learn How To Use Google Bard.

Performance Highlights

MAS Financial Services Limited reports Assets under Management (AUM) of ` 8092.56 Crore and profit after tax (PAT) of ` 200.96 Crore for the year ended 31st March 2023 from ` 6246.80 Crore and ` 157.55 Crore respectively for the year ended 31st March 2022. The AUM as on 31st December 2022 was ` 7606.04 Crore.

Also Read | Disney Layoffs: Disney+ Loses 4 Million Subscribers As Third Round Of Job Cuts Approaches.

- A Growth of 29.55% in AUM and 27.55% in PAT over the corresponding period of the previous year.

- For the quarter ended 31st March 2023, the PAT was ` 55.55 Crore - A growth of 23.44% over the corresponding period of the previous year.

- Capital Adequacy Ratio (including Tier II capital) as of 31st March, 2023 stood at 25.25%. The Tier-I capital stood at 20.79%.

- The portfolio quality remained stable and strong at 2.15% gross stage 3 assets and 1.52% net stage 3 assets of AUM as compared to 2.23% gross stage 3 assets and 1.60% net stage 3 assets of AUM as on 31st December 2022.

- The company continues to carry buffer provision (COVID provision) as on 31st March 2023 of 0.31% of the total on book assets.

*Represents underlying assets in each of the categories. As on 31st March, 2023 37.62% of the total underlying assets is through various NBFCs.

Note on change in accounting policy for income recognition on direct assignment transaction: During the quarter ended 31st March 2023 the Company is directed by Reserve Bank of India to book the gain on assignment transaction upfront in the statement of profit and loss in accordance with Ind AS 109 instead of amortising it over the period of the underlying residual tenure of the assigned loan portfolio as practiced by the company, by exercising their judgement under para 19 of Ind AS 1 for better transparency as per the company's view.

The new accounting policy has been implemented retrospectively and being presented from the beginning of the earliest period i.e. 1 April 2021.

- Dividend: In consonance to our policy of rewarding the shareholders the board has recommended a final dividend of 18.50% @ ` 1.85 per share.

Note on MAS Rural Housing and Mortgage Finance Limited (Subsidiary)

The Board of Directors of MAS Rural Housing and Mortgage Finance Limited in their meeting held on May 03, 2023 took on record the audited Financial Results of the company for quarter ended 31st March, 2023.

Performance Highlights

MAS Rural Housing and Mortgage Finance Limited reports Assets under Management (AUM) of ` 413.34 Crore and profit after tax of ` 6.34 Crore for the year ended 31st March 2023 from ` 314.15 Crore and ` 4.89 Crore respectively for the year ended 31st March 2022.

- A growth of 31.57% in AUM and of 29.66% in PAT over the corresponding period of the previous year.

- For the quarter ended 31st March 2023, the PAT was ` 1.37 Crore - As compared to ` 1.50 Crore for the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

- Capital Adequacy Ratio (including Tier II capital) as of 31st March 2023 stood at 38.93%. The Tier-I capital stood at 28.66%.

- The portfolio quality remained stable and strong at 0.70% gross stage 3 assets and 0.52% net stage 3 assets of AUM as compared to 0.63% gross stage 3 assets and 0.46% net stage 3 assets of AUM as on 31st December 2022.

- The company continues to carry buffer provision (COVID provision) as on 31st March 2023 of 0.88% of the total on book assets.

^Excluding the impact of PMAY CLSS Subsidy the YoY AUM growth is 36.20%

#Due to expansion in branch network.

-Change in accounting policy for income recognition on direct assignment transaction as per note given above

Commenting on the performance, Kamlesh Gandhi - Founder, Chairman & Managing Director, MAS Financial said, "We have over two & half decades demonstrated that "CONSISTENTLY AND STEADILY IS THE FASTEST WAY TO REACH WHERE YOU WANT TO". Crossing ` 200 Crore in PAT is an important milestone in the journey of the company. The main focus continues to remain on maintaining strong capital base, adequate liquidity and quality of assets thus creating very strong enablers for the future growth of the company. Registering a robust growth of 25%+ this year reconfirms our conviction to demonstrate long term consistent growth between 20%-25% across various cycles as demonstrated over more than two decades."

This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

(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 11 (PTI) With the Supreme Court on Thursday ruling that it cannot restore Uddhav Thackeray as Maharashtra chief minister, legal experts said the ball was now in the court of the Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly.

Also Read | Haryana CM Manohar Lal Inaugurates 46 Health Institutions in 17 Districts.

They also pointed out that the Supreme Court did not specify any timeframe for the Speaker to take a decision on the disqualification of 16 MLAs belonging to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's faction.

Also Read | Gurugram: Turkish National Held for Supplying Fake Injections to Cancer Patients.

Justice S C Dharmadhikari, a retired judge of the Bombay High Court, said the issue was purely a political battle, and it should not have been taken to the court in the first place.

"The decision on disqualification lies with the Speaker, but the Supreme Court has not specified any time period within which the decision must be taken," he told PTI.

The Shinde-led government, which includes defectors, will continue, Justice Dharmadhikari said.

This (political developments of June-July 2022) is a blot on Maharashtra. The state's political future is bleak and polluted.political morality took a beating. Maharashtra has had a history of clean and non-polluted politics. The Supreme Court's verdict will have pan-India repercussions, he said.

You (MLAs of the Shinde's faction of the Shiv Sena) walk out of the original party.go to Goa and Guwahati and then merge with (join hands with) another political party. This is clearly an act of defection, Justice Dharmadhikari added.

Senior counsel Milind Sathe too echoed the view that all eyes will now be on Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

The Supreme Court has already held that the whip of the original Shiv Sena party was valid and legal. So, now the Speaker must decide on the disqualification issue on merits, he told PTI.

Thackeray should not have resigned following Shinde's rebellion, the senior lawyer further said.

Advocate Ujjwal Nikam said the Supreme Court has made certain important observations regarding a whip and how the then Maharashtra governor's decision was incorrect.

"The ball now lies in the court of the Speaker regarding the disqualification notices issued to the 16 MLAs. He will have to hear the matter and decide on merit," he said.

The apex court on Thursday held that Shinde will continue as chief minister as it cannot restore the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray as he resigned without facing a floor test.

The court, however, pulled up former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and said he did not have reasons based on objective material before him to arrive at the conclusion that Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House.

The five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud also held that the then Speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of the Shiv Sena in the Maharashtra Assembly was "contrary to law".

(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 [India], May 11 (ANI): There is a proverb in India saying, 'If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.'

The road to women's empowerment in India is long and complex and while many challenges continue to persist, the country has also made progress in several areas to uplift and give its women a voice.

Also Read | Activists Throw Cake Amid Protest at Volkswagen Meeting.

Fully aware that achieving gender equality is a long journey, the Indian government has placed Nari Shakti (woman power) at the core of its vision to make India a developed nation by 2047.

One of the most important steps in this direction has been the adoption of laws, policies and initiatives/schemes that protect women's rights and promote gender equality.

Also Read | Curfew Imposed in Karnatakas Moodushedde Due to Violence After Stones Pelted at Congress Candidate Mithun Rai's Car (Watch Video).

In the most recent news, the government is conducting an exercise using various methodologies to quantify the contribution of household chores performed by women to the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

As per a United Nations report, 75 per cent of the world's unpaid care and domestic work is done by women - work that is not accounted for in the GDP.

Making this a reality, by recognizing their contribution to the economy, would be one more step in the right direction.

To help address the decline in the child sex ratio, defined as the number of girls per 1,000 boys aged 0 - 6, the government announced the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' initiative.

With the aim to prevent gender-biased sex selective elimination, ensure the survival and protection of the girl child and facilitate their education and participation, the initiative is being implemented through multi-sectoral intervention across districts of the country.

If you live in or plan to visit the countryside, it is likely that you must have seen this slogan on the back of many trucks or public transport vehicles.

For those wondering about the impact of the initiative, let's take a look - data from the Union government's Ministry of Women and Child Development indicates that the skewed sex ratio in India is starting to normalise and the sex ratio at birth has improved by 36 points between 2014/15 and 2021/22.

The Gross Enrolment Ratio of girls in secondary schools has also risen and the trend of early dropouts has been arrested.

With increased awareness and sensitization on the issue, this scheme has garnered significant support and found a place in public discourse.

It should also not come as a surprise that India now has a higher percentage of employable women (52.8 per cent) than men, but low female workforce participation continues to be an issue.

Encouraging greater economic participation by women will undoubtedly lend significant support to India's growth story. To address this, several provisions are being incorporated into major labour laws to promote a healthy and safe working environment for women.

For instance, paid maternity leave has been increased from 12 weeks to 26 weeks and establishments with 50 or more employees are mandated to offer creche facilities.

Until recently, the 'Factories Act, of 1948' did not permit women to work night shifts, but the Union government is looking to turn this around.

According to a draft policy to allow women to work night shifts, factory employers hiring these women must conform to certain health, safety, and security conditions. This amendment aims to benefit those working in special economic zones (SEZ) and the IT sector.

The focus is also shifting from just development to 'women-led development' by maximizing women's access to education, offering skill training and institutional credit.

For instance, under the MUDRA Yojana (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd.), the Mahila Udhyami Yojana enables women entrepreneurs to easily avail of financial aid up to INR 1 million at concessional rates.

This can be used to partake in manufacturing, production, or service-related economic activities categorized under the MSME (micro, small, and medium enterprises) sector.

Additionally, since its inception, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship of the Union government has taken several initiatives to achieve women's empowerment through skill development.

Its mega drive, the 'Skill India Mission', has transformed the lives of over 3.5 million women through skill training, supporting them with better and secured livelihoods.

Under this scheme, the focus of the fourth leg of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana will be on imparting skills training to women in running and maintaining electric vehicles, installing solar rooftops and other jobs, currently dominated by men.

Further, entrepreneurship is being supported by programmes such as the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), which has funded over 107,000 women entrepreneurs between 2016 and 2021.

The private sector is also focusing on bridging the gender gap and partnering with public sector entities to empower women, both within and outside office boundaries.

For instance, ride-hailing startup Ola Cabs recently shared that it would employ an 'all-woman' workforce at its upcoming two-wheeler factory in Chennai.

Around 10,000 women are expected to be hired in various roles at the plant, which will be run entirely by women.

The women working at Vedanta Aluminium are involved in all core operations instead of being limited to supporting roles. The company also has an all-women fire-fighting team at its plant in Odisha.

It has also been observed that women graduates with degrees in STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) are higher than ever before, but these gains have not translated to increased numbers in the workforce.

While this is just a glimpse into the changing working landscape, much has been done and there is much more to be done.

Increased collaboration between the public and private sector, and civil society should surely launch us to greater heights, bringing about significant change to close the gender gap. (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 11 (PTI) Vinod K Jacob, a 2000-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, was on Thursday appointed as India's next ambassador to Bahrain.

Jacob is currently serving as deputy high commissioner in the Indian mission in Colombo.

Also Read | Haryana CM Manohar Lal Inaugurates 46 Health Institutions in 17 Districts.

"He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a brief statement.

In another announcement, the MEA said Acquino Vimal will be the next ambassador to the kingdom of Norway.

Also Read | Gurugram: Turkish National Held for Supplying Fake Injections to Cancer Patients.

Vimal, a 2000-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, is serving as the deputy chief of mission in the Indian embassy in Beijing.

The MEA also said Bharath Kumar Kuthati, who is from the 2006 IFS batch, has been appointed as the next high commissioner to the Republic of Botswana.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar [Jammu and Kashmir], May 11 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh visited the Mahore area in Reasi district on Thursday to review the security and crime scenario of the district, the official statement issued by Police Media Centre PHQ, J-K said.

He chaired a joint meeting of officers from the J-K Police and Army, where he sought reports on the prevailing security situation in the district.

Also Read | Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel Accuses ED of Implicating Him in Liquor Case.

The officers briefed DGP about various measures taken with regard to security as also for crime control. He was also apprised of the actions being taken to ensure a robust Area Domination grid in order to maintain peace and stability in the district.

While addressing the officers, DGP appreciated the synergy amongst the forces for maintaining peace in the area.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Local Body Elections 2023: Constable on Duty at Ballot Box Strong Room in Kaushambi Found Dead.

He said, "Reasi district is a sensitive place as it connects with the border district of Rajouri as well as to the valley and added that there may be attempts of cross over and as such, all the forces should work in unison."

Singh stressed on vigilance against anti-national elements and their supporters and directed officers to take stringent action against those providing any kind of support to terrorists.

He directed all officers to monitor the activities of all suspects besides the elements attempting to revive the terror structure from across the border. He stressed on the use of new-generation technology including apps in order to enhance operational capability.

DGP directed for devising joint area domination plans for the Distt with the involvement of PRIs and Village Defence Groups (VDGs) for monitoring and generation of human intelligence. He also stressed upon jurisdictional officers for taking stringent action against the people found involved in the narco-trade.

DGP emphasized on organizing PCPG meetings extensively and briefing the people about their role and responsibilities and communicating our concerns AQ. He directed for circulating contact numbers of the police and Security Forces for information generation and added that the cooperation of people is must for maintaining peace in the area.

The meeting was attended by DIG UR range Mohammad Suleman Choudhary, AIG (T&P) PHQ J S Johar, SSP Reasi Amit Gupta, Dy. Commander 11 Sector RR Chanderkote Vijay Kumar, Col. 1/9 GR B K Swakmi, Col. 58 RR Mahore Apratim Ritesh and other Army & jurisdictional police 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)
People paying their last respects to Dr Vandana Das in Kottayam (Photo/ANI)

Kottayam (Kerala) [India], May 11 ( ANI): The mortal remains of Vandana Das, the doctor who was stabbed to death, by a patient at a Kerala government hospital in Kollam district was on Thursday consigned to flames at her hometown in Muttuchira in the State's Kottayam district.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan was among the large number of people who had gathered at the late doctor's home to pay their final tributes.

Also Read | Haryana CM Manohar Lal Inaugurates 46 Health Institutions in 17 Districts.

"Paid my last respects to Dr Vandana Das at her residence & offered condolences to her family members. It was heart wrenching to see the pain of her parents. No other parent should face such a tragedy," Muraleedharan tweeted.

"Demand @pinarayivijayan Govt to address the concerns raised by health workers immediately and ensure their safety and security," a subsequent tweet said.

Also Read | Gurugram: Turkish National Held for Supplying Fake Injections to Cancer Patients.

Kottarakkara magistrate court on Wednesday remanded the accused G Sandeep, 42, an upper primary school teacher.

On Wednesday Kerala's Department of Public Education suspended Sandeep from his position as a teacher at Nedumbana UP School. The suspension was initiated after a departmental inquiry on the instructions of Public Education Minister V Sivankutty. Sandeep was reportedly under treatment at a deaddiction centre.

Sandeep was brought to the government hospital in the early hours of Wednesday by the Police after he sustained injuries from a brawl he was engaged in near his house.

The accused suddenly grabbed a pair of scissors from the dressing table and stabbed doctor Vandana six times causing injuries to her abdomen and back Turning violent and having grabbed scissors from the dressing room.

He also attacked others and vandalised the hospital. A home guard and a sub-inspector also sustained major stab injuries. Dr Vandana was shifted to KIMS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where she succumbed to her injuries, police said.

The incident caused widespread protest among the doctor community in the State. Medical students from different colleges under the aegis of the House Surgeon Students Union and PG Doctors Association staged a mass protest in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. They launched an emergency 24 hour-strike which continued on Thursday also.

Taking suo moto cognizance of the incident, Kerala High Court on Wednesday slammed the State government and asked it to shut down the hospitals if the government cannot protect the doctors.

The Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Kauser Edappagath criticised the state government and the police strongly. The court said, "If you can't protect the doctors, shut down the hospitals."

The court observed that the police should have intervened the moment the accused prompted to attack. (ANI).

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 11 (ANI): A special CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) court in Indore on Thursday convicted five accused with a maximum five years of imprisonment in a Vyapam (now known as Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB)) case and imposed a fine of Rs 2000.

The special court of Sanjay Kumar Gupta convicted two accused under IPC sections 120B, 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, 201 and section 3/4 of the Affiliated Examination Act, 1937 and convicted three other accused who acted as middleman under IPC sections 120B, 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 201 in the case related to 2013 admission scam. The court also acquitted two accused in the matter.

Also Read | Heatwave Sweeps Parts of Gujarat, Patan Records Hottest Temperature of 45.4 Degrees Celsius, Says IMD.

CBI Advocate Ranjan Sharma told ANI, "A Pre-Medical Test (PMT) examination was conducted in Gwalior in 2013, in which Vikrant, a resident of Nalanda, Bihar was taking the exam in place of Ravindra Kumar, resident of Bhind, Madhya Pradesh. Ravindra had given Rs 7.5 lakh to Ramchitra Jatav, Rakesh Khanna and Brijesh for the same."

By the time Ravindra got admission in MGM Medical College, Indore, the scam related to Vyapam (now MPPEB) had started getting exposed in the state. After that Ravindra told the truth to the dean of MGM Medical College that another person Vikrant had given the PMT exam instead of him. When the Medical College asked Ravindra to submit a written statement, Ravindra absconded, Sharma said.

Also Read | Fake Spam Calls: WhatsApp Curbs International Spam Calls In India After Government's Tough Call.

After that, MGM Medical College Management had registered an FIR at Sanyogita Ganj police station for the same. As all the Vyapam cases were handed over to CBI, a challan was presented by the CBI before the court in 2016, in which seven persons accused were made, he added.

"A total of 52 witnesses testified before the court on behalf of the CBI. After which the court of Justice Sanjay Kumar Gupta on Thursday sentenced the examinee Ravindra, Vikrant who took the exam and three middlemen Ramchitra Jatav, Rakesh Khanna and Brijesh to a maximum of five years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2000. While two other accused Narendra Chaurasia and Ajay Yadav were acquitted," the CBI advocate added. (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 11 (PTI) More than 90 jail officials here were transferred on Thursday, days after gangster Tillu Tajpuriya was killed inside Tihar Jail allegedly by members of a rival gang, officials said.

Director General (Prisons) Sanjay Beniwal ordered the transfer of 99 officials including assistant superintendents, deputy superintendents, head warders and warders, an officer said, adding more transfers could take place in the next few days, including from the jail headquarters.

Also Read | Tej Pratap Yadav-Aishwarya Rai Divorce Case: Patna High Court Directs Family Court Hear the Case Afresh.

According to a senior official, the Tajpuriya murder was viewed seriously by the authorities which prompted a streamlining of things and also necessitated the need for ground level changes.

The step has been taken with a view to send out a strong message that laxity in duties will not be tolerated, the officer added.

Also Read | Haryana CM Manohar Lal Inaugurates 46 Health Institutions in 17 Districts.

CCTV footage showed Tajpuriya was assaulted with improvised weapons allegedly by four members of the Gogi gang inside the high-security prison last week.

A footage that surfaced days later purportedly showed Tajpuriya being attacked in front of security personnel as well when they were carrying him away after he was stabbed.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 11 (ANI): Students and professors of the University of Kashmir (KU) participating actively in preparations to make the Youth 20 (Y20) summit at KU a grand success have set the ball rolling for G20 tourism working group meeting slated to be held in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on May 23 and 24.

The KU, the highest seat of learning in Kashmir, is among the 15 institutions in the country that were chosen to represent the nation and host Y20 events during India's Presidency of the G20 in the current year, according to a report.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Dalit Groom Attacked, Beaten With Rods by Upper Caste Men for Riding Horse in Agra, FIR Lodged.

After being honoured to host the prestigious international event the KU identified important departments across faculties to hold events on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identified for attainment by G20 in the year 2023.

The report said that the KU during the past few months has played an important role in creating awareness about the importance of the G20 summit and is hosting a 2-day consultation Youth 20 Summit-2023 from May 10.

Also Read | Bihar Shocker: Health Department Official Caught on Camera Threatening Para-Medical Students With Jail Time, Video Goes Viral.

Seventeen delegates from 10 countries, including host India, Russia, Indonesia, United States, Brazil, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Nigeria and Mexico are taking part in the Y20 meet on "Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life."

The Youth-20 being hosted by the KU is a G20 engagement group constituted in the run-up to the main Y20 summit to be held at Varanasi in June 2023, according to the report.

The Y20 aims to increase the understanding of youth in the thematic area and provide a forum for healthy discussions and dissemination of India's G20 agenda.

Prior to hosting the Y20 summit the University of Kashmir held many seminars and programmes. These included a 4-day theatre workshop organised by the Department of Students' Welfare in collaboration with Tata Advanced Systems Limited for 30 student participants from KU's teaching departments and affiliated colleges to expand their vision about the theatre as a means to express feelings and thoughts.

The EMMRC department organised a two-day workshop on Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) for teachers from Universities and affiliated colleges under the umbrella of Y20 and G20 events. The event offered an opportunity for teachers to prepare for online teaching.

KU's General Administration and Department of Social Work organised a 4-day training programme on gender sensitisation at workplaces for male officers/officials of all levels in the university administration.

The theme of the programme was "Embrace Gender Equity" which was in sync with the larger theme of the Civil20 Working Group on Gender Equality and Disability. The University also hosted a C20 Working Group meeting on 'Gender Equality and Disability."

The Department of Political Sciences KU under the banner of G20 and Y20 organised a two-day national seminar on 'Creating Sustainable Urban Spaces', the report said.

The ICSSR-sponsored seminar provided a platform for local and national-level experts to discuss a range of issues related to urbanisation in the country with special reference to Jammu and Kashmir.

The Student Counselling and Guidance Cell, Public Relations Centre, University of Kashmir organised a seminar on 'Psycho-Social Wellbeing' under the banner of Youth20 to acquaint student participants from teaching departments about the importance of mental wellbeing, which is one of the essential sub-themes identified for Youth20 programmes in the country. Besides these programmes, many other events were held to prepare the ground for the Y20 summit.

The University of Kashmir during the past few months has remained the epicentre of the activities and its administration has left no stone unturned to present Jammu and Kashmir as one of the most vibrant regions in the country.

Participation of students and the varsity officials in the Y20 meet signifies the change which the Himalayan region has witnessed after August 5, 2019-- when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate J-K's special status and bifurcated the erstwhile princely state into two Union Territories.

Students who participated in the events that were held before the ongoing Y20 summit acted as emissaries to carry forward the message related to important themes chosen under India's G20 presidency.

Pertinently, when India attained the G20 presidency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, set a goal to involve the country's youth power to spread awareness on 17 Sustainable Development Goals which concern people's welfare across G20 countries.

All researchers, faculty scholars and students have been involved in organising the Y20 event in the varsity. It has provided an opportunity for the youth to come forward and share their ideas on how they could contribute towards nation-building. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jaipur, May 11 (PTI) Mounting pressure on Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the Congress' central leadership in the run-up to the assembly polls, party leader Sachin Pilot will begin his "Jan Sangharsh Yatra" from Ajmer on Thursday, covering nearly 125 km in five days on issues of corruption and paper leaks.

Last month, the Tonk MLA and former deputy of Gehlot held a day-long fast, targeting his own party's government in Rajasthan for "inaction" in alleged cases of corruption when the BJP ran the state.

Also Read | Bihar Shocker: Health Department Official Caught on Camera Threatening Para-Medical Students With Jail Time, Video Goes Viral.

Pilot will address a gathering near Ashok Udyan on Jaipur Road around noon on Thursday before commencing the march towards the state capital. He will halt for the night at Tolamal village in Kishangarh.

The former Rajasthan Congress chief has asserted that his march was not against anyone, but against corruption and over issues such as paper leaks.

Also Read | Punjab Blast: Five Conspirators Arrested After Low-Intensity Explosion Near Sri Guru Ram Dass Niwas in Amritsar (Watch Video).

Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads publicly for more than two years. In 2020, Pilot had led a rebellion in the party for a change of leadership in the state. However, Gehlot managed to survive and Pilot and some of his loyalists were later ousted from the state cabinet.

The chief minister, while addressing a public programme in Dholpur on Sunday, had claimed that he survived a revolt in 2020 by some Congress MLAs because BJP leaders Vasundhara Raje and Kailash Meghwal refused to support a conspiracy to topple an elected government through money power.

A couple of days later, Pilot targeted Gehlot over his comments, saying it appeared that the veteran Congressman's leader was Vasundhara Raje Scindia and not Sonia Gandhi. He had also rejected the charge that the dissidents  whom he had led -- took any money from the BJP.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jaipur, May 11 (PTI) Amid a renewed challenge from Sachin Pilot to the Congress top brass, Rajasthan in-charge at the AICC Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has called a meeting of his three co-incharges and the PCC chief in Delhi on Friday, party sources said.

The meeting called by Randhawa will be attended by Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara, co-incharges Qazi Muhammad Nizamuddin, Amrita Dhawan and Virendra Rathore.

Also Read | Fake Spam Calls: WhatsApp Curbs International Spam Calls In India After Government's Tough Call.

Dotasra confirmed the meeting and said it will be held to strengthen the Congress in the election year and discuss all the issues related to Rajasthan. The meeting is expected to discuss the challenge thrown by Pilot's "Jan Sangharsh Yatra".

Pilot launched a 125-km foot march from Ajmer to Jaipur on Thursday to raise the issue of corruption and cases of paper leaks in government recruitment exams.

Also Read | UIDAI Launches Nation-Wide Drive To Update Aadhaar Operators on Policy Changes.

He said his march is not against anyone but over issues. Pilot also repeated that he had been writing to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for a year and a half for action over corruption, but there has been no action.

The five-day yatra mounts pressure on the party leadership months ahead of the assembly elections.

A month ago, the former deputy chief minister defied a warning from the party to hold a daylong fast targeting Gehlot on inaction over alleged corruption when the BJP was previously in power.

Pilot and Gehlot has been engaged in a bitter tussle for power in the state Congress unit and in government.

One of the Pilot camp MLAs, Ved Prakash Solanki, has written to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi, saying Randhawa has failed to establish coordination in the party's state unit.

(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 11: The minor female wrestler, who along with some other wrestlers has made sexual harassment allegations against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, has recorded her statement before the magistrate.

Delhi Police said that the statement was recorded under CrPC 164 on Wednesday. Delhi Police is conducting a probe into the sexual harassment allegations by wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar against Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP MP. Wrestlers Protest: Minor Grappler Records Her Statement Before Magistrate.

Two FIRs have been registered following a complaint by the wrestlers. Wrestlers have been on a protest at Jantar Mantar since April 23. In their complaint to the police, the wrestlers alleged that seven female wrestlers, including a minor, were harassed by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Rio Olympic bronze medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik had on Wednesday asked Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to undergo a lie detector narco test if he is confident of his integrity.

"I challenge the WFI president to take a Narco Test. We are also willing to take the test. Let the truth come out in the open, who is the culprit and who is not," Malik said at a press conference at Jantar Mantar. Wrestlers Protest: Grapplers Organise Candle March in Dissent Against WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia said they want all competitions to take place under the ad hoc panel of IOA. "If the WFI chief is involved in any way, we will oppose it," 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)
New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) Jay Bharat Maruti on Thursday said it will invest in the range of Rs 300 crore to Rs 350 crore in a phased manner to set up two manufacturing plants in Haryana and Gujarat to cater to the requirements of its key customer Maruti Suzuki in both the regions.

Also Read | Tej Pratap Yadav-Aishwarya Rai Divorce Case: Patna High Court Directs Family Court Hear the Case Afresh.

The plants will be commissioned at Kharkhoda, Sonipat in Haryana and SMG Suppliers' Park in Gujarat, the company said in a statement.

Also Read | Adani Group Looks To Raise USD 2-2.5 Billion in First Share Sale Since Hindenburg Report.

The new plant in Sonipat will provide capacity enhancement so as to meet the requirements of Maruti Suzuki's new manufacturing plant at IMT Kharkhoda which is expected to be commissioned by FY2025, it added.

The company will also be setting up an assembly facility in the new Gujarat facility for supplying auto assemblies, Jay Bharat Maruti said.

Jay Bharat Maruti Ltd, a joint venture between JBM Group and Maruti Suzuki India, is the flagship company of the USD 2.6 billion JBM Group.

The company is engaged in the manufacturing of key auto systems such as chassis and suspension systems, exhaust systems, welded assemblies, tools and dies, etc. for Maruti Suzuki India.

(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 11 (PTI) Electronics and IT Ministry is set to add more start-ups under Design Linked Incentive programme during the third SemiconIndia Future Design roadshows to be held in the national capital on Friday, a government official said.

Qualcomm, NXP Semiconductors, Renesas Electronics, General Atomics Global Corporation, venture capitalists Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners, Celesta Capital etc are scheduled to participate in the roadshow.

Also Read | UIDAI Launches Nation-Wide Drive To Update Aadhaar Operators on Policy Changes.

"At SemiconIndia futureDESIGN Roadshows under the DLI Scheme, more start-ups will be added to the DLI Scheme pool. It will help in handholding them in development of indigenous technologies around semiconductors," the ministry official said on Thursday.

The government has plans to approve semiconductor manufacturing units this year and designs of chipsets are crucial for indigenous development of the technology.

Also Read | Tej Pratap Yadav-Aishwarya Rai Divorce Case: Patna High Court Directs Family Court Hear the Case Afresh.

Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said that the government plans to expand semiconductor design ecosystem from 2-3 a few years ago to 100 by the end of this year.

Chandrasekhar at a roadshow held in Bengaluru in February had facilitated the first three startups  Vervesemi Microelectronics, Fermionic Design and DV2JS Innovation, selected under the Design Linked Incentive scheme in the semiconductor space.

Meity aims to stimulate the next-generation semiconductor designers, promote the culture of co-development and joint ownership of IPs with active industry participation and indigenously develop semiconductor chips for automobile, mobility, communication and computing through the roadshows.

"SemiconIndia futureDESIGN Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme comes with provisions to offset the disabilities in the domestic industry involved in semiconductor design in order to not only move up in value- chain but also strengthen the semiconductor chip design ecosystem in the country," 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)
New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) Initiation of insolvency by Go First was a "fraudulent exercise", alleged one of the aircraft lessors of the Wadia group firm SMBC Aviation Capital Ltd before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).

SMBC Aviation Capital through its counsel Arun Kathpalia submitted that it has already terminated its lease with Go First before the moratorium and it now wants to repossess those aircraft through insolvency.

Also Read | Adani Group Looks To Raise USD 2-2.5 Billion in First Share Sale Since Hindenburg Report.

"Go First has no rights over the planes, which it does not own," he said.

Moreover, he also questioned the proceedings at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which completed its hearing over Go First's plea to voluntarily initiate insolvency proceedings against itself in one day only.

Also Read | METRO Completes Rs 2,850 Crore Deal With Reliance Retail To Sell Its India Cash and Carry Business.

Lessors opposing Go First's plea wanted to file a reply under Section 65 of IBC, which deals with fraudulent or malicious initiation of proceedings.

However "Instead of giving an opportunity, we were denied," Kathpalia added.

He further said prior to insolvency, the lease with Go First was terminated and it "was prevented from showing it".

"What was the hurry... when the petitioner (Go First) itself said there was no default of any financial creditors," he added.

The appellate tribunal was hearing the urgent petition moved by SMBC Aviation Capital against the decision of the Delhi-based Principal bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which on Wednesday admitted Go First's plea to initiate the insolvency resolution process against the airline.

SMBC Aviation Capital, which is one of the world's largest aircraft leasing companies, had moved the appellate tribunal NCLAT hours after the NCLT admitted Go First's plea to initiate the insolvency resolution process.

The matter remained part-heard and a two-member bench would continue its hearing on SMBC Aviation Capital's petition on Friday.

Moreover, it has also asked the former promoters/ management of Go First to file an application to be impleaded as a party.

The direction came after the counsel appearing on behalf of former promoters/ management submitted that they have not been served a petition copy by SMBC Aviation Capital Ltd.

Over this, the aircraft lessor's counsel replied that a copy of the petition has already been served to the Interim Resolution Professional, who has now replaced the board after the initiation of the insolvency proceedings.

Moreover, two more aircraft lessors -- GY Aviation and SFV Aircraft Holding -- on Thursday moved the NCLAT against Go First's insolvency proceedings.

With this, the total number of lessors before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal against Go First's insolvency has become three.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad, May 11 (PTI) Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Thursday expressed distress over the political turmoil and unrest in the country following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan and urged all concerned to look for political solutions, rather than coercion and arrests.

Khan, 70, was arrested in a corruption case on Tuesday on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) by paramilitary Rangers, who barged into a room of the Islamabad High Court where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief was present for biometrics before the hearing of a corruption case.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: UK Sending Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Ukraine.

Alvi, who was a member of Khan's PTI party before he became Pakistan President in 2018, in a long Twitter statement said that he was "alarmed, shocked & deeply disturbed over the current situation in the country".

The violent protests have left at least eight people dead and nearly 300 others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies and prompted the authorities to deploy the army in the country's capital Islamabad, as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces to maintain law and order.

Also Read | Pakistan Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial Orders NAB To Produce Imran Khan in Supreme Court in One Hour.

According to reports, Lahore and Peshawar faced the worst situation with incidents of arson and firings.

"The loss of human lives as an aftermath is heart-wrenching, regrettable, unfortunate & highly condemnable," Alvi's tweet read.

Acknowledging protests to be every citizen's constitutional right, he said that it should "always remain within the bounds of the law."

"The way some miscreants have damaged public property, particularly government and military buildings, is condemnable. We must re-think & look for political solutions, rather than coercion & arrests. I have conveyed my concerns to the political & military leadership & am hopeful that the situation can improve," the tweet added.

"I strongly appeal to all citizens of the country to remain peaceful," the tweet concluded.

Pakistan's former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a close aide of ousted prime minister Imran Khan was also arrested on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Supreme Court has said that Imran Khan's arrest by the National Accountability Bureau from the court without the permission of the registrar is tantamount to denying access to justice without fear and intimation, which is the right of every citizen.

If an individual surrendered to the court, then what does arresting them mean? the chief justice said on Thursday while directing the anti-corruption watchdog to produce Khan within an hour and holding it guilty for "contempt of court".

Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.

He is the only Pakistani prime minister to be ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament. PTI

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
San Francisco, May 11 (AP) Chinese police said they recently detained a ChatGPT user for allegedly using the AI-powered chatbot to create a fake news story about a nonexistent train crash.

It's one of the first enforcement actions under a recently enacted Chinese law regulating AI-generated deepfakes  seemingly realistic but fabricated digital images, video or other media.

Also Read | How African Fishermen Feel the Burn of Their Own Practices.

According to a police report from the northwest Chinese province of Gansu, a man identified only by his surname, Hong, used ChatGPT to create a fake news article about a crash that supposedly led to the deaths of nine construction workers in Gansu. Twenty-one accounts on a popular social platform, all owned by a media company based in southern China, spread the fake story within a short period of time.

Like most foreign websites and applications, ChatGPT is technically unavailable in China thanks to the country's Great Firewall, which censors the internet for residents. But determined individuals can gain access via commonly available virtual private network software that bypasses the firewall.

Also Read | Imran Khan Arrest: Pakistan Army Pre-Planned Former PM's Arrest, Says Report.

The police report did not describe how Hong managed to use ChatGPT.

By the time Gansu security officials realised the article was fake, it had received 15,000 views, according to the report. Police subsequently raided Hong's residence to collect evidence and then took criminal coercive measures against Hong himself. Police use that phrase to describe temporary measures to limit the freedom of a suspect.

The new Chinese deepfake law took effect on January 10. It bans several categories of fake media produced by deep synthesis technologies such as machine learning and virtual reality, but offers only vague definitions for many of these forbidden classes.

According to a translation of the law provided by the crowdsourced site China Law Translate, it prohibits deepfakes used in activities that endanger national security, harm the nation's image or societal public interest, or disturb economic or social order. It specifically prohibits the use of such technologies to produce, publish or transmit fake news. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Beijing [China], May 11 (ANI): China has accused Australia of trying to sabotage its relationship with Fiji as questions have emerged over whether the Pacific Islands country will cut security and law enforcement ties with Beijing, ABC News reported.

The ties between China and Fiji have strained ever since Sitiveni Rabuka took over power late last year, mainly after the new prime minister took back a decision, forcing Taiwan to downgrade the official title of its diplomatic mission in Fiji.

Also Read | How African Fishermen Feel the Burn of Their Own Practices.

The rise in tensions comes after a diplomatic spat between China and Fiji over Rabuka's decision to not meet with China's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu when he visited Suva last month.

Sitiveni Rabuka has repeatedly said that he will end a 2011 police cooperation agreement signed between China and Fiji under the country's former PM Frank Bainimarama. Rabuka said that wanted to limit law enforcement relations to countries with "similar systems," as per the ABC News report.

Also Read | Imran Khan Arrest: Pakistan Army Pre-Planned Former PM's Arrest, Says Report.

Last week, the Chinese embassy in Fiji released its statement on the issue, saying it hoped "relevant parties" would "abandon ideological prejudice, and view the law enforcement and police cooperation between China and Fiji objectively and rationally". Chinese Embassy took a dig at the US and Australia, saying that other nations had deliberately tried to affect ties between Beijing and Suva.

The statement released by the Chinese Embassy reads, "The Chinese side sincerely hopes relevant countries to make more contributions through concrete actions for Fiji and the PIC (Pacific Island countries) rather than only caring and helping the PICs out of geopolitical needs," as per the news report.

Later, China's Special Envoy to the Pacific, Qian Bo, while speaking to Samoa Observer said that he was "surprised" by Fiji's actions and blamed "other parties" who had "interrupted" the ties between the two nations. He further said, "We have some patience, but there is a bottom line for us that sees that we meet the core concerns of China."

Meanwhile, Fiji's senior ministers have made contradictory statements about the exact status of the police cooperation agreement. On Friday, Fijian Home Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua who has responsibility for the defence forces and police denied the agreement had already been scrapped and stressed that the government was merely "reviewing" it. He said that the agreement has not been terminated.

"We want to review the terms that govern the relationship between the government of China and Fiji with regards to security. That's what we're doing we are following the process," Pio Tikoduadua said as per the ABC News report. In response to a question regarding China's criticism of Fiji, he said that no decision has been made.

"I am the line minister for [the agreement]. It's not at the discretion of the prime minister," he said. Pio Tikoduadua said that according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Fiji had to give six months' notice before reviewing or terminating the agreement. He further said that he gave the notice to the Chinese government earlier this year. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Liverpool Still Have Eyes For Aurelien Tchouameni Amid Real Madrid Exit Rumours

The Reds Pursuit of Tchouameni

Liverpool FCs interest in signing Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid remains undiminished, even if they could only acquire him on loan, according to sources cited by 90min. The Reds have been keen on the midfielder for some time, having spent a significant portion of the 2021/22 season attempting to persuade him to leave Ligue 1 side Monaco. At the time, Chelsea was also in the running for his signature before being hit by UK government sanctions.

Tchouameni ultimately chose European champions Real Madrid, who had defeated Liverpool in the previous years Champions League final. The transfer fee for the talented player could eventually reach a staggering 100m. Liverpools need for reinforcement in the midfield area has become increasingly evident this season, and it is understood that they continue to hold Tchouameni in high regard.

Liverpools Proposal to Real Madrid

The Merseyside club has informed Real Madrid that they would be eager to take the 23-year-old off their hands should he become available. This comes as Jude Bellingham is anticipated to move to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, while Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are expected to sign new contracts, making the competition for midfield positions even more intense.

Tchouameni has experienced a decent, albeit unremarkable, debut season in Spain, with some notable absences from crucial games, such as the recent Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester City.

Real Madrids Stance on Tchouameni

Despite Liverpools interest, both Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti and the clubs hierarchy have no intention of letting the French international leave. Tchouameni himself has not displayed any signs of discontent, yet Liverpool would still be keen to secure his services on loan if a permanent transfer is not an option.

Liverpools Midfield Shortlist

Besides Tchouameni, Liverpool has identified other potential midfield targets, including Mason Mount, James Maddison, Florian Neuhaus, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexis Mac Allister. Jude Bellingham had been at the top of their wishlist before they withdrew from the race to sign him in April.
Tel Aviv [Israel], May 11 (ANI/TPS): Ali Ghali, commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad's Gaza rocket squads, was killed in an Israeli air strike early Thursday morning.

Ghali was killed along with two other terrorists in an airstrike on a safehouse in Khan Yunis where they were hiding.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: UK Sending Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Ukraine.

"Ghali was considered a central figure in the organization and dealt with its routine management," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

Speaking with reporters, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, "The strike was carried out thanks to successful intelligence, the identification of the hideout apartment, one floor where the operatives were struck. This was a very precise attack by the Air Force."

Also Read | Pakistan Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial Orders NAB To Produce Imran Khan in Supreme Court in One Hour.

Ghali was also a key figure in large barrages of rockets fired during conflicts in August 2022 and May 202l.

On Wednesday, Islamic Jihad fired more than 500 rockets, which damaged cars, homes and buildings in Israeli communities. There have been no Israeli fatalities, though a number of people have been injured.

Ghali was the fourth senior Islamic Jihad commander killed by Israel since Tuesday, when Jihad Ghannam, Tareq Izzeldeen and Khalil Al-Bahtini were killed in separate surprise strikes.

Bahtini was Islamic Jihad's senior operational commander responsible for approving and carrying out all terrorist activities from northern Gaza. Ghannam was responsible for the coordination and transfer of money and weapons between the Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Izzeldeen managed the organization's terror activities in both Gaza and Judea and Samaria and helped transfer funds between operatives in both areas.

The strikes on the Islamic Jihad leaders come against the backdrop of a rocket barrage fired by the terror group following the death of Khader Adnan on May 2. The imprisoned Adnan, a senior Islamic Jihad figure, died after an 86-day hunger strike. The terror group had threatened throughout Adnan's hunger strike that it would hold Israel responsible for its member's death.

Hamas so far has stayed out of the fighting. (ANI/TPS)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Sindelfingen [Germany], May 11 (ANI): Two men have died in a shooting incident at the Mercedes plant in Sindelfingen on Thursday morning, reported Deutsche Welle (DW).

A large-scale emergency operation was underway and a special operations team sealed off the site with a full-scale deployment including two helicopters and several emergency doctors.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: UK Sending Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Ukraine.

The Public Prosecutor's Office in the nearby city of Stuttgart said he thought it was a single perpetrator responsible for the shooting that killed 44-year-old men, according to DW.

It is believed that the shots were fired at a production line team leader, with the arrested suspect being a 53-year-old external worker from a logistics company. The officials said that the staffers overpowered the suspected perpetrator and held him until police arrived.

Also Read | Pakistan Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial Orders NAB To Produce Imran Khan in Supreme Court in One Hour.

Many shorts were reportedly fired at about 7:45 am local time. An hour later, police tweeted that an operation involving police and rescue workers were going on at the factory complex, around 15 kilometers southwest of Stuttgart. The authorities have confirmed that a suspect was taken into custody, DW reported.

The emergency services were reported to have carried out a search operation of the building looking for other injured people. The factory employees told DW that the scene was the automaker's Factory 56, where the firm's flagship S-Class vehicle is produced.

A spokesperson said that police are still gathering information and that staffers are being provided with psychological support.

Mercedes-Benz has expressed disappointment over the shooting incident. A company spokesman said that the tragic news from Sindelfingen has deeply shocked us, adding, "Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all colleagues on site," DW reported. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Beijing [China], May 11 (ANI): Growing tensions and lack of tangible results have diminished the appeal of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to Khabarhub.

Recent reports suggest that Italy is highly unlikely to renew its expiring BRI deal with China early next year. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed frustration with the BRI and warned of a looming financial crisis.

Also Read | Pakistan's Minority Hindus Unaware of Law Pertaining to Women, Property and Marriage As They Don't Avail Its Provisions: Report.

The initiative's demise has been sped up due to sanctions against Russia for the invasion of Ukraine and Western backlash against Beijing.

The number of new projects signed under the BRI has declined over the years as Chinese companies are finding it difficult to find willing partners in host countries, according to Khabarhub.

Also Read | Imran Khan Arrested: Eight Killed, 290 Injured in Violent Protests Against Former Pakistan PM's Arrest.

As per the Green Development and Finance Centre of the FISF Fudan University in Shanghai, 14 partner countries saw a 100 per cent drop in BRI engagement in construction and investment in 2022, compared to 2021, including Russia, Angola, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Peru.

Domestically also, the impetus for BRI has weakened. The Chinese economy is facing significant headwinds like contraction in real estate, shrinking population and slowing productivity growth along with an increasingly challenging global geostrategic environment.

China's engagement in Pakistan for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) dropped by about 34 per cent. Sub-Saharan Africa saw the highest drop in China's engagement in both construction (-44 per cent) and investment (-65 per cent) in 2022 compared to 2021.

West Asia similarly saw significant drops in Chinese engagement. There have been increasing concerns from BRI partner countries over construction flaws in major infrastructure projects like Coca Codo Sinclair Hydroelectric Project in Ecuador and the housing project in Angola.

As per Khabarhub, other concerns include corruption and debt, project cancellations by Chinese companies due to financial problems, steep overvaluation, lack of investment transparency, inferior quality of the infrastructure and unsustainable projects like the Hambantota port and a trade center in Colombo, which are never likely to generate enough returns. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington, May 11 (PTI) Indian companies have invested more than CAD 6.6 billion in Canada creating tens and thousands of jobs in the country, with all of them planning to invest more in the future, according to a CII report released in Toronto.

The report 'From India to Canada: Economic Impact and Engagement' launched by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal during his visit to the city is the first known attempt to capture Indian Industry's growing Canadian presence.

Also Read | How African Fishermen Feel the Burn of Their Own Practices.

The report highlights the contributions made by Indian companies to the Canadian economy in the form of FDI, jobs created and saved, and funding for research and development as well as local corporate social responsibility initiatives.

"Canada has a large investible surplus and is looking for good investment opportunities in India. Given the greater degree of engagement we've now embarked upon with high-level exchanges on both sides, the India-Canada economic relationship can improve very significantly," Goyal said at the report launch event organised by CII and Canada-India Business Council.

Also Read | Imran Khan Arrest: Pakistan Army Pre-Planned Former PM's Arrest, Says Report.

"We see a lot of Indian talent contributing to the Canadian economy, and even investments coming in from India to Canada. I am confident that this will be a two-way traffic, and both countries stand to benefit," he said.

According to the report, together, 30 Indian companies with an aggregate tangible investment of CAD $6.6 billion, employ approximately 17,000 people across eight Canadian provinces.

The collective research and development expenditure by Indian companies in Canada is more than CAD $700 million, with 85 per cent of those surveyed anticipating increased funding for future innovations, it said.

According to the report, 100 per cent of participating companies plan to invest more in Canada in the next five years, and 96 per cent plan to hire more employees.

Canadian Minister of International Trade Mary Ng said that strengthening the Canada-India economic partnership is good for businesses on both sides of the Pacific. The report shows the benefits that come when we collaborate.

Working together is how we create jobs and opportunities for growth, and by reinforcing our trade ties we're setting our businesses up for success, Ng said.

According to Chandrajit Banerjee, CII director general, while trade and investment partnership between India and Canada has continued to grow, the story of Indian companies in Canada and their economic impact is yet to be told.

The first edition of the report demonstrates how Indian companies across Canada are expanding their investments, creating jobs, funding research and development initiatives, and supporting their communities through corporate social responsibility programmes, he said.

"As India's business footprint grows in Canada, our economic collaboration will lead to a stronger, more integrated strategic and comprehensive partnership," Banerjee said.

Victor Thomas, president and CEO of CIBC said Canada can be a robust environment for Indian companies with favourable immigration policies, strong post-secondary institutions, a diverse talent pool, and being one of the largest economies in the world.

"The fact that all the Indian companies interviewed have plans to expand further underscores the success they have had and signifies the potential for further growth. This is hopefully just the beginning of great things to come, these companies can serve as trailblazers, who have paved the way for more Indian companies to enter the Canadian market and contribute to our shared prosperity," Thomas said.

(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 [India], May 11 (ANI): Lithuanian Ambassador to India Diana Mickeviciene on Wednesday welcomed the opening of a new mission in Lithuania and said that the country is very happy to enter a new stage in its ties with India.

"We welcome this step. I think we're very happy to enter a new stage in our relationships where it's going to be fully reciprocal. So, we are, of course, wishing our Indian colleagues for setting up themselves in the Lithuanian capital... And we look forward to really working together and to strengthen our relationship." the envoy said while speaking to ANI on India operationalising new mission in Lithuania.

Also Read | How African Fishermen Feel the Burn of Their Own Practices.

Diana Mickeviciene made the remarks as the Lithuanian Embassy launched a comic book named 'First Lithuanian Travelers in India.' She said that the book is about some historical characters who travelled from Lithuania to India. She also talked about the book in Hindi language and called it a sign of friendship between the two nations.

"It's a comic book about some historical characters the people from Lithuania who travel to India who had been wooed by the attraction of Indian civilization, people in India. So, they came and stayed there. They brought part of India with them. Later on, they actually stayed and lived their whole life. So it's a story about the time where we as two states were colonized by others.We could not have state-to-state relations with the people who actually assured that connection between our countries," Diana Mickeviciene told ANI.

Also Read | Imran Khan Arrest: Pakistan Army Pre-Planned Former PM's Arrest, Says Report.

Responding to a question about ties between India, Lithuania ties and the pull of the Indian civilization in the country in the Baltic region of Europe, the Lithuanian envoy said, "It's always been very present. I mean, ... also is a character of the book from 400 years ago. He ... by India. Since then, of course, this connection, linguistic connection between Lithuanian and Sanskrit have been discovered. So, it became an extra factor attracting people to come and research and study this particular connection. And it's always been there. And I think it's life and flourishing like never before now-a-days."

The "First Lithuanian Travelers in India" is a comic book about real historical personalities, men and women from Lithuania whose individual discovery of India was the first recorded connection between the two countries.

The book is based on the historical books - India & Lithuania: A Personal Bond" and "From Lithuania to Santiniketan Schlomith Flaum & Rabindranath Tagore". It is the translation from the Lithuanian language after its successful debut in Lithuania.

Lithuanian men and women came to India by sailboat, train, and motorbike and the stories recounted in this book will remind the reader of how global and interconnected Lithuania and India had been over the centuries.

Speaking about the launch, Diana Mickeviciene said, "We are connected more than we realize. When both Lithuania and India were colonized, it was the people who maintained the relationship between our countries. The pull of the Indian civilization in Lithuania was always very strong. Indian philosophy and Gandhian ideas had a great influence on the Lithuanian National revival. Lithuanian and Sanskrit linguistic kinship is the special connecting us link." (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Matamoros (Mexico), May 11 (AP) Migrants rushed across the border hours before pandemic-related asylum restrictions were to expire Thursday, fearing that new policies would make it far more difficult to gain entry into the United States.

In a move to clear out overwhelmed holding facilities, Border Patrol agents were told Wednesday to begin releasing some migrants with instructions to appear at an immigration office in the United States within 60 days, according to a US official. The official was not authorised to speak publicly about the matter and provided information to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: UK Sending Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Ukraine.

The Biden administration has been unveiling measures to replace Title 42, which suspended rights to seek asylum since March 2020 on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

On Wednesday, the Homeland Security Department announced a rule to make it extremely difficult for anyone who travels through another country, like Mexico, to qualify for asylum. It also introduced curfews with GPS tracking for families released in the US before initial asylum screenings.

Also Read | Pakistan Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial Orders NAB To Produce Imran Khan in Supreme Court in One Hour.

In Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, migrants arrived steadily on Wednesday, stripping down before descending a steep bank clutching plastic bags filled with clothes. They slowly waded into the river, one man holding a baby in an open suitcase on his head.

On the US side, they put on dry clothing and picked their way through concertina wire. Many surrendered to authorities, hoping to be released to stay legally while pursuing their cases in backlogged immigration courts, which takes years.

William Contreras of Venezuela said Title 42 was favourable to people of his wracked South American country, having heard that many before him were released in the United States.

What we understand is that they won't be letting anyone else in, said Contreras' friend, Pablo, who declined to give his last name because he planned to cross the border illegally. That's the reason for our urgency to cross through the border today.

The Border Patrol stopped about 10,000 migrants on Tuesday, one of its busiest days ever, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly.

That's nearly double the daily average of about 5,200 in March, the latest publicly available data, and close to the 11,000 that US officials have predicted is the upper limit of a surge they anticipate after Title 42.

More than 27,000 people were in US Customs and Border Protection custody, the official said, well above capacity. In March 8,600 were in custody.

Border Patrol agents were ordered Wednesday to begin releasing migrants in any border sector that reached 125 per cent of its holding capacity with instructions to report to an immigration office within 60 days. They were also told to start the releases if the average time in custody exceeded 60 hours or if 7,000 migrants were taken into custody across the entire border in any one day.

In Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, some migrant shelters had empty beds as migrants abandoned them to cross into the US Enrique Valenzuela, who coordinates migrant relief efforts for Chihuahua state, said the city's migrant shelter population was half the nearly 3,000 staying there a few weeks ago.

On Thursday, about 400 migrants huddled in strong winds whipping up the sand on the Rio Grande riverbank east of El Paso between groups of Texas National Guard soldiers constructing concertina wire barriers.

A couple from Colombia approached the concertina wire asking if they could start a fire because a 10-year old was shaking in the desert cold. Most migrants huddled together under thin blankets.

Major Sean Storrud of the Texas National Guard said his troops have built 17.4 miles (28 kilometres) of wire barriers in that area in an effort to reduce massive crossings and have explained to migrants the consequences of crossing illegally.

The migrants don't really know what's going to happen, Storrud said.

While Title 42 prevented many from seeking asylum, it carried no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. After Thursday, migrants face being barred from entering the US for five years and possible criminal prosecution.

At the same time, the administration has introduced expansive new legal pathways into the US. Up to 30,000 people a month from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela can enter if they apply online with a financial sponsor and enter through an airport.

Processing centres are opening in Guatemala, Colombia and elsewhere. Up to 1,000 can enter daily though land crossings with Mexico if they snag an appointment on an online app.

In San Diego, more than 100 migrants, many of them Colombian families, slept under plastic tarps between two border walls, watched over by Border Patrol agents who had nowhere to take them for processing.

Albino Leon, 51, bought chicken from Tijuana vendors through slats in the wall bordering San Diego because the cookies that agents gave him, his wife and daughter left them hungry. News that Title 42 was ending prompted the family to make the journey now.

With the changes they are making to the laws, it's now or never, said Leon, who flew to Mexico from Colombia and got past a first border wall to reach US soil.

While US officials predict more crossings after Title 42 ends at 11:59. p.m. EDT Thursday  President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the border will be chaotic for a while  some were unsure. Soraya Vasquez, deputy director of Al Otro Lado, an advocacy group active in Tijuana, said crossings might fall immediately but migration would persist.

Miguel Meza, head of migrant programs for Catholic Relief Services, which has 26 migrant shelters in Mexico, estimates there are about 55,000 migrants in border cities across from the United States. More arrive daily from the south, as well as migrants expelled by the US back to Mexico.

Carmen Josefina Characo, a Venezuelan woman who arrived in Matamoros with her adult daughter, said she was determined to keep trying on a US government mobile app to win a spot to enter the US at a land crossing. Demand has far outstripped supply, exasperating many new arrivals.

People who just arrive start hearing the stories of others who have been here longer and they start getting alarmed. 'Oh, you've been here for four months. Well, I just got here and I'm going to cross,' Characo said.

Migrants have strained some US cities over the last year.

Denver began seeing well over 100 migrants a day arrive on buses last week, activating an emergency operations centre. The city is scrambling for shelter space.

The numbers are overwhelming, said Alan Salazar, chief of staff to Mayor Michael Hancock.

Salazar estimated about 9,000 migrants have passed through Denver since late fall, when the city suddenly became a popular stop for Venezuelans and others.

Elias Guerra, 20, came to Denver last week after hearing it was a welcoming place where he could get a free bus ticket to his final destination. After four nights in a church shelter, Denver provided a USD 58 bus ticket to New York City. He left Wednesday night.

Here it's comfortable, it's safe, there's food, there's shelter, there's restrooms, Guerra said as he waited with dozens of other migrants in a parking garage where the city processed new arrivals. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington, May 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US will show that the partnership between the two nations is people-centric, people-driven, and is good for the world at large, a top Indian diplomat here on Wednesday said, as he called the visit "historic."

"The PM's forthcoming official state visit to the US, at the invitation of President Biden, is historic. Prime Minister and President Biden have together imparted significantly new vigour and momentum to our bilateral ties," India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu told PTI. US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill To Host PM Narendra Modi at White House on June 22.

"The visit will be an opportunity for the two leaders to spend time together, take stock of the progress achieved and provide guidance on the future limitless possibilities. The visit will also underscore that India-US partnership is people-centric and people-driven, and that it is not just for the two countries, but for the world at large," Sandhu said.

Modi's visit will include a state dinner on June 22, the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had said earlier in the day. "The visit will strengthen our two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space.

"The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change to workforce development and health security," Jean-Pierre said. The White House's announcement on Biden's invitation to Modi has been widely welcomed. PM Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden Bilateral Meet Will Strengthen India-US Relation, Boost QUAD, Says White House Official.

"I am delighted that the White House has invited the Prime Minister for a state visit which will help strengthen the strategic partnership between our nations," Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna told PTI. Khanna is the Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, the largest country-specific caucus in the House of Representatives.

Mukesh Aghi, president of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum, said Modi's visit in June will be a wonderful opportunity to elevate the bilateral partnership to the next level.

"President Biden and Prime Minister Modi will be meeting in a few weeks' time at the Quad Leader's Summit in Australia and later this year at the G20 in India. Both leaders have used minilaterals such as the Quad, I2U2, and the G20 summits to work on common goals," Aghi told PTI.

"However, the state visit will provide a valuable and timely opportunity for both Washington and New Delhi to strengthen the edifice of this strategic partnership and work on enhancing commercial ties, building resilient supply chains, and creating new synergies in the critical and emerging technology domain," he said.

Atul Keshap, president of US India Business Council, said that the invitation is a big diplomatic gesture from the United States. "India was last honoured with a State Visit in 2009. That PM Modi is being honoured with only the third State Visit of the Biden Administration shows the respect and affection the American people have for a rising India," he said.

"It is entirely good and proper that the world's two greatest democracies further cement their strategic, economic, and technology convergence in these turbulent geostrategic times.

"The state visit will remind the world that India and America still have so much more potential to capture in our bilateral relations, reflecting the energy and talent of our demographics and our systems, which serve to empower our free peoples," Keshap said.

Aparna Pande, from the Hudson Institute think-tank, said India is key to the security, diplomatic, and commercial architecture that the United States is building across the Indo Pacific. "For the Modi government also, a stronger strategic partnership with the United States is critical to boosting India's leverage in the global arena," Pande said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Rome, May 11 (AP) Pope Francis could meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican this weekend, a Vatican official said on Thursday.

Francis has repeatedly called for an end to Russia's war in Ukraine and expressed solidarity with the martyred Ukrainian people. Recently he revealed a secret peace mission was underway but provided no details.

Also Read | Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Meets JUI-F Party Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Discusses Supreme Court Order on Imran Khan's Arrest.

Word of the possible meeting Saturday in Rome followed news, confirmed last week by Berlin police, that Zelenskyy was expected in Germany starting Saturday evening.

Italian media, citing unnamed sources, reported on Thursday that Zelenskyy might be in Rome earlier that day to meet with Premier Giorgia Meloni and the pope.

Also Read | US Shocker: Mother Sues McDonalds After 200-Degree Fahrenheit Nuggets Leave Her 4-Year-Old Daughter With Second-Degree Burns.

A Vatican official said a pope-Zelenskyy audience on Saturday is a possibility. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the visit was not confirmed.

On Sunday, Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine are set to receive the International Charlemagne Prize, awarded annually by the western German city of Aachen for contributions to European unity. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to give the speech honoring Zelenskyy.

Francis met with Zelensskyy before the war and last month met with the Ukrainian prime minister, who asked the pontiff's help in mediating the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia after the Kremlin's invasion.

Francis recently told reporters he thought the Vatican could help, given it's previous mediation in prisoner swaps.

On Thursday, Francis bid farewell to the Russian ambassador to the Holy See, Alexander Avdeev, at the end of his seven-year tenure. (AP)

(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 11: The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test Cell (MHT CET) is most likely to release the MHT CET 2023 Admit Card very soon. The State Common Entrance Test Cell will release the hall tickets for MHT CET 2023 Admit Card or Maharashtra Common Entrance Test for the PCB group soon. Once released, candidates who are appearing for the MHT CET 2023 examination can visit the official website of MAHACET at mahacet.org to download their hall tickets.

As per the official notification, the admit card for the MHT CET 2023 PCB group was scheduled to release on May 10, however, the hall tickets have not been released as yet. It must be noted that the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test for PCM is underway and will go on till May 13. On the other hand, the MHT CET 2023 exam for the PCB group will be held from May 15 to 20. Maharashtra Board Result 2023: Class 10, 12 Results To be Out by This Date At mahresult.nic.in; Know Steps to Check Score.

Steps To Download MHT CET 2023 Admit Card for PCB Group:

Visit the official site of MAHACET at mahacet.org

Click on the "MHTCET 2023" link available under the CET link on the homepage

A new tab will open

Now click on the MHT CET 2023 Admit Card link

Enter using your login details and other credentials

Next, click on submit

Your MHT CET 2023 admit card will be displayed on the screen

Take a printout for future reference

Candidates appearing for the MHT CET 2023 exam must note that the PCM and PCB group exams will be conducted in two shifts. The first shift will be held from 9 am to 12 noon while the second shift will be conducted from 2 pm to 5 pm. UPSC Exam Calendar 2024 Released At upsc.gov.in; CSE Prelims on May 26, Check Full Schedule Here.

On the day of the MHT CET 2023 exam, candidates are advised to carry their identification documents such as PAN Card, Aadhaar Card, Passport etc along with the admit card.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 11, 2023 04:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi, May 11: The Supreme Court on Thursday referred its 2016 judgment in the Nabam Rebia case to a larger bench. The apex court was delivering its judgment in the case of the defection of 16 MLAs in June 2022 from the then Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.

The Thackeray faction had sought disqualification of the MLAs under the anti-defection law of the country. Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena Case Supreme Court Verdict Live Streaming: Watch SC Delivering Judgment in Uddhav Thackeray-Eknath Shinde Tussle in Maharashtra.

The Nabam Rebia judgment had held that Speakers cannot issue disqualification notices when a notice seeking their removal are pending.

The Supreme Court also said the Speaker if he finds that the motion for his removal is not as per procedure, then he could proceed with the petitions seeking disqualification of the MLAs.

The apex court held that the Speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale (Eknath Shinde) as the whip of the Shiv Sena party was illegal. The top court said that the Speaker should recognize only the whip appointed by the political party.

The verdict was delivered by a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and comprised of Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha.

The five-judge bench delivered the judgment on a batch of cross-petitions filed by Uddhav Thackeray and chief minister M Eknath Shinde factions on the Maharashtra political crisis.

The then-governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's decision to invite Shinde to form the government along with the Bharatiya Janata Party after Thackeray chose to resign.

The court had earlier reserved the order after all the parties concluded their arguments. The lawyer appearing for the Uddhav Thackeray camp had said that the illegal act of the Maharashtra Governor is a prior pending sub judice challenge before the trust vote.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Uddhav Thackeray's camp had said that the Governor cannot call for a trust vote based on a faction as calling for a trust vote is based on alliances.

During the hearing, the Court had observed that Governor should not enter into any area which precipitates the fall of a government and called Maharashtra's political crisis a "serious issue for democracy".

The hearing that went on for almost nine days had witnesses and arguments made by various senior lawyers including Kapil Sibal and AM Singhvi for the Uddhav camp and Harish Salve, NK Kaul and Mahesh Jethmalani for the Shinde camp.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the Maharashtra Governor and explained to the Court about the Governor's decision to call for a floor test after a rival camp wrote that they were withdrawing support from Uddhav Thackeray-led government as they did not want to continue.

Uddhav Thackeray camp had submitted before the Supreme Court that if a crisis like in Maharastra was permitted then it will have far-reaching consequences for the country as any government can be toppled.

The hearing that went on for almost nine days had witnesses and arguments made by various senior lawyers including Kapil Sibal and AM Singhvi for the Uddhav camp and Harish Salve, NK Kaul and Mahesh Jethmalani for the Shinde camp.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the Maharashtra Governor and explained to the Court about the Governor's decision to call for a floor test after a rival camp wrote that they were withdrawing support from Uddhav Thackeray-led government as they did not want to continue. Supreme Court to Deliver Judgments in Shiv Sena Case, Delhi Government vs LG Administrative Dispute Tomorrow.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, arguing on behalf of the Maharashtra Governor, apprised the Court of the fact that the rival legislators had written to the Governor about their unwillingness to continue with the then government and the Governor invited Thackeray to prove his majority.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Armenian military positions are under Azerbaijani gunfire since 06:00 Thursday, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia reported.

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces are shelling the Armenian positions in the direction of Sotk with artillery and mortar fire.

The Armed Forces of Armenia are taking the necessary defensive-preventive measures, the ministry added.

The Ministry of Defense reported that two Armenian servicemen were wounded as of 07:00.

As of 07:20 the Armenian positions were still under Azerbaijani gunfire.

At the same time, the Armenian Ministry of Defense warned that the Azerbaijani authorities are again spreading disinformation. In particular, the statement released by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry accusing the Armenian military of firing at Azerbaijani positions and wounding an Azerbaijani soldier on May 10 is untrue.
Rupnagar, May 11: Twenty-four students of a private school were admitted to a hospital here after they complained of difficulty in breathing following a suspected gas leak from an industrial unit on Thursday, said officials.

One of the students was later sent to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, they said. The incident in Nangal area took place Thursday morning when some students started complaining of difficulty in breathing. The school was immediately shut and the affected students were taken to a hospital, they said. Punjab Gas Leak Incident: Students of Private School Hospitalised Reportedly After Gas Leakage in Rupnagar (See Pics).

Punjab Gas Leak Incident

Punjab | Students of a private school in Rupnagar, hospitalised reportedly after a gas leakage Students are stable now, the administration is looking into it and will find out exactly what kind of gas leakage is it. Our first priority is to make sure the students don't panic & pic.twitter.com/8wQbmOqZnX  ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2023

Rupnagar Deputy Commissioner of Police Preeti Yadav said 24 students were referred to the hospital and most of them have been discharged. "Four-to-five students were under observation," she said. Ludhiana Gas Leak: 11 Dead After Gas Leaked From Factory at Giaspura Area in Punjab (Watch Video).

The student who was referred to PGIMER was also stable, she said. A committee of officers and experts from the Punjab Pollution Control Board has been formed to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the incident. Officials said they suspected the gas leaked from a industrial unit in the area. The DCP said the source of the leak was being ascertained but the situation is under control now.
Every year, International Nurses Day (IND) is celebrated on May 12 to mark nurses' contributions to society and to mankind. The international day is observed around the world. The day also marks the anniversary of Florence Nightingale, a social reformer, statistician, and the founder of modern nursing. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965. Every year, the International Nurses Day is marked with a different theme. For International Nurses Day 2023, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has announced the theme- Our Nurses. Our Future.' ICN President, Dr Pamela Cipriano, explained the theme by saying that the theme sets out what ICN wants for future nursing to address global health challenges and improve global health for all. Happy Nurses Week 2023 Greetings & Images: Thank You Messages, Status and Wallpapers for All the Dutiful Nurses out There!

International Nurses Day 2023 Date

International Nurses Day 2023 will be celebrated on Friday, May 12.

International Nurses Day 2023 Theme

The International Nurses Day 2023 theme is Our Nurses. Our Future.'

International Nurses Day History

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965. According to records, Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, had proposed in 1953 that President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaim a Nurses' Day. However, Eisenhower did not approve it. National Nurses Day 2023 Images, Wishes, Quotes, Greetings and Facebook Status To Express Your Gratitude for the Nurses.

A few years later, in January 1974, May 12 was chosen to celebrate the day as it is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Since then, the ICN has prepared and distributed the International Nurses' Day Kit, which contains educational and public information materials for use by nurses everywhere.

International Nurses Day Significance

International Nurses Day is a perfect day to express gratitude to all the nurses around the world who work tirelessly to provide us with better quality services. The day celebrates the unsung heroes and calls for collective efforts to chart the future direction of nursing to meet the new normal's needs. It is now time to look to the future and take up initiatives that will help in the growth of the nursing industry and healthcare services at large.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 11, 2023 08:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
According to reports, the UK will supply Storm Shadow long-range missiles to Ukraine, the govt said on Thursday. Reportedly, the news was also confirmed by the UK defence secretary who said that Britain is sending long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine. As per reports, the Storm Shadow cruise missile has a range of over 250km (155 miles). The weapons by the UK will give Ukraine new capabilities as it prepares a counter-offensive against Russia's invasion. Russia Will Lose War: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Tells UK Lawmakers in Historic Address, Thanks British People for Support (Watch Video).

UK To Supply Storm Shadow Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine

#BREAKING UK to supply Storm Shadow long-range missiles to Ukraine: govt pic.twitter.com/dv6g27voeb  AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 11, 2023

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
On 10 May, Ecuadors government signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with China.

Analysis:

The signing of the FTA was a rare boost for President Guillermo Lasso as he prepares to face an impeachment vote which could be held as early as next week. Lasso put an FTA with China at the centre of his foreign policy goals, and the agreement was reached after just 10 months of negotiations. The FTA contains provisions to protect some vulnerable Ecuadorean sectors, such as the textile industry, from being swamped by cheap Chinese imports, while enabling the vast majority of Ecuadorean exports to enter China tariff-free. Nevertheless, concerns are likely to be raised about the absence of clauses in the FTA on environmental standards, labour rights, or intellectual property rights.

The FTA was signed at a ceremony in Quito by Ecuadors minister of trade, production and fishing, Julio Jose Prado , and Chinas trade minister, Wang Wentao . Prado described it as the most important trade agreement that Ecuador has signed, saying that it will change the way that the country produces  we must prepare to send more products to China.

, and Chinas trade minister, . Prado described it as the most important trade agreement that Ecuador has signed, saying that it will change the way that the country produces  we must prepare to send more products to China. The FTA will enable 99.6% of Ecuadors exports to enter China tariff-free, and will expand Ecuadors China-bound exports to include dairy products, pork, chicken, pineapple, mango, blueberries, processed foods, among others.

Tariffs will be lifted on roughly 90% of Chinese imports to Ecuador, although they will be maintained on products such as textiles, tiles, tyres, furniture, sugar, rice, milk, potatoes, and corn.

Chinese technology exports such as computers and mobile phones will not be subjected to any tariffs, in a move which the Lasso administration has said will help modernise Ecuadors economy.

Lasso framed the signing of the FTA as the culmination of his governments increasing closeness to China, highlighting Chinese assistance to Ecuador during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. He said that the FTA would enable Ecuador to match the competitiveness of countries in Latin America which already have a bilateral agreement with China. Ecuador is the fourth country to have inked an FTA with China, after Peru, Chile, and Costa Rica.

Looking Ahead: Lasso said that the FTA is expected to boost exports to China by an additional US$3bn and US$4bn by 2030.
Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos of New York is in big trouble after Federal authorities unsealed the charges against him during a hearing in New York. However, he remained defiant and even took a page out of former President Donald Trump's playbook and called the investigation a "witch hunt."

The controversial freshman congressman was hit with a 13-count indictment, and his charges include fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds. Santos allegedly defrauded prospective political supporters by laundering his campaign funds and using them to pay for his personal expenses.

According to Reuters, Santos is also accused of receiving unemployment benefits while he was already employed and of making false statements to the House of Representatives. He allegedly lied about his assets, income, and liabilities.

Shortly after he was held in custody, Santos stated, "I'm going to fight my battle. I'm going to deliver. I'm going to fight the witch hunt. I am going to take care of clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that."

He pleaded "Not Guilty" to all 13 federal charges against him.

Republicans Slowly Abandoning George Santos

Since news of the charges against Santos broke, the calls for the Latino congressman who claimed he was Jewish to resign have since grown louder. While calls from Democrats for Santos to step down have been expected, his fellow Republicans have also been abandoning him.

So far, nine House Republicans have called on George Santos to resign, six of whom are from New York state, where Santos is from. However, the no. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise stated that the Republican caucus would be withholding its judgment on Santos for now.

READ NEXT: Is George Santos Running in 2024?

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told CNN host Manu Raju that he will not support his fellow Republican's reelection bid.

"Santos has a lot going on. I think he has other things to focus on in his life other than running for reelection," he added.

As for whether he would join the calls and ask his colleague to resign, the house speaker stated that he would do so if the House Ethics Committee found that he really did break the law.

George Santos Says He Will Not Resign

Despite all the calls for him to resign from both the right and the left, Santos remains defiant and said that he will not be resigning and will continue his reelection bid despite being unpopular in the district he represents.

The BBC reported that Santos spoke at a press conference after the hearing and stated that the "prosecutors received bad information." He added that he has "plenty of evidence that we will now be sharing with the government in this case."

He then directed his words to his constituents and stated that they should not look at his history of making false statements and look instead at his voting record in the House.

"I want to be judged by the work I do in the body, and I am committed to that," he stated before adding that he will not resign.

READ MORE: George Santos Admits He Thought He Could Get Away With Lying

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: GOP lawmakers call for Santos' resignation on Capitol Hill - CNN
CNN held the first major television event of the 2024 presidential campaign as it hosted Donald Trump during a town hall event. There, the former president repeated his election lies and attacked his accuser, E. Jean Carroll. He also continued telling several claims that have repeatedly been disproven in court, as well as fact checks from various outlets.

The former president, who lost the 2020 presidential elections to Joe Biden, has repeatedly claimed that the elections were rigged despite courts dismissing a majority of the cases his attorneys have filed.

He is currently running again in 2024, and during the CNN town hall, host Kaitlan Collins asked him if he would accept the results regardless of the outcome. However, the former president stated he would only accept "If it's an honest election."

CNN reported that throughout the town hall event, Trump repeated his false claims and even refused to acknowledge that he lost. Collins pressed him on this and even pointed out that the election was not rigged, with Trump's own election officials confirming it.

"It was not a rigged election. It was not a stolen election. You and your supporters lost more than 60 court cases in the election. It's been nearly two and a half years. Can you publicly acknowledge that you did lose the 2020 election?" the CNN host asked.

However, Trump merely repeated his debunked claims, including millions of votes being found on government cameras, as well as ballot box stuffing, which has repeatedly been disproven in courts and rejected by judges as there was no evidence of this happening.

Donald Trump Calls E. Jean Carroll a 'Whack Job'

Donald Trump appeared at the CNN Town Hall in New Hampshire fresh off losing his rape case filed by former Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll. While he was not found liable for rape, he was found liable for battery and sexual assault and must now pay $5 million.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Rape Trial: Final Arguments Presented

According to the Associated Press, the former president reiterated that he did not even know Carroll and called the writer a "whack job." However, images of the two together at various events and social gatherings show otherwise.

The case has placed the spotlight on Trump's sexual harassment and treatment of women through the years, with a dozen women, including Carroll, accusing him of sexual assault or harassment.

Donald Trump Repeated Immigration Claims

The Guardian reported that Trump's CNN town hall was full of "falsehoods, lies, and misinformation throughout." They ran a fact check on some of Trump's claims, including immigration.

During the event, the former president asserted that other countries are sending migrants from "mental institutions" into the US. However, Trump did not present any evidence of this happening, and CNN stated that they did a "broad search" for any evidence of this story, though they could not find anything. Even anti-immigration groups have no idea what Trump was talking about.

Trump also claimed that Biden has an "open borders" policy. However, it was pointed out that the Biden administration has maintained many of the policies of the Trump administration, and it has even announced the sending of around 1,500 active-duty troops to the US-Mexico border.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Suffers Another Defeat

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Trump asked if he stands by comments from 'Access Hollywood' tape. Hear his response - CNN
As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Christen Linke Young, Deputy Assistant to the President for Health and Veterans Affairs in the White House Domestic Policy Council, today convened representatives from state and local government for a forum on mental health and well being.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and senior White House officials participated in the convening.

READ NEXT: FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology



Tackling the mental health crisis is a key pillar of President Joe Biden's Unity Agenda. The Biden administration has focused on advancing the president's mental health strategy across its three objectives: strengthening system capacity, connecting more Americans to care, and creating healthy and supportive environments.

As part of that work, the administration has expanded access to mental health services, investing billions of dollars through the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and has proposed tens of billions in further support in his budget request for FY 2024.

During the Forum, Becerra laid out the whole-of-society response to this crisis, including the Department's launch of 988, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and FindSupport.gov, as well as the expansion of mental health services to support youth in schools and in communities.

Senior White House staff, mayors, county elected leaders, and representatives also discussed how Medicaid waivers can be leveraged for comprehensive mental health service provision and how important investments are being made to grow and diversify the behavioral health workforce.

Senior White House staff thanked state and local leaders, and the National Governors Association (NGA), National League of Cities (NLC), and National Association of Counties (NACo) for their leadership and affirmed the administration's support and partnership in addressing the mental health crisis.

Participating State and Local Leaders in Attendance Included:

Dr. April Aycock, Director, Office of Mental Health , Monroe County, New York

Kathryn Barger, Supervisor, Los Angeles County, California

Mary Ann Borgeson, Commissioner, Douglas County, Nebraska

Dr. Kathleen Burke, Director, Will County Health Department, Will County, Illinois

Therese Brown, Commissioner, Allen County, Indiana

Dow Constantine, County Executive, King County, Washington

David Crowley, Executive, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

Bryan Davis, Commissioner, Scioto County, Ohio

Jerry Demings, County Mayor, Orange County, Florida

Clay Jenkins, Judge, Dallas County, Texas

Sherman P. Lea, Mayor & NLC Cities of Opportunity Initiative, City of Roanoke, Virginia

Steven Leifman, Judge, Miami Dade County, Florida

Dr. Gina Nikkel, Executive Director, Association of Oregon Counties

Hillary Schieve, Mayor & Incoming President of U.S. Conference of Mayors, City of Reno, Nevada

Dr. Laura Herrera Scott, Maryland Health Secretary

Helen Stone, Commissioner, Chatham County, Georgia

Steve Williams, Mayor & NLC Health Committee, City of Huntington, West Virginia

Denise Winfrey, National Association of Counties (NACo) President, Will County, Illinois

READ MORE: President Biden Announces Key Nominees
A day after President Joe Biden spoke with Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the US has sanctioned Sinaloa Cartel leaders, including the notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera's son, over fentanyl trafficking.

The Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico's most powerful drug cartels, is reportedly the leading trafficker of fentanyl to the US.

According to the Associated Press, these sanctions were designated by the US Treasury Department on Tuesday to one of El Chapo's sons, Los Chapitos member Joaquin Guzman Lopez as well as three other Sinaloa Cartel leaders and two business firms based in Mexico.

The sanctions mean that the named individuals' and firms' American-owned assets and bank accounts will be frozen. American citizens are also banned from dealing with them.

The sanctions are meant to financially hurt the Mexican drug cartel, as the group also operates in the US. The sanctioned firms are a chemical and lab equipment company based in Culiacan in Mexico's Sinaloa state and a real estate business in the same city.

In a phone conversation, Lopez Obrador reportedly talked with Biden about immigration, arms trafficking, and the fentanyl crisis.

READ NEXT: Mexico: Warring Cartels Block Roads Near US Border

Aside From El Chapo's Son, 3 Other Sinaloa Cartel Leaders Also Sanctioned by the US

While El Chapo's son was the biggest name in the list of people and companies sanctioned by the US government, three other Sinaloa Cartel leaders have also been named.

They were Raymundo Perez Uribe, Saul Paez Lopez, and Mario Esteban Ogazon Sedano, who were marked as "designated" by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which means their assets held in US financial institutions were frozen and blocked.

According to CBS News, Perez Uribe leads a supplier network that the Sinaloa Cartel uses to obtain the chemicals used to create illegal narcotics.

On the other hand, Paez Lopez is reportedly responsible for coordinating drug shipments for members of the cartel's Los Chapitos faction.

Ogazon Sedano is the one responsible for buying the chemicals needed to make the drugs and operating illegal drug factories.

The two Mexican companies were sanctioned over their "involvement" with members and associates of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The cartel, which El Chapo founded in the 1980s, has been operating in the US and Mexico for decades. It is accused of being responsible for the largest amount of illegal fentanyl trafficked into the US.

The Sinaloa Cartel usually does this by exporting chemicals from China before using these chemicals to create illegal drugs in clandestine labs across Mexico.

They then employ drug mules and various methods to smuggle narcotics across the US.-Mexico border.

El Chapo's Sons, Known as Los Chapitos, Deny Being Leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel

The four sons of ex-Sinaloa Cartel boss El Chapo, collectively known as "Los Chapitos," have denied allegations that they were major drug traffickers flooding the US with fentanyl.

In a letter published by the Mexican news outlet Milenio earlier this month, El Chapo's sons wrote: "We have never produced, manufactured or marketed fentanyl or any of its derivatives."

The letter was sent to Milenio by Jose Refugio Rodriguez, who confirmed to Reuters that he is a lawyer of the Guzman family.

In the letter, the Los Chapitos also denied being the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, saying they were just victims of an international misinformation campaign by firms, the media, and public figures that have painted them to be notorious drug traffickers.

"We are not the head of the Sinaloa Cartel nor are we interested in being... We are victims of persecution and have been made into scapegoats," they wrote.

The letter of Los Chapitos was a response to last month's press conference in Washington, where senior US officials said the Sinaloa Cartel was the main supplier of illegal fentanyl to the US.

The officials particularly blamed the Los Chapitos of the Sinaloa Cartel for worsening the opioid addiction epidemic in the US.

El Chapo's sons, namely Ovidio Guzman Lopez, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, are the Los Chapitos, who had reportedly assumed leadership roles in the Sinaloa Cartel after their father was arrested and extradited to the US.

Last month, the US Department of Justice charged 28 members and leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, including Los Chapitos. The indictment charged El Chapo's sons with large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and "violent crimes."

Only three of the Los Chapitos remain at large as Ovidio Guzman was already arrested last January 5 by Mexican authorities in Mexico's Sinaloa state. He remains detained in Mexico pending extradition proceedings to the U.S.

READ MORE: Los Chapitos, Among 28 Sinaloa Cartel Members Charged by US Government

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Sinaloa Princes: El Chapo's Sons Embrace the Cartel - From Reuters
More than 10,000 migrants were apprehended at the US-Mexico border in just 24 hours, raising concerns about what comes next when Title 42 immigration policy expires this week.

The nearly 11,000 border apprehensions in a single day is reportedly a record and surpass expectations of 10,000 per day predicted by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials on what could come when the Trump-era policy ends late Thursday.

According to BBC, El Paso in Texas was the first to experience a sample of the border "crisis" ahead of Title 42 expiration, with bewildered migrants forced to live in impromptu camps on the streets, unsure of what would happen when US policies change.

Thousands have camped overnight near a city church, and Mayor Oscar Leeser admitted Wednesday that they have "never seen this before."

He added that "something has to change" because as a community, they "can't do this forever." President Joe Biden said that despite the officials' best efforts, the border would be "chaotic for a time."

Since 2020, Title 42 has allowed US authorities to quickly expel migrants trying to cross the US-Mexico border, including asylum seekers, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a justification.

However, thousands of migrants still attempted to cross the US-Mexico border. The influx of migrants has strained resources and left border communities searching for solutions.

READ NEXT: Texas Agencies Buckle Up for the Influx of Migrants

US-Mexico Border States and Cities Are Bracing Up Ahead of Title 42 Expiration

According to Al Jazeera, preparations are underway in border states and cities along the US-Mexico border as officials brace themselves for a surge in undocumented immigrants.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently announced that he would send the state's new "Texas Tactical Border Force to the border, under the control of the Texas national guard.

On Tuesday, US Customs and Border Protection officials conducted a "targeted enforcement operation" in El Paso which has seen an increase in irregular crossings in the past days.

The DHS is planning to limit the number of legal travelers across the Paso Del Norte port of entry to focus on security.

Three Texas cities, namely Brownsville, Laredo, and El Paso, where hundreds of migrants, mostly from Latin America and some from China, Russia, and Turkey, have already declared a state of emergency as they struggle to cope with the influx of migrants.

Leeser said preparations are being made for the arrival of more migrants on Friday, which is estimated to be between 8,000 and 10,000.

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs recently noted that the state would continue to relocate people illegally crossing the border to other parts of the US.

At Least 100,000 Latin Americans to Reunite With Families

The Biden administration has announced a plan to allow a minimum of 100,000 Latin Americans to reunite with their families in the US. This idea was revealed just before the expiration of Title 42, the Associated Press reported.

During a recent visit to the border city of Brownsville, Texas, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said that individuals would need to apply for authorization to join their relatives in the US at regional processing centers.

These hubs will be extended throughout the Western Hemisphere, starting in Guatemala and Colombia.

Mayorkas noted that the centers would process petitions for family reunification parole, applications for the US refugee program, and humanitarian parole for people who were found to be highly vulnerable.

A new family reunification parole program has been established to aid the entry of immediate family members of US citizens and lawful permanent residents from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Colombia.

The US government will invite those who qualify for participation in the program. Approved individuals will be granted advance travel authorization and the opportunity to apply for employment authorization in the US.

The administration has promised to provide more details by mid-June. Citing the US State Department data, Migration Policy Center's Julia Gelatt said at least 284,000 Latin Americans had already filed family sponsorship petitions.

That includes 78,000 Salvadorans, 57,000 Hondurans, 58,000 Guatemalans, and 56,000 Colombians.

READ MORE: Mexico to Discuss Migration With Joe Biden

This is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Border Braces for Influx of Migrants as Title 42 Expires - From ABC News
Robert De Niro shocked the world when he revealed in an interview earlier this week that he "just had a baby" with his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen.

According to Daily Mail, Chen, 45, was spotted out with their newborn baby just days after the 79-year-old iconic actor announced he welcomed his seventh child.

Chen was photographed by the outlet holding her little one to her chest while walking in New York City on Wednesday, accompanied by a male assistant who pushed the stroller.

De Niro's baby was wrapped in a pink onesie and a white blanket. However, the child's name and gender have yet to be revealed.

On the other hand, Chen wore a gray tracksuit, an oversized black T-shirt, and sneakers, and she appeared to blend in with the crowd with the help of sunglasses and a surgical mask.

Unfortunately, the busy, noisy streets of the city were a bit much for the baby, who was once seen crying in Chen's arms during the outing.

The pregnancy of De Niro's girlfriend was not publicly known until she was photographed with a baby bump last month while out on a dinner date.

The actor's announcement of the new addition to their family surprised and shocked many, but he told Page Six that the couple had planned to expand their family.

READ NEXT: Robert De Niro's Home Gets Broken Into

Robert De Niro Welcomes 7th Child at 79

Robert De Niro is now one of the oldest male celebrities to become a father again, like Mick Jagger, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin.

Despite the challenges of caring for a newborn at his age, the "Raging Bull" star seemed unfazed. He already dealt with fatherhood at a late age with the birth of his daughter Helen Grace in 2011 when he was 68.

While De Niro could get some help from his much younger girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, or a caregiver, he can also seek emotional support from other well-known older fathers.

According to Mercury News, several other renowned and wealthy men who became fathers late in life did not have much time with their newborns. Despite this, De Niro seems ready to embrace the challenge of raising another child, even at an older age.

Robert De Niro's Girlfriend, Tiffany Chen

Tiffany Chen is a skilled kickboxer who comes from a family of Kung Fu and Tai Chi masters, according to Fox News. Chen has won numerous international medals for her martial arts prowess and works as a teacher at her father's Tai Chi academy.

In an interview with Inside Kung-Fu magazine, Chen said she never practiced Tai Chi with the intention of fighting, but a physical altercation with another student led her to embrace the sport.

According to Chen, surrounding oneself with positive influences is vital to success.

"I surround myself with generous, beautiful people," she said, adding that having positive individuals in your life generates a mutually beneficial relationship that improves the standard of living for everyone involved.

Chen first met De Niro on the set of his movie, "The Intern," in 2015, when she was spotted giving a Tai Chi lesson to him and co-star Anne Hathaway. However, the couple started dating years later.

In 2021, De Niro and Chen sparked dating rumors after they were seen leaving the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes while celebrating the actor's 78th birthday.

READ MORE: Ray Liotta Cause Of Death

This is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Robert De Niro Reveals He "Just Had a Baby" at 79, Now Is a Dad of 7 - From PEOPLE
YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee has called for sanctions against senior Azerbaijani officials for manufacturing a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh with the blockade.

150 days into Baku's blockade of Nagorno Karabakh, it is clear that [Azerbaijani President] Aliyev is manufacturing a humanitarian crisis & cutting off power for critical infrastructure. Sanctions for senior Azerbaijani officials must be on the table as we apply pressure to open the Lachin Corridor, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee tweeted.

Lachin Corridor  the only road linking Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world  has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022. The United Nations highest court  the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - ordered Azerbaijan on 22 February 2023 to take all steps at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. Azerbaijan has so far ignored the order.
Chicago, also renowned as the "Windy City," is the third-largest city in the United States and is located in Illinois. It is home to several significant industries, such as finance, healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing. Additionally, Chicago is known for its rich history, diverse culture, and world-renowned architecture. Chicago, a bustling city in Illinois, has numerous industries and businesses. These companies employ thousands of workers; unfortunately, workplace accidents and injuries are common. Suppose you have been injured on the job. In that case, having a skilled Chicago workers compensation attorney on your side is essential to help you navigate the legal system and obtain the compensation you deserve.

However, not all workers' compensation lawyers are created equal. Choosing the wrong lawyer can lead to unnecessary stress, frustration, and financial loss. This post will discuss the top mistakes to avoid when selecting a workers' compensation lawyer.

Not conducting the proper research before hiring a lawyer

One of the most typical mistakes people make when hiring a workers' compensation lawyer is not conducting proper research. It is vital to do your due diligence and potential research lawyers before deciding. You can start by looking for lawyers in your area specializing in workers' compensation law. You can also ask for recommendations from acquaintances, family, or colleagues who have gone through a similar situation.

Another way to conduct research is to look at online reviews and ratings of lawyers. Many websites offer reviews and ratings of lawyers. These websites can provide valuable information about a lawyer's reputation, experience, and track record in handling workers' compensation cases.

Choosing a lawyer solely based on their fees

Another common mistake when hiring a workers' compensation lawyer is choosing a lawyer solely based on their fees. While it's essential to consider the costs associated with hiring a lawyer, it should not be the only factor in your decision. Many lawyers offer free consultations, and it's essential to take advantage of these consultations to evaluate the lawyer's experience, qualifications, and communication skills.

It's also important to remember that lawyers who charge higher fees may have more experience and a better track record in handling workers' compensation cases. So, while it may be tempting to choose a lawyer who offers lower fees, it's essential to consider the value you'll get from hiring an experienced and qualified lawyer.

Failing to check the lawyer's experience in handling workers' compensation cases

One of the most critical factors when hiring a workers' compensation lawyer is their experience handling similar cases. It's essential to choose a lawyer with experience handling workers' compensation cases and who is familiar with your state's workers' compensation laws.

You can ask the lawyer about their experience handling workers' compensation cases and ask for examples of cases they have handled. You can also check the lawyer's website or online profiles to see if they specialize in workers' compensation law.

Hiring a Lawyer who does not specialize in workers' compensation law

Another common mistake is hiring a lawyer who does not specialize in workers' compensation law. Choosing a lawyer specializing in workers' compensation law with experience handling these cases is essential. Workers' compensation law is complex, and choosing a lawyer familiar with your state's laws and regulations is essential.

Not checking the lawyer's track record in winning workers' compensation cases

Another critical factor when hiring a workers' compensation lawyer is their track record in winning cases. You can ask the lawyer about their success rate in handling workers' compensation cases and ask for examples of cases they have won. You can also check online reviews and ratings of the lawyer to see if they have a good track record in handling these types of cases.

Choosing a lawyer who does not communicate effectively or promptly

Effective communication is essential when working with a lawyer. Choosing a lawyer who communicates effectively and promptly and keeps you informed throughout the legal process is essential. You can evaluate the lawyer's communication skills during your initial consultation and ask them how they plan to communicate with you throughout the case. It's essential to choose a responsive lawyer who is easy to reach via phone, email, or other means of communication.

Hiring a lawyer who does not have a good reputation in the legal community

Another mistake people make when hiring a workers' compensation lawyer is not considering the lawyer's reputation in the legal community. A lawyer's reputation can impact their ability to negotiate with insurance companies or represent you in court. It's essential to choose a lawyer who has a good reputation in the legal community and is respected by their peers.

You can check online reviews and ratings of the lawyer to see what their clients and other lawyers are saying about them. You can also check if the lawyer has any disciplinary actions or complaints against them.

Not asking the lawyer about their strategy for your case

Choosing a lawyer with a clear strategy for handling your case is essential. You can ask the lawyer about their approach to your case and how they plan to negotiate with insurance companies or represent you in court. You can also ask the lawyer about their experience handling cases similar to yours and their success rate in winning these cases.

Failing to review the lawyer's contract thoroughly before signing

Before hiring a workers' compensation lawyer, reviewing their contract thoroughly and understanding the terms and conditions is essential. You should ask the lawyer about their fee structure, payment schedule, and any other costs associated with your case. You should also ask about the lawyer's policy on communication and how often they will update you on your case. It's essential to ensure you understand the contract before signing it and to ask any questions.

Choosing a lawyer who does not make you feel comfortable or confident about your case

Finally, choosing a lawyer who makes you feel comfortable and confident about your case is crucial. You should choose a lawyer who listens to your concerns and takes the time to explain the legal process to you. You should also choose a lawyer you feel comfortable working with and trust to represent your interests.

Conclusion

Selecting a Chicago workers compensation attorney is a crucial decision that can impact the outcome of your case. To ensure you choose the right lawyer, avoid the above-mentioned mistakes. Take the time to research the lawyer's experience and qualifications, ask the right questions, and make sure they specialize in workers' compensation law. Additionally, be sure to understand their fee structure and availability to prevent any surprises down the line. By taking these steps, you can find a skilled and experienced workers' compensation lawyer to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.



Join LAWyersClubIndia's network for daily News Updates, Judgment Summaries, Articles, Forum Threads, Online Law Courses, and MUCH MORE!!"





Join our Telegram group

Join our Whatsapp group

"Loved reading this piece by Yaksh Sharma Join LAWyersClubIndia's network for daily News Updates, Judgment Summaries, Articles, Forum Threads, Online Law Courses, and MUCH MORE!!"

Tags : others
Theres nothing like Nominations Day in Freddyworld.

The announcement of the 2023 Freddy Awards nominations, the unofficial kick-off to two weeks of Freddys anticipation, aired live at noon on Thursday on WFMZ Channel 69 News. By the time the full list was read 29 schools had been sent into a frenzy at least once, some quite a few times.

Parkland High Schools production of Rodgers and Hammersteins Oklahoma! led the way with 16 nominations.

MORE: See the full list of 2023 Freddy Award nominees

Freedom High School was among the most-nominated bunch, which notched 10 noms for its production of Disneys Beauty and the Beast, including one for Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical.

The students involved in the production, decked out in matching purple T-shirts, gathered in the schools aerobics room to watch the broadcast.

The first cheers went up just at mentions of the Freddys as the WFMZ noon broadcast began  and as a container of cookies was opened and passed around.

The room hushed as the nominations were read. Shouts and hands filled the air each time Freedoms name was read. The quiet disappointment was heavy when it was not.

Justin Amann, Freedoms theater director, corralled the students when it was over, offering congratulations to his nominees and comfort to others whose names were not called. The production is the sum of all efforts, he reminded the students.

MORE: Full Freddy Awards coverage

Over in New Jersey, there was nothing mysterious or spooky going on at Phillipsburg High School  quite the opposite, in fact, as students were rapturous in their excitement as they watched the announcements live.

Four young actors, all seniors, from the schools The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy production heard their names called during the broadcast. Jake Delesky (Leading Role), Tyler Borneo (Featured Performance), Jacob ten Bosch (Supporting Role) and RJ Kloecker (Male Ensemble Member) each earned an individual nomination, making up half of Phillipsburgs eight total nominations. Delesky, Borneo and ten Bosch each won a Freddy last year for the schools production of Guys & Dolls.

To be nominated feels absolutely surreal, said Borneo, who played Fester Addams. Ive been doing theater since I was six years old, so this is truly an honor. His classmates echoed his gratitude.

Across the river, students at Easton Area High School, who produced Once Upon A Mattress this spring, were gathered for a watch party replete with pizza and, once the nominations came rolling in, tears of joy.

Senior Hannah Relvas said she couldnt contain her excitement when her name was called among nominees for the Vic Kumma Award for Outstanding Solo Vocal Performance.

Were all so excited, said senior Hannah Relvas. I was also shaking when I was messaging my dad, my hands were going nonstop and I could not text at all.

Relvas was one of a few Easton individuals nominated for their roles. Fellow senior Theo Haddock was nominated in the Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actor category. Both Relvas and Haddock will now begin preparations for the Freddy Awards group performance. Itll be the first time both actors have performed on the State Theatre stage.

I used to be terrified of going on stages. I had awful stage fright, but I started doing theatre and it suddenly went away. I dont know how that works but now its the only thing I want to do is perform for people, Theo Haddock said.

One of the productions biggest nominations is thanks to students that dont always get their moment in the spotlight. The stage crew rarely gets the credit its due, because if crew members do their jobs well, their imprint on the production is essentially invisible to the untrained eye.

Tech has always been under the radar. We dont get as many opportunities to get recognized as the cast, so when something like this happens, its very exciting, said senior Nicholas Romfo, the stage manager for Eastons production. Romfo and the rest of the crews behind-the-scenes skills were evident to Freddys voters, though, because it nabbed a nomination for Outstanding Stage Crew.

Those Freddy noms are just a few of the six that Easton garnered for Once Upon a Mattress, each of which sent a wave of excitement throughout the room when they were announced during the broadcast.

This program has been a huge part of my life, Relvas said. Having the Freddy Awards a week before graduation is like the final send off and I think Im going to cry. Thatll probably happen, but its a great way to end a great four years.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com.
The controversial After School Satan Club held its first meeting Wednesday at Saucon Valley Middle School.

Some protesters held signs and prayed outside the meeting, according to news reports.
A state senator is once again trying to modernize Pennsylvanias liquor system by expanding access to pre-packaged cocktails.

The legislation would allow restaurants, bars, taverns, beer distributors, grocery and convenience stores that sell beer and wine to add these popular canned cocktails such as rum punch, pina coladas and margaritas to their product list.

Currently, the state-owned liquor stores have the market cornered on the sale of these so-called ready-to-drink, or RTD, products in Pennsylvania.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Mike Regan, R-Cumberland/York counties, moved out of the Senate Law & Justice Committee on Wednesday by a 6-5 vote. Some of those who dissented expressed an interest in working with Regan to further fine tune the bill to try to find middle ground as the bill moves through the legislative approval process. Regan was amenable to that.

Whats in the proposal: Regans legislation tries to strike a balance among the various interests on this issue by limiting the RTDs sold outside of liquor stores to have no more than a 4.5% alcohol by volume, while the RTDs available in liquor stores can have a higher alcohol volume.

It also limits the size of the containers sold outside of liquor stores to 16 ounces with a maximum total sale of off-premises consumption of 192 fluid ounces at bars and restaurants. The RTDs sold in liquor stores would not face those same restrictions and neither would beer distributors under this proposal.

RTDs surveys say: According to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board which oversees liquor sales in the state, a recent analysis reviewing Neilson, Census and National Alcohol Beverage Control Association data found that Pennsylvanians RTD consumption (per capita for individuals 21 years and older) is more than three times the U.S. average and higher than that of neighboring states including New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Virginia.

A recent survey commissioned by Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. showed RTDs to be the fastest growing spirit category. Further, it found consumers support greater access to these products, including in grocery and convenience stores, with 86% agreeing that spirits RTDs should be sold where beer and wine are available for purchase.

Whats behind the bill: Pennsylvania stands to make between $150 million and $200 million in tax revenue (annually) by year three, Regan said. This is a demand of the people of Pennsylvania who are going to New Jersey and Delaware and Maryland to purchase the products they need because they cant be purchased here so that was driving it.

Regan said the PLCB testified at a 2021 hearing that its 600 stores lack the shelf space or the refrigeration necessary to transport these products to liquor licensees. Beyond that, he said only between 60 and 100 of RTD products are sold through the states liquor system when there are in excess of 2,000 of these products available in the country.

What PLCB has to say: Since the last time the PLCB testified on this topic and based on the concerns raised at that time, we have expanded RTD availability to meet consumer demand, said PLCB spokesman Shawn Kelly. The PLCB has adapted, allocating more floor and display space to RTDs and growing our RTD portfolio to include proven customer favorites and new, exciting options just hitting the market. This spring and summer our stores prominently feature new and popular RTDs so they are quite visible and easily accessible to customers. We have also increased refrigeration space in our Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores.

About the number of different RTD products it sells, Kelly said, Variety of brands is less important to Pennsylvanians than familiarity of brands and variety of flavors.

This fiscal year the PLCB anticipates hitting about $80 million in sales of canned RTDs, he said.

Background: Regan attempted in 2021 to loosen the liquor law to allow these pre-packaged cocktails to be sold in more places by adding it to a bill that passed the House of Representatives to make permanent a short-term pandemic rule that permitted bars to sell up to a gallon of mixed drinks on a to-go basis. Packaged together, the bill never made it to the governors desk.

Regan also offered his RTD bill as a standalone measure. It narrowly passed the Senate but died due to inaction in the House.

What other people say: Sen. Jim Brewster, D-Allegheny County, was among those at the committee meeting to raise a concern about the financial impact this proposal could have on the PLCB and its employees.

He said the revenue the state derives from the PLCB has been stable and increasing. But privatizing a part of the LCBs operation could mean losing profit while putting several thousand liquor store employees jobs at risk.

Its a very complicated discussion, Brewster said. And I still maintain that our state store system is valuable. Its one of the few assets that the taxpayers in Pennsylvania have.

Sen. Jimmy Dillon, D-Philadelphia, said, I believe theres a path forward to finding that balance for what is fair for Pennsylvania taxpayers as well as finding the availability for the product. I think we can all agree that we would like to see a greater retail access for these products. But we must give careful consideration to the LCB employees and families and sustaining jobs of that nature.

Brewster and Dillon were among those who voted against the bill along with the other Democrats on the committee. Sen. Frank Farry of Bucks County, was the lone Republican to vote against the bill.

Meanwhile, Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association, said Regans bill, if enacted, would mark a major change to the current system, and would hurt small business bars, taverns, and licensed restaurants. The legislation doesnt provide the 10% discount that bars and restaurants currently receive when buying liquor products in Pennsylvania and the distribution system favors large player over small businesses when it comes to pricing and delivery, he said.

Moran added, It grants the right to sell liquor to licenses that currently do not have that right. As we saw in the past, when [bars and restaurants] lost the exclusive right to sell six-packs-to-go  and beer distributors gained the right to sell down to a growler  small business taverns, bars, and restaurants lost a significant amount of revenue.

Andy Deloney, a senior vice president for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, said, We are happy to see this bill move through committee and are hopeful the Senate will see the great value it provides for local businesses and consumers. Spirits RTDs contain the same amount of alcohol as the beer and wine products already being sold in these stores. There is no reason to treat these similar products differently.

A spokesman for Gov. Josh Shapiro declined comment about the legislation.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.
YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Armenian lawmakers have met with United States Congressman Frank Pallone, Nancy Pelosi and other members of the Congressional Armenian Caucus to discuss the democratic reforms in Armenia and the ongoing peace talks.

Met with Members of the Armenia-USA Friendship Group, the parliamentary equivalent of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, Pallone tweeted. We had a great discussion about the democratic reforms taking place in Armenia, the ongoing peace talks, & ways to strengthen the US-Armenia relationship, he added.
Almost one million euro has been paid out under the business energy support scheme in Laois.

Laois Offaly TD Barry Cowen asked Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath how many businesses in Offaly, Laois, Longford and Westmeath benefitted from the Governments Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme.

Replying to the Parliamentary Question, Minister for Finance Michael McGrath said the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) was introduced to support qualifying businesses with increases in their electricity or natural gas costs arising from Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The scheme provides support to qualifying businesses in respect of energy costs relating to the period from 1 September 2022 to 30 April 2023. The TBESS is available to eligible tax compliant businesses carrying on a trade or profession,  explained Minister McGrath.

In Laois some 412 businesses applied under the scheme. Of these 407 were successful and to date 1.03 million has been approved of which 950,000 has been paid out.

In Offaly, of the 449 businesses who applied, 444 were approved and have so far drawn down 910,000 of an approved 950,000.

For claim periods falling between September 2022 and February 2023, qualifying businesses can claim for 40% of the increases in their energy bills when compared to their bills for the reference period which is the corresponding calendar month in the previous year.

As part of enhancements to the scheme that are provided for in Finance Bill 2023 the level of relief increases from 40% of the uplift in energy cost to 50% from 1 March 2023, subject to the relevant monthly caps contained in the legislation. In addition Finance Bill 2023 reduces the entry threshold for the scheme from a 50% increase in average unit price to a 30% increase. The scheme will also be extended to 31 May 2023, said Minister McGrath.

Pictured above: A breakdown of the payments as of May 4, 2023

Businesses which are eligible for TBESS can register for the scheme via Revenues online service and comprehensive guidelines on the operation of the scheme are available on the Revenue website.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the HSE acted fairly and reasonably when it suspended and recommended that consultant gynaecologist Professor Ray O'Sullivan be dismissed from his former job at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny.

Late last year Professor O'Sullivan settled his lengthy legal battle with the HSE over his suspension from his position on foot of complaints made against him in 2019.

It had been alleged that he carried out unauthorised and unapproved actions and procedures on five female patients in September 2018.

Prof O'Sullivan had denied any wrongdoing, and following a mediation the consultant settled his action against the HSE on confidential terms and has resumed practising medicine.

However, the HSE sought to have one discrete issue that arose out of the litigation, concerning the fairness of its decision to suspend Prof O'Sullivan and recommend to a Ministerial committee that he be dismissed, determined by the Supreme Court.

In a 4 to 1 decision the Supreme Court overturned an earlier Court of Appeal finding of March 2022 that Prof O'Sullivan was entitled to an order quashing the HSE's decision to place him on administrative leave in August 2019, and that he be allowed to return to work.

The High Court had previously ruled that Professor O'Sullivan was not entitled to orders quashing the decision to suspend him.

The Supreme Court deemed that the HSE's appeal against the CoA's finding regarding his suspension raised an issue of public importance regarding challenges to an employer's power to suspend an employee deemed to pose an immediate and serious risk to health safety and welfare of patients and staff.

The Court also considered what procedures are necessitated before an employee can be suspended from their job.

Giving the majority decision Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne said that there was significant evidence available to allow the HSE place Professor O'Sullivan on administrative leave.

This evidence included allegations that there was an absence of consent from the patients who were the subject of the study, the lack of ethical approval for the procedure and the use of non-hospital equipment in the course of the procedure, the judge said.

Ms Justice Dunne also found that the HSE's decision of January 2020, after several reports into the procedures allegedly carried out by the consultant were carried out, to recommend Prof O Sullivan's dismissal was not unreasonable, irrational, or arbitrary.

In a concurring judgement, the Chief Justice Mr Justice Donal O'Donnell held that the HSE was entitled to rely on several expert reports it had received regarding the allegations against Prof O'Sullivan, which recommended the Professor be placed on administrative leave.

The Chief Justice said that the HSE had a 'bona fida' view that the behaviour of Professor O'Sullivan gave rise to an immediate and serious risk to the health, welfare and safety of patients or staff and that he should have been suspended.

That view was not irrational, the Chief Justice concluded.

Mr Justice Peter Charleton and Ms Justice Marie Baker concurred with the majority decision.

In a dissenting judgement, Mr Justice Seamus Woulfe held that the HSE was not entitled to require Professor O'Sullivan to take administrative leave.

The Judge said that the HSE had failed to take into account certain relevant matters when forming the view that Prof O'Sullivan posed a risk to patient safety.

These failures included the fact that a report concerning the allegations did not identify any ongoing risk to patients.

Mr Justice Woulfe also found that the HSE came to a conclusion regarding Prof O'Sullivan that was so unreasonable, that no reasonable decision-maker could ever have come to.

The decision, the judge said, was made in circumstances where it did not appear to anyone in the HSE that there might be an immediate and serious risk to patients between September 2018 and August 2019.

The judge concluded that it was bizarre and irrational having regard as to how matters had developed during that particular time frame.

In his action against the HSE Prof O'Sullivan had argued that the investigation against him was flawed because he has been an "outspoken advocate for patient's rights and in particular pregnant women" and has made public remarks critical of St Lukes' management.

He had also claimed that proper reasons were not given by the HSE regarding its recommendation that he be dismissed.
Just one complaint of assault or other abuse by prisons officers in jails in Portlaoise and elsewhere was upheld last year according to prison officers.

Tony Power, Prison Officer Association, President said, just one prisoner made 10% of all Category A complaints. He also warned that man complaints have no foundation but can have a detrimental impact on staff.

Category A complaints are complaints alleging assault or use of excessive force against a prisoner, or ill treatment, racial abuse, discrimination, intimidation, threats or any other conduct against a prisoner of a nature and gravity likely to bring discredit on the Irish Prison Service.

It is important for everyone involved in the prison service to note that in 2022, 68 Category A complaints were made against our members, and one was upheld," said Mr Power.

"Lets call a spade a spade, everybody in the system knows that most Category A complaints are vexatious, a fact that is borne out by the statistics provided to the POA by the Irish Prison Service.

"These statistics also show that one was responsible for over 10% of all Category A complaints in 2022, and you may ask why? Its because they can  and they know that there are no repercussions for accusing an officer in the wrong or tarnishing their good name. This is simply unacceptable, unfair and unjust, he said.

Mr Power spoke about the impact of complaints on officers and questioned the model used to handle complaints.

Its important for me to state that apart from the threat of assaults one of the biggest concerns among our members is being the subject of a vexatious prisoner complaint. We have all seen the detrimental effect of being the victim of a vexatious complaint can have on the mental health of an officer.

"In wider society, if a person makes a complaint to the Gardai and it is found to be vexatious, that person can be prosecuted for wasting Garda time and resources, and rightly so. Not so in the Prison Service.

"These vexatious complaints can bring the career of a professional and hardworking prison officer to a grinding halt. The way the complaints structure is designed means that the better an officer does their job the more likely they are to be the subject of a vexatious complaint.

The structure of the Complaints system means that an officer who is the subject of a vexatious complaint is remarkably not entitled to any form of redress. The process a dealing with a complaint can drag on for months, even years," he said.

Mr Power spoke about a recent case.

"I have dealt with a case recently where a complaint was lodged in June but the officer in question was not informed until December, a full six months later and even then, was only informed that they were the subject of a Category A complaint citing mistreatment. Nothing more was heard about the incident, or the prisoner involved.

"This process continued for several months before the officer involved was informed that the process was complete, and they had no case to answer. This is just one example of a flawed process; I could give many more. Justice delayed is justice denied, he said.

He asked the Minister for Justice to change the system.

"If the shoe was on the other foot and an officer made a false allegation against a prisoner, I can assure you that officer would be subjected to the full rigors of the Disciplinary Code. We must find a way of doing better on this ongoing issue Minister, our members deserve a more just system, he said.

He was speaking at the Prison Officers Annual Delegate Conference held recently in Galway.
Local Laois business, OMimos from Portarlington, took part in the 2023 Food Academy programme, which is a tailored business development programme for early to mid-stage producers, supported by SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office.

OMimos are passionate about chilli, producing four products under the OMimos Chilli Madness brand, three of which are chilli sauces with varying degrees of hotness, while the fourth product is the unique Apple Chilli Sage Jam made with Irish Bramley Apples.

SuperValu is celebrating 10 years of the Food Academy programme, with 230m of Food Academy products sold in SuperValu stores over the last decade. Food Academy producers are continuing to perform strongly, supporting 1,500 jobs through the programme which offers considerable benefits to both local communities and the national economy.

More than 1,000 local food producers have completed the Food Academy programme since its inception, with over 300 Food Academy producers regularly stocked in SuperValu stores across the country, including OMimos, across 52 weeks of the year. The initiative provides training in food safety, market research, branding, marketing, finance, sustainability, and business development through a range of dedicated workshops. Food Academy producers also have the opportunity to feature their products on SuperValu shelves nationwide, giving them real, tangible opportunities for growth in the market.

This milestone anniversary comes as new research by Bord Bia and B&A reveal that 90% of consumers choose to buy locally produced food, with more than 2 in 3 (68%) buying this category at least weekly. The main driver for purchasing locally produced food is a desire to support the local economy and jobs. Secondary drivers are that locally produced food is fresher, better quality and good for the environment. Consumers are seeking out locally produced products, with more than half of consumers expecting to buy locally produced products in the next six months*.

This year, 23 new Food Academy entrants are launching a wide variety of products including naturally leavened sourdough bread, low sugar fruit jam, organic microgreens & eggs, as well as products utilising spent grain to make protein snacks, and used coffee grinds to create a tan-removing soap.

Speaking on the 10th anniversary of Food Academy, Ian Allen, Managing Director, SuperValu said: The Food Academy is a fantastic collaboration between SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office which has gone from strength to strength over the last 10 years, enhancing and supporting the growth of Irelands food and drink sector.

"Over the last 10 years, SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office have fostered a superb relationship through this programme and have been heartened and inspired by the innovation and leadership shown by over 1,000 Irish food producers who have participated in the programme since 2013.

"We are immensely proud of the success these brands have achieved in the last 10 years - some of whom include names like Lilys Tea and Janets Just Delicious. At SuperValu, we are committed to supporting local communities and the 230m sales of Food Academy products in SuperValu stores in the last 10 years is not only remarkable, but it is a testament to the calibre and quality of Irish producers who have gone through the programme.

Jim OToole, Bord Bia Chief Executive said: Bord Bia has supported Food Academy since its inception and is pleased to work in partnership with SuperValu and the Local Enterprise Office to nurture innovative food and drink businesses. Food Academy plays an important role in serving the needs of Irish consumers, with recent Bord Bia research proving the importance to consumers of being able to choose locally produced food, drink and horticulture.

Greg Swift, Head of Local Enterprise Office, Dublin added: The 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) work with a broad range of businesses. The food sector is an important sector and there are exciting and new innovations emerging linked to the changing demands of the consumer.

"The Food Academy programme addresses the challenge of product innovation, business planning, health regulation and the ultimate placing of product on SuperValu shelves. The LEOs have worked closely on the programme over 10 years with the strong support of Bord Bia and the SuperValu team. This is a productive relationship with the sole objective of delivering new Irish food businesses to the market, increasing sales, additional employment, and strong growth ambitions to the successful businesses.
A call has been made for housing applications to be done online.

Cllr Noel Connolly said the option should be made available.

He also told a Kildare County Council meeting that it should be possible for people to be able to track the progress of their applications whether on paper or online.

He said the existing paper system takes a lot of time and if it were done online the process would be streamlined.

He said that rather than awaiting developments at government level, KCC should itself launch an online method.

Cllr Suzanne Doyle said that the system should also be multi lingual to accommodate those who struggle with English.

KCC official Annette Aspell said that while this may be possible in local authorities in Dublin, the system used in Kildare and elsewhere does not accommodate this.

She said that while is it desirable, to deliver an online system locally would be a huge undertaking.

She said the council supports an online application process and a business case is currently being progressed for the sector by the Local Government Management Association. A key requirement of the business case is that the system must support the digitisation of social housing applications.

Ms Aspell said she could not confirm a timeframe for introduction of a new system at this stage, however, work is progressing to conclude the business case.

Read more Kildare news
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.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and US President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C., on May 9, 2023. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP

Cataclysm, catastrophe, collapse, Armageddon: This is the vocabulary currently being used by American economic commentators. According to the Treasury, the United States is only a few weeks away from possibly defaulting on its debt, the consequences of which on both the national and global economy are frightening. This threat has been recurrent. To avoid it, Congress usually agrees to raise the debt ceiling, which now stands at more than $31 trillion (28 trillion). Such a measure has been taken 20 times since 2001. But this customary approach is now under threat due to a radical move by the Republican party in the House of Representatives. They have decided to make the increase conditional on budget cuts, which is deemed unacceptable by President Joe Biden.

On Tuesday, May 9, the US president received Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, as well as other congressional leaders, both Democrats and Republicans, to the White House. "I didn't see any progress," McCarthy said afterward. His Republican colleague in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, assured, "The United States has never defaulted and never will." But McCarthy was careful not to make such a solemn promise. Another meeting between the same politicians and their advisors is scheduled for May 12.

In an early evening speech on Tuesday followed by a rare question-and-answer session with the press, Biden repeated that "default is not an option." The president said he was prepared to lead a separate discussion to reduce the country's debt, while emphasizing that his administration had already achieved a $1.7 trillion deficit reduction in two years. The White House's own tentative budget plan, which was put forward in early March, envisages a further reduction of $3 trillion over 10 years. To achieve this, the bill proposed, among other things, an increase in corporate taxes from 21% to 28% and the leeway for Medicare, the federal agency of the US Department of Health, to negotiate the price of drugs with the pharmaceutical industry.

Symbolic budget bill

For the time being, everyone is sticking to their guns. The Biden administration is refusing to be pressured by Congress about the government's ability to pay its debts and borrow money, arguing that the budget negotiations should be held separately. "The idea that we wouldn't pay our debt is just bizarre," Biden said in an interview on MSNBC on May 5. "It's estimated that if we didn't pay the debt, we'd lose 750,000 jobs. We'd have a recession. It would be a disaster." In both 2011 and 2013, during the Barack Obama presidency with Biden as vice president, a last-minute deal was struck, to avoid default. During Donald Trump's term, the debt ceiling was raised three times.

You have 59.32% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip toward Israel, in Gaza on May 10, 2023. FATIMA SHBAIR / AP

Israel's army and Gaza militants traded heavy cross-border fire Wednesday, May 10, with 22 Palestinians killed over two days amid the worst escalation of violence to hit the coastal territory in months.

Sirens in the Tel Aviv area and Israel's south warned of incoming rockets, with an Agence France-Presse (AFP) reporter observing launches from Gaza as Israeli officials said Egypt was working on a possible truce with the militant Islamic Jihad.

Smoke billowed from the densely populated coastal enclave after Israel announced it was targeting rocket launch sites of the Islamic Jihad. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant noted over 400 launches from Gaza late Wednesday, as the Islamic Jihad said Palestinian "resistance" was keeping up its fire. A home and car were hit by rockets in the southern Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Sderot, Israeli officials said, with the army announcing a series of new strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Read more Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A lethal status quo 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 ?

Gaza's Health Ministry said seven people were killed, a day after Israeli strikes on the Palestinian territory left 15 dead. Four of those killed Wednesday were fighters with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the group said. Late Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was "still in the midst of the campaign," noting that "no Israeli civilian has been wounded up to now."

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has escalated since Netanyahu's latest coalition, including extreme right and ultra-Orthodox parties, took office in December. It has come against the backdrop of Israel's biggest domestic crisis in decades around now-shelved judicial reforms proposed by the government of Netanyahu, himself on trial for corruption he denies.

Egypt ceasefire efforts

Earlier, an Israeli official had told AFP on condition of anonymity that Egypt was "trying to facilitate a ceasefire." Sources in Gaza close to the Islamic Jihad and Hamas confirmed Egyptian efforts to secure a truce, without providing further details.

The latest violence comes a day after Israeli strikes on Gaza killed three top Islamic Jihad militants and 12 others, including four children, according to a Health Ministry toll. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told public broadcaster Channel 11 late Wednesday that the Islamic Jihad was "begging for a ceasefire." Islamic Jihad had vowed Tuesday to retaliate, with Israel warning its residents near the border to stay near bomb shelters.

Ahead of Wednesday's exchange of fire, Gaza's usually bustling shops were closed. People in Gaza "expect the worst," said resident Monther Abdullah. "Everyone feels anxious and people aren't on the street much. I definitely feel like there's a war coming," the 50-year-old told AFP. In Tel Aviv, Odelia Abromovitch said the rocket fire at her city was "scary." "It's one of the first times I hear a siren in Tel Aviv," she said. "But this is the situation we live in."

West Bank deaths

The latest violence comes on the second anniversary of a devastating 11-day war fought between Gaza militants and Israel. Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou said Wednesday that "the strikes of the unified resistance are part of the process of responding to the massacre committed by [Israel]." Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad are considered terrorist organizations by Israel and the United States.

Among those killed Tuesday were four children and three senior Islamic Jihad operatives. The top militants were named as Jihad Ghannam, Khalil al-Bahtini and Tareq Ezzedine, a Gaza-based militant leader in the West Bank.

Earlier Wednesday, Israeli troops raided the West Bank town of Qabatiya, killing two people whom the army accused of firing at soldiers. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the two men as Ahmed Jamal Tawfiq Assaf, 19, and Rani Walid Ahmed Qatanat, 24.

'Barbaric' strikes

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967 and its forces regularly operate in Palestinian cities.

The Arab League on Wednesday condemned the "aggressive [and] barbaric Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip, which targeted civilians, children and women in residential neighborhoods." Germany meanwhile "strongly" condemned the "indiscriminate" Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, which it said must "stop immediately."

This week's Gaza violence is the worst since a three-day escalation in August killed 49 Palestinians, with no Israeli fatalities. While Hamas has fought multiple wars with Israel in recent years, the group stayed on the sidelines of last year's conflict fought between Israel and Islamic Jihad.

The latest violence brings to 132 the number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so far this year. Nineteen Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have been killed over the same period, according to an AFP count based on official sources from the two sides. These figures include combatants as well as civilians, and, on the Israeli side, three members of the country's Arab minority.

Le Monde with AFP
Alioune Sarr, candidate for the 2024 presidential election: A risky bet? Redige par leral.net le Jeudi 11 Mai 2023 a 15:56 | | 0 commentaire(s)| Two years ago, Leral.net announced that former Minister of Tourism and Air Transport, Alioune Sarr, would run for the 2024 presidential election in Senegal. And this prediction seems to be confirmed with the announcement of his investiture by the coalition Convergence for a Progressive Alternative in 2024 (CAP 2024), which brings together several political and citizen movements, as well as militants from the Alliance of Forces of Progress (AFP).



However, this candidacy does not have unanimous support within the AFP. Indeed, Alioune Sarr is the only one with a divergent voice within the party, and he cannot count on the support of prominent figures such as Malick Diop or Mbaye Ndione. According to some, his candidacy is motivated by his exit from the government and his opposition to a new candidacy of Macky Sall.



But could Alioune Sarr really win the 2024 presidential election? This seems unlikely, especially due to the importance of the rural community of Notto Diobass, which would be his main stronghold. Certainly, this rural community is the largest in the Thies region and one of the most populous in Senegal, with over 40,000 inhabitants and more than 15,000 hectares of agricultural land. However, this would not be enough to guarantee Alioune Sarr's victory, especially since he does not have the support of his own party.



Moreover, those close to President Macky Sall seem unconcerned about this candidacy. According to an Alliance for the Republic (APR) leader, Alioune Sarr is not followed by any senior AFP officials and was removed from the government for political reasons. In other words, he does not represent a real threat to the current government.



In conclusion, Alioune Sarr's candidacy for the 2024 presidential election seems to be a risky bet. He does not have the support of his own party or that of those close to President Macky Sall. And even if he can rely on the rural community of Notto Diobass, this would not be enough to guarantee his victory. The question remains whether this candidacy will at least have the merit of making a divergent voice heard in the Senegalese political debate.

Accueil Envoyer a un ami Partager


YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense is falsely accusing the Armenian military of planning an operation, the Armenian Defense Ministry warned on May 11.

In a statement, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said that the Azerbaijani allegation is a disinformation. The Armenian Ministry of Defense denied planning any operation.

Armenian positions near Sotk came under heavy Azerbaijani gunfire early morning Thursday. 4 Armenian troops were wounded.

As of 10:45, the situation was relatively stable, the ministry said.
FROM presidents of the United States to world-renowned actors, Irish Dresden has a long history of creating intricate handcrafted figures but unfortunately the company has now ceased production in Limerick after 61 years.

The German-Irish company opened in Dromcollogher in 1962 when Johanna Saar and her husband Oskar fled their homeland.

They shortly opened Irish Dresden (originally Muller Volkstedt) in west Limerick.

Four years after arriving in Ireland, Oskar sadly passed away, leaving Johanna to run the business on her own which she did with great success for decades before passing the baton to her daughter Sabina.

Its terribly sad that we have to close our doors, said Managing Director of Irish Dresden, Sabina Saar.

There just isnt the market out there for porcelain figures anymore.

In the companys 61-year history, it has created figurines for some of the worlds most notable figures including actress Maureen OHara and US President John F Kennedy.

I have many, many, many memories. Weve had a lot of lovely visitors to Irish Dresden. Maureen visited us quite a lot, Sabina recalled.

Sabina says one of her fondest memories was of her late mothers drive to succeed. She never gave up, Sabina added.

Johanna was travelling from London to the United States and when at the airport she realised she had her old, out of date passport with her.

I got a phone call from her in London. She said the best thing we do is to ring the American Embassy and to ring the German Embassy. She never gave up, Sabina laughed.

She eventually got an escort into the plane. She got an escort in the States to her hotel and from her hotel directly to the White House and back again.

She had no passport and no visa, only an invitation to the White House! My mother was like that, she never gave up and she never gave up when things went wrong in the business.

Sabina is holding a sale of Irish Dresdens remaining pieces and those who wish to purchase can contact her directly by emailing sabina@irishdresden.ie

Sabina and her family wish to thank all who supported Irish Dresden over the years and especially the people of Dromcollogher for their support and in helping set up the business in the first place.
A UNIQUE event is to take place in the Hunt Museum in Limerick to make the restoration and preservation of a special archival collection.

The event, Conversations with Designers, will take place this Thursday, May 11 from 6pm at the Hunt Museum Gallery for the purpose of reinstating the Sybil Connolly Archive.

Sybil Connolly (19211998) was a fashion designer renowned for creating haute couture from Irish textiles.

Dubbed by the media as Dublins Dior, she was one of the first Irish fashion designers to achieve international success. The Hunt Museum holds a large archive of material related to Sybil's work, but due to wear and tear, many of her works require conservation.

With this in mind, the Council of Irish Fashion Designers, in association with the Hunt Museum and Anthology Magazine, will host the Conversations with Designers event which will feature designers like Amy Anderson, Helen Hayes, and Hazel Green, as well as many more, in conversation on matters of design and craftsmanship.

The inaugural event will also include an informal fashion show and will give a unique perspective on the importance of Sybil Connolly and the archive, as well as insight into the backstories of four innovative Irish designers and how they research and create their collections.

The audience will be able to engage during the conversation, and also to meet other Limerick based members of the Council of Irish Fashion Designers: Ejay Griffin, Caroline Mitchell and Linda Wilson.

Tickets are 70 each.
HOLMES, one of Ireland's largest law firms specialising in corporate, insurance and public sector clients, has announced the promotion of Jacci Fox to role of director.

Jacci, who is from Dooradoyle in Limerick city, joined the company in a support role in the commercial unit before moving to a

legal executive role two years later.

She took over management of the Recovery Unit in 2000 and, having completed the Smart Choice Leadership program with

distinction, she has a leadership role in the firms operational areas of branding and communication.

As director, Jacci heads up the firms recovery unit and leads an experienced team of solicitors and legal executives handling high volume recovery portfolios for clients in the public sector, banking, insurance and corporate areas.

She also leads, designs and delivers training workshops to support clients needs.

Commenting following Jacci's promotion, Harry Fehily (pictured above), Managing Partner of Holmes, said: Jaccis promotion marks the first appointment of a director within the firm and is an indication of the firms commitment to excellence and the development of our people.

"Jacci has been instrumental in our success, including leading the rebrand to Holmes and Homs Assist. She brings a wealth of experience, expertise and knowledge to her position, and we congratulate Jacci on her promotion and wish her continued success in her new role.

Holmes O'Malley Sexton LLP was established when the three Limerick practices of Gordon Holmes, Michael OMalley and James Sexton joined together in 1970.

The firm rebranded to Holmes and Homs Assist in 2021, with offices in Limerick, Dublin, Cork and London.

Jacci Fox will be based in the Limerick office at Henry Street.
SALESIAN Agricultural Colleges proposed conversion of their beef and sheep farm to organic was officially launched in Pallaskenry this Thursday.

The state-of-the-art ag college has taken another step in giving the farmers of tomorrow as much experience as possible on their educational journey.

Derek O'Donoghue, principal of Salesian Agricultural College, said they look forward to operating an organic drystock farm which "further embeds our commitment to sustainable farming methods".

"We currently deliver the Level 5 Organic Farming Module, and now students will be able to see the practical application of organic farming methods on the college farm.

"Working with the Teagasc Organic Team, the learnings from our organic drystock farm will be made available to the wider farming community," said Mr O'Donoghue.

Minster for State at the Department of Agriculture Pippa Hackett, who officially launched the organic conversion proposal, said Salesian College has a strong reputation as a provider of quality agricultural courses.

"I am delighted to see the college taking the lead and switching to organic farming for their drystock enterprises.

"There is a growing demand for more sustainable methods of farming and education has a key role in making agriculture more resilient in Ireland and protecting our farm families," said Ms Hackett.

The Government has a target of having 10,000 organic farms by 2030, so there will be an increasing population of young farmers that will require an agricultural education with a strong emphasis on organic farming.

Dr Stan Lalor, director of knowledge transfer in Teagasc said conversion of the drystock enterprise to an organic system offers Salesian Agricultural College the opportunity to offer their students with a learning experiences that will demonstrate an environmentally, socially and financially sustainable farming system.

"The Salesian Agricultural College will lead the way among Irish colleges. There will be key learnings from this system of production that will be applicable to all students," said Dr Lalor.

The case for the conversion of the drystock enterprise was prepared in March and the conversion process has already commenced with the sowing of red clover swards for silage taking place in April.
A WEEKEND celebrating the history and heritage of East Limerick makes its return to Knocklong this Friday as discussions on important topics are set to delight all who turn up.

The Knocklong History Weekend has been running for many years and has educated locals on major East Limerick historical events such as the Rescue of Sean Hogan.

Two of the headlining events at this years weekend include a discussion on the former IRA chief of staff Liam Lynch following the centenary anniversary of his death and an appraisal of the civil war in the six counties.

We have professors from universities and experts in their field coming along, PRO of Knocklong History Rosemary Flanagan said.

Rosemary said the historical group are quite proud of how they kept the event running during Covid.

We held the events virtually. It was incredible that we were able to keep the interest going.

The least we can do for those who sacrificed their lives is remember their names, she added.

On Friday, May 12, the historical weekend commences with a talk to given by Gerard Shannon entitled Liam Lynch: To Declare a Republic. The following day, at 10.30am, will see the seminar Brother Against Brother - an appraisal of the Civil War in Six Counties chaired by Tom Toomey take place.

The latter discussion aims to give a balanced insight into the Civil War which took place between June 1922 and August 1923.

The speakers are Tomas MacConmara, Clare; Liz Gillis, Dublin; John Borgonovo, Cork; John Flannery, Tipperary and Pat McCarthy, Waterford.
YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Healthcare of Armenia has condemned the Azerbaijani military for shelling an ambulance which was evacuating wounded Armenian troops on May 11, stressing that Azerbaijan's actions are a violation of international humanitarian laws and the rules of engagement.

Below is the full statement released by the ministry.

Today morning the Azerbaijani armed forces have opened fire on the ambulance carrying a wounded serviceman.

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia condemns this yet another case of targeting medical workers and an ambulance while performing their professional duties.

Such manifestations are against all international humanitarian laws, even the laws of war, and must be strictly condemned.

4 Armenian troops were wounded when Azerbaijan launched an artillery and mortar attack near Sotk on May 11.
An Irish journalist is appealing for information on the whereabouts of his missing 81-year-old father.

Derek Scally - an Irish Times Berlin correspondent who authored 'The Best Catholics in the World' - posted an appeal on Twitter yesterday (May 10) to find his father, who was last seen on the morning of Wednesday May 3, 2023.

In the post, he said, "My Dad, Joe Scally, went missing a week ago in Dublin. Last seen 1:20pm in Howth, passing The Summit Inn on foot. Were you there? Did you see him?"

My Dad, Joe Scally, went missing a week ago in Dublin. Last seen 1:20pm in Howth, passing The Summit Inn on foot. Were you there? Did you see him? Gardai are canvassing from 1230-2pm at the Howth summit car park. Or call 01 6664200 @IrishTimes @thejournal_ie @rtenews @DublinLive pic.twitter.com/mRRs2oC4BF  Derek Scally (@DerekinBerlin) May 10, 2023

Gardai recently renewed their appeal to the public for assistance in finding Joe, who is missing from the Tonlegee Road area of Raheny, Dublin 5.

Joe - who wears a hearing aid - is described as approximately 5 11" in height, of strong build, clean shaven with short grey hair and blue eyes.

When last seen, he was wearing a black puffer jacket and dark coloured trousers (photograph below).

Gardai have a reported sighting of Joe on the afternoon of Wednesday May 3, 2023 walking in the direction of Howth Summit.

Anyone who may have seen Joe or have information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Coolock Garda Station 01 666 4200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
VINTAGE cars are not normally my style, but attending a unique event in my gorgeous hometown is something that I can never shy away from!

A luxury vintage car show in Limericks St Marys Cathedral, in the heart of the city, was a wonderful experience to attend last weekend for the long bank holiday weekend. It was held in remembrance of Limericks Grand Prix races, which took place in the 1930s.

I had the pleasure of meeting the Deputy Mayor Kieran OHanlon, as well as the late rugby legend Axel Foleys wife, Olive Foley. I also got the chance to be on the judging panel and chose my favourite antique car on the day, but thanks to all runners up and those who entered!

Celia on the grounds of St Mary's Cathedral for a vintage car show with Deputy Mayor Kieran O'Hanlon, the late rugby star Axel Foley's wife, Olive Foley and the Very Revd Niall Sloane

The Cars at the Cathedral event had many rare makes and models on show, as well as a range of motorbikes - some, 110 years old! All proceeds that were fundraised during the day were donated to charity - an extra addition to put a smile on everyones face.

Despite visiting this city cathedral before, I had the opportunity to wander around again and see some of the chic vintage cars on my way. It was great to chat and embrace such a different exhibition.

The second event I attended over the week also took place in St Marys Cathedral, which I was delighted to be revisiting on such short notice.

Having a little breather from fashion focused festivities, I attended another historical event as the Committee of the Thomond Archaeological and Historical Society invited me to attend the opening of their Celebrating 130 Years of Local History exhibition.

Celebrating the rich cultural heritage of our Limerick roots is something that I am always willing to do, with many like minded people and admirable experts to share their hard earned knowledge.

Mayor Francis Foley launched the event, and the atmosphere was high-spirited. The extraordinary talented St Marys Prize Band graced us with their music, and we chatted over refreshments to those in attendance.

Learning about our citys history from 130 years ago was eye opening and truly insightful, from 1892 - 2022! The changes and modernisation of the city is remarkable.

Thanks to all who organised, attended and got involved and I look forward to writing to you all again soon.

XxCelia
Product Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions (T&C), as amended from time to time are the complete and exclusive statements of understanding between HT Media Limited (HTML) & the Users and shall enroll for availing the Services on (hereinafter referred to as the BOARD RESULTS https://www.livehindustan.com/career/results/ or https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/board-exams and EDUCATION SERVICES https://www.livehindustan.com/career or https://www.hindustantimes.com/education). All representation or other communications between HTML & the User amounts to acceptance of these terms & conditions.

Board Result (https://www.livehindustan.com/career/results/ or https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/board-exams) is a website created by HTML for giving the students an easy access of their board results from various Boards being Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttarakhand. The results are inherited officially from the respective boards and being displayed on this website on an As Is basis and under no circumstances HTML be held responsible for any inaccuracy as regard these results.

EDUCATION SERVICES https://www.livehindustan.com/career/ or https://www.hindustantimes.com/education is a website created by HTML for giving the students easy access to entrance exams and college related information. The information is gathered from various websites. Under no circumstances HTML be held responsible for any inaccuracy as regard to this information.

Students of Class 10th and 12th can have quick and easy access to their results and other college and entrance exam related information using this website.

Students can get access through their phone, tablet, laptop or any other online service provider. These results can be accessed only in the territory of India.

Individual Registration: User shall create an account either for himself/herself or for the prospective student.

Any attempt by the user to use the results in any inappropriate cause is a violation of Criminal and Civil Laws and should such an attempt be made, HTML reserves its right to seek damages from any such User to the fullest extent as permitted by law.

HTML and/or its subsidiaries, affiliates, holding company or group companies, their offices, directors, employees and representatives shall not be liable to any person or entity for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, punitive or consequential damages, including loss of profits, incurred by a User or any third party, whether in connection with the usage of board results (https://www.livehindustan.com/career/results/ or https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/board-exams) and education services (https://www.livehindustan.com/career/ or https://www.hindustantimes.com/education), or for breach of any warranty in contract or in tort.

User agrees to indemnify HTML, its agents, employees, representatives, associates, affiliates, parent and subsidiary companies against any and all claim, losses, costs, damages, liability and expenses arising out of the Users breach of any of the T&C or arising out of or in connection with their use of BOARD RESULTS (https://www.livehindustan.com/career/results/ or https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/board-exams) and and EDUCATION SERVICES (https://www.livehindustan.com/career/ or https://www.hindustantimes.com/education)

HTML is not liable for the incorrect or inaccurate capture of any User's information. This includes, but is not limited to, technical malfunctions, human or technical error, seeding or printing errors, lost, delayed, or garbled data or transmissions, omissions, interruptions, deletions, defects, or failures of any telephone or computer line or network, computer equipment, software, or any combination thereof.

These terms and conditions will be governed by Indian law. In the event of a dispute arising under these Terms and Conditions, the courts of Delhi will have exclusive jurisdiction.

Any provision of the T&C that is illegal or unenforceable in a particular jurisdiction is ineffective in that jurisdiction to the extent such restriction or unenforceability exists. This has no bearing on the validity or enforceability of that provision in other jurisdictions, nor does it invalidate the T&C's other sections.

HTML shall not be responsible for any loss or damage suffered by the User while enrolling for the access of the board results.

Failure by HTML to enforce any of these Terms and Conditions in any instance(s) shall not give rise to any claim by any person.

The students can access the board results at free of any cost.

User Communication: The user expressly agrees to receive marketing communications from HTML or its representatives via email, phone, Whatsapp, or text message in order to receive notifications and information about our services including for other products of HTML and its subsidiaries, affiliates, holding company or group companies.

Information Collected by HTML: When you visit our site, we collect minimal information about your computer's Internet connection, including your IP address. You are not identified by your IP address. We may also collect and store information provided by your computer or mobile device in connection with your use of our website/apps, such as your browser type, computer or mobile device model, browser language, IP address, mobile carrier, unique device identifier, location, and requested and referring URLs. Even if you haven't registered an account, we acquire information when you view content on or otherwise interact with our website/app/services. We use this information to serve our web pages to you when you request them, to adapt our site to our users' interests, and to track website traffic. Our advertisers/third-party firms may use this information to customize content, advertisements, and other services.

Cookie policy, pixels and tracking: Cookies are little text files that are transferred to your computer or mobile device when you visit a website and include a small amount of information. When you return to the website or visit a partner website that recognises that cookie, your device will be able to connect with our website, and the website will be able to read the information stored in that cookie. We use cookies to make it easier for you to navigate our websites and to save you time by preventing you from having to re-enter your information or preferences each time you visit. We may provide you with information and show you stuff that is relevant to you thanks to cookies. We also use cookies to analyse how visitors interact with our websites so that we can improve their experience. In your browser options, you can accept or reject cookies. Most web browsers accept cookies by default; however, you can typically change this setting to refuse cookies if you want. More information about managing cookies can be found in your browser's help section: Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari.

Third-Party: By agreeing to the terms and conditions, user hereby acknowledges and agrees that the information shared while accessing the Board Results will be shared to the third-party for reaching out with many other relatable contents and for a specific time period only. Third-party advertising materials will be displayed. Third parties may collect or receive certain information about you and/or your use of the Services (e.g., hashed data, click stream information, browser type, time and date, information about your interactions with advertisements and other content) when you use our Services, including through the use of cookies, beacons, mobile ad identifiers, and similar technologies, in order to provide content, advertising, or functionality, or to measure and analyse ad performance. This data may be coupled with data collected from other websites, online services, and other connected or associated devices. These third parties may use your information in accordance with their own privacy rules to better their own services. Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of any advertising material they send to us, including ensuring that it complies with all applicable laws. 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.
If you think bloggers are the only ones using it, think again. In fact, WordPress can be customized and turned into anything your heart desires, including an eCommerce platform, a membership website, an e-learning center and more. And best of all? This powerful all-rounded CMS platform is entirely free to use!

Its customizability opened the floodgates for several WP development companies to enter the digital space and offer their services to the public. Day in and day out, countless webmasters are turning to them for help if they are looking for WordPress migration, optimization, custom theme and plugin creation, as well as other WP-related services.

Weve vetted the best WordPress development companies

Since there are so many to choose from, how to know which ones are the top WordPress development companies that deserve your trust? To shorten the time it would take you to research it all on your own, weve vetted the top providers in the WP development industry and narrowed down the list to the top 15 contenders:

1. eFlair Webtech

eFlair is one of the best WordPress development companies headquartered in India and one of the strongest providers overall thanks to their customer-centric approach. In other words, these are the kind of people who will sit down with you to get to know you better and develop the best possible solution for the needs of your business. The websites they build are not only lighting fast, but also fully-customizable with stunning looks to boot. At any time youre looking for custom functionality, optimization tweaks, or a gorgeous custom theme, this is where to look. Since their support team is always on standby, you will never have to worry about one of your websites breaking, as they will fix any bugs before they become an issue. With fantastic service coverage, reasonable pricing, timely development, spotless testing, and devotion to excellence, this provider is the be-all-end-all of digital development.

2. DevriX

Ever since 2010, DevriX has been working day and night to deliver nothing but industry-grade WordPress development services to their clients. Those new to the digital scene could have an entire website built by them from scratch and the veterans can hire them to implement several improvements such as loading speed optimization and for custom WordPress plugin development. Since they house talented designers under the same roof as well, theyre more than capable of designing the perfect custom theme and nailing the exact website appeal youre shooting for. Statistically speaking, their clients are likely to work with them for 2 years or more since their upgrade and maintenance services ensure their sites always remain in tip-top condition.

3. Tiny Frog

Tiny Frog is San Diago based Wordpress development that has been around since 2003. Apart from custom wordpress solutions, they are also into secured wordpress hosting and custom web development services.

4. Uplers

Allegedly, Uplers makes 150+ websites per month, which is a substantial vote of confidence from their clients. Apart from making sure your website has all the modern features, this company has a proven track record of focusing on delivering the best user experience possible. On top of that, they will draw upon their SEO knowledge to make sure your website is optimized to receive as much search engine traffic as possible. They also do custom plugin and WooCommerce development, along with third-party services integration and theme customization, thus making them the best WordPress development companies, not to mention versatile.

5. Sparx IT Solutions

Are you looking to have a custom WordPress site developed that is both fast and secure? Then look no further than Sparx IT Solutions. Not only will they help you visualize it on a conceptual level, they will also make sure it has all the functionality requested either by hooking it up with third-party APIs and services or by developing a custom WordPress plugin just for you. The websites they make are not only visually appealing, but also easy to update and manage from the back-end. If youre new to WordPress, they will help you migrate to the platform without stress. After your WordPress website is ready, they will always stay by your side with upgrades and support. In the end, a portfolio of 2000+ professionally-looking websites has a story to tell - a story of confidence and satisfaction.

6. WPRiders

Ever since 2014, theyve been getting nothing but stellar ratings and reviews, and their good work has led them to receive several industry awards from the likes of GoodFirms and Clutch. When experienced developers team up with talented designers, wonderful things are bound to happen, and their testing squad will make sure your new WordPress website works wonderfully on all devices without bugs. As many custom features as you order them to implement, none of them will slow down your website thanks to their knowledge of optimization and script minimization. On top of everything, theyre proven WooCommerce specialists.

7. Multidots

What started as a small team of WordPress developers in 2009 has now grown into one of the best WordPress development companies India and beyond. This is one of the top choices if youre looking for a reliable and trustworthy partner to look after your websites performance over time. Whether youre considering migrating to WordPress or have a completely custom build developed, this is the right address. And if youre already a veteran in the blogging and eCommerce space, you can utilize their optimization skills to speed up your website even more or order an audit to see if there are any improvements to be made.

8. Librafire

This multinational WordPress development agency will build a jaw-droppingly gorgeous website that outshines anything youd ever imagined in your dreams. Serving a wide range of industries worldwide, their front-end WordPress development and Javascript skills are unmatched by any other competitor in the market. Not only are they one of the best WordPress development companies, they are also well-versed in Drupal and Laravel. Or, if youre looking for something completely different, they can also code an entire website from scratch so you can have your very own custom CMS to play around with.

9. Wholegrain Digital

Since 2007, theyve had the opportunity to work with numerous industry names, allowing them to gain valuable WordPress development experience they can use to help your website reach its fullest potential. Every development team has an edge in a particular area, and Wholegrain Digital pride themselves in delivering an impeccable user experience and clean navigation. Another thing theyre known for is their SEO and page load time optimization skills, so you can count on them to do everything in their power for you to be able to dominate the search results in your chosen niche. They also offer ongoing maintenance and support, giving you a peace of mind that someone has your back even if something unexpected happens.

10. Cut2Code

Being one of the top WordPress development companies as rated by Clutch, they can become your reliable business partners that particularly excel at integrating a custom design into a fully functional code. Boasting exemplary front-end skills, they have what it takes to build a Shopify store that gives a professional impression from the very start and thus drive sales like clockwork. If you need a large-scale solution, you can also tap into their Ruby on Rails knowledge to make it happen. Once everything is up and running, their maintenance and support department will make sure it stays that way.

11. MakeWebBetter

Just as the name implies, MakeWebBetter works tirelessly to transform their motto into reality by providing industry-leading WooCommerce and WordPress development services. Whether youre looking to hire one of the best WordPress development companies to build a website from scratch or someone to optimize your WooCommerce store, look no further. Their fully customizable themes will nail the ideal look of your website perfectly and their talented team of developers can also help you integrate all the marketing automation and sales funnels youll ever need. If youre the technical type, youll be pleased to find out their code is well-commented and easy to work with and customize to fit your needs.

12. Human Made

Human Made is an established team of over 70 industry professionals ranging from WordPress developers, project managers, marketers, designers, and event planners. Together, theyre more than capable of materializing your digital dreams. Their technical proficiency has earned them the trust of big-name brands and their technology is the backbone of the kind of websites that need the resilience to handle millions of visits. So if youre getting a high volume of traffic and are looking to optimize your site for it, this is the place to look for it. They can also help you with marketing automation integration.

13. UPQODE

UPQODE is a talented well-rounded team of designers and WordPress developers who can make your website match your exact specifications. Once youre ready to go live, their services also include inbound marketing and SEO to help you conquer the search engines. So if you need some tweaks in the graphical and UI side of things, they can make you a custom WP theme, and if you need specific functionality, they can either develop a custom plugin for you or hook your website up with third-party APIs. Truly a balanced WordPress services provider where you can find everything you need under one roof.

14. KrishaWeb

Ever since 2008, KrishaWeb has been more than just another WordPress development company, offering anything and everything from eCommerce integration, coding, and digital marketing. Alongside WordPress, theyre more than capable in working with other platforms as well (examples include Joomla and Drupal). Overall, this is easily one of the most balanced and well-rounded providers.

15. 10up

This is the industry name trusted by some of the biggest players in media, government, and healthcare. Employing well over 200 in-house specialists, they can help you out with anything development, design, marketing, and optimization-related. You can hire them to have a complex WordPress website developed for you and they will be able to pull it off without introducing unwanted inefficiencies and slowdowns.

What is a WordPress development company?

WordPress development companies make your digital dreams come to life, whether it be through migration from another platform, by implementing responsive design, installing plugins or developing custom ones for your needs, transforming it into an eCommerce store, fixing bugs, and other related services.

The best WordPress development companies work with those who are looking to integrate complex additional functionality into their website and even those who are just starting out on their web journey and are looking to launch their first website. Whether you need a bug fixed, SEO plugins developed, load time improvements applied, or simply someone to hold your hand through additional support, hiring a WordPress development company can make your digital life easier in several aspects.

What do WordPress companies do?

To stand out from the rest of the pack, the best WordPress development companies house a diverse range of services under one roof. This includes:

Bug fixes

Plugin development and installation

Third-party services integration

SEO optimization

Data entry

eCommerce solutions

Tech support

Installation and configuration

Migration from other CMS platforms

Responsive design

Template creation and implementation

Integrating payment gateways

Upgrades and maintenance

Conversion optimization

Sales funnel creation

And many more

How much do WordPress development services cost?

The cost of WordPress development services depends on a myriad of different factors, including:

The country where the company is based

The scope of the project

The services requested and how long it takes to execute them

The type of billing arrangement (hourly or project-based)

To give you a ballpark figure, customizing a WordPress theme can cost anywhere from $300 to $1000, whereas building a complete WordPress website from scratch will likely run you a couple of thousands dollars. A US WordPress developer will most likely charge you anywhere between $60 and $80 an hour.

On the other hand, even the best WordPress development companies India are much more affordable, typically charging you around $10 an hour for their services. To have a fully functional WordPress website developed by Indian developers, the costs can range anywhere from $1000 to $3000.

Why should you hire a WordPress development agency?

Hiring a WordPress development agency comes with numerous benefits.

For starters, if you lack the technical knowledge to build, configure, and optimize your own WordPress websites, hiring one of the best WordPress development companies from our list will save you plenty of headaches. This will also get you access to someone you can turn to when its time for upgrades and maintenance.

Customization and integrating third-party functionality is another major benefit of hiring one. If you were to take on the project on your own, you could easily find yourself making compromises only for the sake of being able to follow through. With a WordPress developer, you can see your website come to life exactly the way youve always pictured it inside your mind without any compromises, sacrifices, or self-imposed limitations.

Did we mention the time savings of delegating the work? If you hire a WordPress developer, your time can be spent in a more productive and meaningful way which is to focus on your strengths and on running your business. Plus, delegating the work is the only reliable way to scale your operations.

Then, we have the SEO factor. How confident are you in your abilities to optimize your website so that the search engines like it and consequently send more traffic to it? Keep in mind that more sales will come with an increase in traffic. A WordPress developer will be able to advise you on the subject and lay a solid foundation for any SEO optimization you decide to do in the future (an example is making the website load faster by minimizing scripts and similar).

Data security is another major consideration. Unless you have a background in IT, its going to be hard to make your WordPress website as resilient against cyber attacks as it could be. Once again, a WordPress developer can bolster its defenses by installing the essential security plugins, patch any vulnerabilities, and make sure its compliant with the local regulations.

All of the reasons to hire a WordPress developer are just the tip of the iceberg. But all in all, these should give you a clearer picture of all the value that youre getting, so unless youre an expert in all these areas, hiring one is the way to go.

How to choose the best WordPress agency?

There are several options out there, but how do you separate the wheat from the chaff and pick the best WordPress development companies to work with? You should use your best judgment to make that decision, but to steer you in the right direction, there are a couple of factors to look for.

First, we have the companys portfolio - you should check it. Do you like what you see? If the answer is yes, chances are that company has the experience and know-how to make something similar for you.

Next, check how long theyve been in this line of business. Mediocre WordPress developers may come and go, but the top WordPress development companies werent built overnight. In fact, theyve likely had to fight their way to the top through years and years of hard work to survive in this competitive industry.

Also, you should check what kind of reviews theyre getting. Ideally, these should be overwhelmingly positive, but you should also read the critical ones to help you determine where things are the most likely to fall short with this particular company.

Dont forget to validate their approach to development and also the way they communicate with their customers. Do you feel valued and respected there? If not, this might be a good sign to start looking elsewhere. Note that the best WordPress development companies always put the customer first and will also take the extra time to get to know you better to custom-tailor their approach according to your needs.

Last but not least, the size of their team can affect how much work theyre able to take on and whether theyre likely to deliver on time. However, dont get discouraged if theyre fully booked at the moment - thats likely to be the case with the industrys very best WordPress developers. After all, people are flocking to them for a reason.

Conclusion

With the popularity of the worlds #1 CMS there comes an increased demand in WordPress developers. By reaching the end of this post, youre now familiar with the sheer amount of value they bring to the table, what you can expect to pay for their services, and how to spot the top WordPress development companies in todays market.

FAQs

Before you start collaborating with your WordPress developer of choice, its always a good idea to ask some questions - these will help you select the most suitable candidate. Please find our suggestions below as well as an accompanying explanation for each of them.

How many years of experience do you have in building websites?

The more, the better. The purpose of asking this question is to see whether youre dealing with experienced WordPress developers or just another fly-by-night operation. Although 5 vs. 10 years in the business probably wont make a significant difference, 1 vs. 5 years, for example, is a different scenario. When the success of your digital endeavors depends on it, you simply cant afford to bet your chips on a newbie.

What is the estimated time to complete the project?

The answer to this question will help you plan out your schedule and budget better, especially if youve agreed to an hourly pricing model. At the same time, it makes little sense to be too strict with this - after all, to some degree, development is a creative process. Sometimes, unforeseen challenges may arise that require additional time to solve properly. Therefore, its better to ask in terms of rough estimates" rather than definitive dates". It should be more than enough for the purpose of planning and preparation.

What are the pricing details?

When searching for the best WordPress development companies, you should favor the ones that will be the most transparent with you. After all, you should always know what youre paying for. At the same time, you should be informed about what services are included in the price if youre paying a fixed project rate and what theyll charge extra for.

What kind of security will the website have?

While the cyber security essentials and best practices are more or less the same all across the board, you may want to request additional measures to be implemented to have an extra layer of protection. One example would be to limit the number of login attempts originating from the same IP per hour. The reason being is that you want to make your WordPress-powered website more resilient to brute force attacks initiated by hackers. Of course, there are other ways to make it more secure and your chosen WordPress developer will be more than happy to provide further advice on the matter.

Will you optimize the website for the search engines?

Unless youre going to be relying on paid traffic exclusively, its essential to pay attention to the latest SEO trends and Googles algorithm changes. To have a website thats considered to be SEO optimized, theres more to it than slapping a few keywords in the content and calling it a day. This includes writing content thats well-researched and helpful to the reader. The job of a WordPress developer is to optimize your website from a more technical aspect of SEO, which includes making it mobile-friendly and reducing its loading times as much as possible.

How often will you share the reports?

The top WordPress development companies tend to have an organized approach that emphasizes transparency and communicating with the client. This allows you to plan ahead better. Also, ask them how detailed the reports will be; if the paper says technical optimization, for example, and nothing else, this will be of little use to you.

What are the tools you use to measure the website's progress and performance?

Any WordPress development company thats worth its salt will have a vast repertoire of tools to work with. This includes the ones that were purposely designed to measure its loading times and provide a score or an assessment of how well its optimized for mobile, etc. The exact tools they use isnt as important as the fact that theyre using them - there is no ultimate tool as each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. What were looking for is quantifiable measures that are objective in nature (it can be something as simple as checking off an item on a to-do list or something as complex as testing how the website is displayed on various smartphone models).

What post-launch services are included?

Typically, this covers upgrades and maintenance which is something every website will require at some point down the line. You may also require additional functionality, third-party services integration, or implement a new payment gateway. While some WordPress developers are willing to throw in monthly maintenance and support, youre likely going to have to pay for additional features that take some time to implement. Either way, its better to ask.

Is it better to develop a website in-house or outsource to a WordPress development company?

The answer depends on what kind of company youre running and what resources youre working with. Unless youre a large enterprise, chances are you wont have the luxury of having a dedicated in-house development team. So in the vast majority of cases, outsourcing the work to one of the top WordPress development companies is a much more cost-effective solution than trying to tackle it on your own, not to mention the time savings.

When should I opt for WordPress development companies?

If you dont have the technical know-how or your own in-house development team, working with WordPress development companies will save you plenty of hassle so you can focus on other aspects of running your company and providing amazing products and services. It will also save you a sizable chunk of time in the process. For the exact use cases and what a WordPress developer can do for you, kindly refer to one of the sections above where weve answered this question in detail.

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
Mobile app development refers to creating software applications that run on a mobile device, such as smartphones and tablets, including both iOS and Android platforms. It involves using programming languages, frameworks, and tools to design, build, test, and deploy mobile apps.

A mobile app for business is becoming increasingly important in today's digital age. It can provide a convenient way for customers to access your products or services and improve customer engagement and loyalty. Ultimately, it helps drive sales and increase brand awareness.

However, you should know some important things when considering building a mobile app for your business. From the type of mobile app available to choosing the best mobile app development companies in India 2023, this article explores all you need to know about mobile app development in India.

Top 10 Mobile App Development Companies in India

When developing an app for your business, choosing a reputable and experienced mobile app development company is crucial to ensure you get the best bang for your money. With the rise of mobile app development in India, there are now many companies to choose from.

However, to help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a list of best mobile app development companies in India. These companies have a proven track record of delivering high-quality mobile apps and have a reputation for excellent customer service. Check them out!

eflair is a leading mobile app development company in India specializing in creating innovative and user-friendly mobile apps for various industries.

eFlair is a dynamic digital solutions provider focusing on expertly crafting visually stunning and functional web properties and mobile apps. They excel in design, development, and marketing, making them a one-stop shop for all your digital needs, from concept to launch.

With their proven track record of success and commitment to delivering exceptional results, eFlair is the partner you can trust to take your online presence to the next level.

Location: Bangalore and Vijayawada

Service Focus: iOS and Android mobile app development, UI/UX, and web development

Pricing: $25 - $49 / hr

Experion Technologies is a leading IT solutions and services provider with over 16 years of experience in the industry. They specialize in leveraging digital technologies to drive business growth and success.

With a global customer base spanning 35 countries and over 500 clients, Experion uses various cutting-edge technologies such as mobile, web, analytics, cloud, and digital to unlock the full potential of businesses across different industries.

Location: Trivandrum, India.

Service Focus: Product engineering, start-up software solutions and services and digital transformation services.

Pricing: $25 - $49 / hr

ValueLabs is a trusted partner for organizations seeking to innovate and transform their business through technology.

They provide a dedicated team of software application developers who use the latest technologies and development practices to help you solve key business challenges. With ValueLabs, you can expect an intuitive, adaptable, and easy-to-maintain mobile application, ensuring a seamless and efficient experience for your organization.

Location: Hyderabad, India

Service Focus: mobile and web app development, product development, cross-platform development.

Pricing: $25 - $49 / hr

Kellton is one of the top mobile app development companies with a reputation for innovation and a clear vision for the future. They specialize in harnessing new technologies to transform businesses and help them thrive in the digital age.

Whether working with startups or Fortune 500 companies, Kellton provides comprehensive digital solutions, including mobile and web development services, to hundreds of clients across various industries.

Location: Hyderabad, India.

Service Focus: digital application development, product design, cloud services

Pricing: $25 - $49 / hr

Infosys is a recognized global leader in providing next-generation digital services and consulting. They help clients navigate their digital transformation journey, leveraging their decades of experience managing large enterprises' systems and operations.

With a presence in over 50 countries and its headquarter in India, Infosys expertly guides clients as they embrace the power of the cloud to drive digital transformation.

Location: Bengaluru, India

Service Focus: digital application development, digital marketing, application modernization, Internet of Things.

Pricing: $25 - $49 / hr

Konstant Infosolutions is a leading digital innovation and mobile app development company known for delivering top-notch solutions to key industries such as healthcare, on-demand services, real estate, food and restaurant, eCommerce, social networking, and more.

With a team of over 180 professionals and over 10 years of experience, Konstant Infosolutions provides dedicated services to startups, SMBs, and enterprises worldwide.

Location: Jaipur, India

Service Focus: Web development, mobile app development, E-commerce development, Magento development, Xamarin development, Internet of Things, and cloud technology.

Pricing: < $25 / hr

Chetu is a globally recognized provider of software development solutions and support services for many clients, including startups, SMBs, and Fortune 5000 companies.

With a reputation for industry expertise,20+ years of experience, and impressive growth, Chetu has a team of nearly 1,800 software experts capable of building exceptional applications across various devices, such as desktop, mobile, and tablet.

Location: Noida, India.

Service Focus: Web development, mobile app development, product support, on-demand developers.

Pricing: >$25 / hr

QBurst is one of the best companies for mobile app development and is known for its expertise in software development, mobile app development, web development, and digital transformation services.

Their team of experts is adept at using the latest technologies and development practices to build exceptional and intuitive applications that are adaptable and easy to maintain.

With a global presence and a proven track record of success, QBurst works with various clients, including startups, SMBs, and Fortune 5000 companies.

Location: Trivandrum, Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin

Service Focus: Web development, mobile app development, cloud consulting.

Pricing: $25 - $49 / hr

TechnoScore is a top mobile app development company offering various services to help you reach multiple markets and audiences. They have over 20 years of experience and a team of expert mobile app developers in India dedicated to providing unparalleled results.

Their clients have access to state-of-the-art technical infrastructure and the latest tools at no additional cost. This, coupled with their expertise, enables them to deliver cutting-edge solutions that meet the needs of clients' businesses.

Location: Delhi, India

Service Focus: Web development, mobile app development, hybrid, and native app development.

Pricing: < $25 / hr

With a global presence, over 15 years of experience, and a proven track record of success, Evon Technologies works with a diverse range of clients, including startups, SMBs, and Fortune 5000 companies.

Their team of specialists is skilled at creating exceptional, user-friendly applications that are flexible and simple to maintain using the most recent technologies and development methodologies.

Location: Dehradun, India

Service Focus: Web development, mobile app development, hybrid app development, native app development, console or mobile games.

Pricing: $25 - $49 / hr

What Are the Types of Mobile Apps?

When it comes to mobile app development, one of the key factors to consider is the type of app you want to create.

Apps can be categorized in various ways, including the technologies they are built on, the platforms they are made for, the types of users who will access the app, and the performance requirements for the app.

Depending on all these factors, mobile apps are classified into three main categories:

Native

Web Apps

Hybrid Apps.

Native Apps

Native apps are developed specifically for a particular mobile platform, such as iOS or Android. They are built using the programming languages and tools provided by the platform, such as Swift for iOS and Java for Android.

Native apps are generally faster and more responsive than other mobile apps, and they can take full advantage of the device's features and capabilities. However, developers create and maintain native apps separately for each platform, which can be time-consuming and expensive.

Web Apps

Web apps are mobile applications accessed through a web browser on any device with a web browser. They are built using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

They serve web pages using existing web browsers on devices and are not precisely mobile apps but a website in their responsive form.

The development cost and maintenance of these apps are low. However, they have limitations, such as they don't work without the internet, and they could have some security concerns too.

Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps are a combination of native apps and web apps. They are built using web technologies. Hybrid apps are made of web technologies like HTML, CSS, Javascript, jquery, AJAX, JSON, etc. but wrapped in a native container that allows them to run on a mobile device like a native app.

Hybrid apps are generally cheaper and easy to maintain. They also provide more flexibility and can be developed and deployed for multiple platforms with less effort than native apps.

What Is the Purpose of Your App and Its Budget?

Creating a standard app in India can typically vary between $5,000 to $15,000. However, for an app with more intricate functionality and features, the cost can reach anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 or higher.

So, your choice of which type of mobile app to develop depends on your project's purpose, specific requirements, and budget.

Native apps are ideal for high-performance, feature-rich apps, web apps are suitable for simple, low-cost solutions, and hybrid apps are best for those who need a balance of performance and cost efficiency.

Choosing the platform: Ios or Android?

Deciding on the right platform to build your mobile app on can be a bit of a tricky task. On the one hand, you've got the sleek and sophisticated iOS, a favorite among affluent and young audiences in Western Europe, North America, and Australia.

On the other hand, you've got the versatile and widely-used Android, a popular choice for global audiences and up-and-coming regions like Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

So, how do you choose? It comes down to five key variables:

Target audience

Timeline

Desired features

Budget for maintaining your app

And revenue goal.

Ultimately, the choice between iOS and Android will depend on your specific business needs and goals, so it's worth consulting with a development team or mobile app strategist to determine the best approach for your project.

Mobile App Development Process

Mobile app development can seem like a daunting task, but with a clear process in place, it can be manageable. The development process typically includes several key steps, which we've helped simplify here.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your app is well-researched, user-friendly, and successful in meeting your business goals. Here are 8 steps that are essential for developing a mobile app.

Step 1: Confirming On The Idea

This includes understanding the problem your app will solve, identifying your target audience, and determining your app's unique value proposition.

Step 2: Market Research

Before you build your app, you must conduct thorough market research. It'll help you understand your competition, identify potential challenges, and determine what features and functionalities your app will need to stand out.

Step 3: Build Your App's Wireframe

Wireframe is a visual representation of your app's layout and user flow. It will help you and your development team understand how the app will function.

Step 4: Platform Choice

The two most popular options are iOS and Android. iOS is the operating system used by Apple's iPhone and iPad devices. Android is an open-source operating system used by a wide range of devices.

Step 5: Development

This is where a team of developers brings your app to life. It involves coding (backend and frontend) and design (UI/UX).

Step 6: Test Your App And Improve

This includes identifying bugs and glitches, ensuring the app is user-friendly, and ensuring that it meets your desired functionalities.

Step 7: Launch A Beta Version Of Your App

This will allow a select group of users to test your app and provide feedback before it's officially launched.

Step 8: Launching Your App

The final step in the mobile app development process is launching your app. This includes submitting your app to the appropriate app store, promoting your app, and continuing to make improvements based on user feedback.

Tools That Help to Build Mobile Apps

Choosing the right tools can make all the difference and help streamline the development process, improve app performance, and increase productivity.

To make it easier, we've compiled a list of the top 5 mobile app development tools, each with its strengths and features.

1. Xamarin

Xamarin is a great choice for building native apps. Being a Microsoft product, it offers security and reliability. With over 1.4 million developers using Xamarin, it's easy to find talented developers to build your app development team.

2. Sencha

Sencha is a great option for rapid mobile app development, especially for enterprise apps. It's an MVC-based JavaScript framework that increases the application's responsiveness and allows developers to code in HTML5 for Android or iOS apps.

3. Appcelerator

Appcelerator is a popular choice among mobile app development companies, allowing them to build native cross-platform applications. With Appcelerator, developers can access a large talent pool, as it uses JavaScript, a widely used programming language.

4. Ionic

Ionic is an open-source SDK widely used to build hybrid applications. It allows for the automation of app delivery, which can increase the speed of mobile app development.

5. Framework 7

Framework 7 is an open-source framework for building mobile apps. It offers a range of pre-designed UI elements and allows for easy integration with other frameworks.

Factors That Help in the Success of Mobile App Development

When developing a successful mobile app, it's important to remember that just one feature does not necessarily equal success. Instead, the intelligent combination of parts can make an app stand out. Here are some key elements that can help make your app successful:

1. Use of the Latest Technology

Incorporating the latest technologies like data science, machine learning, and AI can significantly enhance user satisfaction and improve business operations.

2. Augmented Reality

AR technology has seen great success in apps, especially in gaming apps like Pokemon Go. It is also used in retail apps to allow users to virtually try on products before purchasing.

3. Cross-platform compatibility

Building apps that support multiple platforms can save cost and effort, and frameworks such as Angular Native can help create a native-like experience.

4. Security

Ensuring the safety of an app is crucial for building loyal users and gaining a larger audience.

5. Business Solutions

Solving industry-level problems is what makes a successful app. StartupsStartups can begin on a small scale and grow to solve bigger problems.

6. Connectivity standards

A successful app should have connectivity features that support the modern world and its connected technology.

7. Offline functionality

With offline functionality, users can still access the app even when a network connection is unavailable.

8. Customer support services

Providing excellent customer support can significantly improve user satisfaction and retention.

Note that not all features will be relevant to every app, but choosing the right combination of features can greatly enhance the chances of success. It's also worth consulting the best mobile app development companies in India 2023 to determine which features will be most beneficial for your project.

Tips for choosing the best mobile app development company in India

Choosing the right mobile app development company is crucial for the success of your project. The following 7 factors can help guide your decision:

1. Get the list of best mobile app development companies

Look for references and social media, and use search engines to find potential companies. Consider the company's geographical location and how it may affect the project's cost.

2. Search for a good portfolio

Review the company's portfolio to assess its technical expertise, project themes, business domain, and more. Ask if they have experience with similar projects to yours.

3. Search for happy clients

Look for testimonials and ask for a client contact list to confirm the company's work and expertise.

4. Ask for app testing

Test the company's past app development work to understand their experience and skill set. Allow your end-users to test the app as well.

5. Transparency

Look for a company with a transparent development cycle and communication policy. Check if they use an agile methodology for faster development and better communication.

6. Budget-friendly company

Choose a company that fits your budget, considering the project's complexity level and time limit.

7. Maintenance and support

Consider the company's willingness to provide maintenance and support after the app development process is completed. Look for a company invested in your business, not just app development.

Final Thoughts

With the rise of mobile technology, a mobile app is becoming increasingly crucial for businesses to stay competitive. A mobile app for your business can bring many benefits, such as increasing brand awareness and engagement, improving customer service, and increasing sales.

However, you must choose one of the best mobile app development companies in India 2023 that offer expertise and support to get the best for your money. The top 10 companies in this article will ease your journey to finding one!

FAQs

What factors should you consider to shortlist an app development company?

When shortlisting an app development company, factors include portfolio, testimonials, past experience with similar projects, app testing, transparency, budget, and maintenance and support.

How long does it take to build a Mobile App?

The time it takes to build a mobile app can vary greatly depending on the complexity and features of the app. On average, an app with discovery, design & development, and Pre-launch stages is around 7 - 12 months.

How Do I hire the best mobile app developers?

You can look for references and search for a mobile app development company. The right ones have developers with expertise. You can also check platforms like LinkedIn or upwork and review past work and experience.

What to look for in a mobile app development company?

When looking for a mobile app development company, you should consider the company's portfolio, testimonials, experience with similar projects, app testing, transparency, budget, and maintenance and support.

What makes a successful mobile App?

A successful mobile app is user-friendly, visually appealing, provides user value, and is regularly updated and maintained.

How long does a company take to complete a project?

On average, an app with discovery, design & development, and Pre-launch stages is around 7 - 12 months.

What is the cost of hiring a mobile App development company?

The cost of hiring a mobile app development company can vary greatly depending on the complexity and features of the app, as well as the location and experience of the company. On average, it can range from $5,000 to $50 000.

What is the best platform to build the Mobile app?

The best platform to build a mobile app can vary depending on the target audience and desired features of the app. Some popular platforms include iOS and Android.

What does a mobile app development company do?

A mobile app development company designs and develops mobile apps for clients.

What is the best way to test the mobile app?

The best way to test a mobile app is to have a diverse group of beta testers use it and provide feedback on its functionality and user experience.

What skills are needed to develop mobile apps?

Skills needed to develop mobile apps include knowledge of programming languages, experience with app development platforms and tools, and experience with design and user experience.

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
The cryptocurrency market has been through a lot lately, with many events shaping the way we perceive it. Recently, Bittrex filed for bankruptcy after being hit by the SEC for not complying with its rules.

However, amidst all this chaos, a new player has entered the field -Ape Brigade (APES). With a presale thats caused quite the buzz, this meme coin is aiming to take over the market. Read on to know it all!

Bittrex Yields to SEC Row

Seattle-based cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex Inc. has filed for bankruptcy protection after being accused by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of running an unregistered securities exchange. Bittrex has ceased its operations in the US but clarified that Bittrex Global, which serves non-US customers from Liechtenstein, will not be affected.

The companys assets and liabilities were both estimated to be between $500 million and $1 billion, according to the bankruptcy petition filed in Delaware court. Bittrex is still holding the crypto assets of US customers who failed to withdraw their funds before the end of April.

The exchange said that these assets are safe and secure", and that it intends to ask the bankruptcy court for a limited reopening of customer accounts to allow for the return of the crypto to its owners.

Solana Backed up by Community

View Full Image Solana Backed up by Community

Solana's current price is $21.26 with a 2% intraday loss, and it is currently testing the support trendline of a flag pattern. Despite the price drop, buyers are still defending the support, indicating a potential bullish reversal. If this reversal occurs, it could trigger a bull cycle and a rally to the pattern's overhead trendline, resulting in a potential 20% increase in price.

Ape Brigade Making Waves

View Full Image Ape Brigade has many features that benefit its community, including locking 20% of its supply in a liquidity pool to increase stability and liquidity.

Ape Brigade (APES) is creating quite the buzz, as the new meme coin is getting ready to launch. Though the meme coin is in the initial stage of its presale, it is aiming to dominate the market, and there are reasons to believe it could succeed.

Ape Brigade has many features that benefit its community, including locking 20% of its supply in a liquidity pool to increase stability and liquidity. Additionally, it has a staking system in place that rewards users who stake APES, and 15% of the total supply is reserved for staking rewards. The system is fair, transparent, and designed to maximize community benefits by considering the number of APES staked and the time it has been staked.

The Ape Team is passionate about animals, particularly apes, and aims to promote conservation efforts aimed at saving apes and other wildlife. To that end, 10% of the total supply will be set aside for this cause.

APES is technologically advanced as an ERC-20 token that operates on the Ethereum blockchain, offering security, transparency, and accessibility to anyone with an internet connection. The coin's roadmap includes a highly anticipated NFT Space that will be a critical part of its ecosystem.

Find out more about Ape Brigade (APES):

Presale: https://apebrigade.io/how-to-buy

Website: https://apebrigade.io/

Telegram: https://t.me/ApeBrigadeOfficial

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/ editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/ subscribe to the contents of the article/advertisement and/or views expressed herein.

The reader is further advised that Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions.

Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the views, opinions, announcements, declarations, affirmations etc., stated/featured in same. The decision to read hereinafter is purely a matter of choice and shall be construed as an express undertaking/guarantee in favour of Hindustan Times of being absolved from any/ all potential legal action, or enforceable claims. The content may be for information and awareness purposes and does not constitute a financial advice.
If you haven't heard of USP yet, now is probably a good time to start paying attention to the web3 real estate project.

USP is the issuer of the USP Token, a trailblazing real estate token on the Ethereum network using blockchain technology to usher traditional real estate investing into the modern era, providing unprecedented opportunity to the entire web3 community.

The USP Token empowers users across the globe to invest in digital representations of real-world-assets (RWAs) via a process known as tokenization.

This means USP users can purchase fractional ownership of a professionally curated, diverse, income-producing portfolio of real estate assets spanning a variety of markets - without the hassle of traditional real estate investing.

What Is USP?

USP is a web3 real estate startup headquartered in Newport Beach, California. The driving force behind USP is traditional real estate investor-turned-crypto-entrepreneur, Johnney Zhang. In addition to being the mastermind behind USP, Johnney also serves as the Founder and Managing Partner of Primior Asset Management, one of Southern California's foremost real estate investment, management, and development firms.

Primior directly manages and has supervised over $2BN in real estate investments and developments, and the USP team is capitalizing on this expertise to deliver a fully compliant RWA-backed tokenized real estate investment offering.

What sets USP apart from other initiatives is the fact that they are not web3 natives - they are real estate natives who have fully-embraced the power of blockchain. This enables them to utilize a customized smart contract to tokenize and democratize ownership of carefully selected real estate assets already worth $25M at the time of writing.

In essence, the USP Token presents a mature use case for integrating blockchain technology into a traditional market, such as real estate.

What Is Real Estate Tokenization?

"Tokenization" refers to the process where a company, individual, or other entity takes an asset - like real estate - and divides it into smaller, digital units called "tokens." Each token symbolizes a fractional ownership of the underlying asset (or, in USP's case, a collection of assets), making it more accessible to investors by allowing them to purchase small, liquid portions of an otherwise illiquid asset.

Larry Fink, the CEO of Blackrock, the world's largest asset management company, is a leading advocate of RWA tokenization. He contends that tokenization will shape the future of markets, propelling them into the next generation.

Why Should The Web3 World Care?

Over the past decade, the web3 community has grown accustomed to short-lived, volatile, "pump-and-dump" style projects that aspire to become the "next Bitcoin." However, USP is a different breed altogether.

Instead of short-term, volatile, highly-speculative returns, USP aims to provide stable, long-term returns for investors while enabling them to diversify their portfolios and participate in a fully compliant security token offering.

The USP team has removed the uncertainty from real estate investing, allowing users to access an impressive array of assets  from multi-family apartments and industrial warehouses to retail shopping centers and hotels.

This means that crypto enthusiasts who are ready to dip their feet into traditional capital markets without leaving the comfort of their digital wallets can now do so through the USP Token.

What Is The USPC Stablecoin?

In addition to issuing the USP Token, USP has also announced its plans to launch a brand-new stablecoin called USPC (United States Property Coin) that will have a 2:1 reserves ratio consisting of both cash and real estate.

This means that for every one USPC stablecoin in circulation, there will be two units of both cash (or cash-equivalents such as short-term treasury bonds) and real estate in the company's reserves. USP will maintain 100% transparency by publishing audited financials, allowing holders of the USP Token and USPC to have complete insight into the reserves, the company's activities, and their impact on the underlying asset value.

Investors who purchase USP Tokens will benefit from the revenue generated through the issuance of new USPC stablecoins, as well as real estate acquisitions made by USP.

USP will then reinvest a portion of the reserves back into real estate, creating a virtuous cycle of growth and enhancing the value propositions for both USP Token holders and USPC holders.

Final Thoughts On USP and USPC...

This is an ambitious undertaking, but one that USP believes will be beneficial to all parties involved - from investors and developers to cryptocurrency enthusiasts. And that's why it's such an exciting project - because it unites traditional capital markets with the decentralized finance revolution.

This is only the beginning for USP, and if everything goes according to plan, they have the potential to revolutionize real estate investing and become a major player in the blockchain world.

You can follow the activities of USP by joining their growing Twitter and Telegram communities, and you can join the waiting list for the launch of the USPC stablecoin here.

Disclaimer:

As issuers of a security token (which is a type of security, a class of assets that are heavily regulated inside of the United States), USP is currently operating within the regulatory framework set out by the US Securities Act of 1933.

Specifically, USP is operating under an exemption from registration in Rule 506(c) of Regulation D, which allows U.S. accredited investors to purchase tokens issued by USP. Non-U.S. investors, on the other hand, can participate in offerings of USP tokens through compliance with Regulation S.

Potential investors should conduct their own due diligence and research before investing in tokenized real estate through USP's Security Token Offering (STO).

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/ editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/ subscribe to the contents of the article/advertisement and/or views expressed herein.

The reader is further advised that Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions.

Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the views, opinions, announcements, declarations, affirmations etc., stated/featured in same. The decision to read hereinafter is purely a matter of choice and shall be construed as an express undertaking/guarantee in favour of Hindustan Times of being absolved from any/ all potential legal action, or enforceable claims. The content may be for information and awareness purposes and does not constitute a financial advice.
Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Co., which has invested almost $2 billion in companies owned by Gautam Adani, doesnt plan to take part in any potential share sales if the Indian billionaire decides to tap equity markets.

There is no plan to take part at this point," IHC spokesman Ahmad Ibrahim said in a statement to Bloomberg. If anything changes, IHC will disclose the same to the market as per the governors rules and regulations. Our business relationship remains the same."

Adani Enterprises Ltd., the Indian tycoons flagship, and at least two other group companies plan to hold board meetings on May 13 to consider raising funds via the sale of shares or other securities, just months after allegations of fraud by a short seller tipped his business empire into crisis. Three companies controlled by Adani are considering a fundraising that may draw as much as $5 billion, Bloomberg reported.

IHC, which is controlled by a key member of the emirates royal family, in January committed about $400 million in Adani Enterprises follow-on share sale which was later scrapped after a selloff triggered by Hindenburg Researchs report engulfed his group in turmoil. IHC said all of the funds were returned to the Abu Dhabi conglomerate.
Disney+ Hotstar, the video streaming service owned by the Walt Disney Co has reported an 8% drop in subscriber base to 52.9 million in January-March quarter as the media and entertainment conglomerate looks at lower content volume.

Previously, the platform, which is known as Disney+ Hotstar, in India and other Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, had seen subscriber count dip by 6% to 57.5 million from 61.3 million in the October-December quarter. This essentially makes for a loss of 8.4 million subscribers over the past six months.

Average monthly revenue per paid subscriber dipped by 20% from $0.74 to $0.59 for Disney+ Hotstar in Q2. The company follows an October to September financial year. Overall, the Walt Disney Co saw its video streaming platform Disney+ lose paid subscribers by 2% to 157.8 million in the March quarter.

In India, Disney Star, the media firm owned by the Walt Disney Co has given up the digital rights to stream the Indian Premier League (IPL). Starting 31 March, Disney Star has also removed 144 HBO originals as the company decided against extending its longstanding content deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent firm of HBO. Media analysts have estimated a 30% loss of subscribers thanks to the change in strategy.

We are in the process of reviewing the content on our DTC (direct-to-consumer) services to align with the strategic changes in our approach to content curation. As a result, we will be removing certain content from our streaming platforms and currently expect to take an impairment charge of approximately $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion. And going forward, we intend to produce lower volumes of content in alignment with this strategic shift," Christine McCarthy, senior executive vice-president and chief financial officer said during an earnings call. McCarthy added that streaming losses for the firm had peaked in the last quarter of 2022 that were reported in November and the next two quarters have shown an improvement. Therell be that one little blip in Q3, and then we expect to be back on the path for the balance of the fiscal year," she added.

Bob Iger, who was reappointed chief executive of Disney in a surprise move last November, had stated earlier that the company would be slashing its workforce by 7,000 besides targeting $5.5 billion of cost savings across the company, including $3 billion in savings on the content side.

As we grow the business in terms of the global footprint, we realized that we made a lot of content that is not necessarily driving subscriber growth, and were getting much more surgical about what it is (that) we make. So, as we look to reduce content spend, were looking to do so in a way that should not have any impact at all on subscriptions. We believe that theres an opportunity for us to focus more on real subscriber drivers," Iger said during an earnings call citing the example of tentpole movies such as Avatar- The Way of Water, Indianan Jones and Guardians of the Galaxy that couldnt be allocated enough marketing spends earlier. We actually believe we have an opportunity to lean into those more, allocate away from programming that was not driving any subscriptions at all," he said.
NEW DELHI : Eicher Motors, the maker of Royal Enfield motorcycles and part of the Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicle joint venture, plans to invest 1,000 crore this financial year to build its first electric motorcycle factory and also expand its current portfolio of petrol-driven motorcycles, a senior company executive said on Thursday.

The company is also seeking a bigger share of the global mid-weight motorcycle marketplace, which crossed 1 million units in total sales in FY23.

We are currently working on blocking capacities with suppliers, working with them to figure out our requirements and developing our product. We will think of what capacity we put up at a later stage," B. Govindarajan, chief executive at Royal Enfield said on a conference call to discuss March quarter results. Our intent is to create very uniquely differentiated electric motorcycles with a strong Royal Enfield DNA. We have started our deep investments, we are committing ourselves in the product development area, in infrastructure, testing and development. We have laid out a strong product and technology roadmap, what products we have to do at what point of time and all with all the supply partners we have started engaging in the development cycle."

The automaker reported a 48% rise from the year earlier in March quarter net profit at 905.6 crore. Quarterly revenue hit a record at 3,804 crores, up 19.1%, while Ebitda margins climbed 23.3% to 934 crores.

Royal Enfield has been steadily gaining market share in the Indian market for motorcycles above 125cc, with its share reaching a record close to 30% by fiscal year 2023. Indias two-wheeler market is seeing a dramatic shift as buyers shift from entry-level segments to more premium motorcycles. Royal Enfield sold 214,685 motorcycles in the Q4FY23, up 18% from a year earlier.

In FY23, we crossed the 100,000-mark in exports. For us, I think its a real inflection point; it kicks off a virtuous cycle in export markets. We started our completely knocked-down assembly (CKD) operations in Brazil, which has extremely high potential market for us, and now takes us to four CKD markets overall, including Argentina, Colombia and Thailand in addition to Brazil," Siddhartha Lal, managing director and CEO, Eicher Motors Ltd said.

As part of its plans to market directly in the UK, Royal Enfield will hire its own dealers instead of distributors. Despite export volumes halving in April, the company expects to beat the market in terms of international business growth and is betting on the segment doing well in key markets abroad as well as at home.

//web//

Meanwhile, Eichers commercial vehicle business, VE Commercial Vehicles, also reported its highest-ever quarterly revenue from operations at 6,200 crores for Q4FY23, a growth of nearly 44% compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year, when revenue was at 4,307 crores. VECVs EBITDA grew by 114.7%, from 288 crores to 619 crores during the same period.

VECV sold 26,376 units in the quarter-ended March 31, up 31.3% compared to 20,093 units sold during the same period last year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alisha Sachdev Alisha Sachdev is an assistant editor with Mint based in Delhi. She reports on the auto and mobility sector, with a special focus on emerging clean mobility technologies. She also focusses on developing multimedia properties for Mint and currently hosts the 'In A Minute' series and the Mint Primer podcast. Previously, she has worked with CNBC-TV18 and NDTV. Read more from this author
YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on May 11 that there is little chance of Armenia and Azerbaijan signing a peace treaty on May 14 in Brussels.

He said that despite the May 11 Azeri aggression against Armenia, he will travel to Brussels for a meeting with Azerbaijani leader Aliyev, as planned.

First of all Id like to answer a question. How likely is it for a peace treaty with Azerbaijan to be signed Sunday? Unfortunately, theres very little possibility for that, because the draft bilateral agreement on peace and interstate relations still has a very preliminary form, and it is still too early to speak about signing it. On the other hand, we need to mature this document as soon as possible and prepare it for signing, the Armenian PM said at the Cabinet meeting.
Rejecting the claims made by Hindenburg Research, Mauritian Parliamentarian, called the claims of the presence of Shell companies of the Adani Group in Mauritius, to be false and baseless". The short-seller, in its report, alleged the presence of Adani Group's shell companies in Mauritius, UAE, and the Caribbean islands.

Click here to get all market related updates

The Mauritian minister was informed by the Financial Services Commission of the report published by Hindenburg Research over the presence of Adani group shell companies in the country. Shell companies are not allowed in Mauritius, or global companies have to meet the legal requirements set by the Mauritian government, said the parliamentarian in his address.

Also Read: Adani revives fundraising plan after aborted FPO in February

"At the outset, I wish to inform the House that the allegations of the presence of Shell companies in Mauritius are false and baseless. According to law, Shell Companies are not allowed in Mauritius or global business companies licensed by the Financial services providers have to meet substance requirements as per section 21 of the financial service activities," he added.

Also Read: Adani Green, Transmission and Ports lose endorsement of UN-backed climate group; firm responds

According to Mauritian law, the minister said a company from overseas needs to carry out its core income-generating activities in, or from, Mauritius, as required under the Income Tax Act. The second clause of the act mandates the company to be managed and controlled by the country and be administered by a management company.

The next clause mandates a minimum of two native directors from Mauritius. Notably, Hindenburg Research released a report on the Adani group claiming brazen stock manipulation over the decades. The report stirred a political storm in India. Moreover, the news led to a nearly $ 51 billion sell-off in shares of the port-to-energy Indian conglomerate.

The US-based short seller noted that the core allegations of its report -- focused on numerous suspect transactions with offshore entities were left completely unaddressed."

(With ANI inputs)
Five months after fintech unicorn BharatPe filed a criminal complaint against former managing director Ashneer Grover, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police on Wednesday registered a first information report (FIR) against Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain Grover and family members, including Deepak Gupta, Suresh Jain and Shwetank Jain.

An FIR was registered under eight sections of cognizable criminal offences, including Section 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant or by banker, merchant or agent), Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), Section 467 (forgery of valuable security, will etc.) and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy).

The complaint was received at EOW, and enquiry was conducted into the allegations levelled against the accused persons. From the contents of the complaint and the enquiry conducted so far, prima facie offences punishable under Sections 406/408/409/420/467/468/471/120B IPC (Indian penal code) are made out," according to the FIR copy seen by Mint.

On 7 December, BharatPe filed a criminal complaint with the deputy commissioner of police, accusing Grover and family of committing a 81.28 crore fraud. The charges were on 17 counts, including criminal breach of trust; criminal conspiracy; cheating and dishonesty; forgery for the purpose of cheating; forgery of valuable security, will etc. In its complaint, BharatPe alleged financial discrepancies and irregularities in recruitment and hiring third-party vendors, which it called serious cognizable offences."

The complaint said Grover and his wife were the masterminds, main perpetrators and ultimate beneficiaries of the serious offences committed against the company." Madhuri Jains brother Shwetank Jain and her father, Suresh Jain, were accused as key co-conspirators instrumental, inter alia, in preparation of forged, false and fabricated invoices in the name of fake vendors/services/supplies causing undue losses to the company."

A person accused of these offences, if convicted, could face a prison term of nearly 10 years or life imprisonment.

We welcome the registration of an FIR by the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police in the companys complaint in relation to the criminal offences by Mr Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain and other family members. For the last 15 months, the company has been facing a vicious and malicious campaign run by Grover against the company, the board and its employees. The registration of the FIR is a step in the right direction which unearths various suspicious transactions made by the family for their personal pecuniary gains. This FIR will now enable law enforcement agencies to investigate deeper into criminality and bring the culprits to books. We have full faith in our countrys judicial and law enforcement systems and are optimistic that this case will reach its logical conclusion. We will continue to extend all possible cooperation to the authorities," BharatPe said in its statement.

Grover did not respond to a request for comment.

MZM Legal LLP is advising BharatPe on the criminal complaint.

After a detailed complaint was filed with the EOW, a thorough inquiry was conducted with voluminous documents on record. We are glad that cognizance has been taken and an FIR is now registered against Ashneer, his wife and others," Zulfiquar Memon, managing partner, MZM Legal said in a statement.

In the past six months, Grover has been the subject of five lawsuits. He has been embroiled in a legal battle with BharatPe after allegations of financial irregularities surfaced in January 2022. In March last year, Grover was terminated from the company.

In December, BharatPe also filed a civil suit with the Delhi High Court seeking recovery of over 88.67 crore in damages from Grover and his family under various heads. Law firm Trilegal is representing BharatPe in the civil suit filed in the high court.

In January this year, BharatPe founder Bhavik Koladiya also filed a lawsuit against Ashneer Grover in the Delhi High Court, seeking to reclaim shares transferred to Grover. Last month, the companys other co-founder Shashvat Nakrani sued Grover in Delhi HC over unpaid shares."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Arti Singh Arti Singh has been a business journalist for 15 years. Over the last five years, she has closely tracked India's fintech space and written important deep-dive stores. As deputy editor, she covers the intersection of finance and tech at Mint. Read more from this author
New Delhi: India and Canada are pursuing a mini-trade deal with commitments in both goods and services, a joint statement issued on Wednesday said.

New Delhi and Ottawa relaunched trade negotiations in March last year after a gap of nearly 10 years. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal met his Canadian counterpart Mary Ng in Ottawa on Monday.

While India is looking for duty-free access for its textile and apparel products along with easier norms for the movement of professionals and easing of technical and sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to trade, Canada could look for larger market access for its wine, dairy and agricultural products. Negotiations towards an Early Progress Trade Agreement, as a transitional step towards the CEPA, have been underway and several rounds of discussions have already taken place," the ministry of commerce said.

With that goal in mind, the ministers called for boosting commercial ties between the two countries through enhanced cooperation and by forging partnerships to take advantage of the complementarities in such sectors as agricultural goods, chemicals, green technologies, infrastructure, automotive, clean energy, electronics, and minerals and metals, the government said.

Mint had reported that a proposed investment protection agreement was a contentious issue the last time the countries sat across the negotiating table.

Trade ministers discussed global supply chains that remain under the threat of disruption from the fallout of the covid pandemic", as well as the effects of the ongoing war in Ukraine. In this context, they discussed the continued importance of working together to promote the international rules-based order and supply chain resilience in critical sectors.

They emphasised enhancing cooperation in sectors such as clean technologies for infrastructure development, critical minerals, electric vehicles and batteries, renewable energy/hydrogen, and AI.

Recognising the importance of critical minerals for the future economy and green economy, the Ministers agreed on the importance of government to government coordination to promote critical mineral supply chain resiliency.

Ministers agreed to explore options for business to business engagement on critical minerals between the two countries, and have committed to an annual dialogue between the appropriate points of contact at the officials level on the margins of the Prospectors and Developers Association Conference in Toronto to discuss issues of mutual interest.

Both sides discussed the potential for strengthening the cooperation in the field of science, technology and innovation in priority areas by building on the ongoing work in the Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) and seeking enhanced collaboration in the areas of start-ups and innovation partnerships.

The Ministers agreed that there is significant potential to strengthen such cooperation and to enhance collaboration between their research and business communities in support of a sustainable economic recovery and the prosperity and wellbeing of their citizens.

In line with the announcement made in the National Education Policy 2020 of India for facilitating foreign universities and educational institutions, India also invited top Canadian Universities to set up their campuses in India.

The ministers noted that India and Canada have agreed to an expanded air services agreement in 2022 which enhances people to people ties through enhanced commercial

flights by carriers of both the countries," the ministry said.

Canada-India bilateral trade in goods reached nearly C$12 billion in 2022, a substantial 57% increase over the previous year.
On February 24th America marked the anniversary of Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine by freezing the assets of a dozen more Russian banks. Britain and the EU also lengthened their blacklists. Part of the reason for tightening sanctions again is to close loopholes in the existing regime: America is going after evasion-related targets"; Europe vows to punish those betraying" Ukrainians. As joint research by The Economist and SourceMaterial, an investigative outfit, suggests, Russias sanctions-dodging is only getting more advancedespecially when it comes to flogging the oil that funds Mr Putins war.

A month ago Europe imposed an import ban on refined Russian oil, having already banned purchases of the countrys crude. To keep global supply flowing while limiting Mr Putins revenues, the EU allows its shippers, insurers and banks to continue facilitating Russian exports to other countries so long as the oil is sold below a price set by the g7 group of big economies. But Russias petroleum has not become as much of a bargain as hoped. Most countries outside the West have not introduced their own sanctions, allowing the rise of an army of shady middlemen beyond the reach of Western measures. Our investigation sheds light on a missing piece of the puzzle: how their trade is financed.

Take Bellatrix, a once-unknown trader which shipping data suggest now controls seven tankers capable of carrying 3m barrels. The firm did not respond to our questions, but a tax-return filing in Hong Kong, where it is domiciled, shows its ownership was transferred to Bilal Aliyev, an Azeri citizen, six weeks into the war. Data suggest it has been involved in at least 22 trades of Russian oil products since January 1st. On all but three occasions it bought barrels from Rosneft, Russias state-owned oil giant. Where did it find the money?

A paper trail provides clues. A filing in Hong Kong shows that the Russian Agricultural Bank, a state-owned lender, approved a loan facility of up to $350m to Bellatrix on December 30th, to be repaid by May 2025. This is despite Viktoria Abramchenko, Russias deputy prime minister, saying on December 22nd that sanctions should be removed from the bank to ease food supplies, adding that we, for our part, guarantee that only food, only mineral fertilisers will be the goods that go through this bank". Another filing, dated December 27th, shows Bellatrix signing up to a loan facility with the Russian Regional Development Bank, a Rosneft subsidiary.

Until recently it seemed a good chunk of Russias oil exports were financed on open credit by the Russian government, with traders paying for the goods once they had collected the proceeds themselves. Our findings suggest the trade is becoming more institutionalised. Many obscure traders appear to be tapping Russian banks on behalf of buyers further down the chain. Bellatrix itself seems to have a close business relationship with Coral Energy, a trader based in Dubai and owned by another Azeri businessman. A filing dated December 28th states that Bellatrix has a prepayment and offtake agreement with the Nayara refinery in India (49% owned by Rosneft) that it has assigned to Coral.

Can the West do much to stem the stream of grey finance? Some interpret Americas decision to blacklist MTS, a Russian bank, just days after Abu Dhabi granted it a licence, as a signal that it could soon apply more pressure. But Russian fuel remains in high demand. Imports by Chinas independent refiners jumped by 180% last month. Heavy-fuel shipments to Fujairah, a port in the UAE, are breaking records thanks to surging Russian exports.

Some of the Russian crude is even finding its way back to Europe once refined. Global Witness, an advocacy group, alleges that Western energy companies and traders, such as Shell and Vitol, are shipping some to the bloc, often from Turkey. The firms have rightly said that such trades are not illegal. Our investigation suggests that, earlier in the supply chain, the mechanics of the Russian oil trade are increasingly being greased by the Kremlins money.

For more expert analysis of the biggest stories in economics, finance and markets, sign up to Money Talks, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter. And read more of our recent coverage of the Ukraine war here.

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
New Delhi: Amazon miniTV , the free video streaming service available on the Amazon shopping app and Fire TV, has joined hands with Meta, for a partnership where creators will promote upcoming shows from the streaming service and also feature in a few of them.

The partnership began with a collaboration with creators for the Suniel Shetty action series Hunter - Tootega Nahi Todega. The actor collaborated with the Norwegian dance group Quickstyle on their maiden visit to India, which resulted in over four million plays on Instagram Reels, the two companies said in a statement. Similar creator integrations also took place for the series Gutar Gu, which resulted in over 58 million plays on Instagram Reels.

Social media content creators have a unique ability to build a strong connect with their audiences. They have the power to build awareness on different areas, strike up discussions, and encourage engagement and Meta is at the forefront of this innovation. This presents to us an opportunity to innovate and explore new areas of synergy with budding content creators. This collaboration with Meta is a step towards harnessing such great talent whilst we entertain audiences," Aruna Daryanani, head of business, Amazon miniTV said in a statement.

As part of this partnership, creators will get access to the shoot locations, for them to shoot behind-the-scenes (BTS) content. Additionally, creators will also get an opportunity to be part of some of the shows on Amazon miniTV as well.

Creators are drivers of culture and inspiration, and we want them to get discovered by audiences who love their content. The partnership with Amazon miniTV and Meta is rooted in this purpose, where Amazon miniTV unlocks new forefronts in influencer marketing through unique creator integrations. And creators, in whose success were invested in, get access to new audiences watching these exciting shows on Amazon miniTV," Paras Sharma, director of content and community partnerships, Facebook India (Meta), said in a statement.
Freedom of expression is often paid lip service. Consider the ban on The Kerala Story in West Bengal. In Tamil Nadu, the film has been pulled off theatre screens amid reported threats of violence, even though the states law-and-order apparatus could surely ensure those who want to go see it can do so safely. The Kerala high court turned down an effort to proscribe it. At the same time, BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have declared the movie tax-free. Opinions on the film are highly polarized, given its subject. Its makers claim its based on a true story of three women converted to Islam who joined ISIS camps abroad, where they faced horrific assaults. Critics see a problem in its use as a divisive tool to feed a narrative of such exceptional cases being the norm in a state thats known for its religious diversity and harmony. Whats propaganda and whats not should be for viewers to judge, so long as Indias film certification body has passed it, as it has in this case. As with other matters of cinema controversy, society achieves little when people are assumed to be undiscerning. Its unfortunate that cinema has become a political battlefield. But bans are no solution.
The young advertising executive was on his way home from office when he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. The pain did not subside and the next morning, he had to be admitted to a hospital. After some routine medical tests, the hospital informed him that he would need to undergo a cholecystectomy, a common procedure that involves removing the gall bladder.

The executive, who did not want to be identified, said he was initially not worried about the expenses that this could entail since he had a Rs5 lakh insurance cover. But, he had not taken certain other things into consideration. First, the hospital where he was admitted said that he had to immediately pay 50,000 towards admissionIt informed him that he was not eligible for cashless admission since the hospital was not part of the insurers network. He was told that he could get his claims reimbursed from the insurer after he was discharged from the hospital.

His brother paid for the admission charge using a credit card. Post the surgery, the executive was told that he would have to pay 33,350 at the time of his discharge. His total bill had come to 83,350 and he had already paid 50,000 at the time of his admission. The executive, who did not have any savings for such exigencies, had to use his credit card again. When he contacted the insurer, the firms third party administrator, or TPA, said he was eligible for a reimbursement of just 42,330. The insurer, he was told, would pay the amount within 30 days of receipt of the claim and submission of all bills and discharge certificate from the hospital. The executive had to thus pay a total of about 41,000 from his own pocket.

This executives experience is not unique and perhaps explains the out-of-pocket expenditure, or OoPE, that most insured individuals have to bear during any hospitalization. For the uninitiated, most insurers do not cover expenses pertaining to consumables, such as single use disposable medical aids used during surgeries.

One of the biggest challenges facing the Indian healthcare system is the high OoPE as it imposes a significant financial burden on the patients families. They may have to borrow money (credit cards, personal loans) or even sell assets (mutual funds, PF, gold) to pay for medical expenses. While people with higher incomes can afford to pay for expensive medical treatments, those with lower incomes must forgo medical care or rely on substandard services. This can create a vicious cycle of poor health outcomes and limited economic opportunities. Also, many people may delay seeking treatment until their condition worsens, leading to higher healthcare costs and poorer health outcomes.

OoPE in India has been pegged at around 62% of the total healthcare expenditure . Indian families spent an average of 7.9% of their entire annual household consumption expenditure (monthly running expenses for your home) on healthcare .

A lot of this is also because, 82% of urban households in India are not covered under any health insurance scheme , resulting in 55% of all hospitalizations being financed through household savings and 23% through borrowings.

Here are some ways to minimize OoPE:

Health Insurance: It is one of the most effective ways to minimize OoPE. Buy as much insurance cover you can afford to.

Healthcare credit line: Avail a no-cost healthcare credit line, that gives you quick and easy access to money, which you can borrow and pay back at no-cost, covering any cost paid for by your health insurance .

Preventive care: Regular check-ups, vaccinations and screening tests can help you detect health problems early and prevent them from becoming more severe and expensive to treat.

Comparison shopping: Compare the prices of different healthcare providers to find the most affordable option for your medical needs.

Negotiation: Try to negotiate with the healthcare provider for a lower price. Many providers are willing to offer a discount if you pay in cash or upfront.

Government healthcare facilities: These offer medical services at subsidized rates or for free. While the quality of care may vary, these facilities can be a cost-effective option, especially for routine check-ups and minor illnesses.

Chris George is co-founder & CEO, QubeHealth
NEW DELHI : Brazils mines and energy minister Alexandre Silveira is expected to visit India later this year, according to persons aware of the matter. Silveira is likely to prioritize deeping energy ties with India, particularly in biofuels and ethanol. India has set itself a target of 20% ethanol blending in fuel by 2025. Brazil is one of the worlds most advanced producers of ethanol blended fuel and is interested in expanding cooperation with India on this.

I believe the 20% target for ethanol blending by 2025 already creates a large market for ethanol in India. Further, India is already one of the largest producers of cars in the world. The next step is an in-depth exchange of knowledge and experiences on both sides. If both India and Brazil involve themselves in this ethanol project, then we might see the commoditization of ethanol globally. Because India and Brazil are such important markets, it will convince other countries to be a part of this market," said former Brazilian ambassador to India Andre Aranha de Lago in an interview.

Brazil has also emerged as a major oil player and expects to become the fifth largest producer and exporter of oil in the coming years. India has turned to Brazil, among others, in recent years as it diversifies its purchases of energy. In September 2022, IOCL inked a long-term crude oil deal with Brazilian oil major Petrobras in a bid to reduce its reliance on OPEC suppliers. The contract with Petrobras for 1.7 million metric tonne per annum was signed during Indias petroleum and natural gas secretary Pankaj Jains visit to Brazil. In that same month, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd also signed an MoU with Petrobras.

India is one of the first countries to accept the idea that Brazil is a major player in oil. Since Brazil is a new player in this industry, it is important that we have as close a relationship as possible with India, which is a major consumer nation," said de Lago.
New Delhi: Commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday urged Indian businesses to focus on quality, scale, design, and packaging to win the trust of Canadian consumers and businesses, said Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday.

Speaking at the Trade and Investment Promotion Event for the Agricultural and Food Processing sector with Indian companies and Canadian importers on the sidelines of SIAL-2023 in Toronto, Canada, Goyal stressed that businesses should prioritise building relationships, partnerships, collaboration, learning, technology, and innovation to achieve shared prosperity for people across the world.

Goyal highlighted the potential for growth in the expansion of business and engagement between Canada and India, particularly in the value addition of food products, which is a priority area.

He called the food industry a high profile, high profits, and high growth sunrise sector" that directly impacts agriculture in India by adding value to farmers products and encouraging diversification of crops, fruits, and vegetables.

The minister praised the participation of Indian businesses at SIAL 2023, saying that it showcased India to the world. Goyal suggested that World Food India, to be held in November, could serve as the platform to showcase the best of India and collaborate with businesses across the world.

He also highlighted the multifold growth potential in the bilateral trade of India-Canada in the food industry. He urged Canadian companies to visit India and join sectoral engagements being organized across the country under Indias G20 Presidency, while inviting them to hold Board meetings in India.

The minister noted that as India grows as an economy in the next 25 years, Canadian businesses are invited to be a part of Indias growth journey.
The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jayant Patil for questioning in connection with a case pertaining to alleged irregularities related to Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS). As per an official, the Maharashtra NCP president has been asked to appear before the probe agency on Friday, May 12.

The ED on Wednesday carried out searches against two former auditor firms of IL&FS -- BSR and Associates and Deloitte Haskins and Sells -- in connection with its money laundering probe into alleged financial irregularities at the infrastructure development and finance company, official sources said.

The investigation pertains to alleged irregularities in IL&FS Group's loan and equity investment in Kohinoor CTNL, which is one of the defaulters. Kohinoor CTNL is developing the Kohinoor Square tower in Dadar (West).

The Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) filed for bankruptcy in 2018. The money laundering probe into the alleged financial irregularities at IL&FS was launched by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2019 after the federal agency took cognizance of a Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) FIR filed against IRL, ITNL (group companies of IL&FS), its officials and others.
YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on May 11 that by launching a new aggression Azerbaijan wants to annul the progress recorded in Washington and disrupt the planned negotiations in Brussels and Chisinau on May 14 and June 1 respectively.

Today, around 06:00, units of the Azerbaijani armed forces launched intense artillery gunfire at military positions deployed in the direction of Sotk settlement of Gegharkunik Province, Republic of Armenia, striking the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. The intensity of the active artillery bombardment somewhat decreased after the adequate and effective countermeasures by the Armenian army. There are four wounded on our side, whom I wish speedy recovery, PM Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

Pashinyan said that this provocation, along with other actions by Azerbaijan, seeks to annul the progress reached during the foreign ministerial talks on May 1-4 in the United States.

Todays provocation also seeks to disrupt the trilateral format talks in Brussels on Sunday, as well as the five-sided talks in Chisinau planned for June 1. Experience shows that Azerbaijan needs the negotiations process only for getting an argument for escalation and war, while escalations are used exclusively for nullifying any progress achieved in the talks. This is whats happening now, the PM added.

PM Pashinyan also said that the Azerbaijani Defense Ministrys May 10 statements accusing the Armenian army of violating the ceasefire are false.

They fabricate such information for escalating the situation. If escalation is not what Azerbaijan seeks, any local incident can be swiftly resolved through achieving a preventative agreement on clarifying and exchanging information through existing communications. No such thing happened yesterday for one simple reason, because there was no incident and the Azerbaijani disinformation machine fabricated this story with a past date for escalating the situation. While the main goal of escalating the situation is to nullify and negotiations progress and disrupt the course of future negotiations, Pashinyan said.
New Delhi: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Bangladesh, Sweden and Belgium during 11-16 May, according to an official statement on Thursday.

During his visit to Bangladesh, from 11-12 May, Jaishankar will participate in the sixth edition of the Indian Ocean Conference, which will be attended by several ministers from across the world, including Mauritiuss president Prithvirajsing Roopun and Maldives vice president Faisal Naseem.

After Bangladesh, Jaishankar will travel to Sweden from 13-15 May, marking his first visit to the country as Indias foreign minister. India and Sweden are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations, and Sweden currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. While in Sweden, he will participate in the second EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum (EIPMF) and hold bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of several countries on the margins of EIPMF.

Jaishankar will also call on leadership in Sweden and participate in the inaugural session of the India Trilateral Forum with his Swedish counterpart.

In the final leg of his trip, EAM will visit Brussels for bilateral engagements with Belgian and EU officials from 15-16 May. He will attend the first ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council along with Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The visit is expected to strengthen Indias bilateral relations and economic ties with these countries.
Alex Ellis, the British High Commissioner to India, spoke on May 10 about the recent raids at the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai by the Income Tax department earlier. At an event in Mumbai, Ellis stated that he would not discuss the details of his discussions with the Indian authorities but emphasised that the BBC was a globally respected institution that was in talks with the Indian authorities regarding the issue.

Ellis said, "Certainly, I would never share all the things that I discussed with the Indian authorities. But good friends can also disagree. I think that it is okay to disagree sometimes."

Ellis regularly follows the news from the globally esteemed broadcasting institution, the BBC. He further added that the BBC was in discussion with Indian authorities regarding the matter.

On May 3, Delhi's Rohini court summoned the BBC, Wikimedia Foundation and Internet Archive after a plea was filed requesting the court to restrain the defendants from broadcasting a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The plea states that the documentary, titled "India: The Modi Question" was aired by BBC in January 2023 and is a two-volume series.

According to the plea, the documentary suggests that there is an increasing tension between India's PM Modi and the Muslim community. It further claims that there is a surge in hate crimes and extremist politics in India, particularly targeting the Muslim minority.

In February, soon after the release of the documentary, the Income Tax officials conducted raids at the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai, citing multiple irregularities, including non-payment of taxes on certain remittances that were not disclosed as income in India.

On the attack on the Indian High Commission in London by pro-Khalistani protestors, Ellis described it as a "symptom of extremism" and a "risk" in any country. He added that the UK-India relationship is complex due to its colonial history and that there would always be "bumps" which were part of the complexity and richness.

Ellis stated that he agreed that the attack on the Indian High Commission was not acceptable and described it as a sign of extremism, which - according to him - is a threat present in every country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a state visit to the United States next month that will underscore the growing importance of the bilateral strategic ties and both sides will reflect on their vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have invited PM Modi to attend a state dinner on June 22, according to the news agency PTI.

"President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India for an Official State Visit to the United States, which will include a state dinner, on June 22," MEA said.

The visit will offer a valuable opportunity for the two countries India and USto further deepen their comprehensive and forward-looking global strategic partnership. MEA did not mention the duration of PM Modi's visit to the US.

People familiar with the preparation for the trip said exact details of the prime minister's schedule are being worked out, adding the visit is likely to start on June 21 and the duration could be of four days.

Notably, it will be PM Modi's first visit to the US after Joe Biden became President. The prime minister visited Washington in September 2021 to attend the first in-person Quad Leaders Summit. Modi had a bilateral meeting with Biden during that visit, PTI reported.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on an official state visit to the United States of America, which will include a state dinner on June 22 following an invitation from President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden," the MEA added.

The ministry said that the visit will underscore the growing importance of the strategic partnership between India and the US as the two nations collaborate across numerous sectors.

"The leaders will have the opportunity to review strong bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, including technology, trade, industry, education, research, clean energy, defense, security, healthcare, and deepening people-to-people connections," MEA stated.

The MEA added that PM Modi and Joe Biden will also explore ways to strengthen India-US collaboration in plurilateral and multilateral fora, including in the G20.

Both sides will reflect on their shared vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific and discuss opportunities to expand and consolidate the Quad engagement.

The White House said PM Modi's visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the US and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together, as per PTI reports.

"The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change, to workforce development and health security," the White House added.

(With PTI inputs)
At a time when children are busy struggling with their school assignments, this 15-year-old entrepreneur from USA is making money in his school bathroom! Eric Zhu, co-founder, and CEO of Aviato, a platform to ease startup funding, skilfully manages his classes and business deals simultaneously at school. All he needs is to take a bio-break from his ongoing class, only to reach the toilet and start his meeting with investors.

Also Read: FIR against Bharatpe ex-MD Ashneer Grover, family for defrauding the fintech of 81 cr

Till now, the young startup owner has earned $100k of funding in two weeks, all from his school's bathroom stalls. Erics business mind is not his only speciality as the young prodigy is also famous for his quirky tweets. He has around 50.7k followers on Twitter.

Also Read: Amazon to receive $1 billion in tax breaks in eastern Oregon for new data centers

Other than the amount of success he has achieved at such a young age, the manner in which he is handling his schools and work simultaneously has earned him applaud.

Also Read: PM Modi to participate in National Technology Day celebrations today

In his recent tweet, he shared the screenshot of his fathers messages who was worried because of his bathroom Zoom meetings as he received complaints from Eric's school authorities.

It was over for me that day," he tweeted.

It was over for me that day pic.twitter.com/Bf2Sv6vEwy  Eric Zhu (@ericzhu105) May 9, 2023

From his past tweets, it is easy to figure out that his school authority is not very much happy with his bathroom Zoom meetings during classes. But, that hasnt stopped Eric from cracking deals and continuing his business.

Also Read: Skoda to launch Enyaq iV as its first EV in India this financial year

He sold his first company at 14 years of age and is continuing to do wonders with his startup firm Aviato.

I just work on the company full-time and crush it in the bathroom. I just make up some diarrhea excuse and ask to use the restroom. I work on the company full-time and crush it in the bathroom," Asian founder quoted Eric.

While sharing his experience of learning coding, Eric said that he learnt to code with the help of internet. Despite taking coding classes for two years, it was only after when he began teaching the subject for non-profit, he got to understand the subject, recalled the young entrepreneur in his interview to Asian Founder.

Eric's parents are first generation immigrants. His mother is a doctor and his father is a scientist in Indiana, USA. And they are still hoping that their child will become a doctor one day.
New Delhi: Indonesia is keen to re-establish direct flights with India, according to persons aware of the matter, signalling a move toward restoring normalcy after the suspension of flights in the aftermath of the covid-19 pandemic.

The delay in resumption of flights has put a dampener on the Southeast Asian nations economic outreach to India.

According to the persons cited above, Indonesia is making a concerted push for Indian investments in pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and renewable energy, particularly in electric batteries.

In the last few years, Jakarta has worked to attract major names in the electric vehicle ecosystem, including Tesla, to invest and build a presence in the key Asian market. Some Indonesian companies have also invested in Indias booming technology sector. However, the suspension of direct flights made scaling up bilateral economic ties difficult.

Direct flights were established in 2016 during a visit by Indonesian president Joko Widodo to India by Garuda Indonesia, one of the countrys largest airlines.

Noting the importance of connectivity for enhancement of trade, tourism and people-to-people contacts, the leaders (Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Widodo) welcomed the establishment of flights by Garuda Indonesia between Jakarta and Mumbai starting from December 2016," both countries said in a joint statement at the time.

They also encouraged direct flights from India to Indonesia by the airlines of India," the statement said. .

In addition, other airlines are pushing to establish routes in the region to boost trade.

Vietnam, for instance, is another major regional economy that is pushing for more air connectivity with India.

Indonesia is a key economic partner for India in Southeast Asia, with bilateral trade of almost $20 billion in 2019-20.

.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon asserted on Thursday that it was time for US regulators to help put an end to turmoil in the banking industry. The billionaire however predicted that policymakers would take away the wrong lessons from this years upheaval.

I think its going to get worse for banks  more regulations, more rules and more requirements. If you overdo certain rules, requirements, regulations  there are some of these community banks that tell me they have more compliance people than loan officers," Dimon said in a Bloomberg Television interview on Thursday.

He is currently the only major bank CEO from the financial crisis still in command.

We need to finish the bank crisis. Whatever the FDIC, the OCC, the Fed  whatever they need to do to make it better they should do," Dimon said.

ALSO READ: The SVB crash could cue how to fortify banks in India

Dimon also said that the bank was convening weekly meetings to discuss the implications of a potential US default. The "war room" will probably start daily meetings on May 21 before ramping up to three times a day if the debt limit standoff continues.

He however opine that regional banks were "quite strong" after reporting good earnings. Still, he added, the industry and regulators should "just be prepared for problems."

Dimon said that he expects more regulation on the banks, but stressed the need to proceed carefully. Dimon hopes regulators, including the US Securities and Exchange Commission, will look into short selling on bank stocks and potential collusion via social media posts.

(With inputs from agencies)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams temporarily suspended some of the rules that require the city to shelter asylum seekers as a surge in migrants strains resources.

His decision suspends some of the policies concerning timing for placements in shelters, as well as the accommodations the city is required to provide in its shelters for unhoused families, such as a bathroom and cooking facility, according to a copy of the executive order issued Wednesday.

It comes about a week after officials learned that the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave the city just $30.5 million to help pay for the costs of the migrant crisis, a fraction of the $350 million in aid it had requested.

With over 130 emergency sites and eight humanitarian relief centers already opened, we have reached our limit, and this last week we had to resort to temporarily housing recent arrivals in gyms," Fabien Levy, a spokesman for the Democratic mayor, said in a statement. We will make every effort to get asylum seekers into shelter as quickly as possible as we have done since day one."

New York City is spending about $8 million a day to house almost 40,000 asylum seekers. Levy said the city has received more than 500 people a day in recent days. That number is expected to swell later this week after the end of Title 42, a pandemic public health restriction that allowed the US to swiftly expel undocumented migrants even if they sought asylum.

City Comptroller Brad Lander, a fellow Democrat, criticized the move by Adams, citing New Yorks longstanding legal obligation" to house the homeless.

We do not need to roll shelter safety protections back, and we should not," Lander said in a statement Thursday. With more support from Washington and with overdue action from the Adams administration to provide the assistance that will help asylum seekers get on their feet and move out of shelter, we can face this challenge with both compassion and common sense."

The Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless also condemned the decision, saying in a statement that it could potentially lead to the city regularly placing homeless families with children in congregate settings" that put families and children at risk of communicable diseases and sexual assault, and they adversely impact mental health."

The organizations added that they are weighing litigation.

No asylum seeking-family that has sought shelter from us over the last year has slept on the street thanks to our colossal efforts, but without more support from our federal and state partners, we are concerned the worst may be yet to come," Levy said.

The crisis has grown so dire that Adams said Friday that he planned to bus several hundred adult male migrants to two hotels in Orange Lake and Orangeburg, in upstate Rockland County. On Thursday morning, two buses of migrants arrived in the town of Newburgh, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of New York City, Spectrum Local News reported, saying it wasnt clear how many people they were carrying.

Many of the asylum seekers in New York were bused to the city from Texas and other states, drawing rebuke from Adams.

The extraordinary cost of housing the asylum-seekers is due in part to New Yorks unique right to shelter" law, the result of a 1981 legal settlement that requires the city to provide housing to every unhoused person. That mandate has forced the city to turn to using costly commercial hotels as emergency shelters to house migrants.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khans arrest triggered a wave of protests across Pakistan, culminating in the Supreme Court ordering his release. Mint breaks down what the political crisis means for Pakistan and whether it will impact India.

What is Pakistans political crisis about?

After being turned out of office last April, Imran Khan and his PTI party have worked ceaselessly to take on the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Khan also clashed repeatedly with Pakistans military, often the ultimate power-broker in the country. In the last year, devastating floods and a major economic crisis have made Prime Minister Sharifs government very unpopular. The militarys clashes with Khan also painted the armed forces in an unflattering light. Khan, arguably Pakistans most popular politician, has called for fresh elections, which he believes will return him to power.

Whats behind Khans arrest?

Khan was arrested on charges of corruption in a money laundering case involving one of Pakistans biggest real estate barons. The arrest triggered a wave of protests, which led to eight deaths and over 1,000 arrests. Protestors attacked military properties, including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Sharif warned that protests would be dealt with firmly. The military, incensed at the attacks on its properties, also warned of dire consequences. According to the Pakistani media, the government has approved the deployment of the army to pacify the capital city of Islamabad and the provinces.

What happens next in Pakistan?

Khan is being questioned by the National Accountability Bureau, which purports to work as an anti-corruption watchdog. Senior leaders of his party have also been arrested. The deployment of the army may be aimed at stabilizing the domestic situation, but a longer-term fix to the grievances of the protestors does not seem to be in the works.

What lies ahead for Pak politics?

Some believe the crisis triggered by Khans arrest may prove a watershed moment in the countrys politics. The military, which has pulled the strings from behind the scenes for decades, is now openly working against a popular national politician. This has earned it considerable criticism. Further, experts say divisions may have emerged in the army over Khan. The fact that Prime Minister Sharif was missing in action as the crisis erupted, is unlikely to do his approval ratings much good.

Will this crisis impact India?

Former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran suggests Pakistans domestic troubles may trigger more activity across the Line of Control. Recent terrorist attacks in Kashmir have dialled up tensions. At the end of the day, New Delhi has little control over which group comes out on top. It is unclear if the bilateral relationship, on the rocks for some time, will fundamentally change  regardless of who takes power in Islamabad. Divides over Kashmir and cross-border terrorism make a rapprochement unlikely.
President Joe Bidens debt ceiling meeting scheduled for Friday with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders has been postponed as staff continue to negotiate, according White House and congressional officials.

The president will instead meet with congressional leaders early next week, the officials said. The postponement is a signal that the staff-level talks are making progress in the push to strike a deal to avert a historic breach of the debt ceiling, officials said.

McCarthy said the leaders agreed it is more productive" for staff to continue to talk.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, likewise, said he believed talks are moving along." White House congressional liaison Louisa Terrell met behind closed doors with McCarthy chief of staff Dan Meyer and other aides for more than two hours Thursday afternoon.

The Treasury Department has warned that the US could default on payments as soon as June 1 if lawmakers are unable to strike an agreement to raise the debt ceiling. Doing so would reverberate throughout the economy, economists have warned, projecting increased credit costs and unemployment.

Yields on bills that mature in early June were unchanged after the announcement, which came after equity markets closed in the US. Yields on 10-year US Treasuries were also little changed.

Staff level talks have been underway between both sides on government spending, following the May 9 meeting between Biden, McCarthy and other congressional leaders. An agreement on spending could clear the way for a deal to raise the US borrowing limit.

The spending discussions are also focusing on clawing back unspent Covid-19 funds and capping spending in the upcoming federal fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, said Representative Garret Graves, a Louisiana Republican. The White House wants a short-term caps deal, while Republicans want to cap discretionary spending for 10 years, he added.

Graves, a key adviser to McCarthy in the negotiations, said chances are better than 50/50" that a deal will include some agreement on an overhaul on energy project permits.
WASHINGTON : The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved Republican legislation intended to stop immigrants and illegal drugs crossing the nation's southwestern border with Mexico, leaving it to the Senate to attempt a broader, bipartisan immigration bill.

The package, which Democrats have warned will be blocked in the Senate, would set tight limits on asylum seekers and require them to apply for U.S. protection outside the country. It also would resume construction of a wall along the border and expand federal law enforcement efforts.

The House voted 219-213 to pass the bill, with no Democrats in favor and one Republican opposed.

"The key component of this bill is where we say, 'If you come to our country, you will get to, according to the law, file your asylum claim...but you will be detained or you will be returned while your claim is adjudicated,'" said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan during debate on the bill.

The vote occurred in anticipation of the Thursday midnight expiration of the Title 42 immigration restriction that began under former President Donald Trump in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has allowed U.S. authorities to expel migrants to Mexico without the chance to seek asylum, citing health concerns.

Officials at the southwestern border were seeing large influxes of immigrants in the final days of Title 42 expiration.

"My Republican colleagues are trying to take us back to the failed, illegal and immoral policies of the Trump administration," said Representative Jerrold Nadler, the senior Democrat on the Judiciary panel.

"This bill serves as a wholesale ban on asylum. No one would be able to seek asylum in the United States if they cross between ports of entry or if they had or could have had even temporary status in a third country," Nadler added.

While the House bill is not expected to get to President Joe Biden's desk for signing into law, there are hopes in the Senate that it will spark negotiations for a bipartisan, comprehensive border security and immigration reform measure in coming months.

Independent Senator Krysten Sinema told reporters hours before the House vote that the Republican bill would open the way to shaping a "final package" to address not only border security but also reforms to the U.S. asylum system and the manner in which visas are doled out.

Over the past three decades, meaningful immigration reforms have been unsuccessful in Congress. As Biden gears up for re-election next year, the large numbers of people seeking asylum in the United States have raised voter awareness.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week found 54% of respondents, including 77% of Republicans and 34% of Democrats, opposed opening the border to more immigrants every year and only 26% said they approved of Biden's handling of immigration.

But even within the Republican Party there are some divisions over immigration policy.

House Republican leaders at the last minute had to modify provisions of their bill for the U.S. agriculture industry to comply with "E-Verify" requirements for confirming U.S. employment eligibility. Some Republican lawmakers worried a previous version would have made hiring immigrant farm workers too cumbersome.
YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that with its latest actions in the direction of Sotk, Azerbaijan is calling into question the fundamental agreements that have been reached on 6 October 2022 in Prague and 31 October in Sochi.

These documents emphasize that Armenia and Azerbaijan are recognizing each others territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. The questions that arises in this context is the following: If Azerbaijan recognizes Armenias territorial integrity, then why does it fire on the sovereign territory of our country, especially when the sides should refrain from the use of force or the threat of force under the 2022 Sochi trilateral statement. Today, Azerbaijan again grossly violated these written, public agreements and generally it is difficult to recall any joint document that Azerbaijan hasnt violated so far, Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.
WASHINGTON : The Biden administration on Thursday approved an $8.5 billion sale of Chinook helicopters to NATO ally Germany.

The approval comes as the war in Ukraine continues to tax the military stocks of Western countries but is not directly related to the conflict.

The State Department said it had notified Congress that the U.S. would sell Germany 60 Chinooks along with engines and associated spare parts, including missile warning systems.

The Chinook is the Armys key heavy-lift helicopter, used to transport troops and equipment, and was a familiar sight in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Chinooks were the aircraft used to evacuate U.S. embassy personnel from Sudan in April.

The sale is meant to boost Germanys heavy lift military capability and deter regional threats," the department said. The helicopters are not intended to be used in Ukraine.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally which is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe," it said.
Like the case of a night guard that raised no alarm, the term existential crisis has gone missing in Indian analysis of Pakistans trajectory. This has been so for most of the past decade, partly because it had begun to exude the air of a dial-a-dilemma cliche, but more likely for its loss of applicability. The crisis bit endures, or course, as seen in this weeks eruption of protests and clashes in Pakistan over the detention on possibly fake graft charges of Imran Khan, a cricket star and popular leader who was ousted from power last year, pushing him and legions of followers into a standoff with an army that has either puppet-played the countrys politics or directly governed it (if thats the right term) for much of its 75-year history. With its long neglected but lately battered economy at an especially weak point, financial rescues proving as elusive as policy fixes and Chinas shadow on its autonomy likely to lengthen even as climate change plays its own havoc, Pakistan clearly faces a polycrisis of worrisome proportions. Whether existential retains any relevance as a prefix for it, though, is not so clear.

At its most literal, the word suggests a crisis of existence, as if Pakistan could somehow cease to exist. This is a plausible anxiety for a nation that existed only as a theory till 1947, and a contested one at that. It is also cited to explain the extraordinary authority its army wields. The folly of staking all on security (vis-a-vis India) at the expense of its economic emergence, it was hoped, would guide its electoral outcomes and help rebalance its order of priorities. Its tryst with democracy, however, has been patchy. A revolving door between the military in Rawalpindi and leadership in Islamabad has made it hard to read the pulse of its people. While Imran Khans populist politics has had Islamist overtures rousing rowdy crowds, for example, his actual popularity will be tested only in general elections later this year (if free and fair). The existential bit that scholars have quit talking about, however, referred to a crisis of national purpose. A crisis of being bewildered by it, i.e., despite being an ideological state brought about by a campaign. As opponents of the two-nation theory argued, if this premise were openly proven false, Jinnahs partition plank would simply collapse; and since an existence left aimless could cause angst, Pakistani politics would be inclined to cast around for anything to justify its creation. If so, Indias Hindu rightist turn might have given the context of that search a new colour. Pakistans crisis today may or may not be traceable to its adversarial fixation with India, or even Muslim identity, no matter how Khan sought to stoke it with brazen religious rhetoric, but its no less crucial to watch.

For geo-strategists in New Delhi, what our neighbours establishment does matters much more than street brawls that rivet eyeballs but offer a low ratio of signal to noise. Pakistans tilt away from the US towards China could potentially cramp its autonomy, to avoid which its own strategy makers may veer round to the view it must revive talks with India. Ending up squarely on opposite sides of another cold war would serve neithers interests, while keeping Chinas sway at bay in our subcontinent is critical to us. Yet, although our diplomats may spot a chance to engage Islamabad anew, politics on either side of the border could play spoilsport. Unless, of course, peace is the earnest aim. As thinkers have long advised, if existence precedes purpose, people must take it upon themselves to forge onefor the better.
Pakistan has, once again, descended into chaos. The past decade has seen the country struggle with disruptive street politics, a collapsing economy and the growing distrust of its patrons in Beijing and Washington. Now, with the detention of its most popular politician, its hard to see how it will recover stability for another 10 years at least.

In any other country, former prime minister Pakistan Is Caught Between Imran Khan and the Army Khans arrest last week would have been considered the most dramatic event of the decade. Khan, who had successfully evaded a similar fate earlier this year, turned up at court to answer some corruption allegations. Paramilitary forces broke a window to get to him and take him into custody  for a whole other set of corruption allegations. All this is happening amid renewed concerns over the sustainability of the nations sovereign debt. Moodys Investors Service said Monday that Pakistan could default without an International Monetary Fund bailout and warned its financing options beyond June were uncertain.

Yet theres little attention to spare in Pakistan for its financial peril. All eyes are on Khan instead, who has now been handed over to the countrys anti-corruption tribunal, the National Accountability Bureau. Meanwhile, the army has been deployed after riots erupted across the nuclear-armed nation of 240 million people. We dont know how bad they are, because the internet has also been shut down in much of the country. We do know that police cars and stations, a Radio Pakistan office, and Lahores bus system  associated in the public mind with the current prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, who took credit for expanding it  were targets of arson.

But so was a model Pakistan Air Force jet, army installations in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and even the house of the senior military officer in Lahore once owned by Pakistans founder, Mohammed Ali Jinnah. Theres no doubt in the protestors minds of who is to blame for Khans arrest: Pakistans military, which has run the country openly and from the shadows for most of its independent history.

We dont know the truth of the many corruption allegations against Khan. The one he was arrested for involves Pakistans largest construction magnate, who was supposed to hand over GBP 190 million to the treasury, but was allowed to use it to pay down his tax debt instead. The government has accused Khan of receiving donations" for one of his university projects as a payoff.

Unfortunately, however, the facts of this or other cases dont matter. Khans supporters will argue that his troubles are all because the military wants him out. And that is undeniably true. Its equally undeniable, however, that the military wanted him in first. Khans two decades in the political wilderness only ended when the army put its massive thumb on the electoral scales in 2018, jailing and intimidating Khans opponents and ushering him into the prime ministers office.

That its the National Accountability Bureau being used against Khan is particularly telling, since it was originally set up by a former military dictator, Pervez Musharraf, to put the fear of God" into Pakistans political elite. And it was, most recently, used to go after the militarys previous Public Enemy No. 1, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, as well as his brother, the current PM. The military succeeded in pushing Nawaz Sharif out of politics to get Khan in; and now they have made peace with his brother, in order to push Khan out. They have used the NAB, the media, and even judges to keep Pakistans politicians under control.

Todays army chiefs have learned from Musharrafs failures. He launched a coup against Nawaz Sharif in 1999, only to lose power a decade later and end up being prosecuted himself, eventually dying in exile in Dubai in February. As a consequence, the army has replaced direct rule with subservient institutions as a method of control. Military power in the 21st century isnt about coups but about ensuring that the various organs of the establishment, from courts to the media to the public sector, do your bidding.

Pakistans institutions were never that strong anyway; the military was, famously, the only thing in the country that worked. Now that it has turned every other institution to its service, it isnt surprising that many Pakistanis have no time for normal democratic norms, and want a populist ruler instead. Imran Khan would dearly like to be that populist ruler. Would you prefer a civilian authoritarian or a military that rules through subversion of the public sphere? Those seem to be the only two options on offer for Pakistan today.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Mihir Sharma is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, he is author of Restart: The Last Chance for the Indian Economy."

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
In these tense times, a lack of loud war drums in Beijing and Washington has been a rare source of comfort. True, the drums are not quite silent. Some American generals and politicians have talked up the chances of conflict with China within a few years, which is less helpful than they may suppose. Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) fighter jets keep staging recklessly close, high-speed passes to intimidate Western military aircraft in international airspace near China. The PLA refuses to discuss rules for safely managing close encounters, precisely because it wants to frighten foreign warplanes and ships far away. That shows a dangerous appetite for risk. America and China remain at loggerheads over a rather trivial crisis: the downing of an unmanned Chinese surveillance balloon. What hopes have they of managing a collision on a par with one in 2001 that killed a PLA pilot and obliged an American spy plane to crash-land at a Chinese air base?

Still, when President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping met in person last November, they agreed on the need to avoid armed conflict. Chinese censors routinely silence online nationalists demanding attacks on Taiwan, for the masses have no right to dictate to Mr Xi when or how that island should be conquered. Chinese public opinion has not, to date, been readied to sacrifice decades of growing prosperity on the altars of war.

A new film about Chinas air force tests that record of restraint. Born to Fly", made in close collaboration with the PLA, has topped the domestic box office during the May Day holidays. It depicts test pilots risking (and losing) their lives to perfect a new stealth fighter. The plane is needed for combat against a foreign power that, though unnamed, speaks American-accented English.

Readers planning to watch the film should return to this spoiler-filled column later. Others should know that the movie breaks new ground in the main melody" genre, as works promoting major party policies are known. Such films are shown to students, party members and government workers nationwide, alongside commercial screenings. Born to Fly" is the highest-profile flick of this type to normalise the notion that the present-day PLAs mission is to fight and kill Americans.

The movie makes much of its realism. The film-makers have wheeled out PLA veterans to praise its authenticity and even the acting of its young male lead, Wang Yibo, an elfin former singer in a boy band. But its geopolitical premise is bogus. In the real world, China is locked in territorial disputes with many neighbours. Notably, China claims to control almost all of the South China Sea, building PLA bases atop disputed reefs and rocks. To challenge Chinas unilateral claims and uphold the principle of freedom of navigation, America and other powers fly and sail through areas of the South China Sea deemed open to all by international law.

Born to Fly" twists such missions into acts of war. The film opens with foreign jets shattering windows and hurling Chinese fishermen and oilfield workers into the sea with low, supersonic passes. The aggressors chortle well done" to one another. Told by radio that they are in an area under Chinas jurisdiction, the foreigners retort: We can come and go whenever we want." They then proceed to outfly the PLAs ageing planes. At the films end, the intruders return, firing without warning on Chinese fighters. This time, the PLA has advanced jets and drives them away.

Dismayingly, the film blends anti-American fantasies with some of Mr Xis highest priorities. The test pilots are told they are in a battle against a technological blockade and containment strategy imposed by foreign powers, a line echoing Mr Xis calls for self-reliance. What is more, the male leads story could be inspired by Mr Xis many speeches to the young, which emphasise discipline and deplore softness. The hero is brattish when he arrives at his desert air base. But after visiting a martyrs cemetery for test pilots and watching his commander choose death to avoid ejecting over a city, he devotes his life to his motherland. When the young man is injured, his parents ask him to quit the PLA. They grumble about his earlier refusal of an offer to study overseas and express doubts that China can ever match Western planes. The hero scolds his over-protective parents, informing them that his generation will give China back its confidence. Even a ludicrous plot device, in which the hero designs a plane-saving technology on his laptop in his spare time, aligns with a PLA campaign to recruit college graduates with engineering and computing skills.

Buzzing the superpower

Successful patriotic works reveal how countries wish to see themselves. Wolf Warrior 2", a wildly popular film released in 2017, is misremembered as warmongering. In fact, the plot depicts a Chinese commando evacuating civilians from an African civil conflict with the help of a half-American doctor (though the commando also punches a racist foreign mercenary to death, it is true). The China of the film is a proud peacekeeper. At one point, a Chinese warship waits for the UN Security Council to approve a missile strike. In contrast, Born To Fly" depicts China overcoming backwardness to fight America one-on-one: a much grimmer story.

Foreign critics call Born To Fly" a copy of Top Gun: Maverick", a film about American fighter pilots released last year, though not in China. While many of the scenes look similar, the critique is unfair to both films. Top Gun: Maverick" is wistful and nostalgic, and as interested in human frailties as in noisy machines. It depicts a weary superpower and an ageing pilot enforcing a multilateral treaty on nuclear non-proliferation, ie, defending the rules-based order. Alas, Born to Fly" is closer in spirit to the first Top Gun". That film from 1986 shows obnoxious young pilots helping a hegemonic America enforce its will, without concern for the niceties of international law. Born to Fly" is Top Gun" with added nationalist grievance and no sex. If it is a hit in Chinas cinemas, it should alarm the world like a beaten drum.

Read more from Chaguan, our columnist on China:

Chinas rulers play the law-and-order card, and lose (Apr 27th)

Why China wants to be a risk (Apr 20th)

Why Xi Jinping is not another Chairman Mao (Apr 5th)

Also: How the Chaguan column got its name

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Imran Khan was expecting an uneventful day in court when he travelled from Lahore to Islamabad to appear before the Islamabad High Court on May 9th. It was not to be. Thirteen months after he was ousted as prime minister in a vote of no confidence, Mr Khan was bundled off the courts premises and into an armoured car by paramilitary personnel and deposited in the custody of the countrys anti-corruption authorities. Rather than contest early elections, which he has been demanding for months , the mercurial populist may have to watch general elections scheduled for later this year unfold from a jail cellprovided they are held at all.

The stated reason for Mr Khans arrest is alleged corruption in connection with a land deal. (He denies the charges.) Yet the arrest appears to be related to his escalating quarrel with Pakistans armed forces. On May 6th Mr Khan claimed in a public rally that Major General Faisal Naseer, of the armys intelligence arm, was plotting to murder him. Mr Khan had earlier blamed Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced him as prime minister, and other senior government and intelligence officials for a failed attempt on his life in November. He was shot in the leg.

In a rare public statement, the armys public-relations arm called Mr Khans latest allegations extremely unfortunate, deplorable and unacceptable" and threatened to take legal action. That did not stop Mr Khan from repeating them in a video recorded en route to the court in Islamabad. He was arrested shortly afterwards.

The arrest is the latest development in a political and constitutional crisis that has dragged on for months. Mr Khan has never accepted the legitimacy of his removal from the premiership a year ago. In a bid to force the government to hold early national elections, in January his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), brought about the dissolution of two provincial assemblies it controlled, including that of the crucial state of Punjab. But Mr Sharif wants unified polls in all four provinces and the centre in October, after parliament completes its term. The crisis turned constitutional when the Supreme Court ordered elections in Punjab on May 14th as demanded by Mr Khan, an order that the central government and parliament have rejected.

Mr Sharif and his government appear keen to buy time to improve the economy before elections are held. Annual inflation hit a record rate of 36.4% in April. Food-price inflation is running at 48.1%. GDP growth is projected to be a dismal 0.5% this year. With an estimated $77.5bn in loan repayments due by June 2026, and no sign that the IMF will soon agree to resume a $6.5bn lending programme, Pakistan remains in danger of defaulting despite bilateral support from China. On a visit to Islamabad over the weekend Chinas foreign minister called on the country to sort out its chaotic politics and focus on improving the economy.

The more immediate risk is a breakdown of law and order. Small protests have already turned violent. Most dangerously, and unusually in Pakistans political history, protests have been directed at military sites. In Lahore, the usually heavily fortified residence of the citys top military commander was breached by stick-wielding protesters, who smashed windows, set furniture alight and made off with household objects. One protester was seen cradling a peacock. I took it from the corps commanders house. It is the peoples money. What they stole, we are taking back," the masked protester said. Protesters could also be seen breaching the main gate of the armys headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

In Pakistan, where the army is both feared and respected, the images on social media of protests against it are an unusual and dramatic sight. The government may be trying to prevent people from seeing them. At the time of publication, Pakistanis across the country were reporting outages of social media, internet and mobile-phone networks.

There is nothing new about a political leader falling out of favour with Pakistans army. What is new is the willingness of Mr Khan and his supporters to take the fight to the army. Mr Sharif and his government may fancy their odds of staying in power as Mr Khan skirmishes with the army. But Pakistan could be closer to the edge than they realise.

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Elon Musk Thursday said he has found a new chief executive for Twitter. He did not name the person but said she will be starting in about six weeks.

"My role will transition to being exec chair & CTO, overseeing product, software & sysops," Musk said in a tweet.

Excited to announce that Ive hired a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will be starting in ~6 weeks!



My role will transition to being exec chair & CTO, overseeing product, software & sysops.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2023

The Tesla CEO bought Twitter last fall and has been running it since then. He always insisted that he is not the permanent CEO of the social media platform.

In November he told a Delaware court that he does not want to be the CEO of any company. While testifying in the court, Musk said I expect to reduce my time at Twitter and find somebody else to run Twitter over time."

In December he conducted a poll on the micro-blogging site that should he step down as head of Twitter and promised to abide by the poll results. Later he twitted, I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams."

I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 21, 2022

In February this year, he told a conference that he anticipated finding a CEO for Twitter probably toward the end of this year."

Tesla shares jumped 2.4% in volume spike on the news.

Several Tesla investors were concerned that Musk was too distracted with running Twitter and that he should redirect his time to steering the electric vehicle company where he is also CEO. In April, a host of progressive Tesla shareholders publicly urged Teslas board to ensure that Musk would dedicate more time to the automobile company, CNBC reported.
New Delhi: Around 66% of Indian companies have experienced at least one instance of economic crime in the past two years, with the covid-19 pandemic prompting a significant increase in platform fraud, according to a PwC India report .

The study, titled Platforms: The new frontier of fraud in India," is part of PwCs Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey 2022: India Insights series.

Platform fraud, encompassing deceptive activities on social media, e-commerce, enterprise, and fintech platforms, accounted for 57% of all fraud incidents in India. Over 26% of Indian organisations have lost over $1 million to such frauds, with 44% of perpetrators committing fraud for financial gain.

The report underscores that platforms are a new avenue for economic crime, with 99% of fraud incidents in the past 24 months occurring on various platforms. Financial gain is the primary motive among perpetrators, with brand damage and competitive advantage cited as other motivations.

Puneet Garkhel, Partner and Leader, Forensics Services, PwC India, emphasises the need for organisations to invest in fraud prevention and detection strategies to counter these evolving threats.

The study also found that enterprise platforms are particularly vulnerable to malware, phishing, money laundering, and ransomware, with financial frauds accounting for 89% of all platform frauds. Payment fraud, particularly involving credit cards and digital wallets, accounted for 92% of all customer frauds in India.

The report highlights that many businesses remain unaware of their exposure to platform fraud and do not view platforms as a distinct sector with unique risk considerations. As transaction processing shifts to platforms, the responsibility for security must also transition, but many platforms lack the necessary capabilities to identify, prevent, and mitigate fraud.
Bowlero, the corporate bowling juggernaut with locations in San Antonio and throughout Texas, is under investigation for discrimination against as many as 73 former employees. The company is facing a proposal for a $60 million settlement from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), according to a report from CNBC.

Stemming from a probe that began in 2016 for claims between 2016 and 2019, CEO Thomas Shannon is accused of being involved in "obvious beauty contests" with applicants for jobs during video calls in the interview process, an affidavit obtained by CNBC states.

Bowlero operates hundreds of bowling alleys throughout the United States, including three in San Antonio. Between 2013 and 2015, 287 managers were fired as the company allegedly sought to bring in younger staff. At the time, the company had 351 bowling centers, according to the EEOC data.

An affidavit from a former manager claims there was pressure to replace tenured employees who were "too old," including a high-performing employee that suffered disfiguration from a medical condition, CNBC reports.

Additionally, some claims include jokes at the expense of women, comments that were "racially motivated," and negative comments about LGBTQ+ people. At least one employee also said there was a fear of declaring a pregnancy, which was considered, "... the end of your career at the company if you work for Shannon."

While a $60 million judgement is less than the company's gross profit in a single quarter, the proposed settlement is notable for being almost as large as the annual monetary benefits won by the EEOC in any given year, not including those won through litigation. In the 2021 fiscal year, the EEOC had $83.8 million in monetary benefits for hundreds of people who filed claims, and the benefits of the preceding three years were between $75.7 million and $77 million.

Negotiations over the settlement failed in January, according to CNBC. The EEOC is poised to file a lawsuit, which could result in significantly higher damages. Of the 73 claims reported to the EEOC, 55 of them have been found to have reasonable cause in the probe of pattern of practice, and the other 18 remain under investigation.

Bowlero is a public traded company and required to file quartely SEC reports. According to the most recent filing on February 8, the company intends to contest the claims, but also notes "the amount of liability with respect to claims or proceedings currently pending against us is not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows."
By Jonathan Eig

Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 669 pp. $35

- - -

In December 1964, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. flew to Oslo to collect the Nobel Peace Prize. At 35, he was the youngest person and only the second Black American ever to receive the award, which recognized his emergence as the global face and resounding voice of the civil rights movement.

Yet throughout the Norway trip, King struck his companions as depressed and distracted. By then, he had become aware that J. Edgar Hoover's FBI was secretly tapping phones at hotels and even homes of friends where he stayed during his travels. Hoover's stated objective was to find out if King was under the influence of communists, but in the process the FBI uncovered evidence of prolific marital infidelity that it threatened to use to humiliate King and destroy his moral standing and political clout.

For more than 40 years, the historian David J. Garrow has been documenting this campaign of surveillance against King, breaking new ground but also stirring controversy with his recent hints that more damning evidence about King's behavior with women may lie in still-classified FBI files. In 1987, Garrow won a Pulitzer Prize for "Bearing the Cross," an 800-page biography that wove his FBI reporting into a dense account of the internal politics of the civil rights movement. Arriving a year later, Taylor Branch's majestic "Parting the Waters," which would be followed by two voluminous sequels, set a more admiring portrait of King against a sweeping tableau of a changing America in the late 1950s and '60s.

Weighing in at a somewhat less hefty 669 pages, Jonathan Eig's new book, "King: A Life," might be described as a deeply reported psychobiography, an attempt to reconcile Garrow's sinner with Branch's saint, infused with the narrative energy of a thriller. A former Wall Street Journal reporter who has written best-selling biographies of Lou Gehrig and Muhammad Ali, Eig conducted more than 200 interviews, including with scores of people old enough to have known or observed King, and pieced together numerous accounts gathered by other journalists and scholars, some of them never published before.

Eig begins the book with a revealing portrait of "Daddy King," Martin Luther King Sr., the domineering, self-made preacher whom his famous son spent his life both emulating and trying to escape. In taped interviews for a never-published memoir, King Sr. - christened Michael at birth - recounted a harrowing upbringing as the child of struggling sharecroppers in rural Georgia. His own father, Jim King, was a nasty alcoholic who regularly beat his Bible-fearing wife, Delia. At 14, Michael tried to intervene in a marital fight and Jim King threatened to kill him, whereupon Michael fled to Atlanta in his bare feet. Unpolished but fiercely ambitious, he slowly built a reputation as a Baptist minister and set his sights on marrying Alberta Williams, the well-born daughter of A.D. Williams, the head of Atlanta's long-established but then financially struggling Ebenezer Baptist Church.

After marrying Alberta and succeeding A.D. Williams at Ebenezer, King Sr. built up the church's congregation and coffers and charmed Atlanta's Black elite. But at home, he could be a controlling and violent figure, particularly toward his two sons - Michael, as Martin Luther King Jr. was also named at birth, and his younger brother, A.D. Eig blames the psychological wounds inflicted by Daddy King for A.D.'s difficult adulthood, which was marked by struggles with alcohol and ended when he drowned in a swimming pool shy of his 40th birthday. For King Jr., Eig suggests, fear of his father's volcanic moods strengthened his childhood attachment to his nurturing mother and maternal grandmother, Jennie Williams, and later made the brave public protester privately conflict-averse, particularly in dealing with fellow civil rights leaders.

Yet it was also defiance of Daddy King that drove the two pivotal choices that put King Jr. on the path to greatness. After reluctantly agreeing before his college graduation to go into the family business and become a preacher, King resisted his father's pressure to join him in the Ebenezer pulpit. Instead, he went to seminary school in Pennsylvania and then to divinity school in Boston, where he acquired the scholarly underpinnings for his gospel of nonviolent resistance and earned the degree that allowed him to be known thenceforth as Dr. King. Ignoring his father's appeals to return to Atlanta, King then applied for an open position at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., a small but snobbish congregation that was willing to overlook the 25-year-old's youth because of his erudite credentials and preaching style.

The rest, as they say, is history, and Eig treats it less comprehensively than cinematically. In dealing with the defining decade of King's life, between 1955 and 1965, Eig skips over many details of civil rights strategy and infighting covered in previous biographies in favor of vivid reconstructions of the most dramatic turning points. He conjures up the mass meeting where King, chosen to lead the Montgomery bus boycott because he was a newcomer with no local enemies, finds "a new voice" and makes his first rousing protest speech. ("If we are wrong, the Supreme Court of this nation is wrong. . .") Eig reconstructs the road to the March on Washington, as King workshops the "I Have a Dream" speech in sermons out of town, and puts the reader inside the solitary-confinement cell where King scribbles on napkins, toilet paper and the margins of newspapers to craft his defiant "Letter From a Birmingham Jail."

Eig covers the thornier aspects of this period in King's public life with a light critical touch. He is mostly sympathetic to the way President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy dealt with King, despite their slow embrace of the civil rights cause, their political opportunism in making sympathetic calls to King's wife, Coretta, and their persistent enabling of Hoover's surveillance campaign. Similarly, Eig all but gives King a pass for his well-documented habit of plagiarism in his academic writings, suggesting that it was forgivable for a preacher who was used to drawing on multiple influences in composing sermons.

Eig is less circumspect, however, and most telling, in dealing with the messy details and physical and emotional toll of King's complicated private life.

King's struggles with monogamy had begun by the time he went to seminary school after graduating from college at 19. Still dating a Black girl from Atlanta whom his parents hoped he would marry, he fell in love with a White woman named Betty Moitz, whose mother worked at the school. King eventually ended the relationship for the sake of his professional ambitions, but he never got over Moitz, according to his friend Harry Belafonte. A decade and a half later, when the FBI started wiretapping his room at the Willard Hotel in Washington and the home of his lawyer Clarence Jones, agents sometimes listened in on phone calls to several different mistresses in one day. Meanwhile, King carried on a long affair with one of his top aides at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Dorothy Cotton, whose residence in Atlanta would often be his first stop when he returned from his travels, before he went home to his wife and four children.

According to Garrow, FBI records under court-ordered seal until 2027 also contain a report that King was present at orgies organized by a fellow Black preacher, and that during one he was heard laughing and commenting while the preacher raped a female parishioner. Stanley Pottinger, a former Justice Department official who has listened to some of the tapes on which these reports are based, told Eig that the conversations in the crowded rooms were difficult to make out. "I think it's questionable evidence," Pottinger concluded, without categorically dismissing the possibility of a bombshell that one day might permanently alter the public's perception of King.

Against this tangled backdrop, Eig does a particularly nuanced job of conjuring up the mind-set of Coretta Scott King in the years before she emerged as a forceful activist in her own right. The elegant Alabama native was studying at a music conservatory in Boston when King met her on a blind date and immediately sized her up as the ideal partner for the places he was going. Piecing together Coretta's reflections over the years - from audiotapes recorded shortly after King's assassination to interviews she gave for a posthumously published memoir - Eig shows us a woman proud of her family and her husband's accomplishments but wistful about her forfeited professional ambitions. Despite having been confronted with evidence of her husband's unfaithfulness, and having endured occasional ugly scenes where King dressed her down in public, Coretta chose to compartmentalize. "I'm not saying Martin was a saint," she recalled the year before she died. "Nobody is perfect. But as far as I'm concerned, our marriage was a very good marriage, and it was like that all the way to the end."

For all his reporting efforts, however, Eig can't provide similar access to King's interior life. Unlike some historical figures, King wasn't in the habit of keeping journals or writing confessional letters. In his two best-known books, "Stride Toward Freedom" and "Where Do We Go From Here?," he deals with self-doubt in a mostly philosophical way. He never provides convincing answers to the query that Eig's account invites: How did King ultimately judge himself, as a leader and as a man?

In recent years, Black scholars such as Peniel Joseph and Michael Eric Dyson have paid particular attention to the last three years of King's life, when he diverged most strikingly from the comforting caricature that Eig laments in the book's introduction. This was the period when a frustrated King widened his agenda to a more militant fight for fair housing and jobs in Chicago, to full-throated opposition to the Vietnam War, and to preparations for a class-based Poor People's Campaign. Eig clearly did a lot of reporting on this more radical side of King. Most notably, he uncovered an original transcript of an interview for Playboy that King gave to Alex Haley, the author who collaborated with Malcolm X on his autobiography, which suggests that Haley took answers out of context and even fabricated responses to make King sound far more critical of Malcolm than he actually was.

Yet in the book, Eig deals only briskly with the complex and evolving rivalry between King and Malcolm X over the years, and devotes scarcely more than 50 pages to those fraught last three years between his detailed reconstructions of the Selma march in 1965 and the assassination at the Lorraine Motel in April 1968. In a brief chapter titled "Black Power," Eig conjures up the challenge King faced during this period from a rising generation of more militant Black youth. But he doesn't grapple with how relevant their critiques of King's hopeful focus on integration and nonviolence look today, in an America so addicted to racial grievance, gun culture and militaristic policing.

Perhaps because he wants "King: A Life" to have a timeless quality, Eig doesn't engage in speculation about what King might say or do if he were still among us. But that question isn't merely academic. Like the parables he preached on Sundays, King's words and legacy no longer exist in a historical vacuum: They've become touchstones for fierce contemporary debate. Just last month, Tennessee state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson cited King's example of civil disobedience as inspiration for their protests in support of gun-control legislation and against their ensuing ugly ouster from the legislature. But in a month or so, if the Supreme Court as expected strikes down affirmative action on college campuses, conservatives will remind us of King's call for a society where people are not judged "by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

The most compelling account of King's life in a generation, Eig's won't and shouldn't be the last - for America will never definitively be over the battles that King so nobly, if sometimes imperfectly, fought.

- - -

Mark Whitaker is the author of "Saying It Loud: 1966 - The Year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement." Previously, he was managing editor of CNN and editor of Newsweek.
YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. At around 7:50 p.m., the units of the Azerbaijani armed forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Verin Shorzha by using a mortar, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia informs.

The Armenian side has suffered no casualties.

As of 20:10, the situation on the front line is relatively stable.

In case of any changes in the situation, the Ministry of Defense will make a statement.
Big things have small beginnings, and for one San Antonio resident a call to action during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic helped cement her desire to help her neighbors.

Erica Shimamura, the founder of the 4Goodness Project, has spent the last three years doing just that. From food drop off to organizing fundraisers for neighbors in need, Shimamura has built community by leaning into what makes her different.

Growing up very poor in San Antonio, Shimamura, who is part-Japanese and part-Ecuadorian, says she didn't really have something she could "tether" herself to, but the community was really inviting. Now, she's doing her part to share a little of her background while trying to find common ties between cultures locally using art, and of course, food.

Courtesy

She began organizing markets that tapped small businesses that were created during the pandemic.

"For the sake of sharing that good, I started to curate community engagement events to showcase local makers who got laid off and had to get creative. I started gathering people together, finding safe venues that treated them well, where they could market their own small business they were blindly launching with need to survive," Shimamura said. "Community was born from that. We can still party, survive thrive through all this."

In its third year, the impact of the 4Goodnesss Project became especially obvious. For Lunar New Year this January, Shimamura teamed up with Jefferson Bodega to host and curate a block party filled with Asian vendors, artisans, and performances. The result was a massive celebration that brought thousands of revelers to Donaldson Avenue where the beloved convenience store is located.

Isaiah Alonzo Isaiah Alonzo Isaiah Alonzo Scenes from the Lunar New Year Block Party at Jefferson Bodega. Isaiah Alonzo for MySA Scenes from the Lunar New Year Block Party at Jefferson Bodega. Isaiah Alonzo for MySA

"I didnt really invest in any kind of marketing. I DMd a few people. I partnered with one of the coolest guys in San Antonio," Shimamura said. "Im the dopest person youll ever meet. Youll have a good time, the best kind of food youve had in this neighborhood."

For Shimamura, the turnout showcased how much people want to come together despite the news out of Monterey Bay in California the previous day, where a gunman killed 11 and injured nine more during a Lunar New Year Festival.

"In light of bad news weve had this year, people were looking forward to something lighter. We can get sucked into that death scroll very quickly, misery loves company, it's easy to go into that dark space," Shimamura said. "But I wanted to bring something in real life, where we can celebrate who we are and the heritage we bring to our community. So incredible to see. When I got to put my head up and breathe and see that. It was mind-blowing, surreal."

Courtesy

While plans are already in the works for next year's Lunar New Year Block Party, Shimamura has curated a celebration to honor Asian American Pacific Islander Month on Saturday, May 13, with a free to attend Asian Night Market from 4 to 9 p.m. at Jefferson Bodega.

This time around, DJ XR8D, Kainoa Music, and the San Antonio Lion Dance Association will join sweet and treat makers including Coffin Cakes and Sweets; Tough Love Cookies n' Treats; tricked out chicken on a stick by GuacItLikeITalkIt; Mr. G Sushi; flavors of Guam from ChoCho's Island Food Service; Vietnamese sandwiches from Dr. Banh Mi; Nepalese dumplings from Momo House; smash burgers from Slam Daddy Baddies; Thai food from Aroy Ver food truck; Dulces by Dreuh; Hawaiian fare from Lokahi Aloha Grindz; beverages by Tasty Aguas Frescas; along with a collection of Asian makers and artisans.

We caught up with Shimamura to learn more about her San Antonio favorites below. The interview has been edited for clarity.

What do you find in your part of town that you dont find anywhere else?

Its a vibe mostly. To the outsider it looks rough and poorly kept. To the ones from here see a humble home thats been lived in, not staged like the hand towels and dishes only for guests and special occasions.

Where is your 'third place' that you enjoy spending time at when youre not at home or work?

Jefferson Bodega!

If you had two hours to show a visitor around, where would you take them?

All my favorite murals and popup/truck food vendors and locally owned hidden gems! Basically my ideal day!

Whats your ideal day look like in your part of San Antonio?

A stop at Earlybird coffee and Uptown Cheapskategrab lunch at a local spot/food truck (preferably a food vendor at a popup market, small and low key NOT THE PEARL), then go see what Buffalo Exchange Outlet and Good.Golly.Tx off Blanco has in store! Trust me theyll always have a steal! Then a Stop by Tokyo Mart for a snack or SP Cafe for the best (fish sauce) wings in town!

Are there any businesses or projects youd like to see introduced to your area?

Id love to see more engaging events to beautify our neighboring communities surrounding downtownnot just a community service effort for obligatory cleanups. I envision effort for our aging buildings and businesses to get a refresh by commissioning local muralists; it facilitates a renewed/rejuvenated energy to the businesses aesthetic and engagement.

When thinking about big name businesses Id love to see  HMart-99 Ranch  but ultimately my goal is to have a locally powered Chinatown area to showcase a hub of local-owned restaurants and businesses to bring our locals that razzle dazzle!

Whats one word youd use to describe your part of town?

Mosaic.

How has your San Antonio changed?

Not much, in the better sense of that, let me clarifyour community is not only embracing the social growth, but accepting the process in progress. But what draws people to and back to this city is the sense of community that is found in small cities and considering how large ours is, its something to come home to. Specifically the feeling, not necessarily the place.

Whats your go-to breakfast taco order and from where?

Potato egg bacon with cheese from Tacos Ricos but its not my go-to breakfast

My favorite breakfast is steamed sushi rice, soy sauce, over easy egg, tiny sliver of salted butter, topped with furikake and bonito flakes.

How does San Antonio inspire you?

Its versatility in the face of adversity. The people who are unapologetic in their pursuit to inspire and do better in our communitiesradical rowdies!

What's your favorite street in San Antonio. Why?

Oddly enough, its the alleys that are my favorite. I realized that theres not many alleys left in our city, but the ones we have are home to some displaced people and things and energy that isnt easy to describe, but also what I affectionately refer as the limbo lane. Id find myself hiding in those spaces to avoid busy sidewalks and otherwise noisy traffic.

Pretend you have a hot date this week. Which local spot would you take them to?

I think a great spot for a date night is Chas Kitchen over on the Eastside since its intimately tucked away but still close to the main downtown allure. Plus their Soju [a popular Korean distillate] selections really expanded as of lately! I think Chas has a diverse enough menu that you can really enjoy almost anything but also if you got a date who can throw down on KBBQ theyre likely a keeper!

What's your San Antonio pet peeve?

The disregard for our displaced, aging, and homeless community, during Fiesta in particular.

If you're from here, have you ever lived somewhere else? What brought you back? If you're a transplant, what keeps you here?

A sense of obligation always brought me back. I felt my reasons for leaving always had to do with my familys deaths. And having cut ties with an otherwise unknown family, I felt like I had a purpose for coming back and sharing what joy and good is left in the world at large.

What do you think the AT&T Center should be renamed as?

San Antonio Arena

Is there an underrated SA artist/place/thing that you'd like to shoutout?

Soooo many but heres a few IG handles:

Artists: @PaulGarson13, @traviscii, @lacedandfound, @warnuts, @artistvivo

DJ: @djXr8d, @lildao1, @djsocio1

Best chicken on a stick: @guacitlikeitalkit_

Food vendors: @satx.tnt.connection, @chochoisland, @mr.g.sushi, @tastyaguasfrescas, @aroy_ver @sweetchelas @coffincakes

Dive Chinese spot: Phoenix Cafe and La Chinitas

Other food spots: Fat Tummy Empanadas, Bilia Eatery

Maker: @sweetnesvoryjournals

Aspiring photographer @zanderfernandez983(hes only 13! Got his start at a Spurs Game!)

Drone photography: @iflyhd120

Photographer: @Woodies_pics (aka SANTA)
While most teenagers will have a prom photoshoot at a nearby park or in front of their house, three locals decided to create memories at the newest H-E-B in Cibolo. However, that wasn't the original plan, according to Candice Ridge, the mother and the photographer of one of the girls.

Ridge told MySA that they initially tried to have the photo session under a gazebo at a park in Universal City. The girls  Dawn Ridge, 17, Alyssa Dusbabek, 17, and Evelyn White, 17  were trying to snap some pictures before heading to prom at Clemens High School on Saturday, May 6.

Dressed in their prom dresses with their hair and makeup done, the girls were ready. But, the rain forced them to make other arrangements. It was humid and wet outside. That was when Candice brought up having an impromptu photoshoot at H-E-B.

Candice Ridge Photography

Candice Ridge Photography

"We were watching the weather all day and it was forecasted to rain," Candice said. "It would have messed up their hair and makeup, so I tried to come up with an alternative plan and think about what was close by us with good lighting and that was fun."

Coincidentally, the new H-E-B in Cibolo, which opened in January, was nearby. Candice ran her idea past the girls and they loved it. She said she called H-E-B and asked for permission to take the photos. After getting the OK, the group headed to H-E-B around 4 p.m. for their photoshoot.

"We were really excited about it," Dawn said about the change-up. "We were able to have fun pictures instead of the basic ones out in nature. Plus, we all love H-E-B."

Candice Ridge Photography

Candice Ridge Photography

At first, Candice said she thought they would take a few photos in the floral section. However, as the girls got more comfortable, they began having more fun and acting as if they were shopping. Candice said the customers and H-E-B employees were so nice to them as they took their pictures. Thankfully, it wasn't as packed as it normally would be on a Sunday morning.

"They had so much fun interacting with the customers and all the partners," Candice said. "It turned out so cute. They loved it and they had so much fun."

Candice Ridge Photography

Once the pictures were posted on social media, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, Candice said. Once again, no store does more than H-E-B.

"I want to thank H-E-B for allowing us to come in for this kind of special circumstances," Candice said. "It was really awesome and we all appreciate it."
Just like Penners claims authentic guayaberas and all the tops, hats, and shoes necessary for living the lowrider life, San Antonio Shoemakers, known locally as SAS, will forever be top dog when it comes to comfortable, quality-made shoes. Locals make their jokes about the brand, as the orthopedic products are particularly popular among senior citizens, but many may be unaware of the other old-timey goodness the store has to offer.

SAS operates its General Store and Factory Outlet at 101 New Laredo Hwy., San Antonio, TX 78211 on the citys Southside. Customers of the brand can find discounted prices and shop a variety of footwear, but theres something for everyone here throughout the grounds, expanded from the companys first factory. Within the General Store, visitors can find a feel similar to Cracker Barrels shop with cutesy finds and themed sections perfect for finding gifts.

The difference between the SAS General Store and Cracker Barrel, however, is the charm. Even without shopping, walking the grounds at SAS lets visitors be transported to a different era in time, one that allows them to relax and enjoy the simple things in life.

Sarah Martinez for MySA

I visited the Southside gem on a cloudy weekday afternoon for the first time in nearly a decade and was happy to find it just as quaint as I remembered it. Shelves of SAS shoes fill most of the space, but sections of the store feature throwbacks that will no doubt get visitors in their feelings.

Sarah Martinez for MySA Sarah Martinez for MySA Sarah Martinez for MySA Sarah Martinez for MySA

Vintage decor like 1950s-era Coca-Cola signs and brooms that look like props from The Beverly Hillbillies are available for purchase from the gift shop areas of the store, as are home items tailored to the rustic aesthetic. Theres goodies to take home like a mix of Texas-made salsas, syrups, jams, and butters. Kids will take notice of the modest toys up for grabs, from play farms and work trucks to marbles and signs displaying cartoons from a simpler era, like Tom and Jerry and Tweety Bird.

Its in the snacks, however, that visitors are most likely to splurge. Well, sort of.

Sarah Martinez for MySA Sarah Martinez for MySA Sarah Martinez for MySA Sarah Martinez for MySA

Folks of a certain age will find candies that had their heyday a few decades ago, from Cow Tales and Charleston Chews to a variety of saltwater taffies. Seniors and little ones alike will have their fun filling up a red bucket to the rim with the candies of their choice and securing their sweet and tart haul for less than $5. I was particularly thrilled to see the root beer candies that were always the lucky score after the pinata broke open.

Sarah Martinez for MySA

In addition to sweets to take home, visitors can grab some snacks to enjoy at the store. The cash-only counter is a must-stop with its freshly-made popcorn for just 5 cents, while a Coke will cost you 10 cents. Theres also a makeshift ice cream parlor, complete with a jukebox and a counter off to the side, that scoops up the creamy goodness for just a couple of bucks.

Sarah Martinez for MySA

Visitors can also tour the factory for free Monday through Thursday at 9:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. with each tour lasting around 45 minutes. Miguel and I were sad we missed the tour by three minutes (word to the wise: SAS takes these start times seriously), but consoled ourselves with some popcorn and Coke that we enjoyed in a simple seating area. As we sat, he talked about his mothers time working at the factory some 15 years ago while I shared my memories of visiting the General Store with my late grandmother who had a love for all things cutesy.

Sarah Martinez for MySA

I was fully relaxed by the time we were strolling the grounds to appreciate the vintage cars on display. I forgot that it was the middle of the day and amidst the changing stretch of the Southside. Thats what spending some time at SAS will do to you. Youll feel like youre on vacation or living in another era. Youll be able to treat your loved ones to a no-frills, yet heartwarming experience filled with blasts from the past for older San Antonians and wholesome finds for younger residents. The Coke and popcorn may only cost you the spare change in the cupholder of your car, but the memories made here are priceless.

Sarah Martinez for MySA

Sarah Martinez for MySA

Sarah Martinez for MySA

Sarah Martinez for MySA

Sarah Martinez for MySA
With Title 42 expiring Thursday, May 11, entities throughout the City of Laredo and Webb County have prepared for the likely spike in migrants passing through the city.

Very similar to preparing for a hurricane, we are boarding up and coordinating all resources needed, because nobody knows what to expect once Title 42 expires, Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino said. The city has started working with multiple contingency plans to anticipate in case Border Patrol releases migrants into our community and NGOs are not able to take them. I want to make sure we are not taking resources from our community by making these plans.

Trevino issued a declaration of disaster on April 30, and it was extended to May 14. Laredo City Manger Joseph Neeb said the main purpose of the declaration of disaster is to free up city funds that can be used in tandem with federal funding that is being provided.

It opens up some unrestricted funding we haven within the city so that we can manage this as we go through there. It does take a toll on our crew and everybody. That is where we talk about our volunteers and needing help all the time from the community, Neeb said. We believe we have the financing in place that we can kind of hold our own within the structure, but we also have the assistance coming in through the federal government and our unrestricted cash.

According to Trevino, Laredo continues to see a minimal number of border crossings but is anticipating a significant increase due to transfers from other cities.

I want to make it clear that Laredo continues to be one of the safest cities in the country with the second-lowest amount of illegal border crossings in the country, he said. However, we have been informed that well be receiving transfers from Brownsville and El Paso that are currently being overwhelmed with migrant crossings. Those amounts of people will end up here after the transfer. Our concern is that we may be overwhelmed with these transfers.

With his insight as a medical doctor, Trevino said a significant concern is the added strain the ending of Title 42 could potentially put on a medical community already struggling with capacity concerns due to being understaffed.

As a doctor in the community, this is a reality on the ground, he said. In addition, we are receiving family units with children, and as you know, Laredo does not have a pediatric intensive care unit. We are planning to have children with a variety of health complications, especially after their long journey.

The areas which will be impacted the most by the ending of Title 42 are Laredos two non-governmental organizations: the Holding Institute and Catholic Charities. Laredo Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Guillermo Heard said several contingencies are in place to assist the NGOs if they begin to exceed capacity.

We understand the influx of migrants is a concern for our community. We want to assure our team is doing everything possible to keep everyone safe with increased personnel to support our nonprofits, Heard said. These plans are dynamic and changing every day. We also want to advise the public and the community that if these plans are activated, we would need more resources from certain valuable operations in the city in order to sustain this effort.

The city has already identified plans for expanding to an additional shelter if needed. Since this would likely mean taking over one of the citys recreation centers, Heard said it is an action that will not be taken likely.

If we get to that plan that we have to open up a shelter, these shelters are currently being used by our community, he said. Summer is about to start, and they have a lot of programs. Thats why this is a last resort.

The ending of Title 42 is directly linked to the end of national COVID-19 emergency declarations. However, Heard assured that COVID-19 will continue to be monitored closely.

We encourage everyone to continue following the guidelines set by our health officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19, he said. Our team is monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates as needed.

Laredo Police Department Interim Chief Steve Landin also assured that safety already is and will continue to be a top priority at the facilities as both NGOs already have a 24/7 detail.

We have a patrol car there with an officer on duty 24/7 to ensure the safety of everybody in addition to our regular patrols that are out every day on the streets making sure the community is safe, Landin said. Laredo is a different community. We are not The Valley. We are not El Paso. We are our own community with our own different challenges. We are going to respond accordingly to make sure to minimize the impact as much as possible.

Holding Institute Pastor and Executive Director Mike Smith said the NGOs have been anticipating the end of Title 42 for months and are ready for whatever challenges await. He said they have increased the volume of all their supplies such as increasing from 100-200 pounds of rice purchased per week to 400 pounds. They have also increased their amounts of clothing, cots, water and more.

Our role as an NGO and a shelter is making sure the people who arrive, they arrive safely and securely and we help them get to their destination, he said. This isnt just our burden. It is a shared burden. We are working together to make things as good as possible.

Smith said working together is what sets Laredo apart from many other border communities grappling with the challenges presented by the end of Title 42.

We are not El Paso, we are not Austin and we are not San Antonio. We are unique, he said. One thing you see here you wont see anywhere else is youll see the cooperation between agencies and partners that you wont find in other places. Many cities are having issues because they are fighting amongst themselves. You dont see that here. We are cooperating for the same cause to keep Laredo safe and secure.

Holding Institute program director Joe Barron encouraged going a step further with the cooperative effort by getting the entire community involved.

We would love to see some community help, he said. If you can help out with a loaf of bread, drop it off at either shelter. If you can help out by going and reading a book to a kid, by all means step up and go read a book to a kid. This is a community effort. If you find it in your heart to go help, please go help in whatever capacity you can.

Catholic Charities Executive Director Rebecca Solloa said they have already seen an increase in numbers in the past couple weeks, and they are preparing to open another shelter to increase capacity. She said this requires increasing staff, security and more, and it makes communication with other organizations more important than ever.

Our ultimate goal is that every family member, child and individual leave here in a dignified manner. That is first and foremost our goal. Our goal is to keep everybody safe and secure in our facilities, she said. We thank the communication with the Holding Institute, because between both of us weve been able to handle the numbers that are coming through. We hope that we continue to serve the city well in that manner.

With the city mapping out several contingency plans, Solloa said that open communication will include notifying the authorities as quick as possible if they think they are approaching capacity.

If we feel that we are at capacity and can no longer take any more migrants in, the city will know ahead of time. How far ahead we dont know, because nobody has ever been in this situation before, she said. This will be fairly new to all of us. But our communication will allow us to continue to help the migrants and ensure that we give them the services they are needing.
As Title 42 comes to an end at 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Thursday night, Laredo was prepared for a potential surge in migrants into the area. However, as some areas around the country actually were seeing influxes trying to beat Title 42's removal -- many feared the strict new policies of the Biden administration may make it harder for them to stay in the U.S. -- the Gateway City had not seen much difference from recent days.

As of Thursday afternoon, the city had not reported any significant influx of migrants, as shelters have seen steady increases in recent weeks but no recent major spikes with the Title 42 deadline coming.

However, the city continues to state that it is prepared for any major potential influx either through the port of entry or from those individuals who are redirected to Laredo shelters from other areas such as El Paso and The Valley.

As a city, we are making all the appropriate preparations to do what we can with the resources that we have, Laredo Mayor Victor Trevino said. A primary focus is protecting our medical infrastructure and city resources so that Laredoans are not negatively impacted while providing humanitarian services to migrants.

Laredo's non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, have also been prepared for potential increases. These NGOs -- Catholic Charities and the Holding Institute -- has not yet seen any type of influx but continue to report a steady stream of individuals has been seen, especially in recent weeks.

We are now seeing an uptick of numbers reaching 250 people per day with an anticipation to increase, said Rebecca Solloa, the executive director of Catholic Charities. We just don't know what that will look like the coming days. As of now, CC has been doable.

Although they are not sure if numbers will be increasing soon, Solloa does feel that the national figures being released indicate it may be bound to happen. She said any migrants accommodated receive their basic needs for at least a couple of days.

Our shelter is considered an emergency shelter, and for the most part the migrants stay within 24 and 48 hours, she added. The migrants receive basic services such as water, food, wifi, overnight stay.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Troy Miller said that it will continue the parole processes of Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans, which provide individuals with safe and orderly pathways to access the United States and imposes consequences for those who do not use them.

"The Mexican Government has reiterated its commitment to accepting 30,000 nationals from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua per month who have entered the United States unlawfully between the ports of entry once the Title 42 public health order lifts," the statement said. "Migrants who enter the United States unlawfully by crossing the southwest border, and not via a lawful pathway, will be returned to Mexico and may be transported away from Mexicos northern border to locations in southern Mexico."

During their stay, Solloa said they do not just provide accommodations but also form a vital part in understanding why they came to the United States and how. She states that volunteers collect information about the length of their trips and why they make their trip even knowing that legal entry into the United States might be difficult and take time.

From most surveyed, she said the primary reason is for economics and to improve the lives for their families.

Amid escalating tensions as people fear that the end of Title 42 will cause a major influx of migrants in the area, Solloa does state that all migrants have the right to be here with their documents as long as they enter through some legal channel.

Catholic Charities Laredo's Humanitarian Respite Shelter has been providing services to migrants since early 2021, and they have had their eyes on any potential increase of migrants that could hit the area.

As the shelter provides basic services so the needs of the migrants such as hygiene kits like toothbrushes and paste, undergarments, water, certain foods and snacks, cots, blankets and other amenities, she said these might become of more need in the coming days as they potentially see an influx of migrants, which is why she is asking the community for any donations if possible of these items and others.

Solloa states that human resources are always needed as well and that the shelter is gladly asking and taking any volunteers as they have a procedure for training and preparing them. Interested individuals can contact the Catholic Charities office at 956-722-2443.
vyasphoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto

When a woman took a look at her parents' final resting place in Texas via Google Maps, she found something she wasn't expecting to see. On Sunday, Reddit user u/_katykakes took to the subreddit Unexpectedwhere users post unexpected twists in videos and gifsto share that when she recently panned around a 360-degree photo of the Magnolia Cemetery in Katy where her parents are buried, she was surprised to find a fake skeleton sitting in the driver's seat of a doorless Jeep on the cemetery grounds.

"[I] was looking to tell a family member where the plot is since they wanna visit for the one year anniversary of my mom's death," the user explained. "Turns out the street view is actually close to their plot lol along with this gem." Her post has since garnered over 33,000 upvotes and more than 200 comments, many writing that they were just as shocked as her.
Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has been selected to serve on a national board advising President Joe Biden's reelection campaign ahead of the 2024 election. Judge Hidalgo is among a group of 50 prominent Democrats from across the U.S. named to the Biden-Harris campaign's National Advisory, per a Wednesday release from the campaign.

"Board members will participate in regular media interviews, assist with fundraising efforts and events, leverage their networks and platforms to amplify the campaigns message to voters, and engage directly with voters through grassroots efforts and events in key battleground states," the campaign stated in a release. "This initial group represents a cross section of leaders in the Party who reflect the Biden coalitions diversity across many facets, with more members likely to come on board as the campaign builds and grows," they continued.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Another Twitter feud broke out between top Texas Republicans on Tuesday over the subject ofyou guessed itproperty taxes, a topic of repeated consternation between House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) and Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick in recent weeks.

The fight between the two state GOP leaders escalated to public thirst traps in April, and on Tuesday began anew with Phelan posting a minute-and-a-half-long clip calling out Patrick for previously favoring appraisal caps for Texas property owners.

"It's time for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to agree with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and cut property taxes for good by passing appraisal caps for all Texans," Phelan tweeted. "The House is ready to work with the Senate to ensure the largest tax cut in state history. Let's get this done for Texas, @DanPatrick."

The video footage shows previous statements by Patrick saying that Texas needs to reduce appraisal caps and pointing to liberal lawmakers for delaying a vote on HB 2. In a send-off message, Phelan also asked Texans to call Patrick's office to demand he pass HB 2.

Patrick promptly fire with a meme of Phelan between two surfboards, a reference to the speaker's previous Twitter dustup with the lieutenant, while again giving the House Speaker the nickname "California Dade."

"As I've said, years ago, it seemed appraisal caps were a good idea, but I learned better. California Dade still hasn't. Compared to the House plan, the Senate plan delivers $27 BILLION MORE in property tax savings to Texas, homeowners over the life of their ownership. #txlege," Patrick tweeted.

After initially posting the video, Phelan didn't respond to Patrick's comments. Still, Patrick ended the Twitter feud with another classic meme of his head photoshopped on a surfer.

Patrick's property tax bill Senate Bill 3, which passed the Senatorial chamber in March, increases the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $70,000. At the same time, House Bill 2, supported by Phelan, caps the annual appraisal value of all properties from 10 percent to five percent. HB 2 passed in late the House chamber in April.

Since its passage, HB 2 has been sitting in the Local Government Committee in the Senate, and SB 3 currently sits in the Ways and Means Committee in the House. Both bills must pass the other chamber before heading to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for final signoff. The Texas Legislature has until Memorial Day to vote on the two property tax bills. Without a compromise, both are at risk of dying on the vine.
Armenian military positions are under Azerbaijani gunfire since 06:00 Thursday, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia reported.

May 11, 2023, 09:02 Azerbaijan launches artillery attack on Armenian positions near Sotk, 2 wounded

STEPANAKERT, MAY 11, ARTSAKHPRESS: The Azerbaijani Armed Forces are shelling the Armenian positions in the direction of Sotk with artillery and mortar fire.

The Armed Forces of Armenia are taking the necessary defensive-preventive measures, the ministry added.

The Ministry of Defense reported that two Armenian servicemen were wounded as of 07:00.

As of 07:20 the Armenian positions were still under Azerbaijani gunfire.

At the same time, the Armenian Ministry of Defense warned that the Azerbaijani authorities are again spreading disinformation. In particular, the statement released by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry accusing the Armenian military of firing at Azerbaijani positions and wounding an Azerbaijani soldier on May 10 is untrue.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Long-haul carrier Emirates saw its most-profit year ever in 2022, earning $2.9 billion after bouncing back from the coronavirus pandemic shutting down global aviation, the airline announced Thursday.

The carrier's revival comes as Dubai, which owns the airline, has seen property prices skyrocket and people flood into the city-state in the United Arab Emirates as it lifted pandemic restrictions quickly and welcomed Russians fleeing Moscow's war on Ukraine.

Emirates' annual report put revenue for the carrier at $29 billion in 2022, up 81% from 2021's figures of $16 billion. That drastic swing comes after the airline reported a $1.1 billion loss in 2021.

The city-state, one of seven hereditarily ruled, autocratic sheikhdoms that make up the UAE, provided Emirates some $4 billion in a bailout in the depths of the pandemic. Even today as travel has bounced back, the carrier still has some of its double-decker Airbus A380s still parked, awaiting mechanics to be able to fly again.

We had anticipated the strong return of travel, and as the last travel restrictions lifted and triggered a tide of demand, we were ready to expand our operations quickly and safely to serve our customers," Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman and chief executive of Emirates, said in a statement.

The report said Emirates has repaid just over $2 billion in other loans taken from financial institutions during the pandemic, putting the total loan amount from outside of the government at $4.7 billion.

The overall Emirates Group, which includes travel company dnata, as well as food, beverage and leisure holdings, reported profits of nearly $3 billion off revenues of $32.6 billion.

The overall group declared a dividend to its owner, the sovereign wealth fund Investment Corporation of Dubai, of $1.2 billion.

Emirates acknowledged facing a temporary setback when it comes to receiving new airplane orders, particularly as manufacturers struggle to regroup and face supply issues following the height of the pandemic. The airline already has on order 115 Boeing 777Xs, 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 50 Airbus A350-900s, with the first planes likely not being delivered until the middle of next year.

That delay has seen Emirates embark on a $2 billion retrofit program for 120 of its Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s.

Emirates also has struck deals with United Airlines and Air Canada to share routes, apparently putting to bed years of bad blood between U.S. carriers and the Dubai airline.

As of now, Emirates has a fleet of 260 Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s flying to 150 passenger and cargo destinations. The airline carried 43.6 million passengers and 1.8 million tons of cargo during 2022.

Earlier Thursday, Emirates announced it would create a $200 million fund for research and development projects aimed at reducing the use of fossil fuels in commercial aviation. The airline said the funding would be distributed over three years.

Its clear that with the current pathways available to airlines in terms of emissions reduction, our industry wont be able to hit net zero targets in the prescribed timeline, airline President Tim Clark said in a statement. We believe our industry needs better solutions, and thats why were looking to partner with leading organizations."

Emirates separately will aim to use so-called sustainable aviation fuel as well when possible  though it remains incredibly scarce in the market. In January, the airline successfully flew a Boeing 777 on a test flight with one of its two engines entirely powered by the fuel.

The announcement also comes ahead of Dubai hosting the COP28 climate talks in November.

___

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
ALBANY  In a move seen as helping the state achieve its ambitious renewable energy targets, the New York Power Authority has received the green light to build and operate power generation stations including ones that convert wind and solar to electricity.

"We are well positioned to develop new renewable energy generation resources, in collaboration with our state partners, stakeholders and the private sector, to accelerate the states decarbonization journey while helping to prepare New Yorks workforce for the clean energy transition with good-paying jobs, Justin Driscoll, acting president of NYPA, said after the authorization was tucked into what is now the approved state budget.

The budget sets the stage for the authority to plan, design, develop, finance, construct, own, operate, maintain and improve renewable energy stations "either alone, or jointly with other entities, according to the legislation.

But the expanded role for NYPA as the state moves to cut its reliance on fossil fuels isn't coming without controversy.

"To me, this is a political response to a perceived problem," Gavin Donohue, president of the Independent Power Producers of New York, told CNHI.

Donohue argued the private sector is prepared to make investments in green energy projects and is better equipped than NYPA to put them online.

He said he believes the legislation was approved because it was a high priority for lawmakers aligned with the Democratic Socialists at the statehouse and was advocated by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-Queens.

Advocates for the legislation said they had to overcome resistance by Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose administration eventually agreed to the measure dubbed the Build Public Renewables Act.

"An unprecedented movement of New Yorkers, unions, and environmental justice groups from Long Island to Buffalo came together to fight back against Hochuls attempts to weaken the bill," said Lee Ziesche, spokesman for the Public Power NY Coalition. "And together, we won."

Ziesche acknowledged that a more robust version of the public power proposal was "weakened" during the negotiations between Hochul and lawmakers, with a proposed mandate to build new projects after 2035 removed from the legislation.

James Hanley, a senior policy analyst for the Empire Center for Public Policy, said the public power legislation is flawed, with most aggressive advocates being "socialists who hate private power because it gets a profit and they think profit is evil."

"What they really want is to socialize all the power in New York, but they can't get that so with this they are pushing NYPA for a little more action," Hanley said. "But NYPA doesn't have the ability to build renewable power on their own. They don't have the in-house expertise because they have never done wind and solar. They will end up purchasing it on the market from private producers."

Dennis Higgins, an Otego resident who tracks state energy policy, said the new legislation will likely have significant consequences for rural regions of New York.

Higgins said he is concerned the assessment model the state will use for energy projects will rob communities of their fair share of tax revenue and potentially allow NYPA to use eminent domain in the buildout of transmission lines, moves that would undermine home rule.
Lawyers for a freelance journalist say the city of Atlanta has agreed to pay him $105,000 to settle a lawsuit over his arrest while covering a demonstration in 2020
Mayor Kelly touched on various topics, including the city budget, gun control and issues in local schools.
Here's where you can catch art and other exhibits in the Cayuga County area over the next week:

(Have something to add to our listings? Email david.wilcox@lee.net. All listings are free.)

Baltimore Woods Nature Center, 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus; (315) 673-1350 or baltimorewoods.org; Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays

 Artwork by students from Auburn, Skaneateles and more (through May 26)

Cafe 108, 108 Genesee St., Auburn; (315) 252-2233 or cafe108.org; Open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays

 Art by Drake Nix

Cayuga Museum of History & Art, 203 Genesee St., Auburn; (315) 253-8051 or cayugamuseum.org; Open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays

 "Fabrication: Telling Stories Through Clothing"

 "Both Sides of the Wall: Auburn and Its Prison"

 CNY Emerging Artist Project: "Positive, Negative, Shallow and Deep" by Tyrone Johnson-Neuland (through May 27)

Cayuga Owasco Lakes Historical Society History House, 14 W. Cayuga St., Moravia; (315) 497-3906 or colhs.org; Open 9 a.m.-noon Mondays or by appointment

 New exhibit on President Millard Fillmore

Genoa Historical Association and Rural Life Museum, 920 Route 34B, King Ferry; (315) 364-8202 or genoahistorical.org; Open 10 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays and Fridays, Wednesdays by chance or appointment

 Easter bonnet display (bonnets old and new and Easter photos wanted) (through May 31)

 Collections on town cemeteries, photos of the community and a hands-on one-room 1840s schoolhouse museum

Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, 180 South St., Auburn; (315) 882-8060 or nps.gov/hart; Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, guided tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

 Exhibits about and artifacts from the life of Harriet Tubman

Howland Stone Store Museum and Opendore, Route 34B, Sherwood; howlandstonestore.org; Open 1-4 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays

 Exhibits on abolitionism, the Underground Railroad, and the early life and call of Emily Howland

Lock 52 and Montezuma historical societies, 73 Pine St., Port Byron; lock52hs@gmail.com; Open 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and Saturdays by appointment, May 13 through Sept. 16

 Unique display of artwork showing iconic scenes of the early Erie Canal era and local genealogy, digital library and photo collections related to Port Byron and Mentz

New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center, 25 South St., Auburn; (315) 258-9820; Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays

 Drawings by Karen Bove in honor of National Preservation Month

Old Brutus Historical Society, 8943 N. Seneca St., Weedsport; (315) 834-9342; Open 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays (historian's night) and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays (research and organization)

 Collections on the history of Brutus and its people

Schweinfurth: Featured artist releases microaggressions through art AUBURN  Artist Theda Sandiford channels microaggressions  commonplace verbal, behavioral or environmental slights, whether intentional or un

Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, 205 Genesee St., Auburn; (315) 255-1553 or myartcenter.org; Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 1-5 p.m. Sundays

 "Triggered, Truth & Transformation" by Theda Sandiford (through May 28)

 "Made in NY 2023" (through May 28)

 CNY Emerging Artist Project: "Positive, Negative, Shallow and Deep" by Tyrone Johnson-Neuland (through May 28)

Seward House Museum, 33 South St., Auburn; (315) 252-1283 or sewardhouse.org; Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays

 "Rooted in Reform" exhibit about founding of Auburn Correctional Facility, relationships to Miller and Seward family, and history of the criminal justice system

 Art in gift shop by photographer Todd Tanner

Shepherds Brewing Co., 132 Genesee St., Auburn; shepsbeer.com; Open 4-8 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 3-10 p.m. Fridays, 1-10 p.m. Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays

 Art and custom sneakers by Pete Maywalt

Skaneateles Artisans, 3 Fennell St., Skaneateles; (315) 685-8580 or skaneatelesartisans.com; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays

 Work by more than 175 local artists

Skaneateles Historical Society Museum at The Creamery, 28 Hannum St., Skaneateles; (315) 685-1360; Open 1-4 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

 Records, photos, newspaper articles and more items from Skaneateles history

South Shore Artisans, 576 Main St., Fair Haven; facebook.com/southshoreartisans; Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays

 Local artists, including Marsha Decker's soaps

Sterling Nature Center, Jensvold Road, Sterling; (315) 947-6143 or cayugacounty.us.; Open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily

 2022 Cayuga Naturally Photograph Contest winners

The Underground Bottle Shop, 29 E. Genesee St., Auburn; undergroundbottleshop.com; Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, noon-6 p.m. Sundays

 Art by Martin Kepecs

Gallery: 2022 Cayuga Naturally Photograph Contest winners
Longford business, UC Nuts took part in the 2023 Food Academy programme, which is a tailored business development programme for early to mid-stage producers, supported by SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office.

UC Nuts produce roasted peanuts, almonds and roasted cashews. It started off by selling their products to big wholesalers, as well as selling locally in their home town of Longford, before reaching national scale through the Food Academy programme.

Set up in December 2018 in Longford town, UC Nuts began production in 2020 and started supplying their roasted peanuts, almonds and roasted cashew to big wholesalers retail shops.

As a new company just starting out, lockdown hit UC Nuts hard and production stopped.

However, Uche Chiemeka of UC Nuts, explained that their fortunes changed for the better after she came across a social media post about the Food Academy.

"I applied (to the Food Academy) and luckily was chosen. It's been a life changing experience and I have benefited immensely from it."

Uche continued, "The Food academy opened my eyes to so many things. It has made me a better business person who really knows what she is doing both pricewise, brandwise and other areas.

"I am better equipped and knowledgeable too. Our packaging and raw materials are very sustainable since they are locally sourced and we are working towards reducing plastic and using more recyclable packaging in the future also."

SuperValu is celebrating ten years of the Food Academy programme, with 230m of Food Academy products sold in their stores over the last decade.

Food Academy producers are continuing to perform strongly, supporting 1,500 jobs through the programme which offers considerable benefits to both local communities and the national economy.

Caption: Pictured at the SuperValu celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Food Academy Programme are (L-R): Ciara McClafferty, Trading Director, Musgrave; Jim OToole, Bord Bia Chief Executive and Greg Swift, Head of the Local Enterprise Office, Dublin City in Merrion Square Park, Dublin 2.

More than 1,000 local food producers have completed the Food Academy programme since its inception, with over 300 Food Academy producers regularly stocked in SuperValu stores across the country, including UC Nuts, across 52 weeks of the year.

The initiative provides training in food safety, market research, branding, marketing, finance, sustainability, and business development through a range of dedicated workshops. Food Academy producers also have the opportunity to feature their products on SuperValu shelves nationwide, giving them real, tangible opportunities for growth in the market.

This milestone anniversary comes as new research by Bord Bia and B&A reveal that 90% of consumers choose to buy locally produced food, with more than 2 in 3 (68%) buying this category at least weekly. The main driver for purchasing locally produced food is a desire to support the local economy and jobs. Secondary drivers are that locally produced food is fresher, better quality and good for the environment. Consumers are seeking out locally produced products, with more than half of consumers expecting to buy locally produced products in the next six months*.

This year, 23 new Food Academy entrants are launching a wide variety of products including naturally leavened sourdough bread, low sugar fruit jam, organic microgreens & eggs, as well as products utilising spent grain to make protein snacks, and used coffee grinds to create a tan-removing soap.

Speaking on the 10th anniversary of Food Academy, Ian Allen, Managing Director, SuperValu said, The Food Academy is a fantastic collaboration between SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office which has gone from strength to strength over the last 10 years, enhancing and supporting the growth of Irelands food and drink sector. At SuperValu, we are passionate about food and supporting the development of Irish food and drink producers in local communities across Ireland - having proudly done so since 1968. The Food Academy programme is a fantastic opportunity for small businesses to gain direct access to leading expertise to help them on every step of their journey - from start-up producer to securing their products on supermarket shelves.

"Over the last 10 years, SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office have fostered a superb relationship through this programme and have been heartened and inspired by the innovation and leadership shown by over 1,000 Irish food producers who have participated in the programme since 2013. We are immensely proud of the success these brands have achieved in the last 10 years - some of whom include names like Lilys Tea and Janets Just Delicious. At SuperValu, we are committed to supporting local communities and the 230m sales of Food Academy products in SuperValu stores in the last 10 years is not only remarkable, but it is a testament to the calibre and quality of Irish producers who have gone through the programme.

Jim OToole, Bord Bia Chief Executive said: Bord Bia has supported Food Academy since its inception and is pleased to work in partnership with SuperValu and the Local Enterprise Office to nurture innovative food and drink businesses. Food Academy plays an important role in serving the needs of Irish consumers, with recent Bord Bia research proving the importance to consumers of being able to choose locally produced food, drink and horticulture.

Greg Swift, Head of Local Enterprise Office, Dublin added: The 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) work with a broad range of businesses. The food sector is an important sector and there are exciting and new innovations emerging linked to the changing demands of the consumer. The Food Academy programme addresses the challenge of product innovation, business planning, health regulation and the ultimate placing of product on SuperValu shelves. The LEOs have worked closely on the programme over 10 years with the strong support of Bord Bia and the SuperValu team. This is a productive relationship with the sole objective of delivering new Irish food businesses to the market, increasing sales, additional employment, and strong growth ambitions to the successful businesses."
Natural Forces Renewable Energy Ltd (Natural Forces) have lodged a planning application with Longford County Council seeking to construct one Enercon E138 Wind Energy Converter on an 81m tower with an electrical rating of 4.2MW and an overall tip height of 149.38m at Lissanore, Co Longford.

Lissanore is located between Edgeworthstown and Lisryan, and local residents have expressed 'huge concern' about the proposal.

They are unhappy with the 'excessive height' at 149.38m of the proposed wind turbine and the impact it will have visually and on property prices.

The issues of 'adverse health effects', 'noise pollution' and 'shadow flicker' have also been highlighted in an objection already submitted to the local authority against the planning application which was received by the County Council on April 19.

Planners are due to adjudicate on the application by June 13 next and the closing date for receipt of submissions from the general public or interested parties is May 23.

Other concerned residents say the 'massive' wind turbine being proposed will be significantly higher than the Dublin Spire which is 120 metres high.

They are worried about the impact on local wildlife and believe a wind turbine on this scale isn't in keeping with the efforts to promote Edgeworthstown, the home of Maria Edgeworth, as a tourism destination.

The proposed development will also entail the installation of the hard standing area for the Wind Energy Converter and the installation of underground circuit cables which will run in underground cable trenches (c.1.2m deep), from the proposed Wind Energy Converter to the proposed substation building on the site.

Natural Forces Renewable Energy Ltd also intend to construct a substation building which will be located c. 98m from the proposed wind turbine and surrounded by stock proof fencing. It will be a single storey building, measuring 55m2 and c.4.8m in height. "Construction of proposed internal site access track, constructed from permeable material and which will run from the site entrance to the Wind Energy Converter hard standing area."

Also included in the planning application is all associated ancillary infrastructure and preparatory works.

Natural Forces says it is a private independent power producer that delivers renewable energy projects in partnership with local communities across Canada and Ireland.
AUBURN  With a dinosaur and an RV, Fidelis Care sought to inform the public about how the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency will affect the renewal process for those on certain types of health insurance.

When the federal emergency ends on Thursday, people who are on Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Essential Plan and Managed Long-Term Care will need to renew their health insurance coverage. This will affect 9 million people in New York and 2 million Fidelis Care members.

Fidelis Care brought its RV and set up a table outside East Hill Medical Center in Auburn to raise awareness about the change. Megan Woodward, vice president of member retention at Fidelis Care, explained that individuals on these health insurance plans will receive notices to renew their coverage. If they don't respond with a 30-day period, they risk losing their insurance.

Woodward encouraged people covered by these plans to make sure their health insurance company has their updated contact information. When they receive their notice either in the mail or by email, she urged them to act immediately.

"There's really a tight clock on that piece of mail," Woodward said.

The first wave of notices have already been sent to individuals who will need to renew their health insurance. The first day they can act is Tuesday, May 16, according to Woodward, and the deadline to respond is June 15.

To keep their insurance, Woodward said they have to answer some basic questions, such as their household information and any change in income.

"These are folks, many of whom joined during the pandemic, and have never been through this before," she added. "We expect this is going to be a pretty significant impact for many New Yorkers."

East Hill Medical Center is assisting its patients by doing pre-visit planning, according to Melanie Catalfano-Marventano, the center's practice administrator. When a patient has an appointment scheduled, she said the front-end staff look up to see if they have a plan managed by Fidelis and check their renewal date. They also update their contact information  an important step to ensure they receive their renewal notice.

Catalfano-Marventano also encourages patients to stay engaged with their provider's office. She noted that some patients "fall off," meaning they will come for an initial visit but then don't show up for follow-up appointments.

Anyone seeking more information about health insurance renewals should go to fideliscare.org/renew or call (866) 435-921 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
It was quite a weekend for twenty-three years old Grace Kemple. Saturday night she was selected to represent Longford at the Rose of Tralee International Festival in August.

I'm back to college today, so it's about returning to reality, she said, coming back down to earth on Monday.

Grace was chosen as Longford's first Rose since 2019 at a thrilling Longford Rose Selection event in the Longford Arms Hotel.

Thirteen impressive hopefuls vied for the coveted sash with the former Ballymahon Vocational School student Grace winning the verdict of the judging panel.

It was a great day and night. All the girls were together for the day. There was a great lead up to it, I had a really good night, Grace said of the selection process, over the past few weeks we got to know each other. We had dinner and met up before the event. That made Saturday night a bit easier.

Grace will now have the honour of becoming the sixth Longford Rose to appear on stage at the world famous Tralee Dome, following in the footsteps of Marie Brady (2019), Caroline Doyle (2016), Daphne Howard (2015), Aisling Farrell (2013) and Grainne Fox (2007).

She outlined the sequence of the evening: There were 13 girls taking part. Eight were on stage for the first half of the show, then the remaining five in the second half. The girls chatted to the MC Benny O'Brien and then did their talent or party piece. During the day we had the judges interview and the group interview.

Grace is a General Nurse and she is currently completing her Higher Diploma in Midwifery. Grace says that midwifery has always been her dream job, adding that helping bring new life into the world is such a privilege. She brought her career choice into her performance: I did a demonstration of child's CPR. It was just something different from singing, she said.

The 2023 Longford Rose said the day was not as nerve-wracking as she anticipated: I was a bit stressed leading up to it, but we were so busy on Saturday there was no time for nerves. I couldn't wait to get up on stage. I was in the second half, when I was announced as the winner it came as a bit of a shock.

The student of midwifery enjoys keeping active and in her spare time she does Pilates and goes to the gym. Her sponsor on the night was Iron Kingdom Gym.

Grace says the Rose of Tralee is something she always wanted to do, and she is looking forward to representing Longford at the Rose of Tralee International Festival.

In a unique first the Roses will visit Longford on their journey to The Dome: It's great that the Rose tour is coming to Longford this year for the first time ever. That is a big thing, I'm really looking forward to it.

Longford is just one point on a route that takes in some of Irelands most famous and symbolic, historic sporting and tourism landmarks. The tour destinations also include counties Wexford, Kildare, Meath, Offaly and Limerick.

WATCH: Longford publican enters race to become new Late Late Show host Longford publican Eddie Valentine has blown the race to become the new host of RTE's The Late Late Show wide open by officially declaring his interest in the position.

As the 2023 Longford Rose, Grace will be sponsored by Grafters Hair Company Longford where the lucky Rose will have Pauline Coady Belton and her team looking after her for her reign as Longford Rose.

I am really looking forward to going to Tralee, Grace said, I want to thank Marie Brady the 2019 Rose, she has been such a great help. Also to Lyn (Moloney) and Steve (Cronly, from the International Rose of Tralee Festival). Rachel Duffy, the current International Rose of Tralee was at the selection night on Saturday. I don't think we have ever had a current Rose at a Longford selection. It was such a great night.
Use the Arrows < > above to go through the gallery

Joe Connell recently celebrated being 70 years of age. Joe is a man who has Downs Syndrome and is a native of Abbeylara.

Longford Leader / Longford Live photographer Shelley Corcoran attended Joe's party and she captured this great gallery of photos. Don't forget to tag and share with any of your friends. READ MORE BELOW PHOTO

Joe is the youngest of eight children and he lived in his home in Abbeylara until he was 45 years old.

Joe is still a regular visitor to Abbeylara and to his sister Dinah Smith.

In 2001, Joe moved into a HSE Community house in Longford Town where he currently lives with two of his friends.

Joe attends the Sonas Day service with St Christophers services on weekdays and he has gained a great number of friends in Sonas over the years.

Joe is a huge country music fan and regularly attends concerts and enjoys playing his bodhran and mouth organ.

Joe recently celebrated his 70th birthday in The Sin bin, Longford Rugby club. Joe was very pleased to have a surprise guest of local Country Music star Declan Nerney who sang Joe a very happy birthday and everyones favourite tune Stop the World and Declan kindly posed for many photographs with Joe and his family and friends.

The staff and service users of The HSE and St Christophers services and retired staff members all celebrated with Joe.

Two of Joes sisters and a brother-in-law travelled over from the UK to help Joe celebrate this special milestone birthday.

We wish Joe a very happy 70th Birthday and would like to thank Declan Nerney, Gary Baker, The Longford Leader, The Sin Bin and all who attended this joyous event.
Business & Finance

By Jacob Alvear Published: May 11 2023

2023 Neighborhood Partners Program process opens June 1, with June 30 deadline; 2022 program delivered $1 million to more than 200 nonprofits

The PSEG Foundation announced today the 2023 request for proposals for the annual Neighborhood Partners Program, with grants available ranging from $500 to $15,000. Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in New Jersey and Long Island, New York are encouraged to apply. Applications will be evaluated and grants awarded based on demonstrated program effectiveness, depth, breadth and overall alignment with the PSEG Foundation strategic pillars, which are environmental sustainability, social justice and equity and economic empowerment.

Were pleased to make $1 million in grant funding available through our very popular Neighborhood Partners Program, where we see local heroes making a difference in the lives of others throughout PSEGs service territories, said Calvin Ledford Jr., PSEG Foundation president. We seek to partner with people who have a track record of success and who present viable plans for addressing todays largest challenges including those of sustainability, equity, social justice and economic empowerment.

Last year the PSEG Foundation awarded more than 300 Neighborhood Partners Program grants. For example, Americas Grow-a-Row received funding for its fresh produce initiative. This program provides nutritious produce to regional hunger relief agencies and at local free farmers markets in communities that lack reliable access to affordable fresh produce. In Long Island, Habitat for Humanity used its grant for the Reuse, Reduce, Repurpose Program to help divert more than 3 million pounds of waste from local landfills that were repurposed and sold at a fraction of the cost to benefit its clients, families and the local community.

PSEG is the perfect example of corporate social responsibility in action. Their commitment to feeding those faced with hunger and food insecurity runs deep throughout their organization. From the countless hours PSEG employees have invested by volunteering in the fields, to helping underwrite a portion of our farming expenses, said Chip Paillex, president and founder, Americas Grow-a-Row. We could not be more grateful for PSEG and the PSEG Foundations support that allowed us to positively impact approximately 100,000 people in need last year.

In nearly 10 years since the inception of the program, the PSEG Foundation has made great strides with affecting change in the communities it serves, said Maria Spina, manager, PSEG Foundation. Through the Neighborhood Partners Program, the PSEG Foundation aims to partner with organizations that are transformative, leading change on issues impacting our communities and working toward collaborative solutions.

To apply by the June 30, 2023 deadline, please visit our application website that opens June 1, 2023. Award announcements are scheduled for mid-September 2023. For more information about the program, visit https://pseg.com/ neighborhoodpartnersprogram.
Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: May 11 2023

The Town of Islip paid tribute to the memory of its fallen hometown heroes FDNY Jesse Gerhard and FDNY William Moon.

The Town of Islip paid tribute to the memory of its fallen hometown heroes, FDNY Jesse Gerhard and FDNY William Moon, with a cupola lighting ceremony. The event marks the National Fallen Firefighters Foundations, Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters, which invites fire and community organizations, businesses, landmarks and homes to light up red on May 4, International Firefighters Day, through May 7, National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, and honors the sacrifice of Americas fallen fire heroes.



Together at the steps of Islip Town Hall, stood the Gerhard and Moon families, joined by members of the Islip Fire Department; Islip Town Supervisor, Angie Carpenter; Councilmen Jorge Guadron and John M. Lorenzo, in solemn tribute to the memory and legacy of these fallen heroes. Jesse Gerhard was a 12-year veteran of the Islip Fire Department and a member of the FDNY. On February 15th, 2022, Jesse answered his final call, suddenly passing away while on duty at Ladder 134 just days after battling a 2nd alarm fire.



The loss of Jesse at just 33 years-old shook the Islip community, but we take comfort in knowing Jesse followed his heart, and fulfilled his childhood dream of joining the FDNY in his great-grandfathers footsteps. Jesses commitment to making the world a better place drove him forward, and he died in service of that cause. For this we remember his legacy, said Islip Town Supervisor, Angie Carpenter. William Billy Moon, was a loving father and devoted husband. Billy joined the FDNY in 2002 and served for 20 years with the utmost dedication and skill, serving Ladder 133 in Queens, culminating in his transfer to the prestigious Rescue 2 in Brooklyn. Billy also served in Islip, as a devoted volunteer with the Islip Fire Department, serving as Chief in 2017.



Billys career and impact as a firefighter for over two decades of service truly defined his legacy as a hero. After his death, that legacy lives on. Billys donated organs have saved the lives of five people. Among those, are two New York City Fire Fighters, ensuring that his memory will not be forgotten, said Supervisor Carpenter.



We continue to grieve the loss of Billy and Jesse: these two incredible men, and beloved firefighters who served our community with courage and valor. And our hearts and thoughts remain with their families, friends, and colleagues, many of whom are here with us today, she concluded.



For more information on Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters and Fallen Firefighters Memorial weekend, visit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters - Memorial.

CREDIT: Town of Islip
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: May 11 2023

Arnaldo Marcano Was Out on Parole for a Prior Burglary Conviction When He Committed the Crime.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney has announced that Arnaldo Marcano, 42, of Bellport, pleaded guilty to Burglary in the Second Degree for burglarizing a home in Bellport.

This defendant was just out of prison and still on parole for prior home burglaries when he once again broke into someones home, said District Attorney Tierney. This 10-year sentence will keep the community safe from this serial burglar. I will continue to do my part as District Attorney by keeping Suffolk County residents safe by preventing individuals such as this defendant from terrorizing our neighborhoods.

According to the investigation and the defendants admissions during his plea allocution, on February 24, 2023, at approximately 12:25 a.m., Marcano broke a window of a residence in Bellport and entered into the home where he stole money before fleeing the residence on foot.

At the time of this crime, Marcano was out on parole following 2004 convictions in Suffolk County for Burglary in the First degree, a Class B violent felony, and six counts of Burglary in the Second Degree, Class C violent felonies. In 2000, Marcano had been convicted of Attempted Burglary in the Third Degree, a Class E felony.

On May 4, 2023, Marcano pleaded guilty before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable John B. Collins, to Burglary in the Second Degree, a class C violent felony. He is due back in court on June 7, 2023, when he is expected to be sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision. Marcano is being represented by Jason Bassett, Esq.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Pamela J. Bloomfield of the Major Crime Bureau.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause

By Jacob Alvear Published: May 11 2023

New County Project Will Connect Lake Avenue in Saint James to County Sewer District

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today joined Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim, State and County elected officials, and local business leaders to announce a new County project to provide a connection to sewers for Lake Avenue businesses, and a new $10 million grant award to help advance the long-awaited Smithtown Business District sewer project to construction.

"The County strongly supports the vision and commitment to sound planning that Supervisor Wehrheim and the Town Board have shown for the downtown areas throughout the Town Smithtown," said Suffolk County Executive Bellone. "We have already partnered successfully to bring sewers to Kings Park, and our announcements today are the next steps to make sure that both the Smithtown and Saint James business districts are finally connected to sewers, as well."

Smithtown Supervisor Edward R Wehrheim said: If I had a nickel every time someone said the words, youll never see Sewers in Smithtown, not in this lifetime anyway Lets just say I could retire tomorrow, very comfortably. Im very proud to say that beginning in just a few short weeks, a shovel will break ground into the first of three sewer installation and connection projects in our three downtowns within the township. The announcements made today by County Executive Bellone and the work weve done together over these past five years, with our talented teams, secures the funds needed to connect St James to an STP and sets Smithtown on a faster track for construction. This is what good government looks like. This is what can be accomplished for the people we serve when we work together.

The Town of Smithtown previously completed the installation of a sewer main as part of a revitalization project that significantly improved the Saint James business hamlet, so that future sewer connections would not require a future sewer main construction project on Lake Avenue. The County's new capital project will connect the main installed by the Town to an existing County sewer district (Sewer District No. 28 - Fairfield) where the existing treatment plant is being replaced with new, state-of-the art technology.



An analysis completed as part of the design of the new facility found that connecting Lake Avenue businesses to the new facility would be feasible, at a projected cost of $16.7 million. Bellone announced a grant of $3 million from the County's Water Infrastructure Fund to complete the design the project, to make it shovel ready for construction and make an initial contribution towards construction costs. Contingent on funding, the project could break ground in the Spring of 2025 and be completed by the Summer of 2026.



The $10 million award of construction funding for the Smithtown Business District Sewer project builds on ongoing efforts to secure the estimated $90 million needed to connect businesses along Main Street to an expanded treatment plant at Suffolk County Sewer District No. 6 in Kings Park. The project had already been awarded a $20 million grant from New York State's Transformative Investment Program (TIP), and a $3 million federal grant secured by former Congressman Lee Zeldin.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said: This is a great day for Smithtown. I am proud to have delivered hundreds of millions of dollars that are being used to build-out and upgrade Suffolk Countys wastewater infrastructure systems, and I applaud County Executive Steve Bellone for wisely allocating $13 million more in American Rescue Plan aid  funding that I fought hard to get to Long Island  to make transformational investments in Smithtown and St. James. This funding will help fully revitalize Smithtown Business District, provide more economic development opportunities, and protect public health and the environment by stemming the tide of toxic nitrogen into our groundwater and waterways. These investments are the kind that will help Suffolk County build back stronger post-pandemic and I will continue fighting each and every day to bring federal funds back to Long Island.

Senator Mario R. Mattera said: The expansion and construction of sewers is the best way to protect our environment while simultaneously growing our economy. This amazing partnership between Suffolk County and the Town of Smithtown will help our residents, our business owners and our future generations while creating jobs for our hardworking men and women. This critical infrastructure investment would not have been possible without the vision of Supervisor Wehrheim, the Town Council, County Executive Bellone and our sewer czar Peter Scully and it is great to stand with them as they bring downtown Smithtown and Lake Avenue in St. James into the 21st Century.

State Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick said: Supervisor Wehrheim and County Executive Bellone have forged a strong and productive partnership to develop sewer infrastructure in Smithtown, Kings Park, and Saint James. Today we take significant steps to get closer to our goal of revitalizing these beautiful downtown areas for future growth and a better quality of life. Todays announcement will help, Long Island, and the state of New York, advance the cause of developing more housing options for its residents.

Legislator Leslie Kennedy said: "Projects like these allow us to protect our precious sole source aquifer for future generations while strengthening our downtown areas. Economic development and protecting our environment are not mutually exclusive."

Marc Herbst, Executive Director, Long Island Contractors Association said: Over 360,000 homes in Suffolk County are disconnected from a proper sewer system leaving our water waste discharged into septic tanks that spill into our ground water, water ways, and beaches. No more. We applaud County Executive Steve Bellone for his tireless efforts to fund, modernize and expand a new sewer system for Suffolk County, and LICA will continue to assist in advocating for a cleaner, better system. Not only will these efforts result in safer drinking water for our residents, but also greater economic development for our region.

Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment said: In the epic battle to upgrade our wastewater treatment systems in Suffolk, we are making progress! Nitrogen pollution from outdated septic systems and cesspools is causing harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, and fish die-offs in our bays, lakes, and estuaries. The good news is we know the solution and our elected leaders are working collaboratively to implement them. CCE is thrilled that Smithtown residents will be able to replace polluting septic and cesspools with 21st century technology that treats sewage. We applaud Suffolk County elected leaders for working in a bipartisan way and securing $13 million for sewers in Smithtown. We look forward to enjoying healthier waterways in the very near future.

Hayduk Engineering, LLC said: Providing sewers to Lake Avenue and expanding the Sewer District #28 wastewater treatment facility will promote the revitalization of downtown Saint James, spur economic growth, and improve our water quality. We are excited to be working on this project for the County and we look forward to continuing to work with the Town and the community as the project progresses.

H2M architects + engineers said: H2M architects + engineers is pleased to have worked with the Town of Smithtown during the design and construction of the sewer in the commercial district along Lake Avenue. Once the conveyance system to the treatment plant is installed, there will be redevelopment opportunities in the service area and the environment will benefit when the existing onsite sanitary systems are abandoned.
Governor Kathy Hochul has announced an additional $25 million will be made available to organizations at risk of hate crimes and vandalism. She made the announcement at New York's first-ever Unity Summit, a statewide convening of more than 500 New Yorkers representing community groups, faith leaders and public safety experts sharing their perspectives on how New York can come together to fight the rising tide of hate.

"This is our defining moment - a moment to stand up as one New York and make clear there is no place for hate in our communities," Governor Hochul said. "I was proud to convene New York's first-ever Unity Summit to bring together leading experts working to fight hate and bias. Working together, I know we can make this state safer and more welcoming for all."

"At today's Unity Summit we brought together leaders, human rights advocates, and activists from around the world for a day of reflection and recommitment to the work we are doing in New York to drive out hate," said Lieutenant Governor Delgado. "This funding will bring resources and support directly to community partners who are building a more unified and tolerant state. I am honored to serve as the Chair of the Hate and Bias Prevention Unit and oversee this work going forward."

During her remarks at the Unity Summit, Governor Hochul announced $25 million will be made available through the FY 2024 budget to support organizations serving communities that are at high risk of hate crimes and vandalism. This funding will go to help organizations enhance security measures in vulnerable places and support trainings, public awareness campaigns, and other outreach efforts across the state. The 2024 budget also includes $3.5 million in funding for the Hate and Bias Prevention Unit, whose work includes the coordination of 10 regional councils convened to address different biases and challenges across New York State. All 10 regional councils have been formed and will begin meeting in the coming weeks.

The Unity Summit featured keynote remarks from former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Panels included "The State of Hate in New York," featuring State agency leaders discussing their efforts to combat hate crimes, "Working Together To Address and Prevent Hate in Our Communities," featuring Jewish, AAPI, Muslim, Sikh, LGBTQ+, Hispanic and African American community leaders, and "How are Federal, State and Local Stakeholders Addressing Hate." The day concluded with remarks from Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado who leads the Hate and Bias Prevention Unit within the New York State Division of Human Rights.

Since taking office, Governor Hochul has prioritized tackling hate crimes and bias. In December 2022, Governor Hochul unveiled the Division of Human Rights' new Hate and Bias Prevention Unit. In November 2022, she signed two new laws cracking down on perpetrators of hate crimes and creating a new statewide diversity and tolerance campaign. In the FY23 Budget, Governor Hochul made significant changes to the bail laws to expand arrest-eligibility and bail-eligibility for repeat offenses and hate crimes.

The full Unity Summit is available to view here.
A resolution advanced on Wednesday by the Cayuga County Legislature's Planning and Economic Development Committee would allow for the continuation of an Owasco Lake watershed monitoring program.

The resolution is similar to one that was rejected by the Cayuga County Legislature in March. It would execute an agreement between the county and Hobart and William Smith Colleges' Finger Lakes Institute for data collection and the creation of an online portal. The cost of the program in 2023 would be $21,690.

After the Legislature denied the initial agreement, the Cayuga County issued a request for fee quotes to four entities: The Finger Lakes Institute, the Community Science Institute in Ithaca, the Great Lakes Research Consortium at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse and the Upstate Freshwater Institute in Syracuse. A fifth, Global Aquatic Research, also responded to the RFQ.

Steve Lynch, director of the Cayuga County Department of Planning and Economic Development, told legislators that four of the respondents said they lacked the capacity to perform the data collection and monitoring program. Finger Lakes Institute, which has been conducting the research for more than a decade, submitted a proposal for the same amount ($21,690) that was rejected two months ago.

Lynch explained that the Finger Lakes Institute would collect the data using a buoy on Owasco Lake. The institute would also set up a website where the data would be posted for public review. What the agreement does not cover is any analysis of the data.

"This is not for the creation of the reports that you have seen in the past from (Dr. John Halfman, a professor at the institute)," Lynch said. "We may look at doing a (request for proposals) for the analysis of the buoy data and other data later in the year, but this is really just putting a scientific instrument in the water and collecting the information."

That is slightly different than what's been done in the past. Lynch noted that the buoy was previously funded by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation, but the organization is no longer funding that portion of the initiative. The county's contribution to the program was to help cover the costs of analyzing the data.

With the county planning to pay for the data collection, it would need to budget for the analysis.

"It doesn't mean the analysis can't be done," Lynch said. "But the analysis doesn't have to happen until the end of the year of data collection anyway."

At least one opponent of the earlier resolution has indicated that they support the new proposal.

Legislator Mark Strong, a Moravia Republican, was the first county lawmaker to speak out against the the proposed agreement with the Finger Lakes Institute in March. But he said Wednesday that he will vote for the new resolution after a conversation with Lynch and Legislator Robert Shea, who chairs the Planning and Economic Development Committee.

That discussion "made me feel a lot more comfortable," Strong said.

The resolution now heads to the Cayuga County Legislature's Ways and Means Committee before it is considered by the full Legislature at its monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 23.
(Alliance News) - The US envoy to South Africa on Thursday accused the country of having provided military support to Russia despite its professed neutrality in the Ukraine war, local media said.

Ambassador Reuben Brigety reportedly said the US was "confident" weapons and ammunition had been loaded onto a Russian freighter in Cape Town in December.

"The arming of the Russians is extremely serious, and we do not consider this issue to be resolved," he said.

source: AFP

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and Acrobat are well known apps used by creative professionals. There was once a time when all these apps, known collectively as Adobe Creative Suite, were purchased on disc and installed on Macs throughout the creative and publishing industries, but this eventually evolved into the subscription based Adobe Creative Cloud.

In this guide we will explain all the ways you can now buy Adobes apps. Well explain how much Adobe Creative Cloud costs, what the best way to purchase it is (monthly, annually, or another way), whether you can get it for free, and what happens if you cancel your subscription.

Well also include the best ways to save money, how you can use Adobe CC apps without committing to a subscription, and how you can buy the apps, such as Photoshop and Acrobat, separately.

So, if you are looking for Photoshop or Premiere Pro, wondering whether you need Creative Cloud to run Acrobat Pro, or even wondering whether you can cancel your Adobe CC subscription, you have come to the right place.

Between May 9 and May 18 theres a great deal to be had if you are based in the U.K. or in Europeyou can save 50% for 6 monthsunfortunately Adobe isnt running the same deal in the U.S. More information below.

During Black Friday 2022 Adobe discounted the upfront price as well as monthly subscription prices of Creative Cloud for students, individuals and business users. That deal ran until November 25 2022. Read about Adobes Black Friday deal here: Adobes Black Friday deal slashes Creative Cloud subscription.

Best Adobe CC deals right now

Adobe CC costs $599.88 / 596.33 a year if bought directly from Adobe (on the annual prepaid plan).

Customers can take advantage of the following deals:

In the U.S. customers can save 30% if they pay for a year up front.

Get deal: Adobe Creative Cloud For $599.888

In the U.K. customers can save 50% off for 6 months if they sign up by May 18, 2023. Sign up for the deal and get all the Creative Cloud apps for 25.99 a month (usually 51.98 a month) for 6 months. The offer is available to first-time eligible subscribers of Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps for Individuals. At the end of your offer term, your subscription will be automatically billed at the standard subscription rate unless you elect to change or cancel your subscription. A 12-month commitment is required.

Get deal: Adobe Creative Cloud For 25.99 a month for 6 months

The best Adobe CC deals prices, if you pay up front, will appear below. From time to time we have seen significant discounts at Amazon:

Adobe Creative Cloud, usually $599.88 / 596.33 a year, $54.99/51.99 a month:

What is Adobe Creative Cloud?

The first iteration of Adobe Creative Cloud arrived back in 2011, offering subscribers the option to pay an annual or monthly subscription for access to the most up to date version of the Creative Suite apps. At first Adobe ran this option alongside Creative Suite, with CS6 launching in 2013, but Adobe eventually discontinued CS6 leaving creative pros with no other option than to subscribe to the software.

There are benefits to both Adobe and its customers with the subscription model: Adobes customers will always have the most recent version of Adobes software, and Adobe wont find that most of its customers are still using four-year old versions of its software with no motivation to update to a new version of the expensive software (as was no doubt the case in most offices and studios).

The problem with the subscription model is that pricing can be very complex, added to that is the fact that there are multiple apps to choose from  some of which may not be required by every customer. The Adobe Creative Cloud offering needs some clarification and in this article we will seek to do that.

If you are looking for the best Mac for designers, best Mac for photo editing, or the best Mac for video editing, be sure to read our guides.

Adobe Creative Cloud pricing

There are various ways to buy Creative Cloud. You can subscribe to All Apps, Photography Plans with 20GB cloud space and another with 1TB cloud, a Lightroom Plan, as well as options for subscribing to single apps. These different packages will suit different types of users. For example, you may only need Photoshop, in which case you wont want to pay for all the other apps too.

Once you have decided what software you want, the next choice is how you are going to pay for it. In most cases Adobe offers three different ways to pay. Monthly on-contract, monthly off-contract, or in advance for the year.

The best deals are usually for an annual subscription paid monthly, but this does tie you into a contract and if you cancel you may have to pay 50% of the remaining contract. If you would prefer to be able to cancel at any time then the monthly deal where you pay a bit more, but if you no longer need the software you can cancel, may appeal. This could be a great way to get an app that you dont need long-term.

Alternatively you may be purchasing licences for a design studio, and therefore will be looking for the best deal for multiple seats. Ib that case you will be looking at the Business contracts, which are offered on a per-seat basis. There is also education pricing that should help if you are studying and specific pricing for education institutions.

When it comes to subscribing to single apps the pricing is usually as follows:

Plan: Single apps UK US Annual plan, paid monthly 19.97 $19.99 Annual plan, paid upfront 238.42 $239.88 Monthly plan, cancel at any time 29.96 $29.99

But the best deals are on the bundles, if you need two Adobe apps you might as well subscribe to All Apps as the price is:

Plan: All apps UK US Annual plan, paid monthly 51.98 $54.99 Annual plan, paid upfront 596.33 $599.88 Monthly plan, cancel at any time 78.98 $82.49

Well look in more detail at each of the Adobe Creative Cloud purchase options below.

Can I get Adobe CC apps for free?

Adobe might be planning a free version of Photoshop for Mac. The company is currently testing a limited, web-only version in Canada. The free web version that is missing several features but the core features are accessible. Unfortunately, Photoshop on the web works only on the Chrome or Microsoft Edge browsers, if you try to use it on Safari you will only be able to view and comment on existing documents. See: Free version of Photoshop in Canada.

That will be great news if you want a free version of Photoshop, live in Canada, and dont mind having to use Chrome. For everyone else hoping to get the Adobe app you need for free, there is a free seven day trial, details here.

In addition to this, you can cancel your subscription within 14 days of your order and be refunded. So theoretically you could have a seven day trial, then sign up for Adobe CC, and after two weeks cancel. Which would effectively give you three weeks.

As we said above, if you dont fancy committing to a year-long contract with Adobe then you can sign up for the more expensive monthly plan that allows you to cancel without having to pay your way out of the contract.

If you do need Adobes apps on a long-term basis though, your best bet is to wait for Adobe to do a special offer  which it does from time to time.

For example, on June 22, 2021 it was possible to save an amazing 40% on the All Apps Adobe CC subscription via Amazon. This was the cheapest Adobe Creative Cloud offer we had ever seen. Prime membership was required to get the deal.

Weve also seen Adobe take 20% off the price of Creative Cloud.

How to get a student discount for Adobe CC

Students dont get Adobe Creative Cloud for free, but they can get some good discounts  which are better at some times than others.

Adobe offers a student discount across its range of products, you will see some of the options below. For example, students can get all apps on an annual plan for $239.88/196.30 for the first year, rising to $359.88/298.92 after, which is a large discount on the usual $599.88/596.33.

However, at certain times of the year Adobe offers a Back To School deal where the discounts are even larger.

On August 16, 2022 Adobe introduced a promotion in the U.S. and Canada where students and teachers can get 60% off the usual monthly subscription price, and the first month free for the Creative Cloud All Apps bundle. That means that students can pay $19.99 a month, rather than the usual $29.99. This deal will run until September 5.

Adobe is offering students even more money off as part of the Back To School deal running until September 5th. Adobe

A similar deal is running in the U.K. and Europe where students and teachers can get 65% off for a monthly subscription for 16.24 a month, rather than the usual 24.96 a month.

Unfortunately the student saving drops after the first 12 months, but the student discount after that time is still good compared to the full price.

Visit this page on the Adobe website to verify your student status. All you need it a school-issued email address to be verified. You also need to be 13 or older and be enrolled in an education institution, a school or university, or be home schooled.

If you are buying as a student, or as an education institution, the pricing is as follows. You can also see pricing during the Back to School (B2S) buying period (until mid/early September) and Black Friday (BF).

Plan: All apps UK US Student, paid monthly 24.96 a month (was 16.24 B2S/13.15 BF) $19.99 (was $29.99 B2S/$15.99 BF) Student, annual paid monthly 298.02 a year $239.88 Student, annual paid upfront 298.92 a year (B2S: 196.30 for first year) $359.88 a year (B2S: $239.88 for first year) Buy it here

How to buy Adobe apps

Well run through each of the Adobe apps and explain how you can purchase them below.

If its just you looking to use one or all of the Adobe Creative Cloud apps there are individual plans, while if you are a business or education institutial there are plans that are based on how many computers the software is installed on. There is also a discounted student plan. Read on for all the info.

How to buy all the Adobe CC apps

If you want to buy three or more Adobe Creative Cloud apps the All Apps bundle offered by Adobe is your best value option. Where individual apps cost you $19.99/19.97 a month on the annual plan, the All Apps deal gives you every one of Adobes CC apps for 51.99/$54.99 a month.

But, if you only need the software temporarily, the best option for you might be to sign up for the more expensive of the two monthly plans since you can cancel at any time.

Adobes All Apps plan includes the following apps: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe XD, Lightroom, Acrobat Pro, Animate, Dreamweaver, Premiere Pro, Premiere Rush, After Effects, Dimension, Audition, InCopy, Lightroom Classic, Media Encoder, Character Animator, Prelude, Fuse, Bridge, plus 100GB of cloud storage, Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark.

Plan: All apps UK US Annual plan paid monthly 51.98 $54.99 Annual plan paid upfront 596.33 $599.88 Monthly plan (cancel at any time) 78.98 $82.49 Buy it here

If you are buying for a business the pricing is different:

Plan: All apps UK US Businesses (per licence, ex VAT) 61.99 $ 79.99 Buy it here

How to buy Photoshop

Photoshop is arguably Adobes most famous app, or at least one of them. Indeed, the phrase to have Photoshopped something is a frequently used verb in this modern age of faked photos.

Adobes Photoshop software is primarily used for editing photos, allowing users to adapt colour and light, apply effects, remove objects, and refine the image.

If you want to buy the Adobe Photoshop permanently or temporarily there are a number of options. Two include Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, on desktop and iPad, and either 20GB or 1TB cloud storage. You can also buy Photoshop alone.

Option 1:

Plan: Photography Plan with 20GB cloud UK US Annual plan paid monthly 9.98 $9.99 Annual plan paid upfront 119.21 $119.88 Monthly plan (cancel at any time) 75.85 $79.49 Buy it here

Option 2:

Plan: Photography Plan with 1TB cloud UK US Annual plan paid monthly 19.97 $19.99 Annual plan paid upfront 238.42 $239.88 Monthly plan (cancel at any time) n/a n/a

Option 3:

Photoshop with 100GB of cloud storage UK US Annual plan paid monthly 19.97 $20.99 Annual plan paid upfront 238.42 $239.88 Monthly plan (cancel at any time) 30.34 $31.49

The best Adobe Photography Plan deals will appear below:

Retailer Price

If you want a cheaper option, we also have advice about the best Photoshop alternatives.

How to buy Lightroom

If you are a photographer then the Lightroom app may be of interest. Lightroom offers some image editing features and presets you can use to add filters to your photos, but it also offers organisation tools to help you store and locate your images.

Lightroom is available as part of the two Photography Plans detailed above, but if all you need is Lightroom then you can purchase the Lightroom Plan.

Lightroom with 1TB cloud UK US Annual plan paid monthly 9.98 $9.99 Annual plan paid upfront 119.21 $119.88 Monthly plan (cancel at any time) 75.85 $79.49 Buy it here

The best Adobe Lightroom deals will appear below:

How to buy Acrobat Pro DC

Acrobat is another Adobe app thats pretty well known. There are actually three Acrobat apps though, which can be a cause of confusion with people wondering whether they need to pay for Actobat, and even if they need to buy Adobe Creative Cloud to get Acrobat.

While we say there are three apps, thats not true for us Mac users. Adobe offers the free Acrobat Reader, Adobe Acrobat Standard DC and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. But Acrobat Standard DC is not available for Mac. (DC stands for Document Cloud, if you were wondering.)

If you are just looking for an app to allow you to read and fill in PDFs, then Adobe Reader should be enough (although you could use Apples Preview software to do exactly this). Read: How to edit a PDF on Mac.

If you need to create PDFs you could just create a document on your Mac and choose Print > PDF. But assuming that you need to create a PDF with a little more finesse, Acrobat Pro DC will offer you the features you need.

PC users get the Acrobat Standard DC version, which is cheaper than Acrobat Pro DC, but lacks some of the features. Both make it possible to create and edit a PDF, but you need the Pro version if you want to do things like convert scanned documents into searchable and editable PDFs, or add audio, video, and interactive objects. Acrobat Pro also works on iPad and iPhone.

Acrobat Reader is free and you can download it here.

If you need Acrobat Pro DC, heres how the pricing is structured:

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC UK US Annual plan paid monthly 15.17 $14.99 Annual plan paid upfront 181.10 $179.88 Monthly plan (cancel at any time) 25.28 $24.99 Buy it here

If it doesnt have to be Adobe there are plenty of alternative PDF apps available. Read Best free PDF editors for Mac.

How much do Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects cost?

Most of the other apps Adobe groups together under the Creative Cloud umbrella are available separately for a fixed price.

In addition to those weve mentioned above, you can get each of the following apps on either a monthly or an annual plan:

Illustrator

InDesign

Premiere Pro

After Effects

Dreamweaver

Animate

Audition

Prices start at 19.97 / $20.99 for the monthly plan if you sign up for the whole year.

Also read: How to get InDesign on a Mac.

Single Adobe apps with 100GB cloud UK US Annual plan paid monthly 19.97 $20.99 Annual plan paid upfront 238.42 $239.88 Monthly plan (cancel at any time) 30.34 $31.49 Buy it here

As we said above, if you dont want to sign up for a one-year contract, the best option is to choose the monthly plan that you can cancel at any time. Alternatively, if a week is all you need then the seven-day trial might be an option, details here.

Adobe also offers a few apps at a lower price, these include InCopy and Premiere Rush.

InCopy with 100GB cloud UK US Annual plan paid monthly 4.98 $4.99 Annual plan paid upfront 59.46 $59.88 Monthly plan (cancel at any time) 7.58 $7.49 Buy it here

If you hoping to get Premiere Pro for free you cant, but Premiere Rush might be able to do what you need  its offers basic features and functions. Alternatively, have a look at our round up of free and cheap Mac video editors.

Premiere Rush with 100GB cloud UK US Annual plan paid monthly 9.98 $9.99 Annual plan paid upfront 119.21 $119.88 Monthly plan (cancel at any time) n/a n/a Buy it here

There are also various Substance 3D options, that combine 3D and AR apps 3D Painter, Designer, Stager and Sampler in a bundle.

Substance 3D plans UK US Substance 3D Collection (paid monthly) 31.97 $39.99 Substance 3D Texturing (paid monthly) 15.97 $19.99 Buy it here

Plus you can get Adobes user experience design tool Adobe XD for 9.98 / $9.99 a month, and Adobe Spark for creating sociak graphics, videos and webpages for 10.10 / $9.99 a month. Buy them here.

Finally, you can also sign up for Adobe Stock, which is Adobes royalty-free image, graphics, 3D assets and video library.

Adobe Stock UK US Annual plan paid monthly 23.99 $29.99 Annual plan paid upfront 287.86 $359.88 Monthly plan (cancel at any time) 35.99 $49.99 Buy it here

How many computers can you use a licence on

Once you have subscribed you can install the software on two computers. So, if you have Photoshop in the office you are able to also have it on your computer at home.

What you cant do is run the software on both computers at the same time  but you can, at least, still be signed in on your work computer.

In fact, you can install the software on more than two computers, but if will only work on the third computer if you arent signed in on one of the others.

If you are unable to sign out of one of these computers you can go to the account management page and sign out there.

Where can I download the Adobe CC software?

Once you are subscribed to Adobe CC  or the individual apps, you will be able to download them from Adobes website here.

How to cancel Adobe Creative Cloud subscription

There is a 14 day period after purchasing your Creative Cloud subscription when you can cancel and be refunded.

As we explained above, if you are likely to want to cancel your subscription within a year then you would be wise to choose the monthly payment plan that doesnt mean you will be locked into a contract for a year. The price is more, but you wont have to pay Adobe anything to break the contract.

If you choose a monthly plan that is based on an annual contract then you may have to pay 50% of what you still have left to pay Adobe on cancellation of the contract. So, if you were to cancel after four months you would potentially have to pay half of what you would owe for the next eight months.

To cancel contact Adobe Customer Support here.

Black Friday 2022 deals

These were the deals for Black Friday 2022:

In the U.S. customers could save $120 on the usual annual price of $599.88 a year, paid up front.

Get deal: Adobe Creative Cloud For $479.88

In the U.K. customers could save 234.12 on the usual annual price of 596.33 a year, paid up front.

Get deal: Adobe Creative Cloud For 362.21

U.S. customers wishing to pay monthly could take advantage of the following deal until November 25:

Get deal: Individuals Pay $39.99 a month (was $54.99 a month)

U.K customers wishing to pay monthly could take advantage of the following deal until November 25:

Get deal: Individuals Pay 30.34 a month (was 51.98 a month)

If you are a student, Adobe already discounts the CC bundle, but at certain times of the year it offers even bigger discounts. For example prices were slashed for Back To School in August and Black Friday in November. More on these deals below.

U.S. Students and teachers could take advantage of the following deal until November 25:

Get deal: Students Pay $15.99 a month (was $29.99 a month)

U.K. Students and teachers could take advantage of the following deal until November 25:

Get deal: Students Pay 13.15 a month (was 24.96 a month)

There are have also been discounts for Business users:

In the U.S.:

Get deal: Businesses Pay $59.99 a month (was $84.99 a month, per license)

In the U.K.:

Get deal: Businesses Pay 42.14 a month (was 61.99 a month, per license)
LIVONIA, MICH.  Last Thursday Madonna Rising Star Business Students and their mentors celebrated the wrap -up of their semester-long mentoring relationship. The students and mentors had wonderful things to say about the value of the mentorship program. Most of the students met with their mentor more than just the required four times during the semester. The mentors, a few of whom are members of the Livonia Chamber of Commerce, said that they learned quite a bit from the students.

The project was the brainchild of School of Business Dean Tara Kane, and Phillips Endowed Chair of Leadership and Management Jacob Frimenko (at right top). The two received endorsement from the Livonia Chamber of Commerce, including President Dan West, (at right bottom) and Former Board Chair Cheryl Doelker, Jimmy John's franchisee.

Students from Madonna's BCA program video recorded the students and mentors' comments about the program for use in recruiting more participants for Fall Semester.

The students pictured below with their mentors include: Devin Romaniw and Doelker, Maci Best and Jeff Prough, Bobby Martin and Mark Lee, Abbey Powell and Ed Holinski, and Jake Bailey and Dan West.
An environmental group leading the opposition against a cryptocurrency mining operation in the Finger Lakes has a new target: U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

Seneca Lake Guardian is accusing Gillibrand, D-N.Y., of going "all-in" on cryptocurrency and questioned her commitment to the region because she has yet to reintroduce a bill that would designate the Finger Lakes as a national heritage area.

The basis of the criticism is Gillibrand's role in drafting a cryptocurrency regulation bill and a radio interview in 2022. Yvonne Taylor, vice president of Seneca Lake Guardian, said she called into Brian Lehrer's WNYC show when Gillibrand was a guest. She asked the senator to come visit the Finger Lakes region to "hear our concerns and see the issues for herself," Taylor recalled.

"It's now May 11, over a year later, and she hasn't come through with her word," Taylor said. "And, by the way, it seems like she's dropped that national heritage site effort because we haven't heard anything about it in years."

Gillibrand sponsored a bill to study whether to designate the Finger Lakes region as a national heritage area. The legislation was included in a larger natural resources management bill that was signed in 2019.

The feasibility study process is nearing completion, according to the National Park Service. The document has been submitted to leadership at the Department of the Interior for review and then will be sent to Congress.

Once the study is finished, congressional action is needed to designate the national heritage area.

Evan Lukaske, a spokesperson for Gillibrand, confirmed the senator, who has met with the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance, remains committed to the national heritage effort.

The main focus of Seneca Lake Guardian's criticism, though, is Gillibrand's position on cryptocurrency. The group panned the bill she introduced last year to regulate cryptocurrency as "a wish list for the Bitcoin bros."

Seneca Lake Guardian has been working to shut down Greenidge Generation's crypto mining operation at a power plant in Dresden, Yates County. Gillibrand is aware of concerns about the facility's operation and its potential environmental impact. She wrote a letter in 2021 urging the Environmental Protection Agency to increase oversight of the plant.

Speaking for Gillibrand, Lukaske said that the senator "was the very first elected official to call for the EPA to exercise its oversight powers over Greenidge's clean air permit" and explained that the cryptocurrency regulatory bill she introduced would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to "analyze energy consumption and the use of renewable energy in the digital asset industry."

But Taylor noted that Gillibrand has received political contributions from cryptocurrency executives, including Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, a crypto exchange. Gillibrand donated those funds after FTX's collapse.

"All of these actions are completely out of step with what New Yorkers have made abundantly clear: Bitcoin mining is a threat to our nation-leading climate law, to the environment and to local economies," Taylor said.

Regarding Taylor's request that Gillibrand visit the Finger Lakes region, Lukaske said the senator will be visiting all of New York's 62 counties this year.
The Schlagersterne festival is a two-day event being held at the Plaza de Toros (bullring) in Palma. It started on Wednesday and concludes today (Thursday). Attracting thousands of fans of 'Schlagermusik' from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, it is the latest event at the bullring to have residents up in arms about the noise.

It is not just the two days of the event itself. There have been the rehearsals plus the noise involved with setting up the festival. Using a decibel app, one resident has measured 79. The regulations, he says, state no higher than 30 with the windows open and 25 with them closed. Residents have spoken to a German journalist, who has explained that in the centre of Berlin, for example, this type of event couldn't be held. And yet there are thousands of visitors for one in Palma that causes considerable annoyance and a lack of sleep.

The local residents association was formed in 2007 precisely because of noisy events at the bullring. Despite this, they continue, the most notorious having been the concert for Spanish students in 2021. As well as the noise this generated, it was a cause of the massive Covid outbreak.

The residents suspect that the town hall is turning a blind eye because of the number of tourists arriving in the city and the economic benefit they will create.
LABUAN BAJO, IndonesiaThe Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) must take decisive and responsive action and be the master of its future on geopolitical issues concerning the region, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday as he urged the bloc to double its efforts when it comes to upholding international law.

Mr. Marcos made the call during the opening of the plenary session, a day after saying he would continue to push for the completion of the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea during the 42nd edition of the ASEAN Summit.

In order to harness the potential of our region, I believe that ASEAN must double its efforts especially in these following priority areas: first, ASEAN should uphold international law and the international rules based system which has underpinned the peace, security, stability, and prosperity of our region, said Mr. Marcos who is scheduled to return to Manila tonight (Thursday evening).

ASEAN AGENDA. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is welcomed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo during the opening of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia at Labuan Bajo in Indonesia. AFP

Meanwhile, the blocs nations said Wednesday they are deeply concerned about the violence ravaging Myanmar, and condemned a recent attack on a convoy of diplomats delivering humanitarian aid in the country.

Turmoil in junta-ruled Myanmar has dominated talks at this weeks summit in Indonesia, as the regional bloc faces criticism for its perceived inaction.

Mr. Marcos also introduced several recommendations to help the ASEAN achieve its shared regional aspirations and recognize the importance of inter-parliamentary cooperation in synergizing regional efforts towards tackling shared challenges.

Inter-parliamentary cooperation will synergize regional efforts towards tackling shared challenges such as climate change, transnational threats, and upholding a rules-based international order anchored in international law, the President said during his intervention with representatives from the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).

We thank the AIPA for continuing to support our vision for a rules-based, people-oriented, and people-centered ASEAN, he said.

During a bilateral meeting, the President and newly-appointed Laos Peoples Democratic Republic Prime Minister Sonexay Siphadone both agreed to work also with ASEAN leaders toward the collective benefit of the regional bloc.

We have 2,000 more or less Filipino nationals who are living in Lao and working in Lao PDR and we are very proud of the contributions that they have made, especially in the educational sector, Mr. Marcos said with the Lao PDR official.

During his intervention at the ASEAN Leaders Interface with the High-Level Task Force on the ASEAN Communitys post-2025 vision (HLTF-ACV), President Marcos pointed out the regional bloc must continue improving its efforts to advance its welfare.

The ASEAN of today must be better than the ASEAN of yesterday. For ASEAN to succeed, ASEAN must be the master of its future, the Philippine leader told the regional forum held at the Meruorah Convention Center in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

ASEAN leaders posing for a family photo: (from left) Mr. Marcos, Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailands Deputy Prime Minister Don Pramudwinai, Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Mr. Widodo, Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Bruneis Prime Minister Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodias President Hun Sen, Malaysias Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and East Timors Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak. AFP

The work of the High-Level Task Force requires sober deliberation of the potentials and the possibilities of the evolving regional and global architecture. It is imperative that we be decisive, it is imperative that we be responsive, Mr. Marcos stressed.

The President added ASEAN must show the world that we are able to respond effectively to geopolitical and geo economic challenges as a cohesive (force).

This can be done as an ASEAN Community by strengthening our Centrality, and actively reinforcing a global order anchored in international law, Mr. Marcos said, echoing a statement by Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo on Tuesday during the ASEAN ministers meeting.

Today, ASEAN faces a complex geopolitical environment which includes rivalries amongst great powers, climate change, and technological disruptions, amongst others. ASEAN itself is not immune to its own challenges, as we continue to navigate our differences in the region towards a general consensus of action, the President said.

Regionalism should mirror our collective interests, for our strength relies on our united voice, President Marcos remarked on the need to balance agility with stability and inclusivity.

As for the Philippines, the President said the country continues to underscore the need to strengthen our institutions, enhance existing ASEAN mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit, and streamline processes for ASEAN to better translate our Community-building efforts towards achieving concrete results.

As for Myanmar, ASEAN has led diplomatic attempts to resolve the festering crisis, but its efforts so far have failed to stem the bloodshed unleashed by a military coup in 2021.

We were deeply concerned with ongoing violence in Myanmar and urged the immediate cessation of all forms of violence and the use of force to create a conducive environment for the safe and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance and inclusive national dialogues, ASEAN leaders said in a statement.

The junta has ignored international criticism and refused to engage with its opponents, which include ousted lawmakers, anti-coup Peoples Defence Forces and armed ethnic minority groups.

An air strike on a village in a rebel stronghold last month that reportedly killed about 170 people sparked global condemnation and worsened the juntas isolation.

Pressure on the regional bloc increased Sunday after a convoy of vehicles carrying diplomats and officials coordinating ASEAN humanitarian relief in Myanmar came under fire.

Singapore and Indonesia said earlier that staff from their embassies in Myanmar were in the vehicles that came under fire in eastern Shan State but were unharmed.

We condemned the attack and underlined that the perpetrators must be held accountable, ASEAN leaders said in their statement.

Addressing the summit Wednesday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he was confident the 10-member bloc could deal with growing global challenges if its members were united.

With unity, ASEAN will be able to play a central role in bringing peace and growth, Widodo said through a translator as he opened the leaders session of the summit.

Foreign ministers and national leaders meeting on the Indonesian island of Flores are trying to kickstart a five-point plan agreed upon with Myanmar two years ago after mediation attempts to end the violence failed.

Myanmar remains an ASEAN member but has been barred from top-level summits due to the juntas failure to implement the peace plan.

Jakartas chairmanship of the bloc this year had raised hopes ASEAN could push for a peaceful solution, using its economic weight as well as its diplomatic experience.

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 a senior Indonesian minister said Tuesday that ASEAN was at a crossroad and risked becoming irrelevant if it failed to deal with Myanmar and other regional emergencies.

Indonesia was running out of time to achieve a breakthrough, said Lina Alexandra, an analyst at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta.

After the next leaders summit in September, Alexandra added, Indonesia will hand the blocs influential chairmanship to communist-ruled Laos, which could bring Myanmar back into the fold and allow the junta to attend ASEAN summits.

It is time for Indonesia to show that it can do what it should do, she said.

ASEANs charter principles of consensus and non-interference have hamstrung its ability to stop the violence in Myanmar, which critics say poses an existential threat to the bloc. With AFP

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Labuan Bajo, IndonesiaPresident Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked Indonesian President Joko Widodo to reexamine and reconsider the case of jailed overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Meruorah Hotel here.

I said, the best that we can do I suppose is for the Indonesian authorities to re-examine the case as a favor to the Philippines. Thats all we talked about. Not much more than that, President Marcos told the PH media delegation onboard the presidential bound to Manila when asked if he was able to discuss Velosos case with Widodo.

The President said he mentioned Velosos case when he was walking with Widodo to one of the events during the Summit amid the hectic schedule of his Indonesian counterpart, who hosted the gathering.

Mr. Marcos mentioned to Widodo that the Philippine government is working hard on Velosos case, as he emphasized that they respect Indonesias laws on illegal drug charges.

The President earlier said the Philippine government is not giving up on Veloso  who has been in Indonesias jails for 13 years or since 2010  as they are continuing asking for all legal remedies, including her pardon, commutation of her sentence, or even extradition to serve her sentence in the Philippines. Vince Lopez

But the Indonesian answered us that this is the law. This is the law here in Indonesia, so we have to implement it. And they have already given us a postponement but that doesnt mean its done, Marcos said at the Ayana Hotel in Labuan Bajo.

In September last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs asked Indonesia to pardon Veloso, who was arrested in Yogyakarta in 2010 after she allegedly brought a suitcase packed with more than 2.6 kilograms of heroin. She was sentenced to death in the same year, which has been deferred twice.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
BACK FROM LABUAN BAJO. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. salutes the troops at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on May 11 as he returned from a successful participation in the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. Alfred Frias

Labuan Bajo, IndonesiaThe Association of Southeast Asian Nations Leaders Summit ended with a consensus among nine member-states to engage all stakeholders to end the bloodshed in Myanmar, including junta leaders who were previously barred from attending ASEAN high-level meetings.

In his 25-page chairmans statement, Indonesian President Joko Widodo also renewed the blocs commitment to work for the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea.

We welcomed ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and China and were encouraged by the progress of the substantive negotiations towards the early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC consistent with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, within a mutually agreed timeline, Widodo said in his chairmans statement.

We emphasized the importance of self-restraint in the conduct of activities by claimants and all other states that could further complicate the situation and escalate tensions in the South China Sea.

In his intervention at the 42nd ASEAN Summit Retreat Session Thursday morning, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said all stakeholders must ensure that the South China Sea does not become a nexus for armed conflict.

We must avoid the ascendance of might and the aggressive revision of the international order. In an increasingly volatile world, we require constraints on power contained by the force of the rule of law, he said.

In his arrival statement in Manila yesterday evening, Mr. Marcos said he reaffirmed the Philippines commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes and advocated for a rules-based maritime order anchored on the 1982 UNCLOS.

Beijing claims almost the entire sea while four ASEAN countries  the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei  have overlapping claims to part of it.

Widodo insisted ASEAN members must remain united in resolving the crisis or risk the break up of the bloc.

There cannot be a party within or outside ASEAN that can benefit from internal strife in Myanmar. The violence must end, he told reporters through a translator.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said it was time to review the non-interference principle to give ASEAN the ability to deal with challenges such as the Myanmar crisis that have regional implications.

Mr. Marcos said the recalibrated approach will see ASEAN trying to engage Myanmar at every level and to all the political factions that are active and are involved in that crisis situation.

We came to this conclusion simply because  we have laid out the Five-Point Consensus and we put it forward to Myanmar, but it has been two years and there has been no movement. We decided we must try and do it in another way, he said.

And there are many members who have experience in these long ongoing political negotiations and the advice is to engage everyone equally, and that is what we intend to do, Mr. Marcos added.

Since the Myanmar military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyis government in 2021 it has overseen a bloody crackdown on dissent that has killed thousands of people.

ASEAN has spearheaded diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis, but its mostly fruitless attempts to enact a five-point plan agreed upon with Myanmar two years ago have fueled warnings the regional bloc risks irrelevance.

In other developments:

ASEAN vowed tougher action on human trafficking as criminals increasingly use social media and other online platforms to recruit and exploit victims.

President Marcos and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh have agreed to elevate their countries cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, tourism, agriculture, and defense and security.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim invited President Marcos to visit his country to push for more trade between them, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has said.

Speaker Romualdez said the 43rd ASEAN Summit would benefit the Filipino people in terms of more trade, investments, and livelihood opportunities. With Maricel V. Cruz and AFP

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Baja Auto has launched the made-in-India Dominar 400 and Dominar 250 motorcycles in Malaysia at the 2023 Malaysia Autoshow. While these are India-made motorcycles, the Dominar range is sold in Malaysia under a different brand name and are called the Modenas Dominar 400 and Modenas Dominar 250 respectively. Modenas is Bajaj Autos partner in Malaysia and the two companies have had a partnership for a couple of years now.

The tie-up not only includes retailing Bajaj motorcycles in Malaysia but also exchanging technology between the two-wheeler makers. Bajaj exports the Dominar 400 and 250 from its facility in India to Malaysia as Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits, which are then locally assembled at Modenas facility in the South East Asian country.

Also Read : Bajaj Auto reports domestic sales increase of 47% in March'23

The Modenas Dominar 250 does not get the accessories but retains the same mechanical components seen on the India-spec model

Barring the new brand name, the Dominar 400 and 250 for Malaysia remain the same models that are sold in India. That said, the Modenas Dominar 400 does get some factory-fitted touring accessories including a tall visor, pillion backrest, hand guard, USB charging and a luggage carrier. The engine gets a bash plate along with an integrated metal skid plate, a new leg guard and saddle stays.

Power on the Dominar 400 comes from the familiar 373.3 cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine tuned for 39 bhp at 8,650 rpm and 35 Nm of peak torque at 7,000 rpm. Meanwhile, the Dominar 250 utilises the 250 cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor tuned for 27 bhp at 8,500 rpm and 23.5 Nm of peak torque at 6,500 rpm. Both bikes get dual-channel ABS as standard, while the rest of the hardware has been carried over as well.

Colour options on the Modenas Dominar 400 include Savanna Green and Charcoal Black, while the Dominar 250 is available in red and black colours. Prices for the Dominar 400 in Malaysia start at 15,797 Ringgit (approx. 2.90 lakh), while the more affordable Dominar 250 is priced at 13,797 Ringgit (approx. 2.53 lakh).

First Published Date:
Iqama holders exempt from entry ban sparked by labor row

The Kuwaiti government has imposed an entry ban on all Filipinos, except those with an iqama or residence permit, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

DFA Assistant Secretary Paul Cortes, in an interview with CNN Philippines, said the ban took effect on May 10 and covers Filipinos, even those issued with visas, who are entering the Gulf state.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., upon his return from the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia last night, did not answer questions on this issue, nor has the Presidential Communications Office released a statement on it as of press time.

Filipinos already on their way to Kuwait have been kept from boarding their flights following the countrys suspension of their visas, GMA News TV reported last night.

According to a report on 24 Oras, a Filipina skilled worker already in Dubai was no longer allowed to take her connecting flight to Kuwait. Her recruitment agency officer in the Philippines said the worker was being asked for a civil ID, which is only issued after completing a medical examination in Kuwait.

Recruitment agencies are asking for help from the Department of Migrant Workers, which had yet to comment as of press time, because many OFWs who have completed their requirements would be affected.

According to our Philippine Embassy in Kuwait, all those new entry visas in Kuwait from the Philippines are not allowed to enter but those with residence visa or what you call iqama are allowed to enter, Cortes said.

The way it is written by the Kuwait Civil Aviation, it says all visas, so it may be tourist, it may be student, it may be business, as long as new entry, they will not be allowed entry, but those who have their residence IDs may do so, he added.

Cortes declined to comment on Kuwaiti media reports that the decision was based on the Philippines alleged non-compliance with its bilateral labor agreement with the Gulf state.

He said Kuwait has yet to officially inform Manila of the reason behind the suspension.

The envoy, however, emphasized Manila is committed to resolving the issue in an amicable manner.

In the case of Kuwait, we cannot deny that there are very, very friendly relations plus very strong people-to-people links, he said.

Were confident that we will be able to find a mutually satisfactory solution to whatever issues we feel need to be discussed with Kuwait.

Cortes said the DFA is waiting for official talks to start with the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to discuss the coverage of the ban.

Our ambassador there is liaising and coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make sure that nothing is lost in translation, he said.

One, what kind of ban will this be? What type of cessation of visa is it? Number two, what are its limits and who are those covered? Number three, why? So, all that will be threshed out with our discussion with the MOFA.

At least 290,000 Filipinos live and work in Kuwait.

The Philippines Department of Migrant Workers earlier implemented a deployment ban in February for newly hired or first-time domestic workers in Kuwait following the murder of Jullebee Ranara.

The country last imposed a total deployment ban to Kuwait in 2018 after OFW Joanna Demafelis was slain and discovered inside a freezer at an abandoned apartment there.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
The convergence of common interests and shared experiences now compel (the Philippines and the United States) to become even closer allies and partners in a rapidly changing regional and global landscape

In a previous column, we pointed out that the meeting on May 1 between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and US President Joe Biden in the White House was significant as it marked the resumption of warm bilateral relations between the two countries.

This came after the previous administration kept the Americans at arms length while cozying up to China for expected investments that came mostly in trickles.

Now, with Washington eager to enhance cooperation in the economic and defense spheres, as well as in renewable energy and climate change mitigation efforts, theres ample reason to believe that bilateral ties are likely to get closer in the coming five years, and perhaps even beyond.

Over-all bilateral relations

The United States and the Philippines have significantly strengthened their alliance, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described it.

He pointed out how the two countries have launched new initiatives together to create economic opportunities for Americans and Filipinos.

He cited, for instance, how trade between the two nations hit a new record with more than $25 billion.

Working with their Filipino counterparts, US officials, Blinken said, had taken steps to modernize security alliances so that our forces can work even closer together despite natural disasters.

For his part, House Speaker Martin Romualdez said the Marcos visit managed to strengthen security and economic cooperation and long-standing ties between the two nations.

This, he said, would give momentum to sustain the countrys economic growth and help establish the Philippines as a hub for investments and as a regional supply chain hub that would generate more jobs and business opportunities for Filipinos.

Economic cooperation

The Marcos visit yielded some $1.3 billion in investment pledges from various American companies that could generate over 6,700 local jobs.

The new US investments cover a broad range of industries, such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, clean energy, health care, business process management, electric vehicle industries and digital infrastructure.

The two countries also agreed to create a minister-level team on agricultural cooperation as the Marcos administration ramps up efforts to attain food security.

The goal is to strengthen research and development in the agricultural sector.

At the same time, the US Agency for International Development seeks to boost its infrastructure development aid to the Philippines by leveraging over $3 billion in public and private financing to support the construction of high-quality railways, ports, and transport systems.

The funds will also strengthen the Philippines critical mineral supply chains, advance smart grid technologies and clean energy solutions, promote secure 5G deployment, strengthen airport security and maritime safety, and support healthcare infrastructure across the Philippines.

Defense

The US is taking concrete steps to show its resolve to help the Philippines defend its territory in the South China Sea by providing military vessels and aircraft to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to help in its modernization.

These include two Island-class patrol vessels, two Protector-class patrol vessels, and three C-130H transport aircraft.

These are on top of the two Cyclone-class patrol vessels transferred to the Philippines in late March and are on their way to Manila.

The Philippines and the US have also adopted Bilateral Defense Guidelines that would spell out priorities for interoperability systems in land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.

Energy

The two countries have also committed to expand collaboration on renewable energy production and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in response to the threat of a climate crisis, since the Philippines is vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

The United States and the Philippines will also pursue an ambitious program of cooperation on wind, solar, and geothermal energy, while enhancing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Meanwhile, a nuclear power firm has expressed interest to invest in the Philippines.

Oregon-based NuScale Power Corp is planning to conduct a study to pinpoint a site in the Philippines.

The firm has developed small modular reactor technology (SMR), described as safe, modular, and scalable.

This technology is the first and only one of its kind to receive design approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

NuScale is expected to invest $6.5 billion to $7.5 billion in the Philippines to provide 430 megawatts of power by 2031.

Education

The US government has also committed to provide $70 million for exchange program opportunities for over 2,000 Filipinos in the next 10 years, according to the White House.

Among the fellowship and scholarship opportunities that will benefit from the expansion are the Fulbright program and other bilateral exchange programs with the Philippines.

Both governments plan to establish the Philippines-US Friendship Fellowship, which will provide Filipino students and young professionals with opportunities to pursue further schooling in the United States.

The Philippines and the United States have gone through good times and bad times in equal measure through the decades.

But the convergence of common interests and shared experiences now compel them to become even closer allies and partners in a rapidly changing regional and global landscape.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
The ICC has no authority issuing a warrant of arrest against anybody in the Philippines, Duterte included.

Russias on-going war against Ukraine, now way past its second year, is not only in violation of international law, but has also made its President, the ruthless Vladimir Putin, a global villain, except perhaps in the eyes of most Russians who apparently still support and believe in his leadership.

Putins international notoriety is best manifested by the warrant for his arrest recently issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The warrant for Putins arrest was issued on account of his controversial order to take away Ukrainian children inside Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories and bring the minors to Russia, supposedly to be adopted by Russian families.

Putin claims the children were abandoned in a war zone and his measure is supposedly aimed at protecting them from possible harm in the course of hostilities.

Ukraine maintains otherwise, and asserts the children were kidnapped to sow terror among the Ukrainian people.

Apparently annoyed by the intense international public opinion the alleged mass juvenile kidnapping is attracting attention.

Putin has recently announced he will return the children of Ukrainian couples who formally request him in writing for their repatriation.

Whether or not Putin will live up to his promise is something to be seen.

At any rate, Putins suspected mass kidnapping of Ukrainian children is so reprehensible the ICC issued the warrant for Putins arrest.

According to the ICC, the warrant of arrest will be enforced against Putin once he steps into the territory of a country that is a signatory to the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC.

That, of course, is easier said than done.

Russia has responded with a terse statement consisting of two parts.

First, Russia is not a signatory to the Rome Statute and, accordingly, the ICC has no jurisdiction over Russia. Therefore, the ICC has no authority to effect Putins arrest.

Second, any country that enforces the warrant of arrest against Putin will trigger a retaliation from the Russian military, with a hint at the use of Russias nuclear arsenal, particularly its long range ballistic missiles.

In short, Russia will not hesitate to go to war, a nuclear war even, in the event that its dictator is arrested outside of Russian territory.

Based on the foregoing, it is obvious the ICC has no jurisdiction over Russia and its dictator.

It has overstepped its bounds, and has unilaterally assumed it is the policeman of the world.

The ICCs warrant for the arrest of Putin, therefore, is absolutely baseless, and only provokes a global war, likely nuclear in character, which the world cannot afford.

It will be recalled that during his term, President Rodrigo Duterte launched a relentless war against illegal drugs in the Philippines.

Dutertes war on narcotics forced many government officials to surrender and undergo drug rehabilitation, including Quezon City councilor Hero Bautista.

His anti-narcotics campaign neutralized the local drug syndicates, and the Philippines was saved from becoming a narco-state.

Perhaps, Duterte could have completely eradicated the drug menace, had it not been for the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic that drained the governments resources.

Anyway, as expected in any campaign against powerful drug syndicates, quite a number of casualties and injuries were registered.

Eventually, President Dutertes political enemies from the much-despised Liberal Party and their allies who sympathize with the local communists initiated a complaint against him with the ICC.

They claimed Dutertes war on drugs violated human rights.

The confederate they hired as their complaining witness eventually withdrew from the case, and admitted he had been hired for the sole purpose of discrediting Duterte.

Although the Philippines was a signatory to the Rome Statute, Manila has effectively withdrawn from the treaty. The Supreme Court dismissed a petition questioning the legality of the withdrawal.

In short, the ICC has no jurisdiction over Filipino nationals, Duterte included.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla himself affirms this view. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agrees with Remulla.

Recently, Dutertes enemies, including detained ex-Senator Leila de Lima and some radical party-representatives in Congress, want the the ICC to issue a warrant for his arrest, in duplication of the warrant issued against Putin.

Obviously, they are delirious, or its just a case of wishful thinking on their part.

The ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, like Russia.

Therefore, the ICC has no authority issuing a warrant of arrest against anybody in the Philippines, Duterte included.

As Secretary Remulla repeatedly points out, to allow the ICC to operate in the Philippines is an affront to Philippine sovereignty.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
MANISTEE  The city of Manistee's 2023-24 budget, approved by Manistee City Council last week, includes a notable change to planning and zoning.

The budget calls for a full-time community development position that would also handle planning and zoning, which is currently contracted out to Manistee County at an annual cost of $75,770.

Katie Mehl serves as planning and zoning administrator for the city.

According to the budget, the county stated it would like to revisit the contract as it feels many of the tasks being done are not in the agreed scope of work. A revised contract including all the tasks the county is currently performing could cost up to $110,000 annually.

The budget states the position could be moved in house for between $95,000 and $108,000.

Manistee Planning Commission members voiced concerns over moving planning and zoning in house during their May 4 meeting.

"With all the new things coming into town and all the structure changes and everything else, to start with a whole new person who's not from here, doesn't know what we've been doing and stuff  that's a big step for someone coming in," said Marlene McBride, planning commissioner.

Mark Wittlief, planning commission chair, encouraged the commission members to share their concerns with Bill Gambill, city manager.

"Both Bob (Slawinski, commission vice chair) and I expressed our opinion to Bill one night, strongly suggesting that we keep everything the way it is. Everything's working," Wittlief said. "We have a great working relationship. (The county has) the infrastructure, and my fear with the city is that person will not have any help.

"... If this thing flies we will definitely take many, many steps back. It's not going to be fun."

The city's five-year contract with the county expires Sept. 30.

Gambill previously discussed the possibility of moving planning and zoning in house during city council's April work session.

"There have been various times when we've heard 'that's not in the contract' and those types of things, and we kind of see (the potential for) some additional control with it being in house," he said. "I think Katie's done a great job, but I think we've had an initial quote (from the county) of $100,000 to $110,000. I think having that in house again could lead to other possibilities for going after (Michigan State Housing Development Authority) funding, maybe growing a department, maybe having rental under a community development department  it leads to more possibilities."

Lynda Beaton, council member, said it would be imperative to make sure whoever was in that position had adequate support if planning and zoning moved in house.

"I've been here a while and I remember when (former planning and zoning director) Denise (Blakeslee) was here. She handled everything without staff help and I'm thinking that currently now all of the zoning people are located at one place and they have admin help in that building," Beaton said.

"I'm just trying to envision how that's going to work, and I don't want to hamstring somebody by giving them this new title and new job without any admin help. That's my concern with this position."

Ed Bradford, city chief financial officer, said administrative help would be provided "through a variety of different ways."

"Bill mentioned restructuring a little bit downstairs in the clerk and treasurer's department. Some of the city manager's office possibly can do some of that, and spreading some of that around a little bit to again make sure the person in this position is set up for success," Bradford said. "... There will be a learning curve with whoever we bring in this position if it goes in that direction, but I don't think the administration is going to let that position fail for a lack of administrative support."

Heather Pefley, city clerk, stated she would welcome having the position back in house.

"It's nice to be able to bounce ideas, to be able to run upstairs when you need something or have them come down. It's nice to have that person here that you're able to work with when we have projects come up, when there's something with an ordinance or anything like that," Pefley said. "... Katie's been great to work with, but it is nice to have it here. And also for me as the clerk with document retention, I like having that stuff here to know that everything is here and being maintained here at city hall."
Its over.

The World Health Organization recently announced the COVID-19 public health emergency will end today  1,197 days after it began.

During the pandemic that lasted three years, three months and 11 days, 3.1 million Michigan residents contracted the coronavirus, with 42,811 related deaths.

Manistee County has seen 4,921 COVID-19 cases and 109 deaths since its first case in March 2020 and Mason County has recorded 8,479 total cases with 120 deaths, according to numbers recorded by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Mecosta County reported its first case March 25, 2020. Since then, 10,418 residents contracted the virus, with related 129 deaths. Osceola County had 6,064 cases with 100 deaths, Lake County had 2,509 cases with 42 deaths, and Newaygo County having 13,865 cases with 185 deaths.

Schools closed, then reopened, only to close again periodically due to outbreaks. Businesses closed. Some would reopen, but others stayed closed for good. People wore masks; some burned masks in protest.

Now, the World Health Organization has downgraded the pandemic, stating it no longer qualifies as a global emergency. But what does that mean for west Michigan residents?

What it doesn't mean

Just because the public health emergency is over, doesnt mean that COVID-19 is gone for good, according to Kevin Hughes, District Health Department #10 health officer.

As of Thursday, COVID doesnt suddenly disappear, he said. COVID is still out there. Were still having people that are being infected. Were still having people that are dying from COVID.

Hughes said people who are at risk should still take precautions.

I think its going to be important that those individuals that are at risk for COVID infections  and maybe at risk to have more of a negative outcome if they do become infected  they need to make sure that theyre still taking precautions, the most important one being to get vaccinated, if theyre able to do that, he said.

Keeping tabs on COVID-19 will be more difficult, too.

There is no federal requirement for disease tracking of COVID-19, so information of new subvariants and outbreaks may be harder to identify, said Andrea Leslie, Corewell Health hospitals president for Big Rapids, Reed City, Greenville and Lakeview.

What it means: Coverage

Leslie said the biggest impact to residents will be their pocketbook.

Things that were free during the pandemic, including COVID vaccines, at-home COVID tests and COVID treatments, will now be a cost to individuals, she said.

In addition, the 355,000 residents added to Medicaid and the 367,000 in the Healthy Michigan Plan during the pandemic may no longer be eligible.

States had to stop reviewing the eligibility of existing Medicaid beneficiaries on an annual basis for nearly all Medicaid enrollees, while new beneficiaries continued to be added to state Medicaid plans, Leslie said.

This requirement, known as the Maintenance of Eligibility, was authorized through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in March 2020 and extended through the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021.

This change will likely mean a number of people will no longer be eligible for Medicaid, leaving some without health insurance coverage.

According to a news release from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive said the department plans to continue to provide resources to "help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, including access to free testing and vaccines."

Based on changes being made at the federal level, there will be updates made to data reporting and other requirements our state has been following for the past three years," Bagdasarian said.

The department plans to continue supporting free over-the-counter test distribution through the Michigan library program.

"Tests shipped direct to households via Project Act will be supported until at least June 2023. MDHHS will also support distribution of COVID-19 antigen tests to high-risk settings including long-term care, shelters, jails and schools," the release states.

Free COVID-19 testing will also continue at neighborhood and community testing locations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also continuing free COVID-19 testing at some locations.

"No-cost coverage for testing will continue for Michigan residents with Medicaid through Sept. 30, 2024, however other insurers may require cost-sharing. Individuals should contact their insurer for more information," the release states in part.

The release notes that COVID-19 vaccines will "eventually move to the commercial market, however, as the federal supply persists there will be no changes or cost associated with receiving a COVID-19 vaccine."

The shift to commercial vaccine is projected to occur this fall.

What it means: Services

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, local health departments had to shut down its non-COVID-19 services to deal with the crisis.

In some respects, local public health has been underfunded, so it made it difficult for us to be prepared to respond appropriately to a pandemic of that degree, with all of the case investigation and contact tracing that was required as part of each infection, Hughes said. When you have limited resources to put towards that, it makes it very difficult to accomplish what your goals are.

With the public health emergency over, the challenge now is to try to get those services that we did have to stop, or that we had to significantly limit, getting those back up and going, Hughes said.

According to the state health department news release, residents can find the nearest vaccine availability visiting vaccines.gov or calling the COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136.

"MDHHS will continue to support vaccination for homebound populations through collaboration with Disability Rights of Michigan," the release reads.

Authorized COVID-19 therapeutics will also continue to be available.

"The federal government has purchased a supply of antiviral treatments that will be available at no cost. After that supply is depleted, costs will depend largely on the type of health insurance an individual has available. No-cost coverage will continue for Michigan residents with Medicaid through Sept. 30, 2024," the MDHHS release states.

Mental health

While COVID-19 became a catalyst of innovation, the negative effects of the pandemic still linger.

Many of our team members are still recovering from the trauma they experienced from the pandemic, Leslie said. While the rest of the community stayed home, our teams came to work every day to stand ready to provide care.

During that time, staff saw an increase in patients and deaths.

Nothing is worse than the loss of life, and our teams experienced far too many lives lost, which is difficult for our caregivers, Leslie said. The burden of all the additional patients in our health care system strained us, both from a staffing perspective and a bed perspective.

Staff also saw an increase in workplace violence.

Our team members have endured both verbal and physical aggression by patients and their families while trying to provide care, Leslie said. They went from being health care heroes to being seen as political for their need to wear masks and become vaccinated in the workplace, which wearing masks and requiring vaccines is something weve done for many years to protect our team members from illness.

Leslie said there has been an increase in patients with mental health issues.

We see the impact not only in our workplace violence, but also in the need for more mental health services in our community.

Staff turnover

Throughout the pandemic, the health care industry nationwide has seen an increase in staff turnover.

Leslie said while they too saw higher turnover than normal, staffing has been fairly stable.

"But were still not where we need to be due to our higher than normal volumes of patients we continue to see," she said.

For Leslie, the biggest staffing concern is in the future.

"Our employee workforce is aging, and we need to see more kids choose health care as a career," Leslie said. "Certainly, there is a need for doctors and nurses, but also for roles in our laboratories, diagnostic imaging, medical assistants and social workers, just to name a few."
Beijing (Gasgoo)- In April 2023, Chinese automaker Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. (Changan Automobile) posted a double-digit year-on-year surge in monthly sales.

In the fourth month of 2023, Changan Automobile sold 181,980 vehicles in total, representing a 57.23% surge over a year ago. Among the vehicles sold last month, 22,496 units were new energy vehicles (NEVs) under Changan Automobile's wholly-owned brands, shooting up 111.77% year on year.

In the first four months of this year, Changan Automobiles cumulative sales volume amounted to 789,788 vehicles, edging up 2.94% from a year ago. Cumulative sales of the automakers wholly-owned brands summed up to 671,940 units, climbing 7.99% over the prior-year period. Among the wholly-owned brands vehicles sold in the Jan.-Apr. period, 76,922 units were sold in overseas markets to reflect a 16.71% increase from the same period in 2022.

UNI-V; photo credit: Changan Auto

In addition, sales of passenger vehicles under Changan Automobiles self-owned brands amounted to 508,275 units in the Jan.-Apr. period, jumping 19.2% from the earlier year.

As to the two joint ventures, Changan Ford and Changan Mazda, a respective 16.51% and 12.77% year-over-year growth were achieved in the two companies April sales, which stood at 14,002 units and 3,982 units successively.
The formal end of the national Public Health Emergency on Thursday is largely a symbolic and psychological step, representing the countrys formal emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic.

But behind the scenes, several core aspects of Americas pandemic-era emergency safety net are also coming to a close, from extra food assistance to automatic re-enrollment in Medicaid. While these measures were always designed to be temporary, their expiration is inevitably producing hardship and confusion.

People are starting to get their jobs back, but its still not all the way back and everything is more expensive than before the pandemic, said Radha Muthiah, president of the Capital Area Food Bank. The people we serve always seem to be playing catch-up.

Safety net programs gave Americans a lifeline during the height of the pandemic. The child tax credit was increased,unemployment benefits and food assistance were expanded, and a federal moratorium on eviction kept people in their homes even if they were unable to pay rent.

The Census Bureau reported last year that COVID relief efforts and others sharply reduced childhood poverty. But these programs have now expired.

The impact is being felt.

Perhaps the fastest shock to the system has come in the SNAP program, the monthly food-assistance vehicle commonly known as food stamps. During the pandemic, all SNAP recipients had their benefits boosted though an Emergency Allotment program. The duration of those extra payments was originally tied directly to the duration of the public health emergency, but that was changed in December 2022 and the final pandemic-boosted SNAP payments went out at the end of February.

The average family started receiving about $90 less per month in March, although some households dropped by up to $250, according to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

On the ground, the impact has been immediate. Muthiah said her organization distributed 13% percent more fruits, vegetables, meat and canned goods in March, the month after the extra SNAP benefits expired. In times of financial hardship, she said many families in need prioritize non-negotiable items like rent or gas while turning to charities to fill the holes in their food budgets.

Were seeing a cumulative effect of things being rolled back, said Muthiah, who estimated that 300,000 families in her food banks service area have been impacted.

In many cases, the end of the extra SNAP assistance has led to confusion and frustration. Allison Miles-Lee, an attorney with the D.C. charity Bread for the City, said there has been a spike in demand for legal services as SNAP recipients struggle to understand how their new  theoretically back to normal  monthly payment was decided. In many cases, the amounts are based on sometimes obsolete information on family size, income or number of dependents.

A lot of people just didnt report or update their information for three years, Miles-Lee said. Now theyre panicked and just sort of flying blind.

Tina Robinson is one of those confused SNAP recipients. The 49-year-old D.C. resident used to receive $100 per month through SNAP. During the pandemic that rose to $200 per month. But starting in March, her SNAP benefits abruptly dropped to $6 and she doesnt know why.

What exactly can you buy with $6, Robinson asked as she waited in line for free groceries Wednesday morning at Bread for the Citys charity food pantry. Thats almost worse than sending me zero, because it probably took $20 worth of government employee time to get that $6 to me.

Robinson said she has tried to get some clarity by calling the D.C. Department of Human Services. I called many times. They dont answer their phones, she said.

Robinson says she never received the letter notifying her of the impending benefits reduction. But even those who saw the drop coming are having a hard time getting by without that pandemic-era boost.

Helena Smith, a 63-year-old retiree, says she did receive her letter and knew that her benefits would drop by more than $100. That difference in her food budget was enough to bring her back to the local food pantry.

It really did help a lot during the pandemic and Im grateful for it, Smith said. I knew it couldnt last forever, but it was a lot to lose all at once.

A similar, slower moving, process is happening with Medicaid, as dozens of states begin a review process that will remove as many as 14 million people from the health care program.

Before the pandemic, people would regularly lose their Medicaid coverage if they started making too much money to qualify for the program, gained health care coverage through their employer or moved to a new state. But the federal government prohibited states from kicking people off Medicaid during the pandemic, even if they were no longer eligible. That action, known as the Continuous Enrollment Provision, was also originally tied directly to the public health emergency. But like the extra SNAP payments, that was modified in December 2022 and the deadline changed to March 31.

Now dozens of states are launching reviews of their Medicaid recipients and removing those deemed ineligible. The process could take up to a year to complete, although some states are moving faster than others; Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma and West Virginia are among the states aiming to begin removing ineligible Medicaid recipients as early as this month.

Jennifer Wagner, director of Medicaid eligibility with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the process is already being marked by confusion and miscommunication. Many states are notifying recipients by mail that they need to reapply for Medicaid when other forms of communication such as text messages are generally considered more reliable. And even when the mail messages make it into the correct hands, it doesnt necessarily clarify the situation.

Were seeing some pretty confusing notices out there, said Wagner, who noted that one state is requiring recipients to fill out a 46-page form.

Whats worse, Wagner said, is that many states are counting on the same overtaxed safety net agencies to handle both Medicaid and SNAP-related questions  creating administrative bottlenecks and massive wait times at call centers.

Chaos at the state level is a virtual inevitability, Wagner said. There are tremendous staffing shortages. These state agencies were already understaffed.
For the fourth year, Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience will return to Bostons Franklin Park Zoo where it will illuminate the zoo for almost three months with light displays, including all-new ones, made up of hundreds of large-scale lanterns.

The lantern experience starts on Friday, Aug. 4 and continues until Sunday, Oct. 29 and spans the 72-aces of the zoo, according to Zoo New England  which manages The Franklin Park Zoo  in an announcement on Thursday. The lantern experience is open from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. between those dates.

Zoo New England said that this summers presentation will be unlike anything guests have seen before with Instagrammable moments at every turn.

Discover an icy mythical land featuring an ice-breathing dragon and more fantastical creatures before you journey to ancient Egypt where you will discover pyramids, a 13-foot sphinx and incredible wildlife who have called this part of the world home, Zoo New England said of the displays.

Additionally, guests to the lantern lights can explore the coral reef through an underwater adventure featuring marine life from Down Under, and experience the rich cultural heritage of China through traditional lantern scenes including a 197-foot-long display featuring pagodas, cranes, lotuses and flowers, as well as an 82-foot-long walk through dragon tunnel, Zoo New England said.

Boston Lights is also meant to shine a light on the importance of biodiversity conservation, Zoo New England added  with visitors having the chance to learn more about the zoos commitment to conservation and ways they can participate in wildlife and habitat preservation.

Read more: Meet the first African penguin chick hatched at the New England Aquarium in years

All lanterns in the display are illuminated with energy saving LED lights, Zoo New England said.

To see the lantern lights full schedule and ticket prices, visit the Franklin Park Zoos website, with earlier purchases saving more and which are also recommended for guests to secure tickets for the day and time of their choosing, Zoo New England said.

Online advance ticket purchases are required to visit Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience.

Zoo New England partnered with Tianyu Arts and Culture to bring the lantern experience to the Boston zoo.

You can watch a video from Zoo New England of the all-new lantern and light displays below or by clicking here to watch on YouTube.
They wont be stationed at Barnes Air National Guard Base for another three years, but viewers can catch a glimpse of the U.S. Air Forces new F-35A Lightning II attack fighters before they arrive for duty as part of this weekends Westfield International Air Show.

The popular airshow, stalled during the pandemic, returns to Barnes Air National Guard Base on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Col. David Moon Halasi-Kun, 104th Fighter Wing commander noted its good to be back.

We tried to do the air show back in 2019 and 2020, right at the height of the pandemic. We had to close our gates. We had to batten down the hatches. We were deployed in our local communities responding to the pandemic. Our medical professionals were busy setting up clinics. Weve got everybody back on base and we are ready to throw open the doors. I cant wait to let the communities come in and see all of the excellent things the thousands of Barnestomers here at the 104th do, he said.

As long as the ceilings are high and we have a nice cloud backdrop, youre going to be able to see the F-35 go through the full litany of maneuvers its capable of doing. Its going to knock your socks off, he added.

Other high-flying aeronautics at the show include performances by the Ace Maker, American Power Museum, Aftershock Jet Truck, Placid Lassie, Liberty Jump Team, Jason Flood piloting a modified Pitts S1, Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation, P-51 Mustang Bald Eagle, U.S. Coast Guard HC-144, A-10C Thunderbolt II, CH-53E U.S. Marine Corps helicopter and more.

In addition to all the action overhead, visitors can walk up to static aircraft including the KC-46A Pegasus, C-47, P-40, T-38, F-16, EA-18 Growler, AH-64D Apache Helicopter, Lakota Helicopter, C-130 and many others including army trucks and Humvees.

Maj. Kevin Sajak Donovan, 104th Fighter Wing operations director of the Westfield International Air Show, said its important to continue to welcome the public onto the base.

Every time I go out into the community Im being told, Thank you for your service. Theres just so much appreciation from the community and this is our way to welcome them into our home and say, Thank you for your support. This is what we do on a daily basis, day in and day out, to keep everybody safe in this country, he said.

Donovan noted people should plan for increased traffic in the morning, and that guests should bring things such as their own chairs, snacks, water, hearing protection, and sunscreen.

While the show is free, parking for the event is limited, with standard parking passes beginning at $20 with VIP parking passes available at $50 allowing for closer parking to the event.

Special tickets at $180 are also available online for the Eagles Nest Chalet, which offers an exclusive lounge and private seating with front-row access to view the staging area. The Chalet ticket also includes breakfast, a private bar including complimentary beer and wine from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., lunch buffet, afternoon snacks and more, including a VIP parking pass. There are also Childrens Eagle Nest Chalet tickets for $95. Both chalets are sold out for Saturday.

For full parking information, including handicapped parking, visit westfieldairshow.org.

Parking opens at 7 a.m.

Anyone planning on attending should consider heeding advice on the event website, which states: We are expecting about a two-hour traffic delay going in and out of the airshow, please plan accordingly. Parking is limited and filling up fast. All attendees must purchase a parking pass prior to the show to ensure you have a spot. Once were out, there will be no more passes sold.
Nine climate activists demanding top lawmakers move to halt the construction of new fossil fuel projects were arrested at the State House Wednesday after more than six hours of protesting in the largely empty House Chamber.

Members of Extinction Rebellion Boston and Scientist Rebellion began chanting from the House spectators gallery around 11 a.m., moments after lawmakers gaveled in and out of a sparsely-attended Constitutional Convention session. Activists threw papers down onto the House floor, as they also tried to attach a banner  which read no new fossil fuel infrastructure  to the gallery railing before a court officer managed to wrestle it away from them.

Activists said their act of civil disobedience was designed to urge House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka  neither of whom were present in the chamber  to file legislation to place a moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure and stop projects that are currently proposed or under construction. Those include the Peabody peaker plant, a liquefied natural gas facility in Charlton, and the Hopkinton-Ashland Transfer Line.

Climate activists claimed they saw Spilka in the chamber at the start of the demonstration. But the News Service confirmed with her office that the Ashland Democrat was not present and had a speaking engagement Wednesday morning.

The activists started chanting immediately after Sen. Will Brownsberger gaveled the Constitutional Convention into a months-long recess. Among the lawmakers who heard the beginning of their protest were Rep. Paul Donato, Sen. Lydia Edwards, Sen. John Keenan, Sen. Bruce Tarr, Rep. Christopher Worrell and Sen. Nick Collins.

One activist in the gallery unsuccessfully attempted to get the attention of Rep. Sean Garballey, yelling that the Arlington Democrat represented her, before he walked out of the chamber.

Eleven activists joined the demonstration, though two eventually left the gallery and a spokesperson for the group said they needed to use the restroom.

Six men and three women were arrested, with some singing as State Police escorted them out of the State House.

Read more: When protesting at the Massachusetts State House can lead to arrests

Rotating through chants and songs, at one point the protestors chanted 2050 is too late, referring to the states commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. They said they demanded a just transition away from fossil fuel infrastructure.

A just transition includes a massive investment in publicly-owned renewable power generation, transmission storage, household and community systems to best ensure resiliency, a protestor shouted to a then-empty chamber, after all the lawmakers had left.

Court officers and State Police hovered outside the House gallery as the activists remained inside. The number of court officers in the gallery with protestors fluctuated, at times reaching up to seven with additional park rangers and State Police.

Court officers, State House-assigned State Police troopers, and State House park rangers were joined by a contingent from the State Polices Special Emergency Response Team to arrest the nine individuals when the building closed at 5 p.m.

Extinction Rebellion members staged a sit-in protest at Gov. Maura Healeys office in February, despite the Cambridge Democrat being away in Washington, D.C. Fourteen members were ultimately arrested that day after receiving multiple warnings.

Five of the protestors in the House Gallery Wednesday had participated in that lengthy demonstration in the corner office  four of whom were arrested, including Alex Chambers of Boylston.

Despite the lack of lawmakers on hand, Chambers said activists believe they sufficiently disrupted their day.

We are occupying the space. So in a sense, we climate activists are holding this physical space hostage until we get our demand met, Chambers told reporters by phone as he sat in the House Gallery around noon. And were using the only real thing we have to be able to use, which is our bodies. Were employing nonviolent direct action, and were going to continue holding that until we get our demand met or until were forcibly removed.

Around 2:10 p.m., after sitting quietly for a few hours and then starting up some chants again, court officers asked the protestors how long they intended to stay in the chamber.

Were staying until Senate President Spilka or House Speaker Mariano file legislation placing a moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure, Chambers replied.

That doesnt sound like something that might happen this afternoon, the court officer said.

Chambers responded, Well, one of the privileges of being the speaker is that you can file legislation at any time. So well stay until he does.

Protestors delivered their speeches to an empty chamber, joking with each other that it was practice for future acts of civil disobedience. They addressed their unheard remarks directly to Mariano and Spilka.

The activists dropped more pieces of paper off the balcony, causing one court officer to tell them they were disrespecting the chamber and throwing trash around.

At one point, as protestors sang (Theyre digging us a hole, six feet underground where our futures will go), court officers turned on their radio, loudly playing songs by Dua Lipa and Shakira, among other music.
Former Academy classmates of Tamar Bucci are performing acts of kindness while on a road trip to Washington, D.C. to honor the police officer who died while working on March 3, 2022.

Bucci, 34, was killed when her cruiser was struck by a gasoline tanker on Interstate 93 in Stoneham as she was attempting to pull over to offer help to a stopped driver.

Massachusetts State Police Trooper Tamar Bucci at Gillette Stadium following her graduation from the State Police Academy on May 6, 2020. (Mass. State Police)

At her funeral in Revere, state police Col. Christopher Mason eulogized Bucci as the very picture of quiet confidence and great promise. A memorial for the trooper was unveiled in December.

On Thursday, her former classmates, who have since graduated the Academy, will begin traveling on a bus to Washington, D.C., to be present, along with Tamars family, for national Police Week ceremonies that will recognize Trooper Buccis ultimate sacrifice, state police said in a statement.

On May 15, Buccis name will be added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial. This honors all peace officers who gave full measure of sacrifice in performance of their duty, the police department said.

On their way, the police officers will be stopping to perform Acts of Kindness in each state they travel through. They will also be doing burpees in each of those states.

Police said the Acts of Kindness will include all community members, including elementary school children, the homeless community, shelter animals and more.

The Massachusetts State Polices Pink Cruiser, which will also be driving to Washington, has been renumbered to Cruiser 4440 in Buccis honor.

She wore Badge #4440, police said.
WESTFIELD  Machinists at J&E Precision Tool make bomb racks for the F-35A Lightning II with some of that work taking place at the companys shop on Apremont Way in Westfield, within sight and sound of Barnes Air National Guard Base and Barnes-Westfield Regional Airport.

This weekend, the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team is in town for the Westfield International Air Show, giving a preview of what itll be like when the F-35, called the most expensive weapons system in human history, is based here, flying in and out of Barnes every day.

And J&E employees will know their handwork is behind those doors in that hidden bomb bay.

Its always great when you can see where your product is ending up, said Sean Holly, CEO of J& E Precision Tool, which has its main local facility in Southampton and a plant in Connecticut that also does F-35 work. It provides a sense of purpose. Its incredibly engaging to have that aircraft within eyesight.

J& E has 120 local employees and a total of 180 nationally making aerospace parts including parts for new space-faring rockets used by NASA and private operators. The company purchased and expanded into the former Berkshire Industries building in 2020.

Cadence Aerospace in Westfield and Southwick and Boulevard Machine and Gear on Lockhouse Road are also among the local suppliers of engine parts, according to Massachusetts Waltham-based Raytheon Technologies, whose Connecticut-based Pratt & Whitney subsidiary makes the F135 engines in the planes. Boulevard has said part-time members of the Air National Guard work full time in the machine shop there.

Prat & Whitney will have a delegation at the air show all weekend and is one of its sponsors.

Parker Hannifin Corp. in Devens, MBS Fabrication Inc. in Southbridge and Ametek Aerospace Products Inc. in Wilmington are also Massachusetts subcontractors making engine parts for the F135 jet engines that go in the F-35, according to Raytheon and Pratt & Whitney.

In April, the Air Force announced that it will base 18 of its $78-million, latest-generation F-35 fighters at the Air National Guards 104th Fighter Wing probably starting in fiscal year 2026, that is late 2025 or early 2026.

The planes are coming to precision valley, an industry nickname for the chain of precision manufacturers up and down the Connecticut River Valley.

Manufacturer Lockheed Martin, which is responsible for the overall plane the Pratt & Whitney engine goes into  says the F-35 program  criticized for its cost overruns, is the most economically significant defense program in the nations history contributing $72 billion to the economy annually.

The F-35 program has 102 Massachusetts suppliers, Lockheed Martin says, with 4,090 jobs here and a $345 million annual economic impact.

Building the engines alone creates 856 jobs in Massachusetts at 14 sites, according to Pratt & Whitney.

11 1 / 11 Outlook 2023-Boulevard Machine in Westfield

In neighboring Connecticut, there are 88 F-35 suppliers in total with 17,000 jobs both directly involved in the manufacture of the plane and its components or related to its manufacture. The economic impact in Connecticut is $1.9 billion a year, Lockheed Martin said.

The vast majority of those jobs and that impact in Connecticut is for the engine program, Pratt & Whitney said.

The engines themselves are made in Middletown, Connecticut, said Jenny Dervin, head of media bureau and strategic messaging for Pratt & Whitney.

Parts come from the supply base of smaller manufacturers as well as Pratt & Whitneys plants in North Berwick, Maine, and at its headquarters and manufacturing plant in East Hartford.

In March, Connecticut U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-New Haven, John B. Larson, D-East Hartford, and Joe Courtney, D-Vernon, praised President Joe Bidens decision to pursue F135 engine modernization in his 2024 budget instead of starting a new competition for a new engine to power the F-35.
Starting Thursday, May 11 through Sunday, May 14, the MSPCA and Salems Northeast Animal Shelter are offering free adoptions for guinea pigs following the surrender of 45 guinea pigs from a single home in Suffolk County.

The fee-waived adoptathon is the two organizations first for this year and their first four-day-long type of event for guinea pigs, according to the MSPCA-Angell in a news release Wednesday. Normally, guinea pigs cost $30 to adopt through the groups.

The influx of guinea pigs all at once has put shelter space for small animals at capacity, the group said.

Read more: MSPCA takes in group of 9 purebred Bichon Frise dogs from Texas

Bryn Rogers, the MSPCA-Angells assistant director of adoption centers and programs, said in a statement that the 45 guinea pigs came from one home overwhelmed with baby guinea pigs.

The owners thought they had guinea pigs of one sex, but it turned out they had mixed genders and became overwhelmed when baby guinea pigs came along, Rogers said.

Some of the surrendered guinea pigs are also pregnant, so we really need to find homes for the guinea pigs currently in our care to ensure weve got space for the new arrivals, she added.

Between the MSPCA and NEAS, they collectively have close to 50 guinea pigs available to adopt currently.

Guinea pigs tend to remain in shelters much longer than cats and dogs, Rogers said. Theyre usually in our care for about a month, compared to less than two weeks for cats.

Rogers said given the sheer number of guinea pigs in need of new homes, the organizations decided to promote an adoptathon for the pet for the first time and extend the event into the coming weekend.

We hope this will help us get these guys homes, so well still have the ability to take in surrenders as needed, Rogers added.

All of the MSPCAs shelters  located in Boston, Methuen and in Centerville on Cape Cod  will participate, along with NEAS Salem shelter.

The MSPCA-Angell recommended registering for the event in advance, but registrations are not required. Those interested can learn more on the MSPCAs website.

Last year, the MSPCA and NEAS held five similar fee-waived adoption events for pets in their care.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Shell (China) Limited and FAW Jiefang, the truck manufacturing company of FAW Group, on May 10 signed an agreement to cement their strategic cooperation in five areas, namely, integrated energy solution, new energy commercial vehicle, multidimensional technology innovation, a super concept truck project, as well as overseas business, according to a post on Shells WeChat account.

To be specific, the duo will jointly explore integrated energy solutions and discuss opportunities for collaboration in biomass low-carbon fuels, hydrogen, green electricity, comprehensive energy optimization, and carbon trading, and other areas, to reduce or even eliminate carbon emissions for both parties and the whole industry.

Photo credit: Shell

In the field of new energy commercial vehicles, FAW Jiefang and Shell will jointly explore the possibility of building a hydrogen commercial vehicle ecosystem and deploying supporting infrastructures for electric vehicles with swappable batteries.

Based on the experience of previous R&D cooperation, both parties will establish a joint laboratory to conduct theoretical and commercialization research on traditional lubricants and new energy vehicle-related frontier projects.

Through the joint laboratory, both parties will collaborate on the development of a super concept truck, applying both parties' vehicle energy optimization technologies to explore the limits of energy consumption optimization for heavy-duty internal combustion engine-powered trucks and reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector.

Based on Shell's rich experience in global business development, the two parties will jointly develop lubricants and other products applicable to overseas markets and explore business opportunities in new energy vehicle and other areas.

Shell China and FAW Jiefang have had collaboration for the past eleven years. The recent signing move signifies that the cooperation has been upgraded from the R&D and marketing of lubricating oil products to a comprehensive deepening strategic cooperation. Meanwhile, the scope of cooperation has expanded from traditional business to new energy vehicle field, and from domestic to overseas markets.
Genny Beemyn was alarmed to read the allegations laid out in an extensive report by an Amherst student paper: that guidance counselors at the local middle school had reportedly failed to support transgender students in the face of bullying, and that some counselors themselves misgendered students and used anti-LGBTQ language in a workplace incident.

I was shocked, quite honestly, because this is Amherst and the climate is pretty supportive for trans people here, said Beemyn, the director of the Stonewall Center, an LGBT support center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Published Tuesday, the story in the Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School student paper, the Graphic, detailed what its sources  most of them anonymous  said was a pattern of inappropriate behavior on the part of three guidance counselors.

Read more: Student paper says Amherst school counselors turned blind eye to trans bullying

Counselors Hector Santos and Delinda Dykes, the report alleged, had routinely misgendered transgender students and staff, allowed religion to overflow into conversations in the school building, and did not adequately assist transgender students who faced harassment.

The Graphic also reported that Santos daughter, Tania Cabrera, who joined the counseling staff this year, had also misgendered students  referring to the act of labeling a transgender person by the gender with which they do not identify.

Two of the three counselors have been placed on paid leave as school officials investigate the allegations described by the student paper.

In an interview on Wednesday, Amherst-Pelham Superintendent Michael Morris declined to say which staff members were on leave.

Santos and Dykes both called the accusations false in statements to MassLive. Cabrera did not respond to requests for comment.

Read more: An Easthampton superintendent search and the transgender post that got in the way

Beemyn  who is transgender and uses the pronouns they and them  is quoted in the story, having been asked by the Graphic to offer perspective on the matter.

Reading an initial draft of the report was very unsettling, Beemyn said in an interview Thursday.

Amherst is a very supportive community. In Western Mass., were very fortunate to be an inclusive community... I dont know of any other community thats as rural as we are thats as supportive of trans people as we are, they also said. To hear about a hostile climate at the middle school is out of character. For me, it demonstrates that we have more work to do.

Others in the trans community were equally unnerved by the report.

Trans youth deserve to thrive in safe learning and developmental environments and have the opportunity to grow into their authentic selves, Kelsey R. Grunstra, the communications and fundraising manager for the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, said in an emailed statement. Amherst-Pelham Regional Public School district must take swift action to ensure all of their staff members are providing these environments.

The Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth has been in touch with the Amherst-Pelham school district regarding the situation, Shaplaie Brooks, the commissions executive director, said by email.

Allegations of discrimination against transgender students and other LGBTQ students have unfortunately become commonplace even in Massachusetts; with over 40 districts in our lighthouse state reporting anti-LGBTQ activity, she said.

Morris said Wednesday that the school system had received a complaint on April 14 of a violation of Title IX, the federal statute prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex.

Read more: Federal judge rules in favor of Ludlow schools in lawsuit over treatment of transgender students

More complaints had arrived since the issue was brought up at an April 25 school committee meeting. The district was investigating all complaints, Morris said.

I feel incredibly for children and families who are reporting these experiences, he said. It is painful to read about others who have had such challenging experiences in our school district.

I hope theyre able to find out the accuracy of some of the complaints and address them if there are individuals found to have discriminated against trans people, Beemyn said. I hope they can do things to right the wrongs and make sure trans students and all students feel included at the middle school.
A Springfield man was accused of assaulting two people in a Vermont home and hitting one of the victims with a wooden object early Tuesday morning, according to Vermont State Police.

State police arrested Dahiem Dukes, 20, of Springfield, in connection with the reported assault.

Read more: Jovani Delossantos arrested in fatal shooting at Mojitos Country Club in Randolph

Tuesday at around 4:30 a.m., police responded to an assault in progress at a Barre, Vermont home. Witnesses told police Dukes was beating another man with a wooden object.

Authorities proceeded to locate Dukes hiding in an upstairs bedroom and arrested him. Officials said an investigation revealed that Dukes assaulted two people in the house.

Dukes was ordered to be held without bail and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of second-degree unlawful restraint.
Taylor Swifts record-breaking Eras Tour will host three upcoming shows in Foxborough, Massachusetts on May 19, 20 and 21.

Since announcing her 27-show tour on November 1, Swift has added a total of 25 shows for the U.S. leg of the tour, which will feature songs from each of her different eras in music.

The tour will feature songs from her recent 10th studio album, Midnights, which launched back on October 21. It also will span a wide variety of her discography, including her country roots in Fearless, electropop beats from Reputation, slow ballads from sister albums Evermore and Folklore and everything in between.

*New customers who purchase tickets through VividSeats can get $20 off a $200+ ticket order by using the promo code MassLive20 at checkout.*

Swifts next stop will be back in Foxborough at the iconic Gillette Stadium as part of the 52-date, 17-state-wide tour. Swift has noted during past performances that Foxborough holds a special place in her heart.

Foxborough is the first place that I realized it was a possibility to play, she reportedly has told the Foxborough crowd. My time in Foxborough will be filed under one of the greatest times in my life.

She will be joined by artists Phoebe Bridgers, Gracie Abrams and GAYLE. Fans looking to grab last-minute tickets to these shows can shop online using VividSeats, StubHub and SeatGeek.

Below is the remaining Taylor Swift Eras Tour schedule; find tickets to shows close to you:
A petition is circulating online calling for the removal of the CEO, COO and the board of Girls Inc. of Worcester citing a toxic work environment that included racist and discriminatory behavior.

Ninety-three people signed the change.org petition as of noon Thursday, according to the website.
Nearly a month after a home explosion killed a Berlin woman and injured her daughter, donations continue to bolster an online fundraiser set up to help Jill Christensen.

Christensen, who according to the fundraiser is recovering as well as can be expected, was hurt in the April 14 explosion that took the life of her mother, Judy Christensen.

As recently as Wednesday, donations had been posted to the GoFundMe set up by Andrea Clemmer last month. Its tally had reached $77,235 as of Thursday, surpassing the initial goal of $60,000.

Clemmer, whose relation to Christensen is not specified, said on the page that Christensen has undergone jaw surgery and lost all her possessions in the explosion. Clemmer said the donations would be used to cover funeral expenses and help Jill rebuild her life.

A house at 71 Pleasant St. in Berlin exploded Friday, April 14, 2023, killing Judith Judy Christensen, 79, of Berlin. Her daughter, who has not been identified, was hurt and hospitalized but authorities said her injuries are not life threatening. The remains of the house, seen here on Saturday, April 15, are surrounded by a fence and flowers have been left in remembrance. (Nicole Simmons/MassLive)Nicole Simmons

The communitys generosity has been a source of comfort and hope for the family as they navigate this difficult situation, Clemmer wrote.

Judy Christensen, 79, died in the early morning explosion, the cause of which has still not been specified. A memorial service was held on April 29, according to an obituary posted online by Hays Funeral Home.

Christensen was remembered as a lover of horses and animals in general, a non-judgmental welcoming personality who welcomed anyone in need to the Hotel Christensen.

The Berlin Fire Department was notified at about 3:30 a.m. that morning about an explosion in the area of 71 Pleasant St., according to a statement from State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskeys office.

Firefighters arrived at the two-and-a-half-story, single-family home showing heavy fire that had sustained catastrophic damage, Ostroskeys office said.

Officials have spoken regarding the lengths that neighbors went to save Jill Christensens life, at one point moving through raining fire, and at other points dealing with heavy flames and a sparking electrical wire.
On Wednesday, police found and arrested a third person in the fatal Fourth of July shooting of a Worcester man outside a Randolph country club.

Jovani Delossantos, 29, of Worcester, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Worcester man, Ivanildo Cabral, according to the Norfolk District Attorneys Office.

Read more: Dana Pullman sentenced to prison in state police union kickback case

Police believe Delossantos was one of two people who fatally shot Cabral in the parking lot of the Mojitos Country Club in Randolph on July 4, 2022. Shawn Johnson, 29, also of Worcester, is accused of being the other shooter in the incident. Johnson previously pleaded not guilty in connection with the shooting in March.

Delossantos is expected to be arraigned on the following charges in Norfolk County Superior Court Thursday: murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, armed assault with intent murder and mayhem.

Johnson was previously arraigned on murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, armed assault with intent murder, mayhem and carrying a firearm.

Along with Johnson and Delossantos, Bianca Chionchio, 28, was indicted in December and charged with accessory after the fact of murder for reportedly driving Johnson and Delossantos to New York after the shooting and returning home without them, according to officials. She entered a not-guilty plea and is free on $5,000 cash bail.

Chionchio is due in Norfolk Superior Court on June 9.
Patriky Sampaio Gomes was arraigned in Worcester Superior Court Monday on several charges in connection with an October 2022 Worcester warehouse party shooting, during which he is accused of shooting a fellow suspect along with several others.

Gomes, of Worcester, pleaded not guilty to five charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, three charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and three firearms and ammunition charges in court Monday, according to court records.

Superior Court Judge Karin Bell ordered Gomes held on $15,000 cash bail.

Read more: Bail requested for 2 suspects in Worcester warehouse party shooting

Gomes fellow suspects, brothers Carlos and Luis Fernando Alves-Silva were ordered held without bail by Worcester Superior Court Judge James Reardon Jr. after they were found dangerous on May 5.

The Alves-Silvas each face 10 charges in Superior Court in connection with the Oct. 16, 2022 shooting, according to court records.

Police were dispatched to the warehouse at 88 Webster St. around 3:08 a.m. for a report of a person shot, Worcester Police said following the shooting. After the first person was given medical aid and driven to the hospital by ambulance, officers noticed five more people who were shot at the warehouse.

During the brothers dangerousness hearing on May 4, Assistant District Attorney Lina Pashou said they were part of a Brazilian gang.

Read more: Two suspects in Worcester warehouse party shooting that injured 6 plead not guilty

Surveillance video shows the brothers running from the warehouse with guns in their hands and ballistic evidence shows shots fired from both directions, including in the direction of Gomes.

The charges against Gomes include an assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (firearm) charge in which Carlos Alves-Silva is listed as the victim.

Carlos was shot three times, his defense attorney, Sarah Hamilton, said in court May 4  once in the hip and twice in the lower back.

Hamilton used the location of the shots to argue the brothers were retreating from Gomes gunfire.

There was a complete disregard for who was around when gunfire erupted, Pashou said May 4.

Gomes was initially arraigned in Worcester District Court on Oct. 20, 2022 on six firearm-related charges: carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (firearm), assault with a dangerous weapon, discharging of a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling and possession of ammunition without an F.I.D. card.

During Gomes court appearance in October, his lawyer, Sean McGinty, argued his client told police he wasnt involved in the shooting and had instead received threatening messages, including a threat to kill him, from the two other suspects before they arrived at 88 Webster St. where a party was being held. He later heard gunshots and took off, according to McGinty.

McGinty also argued that one of the victims, Eric Lima, who was shot in the head, was Gomes friend and he would have no motive to shoot him.

Sampaio Gomes next court date is scheduled for June 13.
The first of May and the air seems to change instantly. Maybe because its a Bank Holiday and everyone is off work! But in reality it is more than that, particularly for us here in the west. The light comes back, with a vengeance. I personally try to slow down time in my head while I relish the next three months and watch nature all around us, bound back into life after our long winter.

Right bang in the middle comes Pride Month in June, a great month to celebrate and champion inclusion and equality for all. And a chance to commemorate the years of struggle for civil rights and the ongoing pursuit of equal justice under the law for the LGBTQ+ community. Mayo Pride was launched in 2017, marking an incredible twenty year journey from when the support group Outwest was started in 1997 to a parade through the rainbow decorated streets of Castlebar in 2017. Their goal is to create unity in the community without losing our individuality, to encourage diversity without focusing on our differences, to promote our beautiful county and above all to celebrate the wonderful uniqueness in everyone.

This week my two books take us on a journey to do just that; celebrate the wonderful uniqueness in the characters we meet.

'The Sleeping Car Porter' by Suzette Mayr is being published on May 18 by Dialogue Books. It tells the story of Baxter, a closeted queer back man who works as a sleeping car porter on a train in 1929. He travels the breadth of Canada on journeys that last days and nights. He attends to the passengers every needs, day and night and he himself is not supposed to sleep. On one journey out west the train is stalled and in the waiting scenes, we see the passengers and their lives through the almost hallucinatory filter of sleep deprived Baxter. While desperately trying to get some sleep eye in a hidden nook of the train, he finds a postcard of two gay men. It reawakens memories and desires in him and threatens to put his job in jeopardy if it is discovered. He smiles and tries to be pleasant to all the many difficult and quirky passengers. He relies on the tips they give him when they disembark. He is saving to go to dentistry school after discovering a book about such on one of these journeys. To alleviate the terribleness of his job, he takes sanctuary in studying the mouths of the passengers even when and especially when they are rude to him. The story rocks us back and forth like the slow almost meditative motion of a slow train. A wonderfully quirky and hopeful book.

'How to Build a Boat', just released by Elaine Feeney, tells the beautiful story of Jamie whom we understand is neuro-divergent. His mother passed away when he was born. Through a video of her; a prize winning swimmer wearing a red swimming hat, he connects with his mother and the world. At 13, he is attending secondary school for the first time. He calls his dad Eoin.

He wants to build a 'Perpetual Motion Machine'. School is a challenge for him in ways beautifully portrayed, if I can say that by Feeney.

He excels at Maths but another boy is constantly favoured above him. When bullied and beaten at school, Jamie channels his upset, instead at being locked out the of woodwork room. We get to understand the power of language and the ways we say things and not say things and how Jamie navigates this. Alongside Jamies story, we share in the stories of Tess and Tadhg, who are challenged in their own lives but when moved to help Jamie settle into school, they find ways of navigating those challenges. Jamies 'Perpetual Motion Machine' becomes the building of a currach, a project that brings together the community in surprising ways.

The book, though tackling the difficulties of neuro-diversity, is a joy. It does feel strangely like being on a small boat, rocking back and forward, progressing slowly but definitely on to the horizon, seeing things in ways we havent seen them before.

Mayo Pride is being celebrated from June 1 to 4 this year with many exciting events and a contribution from Tertulia on Queer Literature.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On May 10, Volvo Cars unveiled its new design studio in Shanghai, one of the mega cities in Asia, meaning the automakers global design footprint has been further expanded in addition to its existing studios in Gothenburg and Camarillo.

The 5,500-square-meter studio provides top-notch space for more than 100 designers and creative engineers. Mirroring the carmakers design headquarters in Gothenburg, the Shanghai studio has all the functions required to facilitate the whole design process, with the capabilities of offering interior, exterior, color and material, as well as UX design to full-sized mass-produced models.

Photo credit: Volvo Cars

The Shanghai design studio has milling machines, 3D printers and fully equipped workshops for producing accurate models more efficiently. Besides, designers in Shanghai can utilize VR technology to explore design in the virtual world.

With the opening of Design Studio Shanghai, were also reinforcing our strategic investment and long-term development in China, on top of our R&D center in Shanghai and our plants in Chengdu, Daqing and Taizhou, said Volvo Cars.
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

Li Auto plans to deploy 300 charging stations along expressways by 2023

Li Auto plans to deploy 300 charging stations along expressways in China cumulatively by the end of 2023, which will cover all of the four economic belts, namely, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Chengdu-Chongqing city cluster, the NEV startup said this week at a quarterly earnings call. The number is expected to grow to 3,000 by the end of 2025.

Li L8; photo credit: Li Auto

Audi SQ7 likely to be introduced to China at end of 2023

The Audi SQ7 is likely to be introduced to China at the end of this year with an expected price range of 1.08 million yuan to 1.1 million yuan, according to a media outlet.

China Mobile, CATARC form strategic cooperation

China Mobile and China Automotive Technology & Research Center (CATARC) signed an agreement on May 10 to conduct strategic cooperation in the fields like communications informatization, automotive intelligent connectivity, automotive big data, the construction of standard system for IoV (Internet of Vehicles) industry, industrial research, and investment, etc.

Hesai Technology inaugurates European office in Stuttgart, Germany

Chinese LiDAR maker, Hesai Technology, officially inaugurated its European office in Stuttgart, Germany on May 11. This move is aimed at expanding Hesai's presence in the European market and accelerating its global strategic layout.

China's auto output, sales encounter MoM downturn in Apr. 2023

In the fourth month of 2023, China produced 2.133 million vehicles in total, representing a 17.5% drop over the previous month, but reflecting a 76.8% surge over the previous year, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). At the same time, China's monthly auto sales amounted to 2.159 million vehicles, decreasing 11.9% from a month ago, but shooting up 82.7% from the year-ago period.

China Chengtong Ecology to recycle power batteries from WM Motors NEVs

On May 10, Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) startup WM Motor and China Chengtong Ecology Ltd. (CCTE) signed a framework agreement to forge a strategic partnership, according to a post on CCTE's WeChat account.

Chinas power battery installed capacity in Apr. 2023 surges YoY, but drops MoM

In Apr. 2023, China's power battery output reached 47GWh, jumping 38.7% year on year, but dipping 8.3% month on month, according to the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance (CAPBIIA).

EVE Energy to build power battery factory in Hungary

EVE Power Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Chinese battery maker EVE Energy, on May 9 announced the plan to build a battery factory in Debrecen, Hungary, to supply German carmaker BMW's plant in the country with its cylindrical power batteries, according to a post on EVE Energys WeChat account.

Volvo Cars unveils new design studio in Shanghai

On May 10, Volvo Cars unveiled its new design studio in Shanghai, one of the mega cities in Asia, meaning the automakers global design footprint has been further expanded in addition to its existing studios in Gothenburg and Camarillo.

Shell, FAW Jiefang step up cooperation for higher energy efficiency, lower carbon emissions

Shell (China) Limited and FAW Jiefang, the truck manufacturing company of FAW Group, on May 10 signed an agreement to cement their strategic cooperation in five areas, namely, integrated energy solution, new energy commercial vehicle, multidimensional technology innovation, a super concept truck project, as well as overseas business, according to a post on Shells WeChat account.

Baidu, Shanghai Jiading District team up to build smart digitalized city

Baidu signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shanghai's Jiading District government on May 10. Leveraging Jiading's regional advantages and industrial expertise, along with Baidu's accumulations in artificial intelligence (AI), the two parties will collaborate comprehensively in intelligent connected vehicle services, smart transportation optimization, and enhancing urban governance efficiency.

Changan Automobile boasts 57.23% YoY leap in Apr. 2023 sales

In April 2023, Chinese automaker Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. (Changan Automobile) posted a double-digit year-on-year surge in monthly sales.

In the fourth month of 2023, Changan Automobile sold 181,980 vehicles in total, representing a 57.23% surge over a year ago. Among the vehicles sold last month, 22,496 units were new energy vehicles (NEVs) under Changan Automobile's wholly-owned brands, shooting up 111.77% year on year.

Li Auto sees both quarterly revenue, deliveries hit new high in Q1 2023

Chinese new energy vehicle startup Li Auto announced its first-quarter (Q1) 2023 financial results on May 10, revealing record-high quarterly revenue and delivery volume.

In Q1 2023, Li Auto's total revenues reached RMB18.79 billion (US$2.74 billion), surging 96.5% year on year, while also rising 6.4% quarter on quarter.
by Fern Siegel , May 11, 2023

Bourbon brand Wild Turkey prides itself on an independent American spirit.

That sensibility is evident in its new global campaign Trust Your Spirit, which features musicians Shakey Graves, Matt Corby and Yoohei Kawakami. The creative uses music to underscore the ethos of trusting yourself, rather than bowing to the crowd. Wild Turkey embraces that same drive.

The spots first debuted in Japan and Australia via social, digital and audio. They run in the U.S. this fall.

Raul Gonzalez, Camparis global managing director for spirits, told Agency Daily the original inspiration for the campaign came from master distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell, with a combined 100+ years of experience. While the creative was inspired by the legacy of Wild Turkey, we also recognized that this passion and commitment exists in many different industries and disciplines, which is why we worked with these talented musicians to express this idea through music.

advertisement advertisement

Wild Turkey in-house creative director Josh Combs is responsible for the spots. Landia is the production agency.

In partnership with iHeartMedia, Wild Turkey will also offer whiskey lovers and music fans an opportunity to visit the Wild Turkey Lounge at select music festivals across the country and attend 101 Bold Nights concerts, headlined by talent such as Shakey Graves and The Black Keys. The lounge is featured in the ads.

Graves, Corby and Kawakami are at the bar sharing their stories, before performing their own songs in the spots. After each performance  "Roll the Bones" by Shakey Graves, "Big Smoke" by Matt Corby  the artists return to the listening lounge to toast to the journey with a Wild Turkey Bourbon.

The brand also teamed with BRING, Universal Music For Brands and Eleven PR and Corby to launch its new platform Music 101  a purpose-led music and experiential campaign featuring a mentorship program for aspiring Australian artists and a series of live off-grid gigs.

Wild Turkey core bourbon grew 26.2% in 2022, driven by core markets such as the U.S., South Korea and Australia, the company reports. It attributes the growth to a revival of classic cocktails in the on-premise channel and at-home mixology.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, May 10, 2023

As Google brings generative artificial intelligence (AI) into Search through something it calls Search Generative Experience (SGE), an experiment in Search Labs, advertising will remain an important part of the experience, the company said Wednesday.

As the Search ecosystem continues to evolve with an increased focus on AI, Search ads will continue to play a critical role as additional sources of useful information while helping millions of businesses be discovered online, Vidhya Srinivasan, vice president and general manager in Google Ads, wrote in a post.

Srinivasan explained that SGE will roll out in the coming weeks in the U.S. Search ads will continue to appear in dedicated ad slots throughout the page. In the new experience, advertisers will have the opportunity to reach potential customers along their search journeys.

advertisement advertisement

Google also remains committed to transparency and making ads distinguishable from organic search results. When Search ads do appear, they will continue to feature our industry-leading clear and transparent ad labels with the Sponsored label in bold black text.

Few details about advertising were released. The company likely decided to save the details for Google Marketing Live scheduled for later this month.

Experiments are essential in allowing us to evolve Search to be helpful and effective for both users and advertisers, Srinivasan wrote. Well be experimenting with how, when and in what formats ads show up and well use advertiser feedback to shape and evolve the experience, while always being responsible, thoughtful and helpful in our approach.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., like most of us (including myself), is his own worst critic. You could do 99 out of 100 things flawlessly, but youre constantly thinking of that one thing you messed up on. Even if its something nobody else noticed.

This past weekend, Earnhardt was working the Kentucky Derby, his first broadcast since the end of the NASCAR Cup Series season last November. The thing with Earnhardt working for NBC is that hes been able to get out of his comfort zone and do things apart from being a NASCAR race analyst. Whether thats doing play-by-play in NASCAR or working the Indy 500, 24 Hours of Daytona, the Kentucky Derby, or the Winter Olympics, Earnhardt is seizing the opportunity to do other things even if that might be scary.

Earnhardt took the opportunity to critique his Kentucky Derby performance on his podcast, The Dale Jr. Download.

This was Earnhardts third Derby and the first without sidekick Rutledge Wood. This meant that Earnhardt would need to receive and give the toss from and to the other people on the broadcast while doing his segment. That added another layer of difficulty and nervousness for someone who, admittedly, knows nothing about horse racing.

This wasnt to say Earnhardt was unprepared. He studied and crammed for weeks before the broadcast. Its just that when working on a sport you dont normally cover, you can do all the studying in the world, and you dont feel like youre ever going to know enough to not be nervous that youre going to forget something on the broadcast.

Earnhardt broke down his various live segments throughout the day. His first was with official starter Scott Jordan. Earnhardt was critical of his performance because he only filled about 30 seconds of an interview that was supposed to go 1:15. Its not like viewers have a rundown of the show format and can point out that Earnhardt went 45 seconds short, but Earnhardt kicked himself for not having follow-up questions to compensate if things ran short. In addition, Earnhardt said that he answered his own question in one of the two he asked Jordan.

Needless to say, Earnhardt felt like he didnt have a great start.

The only real noticeable part of this was that both people were nervous. Sure, after Earnhardt explained what happened, we can all see he answered one of his own questions, but not many people were going to notice that at the time.

Throughout the day, things got better. Earnhardt went to various places around Churchill Downs and he felt that went well. Then he talked about his final live segment.

In this segment, Earnhardt explained the significance of barn 42, stall 21. That was the stall Secretariat was in when he won the Kentucky Derby 50 years ago and is the stall that housed the most Derby winners since Secretariat. The only Derby horse in that barn and stall in this years race was Mage, the eventual winner. While Earnhardt was talking, he was supposed to walk toward the stall and meet up with Mages assistant trainer, Gustavo Delgado Jr., and interview him.

Earnhardt revealed that he couldnt see Delgados face because the sun was behind Delgado as Earnhardt walked toward him. If you look at the clip, you see Earnhardt look around while Delgado is standing right next to him, and then Earnhardt starts the interview.

Im not going to lie, that was kind of hilarious, but the segment was still informative as Earnhardt pointed out how quiet everything was just before the race.

Things ended well for Earnhardt as the guy who knew nothing about horse racing was the only person on the broadcast to pick the winner. The reason he picked Mage wasnt because of the #8. In fact, Earnhardt said on the broadcast he didnt even know Mage had that number. Instead, it was because Mage was the only Kentucky Derby horse Earnhardt met, because of his interview with Delgado.

Earnhardt revealed that because he was so busy, he didnt get to place a bet on Mage (15/1), but he still had the satisfaction of picking the winner and maybe making some of his fans some money.

While we can all have some fun at Earnhardts expense, its great for him to publicly break down these segments to not only help him become a better broadcaster but to also inform the public just what a broadcaster is thinking during these segments. The pros make it seem so effortless, and its anything but. Earnhardt is someone who is unafraid to point out his broadcasting flaws, even if some of them arent as big of a deal as he thinks they are.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.s Dirty Mo Media]
by Tanya Gazdik , May 10, 2023

Kia America is returning to the Electrify Expo as part of the automakers focus on making EV ownership more accessible through education efforts.

The new Kia EV9 SUV will join the nationwide Electrify Expo tour. Electrify Expo attendees will have the opportunity to drive the Kia EV6 and Niro EV as well as be among the first to see the brands all-new three-row SUV.

The nationwide tour will bring together leaders in electrification to discuss the future of the mobility industry. It kicks off in Long Beach, California on May 19. Kia will participate there as well as events in San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Miami.

The 2022 Electrify Expo events were invaluable for our team to learn more about consumer attitudes toward electrification, Steven Center, chief operating officer, Kia America, says in a release.

advertisement advertisement

Kia is also launching an EV Education 101 video series. The video series teaches people about the various aspects of EV ownership, including common terms, charging infrastructure, maximizing battery life and technology.

Electrify Expo has expanded its industry-facing events, and education programs, with a full day of programming, industry leadership and breakout sessions.

Attendees and industry leaders will discuss legislation affecting the EV industry, range anxiety, battery materials and sustainability, charging infrastructure, the future of autonomous driving applications and supply chain barriers. More information about the sessions and presenters can be found at www.electrifyexpo.com.
by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, May 11, 2023

In a surprise last-minute move heading into next week's Upfronts Week in New York City, Netflix canceled its in-person upfront advertising pitch at the Paris Theater and reverted to a virtual one instead.

The Hollywood Reporterreported that the presentation -- which originally was slated to be in-person, beginning at 5 PM on May 17, followed by a reception with ad execs -- will now be streaming-only.

It also reported that Netflix gave no explanation about the last-minute decision, but speculated that it might have something to do with Hollywood's writers' strike and the fact that such events likely will be confronted by picket lines in New York City next week.
Press Release

May 10, 2023 ANC TOP STORY OF SEN. WIN GATCHALIAN ON ACCOUNTABILITY OF NGCP ON BROWNOUTS Q: The National Grid corporation of the Philippines should be held accountable for the tripping of the Bolo-Masinloc line that led to power outages in some parts of Luzon. That is the call from Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. He now joins us to weigh in on this issue. Senator, thank you so much for joining us. SEN. WIN: Thank you for inviting me. Good afternoon to all our televiewers. Q: Senator, how do you propose for them to be accountable? I mean, Secretary Lotilla is saying that he's seeking a performance audit of the NGCP, do you share the same sentiment? SEN. WIN: Well, there are two issues here. In the last two weeks, we saw a three system failure that was caused by the transmission lines. One in April 27, this is in Panay where they experienced 12 hours of brownout. May 8, where almost 600 megawatts of power was lost in the grid. And in May 9, where almost 300 megawatts of power were also lost due to line disturbances. These are tripping of lines, so when you have tripping off lines, obviously power is reduced or power disappears from the system. Another issue is based on our review, there are three major transmission projects that are delayed. One of which is the most important Mindanao to Visayas transmission interconnection. It was supposed to be completed a few years back but 2019, but until now, it's not yet complete and it's scheduled to be completed by mid of this year. So because of these three delayed transmission lines, capacity has not been increased. Therefore, we cannot deliver power efficiently from one point to the other. And that contributed also to inefficiency and it weakened the power grid in our country. So we need to evaluate the performance of the system operator, meaning NGCP. We granted a franchise to NGCP and in turn, they have to perform and they have to make sure that the lines are upgraded and there are no brownouts caused by the transmission line. But that's not what's happening lately, especially in the last two weeks. Q: Senator, do you have any information why those three major projects were delayed? SEN. WIN: Various reasons, but the most important matter here is those projects were being discussed a long time ago. I remember they were on the table about five, six years ago, and those were approved projects already by the ERC, but it's delayed right now and if you have a transmission project that is delayed, there's a big risk that underperformance of our transmission line will happen. And that's what we're seeing in various areas. So what's important right now is we have to evaluate two things. Number one, the performance in terms of system operation of NGCP. And then number two, we have to also evaluate on whether the projects that they promised to deliver are being met on time because if not, then those that will impact the performance of the grid and brownouts can happen because of inadequate capacity. Q: It seems that the you know the performance is as you said a big issue but do you think once they perform better will that be able to offset the delay of the three major projects? SEN. WIN: Well definitely, there are two issues like I mentioned one is the performance, meaning the operation of the transmission grid itself. And then number two is the delivery of the projects that were approved, or these are the promised projects. And we saw in our analysis that there are important projects that should have been delivered years ago, but until now they're still being constructed. And we're also going to look at the rates because a lot of these projects are already been billed to us consumers because the way our regulation is designed, once the project is approved, they can already start building the customers and the customer and simultaneously they will also build the project. So we will look at that angle as well whether these projects, how far have they billed the consumers on these projects and what are the penalties that the regulator can impose on delayed projects. But definitely the bottom line here is that delayed projects will create instability in the grid because of under capacity. And when you have instability then there's huge potential for brownouts. Q: Now Senator, Secretary Lotilla also mentioned that he's pushing for the reopening of the Ilihan Plant could at least that be a temporary solution? SEN. WIN: That should not be a temporary solution, that should be a permanent solution. That's 1200 megawatts of capacity going into our grid, and of course, they have certain issues in the past, but definitely, that will help increase supply in the grid. And what I understand, they're just waiting for the new terminal constructed by AG&P to be completed and I understand by the end of this month, they will start supplying imported LNG to the Ilihan Plant. And once that happens, Ilihan will be back online. So I personally went to the NGNT LNG terminal and I saw that before it's almost complete that it will be online by the end of the month, and that will be the receiving terminal for this Ilihan plant. And that's a huge boost in terms of new power supply to the grid. Q: Now, you mentioned with regard to this issue that the DOE must ensure full implementation of the transmission development plan, which areas in its implementation did you find gaps in? SEN. WIN: The transmission Development Plan is a roadmap for all transmission projects. It's submitted to the government. It's approved by the government and the rates are also approved there. So that dictates where new transmission lines will be built based on, for example, different directions. For example, if we want to build more RE plants, we build more transmission lines to that part. So it's the Bible of the new transmission lines. So the DOE should make sure that the bible is being followed, the transmission development plan is being followed. Q: So would you say it's not being followed fully now? SEN. WIN: Yes, it's not. As I mentioned earlier, among the many projects, the three most critical projects are delayed. We should have been, Luzon and Visayas should have been connected to Mindanao two years, three years ago. But until now we're still building those lines and that reduces our flexibility. Mindanao has an extra supply of power right now. We can actually buy from Mindanao, excess power, but we cannot do that because the lines are not connected.
The Missing and Murdered Task Force held its first meeting at the State Capitol on May 8, 2023. Photo by Shondiin Silversmith | Arizona Mirror

Wi-Bwa Grey brings a unique perspective to Arizonas Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Task Force: that of a survivor.

I know what its like to be missing, Grey said, and she could not say this until this past year because its still fresh in her mind.

Grey, a council member for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, said at the task forces inaugural May 8 meeting that her experience compelled her to join the task force that Gov. Katie Hobbs created. She said she hopes her experiences can be helpful in how the task force will approach the MMIP crisis in Arizona.

I can offer that perspective to this task force, she said. I hope it can be valuable.

As a survivor, Im ready to fight, Grey added. Im ready to fight on this task force.

As much as anything, Grey said she wants the task force to bring back some hope to Indigenous people because she understands how many families have lost hope.

They feel like no one cares and that no one is listening, she said, recalling how families had told her how theyve felt that law enforcement did not listen to them when they were reporting their loved ones missing.

That needs to change, Grey said, and she hopes to do that through the collaborative efforts on the MMIP task force. We need to gain our voice back.

Indigenous people have been advocating for missing and murdered Indigenous peoples for generations. But its only within the last few years have state and national officials started to pay attention.

Indigenous women face murder rates that are more than 10 times the national average, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. And the National Institute of Justice found that 84% of Indigenous women experience violence in their lifetime, compared to 71% of white women.

Homicide has been reported as the fourth-leading cause of death among Indigenous women under 19 and the sixth-leading cause of death for ages 20 to 44, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

For many Indigenous people working on addressing the MMIP crisis, these numbers are not new, but this is the first time they are being prioritized.

Hobbs established the executive task force for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples in March, and its the first time an Arizona governor ever signed an executive order to establish such a task force.

The task force will prepare and submit a report to Hobbs with recommendations for administrative or legislative action on or before Dec. 1 of each year through 2026

During the first meeting, Hobbs told the task force members that she was happy for their commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis in Arizona because the task force includes members of the state legislature, representatives of tribal nations, law enforcement professionals and members of the public with backgrounds in victim advocacy, legal services, and health services.

Your perspectives and experiences will be critical to finding meaningful solutions to address the challenges facing indigenous communities, Hobbs told the task force members.

Hobbs said that the task force will work and consult with government agencies, collect data, review policies and propose recommendations that will develop pathways for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous peoples.

I encourage you to think critically and creatively, Hobbs added. It will require us to work together to find solutions and to take courageous actions to address where we have fallen short in the path.

Arizona established its first MMIW study committee in 2019 through legislation after continuous efforts from grassroots advocates and legislators.

The study committee issued a report in 2020. It found that 160 murders of Indigenous women were recorded in Arizona from 1976 to 2018  and that murders among Indigenous women and girls have steadily increased over the last 40 years.

After that committee disbanded, legislators and advocates worked together to establish a second committee in 2022 when then-Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives Rusty Bowers approved the committee on an interim basis. It was refocused to include all missing and murdered Indigenous peoples, not just women and girls.

The MMIP interim committee held its last meeting in December 2022. It released a report that included 83 recommendations for the state in nine key areas: legislative, administrative, Arizona victim compensation program, victim services, data improvement, resource allocation, training and education, collaborative and law enforcement.

The new MMIP task force has 14 members, and Hobbs named State Sen. Theresa Hatathlie as its chair.

When Hatathlie was appointed chair on May 5, she said she is committed to advocating for Indigenous people by working diligently with Hobbs and other leaders to provide direction for cross-departmental and interagency work involving MMIP.

This task force will address measures to prevent this ongoing tragedy, as it not only demeans the dignity and humanity of each person who goes missing or is murdered, she said.

During the May 8 meeting, Hatathlie said shes advocated for various causes over the years, and the topic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples is not new for her.

She was involved with the previous study committees and has worked alongside other advocates and leaders to raise awareness about issues impacting Indigenous communities across Arizona.

Hatathlie said seeing tribal communities being exploited does not sit well with her, and she hopes the work with the task force will lead to change through legislation.

She wants to change laws and look for sustainable ways of continuing to fight the MMIP cause.

As part of the meeting, each task force member introduced themselves and shared why they were there and part of the task force. The answers varied, ranging from accountability, honoring families, building awareness, and filling service gaps.

The task force includes people who have worked with the Arizona study committee before and people joining the efforts for the first time on a state level.

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Council Member Mikah Carlos is joining the task force for the first time.

We have a responsibility for ensuring the longevity of our people, and we cant do that if we dont have the tools to intervene and make sure that theyre safe and that were able to protect them, she said. These are our people, these are our relatives, and I think we have a duty to make sure that we can advocate for them on any level that we need to.

Another member joining the task force is Navajo Nation Council Delegate Amber Crotty, who has been an MMIP advocate for years at the tribal, state and federal levels.

Crotty said she is coming to the task force not only as a tribal official but as a mother. She shared what it was like in 2016 when the Navajo Nation suffered a significant loss when 12-year-old Ashlynne Mike was abducted and killed.

Crotty said through that tragedy, they learned how the system failed. When Mike went missing, there were still limitations in jurisdictions when reporting someone missing, they encountered 911 issues and Amber Alert issues.

To honor Mike, Crotty wears a yellow scarf with different colored flowers, as yellow was Mikes favorite color. On the Navajo Nation, it is known as a Saanii scarf, Crotty said, and it has become a symbol of strength and comfort. She said she wears the scarf to honor Mikes life, and all the colors in the scarf represent her life.

Crotty said that she wants to humanize these experiences because that humanity is what is taken from Indigenous communities. The harsh reality, she said, is that rather than looking at Indigenous people as humans, the system has looked at them as others.

That no longer can stand, Crotty said. Thats why we keep showing up.

Task force member Alfred Urbina, the attorney general for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, has been involved in the previous legislative panels. He said that the MMIP crisis needs to be seen as an ongoing injustice, public health and public safety crisis, as well as a civil rights issue.

We have to hold ourselves accountable as justice officials, Urbina said, adding its the task forces responsibility to work collectively with federal, state and tribal partners.

We dont have time, Urbina said because Indigenous people are dying and missing. We need a sense of urgency, and its our responsibility just like its the states responsibility and the federal governments responsibility.

Indivisible Tohono co-founder April Ignacio is another task member brought over from the study committee, and she hopes to hold the task force accountable for their work.

Im here to basically continue to hold our elected officials accountable to the people they serve, Ignacio said. My active role in this is to ensure that we stay focused on the gaps and services that are often pushed to the side when it comes to survivors and family members.

The other task force members include Alane Breland, chief prosecutor for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community; Capt. Paul Etnire, state trooper with the Arizona Department of Public Safety; Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren, first lady of the Navajo Nation; Jerome Kasey III, vice chairman of the White Mountain Apache Tribe; Kim Russell, director of the Arizona Advisory Council on Indian Health Care; Monica Antone, lieutenant governor of the Gila River Indian Community; Myron Tsosie, Arizona State Representative; and Nick Debus, government affairs director at the Arizona Attorney Generals Office.
N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: As weve already announced, let us welcome our next guest. Its the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nikos Dendias. Let us welcome him.

D. MOSCHOU: Minister, good afternoon.

N. DENDIAS: Good afternoon, Ms. Moschou, Mr. Panagiotopoulos. All the best.

D. MOSCHOU: We wish you good luck and strength.

N. DENDIAS: Thank you very much.

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: Mr. Dendias, let me begin with a personal question. Whats it like for a man traveling so many miles? You must have broken some sort of record, right? I don't know if you've counted the miles and the countries.

N. DENDIAS: Actually, I have. I have exceeded 1,100,000 miles.

D. MOSCHOU: Youre kidding me!

N. DENDIAS: About twice as far to the moon and back. And a little farther, I believe.

D. MOSCHOU: Please, tell us also the flight hours you have.

N. DENDIAS: Just divide that by 600 which is the average plane speed.

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: You've been around the world. Actually, as Foreign Minister, youve visited countries that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece had never visited before.

N. DENDIAS: 16 of them...

D. MOSCHOU: Our most traveled Foreign Minister in history.

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: And of course, this is not a fetish; allow me to use a political slang term frequently used for the euro. It's a job that actually broadens the horizons and the relations of our country.

N. DENDIAS: But youre absolutely right. Theres no other way, Mr. Panagiotopoulos. First of all, we are running three campaigns at the United Nations that have never been run before.

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: Thats very important for our country.

N. DENDIAS: As regards the one for the Security Council, were very close to achieving our goal.

But aside from that, as a medium-sized country, we need understandings, friendships, and alliances. Well, this cannot be accomplished by sitting in Athens and waiting for people to visit you. If we were the United States, we could do that. They would all come running to us. Now, its us that we have to go and explain...

And thats absolutely necessary, not only because it has occurred but also because it must continue.

D. MOSCHOU: So, the Foreign Minister should be there in person to explain the country's positions.

N. DENDIAS: There's a saying, actually a joke: what's the difference between God and a good Foreign Minister? That God is everywhere, while a good Foreign Minister is everywhere except in his own country.

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: Thats right. But as you pass the ball to me, let me ask you a question. Whats it like for a candidate like you, who lives the problems within the country but also sees them from outside, who is constantly traveling and now has to campaign on everyday problems? That is, how close are you to ordinary citizens lives?

N. DENDIAS: Look, let's not kid ourselves; it's a disadvantage. First of all, theres the long absence; I have been working 4-5 days a week elsewhere. As a result, that creates a feeling of absence, which I have to make up for during the election campaign. But at the same time, I have to go on with my duties, since say, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I have to travel to Stockholm for the Informal meeting Gymnich.

The country cannot be without representation in the Councils because there is an election process. So, that means that even with this limited time, some of it must be dedicated to serving our national needs.

But what should I do? Look, thats the job; do it the best you can and society will judge you.

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: Has the election race changed as youre viewing it? Do people appear to be a little more distant? Is it becoming a little bit more televised?



N. DENDIAS: Let me tell you this: in general, people are not interested in politics much; that's the truth. But I also want to add that as regards the portfolio Ive had the honor to hold, people value what this government has contributed.

In other words, I dare say that the acceptance rate of the work done in our foreign policy significantly outweighs our own electoral impact. And that, of course, is reflected in my contact with the people I talk to and communicate with.

I believe that the vast majority of them understand what has been achieved.

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: We have elections here, elections in Turkiye as well. Let's turn to serious issues. Does Nikos Dendias have a preference for who will win the elections in Turkiye?

N. DENDIAS: Of course, Nikos Dendias has a preference, but the Foreign Minister of Greece does not.

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: So, since you are the Foreign Minister, it will be difficult for me to make you reveal your personal preference. So let me address the Foreign Minister now.

N. DENDIAS: Yes, its absolutely impossible; As Foreign Minister, Im not entitled to have an opinion.

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: I see. So, what should we anticipate from this election, and what can change? There was an improvement in the climate because of the earthquakes, yet we observe...

N. DENDIAS: Significant improvement.

D. MOSCHOU: But Minister, its not sustained.

N. DENDIAS: It does not mean that we are complacent, or naive, or that we are pursuing a policy of appeasement.

It does mean though that we have a responsibility to keep a window of opportunity open for the next Greek Government -which we believe will be us- and for the next Turkish Government to be elected by Turkish people, to try, perhaps with a fresher approach, to resolve our dispute.

Now from there on, we will see; theres enough time ahead. But if we can keep this climate, I believe it will be a huge success. I recall that a few months ago, there was great concern about me and Nikos Panagiotopoulos-who has the same name and surname as you- remaining in our ministries (during the election season) because we were at risk of a crisis with Turkiye at any moment.

So, I believe that having reached this point at this moment is a very positive thing.

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: Is there a key to unlocking relations of unity? We all realize, and, those of us who have friends or know, see, and talk to people, businessmen, and workers on the opposite side, that they want cooperation, as well. Because we all -Turks as well- realize that a Greece and a Turkiye with a relationship of peace at a level of development in tourism and at other levels, for the environment, even in terms of industry, transport -there are so many areas that we can cooperate-, would be very good for both countries.

N. DENDIAS: It would be incredible; it would be an explosion of positive possibilities. But that requires Ankara and the government that will emerge there, to take a realistic approach to our dispute.

If it takes an approach of expansionism and supremacy in the wider region, then Greece certainly cannot agree. If it is an approach within the framework of International Law, that is something completely different and there is ample room for resolving our dispute.

I deeply believe that we are not doomed to be in a relationship of rivalry with Turkiye. On the contrary, I believe that it is simpler to be in a relationship of common understanding on the basis of International Law. But as they say, it takes two to tango; one alone is rather a cacophony.

D. MOSCHOU: Minister, I'm sure you have looked into President Erdogan's opponents, who appear to have a chance of ousting Erdogan from power, at least according to the foreign media. Will they change their foreign policy and tactics towards our country? What estimations are there?

N. DENDIAS: Based on opinion polls, the chances look pretty good. I can't tell what the real chances are though. Im not sure how opinion polls can be conducted in Turkish society, especially given its interesting geography and its remote parts. So, Im not sure how reliable the opinion polls can be.

Furthermore, I havent heard much from the Turkish opposition to suggest that they are willing to pursue a different approach.

But we should not take what is said in election periods seriously, or, to put it another way, we should not take everything at face value, especially in such a tense election. The opposition may have a more serious view behind what we hear and see.

Nevertheless, it is a coalition of six parties, not one, which means that moving to realistic positions will be tough. And secondly, Hellenism has had a strange experience, not to say a bad experience, with Mr. Klcdaroglu's party, starting with the invasion of Cyprus.

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: To conclude with Greek-Turkish relations and move on to our own elections, do you believe that the energy issue is the sole key to Greek-Turkish relations? Or, to revert it a little bit, if we had a solution, could energy issues bring us closer together? Or are there additional issues as well?

N. DENDIAS: There arent many issues concerning energy. And there arent many issues to be resolved for one main reason, although that's where many others started.

D. MOSCHOU: Let us stick for a while to issues related to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Id like to ask for your comment on the ongoing war in Ukraine, Minister. Because Nikos and I were saying, or at least the analysts were saying, the initial predictions were that it would last just a few days and then be over. A year has passed though, and Putin continues to escalate.

N. PANAGIOTOPOULOS. And as we celebrate Victory Day today, I recall that in the past when Russia was very close to the West, European leaders would travel to Moscow, to celebrate the victory against Nazism together.

N. DENDIAS: Nobody disputes the then Soviet Unions contribution to end the war and victory against Nazism. No one denies that the Soviet Union, that is to say, Russia to a large extent, sacrificed millions of victims in the fight against Nazism.

This has been recognized, as has the enormous contribution to literature, poetry, and music. Everything is there.

But theres also the brutal invasion of Ukraine. The Russian side may have thought that it would be able to overthrow the Zelenskyy Government within three or four days and install another government in Kyiv, but all this demonstrates that its easy to start wars, but difficult to end them.

Currently, the war resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a tremendous loss and disaster for humanity, but we can do nothing else but uphold International Law and the principles and values that we invoke for ourselves.

And lets hope for the best and believe that the invader eventually will take a more realistic approach.
JOURNALIST: With your recent statements on Greek-Turkish relations, you have nearly "killed" the exploratory contacts. What will happen if the Greek-Turkish dialogue fails at the highest level, given Turkiye 's positions on the Aegean? Citizens must be aware of the positions of the parties before the elections. You stated that there is a window of opportunity to discuss and resolve our dispute with Turkiye. Ankara is talking about a number of disputes regarding the Aegean. Is the dialogue doomed to fail?



N. DENDIAS: I will not agree at all with this term. In my recent statements I took stock of the progress of the exploratory contacts, based on my experience during the four years as Minister of Foreign Affairs. I noted, I believe, the obvious: there is a process that was created in support of the spirit of Helsinki which initially had a deadline set in 2004. The process has been going on for 21 years, 64 rounds of exploratory contacts have been held without, admittedly, achieving a result. I have come up with specific thoughts on how the next rounds could be conducted. Thoughts which I have a duty to share with the Prime Minister and the next Minister of Foreign Affairs.



Regarding the dialogue with Turkiye, at whatever level it takes place, allow me to clarify again that Greece enters into it in good faith. It enters into the dialogue with sincere willingness, because the national stance is that dialogue is the way to resolve problems. I certainly cannot prejudge the outcome of a dialogue with Turkiye. We have the willingness and desire to find a framework for long-term understanding and resolution of our sole dispute with Turkiye, which is the delimitation of our EEZ and continental shelf, on the basis of International Law and the International Law of the sea. The dialogue's success or failure will depend primarily on the attitude of the neighbouring country. Of course, we do not fly in the face of reality about the change in Turkish firm positions. However, I cannot but express my satisfaction, as I am concluding my tenure at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a climate in Greek-Turkish relations that may open a window of opportunity to take advantage of.

JOURNALIST: You stated that "national offer is seriousness". Isn't it a risk to assume that the policy of appeasement towards Turkiye that has failed so many times in the past will work in the future?



N. DENDIAS: Seriousness does not mean appeasement. As you know, I was not, and am not, a supporter of appeasement. And I have demonstrated this in practice when it was really needed, not in words. Seriousness means serving your positions strategically, consistently, confidently, with arguments, building alliances, seizing opportunities as they arise. Seriousness means not resorting to cacophonous rhetoric to obtain temporary internal political advantage.



And, of course, it is necessary and in the national interest not to instrumentalize foreign policy for party-political reasons, by labeling political opponents as traitors, sellouts of national interest and so on.



Nobody can claim to have a monopoly on patriotism.



This is the policy we have pursued on all foreign policy issues, including, of course, relations with Turkiye. As I previously stated, we have a sole dispute with Turkiye. We wish and seek a peaceful resolution of it on the basis of International Law and the International Law of the Sea. Whether this will be possible depends on the willingness also of the other side.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP)  A 13-year-old exchanged gunfire with police during a chase through a residential neighborhood in Florida, wounding one officer and ending up in the hospital after being shot himself, officials said.

One officer was shot in the foot Wednesday evening in Lakeland, between Tampa and Orlando in central Florida, and is expected to be released from a hospital in coming days, police said. No other officers were injured.

Officer Jamie Smith heard gunshots being fired near a park Wednesday evening and drove up as the shooter was getting back into a vehicle, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Thursday. Smith pursued the vehicle briefly until the 19-year-old driver, the 13-year-old and a 14-year-old passenger jumped out and ran.

Smith saw the 13-year-old running down a sidewalk next to an apartment complex, carrying a firearm, Taylor said. The teen went into the complex despite being commanded to stop. As Smith turned a corner, the teen was crouched in wait for him and fired three times from a handgun, Judd said.

The officer was struck in the left foot and returned fire, but the teen fled, Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said. Smith called for backup and continued chasing the teen. He saw him hiding in bushes next to the apartment building; the 13-year-old engaged in another round of gunfire and was struck by the officer's return fire, authorities said.

He was taken to Tampa General Hospital with gunshots to his leg and abdomen, Judd said. He remains in the hospital in police custody.

All three suspects are facing felony charges. The 13-year-old and 14-year-old were on probation after being arrested in January following a car burglary and had a stolen handgun at that time, Judd said.

Judd said authorities are asking the state attorney to charge the 13-year-old as an adult. For now, The Associated Press is not identifying the teen because of his age.

He has no regard for life. None. Zero, said Judd, whose agency is investigating, at a news conference Wednesday night. He may be 13 years old chronologically, but hes a hardened criminal willing to shoot it out with cops.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BOISE, Idaho (AP)  An Idaho jury is weighing the fate of a woman charged in the slayings of her two youngest children and a romantic rival in what prosecutors say was a strange doomsday-focused plot.

Lori Vallow Daybell wanted the victims' money, so she used sex and power to manipulate her brother and a lover into carrying out the crimes, Idaho prosecutors told jurors Thursday at the close of the weekslong case. The panel of 12 jurors began deliberations shortly after 2 p.m.

 Money, power and sex, Madison County Prosecutor Rob Wood said, urging the jury to convict Lori Vallow Daybell in the deaths of 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, and her fifth husbands previous wife Tammy Daybell.

What does justice for these victims require? It requires a conviction on each and every count, Wood said.

Defense attorney Jim Archibald countered that there was no evidence tying his client to the killings but plenty showing she was a loving, protective mother whose life took a sharp turn when she met her fifth husband, Chad Daybell, and fell for the weird apocalyptic religious claims of a cult leader.

Daybell told her they had been married in several previous lives and she was a sexual goddess who was supposed to help him save the world by gathering 144,000 followers so Jesus could return, Archibald said.

Why cant people escape religious cult figures, why cant they break out, why cant they break away from that mind control? Archibald said. Promises are marvelous to some people even if they sound like stupid gibberish to the rest of us.

Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell are both charged with murder, conspiracy and grand theft in the three killings. Prosecutors say the two worked with Vallow Daybells brother, Alex Cox, to carry out the crimes. Cox died in December 2019 and was never charged.

The two youngest children were receiving Social Security survivor benefits from the earlier deaths of their fathers, and prosecutors say Vallow Daybell continued to collect those checks after the children were killed. Chad Daybell increased Tammy Daybell's life insurance policy, prosecutors said, and Vallow Daybell married him just two weeks after his previous wife was asphyxiated in their home.

Both defendants have pleaded not guilty. Vallow Daybell faces up to life in prison if she is convicted. Chad Daybells trial is still months away.

Vallow Daybell wanted to be unencumbered by obstacles, Wood said, including her children.

The plan that she set in motion must end today in the verdicts you render in this trial, Wood said.

Tylee had her whole life ahead of her, Wood told the jury, when she was killed in September 2019.

Tylee's body was burned beyond recognition. Her body was dismembered in such a grotesque and extreme manner, that the medical examiner couldn't determine the cause of death, Wood said. Marks on her pelvis showed she was stabbed, he said.

JJ Vallow's voice was silenced forever by a strip of duct tape over his mouth, just two weeks later, Wood said. A white plastic bag was placed over his head, and secured with duct tape around and around from his forehead to his chin."

Evidence shows JJ struggled, Wood said, and at one point the boy's arms and legs were bound with duct tape.

He stopped breathing, his heart stopped beating and he died. It was a brutal, horrific murder of a 7-year-old boy with special needs, he said.

Vallow Daybell never reported the kids missing but continued to collect the survivor benefit checks each child was receiving because of the earlier deaths of their fathers, Wood said.

Wood said Tammy Daybell was slain between Oct. 18 and Oct. 20, 2019.

"Tammy Daybell, a loving, active mother of five and a school librarian, was murdered in her own home. She was asphyxiated in her own home, Wood said.

Wood also reviewed the evidence and testimony presented to jurors over the past four weeks and reminded the jurors that under Idaho law, aiding and abetting, such as by helping in the planning of a crime, is the same as a person committing it herself.

At times, the testimony in the case has been heartbreaking  such as when Vallow Daybell's only surviving child, Colby Ryan, accused her of murdering his siblings in a recorded jailhouse phone call.

Other testimony has been strange, such as when Vallow Daybell's former friend Melanie Gibb testified that Vallow Daybell believed people in her life had been taken over by evil spirits and turned into zombies  including her two youngest kids. Four of the people the defendant described as zombies were later killed or shot at, according to the testimony.

It has also been gruesome, such as when law enforcement officers testified about finding JJ and Tylee's remains buried in Chad Daybell's yard. JJ's body had been wrapped in duct tape and plastic, and Tylee's remains had been destroyed and burned with her bones showing evidence of chopping or stabbing marks, the witnesses said. Hair belonging to Vallow Daybell was found on a piece of duct tape used to wrap JJ, a DNA analyst testified.

Vallow Daybell's defense did not call any witnesses, and Vallow Daybell declined to testify. Instead, Archibald asserted that prosecutors had not proven their case, suggesting that there was not enough evidence to find beyond a reasonable doubt that she committed a crime.

Of the 15,000 texts you have in evidence, show me one where Lori is part of that conspiracy, Archibald said in closing arguments.

The case began in July 2019, when Vallow Daybell's then-husband, Charles Vallow, was shot and killed by her brother, Alex Cox, at his home in a Phoenix suburb. Lori and Charles were estranged, and he had filed divorce documents claiming that she believed she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse.

At the time, Cox told police he acted in self-defense, and he was never charged in connection with the death. Cox died later that year of what authorities determined were natural causes. Lori Vallow Daybell was later charged in Arizona in connection with Charles Vallow's death; she has not yet had the opportunity to enter a plea in that case.

According to prosecutors, Vallow Daybell was already in a relationship with Chad Daybell, who was still married to his wife, Tammy Daybell, at the time. She moved to eastern Idaho with her brother and kids to be closer to Chad Daybell.

The children were last seen alive in September of 2019. Police discovered they were missing a month later after an extended family member became worried that she wasnt able to get ahold of JJ. Their bodies were found the following summer.

The case has garnered widespread interest not just in Idaho but around the world, and the judge banned cameras from the courtroom in an effort to limit pretrial publicity. The trial was also moved to the capital city of Boise, where 1,800 potential jurors were called and winnowed to a panel of 18 people.
Fred Astaire, who epitomized Hollywood elegance, dancing in a top hat and tails with Ginger Rogers and other stars, was born in Omaha on May 10, 1899.

Astaire was born Frederick Austerlitz  18 months after his sister, Adele  to an Austrian brewer and a mother who had been trained as a schoolteacher. The family lived in a one-story frame house located at 2326 S. 10th St.

Their father was a beer salesman for Storz Brewing Co., and their mother had ambitions for her two children. She enrolled them in dancing school here in Omaha, and then took them to New York for professional training in 1906. The children's last name was changed to Astaire when they began their dance careers.

As Fred and Adele Astaire, they were prodigies in vaudeville, then grown-up stars on Broadway. When Adele retired to marry an English nobleman, Fred moved into films and formed a sublime partnership with Ginger Rogers. Thereafter, he danced with Rita Hayworth, Eleanor Powell, Cyd Charisse, Leslie Caron, Audrey Hepburn and others, then turned dramatic actor with "On the Beach" in 1959.

He enchanted moviegoers for generations, not only dancing with beautiful co-stars, but also with firecrackers, coat racks and on the ceiling with an ease that made ballet stars envious.

For his part, the lean hoofer who was famous for white tie and tails but hated formal attire was likely to credit producers or his sister, his first dancing partner, with his success.

In his autobiography, "Steps in Time," Astaire wrote that Omaha "was just right for a hometown" and that it "had the flavor, the neighborliness and that smalltown feeling without actually being one." During a 1959 visit, he said he was sorry he hadn't visited his hometown more often.

He died of pneumonia in 1987.

Photos: Fred Astaire through the years 20190512_new_astaire(3) Fred Astaire and his cousins - 1933 A five-year-old Fred Astaire 1923: Fred and Adele 031421-owh-liv-bobmarks-p2.jpg ASTAIRE Fred Astaire with his "best friend" Fred Astaire Fred Astaire and his 17-year-old daughter Ava cm-astaire007 cm-astaire006
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Submitted photo/Michigan State Police Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Submitted photo/Michigan State Police Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Submitted photo/Michigan State Police Show More Show Less 5 of 5









UPDATE: The teen was found safe, according to a Michigan State Police email submitted at 9:28 a.m. on May 11, 2023.

LUDINGTON  Police are seeking the publics help in finding a missing Ludington teen, according to a news release shared by the Michigan State Police Hart Post Thursday morning.
BIG RAPIDS  Following the Mecosta Animal Rescue Coalitions announcement that it would no longer accept cats due to the impending Gotion North America Manufacturing project construction, a representative with the company has responded to the shelter owners concerns.

On May 8, Mecosta Animal Rescue Coalition, at 18400 220th Ave., in Big Rapids, shared the news via a press release which brought response from the area.

In the release, the Animal Rescue Coalition stated that We had hoped that this would not happen since Gotion has performed absolutely no environmental impact studies, despite all the wildlife and wetlands that will be destroyed. But, it appears they will begin bulldozing in July. We are devastated for our community."

A common concern voiced by some opponents to the Gotion facility has been a request for an environmental impact report.

Chuck Thelen, Gotion North America Manufacturing vice president, told the Pioneer that "there is not one single overreaching environmental study that happens for something like this."

You have to meet several different legs of the stool to get authorization, as I mentioned, air quality, water quality, stormwater detention, these types of things. They are all necessary requirements," Thelen explained.

The Animal Rescue Coalition is Mecosta Countys only animal shelter and one of the few in West Michigan that accepted stray cats.

Animal Rescue Coalition Director Cate Arroe said the construction would cause stress to the animals at the shelter and cause the area to be unsafe.

Since the announcement, new information came to light that Gotion had made the Animal Rescue Coalition a cash offer of several times more than market rate for the property and building.

According to John Whetstone, a Gotion public relations representative, Animal Rescue Coalition was made an offer that Gotion would buy it a new property of at least 10 acres. Their current site is 3 to 4 acres, and Whetstone said the Animal Rescue Coalition was made an offer that Gotion would build them a new building.

Thelen told the Pioneer on May 10 that Arroe had neither accepted nor denied the offers at that point.

I cannot disclose all the details to the offer, because that's private and I will not violate her privacy, Thelen said. She (Arroe) currently has a very small piece of property, and she counts on walking her animals into the neighbor's property. She has mentioned that she needs a place to walk the dogs, so we had secured an option on a property that was much larger than what she currently has so that she could take her animals and do what she needs for her rescue coalition and walking the dogs.

We see her complaints in the media in the last couple of weeks, which lends me to believe that she is not accepting our offer, he added. With that, we will not claim any kind of eminent domain. We will not force any sale. That is not who we are. That's not what we're about. If she does not wish to sell, then we completely respect her privacy.

Thelen said the plan will be to fence in the land where construction will be to protect any property owners near the land.

He additionally noted that Gotion is willing to discuss a strategic purchase with Arroe similar to the courtesy purchases of houses within the construction area, but is unsure of Arroes position on negotiating further.

The groundbreaking for the site will depend on the permit submission and approval from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, which typically takes three to five months, according to Thelen.

The first step is to level out all of the locations within the facility, Thelen said. We are currently designing how the pads of the buildings will sit on the property, and once all that work is done, we will hire our architectural engineering and general contracting firms. They will hire local contractors for earthmoving, laying of gas lines, laying of water lines and all these types of things.

Since its inception, Animal Rescue Coalition has taken in over 3,200 dogs and over 1,400 cats and is a no-kill shelter. The Animal Rescue Coalition is contracted by the county to take in dogs but not take in cats and is currently exploring all its options.

Arroe did not respond to the Pioneer's request for comment, but in a post made May 8 on the Animal Rescue Coalition official Facebook page said the challenges that would come if moving were required.

Yes, Gotion is trying to buy our land and has offered to buy us land at another location," the post read. "We have been trying to navigate the changing timeline and changing locations for a few months now. We are hoping that it will work out for us to move but we certainly cannot stay in our current location if the battery plant starts groundbreaking.

"The reason we are not taking cats immediately is that we may be put in a situation where we need to transfer our animals as quickly as possible. It is close to impossible to transfer cats. We are contracted by the county to take dogs so that is why we will continue to take dogs as long as we safely can. We do not consider this to be a safe location for either cats or dogs if the battery plant comes.

At a recent Green Charter Township meeting May 8, safety experts from the research and development facility in Independence, Ohio, visited to speak with local first responders about safety, stressing that safety is always Gotion's top priority.

Thelen said working with the community is important to Gotion and the company would prioritize improving transparency.

Gotion is hoping to have a groundbreaking by the beginning of fall this year.

For past coverage of the proposed Gotion battery component manufacturing plant, visit bit.ly/3NzZkRl.
Michigan residents deceived by TurboTaxs owner Intuit over false claims of free tax service will soon receive checks from a $141 million settlement.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday that the state is getting over $3.5 million for more than 122,000 consumers who were tricked into paying to file their federal tax return, according to a press release.

The multistate settlement was announced in May 2022. Roughly 4.4 million consumers nationwide are slated to receive checks in the mail. Eligible consumers will be contacted by email by the settlement fund administrator, Rust Consulting, according to Nessels office. And will receive a check in the mail automatically, without filing a claim.

Intuit defrauded hard-working taxpayers for no other purpose than to increase its companys profits, Nessel said in the Tuesday release. This settlement should be a warning to all corporations that mislead the public that they will be held accountable for their deception and their professional reputation is likely to suffer.

Checks are expected to be mailed out starting the week of May 15 and will be mailed throughout the month, according to Nessels office. Most consumers should receive between $29 and $30. However, the amount will be based on the number of tax years for which they qualify.

In 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James, with assistance from the attorneys general of Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, announced the $141 million agreement with Intuit for deceiving millions of low-income Americans into paying for tax services that should have been free.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have signed the agreement.

Eligible consumers include those who paid to file their federal tax returns through TurboTax for tax years 2016, 2017 and 2018 but were eligible to file for free through the IRS Free File Program.

More information about the settlement fund is available on the AG Turbo Tax Settlement website.
Michigan State University's Huron County Extension and the Huron County 4-H Leaders Association are hosting their annual garage sale fundraiser starting this week.

In part to support and benefit the local 4-H program, the fifth annual garage sale fundraiser will be held starting this Thursday, May 11 until Saturday, May 13.

"We want to give kids the opportunity to attend different educational programs," said 4-H Program Coordinator at MSUE Patricia Errer.

The upcoming fundraiser helps support a lot of 4-H programs, participants, and other events, including scholarships for graduates and exploration camp participants, local programming, and the ability to offer other educational programming to 4-H members.

"We're always offering educational programs for our 4-H kids," Errer said. "We're very well supported by the community and it's lots of fun."

At the fundraiser event, there will be a wide variety of items to choose from, such as kitchen items, jewelry, home decor, clothing, and much more. All donated items at the garage sale are donated by community members and are all in great condition. The 4-H program will also accept any donations, that can be given to the 4-H council.

In addition, Huron County 4-H has other programs coming in the near future, including the small livestock association clinic, 4-H camps, and other programs going on. More information about those events will be forthcoming.

The fundraiser garage sale will be held on Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will be held at the 4-H building at the fairgrounds in Bad Axe each day.

For more information, contact Huron County 4-H or program coordinator Patricia Errer at errerpat@msu.edu.
NEW YORK (AP)  Donald Trump was ordered Thursday to appear by video at a May 23 hearing in his Manhattan criminal case after a judge this week set rules barring him from using evidence in the case to attack witnesses.

Judge Juan Manuel Merchan scheduled the hybrid hearing  the former president on a TV screen, his lawyers and prosecutors in court  to go over the restrictions with Trump and to make clear that he risks being held in contempt if he violates them.

The case is continuing in state court even as Trump's lawyers seek to have it moved to federal court. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is considering the transfer request, issued an order this week setting paperwork deadlines and a hearing for late June.

Merchan, still in charge while that drama plays out, agreed to instruct Trump on the rules by video, rather than in person, after a prosecutor reminded him last week that bringing Trump to court would present mammoth security and logistical challenges.

Trump's April 4 arraignment, where he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, attracted a crush of media and protesters, involved multiple street closures, extra security screenings and shut down non-Trump court business for an afternoon.

Well setup the camera for Mr. Trump to appear wherever he is at that time and well do it here in the courtroom virtually," Merchan said.

Merchan issued what's known as a protective order on Monday, days after a hearing where he urged Trumps lawyers and prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney's office to reach a compromise regarding the Republican's access to and use of evidence turned over by prosecutors prior to trial. That kind of evidence sharing, called discovery, is routine in criminal cases, and is intended to help ensure a fair trial.

Prosecutors sought the order soon after Trump's arrest, citing what they say is his history of making harassing, embarrassing, and threatening statements about people hes tangled with in legal disputes.

Merchan added Trump's virtual hearing to the court calendar a day after Trump appeared on a CNN forum and offered up a barrage of falsehoods, excuses and insults on a variety of topics, including what he deemed the fake charge" of his criminal case.

Trump, found liable in a $5 million civil court verdict Tuesday for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, argued to CNN that you can't get a fair trial" in New York City. He called Carroll a whack job," characterized her claims that he assaulted her in the 1990s as playing hanky-panky in a dressing room" and denied the allegations as a fake story, made up story." He also criticized the judge in that case as a horrible Clinton-appointed judge.

Merchan's protective order bars Trump and his lawyers from disseminating evidence to third parties or posting it to social media, and it requires that certain, sensitive material shared by prosecutors be kept only by Trump's lawyers, not Trump himself. Trump can review that material with his lawyers, but can't copy or photograph it, the order said.

Merchan, noting Trump's special status as a former president and current candidate, made clear at last week's hearing that the protective order shouldn't be construed as a gag order or a way of preventing Trump from speaking publicly about the case.

Im bending over backwards and straining to make sure that he is given every opportunity possible to advance his candidacy and to be able to speak in furtherance of his candidacy, Merchan said. The last thing I want to do is infringe on his or anybody elses First Amendment rights.

Trump's criminal charges are related to payments his company made to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen. Prosecutors say those payments were intended to reimburse and compensate Cohen for orchestrating hush money payments during the 2016 campaign to bury allegations of extramarital sexual encounters.

Absent a move to federal court, Merchan expects the case to go to trial next February or March, meaning Trump could be stuck in court during next years primaries.

__

Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mikesisak and send confidential tips by visiting https://www.ap.org/tips/
A Connecticut child sex offender is going back to jail for five more years after he was again convicted of possessing child sex abuse materials, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Daniel Cay, 35, of Bristol, was sentenced Wednesday to 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport. He also faces five years of supervision upon his release.

Cay was convicted of violating the terms of his supervised release from a 2014 conviction for possession of child sex abuse material in New York.

Nine days after being released from federal prison in March 2022, probation officers found Cay in possession of "three unauthorized internet-capable devices, including a laptop," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

On the laptop, authorities found "multiple images" of child sex abuse, internet searches for the material, along with a web search for How to remove Bureau of Prisons firmware on a Sandisk Mp3 player," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Cay has been detained since May 11, 2022, officials said.

The sentence marks the latest crime linked to child sexual abuse in Cay's history, according to federal authorities.

In March of 2006, Cay was convicted in Connecticut state court of second-degree sexual assault of a minor. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, along with 10 years of probation for that case.

After he was released, Cay moved to New York where authorities said he failed to register as a sex offender. In 2013, authorities found "hundreds" of child sex abuse images on Cay's tablet.

In May 2014, Cay was sentenced in that case to 10 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release.

Suspected cases of child sexual abuse or exploitation can be reported at www.cybertipline.com
BRIDGEPORT  A Superior Court judge Thursday threw out most of the charges against a city man accused of burning dogs in what he told police was a backyard smoker.

Judge Elizabeth Reid, after reviewing the evidence in the case, said state prosecutors had not presented sufficient evidence to prove David Valle owned the three young dogs whose charred bodies were found in the shed Valle described as a smoker or had set the fire in the smoker.

She granted a motion by Valles lawyer, Ernest LaFollette, to acquit his client of three counts of cruelty to animals and one count each of reckless burning and tampering with evidence.

It was all a misunderstanding, Valle told Hearst Connecticut Media later. Im an avid dog lover I would never kill animals. I didnt do anything wrong.

The judge did allow to stand two counts of cruelty to animals regarding two dogs found alive in Valles yard plus a charge of threatening against firefighters.

The six-member jury was expected to begin deliberating the case on those charges Thursday afternoon.

The 41-year-old Valle had been accused of burning two adult dogs and a puppy in his backyard shed and mistreating two other dogs found alive at the Wayne Street home on Dec. 1, 2020.

City Battalion Fire Chief Scott Boris had testified he discovered the bodies of three dogs in a burning shed when they responded to a call of heavy smoke at Valles home.

Boris said the cinder block shed was nearly engulfed in flames. After firefighters had put out the fire he said they were confronted by Valle who had just pulled up in his car to his home.

He was loud, angry and pretty aggressive. He said he was going to put a bullet into every one of our heads unless we left his yard, Boris testified.

Valle told Hearst he doesnt know how the three dogs got into his smoker or even where they came from.

They werent my dogs and I dont genuinely know where they came from and how they got there, he said.

Taking the witness stand in his own defense on Thursday, Valle told the jury that he had been at a New York Hospital with his wife for a whole week prior to Dec. 1 and came home to find firefighters there.

He denied threatening either Boris or other firefighters.

Not once did I threaten that man, he said.

Animal Control Officer Jennifer Wallace testified Wednesday that when she got to the Valle home on Dec. 1, she noticed that one dog, Sheba, which was loose in the yard was lactating, a sign she had recently had puppies.

Wallace said Sheba was unable to walk and was very thin and another dog, Honey was thin, and her cage was filled with piles of feces. There was no food or water in the cage, Wallace said.

But Valle told the jury that he had left his two dogs in the care of his cousin and his wifes cousin believing they would be well cared for. He said he had given his cousin permission to cook a deer carcass in the smoker while he was away.
Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

CROMWELL  Police say they are investigating after a person's body was discovered in the Connecticut River Wednesday evening.

Cromwell police said they were notified of a "possible body floating in the Connecticut River" shortly before 7 p.m.
A bill that would ban certain health care procedures for transgender youths in Nebraska will come before state lawmakers for its final round of consideration next week.

Speaker John Arch announced Wednesday that lawmakers would debate the measure (LB574) on Tuesday  Day 78 of the 90-day legislative session.

According to Arch, debate on Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauths priority bill prohibiting Nebraskans under the age of 19 from obtaining gender-affirming treatments like puberty blockers, hormone treatments or surgeries will likely take place in the evening hours.

Although LB574 is on final reading, the last step before it would be sent to Gov. Jim Pillen for a signature, an attempt to resurrect an abortion ban to move along with it could mean the bill would need to defeat two more filibusters before it is passed.

On Monday, Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair introduced an amendment to LB574 that would add a provision banning abortions after 12 weeks gestation, while also limiting the scope of Kauths bill to just ban surgeries for those under 19, and tasking the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to regulate puberty blockers and hormone treatment. Patients who have already undergone such treatment prior to the legislation taking effect would be exempt.

Hansens amendment comes a little more than two weeks after a near total abortion ban (LB626) fell one vote short of defeating a second-round filibuster.

To attach Hansens amendment to Kauths bill, a majority of lawmakers would have to vote to return LB574 to select file  second round  for that purpose.

Once on second round, debate over LB574 is expected to go two hours before Kauth can file a motion to invoke cloture. That would require an affirmative vote of 33 senators.

If Kauths cloture motion is successful, a majority of lawmakers could then vote to attach the amendment and advance the bill to final reading once more, where it will need to be laid over for at least 24 hours before it can be considered again.

Arch said the amended LB574 would then get another two hours of debate on final reading, where it would likely need 33 votes to end another filibuster before it can pass.

Meet the Nebraska state senators making laws in 2023
A plan by New York City officials to send some migrants seeking asylum to hotels in northern suburbs was met with fierce resistance by local leaders, leading to a delay in an initial transfer that had been touted for Wednesday even as the city insisted its plans hadn't changed.

Mayor Eric Adams had caused an uproar north of the city by announcing Friday that the city would send north up to 300 single, adult men to two hotels in suburban Rockland County and neighboring Orange County for up to four months. The Democratic mayor's plan comes as the city struggles to deal with a surge of about 60,000 asylum-seekers since last spring, many of whom were bused to the city by out-of-state governors.

New York City officials had intended to move forward with at least part of the plan and send a small number of asylum seekers to Orange County on Wednesday, Adams spokesperson Fabien Levy said in a statement.

But by the end of the day, no migrants had arrived at the hotel, identified by Orange County officials as the Crossroads Hotel in the Town of Newburgh, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of the city.

In another statement, Levy said they were "discussing legal and safety concerns with our state partners, and while we have paused tonight, our plans have not changed.

The administration pledged to provide food and services to the men. But local officials accused Adams of doing the very thing he complained governors were doing to the city: busing out asylum-seekers without properly alerting the municipalities where the people were headed.

It was a sneak attack in the dark of night, Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny said at a news conference Wednesday.

The confrontation comes as cities across the nation prepare for an increase in migrants seeking asylum when a pandemic-era policy that permitted the expulsion of many migrants ends Thursday.

Kenny said her Rockland County town secured a temporary restraining order stopping the Armoni Inn and Suites from taking in asylum-seekers as its lawsuit progresses. That's in addition to emergency declarations in both Rockland and Orange counties designed to block hotels or motels from housing migrants.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day said the county was pursuing its own litigation and that the hotel's operating permit expired April 30.

A call seeking comment was made to the Armoni Inn.

In his initial statement, Levy said , "we need the federal government to step up, but until they do, we need other elected officials around the state and country to do their part."

Levy claimed that Day, a Republican, has failed to show humane and compassionate care. Day said local opposition stems from the city unilaterally pursuing an ill-conceived plan that will strain local resources.

The plan is short-sighted, universally opposed locally and will only endanger the lives of our residents, Day said.

Camille Mackler, the executive director of Immigrant ARC, a coalition of legal service providers, said officials at all levels of government deserved blame for a response she characterized as chaotic and inefficient.

We need to have a better coordinated response," she said, "and one that centers the humanity and dignity of everyone involved instead of continuing to use their lives as political pawns.

The Adams administration has already been using hotels within the city to house some migrants, mainly families with children. Plans to house others at sites  including a cruise ship terminal and a beach parking lot in the Bronx  have been abandoned.

___

Associated Press writer Jake Offenhartz contributed from New York.
Gov. Ned Lamont has three words to describe the stakes of next years presidential election featuring President Joe Biden  though its probably best that he doesnt say one of them out loud.

Re-electing President Biden is a B.F.D, the governor said in a campaign video released on Twitter Wednesday, which featured endorsements from numerous other elected Democrats.

A big, you-know-what deal, in family-friendly parlance.

Lamonts choice of words was possibly an intentional reference to one of Bidens more infamous hot-mic moments during his vice presidency: He was caught uttering the full phrase in 2011 to describe the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

More recently, Biden was caught dropping the f-bomb while meeting with a Florida mayor during a visit to view the damage wrought by Hurricane Ian.

Lamont criticized a group of protesters for hurling the same foul language at President Biden during his trip to Connecticut in 2021, though its worth noting that the event in question was a stop at a daycare center.

You could hear it loud and clear from the playground, Lamont said at the time.

Connecticuts junior U.S. senator, Chris Murphy, also appeared in Tuesdays video with a more benign endorsement, saying Im on Team Biden-Harris.

Four years ago, Lamont was one of the earliest boosters to Bidens then-fledgling campaign in a crowded Democratic field. He was similarly enthusiastic about announcing his support for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris re-election bid, holding a press conference in front of the State Capitol on the afternoon that the campaign was formally launched.

Other Democratic governors who appeared in the video praising the Biden-Harris campaign included New Jerseys Phil Murphy, Illinois J.B. Pritzker, New Mexicos Michelle Lujan Grisham, North Carolinas Roy Cooper, and Californias Gavin Newsom.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Christine Dempsey/Hearst Connecticut Media Group Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Christine Dempsey/Hearst Connecticut Media Group Show More Show Less 3 of 3





HARTFORD  A jury on Wednesday found a city woman responsible for the hit-and-run death of a skateboarder three years ago in West Hartford.

Sharon Esson, 56, was found guilty in state Superior Court in Hartford of evading responsibility, resulting in the death of a person, according to Hartford State's Attorney Sharmese L. Walcott.
Taking on Mussolinis battle fleet

Night action off Cape Matapan, Greece, 28 March 1941, as depicted by Norman Wilkinson.

To Benito Mussolini, the Mediterranean was Mare Nostrum, Our Sea  a term borrowed from the Romans, but reinvented by Italys fascist dictator to mean something akin to Hitlers concept of Lebensraum, or Living Space. And on 10 June 1940  the date on which Mussolini declared war on the Allies  both the Sea and the land surrounding it looked ripe for the taking.

Il Duce (the Leader) had hesitated initially to enter the war, following Nazi Germanys invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939. But now he believed the opportune moment had arrived to implement his so-called Pact of Steel  the formal alliance he had signed with Hitler the previous year, linking the two countries politically and militarily. The astonishing German blitzkrieg in the West, and the resulting evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk, had left France on its knees, while Britain was also facing its darkest hour. Two weeks later  on 22 June  France would be forced to sign an armistice. It seemed as if the war was nearly over, and that Mussolini would soon take his place at the victors table.

With France out of the equation, the Royal Navy found itself outnumbered in the Mediterranean as it was forced to confront the new threat of Mussolinis large battle fleet alone. The region was crucial to the Allied war effort  not least because of the access it provided for vital resources (including oil) arriving via the Suez Canal. With its strong position in the centre, Italy was well-placed not only to disrupt vulnerable British supply routes from its bases in Sicily, the south, and Libya, but also to pursue Mussolinis expansionist ambitions in North Africa. And with the Royal Air Force detained at home to defend against the threat of an imminent German invasion, it was left to the Royal Navy to take the offensive to the Italians at sea.

Fortunately, as we shall see, Britain had as the commander-in-chief of its Mediterranean Fleet perhaps its most gifted admiral since Nelson  a man with a jaw-line like a battleships bow, according to one biographer  who earned the unstinting respect and loyalty of his captains, and whose leadership would prove decisive at a time when Britains resources were stretched to the limit.

For our special this issue, Graham Goodlad analyses the achievements of Admiral Andrew Browne Cunningham, universally known to his peers as ABC. In the first part, he looks at Cunninghams life and career, while in the second he offers a detailed commentary on the battle that is widely regarded as his masterpiece  when he inflicted a serious defeat on the Italian fleet at Cape Matapan, off the southern coast of Greece.

This is an extract from a special feature on Admiral Cunningham from the latest issue of Military History Matters magazine.

Read the full article in the magazine, which you can subscribe to here, or here via an online subscription at The Past website.
AUSTIN, Texas  A U.S. Army sergeant plans to appeal his 25-year prison sentence for fatally shooting an armed man during a Black Lives Matter protest in Texas, and will cooperate with efforts by the state's Republican governor to issue a pardon, his attorney said Wednesday.

Daniel Perry, 36, was convicted of murder in April for killing 28-year-old Garrett Foster during the downtown Austin protest in July 2020.

After three long years were finally getting justice for Garrett, the victim's mother, Sheila Foster, told the court after sentencing Wednesday.

Mr. Perry, I pray to God that one day, he will get rid of all this hate that is in your heart, she said.

Perry attorney Clinton Broden said in a statement that his client would appeal. He called Perry's conviction the product of political prosecution and said the defense team would fully cooperate in the pardon process.

Perrys conviction prompted outrage from prominent conservatives, and Gov. Greg Abbott, citing Texas' Stand Your Ground laws, has said he would sign a pardon once a recommendation from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles hits his desk

The board  which is stacked with Abbott appointees  is reviewing Perrys case on the governors orders, but it is unclear when it will reach a decision.

District Judge Clifford Brown delivered a statement during sentencing that didnt address the potential pardon directly. But he insisted that Perry had a fair and impartial trial and that the jurys decision deserves our honor and it deserves to be respected.

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza said it was Abbott who decided to insert politics in this case.

Garza said hes been in touch with the board and has been assured that prosecutors will be allowed to present a case against a pardon, and that it will include a presentation from Foster's family.

The pardon process is a valuable check on the court system, Broden said.

Those who claim that Governor Abbotts expressed intent is based on politics simply choose to ignore the fact that it was only the political machinations of a rogue district attorney which led to Sgt. Perrys prosecution in the first instance, he said.

Perry was stationed at Fort Hood, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Austin, when the shooting happened. He had just dropped off a ride-share customer and turned onto a street filled with protesters.

Perry said he was trying to get past the crowd and fired his pistol when Foster pointed a rifle at him. Witnesses testified that they did not see Foster raise his weapon, and prosecutors argued that Perry could have driven away without shooting.

Perry said he acted in self-defense. His lawyers asked the judge to consider his more than a decadelong military career and hand down a sentence of no more than 10 years. Army spokesman Bryce Dubee has said Perry is classified as in civilian confinement pending separation from the military.

On Tuesday, prosecutors submitted into evidence dozens of texts and social media posts Perry wrote, shared or liked, including some shockingly racist images. They had been excluded from Perry's trial, but were publicly released after his conviction and allowed into the sentencing phase by Brown.

This man is a loaded gun, ready to go off at any perceived threat, prosecutor Guillermo Gonzalez said, urging Brown to issue a sentence of at least 25 years. Hes going to do it again.

Perry, who is white, was working as a ride-share driver in downtown Austin on July 25, 2020, when he shot and killed Foster, an Air Force veteran. Foster, who was also white, was legally carrying an AK-47 rifle as he participated in the demonstration against police killings and racial injustice, following the death of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer.

Among Perry's statements introduced Tuesday, he wrote on Facebook a month before the shooting: It is official I am a racist because I do not agree with people acting like animals at the zoo.

Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020. A few days later as protests erupted, Perry sent a text message to an acquaintance: I might go to Dallas to shoot looters.

Perry attorney Douglas O'Connell argued that the texts and posts were presented by prosecutors out of context, and that Perry has a right to free speech.

Some of those social media posts are frankly repugnant, O'Connell said, while classifying others as dark humor."

Foster was with his girlfriend, Whitney Mitchell, who is Black and uses a wheelchair, when Perry gunned him down.

Black lives mattered to Garrett, his mother told the courtroom Wednesday. "The love of his life was a Black woman.
A part-time Coastie? The service's top officer has a novel idea for solving the Coast Guard's recruiting woes.

Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan has instructed her workforce management team to consider creative options such as a part-time active-duty employment track, or lateral entry and revolving door policies, to draw new personnel.

When Fagan took the helm of the Coast Guard last June, she said workforce management was her top goal, noting that the service has not met its recruitment goals since 2018. She created a task force to address the issues, as well as assignment and personnel policies.

Read Next: Inside One of the Army's Most Chaotic Brigades

During a forum at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, she floated the idea of the part-time, active-duty option, in which a service member would go through regular training but would be expected to work less than an around-the-clock commitment.

"We're not there yet, but right now you're either on active duty, or you're a civilian, or you're a reservist. Might there be room for some other category? I'm [going to] use the term part-time: You've got some level of benefit, but you're working three days a week instead of the 24/7, 365-day contract that comes in," Fagan said.

The service fell short of its recruiting goals from 2019 to 2021 an average of 20% each year. Fagan said the service had a shortage of 2,000 people in its enlisted ranks when she took office, and that number has continued to grow.

To address this critical shortfall, she created a working group to assess current policies and propose new ideas for drawing new personnel. Among the new initiatives that have been established are new recruiting centers and Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps units, signing bonuses for certain specialties, establishing a cyber rating, and broadening opportunities for established professionals to join the service at higher ranks, or lateral entry.

Regarding lateral entry, Fagan said she could envision a "revolving door" for experts who would move in and out of the service.

"You're an aircraft mechanic, you're fully certified in the civilian community and you have a calling to serve. We bring you in on a contract as an E-5 or E-6 for four years. Maybe you stay, maybe you go back," Fagan said. "Maybe you continue to cross-pollinate."

She added that she could envision this type of mobility in highly technical fields.

Fagan said the ideas are not so far-fetched. Gender was a barrier when she joined the Coast Guard just after the first class of women graduated from the Coast Guard Academy. What, she asked, is serving as a barrier now?

"What else is there that we have not questioned?" Fagan said. "The human capital system that we've operated ... really hasn't changed much since the end of World War II.  The organization is optimized for an 18-year-old right out of high school with no experience to start at the bottom and then grow."

Looking at recruits coming into the Coast Guard Training Center at Cape May, New Jersey, she said she sees personnel with college degrees, certifications and credentials that should be better utilized.

"The mantra that I have given to the workforce team is 'eliminate barriers,'" she said.

Fagan was speaking ahead of a House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing Thursday on the shortage of civilian mariners, as well as Coast Guard recruitment and retention.

Vice Adm. Paul Thomas, deputy commandant for mission support, is expected to testify.

Fagan said Wednesday that the country needs a fully staffed and trained Coast Guard.

"We've got all kinds of exciting things going on with new cutters and aircraft. But if you don't have the people, they're just interesting pieces of steel," Fagan said.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime

Related: Coast Guard's Lack of Health Care Workers Is Hurting Services for Personnel, Families, Watchdog Says
The Navy captain who was in charge of the Fleet Logistics Center Pearl Harbor during the May 2021 Red Hill jet fuel spill is not a target of the U.S. Department of Justice's ongoing criminal investigation into the environmental disaster that affected about 93, 000 people, his attorney told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Capt. Trent C. Kalp, 51, was in charge during the May 2021 fuel leak and was succeeded by Capt. Albert L. Hornyak on Aug. 6, 2021, before the November 2021 spill. Hornyak was removed of his command in April 2022 "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to perform his duties following a series of leadership and oversight failures at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility."

Hornyak raised concerns about the facility's safety in leaked emails obtained by the Star-Advertiser.

Kalp testified before the grand jury Dec. 8 and has not received a target letter from DOJ, according to his attorney, Victor J. Bakke.

"We received a letter requesting his appearance, and we voluntarily appeared, " said Bakke in an interview with the Star-Advertiser. "At this time, to our knowledge, we are not a target of the investigation."

Kalp is currently director of fleet supply.

The report on the spill prepared by the Navy's U.S. Pacific Fleet noted that Kalp removed military oversight of day-to-day operations at Red Hill just a few months prior to the May 2021 leak, causing a "significantly " increased risk at the facility.

It also found that he failed to "identify, mitigate, or directly address these risks, " oversaw an "alarming level of procedural non-compliance, " on May 6, 2021, and demonstrated an overall lack of critical thinking and leadership.

DOJ is in the midst of a federal grand jury investigation into the 2021 Red Hill fuel spill to determine whether criminal charges are warranted.

Civilian and U.S. Department of Defense officials in charge of Red Hill operations during the fuel leaks have been testifying before the panel.

Those officials include civilian contractors working at Red Hill at the time of the spills and Navy commanders like Kalp.

Sherri R. Eng, 56, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command environmental business line leader and Navy Region Hawaii environmental program manager, was also interviewed by the grand jury. Eng did not immediately reply to Star-Advertiser requests for comment.

Special agents with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigation Division and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service have been shepherding witnesses to the panel and supporting the grand jury's investigation for months.

Despite witnesses walking into and out of the U.S. District Courthouse in Honolulu en route to the proceedings and the high-profile nature of the spills that sickened thousands and threatened Oahu's aquifers, federal officials are saying nothing about the criminal probe.

"Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS does not comment on or confirm details relating to ongoing investigations, " Jeff Houston, a spokesperson for NCIS Public Affairs in Washington, D.C., told the Star-Advertiser in a statement.

A spokesperson for the Navy's U.S. Pacific Fleet told the Star-Advertiser in a statement, "It would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing criminal investigation."

The U.S. Department of Justice also declined to discuss the investigation into whether criminal charges are warranted.

"As a general matter, the department will neither confirm nor deny the existence of an ongoing investigation, " said Wyn Hornbuckle, deputy director of DOJ's Office of Public Affairs, in a statement to the Star-Advertiser.

The probe is being led by Krishna S. Dighe, senior counsel with DOJ's Environment and Natural Resources Division, which is tasked with enforcing "the Nation's civil and criminal environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and hazardous waste laws."

The water contamination affected roughly 93, 000 people, mainly military families. For months the state Department of Health issued an advisory that the water was unsafe to drink. Thousands of families relocated to hotel rooms or moved out of their housing as the Navy and regulators worked to make the water safe to drink. The all-clear was declared in March 2022, about four months after the jet fuel contamination was found.

In March 2022, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the department would permanently shut down the Red Hill facility following the disaster. The decision came amid withering pressure from state officials, the Hawaii congressional delegation, protests and extensive community opposition to keeping the under -ground, World War II-era fuel facility in operation.

The management of the Red Hill fuel spills and the disclosures of information have eroded local trust in the Navy. Defueling of the Red Hill facility is projected to be completed in July 2024.------ Star-Advertiser staff writer Kevin Knodell contributed to this report.

___

(c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Visit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser at www.staradvertiser.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
YPRES, Belgium  A World War I soldier finally found his resting place on Wednesday after he went missing at the height of the carnage in 1917 and his remains were found four years ago.

The brutality during the 1914-1918 war was such that hundreds of thousands of soldiers were killed in Belgium's sector on the Western Front but some were never accounted for. They often went missing in muddy fields that were churned over by relentless bombing and fighting.

Pvt. Robert Kenneth Malcolm, a stretcher bearer with the U.K. Royal Army Medical Corps, was buried at the Bedford House Cemetery in Ypres, which is at the heart of Flanders Fields. The battle zone was the scene of some of the worst fighting between allied forces that were largely made up of French and British Commonwealth troops against a force built around German soldiers.

Of all the tens of thousands of soldiers that went missing, it left families with uncertainties for years. Even generations later, there could still be an emptiness.

It is overwhelming for us. Im glad hes had the dignity of a funeral now with all the marvelous support, said Jane Foster, whose great-great-uncle was Malcolm.

She said that such a burial was much more than about just herself.

We do feel its for everybody who has lost somebody and hasnt got a final resting place for them," Foster said.

Malcolms remains were uncovered in 2019 by Belgian authorities, and his boots were stamped with 1917.

His case was solved by the U.K. defense ministry's Defense War Detectives, which seeks to identify remains when they are found and name fallen soldiers from so-called unknown graves when decisive evidence emerges about their identity.

The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the DNA investigation and contributed to the long wait between the discovery and Wednesday's funeral.

Since Malcolm is no longer missing, his name will also be removed from the city's Menin Gate, the memorial in Ypres with the names of more than 54,000 soldiers, whose remains haven't been found, etched into it.
Fort Benning, Georgia, was redesignated as Fort Moore on Thursday, the new name honoring one of the Army's most influential couples.

Fort Moore is the center of the Army's training for new ground combat troops, hosting the basic training schools for infantry, cavalry scouts and tankers. It was renamed after Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife Julia Moore.

The move is part of the Pentagon's ongoing effort to scrub all installations of names honoring Confederates who waged war against the U.S. Fort Moore is one of nine Army bases being renamed. All of the new names honor service members and their families, with the exception of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, which is set to be redesignated Fort Liberty on June 2.

Read Next: Inside One of the Army's Most Chaotic Brigades

Lt. Gen. Moore, a Korean and Vietnam War veteran, is best known for commanding 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, in the legendary Battle of Ia Drang Valley in 1965, which was among the first major engagements of the Vietnam War. The battle was immortalized in the book and movie "We Were Soldiers," and saw the first major use of contemporary air assault tactics, including soldiers being swiftly inserted into battle and the wounded being rescued with helicopters.

The battle set the blueprint for tactics for both sides of the conflict, with the U.S. relying on its air superiority and artillery power and Vietnamese forces seeking to engage Americans at close distances to neutralize that advantage.

The five-day battle led to heavy casualties, with 237 Americans killed and roughly that many wounded. In the aftermath of the battle, Julia Moore pushed for the Army to relook at how it notifies families of battlefield fatalities. Until then, the service would notify families through a telegram, often delivered by a taxi driver.

Julia Moore's lobbying on the issue spurred the force to build a better support network for families, that included fatality notifications to be delivered by a soldier wearing a dress uniform, often from that unit and accompanied by a chaplain, a procedure still in use today. She was also a regular volunteer at the Red Cross and worked at on-base day care centers and hospitals while her husband served. She died in 2004 and was buried at the Fort Moore cemetery. Lt. Gen. Moore is also buried there; he died in 2017.

Fort Moore was originally named after Henry Benning, a Confederate general who was a key player in the South's bid to break away from the Union, waging war against the U.S. largely to preserve the slave trade.

"What was the reason that induced Georgia to take the step of secession? This reason may be summed up in one single proposition. It was a conviction, a deep conviction on the part of Georgia, that a separation from the North was the only thing that could prevent the abolition of her slavery," Benning said in an 1861 speech. "If things are allowed to go on as they are, it is certain that slavery is to be abolished. By the time the North shall have attained the power, the black race will be in a large majority, and then we will have black governors, black legislatures, black juries, black everything."

Lt. Gen. Moore is broadly seen as a trailblazer for equal opportunity in the ranks, at a time when the Army was integrating Black soldiers into what had been exclusively white units. After the Vietnam War, Moore commanded the 7th Infantry Division in South Korea. There, he crafted what was generally considered a precursor to the Army's equal opportunity policy.

"Early on, it was clear to me that many of the race relations problems and perceptions and real cases of discrimination occurred at the small-unit level," Moore said, according to the 2013 biography 'Hal Moore: A Soldier Once  and Always.' "As I checked into that, the other small-unit leadership deficiencies came to light."

Moore went on to establish courses for noncommissioned officers in his division to instill values that soldiers should be treated with dignity, and that taking care of troops is key to an effective fighting force. Those courses were a precursor to the Army's Basic Leader Course, a required three-week course for new NCOs that largely centers on Army personnel policy.

In the 1970s, Moore oversaw Army personnel policy and implemented the service's first major equal opportunity policies. This included having soldiers from racial minority groups serve on officer selection boards, efforts to recruit more Black officers, and various race-relations training programs.

"Each man must be continually provided fair treatment and equal opportunity, within appropriate regulations, to rise to as high a level of responsibility as his talent and diligence will take him," a memo he wrote in the early 1970s said.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: Fort Hood Gets a New Name Honoring a Texas-Born Four-Star General
A proposed $41.8 million bond issue that would have allowed Raymond Central to consolidate into one campus failed to pass Tuesday, once again shutting down efforts to completely centralize the district northwest of Lincoln.

In resounding fashion, voters turned down the proposed bond issue in a mail-only election, rejecting a plan that would have seen the district close elementary schools in Ceresco and Valparaiso in favor of a new K-6 building next to its junior/senior high school.

About 73% of votes cast were opposed to the bond, according to unofficial results from the Saunders County Election Commissioner's Office.

Tuesday at 5 p.m. was the deadline for voters in Butler, Lancaster, Saunders and Seward counties who live in the district to turn in their ballots.

The bond would have paid for a 62,000-square-foot elementary school with a competition gym on Raymond Central's main campus, which is northwest of Lincoln. The district serves about 730 students, including from the surrounding communities of Agnew, Ceresco, Davey, Raymond and Valparaiso.

The bond would have also covered renovations at the high school, targeting classroom space for career and technical education, science and special education and other amenities like a new elevator.

But parents and community members in Ceresco and Valparaiso balked at the plan, arguing that shuttering their village's schools would be detrimental to their respective communities. Organizers even formed a "Save Our Schools" campaign to oppose the bond issue, with signs bearing the slogan popping up around the district.

School officials, however, said the bond was needed to address capacity concerns, transportation issues and aging facilities, pointing to districts like Norris that experienced growth after consolidation.

The bond would have raised the district's tax levy by more than 26 cents per $100 of property valuation, or $536 a year for the owner of a $200,000 house. Ag land is valued at 50% for the purpose of school bonds, according to state law.

The bond resembled past efforts to completely centralize the district, which voters have resoundingly rejected, including in the 1980s and 90s.

Best public elementary schools in Nebraska Best public elementary schools in Nebraska
Read the original article on Business Insider

A fighter jet recently landed aboard the U.S. Navy's oldest-serving aircraft carrier for the 350,000th time, marking a historic achievement for USS Nimitz before the ship's decades of service come to an end.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet from the Strike Fighter Squadron 22 made an arrested landing on the 48-year-old Nimitz on the morning of April 22 as the vessel transited waters in the South China Sea. The jet, a cornerstone of American naval aviation, was piloted by Capt. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the Nimitz, and Cmdr. Luke Edwards, commanding officer of the squadron.

It marked the 350,000th time that a fixed-wing aircraft has landed on the flight deck of the carrier. It's the first time an aircraft carrier in active service has reached this milestone. Aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has recorded 326,600 arrested landings, the next highest total.

"I am honored and humbled to land this historic milestone for our ship," Sicola said in a Navy statement. "I dedicate this landing to the countless naval aviators who have flown before me, and it is a privilege to further the proud tradition of service that this distinguished aircraft carrier embodies."

"To the shipyard maintenance teams who put in countless hours to prepare this warship for sea, to the thousands of dedicated Sailors on board who sacrifice for their country, and to the families back home who support us along the way  'teamwork is a tradition' on Nimitz and we could not have accomplished this mission without the steadfast commitment to this historic ship," he added.

Photographs published by the Navy show the Super Hornet landing on the Nimitz's flight deck, as well as the embrace by the two pilots afterwards. But the Navy said in its statement that a proper celebration had to wait because there were more aircraft that needed to land. So sailors reset the arresting cable and moved the aircraft out of the landing area.

"Mighty Nimitz had to get ready for trap number 350,001," the Navy said.

U.S. Navy Capt. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), front seat, and Cmdr. Luke Edwards, commanding officer of the Fighting Redcocks of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22, make an arrested landing in an F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-22 marking the 350,000th time the carrier has landed a fixed-wing aircraft on its flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Caitlin Flynn)

U.S. Navy Capt. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), front seat, and Cmdr. Luke Edwards, commanding officer of the Fighting Redcocks of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22, make an arrested landing in an F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-22 marking the 350,000th time the carrier has landed a fixed-wing aircraft on its flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Caitlin Flynn)

Capt. Craig Sicola and Cmdr. Luke Edwards shake hands after making the landing. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Calabrese)

Building on the lessons of USS Enterprise, the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier before it, the Nimitz was commissioned in May 1975 and was the first of 10 such vessels in a new class of nuclear-powered supercarriers that has served the U.S. Navy for decades.

The 1,092-foot-long USS Nimitz named after the legendary World War II naval commander Adm. Chester William Nimitz Sr. was one of the largest ships on earth at the time of its commission and saw participation in multiple major military operations involving deployments all over the world.

For instance, the Nimitz has supported operations in Iraq, as well as missions in Afghanistan, and it also played a role in a historic show of force during the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis that, for a time, curbed China's efforts to intimidate Taiwan.

It's time in service, which spans nearly half a century, is drawing to a close though.

Last month, the Navy published a notice that detailed the beginning of plans to scrap the Nimitz. The vessel will be only the second American nuclear-powered ship after the Enterprise slated to be scrapped. The process is expected to be slow and technically challenging given the logistical and safety precautions involved in the process.

The Nimitz was originally expected to leave service in 2025, but it has received a 13-month life extension and will depart the Navy in 2026, USNI News reported. After its last deployment, the ship will head to Huntington Ingalls' Newport News Shipbuilding to start the process of deactivation.

Though Nimitz-class ships remain a prominent presence in the U.S. Navy, the future of the Navy carrier fleet is the new Ford-class aircraft carriers, the first of which just recently set sail on its first full deployment. These new carriers feature a suite of new technologies aimed at giving these new ships an edge over their Nimitz-class predecessors.
The Navy will allow private companies that run many of its on-base housing and barracks buildings to start charging sailors a new, refundable pet deposit, with the Marine Corps saying it will soon follow suit.

According to an administrative memo released Monday, companies that run Public-Private Venture (PPV) military housing will be able to ask for a maximum of $250.00 per pet and up to $500.00 per household with new leases. The memo offered no further detail on pricing or whether there would be a two pet cap.

The move, according to the memo, is being put in place to move Navy housing "in alignment with standard industry practice and other military Services."

Read Next: Troop Paychecks Could Be Delayed if US Defaults, Austin Warns

When asked what was driving the implementation of the fee, Coleen San Nicholas-Perez, a spokeswoman for the Navys commander of installations, told Military.com in an email Thursday that the Pentagon's universal lease for PPV housing allows companies to collect such a fee and that it would encourage all residents to prevent home damages potentially caused by pets.

In the long-term, damage prevention helps to maintain PPV housing for incoming Sailors and families, she added.

A Marine Corps spokesman told Military.com Tuesday that the Marines will have a similar policy coming out soon.

At the moment, the Navy says that there are no bases that have implemented the new pet deposit but, starting June 1 PPV companies can submit proposals to include them in new leases.

The Monday memo notes that sailors who currently have signed leases will not have to pay a deposit. The private housing companies "will be expected to identify pet damage charges separately" and cannot use the pet deposit toward non-pet damages.

However, the policy does leave refunding the deposit to "the discretion of the individual PPV military family housing partner."

If a Sailor has any questions or concerns about possible damage charges, they can contact their local Navy [housing service center] and ask them to attend the move-out inspection, San Nicholas-Perez said.

Meanwhile, several base housing companies continue to generate headlines about the poor conditions that service members endure, often at the cost of their health and safety.

Balfour Beatty, a company that runs more than 8,600 Navy homes, including those at several major Navy bases in Florida, was the target of a Senate investigation last year that found its management practices "put military families' health and safety at risk."

In 2021, the Justice Department ordered the company to pay more than $65.4 million in fines and restitution after it was found guilty of fraud and manipulating maintenance records over seven years in order to obtain performance bonuses as a housing management contractor.

The move also comes at a time when some bases in places like Key West are already experiencing problems offering affordable housing.

San Nicholas-Perez said that the Navy is keenly aware of the increased financial pressures on service members across all Services but added that Navy PPV housing still remains more affordable than comparable homes out in town and a refundable pet deposit ensures those homes can continue to be maintained at a high quality, without penalizing responsible pet owners.

In a report issued in April, a government watchdog found that the Pentagon still has issues with providing suitable, well-maintained housing for service members and their families.

The department, according to the Government Accountability Office, still has work to do in holding companies accountable and providing oversight.

"Although each of the military departments is conducting these inspections as required, DoD has not developed clear or consistent inspection standards and the military departments have not provided adequate inspector training," the report said.

-- Patricia Kime contributed to this report.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: Last Year, Sailors at Key West Were Struggling to Find a Place to Live. They Still Are.
When Kate Needham received five subpoenas from attorneys representing Balfour Beatty Communities, her heart sank.

The company, which manages roughly 43,000 homes for the Department of Defense, demanded copies of all correspondence between her organization, Armed Forces Housing Advocates, and anyone with whom AFHA had discussed Balfour Beatty -- part of the discovery process in lawsuits brought against the company by 20 military families who allege they were harmed by the housing conditions in their Balfour Beatty-built homes.

The subpoenas not only asked for all emails, texts, transcripts, recordings, minutes, agendas or any other items with the 20 families or pertaining to Balfour Beatty, they wanted all correspondence with anyone who had ever asked about the company, as well as anyone who spoke with AFHA about housing at Fort Bliss or Tinker, Sheppard and Lackland Air Force bases, including the media and other third parties.

Read Next: Arlington Horses Are Getting Improvements After Deaths. But Other Army Animals Also Face Poor Conditions, Review Found.

"They weren't just asking for the family's information who was suing them. They were asking for all communications with any third party right off the bat," said Needham, AFHA's executive director. "Privacy has always been our priority. Families have come to us, and we didn't want that confidence to be betrayed."

The request, according to Needham, would have financially sunk the all-volunteer group, which operates on thin margins. AFHA has legal representation, thanks to "generous donors" and "generous attorneys," according to Needham.

But she and AFHA Chairwoman Rachel Christian were "prepared to whip out their credit cards" to ensure that the advocacy organization could fight the request and remain operable. It also could have imperiled their work helping families combat substandard housing as some of the tips they receive and other correspondence meant to be anonymous would have been swept up in the subpoena.

Military.com contacted AFHA in March after hearing about the subpoenas, but did not receive a response. At the time the organization was under a gag-order not to discuss the details of legal proceedings.

AFHA officials issued a press release April 19, after the gag order was lifted, saying the subpoenas appeared to be "designed to harass AFHA, drain their resources and distract from their core mission of protecting military families from abusive landlords."

That same day, Military.com contacted the company requesting comment on the accusations. Balfour Beatty officials said such subpoenas are "customary in litigation."

"As part of the discovery process, the plaintiffs testified that AFHA has relevant information related to their claims. ... A subpoena was issued requiring AFHA to share that information," the company said in a statement. "AFHA's lawyer has not objected to the scope of the subpoena or said that a response would be unduly burdensome."

Earlier this month, Balfour Beatty's attorneys withdrew the subpoenas.

"We had asked for an extension, and that date was coming up. Their legal team told our legal team they were withdrawing them without explanation," Needham said in an interview Wednesday.

Balfour Beatty provides housing to 150,000 families in 26 states, one of several private companies that manage housing for the Defense Department under public-private partnership agreements.

Systemic issues with on-base housing came to light following a series of news reports by Reuters in 2018 that found poor housing conditions including mold, vermin and pest infestations, shoddy maintenance and dangerous wiring in hundreds of homes.

The reports and subsequent congressional hearings led to widespread inspections and attempts at reform, to include introduction of a tenant bill of rights designed to give military families more leverage in negotiating with the private management companies and ensuring better oversight by the military services.

Balfour Beatty and other companies have also been the target of lawsuits by military families over poor housing conditions. Balfour Beatty itself was the target of a congressional investigation that found the company's management practices "put military families' health and safety at risk," according to a Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report published last year.

The Justice Department also ordered the company to pay $65.4 million in fines and restitution in 2021 after being found guilty of fraud, having manipulated maintenance records from 2013 to 2019 to obtain performance bonuses as a housing management contractor.

In a statement provided to Military.com, Balfour Beatty executives said the company is "totally committed to the health, safety and well-being of our residents."

"We continue to invest in people and resources to offer the best possible living experience for the men and women who serve our country," officials wrote.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., continues to press the company to make improvements based on conditions at Fort Gordon, Georgia, after families say they still struggle with mold and other maintenance issues in their homes.

"I will sustain my oversight to hold Balfour Beatty accountable and ensure they provide only safe, healthy housing for service members and their families," Ossoff said in a hearing April 18.

In early April, the Government Accountability Office said that the DoD continues to struggle to provide suitable, well-maintained housing for service members and their families, and it urged the department to institute a formal dispute resolution process for residents.

The department, according to the GAO, still has work to do to improve oversight, hold the companies accountable and manage inspections.

"Although each of the military departments is conducting these inspections as required, DoD has not developed clear or consistent inspection standards and the military departments have not provided adequate inspector training," GAO analysts wrote.

"By addressing these implementation weaknesses, DoD could enable personnel to more effectively perform their duties, reduce residents' confusion and frustration, and more fully meet the congressional intent of improving the privatized housing program," they said.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Related: 'They're Not Able to Cover Their Rent': Housing Top Concern as Congressional Panel on Military Life Starts Work
WORCESTER, Mass. -- A second detention hearing for accused military leaker Jack Teixeira in U.S. District Court has been canceled.

The cancellation of Thursday's scheduled hearing follows a hotly anticipated hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy, who heard arguments over Teixeira's potential pretrial release on April 27.

A new date has not been set.

Teixeira, 21, of North Dighton, is a U.S. Air National Guardsman who got into hot water after allegedly sharing top-secret documents about the war in Ukraine on Discord, a social media platform popular among video gamers that he accessed while employed at the Otis Air National Guard Base.

Beyond that, federal investigators allegedly unearthed online evidence that appeared to show Teixeira had a fascination with mass shootings and global violence.

Teixeira was arrested and charged in April under the Espionage Act and faces up to 25 years in prison, with the potential for a death penalty charge.

Among other alleged threats he made online, he said this in a social media post, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini: "If I had my way I'd kill a f--- ton of people."

Prosecutors have argued to keep Teixeira behind bars pending trial, saying he is too dangerous to be released. Defense attorneys countered Teixeira's alleged transgressions are a product of immaturity.

 2023 Advance Local Media LLC.

Visit masslive.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Paychecks for service members would be disrupted if the United States defaults on its debts, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Thursday.

"What it would mean realistically for us is that we won't, in some cases, be able to pay our troops with any degree of predictability," Austin testified at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. "And that predictability is really, really important for us. But this would have a real impact on the pockets of our troops and our civilians."

Austin's comments come as a deadline to raise what's known as the debt ceiling rapidly approaches, while talks between congressional leaders and the White House to avoid a default fail to make progress.

Read Next: Air Force Two-Star Fired Amid Misconduct Investigation

The debt ceiling or debt limit is the amount of money the Treasury Department can borrow in order to pay for spending Congress has already approved through the annual appropriations process.

The Treasury Department has warned that it could hit the debt ceiling as soon as June 1.

Republicans have been demanding spending cuts in exchange for lifting the ceiling, but the White House and Democrats have insisted the ceiling should be raised immediately to avoid a default and that any talks of spending cuts should be handled separately.

After a meeting at the White House on Tuesday between President Joe Biden and the top four congressional leaders, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he "didn't see any new movement" on bridging the gap, while Biden called the talks "productive." Staff-level talks have continued since Tuesday, and Biden and congressional leaders are expected to meet at the White House again Friday.

Because a default in modern times is unprecedented, experts have said the exact effect on government payments, such as how long troop paychecks would be delayed, is hard to predict and would largely depend on how the Treasury Department decides to try to keep paying U.S. bills. The Treasury could choose to prioritize certain payments, something officials have suggested is not a realistic idea, or it could wait until it has enough cash in hand to make a full day's worth of payments.

About $4 billion in military salaries are due to be paid out on June 15 and could be affected if the United States defaults before then, according to an analysis released this week by the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Apart from the effects on service members, Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley also argued that a default would be exploited by U.S. adversaries such as China and damage the reputation of the United States on the international stage. Their message echoes a similar warning Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines delivered last week at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

"China right now describes us in their open speeches, etc., as a declining power," Milley said at Thursday's hearing. "Defaulting on the debt will only reinforce that thought and embolden China and increase risk to the United States."

-- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel.

Related: Veterans Health Care and Benefits Become Flash Points in Debate over Debt Ceiling and Spending Cuts
CAPE TOWN, South Africa  The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons to Russia via a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town for three days in December. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation was underway.

Ambassador Reuben Brigety said the U.S. was certain that weapons were loaded onto the vessel at the Simon's Town naval base and then transported to Russia, according to reports of his comments carried by multiple South African news outlets.

Ramaphosa was in Cape Town answering questions in Parliament when news of Brigety's comments broke. When a lawmaker asked about the weapons, the president replied that the matter is being looked into, and in time we will be able to speak about it.

Ramaphosa declined to comment further, citing the need for an investigation to play out.

The leader of the political opposition, John Steenhuisen, asked the president if South Africa was actively arming Russian soldiers who are murdering and maiming innocent people?

Steenhuisen also asked if Ramaphosa could confirm that weapons of war were loaded onto the Russian ship in Simon's Town, The lawmaker identified the vessel as the Lady R, a Russian-flagged cargo ship.

Brigety said earlier Thursday that South Africa's alleged arming of Russia during its invasion of Ukraine was extremely serious and called into question South Africa's supposed neutral stance in the conflict.

Among the things we (the U.S.) noted was the docking of the cargo ship in the Simons Town Naval Base between the 6th and 8th December 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel in Simons Town as it made its way back to Russia, Brigety was quoted as saying to reporters during a news conference in the South African capital, Pretoria.

Steenhuisen's party, the Democratic Alliance, raised questions earlier this year about a mystery Russian vessel making a stop at the Simon's Town base.

At the time, the South African government didn't comment publicly on the alleged incident, saying it needed to gather information. In late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship appeared to be handling an old order for ammunition, and she indicated that arms were offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.

The South African government, a key partner for the U.S. in Africa, has stated numerous times it has a neutral position on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully.

But recent displays of its closeness to Russia opened Africa's most developed country to accusations that it has effectively taken Russia's side.

South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for talks in January, around a month after the alleged visit by the Lady R, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.

Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast. The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navy's flagship vessels.

The South African navy also took part in the drills and characterized them as exercises that would "strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China."

South Africa's decision to stage those naval drills in February, which coincided with the one-year anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, raised serious concerns for the U.S., Brigety was quoted as saying Thursday.

At the time of the drills, the South African armed forces said they were planned years ago before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

South Africa also faces a diplomatic dilemma over a possible visit this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes involving the abductions of children from Ukraine.

Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a meeting of leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, which is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

South Africa is a signatory to the international war crimes court and therefore obliged to arrest Putin. But the government has indicated it will not detain the Russian leader and has threatened to leave the ICC instead.

South Africa's ruling African National Congress Party, which is led by Ramaphosa, sent a delegation to Moscow last month and spoke of strengthening ties with Russia, further straining the country's relationship with the U.S.

___

AP writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
At a time when the Biden administration has its hands full trying to reverse Russia's invasion of Ukraine and manage a U.S.-China relationship stuck in the doldrums, America's vast, lethal counterterrorism machine continues to be in high gear.

The U.S. intelligence community, in close partnership with America's special operators, are tracking and hunting down terrorists in several countries -- Syria and Somalia, most especially -- with such regularity that it barely makes a dent in the news cycle anymore.

You can be forgiven for thinking the decades-long war on terrorism was declared officially over the moment the Biden administration withdrew U.S. troops from Afghanistan in August 2021. President Joe Biden seemed to indicate just that a month later when he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

"I stand here today, for the first time in 20 years, with the United States not at war," Biden said during his first speech to the world body. "We've turned the page."

If that were indeed the case, then it would be an accomplishment worth bragging about. Yet 20 months after Biden delivered that address, it's clear that the war on terrorism sparked by the 9/11 attacks is still very much alive. The big difference between now and then is how the U.S. is waging this stage of the war: quietly and discreetly.

While the radio silence isn't totally surprising, it's still a bit mysterious. It's not as if U.S. troops aren't on the ground, exposed to the elements. Roughly 2,500 U.S. troops remain deployed in Iraq, nearly 5  years after the Iraqi government formally declared the war against the Islamic State group's territorial caliphate.

Almost 1,000 U.S. troops remain stationed in eastern Syria, where they occupy a series of small bases that are frequently harassed by Iranian-backed militias. (It should be noted that Islamic State lost its last stretch of land in Syria more than four years ago.)

Almost 500 U.S. forces are in Somalia, a country that has been in a state of continuous civil war since the early 1990s and whose government finds it difficult to extend its remit beyond the capital city of Mogadishu.

According to U.S. Central Command's own statistics, there have been 119 operations in Iraq alone so far this year. A significant amount of U.S. military activity is occurring across the border in Syria as well -- and unlike in Iraq, U.S. forces there often operate unilaterally.

The operations are too numerous to cite in a single column, but some of the more noteworthy ones include: a Jan. 18 helicopter raid in northeast Syria targeting an Islamic State facilitator; a Feb. 17 helicopter raid that killed Hamza al-Homsi, a senior Islamic State leader (four U.S. military members were wounded as well); an April 4 drone strike against another Islamic State leader in Syria; an April 8 operation that captured Islamic State attack facilitator Hudayfah al Yemeni; and a drone strike last week that neutralized a senior al-Qaida leader in Idlib province.

The U.S. has been quite active in Somalia, too, mainly through the air. Unlike in Syria, where the central government has wrested back control of most of the country's territory, Somalia resembles a backwater in the Horn of Africa whose authorities are largely propped up by an African Union peacekeeping mission. Al-Shabaab, the al-Qaida affiliate, controls much of central and southern Somalia, where the Somali government's overworked Danab counterterrorism unit (trained, mentored and financed by the U.S.) seeks to kill or capture the group's leadership and retake ground.

The U.S. isn't so much fighting a counterterrorism battle in Somalia as much as a counterinsurgency campaign, aiding and abetting the Somali government's war against an extremist insurgency whose main objective is to rule the entire country.

In Syria, the U.S. tends to focus on individuals. In Somalia, however, the U.S. targets entire groups of insurgents who try to overrun Somali military bases or checkpoints. The aim isn't to capture or kill terrorists threatening the U.S. but rather to support the Somali government as it tries to defeat, or at least hold off, a 17-year insurgency that shows no signs of losing steam.

Most U.S. military operations in Somalia are close-air support missions directly assisting Somali forces on the ground. The result often involves higher casualty rates for the opposing forces.

In January, the U.S. struck a large al-Shabaab formation that was trying to capture a Somali army base about 160 miles from Mogadishu, killing 30. On Feb. 10, the U.S. conducted a similar strike against yet another column of al-Shabaab fighters to assist the Somali army's ground campaign, wiping out 12 insurgents in the process.

Several days later, yet another U.S. air attack in support of the Somali government killed five insurgents. Based on news releases from U.S. Africa Command, the most recent U.S. strike in the country occurred in March.

The point here is not to regurgitate each and every U.S. military operation that happens halfway around the world. There are too many to count, and after a while, all the strikes start to look similar.

The point, rather, is to underscore that the U.S. is still very much a country at war, notwithstanding what U.S. political leaders claim in speeches. The conventional view that the U.S. has moved on from the terrorism and counterinsurgency wars of the past to focus on a renewed era of great power competition is simply inaccurate. The reality is the U.S. is trying to do it all.

It's no wonder why the U.S. defense budget is mindlessly approaching the trillion-dollar mark.

Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a foreign affairs columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

 2023 Chicago Tribune.

Visit at chicagotribune.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
When Greg Cope White first visited a Marine Corps recruiter in 1979, he had what was then a disqualifying secret: He was (and still is) a homosexual man. Back then, that fact was still a closely guarded secret. The U.S. military faced a number of high-profile lawsuits from those accused of homosexuality who were forcibly drummed out, often given an "undesirable" discharge.

While he was serving, the Department of Defense codified the regulation that homosexuality was "incompatible with military service." That rule came in 1982, but White spent six years in the Corps as a communications specialist anyway, earning a meritorious promotion and leaving with an honorable discharge.

He credits the Marine Corps and its camaraderie with instilling in him the self-confidence to do what he does today.

Today, he's a film and television screenwriter whose credits include the HBO series "Dream On," as well as films produced by Fox, Disney and others. He also wrote a memoir of his time serving in the Marines as a gay man, called "The Pink Marine: One Boy's Journey Through Boot Camp to Manhood."

Netflix purchased the rights to develop Cope's book for the screen in 2021. Variety reports the streaming service just ordered 10 episodes of a new series, produced by TV legend Norman Lear ("All in the Family," "The Jeffersons"), inspired by the book, rather than a direct adaptation.

Called "The Corps," the show centers on Cameron Cope, "a bullied, gay high school student who joins the Marines with his straight best friend, Ray -- a dangerous move when being gay in the military meant jail time or worse. As these two friends plunge into Marine Corps boot camp, where the landmines are both literal and metaphorical, they join a platoon of young men on a harrowing journey of transformation."

Actor Miles Heizer ("13 Reasons Why") stars as Cope, "a charming underdog -- a gay, bullied teenager living in a chaotic home with his narcissistic mom -- he impulsively joins the Marines with his straight best friend in hopes that he'll finally be made into a 'real man.'"

Vera Farmiga ("The Departed") will play his mother, Barbara, and Liam Oh will portray his friend Ray McCaffey, the son of a Marine Corps veteran. Max Parker ("Vampire Academy") was cast as Sgt. Sullivan, a decorated Recon Marine with secrets of his own, who will try to prepare Cope for "the same personal war he'll face beyond boot camp."

"The Corps" takes place in 1990, three years before the administration of President Bill Clinton would enact the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Often called DADT, the policy barred openly gay, lesbian or bisexual people from serving, but also prohibited discriminating against closeted individuals.

In practice, however, the anti-discrimination part of the policy was ignored. Anti-homosexual bias and harassment were rampant in the armed forces, and DADT was not implemented as promised or intended. President Clinton was eventually forced to admit the policy was a failure.

DADT was repealed in 2010.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on LinkedIn.

Keep Up With the Best in Military Entertainment

Whether you're looking for news and entertainment, thinking of joining the military or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to the Military.com newsletter to have military news, updates and resources delivered straight to your inbox.
Behold the mighty huckleberry.

Its now Montanas official state fruit.

Gov. Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 880 into law Wednesday to designate the huckleberry as the official fruit of Montana. It was a result of students at Vaughn Elementary School who pitched him on the need for bill.

Gianforte credited the students for bringing the huckleberry bill to fruition.

Whether you like them in jam, pancakes, or picked fresh off the bush, huckleberries are a Montana staple, he said in a news release.

The signing ceremony took place in the Vaughn Elementary School gym, with students, parents and teachers in attendance. The students on the Cascade County campus worked with Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway, R-Great Falls, to bring HB 880 before the Legislature.

The fourth-grade class testified on the bill before the Montana House of Representatives, and the fifth-grade class before the state Senate.

You might like Flathead cherries but they arent native to Montana. I think you definitely should sign the bill, one fourth-grade student said, according to a news release from the governor's office.

Sheldon-Galloway, who grew up in Vaughn, celebrated the students efforts.

It is an honor to have the school represented today, my alma matter, and its been great to see all their hard work, Rep. Sheldon-Galloway said.

According to destinationmissoula.org, the huckleberry is a fruit native to the northwest that can be found in Montana as well as Idaho, Wyoming and Washington.

This small berry grows on mountainous bushes and is smaller than a blueberry, and darker in color as well, the website states. The darker the berry the sweeter: the red berries will be tarter and the dark purples will be sweet and juicy.

They note huckleberries are only found in the wild and have never been cultivated. The bushes cannot be transplanted and therefore the only way to enjoy hucks is to pick them, or purchase from someone who has. For this reason, huckleberries are more expensive than other berries, but trust us when we say that it is worth it.

It already has company in its lofty perch:

The Montana state flower is the Bitterroot, the state bird is the Western Meadowlark, the state animal is the Grizzly Bear, the state fish is the blackspotted cutthroat trout, state gemstones are sapphire and agate and the state soil is Scobey soil.

Montana is not alone in holding the huckleberry in such high esteem. Idaho adopted huckleberries as its state fruit in 2000.
EAST JORDAN, MI  Police in Northern Michigan have arrested a man wanted for a 2011 murder in Las Vegas.

According to the East Jordan Police Department, the arrest was made following a stop for a traffic violation on Maple Street near State Street on Monday.

A routine check of the mans drivers license revealed he had an outstanding arrest warrant for a slew of charges in Las Vegas.

Charges include murder with a deadly weapon, accessory to murder, first degree kidnapping with a deadly weapon, conspire to commit kidnapping, robbery with a deadly weapon, conspire to commit robbery, destroying evidence, possession of substance with intent to sell, conspire to violate controlled substance act, transporting a controlled substance and grand larceny.

You never know if they [are] wanted or just somebody coming home from the store, you know, minding their own business, Chief George Lasater told UpNorthLive. So, its always important to be aware of your surroundings.

The suspect was arrested and lodged in the Charlevoix County Jail. He is awaiting the extradition process.

The man was not identified by name, pending arraignment.

Officers were assisted at the scene by the Charlevoix County Sheriffs Office and the Michigan State Police.
Wells Fargo is closing 17 more bank branches in 12 states, according to a weekly bulletin from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

According to the bulletin, the states where the branches are expected shutter are in Arizona, Georgia, Washington, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah, Nevada, Connecticut, Virginia, Texas and New Jersey.

According to agency guidelines, banks are required to give at least 90 days notice before closing down a branch. Because the banks announced these branch closures at the end of April, the soonest they could close is late July.

Wells Fargo has announced about 100 branch closures nationwide since February. You can find them listed here.

Wells Fargo is not the only bank planning to close branches nationwide and in New Jersey. PNC Bank recently announced it would close two branches in Stop & Shop locations in New Jersey.
The Michigan Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal concerning a judges ruling that blocked county prosecutors from enforcing the states 1931 abortion ban, because changes in state law over past year have rendered the dispute meaningless.

After Planned Parenthood of Michigan filed a lawsuit last spring arguing that the 1931 abortion ban was unconstitutional, the Court of Claims granted a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of the ban.

Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker and Jackson County Prosecutor Jerard Jarzynka appealed, arguing that the injunction applied to Attorney General Dana Nessel and state officers but not to county prosecutors.

The state Court of Appeals sided with Jarzynka and Becker in August. Planned Parenthood appealed two days later.

But, in November, voters passed Proposal 3 by a solid margin, adding a broad right to reproductive freedom to the states constitution.

And, with new majorities in both houses of the state legislature, Democrats repealed the 1931 abortion ban last month, leaving nothing for the parties to dispute.

The courts order rejecting the appeal was just a few sentences long, but Justice David Viviano issued his own 15-page concurring opinion, castigating the Court of Claims for its apparent eagerness to issue a preliminary injunction in a seemingly unripe case without adverse parties, its willingness to sidestep binding Court of Appeals caselaw, and its attempt to bind nonparties to its ruling give rise to many troubling questions.

That it did so in a case involving perhaps the most politically fraught issue to come before the courts, abortion, only heightens those concerns, said Viviano, a Republican nominee who will face reelection in 2024.

Mark Brewer, one of the attorneys for Planned Parenthood and a former head of the Michigan Democratic Party, said Vivanos criticisms had no merit

This is similar to what happened in the fall of 22, when he tried to keep Prop 3 off the ballot, Brewer said. He lost that fight 5 to 2.

Editors note: An earlier version of this story included an incorrect year in a quote from Mark Brewer. The correct year is 2022.
Missoulian Jason Fellin was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2002. The 46-year-old father to a 5-year-old son hopes a kidney transplant will prolong his life and give him many more years with his family. But in Montana, where there are no transplant centers, the prospects for transplants can be grim.

Just thinking about being there for him as he gets older, thats the main motivator, Fellin said.

Montanas lack of transplant centers makes life difficult for patients like Fellin in a variety of ways. If he finds a living donor, Fellin would travel to the University of Washington Transplant Center in Seattle for his procedure. The nature of the surgery would require Fellin to stay in Seattle for two to three months.

Fellin said he feels fortunate to have the resources to be able to commit to that time frame, but he realizes many other patients dont have that luxury.

It certainly complicates it, he said. I think it is (hard) for a lot of people.

Luckily for Fellin, his donor wouldnt need to spend the same amount of time in Seattle. But traveling there to donate a kidney would still be a necessary step in the donation process.

Its an extra barrier, he said.

Finding that potential donor is also hard. In a more populated area, Fellin explained, patients in need of organ donations tend to have more opportunities. In Montana, the pool of possible donors is smaller.

Theres people in the pipeline, he said, adding hes hopeful one of those individuals will be a good candidate to donate a kidney. But the entire process takes about six months with physical and mental screenings.

Theres quite a bit of hoops that they have to go through, he noted.

There are 104,234 people currently waiting for an organ donor throughout the U.S., according to the Health Resources & Services Administration. Almost 90,000 of those await a kidney, the most sought-after organ.

Nonetheless, its important for Fellin to try to find a living donor, because the chances of a successful transplant are much higher than using a deceased persons organ. Kidneys from living donors typically last twice as long as the alternative. In addition, to receive a deceased persons organ, a patients organ function has to drop below a certain level. While Fellin is on the list for a deceased donation, he continues to search far and wide for a living donor.

The need for a new kidney was a relatively recent development in Fellins life. Even though he was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy two decades ago, he said he was fortunate to maintain his kidney function for many years.

It wasnt until 2016 when his kidney started to decline. In fall 2022, that decline sped up precipitously. Fellin started dialysis and began the search for a donor.

You can live on dialysis, he explained, but he added the treatment takes a toll on his body. It impacts longevity and quality of life. One of the main effects is a lack of energy, which makes it hard to care for his young child.

Im not able to give him my full attention, he lamented. Fellin, who works at the Missoula tech company OnX, added that he doesnt have the energy for any hobbies.

Even if he finds a donor, Fellin acknowledged, some of the perils of his condition could persist. Theres no guarantee the kidney will work in his body, although he said medicine surrounding rejection has improved over the years. But beyond his kidney function, Fellin also has concerns about the mental impact of his disease.

For a patient with a chronic condition like Fellins, doctors appointments always carry an added sense of anxiety.

Fellin acknowledged that feeling is a fact of life for just about everyone. The uncertainty  of his kidney function, of needing multiple transplants, of his time with his son  is something that bothers Fellin the most.

Its just constant, he said. its certainly heightened living with a disease like this.

Fellins website can be found at dancingkidneys.com.
A number of Michigan universities are featured in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings for best medical schools across the nation for both research and primary care education.

The methodology for research schools weighed total research activity, including federal and National Institute of Health grants produced. The primary care rankings weighed graduates who earned residencies. Both rankings also looked at peer assessment, MCAT scores and faculty resources.

The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor topped the states medical research institutions, ranking No. 13 in the nation. The school garnered about $474 million in federal research grants and $476 million in NIH grants from 2020-21.

The Ann Arbor universitys medical school pulled out of the U.S. News and World Report rankings in January, pledging not to provide data to prioritize other measures of success. The rankings still included the university, as it drops schools that do not provide data after two years.

Read more: University of Michigan Medical School pulls out of U.S. News rankings

The next best research university in the state in the rankings is Wayne State University in Detroit at No. 71 overall. It gained $74 million in federal grants and $97 million in NIH grants.

The other Michigan university in the top-100 is the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine at No. 88. The East Lansing universitys College of Osteopathic Medicine ranked No. 111.

The University of Michigan, Wayne State and Michigan State collaborate in research through the University Research Corridor organization.

UM-Ann Arbor ranked No. 26 overall in primary care education. Michigan States Broad College ranked No. 46 overall, while the College of Osteopathic Medicine ranked No. 71.

Wayne State rounded out the top-100 for primary care education at No. 88 overall.

Read more from MLive:

These Michigan universities have the best nursing schools, U.S. News ranking says

These Michigan universities have the best business schools, U.S. News ranking says

These 3 Michigan engineering schools rank in the top-100 nationally, U.S. News says
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- A recent threat against Saline High School has been found not to be credible, police say.

Saline High School in Pittsfield Township closed on Thursday, May 11, after a threat against specific students was reported the day before. The threat has been deemed to not be credible, police said in a statement on Thursday.

Police did not clarify if a suspect had been identified and did not return a request for comment.

Pittsfield Township police and school administration became aware of threats made against Saline High School on Wednesday, May 10. The threat referenced Friday, May 12, and noted specific students.

Students who were identified in the threat and their families were contacted and provided relevant information related to the incident, Saline High School Principal Theresa Stager previously told MLive/The Ann Arbor News.

The incident was different in nature from a separate threat investigated on Tuesday, May 9, she said.

Pittsfield Township Director of Public Safety Matt Harshberger previously told MLive/The Ann Arbor News that the threat had involved a list of names.

School officials did not return a request for comment.

Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter.

Read more from The Ann Arbor News:

Man, 55, injured in crash with farm tractor in Washtenaw County

Mid-Michigan company recalls ready-to-eat pork rinds produced without federal inspection

Ex-gymnastics coach accused of sexually assaulting children in Kent County
YPSILANTI, MI - Stuti Goel and other Indian students at Eastern Michigan University felt waves of emotions when news broke that alumna Aishwarya Thatikonda was killed in May 6 Dallas-area mall shooting.

Heartbreak. Disbelief. Sadness. Fear. Indian students at the Ypsilanti university have shared experiences, Goel said. They left their families back home to live in a new country.

It did hit hard, Goel said. (It had me) thinking about home and why were here.

She, other international students and university officials gathered Wednesday, May 10, for a remembrance ceremony on the Lakehouse on the Ypsilanti campus.

Thatikonda, 27, was killed during a Saturday, May 7 trip to the Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen, Texas near Dallas, university officials said. She graduated from EMU in 2020 with a masters degree in construction management.

Read more: Eastern Michigan alum, engineer among those killed in Texas mall mass shooting

When news of her death broke over the weekend, masters student Akash Pathpi thought about how Thatikonda came from southern India, as well, and how the news must have shattered her parents. Her father is a judge in India, university officials said.

It also hurt to have to think about the threat of mass shootings again after the February shooting at Michigan State University, Pathpi said.

We need to keep our eyes all around when we step out of our houses, he said.

Thatikonda was a very dedicated and detail-oriented person, said Esther Gunel, director of the universitys Office for International Students and Scholars. Through Gunels work after Thatikonda graduated with a degree in construction management in 2020, the late student was able to obtain a work authorization and extensions to work for the Dallas-area firm Perfect General Contractors.

Even after international students graduate, Gunel and other officials in her office try to keep tabs on them, she said.

This will always be a home for them should they want to return, she said.

Alex Martinez, a recent masters graduate in computer programming, works in Gunels office. A Mexico native, she found it startling that these incidents can happen to people coming to the United States to learn.

It was pretty shocking as an international student to come to study abroad and realize that that you also can face these situations, she said.

[3:07 PM] Samuel Dodge The Eastern Michigan University community remember Aishwarya Thatikonda, a 2020 graduate killed in the May 6 mall shooting in Dallas at a May 10 ceremony on the EMU campus.Sam Dodge | MLive.com

Martinez, Pathpi, Goel and others all expressed how the universitys international community offers a haven of support for situations like the May 6 shooting.

Its nice that even though we leave our countries, we still know that we have people here, Martinez said.

Despite this sense of community, mass shootings are a constant source of fear, Pathpi said.

It can happen anywhere at any time, he said. Its a scary feeling to have.

Students and those in attendance at the May 10 ceremony wrote messages of love to Thatikonda. University President James Smith also offered remarks as dozens held candles, both lamenting another mass shooting, while encouraging those hurt to seek the unity of the campus community.

Im certainly not an elected official, but I think we all know that assault rifles are not sensible at shopping malls, Smith said. Maybe things like this can bring forward change, but sadly Ive said this now for more than one of these events.

University officials encouraged those who want counseling to seek it at the universitys Counseling and Physchological Services office. More information can be found at emich.edu/caps/index.php.

Smith ended his remarks by emphasizing that Thatikonda will always be a part of the Eastern Michigan University community.

I think the most important thing is to remember this great person who was here with us, the great work (she did), received a great degree, he said. Aishwarya is still a member of our community, and all of you will be a member of our community long past the time you graduated.

Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter.

Read more from MLive:

Thousands of miles from home, Arab students at Eastern Michigan form own community

A look back at how women fought for and won spots on the Michigan Marching Band

About 1,900 students earn degrees at Eastern Michigan graduation
FLINT, MI  A 15-year-old boy has been charged as an adult in the fatal shooting of another juvenile.

Avion Anthony Derricks is charged with first-degree premeditated murder and felony firearm in connection with the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy at a party in the 6000 block of Bermuda Lane in Mt. Morris Township on April 1.

Not guilty pleas were entered on Derricks behalf at his arraignment before Genesee County District Court Judge Jennifer J. Manley on April 28.

The victim, whose name was not released by police, was shot in the back of the head during a dispute at a party, according to police.

Afterward, prosecutors said, another juvenile who has yet to be charged allegedly tossed the gun used in the shooting in a nearby lake. Officials said this claim is supported by video evidence.

Police said Derricks and the other suspect were arrested during a series of raids in Mt. Morris Township on April 28. The unnamed suspect was released pending further investigation.

The raids, which were executed by Mt. Morris Township police with assistance from the Flint Police Department, Michigan State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, uncovered seven firearms  most of which had been stolen, police said.

The investigation is ongoing.

Derricks is being held without bond at the Genesee Valley Regional Center.

Read more at The Flint Journal:

Possible resolution being discussed for 2 charged in Flint mans death

Judge finds defendant in Mt. Morris Township homicide case not guilty by reason of insanity

Man to face trial in 2021 Flint homicide case

Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter.
ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI  Two women were killed and a third injured Thursday, May 11, when their car collided with a dump truck in Saugatuck, police said.

The occupants in the car were from Cincinnati.

The crash happened around 9:05 a.m. on Blue Star Highway and North Street, Allegan County sheriffs deputies said.

A 70-year-old woman was driving a Buick sport-utility vehicle east on North Street when she failed to stop for a stop sign at Blue Star Highway, police said. The SUV was struck by a southbound dump truck.

The driver and her 67-year-old passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. A 75-year-old rear-seat passenger was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The 26-year-old man driving the dump truck was not hurt.

The names of the victims have not been released pending notification of families. The sheriffs Crash Reconstruction Team is investigating.

Sheriffs deputies were assisted by American Medical Response paramedics, Saugatuck and Graafschap firefighters, state police and Douglas police.

Read more:

After Larry Nassar, police review patterns of ex-gymnastics coach accused of sexually assaulting girls

Families clash during hearing for man accused of killing Grand Rapids mother

Cocaine dealer surprised how fast his business grew, attorney says
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  The largest school district in West Michigan banned students from bringing backpacks or book bags to school Wednesday to help prevent guns from being brought into school buildings, following four incidents.

Grand Rapids Public Schools announced the new backpack ban Wednesday, May 10, after a loaded gun was found in the backpack of a third grade student at Stocking Elementary School, a week after a 7-year-old student had an unloaded gun at Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School.

RELATED: Backpacks banned at Grand Rapids schools after 4th gun incident this academic year

District leaders say that the four incidents of students with guns in their buildings is the most the district has ever had to confiscate guns from students in a single school year.

There was no special school board meeting to get parent and student input prior to the ban being implemented.

Here are five things parents and caregivers need to know about the districts new backpack ban.

1. What is the backpack policy now for school buildings?

Effective Wednesday, May 10 students cannot bring any kind of backpack or book bag into a Grand Rapids school building.

School officials say they want to prevent any bag that would be large enough to conceal a gun or other weapon.

At this point, the district is not allowing clear bags. But school leaders say they are actively considering alternatives, and will update families with any changes.

The bag ban will likely remain in effect for the rest of the school year, which still has about four weeks left. The decision isnt yet permanent. School leaders say they hope to eventually allow backpacks and book bags in school buildings again at a later time.

2. Heres what is allowed.

There are a few exceptions to the new bag ban. For starters, students are allowed to bring small compacts to carry personal hygiene items, according to the districts new guidance.

A reasonably sized bag for lunch will also be allowed.

Students with musical instruments will be allowed to bring those instruments in their cases.

For the most part, students will have to carry any belongings they need for school including computers, chargers, books, and other school supplies.

The district hasnt released any guidance on specific measurements for small bags that will be allowed into the buildings. However, any bag allowed in may be subject to a search, school officials said.

3.What about other safety measures, like metal detectors?

The bag ban likely wont be the only step GRPS takes to address the issue of guns in schools.

District leaders are convening to discuss further changes in school safety protocol, which could include the installation of metal detectors. Prior to the latest gun incident, the district already had a Saturday, May 20 public safety forum planned hear suggestions from parents.

Related: Safety discussion planned for forum after 3 students bring guns to GRPS schools

After being urged by parents, in March the district temporarily put in metal detectors until the end of the school year at Burton Elementary and Middle School, located 2133 Buchanan Ave. SW, after the two separate incidents in January and October, where students brought a loaded and unloaded gun into the building.

The temporary metal detectors were installed in the main entrance at Burton to conduct random and unannounced screenings, said Larry Johnson, GRPS chief of staff and executive director of school safety.

However, he said school leaders are still working to figure out a more permanent solution at the school.

The system is not designed to be used every day, Johnson previously said. We are exploring equipment that operates more efficiently as part of our ongoing conversation about the best ways to secure our schools and protect our scholars.

4. Grand Rapids is the second Michigan district to ban bags.

Grand Rapids new bag ban comes on the heels of a similar policy that was recently put into place by another school district on the east side of the state, Flint Community Schools.

Backpacks are no longer allowed at in any Flint school buildings this school year, after several instances throughout the school year where weapons were brought into school.

The Flint Board of Education voted unanimously to ban backpacks districtwide during a special meeting on Tuesday, April 25. The new districtwide policy will stay in place until the end of the academic year.

The district is allowing students to bring purses with personal items (like hygiene products, wallets, keys, phone, etc.), clear plastic bags with gym clothes, and lunchboxes. If a student brings a backpack to school, they will be sent to the office where they will need to call a parent or guardian to pick up their belongings, according to Flints new policy.

5. Heres why GRPS school leaders said they issued the ban.

The district is getting some backlash for the new policy because it came without any public input and given immediate effect.

During a press conference Wednesday, school leaders said the new policy was prompted by four separate incidents involving kids with guns in school, including the two this month.

Each time, it was a young student that brought a gun to school. Two of the incidents occurred in the same school building.

The most recent incident happened Wednesday, May 10, when a loaded gun was confiscated from the backpack of a third grade student at Stocking Elementary. School leaders became aware of the weapon after a student reported to staff that another student may have been in possession of a gun.

Just one week prior, on May 3, a 7-year-old brought an unloaded gun to Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School. Again, school officials found out about the gun because another student reported it. Officials responded immediately and found the firearm in a backpack in a locker. There was no ammunition in the bag.

On Jan. 18, a 13-year-old student was arrested after bringing a loaded handgun to Burton Elementary and Middle School. A parent contacted school leaders after hearing about a students concerning behavior after school and off of school grounds, and school security searched the student and found the loaded gun.

Three months before that, on Oct. 25, another student was found carrying an unloaded handgun and ammo at Burton. Another student notified a school security officer about the gun-carrying student during lunch period.

More on MLive:

Student suspected of altering Rockford administrators message to include racial slur

Ex-gymnastics coach accused of sexually assaulting children in Kent County

3 Michigan universities have the nations best medical schools, U.S. News ranking says
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Parents and students have mixed feelings about Grand Rapids Public Schools banning backpacks on Wednesday after a fourth student brought a gun into a school building this school year.

But among everyone, the consensus is the same: Banning backpacks isnt a permanent solution to preventing children from bringing guns to school or having access to them.

Banning backpacks is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, said Sara Kerai, the mother of a fourth grader at C.A. Frost Environmental Science Academy. I get why they banned backpacks... but I just feel like the real issue here is the adult responsibility for locking up firearms and so that children cannot access them.

GRPS announced the decision to ban all backpacks and book bags for the remainder of the school year on Wednesday, May 10, after a loaded gun was found in the backpack of a third grade student at Stocking Elementary School.

This is a repeated occurrence that we have to get a hold of, Superintendent Leadriane Roby said Wednesday about the new policy.

The backpack ban came as a surprise to parents and students. There was not an opportunity given for parent and student feedback prior to the ban taking effect Thursday, May 11. Some parents organized GRPS SIT-OUT: Backpack Ban Backlash to keep kids out of school May 11-12 in protest to the ban.

RELATED: Backpacks banned at Grand Rapids schools after 4th gun incident this academic year

Annette Vandenberg, the mom of two GRPS high schoolers, said she was angry, frustrated and confused when the district announced the sudden policy change. She is among a group of parents organizing an effort to keep students home from school Thursday and Friday in protest of the backpack ban.

Vandenberg said she believes the district is making the wrong move by targeting backpacks as a solution to addressing gun control.

Its just a temporary band-aid, she said. The backpacks arent the issue.

Grand Rapids Montessori Academy student Liam McDermand, 16, called the backpack ban was a knee-jerk reaction by the district  a phrase used by several parents and students in response to the policy change.

McDermand was part of a small group of GRPS students students who protested the backpack ban early Thursday afternoon downtown at the corner of Pearl Street NW and Monroe Avenue NW.

While he understands that the district is just trying to make schools safer, McDermand said the backpack ban isnt practical for high school students who carry around loads of school supplies every day.

Kids are walking around with all this stuff, and some kids just didnt bring anything at allTheres much better ways to have security in a school than getting rid of backpacks entirely, he said.

Elizabeth VonKlompenberg, a mom of two kids at North Park Montessori Academy, said the backpack ban places the onus of responsibility on children, rather than adults, to prevent firearms from coming into schools.

Yet again, the children in our community bear the brunt of our societys failures, she said. Im concerned about the subliminal messaging here -- what were really telling kids when we say they cant bring backpacks to school -- and Im devastated by the loss of innocence.

Flint Public Schools also implemented a backpack ban in April for the remainder of the school year.

Grand Rapids school leaders issued a note offering guidance on the new policy late Wednesday. They said small compacts to allow for personal hygiene items would be allowed, but any large-size bag capable of concealing a gun would not. All bags will be subject to search, they said.

Related: 5 things parents should know about the new backpack ban at Grand Rapids Public Schools

Sophie Giang, 15, a student at City High Middle School, said she is still trying to adjust to the ban.

Its like the beginning of May and it happened halfway through the week, so it was like really sudden, she said. It kind of makes it harder since we have to carry our stuff around.

The Stocking incident happened just one week after another child, a 7-year-old student at Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School, brought an unloaded gun to school on May 3.

District leaders say thats four guns in schools is the most the district has ever had to confiscate from students in a single school year. There were two separate incidents at Burton Middle School.

Leticia Torres, a mom of two sixth graders at Burton, is pleased with the decision to ban backpacks, although she believes its long overdue. Torres believes banning bags will lessen the chances of a student being able to sneak a gun into the school.

They can still put it in their pocket or their jacket, but just the fact for them to not have a backpack makes a big difference, she said. Thats less chances of them bringing a gun or knife to school.

Torres was among parents and community members who pushed for GRPS to increase its security measures by installing metal detectors at Burton Middle School earlier this spring.

Related: Im afraid for my boys lives: Mom pleads for metal detectors at school where loaded gun was

Mixy Soto, a parent with students in the 12th, 8th, 5th and 1st grades at GRPS, said she doesnt object to a backpack ban on a temporary basis, especially in warmer weather. She thinks students can endure the hardship for a few weeks until the school year ends.

But she said the district needs a long-term solution to improving school safety. She also favors putting metal detectors in schools.

I think we do have to up security, she said. Does it mean we have to hire more security guards? I think we should. Its sad and unfortunate we are at that point.

Torres said she thinks the district waited far too long to take definitive action. She believes the district should have started ramping up its security measures after the very first incident happened at Burton in October.

Its just so sad that its gotten to where GRPS waited until the third and the fourth incident in order to act, she said. I believe that after the first incident (if they had increased security measures), Im pretty sure we would have been able to avoid the second, third or fourth incidents that have happened.

Several parents told MLive they believe the district should be focusing its efforts on communicating with families about safe gun storage, rather than instituting a backpack ban that is disruptive to students and teachers.

In March, a group of GRPS parents lobbied the school board to start sending information home to all parents about making their homes and communities safer through secure gun storage.

RELATED: Parent group asks Grand Rapids school board to promote safe gun storage to families

The superintendent was expected to address questions from the media during her 3 p.m. press conference scheduled with Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Grand Rapids Schools spokesperson Leon Hendrix said school officials are doing their best to protect students.

We will implement this change with compassion, and we will make changes and exceptions as appropriate. At this time, were asking our scholars to bring only whats necessary and can be carried with them to school. We are reviewing what alternatives might be appropriate while accomplishing the work of protecting our scholars, he wrote in an email.

MLives John Tunison and Liz Nass contributed to this article.

More on MLive:

Student suspected of altering Rockford administrators message to include racial slur

Mental health wellness workshops for families being hosted by Grand Rapids Public Schools

Ex-gymnastics coach accused of sexually assaulting children in Kent County
WYOMING, MI  The president of the Wyoming High School Band Booster Club is facing an embezzlement charge after police said she stole funds from the group for her own personal gain.

Its still unclear the exact amount 40-year-old Crystal Mulero allegedly embezzled from the booster club. However, she was charged with one count of embezzlement by an agent or trustee, $20,000 or more, at her arraignment on Thursday, May 11.

The lone charge stems from an investigation into the financial account activity of the booster club. Wyoming police were contacted by school leaders on Feb. 24 after noticing outstanding invoices to vendors who were providing services to the club.

Detectives discovered that one member of the club  Mulero  acted alone to allegedly unlawfully convert funds for personal gain. The club is a parent-led organization and operates as a nonprofit organization separate from Wyoming Public Schools, the districts leader said.

No Wyoming Public Schools employees were involved in the theft, and the districts business office had no access to the accounts or statements of the organization to monitor for fraudulent activity, Superintendent Craig Hoekstra said in a statement.

The incident has caused the district to change how it handles funds for booster clubs moving forward.

As a result of this situation, WPS will be abandoning this common model of working with support organizations for fundraising, Hoekstra said. Instead, the districts business office will manage these efforts, with the support of parent volunteers.

This means that all fundraising dollars will remain in the custody of WPS, in regularly reconciled and audited accounts, ensuring that donated funds from families and community members will be safe and utilized for their intended purposes, he added. "  We also want to be clear that WPS booster groups are not going away.

Mulero is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary exam hearing on May 31 when a Grand Rapids district judge will determine if there is enough evidence for her to stand trial.

Mulero has posted bond and remains free as of Thursday afternoon, May 11.

Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter.

Read more on MLive:

After Larry Nassar, police review patterns of ex-gymnastics coach accused of sexually assaulting girls

Woman injured after crashing into back of semi in West Michigan

3 hospitalized following collision in Hudsonville
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  The attorney for a Holland-area man caught with 42 pounds of cocaine said even his client was surprised how fast business took off.

Jason Duenas readily acknowledges that he himself was trafficking a significant amount of cocaine, attorney Donald Fagan wrote in court records.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A Grand Rapids area man accused of sex trafficking a 16-year-old girl has been indicated on federal charges.

Terrence Donte Clay, 38, previously was charged in state court on charges of human trafficking and five other counts.

The state charges have now been dismissed as the federal case takes precedence.

Clay, of Comstock Park, is accused of building a relationship with a 16-year-old girl he met at a Grand Rapids park in October 2022.

Clay started providing the girl with food and clothing for a few weeks as well as a place to stay at a hotel room, police wrote in a probable cause affidavit.

The teen was also given a cell phone so Clay could track her location, police wrote.

Clay allegedly demanded the teen needed to make him $200 a day. The girl was threatened if she didnt, police said. Investigators also discovered  through the girls phone  advertisements for sexual acts and how much Clay allegedly wanted the teen to charge for those acts.

In the new indictment, Clay is charged with sex trafficking of a child, sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography.

As part of the indictment, investigators alleged that Clay photographed the teens private areas and also directed her to do the same.

Clay was arrested Nov. 12 after he crossed the Mackinac Bridge and authorities found the girl hiding under a blanket in the vehicle.

Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter.

More from MLive

Backpacks banned at Grand Rapids schools after 4th gun incident this academic year

Stolen Dodge Challenger Hellcat worth $120K gone in 2 minutes
In an ambitious and time-constrained fundraising effort, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition announced Thursday it needs to raise more than $2.5 million by Oct. 1 to purchase a gold mine on Yellowstone National Parks northern border.

The group signed a buy-sell agreement with Crevice Mining Group LLC in October 2021 and then spent months conducting due diligence, said Scott Christensen, GYCs executive director. Since the effort was green-lighted, GYC has raised $3.74 million from donors toward the $6.25 million purchase price. Under the agreement, GYC would purchase the mineral rights, leases and claims to 1,368 acres.

Given the significant threat this mine presents to Yellowstone National Park and its resources, we worked diligently to negotiate an agreement with the mining company that provides a win-win outcome, Christensen said in a statement. We simply cannot risk a gold mine being developed on the boundary of the park and this approach will protect these critical lands, the Yellowstone River, and the local community, while allowing the company to walk away. This is a big lift for GYC, and we know we cannot fail.

Borderland

The companys mineral rights extend across 1,250 acres near the parks border. In addition, the GYC is working to purchase more than 300 acres of private in-holdings on Crevice Mountain where grizzly bears, bison, elk, mountain lions and other wildlife move between Yellowstone and winter range in the Gardiner Basin and Paradise Valley.

Three landowners, including former Billings Realtors Don and Marilyn Floberg, are part owners of about 130 acres of private land on Crevice Mountain. Marilyns son, Dana Bjornson, said a deal with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition is a fabulous opportunity. One of the nine parcels  co-owned by Livingstons DePuy and Payne families  straddles the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness border.

The ultimate goal of this effort is to transfer ownership of the 300-plus acres to the Custer Gallatin National Forest, making them accessible to the public and permanently protected from future mining through the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, the GYC wrote in its press release.

The park gateway community of Gardiner, about 10 miles below the mine claims, sees about a million tourists pass through every year on their way into Yellowstone. Last year, the National Park Service reported the parks 4.9 million visitors in 2021 had a cumulative impact of $834 million to the local economies, supporting more than 8,700 jobs.

Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly expressed his concern about the mine being operational.

"Weve seen the negative impacts of mining on the Yellowstone boundary in the past," he said in a statement. "Simply stated, Yellowstone National Park is recognized as one of the worlds most iconic national parks and we are concerned that the impacts from this mine could detrimentally impact park resources and values."

Mine deals

If successful, the land purchase would be the third time a mining project near Yellowstones border has been deterred.

In 2019, then-President Donald Trump signed the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act permanently banning mining across 30,000 acres of federal land in the Absaroka Mountains near Chico Hot Springs Resort. Four-hundred local businesses and nonprofit groups joined to support the protection effort. Last year, the Custer Gallatin National Forest purchased 75 acres of old mining claims in the same area.

Going back further, in 1996 the Clinton administration negotiated a deal to halt the New World Mine outside Cooke City near Yellowstones Northeast Entrance, an area that had been damaged by past mining. Cleanup of that region, where creeks flowed into the headwaters of the Yellowstone River, cost $22 million.

"Mining outside of the park, north of Yellowstone a century ago, left a legacy of toxic waste severely contaminating Soda Butte Creek, making it the most polluted stream entering Yellowstone National Park," Sholly noted. "Instead of Soda Butte Creek, the impacts from this mine have the potential to contaminate the surface and groundwater that feeds directly into the Yellowstone River, thereby displacing wildlife in the park and negatively affecting the visitor experience."

Crevice Mountain

Mining began in the Gardiner region in the 1870s. Remnants of abandoned equipment and buildings are still visible outside the nearby mountain mining community of Jardine, only a couple of miles from the border of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.

In 2015, Crevice Mining Group submitted its proposal to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to conduct exploratory drilling near the old Snowshoe Mine. The mine is located about 3,000 feet above the Yellowstone River where it leaves the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone.

The 14 acres of surface disturbance proposed by Crevice included ditches for runoff control, berms and a sediment collection pond. DEQ never awarded Werner the permit, but Crevice conducted mining under a small miner exclusion.

Crevice is a Spokane-based mining company led by Michael Werner and his partner John Jack Andreazza. Werner was chief operating officer for TVX Gold when it operated the Mineral Hill Mine in Jardine in the 1990s. Werner said if the deal is finalized, the sale price will help cover costs the miners invested in developing the property over the past 11 years.

GYC came up with a palatable solution, and we said yes, Werner said in a statement. We have met all legal requirements to mine on Crevice Mountain, have millions of dollars already invested, and there are tens of millions of dollars to be made, but GYC was in the right place at the right time, with the right idea. If GYC does not meet our agreement, we will mine.

The coalition does not plan to fail.

If this mine were to move forward, it would forever change the landscape along the border of the worlds first national park, GYC wrote. Instead of pristine, untamed wild lands, an industrial mining complex with lights, machines, and new roads would destroy critical wildlife habitat and potentially poison the famed Yellowstone River below.

Donations

The Greater Yellowstone Coalition is soliciting donations through Oct. 1. To learn more or donate, visit the campaign website at greateryellowstone.org/yellowstone-mine or call Melissa Richey, director of philanthropy, at 406-586-1593.

This campaign is our generations best opportunity to protect what we love about Yellowstone National Park, Richey said. People understand its significance  this is a legacy project  but we still need more people to step up and help in these last few months as we approach our deadline.

GYC will be hosting an open house in Bozeman from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23, for those who want to learn more about the campaign. The meeting will be held at the Greater Yellowstone Coalitions office at 215 S. Wallace Ave. in Bozeman.
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI  A motorcyclist was injured early Thursday, May 11, in a crash on I-196 near M-6, sheriffs deputies said.

The motorcyclist, a 28-year-old Walker man, was hospitalized in stable condition.

The crash was reported at 4:36 a.m. on westbound I-196 near M-6 in Ottawa Countys Georgetown Township. The man lost control of his motorcycle before it slid across the road.

He suffered a leg injury and other injuries, Ottawa County sheriffs deputies said. He was taken to a local hospital.

The motorcyclist wore a helmet. The crash remains under investigation, police said.

Read more:

5 fun things to do in Grand Rapids this weekend (May 12-14)

Backpacks banned at Grand Rapids schools after 4th gun incident this academic year

Mothers Day forecast getting better, but at expense of next week
IONIA COUNTY, MI  One woman was hospitalized following a crash after she crashed into the rear end of a semi truck, Ionia County sheriffs deputies said.

The crash was reported around 1:40 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, on Belding Road in Ionia Countys Otisco Township.

Police said a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe veered into the rear of a semi truck that was hauling a large box trailer. The crash also caused the axle assembly to fall off the box trailer.

The driver of the truck, a 35-year-old Holland man, was not injured in the crash. The driver of the Chevrolet, a 43-year-old Ada woman, was transported to an area hospital but is currently recovering at home, police said.

The crash remains under investigation.

Read more on MLive:

After Larry Nassar, police review patterns of ex-gymnastics coach accused of sexually assaulting girls

Tribe still hoping for approval of casino near Muskegon

Its changed my life: How weight loss shots are gaining popularity
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  As warmer weather seems to have finally arrived for good in the Grand Rapids area (fingers crossed!), West Michigan residents are ready to head out to the farmers market to grab flowers, specialty baked goods and plenty of produce.

There are a wide range of farmers markets around Grand Rapids, including the always-busy Fulton Street Farmers Market and the more laid-back Grand Valley State University Farmers Market. Whether youre looking for freshly caught fish or some new tomato plants, farmers and small business owners in the area have you covered.

Here are the details for farmers markets in the Grand Rapids area:

Fulton Street Farmers Market

The Fulton Street Farmers Market in Grand Rapids opened for its 101st season last weekend and is open each Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 8 a.m.-2 p.m. from May until October. In November, the market begins its Second Season schedule of weekly Saturday markets from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Each market day features fruits, veggies, dairy, meat, baked goods, hot and prepared foods and arts and crafts.

The Fulton Street Farmers Market, at 1145 Fulton St. E, accepts EBT/Bridge cards, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC Project FRESH coupons and Senior Market FRESH coupons.

Kentwood Farmers Market

The Kentwood Farmers Market, held at a parking lot behind city hall at 4900 Breton Ave. SE, begins on Thursday, June 15.

The market runs every Thursday from 4:30-7:30 p.m. until Sept. 7, rain or shine. The market features cooking demonstrations, 7 p.m. concerts, food trucks and kids crafts. Around 20 vendors sell at the Kentwood Farmers Market, ranging from produce, baked goods, coffee, cheese and soaps.

The Kentwood Farmers Market accepts SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, Project FRESH and Senior Market FRESH.

GR Farmer + Craft Market (Grand Rapids Township)

The GR Farmer + Craft Market in Grand Rapids Township opens on Sunday, June 11, and runs every Sunday through Oct. 29. The market, held 9 a.m.-4 p.m. rain or shine, is at the GR Tent and Table market, 4590 3 Mile Road NE.

Products at the outdoor market range from fresh produce, baked goods and handmade crafts.

U of M Health-West Farm Market (Wyoming)

The University of Michigan Health-West Farm Market kicks off Thursday, May 11, and runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Thursday until Oct. 12.

The market, held at 5900 Byron Center Ave., goes on rain or shine. A variety of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods and hand-crafted items will be for sale.

The University of Michigan Health-West Farm Market accepts major credit cards, EBT/Bridge cards, Project FRESH, Senior Project FRESH and Double Up Food Bucks.

Byron Center Farmers Market

The Byron Center Farmers Market begins Saturday, June 10 in Bicentennial Park behind the library, at 8185 Freeland Drive. The market runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through September.

Vendors at the market sell produce, meats, flowers, eggs, baked goods, fresh herbs and more.

The Byron Center Farmers Market is weather-dependent, so check its Facebook page for updates.

Rockford Farmers Market

The Rockford Farmers Market opened for its 2023 season on Saturday, May 6. It is held every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 28. The market is located in the city parking lot behind the post office, with an entrance off Main Street across from Rockys Dairy Depot.

Vendors at the market sell produce, bread, meat, coffee, flowers and more.

The Rockford Farmers Market accepts EBT/Bridge cards and Double Up Food Bucks.

Grandville Farmers Market

The Grandville Farmers Market takes place every Tuesday in June through October starting at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is held in the public parking lot behind the Kent District Library Grandville Branch and is sponsored by the Grandville Downtown Development Authority.

Items for sale include produce, breads, decor, cheese, kettle corn and more. Reusable market bags can be purchased on site for $1.

Georgetown Township Farmers Market

The Georgetown Township Farmers Market is held at the Georgetown Township library every Monday from 4-8 p.m. starting June 5 through Aug. 28.

The market includes food trucks, live music, artisan goods and kettle corn.

Hudsonville Farmers Market

The Hudsonville Farmers Market at Terra Square is held every Wednesday starting in June and runs through September. The market opens at 9 a.m. and goes until 1 p.m.

The market, at 3380 Chicago Drive, includes childrens activities, educational opportunities, street performers and more.

Vendors include fresh produce, honey and baked goods.

Ada Farmers Market

The Ada Farmers Market happens every Tuesday starting in June through October. The market is held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in The Community Church parking lot at 7239 Thornapple River Drive. The first market day for 2023 is Tuesday, June 6.

The market offers locally grown produce, meats, cheeses, breads and flowers. Most market days include live musicians and childrens activities.

Most vendors accept major credit cards and leashed dogs are permitted.

Grand Valley State University Farmers Market

The GVSU Farmers Market is held on the second Wednesday of the month starting in June and runs through October. The market takes place in Parking Lot G on the Allendale campus from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The GVSU Farm Stand is also set up at the clocktower every other Wednesday.

Vendors sell produce, food trucks, and plants at the market.

Holland Farmers Market

The Holland Farmers Market is held every Wednesday and Saturday starting Wednesday, May 17. The market runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the Holland Civic Center, rain or shine.

Vendors offer produce, flowers, honey, meat, cheese, granola, coffee, eggs and more. Food trucks also offer prepared foods.

The Holland Farmers Market accepts Double Up Food Bucks and its own Market Bucks gift cards. Dogs are not permitted.

Did we miss your favorite farmers market in this list? Email reporter Audra Gamble at agamble@mlive.com to be added.

Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter.

More from MLive:

Grand Rapids 3rd grader brings loaded handgun to school

Families clash during hearing for man accused of killing Grand Rapids mother

Amway River Bank Run: What to know if you go this weekend and which roads will be closed
THREE RIVERS, MI  It can be hard for a kid to navigate the pitfalls of adolescence.

The staff at Three Rivers Middle School wants to help. That help comes in many forms, one of which is a program called TRAILS  Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students.

Pioneered by the University of Michigan in 2013, the program has been implemented districtwide in Three Rivers, grades three through 12.

TRAILS takes a three-tier approach: Universal education and awareness for all students, early intervention for students with a mental health concern and crisis intervention for students who may be suicidal.

In Three Rivers, its also an evolving program. Three Rivers Middle School guidance counselor Aaron Hess and social worker Andrea Scott started out using TRAILS in a group format, with students signing up to participate.

But now, as part of the programs expansion, Hess has started going into classrooms to reach more students.

Ive partnered up this year with our team leadership classes, which is our sixth-grade group, Hess said. So Im taking the lessons and then Im catering them to the classroom, and just really appropriating the toolkit, which is what TRAILS kind of teaches the kids: So if Im feeling this, heres what I can do or thinking this, heres what I can do.

Thats been a huge thing, and the kids are really receptive to it because I think it is a very purposeful program. They resonate well with it, and they like that were caring about them more than If you get an A in my classroom, youre an important kid. No, its like we care about you as a human being.

Program origins

When TRAILS was created by the UMs Department of Psychiatry in 2013, it served just two Ann Arbor schools. Today, it has been instituted in 700 schools in Michigan. TRAILS has provided training, materials and implementation support to schools in 50 of Michigans 56 intermediate school districts.

The program serves a critical need, as nearly 50% of adolescents have experienced symptoms of anxiety, depression or other mental health issues, and suicide is a leading cause of death among young people. Yet 80% of youth who need mental health services lack access to them, UM statistics show.

School-based programs help fill that void  a fact recognized by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature, who included $50 million for TRAILS in the current state budget.

TRCS Superintendent Nikki Nash said district leaders decided in 2018-19 there was an increased need to support students socially and emotionally, and settled on TRAILS as a research-driven program that could teach students self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills and social awareness.

The goal, she said, is to promote self-resilience and regulation skills.

Working with the whole person

Scott, the middle school social worker, was the first in the district to undergo TRAILS training at UM, and lobbied for more Three Rivers staff to be trained, but that goal was stalled when the pandemic hit.

Three Rivers also underwent a change in superintendents, with Ron Moag resigning in October 2021 and Nash, then curriculum director, getting promoted to the top job. When Nash took over, she asked Scott to give a whole district introduction to TRAILS training during a professional development session.

So every teacher in the district heard about what it is, how this is beneficial for students to teach them skills, Scott said. Afterward, I told them if anyone wanted more information or wanted me to help flesh it out so they could use it in their classrooms to let me know ... So that kind of got the ball rolling, I think.

Three Rivers Middle School Guidance Counselor Aaron Hess teaches a sixth-grade class about coping skills during a TRAILS lesson.

Hess said theres been a greater emphasis in recent years on going beyond academics to address the social and emotional well-being of students. TRAILS allows staff to be more purposeful about implementing those lessons and daily activities in the classroom.

So that its not just Hey, Im teaching you math, Hess said. Im teaching you to be mindful that when you come into my classroom, you might be anxious because math is tough for you, here are some things that you can do to kind of calm yourself to perform better academically.

So really working with the whole person. I think thats where I see TRAILS being very valuable.

Measuring impact

TRAILS prides itself on being a research-driven program that relies on rigorous evaluation of its programming and implementation model. Program outcomes are measured, and stakeholders are given reports to identify how to refine and strengthen the program in their schools.

TRAILS is also in the midst of several research studies, including one in Detroit Public Schools, to measure the programs impact.

The programs founders acknowledge that TRAILS has limitations. Its not a replacement for therapy and the lessons are typically taught by teachers who have been trained, but are not mental health professionals. And while its a solid supplemental program that provides early intervention and crisis management for students, it wont be as effective for students who need more extensive help.

What it can do, however, is provide a higher level of support for those kids who need it in a group environment, bypassing the usual barriers like access, money and societal stigma. If everyone is learning it, no one is singled out, and the practice of self-care is normalized.

I think it helps the kids, knowing its not just them, right? Scott said. Like when you go into a group of 10 peers, and we emphasize, This isnt therapy. Were not asking the kids to open up about their personal situations, and why it might help them. But its, Hey, heres what depression is, heres what anxiety is, this is how common it is, this is what normal symptoms might look like. So were not asking kids What is depression for you? Its just kind of normalizing it.

Scott added shes seen how the program has given her students confidence and a sense of connection among peers who participated in a group with them.

Its like, Hey, at some point in life, you may have these feelings or you might be experiencing this. We all do, right? So I think it helps them feel not alone, she said. Like, Im walking through these halls feeling like Im the only kid who might be anxious when, oh, now Im sitting in a group of 10 kids who  and they do sometimes open up  and say, Hey, this is my situation.

And the kids support each other. So then when they leave the group, they are given the tools and the skills but I think also that sense of confidence that, you know, Im not walking through the halls as the only anxious student here.

This article is part of A Way Through: Strategies for Youth Mental Health, a solutions-focused reporting series of Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative. The collaborative, a group of 12 regional organizations dedicated to strengthening local journalism and reporting on successful responses to social problems, launched its Mental Wellness Project in 2022 to cover mental health issues in southwest Michigan.

More stories from the collaborative:

Shot twice in 2 years, Kalamazoo teen navigates healing the mental wounds

How Portage Public Schools is investing in mental health

Assessing trauma in kids: WMU center has trained 150K, becoming model for change

The power of play  and Rice Krispies Treats: Sibshops connect kids who have siblings with disabilities

When tragedy strikes a district, Michigan in-school clinics help kids process
THREE RIVERS, MI  The likely suicide of a man accused of a 1988 homicide has left questions that will probably never be answered.

Cathy Swartz, 19, was stabbed numerous times and strangled while her 9-month-old daughter was in the next room Dec. 2, 1988, in Three Rivers. Nearly 35 years after her death, police arrested Robert Odell Waters, 53, on April 30.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI  Backers of a proposed $180 million casino near Muskegon are hopeful theres still a chance for gubernatorial approval of their plans, though that likely wont come for at least another six months.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmers approval is needed for the casino proposed by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. She declined to give that approval last year, though she indicated shed reconsider pending the outcome of another tribes quest for federal recognition.

The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs has issued a proposed decision denying recognition for that tribe, the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, which had claimed as their homeland the property planned for the casino.

But a 180-day comment period, ending in late August, will delay a final decision on federal recognition. And the Grand River Bands are confident they will successfully change the feds minds about the legitimacy of their community.

Related: Feds look to deny West Michigan tribes bid for federal recognition

Meanwhile, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians continues to wait  something its been doing for nearly14 years while developing plans for the casino at the U.S. 31/I-96 interchange in Muskegon Countys Fruitport Township.

That location is the primary reason for the casinos uncertain future. Its not on the Little River Bands reservation, and so needs state and federal approvals. The federal approval came in December 2020.

But the Grand River Bands claim of the land and its pending application for federal recognition were cited by Whitmer in June 2022 when she declined to give the casino her approval. If the tribe does get recognition, it could want to open its own casino near that land, Whitmer said.

However, she provided a caveat at the time in a letter to U.S, Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

Once (the Department of Interior) has acted on the Grand River Bands acknowledgement petition, I would welcome the opportunity to revisit this question and ask that you find a way for me to do so, Whitmer wrote.

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Ogema Larry Romanelli said history has shown its unlikely the Department of Interiors Bureau of Indian Affairs will reverse its proposed decision.

Given that, the tribe has tried to get a response from Whitmer on the likelihood she would approve the casino if the proposed denial of recognition stands. That would let the Little River Band know if its worth its while to resubmit an application for the casino and start the federal and state approval process over, Romanelli told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle.

But Whitmers staff hasnt returned the tribes calls, Romanelli said.

Its a very frustrating time, he said. Very frustrating.

The Grand River Bands did not meet one of seven mandatory criteria for being federally recognized, according to the proposed finding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. That criteria is that the members comprise a distinct community that has existed as a community through time, according to the preliminary finding.

Rather, the Bureau states that the tribe was formed recently by the merging of several different groups and that those groups previously acted independently, each with its own separate leadership, membership, and activities.

The preliminary finding is subject to a six-month comment period, ending on Aug. 28, before it can be considered final.

The Grand River Bands is providing additional information to the Bureau of Indian Affairs with the help of professional historians to prove its standing as a native sovereign nation, according to a statement from the tribe.

The U.S. Department of Interior has continuously reached out to support our efforts and we have been compiling documentation that shows our long history as a distinct political community, Ron Yob, chair of the Grand River Bands said in a prepared statement.

We remain confident we will ultimately achieve the long overdue federal recognition for our tribal members and be able to provide long-awaited justice to our members.

Whitmer had asked the Department of Interior to postpone the deadline for her decision on the Fruitport Township casino until the Bureau of Indian Affairs ruled on the Grand River Bands request for recognition.

But the interior department denied her request, making her deadline June 16, 2022.

Related: Gov. Whitmer rejects 14-year long push to build Muskegon area casino

Romanelli said he doesnt believe the future of the casino should be tied to the Grand River Bands federal recognition. And while he felt he and Whitmer had a good relationship, Romanelli said the failure by the governors office to return calls about what direction shes leaning on the casinos future is offensive.

A scheduled April 4 phone conversation between them was canceled by Whitmers office and never rescheduled, he said.

I think I might have used the word rude for the governor not to call another elected official, said Romanelli, who recently was elected to his 20th year as ogema, or chief, of the Little River Band. I think the respectful thing would be to answer my calls.

Whitmers office did not respond to MLives request for comment.

In March, state Sen. Jon Bumstead, R-Muskegon, and Rep. Will Snyder, D-Muskegon sent Whitmer a letter urging her to reconsider the casino -- saying the day has now come to approve it.

The letter said that the federal government rarely overturns preliminary decisions on tribe recognition. In two of the three cases that the preliminary decision was overturned, it took five years to do so, the lawmakers wrote.

The Little River Band has said it spent almost 14 years and $30 million  and counting  on the proposed casino and 220-room hotel at the site of a former horse racing track.

The proposed Fruitport Township casino has had strong community support, especially from the township and nearby businesses that would benefit from the casino and its visitors. The tribe says it would create 3,000 jobs  1,500 construction jobs and 1,500 full-time employees.

In addition, the casino would contribute an estimated $10 million in annual revenue to state coffers without requiring subsidies like some other large development projects, Romanelli said.

But the project has received pushback from other Michigan tribes and casinos that oppose more off-reservation gambling.

The Detroit City Council and the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, where three state-licensed casinos operate, issued resolutions last year opposing efforts to expanded off-reservation gaming in Michigan. Theyre concerned approval of an off-reservation casino will lead to an influx in casino gambling operations.

Yob previously called the casino proposal shameful and a cynical effort.

Related: Muskegon County casino approval complicated by another tribe that calls it shameful

Theres been speculation, especially among the West Michigan business community, that theres more to Whitmers inaction on the casino than the Grand River Bands quest for recognition, Romanelli said.

Regardless, he said hed simply like a yes, no or maybe from her office so the tribe knows if it should pursue other development opportunities for the 233-acre site.

Those opportunities are plentiful, ranging from marijuana processing to condominiums, Romanelli said.

If its a no (from Whitmer), not that I would like it or agree with it, I could move on and stop spending the money Im spending on the casino project, he said.

Also on MLive

See wholl be selling out of Western Market chalets in Muskegon this summer

Beer & Mac n Cheese Fest in Grand Haven not happening this weekend

See what roads will be under construction this summer in Muskegon County, Grand Haven
SAGINAW COUNTY, MIThe Saginaw Community Foundation has announced that students who have applied with them have received a combined total of $869,550 in scholarship awards

According to Bryan Konieczka with the Saginaw Foundation, many of this years awards are for graduating seniors, with recurring scholarships and re-applied entries helping to round the total out.

The foundation has a list available of scholarships that it facilitates, providing students in the city of Saginaw and across Saginaw County a way to fund their postsecondary education.

According to foundation Program Officer Chamika Ford, more than $9.9 million has been awarded to students since 1987 to help them achieve those educational goals.

The purpose of the annual Excellence in Education event is to recognize, award and inspire students who have earned scholarships from the Saginaw Community Foundation, Ford said. We also honor the donors who have established scholarship funds at the foundation.

The Excellence in Education event Ford mentioned will be held this year at Saginaws Temple Theater, 201 N. Washington Ave., from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 15.

There, 377 students and a number of donors will all be honored with the presentation of 646 scholarship awards.

The foundation currently administers 248 scholarship funds that have been established by its donors.

Foundation President and CEO Renee Johnston said that the number of scholarships offered and the amounts these students collect to fund their learning is an important part of building education region-wide.

Education is vital to the growth and future of every community, Johnston said. Scholarships can help people in our region obtain a degree, certificate or other training that will help further their aspirations and goals.

For information on applying for scholarships through the Saginaw Community Foundation or for details on scholarships offered, visit saginawfoundation.org.

The application window for 2024 scholarships will open on Nov. 1.

Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news pages or sign up for the free 3@3 daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw.

More from MLive:

Michigan beekeepers to visit Fremont as bees return home after pollinating almond crops in California

Longtime Bay City elementary teacher, Kristin Brashaw, says education through play is key

Nexteer to host Generation Next: Embedded Coding Scholarship Competition

Saginaw Promise Foundation names 66 student awardees, increase in scholarship funds

If you purchase a product or register for an accou
Democrats in both of Michigans legislative chambers have planned major new spending across the board that could push Michigans state government budget to record heights beyond the $79 billion Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requested.

The total size of the Senates budget is about $79.6 billion, while the Houses version is slightly above $80 billion.

Democrats have trifecta control of Michigan state government for the first time in 40 years, providing a long-sought opportunity to craft a budget that reflects their agenda in part by spending down the states record $9 billion surplus.

It includes broad increases in funding, like a near-50% boost to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, but also breaking ground on new initiatives, like using $160 million of education funding to provide free breakfast and lunch for Michigan public school students.

The Senates budgets reflect historic investments in areas that have been dis-invested in, Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, said, calling it a peoples budget.

This week, were finally in position to do things a little differently, to do things to lift up the voices of so many that have been left behind in the budget process. Anthony said. I see the people in Michigan in every facet of this budget. A budget that honestly addresses years of disinvestment in our roads in our schools, seas, small towns in our land, our water and our air, a fiscally responsible budget that sets up our state for a brighter, more inclusive future.

The proposed spending comes amid a time of rising uncertainty about Michigans economic outlook. Longtime indicators of a future recession that economists rely on are offering wildly different predictions.

Its important because an economic downturn usually decreases the money governments collect in taxes. The state will form its own opinion about what to expect at a meeting next week called the consensus revenue estimating conference, but Republican leaders anticipate Democrats will be forced to rein in their ambitions.

We know with a very high certainty that this consensus revenue estimating conference is going to tell us that we have less money than we did when Whitmer proposed her budget, House Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Plainfield Township, said.

Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton, said he thinks the conference will provide another reset button for us to try to work together.

Each legislative chamber produces its own budget, and some big-ticket proposals, like a $100 million conversation starter to encourage high speed rail development in the transportation budget, or a $250 million pilot program that would cover teachers student loan payments, are in the Senates budget but not the Houses.

The wish list is long, and as legislators have jostled to get their ideas in, House and Senate leaders will have to convene and with the governors office  negotiate which proposals should make it into the final draft.

Whitmer released her executive budget recommendation in January. Legislators chose to include some key ideas from her proposal, such as the school meals program, but deviated on a host of other items.

When we look at the executive recommendations, there were lots of things that were there, but quite honestly, we had to trim some things back and reprioritize some of those dollars, Anthony said.

Republicans in the minority have ideas of their own, and made them publicly by proposing hundreds of amendments between both chambers, leading to hours of deliberation. Each GOP-posed amendment was struck down, and in turn, nearly every budget bill in both chambers passed along strictly partisan lines. The one exception was the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) budget, which earned the approval of Sen. Ruth Johnson, R-Groveland Township, voting in favor with Democrats.

Nesbitt characterized it as a disappointing lack of bipartisanship, but Democrats have have contended the tactic was more about creating talking points than changing the budget.

When we were in this position, we did not offer 200 amendments on budgets, Sen. Darrin Camilleri, D-Brownstown Township, said. We actually tried behind the scenes or even in local subcommittees  We tried to use the process the way that its intended. They have not quite figured that out, which I think theyll get used to.

Anthony said she was disappointed to see Republicans go to such lengths despite conversations that were had during the committee process.

These budgets were developed by real Michiganders and also in concert with our Republican colleagues, Anthony said. So, its unfortunate like the time and energy spent on these amendments, which are in some ways just very much talking points, we could have actually folded many of those concepts in.

For Michigan government to function when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, theyll need to pass a budget that can earn immediate effect in the Senate, which requires approval from two-thirds of the Senate. Hall and Nesbitt, the Republican minority leaders, both said they want to see more consideration from the majority.

Hopefully the Democrats will come to the table with a one-seat majority or two-seat majority and maybe do something a little more bipartisan, that funds local roads, does more for public safety and adds more accountability, Hall said.

Read more on MLive:

Backpack ban isnt solution to guns at schools, Grand Rapids parents and students say

Security concerns raised over internet voting for Michigan military spouses

Whitmer to visit Michigan National Guard troops in Latvia during trade mission

Michigan businesses should have advantage in securing state contracts, senators say
Because of an editing error, this story has been corrected. House Bill 4210 would expand electronic ballot return for deployed military members to their spouses and voting-age dependents.

In Michigans quest to make voting more accessible in recent years, it has enacted automatic voter registration, excuse-free absentee voting and an upcoming early in-person voting period.

But the latest proposal worries some of the same election security experts who have praised the changes and worked with Democrats in charge: returning ballots over the internet.

The idea is well intentioned but could seriously undermine the security of Michigans elections, said J. Alex Halderman, a University of Michigan professor and nationally recognized cybersecurity expert.

Halderman and other experts warned House elections committee lawmakers Tuesday in a hearing on House Bill 4210. It would expand electronic ballot return for deployed military members, allowed by legislation that passed last year and will be implemented in 2024, to their spouses and voting-age dependents.

The bedrock of Michigan elections has long been the simple fact that every vote is cast on a piece of paper which cant later be changed in any kind of cyber attack, said Halderman, who was appointed by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to co-chair an election security commission for 2020.

Related: Michigan National Guard nets $26M for women-focused facility upgrades

But Benson argues Michigan can maintain its election integrity by continuing conversations with national cybersecurity professionals and federal agencies, and by following the lead of the 31 other states that have implemented this.

Were exploring a hybrid model that would be custom-built for Michigan and still require the voter overseas to print and sign their ballot before scanning and returning it, said Benson, who once lived on a military base with her husband.

Similar to how Colorado does it, she explained, the local clerk would print what is returned and run it through the tabulator, creating an auditable paper trail. Voters would also be encouraged to mail a follow-up hard copy of their ballot.

She added that this electronic voting portal is already being built to support military members because of the law passed last year.

But Bensons own election security advisory commission, Halderman said, along with the top federal cybersecurity, voting technology and law enforcement agencies have all agreed that no existing technology can resolve such systems inherent vulnerability to digital tampering.

In the November 2020 election, which saw Michigans highest turnout ever at more than 5.5 million voters, about 3,500 servicemembers, spouses and dependents requested ballots be mailed to them on a base.

The rejection rate for Michigan military and overseas ballots that year was five times higher than the overall rate. Mail delays are a top blame. To fight this, Michigan recently implemented six extra days to return ballots from overseas.

Go deeper: Military voting access boosted with new Michigan election law

Its one of those things that it just breaks the heart when you receive a ballot a day or two too late to be counted for an election, said Lansing Clerk Chris Swope, supporting HB 4210 on behalf of Michigans municipal clerks association.

But even if Bensons proposal of an accompanying auditable paper trail sounds secure in theory, Rutgers University law professor Penny Venetis testified, theres too much risk.

About a decade ago, Washington, D.C., implemented a typical electronic ballot return system that took Haldermans team at U-of-M just 48 hours to remotely hack and change every vote before they could be printed.

Although shes coming from a very good place, shes simply wrong, Venetis said of Benson. At this time, there is no such thing as secure, internet-based voting. Period.

Its rare that voting security experts disagree with Michigan election officials, who have made the state a leader in election security, Halderman said, but HB 4210 would jeopardize that position right before a presidential election.

At a time when elections continue to face potential attacks from Americas adversaries and when voter confidence is being undermined for political advantage, he said, Michigan cannot afford exposing our democracy to these grave risks.

He did note, however, theres some potential in having the person overseas mail back an additional paper ballot.

Experts security concerns will be taken into consideration, House elections chair Penelope Tsernoglou, D-East Lansing, told MLive. But Benson, she added, experiences Michigans elections firsthand.

So, I would trust her as the foremost expert, she said.

Read more from MLive:

Child care could be covered by campaign donations under Michigan bill

Michigan businesses should have advantage in securing state contracts, senators say

Gov. Gretchen Whitmers sister Liz Gereghty running for Congress in New York

GOP presidential candidate would ban Gotion battery plant, Chinese investments in U.S.
Its been a year and five months since Ethan Crumbley opened fire at Oxford High School, killing four, injuring seven and crushing the sense of security in an otherwise typical school.

Parents, students, staff, lawyers and Attorney General Dana Nessel have urged the school district to investigate potential mistakes and publicly share the findings.

That hasnt happened, although the internal shooting investigation is underway.

The district on May 8 did release a report analyzing the current security policies and precautions at Oxford High School that a third-party firm hired by the district deemed to be satisfactory.

Two mothers of Oxford High students who are part of Change 4 Oxford, a group advocating for district transparency, said theyre glad some information is being released, but they want more.

I have been screaming it from the beginning: how can you know what to fix if you dont know whats broken, said Lori Bourgeau, mother of a Oxford High senior and member of the Oxford Village Council. I worry that well never really find it out. This second report seems to keep getting delayed.

The 179-page report released this week looked at policies related to current handling of threatening and potentially suicidal students, as well as physical campus security measures.

Oxford Community Schools contracted New York-based Guidepost Solutions in May 2022 to conduct the investigation. The firm is also conducting the ongoing investigation into the shooting. No timeline for release of that second report has been provided.

Its incredibly frustrating, said Oxford High parent and Change 4 Oxford leader Andrea Jones. Were 500-and-something days in now and every time we hear that were going to get an update, it gets pushed back ... If thats their argument, that we did everything right, then just tell us what you did and we can go from there.

Attorney Ven Johnson speaks to press after Ethan Crumbley appeared before Oakland County Circuit Judge Kwame Rowe in Plymouth on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022.

Attorney Ven Johnson, who sued the school district, Ethan Crumbley and his parents on behalf of Oxford High victims and their families, called this weeks Guidepost Solutions report a deflection tactic.

This report is solely about the policies and procedures of Oxford after the fact, he said. A real investigation done immediately, that talks about what went wrong at the time of (the shooting), thats something that would be really important for people to know about ...

Oxford Community Schools will do anything and everything to cover up what really happened. They need time. People forget over time, so lets delay what really happened that day and talk about something else first.

Johnson dismissed his civil lawsuit in Oakland County Circuit Court after Judge Mary Ellen Brennan ruled Oxford Community Schools employees are exempt from liability under state qualified immunity laws. Johnson said he plans to appeal Brennans ruling to the state Supreme Court. In order to expedite the appeal, Johnson said it was necessary to dismiss other defendants in the lawsuit, which was closed Tuesday, May 9, according to online court records. Multiple other civil lawsuits are still pending.

The school board, until six months after the shooting, said it planned to delay an independent investigation until the criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits were resolved. That would have taken years.

In response to public complaints, the district changed course and hired Guidepost Solutions, a school safety consulting company recommended by the districts Grand Rapids-based law firm, Varnum.

Oxford Community Schools, through the board, rejected three offers from Attorney General Dana Nessel to conduct a free-to-the-district independent investigation into the shooting, instead opting to pay the private firm.

My goal is not to assign blame but to help identify ways to improve school safety for Oxford and all schools in Michigan, Nessel said in a May 11, 2022 statement. The school boards unwillingness to partner with my department on this effort flies in the face of transparency. The rejection sends a message that the board is more focused on limiting liability than responding to the loud outcry from the Oxford community to deliver greater peace of mind to the students, parents and educators that lived through this traumatic event.

Family, friends, students and relatives of victims put up bouquets of flowers, candles and personalized messages at a memorial near an entrance to the Oxford High School on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, two days since the shooting, which left four teens dead, seven others injured and rocked the close-knit community. (Jake May | MLive.com)Jake May

MLive has not received response from elected board members or district representatives related to requests for comment, information about Guidepost Solutions costs or an update on when the shooting-related report may be released.

The district website says Guidepost Solutions began its investigation in June 2022.

The investigative report will be an unbiased reflection of the teams findings and will include actionable recommendations related to those findings, the school website said. Guidepost will share the report with the community at the same time its shared with the board and school administration.

Of course, independent investigations like these take time. With that said, the investigation team will conduct and complete their work with deliberate care and speed.

Guidepost Solutions planned to host three open meetings in Oxford Thursday, May 11, to receive public feedback and respond to questions on the report it released earlier this week.

That report said administration response to threat and suicide assessment, as well as physical security measures, satisfy best practices but also noted areas for improvement

Some takeaways from the report:

Threat and suicide intervention teams, since early 2022, have regularly failed to document compliance with policy requiring students be questioned about access to firearms. Of 44 suicide assessments conducted between Aug. 30, 2022 and March 22, 2023, two students were questioned about firearms access. Half of the 48 students questioned in 2022 after making potential threats werent asked about their access to guns. Crumbley admitted during his plea hearing that his parents purchased a gun for his use that he possessed in his backpack on the day of the shooting.

Armed resource officers have been excluded from threat assessments and student property searches multiple times in the last year, the report said. With the potential of identifying a weapon in a search, and with the importance of having a law enforcement perspective for the safety of students, it is critical that threat assessment teams are reminded  and directed  to include security resource officers in threat assessments and, as applicable, suicide interventions. A school resource officer wasnt asked to intervene when Ethan Crumbley was sent to the office hours prior to the shooting over concerns that he might be violent or suicidal.

Classroom, locker room office doors dont have interior locks that allow manual locking in case of a potential shooter. The school has distributed Nightlock barricade devices that bar entrance, but the report said: the goal is to ensure that the door can be locked without a third-party device. The Nightlock barriers that attach to the bottom of classroom doors were used during the 2021 shooting.

Many district and high school employees refused to speak to Guidepost Solutions employees during the investigation, despite a board directive asking all staff to cooperate.

The school halted safety drills following the shooting. We recognize that many students are traumatized by the shooting on November 30, 2021, and may need special attention before, during, and following the drills. Guidepost recommends a phased approach to the drills to provide students and staff with time to adjust, the report said.

The school inconsistently screens visitors for weapons afterhours and on days when there are events but no classes in session. Also, staff are not required to pass through weapons screening equipment.

Teachers and other staff havent been trained on the new threat assessment protocol implemented since the shooting.

The district is now conducting 300% more threat and suicide assessments than similarly sized schools, a practices that is unsustainable and unnecessary.

Read the full safety report here.

More on MLive:

Parents of Oxford school shooter can face trial, court says

You cant sue the king. Qualified immunity under attack in Oxford High mass shooting lawsuit

Court mulls whether parents of Oxford High murderer can be held criminally liable

When will this end? MSU freshman survives second school shooting in less than 2 years
As Montanas population has grown, development, drought, disease, invasive species and recreation have combined to put more and more pressure on the states water resources in all their forms  from rivers, lakes and streams to groundwater.

Its a pattern Dave Stagliano saw before, when he lived in Colorado in the mid-1990s. Now, the president of the Montana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society worries Montana is traveling in a similar direction.

No (fisheries biologist) is disputing any of the bad changes that are coming down the pike, he said.

We cant ignore the fact that fishing pressure is one of those things, on top of environmental stresses like some of the drought years, that can really put a fishery in jeopardy, he added.

Two recently published studies highlight new dangers facing all waters in the nation that are less obvious than crowded boat launches or hook-scarred trout.

Chemicals

Earlier this year, the Environmental Working Group released a study that took samples from 500 fish across the United States to analyze them for forever chemicals, or toxic PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). PFASes have been used since the 1940s as coatings to resist heat, oil stains, grease and water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and do not break down in the environment. Firefighting foams are another source of the chemicals.

The Environmental Working Group study estimated eating one serving of freshwater fish a year could equal a month of drinking water laced with PFAS. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not established a safe level for the chemicals in fish.

In drinking water, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends limits ranging from .02 parts per trillion to .004 ppt for the most common PFAS. According to the study, even low doses of PFAS have been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers and suppression of the immune system.

In Montana, fish sampled for the study found levels as high as 76,000 ppt in a Missouri River channel catfish downstream from Great Falls and 55,490 ppt in a lower Yellowstone River channel cat. A Stillwater River brown trout had 24,306 ppt. For comparison, a sample from a mountain whitefish on the Clark Fork River caught downstream from Missoula had 1,387 ppt of the forever chemicals.

Diversity

Another recently published study in the journal Science Advances compiled data from more than 6,100 streams across the United States that were sampled for 27 years by federal agencies.

The results showed urban and agricultural streams losing tiny plants and bugs sensitive to pollutants. The study also found the differences between streams draining forests, wetlands and grasslands versus those in urban and agricultural areas have grown larger over time. Urban and agricultural streams have lost the few sensitive species of bugs and plants they once had while gaining those tolerant to disturbance.

Although the federal Clean Water Act was passed in 1972, the scientists wrote, Despite decades of regulatory and management actions aimed at reducing freshwater contaminants and restoring freshwater habitat, we observe continued degradation of the communities in urban and agricultural streams and no evidence of widespread recovery of sensitive aquatic taxa across U.S. stream networks.

Based on the findings, the study authors called for change.

Our results suggest that current legislation and conservation and restoration land use practices have not been enough to stem the pressures on these communities. Without protections for stream communities, especially those in (human) modified habitats, they likely will continue to degrade and perhaps lead to a loss of ecosystem functions and services.

Fisheries

Any time the balance of an ecosystem is upset, you have to take heed, Stagliano said, adding, We need to be proactive.

The Montana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, an organization representing around 200 fisheries scientists in the state, focused its 2023 meeting in Butte on Population growth and its effects on Montanas fisheries and aquatic resources.

Although the scientists are not able to enact policy changes, their work can inform those in a position to take action, Stagliano noted.

Not always willing to stand on the sidelines, the group has taken stances on policy issues in the past. The chapter advocated for the bypass channel around Intake Diversion Dam on the lower Yellowstone River to provide fish passage for endangered pallid sturgeon, and on a national level endorsed the removal of Snake River dams to help struggling populations of ocean-going salmon and steelhead.

Water isnt just a resource issue. Past estimates by the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks have estimated the annual economic value of money spent on fishing activities amount to more than $900 million. That doesnt count money generated by rafting outfitters or pleasure boaters.

Waterkeepers

One organization that can push to protect water resources in Montana is the Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, created in 2013. The groups director, Guy Alsentzer, sees the Science Advances study as applicable to whats going on in Montana. He pointed to recent reports about the decline of brown trout in the upper Clark Fork River downstream from Butte, dead whitefish and zombie trout suffering from proliferative kidney disease outbreaks as harbingers of worse to come.

There are in fact big shifts happening in (macroinvertebrate) communities, including Montanas, and those shifts are likely to have a direct and significant impact on trout/fishery populations, particularly when taken in conjunction with cumulative decline in water quality and habitat conditions, he wrote in an email.

Alsentzer said national and state agencies need a paradigm shift to address the problems scientists like fisheries biologists are pointing out. Thats why his group is championing the importance of using proven regulatory mechanisms under state and federal law to protect invaluable headwater streams, he added. Protecting the water quality and habitat in those places is essential to the viability of historic aquatic life.

Stagliano agreed, saying he hopes politicians will heed what scientists are finding.

As we encroach on the aquatic resource, as those developments come closer and closer to riparian areas, we have a scientific backbone to stand on, Stagliano said. We know that a lot of those developments, especially away from cities  those suburban outliers, theyre on septic tanks and septic systems. We all know septic tanks fail from time to time and that winds up in our river. Its never good to be adding sewage and nutrients to our fisheries. It wont manifest itself usually in a fish kill, but like we see on the Gallatin near where Big Sky is  it may pass muster on a (Department of Environmental Quality) level, but were seeing algae blooms because of the warming water temperatures. And what was working 10 years ago isnt working now. And eventually thats going to catch up to the fishery in terms of bug hatches that may be gone down the road and the trout will suffer.
Nurses in Michigan say staffing levels are causing negative outcomes for patients and hospital workers alike.

A recent survey commissioned by the Michigan Nurses Association found 42% of nurses said they know of a patient death attributed to nurses being assigned too many patients in 2023. That rate has nearly doubled since a similar survey from 2016.

Another study found thousands of Michigan nurses report emotional exhaustion and point to inadequate staffing as their main concern. Nearly 40% of the more than 9,000 nurses surveyed said they plan to leave their job within the next year.

Dangerous understaffing is a serious problem at hospitals across Michigan, said Jamie Brown, a critical care nurse and president of the nurses union. The crisis we are facing is not a nursing shortage. The crisis comes from the fact that we are working in conditions that are so awful that one-third of our registered nurses in our state are choosing not to work at the bedside.

Nursing advocates were in Lansing on Thursday, May 11, for the introduction of a package of House and Senate bills known as the Safe Patient Care Act. The trio of House bills (4550-4552), with mirrored bills in the Senate (334-336), would limit the number of patients a nurse can be assigned, curb mandatory overtime and require hospitals to publicly report their nurse-to-patient ratios.

Health system advocates who oppose the bills argue they have the potential to severely harm hospitals and access to important services for patients. Leaders from the Michigan Health & Hospital Association and the Michigan Organization of Nurse Leaders said the legislation wouldnt address nursing shortages.

Instituting a one-size-fits-all mandate requiring hospitals hire more nurses who do not currently exist will limit the services hospitals can offer to their communities, prolong the time it takes for a patient to receive care and hinder the ability of hospitals to respond to a crisis in fear of violating Michigan law, reads the joint statement.

Currently, there are no laws limiting the number of patients assigned to a nurse during a given shift. Sen. Stephanie Young, D-Detroit, said a nurse who should have a four-patient workload may regularly be asked to care for eight to 10 patients at a time.

Under the legislation, required rations would vary by area of care based on evidence-based research. Some examples noted Thursday included a one-nurse-to-four-patients ratio for medical-surgical care, typically before and after surgery; a one-to-one ratio for critical care and active labor; and a one-two ratio for pre-labor.

There are also no laws limiting how many hours a nurse can work consecutively. Rep. Betsy Coffia, D-Traverse City, said a nurse who typically works 12-hour shifts could wind up working 16 or even 20 hours straight without limits on required overtime.

Coffia noted there are mandatory limits on the number of hours a trucker can drive per day to reduce accidents and save lives. The same can be said for pilots.

But when it comes to nurses who also deal with life and death situations, theyre told to go back to work, she said.

The third proposed change would force hospitals to make their nurse-to-patient ratios public, both to help patients and prospective nurses better assess the situation.

Its past time we hold the hospital executives accountable and require them to follow evidence-based practice to keep patients safe, Brown said.

Similar bills have been introduced and stalled for more than a decade. Asked what made them confident they could gain more traction in 2023, Democrat legislators behind the bills noted their partys majority, as well as bipartisan support within the packages nearly 50 co-sponsors.

When youre trying to mandate that hospitals do the right thing, its something the prior legislatures were not willing to take up, but I do think its something thats necessary, said Sen. Sylvia Santana, D-Detroit. We are listening to the frontline nurses and taking concrete action to support them.

Instead of passing the proposed changes, the Michigan Health & Hospital Association and Michigan Organization of Nurse Leaders proposed:

Passing legislation that allows the state to join the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows nurses to have one license to practice in all member states and territories.

Expanding eligibility for the Michigan Reconnect program, which gives scholarships to eligible applicants to complete an associate degree or Pell-eligible skill certificate program at an in-district community college at no or reduce cost.

Increasing penalties for those who commit acts of violence against healthcare workers.

Read more on MLive:

Safety grades dipped for 19 Michigan hospitals. How did yours score?

Its changed my life: How weight loss shots are gaining popularity

We thought COVID would never end. Then we thought it already did.

Preventable infections rise within Michigan hospitals, per report
A Native American Tribe in Wisconsin this week asked a federal court to order an emergency shutdown to the Line 5 oil and gas pipeline that crosses its reservation.

Tribal authorities argue extreme riverbank erosion in recent weeks now puts the pipeline at much higher risk of rupture during any future storm. They released drone footage captured during this years springtime flooding they say proves soils eroded from beneath the pipeline and exposed the aging infrastructure to river currents.

A federal judge previously ruled the pipeline was trespassing on sovereign tribal land and must be rerouted, but fell short of ordering the petrochemical line shut down. The judge said the reasons were both expected widespread economic consequences and significant public policy implications on the trade relationship between the United States and Canada.

Canadian energy transportation giant Enbridge owns the Line 5 pipeline and company officials said they are disappointed with what they called the unnecessary and outrageous court filing. Enbridge wants to reinforce the eroded riverbank and install a pipeline valve but have not been allowed by the tribe to do the work, the company said.

Latest legal fight

The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa on May 9, 2023, filed with the Western U.S. District Court of Wisconsin for emergency injunctive relief and asked the court to order the shutdown of the pipeline because of extreme riverbank erosion.

Typical springtime water level rises on the Bad River caused this erosion, as much as nearly 20 feet in some places, the tribe said in its motion.

As the bank moves ever closer to Line 5, the rate of erosion will become ever more unpredictable, and even relatively little rainfall could lead to further erosion, according to the Bad River Bands motion.

The tribe pointed to some estimates that show only 11 feet of protective soil beneath the pipeline and as little as 5 feet of soil covering it. The argument is that a breach of the pipeline could harm local waters and wildlife, as well as downstream Lake Superior.

In one week alone, nearly half the riverbank eroded away, said Bad River Band Chairman Mike Wiggins. At this moment, just one more storm could expose the oil pipeline to the rivers current, and we could experience a release of oil akin to what happened in the Yellowstone River in 2011 or the Arkansas River in 2014.

But Enbridge officials said company officials, tribal representatives, and others toured the site on May 8, 2023, and saw first-hand that the pipe is not exposed and there is no cause for alarm.

To be clear, the Band and its litigation funders are bent on shutting down this piece of critical infrastructure regardless of who will be hurt by their actions, said Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy in an email.

There is no change to the operating condition of the pipeline. While some erosion has occurred due to recent flooding, there is still considerable bank between the river and Line 5 and there is currently no risk to the pipeline, which continues to operate safely, Duffy said.

He also said Enbridge officials want to reinforce the riverbank and install an additional valve on the pipeline but have not been allowed by the tribe to do so.

Line 5 is nearly 70 years old and carries about 23 million gallons a day of crude oil and natural gas liquids from Superior, Wisconsin, into and across Michigans Upper Peninsula, beneath Great Lakes waters at the Straits of Mackinac, and then through Lower Michigan to end at refineries in Sarnia, Ontario.

Environmental advocacy groups lined up to announce support for the Bad River Bands latest legal fight with Enbridge.

This serious threat to the Bad River and Lake Superior showcases corporate culture placing profit above peoples livelihoods and the environment, said Jacob Bresette, Bad River Band citizen and owner of Milwaukee-based Lake Effect Surf Shop, which belongs to the environmentally focused Great Lakes Business Network.

Bresette said his business stands behind the Bad River Tribe in defending their sacred lands and way of life against what he called a reckless corporation operating a pipeline that is an accident waiting to happen.

Other organizations echoed those sentiments.

Line 5 needs to be shut down. Every rainfall or snow melt brings us closer to a disaster. Lake Superior and the Bad River watershed are critical to the life and health of the region. We cant allow Enbridge to continue to trespass on sovereign territory while risking our water, wetlands, and climate, said Elizabeth Ward, Sierra Club Wisconsin director.

Denise Keele, director of the Michigan Climate Action Network, said that as extreme weather events become more frequent and intense with climate change, rising floodwaters must be considered as an imminent threat to the aging pipeline.

Environmental advocates in Michigan are closely watching the Wisconsin case for possible implications for their own fight against Enbridge.

In Michigan, Enbridge wants to build a tunnel through the bedrock beneath the Straits into which Line 5 would be rerouted, removing the 4-mile section that runs across Great Lakes bottomlands where Lakes Michigan and Huron meet.

Both Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel have sued in state court to shut down Line 5, though Enbridge has successfully had the cases removed to federal court.

Both Indigenous tribes and environmental groups contend the dual pipelines are a constant petrochemical spill risk that could pollute hundreds of miles of Great Lakes shorelines at the heart of the continents greatest freshwater resource. Enbridge officials say the lines have never leaked and remain in sound working condition.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently said its review of the companys proposed tunnel that was initially expected by this years end is now projected to take until spring 2025. A decision would now come no sooner than early 2026.

This new timeline could push the tunnels projected completion date to 2030.

Proponents contend a tunnel is needed to maintain energy market stability in the Midwest and would heighten environmental protections for the pipeline that is now exposed to Great Lakes waters and strong underwater currents.

Federal approval is not the only hurdle to Enbridges tunnel plan, which still must clear a lengthy review by the Michigan Public Service Commission.

State environmental regulators already approved permits for the company to build the tunnel, as well as the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority.

In 2021, Canada invoked a 1977 treaty over Michigans efforts to close the line, arguing that it delivers critical fuel supplies to Ontario and Quebec. The treaty limits actions that could impede energy supplies of either the U.S. or Canada.

The Biden and Trudeau administrations remain in negotiations over the treaty invocation.

Sign up to receive MLive's free new environment and climate newsletter, "Lake Effect." Enter your email below:





Related articles:

Wisconsin Line 5 trespass ruling may influence Michigan legal fight

Michigan AG files appeal to return Enbridge Line 5 case to state court

Line 5 tunnel could be a stranded asset in 20 years, report suggests

Tribal challenge to Line 5 tunnel permit reinstated by oversight panel

Part of tribal identity, Great Lakes wild rice threatened by climate change
Few days to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential and parliamentary primaries on Saturday, May 13, former President John Dramani Mahama has demonstrated to delegates how to vote in a way that minimizes the instances of spoilt ballots in elections.

Speaking to NDC delegates on May 9 at Wa Central, Mr. Mahama, who is running for the party's flagbearer position, if the delegates exercise caution during voting to avoid the incidence of spoiled ballots, he would be able to achieve the 100% vote target in the constituency as promised by the executives.

He stated When you are voting kindly put your thumbprint in the middle of the box, dont let it cross, you will find my picture there, if you see my picture just put your thumbprint there.

One of the things that spoils the most ballot is that after we apply the thumbprint we dont clean our thumb and so the ink is not yet dry on our thumb and then we hold the paper to try and fold it and then it thump prints another place.

Once they see two thump prints then your votes are spoilt, so let us use the last few days to teach our people how to vote.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, a flagbearer aspirant said with the massive support of farmers in the party he will win the party's presidential race.

The former Agriculture Minister who resigned to chase his Presidential ambitions stated that majority of the New Patriotic Party delegates who are farmers enjoyed the policies and programmes he implemented during his tenure in office.

Speaking to journalists in Accra, Dr Afriyie Akoto is confident the feat he achieved at the Agric Ministry would put him above all the candidates.

Most of these farmers I met in Upper East, Upper West, Savannah regions are also delegates and party constituencies executives. The one million farmers are the ones who will bear witness to me. Just go to any farmer and ask about the impact I have had on their lives when I was Minister for Food and Agriculture. And they will confess to you, they will tell you. They will vote for me to win, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said.

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong and Francis Addai Nimo have expressed their intent to run for the party's flagbearership race.

The others are Joe Ghartey, a former member of parliament for Essikado-Ketan, Kwabena Agyapong, a former General Secretary of the NPP, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku and Boakye Agyarko, a former Energy Minister.

The NPP has settled on November 4 for the presidential race. However, the party would convene a Special Congress on August 26 if more than five candidates submit applications to contest. Nominations will run from May 26 until June 24, 2023.
Health officials at the Tema Manhean Polyclinic has led the Police to arrest the pastor of the Elohim Life Church International, for keeping an anaemic mother and her newly born babies at the church premises.

Mr Joshua Agudah, Assembly member for Dade Agbo Electoral Area in the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, where the church is located, confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency, saying he uncovered the lady at the church after being informed about her condition.

The Ghana News Agency gathered from the clinic that the woman, who is in her early 20s and was pregnant with twins, was transferred to the Tema General Hospital (TGH) some weeks ago due to a low haemoglobin level and other complications.

The source noted that checks at the TGH indicated that she continued her antenatal care there after the transfer, but she later reported with her twin babies to the Manhean Polyclinic on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, after allegedly delivering at the church.

Upon checking the woman and her twins, the midwives on duty, transferred them from the polyclinic back to TGH and called the hospital to inform them.

The GNA gathered that the pastor, instead of sending the woman to the TGH, sent her to his church.

This came to light when the midwives called the hospital on Thursday, May 4, 2023, to do a follow-up on the patient.

Suspecting the pastor, they informed the Assembly member and the police, which led to his arrest and the rescue of the twin babies and their mother, who health officials said were suffering from a running temperature and severe anaemia with an HB level of six.

According to the source at the time of the arrest, they saw other pregnant women, and other women with their babies, seeking prayers at the church.

However, sources said the family members of the woman with the twins went to the polyclinic to verbally assault the health officials for taking the woman and the babies from the said church.

Meanwhile, Dr Joseph Donkor, Medical Director of the Tema Manhean Polyclinic, has bemoaned the high level of anaemia among pregnant women in Manhean, noting that some of them do not eat, leading to nurses and midwives having to buy food for them when they visit the hospital.

He revealed this at a recently held Annual Performance Review organized by the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, where it was disclosed that anaemia was a major cause of the 23 maternal deaths recorded in the Metropolis for the year 2022.

Some of them eat kenkey without fish; they will tell you that their husbands are not taking care of them; sometimes we, the health providers, are even supposed to pay and give them money to go and buy food, especially when they stay long at the facility, he revealed.

He said the issue was a big challenge for health officials at the Manhean Polyclinic, adding that in an effort to address the challenge, they have started a series of stakeholder engagements.

GNA
The leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has commenced consultations with the Party elders to find solution to the court injunction filed against its presidential and parliamentary primaries by one of the aspirants, Dr Kwabena Duffuor.

Dr Duffuor, on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, filed an interlocutory injunction against the Party's upcoming presidential and parliamentary primaries, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 13, 2023, barring the Party and the Electoral Commission from holding the elections pending the production of a complete photo album register.

The suit followed an earlier concern raised about the credibility of the Voters Register to be used for the elections by the campaign team of the former Finance Minister.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, in Accra, on Wednesday, Mr Mustapha Gbandi, a Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, said as a law-abiding political party, it would comply with the orders and processes of the court.

However, he said, to ensure quick resolution of the impasse, the leadership had commenced consultations with the elders of the Party to find a way forward.

This is an internal contest so, we believe that whatever the grievances, some solutions can always be proffered. And so, we are currently in consultations with elders of the Party to see how to get the issues resolved and then we can move on, he said.

Mr Gbandi indicated that, already, about 80 per cent of data required by aspirants for the elections had been given to all of them, adding that, the Party was in the process of furnishing them with the remaining 20 per cent.

He, however, noted that, per the election regulations, aspirants were only entitled to delegates list, which the Party had made available to them and not photo albums.

They took delivery of these documents one and a half months ago; they have never come up with any challenges expect the photo album which is a complementary exercise to further strengthen the system. And so, even if for some reason we will not be able to carry out the photo album, the delegates list has been discharged in accordance with law and process, he added.

He said the Party will still go ahead and deliver to them the full complement of the photo albums but mind you that, the photo album is not a document stated in the election regulation.

The Deputy General Secretary implored aspirants to continue with their campaign activities, while urging members of the Party, particularly delegates to remain calm as leadership continued to work to resolve the matter.

We must remain calm. Campaigns must continue, we must finish hard but, we must remain active within the principles of the Party, within a defined boundaries of individual actions and all of that.

So, we must take into consideration that in everything the Party is paramount and the interest of the Party supersedes any other interests, Mr Gbandi urged.

GNA
A translations seminar for 2023 has been organized on the topic Significance of Scripture Versions and Bible Helps by the Bible Society of Ghana (BSG) in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.

The seminar was to discuss the Bible translation, review the key factors that influence the emergence of several scripture versions, and attempt to offer specific guidelines that audiences or readers of the scripture can draw on when selecting a Bible.

The aim was to offer some tools and helps that are provided in a mother-tongue translated Bible, to enable and equip the reader to gain understanding and access to the ancient worlds of the Bible.

Speaking in an interview with ModernGhana News in Bolgatanga, the Computer Assisted Publishing Officer for the Bible Society of Ghana, (BSG) Mathias Dery gave an insight into the seminar.

He said the Bible Society of Ghana is a non-denominational Christian Organization, established in 1965 by all the churches in Ghana, that saw the need to translate the Bible into their various mother tongue. Churches he said are not different entities when it comes to the issue of the Bible.

"The BSG is the servant of all churches irrespective of color and creed, all the churches belong to the BSG and the BSG serves them all," he stated.

Mr. explained that the BSG carries out Bible translation, distribution of the scriptures, and trauma healing. He said so far, they have translated the Bible into nine (9) Ghanaian dialects most of which are in the New Testament while work is also progressing steadily in the Old Testament, all geared toward coming out with the complete bible translated in the various Ghanaian languages in the near future.

The Translation Manager, Bible Society of Ghana Rev, Dr. Kennedy Owiredu explained the relevance of translating the Bible into local dialects saying, as Christians we believe God speaks all languages and Gods word comes to us in a language we understand and that should be in our dialect.

He stated that the scripture which is the word of God and very important to the life of a Christian, should be translated into various languages for every Christian, to read for a better understanding in their own language.

Rev. Owiredu said it is something extraordinary when Gods word is read "to us in our dialect. We are able to understand God meaningfully.

He added that the mother tongue Bibles use "our own words, idioms expressions, and proverbs to translate what is written in Hebrew and Greek, thereby providing easy absorption when read."
Sarah Adwoa Safo

10.05.2023 LISTEN

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome Kwabenya Constituency, Sarah Adwoa Safo has admonished Ghanaians to have faith in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government despite the current challenges facing the country.

Ghana since 2022 has been battling an economic crisis that forced President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to direct Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to seek help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July.

Although talks have progressed, the country is yet to receive board approval for the $3 billion credit facility it is seeking from the Fund.

Acknowledging that times are tough, Sara Adwoa Safo still believes that the ruling New Patriotic Party government remains the best bet to bring the country out of the current difficulties.

In a post on her Facebook page, she assured Ghanaians that government will not fail the Ghanaian people in delivering prosperity and development for the good of the people.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is all we have and it remains the sole platform and vehicle through which the Prosperity and Development of our dear Country Ghana will be realised.

"Regardless of the difficulties and challenges of today, we cannot and will not fail our people, Sarah Adwoa Safo said.
Project Coordinator for the Oda Community Mining Program, Kontoh Owusu Agyeman has denied the allegation of illegal mining.

On Saturday, May 6, 2023, the CEO of the Minerals Commission, Martin Ayisi, announced on Newsfile on Joy News that three Yemenis had been detained by the small-scale task force and the Minerals Commission office in Oda. He added that two excavators had been seized and are now parked at the police station.

According to him, when the Yemenis were detained, the local chief went to the task force's office and claimed possession of the mining site and was also arrested.

In reaction, Mr Kontoh Owusu Agyeman stated that the District Security Council, BNI, Regional Security Council, Regional Police Command, Minerals Commission, and all other governing authorities were aware of their preliminary actions.

"That was why the police or military wasn't involved in arresting the three Yemenis who weren't in the act of doing galamsey. Thus, it is untrue for anyone to assert that they were involved in illegal mining.

"In the Community Mining Operation, we have followed proper procedures and done all necessary action. A tributary arrangement was first obtained from GCD. Minerals Commission signed SIGA was involved. We then met with the Eastern Regional Minister to discuss our intentions to start community mining. He requested that we respect the law and construct an office with amenities like a canteen and bathrooms. Because of that, we were on the job site installing the SD-400 washing machine," he stated.

According to Kontoh Owusu Agyekum, "On the fateful Monday, we heard that some armed guys had broken into our location and destroyed the equipment. Each of these pricey gadgets costs $600,000 to purchase. With the idea of using the equipment and paying the overseas supplier back, we bought the machines on credit.

"The company was to construct, run, and educate local personnel to operate it for three months before they turned it over and we paid them in full. To prevent water pollution, we have built three dams on the property since we follow the law."

During the conversation, he made it clear that he followed due process to ensure that no holes or pits are left on the property he is working on to avoid accidents.

"In 2015, I travelled after leaving a land I was working on. When I came back, I witnessed some Chinese being awarded my land. I, therefore, moved to the High Court to obtain paperwork proving that I had no involvement in the mining that was taking place on the property. And I shouldn't be held accountable if something goes wrong," he stated.
New York, May 10, 2023Togolese authorities should ensure that journalist Edouard Kamboissoa Samboe and all other members of the media can work without fear, and should drop any restrictions on Samboes work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.

On the morning of April 30, Togolese soldiers arrested Samboe, the founder and owner of the privately owned Laabali news website, as he was reporting on the aftermath of a jihadist attack in Togos northern Waldjouaque village, according to the journalist and Robert Douti, Laabalis editorial director, who both spoke to CPJ by phone.

Samboe told CPJ that the soldiers took him to their nearby base, where they questioned him about why he was in the area, seized his two phones and computer, and deleted audio and video recordings he had taken that day. They then transferred him to the custody of the local gendarmerie office in the northern city of Dapaong. The gendarmerie held him until May 2 and released him only after he signed a document agreeing not to return to the area without first informing the authorities.

Journalists should be free to work without fear of arrest, harassment, or undue requirements that they inform authorities of their movements, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator. Togolese journalist Edouard Kamboissoa Samboe should be allowed to work without restriction, and authorities should refrain from harassing members of the press and seizing their devices.

Samboe said the soldiers were angry because he tweeted about his detention before being transferred to the gendarmerie. Get him out, well settle the accountsWere going to put him down, Samboe recalled the soldiers saying, adding that they said, We spared you and you are ungrateful.

Samboe said the gendarmerie released him without charge after he signed the agreement and gendarmerie officers returned his phones and computer the following day. He described his detention as an attempt to isolate and traumatize him.

While in custody of the gendarmerie, Samboe said he was questioned about his work, including if he had ever interviewed jihadists or worked for France-based media outlets like TV5 Monde or Le Monde. Authorities in Burkina Faso, which shares a border with northern Togo, have suspended French broadcasters France 24 and Radio France Internationale over their coverage of the conflict with jihadists in the country, and in April expelled French reporters Agnes Faivre and Sophie Douce.

Samboe said both the soldiers and gendarmerie made him give up the password to one of his phones, which was locked. The gendarmerie also made him give them the password to his Telegram account, he added.

It is possible that they read my messages, he told CPJ, adding that he believed authorities had accessed his Facebook account as well because he was logged in on his computer when they took it, but was logged out after it was returned.

Samboe said he was worried that his devices were no longer safe to use, citing concerns over the threat of Pegasus spyware, which has been deployed against Togolese civil society members and may have been used to target Togolese journalists. In July 2022, Togo communication minister Akodah Ayewouadan told CPJ that the government had no connection with the Pegasus vendor NSO Group and has not used that spyware, but did not respond to subsequent written questions.

Togolese Minister of Security and Civil Protection Yank Damehame and a gendarmerie officer at the Dapaong office, who identified himself only as Rachid, both agreed to respond to queries via messaging app. CPJ sent questions to both for comment but did not receive any responses by the time of publication.
A pickup truck driver accused of hitting and killing a 6-year-old bicyclist in a Watford City apartment building parking lot last month has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts.

Julian Montoya, 19, of Watford City, is charged with negligent homicide and duty in an accident involving death. The two charges together carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Northwest District Judge Robin Schmidt scheduled a trial starting Sept. 18, court records show.

Montoya is accused of striking the boy the night of Saturday, April 8, while the boy adjusted his bicycle seat. Montoya allegedly went over to the child and apologized, then went to the pickup as though he was going to leave. A witness took the keys and Montoya went inside the apartment building. He returned to the scene a few minutes later, the Highway Patrol said. Montoya allegedly told authorities he thought he was going 5 mph and went into shock after hitting the boy.

The witness told investigators Montoya was going fast as he rounded a corner in the parking lot and made no attempt to stop, according to a Patrol affidavit. Black tire marks after the turn "appear to be skid marks consistent with rear tires spinning due to rapid acceleration," the document states.

The agency does not identify minors because of a state law passed in 2021 that exempts the names of minors involved in a crash from public records laws.

A GoFundMe effort to raise money for the family identified the boy as Ian Garcia. Organizers of the fundraiser said Garcia and his family came from Guatemala a short time ago "to build a future in the United States."
In the first place, the name Sam George appears to me to be a slave name, a name usually given by slave masters to Africans.

This insulting statement made by one Mr. Sam George, apparently a Ghanaian with a European name, is totally unacceptable and must be condemned by all peace-loving Ghanaians, especially Ashantis.

I wish to repeat exactly what this Sam George said. He said, it was childish for an 80-year-old man (Dr. Duffuor) to be engaged in such desperate politicking, because he wants to be elected Flagbearer.

In other words: He, Mr. Sam George is discriminating against Mr. Duffuor because of his age.

In most civilised countries especially Germany old age is considered a blessing and as such discrimination against older people is considered as a crime.

Does Sam George want to indicate that President Biden of the United States, who is also 80 years old, is engaging in something that is, because of his age, forbidden? Where is it written, that old age makes one incapable of making the right decisions in life? Maybe Sam George as well as ex-President Mahama, have the answer. (Mahama made a similar statement in Chattham House in London and I was shocked, because he did not realise that in England and in many other European countries it is a crime to say that and publicly discriminate against people of old age.)

My experience tells me something different, because the Founder of his Party, the NDC, Mr. Rawlings took power in Ghana as a junior officer at the age of 32. We all know exactly what he did at that age. He killed and killed and killed his own people. One would have thought that Rawlings would have followed the following methods of governance:

Coherent policy in education,

coherent foreign policy,

coherent defense policy,

coherent economic policy,

coherent policy of job creation and so on and so forth.

Instead, he chose to murder his own citizens for crimes he considered to be punishable by death.

Now, Mr. Sam George, you describe Mr. Kwabena Duffuor as engaging in desperate politicking.

Let's compare the 80-year-old man to the founder of your party. Which one has engaged in desperate politicking?

My answer to this probably non-Ashanti man is, he must have probably lost his sense of fairness and justice. I find it extremely difficult to understand, how an African politician can use such degrading words to describe those of us who have been blessed by God to have a long life.

Mr. Sam George must be ashamed of himself.

For years we black people have been fighting for freedom and justice and I think you have forgotten that in most civilised countries discrimination against older people is a crime (except probably in Accra and in Prampam?).

You are not doing politics to discriminate against peaceful citizens who happen to have been blessed with old age.

I know Dr. Duffuor personally and I know how Mrs. Rawlings the wife of the Founder of the NDC and the late Founder himself appreciate him and his services to the nation. President Rawlings and myself and Mrs. Rawlings have had the gracious opportunity of talking to the former Finance Minister Dr. Duffuor about the problems facing our country. My impression is that this is a fine, intelligent person, who can even at the age of 90 and above deliver to Ghana what Ghana needs. He to my mind is fit to be the future leader of the NDC, simply because he is competent, irrespective of his age.

Now, Dear Mr. Sam George, please lend me your ears:

There will never be any 2024 elections in Ghana without a prior constitutional reform in this country.

The people of my ethnic group, the Ashantis, will not allow any more resources of that nation to be stolen and used for those areas where the people are known to be lazy.

There shall be Ashanti Cocoa Marketing Board, there will be Ashanti Diamond Cooperation, we shall have Gold Marketing Board in Ashanti, there will be Timber Marketing Board in Ashanti, we shall have Bauxite Marketing Board in Ashanti and we shall make sure that job-creation in Ashanti will be our main pre-occupation. Rural areas will be developed and for your information, we shall refuse immigration from the North to the South, in other words, we shall have a devolution in Ghana.

God Bless our Motherland.
11.05.2023 LISTEN

The Chief of Ahenkro, Nana Ahenkro Sei-Poku IV has promised never to betray the trust and confidence that the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has reposed in him.

The accomplished businessman said he meant every word in his vow when sworn in as the Chief of the Ahenkro town over two years ago.

He recalled how the occupant of the Golden Stool-the Asantehene admonished him to see development as the warfare of a modern-day leader.

Nana Ahenkro Sei- Poku IV pledged during a stakeholder meeting on constructing an ultra-modern market at Ahenkro in the Afigya Kwabre North district of the Ashanti region.

Addressing the forum, the chief seized the opportunity to highlight some development the town witnessed under his reign.

He disclosed that he prioritized education on his development agenda as the subject is generally acknowledged as key to the socio-economic development of every society.

He said upon ascending the Ahenkro stool, he observed that the academic performance of the St. Michael Senior High School in the town was very low with around 22 percent WASSSE score.

According to the chief, interventions under his leadership and the district assembly have resulted in tremendous improvement in students performance.

He proudly announced that the school witnessed a significant improvement in the 2021 and 2022 WASSSE results from the previous 22 percent to 75 and 80 percent respectively.

He disclosed that several other interventions are been undertaking at the basic level to improve the general academic performance of children in the Ahenkro community.

The chief said his reign has also brought some development to healthcare delivery in the town. Nana observed that the Ahenkro clinic which he came to meet is now a health centre. He added that plans are far advanced to be upgraded to the status of a polyclinic.

Under youth welfare and development, the chief announced the ongoing construction of an AstroTurf sporting facility for youth in the community.

Touching on the soon-to-commence ultra-modern market project, Nana Ahenkro Sei-Poku described it as a credit to his reign, as it is going to give the town a face-lift. He thanked the DCE and management of the Afigya Kwabre North District Assembly for bringing the project to Ahenkro.

He also appealed to traders in the old market to comply with authorities in the relocation plans and all construction arrangements to ensure the smooth execution of the project.

The Afigya Kwabre North District Chief Executive, Kwesi Karikari Achamfuo said the assembly will fully engage the community in the construction process. He also pledged to ensure transparency in the allocation of the stores and sheds after completion.

He said the ultra-modern market, first of its kind to be constructed in the Afigya Kwabre North is expected to improve the economic fortunes of residents in the Ahenkro township and help increase revenue generation to the assembly.

The project consists of two units one storey block with 149 lockable stores, 60 open sheds and a ten-seater water closet toilet facility.

The project, a Private Public Partnership (PPP) initiative executed under a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement is estimated at GHS4,184,333.
11.05.2023 LISTEN

School feeding Caterers in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region are still at post cooking for pupils since school resumed on April 3, despite strike action embarked upon by their colleagues in other parts of the country.

A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to Kadjebi E.P Primary school, Kadjebi D/A A Primary and Okanta D/A Primary School on Wednesday, May 9 and May 10 saw Caterers at post busily preparing food for the pupils.

At Kadjebi E.P Primary School, Miss Kafui Wormade, a Caterer told GNA that they were preparing food for the pupils since April 3 and that on the previous day, Tuesday, they prepared Banku and Wednesday, May 9; the pupils would be fed with Rice.

Mr Andrews Duedu, an Assistant Headteacher of the school confirmed this when contacted by GNA.

He said about 500 pupils from Kindergarten to Primary six are benefiting from the programme.

Mr Duedu said they were surprised when they saw the Caterers at post cooking for the pupils when they heard on the news that their colleagues in other parts of the country are on strike.

He praised them for the good work they were doing for Mother Ghana.

At Kadjebi D/A A Primary School although GNA met no Caterers as at the time of visit at 8:45am, they saw cooking utensils at the kitchen indicating that the workers were present.

Mr Emmanuel Kofi Kafui Hodzor, the Headteacher of the school told GNA that the Caterers were at post since school resumed and that 430 pupils were benefiting from the programme.

When GNA visited Okanta D/A Primary School on Wednesday, May 10, at 7:09am, Madam Mariam Tahiru, a Caterer in-charge of the School Feeding in the school was seen chopping Kontomire and when asked, she said they would be preparing Rice and Kontomire stew for the pupils.

She said they have been preparing food for the pupils since school resumed and appealed to the government to pay them their 8 months arrears to enable settle their creditors.

Madam Tahiru added that they were not paid for two terms and that is making life unbearable for them as creditors are on their necks for payment of monies owed them.

Miss Dorothy Ntem, a class two pupils of the school told GNA that they were fed with Waakye the previous day and that today they would be served with Rice.

Mr Francis Kantangu, an Assistant Headteacher of the school told GNA that the Caterers had been at post since school resumed and that 238 pupils are benefiting from the programme in the school.

The School Feeding Programme, which started in 2005, aimed at increasing school enrollment and encouraged punctuality among pupils as well as enabling them to concentrate in class.

School Feeding Caterers in some parts of the country are currently on strike over delay in the payment of feeding grants for two terms and call for increment of the grant from GH0.97 per child to Three Ghana Cedis (GH3.00) per child, but government is yet to heed their demand.

GNA
Tunisian President Kais Saied on Wednesday sought to reassure the world over the safety of his country, an important tourist destination, after a police officer shot dead five people, most of them outside Africa's oldest synagogue.

The mass shooting on Tuesday sparked panic during an annual Jewish pilgrimage at the historic Ghriba synagogue on the resort island of Djerba.

"I never believed that I would experience such terror," recounted one survivor, Raoudha Seibi.

Police secure an area near the Ghriba synagogue following the killings. By FETHI BELAID (AFP)

The attack was "a real nightmare", said a tearful Seibi, a member of the Tunisian Association for the Support of Minorities. "I am still in shock."

Authorities were investigating the motive of the gunman, who was shot dead after killing three police officers and two visitors, a French-Tunisian and an Israeli-Tunisian man.

At a national security council meeting on Wednesday Saied denounced the "criminal and cowardly" attack, according to a video issued by his office.

Tourists walk through the alleys of the main Jewish quarter on Djerba after the shooting rampage. By FETHI BELAID (AFP)

"I want to reassure the Tunisian people and the whole world that Tunisia will remain safe despite this type of attempt intended to disturb its stability."

Saied said the attack aimed to "sow discord, sabotage the tourist season and attack the state".

Tuesday's rampage came as the tourism industry, vital in a heavily indebted, troubled economy, had finally rebounded from pandemic-era lows, as well as from attacks in 2015.

'Evil hatred'

French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to keep up the fight "against anti-Semitic hatred", and Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the bloodshed proves "evil and hatred are still there".

The shooting came as the tourism industry, vital in a heavily-indebted, troubled economy, had finally rebounded. By YASSINE MAHJOUB (AFP)

The Ghriba pilgrimage was previously targeted in a 2002 suicide truck bombing that killed 21 people.

The gunman, wearing his police uniform and a bulletproof vest, started the attack by killing a fellow officer and taking his gun and ammunition at the island's port, said officials.

He then went to the Ghriba synagogue site and opened fire outside, sparking terror on the final day of the annual pilgrimage.

Tunisia. By Sylvie HUSSON (AFP)

The two victims were named as Tunisian-Israeli dual national Aviel Haddad, 30, and his cousin, Benjamin Haddad, 42, who held both Tunisian and French nationalities.

In the ensuing gun battle, he also wounded six police officers, two of whom later died, hospital sources said.

"Around 8:00 pm we heard the sound of gunfire," recounted another eyewitness, an elderly Israeli man who gave his name as Elyahu. "The police closed all the doors, and we couldn't get out. We couldn't do anything for more than three hours.

"Some were praying, some were crying."

'Cowardly attack'

Investigations are continuing on the motive behind the "cowardly attack", the interior ministry said, refraining from referring to the shooting as a terrorist attack.

It was Tunisia's first deadly attack on foreigners since 2015, when Islamist gunmen in Tunis and Sousse killed dozens of foreign holidaymakers.

Jewish worshippers pack the Ghriba synagogue for the annual pilgrimage, two days before the shooting. By YASSINE MAHJOUB (AFP)

More than 5,000 Jewish faithful, mostly from overseas, participated in this year's event, said organisers. The annual pilgrimage only resumed in 2022 after two years of pandemic-related suspension.

The United States "deplores the attack in Tunisia coinciding with the annual Jewish pilgrimage that draws faithful to the El Ghriba Synagogue from around the world," said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

"We express condolences to the Tunisian people and commend the rapid action of Tunisian security forces."

Coming between Passover and Shavuot, the pilgrimage to Ghriba is at the heart of Jewish tradition in Tunisia, where only about 1,500 members of the faith still live -- mainly on Djerba -- compared with around 100,000 before independence in 1956.

Pilgrims travel to the site from Europe, the United States and Israel, although their numbers have dropped since the deadly bombing in 2002.

Tunisia suffered a sharp rise in Islamist militancy after the Arab Spring mass protests ousted longtime despot Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.

But authorities say they have made significant progress in the fight against terrorism in recent years.

The Ghriba attack also comes during Tunisia's severe financial crisis. It has worsened since Saied seized power in July 2021 and rammed through a constitution that gave his office sweeping powers and neutered parliament.
Members of the Tamale Technical University chapter of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) have withdrawn all services effective Wednesday, May 10 over non-payment of some allowances due them.

They also frown on the use of unapproved formula in paying end-of-service benefits of staff.

The affected services include conducting end-of-semester examinations, marking scripts, and other related academic work.

According to members of TUTAG, the management of the University has failed to implement the approved formula in the payment of end-of-service benefits which is stated in their condition of service approved by the Universitys Council.

Speaking at a press conference in Tamale on Wednesday, the leadership of TUTAG disclosed that, cheques issued for the payment of recently retired staff were prepared based on the old formula.

They also indicated that almost all the Internally Generated Fund-related allowances have not been paid.

The withdrawal on Wednesday has affected the ongoing end-of-semester examination which was expected to end today [Wednesday, 10th May].

The local Vice chairman of the TUTAG, Dr. Abdul Malik Bawah said they will not restore their services until their outstanding allowances are paid.

Following the action by the TUTAG members, students of the University massed up at the administration demanding answers from authorities on why their exams had been cancelled.

The schools Public Affairs Director, Osman Mubarik Abu, assured the students that, management is working with TUTAG to address their concerns.

-citinewsroom
Hon. Alex Blankson in collaboration with the DCE, Hon. Dr. Maurice Jonas Woode and District Director of Education (DDE), Mr. George Sarfo Kantanka handed over the Smart Classroom Project equipment to the beneficiary schools in a colorful ceremony.

The beneficiary schools were Akrofuom D/A JHS and Brofoyedru D/A Basic.

In all the schools visited, The DDE, Mr. George Sarfo Kantanka in his welcome address commended Nananom and the stakeholders for their remarkable support towards Education.

He further expressed his gratitude to the MP, Hon. Alex Blankson and the DCE, Hon. Dr. Maurice Jonas Woode for their continued support to the growth of Education in the District.

Mr. George Sarfo Kantanka shared the positive impact of the equipment on teaching and learning with the stakeholders and urged them to ensure the safety of the equipment.

The DCE, Hon. Dr. Maurice Jonas Woode in his speech acknowledged the efforts of the stakeholders in reshaping the image of Education in the District.

He further pleaded with the DDE to retain the teachers who will undergo training on the use of the equipment to serve its intended purpose for the beneficiary schools.

The DCE, Hon. Dr. Maurice Jonas Woode encouraged the stakeholders to continue their infrastructural projects especially classrooms and teachers bungalows to receive support from the District Assembly.

Hon. Alex Blankson humbly informed the stakeholders to appreciate the value of the equipment to improve the learning outcomes of the learners.

He further motivated the teachers to continue to give their best practices and promised to send the next years best teacher awardee abroad for holidays.

Hon. Alex Blankson presented each of the following to the beneficiary schools.

1. 50 tablets

2. 1 projector

3. 1 teaching laptop with learning management and classroom systems

4. I Content Access Point

5. 1 Storage unit

6. Teacher 4.0 curriculum and training.

The team led by the Hon. Alex Blankson went to meet the Nananom of the Sikaman community to officially inform them of the approved construction of a six-unit classroom block for Sikaman Methodist Basic by the GNPC.

Nana Amoako II on behalf of the Sikaman community gladly welcomed the good news and expressed his sincere gratitude to the MP for having responded to their concern.

The team thanked Nananom for their audience and sought permission to leave which was granted accordingly.
The Zonal Coordinator, Zone C Customs headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Asst Comptroller General of Customs, (ACG) Olugboyega Peters has described the Comptroller General of Customs Col, Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd) as a genius, upright and disciplinarian to the core whose innovations have transformed the Nigeria Customs Service as one of the organized and well-managed agencies in Nigeria.

Speaking to journalists, Tuesday at the Customs Area 11, command Onne Rivers state, on the sideline of the commissioning ceremony of a 40-capacity training centre and a 110-capacity conference hall embarked upon by the Command's Area Controller, Comptroller Baba Imam and some stakeholders, AGC Peters stated that the commissioning was as a result of innovation, capacity building and transparency which the Comptroller General of Customs Col, Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd) has brought into the Nigeria Customs Service for the 8 years he has been on the saddle of leadership of NCS.

Speaking further, he said, "Initially when he took over the leadership of the Service, a lot of us were skeptical as he was seen as a foreigner owing to his military background. But today, from the Customs Commands and Staff training school, Gwagwalada where we train and retrain officers and men of the service, to improved welfare packages, promotion and a conducive working environment, one can say the CGC and his management team has transformed the Nigeria Customs Service which can excel among the comity of nations."

ACG Peters who represented the Comptroller General of Customs Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd)and was recently transferred from Zone D, Bauchi customs command to Zone C, Port Harcourt, a pioneer Lecturer at the Customs Command and Staff school Gwagwalada where he lectured Tariff, classification and valuation noted the CGC has raised the level of transparency to the highest insisting that time has gone when customs officers were blackmailed for doing a good job.

On the commissioning of the Training Centre and a conference Hall within a short period of time of Comptroller Baba Imam's assumption of office at the Command, he said, "every man is guilty for not doing what he supposed to do."

He went further to describe what he has seen as an excellent job of Comptroller Imam at a very short period of time.

Adding that " He has seen it, thought about it and has done it."

He however stated that the commissioning of the training center and the Conference Hall was part of education which would impact positively in the lives of both officers and men of the Command and other Maritime stakeholders at large even as he insisted that the Centers would serve as a provider of network of ideas that would enhance capacity of officers and other stakeholders alike. He went further to posit that the Centres would help in information gathering that would help them suppress smuggling, facilitate trade and enhance productivity.

Speaking more about the Centers, he said education is not only acquiring knowledge but to impact it to individuals and the community and that is what the Centers stand to give.

Earlier, in his welcome address the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Baba Imam said that the training and the conference centers were made possible by the combined efforts of the Command as part of its corporate social Responsibility CSR.

He stated that the Compliant and tractable stakeholders within the Command welcomed the command's vision of having a conducive training centre and made it a reality in order to help both officers and stakeholders in the loop with the best International practices on import and export guidelines.



Written by Bon Peters in Port Harcourt
11.05.2023 LISTEN

Some seven school children drowned on Wednesday after a boat carrying mostly students capsized around Faana in the Weija Gbawe municipality in Accra.

According to Clement Agyi, the Assemblyman for the McCarthy South electoral area, the incident occurred around 5pm when the children were returning home from school.

Sources say the boat which was carrying the children capsized as a result of the spillage of the Weija Dam.

Currently, the bodies of seven children have been retrieved from the river in Wiaboman but the exact number of children on the boat is not yet known.

Rescue efforts are still ongoing.

-citinewsroom
Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says the effective use of Ghanas Right to Information Act (Act 989) will help strengthen the countrys democracy.

Speaking at a press briefing to update the public on the implementation of the RTI Act at the Ministry of Informations press center on Wednesday, May 10, Mr Oppong Nkrumah noted that three years after passage of the Act, it continues to make steady progress.

He said, The effective usage of the RTI Act will further strengthen our democracy so we encourage all to play their part.

Explaining the framework for implementing the RTI Act, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said three organs  the supply side (information officers and units), demand side (general public) and regulatory side (Right to Information Commission)  must work together efficiently.

He noted, No single organ can on its own make RTI Work effectively. I must at this stage commend the three organs for working together effectively so far.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the Ministry of Information had developed a strategic roadmap in consultation with stakeholders to guide the implementation of the RTI Act and avoid breaches.

He said the Ministry had followed this roadmap, contributing to the success of the RTI Act so far.

Highlighting the performance of the Access to Information (ATI) Division, Mr Oppong Nkrumah noted that applications received had increased by over 900% between 2020 and 2021, and over 200% between 2021 and 2022 which is over a thousand excluding 2023, with Greater Accra topping the chart by almost 87%.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah however, noted that more public education was needed, and resource constraints remained a challenge.

"The Right to Information Commission had also penalized 14 institutions of about GHC1.3 million so far for refusing to comply with orders to provide information requested.

"The Commission continues to monitor compliance and conduct mystery shopping exercises to see if the acclaim measures it receives from the institutions are working effectively.

"Moving forward, the Ministry hopes to launch an online system for RTI requests and strengthen the ATI Division to cover all public institutions. The draft Legislative Instrument for the RTI Act is also undergoing stakeholder consultation," he stressed.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah urged all Ghanaians to make effective use of the RTI Act to strengthen the countrys democracy by demanding and accessing information from public institutions.

The steady progress of the RTI Act, the Ofoase Ayirebi legislator said, shows its importance for deepening transparency and accountability, key principles of a strong democracy.
Infectious disease outbreaks in African countries are, unfortunately, all too common. Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda; Marburg virus in Guinea or Equatorial Guinea ; cholera in Malawi ; malaria and tuberculosis are among them.

These diseases do not respect human-made or porous borders . So it's essential that scientists in Africa are able to generate and share critical data on the pathogens in time to inform public-health decisions.

Genomic sequencing technologies are powerful tools in this kind of work. They enable scientists to decode the genetic material of diseases and create biological fingerprints to investigate and track the pathogens that cause those diseases. This information aids in developing diagnostics, treatments and vaccines. It also helps public health authorities to guide and prepare their public health systems for effective outbreak detection and response.

Tackling infectious diseases across countries and continents requires many complex, overlapping and broad interventions. One of those is a common repository where countries, public health authorities and their scientists can share information about diseases and the pathogens that cause them. They can then collaborate around the shared data. These kinds of platforms exist in many high-income countries. But the African region lags behind.

This is set to change. In a new publication in Nature Medicine we outline the work that's being done to create such a repository for the African continent.

Human and economic costs

Africa accounts for most of the estimated 10 million deaths caused globally every year by infectious diseases.

Those diseases also stomp the brakes on the continent's development ambitions: according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report they account for an annual estimated productivity loss of US$800 billion.

These figures highlight the urgency of improving the scientific response to infectious diseases.

Read more: Investing in health systems is the only way to stop the next Ebola outbreak

There are some green shoots. The COVID pandemic showed what African institutions are capable of. The Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC), through the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative , oversaw the training of hundreds of laboratory staff.

DNA sequencing machines and essential laboratory consumables  like reagents, the chemical cocktails that make testing possible  have been put in place . Today, public health laboratories in many African countries, with varying levels of capacity, can generate their own genomic sequences of pathogens.

So, the data is not the problem. The questions are: what is going to happen to and with it? How and where is it going to be secured, and by whom? Will it be, as has been the custom up to now , exported and the intellectual property moved offshore?

Read more: How biobanks can help improve the integrity of scientific research

Global data sharing platforms have played a significant role in sharing of data. However, transparency and governance issues are currently being raised by the global community.

Since 2020, the Africa CDC in collaboration with the African Society for Laboratory Medicine , the South African National Bioinformatics Institute and several public health institutions across Africa are working to develop a continental platform for pathogen genomic data management and sharing. The technology innovation and development involves industry and other partners .

The development of such a platform is not merely a technical exercise, though. An ecosystem must be created for its adoption. So it is being built in parallel with a consultation led by the Africa CDC with its member states, to refine data sharing agreements between countries and support national data governance frameworks.

The platform rests on six pillars.

Collaboration and consistency

The first pillar is adoption and change management. Regional organisations  those that drove training and infrastructure investment during the COVID-19 pandemic  must drive the development of the necessary policies, processes and system changes across the continent.

Second, the platform must offer a good user experience that will allow for seamless, cost-effective data collection and the timely sharing and use of data across Africa.

Third, we need data services and products to facilitate the sharing of data and information with decision-makers who are not scientists or geneticists.

Fourth, standardised and consistent data management processes, practices, tools and controls for how data is processed, stored, shared and deployed are needed across countries and contexts.

Core infrastructure is the fifth pillar: the technical side of the platform must be composed of application and infrastructure components that can be rapidly reconfigured for contexts and diseases.

And, finally, good programme management and sustainable resources will be key.

A global imperative

As we argue in our journal article , data management and analytics to support data-driven decision making in public health is a global imperative. It requires continuous engagement with international disease surveillance stakeholders and technology platform developers.

The human and resource costs of unchecked diseases in Africa have been pointed out. If there is going to be a collective response to Africa's burden of diseases  and it is a massive task  a shared pathogen genomics data platform would be a crucial step in underpinning those efforts.

An African owned and African led data sharing platform will be critical for timely sharing of locally produced data to inform rapid response to outbreaks. It will also be a critical step towards an equitable mechanism to maximise the value and utility of pathogen genetic data for national, regional and global health security.

Alan Christoffels receives funding from the South African Medical Research Council, The South African National Research Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The partners in this repository development project are the Public Health Alliance for Genomic Epidemiology, the Overture.bio team at the Ontario institute for Cancer Research in Canada, the Centre for High Performance Computing at the CSIR, South Africa, and Hominum Global.

Sofonias Kifle Tessema does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

By Alan Christoffels, Director South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape And

Sofonias Kifle Tessema, Program Lead for Pathogen Genomics at the Africa CDC
Press Release

May 11, 2023 SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE LOREN LEGARDA'S MESSAGE FOR NATIONAL HERITAGE MONTH This month of May, we celebrate the National Heritage Month with the theme "Heritage: Change and Continuity." With this, we are reminded of the importance of preserving our cultural heritage as a source of identity and resilience amidst the constant changes in our society. It also acknowledges the need to adapt and innovate our traditions to keep them relevant and meaningful in the present and the future. I believe that the first step in achieving this is awareness. The recent passage of the Cultural Mapping Bill, amending Republic Act No. 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, is very timely in our celebration of this year's National Heritage Month. This law mandates all local government units to conduct a cultural heritage mapping of their respective areas, covering all tangible and intangible, as well as natural and built heritage. This research initiative will help identify the emerging challenges in the cultural landscape brought about by the rapid digital transformation that need to be addressed. This law also includes a provision to create a Philippine Registry of Cultural Properties (PRECUP), which will be responsible in the safekeeping and management of a comprehensive database of all cultural properties in the country, including historical sites, artifacts, and cultural practice gathered from the cultural mapping activities per LGU. As the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts, I'd like to extend the call for awareness, preservation, and promotion of our cultural heritage to each one of us. Let us all take part in participating in this occasion through simple ways like visiting historical sites, attending cultural events, and learning about our cultural traditions. We can also support local initiatives and engage in dialogues that promote cultural heritage conservation. Let us remember that the preservation of our cultural heritage is not solely the responsibility of the government or cultural institutions. Each of us has a part to play in protecting and promoting our cultural heritage. Whether we are artists, educators, community leaders, or ordinary citizens, we can all contribute to the preservation of our cultural heritage in our own ways. Cultural heritage is our source of pride and identity as Filipinos. Happy National Heritage Month to all!
A man involved with three others in an alleged scheme in which they stole more than $2 million worth of oil in western North Dakota has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Joseph Vandewalker, of Arnegard, on Thursday pleaded guilty to theft conspiracy and dealing in stolen goods. Northwest District Judge Robin Schmidt in addition to the prison time ordered him to pay $200,000 in restitution as well as $1,025 in fines and court fees.

Authorities in June 2022 alleged that Vandewalker, and Michael Garcia, Mark McGregor and Darrell Merrell, all three of Watford City, were involved in a three-year plan in which they stole $2.4 million worth of oil. Merrell and Vandewalker as truck drivers skimmed oil they were to offload at a Crestwood Midstream facility by manipulating equipment during their deliveries. McGregor allegedly arranged pickup dates and details, while Garcia was the money link for selling the oil and paying drivers, authorities said.

Garcia in December pleaded guilty to theft conspiracy and leading a criminal association. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution as well as $1,025 in fines and fees.

McGregor is scheduled for a change-of-plea on June 7. Merrells change-of-plea is Aug. 2.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it is confident that a court injunction filed by presidential aspirant Dr Kwabena Duffuor will be resolved in time for the partys presidential and parliamentary primaries on Saturday, May 13.

In a statement, NDC General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey said the party is taking all legitimate and legal steps to pave way for the presidential and parliamentary primaries on Saturday, May 13, 2023.

Mr Kwetey continued, We want to urge party members and the people of Ghana to remain calm as the Party, through its legal teamworks to resolve the temporary challenge.

Dr Duffuor, one of three presidential aspirants, filed a suit on Tuesday seeking to stop the NDCs elections.

He said the partys voter register contained discrepancies. He added that the party has failed to provide a photo album register five weeks ahead of the polls as required.

On this score, the Electoral Commission in a letter dated May 10, said it would not supervise the NDC elections due to Dr Duffuors injunction application.

However, Mr Kwetey insisted the NDC had given all presidential candidates the full delegates list on April 20, in line with the partys guidelines.

The party is therefore confident that this temporary challenge will be quickly overcome to pave way for the holding of the primaries on schedule, Mr Kwetey noted.

He urged party members to remain calm and put the NDCs interests first.

The good people of Ghana are eagerly looking up to our party, come December 7, 2024, to rescue this nation from the current national collapse, Mr Kwetey said.

The NDC presidential primaries will see former President John Dramani Mahama, former Finance Minister Dr Duffuor and former Kumasi Mayor, Kojo Bonsu, battle for the slot.

Read a full copy of the NDCs press statement below;
Sudan stands on the brink of yet another civil war sparked by a confrontation between two generals: the head of Sudan's Armed Forces, General Abdelfatah El-Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The conflict, currently unfolding in the capital, Khartoum, has created a widespread humanitarian crisis. Thousands of people, trying to escape the violence, are crossing into neighbouring countries. International law and refugee expert Cristiano d'Orsi tells us what his biggest concerns about the situation are, and what needs to be done to address them.

What are your biggest concerns with the refugee situation?

In Sudan, the situation is particularly worrying because of the huge number of refugees that will be moving. People are leaving from many parts of the country. Though the conflict's epicentre is in Khartoum, it has spread .

At least 100,000 people have already arrived in neighbouring countries, including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan. Contingency plans are being put in place for about 860,000 refugees. As an expert on the legal protection of asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants, I'm interested in seeing how these vulnerable groups will fare.

The numbers are high partly because Sudan hosted 1.1 million refugees, one of the largest refugee populations in Africa. South Sudanese represented more than 70% (800,000) of the refugees in Sudan, followed by 126,000 Eritrean refugees (11%). Most of these refugees, about 60%, lived outside camps  in towns, villages and areas just outside Khartoum.

The refugees hosted by Sudan are now fleeing violence in Sudan. Neighbouring countries will have to treat them as asylum-seekers or refugees because they cannot be returned to a situation of conflict. Some will also face the difficult decision of returning to their home countries. For instance, there are reports that Eritrean men who escaped military service and fled to Sudan are already being detained upon their return.

Another big concern I have is the challenges facing aid efforts.

With Khartoum under attack, aid efforts  to support both refugees and the wider public  will require a new operational hub. Port Sudan  a city and port on the Red Sea in eastern Sudan  has become a hub for evacuations, and looks set to become an operating base for the UN and aid groups.

Given the current insecurity, getting relief to people in need will be a massive hurdle. Depending on how the conflict unfolds, aid may need to move across front lines or across national borders.

In addition, last year the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that Sudan's aid groups, including those looking after refugees, only received around half of the nearly US$2 billion they requested from donors  a shortfall that other relief missions are also facing.

The crisis places huge, new demands on the international community to increase funding. UNHCR alone will need at least US$445 million to support the displaced until October 2023.

How long it will take for donor funding to materialise remains to be seen. In the meantime, frontline communities and mutual aid networks are acting as first responders, from hosting displaced families to coordinating relief in Khartoum and beyond.

What's the international response been like?

There has been some international action. From what I've seen, for now, it's mostly been the United Nations, European Union and a handful of individual countries.

The African Union has condemned the violence and called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It has also pledged to coordinate international action on Sudan.

A regional refugee emergency response, led by UNHCR, is underway. And the International Medical Corps has launched a regional response to meet the needs of internally displaced persons and refugees.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has provided critical water, sanitation and hygiene support to hospitals in Khartoum and Darfur. UN Women is providing financial and technical support to young Sudanese women who are using app technology to keep themselves safe. They're able to find food, medicine and safe routes away from the fighting. The UN is also tracking cases and allegations of gender-based violence and taking measures to support victims.

The European Union has allocated 200,000 (about US$220,000) for immediate relief and first aid assistance to those injured or exposed to high risk. This will support the Sudanese Red Crescent Society with first aid, evacuation services, and psychosocial support.

The Arab League has been holding emergency meetings to find a real solution to the clashes and stop the bloodshed.

What more needs to be done?

The root causes of refugee flows need to be addressed. The most obvious solution to end Sudan's refugee crisis is to make efforts to reach a peace agreement.

While attempts to mediate the conflict are underway, for instance by the Arab League , there are several factors that must be respected.

First, the rights of refugees, asylum seekers and returnees must be respected and protected. All of Sudan's neighbours have a duty under law to do this. Five of Sudan's neighbours are party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, so they're obliged to protect refugees on their territory.

Even though Libya and Eritrea aren't party to the convention, the principle of non-refoulement  whereby people aren't allowed to be returned to situations of harm  has today become a principle of customary international law. This means they can't force people to return to Sudan, while it's still volatile. The UN, the AU and UNHCR typically supervise this.

UNHCR has called on states to suspend the forcible return of nationals and stateless people residing in Sudan.

In addition, countries that people are fleeing to must suspend issuance of negative decisions on applications for international protection, until the situation in Sudan has stabilised.

Finally, all countries must allow civilians of all nationalities fleeing Sudan non-discriminatory access to their territories. These include those who do not have documentation or passports.

Next, Sudan will need stronger aid infrastructure. This includes improved security analysis and better coordination mechanisms between civilian and military actors.

Finally, funding for relief efforts will also need to increase substantially. Key to this is accountability . Donors are more likely to base their own policies on recipient priorities if donors act together.

Cristiano d'Orsi no recibe salario, ni ejerce labores de consultoria, ni posee acciones, ni recibe financiacion de ninguna compania u organizacion que pueda obtener beneficio de este articulo, y ha declarado carecer de vinculos relevantes mas alla del cargo academico citado.

By Cristiano d'Orsi, Senior Research Fellow at the South African Research Chair in International Law (SARCIL) and Lecturer, University of Johannesburg
11.05.2023 LISTEN

Democratic Credentials Network Ghana has made a projection on the upcoming parliamentary primaries in the North Dayi Constituency.

North Dayi Constituency is considered one of the hot spots in the Volta Region.

The incumbent MP, Hon. Joycelyn Tetteh is being hotly contested by Selorm Sunu-Attah and four other aspirants.

In a release, the Network said the North Dayi NDC primaries are too close to call.

From the in-depth political analysis of situations on the ground coupled with a desk review conducted by Democratic Credentials Network Ghana, a Research Think Tank, the upcoming election can be said to be too close to call for the two frontrunners namely Joycelyn Tetteh and Selorm Sunu-Attah.

However, from anecdotal account, Selorm Sunu-Attah seemed to be preferred by many delegates ahead of other aspirants due to what delegates and political influencers in the Constituency described as her "high sense of maturity, strong-willed personality, self-made woman, superior and convincing message, and kindheartedness, parts of the release from Democratic Credentials Network Ghana said.

Find out more in the release below:

NORTH DAYI NDC PRIMARIES TOO CLOSE TO CALL; SELORM SUNU-ATTAH LIKELY TO WIN AS PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE (PC).

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) will be going to the polls on Saturday, May 13th to elect its parliamentary candidates and Presidential candidate in preparation towards the crucial 2024 elections.

Ahead of the internal elections, more particularly in the Volta Region, several predictions have been made by political watchers and renowned research institutions regarding candidates likely to win and what is going to do the magic for them.

From the indepth political analysis of situations on the ground coupled with a desk review conducted by Democratic Credentials Network Ghana, a Research Think Tank, the upcoming election can be said to be too close to call for the two frontrunners namely Joycelyn Tetteh and Selorm Sunu-Attah. However, from anecdotal account, Selorm Sunu-Attah seemed to be preferred by many delegates ahead of other aspirants due to what delegates and political influencers in the Constituency described as her "high sense of maturity, strong-willed personality, self-made woman, superior and convincing message, and kindheartedness".

The independent observation report suggests that the incumbent MP, Hon. Joycelyn Tetteh may not win her reelection bid due to the tough competition being given her by Selorm Sunu-Attah.

Source: Democratic Credentials Network Ghana.
I have been laughing my head off reading a statement by former President John Dramani Mahama that says, Ghanaians lived a far better life under me than under President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Is flag bearer aspirant John Dramani Mahama serious at all? Does he really mean what he is saying or it is just a mere political talk overflowing from his abundance of lies to deceive Ghanaians who he claims to have a short memory?

Fellow Ghanaians, did you live a much better life under the four or more years of acute power shortage that earned Ghana the Guinness Record of Dumsor and the international mockery of dum, dum, s3, s3?

Did many small and medium scale companies, especially those in the fish industry, otherwise called cold stores, not collapse? Are Ghanaians with head on their neck and brains in their skull happy about the fact they lived a much better life under that situation?

How and why did then President John Dramani Mahama come out to assert that he suffers from the dead goat syndrome so he doesnt care about the moaning, complaints and insults by Ghanaians if indeed, Ghanaians were living a much better life under him?

Why was he always happy dancing to the lyrics of Yen ntie Obiaa by Daddy Lumba? Why did he say he would not listen to any Ghanaian who had never been a president of Ghana before? What prompted him to say that if Ghanaians were living a much better life in those days?

Was there any worldwide catastrophe like the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) that brought the world economy to a near standstill during the reign of former President John Mahama? No!

Was there any war of such magnitude as to exacerbate the already difficult economic situation faced by the African nations as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war?

Former President John Dramani Mahama is not serious at all as a prodigal son who has realised his mistakes, regrets for them and is asking Ghanaians to accept him back to give him a second chance. By his seeming childish pronouncements coming out of his abundance of lack of policies and programmes to persuade many a discerning Ghanaian to vote for him, he is bound to say anything that passes his mind without giving it any thought.

Ghanaians are probably not living a better life because President Nana Akufo-Addo is trying his best to acquire almost every Ghanaian youth some knowledge through his free Senior High School education that is constantly being sabotaged by John Mahama and his supporters.

Ghanaians may not be living any better life now because NDC flag bearer contestant John Mahama had completely misused, or ransacked, the nations coffers as attested to by his infamous Ya we nan pa no nyinaa amma aka dompe, thus, we have chewed all the flesh and just left with bare bones.

From many absurd statements continually being made by flag bearer contestant John Dramani Mahama, one will only have to agree with Rockson Adofo, the proud and fearless son of Kumawu/Asiampa soil that John Dramani Mahama will always be a misfit in the post of the president of Ghana.

He has not yet grown out of his obvious infantilism hence totally unfit to be accorded a second chance to come back to rule Ghana.

What are the policies and social intervention programmes by former President John Dramani Mahama to right his alleged worsened economic situation under President Nana Akufo-Addo, if he were given the nod to rule Ghana? Apart from his destructive criticisms of President Nana Akufo-Addo, he has nothing to tell Ghanaians to persuade them to vote for him.

Ouch, I nearly did him the mother of all disservice. He has promised to provide Ghanaians with small hen coops to those interested, give them little money to buy chickens, rear them for egg production to earn them a little income.

Again, he promises to procure interested Ghanaians little piglets, rear them and when grown, they can kill them and sell the meat to raise money for themselves.

Is it how best he will serve Ghana to make the life of Ghanaians much better and Ghana great?

Ghanaians, judge for yourselves.

Dr Kwabena Duffour in a thousand years will not reason so childishly as does his opponent John Dramani Mahama, the incompetent one.

Rockson Adofo

Thursday, 11 May 2023
I feel a little disturbed when I hear Ghanaians say and threaten Kevin Taylor, the host of "Loud Silence TV," saying that "if he is a man, he should come to Ghana." This is because I am unable to specifically identify the crime Mr. Taylor may have committed in Ghana that may prevent him from entering that country. It also appears that individuals who argue that he cannot enter Ghana either do not understand the legal systems of developed nations or do not understand the consequences and costs of wrongful arrest and detention.

Every journalist, civil official, or writer who criticizes Akufo Addo or the NPP in Ghana is immediately labeled an enemy, and the entire government will do everything in its power to suppress and psychologically torture them. They did it to Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Mr. Daniel Domelevo, and Anas Aremeyaw Anas. The latest is Prof. Frimpong Boateng and for a very long time, Kevin Taylor has been a target, with all attempts to shut down his media, even though he engages in honest and impartial reporting. What I know about Mr. Taylor is that he opposes a lawless government.



The host of "Loud Silence TV," Kevin Taylor, has received threats, harassment, and other forms of abuse as a result of his revelations on the widespread corruption in Ghana within the NPP government.

Kevin Taylor doesn't engage in the street or "feed my stomach" journalism; instead, all of the news, events, and cases he covers are supported by facts, which give his in-depth reporting a distinctive and genuine quality. His journalism is to combat corruption that harms the poor, and in the majority of cases when corruption has occurred, Mr. Taylor will patiently explain what has happened to Ghanaians. In light of this, what transgression has he made that would prevent him from visiting Ghana?



Journalism used to be a respectable and proud profession, but that is no longer the case because several criminals have infiltrated the field and are now actively encouraging and supporting crime and corruption to support their families. Unfortunately, those who are unwilling to live like them and practice such journalism are now the target of harassment, threats, and other forms of hate speech. Despite how he has altered the face of African media, Kevin Taylor is one of many whose sincere reporting causes him more unease.

Social media can be considered educational, but it is also the mainstream media that politicians and unpatriotic media utilize to mislead and deceive the public. Since political lies like this are more likely to ruin Ghana than help it, Kevin Taylor has made it one of his missions to patiently inform the public about what is happening in Ghana. Those who can't take it perceive him as an enemy, however; this has gained him respect and recognition, leading with the highest views.

Ghana wouldn't be in such a dreadful condition of corruption if there were 10% more journalists like Kevin Taylor working there. Since many media in the country are afraid to expose the wrongdoings of the NPP administration and its leader, Akufo Addo, Ghana is quickly being destroyed, hurting every infrastructure, including those for education and healthcare. Even when a disease is not life-threatening, one can easily pass away in Ghana today.



Kevin Taylor is a skilled and knowledgeable journalist who doesn't require anyone to defend him because he is well-versed in the law. Nevertheless, occasionally clarification is necessary so that critics can acknowledge the absurdity of the claim that Mr. Taylor was detained in Ghana while on a visit. In the absence of him, more crimes would go unsolved. He has the biggest audience right now and there isn't any journalist I can compare him to.

The best interview he ever conducted was with the Ghanaian-Canadian nurse who was almost murdered in Ghana, to cover up the president's extramarital affair with her. Depending on the show he broadcasts to Ghanaians, Mr. Taylor has exposed countless instances of corruption and troubling problems, including crimes committed at the former Flag Staff House. The most recent is the account of Professor Frimpong Boateng revealing the president's participation in illicit mining.

Kevin Taylor felt it was necessary to release the report because it was given to the president, Nana Akufo Addo, by Prof. Boateng in 2021 but did nothing with it, even though the president had promised to address the issue. All the mining centers have led to the destruction of the environment, forestry, and water bodies. Even though he is doing for the progress of the nation, his recompense has been denigrated much like everyone else who is important to our country.

Even though it was a false rumor, many people wanted Twene Jonas dead when it was reported that he had been shot since he is making the corrupt politician's life miserable by speaking the truth. Good deeds are never recognized. According to the little law, I am aware of, an unlawful or wrongful arrest restricts a person's freedom of movement, and depending on how long the victim is detained, his lawyer is required to serve the authority with a lawsuit seeking damages.



The rule of law is effective in Europe and America, as evidenced by the 2014 award of 35,000 in damages to a Liverpool man for unlawful arrest, false detention, assault, and malicious prosecution by the police. If something like this ever occurs to me or Kevin Taylor in Ghana, I won't be so naive as to hire a Ghanaian lawyer for the case. I can even obtain a free lawyer in Belgium who is being paid by the government to follow my case. Although I haven't accused the Ghanaian government of planning to arrest Kevin Taylor while in Ghana, they ought to be aware of the differences between their spurious laws and those that are valid in developed nations.
Ponzi schemes are on the rise in the country as savings of citizens are taken away- a situation which calls for the need to sensitize people to desist from financial institutions that promise ridiculously high returns for their investments.

Many citizens have been falling prey to these Ponzi schemes because they did not have the information that would enable them to make informed decisions.

Despite warnings from the Bank of Ghana and other regulators like the Security and Exchange Commission, some individuals continue to fall victim as more Ponzi schemes spring up.

The media is seen as a key stakeholder in this fight, as a platform to educate the public with relevant information on financial literacy.

Executive Director for Ghana Microfinance Institutions Network Yaw Gyamfi made this known at a two-day media capacity training on financial literacy organised by the Ministry of Finance held in Tamale of the Northern Region.

The event facilitated by Asamoah and Williams Consult was to enhance the knowledge of the media on financial reporting.

The National Financial Education campaign under the Ghana Financial Sector Development Project sponsored by the World Bank brought together some media practitioners from the Northern sector and the middle belt.

"Over the years, there have been Ponzi schemes around but how these schemes are rising is that most of them look for gaps and then based on the gaps they identify, craft something tat appeals to ones emotion, he stated.

According to him, some give very attractive returns for investments as much as 30 percent interest within two months- all in an attempt to lure the unsuspecting public.

He added that there are times they pay people huge returns on their investments who then go about informing their friends, family members and loved ones to also invest their monies to enjoy same while some existing customers reinvest their monies.

He advised the public to always do a background check on such financial institutions from the appropriate authorities by ensuring they do not fall victim to Ponzi schemes.

"If you see any of these financial institutions and you dont understand anything, kindly draw the attention of those who can check on them to curb the high robbery in the country," he stated.

He appealed to the regulatory bodies and the general public to collaborate to get these fraudsters out of the system.

He stressed the need for the regulators to also act fast if such issues come to their notice before things get out of hand.

Executive Secretary of Ghana Association of Savings and Loans Companies Tweneboah Koduah Boakye said efforts are being made to enhance the capacity of the operators of the savings and loan companies to engage in professionalism in order to protect the investment of citizens.

Mr. Emmanuel Sackey from the Ministry of Finance said the essence of the workshop was aimed at enhancing the capacity of the media on financial literacy to enable them educate the public on how to safeguard their finances to avoid falling victim to the fraudsters.

He appealed to the media to use their medium to educate their audience within their jurisdiction to help eliminate such people who want to take advantage of the vulnerable.
Former deputy National Democratic Congress (NDC) General Secretary, Samuel Koku Anyidoho has rubbished rumors that former President John Dramani Mahama facilitated his release from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), now called the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).

In a tweet on Thursday, May 11, the former NDC executive, who was arrested in March 2018 on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the Akufo-Addo administration, said he was released based on the law, not Mr. Mahama's influence or intervention.

Mr. Anyidoho who has been at loggerheads with the former president, spent days in detention before he was released with the charges against him dropped.

According to him, although Mr. Mahama visited him like many others did during his detention, the former president came to take a picture with him for "his parochial political agenda."

The Atta Mills Institutes CEO stressed that Mr. Mahama "had no hand" in securing his release from BNI custody, saying "the law released me, debunking claims that he is being ungrateful to the one-time President.

His tweet reads, "People think JM [John Mahama] took me out of BNI cell and I am being ungrateful to him. Respectfully, John Mahama visited me just as many people did.

John Mahama chose to take a picture with me obviously for his parochial political agenda. John Dramani Mahama, had no hand in my release; the law released me."
The sixth international Indian Ocean Conference is set to begin in Bangladesh capital city Dhaka from May 12 which will be attended by about 150 delegates, including high-level representatives from 25 countries.

The theme of this year's conference is 'Peace, Prosperity and Partnership for a Resilient Future' due to the post-Covid situation and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the conference. She will also host a dinner in honour of the guests who will participate in the conference.

Speaking about the two-day conference, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh AK Abdul Momen said that the event was mainly organised for the coastal countries of the Indian Ocean, but in the changing global context, various important and relevant issues are expected to be discussed.

The Mauritius president, Maldives vice-president and Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are among the dignitaries who will attend the conference. "Foreign Ministers of Bhutan, Nepal, Bahrain and Singapore alongside the ministerial representatives of Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Madagascar will also participate in the conference," Momen said.

AK Abdul Momen told reporters that around 150 foreign guests will participate in the conference including representatives from D8, Saarc and BIMSTEC.

The participating ministers will also visit Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road 32 to pay respect to Bangladesh's Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The conference is being organised by the India Foundation in association with the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Bangladesh minister said that by organising this conference, it is expected that the partnership with the countries along the Indian Ocean will be strengthened in the regional political sphere with Bangladesh.

Bangladesh foreign minister also said that from the discussion of this conference, the participating countries will get an idea of what kind of steps they will take in the future in view of the ongoing global events, and it will be helpful for Bangladesh to take necessary decisions to deal with various crisis situations and overcome them.

The Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) was started in 2016 and in the last six years it has emerged as the "flagship consultative forum" for countries in the region over regional affairs.

The conference endeavours to bring critical states and principal maritime partners of the region together on a common platform to deliberate upon the prospects of regional cooperation for Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).

However, 6th Indian Ocean Conference in Bangladesh, most importantly, are taking place at a time when Bangladesh government has recently set an 'Indo-Pacific Outlook' officially. the overarching goal of Bangladeshs recent Indo-Pacific Outlook is to enhance countrys ties with the USA and West, India for engagement in this region, accelerates economic growth, and addresses common issues shared by the other nations. Despite Indo-Pacific Strategys widespread support, some countries have claimed that its only likely to serve to escalate regional instability, slow Chinas growth and Bangladeshs lean towards the US. Bangladesh is hesitant to take any sides in the conflict between the US and its allied countries and China. For instance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh had announced a fresh Indo-Pacific Outlook to highlight Bangladeshs geopolitical standpoint on the region as well as its objectives to move forward as a nonalignment foreign policy. In other words, Bangladesh will likely to clarify on its own stance in the Indo-Pacific region through Indo-Pacific Outlook to take the position of regional leader, rather joining any political bloc. In this way, India-US-Bangladesh relations would reach a new level. Bangladesh could gain trust from the Indian government because India is an active member of the Indo-Pacific alliance. Bangladesh, on the other hand, is handling the Chinese predicament intelligently because its goal is to engage structurally rather than militarily. Chinese ambassador to Dhaka has already stated that Many of Bangladeshs Indo-Pacific outlook concepts are similar to Chinas.

Bangladesh essentially sets an example for the other littoral nations by outlining its Indo-Pacific orientation. Bangladesh-like nations can adopt the method because it is so well-balanced. It aims to strengthening regional economic cooperation, guaranteeing the security of maritime commerce, combating climate change, investment opportunities and introducing new strategic alliances with other countries. Through upholding norms of international order, the freedom of trade and commerce, prosperity and the sovereign equality of all countries, their outlook aims to help advance the goal of an open, free and fair Indo-Pacific region. In addition, Bangladesh aspires to boost economy through increasing investment and trade; particularly in the areas of public investment and technological networking.

The world has dramatically changed in the past few years. When the block was formed, regional and global political landscape was relatively peaceful and harmonious. China, USA, India, Russia and European Union had minimal conflict of interests. It was a time when multipolarity enjoyed a positive vibe in international relations despite their underlying competition. Today, the world has gradually become polarized and divided on issues of power, resources, and hegemony. The Quad-China confrontation and Ukraine War has been the ultimate test of strategic visions that the West has against China and Russia.

Against this backdrop, India has been promoting the idea of net security provider in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region. Again, the geopolitics of Indian Ocean region is now brewing through new strategic and security initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS), Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and Australia, UK and US (AUKUS) let by the USA and its allies. Besides, India also announced SAGAR vision (Security and Growth for all in the Region, India and its Neighborhood).

The alliance has recently been reactivated by the rise in smuggling, arms trade, and human trafficking in the Indian Ocean Region. Maritime Safety and Security, Countering Terrorism and Radicalization, Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crime, Cyber Security, Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. Maritime security and countering terrorism and other crimes in the Indian Ocean have emerged as a focus area for India as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy and the doctrine of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).

The main task of this grouping will be to maintain security in the sea area and stop human trafficking and smuggling. The members of the alliance may also work on providing mutual humanitarian assistance. To this end, they will provide mutual training to their Navies and Coast Guards for the next one year. Member States should conduct Naval exercises that would be a milestone for the IOR.

The gains that Bangladesh can expect from its participation are strengthening bilateral relations with member states. Bangladesh must reassess the evolving strategic dynamics of South Asia, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean region. Particularly, conflicting approaches and strategies of China and India and the US are critical considering Bangladeshs Three-way balancing . But all states should work together to combat non traditional security threat.

The Indian Ocean gets its strategic significance for various reasons. It was a great maritime route for Asian, European and African States for many years. The Indian Ocean has been considered as a hub of the maritime connectivity project. Chinas String of Pearls and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project and Indias International North South Transport Project (INSTP) go through this Ocean. Even the US Government has transformed its strategy from the Asia Pacific to the Indo Pacific to include the Indian Ocean. The Japan and India proposed Cotton Route is also a big issue that can be taken into consideration. Japan-India-Bangladesh strategic troika is also a consideration in recent times.

But there are some problems too. Transnational crimes such as illegal narcotics trade, weapons and human trafficking issues, piracy, armed robbery, drug smuggling, illegal fishing, terrorism, environmental degradation issues are some issues. The Indian Ocean has been used as a safe passage by some evil players. States on the Indian Ocean face these serious challenges every day.

Illegal drug trafficking from India and Afghanistan, Iran through the Indian Ocean route is known to all. According to some sources, the UNODC has estimated that 54 per cent of the heroin in India is produced domestically, while 45 per cent originates from Afghanistan. India is particularly vulnerable to the Southern route due to its Western border with Pakistan. Near this border, in the Western Indian States of Punjab and Haryana, is where many of the heroin seizures occur. In 2012, 105 kg of drugs were seized, which had been trafficked from Pakistan along rail routes. In 2013 alone, the Indian Narcotics Control Bureau reported seizures totaling 4,609 kg. Data collected through seizures by various authorities has confirmed India as a transit country for Southeast Asia, West Africa and North America.

Bangladesh also faces significant problems due to the drug trade through the Indian Ocean and India. The country suffers from illicit drug use among its population, such as in Dhaka where there are an estimated 2.5 million people using drugs. India is a large provider of heroin to the Bangladeshi market, and it is trafficked over the Western and Eastern borders. However, it is unclear whether the heroin originates from Afghanistan or India, as this data has not been sufficiently collected.

Both India and Bangladesh are becoming ever more dependent on maritime trade, with these states importing goods worth over US$ 52 million and US$ 447 million respectively. Therefore, to function effectively they require an absence of maritime crime in order for trade to be uninterrupted, and for their economies to thrive.

Bangladesh faces piracy, illegal fishing and human trafficking in the Bay of Bengal. Although the Bangladeshi Navy and the Coast Guard are very active in the region, the perpetrators are very clever. The Rohingya crisis worsened the situation. Various gangs are involved in human trafficking. Bangladeshis are trafficked to Malaysia, Thailand and North Africa to Greece and Italy (Europe) through the marine route via the Mediterranean Sea.

Marine resources

Many fishermen from Myanmar and India are involved in illegal fishing in the jurisdictional area under Bangladesh. So, Bangladesh faces economic losses in terms of marine resources. Some armed groups kidnap Bangladeshi fishermen for ransom. Basically, fishing in the Sundarbans region has become very dangerous.

Sri Lanka has also faced an increase in heroin use within the country, as well as becoming a transit country for trafficking destined for other places. Much of the heroin entering Sri Lanka arrives on fishing boats or by air, often coming through India or Pakistan. The numbers of seizures which Sri Lankan authorities have conducted remains relatively small, meaning that the data collected is not always reliable. Smugglers in Sri Lanka have come from a variety of countries, including Pakistan, India, Iran and the Maldives.

Environmental degradation in the sea is common now. Climate Change and the rise in sea levels are among other issues. The transnational terrorist threat is seen as a serious threat.

Bangladesh focuses on the Blue Economy. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Hasina inaugurated the third Ministerial Conference titled Promoting Sustainable Blue Economy  making the best use of opportunities from the Indian Ocean of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) at the Inter-Continental Dhaka in 2019. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India can work together in this regard. All these states are members of some regional platforms such as BIMSTEC and SAARC.

Not only Bangladesh, countries like India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and all States across the Indian Ocean face the same problems. In the disaster period, regional cooperation is much needed. In the past, regional countries helped each other through various operations during disasters.

Now Bangladesh as a host country has got a regional platform to address these problems. To ensure better maritime security, all regional countries should work together to tackle the problems. India and Sri Lanka have given their full support to this alliance. They have promised to hold bilateral or joint military exercises with each of the countries in the alliance. This such a platform. Bangladesh expects cooperation from the other stakeholders and wants to help others to face the challenges.

Thus, there are some opportunities for Bangladesh and also other partners to focus on countering terrorism and extremism, transnational crimes such as narcotics, weapons and human trafficking, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and protecting the maritime environment.

Dr. Shakuntala Bhabani

Kolkata-based educator (Assistant Professor) and South Asian affairs researcher in the Political Science department at a Kolkata Honors College which is affiliated to the University of Calcutta.
The management of VRA/NEDCo in the Upper East Region has served notice to the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to settle their indebtedness of GH34 million to the company or risk disconnection from the national power grid.

According to VRA/NEDCo, the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Health Service owe the company GH18 million and GH16 million respectively.

Speaking to Citi News, VRA/NEDCo billing officer, Williams Asare, said, the indebtedness of the two-state institutions threaten their operations and warned that, VRA/NEDCo would not hesitate to disconnect their facilities if urgent measures are not taken to settle their indebtedness.

The health institutions in the Upper East put together are owing us (VRA/NEDCo) GH16 million, and we have engaged the regional health directorate and given them their entire bill. But we have seen documentation from the Director-General of the Ghana health service that, for those facilities that internally generate funds, we should have an arrangement for them to pay. As for the legacy debts before 2021, they will take up with the Ministry of Finance to pay.

Some clinics and health facilities have come for us to have some payment agreements where they're going to pay substantial amount to reduce the debt and commit to paying the current bills, and we'll be following up on that. Our L.I. allows that, when we serve the bill, after 14 days, if the customer doesn't pay, you are due to disconnect, so we're going to ensure that we don't come there.

The police administration in the region are owing us GH18 million, we engaged the regional police commander and he has taken up the bill and is putting a covering memo to the police administration at the head office for them to pay. For certain category of officers, they're supposed to pay their own bills so for those facilities we're in the process of metering them with pre-paid meters so that they pay.

Mr. Asare disclosed that over GH5 million out of GH120 million have been retrieved from customer indebtedness to the company in the ongoing revenue mobilization and disconnection exercise.

He reiterated that VRA/NEDCo will sustain its revenue mobilization efforts to ensure efficient power supply and value for money for its customers.

Mr. Asare appealed to all customers of VRA/NEDCo to settle their outstanding bills or come to the office of the company to negotiate payment agreement plans to settle their indebtedness or risk disconnection.

Citinewsroom
Mr. John Ato Breboh, CHRAJ Senior Principal Investigator at the Tema Regional Office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has reiterated that a kid is an intrinsic part of the family and that his or her welfare cannot be separated from that of the family.

The welfare of children must be coordinated with all activities, services, and norms to support the kid in the context of a big family, Mr. Breboh stated this at the Stakeholders Engagement Day Seminar of the Ghana News Agency's Tema Regional Office in Tema.

The GNA Tema Stakeholder Engagement is a venue for state and non-state actors to address national concerns in the interest of national development in general, as well as the expansion and promotion of the Tema GNA as the industrial news hub.

He pointed out that Ghana's child protection policy, which comprised the child and family welfare policy, took into account all of the laws that protect children and acted as a guide for protecting children within the home environment.

"A child who does not have a network of family members goes through a lot if their biological parents are unable to care for them," he explained.

He stated that children are vulnerable and require special care and that they have human rights under international law regardless of race, gender, language, or colour.

The CHRAJ Chief Principal Investigator emphasized that children's dignity and integrity must be protected from injustice.

"Children's human rights, like those of all other human beings, must not be regarded as a favour, right, or privilege bestowed by the state or any organization," Mr. Breboh added.

"Let us love and protect our children; they are our most valuable assets." "We will account one day for how we cared for God's gift to us," he remarked.

He urged deep introspection and dedication from parents and the general public to tackle the myriad issues that children face in the country.

Mr. Breboh, who spoke on children's rights, explained that international human rights law lays down obligations that states are bound to respect, and Ghana assumes obligations and duties under international law to respect, protect, and fulfil human rights by becoming a party to international treaties.

According to him, the need to respect requires states to refrain from interfering with or restricting the enjoyment of human rights. The commitment to protect obligates states to safeguard persons and groups against human rights violations.

The commitment to fulfil entails nations taking proactive steps to enable the enjoyment of fundamental human rights.

He stated that by ratifying international human rights treaties, states agree to implement domestic policies and legislation that are commensurate with their treaty obligations and duties.

"Where domestic legal proceedings fail to address human rights abuses, mechanisms and procedures for individual complaints or communications are available at the regional and international levels to help ensure that international human rights standards are indeed respected, implemented, and enforced at the local level," he explained.

Mr. Breboh stated that it was critical to recognize children's rights and take an active interest in children's issues by ensuring that their rights were respected.

CDA Consult II Contributor
In Part 2, a kidnapping plot takes an insidious twist; a Communist mole is unearthed; Gornt and Bartlett (John Rhys-Davies, Ben Masters) conspire to make Struan stock plummet. Ian Dunross, a brilliant businessman with a complete understanding of the complicated cultural traditions of the Orient, is Tai-Pan : the chief of the "Noble House". The company, founded 150 years ago, is responsible for a vast proportion of Hong Kong's wealth, owing to its mighty sea trade. But the Noble House is under threat - from dangerous rivals, competitors, oriental traders and drug dealers . Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Deborah Raffin, Ben Masters ? RETRO TV (Retrospective Television) We're building this channel for anyone who likes their TV "Old School"! What started out as a tribute to the legendary show "Bonanza" is now evolving into much more! We'll be bringing you the TV Hits (And misses!) from the 50's-90's that either you or your folks grew up watching on the old "Square" TV set from back in the day. #NobleHouse #RetroTV #ClassicAction #RetroTV #Studiocanal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7gAAG-S3x0?
11.05.2023 LISTEN

Ghanaian boxer, Braimah Kamoko, popularly known as Bukom Banku has taken a swipe at Dr. Kwabena Duffuor and Kojo Bonsu for contesting John Dramani Mahama in the presidential primaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The former WBO Africa light heavyweight champion is of the view that if Mr Mahama is contesting for President, no one in the NDC should contest him for the flagbearership.

People know Mahama, he is a former president. He knows the roots of Ghana. Mahama is competing for the last time so the party must agree to make him its candidate for the general election.

Politics is a game, you can either win or lose. So if he competes and wins or loses its a game of chance.

Let Mahama go because Ghanaians want Mahama to come and do better things. It doesnt make sense to me that Mahama wants to be president and some people are contesting him, Bukom Banku told Joy News.

According to the boxer, the allegation that the Electoral Commission will rig the NDC presidential elections should be rubbished.

If the elections do not come off on Saturday, so much money would go to waste. The way people are saying that the EC will rig the elections is not fair. The EC cannot do that, the boxer stressed.

The NDC primaries will not come off on May 13 unless the court injunction case filed by Dr. Kwabena Duffuor is resolved.
"We should not impose HIV screening as a condition for employment, even though as a programme we are interested in many people knowing their status, but not as a condition for certain important things in life like employment and marriage.

"A workplace is a place for interaction, social intercourse, and in the process, there is physical contact, so communicable diseases, like COVID-19 and HIV, can occur, HIV is created in the workplace, and it must therefore be managed in the workplace," Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo, Programme Manager for the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, has warned companies.

Dr. Ayisi Addo, addressing at the Ghana News Agency-Tema Regional Office's stakeholder engagement event, stated that management of organizations should not even consider mandating such screening and then using it as a requirement.

Speaking on the topic "Who enforces HIV/AIDS workplace policies? Dr. Ayisi Addo emphasized that the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention and the Ghana Aids Commission Act explicitly specify that no one should be refused employment because of their HIV status.

The GNA-Tema stakeholder engagement platform was a progressive media caucus platform that was created to allow both state and non-state stakeholders to interact with journalists and address national issues while deepening working relationships with stakeholders to ensure that both the media and the corporate world work together towards national development.

He warns against using potential employees' HIV and AIDS status as a prerequisite for employment, as this violates Ghana's Health Laws and the Workplace HIV/TB Policy.

He revealed that the programme was working with the military to review its mandatory testing policy for recruitment, explaining that "they do it mandatory because they need people of a certain performance rate to be able to thrive effectively in a stressful environment, so it is for that purpose."

Dr. Ayisi Addo stated that one of the reasons managements may be aware of a person's status was to place that individual in a position that would not jeopardize his or her immunity, rather than to discriminate against that person.

He emphasized that they should "help the person with medical care, change his work schedule, but not fire them because they tested positive."

He stated that HIV was a workplace concern because it affected people who came to work and one could contract it there; thus, every organization must develop an HIV Workplace Policy on how to effectively manage positive personnel without compromising their outputs.

He stated that HIV and tuberculosis issues must be treated in a non-discriminatory manner, citing stigma and discrimination as major hurdles to HIV prevention.

Dr. Ayisi Addo defined stigmatization as the labelling of something or someone that causes people to react negatively to it. "So, the moment I tag something and people start shying away, I've stigmatized the person, which we do sometimes carelessly."

CDA Consult II Contributor
The Reverend Dr. Samuel Worlanyo Mensah, Executive Director of the Centre for Greater Impact Africa (CGIA), has stated that the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has created a market of 1.2 billion people across the continent for Ghanaians.

He said it has also opened up an unlimited opportunity for the country's socioeconomic prosperity.

Rev. Dr. Mensah said the agreement will increase Africa's exports by $560 billion, primarily in manufacturing, as he stated at the Ghana News Agency Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue platform in Tema.

The GNA Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue is a media think-tank forum for state and non-state, commercial and business operators in Tema to communicate with the rest of the world and solve global challenges.

Rev. Dr. Mensah urged the private sector to capitalise on the agreement by growing production in both the industrial and agricultural sectors, while also leading the country's socioeconomic transition.

According to him, the AfCFTA provides an exceptional chance for Ghanaians to scale up their activities and grow into the African market.

"The AfCFTA provides a structure for Ghana's foreign traders, producers, and value chain stakeholders to understand its existence in the country and successfully trade with their fellow partners in Africa or even the world at large," he said.

Dr. Mensah, an economist, stated that the agreement aims to reduce all trade costs and allow Africa to integrate further into global chains, adding that "AfCFTA will eliminate 90 percent of tariffs, focus on outstanding non-tariff barriers, and create a single market with free movement of goods and services."

He stated that AfCFTA will position the Ghanaian economy as an industrial and aviation hub and that every major bank will have a branch in the nation to offer more chances.

The Executive Director of the Governance Think-Tank said that intracontinental exports would expand by 81 percent, while exports to non-African countries would increase by 19 percent.

Meanwhile, Dr Chris Kpodar, Chairman and CEO of Solomon Investments Ghana Limited, has stated that the introduction of Artificial Intelligence has become necessary in all spheres of life and is gradually becoming the future and that Ghana and other third-world countries must join the technological drive through strategic policies.

He urged Ghana and Africa as a whole to take artificial intelligence more seriously and to apply some of these services in agricultural, energy, educational, and all other essential areas that would tilt the scales in favour of attaining a sustainable world.

He argued that artificial intelligence is a multi-disciplinary science centred on social, political, environmental, and, most importantly, economic grounds, as the latter is the lifeblood of every country's progress.

Dr. Kpodar, Consultant for Africa and the Middle East advised governments and businesses on investment while speaking on the topic "Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Development."

Dr. Kpodar, a former UN official, encouraged young people to study about and keep up with emerging trends in artificial intelligence, as well as the benefits and ramifications for the industry.

"Everyone who wants to be relevant in this age needs to know and apply artificial intelligence; therefore, I have always advocated that no education should take place without practical training," he stated.

Dr. Kpodar, who is also a Chief Technical Advisor for the Centre for Greater Impact Africa (CGIA), emphasised that if embraced and deployed properly, artificial intelligence alone can make the world food-secure and poverty-free.

He explained that artificial intelligence may be utilised for a variety of purposes, including determining rain patterns that are advantageous for planting and harvesting seasons, resulting in a more sustainable way of producing and storing food throughout the year.

CDA Consult II Contributor
11.05.2023 LISTEN

It came to many as a surprise that when nominations opened for aspirants to file to contest, Dr. Kwabena Duffour picked up the nominations forms to contest as candidate, hopefully to become the next president of the republic of Ghana at age 79/80 when his brain has obviously plateaued and assumed a steady decline. The picture is getting clearer with the disappearing redeyes. Whilst the father aims at becoming the president, it turned out that his son, Dr. Kwabena Duffour Jnr also picked up nomination forms to fight his way into parliament. Many commentators have been left wondering why he is in this race at this time. The old man is ordinarily not in this race based on realistically calculated chances to win. The aggrieved, disgruntled persons found a useful and idle weapon that they sought to use in the battle grounds for some parochial objectives. So, he is no longer old and the son in whom he trusted to be vice-president some four (4) years ago is no longer presidential material. It makes sense to start from somewhere, build that political carrier gradually to climb up. This is the bright pathway for the young man.

Interestingly, the young man (Dr. Kwabena duffour Jnr) is contesting his direct uncle, who is the incumbent member of Parliament on the ticket of NDC.

Hon. Alex Adomako-Mensah is currently the incumbent member of Parliament for Sekyere Afram Plains Constituency. He is the younger brother of Hon. Dr. Kwabena Duffour. Sekyere Afram Plains certainly appear more complex than a father and son in a political contest. It helps if they can play it safe. However, that does not sync well with the campaign style, the rhetoric, strategy, and the political objectives of the people leading Hon. Dr. BKwabena Duffour. They have hawkishly been canvasing this across all social media platforms. Hon. Dr Kwabena Duffour thus comes across to many as a man who has been hijacked by disgruntled and renegades of NDC. Does it mean well, and will it end well for the candidates in the family of Sekyere Afram Plains constituency? Time will tell.
In a bid to scale up and promote local poultry production and consumption among the populace, Agrihouse Foundation has launched the third Ghana Chicken Festival in Accra.

The Chicken Festival, educative but fun-filled was scheduled on 1st July 2023, in collaboration with USDA Ghana Poultry Project, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and USAID.

Speaking at the launch, Alberta Nana Akyea Akosa, Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation said, Ghana could meet its poultry needs should existing potentials in the poultry industry be looked at and exploited gainfully.

According to her, the poultry industry can create enough employment, enhance livelihood, and boost the economy if necessary measures are put in place.

"Introduced this Ghana Chicken Festival, as a family educational and interventional initiative, where over 650 participants have participated and been able to appreciate how, healthier our local chicken breed is.

Nationally, through the media, and pass-on experience (via participants), we have promoted the medicinal value of our local poultry, which has fewer toxins, less fat, and a great amount of Vitamin D. -Promoted the anticancer properties and lower cholesterol that our chickens possess. -Sensitized people on the safety, best practices, nutritional levels, and benefits of our locally-bred chickens.

-Increase in the number of local poultry producers. Increase in the consumption of local chicken. Created markets for farmers and marketers.

She, therefore called on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and key stakeholders to join and support Agrihouse Foundation in their ardent quest for the Ghana Chicken Festival to be nationally recognized and celebrated as the National Poultry Day.

The Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers (GNAPF), Mr Victor Oppong noted that Poultry in most rural areas has provided jobs, income, and good livelihood to the people of the communities. Which has reduced poverty, crime, cases of school dropouts, Rural-Urban migration, and improved livelihoods.

Furthermore, Mr. Victor Oppong suggested that the Poultry industry should be considered as a game changer in Economic Drive.

He, therefore appealed to the government to consider POULTRY as a project for economic diversification and also consider 1st July as a National Poultry Day and celebrated just like the Chocolate Day.

He commended Agrihouse Foundation for taking up this initiative to promote the poultry industry in Ghana and urged stakeholders to support the team both technically and financially.

On his part, H.E Eliphas Barine, High Commissioner of Kenya to Ghana urged the poultry farmers to take advantage of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and do business with potential customers in other African countries.

Mr. Jonas Asare Berchie, Acting Director, Animal Production Directorate, MoFA who represents Hon. Mohammad Hardi Tufeiru, deputy minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of livestock at the event noted that the government is committed to improving the agric sector to bridge food security in the country and beyond.

"Since the government of Nana Akufo Addo led administration took over office, the investment in the Agric sector has been huge, especially to the small and medium scale farmers".

He lauded, Agrihouse Foundation for its tremendous work done to change the narrative in the Agric sector; adding that, the ministry is ready to partner with Agrihouse Foundation to deliver to this cause.
Following successes of the similar programs in Europe (Vienna and Geneva notably), the Istanbul-based International Organization along with its European (think-tank, academia, cultural diplomacy, and media) partners decided to launch the special executive program for the future leaders on its own.

Hence, by the Programs launch  February this year, this format gathered participants of diverse professional backgrounds and varied geographies, including Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East  largely the emerging leaders from the government, international organizations, or industry. The Future Leaders Executive Programs concept is rather simple: Participants are spending a whole day with top-level speakers  mainly the world leaders that shaped events of the past decades (two per month, last Friday-Saturday in month) in an open, Chatham House rules-based atmosphere, all situated within the historic premises of the city on two continents.

On the 29th of April 2023, Dr. Franz Fischler, former senior Minister (of the EU accession government of Austria) and the subsequent EU Commissioner (of the two consecutive terms) in the context of the 3rd monthly round of the above-mentioned program, entertained its participants on various issues, ranging from the European Union, rural development to the global food (production, distribution and sovereignty) crisis, and all the consequences its entails (including the ongoing war in Ukraine).

Excellency Fischler will be remembered by the very bold Agricultural reform during his time in Brussels, serving both Prodi and Barroso EU Commission. By many independent account, Fischler reform is considered as the most successful agricultural reform in Europe of all times.

Commissioner Fischler left a lasting impression on the audience by combining logical political and business strategies, outlining important socio-developmental issues in detail, and leaving enough room for debate from a range of viewpoints. The political choices and plans Dr. Fischler have made throughout his tenure (in the government, Commission and Alpbach Forum) are based on well-known traits of Austria, the state of its economy at the time, history, and his personal capacity to vision global events.

Following his presentation, topics covered included managing a world that is changing quickly; demography and rural development; fishery, agriculture; ethical and safety implication of the GMO usage; as well as geopolitical changes, globalization, international political economy, and democracy, etc.

Elaborating on the current global crisis and food issues, Dr. Fischler gave the following outline:

Hunger and famine are mainly caused by 3 key drivers: military conflicts and terrorism, economic shocks and weather disasters.

Since 2020 the number of hungry people is rising and the aim to achieve zero hunger by 2030 is very likely out of reach.

There is an enormous geographic imbalance and an uneven-distribution of food within the global society.

The most vulnerable are women and children.

Most experts share the view that the world could nourish up to 10 Bio. people.

Fighting hunger means providing access to food and a fair distribution of food between all countries.

The Ukrainian war worsened food security internally and also globally by adding another 13 Mio to the food insecure people and to provide enough wheat for the World Food Programme.

The free access to the Black Sea ports is of utmost importance to be able to bring enough food to the Middle East and to North Africa.

Addressing the governance crisis in Europe and beyond, Excellency Commissioner expressed the pressing need for a new leadership style, visionary and bold politicians of new generation.

As the session was moving toward its end, Dr. Fischler gave his insights on the role of EU in the cooperation on continental and global level as well as within the World Trade Organization (WTO). Brief reference on the Alpbach Forum  as one of the most prestigious and eldest heavy-weights exchange formats, was made, too.

In closing the session, he took advantage of a question asked on his opinion of youth participation in politics and expressed his faith in the capacity of the emerging leaders of the next generation to work for the betterment of the world.

As the event draw to a close, Dr. Franz Fischler and President of ICYF, Taha AYHAN (as a principal host to the event) jointly expressed what all participants had already concluded throughout the day: that the Future Leaders Executive Program offers a unique setting. Excellency Commissioner and President Taha both agreed that this particular format  in which an established experience meets the new passions and drives through cross generational leaders talks  represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for emerging leaders from verities of environments: the state, intergovernmental, and corporate sectors of all meridians.

The day-long talks with Excellency Fischler was an enlightening, farsighted and engaging experience for all who participated. It gave a lasting impression on the attendees and inked a top standard stamp for the Program's forthcoming rounds.

The mesmerising ship of insights and wisdom gets a full swing sail once again. Its next fascinating port of call awaits before too long, with a former Prime Minister of Norway, Bondevik, and former Presidetn of Slovenia and top positioned UN official, Danilo Turk (on 26th and 27th May).

Author:

Yagmur Ceylan Korkut Hassan

author is Madinah Group Istanbul Turkey Office Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer. She was attached to the office of European Union Youth and Education Turkey, Turkish National Agency and Turkish Republic Prime Ministry Investment Office.
The depths the National Democratic Congress(NDC) have plumbed and still they continue to drag themselves lower is hilarious to say the least.

Justifiably, the NDC have long since abandoned even the slightest pretence of trying to look better, nor speak anything remotely truthful. Their sole goal is to appease their cult leader, John Mahama and lie all they can while they can.

Sadly, for the NDC, one of their own, Dr Kwabena Duffuor isn't playing with his presidential bid.

Duffuor has formally injuncted the NDC presidential primaries slated for Saturday, 13th May, 2023.

The charges against the NDC as alleged by Dr Kwabena Duffuor includes the inability of the party to compile accurate voter's register for the elections.

Dr Kwabena Duffuor is also accusing the NDC leadership of siding with Mahama to desecrate the integrity of the party's internal election process.

This is incredible. Isn't it?

Mahama is out there promising to come back and govern compassionately with integrity, and accountability. And yet he's supervising corruption and rigging machinery regarding the NDC's intra-party elections?

How can these NDC people run a country if they can't analyse, compile and put together a solid election data and their own internal collation system?

Is the inaccuracies, the impersonation and the bloted register of the NDC's own intra-party elections that Dr Duffuor is accusing them of, a dress rehearsal for election 2024?

Is this what the NDC is planning for election 2024?

First, it it was their inability to collate their own election results and now the compilation of a mere party register has exposed their incompetence.

What exactly is the Mahama NDC planning to offer Ghanaians?

In fact, I have never doubted the NDC's incompetence, and their insistence on not following the rules of engagement regarding their own elections really jumps at me. It also shows a fundamental disdain for the concept of accountability. If the NDC as a political organisation can do this to themselves in their intra-party elections, do they expect the Electoral Commission(EC) to be fair to them in the run up to election 2024?

Can the NDC accuse the EC of electoral malfeasance and corruptible conduct when the party is trapped in the same scheme in its own backyard all in an attempt to give Mahama an undue advantage over other candidates?

What is the point of intra-party politics and leadership if they can't even publicly correct the record when they are wrong?

When you think about it, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The malaise and the incompetence goes deeper  to the absence of a purpose beyond clearing up the mess they have found themselves in. If the Mahama NDC has a vision of what to achieve in government, its fulfilment lies across a slurry pit filled with the incompetence in handling their internal elections.

Quite frankly, the NDC have no answers to anything which benefits society. What they have are prompts from paid agitators on how to harness the necessary lying propaganda so that the self-serving mendacious egos of Mahama and friends are voted for by the duped and the deluded.

The Greek philosopher Plato once said that worse than an absence of direction is the loss of any sense of direction. That is exactly the crisis that the NDC has found itself in. They have no sense of direction and desperately trying to stay relevant by engaging in theatrics.

Its time we got rid of these shysters permanently.

Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah Bonsu

(Deputy Director of Communications, NPP)
Canadian Zinc Co. (TSE:CZN  Get Rating) shares rose 9.1% on Monday . The company traded as high as C$0.12 and last traded at C$0.12. Approximately 122,370 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 21% from the average daily volume of 154,194 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.11.

Canadian Zinc Trading Up 9.1 %

The firms 50 day moving average price is C$0.12. The company has a market capitalization of C$43.93 million and a PE ratio of -3.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 867.15, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.67.

About Canadian Zinc

(Get Rating)

Canadian Zinc Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and development of natural resource properties in Canada. The company's principal project is the Prairie Creek mine, a zinc-lead-silver property located in the Northwest Territories. It also owns a mineral land package in central Newfoundland, which comprises lead, copper, silver, gold, and zinc deposits.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Zinc Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Zinc and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
China Minsheng Banking Corp., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:CMAKY  Get Rating) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $4.12 and last traded at $4.12, with a volume of 0 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $4.12.

China Minsheng Banking Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $18.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.16 and a beta of 0.43. The firms fifty day moving average is $3.43 and its 200 day moving average is $3.35.

China Minsheng Banking Company Profile

(Get Rating)

China Minsheng Banking Corp., Ltd. provides various financial products and services to individuals, small and micro-enterprises, corporate customers, government agencies, and financial institutions in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, and Others segments.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for China Minsheng Banking Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Minsheng Banking and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Magellan Aerospace (OTCMKTS:MALJF  Get Rating) and Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme (OTCMKTS:DUAVF  Get Rating) are both industrials companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, profitability, valuation and risk.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Magellan Aerospace and Dassault Aviation Societe anonymes revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Get Magellan Aerospace alerts:

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Magellan Aerospace N/A N/A N/A $0.95 6.04 Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme N/A N/A N/A $53.82 3.72

Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Magellan Aerospace, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Magellan Aerospace N/A N/A N/A Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme N/A N/A N/A

Dividends

This table compares Magellan Aerospace and Dassault Aviation Societe anonymes net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Magellan Aerospace pays an annual dividend of $0.15 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%. Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme pays an annual dividend of $8.90 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.4%. Magellan Aerospace pays out 15.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme pays out 16.5% 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.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

3.9% of Magellan Aerospace shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.7% of Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Magellan Aerospace and Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Magellan Aerospace 0 0 1 0 3.00 Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme 0 2 3 0 2.60

Magellan Aerospace currently has a consensus price target of $8.00, indicating a potential upside of 38.89%. Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme has a consensus price target of $187.50, indicating a potential downside of 6.41%. Given Magellan Aerospaces stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Magellan Aerospace is more favorable than Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme.

Summary

Magellan Aerospace beats Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Magellan Aerospace

(Get Rating)

Magellan Aerospace Corp. engages in the provision of complex assemblies and systems solutions to aircraft and engine manufacturers, and defense and space agencies. Its products include aero engines, aero structures, wire strike protection system, rockets, space, sand castings, power generation, and supporting materials. The company was founded on February 15, 1996 and is headquartered in Mississauga, Canada.

About Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme

(Get Rating)

Dassault Aviation SA is a aerospace company, which engages in the manufacture and sale of military and executive aircrafts and business jets. Its products include falcon business jets, falcon support services, civil aircraft, military aircraft, and military support. The company was founded by Marcel Bloch in 1929 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

Receive News & Ratings for Magellan Aerospace Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Magellan Aerospace and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
I can't find too much yet on this Twitter parody account other than certainty at its cleverness, like The Little Train Robbery. Parody is about sequencing surprising references, creating an audience that shares the conspiracy of code and the humanity of laughter. Parody is the politics of the uncanny, tribute, and A number of the posts have bylines that I am sure have some astute subtexts unbeknownst to me, including Wendy Caufield, Dr. Lloyd Hurst, and Alex Critchlow, among others. Broadsheets of the front page of a print newspaper, with a globally familiar font, and perhaps obviously inspired by The Onion, "The New York End Times," offers condensed, crafty, and cutting headlines that highlight some of the less camouflaged contradictions in the political and social world of 2023.

The first two posts, from March 22, 2023, "New Studies Show SARS-CoV-2 Disables At An Alarming Rate. Follow these five easy steps to pretend it's not happening," and "Biden Announces New Plan To Squander The Remainder Of His Presidency An exclusive look inside the White House with corporate lobbyists," establish a pattern of focusing on politicians and public health issues. Yet, all is fair game.

With an image of a group of seniors innocently hoping that politicians will spend some money on their lives, the headline reads, "Senate Unveils New Plan To Fix Looming Social Security Crisis, Masks To Be Criminalized Nationwide Hospitals, assisted living facilities targeted first according to newly released bi-partisan agreement."

Other layers of aphoristic sarcasm in the secondary headlines accompany the main story: "Life was good while it lasted," "Making preparations & Staying Upbeat," and "Our 2023 Guide to Bucket Listing."

To be fair, and this is perhaps an imitation's aspiration, I am not sure this is a parody headline, "Area Militia Members Woefully Uninformed About What The Constitution Actually Says, Reports indicate the men learned everything they know from bumper stickers and 4chan."

With a time-traveling headline, and no mention of guns, I am anxiously waiting for the Senate hearings on this one, "Republican Lawmakers Blame Heavy Metal Music For Recent Uptick In School Shootings GOP Senators plan to convene several hearings to discuss how Satan is to blame." To be fair, on the broadsheet image, next to secondary headlines, "An exclusive interview with Tipper Gore," "How to play MP3s backward," and "Judas Priest maintains their innocence," is a snippet of an unfinished headline, "Guns are? Question for the New York End of Times, what is the rest of the headline?

This opinion editorial by Wendy Caufield is my favorite, "Anyone Suggesting Climate Change Is Unprecedented Hasn't Read The Bible." Check out this New York Time video story focusing on the "Ark Encounter" in Kentucky and how Noah included dinosaurs in his floating zoo created out of necessity because the Christian God was going to destroy the earth.

The NYET reminds me of Aldous Huxley, "Parodies and caricatures are the most penetrating of criticisms," rather than the pre-urinal-tagging lampoons of Ernest Hemingway's imagination.

Okay, one last headline, "What Was Twitter, Anyway? Whether the platform is dying or not, it's time to reckon with how exactly it broke our brains." Admittedly, this is not a lampoon headline, but a recent story from The New York Times, the inspiration for the NYET  which is, incidentally, the English phonetic spelling of the Russian , or no.
Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:DWAHY  Get Rating)s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $26.04 and last traded at $25.65, with a volume of 9210 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $25.32.

Daiwa House Industry Trading Down 0.7 %

The business has a 50 day moving average of $23.91 and a 200-day moving average of $23.08. The stock has a market cap of $17.16 billion, a PE ratio of 9.33 and a beta of 0.41.

About Daiwa House Industry

(Get Rating)

Daiwa House Industry Co, Ltd. engages in the provision of construction and real estate services. It operates through the following segments: Single-family Houses, Rental Housing, Condominiums, Existing Home Business, Commercial Facilities, Business and Corporate Facilities, and Other Businesses. The Single-family Houses segment sells single-family residences including house and lot packages.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Daiwa House Industry Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Daiwa House Industry and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Inc. (TSE:TPK  Get Rating) shares shot up 4.2% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as C$5.51 and last traded at C$5.50. 5,097 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 61% from the average session volume of 13,001 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$5.28.

Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Trading Up 4.2 %

The stock has a fifty day moving average of C$5.50. The firm has a market capitalization of C$49.84 million and a P/E ratio of 18.03. The company has a quick ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 4.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 32.98.

About Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee

(Get Rating)

Ten Peaks Coffee Company Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty coffee company in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It decaffeinates and sells green coffee to specialty roaster retailers, specialty coffee importers, and commercial coffee roasters. The company uses the SWISS WATER process to decaffeinate green coffee without the use of chemicals.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
ABN AMRO Bank (OTCMKTS:ABMRF  Get Rating)s stock price traded down 7.7% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $15.63 and last traded at $15.63. 5,639 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 326% from the average session volume of 1,325 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.94.

ABN AMRO Bank Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $16.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $14.59.

ABN AMRO Bank Company Profile

(Get Rating)

ABN AMRO Bank N.V. provides various banking products and services to retail, private, and business clients in the Netherlands and internationally. It operates through three segments: Personal & Business Banking, Wealth Management, and Corporate Banking. The company provides savings and deposits products; labelled residential mortgage products under the Florius brands; and consumer loans under the Alpha Credit Nederland, Credivance, Defam, Moneyou, and ABN AMRO brands.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for ABN AMRO Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ABN AMRO Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Anhui Conch Cement Company Limited (OTCMKTS:AHCHY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 1,800 shares, an increase of 80.0% from the April 15th total of 1,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 48,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group raised Anhui Conch Cement from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, March 29th.

Get Anhui Conch Cement alerts:

Anhui Conch Cement Price Performance

Shares of Anhui Conch Cement stock opened at $15.91 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $17.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $17.47. Anhui Conch Cement has a 12 month low of $12.80 and a 12 month high of $25.92.

About Anhui Conch Cement

Anhui Conch Cement Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, sells, and trades in clinker and cement products. The company conducts its operations through five segments, which include Eastern China, Central China, Southern China, Western China, and Overseas. It provides construction and installation services for industrial purposes; logistic services; and mining and related services.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Anhui Conch Cement Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Anhui Conch Cement and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Austevoll Seafood ASA (OTCMKTS:ASTVF  Get Rating) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 35,100 shares, a growth of 156.2% from the April 15th total of 13,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 50.1 days.

Austevoll Seafood ASA Price Performance

OTCMKTS:ASTVF remained flat at $8.92 on Thursday. 24 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 800. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $8.90 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $8.87. Austevoll Seafood ASA has a one year low of $7.78 and a one year high of $15.93.

Get Austevoll Seafood ASA alerts:

About Austevoll Seafood ASA

(Get Rating)

Featured Articles

Austevoll Seafood ASA, a seafood company, engages in the salmon and trout, white fish, and pelagic businesses in Norway, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, and internationally. The company is involved in the ownership and operation of fishing vessels, as well as farming, aquaculture, processing, sale, and distribution of salmon and trout.

Receive News & Ratings for Austevoll Seafood ASA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Austevoll Seafood ASA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust (NYSE:BCAT  Get Rating) declared a monthly dividend on Monday, May 1st, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.127 per share on Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th.

BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust Price Performance

NYSE BCAT opened at $14.99 on Thursday. BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust has a twelve month low of $13.32 and a twelve month high of $16.18. The businesss fifty day moving average is $14.84 and its 200 day moving average is $14.64.

Get BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust alerts:

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BCAT. Raymond James & Associates increased its holdings in BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust by 93.8% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 260,872 shares of the companys stock worth $4,320,000 after purchasing an additional 126,252 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust by 56.1% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 35,747 shares of the companys stock worth $592,000 after purchasing an additional 12,848 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust in the first quarter worth $178,000. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC increased its holdings in shares of BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust by 34.0% in the first quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 23,611 shares of the companys stock worth $391,000 after purchasing an additional 5,995 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its holdings in shares of BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust by 30.6% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 17,073 shares of the companys stock worth $283,000 after purchasing an additional 4,000 shares during the period. 24.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust



Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Builders FirstSource (NYSE:BLDR  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning, The Fly reports.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Benchmark upped their price target on shares of Builders FirstSource from $95.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Builders FirstSource from $97.00 to $124.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. DA Davidson increased their target price on shares of Builders FirstSource from $80.00 to $105.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Builders FirstSource from $110.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Builders FirstSource from $92.00 to $100.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Builders FirstSource presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $111.42.

Get Builders FirstSource alerts:

Builders FirstSource Stock Performance

Shares of BLDR stock opened at $116.46 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.51 and a beta of 1.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firms 50 day moving average is $91.14 and its 200 day moving average is $78.97. Builders FirstSource has a 12 month low of $48.91 and a 12 month high of $117.36.

Insider Activity

Builders FirstSource ( NYSE:BLDR Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.63 by $1.33. The company had revenue of $3.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.57 billion. Builders FirstSource had a net margin of 11.68% and a return on equity of 55.42%. Builders FirstSources 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. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Builders FirstSource will post 8.42 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, insider Michael Alan Farmer sold 12,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.97, for a total transaction of $1,362,125.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 62,122 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,769,434.34. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Builders FirstSource

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BLDR. Altshuler Shaham Ltd grew its position in shares of Builders FirstSource by 5.2% in the 1st quarter. Altshuler Shaham Ltd now owns 1,759 shares of the companys stock worth $156,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Kingfisher Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Builders FirstSource by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Kingfisher Capital LLC now owns 45,746 shares of the companys stock worth $4,061,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in shares of Builders FirstSource by 20.6% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 803 shares of the companys stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co grew its position in shares of Builders FirstSource by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 2,624 shares of the companys stock worth $170,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Builders FirstSource by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 7,537 shares of the companys stock worth $489,000 after buying an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.71% of the companys stock.

About Builders FirstSource

(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.

Further Reading

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.
Celanese (NYSE:CE  Get Rating) had its price objective decreased by Wells Fargo & Company from $140.00 to $124.00 in a research note issued on Thursday, The Fly reports. Wells Fargo & Companys target price suggests a potential upside of 20.47% from the stocks previous close.

Several other analysts have also commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Celanese from $105.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, February 27th. Piper Sandler upgraded Celanese from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and increased their price target for the stock from $105.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. StockNews.com downgraded Celanese from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. Bank of America assumed coverage on Celanese in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. They set a buy rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on Celanese from $107.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Celanese has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $126.92.

Get Celanese alerts:

Celanese Trading Down 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE CE opened at $102.93 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $107.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $108.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.19, a current ratio of 1.63 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.69 and a beta of 1.31. Celanese has a 1-year low of $86.71 and a 1-year high of $161.37.

Insider Activity

Celanese ( NYSE:CE Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The basic materials company reported $2.01 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.66 by $0.35. The firm had revenue of $2.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.88 billion. Celanese had a return on equity of 32.15% and a net margin of 19.58%. Celaneses revenue for the quarter was up 12.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $5.54 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Celanese will post 11.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In related news, SVP Mark Christopher Murray purchased 1,200 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $117.15 per share, for a total transaction of $140,580.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 10,589 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,240,501.35. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.33% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Celanese

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd increased its position in Celanese by 90.6% during the 1st quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,757 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $191,000 after purchasing an additional 835 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc increased its position in Celanese by 8.7% during the 1st quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 10,752 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $1,171,000 after purchasing an additional 864 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Celanese by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 7,704 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $839,000 after purchasing an additional 382 shares during the period. Moran Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Celanese by 209.2% in the 1st quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC now owns 227,651 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $24,789,000 after acquiring an additional 154,018 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Celanese by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 21,180 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $2,306,000 after acquiring an additional 247 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.54% of the companys stock.

Celanese Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Celanese Corp. engages in the provision of technology and specialty materials businesses. It operates through the following segments: Engineered Materials, Acetate Tow, Acetyl Chain and Other Activities. The Engineered Materials segment includes the engineered materials business, food ingredients business and certain strategic affiliates.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Celanese Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Celanese and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Clarivate (NYSE:CLVT  Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $0.75-$0.85 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $0.81. The company issued revenue guidance of $2.63-$2.73 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $2.68 billion.

Clarivate Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of CLVT traded down $0.15 on Thursday, reaching $7.91. The stock had a trading volume of 1,520,239 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,301,700. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 0.89. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $9.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.65. Clarivate has a 12-month low of $7.39 and a 12-month high of $15.10.

Get Clarivate alerts:

Clarivate (NYSE:CLVT  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 1st. The company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $675.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $651.42 million. Clarivate had a positive return on equity of 7.20% and a negative net margin of 148.89%. Sell-side analysts predict that Clarivate will post 0.62 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

CLVT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Bank of America initiated coverage on Clarivate in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. They set a neutral rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Clarivate from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Morgan Stanley cut Clarivate from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $11.00 to $12.00 in a research note on Monday, February 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $14.00 price objective on shares of Clarivate in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $13.88.

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. US Bancorp DE raised its stake in shares of Clarivate by 5.6% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 14,343 shares of the companys stock worth $240,000 after purchasing an additional 765 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in shares of Clarivate by 0.8% in the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 215,181 shares of the companys stock worth $2,021,000 after purchasing an additional 1,605 shares during the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Clarivate by 50.0% in the first quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 5,322 shares of the companys stock worth $89,000 after purchasing an additional 1,774 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Clarivate by 4.7% during the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 47,349 shares of the companys stock valued at $445,000 after acquiring an additional 2,104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its position in Clarivate by 16.5% during the third quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 22,532 shares of the companys stock valued at $212,000 after acquiring an additional 3,192 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.34% of the companys stock.

About Clarivate

(Get Rating)

Clarivate Plc engages in the provision of global information, analytics, and workflow solutions. It operates through the following segments: Academia and Government (A&G), Life Sciences and Healthcare (LS&H), and Intellectual Property (IP). The A&G segment consists of products and services to organizations that plan, fund, implement, and utilize education and research at a global, national, institutional, and individual level.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Clarivate Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Clarivate and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of Desarrolladora Homex (DHOXY) (OTCMKTS:DHOXY  Get Rating) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $0.00 and traded as high as $0.42. Desarrolladora Homex (DHOXY) shares last traded at $0.39, with a volume of 51,600 shares.

Desarrolladora Homex (DHOXY) Stock Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average of $0.39.

Desarrolladora Homex (DHOXY) Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Desarrolladora Homex, SAB. de C.V. (Homex) is a vertically integrated home development company. The Company is engaged in the development, construction and sale of entry-level housing in Mexico. The Company is engaged in the development, construction and sale of middle-income housing in Mexico. Homex operates in Mexico.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Desarrolladora Homex (DHOXY) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Desarrolladora Homex (DHOXY) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Vancouver comedian Chris James, also known as "Prank Stallone", called conspiracy theorist and epic debtor Alex Jones and used an AI voice transformer to convince him that he was unemployed entertainer Tucker Carlson (1:15 in the above embed). Jones was slow to cotton on despite "Tucker" being ridiculous from the outset, and Jones, dumb as a bag of hammers, is now threatening to sue James.

"I was thinking we could do a show together where we're topless and we suck each other's nipples and sort of play with them a bit," the AI voice said. "Well, you gotta do it at infowars.com," responded Jones. Shortly after, he appears to catch on and suspect something is amiss. The prank was posted to James's YouTube channel Monday, where it has been viewed more than 26,000 times.

How delicious that Alex Jones is now concerned about misinformation. That said, he's right about the dangers: the AI voice is very convincing! If anything I'm disappointed that James, like most pranksters, didn't have a plan beyond "immediately start saying stupid juvenile things" once he had the opportunity to get a famous, powerful scumbag to incriminate or otherwise harm himself.
Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund (NYSEAMERICAN:EVV  Get Rating) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 13,600 shares, a decline of 68.1% from the April 15th total of 42,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 336,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.0 days.

Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund Stock Performance

EVV stock traded down $0.04 on Thursday, hitting $9.21. 70,945 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 335,102. Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund has a 12-month low of $8.89 and a 12-month high of $11.40.

Get Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund alerts:

Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 18th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.0787 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 10th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.25%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund

Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund Company Profile

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund by 13.0% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 11,846 shares of the companys stock worth $139,000 after purchasing an additional 1,362 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates increased its position in shares of Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 318,720 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,729,000 after acquiring an additional 8,362 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. purchased a new position in Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund in the 1st quarter worth $152,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund by 31.3% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 278,097 shares of the companys stock worth $3,254,000 after acquiring an additional 66,314 shares during the period. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund during the 1st quarter valued at about $163,000.

(Get Rating)

Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund operates as a closed-end investment fund/investment trust. Its investment objective is to provide current income with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. The company was founded on May 30, 2003 and is headquartered in Boston, MA.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Financial & Tax Architects LLC acquired a new position in shares of Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm acquired 19,222 shares of the technology companys stock, valued at approximately $318,000.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Koninklijke Philips by 16.7% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 8,245,236 shares of the technology companys stock worth $251,727,000 after acquiring an additional 1,178,744 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in Koninklijke Philips by 59.6% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,430,980 shares of the technology companys stock worth $135,277,000 after acquiring an additional 1,655,150 shares during the last quarter. Pendal Group Ltd grew its holdings in Koninklijke Philips by 39.8% during the 4th quarter. Pendal Group Ltd now owns 2,740,720 shares of the technology companys stock worth $41,083,000 after acquiring an additional 779,800 shares during the last quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC grew its holdings in Koninklijke Philips by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC now owns 2,456,391 shares of the technology companys stock worth $37,804,000 after acquiring an additional 24,599 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors lifted its stake in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 14.7% during the first quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 2,009,989 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $62,564,000 after acquiring an additional 257,428 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 10.17% of the companys stock.

Get Koninklijke Philips alerts:

Koninklijke Philips Trading Down 2.2 %

NYSE PHG traded down $0.47 during trading on Thursday, reaching $20.70. 244,250 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,888,815. The firm has a market cap of $18.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.44 and a beta of 0.91. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $18.32 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Koninklijke Philips has a fifty-two week low of $11.75 and a fifty-two week high of $26.05.

Koninklijke Philips Cuts Dividend

Koninklijke Philips ( NYSE:PHG Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 24th. The technology company reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.99 billion. Koninklijke Philips had a negative net margin of 11.63% and a positive return on equity of 6.29%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.32 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Koninklijke Philips will post 1.1 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.9387 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 11th. Koninklijke Philipss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -31.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PHG has been the topic of several research reports. UBS Group lowered Koninklijke Philips from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Koninklijke Philips in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on Koninklijke Philips in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. They set a market perform rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Koninklijke Philips from 17.00 ($18.68) to 16.00 ($17.58) and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Finally, Societe Generale upgraded Koninklijke Philips from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 25th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $16.79.

Koninklijke Philips Profile

(Get Rating)

Koninklijke Philips NV is a technology company, which engages in the healthcare, lighting, and consumer well-being markets. It operates through the following segments: Diagnosis and Treatment businesses; Connected Care businesses; Personal Health businesses; and Other. The Diagnosis and Treatment businesses segment consists systems, smart devices, software and services, powered by AI-enabled informatics-that support precision diagnoses and minimally invasive procedures in therapeutic areas such as cardiology, peripheral vascular, neurology, surgery, and oncology.

Featured Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PHG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Koninklijke Philips Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Koninklijke Philips and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Hang Seng Bank Limited (OTCMKTS:HSNGY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a decline of 96.8% from the April 15th total of 3,100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 149,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.0 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Hang Seng Bank from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st.

Get Hang Seng Bank alerts:

Hang Seng Bank Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of Hang Seng Bank stock traded down $0.05 on Wednesday, hitting $14.51. 35,399 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 49,283. Hang Seng Bank has a one year low of $13.96 and a one year high of $17.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company has a fifty day moving average of $14.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.49.

Hang Seng Bank Cuts Dividend

About Hang Seng Bank

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 20th. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.1233 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th. This represents a dividend yield of 3.59%.

(Get Rating)

Hang Seng Bank Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking and related financial services to individual, corporate, commercial, small and medium-sized enterprise, and institutional customers in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Other.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Hang Seng Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hang Seng Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Quaker Chemical Co. (NYSE:KWR  Get Rating) Director Michael F. Barry sold 14,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $202.45, for a total value of $2,834,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 76,126 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,411,708.70. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Quaker Chemical Stock Performance

KWR opened at $208.32 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $3.75 billion, a PE ratio of -578.67 and a beta of 1.43. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $191.43 and a 200-day moving average of $186.35. Quaker Chemical Co. has a 52-week low of $129.06 and a 52-week high of $216.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 1.99 and a current ratio of 2.79.

Get Quaker Chemical alerts:

Quaker Chemical (NYSE:KWR  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.89 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.54. Quaker Chemical had a positive return on equity of 8.74% and a negative net margin of 0.32%. The firm had revenue of $500.15 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $485.29 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.42 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Quaker Chemical Co. will post 6.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Quaker Chemical Announces Dividend

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, July 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.435 per share. This represents a $1.74 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. Quaker Chemicals payout ratio is -483.33%.

KWR has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on Quaker Chemical from $220.00 to $235.00 in a research report on Monday. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Quaker Chemical from $203.00 to $227.00 in a research report on Monday. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Quaker Chemical in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock.

Institutional Trading of Quaker Chemical

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KWR. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Quaker Chemical in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Quaker Chemical in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its holdings in Quaker Chemical by 327.5% in the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 436 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in Quaker Chemical by 17.6% in the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 327 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE raised its holdings in Quaker Chemical by 30.2% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 754 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $131,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. 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.
Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust (NYSE:VCV  Get Rating) declared a monthly dividend on Tuesday, May 2nd, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be given a dividend of 0.035 per share by the investment management company on Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $0.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th.

Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust Trading Down 0.2 %

VCV opened at $9.71 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $9.84 and a 200-day moving average price of $9.71. Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust has a 12-month low of $8.51 and a 12-month high of $11.10.

Get Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust alerts:

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust in the 3rd quarter worth about $91,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at about $155,000. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust in the 1st quarter valued at about $178,000. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust by 18.3% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 17,807 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $197,000 after acquiring an additional 2,760 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust by 8.7% in the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 26,404 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $279,000 after acquiring an additional 2,108 shares during the last quarter. 10.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust Company Profile

Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust operates as a closed-end investment fund/investment trust. Its investment objective is to seek to provide common shareholders with current income exempt from federal and California income taxes, consistent with preservation of capital. The company was headquartered on December 21, 1992 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco California Value Municipal Income Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Lee Financial Co increased its position in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 1.3% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 34,165 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 450 shares during the quarter. Lee Financial Cos holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $1,411,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 1.2% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 326,822,162 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $13,144,788,000 after purchasing an additional 3,920,830 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 20.9% in the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 105,621,983 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,248,626,000 after purchasing an additional 18,252,701 shares in the last quarter. Sanders Capital LLC boosted its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 25,041,576 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,007,172,000 after acquiring an additional 416,171 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 21,901,706 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,061,357,000 after acquiring an additional 64,080 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 19,030,663 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $765,495,000 after acquiring an additional 153,177 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.24% of the companys stock.

Get Wells Fargo & Company alerts:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Raymond James increased their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com began coverage on Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Odeon Capital Group cut Wells Fargo & Company from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, March 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $49.00 to $45.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Wells Fargo & Company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $49.45.

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WFC traded up $0.02 during trading on Thursday, reaching $38.30. 5,354,691 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 23,635,828. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $39.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $43.16. The stock has a market cap of $143.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.97, a PEG ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.12. Wells Fargo & Company has a 12-month low of $35.25 and a 12-month high of $48.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.08. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 10.07% and a net margin of 15.93%. The firm had revenue of $20.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.88 EPS. Wells Fargo & Companys revenue for the quarter was up 16.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Wells Fargo & Company will post 4.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wells Fargo & Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 5th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.13%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 4th. Wells Fargo & Companys payout ratio is 34.38%.

Insider Transactions at Wells Fargo & Company

In other news, EVP Kleber Santos sold 34,698 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.27, for a total transaction of $1,605,476.46. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 19,590 shares in the company, valued at approximately $906,429.30. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.07% of the companys stock.

Wells Fargo & Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Wells Fargo & Co is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage products and services, and consumer and commercial finance. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WFC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Wells Fargo & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wells Fargo & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Leju (NYSE:LEJU  Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Monday. The brokerage issued a buy rating on the financial services providers stock.

Leju Stock Down 3.4 %

Shares of LEJU stock opened at $2.82 on Monday. Leju has a 52-week low of $1.03 and a 52-week high of $9.84. The firms 50-day moving average is $1.56 and its 200-day moving average is $1.49.

Get Leju alerts:

About Leju

(Get Rating)

Further Reading

Leju Holdings Ltd. engages in the provision of online-to-offline real estate services. It offers electronic commerce, online advertising, and listing services on new residential property sales. The company was founded on November 20, 2013 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.

Receive News & Ratings for Leju Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Leju and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Lenovo Group Limited (OTCMKTS:LNVGF  Get Rating) shares were down 8.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $0.96 and last traded at $0.96. Approximately 8,395 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 87% from the average daily volume of 65,204 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.05.

Lenovo Group Price Performance

The firms 50 day simple moving average is $1.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $0.88.

About Lenovo Group

(Get Rating)

Lenovo Group Limited, an investment holding company, develops, manufactures, and markets technology products and services. It operates through Intelligent Devices Group, Infrastructure Solutions Group, and Solutions and Services Group segments. The company offers commercial and consumer personal computers, as well as servers and workstations; and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smartphones.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Lenovo Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lenovo Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Lookers plc (LON:LOOK  Get Rating)s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 83.26 ($1.05) and traded as high as GBX 88.30 ($1.11). Lookers shares last traded at GBX 86 ($1.09), with a volume of 242,364 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Numis Securities reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 125 ($1.58) price objective on shares of Lookers in a research note on Tuesday, January 24th.

Get Lookers alerts:

Lookers Stock Down 1.1 %

The companys fifty day moving average is GBX 85.88 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 83.35. The company has a market capitalization of 332.34 million, a PE ratio of 481.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 133.39, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Lookers Increases Dividend

Lookers Company Profile

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 11th will be issued a dividend of GBX 2 ($0.03) per share. This is a positive change from Lookerss previous dividend of $1.00. This represents a yield of 2.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. Lookerss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 1,666.67%.

(Get Rating)

Lookers plc engages in the sale, hire, and maintenance of motor vehicles and motorcycles in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company engages in the sale of new and used cars and light commercial vehicles; vehicle rental; vehicle funding and management packages, including contract hire, contract purchase, and personal contract; leasing fleet management; and sale and maintenance of vehicles.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Lookers Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lookers and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV decreased its holdings in iShares S&P 500 Value ETF (NYSEARCA:IVE  Get Rating) by 25.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 127,021 shares of the companys stock after selling 42,672 shares during the quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADVs holdings in iShares S&P 500 Value ETF were worth $18,427,000 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 the business. NorthLanding Financial Partners LLC grew its holdings in iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. NorthLanding Financial Partners LLC now owns 17,850 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,590,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the period. First Manhattan Co. grew its holdings in iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 15,916 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,478,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the period. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,017 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,018,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. Family Firm Inc. grew its holdings in iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Family Firm Inc. now owns 10,175 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,308,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Thomasville National Bank grew its holdings in iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Thomasville National Bank now owns 7,025 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,019,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period.

Get iShares S&P 500 Value ETF alerts:

iShares S&P 500 Value ETF Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA:IVE opened at $151.79 on Thursday. iShares S&P 500 Value ETF has a 1 year low of $127.33 and a 1 year high of $160.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.85 and a beta of 0.94. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $150.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $149.45.

iShares S&P 500 Value ETF Company Profile

iShares S&P 500 Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P 500 Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500 Value Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization value sector of the United States equity market and consists of those stocks in the S&P 500 exhibiting the strongest value characteristics.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares S&P 500 Value ETF (NYSEARCA:IVE  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for iShares S&P 500 Value 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 Value ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
All evidence for the primary cause of an increase in humpback and right whale strandings on the beaches of New York and New Jersey seems to point to the damage caused by the whales' collisions with ships. But Republicans in New Jersey are using the tragic phenomenon to try to stop offhsore wind farm construction.

Article in The Verge here.

"When it comes to risks posed by offshore wind, [executive director of Gotham Whale, Paul] Sieswerda says, "I, as yet, have not seen the concerns backed up with evidence." The Marine Mammal Commission, an independent government agency, also said that "there is no evidence to link these strandings to offshore wind energy development." "Even so, Republican lawmakers in New Jersey held a two-hour-long hearing last week calling for a moratorium on offshore wind construction because of the whale strandings. "One thing our side of the aisle gets accused of is not following the science," Republican state Senator Michael Testa said. "So what is the harm of waiting 30 or 60 days?""

The theory Republicans are using to try to pin wind farms for the strandings is that the noise created by the windmills could disrupt the echolocation that some whales use for navigation, causing them to become stranded onshore.

But Joy Reidenberg, a comparative anatomist at the Icahn School of Medicine whose research focuses on marine mammals, "doesn't expect that to be a problem for humpback or right whales for one simple reason. 'The whales that are washing in are not echolocators. So that's where a half-truth really unfairly biases the public against something,' she says."

The article's subhed gives the story away right at the top: "Whales are washing up along the east coast of the US. Offshore wind opponents blame future wind farms. Experts see a different threat."

" blame future wind farms."
Model N (NYSE:MODN  Get Rating) had its target price lowered by Robert W. Baird from $45.00 to $40.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Model N in a research note on Monday, March 27th. They issued an overweight rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. JMP Securities dropped their price objective on shares of Model N from $48.00 to $44.00 in a report on Wednesday. BTIG Research raised their price objective on shares of Model N from $42.00 to $48.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Royal Bank of Canada started coverage on shares of Model N in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. They set a sector perform rating and a $35.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on shares of Model N from $42.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Model N currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $43.38.

Get Model N alerts:

Model N Trading Up 0.3 %

Model N stock opened at $30.11 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 2.85 and a quick ratio of 2.85. The company has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -40.40 and a beta of 0.68. Model N has a one year low of $20.95 and a one year high of $43.18. The companys fifty day moving average price is $32.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $36.55.

Insider Buying and Selling

Model N ( NYSE:MODN Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 7th. The software maker reported ($0.05) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Model N had a negative net margin of 11.65% and a negative return on equity of 7.52%. The firm had revenue of $59.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $57.51 million. On average, analysts forecast that Model N will post -0.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other Model N news, Director Kimberly Decarlis sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.18, for a total value of $34,180.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 10,857 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $371,092.26. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, insider Suresh Kannan sold 6,585 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.04, for a total transaction of $230,738.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 172,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,035,289.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Kimberly Decarlis sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.18, for a total transaction of $34,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 10,857 shares of the companys stock, valued at $371,092.26. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 53,238 shares of company stock valued at $1,832,671. Company insiders own 2.30% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Model N

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MODN. Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Model N during the third quarter worth $29,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in shares of Model N by 35.0% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,664 shares of the software makers stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 431 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR acquired a new stake in shares of Model N during the third quarter worth $69,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of Model N by 94.2% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,420 shares of the software makers stock worth $82,000 after buying an additional 1,174 shares during the period. Finally, Almanack Investment Partners LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Model N during the third quarter worth $113,000. 96.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Model N Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Model N, Inc engages in developing and monetizing revenue management solutions. It offers cloud revenue optimization and compliance to pharmaceutical, medical technology, semiconductor, and high-tech companies. Its products provide business processes such as pricing, quoting, contracting, regulatory compliance, rebates and incentives.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Model N Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Model N and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Nevsun Resources (NYSEAMERICAN:NSU  Get Rating) was down 0.2% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $4.44 and last traded at $4.44. Approximately 25,500 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average daily volume of 87,058 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.45.

Nevsun Resources Trading Down 0.2 %

About Nevsun Resources

(Get Rating)

Nevsun Resources Ltd. engages in the mining and development of mineral properties in Europe, Africa, and North America. It explores for gold, copper, zinc, and silver deposits. The company's principal assets include Timok project, a copper-gold development project in Serbia; and Bisha copper- zinc mine in Eritrea.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Nevsun Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nevsun Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund (NYSE:JFR  Get Rating) declared a monthly dividend on Monday, May 1st, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.075 per share on Thursday, June 1st. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 11.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th.

Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund Stock Up 0.2 %

JFR opened at $8.05 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $8.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $8.27. Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund has a fifty-two week low of $7.69 and a fifty-two week high of $9.24.

Get Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund alerts:

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of JFR. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC raised its stake in shares of Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund by 9.5% in the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 14,450 shares of the companys stock valued at $145,000 after acquiring an additional 1,250 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 379,475 shares of the companys stock worth $3,799,000 after purchasing an additional 1,255 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund by 14.5% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 11,957 shares of the companys stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 1,512 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC lifted its stake in shares of Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund by 18.1% in the 1st quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 23,265 shares of the companys stock worth $233,000 after acquiring an additional 3,570 shares during the period. Finally, Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund in the 1st quarter worth $41,000.

Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund Company Profile

Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund is a closed-end investment fund. Its investment objective is to achieve a level of current income by investing in adjustable rate secured and unsecured senior loans and other debt instruments. The company was founded on March 25, 2004 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Pegasus Partners Ltd. raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH  Get Rating) by 4.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,946 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock after buying an additional 477 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group comprises 1.0% of Pegasus Partners Ltd.s portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Pegasus Partners Ltd.s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $6,334,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. O Dell Group LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 76.9% in the 3rd quarter. O Dell Group LLC now owns 69 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Investors Research Corp raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 51.1% during the 4th quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 71 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 192.3% during the 4th quarter. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC now owns 76 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. 86.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get UnitedHealth Group alerts:

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UNH stock traded down $1.45 on Thursday, hitting $488.62. 852,622 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,414,015. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market cap of $454.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.68. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $449.70 and a 12 month high of $558.10. The company has a 50 day moving average of $486.97 and a 200 day moving average of $504.23.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

UnitedHealth Group ( NYSE:UNH Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.26 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.24 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $91.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $89.77 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 27.05% and a net margin of 6.16%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $5.49 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 24.98 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 13th were given a dividend of $1.65 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 10th. This represents a $6.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.35%. UnitedHealth Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.18%.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Andrew Witty sold 6,160 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.49, for a total transaction of $3,002,938.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 86,564 shares in the company, valued at $42,199,084.36. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Andrew Witty sold 6,160 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.49, for a total transaction of $3,002,938.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 86,564 shares of the companys stock, valued at $42,199,084.36. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,008 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $484.58, for a total value of $488,456.64. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,359 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,019,764.22. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 8,852 shares of company stock worth $4,313,962 over the last ninety days. 0.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on UNH shares. StockNews.com upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Raymond James restated a strong-buy rating and issued a $630.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Loop Capital increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $590.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $596.00 to $562.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Oppenheimer restated an outperform rating and issued a $610.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $600.88.

UnitedHealth Group Profile

(Get Rating)

UnitedHealth Group, Inc engages in the provision of health care coverage, software, and data consultancy services. It operates through the following segments: UnitedHealthcare, OptumHealth, OptumInsight, and OptumRx. The UnitedHealthcare segment utilizes Optums capabilities to help coordinate patient care, improve affordability of medical care, analyze cost trends, manage pharmacy benefits, work with care providers more effectively, and create a simpler consumer experience.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for UnitedHealth Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for UnitedHealth Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor International Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:MFDX  Get Rating) was up 0.1% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $28.26 and last traded at $28.21. Approximately 4,477 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 79% from the average daily volume of 21,101 shares. The stock had previously closed at $28.17.

PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor International Equity ETF Price Performance

The firms fifty day moving average price is $27.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.54. The stock has a market cap of $140.38 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.15 and a beta of 0.80.

Get PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor International Equity ETF alerts:

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor International Equity ETF

An institutional investor recently raised its position in PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor International Equity ETF stock. Flow Traders U.S. LLC lifted its stake in shares of PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor International Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:MFDX  Get Rating) by 8.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 39,263 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 3,044 shares during the period. Flow Traders U.S. LLC owned 0.93% of PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor International Equity ETF worth $1,007,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor International Equity ETF Company Profile

The PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor International Equity ETF (MFDX) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund tracks an international, developed-market equity index that selects securities according to a combination of fundamental and technical factors. MFDX was launched on Aug 31, 2017 and is managed by PIMCO.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor International Equity ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor International Equity ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Quanex Building Products (NYSE:NX  Get Rating) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Tuesday.

Separately, Benchmark reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $28.00 target price on shares of Quanex Building Products in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th.

Get Quanex Building Products alerts:

Quanex Building Products Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NX opened at $20.03 on Tuesday. Quanex Building Products has a one year low of $18.00 and a one year high of $27.04. The stock has a market cap of $665.80 million, a PE ratio of 8.38 and a beta of 1.35. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $20.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $22.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 2.22.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Quanex Building Products ( NYSE:NX Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 9th. The construction company reported $0.18 earnings per share for the quarter. Quanex Building Products had a return on equity of 18.33% and a net margin of 6.50%. The company had revenue of $261.92 million for the quarter.

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NX. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of Quanex Building Products by 229.6% during the third quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 1,661 shares of the construction companys stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 1,157 shares during the period. State of Wyoming raised its stake in Quanex Building Products by 40.4% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,435 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 413 shares during the period. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd raised its stake in Quanex Building Products by 494.3% during the 3rd quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 2,187 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 1,819 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its stake in Quanex Building Products by 63.1% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,316 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 896 shares during the period. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in Quanex Building Products by 139.2% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,600 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 2,095 shares during the period. 98.49% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Quanex Building Products

(Get Rating)

Quanex Building Products Corp. engages in the manufacture of components sold to original equipment manufacturers in the building products industry. It also designs and produces energy-efficient fenestration products in addition to kitchen and bath cabinet components. The firm operates through the following segments: North American Fenestration, European Fenestration, North American Cabinet Components, and Unallocated Corporate and Other.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Quanex Building Products Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Quanex Building Products and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK  Get Rating) have been assigned an average rating of Hold from the nineteen analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have given a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $267.50.

ROK has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Rockwell Automation in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $285.00 to $292.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $272.00 to $273.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Finally, Loop Capital boosted their price target on shares of Rockwell Automation from $258.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 31st.

Get Rockwell Automation alerts:

Rockwell Automation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ROK opened at $270.09 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $282.01 and a 200 day moving average price of $273.75. Rockwell Automation has a 1-year low of $190.08 and a 1-year high of $309.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The firm has a market cap of $31.03 billion, a PE ratio of 23.78, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 1.42.

Rockwell Automation Announces Dividend

Rockwell Automation ( NYSE:ROK Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The industrial products company reported $3.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.60 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $2.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.09 billion. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 15.82% and a return on equity of 42.15%. Rockwell Automations revenue was up 25.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.66 EPS. Research analysts predict that Rockwell Automation will post 12.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a $1.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 12th. This represents a $4.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.75%. Rockwell Automations dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.55%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Rockwell Automation

In other news, VP Isaac Woods sold 100 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $294.33, for a total transaction of $29,433.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 452 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $133,037.16. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, VP Isaac Woods sold 100 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $294.33, for a total transaction of $29,433.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 452 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $133,037.16. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Nicholas C. Gangestad sold 1,975 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.25, for a total transaction of $581,143.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 7,757 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,282,497.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 2,631 shares of company stock valued at $765,751 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.64% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Rockwell Automation

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROK. Aspire Private Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the first quarter worth approximately $11,444,550,000. New Hampshire Trust bought a new position in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. MinichMacGregor Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Rockwell Automation during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Clear Street Markets LLC bought a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Delta Asset Management LLC TN purchased a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 77.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Rockwell Automation

(Get Rating)

Rockwell Automation, Inc engages in the provision of industrial automation and information services. It operates through the following segments: Intelligent Devices, Software and Control, and Lifecycle Services. The Intelligent Devices segment combines a portfolio of smart products that create the foundation of an agile, resilient, and sustainable production system.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Rockwell Automation Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rockwell Automation and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Tesco PLC (OTCMKTS:TSCDY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 2,200 shares, a decrease of 93.9% from the April 15th total of 36,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 206,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.0 days.

Tesco Price Performance

Shares of Tesco stock opened at $10.50 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $9.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $8.93. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Tesco has a 52-week low of $6.54 and a 52-week high of $10.75.

Get Tesco alerts:

Tesco Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 12th will be paid a $0.2625 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 3.81%. This is an increase from Tescos previous dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Tesco Company Profile

Several research firms recently issued reports on TSCDY. Morgan Stanley raised Tesco from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Tesco from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Tesco from GBX 270 ($3.41) to GBX 290 ($3.66) in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Tesco from GBX 310 ($3.91) to GBX 320 ($4.04) in a report on Friday, April 14th.

(Get Rating)

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.

Further Reading

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.
Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE:SBSW  Get Rating) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $7.82 and last traded at $7.83, with a volume of 1407833 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.27.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SBSW has been the subject of several analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on shares of Sibanye Stillwater from $13.00 to $9.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Sibanye Stillwater from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $11.00 to $10.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $11.33.

Get Sibanye Stillwater alerts:

Sibanye Stillwater Stock Down 5.3 %

The firms 50-day moving average is $8.57 and its 200 day moving average is $9.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 3.01 and a quick ratio of 1.70.

Sibanye Stillwater Cuts Dividend

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sibanye Stillwater

The company also recently disclosed a Semi-Annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 24th were given a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a yield of 8.3%.

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Tradition Wealth Management LLC raised its position in 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 during the last quarter. Natixis purchased a new position in Sibanye Stillwater during the 4th quarter worth $37,000. Money Concepts Capital Corp purchased a new position in Sibanye Stillwater during the 4th quarter worth $41,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Sibanye Stillwater during the 1st quarter worth $45,000. Finally, Samalin Investment Counsel LLC raised its position in 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 during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 6.81% of the companys stock.

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.
Shares of Sixt SE (ETR:SIX2  Get Rating) were up 1.1% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as 116.10 ($127.58) and last traded at 115.30 ($126.70). Approximately 19,511 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 60% from the average daily volume of 49,244 shares. The stock had previously closed at 114.10 ($125.38).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on SIX2. Jefferies Financial Group set a 145.00 ($159.34) price target on Sixt in a research note on Monday, March 6th. BNP Paribas set a 150.00 ($164.84) price target on Sixt in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Hauck Aufhauser Investment Banking set a 108.00 ($118.68) price objective on shares of Sixt in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Baader Bank set a 140.00 ($153.85) price objective on shares of Sixt in a research note on Tuesday, February 28th. Finally, Warburg Research set a 155.00 ($170.33) price objective on shares of Sixt in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st.

Get Sixt alerts:

Sixt Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $3.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 23.89 and a beta of 2.06. The company has a current ratio of 2.58, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 126.18. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is 118.42 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is 106.43.

Sixt Company Profile

Sixt SE, through its subsidiaries, provides mobility services for private and business customers in Germany and internationally. The company offers mobility service across the fields of vehicle and commercial vehicle rental, car sharing, ride hailing, and car subscriptions. It has a network of 2,115 stations.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Sixt Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sixt and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
The "stream of alien blood", as U.S. Representative Albert Johnson once put it, may yet be stanched. Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed laws that restrict foreign ownership of land in Florida, including one that bans Chinese citizens from owning land unless they are also U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

In a recent news release, the Republican announced his signing of that bill and two others which are meant to "counteract" what he described as "the malign influence of the Chinese Communist party in the state of Florida".  Last month, ahead of the bill's signing, more than 100 protesters testified against the legislation, adding that it would discriminate against Florida's Chinese population, USA Today reported. "My concern is this bill will affect people like me who want to own a home," said Florida college student Victoria Li, through tears. "We're scared, we're terrified. That's what we came here for. We have the American dream. That's why, at my age, I'm still going to school."

The funny part is that it does nothing to stop the Chinese Communist Party owning land in Florida, easily accomplished through LLCs or other legal vehicles. It's all about sending a message.
Slate Office REIT (TSE:SOT.UN  Get Rating) hit a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as C$2.00 and last traded at C$2.01, with a volume of 168193 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$2.05.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on SOT.UN shares. CIBC cut their price target on Slate Office REIT from C$3.00 to C$2.50 in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Raymond James cut their price target on Slate Office REIT from C$3.25 to C$2.25 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. TD Securities cut their price target on Slate Office REIT from C$3.75 to C$2.50 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Slate Office REIT from C$4.75 to C$2.75 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, Laurentian cut their price target on Slate Office REIT from C$4.25 to C$2.75 in a report on Thursday, May 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of C$2.99.

Get Slate Office REIT alerts:

Slate Office REIT Trading Up 1.0 %

The business has a 50-day moving average of C$2.96 and a 200-day moving average of C$3.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 182.52, a quick ratio of 0.14 and a current ratio of 0.09. The stock has a market capitalization of C$163.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.71 and a beta of 1.14.

Slate Office REIT Cuts Dividend

Slate Office REIT Company Profile

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.01 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.88%. Slate Office REITs payout ratio is -57.14%.

(Get Rating)

Slate Office REIT is an open-ended real estate investment trust. The REIT's portfolio currently comprises 43 strategic and well-located real estate assets located primarily across Canada's major population centres including one downtown asset in Chicago, Illinois. The REIT is focused on maximizing value through internal organic rental and occupancy growth and strategic acquisitions.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Slate Office REIT Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Slate Office REIT and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Soltis Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE  Get Rating) by 11.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 121,113 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after buying an additional 12,922 shares during the quarter. Pfizer makes up 0.8% of Soltis Investment Advisors LLCs holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Soltis Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Pfizer were worth $6,206,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Pfizer by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 493,584,761 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $21,599,270,000 after buying an additional 5,139,634 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Pfizer by 13.2% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 59,828,849 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $3,097,341,000 after buying an additional 6,972,650 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in Pfizer by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 56,659,179 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $2,479,407,000 after buying an additional 317,858 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Pfizer by 2.5% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 41,242,414 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,804,896,000 after purchasing an additional 1,009,399 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of Pfizer by 4.4% in the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 36,467,989 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,595,840,000 after purchasing an additional 1,529,779 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.62% of the companys stock.

Get Pfizer alerts:

Pfizer Trading Down 1.8 %

PFE stock traded down $0.69 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $37.61. The companys stock had a trading volume of 16,163,965 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,438,316. The company has a market cap of $212.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.63. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $40.14 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.85. 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 Inc. has a 12 month low of $37.21 and a 12 month high of $54.93.

Pfizer Dividend Announcement

Pfizer ( NYSE:PFE Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $18.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.49 billion. Pfizer had a return on equity of 38.46% and a net margin of 31.25%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.62 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Pfizer Inc. will post 3.35 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.36%. Pfizers dividend payout ratio is 32.28%.

Insider Activity

In other news, major shareholder Pfizer Inc acquired 1,811,594 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 5,952,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,428,245.88. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Pfizer Inc bought 1,811,594 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The shares were bought at an average price of $2.76 per share, with a total value of $4,999,999.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 5,952,263 shares in the company, valued at $16,428,245.88. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Scott Gottlieb bought 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $38.42 per share, for a total transaction of $38,420.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 5,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $192,100. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders bought a total of 1,813,594 shares of company stock worth $5,076,999 over the last quarter. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Atlantic Securities reduced their price objective on Pfizer from $50.00 to $46.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Pfizer from $45.00 to $44.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 10th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on Pfizer from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Barclays cut their price target on Pfizer from $43.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, Credit Suisse Group cut their price target on Pfizer from $54.00 to $50.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned 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 $47.33.

Pfizer Company Profile

(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.

Read More

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.
Teranga Gold Co. (TSE:TGZ  Get Rating)s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$0.00 and traded as high as C$12.49. Teranga Gold shares last traded at C$12.33, with a volume of 960,887 shares changing hands.

Teranga Gold Price Performance

The businesss fifty day simple moving average is C$12.33. The stock has a market cap of C$2.07 billion and a PE ratio of 122.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 37.77, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.91.

About Teranga Gold

(Get Rating)

Teranga Gold Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and sale of gold in West Africa. The company's flagship project is the Sabodala gold mine covering an area of 291 square kilometers mine license and 629 square kilometers exploration land package located in the Republic of Senegal.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Teranga Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Teranga Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC reduced its holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO  Get Rating) by 5.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,431 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 187 shares during the quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLCs holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $1,889,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC purchased a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Baystate Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 36.7% in the 4th quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLC now owns 82 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Affiance Financial LLC purchased a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Finally, America First Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $51,000. 85.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Thermo Fisher Scientific alerts:

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Thermo Fisher Scientific news, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 1,600 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $571.96, for a total transaction of $915,136.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 128,705 shares in the company, valued at $73,614,111.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Thermo Fisher Scientific news, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 1,600 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $571.96, for a total transaction of $915,136.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 128,705 shares in the company, valued at $73,614,111.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $545.22, for a total value of $5,452,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 141,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,055,942.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 40,700 shares of company stock worth $22,690,323 over the last quarter. 0.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Thermo Fisher Scientific Price Performance

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Cowen raised their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $690.00 to $711.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. SVB Leerink raised their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $620.00 to $630.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $615.00 to $610.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. StockNews.com downgraded Thermo Fisher Scientific from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $693.00 to $670.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $627.91.

Shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific stock opened at $533.50 on Thursday. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a twelve month low of $475.77 and a twelve month high of $611.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $205.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.78, a PEG ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $559.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $553.54.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The medical research company reported $5.03 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $5.03. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a return on equity of 19.16% and a net margin of 13.75%. The firm had revenue of $10.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.67 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $7.25 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 23.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. This is a boost from Thermo Fisher Scientifics previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. Thermo Fisher Scientifics payout ratio is currently 9.13%.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

(Get Rating)

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc engages in the provision of analytical instruments, equipment, reagents and consumables, software, and services for research, analysis, discovery, and diagnostics. It operates through the following segments: Life Sciences Solutions, Analytical Instruments, Specialty Diagnostics, and Laboratory Products and Services.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Thermo Fisher Scientific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Thermo Fisher Scientific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its holdings in The Southern Company (NYSE:SO  Get Rating) by 3.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 472,534 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 17,220 shares during the quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolinas holdings in Southern were worth $33,744,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Prudential PLC grew its holdings in shares of Southern by 23.4% in the 1st quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 19,438 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,409,000 after purchasing an additional 3,689 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in shares of Southern by 33.5% in the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,727 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 433 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Southern by 63.0% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,902 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $138,000 after purchasing an additional 735 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Southern by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 49,925 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,621,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its holdings in shares of Southern by 35.8% in the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 907,132 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $65,776,000 after purchasing an additional 239,325 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 61.78% of the companys stock.

Get Southern alerts:

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Southern news, EVP Bryan D. Anderson sold 9,491 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.03, for a total value of $712,109.73. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 36,119 shares in the company, valued at $2,710,008.57. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Southern news, EVP Bryan D. Anderson sold 9,491 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.03, for a total value of $712,109.73. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 36,119 shares in the company, valued at $2,710,008.57. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.89, for a total transaction of $359,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 146,284 shares in the company, valued at $10,516,356.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 15,773 shares of company stock worth $1,156,941. Company insiders own 0.37% of the companys stock.

Southern Trading Down 0.9 %

Southern stock traded down $0.70 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $74.96. 390,724 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,153,626. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.41, a PEG ratio of 5.16 and a beta of 0.51. The firms 50 day moving average is $70.20 and its 200-day moving average is $68.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.69. The Southern Company has a fifty-two week low of $58.85 and a fifty-two week high of $80.57.

Southern (NYSE:SO  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $6.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.14 billion. Southern had a net margin of 11.53% and a return on equity of 10.78%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.97 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that The Southern Company will post 3.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Southern Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be issued a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th. This is a positive change from Southerns previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.74%. Southerns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 87.74%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Credit Suisse Group upped their target price on shares of Southern from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Southern from $73.00 to $71.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 17th. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Southern from $73.00 to $79.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Southern from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective 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. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Southern currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $73.14.

Southern Company Profile

(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.

Recommended Stories

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.
Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD  Get Rating) had its price target lowered by Wedbush from $100.00 to $90.00 in a research note published on Monday morning, The Fly reports. Wedbush also issued estimates for Walker & Dunlops Q2 2023 earnings at $0.95 EPS, Q3 2023 earnings at $1.24 EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at $2.03 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $5.38 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $6.00 EPS.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Wolfe Research lowered Walker & Dunlop from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st. JMP Securities lowered Walker & Dunlop from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Walker & Dunlop from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th.

Get Walker & Dunlop alerts:

Walker & Dunlop Stock Up 1.7 %

WD opened at $63.91 on Monday. Walker & Dunlop has a 12-month low of $61.06 and a 12-month high of $115.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.68 and a beta of 1.39. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $72.91 and a 200-day moving average of $81.90.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

Walker & Dunlop ( NYSE:WD Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The financial services provider reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $238.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $259.01 million. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 10.96% and a net margin of 14.22%. Walker & Dunlops quarterly revenue was down 25.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.12 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Walker & Dunlop will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company 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 $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 17th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.94%. Walker & Dunlops dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Paula A. Pryor sold 5,596 shares of Walker & Dunlop stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.04, for a total value of $498,267.84. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13,077 shares in the company, valued at $1,164,376.08. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 5.47% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Walker & Dunlop

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of WD. Romano Brothers AND Company acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 398.6% in the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 359 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 287 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 5,066.7% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 310 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 304 shares during the last quarter. First Manhattan Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the first quarter worth approximately $65,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 171.9% in the first quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,082 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $83,000 after acquiring an additional 684 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.78% of the companys stock.

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.

Further Reading

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.
Yum China Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:YUMC  Get Rating) Director Peter A. Bassi sold 17,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.96, for a total transaction of $1,066,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 46,264 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,820,253.44. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Yum China Stock Performance

Shares of YUMC stock opened at $61.18 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $25.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.53. Yum China Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $36.05 and a one year high of $64.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a current ratio of 1.82. The firms 50 day moving average price is $61.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $57.86.

Get Yum China alerts:

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.77 billion. Yum China had a net margin of 6.43% and a return on equity of 8.84%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.24 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Yum China Holdings, Inc. will post 1.95 EPS for the current year.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Yum China

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 26th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.85%. Yum Chinas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.67%.

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Yum China by 93.5% in the 1st quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 294,938 shares of the companys stock valued at $18,688,000 after purchasing an additional 142,546 shares in the last quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich raised its holdings in shares of Yum China by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 127,728 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,097,000 after purchasing an additional 3,661 shares in the last quarter. Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Yum China in the 1st quarter valued at $57,000. Atria Investments Inc raised its holdings in shares of Yum China by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 28,047 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,778,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Yum China by 40.8% in the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,824 shares of the companys stock valued at $433,000 after purchasing an additional 1,977 shares in the last quarter. 78.89% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on YUMC. StockNews.com raised shares of Yum China from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. TheStreet raised shares of Yum China from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Yum China from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, OTR Global upgraded shares of Yum China from a mixed rating to a positive rating in a report on Wednesday, April 12th.

Yum China Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Yum China Holdings, Inc engages in the operation and management of restaurants and fast food chains. It operates through the following segments: Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Pizza Hut, and All Other Segments. The KFC segment operates restaurant chain. The Pizza Hut segment covers the Pizza Hut casual dining and Pizza Hut home service.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Yum China Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Yum China and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
The Congress appears set for a comeback in Karnataka with most exit polls giving the party an edge in the Assembly elections held on March 10. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in second place, while the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS), which has been making noises about forming the government on its own, is a distant third, a position it has made its own over many polls now. But even so, if the exit polls are wrong and Karnataka has a hung Assembly, as some of the polls suggest, the JD(S) could once again end up becoming the king or the kingmaker. This is despite no exit poll giving it more than 33 seats. Of the nine exit poll predictions, seven have put the Congress ahead of the others. India Today-My Axis India has given a clear majority to the Congress with a prediction of 131 (mid-range), with the BJP in second spot with 71 seats and the JD(S) at 22 seats. ABC-CVoter has given the Congress 100 to 112 seats, short of a simple majority, the BJP 83 to 95 seats, JD(S) 21 to 29 and others 2 to 6. Todays Chanakya survey predicted the Congress would get 120 seats, the BJP 92 and JD(S) 12, while TimesNow has given the Congress exactly 113 seats, the magic figure to form the government, with the BJP at 85, JD(S) at 23 and others with 3 seats. Elections to the Karnataka Assembly were held on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13. A high-voltage campaign by all three parties ensured a voter turnout of 72.67 percent, excluding postal ballots and home voting (for senior citizens and the disabled) according to the Election Commission. In 2018, the turnout was 73.13 percent. While the exit poll projections brought cheer in Congress circles, the ruling BJP rejected them. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said a high voter turnout always favours the BJP and not the Congress. Former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said the BJP would take a call on whether it should approach the JD(S) for support if the elections did not produce a clear winner. Karnataka Congress Communications and Social Media Co-Chairman Mansoor Ali Khan said seven of the nine surveys giving an edge to his party indicated there was a silent wave in favour of the Congress. The good voter turnout was also an indication of the angst of the common man over spiralling prices and corruption, he added. If the predictions prove to be correct and the Congress gets the numbers to form the government, Karnatakas voters will yet again have shut the door on a ruling partys bid to return to power. Since the re-election of Ramakrishna Hegdes Janata Party government in 1985, no ruling party in the state has been handed the reins again by the voter. The Congress party, which got an absolute majority in 1989, and later in 1999 and 2013, failed to get a second term in the subsequent elections. Congress: Eyeing a comeback A clear, simple majority is what Congress leaders are hoping for, especially as this would give the party a fillip in the runup to the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 and wrest seats from the BJP, which has done better in the general elections since 2004. We will have to carry the positivity forward and keep the momentum going. The Congress had to face the might of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who became the Chief Ministerial candidate in these polls. The BJP sought votes in the name of Modi and hence a defeat for the BJP means a defeat for Modi, too, Khan said. A Congress win means a fight for the chief minister's post between KPCC president DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who are both frontrunners. While Shivakumar has announced that he has no qualms working under AICC President Mallikarjun M Kharge, if the latter becomes the CM, the KPCC Chief has been biding time for a long to get the post. However, Congress cannot also afford to overlook Siddaramaiah, who had announced that the 2023 polls would be his last foray into electoral politics. At the fag end of the poll campaign in Ramanagara, a Vokkaliga dominant constituency adjacent to Kanakapura from where he contesting, Shivakumar appealed to the voters to give him a chance to be at the helm. Ramanagara has been represented by four chief ministers in the past, give me a chance, he said. (The four CMs are Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Ramakrishna Hegde, HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy.) A fractured mandate with no party getting the numbers to form the government may also result in Congress trying to team up with the JD(S), as it has in the past. However, this is a proposition that is not to the liking of Siddaramaiah, who was a reluctant partner in the JD(S)-Congress set up in 2018, before Kumaraswamy was dislodged after 17 Congress and JD(S) MLAs defected to the BJP. Congress sources said though the final call on who will be the CM is going to be decided by the party high command and the MLAs, Siddaramaiah is said to have an edge over Shivakumar due to his Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and dalits) support. BJP: Facing anti-incumbency For the ruling BJP, the exit polls have come as a shocker with the majority of the exit polls leaving it in double digits, well below the 113 majority mark. Barring the coastal area with 19 seats, where the polls have predicted a clean sweep for the saffron party, its performance in other regions has fallen short of expectations. The BJP was expecting to get its numbers from the Kalyan Karnataka and Mumbai Karnataka regions, which are both Lingayat-dominated regions that have stood by the party over the years. The Congress seems to have performed well here, indicating a split in Lingayat support. An aggressive campaign by the BJP, with Modi alone addressing 17 meetings and 6 roadshows between April 29 and May 7, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders crisscrossing the state, does not seem to have had the desired impact on voters if the exit polls are to be believed. Shah, the main poll strategist, had set a target of 150 for the party. A defeat would be a blow to Modis appeal as the BJP had kept the prime minister and centre in front through the campaign. A strong anti-incumbency wave was evident after Bommai took charge of Yediyurappa in July 2021. The state government's decision on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes, and placing Lingayats and the Vokkaligas in a new reservation category by hiking their quota at the cost of the 4 percent earmarked for Muslims does not seem to have clicked. The government was rapped by the Supreme Court for scrapping the Muslim quota. The case is still being heard. If the party does not perform well on counting day, Bommai's Hindutva agenda to please the RSS and Sangh Parivar, failure to hold polls for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (which has not had an elected council since 2020), corruption charges and the BJP's central leadership experiment of giving tickets to 72 new faces could be blamed for the loss. JD(S): Counting on a hung assembly The JD(S), meanwhile, will be hoping to see its fortunes open up in the event of neither the Congress nor the BJP securing a majority. Former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, braving age-related ailments, and his son Kumaraswamy were the sole campaigners for the party. Kumaraswamy, who ran a five-month Pancharatna yatra, was confident of the party winning 123 seats. However, despite giving more tickets to Lingayats and Muslims, the predictions do not augur well for the party, even in the Old Mysuru region, where it did well in 2018. These elections were a question of survival for the JD(S) and it will be in the reckoning only in the event of a hung Assembly, a political commentator said. Reports suggest that the BJP might approach Kumaraswamy to cobble up the numbers, and the JD(S) could once again find itself at the helm, albeit through proxy.
While the pre-election surveys in Karnataka left the voters confused, the exit poll results have further confounded them. The general sense one gets from the polls is that the Congress has an edge, but this being a cliffhanger contest, many surveys have predicted a hung assembly, in which case the Janata Dal(Secular) may have a role to play in the formation of the new government. India Today-Axis My India has given Congress a decisive victory with 122-140 seats, while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gets 62-80, JD(S) 20-25 and others 0-3. News 24-Todays Chanakya has projected a seat share of 120 for Congress, 92 for BJP and 12 for JD (S). The Post-May 13 Scenarios While most others have predicted that the Congress will be the single largest party, they have not projected a clear simple majority. A party needs to cross the halfway mark, that is 112 seats in the 224 member assembly to form the government on its own. The results will be announced on May 13. It appears from the exit polls that the Congress has bettered its performance in Bengaluru, Old Mysuru and North Karnataka regions. While the BJP has taken a hit in all these areas, the biggest loser is the JD(S). While the Congress focussed mainly on its promises to the electorate and the failures of the BJP government, the ruling party laid undue stress on emotive issues and depended heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. What this means is that while the 40 percent sarkar campaign of the Congress against the corruption in the BJP government paid off, Modis high octane rallies, especially his two-day road show in Bengaluru did not have the desired impact. While it would be premature to debate on what worked or did not work for a political party, considering that exit polls could go horribly wrong, it would be worthwhile to examine different scenarios that could emerge post the announcement of results. The first scenario is that either the BJP or Congress will cross the halfway mark and form the government on their own. However, several possibilities could emerge in case of a hung assembly. The Congress or BJP could form the government with the support of JD(S), depending on how far or near either of them is from the finish line. Chaotic Hung Assemblies An analysis of how things panned out in the past, could well be an indication to what could unfold in the future. After the 2004 assembly elections, the Congress and JD(S) formed a coalition government with Dharam Singh as the Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah from JD(S) who was the Deputy Chief Minister was later expelled from the party. However, in February 2006, JD(S) staged a coup of sorts, pulled the rug from under the Congresss feet and formed the government with BJPs support. HD Kumaraswamy of JD(S) became the Chief Minister and BS Yediyurappa of BJP his deputy. The agreement was that both parties would rule for 50 percent each of the remainder of the term of the assembly. However, when it was BJPs turn to rule, JD(S) reneged on its promise though Yediyurappa managed to become the Chief Minister for seven days between two spells of Presidents rule and subsequent dissolution of the House. In the 2008 elections, BJP became the single largest party with 110 seats. The shortfall was managed by poaching MLAs from other parties which came to be popularly known as Operation Kamala. in 2013, Congress managed to secure a simple majority with Siddaramaiah becoming the Chief Minister. Will JD(S)s Luck Run Out? In 2018 again, no party could muster a simple majority, though BJP was the single largest party with 104 seats, followed by Congress (80) and JD(S) 37. With a view to keeping the BJP out, the Congress extended support to JD(S) and HD Kumaraswamy became the Chief Minister though his party had secured the least number of seats. About a year later, the BJP engineered defections from Congress and JD(S), with Yediyurappa taking over as the Chief Minister, only to be subsequently replaced by Basavaraj Bommai. If the results reflect the exit polls, it is unlikely that Kumaraswamy will be crowned the king, as it happened twice in the past though JD(S) was the junior partner. A possibility of a vertical split in the JD(S) cannot also be ruled out if it performs poorly. The exit polls have left the people of Karnataka none the wiser and the big question remains: Who will form the government after May 13? Gautham Machaiah is a senior journalist and political commentator based in Bengaluru. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Air Indias pilot unions the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) and the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) on May 11 folded in their standoff against the airline's new management and have withdrawn opposition to the new employment and wage contract. In a letter to its member, the IPG and ICPA withdrew their stance and told its members that they are free to sign the new wage contracts offered by the new Tata Group management of Air India. Upon the assurances given in the online Townhall Meeting for All Pilots and in the interest of the aspirations of Air India, The Tata Group, and our passengers, the Joint Directive No.01 of 2023, Sub: Unilateral Changes in Policies stands withdrawn, the unions said in a letter on May 11. The decision to withdraw their stance comes after a vote was held among the members of the two unions where almost 80 percent voted in favour of signing the new wage agreement. The unions will also withdraw the legal notice sent to Air Indias management terming the new employment contract as illegal. The unions had on April 21, sent a legal notice to the companys management objecting to a clause in the new contract which mandates that commanders with four-year experience will be termed as Senior Commanders. While pilots have been coerced into signing the new contracts and most feel like they have no option but to sign with the new deals, sentiments still remain low, a senior pilot working for Air India told Moneycontrol. Pilots are now fearful of their jobs given the current market conditions, the pilot said. Another senior pilot said that job security is key for all pilots at a time when airlines are struggling to keep afloat. The move by the unions comes against the backdrop of the collapse of domestic carrier Go First and the airline's pilots lining up for new jobs at Air India. Air India had to extend its walk-in interviews for pilots of Airbus A320s  the aircraft type used by Go First  by a day due to the exodus from the airline. According to industry insiders, Air India has given out employment offers to around 200-300 pilots of Go First in the last week. The unions have called off their standoff with the management a day before the May 12 deadline set by Air India. Air India had last week reportedly extended the deadline for pilots, who havent yet signed the new contracts to do so by the end of May 12. The airline has been at loggerheads with two unions that have opposed certain terms and conditions of the revised contracts. On April 17, the Tata Group-owned carrier came out with a revised compensation package and new service terms and conditions for pilots and cabin crew of Air India, Air India Express and AIX Connect. According to union sources, Air India changed the conditions unilaterally without consulting the pilots and alleged that they are trying to make all senior pilots executive and thus kill the unions. Moreover, following the revision, the guaranteed flying allowance component has been doubled from the current 20 hours to 40 hours. However, it remained much lower compared to the pre-pandemic period when Air India pilots were entitled to a guaranteed 70 hours of flying. This was the first wage revision by the management of Air India after it was taken over by the Tata group last year and will impact all 3,000 pilots of the four airlines  Air India, Air India Express, Air Asia India and Vistara. The two unions had rejected the new service terms, saying they were unilateral, draconian and anti-labour. ICPA represents pilots operating the narrow-body Airbus fleet while IPG has pilots, who fly wide-body Boeing aircraft.
There's a new kid on the street. Sesame Street, that is. His name is TJ and he is their first Filipino muppet. In a recent episode with actor Kal Penn, TJ discusses his growing confidence in learning Tagalog, one of the primary languages spoken in the Phillipines, with the help of his lola ("grandmother").

NPR:

Filipino American animator Bobby Pontillas collaborated with puppeteer Louis Mitchell to create the muppet. On Instagram, Pontillas shared concept artwork for the character, who he said was inspired by Max and Mateo, the children of lifelong friends. TJ is played by voice actor and puppeteer Yinan Shentu.

Rosemary Espina Palacios, Sesame Workshop's director of talent outreach, inclusion and content development, also posted on Instagram about TJ's debut, saying that his arrival came "just in time for API Heritage Month to show the range in our diaspora."

She added that she personally felt the topic of confidence could help "unravel the model minority stereotype." The model minority is a persistent myth about Asian Americans' collective, monolithic success. The stereotype ignores disparities within specific Asian ethnic groups and minimizes the role racism plays in the struggles of other minority groups.
The Karnataka High Court on May 11 quashed a goods and services tax notice against Bengaluru-based online gaming company Gameskraft Technology for alleged evasion of Rs 21,000 crore, an order which will have a bearing on India's skill-gaming sector that is awaiting GST clarity. In September 2022, a GST intelligence unit issued a show-cause notice to Gameskraft Technology, alleging that the company failed to pay Rs 21,000 crore in GST, the biggest such claim in the history of indirect taxation. The notice was for the period between 2017 and June 30, 2022. Gameskraft Technology Private Limited (GTPL) was also accused of promoting online betting through cards, casual and fantasy games such as Rummy Culture, Gamezy, and Rummy Time. Gameskraft allegedly was not issuing invoices to customers, the officials alleged. GST officials slapped a 28 percent tax on betting amount of nearly Rs 77,000 crore. "GTPL was engaged in the betting by allowing its players/gamers to place bets in the form of money stakes on outcome of card games played online," the authorities said. The gaming platform submitted fake/back dated invoices, which was uncovered during a forensic examination of the documents, they alleged, adding that the company was also inducing its customers to bet as there was no way of returning the money once it was added in the wallet. The Bengaluru-based startup, however, argued that its offerings qualify as skill-based gaming activities, which attract only 18 percent GST on the platform fee, which the company deducted from the entry fee paid by players. The fee typically ranged between 5-15 percent of the contest entry amount with the rest of the money channeled towards the players prize pool, it said. Commenting on the High Court's verdict, Joyjyoti Misra, group general counsel of Gameskraft said "We are very pleased with the verdict of the Karnataka High Court. It is a clear vindication of our business model. We had and continue to have full faith in the government and the judiciary. We are hopeful that this decision will pave the way for constructive dialogues with the GST authorities and will form the basis of progressive GST regulations for the industry Started in 2017, Gameskraft's portfolio of real-money gaming platforms include online rummy game Rummyculture and a multi-game platform Gamezy that offers rummy, fantasy sports, and online ludo among others. (This is a developing story, please come back for updates)
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a cybersecurity advisory, warning users against the usage of AI language-based models such as ChatGPT, Bing AI, Jasper AI, Bard by threat actors for perpetrating cyber attacks. ChatGPT, the conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, and other such platforms have taken the world by storm with users finding its use in varied fields such as content writing, composing emails, coding and so on. However, these platforms has also been in the news for reportedly aiding in creating malware and composing email texts for phishing campaigns and so on. This has aroused the interest of law enforcement officials, who now have a new cyber-related threat to deal with. In an advisory issued by the nodal cybersecurity agency on May 9, CERT-In said, "A threat actor could use the application to write malicious codes for, exploit a vulnerability, conduct scanning, perform privilege escalation & lateral movement, to construct a malware or a ransomware for a targeted system." While further explaining the ways in such language models can be misused, CERT-In, said "Al based applications can generate output in the form of text as written by human. This can be used to disseminate fake news, scams, generate misinformation, create phishing messages, or produce deep fake texts." "A threat actor can ask for a promotional email, a shopping notification, or a software update in their native language and get a well-crafted response in English, which can be used for phishing campaigns," it added. Additionally, it also said that such language models can scrape personal information without consent from websites and "build corpus of text data". This advisory also comes at a time when police in China arrested a man for misusing ChatGPT for spreading fake news. Safety measures CERT-In urged developers and users to get up-to-date on their knowledge about the risks and threats associated with interacting with Al language models. "Al language-based applications are based on learning on large set of internet data. The model can collect all accessible data including sensitive information also. Hence, implement appropriate controls to preserve the security and privacy of data. Do not submit any sensitive information, such as login credentials, financial information or copyright data to such applications," it recommended. Additionally, CERT-In urged users to ensure that the text generated is not being used for illegal activities or for "dissemination of misinformation".
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on May 11 defended India's stand to buy Russian oil amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine since the time the former waged a war last year. Speaking at the 18th edition of 'India Business Leader Awards' (IBLA) hosted by CNBC-TV18 at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, Puri said: "World needs energy, we need to move on, Europe would have been in a much deeper recession if there was no Russian oil in the market." Elaborating on the topic, Puri said that today, countries will fend for themselves. "India's imports of crude from Russia in FY22 was 0.2 percent, today it is as large as 30 percent," he added. ALSO READ: Indian oil companies await $300-$400 million dividends from Russia amidst sanctions The minister also added that the world consumes around 100 million barrels of oil a day and India consumes 5 million barrels. "We don't have any ideological hangups... our traditional suppliers have been UAE, Saudi Arabi, Iraq, Kuwait and now, Russia." Puri also added that had India not bought 30 percent of oil from Russia at discount instead of buying from UAE, the country would have been in deep recession today. Meanwhile, India's imports of Russian oil rose tenfold last year, according to state-controlled lender Bank of Baroda report. Russia has been selling energy at a discount to countries like China and India, which is the world's third largest importer of oil. India's purchases of oil from Russia during the last financial year, saved it around $89 per tonne of crude, the figures show. Despite pressure from the US and Europe, India has refused to adhere to Western sanctions on Russian imports. New Delhi has also not explicitly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine. India has defended its oil purchases, saying that as a country reliant on energy imports, it was not in a position to pay higher prices.
Petrol and diesel prices remained unchanged on Thursday, May 11 across New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Petrol in Delhi is being sold at Rs 96.72 a litre while diesel is being sold at Rs 89.62 a litre. Whereas in Mumbai, petrol is available at Rs 106.31 and diesel at Rs 94.27 per litre. Petrol in Kolkata is priced at Rs 106.03 and diesel is Rs 92.76 per litre. On the other hand, petrol is being sold at Rs 102.63 and diesel at Rs 94.24 per litre in Chennai. In other news oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Thursday after strong demand for fuels in the U.S. outweighed concerns about the possibility of the world's biggest oil producer and consumer defaulting on its debt. Brent crude futures rose by 26 cents, or 0.34 percent to $76.67 a barrel by 0015 GMT. U.S. crude futures rose 28 cents to $72.84. Last week on May 3, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal expressed confidence that the country will achieve the target of 20 per cent blending of ethanol with petrol by 2025 and asserted that maize crop will play an important role in implementation of this programme. The minister highlighted that the blending of ethanol with petrol has increased to 10 per cent in 2021-22 marketing year from just 1.53 per cent in 2013-14 on the back of efforts made by farmers and industry, aided by favourable government policies. He said the supply of ethanol to oil marketing companies (OMCs) increased to 408 crore litre in 2021-22 from 38 crore litre in 2013-14.

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
The commerce ministry has stepped in to cut Indias ballooning trade deficit with Russia, asking all Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) to identify additional products India can sell to Russia to expand its own exports, sources said. Indias trade deficit with Russia reached $34.79 billion between April 2022 and January 2023, helped by Indias purchases of Russian crude oil, according to government data. Russia, which was Indias 25th largest trading partner in FY22, has now risen to be the second, behind only China. We are looking at having some balance in trade with Russia. We need to increase our exports. India is looking to push exports of textiles and agricultural products to Russia. All Export Promotion Councils have been notified to identify the potential of Indias exports, a senior government official told Moneycontrol. Indias merchandise imports from Russia increased by 369 percent to $46.3 billion in 2022-23 from only $9.87 billion in 2021-22 with almost two-thirds consisting of crude oil as it diversified from more expensive Middle Eastern crude following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In contrast, in 2021-22, India's imports from Russia were worth only $9.86 billion. In just a year, Russia has become Indias fourth largest import source from being the 18th largest in 2021-22. Export Promotion Councils have been asked to explore possibilities, analyse potential and understand what products are required to be exported to Russia, the official cited above said. Last month, delegations from the Export Promotion Councils delegations visited Russia to understand the Indian goods that have the potential for export to Russia. Rupee trade A trade settlement mechanism in rupee was used to facilitate trade between the two countries, following sanctions on Russian banks for using the international SWIFT messaging system for selling payments. The Reserve Bank of India on July 11, 2022, permitted invoicing and payments for international trade in Indian currency. The official cited above said that although India is promoting rupee trade with Russia, in order to boost exports to the country, exporters are free to trade in whichever currency is convenient to them. Rupee trade is happening. We are promoting rupee trade with Russia. But exporters should trade in the currency convenient to them, he said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently told reporters during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meetings that his country had accumulated billions of rupees in Indian banks due to its increasing trade surplus, which is an issue. We need to use this money. But for this, these rupees must be transferred in another currency, and this is being discussed now, he said. Discounted crude oil has constituted a large portion of Indias imports since last year. OPEC made up for as much as 90 percent of all crude oil India imported at one point in time, but this has been sliding since Russian oil became available at a discount in the aftermath of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Russia has 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. From a market share of less than 1 percent 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 percent share. According to energy cargo tracker Vortexa, India imported just 68,600 barrels per day of oil from Russia in March 2022 and this year the purchases have jumped to 1,678,000 bpd.
Bankrupt domestic carrier Go First is hoping to return to Indian skies in the next two weeks, after the New Delhi bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on May 10 granted bankruptcy protection to the airline. "The expectations are that none of Go First's aircraft will be taken away by lessors which will let the airline return to the skies in around two weeks at the earliest," a source aware of the ongoing discussions said. The source added that Go First is hoping the interim resolution professional, Abhilash Lal of Alvarez & Marsal appointed by the NCLT on May 10, will help negotiate a treaty between the lessors and the airline that will help Go First restart operations. Also Read: P&W says pursuing its own legal recourse against Go First's claims "The resolution professional will meet Go First's top management and employees in the next couple of days, after which the plan is to approach the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Directorate General of Civil Aviation to restart operations," another official aware of the discussions said. The second official said the airline aims to restart operations with around 20 aircraft to operate around 1,200 flights a week and slowly scale operations as an insolvency resolution plan is discussed. The NCLT's decision on May 10 to grant GoFirst bankruptcy protection has helped the budget carrier keep a hold of its aircraft and airport parking slots, and has also restrained lessors and vendors from recovering pending dues. This is a historic ruling as an application of insolvency has been admitted so fast. The order prevents a viable airline from becoming an unviable one. The purpose of IBC has always been revival," Go First CEO Kaushik Khona said on May 10. "This is the best thing that could happen for the airline. The plan of action will now include IRP to discuss on refunds and resumption of flights. Our job was to see that airline does not go down and does not lose its aircraft, now everything is in IRP's hands," Khona said. Earlier, on April 28, Go First moved an emergency petition before the Delaware Federal Court, calling for a legal order to force P&W to comply with two arbitral awards issued by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC). The SIAC ordered P&W on March 30 to provide Go First with at least 10 serviceable engines by April 27 and the remainder by the year-end. After P&W refused to comply, the SIAC issued a second arbitral award on April 15, asking the US company to fulfil its order. On May 2, the cash strapped Wadia Group-owned airline announced it had filed an application for voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings before the NCLT, Delhi due to a "severe fund crunch". Damages sought The loss-making budget carrier was burning around Rs 200 crore of cash every month since November. No longer able to afford it, it had to resort to filing for insolvency before the NCLT, Khona had said last week. Khona said that Go First needs at least 20 aircraft to return to service and break even on daily operations. The airline is seeking $ 1.1 billion in damages from the engine maker, whom it blames for the airlines collapse. We have already crossed 20,000 aircraft on ground (AOG) days in the last three years, losing almost $55,000 each day. This means that my compensation alone, or my loss, which I can claim from Pratt & Whitney alone, will be around $1.1 billion, Khona had said. To ensure this happens, we will tap into many more jurisdictions across the world, some of which are in the US, one in Germany, one in Japan and maybe one or two more in Europe and Singapore, he added.
The newly-appointed resolution professional (IRP) for Go First, Abhilash Lal of consultancy firm Alvarez & Marsal, on May 11 reassured employees of the airline that all steps are being taken to ensure that Go First resumes operations soon. Lal spoke to the employees of Go First in a town hall meeting and asked them to trust the airline while saying that Go First will have to raise some funds in order to restart operations. "Go First cannot restart without a crew which is why we need all of you to stick with us while we figure out how to restart operations at the earliest," Lal was quoted as saying by an employee of Go First who spoke to Moneycontrol. ALSO READ: Go First hopes to restart operations in two weeks with 20 aircraft: Sources Lal also said that Go First was working on a very tight schedule, but asked them not to be afraid of any change in the daily working of the airline. He told Go First's employees that they would soon be asked to return to work and that their salaries would not be impacted as long as they are a part of the organization. However, Lal did not provide a date to employees by which Go First would look to restart operations. The bankrupt domestic carrier is hoping to return to Indian skies in the next two weeks, after the New Delhi bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on May 10 granted bankruptcy protection to the airline. "The expectations are that none of Go First's aircraft will be taken away by lessors, which will let the airline return to the skies in around two weeks at the earliest," a source aware of the ongoing discussions said. The source added that Go First is hoping the IRP, Lal, appointed by the NCLT on May 10, will help negotiate a treaty between the lessors and the airline that will help Go First restart operations. The NCLT admitted Go First's plea for voluntary insolvency and admitted for the initiation of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) proceedings. NCLT has granted Go First protection under moratorium from recovery by lessors and lenders. The tribunal also appointed Lal as its IRP to oversee the company's affairs and revive the airline's business within six months. Go First's lenders are expected to classify their loans to the company as non-performing in the current quarter. They are reportedly hopeful that the collateral backing the credit would reduce the quantum of haircut they have to take. As per the Reserve Bank of India, banks have to provision for at least 15 percent of outstanding loans on secured assets in the first 12 months. Provision refers to losses that the banks recognise ahead of time, and is a way to eventually anticipate the volume of its gross and net loan portfolio. As per Go First's bankruptcy filing, Central Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, IDBI Bank, and Deutsche Bank are among the airlines financial creditors.
Indian companies have invested more than CAD 6.6 billion in Canada creating tens and thousands of jobs in the country, with all of them planning to invest more in the future, according to a CII report released in Toronto. The report 'From India to Canada: Economic Impact and Engagement' launched by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal during his visit to the city is the first known attempt to capture Indian Industry's growing Canadian presence. The report highlights the contributions made by Indian companies to the Canadian economy in the form of FDI, jobs created and saved, and funding for research and development as well as local corporate social responsibility initiatives. "Canada has a large investible surplus and is looking for good investment opportunities in India. Given the greater degree of engagement we've now embarked upon with high-level exchanges on both sides, the India-Canada economic relationship can improve very significantly," Goyal said at the report launch event organised by CII and Canada-India Business Council. "We see a lot of Indian talent contributing to the Canadian economy, and even investments coming in from India to Canada. I am confident that this will be a two-way traffic, and both countries stand to benefit," he said. According to the report, together, 30 Indian companies with an aggregate tangible investment of CAD $6.6 billion, employ approximately 17,000 people across eight Canadian provinces. The collective research and development expenditure by Indian companies in Canada is more than CAD $700 million, with 85 per cent of those surveyed anticipating increased funding for future innovations, it said. According to the report, 100 per cent of participating companies plan to invest more in Canada in the next five years, and 96 per cent plan to hire more employees. Canadian Minister of International Trade Mary Ng said that strengthening the Canada-India economic partnership is good for businesses on both sides of the Pacific. The report shows the benefits that come when we collaborate. "Working together is how we create jobs and opportunities for growth, and by reinforcing our trade ties we're setting our businesses up for success," Ng said. According to Chandrajit Banerjee, CII director general, while trade and investment partnership between India and Canada has continued to grow, the story of Indian companies in Canada and their economic impact is yet to be told. The first edition of the report demonstrates how Indian companies across Canada are expanding their investments, creating jobs, funding research and development initiatives, and supporting their communities through corporate social responsibility programmes, he said. "As India's business footprint grows in Canada, our economic collaboration will lead to a stronger, more integrated strategic and comprehensive partnership," Banerjee said. Victor Thomas, president and CEO of CIBC said Canada can be a robust environment for Indian companies with favourable immigration policies, strong post-secondary institutions, a diverse talent pool, and being one of the largest economies in the world. "The fact that all the Indian companies interviewed have plans to expand further underscores the success they have had and signifies the potential for further growth. This is hopefully just the beginning of great things to come, these companies can serve as trailblazers, who have paved the way for more Indian companies to enter the Canadian market and contribute to our shared prosperity," Thomas said.
Bengaluru, which has always had a dubious distinction of low polling percentage during elections despite its high civic engagement, has seemingly continued this trend even in the 2023 Assembly polls. This was despite the Election Commission ensuring that it be held on Wednesday so its not a long weekend, and ensured that offices give their employees a day off so that they can vote. Provisional polling percentages at the end of May 10 showed BBMP (Central) at 55.45 percent, BBMP (North) at 52.88 percent, BBMP (South) at 52.8 percent, and Bengaluru Urban at 56.98 percent. This is despite the fact that Karnataka recorded its best-ever polling percentage at 72.81 percent, beating 2018s turnout of 72.13 percent. The ECI had set a turnout target of 65 percent for Bengaluru, and around 75 percent for the state. Final figures may differ slightly from the above provisional figures, but are not expected to be massively different. Along with the figures being reconciled, postal ballots and the votes of those who availed the facility to vote from home have not been tallied. Bengaluru has the dubious distinction of having low polling percentages during elections. The voter turnout in Bengaluru during the 2013 and 2018 assembly polls stood at 62 percent and 57 percent, respectively. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Bengaluru's turnout was 54.1 percent  lower than the 56 percent recorded in 2014. Of the 224 constituencies in the state, 28 are in Bengaluru. As per the provisional figures, Yeshwantpur had the highest turnout at 63.69 percent, followed by Yelahanka at 62.68 percent, Anekal at 61.85 percent, Chikpet at 58.09 percent, and Jayanagar at 58 percent. The five constituencies in the capital city with the lowest turnout were CV Raman Nagar (47.43 percent), BTM Layout (49.15 percent), Bommanahalli (49.5 percent), Dasarahalli (50.16 percent) and Bengaluru South (51.6 percent). Elections were previously held close to the weekend, which resulted in many getting away from the city for brief vacations leading to low voter turnout. This is why the ECI pointedly chose a day in the middle of the week to spur voters. In fact, according to Karnataka Special Officer (Elections) AV Surya Sen, they ran awareness campaigns, focussed on citizen engagement, simplified the process of voter enrolment, and more. The EC has been conducting more awareness campaigns through walkathons, street plays, awareness campaigns on buses, the metro, theatres, and even using garbage collection vehicles. It also roped in Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and tech parks for awareness drives. Revathy Ashok, Chief Executive Officer & managing trustee at Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC), an NGO, told Moneycontrol that the polling percentages for Bengaluru are surprising as well as disappointing. In fact, many first-time voters too enthusiastically participated in the election. We expected a lot more participation from the citizens, but there should be a scientific study on the quality of electoral rolls, she said. Not just voter apathy? While it is true that IT clusters such as Bommanahalli, BTM Layout, KR Puram and CV Raman Nagar usually record low polling rates, experts say its not just voter apathy that can explain the low voter turnout, especially after all the measures that have been taken. Usually, voter list errors, or names of deceased voters not being removed contributes to bringing down the overall polling percentage. This time, activists say that the electoral rolls may equally be to blame. Commander PG Bhat, a voter reforms activist, said, It's unfair to blame voter apathy. The main culprit is the electoral rolls, and there are a lot of duplications/entries. I have demonstrated it several times in the last 10-12 years. Poor quality of the electoral rolls is bringing down the overall polling percentage of the city, he said. The actual polling percentage will be at least 10-15 percent more, but unfortunately, neither officials nor politicians are interested in cleaning up the system, and they keep blaming citizens for not voting in the polls, he added. Similarly, Anjali Saini, a member of one of Bengalurus most active RWAs Whitefield rising, said that IT employees in the city move from one constituency to another. Whitefield Rising has also been organising voter awareness drives. Even if they [IT employees] register in another constituency, they may not delete the previous one. There are also irregularities in the electoral rolls. For instance, a Whitefield resident who has been casting her vote in Mahadevapura segment was surprised when her name was missing, and it was later found that her vote is in CV Raman Nagar, so she couldn't vote, she said.
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
I often post about prisons and abolition, mainly in the context of the United States. After all, the self-described intergalactic beacon of democracy and liberty, and the originator of exceptionalist politics, was founded on the unfreedom of so many people and communities. The United States has the largest incarceration rate per capita of people captured within its borders, whether through the crimmigration or the criminal punishment systems.

Though state and federal prisons in the United States are singular for their socially tolerated and culturally and politically cultivated conditions of violence; for the lack of or absence of primary mental and physical health care; and the negligible access to education or rehabilitation programs, these issues are also found in many carceral systems across the globe.

Perhaps the most prescient distinction is that in the US, slavery is still legal if you are convicted of a crime, as the 13th Amendment makes clear: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

These foundational logics of racialized unfreedom enshrined in plantation slavery, the convict-lease system, Black Codes, Jim Crow, and the re-emergence of a national Southern Strategy, "white replacement theory," have conditioned the structures and logics of state-sanctioned and socially demanded incarceration. This time period we are currently experiencing is what scholar Dylan Rodriguez identifies as White Reconstruction.

For a documentary account of the impact of the ongoing Constitutional legality of slavery, see The 13th by Ava DuVernay.

What about other N.A.T.O countries, like Ireland and Britain? What are the politics of prison abolition?

Abolitionist Futures is a crew you could check out if you want to learn more.

"Abolitionist Futures is a collaboration of community organisers and activists in Britain and Ireland who are working together to build a future without prisons, police and punishment. We share information and resources to strengthen the network of existing and emerging abolitionist groups and allied organisations. Our aim is to support the flourishing of a diverse, vibrant and powerful abolitionist movement in the [sic] Britain and Ireland."

For more on the aims and organizing principles, click here. Check out this detailed and expansive reading list about prison abolition.

This essay by Hejera Begum, "Rethinking Our Justice System: Understanding Abolition in the UK," offers some provocative and insightful thoughts on transformative approaches to move away from relying on police and prison for (the allusion of) public safety. "Money saved can be better spent on youth centres, mental health provisions, building of community spaces, support for young mums, relief for people impacted by violence, affordable health care, safe injection sites."

As explained in their own words, the Abolitionist Futures Collective emphasizes that the struggle to abolish prisons for freedom rather than legal emancipation has a longer history, "While abolition may seem new, our movements have a long and rich history. Abolitionists have been organising in different groups and formations in Britain since the 1970s and organised resistance to prisons and police is as old as those institutions themselves."

For a brief history of abolition in the UK, click here.
The National Company Law Tribunal's (NCLT) decision on May 10 to admit Go First's voluntary plea to initiate an insolvency resolution process has left a bad taste in the mouth for the airline's lenders, lessors and vendors, while its employees are left worried over their future. Go First's employees are fretting over whether they will receive their salaries with back pay if they stick with the airline through its insolvency resolution process, while its lessors are anxious about their lease payments and have even approached the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) to contest the NCLT order. Similarly, vendors, including the airlines travel agent partners, are concerned about the timeline of the airline's resolution and refunds to customers. Go First's employees Employees of Go First have been left in a sea of uncertainty since May 2, when the airline suspended operations and filed for insolvency resolution, saying it could no longer meet its financial obligations. While there is a new wave of hope and positivity among them regarding the survival of the airline after the NCLT decision on May 10, many are still concerned about their salaries, future opportunities and the ability of the airline to stay afloat in the long run. Employees are also worried about their ability to find new jobs and negotiate salaries when other airlines and their employees are also at loggerheads over wages salaries and new contracts. "Salary payments over the last three months have been sporadic and April's salaries have still not been credited. Even though the top management is happy about the NCLT's decision, and is talking about things taking a positive turn, it is hard to be positive with no salaries coming in," a senior employee in the ground-handling section of Go First said. He added that until Go First's top management presents a restart plan and asks employees to return to work full-time, everyone is likely to remain nervous. Similarly, a senior pilot working with the airline said that even if Go First manages to restart operations soon, there will be limited work and flying hours for its pilots, which will in turn mean lower payouts as pilot salaries are linked to flying hours. "If flying hours drop from 80 a month to 60 a month or even lower, many of us pilots will see a 30 percent drop in salaries. It will be like operating during Covid days after two years of limited salaries," the pilot said. Another pilot with the airline expressed concerns about Go First's long-term strategy and relationships with the aviation community and whether the airline still had a long-term plan with fleet additions in place. "Stop-gap solutions are all well and good, but what does this mean for Go First's long-term plans?" the second pilot said. He added that many senior pilots had joined Go First to be a part of the airline's expansion plans with the hope of being a part of the management in a few years, "What happens to those expansion plans, how will the airline grow and in turn help its pilots grow?" he asked. A Go First cabin crew member, whose mother had earlier been a part of Jet Airways at the time of its collapse, said that while Go First's proactive and fast approach to restarting operations is encouraging, a lot is still left to be desired when it comes to the future of employees. "After two years of reduced salaries due to Covid-19, I am not sure many will take a risk on their future," she said. Lessor of Go First The world's second-largest aircraft lessor, SMBC Aviation Capital, has warned that NCLT's decision to block leasing firms from reclaiming Go First planes will jolt the market and spark a confidence crisis. Arguing for SMBC Aviation and a clutch of other lessors, senior advocate Arun Kathpalia stated that the company had terminated its leases with Go First even before NCLT admitted the airline's voluntary insolvency plea. He submitted that there was no tearing hurry for NCLT to admit the plea as Go First had stated in the plea that it had not defaulted in payments to financial creditors while emphasising that the tribunal had not granted lessors an opportunity to put forth their case. The lessor said that Go First has no right over aircraft and that the proceedings were initiated only to confuse issues and defeat its rights as a lessor of the aircraft. SMBC argued that Go First got a resolution professional of their choice appointed and is now trying to take possession of aircraft that they do not own. Kathpalia argued that the interim moratorium was not an option under insolvency law. He submitted that the airline was asking the tribunal to pass orders that would affect entities whose side of the case had not been heard. He urged the tribunal to permit the lessors to file a statement of objections to Go First's plea. He argued that a moratorium would only increase the cost for the airline as it would have to pay charges for aircraft without utilising it. "How will an insolvency resolution professional chase Pratt & Whitney if the Wadia Group can't do it?" he asked. The Wadia Group is the promoter of the airline. Pratt & Whitney is the supplier of engines to Go Firsts Airbus fleet. The airline has filed a suit against P&W for not supplying spares and engines in time, forcing it to ground a large number of its aircraft. The airline is seeking $1.1 billion in damages from the engine maker, whom it blames for its collapse. Vendor partners and Lenders to Go First Vendor partners to Go First including travel agents, hotel partners and transport partners have all raised concerns about the airline's ability to pay them in a timely manner. The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), which has more than 2,500 members, on May 10 said it will consider moving the NCLT against Go First in case the airline does not provide a viable solution to clear its dues estimated to be around Rs 900 crore. "We are waiting for announcements from the airline. In case, there is no viable solution with respect to clearing our dues, we will consider moving the NCLT," TAAI president Jyoti Mayalhad said. Similarly, a hotel partner of the airline said that its payments were pending since March, to the tune of Rs 50 crore, and the hotel chain was waiting in good faith for its payments to be resolved. Moneycontrol had learned that Go First will likely request time from the NCLT and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to raise the necessary funds to issue refunds to its customers. Sources told Moneycontrol that the airline and its promoters may soon raise around Rs 200 crore to finance the refunds as well as to pay all its employees. Go First bankruptcy so far On May 2, the cash-strapped Wadia Group-owned airline announced it had filed an application for voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings before NCLT, Delhi, due to a "severe fund crunch". The loss-making budget carrier was burning around Rs 200 crore every month since November. No longer able to afford it, it had to resort to filing for insolvency before the NCLT, Chief Executive Officer Kaushik Khona had said last week. Khona said that Go First needs at least 20 aircraft to return to service and break even on daily operations. For that, it would need Pratt & Whitney to step up. We have already crossed 20,000 AOG (aircraft on ground) days in the last three years, losing almost $55,000 each day. This means that my compensation alone, or my loss, which I can claim from Pratt & Whitney alone, will be around $1.1 billion, Khona had said. To ensure this happens, we will tap into many more jurisdictions across the world, some of which are in the US, one in Germany, one in Japan and maybe one or two more in Europe and Singapore, he added.
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), a quasi-sovereign wealth fund, on Thursday said its board has appointed Rajiv Dhar as interim managing director and CEO. The appointment is effective May 11, NIIF said in a statement. The planned succession follows Sujoy Bose's request to relieve him from his current responsibilities as MD and CEO, it said. Dhar, executive director and chief operating officer, has been part of NIIF since 2017. The government had set up the Rs 40,000-crore NIIF in December 2016 as an investment vehicle for funding commercially viable greenfield, brownfield and stalled projects. It was envisioned as a mother fund with several sectoral feeder funds. Government capital in NIIF covers three funds -- Master Fund, Fund of Funds, and Strategic Opportunities Fund (together referred to as NIIF) -- all managed by the same investment manager (NIIF Limited). The corpus of NIIF is proposed to be Rs 40,000 crore wherein the government intends to invest 49 per cent. It will raise third-party capital for the remaining Rs 20,000 crore from long-term international investors, such as sovereign wealth funds, insurance and pension funds, and endowments.

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
The Supreme Court, on May 11, reserved its judgment in a batch of petitions seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage. The verdict is expected after the court reopens post the summer break in July. In arguments spread over 10 days, a number of lawyers argued on the batch of petitions seeking legal sanction for same-sex marriage. While 17 lawyers argued in favour of the court reinterpreting the Special Marriage Act, 1954, to define marriage to mean a relationship between 'persons' as opposed to a man and a woman, 22 lawyers representing mainly the government have said that it is the role of the legislature to pass such a law after holding consultations. The Centre has contended that recognition of same-sex marriage should be debated in Parliament, rather than in court. As the hearings in the Supreme Court have concluded, Moneycontrol brings you short profiles of some of the lawyers who argued for either side of the case. For legalisation of same-sex marriage Menaka Guruswamy Menaka Guruswamy represented one of the petitioners in the same-sex marriage case. She was at the forefront of the legal battle in the case pertaining to decriminalisation of homosexuality, holding Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to be unconstitutional, in 2018. She was designated a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of India in 2019. A law graduate from the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, Guruswamy pursued her master's in law at Oxford University and Harvard University. She was the BR Ambedkar Research Scholar and Lecturer at Columbia Law School, New York, from 2017 to 2019. Guruswamy has been a Visiting Faculty at the Yale Law School, New York University School of Law, and the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law. She has appeared in many prominent cases in the Supreme Court. These include the Augusta Westland bribery case, the Salwa Judum case, and the Right to Education case. Arundhati Katju Arundhati Katju, who appeared for the petitioners, is also from NLSIU, Bengaluru. She holds a masters degree in law from Columbia University, New York, where she was a Human Rights Fellow, James Kent Scholar, and a public interest honouree. Katju played a key role in drafting the main petition in the case that led to decriminalising homosexuality and holding Section 377 of the IPC unconstitutional. She has appeared in many key constitutional cases. Mukul Rohatgi Mukul Rohatgi, former attorney general for India, appeared against the government in the same-sex marriage case. One of the most prominent lawyers in the country today, Rohatgi obtained his law degree from Government Law College, Mumbai. While he has appeared in many prominent cases as the attorney general for India from 2014 to 2017. Rohatgi defended the Gujarat government in many cases arising out of the 2002 riots. In 2022, he defended the report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the Gujarat riots case in a plea by Zakia Jaffery against the findings in it. Rohatgi was Aryan Khans lawyer, who got him bail from the Bombay High Court in 2021 in the narcotics case. Abhishek Manu Singhvi Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a top lawyer and politician in the country, appeared for the petitioners in the case. Educated at prominent institutions such as St Columba's School, St Stephen's College, Trinity College, Cambridge and Harvard University, Singhvi has appeared in a variety of important cases. Singhvi has appeared in various important cases such as the case that led to the entry of women into Sabarimala temple, and the corporate battle between Cyrus Mistry and Ratan Tata. He recently won the case for the Delhi government on control over administrative services in the state. Singhvi also argued for the Uddhav faction in the Supreme Court in a batch of cases relating to the Maharashtra political crisis. Other prominent lawyers who argued for the petitioners include KV Vishwanathan, Saurabh Kripal, Jayna Kothari, and Karuna Nundy. Opposing SC hearing the same-sex marriage case Tushar Mehta Tushar Mehta, the Solicitor General of India, appeared for the Union government in the case. Mehta has the distinction of being a law officer of the government for nine years now. He was appointed Additional Solicitor General at the Supreme Court in 2014, and elevated to the post of Solicitor General in 2018. A senior advocate from Gujarat, Mehta began his career as a lawyer in 1987. He was appointed Additional Advocate General of Gujarat in 2008. Mehta has appeared in many high-stakes and sensitive government cases. He is also regularly engaged by various state governments to argue their cases in the Supreme Court. Kapil Sibal Kapil Sibal, a prominent politician and senior advocate, appeared for Jamiat Ulema E Hind in the same-sex marriage case. He argued that a law pertaining to same-sex marriage is in the realm of parliament and requires a larger public discourse. Sibal, a law graduate from the University of Delhi and Harvard University, has practised law in Indian courts for half a century now. One of the senior-most members of the bar, Sibal has held several important posts relating to law and administration, including Additional Solicitor General, and President of the Supreme Court Bar Association. Sibal has been a Union Minister holding multiple portfolios over eight years. Rakesh Dwivedi A prominent lawyer in the Supreme Court, Rakesh Dwivedi represented the Madhya Pradesh government in the same-sex marriage case. He argued that heterosexual people have the right to marry as per their personal law, customs, and religion. He submitted that these customs and traditions which have been practised for a long time, are the foundation of their right. Dwivedi has appeared in many important cases in the Supreme Court. He represented the Tamil Nadu government in the case pertaining to the release of Perarivalan, convicted in the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Other prominent lawyers, such as Arvind Datar, appeared for the opposing side in the Supreme Court. 
Based on a complaint by fintech unicorn BharatPe, the Economic Offences Wing has filed a first information report against the company's embattled co-founder & former managing director Ashneer Grover, his wife Madhuri Grover and two other family members. FIR has been registered against the involved parties on 8 counts of serious cognizable criminal offences. If convicted, Grover and Madhuri and others can face up to anything between 10 years to life imprisonment. EOW now has the power to arrest all the accused. "We welcome the registration of an FIR by the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police in the Companys complaint in relation to the criminal offences by Mr. Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain and other family members. For the last 15 months, the Company has been facing a vicious and malicious campaign run by Grover against the Company, the board and its employees," said a BharatPe spokesperson. "The registration of the FIR is a step in the right direction which unearths various suspicious transactions made by the family for their personal pecunary gains. This FIR will now enable the Law enforcement agencies to investigate deeper into the criminality and bring the culprits to books. We have full faith in our country's judicial and law enforcement systems and are optimistic that this case will reach its logical conclusion. We will continue to extend all possible cooperation to the authorities," he added. The company has also sought up to Rs 88 crore in damages from the Grovers and other family members through a civil suit. BharatPe alleges that the Grover family created fake bills, enlisted fictitious vendors to provide services to the company, and overcharged the company for recruitment. In addition to the accusations around dubious transactions and fake vendors, the company alleged in the lawsuit that Grover contributed nothing to the BharatPe technology or concept. It said that his association with the company began in 2018 when he made a paltry investment of Rs 31,920, for which he received 3,192 shares. Since the beginning of 2022, the four-year-old company has been embroiled in controversy after its founder was accused of using inappropriate language and threatening a Kotak Group employee for failing to secure an allotment and funding for the Nykaa IPO for himself and his wife Madhuri Jain Grover. While Grover took a voluntary leave and later resigned as the company's MD, his wife, former head of controls Madhuri Jain, was fired over allegations of misappropriation of funds. In February last year, the SIAC denied Grover's appeal to block an internal investigation on multiple grounds. In December, BharatPe had filed for arbitration at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre in order to claw back estranged co-founder Ashneer Grover's restricted shareholding (1.4 percent shareholding) in the company and right to use the founder title. The company has also urged that SIAC award Grover's unvested shares to BharatPe co-founder and board member Shashvat Nakrani for a cash consideration of Rs 33 lakh.
The Indian data sets programme will be restricted for direct access only to the country's start-ups and big tech firms like Google will have to invest in Indian artificial intelligence startups to get indirect access, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on May 11. The India data-sets programme will have access only for Indian start-ups. Google or other international companies have to invest in Indian artificial intelligence start-ups to get access in turn, or not get access at all, the minister said at a tech policy conference organised by the Public Affairs Forum of India. The government is working on an India AI programme, an artificial -intelligence platform stacked with one of the largest publicly-assembled datasets in the world. Chandrasekhar said that the government's focus is to support deeptech start-ups in areas like artificial intelligence and semiconductors. We see that a big part of the digital economy pie is going towards deeptech. Much of the success of Indian start-ups has been because of the large Indian market as it provides access to a big consumer base, he said. But the narrative now has to drive towards the creation of intellectual property in India, he added. Asked about the regulation of AI in the country, Chandrasekhar said that it was still early days to regulate the technology. While the forthcoming Digital India Act, which will replace the Information Technology Act, is going to have the guardrails to prevent any user harm from AI products, there is no need to create a specific regulatory mechanism for AI. The minister also said that the government is pulling its final touches on the India AI programme, which will promote innovation and start-ups in the area, and the roadshows for the same will begin in the coming months.
The Prime Minister has allocated a budget of Rs 1,200 crore to invest in Indian semiconductor design start-ups, and 27 domestic start-ups have already made the cut to benefit from the scheme, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said a day ahead of the 3rd SemiconIndia Roadshow. While 23 semiconductor start-ups have already been given the approval for funding under the design-linked incentive scheme of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the names of four more will be announced tomorrow (May 12) at the roadshow in IIT-Delhi. Two earlier roadshows have already happened in Gandhinagar and Bengaluru. As part of the efforts to give a boost to the semiconductor design industry in India, MeitY has launched a series of such roadshows across the country. At a technology policy conference in Delhi on May 11, Chandrasekhar said that former Tesla and Apple microprocessor engineer Jim Keller is launching two semiconductor start-ups in Bengaluru, signalling that Indias efforts to become a key player in the global high-tech supply chain are bearing fruit. The minister also said that the government's focus is to support deeptech startups in areas like artificial intelligence and semiconductors. "We see that a big part of the digital economy pie is going towards deeptech. Much of the success of Indian startups has been because of the large Indian market as it provides access to a big consumer base," he said. "But the narrative now has to drive towards the creation of intellectual property in India" he added. Also read: Foreign firms like Google have to invest in Indian AI start-ups for access to country's data sets: Rajeev Chandrasekhar India has also launched a Rs 76,000 crore production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for semiconductors and display manufacturing units, offering to give 50 per cent of the project cost across all categories of factories as it looks to woo global players such as Intel to set up production base in India to help cut reliance on imports. Asked about the regulation of AI in the country, Chandrasekhar said that it was still early days to regulate the technology. While the forthcoming Digital India Act, which will replace the Information Technology Act, is going to have the guardrails to prevent any user harm from AI products, there is no need to create a specific regulatory mechanism for AI.
SoftBank Group Corp's Vision Fund incurred a record loss of 4.3 trillion Yen ($32 billion) on investments amid falling valuations of technology companies across the globe, dragging the Japanese conglomerate into losses for the second straight fiscal. SoftBank reported an annual loss of 970 billion Yen (about $7.2 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2023. In the previous fiscal year, the Vision Fund unit lost 2.6 trillion Yen on investments, dragging the company into a net loss of 1.7 trillion Yen ($12.6 billion). For the fourth quarter, SoftBank's Vision Fund reported a much smaller loss of 297.5 billion Yen or about $2 billion, benefiting from the global rise of tech stocks as investors leaned towards the technology sector, considering its potential resilience against a probable macroeconomic downturn stemming from the banking crisis. Shares of tech companies thus gained in the Jan-Mar quarter. Across the two vision fund investment units, the fair value of SoftBanks listed portfolio companies at the end of the March quarter rose to $24.9 billion from $23.8 billion as of December 31, 2022. The fair value of the Japanese conglomerates private portfolio companies, which account for a major part of its investments, however, remained under pressure at $60.5 billion as of March 31 against $63.5 billion a quarter ago. This suggests that SoftBank internally marked down the valuations of some of its private portfolio companies. During the January-March quarter, the shares of three of SoftBank's largest listed portfolio companies, South Korean e-commerce company Coupang Inc, Norwegian robotics company Autostore Holdings, and Chinese ride-hailing company DiDi Global, rose by approximately 25 percent, 9 percent, and 20 percent, respectively. The Japanese conglomerates $2.0 billion investment in Coupang was valued at $6.8 billion as of March 31, up from $6.2 billion as of December 31 2022. The fair value of SoftBanks $2.8 billion worth investment in Autostore Holdings rose to $2.8 billion as of March from $2.4 billion as of December. DiDi Globals fair value, meanwhile, rose to $3.7 billion as of March from $3.1 billion as of the previous quarter, on SoftBanks investment value of $12.1 billion. SoftBank, a prolific startup investor in India, saw the fair value of its biggest listed Indian portfolio company Paytm rise to $0.6 billion at the end of March quarter from $0.5 billion as of December. During the January-March quarter, Paytm rose 20 percent. PB Fintech, while a small investment for SoftBank, also saw its shares jump over 40 percent in January-March. Also Read: SoftBank offloads 2% stake worth $120 million in Paytm SoftBanks massive loss on its Vision Fund investment units for the previous fiscal year comes at a time when the Japanese conglomerate has gone extremely slow on investments. In the December quarter, SoftBank invested just $300 million across a handful of deals, the companys senior executives said at the earnings presentation, adding that the Japanese technology investor did not want to rush and waste money. India, which has recently been one of SoftBank's favoured investment destinations, has also experienced a significant slump in activity. SoftBank has not made any investments in India since July of last year, and overall investments in the country decreased by 84 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year, Moneycontrol previously reported. Similar to SoftBank, other aggressive startup investors in India have also significantly slowed down their investments in the past eight months. Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global Management, the two largest startup investors in the country besides SoftBank, have only invested in 11 deals so far this year, compared to almost 60 in the same period last year. Due to the slowdown of some of the biggest and most aggressive investors, startups in India have had to implement several cost-cutting measures, including laying off thousands of employees and closing non-core verticals. The country's startup ecosystem, currently the world's third-largest, has also not witnessed the emergence of a new unicorn in the past eight months. India, which is also the world's third-largest unicorn ecosystem, currently has 108 unicorns.
Vodafone Idea shares rose by 7 percent on May 11 after reports that the company is set to reveal a revival plan within a month, following the Indian government's acquisition of equity in the struggling telecom company. The telecom secretary, K. Rajaraman, mentioned in an interview with Mint that the company is in talks with financial institutions to raise capital for its 5G rollout plans, and the return of Aditya Birla group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla to the company's board is a positive sign. Follow our live blog for all market action "We keep getting monthly reports on their subscriber base and other parameters, but what we want them to do is to come back with resources  equity and debt  and we're awaiting a final communication from them. And now that Mr Birla is back on the board, I'm hopeful they will revert to us soon with their plan," Rajaraman said in the interview. In February, the Centre had decided to convert adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues of the company of Rs 16,133.3 crore into equities and become its largest shareholder. As of September 2022, the company had a debt of Rs 2.2 trillion. The government's aim is to ensure the revival of Vodafone Idea and maintain competition in the telecom sector, the telecom secretary said. The government is preparing for the next spectrum auction in the second half of FY24, which may include unsold spectrum from previous auctions and new bands. Also Read: Motilal Oswal upbeat on Tier-1 IT stocks, here are its top picks We have some unsold spectrum already, for instance, in the 600MHz band. In addition to that, there are some candidate bands that can be introduced. We are in the final stages of discussions, and we may make a reference to TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) within a month or two," Rajaraman said. Vodafone's market cap has declined over 16 percent in the last six months, but has gained over 17 percent in the past month. At 12.31 p.m., the scrip was trading 5.93 percent up on the NSE at Rs 7.15 with the benchmark Nifty trading 0.048 percent higher at 18,323.90 points.
Dildaar, larger than life, a friend of friends! How do I describe a man who has impacted me so positively in life. He taught me to think positively as his entire life was a testament to the power of positive thinking. Rajiv has left an indelible mark on everyone of us, who had the good fortune of knowing him and working with him. He was a fighter who would not has surrendered his pran to Lord Yama without a proper battle. He was resourceful and even mischievously wicked when it came to defending the turf of Indian professional rights of lawyers and firms. We have lost our Champion! Not once did he try to garner sympathy for his horrendous accident in a lift several decades ago, though it altered the trajectory of his Life. His smile and deep baritone voice always resonated. You have one life, live it fully  zindagi dubara mile ya na mile. Very rarely did I see him bogged down mentally for long with his health concerns, despite the fact that he had had several brushes with death before. He had the indomitable spirit of bouncing back always with positive kinetic energy which his illnesses charged him up with. Also read: Luthra and Luthra founder Rajiv Luthra passes away at 67 He was a brother in need for every one of us and was a committed soul when it concerned core values of life which he held dear to his heart. He never permitted disrespect of any elder of any family who had earned their respect in society and was merciless against youngsters if he whiffed an infraction of this value. He was loyal, even though he was a competitor in life. It was hard not to forgive him, as he always atoned for his competitive spirit by a dose of overwhelming and smothering kindness. He enjoyed all the finer things in life and was most proud of his house in Kasauli amongst all his possessions. He had a way with kids and persons junior to him. He always exhorted them to be better and better. He gifted them with the spirit of life and many other temporal valuable gifts to impart happiness to them. He bred loyalty of the sincere persons surrounding him at work. He was never short of compliments for those more meritorious than him, and never hesitated to accept his own shortcomings. He knew his large heart, his sharp mind, his strategic skill and deep understanding of the cards life dealt to him would help him overcome his many handicaps. He leaves behind his grieving wife, Gayatri, who is resilient enough to not let her husbands legacy fade away and two young girls who he had adopted into their family. We shall pray for them to be blessed with all the goodness and grace that God had invested in His this Son. We pray that his jivatma finds mukti and moksh at the Lotus Feet of the Master. Of course his atma is amar and avinashi but our world needs many more Rajivs, the Lotus eyed. (Shardul S Shroff is the Executive Chairman of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and also heads the firms insolvency & bankruptcy practice.)
Dear Reader, The Panorama newsletter is sent to Moneycontrol Pro subscribers on market days. It offers easy access to stories published on Moneycontrol Pro and gives a little extra by setting out a context or an event or trend that investors should keep track of. Typically, creditors are the ones who drag a defaulting company kicking and screaming to the insolvency courts. A legal battle then ensues even to admit the company into the CIRP and if they succeed, then begins the long journey to resolution or if that fails then liquidation. In Go Airlines (GoAir) case, the company offered itself to the insolvency process even as aircraft lessorswho had suffered default-firmly opposed it. While GoAir succeeded in admission, how this case eventually ends will hold significant lessons for the insolvency process and companies in trouble. In fact, in GoAirs case, financial creditors had not suffered a default, except recently, in May 2023 for a small interest payment of Rs 11.03 crore. As of April 28, GoAir's debt amounted to Rs 6521 crore. The amounts it has defaulted on are: Rs 1202 crore to vendors and Rs 2660 crore to aircraft lessors, totalling Rs 3862 crore. It appears that GoAir prioritised financial creditors while putting operational creditors on hold for payments. The primary reason cited by GoAir for its financial troubles is that a third of its aircraft were grounded in 2022 due to defective engines supplied by Pratt & Whitney, and this has risen to a little over half of the 54 aircraft it has as of date. It won an arbitration order in its favour, which directs Pratt & Whitney to supply 10 engines by April 2023 and 10 engines per month till December 2023. But, GoAir claims this has not been followed and its now filing an enforcement application in Delaware, USA. News reports show Pratt & Whitney as saying that GoAir has not been making payments on time. This case is an important one, being a high profile corporate debtor that has approached the court for voluntary insolvency. The lessors were keen on repossessing the aircraft, saying that the airline could not survive as a going concern due to the absence of flying aircraft and grounded aircraft are unproductive assets and will burden the debtor with additional dues. They did make other contentions too, including that they may initiate proceedings under Section 65, that is initiation of insolvency with malicious intent. The NCLT order states that nothing prevents them from doing so even after admission into the insolvency process. The order may be appealed, according to news reports, at the NCLAT and depending on the outcome there may even reach the Supreme Court. For now this order recognises the urgency in this case. A critical issue in this case was NCLTs desire to ensure the protection of assets and employees and to act in the larger public interest. The airline industry is a peculiar one, not just because many of them make losses. The main asset are aircraft costing hundreds of millions of dollars but these can be leased or owned, depending on the airlines business model. Whichever business model they choose, these aircraft have little operational value if they cant be flown. That, in turn, also depends on crucial intangible assets such as flying rights and airport slots. Airlines dont have any permanent entitlement over these slots, as bankrupt airlines have found out to their dismay. If the airline were to lose these aircraft, it would not be able to fly on the routes allocated to it, and if it does not fill its schedule as committed, then it may find them being handed to other airlines who have the capacity. Similarly, if airports find their slots being unutilised, they will hand them over to other airlines. A non-operational airline wont be able to meet its payments to these entities. The government too plays a role in these matters. Its a symbiotic relationship between the airline and these various players but also a commercial one. An airline that is not flying finds itself losing access to these assets. While the NCLT order does not get into these specifics, its clear that without being admitted to insolvency, the lessors would have moved to take back the aircraft, and if they succeeded GoAir would have had an uphill task even if it managed to secure engines later. This order gives it a window of opportunity to enforce the order, get the engines and get its aircraft off the ground. And, while it works on that, to keep its existing aircraft in the air, so that cash flows resume and it can earn revenue and meet expenses, basically stay as a going concern. However, note that its like any other corporate debtor admitted to insolvency. The order says that the suspended board of directors and ex-management shall extend support to the interim resolution professional (IRP). They have already been stripped of their positions. Its a different matter that the IRP has been proposed by GoAir, so its unlikely to be an adversarial relationship. But, now creditors will have to come together and figure out the next course of action and the process will take over. The enforcement of the arbitration award against Pratt & Whitney will be a priority. But, a committee of creditors will now be formed with financial creditors at the helm, with other creditors also on board, who will attempt to stitch together a revival package. How banks will respond to its financing needs remains to be seen, as is the co-operation from vendors that are critical to flight operations. The existing owners may hope that they can work out a solution which could involve some capital restructuring and some funds infusion, and if they are able to secure supply of engines then more aircraft will be in the air and will improve its operational position. Then, the company could exit the insolvency process with the existing ownership protected. But, theres the question of whether the committee of creditors will wait till then or push for a management change. After all, the typical procedure is for the IRP to invite resolution plans. If a pair of stronger hands puts forth a proposal that gives more confidence to creditors, wont they prefer that? There is also a question of whether existing promoters will be allowed to submit a resolution plan or be barred under insolvency law provisions. Ultimately, this case will not only determine the fate of Indias 3rd largest airline but also contribute to strengthening of the insolvency process, which has been shaped by several judgements since the code was enacted. In some ways, GoAir can be said to have sought protection from bankruptcy proceedings that would have become inevitable if the current situation had continued. Then, banks would have dragged it to insolvency and matters would have been altogether taken out of its hands. How this case attains finality will determine if GoAir did the smart thing by opting for voluntary insolvency. Others will then take inspiration from its experience, or not, when faced with a similar situation. Investing insights from our research team Mixed results by Escorts, outlook depends on monsoon Nazara Technologies: Blockbuster end to the year Pidilite: Some caution is warranted Larsen & Toubro: Stock riding on high hopes, backed by strong orders Dr Reddys: Time to book profit? What else are we reading? Chart of the Day: Will CV volumes cross the FY19 peak this fiscal year? Startup Incubators: Are they worth it? Will ONDC eat Swiggy and Zomatos lunch? Expected credit loss provisioning could disrupt the PSU bank exuberance Karnataka exit polls predict close race to form government It is advantage Congress in Karnataka exit polls Lex | Google: AI additions to search should stave off rivals (republished from the FT) Karnataka Elections: Exit polls add to the confusion with huge disparities, contradictory conclusions Karnataka Elections: With most exit polls pointing to a cliffhanger contest, parties face a tense wait to May 13 Karnataka Elections: Advantage Congress after exit polls. Its bipolar fight with BJP is pushing JD(S) to the margins Stricter monitoring & better data analysis by DGCA can avert surprises in airline business Technical Picks: Havells India, IGL, Asian Paints, Axis Bank, USD-INR, and Coriander (These are published every trading day before markets open and can be read on the app). Ravi Ananthanarayanan Moneycontrol Pro
The contemporary 20th century belief in American Exceptionalism is bi-partisan, trans-historical, and contested. The debate is simultaneously about origin stories, the implications for who is imagined as part of the body politic, what role the United States claims in intergalactic affairs, and what means justify the ends.

Legislatures in South Dakota, Florida, Texas, and other states are passing laws mandating the push teaching of American Exceptionalism and Western Civilization as the origin-story narrative of the United States.

In South Dakota, for example, "Hillsdale College, which has sought in recent years to 'revive the American tradition of K-12 education' by fostering a nationwide network of schools, won new prominence when then-President Donald Trump tapped the school to help develop a 'patriotic education' project. Now, in a sign of Hillsdale's growing influence in public education, South Dakota has proposed statewide standards that contain distinct echoes of Hillsdale's material." The South Dakota model proposes state funding for the Center for American Exceptionalism out of Black Hills State University, South Dakota's most prominent teacher preparation institute.

What is American Exceptionalism? Is American Exceptionalism an analytical term or a "prescriptive, moralizing one that refers less to American difference than to American superiority?", as David A. Bell asks. Is it a false gospel or a justification for empire? Is the United States the embodiment of the dark side of Christian American exceptionalism or the manifest design of imperial destiny? Before we get to Professor Buzzkill, here are a couple of comparative quotes from Newt Gingrich and Noam Chomsky.

Newt Gingrich stated in a 1994 campaign speech, "We have to recognize that American exceptionalism is real, that American civilization is the most unique civilization in history, that we bring more people of more ethnic backgrounds together to pursue happiness with greater opportunity than any civilization in the history of the world. And we just don't say that anymore. Let me be candid. Haitians have more to learn from America than Americans have to learn from Haitians. The same is true of Bosnia. As far as I'm concerned, this counterculture notion, this politically correct notion that, "Oh, gee, we shouldn't make any value judgments," that's silly. The Declaration of Independence is a value judgment. It says we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Noam Chomsky, political analysis and critic of US foreign policy for the last seventy years, "It is not that I am not a fan of American exceptionalism. That is like saying I am not a fan of the moon being made out of green cheese  it does not exist. Powerful states have quite typically considered themselves to be exceptionally magnificent, and the United States is no exception to that. The basis for it is not very substantial to put it politely."

In "American Exceptionalism as Part of Myth America," the January 2023 episode of Professor Buzzkill History podcast, Princeton Historian "Dr. David Bell relates the long and strange history of the concept of "American Exceptionalism," analyzing various interpretations of the phrase from the Puritan John Winthrop to President (and non-Puritan) Donald Trump."

In between these polar opposite political perspectives of Winthrop and Trump is Vladimir Lenin, who exhorted that the American Exceptionalism was ideological heresy and bourgeois mystification, and Newt Gingrich, who is perhaps the most influential proponent of the "prescriptive, moralizing" school. Gingrich wrote a book and produced a documentary titled, "A City Upon a Hill."

In the podcast episode, "We wrestle with: the true meaning of the phrase; to what extent it has meant American "difference" and/or American "superiority;" and everything in between. And you'll get the shock reveal of who actually coined "American Exceptionalism." A totally gripping analysis! Episode 496."

As reported by Parker Molly in Dame Magazine, "Simply put, American exceptionalism is the idea that the U.S. is a unique force in the world and a global leader to be emulated. Its origins are often traced back to 19th-century French writer Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in Americathough the term 'American exceptionalism' itself was coined by American communist [spoiler for the podcast] Jay Lovestone during the 1920s as a means to explain the role capitalism played in preventing Soviet-style communism from taking root in the U.S."

The host and creator of Professor Buzzkill "is Dr. Joseph Coohill, a historian of Britain and Ireland. While studying modern history at Oxford, Coohill hosted "The History Show" on Oxford Student radio, which had the memorable tagline, "listen to doctoral students talk about dead people. Coohill is a Historian for the Public. He works tirelessly to explain complicated yet compelling historical analyses to diverse audiences."

One more take on American Exceptionalism, Sunny Hostin, co-host of The View, recently offered her perspective, "The problem I have is this narrative of American exceptionalism that we've been taught as kids. I said the Pledge of Allegiance all through my life in school. And then, when I got into college, I took an African American history course. And I started realizing that the actual pledge doesn't apply to a lot of our citizens. It hasn't met the dream of being exceptional. This country hasn't met this dream of being this beacon on the hill."

Indigenous people were living on the hill.
The AAP on Thursday termed the Supreme Court's verdict on the Centre-Delhi services row a "tight slap" on the mission to topple governments through "unconstitutional ways" while Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the judgment will ensure increased pace of development. The chief minister also expressed his "heartfelt thanks" to the Supreme Court for "doing justice to the people of Delhi". Following the top court verdict, Kejriwal has called a meeting with his cabinet ministers. In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services. Welcoming the verdict, the AAP said in a tweet in Hindi, "The elected government will have the power of transfer-posting of officers. Officers will work only through the elected government." The Lt Governor will have no power over the officers to stop the work of the people of Delhi, the party said. Gopal Rai, the state convener of the AAP's Delhi unit, said at a press conference, "This is a tight slap on the Modi government and its mission to topple elected governments through unconstitutional methods. The Modi government had done the work of usurping the powers of the Delhi government through the Lt Governor and the Ministry of Home Affairs. "The Modi government was pushing democracy into darkness by destabilising governments." They were running a "campaign to paralyse the work being done by the Delhi government", and the verdict is a "ray of hope in darkness", he added. Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said Delhi's people have won the battle that was being fought by Kejriwal for nearly nine years. "Today, this battle has established one thing in the country -- there is one institution that will stand up and restore order whenever there will be a threat. That institution is the apex court. "Today, the Supreme Court has delivered a historic verdict. I feel that in today's time this verdict will be remembered in a long time," he added. Calling Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud a national hero, the minister said the people of Delhi are indebted to him. "When we were small, we would watch Amitabh Bachchan playing a police inspector in a film and dream that we will become a policeman when we grow up. Similarly, if children would see doctor or a lawyer in a film, they would want to become that. For every kid who understands even a little bit about the state of affairs in the country and judiciary, there is one hero -- Chief Justice Chandrachud. Now they will say that they want to become a judge when they grow up. The country has got a hero in him," he said. He also thanked the five-judge constitution bench on behalf of the people of Delhi. "We bow down before them. They have got back their right and it is a tight slap on the Centre," he said. Delhi Minister Atishi said the verdict has "safeguarded the country's constitution and democracy". "The prime minister cannot tolerate that some other party wins. Wherever the BJP loses, unconstitutionally they carry out 'Operation Lotus' and poach MLAs there. When they could not topple the AAP government through these ways, they attempted to take away its powers," she noted. She added that the Supreme Court has given a clear verdict that the government chosen by the people has powers to take decisions for them. "When people have chosen Kejriwal, then he will take a decision on behalf of the people of Delhi. Thanks to the Supreme Court, they have not just given a decision but also safeguarded the country's democracy and Constitution," she said. Explaining what the verdict means, Bharadwaj said all types of officers were reporting to the Centre via the Lt Governor earlier. "If an officer was inefficient, there was no way of shifting him to some other department or controlling them. But now, this verdict has made it clear that executive powers and legislative powers lie with the government. It has been reiterated that the Lt Governor is bound by the aid and advice of the government in areas apart from police, public order and land," he said. Asked whether the government can now refuse to share papers related to the chief minister's residence with the Lt Governor, he said, "I think it should not be looked at in terms of the chief minister's residence or the Lt Governor's residence. It is a matter of principles and we will act as per principles." Atishi added that the Lt Governor can only see papers but he does not have any right to take decisions on them. AAP Rajya Sabha Raghav Chadha called the verdict a "landmark decision" and said it sends a stern message. "Satyamev Jayate. Delhi wins. Hon'ble Supreme Court's landmark judgment sends a stern message that officers working with the government of Delhi are meant to serve (the) people of Delhi through the elected government and not unelected usurpers parachuted by Centre to stall governance, namely LG," Chadha tweeted. Atishi called the verdict "historic" and said earlier in a tweet in Hindi, "After a long battle, the Supreme Court got the Arvind Kejriwal government its right. Now, no one will be able to obstruct the work of the people of Delhi. "This historic decision is a win for the people of Delhi. Now Delhi will progress at double the speed. Congratulations everyone!" Hearing the Centre versus the Delhi government case over the demarcation of power, a constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said an elected government needs to have control over the administration. It refused to agree with Justice Ashok Bhushan's 2019 judgment that the city government has no power over the issue of services. The constitution bench was set up to hear the legal issue concerning the scope of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and the National Capital Territory government over control of services in Delhi.
In a major win for the AAP government, the Supreme Court on Thursday in a unanimous verdict ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services except for public order, police and land. Asserting that an elected government needs to have control over the administration, a five-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, said the Union territory of Delhi has "sui generis (unique) character" and refused to agree with the 2019 judgement of Justice Ashok Bhushan that the Delhi government has no power over the issue of services. "Further expansion of the Union's power will be contrary to the Constitutional scheme...Delhi is similar to other states and has a representative form of government," the top court said in its verdict over the contentious issue of administrative control over services between the Centre and the Delhi government. "The National Capital Territory of Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services sans...public order, police and land," said the bench, which also comprised Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha. The primacy of the Centre in administrative issues would abrogate the federal system and the principle of representative democracy it said, adding if 'services' are excluded from the legislative and executive domain, then ministers would be excluded from controlling civil servants. Democracy and federalism are part of the basic structure of the Constitution, the CJI said while reading out the judgement in a packed courtroom. The order also said if officers stop reporting to ministers then the principle of collective responsibility is affected, and added that in a democratic form of governance, the real power of administration must rest on the elected arm of government. The bench said the Union government's power in matters where both the Centre and States can legislate is limited to ensure that the governance is not taken over by the Central government. The Constitution bench was set up to hear the legal issue concerning the scope of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and the National Capital Territory government over control of services in Delhi after the Union home ministry issued a notification in 2015, stating that it has control over services in Delhi. The notification was challenged by the Arvind Kejriwal government in the Delhi high court. The SC bench had reserved its order on January 18 after hearing the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate A M Singhvi for the Centre and the Delhi government respectively for almost four-and-a-half days. On May 6 last year, the top court referred the issue of control of services in Delhi to a five-judge Constitution bench. The plea moved by the Delhi government arises out of a split verdict of February 14, 2019, in which a two-judge bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan, both now retired, had recommended to the CJI that a three-judge bench be set up to finally decide the issue of control of services in the national capital. Justice Bhushan had ruled that the Delhi government had no power at all over administrative services, while Justice Sikri had made a distinction. He had said the transfer or posting of officers in the top echelons of the bureaucracy (joint director and above) can only be done by the Centre and the lieutenant governor's view will prevail in case of a difference of opinion on matters related to other bureaucrats. In a 2018 judgment, a five-judge Constitution bench had unanimously held that the Delhi LG was bound by the aid and advice of the elected government, and both needed to work harmoniously with each other. (With PTI inputs)
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday expressed "complete satisfaction" over the Supreme Court's verdict in last year's Shiv Sena-centric political crisis in Maharashtra. Fadnavis told reporters, "I express my complete satisfaction over the Supreme Court's decision. Those who were speculating that this government will collapse today have been silenced (by the verdict)." The senior BJP leader added, "I will comment on the decision in detail along with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde." Earlier, the Supreme Court held the Maharashtra governor was not justified in calling upon then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove majority in the Assembly on June 30 last year but refused to order status quo ante, saying he did not face the floor test and resigned. In a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas related to the political crisis that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Thackeray following a revolt by the Eknath Shinde faction, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud held that House speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was "illegal". It, however, said since Thackeray had resigned without facing the floor test, the governor was justified in inviting Shinde to form government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house.

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
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis should resign on moral grounds like he did last year. Addressing a news conference shortly after the Supreme Court delivered its verdict in last year's Shiv Sena-centric political crisis in the state, Thackeray also slammed the then governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for calling upon him for the floor test. "Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should resign on moral grounds like I did," Thackeray said. Thackeray said Speaker Rahul Narwekar has to consider Sunil Prabhu as the whip of his Shiv Sena while deciding on the disqualification of 16 rebel MLAs. The Supreme Court on Thursday held that the Maharashtra governor was not justified in calling upon then chief minister Thackeray to prove majority in the Assembly on June 30 last year but refused to order status quo ante, saying he did not face the floor test and resigned. In a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas related to the political crisis that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Thackeray following a revolt by the Shinde faction, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud held that House speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was "illegal".

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
The Supreme Court Thursday held the Maharashtra governor was not justified in calling upon then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove majority in the Assembly on June 30 last year but refused to order status quo ante, saying he did not face the floor test and resigned. In a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas related to the political crisis that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Thackeray following a revolt by the Eknath Shinde faction, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud held that House speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was "illegal". It, however, said since Thackeray had resigned without facing the floor test, the governor was justified in inviting Shinde to form government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house. "The governor was not justified in calling upon Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the House because he did not have reasons based on objective material before him to reach the conclusion that Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House," said the bench which also comprised Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha. "However, the status quo ante can't be restored because Thackeray did not face the floor test and tendered his resignation. The governor was, therefore, justified in inviting Shinde to form the government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house," it said. The top court also referred the 2016 Nabam Rebia verdict by a five-judge constitution bench, which relates to the power of speaker on disqualification of MLAs, to a larger bench of seven judges. (With PTI inputs)
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday afternoon, officials said. Patnaik, who flew to the national capital on a four-day visit on Wednesday evening, will apprise the prime minister about his Japan visit and discussions with Nippon Steel about its proposed mega steel plant in Kendrapada district, they said. Besides, he is also likely to press for the sanction of more houses for the state under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and expedite implementation of some key railway and highway projects, they added. Patnaik had last met Modi on May 30, 2022, a month before the presidential election. (With PTI inputs)

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
Microsoft announced on May 10 that it will skip salary hikes for full-time employees this year. The tech-giant cited tough economic conditions for the move however it also said that it will continue with its bonuses, stock awards and promotions. Earlier this year in January the tech company witnessed a mass layoff wherein the company let go 10,000 employees. Also Read: Microsoft employee says no salary hike is 'a slap in the face' "We recognize that navigating both a dynamic economic environment and a major platform shift requires us to make critical decisions in how we invest in our people, our business and our future," a spokesperson for the tech giant said, addressing the decision. Microsoft is continually focusing resources on Artificial Intelligence, spending billions of dollars in the form of investment in ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The tech giant has also been infusing generative AI into its Office products and search engine Bing. Also Read: Microsoft invests in Gurugram-based Builder.ai to develop AI-powered solutions for businesses The Insider cited an internal email by CEO Satya Nadella that said Microsoft was helping drive a major platform shift in the new era of Al against the backdrop of rising competition and global macroeconomic uncertainties. "We will maintain our bonus and stock award budget again this year, however, we will not overfund to the extent we did last year, bringing it closer to our historical averages," Insider reported, quoting from Nadella's email.

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
The enraged parents of a six-year-old student at a Texas elementary school say she was forced to perform a sex act on one classmate as another recorded it on a school-issued iPad. The alleged sexual assault at Plainview South Elementary sent shockwaves through the community and led to protestors swarming the school to demand more transparency and better handling of the case last week. The Plainview Independent School District, however, refuted the allegations of assault May 10, saying the sexual contact between the two six-year-old students was mutual. According to The New York Post, the incident occurred on April 19 at Plainview South Elementary but came to light only when word spread on social media. The six-year-old girl told her family that a boy in her class pulled her under the desk and forced her to perform a sexual act. Another student recorded the whole thing on a school-issued iPad while a teacher who was in the classroom did not see or hear anything. Heather Gonzales, an older cousin of the girl, said she tried to resist the assault. She said she was hitting him with the poetry book, Gonzales said. A day after the alleged assault, students watched the video on the iPad until the teacher took it away. A student had locked the iPad and the teacher sent the device to IT to be unlocked, which is when the disturbing video was discovered. According to a KCBD report, law enforcement officials who reviewed the video say a sexual assault did not occur. They called it mutual inappropriate sexual contact between two 6-year-old students where there was no outcry for help or struggle. All 6-year-old children involved in the incident are victims and being treated as such due to the occurrence of behaviors that are not typical of 6-year-old students, the Plainview Independent School District said in a statement.
Popular Hindi sitcom "Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah" found itself in trouble on Thursday after news emerged that Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal, who essayed the role of Mrs Roshan Sodhi in the show, had quit. The actor levelled serious allegations against the maker of the show and also filed a complaint against producer Asit Kumarr Modi, project head Sohail Ramani and executive producer Jatin Bajaj of alleged sexual harassment at the workplace. "Yes, Ive left the show. It is right that I shot my last episode of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah on March 6 this year. I had to leave the sets as I was subjected to humiliation and insult at the hands of Mr Sohil Ramani and the other executive producer Jatin Bajaj," she told The Times of India. The report also that the actor had stopped shooting for the show two months back. She revealed that she was asked to "get off the sets four times" by Ramani and was also threatened by him. "It was March 7, my marriage anniversary and Holi when the incident happened. I was asked to get off the sets four times by Sohail Ramani and the executive producer tried to stop my car by standing behind it and was not allowing me to leave the sets. I told them I worked on the show for 15 years and they couldn't forcefully stop me and while I was leaving Sohil threatened me. I have filed a case of sexual harassment against Asit Kumarr Modi, Sohail Ramani and Jatin Bajaj," Bansiwal said. Baniswal further stated that after the incident she was hoping to get a call from the makers, but instead received a legal notice from the makers on March 24. "On the last day, March 7 it was Holi and my anniversary. I had informed in advance that I want a half day since my daughter really looks forward to that day. She waits for Holi. I even gave them an option that just give me a two hours break, I'll be back. They made adjustments for everyone except for me. I kept requesting them but they did not listen. They adjusted for all the male actors. It is an extremely male-chauvinistic place. That's when I retaliated and Sohail spoke to me rudely asking me to get out almost four times. Then the creative person Jatin tried to stop my car. All this is recorded in the CCTV footage. This happened on March 7, I thought they would call me. But on March 24 Sohil sent me a notice that I left the shoot and they are losing money. This was ulta chor Kotwal ko Dante. They wanted to scare me. On April 4, I replied to them on whatsapp that I was subjected to sexual harassment, I sent a draft and they reverted to me saying I was trying to extort money from them. I decided that day, I want a public apology. I took the help of a lawyer. On April 8th, I sent a notice to Asit Modi, Sohil Ramani and Jatin Bajaj and also mailed and sent a registry to all the government authorities. I have not got any revert on the same but I am sure they must be looking into it and investigating the matter," she said. "Done for cheap publicity" When contacted for a response, Ramani said that this was an attempt to get cheap publicity and he and others would respond in legal terms. "All this is done for cheap publicity. If there was any kind of harassment, she could have reached out to the authorities earlier. Our production house also has a committee for any kind of issues for women, and she could have complained to them too. We will respond to all her allegations legally and are already working towards the same. Its only a tactic to defame us, our show and our production house," he told The Indian Express.
The controversial road safety cameras installed on Kerala roads has not only caused headaches to the state government but also to a man who travelled on a scooter along with his woman friend without wearing a helmet, in the capital city. The details of the traffic rule violation by the man, along with the photographs taken by the high-end cameras, and sent by the Motor Vehicle Department, triggered issues in his family, which finally resulted in a police case and his arrest. An Idukki native, the man had taken a ride on the scooter with his woman friend through the city's roads without wearing a helmet on April 25. As the wife was the owner of the vehicle as per its Registration Certificate, the details of the violation by the man and the fine to be paid were sent as a message to her mobile phone. When the message was received, the wife questioned the husband asking who the woman pillion-rider seen in the photograph was. Though the 32-year-old man, an employee of a textile shop here, claimed that he had no relationship with that woman and that he had just given her a lift on the scooter, the wife didn't believe him. It led to an argument between the couple. She lodged a complaint with Karamana police in Kerala on May 5, alleging that the husband had manhandled her and their three-year-old child. "He was taken into custody based on her statement. An arrest was recorded under IPC 321 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 294 (obscene acts) and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act (assault or neglect of child)," a police officer told PTI. The man was produced before a court, which remanded him in judicial custody later, he added. Kerala has been witnessing an intense political row over the installation of cameras on state roads as part of the road safety project 'Safe Kerala'. The opposition Congress has levelled serious corruption charges against the LDF government over contracts related to the installation of the cameras.
The Buffalo Together Community Response Fund's impact was always meant to be long term.

While the fund made a flurry of smaller donations last year in the aftermath of the mass shooting at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue, nearly 90% of its money remains unspent a year later.

And it likely won't be until late this year that the fund's plan for its long-term investments will take shape.

While a separate fund raised and distributed money last year to those impacted by the May 14 massacre, the Buffalo Together fund was created with a broader mission: lifting up East Buffalo and addressing racial inequities.

The Buffalo Together fund has raised $6.2 million. Last year, the fund distributed about $655,000 in grants to 86 Black-led organizations working on the front lines after the massacre.

But the broader purpose of the fund  and its investment strategy  is to address some of the deep-seated problems and hard-to-solve issues facing the East Buffalo community.

"The majority of the funding was really set apart to look at a longer-term investment strategy, not for a short period of time, but for a sustainable period of time, along with changing some of our systems," said Thomas Beauford Jr., president and CEO of the Buffalo Urban League. Beauford and LaVonne Ansari, CEO and executive director of the Community Health Center of Buffalo, are co-chairs of the fund's steering committee.

The fund is a collaboration of 14 local funding organizations, coordinated by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County. The fund has received support from more than 100 foundations and corporations and 2,000 community members, and continues to accept donations.

Last year, the steering committee used local philanthropic funds  separate from the donations made to the Buffalo Together fund  to hire a consulting firm to help identify priorities and develop a community investment strategy. Rainbow Research, a Black-led nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis, Minn., was hired for the work.

"It's a very talented team, with deep experience across the nation in many of the different challenges that impact East Buffalo," Beauford said. "Along with that experience, they bring knowledge of solutions from other geographies with similar experiences."

Rainbow Research team members have visited Buffalo to meet with a range of community representatives, get familiar with the neighborhoods and understand residents' concerns. The visits have allowed the team members to see the disparity in investment between the east and west sides of Main Street, Beauford said.

The steering committee has been working in concert with Rainbow Research, Beauford said. The committee will study programs that have proved effective in other cities, and visit some of them to see that work in action.

Rainbow Research also conducted a "literary review," examining research collected by state, private and community organizations "about the impacts of segregation and structural racism on the East Side of Buffalo." The consulting firm is expected to deliver a community investment strategy to the steering committee by the end of the year.

In a summary of its literary review, Rainbow Research said the Buffalo Together fund had "mobilized a number of investors to shape a future for the East Side, in which it will no longer be economically or socially vulnerable again.

"The investors cannot invest until a clear, coherent community revitalization and investment strategy has been defined," Rainbow Research said.

Unlike the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund, which was dedicated to the victims of the attack at Tops, the Buffalo Together fund does not have a "spend-down" model with a set time frame, Beauford said.

"We're looking this as a more of an investment, and how we grow that investment," he said.

Beauford said he is confident that East Buffalo will undergo a revival, but has to confront issues such as substandard housing, disparities in health care, access to fresh, healthy food and a lack of business investment, to name a few.

Another issue: promoting "development without displacement," so that residents aren't pushed out as neighborhoods become more prosperous.

"What we do understand is that the conditions that exist on the East Side are a long time in their formation," Beauford said. "Much of what has happened to that community, some of it is by default, but largely some is also by design, and that design is coming from sustained, systemic racism."

And the work required to overcome those conditions is "not just pushing a big weight on a level ground," he said.

"We're kind of rolling this uphill in a sense that, there are forces pushing back," Beauford said. "It's almost kinetic. Beyond systemic racism, there is hate. There's still a sentiment of hate, an ideology of hate, and, unfortunately, May 14th put us squarely in that space that we did not want to be in, and no one else ever wants to be in, as a site where such an atrocity occurred."

Beauford acknowledged the task that the fund's leaders are taking on "is a large challenge."

"We know we can't face it alone," he said. "We want to leverage the work that has been done. There's a lot of great people in the city. This initiative will stand upon their shoulders."

Beauford believes the Buffalo Together fund's leaders can build on the renewed attention East Buffalo is receiving: "We would like to turn those tragic moments into momentum, and that momentum into a movement."
Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday addressed a contentious issue at the companys annual developers conference: Is a hot dog a sandwich? The hot dog-sandwich debate is one thats as old as time itself (figuratively, at least) and even Googles new and improved search engine, supercharged with the power of generative AI, does not have a clear answer. But Google CEO Sundar Pichai neither confirmed nor denied whether a hot dog is a sandwich  he went for a totally different third option. It's more like a taco, Pichai said. The bread goes around it. The Cambridge Dictionary defines a hot dog as a long, tube-shaped, cooked sausage (= meat), usually eaten in a long roll (= loaf of bread). A taco, on the other hand, is described as a hard, folded tortilla (= thin flat bread) filled with meat, cheese, etc. Pretty similar indeed. But the irony of a vegetarian wading into the hot dog-sandwich debate was not lost on Pichai. Is a hot dog a sandwich? I think its more like a taco  the bread goes around it. Comes from the expert viewpoint of a vegetarian, he laughed. Leave it to @sundarpichai to ask the tough questions - is a hot dog a sandwich or a taco? Can't wait to see if Google can settle this debate once and for all! Via @T3Indiamag #HotDogDebate #googleio pic.twitter.com/7kWKl4pF0k  Kurt Morris (@morris_kurt) May 10, 2023 Google is rolling out more artificial intelligence for its core search product, hoping to create some of the same consumer excitement generated by Microsoft Corp's update to rival search engine Bing in recent months. At its annual I/O conference in Mountain View, California, on Wednesday, Google offered a new version of its namesake engine. Called the Search Generative Experience, the revamped Google can craft responses to open-ended queries while retaining its recognizable list of links to the Web. (With inputs from Reuters)
A former Wells Fargo executive has been accused of subjecting a female subordinate to unwanted sexual advances from 2016 up until 2020. Former senior vice president Carl Nelson was accused of sexual harassment in a lawsuit the unidentified woman filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on May 2, according to The New York Post. The lawsuit alleges that Nelson gave unwanted massages to the female subordinate because she looked tense, invited her to his house to exercise and shower with him and threatened to deny her job opportunities if she did not agree to date him. The woman said that Nelson was her superior at Wells Fargo, where she served as vice president and senior portfolio manager after her promotion in 2005. She said the inappropriate comments and unwanted massages began in 2016. According to court filings, the womans two assistants were aware of Nelsons misconduct. They would walk into her office when they noticed Nelson was there in an attempt to block Nelsons touching. One specific incident from 2016 cited in the lawsuit claims the woman brought her fiance to office one afternoon. Nelson began referring to him as a boy toy and asked the woman to have dinner and wine with him instead. Between 2018 and 2020, Nelson also used his position of power to threaten the woman to see him outside of work. He would tell [her] that he would not give her any sales opportunitiesunless [she] went out with him, the woman alleged. For years, Wells Fargo did close to nothing to investigate [the womans] complaints of sexual harassment, according to the court filing. Thus, Nelsons inappropriate behaviour continued. The woman has claimed that she complained about Nelson to her superior, Tim Smith, but to no avail. Smith asked the woman to respond to Nelson by telling him that she works only during business hours. The woman claims she asked to be removed from all accounts associated with Nelson but Smith refused to do that either. In her lawsuit, she says Wells Fargo laid her off in October 2020 under the pretext of the pandemic. Nelson has since left the company to work at UBS. We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously, a Wells Fargo spokesperson told The Post. We just learned of the lawsuit [on Wednesday] and are reviewing it.
Donald Trump is still Donald Trump. His 70 minutes onstage in New Hampshire served as a vivid reminder that the former president has only one speed, and that his second act mirrors his first. He is, as ever, a celebrity performance artist and, even out of office, remains the center of gravity in American politics. CNNs decision to give him an unfiltered prime-time platform was a callback to the 2016 campaign, even as the moderator, Kaitlan Collins, persistently interjected to try to cut him off or correct him. Trump was so focused on discussing and defending himself that he barely touched on President Joe Bidens record  which people close to Trump want him to focus on. But he was disciplined when it came to his chief expected primary rival. Here are five takeaways. Trump wont let go of his lies about 2020 or January 6 If viewers were expecting Trump to have moved on from his falsehood that the 2020 election was stolen from him, he demonstrated once again, right out of the gate, that he very much hasnt. The first questions asked by Collins were about Trumps refusal to accept his loss in 2020, and his false claims of fraud. I think that, when you look at that result and when you look at what happened during that election, unless youre a very stupid person, you see what happens, Trump said, calling the election he lost rigged. Trump later said he was inclined to pardon many of the rioters arrested on Jan. 6, 2021, after the attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob during certification of Bidens Electoral College win. His avoidance of an unequivocal promise pleased people close to him. He also came armed with a list of his own Twitter posts and statements from that day  an idea that was his, a person familiar with the planning said. He lied about his inaction that day as Collins pressed him about what he was doing during the hours of violence. And he said he did not owe Vice President Mike Pence, whose life was threatened by the mob, an apology. As time has worn on, Trump has increasingly wrapped his arms around what took place at the Capitol and incorporated it into his campaign. Wednesday night was no exception. A beautiful day, he said of Jan. 6. It was a reminder that embracing the deadly violence of that day  at least for Republicans  is no longer seen as disqualifying. Privately, Trumps team said they were happy with how he handled the extensive time spent on the postelection period during the town hall. The GOP audience stacked the deck, but revealed where the base is The audiences regular interruptions on behalf of Trump were like a laugh track on a sitcom. It built momentum for him in the room  and onscreen for the television audience  and stifled Collins as she repeatedly tried to interrupt him with facts and correctives. No matter how vulgar, profane or politically incorrect Trump was, the Republican crowd in New Hampshire audibly ate up the shtick of the decades-long showman. He would pardon a large portion of Jan. 6 rioters. Applause. He mocked the detailed accusations of rape from E. Jean Carroll as made up hanky-panky in a dressing room. Laughter. No matter that a New York jury held him liable for sexual abuse and defamation this week, awarding Carroll $5 million in damages. Calling Carroll a wack job. Applause and laughs. Flip-flopping on using the debt ceiling for leverage, because Im not president. More laughs. The cheers revealed the current psyche of the Republican base, which is eager for confrontation: with the press, with Democrats, with anyone standing in the way of Republicans taking power. It made for tough sledding for Collins, who was like an athlete playing an away game on hostile turf: She had to battle the crowd and the candidate simultaneously. Youre a nasty person, Trump said to her at one point, echoing the line he used against Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2016. The town-hall format felt like a set piece for Trump that he leveraged to cast himself as both the putative Republican incumbent  Mister president, he was repeatedly addressed as  and the outsider, recreating conditions from his two previous campaigns. Republicans cheered, but so did Democrats looking to the general election Bidens team had changed the televisions on Air Force One from CNN to MSNBC as he returned from New York on Wednesday evening. But that didnt mean his political team was not eagerly watching the town hall unfold, and cheering along with the Republican audience. Trump defended Jan. 6 as a beautiful day. He hailed the overturning of Roe v. Wade as a great victory. He wouldnt say if he hoped Ukraine would win the war against Russia. He talked again about how the rich and famous get their way. Women let you, he said. And he refused to rule out reimposing one of the most incendiary and divisive policies of his term in office: purposefully separating families at the border. Trumps answers played well in the hall but could all find their way into Democratic messaging in the next 18 months. Late Wednesday, the Biden campaign was already figuring out what segments could be turned quickly into digital ads, seeing Trump staking out positions that would turn off the kind of swing voters that Biden won in 2020. Shortly after the event ended, Biden issued a tweet. Do you want four more years of that? it read. It was a request for donations. It was also a reminder how much of the Biden 2024 campaign is likely to be about Trump. Trump aggressively dodged taking a stance on a federal abortion ban Trump is perhaps the single Republican most responsible for the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year. He appointed three of the courts justices who powered the majority opinion. But he has privately blamed abortion politics for Republican underperformance in the 2022 midterms and has treaded carefully in the early months of his 2024 run. Before the town hall, his team spent considerable time honing his answer to a question they knew he would be asked: Would he support a federal ban, and at how many weeks? His repeated dodges and euphemisms were hard to miss on Wednesday. Getting rid of Roe v. Wade was an incredible thing for pro-life, he began. That was about as specific as he would get. He said he was honored to have done what I did  a line Democrats had quickly flagged as potential fodder for future ads  and that it was a great victory. Trumps Republican rival, Gov. Ron DeSantis, recently signed a six-week abortion ban in Florida, getting to Trumps right on an issue that could resonate with evangelical voters. Trump did not even mention DeSantis until more than an hour into the event, and only after prodding from a voter. I think he ought to relax and take it easy and think about the future, Trump urged. In refusing to say if he would sign a federal ban, Trump tried to cast Democrats as radical and pledged that he supported exemptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. What Ill do is negotiate so people are happy, he said. I just want to give you one more chance, Collins pressed. He dodged one final time. Make a deal thats going to be good, he said. He deepened his legal jeopardy with comments on investigations The most heated exchange that Trump had with Collins was over the special counsel investigation into his possession of hundreds of presidential records, including more than 300 individual classified documents, at his private club, Mar-a-Lago, after he left office. And it was the area in which he walked himself into the biggest problems. I was there and I took what I took and it gets declassified, said Trump, who has maintained, despite contradictions from his own former officials, that he had a standing order automatically declassifying documents that left the Oval Office and went to the presidents residence. I had every right to do it, I didnt make a secret of it. You know, the boxes were stationed outside the White House, people were taking pictures of it, Trump said, intimating that people were somehow aware that presidential material and classified documents were in them (they were not). In what will be of great interest to the special counsel, Jack Smith, Trump would not definitively rule out whether he showed classified material to people, something investigators have queried witnesses about, in particular in connection with a map with sensitive intelligence. Not really, he hedged, adding, I would have the right to. At another point he declared, I have the right to do whatever I want with them. He also defended himself for a call he had with Georgias secretary of state in which he said he was trying to find enough votes to win. I didnt ask him to find anything, Trump said. There are a few issues that worry the Trump team and the former president as much as the investigation of the documents, and Trump wore that on his face and in his words on the stage in New Hampshire. (Author: Shane Goldmacher and Maggie Haberman)/(c.2021 The New York Times Company)
Pakistan's former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a close aide of ousted prime minister Imran Khan, was arrested by police on Thursday, amid worsening political turmoil that has left at least eight people dead and led to the deployment of the army in the country's capital and three provinces. A video shared by Qureshi's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Twitter shows plain-clothed men taking him away, with him waving at party workers before departing from the location where he was detained. The PTI claimed that 66-year-old Qureshi was arrested by the Islamabad police in the early hours of Thursday and transferred to an "undisclosed location". His arrest comes two days after paramilitary forces whisked away PTI chief and former premier Khan on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials who barged into a room of the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday. An anti-corruption court on Wednesday sent the 70-year-old former prime minister on an eight-day physical remand to the anti-corruption watchdog. Khan's dramatic arrest on Tuesday sparked widespread violent protests across Pakistan, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 300 others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies and prompting the authorities to deploy the army in the country's capital Islamabad, as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces on Wednesday to maintain law and order. In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said strict action would be taken against "state's enemies" as he slammed Khan's PTI for violence that gripped the country after his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. "The miscreants will be dealt with iron hands. They will be punished according to the law," the prime minister said and urged PTI protesters to immediately stop "anti-state activities". "They attacked sensitive property as if they were enemies. I have never seen such heartbreaking scenes...We will not allow anyone to conspire. We will not let their nefarious agenda succeed," he said. His address came after chairing a Cabinet meeting that decided to deploy the army in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and capital Islamabad. Reports showed that Lahore and Peshawar faced the worst situation with incidents of arson and firings. Sharif addressed the nation hours after the Pakistan Army warned former Khan's supporters of "severe retaliation" in the wake of attacks on its installations and asserted that it will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands while describing May 9 as a "black chapter" in the country's history. Enraged over the arrest of their leader in a corruption case on Tuesday, Khan's supporters on Wednesday stormed the General Headquarters of the Army. They set the residence of the Lahore Corps Commander on fire while attacking military vehicles and installations. "We will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Army's media wing said in a terse statement on Wednesday. The ISPR said that on the one hand, these miscreants evoke the nation emotions for achieving their "limited and selfish objectives" and on the other hand, they deceive people, continuing to highlight the army's importance. "This is an example of hypocrisy," it stated. The military's media wing said that "this group wearing a political cloak" has done what enemies could not do in 75 years, all "in the lust for power" May 9 will be remembered as a "black chapter" in history due to the protestors "targeting army property and installations" after the arrest of Khan, it said. The PTI has already announced to carry on the protests until Khan is set free. Another top PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry was apprehended by the police on Wednesday while emerging from the Supreme Court building, where he had sought refuge for over 12 hours in an attempt to evade his impending arrest. Chaudhry arrived at the court early on Wednesday morning, knowing that law enforcement authorities were waiting to detain him. Despite remaining inside the apex court throughout the day, he was eventually taken into custody late in the evening, the Express Tribune newspaper reported. According to a report in the Dawn newspaper, the PTI has issued a rebuttal to the ISPR statement, terming it "contrary to facts' and "based on a poor understanding of ground realities". "The statement is a sad collection of hatred and revenge-based narratives against the most reliable, popular and largest political party of Pakistan," it said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for peace in Pakistan. According to Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Guterres has appealed to all parties to respect the right to peaceful assembly and has stressed the need for law enforcers to honour the law while enforcing it against Khan. "The Secretary-General urges the authorities to respect due process and the rule of law in proceedings brought against former Prime Minister Khan," the spokesman was quoted as saying by the Geo News. On Wednesday, Khan was produced in the Anti-Accountability Court No. 1 presided by Judge Muhammad Bashir, the same judge who had convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam in a corruption case of having properties in London. In its verdict, the court handed over Khan for an eight-day remand to the NAB. During the hearing, the NAB lawyers requested the court to grant a 14-day remand of Khan to probe the allegations against him in the Al-Qadir Trust case in which he is accused of looting Rs 50 billion of the national treasury. But Khan's lawyer opposed the plea and asked the judge to release him as the charges were fabricated. In his statement, Khan told the accountability court that he was fearful for his life. "I have not been to the washroom in 24 hours," he said. "I am afraid I will meet the same fate as 'Maqsood Chaprasi'," Khan said, referring to a witness in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's money laundering case who died due to a cardiac arrest last year. Khan's party had termed the witness' death 'mysterious'. Separately, the District and Sessions Court indicted Khan in the Toshakhana case. Judge Humayun Dilawar conducted the hearing in the makeshift court set up in the New Police Guest House along with the ATC No. 1. Khan was present in the court and pleaded not guilty when the charges were read. He also refused to sign the court documents, according to Geo News channel. The case was filed last year by the Election Commission of Pakistan and Khan had skipped several hearings in the past months. The charges are about the allegation that Khan concealed the proceeds of sale from the state gifts. Khan was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan. He is the only Pakistani prime minister to be ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament. PTI MRJ AKJ MRJ
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen highlighted the fight against climate change and other goals shared by the United States and Brazil, in a meeting with Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad in Japan on Thursday. Japan, chairing the Group of Seven advanced economies this year, invited Brazil to take part in this week's meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bankers, along with India, Indonesia and the African Union. Brazil will lead the Group of 20 major economies next year. Yellen welcomed Brazil's participation, saying the U.S. and Brazil, the largest democracies in the Americas, stood united in upholding their democratic values at home and abroad. "We must all partner together to address the global challenges we face today, and Brazil's role in those global efforts will be critical in its G20 presidency next year," she told Haddad, in remarks prepared for delivery at the start of their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 gathering in the Japanese city of Niigata. The two countries also shared goals on climate change, building high-quality infrastructure, mobilising private capital for development and combating poverty, she said. "At a time of heightened uncertainty and risks, we must work together to show developing countries that the G20 can provide practical, actionable solutions," Yellen said. The meeting comes weeks after the Biden administration said it would contribute $500 million to Brazil's Amazon Fund, although there have been tensions between the two countries over Western arms shipments to Ukraine. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva angered some in the West by saying Washington was encouraging the fighting between Ukraine and Russia. He later toned down his comments and condemned Russia for violating Ukraine's territorial integrity. Yellen did not address Brazil's stance on Russia's invasion in her prepared remarks. She has spoken about a big push by the United States and its allies to go after any sanctions evasion by Russia, and highlighted efforts to build more resilient supply chains together with lower- and middle-income countries. "As both friends and important trading partners, we seek to deepen our economic relationship," she said, lauding what she called "Brazil's significant progress in modernising its financial system." Treasury was also working with Brazilian authorities to help them expand public-private partnerships and long-term finance through capital markets, she said.
Pakistan's Punjab police have booked former prime minister Imran Khan and 1,500 of his party workers for attacking and setting on fire a top army officer's house in Lahore. Enraged over the arrest of their leader in a corruption case on Tuesday, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief's supporters on Wednesday stormed the General Headquarters of the Army. They set residence of the Lahore Corps Commander on fire while attacking military vehicles and installations. The PTI chairman, his deputy Shah Mahmood Qureshi and others have been named under murder, terrorism and 20 other heinous offences for attacking the Corps Commander House known as 'Jinnah House' in Lahore Cantonment on Tuesday. Khan and others have also been charged with looting valuables worth over 150 million rupees from the Jinnah House. According to the FIR filed on Wednesday, two people were killed in the attack. It said over 1,500 PTI workers and leaders attacked the army officer's house at the behest of Khan and other senior leaders of the party. Following the arrest of Khan in a corruption case by the Pakistan Rangers in Islamabad on Tuesday, his supporters attacked senior officers' residences and the Pakistan Army's installations in different parts of the country. An anti-corruption court on Wednesday sent 70-year-old Khan on an eight-day physical remand to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). His dramatic arrest on Tuesday sparked widespread violent protests across Pakistan, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 300 others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies. The PTI supporters have held the army responsible for Khan's arrest. Separately, the Punjab police registered dozens of FIRs against the PTI leadership and workers for injuring police officials, damaging and looting public property and raising "highly objectionable" slogans against the Pakistan Army. On Wednesday, protestors set ablaze Askari Tower in the Gulberg area. The plaza is reportedly owned by the son of former army chief Gen (retd.) Qamar Javed Bajwa. Police named 1,200 PTI workers for killing a man while setting on fire and ransacking the tower. They also booked Khan in this case, saying he was behind the attack. The protesters also set ablaze Shadman police station in Lahore. Their attempt to enter the Governor House and the Chief Minister Secretariat in Lahore was foiled by the police and Rangers. Meanwhile, the police have claimed that they have arrested Khan's 76 supporters who attacked the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. An FIR has also been registered against 300 miscreants including PTI's main regional leader Bashart Raja. According to the Punjab police, over 1,400 people have been arrested across the province in the wake of widespread violence.
Press Release

May 11, 2023 SENATOR MARK VILLAR SHOWS SUPPORT TO LUPUS WARRIORS DURING WORLD LUPUS DAY Inspired by his personal journey and the strength of his wife, Former Undersecretary Emmeline Villar, who battles Lupus with courage and resilience, Senator Mark Villar showed his support to Lupus Warriors during World Lupus Day. "My message to all those who have loved ones who have Lupus is, research about the disease don't be scared about it. It's nothing that should take away from the quality of life so what's important is we understand the disease, that's how we can live a very happy and fruitful life even with Lupus," Senator Mark Villar said. With a deep understanding of the challenges faced by Lupus patients and their families, Senator Villar aims to promote awareness, disseminate vital information, and support research and development efforts in the treatment of Lupus. In fact, Senator Villar filed Senate Bill No. 1858 also known as An Act Instituting a National Health Program to Combat Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Disease last February 2023. "The right to health is a fundamental right of every Filipino. I filed this bill to promote awareness and information for the public regarding SLE and to strengthen research and development to support and manage treatment for this disease. I also dedicate this bill to my beloved wife Em and to all the brave lupus warriors in the Philippines, who inspire us with their strength and resilience," Senator Mark Villar said. The legislation aims to empower individuals to recognize early warning signs and seek timely medical assistance. Additionally, the bill places emphasis on strengthening research and development efforts, encouraging advancements in treatment modalities, and ultimately improving the quality of life for Lupus patients. "You are more than your illness, I look at it in a positive sense that it's not a death sentence but it's something that I have to work on, just like how we work on our jobs and projects. So I hope that these things help you in terms of getting better and living better" Former Undersecretary Emmeline Villar said when asked about her message for Lupus Warriors.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously overturned the Buffalo Billion corruption convictions, ruling in two separate cases that government prosecutors took too aggressive a stance in bending federal laws to try to put supposed fraudsters behind bars.

Buffalo developer Louis P. Ciminell and Alain Kaloyeros, former head of the SUNY Polytechnic Institute, saw their convictions overturned. In that case, the justices ended the use of the controversial "right to control" legal theory under which a jury found those men guilty in 2018 of illegally steering a $750 million state contract to Ciminelli's company.

"The right-to-control theory cannot be squared with the text of the federal fraud statutes," which are limited to only protecting property rights, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the court.

Meanwhile, Joseph Percoco, a former top aide to then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo who was convicted of taking bribes when no longer working for the state, saw his conviction overturned for the very reason that he wasn't working for the state when he took $315,000 in fees to help steer state business to two companies. Federal prosecutors contended he could be convicted because he maintained a "special relationship" with the Cuomo administration.

"We conclude that this is not the proper test for determining whether a private person may be convicted of honest-services fraud, and we therefore reverse and remand for further proceedings," Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote for the court.

The twin rulings were expected after the justices held 2 hours of oral arguments in the cases last November in which justices from every point on the court's ideological spectrum cast doubt on the Buffalo Billion convictions.

Even the government abandoned the legal theory that led to the conviction of Ciminelli, Kaloyeros and two Syracuse developers. The right to control theory, devised by federal prosecutors decades ago, held that people could be convicted of federal fraud charges even if there was no proof that they benefited financially from their supposed wrongdoing. Instead, under that theory, anyone who deprived a government of its "right to control" a project it is developing is guilty of fraud.

In the Buffalo Billion case, federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Ciminelli and Kaloyeros with fraud because in designing the bidding process for the construction of the giant RiverBend project that now houses a Tesla plant, they made sure to favor Ciminelli's company.

But those convictions seemed likely to be overturned after Eric J. Feigin, deputy solicitor general at the Department of Justice, announced at that November high court argument that the government no longer supports using the right to control theory in fraud prosecutions.

Percoco's conviction long seemed jeopardized, too, after the November oral argument where several justices expressed concerns about private citizens being charged with bribery, saying that could lead to the arrest of people engaged in nothing more nefarious than lobbying.

Ciminelli had been sentenced to 28 months in prison, while Percoco had been sentenced to three and a half years. Percoco, in his separate case, was sentenced to six years behind bars.

All three men, along with Syracuse developers Steven Aiello and Joe Gerardi, were released from prison last year when the Supreme Court agreed to hear their appeals.

And all those men will now remain free because the justices reversed their convictions, remanding their cases to the lower courts for potential further action.

"Its been seven years," said Ciminellis son, Frank, who owns Arc Building Partners. "Its a relief to get that story behind us. Good news."

He hadn't talked to his father on Thursday, but he was feeling positive earlier in the week, Frank Ciminelli said.

As for Ciminellis future plans, his son said, "hes found a new career."

"Hes keeping himself busy," Frank Ciminelli said. "Hes got a passion for wine, so thats where hes turned his attention."

Together, the two high court decisions on Thursday marked a continuation of a recent trend that has united the court's conservative and liberal justices: one that finds federal prosecutors overstepping their bounds in pursuing public corruption cases.

In 2020, for example, the high court unanimously overturned the conviction of two former aides to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who were convicted of wire fraud in the scandal stemming from the 2013 closure of access lanes on the George Washington Bridge. And in 2016, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned the conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who had accepted gifts from a businessman that, in the justices' view, did not amount to bribes.

"Building on its decisions in McDonnell and Kelly, the Supreme Court has issued a unanimous opinion holding that the government cannot use vague fraud statutes to advance novel and sweeping theories in prosecutions of political actors," said Percoco's attorney, Yaakov Roth. "As in McDonnell and Kelly, this prosecution of Joe Percoco was an abuse of the federal fraud statutes; it blurred the fundamental line between private citizens and public officials."

Cuomo's spokesman, Richard Azzopardi, tweeted that the unanimous ruling in the Percoco case "lays bare what this all was: Preet Bharara and Joon Kims abuse of the system and prosecutorial overreach in order to advance a political vendetta." Bharara was the Manhattan U.S. attorney at the time charges were brought in the cases. Kim was a top deputy.

News staff reporter Jonathan Epstein contributed to this report.
Medaille agreed to the arrangement in hopes of preserving its 148-year legacy and unique programs rather than shut down completely in the face of financial woes and declining enrollment that were further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The move to combine two small Buffalo colleges  9 miles apart and each serving about 1,600 students  under the Trocaire name would have allowed Medaille to continue serving its students, employing its faculty and staff and preserving programs that complement many of Trocaires offerings, Medaille Interim President Lori Quigley had said.

The integration would have had to be approved by the state Education Department, the Attorney Generals Office and their accrediting body, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, to take effect.

Deeb declined to elaborate on why the plan fell apart, but said, "We knew from the outset that this would be an extremely challenging endeavor given the complexities of the acquisition.

These are extremely challenging times for the higher education sector given shrinking demographics, especially in Western New York, fewer eligible students opting to go to college, and the lingering effects of Covid among others," Deeb said. "While this is an extremely disappointing announcement, it was a goal worth pursuing.

News Staff Reporter Stephen T. Watson contributed to this report.
May 11, 2023 Ukraine SitRep: Delayed Counteroffensive, Russian Defense Lines, Weapon Efficiency Two weeks ago the Biden administration had recognized that the announced Ukrainian 'counteroffensive' will fail to make much progress. The operation has still not started and Zelensky has moved its launch further into the future: Speaking at his headquarters in Kyiv, President Zelensky described combat brigades, some of which were trained by Nato countries, as being "ready" but said the army still needed "some things", including armoured vehicles that were "arriving in batches". "With [what we already have] we can go forward, and, I think, be successful," he said in an interview for public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, like the BBC. "But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time." Time will not prevent that any counteroffensive will lead to high casualty rates. In fact, waiting longer means more attacks on the troops in their current positions. Any detected agglomeration of forces or material is already coming under long range Russian missile fire. As the counteroffensive is destined to fail the Biden administration is out to move the goal posts. In Foreign Affairs two of its MIC propagandists, Michael Kofman and Rob Lee, demand to prepare for a much longer war: Policymakers, however, have placed undue emphasis on the upcoming offensive without providing sufficient consideration of what will come afterward and whether Ukraine is well positioned for the next phase. It is critical that Ukraines Western partners develop a long-term theory of victory for Ukraine, since even in the best-case scenario, this upcoming offensive is unlikely to end the conflict. Indeed, what follows this operation could be another period of indeterminate fighting and attrition, but with reduced ammunition deliveries to Ukraine. This is already a long war, and it is likely to become protracted. History is an imperfect guide, but it suggests wars that endure for more than a year are likely to go on for at least several more and are exceedingly difficult to end. A Western theory of success must therefore prevent a situation in which the war drags on, but where Western countries are unable to provide Ukraine with a decisive advantage. The delusion is strong in that assessment. A 'theory of victory' or 'success' is just that - a theory. Ukraine does not have the personnel to sustain a longer war. Nor does the 'west' have any spare weapons that could give the Ukraine a 'decisive advantage'. Still the cue was picked up Ukraine's foreign minister Dmitro Kuleba (machine translation): If Ukraine does not succeed in its counteroffensive against the aggressor country Russia, it will prepare for the next one. This was stated by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in an interview with Bild published on May 10. He urged "not to consider this counteroffensive as the last one" - "because we do not know what will come of it." Kuleba noted that if Ukraine succeeds in its counteroffensive against Russia in liberating its territories, "in the end you will say: "Yes, it was the last one," but if not, then you need to prepare for the next counteroffensive." Kuleba is already asking for weapons for the next 'counteroffensive' to be launched after the currently announced one fails. Dreizin published an alleged 'battle plan' for a Ukrainian 'counteroffensive' in the Zaporozhia front: (1) Break through the Russian forward defense along the line Nesterianka-Novosyolovka (6km and 19km southeast of Orekhov, respectively) into the defense depth of Guards battalions in the Polozhsk-Orekhov sector, utilizing, in the first echelon, the 47th and 65th Separate Mechanized Brigades, 9th Army Corps (total of 2 tank and 7 infantry battalions8300 men with up to 60 tanks, up to 200 other armored fighting vehicles, up to 110 field pieces and mortars, 12 MLRS, up to 100 motor rafts.) Breakthrough of the contact line will be in the order of the 65th which is already on the line, then the 47th. Neighboring units including the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade will carry the task of harrying neighboring Russian units so as to prevent reinforcement of Russian forces at the main axis of advance. (2) Subsequently, deploy the main forces. The main blow is to be from the vicinity of Orekhov, in the direction of Tokmak, ultimately towards Melitopol. ... From the point of strategic value the chosen target is the right one. However, it is also the one where the Russian military has prepared its strongest defense lines.

Source: @Inkvisiit, Scribblemaps - bigger In military books this is know as 'echeloned defense' with three lines of well prepared positions ten kilometer apart from each other. Each line consists of tank obstacles, mine belts, prepared anti-tank positions to monitor and counter potential breach attempts and well prepared artillery support from behind the next defense line.

bigger To crack such a nut without air support and without significant artillery advantage is nearly impossible. It is why I think that the Zaporozhia region may not be the real target of the counteroffensive. All the talk about it may well be a diversion. The least prepared front is in the area south of Kherson.

Source: @Inkvisiit, Scribblemaps - bigger But to get there would require a difficult river crossing of the Dnieper which will also limit supply lines. This would be a high risk attempt which might gain some ground. But whatever would be won would soon be lost again as any river crossing would come under sustained artillery fire. There may well be other obstacles for launching the announced 'counteroffensive'. It is rumored that the commander of the Ukrainian army, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, was wounded or killed during a recent Russian missile strike in Dnipro. He has not been seen since and he did not take part in a recent NATO meeting where his expected presence had been announced. Apropos NATO: NEXTA @nexta_tv - 7:29 UTC  May 11, 2023 U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command spokesman Martin O'Donnell said that #Ukraine received about 600 types of weapons for the counteroffensive - more than any one army in the world has. What army can handle 600 different weapons systems with all the implied training, maintenance, spare part and ammunition supply issues? None can do that. But O'Donnell is proud of providing a zoo of weapons which are incompatible to each other. The shells for the British L118 light gun, the French AMX 10 reconnaissance tanks, the German Leopard 1 tanks and the U.S./Lithuanian M101 Light Howitzer all have a nominal diameter of 105 mm. But they are all incompatible to each other. Just imagine the logistic screw ups that will inevitably happen when the Ukrainian front line troops will request additional 105mm ammunition supplies. The UK has delivered the export version of the Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine. These have a reach of some 250 kilometer and can be fired from the 'westernized' Su-24 airplanes that Poland sent to the Ukraine. They seem to be part of a new NATO talking point to excuse the inability to deliver more weapon: The war in Ukraine will increasingly be a battle between large numbers of poorly trained Russian troops with outdated equipment and a smaller Ukrainian force with better Western weapons and training, NATO's top military official said on Wednesday. Admiral Rob Bauer, the chair of NATO's military committee, noted Russia was now deploying significant numbers of T-54 tanks - an old model designed in the years after World War Two. "But the problem is they still have a lot of T-54s. So ... in terms of numbers, quantity, it is an issue," Bauer told reporters after a meeting of the alliance's national military chiefs at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The T-54 are used by Russia as immobile anti-tank guns dug into the defense lines, not as mobile main battle tanks. Russia still has plenty of newer T-72 and T-90 models for that and no need to replace those. The Storm Shadow may deliver some success - up to the day the Russian military has finds a way to prevent that. Like all previously announced wonder weapons it will also disappoint. Just look at the much hyped HIMARS missiles. According to leaked Pentagon documents the Ukrainian military fires on average some 13 HIMARS missiles per day. Over the last two month the Russian clobber report listed an average of 6 HIMARS missiles per day as eliminated by Russian air defenses. The rest of the missiles get diverted by electronic warfare measures: [I]n recent months, the systems have been rendered increasingly less effective by the Russians intensive blocking, five US, British and Ukrainian sources tell CNN, forcing US and Ukrainian officials to find ways to tweak the HIMARS software to counter the evolving Russian jamming efforts. It is a constant cat-and-mouse game of finding a countermeasure to the jamming, a Pentagon official said, only to then have the Russians counteract that countermeasure. And it is not clear how sustainable that game is in the long term. The HIMARS system has thereby turned out to more or less useless. The idea that such 'quality' weapons can beat the greater Russian 'quantity' of equally good weapons is, like so many, simply nonsense. Posted by b on May 11, 2023 at 16:55 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
David Wall/Getty Images

The Beaumont Police Department received an overwhelming amount of tips in response to a report seeking information on any known family members for a Texas woman named Rebecca Sue Meyers, a case dating back to 2016.

"In one day, this has exploded and the response has been overwhelming," the Beaumont Police stated in a Facebook post. "With yalls help, our detectives are now following up and making phone calls up near the Dallas area and even Oklahoma to find a next of kin."
New York lawmakers amended the 2022 Concealed Carry Improvement Act while passing the state budget to try and address ongoing legal challenges from gun rights advocates in federal courts.

Pastors are now permitted to carry firearms at their church, Jonathan D. Hitsous, assistant solicitor general for the state, wrote to the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.

Two WNY pastors sue to allow concealed carry of guns in their churches The Rev. Jimmie Hardaway Jr. of Trinity Baptist Church in Niagara Falls and Bishop Larry A. Boyd of Open Praise Full Gospel Baptist Church in Buffalo said in court papers that the states prohibition against carrying a concealed gun in church violated their Second Amendment right to bear arms.

State lawmakers also amended the concealed carry law to permit persons responsible for security to carry guns at places of worship, and to narrow prohibitions on firearms to public areas of Catskill and Adirondack Parks, and not privately held land within the parks.

The wording changes were included in legislation approved May 3 as part of state budget negotiations. The changes also address a few lawsuits, including one brought by two Western New York pastors, the Rev. Jimmie Hardaway Jr. of Trinity Baptist Church in Niagara Falls and Bishop Larry A. Boyd of Open Praise Full Gospel Baptist Church in Buffalo.

Lawyers for the state wrote last week to the U.S. Court of Appeals to say that the changes to the law make moot at least some of those legal challenges.

Preliminary injunction granted against states ban on carrying firearms outside home A judge has granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the private property exclusion in the states gun control law that includes an attempt to ban carrying firearms on private property unless the owners consent, as well as in places like parks and public transit.

An attorney for the pastors said he and other lawyers were reviewing the amendments.

We are considering the effects of this new law and anticipate sharing our views with the court in the coming days, said attorney David H. Thompson of Cooper & Kirk, a Washington, D.C., firm.

Among the key elements of the Concealed Carry Improvement Act is a ban on carrying a gun in sensitive locations, including schools, bars, medical facilities, stadiums, government buildings and houses of worship.

The pastors were among several plaintiffs across the state who filed separate federal lawsuits in 2022 opposing provisions of the new concealed weapons law.

Those cases have become another pivotal legal battleground in the national debate over the Second Amendment and gun control.

The fight over gun control in New York has intensified since a white supremacist killed 10 people in Buffalo in a shooting spree inside a Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue on May 14, 2022. The massacre was followed 10 days later by an elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that resulted in 19 children and two adults being killed.

Mass shootings have happened at a rate of more than once a week in 2023, with the latest on Saturday at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas, where eight people were killed by a gunman who had made posts on social media espousing white supremacist and neo-Nazi views.

Meanwhile, gun rights groups are pushing hard to build on a major win from the summer when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down parts of New Yorks longstanding Sullivan Law on carrying concealed weapons. The justices ruled that the old law was too vague and violated the Second Amendment.

New York lawmakers responded quickly with the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, which attempted to address the courts concerns and took effect Sept. 1.

Gun control groups and states with similar license processes for carrying handguns have rallied around New Yorks new law. More than 30 amicus briefs on both sides of the issue have been filed, with the lawsuits pending before the Second Circuit.

In October, Hardaway and Boyd sued in federal court to block enforcement of the house of worship ban, citing the need to defend themselves and their congregations against the possibility of attacks like the 2015 racist mass shooting at a Charleston, S.C., church that killed nine people.

They argued that the states prohibition against carrying a concealed gun in church violated their Second Amendment right to bear arms. They also asked a federal judge for a temporary restraining order that would allow them to continue carrying concealed weapons in their churches, while the judge considers whether the states ban infringes on the Second Amendment. Two pro-gun groups, the Firearms Policy Coalition and the Second Amendment Foundation, are named as plaintiffs along with the pastors.

Judge orders temporary block on enforcement of place of worship gun ban U.S District Court Judge John L. Sinatra Jr.'s temporary restraining order stops the new concealed carry restrictions that took effect Sept. 1 inside churches and other places of worship.

U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra granted the temporary restraining order. His order was suspended in December on an appeal to the Second Circuit. The Supreme Court in January affirmed the Second Circuits decision to vacate a stay in a parallel case out of Syracuse with related issues. The justices, however, did not express any opinion on the merits of that case.

While the amendments approved by state legislators and signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul allow pastors to carry firearms at their church, that right does not extend to worshippers, according to Hitsous, the assistant solicitor general for the state.

Plaintiffs do not purport to raise Second Amendment claims on behalf of their congregants, and there is no authority for third-party standing in such circumstances. Thus, plaintiffs action challenging the place-of-worship provision is now moot, Hitsous said.

Western New York gun owner Brett Christian of Cheektowaga also filed a lawsuit in 2022 within days of the new concealed carry law taking effect, challenging a provision that required the consent of property owners for carrying a gun on all private property. Businesses that are silent on whether they allow guns are presumed to ban them under the new law.

Christians lawyers  the same as those representing the pastors  argued in court papers that the new rules drastically changed his day-to-day life and violated his Second Amendment right to bear arms for self-defense.

Christian carried his firearm nearly every day prior to the new law, including to the local gas station and a local hardware store, but rarely since, because of the imminent threat of being charged with a crime for it, according to court papers filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.

The amendments to the concealed carry law did not have any impact on the legal issues in the Christian case, Assistant Solicitor General Sara Coco said in court papers.
The Odessa Police Department has arrested a man in connection with Thursday morning's threat to a West Odessa Walmart.

OPD reported that at about 8:38 a.m. OPD responded to the Walmart on 2450 NW Loop 338 in reference to a person with a gun. OPD reported that an unknown male called dispatch and "advised he was at Walmart with a gun."

According to a press release, the Ector County Sheriff's Office Dispatch received a 911 call from a person requesting help at the Walmart stating they were in "some form of a crisis situation at that location." ECSO dispatch was able to determine that the call was made in the city.

OPD, ECSO and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers responded to the scene and the store was evacuated.

Officers were able to locate the caller inside the store and he was detained without incident, according to the press release. The caller -- identified as Raji Abdulazeez, 31-- was found that be in possession of a non-functioning BB gun. "The BB gun was never displayed and there were no overt threats made to the business or any person," according to OPD.

Abdulazeez had been previously issued a criminal trespass warning by Walmart for unrelated matters, according to OPD. Abdulazeez was arrested and charged with criminal trespass, a Class B misdemeanor.

OPD requested assistance from local mental health officials with this matter.
An Odessan was arrested Tuesday in connection with a murder in west Midland County, according to court documents.

Larry Ashton Johnson, 31, was being held Wednesday in Midland County jail for murder, a first-degree felony and tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair the investigation. Bond is set at a total of $515,000.

On April 27, Odessa Police Department officers responded to a check welfare call to an apartment complex on Faudree Road. Upon arrival, officers met with a friend of the victim who stated she had not heard from her in several days. She stated that she called the police after she arrived to check on her at her apartment and noticed her car was in the parking lot and the victim's apartment door was unlocked.

Officers found the victim on the bathroom floor with a single gunshot wound to the head, according to the arrest affidavit.

During the investigation, officers learned the friend contacted the victim's boyfriend  identified as Johnson  to ask if he knew where she was. Johnson replied to her text stating "I'm at work (right now) but we blocked each other again I thought."

Detectives made contact with Johnson and were given consent to search his phone. Detectives learned that parts of an argument between Johnson and the victim were recorded and then deleted from his phone, according to the arrest affidavit. The videos were recorded at about 9:15 p.m. and 9:18 p.m. on April 25. Johnson told detectives he left the victim's apartment shortly after he recorded the videos.

The videos showed that the victim was wearing what appeared to be the same clothing she was wearing and in the same room where she was found deceased in her apartment, according to the arrest affidavit. Detectives also found that "bullet defects in the bathroom indicated that the victim was killed in the same immediate vicinity of where Johnson was recording her," according to the arrest affidavit.

Johnson's phone records also showed that he called the victim at about 10 p.m. on the night of April 25. During his interview on April 27, Johnson did not recall making the phone call, according to the arrest affidavit.

Phone tower data indicated that when Johnson called the victim following the argument, both the victim's and Johnson's cell phones were in the same area, east of the victim's apartment. The victim's cell phone was not found during her apartment's search. Records also showed that the victim's cell phone was turned off after the call from Johnson, according to the arrest affidavit.

Detectives also learned that Johnson was observed to be in possession of a firearm that was described as an "older" revolver, according to the arrest affidavit.
A pair of important pieces of legislation for Midland remain waiting for consideration by Texas Senate committees.

House Joint Resolution 27  also known as GROW  overwhelmlying passed the House on May 1. The item co-authored by state Rep. Tom Craddick was referred to the Senate Finance Committee on May 4.

House Bill 100, an education funding bill, passed the House on April 27. The bill features a Midland-specific amendment from Craddick and was referred to the Senate Education Committee on May 2.

HJR 27

Craddick again filed legislation to bring state money generated by oil and gas production back to the Permian Basin and other energy-producing hotbeds. House Joint Resolution 27 would create the Generate Recurring Oil Wealth for Texas Fund -- "GROW.

On May 1, GROW passed the House for the third straight session by a 121-14 margin.

The energy producing regions of Texas continually generate the funds needed to support all Texans, Craddick said when he filed the bill. GROW returns a portion of these finances to the communities during the times they need it most. It allows those communities to continue to grow and build their infrastructure when in demand. This bill would be a huge step forward for all of Texas.

Craddick added that the fund does not create or raise taxes, but it secures the existing state revenue paid by oil and gas severance taxes for specific re-investment in the Texas oil patch. The money could be used for roads, education, broadband, law enforcement and many other of the required needs in these energy communities.

Some of the supporters include Apache, CenterPoint Energy, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Diamondback Energy, Exxon Mobil, Halliburton, MOTRAN, Occidental Petroleum, Pioneer, Panhandle Producers & Royalty Owner (PPROA), Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, Texas Association of Business, Texas Pipeline Association, Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO), and Texas Oil and Gas Association (TXOGA), Craddicks Office previously said.

Brooks Landgraf, a Republican from Odessa, filed similar legislation  House Joint Resolution 111. The bill, also called STRONG, waits its turn in the Senate Finance Committee.

These proposed constitutional amendmentsH.J.R. 27 and H.J.R. 111are critical steps toward ensuring the sustained growth of the oil and natural gas production regions in Texas, state Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, told the Reporter-Telegram in a statement. By creating the GROW Texas Fund and the Texas STRONG defense fund, we will invest in the infrastructure and resources that are necessary to support the continued growth of these vital regions. These initiatives will not only support the energy sector, but theyll also have a ripple effect benefitting the entire state by creating jobs, improving transportation and promoting economic development. Ill be happy to support both of these initiatives in the Texas Senate to ensure that Texas remains at the forefront of the energy industry for generations to come.

HB 100

Midland ISD will receive up to $50 million in state funding through 2030 if House Bill 100 become law.

In April, Texas House passed House Bill 100. The key piece of education funding legislation included an amendment from Craddick that keeps Midland ISD inline to receive what is currently called formula transition grant" funding through the 2029-2030 school year. That grant funding was expected to expire after the 2023-24 school year.

No district in the state receives as much formula transition grant funding as Midland ISD. In fact, the Texas School Coalition reported that during the 2022-23 school year formula transition grant funding for Midland ISD was $53.344 million. The next closest districts were Houston ISD ($39.571 million) and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD ($23.173 million).

The legislative session ends on May 29.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

LONDON (AP)  Authorities around the world are racing to draw up rules for artificial intelligence, including in the European Union, where draft legislation faced a pivotal moment on Thursday.

A European Parliament committee voted to strengthen the flagship legislative proposal as it heads toward passage, part of a yearslong effort by Brussels to draw up guardrails for artificial intelligence. Those efforts have taken on more urgency as the rapid advances of chatbots like ChatGPT highlight benefits the emerging technology can bring  and the new perils it poses.

Here's a look at the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act:

HOW DO THE RULES WORK?

The AI Act, first proposed in 2021, will govern any product or service that uses an artificial intelligence system. The act will classify AI systems according to four levels of risk, from minimal to unacceptable. Riskier applications will face tougher requirements, including being more transparent and using accurate data. Think about it as a "risk management system for AI, said Johann Laux, an expert at the Oxford Internet Institute.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

One of the EU's main goals is to guard against any AI threats to health and safety and protect fundamental rights and values.

That means some AI uses are an absolute no-no, such as social scoring systems that judge people based on their behavior. AI that exploits vulnerable people including children or that uses subliminal manipulation that can result in harm, such as an interactive talking toy that encourages dangerous behavior, is also forbidden.

Lawmakers beefed up the proposal by voting to ban predictive policing tools, which crunch data to forecast where crimes will happen and who will commit them. They also approved a widened ban on remote facial recognition, save for a few law enforcement exceptions like preventing a specific terrorist threat. The technology scans passers-by and uses AI to match their faces to a database.

The aim is to avoid a controlled society based on AI, Brando Benifei, the Italian lawmaker helping lead the European Parliament's AI efforts, told reporters Wednesday. We think that these technologies could be used instead of the good also for the bad, and we consider the risks to be too high.

AI systems used in high risk categories like employment and education, which would affect the course of a person's life, face tough requirements such as being transparent with users and putting in place risk assessment and mitigation measures.

The EU's executive arm says most AI systems, such as video games or spam filters, fall into the low- or no-risk category.

WHAT ABOUT CHATGPT?

The original 108-page proposal barely mentioned chatbots, merely requiring them to be labeled so users know theyre interacting with a machine. Negotiators later added provisions to cover general purpose AI like ChatGPT, subjecting them to some of the same requirements as high-risk systems.

One key addition is a requirement to thoroughly document any copyright material used to teach AI systems how to generate text, images, video or music that resembles human work. That would let content creators know if their blog posts, digital books, scientific articles or pop songs have been used to train algorithms that power systems like ChatGPT. Then they could decide whether their work has been copied and seek redress.

WHY ARE THE EU RULES SO IMPORTANT?

The European Union isn't a big player in cutting-edge AI development. That role is taken by the U.S. and China. But Brussels often plays a trendsetting role with regulations that tend to become de facto global standards.

"Europeans are, globally speaking, fairly wealthy and theres a lot of them," so companies and organizations often decide that the sheer size of the blocs single market with 450 million consumers makes it easier to comply than develop different products for different regions, Laux said.

But it's not just a matter of cracking down. By laying down common rules for AI, Brussels is also trying to develop the market by instilling confidence among users, Laux said.

The thinking behind it is if you can induce people to to place trust in AI and in applications, they will also use it more, Laux said. And when they use it more, they will unlock the economic and social potential of AI.

WHAT IF YOU BREAK THE RULES?

Violations will draw fines of up to 30 million euros ($33 million) or 6% of a company's annual global revenue, which in the case of tech companies like Google and Microsoft could amount to billions.

WHATS NEXT?

It could be years before the rules fully take effect. European Union lawmakers are now due to vote on the draft legislation at a plenary session in mid-June. Then it moves into three-way negotiations involving the blocs 27 member states, the Parliament and the executive Commission, where it could face more changes as they wrangle over the details. Final approval is expected by the end of the year, or early 2024 at the latest, followed by a grace period for companies and organizations to adapt, often around two years.
The Department of Youth Affairs facility in Mangilao is shown Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Thursday in New York State Supreme Court against the gun accessory manufacturer Mean Arms, alleging the company helped the convicted Tops gunman evade state prohibitions on high-capacity assault rifles.

Payton Gendron, 19, killed 10 people at the Tops Markets store on Jefferson Avenue almost one year ago. Under New York State law, enhanced AR-15-style rifles like the one he used must include a mechanism that locks a 10-round magazine in the rifles receiver.

New York amends concealed carry law after legal challenges from gun owners Pastors are now permitted to carry firearms at their church, as are "persons responsible for security" at places of worship.

Mean Arms manufactures and markets such a mechanism, called the MA Lock, which it claims makes guns compliant with New York law. But the company also advertises how easy it is to remove its magazine lock from an assault rifle  as the Tops gunman did in January 2022 prior to the May attack. He carried out the supermarket attack using several detachable, 30-round magazines, which allow shooters to fire quickly without pausing to reload. Police said he fired 50 rounds in 123 seconds.

James is seeking to bar Mean Arms from selling its product in New York and extract damages, restitution and other civil penalties  as well as require the company to clarify that its product is not compliant with New York regulations.

Buffalo Attorney Kristen Elmore-Garcia said her firm is also investigating a potential civil case against Mean Arms on behalf of Latisha Rogers, a Tops employee who survived the massacre, and the families of Andre Mackniel, Katherine Massey and Heyward Patterson.

The racist mass shooting at the Tops grocery store in Buffalo was one of the darkest days in the history of our state and our nation, James said in a statement. We lost 10 innocent lives because a hate-fueled individual was able to make an AR-15 even deadlier through a simple change at home.

Mean Arms sells the MA Lock device knowing that it can be easily removed to make guns more dangerous, and even gives directions on how to take this action. We cannot undo the devastating harm that was done, but this lawsuit against Mean Arms is part of our ongoing effort to pursue justice for the 10 innocent lives that were unjustly taken.

According to James suit, the MA Lock helps explain how the Buffalo gunman was able to do so much damage with an assault rifle that he purchased legally. In January 2022, the shooter bought a used, AR-15-style rifle with an MA Lock and a 10-round magazine. He set about removing the lock almost immediately, according to his online diary.

On Jan. 11, the Buffalo gunman posted a link to a YouTube video that described how to remove the lock with a basic hand drill: Says you have to drill it out to get it, he wrote. One week later, he posted a series of photos of a Bushmaster XM-15 rifle that showed he had drilled out the lock. That allowed him to use detachable, 30-round magazines and reload much more quickly during the attack, the lawsuit alleges. In contrast, reloading a fixed 10-round magazine requires a shooter to partially disassemble his weapon.

"They previously advertised themselves as being compliant with New York State law," Elmore-Garcia said. "But say what you will  if it can be removed, in what way is that compliant?"

Both Mean Arms and David Lucas, the registered agent for the Georgia-based company, have described the MA Lock as a tool for gun owners to comply with what the company has termed intrusive gun laws. A frequently asked questions page on the manufacturers website claims that it satisfies CA and NY state law and that the company has no issue shipping to customers in CA or NY.

In a June 2022 podcast appearance, a Mean Arms representative  who identified himself only by his first name, David  said the company designed many of its products for consumers in those two states, where theyre not allowed to remove their magazine from a firearm.

Our belief is that those laws really dont make any sense and they shouldnt be on the books, and theyre probably unconstitutional if they are challenged in the right way, he said. But obviously thats not our job to decide that and we want to help people as much as we can. So we want to innovate and come up with a  I dont think loophole is the right word  but a way around that law that lets people still enjoy their firearms.

But Mean Arms appears to have revised that stance. Within the past seven weeks, archived web pages show, the company added a flag to the sales page for the MA Lock that reads, We DO NOT ship MA Locks to NEW YORK. An identical edit was made to the companys frequently asked questions page.

A representative for Mean Arms referred questions to Lucas, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday afternoon.

Local lawmakers and the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety applauded the suit. In a statement, Eric Tirschwell, the executive director of Everytown Law, called it an "important" step toward legal accountability for the massacre.

Assault weapons have no place in our communities, and when reckless actors in the gun industry put profits over public safety and sell products that facilitate the circumvention of laws that keep New Yorkers safe, they must be held to account," Tirschwell said.

The suit is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Sarah Kam and the Environmental Protection Bureau, a unit of the Office of the Attorney Generals Social Justice Division that focuses on public health.
Another bill filed to force GovGuam into paying COLA owed to retirees for three decades
From left, Substance Abuse, Addiction and Rehabilitation Program Special Assistant Diego M. Sablan, Valqari CEO Ryan Walsh, Bella Wings Aviation Director of Engineering Dylan Wagner, BWA business strategy and operations advisor Dr. Natalia Faculo, BWA CEO and co-founder Charlie Hermosa, Northern Marianas Technical Institute CEO Jodina Attao, Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, NMTech Human Resources and Operations Manager Char Quitano, NMTech Marketing Coordinator Benjamin Babauta Jr., and House Committee on Education Chairman Manny T. Castro.
Staff Reporter

Richelle obtained a bachelor of arts degree in mass communications from the Far Eastern University in Manila, the Philippines. She was a junior reporter for Marianas Variety from 2009 to 2010, and from 2014 to 2015. In the Maldives, she worked as a news reporter and marketing executive. In her free time, shes a painter, pianist, and mom baker.
Lawmakers gather for a legislative session to speak on Gov. Lou Leon Guerreros veto of Bill 12-37 at the Guam Congress Building in Hagatna on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
FILE PHOTO: New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins speaks to the media, after his meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street in London, Britain May 5, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
US opens embassy in Tonga in new pushback against China in Pacific
Zaldy Dandan is a recipient of the Best Editorial Writer Award of the Society of Professional Journalists, and the CNMI Humanities Award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism. His four books are available on amazon.com/.

Follow Zaldy Dandan Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
School Board meetings in Orchard Park have been anything but dull in recent months.

Parents have questioned the appropriateness of school library books, and in December the School Board adopted a gender identity policy that ignited speeches for and against it during the public comment period.

New gender identity policy sparks debate at Orchard Park School Board meeting A newly approved gender identity policy pitted some adults against students at Tuesday night's Orchard Park School Board meeting.

The issues have spilled over in the race for three board seats next week, and prompted some students to form Students Protecting Education, a nonprofit group that promotes diverse, inclusive and equitable education for all students.

We formed in Orchard Park in October to go to board meetings to speak out against book banning and to speak in support of the gender policy that affirms LGBTQ peers and gives them a safe space and environment, said sophomore Luke Lippitt, who founded the group with Jillian Yarnes.

Students Protecting Education has expanded to a chapter in Charleston, S.C., and has taken the unusual action for a student group to endorse candidates in next weeks election.

Energized by mask mandates and quarantines, groups coordinate to take School Board seats Energized by the fights against face masks and other pandemic mandates, candidates in a number of local districts are running with the help of groups who have platforms such as parent partnered curriculum and medical freedom.

It also has received some negative comments on its Facebook page, including one person who wrote the students are not making our community proud. They are an embarrassment.

The group endorsed three of six candidates it believes align more with the values of students and what students are looking to get out of their education, Lippitt said.

They are incumbent Dr. Jennifer Rogers, an emergency medicine physician; Ed Draves, retail manager for Prestige Wine and Spirits; and Steve Comeau, a social worker at Erie County Medical Center.

The other candidates are Steve Barlette, an account manager for a biotech company; Katherine Kati Ibarra, a licensed clinical therapist; and Bobby Wellington, who worked for 25 years at the Boys and Girls Club of Orchard Park and Boston.

Barlette and Ibarra ran for School Board last year and lost by nearly a two-to-one margin. They said they did not plan to run again this year, but were concerned three open seats on the board would otherwise go uncontested.

Mask protests prompt Clarence, Orchard Park to take board meetings virtual Two local school boards are switching to fully remote meetings, after meetings last month were interrupted when audience members refused to wear face masks.

They did not plan to run together, but eventually formed a slate with Wellington.

Were running for some of the same reasons, Barlette said.

Wellington opposes the gender identity policy, which aligns with state and federal law and allows students to use the gender, names, pronouns, restroom and locker room that matches their identity. He spoke out against it at the January board meeting.

Despite the clear gender dysphoria  I believe we call it  and the mental issues that children like this 'they' have, (it) makes you wonder why you would pass a policy to allow them to sleep in the same rooms with the girls on overnight field trips sponsored by the school. Who does any of that benefit? Because it certainly does not benefit our daughters or granddaughters, Wellington said.

He also spoke out against a book he said was in the school library showing illustrations depicting a gay sexual act between teenagers.

Thats certainly not safe, and that is certainly not healthy, Wellington said.

According to state regulations, school libraries must meet the needs of the pupils, and shall provide an adequate complement to the instructional program in the various areas of the curriculum," which includes sexuality and health.

The district allows parents to fill out a form if they do not want their children to check out specific books.

Wrestling allegations serve as backdrop for crowded Starpoint School Board race Seven candidates will be vying for three seats on the Starpoint School Board on May 16.

Students spoke in favor of the gender policy, and Students Protecting Education sponsored a Change.org petition in favor of the policy that attracted 939 online signatures. A Change.org petition opposing the policy generated 515 online signatures.

Behavior at board meetings also has become a campaign issue. Some adults rolled their eyes, snickered and took pictures of students as they spoke at the January board meeting.

Several people said they sat near Barlette and Wellington and saw them laughing at students. Barlette vehemently denied they were making fun of students. He said in an email that he and Wellington were on a far side of the auditorium, half paying attention and half whispering in conversation. Yes, thats rude, but we hadnt spoken in a few months."

Fiscal responsibility, no conflicts of interest, maintaining academic excellence and generating more discussion by the School Board are among the issues on the website for those two candidates and Ibarra.

Rogers, Comeau and Draves also cite fiscal responsibility as a campaign issue, along with supporting all students, making data-driven decisions and nurturing collaborative community partnerships.

Their platform also says students deserve the right to an education in a harassment-free environment  regardless of their gender, gender identity, race, religion, disability, or socio-economic status.

Ibarra, Wellington and Barlette questioned the impartiality of their opponents, who have been endorsed and supported by the Orchard Park Teachers Union, in voting on a teachers contract.

Draves said union support for him has nothing to do with the upcoming contract, and raising the issue reflects more on his opponents than him.

I just want to be a non-political calming force there, he said.
WICS TV via AP

FARMERSVILLE  The name of the seventh person who died in a massive crash on Interstate 55 during a dust storm has been released by Illinois State Police.

Otto Medina-Salazar, 58, of Carthage, Missouri, was fatally injured May 1, near Farmersville in Montgomery County. It took almost 10 days for the Montgomery County Coroner's Office to identify Medina-Salazar.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON (AP)  House Republicans passed a sweeping bill Thursday to build more U.S.-Mexico border wall and impose new restrictions on asylum seekers, creating a hard-line counter to President Joe Biden's policies just as migrants are amassing along the border with the end of coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

The bill has virtually no chance of becoming law. Democrats, who have a narrow hold on the Senate, have decried the aggressive measures in the bill as cruel and anti-immigrant," and Biden has already promised he would veto it.

The legislation passed 219-213, with all present Democrats and two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and John Duarte of California, voting against it.

The House GOP pointedly voted on the bill the same day as the expiration of Title 42, a public health emergency rule that allowed border authorities to quickly return many migrants who crossed the border illegally. Biden has conceded that the southern border will be chaotic for a while as migrants weigh whether to cross and U.S. officials use a new set of policies that aim to clamp down on illegal immigration while offering more legal pathways.

Republicans have sought to slam Biden for the increase in illegal immigration during his tenure. Passing the bill would ensure House GOP lawmakers can say they did their part to deliver on a campaign promise to secure the border.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called the package the strongest border security bill this country has ever seen," saying in a speech on the House floor that "meanwhile, we are seeing a very different record from President Biden.

It took months, however, for Republicans to push the bill through the House amid sometimes public feuds between GOP lawmakers over the legislation. Even as the legislation neared final form Wednesday, it had to be amended to appease concerns from the House Freedom Caucus and other lawmakers.

The 213-page bill represents a compromise in the Republican conference between mainstream lawmakers, who wanted to focus on beefing up border enforcement, and hardline conservatives, who want to see drastic changes to U.S. asylum and immigration law.

U.S. and international law give migrants the right to seek asylum from political, religious or racial persecution, but conservatives say many people take advantage of the current system to live and work in the U.S. while they wait for their asylum claim to be processed in court.

The package would return to many of the same policies pursued by former President Donald Trump, such as building walls along the border. It would also restrict asylum by requiring migrants to cross legally, pay a $50 fee and meet more stringent requirements to show in initial interviews that they have a credible fear of persecution in their home country.

This extreme MAGA Republican piece of legislation will throw out children who are fleeing, in many cases, extreme violence and persecution," Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat, said at a Thursday news conference. It will build a medieval border wall that is a 14th-century solution to a 21st-century problem.

The bill would also scrap a program that has allowed U.S. officials to accept or quickly turn away some migrants from Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua. The program is a cornerstone of Bidens immigration efforts, allowing migrants from those countries to apply to come to the U.S. for two years legally and work.

The unwieldy nature of immigration legislation has befuddled Congress for decades, but there is a growing conversation in the Senate on the issue.

A small group of House and Senate lawmakers hopes the House bill could give momentum for a separate package in the works that would incorporate aggressive border enforcement with expanding legal immigration through work visas, as well as potentially a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

The bill that were getting, I think, is a good starting point, said Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican. It, by itself, would not get 60 votes to get out of here.

Any final bill would need bipartisan support to pass the Senate and agreement from House Republicans on significant changes.

Some House lawmakers were already raising concerns about whether agriculture businesses would be disrupted by the bill's requirement that agriculture businesses verify the immigration status of employees.

In explaining his vote against the bill, Duarte, who represents a district comprised of farmland in California's Central Valley, said in a statement that the bill would harm many families that work in our Valley and create difficulties for our food producers.

Massie, the other Republican to oppose the legislation, made a libertarian argument against a system that tracks people's immigration status.

Meanwhile, Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, is introducing legislation that would assist border officials and speed up the asylum application process. And Tillis joined with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent who accepts committee assignments from Democrats, to push a bill that would resurrect the government's power to quickly expel migrants, without processing their asylum claims, for another two years.

Its clear that the Biden administration, while it had two years to prepare for the end of Title 42, failed to do so, Sinema told reporters. And in the last several weeks, Ive had the unfortunate job of communicating on a daily basis, sometimes even hourly basis, with the sheriffs, the Border Patrol agents, mayors and even the governor of Arizona to figure out how we can prepare to deal with this crisis.

Biden has received countless barbs from Congress, but one Texas Republican key to immigration negotiations, Rep. Tony Gonzales, is already thinking of how to get the president on board.

Until the president of the United States signs a bill into law, all of this is theater, said Gonzales, who represents a large swath of border country. A lot of people are good at political theater. Meanwhile, back in my district, were dealing with a real crisis.

___

AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

LIMA, Peru (AP)  The chief suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway is poised to face charges linked to the young womans vanishing for the first time after the government of Peru authorized his extradition to the United States.

Neither U.S. nor Peruvian authorities on Thursday would say when they might transfer custody of Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot. A day earlier the Peruvian Embassy in Washington announced the decision to extradite him to face trial on extortion and wire fraud charges, each of which carries lengthy sentences.

Van der Sloot is in a maximum-security prison in the Andes serving a 28-year sentence for the murder of a Peruvian woman.

Holloway, who lived in suburban Birmingham, Alabama, was 18 when she was last seen during a trip with classmates to the Caribbean island of Aruba. She vanished after a night with friends at a nightclub, leaving a mystery that sparked years of news coverage and countless true-crime podcasts. She was last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot, who was a student at an international school on the island.

Van der Sloot was identified as a suspect and detained weeks later, along with two Surinamese brothers. Holloways body was never found, and no charges were filed in the case. A judge later declared Holloway dead.

The federal charges filed in Alabama against van der Sloot stem from an accusation that he tried to extort the Holloway family in 2010, promising to lead them to her body in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars. A grand jury indicted him that year on one count each of wire fraud and extortion, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Also in 2010, van der Sloot was arrested in Peru for the murder of 21-year-old Stephany Flores, who was killed five years to the day after Holloways disappearance.

Peruvian prosecutors accused van der Sloot of killing Flores, a business student from a prominent family, to rob her after learning she had won money at the casino where the two met. They said he killed her with ferocity and cruelty, beating then strangling her in his hotel room. He pleaded guilty in 2012.

A 2001 treaty between Peru and the U.S. allows a suspect to be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country. It requires that the prisoner be returned after judicial proceedings are concluded against that person, in accordance with conditions to be determined by both countries.

The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment Thursday on the extradition from Peru. A resolution published in the South American countrys federal register states that U.S. diplomats on Jan. 10 presented the temporary extradition request to Perus Ministry of Foreign Relations.

The time that van der Sloot ends up spending in the U.S. will be extended until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings, including the appeal process should there be one, according to the published resolution. The resolution also says U.S. authorities agreed to return the suspect to the custody of Peru afterward.

The extradition request indicated that an additional delay in the prosecution of the case that is being pursued in the United States of America could significantly reduce the possibility of conviction, that the ages and health conditions of the key witnesses in the case would make the prosecution would be extremely difficult if it is not carried out soon, according to a March order from Perus top court.

In a statement, the young woman's mother, Beth Holloway, said she was blessed to have Natalee in her life for 18 years.

She would be 36 years old now. It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee, Beth Holloway said.

An FBI agent wrote in an affidavit that van der Sloot reached out to Holloways mother and wanted to be paid $25,000 to disclose the location and then another $225,000 when the remains were recovered. Van der Sloot requested that an agreement be drafted and signed by the mother and him.

A New York attorney representing Beth Holloway traveled to Aruba with the agreement and gave van der Sloot $10,000 in cash during a recorded meeting, according to court records. The indictment says both men then went to a site where the student's remains were purportedly buried, and Beth Holloway made a wire transfer for $15,000 to van der Sloot's bank account in the Netherlands.

In the affidavit, the FBI agent wrote that van der Sloot in later emails to the attorney admitted to lying about the location.

Attorney Maximo Altez, who represents van der Sloot, told The Associated Press that he would fight the decision on extradition once he received proper notification from the Peruvian government.

I am going to challenge that resolution, Altez said. I am going to oppose it since he has the right to a defense.

Van der Sloot could not immediately be reached for comment. More than a decade ago, he told a Peruvian judge that he would fight efforts to be extradited to the U.S.

The governor of Alabama praised the extradition decision and commended the persistance of Beth Holloway.

Joran van der Sloots extradition to Birmingham, Alabama  Natalees home for her 18 years  is significant," Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement. "Criminals like him are deceptive and vicious. Alabama moms like Beth Holloway are stronger.

Van der Sloot married a Peruvian woman in July 2014 in a ceremony at a maximum security prison. He has been transferred from prisons in response to reports that he enjoyed privileges such as television, internet access and a cellphone, and accusations that he had threatened to kill a warden.

The announcement from the Peruvian government Wednesday marks the second high-profile extradition decision between the two countries in less than three weeks. In late April, former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo arrived in Lima after being extradited from the U.S. to face charges he allegedly received millions of dollars in bribes in a giant corruption scandal.

___

Associated Press writer Regina Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City. AP journalist Kimberly Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.
In the campaign commercial President Joe Biden released to announce his re-election campaign, there was one individual who was prominently displayed  Kamala Harris.

Since the moment Biden selected her as his running mate in July 2020, there has been no shortage of commentary about Harris and her role as vice president. No honest person can dismiss the fact that being a woman of color has been a political handicap for her.

As a woman of color and a biracial one at that, Harris has to deal with the twin evils of Jim Crow and Jane Crow. The term was espoused by pioneering legal scholar Pauli Murray in 1970.

Barack Obama was biracial, some will argue. But Obama was also a man running for president in an era that, although relatively recent, was not as politically fractured and divisive as the current climate.

Harris, the first Black woman and first Asian American vice president, has faced plenty of detractors during her first two and a half years as vice president, claiming shes failed to define an effective role in the administration. Some of her assignments have included the difficult tasks of solving Central American migration along the southern border and ensuring voting rights amid a barrage of new state election laws.

Various factors aside, the indisputable reality is that Harris was not the most inspiring candidate. Indeed, a number of people, myself included, were both intrigued and taken aback at how surprisingly ambiguous the vice president has come across to the larger public. She has routinely struggled to explain her policy stances and seems to routinely equivocate when asked where she stood on an issue. At other times, she seems to be totally vague in her responses.

The truth is we are in an era where voters across the political spectrum want a candidate who is unmistakably definitive in their beliefs and free of any level of ambiguity. At the present moment, the American people, across the political spectrum, hunger for candor. Indecisive commentary will be soundly rejected.

Harris (at least at this point) has failed to heighten her stature or convince a plurality of voters she harbors the politically vital ingredients necessary to step into the shoes of the presidency, should Biden be incapable of serving a full second term.

Political flaws imagined or real, Kamala Harris remains popular among Black women. She recently traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to demonstrate support for the two lawmakers  Justin Pearson and Justin Johnson  who were callously expelled, then reinstated to the state legislature. Her journey to Africa last month and her most recent visit to her alma mater, Howard University, discussing abortion rights have earned solid marks from pundits and other political observers.

Both Biden and Harris must make a persuasive argument to fellow Democrats and swing voters why she remains the best choice to succeed him. It is something that both of them must do unequivocally and unambiguously.
Pope could meet with Ukrainian president Zelenskyy on Saturday at Vatican, officials say

Pope could meet with Ukrainian president Zelenskyy on Saturday at Vatican, officials say View Photo

ROME (AP)  Pope Francis could meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican this weekend, a Vatican official said Thursday.

Francis has repeatedly called for an end to Russias war in Ukraine and expressed solidarity with the martyred Ukrainian people. Recently he revealed a secret peace mission was underway but provided no details.

Word of the possible meeting Saturday in Rome followed news, confirmed last week by Berlin police, that Zelenskyy was expected in Germany starting Saturday evening. Italian media, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that Zelenskyy might be in Rome earlier that day to meet with Premier Giorgia Meloni and the pope.

A Vatican official said a pope-Zelenskyy audience Saturday is a possibility. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the visit was not confirmed.

On Sunday, Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine are set to receive the International Charlemagne Prize, awarded annually by the western German city of Aachen for contributions to European unity. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to give the speech honoring Zelenskyy.

Francis met with Zelensskyy before the war and last month met with the Ukrainian prime minister, who asked the pontiffs help in mediating the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia after the Kremlins invasion. Francis recently told reporters he thought the Vatican could help, given its previous mediation in prisoner swaps.

On Thursday, Francis bid farewell to the Russian ambassador to the Holy See, Alexander Avdeev, at the end of his seven-year tenure.

By NICOLE WINFIELD

Associated Press
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y.  U.S. Rep. George Santos, infamous for fabricating his life story, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he duped donors, stole from his campaign and lied to Congress about being a millionaire, all while cheating to collect unemployment benefits he didn't deserve.

Afterward, he said he wouldn't drop his reelection bid and defied calls to resign.

Santos' 13-count federal indictment was a reckoning for a web of fraud and deceit that prosecutors say overlapped with the New York Republican's fantastical public image as a wealthy businessman  a fictional biography that began to unravel after he won election last fall.

Santos, 34, was released on $500,000 bond following his arraignment, about five hours after turning himself in to face charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress. He surrendered his passport and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

"This is the beginning of the ability for me to address and defend myself," Santos told reporters outside a Long Island federal courthouse. He said he's been cooperating with the investigation and vowed to fight the prosecution, which he labeled a "witch hunt."

Santos said he planned to return to Washington, where the indictment is amplifying doubts about the freshman's ability to serve. House Republican leaders are taking a wait-and-see approach, saying Santos is innocent until proven guilty. Others are reiterating previous calls for Santos to step aside.

"I think we're seeing that the wheels of justice grind slow, but they grind fine," said Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican who confronted Santos on the House floor at President Joe Biden's State of the Union address in February.

Among the allegations, prosecutors say Santos created a company and induced supporters to donate to it under the false pretense that the money would be used to support his campaign. Instead, they say, he used the money for personal expenses, including designer clothes and credit card and car payments.

Santos also is accused of lying about his finances on congressional disclosure forms and obtaining unemployment benefits while he was making $120,000 as regional director of an investment firm that the government shut down in 2021 over allegations that it was a Ponzi scheme.

Santos didn't directly address the specifics of the charges to reporters, but when asked why he received unemployment benefits while employed, Santos cited a job change and confusion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"He should be thrown out of Congress and put in prison," declared Jeff Herzberg, a Long Island resident who spent hours waiting to see Santos' arraignment. "I hope that day comes soon."

Santos was elected to Congress last fall after a campaign built partly on falsehoods. He told people he was a wealthy Wall Street deal-maker with a substantial real estate portfolio who was a star volleyball player in college, among other things.

In reality, Santos didn't work at the big financial firms he said employed him, didn't go to college and struggled financially before entering politics. He claimed he fueled his run largely with self-made riches earned from brokering deals on expensive toys for wealthy clients, but the indictment alleges those boasts were also exaggerated.

In a House financial disclosure form, Santos reported making $750,000 a year from a family company, the Devolder Organization, but the charges unsealed Wednesday allege that Santos never received that sum, nor the $1 million and $5 million in dividends he listed as coming from the firm.

Santos has described the Devolder Organization as a broker for sales of luxury items like yachts and aircraft. The business was incorporated in Florida shortly after Santos stopped working for Harbor City Capital, the company accused by federal authorities of operating an illegal Ponzi scheme.

In November 2021, Santos formed Redstone Strategies, a Florida company that federal prosecutors say he used to dupe donors into financing his lifestyle. According to the indictment, Santos told an associate to solicit contributions to the company and gave the person contact information for potential donors.

Emails to prospective donors falsely claimed the company was formed "exclusively" to aid Santos' election bid and that there would be no limits on how much they could contribute, the indictment said. Santos falsely claimed the money would be spent on television ads and other campaign expenses, it said.

A month before his election, Santos transferred about $74,000 from the company to bank accounts he maintained, the indictment said. He also transferred money to some of his associates, it said.

Santos' legal troubles date to his late teens, when he was investigated in Brazil for allegedly using stolen checks to buy clothes  a case that authorities say they've since reopened.

In 2017, Santos was charged with theft in Pennsylvania for allegedly using thousands of dollars in bogus checks to buy puppies from breeders. That case was dismissed after Santos claimed his checkbook was stolen and someone else took the dogs.

Federal authorities are separately looking into complaints about Santos' fundraising for a group that purported to help abused pets. A New Jersey veteran accused Santos of failing to deliver $3,000 he raised to help his dog get needed surgery.
CA Sierra Nevada Snowpack View Photo

Tuolumne County, CA  There is still a lot of snow to melt across the Sierra Nevada over the coming months.

California Department of Water Resources electronic sensors note that the Sierra Nevada snowpack is still at 318% of the historical average for the date.

Breaking down the numbers further, the Central Sierra, which includes Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, is 309%, the Southern Sierra is 415% and the Northern Sierra is 273%.

For the Central Sierra, the Snow Water Equivalent is 49.3 inches. It is the number that water managers use because it is the depth of water that would cover the ground if the snowpack was in a liquid state. It helps estimate how much of the snowmelt will enter waterways.

State officials will monitor for the potential of flooding over the coming months, notably in the Central Valley. The Tulare basin is of significant concern, according to DWR.

Temperatures will be warming up again this weekend.

New Melones Reservoir is currently at 66% of capacity and 106% of the historical average. Don Pedro is at 73% of capacity and 94% of the historical average.
New fighting kills 2 Palestinian militant commanders, elderly man in Israel as Egypt pushes truce View Photo

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed two militant commanders Thursday, while a 70-year-old man was killed by Palestinian rocket fire in the first fatality inside Israel amid the current wave of fighting. The continuing bloodshed, which has left 30 Palestinians dead, came despite Egyptian efforts to broker a cease-fire.

It has been the worst bout of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza in months, with at least 10 civilians  mostly women and children  among the dead. The conflagration, now in its fourth day, comes at a time of soaring tensions and spiking violence over the past year in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian militants launched unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel throughout the day. One rocket struck an apartment block in the central Israeli city of Rehovot, killing a 70-year-old man, the MADA rescue service said. It said four others were moderately wounded.

Earlier Thursday, Israeli military pressed ahead with its strikes against the Islamic Jihad militant group and said a senior commander in charge of the groups rocket launching force, Ali Ghali, was killed when his apartment was hit.

Later in the day, Israel said it killed another Islamic Jihad commander who was meant to replace Ghali in southern Gaza. Islamic Jihad confirmed the man, Ahmed Abu Daqqa, was one of its commanders.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said at total of 30 people had have been killed since the fighting erupted. An Associated Press tally showed that among the dead were 14 militants, including at least five Islamic Jihad commanders; 10 civilians; and six others, including four who Israel says were killed in failed rocket launches, whose affiliation remained uncertain.

Late Thursday, the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights said its preliminary investigations indicated that three Palestinians, including two children aged 8 and 16, died when homemade rockets had fallen short inside Gaza in three incidents. It said 26 other people were wounded in these cases.

Military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told Israeli Army Radio that two other militants were also killed in the early morning strike, although no group immediately claimed them as members, and that the rest of the building remained intact.

The apartment was targeted in a very precise way, Hagari said. I hope this leads to a reduction, a blow and a disruption of the Islamic Jihad rocket abilities.

The strikes targeted the top floor of a building in a residential, Qatari-built complex in southern Gaza Strip. The pre-dawn airstrike in the city of Khan Younis caused damage to three surrounding buildings. The complex, known as Hamad City, consists of several tall buildings and thousands of housing units. The strike created panic among residents, with falling debris and shattered glass littering the streets.

My children started crying. I did not see anything because of the dust, broken glasses, and debris, said Abdullah Hemaid, who lives across from the targeted building.

Islamic Jihad said Ghali was a commander in charge of its rocket squad and a member of its armed groups decision-making body. The group has said it will only cease fire if Israel agrees to halt targeted killings of its fighters.

The current round of fighting erupted overnight Tuesday when Israel killed three senior Islamic Jihad commanders in near-simultaneous airstrikes.

On Wednesday, a state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt, a frequent mediator between the sides, had brokered a cease-fire. But with the violence continuing late Thursday, there was still no breakthrough.

The Israeli military says that in its strikes on some 150 targets, it has zeroed in on militants with what it says are precision strikes. But children, among them a 4-year-old, were also killed.

Hagari, the military spokesman, told Army Radio that a quarter of the rockets launched have fallen in Gaza, killing at least four, including a 10-year-old girl, two 16-year-olds and a 51-year-old man. That claim could not immediately be independently confirmed.

Efforts to mediate a cease-fire were still underway Thursday with top Islamic Jihad political bureau member Mohamad al-Hindi arriving to Cairo to discuss details. A delegation of Egyptian mediators also was traveling to Israel, according to Israeli press reports.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that despite our strenuous efforts, these efforts still have not yielded the desired fruits and results.

Israeli officials declined to comment.

The initial Israeli airstrikes set off a burst of rocket fire on Wednesday that triggered air-raid sirens throughout southern and central Israel.

The military said more than 500 rockets have been fired toward Israel. It said most were intercepted by Israels missile defense system or fell in open areas.

Damage was reported when rockets slammed into buildings that were empty because residents had fled the area. Three buildings in the southern town of Sderot were struck Thursday, officials said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israel says the airstrikes are a response to a barrage of rocket fire launched last week by Islamic Jihad in response to the death of one of its West Bank members from a hunger strike while in Israeli custody.

Israel has come under international criticism for the high civilian toll. In past conflicts, rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes due to high civilian deaths. Israel says it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties and holds militant groups responsible because they operate in heavily populated residential areas. It also says militants fire rockets indiscriminately at Israeli communities.

Hagari said Israel does its best to avoid harming civilians and that under international norms, there was a proportionate ratio of combatants to noncombatants among the dead in Gaza.

In signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel has avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the smaller and more militant Islamic Jihad. Hamas, which has much more to lose than Islamic Jihad, also has remained on the sidelines.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars and numerous smaller engagements since the Islamic militant group took control of Gaza in 2007.

The army said that schools would remain closed and restrictions on large gatherings would remain in place in southern Israel until at least Friday. Residents were instructed to stay near bomb shelters.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, where Israeli-Palestinian violence has surged over the past year, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a 30-year-old man died after he was shot by Israeli troops in a raid on Wednesday, and that a 66-year-old Palestinian man died after he was shot during a gun battle between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in a refugee camp near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem on Thursday.

The Israeli army said it has arrested 25 suspected Islamic Jihad members in West Bank raids in recent days.

___

Ben Zion reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

By FARES AKRAM and ILAN BEN ZION

Associated Press
18 years after Natalee Holloways disappearance, Peru to extradite key suspect to US View Photo

LIMA, Peru (AP)  The chief suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway is poised to face charges linked to the young womans vanishing for the first time after the government of Peru authorized his extradition to the United States.

Neither U.S. nor Peruvian authorities on Thursday would say when they might transfer custody of Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot. A day earlier the Peruvian Embassy in Washington announced the decision to extradite him to face trial on extortion and wire fraud charges, each of which carries lengthy sentences.

Van der Sloot is in a maximum-security prison in the Andes serving a 28-year sentence for the murder of a Peruvian woman.

Holloway, who lived in suburban Birmingham, Alabama, was 18 when she was last seen during a trip with classmates to the Caribbean island of Aruba. She vanished after a night with friends at a nightclub, leaving a mystery that sparked years of news coverage and countless true-crime podcasts. She was last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot, who was a student at an international school on the island.

Van der Sloot was identified as a suspect and detained weeks later, along with two Surinamese brothers. Holloways body was never found, and no charges were filed in the case. A judge later declared Holloway dead.

The federal charges filed in Alabama against van der Sloot stem from an accusation that he tried to extort the Holloway family in 2010, promising to lead them to her body in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars. A grand jury indicted him that year on one count each of wire fraud and extortion, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Also in 2010, van der Sloot was arrested in Peru for the murder of 21-year-old Stephany Flores, who was killed five years to the day after Holloways disappearance.

Peruvian prosecutors accused van der Sloot of killing Flores, a business student from a prominent family, to rob her after learning she had won money at the casino where the two met. They said he killed her with ferocity and cruelty, beating then strangling her in his hotel room. He pleaded guilty in 2012.

A 2001 treaty between Peru and the U.S. allows a suspect to be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country. It requires that the prisoner be returned after judicial proceedings are concluded against that person, in accordance with conditions to be determined by both countries.

The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment Thursday on the extradition from Peru. A resolution published in the South American countrys federal register states that U.S. diplomats on Jan. 10 presented the temporary extradition request to Perus Ministry of Foreign Relations.

The time that van der Sloot ends up spending in the U.S. will be extended until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings, including the appeal process should there be one, according to the published resolution. The resolution also says U.S. authorities agreed to return the suspect to the custody of Peru afterward.

The extradition request indicated that an additional delay in the prosecution of the case that is being pursued in the United States of America could significantly reduce the possibility of conviction, that the ages and health conditions of the key witnesses in the case would make the prosecution would be extremely difficult if it is not carried out soon, according to a March order from Perus top court.

In a statement, the young womans mother, Beth Holloway, said she was blessed to have Natalee in her life for 18 years.

She would be 36 years old now. It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee, Beth Holloway said.

An FBI agent wrote in an affidavit that van der Sloot reached out to Holloways mother and wanted to be paid $25,000 to disclose the location and then another $225,000 when the remains were recovered. Van der Sloot requested that an agreement be drafted and signed by the mother and him.

A New York attorney representing Beth Holloway traveled to Aruba with the agreement and gave van der Sloot $10,000 in cash during a recorded meeting, according to court records. The indictment says both men then went to a site where the students remains were purportedly buried, and Beth Holloway made a wire transfer for $15,000 to van der Sloots bank account in the Netherlands.

In the affidavit, the FBI agent wrote that van der Sloot in later emails to the attorney admitted to lying about the location.

Attorney Maximo Altez, who represents van der Sloot, told The Associated Press that he would fight the decision on extradition once he received proper notification from the Peruvian government.

I am going to challenge that resolution, Altez said. I am going to oppose it since he has the right to a defense.

Van der Sloot could not immediately be reached for comment. More than a decade ago, he told a Peruvian judge that he would fight efforts to be extradited to the U.S.

The governor of Alabama praised the extradition decision and commended the persistance of Beth Holloway.

Joran van der Sloots extradition to Birmingham, Alabama  Natalees home for her 18 years  is significant, Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement. Criminals like him are deceptive and vicious. Alabama moms like Beth Holloway are stronger.

Van der Sloot married a Peruvian woman in July 2014 in a ceremony at a maximum security prison. He has been transferred from prisons in response to reports that he enjoyed privileges such as television, internet access and a cellphone, and accusations that he had threatened to kill a warden.

The announcement from the Peruvian government Wednesday marks the second high-profile extradition decision between the two countries in less than three weeks. In late April, former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo arrived in Lima after being extradited from the U.S. to face charges he allegedly received millions of dollars in bribes in a giant corruption scandal.

___

Associated Press writer Regina Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City. AP journalist Kimberly Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.

By REGINA GARCIA CANO and FRANKLIN BRICENO

Associated Press
Supreme Court sides with ex-Cuomo aide, others convicted of corruption related to Buffalo Billion View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled for a onetime top aide to ex-Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York and for others who were convicted of corruption related to an economic development project known as the Buffalo Billion.

In two cases before the court, both liberal and conservative justices were unanimous in saying there were problems with the convictions. The cases are the latest in a line stretching back years that criticize federal prosecutors for overreaching in public corruption cases against state and local officials, as well as people doing business with government.

In 2020, the high court threw out the convictions of political allies of former Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., over the Bridgegate scandal that involved four days of traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge. In 2016, the Supreme Court threw out the bribery conviction of former Gov. Bob McDonnell, R-Va.

The current cases grew out of the Buffalo Billion development project, which was intended to revitalize parts of Buffalo and other areas in upstate New York. But the project was a multiyear black cloud over the Cuomo administration and was frequently cited by critics as proof that Cuomo failed to address chronic corruption in state government, even within his own administration. Cuomo resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations.

In one case, the justices ruled for Joseph Percoco, a former aide so close to Cuomo that he was considered like a brother. Percoco was convicted of accepting money from companies seeking to influence the Cuomo administration as it worked on the Buffalo Billion project.

Percoco was ultimately sentenced to six years in prison, a conviction upheld on appeal. The case also involved Syracuse real estate executive Steven Aiello who paid Percoco for his assistance.

But the Supreme Court, in an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, said the jury in Percocos case was given improper instructions when it found him guilty of a wire fraud conspiracy count. Percoco was convicted based on instructions that required the jury to determine whether he had a special relationship with the government and had dominated and controlled government business  We conclude that this is not the proper test, Alito wrote.

In a statement, Percocos lawyer, Yaakov Roth, said his clients prosecution was an abuse of the federal fraud statutes. He added: We are gratified that the court agreed with our position that he was not a public official during the relevant time period, and so he did not violate federal law by acting on behalf of private clients.

Roth said a lower court will have to determine whether his clients two remaining convictions can survive after the Supreme Courts ruling. But Percoco has finished serving his sentence, so the question is just whether the remaining convictions will stay on his record.

In the second case, which also involved Aiello, the court ruled for him and for developers Louis Ciminelli and Joseph Gerardi and Alain Kaloyeros, formerly one of Cuomos top economic development advisers. The court in an opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas said that the basis for their fraud convictions was faulty.

The groups prison terms had been put on hold while their case was appealed and the decision makes it more likely that this is the end of the case. Alexandra Shapiro, who represented Aiello and Gerardi, said in a statement that her clients feel greatly vindicated by the Supreme Courts unanimous decisions in both cases.

By JESSICA GRESKO

Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP)  Lawyers for E. Jean Carroll tried unsuccessfully to get a man booted off the jury that found former President Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse because he occasionally listens to the provocative podcaster Tim Pool, newly unsealed court records revealed Wednesday.

The 31-year-old male juror ultimately joined eight other anonymous jurors in delivering a unanimous verdict Tuesday awarding Carroll $5 million in damages, finding that Trump abused the magazine columnist in 1996 at a luxury Manhattan department store.

Trump denied ever knowing Carroll and said the encounter at Bergdorf Goodman never happened. The jury rejected Carrolls claim that she was raped.

At one point in the trial, Carrolls attorneys secretly complained to the judge that the scale might be tipped against their client because Juror No. 77 was biased in ways requiring his dismissal from the jury.

In a court filing on April 30 that was initially sealed, they noted that the juror, a Bronx man who worked a job in security, had told the judge during the jury selection that he got his news from listening to Pool, whom Carroll's lawyers described as an extreme right-wing podcaster who consistently, aggressively, and unreservedly espouses highly prejudicial views on social and political issues directly implicated by this case.

In arguing for removal of the juror, Carrolls lawyers said Pool had at least twice on his show spoken of Carrolls case, saying in a June 2019 episode: This woman: Should we take her seriously? In my opinion, no. ... Im sorry, when youre accusing someone of a crime 30 years after the fact, I dont know what we can do for you.

Carroll's lawyers said they would have objected sooner  by then the trial was already underway  but an initial court transcript of the juror's comments misstated Pool's name.

Journalists covering the trial, however, had noticed the juror's mention of Pool and written about it. The lawyers said they sought the jurors removal the morning after the news reports came out.

The judge agreed to further question the juror, who told the court hed heard Pool three or four times in the past six months and believed his show featured guests including political figures and celebrities on the left, on the right, you know, balanced. The juror also said hed never heard of Carroll before, or anything on any podcasts about women suing Trump over sexual harassment. He said he was confident he could be fair and impartial on both sides.

Trumps attorney, Joe Tacopina, opposed the juror's removal.

A jurors political affiliation is not grounds for dismissal, even in a case involving a political figure, he wrote. He said Carrolls lawyers were trying to get Juror 77 kicked off the panel because he acknowledged occasionally listening to a podcast that might be considered conservative at times.

The judge let the juror stay on the panel.

The debate over the juror was revealed Wednesday when the judge unsealed documents related to the dispute.

After the jury announced its verdict, Tacopina said Trump was firm in his belief, as many people are, that he cannot get a fair trial in New York City.

He said Trump's belief was based in part on the jury pool.

Tacopina did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

One of Carroll's lawyers, Roberta Kaplan, said in an email: "We are grateful that all nine jurors, including Juror No. 77, were not only faithful to their oath as jurors, but deliberated to reach a fair, impartial and unanimous verdict.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who is unrelated to Roberta Kaplan, told jurors after they delivered their verdict that they now had the right to speak about the case and to relate their experiences.

But, he added: You would each individually have the right to identify yourself as someone who was on this jury or not. My advice to you is not to identify yourselves  not now and not for a long time.

Pool, who has objected to being labeled extremist, tweeted about the dispute over the juror Wednesday, saying, If you think the show is far right youre in a cult.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Classes have resumed at Plainview ISD  but under tighter security for the remainder of the school year.

The district received multiple threats last week following a report of what the district describes as a sexual incident among students that was recorded and watched by other students at Plainview South Elementary back in April.

Due to the nature of the threats, PISD closed its doors Monday and Tuesday as they worked with the Texas Education Agency and Texas Department of Public Safetys Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division to plan their next steps accordingly. In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, the three entities agreed to allow students to return to campus Wednesday with heavy security to monitor the district.

Local law enforcement  Plainview Police Department, Plainview ISD PD and Hale County Sheriffs Office  was present at each and every school in the district Wednesday morning. State patrol cars could be seen patrolling around the elementary and high schools and a high concentration of law enforcement was present at Plainview South Elementary.

Plainview ISD will collaborate with local law enforcement and an armed, private security firm to ensure appropriately trained and equipped personnel are available to address safety and security needs on every campus, Tuesdays statement from the district read.

PISD sent out a message to parents and posted it to their webpage. In that message, it confirmed that the safety measures currently in place will continue throughout the week and rest of the school year.

The Texas Department of Public Service will be lending their hand to provide extra security for the school district throughout the remainder of the week. Starting next Monday, a privatearmed firm will be present throughout the district.
ISLAMABAD (AP)  Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose arrest on corruption charges earlier this week sparked a wave of violence across the country by his supporters.

After the ruling, Khan left the court in a heavily protected motorcade for a secure location. Clashes between celebrating supporters of Khan and police briefly broke out near the Supreme Court building, but violence around the country appeared to ease. The government, however, denounced the ruling and said it was determined to find other legal avenues to arrest the former premier.

For a nation accustomed to military takeovers, political crises and violence, the turmoil of the past week has been unprecedented. Since Khan's dramatic arrest on Tuesday, protesters have been clashing with police in areas around the country, and mobs have attacked military and government sites, trying to storm the military's main headquarters and burning down the residence of a top general in Lahore. The government responded with a crackdown on Khan's supporters, arresting more than 2,000 so far.

The Supreme Court ruled Khans arrest two days ago was illegal and, while it freed him from custody, it ordered him kept under protection of security forces in a safe location in the capital, Islamabad. The head of his legal team, Babar Awan, underlined that Khan is a free citizen and will be allowed to meet with lawyers and supporters. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial urged Khan to appeal to his supporters to remain peaceful.

Khan will appear Friday before the Islamabad High Court to reconsider its earlier ruling that the arrest was legal. Khan may also ask the court for protection from future arrest on the corruption charges.

Speaking on Pakistan's Dunya TV, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan vowed, We will arrest him again, perhaps on charges that were announced a day earlier of inciting the wave of violence. The minister is not related to the former prime minister.

The ruling infuriated the government, with multiple officials accusing the chief justice of bias toward Khan. Chief Justice Bandial now should hoist the flag of Imran Khans party on the Supreme Court, or he should declare that the court is a sub-office of Imrans party, Azam Tarar, an adviser for Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, told reporters.

Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif called it a special reprieve for the former prime minister, saying the court ignored his supporters attacks on military and government installations.

The violence has escalated a long burning confrontation between the former prime minister and Sharif's government. Khan was removed from office a year ago by a no-confidence vote in Parliament, but he still holds fervent support in many areas. He also faces at least 100 criminal charges against him filed by various government agencies, mostly on corruption. Khan has depicted his removal and the charges as part of a campaign against him by Sharif, the United States and the Pakistani military  a claim all three deny.

The spark was the former leader's dramatic arrest on Tuesday. Khan was in court for one set of charges, when anti-graft agents barged in, dragged him away and shoved him into an armored vehicle in connection to other charges.

In the violence that ensued, at least 10 of his supporters were killed and dozens of protesters and more than 200 policemen injured. Protesters torched trucks, cars and police vehicles in the streets and blocked highways. It has echoed unrest that followed the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto during an election rally. Her supporters at the time, outraged by her killing, rampaged for days across Pakistan.

Police filed new terrorism charges on Thursday against Khan and top leaders from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on charges of inciting mobs to violence.

In an address to the nation late Wednesday, Sharif said Khan was arrested because of his involvement in corruption, and that there was evidence backing up these charges.

He said the unrest had forced him to deploy the military in Islamabad, in Punjab  Pakistans most populous province  and in volatile regions of the northwest.

Following the violence, the government shut down schools, colleges and universities in Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, where Khan has massive grassroots support and where most of the violence was reported. At least seven of the protester deaths so far have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two in Punjabs capital Lahore, along with one in the southwestern city of Quetta. The government also suspended internet service in various parts of the country.

We will arrest all those who disrupted law and order, said Mohson Naqvi, the chief minister in Punjab.

Protester attacks on the military have been startling. The military has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of the 75 years since the country gained independence from British colonial rule and wields considerable power over civilian governments.

Khan supporters have attacked the military headquarters in Rawalpindi and security posts in the northwest. In Lahore on Tuesday night, demonstrators ransacked and burned down the residence of the regional commander, Lt. Gen. Salman Fayyaz Ghani.

The military vowed on Wednesday to respond to attacks by demonstrators with full force. It said the attacks on its installations were launched in an orchestrated manner, and the violence was a black chapter in the countrys history.

___

Associated Press writers Babar Dogar in Lahore and Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this story.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP)  The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine via a cargo ship linked to a sanctioned company that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town in December.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation into the visit by a Russian vessel named Lady R to his nation's main naval base was already underway behind the scenes with the help of U.S. intelligence services before Ambassador Reuben Brigety went public at a news conference in the South African capital, Pretoria, that the cargo was weapons and ammunition.

Brigety said the U.S. was certain that military equipment was loaded onto the Lady R at the Simons Town naval base between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 and then transported to Russia. He said it brought into question South Africas supposed neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and its calls for the conflict to end.

The arming of the Russians is extremely serious and we do not consider this issue to be resolved," Brigety said in comments reported by multiple South African news outlets.

If South Africa is found to be giving Russia military aid, it threatens to fracture the relationship between the United States and a key partner in Africa. Despite South Africa's neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, the Biden Administration was hoping it could still be a key buffer against growing Russian and Chinese influence on the continent.

While Ramaphosa's office said in a statement later Thursday that there was currently no evidence to support allegations that arms were loaded onto the Lady R, The Associated Press established that the vessel is tied to a company that was sanctioned last year by the U.S. for being involved in transporting military equipment for the Russian government.

The news of Brigety's comments broke while Ramaphosa was in Cape Town answering questions on other matters in Parliament. When the leader of the political opposition, John Steenhuisen, asked about the weapons and ammunition, the president replied that the matter is being looked into, and in time we will be able to speak about it.

Ramaphosa declined to comment further, citing the need for the investigation to play out.

Steenhuisen asked the president if South Africa was actively arming Russian soldiers who are murdering and maiming innocent people?

Ammunition supplies have become a problem for Russia in the war. The leader of Russian military company Wagner complained last week about his mercenary soldiers in Ukraine allegedly dealing with dire shortages.

Ramaphosa's office acknowledged in its statement that the Lady R docked in South Africa, but did not say when, where or for what reason. The statement also criticized the American ambassador for going public.

Records reviewed by the AP show the Lady R was purchased by a Russian company, Transmorflot LLC, in 2019. In May 2022, the U.S. sanctioned Transmorflot and several vessels it alleges are controlled by the company, including the Lady R, for aiding the Russian war effort. The company then changed its name to MG-Flot LLC, which is also listed as the current owner of the Lady R.

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that another ship owned by MG-Flot, the Rasul Gamzatov, transported artillery shells from Iran to Russia, citing Middle Eastern officials.

The AP has also independently confirmed that the Lady R docked at the Simon's Town naval base during the time frame Brigety cited.

MarineTraffic, a service that collects radio and satellite transponder data from ships, tracked the Lady R off the South African coast in early December, but the signal was lost on Dec. 5. Ships are required by international law to keep their transponders on while at sea. Smugglers often turn them off to hide their movements.

Satellite imagery obtained by AP shows a ship the same length, color and layout as the Lady R docked at the naval base the following day and remained there through Dec. 8. AP also obtained photos of the ship at the naval base, the name Lady R clearly visible on its stern in both English and Russian. The ship set sail Dec. 9 and its transponder signal popped back up on Dec. 10. It returned to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea on Feb. 22.

Steenhuisen's opposition party had previously raised questions over the appearance of a mystery Russian vessel in Simon's Town. In late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship was handling an old order for ammunition, and arms were offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.

The South African government has stated numerous times it is neutral on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully through diplomacy but recent displays of its closeness to Russia opened Africa's most developed country to accusations that it has effectively taken Russia's side.

South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks in January, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.

Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast. The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navy's flagship vessels. The South African navy took part in the drills and said they would strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.

South Africa also faces a diplomatic dilemma over a possible visit this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes involving the abductions of children from Ukraine. Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a meeting of leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

South Africa is a signatory to the international court based in The Hague, Netherlands, and obliged to arrest Putin. The government indicated it would not detain the Russian leader and threatened to leave the ICC instead. Ramaphosa's office released a statement last month backtracking on the threat.

___

AP Writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this story. AP Global Investigative Reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP)  The Ukrainian government is seeking to extend a wartime deal that allowed the country's grain to get to nations in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger is a growing threat, a top Ukrainian official said Thursday after the latest talks on prolonging the agreement.

The talks in Istanbul involved Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian and United Nations officials but yielded no decisions for an extension. The deal is due to expire next Wednesday.

Additional discussions are expected in an online format, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said. He said in a statement released after the talks that the grain deal should be extended for a longer period of time and expanded.

This will give predictability and confidence to both the global and the Ukrainian markets, Kubrakov said. Previous extensions lasted 120 days and 60 days.

However, Russia opposes both broadening the agreement and its indefinite expansion, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said after the talks. Moscow is considering proposals made by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the work, the contacts continue," Vershinin said.

If there is no consensus by May 18, the deal will cease to exist, the Russian diplomat said.

Ukraine and Russia are both major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other affordable food products that developing nations depend on. In July 2022, Moscow and Kyiv signed an agreement with the United Nations and Turkey that outlined a process for shipments from three of Ukraine's Black Sea ports to resume amid Russia's invasion of its neighbor.

It has since been renewed twice, most recently in March. According to the U.N., the agreement establishing a safe shipping corridor from the Ukrainian ports to Turkey has allowed over 30 million metric tons of grain and foodstuffs to leave the country.

Russia has repeatedly complained that a separate agreement with the U.N. to overcome obstacles to shipments of its fertilizers that was part of the July package has not produced results.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York on Thursday that contacts would continue during what he called a delicate phase.

U.N. officials are trying to do whatever we can to ensure that this very important initiative continues and that, as well, we see progress on our efforts of facilitation of Russian grain and fertilizer, he said.

According a U.N. statement, proposals discussed at the Thursday meeting included resuming operation of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline from Russia to Ukraine, a longer extension of the deal and the running of the Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center that oversees the deal's day-to-day implementation.

Vershinin reiterated Thursday that Moscow first and foremost is defending Russia's national interests, its agriculture producers, producers of fertilizers.

An initiative that brings unilateral benefits can hardly be recognized and confirmed by all, he said.

The Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement after the talks that the sides displayed constructive approaches.

___

Edith M. Lederer contributed from the United Nations in New York.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Paraguay far-right populist presidential candidate arrested

Paraguayan police detained former presidential candidate Paraguayo Cubas on Friday, the AP reported. Cubas came in third after he received 23% of the votes in a presidential election last Sunday with his far-right National Crusade Party. After his loss, he encouraged his supporters to protest over unsubstantiated claims that the vote was marred by fraud.

Cubas was broadcasting live on Facebook when police officers detained him outside his hotel in San Lorenzo, around 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Asuncion. Cubas is being held in preventive detention under an order by the Attorney Generals Office that accused him of breach of peace.

His supporters have taken to the streets and are blocking roads, demanding a recount and freedom for Cubas. At least 208 people have been detained for disturbance of public peace and other punishable offenses within the framework of the demonstrations taking place in the national territory, police said Thursday.

The Organization of American States, which deployed an observation mission for the election, said Tuesday there was no reason to doubt the results of the vote count.

To read the full AP story, visit: https://bit.ly/apparaguaycubas

King's coronation draws apathy, criticism in former colonies

King Charles III was crowned in London on Saturday, the AP reported. As British sovereign, Charles is the head of state of 14 other countries, though the role is largely ceremonial. These realms, which include Australia, Canada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, represent a minority of the Commonwealth nations: most of the 56 members are republics, even if some still sport the Union Jack on their flags.

In those countries, the first crowning of a British monarch in 70 years is an occasion to reflect on oppression and colonialisms bloody past. The displays of pageantry in London clashed with growing calls in the Caribbean to sever all ties with the monarchy.

Barbados was the most recent Commonwealth country to remove the British monarch as its head of state, replacing Charles mother, Queen Elizabeth II, with an elected president in 2021. The decision spurred similar republican movements in neighboring Jamaica, the Bahamas and Belize.

Experts say that despite its flaws, historical baggage and fraying edges, the Commonwealth still holds appeal, especially for poorer nations. Most observers believe countries like Jamaica that want an elected head of state are likely to retain their memberships.

To read the full AP story, visit: https://bit.ly/apukcoronation

Rights panel found Peru used excessive force to quell protests

The Inter American Commission on Human Rights said Wednesday that Perus military and police used excessive force to quell violent anti-government protests that took place from December through February, the AP reported. The protests were sparked after former President Pedro Castillo was removed from office by Congress and protestors gathered to demand the resignation of current President Dina Boluarte and new elections.

As an autonomous arm of the Organization of American States, the commission recommended that the use of excessive force should be investigated as possible extrajudicial executions and massacres.

According to government reports, at least 60 people died in the course of the protests, most of them civilians. The commission said the violations took place in several regions across Peru, but centered its investigation on the cities of Ayacucho and Juliaca, which saw the largest number of deaths.

The protests were carried out, for the most part, by Indigenous peoples and peasant communities, mainly from the southern regions of Apurimac, Ayacucho, Puno and Arequipa, which saw the highest number of victims.

To read the full AP story, visit: https://bit.ly/apperuprotestsreport

Conservatives will now control rewrite of Chilean Constitution

The Chilean far right won the highest number of seats in a commission tasked with writing a new constitution to replace the one imposed under the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, the AP reported.

The impetus to write a new constitution followed violent student-led protests in 2019 that demanded greater equality and social protections. Congress managed to get the protests under control by calling for a referendum on whether to draw up a new constitution, which almost 80% of voters agreed was needed.

However, much of that early enthusiasm waned after a draft constitution was presented to Chilean voters. Critics said it was too long, lacked clarity and went too far in some of its progressive measures. About 62% of Chileans voted to reject it, setting up Sundays vote to choose a committee to draft its replacement.

A coalition of left-leaning parties allied with progressive President Gabriel Boric, Unity for Chile, won 16 seats while a center-right alliance, Safe Chile, got 11. The right-leaning Republican Party, which has long said it opposes a new charter, obtained 23 of the 50 seats in the commission. This means its representatives will not only have the most seats but will also enjoy veto power over any proposals they dislike.

To read the full AP story, visit: https://bit.ly/apchileconservativeconstitution

Mexican chef wins Worlds Best Female Chef 2023

Mexican chef Elena Reygadas of the restaurant Rosetta in Mexico City was recognized as the Worlds Best Female Chef 2023 by the British company William Reed, the AP reported. Rosetta is one of several restaurants opened by Reygadas in the capital and focuses on using seasonal, local ingredients.

Despite cooking still being largely the domestic domain of women, professional kitchens have historically been male dominated. To help spark change, she founded a scholarship for female culinary students from rural Mexico. Last year, they started with three and this year with the support of a bank, they plan to expand it to more than two dozen scholarships.

To read the full AP story, visit: https://bit.ly/apmexicochef
SOUTHINGTON  The Southington Community Cultural Arts Center will be hosting a Pictures for Paws art fundraising gala Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event is being held in support of Southington High School student Jenna Davis, a sophomore in the schools special education program, so her family can afford a service dog to alert her caretakers when she might be having a seizure and provide comfort.

All of the proceeds will go to Davis family so they can purchase Jennas service dog Jasper, which is undergoing training in Florida, at a cost of around $22,000. Over 70 pieces of artwork will be up for auction, all provided by Jenna herself and other SHS students involved in the Flash Friends Photography program.

The program was started by Sara Levinthal, an art instructor at the high school, giving cameras to special needs students so they could have an outlet to express themselves creatively. She and two special education instructors, Lynn Economopoulos and Amy Corvi, organized the event alongside SoCCA.

The auction isnt hosted through the school itself. Economopoulos and Corvi organized it after working with Davis and wanting to give back to the family. The students in the Flash Friends Photography program were happy to give away their works for the auction, many of them friends of Davis. For them, the auction is not just critical for helping Davis afford the care she needs, but also for showcasing the creative work of their students that the programming through the Southington schools has allowed them to do.

Partnering with SoCCA seemed like a natural fit, as the organizations principles lined up for the kind of event the teachers wished to host.

To know Jenna is to love Jenna. So we love our family vibe at the high school in our program. And so when we have someone in need, we all sort of do what we can to help them out, Economopoulos said. It's so important because we want to show people that a disability doesn't prevent you from being able to do anything that you want to do. And being able to showcase their amazing work just brings a lot of joy to us because we want the community to see what they're capable of, and we want to inspire others to get everyone in the community involved in things going on.

Several local businesses in the community have helped sponsor the auction, including Jerry's Artarama in West Hartford who provided the mats for the event. Davis family also received an independent donation so they could make quality prints for the photographs.

Seeing the support from members of the community, and SoCCA allowing them to use their gallery space for the event free of charge, has been encouraging for the teachers, who are proud of the resources that the town has been able to provide students with specialized needs.

Our goal is to always bridge community connections. So when we learned of SoCCA and their mission statement, which is to pretty much expose all people with all abilities to art, to create meaningful connections to art, to help enrich the quality of their life, we thought, what better way to help bridge this connection? They were very gracious and generous to host this event, Corvi said. I think the community component is really important to us. Our goal is for our students to be independent active members of their community. So the fact that we were able to have this community-funded event sponsored by SoCCA, which offers their all-access classes here, it's meaningful exposure to art for all people of all ages and all abilities.

I'm as excited as they are to do it. I'm honored to host stuff like that here. It's just a good cause, said Diann Thomson, executive director of SoCCA.

The doors to SoCCAs building downtown at 93 Main St. in Southington will be open to guests at 5:30, with free entry into the gallery space for those who wish to attend.
Douglas Mwonzora, the leader of Zimbabwes MDC party, is currently facing major challenges in his political career. In recent days, he has suffered several setbacks, including losing a court challenge aimed at postponing elections. Additionally, the MDC Alliance principals, a coalition of parties that contested the 2018 elections under the MDC banner, removed him as their leader due to gross incompetence.

Mwonzora also recently lost a Constitutional Court application that sought to invalidate the Zimbabwe Electoral Commissions delimitation report. The court dismissed his application, stating that it could not stop a constitutional process. Mwonzora had wanted the court to declare the delimitation invalid and compel President Emmerson Mnangagwa to proclaim an election date only after a new delimitation report was produced.

According to Multi-racial Christian Party leader Mathias Guchutu, Mwonzora has failed to hold a meeting of principals since March last year, and has also failed to share the money that the party received from the government under the Political Parties (Finance) Act. Former MDC deputy president Elias Mudzuri accused Mwonzora of leading the opposition party into oblivion and violating its constitution.

Despite attempts to contact Mwonzora for comment, his phone remained unanswered.

Breaking News via Email
Former Finance minister Tendai Biti has slammed the current Treasury boss Mthuli Ncube over Zimbabwes struggling currency.

Biti said on Twitter that there is rampant rejection of the local currency in the market. He claimed local manufacturers are rejecting the Zimbabwean dollar, proving that an economy will never be run by statutory instruments. He called it a disaster.

The government has introduced measures to stabilize the local currency, including gold coins, but without success. Biti said Zimbabwe remains trapped in multiple crises  economic, political and social. He described the current regime as the worst in history.

The Zimbabwean dollar, reintroduced in 2019 after a decade of using multiple currencies, is trading at a 200% premium on the parallel market. It currently trades between $2,500 and $2,700 to the US dollar, compared to the official rate of $1,070. Some businesses have stopped accepting the local currency and charge only in U.S. dollars despite threats from the government.

Finance ministry spokesperson Clive Mphambela requested questions in writing but did not provide a comment before publication.

Economists have said the continuous decline of the local currency is due to excess liquidity chasing limited U.S. dollar reserves, putting pressure on the exchange rate.

Breaking News via Email
David Phiri (52) has been charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly setting dogs on Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) television license inspectors.

According to court documents, Mr. Dadley Murwira and Mr. Qhubekani Ndebele, both employed by ZBC as license inspectors, were performing their duties in Victoria Falls when they arrived at Phiris home on March 24, 2023.

Prosecutors allege Phiri accused the inspectors of harassing the community. He then allegedly threatened to open his gate and unleash his dogs to bite the inspectors.

Murwira and Ndebele fled the scene when Phiri opened the gate, prosecutors claim.

They reported the incident to police, leading to Phiris arrest. Murwira and Ndebele were unable to complete their inspection duties as a result.

Phiri, of 753 Aerodrome in Victoria Falls, appeared in court but did not enter a plea. The case was postponed pending further investigations.

Breaking News via Email
My position with the Post has evolved since 2000, when I began work with The City Paper. In 2008, SouthComm Inc. bought the Post and The City Paper, after which I worked with both publications. The City Paper ceased operations in 2013, two years after I was named Post managing editor. In 2018, FW Publishing acquired the Post.

Follow William Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
(Natural News) Reparations for black residents in California are forecasted to cost $800 billion  more than twice the cost of the states entire annual budget, but activists say that is not enough.

(Article by Elaine Mallon republished from Breitbart.com)

Last night, the task force approved recommendations for reparation payments, which are due to the state legislature by July 1, Breitbart reported. The nine-member task force called on lawmakers to make a formal apology for slavery and also requested that those eligible will receive cash down payments. The task force was assembled two years ago following George Floyd being killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. California was the first state to assemble a reparations task force.

If passed, a black resident, older than 71, would be eligible to receive more than $1.2 million in reparations, as reported by Fox.

But during last nights meeting, an activist known as Rev. Tony Pierce called out the task force for being fearful of getting the black community what they really deserve.

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.

Pierce was joined by former Black Panther Party chairwoman Elaine Brown, who called for people to turn to demonstrations, as reported by the DailyMail. Aaron Kliegman of Fox News reported that:

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.

While the task forces report is just estimates, leaving it up to lawmakers to come up with tangible numbers, the task force was not instructed to identify funding sources for the reparations, according to California Justice Department officials.

The city of San Francisco sanction reparations committee has recommended every black resident be allocated $5 million, as reported by the Associated Press (AP).

Read more at: Breitbart.com
(Natural News) The Biden regime continues to use the lie of human-caused climate change to foist unreliable and expensive electric vehicles on as many Americans as possible while also reducing our reliance on time-saving home appliances.

Under the guise of fighting climate change, the regime has now proposed new regulations that target some of the most commonly used household appliances, including dishwashers. According to Fox Business, the Department of Energy has proposed new rules that would reduce the current limits for water and energy use in dishwashers.

The proposed rules would limit dishwashers to using 3.2 gallons of water per cycle, significantly lower than the current limit of 5 gallons, and manufacturers would need to reduce their products energy consumption by almost 30 percent. Even though most dishwashers available on the market already meet or exceed the current federal standards, the proposed rules have left some questioning why the Biden administration is focusing on such regulations rather than other priorities.

Dishwashers are not the only appliances Bidens DOE has set its sights on, however, as the regulator is also considering crackdowns on washers, dryers and refrigerators that manufacturers say could reduce performance, Fox Business noted further.

Members of the regime have been clear: The rule changes pertain to Bidens climate agenda.

Collectively these energy efficiency actions  support President Bidens ambitious clean energy agenda to combat the climate crisis, the DOE wrote earlier this year.

This Administration is using all of the tools at our disposal to save Americans money while promoting innovations that will reduce carbon pollution and combat the climate crisis, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm stated in a Friday news release.

Critics have also poked major holes in the regimes claim that the new rules are going to save American consumers oodles of money each year.

The department estimates that consumers will save $3 billion over the next 30 years, or $100 million per year, on their utility bills thanks to the rougher rules, Christian Britschgi wrote at Reason. Thats a pretty small per capita savings when spread across the 89 million dishwasher-owning households.

In fact, he noted that the new rules actually might lead to more water use:

The new regulations might lead to more water usage as individuals switch to washing dishes by hand, Britschgi pointed out, citing research from the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI).

The think tanks proposal led President Donald Trumps administration to approve a new class of dishwashers that clean dishes in one hour, though Bidens team repealed the pro-consumer regulatory agenda of his predecessor.

The proposed dishwasher regulations follow a recent debate over gas stoves at the national level. Despite Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumers reassurances that there is nothing to be concerned about, just last week his home state of New York prohibited gas stoves.

Nobody is taking away your gas stove, Schumer tweeted in early February. Shameless and desperate MAGA Republicans are showing us they will cook up any distraction to divert from real issues the American people want solved, like the debt ceiling.

That turned out to be 100 percent false, obviously.

Nevertheless, New York lawmakers agreed to ban gas stove hookups in all future buildings in late April. The ban will affect new construction on small buildings in 2025 and move on to larger buildings by 2028, Fox Business added.

In a statement last month, Consumer Product Safety Commission Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr., a Democratic activist and labor union leader, suggested that stoves could pose a hidden hazard to users and that any option is on the table. However, after receiving backlash, Chairman Alex Hoehn-Saric clarified that the agency had no plans to ban stoves.

But in February, the Energy Department went ahead with a new proposal that would allow government regulators to write energy consumption standards for the appliances, the Daily Wire reported.

Sources include:

DailyWire.com

Reason.com

FoxBusiness.com
(Natural News) The Biden administration has reintroduced a previous immigration rule, which was initially implemented during the Trump administration, just one day before Title 42 was set to expire amid concerns that ending the pandemic-era policy could encourage a surge of illegal immigration into the United States.

The rule, published in the Federal Register, states that migrants will be disqualified from applying for asylum in the U.S. if they did not first apply for asylum in other countries they traveled through, such as Mexico. In preparation for the expiration of Title 42, which is set to happen soon, hundreds of asylum officers were trained in how to implement the rule on Tuesday, CBS News reported.

The reinstatement of the immigration rule is a reversal of President Joe Bidens campaign promises. It comes as the administration has struggled for over two years to control the historic levels of illegal immigration into the country. The situation at the southern border is expected to worsen as Title 42, a health order allowing for immediate expulsion of migrants without processing, is set to expire on Thursday at 11:59 p.m.

The title allows the United States government to expel migrants, including asylum seekers, at the border without allowing them to seek protection in the country. The order was implemented by the Trump administration in March 2020, citing public health concerns and the need to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Critics argued that the order violates international and domestic law, including the right to seek asylum and the principle of non-refoulment, which prohibits the return of individuals to a country where they may face persecution. They also argue that the order puts migrants at risk by forcing them to return to dangerous situations in their home countries.

The Biden regime faced criticism from immigration advocates and human rights groups for its decision to keep Title 42 in place for as long as it did. Still, the rule led to a significant decrease in the number of migrants entering the country, and allowed Trump to control an out-of-control border.

Meanwhile, during his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden heavily criticized Trumps immigration policies, especially the one hes reimplementing.

This is the first president in the history of the United States of America that anybody seeking asylum has to do it in another country, Biden claimed during the final debate of the campaign, according to The Daily Wire. Thats never happened before in America.

DHS has been making preparations to manage the expected surge in migration that has already started before the expiration of Title 42. They requested and received 1,500 military personnel from the Pentagon to assist with administrative tasks at the border, freeing up more border agents for enforcement.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has teamed up with local and state law enforcement officials to start removing thousands of illegal migrants from the streets of El Paso, Texas, which is one of the main hotspots for illegal migration. The Democratic Mayor of El Paso, Oscar Leeser, declared a state of emergency in the city ahead of the end of Title 42. Leeser has previously warned that up to 15,000 migrants could potentially enter the city from Ciudad Juarez once Title 42 ends.

Border Patrol chief Raul Ortiz reported on Monday that the number of migrant apprehensions per day had reached nearly 9,000 on average, with over 7,000 instances of gotaways  illegal immigrants who were spotted crossing into the U.S. but were not apprehended. On Tuesday, over 11,000 migrants were reportedly caught crossing the southern border.

Biden no doubt was under pressure from Congress and a growing number of Americans who are aware that hundreds of thousands of migrants are already waiting to rush the border the moment Title 42 ends. Worse, Biden created this mess in the first place, and frankly, its an impeachable offense.

Sources include:

DailyWire.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Californias retail electricity price is highest in the United States and more than twice the average power cost in the western part of the country.

Since 1998, Democrats have controlled Californias state legislature. They adopted ineffective, misguided and economically damaging energy and climate legislation that created skyrocketing electricity prices for California residents, businesses and organizations.

But despite the Golden States supposedly climate-friendly legislative schemes, its 2021 average retail electricity price was the highest in the entire country at 19.65 cents per kilowatt hour, an increase of 224.6 percent from the 1999 price of 8.75 cents per kilowatt hour.

The 10 other states in the western U.S. region have a 2021 average retail electricity price of only 9.19 cents per kilowatt hour.

Energy Information Administration (EIA) data shows that the average retail electricity price for the entire country from 1999 to 2021 only grew by 67.16 percent  6.64 cents per kilowatt hour from 1999 to 11.10 cents per kilowatt hour in 2021.

EIA is the principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System responsible for collecting, analyzing and disseminating energy information. The EIA average retail electricity price data provided the total electric industry price in each state, which includes price information from all full-service providers, restructured retail service providers, energy-only providers and delivery-only service providers. These electric service provider categories comprise the total electricity supply services utilized within each state.

Moreover, the data are established for residential, commercial, industrial, transportation and other consumer categories with an overall total price average included for each state as well the average across the United States.

California shoots itself in the foot with clean energy measures

According to Bloomberg, the jump in demand for natural gas, supply constraints and aging infrastructure has left the region vulnerable to price spikes. Also, the rainy winter has bought up challenges in the green energy transition, proving Californians are not ready yet to sacrifice their use of fossil fuels.

Unfortunately for Californians, theyre going through this bumpy energy transition where everything doesnt just fit exactly, Wood Mackenzie Ltd Research Director Eugene Kim said. Its a battle between longer-term energy transition versus your immediate needs.

Limited storage, damage to a key pipeline and a surge in demand have sent natural gas prices soaring in the state.

California Governor Gavin Newsom and other state politicians were adamant in pushing climate proposals that poured investment into the energy transition, moving away from natural gas and nuclear generation and discouraging significant investment in storage and pipeline capacity.

However, as residents complain of monthly electricity bills approaching $800, the governor has had no choice but to call for an investigation into the prices. (Related: Communist California has mandated unlimited electricity basic service at fixed monthly rates for consumers  will end in a grid-down disaster.)

A prolonged drought followed by a wet and chilly winter at first stymied the states hydropower capacity and then crippled its short-term solar generation. The gap has left California ill-equipped to deal with any surge in demand or disruption to supply, both of which have happened in recent months. The cold winter has also made Californians crank up their heating systems and has left working gas stockpiles in the Pacific region at their lowest level for this time of year since at least 2010.

Follow NewEnergyReport.com to catch the latest updates on electricity prices.

Watch the video below that talks about Californias energy crisis.

This video is from the Millennial Millie Clips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Renewables NOT ENOUGH to cover Europes energy needs.

Relying solely on wind and solar power requires the TAKEOVER of so much land compared to fossil fuels.

The race toward renewable energy is DOOMING the UKs power grid and will lead to rolling blackouts.

BLACKOUT bill: Minnesota lawmakers pass legislation banning use of coal, oil and gas for states electricity grid.

Sources include:

WhatsUpWithThat.com

Bloomberg.com 1

Bloomberg.com 2

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Farmers in the Netherlands are at risk of having their lands seized under the guise of curbing supposedly harmful emissions, and the Dutch government has made it its goal to seize up to half of the countrys farmland.

The government of the Netherlands has just been given the green light by the European Unions (EU) main executive body to push forward with a farm buyout scheme that will see the country spend 1.5 billion euros ($1.64 billion) in taxpayer money to drastically cut emissions of nitrogen pollution by outright seizing livestock farms. (Related: Relying solely on wind and solar power requires the TAKEOVER of so much land compared to fossil fuels.)

The ruling coalition of the Netherlands wants to cut the countrys emission of pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and ammonia by 50 percent nationwide by 2030.

Seventy percent of Holland is owned by small cow farmers, noted documentary filmmaker James Patrick in an interview with Alex Newman of The New American. [The government] is proposing to nationalize half of them. So, thats 35 percent of the landmass of Holland, which is such a huge story.

Dutch government to seize and cease all activity on farmlands

The Dutch governments plan is to reduce nitrogen deposits in areas designated by the EU as vulnerable nature, and these designated lands mostly affect livestock farms.

European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager said in a statement that the programs approved in the Netherlands would clear the way for the voluntary closure of farms responsible for nitrogen emissions. The EU has designated up to 3,000 farms nationwide that the Dutch government can voluntarily buy out.

To reach the governments goal of shrinking the countrys emissions by 50 percent in the next seven years, up to half of these designated farms may need to be seized.

Once the Dutch government purchases and takes away these designated farms, its goal is to halt all work on those farms to prevent them from emitting too much nitrogen.

The schemes will improve the environmental conditions in those areas and will promote a more sustainable and environmentally friendly production in the livestock sector, without unduly distorting competition, claimed Vestager.

Dutch pro-farmer organization LTO said in a statement that if the buyouts will happen, then they must exclusively be voluntary and must be designed in such a way that they truly offer farmers who voluntarily give up their land the opportunity to remain comfortable for the rest of their lives from the money provided to them by the sale.

LTO also called for compromise transition schemes that would allow farmers to continue operating in such a way that they voluntarily reduce nitrogen emissions using agricultural innovations or switching to other less polluting activities.

This is the only way farmers can make informed and well-considered decisions about their futures, said LTO.

Last year, Dutch agricultural exports were worth an estimated 122.3 billion euros ($134 billion), or around 12 to 13 percent of the countrys GDP. Shutting down up to half of all farm activity in the Netherlands would not only do nothing to improve the environment, but it would also devastate the nations economy and food supply, not to mention the livelihoods of the thousands of Dutch people who make a living working in agriculture.

Learn more about the dangerous policies being proposed to combat so-called climate change at GreenTyranny.news and ClimateAlarmism.news.

Watch this video from The New American as Alex Newman interviews documentary filmmaker James Patrick about how the farmer land seizure is just a cover-up to transfer more land to the elites.

This video is from The New American channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

STARVE FOR THE CLIMATE: European Union partners with Dutch government to shut down dairy, cattle, pig and poultry farms across the country.

EU farmers push back against green agenda: Why does Brussels hate us?

CLIMATE INSANITY: UK cows to be given methane suppressants in bizarre effort to achieve lower emissions.

Mayor of Hague threatens protesting Dutch farmers with VIOLENCE to stop their blockades and tractor caravans.

There is no climate emergency: Around 1,500 scientists and professionals oppose net-zero CO2 policy.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

FoxNews.com

EuroNews.com

Data.WorldBank.org
(Natural News) Jordan Neely is the homeless man who recently died on the New York City subway system while being restrained by other passengers.

(Article by Jim Hoft republished from TheGatewayPundit.com)

The media and far-left Democrats have been working overtime to portray Neely as an innocent victim of murder.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is investigating after a subway passenger died, apparently at the hands of a 24-year-old Marine veteran who used a chokehold to subdue him. 30-year-old Jordan Neely died from compression of neck (chokehold)

Bragg determined the manner of death to be a homicide.

However, Jordan Neely has been arrested numerous times and has a reputation for causing disturbances; he once pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping when he was caught dragging a 7-year-old girl down an Inwood street.

The New York Daily News reported:

Neely was arrested 42 times across the last decade, with his most recent bust in November 2021 for slugging a 67-year-old female stranger in the face as she exited a subway station in the East Village, cops said. The senior citizen suffered a broken nose and fractured orbital bone when she was knocked to the sidewalk, along with swelling and substantial head pain after hitting the ground. Neely eventually pleaded to felony assault and received 15 months in an alternative-to-incarceration program that, if completed, would have allowed him to plead to misdemeanor assault and get a conditional discharge. But a warrant was issued for his arrest on Feb. 23, when he skipped a court compliance court date where a judge was to be updated on whether he was meeting all the requirements of the program. On June 27, 2019, Neely was arrested for punching a 64-year-old man in the face during a fight in a Greenwich Village subway station, cops said. And he was busted in August 2015 for attempted kidnapping after he was seen dragging a 7-year-old girl down an Inwood street. He pled guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and was sentenced to four months in jail.

Newsweek reported more on this mans troubled past:

Jordan Neelys Criminal Record: Man Killed on Subway Had 42 Prior Arrests A New York City police spokesperson told Newsweek that Neelys 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. Many of Neelys arrests were for alleged violations of local law, the spokesperson said, and involved lower-level offenses such as having an open container of alcohol in public.

The Gateway Pundit also reported that journalist Andy Ngo, dug up a post on the internet forum Reddit, from nine years ago, which appears to be from a person who knew of Neely and warned people to avoid him.

The post reads in part:

Used to be all cool, dancing to MJ in the subway train, but as of late hes become a maniac. Sometime in late Spring/early Summer I saw him in the train, his radio fucked up and he was angry as fuck, cursing and badmouthing commuters screaming What the fuck are you looking at? Dont fucking look at me! Ever since that day hes just been a scary dude to me.

A post on Reddit from nine years ago warns the public about #JordanNeely. The mans death after being restrained by passengers has ignited BLM rage because one of the passengers involved appears to be white. https://t.co/H2x7htqD8J pic.twitter.com/eHKarkHgj7  Andy Ngo ???? (@MrAndyNgo) May 5, 2023

According to Ngo, more New Yorkers are speaking out about their experiences with the dangerous man.

As the death of Jordan Neely has gone viral due to leftist & BLM misinformation, more New Yorkers are speaking out about their experiences with the dangerous man. One person says Neely tried to push them into the train tracks at the Broadway-Lafayette station. Neely had an arrest warrant for the assault of a 67-year-old woman at the time of his death & has a long arrest history, Ngo tweeted.

As the death of #JordanNeely has gone viral due to leftist & BLM misinformation, more New Yorkers are speaking out about their experiences with the dangerous man. One person says Neely tried to push them into the train tracks at the Broadway-Lafayette station. Neely had an arrest pic.twitter.com/PPNTGY4iUo  Andy Ngo ???? (@MrAndyNgo) May 6, 2023

According to Jack Posobiec, The US Marine Corps just doxxed the marine involved in the Jordan Neely incident

Information Liberation reported:

Marine veteran Daniel Penny, 25, the Good Samaritan who stepped up to restrain Neely after he threatened passengers while shouting about how hes ready to die, never would have been put in such a position if NYC officials didnt repeatedly set Neely free and allow him to go around beating people, threatening people, kidnapping children and abusing drugs. Now NYC officials want to throw the book at Penny and have transformed Neely into a saint! At this rate, it wont be long until libtards demand Neely get posthumously pardoned for his many crimes, just as they did with the drug-addicted robber and felon George Floyd! Though Penny was initially released as it was clear he did nothing wrong, CBS News is now reporting that the case is likely to go to a grand jury next week, citing law enforcement sources. In a statement released on Friday evening, Pennys attorneys said, Mr. Neely had a documented history of violence and erratic behavior, the apparent result of ongoing and untreated mental illness.

When Mr. Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and 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.

Read more at: TheGatewayPundit.com
(Natural News) In order to stop the weather from getting warm, Stephanie Feldstein, who wrote an op-ed recently for Scientific American, believes that depopulation, meaning a world with far fewer people, is the solution.

In the piece, Feldstein openly celebrates the depopulation that has already been ramping up in recent years, which we know is due to the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and the vaccines that were released under Operation Warp Speed.

Birth rates are down massively; tens of millions of people are needlessly dead; and now the United Nations is predicting much larger population reductions by the year 2050, which Feldstein says is good news on the global warming front.

Considering no other large animals population has grown as much, as quickly or as devastatingly for other species as ours, we should all be celebrating population decline, Feldstein writes, likening human beings to animals.

(Related: Last fall, Reuters flat-out called for mass genocide as the final solution to global warming.)

Fighting climate change is code for mass genocide of the non-elite

In Feldsteins mind, fewer people on the planet means fewer mouths to feed, which also means a whole lot more resources for the globalist elite to exploit for themselves instead of having to share it with what she perceives as worthless human cattle.

Feldstein, by the way, is the population and sustainability director at the Centre for Biological Diversity, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that is committed to secur[ing] our planets future, according to its website.

The only thing about population decline that is bad, in Feldsteins view, is the fact that it threatens the current economic order, which is based on growth.

Shifting to a model based on degrowth and equity alongside lower fertility rates will help fight climate change and increase wealth and well-being, she contends.

There are only two options, in other words: stop reproducing and perhaps kill yourself, or kill the planet. This is the primary doctrine of the Green Cult, of which Feldstein is clearly a member.

Feldstein basically lays it all out with no beating around the bush. In order for governments to meet their climate goals, they need to see more declining populations and ageing demographics. Both of these things, she says helps to reduce carbon emissions.

One of the books Feldstein promotes in her op-ed is a work called The Jane Effect, written by Jane Goodall, that likewise calls for a massive reduction in the worlds population in order to fight climate change. In 2020 at the World Economic Forums (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Goodall called for the global population to be reduced to just 450 million people.

This is 50 million people less than what was written on the now-demolished Georgia Guidestones, which stated in stone that an ideal world population for the globalist overlords to most easily exploit is 500 million.

Feldstein is an acolyte of Goodall who feels similarly that the world right now is seeing runaway human population growth and overconsumption, which must be reversed in order for her envisioned green new world to manifest.

Contrary to the hysteria being pushed by governments and the bought and paid for mainstream media, the statistics show that severe weather events are actually decreasing, one commenter wrote about how the very premise behind global warming, which is just a cover story excuse for promoting mass genocide, is inherently flawed. Wild fires are as well.

Carbon dioxide is not driving any change of the climate it rises or falls in reaction to the climate. The main driver of the climate is the sun and our distance from it as we orbit it.

The latest climate-related news can be found at Climate.news.

Sources for this article include:

Expose-News.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A House Republican report claims that the CIA solicited signatures for the letter from 51 intelligence officials discrediting Hunter Bidens laptop as disinformation.

In addition, the report, released by the House Oversight Committee, also alleges that a CIA employee may have helped in soliciting signatures and accuses former Deputy CIA director and Acting CIA Director Mike Morell and the Biden campaign of conspiring to get the letter approved, the UKs Daily Mail reported.

The 51 intel officials signed a letter in 2020 falsely insinuating that Hunter Bidens laptop had classic earmarks of a Russian information operation. The revelation comes as probes into Hunters business deals continue and on the eve of an update from Republicans on the Oversight Committee about the Biden familys alleged shady business practices.

One of the signers of the letter, former CIA analyst David Cariens, disclosed to the Committees that a CIA employee affiliated with the agencys Prepublication Classification Review Board (PCRB) informed him of the existence of the statement and asked if he would sign it, which he did, the House investigative report notes.

The Committees have requested additional material from the CIA, which has ignored the request to date, the 39-page report says.

The investigative report states that on October 19, 2020, Morell reportedly sent the agency the final version of the letter to the Prepublication Classification Review for review and described it as a rush job in order for it to be approved.

The Daily Mail adds: The new report, which will be published Wednesday in conjunction with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, also reveals that former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper provided editorial advice to strengthen the verbiage.'

On October 18, emails contained within the report show Clapper emailing Morrell that he intended to sign onto the letter.

Clapper, a career intel bureaucrat who has been accused of lying under oath to Congress (and, of course, got away with it), offered an editorial fix: I have one editorial suggestion for the letter: I think it would strengthen the verbiage if you say this has all the classic earmarks of a Soviet/Russian information operation rather than the feel of a Russian operation.

Morrell wrote back that he accepted Clappers suggestion, adding: It was a good one.

Morrell testified before the House Judiciary Committee that his interest in coordinating the letter was triggered by an Oct. 17 call with Bidens current Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. However, Blinken denied being behind the letter and insisted last week that he does not do politics.

One of the great benefits of this job is that I dont do politics, dont engage in it, he claimed, although he wasnt secretary of state when the letter was drafted and circulated, he was advising Joe Bidens presidential campaign. But with regard to that letterit wasnt my idea, I didnt ask for it, didnt solicit it.

When asked by Fox News if he accepted the legitimacy of the laptop, as most major news organizations have verified it, Blinken declined to comment, stating that he does not want to discuss politics.

Im not engaging in politics. Ive got a lot on my agenda. Some things that we just talked about, trying to help the Russian aggression against engaging with our allies, partners around the world and dealing with some of the challenges posed by China. We have a situation now in Sudan, this has fully occupied my time, he told Fox News, per RepublicWorld.com.

Biden and his campaign cited the letter and the fact that it was signed by so many intel officials to dismiss his sons laptop as a Russian disinformation campaign.

Sources include:

RepublicWorld.com

DailyMail.co.uk
(Natural News) Commentary

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has always played the long game. Its pivotal to their strength. They have a disciplined ability to think generationally rather than focus on the political climate of the now. The CCP has zero respect for the rule of law, nor does it abide by any code of ethics. When you have the ability to rule without law, you become the worlds adversary.

(Article by Kash Patel republished from TheEpochTimes.com)

The CCP has poured their fentanyl onto our streets via their partners south of our border: the Mexican drug cartels. This led to the untimely deaths of more than 100,000 Americans in 2022 alone due to fentanyl overdoses. Now, China has fashioned this death drug into the form of common candy to make it more appealing to our youth. This is the death train being operated by the CCP. Its the one you can see and feel every day.

Tragically for the United States, the CCP also has a silent killer in the form of digital fentanyl, and its called TikTok. This social media platform is a facet of CCP warfare that remains undetected by most.

The CCP has started an information war on the United States that isnt in the form of news. However, the means by which theyre doing so is only now being accurately reported in the mainstream media. After years of accepting CCP disinformation, our media is finally waking up to the cold hard fact of data theft. The CCP pirates are seizing troves of information daily through TikTok.

The nearly 150 million Americans who sign into the platform daily, nearly half our population, would do well to take a moment to give their thumb a rest and their eyes something to read. Unless, of course, they want the CCP to win.

Unfortunately, through the Biden administrations disastrous foreign policy, we arent set up to win the information war head-on, let alone take on any aspect of it. Download TikTok onto your phone, and the CCP has a four-lane highway into your everyday life for free. We are intentionally giving the CCP a massive money bin of data for free, and Xi is laughing all the way from mainland China. How can we let this be in the United States in 2023?

What are they stealing? Your personal information, information on your family, habits, and hobbies, and your internet footprint for starters. They then collate this information and stack it for use against Americans based on their interests and vulnerabilities. How else do you think Chinese spies infiltrate American lives? Its not Google.

For those saying but Tik Tok is an American company, thats a false narrative, and it was entirely defeated when the CEO of ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, testified before Congress recently. Immediately thereafter, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) demanded public support for TikTok.

Then-President Donald Trump understood the CCPs intention better than anyone: from their Belt and Road Initiative to the manipulation of their currency and their desire to supplant the United States on the global stage. Trump responded strongly, taking steps to ban TikTok, implementing tariffs and trade sanctions, and expelling Chinese diplomats from the United States.

Biden and his administration have not only reversed every single one of these measures, but have also retracted from taking any position against Xi and the CCP. By doing so, we have seen the rise of the petro-yuan to replace the petro-dollar. We have seen Xi broker deals between Saudi Arabia and Iran, inching the worlds largest state sponsor of terror closer to a weapons-grade nuclear program.

We have seen the gall of the CCP come full circle in Xis declaration that he will be the worlds peacemaker. A man who leads a party thats responsible for three modern-day genocides in China, resulting in concentration camps, forced breeding, and torture, is now the self-anointed face of global diplomacy. And every time you log into TikTok, youre empowering his maniacal regime and the degradation of the United States. That may be hard for you to believe, but you can follow the intel, or you can follow AOC.

The CCP has one mission: Replace the United States of America as the world leader. The greatest advantage in warfare is information. The CCP siphons and cycles our data that they steal from TikTok to achieve this end. They do so at any cost because they see no cost thats too great. Therein lies our solution. An overwhelming majority of nations around the world demand a rule of law that respects humanity, not one that binds it in concentration camps.

Tariffs, sanctions, and stopping currency manipulation is a start. We should be shutting down access to the international banking system, ending trade tech relations, and removing CCP spies from U.S. soil. We must stop giving the CCP billions of dollars in U.S. products, technology, and goods only to have them use it against the American people to wage their decades-long mission to replace the United States.

This administration is rewarding the CCPs tyrannical behavior, but each time you sign into TikTok, you are doing the same. Follow the intel and delete TikTok.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Read more at: TheEpochTimes.com
(Natural News) Several fast food chains are declaring bankruptcy and closing both dining locations and corporate offices across the country due to under-performance brought about by economic uncertainties. For World Alternative Medias (WAM) Josh Sigurdson, this is a sign of worse things to come.

He remarked that while health and environment advocates could see this as a cause for celebration, others do not. Sigurdson added that people arent paying attention to what comes next if Americans cannot afford to eat even the cheapest junk food.

If the food that the poorest people can afford no matter how bad it is goes down, the next step is leading to the collapse of even the largest food corporations. It gets to the point where there is starvation, he said. Were at this point where we will be getting food rations with mRNA  and I think this is a very dangerous precedent.

Humanity is based on individualism and freedom, but the end goal is to starve you out. So youre dependent on them by bankrupting [you] and going after your money  so that you accept CBDCs [central bank digital currencies]. And there comes the Great Reset.

Sigurdson emphasized various measures the globalists use to attack the food supply, starve humanity and gain control. These policies, he added, are touted as purportedly beneficial for peoples health and the climate. These include the promotion of lab-grown and synthetic meat and insect-based proteins, which globalists such as Bill Gates and Klaus Schwab are aggressively pushing.

Fast food franchises raising the white flag

Sigurdson read an article from the Daily Mail about fast food giant Burger Kings plan to close up to 400 stores by the end of 2023. The piece noted that two franchises had already declared bankruptcy. (Related: Burger King to close up to 400 locations in 2023.)

Burger King CEO Joshua Kobza said under-performing stores and franchisees will be the first ones to be closed. Patrick Doyle, the companys chairman, seconded Kobzas remarks.

There will always be a minority [of franchisees] who arent dedicated, enthusiastic operators, Doyle said. Well work with them to leave the system and move on to do something else.

Sigurdson pointed out that Burger King and Canadian coffee shop chain Tim Hortons are owned by the same company. Moreover, he mentioned that the problem is not limited to Burger King alone  adding that McDonalds is also in the same field. McDonalds is also closing its field offices in the U.S. as it moves to a national model, the WAM founder said.

The Wall Street Journal reported in April that McDonalds Corp. has temporarily closed its U.S. offices. Corporate employees of the fast food giant were also informed about impending layoffs as part of a broader company restructuring. McDonalds has more than 150,000 employees in its corporate offices and company-owned restaurants, with about 70 percent of them based outside the United States.

Another fast food franchisee also filed for bankruptcy and closed 39 locations as part of its filing. Summit Restaurant Holdings, which is owned by CKE Restaurants, once operated more than 145 Hardees locations prior to the bankruptcy filing.

However, rising food and labor costs alongside loss in foot traffic due to the pandemic brought the franchisee to its knees. Summit Restaurant Holdings is now seeking a buyer for its remaining 108 restaurants to avoid further closures.

Sigurdson ultimately remarked that the closure of fast food chains such as Burger King, McDonalds and Hardees means they can no longer afford to do business in America.

FoodCollapse.com has more stories about the bankruptcy and closures of different fast food chains.

Watch the full episode of World Alternative Media with Josh Sigurdson below.

This video is from the World Alternative Media channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Restaurant industry collapsing across the US, with several popular chains permanently CLOSING DOWN numerous locations.

McDonalds temporarily shuts down U.S. offices, announces impending layoffs.

Some US meat products have been tainted with mRNA vaccines for YEARS, warns Dr. Mercola.

Fake meat companies are failing as consumers abandon processed plant-based alternatives to real meat.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

DailyMail.co.uk

WSJ.com

The-Sun.com
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabweans living and working on the North Coast on the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) fear possible xenophobic attacks or hate crimes against them come the end of June, following the announcement that their permits will not be renewed.The Courier spoke to more than 20 Zimbabweans who expressed concern over the lack of awareness and explanation about the non-renewal of ZEP, making them feel unsafe.One Zimbabwean woman, who works as a cleaner in Umhlali, said: "It is easy for people who just don't like foreigners to attack us and they are always looking for reasons to do so. So it's not only ZEP holders who are anxious, but all of us."The 40-year-old woman lives with her two children in a rented house in Thembeni. She has been living in South Africa since 2011 and said both her children were born in South Africa."They know no other life but here," she said.The exemption permit system was first introduced in 2009 as part of the "Dispensation of Zimbabweans" project, which allowed about 250 000 Zimbabweans unlawfully residing in the country to formalise their status.The permits allow them to live, work, and study in South Africa.The system was subsequently extended and renamed as the Zimbabwean Special Permit in 2014 and then the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit in 2017.Hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans are estimated to be in South Africa without permits and with ZEP not renewed, more are expected to stay illegally.Another ZEP holder, a 56-year-old woman who supports her family through street vending in the KwaDukuza central business district, has been living in Ntshawini township for the past 13 years and said she was anxious about her future.She and her family are now left with no option but to prepare to return to Zimbabwe."We will have to save whatever little we have and accept that we will have to go back home. Only God knows how my family and I will survive because I came here searching for better opportunities to support my family. I am extremely stressed."Another Zimbabwean who has lived in Lindelani township since the age of 20, said he knew little about his birth country."Being forced to return would mean starting a completely new life against my will," he said.A 41-year-old Zimbabwean construction worker from Groutville who has been living here for 12 years said rumours were rife that locals would chase them from their homes once the permit was no longer valid."It is a shame that most people do not understand that we cannot simply go back to Zimbabwe, because economically and politically nothing is right there. So to hear people becoming excited about chasing us away is very concerning."I am prepared to go home, but will try again to come to South Africa legally."Despite the fears, they said they had not experienced xenophobic victimisation on the North Coast before and remained hopeful that it would not be the case.According to Trading Economic estimates, the unemployment rate in Zimbabwe averaged 5.62% from 1982 until 2021, reaching an all-time high of 10.80% in 1982 and a record low of 4.17% in 2004.Several organisations have expressed concern over the decision, including the national trade association for the hospitality industry, FEDHASA.National chairperson Rosemary Anderson said the impact on some businesses would be significant. Apart from logistical considerations, she said the humanitarian implications for staff members also had to be considered."Thousands of legal Zimbabwean permit holders have been living and working in South Africa for many years, and many have South African families and children."Anderson said forcibly removing a few hundred thousand legal Zimbabwean permit holders who have built their lives in South Africa will not resolve the country's unemployment crisis.A court application challenging the Home Affairs decision, which will impact more than 170 000 permit holders, was brought before the Pretoria High Court on April 11 by the Helen Suzman Foundation and Zimbabwe Immigration Federation.Home Affairs minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said so far few Zimbabwean nationals had applied for visas.The department urged all affected Zimbabwean nationals to make use of this opportunity to apply for visas and not wait until the last minute as there will be no further permit extensions.Based on the concerns raised, Saps was asked if they were prepared to combat possible xenophobic attacks arising from the termination of the ZEP system.They had not responded at the time of going to print.
(Natural News) Educator and freedom movement leader Peggy Hall has denounced the plan to release billions of lab-bred mosquitoes in Hawaii.

A collection of agencies and organizations working under the Birds, Not Mosquitoes partnership, plan to introduce a mosquito birth control into bird habitats to try and stop avian malaria from killing the last remaining populations of four bird species.

The birth control method uses male mosquitoes with a strain of a bacterium called Wolbachia that is incompatible with the strain of Wolbachia currently found in wild mosquitoes in Hawaii. When these male mosquitoes mate with females in the forest, the mosquito eggs do not hatch and the mosquito population size drops.

However, these lab-bred mosquitoes have not undergone testing to see what their environmental impact will be. Hall expressed concern that they may bring harm to people.

The former director of teacher education at the University of California, Irvine said Americans need critical thinking in analyzing the actions that the government is intent on doing. She mentioned that Hawaii Unites, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of the environment and natural resources, is there to protect the native birds, public health and the land.

Hawaii Unites is challenging the biopesticide mosquito experiment

Hall said Hawaii Unites is raising money for legal representation to challenge this biopesticide mosquito experiment. Concerned Americans who want to fight government corruption can sign their petition to demand an environmental impact statement for the experimental mosquito release on Maui, she added.

The educator also noted that the birds are showing many symptoms that may not be related to avian malaria.

It could be from something else, such as sprays in the air or electromagnetic radiation. Could that also be a possibility? So, its very difficult to determine exactly why these birds are getting sick and dying. I think it is a noble and worthwhile action to try to save this bird population, but is bringing in and releasing all of these mosquitoes the way to do it? Hall asked.

The government is presenting two extreme choices to the American people: release the mosquitoes or let the birds die. According to Hall, this is called a false dichotomy, especially when there are plenty of other choices, options, actions and results within that continuum.

So thats whats going on with this. It is a false dichotomy. They are presenting this information and they are not allowing for any other alternatives, Hall said. She mentioned that the environmental assessment for the project was available for public review, and that assessment doesnt show a comprehensive study on the projects possible impact.

On March 24, the state of Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources voted unanimously to approve the assessment of the biopesticide mosquito experiment on Maui and issued a finding of no significant impact. But the fact remains that no comprehensive study has been done to back up that finding.

Around 40 billion experimental mosquitoes will be released every year on Maui and there is no final environmental assessment done.

The project is going to continue for 20 years and activists are saying that this experiment, which has never been done before, could destroy the islands, tourism and a lot more, Hall said.

Follow Biotech.news for more news about lab-bred mosquitoes being released in American states.

Watch the video below to know more about the lab-bred mosquitoes set to be released in Hawaii.

This video is from the What is happening channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Genetically modified mosquitoes are being released in Florida Keys despite protests.

Bill Gates-funded Colombian mosquito factory breeds 30 million bacteria-infected mosquitoes weekly.

GMO mosquito experiment goes horribly wrong: Insects adapt and overcome, transforming into super mutant mosquitoes that could cause mass death across South America.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

DLNR.hawaii.gov

HawaiiUnites.org
(Natural News) Illegal immigrants pouring into Texas from the United States border with Mexico are bringing with them diseases  especially in the city of El Paso, where the tens of thousands of illegals residing in the city have brought with them scabies, measles, bed bugs and even the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

This is according to Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas 23rd congressional district, which includes the city of El Paso and a majority of Texas border with Mexico, who rode along with the police chief of Socorro, directly to the south of El Paso. (Related: Thousands of migrants set to flood the US once Title 42 expires this week.)

Imagine having to protect and serve a city of 40,000, all while a border crisis is busting at the seams in El Paso, only 15 minutes away, wrote Gonzales on his Twitter account.

Gonzales added that police officers told him: Tony, dont be here unless you have to. There have been cases of scabies, measles, COVID and bed bugs. Take care of your health.

Former U.S. Marine and senior writer for Townhall Julio Rosas noted during a tour through one illegal camp that many of the undocumented Venezuelans residing in the citys downtown have not been processed properly after they illegally crossed the border, nor are they using the Customs and Border Patrol app meant to track them and provide them with information. Instead, they were all released immediately into the city without any kind of procedure to check their health.

I heard a lot of coughing and sneezing. [Gonzales] said it reminds him of an Afghanistan refugee camp, wrote Rosas. The conditions people are camping out in El Paso are very poor because the sidewalks are full by the church, others are in alleyways. All of this is before Title 42 is officially gone.

Video of when I was in downtown El Paso yesterday. Police officers told me, Tony dont be here unless you have to  there have been cases of scabies, measles, covid, and bed bugs. Take care of your health. pic.twitter.com/sVwkaFHfvd  Tony Gonzales (@TonyGonzales4TX) May 5, 2023

El Paso officials claim no health emergency from migrant influx

The El Paso Department of Public Health, which handles public health concerns in the city as well as in the county, claimed that there has been no reported outbreak of scabies or measles. There are only some cases of chickenpox, COVID-19 and bed bugs, but not enough to be of major concern.

Were keeping our eyes and ears open to see if there are any outbreaks in our community. So far, theres no outbreak in our community, said El Paso Health Authoritys Dr. Hector Ocaranza. Our community does not need to panic about this and were working very closely with the shelters to provide recommendations as far as preventative measures.

A spokesperson for the city claimed the citys public health office is providing emergency management training and other necessary tools to local non-government and faith-based organizations that may need additional assistance in providing aid to the citys illegal population.

Despite this claim, Ocaranza still added that he is concerned about the growing issue of the health of the illegals residing in El Paso.

Ocaranza told ABC-7 in an interview that the city and countys health departments are checking illegals for potential diseases like chickenpox, COVID-19, malaria and measles. He admitted that there have been some cases found of chickenpox and COVID-19, but refused to elaborate on just how prevalent these infectious diseases are among the illegal community.

Ocaranza added that many of the migrants being sheltered by the Roman Catholic Sacred Heart Church in the Segundo Barrio neighborhood are undocumented and therefore do not have any kind of health clearance provided to them by immigration officials when they illegally entered the country.

Learn more about the rapidly deteriorating situation at the southern border at OpenBorders.news.

Watch this clip discussing how El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser has declared a state of emergency to prepare for the inevitable surge of illegals crossing the border once Title 42 ends.

This video is from the channel Galactic Storm on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Mike Adams interviews Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.  Border security, election integrity, Americas energy supply and healing Americas fractured society.

STAGING FOR THE INVASION: Migrants from around the world are FLYING to Americas southern border to enter illegally after Title 42 expires.

As end of Title 42 looms, 90,000 illegals rush to Americas southern border over 10-day period.

Mexico-based cartels gearing up to flood America with up to one million illegal aliens after Biden opens the border by dropping Title 42.

El Paso mayor declares state of emergency as city braces for influx of illegal aliens once Title 42 expires.

Sources include:

YourNews.com

KFox14.com

KVIA.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The regime of Joe Biden has been trying to end the Title 42 border security restrictions put in place by the real president, Donald Trump, during his administration as one of several ways to shore up border security and take away the incentives for illegal immigration.

Title 42 is a federal statute providing the government with extra authority during health emergencies, and Trump invoked it as a means of protecting the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biden tried to end it the moment he took office and began dismantling all of Trumps immigration and border security policies, including immediately halting the construction of the effective border wall.

Now, after the regime won in federal court and was able to finally legally end Title 42 restrictions, an invasion force of hundreds of thousands of migrants is waiting just across the borders of Texas and Arizona, ready to storm across on midnight Thursday.

Writing for The National Pulse, Jack Montgomery noted:

As bad as the situation on Americas southern border already is under the Biden-Harris administration, Title 42 expulsions authorized by Trump under the Public Health Services Act in 2020 have seen off some three million would-be border violators.

Law enforcement will be stripped of this valuable tool from Thursday, with President Biden  who would have taken them away even faster if Republican-led states had not thwarted him in the courts  refusing to renew them.

Even he seems to admit the enormity of the crisis his actions are poised to unleash, telling the press: Its going to be chaotic for a while.

But in an exclusive on Wednesday, Fox News reported that the Biden regime began planning this invasion a year ago, according to a 2022 internal memo leaked to the network.

A memo from 2022, uncovered during legal proceedings initiated by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, outlines how to handle migrant releases when Title 42 ends. The memo authorizes all Border Patrol Sectors to begin safe mass releases of migrants into city streets if NGOs are overcapacity.

According to a report by Fox News on Tuesday, senior border officials in Washington D.C. have decided to allow all Border Patrol Sectors to begin releasing migrants to city streets if CBP and NGOs are unable to accommodate them. As per the 2022 memo, the migrants will be released at various locations, including bus stops, gas stations, and supermarkets.

The decision was made amid a surge of migrants across the border that has hit over 10,000 a day across multiple days this week. NGOs are already approaching their limits on capacity, and those numbers are expected to only get worse in the coming days when Title 42  which allows for the rapid expulsion of migrants at the border due to the COVID-19 pandemic  expires, the network reported.

The mass releases of migrants are in accordance with a 2022 memo from Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, which provides guidance for situations when ICE is unable to accept illegal immigrants due to a lack of space, Fox News noted further. The memo specifies that releases should be conducted in the vicinity of [NGOs] which are able to provide further services and that Liaison Officers will work to identify capacity and capabilities for accepting releases, safe locations and times at which releases may be most appropriate.

Releases should be made at hubs where noncitizens have access to services offered by NGOs, transportation hubs, and/or other safe locations, the memo continues, adding that each sector should track the releases.

Ortiz was questioned about the memo during a July 28, 2022, deposition in relation to a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Moody against DHS.

Its a memorandum that I signed on May 19th, 2022, and it discusses the non-citizen releases from our custody, he said during the deposition.

In your experience, 31 years with the Border Patrol, have you ever seen a documentor have you ever seen a memorandum like Exhibit 3 before? a lawyer pressed the Border Patrol chief.

Ortiz responded, No.

Sources include:

FoxNews.com

TheNationalPulse.com
(Natural News) Two Republican lawmakers have questioned U.S. regulators whether they are able to ensure the security of Americans financial data, which is reportedly exposed to Beijing by means of popular trading platforms.

Tiffany Meier of NTD TVs China in Focus expounded on this probe by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville and Indiana Rep. Jim Banks. Both lawmakers sent a letter on May 3 to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were also furnished copies of the letter.

The letter from Tuberville and Banks asked the SEC and FINRA to ensure that Webull Financial, LLC and Moomoo, Inc., two Chinese companies that operate trading platforms, are complying with American laws and regulations when it comes to protecting consumers data.

Webull and Moomoo collect highly sensitive personal information from millions of their U.S. customers, including personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers, mailing addresses, and financial account data, the two members of Congress pointed out.

Moreover, the letter also noted that Webull employs eight active FINRA-registered representatives that are mandated to comply with requirements from the two regulators. However, the eight representatives are based in mainland China  raising concerns over the two agencies ability to ensure compliance with regulations.

Tuberville and Banks gave the two agencies a deadline of May 31 to respond to their questions.

China spying on Americans through their smartphones

According to the two GOP lawmakers, both Webull and Moomoo are owned by Chinese companies with close ties to telecommunication giants Xiaomi and Tencent. The two latter firms have allegedly helped the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in its efforts to surveil and suppress its citizens.

Moreover, they stressed that allowing Chinese-owned broker-dealers with representatives in China to bipartisan congressional efforts to obtain access to audit documents of U.S.-listed Chinese companies, something it said Chinese law has prevented.

FBI Director Chris Wray has stated that Chinas laws allow its government to compel any Chinese company to provide any information it requests  including American citizens data,' the letter noted. On the flip side, Beijings increasingly strict privacy laws [have barred] many Chinese companies from sharing data with Western regulators.

The biggest threat facing our country today is communist China, said Tuberville. China doesnt need a spy balloon to steal our information. Theyve got spies in the smartphones of millions of Americans, harvesting valuable information every second. The U.S. must protect the personal data of our citizens from falling into the hands of our greatest adversary. (Related: Intel officials: Chinas spy balloon gathered sensitive military info before being shot down.)

In a separate statement, the Indiana congressman called China our greatest adversary. He added: The only way to protect Americans financial data from the CCP is to make sure Chinese firms with U.S. customers play by the rules. The Biden administration is falling short. Holding our greatest adversary to a looser standard is bad for business, bad for our country, and puts Americans investments at risk.

Visit CommunistChina.news for more stories about how the CCP is spying on the U.S. and stealing Americans personal data.

Watch the full episode of China in Focus with Tiffany Meier below.

This video is from the Pool Pharmacy channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Spy balloons are part of global Chinese surveillance, US military and national security officials say.

Chinas Xinjiang province now a giant PRISON CAMP as Uyghurs face abuses inside their own homes.

New York Times praises communist China for censoring citizens, says mass surveillance offers own kind of freedom.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

FoxNews.com

Tuberville.Senate.gov 1

Tuberville.Senate.gov 2
(Natural News) Venture capitalist Reid Hoffman did not pass on the opportunity to visit Pedo island and bump shoulders with a billionaire and known sex offender, according to a new report. Reid, the co-founder of LinkedIn, also had plans to stay at Jeffrey Epsteins Manhattan playhouse. Epstein was known to harbor underage girls that had been manipulated and drugged into being prostitutes, but other rich white men just couldnt seem to resist visiting the perverted scenes in order to do business and move money around.

Hoffman and Epstein were supposedly helping raise funds for MIT, according to documents, but was that all there was to the get togethers? Hoffman was said to only have visited Epsteins perverted Little St. James island getaway once, so maybe after seeing a tranny-style portrait of Bill Clinton, he had seen enough.

Reid Hoffmans net worth hovers around $2 billion, so he was labeled an approved donor target for MIT in accordance with the universitys rules and regulations. Once the media found out about Hoffmans clandestine meeting with Epstein, he apologized for it, saying it was due to poor personal judgment (per his email in the NY Post).

Whatever acts Reid engaged in at Perv Island, only he and Epstein probably know, and Epstein took those memories with him to his early grave. Venture capitalism takes on a whole new meaning when billionaires collaborate with the likes of Jeffrey Epstein at his secluded island resort. One can only imagine what Epstein served at his breakfast buffets. Underage girls recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell and put to work at Epsteins island were said to give massages that went above and beyond simple therapy.

In 2008, Epstein was convicted for procuring a child for prostitution, so nobody who collaborated with him could play dumb and say they werent aware of his inexcusable acts of cruelty and perversion. Hoffman, the co-founder of the employment-oriented social media platform LinkedIn, says he regrets having ever met with Epstein, but is that true, having already known what Epstein was engaged in?

Hoffman claims he was forced to meet with Epstein, after a former official of MIT backed the financier. Great cover story. So does that mean Hoffman was cuffed and dragged to child-prostitute-island against his will? How on earth did Epstein ever clear MITs vetting process?

How many times did Hoffman and Epstein get together, besides the incidents the media knows about?

So there was one visit for Reid Hoffman to Pedo Island and one dinner at Epsteins Manhattan penthouse, but thats just what got exposed by the media. The flight log for the private jet Lolita Express shows other rich men, like Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew, visiting Pedo Island more than just once, or even a few times, so maybe the whole truth will come out later about Reid Hoffman. Still, by agreeing to participate in any fundraising activity where Epstein was present, I helped to repair his reputation and perpetuate injustice, Hoffman wrote in emails For this, I am deeply regretful.

Its quite the shame how many scandals these rich men get away with and still go about conducting business as usual afterwards, like Hunter Biden and his demented father. Touching underage girls inappropriately (including groping them and sniffing their hair) seems to be customary for rich politicians and figureheads in America, and the mass media and perverted Leftist globalists push for more of it. Its all part of the communist overhaul of America. Tune your scamdemic frequency to Censored.news for truth news thats being censored from the rest of media as you read this.

Sources for this article include:

NYpost.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic-era policy that helped keep a lid on Americas out-of-control illegal immigration problem is expiring this week, and many worry that the country will soon become overridden with another wave of migrants.

The illegal invasion problem is nothing new for the United States, but it is about to take a major turn for the worse once Title 42 expires on May 11. Once this happens, Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will have a much more difficult time handling the removal of asylum-seekers, which are flooding through the southern border by the thousands.

(Related: Tens of thousands of fresh illegals are already waiting at the border to rush into the country once Title 42 expires.)

Back in March, there were 191,900 illegals who tried to enter the country. This is a 23 percent increase from the 156,138 illegals that were tallied the previous month, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

Of the nearly 200,000 illegals who arrived at ports of entry in March, 69 percent were single adults. Nearly half of all the migrants were able to be expelled under Title 42, which will no longer be the case after May 11.

Every day weve got more and more apprehensions, said Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb of Arizona on the Just the News, No Noise television program. Our aviation unit is pulling people out of the desert every day.

Since January 2021, more than six million illegals entered the U.S.

In nearby Yuma County, the sheriff there says that just on Monday of this week alone, some 4,000 people are in custody  and Title 42 has not even yet expired. Once it does, that number is likely to increase.

According to Lamb, the sheriff of Cochise County is already having to have Border Patrol release 400 illegals per day into his community because there is simply no more room at the inn to hold all these people.

Its a disaster, and its only going to get worse, Lamb further revealed, adding that he expects the numbers to go from about 7-8 thousand, which is what were seeing now, up to over 11,000 a day in the next few days.

And this is going to be catastrophic for all of us, he continued.

Since January of 2021, some six million new illegals have entered the United States while Title 42 was in place. Just imagine how many millions more will rush through once Title 42 ends.

According to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the expiration of Title 42 does not mean that the southern border is open  even though millions of illegals continue to pour through without consequences.

It has not been open, and it will not be open subsequent to May 11th, he said recently in a message directed at the illegals who are waiting on the other side of the border for Title 42 to expire.

And the smugglers who exploit vulnerable migrants are spreading misinformation. They are spreading false information, lies in a way to lure vulnerable people to the southern border and those individuals will only be returned.

Lambs response to this is that it is just another pile of lies from the Biden regime, which doesnt back anything up.

They have no muscle behind their mouth. And so, I dont expect anybody to change their behavior. Its almost like a wink, wink, Hey, dont come. But then they just dont do anything to stop it, either.

In an interview, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) further criticized the Biden regime for failing, or perhaps refusing, to prepare for the lifting of Title 42, stating that everyone here in Arizona knows we are not prepared.

The latest news about the expiration of Title 42 can be found at InvasionUSA.news.

Sources for this article include:

JustTheNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced plans to provide $1.2 billion worth of weapons for Ukraine. This forms part of an ongoing program to build up the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) over the long term and provide for immediate battlefield needs.

The DoD confirmed the plan on May 9, adding that the money was drawn from an authority called the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). A press release from the department stated that under the USAI, the DoD can buy weapons and military directly from defense companies and partners instead of drawing from existing U.S. stocks.

The package includes air defense systems, ammunition and support to enable Ukraine to better maintain its on-hand systems and equipment, the press release stated. It added that following the announcement, the Defense Department will open bids to contractors for the equipment.

This USAI package underscores the continued U.S. commitment to meeting Ukraines most urgent requirements by committing critical near-term capabilities such as air defense system and munitions, while also building the capacity of [the AFU] to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression over the long term, the DoD said.

Since the Russia-Ukraine war commenced in February 2022, Washington has committed more than $36.9 billion in security assistance to Kyiv.

Washington keeps on putting money into the Ukraine war machine

Prior to the DoDs USAI initiative, the Biden administration announced on May 3 a separate package for shorter-term security assistance. According to Reuters, the package consisted of artillery rounds, howitzers and Carl-Gustaf anti-tank rifles. It also included Hydra-70 unguided rockets, which can be fired from helicopters against entrenched Russian ground positions.

In a statement, the DoD said weapons in this May 3 package will be pulled from existing U.S. stocks so they can be immediately sent to the front lines. The package marks the 37th drawdown of Defense Department inventories since August 2021.

The month before, the Biden administration announced another $2.6 billion in security assistance for Ukraine. Of this amount, $2.1 billion will be used to source new air defense munitions directly from American manufacturers. The rest of the money will be used for thousands of rounds of artillery ammunition, mortar systems, rockets and anti-tank weapons. (Related: Costly war: American aid to Ukraine about to hit $65 billion.)

In February, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited Ukraine and pledged assistance to the country. She remarked that her first visit there underscored Washingtons commitment to continuing its economic support.

Following talks with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Yellen announced another multi-billion dollar package to boost the countrys economy. This came in the form of an additional $1.2 billion transfer, the first tranche of a $10 billion assistance package from Washington to Kyiv.

Maintaining an effective government is indispensable to Ukraines capacity to respond to Russian attacks and other emergencies, said Yellen. Our economic support is keeping essential public services running. These services maintain economic and social stability in Ukraine.

Head over to UkraineWitness.com for more stories about U.S. aid packages to Ukraine.

Watch Brother Nathanael Kapner discussing Americas aid packages to Ukraine below.

This video is from the jonastheprophet channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Congress wants ANOTHER $12 billion sent to Ukraine as aid while Americas southern border suffers from lack of funding.

Biden regime continues shipping weapons to Ukraine, draining American stockpiles that cant be quickly replaced.

US military stockpiles at dangerously low levels not seen in decades due to military aid shipments to Ukraine.

Ukraine aid scam: Only 30% of weapons shipped to besieged country have made it to the front lines.

Corruption in the midst of war: Ukraine unlikely to receive the promised $65 billion in Western aid.

Sources include:

YourNews.com

Defense.gov

USNews.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) According to FreedomProject Academy Executive Director Dr. Duke Pesta, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) corresponds with the fall of morality.

He shared this thought with Dr. Daniel Bobinski during the May 4 episode of Keep The Republic on Brighteon.TV. Pesta, known as the host of The Dr. Duke Show, said the ascent of AI happened at a time when people have torn down all moral barriers.

Pesta noted that during many of the previous great leaps forward  including the invention of the computer  the Americans still thought morality mattered and that there were limits to what science can do. He added that the Americans were very careful to think these things out back then.

Now, I think we live in a world where farther than any other period we ever lived in  morality seems to be completely vanished. What we can do is what we should do, and there doesnt seem to be any of the considerations taken into account.

Bobinski agreed with his guest, saying that idea of morality was shoved out the door back in the 1960s when prayer was taken out of schools. The removal of prayer in schools has had a ripple effect, which continues to be felt to this day.

However, the Keep The Republic host mentioned that billionaire Elon Musk has called for a pause on AI development. More than 1,000 people from the tech industry, including Musk himself and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, signed a letter calling for a moratorium on AI back in March. The letter came in response to OpenAI releasing the latest model of its GPT-4 chatbot.

Bobinski: China wont pause AI development

Bobinski played footage of computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, reportedly one of the experts responsible for the development of AI. The 75-year-old Hinton stepped down from his position at Google and expressed his concerns about AI. (Related: Godfather of AI quits Google, warns of risks associated with the technology he helped develop.)

According to Hinton, things more intelligent than humans such as GPT-4 are taking control. He added that chatbots such as GPT-4 can eclipse a person in the amount of general knowledge it has and by a long way. Thus, the computer scientist has also called for developers to hit pause on AI development.

In terms of reasoning, its not as good, but it does already do simple reasoning, said Hinton. Given the rate of progress, we expect things to get better quite fast. So, we need to worry about that, Hinton said.

The 75-year-old also lauded Google for acting as a proper steward for AI technology so far, but warned that it is facing intense pressure from its competition. Hinton ultimately remarked that tech giants are trapped in the AI race that will require global regulation to stop.

The Keep The Republic host said China wont be stopping its AI development in case the U.S. does so to ensure safeguards are in place. By the time the U.S. resumes development, it will be at an even bigger disadvantage. In response, Pesta said the Chinese Communist Party under the leadership of paramount leader Xi Jinping is exactly the kind of entity that would be willing to use AI to control everything.

Follow Robots.news for more news about AI technology.

Watch the May 4 episode of Keep the Republic with Dr. Duke Pesta below. Tune in to Keep the Republic with Dr. Daniel Bobinski every Thursday at 4-5 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

Keep The Republic: Fourth Industrial Revolution will change the world via AI  Brighteon.TV.

AI chatbot GPT-4 TRICKED a person into solving captcha by pretending to be human.

AI is currently the greatest threat to humanity, warns investigative reporter Millie Weaver.

Googles rush to win AI race has led to ETHICAL LAPSES.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

FreedomProject.com

BBC.com
(Natural News) The interim governor of Zaporizhzhia Region Evgeniy Balitsky has declared that reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) have been shut down due to threat of possible Ukrainian attack.

ZNPP Director Yuri Chernichuk said Friday, May 5, that six reactor blocks were shut down and undergoing maintenance in accordance with all necessary regulations, with strict control of radiation safety standards.

We understand that this is a manipulation. Therefore, the nuclear reactors have now been powered down. The fifth reactor is on hot standby. We do not understand what this monkey with a grenade can perform, so we have powered down the reactors, Balitsky told the Crimea 24 TV channel.

Concerns over the safety of Europes largest nuclear power plant arose due to the long-hyped Ukrainian counteroffensive to reclaim Russian-held territory, including areas in the Zaporizhzhia region. (Related: Experts: Continued attacks on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant could lead to WWIII.)

Russian troops took control of Europes largest nuclear power plant in March 2022. A subsidiary of Moscows state-owned nuclear energy giant Rosatom formally assumed management of the plant last fall, when the Zaporizhzhia Region voted to join Russia along with Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk.

The security situation in the area near the facility was becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi warned on Saturday, May 6. 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.

The nuclear installation has become the target of repeated artillery shelling and drone attacks by Kyivs forces. Also, the Ukrainian military has repeatedly staged landing operations across the Dnieper River in an apparent attempt to seize the facility, but none of the attacks have been successful.

ZNPP is significant because Ukraine relies heavily on nuclear power. Should Moscow keep it, Kyiv would lose 20 percent of its domestic electricity generating capacity. The plant is mostly operated by a Ukrainian workforce.

Russia evacuates more than 1,600 people from Zaporizhzhia as safety issues rise

Since last week, Balitsky has already initiated the evacuation of more than 1,600 people  including 660 children  in Russian-occupied towns on the front lines in Zaporizhzhia.

According to CNN, local Telegram channels reported sightings of evacuation buses and authorities telling residents to pack their bags and take their children out of kindergartens. Residents were being placed in temporary accommodation.

Balitsky said the evacuees have everything they need: food, a place to sleep, constant contact and consultation with specialists.

Meanwhile, Ukraines general staff said Russian forces were evacuating local Russian passport holders as a means to forcibly deport Ukrainians. The first to be evacuated are those who accepted Russian citizenship in the first months of the occupation, it said in a statement.

Moreover, spokesperson for Ukraines Operational Command South Natalia Humeniuk told local media the evacuations were an imitation of care for the local residents as this was a standard practice previously used by the Russians. They are trying to evacuate the people to the places where they set up their own defense lines and where they are setting their units in order to use local civilians as a cover, Humeniuk said.

Both nations have accused one another of shelling the plant and efforts to secure a safety zone around it have failed.

Visit Nuclear.news for more news related to a possible nuclear catastrophe in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Watch the video below that talks about the evacuation initiated by Moscow in the towns surrounding ZNPP.

This video is from the MEGA (Make Earth Great Again) channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Professor Sachs: Ukraine needs to stop bombing nuclear power plant and blaming it on Russia.

Fears of radiation leak emerge amid shelling of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

Russian envoy submits photo evidence of Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Artillery shelling at Europes largest nuclear power plant could spell nuclear disaster for Ukraine and the world.

Sources include:

RT.com

TheGuardian.com

Brighteon.com
A migrating devil bird has established its nest for a long-term stay in New York thanks to new migration patterns, which experts believe is a result of climate change.

Devil Bird in New York

For the past two weeks, the "devil bird," also known as the anhinga, has been residing near Brooklyn's Prospect Park Lake, according to the New York Times. This is only the second anhinga sighting in New York City in the previous 30 years, and the first ever in Kings County. In the summer, the big water bird with a snake-like neck can be seen throughout the Southern US, from the Gulf Coast to the Carolinas. The bird's surprise stay in Brooklyn is the most recent in a line of remarkable birds that have recently been spotted in locations other than where they typically migrate.

New Migration Patterns

According to Andrew Farnsworth, a researcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the anhinga's appearance could indicate that its traditional distribution in the southeastern United States has expanded. Anhingas are "strong" fliers, Farnsworth continues, so it's not entirely surprising that this is taking place.

The anhinga isn't the only migrant bird that isn't typically found in the Northeast, though. According to a birder from Brooklyn, there are also yellow-throated warblers, summer tanagers, Acadian flycatchers, as well as several unusual Western species that are only occasionally seen in Brooklyn, such as Townsend's warbler and Swainson's hawk.

Climate Change

Finding food and reproducing might be difficult for birds due to rising temperatures and changing weather patterns. According to the Audubon Society, species from Southern regions like the anhinga are moving north to adapt to these changes in New York. These migratory birds need rest stops and breeding sites, which the state's diverse environments provide, from the coasts of the Great Lakes to the forests of the Adirondack Mountains.

The Audubon Society claims that climate change is also messing with natural environments. The shoreline of New York has seen a 9-inch rise in sea level since 1950, and this surge is expected to continue. This might endanger migratory and resident birds, as well as millions of people, Newser reports.

Also Read: Avian Flu Kills 21 Critically Endangered Condors in 25 Days - Arizona

The Anhinga Devil Bird

Large and slender waterbirds known as anhingas have long tails that resemble the tail of a turkey. They have a dagger-like bill and a long, S-shaped neck. Anhingas have wings that are held out flat in flight, and their neck and tail extend straight out. They resemble a flying cross. Their bodies are lean, and when they fly, they appear to be flattened.

Anhingas swim by holding their long, snake-like neck slightly above the water while keeping their bodies mostly submerged. After a swim, they dry off by perching on branches or logs while spreading their tails and holding their wings out. They frequently soar above the clouds, much like raptors and vultures, as they ride thermals.

Anhingas live year-round in shallow freshwater ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams where they can dry off and sunbathe on nearby branches or logs. Along the shore, they also use brackish bays and lagoons, but they often avoid locations with a lot of open water, according to All About Birds.

Related Article: Endangered Golden-Cheeked Warblers Spotted in Cedar Hill After 20 Years of Absence -Texas
The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, has issued a decree revoking the visa-free travel option to Georgia. Additionally, Russian airlines are now permitted to operate direct flights to Georgia as the ban on such flights has been lifted by Putin.Starting from May 15, Russia's visa requirements for Georgian citizens will be lifted as per the decision made by Vladimir Putin. This means that Georgian nationals will be allowed to stay in Russia for up to 90 days without the need for a visa.An order issued by Vladimir Putin has already been published, which pertains to the lifting of the ban on flights to Georgia for Russian airlines. The order declares the previous ban on flights to Georgia, which was instituted on June 21, 2019, as invalid.Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has announced that the ministry has canceled its previous recommendation for Russian citizens to avoid traveling to Georgia.Zakharova, the recent decisions made by the President of the Russian Federation to allow for visa-free travel of Georgian citizens to Russia and to restore flights between the two countries are consistent with Russia's approach to facilitating communication and contact between the citizens of Russia and Georgia, despite the current lack of diplomatic relations between the two nations.In response to Russia's decision to cancel the visa regime for Georgian citizens, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili, stated that any responsible government would welcome a move that allows its citizens to fly directly.Darchiashvili stated that the welfare of Georgian citizens residing abroad has always been a priority for the Georgian government, and this decision is no exception. He emphasized that over a million Georgians live in Russia, and the cancellation of the visa regime will ease their living conditions and allow them to maintain closer contact with their loved ones and relatives in Georgia. From a humanitarian perspective, any responsible government would welcome such a decision, he added."We have said many times and we always say that our citizens living abroad are always our concern, including in this case. I want to say unequivocally that more than a million of our citizens live in the Russian Federation, who have very close ties with people, their loved ones, and relatives who live in Georgia. This decision, seen from a humanitarian prism, is welcome by any responsible government. The decision will make living conditions easier for our citizens and will allow them to be able to communicate and commute with each other," said Darchiashvili.
A child affected by mpox sits on his father's legs while receiving treatment at the centre of the International medical NGO Doctors Without Borders in the Central African Republic. The World Health Organization has declared an end to the global public health emergency for mpox, yet some scientists warn there's still cause for concern. (Charles Bouessel/AFP - image credit)

After the World Health Organization (WHO) opted to end COVID-19's designation as a global public health emergency last week, the organization declared an end to another emergency on Thursday: mpox, the painful, potentially deadly disease formerly known as monkeypox.

A separate group of scientists for the health agency signalled that the global outbreak is now under control.

But while mpox may have faded from the headlines  and from public consciousness  experts say there's still cause for concern if countries scale back surveillance and vaccination efforts at a time when the virus remains in global circulation.

"When case counts started declining, especially in the global north, people gradually became disinterested in the outbreak," said physician-scientist Dr. Dimie Ogoina, a professor of medicine at Niger Delta University, who was among the first clinicians to raise alarms about the sudden, unusual spread of mpox in Nigeria six years ago, before it exploded globally.

"And the fear is that we are reverting back to where we were 50 years ago."

Turning off the spotlight on this virus may leave the world vulnerable to a "resurgence," particularly as more people travel through the spring and summer, warned Ogoina, who is also involved in the WHO's emergency committee on mpox.

Before the committee's Wednesday decision, he told CBC News he personally felt it would be premature to end the emergency declaration, despite a global drop in cases.

"What happened [last] May to July can repeat itself," he warned.

WATCH | What it's like to recover from mpox:

100+ countries experienced cases

There have been 87,000 known infections and 140 deaths reported from more than 100 countries  largely through sexual networks, and primarily impacting men who have sex with men  since mpox first developed a foothold outside its endemic regions of Africa last summer.

That spike in cases was short-lived and tapered off last fall, and there were 90 per cent fewer cases reported in the last three months compared to the three months before, WHO data shows.

Story continues

"Due to global mobilization and the rapid response of most countries, we now see steady progress in controlling this outbreak," said WHO director general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in video remarks on Wednesday.

But those gains haven't been felt equally.

Only sporadic infections are now being reported here in Canada and in the U.S., following vaccination campaigns geared toward higher-risk individuals. Yet the mpox virus continues to transmit in other areas, such as the Western Pacific region, along with a simmering outbreak involving thousands of cases in Mexico that is prompting concerns over possible underreporting of infections and deaths.

Dr. Jorge Saavedra, executive director of the AHF Global Public Health Institute at the University of Miami, said a lot of cases likely went undiagnosed in Mexico last year.

"The worst part," he said, "is they have not authorized the vaccine."

There's also a lack of access to vaccines and therapeutics in Nigeria and other African countries, even though the continent has been dealing with mpox for longer, Ogoina noted.

Tedros also said there's "no clear trend" for cases in that region.

Ogoina said WHO's figures are actually hard to parse. Looking at data reported throughout Africa, he said it appears that many countries aren't reporting cases.

"It's not because we don't have cases," he said, "but it's because of a lack of capacity."

'Still uncertainties' about how mpox will evolve

That lack of surveillance makes it difficult to know the true scope of mpox's spread throughout the entire continent, and should other countries follow suit as interest in the global outbreak wanes, Ogoina is concerned more regions will be "walking blindly," not knowing the full burden of disease.

University of Manitoba microbiologist Jason Kindrachuk, who is currently part of an mpox research team working between Canada and Africa, agreed the situation may be growing murkier.

"So if we see a travel-related case in the summer, somewhere in Canada, it can realistically be from anywhere in the world where we've seen circulation  because we don't really have a good idea of what areas have cryptic transmission or ongoing transmission that's not being recognized," he said.

All the while, the virus continues to evolve. Decades ago, once it was established that mpox could spread to humans, it was restricted to rural settings, often impacted children and was mostly acquired through contact with animals, Ogoina said.

WATCH | Sorting fact from fiction on how mpox spreads:

He outlined its trajectory since then: Next came hospital infections, then the discovery of a deadlier strain, then Nigeria's 2017 outbreak involving younger men, then its global explosion among sexual networks in 2022, coupled with a growing understanding that the disease can have a more severe presentation among individuals co-infected with HIV.

How will it change next?

"There are still uncertainties," Ogoina said.

At some point down the line, the virus could move into additional niches in the global population, Kindrachuk said, "like we've seen in Africa for decades, with women and children being included."

He said that while the current outbreak was curtailed, thanks to a combination of vaccination programs and community efforts to clamp down on chains of transmission, the virus hasn't disappeared.

"And until we're able to control [mpox] circulation at the source, where it's endemic, we need to appreciate that even if we get it eliminated from different countries across the globe where it's been introduced, there is still that risk that we can see other [strains] or reintroductions," he said.
After two years of fighting kidney failure, Zuri, the lioness that developed a pseudo-mane, passed away in a zoo in Kansas.

Zuri and her Pseudo-mane

The lioness Zuri at the Topeka Zoo passed away on Thursday at the age of 19.

After the death of the pride's male lion, Avus, in 2021, Zuri developed a pseudo-mane that became legendary. Even though Zuri was a female, she began producing more testosterone after Avus died, which caused her to grow a pseudo-mane, according to zookeepers who explained the phenomena.

NewScientist claims that lionesses occasionally develop a mane and even act somewhat like lions. However, up to this point, anecdotal accounts of such pseudo-maned lionesses have been very scarce. Our knowledge of their existence and behavior was limited.

Struggling From Kidney Disease

According to zoo officials, Zuri has received therapy for kidney failure, which is common in older lions, during the past two years. Her symptoms worsened and her appetite decreased in April, though.

Zuri was diagnosed with renal failure last week after an examination. She had stopped consuming food. The zoo decided to put Zuri to sleep.

According to Shanna Simpson, the animal curator, Zuri was a true lioness in charge, and everyone who knew her could see that she had a strong, independent personality. She had a wonderful rapport with the employees who looked after the animals despite usually being aggressive. The zoo team has always held Zuri in the highest regard and will mourn her dearly, according to Simpson.

At the Fort Worth Zoo in April 2004, sister lionesses Zuri and Asante were born. In 2005, both landed in Topeka.

According to Simpson, Asante is dealing with her aging-related issues and will be constantly watched.

The zoo personnel will pay close attention to Asante's needs going forward, according to Simpson, especially given the close relationship she had with her sister.

Also Read: Population of Predatory Sand Cats that Feast on Venomous Snakes Might Be Shrinking, Researchers Worry

African Lions

At 19, Zuri outlived the average lifespan of African lions, which is 16.9 years, according to NBC15 WMTV.

Big cats like African lions are extremely versatile and can live in a number of settings, including semi-arid desert regions and even extremely dry ecosystems like the Kalahari desert. They favor wide-open wooded areas with dense undergrowth, in addition to scrub and grasslands, which allows them to follow their prey and find shade to rest during the warmest portion of the day.

African lions were once widely distributed across the majority of the continent, but they are now restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, with the majority of them, about 80%, living in eastern or southern Africa.

African lions are not currently at risk of extinction. But the majority of their populations are declining. Human-animal conflict, a fall in natural prey, habitat loss, climate change, and wildlife trade are the top challenges to African lions. The official designation for African lions is now "vulnerable," with only about 23,000 of them remaining in the wild, World Wildlife Fund reports.

Related Article: Lioness Sighting in National Park Ends 20-Year Extinction Worries in Chad
A Stone Age dagger was accidentally found by an 8-year-old girl while playing outside her school in Norway. The Stone Age tool was crafted 3,700 years ago by ancient inhabitants of the area of what is now a European country, it was reported earlier this week. The child, only identified as Elise, picked up the rare artifact, which is believed to be the only one in the area in Vestland County.

Norway is part of the Nordic Stone Age, which pertains to the Stone Age in Scandinavian territories, thousands of years ago. The said period started after the European region became hospitable to humans only 12000 years ago, which paved the way for the arrival of humans, according to archeologists. The period lasted from 12000 to 1800 B.C., a period when our ancestors further improved their tools.

Norway Stone Age Dagger

The Norwegian girl found the Stone Age dagger in a rocky part of the schoolyard she was playing. The child was uncertain what the sharp object was she first spotted it, slightly under the edge of a small boulder, as reported in the Norwegian press, as cited by the website Ancient Origins.

For this reason, Elise brought the previously unknown object to her teacher, Karen Drange, who knew what her student found was in fact some kind of ancient artifact. Drange contacted the Vestland County Council, which later deployed a team of archaeologists to examine the object, the website narrates.

The archaeologists said the type of dagger discovered is often linked during sacrificial rites. The county's council and University Museum in Bergen also collaborated to explore the school's grounds. However, no further evidence of artifacts dating back to the Stone Age were found, Live Science reported.

Also Read: Stone Age Mystery Solved: Caveman Tool Used to Butcher Rhinoceros

Norway Stone Age Discoveries

The recent finding is the not the first of its kind in Norway. Back in February 2023, it was reported that scientists reconstructed the face of a 'lonely' teenage cave boy who died in Norway during the country's Stone Age 8,300 years ago, the Daily Mail UK reported.

In January this year, archaeologists found the world's oldest runestone in Norway with inscriptions believed to go back up to 2,000 years ago, The Guardian reported.

In 2020, the University of Stavanger in Finland reported archaeologists found a new ancient site from the Stone Age at the Stora Myrvatnet lake.

Northern Scandinavia Stone Age

In a research article published in the Journal of World Prehistory, archaeologists determined that majority of groups in northern Scandinavia during the Nordic Stone Age were hunters and fishers with a focus toward coastal environments.

The territories can be divided into three areas: southwestern Norway, northern Norway, and northern Sweden, which have been of paramount importance for archaeological research due to their perceived social ad cultural developments. In particular, sea hunting, in addition to agriculture, has been widely adopted during the period.

Related Article: Remnants of Old Stone Age Culture Discovered in an Architectural Site in China
The latest weather forecast said New York City (NYC) could expect a cloudy to sunny outlook this week, with low rain chances.

New Yorkers with travel plans and outdoor activities could anticipate this week's ideal weather conditions. Although the chances of rain are low, it is still best to consider the weather conditions before leaving.

In other parts of the United States, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported that severe thunderstorms could unload large hail and damage winds in parts of the High Plains and Central Great Plains.

The weather advisory also added that severe storms could become likely in parts of North Carolina and Virginia.

Mild weather conditions in New York City

In the latest report, the NWS New York NY said that a fair and dry weather outlook could become likely in the City.

In the Northeast, reports showed that dry and pleasant weather conditions are forecast this week, noting the rebound to a warmer outlook.

Furthermore, CBS New York reported that sunny and warmer outlooks are expected to unfold this week, adding that Friday could feel like summer.

In the weather outlook, The Weather Channel reported that New Yorkers can expect mostly sunny conditions on Thursday, during a cloudy outlook until the weekend.

Next week, the weather forecast showed that the sunny outlook is forecast to continue.

Rebound to warmer conditions.

In the previous forecast, AccuWeather reported that portions of Seattle and Portland could expect hotter temperatures this week.

The forecast noted the potential spring heat wave that could unfold in parts of the Northwest. From Thursday to Sunday, the weather forecast, the warming trend is forecast to continue in parts of Portland, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Recently, forecasts noted a warm outlook that could unleash in the Northeast and Midwest.

Also Read: US Weather Forecast: Dry, Warmer Conditions Likely in Washington, Pittsburgh, Parts of Northeast This Week

Due to the chances of hotter and more challenging heat, Americans should avoid prolonged exposure to hotter weather conditions.

The challenging heat could pose heat-related health risks to older adults and outdoor workers.

It is best to keep hydrated and reschedule strenuous activities. According to NWS, homeowners should monitor the body temperatures of their family members, especially when they don't have access to AC.

In Texas, AccuWeather reported that a potential flood risk could emerge as portions of Central United States face the threat of severe weather outlook.

Based on the weather outlook, severe thunderstorms are forecast to unleash torrential rainfall, hail and isolated tornadoes on Wednesday.

The severe weather could likely unfold in Denver, Rapid City, North Platte, Dodge City and Amarillo.

The severe weather is expected to persist on Thursday that could impact portions of Omaha, Wichita and Oklahoma City.

Americans traveling to areas with severe weather outlooks should monitor the weather for potential slower commutes and travel disruptions.

Related Article: Portland, Seattle Likely to Experience Hotter Temperatures This Weekend As Record-Challenging Heat Unfolds in U.S.

For more similar, don't forget to follow Nature World News.
As a response to climate change, California is already preparing its farms for agave, avocados, and mangoes.

Avocados, Mangoes, Agave

Gary Gragg, a nurseryman, hopes to be able to cultivate and sell heat-loving mangoes in Northern California as the state's climate warms. The climate is getting better for the region's frost-sensitive mango trees, as well as for Gragg's Golden Gate Palms nursery's specialty fruits including avocados, cherimoyas, and tropical palms. To adapt to change, farmers throughout the state are experimenting with new crops and variants engineered to better withstand the more unpredictable weather.

Farmers are putting money into agave, a drought-resistant succulent produced in Mexico to create tequila, and avocados, which are typically planted further south, according to UC Davis.

Climate Change

Climate change effectively implies that Washington and Oregon are starting to resemble the climates of Northern California while Southern California's conditions are advancing up the coast and into the valley. The factors that affect whether crops can be cultivated where include fog, precipitation, winds, and seasonal and daily temperature patterns. All of these factors have changed.

Researchers forecast that several of the major tree crops being grown in California won't be supported by the climate by the middle to end of the 21st century.

This study was published in 2009 by Luedeling and several colleagues in the science journal PLOS ONE.

Resilient Orchards

In order to increase the resilience of California's lucrative pistachio, walnut, and stone fruit orchards, UC Davis researchers are selectively breeding for qualities including heat, disease, and drought tolerance. The most at-risk crops to climate change, however, are fruit and nut trees, with high winter temperatures having the potential to reduce walnut production around once every ten years. The southern San Joaquin Valley has this effect once every five years, and Katherine Jarvis-Shean, an orchard advisor with the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources program, cautioned that it would be more severe further south.

Researchers are striving to save these priceless orchards from the impacts of global warming since the state is home to more than 400,000 acres of matured pistachio trees, which are worth close to $3 billion. Less pollination and crop failure can arise from male cultivars blooming too late and releasing pollen after the female flowers have opened. According to Patrick Brown, a nut crop producer at UC Davis, this issue has been temporarily rectified by grafting more male kinds with various blooming periods into the groves.

Also Read: UK University Sows New Meadow for Native Wildflowers To Tackle Biodiversity Crisis

California's subtropical future?

Although the winter of 2023 was unusually cold, Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist, claims that it is not a sign of a trend toward nut-friendly weather. Since warm winters have become more typical, he thinks that some locations may have had their coldest winter up to this point. The majority of California's 50,000-acre avocado farmland is situated between San Diego and Santa Barbara and generates over $300 million in annual direct farm sales. Other fruits that are less well-known to most Americans, like white sapote, ice cream bean, uvaia, cherimoya, guabiroba, and dragonfruit may become important crops in a "warmer" California.

Nate Blackmore of Wildlands Farm and Nursery is leading a new orchard project near Santa Cruz that will include lucuma trees, which resemble round avocados with mealy, sweet yam-like flesh and are frost-tolerant.

Also, although California's climate is changing, coffee production is not sustainable since it requires imported water. However, pitaya or dragonfruit can be grown with less water, making it more ideal for areas that are prone to drought, Cal Matters reports.

Related Article: Coffee Farming Yields Down By 50% Due to Rising Temperatures
On the occasion of the DEFEA 2023 exhibition, the very discreet company Swarmy, based in Cyprus, unveiled for the first time its USV B5 Hydra armed with the LionFish naval turret.

Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

B5 Hydra USV with Leonardo's Lionfish 12.7 Ultralight machine gun. (Picture source: Navy Recognition)

This company had been in the news since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, when thanks to its Ukrainian connections, it was spotted by the Ukrainian businessman Pero Poroshenko. Through the intermediary of foundations, the latter obtained H6 and H10 drones.

B5 Hydra USV

With a maximum total range of 1,200 kilometers, the B5 Hydra USV can cover vast distances while executing its missions effectively. It measures 6,052 millimeters in overall length and has a maximum weight capacity of 1,000 kilograms, allowing for the integration of various payloads.

The USV exhibits exceptional endurance, capable of operating for up to 10 hours in cruise mode. It achieves a minimum speed of 5 kilometers per hour, ensuring precise control and maneuverability even in challenging conditions. At a cruise speed of 120 kilometers per hour, the B5 Hydra USV can swiftly navigate its designated area of operations.

In terms of communication capabilities, the USV utilizes a Mobile Ad-Hoc Network (MANET) with a maximum range of 200 kilometers. This enables reliable and secure communication over long distances, facilitating real-time information exchange and coordination.

The B5 Hydra USV's payload capacity is notable, with a maximum capability of accommodating up to 600 kilograms. This allows for the integration of various equipment, such as a gyro-stabilized remotely controlled turret equipped with a .50 machine gun, or payloads of up to 500 kilograms of explosive charges. Such versatility empowers the USV to adapt to different mission requirements.

When it comes to speed, the B5 Hydra USV can reach a maximum velocity of 160 kilometers per hour, ensuring rapid response capabilities and swift maneuvering when needed. It is also designed to withstand challenging weather conditions, with a maximum Beaufort scale rating of 8. This means it can operate effectively even in relatively high wind speeds.

In terms of physical dimensions, the USV can navigate in waters with a height above the waterline of up to 2,100 millimeters. This allows it to tackle various sea conditions while maintaining stability and control.

Furthermore, the B5 Hydra USV is designed with extended autonomous operations in mind. It can remain at sea virtually indefinitely, thanks to its capability to cruise for up to 10 hours at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour. This endurance, combined with its autonomous functionality, makes the USV a reliable asset for long-duration missions.

The B5 Hydra USV is designed for easy deployment and transportation. It can be conveniently fitted into a 20-foot shipping container, or two USVs can be accommodated in a 40-foot container. This feature ensures efficient logistics and rapid deployment when required. The USV is launched by a crew of two, simplifying the operational process.

For remote control and monitoring, the B5 Hydra USV is equipped with a high-definition Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) gimbal system. It can be controlled remotely using the H6 or H12 Poseidon VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for distances of up to 200 kilometers from the ground base. Alternatively, a satellite data link can be utilized to control and monitor the USV.
Russia's two-year term as chair of the Arctic Council came to an end Thursday, leaving the future of the council's role as a forum for international collaboration in doubt.

In a low-key virtual ceremony attended by senior bureaucrats, Russia ceded the chair to Norway, which will lead the council for the next two years.

The style of the ceremony marked a shift for the council. The transfer of the chair is an opportunity for grand declarations and photo ops, as the foreign ministers of the eight Arctic countries mingle with Indigenous representatives and powerhouse observers like China and Japan.

It's obvious what has changed  one year into its chairship, Russia went from problematic partner to international pariah with its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

"The idea of sitting with the Russians and talking about economic development while they're bombing Kyiv  it just doesn't work," said Evan Bloom, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Wilson Center's Polar Institute and a former diplomat who helped establish the Arctic Council in 1996.

Since March 2022, the seven other Arctic states  Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Canada and the United States  have suspended their co-operation with Russia, bringing a sudden stop to the majority of the work of the Arctic Council.

Though some projects have since resumed without Russia, the future of the council's work is in doubt. How can the Arctic Council continue when, in the words of the incoming chair, co-operation with Moscow is "politically impossible"?

"Right now, it leaves the concept somewhat in tatters," said Bloom. "Russia makes up about half the Arctic. You can't really have an Arctic Council without Russia."

A council above politics

The Arctic Council was formed amid a climate of optimism that followed the end of the Cold War.

Founded in 1996, the Council brings together the eight Arctic states with six Indigenous groups and dozens of observers to work in the spirit of consensus on issues facing the Arctic.

Story continues

Despite the Arctic's role as a Cold War theatre, from its beginnings, the council's guiding documents prohibited any discussion of military security, which risked driving a rift between the Arctic nations.

"It was understood that if a body like this touched security issues it would not go very well," said Bloom.

That allowed the council to focus on other, more pressing Arctic concerns, like climate change, fisheries, sustainable development and Indigenous representation.

Over the next two decades, this helped give rise to an idea of "Arctic exceptionalism"  that the region was an arena for benevolent co-operation, immune to the geopolitical struggles occurring in the rest of the world.

But as soon as Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, "any dream of full-on Arctic exceptionalism was over," according to Whitney Lackenbauer, a Canada Research chair in the study of the Canadian North at Trent University in Peterborough, Ont.

"In essence, what we're now seeing is that the Arctic, as a circumpolar region, is not isolated from geopolitics."

New alliances

This has been further driven home by Sweden and Finland's moves to join NATO, which would bring all seven Arctic nations besides Russia inside the Western security alliance.

"It's such a stark change of reality," said Timo Koivurova, a research professor at the University of Lapland's Arctic Centre and a frequent contributor to Arctic Council working groups.

Finland, he says, has been working closely on Arctic issues with their neighbour since the Second World War.

"Many of these projects are now seen as  too friendly to Russia," he said.

WATCH | Trudeau tours Canada's Arctic defences:

That wariness is shared on both sides of the border.

"How can we  even if the Arctic Council resumes its work  build co-operation on a long-term basis?" Nikolay Korchunov, Russia's Arctic ambassador, told the Russian news agency TASS.

"The most important element is lost  the trust is lost."

That lack of trust has led to fears that the Arctic Council could devolve into an "Arctic 7," an alliance of like-minded Western nations that formerly breaks with Russia  and divides the Arctic territory, literally, in half.

Talk of an 'Arctic 7'

Russia lays claim to 53 per cent of Arctic coastline, and is home to two million of the approximately four million Arctic residents.

"I strenuously avoid the phrase Arctic 7, because I don't want to bring it into being," said Lackenbauer. "It's a fundamentally different model, which means the Arctic Council is dead."

"If Russia were to be excluded, or withdraws itself from the Arctic Council in coming years, then there is no Arctic Council as such," said Svein Vigeland Rottem, a senior researcher and Arctic expert at Norway's Fridtjof Nansen Institute.

But keeping Russia in the council may be just as difficult. In the wake of the other members pausing their work, Russia has bolstered its outreach to countries like China that are trying to gain access to northern shipping routes and legitimacy as an Arctic player.

Submitted by Master Sailor Dan Bard, Canadian Armed Forces

Russia "offer[s] what they can at the moment, and one thing they can offer is access to their slice of the Arctic," said Bloom.

That has prompted worries that Russia could establish a rival body, and one that could increase the presence of non-Arctic nations in the region.

"You could have the deepening of these different camps," said Elana Wilson Rowe, a research professor at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs in Oslo.

But a full break with the council may still be unlikely. Even before the Ukraine war, Wilson Rowe says, Russia was at times "concerned about being overly reliant on China," which exerts a growing economic influence in the country. The Arctic Council and the collaborations made possible there often provided a welcome counterbalance to Chinese influence, she says.

The appetite for an Arctic 7 seems low, for now.

"The value of Arctic co-operation will not be meaningless, but it will have less value if not all Arctic states participate," said Morten Hglund, the senior Arctic official chair who represented Norway at the handover this week.

"That's not something we are hoping for, and we are definitely not steering towards."

Zombie council

That leaves, for a time at least, only the middle way: a council that continues in its current form, somehow, without formal diplomatic relations with Russia.

"The big question is, how long can the door be kept ajar for Russia?" Vigeland Rottem said.

Already, the pause on work in Russia has had "a dramatic effect" on cross-border projects like the collection of environmental data, according to Lars-Otto Riersen, who led monitoring efforts at the Arctic Council for 25 years. He says most Russian monitoring projects were funded by transfers from the West.

"It is so important that the science continues, because you will never manage to build up again what we did," he said.

The pause has also posed a major challenge for Indigenous participants like the Saami Council, whose members have been divided over support for the war.

Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs/Gunnar Vigfusson

The Arctic Council is one of very few international bodies where Indigenous groups participate on the same level as states. The loss of such a forum has been a major blow.

"The Arctic Council  is still of tremendous importance for the Saami Council, for the Indigenous peoples of the Arctic and for the environmental work we all depend upon," said Aslaak Holmberg, president of the Saami Council. "This mandate is still important, maybe now more than ever."

Continuing the work

Most analysts are optimistic the Arctic Council can continue its role in some form, even without the diplomatic participation of Russia.

"Rather than putting a lot of emphasis on the Arctic Council  producing more binding treaties I think we're going to see a return to the origins of the Arctic Council, focusing on science, on low politics," said Lackenbauer.

That means fewer ministerial meetings and unanimous declarations, and more done on the level of working groups, which Wilson Rowe says may be given more latitude to work with or without Russia.

For scientists, Riersen says, the Arctic Council could help co-ordinate information exchange between individual researchers, at a time when working directly with Russian scientific institutions remains unpalatable.

In that way, Lackenbauer says, "the council can become a clearinghouse for international science," helping institutions source global data without formally collaborating across enemy lines.

Stephane Nicolopoulos/AFP via Getty Images

Analysts were in agreement that Norway was uniquely well-positioned to manage this difficult time in the council's history.

Norway has a long history of pragmatic, bilateral relations with Russia, despite being a founding member of NATO. It has managed to maintain a fishery agreement with Russia and a line of communication to its northern fleet despite the outbreak of the war.

Hglund, Norway's senior Arctic official, is more modest about his country's prospects.

"I don't think Norway has a magic formula," he said.

But he recognizes that despite a long list of priorities, from oceans to Indigenous development, Norway's most important job is to find a way to continue work with Russia "on some level."

"We will propose alternatives which can get us going quite far, even without political participation," he said.

"Our responsibility as chair of the council is to ensure the council survives."
US networking giant Cisco Systems announced a manufacturing plant in India in an attempt to broaden its global supply chain.

The factory is expected to be operational in 12 months and will generate $1 billion in total revenue including exports, said Cisco Chairman and Chief Executive Chuck Robbins.

We are announcing strategic investments in Indian manufacturing capabilities as the next step in delivering cutting-edge technologies to our customers in India and across the globe, Robbins said in a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday. India is a focal point of innovation and business for Cisco, and we remain deeply committed to our partnerships here.

Cisco is building core manufacturing capabilities in India, including testing, deployment, and logistics, and expanding its in-house repair operations. It manufactures a range of networking and IT infrastructure products, mostly supplying to enterprises.

India is a lucrative bet for global tech giants

The trifecta of Indian R&D capabilities, manufacturing potential, and local market opportunities is creating an attractive value proposition for global multinational corporations to invest in the region.

India is already home to Ciscos second-largest R&D center outside its home market in the US.

India's domestic market is also attractive. According to IDC, Indias enterprise IT spending growth will be around 7.8% in 2023 despite challenging macroeconomic conditions and cost pressures.

Ciscos strategy to have a manufacturing base in India will help deliver its products faster to its clients in a sector that has been plagued by supply chain issues.

Networking equipment has been a badly hit sector because of the supply chain crisis. Companies are still struggling with backlogs and will take time to get back to normal.

While Ciscos initiative will not help solve the problem in the near term as the manufacturing set-up will take 12 months, it will definitely help ease any future supply chain shocks, said IDC Vice President Sharath Srinivasamurthy.

Pace of 5G deployment is attracting investments in India

The announcement comes at a time when India is witnessing 5G rollouts at a massive pace.

India has seen 5G deployments at a pace that we havent seen anywhere else in the world. And it really has created an amazing environment for investments, Robbins said.

Industrial use cases of 5G seem to be promising and as adoption increases, the demand for next-genertion secure networking equipment is going to increase, Srinivasamurthy said. Cisco seems to be sensing this opportunity to consolidate and expand its position in this space.

Cisco has manufacturing facilities in 17 countries including 5 in Asia: Korea, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The company has the option to scale up manufacturing in one of these countries such as Malaysia or look for other countries in Asia for manufacturing in place of China, said Pareekh Jain, chief analyst at Pareekh Consulting. India has a good chance to become an important manufacturing hub for Cisco and this could be one more hi-tech success story of manufacturing in India, similar to Samsung.

India is already becoming a hub for mobile phone manufacturing and the success of Cisco manufacturing could help in making India a hub for telecom equipment manufacturing, he said.

According to IDCs Srinivasamurthy, India is becoming a strong alternative to China and other countries as a location for manufacturing facilities. He thinks that since Cisco also wants to focus on exports from this facility, it will strengthen India as a destination for investment in technology manufacturing.
travelview - Getty Images

Two people were killed in a shooting at a Mercedes-Benz factory in Germany on Thursday morning, Automotive News reports.

The incident occurred at the company's assembly plant in Sindelfingen, near Stuttgart, where it builds the S-Class and the all-electric EQS. The two victims were both 44-year old men. One reportedly died at the scene, while the other succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

The alleged perpetrator, a 53-year old man, was able to open fire on the victims on the factory floor before being restrained by security forces. He did not resist arrest once police arrived on scene. Police are currently investigating a possible motive.

The factory, which employs roughly 35,000 people, was evacuated following the incident, which took place at 7:45 a.m. local time. All three people involved in the shooting were employees of an external service provider, rather than the Mercedes itself, the company told Automotive News.

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news from Sindelfingen this morning," Mercedes said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all colleagues on site."

You Might Also Like
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: The trouble between former BharatPe managing director Ashneer Grover and BharatPe seems to be far from over as the Economic Offences Wing has registered an FIR under eight sections against Grover, his wife, and family members.

A source told TNIE that this FIR is for allegedly defrauding the company of Rs 81.28 crore. The sections include 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) and 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), among others.

The accusations against Grover and his family members also include illegitimate payments to the tune of Rs 7.6 crore to bogus HR consultants on the basis of 86 false and forged invoices and inflated and undue payments through passthrough vendors connected to the accused persons to the detriment of the complainant company.

MZM Legal is advising BharatPe on the criminal case.

"After a detailed complaint was filed with the EOW, a thorough inquiry was conducted with voluminous documents on record. We are glad that cognizance has been taken and an FIR is now registered against Ashneer, his wife and others," said Zulfiquar Memon, Managing Partner, MZM Legal LLP.

Earlier in January, the fintech unicorn had filed a civil suit and a criminal complaint against Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain, and other family members for misappropriation of company funds. The company also filed a criminal complaint with the EOW on 17 counts, including cheating, siphoning, criminal breach of trust, and embezzlement of funds, against Grover and his family.

In March last year, Grover resigned from BharatPe, and his wife Madhuri Jain, was terminated from the firm.

The battle between Grover and BharatPe started after an audio clip, allegedly of Grover abusing and threatening a Kotak Mahindra Bank employee for missing out on Nykaa's IPO, went viral on social media.

Meanwhile, BharatPe in a statement welcomed the registration of an FIR by the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police in the Companys complaint in relation to the criminal offenses by Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain and other family members. "For the last 15 months, the Company has been facing a vicious and malicious campaign run by Grover against the Company, the board and its employees. The registration of the FIR is a step in the right direction which unearths various suspicious transactions made by the family for their personal pecuniary gains," it said.

"This FIR will now enable Law enforcement agencies to investigate deeper into the criminality and bring the culprits to books. We have full faith in our country's judicial and law enforcement systems and are optimistic that this case will reach its logical conclusion. We will continue to extend all possible cooperation to the authorities," the company added.



BENGALURU: The trouble between former BharatPe managing director Ashneer Grover and BharatPe seems to be far from over as the Economic Offences Wing has registered an FIR under eight sections against Grover, his wife, and family members. A source told TNIE that this FIR is for allegedly defrauding the company of Rs 81.28 crore. The sections include 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) and 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), among others. The accusations against Grover and his family members also include illegitimate payments to the tune of Rs 7.6 crore to bogus HR consultants on the basis of 86 false and forged invoices and inflated and undue payments through passthrough vendors connected to the accused persons to the detriment of the complainant company.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); MZM Legal is advising BharatPe on the criminal case. "After a detailed complaint was filed with the EOW, a thorough inquiry was conducted with voluminous documents on record. We are glad that cognizance has been taken and an FIR is now registered against Ashneer, his wife and others," said Zulfiquar Memon, Managing Partner, MZM Legal LLP. Earlier in January, the fintech unicorn had filed a civil suit and a criminal complaint against Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain, and other family members for misappropriation of company funds. The company also filed a criminal complaint with the EOW on 17 counts, including cheating, siphoning, criminal breach of trust, and embezzlement of funds, against Grover and his family. In March last year, Grover resigned from BharatPe, and his wife Madhuri Jain, was terminated from the firm. The battle between Grover and BharatPe started after an audio clip, allegedly of Grover abusing and threatening a Kotak Mahindra Bank employee for missing out on Nykaa's IPO, went viral on social media. Meanwhile, BharatPe in a statement welcomed the registration of an FIR by the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police in the Companys complaint in relation to the criminal offenses by Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain and other family members. "For the last 15 months, the Company has been facing a vicious and malicious campaign run by Grover against the Company, the board and its employees. The registration of the FIR is a step in the right direction which unearths various suspicious transactions made by the family for their personal pecuniary gains," it said. "This FIR will now enable Law enforcement agencies to investigate deeper into the criminality and bring the culprits to books. We have full faith in our country's judicial and law enforcement systems and are optimistic that this case will reach its logical conclusion. We will continue to extend all possible cooperation to the authorities," the company added.
Arshad Khan By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Indian low-cost carrier Spicejet on Thursday said that it has no plans whatsoever to file for insolvency.

There is absolutely no question of filing for insolvency. Any rumour regarding the same is completely baseless, said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of SpiceJet.

The airline said that they want to scotch any speculation that may have arisen due to the filing by another airline. Spicejet is firmly focused on its business and remains in active talks with investors to raise funds, it added.

The Gurugram-based airlines statement comes a day after the Delhi bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted Go Firsts plea for voluntary insolvency and for initiation of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) proceedings.

While Spicejet is not filing for insolvency, a few of its aircraft lessors are dragging the airline to bankruptcy court.

Ireland-based aircraft lessor Aircastle Ltd has moved the Principal Bench of NCLT to launch a bankruptcy process against the low-cost carrier. A two-member Principal bench headed by President Ramalingam Sudhakar has directed to list the matter on May 17 for the next hearing.

As per the NCLT website, two more petitions for insolvency resolution proceedings against SpiceJet are pending before it. This includes -- Willis Lease Finance Corporation filed on April 12 and the one by Acres Buildwell Private Ltd filed on February 4.

ALSO READ | More turbulence as SpiceJet gets insolvency glare

Unfazed by these developments, Spicejet has now said that they have initiated the process of reviving its grounded fleet with the $50 million funds received by the airline from the governments Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) and internal cash accruals.

We are focussed firmly on reviving our grounded fleet and getting more and more planes back into the air. Work on this front has already begun and the Company is using the $50 million ECLGS funds and our own cash, said Singh. We have a great relationship with all our partners. Our lessors have supported us through the thick and thin and continue to do so and we are grateful for their support and confidence.

Spicejet had last week announced plans to revive 25 grounded aircraft that it believes will help them capitalise and make the most of the upcoming peak travel season.

NEW DELHI: Indian low-cost carrier Spicejet on Thursday said that it has no plans whatsoever to file for insolvency. There is absolutely no question of filing for insolvency. Any rumour regarding the same is completely baseless, said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of SpiceJet. The airline said that they want to scotch any speculation that may have arisen due to the filing by another airline. Spicejet is firmly focused on its business and remains in active talks with investors to raise funds, it added. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Gurugram-based airlines statement comes a day after the Delhi bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted Go Firsts plea for voluntary insolvency and for initiation of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) proceedings. While Spicejet is not filing for insolvency, a few of its aircraft lessors are dragging the airline to bankruptcy court. Ireland-based aircraft lessor Aircastle Ltd has moved the Principal Bench of NCLT to launch a bankruptcy process against the low-cost carrier. A two-member Principal bench headed by President Ramalingam Sudhakar has directed to list the matter on May 17 for the next hearing. As per the NCLT website, two more petitions for insolvency resolution proceedings against SpiceJet are pending before it. This includes -- Willis Lease Finance Corporation filed on April 12 and the one by Acres Buildwell Private Ltd filed on February 4. ALSO READ | More turbulence as SpiceJet gets insolvency glare Unfazed by these developments, Spicejet has now said that they have initiated the process of reviving its grounded fleet with the $50 million funds received by the airline from the governments Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) and internal cash accruals. We are focussed firmly on reviving our grounded fleet and getting more and more planes back into the air. Work on this front has already begun and the Company is using the $50 million ECLGS funds and our own cash, said Singh. We have a great relationship with all our partners. Our lessors have supported us through the thick and thin and continue to do so and we are grateful for their support and confidence. Spicejet had last week announced plans to revive 25 grounded aircraft that it believes will help them capitalise and make the most of the upcoming peak travel season.
Shruti Kakkar By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday finally put quietus to the long-standing power spat between Arvind Kejriwal govt and central government on the issue of power and transfer of bureaucrats serving the GNCTD (Delhi government) belong to All India Services by unanimously ruling that the control over bureaucrats lies with GNCTD except police, public order and land.

If democratically elected govt are not provided the power to contour over the officers then the power of collective responsibility will be dilute. If the officers stop reporting to the ministers then the effect of collective responsibility will be effected. If "services" are excluded from legislative and executive domain, the Ministers would be excluded from controlling the civil servants who are to implement the executive decisions. If "services" are excluded from legislative and executive domain, the Ministers would be excluded from controlling the civil servants who are to implement the executive decisions. NCTD similar to other states represents the representative form of Government. Any further expansion of Union's power will be contrary to Constitutional scheme. NCTD has legislative power over "Services" excluding public order, police and land. CJI DY Chandrachud said while pronouncing the verdict also on behalf of Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha.

The court was of the view that it does not agree with the view of Justice Bhushan 2019 verdict that the Delhi government has no power at all over administrative services.

The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government had sought from the apex court a clear "demarcation" of its power in the row with the Centre over control of officers of various services such as IAS, IPS, DANICS, and DANIPS, who have been allocated to Delhi by the Union of India. The verdict was reserved by the five-judge bench in March.

The dispute over controlling the Capitals bureaucracy had arisen after a split verdict which was delivered by a two-judge bench in 2019 while upholding Centres notification dated July 23, 2014, and May 21, 2015, that had the effect of excluding the jurisdiction of Delhi Governments Anti-Corruption bench from probing offences committed by central government employees, limiting it to employees of Delhi Government.

Justice Bhushan had ruled the Delhi government had no power at all over administrative services. Justice Sikri, however, made a distinction. He said the transfer or posting of officers in top echelons of the bureaucracy (joint director and above) can only be done by the Central government (LG) and other officers are under the control of Delhi Govt. He was of the view that LGs view would prevail in case of a difference of opinion on matters relating to other bureaucrats.

Pursuant to the split, the matter was heard by a three judge bench headed by ex CJI NV Ramana. Noting that the constitution bench in its 2018 verdict had not dealt elaborately on the issue of control over services, 3 judge bench had asked five judge bench to make an authoritative pronouncement on this issue.

The limited issue that has been referred to this Bench relates to the scope of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and NCT Delhi with respect to the term services. The Constitution bench of this court, while interpreting Article 239AA(3)(a) of the Constitution, did not find any occasion to specifically interpret the impact of the wordings of the same with respect to Entry 41 in the State List. We, therefore, deem it appropriate to refer to the above-limited question, for an authoritative pronouncement by a Constitution Bench, it had said.

Kejriwal Govt had argued that it would not be possible for the govt to function if it does not have control over services as the exclusion of civil servants will negate governance. AAP Govt also argued that the power of creating and managing civil services and posts, appointing persons, transferring persons, and allocating persons to such posts was essential for a functioning Government and to ensure democratic accountability.

It was also argued that Article 239AA granted the Legislative Assembly of Delhi significant executive powers to make laws on matters within its legislative competence and the Jat it was to provide Delhi with a representative form of government, allowing the elected government to exercise executive powers over a range of subjects. The central government had argued that its control over Delhi was not only desirable but also constitutionally permitted. Centre had also argued that LG's role should not be restricted to mere concurrence and should include the power to review and approve decisions taken by the elected government.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday finally put quietus to the long-standing power spat between Arvind Kejriwal govt and central government on the issue of power and transfer of bureaucrats serving the GNCTD (Delhi government) belong to All India Services by unanimously ruling that the control over bureaucrats lies with GNCTD except police, public order and land. If democratically elected govt are not provided the power to contour over the officers then the power of collective responsibility will be dilute. If the officers stop reporting to the ministers then the effect of collective responsibility will be effected. If "services" are excluded from legislative and executive domain, the Ministers would be excluded from controlling the civil servants who are to implement the executive decisions. If "services" are excluded from legislative and executive domain, the Ministers would be excluded from controlling the civil servants who are to implement the executive decisions. NCTD similar to other states represents the representative form of Government. Any further expansion of Union's power will be contrary to Constitutional scheme. NCTD has legislative power over "Services" excluding public order, police and land. CJI DY Chandrachud said while pronouncing the verdict also on behalf of Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha. The court was of the view that it does not agree with the view of Justice Bhushan 2019 verdict that the Delhi government has no power at all over administrative services.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government had sought from the apex court a clear "demarcation" of its power in the row with the Centre over control of officers of various services such as IAS, IPS, DANICS, and DANIPS, who have been allocated to Delhi by the Union of India. The verdict was reserved by the five-judge bench in March. The dispute over controlling the Capitals bureaucracy had arisen after a split verdict which was delivered by a two-judge bench in 2019 while upholding Centres notification dated July 23, 2014, and May 21, 2015, that had the effect of excluding the jurisdiction of Delhi Governments Anti-Corruption bench from probing offences committed by central government employees, limiting it to employees of Delhi Government. Justice Bhushan had ruled the Delhi government had no power at all over administrative services. Justice Sikri, however, made a distinction. He said the transfer or posting of officers in top echelons of the bureaucracy (joint director and above) can only be done by the Central government (LG) and other officers are under the control of Delhi Govt. He was of the view that LGs view would prevail in case of a difference of opinion on matters relating to other bureaucrats. Pursuant to the split, the matter was heard by a three judge bench headed by ex CJI NV Ramana. Noting that the constitution bench in its 2018 verdict had not dealt elaborately on the issue of control over services, 3 judge bench had asked five judge bench to make an authoritative pronouncement on this issue. The limited issue that has been referred to this Bench relates to the scope of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and NCT Delhi with respect to the term services. The Constitution bench of this court, while interpreting Article 239AA(3)(a) of the Constitution, did not find any occasion to specifically interpret the impact of the wordings of the same with respect to Entry 41 in the State List. We, therefore, deem it appropriate to refer to the above-limited question, for an authoritative pronouncement by a Constitution Bench, it had said. Kejriwal Govt had argued that it would not be possible for the govt to function if it does not have control over services as the exclusion of civil servants will negate governance. AAP Govt also argued that the power of creating and managing civil services and posts, appointing persons, transferring persons, and allocating persons to such posts was essential for a functioning Government and to ensure democratic accountability. It was also argued that Article 239AA granted the Legislative Assembly of Delhi significant executive powers to make laws on matters within its legislative competence and the Jat it was to provide Delhi with a representative form of government, allowing the elected government to exercise executive powers over a range of subjects. The central government had argued that its control over Delhi was not only desirable but also constitutionally permitted. Centre had also argued that LG's role should not be restricted to mere concurrence and should include the power to review and approve decisions taken by the elected government.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: The business leaders in Kashmir are pinning hope that the successful conduct of G-20 tourism meeting in Srinagar later this month would pave the way for the lifting of J&K-specific travel advisories by the US and other European countries and increase the footfall of foreign tourists to the picturesque Valley.

Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president Javed Ahmed Bhat told this newspaper that they are hopeful that it would provide opportunities for growth to the tourism sector here.

We have got the opportunity to ensure the lifting of travel advisories to the region by the US and other European countries through the convening of this G-20 tourism meeting in Srinagar. This is the best thing happening in Kashmir, he said.

The third G20 tourism working group meeting under Indias presidency would be held in Srinagar from May 22 -24. The deliberations and discussions during the 3-day G-20 event will be held in Srinagar.

The foreign delegates would also visit the ski resort of Gulmarg which is still covered with snow after recent snowfall. About 200 delegates from different countries are expected to visit Kashmir.

The G20-tourism meeting in Srinagar would be the first major international event in J&K post-August 5, 2019 abrogation of J&Ks special status and bifurcation of erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories (UTs)  Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).

In case we are allowed to meet the visiting delegation, we will focus on getting the travel advisory lifted. We have got the opportunity to get it (advisory) lifted. It is the best time. If the travel advisory is lifted, then it would prove a big boost to Kashmir's tourism and handicraft sector, KCCI president said.

Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) Kashmir chapter president Zahoor Ahmad Qari said the G-20 meeting in Srinagar would go a long way in promoting Kashmir and Kashmir tourism.

It will send a strong message that Kashmir is a safe tourist destination and people should visit the picturesque place to enjoy its natural beauty and hospitality of locals, he said.

Like KCCI chief, Qari too is hopeful that the G-20 meeting would prove helpful in getting travel advisories of US and other European countries lifted.

He said foreign tourists from South East Asia including Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia visit Kashmir but the tourists from US and other European countries avoid visiting the place due to travel advisories of their countries.

Qari said if the travel advisory is lifted, Kashmir will witness an increase in footfall of foreign tourists.

The lifting of travel advisory will ensure foreign tourists visit Kashmir in large numbers as used to be the case before 1990s, the KCCI chief said.

SRINAGAR: The business leaders in Kashmir are pinning hope that the successful conduct of G-20 tourism meeting in Srinagar later this month would pave the way for the lifting of J&K-specific travel advisories by the US and other European countries and increase the footfall of foreign tourists to the picturesque Valley. Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president Javed Ahmed Bhat told this newspaper that they are hopeful that it would provide opportunities for growth to the tourism sector here. We have got the opportunity to ensure the lifting of travel advisories to the region by the US and other European countries through the convening of this G-20 tourism meeting in Srinagar. This is the best thing happening in Kashmir, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The third G20 tourism working group meeting under Indias presidency would be held in Srinagar from May 22 -24. The deliberations and discussions during the 3-day G-20 event will be held in Srinagar. The foreign delegates would also visit the ski resort of Gulmarg which is still covered with snow after recent snowfall. About 200 delegates from different countries are expected to visit Kashmir. The G20-tourism meeting in Srinagar would be the first major international event in J&K post-August 5, 2019 abrogation of J&Ks special status and bifurcation of erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories (UTs)  Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature). In case we are allowed to meet the visiting delegation, we will focus on getting the travel advisory lifted. We have got the opportunity to get it (advisory) lifted. It is the best time. If the travel advisory is lifted, then it would prove a big boost to Kashmir's tourism and handicraft sector, KCCI president said. Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) Kashmir chapter president Zahoor Ahmad Qari said the G-20 meeting in Srinagar would go a long way in promoting Kashmir and Kashmir tourism. It will send a strong message that Kashmir is a safe tourist destination and people should visit the picturesque place to enjoy its natural beauty and hospitality of locals, he said. Like KCCI chief, Qari too is hopeful that the G-20 meeting would prove helpful in getting travel advisories of US and other European countries lifted. He said foreign tourists from South East Asia including Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia visit Kashmir but the tourists from US and other European countries avoid visiting the place due to travel advisories of their countries. Qari said if the travel advisory is lifted, Kashmir will witness an increase in footfall of foreign tourists. The lifting of travel advisory will ensure foreign tourists visit Kashmir in large numbers as used to be the case before 1990s, the KCCI chief said.
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: Amid the dark shadow of the deaths of three cheetahs in less than 45 days, five of the 17 Namibian and South African cheetahs housed in big enclosures at the Kuno National Park (KNP) are likely to be released into the open jungles of the park in Madhya Pradeshs Sheopur district by the end of May.

According to highly placed sources at the MP Forest Department in Bhopal, the task force constituted by the central government to monitor the introduction of cheetahs at the KNP has given its nod for the release of at least five more cheetahs, including Namibian and South African felines, into the open jungles.

Were working on it and if all goes as planned, then the five cheetahs may be released in the open jungles within the next 15 days, a senior state forest department official told The New Indian Express on Thursday.

Once in the open jungles, the five cheetahs (possibly three females and two males) will join three Namibian cheetahs  female Aasha and male coalition Elton aka Gaurav and Freddy aka Shaurya, who were among the four cheetahs released into the open jungles in March.

ALSO READ | Third cheetah dies at MP's Kuno National Park after 'violent interaction' during mating

Of the four Namibian cheetahs released into KNPs open jungles in March, male cheetah Oban aka Pawan had to brought back into the big enclosure of the KNP (and is now housed in a big enclosure with two females), as it was regularly straying out of the KNP and causing panic to human habitats in adjoining villages.

As per informed sources, the central government task force monitoring cheetah introduction at KNP has in consultation with South African experts and specialists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) decided to okay the release of five more cheetahs into the jungles after closely monitoring their behavioural patterns.

The KNP, which had welcomed 20 African cheetahs in two batches (eight from Namibia on September 17, 2022 and 12 from South Africa on February 18, 2023) as part of the countrys ambitious project to reintroduce the fastest moving animal on earth in the Indian wilds 70 years after their extinction, now has just 17 cheetahs (seven from Namibia and 10 from South Africa) and four cubs born to Namibian female Siyaya aka Jwala on March 29.

The KNP has already lost three cheetahs including two females in less than 45 days. While Namibian female Sasha died of acute renal infection on March 27, South African male Uday died due to cardiopulmonary failure on April 23 and South African female Daksha died reportedly due to violent mating by the duo Vayu and Agni on May 9.

BHOPAL: Amid the dark shadow of the deaths of three cheetahs in less than 45 days, five of the 17 Namibian and South African cheetahs housed in big enclosures at the Kuno National Park (KNP) are likely to be released into the open jungles of the park in Madhya Pradeshs Sheopur district by the end of May. According to highly placed sources at the MP Forest Department in Bhopal, the task force constituted by the central government to monitor the introduction of cheetahs at the KNP has given its nod for the release of at least five more cheetahs, including Namibian and South African felines, into the open jungles. Were working on it and if all goes as planned, then the five cheetahs may be released in the open jungles within the next 15 days, a senior state forest department official told The New Indian Express on Thursday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Once in the open jungles, the five cheetahs (possibly three females and two males) will join three Namibian cheetahs  female Aasha and male coalition Elton aka Gaurav and Freddy aka Shaurya, who were among the four cheetahs released into the open jungles in March. ALSO READ | Third cheetah dies at MP's Kuno National Park after 'violent interaction' during mating Of the four Namibian cheetahs released into KNPs open jungles in March, male cheetah Oban aka Pawan had to brought back into the big enclosure of the KNP (and is now housed in a big enclosure with two females), as it was regularly straying out of the KNP and causing panic to human habitats in adjoining villages. As per informed sources, the central government task force monitoring cheetah introduction at KNP has in consultation with South African experts and specialists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) decided to okay the release of five more cheetahs into the jungles after closely monitoring their behavioural patterns. The KNP, which had welcomed 20 African cheetahs in two batches (eight from Namibia on September 17, 2022 and 12 from South Africa on February 18, 2023) as part of the countrys ambitious project to reintroduce the fastest moving animal on earth in the Indian wilds 70 years after their extinction, now has just 17 cheetahs (seven from Namibia and 10 from South Africa) and four cubs born to Namibian female Siyaya aka Jwala on March 29. The KNP has already lost three cheetahs including two females in less than 45 days. While Namibian female Sasha died of acute renal infection on March 27, South African male Uday died due to cardiopulmonary failure on April 23 and South African female Daksha died reportedly due to violent mating by the duo Vayu and Agni on May 9.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: In a series of tragic events following the announcement of Intermediate results, as many as eight students took their own lives on Wednesday, while one more student attempted suicide, and one left home to return later.

This brought the total number of exam-related student suicides to 10, including the deaths of M Prajwal on Tuesday and G Krishna in April.

The distressing trend of student suicides has been attributed to fears of low marks and academic failure among students who faced disappointment in their Intermediate examinations.

Among the reported cases, six were recorded across the three police commissioners within Hyderabad, while the remaining incidents were documented at the BDL police station in Sangareddy, Kothakota in Wanaparthy, and Medipally in Jagtial district.

A case under Section 173 of the CrPC was registered by the Raidurgam police after Shanti Kumari, a first-year Intermediate student, jumped from the fifth floor of a building. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, she succumbed to her injuries.

Ambati Haritha, a second-year student and resident of Punjagutta, hanged herself, allegedly being depressed over the result.

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)

HYDERABAD: In a series of tragic events following the announcement of Intermediate results, as many as eight students took their own lives on Wednesday, while one more student attempted suicide, and one left home to return later. This brought the total number of exam-related student suicides to 10, including the deaths of M Prajwal on Tuesday and G Krishna in April. The distressing trend of student suicides has been attributed to fears of low marks and academic failure among students who faced disappointment in their Intermediate examinations.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Among the reported cases, six were recorded across the three police commissioners within Hyderabad, while the remaining incidents were documented at the BDL police station in Sangareddy, Kothakota in Wanaparthy, and Medipally in Jagtial district. A case under Section 173 of the CrPC was registered by the Raidurgam police after Shanti Kumari, a first-year Intermediate student, jumped from the fifth floor of a building. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, she succumbed to her injuries. Ambati Haritha, a second-year student and resident of Punjagutta, hanged herself, allegedly being depressed over the result. (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)
Cybersecurity

After a Cyber Attack: Dos and Don'ts for Higher Education IT Staff

For most colleges and universities, it's a question of when, not if, they will experience a cyber attack. Here are seven key considerations for handling the aftermath of a breach.

There is a treasure trove of sensitive and valuable information in higher education information systems that is tantalizing to hackers of all kinds. With networks that store the financial details of every student, faculty, staff member, alumni, research partner, and more such as names, addresses, social security numbers, passports, and healthcare data, colleges and universities are attractive targets. In fact, it is thought that an individual's educational records are worth around $265 on the black market.

Higher education in particular has a more "open access" culture and infrastructure than other organizations of similar size and complexity. Academic institutes employ various devices for recruiting, teaching, research, data storage, and other activities. Students, too, bring their own mobile devices to school for research and note-taking.

This substantially increases the vulnerability of the institution to attack. Unfortunately, despite their knowledge of how to use devices, students are often uninformed of the importance of cybersecurity. Many of their personal devices lack the proper security protocols, and if they connect to their school's WiFi, it can make it easier for hackers to breach the institution's network without the proper configurations and monitoring.

According to IBM Security's Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average cost of a data breach in the education industry increased from $3.79 million in 2020 to $3.86 million in 2022. Further, education remains one of the top 10 industries with the highest average total cost. And according to a recent Sophos report, 40% of victims in the higher education sector took more than a month to fully recover from a cyberattack in 2021. This is in stark contrast to the 10% of manufacturing and production companies that took an extended period of time to recover from a similar attack.

The sad truth is that for most schools, it is a question of when, not if, they will experience a cyber attack. So let's dive into the do's and don'ts for IT staff once an attack occurs.

After a Cyber Attack, Do:

Act as swiftly as possible to contain the attack. The quicker you can quarantine the issue, the better it will be for recovery. Cyber attacks on schools, particularly those that cause significant disruption, often make headlines and come under a great deal of scrutiny from parents, faculty, and the general public. It is important to have an efficient and timely response and recovery plan in place to minimize the damage of a breach before it becomes too severe.

Consider if you need to bring in outside resources to help. Ensure that there are no new indications of a breach and that security flaws have been remedied to stop malicious actors from regaining access to systems and networks. Educational institutions should then get in touch with their incident response firm, cyber insurance provider, and law enforcement before attempting to remove the threat.

Unfortunately, your current team may or may not be equipped to handle the problem on their own. Whether it's an issue of expertise, time constraints, or both, institutions of all types and sizes should have a service provider they can call to help with containment and recovery as part of their incident response plan.

Analyze what happened to improve security practices and incident response. There's a saying in cybersecurity that the cybersecurity team has to get it 100% right, but the criminal only needs to get it right once. Schools need to accept that there is no shame in being a victim of a cyber attack  the most important thing is analyzing what happened, what went right, and what went wrong, so the same mistakes can be avoided and schools can strive for continual improvement.
Foodism launches a One-Stop solution for all things food

Ahmedabad, May 10: Foodism, the social networking platform for food enthusiasts and professionals, is taking a significant leap with the launch of its new and improved one-stop destination app. The app aims to connect individuals and businesses in the food industry through a centralized platform that facilitates knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and talent acquisition.

Foodism launches a 'One-Stop' solution for all things food

Foodism has launched a new app with the aim of creating a centralized platform where individuals and businesses can easily find and connect with the appropriate people and opportunities. The improved app offers features that allow users to build a professional network within the food industry, discover online and offline food events, and explore new opportunities. The app offers a wide range of features, including work opportunities, portfolio creation, and event listings. Individuals can showcase their skills, connect with potential employers, and learn new techniques. Brands and business owners can expand their network, connect with potential customers and suppliers, and discover new opportunities."Our vision is to create a thriving food industry ecosystem that fosters innovation, creativity, and growth. With the launch of our app, we aim to empower individuals and businesses in the food industry by providing them with a platform to connect, share knowledge, and collaborate," said Vyom Shah, Founder of Foodism.From home chefs to food photographers, content creators, professional chefs, caterers, and more, anyone and everyone from the food industry can be our target audience. The new and improved Foodism app is all set to create a revolution in the food industry, empowering the food community and making it easier to connect, grow and thrive.Founded in 2019 by Vyom Shah, Foodism is a social networking platform that empowers a community of food lovers, enthusiasts, and professionals to share, communicate and conduct business via the Foodism app. Today it has grown to be a strong community of 8000 members from across the world. The mission of Foodism is to bring the food community globally closer and facilitate empowerment and growth within the food industry.This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.ANI10 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Commerce Minister Goyal, Canadian counterpart Mary Ng agree to rework, relaunch Canada-India CEO Forum

Ottawa, May 10: Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and his Canadian counterpart Mary Ng have agreed to rework and relaunch the Canada-India CEO Forum with renewed focus and a new set of priorities during the sixth India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI).

Commerce Minister Goyal, Canadian counterpart Mary Ng agree to rework, relaunch Canada-India CEO Forum

It was decided during MDTI on Monday (local time) that the CEO Forum would be a platform to enhance business-to-business (B2B) engagement, according to a joint statement released by the commerce ministry on Wednesday.Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, along with Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Canada, co-chaired the sixth India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI) on May 8, 2023 in Ottawa.The ministers emphasised the solid foundation of the trade and economic relationship between Canada and India and recognised the significant opportunity to deepen bilateral ties and economic partnership.Minister Mary Ng expressed her support for India as G20 Chair and the priorities pursued by India in the G20 Trade and Investment Working Group. She indicated that she was looking forward to participating in the upcoming G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial meeting in India scheduled to take place in August 2023.India-Canada bilateral trade in goods reached about USD 8.2 billion in 2022, registering about 25 per cent growth compared to 2021, according to the statement released on Wednesday. The Ministers also underlined the contribution of the services sector in furthering the bilateral relationship and noted the significant potential for increasing bilateral services trade which stood at about USD 6.6 billion in 2022.The Ministers emphasised enhancing cooperation in sectors such as clean technologies for infrastructure development, critical minerals, electric vehicles and batteries, renewable energy/hydrogen, and artificial intelligence (AI). The Ministers asked their officials to discuss trade remedies issues of bilateral importance on a regular basis.The Ministers reviewed the progress so far achieved in the India-Canada Free Trade Agreement negotiations in the seven rounds of negotiations so far. The Ministers reaffirmed that EPTA would cover, among others, high-level commitments in goods, services, investment, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, and dispute settlement, and may also cover others where mutual agreement is reached.Among the outcomes during MDTI, the two sides agreed to explore enhanced cooperation through measures such as coordinated investment promotion, information exchange and mutual support between the two parties in near future through a MoU preferably in Fall of 2023.The Ministers also agreed on the importance of G2G coordination to promote critical mineral supply chain resiliency and committed to an annual dialogue at the official level on the margins of the Prospectors and Developers Association Conference (PDAC) in Toronto to discuss issues of mutual interest.Minister Mary Ng announced that she would lead a Team Canada trade mission to India in October 2023. This will present an opportunity to further the trade and investment ties between the two countries as she is likely to bring a big business delegation for the same.The Ministers noted the significant movement of professionals and skilled workers, students, and business travellers between the two countries, and its immense contribution to enhancing the bilateral economic partnership and in this context noted the desire for enhanced discussions in the area of migration and mobility.The Ministers discussed appropriate mechanisms to discuss talent and innovation partnership to strengthen the bilateral innovation ecosystem, according to the ministry's statement.In order to review the progress being made under mechanisms established under the MDTI and regular follow-up both sides will come up with an annual work plan which would be reviewed and reported on a regular basis.The Ministers agreed to remain engaged to provide sustained momentum to building linkages and strengthening cooperation across sectors to harness the full potential of the trade and investment relationship between India and Canada.ANI10 May 2023

Shared Recently!
The Lip Balm Company sources sustainable ingredients around the world for exotic lip balms

Chennai, May 10: Chennai based The Lip Balm Company (TLBC), is proud to announce that its has been sustainably sourced with major ingredients handpicked from across select countries in America and Africa. The exotic line includes Lippe lip balm with Kalahari Melon Seed Oil from Southern Africa, Tree of Life lip balm with Amazonian Buriti Oil from Southern America, and Scarlet, Lava, and Flamingo with Astaxanthin from Chile, South America.

The Lip Balm Company sources sustainable ingredients around the world for exotic lip balms

With every lip balm being plant-based and sustainably sourced, The Lip Balm Company is committed to using sustainable and ethical sourcing practices in all its products. Citing a few are the Kalahari Melon Seed Oil used in Lippe lip balm which is extracted from wild melons growing in the Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa. The Tree of Life lip balm features Amazonian Buriti Oil, a powerful antioxidant that is sustainably sourced from the Buriti palm in Brazil and the Scarlet, Lava, and Flamingo tinted lip balms contain Astaxanthin, an algal pigment and antioxidant that is sustainably sourced from the pristine waters off the coast of Chile.Astaxanthin is known for its powerful antioxidant properties and thus helps in reducing lip pigmentation while adding a pop of colour to the lips."We believe it's important to not only offer high-quality plant-based lip balms but also be responsible global citizens," said Irene Janet A, Chief Coordinator, E-Commerce Execution, The Lip Balm Company."This is our way of showcasing our products to the world while walking the talk by sourcing our ingredients only from reputed suppliers who practice sustainable and ethical methods," Irene Janet A added.The Lip Balm Company's exotic line of lip balms is available for purchase on its website and in select retail locations. The company encourages customers to try their sustainably sourced lip balms and join them in supporting sustainable practices around the world.This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.ANI10 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Go First CEO meets DGCA official, civil aviation secretary for future course of action

New Delhi, May 10: Go First CEO Kaushik Khona met DGCA officials right after the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in its judgement on Wednesday admitted the plea of Go First Airlines for insolvency proceedings.

Go First CEO meets DGCA official, civil aviation secretary for future course of action

The CEO also met the civil aviation secretary for any future course of action.The budget airline last Thursday had filed a petition with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), seeking protection under bankruptcy law. It had also sought an interim moratorium to prevent the seizure of its 26 aircraft by aircraft lessors.In addition, the airline sought direction to appoint an insolvency resolution process (IRP) for the betterment of Go First.The NCLT, the President Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and technical member LN Gupta announced the order, adding, "We appoint Abhilash Lal as IRP (Insolvency Resolution Professional). Suspended board of directors will cooperate with the IRP."The airline operator has recently filed an application for immediate resolution under insolvency and revival of its operations.Meanwhile, Go First has cancelled all its flights until May 19 this year. Earlier, the cancellations were till May 12. The airline said a full refund would be issued to the original mode of payment shortly.Go First currently has around 50 aircraft in its fleet, with 50 per cent grounded due to engine outages.ANI10 May 2023

Shared Recently!
India, EU hold fourth Strategic Partnership Review Meeting in Delhi, discuss cooperation in connectivity

New Delhi, May 10: Along with a wide range of other topics, connectivity cooperation between India and the European Union was discussed in a recent Strategic Partnership Review Meeting in Delhi. The meeting emphasised that connectivity projects respect sovereignty and territorial integrity.

India, EU hold fourth Strategic Partnership Review Meeting in Delhi, discuss cooperation in connectivity

According to the joint release of the EU-India review meeting, the meeting was held on May 8 in New Delhi. The Indian side was led by Sanjay Verma, secretary (West), and the EU side was led by Helena Konig, Deputy Secretary General for Economic and Global Issues, European External Action Service.The meeting went over the whole range of bilateral ties between India and the EU as outlined in the "India-EU Strategic Partnership A Roadmap to 2025" adopted at the 15th India-EU Summit in 2020. India and The EU went through an extensive review of their successful bilateral relationship in the context of the meetings organised by India under its ongoing G20 Presidency.The discussions centred on a variety of subjects, including climate change, clean energy, biodiversity, the circular economy, resource efficiency, smart urbanisation, trade, research and innovation, education, mobility, and digital challenges, including data privacy.Both sides also discussed cooperation in the sphere of connectivity, emphasising that connectivity projects respect sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also took stock of the ongoing negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement, Investment Protection Agreement and Agreement on Geographical Indications and agreed on their importance and the need for full cooperation at the multilateral level and regular bilateral dialogue on economic issues, the joint press release read.They also reviewed the progress and scope of the newly launched India-EU Trade and Technology Council and looked forward to a successful first Ministerial Meeting under the TTC mechanism on 16 May in Brussels, the release added.The EU and India discussed the prospects for a world that is safer, wealthier, and more democratic. They expressed their appreciation for the EU-India Human Rights Dialogue's return in 2021 and pledged to continue convening it every year. Additionally, they emphasised the necessity of a comprehensive, just, and long-lasting peace in Ukraine that complies with the UN Charter and international law."Both sides emphasised that the rules-based international order must respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, transparency, and peaceful resolution of disputes. They unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations including cross-border attacks," the official joint release of EU-India on the Fourth Strategic Partnership Review meeting said.They also expressed their commitment to increase engagement across all areas with a view of identifying areas to strengthen cooperation, including through the Global Gateway, and looking into priorities for the next India-EU Summit, the release added.ANI10 May 2023

Shared Recently!
PM Modi to embark on official state visit to US in June: MEA

New Delhi, May 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on an official state visit to the United States on June 22. During his visit, PM Modi will be hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a state dinner at the White House, the Ministry of External Affairs informed through a press statement on Wednesday.

PM Modi to embark on official state visit to US in June: MEA

The MEA statement further said the visit will underscore the growing importance of the strategic partnership between India and the United States, as the two nations are already collaborating across sectors.The leaders will have the opportunity to review strong bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, including technology, trade, industry, education, research, clean energy, defence, security, healthcare, and deepening people-to-people connections.Prime Minister Modi and President Biden will also explore ways to strengthen India-US collaboration in plurilateral and multilateral fora, including in the G20. They would reflect on their shared vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific and discuss opportunities to expand and consolidate the Quad engagement, the release stated further.This historic visit offers a valuable opportunity for India and the US to further deepen a comprehensive and forward-looking global strategic partnership.Meanwhile, a statement released by the White House read, "President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India for an Official State Visit to the United States, which will include a state dinner, on June 22, 2023.""The visit will strengthen the two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space," the statement added."The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change, to workforce development and health security," it stated further.Earlier, PM Modi visited the United States on September 23, 2021.In 2022, on the sidelines of the QUAD Leaders Summit, PM Modi and President Biden announced the India-US initiative of critical and emerging technology, known as iCET.During the iCET launch, a new Implementation Arrangement between the Department of Science and Technology of India and the National Science Foundation of the US was signed by the Ambassador and NSF Director in the presence of Doval and Sullivan.ANI10 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Assam: Vultures affected due to poisoning in Sivasagar released after treatment

Dispur, May 10: Officials of the Assam Wildlife Department on Wednesday released some vultures back to the wild after treatment.

Assam: Vultures affected due to poisoning in Sivasagar released after treatment

"Release of the vultures back to the wild after treatment. The vultures were affected due to poisoning under Sivasagar Division," tweeted Assam Forest Department.In January this year, As many as 24 vultures were found dead under mysterious circumstances in Assam's Sivasagar district.The incident took place in the Garkuch Naojaan area.According to the reports, locals found the carcasses near a field in the Garkuch Naojaan area of Sivasagr in Assam and immediately informed forest officials.The forest department officials rushed to the spot and found 24 vultures lifeless and 8 of them were rescued and sent to the hospital for treatment.A forest official of Sivasagar district said then that at least 24 vultures were found dead near the field.The forest department after a primary investigation had suspected that the vultures died of food poisoning.A forest department official had informed that a carcass of cattle was also found in the area. While 8 vultures were rescued and sent to the hospital for treatment."We suspect that the vultures died due to food poisoning. We also found a carcass of cattle. We have rescued eight vultures and sent them to hospital for treatment," the forest official had said.An investigation was launched to find the cause of death of so many vultures under unknown circumstances.ANI10 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Anurag Kashyap cryptically writes on The Kerala Story: To ban it is just wrong

Mumbai, May 10: Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has cryptically talked about the ban on the recently released film 'The Kerala Story' in a thread about the propaganda film.

Anurag Kashyap cryptically writes on 'The Kerala Story': To ban it is just wrong

Cryptically reacting to the ban of 'The Kerala Story' in West Bengal, Kashyap tweeted on Wednesday "You agree with the film or not, be it propaganda, counter propaganda, offensive or not, to ban it is just wrong."He also shared a quote by French philosopher Voltaire, which read "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."'The Kerala Story' is currently in controversy after the film's trailer claimed that 32,000 girls from Kerala went missing and joined the terrorist group, ISIS. Later, the film's makers had changed it to three women.Anurag tweeted it is "just wrong" to ban a film, even if it is "propaganda" and asked people to watch 'Afwaah', which "talks against misuse of social media and how inherent prejudice is weaponised to create hatred and unrest".He tweeted, "You want to fight propaganda. Then go in numbers and see the film that talks against misuse of social media and how inherent prejudice is weaponised to create hatred and unrest. It's running in cinemas and is called 'Afwaah'. Go make your voice stronger. Go make a point. That's the right way to fight."West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had recently directed the state chief secretary to ensure the film is removed from all screens in the state.IANS11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
OiiO Infotech is supporting the first 25 Small businesses to transform digitally at just Rs 999

New Delhi, May 10: Transforming your business digitally is not as easy as you think. It requires a lot of dedication, the Right Guidance, and a team of professionals to build a proper scalable online business. Going Online is not just about creating a website, creating social profiles and placing ads. People won't Interact with your business, until and unless it's valuable for them.

OiiO Infotech is supporting the first 25 Small businesses to transform digitally at just Rs 999

OiiO Infotech Says - Small Businesses really don't know where to start and they back out from an idea to start or transform their business online because it requires money to be digital. To be honest, it's true that if somebody wants to take their business online it requires a good sum of money. If business owners are thinking creating a website or social media account alone is enough then it's wrong, It is a waste of money if you are thinking the same. But Someone has to come forward to help these small businesses and that's why we are ready to support First 25 small businesses and guide them step by step in this digital era.It's time to Kick-start your Dream Business with .It's very important for every business to transform itself digitally, As human beings need oxygen to survive same as businesses need to be digital in this era to sustain and grow online. Brands are not built by just having a website or even if it's not built in a day, it takes time, a perfect strategy, planning, and careful execution from time to time for the best result, which you are unaware of it.Keeping this in mind is supporting the first 25 small businesses to transform digitally at just Rs 999, Actual Worth of the Package is Rs 25000 INRWe are not promising you anything out of the planet, my dear friend let me tell you it's practically possible. The package includes Business Research, a team of professionals to solve your query, a well-designed Website, a Digital marketing strategy for all Social Media to grow organically, Post Creation, Business proposals documentation, and Reputation building for 3 Months. OiiO Infotech is the best website design and digital marketing in Delhi NCRAll your business need is included in this Proposal Just for you, In Return we only need your Dedication and time to Grow online Together. To Join this Program you can Call us At 8-750-750-888. This package is Only Valid for the First 25 Small Businesses.Visit Our Website -Social Profiles -Mobile No - +91-8750750888This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Telangana SSC results declared; 86.60pc of regular candidates pass

Hyderabad, May 10 ( ANI): The Telangana State SSC or class 10 Public Examination results were declared on Wednesday by the state education minister Sabitha Indra Reddy. The pass percentage of Regular Candidates in the examinations is 86.60pc while the pass percentage of Private Candidates is 44.51pc.

Telangana SSC results declared; 86.60pc of regular candidates pass

Out of 4,84,370 Regular candidates who appeared for the examination, 4,19,460 candidates passed the exam. 3,335 private candidates passed out of 7,492 candidates who appeared for the exam. The results are available on the websites results.bse.telangana.gov.in and results.bsetelangana.org.Sabitha Indra Reddy congratulated all the students who passed the examination while urging the students who did not pass not to take any unwise decisions.The pass percentage of Girls is higher than Boys among regular and private candidates. 2,793 schools secured 100% passes whereas 25 schools secured 0% passes. Nirmal district secured the highest pass percentage of 99%, followed by Siddipet with 98.65% and Sangareddy with 97.29%.Vikarabad district secured the lowest pass percentage of 59.46%. The Telangana State Residential Schools secured the highest pass percentage of 98.25% and the Government Schools secured the lowest pass percentage of 72.39%. The private schools secured a pass percentage of 90.9%. The exams were conducted on 100% syllabus this year as opposed to 70% syllabus the previous year.The SSC Advanced Supplementary Examinations are scheduled from June 14 to June 22. The last date for the students to pay the exam fees to their heads of school is May 26. The students can also apply for recounting and re-verification within 15 days of the release of results. The candidates who apply for re-verification need not apply for recounting. .ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Nushrratt Bharuccha stuns glamorous avatar in maroon Ankara gown

Mumbai, May 10: Bollywood actor Nushrratt Bharuccha has always garnered praise for her elegant fashion choices. She never shies away from experimenting with her looks and is always well-received on the internet as the audience loves to see her in new avatars.

Nushrratt Bharuccha stuns glamorous avatar in maroon Ankara gown

On Wednesday, the 'Ram Setu' star took to his Instagram and shared several images in which she is carrying an elegant look in a maroon Ankara gown. Sharing the pictures, she dropped a cloud emoji in the caption that relates to the cloudy filter that she used.Soon after she shared the pictures, fans flooded the comment section with red heart and fire emoticons as the actor looked glamorous.A social media user wrote, "Looking Gorgeous". Another fan commented, "My most favt girl on this planet".The 'Hurdang' actor chose a chic Scarlett maroon deep-neck ensemble with minimal jewellery to match her look. The actor rocked the attire as she left her hair open. She opted for a natural makeup look with bright eyes that adds a bold edge to the monochrome dressing. Nushrratt knows how to keep the style meter running.The 'Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety' actor marked a turning point in her career with her role in 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama'. She was recently seen in the family entertainer 'Selfiee' alongside Akshay Kumar, Emraan Hashmi and Diana Penty. Helmed by Raj Mehta, the film failed to impress the audience at the box office.She is currently busy promoting her upcoming film 'Chhatrapati' with South actor Srinivas Bellamkonda.She will also be seen in the upcoming horror flick 'Chhorii 2' alongside Soha Ali Khan.ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Cyclone Mocha: Indian Coast Guard on high alert after IMDs warning

Kolkata, May 10: Indian Coast Guard (ICG) units have been placed on high alert amid the warning of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for cyclonic storm 'Mocha', said an official statement.

Cyclone 'Mocha': Indian Coast Guard on high alert after IMD's warning

IMD on Wednesday predicted that the depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards and is likely to move north-northwestwards and intensify gradually into a cyclonic storm over the same region.The statement said that the ICG is geared up for response to Cyclonic storm 'Mocha' as indicated by IMD and the update had been shared with the fisheries and civil administration."Indian Coast Guard is geared up for response to Cyclonic storm 'Mocha' as indicated by IMD. Weather update is being shared with fisheries and civil administration. ICG units in West Bengal and Odisha were placed on high alert and standby to meet any eventuality," read the statement."Weather warnings being broadcasted through ICG ships on patrol and aircraft on surveillance as well as Coast Guard Radar Operating Station (ROS) Paradip and Haldia both in English and vernacular languages to alert fishermen and mariners at sea," it added.Earlier on Wednesday, IMD said, the depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards during the past six hours with a speed of 5 kmph and lay centred about 510 km west-southwest of Port Blair, 1,460 km south-southwest of Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh) and 1,340 km south-southwest of Sittwe (Myanmar).The bulletin also informed that the movement of the depression is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm over the southeast and adjoining central Bay of Bengal.On Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that people do not need to fear the cyclone as the state government is equipped to handle the situation."No need to fear the cyclone. If there come different circumstances, we will rescue people from coastal areas as the cyclone will move to Bangladesh and Myanmar," CM Banerjee had said.ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Workplace accidents are more likely to occur in moderately risky environments

Washington, May 10: Although some individuals may expect extremely risky occupations to have the highest frequency of workplace accidents, a recent study reveals that accidents are more likely to occur in moderately dangerous work conditions.

Workplace accidents are more likely to occur in moderately risky environments

"In highly dangerous environments, individuals engage in a high degree of safety behaviours, which offsets the chance of an accident," said Dr. James Beck, lead author and a professor of psychology. "On the other hand, in moderately dangerous environments, people usually engage in some safety behaviours, yet most people do not engage in enough safety behaviours to avoid accidents."Safety behaviours are often viewed as cumbersome and inefficient, which can mean workers do not practice these behaviours consistently.According to Beck, under moderately dangerous conditions, people tend to underestimate the degree of safety behaviour that is needed. As a result, they tend to respond to danger in a more-or-less proportional manner so that moderately dangerous situations are met with a moderate degree of safety behaviour. However, the researchers found this response insufficient as "minimizing accidents requires a very sharp increase in safety behaviours, even in response to a small increase in danger."The authors conducted four studies. In two of the studies, historical workplace injury data were used to demonstrate that moderately dangerous environments were associated with the most accidents. The remaining two studies were experiments that had individuals complete work simulations in which they knew the level of danger and how to engage with it safely.The experiments demonstrated that individuals under-allocate time and effort to work safely within moderately dangerous environments despite knowing about the dangers."It appears that the level of safety behaviours needed to offset moderate dangers is simply not very obvious or intuitive," Beck said.The findings provide insights into how workplace safety training programs may be designed to emphasize moderately hazardous work environments to help individuals avoid accidents.ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Virat Kohli teases paps after Anushka Sharma called as Sir: Virat Maam bhi bol de

Mumbai, May 11: Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma hosted a special dinner for Royal Challengers Bangalore players and support staff at his restaurant in Mumbai on Wednesday. The gracious hosts looked absolutely gorgeous as they always do. Anushka teamed up a sleeveless striped white shirt with white pants, while Virat opted for a printed shirt.

Virat Kohli teases paps after Anushka Sharma called as 'Sir': Virat Ma'am bhi bol de

While the couple was posing for the paps outside the restaurant, a paparazzo mistakenly called Anushka as 'Sir'. The former Indian captain did not let this opportunity go in vain without poking some fun. He said to the paps, "Virat ma'am bhi bol de ek baar." (Please tell Virat 'Ma'am' once!) The couple and the paps burst into laughter. Several videos of the incident went viral.Kohli is currently engaged with his IPL schedule as he plays for the popular franchise 'Royal Challengers Bangalore'.The 'Rab ne bana di Jodi' actor, on the other hand, will be seen in her brother Karnesh Sharma's produced film 'Chakda Xpress'.In between the matches, Virat and Anushka have been exuding couple goals, sometime in Bengaluru and sometime in Delhi.A few days back, Virat shared a beautiful frame with his wife.In the picture, Virat can be seen in a black shirt folded to the elbow to bring a proper Delhi-wala-ladka vibe with a classic watch in his hand that goes around Anushka's waist, dressed in a beautiful orange-coloured dress. As she poses for the camera, Anushka looked gorgeous with open hair and a wide smile. Virat captioned the picture with two hearts with an infinity sign in between.ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Change in breast density over time associated with cancer risk: Study

Washington, May 10: Many middle-aged and older women have mammograms every one to two years, as suggested by their doctors, to check for breast cancer. According to a study conducted by experts at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, past mammograms include underutilised data that might assist identify people at high risk of breast cancer and even reveal which breast is likely to be afflicted.

Change in breast density over time associated with cancer risk: Study

Doctors scan mammograms to determine breast density as well as cancer indications, comparing a woman's past mammograms to her most recent one to search for concerning changes. However, certain alterations are difficult to identify with the naked eye.The researchers used a mathematical model to track changes in breast density in almost 1,000 women over the course of a decade and discovered that the pace of change differed dramatically between the approximately 300 women who were subsequently diagnosed with cancer and those who were not. The findings, published online in JAMA Oncology, have the potential to improve current risk algorithms and boost efforts to identify women who may benefit from extra screening."Our best tool against breast cancer is early detection," said senior author Graham A. Colditz, MD, DrPH, associate director of Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. "By adding the change in density over repeated images to models for risk classification in each breast, we set the stage for a better risk estimation with each updated mammogram. We can then better classify future risk and refer women to appropriate prevention strategies such as enhanced screening as part of routine breast health services."Doctors estimate a woman's risk of breast cancer using factors including age, family history, presence of high-risk genetic variants and breast density. Women considered to be at high risk are referred for supplemental screening, which typically means annual magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in addition to annual mammograms.Nobody really knows why women with denser breasts are more likely to develop breast cancer. First author Shu Jiang, PhD -- an associate professor of surgery in the Division of Public Health Sciences within the Department of Surgery, and a research member at Siteman -- saw in repeated mammograms an untapped source of data on breast density and how it changes over time in individual breasts that might shed light on the relationship between density and disease.She analyzed data on women in the Joanne Knight Breast Health Cohort at Siteman Cancer Center. The cohort was established by Colditz, the Niess-Gain Professor of Surgery and director of the Division of Public Health Sciences, and colleagues in 2008 to study risk factors and improve models for breast cancer risk prediction. It comprises a diverse group of more than 10,000 women who were free from cancer when they joined.Jiang identified 289 women in the cohort who had developed cancer and compared them to 658 similar women in the cohort who did not. Each woman had received regular mammograms, so Jiang was able to collect and analyze a total of 8,710 single-breast images, representing an average of four time points over a 10-year period for each woman.Since breast cancer rarely develops in both breasts at the same time, Jiang analyzed the images of each breast separately. Women's breasts normally become less dense as they age, but Jiang discovered that density declined significantly more slowly in the breasts that later developed cancer than in those that did not."In the future, I think we can use a woman's past history of density, plus her current density estimate, to better understand her risk level," Jiang said. "We may even be able to determine which breast will be affected, because the density signal is strongest in the breast that goes on to develop cancer. Many women already get regular mammograms, so the data on density in each breast is already being collected. We just need to use the data more effectively."ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Amid controversies, Adah Sharma thanks fans for making The Kerala Story trend

Mumbai, May 11: Amid the controversies surrounding 'The Kerala Story', the lead actor of the movie Adah Sharma thanked fans for making the film 'trend'.

Amid controversies, Adah Sharma thanks fans for making 'The Kerala Story' trend

The actor tweeted, "Thank you to all the crores of you who are going to watch our film, thank you for making it trend, thank you for loving my performance. This weekend the 12th #TheKeralaStory releases internationally in 37 countries (or more) #adahsharma"Apart from Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani acted in lead roles in the movie.A massive controversy erupted around the film after its trailer claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala had gone missing and joined the terrorist group ISIS.However, in the face of protests, the contentious figure in the trailer was later withdrawn. Its trailer description was later changed to a story of three women from Kerala.Asked about the numbers which caused a disruption in the political scenario of the nation, Adah told ANI, "The story is really scary. The fact that people are calling it propaganda or are thinking about numbers only above the missing girls is scarier. Instead, it would have been the opposite that we would have discussed that girls are missing like this and then given a thought about the numbers."Exuding confidence about the subject matter of the film, Adah said, "You won't be discussing numbers, once you watch the movie".Adah started her career in 2008 with '1920.' After that, she featured in movies like 'Hasee Toh Phasee', 'Commando 2' and 'Commando 3'.Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal banned the film 'The Kerala Story' citing "maintenance of peace" and to avoid incidents of "hatred and violence" in the state.West Bengal became the first state to ban the film, which narrates the ordeal of three women who are trafficked to ISIS camps after being converted to Islam through marriage.There's a continuing political outcry around the movie even as it has been made tax-free in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
India, UK conduct joint military exercise Ajeya Warrior

London, May 10: The UK and India will conclude the seventh edition of the biennial exercise, Ajeya Warrior on Thursday.

India, UK conduct joint military exercise 'Ajeya Warrior'

Contingents from the British and Indian Armies have been undertaking training at the Salisbury Plain Training Area in the UK for the past two weeks.This year, Exercise Ajeya Warrior involved troops from the UK's 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team and 2nd Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles and India's 6th Battalion of the Bihar Regiment."Ex Ajeya Warrior culminated today after a Validation Exercise and Closing Ceremony at Imber Village, Salisbury. HC @VDoraiswami was the Chief Guest for the Closing Ceremony. The exercise has been extremely successful towards achieving high levels of integration and interoperability," the High Commission of India, London tweeted.Increasing the scope, complexity and dynamism considerably from previous iterations of the exercise, a company from the Bihar Regiment was integrated into the 2nd Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles battlegroup to conduct high-tempo operations in a pioneering simulated training environment.Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, said, "The UK and India are natural partners in defence and have increasing levels of interoperability, as shown by this highly complex and hands-on interaction between our militaries. The UK has made the Indo-Pacific 'tilt' a permanent pillar of our international policy. The region is critical to our economy, our security, and to our interest in an open and stable international order."Brigadier Nick Sawyer, Defence Advisor, British High Commission, said, "Exercise Ajeya Warrior has been thoroughly testing the soldiers of both our nations, encompassing the uncertainty and complexity experienced in contemporary multi-domain operations. Throughout the exercise, both armies have had an opportunity to showcase their capabilities and emerging military technologies, as part of their respective drives toward modernisation. There is no doubt we will have learned from each other, yet again."Ajeya Warrior left both countries with an increased understanding of each other's military capabilities and tactics, which is vital for a stronger UK-India strategic partnership, he added.ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
UAE signs MoUs with six countries to promote values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence

Abu Dhabi [United Arab Emirates], May 10: The UAE has signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with six countries to promote values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence.

UAE signs MoUs with six countries to promote values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence

Signed during the Annual Investment Meeting in Abu Dhabi, the MoUs were inked with Kazakhstan, Armenia, Guinea, Bahrain, Kyrgyzstan and the Government of Sindh in Pakistan.The MoUs also aim to share experiences in order to build a peaceful and tolerant society and provide a decent life and stability. (ANI/WAM)ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Union Minister Piyush Goyal invites Canadian businesspersons to participate in growth of Indian economy

Ottawa, May 11: While inviting Canadian businesspersons to participate in the journey of growth of the Indian economy, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said India offers a stable business environment with decisive and popular leadership.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal invites Canadian businesspersons to participate in growth of Indian economy

He appreciated Canadian Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng for her leadership and involvement in taking the Canada-India partnership to the next level.Piyush Goyal has invited Canadian businesspersons to participate in the journey of growth of the Indian economy during the Round Table of Indian and Canadian CEOs in Toronto, Canada on May 9. He addressed the roundtable during his two-day visit to Canada.Piyush Goyal said that India is focusing not only on high-quality standards in goods and services but also on high-quality delivery of goods and services. He stressed that this focus on high quality is attractive for Canadian business persons and their investments.In his remarks, he said, "India offers a stable business environment with decisive and popular leadership. He said that the Prime Minister has been recognised internationally as a leader who is contributing significantly to face the challenges of the world and the G20 Presidency reflects his vision."Goyal noted that that the theme of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" showcases the initiatives and efforts of India at the global level to encourage sustainable development and preserve Earth as a better planet for future generations, according to the official statement by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.Goyal said that the growth in Canada will be driven by the use of significant pools of capital, innovation, new technologies, and Research and Development (R and D) in big markets achieving economies of scale and making products affordable. He stated that Canadian businesses can prosper in the safe and conducive business environment of the Indian economy.He lauded the pace of negotiations for the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA) as a transitional step towards the re-launched India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations.Piyush Goyal praised the work carried out by negotiating teams of both nations. He said that there is a huge potential in the Canada-India partnership as they are amongst the fastest-growing large economies and will continue to remain so in the coming years, according to the press release by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.He said that the macroeconomic fundamentals of India is at its peak under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.He called India an "oil-based economy" which he stressed can prosper despite emerging challenges across the world. Goyal said that inflation has been under control in India in the past nine years of the government under the leadership of PM Modi, according to the press rr.The minister spoke about the huge foreign exchange reserves of India and the significant increase in overall exports of India from around USD 500 Billion two years ago to USD 770 Billion in FY 2022-23. He spoke about the target of achieving an overall export target of USD 2 Trillion by 2030, according to the press release.Goyal said that the economies of Canada and India complement each other and there is not much of conflict between them. He noted that there is certainly some competition but no conflict of interest between the two economies. He said that Canada is focusing on natural resources given its huge reserves and investments and is more interested in the Services sector.Piyush Goyal stressed on the importance of the young demography of India and the production of the highest number of 'Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics' (STEM) graduates today anywhere in the world. He called this century an important one for India as it is expected to have the world's youngest population for the next 30 to 40 years which will lead to a significant portion of the population in the working age.Goyal said that he and Mary Ng discussed about dual degrees and mutual recognition of our educational qualifications throughout professional bodies. He said that they also talked about creating campuses in each other's countries so that the youth of both countries can contribute to economic development.Speaking about the Indian rupee, the minister said that the Indian currency has remained relatively stable in the past nine years of the government. He noted that India has never defaulted on its international obligations and India's debt-to-GDP ratio is relatively amongst the lowest in the developing world.Mary Ng tweeted, "Today, @PiyushGoyal and I hosted a roundtable with Canadian and Indian businesses to hear first-hand how we can make it easier for these companies to work together and to help them succeed."In another tweet, she said, "The success of the Canada- India relationship is rooted within the close collaboration and hard work of Indian and Canadian businesses."Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal met Canadian Minister for International Trade Mary Ng."Delighted to meet Canadian Minister for International Trade @Mary_Ng in Ottawa. Looking forward to continuing discussions to further strengthen bilateral ties at the India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment today," Goyal tweeted.ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Chhattisgarh CM congratulates students who passed CGBSE board exam, toppers

Raipur, May 10: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday congratulated the students who passed the 10th and 12th final board examinations.

Chhattisgarh CM congratulates students who passed CGBSE board exam, toppers

Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE) declared the CG board Class 10th and 12th final examination results on Wednesday."Hearty congratulations to all the passout students including the toppers, Rahul Yadav, and Vidhi Bhosle. All those who could not pass this year for some reason don't get disappointed, work hard and try again," said Baghel while addressing a press conference in Raipur.This year Rahul Yadav has topped the CG High School (Class X) with 593 marks and Vidhi Bhosle has topped the Secondary (Class XII) examination with 491 marks.A total of 3,37,569 candidates were registered in the High School Certificate Examination this year organized by the CGBSE.Hitting out at Bharatiya Janata Party over the ongoing Assembly elections in Karnataka, CM Baghel said that the party (BJP) will learn a lesson on May 13."The whole country is watching the Karnataka Election. On the one hand, they (BJP) are distributing lots of money and on the other side, there is the love of the people (for Congress). I hope that BJP will learn a lesson on May 13," he said.Voting began on Wednesday morning in 224 assembly constituencies in Karnataka. The electors will decide the electoral fate of 2,615 candidates.The southern state had recorded a 20.99 per cent voter turnout till 11 am.The assembly elections are crucial for BJP and Congress with JD-S also keen to improve its performance.Several senior leaders including Union Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai, State Minister K Sudhakar, and state Congress chief DK Shivakumar were among the early voters.ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Felt like shaving my head to get rid of this character Tom Holland on The Crowded Room

Washington, May 11: The Spider-Man star Tom Holland recently got candid about how his character in the psychological thriller 'The Crowded Room' made the actor to take a closer look at his own mental health.

Felt like shaving my head to get rid of this character Tom Holland on 'The Crowded Room'

The Apple TV+ series 'The Crowded room' is inspired by the story of Billy Milligan, the first person acquitted of a crime due to dissociative identity disorder.As a part of his examination of his relationship with mental health, Tom told Entertainment Weekly that he has now been sober for a year and four months, quoted E News."Learning about mental health and the power of it," the 26-year-old, who stars as Danny Sullivan in the series, explained to the outlet in an interview, "and speaking to psychiatrists about Danny and Billy's struggles, has been something that has been so informative to my own life."The Apple TV+ series also stars Amanda Seyfried, Emmy Rossum, and Sasha Lane. It follows Tom's character who is arrested following a shooting at Rockefeller in 1979.Without revealing much details about his sobriety journey, he said the work was especially helpful for "recognizing triggers" and "things that stress [him] out." This includes social media, which he's previously spoken about pushing for a break to step back.Last summer, Tom shared that he was taking a social media break due to his mental health. Shared thorough an Instagram post, Tom wrote, "There is an awful stigma against mental health and I know that asking for help and seeking help isn't something we should be ashamed of," reported E News.In addition to opening him up to a deeper understanding of his mental health, 'The Crowded Room' also allowed the actor to explore a different avenue than his blockbuster roles in Uncharted and the Marvel Cinematic Universe."I've spent so long playing Nathan Drake and playing Spider-Man, who are characters that you can depend on, people you feel safe around, and, ultimately, people that feel really capable," Tom said. "I really enjoyed playing Danny in those earlier episodes where I was able to lean into my more vulnerable side."Still, there were moments where he dug so deep into Danny's mindset, he had trouble separating himself from the character."I was seeing myself in him, but in my personal life," Tom admitted. "I remember having a bit of a meltdown at home and thinking, like, 'I'm going to shave my head. I need to shave my head because I need to get rid of this character.'"ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Cisco head meets PM Modi as tech giant announces India manufacturing

New Delhi, May 11: Cisco Chair and CEO Chuck Robbins met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, on the day when the global technology leader announced it will start manufacturing in India.

Cisco head meets PM Modi as tech giant announces India manufacturing

In a major step in the expansion of its footprint in the country, Cisco said it aims to drive more than USD 1 billion in combined domestic production and exports in the coming years."Delighted to meet you @ChuckRobbins and good to see @Cisco harnessing the wide range of opportunities available in India," PM Modi wrote on Twitter.Cisco said it is a part of the company's strategy to create an even more diverse and resilient global supply chain and support India's vision of becoming a global manufacturing hub.The creation of a new manufacturing operation was announced by Cisco Chair and CEO Chuck Robbins in New Delhi, following a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a series of strategic engagements with Dr.S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics and Technology, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, and K. Rajaraman, Telecom Secretary."Today, we are announcing strategic investments in Indian manufacturing capabilities as the next step in delivering cutting-edge technologies to our customers in India and across the globe," said Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO of Cisco."Fueled by a rapidly developing digital economy, India is a focal point of innovation and business for Cisco, and we remain deeply committed to our partnerships here."Cisco is now building core manufacturing capabilities in India, including testing, development and logistics, and expanding in-house repair operations. In addition to supporting supply chain resiliency, reducing lead times, and elevating the customer experience, this will add further impetus to the local economy."India is of strategic importance for Cisco, and we continue to bet on India. Today's announcement marks a significant milestone to power the next phase of growth for Cisco. This investment will enable us to bring state-of-the-art technologies to more people and businesses and help accelerate India's transition into a leading digital economy," said Daisy Chittilapilly, President, of Cisco India and SAARC.India is a key market for Cisco and its second largest R and D centre outside the US. It commenced India in 1995.ANI11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
JIBS documentary selected for prestigious intl film festivals in Italy, Spain

Sonipat, May 11: 'Caged (In) and Out', a documentary produced by the Jindal Institute of Behavioral Sciences (JIBS), a value-based research institute at the O.P. Jindal Global University, has been officially selected for the Festival Del Cinema di Cefalu in Italy, an international film festival known for screening of riveting cinematic storytelling.

JIBS documentary selected for prestigious int'l film festivals in Italy, Spain

The film will feature in the festival's yearbook of 2023 and it has also been shortlisted for awards at the Erronka Munduan (EM) (Reto por el Mundo A Challenge for the world) -- a social mobilization initiative by The Kursaal Film Festival based in San Sebastian, Spain, with a focus on raising awareness for coexistence and human rights through audiovisuals.EM is a project approved by the Directorate of Human Rights, Victims and Diversity of the Department of Equality, Justice and Social Policies of the Basque Government.Officially screened at the annual convention of the World Society of Victimology in DonostiaASan Sebastian, 'Caged (In) and Out' explores the intricate realities and ubiquity of domestic violence in India through the eyes of survivors and their kin.The film also highlights the perpetual travails of the grassroots women-led self-help groups and organisations to fight for survivors' justice and the need for early gender sensitization in the community.The 60-minute film is part of the groundwork and research on domestic violence undertaken by the JIBS.Elated at the news of the documentary's official selection in the famed film festivals, Prof. of Eminence Dr. Sanjeev P. Sahni, Founder, and Principal Director at JIBS said that the institute would continue to research and produce work through audiovisual storytelling on issues of societal importance through the lens of behavioural sciences."I am really proud of the work we are producing over and above academic research through cinematographic storytelling. Even though we are an academic institution we realize one of the best ways to reach out to the masses to engage and deliberate on critical issues is by complementing academic research with visual storytelling. It is a very unique approach and something that academic institutions across the world rarely engage in," Dr. Sahni told reporters here."I am also happy that our efforts are getting recognised beyond the academic circles and various film festivals are approaching to screen our films. I am almost certain that blending research with visual storytelling is the way forward for academia and academic institutions and I am proud that we at JIBS are the harbingers of this change."Dr. Sahni also extended congratulations to the young team of media professionals at JIBS who helped the institute's researchers and faculty in ideating, conceptualising and producing the film."The film was ably shot and directed by Hanan Zaffar, the visual director of the film, and his team which worked for months with our researchers to get the desired final output."JIBS researchers and the media team are working on another long-form documentary on acid attack survivors in the country, which is slated to be released later this year."I am hopeful that our other projects would garner the same attention and appreciation and considering the amount of cinematic and academic rigor and fieldwork that has gone into them, I am hopeful of continued positive engagement from all stakeholders," Dr. Sahni said.IANS11 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Gadkari reviews elevated corridor project at Kaziranga

Guwahati, May 10: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday reviewed the four-lane elevated corridor project to avoid fatal incidents involving animals at the Kaziranga National Park.

Gadkari reviews elevated corridor project at Kaziranga

The project approved by the Centre to build a 34 km elevated roads over nine animal corridors of the park will cost Rs 6,000 crore, and will add to the existing arterial roadway in the national park.In a series of tweets Gadkari said, "This initiative entails the construction of approximately 34 km of elevated roads at sites identified by the Wildlife Institute of India, where animal crossings occur.""Additionally, it involves widening the intervening at-grade road to a four-lane highway, totalling approximately 50 km in length, and building tunnels spanning approximately 3 km," the minister said.At the meeting, as part of cost optimisation efforts, Gadkari instructed the concerned officials that the construction of the tunnels is treated as a separate project and that the debris and muck resulting from the construction work should be used in the road works."I have suggested the inclusion of viewing platforms on the elevated road, complete with vehicle parking and kiosks, to provide tourists with an opportunity for wildlife viewing," he said.A study conducted by the Gauhati University showed that 6,000 fatal animal incidents took place at the stretch where the elevated corridor is coming up.During monsoon floods, an annual occurrence at the Kaziranga National Park, animals often flee to the Karbi Anglong hills at the southern end of the park by crossing the national highway.IANS12 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Best Agrolife Ltd organizes first Agri-Internship Prog in Andhra Pradesh; Aims to expand awareness about the companys product portfolio

New Delhi, May 11: Best Agrolife Limited (BAL), India's leading agrochemicals company, recently for the first time BAL has collaborated with Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, Bapatla engaged Agriculture student internship programme in the Andhra Pradesh region. This initiative aimed to provide product knowledge and exposure to agriculture graduates.

Best Agrolife Ltd organizes first Agri-Internship Prog in Andhra Pradesh; Aims to expand awareness about the company's product portfolio

Dr Daggubati Vijay Sairam Kumar, Professor, Entomology, in charge placement cell and Mr Sara Narsaiah, Business Unit Head, Hyderabad addressed the Interns and Sales team about the future agri trends. The meeting was organized by Best Agrolife's Andhra Pradesh regional team. The event started with a promotional jeep campaign, in which agri-interns were offered the opportunity to showcase their skills and knowledge. The campaign also helped spread awareness about the Best Agrolife brand and its comprehensive product portfolio."We are confident that this program will benefit the students and contribute to our region's business growth and farmers' revenue growth. I congratulate the team for setting such a significant milestone. We are also grateful for the support we received from our interns and attendees. This program is an excellent opportunity for the interns and I hope they would make the most out of this opportunity. It will help these students to learn from the experienced professionals and gain hands-on experience in the agriculture sector. I am confident that they will expand their knowledge and skills and contribute to the success of the company," Vimal Alawadhi, Managing Director, Best Agrolife Ltd, said.Best Agrolife's team has been working tirelessly to develop unique and creative ideas to create awareness about the new crop solutions and technologies. Apart from providing a memorable experience to the participants, such campaigns and innovative marketing strategies also help the company in accelerating its business growth, expand its customer reach, and increase its brand awareness.The meeting was organized by Mandhesh (Marketing Manager-Guntur), Narasaiah (Head, Sales and Marketing, Hyderabad, Narayana Reddy (Dy General Manager), and Nagireddy (Regional Sales Manager). The Best Agrolife team thanked Gopu Ajay Reddy (Marketing Manager -TS) and Sambireddy (Regional Sales Manager -Vijayawada) respectively for giving an excellent technical presentation to agri-interns for making it a successful event.Best Agrolife Limited is listed among the top 15 agrochemical companies in India. It is a research-based company focused on bringing world-class and cost-effective crop solutions in the form of novel agrochemical formulations to the agricultural industry to improve crop productivity. Currently, BAL has 7,000 MTPA and 30,000 MTPA technicals and formulation manufacturing capacity, respectively, through three of its manufacturing plants in Gajraula, Greater Noida, and Jammu and Kashmir. BAL currently has more than 5200 distributors in India. It retains an impressive portfolio of 400+ formulations and more than 100+ technical manufacturing licences.This story has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ATK)ANI12 May 2023

Shared Recently!
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Cloudy with occasional showers for the afternoon. High 76F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 54F. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph.
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.




When corona patients themselves measure the oxygen level in their blood at home, this is well applicable through the general practice. This was shown in a study conducted by UMC Utrecht during the pandemic. The study showed that patients could easily perform the oxygen measurement themselves at home, they felt safe doing so and the number of GP or hospital visits did not increase. The researchers believe that - by enabling care close to home - patients experience more control and that it contributes to relieving caregivers and keeping healthcare affordable.

General practitioners (GPs) typically follow corona patients with moderate-to-severe symptoms closely to identify any deterioration in their condition in a timely manner. A key variable here is monitoring of blood oxygen levels. A sudden drop is an important sign of deterioration in the patient's condition. But in some patients, low oxygen levels do not go hand in hand with shortness of breath, so they do not feel it themselves while an oxygen measurement will detect it.

Identifying and treating these patients early can provide important health benefits. Especially when they have an underlying condition with a higher risk of an unfavorable disease course. The home measurement of oxygen levels by the patient can help. Until now, there was no scientific evidence for this. Therefore, UMC Utrecht investigated the feasibility of home monitoring of corona patients by measuring oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter (a medical measuring instrument that determines the oxygen level in the blood via a clip on a finger).

Well-controlled study

The study - published in the British Journal of General Practice (a professional journal for GPs) - focused on people aged 40 years and older with moderate-to-severe symptoms of COVID-19, with cardiovascular disease or risk factors, and in whom the GP considered careful follow-up desirable. In a controlled study of the feasibility of home oxygen saturation monitoring, participants were divided by lot into two groups. One half received a validated pulse oximeter on loan in addition to usual home health care, and the control group received usual home health care without a pulse oximeter. The first group was instructed to measure oxygen levels in their blood three times a day with the pulse oximeter. If saturation was less than 94 percent, they were to consult their GP.

Home monitoring well applicable

The study showed that the pulse oximeter was used by the almost all patients according to the instructions. An oxygen saturation of less than 94 percent was measured a total of 52 times, in ten patients. Six of them subsequently contacted their GP. Six weeks after the start of the study, there was no difference in recovery from corona infection between the intervention group and the control group. There was also no difference between the groups in terms of healthcare utilization such as GP contacts, hospital visits or hospitalization.

This study is the first to examine home monitoring of high-risk patients with moderate-to-severe corona symptoms in a GP setting. The study shows that home monitoring in this group with risk factors such as cardiovascular disease using a validated oxygen meter in daily practice is readily applicable. Patients willingly cooperated in the study and were well able to comply with instructions. In addition, they felt safe to take control and perform the measurements themselves. Also, they did not contact their GP more often in response to an oxygen measurement as compared to the control group." Dorien Zwart MD PhD, Lead Researcher, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, UMC Utrecht

Healthcare more personal and more affordable

Together with healthcare partners and patients, UMC Utrecht is developing (digital) initiatives that enable care closer to home. With this, care can be made even more personal and accessible: tailored to the individual patient as much as possible, and supported with apps where possible. On the benefits of care closer to home, Dorien says: "By enabling healthcare close to home, patients experience more personal control. And it also contributes to relieving the burden on our healthcare providers and keeping healthcare affordable."
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of adult death worldwide. The coronary angiography procedure provides the clinical standard diagnostic assessment for nearly all related clinical decision-making, from medications to coronary bypass surgery. In many cases, quantifying left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at the time of coronary angiography is critical to optimize clinical decision-making and treatment decisions, particularly when angiography is performed for potentially life-threatening acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Since the left ventricle is the heart's pumping center, measuring the ejection fraction in the chamber provides critical information about the percentage of blood leaving the heart each time it contracts. Presently, measuring LVEF during angiography requires an additional invasive procedure called left ventriculography  where a catheter is inserted into the left ventricle and contrast dye is injected  which carries additional risks and increases the contrast exposure.

In a study published May 10 in JAMA Cardiology, senior author and UCSF cardiologist Geoff Tison, MD, MPH, and first author Robert Avram, MD, of the Montreal Heart Institute, set out to determine whether deep neural networks (DNNs), a category of AI algorithm, could be used to predict cardiac pump (contractile) function from standard angiogram videos. They developed and tested a DNN called CathEF, to estimate LVEF from coronary angiograms of the left side of the heart.

CathEF offers a novel approach that leverages data that is routinely collected during every angiogram to provide information that is not currently available to clinicians during angiography, effectively expanding the utility of medical data with AI and provides real-time LVEF information that informs clinical decision-making." Geoff Tison, UCSF Associate Professor of Medicine and Cardiology

The researchers performed a cross-sectional study of 4042 adult angiograms matched with corresponding transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs) from 3679 UCSF patients and trained a video-based neural network to estimate reduced LVEF (less than or equal to 40%) and to predict (continuous) LVEF percentage from standard angiogram videos of the left coronary artery.

The results showed that CathEF accurately predicted LVEF, with strong correlations to echocardiographic LVEF measurements, the standard noninvasive clinical approach. The model was also externally validated in real-world angiograms from the Ottawa Heart Institute. The algorithm performed well across different patient demographics and clinical conditions, including acute coronary syndromes and varying levels of renal function-;patient populations that may be less well suited to receive the standard left ventriculogram procedure.

"This study presents a novel method for assessing LVEF, an important measure of heart function, during any routine coronary angiography without requiring additional procedures or increasing cost," said Avram, an interventional cardiologist and former UCSF research fellow. "LVEF is essential for making decisions during the procedure and for managing patient care."

Although the algorithm was trained on a large dataset of angiograms from UCSF and then separately validated in a dataset from the Ottawa Heart Institute, the investigators are undertaking further research to test this algorithm at the point-of-care and determine its impact on the clinical workflow in patients suffering heart attacks. To this end, a multi-center prospective validation study in patients with ACS is underway to compare the performance of CathEF and the left ventriculogram with TTEs performed within 7 days of ACS.

"This work demonstrates that AI technology has the potential to reduce the need for invasive testing and improve the diagnostic capabilities of cardiologists, ultimately improving patient outcomes and quality of life," said Tison.
Scientists at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) near Philadelphia have found that a drug discovered at SFU and patented several years ago may have potential lifesaving results in the treatment of conditions leading to sudden cardiac death.

The drug, known as AR-787, was originally discovered and designed by former PhD student Mena Abdelsayed as a pharmacological solution for arrhythmias.

The so-called J Wave syndromes (JWS), consisting of Brugada syndrome and early repolarization syndromes, occur in about one in 2,000 people and are associated with life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias-;complications with the rate or rhythm of the heart.

In some patients, these arrhythmias can lead to sudden cardiac death and, in some cases, may be triggered by hypothermia.

The first line of treatment for high-risk patients often involves the use of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), though this route has shown to be problematic, especially for young patients and those experiencing frequent shocks from an ICD.

A recently published study led by LIMR, involving current and former SFU researchers Mena Abdelsayed, Mohamed Fouda, and SFU biomedical physiology and kinesiology professor Peter Ruben, has shed light on a possible pharmacological approach to treat arrhythmic activity in the heart caused by JWS.

The drug, known as ARumenamide-787, or AR-787 for short, was designed by Abdelsayed in an SFU laboratory led by Ruben. AR-787 has now proven to be effective in a series of lab trials at LIMR and SFU.

AR-787 was designed to directly interact with a protein in the heart called the cardiac sodium channel, which is essential for electrical impulse conduction that triggers contraction of the heart muscle.

More importantly, it interacted with the transient outward current channels in the heart, acting to suppress arrhythmic activity associated with JWS.

While he was a graduate student in Ruben's lab, Abdelsayed (now a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University) designed AR-787 based on his knowledge about the structure of sodium channels.

Abdelsayed designed different drug structures with computer modeling programs to select and visualize the results of his designs, adjusting them until they rendered the desired result.

Working in Ruben's SFU lab, his research team, including Abdelsayed, Fouda, and Dr. Dana Page, proved the drug's effectiveness in altering sodium channel current characteristics by performing tests on sodium channel genes artificially inserted into human embryonic kidney cells.

Still, they had yet to verify the drug's effectiveness in the muscle cells of a real heart. That is when they tapped into the expertise of one of the world's most recognized researchers in heart arrhythmia, Charles Antzelevitch, PhD, a distinguished professor emeritus and xecutive director of cardiovascular research at LIMR, which is part of the Main Line Health system outside Philadelphia.

Dr. Antzelevitch's team-;consisting of Drs. Jose Di Diego, Hector Barajas-Martinez, Robert Cox, Victoria M. Robinson, and Bence Patocskai, and joined by Joseph Jung-;supported the research by conducting AR-787 trials on mammalian hearts in LIMR's laboratory.

They tested the effect of the drug on the sodium channel current as well as additional ion channels within the heart. They found that AR-787 not only augments sodium channel activity, but was effective in inhibiting a particular cardiac potassium channel that contributes importantly to the development of life-threatening arrhythmias, in experimental models of Brugada and early repolarization syndromes.

I've been researching J-Wave syndromes for 35 years and have shown that inhibition of the transient outward potassium current can prevent the development of lethal arrhythmias related to JWS regardless of the genetic cause of the syndromes. Twenty-four years ago, we reported that a drug called quinidine blocks that channel and is effective in suppressing the development of JWS-related cardiac arrhythmias. Quinidine has since been used worldwide in the treatment of JWS. More recently, we reported that a natural product from the safflower plant, called acacetin, also blocks the transient outward potassium current. Much of our work in recent years has been focused on finding a drug with similar features but that would dissolve better than acacetin in blood, and is free of quinidine's adverse side effects. We're optimistic that AR-787 may be the drug we've been looking for." Charles Antzelevitch, PhD, distinguished professor emeritus and xecutive director of cardiovascular research at LIMR

The team has since patented the drug and hopes that their research will inspire interest within the pharmaceutical industry to take AR-787 to the next step, by testing its long-term safety and efficacy, and eventually, conducting clinical trials. "Our hope is that this drug will save lives," says Ruben.

SFU and LIMR are currently seeking a licensee to bring this important discovery from the bench to the bedside.
On May 9, 2023, the VORSPRUNG Business Award, an accolade of the East German Business Forum OWF, was presented in Berlin at the Federal Chancellery.

Patron Carsten Schneider, Minister of State and Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany, presented the VORSPRUNG Award for Berlin in the form of a certificate to entrepreneur and Managing Director Alexandra Knauer and Managing Director Carsten Losch. This award was presented for the third time to companies in eastern Germany and Berlin that are considered role models for the future of the economy.

"We are very pleased to receive this recognition and are honored to be seen as a role model and a contributor to the transformation of the economy. At KNAUER, we are committed to seeking new opportunities and operating sustainably. It is great that we have been able to network with the outstanding companies honored today," Carsten Losch, KNAUER CEO

An independent jury of experts headed by Matthias Platzeck, former Minister-President of the state of Brandenburg, selects one company per eastern German state as an award winner that combines a high level of innovation and healthy growth and is exemplary for the sustainable transformation of the economy.

KNAUER Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, the company awarded for the state of Berlin, is one of the leading German suppliers of scientific instruments and solutions in the field of liquid chromatography (LC). With a 60-year tradition in scientific instrumentation, KNAUER has remained a highly agile company that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, developed at record speed a novel mixing process for mRNA vaccines, enabling the production of billions of Corona vaccine doses in a short period of time.

Carsten Schneider, Minister of State and Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany and patron of the VORSPRUNG business award said at the award ceremony that Eastern Germany is one of the most exciting regions of the future in Europe. Particularly with regard to the economy, there is currently a lot going on here, and there are a large number of outstanding innovative products.

The East German Business Forum (OWF) is the most important platform for all topics relating to Eastern Germany as a business location. The aim of the OWF is to highlight the opportunities and challenges of the business location, to connect players from business, politics, and science, and to develop approaches to solutions for the structural change and transformation processes that are shaping the location. The East German Business Forum is a project of the initiative Germany - Land of Ideas.

KNAUER, based in Berlin-Zehlendorf, develops and manufactures laboratory equipment for the life science, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical, environmental and food industries. The company is best known for liquid chromatography systems and components but also played a crucial role in the production of lipid nanoparticles for mRNA corona vaccines with its newly developed equipment.

Company owner Alexandra Knauer manages the family business together with Carsten Losch. Both are committed to sustainable and responsible corporate governance with a focus on the users, the 190 employees, and society.
Larsen & Toubros non-executive chairman A M Naik has decided to step down from the post and will become the Chairman Emeritus, the engineering giant has said. S N Subrahmanyan, who is the companys chief executive officer & managing director, has been re-designated as the chairman and managing director of the company with effect from October 1, 2023.

Naik has decided to step down as the companys non-executive chairman with effect from September 30, 2023. He has been conferred the status of Chairman Emeritus by the board. He has been associated with the company for more than 58 years and his stewardship has led to an upsurge in shareholder value creation.

As a robust upholder of the companys value system, Naik has played a critical role in ensuring the company retains its unique ethos across decades, L&T said.

L&T has been my life. I am immensely proud that I could play a significant part in its growth. The growth trajectory that the company has charted in the last two to three decades is exemplary. The emphasis we laid on IT and Technology Services has had a significant positive impact on the profitability of the organisation," Naik said.

Going forward also, he said he was sure that Subrahmanyan will continue to foster the high growth and entrepreneurial culture at the company. In him, L&T has a highly capable, passionate and empathetic leader." Subrahmanyan joined the construction business of L&T in 1984 as a project planning engineer after completing a degree in civil engineering and post-graduation in business management.

top videos

He successfully helmed L&Ts largest infrastructure business which included the construction of new airports in major cities, metros, freight corridors, and other major projects across India and the expansion of operations in international geographies.

(With PTI Inputs)
Tech giant Microsoft will not hike salaries for full-time employees this year and is reducing the budget for bonuses and stock awards, according to an Insider report on Wednesday, citing an internal email by CEO Satya Nadella.

Last year, we made a significant investment in compensation driven by market conditions and company performance, nearly doubling our global merit budgetthis year the economic conditions are very different across many dimensions," the report quoted Nadella saying.

In January, Microsoft said it would let go of 10,000 workers, adding to the tens of thousands of layoffs announced before that across the technology sector as it deals with slowing growth in a turbulent economy.

Microsoft has now squarely placed its focus on generative AI, an area the industry sees as a bright spot.

In collaboration with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, which also has received billions of dollars in funding from Microsoft, the tech giant has been infusing the AI tech into its Office products as well as the search engine Bing.

In March 2023, Microsoft conducted a third round of job cuts that impacted employees in roles related to supply chain, artificial intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT). According to CRN, the third wave of layoffs are part of the 10,000 job cuts announced by Microsoft earlier this year.

Job cuts were across various levels, functions, teams and geographies, the report said, quoting the company. In Washington state, the tech giant recently sacked 689 employees, according to records.

top videos

In February, Microsoft informed Washington State that 617 employees were let go. In the same month, the company notified the state of California that 108 employees were let go.

(With Inputs From Agencies)
A bus accident claimed the lives of six people, including an 8-year-old girl, after the vehicle crashed into several beehives and was attacked by a swarm of bees. The accident occurred in Nicaragua on Monday during the buss hour-long journey from Jinotega to San Sebastian de Yali in the northwest of the country, as per Daily Mail. Approximately 60 passengers were in the vehicle and at least 45 of them were attacked by the killer bees". It is reported the bus lost control owing to a mechanical failure, plummeting it to crash 160 feet down the ravine.

Although all passengers initially survived the bus accident in which the vehicle crashed into a coffee plantation, things took a tragic turn when the disturbance caused by the collision upset a swarm of Africanized bees. The angry bees ended up stinging the passengers, leading to the death of six people, and severe injuries for at least 14 others. Rescue efforts were further hindered by the presence of the bees. Among the injured were four-year-old Justin Rivas and a pregnant woman named Alma Rivas. While some passengers were treated at a local hospital, others had to be transported to a medical center in Jinotega.

top videos

Graphic photos and videos assessed by the portal reportedly show multiple painful stings which caused red boil-like marks on the passengers bodies. Several paramedics arrived at the accident sight to load the survivors on the citys pickup truck to transfer them to hospitals. The driver of the bus is identified to be Santas Herrera. The 22-year-old man was driving the vehicle on the El Caracol-La Ric route. The names of the deceased include 19-year-old Kenia Jazmin Soza Bonilla, 84-year-old Reyna Isabel Olivas Montalvan, 32-year-old Dilcia Amparo, 38-year-old Santos Arunlfo Calderon Castellon, 47-year-old Eneyda Torrez Zelaya and her 8-year-old daughter Andrea Carolina.

The National Polices transit unit has reportedly launched an investigation into the accident. According to a report by the Natural History Museum, Killer bees also known as Africanized bees were given the terrifying nickname for their aggressive behaviour. The bees are found only in South, Central, and North America.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) will be closing the Common University Entrance Test (CUET PG) 2023 registrations today, May 11, 2023. The students that will appearing for the CUET PG 2023 exam will be able to apply at the official website-cuet.nta.nic.in. The NTA re-opened the application window yesterday. The CUET PG exam is scheduled for June 5. Students will be able to apply for the CUET PG 2023 exam and pay their application fee till 11:50 PM today.

NTA is conducting CUET- PG 2023 examination on June 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, 2023 across the country at various exam centres. The CUET PG examination will be conducted in two shifts- first shift from 10 am to 12 noon and the second shift from 3 pm to 5 pm. The correction window for the registered applicant will be open on May 12 and 13, 2023.

CUET PG 2023: HOW TO APPLY

Step 1: Visit the CUET official page at cuet.nta.nic.in

Step 2: Fill in personal details to register and log in.

Step 3: On the new window, fill up the CUET PG 2023 form.

Step 4: Upload all the documents such as photographs, signatures, certificates, etc.

Step 5: Then pay the examination fee and submit the form.

Step 6: Save and download the confirmation page.

Step 7: Keep a printout of the application form for future use.

top videos

The application window was closed earlier but candidates raised concern as they were not able to apply. Numerous mails have been received from the candidates and also forwarded by UGC to open the registration window again for applying for CUET (PG)  2023 as applicants could not complete their registration due to various unavoidable reasons. To support the students community, it has been decided to re-open the registration for receiving online Application Forms for Common University Entrance Test (PG). NTA sstated while re-opening the application form.

A candidate is allowed to submit one CUET PG application. Multiple applications being submitted will be treated as UFM (Unfair Means) and strict action will be taken against the offender. Soon, the official dates and times for downloading the admit cards and announcing the CUET PG results will be made available on the portal.
UP Municipal Election 2023 Updates: The polling for the second and final phase of urban local body polls in 38 districts of Uttar Pradesh ended on Thursday. Over 1.92 crore registered voters are set to decide the fate of 39,146 poll aspirants in districts including Meerut, Ghaziabad, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Aligarh, Kanpur and Ayodhya.

The first phase of voting was held on May 4. The counting of votes for both phases is scheduled for Saturday.

The polls hold significance as all major political parties, including the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), are trying to showcase their strength before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

UP ULB Phase 2 Latest Updates:

30.80 per cent voter turnout was recorded in 38 districts till 1 pm.

20.62 per cent voter turnout was recorded in 38 districts till 11 am.

Samajwadi Party accused the ruling party of indulging in fake voting in the Gursahaiganj polling booth of Kannauj, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a tweet said, Today is the last phase of polling for the Uttar Pradesh Municipal elections-2023. All respected voters are appealed to participate in this festival of democracy to form a triple-engine government. Do vote. Your valuable vote will make your municipal corporation more empowered.

The way people are enthusiastically voting for the development of Aligarh, it seems that BJP will at least secure over 1 lakh votes, said saffron party MP Satish Gautam after casting his vote at a polling booth in Aligarh.

VIDEO | Uttar Pradesh Civic Polls 2023: The way people are enthusiastically voting for the development of Aligarh, it seems that BJP will at least secure over 1 lakh votes, says party MP Satish Gautam after casting his vote at a polling booth in Aligarh. pic.twitter.com/EXY8m1AQwL Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 11, 2023

Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm on Thursday. All electors who join the queue within the specified time will be allowed to vote, state election commissioner (SEC) Manoj Kumar said on Wednesday.

Women voters at a polling booth in Azamgarh as voting is underway for the second phase of urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/2At7U29Zuv ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) May 11, 2023

Voting is been held for 7,006 posts in 370 ULBs, which include seven Nagar Nigams, 95 Nagar Palika Parishads and 268 Nagar Panchayats.

According to the State Election Commission (SEC), over 1.92 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in the second phase to decide the fate of as many as 39,146 candidates, who are in the fray for 6,929 posts.

Seven municipal corporations (nagar nigams)Meerut, Ghaziabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Aligarh, Kanpur Nagar and Ayodhyawill be electing their mayors and 581 corporators.

Repolling is also being held at ward number 3 of Chakia Nagar Panchayat of Chandauli district where polling could be held due to a technical snag in the first phase.

Shahjahanpur will vote to elect its first mayor today. Meerut and Aligarh had BSP mayors in 2017 while the BJP ruled the rest.

According to district president of the BJP in Shahjahanpur KC Mishra, ministers Jitin Prasada and Suresh Khanna will cast their votes in Shahjahanpur.

Another minister in the UP government, JPS Rathore, will also cast his vote in Shahjahanpur.

Apart from this, voting will be held to elect 95 chairpersons and 2,520 members of nagar palika parishads, and 267 chairpersons and 3,459 members of various nagar panchayats.

The SEC said 77 representatives, including nine corporators in this round, have been elected unopposed.

Campaigning for the final phase ended on Tuesday evening with BJP and Samajwadi Party leaders cris-crossing the poll-bound areas.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, both the Deputy Chief Ministers, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Union Minister Smriti Irani, UP BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary among other senior BJP leaders campaigned for the party candidates.

top videos

From the opposition camp, Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav and Shivpal Yadav extended a helping hand to SP president Akhilesh Yadav, who had been campaigning for the party nominees.

According to the final list of reserved seats, the mayor seat in Agra has been reserved for SC (female), Jhansi for SC, Shahjahanpur and Firozabad for OBC (female), Saharanpur and Meerut for OBC, and Lucknow, Kanpur and Ghaziabad have been reserved for women.
Mandar Chandwadkar, who plays the role of Atmaram Tukaram Bhide in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, has reacted to Jennifer Mistrys sexual harassment allegations against Asit Kumar Modi. I am wondering why did she do this. I have no clue about what happened between them," Mandar told Pinkvilla.

While Jennifer had called the sets of TMKOC a male chauvinist place, Mandar claimed that it is not the case. Dismissing his co-stars allegation, the actor added, It is not a male-chauvinistic place. Its a happy place with a healthy environment, else, the show wouldnt have run for so long."

top videos

For the unversed, earlier today, Jennifer Mistry, who plays the role of Mrs Roshan Sodhi in the popular sitcom accused Modi of sexual harassment. She filed a complaint against Asit Modi, Project Head Sohail Ramani and executive producer Jatin Bajaj of alleged sexual harassment at the workplace. She also revealed that she has quit the show. Asit Modi has made sexual advances towards me many times in the past. Initially, I ignored all his statements because of fear of losing out on work. But it is enough now I wont take it anymore," the actress told E-Times. She also accused the makers of sacking her during her pregnancy and went on to say that they are continuously facing mental and sexual harassment.

Later, Asit Modi reacted to Jennifers allegations. In his official statement, Modi called these accusations baseless and said that he will take legal action against the actress. We will take legal action as she is trying to defame me and the show both. Since we terminated her services, she is making these baseless allegations, he said. The shows direction team consisting of Harshad Joshi, Rushi Dave and Arman also claimed that Jennifer was not focused on her work. Project Heads Sohil Ramani and Jatin Bajaj also reacted to the allegations and claimed that Jennifers contract was terminated because of her bad behaviour and indiscipline.
Mumbai: Director Hansal Mehtas series Scoop" will premiere on June 2, streaming platform Netflix announced Thursday. Inspired by Jigna Voras biographical book Behind the Bars In Byculla: My Days in Prison", the show is co-created by Mehta and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul (writer of Thappad").

Karishma Tanna, best known for soap opera Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi" and Rajkumar Hiranis film Sanju", headlines the first season of Scoop" which will track the story of crime journalist Jagruti Pathak.

In pursuit of a career-defining story Jagruti Pathak is caught between the powerful nexus of the police, the underworld, and the media, when she is charged with the murder of a fellow-journalist. How does a headline-writing journalist become the headline?" the official synopsis read.

The story of Scoop", billed as a human drama, is penned by Waikul and Mirat Trivedi. The series also stars Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Harman Baweja and Prosenjit Chatterjee. It is produced by Matchbox Shots, Sarita Patil and Dikssha Jyote Routray.

A journalist who went in search of big headlines and got trapped in a bigger web of crime and lies Catch Jagruti Pathak's story in Hansal Mehta's #Scoop. Arrives on June 2nd, only on Netflix! pic.twitter.com/bwzcqlcaWH Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) May 11, 2023

top videos

For the unversed, the series was announced in 2022. Mehta announced the news on Twitter with a poster with the caption, Fresh off the press and soon to be streaming on Netflix, presenting you, Scoop."

After reading Voras book, Mehta, who has directed critically acclaimed projects such as Scam 1992, Shahid, and Aligarh, felt compelled" to bring the story to life on screen. The filmmaker went on to say, Great stories can only benefit from a service that can make it reach a wider set of audience, Scoop is that kind of a story and with Netflix, we will be able to take it to audiences across the globe. With my co-creator Mrunmayee Lagoo and producers Matchbox Shots, I am seeking to delve deep into a tale of our mediatised times and the human cost of stories that we consume on a daily basis."
Three low-intensity explosions have jolted Amritsar now in a week, with the latest blast occurring on Wednesday midnight behind the Guru Ramdas Niwas building. The first blast was reported on a heritage street near the Golden Temple on May 6, while the second one occurred in the area less than 30 hours later.

Officials told News18 that as per preliminary forensic analysis, the make of the three bombs was similar and these may have been triggered to cause panic and not harm.

Low grade explosive was used, most likely potassium chlorate," an officer told News18.

Punjab Police suspect that the explosives were procured from firecrackers. Harjit Singh, one of the suspects arrested by Punjab Police, worked in a cracker factory. Four others have been arrested in the case, including a newly married couple.

Officials from central investigative agencies told News18 that the series of blasts around the Golden Temple seemed to have been triggered to cause panic. It seems the intention was to provoke and not cause harm. No shrapnel was found in any of the three IEDs," an official told News18.

The explosives, as per the police, were packed in a metal tiffin box and an energy drink can. The explosion on Thursday was triggered around midnight and the police were informed around 12:10am. The Punjab DGP said the IEDs were assembled in the washroom of Guru Ramdas Sarai where the blast occurred. Scanning the CCTV footage led the police to the suspects.

While Punjab Police have not yet concluded the blasts to be terror attacks, central agencies suspect that the explosions were meant to serve as a message from radical Khalistani elements.

It seems that the motive is to make Amritsar worrying for tourists and establish the city as a religious destination only," an officer said.

All three blasts were triggered in the Golden Temple area which also houses the Jallianwala Bagh memorial, Rani Durgamati temple and numerous shops selling local wares. These are thronged by tourists of all faiths and nationalities.

top videos

Police officials said initial findings suggest the suspects were highly radicalised. Syringes recovered from them has also led to suspicion of a new module of narcotics and terrorism.

The NIA and NSG have joined the probe informally, while the Punjab Police have formed an SIT to question the suspects and further investigate the case.
As Punjab Police claimed to have cracked the case of the third blast near Golden Temple this week, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) said it was the efficient surveillance and prompt action of its employees that led to the arrest of the accused, including a woman. The SGPC also accused the police of adoption a lenient approach towards the investigation.

Five people arrested in connection with the explosions reportedly stayed at Sri Guru Ram Das Sarai, located just a few meters from the Golden Temple. It was behind this building in Galliara that the third low-intensity explosion had struck in the early hours of Thursday.

SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami said staffer Tajinder Singh and his colleagues who were on duty rushed to the spot as soon as they noticed a bright light flash on one of the CCTV cameras.

By the time they reached the spot, the accused had already moved from the place, but could not escape from the eagle eye of our staffers. They came back to the CCTV room and replayed the footage to zero in on one of the suspects. Since the whole area in and around the shrine is covered with the CCTV cameras, the suspect was traced and caught by our staffers. By that time, the policemen too had reached the spot and he was arrested. Later, he led to his partners in crime, Dhami said.

He alleged that laxity on the part of the police had led to the explosions on May 6, May 8 and May 11 near the holy Sikh shrine. He added that CCTV camera vigil in and around the Golden Temple will be enhanced.

Three back-to-back explosions within a span of six days, that too in close proximity, and the police remained clueless? This itself shows their inefficiency. Forget the government or the police; we will install CCTV cameras on the entire stretch of the Heritage Street that leads to the shrine, Dhami said.

top videos

Dhami said the conspiracy was politically influenced. I believe that the police might have now cracked it as the accused were in their custody and may pat their back, but I firmly demand that truth must prevail devoid of any political interest, he said.

Among those arrested are a newly-wed couple from Guru Ram Das Sarai. One of the suspects had hurled the explosives from the bathroom of the Sarai towards the Galliara. A search of room number 225 where they were staying led to two bags and some torn bits of paper.
All recruitment to the Army Dental Corps (ADC) will be gender-neutral, with no separate quotas for males and females, the government has told the Supreme Court. The decision comes after the apex court criticised the recruitment process in April for only allocating 10% of vacancies to women, describing it as putting the clock in reverse direction".

Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj has informed a bench of Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol on May 8 that the government has decided to do away with separate quotas for men and women and all future recruitment will be gender neutral.

ASG further submits that hereinafter the selection would be made by applying gender-neutral formula. In that view of the matter, we find that the grievance of the petitioners stands satisfied. The special leave petition is disposed of accordingly," the bench said, recording the submission of ASG and disposing of a plea filed by women dental doctors led by Gopika Nair, a Coimbatore resident.

The order was uploaded on the apex courts website on Wednesday.

According to Additional Solicitor General in compliance with the Supreme Courts directions, the respondents interviewed the petitioners who had approached the Supreme Court, as well as those before the High Court of Punjab and Haryana and the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, and as per the result sheet, three female candidates made it to the list of 27 people.

It is submitted that the said three female candidates would be appointed as per their position in the select list of first 27 candidates. It is submitted that insofar as three seats reserved for female category are concerned, they would be filled by the female candidates as per their merit after the first 27 candidates are appointed," the courts order, dated May 8, noted.

Nataraj also informed the court that since there are other vacancies, three more male candidates would also be accommodated.

SC Pulls Up Centre,

On April 11, the Supreme Court had expressed disapproval of the Centres decision to reserve only 10% of seats for women in the ADC. The court stated, Prima facie, we find that depriving the highly meritorious female candidates from participating in the selection process is putting the clock in reverse direction." The court added, Prima facie, we are of the view that the stand of the respondent is violative of Article 14 (equality before law) of the Constitution of India. Whereas the male candidates who have rank till 2394 are permitted to participate in the selection process, insofar as the female candidates are concerned, the cut-off rank is 235."

The government had previously justified the lack of female representation in ADC due to unique challenges within the defense forces.

We find that an anomalous situation has arisen due to such a stand. Whereas a male candidate who is 10 times less meritorious than a female candidate is permitted to appear in the selection process, a female candidate who is 10 times meritorious than a male candidate is deprived from participating in the selection process," the top court had said.

The court further added that the Centres stand was violative of equality before law. Leave aside giving preferential treatment to the female as envisaged under Article 15 of the Constitution of India, the stand of the respondent-Union of India is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India, inasmuch as it deprives a meritorious female to compete and permits much less meritorious male to participate in the selection process," it said.

top videos

The Supreme Court was hearing a petition that challenged the Delhi High Courts January 27, 2023 order to lift the status quo on the ADC recruitment results. The petitioners, including Nair, had approached the High Court in response to a July 2021 advertisement for the Army Dental Corps and had claimed it was unconstitutional and violated the Supreme Courts 2020 decision in the Babita Puniya case, which granted permanent commission to women in the defense forces. All the petitioners had taken part in the selection process.

(With inputs from PTI)
A deep depression, Mocha", in the southeast Bay of Bengal has transformed into a cyclonic storm, as confirmed by in a latest bulletin by the Indian Meteorological Department. The storm has exhibited a north-northwestward movement at a speed of 8 kmph over the past six hours, indicating its intensification.

As of 5.30 am on May 11, the Cyclonic Storm Mocha is approximately 510 km west-southwest of Port Blair, 1,210 km south-southwest of Coxs Bazar (Bangladesh), and 1,120 km south-southwest of Sittwe (Myanmar).

Meteorological forecasts indicate that Cyclonic Storm Mocha will continue its trajectory in a north-northwestward direction and gradually strengthen further. It is expected to attain severe cyclonic storm status around May 11 midnight.

Subsequently, the system will gradually change its course and move in a north-northeast direction, starting from May 12 morning. By May 12 evening, it is anticipated to intensify even further, reaching the status of a very severe cyclonic storm over the central Bay of Bengal. The peak intensity is projected to occur on the evening of May 13.

Later, Cyclonic Storm Mocha is anticipated to undergo a slight weakening from the May 14 morning. The storm is forecasted to make landfall between Coxs Bazar (Bangladesh) and Kyaukpyu (Myanmar) around May 14 morning. At the time of landfall, the cyclonic storm is expected to have maximum sustained windspeed of 120-130 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 145 kmph.

top videos

Authorities in southeast Bangladesh and north Myanmar have been duly alerted, urging them to take necessary precautions and initiate preparedness measures to mitigate the potential impact of Cyclonic Storm Mocha.

The Indian Meteorological Department will maintain close monitoring of the cyclonic storms progress.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday to attend the 6th Indian Ocean Conference 2023 which will deliberate on the prospects of regional cooperation.

The India Foundation, in association with Bangladeshs foreign ministry, has organised the sixth edition of the conference with its theme, Peace, Prosperity and Partnership for a Resilient Future".

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam received the Indian foreign minister upon his arrival, a Bangladesh foreign office spokesman said.

The meeting, a two-day meeting from May 12, aims to deliberate upon the prospects of regional cooperation, a statement by the India Foundation said.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the conference and Jaishankar is set to deliver the keynote address at the opening ceremony.

EAM Jaishakar took to Twitter after reaching Bangladeshs capital and said, Reached Dhaka. Thank Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh @MdShahriarAlam for the warm welcome."

Look forward to meeting colleagues and friends from across the world at the Indian Ocean Conference," he added.

Alam, in a tweet after receiving the Indian foreign minister, said, Looking forward to his exchanges and share ideas for greater regional prosperity." Always a pleasure to welcome Dr S Jaishankar, who has always supported IOC (Indian Ocean Conference)," he added.

Bangladesh has not issued an official statement detailing Jaishankars engagements during his visit here.

According to officials, the conference would bring together a luminary gathering of key stakeholders to chart the roadmap for strengthening the Indian Ocean Region.

top videos

It will be attended by the President of Mauritius Prithvirajsing Roopun, Maldivian Vice President Faisal Naseem, and several ministers from across the world, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

The Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) was started in 2016 and in the last six years, has emerged as the Flagship Consultative Forum" for countries in the region over regional affairs.
Security agencies are on high alert ahead of the G20 meeting in Srinagar amid strong indications of terrorist groups planning to infiltrate in large numbers from launchpads across the border and carry out attacks on army personnel and government institutions, sources told CNN-News18 on Thursday.

There are strong indications that terrorist groups may attempt to infiltrate in large numbers from launchpads across the border," sources said. In Poonch and Rajouri, a large group of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET) has already been launched and is expected to attack through a safe passage," they added.

Following recent terrorist attacks on the army in Poonch and Rajouri districts on April 20 and May 5, which left five soldiers dead, security forces in the twin border districts have been put on high alert. Security measures have been fully activated, and Operation Trinetra is underway in neighbouring border district of Rajouris Kandi forests.

Sources indicate that terrorist groups plan to attack army personnel and government institutions to demonstrate that Kashmir is not normal", and the attack will likely be done with the help of locals.

The LeT groups are comprised of highly trained Fidayeens (suicide bombers) who possess advanced technology and have the backing of the Pakistani Army," sources said. Security measures have been reviewed, and the necessary technology is in place to monitor and track these groups. There is also a strong possibility that sleeper cells may be activated to assist these groups in carrying out attacks." they said.

Meanwhile, security officials have increased surveillance in Jammu, particularly in border districts and around all essential Army and security establishments.

According to reports, a multi-tier security arrangement has been put in place along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC), involving the Army, Border Security Force, police, Central Reserve Police Force, and Village Defence Committees. In addition, security and checkpoints have been reinforced along the Jammu-Pathankot highway, with thorough vehicle checks and constant monitoring of all movements.

top videos

The third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting is scheduled to take place at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), located on the banks of the Dal lake in Srinagar from May 22 to 24.

The inputs comes amid violent protests that erupted in Pakistan following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in a corruption case. At least eight people have died and nearly 300 others injured across Pakistan in violent clashes between Khans supporters and security forces.
The Kerala Story has been banned in West Bengal after over a dozen intelligence inputs received by the state secretariat regarding communal instances in the state. Following the release of the film, the government got reports from some district magistrates and superintendents of police seeking restriction on the movie. The government has its documents ready and these can be presented before the Supreme Court as and when it is required, said the official.

He further said in many theatres, in and around the prime locations in the city, the audiences were using communal slurs against each other. The movie is generating hatred for a particular community and there is simmering tension, he added.

The Kerala Story directed by Sudipto Sen is based on the radicalisation of women in Kerala, and was released on May 5.

West Bengal, which is often seen to be on the edge for political conflicts, has seen a series of censorship in the past, starting from the colonial era to post-Independence.

The state has witnessed a series of communal tensions in the past four to five years, with the latest taking place during the Ram Navami celebrations. The state is also often seen to be at the receiving end owing to its history of partition, an international border with Bangladesh along seven districts.

News18 spoke to multiple experts, senior officers in the state administration, police and other law enforcement agencies to understand the current censorship imposed on The Kerala Story, and the reasons, background and history behind it.

Playing to the gallery

Anik Dutta, a nationally acclaimed director, told News18 the political parties, the one, which is ruling the state, and the one, which is at the Centre are playing to the gallery.

The content of the movie seems to be a tool of polarisation as I have read and heard a little about it. I have no intention or wish to watch the movie either. But with the politics that has been happening over movies, nowadays, I can say, that the political parties are just playing to the gallery. They are also polarising people to please and appease their respective vote bank. For Bengal, it is about the so-called minority vote bank, which makes the majority vote share of the ruling party here, said Dutta, whose movie Bhabishyat er Bhoot (Ghost of Future), reportedly a political satire, was pulled out of theatres 24 hours after its release in February, 2019.

The government did not clarify why it was taken off screen, and Dutta sought legal intervention.

I never support censorship. If a movie is bad or ugly or propaganda, let the public reject it. Only CBFC can censor a movie, states cannot. If the government anticipates tension, communal or political, it is their job to handle that. I cannot put my doors and windows closed fearing a thief will enter my house. We have law enforcement agencies for that, he added.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who has banned the film in the state, calling it communal propaganda, has criticised the Central governments decision to take down the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi from all platforms in India.

The Centre in February invoked emergency power to restrict the series on Modi across all platforms calling it a propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative.

The issue of censorship becomes particularly sensitive and contentious in nature when a state like West Bengal, which celebrates and takes pride in its liberal cultural ethos, puts a ban on a movie. But history has a different story to tell.

Questions Raised Over Timing of the Release

Kaushik Sen, an actor, director and playwright questioned the timing of the movie. I have protested, demonstrated against all sorts of bans. In Bengal, many books, theatres were banned, movies were censored by the parties in power. I never supported such bans. But I agree with the decision of the chief minister this time. The Kerala Story is not a movie, not a work of art but a propaganda piece. It has been made to polarise people and trigger communal disharmony. Look at the time of the release. It has been released before elections in states and Panchayat elections in an extremely politically sensitive state like Bengal. This movie is bound to have political and communal ramifications," said Sen.

People like us watch movies in expensive theatres, return and write long posts on social media, and at times mobilise people too. But when riots break out in the interior, remote villages, and houses are set on fire, people like us sit at our respective houses and watch them on television. we cant protect those innocent victims. So, I think the state has taken a pre-emptive action, he added.

History of Censorship

West Bengal, across decades, has witnessed censorship on books, publications, theatres and movies. The idea of censorship was first introduced through the Vernacular Press Act. It was proposed by Lord Lytton, then viceroy of India in 1878 and the act was intended to prevent the vernacular press from expressing criticism of the British rulers. Over the period of time, many Bengali and Bengal originated English dailies were censored using this act.

Author Sharat Chandra Chattodyapadhyays novel Pather Dabi was also censored by the British after which he requested Rabindranath Tagore to petition against the ban. The tradition of ban continued in Independent India, with the Congress-led government in the state banning many theatres, mostly by renowned actor-director Utpal Dutta, said a senior historian who does not want to be quoted.

The first movie to be banned in Independent India was Neel Akahser Nichey (under the blue sky) by Mrinal Sen. It was banned in 1959 for its political overtones.

top videos

Towards the end of the Left Fronts rule in Bengal, the state government banned Taslima Nasrins book Dwikhandito (divided) in 2005. She was forced to leave the state in 2007 for her controversial writings following a communal riot in the city.

In 2013, the Bengal government did not allow British author Salman Rushdie to visit Kolkata to promote the film adaptation of his novel Midnights Children.
Amidst tears and smiles, parents from Mortung village were joyfully reunited with their children on Wednesday at Leimakhong Military Station. A total of 47 students from Bloomingdale School and 15 children from Mount Calvary School had the chance to see their parents for the first time since the recent period of violence in Manipur.

These students are enrolled in boarding schools located near the Leimakhong Army station in the Kangpokpi district, which has also been severely affected by the violence. Leimakhong Hill Town, a small town in the Kangpokpi District of Manipur, is situated approximately 30 km away from the state capital, Imphal.

A significant number of children from inaccessible areas were studying in these two schools near Leimakhong Military Station. When violence broke out on the nights of May 3 and 4, the students, along with their teachers and wardens, sought refuge in the military station. Over the past seven days, they have been provided with essential care, including food, shelter, and medical assistance, by the Army.

On May 10, as per the request from the school principal, the parents were safely transported under protection from Mortung Village to Leimakhong. There, they experienced an emotional reunion with their children from Bloomingdale School (47 children) and Mount Calvary School (15 children). After the heartfelt reunion, the parents and children were safely taken back to Mortung.

One mother, holding her 8-year-old daughter named Mini, couldnt hold back her tears of gratitude. She expressed, Thank you all! I am finally seeing my daughter after two months. She was supposed to come home during the summer holidays. The last few days have been terribly worrisome, thinking about her. Thanks a lot."

Zoshu couldnt contain his emotions as his young daughter saw him after being apart for so many days. The situation is gradually improving, and both parents, children, and teachers were safely returned to their respective villages.

top videos

Out of the 24,000 individuals in the camp, authorities report that 14,000 have already returned to their homes. The situation in Manipur is gradually stabilizing, but incidents like an armed attack on an area domination column in Dolaithabi at 11 am on Wednesday occurred. After firing a few rounds, the miscreants fled the scene. One Assam Rifles personnel sustained a gunshot wound but was safely evacuated to the Military Hospital via helicopter and is currently receiving treatment.

Efforts are being made to hold more peace meetings, but the emotional reunion of parents and children brought tears to their eyes.
Targeted, singled out, and guided from those inside to Kuki quarters/rooms  This is how the faculty and students from the minority community recall the horror of the night violence broke out at Manipur University and its affiliated colleges following ethnic clashes in the state. Fleeing from one point to another to find safe refuge, the terrified group says going back is not even an option anymore.

Even though the state government has been announcing over the past two days that the Northeastern state torn by communal violence is slowly getting back to normalcy, those attacked on campuses by angry mobs on the night of May 3 said nothing is normal.

Summer vacation for higher education institutions has been announced early in the state from May 15 to June 5 following the situation, but chances of those having fled returning to their homes post-vacation is not a possibility in the near future.

From hearing gunshots in the vicinity, bursting of gas cylinders, skies filled with smoke, houses, and churches burnt down, vehicles torched and the impending fear of falling prey to mob fury, Kuki tribe members teaching at the state university told News18 that they could never imagine this could happen in the current times.

Teachers on the university campus allege that there were no security personnel deployed at the entry gates and the home guards couldnt stop the mob from entering campus. The university administration did not call the police or any security personnel even after the mob had entered the girls hostel and started attacking targeted rooms and quarters of faculty members from the minority community.

As a faculty member, I thought I was safe within the campus. The university authorities had reassured everyone that they have full security. But, I was taken aback when I saw the mob spreading out to targeted quarters, bringing out things from the house, including books, clothes, and papers, and burning a heap of them. They also looted other items from my quarter. I had just picked up my family and rushed to the Assam Rifles camp on the campus. Thats how I survived, said a faculty member at the university, who eventually had to flee the state.

The mobs entered the campus without applying any force. They moved about the compound and went from one hostel to another and one quarter to another for hours, but no security was called.

The university administration is a complete failure for allowing their students and faculty to be attacked by an unruly mob. They were given a free hand to roam about the campus. They had the names, knew the quarters and hostel rooms belonging to Kukis, and just targeted them, which means they were guided by those inside. Who would want to go back to such a place? My children cant study with Meiteis again, its unthinkable, the professor said.

Only two weeks ago, he added, a team from National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) that grades colleges and universities in India visited the campus. This violence was already planned and timed, he said.

However, the university administration denied the allegations as incorrect".

On the day of the mob riot, there were security personnel from Manipur Police as well as Assam Rifles, which has a post inside the campus. There were no casualties among the university fraternity nor were there any instances of burning of buildings on May 3. All the members of the targeted community were safely evacuated to safer places. It is to the universitys credit that it is being run smoothly despite the ongoing curfew hours," said Prof M Premjit, Dean Students Welfare, Manipur University.

Manipur University is a centrally funded institution with a number of affiliated colleges, including two medical schools in Imphal, the state capital.

The violence was a result of an ethnic clash between the Hindu Meitei people and Christian tribal Kukis. The violence erupted on May 3 in which at least 60 people have been reported to be killed while 230 have been injured. From May 4, all campuses in the state were shut down.

The mayhem continued in the days to follow with Kuki houses being burnt down in broad daylight, said another faculty member at a government college affiliated with MU, who didnt wish to be named. After the madness on Wednesday (May 3), the attacks continued on Thursday and Friday.

On Thursday night, we took shelter in a neighbours basement to escape the violence. The next morning, many of us in our vehicles tried to reach the CRPF camp. In the attempt, one of my relatives and her adult son were dragged out of their car by a mob and beaten to death. The mob asked the women to run away, but the mother couldnt see her son being beaten. She stayed at the spot where both of them were eventually killed. An army official confirmed the deaths. His wife who was several months pregnant too was later found at the camp with many injuries, she said.

top videos

Not able to sleep, she further recounted how hundreds of families finally reached the camp, which, on the initial two days, didnt have enough food or water, and children and elderly had a tough time surviving. The camp was shrouded by huge clouds of smoke billowing from the burning down of churches, houses and vehicles in the vicinity.

Only those who had flight tickets were allowed to go to the airport. We had to wait for two-and-a-half days at the airport to board a flight. Even though I am far from the state now, I am still not able to come to terms with what happened. Even if the college does reopen in some time, I dont think theres anything left there to go back to, she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a state visit to United States in June for the first time in nine years. The White House has announced that President Joe Biden will host Prime Minister Modi for an official state visit to the US, which will include a state dinner on June 22.

The visit will strengthen our two countries shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy and space," the White House said.

In a statement on PM Modis first state visit to US after Biden became President, the Ministry of External Affairs said, Modi and Biden will also explore ways to strengthen India-US collaboration in pluri-lateral and multilateral fora, including in the G20.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an Official State Visit to the United States, which will include a state dinner, on June 22, the White House has announced.

What is a State Visit?

PM Modi is scheduled to make his first state visit to the US, which is considered the highest expression of friendly bilateral ties between the two democracies. State visits are led by foreign heads of state acting in their sovereign capacity and are the highest rank in terms of diplomatic protocol.

A state visit requires a couple of days and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to address a joint session of the US Congress and a state dinner at the White House.

PM Modi last visited Washington in September 2021 for the first in-person Quad Leaders Summit where he also had a bilateral meeting with President Biden. Although PM Modi has visited the US seven times since being elected, none of those visits were considered official state visits, but rather official or working visits, with most of them coinciding with his trips to the UN in New York.

PM Modis upcoming visit marks the first official state visit by an Indian Prime Minister since Manmohan Singhs visit in November 2009.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the visit will underscore the growing importance of the strategic partnership between India and the US as the two nations collaborate across numerous sectors. The leaders will have the opportunity to review strong bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, including technology, trade, industry, education, research, clean energy, defence, security, healthcare, and deepening people-to-people connections," an official statement read.

Are All Visits by Foriegn Leader a State Visit?

No, not all visits by foreign leaders State visits in the US. According to Satows Diplomatic Practice (1917), State visits can only occur on the invitation of the US president, while official visits are usually made by the chief of government of a foreign state. A state banquet is held in honor of the visiting head of state, along with official public ceremonies, during their four-day stay in Washington.

US President Biden had extended an invitation to Prime Minister Modi for a State visit in February. The dates were not announced as the Prime Minister has packed domestic and international commitments along with the G20 summit.

The US Department of State website describes PM Modis previous visits as a working visit" (2014), working lunch" (2016), official working visit" (2017), and his 2019 visit as participated in a rally in Houston, Texas," according to an Indian Express article.

PM Modis US State Visit: Eye on China, Ukraine Conflict

The White House on Thursday in a statement said US President Biden believes that Americas relationship with India is important and needs to be built. This is a president who has had decades of experience in leader-to-leader relationships. This is an important relationship as we speak about the Indo-Pacific, as we talk about how to move forward in that region, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One as Biden headed to New York.

As China continues to increase its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, the US, India, and other world powers have emphasized the importance of maintaining a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Chinas claim to almost all of the disputed South China Sea is disputed by Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam, and has led to the construction of artificial islands and military installations by Beijing. Additionally, China has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea. China and its diplomats have criticised the Indo-Pacific concept from the outset, asserting that it is aimed at containing Beijing.

Speaking on clear differences" between the US and India when it comes to Russia aggression and Ukraine conflict, the official said, As we do with other nations around the world, we regularly engage with Indian government officials at senior levels on human rights concerns, including freedom of religion or belief. That is something that the president regularly does. We encourage all countries to uphold their human rights obligations, and commitments, and to work towards building inclusive societies."

top videos

Others have viewed the State Visit is a big diplomatic gesture for the United States. India was last honoured with a State Visit in 2009. That PM Modi is being honoured with only the third State Visit of the Biden Administration shows the respect and affection the American people have for a rising India, Atul Keshap, the president of the US-India Business Council told PTI.

In response to Chinas growing economic and military power, the US has strengthened its partnership with India to counter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific and South Pacific regions. The US recognizes the strategic importance of supporting Indias global rise. We see this in the Quad and in Indias Presidency of the G-20. This represents a larger vision of a cohesive US-Indo Pacific strategy that requires both countries to come closer together and overcome longstanding obstacles," a person familiar with the matter told the news agency.
A loud sound was heard near Golden Temple in Punjabs Amritsar around midnight, third in the last few days. The loud sound was reportedly heard near Shri Guru Ramdas Ji Niwas near Golden Temple in Amritsar.

This is the third suspected blast in under seven days. Police reached the spot and is investigating the matter. The fresh blast comes after two explosions rocked Heritage Street near Amritsars Golden Temple on Saturday (May 6) and Monday (May 8).

According to reliable intelligence sources, the recent explosions were masterminded by two individuals, one of whom was identified as a former government employee. The motive behind the blast was to convey a strong message against alleged anti-Sikh activities in the country, sources said.

It is important to note that the accused individual is not affiliated with the pro-Khalistani movement but is known for his extreme radical views. In addition to highlighting issues related to the Sikh community, his intention was to protest against the use of tobacco near the Golden Temple in Amritsar and the imposition of the National Security Act (NSA) on Amritpal Singh.

During the initial blast, the former government employee had attached a letter addressed to the authorities, but unfortunately, it was destroyed in the explosion. As part of the ongoing investigation, three individuals who sold pottash to the accused have been apprehended. However, it has been confirmed that these sellers were unaware of the intended purpose behind the purchase.

What Punjab Cops Said

Punjab Police DGP announced on Thursday morning that the cases of low-intensity explosions in Amritsar have been solved, resulting in the arrest of five individuals. In a press conference, the Punjab DGP stated that firecracker explosives were used in the blasts.

We have taken into custody five persons- Azadvir Singh, Amreek Singh, Sahib Singh, Harjeet Singh and Dharmendra Singh. Of them, three were involved in the sourcing of the explosives. One woman is also being questioned: Punjab DCP Gaurav Yadav on recent low-intensity explosions pic.twitter.com/EWOUE6V3ut ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2023

During the presser, the police revealed that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to further investigate the incidents and uncover the conspiracy behind the recent explosions. They also disclosed that the accused had utilized energy drink cans and metallic tiffins to contain the explosive material.

According to the police, it is believed that the perpetrators chose the vicinity of the Golden Temple for the blasts due to its convenient accessibility. The authorities also stated that the same modus operandi was employed in all three explosions.

Amritsar low intensity explosion cases solved5 persons arrested Press Conference will be held in #Amritsar @PunjabPoliceInd committed to maintaining peace and harmony in Punjab as per directions of CM @BhagwantMann  DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) May 11, 2023

What Had Happened

According to sources, police have two suspects - a man and a woman - into custody after police received a call of a blast that is said to have taken place at around 12:15-12:30 AM on Thursday.

#WATCH | Amritsar: Visuals from outside the building of Shri Guru Ramdas Ji Niwas from where suspects were rounded up in the aftermath of a loud sound, that was heard near the Golden Temple, which, as per the police, could be another explosion.#Punjab pic.twitter.com/CXzms3FdYw ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

Sources said some explosives have been found in the bag of the man taken into custody by the police. Some injections have also been recovered from the bags of the two taken into custody.

A loud sound was heard at around 12.15-12.30 am, theres a possibility that it could be another explosion. Its being verified and is yet to be confirmed. Suspects are being rounded up, probe on," news agency ANI quoted Commissioner of Police Naunihal Singh as saying.

Meanwhile, a top intelligence source told CNN-News18 that the explosions near Punjabs Golden Temple within a span of 30 hours between May 6 and May 8 could be a result of a commercial dispute.

ALSO READ: 2 Blasts near Golden Temple in 30 Hrs: Could Be over Money Dispute; Terror Angle Not Ruled Out, Says Intel Source | Exclusive

One person was injured in a low-intensity explosion that took place on a heritage street near the Golden Temple on Monday morning, close to the spot where a blast was reported on May 6 (Saturday). One person was injured and glass facades of some buildings were damaged in the blast on May 6.

It is possibly a commercial dispute. Low-intensity blasts have been reported at the same place. But we are not ruling out terror angle, said the source.

top videos

Data from the area has been picked up about the two blasts within 30 hours and agencies are getting the details, he added.
Read more

Supreme Court also held that it cannot order the restoration of the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government as the then Chief Minister resigned without facing the floor test.

However, the top court noted that the Governors decision for a floor test was wrong and Speaker was also wrong in appointing the whip of the Eknath Shinde group.

The Apex Court further referred the 2016 Nabam Rebia verdict on the power of the speaker on disqualification of MLAs to a larger bench.

Maharashtra assembly deputy speaker Narhari Zirwala was reportedly unreachable on Thursday morning (May 11), hours before a five-judge SC constitution benchs verdict.

A report by TV9 Marathi stated that the phone of NCPs Zirwala was switched off. He was reportedly not even in his village. However, his office later clarified that he is in Nashiks Dindori and will speak after the judgment. Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar left for the UK early in the morning.

The Maharashtra political crisis had led to the fall of the three-party MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray following a revolt by chief minister Eknath Shinde in June 2022.

The 16 rebel MLAs are CM Shinde, Sanjay Shirsat, Bharat Gogawale, Sandipan Bhumre, Tanaji Sawant, Abdul Sattar, Lata Sonawane, Yamini Jadhav, Prakash Surve, Anil Babar, Balaji Kinnikar, Mahesh Shinde, Chimanrao Patil, Ramesh Bornare, Sanjay Raimulkar and Balaji Kalyankar.

On Wednesday, when reporters asked Shindes deputy Devendra Fadnavis if the chief minister will step down from his post in the event of an adverse ruling regarding the disqualification of 16 MLAs of his camp, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said this discussion has no meaning.

I am sorry to use the word but it is an arena of idiots. I am telling you that Eknath Shinde will remain the chief minister and we will contest the next elections under his leadership. Why would Shinde submit his resignation? There is no need to indulge in any kind of speculation. What mistakes he had made? Fadnavis asked.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar left for the United Kingdom early on Thursday morning. Speaking to News18, he expressed confidence that the judiciary will not impinge upon the rights of the legislature.

Narvekars statement came as deputy speaker Narhari Zirwala claimed that since he was at the helm during the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis, he will likely decide on the matter. My UK trip was preplanned. Will take appropriate action after returning from abroad, he said.

What is the 2022 Maharashtra Political Crisis?

Maharashtra assembly deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal had last year sent a notice to the 16 Shiv Sena MLAs who went to Surat and fled to Guwahati with Eknath Shinde. The matter then reached the Supreme Court as the Shinde-led faction refused to come to the negotiating table.

Lawyers of the Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray camps argued in the top court regarding the disqualification of the 16 MLAs.

The Uddhav Thackeray group blamed Eknath Shinde and the BJP for engineering a coup and challenged them to face a fresh election. On the other hand, the Shinde group rejected this claim. The lawyers of the Shinde group claimed that they did not do anything anti-party, but they were the real Shiv Sena. And thus behan the battle for Shiv Senas election symbol and the legacy of Bal Thackeray.

Later in October, the Election Commission froze the bow and arrow symbol of Shiv Sena. For the Andheri (East) Assembly bypoll, held a month later, Uddhav Thackerays faction was allotted flaming torch (mashal) and the name Shiv Sena  Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray. The Shinde camp received the name Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena and two swords-and-shield symbol.
AFP: Australias trade minister arrived in China today. He said that he will be advocating strongly for the full resumption of unimpeded Australian exports to China. Whats your comment on the visit?

Wang Wenbin: I would like to refer you to the competent Chinese authorities for the Australian trade ministers visit to China. More broadly, let me say that China and Australia are both important countries in the Asia-Pacific with highly complementary economies and mutually beneficial business ties. To improve and maintain the sound growth of bilateral ties serves the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples. China stands ready to work together with Australia to deliver on the important common understandings reached by our leaders, build mutual trust, deepen cooperation, properly handle differences and work for the sustained, sound and steady development of bilateral relations. In this process, the two sides may be able to find a balanced way to resolve each others concerns on economic and trade issues through constructive consultation to the benefit of both peoples.

Bloomberg: On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden said that a call with President Xi Jinping was in the works. Can you confirm that such a call is being planned? If so, can you share more details? Thats the first part of my question referring to this specific call between President Xi and President Biden. Separately but related, I would like to ask about a broader push thats been reported on the US side, whereby the US is pushing for calls and meetings with various Chinese officials and across different departments. So my question on this is, how does China view the US push for engagement? Some have described Chinas response as tepid. Is this a fair characterization?

Wang Wenbin: On your first question, I have nothing to share.

On your second question, I can tell you that China and the US are in communication. What matters is that the US cannot keep raising the issue of communication on the one hand, while on the other, keep suppressing and containing China. The US cannot say one thing but do another. We urge the US to form a correct perception of China, respect Chinas red lines, stop undermining Chinas sovereignty, security and development interests, and work with China in the same direction to bring bilateral relations back on the track of sound and stable growth.

TASS: According to the Financial Times, China told the US that it is highly unlikely that the defence ministers of the two countries would meet at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. What is Chinas comment on this?

Wang Wenbin: Id refer you to the competent authorities for your question.

CRI: According to reports, Israel launched air strikes against the Gaza Strip on May 10, resulting in casualties. Armed groups in the Gaza Strip fired about 400 rockets at Israel. Egypt is now mediating a ceasefire. Does China have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: China is deeply concerned about the escalation of conflict between Israel and Palestine and the deaths and injuries of many innocent civilians. We urge relevant parties, Israel in particular, to stay calm and exercise maximum restraint and immediately end hostilities to prevent any further escalation. China commends the mediation efforts by Egypt and others. We call on the international community, especially countries with influence, to play an effective role and work together to cool down the situation.

Yonhap News Agency: According to the South China Morning Post, the China-DPRK border will be fully reopened on June 10, and trade in goods and personnel exchange will be resumed. Whats Chinas comment on this?

Wang Wenbin: I am not aware of what you mentioned. China and the DPRK will continue to carry out border-related cooperation in accordance with the border-related agreements between the two sides.

Global Times: It was reported that the G7 Summit to be held in Japan will ask China to abide by international rules. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: Before discussing international rules, we need to first of all make clear what exactly the international rules are. For the overwhelming majority of countries in the world, international rules consist of the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and all countries must abide by them. The G7 hardly ever mentions the UN Charter, but keeps talking about democracies and the so-called rules-based international order. However, when the G7 countries talk about international rules, they mean the Western rules that draw lines according to ideologies and values and the US-first and G7-dominated rules of a small circle. Those rules serve the vested interest of a very few countries, including the G7, rather than the common interests of the international community.

While asking China to abide by international rules, the G7 itself has constantly violated and disrupted rules. In recent years, the US walked away from 17 international organizations and treaties, including UNESCO and the Paris Agreement. The US has spied indiscriminately on countries globally, not least its G7 allies, strong-armed countries diplomatically, and applied economic coercion and military interference. The US has blatantly invaded Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria and other countries that are smaller and weaker than the US, killing and displacing tens of millions of innocent civilians. When it comes to international rules, the USs place is in the dock. It is in no position to point fingers at other countries.

The first thing the US and Japan can do as G7 members would be to pay their arrears to the UN, withdraw the troops illegally occupying Syria, stop insisting on dumping nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, stop inciting division and confrontation, and stop using the international rules as a pretext to pursue primacy and selfish interests.

CCTV: We noted that State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang visited the site of the Potsdam Conference during his visit to Germany. What is the consideration behind this specific arrangement?

Wang Wenbin: On May 10 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang visited the site of the Potsdam Conference in Berlin and delivered remarks.

State Councilor Qin noted that the Potsdam Conference in 1945 played an important role in establishing the post-World War II international order and is of special historical significance to the Chinese people. The Potsdam Proclamation issued after the meeting reaffirmed the terms of the Cairo Declaration, which states that all the territories Japan has stolen from China, such as Taiwan, shall be restored to China. This is a major outcome of the World Anti-Fascist War that was won after 35 million Chinese soldiers and civilians were either killed or wounded during that war.

Today, the US claims itself to be a champion of the rules-based international order, while ditching the Potsdam Proclamation it drafted, supporting and conniving at Taiwan independence separatist activities, undermining the post-war international order and Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Chinese people will not accept this.

If there is any consideration for State Councilor Qins visit to the site, I would say that it is about reminding the world of the need to remember the lessons of history  that the post-war international order must be preserved and international fairness and justice must be upheld. To engage in Taiwan independence separatism, challenge international justice and order and try to reverse the trend of history will lead nowhere. Chinas national reunification must and will be realized.

AFP: French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang during his trip to Europe this week that China needs to leverage its ties with Russia to help it understand the stalemate it is facing and tell it to come back to senses. Whats your response to this?

Wang Wenbin: On the Ukraine issue, China has been committed to promoting peace talks and bringing about a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. China is neither the one that created the conflict nor a party to it. It is hoped that all parties would seriously reflect on the Ukraine crisis and jointly explore ways towards lasting peace and security in Europe through dialogue. We will continue to play a constructive part in facilitating a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
The Calcutta High Court formed a special investigation team to probe the alleged rape and murder of a girl in West Bengals Kaliaganj. The way the authorities handled the situation following the girls death and how her body was taken away had put a question mark over police action in the case.

The family had demanded a CBI probe and moved the court, which directed the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) consisting of Upendra Nath Biswas, a retired additional director of the CBI; Pankaj Datta, a retired inspector general of West Bengal; and Damayanti Sen, a senior IPS officer serving in the state police.

The court order stated: The discrepancies throw doubt over police investigation. With a view to restore the faith of the family and public at large in the investigation, this court is of the view that a special investigation team (SIT) ought to be constituted to take over the investigation.

The court also gave power to the SIT to appoint any person or persons of its choice to assist in the investigation. The SIT will have powers under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to conduct an investigation into the death of the girl under an FIR registered on April 21.

The court further stated that Kaliaganj police station and the Itahar sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) must hand over all material, including the case diary, to the SIT as and when asked. Even if the SIT feels that a second post-mortem is required, it can go ahead, it added.

The court also directed West Bengal director general of police, Kaliyaganj police station and Itahar SDPO to extend all cooperation, facilities and services to the SIT. It stressed that the SIT members must not make any public comments or give interviews during the subsistence of the investigation. A preliminary report is to be submitted before this court, it added.

top videos

The court also asked the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the state child rights body to submit their reports to the SIT.

The court further directed the Kaliaganj police station to ensure that sufficient protection is provided to the girls family members.
Fierce, Bold and Sexy! Queen Bey is the Mother of Fashion and you cant deny it. Nailing the onstage style like a boss, Beyonce Knowles Carter kicked off the much-awaited Renaissance World Tour in Stockholm, Sweden in an array of custom designer couture.

Beyonces on stage ensembles were a perfect amalgamation of archival pieces and futuristic designs. From Alexander McQueen to Thierry Mugler, each piece was crafted keeping Beyonces powerful persona in mind.

Beyonce knows how to make an entrance with her unconventional style statements

Ensuring the Diva looked Flawless, every look was beautifully put together by celebrity stylist and costume designer Shiona Turini. Every look resonated with Beyonces power-packed performance and celebrated each designers creativity with panache.

Heres a look at the iconic couture Beyonce wore for the Renaissance World Tour and how she made it the biggest fashion night of 2023.

Alexander McQueen

Celebrating her music with her BeeHive, the diva opened the show with the hitmaker Dangerously in Love wearing a custom Alexander McQueen bodysuit. Beyonce, who has always loved exploring glamorous looks on stage, looked ravishing in the sparkling bodysuit embellished with silver bugle beads and crystal anatomical embroidery.

Mugler

The jaw-dropping fashion moment of the evening was when Beyonce stepped on stage wearing the iconic Mugler antennae headgear from the Spring 1997 couture collection and paired it with a custom Mugler futuristic bodysuit by Casey Cadwallader.

Courreges

Dancing the night away in a custom Courreges sparkling silver sequin bodysuit accessorised with mirrored circular pendants placed on the bodice. The outfit perfectly mirrored the energy Beyonce exuded on the larger than life stage.

Loewe

Inspired by the Loewes Fall Winter 2022 collection, Beyonce sashayed the stage in a gold full length sleeveless bodysuit which was accentuated with a couple of gloved hands with polished red nails artwork strategically placed on the outfit. She completed her look with similar looking long sleeved gloves and red nails.

Balmain

View this post on Instagram A post shared by WE SUPPORT BEY (@wesupportbey)

top videos

Looks like pearls are a favourite this season. Beyonce sang Love on Top in a custom Balmain bodysuit embellished with pearls. The black bodysuit played the perfect canvas to accentuate the artistic placement of the pearls. She paired the outfit with thigh high boots.

While the bodysuits adorned by the diva complemented every dance move she performed on stage, there were moments during her performance that will stay rent free in our hearts. From the dress which was transformed into a colourful spectacle using UV light to her riding on her sparkling horse dressed in a shimmery ensemble featuring a long cape with silver feathers, each look was a showstopper in its own unique way.
Cartilage, a bone-protecting tissue, promotes easy joint movement and absorbs shock. We may end up sustaining cartilage injuries due to small or major accidents. Over the years, stem cell transplantation has been used for treating inflammation and damage as well as encouraging cartilage regeneration despite its low innate healing potential. Now, researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Dongguk University Medical Centre, and Nature Gluetech in Korea have developed a new treatment for injured cartilage that is more effective than stem cell transplantation. The researchers mentioned that results from stem cell transplantation are less successful because of the quick clearance of transplanted cells from the fluid environment surrounding cartilage as well as the smooth surface of the cartilage itself.

The teams new method involves the use of a thick, immiscible liquid. When the liquid is mixed with a gooey protein derived from mussels and hyaluronic acid, it can help transplant stem cells into injured tissue. The study was published in the Chemical Engineering Journal. The funding for the research was provided by the Korea Health Technology Research and Development Project under the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

To get around the limitations of the previous treatment, the researchers created a unique bioadhesive substance in the form of a viscous liquid phase. This was accomplished by mixing hyaluronic acid with high molecular weight adhesion protein from mussels to promote electrostatic contact between them.

top videos

The team has created a bioadhesive material that can safely enclose stem cells and aid their strong adhesion to the transplantation site with the help of a highly viscous liquid that does not break down or swell in water. In addition, the scientists showed in a rabbit model evaluation that stem cells injected into damaged cartilage were kept as it is when encased within the liquid.

Moreover, stem cell transplantations therapeutic effects were strengthened by the prolonged survival of transplanted stem cells within injured cartilage. A natural glue that does not require any further physical or chemical processes is another advantage of the adhesive liquid created by the researchers. This discovery will go a long way in trauma treatment and healing as well as arthritis treatment.
NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DAY 2023: National Technology Day is celebrated on May 11 to honour and recognise the outstanding contributions of scientists, researchers, and engineers in the field of science and technology. The day was established by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 to commemorate the successful Pokhran nuclear test. A series of five explosions were carried out in order to do a successful test.

Former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, also known as Indias Missile Man spearheaded the Pokhran nuclear tests. This day provides an excellent opportunity to appreciate the significant role played by professionals in propelling the growth of the nation.

In India, the inaugural celebration of National Technology Day took place on May 11, 1999, with the objective of recognizing and applauding the contributions of professionals engaged in the field of technology. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam believed that science is the most powerful means for the advancement of life. His philosophy and inspiring quotes continue to inspire not only Indians but people all around the world.

top videos

National Technology Day 2023: Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Quotes
With exhibitions at several international locations including Europe and Taiwan, Bhutans modern art seems to be establishing itself in the global arena. Three Bhutanese artists recently unveiled their individual exhibits in Taiwan. This trio included Kama Wangdi, popularly known as Asha Kama, one of Bhutans leading contemporary artists, reported The Bhutan Live.

The solo art titled Sacred Present is presently being showcased at the Dr Sun Yat Sen National Memorial Hall in Taipei. According to the publication, the exhibition ends on May 10. It features some of his recent works of art, including mandalas, the Buddha, and holy dances, among others.

The artworks have been getting good responses from the locals. Right now, in Taipei for the last two weeks, Bhutan art and artists have taken up a big front page right now, and lots of collectors are interested. And we are praying that it goes well, Kama Wangdi told The Bhutan Live.

Another reputed Bhutanese artist, Gyembo Wangchuk, debuted his second solo show at Tansbao Gallery last week. A female artist, Zimbiri, also debuted her exhibition in Taipei.

According to Kama Wangdi, she is giving Bhutanese artists a chance to showcase their talent in an international space. Plans are also in the works to promote and exhibit Bhutanese art in places like Hong Kong, Singapore, and China. The artist added, It is late by then, but still, for the next exhibition, it will help us to do better. There is a lot of inspiration, and we get a lot of reality checks. So, it boils down to individual artists, of course, the platform is very important, but we need a body of work to be there. So, we need to work harder."

top videos

Kama Wangdi said that such exhibitions provide artists with a chance to learn, get reminded of the areas they need to focus more on and improve their craft in the future. She emphasises that exhibitions and art shows are very important for such individuals because they allow them to enter a competitive market.
Alia Bhatt weighed in on the cancel culture that has taken the internet by storm in recent years. For the unversed, a section of social media demands a certain actor or star is cancelled if theyve made statements or acted in ways that are unacceptable. Social media shuns the star for their acts. A move that is still prominent alongside the boycott trend in India, Alia says that she has a lot of opinions about this but chooses to keep them to herself.

Speaking with Harpers Bazaar Arabia, Alia said, I have many thoughts [on cancel culture]. I also have many opinions. But I also feel like the world is full of opinions right now. So, I think the kind of person I want to be is one that keeps my opinions to myself, and leads with kindness and silence. Because were missing a lot of that."

I do feel people are very quick to judge. But theres also a lot of good in the world thats happening. So I choose to focus on that, and as long as Im not adding to the noise and staying away from it, Im okay," she added.

In the same interview, Alia also opened up about her nepotism tag. She said she understands that its possibly been easier for me to get through the door than maybe the next person. And I compare my dreams to another persons dreams: no dream is bigger or smaller, or more intense. Everybodys dreams are the same, everybodys desire is the same. So I completely understand where that conversation comes from."

top videos

Alia added that she acknowledges the jumpstart that shes received and the privilege that she has. Which is why I give 100 percent every day and I never take my work for granted. The only thing I can do is keep my head down and keep working, she said.

On the work front, Alia is all set to make her Hollywood debut this year with Heart of Stone. Starring Gal Gadot in the lead, Alia shot for the film last year, while pregnant with her and Ranbir Kapoors daughter Raha. She also has Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani in the pipeline.
Filmmaker Ashima Chibber known for her incredible work with Mrs Chatterjee VS Norway recently directed Raftaars latest music video Phone Mila Ke. The song features the ever-gorgeous Aroosa Khan who is known for her cameo in Akshay Kumars Bachchan Pandey.

When asked about her experience in directing a music video, she shared, After a non-stop overseas shoot for my intense feature film Mrs Chatterji Vs Norway, shooting a song & dance track Phone Mila Ke, was yet another amazing experience. The scale from the set to costumes to rehearsals was no less than any feature film song.

She added, Both Raftaar & Aroosa worked really hard and the results show this really glossy song fabulously shot by cinematographer Ayananka Bose. And I am really glad that after my film, mera music video bhi hit ho gaya.

Time and again, Raftaar has impressed his fans with his record-breaking tracks. Even this time, his groovy song, Phone Mila Ke, went viral within a few hours of its release. Released under Sony Music Phone Mila Ke, is composed, written, and sung by Raftaar. The song features AKASA, whose enchanting voice blends seamlessly with Raftaars, creating a captivating musical fusion & Aroosa Khans glamour. Phone Mila Ke is about a girlfriend getting married while her boyfriend refuses to pick up her phone.

top videos

Speaking of Mrs Chatterjee VS Norway, the movie is based on an actual incident from 2011 in which an Indian couples children were taken away by Norwegian welfare services. The film stared Rani Mukerji in the lead role. Anirban Bhattacharya, Jim Sarbh and Neena Gupta played pivotal roles.
Deepika Padukone has finally opened up about her controversial visit to New Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University in January 2020 and the controversial orange bikini from her 2023 release Pathaan. For the unversed, Deepika was subjected to massive backlash when she visited JNU to show her solidarity towards students who were attacked by a mob at the time. Deepika did not utter a word and yet delivered a powerful message about her stand on the subject.

While social media was divided by her 10-minute appearance at the university, Deepika refrained from speaking about the subject and political backlash she received thereafter. This year, Deepika was subjected to backlash yet again when she was seen wearing a saffron colour bikini in Pathaans hit song Besharam Rang. While the team had refrained from commenting about it, Deepika has now spoken about the controversies with TIME magazine and confessed she doesnt feel anything about the controversies.

I dont know if Im supposed to feel something about it. But the truth is, I dont feel anything about it, she said after a long pause. She added that when the controversy surrounding the colour of her bikini broke out, she was busy with work.

top videos

On the work front, Deepika Padukone was last seen in Siddharth Anands Pathaan, co-starring Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham. The film emerged as one of the biggest blocksters of Bollywood. The film minted over 1000 crores at the ticket window globally.

Deepika will now be seen in Nag Ashwins sci-fi actioner Project K, which will also feature Prabhas and megastar Amitabh Bachchan in pivotal roles. The multi-starer movie boasts an ensemble cast including Dulquer Salmaan, Disha Patani and Gaurav Chopra, among others. Other than this, Deepika also has Siddharth Anands Fighter with Hrithik Roshan and Anil Kapoor. She also has The Intern remake with Amitabh Bachchan and her Hollywood comeback film.
Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran on Thursday lashed out at a YouTube channel for making false and malicious" allegations against him. In a lengthy Instagram post, the Kaduva star strongly reacted to claims that he was making propaganda films" and paid Rs 25 crores to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

According to a report India Today.in, The YouTube channel in question published a news report on May 11 alleging that Prithviraj Sukumaran had received funds from some sources in the Middle East which the Enforcement Directorate was investigating.

Prithviraj Sukumaran took to his Instagram account to slam these allegations. Sharing his statement, the actor wrote, I usually tend to ignore these because terms like ethical journalism are fast becoming redundant in the times we live in. But there is a limit to propagating absolute lies in the name of news. This is a fight I intend to see through to the end. Filing civil and criminal defamation charges. PS: For those of you who are still wondering NO, I havent paid any fines whatsoever."

What Prithviraj Sukumaran wrote in his statement

top videos

It has come to my attention that the YouTube channel by the name Marunadanmalayali has published a false and defamatory story, alleging that I have paid a fine of Rs. 25,00,00,000/- pursuant to proceedings initiated by the Enforcement Directorate and am making propaganda films. The allegations are devoid of any truth, is malicious, and defamatory. I am initiating legal action for the false and defamatory allegations that have been made against me. I hereby request all responsible media channels to ensure that any further reporting on the allegations are done only after the facts are verified and confirmed.

Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas showed solidarity with Prithviraj by dropping a clap and red heart emoji on his post.
On April 19, the Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh announced that the Union Cabinet had officially greenlit the National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications (NM-QTA), which the finance minister had previously announced during the Budget speech for the financial year 2020. After announcing its intention to develop Indias quantum ecosystem way back in 2019, this is the major policy decision that the Union government has come out with, for the development of the field.

Whats in the National Mission?

After lying dormant for almost three years, the NM-QTA has officially kicked off with an initial allocation of Rs 6,000 crore for quantum technologys scientific and industrial development. Originally, in the Budget for the fiscal year 2020-21, the government announced the NM-QTA with a total outlay of Rs 8000 crore over five years. The mission also outlined the necessary actions that needed to be taken in order to achieve those said aims. The main targets of the mission included:

Developing quantum processors, communication devices, memory devices, accelerators, and simulators.

Developing quantum clocks, sensors, and imaging devices and designing advanced materials for civil and military applications.

Enhancing the research base and strengthening cross-border collaborative research in the field of quantum technologies.

The current decision by the Union Cabinet builds on the above objectives by seeking to establish a Secretariat comprising a Governing Council (headed by a renowned scientist or technology entrepreneur) as well as a Mission Technology Research Council (headed by the Principal Scientific Advisor).

The National Mission also seeks to maintain a holistic approach towards building a quantum ecosystem in the country by setting up four thematic hubs (T-Hubs) in top academic and national research and development institutes. Each of the R&D hubs will focus on one specific emerging application domain of the quantum field  quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing and metrology, and quantum materials and devices. This will ensure that the country will devote adequate funds and resources to developing all areas of the quantum value chain.

As per the press briefing by the minister, some of the targets of the National Mission will include building quantum computers (ranging from 50 to 1000 qubits across both superconductors and photonic technologies in the next eight years), developing satellite-based secure quantum communications in the country (covering a range of almost 2000 km) and also creating multiple quantum key distribution (QKD) links (ranging close to 2000 km) supported by a multi-mode quantum network for encrypted communications.

Current Transnational Quantum Policies

The primary strategic aims for governments to invest in quantum tech are twofold: economic and security related. With hundreds of billions in value creation forecast for quantum technologies (especially quantum computing), governments are keenly aware of the economic imperative to nurture this emerging technology for their businesses, industries, and broader commercial and social spill over effects. Secondly, the possibility that a quantum computer that is not so advanced can also break any existing public encryption key means that governments are in a race to secure their own data and information while also wishing to be in an offensive position to gain the technology for advantage over their rivals. So, while not a totally zero-sum game, sovereignty or relative autonomy in quantum technology for countries will mean gaining comparative strategic advantages in multiple spheres.

Unlike some emerging technologies (like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and IoT that are solely based on software modelling and infrastructure), quantum requires a huge amount of initial investment, physical infrastructure, and human capital in the form of scientists and advanced researchers to build large hardware devices that have quantum capabilities. Accordingly, we see that only 25 countries around the world have ongoing quantum programmes and initiatives, with large variances between the top and bottom tiers in terms of investments, programmes, and technology readiness. For these reasons, governments tend to focus efforts on a two-fold strategy: bringing together academic and industry players to spur R&D, while also creating an ecosystem where the outputs of the research can be commercialised and seeded for general application purposes.

How can Indias National Mission Become Better?

Establishing Research Centres Within Universities

For a critical and emerging technology like quantum, the focus on research and development is imperative. Cutting-edge research in technical fields is heavily concentrated in higher education institutes and university laboratories. The same can be said for quantum technologies too. An increased focus on academia is needed for the returns that these research centres offer through critical intellectual property (IP) development. Gaining IP rights in technologies like quantum can help India gain the upper hand both economically (licensing fees) and strategically (patent rights) across multiple industries where this technology can be applied.

Secondly, the enormous and relatively low-cost talent pool that educational and research institutes offer can help immensely in strengthening the domestic workforce. The number of skilled professionals in the realm of quantum science and technology within India is currently small, with just a few hundred researchers, industry professionals, academicians, and entrepreneurs in the field. Connecting academic institutions and industry must be encouraged and facilitated in order to translate research into real-world applications.

Coordinating Efforts Across Union and State Governments

It should come as no surprise that the involvement of various pertinent Indian state administrations is essential for forging the domestic quantum industry, even if the Union government is the lead player involved in formulating the overall policies for quantum technology within the country. This is especially the case in the manufacturing and fabrication process of basic quantum devices using advanced semiconductor technology. With state governments playing an integral role in setting up fabs in the near future, quantum technology can benefit from coordination across domestic manufacturing facilities and units.

Other than investments, it is the governments responsibility to establish a conducive fiscal and legal environment to foster innovation. This will attract potential international collaborators to conduct their research in the country while involving Indian talent. Sufficient funds along with investment-friendly laws (trade policies to remove barriers and lowering imports for manufacturing equipment) by the government can also credibly help in the establishment and improvement of Indias quantum industry.

Harnessing the Power and Promise of Corporations and Start-ups

There is a heightened need to engage with the private sector to develop and grow the domestic quantum ecosystem. While university labs are largely involved on the research side, quantum tech corporations and start-ups are vital in converting and commercialising this research into applications and products that can be of use. With big-tech companies like Google, IBM and Microsoft leading the way in quantum computing, there is also the emergence of smaller players to serve the burgeoning market. There is, therefore, a need for the government and industry bodies to facilitate collaboration between big technology corporations and fledgling start-ups.

The government must also ensure the allocation of funds to provide targeted microeconomic support (like subsidies and tariff cuts) to both established companies and scaling start-ups. Similar to the semiconductor package, production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes could be provided for quantum technology companies. Upfront capital expenditure support, tax deductions, and interest-free loans could also be introduced through a scheme similar to the SPECS and designed specifically for companies engaged in quantum technologies.

The announcement of the NM-QTA has provided the required spur to accelerate the development of quantum technology in the country. However, the National Mission should not be restricted to the Union government alone and must involve a multi-stakeholder approach, focusing on building a synergy between academia, state governments and the industry. This would ensure that India would move from a small step towards a giant leap in the quantum domain.

Arjun Gargeyas is an IIC-UChicago Fellow and a Consultant at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. Views expressed are personal.

Read all the Latest Opinions here
Cheshires Planning and Zoning Commission has been looking for feedback from the public as it weights whether to allow commercial cannabis uses, such as a recreational retail establishment, in town.

The group got some of what it was looking for during a public hearing on Monday, May 8. Over a dozen individuals came to speak at the hearing, all of whom expressed opposition to the idea. With no one present speaking in favor, and no public correspondence in favor, of bringing commercial cannabis to Cheshire, Commission Chair Earl Kurtz III closed the public hearing.

Kurtz and other Commissioners did express regret that more people did not attend the hearing to voice their opinions, whether for or against. The PZC did not take a vote, nor did it adopt any final regulations, yet Kurtz expressed confidence that the PZC would finalize its approach in advance of the temporary moratoriums expiration in July.

The speakers offered a variety of reasons for opposing cannabis in Cheshire, including its effects on children and young people, the additional difficulties it poses for law enforcement, and the detriments to public health, safety and morality. Vincent Flynn, who spoke first, offered his recent experiences in Massachusetts as a cautionary tale.

Were going to pass over a Rubicon here if we approve the sale of cannabis in the town of Cheshire, he said. I think its a very big move and its one thats very inconsistent with the values that have exemplified the town through all the years since Ive lived here and Im sure prior to my arrival (in 1996).

Pointing to the Lenox area  Norman Rockwell country  Flynn said it is now wall-to-wall marijuana dispensaries, characterizing the scene as akin to a liquor store in a skid row neighborhood.

Town Councilors Tim Slocum, David Veleber, Sylvia Nichols, and Don Walsh, came to the hearing as well, speaking as citizens in opposition to allowing commercial marijuana. Slocum mentioned the possibility of tax revenues, but pointed out that promised gambling revenues from the state have not materialized in a significant way.

Veleber commented on the revenue situation as well, saying, The state is looking at this as a revenue source for it, and its dangling a carrot in front of the town in order to help (the state) gain more money, only to leave us holding the bag when theres problems.

Cheshire Library Director Beth Piezzo spoke as a resident of New Haven, offering her anecdotal experience of the effects of legalization, which she called one of the most irresponsible and unfortunate decisions the state that Ive been born and raised in has ever made.

She said smelling marijuana smoke from passing cars had become commonplace in her neighborhood and she worries that the same issue of impaired motorists would likely happen in Cheshire if commercial cannabis were approved.

Im also here because Im a liaison to the Youth and Family Services Board. I keep thinking about Michelle Piccerillo, our director of Human Services, and all the hard work that she and her staff do day after day after day. I hear it at their board meetings, I listen to the things that they deal with. This is going to make their jobs so much harder, Piezzo argued.

Piezzo cited the statistic that tax revenue of a dollar will bring $4.50 of increased social resource expenses. Thats the police, legal, social services and mental health.

Town Planner Michael Glidden said that the state receives a tax of 6.35% on cannabis sales, and towns receive an additional 3%, which is independent of the states cut. However, that money is earmarked for six specific areas, Glidden said, and cannot be used for general fund purposes. An additional tax of 1015% on transactions is based on the amount of THC in the products sold, per the state.

Glidden reiterated for the PZC the importance of making a timely decision on cannabis regulation.

The warning is, the way that this statute (Public Act 21-1) has been drafted, if you fail to put in your regs yes or no, its treated like anywhere you allow retail.  Lets say you did nothing and let the moratorium expire. Then, if someone comes into my office the day after the moratorium expires and says, I would like to open a retail cannabis establishment in Cheshire, they can pick any property that retail is allowed and open it, he stated.

We are going to act. Were not going to let anyone come in and tell us whats going to happen in this town, said Kurtz.
The Kerala Story is now banned in Mamata Banerjees Bengal. Stalins Tamil Nadu too has decided not to show it in its theatres. The liberals across the country are up in arms  not against the banning of the film in the two states, but against the film itself, calling it an assault on Muslims. One senior journalist, whom Rahul Gandhi had not long ago complimented publicly in a press conference for forwarding his side of the story, said the film smacks of propaganda. Interestingly, the same journalist had not very long ago recommended people to watch Parzania, based on the plight of a Parsi family during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Victimhood has a religion, especially in Indias elite Left-liberal ecosystem.

First and foremost, banning a film, whether Pathaan, Padmaavat, Parzania or The Kerala Story, isnt a sign of a matured democracy, far less an evolved society. The state banning it just because it finds its content uncomfortable is still understandable, given the political class tendency to get edgy when confronted with inconvenient truths. But the same cannot  and should not  be expected of the Left-liberal class. The latters silence  worse, muted support  to the state high-handedness in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu is both unfortunate and dangerous.

The premise of The Kerala Story is hardly a revelation. Historically, from Mohammed bin Qasims invasion onwards, there has been a constant Islamist endeavour to kill all males, especially those capable of bearing arms, and enslave their hapless women, as eminent historian KS Lal wrote in one of his essays. True to their learnings, the contemporary Islamists too look for non-Muslim women to enslave them for jihad. Since its no longer easier to raid and capture these women and girls, they now take recourse to love.

There are numerous reports worldwide of non-Muslim girls being converted via love jihad  and after conversion, they are pushed towards terror or terror-related activities. Whether through the Grooming Gang in the UK or via love jihad in India, the Islamist template is similar: Brainwashing young girls, most of whom are still in their teens, to convert to Islam and then become a tool for the radical Islamists to orchestrate terrorism. Girls with a difficult past are easy to lure, and so are those hailing from families that have been obsessively secular enough to uproot their children of their own religio-cultural past. Its in this vacuum that these Islamists thrive.

Coming back to the liberals, by turning into an apologist to Islamism and its regressive worldview, they have themselves become a threat to the modern, democratic order. What they dont realise is that by doing so they are not just legitimising the Islamist violence but also emboldening the very regressive forces that challenge the liberal order. As Pallavi Aiyar quotes Manzour Ahmad, a 61-year-old Islamic scholar in Brussels, in her book, Punjabi Parmesan: Dispatches from a Europe in Crisis, Europeans have become victims of their own laws. Its impossible for them to stop the Muslims now. They have cut off their own arms with all these rights. Human rights and womens rights and immigrants rights. When Aiyar asked what he would have done had he been a European policymaker, pat came the reply: I would change their laws to stop all this immigration.

It is this liberal proclivity to turn a blind eye to growing Islamist assertion in the West that has Douglas Murray come up with a book, The Strange Death of Europe, which poignantly explains how Europe is in the process of committing suicide, thanks to its leaders blindly pursuing policies that pander to Islamists in the name of liberalism, multiculturalism, et al. Murray is unsparing in announcing Europes obituary which if its leaders dont mend their ways would be possible by the end of the life-spans of most people currently alive in Europe.

The Indian liberal, being an ideological descendant of his European counterpart, too is bent on committing the same harakiri. He reports on missing Indian girls, mostly from Kerala. He also concedes that these girls are lured into Islam and then forced to join ISIS or such jihadi outfits. But when a film is made on the issue, he gets wary. He calls it a figment of Hindutva imagination, though it is the Church in Kerala that has been aggressively campaigning against such conversions. In 2020, for instance, the Syro-Malabar Church, one of the largest church bodies in Kerala, had released a statement, claiming Christian women were becoming victims of love jihad.

In fact, the murmurs of love jihad were first heard in Kerala more than a decade ago. In 2009, the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council had claimed that more than 4,500 girls in the state have been converted to Islam, calling the phenomenon love jihad or Romeo jihad. A year later, this accusation got official legitimacy when VS Achuthanandan, the then communist chief minister of the state, talked about the sinister Islamist plan to make Kerala a Muslim state in the next 20 years by luring youngsters, offering them money and insisting that they marry Hindu girls to increase the Muslim population. In 2012, Oomen Chandy, the then Congress chief minister of Kerala, said that among those converted to Islam between 2009 and 2012, as many as 2,667 were young women of which 2,195 were Hindus and 492 were Christians. Even the Kerala High Court conceded in 2009 that there was a concerted effort by certain outfits to convert women; there had been 3,000-4,000 such conversions in the past four years, it added.

The Hindutva charge against The Kerala Story also falls flat given the fact that this is not the first time a film has been made on the issue. From the 1991 American drama Not Without My Daughter and Britains Jihadi Brides (2015) to Netflixs Caliphate (2020) to the 2016 French film Heaven Will Wait (Le Ciel attendra), there are many films on the subject. Just like so many young, impressionable girls from Britain and France, among other European countries, joined ISIS, several young Indian women too joined this jihad in West Asia. Given that so many people had been lured into conversion in India, it was only a matter of time that The Kerala Story was made.

Equally ludicrous, if not utterly disturbing, is the Left-liberal narrative to hyphenate Islamism with Islam, and ISIS with Muslims at large. Why would the Muslim community per se take offence to the showcasing of Islamist/ISIS wrongdoings in a film? As Abhijit Majumder writes in his Firstpost article (https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/the-kerala-story-is-not-hindutva-fiction-world-is-waking-up-to-love-jihad-and-grooming-12555032.html), If the Congress and the seculars attacking Hindutva is not an attack on Hindus, how is the RSS and the BJP exposing Islamist conversions and ISIS activities in Kerala or the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits anti-Muslim?

One can, however, understand the apprehension among the elite liberal class in India, which, in reality, has predominantly been closet Leftist. Some of them are Stalinists as well. As one is reminded of Stalin, his whisperers come to mind. In his book, The Whisperers, British historian Orlando Figes explores the terrorised lives of ordinary people in Stalins Russia  a world where people were so afraid to talk that they spoke in whispers. With first The Kashmir Files and now The Kerala Story, Indias dark secrets are tumbling out of the Left-liberal closet, to be finally discussed and debated in the open. People, finally overcoming the fear of Left-liberal ostracisation, are no longer talking about Kashmir and Kerala in whispers. Maybe this is the beginning of the end of the old Left-liberal stranglehold that has blighted most of independent India. The public response to The Kerala Story, just like The Kashmir Files last year, affirms to that change.

The author is Opinion Editor, Firstpost and News18. He tweets from @Utpal_Kumar1. Views expressed are personal.
Crowds attacking the General Headquarters was bad enough, but the situation turned worse when the supporters of Pakistans former prime minister Imran Khan ransacked the Lahore Corps Commanders house and reportedly burned the private residence of a senior army official, whom Imran Khan accused of trying to kill him. These are scenes of unbelievable chaos, even for Pakistan. In less than 24 hours, the protests spread across 18 cities, and even outside, to Washington and London. If nothing else, this is evidence of not just meticulous planning by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), but also yet another indicator of the power of social media. This is dangerous and could get worse. What lies ahead is a difficult question, but it could be any of the following.

Spoiler alert. None of them are good.

Scenario 1  Imran Khan becomes history

The Al-Qadir Trust case which alleges misappropriation of Rs 50 billion is only one case. Khan has now been indicted in the Toshakhana reference which alleges that as prime minister, he purchased Toshakhana gifts on payment of Rs 21,564,600 whereas the total value of the gift items was Rs 107,943,000. That crime seems like a pittance when compared to the billions that the Sharifs were alleged to have plundered. The irony? It was Imran Khan through his ISI chief Gen Faiz Hameed, who produced at least 10 volumes of highly publicised proof by the Joint Investigation Team on the perfidy of Sharif and his family. In the end, his National Accountability Bureau could only get a technicality to send Sharif packing  that as Chairman of a Dubai-based company. He did not declare a salary of 10,000 dirhams till nearly a year after assuming office. That was again small change. Karma comes right back, and Khan could get disqualified  at the very least  on such minor issues. That means he stays put in prison for the foreseeable future. Crowds will not be around forever, and in one year the ex-PM could be history, with leaks arranged all the while, to provide juicy details of his corruption in a rehash of exactly what he did to Nawaz Sharif. Meanwhile, the present government completes its full term with the usual bumbling. Overall possible, but not likely, because Imran would have taken this possibility into account.

Scenario 2  The army within the army

So far, the PTIs every move has shown shrewd calculation, with Khan literally begging to be arrested with his statements getting more outrageous by the day. As a natural street fighter, he knows that crowds cant be kept up forever. The arrest will serve his purpose  which is to have a landslide victory in elections  only if he is allowed to go free, even on conditional bail. Such an outcome assumes support from not just within the army but the wider establishment which Raza Rumi describes as including serving and retired army officers, civilian and military intelligence operatives, media persons nurtured by the state gone rogue, and the information psy-ops infrastructure laid out by the establishment which has assumed a life of its own. Apparent now are rumours of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Shamshad Mirza taking over Asim Munirs job, while experts talk of families of army officers within the mob. Powerful Veterans groups have weighed in on Imran Khan as a true leader. There were random acts, such as the arbitrary midnight arrest of the Punjab PTI chief Ch. Pervez Elahi, at a time when the two opposing political heads were sitting down to bury the hatchet. There is trouble within. Gen Munirs swift deployment of army troops in all major provinces may just work. But reliable sources talk of shelling on the streets of Lahore and heavy use of tear gas in Islamabad. The army is firing on protestors and at least 47 have been killed. This is an emergency right now. If this goes on, then a quiet coup is possible with the new leadership working to reverse the situation entirely. Overall, likely, with a strong dose of rain and thunder.

The martial law element

Since these stirring events took place, the whispers have been of a possible martial law, with clips of General Zia declaring martial law being reprised. But there are strong reasons for this not taking place. A coup would close all doors to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) doling out desperately needed funds. Its charter doesnt allow assistance to non-democratic forces. Second, in earlier days when the army stepped in  as General Musharraf did  they were greeted as saviours of the people. Today, they are seen as the enemy. And that is not limited to just PTI workers. Severe economic pain and hardship have certainly contributed to the crowds spilling on the streets. And the army is seen  quite justifiably so  as the architect of a system that has let the country down. Martial law would be challenged at all levels, besides bringing international opprobrium to the country, at a time when it needs support the most.

Worst case  Khan takes a toss

The fact that someone tried to kill Khan is a reality. This could happen again when he comes out of prison for a hearing. This is a traditional Pakistani way of getting rid of unruly elements, and Khan is a nuisance within or outside prison walls. A martyred Khan means a certainty of a massive win in elections, which means Shah Mehmood Qureshi (finally) gets to be Prime Minister. The army would have a malleable man at the top, which pretty much defines Qureshi who is more wind vane than anything else. In all fairness, there are also vested interests who want a particular party in power. The key here is timing. Too soon, and it could lead to unmanageable riots and renewed attacks on the army, with crowds baying for the blood of Lt Gen Faisal Naseer of the ISI and others Khan has accused of conniving at his murder. Overall then, it is much too big a risk to take and may carry the present leadership into history together with Khan.

Most likely case

The whole mess has come as a severe shock to most Pakistanis even as PTI leaders are being detained one after another with reports of reliable proof of their collusion in creating the chaos, particularly of burning houses of the army. Meanwhile, the DG-ISPRs emotive appeal where he warned that this group wearing a political cloak has done what enemies could not do in 75 years, all in the lust for power. A larger percentage of Pakistanis are likely to agree that things have gone beyond control. True, the lacklustre address by Prime Minister Sharif notwithstanding, the possibility is that the present system will continue its shaky path. But as experts observe, the hybrid system where the army holds the reins behind the politicians, has come apart with each part of the system at war with the other, and the judiciary threatening to become irrelevant. Plus the hybrid system worked because all actors acknowledged the inherent power of the army in all things. That image now lies tattered and the army has to work hard  and unitedly  to regain its saviour image.

The future is bleak, but Pakistan is not so fragile that it will break  yet. Much depends on social unrest being fuelled further by economic pain, particularly in restive provinces like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the PTI has a strong reputation. Meanwhile, it is said that every disaster can be an opportunity. The present turmoil should ideally lead to the army being pushed, and probably preferring to lick its wounds with a back seat amid the chaos. That means bringing the army under a mildly reasonable degree of civilian control. The trouble is that this needs a strong and trusted leader at the helm with an overwhelming majority in Parliament. The only one capable of getting that is Imran Khan himself. Thats irony upon irony. But watch out. It may just happen.

The author is a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi. She tweets @kartha_tara. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Karnataka Assembly elections were held in a single phase on May 10, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held massive roadshows on May 6 and 7 as part of his campaign programme in Bengaluru, passing through around 13 Assembly constituencies on the first day. After completing his roadshow in the southern part of the city, PM Modi claimed that he would cherish the affection shown by the people of the city for his entire life.

For Bangalore, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has worked out diligently on town planning, water supply and decongestion of traffic. The road and railway network in the city has been redrawn to improve the existing infrastructure. Under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, a new umbrella programme for the highways sector that focuses on optimising the efficiency of freight and passenger movement across the country by bridging critical infrastructure gaps through effective interventions like the development of Economic Corridors, Inter Corridors and Feeder Routes, National Corridor Efficiency Improvement, Border and International connectivity roads, Coastal and Port connectivity roads and Green-field expressways, the STRR (Satellite Town Ring Road), which is the Bengaluru Ring Road project, is being developed at the cost of Rs 15,000 crore.

The STRR will play a significant role in removing the choke points to decongest the city. The current Union budget has made an allocation of Rs 7,561 crore for the expansion of the railway network in Karnataka along with the Bengaluru suburban railway. The 148 km suburban rail project with four corridors was approved by the Centre in October 2020 for Rs 15,767 crore and is expected to serve around 10 lakh commuters every day and pull a large number of cars out of the road and create economic opportunities.

Narendra Modi: The biggest subliminal catalyst

Indias first-past-the-post electoral system results in highly intense, mathematically driven political strategising. BJP domination in Karnataka has been telling in both the last Parliamentary and Assembly polls in 2019 and 2018-19 respectively. The voting patterns in the general elections of 2019 and the Assembly elections in Karnataka of 2018-19 along with the last three Assembly polls in the three Northeastern states speak the message of the electorate clearly and loudly in favour of one party and one leader.

However, if the people of Karnataka are to go by the exit poll predictions released after the conclusion of voting on Wednesday evening, Karnataka is poised for a hung assembly, with the Congress emerging as the largest party in the Karnataka Assembly elections, closely followed by the ruling BJP.

The BJPs astounding success in 2014 was primarily due to the fact that it chose Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate, a leader who quickly became so extraordinarily popular that he was able to create an electoral wave that propelled the party further ahead in the 2019 general elections with a record vote share of 37.36 percent of the vote, the highest by a political party since the 1989 general elections, and won 303 seats, further increasing its substantial majority.

Modi is a once-in-a-generation politician and an exceptionally strong campaigner, impromptu with the data and the achievements of his government both at the Centre and the state levels. Modis rise to the rank of the most celebrated national leader is a black swan event that does not follow the known trajectories of Indian electoral history.

Second, the BJP managed to win the favour of castes/social groups, ideological adherents, demographic groups, and geographical areas that were not previously solidly BJP voters. The period following 2014, when the BJP came to power, can be considered the beginning of a new single-party system in Indian politics and federal system that replaced the hegemonic Congress system that predominated the Indian political scenario since Independence.

Unlike reversal of the voting patterns

Voting patterns were reset in 2014 and 2019 in such a manner that it has a high possibility of being repeated  to a significant extent  in the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 and 2024 general elections, wherein the main beneficiary would be the BJP. So far as Karnataka is concerned, its one of those states where the BJPs vote share in the 2019 Parliamentary elections was more than 50 percent. The saffron party took a decisive win over 113 out of 224 Assembly seats, whereas the Congress and the JD(S) won 74 and 27 seats respectively in the Assembly polls of 2018-19. Contrary to the false claims that the party would find it difficult to maintain its cross-caste Hindu coalition due to brewing social friction and inherent contradictions, the BJP successfully increased support among most social groups nationally and in Karnataka. Further, contrary to the political euphoria of the Opposition, the Karnataka Assembly polls are unlikely to throw a completely different verdict.

Double-Engine Government

The BJP retaining power will be historic and understandable keeping in view the benefits of the double-engine government Karnataka is reaping, where development is taken not only to the urban population but to the rural interiors. The report card justifies the BJPs claim of faster growth and development both at the Centre and the state level to the maximum of planning, implementation, service delivery and a transparent good governance model. The federal metaphor of double engine has transcended electoral brownie points. The government report card of goals and achievements proves it to be a powerful instrument for the reinvention of Indias cultural plurality, streamlined all-round development, inclusivity of the hitherto neglected under-developed regions and good governance. In the case of BJP-ruled states, successful collaboration with the Centre may have resulted in more effective and coordinated policy implementation and service delivery.

BJP getting politically firmer in Karnataka

The saffron party has a reasonably strong presence in northern Karnataka, which consists of a total of 13 districts and comprises the regions of Kalyan-Karnataka-Kalaburgi and Bombay-Karnataka, accounting for significant Lingayat presence and considerable vote bank and 90 Assembly seats out of the 224 total seats. It has a strong presence in Central regions of the state as well where the politically powerful Lingayat community sustains the partys growth, and in the coastal region (Karavali) where ideological violence perpetuated by the Popular Front of India (PFI), an Islamic political organisation during 2018-19, has helped the RSS make inroads.

The establishment of a new airport in Shivamogga and a government medical college in Davangere, the grant of Rs 5,300 in the Union budget for the upper Bhadra project, ongoing works on the Tumakuru-Chitradurga-Davangere railway project are expected to pick up high points for the BJP.

Of the 25 segments in Central Karnataka and Malnad regions, BJP holds 20 seats and Congress five. BJP will face a closely contested battle in the Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysuru region, comprising Mysuru, Kodagu, Mandhya, Hassan, Chamarajanagara, Tumakuru, Chikkaballapura, Kolar and Bengaluru Rural. This area is caste-wise highly polarised between the Ahinda (Dalit, BC and Minorities) versus the Vokkaligas. Modi magic will certainly cut into JD(S) bastion and Congress vote-bank of Mandya, from where PM Modi laid the foundation stone of key development projects like the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway along with the Mysuru-Kushalnagar 4-lane highway. To gain more electoral dividends, a concerted campaign with senior party leaders led by PM Modi is making multiple visits for the poll campaign in the Old Mysuru region. While Vokkaligas constitute a steady pro-BJP voter, the Ahindas are expected to vote for the ruling party too, in a situation where the BJP has increased reservation in employment and education for Scheduled Castes from 15 to 17 percent and for Scheduled Tribes from 3 to 7 percent, regularisation of services of 11,133 pourakarmikas.

The Congress decimation in the Hindi heartland in the 2014 and 2019 general elections doesnt give it the legitimacy to call BJP a Hindi Party before the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls. Had it been the case, BJP would not have been on the winning spree in the three Northeastern states in different capacities in 2023, which are far away from the Hindi heartland. It is to be noted that the Congress has not been able to keep Karnataka as its stronghold since 1999.

Karnataka stands out under BJPs Double Engine

Karnataka GSDP stands at 8.2 percent as per the Economic Survey of Karnataka, 2022-23. And the state has the highest per-capita income of Rs 3.01 lakh which is higher by 77 percent as against the all-India parameter. It ranks third in Sustainable Development Goals with an overall score of 72 out of 100. The Human Development Index of the state showed improvement from 0.432 in 1999 to 0.644 in 2021. It is a leading state in technology and innovation with the first rank in the Innovation Index and State Start-ups Ranking. Bengaluru is rightfully called the start-up capital of India as 40 out of 100 unicorns of India are situated there. Karnataka has emerged as an attractive investment hub as a result of Industrial Policy 2020-25. Single window clearance has elevated the states Ease of Doing Business ranking to the top. Karnataka ranks first in software exports and stands fourth in merchandise exports in India. Thus, Karnataka stands out as a global hub of investment, start-ups, FDI, growth and development.

Not making development an urban target, the BJP has led it to the remote corner along with the poor and the socio-economically marginalised sections. Under MNREGS, 52.71 lakh people from 29.03 lakh families have been provided for during 2022 by creating 13.47 crore man days at a cost of Rs 6,478.76 crore and Rs 4,110 crore of wages were paid directly to labourers. Till December 2022, 13.35 lakh functional household tap connections have been provided at the cost of Rs 2,314.34 crore. Rs 15,066 crore has been lent to 20.19 lakh farmers in 2022-2023 and Rs 483.62 crore has been disbursed to farmers children under the Raita Vidya Nidhi scheme that has now been extended to other categories as well. Under the new Yeshasvini health scheme, 32.32 lakh members have been registered till January 17, 2023. In the housing sector, 1.57 lakh homes under various schemes have been built at a cost of Rs 2,098 crore. Hakku Patra will be given to 3.36 lakh families living in government-owned slums, of which 1.14 lakh families have already received the same. The maternal mortality rate in the state has reduced from 83 to 69, Namma Clinics, which are womens wellness clinics and polyclinics, are in the process of being launched. Around 100 primary health centres are being upgraded into 30-bed model community health centres at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore.

Of the Central flagship programmes like Ayushman Bharat, over 30 lakh poor citizens got the benefit of this scheme in Karnataka saving Rs 4,000 crore in their treatment costs. Under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, 11 crore farmers in the country received direct transfers amounting to over Rs 2 lakh crore till now. Of this, around 60 lakh farmers in Karnataka got around Rs 12,000 crore and more than 2.75 lakh farmers belonging to the Mandya region were provided Rs 600 crore by the Central government. While the Central pool sends Rs 6,000 for each beneficiary under the PM Kisan amman Nidhi, the Karnataka government adds another Rs 4000 to it. Under the Jal Jeewan Mission, water connections were provided to over six crore households across India. Of this, around 40 lakh rural households in Karnataka have got piped water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

The Union government has announced Rs 5300 crore for the upper Bhadra Lift project. Besides this, there will be a permanent solution to the problems related to irrigation in a large part of Karnataka for the Kharif season. It is planned to irrigate an extent of up to 225515 hectares by micro irrigation in drought-prone districts of Chikkamagalur and Chiitradurga, Tumkur and Devanagare. It envisages lifting up to 17.40 TMC of water in the first stage from the river Tunga to the existing Bhadra reservoir to the tunnel near Ajjampura in the Tunga Bhadra sub-basin of Krishna reservoir. The Karnataka Cabinet in December 2022 approved 13 irrigation projects like the Melligeri-Halgali Lift Irrigation scheme, and Ammajeshwari Lift Irrigation scheme, costing Rs 5,701.38 crore in the Bombay Karnataka region (North Karnataka) comprising Belagavi, Dharwad, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Gagad, Uttara Kannada, and Haveri districts. Kisan credit cards are being given to fishermen in the state. The government is also working on providing better boats and technology to fishermen to increase their incomes.

The BJPs claim and electoral contestation over Karnataka stands legitimate viewing the overarching plan of development, inclusion and service delivery. The choices are wide for the electorate but a conscientious decision calls for the re-election of none other than the BJP.

The author is a senior faculty in the Department of History, ARSD College, University of Delhi. Views expressed are personal.
Nawaz Sharif, along with his daughter, was arrested twice in 2018 for corruption, released after two months, and jailed again in Dec for owning steel mills. (Illustration: News18)
The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi on Thursday removed Secretary of Services Department Ashish More from his post. The action was taken hours after the Supreme Court gave the ruling Aam Aadmi Party dispensation control over the transfer and posting of officers in the national capital.

The Kejriwal government has appointed 1995 batch IAS officer Anil Kumar Singh, who has previously served as Delhi Jal Board CEO, as the new Services Secretary.

Before the apex court verdict, the Services Department was under the control of the Lieutenant Governor.

After a big win in the top court in the Delhi-Centre services case, Kejriwal addressed a press briefing where he said the speed of work in the national capital will increase manifold as his hands were earlier tied. He also warned that many government employees and officers will be transferred for obstructing" the work of the people.

Thanking the people of Delhi for their support, he said, My hands were tied and I was thrown in the water to swim. But we managed to stay afloat. Despite all obstacles, we did good work in Delhi. We gave a model of education to the country. The work will happen at 10 times speed it was happening earlier. Delhi will now present a model of able governance to the entire country," he said, adding that his government will work to prepare a lean, thin, responsive and compassionate government".

He added, Many government employees and officers will be transferred. Because of the earlier administration, Jal Board payment was stopped and hindrance was made in establishing Mohalla clinics."

The AAP leader also said he will also meet LG VK Saxena to seek his blessings and support.

In a unanimous verdict, the SC ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services except for public order, police, and land.

top videos

Asserting that an elected government needs to have control over the administration, a five-judge constitution bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said Delhi has sui generis (unique) character" and refused to agree with the 2019 judgement of Justice Ashok Bhushan that the Delhi government has no power over the issue of services.

(with inputs from PTI)
Did Uddhav Thackeray show his political inexperience by resigning as the chief minister of Maharashtra on June 29, 2022, after being in the chair for two-and-a-half years?

The man catapulted to the CMs chair for the first time as a result of an unlikely alliance may have missed a trick, with the Supreme Court now saying it could have reinstated him had he not resigned.

Uddav Thackeray has said he resigned out of morality but the fact remains that the same was prompted by the Supreme Court earlier that day refusing to stay the trust vote in the state assembly. The trust vote subsequently never happened.

The resignation has also led to the SC ruling that the Governors decision to invite and swear-in Eknath Shinde as the next CM was justified.

Many also say the resignation was a unilateral decision by Uddhav Thackeray without consulting his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners like Sharad Pawar and the Congress, but only his closest aides.

Had he participated in the trust vote and lost as all anticipated that he would, Uddhav Thackeray would not only have had the chance to play martyr then but also would have been back as the chief minister on Thursday after the apex court judgement.

The status quo ante cannot be restored because Mr Thackeray did not face the floor test and tendered his resignation, the Supreme Court judgment said.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took potshots at Uddhav Thackeray, saying the latter had not resigned out of morality but out of embarrassment as most of his MLAs had deserted him and he had no support.

To Uddhav Thackerays retort that Shinde and Fadnavis should resign out of morality, Fadnavis said the former CM had no right to speak of morality given that he formed the government with his political opponents after fighting the election alongside the BJP.

If Uddhav Thackeray had participated in the trust vote, the SCs direction on June 29, 2022, would also have kicked in  The proceedings of the trust vote to be convened on 30-6-2022 shall be subject to the final outcome of the instant Writ Petition as well the Writ Petitions referred to above.

top videos

This could have meant his return as the chief minister as the Supreme Court on Thursday held the decisions of the Governor and the Speaker to be against the law.

But that one impulsive decision of June 29, 2022, meant that was not to be.
As the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over administration of services, including IAS and AGMUT bureaucrats, the ruling Aam Aadmi Partys celebrations outside its headquarters in Rouse Avenue Road resembled those of an election win. The legal win, after all, was the culmination of an eight-year-old dispute with the BJP-ruled Centre.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud ruled that in the spirit of cooperative federalism, the Centre must exercise its powers within the boundaries created by the Constitution.

The AAP, which has been up in arms against the Centre for not being allowed to exercise control even over subjects on which it is empowered to legislate, hailed the verdict and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal indicated a massive reshuffle in the bureaucracy. In the first of those rejigs, the government issued orders for the transfer of the Services Secretary hours after the verdict.

In the coming days, you will see an overhaul in the administrative officers. Many officers and workers will be transferred based on the work they have done. There are some officers, some workers who in the past one-and-a-half years stalled the work of the people of Delhi," he said. He promising a lean and thin, responsive, compassionate and accountable model of good governance".

In a press conference, cabinet ministers Gopal Rai, Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj said the verdict was a victory for the people of Delhi and slammed the central government for illegally usurping the powers of the elected government.

Since Arvind Kejriwal took over as Chief Minister of Delhi for the second time in 2015, governance in the national capital has been characterised by a fierce and debilitating power struggle between the elected government and the Lieutenant Governors office. The latest flashpoint was the Delhi governments proposal to send teachers for training to Finland, the appointment of DERC chairman and the Lieutenant Governor asking for a report on the building of the CMs residence and flagging off investigations into alleged cases of corruption.

Heartfelt thanks to the Honble Supreme Court for doing justice to the people of Delhi. With this decision, the pace of development of Delhi will increase manifold. Democracy won," Kejriwal tweeted following the verdict.

                                 Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 11, 2023

Elaborating on the Delhi governments powers, the verdict said legislative and executive power over services such as Indian Administrative Service, or Joint Cadre services, which are relevant for the implementation of policies and vision of the Delhi government in terms of day-to-day administration of the region, shall lie with it.

The Arvind Kejriwal government has been alleging that bureaucrats belonging to All India Services and joint UT cadres like DANICS (Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil Services) are not following the administrative directions of the elected government.

The top court on Thursday also referred to its 2018 judgement and Article 239AA (which deals with the special status of Delhi as UT) of the Constitution and said the Lieutenant Governor is bound by the aid and advice of the council of Delhi ministers in relation to matters within the legislative scope of the city government.

Kejriwal and AAP, too, have been quoting repeatedly from the 2018 verdict that the L-G has no independent decision making powers.

Saurabh Bhardwaj, who holds the Services portfolio, was hopeful that the verdict would pave the way for lesser interference from the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Apart from land, police and public order, the elected government has powers over every other issue. The Chief Minister has called a meeting of all ministers to explore how various development projects of Delhi can be speeded up, he said, adding that the government now has the power to recruit its own officers.

AAP spokesperson Jasmine Shah said: I think this a very, very historic verdict. I would say that even though Delhi had an elected government since 1992, these kinds of pressures to stop the elected government from working by controlling the entire bureaucracy were happening earlier also. However, after 2015, when Mr Kejriwal became the chief minister, the entire Services was taken over formally by the Centre.

I think it will be fair to say this is the rebirth of democracy in the national capital. This is not just a victory for the AAP government or a personal victory for CM Arvind Kejriwal. It is a victory for the people of Delhi and for every Indian who cherishes democracy.

The AAP government and the L-Gs office have clashed on almost every decision that the chief minister has taken. In fact, on the issue of installation of CCTV cameras, the chief minister, along with other cabinet ministers, had staged a sit-in at then L-G Anil Baijals office for eight days. More recently, Kejriwal had led a protest march to L-G VK Saxenas office over sending teachers for training to Finland. The Delhi cabinet has repeatedly alleged that officers take orders directly from the Lieutenant Governor and do not even keep the elected government informed.

With the verdict of the Constitution Bench, the L-G cannot issue orders directly to the officers except on reserved subjects, and the elected government has the power of transfers and postings.

Asked whether governance in the capital will be smoother now, Atishi said: We hope so. She added that while the L-G still has the powers to call for files, he cannot take a decision on the same.

Jasmine Shah further said that there is a provision under the Constitution wherein the L-G can express a difference of opinion with the decision of the elected government and he will continue to enjoy those powers.

But that has to be done in the rarest of rare cases is what the Supreme Court has already said. What will not happen anymore is the L-G sending direct decisions to the bureaucracy. In the past months, the L-G would issue a new notice to the Chief Secretary that there is such and such allegation of a scam; you have to stop all work and send a report to me in seven days. The entire elected government would be bypassed. From here onwards, each and every officer of the Delhi governmentbe it an IAS officer or any other cadre officerwill be held accountable to peoples representatives.

top videos

The verdict also means that the AAP government has the power of appointments in government-ruled bodies wherever there is a vacancy.

While the verdict is a shot in the arm for the elected government, the AAP is still cautious. The issues of sending teachers to Finland for training and the appointment of Jasmine Shah as Dialogue Development Commission (DDC) vice chairman are pending separately in court.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and NCP president Sharad Pawar met on Thursday to discuss ways to strengthen Opposition unity ahead of the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Supporting the idea of the 82-year-old Nationalist Congress Party chief being the face of the Opposition gathbandhan", the JD(U) leader said there will be nothing more delightful than that."

After the meeting at the NCP chiefs South Mumbai residence, both the leaders addressed the media where Kumar was asked if Pawar will be the main face of the Opposition alliance. To this, the Bihar Chief Minister said, There will be nothing more delightful than thatI have told him that he has to work strongly not only for his party but the entire country."

Reacting to it, Pawar, who was also present in the media briefing, said, To save democracy, we have to work together. The face will be decided later."

#WATCH | When asked if Sharad Pawar will be the main face of the Opposition alliance, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar says, "There will be nothing more delightful than thatI have told him that he has to work strongly not only for his party but the entire country."Sharad Pawar says, pic.twitter.com/pIsludqmbj  ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2023

Kumar visited Pawars residence along with Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and told media that what the ruling BJP is doing is not in the interest of the country. Earlier, the Bihar CM also met Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray at the latters Bandra residence.

What BJP is doing nowadays is not in the interest of the country. In such a situation, if more and more opposition parties unite, it would be better for the country," Kumar said, adding that many parties have got in touch with them.

NCP chief Pawar said these discussions are part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and We all have been together and we are bringing in more parties and groups."

After the meeting, Pawar tweeted, Welcomed the Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar ji and deputy Chief Minister Shri Tejashwi Yadav ji at my Mumbai residence today. We had a brief discussion to strengthen the Opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections."

Welcomed the Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar ji and deputy Chief Minister Shri Tejashwi Yadav ji at my Mumbai residence today. We had a brief discussion to strengthen the Opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.@NitishKumar @yadavtejashwi @supriya_sule pic.twitter.com/dTx3cmjhoU Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) May 11, 2023

top videos

Nitish Kumar has been meeting Opposition leaders to strengthen the alliance against the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

(with inputs from PTI)
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is on a four-day visit to New Delhi, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

Patnaik said that the states demands and the upcoming international airport in Puri dominated the discussions. The chief minister also put forth four demands during the meeting.

Discussions were mainly related to Odishas demands. I spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Shree Jagnnath international airport in Puri. The boundary is already been earmark to the airport. Bhubaneswar is getting too much traffic jam and we need expansion and the prime Minister said he would help. there were no political discussions," Patnaik said.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Patnaik highlighted there was no possibility of a third front. There is no possibility of a third front as far as I am concerned," he said.

Patnaik said that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will go solo in next years Lok Sabha polls as it has always done.

Demands raised during meeting

The site clearance for Puri Airport (SJIA) from Ministry of Civil Aviation is pending since September, 2022. It is requested that the same may be expedited, he said.

He also requested the PM to include Odisha in Bharat Net Phase-II. And the needed steps to complete all National Highway projects in Odisha.

The leader also sought PMs intervention for opening more bank branches in rural areas of the state. As of now, only 2,844 panchayats, out of the total 6,798, having banking facilities in Odisha.

top videos

The meeting comes after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Patnaik at his residence in Bhubaneswar on May 9.

Before this, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had met Naveen met in Bhubaneswar on March 23.
Continuing his rebellion against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress leader Sachin Pilot began his Jan Sangharsh Yatra" from Ajmer on Thursday. Under Jan Sangharsh Yatra", the former deputy Chief Minister will cover nearly 125 km in five days on issues of corruption and paper leaks.

Before starting the 125-km-long five-day yatra, Pilot addressed a public gathering on the Jaipur Highway in Ajmer and raised the issue of leaking question papers for recruitment in different government posts.

He asked why was a bulldozer not run over the property of a Rajasthan Public Service Commission member arrested a few days ago in connection with the paper leak when the same was done to another accused in the same case.

Asserting that the youths are the future of the state and country, Pilot said his march was not against anyone, but against corruption and for protecting the interest of the youths.

Pilot will halt for the night at Tolamal village in Kishangarh.

Pilot has asserted that his march was not against anyone, but against corruption and over issues such as paper leaks.

However, his move is being seen as a sign that the dissident Congress leader will continue to pile pressure on Gehlot and the partys central leadership as the year-end assembly elections approach.

Pilot vs Gehlot tussle

Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads publicly for more than two years. The feud between the two top Congress leaders in Rajasthan saw an ugly phase when CM Gehlot accused Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Pilot of conniving to topple his government in 2020 after the latter led a rebellion in the party for a change of leadership in the state.

However, Gehlot managed to survive and Pilot and some of his loyalists were later ousted from the state cabinet.

Gehlot, while addressing a public programme in Dholpur on Sunday, had claimed that he survived a revolt in 2020 by some Congress MLAs because BJP leaders Vasundhara Raje and Kailash Meghwal refused to support a conspiracy to topple an elected government through money power.

On Wednesday, Pilot targeted Gehlot over his comments, saying it appeared that the veteran Congressmans leader was Vasundhara Raje Scindia and not Sonia Gandhi.

He had also rejected the charge that the dissidents  whom he had led  took any money from the BJP.

Last month, the Tonk MLA and former deputy of Gehlot held a day-long fast, targeting his own partys government in Rajasthan for inaction" in alleged cases of corruption when the BJP ran the state.

Addressing a press conference on April 9, Pilot said he appealed to CM Gehlot to act on the allegations against the previous Vasundhara Raje government but got no response.

Pilot said he and Gehlot levelled those allegations against the government of Vasundhara Raje together, adding that he levelled some charges as the then president of the state unit of the party.

top videos

I do not believe in revenge politics. But we had some credibility as the opposition and thats why we came to power," Sachin Pilot had said while announcing a one-day hunger strike on April 11.

(With PTI Inputs)
Columbus Public Schools (CPS) officials say community engagement will continue after a $53.5 million facilities bond referendum failed during a May 9 special election.

Facing a need in facility improvements due to growth in the Columbus community, CPS has held several public meetings to gain feedback on a potential projects and a tax levy increase the public would support.

From those community input efforts, CPS came up with the following projects: construction of a new K-4 elementary school on land the district already owns in the north part of town; classroom additions and dining renovations at Columbus Middle School; dining facilities at Centennial and North Park elementary schools; health and physical education facilities at Emerson and West Park elementary schools; classroom additions at Columbus High School; and space for alternative learning.

The estimated impact it would have had on a home valued at $100,000 would have been an increase of $4 per month, or $48 per year.

The CPS Board of Education in March called for a special, all-mail election to be held May 9. Ballots were mailed out starting the week of April 17 to registered voters residing in the CPS district.

Fifty-seven percent of voters cast their ballots against the bond, with 43% voting in favor of it  3,566 versus 2,683.

CPS Superintendent Troy Loeffelholz told the Columbus Telegram on May 10 that he felt disappointed by the bond measures failure.

I thought the district did a good job of reaching out to the community over the last 18 months to try to get some feedback on a growing enrollment problem, as well as some programming needs, Loeffelholz said. It just didnt turn out our way. It's also information and data to take back to have more discussions and to hopefully come back later with something that the community can rally around and support.

Platte County Election Commissioner Eryn Roberts said 47% of registered voters residing in the CPS district had cast their ballots.

Historically, special elections dont see high voter turnout.

Its pretty low, between 25% and 40%, Roberts said, noting she believed last years first congressional district special election to have had just under 25% voter turnout.

On the bond failing to win voter approval, Loeffelholz said more research needs to be done but pointed to some sticking points, such as the $53.5 million price tag or the possibility of one of the projects killing the measure.

Until we have those conversations with a lot of people, it's going to be hard to define what the why, so to speak, but thats what weve got to do over the next six months to a year and figure out what those barriers were, Loeffelholz said.

The school district announced on May 10 that it will be reaching out to those who voted in the election to find out what they liked or didnt like about the proposal and if there were any areas of concern or that needed clarification.

We don't know what they voted but we can reach out to the 6,200-plus voters, and do some surveying and some polling, invite some people in for some conversations about if they were supportive or not supportive. What can the district do differently? Loeffelholz said.

In 2011, a $28.5 million bond issue that would have funded the construction of a new Columbus Middle School failed. CPS officials had then sought additional community feedback and presented a new proposal  construction of a new Columbus High School, which voters passed in 2014.

Loeffelholz said the school districts approach will be similar this time around, in that they need to get out into the community, ask questions and dig deeper into what people want to see.

The needs are aren't going to go away. We're going to continue to grow as a school district with our enrollment; that's going to put more pressure on our schools as far as space, Loeffelholz said. We have to come out and have a conversation to find out what they will support to help alleviate that strain on the number of kids in our classrooms per teacher.

Construction costs will continue to rise, he added. If voters do decide to give their approval to a similar project down the line, it will most likely cost more money, he said.

The longer you wait, the more costs, Loeffelholz said. We're trying to do something to reduce the burden on taxpayers and not overburden them. We felt like all these things were needs, and none of them are really wants. But, again, weve got to go out and have those tough conversations.
Maharashtra Political Crisis: The Supreme Court has declined to restore the status quo in Maharashtra, delivering a blow to former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. However, the court did mention that the actions of the Governor were not in accordance with the rule of law.

The Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and comprising Justices Krishna Murari, MR Shah, Hima Kohli, and P S Narsimhan, pronounced the judgment on Thursday. Follow LIVE

While giving the verdict, the SC bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud said the Governor was not justified to call the MVA government for a floor test in the Assembly. The Governors actions were not according to the rule of law, the CJI said.

The Supreme Court further observed that Uddhav Thackerays resignation was a mistake. The bench led by CJI added that had Thackeray not resigned, the court would have restored the status quo. Status quo cannot be restored since Thackeray resigned, the bench added.

The Supreme Court stated that the Governors decision had lack of objective material to support the need for a floor test. Since Thackeray did not take the floor test, the court concluded that restoring the status quo was not possible.

On the other hand, the Supreme Court upheld the Governors decision to invite Shinde to form the government. The court stated that the Governor was justified in his actions in this regard. In response to Supreme Courts decision, Uddhav Thackeray said Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should resign if they have any morality.

Addressing the disqualification proceedings, the Supreme Court clarified that it does not find any extraordinary circumstances that warrant the courts interference in deciding such matters. Instead, the court directed the Speaker to handle the disqualification petitions.

Last June, Eknath Shinde and 39 MLAs rebelled against the leadership of the undivided Shiv Sena, resulting in the partys split and the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray, which also included the NCP and Congress. Shinde later formed an alliance with the BJP and returned as the Chief Minister.

In June 2022, a group of Shiv Sena MLAs, led by Eknath Shinde, rebelled against CM Uddhav Thackeray due to his decision to align with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which the rebel faction believed went against the partys Hindutva ideology.

At the time when it seemed that the rebel MLAs would call for a trust vote with the support of the BJP-appointed governor, the rebel MLAs, led by Shinde, received disqualification notices from the deputy speaker.

Subsequently, the faction approached the Supreme Court to consider whether the rebels should be disqualified. On June 27, the apex court provided interim relief to Shinde by granting an extension of time to file responses to the disqualification notices.

top videos

On June 29, the Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for a floor test called by the governor.

An embattled Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation on June 30 from the post of Chief Minister of Maharashtra after the Supreme Court refused to stay Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyaris direction to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to take a floor test in the Assembly.
As Uddhav resigned without putting up a fight, the MVAs stint in power came to an end, summed up NCP chief Sharad Pawar in the revised version of his autobiography.

With the Supreme Court ruling on Thursday that the Uddhav Thackeray government cannot be restored in Maharashtra since he resigned and did not take a floor testwhich the court said the Governor was wrong to call to begin withthese words by Pawar serve as a haunting reminder of Thackerays fall from fortune.

We did not anticipate that there would be a storm within the Shiv Sena due to Uddhav Thackeray becoming chief minister, Pawar said in the book Lok Majhe Sangati released on May 2. The Sena leadership fell short in quelling this outburst of discontent, the veteran politician wrote.

The NCP leader noted in the book that a chief minister needs political acumen and must remain well-informed about political goings-on, and we all felt that these things were lacking". He attributed it to Thackerays inexperience.

News18 had reported on June 27 last year that Pawar had reportedly stopped Thackeray from quitting the CMs post twice.

In a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas related to the political crisis that led to the fall of the three-party MVA government led by Thackeray following a revolt by Eknath Shinde, a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud held that the then Speakers decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was illegal.

It, however, said since Thackeray had resigned without facing the floor test, the Governor was justified in inviting Shinde to form the government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house.

The Governor was not justified in calling upon Mr Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the House because he did not have reasons based on objective material before him to reach the conclusion that Mr Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House, said the bench.

However, the status quo ante (previously existing state of affairs) cant be restored because Mr Thackeray did not face the floor test and tendered his resignation. The Governor was, therefore, justified in inviting Mr Shinde to form the government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house, it said.

Reacting to the verdict, Uddhav Thackeray said Shinde should resign as Maharashtra Chief Minister and Devendra Fadnavis should step down as deputy CM on moral grounds like he did last year. Addressing a press conference, Thackeray also slammed then governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for calling upon him for the floor test.

top videos

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should resign on moral grounds like I did, Thackeray said.

Thackeray said Speaker Rahul Narwekar has to consider Sunil Prabhu as the whip of his Shiv Sena while deciding on the disqualification of 16 rebel MLAs.
Intel Corp and Boston Consulting Group on Wednesday said they are working together to sell generative artificial intelligence tools to big businesses.

Generative AI is the class of technology behind popular chatbots like OpenAIs ChatGPT that can reply to queries with human-like text. Google owner Alphabet Inc and Microsoft Corp are revamping their search engines with AI technology to provide answers to questions rather than lists of links.

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Intel worked together on similar technology so that BCGs employees could put the groups half century worth of archives  much of which is in the form of reports and presentations  to better use. Previously, BCG employees conducted a keyword search and had to click through each document to see whether it contained what they were looking for.

With the new system, the AI system can answer employees questions using the archive or summarize entire documents.

Were in the knowledge business and the expertise business. Rarely are we just looking for one piece of something on the page, said Suchi Srinivasan, a managing director and partner at BCG.

The system was developed on a supercomputer built by Intel with its Xeon central processors and Habana AI chips. Intel built the supercomputer and software so that BCG did not have to share its data with Intel.

The number of times Intel actually saw that data is zero, said Kavitha Prasad, Intels vice president and general manager of data center, AI and cloud execution and strategy.

top videos

Intel and BCG said they plan to start selling some of the technology they have developed to help other companies to train AI systems using the customers proprietary data, without having to share it with Intel or BCG. Srinivasan said the two will target industries like financial services, which have strict rules over data storage and sharing.
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday quashed a Rs 21,000-crore GST notice against online gaming company Gameskraft Technologies. The notice was issued by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence in September 2022 after the company allegedly failed to pay taxes worth Rs 21,000 crore, with this being considered the largest amount accumulated in the history of indirect taxation.

Gameskraft was also accused of promoting online betting, but the company argued that its offerings qualified as skill-based gaming activities that included Rummy Culture and Gamezy. The leadership team of the company has members who have played an instrumental role in Indian tech giants like Flipkart, MakeMyTrip and Swiggy, and have contributed to global giants like Facebook, Google, Amazon, Walmart and Xiaomi.

The Bengaluru-based online skill-based gaming platform, which began operations in 2017, applauded the HC verdict and said it was a clear vindication of the companys business model. We had and continue to have full faith in the government and the judiciary. We are hopeful that this decision will pave the way for constructive dialogues with the GST authorities and will form the basis of progressive GST regulations for the industry, said Joyjyoti Misra, group general counsel of Gameskraft.

Roland Lander, CEO of All India Gaming Federation, also expressed satisfaction over the verdict and called it a landmark decision. He said this decision would aid gaming startups across the country to work towards building the industry so as to ensure a healthy growth.

top videos

Being the oldest and the largest industry body, and the voice of MSME gaming startups, and one of the intervenors in the case, we believe that a progressive and rational GST policy will boost investment within the sector and make this sunrise sector industry a cornerstone for the PMs (Narendra Modi) vision of a $1-trillion digital economy, Lander said.

He added: We had and continue to have full faith in the government and the judiciary and are hopeful that this progressive decision will pave the way towards clarity and certainty from the GST Council in the policy for this sunrise sector.
Stories about humans rescuing animals always fill the heart with warmth and love. Thats why a group of fishermen in the city of Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu has been garnering a whole lot of praise on social media. In a heartwarming display of compassion and commitment towards conservation, these fisherfolk rescued and released a young Dugong that had been caught accidentally in their fishing net. The incident was shared by Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer Supriya Sahu on Twitter, who praised the fisherfolk for their efforts and highlighted the endangered status of Dugongs. Dugongs are marine mammals found in coastal waters and are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their population has been declining due to various threats, including habitat loss, hunting, and accidental entanglement in fishing gear. The rescue and release of this young Dugong is a ray of hope in the fight to protect these gentle giants.

The video shared by Sahu shows the Dugong being carefully untangled from the fishing net and lifted out of the water. The fisherfolk can be seen handling the animal with utmost care and gently guiding it back into the water. The Dugong swims away into the open sea, a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts to protect these endangered species. The tweet alongside the clip reads, Kudos to Thanjavur fisherfolk who rescued and safely released a young Dugong caught accidentally in their fishing net at Manora in Thanjavur division.Dugongs ate highly endangered. Govt. of TN has Notified Indias first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay TN Forest vc DFO.

Kudos to Thanjavur fisherfolk who rescued and safely released a young Dugong caught accidentally in their fishing net at Manora in Thanjavur division.Dugongs ate highly endangered. Govt. of TN has Notified India's first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay #TNForest vc DFO pic.twitter.com/DQqAfMnquV Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) May 9, 2023

The clip has garnered positive reactions from users on Twitter. Many users expressed their gratitude towards the fisherfolk for rescuing the endangered animal and ensuring its safety. People shared their growing awareness of the importance of conservation and the crucial role that local communities play in preserving the planets biodiversity. Very nice. Thanks to the fisherfolk. Dugongs are so cute, tweeted a user.

Very nice. Thanks to the fisherfolk. Dugongs are so cute  Suparna Sankaran (@Suparnastar) May 9, 2023

Another user wrote, Good presence of mind and sense of responsibility.

Good presence of mind and sense of responsibility. Pramode Mathew Alex (@PramodeMA) May 9, 2023

Very encouraging. Hope the species gets to safety and able to survive the fishing industry, a user wrote.

top videos

Very encouraging. Hope the species gets to safety and able to survive the fishing industry. BARCOUNSEL (@BARCOUNSEL2021) May 9, 2023

The rescue of the young Dugong and the creation of the conservation reserve are reminders of the crucial need for conservation efforts to protect endangered species and preserve biodiversity.
Israel and Gazas militants traded more heavy fire Thursday, the third day of the worst escalation of violence in months that has killed 28 people in the blockaded Palestinian enclave and one in Israel.

Air strikes by the Israeli army since Tuesday have killed fighters as well as civilians, including several children, said officials in the crowded coastal territory.

Rocket fire from Gaza killed one person in the central Israeli city of Rehovot and injured at least two others, Israeli police said.

Cairo mediated in efforts toward a truce between Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group, while the European Union called for an immediate ceasefire.

We urge an immediate comprehensive ceasefire which will end Israeli military operations in Gaza and current rocket firing against Israel, which is unacceptable," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock hosted her French and Jordanian counterpart for talks in Berlin and said the bloodletting must end now".

Militants in the Gaza Strip have fired 547 rockets at Israel since Wednesday, the military said, adding that 175 had been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system.

Shops in Gaza were shuttered and the streets largely abandoned as Israeli military aircraft circled over the territory where several buildings lay in ruins.

Islamic Jihad confirmed it has lost five military leaders in strikes in recent days, including Ahmed Abu Deka  the deputy of Ali Ghali, commander of a rocket launch unit also killed by Israel on Thursday.

The Israeli army said it had fired at 166 targets across Gaza on Thursday.

The militant group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said four of its fighters had been killed.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said he had instructed the security establishment to take all the measures necessary, to prepare additional actions and maintain readiness for the possibility of increased fire".

Wave of escalation

In Gaza Citys Al-Rimal district, Mamoun Radi, 48, said: We hope that the wave of escalation will end, but we support revenge for the martyrs.

Israel assassinated a leader of (Islamic) Jihad at dawn today because it does not want calm."

Across southern Israel, sirens wailed intermittently through the night and on Thursday morning.

Miriam Keren, 78, an Ashkelon resident, said a Gaza rocket had destroyed a workshop and damaged her house.

All the shrapnel is in the room; the house was shaken very powerfully, the glasses fell, the walls were damaged," she told AFP.

Luckily I have a safe room and I entered it immediately and closed the door.

This isnt the first time the house was hit but Im not afraid, neither was I yesterday. Youre shocked for a moment but its not about fear. Its more unpleasant, very unpleasant."

Ceasefire efforts

An Islamic Jihad source said senior member Mohammad al-Hindi, who heads the groups political bureau, arrived Thursday in Cairo for talks with Egyptian intelligence officials.

An Egyptian source meanwhile told AFP a security delegation from Cairo would be in Tel Aviv later Thursday for talks with Israeli officials on a ceasefire.

Israeli officials confirmed Egypts involvement in attempts to facilitate understandings between the sides toward halting the hostilities.

On Thursday, US ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said we stand by Israels right to defend itself", adding that Washington was engaged in efforts towards a quick deescalation".

Both Hamas, which rules Gaza, and Islamic Jihad are considered terrorist groups by Israel and the United States.

This weeks Gaza clashes are the worst since a three-day escalation in August killed 49 Palestinians, with no Israeli fatalities.

Violence has also flared in the occupied West Bank, where the Israeli army has staged repeated raids against militants which have often flared into street clashes or gun battles.

On Thursday, two Palestinians died from their wounds after being shot by the Israeli army in a raid the day before in the West Bank city of Qabatiya, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The conflict has escalated since veteran leader Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power late last year, heading a coalition with extreme right and ultra-Orthodox parties.

top videos

Netanyahu has warned the militants, saying we see you everywhere, you cannot hide, and we choose the place and time to hit you".

Israel has also been shaken by its biggest domestic political crisis in decades as mass protests have flared against plans to reform the justice system, spearheaded by Netanyahu who is also battling corruption charges in court.
Canada sent in the army on Thursday to help Alberta province fight wildfires that have scorched forests and grasslands  fueled by unusually hot, dry weather.

The Canadian Forces are going to provide firefighting support and airlift resources, assist with the evacuation of isolated communities, and help keep people safe," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a Twitter message.

Several Canadian provinces  as well as the US states of Oregon and Alaska  had already sent almost 300 reinforcements to fight the wildfires.

Alberta on Monday formally requested federal disaster assistance, two days after declaring a state of emergency.

The head of the province Danielle Smith said the military Thursday afternoon started to fan out across the region to help fight these unprecedented fires."

Specifically, she said, they were positioning in hotspots including Fox Creek and Drayton Valley to bolster mop-up operations and basic firefighting duties, airlift and engineering support."

King Charles, meanwhile, said in a letter that he and his wife Camilla were deeply concerned" about the wildfire situation and offered special thoughts and prayers" to those displaced and who have lost their homes or businesses.

We hold many fond memories of our visits to Western Canada and know that those affected will rise to the challenge with customary Canadian strength, resilience and determination."

Rains and a lull in high temperatures over the last few days brought relief for exhausted firefighters, and allowed some 5,000 evacuees to return home. Almost 30,000 residents had been ordered to flee fire-hit areas last week.

Fewer than 80 fires were still active on Thursday  down from a peak of 110 last weekend  including 23 out of control, according to officials.

The fires have burned more than 410,000 hectares (1,580 square miles) of forest and grasslands, authorities said.

Several oil and gas companies in Alberta  one of the worlds largest oil producing regions  also restarted operations that had been briefly halted due to wildfire risks to their facilities.

But Environment Canada is warning that temperatures will rise sharply over the weekend, forecast to reach 30 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

As anticipated, we are already seeing temperatures climbing in the province, particularly in the north," Alberta wildfire official Christie Tucker told a briefing.

And while we have seen rain and cooler temperatures which have allowed us to make progress on many wildfires, weve also experienced thunderstorms with lightning, which can ignite new ones," she said.

top videos

About 200 troops were deployed Thursday and 100 more were scheduled to join them, Tucker said. Four military helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft were also helping to assess flare-ups from the air as well as transport people and equipment.

In recent years, western Canada has been hit repeatedly by extreme weather, the intensity and frequency of which have increased due to global warming.
Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is to make a rare live appearance on Wednesday on CNN, a day after being found liable of sexually abusing and defaming an American magazine columnist.

Trump spent years battling CNN while in the White House and the event will be his first since the 2016 presidential campaign on a cable television network he regularly denounced as fake news."

The format will be a town hall," with Trump responding to questions from an audience that CNN said will be made up of New Hampshire Republicans and undeclared voters who plan to vote in the states 2024 Republican presidential primary, the first in the nation.

It is scheduled to begin at 8:00 pm (0000 GMT) and will be moderated by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, a former White House correspondent for the Atlanta-based network.

CNN, which recently underwent a leadership change, has come in for some criticism for giving the twice-impeached former president a prime-time slot.

Allowing Trump an open forum on a major television news network is the moral equivalent of putting an AR-15 in the hands of someone mentally unstable," said Michael Fanone, a former Washington police officer who was injured during the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters.

In a commentary in Rolling Stone magazine, Fanone, an on-air contributor to CNN, said it normalizes" the behavior of a man who tried to end the democracy hes attempting to once again run."

CNN has defended the move by saying it plans to provide the same town hall format to other presidential candidates.

Trumps bid to return to the White House is complicated by several legal challenges but he remains the clear leader in the race to be the Republican standard-bearer in the 2024 election.

On Tuesday, Trump was ordered by a New York jury to pay $5 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll, a former columnist for Elle magazine who accused him of raping her in a Manhattan department store changing room in 1996.

Trump dismissed the accusations as a hoax" but the jury determined that Carroll had been sexually abused by the real estate tycoon and his denials amounted to defamation.

Could turn into a disaster

Last month, Trump pleaded not guilty to criminal charges related to a hush-money payment made to a porn star just before the 2016 vote  allegedly to cover up an affair.

Trump is also being investigated over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the southern state of Georgia, his alleged mishandling of classified documents taken from the White House and his involvement in the January 6 storming of the Capitol.

The 76-year-old Trump has been actively promoting his CNN appearance while taking digs at the network at the same time.

They are rightfully desperate to get those fantastic (TRUMP!) ratings once again," he said on his Truth Social platform.

Could be the beginning of a New & Vibrant CNN, with no more Fake News, or it could turn into a disaster for all, including me," he added.

Trumps live appearance on CNN comes amid a rift between him and the Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox network that has long championed him.

Fox News recently reached a $787.5 million settlement with Dominion, a voting technology company that alleged the network knowingly aired false claims about its machines.

Dominion sued Fox News for $1.6 billion in March 2021, alleging it promoted Trumps baseless claim that its machines were used to rig the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

top videos

In another twist, Trumps appearance comes as a defamation lawsuit filed by the former president against CNN winds its way through the courts.

Trump sued CNN in October, accusing the network of waging a campaign of libel and slander" against him and seeking $475 million in punitive damages.
Donald Trumps primetime return to CNN Wednesday for the first time since 2016 felt like a throwback: Trump with the long, twisting answers; the interviewer at times struggling to fact-check him or return his focus to the question at hand; and then, eventually, both talking over each other as Trump flings insults her way.

Wednesdays town hall in New Hampshire was the first time in years that Trump faced prolonged questioning from an outlet outside the friendly confines of conservative media outlets of his choosing.

He had branded CNN fake news" and never granted any of its journalists an interview while president. Trumps campaign said he was appearing on the network now to step outside a GOP comfort zone as he already starts to turn his focus to a potential 2024 general election rematch with Democrat Joe Biden.

Trumps appearance on CNN comes at a time of jarring dualities for the former president: The Republican is facing a crescendo of legal problems yet seems in a stronger position than ever to become his partys presidential nominee.

Hes attempting to reach mainstream media viewers despite having deepened his embrace of extremists since leaving the White House, continuing to align himself with those involved in the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and dining with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist.

Heres what to know about Trumps CNN town hall:

QUESTIONS ON SEXUAL ABUSE CASE

Trumps appearance came a day after a New York jury found him liable for sexually abusing a woman nearly 30 years ago and defaming her when she spoke about it publicly.

Jurors awarded columnist E. Jean Carroll $5 million in damages. The jury rejected her claim of rape and instead found Trump responsible for a lesser degree of sexual abuse. Trump denied it, saying he never encountered Carroll at a 1996 department store and did not know her and has said he plans to appeal the verdict.

Trump skipped attending the trial and did not testify in his own defense during the proceedings, with jurors instead being shown video from a pretrial deposition, making Wednesday the first time hes had to face a public questioning in the case.

Trump, when asked by CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins about the verdict, said his poll numbers went up and repeated his statements that he didnt know Carroll, though at least one photograph has surfaced of them together.

I dont know her. I never met her. I had no idea who she is." He dismissed a question from Collins about whether it would impact his standing with female voters and in response, he launched into a recounting of Carrolls claims in a mocking voice, drawing laughs and claps from the live audience. Collins tried to interrupt but Trump continued and called it a fake story" and referred to Carroll as a wack job."

TRUMPS TREATMENT OF WOMEN

Collins asked Trump about his comments in the infamous Access Hollywood" video in which he bragged about grabbing womens genitals without asking permission. The video was played in the trial and Collins asked him Wednesday if he stood by his remarks.

Trump defended his comments, saying he had said women let him grab their genitals without permission because he was a star.

I cant take that back because it happens to be true," Trump said.

REPEATING ELECTION LIES

Trump, with his first question from Collins about why he should be elected again, started almost immediately by repeating his lies about the 2020 presidential election and repeating his unfounded claims of election fraud.

Striking a more muted tone than he usually uses onstage before his cheering supporters, Trump called it a rigged election" and a shame" before Collins cut him off, correcting his statements and asking him to publicly acknowledge his loss to Biden.

Trump did not, immediately returning to his false claims. As Collins continued to try to fact-check Trump, he interrupted again, calling for honest elections and then pivoting to other subjects like immigration.

He came back to his claims at other points in the town hall, sprinkling the lie into answers on unrelated subjects and prompting Collins to interrupt him and correct him.

DEFENSE OF JAN. 6 INSURRECTION

For more than two years, Trump had largely avoided sitting for any tough questioning about the lies he spread about his 2020 election loss that spurred the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But the issue came up early Wednesday, when Collins asked Trump if he regretted his actions on that day.

The former president quickly began boasting about the size of the crowd he spoke to before some began marching on the Capitol and said the attendees believed the election was rigged."

They were there proud. They were there with love in their heart. That was unbelievable and it was a beautiful day," Trump said.

Collins pressed Trump on why he didnt ask his supporters to leave the Capitol or send help to disperse the protesters, and he deflected, trying to cast blame on then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He at one point pulled out printed copies of his Twitter posts that day in which he finally, hours after the attack on the Capitol began, asked his supporters to leave the Capitol.

He said he was inclined, if elected president again, to pardon many of those convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6 attack. More than 1,000 people have been charged and more than 600 have been convicted so far.

FALSE ABORTION CLAIMS

Trump, responding to a question about the U.S. Supreme Court overturning abortion rights last year, took credit for appointing three of the justices who joined in the majority ruling, saying it was such a great victory and people are starting to understand it now."

He repeatedly falsely claimed that abortion rights supporters wanted to kill a baby" in the ninth month of pregnancy or even after a birth.

The claim is based on a misleading interpretation of a Senate vote. Trump also dodged questions about whether, if elected president again, he would sign a national abortion ban. Trump instead spoke about the court ruling as having given anti-abortion activists negotiating ability."

What I will do is negotiate so people are happy," he said, when asked if he would sign a federal abortion ban. He repeatedly said he would do whats right," without specifying what that was.

NO ANSWERS ON UKRAINE

Trump repeated his praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him a smart guy," but said he made a bad mistake" to invade Ukraine. Trump claimed, without evidence or explanation, that if he was still president Putin would never have invaded Ukraine.

He said he had a great relationship" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, referencing his 2019 impeachment after pressuring Zelenskyy for a favor" while withholding military aid.

Trump wouldnt answer a question about whether hed continue to send U.S. aid to Ukraine to keep fighting against Russias invasion, and he wouldnt answer a question about who he wanted to win the war, only saying, I want everybody to stop dying."

KEEPING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS

Trump defended his keeping of top-secret and confidential government documents at his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago, which is now the subject of a Justice Department probe.

I had every right to do it. I didnt make a secret of it," Trump said.

Trump gave a vague answer when Collins asked if he ever showed the classified documents to anyone.

Not really. I would have the right to," the former president said.

What do you mean Not really?'" Collins asked.

Not that I can think of," Trump said.

Trump noted that other presidents and vice presidents had kept documents after leaving but didnt mention that he refused to turn over documents even after receiving a subpoena.

SPARRING WITH COLLINS

Early on in the town hall, Collins gave Trump more leeway to respond to questions, allowing the president to steamroll through his answers and jump from topic to topic, sprinkling in false claims as she sometimes tried to interrupt.

As the town hall went on and Collins jumped in earlier and more often to correct him or get him back on track, Trump got frustrated.

At one point, he repeated an insult he hurled at Hillary Clinton during their 2016 presidential debate, calling Collins nasty."

In a back-and-forth about the classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, Trump and Collins were talking over each other and Trump at one point declared: Youre so wrong. You dont know the subject."

I do know the subject," she retorted.

top videos

The audience, made up of Republicans and independents, was largely favorable to Trump and laughed and cheered as he made his points.

I like you guys," Trump told the crowd at the end.
The International Monetary Fund warned Thursday of severe consequences if the US defaults on its debt, ahead of a rapidly-approaching deadline for the country to raise or suspend its borrowing limit.

Our assessment is that there would be very serious repercussions not only for the US but also for the global economy should there be a US debt default," IMF communications director Julie Kozack told reporters, encouraging all parties to urgently resolve the matter.

Republicans and Democrats remain sharply divided over the debt ceiling, with Republicans in Congress insisting the Biden administration agree to significant budget cuts in exchange for their support to lift the limit before the country runs out of money to pay its existing bills.

Democrats have been calling for a clean" increase of the borrowing limit, accusing Republicans of using extreme" tactics to try and push their political agenda ahead of the so-called X-date"  the point at which the US will be unable to meet its financial obligations.

US President Joe Biden met with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this week in a failed attempt to find common ground on the issue.

The leaders are due to meet again on Friday in a bid to resolve the issue before the X-date, which the US Treasury recently warned could come as soon as June 1.

top videos

The IMF warned Thursday of the potential for higher borrowing costs, broader global instability and economic repercussions in the event of a US default.

We have seen a world in the last few years that has been affected by many shocks, so we would want to avoid those severe repercussions," Kozack said.
Over the past few years, Today's Power, Inc. (TPI), based out of North Little Rock, Arkansas, has been building a portfolio of solar array agreements in the Midwest. Most recently Polk County has made it onto their roster following a groundbreaking on April 26.

This comes as part of the state of Nebraska's many initiatives to increase the production and use of solar energy. It is also part of a collaboration between TPI with several area power districts to make solar more viable in some more rural areas in the state, according to an April 26 press release by TPI.

"This is the first of our solar sites for Polk County. We as a company have partnered with a couple of public power districts across Nebraska like Howard Greeley, Norris, and done solar sites for them as well," said Taylor Baker, marketing and public relations coordinator for TPI.

The project will entail a 1.0 megawatt solar array, approximately 2,000 panels on a unidirectional tracking system which allows the panels to follow the sun. TPI will build, operate and maintain the array on a 25-year power purchase agreement which also includes Norris and Howard Greeley Rural Public Power Districts.

Polk County Rural Public Power District (PCRPPD) General Manager Barb Fowler said the location, the City of Stromsburg Industrial Park, is already zoned for this kind of site. A project of this scale, she added, has been on the community's wish list for a while but didn't quite work until now.

"There won't really be any physical changes (to the area)," Fowler said. "The City of Stromsburg is one of our wholesale customers, they purchase power through us and they've been wanting to install more renewables for a number of years, but since they're smaller than we are, the economy of scale never worked out."

Fowler said the project has taken a little while to get going but now that ground has been broken on the site, it should be in operation by late summer or early fall. PCRPPD has had a wind turbine operating at 2.4 megawatts for a few years now, but more options are always better, she said.

"It's probably been going for about a year and a half now. It takes a lot of planning, communicating back and forth with our power provider, there's a lot of details to hammer out," Fowler said.

Fowler added that the solar arrays are a mutually beneficial project for all the groups involved. For the power district and city of Stromsburg specifically, costs are reduced for reliable power, and TPI grows their coverage area.

"Our footprint began smaller with 17 co-ops across our state and we're excited to continue to expand," Baker said. "Moving into Nebraska is exciting, it expands our portfolio and leads to other opportunities to work with other public power districts, co-ops and cities."
Read more

Tuesday.

The bench, while hearing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Khans petition against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case, expressed anger at the way he was taken into custody by paramilitary Rangers and ordered authorities to produce him before it. The court also directed Khan to go to the IHC on Friday and seek further legal recourse.

The violent protests against Khans arrest continued in Pakistan on Day 3, resulting in at least eight deaths and 290 injuries on Thursday. At least 1,900 enraged protesters were rounded up in running battles with law enforcers across the country.

Khan was arrested on Tuesday during a routine hearing in Islamabad and whisked away to an unknown location overnight before appearing behind closed doors in a specially convened anti-graft court at police headquarters.

On Wednesday, Khan was produced in the Anti-Accountability Court No 1 presided by judge Muhammad Bashir, the same judge who had convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam in a corruption case of having properties in London. In its verdict, the court handed over Khan for an eight-day remand to the NAB.

The 70-year-old leaders supporters attacked the Lahore residence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, police said. According to police, over 500 miscreants from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party reached the Model Town Lahore residence of the prime minister in the early hours of Wednesday and set ablaze vehicles parked over there.

The army was deployed in the countrys capital Islamabad, as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces on Wednesday to maintain law and order amid violent protests.

At least 14 government buildings were set on fire by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party supporters in Punjab province following the dramatic arrest of Khan in a corruption case on Tuesday, police said.

The upheaval, including mass arrests of protesters, follows months of political crisis during which Khan, who was ousted in April last year, has waged an unprecedented campaign against the countrys powerful military.

In Pakistans largest city Karachi, security forces fired tear gas to disperse supporters of Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, while PTI backers clashed violently with police in Islamabad and other cities.

Khan, who remains wildly popular, has previously said the dozens of cases brought against him are part of an effort by the struggling government and military establishment to prevent him from returning to power.

His arrest has brought thousands of his supporters to the streets in several cities.
Pakistans Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the National Accountability Bureau, the countrys anti-corruption watchdog, to produce former prime minister Imran Khan within an hour.

It observed that the agency committed contempt of court" by entering the court premises and arresting him without permission from the courts registrar.

The directive was issued by a three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah, which heard Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairmans plea against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Tuesday.

What dignity remains of the court if 90 people entered its premises? How can any individual be arrested from court premises? the chief justice was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.

In the past, action has been taken against lawyers for vandalism inside the court, he observed. If an individual has surrendered to the court, then what does arresting them mean?" The top judge said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had committed contempt of court".

top videos

They should have taken permission from the courts registrar before the arrest. Court staffers were also subjected to abuse, he added.

The bench directed NAB to produce Khan by 4:30 pm (local time) when the court would reconvene.
Former US ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad condemned the arrest of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and said that the PTI chief should be released from detention.

He also expressed concern that there is a growing fear that Imran Khan might be killed in custody. He added that the former prime minister has also expressed this concern to the judge before the court on Wednesday.

There is growing fear that Imran Khan might be killed or assassinated while in custody. Imran Khan expressed this concern to the judge in charge in the court today, Zalmay Khalilzad said on Twitter.

There is growing fear that Imran Khan might be killed/assassinated while in custody. Imran Khan expressed this concern to the judge in charge in the court today.[Thread]#Pakistan #ImranKhanArrested Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) May 10, 2023

As there is no flight risk, Imran Khan should be released from detention and appropriate measures must be taken to guarantee his security, he said

Imran Khan told an accountability court in Islamabad on Wednesday that he feared for his life and was afraid that he will meet the same fate as Maqsood Chaprasi, a key witness in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs money laundering case who died last year.

Zalmay Khalilzad claimed that the retired officers attacked the homes of state security leaders during protests and said that there is a difference among senior officers on how Imran Khan has been treated.

There are credible reports of differences among senior officers on how Imran Khan has been treated and the violations of the constitution and rule of law to serve the ambitions of a few. Murdering Imran Khan will make things a lot worse in the country. Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) May 10, 2023

The top US envoy also said that the situation in Pakistan is deteriorating badly, affecting peoples lives and also undermining the unity of state institutions.

The situation in Pakistan is deteriorating badly, affecting peoples lives but also undermining the unity and cohesion of state institutions, including the armed forces. One indication of this is the participation of retired officers in attacking the homes of state security leaders believed to have ordered the very undignified arrest operation against a former Prime Minister and the countrys most popular leader, he said.

There are credible reports of differences among senior officers on how Imran Khan has been treated and the violations of the constitution and rule of law to serve the ambitions of a few. Murdering Imran Khan will make things a lot worse in the country, he added.

He further said that Islamabad will face international condemnation, isolation and even sanctions due to the arrest and the aftermath violence. The establishment should embrace national reconciliation, rule of law, and democracy by agreeing on a date for elections, he added.

During Wednesdays hearing, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) requested a 14-day physical remand of the PTI chief. The anti-corruption court, however, sent Khan on an eight-day physical remand to NAB.

top videos

Khans dramatic arrest on Tuesday deepened the political turmoil and sparked violent protests across Pakistan. Khans party has claimed that at least four people were killed and over a dozen injured in different parts of the country in violent clashes between the security forces and PTI supporters.

(With Inputs from Shailendra Wangu)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday and conveyed personal greetings and warm regards from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Jaishankar, who landed in Dhaka on Thursday, will attend the 6th Indian Ocean Conference 2023 which will deliberate on the prospects of regional cooperation.

Honoured to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh. Conveyed personal greetings and warm regards of PM @narendramodi. The guidance and vision of our leaders continues to strengthen India-Bangladesh Maitri," Jaishankar tweeted.

Honoured to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh. Conveyed personal greetings and warm regards of PM @narendramodi.The guidance and vision of our leaders continues to strengthen India-Bangladesh Maitri. pic.twitter.com/UgStGWrZfv  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 11, 2023

The India Foundation, in association with Bangladeshs foreign ministry, has organised the sixth edition of the conference with its theme, Peace, Prosperity and Partnership for a Resilient Future".

Bangladeshs State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam received the Indian foreign minister upon his arrival, a Bangladesh foreign office spokesman said.

The meeting, a two-day meeting from May 12, aims to deliberate upon the prospects of regional cooperation, a statement by the India Foundation said.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate the conference and Jaishankar is set to deliver the keynote address at the opening ceremony.

Bangladesh has not issued an official statement detailing Jaishankars engagements during his visit here.

According to officials, the conference would bring together a luminary gathering of key stakeholders to chart the roadmap for strengthening the Indian Ocean Region.

It will be attended by the President of Mauritius Prithvirajsing Roopun, Maldivian Vice President Faisal Naseem, and several ministers from across the world, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

top videos

The Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) was started in 2016 and in the last six years, has emerged as the Flagship Consultative Forum" for countries in the region over regional affairs.

(With PTI inputs)
A day after the arrest of the former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the crackdown on his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) intensified with the late-night apprehension of senior party leader Fawad Chaudhry outside the countrys Supreme Court premises.

The political turmoil in Pakistan reached new heights on Wednesday as violent protests spread across the country, prompting the government to call in the military for assistance.

Khan, who was detained in a dramatic manner on Tuesday during a routine hearing in Islamabad, was remanded in custody for eight days on fresh corruption charges.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry, who had sought refuge inside the court for over 12 hours, was ultimately taken into custody upon leaving, Geo News reported.

Finally Islamabad Police Arrested PTI Leader #FawadChaudhry From Outside Supreme Court Premises pic.twitter.com/pqkjAONyo5 Adeel Sarfraz (@AhmedASarfraz) May 10, 2023

Prior to his arrest, Chaudhry expressed concern over the division caused by Khans detention and the weakening state of the lawyers community due to internal conflicts.

Never has a petitioner been arrested in such a manner, he was quoted as saying by Geo.

Fawads arrest came hours after PTI Secretary General Asad Umar was arrested from the premises of the IHC  the same court from where Khan was taken into custody.

The party has claimed that 47 of its workers died, and 1000 were arrested in clashes with security forces. It added that five party leaders including Omar Sarfaraz Cheema, Ali Zaidi and Akram Usman, were arrested.

Pakistans military was called in large parts of the country on Wednesday to maintain the law and order situation as the nationwide protests triggered by the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan continued for the second day.

#BREAKING: #PTI claims since arrest of former PM @ImranKhanPTI, its 47 workers died, near 100 injured and 1000 arrested in clashes with security forces. PTI further says 5 party leaders arrested and authorities raided homes of 9 PTI officials. pic.twitter.com/PagTJmiEot Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) May 10, 2023

On Wednesday, Pakistans military media wing said that May 9 would be remembered as a black chapter, referring to the protests targeting army property and installations after Imran Khans arrest.

We will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

top videos

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the deadly protests by the supporters of Imran Khan after his arrest in a corruption case and warned to deal with demonstrators with an iron fist.

Attack on public property is an act of terrorism and enmity towards the country, he said in a brief address to the nation. Shehbaz added that those taking the law into their own hands would be dealt with an iron fist.
The supreme court of Pakistan on Thursday declared the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Imran Khan, in the Al-Qadir Trust case as illegal" and ordered authorities to release him immediately".

Imran Khan Arrest LIVE | Catch Latest Updates Here

Following the courts decision, the former prime minister was directed to approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC) once again on Friday and get a regular bail. He has been released on an interim bail. He is directed to present himself before court at 11am (local time).

The order was pronounced amid high security. The court told the law enforcement authorities and the National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan (NAB) that people come to the court seeking justice and when someone who is in court to surrender themselves they should not be arrested.

Pakistan-based news agency Dawn said the chief justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial said the former prime minister should now approach the high court.

The bench hearing the plea filed by PTI challenging their chiefs arrest said that Imran Khan will have to abide by the verdict given by the high court.

The bench was led by the chief justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and also consisted of justices Athar Minallah and Muhammad Ali Mazhar.

The chief justice told Imran Khan he was happy to see him but ordered him to direct his cadres to stop rioting and looting immediately.

I dont want any loss in the country nor do I wish for people to get incited. I just want free and fair elections, the PTI chief told the court.

Imran Khan in his defence said that he did not have access to phones and was not aware of the developments. CNN-News18 said that Khan, while leaving the court, spoke to the media outlets present there and told his party cadres to immediately stop rioting.

CNN-News18 also said that Imran Khan is not fully released and he will be kept in the custody of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court also rejected the PTI chiefs plea where he asked permission to return to Bani Gala and asked him to stay in Police Lines area in capital Islamabad.

You can stay there, talk, rest and then present yourself before the Islamabad High Court tomorrow," chief justice Bandial told Khan, according to CNN-News18.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) directed the authorities to permit Imran Khan to meet up to ten people, including lawyers, friends, and family members.

top videos

The first reaction from the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on the apex courts ruling came from Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-(N)) leader and information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

Aurangzeb said the chief justice Umar Ata Bandial should step down from the post of chief justice and join the PTI.
Former Pakistan Foreign Minister and PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi was arrested by the Islamabad police on Thursday and transferred to an unknown location.

A video shared by Qureshis Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: party on Twitter shows plain-clothed men taking him away, with him waving at party workers before departing from the location where he was detained.

Imran Khan Arrest LIVE Updates: 8 Killed as Protests Continue on Day 3, Ex-FM Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry Held; Shehbazs Residence Attacked

Tehreek-e-Insaf Vice Chairman Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi has been arrested by the Islamabad Police and transferred to an unknown location, the party tweeted on Thursday.

Vice Chairman @PTIofficial Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been arrested overnight. This is his message for PTI workers, supporters and concerned Pakistanis: The world must be made aware: There is a very real propaganda campaign against PTI, attempting to position us as violent https://t.co/TpT853pMr9  Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) May 11, 2023

The party also said that PTI Chairman Spokesperson Musarat Cheema and Senator Ejaz Chaudhry were also abducted by Rangers from Islamabad.

The former foreign minister was taken into custody from the Gilgit-Baltistan House in Islamabad after a failed attempt by the police on Wednesday afternoon, reports said.

Along with @SMQureshiPTI , Chairman Spokesperson Musarat Cheema and Senator Ejaz Chaudhry have also been abducted by Rangers from Islamabad. Law of the jungle! #ReleaseImranKhan  PTI (@PTIofficial) May 11, 2023

Qureshis arrest comes a day after senior PTI leader and partys Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry was arrested outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Finally Islamabad Police Arrested PTI Leader #FawadChaudhry From Outside Supreme Court Premises pic.twitter.com/pqkjAONyo5 Adeel Sarfraz (@AhmedASarfraz) May 10, 2023

Chaudhry was arrested under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Ordinance (MPO) after he came out of the apex court premises and was shifted to the Secretariat Police Station.

PTI Secretary General Asad Umar was also arrested from the premises of the IHC  the same court from where Khan was taken into custody. The party earlier said five party leaders including Omar Sarfaraz Cheema, Ali Zaidi and Akram Usman, were arrested.

#BREAKING: #PTI claims since arrest of former PM @ImranKhanPTI, its 47 workers died, near 100 injured and 1000 arrested in clashes with security forces. PTI further says 5 party leaders arrested and authorities raided homes of 9 PTI officials. pic.twitter.com/PagTJmiEot Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) May 10, 2023

top videos

The political turmoil in Pakistan reached new heights on Wednesday as violent protests spread across the country, prompting the government to call in the military for assistance.

Imran Khan was sent to an eight-day physical remand to the National Accountability Bureau. Khans dramatic arrest on Tuesday sparked widespread violent protests across Pakistan, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 300 others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies.
The US ambassador to South Africa on Thursday accused the country of supplying weapons to Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

At a media briefing in Pretoria, the US envoy claimed that a Russian ship was loaded with ammunition and arms in Cape Town in December even as the country has maintained claims of neutrality in the Ukraine war, BBC reported.

Referring to the docking of a cargo ship in the Simons Town naval base, Brigety expressed concerns about the countrys stated non-aligned stance on the conflict. The envoy said that he was confident" uploaded weapons and ammunition as it made its way back to Russia".

Issuing a swift response, President Cyril Ramaphosas office said it was disappointed by the claims and said no evidence has been provided to support them.

The Presidency has noted with concern remarks attributed to the United States Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben E Brigety, alleging the supply by South Africa of weapons to Russia. https://t.co/7SgHkKqKEX pic.twitter.com/b3htgzPB0c Presidency | South Africa  (@PresidencyZA) May 11, 2023

The Presidency has noted with concern remarks attributed to the United States Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben E Brigety, alleging the supply by South Africa of weapons to Russia," the statement said.

It is public knowledge that a Russian vessel known as Lady R docked in South Africa. Allegations have since been made about the purpose of the voyage. While no evidence has been provided to date to support these allegations, the Government has undertaken to institute an independent enquiry to be led by a retired judge," it added.

The presence of the Lady R ship raised suspicions and prompted inquiries from local politicians, according to the BBC report.

Brigetys accusation of arming the Russians is profoundly serious and has taken South Africas officials by surprise.

In response to the allegations, the South African government announced the formation of an independent inquiry led by a retired judge.

In recent engagements between the South African delegation and US officials, the Lady R matter was discussed and there was an agreement that an investigation will be allowed to run its course, and that the US intelligence services will provide whatever evidence in their possession," President Cyril Ramaphosas office said.

It is therefore disappointing that the US Ambassador has adopted a counter-productive public posture that undermines the understanding reached on the matter, it added.

top videos

The US has been consistently critical of South Africas close relationship with Russia.

Furthermore, the US has expressed concerns regarding South Africas involvement in military exercises with Russia and China during the anniversary of Ukraines invasion.
France said Wednesday that China had an important role to play for global peace and stability" as Beijing seeks to mediate in Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang is visiting Germany, France and Norway this week, and met his French counterpart Catherine Colonna in Paris on Wednesday.

We know the importance of Chinas role on the world stage and the importance of the role it can play for global peace and stability," Colonna told Qin at the start of their meeting.

China should work to convince Russia to return to fully respecting" the UN Charter, she added, before a scheduled dinner with Qin at the French foreign ministry.

Colonna had earlier told a cabinet meeting that Beijing should urge Russia to return to peace", according to a post-cabinet press briefing.

It is necessary for China to use its relations with Russia to make Russia understand better that it is at an impasse, and to tell Russia to come back to its senses," she said.

The request comes after French President Emmanuel Macron visited China last month and sparked controversy by saying Europe should not be a follower" of either Washington or Beijing or get caught up in any escalation over the future of Taiwan.

The remarks sparked criticism from some allies, including from German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, who called them unfortunate", adding: We have never been in danger of becoming or being a vassal of the United States."

China has sought to portray itself as a neutral party in Russias war against its neighbour, with President Xi Jinping last month holding his first telephone call with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky since Moscows invasion.

But recent comments by Chinas ambassador to France questioning the sovereignty of ex-Soviet states threw its neutral stance into question, and Beijings 12-point position paper on ending the conflict was met with scepticism by the United States and NATO.

top videos

Colonna told Qin she also wanted to discuss the concerning attitude" of North Korea, referring to the countrys recent series of missile launches.

She asked Qin to reflect on how to respond with unity and continue working towards stability in the peninsula and the region".
The Mechanicsburg Area School Board tackled a range of items at a meeting Tuesday night that included lowering the qualifying age for the districts tax rebate program and approving three new administrative job descriptions.

The board voted 8-1 to adjust the districts property tax rebate guidelines, lowering the programs minimum eligibility age to 70 for the July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, fiscal year. The current required minimum age is 72 for residents who own a primary residence in the district and fall within certain income brackets.

Voting against Tuesdays proposal was board vice president Brian Sanker, who also is chair of the districts Finance/Facilities Committee. At an initial board review last month, Sanker questioned the proposal.

Why are we raising school meal prices (next year) and giving out money here? This is not a state mandate, Sanker said.

Households with incomes up to $8,000 annually qualify for a $650 tax rebate under the program, while those with yearly incomes ranging from $8,001 to $15,000 qualify for a $500 rebate.

Households earning between $15,001 and $18,000 annually qualify for a $300 rebate, while those with annual incomes between $18,001 and $35,000 are eligible for a $250 rebate.

For certain income levels, this is our way of saying we understand the situation theyre in. The state (tax rebate program) is down to (a minimum age) of 65, Superintendent Mark Leidy said last month.

The districts property tax rebate program guidelines are reviewed each year by the school board during the districts annual budget development process.

Program applications are available online on the districts website, www.mbgsd.org.

Administration

Also Tuesday, the school board approved three new administrative job descriptions: director of academic program, supervisor of high school programs and data and systems analysis director.

The approved job description of director of academic program replaces the existing title of director of organizational development previously filled by Jason Baker. Baker left the district in January to serve as assistant superintendent in South Middleton School District.

We took some additional time (since Bakers departure) to consider the needs of the district and the position responsibilities, which will be incorporated into our (job) search process, district director of business operations/CFO Greg Longwell said Wednesday.

The directors duties will include curriculum, program assessment and instruction and professional development.

Supervisor of high school programs is a new title representing a transfer of position for current high school principal David Harris. With his transfer, the district is looking for a new high school principal.

In his new position, Mr. Harris will work on program partnerships expanding opportunities for high school students at colleges, businesses, etc., providing administrative support for the high school, Longwell said. Mr. Harris will continue to support the high school in his new position while also using his expertise to support districtwide initiatives.

Harris new job will also include being the educational liaison to high school construction projects.

The approved job description of director of data and systems analysis director is an expanded version of an existing title in the district now held by Maggie Stern.

This is a position where the duties have evolved as the district has grown and programs have evolved, Longwell said. The difference here is that the person who is working in the position is still occupying the position. We are only adjusting the job description and title to better reflect the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Sterns revised job responsibilities include collecting and analyzing data on student academic achievement and providing support and training to staff.

Meal prices

In other news, the school board approved a proposal by district food services to raise meals prices by 10 cents at every level for the 2023-24 school year. Starting next year, elementary meals will cost $2.75, and secondary meals will cost $3. Adult meals will cost $4.20.

During the 2022-23 school year, the district has continued to offer a free breakfast program for students at all levels, but officials are waiting on word from the state on program funding for 2023-24. Leidy said last month that the districts offer of free breakfast is contingent on the state funding the program in next years budget.

District food services director Karen Marlin said last month that the food services is projecting a $126,000 budget deficit for 2023-24, but that projection remains uncertain until the districts state and federal food service subsidy amounts for next year are finalized. It is uncertain if the district will continue to receive one-time federal and state grants next year related to the pandemic, as in previous years.

Leidy earlier cited a projected 30% increase in next years food services expenditures from food costs and supplies. The district also budgeted salary increases of approximately 6% next year to maintain competitive compensation for recruiting and training members of its food services staff.

Finally, Mechanicsburg school directors Tuesday accepted changes to the districts existing policy on nonresident students. Revisions follow recommendations by the Pennsylvania School Board Association regarding Act 1 of 2022.

Approved changes affect admission of students experiencing homelessness, foster care and other forms of educational instability, as well as eligibility for enrollment with delayed payment.

A copy of the approved policy is attached to Tuesdays school board meeting agenda for public review at www.mbgsd.org.
US President Joe Biden criticised the Republicans for holding US creditworthiness hostage in the ongoing debt ceiling raising talks on Wednesday, which if not done would lead to a default.

Piling pressure on Republicans, he said that the Congress must move quickly to raise the countrys $31.4 trillion debt ceiling or risk throwing the US economy into a recession, killing thousands of jobs, news agency Reuters reported.

Weve got to fight. Were going to win this fight, Biden said at a flag-bedecked event at Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York, according to the report.

This is no time to put all this at risk, to threaten a recession, to undermine Americas standing in the world. Republican threats are dangerous and they make no sense, Biden said. He also accused the opposition of doing the bidding for Big Oil, referring to US energy giants.

Heres the real truth: Big Oil doesnt want it, and Republicans are carrying their water, he said.

His reactions came a day after he held a meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who again presented Biden the option to reduce government spending in order to raise the debt ceiling.

The US debt ceiling has to be raised by the US Congress and will be decided there. The Republicans have a slim majority in the US House of Representatives and the US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, allegedly wants Biden to cut down spending on Social Security benefits, federal salaries, payments to Medicaid providers and veterans benefits.

Biden also doubled down on his stance and said that he plans to invoke the 14th Amendment in order to avoid a default, but people in his administration feel it is a bad idea and could lead to a constitutional crisis.

The Treasury Department says the government will be unable to pay its bills as early as June 1.

Biden said the plans presented by the Republicans can be termed the Default on America" Act.

Kevin McCarthy said that House Republicans proposed a solution to increase the debt ceiling until March, but only if Democrats agree to cut federal spending over the next decade.

He also hinted at the possibility of a compromise with Biden and Senate Democrats, but stressed that his party wants some restraint on spending.

Everybody in this meeting reiterated the positions they were at. I asked Biden numerous times if there were places we could find savings in the federal budget. He wouldnt give me any, McCarthy was quoted as saying by CNBC.

Meanwhile, veteran GOP leader Mitch McConnell said that the threat of default must be taken off the table. We need to take the threat of default off the table. Everyone in the meeting understood the risk of default, McConnell was quoted as saying by the Hill.

top videos

During a live appearance on CNN, Donald Trump urged Republican legislators to refuse to raise the US debt limit if Democrats dont agree to spending cuts.

I say that the Republicans out there congressmen, senators, if they dont give you massive cuts, youre gonna have to do a default," Trump said.
Ukraine said it needed more time before a highly anticipated counter-offensive against Russian forces, according to an interview published by the BBC Thursday, as the UK pledged to send Storm Shadow missiles to help Kyiv.

Britains decision will make it the first country to provide longer-range missiles to Kyiv, which has been training a new contingent of forces and stockpiling Western-supplied munitions and hardware.

Analysts say these steps will be key to reclaiming territory captured by Russia, although the timing of the counteroffensive remains a question.

Mentally were ready," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the BBC. In terms of equipment, not everything has arrived yet.

With (what we have) we can go forward and be successful. But wed lose a lot of people. I think thats unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time," he was quoted as saying.

The head of Russias Wagner private military company Yevgeny Prigozhin meanwhile accused Zelensky of being dishonest" in the interview.

Ukraines counter-offensive is in full swing", Prigozhin said.

Kyiv has spent months preparing to claw back ground in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as well as the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in the south.

Separately on Thursday the US envoy to South Africa accused the country of having covertly provided arms to Russia, despite its professed neutrality in the Ukraine war.

Western arms

Ambassador Reuben Brigety said the US was confident" weapons and ammunition had been loaded onto a Russian freighter that docked at a Cape Town naval base in December.

The arming of the Russians is extremely serious, and we do not consider this issue to be resolved, and we would like SA to [start] practising its non-alignment policy," Brigety was quoted as saying.

The missiles pledged by the UK have been used by British and French forces in the Gulf, Iraq and Libya and can be operated in extreme conditions.

The donation of these weapons systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russias continued brutality," Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.

His Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Reznikov said late last month that Kyivs preparations were coming to an end" and his forces were ready in a global sense".

But he also said that Abrams tanks promised by the US would not be able to take part in the offensive because they would not arrive in Ukraine until the end of this year.

Ukraine has however received hundreds of other tanks, aircraft, munitions and other arms from its Western allies.

Since the start of Russias invasion, Kyiv has received more than $150 billion in aid, including $65 billion in military assistance.

Ukraine is counting on the success of its planned counter-offensive, as that could determine how much aid the West will be willing to donate in the future.

Counter attacks in Bakhmut

Some voices are calling for peace talks with Russia, but in the BBC interview Zelensky rejected any possibility of land concessions.

Why should any country of the world give (Russian President Vladimir) Putin its territory?" he said.

Russia was counting on" a frozen conflict", he warned.

But Western sanctions were having an effect on Russias defence industry, he stressed. We already see that theyve reduced shelling per day in some areas."

A senior Ukrainian military official said earlier this week that Russian forces had dropped back from some areas near Bakhmut after limited counter-attacks by Kyivs forces around the eastern city.

Prigozhin, whose forces are on the front line of the battle for Bakhmut, acknowledged that some Ukrainian units were successfully breaking through in some areas.

The Ukrainian armys plan is in action All the units which have been trained, which have received weapons, tanks and everything they need are already fully engaged," he said.

top videos

Prigozhin is involved in a long-running dispute with Russian military chiefs over ammunition supplies for his fighters and he has threatened to pull them out of Bakhmut.

Journalists and staff of Agence France-Presse (AFP) in Paris and across the world held a minute of silence on Thursday to remember their colleague Arman Soldin who was killed earlier this week in Ukraine.
In recent weeks, Annie Strite has heard the same word or something like it again and again from service providers.

The term they use is drowning, she told the Cumberland County commissioners Wednesday. They have so many referrals, they are drowning.

As mental health director, she was referring specifically to a conversation she had on Tuesday with Teenline staff, but the same concerns echo through the entire network of county human services.

Now Im getting phone calls from consumers, recipients of services, Strite said. Im afraid I may lose my case manager, my supportive services. Im getting calls from staff. Am I going to have a job after July 1?

There are many questions and few answers. With the uncertainty comes anxiety.

There needs to be a sense of safety, Strite said. Otherwise, people will look for other careers.

The county has been grappling for months with a potential $2.5 million deficit in its mental health system budget. The lack of sustainable state funds combined with the increased costs of providing services is already undercutting the efficiency of programs and stretching providers to their limit.

During a finance meeting Wednesday, Strite said Teenline staff are feeling overwhelmed. The steady increase in caseload is compounding the already existing shortage of trained workers.

We dont have many employees in many of these providers, Commissioner Jean Foschi said. When this gap [the $2.5 million] is filled, how are we going to deal with it? Are we still going to be able to deliver the services?

Its just very worrisome, Foschi said. I want to get a good handle on it, because we are faced with a very tough decision. We are sitting in this situation where I know were looking at a deficit. If its not filled, one way or another, its going to cost more.

At a prior meeting, Foschi asked staff to provide cost estimates on the impact cuts to mental health services could have on other county departments. Chief Financial Officer Dana Best briefed the commissioners Wednesday on what she called conservative figures that show that $2.5 million in cuts could result in about $3.15 million of additional impact just in four key departments.

Children & Youth Services: $1,336,022

County prison: $869,802

Juvenile probation: $763,440

Drug & Alcohol treatment services: $177,789

Bests estimates did not include the potential effect on the 911 dispatch center, the Department of Aging & Community Services, the county court system, the public defenders office, the district attorneys office or the number of additional mental health involuntary petitions that could result from budget cuts.

Such cuts would result in less money for intervention and prevention services which, in turn, could burden those agencies involved with responding to emergency situations, Best said. That could result in more demands on local police, an increase in crime and homelessness, more calls to crisis intervention and an overflow of cases in hospital emergency rooms, she said. Best provided no cost estimates for those potential impacts.

Since early April, the county has hosted several town hall meetings to receive public input and to promote awareness of the problem. One goal has been to encourage residents to lobby state lawmakers to boost state funding to avert the budget cuts.

Commissioners have delayed any decision on potential cuts in contracts with mental health service providers. It has been the past practice with many of the contracts to submit any changes in staffing levels and programs within 60 days prior to the expiration of the contract on June 30. That 60-day grace period started on April 30.

Commissioner Gary Eichelberger suggested that county staff members work to engage the local police chiefs association to lobby state lawmakers to allocate more money for mental health services.

It seems to me those folks are going to have influence with their municipalities and, more importantly, with the folks who vote on the [state] budget, Eichelberger said. I would like to see us leverage the good will that comes from the law enforcement community to help us with the fight.

In early March, Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed a state budget that included $20 million more in mental health funding to Pennsylvanias 67 counties. County officials expected a long path of negotiations among state lawmakers whose ultimate decision could take place well after the county has to decide on program cuts and contract commitments.

Recently, Cumberland County officials sat in on a conference call arranged through the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania in which there was some hopeful news of a state budget resolution, Foschi said. However, the county cant sit around in the long-term hoping for good news and that soon the commissioners may have to act, she said.
A bill co-sponsored by Rep. George Santos targets one of the federal crimes he is accused of. The Republican is one of 35 co-sponsors of a bill that would make it easier for officials to recover benefits fraudulently obtained during the pandemic, the New York Times reports. According to a federal indictment, Santos collected more than $24,000 in unemployment benefits in New York between June 2020 and April 2021, reports the Washington Post. He allegedly "certified weekly" that he was eligible for the paymentsbut according to prosecutors, he was employed the entire time by a Florida-based investment company that paid him around $120,000 a year.

Top Republicans praised the bill Wednesday while declining to condemn Santos, the Post reports. They said the freshman lawmaker should be considered innocent until proven guilty. "Hes going to have to go through the legal process," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said of Santos. "But were going to continue to work to root out fraud, and theres lots of it." Santos was freed on $500,000 bond Wednesday after pleading not guilty to all 13 charges against him, including wire fraud. Outside the Long Island federal courthouse, where protesters called for him to resign, Santos called the case a "witch hunt" and vowed to clear his name, CBS reports. (Read more George Santos stories.)
Facing growing pressure to show progress in their investigations, House Republicans on Wednesday detailed what they say are concerning new findings about President Biden's family and their finances. The smoking gun, according to the GOP, is recently obtained financial records connected to the president's son Hunter Biden, brother James Biden, and a growing number of associates who received millions of dollars in payments from foreign entities in China and Romania, the AP reports. House Republicans suggested, without evidence, that the payments were part of a wide-ranging scheme to profit off the family name.

Congressional Republicans relied on more than 150 suspicious activity reports as a roadmap to follow what they call the Bidens' complicated financial money trail. The confidential reports, called SARs, are often routine, with larger financial transactions automatically flagged to the government. The filing of a SARs report is not evidence on its own of misconduct. But Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee leading the probe, said Wednesday that other types of financial records obtained through congressional subpoenas and lawsuits have now become the focus of the investigation.

The White House dismissed the whole investigation as yet another political stunt." Congressman Comer has a history of playing fast and loose with the facts and spreading baseless innuendo while refusing to conduct his so-called investigations with legitimacy, White House spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement. Republicans vowed after winning the House majority last year that they would use their subpoena power to investigate foreign entities that did business with the family during Biden's time as vice president and during the Trump administration, including a specific focus on his son Hunter.

Hunter Biden's taxes and foreign business work are already under federal investigation, with a grand jury in Delaware reportedly due to make a charging decision in the next few months. And while Hunter Biden never held a position on the presidential campaign or in the White House, his membership on the board of a Ukrainian energy company and his efforts to strike deals in China have long raised questions about whether he traded on his father's public service, including reported references in his emails to the "big guy." Joe Biden has said he's never spoken to his son about his foreign business. And there are no indications that the federal investigation involves the president in any way. An attorney for Hunter Biden on Wednesday slammed years of Republicans' investigations as "chasing conspiracies." (Read more House Republicans stories.)
Its the annual rite of spring in Bonne Terre, when kids take their fishing poles and favorite bait to Lakeview Park for the Bonne Terre Chamber of Commerce Kids Fishing Derby. For Mark Homann, its his first community event as the new chamber director, since Leigha Heads last day was yesterday.

Leigha left everything so organized, Homann said. I hope I can fill her shoes. Im getting my feet on the ground, currently, and looking forward to the fishing tournament.

Saturdays fishing competition begins with registration at 7 a.m., then reeling in fish from 8-10 a.m., followed by an early lunch of free chips and hot dogs. Trophies and prizes will be given out. Kids 15 years old and younger can enter without a fishing license during the duration of the event. As soon as the horn blows and the event is over, though, a Missouri fishing license becomes necessary.

The chamber could still use some volunteers to help set up, clean up, register kids, fix lunch, measure and keep track of fish caught during the derby from, 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Anyone who can volunteer should email the chamber at btchamberofcommerce@yahoo.com

I want as many kids and families as possible to come out and enjoy the day. I think it's a great way for families to spend time together and for kids to either pick up a new skill in fishing or build on the skills they already have.

I always like to find ways for young people to connect with nature and other places and things beyond electronics, like the outdoors. Its so positive for kids, especially when families are involved.

And Homann knows a bit about what benefits or doesnt benefit kids, having retired in 2016 from almost 20 years working for Missouris Division of Youth Services. As a service coordinator  a fancy word for caseworker, he quipped  he wrote treatment plans, connected kids and families to services and residential treatment centers, and did his best to get at-risk youth reintegrated back in school.

I was always surprised at how many families had no connection to their community at all. They were not connected to a faith-based organization, they were not connected with any sort of civic organization like the Elks the Lions and Eagles or VFW, nothing like that, he said. No bowling leagues, not little league teams. Nothing. The more families are connected with their community  with things like this fishing derby  the better off they seem to be.

Kids who dont have a pole may find some luck at Bonne Terre Memorial Library, where they can check out fishing poles and tackle boxes. Trophies are usually given for most fish caught and for the biggest catch in three age groups: Up to age 6, ages 7 to 12, and ages 13 to 15. As long as the kid competitors can do a lot of the fishing on their own, theyre welcome to compete.

Volunteers will come around to measure the fish and count how many competitors caught.

More information can be found on the chambers website and Facebook page, or by calling the Bonne Terre Chamber of Commerce at 573-358-4000. The chambers Facebook page is facebook.com/BonneTerreChamberofCommerce.
Heather Armstrong, known as "queen of the mommy bloggers" at the height of her blogging career, died Tuesday at her home in Salt Lake City, her longtime partner Pete Ashdown said. She was 47. Ashdown told the AP that Armstrong died by suicide and that he found the body. He said she had been sober for 18 months but recently relapsed. Armstrong chronicled her struggles with alcoholism and depressionas well as the highs and lows of marriage and parenthoodat her Dooce.com website.

Armstrong's website had more than 8 million viewers a month in 2009, the year she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and published memoir "It Sucked and then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown and a Much Needed Margarita." Armstrong started the website in 2001, while she was working in the tech industry in Los Angeles, the New York Times reports. She was fired in 2002 for blogging about her companyspawning the term "dooced"and returned to Salt Lake City, Variety reports. Ads, sponsored posts, and speaking fees made her blog increasingly lucrative as the medium grew in popularity.

Fans expressed sadness Wednesday, though many said they had moved away from the blog in recent years, NBC reports. "It's shocking to hear Heather Armstrong died yesterday," tweeted author Roxane Gay. "Its hard to put into words just how influential she was to the blogosphere. I hope she is at peace, and that her children and loved ones are finding solace where they can." (If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.)
For the first time since Feb. 16, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein cast a vote in the Senate. Feinstein, who has been absent because of health issues, returned to the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, greeted at her car outside by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, NBC News reports. She did not answer questions but said she'll be working a lighter schedule, on her doctors' advice. "I'm still experiencing some side effects from the shingles virus," said Feinstein, 89, who used a wheelchair to get around the Capitol on Wednesday.

Democrats need her vote to push President Biden's judicial nominees to the full Senate that have been stuck in committee because Feinstein was gone. She'd asked to be temporarily replaced by another Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, but Republicans blocked the proposal. With a lighter schedule and remaining health problems, it's not clear Feinstein will make every committee and Senate vote, per the AP. When she's present, Democrats hold an 11-10 edge on the committee. Feinstein, the oldest senator, has said she intends to retire after next year. (Read more Dianne Feinstein stories.)
During a contentious CNN town hall Wednesday night, former President Trump dug in on his lies about the 2020 election, downplayed the violence of Jan. 6, 2021, and repeatedly insulted the woman whom a civil jury this week found him liable of sexually abusing and defaming, the AP reports. (He at one point referred to E. Jean Carroll as a "wack job," drawing laughter from the audience.) Trump, returning to the network after years of acrimony, also refused to say whether he wants Ukraine to win the war against Russian aggression and said the US might as well default on its debt obligation, despite the potentially devastating economic consequences.

The live, televised eventheld in early-voting New Hampshireunderscored the challenges of fact-checking Trump in real time. The former president was cheered on and applauded by an audience of Republican and unaffiliated voters who plan to vote in the GOP primary, as moderator Kaitlan Collins sometimes struggled to correct the record as Trump steamrolled with untrue statements. You are a nasty person, he snapped at her at one point. He repeatedly doubled down on his lies that the 2020 election had been rigged, even though state and federal election officials, his own campaign and White House aides, and dozens of courts, including Republican judges, have said there is no evidence to support his claims.

He also displayed no remorse for what happened on Jan. 6, when a mob of his supporters violently stormed the Capitol in a bid to halt the certification of Joe Biden's win. He excused his delayed response that dayhe was silent for more than three hours as the carnage unfoldedpulling out a printout of his tweeted timeline as a form of defense. Instead, he lashed out at the Black police officer who shot and killed rioter Ashli Babbitt, calling him a thug," despite a Justice Department finding that the shooting was justified. And he said he is inclined to pardon a large portion of the rioters charged in the attack. More than 670 people have been convicted of crimes related to that day, including some found guilty of seditious conspiracy or assaulting police officers.

Trump also rejected a suggestion that he apologize to his former vice president, Mike Pence, who was targeted by the mob after Trump wrongly insisted that Pence had the power to overturn the election results. I don't feel he was in any danger," he said. In fact, Trump said, Pence was the one who did something wrong. He would not commit to accepting the results of the next election, either, saying he would do so only if he feels its an honest electionas he said before the 2020 election. The difficulties of interviewing Trump live on air became immediately apparent, and as the evening wore on, Collins became more aggressive in trying to pin Trump down on specifics, trying half a dozen times to get him to say what he would do if a federal abortion ban were to reach his desk. He said that he would negotiate so people are happy. (CNN offered live updates here.)
Media outlets are warning of an impending "border crisis" (and the president himself is predicting some "chaos") as Title 42, the pandemic-era border policy that allowed officials to quickly expel migrants to Mexico, comes to an end. The BBC reports that's happening at 11:59pm Eastern time Thursday, and takes a look at El Paso, Texas, specifically in the run-up to that time: The city's mayor says that 10,000 migrants were "lined up at the border, waiting to come in," as record numbers of migrants are apprehended at the US-Mexico border. In the city, scores of migrants the outlet describes as "confused" about the coming rule changes are camping out on the streets. The AP reports there are "huge" numbers of migrants waiting at other border crossings as well.

The Biden administration plans to deny asylum to those seeking it if they haven't first applied online or seeking protection in a country they came through, and the changes to border policy are meant to both crack down on illegal crossings and also create new pathways for legal immigration. While some migrants were trying to cross before Title 42 expires, fearing the crackdown will make it more difficult to stay in the US after the new rule takes effect, more asylum-seekers are expected after the rule change. Either way, as the White House sent 1,500 active-duty troops to the border in advance of the rule change, Politico reports many took it as a sign the administration isn't prepared for the influx of migrants. "We are preparing for the unknown," El Paso's mayor says, per CNN. For more, Politico's explainer is helpful. (Read more US-Mexico border stories.)
The Utah realtor accused of fatally poisoning her husband, then writing a children's book about grief inspired by his death, told police that on the night her husband died in 2022 she had gone to sleep in one of their children's rooms because the child had a night terror, then woke up at 3am to find her husband "cold to the touch" in their bedroom. But, according to court records released Wednesday, police found evidence contradicting that on Kouri Richins' cellphone. She said she'd left the phone in the couple's bedroom, the records say, but police say they found she'd used it during the time she was supposedly asleep in the child's room: locking and unlocking it several times, moving around, and sending and receiving messages that were later deleted, NBC News reports.

The records reveal Eric Richins, 39, believed his wife of nine years had tried to poison him on at least two prior occasions, but that he stayed in the marriage for the sake of the couple's three young sons. His relatives told investigators Eric Richins had "warned them that if anything happened to him she was to blame," the court records say, and that he suspected she might try to murder him for money. The couple's relationship was contentious prior to Eric Richins' death, Fox News reports, and investigators say one big point of contention was a mansion Kouri Richins, a realtor, had been hired to sell. She wanted to buy it for $2 million but her husband thought it was too pricey, and his family says he was planning to tell her he wouldn't sign closing papers. Instead, she ended up signing them the day after his death.

The relatives also say Eric Richins had switched his power of attorney and the beneficiary of his life insurance policy from his wife to his sister prior to his death, and also took his wife off his will, as he started considering divorce. Now Kouri Richins is in a legal battle with his sister, as she claims a prenuptial agreement entitles her to her late husband's estate. (More on the alleged murder, as well as the alleged prior poisoning attempts, here.)
Supporters and detractors of former President Trump don't agree on much, but many on both sides believe the CNN town hall event Wednesday was a good night for him. During 70 minutes in front of a Trump-friendly audience in New Hampshire, Trump repeated his lies about the 2020 election being stolen and mocked E. Jean Carroll, the woman he was found liable for sexually abusing in a verdict Tuesday. Moderator Kaitlan Collins struggled at times to push back, which "underscored the challenges of fact-checking Trump in real time," the AP reports. Trump spoke through many attempts to interrupt him and called Collins a "nasty person" at one point.



"A primetime Trump rally." CNN "effectively gave America a primetime Trump rally with fewer people selling offensive T-shirts outside," writes Rex Huppke at USA Today. "And for anyone who grew weary of Trumps reflexive dishonesty and bullheaded cruelty while he was president, Wednesday night brought back nauseating memories, as well as a preview of how little has changed."

Collins was "put in a position to fail." CNN put Collins "in a room full of Trump supporters, who laughed at their cult leaders crass jokes and applauded his cheap insults," Mehdi Hasan writes at MSNBC. The network "put her in a position to fail" and the only way she could have "even semi-succeeded would have been if she had ignored the audience and the format entirely and instead tried to pin Trump down on each and every one of his false and offensive statements," he writes.

CNN put Collins "in a room full of Trump supporters, who laughed at their cult leaders crass jokes and applauded his cheap insults," Mehdi Hasan writes at MSNBC. The network "put her in a position to fail" and the only way she could have "even semi-succeeded would have been if she had ignored the audience and the format entirely and instead tried to pin Trump down on each and every one of his false and offensive statements," he writes. Network, Collins never had control . Adam Gabbatt at the Guardian is one of many commentators who describe Trump as a "steamroller." Between 8pm and 9pm, Trump lied about "dozens of topics" and there was never a moment "when CNN or Collins had any semblance of control," he writes. "Trump lied about election fraud and about the January 6 insurrection. He obfuscated on trade tariffs and the aims of abortion advocates, and claimed, wrongly, that he had 'finished' the wall."

. Adam Gabbatt at the Guardian is one of many commentators who describe Trump as a "steamroller." Between 8pm and 9pm, Trump lied about "dozens of topics" and there was never a moment "when CNN or Collins had any semblance of control," he writes. "Trump lied about election fraud and about the January 6 insurrection. He obfuscated on trade tariffs and the aims of abortion advocates, and claimed, wrongly, that he had 'finished' the wall." CNN criticized . Viewers who criticized CNN included Amanda Carpenter, a former aide to Sen. Ted Cruz, the Wall Street Journal reports. "The problem is not Kaitlan Collins," she tweeted. "The problem is a media establishment and a Republican Party that is dedicated to normalizing a radical and dangerous political figure."

. Viewers who criticized CNN included Amanda Carpenter, a former aide to Sen. Ted Cruz, the Wall Street Journal reports. "The problem is not Kaitlan Collins," she tweeted. "The problem is a media establishment and a Republican Party that is dedicated to normalizing a radical and dangerous political figure." Trump "made all the right people mad." Bonchie at RedState says that while it's not clear that Trump did anything to help sway independent voters, for conservatives, what's "not arguable is that he managed to make all the right people mad," with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Lincoln Project founder Rick Wilson tweeting "hilarious meltdowns" during the event.

Bonchie at RedState says that while it's not clear that Trump did anything to help sway independent voters, for conservatives, what's "not arguable is that he managed to make all the right people mad," with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Lincoln Project founder Rick Wilson tweeting "hilarious meltdowns" during the event. Biden team was also cheering. President Biden's political team was "cheering along with the Republican audience," according to Shane Goldmacher and Maggie Haberman at the New York Times. On topics like Jan. 6 and abortion, his "answers played well in the hall but could all find their way into Democratic messaging in the next 18 months," they write.

(Read more Donald Trump stories.)
Irksome as they may be, there are existing loopholes allowing politicians to raise money for personal expenses, like fancy clothes. But George Santos didn't take advantage of them. Instead, he allegedly chose a route "so flagrant, so spectacularly dumb in both conception and execution" that federal law enforcement, too often forced to ignore abuses that "are either technically legal or occur in a gray area," decided they had an open-and-shut case, writes David Firestone of the New York Times' editorial board. Santos is accused of soliciting donations to a business he created, apparently called RedStone Strategies, while falsely telling donors that it was a tax-exempt social welfare organization, namely a 501(c)(4), that would buy TV ads for his campaign.

As Firestone explains, political operatives have long used 501(c)(4) organizations to legally "introduce dark money into politics." These groups "constitute one of the greatest abuses of the tax code and the campaign finance system, because they allow donors to give large amounts anonymously." They were "never supposed to be used for political purposes," but the IRS has allowed the practice, so long as politics isn't the group's main activity. Plenty of politicians get away with dubious spending by establishing a 501(c)(4) group, Firestone notes. They're not technically permitted to solicit money for the organization, but "the lack of federal enforcement means that candidates get away with solicitation all the time," he adds. Santos could have done the same.

He did not. "Nor did he use his so-called leadership PAC to raise money for personal expenses, which more sophisticated politicians do all the time to buy expensive clothes, luxury vacations, and country club memberships," Firestone writes. Instead, Santos allegedly called for donations to his business, then wired the contributions to his personal bank account. Or as Firestone puts it, "he just took the cash with all the finesse of a Long Island pump-and-dump operation, leaving a pathetically obvious paper trail for federal investigators to follow." UCLA law professor and campaign finance expert Rick Hasen puts it to Firestone this way: "What Santos [allegedly] did is as dumb as it gets." Firestone's full essay here. (Read more George Santos stories.)
"Connie" is not a particularly popular name in the US. But among a certain demographic, its popularity is off the charts: Asian-American women. Specifically, among Chinese-American women whose families watched Connie Chung as a pioneering TV journalist. Connie Wang, born in 1987, writes about the phenomenon she dubs "Generation Connie" in a New York Times essay that includes includes interviews with other Connies like herself, including Chung herself. "Asian American families from the late 1970s through the mid-90smostly Chinese, all new immigrantshad considered the futures of their newborn daughters and, inspired by one of the few familiar faces on their TVs, signed their own wishes, hopes and ambitions onto countless birth certificates in the form of a single name: Connie."

Wang first realized this when she went to the University of California Berkeley, typed "Connie" into a campus directory, and discovered that her name, one she always thought was unique to her, was actually "the story of a generation." In her interviews, one trait she found common among Generation Connie is that they had strong Chinese mothers, often who had to give up careers for menial jobs upon arriving in America. They wanted better for their daughters, and Chung was one of the few role models. As for the 76-year-old Chungfull name Constance Yu-Hwa Chungshe pronounces herself "flabbergasted" and "truly floored" to learn that she was such an inspiration. (Read the full essay, which includes a photo of 11 Connies, Chung included.)
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose arrest earlier this week sparked a wave of violence across the country, per the AP. Khan's backers danced in the streets outside the court building, celebrating the latest turn in the confrontation between the ex-premier and the current government. Amid days of clashes between protesters and police, the government had cracked down on Khan's supporters, arresting more than 2,000 in raids around the country. As the Supreme Court ruled Khan's arrest on Tuesday was illegal, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial urged Khan to appeal to his supporters to remain peaceful. The government had warned that freeing him would reward and encourage violence.

Though Khan was released from custody, he will be under the protection of security forces in the capital, Islamabad. He is to appear before the Islamabad High Court on Friday. Even for a nation accustomed to military takeovers and political crises, the week's turmoil has been remarkable. It echoed unrest that followed the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto during an election rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. Her supporters at the time, outraged by her killing, rampaged for days across Pakistan.

Khan, who was removed from office a year ago by a no-confidence vote in Parliament, faces multiple corruption charges in Pakistani courts. But his arrest was a startling, dramatic move: He was in court Tuesday for one set of charges, when anti-graft agents barged in, dragged him away, and shoved him into an armored vehicle in connection to another set of charges. In an address to the nation late Wednesday, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said Khan was arrested because of his involvement in corruption, and that there was evidence backing up these charges.

(Read more Pakistan stories.)
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
The North County High School Band will host its 9th Annual Car Show & Craft Fair on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Car Show registration starts at 8 a.m. and runs through the start of judging at 1 p.m. in the front parking lot of North County High School, 7151 Raider Rd. in Bonne Terre. The registration fee is $15 and the registration table will be inside the commons area. The awards ceremony will take place at about 2 p.m.

Dash Plaques will be given to the first 50 cars registered and all cars, trucks and tractors are welcome. There will be trophies for first place and runner-up in each class.

There will also be eight special awards for: Worst Car, Student, Best Paint, Best Engine, Best Interior, People's Choice- Motorcycle, People's Choice-Tractor, Best of Show.

Jeanne Spradling is a longtime organizer of North County band events, and she reminded people a craft fair is also happening.

We will also have craft fair vendors set up inside the high school commons area. We have a variety of vendors scheduled for Saturdays event with some booth space still available, she said. Booth spaces are $25 each. Vendor set-up is at 8 a.m. Anyone interested in participating in the craft fair can contact Spradling at 573-631-0428.

The Band Boosters will barbecue for the event. Pulled pork sandwich, hamburger and quarter-pound hot dog plates with sides like baked beans and slaw, Spradling listed. We will also offer french fries, nachos with cheese, chips, drinks, snow cones and desserts.

There will be raffle items and gift baskets set up for bid. The raffle tickets are $1, or 6 for $5. There will be a 50/50 drawing and attendance prizes awarded throughout the day and during the awards ceremony.

The North County Jazz Bands will perform throughout the day, with the Middle School Jazz Band playing 9:45 to 10:15 a.m.; Jazz Lab Band 10:30-11:15 a.m. and Jazz Ensemble 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Spradling said the band and band boosters would like to thank this years sponsors: STL Mustang, Kevin Ball Auto Body, Curtis Glass, Mineral Area Fine Arts Academy, Dominos, Marler Music Center, First State Community Bank, Keen Performance & Auto Body, Chads Tire & Auto, Herrells Meat Market of Imperial, K & H Transportation, Park Hills Chevrolet, Marlers Towing, Farmington Signs and Wraps and the North County Band Boosters.

This is the bands last fundraiser of this school year and proceeds will help with equipment purchases and needed instruments for the upcoming school year, Spradling said. The band and band boosters would like to thank the community and businesses that supported our fundraising efforts this year. the band will leave for their trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, at the end of May. This will be our first trip since the pandemic and the students are very excited for the opportunity to perform while on the trip. The bands last trip was in 2017 to Disney Florida.
According to a preliminary police report, a Leadington man reported his girlfriend had been missing since Sunday. Leadington Police Department Chief Jerry Hicks said anyone who has information on the whereabouts of Melinda Wilkinson can call Leadington Police through the non-emergency Central Dispatch number, 573-431-3131.

The Leadington police report notes Justin Mcgonigle reported his girlfriend had disappeared from general contact since Sunday. In the report, he indicated to police that her last message to him conveyed she was under severe emotional distress. A flyer notes a $1,000 reward for information leading to her recovery.

Wilkinson reportedly was last seen driving away in a 2017 Blue Hyundai Santa Fe, Missouri license plate CR3-J9G. She is described as female, 32, between 54 and 56, 125 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. A turtle tattoo is on her right ankle.

She has two children, a small child and a teenager.

Hicks said every effort is being made to get the word out to the public and to use all law enforcement tools available to locate Wilkinson.

This story will be updated as events warrant.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Reported by Tofoof AlMansoor

Only seven foreigners work for the Bahraini Ministry of Health, and they provide legal counsel, information systems development, and medicine quality assurance.

Health Minister Dr. Jalila Al Sayed reaffirmed this in her response to MP Mahdi Al Showaikh's parliamentary inquiry.

According to the minister, agreements made with non-Bahrainis are regarded as yearly contracts, and when a competent Bahraini employee becomes available to fill the post, the foreign employee's services are terminated after the agreement.

Following its objective to nationalise employment, the ministry employs competent Bahrainis in place of non-Bahrainians with the consent of its organisational structure.

The ministry is now educating and developing Bahrainis to take the place of non-Bahrainis in the second tier for legal specialisations.

Dr. Al Sayed reaffirmed her unwavering dedication to giving citizens first preference in the workplace whenever eligible Bahraini cadres are available to fill open posts. When a suitable Bahraini employee becomes available, the ministry, as part of its objective to nationalise jobs, frequently assesses occupations and seeks to terminate the contracts of non-Bahraini employees.

Several contracts have already been cancelled, and actions are being taken to educate and certify Bahraini workers to take the place of the current non-Bahraini workers. All employment is anticipated to become nationalised.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Zahra Ayaz

Every year during the month of May, Bahrain participates in a nationwide effort to address the stigma and spread awareness about mental health.

Mental health is as important as our physical health, visiting the psychiatrist would be the last thing you reward yourself with when you feel stressed out.

Whether or not someone personally suffers from a mental health issue, Mental Health Awareness Month helps people recognise the way mental illness impacts their lives, educates people about available services, and highlights ways to advocate.

To increase citizens awareness of the significance of mental health, many psychological specialists and consultants from the Kingdom spoke to The Daily Tribune.

Psychiatrist Dr Hamda Alnashmi at Bahrain Specialist Hospital, said: Ive seen people who lost their jobs and their marriages due to delay in seeking help, either out of fear of being stigmatised or because they mistakenly believed that their traits were ingrained in them from birth.

In addition to being multifactorial, mental illness can also be brought on by chronic medical conditions like obesity, diabetes, cancer, strokes, and alcohol abuse.

The solution is simply to choose a psychiatrist who would understand you and guide you through your journey of healing.

Dr Noor Yasser, a clinical administrator for special needs at American Mission Hospital, said: Lets bring more awareness to not only mental health for adults but for children too, more and more children are being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, as well as alarming rates of suicide.

We need to be able to openly talk about mental health and well-being and break stigmas in society about seeking help, there is no shame in being vulnerable and asking for support.

Dr Sama Gouda, a consultant neurosurgeon at Middle East Hospital, said: Simply giving someone space to talk and listening to how theyre feeling, can be helpful in itself.

If theyre finding it difficult, let them know that youre there when they are ready.

Seeking help can feel lonely, and sometimes scary. You can reassure someone by letting them know that they are not alone and that you will be there to help. If possible, take time each day to be with your family and friends, for example, try arranging a fixed time to eat dinner together.
AFP | Kano

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Fifteen children drowned and 25 others were missing when their overloaded boat capsized in a river in northwest Nigeria, a local official said yesterday.

The children were on their way from Dundeji village in Sokoto State to collect firewood in the bush on Tuesday on the other side of Shagari river when their boat sank, Aliyu Abubakar, local administrator of Shagari district, said.

We woke up to a tragedy yesterday morning, where a boat carrying children capsized mid-river, Abubakar told AFP. Fifteen bodies, 13 girls and two boys, were recovered by local rescue teams and buried in the village, said the official, who supervised the rescue operation.

River accidents are frequent in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, poor maintenance, heavy flooding in rainy season and disregard of safety regulations.

Divers were working in the Shagari river late on Tuesday searching for more of the children.

In April last year, 29 children from nearby Gidan Magana village in Sokoto drowned in the same river when their vessel capsized while they were also on their way to fetch firewood for their families.

During massive flooding in rainy season in December, at least 76 people drowned when their boat went down in a swollen river in southeast Anambra State.
Japan and South Korea have agreed to link their radar via a US system. This is to share real-time information on North Korea's ballistic missile.

Japan, South Korea and United States plan to reach an agreement on the sidelines of an Asean defense Summit to be held in Singapore early next year. According to reports, South Korea will form a group with Japan and United States to share information about North Korea's missiles. Ties between Japan and South Korea have warmed in recent months in the face of the North Korean threat and with North Korea launching ballistic missiles at an unprecedented Pace in the past year the three countries in November.
Hiroshima, the venue of the 2023 G7 summit. From its beautiful landscapes, welcoming climate, and historic cultural institutions to its long history of traditional performing arts and crafts, this Setouchi area is home to many things symbolizing Japanese culture.

Furthermore, in various parts of Japan where the G7 ministerial meetings are held, you will have an opportunity to discover the charms of Japanese culture through the diverse programs of the Japan Cultural Expo 2.0, which include exhibitions, performing arts, and art festivals. We hope you will experience Japanese culture and arts, along with the appeal of traditional crafts, at the 2023 G7 Summit, its related ministerial meetings, and the upcoming Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
A meeting was held this week by Japan's House of Councilors Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense. Among the topics discussed: tattoos.

Japanese society has traditionally taken a dim view of tattoos, due to their long historical association with the yakuza, Japan's organized crime syndicates. However, Liberal Democratic Party member Masahisa Sato, a former member of Japan's Self-Defense Forces and one of the five directors of the committee, thinks the SDF could do with a softening of its stance against inked body art.

Currently, candidates looking to enlist in the SDF have their applications rejected if they have tattoos. Sato feels there are two problems with this policy. Japans low birth rate means that the countrys population is shrinking and aging, leaving a smaller and smaller pool of citizens who are within the feasible age range for active SDF service. Further cutting down that candidate pool by dismissing applicants out of hand for having tattoos is only making the situation more difficult, Sato asserts. Rejecting applicants for having tattoos presents a problem in terms of bolstering our number of enlisted personnel. ...continue reading
Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, speaks on the Senate floor on Feb. 27, 2023 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

The Missouri Senate remained bogged down in GOP infighting Wednesday night, with conservatives for the third day in a row blocking or slowing legislative action while time ticked down towards Friday adjournment.

Leading the effort was Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, who spent much of Wednesday blocking an uncontroversial hemp bill by reading an anti-vaccine book aloud.

Among a list of bills the conservative senators are demanding, Moon wants the House to approve legislation he sponsored that would increase the tax credit for newborn children. It passed unanimously out of the Senate in March, but several amendments were added in the House, including an income tax cut and corporate tax cut.

But while Moon continued his filibuster, the House adjourned for the night without taking a vote on the bill. An hour later, the Senate stopped as well, recessing until Thursday morning.

Moons bill originally applied a deduction to any unborn child, but it was amended to be restricted to children who are already born.

The bill allows taxpayers to claim a $2,400 exemption for each child to whom the taxpayer gave birth that year. Thats double the $1,200 exemption which tax filers typically receive yearly for each dependent.

During House hearings, testimony in support included the Missouri Baptist Convention and other anti-abortion groups.

The House added several other tax credits and deductions, including a reduction on corporate income tax. The latest fiscal note estimated the bill would reduce general revenue by over $1.5 billion.

One provision cuts the individual income tax, accelerating a reduction approved last year. Under last years plan, the top income tax rate was reduced from 5.3% to 4.95%, with four additional cuts, to 4.5%, triggered by future revenue growth.

As part of the changes added to Moons bill, the top rate would drop to 4.5% immediately, at the start of 2024, with additional cuts taking it to 4.05%. That would decrease state revenue by about $500 million annually.

Democrats, when this provision was heard in another bill in March, said a tax cut  coming on top of a tax cut approved in September that has not been fully implemented  would put the state into a potentially precarious financial position.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, has also expressed reservations about passing another tax cut so soon after lawmakers approved the largest income tax cut in the states history.

The proposed corporate tax cut would reduce the rate from 4% to 2%. This provision would reduce revenues by about $355 million annually, with the potential for additional cuts.

If implemented, the corporate tax cut would be the second in less than five years.

The bill also includes a property tax credit for senior citizens, alters motor fuel tax deductions, increases deductions from retirement benefits and repeals the law that requires dog owners to pay a tax.

After two years of Senate gridlock causing the chamber to adjourn early, Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, predicted last week that the 2023 sessions final days would be much smoother.

But simmering tension boiled over Monday, when Moon blocked all action in retribution for the Senate approving a postpartum Medicaid bill days earlier while he was absent dealing with a family illness.

He returned Tuesday and once again slowed down proceedings. He was assisted at times by other senators who made up the now-defunct conservative caucus, each of whom had a list of bills they wanted approved in order to allow the chamber to function normally.

Moon wanted the House to approve a ban on certain medical procedures for transgender minors, which it did Wednesday morning. But he also wants his tax credit bill, and continued holding the Senate floor into Wednesday evening.

Also assisting Moon on Wednesday was Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, who complained of what he described as a lack of action on conservative priorities during the session. He said it wasnt until Wednesday that legislators passed a priority bill of constituents that had responded to a Twitter poll.

Only a few members remained on the floor as GOP senators discussed a variety of issues, some unrelated to the bills at hand.

The Senate was stuck on a bill that modified a regulation on industrial hemp and had a myriad of agricultural amendments tacked on in the House. The bill didnt matter, though. Moon had expressed his intent to hold up proceedings prior to Wednesday.

Earlier Wednesday, it was Hough who prevented a bill from passing.

The Senate began the day with a bill that would streamline the payments for Missouri K-12 students enrolled in virtual school programs.

Hough proposed an amendment to the bill, which originated in the House, to restrict eligibility only to virtual programs based in the United States. He said it was similar to legislation prohibiting foreign entities from owning Missouri farm land.

After nearly two hours of discussion, the bill was set aside.

The Independents Rudi Keller and Jason Hancock contributed to this story.
HARTFORD  After years of working at a political consulting firm, Matt Hennessy was interested in getting back into public service but was waiting for the right opportunity.

Seeing what he calls a "crisis" in Hartford's pension fund, he believes he found the right opportunity and is running for Hartford treasurer. Hennessy said he looked at the city's pension fund and was "shocked" with the lack of funding. That ultimately motivated him to join the race.

"I said, 'Look, there's a crisis here,'" he said. "And this might be a place where I can help based on my experience. And I know how city government operates. And I know how the financing operates. And I thought this would be an opportunity to help end the crisis and put a major, major financial facet of the city's business back on the right track."

Hennessy is currently the managing director of Tremont Public Advisors, a consulting firm. He has worked there for the past decade and prior to that served as the chief of staff for former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez. He said he would not have entered the treasurer's race if he'd looked at the city's finance numbers and found them encouraging or acceptable, but now becomes the second person to enter the treasurer's race.

Hennessy will run against incumbent Treasurer Carmen Sierra, who was appointed last year after former Treasurer Adam Cloud resigned. Sierra, who previously had worked under Cloud in the Treasurer's office, is running for her first full term in the position. Both Hennessy and Sierra are Democrats, and the primary will take place in September before the general election in November.

A Hartford resident who has lived in the West End for the last 30 years, Hennessy had a brief campaign for City Council before he became chief of staff, but has never held elected office. He said he's focused on educating Hartford voters about the pension fund and how it will affect everyday people in the capital city.

Hennessy said he looked at the pension fund and saw that it was only 63 percent funded, with a deficit of about $600 million. His campaign will focus on fixing that, he said, and also using the pension fund to invest in corporations and entities that meet Hartford's values as a city. He said this week that he would adopt a series of reforms recommended in a report from Yale School of Management professors Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian to stabilize the pension plan.

"The reason that this is important is because it doesn't just affect the 3,700 retirees if the pension fund fails," he said. "It affects everything the city does, because that money is going to have to be siphoned off to fix the problem in the pension. And the longer the problem festers, the results are going to have a dramatic impact on public safety, on schools, on infrastructure."
(Ad) I am Dr. Paul Beran and I was hired last summer by the Board of Trustees for the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities system to be the Interim President for Western Connecticut State University. I bring 20 years of experience as a university president or state system head of higher education to my task of helping WCSU adjust to maximize efficiency and effectiveness so that it will continue to be a local Institution of Choice for the residents it serves in western Connecticut for many years to come.

Recently a rumor has started that Western Connecticut State University is in danger of closing.

I assure you that a shutdown of Western Connecticut State University is not being planned. This conversation started as a political scare tactic during difficult budget negotiations. At NO TIME have I been asked by anyone, officially or unofficially, to draft any kind of plan to shut down Western Connecticut State University. This university is the central core of quality and affordable higher education in western Connecticut, and it makes no political or economic sense to shut it down.

State budget negotiations are difficult and contentious, and not because political leaders believe WCSU is no longer a viable university. The source of funding public entities and services is finite, so the discussions on spending require compromise, and the many parts of state government that will receive funding are arguing for their maximum portion.

I am confident that the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities system and its continued support for WCSU is understood. Western Connecticut State University pumps well over $300 million a year into the regions economy. Failing to recognize this fact and thus causing serious negative economic impact by eliminating or significantly underfunding WCSU is not a politically or economically viable move.

That positive financial impact to Connecticut is in addition to Western Connecticut State Universitys main mission of educating students for the 21st century to be successful professionals and active, engaged citizens. WCSU graduates contribute to Connecticuts prosperity as teachers and educational leaders; as entrepreneurs and innovators in business, industry and science; as public servants including police officers, lawyers, nurses, accountants, public health professionals and nonprofit organization managers; as professional artists in visual and performing arts  these examples are just a sampling. Western Connecticut State University has been and continues to be dedicated to helping people from Connecticut to succeed as professionals and citizens.

Before this legislative budget session, Western Connecticut State University was already working to strengthen our financial standing, enroll more students, and better support our students with services and accommodations.

We are listening to students and to the employers who hire our students to learn which programs are most productive so we can concentrate resources where they will have the greatest benefit. At the same time, we will continue to ensure that every student who graduates from WCSU has the foundation to be a contributing citizen, so we will continue to teach students to question, to process complex ideas, and to be active and engaged learners and thinkers.

Like all of you, I am concerned that current budget proposals do not provide the necessary funding for public higher education in Connecticut. Budget negotiations are indeed challenging, and WCSU will probably have to adjust for leaner times along with other public institutions in the state.

However, I can tell you that during the many conversations I have had with leaders in the legislature, the governors office, and the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities system, no one wants to or is planning to close this university.

I was hired as interim president to address the universitys fiscal condition and to stabilize enrollment. The changes that faculty, staff and administration are putting in place for the 2023-24 academic year are designed to lower costs through long-term efficiency and maintain or slightly increase student headcount. As the Interim President I promise to continue leading those efforts  and to succeed  so that Western Connecticut State University is strong and vibrant for another 120 years.

Sincerely,

Dr. Paul B. Beran

Interim President

Western Connecticut State University
Ukraine War, Desperate Times Lead to Surge in Summer Bible Camps

75,000 vulnerable children, orphans expected to attend Bible camps across former Soviet Union during 'summer of suffering'





'HUGGING HANDS,' GOD'S EMBRACE: Amid war and turmoil, Slavic Gospel Association (SGA, www.sga.org) expects more than 800 local evangelical churches partnering with the Illinois-based ministry to run summer Bible camps in Ukraine, Russia and neighboring countries this year, hosting a total of 75,000 orphans and vulnerable children



NEWS PROVIDED BY

Slavic Gospel Association (SGA)

May 11, 2023



LOVES PARK, Ill., May 11, 2023 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Ukraine war and growing desperation in hard times are driving a surge in the number of children expected to flock to Bible camps this summer across the former Soviet Union, a region once steeped in atheism.



Amid fears the Ukraine conflict could escalate at any moment, Illinois-based Slavic Gospel Association (SGA, www.sga.org) says it expects more than 800 local evangelical churches partnering with the ministry to run summer Bible camps in Ukraine, Russia and neighboring countries this year, hosting a total of 75,000 orphans and vulnerable children.



"Amid war, upheaval, hunger and growing poverty, children and their parents are desperate for hope in what otherwise could be a summer of suffering and struggle," said SGA president Michael Johnson.



'Amazing' Response to Gospel

Last year, as a result of more than 700 summer Bible camps held in 10 countries, Johnson said more than 7,000 children decided to follow Christ and more than 11,000 said they wanted to start going to church -- double the previous year.



In Ukraine, Bible camps took place last summer in the war zone. When attack sirens went off, children took cover until the all-clear was given.



"Many children are from non-Christian homes where poverty, hunger and alcoholism are common, and they've never heard the Gospel before," Johnson said. "As they hear about Christ's love for the first time and experience the genuine care of local Christians, the response is amazing. Thousands are receiving the Gospel, joining local churches, and being baptized."



Rayana in Kazakhstan explained how a church summer camp changed her life. She grew up in an orphanage, feeling unwanted. At Bible camp, she discovered that God and local Christians actually loved her.



"Christian camps are different, because children change, and the truths affect their hearts," said Rayana, who now shares God's love with a new generation of unwanted and neglected children. "Nowadays, it's very difficult to talk about Christ in the orphanages. At the Bible camps (we) can do much more."



'Hugging Hands,' God's Embrace

Olya also grew up in an orphanage in Kazakhstan. "Every child in orphanages receives a mental trauma," she said. "They become insecure, withdrawn, closed off and unhappy."



When Olya went to an SGA-supported Bible camp, she felt people cared about her for the first time in her life. Local church volunteers showed Olya that Christ "gives his love to all children who lack hugging hands."



"Camp reminded us of one real, loving family," she said. "Children form ideas about how to live with each other, respect each other, love each other. All this helps children to create families in the future, to care and love the way we were loved by our (camp leaders)."



Eager Evangelists

Once they've experienced this "loving family," children are eager to share their experience and new hope with others.



In Belarus, Pastor Alexander recalls how Danik, a seven-year-old boy at camp, left his friends playing games to tell passersby "God loves people... (and) is always there." The young evangelist invited them all to church, and more new people came that month than ever before.



"This is a beautiful affirmation of the work God is doing in the midst of all the turmoil and war," Johnson said.



Founded in 1934, Slavic Gospel Association (SGA, www.sga.org) helps "forgotten" orphans, widows and families in Ukraine, Russia, the former Soviet countries of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Russian-speaking immigrants in Israel  caring for their physical needs and sharing the life-transforming Gospel. SGA supports an extensive grassroots network of local evangelical missionary pastors and churches in cities and rural villages across this vast region.



SOURCE Slavic Gospel Association



CONTACT: Matti Stevenson, 719-360-0586, mstevenson@inchristcommunications.com




Merrique Jenson is the founder and executive director of Transformations KC, a nonprofit organization which supports and advocates for trans women of color (Chase Castor/The Beacon).

Four years ago, a viral video showed two Kansas City police officers slamming a Black transgender woman, Brianna BB Hill, onto the sidewalk, kneeling on her in the face, torso and ribs and forcing her cuffed hands above her head.

In the time since, the officers pleaded guilty to third-degree assault. And Hill was shot to death in an unrelated encounter. At the time of her death, she was the third documented trans woman to be murdered in Kansas City in 2019, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

In the wake of her assault and homicide, transgender activists continue to remember Hill and cite her story as a source of their mistrust with police.

Theres a much larger system in place with KCPD not listening to Black and Latino community members, said Merrique Jenson, the founder and executive director of Transformations KC, which supports and advocates for trans women of color.

Police officials told The Beacon they are taking steps to build trust with the LGBTQ+ community, including elevating a liaison position from part-time to full-time and reviewing the departments policies dealing with transgender and nonbinary citizens to see if they should be updated.

Brianna BB Hill

In May 2019, police were called to a beauty supply store at 1319 E. Brush Creek Parkway. Details are unclear, but the owner wanted Hill off of the premises.

Hill was at the front of the store when now-former KCPD officers Matthew Brummett and Charles Prichard arrived at the scene. They arrested Hill and slammed her to the ground.

So Im at home and my phone rings. Its BB, said Kris Wade, the founder of the Justice Project, an organization that supports and advocates for vulnerable women, including trans women of color who may live or work in the streets.

Hill, a longtime client, was calling from University Health Truman Medical Center.

She said, Miss Kris, you need to come down here and take pictures. And I said, Well, what happened? And she goes, I got beat up, Wade said.

I go in there and she is beat to hell.

The officers had issued Hill citations for resistance, trespassing, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the prosecutors office. She spent time in a holding cell before making her way to the hospital.

Prichard and Brummett were sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation in 2022. They had to surrender their peace officers licenses, and neither can serve in law enforcement in Missouri again.

While the sentencing of the two officers was a small win for the trans community, many still felt the officers were let off easy.

I knew that the community was going to be disappointed because they werent going to prison, said Wade, who testified in the court case. Because theyre thinking, if we did this, we would have gone to prison.

Dangers posed to trans women of color

Hill was one of at least 27 trans individuals to be killed nationwide that year alone. This year, The Human Rights Campaign has documented 10 trans murders so far.

The risks to trans and queer individuals of color in Kansas City, which includes the murders of Dionte Greene in 2014 and Tamara Dominguez in 2015, inspired Jenson to form Transformations KC in 2016.

After arriving in Kansas City in 2014, Jenson organized a community roundtable that included representatives from KCPD and families of trans and queer murder victims.

According to Jenson, the encounter did not go well. Families felt the police brushed off their concerns.

These situations continue to show a pattern, she said. We see that not only do the police not take it seriously, and not want to actually listen to the concernsif anything, the communitys kind of gaslit.

Trans women, especially trans women of color, are more than four times as likely as cisgender people to become the victim of a violent crime.

Some resort to prostitution for financial stability due to job discrimination and a host of other factors.

A lot of us were sex workers because a lot of us didnt have adequate education due to moving out at an early age or running away from home, said Kelly Nou, a board member of Transformations KC. She is a first-generation Cambodian-American immigrant who has lived in Kansas City since she was young and transitioned over 20 years ago.

Kelly Nou, a board member of Transformations KC, is a first-generation Cambodian-American immigrant who transitioned over 20 years ago (Chase Castor/The Beacon).

Nou ran away from home as a youth and had to turn to sex work to support herself. And while she has been able to escape that life, she has lost many sisters to the violences of sexual exploitation.

Everyday life is very dangerous for some because when youre doing sex work, you dont know what type of man you encounter, she said.

The ongoing safety concerns are compounded by governments in Missouri and Kansas, which are creating a hostile environment with efforts aimed at restricting trans people from certain accommodations and limiting their access to gender-affirming therapy, Jenson said.

Turning the page with KCPD

The decision by the Jackson County Prosecutors Office to prosecute Brummett and Prichard over their treatment of Hill created friction with KCPD. They argued, for one thing, over the police departments refusal to provide essential documents.

Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said she is hoping for a more cooperative relationship with Chief Stacey Graves, who was sworn in almost five months ago.

I am working hard to turn the page with this new police chief, she said. The community deserves that.

Already, the new KCPD administration has taken steps to improve its relationship with LGBTQ+ communities.

Alex Saragusa, the departments LGBTQ+ liaison officer, said Graves quickly elevated his part-time position to a full-time post.

As part of his role, Saragusa serves on the citys Human Rights Commission as the hate and bias crime chairperson, and connects with advocates on trans issues.

The department has announced plans to participate in the AIDS Walk this year  a first in the walks 35-year history. And it will staff a booth at the KC PrideFest in June.

Also for pride month, KCPD is planning a genderless self-defense course. And Saragusa is working with LGBTQ+ bars on recognizing and reporting viable threats and being prepared in case of a shooter or other incidents.

While reviewing its procedures for dealing with citizens who are LGBTQ+, the department is already rolling out training for current and future officers, Saragusa said. It includes a curriculum on proper pronoun usage.

Jenson commended the departments new leadership for those steps but said even more work needs to be done.

The KCPD, or KC in general, has a history of using people of color and queer and trans folks to create a sort of performance, she said. In the words of my sisters, we call them stunt queens.

Jenson said white trans persons usually are tapped to help craft policies for a diverse community.

Whenever I hear that an org or city department is having a training, my question is: Who is leading the training and what is their relationship with the org doing the training? she said.

She called for genuine relationship building among police officials and Kansas City trans women of color.

Jenson is organizing a June 7 town hall called Nothing for Us Without Us with city and police officials. It will take place at a location to be determined.

The people doing the work

In 2020, the Kansas City Council established an LGBTQ Commission to provide insight to city officials.

JD Bezares, a Latino trans man, serves as the housing commissioner. Bezares says the group is looking for more support.

Weve had some challenges with funding, he said. We dont have a budget line item in the citys budget, which is problematic because that puts all the work back on the folks that are being marginalized to figure things out, which is very typical. Something weve seen here in Kansas City is that a lot of people want us to work for free.

Melissa Kozakiewicz, an assistant city manager and the LGBTQ liasion for the city managers office, said the city does not fund any of its boards or commissions, whose role is primarily to provide guidance.

But Bezares warned of burnout among unpaid volunteers and said hed like to see more support from the City Council on long-range planning.

JD Bezares is a Latino trans man that serves as the housing commissioner for Kansas City Councils LGBTQ Commission (Chase Castor/The Beacon).

Nou, who has lived in Kansas City as a trans woman for two decades, said she has been called upon more frequently to contribute to conversations with city officials. She wants to see those opportunities opened up for more Kansas City trans women of color.

Ive never really been the center of any discussion, its always like white trans women that are being called, she said. So its good to see that recently that there was like me and Merrique being a part of this conversation, and other trans women of color.

Most of all, Nou wants to experience a larger sense of support, not just from city officials but from Kansas City as a whole. Trans people need allies in the face of hostile legislation in Jefferson City and Topeka, she said.

We definitely need love poured in, Nou said. Because these bills are just pushing hate on us and its pushing others to hate on us as well.

This article first appeared on The Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
An Idaho man who traveled to Washington in a car loaded with weapons and was photographed dangling from the Senate balcony during the Capitol riot was sentenced Wednesday to 15 months in prison.

Josiah Colt, one of the first rioters to reach the Senate floor on Jan. 6, 2021, later pleaded guilty that year to obstructing Congress' certification of Joe Biden's White House victory.

Also Wednesday, a man who accompanied Colt to the District of Columbia in a rental car with two pistols, knives, a stun gun, body armor and other gear was sentenced to about three years in prison, according to court records. Las Vegas resident Nathaniel DeGrave, who also entered the Senate gallery, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and assault charges last year.

Both men had agreed to cooperate with investigators as part of their plea deals.

Prosecutors say Colt, DeGrave and a third man, Ronald Sandlin, came to Washington prepared for violence and were intent on stopping lawmakers from certifying the results of the 2020 election as they joined the angry mob of then-President Donald Trump supporters in storming the Capitol.

On Dec. 31, 2020, the men had discussed in a Facebook chat a plan for shipping guns to Sandlins home in Tennessee. Days later, Sandlin posted on social media a photo of Colt, who was lying in bed with his eyes closed and holding a handgun, with the caption: My fellow patriot Josiah Colt sleeping ready for the boogaloo Jan 6th. Boogaloo is a term some extremists use to refer to a second civil war. Colt replied to the post, Ready for any battle, followed by a laughing emoji.

Colt, a 34-year-old from Meridian, Idaho, brought his pistol to a rally the day before the riot, but decided to leave it at a hotel on the morning of Jan. 6, authorities said. The three men watched on TV as Trump told his supporters in a speech before the riot to fight like hell or they were not going to have a country anymore.

After the riot erupted, the men entered the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace doors. They went to a hallway outside the Senate gallery, where Sandlin led a charge against police officers as Colt entered, according to prosecutors.

Colt shouted, This is our House! This is our country! This is for the people! before he jumped to the Senate floor. Sitting in a chair reserved for then-Vice President Mike Pence, as president of the Senate, Colt raised his fist as rioters cheered him on, prosecutors said. Colt opened a door and allowed dozens of other rioters to join him.

DeGrave, who carried a can of bear spray in his pocket, called on others on the Senate floor to take laptops, paperwork, take everything," according to court papers

Sandlin, of Millington, Tennessee, was sentenced in December to five years and three months in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and assault charges.

Colt's lawyers said in a court filing that Colt is a good person who made a series of very bad choices based on misinformation and the emotional oratory of a demagogue.

Prosecutors accused DeGrave of trying to capitalize on his participation in the attack by selling video footage of the riot to media outlets.

He has even profited off of his unlawful conduct on January 6 since being incarcerated  to the tune of over $120,000  by seeking donations on crowd-funding websites claiming that he is a political prisoner of a corrupt Biden regime, prosecutors wrote.

DeGrave's lawyer said in court papers that DeGrave regrets allowing himself to be drawn into the world of those claiming political persecution as a result of their actions on January 6."

"Nathaniel recognizes the intellectual dishonesty of admitting the criminality of his own conduct on January 6 on the one hand, and complaining about unfair treatment by the criminal justice system on the other," defense lawyer William Shipley added.

More than 1,000 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Nearly 500 of them have been sentenced, with more than half receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 14 years and two months.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NEW YORK (AP)  New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday that the death of Jordan Neely at the hands of a fellow subway rider was a tragedy that never should have happened and pledged to do more to help people experiencing mental health crises.

My heart goes out to Jordans family, who is suffering great pain and uncertainty about the circumstances of his death, said Adams, a former police officer who was criticized for his initial muted response to Neely's death.

Neely died on May 1 when U.S. Marine veteran Daniel Penny put him in a chokehold aboard a subway train in Manhattan.

The 30-year-old Neely was a former Michael Jackson impersonator who was well-known to city outreach workers who try to help unhoused people experiencing mental illness.

A freelance journalist who recorded video of Neely's final minutes said Neely had been screaming at other passengers but hadnt attacked anyone when Penny pulled him to the floor and pinned him. The video shows two other subway riders helping to hold Neely down.

Neely lost consciousness during the struggle and was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The medical examiners office ruled that Neely died in a homicide caused by compression of the neck but said the question of criminal culpability would be up to the legal system. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has promised a thorough investigation.

Penny, 24, said through his lawyers last week that he was only protecting himself after Neely threatened him and other passengers.

Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death, said his lawyers, Thomas Kenniff and Steven Raiser.

Protests have erupted in the days since Neely's death, with demonstrators demanding Penny's arrest.

Because Neely was Black and Penny is white, some see echoes of the nearly 40-year-old case of Bernhard Goetz, a white gunman who was convicted of a weapons offense after he shot four Black men on a subway train in 1984.

Adams' first response to the fatal encounter was to decline to condemn Penny and to reference the rights of subway riders to take action in certain situations.

I was a former transit police officer, and I responded to many jobs where you had a passenger assisting someone," Adams said after Neely's death was first reported.

Neelys family issued a statement earlier this week criticizing the mayors response.

The mayor has chosen a side, said Donte Mills, an attorney hired by Neelys aunt and father. For him to put that forward as an excuse for Mr. Penny is very irresponsible, its not acting in good faith as a mayor and its disrespectful to the family, who is suffering a loss.

Speaking in a livestream address from City Hall on Wednesday, Adams sought to counter the charge that he did not care about Neely. He noted that Neely shared a name with his own son, Jordan Coleman, and said all New Yorkers must work together to do more for our brothers and sisters struggling with serious mental illness.

A message seeking comment on Adams' speech was left with Mills, Neely's family's attorney.

Trying to steer mentally ill homeless people into shelter and treatment has been a priority for Adams, a Democrat, since he took office at the beginning of 2022.

Adams announced a plan in November to hospitalize some severely mentally ill people involuntarily, citing the city's "moral obligation to act.

That approach was criticized by some civil liberties advocates as too invasive, but Adams said Wednesday that the city has managed to bring many people in crisis to the hospital who desperately needed care in recent months.

In a statement responding to Adams' comments, the New York Civil Liberties Union said, We know that forcing anyone into treatment is a recipe for failure.

The organization added, "The mayor is right that there are more Jordan Neelys in our city. They deserve to get back on their feet, not be controlled, criminalized, or killed.

Adams urged New York state lawmakers to pass legislation that would smooth the path for getting homeless mentally ill people into treatment.

Neely was not the first member of his family to die violently. His mother, Christie Neely, disappeared in 2007 and her body was found stuffed in a suitcase in the Bronx.

Christie Neely's boyfriend was charged with strangling her, and Jordan Neely testified at the boyfriend's murder trial.

Neely's mental health began deteriorating at some point after that, and Adams said the young man interacted with many city agencies and community-based organizations and providers" over the years. Those efforts were not enough, and we must find ways to strengthen our system starting with investigation and accountability, Adams said.

Adams said he would bring together the leaders of the five organizations that contract with the city to provide homeless outreach services for a summit next week on improving outcomes for people with serious mental illness.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP)  A northern Virginia man arrested on terrorism charges has a husband-wife relationship with another American who was dubbed by authorities as an  empress of ISIS  for her work to establish an all-female battalion of the Islamic State, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Mohammed Chhipa, 33, of Springfield, Virginia, was arrested last week on charges that he provided support to a terrorist group. Prosecutors allege that he transferred nearly $200,000 in cryptocurrency, with some of that money traced back to the Islamic State, to support Chhipa's stated goal of helping smuggle female ISIS members from detention camps. Other funds remain unaccounted for.

At a detention hearing Wednesday, prosecutors also disclosed a relationship between Chhipa and Allison Fluke-Ekren, an American from Kansas who is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Fluke-Ekren pleaded guilty last year to organizing and leading the Khatiba Nusaybah, a battalion in which roughly 100 women and girls  some as young as 10  learned how to use automatic weapons and detonate grenades and suicide belts.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Aminoff told the judge that Chhipa considers himself to be married to Fluke-Ekren, although the marriage was apparently conducted online and has no legal status in the U.S. He said Chhipa, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from India, has been trying to adopt Fluke-Ekren's children.

Court documents in Fuke-Ekren's case do not mention Chhipa by name, but also indicate that Fluke-Ekren considered herself to be married to a man she met online. It is not clear that the two have ever met in person.

Whatever the relationship between Chhipa and Fluke-Ekren, the charges against Chhipa appear unrelated to that relationship. Prosecutors say that between November 2019 and July 2022, Chhipa used virtual currency to transfer more than $188,000 to accounts known and unknown. An FBI affidavit states that some money remains unaccounted for but that $18,000 went to wallets known to be used by ISIS women located in Syria, while $61,000 went to cryptocurrency wallets in Turkey. The affidavit states that money intended to arrive in Syria is often routed through Turkey.

The affidavit quotes text messages sent by Chhipa indicating he wanted the money to be used to bribe guards at detention camps where families of Islamic State fighters are still being held.

The affidavit says Chhipa also met with an FBI controlled persona  either an undercover agent or a confidential source  and accepted cash from the individual. Chhippa then transferred the money to Bitcoin and sent it directly to a known ISIS member, according to the affidavit.

Chhipa has been under investigation for years. Indeed, prosecutors say he fled to Egypt in August 2019, fearing he would be arrested after his home was raided. He was brought back to the U.S. after authorities contacted Interpol, but he was not charged until Monday. Prosecutors say Chhiipa continued to engage in illegal conduct after he returned to the U.S., even though he know he was drawing authorities' scrutiny.

Family members who attended Wednesday's hearing did not comment, but passed out a written statement supporting him. The statement described Chhipa as tirelessly working for the betterment of women and children and said he "has been targeted by false allegations.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John Anderson ruled at the conclusion of Wednesday's hearing that Chhipa should remain jailed while he awaits trial.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden's nominee to head the National Archives was confirmed Wednesday by the Senate after a months-long partisan battle over the agencys role in the investigation into sensitive documents seized at Donald Trumps Florida home.

Colleen Shogan, a political scientist, was confirmed as archivist of the United States in a 52-45 vote, gaining some bipartisan support after a nearly yearlong delay.

With a long career spanning work at institutions such as the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress and the White House Historical Association, Shogan has sought to assure senators she will not bring a partisan mindset to the job.

Shogan also stressed to Congress that she has not been briefed on the details or directly involved in the ongoing criminal investigations into Trump's handling of presidential records and more recently that of President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence.

But her nomination faced hostility from Senate Republicans, who have sought to portray her as a political actor for the left. During her confirmation hearing, they grilled Sogan about her past tweets and a recent whistleblower letter alleging that she created an abusive work environment at one of her former posts.

We are living through the political weaponization of the National Archives, the political weaponization of the Department of Justice, the political weaponization of the FBI, said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo, during her first confirmation hearing.

The classified documents investigation, which began last summer with the FBI search of Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort, has thrust the traditionally staid and low-profile National Archives into the public arena. It was the National Archives that set the probe in motion with a referral to the FBI after Trump returned 15 boxes of documents that contained dozens of records with classified markings.

Biden nominated Shogan just days before the FBI search after the last archivist, David Ferriero, announced his retirement last April. In explaining his decision to step away, Ferriero cited fears about the nations political trajectory after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Shogans roots in official Washington run deep. She began her career as a congressional aide for former Sen. Joe Lieberman, then worked her way up to a position with the Congressional Research Service, a scholarly operation that churns out nonpartisan analysis for lawmakers and their staff. Shogan also worked for a time at the Library of Congress.

Until her confirmation, Shogan was an executive at the White House Historical Association, where she worked under both the Trump and Biden administrations.

As the archivist, she will now take the helm of an agency that  despite the current political tumult  mostly works as a custodian of American history. The agency works to preserve the nations records, including treasured documents like the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and maintains a sprawling collection that spans 13 billion pages of text and 10 million maps, charts and drawings, as well as tens of millions of photographs, films and other records.

Beyond its work in Washington, the agency oversees 13 presidential libraries and 14 regional archives across the country. But despite the ever-growing volume of government documents since the Archives founding in 1934, the agencys budget has remained stagnant over the years.

Despite majority Republican opposition, Shogan was able to gain the support of three GOP senators, including her friend, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who introduced her during her first confirmation hearing. Capito has described Shogan as having the knowledge, experience, energy and depth of dedication to serve in this role.

Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins  notable centrists  also voted for Shogan.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  New Mexico and its Democratic governor are being sued over alleged failures to meet constitutional provisions for protecting against oil and gas pollution, a challenge that comes as the nation's No. 2 oil-producing state rides a wave of record revenue from drilling in one of the most prolific collection of oil fields in the world.

A coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday in state district court, marking the first time the state constitutions pollution-control clause has been the basis of such a legal claim. The 1971 amendment mandates that New Mexico prevent the despoilment of air, water and other natural resources.

The challenge comes as New Mexico rides a wave of record revenue from development in the Permian Basin, currently one of the worlds most productive oil-producing regions. Oil-related revenue collections have surged passed five-year averages to fund a considerable amount of the state's budget, including education and social programs.

Meanwhile, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration is policing the industry with regulations that target methane and other emissions. The goal is capturing 98% of all natural gas waste by the end of 2026, and drilling permits could be denied if operators fail to meet targets.

But the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups say these efforts are not enough and that the state is failing to enforce existing pollution-control measures.

They want oil and gas permitting to be suspended until the state implements "a statutory, regulatory and enforcement scheme that ensures the protection of New Mexico's beautiful and healthful environment, the lawsuit reads.

Lujan Grisham's office said Wednesday that her administration was proud of its record on the environment.

"Frankly, this is a misguided lawsuit that will only serve to distract the state from conducting additional work on environment and climate solutions and from enforcing the nationally leading regulations this administration fought hard to get on the books, said Caroline Sweeney, the governor's spokesperson.

The plaintiffs include the groups Indigenous Lifeways, Pueblo Action Alliance, Youth United for Climate Crisis Action and WildEarth Guardians.

The Pueblo Action Alliance is among the Native American groups that have been pushing for the U.S. Interior Department to stop drilling across a wide swath of land beyond the borders of Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico. Energy industry organizations have argued that the group is not in good standing with the Secretary of State's Office.

Efforts to stop oil and gas development in the Chaco area and in southeastern New Mexico have mostly been fought in federal court, with U.S. land management policies being the focus. Recent claims have centered on the Bureau of Land Management and whether the agency has been taking a cumulative look at the potential effects of permitting more wells.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday details the experiences of Navajo families in northwestern New Mexico, reciting many of the complaints that have been leveled previously in the fight over development outside of Chaco.

Concerns about the preservation of lands considered culturally significant by some Navajos and more distant pueblo communities are outlined in the lawsuit.

The groups and individual plaintiffs claim that the gathering of medicinal and ceremonial herbs is at risk from ground disturbance by developers and subsequent erosion. They also say the ability to enjoy their ancestral homelands is being compromised.

In southeastern New Mexico, plaintiffs point to truck traffic and poor air quality from the emissions of trucks, generators, compressors and other equipment running continuously in the oil fields.

New Mexico's pollution-control clause was adopted after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1971, the same year state lawmakers adopted other environmental protection measures. At the time, the modern environmental movement was taking shape nationally.

While New Mexico's clause has been on the books for nearly 50 years, lawyers for the plaintiffs say it has never been tested.

Gail Evans, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity and lead counsel on the case, called it a fundamental human right to have clean air, land and water.

If concern for our environment and public health wont push New Mexicos leaders to control the reckless oil and gas industry, we hope legal action will, she said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 AP Show More Show Less 3 of 3





MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP)  A registered sex offender in Florida has been arrested on charges that he voted illegally in the November 2020 election.

Louis Palmieri, 77, of Melbourne, was charged Tuesday with false affirmation in connection with an election and voting by an unqualified elector, both third-degree felonies, according to Brevard County jail records. Melbourne is on the Atlantic coast, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) southeast of Orlando.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP)  Tunisian authorities opened an investigation Wednesday into a shooting attack at a synagogue that killed two Jewish pilgrims and three members of the country's security forces. The motive of the gunman, whom guards killed before he could enter the building on the island of Djerba, remained unclear.

The island's historic Ghriba synagogue, thought to be one of the worlds oldest Jewish temples, is a popular pilgrimage destination, but it was unknown if the assailant, a member of the Tunisian National Guard, specifically targeted Jews in Tuesday's attack.

The death toll from the attack rose to five Wednesday when a police guard who was hospitalized in the immediate aftermath died of his wounds, according to a medical official cited by Tunisia's TAP news agency. Four other members of Tunisia's security forces remain hospitalized in Djerba, including one in critical condition.

The chair of the synagogue's committee, Perez Trabelsi, was in the house of worship during the attack and told The Associated Press of his terror when the sound of the cartridges broke out.

I was scared, as were most of the people gathered in the oukala, a large space adjacent to the synagogue. Everyone was panicked. Many took refuge in the rooms for fear of being hit by the shots that came from outside, he said.

The synagogue attracted more pilgrims this year  around 6,000 people from the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and beyond  than it had for some time, Trabelsi said. He said he was saddened that the pilgrimage to the site that is revered in Judaism was spoiled by those who wish Tunisia harm.

Israeli and Tunisian authorities and family members identified the civilian victims as cousins: Aviel Haddad, 30, who held dual Tunisian and Israeli citizenship, and Benjamin Haddad, 42, who was French. Four civilians were also wounded, the Tunisian Interior Ministry said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was sorry to hear that two members of our people were killed in Djerba. On behalf of myself and the government of Israel, I send condolences from the bottom of my heart to the families of the murdered, he said in a statement.

The assailant, a guardsman affiliated with the naval center in the island's port town of Aghir, first killed a colleague with his service weapon before seizing ammunition and heading toward the Ghriba synagogue, the Tunisian Interior ministry said.

When he reached the site, he opened fire on security units stationed at the temple. The guards fired back, killing him before he reached the entrance, the ministry said.

Jews have lived on Djerba, a picturesque island off the southern coast of Tunisia, since 500 B.C. The first Jewish arrivals were said to have brought a stone from the ancient temple of Jerusalem that was destroyed by the Babylonians.

The stone is kept in a grotto at the synagogue. Women and children descend into the grotto to place eggs scrawled with wishful messages on them.

Djerbas Jewish population is one of North Africas biggest, although in recent years it declined to 1,500, down from 100,000 in the 1960s.

Most left following the 1967 war between Israel and Arab countries, and the economic policies adopted by the government in the late 1960s also drove away many Jewish business owners.

Djerba, a dusty island of palm trees and olive groves, lures hundreds of thousands of tourists every year  mainly Germans and French  for its sandy beaches and rich history. The Ghriba synagogue itself, said to date to 586 B.C., once drew up to 2,000 visitors per day, Jewish leaders have said.

The French Foreign Ministry expressed its deep sadness at the attack. In a statement, the ministry paid tribute to the rapid intervention of the Tunisian security forces and stands by Tunisia to continue the fight against antisemitism and all forms of fanaticism.

Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli noted that unfortunately, the incident was preceded by a tense period of shouts and harassment of the Jewish community at the site, according to his office.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke with Tunis Chief Rabbi Haim Bitan, and told him that Israel stands alongside the community in this difficult hour. He said he instructed ministry officials to provide all needed aid. Israel and Tunisia dont have formal diplomatic relations.

The European Jewish Congress expressed its shock and outrage.

Terror attacks continue to target Jews around the world even when they are gathered in prayer, as we know from countless experiences over the years including at this very synagogue, Congress President Ariel Muzicant said in a statement.

Former Tourism Minister Rene Trabelsi told Tunisian radio station Mosaique FM that he was at the Ghriba synagogue with family members during the attack. He described the place as almost empty because most visitors had already left the site.

The shooting was heavy and the attacker tried to enter the synagogue compound, he said. The counterterrorism officers, who were extremely professional, quickly blocked all exits. A carnage was thus avoided.

Aviel Haddads sister, Rona, told Israels Kan public radio that the entire family had immigrated to Israel from Tunisia, and that her brother, a jeweler, traveled to Djerba frequently.

She said that she and her family tried unsuccessfully for hours after the attack to contact him and later learned the news through family friends. She said the family intended to bury her brother in Israel.

The president of the Israelite Consistory of the southern French city of Marseille, Michel Cohen-Tenoudji, said Benjamin Haddad, a father of four, was a well-known, very active member of the local Jewish community.

He was running a kosher bakery in the city center and was known for offering Shabbat bread to people in need, Cohen-Tenoudji told French media. The family is devastated. On a personal level, I feel indignation, horror and sorrow.

In 2002, a truck bombing killed about 20 people at the entrance to the same temple during the annual Jewish pilgrimage. Al-Qaida claimed that attack, whose victims included German and French tourists as well as Tunisians.

In 2015, an attack in Tunisia at the Mediterranean resort of Sousse killed 38 people, mostly British tourists. The Islamic State group claimed the attack, along with attacks that year on the famed Bardo Museum in the capital Tunis and on a bus carrying presidential guards.

___ Thomas Adamson reported from Paris. Sylvie Corbet in Paris, and Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem, contributed to this story.
A former Massachusetts police officer who reportedly participated in the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, has been decertified by the states police standards board, meaning he can no longer work in law enforcement, according to state records.

Documents made public Monday by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission indicate that former Woburn Officer John Donnelly entered into a voluntary decertification agreement on April 13, which was signed by the commissions chair on April 21.

His name will also be included in a national database of decertified officers, according to the records. Its the first time the commission has decertified an officer.

The Woburn Police Department opened an internal investigation into Donnelly in October after HuffPost.com reported his participation in the deadly Unite the Right rally, where Heather Heyer died after a car driven by white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr. plowed through a crowd of counterprotesters. Fields is serving a life sentence for murder and malicious wounding convictions.

Woburns police chief in a statement in October said Donnellys alleged role at the rally was in direct opposition to the core values of the Woburn Police Department, to serve all members of our community equally and treat them with dignity and respect.

Donnelly, a reserve officer at the time of the Charlottesville rally, resigned before the internal investigation was completed.

A listed cellphone number for Donnelly, who was also a real estate agent, was not in service. His attorney, Leigh Panettiere, said she had no comment when reached by telephone on Tuesday.

According to state law, once decertified, no law enforcement agency, nor a sheriff, nor the executive office of public safety nor any entity thereunder shall employ him in any capacity, including but not limited to, as a consultant or independent contractor.

Under the voluntary decertification, there is no admission that the allegations he faced were true.

The panel, known as the POST Commission, was created in 2020 partially in response to nationwide calls for police reform following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Norway, N.Y.  A Herkimer County woman was arrested after farm animals found on her property were not being properly cared for and were in grave condition, troopers said.

On Tuesday, state police assisted an animal cruelty officer at 3403 Military Road in the town of Norway, according to a news release Wednesday from the state police. They were called to the home to check on animals who troopers said were being hoarded and abused.

Authorities searched the property and found goats, donkeys, and cows housed by a woman attempting to care for the animals, troopers said. The woman, Lorraine A. Rose, 60, of Norway, became overwhelmed trying to take care of them, they said.

Troopers said Rose willingly surrendered over 80 goats to the Pause 4 All Paws Animal Rescue.

Rose was charged with five counts of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals and failure to provide proper sustenance, a misdemeanor.

The investigation is ongoing.

A woman was arrested for animal cruelty after she became overwhelmed with taking care of her farm animals, including over 80 goats, troopers said. Animals on her property were said to not be cared for and in grave condition. (Photo Provided by state police)

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
Nuscale Power is working with South Korea Doosan Enerbility Co., Ltd. (Doosan) and Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM) to work together and support NuScales small modular reactor (SMR) deployment. This highlights the domestic and global manufacturing opportunities to build SMRs around the world.

This is part of the development of a global supply chain, and Doosan and NuScale commit to strengthening their cooperation to deploy NuScale VOYGR plants globally. Specifically, Doosan committed to helping establish a US-based supply chain for NuScale Power Module production through capacity expansion and manufacturing technology advancement.

South Korea GS Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Uljin County in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, to consider the use of NuScale Powers small modular reactor (SMR) technology to provide heat and power to the planned Uljin Nuclear Hydrogen National Industrial Complex.

GS Energy and Nuscale will work on a feasibility study for the construction of a NuScale VOYGR-6 SMR power plant within the Nuclear Hydrogen National Industrial Complex. They will also cooperate in supplying electricity and heat to the complex and involve partner companies in the project.

Uljin County plans to build an SMR plant with six NuScale SMR modules. Construction of the SMR plant would begin in 2028, considering that it is projected to take about five years to receive approval for its construction from the Korean government. It is expected to be completed by 2030 when the industrial park is scheduled to open. Once the SMR plant is completed, GS Energy will operate it.

Construction of the KRW400 billion (USD300 million) Uljin Nuclear Hydrogen National Industrial Complex in Ulchin began in 2022 as part of South Koreas efforts to promote hydrogen as a future energy source and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The Korean government plans to build national industrial complexes to foster high-tech industries such as semiconductors, future mobilities and robots in 14 regions across the country in addition to the worlds largest semiconductor cluster planned in the Seoul metropolitan area.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The Meat King Farms, a New Haven-based supermarket, has signed an agreement with CTown Supermakets, in which the Westchester County, N.Y.-base supermarket chain will be responsible for procuring the grocery items for the independently-owned store at 664 Grand Avenue.

Hernando Cepeda, store manager of the The Meat King Farms store in New Haven, said the distribution agreement with CTown and its corporate parent Krasdale Foods was signed about two weeks ago. The store will now be known as The Meat King by CTown, but will continue to be owned by Orlando and Fernando Cepeda, who opened the New Haven store in Dec. 2020.

"We've expanded the store and we wanted to add more items to help our customers continue to save money," Hernando Cepeda said Wednesday. "We kept The Meat King name because that's what we are known for. But by affiliating with CTown, we're able to make sure we have all the items that our customers want and need at prices they can afford."

Meat King Farms moved into this space that for 60 years had been operated by Ferraro's Market, whose primary focus was selling meat and seafoods. Ferraro's moved into the North Haven Commons shopping center into space located next to Target.

Mike Piscitelli, New Haven's economic development administrator, said the expansion of The Meat King location has taken place gradually over the past two years and that the affiliation with CTown and Krasdale made sense.

"With their expanded offerings and additional shelf space, it's important for them to have a strong and reliable distributor," Piscitelli said.

The Meat King by CTown will hold a grand opening on May 20 to celebrate its new affiliation.

Wayne Pesce, president of the Connecticut Food Association trade group, said Krasdale is a company that provides distribution, marketing, advertising and buying for independent grocers. In addition to CTown, store brands that Krasdale operates or does business with include Bravo, Aim, Market Fresh, Shop Smart Food Markets and Stop 1 Food Mart.

"Krasdale is providing them (The Meat King) with better products, better distribution as well as better marketing and advertising," Pesce said. "But at the end of the day, this store is still locally owned."

The agreement with CTown re-establishes the brand in New Haven.

There had been two CTown locations in the city until late February, when the independently-owned supermarkets switched affiliation to Key Foods. Those stores are in the city's Fair Haven neighborhood at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Ferry Street and near Kimberly Square in New Haven's Hill neighborhood.

"They have expanded the Kimberly Square location, which has been really beneficial to customers in that area of the city," Piscitelli said.

Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Key Foods is a cooperative of independently owned grocery stores. It has been expanding its presence in Connecticut, adding stores in East Hartford and Hartford since late 2020 in addition to the two New Haven locations.

"People in Connecticut may not be familiar with the Key Foods names, but people who live in the five boroughs of New York City sure do," Pesce said.
MILFORD  A California woman who sued fast food giant Subway for allegedly false advertising of its tuna products wants to end the lawsuit because of pregnancy-related health issues, while Subway is seeking a dismissal that would include sanctions against the plaintiff.

The plaintiff, Nilima Amin, has filed since January 2021 several complaints that dispute the 100 percent tuna assertions of Subway, which is jointly headquartered in Milford and Miami. But she said that she can no longer focus on the litigation, as she grapples with health issues related to being pregnant with her third child. She is now seeking to dismiss the case without prejudice, an action that would make it possible for her to file another complaint based on the same claims.

I have decided that it is best not to move forward with my case and request that court dismiss this action, Amin said in a declaration in support of her motion to dismiss the lawsuit that was filed April 20 in the U.S. District Court for Northern California. This is because I did not experience such severe morning sickness or nausea and related issues during my first or second pregnancy. As such, it remains difficult for me to predict what impact my current pregnancy will continue to have on my health. Likewise, it is difficult for me to foresee my capacity to comply with litigation-related deadlines and I need to focus on my family and children, as well as my unborn child.

Subway, which has denied Amins allegations, registered its opposition to her motion in a May 4 filing, asserting that Amins lack of diligence and disregard for the rules warrants dismissal with prejudice, an outcome that would prevent her from filing another complaint based on the same claims.

Plaintiffs attorneys claim that their request for dismissal is justified because their client is experiencing morning sickness and is unable to proceed with the litigation, Subway said in its filing. But counsels excuse does not pass the straight-face test. If their clients morning sickness were truly the reason they could not proceed with this litigation, counsel could have simply asked Subway to agree to (or the court to issue) a modified schedule to accommodate their clients pregnancy. They never made any such request.

Subway is seeking, as a condition of dismissal, a court requirement for Amin to pay its attorneys fees and costs. From January 2021 until last month, Subway incurred a total of about $499,000 in attorneys fees, about $87,000 in experts' fees and nearly $32,000 in other costs, for a total of nearly $618,000, according to a May 4 filing submitted by one of its lawyers.

Unless there are consequences for the plaintiffs counsels litigation tactics, this kind of behavior will never stop, Subway also said in its filing. On top of the considerable and unnecessary expense of litigation, the reckless allegations made in this lawsuit caused a media frenzy that severely harmed Subway, its individual franchisees and the Subway brand. Inter alia, Subway had to invest substantial resources to fight the misinformation that the plaintiff and her counsel knowingly propagated to Subways tremendous detriment.

Among earlier rulings, the judge handling the case decided last July that Amin could file another amended complaint. At the same time, he dismissed with prejudice the claims of another plaintiff, who had joined Amin in the lawsuit.

Although it is possible that Subways explanations are the correct ones, it is also possible that these allegations refer to ingredients that a reasonable consumer would not reasonably expect to find in a tuna product, Judge Jon Tigar said in that ruling. He also permitted Amin to keep trying to prove that Subways products wholly lack tuna.

Even if the court accepted Subways statement that all non-tuna DNA must be caused by cross-contact with other Subway ingredients, it still would not dismiss the complaint on this basis, Tigar said. Whether, and to what extent, a reasonable consumer expects cross-contact between various Subway ingredients is a question of fact.

Tigar rejected, however, the lawsuits argument that a reasonable consumer would expect a tuna salad, sandwich or wrap to contain 100 percent tuna and nothing else. He asserted that consumers would understand that, given the well-known facts of life, such products would likely also contain non-tuna ingredients.

Between 2013 and 2019, Amin ordered, purchased and consumed over 100 tuna products from Subway restaurants, particularly one in Palo Alto, Calif., according to her lawsuit. She ordered those offerings for health and weight-loss purposes, the lawsuit said.

Subways website includes a tuna facts page, in which it asserts that it uses wild-caught skipjack tuna regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. A favorite among sub lovers, our tuna is and always has been high-quality, premium and 100 percent real.

As one of the worlds largest fast food providers, Subway has approximately 37,000 restaurants, including more than 20,000 in the U.S. But amid a number of headwinds such as declining profit margins for franchisees, its number of restaurants in the U.S. decreased last year by nearly 600 locations.
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP)  A metallic object that punched a hole in the roof of a central New Jersey home this week, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom, was a meteorite, experts announced Thursday.

Scientists with The College of New Jersey determined the 6-by-4-inch object, which weighs about 2.2 pounds, is a rare stony chondrite meteorite. They came to that conclusion after conducting a visual examination, making density measurements and scanning electron microscope images. They were assisted in their work by Jerry Delaney, a retired meteorite expert from Rutgers University and the American Museum of Natural History.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NEW HAVEN  It is still too early for any nuptials or galas, but the transformation of a portion of the former Townsend estate to a wedding/event venue on the East Shore has taken another step forward as the new owners continue upgrades and clear an administrative hurdle.

The Board of Zoning Appeals granted a special exception for the proposed use of the three-story mansion on the 26.5-acre site for banquets, meetings and other social events as defined in the new RS-3 zone approved by the Board of Alders earlier this year.

This is the first phase of implementing the purpose of the Special Heritage Mixed Use Zoning District as it applies to 701 and 709 Townsend Ave.

As defined in the ordinance, indoor use of the 1804 mansion will be permitted year-round, while outdoor functions can take place from May through October, running no later than 11 p.m. with amplified music cut off at 10 p.m. An outdoor tent for events also may be used.

The events will accommodate 150 guests and up to an estimated 20 workers.

The owners, Chuck and Marcella Mascola, longtime East Shore residents, and Salvatore Marottoli of Branford, operating as East Shore Partners LLC, bought the estate in October 2021 for $2.6 million.

The owners also envision construction of between 40 and 60 single-family residences on the property at some point, but this was not part of the BZA matter.

"Everything is going remarkably well," Chuck Mascola said, with 90 percent of the interior work finished at the mansion and the exterior infrastructure work next on the agenda.

There also will be a paint job with a "creamy" white color chosen for the house, according to Marcella Mascola, and black forest green for the shutters, doors and mullions. Expanded landscaping is planned around the front entrance.

"We are making forward progress. We are pretty excited," Chuck Mascola said.

The longer-term plan is to reuse the caretaker's house, which is among nine outbuildings behind the mansion

While the Townsend family, who occupied the property for eight generations, more recently had planned to demolish the accessory buildings, Mascola said they have consulted with the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Trust to find ways to keep them.

Details of the mansion show a first floor with a lounge, study, two parlors, new handicap accessible bathrooms, a kitchen, serving area and patio. There will be a groom's suite, bridal sitting room and office on the second floor.

The bedrooms upstairs will not be in use as that would require handicap access.

Mark Arigoni of SLR Consulting in Cheshire said the plan is to redo the sidewalks around the building as well as create a path to a seasonal tent that will be erected to the rear of the property.

He said the intent is to keep the flow of traffic along the existing driveway with some modifications for safer movement. There will continue to be two access drives off Townsend with one serving as the primary entrance to a drop-off site.

The owners are proposing a gravel or pervious parking area at the northern end of the property at Raynham Hill Drive which will adhere to state and city stormwater guidelines. At completion of the project, there will be 96 parking spaces, four of which will be handicap accessible and closer to the facility.

Arigoni said the lighting plan will be formally detailed in a site plan when it goes before the City Plan Commission. He said it will be dark sky compliant with no light shed off the property.

Carl Giordano of SLR, in his traffic study, said they looked at Townsend Avenue at Raynham Road, Raynham Hill Drive and each of the side driveways and said the project will not have a negative impact on Townsend. He said they used state Department of Transportation guidelines to gauge traffic on an A to F level of service.. Giordano said today it is A and B and will remain so with the addition of the event facility.

Several members of the public commented at the public hearing portion of the meeting.

Matt Naclerio, who lives close to the site, felt the materials available to the public on the city zoning site were inadequate and he wanted the hearing tabled. He questioned why other city officials had not weighed in.

Attorney Marjorie Shansky, who represented the owners, said when the full site plan review is before City Plan, other city departments will comment. She said all the buildings on the property are subject to the fire and building codes.

Gabriella Campos said she was very supportive of activating the estate for public use but she was concerned about the proposed parking configuration and suggested diagonal spaces off Raynham Road. She said the parking should also be more incorporated onto the site and not arranged as one large lot.

Lynn Bonnet, however, worried that angled parking might make it difficult to access the Raynham Hill condos. While one person from the condos said she never got the required notification from the BZA, another resident said she did. Several letters of support were also sent to the BZA.

The new zoning amendment also applies to 725 and 745 Townsend Ave., which is part of the estate. The new rules were established to provide protection and flexibility for large parcels historically used to support single-family homes, as well as agricultural uses, while also emphasizing historic preservation and a limited hospitality function.
NORWALK  Laoise King, chief of staff for Mayor Harry Rilling, is departing to become a deputy commissioner for the state Department of Transportation, officials said.

King, a former Common Council candidate and member of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, was hired in 2016. She previously held roles in the office of former New Haven Mayor John DeStefano and the United Way of Greater New Haven, according to officials. As his chief of staff, Rilling said King has helped to recruit and hire diverse employees and establish new city departments.

"While Laoise King's decision is a significant loss for the city, I am happy for her in taking this next step in her career, where I know she will flourish and continue to use her dynamic and impressive skillset to make a lasting impact in communities across (the state), Rilling wrote in a statement.

In addition to King, the Department of Transportation is also adding Karen Kitsis, who works for a network of regional transit systems in Washington State, to its senior leadership team, according to officials.

Karen and Laoise bring significant experience to our team and will complement our already incredible leadership team well, DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said in a statement.

Our new deputy commissioners will be a much-needed support to our team, and help ensure we can complete more work, and best serve our residents, Eucalitto added.

King and Kitsis will start their new jobs in June, officials said.

"Having Laoise as my chief of staff has been a true blessing for me, and the City of Norwalk," Rilling said. "Through our shared vision, she has made her mark on Norwalk, trying to lead the city forward and keeping it the place where people want to come and live and work and play."

King was born in Ireland to American parents, raised in Saugatuck and went to college at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, graduating in 1995. She received her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 1999, according to her LinkedIn page, and is licensed to practice law in Connecticut, New York and Colorado. Her duties in DeStefanos office included advising the then-mayor on public policy matters and assisting his chief of staff with running the citys day-to-day operations, officials said.

In his statement, Rilling said he has already begun to assemble a search committee to find a replacement for King.

But, he said, someone will need big shoes to fill her role.
A child custody dispute earlier this week outside a residence near Lake Louisa led to a fatal shooting.

Louisa County investigators say that 29-year-old Louisa County resident Alex Daniel Brown was killed by gunfire Tuesday afternoon. 36-year old David Allen Branham of Madison County was arrested later that day for the shooting.

Branham and and Brown were involved in a Madison-based child-custody dispute, according to the Louisa County Sheriffs Office.

Detective Chuck Love says that around 3:20 p.m deputies were summoned around to a shots-fired report in the 700 block of South Lakeshore Drive, which is the road that hugs the southern banks of Lake Louisa. Love said that the investigation showed that Branham initially opened fire into a vehicle occupied by several people and that Brown emerged from the vehicle only to be fatally injured by additional gunfire.

The victim was able to exit the vehicle, and it went from there, Love told the Daily Progress.

Witness accounts led investigators to Branham, who was charged with second degree murder in the death of Brown and a charge of attempted malicious wounding for firing into the occupied vehicle, said Love. He said that additional charges against Branham are pending.

All these individuals were familiar with each other  not a random act, said Love.

Branham was taken to Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange, where he is being held without bail. Court records do not yet indicate an attorney for Branham, who is slated to appear in Louisa General District Court on May 16.

A previous version of the story incorrectly placed the scene of the shooting as Lake Anna.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

DANBURY  In a terrifying moment when he was abducted and interrogated by armed militiamen who thought he was a spy, 18-year-old Thomas Saadi thought, This is it.

I thought someone was going to put a bullet in my head, said Saadi, who at 53 is one of Danburys favorite sons as well as a new state Superior Court judge. That experience taught me that when there is a collapse of the rule of law in society, anything can happen  good or bad  and this was bad.

Saadis harrowing account of that summer day when he was dragged at gunpoint off a bus in Beirut struck his longtime friends who had heard the story previously as he recounted it during his confirmation process in Hartford. And it served as a cautionary tale about why an independent judiciary is so important in democracy.

During the interrogation, one of the militiamen connected Saadis name to one of Saadis politically connected relatives in Lebanon who was aligned with the same militia, and the gunmen let Thomas Saadi and his cousins go.

The reason I got out of there was because I had connections, Saadi told Hearst Connecticut Media on Tuesday. "But the dispensing of justice should be fair and equal regardless of political affiliations or connections.

It is too soon to say where Saadi will be assigned to begin his eight-year term as a state Superior Court judge. Hell have to complete at least four weeks of orientation about the Connecticut court system before he is assigned to a location and given jurisdiction over a docket, such as family court or civil cases.

I am going to do my best to be diligent in my work and render good decisions in a timely manner, said Saadi, who was confirmed unanimously by the state House and Senate last week. Whoever is front of me I will treat with fairness and equality.

Saadis confirmation represents the latest chapter in the story of a Western Connecticut State University graduate who was the states veterans affairs commissioner for five years until he resigned last week to serve on the bench.

The short version of Saadis life story as a first-generation Lebanese-American is he was able to honor his heritage and live the American dream because Danbury is such a wonderfully diverse city  I love that diversity, he told Hearst Connecticut Media in 2021, when he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

It was because Saadis parents wanted him to value his heritage that he spent summers in Lebanon with relatives at a time in the late 1980s when civil war hostilities made the country a dangerous place.

There Saadi was in the summer of his 18th year, taking pictures with his cousins near the fighting at the so-called green line that divided mostly Muslim western Beirut from the Christian majority in east.

Saadi had just gotten back onto the bus to take them to a safer neighborhood when the ordeal began.

Two vehicles cut the bus off and two men in plainclothes jumped onto the bus with guns drawn and one of them yelled in Arabic, Who has the camera? Saadi recounted the story during an interview on Tuesday. I thought it was a case of mistaken identity, so I said, I do.

What happened next Saadi said hell never forget.

He grabbed my arm and put a pistol to the side of my head and dragged me off the bus and threw me into the car, said Saadi, adding that his cousins were put in another car and they were driven to a barracks.

They started the verbal interrogation  and I thought to myself, This is it, said Saadi.

But Saadi was released  and destiny had other plans. He went on to get his law degree from Quinnipiac University and worked for 15 years as a Connecticut assistant attorney general and a special prosecutor, among other assignments.

As a judge, Saadi will carry out a public service distinct from his time on Danburys City Council, where he served as the Democratic minority leader, and from his time as the states top veterans affairs official.

Im not going to be taking public positions on issues as I did in the past  and I feel that constraint is appropriate  that is what you want, Saadi said. I have seen what happens in other settings where there is a lack of constraints  where judges take political positions or show favoritism to a political interest.

In his new role as a judge, you can still bring personal life experience to work, Saadi said. So long as it doesnt improperly influence the dispensing of justice.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. Abrams tanks needed for training Ukrainian forces have arrived in Germany slightly ahead of schedule and are on their way to the Grafenwoehr Army base where the training will begin in two to three weeks, U.S. officials said Thursday.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee that the U.S. had moved a number of tanks over into theater so the Ukrainians could begin training on them. By the time they complete the training, expected to last about 10 weeks, the Abrams tanks currently being built for the Ukrainian forces will be ready, he said.

A U.S. official said the 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks needed for the training arrived at the port in Bremerhaven, Germany, last weekend and they will get to the base by early this coming week. Their arrival at Grafenwoehr is a couple of weeks ahead of the schedule that was mapped out when military leaders from around Europe and elsewhere met in Germany last month to discuss Ukraine's needs for the war against Russia.

The tanks the U.S. is providing Ukraine are being built to its militarys specifications and will get to Ukraine by early fall, just as the troops are finished with their instruction. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of the delivery not publicly released.

The tank training will be the latest and most lethal new layer of combat instruction the U.S. is providing Ukraines troops to give them the best chance to overwhelm and punch through Russias battle lines. Over the past few months U.S. troops have trained more than 8,800 Ukrainians, including on how to use Stryker and Bradley fighting vehicles and M109 Paladins together on the battlefield. The Bradleys and Strykers are armored and armed vehicles used to ferry troops, and the Paladin is a self-propelled howitzer gun.

During Thursday's hearing, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, pressed Austin to move quickly to get the tanks into Ukrainian troops' hands and onto the battlefield.

We are doing everything possible to accelerate the delivery of these tanks, and early fall is a projection," Austin said.

Collins and others noted the urgency of the fight in Ukraine, and she told Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to be blunt about Ukraine's needs. Defense leaders should not let budget concerns dissuade them from seeking more weapons if thats what Kyiv needs to be successful in a counteroffensive, said Collins, the ranking Republican on the panel.

It is critical that the administration provide Ukraine with what it needs in time to defend and take back its sovereign territory, she said. We expect the administration not to wait until the 11th hour if the Ukrainians seek more before the end of the fiscal year.

Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., noting the broader implications of the war, questioned Milley on the impact a Russian victory could have on China and its deliberations on whether to move to take the self-governing island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims.

I think that the Chinese are watching the war between Russia and Ukraine very carefully, Milley said, adding that if Russian President Vladimir Putin succeeds, China will learn certain lessons."

It may not be the single decisive point, but I think it will calculate into their decision-making process as to whether or not they attack to seize the island of Taiwan. So I think the outcome of Ukraine is critical to much broader issues than just Ukraine, Milley said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NEW YORK (AP)  CNN is facing a backlash over its town hall featuring former President Donald Trump, an event that swiftly turned chaotic in a stark display of the tightrope facing journalists covering a leading 2024 Republican candidate who refuses to play by the rules.

The town hall Wednesday was the first major television event of the 2024 presidential campaign, and CNN defended its decision to hold it as a chance to put Trump in front of a wider audience, outside of the conservative media bubble he has largely kept to since early in his presidency.

Critics said the event, which was staged in front of Republicans and unaffiliated voters who were expected to vote in the GOP primary, instead turned into a Trump campaign rally and allowed him to repeat longstanding falsehoods while dodging difficult questions

Tom Jones, a senior writer at the media research institute Poynter, said he had favored the idea of CNN holding the town hall at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire. But he said he was surprised by the conduct of the audience, which he had expected to be more neutral.

Instead, the crowd gave Trump a standing ovation when he walked onstage, applauded some of his most provocative comments and laughed at many of his quips, including when he criticized E. Jean Carroll, the advice columnist who accused him of raping her in 1996 and this week won a $5 million judgment against him.

Jones said the atmosphere put CNN's moderator, Kaitlan Collins, in an almost impossible position as she tried to elicit straightforward answers from Trump and fact-check his comments about the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol by his supporters and the 2020 election, which he still falsely insists he won.

Whenever she might have had him cornered, he was built up by the audience, Jones said. It just emboldened him. He realized, I can do or say anything I want, and she got steamrolled at that point through no fault of her own. It was her against the entire room."

The event was indicative of the new era of leadership at CNN and managements efforts to lure back viewers who turned to Fox News and other conservative outlets over the past decade.

At a Thursday morning meeting at CNN, Chairman and CEO Chris Licht praised Collins masterful performance, saying she asked tough questions in difficult circumstances.

If someone was going to ask tough questions and have that messy conversation, that damn well should be on CNN, he said in a recording of the meeting obtained by The Associated Press.

He also defended the decision to hold the town hall before a Trump-friendly crowd.

While we all may have been uncomfortable hearing people clapping, that was also an important part of the story, because the people in that audience represent a large swath of America, Licht said. And the mistake the media made in the past is ignoring that those people exist. Just like you cannot ignore that President Trump exists.

The event did widen CNN's audience, at least for a night. Nielson said the town hall averaged 3.3 million viewers, compared to the 707,000 who tuned in to CNN during the same time slot a night earlier.

But Jones said he was skeptical that the town hall would help CNN's reputation in the long term, given the backlash. He noted that most of the network's post-event commentary was highly critical of Trump, likely alienating conservative viewers who had tuned in just to watch the former president.

Nick Arama, a writer for the conservative website RedState.com, criticized CNN's Gary Tuchman, who spoke with some of the audience members after Trump's appearance, saying he didn't act as much like a moderator trying to get their opinion as a Democratic propagandist trying to impose his own opinion on them.

Meanwhile, critics from the left were unsparing, saying CNN should have predicted how chaotic the event would be.

CNN should be ashamed of themselves. They have lost total control of this town hall to again be manipulated into platforming election disinformation, defenses of Jan. 6th and a public attack on a sexual abuse victim. The audience is cheering him on and laughing at the host, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of New York, wrote in a tweet.

Frank Sesno, a former CNN Washington bureau chief now at George Washington University, said the event was a harbinger of the difficult coverage decisions every news organization needs to wrestle with because Donald Trump is not a normal candidate.

You cant ignore him, but you cant give him carte blanche either, he said.

A one-on-one interview would have been preferable, though whether Trump would have agreed to that is a different question, said Sesno, who added that he saw value in allowing Trump to speak to a broader audience, including many people who might have mostly tuned him out in recent years.

Sesno noted that although Trump supporters delighted in his performance, Republican critics, including New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, seized on it to to press their concerns about the former president's ability to win a national election.

As chaotic and weird as the event was, I as a journalist think its important for people to see this, he said.

___

Associated Press writer Wyatte Grantham-Philips contributed to this report.
HELSINKI (AP)  Latvias long-serving and popular foreign minister, who is a staunch Ukraine-backer, said Thursday that he would be running as a candidate in the Baltic countrys presidential election later this month.

The surprise announcement from Edgars Rinkevics, Latvias top diplomat since 2011, came a day after President Egils Levits said he wouldnt seek reelection for another four-year term in the mostly ceremonial post.

My professional experience, competence and education make it possible to strengthen ... the office of the president and to unite Latvian society for a common goal: for Latvia to be a safe, internationally respected and sustainable country, Rinkevics said in a statement.

The 100-seat Saeima, Latvias Parliament, will elect a new head of state in a vote on May 31 from an array of candidates proposed by parties.

Rinkevics New Unity party said Thursday it unanimously supported the candidacy of the 49-year-old civil servant who has served - among other posts - as as high-ranking defense ministry official and worked as a journalist with Latvian Radio in the 1990s.

The party, led by Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, said in a statement that a firm stance on strengthening external and internal security, trans-Atlantic ties, Western democracy and the Latvian language were decisive issues that led to the decision to support Rinkevics in the presidential race.

In addition, New Unity said that his helping Ukraine and uniting the international community against Russian aggression in Ukraine was a strong merit for Rinkevics in the Baltic country of 1.9 million that is Russias neighbor and has a sizable ethnic-Russian minority.

It was considered all but certain that Levits, Latvias president since 2019, would seek reelection. But he announced late Wednesday that he was disappointed that parties in Karins coalition government havent been able to agree on a joint candidate, and said he wouldn't run in such a situation.

Latvias presidency is largely a ceremonial post and the head of state acts mainly as an opinion leader and uniting figure in the country where almost a third of residents speak Russian. The head of state represents Latvia abroad, acts as the supreme commander of the armed forces and can veto laws, among other things.
Fort Erie will welcome post-secondary technology and trades students for the first time this fall.

It is all thanks to a new partnership between Sheridan College and the Canadian College of Technology and Trades (CCTT); a fully accredited, designated learning institution, which will bring two diploma programs to the community.

The program will see several hundred students from Southeast and East Asian countries, including Vietnam, Philippines, South Korea, and China study at CCTTs existing facility, The Fort Erie International Academy (formerly Fort Erie Secondary School) on Tait Avenue.

The two-year diploma programs include Mechanical Technician  Computer Numerical Control and Precision Machining, and Welding and Fabrication Technician.

It is the first time Sheridan has partnered with a private college.

The partnership was celebrated during an informal gathering at the school on Tuesday (May 9). Attendees included staff and representatives from both institutions, including Janet Morrison, president and vice-chancellor of Sheridan College, and Paul Liu, president of CCTT.

Morrison described the new program as the perfect pairing between institutions.

We share the same values (as the CCTT). We are both committed to students success and receiving a high-quality education, she said.

Students in both programs will have mandatory health insurance, a full suite of student support to fuel their success in learning, and access to on-site housing.

The diploma programs were identified as critical for Ontarios labour market to bring in-demand training in the skilled trades to areas outside the Greater Toronto Area where there is a significant need.

After earning their Sheridan credentials, international graduates of these programs at CCTT will be eligible for the postgraduate work permit program in Canada and, consequently, a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship in Canada.

Liu said the program has been in development for almost two years.

We are committed to delivering industry-specific training to support local labour market needs and provide growth skills to neighbouring regions. We are partnering with Sheridan College for the betterment of the community economy, he said.

Mayor Wayne Redekop said the program was an exciting opportunity that will have a significant impact on Fort Erie and attract and train talent for skilled trade jobs.

This partnership is important; not only for now, but in the future. When you think about the whole province, (Ontario) is so short on skilled trades, he said.

Education and training are the keys to success and prosperity within all the municipalities (in Niagara). We are really excited about the opportunities for growth with this program.

All services and course content will be created and delivered by CCTT employees. As part of this partnership agreement, Sheridan will set and maintain control over academic quality standards to ensure its rigorous requirements are met.

SHARE:
There are just over eight billion people in the world and of that number, 89.3 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes in 2021. Sure, that is only 1.1 per cent of the worlds population, but every year the numbers increase, the stability of those displaced decreases and the entire world is impacted.

We are a global community and what impacts one area will eventually impact all of us.

Persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, economic failings, environmental crises  each may start in one location, but will in turn impact every nation as people look for safety, new opportunities and help from the global community.

With reference to the refugee aspect of those 89.3 million displaced, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and others recognize June 20 as World Refugee Day. According to UNHCR statistics, at the end of 2021, there were 27.1 million refugees and 4.6 million asylum seekers worldwide. World Refugee Day is an international day to honour those who have been forced to flee and to celebrate their strength and courage.

Why is this day important?

It highlights the needs, rights and stories of those who are seeking help across the globe. It helps to mobilize political will, enrich existing efforts to support refugees, and works to protect and improve the lives of those in need.

Locally, the Fort Erie Multicultural Centre (FEMC) has been participating in World Refugee Day events for decades. Past events have included walks, barbecues, speaker events and more. This year, we would like to invite the entire Fort Erie community to join us as we celebrate. More details will follow as to event times and locations, but all are welcome to attend.

It is necessary and important to celebrate the lives of refugees living in our community and to come alongside them as they journey along their settlement path.

FEMC and our community play key roles in welcoming, educating, assisting and furthering the lives of those who seek safety in Canada. We are a haven, a place where refugees can find hope and guidance as they work to meet the rigorous refugee determination system protocols.

With funding from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; United Way Niagara; and Fort Erie Gaming, FEMC provides support to those making their way through the determination process. That process begins with a person making a refugee claim at the port of entry, completing interviews and many appointments and paperwork, having a refugee hearing and then waiting for an answer.

If they receive a positive answer from the Immigration and Refugee Board, they are deemed either a convention refugee or a protected person, at which point they become eligible to apply for permanent residence status and if successful, can later become a Canadian citizen.

Working with refugees and sharing life in community with them opens our eyes to the hardships, perseverance and determination many of them possess to overcome the trials they have faced. Learning a new language, settling into a new community in a new country and moving through the refugee determination system are hard.

It is a pleasure and an honour to help these individuals become part of the fabric of Fort Erie and in turn to celebrate them every June 20 on World Refugee Day. We look forward to celebrating them with each of you, our wonderful Fort Erie neighbours.

For more information about event times and locations, please contact FEMC at 905-871-3641.

Rosemary Legge is a volunteer with the Fort Erie Multicultural Centre. She can be reached at rosemary.legge@gmail.com.

SHARE:
Lori Lococo says Niagara Falls needs to pay more attention to provincial legislation intended to spur the building of 1.5 million homes during the next decade but which has been criticized by various stakeholders for how it will negatively impact the environment and municipal coffers.

During Tuesdays city council meeting, Lococo cited a survey by SPR Associates of a random sample of Ontarians and targeted groups such as planners, farmers, residents associations, housing providers, users of greenspaces and environmentalists about Bill 23.

A copy of the survey report, which polled 6,400 Ontarians, was included in council agenda.

It showed massive rejection of the controversial More Homes Built Faster Act, which exempts developers from some fees. It also provides municipalities with individual targets for new home construction (8,000 in Niagara Falls, 11,000 in St. Catharines) by eliminating red tape in Ontarios land use planning system while removing 2,995 hectares of land from the protected Greenbelt  replacing it with 3,805 hectares elsewhere. In Niagara, about 35 hectares were included in the land being removed from Greenbelt protection.

The survey shows overwhelming disbelief the bill will help make housing more affordable.

Some of these statistics are really interesting, said Coun. Lococo. Four out of five Ontarians surveyed, thats 81 per cent, want to repeal Bill 23 for an ethics review. Seventy-nine per cent surveyed believe that it will have no impact on affordable housing.

She said 95 per cent are concerned about environmental impacts, 92 per cent expect a loss of greenspace, 88 per cent see a negative impact on farming, 80 per cent see a negative impact on climate change, 59 per cent cite negative impacts on planning, 58 per cent cite negative impacts on housing, including affordable housing, and 54 per cent see negative impacts for municipalities.

Theres an ethics-review question and it ranged from 80 per cent to 96 per cent of the different stakeholders that groups favoured an ethics review and the municipal officials were 83 per cent, said Lococo.

The question and results to affordable housing  that was from three per cent to 17 per cent thought it would actually help with affordable housing, and that was 16 per cent of municipal officials.

She said support for repealing Bill 23 was between 79 and 96 per cent, with 83 per cent of municipal officials feeling it should be repealed.

I believe that we need to take a stronger position than just receiving and filing this. These results are alarming. I was opposed to Bill 23 at the beginning, and Ive outlined my concerns.

Lococo asked Kira Dolch, the citys manager of planning, building and development, for an estimate on how much the legislation is going to cost the municipality.

Lococo said York Region estimated the bill could cost taxpayers there between $497 million and $1.6 billion during the next 10 years, while other municipalities have put price tags on projected lost development charges.

Dolch said shes not sure how other municipalities came up with figures, adding its difficult to predict future cost impacts.

Its difficult because its based on whether its affordable, whether it meets the definition of affordable, what the (development charges) will be at that point, so to calculate losses is really tough at this point, she said.

We can obviously keep an eye on it as we move forward, based on the definitions that the province release. But at this point, its tough for me to estimate, other than by going backwards and, again, Im not sure how they would have estimated the affordability DC credits in those area municipalities because, again, you wouldnt have had a threshold for that definition at that time.

Lococo urged city officials to pay more attention to Bill 23.

If our planning department can start keeping track of things, that might be helpful, and if you could report back at another time of what you think might be the cost that would be very much appreciated.

Municipalities have complained a break on development charges  money that would otherwise fund new roads and sewers  will make it harder for them to service building lots.

A staff report before Niagara Falls city council in November said the legislation will lead to a significant loss of municipal funds through development charges, parkland dedication and community benefit charges that will, in turn, place a greater burden on the city to fund services and infrastructure projects necessary to support future residential development.

Erik Nickel, the municipalitys manager of municipal works, said the province has committed to reimburse municipalities that prove theyve been negatively impacted financially by the legislation.

We are still getting more information coming from the province on their commitment to reimburse municipalities. They have said they were going to be putting some programs out to make sure that we were going to be made whole, he said. We dont know what those look like at this point in time.

Council voted to receive and file the survey, with only Lococo opposed.

SHARE:
Police are searching for a man who robbed the Port Colborne 7-Eleven store while brandishing a hammer Wednesday night.

Niagara Regional Police said officers were called to the store on Clarence Street at 11:13 p.m.

A lone, disguised male smashed a glass case with the hammer while demanding money, police said in a release.

Employees complied with his demand and gave him an undisclosed amount of money.

The suspect ran east from the store into a nearby alley. No employees or customers were injured, police said.

A police canine track of the area was not able to locate the suspect, described as white , 5-foot-10, 180 pounds with a medium build. He has brown eyes and bushy eyebrows.

The suspects clothing included a green shirt covering his face, a blue hoodie and black pants.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked by police to contact the investigating officers at 905-0688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009318.

People can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara anonymously online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to persons who contact the program with information that leads to an arrest.

SHARE:
EDMONTON - Police say autopsies are complete in the deaths of a mother and child who were killed outside of a school in Edmonton.

The Edmonton Medical Examiner determined that the 35-year-old woman and the 11-year-old child both died of multiple sharp-force injuries, adding that the deaths are considered homicides.

Family members identified the mother and child as Carolann Robillard and Sarah Miller, who had recently started using the first name Jayden.

Robillard was a single Cree mother with two other children.

They were attacked around suppertime Friday outside Crawford Plains School in southeastern Edmonton.

The suspect, who was known to police and had a record of assaulting children in the past, was found shortly after by officers and shot after an altercation with them.

The suspect was taken to hospital and is currently on life support.

Read more about:

SHARE:
As the U.S. bars asylum seekers from crossing the Mexican border starting Friday, questions are being raised about what Washington will do to guard its northern frontier with Canada.

Unable to get to the U.S. via the southern border, will more desperate migrants fly to Canada and head south on foot through no mans land, with help of smugglers who seize on human desperation?

Since March, President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have expanded a 19-year-old bilateral agreement across the northern border  not just at the official ports of entry  to close a loophole used by irregular migrants to sneak into the other country for asylum.

The updated Safe Third Country Agreement essentially has the same effect of denying protection to migrants who show up at the land border by turning them back to the other country, just as the U.S. is now attempting to implement at its southern border.

However, with Ottawa having different visa rules and a porous land border  and seaways  that extends over 8,891 kilometres, the northern frontier could become a viable alternative for those who set their eyes on the U.S. if they can get a visa and afford to come through Canada.

That route has already become popular as American officials have recently reported a surge of irregular migrants  known as southbounders  using Canada as an entry point into the U.S.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has recently made it known that the Biden administration has asked Ottawa to consider reimposing the visa requirements for Mexican nationals, to pressure Canada to concede.

There has been a lot of talk about the need for visa harmonization policies between Canada and the United States, especially in the aftermath of 9/11, said Queens University immigration law professor Sharry Aiken.

Those conversations surfaced and theyve resurfaced periodically, she said. The U.S. would like it. I think they have an incentive because they are seeing such huge numbers at their southern border.

At the peak of the irregular migration from the U.S. in 2018, Ottawa, too, brought up the visa issue with its American counterparts about the influx of Nigerian migrants, who travelled to the U.S. with legitimate visas before crossing into Canada for asylum.

Three Canadian officials were then stationed to work with U.S. visa officials in Lagos, and both countries publicly reaffirmed their determination to work together to combat abuse of U.S. travel documents.

University of Toronto law professor Audrey Macklin, who has studied border policies, said when Nigerians were coming (north) through Roxham Road (in Quebec), they needed a visa to get into the United States, just as they needed one to get into Canada. But the United States just gave visas more frequently than Canada did.

Countries that could and should be co-operating on how to share responsibility for meeting their international obligations to protect refugees instead divert their energy into co-operating on ways to keep people out.

There are no heroes in this story.

During the pandemic, Washington had successfully kept migrants out of the country under whats known as Title 42, a public health order that blocks entry of migrants in the name of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

As the order expires at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, the administration will replace it with the new rule to restrict access to asylum for migrants who show up at the U.S.-Mexico border without first applying online or seeking protection in a country they passed through.

The rule announced Wednesday is part of new measures meant to crack down on irregular border crossings while creating new legal pathways, including a plan to open 100 regional migration hubs across the Western Hemisphere, administration officials said.

The lifting of Title 42 public health order does not mean our border is open, Mayorkas told a news conference on Wednesday.

The law presumes that those who do not use lawful pathways to enter the United States are ineligible for asylum. It allows the United States to remove individuals who do not establish a reasonable fear of persecution in the country of removal.

Calling the move by a Democratic president disappointing, Aiken of Queens said these rules raise concerns on a number of fronts.

We cannot assume that every asylum seeker whos seeking to gain entrance in the United States had the option of applying for an appointment or a so-called legal migration pathway, she said. Many refugee claimants are fleeing persecution in situations where theyre in imminent peril.

If we look at the human rights situation in Central and South America, which is the population that will be directly affected by these measures, youre looking at countries like El Salvador, Venezuela, Honduras, Dominican Republic. These are countries that have all been cited for a serious and worsening human rights conditions.

Macklin said there are major differences between the Canada-U. S. Safe Third Agreement and the new rules that are imposed unilaterally by Washington on its southern neighbours, with no safeguards that the country the asylum seekers find themselves in is safe, has a functioning refugee determination system and can protect them.

The logic of the new rule, she said, is to distribute asylum seekers according to the country thats closest to where they are fleeing from.

So at the northern border, Canada says, If you pass through the U.S. to get here, were going to push you back to the U.S. If you pass through any country en route to the United States, were pushing you back to the nearest country, Macklin explained.

Everybody keeps doing that and people just get pushed back and they never get to flee to safety. The countries that are closest to where they flee from are often poor and really struggle to deal with a lot of people fleeing across the borders. Theyre the ones that have to manage the whole thing. And that is not a fair process.

The asylum restriction will also pit refugees against each other, depending on how they enter a country to seek asylum, said Aviva Basman, president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers.

The new rules at the U.S. southern border are a substantial change in U.S. asylum policy, Basman noted. Canada must carefully review those changes and determine how they impact Canadas view of the U.S. as a safe third country.

Currently, a migrant who has an anchor relative in Canada can enter the U.S. and will be legally let into Canada to access asylum under one of the exemptions of the Safe Third Country Agreement, but that door for family reunification in the north will be shut or become more difficult, she added.

(A Supreme Court of Canada ruling is pending on whether the Safe Third Country Agreement is unconstitutional.)

Aiken warned that Canada could see more Mexicans getting on planes because they wont be able to cross in the U.S. but she would be disappointed to see Ottawa slap visitors from Mexico with visa requirements.

While a countrys travel restrictions are informed by geopolitical and economic and trade relationships  and asylum flows are just one of the many considerations  she said those principles have given way to political expediency time and time again.

Im no longer playing a game of speculating whether or not the government would seek to harmonize its visa policies as a result of pressure from our American counterparts, said Aiken. But I will say that the record so far is that Canada has been willing to govern its visa policies independently, and I would hope it continues.

What Macklin believes all these new measures would do is encourage riskier irregular crossings and the operation of human smugglers.

What will happen is that Canadian and American politicians will say, My God, those evil smugglers and traffickers, we have to fortify the border even more. And then you will see collaboration on building walls or drone technology or other modes of technology to fortify the border, said Macklin.

That is the kind of end game that a lot of people worry about or foresee. So the government manufactures a smuggling problem, blames smugglers and then uses that as a reason to then start turning the border into an even more dangerous, lethal and violent place than it already is.

With files from The Associated Press

Read more about:

SHARE:
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  A day after New York Rep. George Santos pleaded not guilty to charges in the U.S., he signed an agreement Thursday with public prosecutors in Brazil to avoid prosecution for forging two stolen checks in 2008.

What would have been the start of a case was ended today, Santos lawyer in Brazil, Jonymar Vasconcelos, told The Associated Press in a text message. As such, my client is no longer the subject of any case in Brazil.

Asked about the details of the non-prosecution agreement, Vasconcelos demurred, citing the fact the case proceeded under seal. The public prosecutors office of Rio de Janeiro state also declined to comment when contacted by the AP.

Court records in Brazil, first uncovered by The New York Times, show Santos was the subject of a criminal charge for using two stolen checks to buy items at a shop in the city of Niteroi, including a pair of sneakers that he gifted to a friend. At the time, Santos would have been 19. The purchase totaled 2,144 Brazilian reais, then equal to about $1,350, according to the charge prosecutors filed in 2011.

That followed an investigation opened in 2008 and Santos signed confession, in which he admitted to having stolen the checkbook of his mothers former employer from her purse and making purchases, including in the store, and recognizing the fraudulent checks as those he had signed, according to the court documents reviewed by the AP.

A judge accepted the charges against Santos in 2011, but subsequent subpoenas for him to appear personally or present a written defense went unanswered and, with authorities repeatedly unable to determine his whereabouts, the case was suspended in 2013. That changed after he won a U.S. congressional seat and the subsequent flurry of media attention focused on his dubious credentials. Rio state prosecutors then petitioned to reopen the case.

Per terms of the non-prosecution agreement, Santos will pay 24,000 reais (almost $5,000), with the majority going to the shopkeeper who received the bad checks and the remainder to charities, newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported, without saying how it obtained the information. Santos attended the meeting virtually, the paper reported.

Resolution of the case removes the possibility Santos might have been obliged to travel to another country to resolve pending charges; that could have been been complicated after he was forced to surrender his passport after recent charges in the U.S.

On Wednesday in New York, Santos pleaded not guilty to charges he stole from his campaign and lied to Congress about being a millionaire, while collecting unemployment benefits he didnt deserve.

Read more about:

SHARE:
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Prosecutors in Mexico said Thursday they have arrested two more men in the March 3 kidnapping of four Americans and the killing of two of them.

The Gulf drug cartel turned over five men to police soon after the abduction in the border city of Matamoros, and prosecutors said the two newly arrested suspects also appeared to be members of the same cartel.

The two were arrested during raids in the northern border state of Tamaulipas on Sunday and flown to Mexico City on a military plane. It was not immediately clear why the arrests were not announced at the time.

Federal prosecutors did not provide the full names of the suspects, but the details and first names match two men listed on a federal database as being arrested in Tamaulipas that day. Those names  Axel Alfredo Cardenas and Alan Alexis Cardenas  suggest they are related to Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the Gulf cartel leader captured in 2003.

Prosecutors confirmed the two were sons of Osiel Cardenas nephew, Jose Alfredo Cardenas Martinez, who was arrested in 2022. They also said the pair assumed leadership roles in the cartel following their fathers arrest.

The two allegedly headed up the gangs of cartel gunmen known as the Scorpions and the Cyclones. They were caught in an early morning raid in which police found six guns and over a thousand doses of synthetic drugs, a term used in Mexico to refer to either methamphetamines or fentanyl.

The statement did not specify the charges the men would face, but it said they had been engaged in drug and migrant smuggling, kidnappings and extortion in the Matamoros area.

In March, less than a week after the abductions, a letter claiming to be from the Gulf cartels Scorpions faction condemned the violence and said the gang had turned over to authorities its own members who were responsible. A Mexican woman also died in the March 3 shootings.

We have decided to turn over those who were directly involved and responsible in the events, who at all times acted under their own decision-making and lack of discipline, the letter reads, adding that those individuals had gone against the cartels rules, which include respecting the life and well-being of the innocent.

Five men were found tied up inside one of the vehicles that authorities had been searching for, along with the letter.

The four Americans crossed into Matamoros from Texas so that one of them could have cosmetic surgery. Around midday, they were fired on in downtown Matamoros and then loaded into a pickup truck.

Americans Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard died in the attack; Eric Williams and Latavia McGee survived. Most of them had grown up together in the small town of Lake City, South Carolina.

A Mexican woman, Areli Pablo Servando, 33, was also killed, apparently by a stray bullet.

Read more about:

SHARE:
LIMA, Peru (AP)  The prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway on a Dutch Caribbean island is now facing extradition to face criminal charges in the United States.

Perus government on Wednesday issued an executive order allowing the temporary extradition of Joran van der Sloot. The Dutchman will be prosecuted for alleged extortion and wire fraud charges involving promises to lead Holloways family to her body, which was never found. She was later declared dead by a U.S. judge.

Van der Sloot has never been charged in connection with her disappearance.

A 2001 treaty between Peru and the U.S. allows a suspect to be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country. It requires that the prisoner be returned after judicial proceedings have concluded.

Heres a look at van der Sloots history:

___

MAY 2005

Holloway, 18, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, a wealthy Birmingham suburb, vanishes while on a high school graduation trip to Dutch-owned Aruba, an island in the Caribbean. She never showed up for a flight home.

Her disappearance made international headlines and sparked a furor in the United States. Holloways parents went to the island to pass out fliers and monitor searches. They also appeared on national U.S. television shows to maintain pressure on investigators.

Classmates said they had seen Holloway outside a nightclub in a car with van der Sloot, then 17 years old, and two other local residents  Surinamese brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe.

They claimed to have dropped her off at her hotel.

All three were repeatedly detained but freed over a lack of evidence of a crime. The Kalpoes, who were security guards at a hotel near the one where Holloway was staying, were taken into custody in June and held for nearly a month.

Van der Sloot was held for an additional 60 days.

APRIL 2007

Van der Sloot and a journalist publish a book in Dutch about the case in which he denies killing Holloway and says: I hope every day that Natalee will be found.

MAY 2010

Five years to the day that Holloway vanished, Stephany Flores was killed. The 21-year-old business student had met van der Sloot at a Lima casino.

Van der Sloot fled to Chile but was arrested four days later and taken back to Peru, where he confessed to killing her. He later tried to retract the confession.

Van der Sloot told police he flew into a rage when Flores discovered his connection to Holloway while they were playing online poker in his hotel room. Prosecutors accused him of killing Flores to rob her after learning she had won money at the casino.

The day he was arrested, van der Sloot was indicted in Alabama. Prosecutors accused him of accepting $25,000 in return for a promise to lead a lawyer for Holloways mother to her daughters remains. He never delivered on the offer.

JANUARY 2012

Van der Sloot pleads guilty to killing Flores, telling a judge: I truly am sorry for this act. I feel very bad.

His lawyer argued that the killing was triggered by trauma from being the prime suspect in Holloways disappearance.

That same week, a judge in Alabama declares Holloway legally dead. A day later, van der Sloot is sentenced to 28 years in prison by a three-member panel of judges in Peru for killing Flores.

In January 2023, he was given an additional 18 years in prison for trafficking cocaine while behind bars.

The original sentencing document said van der Sloot was guilty of first-degree murder with aggravating factors of ferocity and great cruelty and detailed how he elbowed Flores in the face, beat her repeatedly, then strangled her with his bloodied shirt.

He also was ordered to pay $75,000 in reparations to the victims family.

Meanwhile, prison authorities said that van der Sloot was transferred from a Lima prison to a high-security Piedras Gordas lockup in response to reports that he had enjoyed privileges such as television, internet access and a cell phone. Piedras Gordas holds local crime bosses and terrorism convicts, including Shining Path guerrillas.

JULY 2014

Van der Sloot marries his pregnant Peruvian girlfriend, Leidy Figueroa, 24, in a private ceremony at the prison.

Van der Sloot met Figueroa while she was selling goods inside the prison, according to his attorney.

AUGUST 2014

Authorities send van der Sloot to a prison high in the Andes, saying he had threatened to kill the warden of the lockup near Lima.

SEPTEMBER 2014

Van der Sloot becomes a father. His attorney says the girl was born in Lima but far from the remote prison where van der Sloot is serving his prison sentence.

The child is named Dushy after van der Sloots grandmother.

MAY 2023

Perus government decides to allow van der Sloots temporary extradition to the U.S. to face charges there. Under a 2001 treaty between the countries, a suspect can be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country, but must be returned after judicial proceedings are concluded.

SHARE:
The 50,000 flight hours milestone celebrated by the Royal Air Force and the Affinity Group was an important achievement for the company. In only seven years, Affinity evolved from a ten-employee startup to a group of 180 professional personnel operating a fleet of 42 aircraft training aircraft in three bases, supporting the elementary, basic, and multi-engine pilots training for the RAF and Royal Navy. With this proven record, Affinity has established itself as a role model for other countries looking for a similar approach to military training.

In the following article, Kees Otten and Wim Das summarize their visit to the company, where they had a personal impression of its activity. The article was first published by the Dutch aviation magazine Piloot & Vliegtuig.

The article is republished here with permission of Dutch Defence Media. The article provides some guidelines for foreign air forces considering outsourcing similar activities to service providers.

Outsourcing: non-operational tasks to private companies, such as pilot training, can save costs and improve efficiency.

non-operational tasks to private companies, such as pilot training, can save costs and improve efficiency. Partnership: Building a strong partnership between government and industry, as seen in the partnership between Affinity and the UK Ministry of Defence, can lead to successful outcomes. Adding an experienced local company to the team improves efficiency and success.

Building a strong partnership between government and industry, as seen in the partnership between Affinity and the UK Ministry of Defence, can lead to successful outcomes. Adding an experienced local company to the team improves efficiency and success. Aircraft: Choosing the right training aircraft addresses operational performance and life cycle cost efficiency and adaptability to the military training mission based on efficient aircraft use, updating systems, and availability of spare parts.

Choosing the right training aircraft addresses operational performance and life cycle cost efficiency and adaptability to the military training mission based on efficient aircraft use, updating systems, and availability of spare parts. Focus: Focusing on customer requirements by providing excellent service, maintaining skilled manpower, technical capabilities, and advanced technology, and being flexible in responding to changing needs.

Outsourcing military tasks to private companies can best be called a trend. To gain insight into why non-operational tasks are increasingly being transferred to such parties, it is worth looking at how, in the United Kingdom, in cooperation with the British armed forces, Affinity Flying Training Services is part of the national military aircrew training system, the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS). Affinity is a joint venture of US-based Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) and Israeli Elbits local subsidiary, Elbit Systems UK. A recent visit by Piloot & Vliegtuig shows excellent cooperation between all parties involved. Affinity can be considered a role model for other countries looking for a similar approach.

Contracted for 17 Years

The person who has put his heart and soul into supporting Affinity and making it grow into what it is today is Iain Chalmers, a former Royal Air Force (RAF) qualified flight instructor and now managing director of Affinity. Iain explains Affinitys role within the overarching scheme during our visit. In 2008, the UK Ministry of Defence (UK MoD) selected the Ascent consortium to work in partnership to structure a new format for pilot training. Ascent is a partnership of Lockheed Martin UK and Babcock International and is the projects prime contractor, thus designing the new pilot training system in collaboration with the UK MoD. It is responsible for maintaining an adequate overview and is, for example, also active in providing simulator training. Together with the RAF, it also provides the necessary instructors. The mandate within the UKMFTS for Ascent involves training pilots for the Air Force, Navy, and Army, the RAF, Fleet Air Arm (FAA), and Army Air Corps (AAC), respectively.

In its turn, Ascent submitted the order to provide the fixed-wing training aircraft to Affinity in 2016. Elementary, basic, and multi-engine training aircraft procurement was thus contracted as a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) for 17 years (until mid-2033). The exceptions are advanced jet, rotary-wing, and Navy rear-crew training, which other providers deliver. It is remarkable that Affinity, operating from the RAF airbases Cranwell, Barkston Heath, and Valley, and embedded in the military flight operations at the same time, is, therefore, part of it and, on the other hand, sees the RAF, No.22 Training Group as its user and customer. So this is where the business model comes in, where service is considered the most important thing. Iain frequently consults with his next-higher level, Ascent, essentially his direct customer.

The Value of Operational Experience

Affinity started small with six people, and during the first two years, there was a lot to arrange and set up. This included purchasing aircraft, recruiting ground personnel, and obtaining approval for the systems and maintenance procedures. This process was eased because Elbit Systems has built extensive experience in recent years in supplying military training aircraft and fleets, supporting their operational use, with accompanying maintenance and logistics procedures provided as a complete module. Elbit previously did so in Israel, among other countries, and is now establishing a similar framework in Greece. Shai Louk, the business development director of flight academies & services of Elbit Systems, tells us that Elbit operates almost 180 training aircraft worldwide and that it is precisely because of this experience that so much knowledge and insight have been gained on how to organize such training schemes.

Iain agrees that partly because of this, the consortium was able to present to the British Ministry of Defence and Ascent a particularly good offer to support the need for a new training concept in practice. This need mainly concerned the switch to training that would be much more in line with the digital capabilities available today in aircraft with which the front-line squadrons are equipped. It is important to build and shape digital awareness to a sufficient performance level of the pilot in training to be able to fly the modern 5th generation aircraft and understand and control their capabilities.

Training Aircraft Chosen With Care

Elbit Systems experience led to carefully choosing the most suitable aircraft. The commercial availability of the aircraft and its supply chain was of paramount importance. Also, selecting an aircraft requiring minimum changes and upgrades prepares it for the military training mission favored.

The choice for elementary flying training (EFT) fell on the Grob G 120TP, known within the RAF as Prefect T.1  23 such aircraft were acquired by the operator and became operational beginning in 2017. A student receives practical flying hours on these trainers and significant time using Ground Based Training Equipment. Those who look into the cockpit of a Prefect T.1 understand how the transition to digital awareness is taught. Even at this elementary phase, there is an elaborate glass cockpit that, a decade ago, one would only find in a fighter aircraft. The Prefects supplied by Affinity operate from Cranwell and Barkston Heath and serve RAF and Fleet Air Arm pilots in training.

After successfully completing elementary flying training, there are two directions to proceed. If destined to become a fighter pilot, basic flying training (BFT) on the Textron T-6C Texan II comes next. Affinity has ten of these at Valley, and they became operational starting in 2019. Four additional aircraft were recently added and are now operational. After that, training can be continued on the Royal Air Force BAE Systems Hawk T.2, also based at Valley, for advanced jet training to be ready for the transition to the Typhoon or F-35. For the multi-engine stream, students stay at Cranwell to receive further training in one of Affinitys five Embraer Phenom 100s in the form of Multi-engine pilot training (MEPT).

The Importance of Good Management

Being able to meet customer requirements created challenges during the COVID period. For example, the delivery of parts took longer, so Affinity management has now chosen to have more parts available in stock. Nevertheless, overall performance did not suffer from this. After a week, we were operating as before but with new procedures, Iain said. He attributed this to a strong financial base, quick decision-making, and out of the box thinking. And this marks Affinitys inventiveness in delivering a great turnkey product.

The Prefect and Phenom maintenance and operations occur in and from the large hangars Affinity occupies at Cranwell and Barkston Heath. Personnel for these operations are sourced locally as technicians, certified engineers, marshallers, and people who refuel the aircraft. All this is done while aiming for a pleasant and safe working environment. It is like running the house with all the details as Iain describes it.

Value for Money

Affinitys managing director and his staff have supported a real transformation in pilot training. Now with Affinity and through well-chosen systems and efficient organization, Iain can generate an adequate number of deployable training aircraft with significantly fewer people than was previously the case when the military did everything in-house. Iain: Unlike military colleagues, we are not paid to perform operational side tasks. We only do one thing: provide flying aircraft, and do it well. The customer can then focus on training. This alone makes us a lot more efficient. He continues: Requirements change, however. Our efficiency also helps to create a bit of flexibility to respond to changing circumstances.

Shai adds, We draw up the bill at the end of the day. How much manpower was needed, and how much availability did we deliver? This is where we learn all the time. The drive to get a little better every day is embedded in Affinitys performance. They will soon start using tablets to do various checks to reduce further turn around time. In this way, maintenance is becoming increasingly smart. Characteristic of the desire to involve the local industry, Affinity also invested in partners who, for example, developed software to determine the consumption of parts better and have the necessary replenishment arrive in time.

Outsourcing a Comprehensive and Flexible Service

Affinity offers flexibility when adapting to changes, whether foreseen or unforeseen. Iain calls it delivering reliability. The planes are deployed according to the customers requirements and schedule. Already it is clear that more pilots are being delivered. Flying with digital instruments is different, sometimes, it seems too easy. In any case, the requirement to train more pilots for the front-line squadrons is being met. The Prefect, Phenom, and Texan II do exactly what they are supposed to do. Affinity has firmly established itself at various bases and now employs 200 professionals. The coming years can therefore be viewed with confidence. The set-up of such a training scheme in which a private company organizes and executes the entire process of generating available training aircraft, including all ins and outs, could be a godsend for air forces that must make similar decisions as the RAF. Given its experience, Elbit Systems has some strong cards up its sleeve.
ROME (AP)  Pope Francis could meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican this weekend, a Vatican official said Thursday.

Francis has repeatedly called for an end to Russias war in Ukraine and expressed solidarity with the martyred Ukrainian people. Recently he revealed a secret peace mission was underway but provided no details.

Word of the possible meeting Saturday in Rome followed news, confirmed last week by Berlin police, that Zelenskyy was expected in Germany starting Saturday evening. Italian media, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that Zelenskyy might be in Rome earlier that day to meet with Premier Giorgia Meloni and the pope.

A Vatican official said a pope-Zelenskyy audience Saturday is a possibility. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the visit was not confirmed.

On Sunday, Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine are set to receive the International Charlemagne Prize, awarded annually by the western German city of Aachen for contributions to European unity. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to give the speech honoring Zelenskyy.

Francis met with Zelensskyy before the war and last month met with the Ukrainian prime minister, who asked the pontiffs help in mediating the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia after the Kremlins invasion. Francis recently told reporters he thought the Vatican could help, given its previous mediation in prisoner swaps.

On Thursday, Francis bid farewell to the Russian ambassador to the Holy See, Alexander Avdeev, at the end of his seven-year tenure.

Read more about:

SHARE:
NEW YORK (AP)  Former President Donald Trump is appealing a New York jurys verdict awarding $5 million to a magazine columnist after the jurors concluded Trump had sexually abused her in the 1990s and defamed her last October.

A notice of appeal was filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court, the first step in a process that will move the civil case brought against Trump by writer E. Jean Carroll to a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The notice was signed by Trump attorney Joe Tacopina, who said after Tuesdays verdict that he believed there were multiple strong grounds for appeal.

The nine-person jury concluded after less than three hours of deliberations that Carroll had failed to prove it was more likely than not that Trump had raped her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman store in early spring 1996. But it did find that she had been sexually abused.

It also said in its verdict that Trump defamed Carroll in a social media statement last October.

Carroll sued Trump in November minutes after a temporary New York state law took effect allowing sexual attack victims to sue their abusers even if the abuse occurred decades earlier.

In the notice of appeal filed in the lower court Thursday where Judge Lewis A. Kaplan presided over the trial, Trumps lawyers wrote that notice is hereby given that Defendant Donald J. Trump appeals to the 2nd Circuit.

Asked for comment, Tacopina said in an email: Judge Kaplan has been overturned once already in Carroll v. Trump. We are confident it will be twice after this appeal is heard.

He was referencing Kaplans rejection of an attempt to substitute the United States for Trump as the defendant in an earlier defamation lawsuit filed by Carroll for statements Trump made while he was president. The 2nd Circuit later ruled that Trump was an employee of the government for purposes of the lawsuit, but the appeal has not been fully resolved.

A lawyer for Carroll did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The verdict was returned after a two-week trial in which Carroll testified that Trump sexually attacked her in the luxury department stores dressing room after a lighthearted and flirtatious chance encounter that took them from the stores entrance to the desolate sixth floor lingerie area, where Trump invited Carroll to help him shop for a gift.

She first publicly disclosed her experience in a 2019 memoir while Trump was still president. She said his public response was so harsh that it spoiled her reputation, cost her a 27-year job with Elle magazine and subjected her to mean social media attacks from his followers.

Trump, who is currently running for president as a Republican, did not attend the trial. He said he didnt know Carroll, that he never encountered her at the department store, and he has repeatedly hurled insults at her, including at a videotaped deposition in October. Portions of that were played for the jury.

He repeated some of his harsh statements during a CNN town hall on Wednesday night.

Outside the courthouse on Tuesday, Tacopina said that he and Trump were very confident on the appellate issues here.

He said one of the issues to be appealed was the inclusion in the trial of the notorious 2005 Access Hollywood video in which Trump was captured on a hot mic speaking disparagingly about women and saying that celebrities can grab women sexually without asking because women let them do it.

There were things that happened in this case that were beyond the pale, Tacopina said.

Read more about:

SHARE:
OTTAWA - Canada has set the stage with Moldova to start sanctioning people and companies based in that Eastern European country who are helping Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Ottawa just weeks after her cabinet said that hybrid warfare generated by Russia is trying to overthrow her government.

Moldova has been trying to join the European Union for years, and the former Soviet country has helped shelter people fleeing violence in neighbouring Ukraine.

The Liberal government says it will publish new regulations in order to target people in Moldova who are committing systematic human-rights violations, endangering international security or committing corruption.

Ottawa also aims to send Canadian judges to Moldova to help the country strengthen the integrity of its judicial system.

And Canada is pledging $2 million for a program that will help the National Police of Moldova provide security in areas with many asylum seekers, through training, equipment, and technical assistance.

Moldova, which is roughly the size of Vancouver Island, is among the poorest countries in Europe.

Since before the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, an area along the border with Ukraine comprising about 10 per cent of Moldovan territory has claimed independence, and Russian troops have occupied the region called Transnistria since 1992.

Sandu told media in February that Ukraine had uncovered a Russian plot to overthrow Moldovas government, in part by having plainclothes officials with military training occupy state buildings.

Her visit on Thursday marked the first time a Moldovan president has come to Canada since 1992.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, has asked the federal government to end the costly petrol subsidy which has negatively affected Nigerias economy.

The governors made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during a panel session at a policy deliberation themed How Nigeria Can Build a Post-Oil Economic Future.

The event was jointly organised by the Africa Programme of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Agora Policy, an Abuja-based think tank.

Speaking at the event, el-Rufai said there is a need to end petrol subsidy and to be pragmatic about solutions to the countrys problems instead of delaying.

He recalled that in 2021, the national economic council (NEC) gave a committee he chaired an assignment to work out a framework on what to do with the resources if subsidy was removed.

He listed the components of its recommendation to include a framework on investments in security, social protection, infrastructure on health and education, among others.

We worked with experts and the World Bank and came out with a report on what to do with the resources which would be transparently explained to Nigerians, the Kaduna governor said.

In 2021, the federal governments budget for road was N200 billion and in 2021 we were projecting to spend N1.2 trillion on subsidy and we saw the danger and I called for its removal.

We have a framework and the economic council agreed for it to be withdrawn because we had a clear plan on where the money should go which includes federal, state and local government for interventions.

It is still on and currently we are looking at N6 trillion on subsidy but go and check the national budget on infrastructure on health and education, it is not up to that and does not make any sense, so we need to end the subsidy.

On his part, Chukwuma Soludo, Anambra state governor, called for transformational leadership and agenda, saying that the incoming administration has a chance for a fresh start.

It has to start by getting the team assembled and getting to work immediately with institutional reforms and a competitive system, he said.

Soludo advised the government to study case studies of successful subsidy removal and replicate them in the country.

Also speaking at the event, Muhammadu Sanusi II, the former Emir of Kano, who was a special guest, underscored the need to prepare the minds of Nigerians on bad decisions that have bankrupted the country and close that hole.

Sanusi said in order to get it right, the incoming government should place competent officials in suitable positions.

We are going to have a government sworn in May 29 and I think we have to start stating what is expected of that government, he said.

What do we, as Nigerians, classify as a milestone that shows we are heading to the right direction? We also need a government that understands the depth of the crisis that we are in.




The Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has described President Muhammadu Buhari as an Igbo man and a member of the socio-cultural organisation.





Iwuanyanwu spoke during the flag-off ceremony of the dredging of the Oguta Lake-Orashi River in Imo State on Thursday.





He urged Buhari to ensure that the project succeeds before leaving office on May 29.





The Ohanaeze President-General commended Buhari for ensuring the take-off of some projects and their completion across the Southeast.





According to Iwuanyanwu: When he took office, we were not happy, but today at the point of departure, things have changed. I can see that the Niger Bridge in Onitsha has been completed. I can see that a lot has been done in most states. Like in Ebonyi, the Federal Government has taken over the teaching hospital and the airport. Here in Imo State, a lot has been done for us; in Enugu, it is the same.





So, I will like you to tell our son, Buhari, that we are very grateful, and I want him to realise that he is an Igbo man, and our son; he has been honoured by some Igbo states like Ebonyi and Imo. Chieftaincy in Igboland is taken very seriously; help us tell Buhari that hes an Igbo son and a member of Ohanaeze Ndigbo by honour given to him.





But before he goes, whatever he can do to ensure this project succeeds will be appreciated; this project is very important to the whole Igbo people.
The dispute as to who is the duly elected governor of Osun state has finally been settled by the Supreme Court of Nigeria but with far-reaching implications

Delivering judgment in the appeal filed by Gboyega Oyetola, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a five-member panel of the apex court affirmed the election of Ademola Adeleke as the governor.

Among several issues raised by Oyetola and the APC, the focal point of their case was over-voting.

They contended that the presiding officers who conducted the elections in 744 polling units across the state did not comply with the Electoral Act, INEC regulations, guidelines and manuals in that they did not use the BVAS to accredit and verify voters in many of the polling units or did not properly accredit voters.

The resultant effect according to the appellant was that there was over-voting in that the number of votes recorded in the polling unit result sheet (form EC8A) were more than the number of voters accredited, verified and recorded in the BVAS of the corresponding polling units.

However, the appellants failed to prove their case of over-voting.

INEC IS NOT BOUND TO ELECTRONICALLY TRANSMIT RESULTS

Notably, the apex court emphasised that there is no law that requires presiding officers to transmit by BVAS the number of accredited voters or accreditation of the polls to the database or backend server of INEC as claimed by the appellants.

Therefore, the case of the appellants that the presiding officers were bound to instantly or on-the-spot transmit the number of accredited voters in the BVAS to the backend server or database of INEC has no support, Emmanuel Agim who read the lead judgment said.

A federal high court in Abuja  in a January 23 ruling  dismissed a suit filed by the Labour Party (LP) seeking to compel the INEC to adopt an electronic method for transmitting 2023 election results.

Emeka Nwite, presiding judge, held that the commission is at liberty to pick any method of transmitting election results.

INEC DATABASE CANNOT PROVE OVER-VOTING

The apex court in its judgment held that to prove the allegation of over-voting, a petitioner cannot rely on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) or information on INEC server or database.

The BVAS, INEC voter register or form EC8A showing the number of votes cast at each polling unit are the only admissible evidence that can be used to ascertain over-voting.

Since the BVAS was the focal point and sole foundation of the appellants case, it was imperative that they produce the BVAS of the 744 polling units or a certified true copy (CTC) of the contents of the BVAS in evidence and show that the record therein established non-accreditation, improper accreditation and over-voting in the 744 polling unit, the supreme court held.

It is glaring that the appellant did not provide in evidence, any BVAS in any of the 744 polling unit, but rather sought to prove their case of wrong and improper accreditation and over-voting by means of a report of the examination of the INEC database or backend server containing the number of accredited voters and number of votes for each polling unit transmitted from the BVAS.

The court held that the information relied on by petitioners is not a direct record of the number of accredited voters but is third-hand evidence derived from the database which is a second-hand evidence derived from transmissions from the BVAS.

The court also noted that the information at the backend saver might not be accurate because the BVAS may fail to transmit records for several reasons including poor internet connection, loss of battery power, failure of INEC official to properly press the submit button etc.

Additionally, the court discountenanced the argument of the petitioners that the voters register is not relevant.

Relying on INEC regulations for the conduct of elections and the Electoral Act, the court pointed out that the voters register is still relevant in voter accreditation and is to be used as well with the BVAS machine.

In the event of a conflict between the record of accredited voters in the BVAS and the ticked names of the registered voters due to human errors in the ticking of the names in the register of voters, the BVAS record shall be used, it said.

FUTURE IMPLICATIONS

One of the many implications of the judgment is that any future petition brought on the grounds of INECs failure to transmit results cannot stand.

One of the issues raised by Peter Obi, Labour Party candidate, in his petition challenging the election of Bola Tinubu as president is that the failure of INEC to promptly upload the results from polling units through BVAS to IReV portal on the day of the election invalidated the poll.

Also, any petitioners alleging over-voting must be able to produce the BVAS, INEC voters register and or a certified true copy of an INEC certificate of that record for each polling unit

In the light of the foregoing, I hold that it is the record in the BVAS machine of the accredited voters or a certified true copy of an INEC certificate of that record for each polling unit that can prove the number of accredited voters in a polling unit on the day of election and nothing else, the supreme court said.




The federal government has explained why it is still approving contracts worth billions of naira with less than 20 days to change power.

Muazu Sambo, minister of transportation, said the current administration would continue to perform its duties until May 28 as constitutionally required.

Sambo spoke with state house correspondents after the weekly federal executive council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday.

The council approved N449.9 million for the engagement of consultants for the development of a master plan for 17 airports.

The council also approved contracts for the Ogoni remediation in Rivers and a contract for the full development of the Shehu Shagari way for N91 billion.

The rehabilitation of several roads across the country was also approved.

Ladies and gentlemen, without any intentions of mischief, this government was elected to function from 2019 to precisely 29th of May 2023, Sambo said.

Should we now stop functioning one month before the next appointment because were coming to the end of the tenure?

This government must work. We expect the next government to also work until the very last day of their tenure.

Explaining why several contracts were approved, Sulaimon Adamu, minister of water resources, said the processes involved in awarding contracts take time.

Adamu said if the current administration was unable to complete what it started, the incoming government would continue with the process.

If I may add, there are processes and this process has started. Were still operating the 2022 budget, Adamu said.

These things are not just done in one day. We had lots of submissions to the bureau for public procurement to Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), all the agencies involved in the procurement, and they have to get ready.

So, anytime theyre ready, its at that point that we have to submit. And like the minister of transportation said, were still in office technically until the 28th of May.

So, we still have to operate. And this is the instruction that we have from Mr. President. That government must continue to function regardless of elections and so on. And so were just doing our duty.

We do not control the process, but when its completed and were still in office, were duty-bound to bring these memos to the council to approve.

Some of the very first memos we brought to council in 2015, for me, I had no idea when they started, but I had to be briefed. This was the way that it had to be and then we were brought in here.

So, the government is a continuum. And it should be seen as such.

He added that the current administration should be applauded for implementing projects and programs that were started by the previous government.

We continued them, we didnt jettison them, and were confident that the incoming administration will do the same, he said.
Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen have killed a member of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Captain Tony Enoch, in Awomama Technical School, Imo State.





The murdered Enoch was said to be from Oru East Local Government Area, the LG the state governor, Hope Uzodimma, hails from.





A retired military officer, Enoch, who doubled as the Coordinator for the Grow Orlu Project, a political structure of the Senator-elect of the Imo West Senatorial District, Osita Izunaso, was said to have been killed on his way from the APC stakeholders meeting held at the Oru- East council headquarters.





The gunmen reportedly ambushed Enoch and ordered him to park his car before he was shot three times in the head and dumped in the booth, where blood traces were seen under the abandoned car.





When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police, Henry Okoye, said he had yet to be briefed about the incident but promised to make inquiries.
Former US president Donald Trump said he would be able to end the war in Ukraine in a single day if re-elected president.

I dont think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled, Trump said in a CNN town hall before a live audience in the state of New Hampshire.

I want everybody to stop dying. Theyre dying. Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And Ill have that done, Trump said, opposing the establishment Republican policy of backing Kyiv.

Ill have that done in 24 hours. Ill have it done. You need the power of the presidency to do it, Trump said.

Earlier in the town hall, Trump insisted that he could halt the war that began in February last year by negotiating directly with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ill meet with Putin. Ill meet with Zelensky. They both have weaknesses and they both have strengths. And within 24 hours, that war will be settled. Itll be over, Trump said.

At another moment, Trump declined to say if he believes that Putin is a war criminal for alleged atrocities committed in Ukraine.

If you say hes a war criminal its going to be a lot tougher to make a deal to make this thing stopped, he said.

If hes going to be a war criminal, people are going to grab him and execute him, hes going to fight a lot harder than hes fighting under the other circumstance. Thats something to be discussed at a later day.

The former president also said he thinks that Putin made a mistake by invading Ukraine.

When asked to elaborate, Trump said, His mistake was going in. He would have never gone in if I was president.

Trump, 76, has already announced his bid for a 2024 comeback and is a frontrunner to be the Republican Partys nominee, despite having been criminally indicted and remaining under multiple other investigations on serious allegations.
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Oba Sikiru Adetona, the Awujale of Ijebu Kingdom in Ogun State, on his 89th birthday.

Buhari destined the monarch as one of the most remarkable personalities in Nigeria.

In a statement by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, on Wednesday in Abuja, the president praised the qualities of Adetona for his dedication to the welfare of his people and Nigeria at large.

He said: Your dedication to the welfare of your subjects and our country and its people is highly appreciated.

Your vision, warmth and commitment to your friends are incomparable. I am very proud of my relationship with Your Majesty.

May you continue to lead a long and healthy life.

Buhari also prayed to Allah to give the monarch the strength and health to reach all his goals.

He urged him to continue making his numerous efforts for our nations progress.
Its been more than two years since Richard Anderson, 41 died at the hands of Phillip Henry Gurule Jr., 61.

It was a senseless killing, according to prosecutor Ryan Lucke.

Members of Andersons family sat inside a courtroom of the Linn County Circuit Court on Wednesday morning, May 10, facing the man that killed their loved one and awaiting justice.

Gurule was sentenced to just over 10 years in prison following a first-degree manslaughter conviction.

During Wednesdays sentencing, multiple members of Andersons family spoke to the court, and prosecutors read written statements from other family members.

Every day I tell my 4-year-old theres no such things as monsters, but we know thats not true, one of Andersons sisters told the court.

This wasnt Gurules first murder conviction. According to court records, Gurule was convicted of murder in Multnomah County in 1988. He was convicted of solicitation of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in a separate 1988 case.

Prosecutors said the Oregon Board of Parole let Gurule back into society, which gave him the opportunity to kill Anderson.

The murder

During Wednesdays sentencing, Lucke laid out the events leading up to Andersons death.

Anderson knew Gurule through a mutual friend. There were tensions and miscommunications among the group in the days leading up to Andersons death.

On Dec. 5, 2020, Gurule drove with Anderson toward Densmore Road near Jefferson where he shot Anderson multiple times, Lucke said. Gurule left Anderson for dead and drove away.

One of Andersons sons said he was just 15 years old when his father was killed. He remembers his mom's reaction upon learning the news; she let out a scream Andersons son had never heard before, he said.

Now, Anderson wont see his son graduate high school next month.

He loved his kids more than anything, Andersons son said.

Arrest and court appearances

Police located Gurule in Portland on Dec. 18, 2020, and found ammunition that matched that which killed Anderson  as well as Andersons wallet, a probable cause affidavit in the case said.

He was arraigned in Linn County Circuit Court Dec. 21, 2020 on charges of first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm. Gurule has been in custody at the Linn County Jail ever since his arrest.

The case was scheduled to go to trial this week, but the prosecution, Lucke and Lindy Brownback, came to a plea agreement with defense attorney Richard Wolf.

Last week, Gurule pleaded no contest to one count of the less serious charge of first-degree manslaughter.

Andersons mom told the court she had to decide whether or not to accept the plea deal, knowing that it was not a murder charge. She asked Judge Michael Wynhausen to impose the maximum prison sentence.

According to Lucke, the plea deal came about during trial preparations. The state was at risk of losing the vast majority of its evidence and prosecutors wanted to ensure a homicide conviction.

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.

Violence has been a part of his life for the bulk of his life, Lucke said about Gurule.

Sentencing

Through their statements to the court, Andersons loved ones painted a picture of a brokenhearted family. They spoke about how their lives have changed in the last two years.

It has instilled fear and hatred in my heart, Andersons youngest sister said of her brothers death. She added that her mental health, job performance and more has suffered.

Wynhausen said the family member statements demonstrated the impact one murder can have on multiple people. He said he has presided over multiple homicide cases and often considers the magnitude of what it means to take someone elses life.

Wynhausen sentenced Gurule to the plea agreements recommendation of 121 months in prison, although he said the crime was deserving of a longer sentence.

I look at this record, and I see a person who by nature is violent, Wynhausen said.

He noted multiple assaults and other violent crimes on Gurules record from numerous states. Wynhausen added that he does not believe Gurule should have ever been released on parole, and he hopes his parole will be permanently revoked.

He also said he hopes Gurule dies in prison.

It is my hope that Mr. Gurule will never see the light again outside of prison walls, Wynhausen said.




Following the unanimous Supreme Court verdict that reaffirmed his election, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has stated that he has forgiven all those who might have offended him during his struggle to assume the leadership of the state.





He stated this while on a thank you visit to the palaces of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olaonipekun; and Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, after the Supreme Court judgment on Tuesday.





Recall that the Supreme Court on Tuesday affirmed that Adeleke is the duly elected Governor of Osun State.





The All Progressives Congress, APC, gubernatorial candidate, Adegboyega Oyetola, had appealed the Court of Appeal judgment which nullified the Osun gubernatorial election petition tribunal which ruled in his favour in January.





In a statement made available by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Thursday, he said, I am now governor for all. For those who didnt vote for me, I have no grudges against them. Thats the beauty of democracy. I have forgiven all those who offended me in our quest to serve our people.





Even though some went overboard, engaged in an overbearing attitude and were destructive towards the cause we believed in. All those have now been left behind. The victory God granted us has overwhelmed whatever anybody might have done to me in the past. The goal now is how to move Osun forward.





The Governor further praised the two monarchs for playing a huge fatherly role in the governorship project by standing as a pillar of support for him and his family.





He assured the monarchs that he would not disappoint the trust the people have in him and will continue to strive to make Osun better than he met it with infrastructural development.





They initially said most of the applaudable projects we embarked on when we started our administration was because of the 2023 general election, but interestingly, weve never stopped delivering on projects in the state so far.





I want to assure our royal fathers and the good people of Osun that distraction is over. We will not disappoint you. We have the authority and power now, we will use it justly for the progress of this state and welfare of the people.





In his remarks, Oba Olaonipekun said the sound footing Adeleke had started his administration with has given a clear signal of a departure from the past and a brilliant outcome of what to expect.





You have started your administration brilliantly and Im impressed with the steps youre taking each day in the delivery of good governance for the people of our state. With my royal authority, I hereby endorse you for another term in office and a continuity of the government youre heading in the state, he said.





On his part, Oba Lawal pledged that he would constantly remind the Governor of the promises made to the people as he wants to be the father of a Governor that would spend eight years in office in delivery of good governance.
The Minister of Water Resources, Sulaiman Adamu, has dismissed speculations that the incoming administration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, will not continue the multi-billion naira projects of President Muhammadu Buharis administration.

Adamu spoke against the backdrop that Buharis administration would continue working until May 29, when Tinubu would be inaugurated into office.

Speaking after yesterdays Federal Executive Council meeting, the minister said some contracts might not be completed by the Buharis administration.

Responding to questions on pending contracts, Adamu said government is a continuum; hence pending contracts would be passed to Tinubus administration.

According to Adamu: Government must continue to function regardless of elections.

We do not control the process, but when it is completed, and we are still in office, we are duty-bound to bring these memos to Council for Council to approve. Government is a continuum. There are still a lot of memos.

I can assure you a lot of contracts will not see the light of day in the next one week or two. And for those, we do not have any option but to let the process continue. And then for the next government to come and continue.




An unrepentant Donald Trump held firm to past grievances at the first televised town hall of the 2024 U.S. presidential election on Wednesday.





He stressed from the moment he took the stage that he has little intention of mounting a more disciplined campaign for his third White House bid.





In a contentious 70-minute broadcast, Trump drew laughter from a New Hampshire audience when he mocked writer E. Jean Carrolls account of his having sexually abused her, repeated falsehoods about his 2020 election loss, said he would pardon many of his supporters convicted of taking part in a Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and called the CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins a nasty person.





Responding to questions from Collins and members of the audience at Saint Anselm College, Trump made no effort to offer more moderate positions on issues, which political analysts say is key to broadening his appeal to a wider swath of Republicans.





Asked by Collins whether he would acknowledge that he lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020, the Republican Trump reasserted unfounded claims that the election was rigged against him, brushing aside her attempts to correct the record.





That was a rigged election, Trump said, adding that anyone who thought otherwise was stupid.





Trump, the front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination, declined to express regret for the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol when his supporters sought to prevent Congress from ratifying the election result, and he repeated his plan to pardon individuals involved if voters return him to the White House in 2024. Trump and Collins frequently spoke over each other with Collins challenging a number of the former presidents false claims.





Stu Rothenberg, a non-partisan political analyst, said Trumps performance was a likely prelude to his 2024 campaign.





It was classic Trump  it was Donald Trump from 2015 right up until now: the Big Lie, the outrageous style, demeaning individuals, mocking them, said Rothenberg, senior editor at the Inside Elections newsletter. He hasnt changed, nor will he. It was a glimpse into the next year and a half.





The audience of Republicans and independent voters who plan to vote in the Republican primary were generally very supportive of Trump, giving him a standing ovation when he took the stage. New Hampshire is an early nominating state that could prove critical in Trumps bid to win the November 2024 election.





Some applauded when he described his Jan. 6 speech and the events that led up to the Capitol riot in positive terms.





Ive never spoken to a crowd as large as that, and that was because they thought the election was rigged. They were there with love in their heart. That was unbelievable, and it was a beautiful day, he said.





Responding to Trumps remarks, Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison issued a statement calling Trump a dangerous, extreme candidate who seeks to undermine democracy. Biden sought to fundraise off the event.





Do you want four more years of that? If you dont, pitch in to our campaign, Biden wrote on Twitter.





Collins tried to fact-check Trumps assertions in real time, sometimes leading to the two talking over each other as Trump, who usually sticks to conservative media outlets, refused to back down. It was Trumps first appearance on CNN since 2016.





On Tuesday, a federal jury found Trump sexually abused Carroll in a department store dressing room in Manhattan in the 1990s, then harmed her reputation by describing her claims as a hoax and a lie. It said he must pay her $5 million in damages. Trumps lawyer said they would appeal.





What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up and within minutes, youre playing hanky panky in a dressing room? Trump said, one of many disparaging comments about Carroll that elicited applause and laughter. He called her a wack job.





After Tuesdays verdict, Carroll issued a statement saying: Today, the world finally knows the truth. This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed.





Trump stood by his remarks in a 2005 Access Hollywood tape in which he bragged about grabbing women by the genitals, suggesting stars could have their way with them. The comments were used against Trump at trial.





And you would like me to take that back. I cant take it back because it happens to be true. I said, its been true for 1 million years, approximately a million years, perhaps a little bit longer than that, Trump said. Im not referring to myself, Im saying people that are famous, people that are stars.
A group house of representatives members and speakership hopefuls, has protested against the nominations by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for leadership positions in the national assembly.

The group comprises Idris Wase, Muktar Betara, Yusuf Gagdi, and Miriam Onuoha, who are aspiring to become the speaker of the house of representatives when the 10th national assembly is inaugurated.

The ruling party chose Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs, and Jibrin Barau, senator representing Kano north, for senate president and deputy respectively.

The APC also chose Tajudeen Abbas, a lawmaker from Kaduna, and Benjamin Kalu, spokesperson of the house and Imo lawmaker, as speaker and deputy respectively.

Speaking with reporters after a meeting with Abdullahi Adamu, APC national chairman, in Abuja on Wednesday, Wase, current deputy speaker, said they felt betrayed about the partys zoning formula because they were not consulted.

Your excellency, sir, that is the crux of the matter and we feel betrayed by that action. We feel that as if our contributions are not recognized, we feel as if we are not members of this family, he said.

We feel that we have given our best but now the best is no longer needed.

Your excellency, my brother Betara is eminently qualified but he should step down because we have a vice present there. Why then are we having a lopsided distribution? Is it because those of us from north central are taken as slaves?

Four years is not too much. Lets not destroy this party before we go into the next election. We should build this party on the spirit and trust and equitable distribution of resources. It is guaranteed by the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.

We should not forget about the Tambuwalisation of what happened in the house of representatives. We should not forget about the emergence of how Saraki became the senate president. The party as of today we do not have the majority to be that arrogant, and we should not take people for granted.

On his part, Betara, referring to the nominations of Barau and Abbas, both lawmakers from the north-west, said there was never a time two presiding officers hailed from the same place.

We need to sit down and look at it. We might produce the senate president from a different zone. It happened in 2015. So as a party, we are pleading, we need to sit again with all of us and do more consultations, the Borno lawmaker said.
A man has been charged in the 2013 murder of a South Jersey woman after advancements in DNA evidence identified him as a suspect in the case, Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay said.

Joseph Grisoff, 59, of Mount Laurel, was charged with first-degree murder Wednesday in the homicide of Carol Reiff, of Gloucester Township, prosecutors said.
The largest public transit workers union in the nation, which counts 8,000 members in New Jersey, is endorsing Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop for governor.

Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International President John A. Costa acknowledged theres still plenty of time before the 2025 gubernatorial election, but said supporting Fulop is a no-brainer.

We are riding with Fulop, said Costa, who previously served as chairman of the ATUs NJ State Council and began his career at NJ Transit. ATU is proud to be the first union to endorse Steve, and hopefully, others will follow right behind us. They should. Its a no-brainer.

Current ATU NJ State Council Chairman Orlando Riley is impressed Fulops record in Jersey City.

From being among the first in the state to begin paying city employees a minimum of $15 an hour to expanding paid family sick leave, Mayor Fulop and his team have demonstrated that they stand by the core values of ATU, Riley said.

Campaign officials say one of Fulops top priorities is the expansion and improvement of the quality of public transportation across the state.

Mayor Fulop is an old school Democrat who makes sure that we dont throw anyone under the bus, said Costa. He sees transit as a basic human right. He has fought for the rights of our members and our riders.

Fulop called modernizing New Jerseys public transit system one of our states greatest needs.

There is no one I would rather have helping me accomplish that goal than the hardworking men and women of the Amalgamated Transit Union, Fulop said. I believe strongly that we need to think big on public transit to build a reimagined system that efficiently moves people to major job centers, takes cars off the roads to reduce traffic and fight climate change, and supports equitable economic development.
Christian Nodal is heading out on tour this August.

The Mexican musician will kick off the Foraji2 Tour 2023 on Aug. 25 in Anaheim, California and will wrap up on Nov. 12 in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Towards the end of the tour, Nodal will perform at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York on Nov. 10 and at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Nov. 11.

Tickets to see Nodal on tour go on sale to the public on May 13 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.

Fans can also buy tickets on secondary market websites such as StubHub, Vivid Seats, TicketNetwork, TicketCity and MegaSeats.

First-time Vivid Seats users can save $20 on ticket orders over $200 by entering promo code NJ20 at checkout.

A complete list of Christian Nodals tour dates is available here.

More upcoming tours heading to the Prudential Center

Christian Nodal is not the only artist heading to the Prudential Center this year.

Here are a few more tours you do not want to miss:

RELATED STORIES ABOUT LIVE EVENTS:

Queen and Adam Lambert tour 2023: How to buy tickets for 8 new show dates

Taylor Swift 2023 tour setlist: All the surprise songs at each concert

The biggest Latin music tours in 2023: Concerts, festivals, dates, tickets, venues

The concerts and events coming to the Prudential Center in 2023

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Nicole Iuzzolino can be reached at niuzzolino@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.
Philadelphia Swifties, are you ready for the Eras Tour?

From May 12-14, Taylor Swift will perform three shows at the Lincoln Financial Field Stadium in Pennsylvania.

Where to buy the cheapest Taylor Swift concert tickets

Throughout The Eras Tour, the cheapest last-minute tickets for Swifts 2023 concerts have been on StubHub and Vivid Seats. But unfortunately for dedicated Swifties, the lowest-priced seats still cost hundreds of dollars.

As of now, the cheapest ticket for one of Swifts Eras Tour concerts at Lincoln Financial Field Stadium is $1,024.

Fans should look to snag last-minute tickets on sites like StubHub, Vivid Seats, MegaSeats and TicketNetwork.

First-time Vivid Seats users can save $20 on ticket orders over $200 by entering promo code NJ20 at checkout.

Where is Taylor Swift playing next?

Taylor Swift will perform 44 shows around the United States during the tour.

Her next three shows will be in Foxborough, Massachusetts from May 19-21. Tickets are available on sites like StubHub, Vivid Seats, MegaSeats and TicketNetwork.

A complete list of Swifts tour dates is available here.

More massive upcoming tours

Taylor Swift is not the only artist going out on tour in the next few months.

Here are a few more upcoming tours you wont want to miss.

RELATED STORIES ABOUT LIVE EVENTS:

How much are Drake tickets? Best prices, cheapest seats for Its All A Blur Tour

Bruce Springsteen tour 2023: Full schedule, dates, where to buy tickets

Taylor Swift tour 2023: Full schedule, dates, where to buy tickets

Queen and Adam Lambert tour 2023: How to buy tickets for 8 new show dates

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Nicole Iuzzolino can be reached at niuzzolino@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.
EDITORS NOTE: Interested in the business and networking side of cannabis? NJ Cannabis Insider is hosting a cannabis business networking event on May 18. Tickets are limited.

Wanda James is a legend in the cannabis industry here and around the country  shes the first Black woman to own a dispensary in the United States.
Six New Jersey high school seniors are among 161 nationwide distinguished as 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars for their academic, artistic and technical excellence, community service and leadership, the U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday.

The students were selected from among 4,000 nominated by school superintendents across the country. They are part of a group comprised of one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 scholars in the arts and 20 scholars in career and technical education.

The students include Andrew Noviello of Bridgewater - Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville; Camryn Nicole Bartone of Howell - Freehold Township High School; Christopher Shin of Cherry Hill - Cherry Hill High School East; Ian Liu of Cedar Knolls - Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, New York; Katherine Chen of Mountain Lakes - Mountain Lakes High School; and Sebastian Anderson of Ho-Ho-Kus - Northern Highlands Regional High School, Allendale.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as a demonstrated commitment to community service and leadership, according to its website. This is the 59th class to have this honor bestowed by the White House.

U.S. Presidential Scholars have always represented the future of our country and the bright promise it holds, said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. I want each of these remarkable students to know: your passion and intellect, pursuit of excellence, and spirit of service are exactly what our country needs.

On behalf of President Biden, I am delighted to join your family, friends, and communities in celebrating your accomplishments, he added. Aim high, share your talents, and continue embracing opportunities to lead as your exciting future unfolds.

Cherry Hill Easts Shin, 17, was in disbelief when he learned he had been named a Presidential Scholar.

It feels unreal, he said. I feel incredibly honored to have been named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Im very grateful to my teachers, parents, and friends who have supported me along my artistic journey!

School administrators across the state praised and celebrated their students achievements.

We congratulate Camryn on being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar, said Freehold Regional High School District Superintendent Charles B. Sampson. As a top-achieving student in the Global Studies Magnet Program, Camryn has showcased her leadership, organizational, and critical thinking skills daily.

Its no surprise that Camryn has added this honor to the long list of awards she has received throughout her high school career, he added. She is a remarkable person and is truly deserving of the U.S. Presidential Scholar honor. We know Camryn will continue to shine after graduation and look forward to hearing all about her future accomplishments.

Joseph J. Occhino, principal of Northern Highlands Regional High School, said his students hard work paid off.

Sebastian has worked very hard to get to where he is today, he said. He has the drive and determination to succeed. He is resilient and has overcome many obstacles. There is nothing that can stop this young man from reaching his desired goals.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Deion Johnson may be reached at djohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Instagram at @DeionRJohnson or Twitter @DeionRJohhnson
Albany has named its winners for the "If I Were Mayor" contest, ringing in not only local prizes but state accolades.

The Oregon Mayors Association "If I Were a Mayor contest" encourages students in grades 4 through 12 to communicate their ideas if they were city leaders.

This year, two of Albany's local winners swept up state prizes. Dozens gathered to celebrate the winners in City Hall on Wednesday May 10. In their age groups, Noah Salazar from Timber Ridge School placed first in state, while Jacella Williams from West Albany High placed second in state.

Colorful posters decorated the inside of City Hall as dozens gathered to celebrate the participants and winners of the local and state contest.

Pointing at his colorful illustrations, Salazar, a fifth-grader, expressed ideas of limiting fossil fuels, expanding hospitals, adding more community parks and cleaning the river of pollution in a colorful series illustrating wind turbines.

Winners received gift cards and prizes for their local contest as well as cash from the state contest.

Alex Johnson II, Albany's actual mayor, said the contest is important for engagement, so young people know they can reach out to their mayor, he said.

"This is their city, they are going to inherit it," he said.
A man has admitted to using other peoples identities to open credit cards and using them to make more than $400,000 in purchases, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.

Robert Lourenco, 52, of Queens, New York, pleaded guilty to access device fraud before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez, prosecutors said.

Lourenco opened 23 credit cards in the names of three people he had befriended, two of whom were senior citizens, according to the indictment. One of the victims was 78 years old and in the hospital at the time that the accounts were opened, authorities said.
A day after a jury found former President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming advice columnist E. Jean Caroll in 1996, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie repeatedly and sharply criticized Trump over his reaction to the verdict, calling it ridiculous.

Trump on Tuesday vowed to appeal the decision, calling it a disgrace and saying the trial was unfair because it took place in New York City. He also said I dont even know who this woman is or where she came from, adding this is another scam and political witch hunt.
Matt Carpenter moved on from the Yankees this offseason, moving across the country by signing with the San Diego Padres and leaving New York without a useful utility player.

The Yankees signed former Padres and Boston Red Sox outfielder Franchy Cordero in an attempt to fill that hole, but after a hot start in which he became the first player in club history to record four or more homers and 11 or more RBIs in his first seven games with the team, he completely fizzled out.

Cordero was optioned to Triple-A in late April after going hitless for 21 consecutive at-bats, leaving the Yankees in the same place they started the offseason in.

BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETSMARTER, TICKETMASTER

But the answer to the Carpenter problem may have been internal all along.

Thats MLB.coms theory, anyway. They propose that theres a hot bat in the minor leagues who can fill that role with a call-up:

The Yankees sure could use an outfielder swinging a hot bat, and it would be a bonus if he played Gold Glove-caliber defense. Sounds too good to be true? Theyve actually got one stashed in Triple-A: Kole Calhoun, who has hit .500 (11-for-22) with three homers, nine RBIs and four stolen bases through six games. Sure, its a small sample size, but you could argue that the Yanks have seen a large enough sample from their current left field crop (especially Aaron Hicks) to determine that theyre not going to be the answer. They thought Franchy Cordero would be this years Matt Carpenter -- maybe Calhoun becomes that guy.

Calhoun, 35, signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees in late April.

Calhoun averaged 21 homers from 2014-20 playing for the Los Angeles Angels and Arizona Diamondbacks, but is coming off two down seasons in a row. He hit .235 with 5 homers and 17 RBI in 2021 with Arizona, then .196 with 12 homers and 49 RBI in 125 games last season with the Texas Rangers.

Want to bet on MLB?

See the best NJ Sports Betting sites

A free agent last winter, Calhoun didnt sign with anyone until landing a minor-league deal with the Mariners with spring training already underway.

Signed on Feb. 24, Calhoun hit .286 with two RBI in 13 spring training games with the Mariners, but he opted out on March 26 after being told by that he wouldnt make their Opening Day roster.

His best season was in 2019 with the Angels when he batted .223 with 33 homers and 74 RBI in 152 games. The next year, he also put up good numbers in the 60-game season, hitting .226 with 16 homers, 40 RBI and a career-best .864 OPS in 54 games with Arizona, his first of two seasons with the club.

MORE SPORTS:

Mets dodged a $200M bullet: Id boo myself, too

NFL schedule rumors: International games set for Bills, Ravens, Chiefs, Patriots, others

Ex-Jets QB takes aim at Tom Bradys new employer, calls for boycott of FOX until Tucker Carlson is reinstated

NBA Playoffs 2023: Will Joel Embiid and the Sixers finally break through to the Eastern Conference Finals?

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com.
Gary Sanchez is taking advantage of his fresh start thus far.

The Yankees bust had a strong debut in the Mets system on Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with an RBI for Triple-A Syracuse in his first game since signing a minor-league deal with the club this week.

BUY METS TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER

Sanchez had signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants in March, but was cut last week after posting a .164/.319/.182 slash line in Triple-A Sacramento. In 13 games, he had no home runs and only eight RBI in 55 at-bats. He also struck out 19 times.

We know the background of Gary and what hes capable of doing, Mets manager Buck Showalter said before the Mets 7-6 loss to the Reds on Tuesday, via the New York Post. He is getting an opportunity in Syracuse with our guys and well see where it takes us.

Hes got power and a big arm. Its been a long time since I have seen him and well see.

Sanchez, 30, won a Silver Slugger award and was a two-time All-Star teams in his six seasons with the Yankees, but he still fell short of expectations and couldnt live down his reputation as a defensive liability. After being traded to the Twins, he batted .205/.282/.377 with 16 home runs and 61 RBI in 128 games last season, then became a free agent.

Want to bet on MLB?

See the best NJ Sports Betting sites

Sanchez will receive $1.5 million if he plays in the major leagues with the Mets, with up to $1.2 million in potential incentives, according to the New York Posts Jon Heyman.

MORE SPORTS:

NL teams MVP is a forgotten ex-Yankees infielder

Do Yankees have this seasons Matt Carpenter waiting in minors?

Ex-Yankees bust Joey Gallo makes incredible catch you need to see to believe

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com.
The Yankees were looking to unload Joey Gallo before last years trade deadline, and they ended up getting some value in return for the outfielder.

In exchange for Gallo, the Los Angles Dodgers sent over right-hander Clayton Beeter. And now, the 24-year-old prospect is impressing at the Double-A level.

BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER

MLB.com spotlighted him as an encouraging story out of the Yankees farm system:

Acquired from the Dodgers in the Joey Gallo trade last summer, Beeter has nasty stuff but worked as many as five innings just once in his first 53 pro appearances in 2021-22, casting doubt on his ability to start. He has crossed that threshold three times already this year, continuing to showcase a mid-90s fastball and wipeout mid-80s slider while logging a 1.35 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 26 2/3 Double-A innings.

Want to bet on MLB?

See the best NJ Sports Betting sites

The Dodgers picked Beeter in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft.

Gallo signed a one-year, $11 million deal with the Minnesota Twins during the offseason.

MORE MLB:

- Hungry for revenge, Yankees ready to host rival Rays in pivotal series

- Yankees observations from As sweep | Is this offensive explosion for real?

- Yankees Anthony Volpe handling pursuit of results with flying colors, rewarded with grand slam

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Bridget Hyland may be reached at bhyland@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.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Sunny. High near 60F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low near 40F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Episode 89: Its summertime, and for many families, that means its time to plan a vacation. But there are two important variables  where to go and how much to spend.

From budget roadtrips across Montana to costly getaways to Walt Disney World, Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss why some getaways are worth the money. They also share some of their all-time favorite destinations.

Discussion topics:

21 best family vacations in the USA, by Nicola Wood, U.S. News and World Report

Parents choose vacations over saving for kid's college, by Elaheh Zozari, LearnVest

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Flagboy Giz got a surprise Thursday in the form of a question. The musician, rapper and flagboy of The Wild Tchoupitoulas made his way onto "Jeopardy!" during the show's Double Jeopardy! Round, which featured a column dedicated to "New New Orleans Music."

For $400: "To respect native people who aided runaway slaves, artists like Flagboy Giz wear beaded suits for this event  Feb. 21 in 2023."

The answer, obviously, is "Mardi Gras," when the city's Black Masking Indians step out in their new suits, but the first contestant to buzz in (too quickly) answered "What is Juneteenth?"  which ... come on, Hope, what month do you think Juneteenth is in? "Jeopardy!" contestant Hannah Wilson gave the correct answer.

Check out the video below.

When The Category is "New Orleans Music"Im a Jeopardy Question...Thats Iconic!!! ....... shoutout to @Jeopardy pic.twitter.com/dZd5XJJPSl  FlagboyGiz (@FlagboyGiz) May 10, 2023

The column would be easy for New Orleanians, with questions like "Proudly from New Orleans, PJ Morton released a 2020 gospel album; he is also known for playing in this band with Adam Levine" (What is Maroon 5?) and "In 2021 this New Orleans pianist won an Oscar & released a new album while keeping his day job as Stephen Colbert's bandleader" (Who is Jazz Fest 2023 headliner Jon Batiste?).

Or maybe "Trumpeter Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah sometimes plays with a tilted bell just like this musician before him" (Who is Dizzy Gillespie?) and "The New Orleans-set HBO series opened with the Rebirth Brass Band playing 'Feel Like Funkin' It Up' during a second line" (What is "Treme"? duh)

Then again, how many of us would know "In 1955 a bunch of chemists created an element & named it for this chemist who devised the periodic table" or "This inventor who struggled to cash in on his vulcanization of rubber did time in debtor's prison in Philadelphia, Boston & Paris." We can't all have the answers. (That last one is "Goodyear.")

Flagboy Giz

just played French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest and can be seen regularly performing around New Orleans. His latest album is the incredible "I Got Indian In my Family." Keep up with him at flagboygiz.com and on Instagram, @flagboygiz.
A Louisiana House committee Wednesday shot down two bills that would have added exceptions for rape and incest to the states strict abortion ban.

Rep. Delisha Boyd, a New Orleans Democrat who authored one of the proposals, told the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee she was the result of rape. She said her mother was 15 when she had her and that the man who raped her mother was in his late 20s.

My mother never recovered from that, Boyd said. She was dead before she was 28 years old because no one took time to take care of the child that had been violated by a predator. Both Boyd and Chairman Joe Marino, a Gretna independent, teared up during her testimony.

But Republicans easily defeated both measures on a party line vote, with Marino joining the four Democrats in support of the bills.

Boyds wasnt the emotionally impactful testimony the committee heard Wednesday. Lawmakers also heard from Katie Hunter-Lowrey of the Louisiana Survivors for Reform Coalition, who said she is a survivor of rape by someone she was dating and suffers from PTSD from that experience.

If you are forcing rape and incest survivors in Louisiana to carry forced pregnancy, you are not supporting victims, she said.

Andrea Dube, who works on Democratic political campaigns, said she was raped as a teenager and felt belittled and dismissed when she reported it to the police.

Its not lost on me that in order to fight for our right to privacy, women must reveal the most intimate details of their most traumatic experiences, she told the committee.

Some people who said they were the result of rape or incest also testified in opposition to the bill, and some members of the committee saw the testimonies as evidence that women and girls should be forced to carry their rapists child because the child could grow up to be a successful adult.

Boyd said Rep. Tony Bacala, a Prairieville Republican, asked her following the testimony if she was glad that you're here.

Boyd replied she was but that none of my childhood traumas nor my adult successes  gives me the right to decide for another family what to do in their household.

This bill does not mandate abortion, she added. It just gives the option. That child, that woman that experiences that may still decide to go through with the pregnancy, and I support that person.

The committee then rejected 5-9 a similar bill by Rep. Cedric Glover, a Shreveport Democrat.

The committee also ultimately postponed voting on two other bills that would have clarified language surrounding doctors ability to treat miscarriages and lessened penalties for providers.

Louisiana House passes 'Don't Say Gay' bill, now heads to Senate The Louisiana House Tuesday passed their version of the Dont Say Gay bill, which would make it illegal for teachers to discuss sexual orien
The Louisiana House Tuesday passed their version of the Dont Say Gay bill, which would make it illegal for teachers to discuss sexual orientation or gender identity in Louisiana K-12 public schools.

The bill passed 67-28 on a largely party-line vote with a handful of Republicans voting against it and Democrats voting for it.

House Bill 466 by Rep. Dodie Horton, a Haughton Republican, would ban school employees and presenters from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in the classroom in a manner that deviates from state content standards or curricula or during extracurricular activities. Additionally, it would ban school employees and presenters from discussing his personal sexual orientation or gender identity.

The bill also forces school employees to use only pronouns that align with the student's sex on their birth certificate unless a parent provides written permission to call them by other pronouns.

Several Democrats spoke against the bill on the House floor in a discussion that lasted for about an hour, including Rep. Candace Newell of New Orleans who called the bill mean and discriminatory.

Sometimes children have a deeper relationship with their teachers than they do with most family members, Newell said. We are taking away another safe space from children by limiting the opportunity to go and talk to a trusted adult about how they feel.

Like in House Bill 81 by Rep. Raymond Crews, a Bossier City Republican, a school employee could then still choose to ignore a parents written request to use different pronouns for their child on the basis of religious or moral convictions.

The House passed an amendment by Rep. Barry Ivey, a Baton Rouge Republican, adding that a school employee shall use either a student's name, or a derivative thereof, that is listed on his birth certificate or another name authorized by the student's parent."

That could conflict with Crews bill, which the House passed 62-32 Monday, which allows school employees to opt out of calling a student by a name other than whats on their birth certificate or pronouns that align with the students sex on their birth certificate, even if parents give their approval.

In an attempt to account for some nicknames, Crews bill allows school employees to call students a derivative of their birth name without permission from their parents. But what exactly would constitute a derivative is unclear.

If passed, both bills would mean that unless a trans student has supportive parents and school employees, they would have to call them by names with which they no longer identify at school. Some trans people describe feeling anxiety, discomfort and even fear when being called by their old names, often referred to as dead names.

In both committee and on the House floor, Crews said his bill was to make sure a student wasnt going by a different name or pronouns without their parents knowledge. But he failed to acknowledge that a trans student may not feel comfortable or safe coming out to their parents.

In a national 2021 survey by The Trevor Project of about 35,000 LGBTQ people ages 13-24, 49% reported nobody who lived with them respecting their pronouns.

The House approved an amendment by Rep. Tanner Magee, a Houma Republican, allowing parents to request to switch their child to a new teacher if the teacher refuses to use the name or pronouns the parents ask them to use.

Several lawmakers spoke out against the bill Monday, including several Democrats, Baton Rouge Republican Rep. Barbara Freiberg and Gretna independent Rep. Joseph Marino.

This is a cultural war bill designed to impose one groups values upon the rest, Marino said. Its designed to divide us, and I hate these bills.

Both bills would need to get through the Senate and be signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, before they become law.

Louisiana lawmakers move closer to banning gender-affirming health care for youth If signed into law, nobody under 18 in Louisiana would be able to receive gender-affirming health care.
WASHINGTON  Baton Rouge lawyer Darrel J. Papillion cleared an important hurdle Thursday on his way to becoming the newest trial judge on the federal bench in New Orleans.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, where judicial nominations are often sidetracked, voted 15-6, without discussion, to recommend that the full Senate confirm the French-speaking Creole lawyer as the next U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

The 54-year-old Papillions nomination attracted the attention of some conservative Republican senators, due to his involvement in the prosecution of the Rev. Tony Spell after Spell continued to hold church services in defiance of a gubernatorial pandemic order. Republicans have also generally been critical of Democratic President Joe Biden's nominations and have tried to stall many of them.
A heavily amended bill now awaiting Gov. Jared Polis signature intended to cut down on ozone pollution makes major changes critics said would result in far-reaching repercussions. They allege it would handicap not just the oil and gas industry, but also other companies in Colorado  and do little to reduce summertime ozone.

The bill's sponsors said the legislation is necessary because Coloradans, particularly people of color and residents of low-income communities, have long suffered from high levels of ozone pollution, which is connected to severe health effects and premature death.

At the House Energy and Environment Committee hearing on HB 1294 April 20, Rep. Jenny Willford, one of the four sponsors of the bill named "Pollution Protection Measures," explained the need for the legislation by saying that minor sources are a significant driver of ozone pollution.

"Colorado has thousands of minor sources including many oil and gas wells, but because they're deemed minor permitting of minor sources is fast-tracked and the state does virtually no air quality analysis before approving these permits, Willford said.

Oil and gas industry representatives claim that the majority of ozone and ozone-forming chemicals that settle along the Front Range come from uncontrollable natural sources like forest fires and methane-emitting wetlands or are blown in from the west, from both domestic and international sources.

"House Bill 1294 was never a serious attempt to lower ozone, but instead was put forward to add significant, and unnecessary, requirements on Colorado businesses through the air permitting process, said Dan Haley, president and CEO of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, in a statement. Proponents of HB 1294 have claimed oil and gas contribute upwards of 40 percent of Colorados ozone pollution, but there is no evidence of this. Nowhere in the non-attainment area does oil and gas account for even 10 percent of total ozone pollution.

Willford countered, saying in November state analysis determined that 45% of oxides of nitrogen and 41% of volatile organic chemicals  both substances that create ozone when exposed to sunlight  came from the oil and gas industry.

In the fall of 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, modeling data from the Regional Air Quality Council showed that of the seven air quality monitors that exceeded the federal ozone limit of 75 parts per billion, between 36 and 39 parts per billion were attributable to out of state sources, said Christy Woodward, senior director of regulatory affairs for the Colorado Oil and Gas Association at the April 20 hearing.

Sarah Blackhurst, president of Action 22, a public policy chamber of commerce for 22 counties in southern Colorado, said previously that the organization opposes the bill.

Colorado businesses are already working hard and making sacrifices to comply with existing air quality standards, Blackhurst said. The bill requires new pollution modeling simulations for several categories of permits, including but not limited to dry cleaners, bakeries, warehouses, distribution centers, breweries, rail yards, oil and gas facilities, and any other indirect air pollution sources.

An existing exemption from penalties for exceeding air pollution limits during equipment startup, shutdown and malfunction was removed in the final version sent to the governor.

Combined with regulations requiring the registration of virtually all buildings or operations that emit any amount of pollutants, making businesses from dry cleaners to fast-food outlets subject to penalties for any violation, could negatively impact Colorados economy, bill critics said.

The law would incentivize people to use air pollution complaints to divert and distract the resources of the agency and harass business owners unnecessarily, said Paul Seby, a Denver environmental and natural resources lawyer.

Any business other than a home can be the subject of a citizen complaint that can form a citizen lawsuit at the state level, Seby said in an interview with The Denver Gazette. That's never existed in our law before. It's open season on a wide range of Coloradans to be scrutinized by people who may have ill motives and no idea what they're talking about from an air pollution standpoint.

Seby said if the bill becomes law, it is going to make any Burger King subject to a citizen complaint or lawsuit when they start up their cooking grills for lunch.

This bill is not about bakeries, they're not going to meet that modeling threshold, said bill sponsor Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, in a prior interview.

The provision appears to be aimed at other, bigger sources of emissions such as the Suncor Commerce City refinery and oil and gas operations.

But Seby insists that the breadth of the authority granted to the Air Quality Control Commission and the required investigation by the Air Pollution Control Division, leaves open the potential for citizens complaints about any nonresidential pollution source.

Make no mistake: The special interests behind this measure remain focused on their longer-term goal of driving energy development out of Colorado by any means necessary, and it is incredibly disappointing that lawmakers are willing participants in such a malevolent undertaking, said Kait Schwartz, director of American Petroleum Institute (API) Colorado, in a statement.

The bill sets up processes allowing anyone to file a complaint against any business the complainant alleges is violating air pollution rules, which would necessitate mandatory investigations and hearings by the Air Quality Control Division  unless the complaint clearly appears on its face to be frivolous, falsified, or trivial or it is withdrawn.

It will require time and resources that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission could otherwise use to make our shared climate goals a reality. Both agencies repeatedly said as much during the bills legislative journey, but their objective and well-meaning offerings were discarded in the name of political gamesmanship, said Schwartz.

The bill sponsors insist that extraordinary air quality measures are required to get into compliance with federal law.
Qabil Ashirov

Increasing the number of Azerbaijani satellites is one of the important issues, Azernews reports, citing the Chairman of Azerkosmos, Samaddin Asadov telling at the discussion of the new draft law "On Space Activity", which was discussed at the committee meeting of the Milli Majlis on May 11.

He noted that currently, Azerbaijan has 3 satellites. "Azersky" satellite has already stopped its operation. Increasing the number of satellites is one of the important issues.

The communication system is well developed in our country. We have focused on foreign markets. We have made half a billion manat profit in this area, and 90 percent of our income comes from foreign markets, he said.

Sammadin Asadov noted that 90 percent of the income was generated from abroad.

"Services are provided in dollars and euros. We have supported the flow of foreign currency to the country. The space sector is considered to be profitable and pays for itself," he added.

Samaddin Asadov emphasized that the space activity serves the national interests of Azerbaijan and has commercial purposes.

According to him, all television channels of Azerbaijan and Georgia are broadcasted through Azerbaijani satellites.

He emphasized that Azerbaijan has no dependence on satellites today.

He said that the restoration and construction processes carried out in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur are monitored by satellites.

He reported that the terrestrial station operating a short distance from Baku received an international certificate, and China, Japan and other countries installed their antennas at that station.

The Chairman said that Azerbaijan locates in orbit at the 46th degree meridian. This meridian was claimed by the Malaysian government in the 90s. In other words, Azerbaijan shares this meridian with Malaysia.

The chairman of the agency noted that as a result of favorable cooperation, Malaysia decided to give this resource to Azerbaijan.

"We will finish this process with Malaysia by the end of the year. The 46th degree will be the full position of Azerbaijan. After that, if we want, we will be able to launch 5-6 satellites", said S. Asadov.
Malaysias Axiata Group has confirmed a restructuring plan that will alter the roles of its Indonesian units to improve efficiency via more effective asset utilisation.

Under the plans, mobile operator XL Axiata will be retooled into a converged services firm, while fixed broadband provider Link Net will become a wholesale fibre access provider.

Hans Wijayasuriya, CEO of Axiatas telecommunications business, noted that the move will allow XL to capitalise on opportunities in mobile convergence (FMC), while Link Nets role as an infrastructure partner will allow it to capture the wholesale opportunity of an underpenetrated fixed broadband market.

Describing the move as de-layering, Wijayasuriya claimed that the strategy would unlock the next phase of growth with an asset light business model and lead to the optimum configuration for value capture.

Axiata acquired Link Net in June 2022, and the firm is aiming to connect 8 million homes to fibre across the next five years.
Telekom Malaysia pulled out of its deal to acquire shares in state-owned 5G wholesale company Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) after the government revealed plans to deploy a second 5G network.

In a statement, Telekom Malaysia revealed it had notified the Malaysian bourse of the termination of its deal with DNB.

The operator explained the deadline to fulfil all conditions for the Share Subscription Agreement of 20% equity in the 5G wholesale company passed. Subscribers will continue to access their 5G services as the 5G wholesale access agreement remains in place.

However, Telekom Malaysia said it will continue to take part in 5G development and is in discussion with the government and industries. Malaysia is currently in phase one of its 5G plan  spreading coverage to 80% of populated areas, and phase two will be the shift to a dual 5G network system.

Malaysia made headlines with its controversial single 5G network scheme, where all operators take an equal share in 5G wholesale company DNB. The previous government argued this would speed up deployment and keep costs low, leading to more affordable connectivity for subscribers.

The current Malaysian government revealed plans to sell off DNB and make it a private entity.
BP is buying back its BP Midstream Partners spinoff that manages pipelines, including those running to and from the BP Whiting Refinery.

The London-based energy multinational, which operates the refinery along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Whiting, East Chicago and Hammond, plans to acquire all 47.8 million outstanding common units in an all-stock transaction. Shareholders will get 0.575 of a BP share for each BP Midstream Partners share they have.

BP Midstream Partners was spun off from BP a few years ago and run as a separate business. It last turned a quarterly profit of $40.5 million before getting a buyout offer for an estimated $13.01 per common unit.

"In line with BPs strategy introduced last year of becoming an integrated energy company, this transaction will deepen BP's interests in, and simplifies the ownership and governance structure of, midstream assets that support integration and optimization of its fuels value chain in the US," BP said in a news release. "This transaction provides the opportunity for BPMP unitholders to participate in this strategy."

Bank of America Securities is serving as the financial adviser to the deal, which is expected to close in the first quarter of next year.

BP Midstream Partners is a subsidiary of BP, which holds the majority of the outstanding common units and has committed to vote for approval. The deal is still subject to all the customary closing approvals.

In Northwest Indiana, BP Midstream Partners' assets include the BP2 crude oil pipeline system that transports crude oil from the Griffith Terminal to the BP Whiting Refinery, the River Rogue pipeline system that sends petroleum products from the BP Whiting Refinery to Detroit, and the Diamondback pipeline system that pipes diluent from Black Oak Junction in Gary west to Illinois.
Gas prices have fallen under an average of $4 a gallon across all of Northwest Indiana after a switch to the less expensive winter blend, but the long, slow decline may be nearing an end, experts warn.

The national average for a gallon of gas dropped to $3.67 last week, about four cents lower than the previous week, according to AAA. Gas is averaging under $3.60 a gallon in a few Region counties.

It's the lowest drop in the past 100 days, suggesting the decline may be slowing down.

"All streaks have to end at some point, and the national average for a gallon of gas has fallen $1.34 since its peak in mid-June," said Molly Hart, spokesperson for AAAThe Auto Club Group. "But there are big factors tugging on global oil prices  war, COVID, economic recession, and hurricane season. All this uncertainty could push oil prices higher, likely resulting in slightly higher pump prices."

The cost of fueling one's ride is 24 cents a gallon less than a month ago and 48 cents more than a year ago, according to AAA.

Gas now costs an average of $3.81 a gallon in Lake County, $3.82 a gallon in Porter County and $3.59 per gallon in LaPorte County, according to GasBuddy.com. As of Monday, the average price of gas was $3.59 in Newton County, $3.84 in Pulaski County, $3.88 in Jasper County and $3.65 in Starke County.

Gas prices in the greater Chicago metropolitan area average $4.17, including an average of $4.63 within city limits, according to AAA.

The Energy Information Administration estimates gas demand fell from 8.73 million barrels per day to 8.49 million barrels per day last week.

An estimated two-thirds of adults in the United States told AAA they have adjusted their driving habits since the Russian invasion of Ukraine sent gas prices soaring worldwide in late February, such as by driving less often and combining errands when they go out.

Gas prices have fallen nationwide for 14 straight weeks.

With a 14th consecutive weekly decline, the national average price of gasoline has now surpassed 2018s record decline, seeing its longest downward streak since 2015, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

While some states continue to see gas prices trend higher, the majority have continued to decline. However, this week could change the downward trend. With some issues arising in Plains and Great Lakes states as the transition to winter gasoline begins, I think we have the best potential to see the weekly trend of falling prices snapped."

He added: "West Coast states also continue to see increases as unexpected refinery issues continue to percolate, preventing a downward move. While gasoline could nudge higher, diesel prices should continue to ease after a much-needed jump in inventories last week.

NWI Business Ins and Outs: IV vitamin therapy bar, El Salto, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chick-fil-A and Basecamp Fitness opening Coming Open Returning soon Open Open Open Second location Coming soon
The Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce will hear about progress on rail projects and transit-oriented development at a meeting later this month.

The chamber of commerce serving Hammond and East Chicago will host the Regional Development Authority and Northern Indiana Transportation Commuter Transportation District at its general membership meeting at noon May 31. The meeting will take place at Dynasty Banquets at 4125 Calumet Ave. in Hammond.

Registration starts at 11 a.m. and lunch at 11:30 a.m. The presentation will begin at noon.

RDA President and CEO Sherri Ziller and NICTD President Michael Noland will discuss the South Shore Line extension south to Dyer and the double track east to Michigan City.

"Already we are seeing hundreds of millions of dollars invested in projects underway, in Hammond and Michigan City, that are directly related to the West Lake Corridor and Double Track Projects," the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce said in a press release. "Additionally, we will hear about seven Transit Development Districts or TDDs established last year in Northwest Indiana and their future impact on the entire Region. These districts will enable the RDA to accelerate development and support public infrastructure investment around the commuter rail stations in Northwest Indiana."

The chamber luncheon is open to the general public.

Tickets are $35 and must be reserved in advance. For more information or tickets, call 219-931-1000 or email paula@lakeshorechamber.org.
Two Northwest Health hospitals received high grades for their quality of care from The Leapfrog Group.

The national nonprofit issues report cards to hospitals around the country after looking at injuries, infections, errors and accidents.

The Leapfrog Group gave Northwest Health-Porter in Valparaiso an A grade for this spring and Northwest Health-LaPorte a B. The grades reflect how the hospitals protected patients from preventable harm during the height of the pandemic.

The spring 2023 Leapfrog safety grades come with added significance as it is based on patient care provided during the COVID pandemic, said Northwest Health CEO Ashley Dickinson. I would like to thank and acknowledge every member of our team for consistently  every minute, every day, every hour  providing excellent patient care and keeping our patients safe from harm and medical errors. As always, our commitment is to our patients and serving the communities of Northwest Indiana.

The Leapfrog Group issues A to F grades twice a year nationally. It uses a peer-reviewed grading system with more than 30 performance measures, including systems meant to prevent harm, and also offers patients tips on how to stay safe in hospitals.

For more information, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

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
A former Scoutmaster will share the history of Camp ToPeNeBee at the LaPorte County Historical Society Museum Tuesday.

Phil White will give a presentation on the history of the camp at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16 to celebrate its 75th anniversary.

He scouted in Westville from 1952 to 1959 and went on to serve in the military. He returned to become a Scoutmaster between 1967 and 1969, later becoming Scoutmaster for Troop 39 in 1988 until 2001.

He'll give a talk at the Historical Society Meeting at the LaPorte County Historical Society Museum at 2405 Indiana Ave., Suite. 1.

"Come join us to hear this fascinating program on Camp Tope," Assistant Director Savannah Jackson said.

The museum is now exhibiting the work of artist Ralph Fletcher Seymour, a LaPorte High School graduate who went on to become a famous turn-of-century artist in Chicago. His work ended up enshrined in the permanent collections of the Sorbonne in Paris, the Art Institute of Chicago and the National Arts Club in Washington, D.C.

The museum also is having a raffle through July 22 in which visitors can win a 1/18 scale model of the Tucker Car in its Kesling Automobile Collection. The 1948 Tucker Torpedo was made by the Tucker Corporation in Chicago and appeared in the 1988 Francis Ford Coppola movie Tucker: The Man And His Dream, which starred Jeff Bridges as the inventor Preston Tucker who tried to create the car of the future.

For more information, call 219-324-6767 or visit https://laportecountyhistory.org/.
A man is suing three East Chicago police officers over claims that he suffered a broken jaw during a 2021 arrest.

Jesus D. Lopez-Puentes, 33, of East Chicago is seeking monetary damages against Police Chief Jose Rivera, former Chief Hector Rosario and Officer Kayvionne Cook.

Rivera, who was East Chicagos deputy chief in 2021, became police chief in place of Rosario last year.

Griffith attorney Benjamin W. Murphy, who represents Lopez-Puentes, filed a civil rights suit. Murphy said the case is in its earliest stages and he is just beginning to gather evidence.

The claim arises from Lopez-Puentess arrest in the early hours of Jan. 20, 2021.

Police were called to a home near 140th Street and Railroad Avenue to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance and located Lopez-Puentes inside.

Murphy said police brought his client to the lockup at the East Chicago Police Department on Columbus Drive, where Cook slammed his clients head against a wall even though he wasnt threatening or attempting to harm anyone.

Murphy said police had to send Lopez-Puentes to a hospital emergency room, where he was treated for a broken jaw.

Murphy said he is suing Rivera and Rosario on grounds that the two men were Cooks supervisors and should have arrested Cook for the assault on Lopez-Puentes and trained Cook to not use excessive force with people in his custody.

Darnail Lyles, an attorney for Cook, Rivera and Rosario, couldnt be reached for comment. He argues in court papers that Lopez-Puentes caused the assault because he resisted arrest.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail Nidia Trinidad-Reyes Timothy Snow James Reid Kayla Ruiz Joseph Sheridan Anthony Lardydell Marcus Lucio Karolina Mallett Brent Ladwig Heather Grzelak Cortney Kelley Tyray Gary Wayne Gralewski Jr. Donnell Brooks Jr. Latasha Buchanan Jason Cohen Tina Criswell Johnnie Blair Diamond Tillotson Spates Dallas Vondersaar John Petrassi Christian Reed Curt Schwab Dion Neal Tyion Grayson Daryl Jones Latajonae Larry Christopher Lobody Lisa Ellis Raul Barajas Michael Caine Joseph Dunkerley Laquan Afolayan Susan Unruh Christopher Townsell Joshua Tillger Elliott Torres Jason Sivak Bruce Evans Christopher Fils Larcel Lockhart Arthur Erb Jr. Anthony Campero Devon Cross Deja Dowdy Damon Edwards Christian Tindell-Hall Donald Williams Bailey Windom James Taylor Russell Starnes Casey Ramos Jr. Jesse Sanchez Samantha Shaffer Brian Potter Adam McCormick Frankie Munoz Terry Perkins Ian Pilkins Emanuel Ivy Karlon Jackson Leonard Johnson Javier Martinez Jeffrey Davis Auop Elmatari Samantha Cardenas Ray Dampier Gerardo Avila
CROWN POINT  A Gary man faces murder charges for the killing of his girlfriend last July, according to court documents.

Warren Curtis III, 27, was charged Wednesday in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Raven Washington, 31, who was found dead around 4 p.m. July 29 in a vehicle behind an abandoned residence on the 1300 block of Roosevelt Street in Gary. The Lake County coroner's office ruled her death a homicide from a single gunshot wound. Washington's mother had reported her missing the day before when she failed to arrive home after work, according to court documents.

Curtis allegedly lured Washington to the location and shot her because she was interfering in a relationship he had with another woman and he did not want to jeopardize that relationship, according to court documents.

Washington and Curtis communicated with each other multiple times by phone on the day before she was found dead, according to court documents. Cell phone data shows Curtis was in the area of the 1300 block of Roosevelt Street on the evening of July 28 until approximately 3 a.m. July 29. Washington's cell phone data shows she was in the vicinity of the crime at 7:35 p.m. July 28, and her cell phone did not leave the area until it was found with her body.

Curtis has a history of violent behavior directed at Washington, court documents allege. She applied for and was granted protective order after an incident in which he entered her vehicle, pulled her hair and pointed a gun at her outside his home the month before she died. The couple broke up around that time, but had begun seeing each other again.

Curtis told police he could not remember if he was in the area of the residence of the 1300 block of Roosevelt Street on the night Washington died and denied having contact with her. He said she called him that evening, but he rejected the call, court documents allege. He later told investigators he did see her in the area, but walked away because he thought Washington may have seen him there with another woman. He said Washington might have been in the area to purchase marijuana.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail Nidia Trinidad-Reyes Timothy Snow James Reid Kayla Ruiz Joseph Sheridan Anthony Lardydell Marcus Lucio Karolina Mallett Brent Ladwig Heather Grzelak Cortney Kelley Tyray Gary Wayne Gralewski Jr. Donnell Brooks Jr. Latasha Buchanan Jason Cohen Tina Criswell Johnnie Blair Diamond Tillotson Spates Dallas Vondersaar John Petrassi Christian Reed Curt Schwab Dion Neal Tyion Grayson Daryl Jones Latajonae Larry Christopher Lobody Lisa Ellis Raul Barajas Michael Caine Joseph Dunkerley Laquan Afolayan Susan Unruh Christopher Townsell Joshua Tillger Elliott Torres Jason Sivak Bruce Evans Christopher Fils Larcel Lockhart Arthur Erb Jr. Anthony Campero Devon Cross Deja Dowdy Damon Edwards Christian Tindell-Hall Donald Williams Bailey Windom James Taylor Russell Starnes Casey Ramos Jr. Jesse Sanchez Samantha Shaffer Brian Potter Adam McCormick Frankie Munoz Terry Perkins Ian Pilkins Emanuel Ivy Karlon Jackson Leonard Johnson Javier Martinez Jeffrey Davis Auop Elmatari Samantha Cardenas Ray Dampier Gerardo Avila
If Donald Trump's name appears on the 2024 Republican primary election ballot in Indiana, the former president won't be getting a vote from the Hoosier State's senior senator.

U.S. Sen. Todd Young declared Thursday  after Trump was found liable for sexual assault Tuesday by a New York jury and on Wednesday pledged to pardon the criminal participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection  that Trump does not deserve the backing of the Republican Party next year in a third consecutive presidential race.

"I don't intend to support him for the Republican nomination," Young said in an interview with Manu Raju, CNN chief congressional correspondent.

When asked by Raju his reason for not supporting Trump, Young replied: "Where do I begin?"

On the issue of Ukraine, Young took exception to Trump calling Russian President Vladimir Putin "a smart guy," and Trump refusing to commit to supporting Ukraine in its continuing efforts to repel the Russian invasion if Trump makes it back to the White House.

"I think President Trump's judgment is wrong in this case. President Putin and his government have engaged in war crimes. I don't believe that's disputed," Young said. "He (Putin) is an enemy of the United States, our values, our interests and the security of the American people."

Young expanded on Trump's weaknesses as a presidential candidate in a subsequent interview Thursday with Igor Bobic, senior politics reporter at HuffPost, whose reporting on Young's remarks was confirmed by Young's office.

Specifically, Young said he wants to back a Republican nominee who can win in a general election.

"As President Trump says, I prefer winners. He consistently loses. In fact, he has a habit of losing not just his own elections, but losing elections for others," Young said.

Records show Trump has twice failed to garner more popular votes in presidential elections than his Democratic opponents, yet managed to win the White House in 2016 due to the quirks of America's electoral vote system.

Trump's lackluster support for the Republicans running in the 2020 Georgia U.S. Senate runoff elections also contributed to Democrats winning both races and majority control of the Senate.

Young told Bobic he believes that Trump lacks the skills necessary to build the kind of broad coalition of supporters needed to win a presidential election.

"I can't think of someone worse equipped to bring people together ... and advance our collective values than the former president. I don't think conservatives would be well served by electing someone whose core competency seems to be owning someone on Twitter," Young said.

Young declined to say whether he would support Trump in the general election if somehow the former president wins the GOP nomination, notwithstanding Young's to-be-determined endorsement of another candidate  "It won't be him (Trump)."

"I don't think he'll be the nominee. Republicans are in a winning mood. We want to win. We know he's the shortest path to losing," Young said.

As for whether he's thinking of running for president himself, Young said simply: "No."

Hoosiers elected Young last year to a second, six-year term representing Indiana in the U.S. Senate. He was unopposed in the Republican primary and defeated Democratic Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. in the general election.

Notably, Young was among just four Republican senators seeking reelection last year not to be endorsed by Trump.

Gallery: Take a virtual tour of Indiana's state parks Brown County State Park Chain O' Lakes State Park Charlestown State Park Clifty Falls State Park Falls of the Ohio State Park Fort Harrison State Park Harmonie State Park Lincoln State Park McCormick's Creek State Park Mounds State Park O'Bannon Woods State Park Ouabache State Park Pokagon State Park Potato Creek State Park Prophetstown State Park Shades State Park Shakamak State Park Spring Mill State Park Summit Lake State Park Tippecanoe River State Park Turkey Run State Park Versailles State Park White River State Park Whitewater Memorial State Park
MICHIGAN CITY  Residents of the citys East Side, West Side and Midtown neighborhoods offered ideas on ways to improve the quality of life in their own areas as the city drafts a three-year improvement plan.

The plan is being developed by the Brookings Institution and Local Initiatives Support Corp. Michigan City, Seymour and Warsaw, all in Indiana, are the first small cities nationwide for this effort, said Josh Anderson, of Anderson and Bohlander, who facilitated Thursday nights session.

Were the guinea pigs, he said.

Youll be receiving national attention through this process, Anderson added.

The station block building coming to Michigan City with the Double Track NWI project incorporates a new train station and parking garage but also residential and commercial uses. That project is lighting an economic development fuse that promises to bring hundreds of millions of dollars of private investment downtown. That includes the $240 million SoLa  for South of the Lake  mixed-use development adjacent to City Hall.

Were really looking at the more disinvested communities around there, Anderson said, to make sure they arent left out, he said.

Indiana is preparing for a second round of READI  Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative  grants. They want you to be competitive in that, Anderson said.

The team looking at Michigan City has already dived into demographic data. The East Side, West Side and Midtown neighborhoods have 26% of the citys jobs, but unemployment is higher.

Anderson encouraged attendees to list strengths, weaknesses and ideas. They eagerly responded.

Nila Williams grew up in the West Side neighborhood. Attending the meeting at the H.O.P.E. Center brought back memories for her. The building was the former Park Elementary School, which she attended. Park is one of several schools closed after enrollment declined.

I would love to see something else going on in this building, Williams said, adding youth-oriented programs, the arts and black history lessons to what already goes on there.

I dont like the prison, obviously, but we grew up with that, Williams said. She would like to see the prison removed and affordable housing put up in its place.

Theres a food desert over here, Williams added. She wants residents to have easy access to healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables without having to drive to the citys south side, where the large supermarkets are.

Realtor Erica Miller, an East Side resident, agreed about the need for fresh produce on her side of the city. Theres so much that we lack on the East Side, she said. We lack vibrant businesses and walkability, she said. Crossing Franklin Street downtown is easy, but Michigan Boulevard is harder to cross.

Miller hopes the new Dunkin Donuts will attract other businesses to her neighborhood.

Tommy Kulaviks ideas included adding an I-94 interchange at County Line Road.

Another resident suggested an independent study program in conjunction with the AK Smith Career Center and Ivy Tech Community College for students to learn shoe repair and other trades that seem to be in decline.

I think one of the barriers is transportation, a resident said, with bus service ending too early for a lot of people to ride to and from work.

Mayor Duane Parry was pleased with the event. Its overdue, he said. Its needed if were going to go forward.

Events like this help him keep in touch with people in the community, he added.

Michigan City Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Clarence Hulse is excited about the program. You dont know how fortunate I feel to have two major nonprofits in our backyard, he said.

Weve got some of the highest poverty around downtown, he said, and he doesnt want people pushed out of their homes.
A new precision machine shop is coming to the Knox Industrial Park in Starke County.

Wakal Machining, LLC broke ground on the machine shop at 205 Kloeckner Drive in Knox. It will make new parts and repair equipment for a number of industries, including the agricultural, manufacturing, aerospace, automotive and construction sectors.

Our client base is farmers and any business that has a maintenance department, owner Bill Wakal said. We hope to be able to serve Valparaiso, LaPorte, Walkerton, Plymouth, Culver, Winamac, and surrounding areas initially and branch out further into Northern Indiana and beyond as we grow. The nearest machining shop that can provide the service we will offer is an hour and a half away.

The machine shop will be able to cut, fabricate and finish products at its new facility.

We chose to start our business in Knox because we saw a need for a machine shop in Starke County, Bill Wakal said. The Knox Industrial Park is an ideal location because of the proximity to many of our clients, which will help us to better serve their needs.

Wakal has worked as a tool and die maker for the last 25 years. He's starting the business with his wife, who has a business background, and son, who's about to graduate college. The company will initially have two employees when it opens in September and number the head county by next year.

It plans to work with North Central Careers and Technical Education Cooperative and Ivy Tech to ensure a pipeline of skilled employees as it ramps up its operations in the future.

We hope this opens the door for other small businesses to consider locating in Starke County, Wakal said. The city of Knox and the Starke County Economic Development Foundation have been a positive force behind the success of us starting this business.

Knox and the Starke County Economic Development Foundation hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Monday.

This is a locally owned business, and it could encourage others to build or expand in Knox, Mayor Dennis Estok said. We are pleased to welcome the Wakals to our city.

The Starke County Economic Development Foundation helped find the site, which the city extended utilities to.

We looked at many possibilities in the Knox area, which is where they wanted to locate, SCEDF Executive Director Lisa Dan said. They felt the Knox Industrial Park was the best location, and we were happy to sell them some land so they could build. They indicated some of their customers would be local industries and this would be an ideal spot for their startup business.

The Starke County Economic Development Foundation has 51 more acres of land in the Knox Industrial Park it's looking to develop by bringing in similar companies.

Their long-term plans will also create career opportunities for local students and encourage them to remain in Starke County after they graduate, Dan said. That is so important to our county as we continue to strengthen our niche as a best-of-both-worlds destination in proximity to Chicago, South Bend and Indianapolis with an affordable cost of living, unmatched natural resources, and friendly and welcoming communities.
PORTAGE  Tilly served time in jail, but its not as bad as it sounds.

The blue heeler, the Portage Police Departments newest K9, was trained by inmates and guards at the Brevard County Jail in Florida.

Unlike the other Portage police dogs, Tilly is trained to offer comfort.

Her handler, Capt. Mark Monks, has been taking Tilly around Portage the past few weeks to get her acclimated.

Ive been here 20 years and Tillys been here a month, and shes more popular than me, Police Chief Michael Candiano said.

I really needed that is a common response to Tillys visits, Monks said. Everybody loves just a 10-minute, 15-minute, 20-minute visit with her.

She rolls on her back and lets you rub her tummy, he said.

But as popular as Tilly is around town, her real value will be to comfort people in stressful situations.

At the police station, that includes walking down to the squad room to meet officers coming on duty and those who are ending their shift.

Tilly visited the dispatchers recently at the 911 dispatch center in downtown Valparaiso, even getting to wear a headset just like the dispatches.

Every job is difficult and stressful in its own way, but dispatchers face a higher stress level than most as they help people sort out the necessary response to emergencies. Its enlightening for us to go out there every once in a while, Candiano said.

One of the reasons Tilly was put on the police force is to offer comfort to children who have been assaulted. According to the Brevard County Sheriffs Department, the therapy dog program there  the first in the nation  puts children at ease. Children who have spent a little time with a therapy dog are far more likely to open up; the disclosure rate of child abuse victims increases from 36% to 82%.

Fortunately, Tilly hasnt been needed for that reason yet.

She also can help put witnesses at ease before they testify or speak with an officer, Candiano said.

When Candiano was named chief three years ago, the department had four dogs. Candiano saw the response dogs get while mingling with the public, which fit right in with wanting more interaction with the community. We really saw dogs were like that bridge.

The department has had experience with patrol dogs, but police dogs are trained for detecting drugs, tracking, finding corpses and other uses.

Comfort dogs, however, are relatively rare. In Indiana, only a handful of police departments have them. So far, about 200 dogs trained by Brevard County inmates have been put into service, Monks said.

He found out about the program through Valparaiso University. The police department there has two of the dogs.

Its basically free, he said. The cost was just $100 for the certificate and travel expenses. T-shirt sales fund food and veterinary care for Portages policedogs.

Monks spent a week in Florida for training. He and Tilly saw the sights together. We just walked around and met people, Monks said. It was a blast.

The sheriffs department uses shelter dogs. Not all of them have a pedigree, but Tilly does. Shes about 2.5 years old. Last October, a family with young children surrendered Tilly to the animal shelter. She was a little too hyper for the kids, Monks said. Now shes very gentle.
MERRILLVILLE  Lessons not found in books were learned by intermediate school students participating in the Town Councils Municipal Day.

Audrey Prieto, one of the Merrillville Intermediate School students taking part, said she learned a great deal from the 90-minute Town Council meeting held on Tuesday.

This was an amazing opportunity for me and an education, Prieto said.

Prieto, who sat next to Planning and Building Director Sheila Shine and read her reports, was among about 22 MIS students selected to participate in the Town Councils Municipal Day program.

Prior to the meeting, Prieto and other students met with council members and town department heads to learn about their jobs.

The youngsters then ran most of the Town Council meeting that followed.

Council members stepped in when it came time to vote on ordinances and other official matters.

This will be a wonderful evening as we let the students do the work for us, said Town Council President Rick Bella.

MIS student Saniyya Fisher was given the opportunity to head up the meeting after her essay was selected as one of the best of those who applied to be part of the program, according to school officials.

Sitting alongside Bella, Fisher presided over the meeting and read her essay.

Fisher said she has only lived in Merrillville for a short time and loves the community and its diversity.

I think in so many ways it can be made better, she said.

Fisher said if she was in charge of the municipality she would add more parks and make sure the community was free of trash.

More parks are needed, the existing ones need to be updated, more accessible and be usable by those with disabilities, she said.

Theres also a need for a community swimming pool for Merrillville residents, she said.

When I look around I dont see any public pools. The closest is Hobart. We should have at least one public pool so kids can get there, she said.

Students during the meeting were also able to observe the ups and downs that often take place during a municipal meeting.

The up part of the meeting included the council approving the towns purchase at $86,620 of property at 6680 Broadway.

That money will be used to construct the Merrillville Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Indiana.

The after school club is currently located in the Dean and Barbara White Community Center, 6600 Broadway, said Councilman Shawn Pettit.

This has been a long time coming, Pettit said.

Boys & Girls Club officials, including board president Matt Glaros, were jubilant with the news that includes annual payments of $200,000 over 10 years to help pay for construction costs.

Were very excited to be here tonight. Todays kids are tomorrows leaders and youre looking at them. We want to build a state of the art building, Glaros said.

The tabling of a request by petitioner Leonard White, who also serves as Merrillville Town Councilman, proved to be the "down part of the meeting.

Whites proposed project, which is to allow an office and event venue at 6120 Broadway, was tabled at the urging of Pettit.

I need more time to digest, Pettit said.

White countered by asking why his request wasnt approved since it had been previously OK'd by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Is this council violating my rights? White asked.

Some other town officials, including Chanda Flowers, criticized at the end of the meeting the handling of Whites request by the council and particularly Pettit.

Mr. Pettit, I dont think its a good look for the town, Flowers said.

Bella, after the meeting had concluded, said he didnt think having the students experience all facets of a meeting was bad.

The idea is to educate students and this is part of that education. This is real life, Bella said.

Historical homes you can own in the Northwest Indiana area 4 Bedroom Home in Lynwood - $850,000 Online contributed 4 Bedroom Home in Lynwood - $850,000 Two Story Related Living Farmhouse with 5 income producing outbuildings on 28 Acres of Farmland, located on the IL/IN border. This home is a big money maker with over $76,000 in projected income. This 2000 square foot home has 4 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms with a full basement that is partially finished. The home has been separated with a separate entrance with separate kitchen on the 2nd floor. There are 5 Out Buildings that are divided into separate units. Upstairs has a second kitchen, 2 bedroom, and the warehouse units are rented to local businesses. First floor has 2 Bedrooms, Living Room, Large Kitchen and Bath. 2nd floor is 2 bedrooms with a large kitchen, recreation room and bathroom. Lower Level has a bathroom and and recreation room. Great Income property. The property is located in Lynwood, IL and accessed through Dyer, Indiana. Ask your agent for the detailed brochure. View More
The nurses entered my life at the absolute worst time.

It wasnt when I felt sharp, intellectually. Nor when I looked presentable, physically. Or when I welcomed casual conversation about subjects Im interested in. Instead, I looked like a sad clothes hamper. My mind was scattered. My emotions were on life support. I was only half there.

Hospital nurses and aides likely experience this every day from strangers they get to know and then never see again for the rest of their lives.

Some of the nurses I recently met were named Chris, Patty, Dallas, Jenn, Taylor, Kathy, Gail and Marie. There were far too many others to mention in this column. I never learned their last names. I never needed to.

All that mattered was how they cared for my mother, whose health was slipping through her frail hands like sand in an hourglass.

Time after time these nurses impressed me, educated me and reassured me. I dont know how they do what they do every hour, every day, every year. They obviously have a passion for their job and a sense of duty for their career.

Every time they walked into my mothers room, I took notes. Not only for my seven-part column series on my familys journey (read it at NWI.com), but also for todays column about National Nurses Week. Its recognized between May 6 and May 12, the birth date of perhaps the most famous nurse in history, Florence Nightingale.

Over the past several months, Ive interacted with dozens of nurses in different medical facilities, from emergency rooms to hospital rooms to chemotherapy clinics to a hospice center. Ive never before chatted with so many nurses of different specialties over a concentrated period of time.

I learned a lot about their jobs. I learned more about their personalities. The chatty ones. The quiet ones. The ones who shared intimate snippets of their personal lives with me.

Theres something sacred about a hospital room. Its part confessional, part bar stool, part therapist couch. Especially in the quiet of night with only the sounds of beeping machines serenading a patient and loved ones.

In my mothers case, she was nothing like she was when she was healthy. On many days, she wasnt able to communicate at all with any of the nurses. Still, most of them continued to talk to her as if she understood their every word.

OK, Miss Nancy, now Im going to roll you on your side   they would tell her.

This gesture really touched me. Many of the nurses respected my moms dignity even in the less dignified situations of personal medical care.

For most patients and their families, nurses are the first and last point of contact with the medical community. They answer the majority of questions. They perform most of the tedious tasks. They clean up whatever mess is left for them, whether its from a doctors arrogance or a patients ignorance.

Beginning 20 years ago, National School Nurse Day has been celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week.

I remember visiting the nurses office too many times when I was in middle school. Whether it was for a playground scrape, an upset stomach or a pretend sickness to get out of class, the school nurse was always there for students. Her tiny office attracted a motley crew of ailing children, each one sitting in a chair against the wall and staring at each other.

What are you in for? wed ask each other as if we were in prison.

Nonetheless, the school nurses office felt like the Free Parking space in a Monopoly game. I would rather stare blankly at a smelly, greasy-haired, pimple-faced twerp with a thermometer in his mouth than learn about geometry in math class. Heck, I still would.

One of the themes for this years National Nurses Week is Nurses Make a Difference: Anytime, Anywhere, Always. Throughout my interactions with nurses, I was able to push a call button to request their attention. They didnt always arrive quickly, but they always arrived.

My family had all kinds of requests, everything from ice chips and blankets to changing IV bags and bed sheets. There is no way I could ever perform the duties of a nurse. I dont have the patience, passion or tolerance. I cant even nurse a drink after dinner, let alone a sick patient.

Nurses have my respect, even the ones who were as friendly to me as a bad cold. I didnt care. As long as they showed up and performed their duties. If they happened to have a sparkling personality or gentle bedside touch, even better.

On one of my mothers last days in a hospital, I sent myself a text for this column: I dont know how nurses do it."

Looking back on all my encounters with these unheralded heroes of the healthcare community, I still feel the same way. But thank you for doing it.
The Biden administration ended the pandemics classification as a public health emergency on May 11, a move that ushers in an elaborate wave of policy changes that may complicate Americans testing and treatment options for the disease.

The one word I have to describe this all is confusion, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. Its confusing already to know where to get a test, whos paying for what, whats my co-pay going to be. Now its going to be a complex equation.

Heres how the end of the public health emergency could affect you.

If you have private insurance

The biggest change most people will notice is that they will likely no longer be eligible for eight free at-home Covid tests each month through their insurance, said Jennifer Kates, a senior vice president at KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation. People with private insurance will probably have to pay full price for at-home Covid tests at drugstores. Those who stocked up before the end of the emergency declaration should make sure to note the expiration date on any home tests theyve hung onto.
Across China, many local governments are on the brink of insolvency. Some cities have reduced pay for civil servants. Cuts to municipal health insurance have triggered street protests.

Central government bailouts are a possibility to rescue cities from their deep budget problems, but China hasnt turned to a source of revenue that would be an obvious option in other countries: property taxes.

In China, where the government owns the land, localities almost never tax homeowners to support services like schools. Cities rely instead on selling long-term leases to real estate developers. Revenue from these land sales has plunged in the past year.

Last month, after a decade-long effort that involved 100,000 workers, Chinas central government said it had finally figured out who even owns 790 million apartments and other properties. That knowledge means officials in Beijing could start a nationwide property tax system. But they are not expected to do so quickly. The obstacles range from the technical (it would be complicated) to the economic (it would hurt homeowners at a delicate time for the housing market) to the political (it would expose government officials who own many homes).
David Zaslav, the chief executive of CNNs parent company, recently defended the networks decision to host a live town hall with former President Donald J. Trump, calling the event important for America.

So it proved to be, but perhaps not for the reasons Mr. Zaslav intended.

In an unruly and at times bewildering broadcast on Wednesday night, Mr. Trump  appearing on CNN for the first time since 2016  unleashed a fusillade of falsehoods, sometimes too quickly for his interlocutor, the anchor Kaitlan Collins, to intervene.

Again and again, Mr. Trump falsely claimed that the 2020 election was rigged. He called E. Jean Carroll a wack job and attacked her in misogynist terms. He defended the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters.

Ms. Collins, composed in the face of Mr. Trumps turbulence, interrupted, interceded, corrected and called out the former president on his lies. He often responded by talking right over her. When Mr. Trump finally lost patience and derided Ms. Collins as a nasty person, some in the live audience applauded.
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y.  For months, Representative George Santos seemed to possess a Teflon-like resistance to repercussions, even as questions mounted over his income, campaign finances and rags-to-riches life story.

Mr. Santos, a first-term Republican representing Long Island and Queens, gave numerous speeches on the House floor and appeared to relish his growing notoriety. Just in the last month, he announced his bid for re-election and tried to leverage his vote with House Republican leadership on a contentious bill to raise the debt ceiling.

But on Wednesday, Mr. Santos was confronted with consequences that may prove difficult to skirt. Federal prosecutors charged him with 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds and lying on federal disclosure forms, and took him into custody.

Appearing before a judge and scores of assembled reporters in a federal courthouse in Central Islip, Mr. Santos pleaded not guilty on all charges. Sitting upright, with his arms crossed before him, Mr. Santos, 34, was polite and deferential, cutting a familiar figure in his trademark outfit of sweater beneath a navy blazer.
Republican governors of border states have been sending buses of asylum seekers to New York and other Democrat-led cities since last spring, but the citys decision came as a federal pandemic-era rule that allowed the government to eject thousands of migrants, known as Title 42, is set to expire Thursday night. City officials have said they expect as many as 1,000 people a day to come after the rule is lifted.

Already people have been crossing into the United States from Mexico in anticipation of the change.

New York City has opened eight humanitarian relief centers as city officials have moved to help more than 61,000 migrants who have arrived over the last year.

New York is the only major city in the country that provides right to shelter, the result of a legal agreement that requires the city to provide a bed to anyone who needs one under certain conditions.

We all hope that they never have to take any actions that would be in violation of these rules that theyre suspending, said Joshua Goldfein, a staff lawyer for the Legal Aid Society, which represents the nonprofit that is the court-appointed monitor for the shelter system, the Coalition for the Homeless.

Under the nightly-deadline rule, homeless families with children who arrive at a shelter-system office by 10 p.m. must be given beds in a shelter the same night. Last July, as the number of migrants was accelerating, some families spent the night in chairs at the main office in the Bronx; it was the first time the nightly deadline had been violated since at least 2014.
The day after Representative George Santos was charged with wire fraud and money laundering as part of a 13-count federal indictment, he was free to go back to work as a freshman Republican congressman from Long Island. Mr. Santos, who pleaded not guilty, can still vote in the House, and he can still raise money to run for re-election.

In other words, there were few tangible, immediate consequences for Mr. Santos as a result of his indictment.

But that could change in the weeks to come.

Will George Santos be removed from Congress?

Being indicted does not, on its own, lead to removal from office. Several House Republicans have called for him to step down, but party leadership has made it clear that they will let the judicial process play out. And the slim Republican majority means they need his vote.

A resolution to expel Mr. Santos from Congress would need two thirds of House members to vote for it in order to pass, meaning Republicans would have to join Democrats.
How did you tell the story of Queen Charlottes character development through her costumes?

I wanted to see why Golda Rosheuvels character on Bridgerton dresses the way she does. There was a Met Ball about 10 years ago based on the work of the designer Charles James, who Im obsessed with. I said to Shonda, Id like this to feel as if young Charlotte is going to that Met Ball. Charlottes costumes become more ornate as time goes on because she is embodying the whole of the royal family. Hence, her wigs keep getting taller, and her costumes get wider and more ornate.

Queen Charlottes elaborate wigs, and the depiction of her hair as a Black monarch, have been praised since the first season of Bridgerton. Tell me about the decision for young Charlotte to wear her natural hair.

The original sketches that we did for Queen Charlotte, before any of the casting process was done, had her with big, natural, curly hair. I had shown those images to Nic Collins, the hair and makeup designer, when we first started. Shes so talented, and shes such a purist about period. She had said, Do you think we can do this? So she and Shonda spoke and decided to do it. As the disclaimer at the front of the show says, its based on history, but were not going to stick to the aesthetic 100 percent.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, blocked Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, on Tuesday from hosting an event at the Capitol commemorating the displacement of Palestinians when the state of Israel was created, saying Ms. Tlaib was trafficking in antisemitic tropes.

The dinner event scheduled for Wednesday night, called Nakba 75 & the Palestinian People, was planned to commemorate what Palestinians call the nakba, or the disaster, referring to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in 1948 when Israel declared independence.

According to an event page, the evening was intended to uplift the experiences of Palestinians who underwent the nakba, and educate members of Congress and their staff about this history and the ongoing nakba to which Israel continues to subject Palestinians. Ms. Tlaib, the first Palestinian American elected to Congress, who has family living in the West Bank, was to be a special guest.

But on Tuesday evening, Mr. McCarthy said he would use his power as speaker to scrap the gathering, telling the conservative Washington Free Beacon: Its wrong for members of Congress to traffic in antisemitic tropes about Israel.
After four months of investigation, House Republicans who promised to use their new majority to unearth evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden acknowledged on Wednesday that they had yet to uncover incriminating material about him, despite their frequent insinuations that he and his family have been involved in criminal conduct and corruption.

At a much-publicized news conference on Capitol Hill to show the preliminary findings of their premier investigation into Mr. Biden and his family, leading Republicans released financial documents detailing how some of the presidents relatives were paid more than $10 million from foreign sources between 2015 and 2017.

Republicans described the transactions as proof of influence peddling by Mr. Bidens family, including his son Hunter Biden, and referenced some previously known, if unflattering, details of the younger Mr. Bidens business dealings. Those included an episode in which he accepted a 2.8-carat diamond from a Chinese businessman. G.O.P. lawmakers also produced material suggesting that President Biden and his allies had at times made misleading statements in their efforts to push back aggressively against accusations of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden.

But on Wednesday, the Republicans conceded that they had yet to find evidence of a specific corrupt action Mr. Biden took in office in connection with any of the business deals his son entered into. Instead, their presentation underscored how little headway top G.O.P. lawmakers have made in finding clear evidence of questionable transactions they can tie to Mr. Biden, their chief political rival.
A man connected to the 2005 disappearance in Aruba of Natalee Holloway, an American teenager, will be temporarily extradited to the United States from Peru to face charges that he extorted her mother, the Peruvian authorities said on Wednesday.

Ms. Holloway disappeared during a trip to the Dutch island with her Alabama high school class at age 18. She was declared dead in 2012, and the unsolved case has long generated great public interest in the United States. First there was intense news coverage, then true-crime books and feature-length films.

The suspect, Joran van der Sloot, is a citizen of the Netherlands who grew up in Aruba and has been linked for years to Ms. Holloways disappearance. According to the F.B.I., she was last seen leaving an Aruba nightclub in a car with him and two other young men around 1:30 a.m. on May 30, 2005.

Mr. van der Sloot is in Peru serving a 28-year prison sentence for murder in a separate case: the 2010 strangulation death of Stephany Flores, a 21-year-old Peruvian student. He was sentenced in 2012, aged 24, after pleading guilty.
If the last two years represented a slow return and then full-on bounce back to prepandemic arts programming, the array of art fairs this May embodies something of a spring frenzy. Heres a guide to our favorites, by neighborhood.

Upper East Side

TEFAF

Each year the European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF), known for its expertise in art history, antiques and design, leaves the Netherlands for Manhattan. The fair, focused on modern and contemporary art and design, returns for its eighth New York edition at the Park Avenue Armory. Single-entry tickets are $55 ($25 for students); multiple-day entry tickets run $75. May 12-16 at the Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue, Manhattan; tefaf.com.

American Art Fair

The fair that focuses on American 19th and 20th century works is back for its 16th year with more than 400 landscapes, portraits, still lifes and sculptures on display by 17 exhibitors. Admission is free. May 13-16 at the Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73rd Street, Manhattan; theamericanartfair.com.

Midtown West

Frieze New York 2023

Frieze, one of the worlds largest, priciest and most difficult-to-access fairs, is back at the Shed in Hudson Yards, this year with more than 65 galleries celebrating the creative spirit of New York City. The fairs Focus section will also return, showcasing solo presentations from galleries that have been in operation for 12 years or less. Tickets are selling quickly, with many tiers already sold out. Entry to the Friday preview runs $129 per person. May 17-21 at the Shed, 545 West 30th Street, Manhattan; 212-463-7488, frieze.com.
Some celebrations are fleeting, others bring permanent, tangible results. With Young Picasso in Paris, a tiny gem of an exhibition, the Guggenheim Museum has it both ways.

Organized by Megan Fontanella, the Guggenheims curator of modern art and provenance, this show is one of over 30 mounted in European and American museums as part of Picasso Celebration: 1973-2023, which has been spearheaded by the Musee Picasso-Paris on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the artists death. The point seems to be that in the half century since then, the legacy of the 20th centurys greatest artist remains undiminished, continues to influence new generations of artists and still contains mysteries to be discovered by scholars and new technologies.

The Guggenheim show hits all of these marks. The museum has used the celebration as an impetus to continue the analysis (initiated in 2018) and undertake the conservation of its best-known and most beloved Picasso painting: Le Moulin de la Galette, of 1900, and to make this beguiling, subtly refreshed work the centerpiece of Young Picasso.

As Picasso shows go, it has a distinctive lightness. For one thing it contains only 10 works. But it is also unburdened by the artists oppressively unforgettable, often disturbing life story, of which there was as yet not much. It gives us Picasso before he was Picasso, which was in essence Picasso before he knew Paris.
If you put the Metropolitan Museum of Art in a blender, you might end up with something like TEFAF New York. One of two annual fairs staged by the European Fine Art Foundation (the other is in Maastricht), it fills the historic Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan to its rafters this week with modern and contemporary art and design objects, even spilling into the hallways and up to the second floor.

This can make for entertaining juxtapositions inside the 1880 Gothic Revival building. This year, Friedman Benda gallery (Stand 101), one of nearly 100 exhibitors, is showing several colorful Ettore Sottsass vases under a permanently installed portrait of Wade Hampton Hayes, a brigadier general in the New York National Guard. Be prepared for a deluge of furniture, jewelry, art and antiquities spanning several millenniums, often in a single booth.

If you decide to shell out the $55 it costs to get in, I recommend taking a scavenger-hunt approach and thinking in terms of individual pieces. Models with Model Ship by Philip Pearlstein, shown along with strong works by Michael Ray Charles and Omar Ba at Templon (326), is an object worth looking for, as are the Fernand Leger at Robilant+Voena (103) and a pair of incredible N.C. Wyeth seascape murals  one with additional work by his son Andrew  at Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts, LLC (357), which is also showing two monumental Winold Reiss Art Deco murals rediscovered from the Empire State Building.

A powdery green bronze and copper mirror by Claude Lalanne at Galerie Lefebvre (209) would be the star of any bedroom, as would a midcentury crocodile cabinet at Dansk Mbelkunst Gallery (320). And before you leave, make sure to compare found poster art at Edward Tyler Nahem by the Italian artist Mimmo Rotella (321) with a very similar piece by Jacques Villegle at Galerie Georges-Philippe & Nathalie Vallois (358)  and to count how many times Mel Bochner writes blah blah blah on a small ink on paper text piece at Peter Freeman, Inc. (306).
For television historians amateur and professional, the easiest place to begin the story of the contemporary Golden Age of Television is on Jan. 10, 1999, when Tony Soprano first paid a toll on the New Jersey Turnpike. But perhaps we might be better served to rewind the clock approximately six years, to Jan. 31, 1993, the night of Super Bowl XXVII. The Dallas Cowboys demolished the Buffalo Bills, 52-17, and the broadcast was followed by the premiere of a new NBC drama, set in Baltimore, studying the work of the citys homicide detectives.

The series was called Homicide: Life on the Street, and it was based on a book by David Simon, then a Baltimore Sun reporter who had spent a year tagging along with the police departments homicide squad. Post-Super Bowl premiere notwithstanding, Homicide was never a ratings success, but it stayed on the air for seven seasons, winning four Emmys and three Peabody Awards. The show was prickly, funny, morally forceful, endlessly discursive and filled with a murderers row of actors, including the future stars Andre Braugher (who won an Emmy for his performance as Frank Pembleton), Melissa Leo and Giancarlo Esposito, along with veterans like Ned Beatty, Yaphet Kotto and Richard Belzer, known primarily then as a stand-up comedian.

The shows fifth episode, Three Men and Adena, which first aired in March, was a stark, dramatic example of what made Homicide different from other cop shows. (In the DVD release, the episode is sixth.) It takes place almost entirely within the confines of an interrogation room, with the detectives Pembleton and Bayliss (Kyle Secor) attempting to wring a confession out of Risley Tucker (Moses Gunn), an itinerant fruit-and-vegetable man, after the murder of a little girl named Adena Watson. Pembleton and Bayliss prod, provoke and rage, but Homicide refuses to grant the audience the resolution they crave. Tucker doesnt crack. Adenas case is never solved. (The showrunner, Tom Fontana, won an Emmy for writing the episode)

Thirty years later, Fontana, the executive producers Barry Levinson and Paul Attanasio and the actors Andre Braugher and Kyle Secor reflected on Three Men and Adena, in particular, and on the broader legacy of the series and their frustration at its still not being available to stream. These are edited excerpts from conversations with them.
With her withering glares and colossal wigs, Queen Charlotte has become a treasured character in the first two seasons of Bridgerton, the steamy hit Netflix series set in an alternate, racially diverse version of Regency Era Britain. As played by Golda Rosheuvel, she is a hard-line matriarch with an ear for gossip and an eye for beauty.

Now she is the subject of her own six-episode Netflix prequel series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which tells the tale of young Charlotte (India Amarteifio) as she begins her rise to power. Viewers witness her whirlwind marriage to King George III, meet her delinquent children and come to better understand her motivations and loneliness. They also get plenty of glimpses, of course, into the royal bedchamber.

The love of Queen Charlotte and King George united the nation  thats one sentence in Bridgerton, and to me that told a whole world, Shonda Rhimes, the shows creator, said in a phone interview last week. We are telling the story of how their love united the world in a very small way.

In line with the franchises overall approach to diverse casting, the Bridgerton Charlotte is also presented as being of African and European heritage  though in her case, the decision was rooted partly in speculation by some historians that the real Charlotte was biracial, a subject of much debate.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion access has fared very well when it has appeared on the ballot.

Voters in California, Michigan and Vermont approved abortion-rights amendments to their state constitutions last year. In Kansas and Kentucky  both red states  voters rejected measures that could have led to bans. In Wisconsin this year, the candidate favoring abortion access easily won a judicial election focused on the issue.

The 2024 elections offer supporters of abortion rights an opportunity to continue their winning streak. There are 10 states that both significantly restrict abortion (or may soon) and allow citizen-sponsored ballot initiatives, including Florida, Ohio and Arizona. Placing measures on the ballots there offers progressives a possible double victory  to expand access and energize 2024 turnout among Democratic voters.

But it remains unclear how many of these states will hold referendums.

Advocates have not yet collected the signatures they need in most states, nor have they started a national fund-raising campaign for the effort. At this point, some observers say they would be surprised if even five of the 10 states held initiatives next year.
A high-stakes election in Thailand

Thai voters are going to the polls on Sunday in an election that could set the country on a path toward ending eight years of military rule.

The vote will pit pro-democracy opposition parties against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the general who seized power in a coup in 2014. Most opinion polls show Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose father, Thaksin, was ousted in a separate coup in 2006, as the current front-runner for prime minister.

To understand the wide range of issues at play, we reached out to Sui-Lee Wee, our Southeast Asia bureau chief.

What will you be watching for on Sunday?

This election is very consequential. We are probably going to see a repudiation of the military at the polls. Although Thais are used to the army intervening in domestic politics, they have never been under authoritarian rule for as long as this current term, which is eight years. Many voters are now looking for change, and opinion polls show that they are backing opposition parties that are promising a shift back toward democracy.
Some business leaders sided with Ford. Owen Young, the chairman of General Electric, said in the 1920s that, in addition to paying a fair rate of return, corporations had an obligation to labor, customers and the public. Jack Welch, a future General Electric leader, became a champion of shareholder value. But he later told the Financial Times, in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, that shareholder value was actually the dumbest idea in the world and that your main constituencies are your employees, your customers and your products.

The conflict between creating value for shareholders and serving a wider set of stakeholders tends to become particularly acute during societal shifts, says Jennifer Howard-Grenville, a professor at the University of Cambridges Judge Business School. The 2008 financial crisis was one. The climate crisis, she says, is another.

Competing Demands

How can chief executives balance climate reality with the pressures from the anti-woke crowd? Some business leaders have responded by denying there is any contradiction  provided you take the long view. Paul Polman, the chief executive of Unilever from 2009 to 2018, insisted the consumer groups future was inextricably linked to the planets. Unilever had been around for more than 100 years, he said in a speech the year after his appointment. To continue to exist for centuries more it needed shareholders who looked far ahead, too. To those who didnt, Mr. Polman said, dont put your money in our company.

Which was fine, until a 2017 bid from Kraft Heinz, later withdrawn, forced Mr. Polman into an immediate shoring up of Unilevers stock price through cost cutting, dividend increases and a share buyback. The problem with Polmans strategy is that many investors and lenders want their money, if not now, then soon. As Stuart Kirk, the former global head of responsible investment at HSBC Asset Management, said in a speech last year that led to his departure: At a big bank like ours, at HSBC, what do people think the average loan length is? Its six years. What happens to the planet in year seven is actually irrelevant to our loan book.

Georg Kell, the chairman of Arabesque, a group of financial technology companies, has a claim to being the inventor of the E.S.G. label. He was the founder of the United Nations Global Compact, which, in 2004 launched an effort to better integrate environmental, social and corporate governance issues in asset management, securities brokerage services and associated research functions.
Too quick to sell?

Working through the bankruptcy of FTX, Sam Bankman-Frieds collapsed crypto exchange, is proving more complicated all the time. The latest evidence: a potentially lucrative missed opportunity thats come to light after FTX offloaded warrants to buy an obscure crypto token.

The token is called Sui, and it made its trading debut on May 3. FTX  which is now being run by John Ray III, the restructuring expert who has recouped billions for creditors victimized by the mega-bankruptcies of Enron, Fruit of the Loom and Nortel Networks  sold its Sui warrants shortly before the token began trading.

Had FTX exercised the warrants, it would own, as of this morning, an asset worth more than $1 billion, even after a 75 percent drop since the start of trading last week.

Heres what happened with Sui:

FTX invested about $101 million in Mysten Labs last year. Mysten was building a blockchain platform called Sui that relied on technology developed for Diem, Facebooks aborted crypto project. Mysten attracted investors like Andreessen Horowitz, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm, and the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, pushing its valuation at one point to about $2 billion.

FTX led the fund-raising last summer. Its ownership interest included warrants for 890 million Sui crypto tokens that would be exercisable once the Sui platform launched. But FTX collapsed months later.

In March, FTX sought the bankruptcy courts permission to sell its interest in Mysten for about $96 million, or $5 million less than the initial investment.

In April, that deal closed. On May 3, Sui tokens began trading, with prices quickly spiking. This morning, Sui was trading at $1.13.

FTX is in a race to recoup every penny as the creditor list swells. Mr. Bankman-Fried himself has said that if given enough time, he could find the assets of value in his vast empire to begin to pay back customers and investors.
The chairman of CNN, Chris Licht, issued a robust defense on Thursday of his decision to broadcast a live town hall with former President Donald J. Trump, an unruly and at times bewildering event that has prompted criticism inside and outside of the network.

On a network-wide editorial call, Mr. Licht congratulated the moderator, Kaitlan Collins, on a masterful performance before acknowledging the public backlash. We all know covering Donald Trump is messy and tricky, and it will continue to be messy and tricky, but its our job, Mr. Licht said, according to a recording of the call obtained by The New York Times.

I absolutely, unequivocally believe America was served very well by what we did last night, Mr. Licht added. People woke up, and they know what the stakes are in this election in a way that they didnt the day before. And if someone was going to ask tough questions and have that messy conversation, it damn well should be on CNN.

The town hall, which aired in prime-time on Wednesday, featured Mr. Trump deploying a fusillade of falsehoods, sometimes too quickly for the moderator to intercept. It was a preview of what American journalism can expect from a 2024 campaign with the former president, who despite his ubiquity in political life has rarely appeared on mainstream TV outside of Fox News since leaving office.
Another midsize bank faced a crisis of confidence on Thursday, as Pacific Western Bank said that it had lost nearly 10 percent of its deposits over the last week, sparking a renewed plunge in its already depressed share price.

The deposit flight, which amounts to billions of dollars, was detailed in a regulatory filing that suggested new trouble at the Los Angeles-based lender. The banks stock fell 23 percent, a much steeper decline than other banks that have been the focus of investors worries after the recent collapses of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank.

PacWest, with $44 billion in assets and branches primarily in California, grew fast as a lender in the technology world, a similarity to some of the fallen banks that has proved unfortunate of late. In its regulatory filing Thursday, PacWest said that the seizure and sale of First Republic at the beginning of May heightened market and customer fears of additional bank failures, including PacWest.

On May 3, the bank confirmed that it was looking to sell itself or raise more money, a sign of weakness in its business that sent its shares down sharply. Around that time, the bank said that it had not experienced out-of-the-ordinary deposit flows.
I lost my voice and found it in this collection. When youre attached to someone so closely theres no way you cant lose a piece of yourself. We were together for 10 years and married for four. When you partner with someone you meld into one. Im seeing myself now as an individual. I think regaining that has been empowering for me.

This collection is about transformation and bringing out the confidence to be alone. Its about learning to be by yourself, to be an individual and to not be afraid to be who you really are without being attached to someone else.

What do you attribute the rise in nontraditional bridal looks to?

The traditional idea of weddings has changed. Covid made people think outside the box about how to get married. That was exciting. That catapulted the line. People are doing shotgun weddings or going to Vegas. Theyre doing small, intimate dinners. Weddings dont have to be this big production. That translated in fashion. You dont have to wear the ball gown or be a princess. Brides can mix and match pieces. I love wearing a suit to weddings. Its a feeling of power.
When the Covid-19 public health emergency expires in the United States on Thursday, the coronavirus will not disappear. But many of the data streams that have helped Americans monitor the virus will go dark.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will stop tabulating community levels of Covid-19 and will no longer require certain case information from hospitals or testing data from laboratories. And as free testing is curtailed, official case counts, which became less reliable as Americans shifted to at-home testing, may drift even further from reality.

But experts who want to keep tabs on the virus will still have one valuable option: sewage.

People who are infected with the coronavirus shed the pathogen in their stool, whether or not they take a Covid test or seek medical care, enabling officials to track levels of the virus in communities over time and to watch for the emergence of new variants.
Tell me how you and your colleagues plan to report on the situation at the southern border in the weeks to come.

My colleagues and I will be positioned across the 2,000-mile border between the U.S. and Mexico on both sides. Its going to be a lot of just observing how things unfold on the ground once this major policy shift occurs. There could be commotion. Maybe not. From what weve been able to ascertain so far, it could go either way. The truth is that we dont really know.

How have the dynamics of the border and the communities along it changed in the years youve covered them?

The most remarkable change Ive seen at the border is in the profile of the migrants seeking entry into the United States. It used to be the case that the overwhelming majority of people trying to come to the United States to work or find safety were from Mexico and Central America. Now it feels like the whole world is trying to come to the United States. There are Russians trying to avoid conscription because of the war in Ukraine. There are Afghans fleeing the Taliban. There are Indians who are opposed to the Hindu nationalist government in that country. Venezuelans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans are coming in large numbers because the economies in those countries were battered by Covid-19. The United States offers the promise of jobs. People want to make a living and support their families.

How did you become an immigration reporter?

I spent about 17 years as a correspondent, mainly in the developing world. I always had an affinity for the underdog and issues related to poverty, public health and wealth disparity. I always enjoyed spending a lot of time in the field with people, in communities in India, Brazil, Southeast Asia. Reporting on immigration was natural for me on my return to the United States. I am able to utilize some of my language skills, and I really enjoy grass-roots reporting.
The U.S. Army has awarded the Javelin Joint Venture, comprised of Lockheed Martin of Orlando, Fla., and Raytheon Technologies of Tucson, Ariz., contract for the Javelin Missile System.

This contract allows Javelin Missile System procurement and production support for the Army, Marines, Navy, and international customers. This is an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract for fiscal years 2023 through 2026, with a base period executed for $1.02 billion and a ceiling of $7.2 billion.

The Javelin Missile System is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance. The system takes a top attack flight profile against armored vehicles, but can execute direct attacks against buildings, close-in targets, targets under obstructions and helicopters. The Javelin Missile System is equipped with an imaging infrared seeker and tandem warhead.

The Army, along with industry partners, are striving to shorten the production lead time associated with production and delivery of these systems, said Doug Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology). This contract award further illustrates the urgency the U.S. government is applying to the acquisition of systems and replenishing munitions stockpiles.

This effort was led by Army Contracting CommandRedstone and the Armys Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space in partnership with components across the Department of Defense.

For more information, contact Darrell Ames, Program Executive Office Missiles and Space Public Affairs Officer, (256) 876-0875, darrell.d.ames.civ@army.mil.
Mr. Neely had been a subway performer known for his impersonation of Michael Jackson but later descended into mental illness and drug abuse. He was well known to homeless outreach workers and to the police and had been violent in the past  he had been charged with assault at least four times, including an incident in November 2021 when he punched a 67-year-old woman in the street on the Lower East Side. The subway riders on the F train could not have known about his past.

What is publicly known about the events on the F train in the early afternoon of May 1 has been gleaned from two main sources: the video recorded by Juan Alberto Vazquez, a freelance journalist, and a brief report from the police and the Fire Department. There have also been accounts from witnesses who have come forward in recent days.

Before he began filming, Mr. Vazquez said he was on the northbound train at the Second Avenue station in Lower Manhattan when Mr. Neely boarded and began screaming, saying he was hungry and thirsty, and then taking off his jacket and throwing it on the ground. The people near Mr. Neely moved away, he recalled.

Mr. Vazquez then said he heard a thump and saw Mr. Penny and Mr. Neely together on the floor, but hadnt seen what had happened before Mr. Penny grabbed Mr. Neely.

Mr. Vazquezs footage begins after Mr. Penny places Mr. Neely in a chokehold and shows Mr. Neely writhing on the ground, trying to break free from Mr. Penny  who had also wrapped his legs around him  and two other men.

The train stopped at Broadway-Lafayette Street, on the edge of SoHo, where it remained standing until emergency responders arrived.
Five months before he murdered 10 Black people at a grocery store in Buffalo, Peyton Gendron wrote in his online diary that he had found a gun, one fixed with a locking device sold by a Georgia company.

The device, called an MA lock, ostensibly should have hindered Mr. Gendron, a white supremacist intent on killing as many Black people as possible. Mean Arms, a Georgia-based company, markets the device as locking a magazine  the part that holds ammunition  onto a firearm.

The parts are intended to prevent gunmen from using detachable magazines, which are illegal in New York because they allow quick reloading. The company says that its device makes a gun compliant with New York law.

But according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday by the New York attorney general, Mean Arms knowingly sells a lock that can easily be removed and even provides step-by-step instructions for removing it on the back of its product packaging. Indeed, Mr. Gendron did not refer in his diary to the device as a lock  instead, he called it a fixed magazine release.
In Orangetown, a Rockland County town 45 miles south of Newburgh, that resistance took the form of police officers and sheriffs deputies, who parked their cruisers near the entrance to the parking lot of the Armoni Inn & Suites hotel and remained there all week, with orders from county leaders to physically block and search any bus of migrants that might arrive.

In Newburgh on Thursday morning, after the migrants had arrived, men on motorcycles rode by the Crossroads Hotel and yelled obscenities at the journalists and immigrant advocates gathered outside.

Those interactions were more heated on Wednesday evening, when a group of people protesting the migrants arrival stood in front of the hotel and told those gathered in support of the migrants to go home, according to a video of the interaction.

Were from here! the pro-migrant protesters yelled back.

The political standoff over where the migrants would be housed began last Friday, when Mr. Adams announced that he would begin sending them to hotels in Orange and Rockland counties. All migrants who participated would do so voluntarily, Mr. Adams said. They would receive housing in hotels for up to four months, all paid for by the city.
This is part of a series on preparing for future outbreaks. Sign up for our newsletter, the Next Pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic is here to stay, but the national and global emergencies it set off are, by all official accounts, over. Last week, the World Health Organization declared an end to its public health emergency of international concern, and on Thursday, the public health emergency designation in the United States will also expire. Its a good time for the country to absorb the many lessons of the crisis. Instead, we seem to be actively forgetting them.

Despite the United States many failures  to develop coronavirus tests or deploy vaccines or communicate effectively about the pandemic and our response to it  it still got several things right. Lawmakers beefed up the social safety net with expanded tax credits, more generous unemployment benefits, a federal paid sick leave policy and stimulus checks that together kept millions fed and housed even as the economy plummeted. They also poured billions into Medicaid and suspended policies by which people are routinely purged from its rolls  a critical move during a health crisis.

Health departments rallied as well. Decimated by decades of funding cuts, understaffed and working with woefully inadequate technology, they still managed to gather and share reams of data about where and how the virus was spreading, which academics then worked heroically to analyze and publish. And even amid a rash of protests over shutdowns, a silent majority of citizens donned masks and obeyed social distancing edicts.
We were among a group of public health experts appointed to a task force by then-President-elect Biden to advise him on the pandemic during his transition following his 2020 election. At that point, the pandemic was about to enter its second year. We have continued to be involved in the public health response. In this light, we offer 13 lessons, many of which are not yet fully appreciated or integrated into planning for the next dangerous infectious disease outbreak  one that, in all likelihood, many of us will encounter in our lifetime.

1) Human tolerance for lifestyle changes is limited.

Americans by and large endured substantial changes and restrictions in daily life and social interactions, including taking extra precautions like wearing masks, minimizing interactions and modifying lifestyles. But patience ran out. By September 2022, 30 months into the pandemic, 46 percent of Americans had returned to their prepandemic lives, according to an Axios-Ipsos survey. This was despite the fact on Sept. 1 of that year, an average of 90,000 new cases and more than 500 deaths were being reported a day. Patience appears to have been even shorter during the 1918 influenza pandemic. If the next public health emergency occurs soon, patience may run out sooner. Policymakers need to recognize the limitation of human perseverance and prepare accordingly.

2) Incentives can change behavior. Social norms can enforce it.

Habits are hard to change. But people do change with the right incentives, like higher taxes on cigarettes or sugar-sweetened beverages to reduce unhealthy behaviors. During Covid, workplace vaccine mandates were effective in increasing vaccination rates. More creative use of incentives and judicious mandates that do not evoke substantial resistance should be examined.

People also tend to bend to social norms, those unwritten rules or peer practices that govern behavior in societies. That is why masking was easier in East Asia than in the United States. Masks were common in East Asia during the SARS epidemic of 2002 and 2003 and are often worn there to protect against transmitting or catching infections. In the absence of such norms, it may become necessary to draw on the persuasion of public officials, celebrities and other social influencers. Policymakers must strive to take public health actions that are translatable into social norms.

3) Trust is crucial.

Public trust in government and health organizations can reduce cases and deaths. The United States, already sharply divided politically, failed on this essential element of the response. In 2021, according to Gallup, only 39 percent of Americans had a great deal or fair amount of trust in the federal government to handle either domestic or international affairs. And a Pew survey in 2022 found that fewer than half of the respondents said the country had given the right amount of priority to the needs of K-12 students, public health, quality of life. Trust is easy to lose but very hard to regain. It requires honesty and transparency. Future policies, especially those based on uncertain or incomplete information  such as whether a Covid vaccine mandate should remain in place  must be evaluated in part by their impact on social trust.
To the Editor:

Re Trump Repeats False Election Claims at CNN Event (news article, May 11):

Thank you for your thorough and factual reporting on Wednesdays CNN town hall with former President Donald Trump. You summarized each of the mischaracterizations, exaggerations and untruths spoken by Mr. Trump in your Fact Check and related articles.

Unfortunately, its likely that many right-leaning voters drawn to watch the town hall will not be inclined to read them. Likewise, the studio audience for the show, evidently chosen to represent Trump supporters, wont realize or doesnt care about the damage his rude and inaccurate statements do to the body politic of our country.

CNN made a grievous mistake following through with its plan to air the program after the verdict in the E. Jean Carroll case was announced on Tuesday.

Mr. Trump benefited greatly from the undiscriminating and constant coverage of his untruths in the 2016 election. Its time for responsible print and television journalists to pull the plug and refuse to provide a platform for Mr. Trumps lies and vulgarity.
I do think women have more mental resilience and grit. We let the hard stuff flow through quickly, and keep going.

CATHERINE BREED, part of a group of world-class swimmers who recently gathered to compete in the SCAR Swim, a four-day, 40-mile open water race across four lakes along the Salt River in Central Arizona. Page B8.
The year is 2015. The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. Negotiations are about to begin on the Paris Climate Accords. Mainstream pop culture is essentially Hamilton, Hotline Bling and true crime docuseries. And Olivier Rousteing is at the H&M store on the Champs-Elysees, where he is starting to feel the pressure of the pandemonium outside. A policeman, he recalled, told him it was unsafe and he should leave.

Mr. Rousteing, the creative director of the French luxury brand Balmain, was making an in-store appearance for the debut of his collaboration with H&M. Just about every year since 2004, the mega-retailer has released at least one collection in partnership with a luxury fashion designer.

Much has changed in fashion in the past 20 years: the power players, the priorities of consumers, the trends and the platforms that amplify those trends. At least one thing hasnt: the frenzy around H&Ms high-end designer collaborations.

Modern shopping has been shaped by this frenzy; collaborations have infested the landscape of fashion, from low to high. Just ask anyone swept up in the mess of Yeezy Gap in 2020 or Louis Vuitton and Supreme in 2017, or who has indulged in Dior Birkenstocks or an Hermes Apple Watch. Arguably, it all began with H&M.
Karl Jenkins, a 79-year-old Welsh composer, stressed in a phone interview on Thursday that he is not Meghan Markle.

No, Im certainly not, Mr. Jenkins said, adding that he is a young 79.

Why would anyone confuse the composer with the Duchess of Sussex? The accusations started after the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey on Saturday. Ms. Markle did not go, but Mr. Jenkins, a classical composer who was knighted in 2015, did attend because one of his harp compositions was being performed.

Mr. Jenkins, who has a mop of shaggy white hair and a prominent bushy mustache, said that he wore his usual prescription aviator glasses with tinted lenses at the ceremony.

But to some people, his unkempt hair and oversize glasses resembled a disguise. On social media, jokesters claimed Mr. Jenkins was Ms. Markle, whom Buckingham Palace had said was not traveling to London with Prince Harry for the ceremony, but was instead staying in the United States with their children.
Last October, construction plans for a hulking semiconductor factory owned by a major state-backed company in central China fell into disarray. The Biden administration had escalated the trade war over technology, severing Chinas access to the Western tools and skilled workers it needed to build the most advanced semiconductors.

Some employees with U.S. citizenship departed the company. Three U.S. equipment suppliers almost immediately halted their shipments and services, and Europe and Japan are expected to do the same soon.

The facility belonged to Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation, or YMTC, a memory chip company that Xi Jinping, Chinas president, has extolled as a flag-bearer in Chinas race toward self-reliance. Now, the chip maker and its peers are hurriedly overhauling supply chains and rewriting business plans.

Nearly seven months later, the U.S. trade barriers have accelerated Chinas push for a more independent chip sector. Western technology and money have pulled out, but state funding is flooding in to cultivate homegrown alternatives to produce less advanced but still lucrative semiconductors. And China has not given up on making high-end chips: Manufacturers are attempting to work with older parts from abroad not blocked by the U.S. sanctions, as well as less advanced equipment at home.
A man has been charged with capital murder after the body of a pregnant teen who went missing last week was discovered in Houston County Wednesday morning.

According to a release from the Jackson County Sheriffs Office, in the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 10, the body of Anastasia Gilley, 19, was found in an area near Headland.

Gilley was reported missing by family members after she was last seen at her home on Wednesday, May 3. Information gathered through interviews and other investigative techniques led law enforcement to a variety of locations throughout Houston and Jackson counties.

The suspect, Marquis Devan McCloud, 33, was arrested earlier in the week in connection with Gilleys disappearance and is charged with one count of capital murder during first-degree kidnapping. Officials said McCloud has been very uncooperative throughout the entire investigation.

McCloud has an extensive criminal record that includes charges such as rape and armed robbery.

This large, multi-state investigation is ongoing between the Jackson County Sheriffs Office and the Houston County Sheriffs Office. More information will be released as the investigation continues to move forward.
Mr. Musk, who bought Twitter for $44 billion last year, will retain a firm grip on the company even if he names a chief executive. As Twitters owner, he has put his stamp on it by eliminating more than 75 percent of its 7,500 employees, installing his own leaders and changing the services features and strategy. He also took Twitter private, which means he does not have to disclose corporate information to the public.

Any new chief executive is set to inherit a litany of challenges at Twitter. The company faces a sagging advertising business, which has been its main source of revenue, as well as debt payments of about $1.5 billion a year from the sale to Mr. Musk. At an investor conference in March, he said Twitter had experienced a 50 percent decline in ad revenue and had been on the path to bankruptcy within months of being purchased.

Some of Twitters advertising woes were related to a broader slump driven by uncertainty in the global economy. But Mr. Musk also spooked advertisers after buying Twitter by throwing out guardrails on what kind of posts would be allowed on the social media service. Brands typically do not want to run ads alongside toxic content.

IPG, one of the worlds largest advertising companies, issued a recommendation in the fall through its media agencies for clients to temporarily pause their spending on Twitter because of moderation concerns.
Engineers like Royale Lee, 31, are one reason Taiwan is the worlds biggest contract producer of the microchips that power almost all electronics.

When a computer virus paralyzed machinery at his employer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Mr. Lee pulled a 48-hour shift to help fix the problem. For years he responded to phone calls day and night. But in late 2021, after five years of sacrifices, he had come to fear the ring of his phone. His annual compensation of $105,000, an envied sum in Taiwan, was not enough for him to stick around.

Over the past decade, TSMC, as the company is known, has built a wide lead over rivals like Intel and Samsung in the race to make the smallest  and fastest  microchips. Largely because of the ingenuity of its engineers, TSMC has become one of the most geopolitically important firms in the world.

Today, many at the top of Taiwans semiconductor industry fear the tiny island territory will not be able to sustain the growing demand for a new generation of engineers. A shrinking population, demanding work culture and an abundance of competing tech jobs have meant workers have become ever more scarce.
For more than 50 years, designers of computer chips mainly used one tactic to boost performance: They shrank electronic components to pack more power onto each piece of silicon.

Then more than a decade ago, engineers at the chip maker Advanced Micro Devices began toying with a radical idea. Instead of designing one big microprocessor with vast numbers of tiny transistors, they conceived of creating one from smaller chips that would be packaged tightly together to work like one electronic brain.

The concept, sometimes called chiplets, caught on in a big way, with AMD, Apple, Amazon, Tesla, IBM and Intel introducing such products. Chiplets rapidly gained traction because smaller chips are cheaper to make, while bundles of them can top the performance of any single slice of silicon.

The strategy, based on advanced packaging technology, has since become an essential tool to enabling progress in semiconductors. And it represents one of the biggest shifts in years for an industry that drives innovations in fields like artificial intelligence, self-driving cars and military hardware.
Taken together, the measures could mean that the lifting of Title 42 could result in less of an increase in migration than once anticipated  or the influx could be arriving early. Border crossings have already risen sharply, as many migrants attempt to cross before the measure expires on Thursday night. Some have said they worry about tighter controls and uncertainty ahead.

Here is a look at some of the new measures:

Humanitarian parole: People from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua can apply for this. They need a friend or relative to take financial responsibility for them and, if approved, can fly to the United States directly. Up to 360,000 people will be allowed to come under the program this year, and 100,000 have arrived so far.

Regional centers: The administration recently announced that it would set up centers across Latin America for asylum seekers to be screened for refugee status or other lawful ways to enter the United States. All told, some 100 regional centers will be set up, starting in Colombia and Guatemala.

Mobile app: The administration early this year introduced a mobile app, CBP One, that allows migrants near the Mexican border or in Mexico City to book an interview at an official port of entry. The goal was to bring order to migrant processing, and about 80,000 people have managed to get an appointment. But limited slots, relative to the huge demand, coupled with technical glitches have frustrated attempts by many migrants, who have been trying for months to secure an appointment.

Digital ads: The administration has launched a digital advertising campaign in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat misinformation spread by smuggling networks, such as that entry into the United States is guaranteed after Title 42 is lifted. The campaign will warn would-be migrants of the perils of making the trek to the southern border and of the consequences for unlawfully entering the United States.
Shannon Cummings, 53, has tried to push forward after her husband, Larry, a college professor, died of Covid-19 in March 2020.

She flew from her home in Michigan to Southern California to attend a Harry Styles concert with family members and friends. Twice a week, she meets with her group therapy classes. She started going out to lunch in public again, a step that took her years.

We lost over a million people in the pandemic, she said. It doesnt honor any of them to not live my life.

Yet she is still grappling with the milestone the nation will mark on Thursday: something of an official end of the pandemic, as the Biden administration will allow the three-year-old coronavirus public health emergency  and a separate declaration of a national emergency  to expire.
Jacklyn Zeman, an Emmy-nominated actress who for nearly a half-century played the role of the nurse Bobbie Spencer on the long-running soap opera General Hospital, died on Tuesday in Thousand Oaks, Calif. She was 70.

Her family said that her death, at Los Robles Regional Medical Center, came after a short battle with cancer.

As Barbara Jean Spencer, better known as Bobbie, Ms. Zeman was among the longest-lasting cast members of any soap opera. She first appeared on General Hospital in 1977 and was seen in nearly 900 episodes of the show, which since 1963 has centered on the lives of characters who work in a hospital and in the wealthy business community in the fictional New York State town of Port Charles.

Bobbie was originally a student nurse who had moved on from her past life as a prostitute and given up a baby for adoption in Florida, and who vied for the affections of a law student named Scotty Baldwin. She was the younger sister of Luke Spencer, played by Anthony Geary, another of the shows most popular characters.
Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen on Thursday downplayed the possibility that President Biden could essentially ignore the debt limit by invoking the 14th Amendment, calling the idea legally questionable.

Her comments come as lawmakers and the Biden administration remain locked in a standoff over whether and how to raise the debt ceiling, which caps how much money the federal government can borrow. Ms. Yellen warned lawmakers last week that the United States could run out of money to pay its bills on time by June 1.

Mr. Biden is scheduled to meet with top congressional leaders again on Friday, after an initial meeting on Tuesday failed to elicit an agreement.

The brinkmanship has raised questions about whether the Biden administration can act on its own to raise the $31.4 trillion borrowing cap by relying on a clause in the 14th Amendment stating 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.
Still, Justice Alito wrote that some of Mr. Percocos arguments sweep too broadly.

We reject the argument that a person nominally outside public employment can never have the necessary fiduciary duty to the public, Justice Alito wrote. Without becoming a government employee, individuals not formally employed by a government entity may enter into agreements that make them actual agents of the government.

Mr. Percoco had urged the justices to reverse two other convictions in a separate scheme, saying there had been prejudicial spillover from the honest-services charge. Justice Alito said the Supreme Court would not address the argument, letting the other convictions stand.

In a concurring opinion, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, said the court should have gone further and defined precisely when a duty of providing honest services arose.

Yaakov Roth, a lawyer for Mr. Percoco, welcomed the ruling. The Supreme Court has issued a unanimous opinion holding that the government cannot use vague fraud statutes to advance novel and sweeping theories in prosecutions of political actors, Mr. Roth said in a statement.

A spokesman for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.

Daniel C. Richman, a law professor at Columbia and a former federal prosecutor, said the courts decision was the latest in a series of rulings expressing skepticism of federal efforts to impose ethical standards on state officials. As in so many of its other corruption cases, he said, the court acted to keep federal criminal law from reaching politics as usual, defined here to include shadowy figures who heavily influence government decisions without having any formal power or responsibility to the public.
In New Hampshire, the audience of Republicans lapped up Mr. Trumps one-liners and slew of insults  to Ms. Collins (a nasty person, he jeered, echoing his old attack on Hillary Clinton), to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to E. Jean Carroll, the woman whom a jury this week found Mr. Trump liable of sexually abusing and defaming. And the crowd expressed no dissent as he again tried to rewrite the history of Jan. 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn his election loss.

It was a beautiful day, Mr. Trump said.

If he becomes president again, he said, he would most likely pardon a large portion of his supporters who were convicted over their actions on Jan. 6. They were there with love in their heart, he said of the crowd, which he beamed had been the largest of his career.

You see what youre going to get, which is a presidency untethered to the truth and untethered to the constitutional order, said Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, the Republican Partys most prominent Trump critic remaining on Capitol Hill. The idea that people whove been convicted of crimes are all going to be pardoned, or for the most part pardoned, is quite a departure from the principles of the Constitution and of our party.

Mr. Trump also embraced the possibility of defaulting in the debt-ceiling standoff between President Biden and congressional Republicans, an act that economists say could spell catastrophe for the global economy.

You might as well do it now because youll do it later, because we have to save this country, Mr. Trump said. Our country is dying.
Donald Trump is still Donald Trump.

His 70 minutes onstage in New Hampshire served as a vivid reminder that the former president has only one speed, and that his second act mirrors his first. He is, as ever, a celebrity performance artist and, even out of office, remains the center of gravity in American politics.

CNNs decision to give him an unfiltered prime-time platform was a callback to the 2016 campaign, even as the moderator, Kaitlan Collins, persistently interjected to try to cut him off or correct him.

Mr. Trump was so focused on discussing and defending himself that he barely touched on President Bidens record  which people close to Mr. Trump want him to focus on. But he was disciplined when it came to his chief expected primary rival.

Here are five takeaways.

Trump wont let go of his lies about 2020 or Jan. 6

If viewers were expecting Mr. Trump to have moved on from his falsehood that the 2020 election was stolen from him, he demonstrated once again, right out of the gate, that he very much hasnt.
Four innovative startups from across Australia have been awarded grants valued at more than $90,000 each as part of Amazon Australias Launchpad Innovation Grants initiative for 2023.

The winning startups are BSKT Wholefoods, AntiBeauty, Zena Sport, and GiveWrap.

BSKT Wholefoods was founded by former Gold Coast Titans players Ryan James, Greg Bird, and Selasi Berdie and aims to become the leading Indigenous-owned and operated health food business in Australia, with plans to expand with a new social impact division called BSKT Native.

AntiBeauty offers a range of quality skincare products that challenge traditional beauty standards, while Zena Sport pioneers protection garments for womens participation in sports, such as the Zena impact vest that reduces the risk of breast and rib injury.

GiveWrap offers high-quality, 100% recyclable, Australian-designed gift wrap, with $1 donated to one of its four charity partners with every product sold.

The Amazon Launchpad program in Australia

The Amazon Launchpad Innovation Grant program offers a comprehensive package to each winner, including a cash grant of $20,000, a chance to apply for AWS Activate Credits worth up to $10,000, support from third-party experts such as Export Accelerator, Podean, and Airwallex, out-of-home support by JCDecaux, a two-day Selling on Amazon bootcamp experience (with flights and accommodation provided for those outside Sydney), featured seller placement on the Launchpad homepage during key deal events, and marketing, PR, and merchandising opportunities throughout 2023.

The Grants program, in particular, offers winners a chance to attend a Selling on Amazon bootcamp and more.

This years initiative received hundreds of applications, and ten finalists were selected to pitch their entries in person to a panel of judges, including experts from various industries. During the pitch, finalists had five minutes to showcase their innovative products and explain their business scaling plans. Judges evaluated the pitches based on how well the businesses understood their customers needs and how effectively they pitched their products. This was the first time that the finalists in the Australian program travelled to Amazons Sydney HQ to pitch their ideas in person.

According to Benjamyn Gardner, founder of AntiBeauty, winning the Amazon Launchpad Innovation Grant is a dream come true, especially considering his past struggles with homelessness. As a solopreneur bootstrapping my business from the ground up with no external financial support, this grant will be a game-changer for my future growth plans. The cash prize and access to expert support and resources will allow me to invest in my business, scale my operations, and find more clients to help.

Donna Johnson, founder of Zena Sport, expressed excitement at winning the grant and commended Amazons support of Australian startups. Johnson sees the grant as an opportunity to scale Zena Sport and develop more female-specific products while increasing brand awareness.

For Ryan James, founder of BSKT Wholefoods, winning the Amazon Launchpad Innovation Grant is an incredible honour that will provide his business with the support it needs to continue growing and innovating. With Amazon Australias help, James hopes to reach even more customers and showcase his businesss unique products and services while promoting Indigenous-owned and operated health food businesses in Australia.

There are over 14,000 Australian businesses that sell their products in Amazon stores, with a significant proportion being small and medium-sized enterprises. Over the last year, these Australian sellers on Amazon have generated an average of $50,000 in sales on the platform.

The Amazon-related business activities of Australian businesses selling on Amazon globally have created over 20,000 jobs in Australia. Moreover, these sellers from Australia have sold nearly 27 million units in Amazon stores during the 12 months ending in June 2022, representing a more than 15% growth compared to the previous year.

Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Among the barrage of falsehoods and bluster, former President Donald J. Trump laid markers down on several major and divisive issues at the CNN town-hall meeting on Wednesday night.

Mr. Trump spoke of several actions he might take if re-elected, at times with a specificity he often dodges in speeches and friendlier interviews. He also revealed much about his thinking on positions that are likely to roil his party, including the war in Ukraine and access to abortion.

Heres a look at some of what Mr. Trump said about policy:

Reconsidering migrant family separations

When asked if he would return to a policy of separating migrant children from their parents when they arrive at the border, Mr. Trump did not rule it out.

Well, when you have that policy, people dont come, he said. If a family hears that theyre going to be separated, they love their family, they dont come.
Former President Donald J. Trump admitted more directly than before on Wednesday that he knowingly removed government records from the White House and claimed that he was allowed to take anything he wanted with him as personal records, appearing to misstate the law and undercut some assertions by his own lawyers.

The remarks by Mr. Trump at a televised CNN town hall event in New Hampshire were the most extensive he has made in recent weeks about his handling of classified material after he left office. Jack Smith, a special counsel appointed by the Justice Department, has for months been investigating whether Mr. Trump illegally kept national defense documents at his properties  including Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Florida  and whether he obstructed the governments repeated efforts over more than 18 months to get the materials back.

Answering questions from the CNN host Kaitlan Collins, Mr. Trump appeared at times to be kicking up sand as he offered an array of excuses for  and distractions from  the key issue of whether he improperly held on to sensitive government records after he left the White House.

I took the documents; Im allowed to, he told Ms. Collins at one point, asserting that he had the absolute right to do so under the Presidential Records Act. The law, enacted in 1978 after the Watergate scandal, gave control of presidential records to the government itself  not to individual presidents.
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a California law that sought to address cruelty to animals, saying the state could require pork sold there but produced elsewhere to come from breeding pigs housed in spaces that allow them to move around freely.

The decision was badly fractured and featured competing rationales, but the basic vote was 5 to 4. In a controlling opinion, four justices said that the pork producers challenging the law failed to make the case that it imposed a substantial burden on interstate commerce.

Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, here writing for five justices, set out the main issue. The challenged law, he said, prohibited the in-state sale of certain pork products derived from breeding pigs confined in stalls so small they cannot lie down, stand up or turn around.

It is true, he went on, that no state may use its laws to discriminate purposefully against out-of-state economic interests. But the California law, he wrote, did not offend that principle.
The day before Title 42 was scheduled to end, hundreds of migrants gathered on the banks of the Rio Grande near Brownsville, Texas. Some of them cut a hole through a fence and made it to onto U.S. soil before uniformed agents resealed the barricade.

The majority retreated and bided their time. Come midnight when the expulsion policy ends, said Elizabeth Guerra, a migrant from Brazil who described herself as desperate, she planned to turn herself in to U.S. immigration officials.

Anticipating that thousands more people will attempt to do the same all along the border, officials in Texas cities like Brownsville, Laredo and El Paso have declared states of emergency, which allow them to seek more resources from the federal government to transport and house the new arrivals.

In Brownsville alone, close to 2,000 people have already crossed in recent days, something the Border Patrol chief, Raul Ortiz, said he had not seen in a decade.
Despite concerns that the end of a public health measure known as Title 42 would bring chaos to the southern U.S. border, there were few signs of disorder on Friday in the hours after the measure expired. Yet many migrants have crossed to apply for asylum, and thousands are still being detained in Border Patrol holding facilities, awaiting processing.

Many of those crossing the border have been adults traveling alone. Others travel in family groups, big or small, carrying children and whatever supplies or belongings they can manage. They muscle across rivers, lift one another through challenging terrain and often rely on the generosity of community groups for food and water.

New York Times photographers documented the experience on both sides of the border, from Tijuana on the West Coast to Matamoros near the Gulf of Mexico, as Title 42 ended.
Paul Brown, an antiques collector from Lancaster, Pa., said that he typically collects 19th-century grocery store products, old gas station signs and advertising  pieces of Americana that he can haul away in the back of his Chevy pickup truck.

But last fall, he decided to buy two large round windows that were covered in grime and encased high in the stone walls of a dilapidated Gothic Revival church in West Philadelphia, which was built in 1901 and had originally been named St. Pauls Presbyterian Church.

The churchs new owner, the Emmanuel Christian Center, planned to get rid of the windows to convert the building into a worship space and youth center for its 400 members.

Mr. Brown, 56, said he had heard about the windows on Facebook Marketplace and ran into a salvager he knew at the church, who told him: Do you want to get these windows out before we sledgehammer them out?
Just south of San Diego, roughly 15,000 migrants had gathered in Tijuana as of yesterday, booking hotel rooms, filling shelters to capacity or sleeping outdoors while waiting for Title 42 to expire. Several hundred more asylum-seekers are reaching the city each day, hoping to cross into the U.S. illegally and be allowed to stay, said Enrique Lucero, director of the migration services office for the city of Tijuana.

People are desperate, he told me.

Lucero said that Tijuana city officials were prepared to offer medical care, blankets and other supplies to migrants, most of whom come from Mexico, Haiti or Honduras. Officials are considering opening an emergency shelter that can house an additional 800 people, he said.

Were ready for that, just in case, he said.

On the American side, San Diego county and city officials said they were collaborating with federal and state partners to prepare for an influx of people entering California after Title 42 expires.

Mayor Todd Gloria of San Diego expressed frustration about this cycle of crises that have a profound impact on American cities.

I have met directly with Customs and Border Protection in Washington, D.C., and in San Diego to articulate the citys concern that we simply dont have the resources to address an influx of migrants, and need significant support to address the looming crisis at the southwestern border, Gloria said in a statement. Ultimately, the only real solution is for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
WASHINGTON  House Republicans on Thursday were poised to push through a sweeping bill that would crack down on unlawful migration at the U.S.-Mexico border, blowing past solid Democratic opposition in a move timed to spotlight their hard-line stance on immigration in the face of a potential border influx.

Republicans, who only narrowly avoided an embarrassing mutiny within their own ranks on the bill, used the floor debate to deliver a stinging rebuke of the Biden administrations border policies. They rushed to put the bill on the floor on Thursday, aiming to hold the vote before Title 42, the pandemic-era policy allowing for swift expulsion of migrants, expires. The vote is scheduled for the afternoon.

The cataclysm facing our border is not just due to the end of Title 42, but also to this administrations complete, complete abdication to do even the bare minimum to secure our southern border, and it is negligence and incompetence, Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, Republican of Florida and an author of the G.O.P. bill, said on the House floor.

The legislation  which is expected to be universally rejected by House Democrats  has no future in the Democrat-led Senate, where lawmakers have worked quietly and so far unsuccessfully to forge a bipartisan agreement on a measure pairing border security enhancements with an expansion of avenues for migrants to enter the United States legally.
The Latest: The 2023-24 rankings are out.

U.S. News & World Report finally released its annual rankings of top law and medical schools on Thursday, after boycotts by those institutions, disputes over methodology, and a delay of weeks.

A few law schools shuffled positions, but the ones at the top of the new list were familiar  Stanford, Yale, Chicago, Duke, Harvard and New York University.

Yale, which was the first to boycott, retained its No. 1 position, though in a tie this year with Stanford. Columbia, which also participated in the boycott, dropped to eighth place from fourth.

There were some big shifts among the lower ranks, as a result of a new methodology. Wake Forest in North Carolina jumped 15 spots to be tied at No. 22, from No. 37 last year. Texas Tech and Marquette University both moved up 34 points and are tied for No. 71.

Among medical schools, most that were in the top 10 list for research last year remained there in 2023-24.

The top three medical schools are Harvard, Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania. Joining the top ten: Vanderbilt, Weill Cornell and Washington University in St. Louis.

New York University dropped to No. 10 from No. 2 last year.

Background: Many top schools have boycotted U.S. News.

After criticizing U.S. Newss rankings for years, many elite law and medical schools decided to boycott the 2023-24 rankings by refusing to hand over data, saying that the rankings were unreliable and unfair, skewing education priorities.

Yale Law School said that the U.S. News methodology did not give enough weight to programs that support public interest careers, champion need-based aid, and welcome working-class students into the profession. As a result, Yale argued, the rankings effectively penalized law schools that emphasize that work, and deterred others from focusing on that work.

Faced with several dozen schools declining to participate, U.S. News went on a listening tour last year to develop a new methodology. For law schools, fully 58 percent of a schools ranking is now based on outcomes  how many graduating students pass the bar and get jobs  a substantial increase from prior years.

The new ranking of medical schools for research also used new methodology, and included an evaluation of faculty resources, the academic achievements of entering students and research productivity.

U.S. News said that for the law and medical schools that declined to provide data, it filled in the blanks using publicly available information.

Despite the overhaul, an early preview of the 2023-24 rankings, released on April 21, ran into another wave of criticism, prompting a delay in the release of the final list.
The warring parties in Sudan could not agree to a cease-fire, but signed a commitment to allow deliveries of humanitarian aid and to restore some services for residents battered by nearly four weeks of intense fighting, two senior U.S. administration officials said on Thursday.

The deal, brokered by diplomats from the United States and Saudi Arabia after six days of talks in Jeddah, fell short of the negotiators original goal of reaching a truce. It was cast instead as a declaration of commitment to protect the civilians of Sudan. The goals of the pact include delivering humanitarian aid, restoring essential services, withdrawing fighters from hospitals and clinics and allowing residents to safely bury the dead.

The northeastern African nation of Sudan, with a population of 48 million people, has been ripped apart since conflict broke out on April 15 between the forces of two rival generals, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who controls the Sudanese military, and Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The violence has tipped Sudan into a full-blown humanitarian crisis, leaving millions of people with no water, food, electricity or health care. Aid organizations have reported that their warehouses have been looted and their workers killed, pushing many groups to suspend operations.
Australia has taken a strategic direction to strengthen its diplomatic relations with India by signing a bilateral Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), effective from December 2022.

This agreement is the start of a new relationship between the two nations, with the potential for significant enhancement and strengthening of bilateral commerce and economic cooperation going forwards.

India is Australias sixth-largest trading partner and fourth-largest export market. With over 85 per cent of Australian goods exported to India now tariff-free, rising further to 90 per cent over the next six years, this bilateral agreement has opened an abundance of trade diversification growth opportunities for Australian businesses, such as small and medium-sized (SME) enterprises, especially in the e-commerce and export sectors.

These new economic headwinds will likely bring new markets, a new global reach, and new opportunities to Australian businesses  with the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry expecting the ECTA to boom bilateral trade above US$45 billion, up from US$12.3 billion in 202021.

Furthermore, the Indian economy is one of the fastest growing in the world, a trend that is expected to continue. According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, India will be the 3rd largest global economy by 2032.

Australian SMEs wanting to expand into India may find it easier to reap the benefits of trade diversification opportunities with access to the fast-growing Indian market of over 1.4 billion people as a result of the ECTA.

Understanding Indian customers

India has a burgeoning middle class with access to increased disposable income, fuelling a growing appetite for consumer goods. Personal consumption, for example, contributes to roughly 60 per cent of Indias gross domestic product (GDP).

India has become the worlds most populous country, surpassing China. Its high- and upper-middle-income base is expected to nearly double during the current decade, growing from 24 per cent in 2021 to 51 per cent of the overall population by 2030.

These factors drive a significant increase in the average consumers ability to spend, with a projected 250 per cent increase across the population from 2020 to 2025. The fast-growing Indian market of over 1.4 billion people gives Australian SMEs looking to expand into India vast and lucrative businesses opportunities for trade diversification.

E-commerce is in full swing

Pairing with the well-off middle class is a booming e-commerce industry. According to the government-funded Indian Brand Equity Foundation, the Indian e-commerce industry is projected to surpass the US to become the second-largest e-commerce market in the world by 2034.

In the 2021 financial year, India had the third largest online shopper base globally, sitting at approximately 150 million. With 5G smartphone shipments reaching 169 million in 2023, this trend is expected to continue with the number of online shoppers in India expected to grow to a staggering 350 million by 2026.

This rapid growth in e-commerce has seen transportation and logistics companies like FedEx exponentially grow their fulfilment and distribution capabilities across India to meet customer appetite as well as invest in their talent pool.

Bringing together customer and platform into actionable insights

But what does this all mean for SMEs and e-tailers, and how might they effectively take advantage of this growth opportunity?

With goods of all kinds moving around the world every minute of every day, how they get delivered counts and consumers are maturing in their use of e-commerce. FedEx Whats next in e-commerce Whitepaper suggests that Indian consumers are much more optimistic about the importance of e-commerce in the future and are also ahead of the pack across the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region, with 83 per cent of consumers feeling positive about shopping online.

Additionally, the survey indicates that for Indian consumers, offering a personalised e-commerce service is nearly twice as important as it is for Australian consumers (78 per cent vs. 43 per cent).

Australian businesses that want to crack the Indian market may wish to consider building out an integrated customer approach  drawing on internal and external data to map out the customer journey. From there, businesses can implement tailored communications, segmented marketing activations and provide personalised complementary product recommendations based on on-site behaviours.

Based on the findings of our whitepaper Indian consumers are likewise more advanced in their attitudes towards new payment methods including mobile wallets that enable payments using crypto-currencies and, therefore, SMEs may want to consider providing Buy Now Pay Later India-based options such as Simpl and ZestMoney.

Another major consideration is that Indian consumers (76 per cent) are much more likely to prioritise delivery lead times over sustainability than Australian consumers (53 per cent).

This presents two implications for Aussie retailers. First, take advantage of this opportunity to identify and team up with a reliable and trustworthy transport and logistics partner that can fulfil their cross-border logistic needs and possess strong local and global market presence to offer fulfilment capabilities. And secondly, developing and defining an understanding of how to responsibly respond to sustainability challenges when operating in both geographies.

Finally, remember that every SME is unique, with different strategies, goals, markets, and resources. Always remember to conduct your own research and seek professional advice if you wish to take advantage of trade agreements, expand into foreign market or take advantage of trends.

As Australia works to broaden its export markets, the scale of opportunity for Australian e-commerce businesses within the Indian market looks promising. Effectively navigating this opportunity requires an agile approach to customer engagement supported by partners with deep local knowledge.

Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
JOHANNESBURG  The United States ambassador to South Africa has accused the countrys government of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia during its invasion of Ukraine, escalating the friction between the two countries over Russia and the war.

The ambassador, Reuben E. Brigety II, told reporters on Thursday that Washington has reason to believe that a Russian ship that docked near Cape Town at a South African naval base last December, the Lady R, uploaded weapons and ammunition.

We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel and I will bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion, Ambassador Brigety said, according to a clip of his exchange with the news media that aired on the South African news channel Newzroom Afrika.

During an exchange with lawmakers in Parliament on Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa said only that the matter regarding the Lady R is being looked into.
These 22 cases are the ones that investigators in each country felt the public could help on, meaning that they had the best chances of benefiting from a public appeal, a spokeswoman for Interpol said.

Details from each black notice, which are alerts issued to police worldwide seeking information about unidentified bodies, have been released to the public for the first time on Interpols website. The notices include various types of victim information, facial reconstruction images and pictures of certain identifiers like tattoos, jewelry and clothing. They are described with case names that read like the titles of mystery novels: The woman on the boat, The woman with the flower skirt, The woman with the bracelet.

Susan Hitchin, the coordinator of Interpols DNA unit, said in an interview on Wednesday that the idea for the initiative was brought to Interpol by the authorities in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The organization has 195 member countries, and it tries to help the police in the different locations work together.

They were looking to see what they could do to solve some of their cold cases for unidentified human remains, she said. They looked at all the cases that they had amongst themselves and came to the conclusion that the women had died because of acts of violence.
Last Saturday, he stood before a throne at Westminster Abbey and gingerly placed a crown on the head of King Charles III. On Wednesday, he stood up in the gilded chamber of the House of Lords to denounce the governments new migration bill as morally unacceptable and politically impractical.

It has been a momentous week for the archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby  one that captures his distinctive place in British life. Not just the senior bishop of the Church of England, the man who crowns monarchs, he is also a member of the unelected upper chamber of Britains Parliament.

Archbishop Welby won praise for his sure-footed handling of the coronation ceremony. But his fiery intervention in the immigration debate has drawn a tart response from government ministers and other Conservative politicians, who say the law is needed to curb the number of migrants who illegally cross the English Channel in small boats.

Hes wrong on both counts, the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, told the BBC. Theres nothing moral about allowing the pernicious trade of people smugglers to continue, he said. I disagree with him respectfully.
Britain is donating long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine to help it reclaim territory lost to Russia since the start of its invasion, Britains defense secretary, Ben Wallace, told Parliament on Thursday.

The missiles, which are launched from the air, are the latest in a pipeline of military aid to the country by Britain, the United States and other NATO allies and come after Ukraines request for weapons capable of targeting Russian military infrastructure and troop concentrations far behind the front lines in the war. As the country prepares to launch a counteroffensive, those demands have become more urgent.

Ukraines assault could come in the south and east of the country, where Russia holds territory. Kyiv has struck military targets in the occupied southern cities such as Melitopol and Berdiansk with increasing frequency in recent weeks, in a possible preparation for the counteroffensive.

The new missiles may be able to reach those cities, and they might also enable Ukraine to strike military targets in Crimea, a region even further behind Russian lines, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
The Israeli military and Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group in Gaza, traded fire Thursday amid mounting tensions in the region as Israel stepped up its campaign of targeted assassinations of Islamic Jihad commanders, killing two more to take the toll to five in three days.

While an effort by Egypt and other regional powers to convince the two sides to agree to a cease-fire was underway Thursday, Islamic Jihad fired rockets and mortar rounds into Israel, and Israeli forces struck against what they said were military targets linked to the group in Gaza.

An Islamic Jihad commander was killed in an Israeli missile strike on his home in Gaza on Thursday afternoon, an attack that followed the targeted assassination of a militant commander overnight, the Israeli military said. A rocket fired from Gaza in the evening struck a residential building in Rehovot, a city in central Israel. One man was killed in that attack. He was the first casualty on the Israeli side in this round of fighting.

The cross-border exchanges started out less intense than on Wednesday, when Islamic Jihad fired more than 500 rockets and mortar shells toward Israel, according to the Israeli military, while Israel carried out airstrikes against what the military described as 150 targets linked to the militant group in Gaza.
Many moms love the hustle and bustle of a fancy brunch place on Mothers Day, which falls on Sunday. (We have plenty of suggestions for them.) But a lot of us just want a quiet, cozy morning at home, a hot cup of coffee we get to finish and a meal we dont have to cook. If thats you, click that share tool above, and send this list to your loved ones as a not-so-subtle hint. And if none of these dishes delight you, we have many more Mothers Day breakfast and brunch ideas to choose from.
Migrants trying to cross the border can Get appointment at border checkpoint Seek humanitarian parole Cross border illegally Few nationalities qualify. A glitchy app has few slots. Many turn themselves in to seek asylum. Evade detection Temporary release to U.S. Detained and deported A small but rising number. New rules restrict access to asylum. Likely for single adults. Migrants trying to cross the border can 1 2 3 Seek humanitarian parole Get an appointment at a border checkpoint Cross illegally Few nationalities qualify. A glitchy app has few slots available. Many turn themselves in to seek asylum. Evade detection Temporary release to U.S. Detained and deported A small but rising number. New rules restrict access to asylum. Likely for single adults. A diagram showing the main pathways for migrants trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. The legal pathways include seeking humanitarian parole and getting an appointment at a border checkpoint, which both have challenges; when crossing illegally, the possible outcomes are detention and deportation, temporary release in the U.S., or evading detection. New rules restrict access to asylum for migrants who are temporarily released.

On Thursday, the United States will lift a pandemic rule that had been used to immediately kick out hundreds of thousands of migrants who crossed the border illegally over the last three years.

Now, those migrants who enter the country illegally will have the opportunity to apply for asylum, which is a legal status people can get if they prove that they would face persecution or other risks at home.

That doesnt mean it will be easy to actually qualify. The Biden administration is set to impose new restrictions on eligibility, and if the process works as planned many migrants would still be deported relatively quickly. But if new arrivals overwhelm the system, its possible officials will let many people stay in the country to await asylum hearings.

So what determines whether you get in or not? Sometimes its about how good of a case you can make, or whether youve followed the rules of an often chaotic system. Much of the time, its just luck.

Heres what the process of getting across the border will look like under the new rules, as best as we could determine with the help of Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, the policy director at the American Immigration Council, and one of the top experts in the country on this issue.

1 Seek humanitarian parole

Few nationalities qualify.

A diagram shows one pathway for migrants trying to come to the U.S.: seeking humanitarian parole. Only a few nationalities qualify, and this program requires a financial sponsor in the U.S.

In the last several months, President Biden used his executive authority to open what essentially amounts to a back door for certain migrants to enter the country legally: apply for whats called humanitarian parole.

It gives Haitians, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Cubans the chance to live for two years in the United States if a sponsor files an application for them online. Hundreds of thousands have taken advantage of the program. The catch is that the number of monthly slots is limited. You also have to get someone already in the United States to take financial responsibility for you, and you need to have a valid passport and the money to pay for a plane ticket.

2 Get an asylum appointment at a border checkpoint

Requires using a glitchy app with few slots.

Are you in Mexico City or closer to the border? Otherwise the app system wont work. You can secure an asylum appointment The app crashes, or all the slots are gone About 1,000 are available per day. Some fail to book an appointment despite trying for months. Probably released into U.S. Turned away at border checkpoint Apply for asylum, wait months or years for court date. Are you in Mexico City or closer to the border? Otherwise the app system wont work. You can secure an asylum appointment The app crashes, or all the slots are gone About 1,000 are available per day. Some fail to book an appointment despite trying for months. Turned away at border checkpoint Probably released into U.S. Apply for asylum, wait months or years for court date. A diagram shows another pathway for migrants trying to cross the border: securing an asylum appointment at a border checkpoint, which requires using a mobile phone app that is often glitchy and has limited slots. Those without an appointment will be turned away.

In January, the administration opened yet another pathway to encourage people to migrate in an orderly way rather than take a dangerous route that creates a bottleneck at the border. This one involves a new app, called CBP One. Migrants can use the app to make an appointment with border officials at a port of entry, who then can decide whether to allow them into the United States with a notice to appear in immigration court down the line.

It sounds relatively easy, except that the app has been glitchy, and the likelihood of getting an appointment has been compared to winning a lottery ticket. There are few slots available each day relative to demand. Only migrants who are in northern Mexico, near the U.S. border, or in Mexico City are eligible to use it. And many people have spent months trying day after day to make this work for them, to no avail.

3 Cross illegally

Many people turn themselves in to seek asylum.

First of all, its worth getting a basic sense of what it actually means to cross the border illegally. Sometimes it means traversing a desert or forging across a large body of water  but its not always that hard. In some places, like parts of Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican city across from El Paso, Texas, you can get to American soil by walking across a relatively narrow and calm stretch of the Rio Grande.

If migrants did that when Title 42 was in place, U.S. officials could send them back to Mexico within minutes, which will no longer be an option. Now, people who enter the country without proper documentation will either be put into formal deportation proceedings, which is a years-long, drawn-out process, or an expedited removal process that is intended to process and deport people much faster.

Families and children will mostly be put on the first, slower track, which means they will be given a date to appear before an immigration judge, but will be allowed to wait inside the country, living and working legally until their case is decided.

Apprehended and sent to processing center Single adults Children and parents with children All lone children and most families are released. Many may get lucky, especially when detention space and staff run out. Others dont, especially Mexicans, Guatemalans and others who can easily be deported. Released into U.S. for court proceedings Sent to expedited removal Resolving court and asylum cases can take months or years. Apprehended and sent to processing center Children and parents with children Single adults All lone children and most families are released. Many may get lucky, especially when detention space and staff run out. More likely for Mexicans, Guatemalans and others who can easily be deported. Sent to expedited removal Released into U.S. for court proceedings Resolving court and asylum cases can take months or years. A diagram shows what happens when migrants try to cross the border illegally, between official ports of entry. Two main outcomes are being temporarily released in the U.S. for court proceedings, and being detained and sent to expedited removal.

Single adults, on the other hand, will probably go through the expedited lane. If the system works as intended, those migrants could be on their way to deportation with a felony charge in hand within days.

If you entered illegally and did not enter the United States because you were fleeing persecution or serious danger, you will probably be deported. If you are seeking safe haven, you must claim fear of returning to your home country to apply for asylum. But it will be much harder to qualify than it once was, thanks to new barriers President Biden is putting in place this week.

Migrants will now have to show that they applied for asylum and were rejected by Mexico or another country they passed through on their journey in order to be considered for protection in the United States. That requirement, which critics call a transit ban, will probably face legal challenges by human-rights groups who say it amounts to a near prohibition on asylum. It can take months, if not years, to apply for asylum in Mexico, where the governments system is extremely backed up. Many migrants also say they do not feel safe in countries they travel through.

If youre put on the fast track, this might be applied just days after you crossed.

Expedited removal Do you express a fear of going back to your home country? Otherwise youre probably subject to deportation. Transit ban Almost everybody Can you show youve been denied asylum in another country on your way to the U.S.? With few exceptions, the vast majority will be ineligible for asylum. Almost nobody will clear this bar. Does an asylum officer believe you have a credible fear of persecution at home? Most meet this standard. Probably released into U.S. Can apply for asylum. Cant show likelihood of persecution Show officer that persecution or torture is likely if you return home Difficult standard to meet. Detained for deportation Considered for a lesser protection May be released but cant get asylum. Appeals are usually denied. Expedited removal Do you express a fear of going back to your home country? Otherwise youre probably subject to deportation. Transit ban Can you show youve already been denied asylum in another country on your way to the U.S.? Almost everybody With few exceptions, the vast majority will be ineligible for asylum. Almost nobody will clear this bar  a central restriction of Bidens border approach. Cant show likelihood of persecution Does an asylum officer believe you have a credible fear of persecution at home? Show officer that persecution or torture is likely if you return home Most meet this standard. Difficult standard to meet. Probably released into U.S. Considered for a lesser protection Detained for deportation Appeals are usually denied. Can apply for asylum. May be released but cant get asylum. A diagram shows what often happens to migrants who are detained and placed in expedited removal. Few will be eligible for asylum, because of a travel ban that requires migrants to be denied asylum in another country on their way to the U.S.

Even if youre released into the United States, whenever you finally go before a judge you will still have to show that you were rejected for asylum by one of the countries you passed through on your way to the United States  even if that journey happened months or years ago.

Released into U.S. for court proceedings Apply for asylum Wait months or years for your court date. Transit ban Can you show youve been denied asylum in another country on your way to the U.S.? Almost everybody With few exceptions, the vast majority will be ineligible for asylum. Almost nobody will clear this bar. Considered for asylum Can apply for asylum. Show judge you are likely to face persecution or torture at home Cant show likelihood of persecution Subject to deportation Considered for a lesser protection No pathway to permanent status. Appeal could delay, but usually denied. Released into U.S. for court proceedings Apply for asylum Wait months or years for your court date. Transit ban Can you show youve already been denied asylum in another country on your way to the U.S.? Almost everybody With few exceptions, the vast majority will be ineligible for asylum. Almost nobody will clear this bar  a central restriction of Bidens border approach. Show judge you are likely to face persecution or torture at home Cant show likelihood of persecution Subject to deportation Considered for asylum Considered for a lesser protection Appeal could delay, but usually denied. Most asylum requests are denied. No pathway to permanent status. A diagram shows what often happens to migrants who are released in the U.S. and apply for asylum: Wait months or years for a court date. Then, they will need to show an immigration judge that they have already been denied asylum in a country that they passed through on the way to the U.S. Otherwise, they will be deemed ineligible for asylum and may be subject to deportation if they are not considered for a lesser form of protection.

Asylum hearings can take years to complete, and most claims are denied, leaving migrants without the right to stay in the United States and eventually apply for permanent status.

A final option, which has always been available and probably always will be: You can make an often arduous, perilous, and uncertain trek through rough terrain and unforgiving elements, and then try to sneak into the United States without being caught. If you manage to make it, you live in the shadows, with the risk of the authorities finding and deporting you at any moment.
Henry Feintuch

Like many others in the agency business, our growth is often predicated on responding to and converting RFPs and inquiries into paying clients. Its not a quick or efficient process; sometimes the most complex requests come in coldwith a tight deadline for delivering a comprehensive plan by e-mailfrom an intern or lower-level corporate employee who may be communicating with dozens of PR firms. We dont typically participate in those kinds of blind shootouts. Theyre too time-consuming and we have a business to run.

The far better scenarios are when were asked to participate in getting-to-know-you or chemistry meetings, provide samples of our work and discuss the prospects business and competitive environment. As the field gets whittled down, negotiations can get underway, references shared or we might be asked to develop a speculative plan or directional outline (though often at our expense and with no guarantee of being retained).

I share the above not as a complaint but as a window into a new business teams challenges. However, there are some questions that emerge during the new business cycle that make my eyes roll into my head and my brain rattle. In the spirit of educatingand hopefully not alienatingwould-be clients, here are some of them and our typical responses.

Q: Can you get our company into fill in the blank: TechCrunch, Wall Street Journal or the New York Times?

A: Perhaps. But save your money in hiring a PR firm if you have just one target youre going after. You should think of a PR firm as your strategic partner in developing a communications strategy designed to support your business objectives and not just a handyman you call in to fix a gutter or paint a wall. Its not how you get real value.

Q: How many placements can you guarantee?

A: While were at it, how about forecasting the stock market or the weather with absolute certainty? Ethical public relations practitioners cant predict which specific outlets will run a story or how many placements a campaign can engender. What we can do is help you to assess the strength of your business story and the likelihood the media may find it newsworthy. A good PR firm should be able to provide you with many concepts for a campaign that will reach the individuals you are trying to influence. And if youre putting out valuable, credible, engaging and/or actionable content, the results should speak for themselves.

If the question is not of absolute numbers but of accountability, that opens up a far more strategic discussion between an agency and the prospect. A client has every right to ensure that their agencys efforts and expenditures are measured. In developing and finalizing PR plans for our prospects, we work with our clients to set KPIs or goals for each activity that make it into the final plannot just measuring media hits but speaking platforms and awards applied forand later wonindustry analyst briefings, trade show briefings, social media growth and more.

Q: Instead of a retainer, can we just pay for successful placements?

A: There are law firms that take cases on a contingency basis and yes, there are some PR firms that operate on a pay-for-performance or success formula. In the PR industry, these types of arrangements shift the focus from strategy and creativity to quantitynot necessarily quality and open up the opportunity for illicit payments to producers or journalists.

As businesses, most PR firms are compensated for their strategy, planning, execution and results. Focusing just on the results portion of our work puts a disproportionate focus on an outcome that may be adversely affected by client actions, competitive developments, other news and numerous other factors beyond an agencys control. It also devalues our strategic efforts. If an agency fails to deliver agreed-upon results as part of its mandate, and the reason is their lack of effort, creativity or incompetence, they should be terminated.

Q: Have you ever worked for a firm identical to our own?

A: Perhaps, but the expertise of an external communications team relies primarily in its knowledge of public relations and the full toolset available to help clients achieve their business objectives. Past experience and tactics from totally different industries can be extremely useful in relating to a client challenge in a new industry. Thats not to say a company shouldnt be looking for an agency with relevant experiencesector familiarity can be quite valuable to a client seeking agency representation and to avoid having to teach the basics.

Q: Can we test your team out for a few months before signing a more formal/longer-term contract?

A: PR campaigns, depending upon their nature, can easily take several months before results are visible and that doesnt take into account the initial learning curve and infrastructure set-up. In addition, asking an agency to consent to a short-term starter relationship suggests the client isnt sure about its selection process and may not be fully committed to the campaigns success. Better not to hire than to set an artificially short time frame that may ensure failure.

Q: Can you provide a list of reporters you know?

A: This is one of my favorite pet peeves. Its often asked to try and ensure that the agency knows the publicationsand journaliststhat may cover their company. But there are so many assumptions tied to this seemingly innocuous request that makes it virtually worthless.

First, every agency subscribes to a media database of some sort and can generate a list of reporters in any city or market niche. Secondly, knowing a reporter doesnt guarantee coverage. Sure, journalists get to know PR practitioners who are reputable and deliver reliably. But that doesnt guarantee coverage, which typically is what a prospect is seeking to learn. Thirdly, reporters change beats or organizations with increasing frequencythe days of your connection at one publication for 20 years is an interesting historical artifact. And finally, what we believe is the key factor hereits the strength of the story and the storytelling that rules the daynot which reporter ran a story on a prior client six months ago.

I provide these examples of common missteps in the PR agency vetting process not as a gripe fest, but rather as an attempt to redirect prospective clients energies down a more positive and productive path. Id love to hear your pet peeves and constructive examples for improving the process. Forward them to me at [email protected] and Ill round up the most interesting in a follow-up column.

***

Henry Feintuch is President of tech PR firm Feintuch Communications.
Chris Licht

America owes a huge debt of gratitude to CNN CEO Chris Licht for providing Donald Trump a national media platform beyond the Fox News bubble.

Trump transformed the 70-minute town hall into a carnival of head-spinning, lies, falsehoods and personal attacks.

His performance reminded viewers about how clueless and out-of-touch with reality the former president truly is.

Trumps nonsensical babble about the US defaulting on its debt was among the gems of the evening.

While the US Treasury warns that a default poses a catastrophic risk to the worlds economy, Trump downplayed it.

Its really psychological more than anything else. And it could be really bad, it could be maybe nothing, maybe its a bad week, or a bad day, who knows, said the ex-president.

This is not a serious guy. Trump stopped just short of comparing a default to a bad hair day.

Trumps rants and rave might have gone over well with the town halls audience of Republicans and supporters who cheered their guy on.

The performance though had the opposite impact on those outside the Trump cult.

President Joe Biden summed it up best.

After CNN mercifully pulled the plug on the town hall, Biden tweeted: Its simple, folks. Do you want four more years of that. If you dont, pitch in to our campaign.

Lachlan does stand-up Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch told shareholders that the companys decision to pay $800M to settle the $1.6B defamation suit with Dominion Voting Systems does not alter Foxs commitment to the highest standards of journalism. What a yuckster!

Had Fox practiced those high standards of journalism, it would not have been sued by Dominion in the first place.

Fox faces an even bigger defamation settlement with Smartmatic USA, which seeks $2.7B in damages.

The company believes Smartmatics lawsuit is without merit and intends to defend it vigorously including through appeals.

Discovery in the Smartmatic case remains ongoing and it is likely that depositions, expert discovery and summary judgment and other key motions will follow, according to Foxs 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A trial is expected to begin in 2025. Fox hedges its bets about the outcome of the trial.

"The company is unable to predict the final outcome of these matters and has determined that a loss in the Smartmatic case is neither probable nor reasonably estimable.

"There can be no assurance that the ultimate resolution of these pending matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Companys business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows, says the 10-K.

Murdoch told shareholders Fox settled with Dominion to avoid a six-week trial and appeals process that could have lasted two or three years.

After all, Foxs legal team has to focus on the Smartmatic case.

Will the woke citizens of Berkeley follow the footsteps of Dublins Trinity College and change the name of that progressive Northern California city?

The governing board of Irelands oldest university voted to rename its Berkeley library. George Berkeley, the 18th Century philosopher, ranks as one of the Emerald Isles greatest thinkers.

The New York Times reported that some scholars view his scientific ideas on perception and reality set the stage for Albert Einstein.

Trinity is not renaming its library because George Berkeley was a known-it-all smarty pants.

Its denaming the library because Berkeley lived in Rhode Island from 1729 to 1732 on a plantation. He purchased enslaved people to run the joint.

Things got ever weirder with Old Unenlightened George.

His grand scheme was to use the profits earned by the sweat of the enslaved to open a school in Bermuda for kidnapped Native Americans and to convert them to Christianity.

The Good Lord intervened and Berkeley squashed the whole plan.

He donated the plantation with the enslaved to Yale University and moved back to Ireland and eventually became the Anglican Churchs Lord Bishop of Cloyne.

In stripping Berkeleys name from the library, Linda Doyle, Trinity Colleges provost, said his ownership of enslaved people along with his theories of slavery and racial discrimination are in clear conflict with the universitys core values.

When is the vote for the new name Berkeley, CA? How about honoring Mario Savio, the driving force behind the Free Speech Movement who died in 1996 at the age of 53.

Savio, CA, has a nice ring to it.

Follow the bouncing arena The Miami Heat play their home games at something called the Kaseya Center. This Knicks fan wants to know whatever happened to the American Airlines Arena?

The rise and collapse of the crypto era had a lot of do with it.

Sam Bankman-Frieds FTX swooped in and secured the naming rights to the Heats home court for $135M in 2021.

At that time, the deal made sense as Miami was positioning itself as the crypto capital of the US.

FTXs spectacular bankruptcy in 2022 led Miami-Dade County to rename the arena.

Enter Kaseya, a Miami software company.

The area name shuffle is reminiscent of the CMGI Field/New England Patriots saga of the dot-com era.

CMGI landed a 15-year deal in 2000 to slap its name on the Patriots home field in Foxborough, MA.

It became a victim of the dot-com bust and the field was renamed Gillette Stadium in 2002.

One can only wonder what the fate of Cypto.com Arena, the home of the Los Angeles Lakers will be?
A GROUP of Spanish travel agents visited Offaly and Ireland recently, as guests of Tourism Ireland, Failte Ireland and Icarion (a major Spanish tour operator).

The aim of the trip is to showcase some of the many sustainable tourism experiences available in Ireland to the Spanish travel professionals, as well as to highlight our rich culture and heritage, spectacular scenery and fantastic food and drink offering.

Their action-packed itinerary included a visit to Lough Boora Discovery Park.

Susan Bolger, Tourism Irelands Manager Spain, said: "We are delighted to welcome this group of Spanish travel agents to Offaly and Ireland. This visit is an excellent opportunity to showcase some of our sustainable tourism experiences, as well as our superb visitor attractions, food and scenery. Our aim is that the travel agents will be more enthusiastic than ever about the destination when they return home  helping to secure a greater share of their business for Ireland in 2023 and beyond.

Sustainability will be at the heart of Tourism Irelands work over the coming years. As well as focusing on the economic sustainability of the tourism industry (the contribution overseas tourism makes to economic prosperity and, in particular, to jobs and livelihoods), Tourism Irelands strategy also has social sustainability (the benefit that communities across the island experience from overseas tourism) and environmental sustainability at its core.

Spain is the fifth-largest market for overseas tourism to the island of Ireland. In 2019, we welcomed 431,000 visitors from Spain to the island of Ireland, who spent 218 million during their time here.
Hong Kong: HK, Chongqing boost ties

Hong Kong and Chongqing today established a new co-operation mechanism and agreed on pursuing holistic co-operation to serve the countrys high-quality development at a high-level meeting in Chongqing.

It is the first high-level government co-operation mechanism established by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with Mainland provinces and municipalities since the current-term Government took office.

The High-Level Meeting & First Plenary Session of the Hong Kong/Chongqing Co-operation Conference was held by Chief Executive John Lee and CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee Secretary Yuan Jiajun.

The two officials were leading the Hong Kong SAR and Chongqing government delegations respectively.

State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Deputy Director Wang Linggui also attended the meeting and plenary.

Mr Lee highlighted that the relationship between Hong Kong and Chongqing has always been very close, adding that under the countrys overall blueprint, both places played important and unique roles.

The countrys 14th Five-Year Plan clearly supports Hong Kong to consolidate and enhance its competitive advantages and develop the eight centres. Chongqing is the core city of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle and an important strategic link between the Belt & Road and the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

The Chief Executive noted that Hong Kong and Chongqing are complementary, and that strengthening co-operation would definitely achieve complementarity and mutual benefits as well as mark Hong Kongs better integration into the countrys overall development.

Hong Kong and Chongqing reached a consensus on 11 co-operation areas, including the Belt & Road Initiative, economic, trade and investment co-operation.

The other 10 areas cover finance, innovation and technology, logistics, cultural exchange and tourism, education, talent exchange, youth development, legal and dispute resolution, health and Chinese medicine, and facilitation for Hong Kong people in the Mainland.

At the meeting, Hong Kong and Chongqing signed four co-operation memoranda.

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki and Chongqing Vice Mayor Zhang Guozhi signed the "Hong Kong/Chongqing Co-operation Conference Mechanism", and the "Co-operation Memoradum of the High-Level Meeting & First Plenary Session of the Hong Kong/Chongqing Co-operation Conference".

Click here for details.

This story has been published on: 2023-05-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Laman Ismayilova

Kharibulbul International Music Festival has opened its doors in Shusha. The large-scale event gets its name from the flower Khari Bulbul which grows only in Shusha. This flower has a unique appearance which makes it look like a nightingale or bulbul in Azerbaijani.

From 1989 to 1992, the festival gathered incredibly talented musicians from Japan, the USA, Turkey, Germany, Israel, Italy, Spain and other countries.

On May 8, 1992, Shusha city was captured by Armenia and the festival suspended its work until November 8, 2020, when Azerbaijani Army liberated the city from Armenian occupation.

Now Kharibulbul International Music Festival once again welcomes cultural and art figures from all over the word. Co-organized by Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Culture Ministry, the festival delights its audience with magnificent concert programs, exhibitions and multiple presentations.

The city of Shusha has also been declared the Cultural Cpital of the Turkic World by the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) in 2023. So, the festival has brought together TURKSOY member states, Turkic-speaking countries.

Marvelous concert at Jidir Plain

The festival's first day was remembered with mesmerizing performances and presentations of samples of crafts as well as national cuisine of the participating countries held outside the Karabakh hotel.

Shusha State Musical Drama Theater premiered "Deli Domrul" play in the courtyard of the House of Khan's daughter Khurshudbanu Natavan.

Fascinating concert program was also presented on the Jidir Duzu plain as part of the Kharibulbul International Music Festival.

The concert program featured on-stage performances by representatives of TURKSOY member states and Turkic-speaking countries' as well as peoples of the region. Musical bands and performers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Hungary, Gagauzia Autonomous Territorial Unit of the Republic of Moldova, Uzbekistan, as well as the Karakalpakstan Autonomous Republic of Uzbekistan, Altai, Khakassia, Sakha (Yakutia), Tatarstan, the Tyva Republics of the Russian Federation, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Turkiye, Turkmenistan left no one indifferent. Then, the soloists of the Turkic world together sang "Karabakh" composition, leaving the listeners in awe.

Interesting exhibition at Creativity Center in Shusha

Guests of the festival also viewed an exhibition themed "Heydar Aliyev and Karabakh" held at the newly renovated Creativity Center in Shusha.

The exhibition included unique photos, documents and video materials reflecting the services of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the direction of social, economic, political and cultural development in Karabakh. It also demonstrated the photos of the National Leader's visits to Karabakh, meetings held there and other events.

Beginning in 1969, a great turning point started in the history of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. Heydar Aliyev managed to implement extensive reforms in all spheres of life in the region under complex historical conditions. On January 12, 1979, Aghdam-Khankendi Railway was inaugurated and put into use with the participation of the National Leader. T

This was Heydar Aliyev's strategic step and great historical service in terms of economic and economic unification of mountainous and lowland parts of Karabakh and other parts of Azerbaijan. The exhibition aroused great interest among vievers.

Magnificent gala concert at Azerbaijan's cultural capital

Magnificent gala concert featured "Kharibulbul" composition, "Soz meydani" vocal-instrumental composition performed by the art masters from Azerbaijan, Turkiyev Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.

Turkish World Virtuosos thrilled the audience with compositions "Chahargah sabsi", "Legend Turan", "People's treasure". The gala concert ended with the composition "Odlar Yurdu Azerbaijan" performed by all participants.

The festival program includes colorful artistic performances and plays organized in thematic corners: "Flag", "Heroism", "Majlis of Karabakh", "Poetry", "Dada Gorgud", "Dervishes" and "Molla Nasreddin".

Kharibulbul International Music Festival continues with concert programs, exhibitions and film screenings on the Jidir Duzu plain, in front of Uzeyir Hajibaylistatue, Bulbul House Museum and other venues.
The demand for STEM graduates, specifically Generation Z workers, is high in Australia and New Zealand. However, this generation requires more attention and accommodation in the workplace than previous ones.

By 2025, Gen Zs will constitute more than 30% of Australias workforce. Although they are loyal to their employers, they seek engagement, communication, a digitally advanced environment, work-life balance, and exciting incentives and activities. As digital natives, they prioritise the implementation of new-age technologies like smart factories, human-robot collaboration, and machine learning in the workplace.

Many industries are facing a critical skills shortage, and STEM has been highlighted as a key focus area to bolster local manufacturing further, explains Masayuki (Masa) Mase, Country Manager for Universal Robots Oceania. When trying to attract top, young talent to our sector, employers are finding that Gen Zs are in search of true job satisfaction over experience and job security.

Graduates and junior employees in the fields of STEM are extremely sought-after by employers and in a country with a notable skills shortage, these graduates know they are spoiled for choice, Masa continues. Today, they are in search of employers who tick all these boxes.

Fostering a collaborative environment

In the STEM fields, technology plays a significant role in attracting new-age workers, particularly in the form of robotics. Younger employees, in particular, are drawn to the prospect of working alongside new-age technologies, including robots.

Cobots, or collaborative robots, are user-friendly, easy to deploy, and safe to work with, making them an attractive option. They can assist with many monotonous and repetitive tasks that employees typically find unenjoyable. Many engineering students are already familiar with cobots, as they are widely used for practical learning in universities. As a result, these students anticipate leaving the tedious, hazardous, and unclean work to the robots so that they can focus on more fulfilling value-added assignments.

Cobots: A Solution for the ageing workforce

Cobots not only attract younger workers but also assist the ageing workforce. In France, cobots are used to enhance the working conditions of experienced employees with valuable trade knowledge.

Eliminating hazardous and physically demanding tasks makes it possible to retain these skilled and seasoned workers in their positions. This is crucial for businesses as they are the backbone of production, having mastered the essence and process of the company. Their expertise is essential to the organisation, and their knowledge needs to be transferred to their successors. Additionally, experienced employees are capable of defining strategies to enhance productivity and quality.

In conclusion, according to Masa, businesses that fail to adopt robotics risk falling behind. In the era of automation, it is essential for companies to utilise cobots to improve safety, efficiency, and productivity while creating a work environment that appeals to the inquisitive minds of Gen Z.

Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
AS part of its commitment to upgrade and improve water supplies across Co Offaly, Uisce Eireann, working in partnership with Offaly County Council, is delighted to announce, it is replacing approximately 150m of aged water mains with new modern pipes along the section of road adjacent to the Skatepark in Drumbane, Birr.

The project, which will commence mid-May and will provide a more reliable water supply and reduce the amount of treated drinking water lost to leakage. The works are a critical step in conserving our precious resource and reducing high levels of leakage which have been a significant source of disruption and outages for customers.

Programme Manager, for Uisce Eireanns National Leakage Reduction Programme, Joe Carroll is looking forward to getting crews on site. Old and damaged water mains remain a huge source of leakage and continue to impact communities right across Ireland, causing low pressure and supply disruption. Replacing these old water mains in poor condition will eliminate existing leaks and significantly reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground.

We would like to thank the community in Drumbane in advance for their patience and co-operation during the works, we know based on previous experiences that the short-term inconvenience will be overshadowed by the lasting benefits.

Where water mains are being installed traffic management will be in place, however, local and emergency access will always be maintained.

This project is being carried out by Ward & Burke Construction on behalf of Uisce Eireann and are due to be completed by the end of July 2023.

The National Leakage Reduction Programme helps provide a more reliable water supply to Irish communities by reducing high levels of leakage and improving water quality. Since 2018, its delivery has represented an investment of over 500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country through the delivery of the Leakage Reduction Programme. Uisce Eireann is also investing a further 250 million annually up to the end of 2030 directed at fixing leaks and replacing pipes to provide a more reliable water supply.

To find out more about Uisce Eireanns national programme of works to reduce leakage and improve Irelands water supply visit their Leakage Reduction Programme Page www.water.ie/projects-plans/national-projects/leakage-reduction-programme/

Uisce Eireanns customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact them on Twitter @IWCare with any queries. For updates please visit the Water Supply Updates section of the Uisce Eireann website or set your location on their website www.water.ie

Uisce Eireann is responsible for delivering public drinking water and wastewater services for the people of Ireland. They are committed to enabling communities to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth and development, providing safe drinking water, and enhancing the environment. To find out more visit www.water.ie .
TOP Austrian travel journalists have been exploring Offaly during their visit to Irelands Hidden Heartlands, as guests of Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland. The group  which included representatives of a national newspaper and two regional newspapers in Austria  has a combined reach of more than 1.3 million readers.

The groups action-packed itinerary included a guided tour of Birr Castle Demesne, a river cruise to Clonmacnoise with Viking Tours Ireland, followed by a guided tour of Clonmacnoise, as well as a wild food foraging experience in Birr with Wild Food Mary. The journalists also enjoyed meals in Fallons Bar Shannonbridge, The Thatch Crinkill, The Stables Birr and The Blue Apron Restaurant, as well as an overnight stay at the County Arms Hotel.

Aubrey Irwin, Tourism Irelands Manager for Austria and Switzerland, said: Tourism Ireland was delighted to invite these influential Austrian travel writers to Offaly and Irelands Hidden Heartlands. The articles they write when they return home will be read by more than 1.3 million people  so their visit is a really good opportunity to showcase Irelands Hidden Heartlands to a wide audience of prospective Austrian visitors.

Tourism Ireland undertakes a busy publicity programme around the world each year to raise the profile of the island of Ireland  and visits by influential travel writers like these are a key element of that programme.

In 2019, we welcomed 81,000 visitors from Austria to the island of Ireland, who spent 71 million during their time here.
AAP Hails SC Verdict On Centre-Delhi Services Row, CM Kejriwal Calls Verdict Victory Of Democracy

India

oi-PTI

The AAP on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court's verdict on the Centre-Delhi services with party chief Arvind Kejriwal terming the verdict a "victory of democracy". Following the top court verdict, Kejriwal will go to the Delhi Secretariat for the first time in many months and hold a meeting with his cabinet, officials said.

In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services. Welcoming the verdict, the AAP said in a tweet in Hindi, "The elected government will have the power of transfer-posting of officers. Officers will work only through the elected government."

The Lt Governor will have no power over the officers to stop the work of the people of Delhi, the party said. Kejriwal, on the other hand, expressed his "hearfelt thanks" to the Supreme Court for "doing justice to the people of Delhi" and said the pace of development will increase manifold. AAP Rajya Sabha Raghav Chadha called the verdict a "landmark decision" and said it sends a stern message.

"Satyamev Jayate. Delhi wins. Hon'ble Supreme Court's landmark judgment sends a stern message that officers working with the government of Delhi are meant to serve (the) people of Delhi through the elected government and not unelected usurpers parachuted by Centre to stall governance, namely LG," Chadha tweeted.

Delhi Govt Has Control Over All Services, Except Land and Police: SC

AAP senior leader and minister Atishi called the verdict "historic" and said, "After a long battle, the Supreme Court got the Arvind Kejriwal government its right. Now, no one will be able to obstruct the work of the people of Delhi." "This historic decision is a win for the people of Delhi. Now Delhi will progress at double the speed. Congratulations everyone!" she said in a tweet in Hindi.

Saurabh Bharadwaj, another minister in the Delhi government, tweeted, "Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal fought a legal battle for the people of Delhi for eight years. Today, the people won." Hearing the Centre versus the Delhi government case over the demarcation of power, a constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said an elected government needs to have control over the administration.

It refused to agree with Justice Ashok Bhushan's 2019 judgment that the city government has no power over the issue of services. The constitution bench was set up to hear the legal issue concerning the scope of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and the National Capital Territory government over control of services in Delhi.
Higher prices due to a recovery in China and good inventory and cost management saw the steel industry put up an improved performance in the first quarter.

The consolidated revenues of Hoa Phat Group, the company with a third of the construction steel market share, increased by only 3% but it managed to reverse its two-quarter losing streak with profits of VND380 billion (US$16.2 million). Steel accounted for 94% of the profit.

Vietnam Steel Corporation turned around to make a profit of VND70 billion after three quarters of losses, while Hoa Sen Group reported a profit of VND250 billion after two quarters of losses. The latters management had forecast profits of VND50 billion.

Profits improved mostly due to companies internal management initiatives.

Hoa Phat said demand did not recover in Q1, and its positive results were due to effective inventory and materials management, and flexible sales strategies.

Hoa Sen said it managed its costs well, reducing them by 40% year-on-year.

According to the Vietnam Steel Association, finished steel sales fell by 25% year-on-year to six million tons while production dropped by 21% to 6.6 million tons.

But prices rose in the first quarter, tracking Chinese prices, which rose for three straight months since the start of this year.

From around VND15 million per ton for CB240 coil and CB300 D10 rebar, big brands gradually raised their prices to VND16 million.

Now most big companies are upbeat about the future.

Tran Dinh Long, president of Hoa Phat, said the steel industrys most challenging period had passed though recovery would depend on demand, which is still low.

Le Phuoc Vu, president of Hoa Sen, expressed a similar sentiment.

In April many companies reversed their price hikes and cut them two or three times, driving them back to VND15 million a ton, and expect this to stimulate demand.

However, a major obstacle to recovery is the continued bleak outlook for the real estate market.
No one has approached us so far: Naveen Patnaik on backing NDA presidential nominee

After PM Modi Meet, Naveen Patnaik Says BJD To Go Solo In Lok Sabha Polls 2024

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will go solo in next year's Lok Sabha polls as it has always done, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Thursday, days after JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar met him amid efforts to forge a united opposition.

Patnaik, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here earlier in the day to discuss developmental issues related to his state, reiterated the BJD's position of remaining equidistant from both the Congress and the BJP. He also described Bihar Chief Minister Kuamr visiting him in Bhubaneswar as a courtesy call.

Patnaik has been at the helm in Odisha since 2000 and his BJD is among some regional parties that have maintained a neutral stand on the issues involving clashes between the ruling BJP and Opposition. At times, it has supported the BJP in Parliament as well. Patnaik said he met the prime minister to raise issues related to his state.

Congress, BJD reject Shahs claim that BJP will form next government in Odisha

In the meeting that lasted around 20-25 minutes, Patnaik raised issues related to infrastructure development in the state, including the under-construction Sri Jagannath Airport, incomplete national highways and opening of bank branches in Gram Panchayat which do not have the facility. Asked about his meeting with Kumar, and the possibility of a 'third front' emerging, he said, ''No, not as far as I'm concerned, not now''.

Asked if the BJD will fight the upcoming elections alone, he said, ''That has always been the case''.

Patnaik, who is in Delhi till Friday, also clarified that he has no plans of meeting any other leaders in the current trip. On his meeting with Kumar on Tuesday, he said, ''It was a courtesy call, he paid a visit. It went off well.''

On Tuesday after the meeting, both Patnaik and Kumar had claimed that no discussion were held on any political alliance between the JD(U) and BJD for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Buzz Around Ajit Pawar High Again As SC Set To Deliver Key Maharashtra Verdict

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Ahead of the verdict of the Supreme Court on the Eknath Shinde faction, there is a fresh buzz around Ajit Pawar.

Ajit Pawar was seen with tip leaders of Maharashtra's ruling coalition amidst a buzz that he may jump ship. He shared the frame with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis at a mass wedding in Latur on Wednesday. This comes in the wake of a resignation drama by his uncle, Sharad Pawar. The resignation of Pawar was taken back following a recommendation of an internal committee formed by Pawar to decide on his succession. The committee had urged Pawar to take back his resignation.

There has been speculation galore that Ajit Pawar may split the NCP. During his absence in a key party meeting, there were posters calling him the future chief minister of the state of Maharashtra. This had led to speculation that he may break the party and join hands with the BJP. To be sure Ajit Pawar had briefly joined hands with the BJP and formed a government with Devendra Fadnavis which last 80 hours.

SC Verdict On Shiv Sena Today: The Possible Scenarios And Questions That Would Be Answered

There is plenty of uncertainty in Maharashtra since the past one week. A lot would depend on the decision of the Supreme Court, which will decide on the disqualification of the MLAs from the Eknath Shinde faction. This faction had ditched Uddhav Thackeray to go on to form the government with the BJP in the state.
In a first 2 transgender cops to take part in Republic Day parade in Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh CM Baghel Says ED Trying To Implicate Him In Alleged Liquor Scam

India

oi-PTI

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of trying to implicate him in the alleged liquor scam in the state.

The ED has been acting as an agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party, he claimed while talking to reporters at the Police Lines helipad in Raipur.

"Our claim that the ED has been acting as an agent of the BJP has proved right. The way it has been threatening people to implicate them in false cases, they are now trying to implicate me in the alleged excise scam. Their main aim is to defame the Congress government," he said.

CM Baghel rubbishes allegations of liquor scam in Chhattisgarh, terms ED 'agent' of BJP

The BJP has failed to take on the Congress government, so it is misusing the ED as its "subordinate organisation", he claimed.

The CM asked why the ED was not taking action against distillers if they had accepted that they were selling liquor without paying the excise duty.

"The ED has continuously released press statements stating that distillers were selling liquor without paying the excise duty in the state. Now the question arises that if they were doing so, then will they become offenders or witnesses? Why action was not taken against distillers as they (illegally) got the benefit and have accepted it," he said.

The way things have surfaced in the media trial, action should have been taken against them (distillers) but instead of them, others are being arrested, Baghel said.

"It clearly shows there is a nexus between the ED and distillers or between the BJP and distillers..it seems the BJP is trying to save distillers. The state's Anti-Corruption Bureau will take cognisance of it and act accordingly," he said.

The CM further said his government has been discussing the issue with legal experts as "scheduled" offences like extortion and corruption in the state do not come under the ED's jurisdiction.

"The ED has been acting like local police in the state which is against the spirit of federal structure. Our legal experts have informed us that the investigation into scheduled offences like extortion and corruption does not come under the ED's jurisdiction. We have been discussing with legal experts all illegal actions taken by the ED officials and will soon take action against it," he said.

Baghel calls out BJP's double-standards on 'love jihad' cases

The Enforcement Directorate had in a statement said a "massive scam" happened in liquor trade in Chhattisgarh by a syndicate, comprising high-level state government officials, private persons and political executives, that generated corruption money of more than Rs 2,000 crore.

Two persons, including Congress leader and Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar's brother Anwar Dhebar, have been arrested so far in the alleged liquor scam case.

Another money laundering case that the ED is probing in the state is related to alleged coal levy relates to allegations of "a massive scam in which an illegal levy of Rs 25 was being extorted for every tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen".

The agency has arrested nine persons, including IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi and state bureaucrat Saumya Chaurasia, in the coal levy case.
Cyclone Mocha: Depression Over Bay Of Bengal Intensifies Into Cyclonic Storm

India

oi-Deepika S

The India Meteorological Department on Thursday predicted that the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm Mocha overnight and it is likely to make landfall between Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh and Sittwe in Myanmar. It is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by midnight today.

The cyclone, named Mocha by Yemen pronounced as 'Mokha', is likely to bring heavy rainfall to the Andaman island chain, the IMD said.

"Deep depression intensified into a cyclonic storm Mocha and lay centered about 510 km west-southwest of Port Blair, 1210 km south-southwest of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh at 05.30 hours on 11th May. To intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Thursday night," it added.

"It would reach its peak intensity on the evening of May 13. It is likely to weaken slightly from the morning of May 14, and cross southeast Bangladesh and north Myanmar coasts between Cox's Bazar and Kyaukpyu with a maximum sustained wind speed of 120-130 kmph, gusting to 145 kmph," the IMD said.

Cyclone Mocha: Low-pressure area in Bay turns well-marked, may intensify into severe storm by May 12

Recommended Video

Cyclone Mocha forms over Bay of Bengal; to become a severe cyclonic storm on May 12 | Oneindia News

"There is an alert of a heat wave alert in the state till May 12. Cyclone Mocha is not likely to have much impact in Bengal. The landfall of the cyclone will be between Bangladesh and Myanmar. Fishermen and people have been warned not to venture near the sea," Sanjib Banerjee, Deputy Director General IMD, Kolkata was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

However, the cyclonic storm will not have any impact on Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coasts.

Wind speeds in excess of 110 kmph, accompanied by heavy rains, are likely prior to or during this period, Indian Embassy in Myanmar said in a public advisory.

"All Indian nationals in Myanmar are advised to keep a watch on the weather forecast news and be prepared for any eventuality," the advisory stated.
Delhi Govt Has Control Over All Services, Except Land and Police: SC

India

oi-Deepika S

In a significant judgement the Supreme Court has held that the Delhi government will have control over all the services in the national capital, including the Indian Administrative Service, except those pertaining to land, police and law and order.

In a judgment that is unanimous in nature, a Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India, D Y Chandrachud and Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha held the following:

"The legislative power of NCT Delhi under Entry 41 would extend to IAS and it shall control them even if they are not recruited by the NCT Delhi. However, it would not extend to the services which comes under land, law and order and police."

While explaining the reasons, the court also held, " LG hall exercise powers under the administrative role as entrusted by the President. Executive administration can only extend to matters which fall outside the scope of the legislative assembly...and it cannot mean administration over entire NCT Delhi. Otherwise, the purpose of having a separate elected body in Delhi will be rendered futile. Democratically elected government shall have control over its officers. If a democratically elected government is not allowed to control its officers and hold them to account, then its responsibility towards the legislature and public is diluted. If officers are not responding to the government, the collective responsibility is diluted. If officers feel they are insulated from the elected government, they feel they are not accountable."

Recommended Video

Supreme Court delivers verdict in favour of Delhi government in case against Center | Oneindia News

The judgment also said that while a state or a union territory has the power to make laws on subjects under the Concurrent List, the same will be subject to the existing Central Laws. The court said that at the same time it has to be ensured that the governance of the states is not taken over by the Central government, the Constitutional Bench observed.

The case relates to one from 2018, when a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had interpreted Article 239AA of the Constitution, which contains special provisions with respect to the National Capital Territory (NCT). The powers of the Delhi Government and the LG were debated in these petitions.

The Court had in that judgment ruled that the LG cannot act independently without the aid and advice of the Delhi Legislative Assembly. The LG and their interplay was the primary focus of that debate.
SC Verdict On Shiv Sena Today: The Possible Scenarios And Questions That Would Be Answered

Do Not Dream About It: Ajit Pawar On Whether Eknath Shinde Will Resign as Maha CM

Eknath Shinde Should Resign As Maharashtra CM Like I Did: Uddhav Thackeray

India

oi-Deepika S

In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that it cannot restore the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra as the resignation by Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister was voluntary in nature.

Photo Credit:

Reacting to the SC verdict, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said "my resignation could be a mistake but I am not seeing things like that. I am fighting for the people, for democracy, for the people who follow my father Balasaheb Thackeray."

Recommended Video

Maharashtra Political Crisis: Sanjay Raut calls Shinde government unconstitutional | Oneindia News

"Shinde faction MLAs betrayed my party and the legacy of my father. My resignation as the CM then may have been wrong legally, but I did it on moral grounds. Shinde should also resign like the way I did," said Uddhav Thackeray.

Uddhav's son and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the role and assistance of the erstwhile Maharashtra governor in the hostile take over of the government was evident during the Maharashtra crisis.

"Unconstitutional. Illegal. Immoral. That is the only way to look at mindhe - bjp gaddar sarkar, especially after today's verdict," Aaditya tweeted.

"The role and assistance of the earlier governor in the hostile take over of the government, and suppressing democracy and constitution is evident. He acted as Party man, not as a Governor. If there's any morality and shame left, the unconstitutional cm should resign. Their greed for power is evident, but morality and democracy must be supreme,"he added.

Earlier, the Supreme Court held the Maharashtra governor was not justified in calling upon then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove majority in the Assembly on June 30 last year but refused to order status quo ante, saying he did not face the floor test and resigned.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud held that House speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was illegal.

The court further obeserved that since Thackeray had resigned without facing the floor test, the governor was justified in inviting Shinde to form government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house.
No vacancy for PM's post: Pradhan on Amartya Sen's claim on 'Mamata can become next Prime Minister'

Former JDU Heavyweight RCP Singh Joins BJP, Calls Nitish 'Palti Maar'

India

oi-PTI

Former Janata Dal (United) president R C P Singh joined the BJP on Thursday in the presence of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, once his mentor, of compromising with crime and corruption in his pursuit of "kursi" (chair).

Once a close confidant of Nitish Kumar, Singh had a fallout with him last year as he was seen by his party to be veering closer to the BJP as the differences between the two parties grew leading to the subsequent severance in their ties.

Joining the BJP, he took a swipe at his former mentor, saying Kumar had compromised with his stand against crime and corruption in his love for the chair. He will be left with nothing in Bihar, Singh said and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his work for the poor and overall leadership of the country.

Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Meet Uddhav Thackeray In Mumbai

In his strong remarks against the Bihar chief minister, Singh mocked him as 'palti maar' (someone who keeps taking a U-turn) and said he was and will remain "PM (palti maar)".

Singh said if no work is happening in the country, then how did India become the fifth largest economy in the world.

The former Cabinet minister, who had to resign from the Modi government after the JD(U) did not nominate him to Rajya Sabha for a fresh term last year, took potshots at Kumar for his efforts to forge unity among the opposition ranks.

Kumar was given the mandate of Bihar's development but he has been travelling from one state to another, Singh said.

Pradhan lauded Singh, claiming that he played a key role in strengthening the JD(U) in the state and enjoys credibility among the extremely backward sections of society.

Opposition unity bid: Nitish Kumar meets Naveen Patnaik

A bureaucrat, Singh served under Kumar when he was a Union minister and was brought into politics by the JD(U) leader. He was nominated to Rajya Sabha twice and was for long the most powerful leader in the party after Nitish Kumar before their fallout.

He also comes from the Kurmi caste like Kumar.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, May 11, 2023, 14:58 [IST]
Manipur violence: No untoward incident reported in last two days, Centre tell SC

Fresh tension in Manipur, cop killed as suspected militants open fire, 4 injured

India

oi-PTI

One policeman was killed and four others were injured on Thursday when suspected militants opened fire at them near Tera Khongfangbi in Bishnupur district, about 50 km south of Imphal, officials said. The condition of one of the injured police personnel is critical, they said.

The incident took place a few km away from Torbung, where the recent violence in the state had first erupted.

Police have launched a combing operation to flush out the militants from the area, the officials said.

Meanwhile, two persons were allegedly abducted by suspected militants in Toribung, a police officer said.

"The duo had gone to fetch foodgrains from their ransacked home when they were abducted. A search operation has been launched to trace them," he said. Violent clashes broke out in the northeastern state after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

As people rush to leave violence-hit Manipur, one-way air ticket now costs Rs 20,000

The officials added that curfew has been further relaxed in all the 11 districts where it was clamped, by six hours from the earlier duration of five hours. The curfew timings vary in these districts.

In another development, 100 trucks travelling from Dimapur to Imphal, carrying essential commodities, were stopped by mobs at different places in North Kangpokpi district, they said.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, May 11, 2023, 23:44 [IST]
Meta Explains How Users Can Handle Spam International Calls on WhatsApp

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The messaging platform WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, has become a new tool for duping people. With over two billion active monthly users, WhatsApp has become a popular platform for scams. Recently, users in India have reported receiving missed calls from unknown international numbers.

Media reports suggest that spam calls with international numbers, mostly from African and Southeast Asian countries, along with fake messages from unknown users, have flooded WhatsApp. Several WhatsApp users have taken to Twitter to share their complaints and grievances, posting screenshots of their call records.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the ministry is taking cognizance of the matter and will send a notice to WhatsApp on the issue. ''The IT Ministry will send a notice to WhatsApp on the issue of spam calls from unknown international numbers, stressing that social media platforms are responsible for ensuring the safety and trust of users,'' he said.

In response to these concerns, Meta-owned WhatsApp has issued a statement advising users to block and report these accounts immediately.

Are you getting international calls on WhatsApp? Check the company's important message

In response to the Government of India on International scam calls, a WhatsApp spokesperson said''WhatsApp is a leader among end-to-end encrypted services in protecting user safety. We continue to provide several safety tools within WhatsApp like Block & Report, consistently build user safety education & awareness, as well as, proactively weed out bad-actors from our platform. However, bad actors find different ways to scam users. International scam calls is a new way that bad actors have recently adopted. By giving a missed call, they lead curious users to call or message back only to get scammed.''

''Therefore, we have quickly ramped up our AI & ML systems to bring down such incidents significantly. Our new enforcement will reduce the current calling rate by at least 50% and we expect to be able to control the current incidence effectively. We will continue to work relentlessly towards ensuring a safe experience for our users,'' the spokesperson further said.
Congress-NCP deal done: Likely to contest equal number of seats in Maharashtra

IL&FS Money Laundering Case: ED Summons NCP Leader Jayant Patil

India

oi-PTI

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jayant Patil for questioning on Friday in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in the now bankrupt IL&FS.

Maharashtra minister Uday Samant said it is a merely a coincidence that state NCP president Jayant Patil has been summoned by the ED in connection with a money laundering case ahead of the Supreme Court's verdict on petitions pertaining to the 2022 political crisis in the state.

The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on Thursday on a clutch of cross-petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena pertaining to the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis. Asked about Patil getting summons from the ED ahead of the SC verdict, state Industries Minister Samant told reporters, "It is merely a coincidence." Seven-term legislator Patil has been asked to depose before the ED here on Friday.

The federal agency recently initiated fresh action in this 2019 case after it searched the Mumbai offices of Deloitte Haskins and Sells and BSR and Associates, an Indian affiliate of global accounting firm KPMG, the two former auditors of IL&FS. The Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) filed for bankruptcy in 2018.

We will stand firmly with Uddhav Thackeray till end: NCP leader Jayant Patil

The premises linked to the two auditors in Mumbai have been searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to sources.

A five-judge constitution bench of the SC headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud will deliver its verdict on Thursday on pleas related to the Maharashtra political crisis last year that resulted in the fall of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray following a revolt by Shinde.

The MVA comprises the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Congress. In a blow to the Thackeray bloc, the Election Commission earlier this year declared the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena and allotted it the bow and arrow symbol of the party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, May 11, 2023, 11:01 [IST]
Foreign tourists get hopes up as lawmakers set to discuss easing of visa rules

As the National Assembly prepares to discuss liberalizing tourist visa rules on Friday, many foreigners said they are hoping for "good news" from legislators.

"We and many of our friends who are also pensioners now hope that the National Assembly will pass new visa laws that will make it easier for us to spend the coming winter in Vietnam as long-term tourists," German national Peter Zimmermann told VnExpress International.

"Leaving the country every 30 days is an unnecessary burden for older people."

The government has submitted proposals to the National Assembly to increase the visa period for foreigners from the current 30 days to three months and triple the duration of visa-free stays to 45 days for visitors from certain countries.

Zimmermann, a frequent visitor to Vietnam during winters before Covid, said he is tired of having to make visa runs every month, which also cost him and his wife a lot of money.

"We have waited very long for Vietnam's three-month visa policy."

Australian Ken Rafter, whose family recently visited Vietnam, is also waiting for the verdict.

He hoped Vietnam would offer longer visas and waives visas for Australians.

"It is such a great country to visit, and it won't be long before I again plan another trip to other parts of Vietnam.

"If visas are relaxed, it will be very good."

Indian Pritesh Meta said if he has the option to stay longer than a month or does not need a visa, he would definitely stay longer in Vietnam.

He visited last February and spent most of his time riding a motorbike from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.

But due to the restrictive visa, he did not have much time to travel further north to explore ethnic minority areas.

He plans to return to Vietnam later this year or early next year, and hoped the visa polices are more convenient then.

Vietnam received over 3.6 million foreign visitors in January-April, equivalent to 62% of pre-pandemic numbers and nearly half of this year's eight-million target.

However, the number of foreign tourists Vietnam receives remains far less than its Southeast Asian neighbors like Thailand, which received 8.4 million in the same period.
Kerala Train Fire: NIA Conducts Raids in Delhis Shaheen Bagh

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is carrying out raids in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh in connection with the Kerala fire case.

The raids are taking place after it came to light that the main accused in the case, Sharukh Saifi hails from Shaheen Bagh. A source tells OneIndia that the raids are primary aimed at identifying Saif's associates. The investigations had suggested that the accused may have not acted on his own. He may have been coerced to set the train's compartment on fire. Furthermore, his diary entries revealed that he had many more targets set.

On April 2, Saifi had set ablaze a train's compartment in Kerala in which three persons had died. It was found by the police that the incident was part of a planned conspiracy by a group with possible terror links.

In Kerala train fire case, inter-state links under scanner of NIA

Central Intelligence agencies said that Saifi had purchased four lites of petrol in Palakkadin Kerala, which is just a kilometre away from the railway station. On April 2, just an hour before the attack, Saifi had purchased the petrol and had carried it with him in two bottles, an official in the know of the developments said.

Saifi is said to have left from Delhi on a train to Kerala and then spent nearly 12 hours in Palakkad, during which he arranged for the logistics, a source said.

The NIA later took over the probe. The agency learnt that Saifi may have not acted on his own. He may have got local support too. Footage retrieved by the investigation agencies found that Saifi had taken an auto to reach the petrol pump.

While at first it was said that the incident took place following an altercation between Saifi and another passenger, later on it was found that no such thing happened. This led to the suspicion that the incident was clearly part of a larger conspiracy and was planned.

Kerala train arson: Did a radical Kerala group aid prime accused Saifi

Saifi, a resident of Shaheen Bagh in Delhi was first arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra, following inputs by the Kerala Police and the Intelligence Bureau. He was then taken to Kozhikode for interrogation. Later on, he was charged for murder.

Saifi has been a difficult person to crack as it continues to remain elusive. While admitting to the fact that he did indeed carry out the attack, he remains mum till date on whether he had acted on his own or was told by someone to carry out the attack.
Maharashtra Govt Fully Legal, MVA Conspiracy Defeated: Fadnavis On SC Ruling

India

oi-Deepika S

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said he was satisfied by the Supreme Court's verdict refusing to reinstate the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray in the state.

Addressing a press conference, Fadnavis said that the apex court's judgment held the Shiv Sena-BJP government legal and constitutional and exposed the MVA conspiracy.

"Today, Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) conspiracy has been defeated. Now, no one should doubt that the Maharashtra government is completely legal," Fadnavis was quoted saying by ANI.

Soon after the SC verdict, Uddhav Thackeray said that Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Fadnavis should resign on moral grounds like he did last year.

"Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis should resign on moral grounds like I did," Thackeray told reporters.

Recommended Video

Maharashtra Political Crisis: SC refuses to restore MVA govt, questions Governor | Oneindia News

What A Slap; Eknath Shinde Should Resign: Uddhav Faction Leaders On SC Verdict

Responding to Thackeray's demand for resignation, Fadnavis said he has no right to speak about morality as Sena won the assembly elections in alliance with BJP but then went with Congress.

"It doesn't suit Uddhav Thackeray to talk about morality. I want to ask him if had he forgotten his morals when he went with NCP and Congress for the CM post. He had not resigned on moral grounds but due to fear after those who were with him left him," Fadnavis said.

CM Shinde welcomed the judgment terming it as a victory of truth and said the Speaker will decide on the merit of the disqualification petition submitted by both camps.

"This is the victory of the vision of Babasaheb Thackeray, the thinking of the Shiv Sena and the feelings that the common people had for our government. It is the success of the mandate that the people had given in the elections. And according to Balasaheb Thackeray's thinking, those who tried to harass have been given a perfect response with the order given by the SC today," Shinde was quoted saying by ANI.
NIA Crackdown In Kashmir Continues: Properties Of JeM, Hizbul Terrorists Attached

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a major operation has intensified its crackdown in Kashmir by attaching the properties of three accused persons who are linked with terror-organisations sponsored by Pakistan.

Stepping up its vigil on terror outfits and their affiliates, the NIA conducted raids on the properties of overground workers across various locations.

On Wednesday, the NIA attached the immovable properties of three accused in two different cases. The cases pertained to the Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

In the first case, the NIA attached the immovable properties of Doulat Ali Mugal and Ishaq Pala, in Herman Shopian.

NIA raids continue across several locations in Jammu and Kashmir

While Ishaq Pala, currently lodged in Central Jail Agra, was a terrorist of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) / Al-Badr terrorist organisation, Doulat Ali Mugal was an overground worker of the proscribed Hizbul Mujahideen. He is currently out on bail.

Pala while in Central Jail Srinagar, had conspired with his co-accused, including Riyaz Naikoo and Doulat Ali Mugal, and assisted Danish Ghulam Lone and Suhail Ahmad Bhat to cross the border from Kupwara Sector to join terror ranks and wage a war against the state. Accused Doulat Ali Mugal had provided logistic support to accused Danish Ghulam Lone and Suhail Ahmad Bhat at Kupwara when both were about to cross the Line of Control or LoC, the NIA said.

Recommended Video

Kashmir: NIA attaches properties of terrorists accused in 2017 CRPF camp attack | Oneindia News

The properties attached on orders of NIA Special Court, include land measuring 5.5 Marla and 3.5 Marla under survey Nos.1597 Min and 1598 Min, including one double storey house of accused Doulat Ali Mugal located at Village Manigah Kupwara, and Immoveable property in the form of two rooms under the ownership of accused Ishaq Pala at village Allora, Tehsil Herman, Shopian, the NIA said.

The probe was launched in 2018, following which a module of the Hizbul Mujahideen was busted. The others who were charged included Danish Ghulam Lone, Suhail Ahmad Bhat and Feeroz Ahmad Lone. Another co-conspirator, Reyaz Ahmad Naikoo was killed by the security forces in an encounter.

In the second case, the NIA attached the property of Fayaz Ahmad Magray, who is an associate of the Jaish-e-Mohammad. He is currently lodged in jail. The property seized, included six shops constructed on land measuring 5.5 Marlas under survey No. 2664 Min at Lethpora, Pulwama, belonging to the accused.

Weeks after Poonch attack, NIA raids in J&K

Fayaz was charged in 2018 for conspiring with other accused which led to the suicide attack on the CRPF group centre in Pulwama. He had carried out a recce of the CRPF centre and also provided logistic support to Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, the NIA noted.

During the attack two terrorists Fardeen Ahmad Khandey and Manzoor Ahmad Baba, along with one Pakistani Abdul Shakoor were killed inside the CRPF camp, the NIA also said.
Nitish Kumar, Sharad Pawar Discuss Strengthening Opposition Unity Ahead Of Lok Sabha Polls

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday discussed efforts to strengthen opposition unity ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections, the two leaders said.

Kumar, who visited Pawar at the latter's residence in south Mumbai along with deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, told reporters that what the ruling BJP is doing is not in the interest of the country, as reported by PTI.

Asked if Pawar will be the main face of the opposition alliance, Kumar said, "There will be nothing more delightful than that. I have told him that he has to work with more vigour not only for his party but for the entire country.'' The more opposition parties come together, the better it is in the interest of the country, Kumar said.

Buzz Around Ajit Pawar High Again As SC Set To Deliver Key Maharashtra Verdict

Pawar said, "To save democracy, it is important to work together. After looking at the condition of the country, it seems that if we work together, there will be support for the alternative." The NCP chief said BJP will lose Karnataka assembly elections. "As per my info, people there will oust BJP and elect a secular government," he said.

"Welcomed the Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar ji and deputy Chief Minister Shri Tejashwi Yadav ji at my Mumbai residence today. We had a brief discussion to strengthen the Opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections," Pawar tweeted after meeting Kumar.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, May 11, 2023, 17:48 [IST]
SC Verdict On Shiv Sena Today: The Possible Scenarios And Questions That Would Be Answered

Do Not Dream About It: Ajit Pawar On Whether Eknath Shinde Will Resign as Maha CM

Rebel Shiv Sena Leaders Sending Feelers To Do Ghar Wapasi, Claims NCP Ahead Of SC Ruling

India

oi-Deepika S

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday claimed that some MLAs from chief minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena want to return to the Thackeray faction, ahead of the Supreme Court's verdict on the Maharashtra political crisis.

"Some little birdies were heard saying that some MLAs who betrayed the original Shiv Sena with the desire to become ministers are now getting a feeling that they are in between the frying pan and the fire and many among them are sending feelers to do a 'Ghar Wapasi'," tweeted NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto.

Some little birdies were heard saying that some MLAs who betrayed the original Shiv Sena with the desire to become ministers are now getting a feeling that they are in between the frying pan and the fire and many among them are sending feelers to do a 'Ghar Wapasi'.  Clyde Crasto -   (@Clyde_Crasto) May 11, 2023

"If the 16 MLAs including CM Shinde are disqualified today, then this group of traitors will be finished," said Rajya Sabha PM and Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut.



In what could decide the fate of Maharashtra politics, the Supreme Court is likely to pronounce the verdict on the year-long battle between Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde on Thursday.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud will decide whether Eknath Shinde remains the chief minister or whether his rebellion and the consequent floor test were illegal.

SC Verdict On Shiv Sena Today: The Possible Scenarios And Questions That Would Be Answered

The SC verdict would also focus on the decision taken by then Governor, Bhagath Singh Koshiyari to invite the Shinde faction to form the government along with the BJP after Uddhav Thackeray chose to resign as chief minister of Maharashtra.

If the verdict comes in favour of the Shinde faction, he will continue to remain as chief minister of Maharashtra till the end of his tenure next year. The ruling may also lead to another round of defections from the Thackeray faction.

A verdict in favour of Uddhav faction may result in the fall of the incumbent state government.
SC Verdict On Shiv Sena Today: The Possible Scenarios And Questions That Would Be Answered

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

All eyes are on the Supreme Court as its Constitution Bench would hand out an important ruling that would have a bearing on Maharashtra politics.

A five-judge Bench will deliver its judgment on a batch of petitions pertaining to last year's split in the Shiv Sena between Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. The ruling would also focus on the decision taken by then Governor, Bhagath Singh Koshiyari to invite the Shinde faction to form the government along with the BJP after Uddhav Thackeray chose to resign as chief minister of Maharashtra.

The issues:

There are a host of issues that are up before the Supreme Court. The court is expected to take a decision on the validity of the then Governor's decision to tell Uddhav to take a floor-test. This had led to Thackeray resigning as CM and Shinde taking over as the CM.

The court would also deliver its verdict on the Governor which had gone on to invite Shinde to form the government. The crucial aspect would be how the Governor went on to invite the Shinde faction to form the government despite disqualification proceedings being pending before the then deputy speaker under the anti-defection law.

Even if the Supreme Court rules that the decisions by the Governor were unconstitutional, it would have give a ruling on the validity of the Shinde led government. It would also have to answer the question on what it had called during one of its hearings, a 'legal conundrum' surrounding the fate of Thackeray who had chosen to resign even before taking the floor test.

Recognition:

Another decision that the Supreme Court would have to take is pertaining to the Assembly Speaker's decision to recognise the Shinde-led faction to recognise it as the real Shiv Sena.

The Bench may also decide on whether the Shinde faction violated the anti-defection law by not merging it with any other party on the floor of the House. This would lead to the Bench deciding on the disqualification proceedings initiated by the then deputy speaker against the 16 MLAs from the Shinde faction.

Possible scenarios:

If the verdict is in favour of the Shinde faction, it would have a major impact and make Eknath Shinde a long-term player in national politics. The verdict would also help the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra counter the sympathy factor that has been raised by the Uddhav faction. This would further boost the Shinde faction in the upcoming Mumbai municipal elections.

Political analysts say if the judgment is in favour of the Shinde faction it could also trigger another round of defections from the Uddhav camp. This would also mean that Shinde gets to continue as chief minister.

What if the verdict is against Shinde:

A verdict against Shinde would mean that Uddhav will be asked to prove his majority on the floor of the House. Ideally it would mean that the decision by the Governor would be overturned.

In case the court leaves the decision to the Speaker of the House, it would be seen as a victory to the Shinde faction, at least in terms of a perception battle. It would mean that the state government would survive till the end of its tenure next year.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, May 11, 2023, 9:27 [IST]
The Elections Are Over: What Is At Stake For All Political Parties In Karnataka

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Karnataka has voted and the voter percentage is at around 69 per cent. There is a lot at stake for all the parties- BJP, Congress and JD(S).

For the Congress there is a lot at stake. For the Congress there is plenty at stake as it has suffered loses galore at the hands of the BJP. The BJP on the other hand would be hoping to win the elections. If the party suffers a defeat, it would provide a huge boost for the Congress ahead of the 2024 elections. The Congress would also get a boost in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where elections are due this year.

The BJP would keep a close watch on the fact that the state has not voted a party back to power in the past 30 years. The Congress would be hoping to ride on the anti-incumbency factor. The Congress has managed to retain power on two occasions-2004 and 2013. However in 2004 the Congress managed to hold on to power with the help of the JD(S). The government however remained in power only for two years, before the JD(S) broke away and formed the government with the BJP. After the JD(S) refused to honour its promise of transferring power to the BJP, elections were held in 2008. The BJP rode on a sympathy wave and won the elections.It was however short by 5 seats to form the government, but managed to do so with the help of the independents.

Karnataka elections 2023: Will JDS play kingmaker again?

The 2013 elections were clearly in the favour of the Congress. While the Congress was clearly ahead, the fact that remains is that the BJP was a broken house, with B S Yediyurappa breaking away and forming the KJP.

This time around for the BJP it is important to retain power. It is the only state in South India, where the saffron party is in power. Karnataka has been the gateway to the South for the BJP as it looks to face the elections in Telangana, where it fancies a chance.

For the JD(S) this is an important election. Between 2008 and 2018 it has been out of power. Briefly, post the 2018 elections the JD(S) was in power, but it lost power a year later. Many political analysts are saying that this could be a matter of survival for the JD(S). The analyst also say that if the JD(S) remains out of power in case it does not manage to play kingmaker, then the party would be heading for a decline.
Entire state machinery bows down before one person: 'The Kerala Story' producer slams TN govt

Why no action against them? Kerala HC pulls up govt on Tanur boat accident

BJP does this for 'cheap political gains': Cong on UP making 'The Kerala Story' tax-free

Woman Medico Murder: Docs In Kerala Intensify Stir; CM Calls Emergency Meeting

India

oi-PTI

Amid the doctors' protest in Kerala over their safety following the killing of a young medico by a drug addict she was treating in Kollam district, the Kerala government on Thursday will discuss ways to ensure the safety of medical practitioners in the state.

The emergency meeting scheduled later today, comes in the backdrop of doctors intensifying their agitation against the killing of 23-yeara-old Vandana Das.

The woman doctor was stabbed to death on Wednesday by a man whose leg wound she was dressing at a hospital in Kollam district where he was brought after an alleged fight with his family members.

Majority of doctors have not reported to work for the last 24 hours demanding that the government bring out new legislation for the protection of hospitals with immediate effect.

Pakistan: Hindu doctor shot dead in Karachi

The emergency meet, scheduled to be held at the conferance hall in the Chief Minister's Office here, would discuss various issues including the formation of the new legislation to prevent attacks against doctors on duty, a CMO statement here said.

Besides Health Minister Veena George and Chief Secretary V P Joy, health, law and medical education secretaries, state police chief, ADGPs and respective department heads would also attend the meeting, the statement added.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to convene the high-level meeting after his discussions with the representatives of various doctors' associations at his chamber here in the morning.

After meeting Vijayan, leaders of the associations told reporters outside that the CM heard their grievances and gave assurance to consider their demands empathetically.

"We requested the government to immediately bring out a new legislation for the protection of hospitals. We also wanted hospitals to be declared as special protection zones," Indian Medical Association (IMA), State President Dr Sulphi N said.

He also said the organisation sought the government to name the new legislation after the deceased doctor.

The IMA further said the ongoing agitation would be continued until they received a concrete assurance from the authorities on their demands.

Besides the IMA, the Kerala Government Medical Officers' Association (KGMO) also announced a strike today.

The functioning of hospitals was largely hit across the state due to the agitation by medical students and doctors.

Intensive Care Units ( ICUs) and casualties were exempted from the stir, but the Out Patient (OP) services in the state hospitals were affected.

Hindu doctor murdered in Pakistan, driver Hanif slits his throat after altercation

Earlier in the day, the Kerala High Court termed the killing of a young doctor at a taluk hospital as the outcome of the "systemic failure".

A special bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Kauser Edappagath directed the State Police Chief to come out with a new set of protocols for ensuring security of the doctors and other healthcare professionals in all government hospitals in the state.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people from various walks of life including ministers, MLAs paid their last respects to the deceased doctor, Vandana Das at her residence in Muttuchira in Kottayam, where the mortal remains are kept for public homage.

State Health Minister Veena George and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan was among those who paid respects.

Coming down heavily on the government over the issue, Satheesan alleged that the Left regime had not dealt with the issue of doctors' safety with the seriousness required when the Congress-led UDF opposition raised it in the assembly recently.

The government then gave a reply in the House claiming that there were no such issue in the state hospitals, but later corrected it after various organisations came out against it, he said.

He said it was "strange" that the police officials are justifying the department even after bringing a criminal to a hospital without taking any precaution.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, May 11, 2023, 15:23 [IST]
Imran Khan's Close Aide Shah Mehmood Qureshi Arrested For Inciting Violent Protests

International

oi-PTI

Pakistan's former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a close aide of ousted prime minister Imran Khan, was arrested on Thursday for inciting violent protests and threatening peace, amid the worsening political turmoil in the country that has left at least eight people dead.

A video shared by Qureshi's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Twitter shows plain-clothed men taking him away, with him waving at party workers before departing from the location where he was detained.

The PTI claimed that 66-year-old Qureshi was arrested by the Islamabad police in the early hours of Thursday and transferred to an ''undisclosed location''.

Police said PTI leaders Qureshi, Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Falaknaz Chitrali, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema and Maleeka Bokhari had been arrested so far.

Pakistan descends into chaos as ex-PM Imran Khan is indicted in Toshakhana case

''Arrests had been made for inciting arson and violent protests under a well thought out plan for threatening peace,'' it tweeted on Thursday.

It said all arrests were made after fulfilling the legal requirements and warned that further arrests were also expected. It also asked people to "not spread rumours and incitement amongst the public".

Qureshi's arrest comes two days after paramilitary forces whisked away PTI chief and former premier Khan on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials who barged into a room of the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday.

An anti-corruption court on Wednesday sent the 70-year-old former prime minister on an eight-day physical remand to the anti-corruption watchdog.

Khan's dramatic arrest on Tuesday sparked widespread violent protests across Pakistan, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 300 others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies and prompting the authorities to deploy the army in the country's capital Islamabad, as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces on Wednesday to maintain law and order.

In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said strict action would be taken against ''state's enemies'' as he slammed Khan's PTI for violence that gripped the country after his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.

"The miscreants will be dealt with iron hands. They will be punished according to the law," the prime minister said and urged PTI protesters to immediately stop "anti-state activities".

"They attacked sensitive property as if they were enemies. I have never seen such heartbreaking scenes...We will not allow anyone to conspire. We will not let their nefarious agenda succeed," he said.

It Is A 'Black Chapter Says Pakistan Army As Country Descends Into Chaos

Recommended Video

Pakistan Protest: PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrested, party shares video | Oneindia News

His address came after chairing a Cabinet meeting that decided to deploy the army in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and capital Islamabad.

Reports showed that Lahore and Peshawar faced the worst situation with incidents of arson and firings.

Sharif addressed the nation hours after the Pakistan Army warned former Khan's supporters of ''severe retaliation'' in the wake of attacks on its installations and asserted that it will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands while describing May 9 as a "black chapter'' in the country's history.

Enraged over the arrest of their leader in a corruption case on Tuesday, Khan's supporters on Wednesday stormed the General Headquarters of the Army. They set the residence of the Lahore Corps Commander on fire while attacking military vehicles and installations.

''We will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Army's media wing said in a terse statement on Wednesday.

The ISPR said that on the one hand, these miscreants evoke the nation's emotions for achieving their ''limited and selfish objectives'' and on the other hand, they deceive people, continuing to highlight the army's importance.

"This is an example of hypocrisy," it stated.

The military's media wing said that "this group wearing a political cloak" has done what enemies could not do in 75 years, all "in the lust for power".

May 9 will be remembered as a "black chapter" in history due to the protestors "targeting army property and installations" after the arrest of Khan, it said.

The PTI has already announced to carry on the protests until Khan is set free.

Another top PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry was apprehended by the police on Wednesday while emerging from the Supreme Court building, where he had sought refuge for over 12 hours in an attempt to evade his impending arrest.

Chaudhry arrived at the court early on Wednesday morning, knowing that law enforcement authorities were waiting to detain him. Despite remaining inside the apex court throughout the day, he was eventually taken into custody late in the evening, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

According to a report in the Dawn newspaper, the PTI has issued a rebuttal to the ISPR statement, terming it ''contrary to facts" and "based on a poor understanding of ground realities".

"The statement is a sad collection of hatred and revenge-based narratives against the most reliable, popular and largest political party of Pakistan," it said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for peace in Pakistan.

According to Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Guterres has appealed to all parties to respect the right to peaceful assembly and has stressed the need for law enforcers to honour the law while enforcing it against Khan.

''The Secretary-General urges the authorities to respect due process and the rule of law in proceedings brought against former Prime Minister Khan,'' the spokesman was quoted as saying by the Geo News.

On Wednesday, Khan was produced in the Anti-Accountability Court No. 1 presided by Judge Muhammad Bashir, the same judge who had convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam in a corruption case of having properties in London.

In its verdict, the court handed over Khan for an eight-day remand to the NAB.

During the hearing, the NAB lawyers requested the court to grant a 14-day remand of Khan to probe the allegations against him in the Al-Qadir Trust case in which he is accused of looting Rs 50 billion of the national treasury. But Khan's lawyer opposed the plea and asked the judge to release him as the charges were fabricated.

In his statement, Khan told the accountability court that he was fearful for his life. ''I have not been to the washroom in 24 hours,'' he said.

''I am afraid I will meet the same fate as 'Maqsood Chaprasi','' Khan said, referring to a witness in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's money laundering case who died due to a cardiac arrest last year. Khan's party had termed the witness' death 'mysterious'.

Separately, the District and Sessions Court indicted Khan in the Toshakhana case. Judge Humayun Dilawar conducted the hearing in the makeshift court set up in the New Police Guest House along with ATC No. 1.

Events in Pakistan show public has said 'enough is enough to the army

Khan was present in the court and pleaded not guilty when the charges were read. He also refused to sign the court documents, according to Geo News channel.

The case was filed last year by the Election Commission of Pakistan and Khan had skipped several hearings in the past months. The charges are about the allegation that Khan concealed the proceeds of sale from the state gifts.

Khan was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.

He is the only Pakistani prime minister to be ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, May 11, 2023, 13:33 [IST]
'You Were Not Even Born When I Was Representing My Country': Imran Khan Slams Pak Army

It Is A Black Chapter Says Pakistan Army As Country Descends Into Chaos

International

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The media wing of the Pakistan army, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has termed the events in Pakistan a 'black chapter' in the history of the country, according to a report in The Express Tribune.

In a statement, the ISPR said that the protests that took place following the arrest of former Pakistan prime minister, Imran Khan were particularly targeted at army property and installations.

Photo Credit:

In a strongly-worded statement the ISPR said that none will be allowed to take law into their own hands. It also justified the arrest of Imran Khan while citing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Events in Pakistan show public has said 'enough is enough to the army

It further said that there have been a wave of attacks witnessed on army properties and installations along with anti-army slogans being chanted following the arrest of Khan. The actions were condemned and the ISPR raised concerns about the tactics that were used by certain elements within the protesting groups.

"Soon after [Khan's arrest], there were organised attacks on army properties and installations and anti-army slogans were raised," the statement read.

"This is an example of hypocrisy. It stressed on the importance of maintaining law and order and highlighted the need to respect the institutions of Pakistan," the ISPR said while criticising the protesters and terming their actions as an attempt to manipulate the country's sentiments for their own limited and selfish gains.

Recommended Video

Imran Khan Arrest: Army deployed in Pakistan's Punjab amid law and order crisis | Oneindia News

The statement said that the army has shown extreme tolerance, patience and restraint and has worked with the utmost patience and endurance in the interest of the country.

"As per strategy, a situation was created to use the army's response for nefarious political purposes which was thwarted by the army's vigilant response," the statement read.

OPINION: Pakistan is in a precarious state

"We are well aware that behind this, there were some orders, instructions, and complete planning of some nefarious leaders of the party." The ISPR said that those involved in facilitating, planning and political instigation have been identified and strict action as per the law will be taken against them. The ISPR warned that "strong and decisive action" the statement according to The Express Tribune report read.

There has been widespread violence in Pakistan following the arrest of Imran Khan. Army installations have been attacked and Pakistan has plunged into a crisis that it has never seen before.
Each year on May 11, the United States observes Vietnam Human Rights Day - a day to remember the importance of advancing fundamental freedoms including freedom of expression, assembly, association, and religion.

Vietnam remains an authoritarian state ruled by a single party, the Communist Party of Vietnam. National Assembly elections in May 2021 were neither free nor fair, even as there was limited competition among Communist Party-vetted candidates.

Although Vietnams constitution and law prohibit torture, detainees commonly reported mistreatment and torture by police, according to the State Departments most recent Human Rights report. In 2022, human rights monitoring groups issued multiple reports of police using excessive force while on duty and investigators allegedly torturing detainees.

Arbitrary arrest and detention, particularly for political activists and individuals protesting land seizures or other matters deemed politically sensitive, remained a serious problem, according to the Human Rights report.

Rights groups report that Vietnam currently holds more than 160 people in prison for peacefully exercising their civil and political rights. During the first nine months of 2022, according to media and reports from human rights groups, authorities detained 19 and convicted 26 persons who were exercising internationally recognized human rights, such as the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. Most of these arrests and convictions were linked to online blogging, and defendants were charged with making, storing, spreading, or propagating information, materials, or items for the purpose of opposing the state and abusing democratic freedom.

NGOs said authorities at times subjected political detainees to examination and treatment of mental illness.

The Vietnamese constitution and law provide for freedom of expression; however, the government does not respect these rights. Independent journalists continue to face restrictions on freedom of movement, other forms of harassment, and physical attacks if they report on sensitive topics. Authorities block access to websites, often shut down blogs, and mandate internet service providers to remove content deemed politically unacceptable.

The Vietnamese government continues to exercise significant government control over religious practices, according to the latest International Religious Freedom Report. Vague legal provisions permit restrictions on religious freedom in the stated interest of national security and social unity.

The United States calls on Vietnam to release all prisoners of conscience immediately, and to allow all individuals in Vietnam to express their views and faith freely and assemble peacefully without fear of retribution.
Pakistan SC Calls Imran Khan's Arrest as Illegal, Orders His Immediate Release

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

In a major relief for embattled Imran Khan, Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday declared the former prime minister's arrest illegal and ordered his immediate release after he was produced before a bench on its orders.

The order to produce 70-year-old Khan was issued by a three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah.

The bench, which heard Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman's plea against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case, expressed anger at the way Khan was taken into custody from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.

The bench had directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to produce Khan by 4:30 pm (local time) when the court would reconvene.

Khan was produced before the court amid tight security. As he entered the courtroom, it was closed, and subsequently, the bench resumed the hearing of the case.

''It is good to see you,'' Chief Justice Bandial told Khan. ''We believe that Imran Khan's arrest was illegal,'' the top judge said.

Khan was arrested on Tuesday from the Islamabad High Court and an accountability court on Wednesday handed him over to the National Accountability Bureau for eight days in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Following the arrest of Khan in a corruption case by the Pakistan Rangers in Islamabad on Tuesday, his supporters attacked senior officers' residences and the Pakistan Army's installations in different parts of the country.

Recommended Video

Pakistan Protest: PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrested, party shares video | Oneindia News

Imran Khan's Close Aide Shah Mehmood Qureshi Arrested For Inciting Violent Protests

An anti-corruption court on Wednesday sent 70-year-old Khan on an eight-day physical remand to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). His dramatic arrest on sparked widespread violent protests across Pakistan, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 300 others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies, as reported by news agency PTI.

The PTI supporters have held the army responsible for Khan's arrest.

Separately, the Punjab police registered dozens of FIRs against the PTI leadership and workers for injuring police officials, damaging and looting public property and raising "highly objectionable" slogans against the Pakistan Army.

On Wednesday, protestors set ablaze Askari Tower in the Gulberg area. The plaza is reportedly owned by the son of former army chief Gen (retd.) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Police named 1,200 PTI workers for killing a man while setting on fire and ransacking the tower. They also booked Khan in this case, saying he was behind the attack.

The protesters also set ablaze Shadman police station in Lahore. Their attempt to enter the Governor House and the Chief Minister Secretariat in Lahore was foiled by the police and Rangers.

Pakistan descends into chaos as ex-PM Imran Khan is indicted in Toshakhana case

Meanwhile, the police have claimed that they have arrested Khan's 76 supporters who attacked the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

An FIR has also been registered against 300 miscreants including PTI's main regional leader Bashart Raja.

According to the Punjab police, over 1,400 people have been arrested across the province in the wake of widespread violence.
Pak Army Not To Impose Martial Law, Says It 'Believes In Democracy'

Was Abducted, Beaten With Sticks: Imran Khan's First Message Post Pakistan SC's Verdict

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

After Pakistan Supreme Court termed the arrest of PTI chief as illegal, Imran Khan made some sensational claims on Thursday. He said he was brutally beaten up by the Rangers. 'I was abducted from court and beaten with lathis,' local media reported quoting Khan.

Khan also appealed to his supporters to remain peaceful after the SC passed the order. ''We don't want violence but elections in the country. I was told by my lawyers a day earlier that there is anarchy in the country but we don't want anarchy in the country,'' Khan said.

In a major relief for Imran Khan, Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday declared the former prime minister's arrest 'illegal' and ordered his immediate release after he was produced before a bench on its orders.

The order to produce 70-year-old Khan was issued by a three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah.

Pakistan SC Calls Imran Khan's Arrest as Illegal, Orders Immediate Release Of PTI Chief

Khan was arrested on Tuesday from the Islamabad High Court and an accountability court on Wednesday handed him over to the National Accountability Bureau for eight days in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The former premier on Wednesday approached the apex court to set aside the warrants of NAB of May 1 for his arrest and to challenge the Islamabad High Court's decision to declare the arrest "unlawful".

Earlier, the IHC expressing anger at the way Khan was nabbed upheld his arrest hours after he was whisked away.
Justin Portal Welby is a British bishop who has served as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury since 2013. Welby was previously the vicar of Southam, Warwickshire, and later Bishop of Durham, serving for just over a year. Ex officio, he is the Primate of All England and the symbolic head primus inter pares of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Natalee Ann Holloway was an 18-year-old American woman whose mysterious disappearance made international news after she vanished on May 30, 2005, near the end of a high school graduation trip to Aruba in the Caribbean. Holloway lived in Mountain Brook, Alabama, and graduated from Mountain Brook High School on May 24, 2005, days before the trip. Her disappearance resulted in a media sensation in the United States. Her remains have not been found.
Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair says Canadian Forces personnel are being deployed to help with an unprecedented wildfire situation in Alberta.
German authorities say a man opened fire at a Mercedes-Benz factory in southwestern Germany leaving two people dead. The shooting occurred at a factory Sindelfingen, a city near Stuttgart. Police received the first emergency calls around 7:45 a.m. on Thursday morning. Police said the suspect was taken into custody and there is no further danger to employees at the plant. Information about the suspects motive was not immediately available.
Ukrainians will have the best chance to defend themselves after the UKs donation of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, the defence secretary has said. Ben Wallace confirmed that he and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had agreed to authorise the donation after continued Russian attacks on Ukraine. He told the House of Commons: Today I can confirm [...]
Newsy 11 May 2023

ViewPerus government will allow the extradition to the United States of the prime suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of..
The European Conference of Rabbis (CER) has announced plans to move its headquarters from London to Munich. This is seen as confirmation that Jewish life in Germany is taking on a new dimension.
A conman who scammed 130,000 by selling bogus funeral plans and pretended to be a nurse during the COVID pandemic has been banned from working in Scotland's care industry.
Entergy Texas has reached a settlement agreement with the Public Utility Commission staff and the intervening parties in its base rate case filed in July 2022. This agreement, pending approval by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), will allow Entergy Texas to recover in rates approximately $2.3 billion in improvements already made to modernize its infrastructure and improve service reliability to customers.

Recent infrastructure improvements include the construction of the state-of-the-art Montgomery County Power Station, which came online early and supplied much needed megawatts during Winter Storm Uri, and the purchase of Hardin County Peaking Facility. These facilities increase reliability and fuel savings for customers and ensure the company has the generation necessary to meet customer needs.

"Entergy Texas is continuously investing in customer-driven solutions to build a more reliable and resilient energy future for Southeast Texas communities," said Eliecer Viamontes, president and CEO of Entergy Texas. "We are committed to balancing customer affordability with critical investments to help reduce outages and continue to strengthen the power grid."

In addition to the investments made to date, Entergy Texas plans to invest over $2.5 billion by the end of 2024 to replace aging generation and increase reliability and capacity for Southeast Texas. The utility recently received PUCT approval of the Orange County Advanced Power Station, a 1,215-MW combined cycle power facility capable of powering more than 230,000 homes. The addition of this facility will provide a new source of reliable and affordable energy for customers for many years to come.

Entergy Texas' ongoing investments will help improve service reliability, mitigate future severe storm damage and restoration costs, and provide a stronger foundation for growth in Southeast Texas. The terms included in the 2022 base rate case settlement agreement will help ensure Entergy Texas remains financially healthy and able to make the significant capital investments required to provide affordable, reliable and sustainable power. The PUCT is expected to make a final ruling on the settlement agreement in the coming months.

Learn more about Entergy Texas' base rate case at entergy.com/brightfuturetx.

About Entergy Texas

Entergy Texas, Inc. provides electricity to approximately 499,000 customers in 27 counties. Entergy Texas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through its operating companies across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy is creating a cleaner, more resilient energy future for everyone with our diverse power generation portfolio, including increasingly carbon-free energy sources. With roots in the Gulf South region for more than a century, Entergy is a recognized leader in corporate citizenship, delivering more than $100 million in economic benefits to local communities through philanthropy and advocacy efforts annually over the last several years. Our approximately 12,000 employees are dedicated to powering life today and for future generations. For the latest news from Entergy, visit the Newsroom.
A man in South Carolina has claimed police shot at him nearly 50 times when he was having a mental health crisis in a parked truck while talking to his mother.
 2008-2023 One News Page Ltd.

All rights reserved.

One News is a registered trademark

of One News Page Ltd.
Pakistan's government called in the army to help end deadly unrest in the wake of the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan. Violence has spread across Pakistani cities since his arrest on Tuesday.
Speaking at a town hall in New Hampshire, former US President Donald Trump downplayed the violence that occurred at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and called it "a beautiful day."
One person has died and another has been severely injured after a shooting at a Mercedes Benz plant in Germany, police have said.
Despite rocket fire and power outages, the music scene in Kyiv is active. Ukrainian bands are playing across Europe, too, to raise funds for Ukraine.
Ten firefighters and two police officers have been injured in an explosion at an apartment building in the western German town of Ratingen, police have said.
Pakistan's supreme court has said the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan was illegal and ordered his release from custody, according to broadcasters in the country.
Pakistan's top court has ordered the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from custody. Khan's lawyers had challenged the legality of his arrest, which sparked nationwide protests, earlier this week.
GreenFire Energy, Vallourec and Baker Hughes are glad to announce that the advanced closed-loop geothermal testing, the first initiative of their Wells2Watts consortium, is on track for the demonstration and testing phase.



Our insulated solutions are an important part of GreenFire Energy's closed-loop systems to be demonstrated and Vallourec's THERMOCASE VIT has been delivered to the Baker Hughes Energy Innovation Center in Oklahoma City.



The Wells2Watts consortium is a group of large oil and gas companies led by Baker Hughes that aims to demonstrate the transformation of non-productive oil and gas wells into geothermal wells capable of generating renewable electrical power. GreenFire Energy is providing its Advanced Geothermal System (AGS), called GreenFire's GreenLoop (GreenLoop) to be demonstrated in the first-ever closed-loop geothermal test facility in the world.



The advanced closed-loop geothermal testing will bring a new level of science and comprehensive testing to GreenFire's GreenLoop. GreenLoop includes a Downbore Heat Exchanger (DBHX) which circulates a working fluid through a sealed tube to absorb heat and return the heat to the surface. Insulated tubulars are an essential part of the DBHX. Vallourec is providing its Vacuum Insulated Tubing (VIT) solution for GreenFire Energy's demonstration but also offers a range of other insulated tubulars for geothermal.



"The delivery of Vallourec's tubular solutions to our testing facility marks a significant milestone for the Wells2Watts consortium's advanced closed-loop geothermal testing initiative," said Robert Klenner, Advanced Geothermal Leader, Baker Hughes and Executive Director of the Wells2Watts consortium. "With the comprehensive testing and technology that GreenFire Energy's GreenLoop and Vallourec's Vacuum Insulated Tubing solutions bring to the project, we are confident that we can successfully demonstrate the transformation of non-productive oil and gas wells into reliable and sustainable geothermal wells capable of generating renewable electrical power."



"The opportunity to demonstrate and test GreenFire's GreenLoop technology with our strategic partners Baker Hughes, Vallourec, and Helmerich & Payne plus other oil and gas companies that are members of the Wells2Watts consortium, opens a massive market for our technology worldwide," said Joseph Scherer, chief executive officer, GreenFire Energy Inc.



"Vallourec's participation in Wells2Watts in both engineering and state of the art technology like THERMOCASE VIT demonstrates our commitment to advancing AGS. We are confident that this consortium, and the results we will produce, will validate GreenFire's GreenLoop viability for retrofitted wells," said Joe Hill Jr., North America Director, Vallourec New Energies.



Baker Hughes is an energy technology company that provides solutions to energy and industrial customers worldwide. Built on a century of experience and conducting business in over 120 countries, our innovative technologies and services are taking energy forward - making it safer, cleaner, and more efficient for people and the planet. Visit us at bakerhughes.com.



GreenFire Energy is committed to accelerating the generation of clean, continuous, reliable geothermal energy. The firm's approach includes GreenFire's GreenLoop closed-loop technology, a versatile Advanced Geothermal System (AGS); rich global geothermal expertise, both in-house and with industry-recognized partners; and collaboration with the world's largest geothermal operating companies to deliver geothermal energy rapidly and economically. GreenFire Energy is based in the San Francisco, California area. Visit us at www.greenfireenergy.com.
German police officers and firefighters were among those injured after an explosion at an apartment tower in Ratingen. Authorities recovered one body from the flat and a suspect has been arrested.
The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons to Russia via a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town for three days in December.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is warning that the results of his plan to deal with the surge of migrants coming with the end of Title 42 will not be seen immediately.
US Republican congressman George Santos described the case against him a "witch hunt" as he pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud,..

Sky News 10 May 2023
Newsy 12 May 2023

ViewImmigration issues are not just happening along the border. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams took a dramatic move ahead of..
Wales Online 13 May 2023

He was speaking after Adam Price quit as leader following a damning review exposed a culture of harassment, bullying and misogyny..
In 1935, the Congress of American Writers was held in New York City, followed by another two years later. They called on the..

Eurasia Review 08 May 2023
Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Wednesday, while Israel pressed ahead with a series of airstrikes that have killed 21 Palestinians, including three senior militants and at least 10 civilians. (May 11)


The speaker canceled a Capitol Hill gathering by a Palestinian group to commemorate what it calls the nakba, or disaster, of Palestinian displacement when the state of Israel was created.
Highlights TVA's Board recognizes the agency's 90th anniversary and invites the public to sign up for their chance to tour a historic dam.

TVA is addressing the region's record-growing demand, which is six times the national average. TVA continues to aggressively invest in current generation while also building new energy sources.

TVA is moving forward with detailed reviews of approximately 6,000 megawatts of solar energy and energy storage, which would more than double TVA's solar capacity.

TVA's releases its sustainability report, which highlights the agency's commitment to providing affordable and reliable energy, a healthy environment and a prosperous economy - now and for future generations.

The Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors on Wednesday recognized the agency's 90th anniversary milestone and outlined the agency's plan to double its solar energy capacity while supporting the Tennessee Valley region's record-growing demand.

"TVA's mission of service is just as important today as it was 90 years ago," said TVA President and CEO Jeff Lyash. "We were created as an innovation company, and we will use that same innovative spirit and mission of service as we address today's challenges. Our region is experiencing growth at six times the national average, which means we must invest in our current power system and build new generation so we can continue meeting our region's demand.

"As our economy continues to grow and electrify, we are becoming more dependent on electricity in our daily lives. That energy must be affordable, reliable, resilient, and clean. We are standing at an intersection, and we want to ensure we continue to provide our region with the energy security that it expects and deserves - now and for generations to come."

To meet the challenge, TVA has invested $18 billion in capacity expansion and base capital since 2014. Currently, TVA is building about 3,800 megawatts of new generation, including combustion turbines, solar projects, combined-cycle natural gas, and energy storage. Through 2027, TVA will invest $2.8 billion in transmission upgrades - including a new state-of-the-art Primary System Operations Center - to prepare for growth and increased energy capacity.

"There is no one answer to achieving our region's and nation's clean energy goals," said Lyash. "We are committed to developing potential pathways to a clean energy future. We must rapidly expand our clean energy resources such as solar, new nuclear, and pumped storage - and we are moving aggressively, including potentially doubling our solar energy capacity."

Last June, in an effort to explore all options, TVA issued the nation's largest-ever request for clean energy - 5,000 megawatts. From this effort, TVA expects to begin awarding bids for up to 6,000 megawatts of solar energy and energy storage within the next 60 days. This could double the amount of solar energy on TVA's system. The approximately 40 projects represented could start coming online as early as 2026. TVA's goal is to add 10,000 megawatts of solar by 2035.

TVA's carbon reduction leadership extends beyond renewable energy. In March, TVA announced a partnership with Ontario Power Generation (Canada), Synthos (Poland) and GE Hitachi to develop new nuclear technologies in the form of Small Modular Reactors (SMR). Lyash believes working together - with government and industry - to develop SMR technology will help the nation meet its carbon reduction and energy security goals.

Sustainability Matters

The board also recognized the release of TVA's fourth Sustainability Report, which highlights that in the first six months of FY23, nearly 60% of the energy TVA produced was carbon-free coming from nuclear, hydroelectric and solar energy. "TVA remains committed to building a better tomorrow for the people it serves today," said Rebecca Tolene, TVA chief sustainability officer. "For TVA, sustainability means looking beyond ourselves and leading carbon reductions across the broader economy to ensure we provide affordable and reliable energy, a healthy environment and a prosperous economy. We've made great progress, but there is more to do as we accelerate and expand carbon-free technologies without impacting power affordability, reliability or resiliency."

Tolene reviewed some of TVA' sustainability successes during the meeting which include:

Announced partnership with the Baker Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee to study ways all segments of the economy can reduce emissions and move the region toward a clean, secure energy future

Helped attract more than $10 billion in projected capital investments - with 26,512 jobs expected to be created and 40,027 jobs retained

Sponsored 449 total environmental outreach and stewardship projects across the region

Completed 120 biodiversity projects and initiatives

Prevented an estimated $3 million in flood damage along the Tennessee River

Donated more than $9 million in community contributions and disaster relief

Advanced its Environmental Justice Program to help address disproportionate health, environmental, economic and climate impacts on disadvantaged communities

In other business, the TVA Board:

Approved the BVU Authority Power Contract Amendment

Approved the Proposed Endorsement and Delegation Amendment

TVA places a high priority on transparency. Learn more about TVA's diversity and inclusion efforts, sustainability, strategic planning, financial health, and new nuclear program at tva.com/about-tva/reports.

About TVA's 90th Anniversary

On May 18, 1933, President Roosevelt signed the TVA Act creating the agency - initially tasked with navigation, flood control and economic development.

Today, TVA does more than provide electricity to over 10 million people across seven states. TVA has adapted over time to make the region an economic powerhouse while protecting our natural resources. TVA operates one of the cleanest and lowest-cost power grids in the nation, manages 293,000 acres of public lands and is a driving force behind many of the multi-billion-dollar economic development projects.

To celebrate the 90th anniversary and successes, TVA employees will participate in a Day of Service on May 18. Thousands of employees will volunteer in their communities. TVA's goal is to impact all 210 counties in its service territory. The Board also invites the public to sign up for their chance to tour one of TVA's historic dams. Visit www.tva.com/90 to sign up for a dam tour and see a list of TVA community events.
The Pakistani military has been called out in areas roiled by deadly violence following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan. (May 11)


A man opened fire at a Mercedes-Benz factory in southwestern Germany on Thursday, leaving two people dead, authorities and the company said. (May 11)


After quelling a series of last-minute rebellions in their own ranks, G.O.P. leaders used the debate on the measure to attack President Bidens border policies.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Before allies of Gov. Ron DeSantis took over, Disney World's governing district, which at the time was controlled by Disney supporters, reached an agreement in February with the company to prohibit a long list of businesses from ever being operated on its property. Forbidden



#orlando #fla #rondesantis #disneyworld #disney #forbidden #florida #desantis #floridalegislature #glentongilzean
By Dr. Sandip Kumar Mishra*



South Korea, Japan, and the US appear to be strengthening their trilateral ties, and the main catalyst of this possibility is South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who initiated a diplomatic move in this direction by visiting Japan on 16 March 2023. This was the first bilateral summit between a...
Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed a fourth militant commander on Thursday, raising the death toll from the latest burst of fighting to 25. Israel braced for more rocket fire amid reports of faltering Egyptian attempts to broker a cease-fire. It has been the worst bout of fighting between



#israeli #gazastrip #israel #egyptian #palestinian #gaza #westbank #islamicjihad #alighali #rearadmdanielhagari
Sky News 11 May 2023

The US ambassador to South Africa has accused the country of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine via..
The US ambassador to South Africa has accused the country of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine via a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near Cape Town for three days in December.
Kolkata: The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm- Mocha- overnight and it is likely to make landfall between Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh and Sittwe in Myanmar, officials said on Thursday morning.

The cyclone, named Mocha by Yemen- pronounced as 'Mokha', is likely to bring heavy rainfall to the Andaman island chain, they said.

At 8:30 am, the cyclonic storm was about 510 km southwest of Port Blair, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The storm is likely to turn into a severe cyclonic storm by tonight, it said. "It would reach its peak intensity on the evening of May 13," the IMD said.

It is likely to weaken slightly from the morning of May 14, and cross southeast Bangladesh and north Myanmar coasts between Cox's Bazar and Kyaukpyu with a maximum sustained wind speed of 120-130 kmph, gusting to 145 kmph, the IMD said.
"As threats and climate risks to America's energy infrastructure continue to evolve, DOE is laser-focused on ensuring our power grid is strong and reliable as it incorporates a historic level of renewable resources," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. "Thanks to President Biden's Investing in America agenda, today's announcement will help build a resilient grid that the American people can trust to deliver reliable, affordable, clean electricity to their homes and businesses."

The Solar and Wind Grid Services and Reliability Demonstration program will fund eight projects at 15 sites in 13 states and Puerto Rico. Research teams consisting of utilities, laboratories, universities, and industry will test how wind and solar plants can more reliably transmit clean energy and protect against disruptions to the network of high-voltage power lines that carry electricity from centralized generation sources, known as the bulk power system. The projects will also monitor and test controls that allow the grid to restore power quickly and efficiently after blackouts so that it can continue to supply energy to communities nationwide.

DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that wind and solar energy could provide as much as 80% of generation on a grid run on 100% clean electricity. By helping build a modern, clean electric grid, these projects support the President's vision of an equitable clean energy future and are critical to achieving the Administration's ambitious goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The selected projects are:

Consolidated Edison (New York, NY): This project will demonstrate transmission protection strategies in New York and Virginia that will result in fewer outages as the grid moves to inverter-based generation. The success of this project will demonstrate to the transmission system protection, operation, and planning industries that the grid can operate safely and reliably with any mix of energy sources including up to 100% inverter-based resource generation. (Award Amount: $3 million)



This project will demonstrate transmission protection strategies in New York and Virginia that will result in fewer outages as the grid moves to inverter-based generation. The success of this project will demonstrate to the transmission system protection, operation, and planning industries that the grid can operate safely and reliably with any mix of energy sources including up to 100% inverter-based resource generation. (Award Amount: $3 million) Electric Power Research Institute (Knoxville, TN): This project will work with multiple balancing authorities and utilities to perform demonstrations of grid services at sites across Michigan, Nebraska, Texas, New Mexico, and California. The team aims to demonstrate the capability of these technologies to provide a collection of grid services reliably and over a period longer than what has been demonstrated in the past. (Award Amount: $3.4 million)

This project will work with multiple balancing authorities and utilities to perform demonstrations of grid services at sites across Michigan, Nebraska, Texas, New Mexico, and California. The team aims to demonstrate the capability of these technologies to provide a collection of grid services reliably and over a period longer than what has been demonstrated in the past. (Award Amount: $3.4 million) General Electric Renewable Energy (Schenectady, NY): This project will demonstrate grid-forming inverters at the Great Pathfinder wind plant in Iowa. This demonstration will encourage confidence in grid operators to consider wind power plants as a more flexible stand-alone resource that can provide grid services over extended periods of time. (Award Amount: $3.5 million)



This project will demonstrate grid-forming inverters at the Great Pathfinder wind plant in Iowa. This demonstration will encourage confidence in grid operators to consider wind power plants as a more flexible stand-alone resource that can provide grid services over extended periods of time. (Award Amount: $3.5 million) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Golden, CO): This project aims to further the understanding of the transmission grid's behavior in response to faults in scenarios with high levels of inverter-based resource (IBRs). The team will demonstrate strategies to protect the grid in Hawaii from rapid changes in generation, and develop new fault detection methods that will result in more reliable transmission. (Award Amount: $2 million)



This project aims to further the understanding of the transmission grid's behavior in response to faults in scenarios with high levels of inverter-based resource (IBRs). The team will demonstrate strategies to protect the grid in Hawaii from rapid changes in generation, and develop new fault detection methods that will result in more reliable transmission. (Award Amount: $2 million) Pacific Gas and Electric Company (Oakland, CA): This project will develop an automated analysis tool for utility engineers to address rapid changes in the electric grid, such as increased solar generation. If successful, the tool can be incorporated in commercial platforms used by transmission utilities and system operators nationwide. (Award Amount: $2.5 million)



This project will develop an automated analysis tool for utility engineers to address rapid changes in the electric grid, such as increased solar generation. If successful, the tool can be incorporated in commercial platforms used by transmission utilities and system operators nationwide. (Award Amount: $2.5 million) Portland General Electric Company (Portland, OR): This project will demonstrate grid-forming inverters at the Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility in Oregon, North America's first energy center to combine wind, solar, and energy storage systems in one location. If successful, this will be the first bulk power system-connected grid-forming hybrid power plant in the United States and will encourage utilities to consider including grid-forming capabilities in their own interconnection requirements. (Award Amount: $4.5 million)



This project will demonstrate grid-forming inverters at the Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility in Oregon, North America's first energy center to combine wind, solar, and energy storage systems in one location. If successful, this will be the first bulk power system-connected grid-forming hybrid power plant in the United States and will encourage utilities to consider including grid-forming capabilities in their own interconnection requirements. (Award Amount: $4.5 million) University of Illinois at Chicago (Chicago, IL): This project uses an innovative modeling, protection, and control framework to ensure reliable operation of a bulk power system with 100% of its generation coming from IBRs, which have much different fault characteristics than traditional synchronous generators. This project will demonstrate protection strategies in Illinois and Puerto Rico that will result in fewer outages. (Award Amount: $3 million)



This project uses an innovative modeling, protection, and control framework to ensure reliable operation of a bulk power system with 100% of its generation coming from IBRs, which have much different fault characteristics than traditional synchronous generators. This project will demonstrate protection strategies in Illinois and Puerto Rico that will result in fewer outages. (Award Amount: $3 million) Veritone, Inc. (Denver, CO): This project aims to boost confidence in renewable power using Veritone's artificial intelligence-powered distributed energy resource management system (iDERMS) technology. The AI-powered platform will be used to forecast, optimize, and control IBRs on New Mexico's power grid in real-time. (Award Amount: $3.9 million)

DOE has long invested in research in grid services and forward-looking technologies like grid-forming inverters and generators; those new capabilities need to be demonstrated at a broader scale to increase their adoption and build trust as grid operators face growing challenges to ensure reliable electric supply as the power grid incorporates cleaner energy resources. Learn more about the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office and Wind Energy Technologies Office.

This announcement is part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda, which is growing the American economy from the bottom up and middle-out - from rebuilding our nation's infrastructure, to driving over $435 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating good paying jobs and building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.

Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicants will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time.
Syria has been reinstated as a member of the Arab League, which will meet on May 19 in Riyadh. After a 12-year absence, Syria is in the midst of an Arab-led political path to normalization in the region. The regional powerhouse, Saudi Arabia, and the vision of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have taken center stage in diplomatic resolutions to persistent crises.

Foreign ministers from Arab League member states voted in Cairo on Sunday to return Syria to the brotherly diplomatic league.

Damascus has been the site of normalization efforts recently. Jordan has put forth an initiative to reach a peaceful political settlement to the conflict in Syria. Western-backed uprisings and conflicts have plagued the Middle East and continue. However, there are winds of change blowing across the desert sands, and the regional actors are rejecting the status quo.

The US-NATO attack on Syria for regime change involved Arab and Western nations as participants, but the plan failed. The armed conflict planned and executed by President Obama and Vice President Biden killed thousands and displaced millions.

Following the February 6 earthquake in Syria and Turkey, restoration ties with Damascus began with a huge Arab humanitarian response, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which set up an air bridge for much-needed help for victims of the quake.

The Chinese-brokered re-establishment of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran was a political earthquake in the region and gave the indication that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was looking to establish peace and prosperity in the region, and was veering away from Western interference that has been the source of unrest.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud visited Damascus on April 18 for the first time in more than a decade, with the two countries also restoring embassies and flights between them.

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad visited the Kingdom just days before Prince Faisal visited Damascus, on the first such trip since 2011.

Foreign Embassies in Damascus

Damascus hosts 44 embassies, and in addition, there are 51 consulates. Many had closed during the conflict as Western nations and their Arab allies aligned themselves against Syria in their failed effort to remove the secular government, and instead place a Muslim Brotherhood member as the US ally in Damascus.

Some European countries never closed their embassy doors in Damascus, such as Austria, Czech Republic, Greece, Holy See, Romania, Serbia, and Sweden.

Several Arab embassies also are open in Damascus, such as UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Yemen, and Oman. Saudi Arabia and Tunisia have said they will open their embassies soon in Damascus.

Experts expect more embassies will dust off their desks and reopen as Damascus springs back to life after more than a decade of isolation.

Syria and Saudi Arabia support the Palestinian cause

Restoring the rights and land to the Palestinian people has long been a pillar of the Syrian position. Saudi Arabia also has stressed the rights of the Palestinians and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited on April 18 and met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss recent developments in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Saudi Arabia denounced the Israeli storming of the al-Aqsa mosque compound on April 5, and rejected actions "that undermine peace efforts and contradict international principles in respect of religious sanctities."

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
The importance of a good nights sleep has been featured now and again here on Open Culture. But were a medieval European to visit our time, hed probably ask  among other questions  if we didnt mean a good nights sleeps, plural. The evidence suggests that the people of the Middle Ages slept not straight through the night but in two distinct stretches. This practice has come back to light in recent years thanks to the research of historian Roger Ekirch, author of At Days Close: Night in Times Past. Both phases of sleep lasted roughly the same length of time, he writes in that book, with individuals waking sometime after midnight before returning to rest.

But not everyone, of course, slept according to the same timetable. The later at night that persons went to bed, the later they stirred after their initial sleep; or, if they retired past midnight, they might not awaken at all until dawn. Thus, in The Squires Tale in The Canterbury Tales, Canacee slept soon after evening fell and subsequently awakened in the early morning following her first sleep; in turn, her companions, staying up much later, lay asleep till it was fully prime (daylight). Proof widespread biphasic sleep exists not just in Chaucer, but  for those who know where to look  all over the surviving documents from medieval Europe.

In France, the initial sleep was the premier somme, writes BBC.coms Zaria Gorvett. In Italy, it was primo sonno. In fact, Eckirch found evidence of the habit in locations as distant as Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Australia, South America and the Middle East; the earliest reference he turned up comes from Homers Odyssey. Whatever their era of history, biphasic sleepers seem to have made good use of their intervals of wakefulness, known in English as the watch. During it, peasants worked, Christians prayed, and thieves thieved, but most of all, the watch was useful for socializing  and for sex. After a long days work, the first sleep took the edge off their exhaustion and the period afterwards was thought to be an excellent time to conceive copious numbers of children.
Tomars Doner, a Local Turkish Restaurant, Supports Art and Culture in Mississauga MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO - Tomars Doner, a popular Turkish Style Halal Shawarma restaurant located at 94b Lakeshore Rd East in Mississauga, Ontario, is proud to announce its commitment to support, endorse, and sponsor art and cultural activities in the community. Since opening its doors in March 2023, Tomars Doner has been very visible in many Port Credit activities, showcasing its delicious 
North Palm Beach, Florida, 11th May 2023 - FreshTrends, a leading jewelry brand renowned for its commitment to exceptional craftsmanship and innovative designs, is thrilled to introduce its latest collection of Diamond Body Jewelry. This captivating collection is poised to make waves in the fashion industry, offering a unique fusion of luxury, elegance, and self-expression. FreshTrends has strategically crafted its Diamond Body Jewelry collection to not only enhance personal style but 
Chisinau, Moldova - May 11, 2023 - Amigo Studio, a leading web development company based in Moldova, is celebrating a decade of innovation and excellence in the ever-evolving digital landscape. With a strong track record of over 100 successfully completed projects, Amigo Studio has become a trusted name in the industry, providing bespoke IT solutions to clients worldwide. Pioneering the way for startups and established businesses alike, Amigo Studio offers a 
Southwest Airlines pilots voted to authorize a strike after just a week and a half of voting.

With 98% of pilots represented by the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, 99% of pilots voted to authorize a strike. The vote had originally been scheduled to run through the end of May, but pilots overwhelmingly placed their vote to strike. The union is the sole bargaining unit for over 9,000 pilots at Southwest, and pilots have been in labor negotiations for over three years.

A strike authorization vote is a long way from an actual strike though, likely months or years away from an actual walkout. But it is a negotiating move meant to show the company how disgruntled pilots are after negotiating since August 2020. To strike, pilots would need approval from federal regulators that have determined that there is no chance of the two sides coming to a deal.

This is a historic day, not only for our pilots, but for Southwest Airlines, said Casey Murray, SWAPA president in a release. The lack of leadership and the unwillingness to address the failures of our organization have led us to this point. Our pilots are tired of apologizing to our passengers on behalf of a company that refuses to place its priorities on its internal and external customers.

Southwest Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Murray said that pilots have been working with Jody Reven, SWAPAs negotiating committee chair, to petition the National Mediation Board to release the union to self-help soon to follow the process set forth by the Railway Labor Act and strike. The Railway Labor Act regulates collective bargaining in the rail and airline industries.

In April, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told The Dallas Morning News he felt the carrier was getting closer to deals with key labor unions.

Pilots at Delta Air Lines approved a contract earlier this year, raising their pay by more than 30% over four years. The union said the Delta deal will lead to a cumulative $7 billion in pay raises. This month, pilots at American Airlines also voted to authorize a strike, even though the carrier said it is close to a deal.

We want our passengers to understand that we do not take this path lightly and are disheartened that the LUV airline has gotten so far away from the values set forth by Herb Kelleher, Murray said. We want our customers to be prepared for the path ahead and make arrangements on other carriers so that their plans through the summer and fall are not disrupted.

-- Alexandra Skores, The Dallas Morning News

2023 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Sometime after 7 p.m. Tuesday, Luci Monroe was enjoying the last rays of sunshine outside of her apartment building in Southeast Portlands Hazelwood neighborhood when she said she heard the terrifying but increasingly familiar sound of gunfire.

A single gunshot appeared to have come from a car driving on East Burnside Street and Northeast 122nd Avenue, she said. The car then sped off.

Monroe said she knew as soon as police arrived and put up crime scene tape across the street from the East 122nd Avenue MAX station that someone had been killed.

Tuesday nights shooting marked the fourth homicide since August within about three blocks of the Blackburn Center, a drug treatment and housing program run by Central City Concern.

Portland police responded to the shooting at 8:10 p.m. and found a man dead. Police have revealed few details about the shooting thus far, including the identity of the victim.

Monroe, 29, said the victim was a man in his mid-20s named Justin. He was a fellow resident of the Blackburn Center, located kitty-corner from where she said the shooting happened.

Monroe said she met Justin about three years ago when she first moved into the center, but never learned his last name.

Laura Recko, a spokesperson for Central City Concern, said she could not comment on the incident as it is under a police investigation. Nor would she confirm whether the victim lived at the center.

Our primary concern is for the health, safety and security of our residents, patients and the community surrounding the Blackburn Center, she said in an email Wednesday to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Its difficult when theres any loss of life. CCC grieves along with all Portlanders.

The Hazelwood neighborhood stretches east from Interstate 205 and is one of Portlands largest. In recent years, its also ranked highest among neighborhoods for injury shootings.

On March 17, Curtis Davies, 62, was attacked inside the Max Mart Deli convenience store across the street from the Blackburn Center. He died two weeks later in the hospital.

Portland police found Brian Logan, 52, fatally shot on Nov. 13, near 122nd Avenue and Ash Street, about two blocks south. Three months earlier, officers found 40-year-old Scott Tovar fatally shot on East Burnside Street and 127th Avenue, about three blocks east of the Blackburn Center.

Monroe said Justin was funny and giving.

He was troubled, but not a bad person, she said. I dont think he was targeted  it was for someone else and he got shot.

Monroe said she frequently hears and sees fights breaking out on the MAX platform across the street from the Blackburn Center, along with people using drugs.

Her friend, 27-year-old KayelaJ, was with Monroe when the shooting happened.

KayelaJ, who uses only her first name, said residents sometimes run out with Narcan to save people on the platform who appear to be overdosing.

It takes a toll on us, saving people on drugs when were trying not to do drugs, she said. I try to stay out of it because I dont want to be triggered.

Recurring shootings and open drug use make the area feel unsafe, and both women said they hope to find other housing soon. Monroe has a 9-year-old daughter and she said she hasnt felt comfortable bringing her to the neighborhood.

Its been three years and Ive seen a lot  it hasnt really changed, Monroe said.

Crystal Kelly, 43, was perched on a ledge around noon Wednesday near where Monroe and KayelaJ said the shooting happened. Kelly, who has lived outside for the past nine years, said she knew Justin, who frequently spent time on that corner.

He was my friend and a good person, Kelly said.

Portland police urged anyone with information to contact detectives Scott Broughton at Scott.Broughton@police.portlandoregon.gov and (503) 823-3774 or Eric McDaniel at Eric.McDaniel@police.portlandoregon.gov and 503-823-0833.

-- Catalina Gaitan, cgaitan@oregonian.com, @catalingaitan_

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe.
Oregons FBI is reaching out to residents of Chinese descent in the Pacific Northwest to encourage them to report any harassment or stalking from the Chinese government in the wake of high-profile attempts in New York to silence critics.

The FBI has taken out ads this month in The Asian Reporter and Portland Chinese Times, urging people to report acts of transnational repression, which are efforts by foreign governments to prevent political dissent.

The advertisements ask: Are you being harassed, stalked or threatened by a federal government? It could be transnational repression, which is ILLEGAL in the U.S., and provides the FBIs phone number in Portland.

Kieran Ramsey, Oregons FBI special agent in charge, said the FBI has specific concerns in the Northwest, but declined to offer details.

In the last month, two Americans were arrested on suspicion of operating a secret Chinese police station in New York City. Separately, 44 Chinese officials were accused of enforcing Chinese laws on U.S. soil. Both are examples of the Chinese governments effort to exert influence inside the United States, federal law enforcement officials say.

Earlier this year, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., joined with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to introduce a bill that would establish U.S. policy to hold foreign governments and individuals accountable when they stalk, intimidate, or assault people within the United States and U.S. citizens in foreign countries. The bill calls for a tip line to be created to report alleged transnational repression to the U.S. Department of Justice and federal Homeland Security Department and would require the U.S. President to submit a list to Congress of foreign individuals who should be sanctioned for knowingly and unknowingly, engaging in such repression.

FBI Director Christopher Wray last month sounded the alarm about the threat to U.S. security of counterintelligence and economic espionage from the government of China and the Chinese Communist Party.

Ramsey said cyberstalkers and blackmailers may be targeting Chinese dissidents, journalists or political opponents of the regime of Chinese President Xi Jinping who are here on asylum.

We are aware of the things going on out there, and we want to do something about it, he said. We want to identify it, and we want to put a stop to it.

Helen Ying, president of the Portland chapter of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, which supports people of Chinese descent living in the area and guards their civil rights, said she hadnt heard about the FBIs outreach efforts in Oregon.

I am curious, she said.

The FBI ads are running this month in The Asian Reporter and weekly in Portland Chinese Times.

The FBI asks anyone with information about an alleged crime to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the local Portland field office at 503-224-4181.

-- 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
Richard Reid, who failed to surrender to start serving a two-year federal prison term for profiting from illegal kickbacks from the medical testing industry, was arrested in Clatsop County and appeared Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Portland.

Reid, 54, former co-owner of the defunct Northwest Physicians Laboratory based in Bellevue, Washington, was convicted in March 2022 in federal court in Seattle and had repeatedly asked a judge to delay his date to report to prison, claiming to have COVID-19 and then long-COVID symptoms, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington.

U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour refused to delay the date past April but Reid never surrendered.

A warrant was issued for his arrest. The FBI was actively looking for him and issued a wanted poster with Reids photos on it, seeking the publics help.

Reid, last known to be living in Astoria, wasnt found at his home but arrested by the Clatsop County Sheriffs Office on Taylorville Road in Westport on Sunday after members of the public saw him and alerted law enforcement, according to local authorities.

His former company received over $3.7 million in illegal kickback payments, according to federal prosecutors.

Reid was one of the co-owners and vice president of sales for the laboratory and helped obtain the millions of dollars in kickbacks by steering urine drug test specimens to two labs that would then bill the government for testing. The two labs then made payments to Reids company in exchange for the drug test referrals, according to prosecutors.

Because Northwest Physicians Laboratory was doctor-owned, it couldnt test urine samples for patients covered by government health programs such as Medicare or Medicaid. To conceal the kickbacks, Reid and his accomplices described the fees as being for marketing services but no marketing services were performed, according to prosecutors.

Mr. Reid was the architect of a scheme to illegally profit on toxicology tests that were paid for by government insurance, U.S. Attorney Nick Brown said in a statement at the time of Reids sentencing. The web of referrals and kickbacks led to significant profits for NWPL and its owners. Such illegal kickbacks simply inflate medical costs for the rest of us.

The company itself pleaded guilty in February 2021 and was ordered to pay more than $8 million in restitution.

On Wednesday afternoon, Reid appeared briefly before U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You.

Though the warrant alleged Reid violated his supervised release, Robert Hamilton, who was appointed as Reids assistant federal public defender, said Reid was never on supervised release and asked that You instead order Reid to be sent to the federal prison in Sheridan to start serving his sentence.

You ordered Reid to remain in custody while the U.S. marshals obtain an order from the federal judge in Washington to send Reid directly to the Federal Bureau of Prisons to begin his sentence.

-- 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
San Franciscos far-left politicians finally decided to normalize trade relations with the United States.

On April 23, the citys Board of Supervisors voted 7-4 to repeal a law that banned city-funded travel and contracting with an astounding 30 states they found insufficiently progressive.

San Franciscos boycott campaign started in 2016 when the city passed its first ordinance banning states with repressive anti-LGBT laws. Then, in2019, states with what San Francisco officials judged as restrictive abortion laws were added to the list. Most recently, in 2021, states with restrictive voting laws were added.

Nevada made the list in 2022, with San Francisco prohibiting city-funded travel to the Silver State and barring any city contracts involving Nevada-headquartered businesses.

The basis for the boycott was completely unjustified.

Legislation that unanimously passed the Nevada Legislature in 2021, signed by Gov. Sisolak, raised the number of people who could be in a precinct.

The bills intent was not to disenfranchise minorities, but rather to ensure that large apartment complexes werent confusingly split into multiple precincts.

No matter. Without evidence, the San Francisco Elections Department deemed the action voter suppression. Nevada, according to San Francisco officials, was racist.

Most impacted were Las Vegas-based hospitality companies and Lake Tahoe-area resorts. But, small businesses throughout Nevada were denied doing business with the City of San Francisco as well.

San Franciscos repeal of the law came with an admission that it had backfired.

A report from City Administrator Carmen Chus office found no states changed their laws because of the San Francisco boycott. However, San Francisco had an astronomical increase in contracting costs the city had been forced to take on as a result of the bans restrictions.

Chu estimated San Franciscos annual contracting costs had increased by 20%, with the city spending more than $475,000 in staffing expenses alone to carry out the ban.

On March 14, this same San Francisco Board of Supervisors voiced unanimous expressions of support for more than 100 recommendations made by a city-appointed reparations committee.

The draft reparations plan is unmatched nationwide in its specificity and breadth.

It calls for payments of $5 million to every eligible Black adult, the elimination of personal debt and tax burdens, guaranteed annual incomes of at least $97,000 for 250 years, and homes in San Francisco for just $1 per family.

No cost analysis has been done by the committee, but critics slam the plan as financially and politically impossible. Stanfords conservative-leaning Hoover Institution cost estimate is at least $600,000 for each non-Black family in the city.

In February 2022, San Francisco voters overwhelming recalled three radical comically woke members of the Board of Education, by near 3 to 1 margins. Four months later, in June, city voters recalled the extreme, weak-on-crime, progressive district attorney, Chesa Boudin, in another landslide election (55% to 45%).

Dealing with rampant open-drug use and homelessness consumes an enormous part of San Franciscos annual $13.95 billion budget. Direct city spending on homelessness increased from $200 million in 2016 to $680 million this year.

Among the 62 largest cities in America, San Francisco ranks last in the post-pandemic recovery of its downtown.

Incidents of theft in San Francisco have gained national attention. Shoplifting and organized retail crime are the reasons cited by Walgreens for closing at least 15 company stores in San Francisco since 2019.

On May 3, Nordstroms became the latest major retailer fleeing San Francisco, announcing the closing of two stores and citing the deteriorating situation in downtown. More than 20 major stores have closed there since 2020, including a Whole Foods location that had opened just a year ago.

San Franciscos traditional political liberalism has been replaced by far-left politicians. Their extremism and craziness are killing the city.

Formerly, San Franciscans boasted about being The City. Today, The City is in a severe self-inflicted steep decline.
Democratic leaders in the Oregon Senate have agreed to suspend floor sessions through the weekend while they continue negotiations to end Republicans nine-day boycott, granting relief to some GOP senators perilously close to becoming ineligible for reelection under new, strict walkout rules.

Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, banged his gavel ending Thursdays brief floor session after Republican absences again denied Democrats the necessary 20-member quorum to conduct business. Wagner said the Senate wont reconvene until Monday.

I hope this agreement to pause Senate floor sessions will create room for progress, Wagner said in a statement. I will continue to engage in good faith conversations to move our state forward.

Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, said in a statement that Wagner agreed to give us time to work out a legitimate agreement to end the impasse. Knopp, seven other Republican senators and Sen. Brian Boquist, I-Dallas, were absent without an excuse from the Senate chamber Thursday morning.

Republicans began boycotting the Senate last week, a familiar tactic from the minority party. Knopp and top Republicans said they were protesting violations of a little-used, 40-year-old law requiring bill summaries to be penned in plain English. The boycott began after House Democrats passed bills on gun safety, abortion and gender-affirming care that Republicans vehemently opposed. Knopp has since said his party is protesting about 20 bills it considers to be hyperpartisan.

The sustained walkout has put some senators dangerously close to clocking 10 unexcused absences on the Senate floor this session, which would disqualify them from reelection under Measure 113. A majority of Oregon voters approved the measure last November in response to high-profile Republican walkouts in recent years.

Three senators have nine unexcused absences as of Thursday, according to figures provided by Wagners office: Sen. Daniel Bonham, R-Welches, Sen. Dennis Linthicum, R-Klamath Falls, and Boquist.

Relations are thorny between top Senate Republicans and Democrats. Communication between Knopp and Wagner was scant until two meetings Wednesday and Thursday.

Wagner and Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber expressed frustration with the Republican boycott in comments to reporters Tuesday but said the gun safety proposal, HB 2005, and the abortion and gender-affirming care measure, HB 2002, were not up for negotiation.

-- Grant Stringer; gstringer@oregonian.com; @Stringerjourno

This story was updated with a comment from Wagner.
Port of Morrow commissioners signed off Wednesday on a contentious package of tax incentives for five more Amazon data centers in eastern Oregon, tax breaks Morrow County values at an estimated $1 billion.

Wednesdays unanimous votes by the five-member port commission were the final step in securing the enterprise zone incentives, which local officials hope will secure $12 billion in new Amazon spending in their remote county, about 160 miles up the Columbia River from Portland.

Amazon already has four enormous data centers in Morrow County and is one of the communitys major employers, with several hundred local jobs tied to its operations. But its growth has produced bitter debate over how the Seattle tech company secured its incentives and an ongoing probe of possible self-dealing among those awarding its tax breaks.

Two state investigations are looking into potential conflicts of interest among port officials and a former county commissioner, who own a company called Windwave Communications that provides fiber-optic service to Amazons local data centers. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported on the issues last summer.

The Oregon Department of Justice is looking into how the public officials acquired Windwave from a nonprofit, Inland Development Corp., on whose board two of Windwaves buyers served.

Those two port commissioners, Marv Padberg and Jerry Healy, are also under investigation by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. The ethics board is examining whether their prior votes on prior Amazon tax deals were improper, given that Windwave stood to benefit from the companys growth in Morrow County.

Their potential conflicts were the focus of attention Wednesday as port commissioners debated for about 20 minutes over the propriety of the two commissioners participation in the vote on Amazons new enterprise zone incentives.

You know how this looks to everybody outside this room? Port Commissioner John Murray said.

While Murray said he supports Amazons growth, he noted that the commission was voting Wednesday without waiting for guidance from the state ethics board on whether its appropriate for Padberg and Healy to participate.

I guess I have a problem with that, Murray said. It looks bad.

In a letter to the state ethics commission last month, Healy and Padberg said their company does have a deal to provide most of the fiber-optic service to one new Amazon data center. But they maintained they only have a potential conflict of interest in voting on incentives for the other four facilities.

At Wednesdays meeting, Healy and Padberg recused themselves from voting on one package of Amazon incentives but voted in favor of the other four. Healy decried misleading statements in the press and said Windwave has no exclusivity or guarantee with Amazon.

Neither Amazon nor Windwave has responded to requests for information about the value of the two companies contracts.

Three other public bodies in Morrow County have already approved the deal this month. The incentives exempt Amazon from paying nearly three-quarters of the property taxes other businesses pay.

Still, fees that partially offset Amazons incentives figure to be a windfall for Morrow County, and the companys continued growth will be an ongoing economic boon for the community of just 13,000 residents.

Amazon will pay $5 million in community fees when construction starts and tens of millions of dollars more over the life of the 15-year agreements. It will also pay about $110,000 annually, per data center, to local schools and emergency services, and its data centers arent exempt from school bonds and similar taxes.

Amazon hasnt said when it plans to start work on the five new facilities, or a sixth covered by a separate tax agreement.

Weve been an active member of eastern Oregon communities since 2011, investing more than $15.6 billion while supporting thousands of local jobs, Amazon said in a written statement after Wednesdays vote. Investments like these create and support high paying, highly skilled jobs in local communities, and projects that benefit local education, healthcare, public services, and more.

Data centers are among Oregons fastest-growing industries, fueled in part by tax breaks worth $180 million last year alone. They are not major employers from a statewide perspective, though they make a big economic impact in the rural communities where they operate.

Oregons program of enterprise zone incentives puts no limits on how much local governments can give away in negotiations with businesses. The state created the program for small manufacturers in the 1980s, but in recent years data centers filled with billions of dollars in high-end computers have come to dominate the program.

Critics question whether small counties are equipped to negotiate with some of the worlds largest tech companies. And there is wide variance in the value of the tax breaks.

Morrow Countys latest deal with Amazon will provide giveaways about twice as valuable, for example, as a similar deal officials in The Dalles reached with Google in 2021.

The enterprise zone program sunsets in two years and Oregon lawmakers are considering reforms that could limit the duration of the incentives, tie the size of the tax breaks to jobs created, and require public notice before voting on such deals.

Wednesdays discussion at the Port of Morrow, though, focused entirely on the process the port followed in approving the incentives, and whether it was proper for commissioners to vote on a deal in which they had a potential financial stake.

I disagree wholeheartedly with how we got there, the pathways that we took, said Murray, who nonetheless voted with his colleagues to approve the incentives.

I hope people are paying attention, he said.

-- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | 503-294-7699

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe
An Oregon State University professor will lead a federal project aimed at developing new semiconductor technologies at three Northwest universities, the schools announced Thursday.

Backed by $1 million in federal funding, the Advanced Semiconductor Technologies in the Northwest center aims to advance chip research in several areas. Its one of 44 Regional Innovation Engines across the country designated for $43 million in federal support Thursday by the National Science Foundation.

The Northwest research center will explore innovations in semiconductor manufacturing technology, energy-efficient chip architecture along with entrepreneurship and workforce training.

Oregon State chemical engineering Professor Greg Herman will lead the project, working with colleagues at the University of Washington and Boise State University. Roughly two-thirds of the funding goes to Oregon State for the initial, two-year phase of research. The program could receive additional federal support after that.

Oregon is already home to some of the worlds most advanced private semiconductor research, at Intels Hillsboro campuses, and it has made additional computer chip research a top economic development priority. The state is pursuing a separate research center with funding from the federal CHIPS Act, which Congress approved last year.

-- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | 503-294-7699

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe
Despite the first goal in 2023 for Sebastian Blanco and some strong attacking moments, the Portland Timbers lost, 4-3, to Real Salt Lake on Saturday in the Round of 32 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The Timbers got off to a terrific start, going up 1-0 in the fourth minute on the strike from Blanco. High pressure from rookie Noel Caliskan  who had two assists on the night  put the ball in a precarious spot in the box, and Blanco was able to finish with finesse for his first goal in 2023.

After Blancos goal, the pace and quality of the match came to a screeching halt for an extended period. Potential chances for Portland included an attempted through ball from Blanco to Marvin Loria in the 15th minute, and a through ball from Loria to a streaking Nathan Fogaca in the 25th minute which initially earned a penalty before being waved off.

RSL made error after error with the ball at its feet in the first half, only rarely able to advance into the attacking third with any kind of threat. But in the 30th minute, a brutal mistake by center back Tyler Clegg  on a short-term loan from T2  led to an easy goal for RSLs Danny Musovski to make it 1-1.

In the 41st minute, with Portland unable to capitalize on some solid runs on the other end, RSL made it 2-1 on a tremendous strike from outside the box by Andres Gomez.

The Timbers had a flurry of chances before the half which included some high-level activity from Loria, but they werent able to pull even prior to the break.

Portland brought on Jaroslaw Niezgoda for Blanco to begin the second half.

The Timbers evened things up in the 49th minute thanks to a goal from Justin Rasmussen  his first in a Portland uniform outside of a preseason contest in 2022. A pass back from Caliskan found Rasmussens swinging boot, and he put it high and true to tie the match, 2-2.

Portland kept its foot on the gas pedal and took a 3-2 lead in the 52nd minute. A ball played in to Fogaca was played nicely off his chest, and Niezgoda finished it off clinically.

Three minutes later, RSL equalized. Issues at the back for Portland led to a lot of space for the RSL attackers, and a strong finish by Maikel Chang made it 3-3 in the 55th minute.

The Timbers soon replaced Paredes with T2 call-up Victor Griffith in the midfield.

Chang scored again in the 59th minute, streaking through a porous Timbers back line to finish with power and make it 4-3 RSL.

Portland brought on Santiago Moreno and Dairon Asprilla in the 73rd minute, aiming to add a first-team level attacking punch as they sought their equalizer.

Asprilla and Griffith each had two quality chances down the stretch, but neither was able to convert. Portland brought on Juan David Mosquera in the 86th minute, but even his dynamic presence was not enough to spark a tying goal.

Asprilla received a yellow card in stoppage time after a nasty mid-air collision during his attempted bicycle kick  part of Portlands last gasp on the attack.

Real Salt Lake advances to the USOC Round of 16 with the win. The Timbers are eliminated.

Next up: Portland returns to regular-season play with a home match against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Providence Park with a live stream available for free on the Apple TV app.

-- Ryan Clarke, rclarke@oregonian.com, Twitter: @RyanTClarke
Thursday 11 May 2023 4:15pm



Sabrina Ragan

What were your roles prior to being Senior Development Manager at Otago?



Ive spent over 20+ years in fundraising, most of which has been in the States, and prior to my arrival here in New Zealand nearly four years ago.

In my previous role, I served as the Vice President of Philanthropy for Cincinnati Museum Centre, a large, multi-museum complex housed in a historic Art Deco train station and National Historic Landmark. While there, I was responsible for planning and launching their very first campaign, and tasked with raising $75 million to help reimagine the museum experience.

Prior to that, I spent the majority of my time working with The Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio, with an enrolment of over 60,000 students. During that time, I worked in a variety of roles including the Director of Annual Giving and the Senior Director of Development for the College of Medicine. While there, I was personally responsible for raising nearly $200 million to help support students and faculty, advance research outcomes, and develop or renovate capital projects. Further, I gained extensive experience with campaign fundraising during the Universitys $2.5 billion campaign.

I started my career as a student caller, asking alumni for gifts by phone while studying marine biology at the tertiary institution I attended many years ago. Upon completing my tertiary degree, this simple campus job led me to an opportunity to become a fundraising consultant in Nevada and California, which officially launched my career in philanthropy.

What is your role in a nutshell?



I am responsible for supporting a team of divisionally and campus-based Development Managers to build and maintain one-to-one engagement with alumni and donors who have the ability to make significant gifts to the University. This includes helping the Development Managers foster meaningful relationships with internal key-stakeholders as they are the storytellers for our University and vital to the relationship-building process with our potential donors. Further, I am committed to creating and maintaining robust business processes and appropriate measures for success.

What are your goals and visions for Development at Otago?



My greatest desire is for Development to help use philanthropy to advance the mission of the University of Otago. This includes everything from securing support for scholarships for talented students who might not otherwise be able to access a university education, to increasing our mission-led research capacity.

What do you see as Otago's unique strengths?



Alumni often speak of their unique experience while a student at this University. Instructors, environment and access to a valuable experience are often the driving factors, which makes it much easier to build an emotive philanthropic relationship. Gratitude for a meaningful student experience in the past is key to alumni giving in the future.

What excites you about philanthropy?



Philanthropy genuinely can, and does change the lives of those in our community  locally, nationally and internationally. Someone isnt just making a philanthropic gift; they are entering into a partnership with us to help express their greatest desires for our community.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim

(Photo: VNA)

The PMs, who are in Indonesia for the 42nd ASEAN Summit, spoke highly of positive cooperation between the two countries in various spheres, especially economy, trade and investment.

To carry forward the achievements, the two sides agreed to maintain all-level delegation exchanges, and effectively roll out bilateral cooperation mechanisms, particularly in 2023 when the two countries mark the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

Both affirmed their determination in promoting two-way trade by optimising cooperation potential, and increasing the export and import of products of their strengths like farm produce, food and electronic components.

Chinh suggested Malaysia further facilitate the access of Vietnamese goods and services, including Halal products, to its market, encourage its businesses to increase investment in Vietnam, create favourable conditions for Vietnamese labourers to live and work in the host country on the basis of the labour agreement signed in March 2022, and establish a maritime management and consultation mechanism.

For his part, Ibrahim affirmed that Vietnam is an important partner of Malaysia in the region, saying he pins high hope on the visit to Malaysia by President Vo Van Thuong later this year, and wishes to visit Vietnam soon.

He pledged to pay more attention to promoting cooperation with Vietnam, including maritime collaboration, and consented to consider setting up a hotline in order to facilitate the settlement of issues emerging at sea.

The two sides affirmed they will also closely coordinate in building a strong, united ASEAN Community, and support each others candidacies for seats at international organisations and the United Nations.

PM Chinh used the occasion to invite his Malaysian counterpart to pay an official visit Vietnam at an appropriate time./.
Deacon Matthew Gembrowski has always wanted to serve as a priest in the Saginaw diocese, and now his dream is about to come true.

At the minimum age of 25, Gembrowski is the youngest priest in the Diocese of Saginaw. He was scheduled to be ordained Friday afternoon at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption in Saginaw.

When I looked at my life coming out of high school, I saw that the world really tempts men especially to mediocrity, and I really wanted to live a life of greatness, says Gembrowski. I wanted to live a life of self-sacrifice for others.

And his first new assignment after his ordination will be a familiar one.

Starting July 1, he will be assigned to St. Brigid of Kildare Parish and Church in Midland as the assistant priest. Gembrowski served his pastoral internship at St. Brigid from January through August of 2021.

Gembrowski grew up in the Freeland-Saginaw area and is a 2015 graduate of Nouvel Catholic Central High School in Saginaw. He attended St John Vianney in St. Paul, Minnesota for four years, where he earned a bachelors in philosophy in Catholic studies.

He then studied four years of theology at Mundelein Seminary in the archdiocese of Chicago, where he earned a masters of divinity and a baccalaureate in sacred theology while ministering to a parish on the south side of Chicago.

In addition to serving St. Brigid of Kildare, Gembrowski will also serve as the chaplain at St. Mary University Parish in Mount Pleasant, where he will minister to students on the campus of Central Michigan University.

Im really excited to interact and minister to people my own age, says Gembrowski.

For Gembrowski, being a priest in the Saginaw diocese is the path he has always wanted to follow, even if it means being the youngest priest in the diocese.

Im just doing what I thought I should be doing. It will mean Ill make a lot of mistakes and have to rely on people with more experience and wisdom to help me, said Gembrowski.

My plan is to serve as a priest in the diocese of Saginaw for the rest of my life and, like I said, to live a life of self-sacrifice, he continued. I live at the will of the bishop, the bishop tells me where to go, who to serve, how long to be there, so I'm pretty dependent on what he asks of me.

Gembrowski says hes excited to start the next chapter of his life, ministering to residents in Midland and Mount Pleasant.

I look forward to meeting all of them, I've been praying for them since the day I found out my assignment, and I hope theyll be praying for me.
Jonathan Hayward

Weather conditions Thursday prompt the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to advise residents to check if they are allowed to have an open burn in their area.

Its spicy out there, the DNR wrote on Thursday on Twitter. Please keep that in mind and check Michigan.gov/burnpermit before you burn. Our fire crews appreciate the help.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Midland County's fourth roundabout will be built this summer at the intersection of Waldo and Monroe roads in Larkin Township, just northeast of the Midland city limits.

The Midland County Road Commission will construct the roundabout on a tentative schedule of July 10 through Sept. 1.

The estimated cost is $880,000, with 68% - or almost $600,000 - coming from a federal safety grant. The rest of the funding will come from county road commission funds.

Jon Myers, managing director of the Midland County Road Commission, said the roundabout has been in the works since 2019.

He said the commission decided to build a roundabout because that intersection has been the site of many serious car accidents. In the past 10 years, there have been 12 injuries, three serious injuries and one fatality as a result of accidents at the Waldo/Monroe intersection.

We want to do whatever we can to try to make an improvement so that doesnt happen at that intersection anymore, Myers said. Safety is always our number one goal.

Myers said no specific reason has been determined for the occurrence of so many accidents at the intersection, which is why the roundabout was a good option.

The goal with a roundabout is to make an intersection that, even if a crash does occur, it is not a serious crash, Myers said. That way, you can reduce injuries and serious injuries without necessarily knowing the exact cause of any particular previous crash.

By forcing drivers from every direction of traffic to slow down and yield to those already in the intersection, Myers said if a crash does occur, it would likely be a minor fender bender, as opposed to a four-way intersection that has more severe angled crashes.

Myers said the need for this roundabout became apparent during one of the road commissions annual safety reviews. After noticing the high number of crashes, the commission decided to apply for a federal safety grant through the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Myers said they applied for the grant in 2019 and were selected, but designing the roundabout took multiple years. In that time, multiple injuries and one fatality have happened at the Waldo/Monroe intersection.

This construction cant happen quickly enough for us to try and prevent any more injuries or fatalities, he said.

The intersection is currently a two-way stop, with stop signs on Monroe Road. Myers explained that the intersection cannot be turned into a four-way stop because four-way stops are determined by traffic volume and patterns, and north-south Waldo Road has a higher traffic volume than west-east Monroe Road.

Crash patterns still develop after the placement of a four-way stop because you are now stopping a direction of traffic that didnt previously stop, he said. Especially when that leg of the intersection has more traffic than the other direction. It can be an improvement over the current configuration, but it still isnt as safe as it could be with a roundabout.

In contrast, roundabouts are not determined by traffic volume, but rather by safety needs.

For comparison, Myers said the roundabout at Waldo and Monroe would be similar to the one at the intersection of Freeland and Sasse roads in the southeast part of the county.

That one has performed very well, he said. We havent had any injuries there since it was put in place in 2021.

The other two roundabouts in Midland County are at Patrick Road and Business US-10 in the city of Midland, and at US-10 and M-30 (Meridian Road) in Jerome Township.

Myers said there have been a number of public meetings to discuss the roundabout, including Larkin Township meetings and open houses. He said there has been positive and negative feedback, but that many people - including those who live at the intersection - agree with the plan.

People know there is an issue there and that something needs to be done, he said.

The roundabout will be small like the one at Freeland and Sasse roads, but Myers said the curbs and center island will be low and flat to accommodate farm equipment and large trucks.

He expects that residents will adjust quickly to the change and should not have a problem learning how to use the roundabout.

For those with additional questions or comments, the road commission and Larkin Township will host an open house from 4-7 p.m. on Monday, May 15 at Larkin Township Hall, 3016 N. Jefferson Road, Midland. There, residents can ask questions and give input on area road projects and future transportation planning, including the road commissions latest version of the Primary Road 5-year Plan.

Information and proposed construction schedules will be shared about the Waldo road paving project, the roundabout construction and the Eastman Road paving project.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Tereasa Nims.

Wednesday, May 10

11:36 p.m. - A deputy was dispatched to the ER for a report of an animal bite. The 64-year-old victim said he was playing with his 58-year-old cousin's cat and it bit him. An isolation notice was filled out and given to the animal owner. A copy was provided to animal control.

9:39 p.m. - A Jerome Township gas station employee reported that the driver of a white full-size van pumped $20 in gasoline and left in an unknown direction after not paying for the gasoline. No license plate number or description of the driver was obtained.

9:40 p.m. - Deputies spoke to a 36-year-old Hope Township man regarding an ongoing neighbor dispute that included his loose dog being sprayed with a fire extinguisher. The man was advised of proper actions he could take.

9:51 p.m. - Deputies responded to a Larkin Township residence to speak with a 27-year-old woman who had made concerning comments to her friends. The woman said she had a lot going on, but she said she was not suicidal and did not need any help.

8:26 p.m. - Police responded to the 700 block of Village East Drive for a verbal domestic dispute.

7:19 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Homer Township location regarding a 38-year-old woman who believed someone was urinating in public. Deputies spoke with the 47-year-old man, who stated he was dumping out a pop bottle by his truck.

More Information Activities of the Midland County Sheriff's Office and Midland Police Department on May 10, 2023 See More Collapse

4:49 p.m. - A deputy responded to the MyMichigan Medical Center ER regarding an 81-year-old man who was bitten by a stray cat at his Edenville Township residence. The man was treated for minor injuries.

4:23 p.m. - Deputies assisted the City of Alma Police Department by contacting a 59-year-old woman at her Geneva Township residence. The woman was advised to contact Alma Police Department regarding an incident that occurred in Alma.

12:34 p.m. - Police were called to a verbal domestic dispute in the area of Isabella Street and Sandow Road.

8:28 a.m. - Police responded to a private property crash in the 1400 block of Rodd Street.

8:11 a.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Hope Township residence regarding an argument between a 29-year-old woman and her 30-year-old fiance. Both parties said no assault occurred, and the man left the residence to deescalate the situation.

1:31 a.m. - A 27-year-old Midland man was cited for driving on a suspended license and having no insurance, following a traffic stop for an expired plate in Lee Township. The man was also cited for the plate violation. This report will be forwarded to the prosecutor for review.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Some 70% of migrants arriving in ethnically divided Cyprus this year have used a student visa they were issued by breakaway Turkish Cypriot authorities before seeking asylum in the internationally recognized south, the country's interior minister said Thursday.

Minister Constantinos Ioannou told the Associated Press that Turkish Cypriot student visas are by far the most popular method used by migrants to reach Cyprus. They then cross the 180 kilometer (111-mile) -long, United Nations-controlled buffer zone to apply for asylum in the south.

Migrants dont apply in the north because they wouldnt receive the benefits afforded to asylum-seekers under international and European Union laws and regulations. Only Turkey recognizes Turkish Cypriot independence. Although Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, only the southern part enjoys full benefits.

Ioannou said most of the migrants who for opt for this route are from sub-Saharan Africa and fly into north Cyprus through Istanbul, Turkey..

The rising percentage of irregular migrants who enter the Cyprus Republic-controlled areas through the (U.N. buffer zone) demonstrate the methods that Turkey has adopted in order to instrumentalize the issue, Ioannou said.

He said prospective asylum-seekers choose this route it is lower risk, relatively cheap and affords them some semblance of legitimacy.

Some 95% of all migrant arrivals in Cyprus occur through the breakaway north, according to Interior Ministry figures. Of the 3,665 migrant arrivals so far this year, 3,485 crossed from the north.

Although the buffer zone isn't a hard border, Cypriot authorities have erected barriers along points frequently used by migrants and smugglers and are in the process of installing electronic surveillance gear. Also, a force of 300 guards will soon start patrolling sections of the buffer zone. Ioannou said the guards will act as a visible deterrent force, and identified smugglers could face arrest, but they will not push back migrants northward because this could contravene international and EU law.

Ioannou said asylum applications have risen 490% since 2017, pushing Cypriot authorities beyond their capacity to cope. The percentage of either asylum applicants or individuals granted international protection has reached 6% of the islands population  six times the average in other European front-line states.

Last year there were 21,565 new applications, and from January to March this year a further 3,182.

As part of EU-approved measures to tackle migration flows via the east Mediterranean, Cyprus aims to use all diplomatic and political tools at its disposal as an EU member to get Turkey to help put a stop to buffer zone migrant crossings, according to Ioannou. He said the EU is also in touch with airlines using Istanbul airport to help stem such arrivals, while a senior EU official is expected to visit Cyprus later this month to gauge progress.

The minister said Cypriot authorities are focused on expediting the processing of asylum applications in order to disincentivize what he said was the appeal of an extended stay in Cyprus due to the countrys slow and overburdened legal system.

Repatriations have also been stepped up  from 1,272 to 7,680 last year. More than 2,700 repatriations took place in the first four months of this year.
ISLAMABAD (AP)  A U.N. agency warned Thursday that critical food aid in Afghanistan is being handicapped by a lack of funding, as the country faces a widespread humanitarian crisis.

Thousands of children could die from severe acute malnutrition, said Melanie Galvin, chief of nutrition at the United Nations Childrens Fund. She was speaking in a video message on UNICEFs official Twitter account.

Galvin added that 875,000 children in Afghanistan will suffer from life-threatening acute malnutrition this year. She said UNICEF in Afghanistan faces an urgent funding gap of $21 million to purchase essential supplies for treating malnutrition and also training health worker around the country.

In Afghanistan we are facing a critical funding gap for ready-to-use therapeutic food, she said.

RUTF is an energy-dense paste consisting of milk powder, vegetable oil, sugar, peanut butter, and powdered vitamins and minerals.

In the short term, severe acute malnutrition is life threatening. In the long term, it can impact growth and mental development in a way that affects a child throughout their lives. Ready-to-use therapeutic food or RUTF supplies can rapidly treat such malnutrition.

This is a highly efficient and effective small package that we give to children, and they can be cured in as little as eight weeks," said Galvin.

The international community has not officially recognized the Taliban, who seized power in 2021, imposing a series of restrictive measures that have drawn wide criticism. With Afghanistans assets abroad frozen, the economy has spiraled further, deepening the hardships of ordinary Afghans.

In April, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Afghanistan needs $4.62 billion in aid for nearly 24 million Afghans in need.
Ombudswoman Sabina Aliyeva and staff of the Office visited the grave of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, Azernews reports, citing the Ombudsman office.

In connection with the 100th birth anniversary of Haydar Aliyev, the architect of independent Azerbaijan, and the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva and the staff of the Office visited the grave of the Great Leader Haydar Aliyev, laid a wreath and sweat flowers in front of his monument, his dear memory remembered with deep respect.

Then the memory of outstanding ophthalmologist-scientist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva was commemorated, and flowers were laid in front of her grave.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. on the sidelines of the ongoing 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, on May 10.(Photo:VNA)

At the meeting, PM Chinh expressed his pleasure to see the development of the Vietnam - Philippines strategic partnership, affirming his wish to further deepen the relationship to bring practical benefits to the people of the two countries and contribute to peace, security, and stability in the region.

The Philippine President said that the meeting is an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. Regarding his recent meeting with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong in the UK, he affirmed that the bilateral relationship has a good foundation. He said he is looking forward to visiting Vietnam soon this year to discuss with Vietnamese leaders the directions for further developing the ties.

The two sides agreed to promote the exchange of delegations at all levels, experience sharing between the ruling parties, and people-to-people exchange. The two leaders affirmed their determination to soon bring two-way trade turnover to 10 billion USD through measures to facilitate the opening of markets for each other's key exports, including agricultural products, food, and rice. They also agreed to deepen cooperation in fields where the two countries boast potential and strengths such as agriculture, industry, high technology, tourism, marine economic development, education and training, and climate change response.

Prime Minister Chinh affirmed that Vietnam is ready to supply rice in a strategic, long-term and stable manner at appropriate prices to the Philippines, thereby helping the country ensure food security.

Appreciating Vietnam's goodwill, President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. affirmed that Vietnam is an important partner of the Philippines. He hopes the two sides will promote the role of private enterprises in economic and investment cooperation.

Discussing regional and international issues, the two leaders agreed to strengthen coordination and consultation, contributing to strengthening the solidarity and the central role of ASEAN.

Sharing common concerns about challenges in the East Sea, the two sides affirmed to uphold the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), contributing to maintaining peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and overflight.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Chinh conveyed the invitations of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vo Van Thuong to Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. to visit Vietnam this year./.
Paducah, KY (42003)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan Minister of State for Women's Affairs in the Government of National Unity, Houria al-Tarmal, said here Thursday her country was striving to address the phenomenon of violence against women
Photo: (Photo : PHILIPPE HUGUEN / Getty Images)

The Food and Drug Administration's advisory panels voted unanimously to recommend Perrigo's request to sell their daily birth control pill without a prescription.

The joint meeting, which spanned two days, included the Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Obstetrics, Reproductive, and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee.

Although the FDA is not obligated to follow the advisory committee's recommendations, it is anticipated that the vote will have significant weight on the FDA's final decision, which is expected later in the summer.

If the agency decides to approve the recommendation, Perrigo's Opill would be the first contraceptive pill to become available over-the-counter without a prescription.

FDA Advisory Panel Approves Perrigo's Opill

Perrigo's Opill, a progestin-only daily oral contraceptive, has been approved for use with a prescription since it was first approved by the FDA in 1973. The drug has been widely used and is considered safe and effective in preventing pregnancy. Now, the company is seeking approval to make the drug available over-the-counter, which would make it the first birth control pill available without a prescription in the United States.

According to Perrigo, the joint committee of the FDA's Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Obstetrics, Reproductive, and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted unanimously in favor of making Opill available over-the-counter.

The committee members noted that the benefits of making the drug more widely available, especially to young people and lower-income groups, outweigh the risks. However, the vote is not binding, and the FDA will consider the panel's recommendation when making its final decision on whether to approve the medication for over-the-counter use.

During the committee meeting, FDA officials raised concerns about several flaws in the company's data, including whether women, especially those with low literacy skills, would be able to understand the drug's instruction label.

However, the panel members believed that most women could determine whether the medication was appropriate to use on their own and urged the FDA to approve the medication for over-the-counter use.

Read Also: Ms. Rachel Returns To Collaborate With Blippi, Meekah on New Educational Adventure Show in NYC!

Pressure on the Accessibility of Birth Control

Contraceptive pills are available without a prescription in regions such as Africa, South America, and Asia, according to the Associated Press.

The FDA's decision to approve Opill for over-the-counter use is a significant step towards improving access to contraception in the United States.

Despite concerns raised by FDA officials regarding the drug's label instructions and study data, the advisory panel concluded that the benefits of making Opill available without a prescription outweighed the risks.

Panel members noted that access to effective birth control is particularly important for lower-income individuals, Black women, and those who have not completed high school, as they are more likely to experience unintended pregnancies.

The decision is expected to be considered by the FDA when it makes its final decision on the potential approval of Opill for OTC use, which is anticipated later this year.

According to CNN, the approval of Opill for OTC use has been met with support from lawmakers and health care providers who have been advocating for increased access to contraception in the United States. Lawmakers have written to the FDA Commissioner, highlighting the importance of the issue for reproductive health, rights, and justice.

A recent study has shown that many women have experienced barriers to accessing reproductive health care services in recent years, including routine screenings and birth control.

The approval of Opill for OTC use could pave the way for other drugmakers to seek OTC sales of their birth control pills.

The availability of Opill and other birth control options over-the-counter could provide more options for individuals to take control of their reproductive health.

Related Article: Top 10 Science-Based Recommendations for Parents To Help Teens Use Social Media Safely
This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions
The Philippine authorities raid the establishment of the Clark Sun Valley Hub group in Pampanga province on May 4. (Source: Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group)

The MoFA said on May 9 that it proposed the Philippine authorities help ensure accommodation for the Vietnamese citizens, inform the Vietnamese side about their residence status, and help Vietnam repatriate the citizens whose stay is not permitted by the Philippines as soon as possible.

The ministry also asked the Philippine side to enhance cooperation in resolving the forced labour case involving Vietnamese citizens and strictly deal with violators.

According to the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines, local authorities on May 4 rescued more than 1,000 people, including Vietnamese nationals, who were forced to work at an establishment owned by the Clark Sun Valley Hub group in Pampanga province, near Manila capital. The rescued persons are staying safely at a facility arranged by Philippine authorities.

Shortly after being notified, the embassy visited the Vietnamese nationals, collected their information, and gave medication to some with health problems on May 6 and 9. It is working closely with relevant agencies of the Philippines to make assistance plans.

The MoFA also called on those who have information about the persons involved in forced labour or lured to work overseas to provide details via the citizen protection switchboard +84 981848484, the Consular Departments email baohocongdan@gmail.com, the citizen protection hotline of the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines +63 9982756666, or their nearest representative agencies of Vietnam./.
Live commands, 2FA copying, and content-aware brightness settings: Microsoft may be releasing these features for a Windows 11 test build, but they should soon arrive on your PC.

Microsoft released Windows 11 Build 22621.1776 (KB5026446) to the Windows Insider Release Channel on Thursday. Thats a signal that, unlike many of Microsofts test features, the changes that the new build brings about will actually land on your PC before long. Microsoft has said that it will release bundles of new features in moments in between official major feature releases, and this looks like it could be the next one.

Weve seen many of these new features crop up in earlier test builds, but theyre worth recapping here. And there are a ton! Here are some of the highlights of the new build, as listed by Microsoft. (If you have a PC running a Release Preview build, you can ensure youll get the new features by opening Settings > Windows Update and turning on the toggle Get the latest updates as soon as theyre available.

Content-Adaptive Brightness Control: This is an optional feature that Microsoft is adding to Windows laptops and two-in-ones. (The original plan was to add it to desktops, but that didnt work out.) Essentially, its like a poor mans HDR: If youre watching a video with a dark scene, then a brighter scene, Windows may dynamically change your screens brightness and contrast to emphasize the video.

Not everyone will love this, however, especially if youre involved in editing photography or just dont want your laptop display settings to change. To turn this feature on or off, youll need to go to Settings > System > Display and then to the Brightness control to adjust it.

A new Widgets picker: If youre confused by what adding a widget to Widgets actually does, Microsoft will show you a preview of what to expect.

Microsofts Widgets picker in Windows 11. Microsoft

OneDrive storage: Youll see the full amount of storage space allocated to all of your OneDrive subscriptions now appear in the Accounts page within the Settings app.

Tab limits for Alt+Tab: When you press Alt+Tab Windows can pull from your most recent tabs as selection choices. Windows will now allow you to limit them to the 20 most recent tabs within the Settings > Multitasking section.

New Print Screen shortcut: We documented how the PrtScn key will now open the Snipping Tool app. That feature is now stepping through to Release Preview.

The PrtScn key will now launch the Snipping Tool. Microsoft

USB4 Hubs and Settings: This is a slightly odd choice, since USB4 hubs pale in comparison to the more common Thunderbolt docks. USB4 is almost functionally the same as a Thunderbolt dock, but it tends to be a feature associated with AMD Ryzen-powered notebooks, not Intel Core devices. Regardless, this new Windows Settings page provides information about the systems USB4 capabilities and the attached peripherals on a system that supports USB4.

Touch keyboard options: Disconnect the Surface keyboard from a Surface Pro tablet, and you may see a touch keyboard pop up instead. The new Settings > Time & language > Typing > Touch keyboard setting allows you to show the touch keyboard always, never, or only when you disconnect the hardware keyboard.

2FA copying: Most phones allow for two-factor authentication (2FA), which can send an authorization code via text. If you have a phone connected to your PC via Phone Link, you can now automatically copy any 2FA codes that are sent. (Some services, like Google, are moving to passkeys instead.)

Phone Link for Windows allows you to access messages from your phone, right on your PC. Microsoft

Sensor settings: Some laptops have presence sensors, both as security settings as well as automatically dimming your screen when you walk away, preserving battery. A new setting in Settings > Privacy & security > Presence sensing will allow you to manage this.

VPN signal: Youll see a small shield icon in the Taskbar if youre connected to a VPN.

Microsoft also tweaked some of its existing features, too:
The fact that you and everyone you know will receive spam and scam emails (and texts) for as long as they live should be added to the famous Ben Franklin quote,  in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. Death, taxes, and spam. Its constant, ever-present, and you likely have a few hundred of them sitting in your Spam folder as you read this. The very fact that we even need to have a spam folder tells us theres a problem.

While email providers and the best Windows antivirus solutions can often do a decent job at spotting the false missives from Nigerian princes that hit your inbox, both remain far from foolproofso you need to know how to spot a scam email to avoid falling prey to their tactics. Heres some advice that can help.

Always know (and verify) the sender

this excellent security suite includes a mail shield for inbox threats Avast One Read our review

An email from someone you know suddenly arriving in your inbox with no warning is a red flag. Typically, when we get email from our family or friends, its about a topic we are actively discussing, so when there is no warning of an incoming email, tread lightly; it could be a scam. If there is a link inside a suspicious email, then its almost always a scam. Hackers and neer-do-wells can sometimes take over someones email account and just start spamming all of their contacts with nefarious links that seem safe, but will plant malware on your system, or worse. Luckily, this tactic is easy to counter since you can just verify if the person who you think sent the email did indeed mean to send it. A simple phone call or text will do, and if they exclaim, What email? then you know what to do.

Its also important to point out that when examining these emails, dont just look at the name of the sender, but the email address. For example I got a spam email from Facebook recently, which is obviously fake, but when I clicked the drop-down for the actual address and CCd people, I saw the details below. Even your grandma knows that is fishy. Not to mention the address Facebookmail750@gmail.comcome on spammers, try harder.

Josh Norem/IDG

As a general rule its safest to never click any links in emails, even if you think you know the source. As we just said, you might not actually know the source and clicking links in email is how the vast majority of people fall victim to phishing operations (see the United States Presidential election of 2016 for how disastrous this can be).

That said, if you are sure of the source, and you are confident it is not a spam or scam email, you can always check the actual link prior to clicking it. The process is quite simple. Just hover your mouse over the link in the email, and a little window will pop-up in the lower corner of your browser (usually on the left side) showing you what the actual link. For example, when I hover over this masterfully written articles link on PCWorld.com, I can look in the lower left-hand corner to see where it will take me. You might need to enable this preview window in your browser, so if you dont see link previews, click View in your browsers controls and look for something called Status Bar or similar.

Josh Norem/IDG

When hovering over what you think might be spam links, youll usually see some very strange URLs that are not typical, which usually means its spam, of course. You can see an example below.

Josh Norem/IDG

Spelling mistakes are a huge red flag

Spelling mistakes, odd punctuation, and weird use of language are probably the easiest red flags to recognize. The majority of scam operations are run from countries far away, where English is not their native tongue, and hence you get stuff like this.

Josh Norem/IDG

Sure, nobody is perfect and email can be seen as a casual way to communicate at times, so even we have typos in our emails from time-to-time. But if youre reading an email thinking the person must have been drunk while typing it, mark it as Spam.

Be wary of email from big companies

You will likely never receive an email from Facebook, Apple, or Google, unless you are paying for a service from them, so it could be an invoice for iCloud, or Google Storage, or similar. They will not just email you out of the blue, usually, to let you know theres an issue with your account. They will, however, send you an email when a foreign device logs into your account, but hopefully thats you on a new device, and not some nefarious person. You should enable two-factor authentication on all your accounts for online services anyway, so something like this should not be possible in the first place.

That said, there are exceptions that can be safe. For example, I recently got an email from Google asking me to add a second phone number to my two-factor authentication setup, and since Google is usually smart about these things, it thoughtfully included a non-clickable link at the bottom if I wanted to copy-and-paste it myself instead of clicking an active link. Thats because, as weve said previously, savvy users know to be wary of clickable links. Most big companies will also write in their emails to you that they will never ask for your password over email.

Josh Norem/IDG

One more thing to note: Typically, if you do get an email from a big company like Facebook, there will not be clickable links in the email. Itll be just to inform you of something. However, if you are curious enough to follow up, do it outside the email itself. Open Facebook, or your Google settings, or your iPhone, and investigate the issue there instead of through the email you received.

Texts are just as dangerous as email

Ill admit it, I have definitely been curious about a few texts I have received, which were worded like, Your Amazon package is delayed. Check its status here. Most of us have an Amazon package en route often enough for this type of message to be applicable, but more often than not, its a scam.

Text messages are much more dangerous than emails because theres not really a way to see where the embedded link is taking you unless you preview it, but not everyone knows how to do that. Smartphones have gotten smarter by displaying a preview of what is linked in a box with an image, but of course the scammers have found ways around this, so theres usually not a preview box. The best thing to do, in almost every case, is simply ignore the text, block the sender, and navigate directly to the website of the alleged link. If that example Amazon package was indeed delayed, youll find evidence of it in your orders summary on Amazon.com.

Josh Norem/IDG

In the link above, you know its a scam just based on the URL alone, but what if the message is more sophisticated? What if they use your name, or say something in the message that is actually applicable to your life?

Josh Norem/IDG

The same rules apply to texts as they do to emailsif you dont know the sender, do not open any links. Even if you know the sender, contact them separately to verify they are the ones who sent it. Either way, your life will not deteriorate in any noticeable fashion if you simply do not click the link provided.

Stay vigilant, dont click, stay safe

this excellent security suite includes a mail shield for inbox threats Avast One Read our review

To sum things up, the best Windows antivirus tools can often spot a lot of scam emails for you, and the vast majority of phishing and malware attacks are only successful if the target clicks on a link provided. While there are no click malware attacks going around right now, they are expensive for a third party to purchase on the black market, so they usually target high-level government employees, journalists investigating corruption, and those types of people. Most regular people will only get scammed if you respond to a mysterious message, whether its via email or text. So be safe, do not click on links you get that seem fishy, no matter how curious you might be about it.
MTN Ghana has appointed Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe as Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer (CCSSO) effective 1stMay 2023.



In her role, Adwoa will have oversight responsibility for the Corporate Services function focusing on Regulatory Affairs, Sustainability, Corporate Communications and Commercial Legal departments. She will also serve on the MTN Ghana Foundation Board as Executive Director for the Foundation.



Commenting on her appointment, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Selorm Adadevoh said I am excited about the appointment of Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe and wish to use this opportunity to warmly welcome her to the Yello family. With her rich experience in the corporate space over the years, I am confident that Adwoa will fully support MTNs sustainability initiatives which is a new dimension of the business to realize MTNs Ambition 2025.



Adwoa joins MTN from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), where she was a member of the Executive team with overall responsibility for Legal and Compliance and Regulatory Affairs. In her role at GNPC, she represented GNPC before regulatory bodies, led the negotiation of major transactions, participated in the review of legislation, and served on various inter-governmental teams on petroleum industry related matters.



Prior to GNPC, Adwoa worked at the International Criminal Court, The Hague, Netherlands; Saah & Partners, Ghana; and The Special Court for Sierra Leone, a United Nations ad hoc war crimes court and has also consulted for the United Nations Mission in Liberia. She is currently an adjunct Lecturer for the LLM/MA in Energy Law program at the University of Ghana School of Law, Legon and has contributed to papers and publications at the national and international level.



Adwoa holds a Master of Law degree (LLM) from the Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) from St. Hughs College, Oxford University, UK; Qualifying Certificate in Law (QCL) from Ghana School of Law and a Bachelor of Law from the University of Ghana, Legon.

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
The Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) has slammed the Ghana Education Service (GES) over its penchant for interdicting school authorities.



This follows the GES reinstating embattled Headmasters of Fijai Senior High School, Kenneth Agbomadze and Ghana Senior High School, Tamale, Douglas Haruna Yakubu and a Senior House Master, Shaibu Fuseini, [Ghana Senior High] who were interdicted for taking unapproved fees and using a facility contrary to its originally intended purpose.



They were reinstated after the Ghana Education Service concluded investigations.



Commenting on the development, the Communications Director of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Adukwei Ayikoi Awulley, cautioned the GES against hasty interdiction of its personnel.



Our position has been vindicated, we dont know why recently Ghana Education Service has been taking so much hasty decisions. The moment theres an issue, the first step theu take is to interdict the Headmaster of Headmistress or whoever and at the end of the day the thing goes viral and the persons name might have been soiled, various media organizations will be giving different aspects of whatever has happened and it will take some time before finally they will go into the issue and come out that the person has been reinstated. Look at what happened in that School in Northern Region, it is the same thing that has happened.



The GES must first find out if theres a prima facie case against the person. Theres a School Board, theres a Regional Director of Education and theres District Director of Education. So at least, the school board will meet, if they suspect theres an issue that the Headmaster must answer then you proceed to interdict that person before you investigate the issue. But you have not investigated the matter, the Board has not met, Regional Director has not established any prima facie case against the fellow and all of a sudden you say that person has been interdicted. I dont think its in the right direction, Adukwei Ayikoi Awulley added.





Source: kasapaonline









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
Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has indicated that since the introduction of the Right to Information (RTI) law in 2020, 478 public institutions in the country have established information units and have been assigned designated RTI officers to facilitate the implementation of the law.



Providing updates on the progress of the law thus far during the Ministers Press Briefing on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 in Accra, the Minister said the law has made remarkable inroads since its introduction as the legal framework that provides the constitutional rights of persons to access official information held by public institutions and relevant private institutions.



"Since the passage of the RTI Law, 478 public institutions in Ghana have established information units and designated RTI officers to facilitate the implementation of the law," he said.



According to the Minister, since the inception of the law, his Ministry has put in place the right structures to ensure its smooth operation.



He said the establishment of the information units and the designation of RTI officers are part of these structures and shows government's commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in public institutions.



"The RTI law is a critical tool in our efforts to deepen transparency and accountability in public `institutions. We are committed to ensuring that public institutions comply with the law's provisions, and we will continue to monitor their implementation to ensure that they are doing so," he added.



This, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah urged members of the public to take advantage of the RTI law to access information from public institutions, saying that it is their right to do so.



"The RTI law empowers citizens to demand information from public institutions, and we encourage all Ghanaians to exercise this right. We believe that the law will go a long way in promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in the country," he said.



The RTI law was passed by Parliament in 2019 and became operational in 2020. The law aims to promote transparency and accountability in public institutions by providing citizens with the right to access information held by public institutions.

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
Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has disclosed that over 1000 Right to Information (RTI) requests have been made since the passage of the RTI Act in 2019.



He made this known during a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. According to Oppong Nkrumah, there has been a significant increase in the number of requests for access to information over the past three years since the implementation of the RTI Act.



Out of the over 1000 requests, 838 have been granted, 47 have been rejected with 45 of them transferred.



This the Minister explained that despite the increase in the number of requests over the years, rejected requests have remained low, which he attributed to the technical support provided by the Access to Information Division (ATID) to public institutions.



"ATID provides technical support to public institutions to enable them to fulfil their obligations in granting access to information. When institutions take advantage of this, they avoid any compliant issues," he said.



Mr. Oppong Nkrumah also disclosed that the RTI Commission (RTIC) has been granted prosecutorial powers by the Attorney General's office to prosecute offenders under the Act. He further encouraged citizens to make use of the RTI Act, as it will further strengthen democracy in the country.



"The effective usage of the RTI Act will further strengthen our democracy, so we encourage all to play their part," he stated.



The Minister also revealed that his Ministry is working to improve the RTI application process by moving it online. This move, he explained, will not only digitize the process of RTI application and processing but will also transform records management across public institutions in the country and serve as a central resource center for RTI.

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
A teacher seen in a widely shared photo sewing a students torn dress at a school in Kenya has earned praise and admiration for her kind gesture.



Joyce Malit is seen in the picture sewing the dress as the eight-year-old pupil stands beside her, covered in a wrap cloth.



She told local media that the girl's dress had been torn by a nail at her desk, exposing her undergarment.



A fellow teacher at the school in Narok county gave the girl a wrap cloth to cover herself as Ms Malit sewed the dress using a needle that she always carried.



She said the photo, which went viral on social media this week, had been taken on 7 March by a colleague.



She said she had received many calls from people praising her.



She told the Nation news website that she had developed a special bond with the girl, who comes from a humble background and lives with her grandparents.



She is a bright girl. Since that day, she is my great friend. This morning she brought me a flower as a token of appreciation, she moved me to tears, she said.

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
Moroccos Youth Minister, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, has highlighted the efforts made by his country towards the implementation of the African Youth Charter.



Mr Bensaid spoke at the just-ended African Ministerial Conference hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco this week.

The Ministerial Conference was attended by 100 young leaders, representatives of National Youth Councils, civil society and African youth platforms.



In attendance were several African Ministers of Youth from Burkina Faso, Botswana, Niger, Namibia, Mali, Somalia, Malawi, Ghana, and Senegal, as well as officials from Cameroon and Togo, among others.



The Charter is meant to provide young people with a political and legal framework intended to support the development of youth activities at the continental, regional and national levels in Africa.



In accordance with the edict of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the North African country aims to strengthen cooperation with fellow African countries to foster the emergence of African youth.



Mr Bensaid, whose Ministry also encompasses Culture and Communication, said they desired to strengthen and consolidate the empowerment efforts of African youth.



He said this could be done by promoting significant participation in the continent's social, economic and political development agenda.



He also reiterated his country's commitment to strengthening South-South cooperation, saying it was at the centre of the Kingdoms foreign policy under the leadership of King Mohammed VI.



He stressed the need to reposition the Pan-African Youth Union as a continental decision-making body to carry the voice of African youth and provide real solutions to their problems.



The President of the Pan-African Youth Union, Moumouni Dialla, said the African Youth Charter aims to protect young people against discrimination and guarantees them freedom of movement, speech, association, religion, property and other human rights while committing to promote their participation in society.



He hailed His Majesty King Mohammed VI for the warm welcome given to the participating delegations.



Mr Dialla paid tribute to the Sovereign for his leadership favouring African youth and stressed the importance of projects initiated with the African child in mind.



He further highlighted the importance of the Pan African Youth Union as a continental body advocating for the establishment of sound public policies for African youth.



The African Ministers participating in this ministerial conference and the heads of the delegation stressed the need to preserve this institution and enhance its contribution to continental decision-making further.



The delegates expressed their gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI for his unfailing royal commitment to promoting the conditions of African youth.

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
The Law Faculty of Central University held a public Colloquium on Friday 5th May, 2023 on Property Rights of Spouses in Ghana at its Miotso Campus.



The event was organized for members of the Dawhenyah, Prampram and Ningo Communities. In attendance were delegates from the Ningo Traditional Council: Nene Manor Ohuyerfer IV  Simppie Ningo Traditional Area and Asafoatse Okotobijia III Awula Wem Asafoatse as well as the District Chief Executive of Ningo-Prampram Hon. Al Latif Tetteh Amanor.



The topic Property Rights of Spouses in Ghana was discussed under four dimensions namely: The Marriage Laws of Ghana, The Property Rights of Spouses Upon Dissolution of Marriage, The Property Rights of Spouses Upon Death and The Reforms that have been introduced by the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036).



Though the Faculty embraces the inroads made by Act 1036, it adds its voice to the calls for the proposed Property Rights of Spouses Bill to be passed by the Government.



The Chairman of the event was the Acting Dean of the Law Faculty Dr. Josiah De-Graft Quansah. The speakers were Beryl Sunkwa- Mills Esq, Susanna Afutu Esq, Kwasi Opare-Wiredu Esq and Justice Gilbert Ayisi-Addo who are all faculty members.



Also in attendance were the students of the law faculty and other members of the University Community. The presentations were translated into the Adangme language for the benefit of the locals who attended.



The Colloquium was organized as part of the Universitys corporate social responsibility (which academics refer to as extension services) and warmly received by the participants. This public education would be an annual event of the faculty which the indigenes can look forward to.

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
Prophet Nigel Gaisie, the founder and leader of Prophetic Hill Chapel International has again predicted a win for former President John Mahama ahead of the 2024 election.



However, he has cautioned the NDC to avoid assuming that they've already won the election.



"It's a prophetic word God gave me 5 years ago and it will surely come to pass. What I'll tell the NDC is that their posture now is like they have already won and it's dangerous. They should not behave (like that) because 2024 is not going to be like the last election; it's going to be militant. So in my lifetime, we will see that Kwame Dramani (John Mahama) will go to the Jubilee House," he said on UTV's United Showbiz.



Meanwhile, he has advised, "Mahama to take care of himself; those around him should not enjoy opposition than they working to come into power".



"It will come to pass," he added.



Listen to him in the video below





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
Delegates at the event (Photo: baoquocte.vn)

The event, hosted by the Malaysian Embassy in The Hague, aims to strengthen the solidarity of women in ASEAN and introduce traditional textile products of ASEAN countries.

The guests of honor were Mrs. Liselot Hoornweg, the spouse of the Dutch Foreign Minister, and Countess Van Zuylen van Nijevelt. The key speaker was Ms. Gillian Vogelsang  Eastwood, Director of the Textile Research Center in Leiden.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Le Thi Hien Anh, Chairwoman of the ALC group, expressed her gratitude and welcomed the initiative of Ms. Dato Nadzirah Osman, Malaysian Ambassador, to have a very meaningful and impressive event.

Ms. Gillian Vogelsang  Eastwood shared information about the Dutch textile industry, as well as introduced some products present for thousands of years and stories about her center's collections. Ms. Le Thi Hien Anh said that this is a great opportunity for international friends to admire and understand more about the history of the textile industry.

Expressing her honor to be invited to this event, the Spouse of the Dutch Foreign Minister shared many memories about Leiden city, the capital of the Dutch textile industry, where she was born and grew up. She emphasized the importance of connecting cultures, including the connection between ASEAN and Dutch cultures.

At the event, guests visited booths displaying textile products from five ASEAN countries in The Hague as well as enjoyed special dishes of ASEAN nations such as Vietnams spring rolls, Thailands crispy noodles, Indonesias Sawut, Malaysias chicken curry and the Philippines mango juice.

Coffee Morning is a monthly activity of the ALC group with rich and diverse topics organized by the embassies and drawing enthusiastic participation by members of ALC group. The activity is an opportunity to exchange and share among ASEAN members in The Hague, and contributes to promoting the ASEAN identity to friends and the international community in the host country as well./.
Astute Political Scientist, Ransford Edward Van Gyampo has questioned the open support of aspiring New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopefuls by some Members of Parliament from the party.



To him, the move can either break-up the party in its quest to win the 2024 presidential election.



Prof Gyampo who was speaking on NEAT FMs morning show, Ghana Montie said he is shocked by the MPs' move after describing it as childish.



What they are doing is not right. It's childish and amateur politics. This party is supposed to have come of age but it seems like they are not that matured.



This is not the tradition of the NPP, what is going wrong? They are not growing up. Even their leadership is questionable," he told the host, Mac-Jerry Agyeman.



Listen to interview





Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/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
John Dramani Mahama, the former President of Ghana, has pledged to create a favourable environment for anti-corruption institutions to clamp down on corrupt officials if he wins the upcoming presidential election.



Mr. Mahama has stated that corrupt government officials will be discouraged from engaging in corrupt practices during his tenure.



Speaking to delegates in Lambussie in the Upper West Region, he reiterated that corrupt individuals will be punished regardless of their political affiliation under the next National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.



Mr. Mahama emphasized that he would allow anti-corruption institutions to function independently and that he would not interfere with or shield anyone who engages in corrupt activities.



He stated that anyone who is caught stealing public funds will face the full force of the law, whether they are in his government, past governments, or the previous government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).



It doesnt matter whether you belong to our government or past governments, if you steal the peoples money we will deal with you. If elected as President, I will allow anti-corruption institutions to work. Nobody should come and call me to save them when they catch you. Any person whether in my government or outside my government or in the previous NPP government, if the anti-corruption institutions are dealing with you that is your business because we must save this country, Mr. Mahama said.

Source: Graphiconline









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
Fifteen constituencies will not take part in Saturdays parliamentary primaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as the party works to resolve issues of dispute on various fronts.



The affected constituencies include Akwatia, Ayensuano, Afram Plains South, Lower West Akim, all in the Eastern Region; Manhyia South, Adansi Asokwa and Mampong in the Ashanti Region; Ayawaso West Wuogon and Odododiodoo in the Greater Accra Region; and Amenfi East and Akontombra in the Western and Western North regions, respectively.



The rest are Tano North in the Ahafo Region; Gomoa Central, Assin North and Effutu in the Central Region.



The party said it was working to resolve the issues surrounding the affected constituencies, and that a new date for the elections would be announced in due course.



Elections



The acting Director of Elections of the NDC, Daniel Amartey Mensah, told the Daily Graphic last Friday that the presidential primary would, however, take place in 275 constituencies across the country except Manhyia South in the Ashanti Region where the presidential primary has been suspended along with the parliamentary primary.



He said the Manhyia South presidential primary had to do with the branch executive delegates list.



The parliamentary primaries would, thus, be held in 217 constituencies, with 15 put on hold, and 44 going unopposed.



In all, 55,862 aspirants will take part in the parliamentary primaries across the country.



Delegates



Mr Mensah said a total of 356,624 delegates of the party were expected to vote in the presidential primary.



They comprise branch, constituency, regional and national executive, former national executive, sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), former MPs and government appointees, NDC-appointed Article 71 Office Holders, and metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives that served under the partys government.



The rest are NDC-appointed former Deputy and Ministers of State, former Ambassadors and High Commissioners, former Members of the Council of State, presidential staffers who fall under Article 71 Office Holders, foreign chapters and members of the NDC Professional Forum.



Mr Mensah explained that the election was originally scheduled to have taken place in 276 constituencies, including the Santrokofi-Akpafu-Lolobi-Likpe (SALL) area, until various circumstances intervened to force the suspensions.



Readiness



Mr Mensah expressed the readiness of the party to hold the elections which, he said, would be under the paid-for supervision of the Electoral Commission (EC).



He said the party had opted for a decentralised approach for the polls to save time and ensure efficiency.



He said where the delegates were more than the 1,200 threshold, two more centres had been created to ensure the polls end within the stipulated time of 4 p.m., saying voting would start at 8 a.m. in all the centres.



He said the results of the parliamentary primary polls would be declared at the constituency level, while for the presidential the final collation centre would be at the party's national headquarters in Accra.



Ballot papers



Mr Mensah said the first batch of the ballot papers for the presidential primary had been printed and handed over to the EC, with the rest to follow soon.



He said the party leadership last Wednesday met with representatives of the three presidential aspirants  Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Kojo Bonsu and former President John Dramani Mahama  to discuss the modalities regarding the election, and had also been handed copies of the voters register (albums) that would be used on the voting day.



Regarding the alleged issues of anomalies in the voters register raised by Dr Duffuors campaign team, Mr Mensah said the issue had been addressed, and that if the team still had concerns they could petition the Functional Executive Committee of the party for redress and not the EC.



Last Wednesday, we gave out 228 copies of the photo albums to all the presidential aspirants for the elections, and the rest would be given to them in due course, which would be relevant on the election day, he stated.

Source: Graphiconline









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 Deputy Chairman for Finance and Administration at the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Victor Brobbey, has urged Ghanaians to turn out in their numbers to vote in the upcoming local government elections later this year.



According to him, the turnout for local government election is normally about half the national election because most people are not aware of the effects that local governance has directly on their lives.



He further highlighted that decisions made in the local level of governance can cause major change in the lives of Ghanaians than they realise.



He therefore urged citizens to show up in their numbers and cast their votes during local governance elections as this will allow for effective change and democracy in the future.



A lot of development decisions are taken at the local government level and it is important we keep highlighting this fact to encourage people to participate and also to vote in those elections because they have a much more direct impact on their lives than the national elections do sometimes, he stated.



The Deputy Chairman shared his thoughts at an engagement event held by the NCCE at the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) headquarters to educate the personnel on the 1992 constitution of the country and celebrate its 30 year existence in the country.



The event also sought to solicit the opinions of the personnel of the GPS and present it to the Parliament to be kept and taken into account if constitutional reforms should begin.



Director of Prisons at the Human Resource Management, Benedict Bob-Dery, thanked the NCCE for their time and encouraged the NCCE to educate the public on the needs of the prisons service so as to increase the support the service gains from the public.



Please educate the citizens to come to our aid so that the prisons will become a better place for the inmates, he stated.

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
Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, who is vying to become the ruling New Patriotic Partys (NPPs) flagbearer, has donated a new pick-up van to the party for its campaign activities in the forthcoming Kumawu Constituency by-election in the Ashanti Region.



The vehicle was presented to party officials at the NPP headquarters in Accra on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.



Agyapong, who is also the MP for Assin Central, stated that his aim was to assist in the strengthening of the party in the constituency to secure a win.



The by-election has been set for May 23, 2023 by the Electoral Commission following the death of the MP, Philip Basoah on March 27, 2023.



Philip Basoah died at the age of 53 at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.



The EC in a statement signed and issued by its Chairperson, Jean Mensah said the exercise would be conducted in line with Article 112 (5) of the constitution.



The Electoral Commission wishes to announce for the information of the general public that following the death of the Member of Parliament for the Kumawu Constituency, Philip Basoah, the seat of the constituency in Parliament has become vacant, the EC said.

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
Kojo Bonsu, a flag bearer aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), says he is not surprised by the suit filed by one of his contenders, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, seeking an injunction on the Partys upcoming presidential primaries.



In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Kojo Bonsu said he would, however, not comment on the substance of the case until he had spoken to his lawyer.



Im not surprised (about the suit), he said.



The NDC is expected to hold its presidential and parliamentary primaries on Saturday 13 May 2023, to elect a flagbearer and parliamentary candidates for the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.



The presidential aspirants are former President John Dramani Mahama, Kojo Bonsu, a former mayor of Kumasi, and Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, a former Minister of Finance.



With barely three days to the primaries, Dr. Duffuor, who had raised issues with some anomalies on the voters register for the elections, filed an injunction application at the High Court on Tuesday, seeking to stop the Party from holding the primaries with a dishonest register.



Dr. Duffuor wants the Party to deliver the complete register to him at least five weeks ahead of the election.



In the writ, he explained that data from only 220 out of the 275 constituencies had been verified, alleging that an exceptional list of 74,799 had been created, which could not be verified because of scanty information provided about them in the Photo Album Register.



Again, he claimed that, for no credible reason, 3,910 eligible voters in the 220 constituencies had been disenfranchised.



Dr. Duffuor added that a sizeable number of the eligible voters had no photographs exhibited on the Photo Album Register making it impossible to conduct any meaningful verification exercise on those persons.



He indicated that the photo album put out by the Partys election committee with the knowledge, consent, and tacit approval of the General Secretary of the Party would compromise the integrity of the election to his (Dr. Duffuors) detriment.



The NDC is yet to officially respond to the suit.



Meanwhile, in an interview with a radio station in Accra on Tuesday, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Chairman of the Party, said there was no basis for the Party to postpone the primaries.



He said the Party had followed due processes based on the rules governing the upcoming elections and assured delegates and aspirants that the elections would come on as scheduled.





Source: GNA









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.
By Erin McCarthy, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

During the search for tickets to her first Taylor Swift concert, Jasmine Ma has talked to dozens of probable scammers on Facebook and Instagram.

Sometimes they have obviously fake profiles. Other times, their profile appears legit, complete with photos at previous Swift concerts. In Mas experience, the would-be scammers usually start to give her a hard time when she requests to make the purchase using PayPal Goods and Services, a digital payment platform that protects buyers and sellers.

Ma, 27, of Philadelphia, wishes she could just get tickets off a verified resale site like StubHub, SeatGeek, or Vivid Seats. But with prices for Swifts three Philly concerts starting at $1,300 after fees on those sites, Ma said she has no choice but to brave a social media marketplace rife with con artists looking to take advantage of Swifties.

A trusted secondary-market site would definitely make me feel more assured, but the ticket prices are way too high right now, said Ma, who works in administration for an engineering firm. Despite being a lifelong fan, its not justifiable paying more than a mortgage to see her for a night.

As Swifties across the region get increasingly desperate this week, people like Teresa Murray worry. As consumer watchdog for the Public Interest Research Group, she has seen how tech savvy and sophisticated scammers can be  and how diehard fans can be especially vulnerable.

There are con artists out there that have been thinking for a long time about how to scam people, whether its for Taylor Swift or Beyonce (concerts) or a 76ers playoff game, Murray said. For a lot of people, going to a Taylor Swift concert in person makes them just desperate, and desperate people sometimes do irrational things.

Taylor Swift performs during the opener of her Eras tour Friday, March 17, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, file)AP

Concert tickets being priced so high can exacerbate FOMO, or the fear of missing out, said Moodys analyst Jason Mercer. As fans scour all corners of the internet for tickets, struggling to find ones in their price range, its in their mind that this must be the best show ever.

No matter how desperate they are, Murray never advises fans to buy tickets from strangers on social media, recommending that they instead network in their own circles in the offline world.

Ask relatives, friends, neighbors, or coworkers whether they have tickets or know anyone who does. Even if you end up buying from a longtime coworker of friend, she said, there is a level of protection in knowing that your friend would be able to track the seller down in the unlikely event that they scammed you.

With strangers on social media, there are no guarantees, she said, and more than just the ticket cost could be on the line.

Some scammers have started asking people to open their email and send them a code, which allows the scammer take over the persons email and potentially access their banking account and other personal information.

There will be people who make bad decisions this week and buy fraudulent tickets, get their personal information hacked, because they wanted to go to a concert, she said. At some point, you need to make a decision: Is it really worth it ... if you have to worry so much about whether youre going to get scammed?

For some Swifties, the answer is yes.
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  A sheriffs deputy was killed and her 8-year-old son was injured Tuesday night when the dog they were watching for another person attacked them in their home, reports say.

The Marion County Sheriffs Office confirmed the death of Deputy Tamieka White, 46, in a post on Facebook. White had been a deputy with the department since 2007.

Tamieka White, a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff's Office in Indiana, died in a dog attack Wednesday, authorities say. (Marion County Sheriff's Office)

She was a bright light to everyone and will missed by all who knew her, the post says. We will work tirelessly to uphold her memory.

The Indianapolis Star reports White was killed while trying to protect her son from the dog. She was pronounced dead shortly after the attack was reported at about 7:45 p.m. Officers who arrived at the scene had to kill the dog because it was preventing them from getting to White, who was found laying on the ground of the garage, CBS 4 reports.

Her son was taken to a hospital and was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, WRTV reports. He reportedly was in good condition.

Police tell WRTV that White was caring for three dogs that belonged to another person when the attack occurred. Indianapolis Animal Care Services tells CBS 4 that the dog involved in the attack appeared to be a breed of pit bull, but it could not be confirmed without a DNA test.

No charges have been filed against the owner of the dog, reports say.

More:

Author of childrens book on grief charged with killing her husband

Woman accused of ordering dog to attack 6-year-old gets prison time
By Ellie Rushing, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

Jaseem Thomas lay still in a hospital bed, his eyes closed. White gauze encircled his head, framing his young face. The 16-year-old could no longer breathe on his own; a ventilator was keeping him alive.

Thomas arrived at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center last week in grave condition after being shot six times  including twice in the head  as he was on his way to catch a trolley near his home in Southwest Philadelphia.

His mother rushed to his side at the hospital, where the doctors told her the damage to his brain was severe. If her son ever woke up, she said they told her, he would never be the same.

Shanae Thomas went home that night, and in her dreams, she said, her son came to her.

He was smiling, and he just said, Mom, Im OK. Im OK. Im not hurting, she recalled. And that gave me strength to deal with the next day.

In the days that followed, doctors confirmed through multiple tests that Jaseems brain activity had ceased, and on Monday at 2:05 p.m., he was declared brain dead.

Thomas said that even amid pain so raw that her vision blurred, she thought back to her dream, and knew how her sons legacy could live on

By donating his organs, she said, she could ensure that Jaseems killers would not get the last word. His story would not end with his killing.

He can save somebody elses life, she said.

In fact, he saved five.

At 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jaseems health care team rolled his bed into the hospital hallway, where dozens of nurses, physicians, technicians, surgeons and staff lined up. Like soldiers, they stood silently at attention, some crying and quietly thanking him as he headed toward the operating room to give the transformative gift of life to strangers.

Jaseems heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver were donated to five recipients whose lives were transformed, based on this familys generosity and kindness at their worst possible time, said Rick Hasz, president and chief executive of the Philadelphia-based Gift of Life Donor Program.

His corneas were also recovered, and will restore the vision of two people, he said.

Hasz expressed his condolences to the Thomas family, and said he could not overstate the impact of their decision. It restores my faith in humanity that his mother Shanae could think of others at that time, he said.

We think its a reflection of who Jaseem was and how he lived his life, Hasz said. Through his death, he was truly a hero.

While Jaseems final, lifesaving gift has brought his family some comfort, theyre still reeling from his violent death.

The teen was shot on the evening of April 27, as he walked down Woodland Avenue to catch the 11 trolley. At 6:12 p.m., a man emerged from a black SUV double parked across the street. He walked up to Jaseem and shot him six times  in the ankle, stomach, and head  then got back into the vehicle and drove off.

The motive for the shooting remains unclear, police say, and they dont know if Jaseem knew his assailant. Jaseem, who had no criminal record, was carrying a gun at the time, but it had not been fired, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore. Detectives continue to investigate.

Jaseem is one of 12 Philadelphia teens and children to die from gun violence this year, as young people have become increasingly victims and perpetrators of violence.

To Shanae Thomas, the carnage is senseless. He had goals, he didnt deserve this, she said of her son. Where is the help? Where is the city?

More:

Reading police investigate shootings that killed teen, injured 1 adult

13-year-old charged as adult with murder in sleepover shooting of friend
An art performance at the event (Photo: VNA)

The event aims to celebrate the 133rd birthday of President Ho Chi Minh and five years since Vietnam and Hungary upgraded to the comprehensive partnership.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Bich Thao emphasized that Vietnam Cultural Day 2023 in Zalaegerszeg city, home to the only President Ho Chi Minh monument in Central Eastern Europe, was held on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of upgrading the Vietnam-Hungary Comprehensive Partnership in order to introduce Hungarian friends in general and people in the city in particular to a dynamic developing country of Vietnam with a rich and long-standing culture and cuisine; and diverse natural landscape famous around the world. Vietnam is also an attractive tourist destination with many business and investment opportunities for Hungarian businesses.

This is an opportunity to show gratitude to the local people who have supported and cared for Uncle Ho's statue, showing their special affection for him and the people of Vietnam during the past 50 years.

Thanking the Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary for organizing Vietnam Cultural Day, which has become a great festival for the people in Zalaegerszeg city, City Mayor Balaicz Zoltan congratulated Vietnam on its increasingly innovative, strong development, becoming a an important partner of Hungary; relations between the two countries have expanded and developed comprehensively in many fields.

He also expressed his belief that in the coming time, the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Hungary will grow stronger and stronger; and cooperation between Zalaegerszeg city and Vietnam will be expanded in the fields of culture, education, tourism, economy and people-to-people exchanges.

Within the framework of the Vietnam Cultural Day program, guests and local people enjoyed the unique Vietnamese folk songs and dances performed by the Vietnamese community, calligraphy art, visiting photo exhibitions of craft villages, natural landscapes of the country and people of Vietnam, as well as experience the space of traditional costume performance, exhibition space for export goods and handicrafts of Vietnam.

Many traditional dishes such as "bun cha" and fried spring rolls have been introduced to international friends. At the end of the program, Hungarian people immersed themselves in the traditional stall dance of the Northwest with students and the Vietnamese community in the bustling music.

Vietnam Cultural Day 2023 is the largest-scale event ever organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary, leaving many special impressions on the local people in particular, Hungarian friends in general as well as the Vietnamese community in Hungary, contributing to strongly promoting Vietnamese culture and deepening the traditional friendship between the two countries./.
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y.  U.S. Rep. George Santos, infamous for fabricating his life story, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he duped donors, stole from his campaign and lied to Congress about being a millionaire, all while cheating to collect unemployment benefits he didnt deserve.

Afterward, he said he wouldnt drop his reelection bid and defied calls to resign.

Santos 13-count federal indictment was a reckoning for a web of fraud and deceit that prosecutors say overlapped with the New York Republicans fantastical public image as a wealthy businessman  a fictional biography that began to unravel after he won election last fall.

Santos, 34, was released on $500,000 bond following his arraignment, about five hours after turning himself in to face charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress. He surrendered his passport and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

This is the beginning of the ability for me to address and defend myself, a cheerfully combative Santos told reporters swarming him outside a Long Island federal courthouse. He said hes been cooperating with the investigation and vowed to fight the prosecution, which he labeled a witch hunt.

His lawyer, Joseph Murray, was more circumspect, saying: Any time the federal government comes after you its a serious case. We have to take this serious.

Santos said he planned to return to Washington, where the indictment is amplifying doubts about the freshmans ability to serve. House Republican leaders are taking a wait-and-see approach, saying Santos is innocent until proven guilty. Others are reiterating previous calls for Santos to step aside.

I think were seeing that the wheels of justice grind slow, but they grind fine, said Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican who confronted Santos on the House floor at President Joe Bidens State of the Union address in February.

Asked about Santos on Wednesday, Biden said, Im not commenting, adding that anything he said would be construed by some interfering in the investigation. Asked if Congress should expel Santos, Biden said, Thats for Congress to decide.

Among the allegations, prosecutors say Santos created a company and then induced supporters to donate to it under the false pretense that the money would be used to support his campaign. Instead, they say, he used the money for personal expenses, including designer clothes and credit card and car payments.

Santos also is accused of lying about his finances on congressional disclosure forms and obtaining unemployment benefits while he was making $120,000 as regional director of an investment firm that the government shut down in 2021 over allegations that it was a Ponzi scheme.

The indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said. Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself.

Santos didnt directly address the specifics of the charges to reporters, but when asked why he received unemployment benefits while employed, Santos cited a job change and confusion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Santos, sporting his usual crewneck sweater, blazer and khakis, said little during the arraignment, which lasted about 15 minutes. Reporters spilled from the gallery to the jury box, joined by a handful of constituents.

He should be thrown out of Congress and put in prison, declared Jeff Herzberg, a Long Island resident who spent hours waiting to see Santos arraignment. I hope that day comes soon.

Santos was elected to Congress last fall after a campaign built partly on falsehoods. He told people he was a wealthy Wall Street dealmaker with a substantial real estate portfolio who had been a star volleyball player in college, among other things.

In reality, Santos didnt work at the big financial firms he said employed him, didnt go to college and struggled financially before entering politics. He claimed he fueled his run largely with self-made riches earned from brokering deals on expensive toys for wealthy clients, but the indictment alleges those boasts were also exaggerated.

In a House financial disclosure form, Santos reported making $750,000 a year from a family company, the Devolder Organization, but the charges unsealed Wednesday allege that Santos never received that sum, nor the $1 million and $5 million in dividends he listed as coming from the firm.

Santos has described the Devolder Organization as a broker for sales of luxury items like yachts and aircraft. The business was incorporated in Florida shortly after Santos stopped working for Harbor City Capital, the company accused by federal authorities of operating an illegal Ponzi scheme.

In November 2021, Santos formed Redstone Strategies, a Florida company that federal prosecutors say he used to dupe donors into financing his lifestyle. According to the indictment, Santos told an associate to solicit contributions to the company and gave the person contact information for potential donors.

Emails to prospective donors falsely claimed the company was formed exclusively to aid Santos election bid and that there would be no limits on how much they could contribute, the indictment said. Santos falsely claimed the money would be spent on television ads and other campaign expenses, it said.

But a month before his election, Santos transferred about $74,000 from the company to bank accounts he maintained, the indictment said. He also transferred money to some of his associates, it said.

Santos legal troubles date to his late teens, when he was investigated in Brazil for allegedly using stolen checks to buy clothes  a case that authorities say theyve since reopened.

In 2017, Santos was charged with theft in Pennsylvania for allegedly using thousands of dollars in bogus checks to buy puppies from breeders. That case was dismissed after Santos claimed his checkbook was stolen and someone else took the dogs.

Federal authorities have separately been looking into complaints about Santos fundraising for a group that purported to help abused pets. A New Jersey veteran accused Santos of failing to deliver $3,000 he raised to help his dog get needed surgery.

j
A Harrisburg audience heard - and voiced - some hard truths about policing and race in Pennsylvania Wednesday night, at a community forum sponsored by the Pennsylvania Council of Churches.

Despite a widely-noted moment of reckoning in the wake of George Floyds murder at the knee of a Minneapolis police offer three years ago, its apparent that the specter of race still casts a large shadow over how the administration of justice is perceived - from stop to sentencing.

Black parents, said Georgetown University law professor Paul Butler, are still advised to have the talk with their teen sons about how to and how not to act if they are stopped by a police officer.

While a Pennsylvania law enforcement leader touted an accreditation process that requires qualifying departments to meet nearly 140 best-practice standards, he noted only about 15 percent of all Pennsylvania departments have currently earned that certification.

And when a Dauphin County prosecutor earnestly stated that as she approaches her cases its not about race at all, murmers from the audience were audible.

The forum sponsored by the Pennsylvania Council of Churches was meant to be a conversation-starter as much as anything; a chance for people to speak about their experiences on the streets and highways of Pennsylvania, in front of a panel that included law enforcement, civil rights leaders and a leading scholar on race and justice.

Butler, author of the critically-acclaimed 2017 book Chokehold: Policing Black Men, broke the ice with a powerful keynote address drawn from his combined experiences as a former federal prosecutor, an academic and a Black man living in 21st Century America.

Examining the usual theories for why Black men are dramatically over-represented in American prison populations, Butler said he believes the proponents of the Black Lives Matter and its off-shoot movements are closest to the core:

That white supremacy has been ingrained into our criminal legal system through a series of court decisions that have significantly increased police powers, coupled with a cultural environment thats fed in - for too many officers, Butler believes - to an us vs. them mentality.

Butler offered three things that could be done now to improve both the realities and the perceptions of the situation on the ground:

Train current police officers in methods of bystander intervention so, if and when they see a colleague handling a situation poorly, they feel empowered to intervene on the spot.

Standardize requirements for all new officers to have earned a college degree, just like we expect of classroom teachers now, or military service.

Dramatically increase the recruitment and hiring of women for police positions. Butler said thats based on data that shows that female officers, while they are just a competent at building cases, are far less likely to have a call for service turn violent.

Longer term, Butler said, the United States should transform its prison system. That doesnt mean, he said, opening every cell door tomorrow.

First steps could be taken now, he said, with broader deployment of mental health specialists, addiction counselers and other types of responders to calls to emergency dispatch centers.

About 95 percent of the calls to 9-1-1 are about people who are neighbors in dispute, in crisis in a relationship, mental health patients or a problem arising from homelessness or addiction, Butler said. And a lot of times having someone respond with a gun and a baton and handcuffs, that makes things worse.

Butler was later joined in a panel discussion with David Splain, president of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, Dauphin County assistant district attorney Jennifer Gettle, and Chad Dion Lassiter, executive director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

Splain and Gettle, at points, took pains to point out the improvements that have already been made in policing.

Splain cited the growth in the number of police forces routinely using body cameras as a great advance for accountability.

Ive found that having officers on video has made them more professional. They know that theyre being videotaped, and they know that theyre going to be held accountable, said Splain, whos been chief of police in Nether Providence Township, Delaware County, since 2013.

But Harrisburg resident Jean Ussery pointed out that body cameras are not the answer to all the indignities that occur on the streets.

Ussery said a male relative of hers was stopped by city police as he was entering a home on Allison Hill that he was in the process of selling after a renovation. The officers reaction, Ussery said, was to order him to get on the ground and shut up.

The situation ended without further incident after a second officer arrived, Ussery said, but it proved to her that police harassment of Blacks is still an issue.

Lassiter, of the Human Relations Commission, noted complaints like Usserys shouldnt be interpreted as a sign that Black communities are anti-police.

I dont know any community that Ive been in, or that I come from where people are saying abolish the police, he said, to applause from the audience at St. Stephens Episcopal Cathedral on North Front Street. The communities that I travel through... they want police who are not corrupt. They want police to see their humanity.

Gettle, the county prosecutor, said its just as important for the police officers who are trying to do things the right way to know they are valued.

My concern here is that with this animosity towards law enforcement, towards the police... the numbers are at an all-time low of individuals who want to do police work, Gettle said. And, dont kid yourselves, if you have only ten applicants where you use to have 400 applicants, the quality of the individuals going into the police force is going to change.

The forum comes at a time when Blacks make up 48 percent of the current inmate population in Pennsylvanias state prison system, despite representing just 12.2 percent of the overall population, according to U.S. Census data.

Long-term, Butler predicted, that over-incarceration of people of color will only stop if prisons are actually used for the dangerous few - murderers, rapists and others deemed threats to public safety - with measures like electronic monitoring applied to a far greater percentage of convicts.

Its going to take a long time to end the New Jim Crow, Butler said, referring to mass incarceration.

But the determination of who goes to criminal court in chains shouldnt depend so much on race and class... As long as it does, we need to think about reform and transformation.
The Mother's Day Walk for Peace is pictured in an undated file photo. The Doukhobor Community from Boundary Country is a major part of The Mothers Day Walk. Their forbearers settled in Canada having burned weapons in protest against a Russo-Turkish War.
Alaskas coastal communities are home to more than a third of the U.S. wastewater plants that are still allowed to treat their sewage at the lowest and most basic technological level. But six cities in Southeast Alaska may soon have to invest in improvements to better clean their wastewater before discharging it into the ocean.

That is the message from draft permits that have been released or are to be released by the Environmental Protection Agency, which has determined that too much bacteria is going from the sites into marine waters.

The agency last week issued a draft permit for the Haines Boroughs wastewater plant that calls for disinfection of bacteria in the treated discharge. As of now, there is no disinfection at the Haines plant, and its discharges contain high levels of fecal coliform and enterococcus bacteria, common pollutants in sewage, EPA said. To meet state water-quality standards, the plant relies on a large mixing zone in Portage Cove, EPA said.

Mixing zones are defined by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation as defined areas where a permitted wastewater discharge undergoes initial dilution and where pollutant levels may exceed water-quality standards.

According to EPAs analysis, the mixing zone used in Haines is no longer adequate. The agencys analysis of the Haines operations said that without improvements, it has the reasonable potential to cause or contribute to a violation of Alaska water-quality standards.

A similar requirement is contained in a new draft permit issued in October for the wastewater treatment plant at Wrangell, which also had a similar analysis. Yet to come, EPA said, are new drafts for Skagway, Sitka, Petersburg and Ketchikan. All six Southeast sites are operating on permits that were issued more than 20 years ago and have been periodically extended through administrative processes.

The six communities, located from the northern to southern tips of the Inside Passage and discharging into fast-moving marine waters, are among a select few in the nation that have municipal wastewater plants allowed to use mere primary treatment on the wastes they process, according to EPA. Primary treatment screens out solids, and all six plants rely on large mixing zones in their discharge areas.

The vast majority of publicly operated wastewater plants in the nation are required to do at least a second level of treatment, said Suzanne Skadowski, a spokeswoman for EPAs Seattle-based Region 10 office. Secondary treatment employs bacterial and additional physical processes to remove about 85% of contaminants; it is now standard practice at most plants. Some plants use a third level of treatment, which uses more advanced methods to remove contaminants.

In all, 24 plants around the nation are exempted from the secondary-treatment requirement, and nine are in Alaska, Skadowski said.

The cost for adding disinfection to the wastewater operations in the six Southeast communities or for upgrading to secondary-treatment systems is still unclear.

Even if the EPA determines that the Southeast Alaska wastewater plants deserve to keep waivers under the Clean Water Act from secondary treatment, the Alaska DEC will make the final decision on whether plants receive them. The state agency has authority over wastewater-discharge permitting within Alaska, including the power to demand stricter standards than those issued by EPA, the federal agency said.

Of the nine Alaska plants with waivers, the biggest by far is the John M. Asplund Wastewater Treatment Facility operated by the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility. The plant, which serves most residents of the states largest city, discharges into the silty and swift-moving waters of Cook Inlet. Unlike the six Southeast Alaska sites, the Asplund plant uses disinfectant  chlorine  as part of the treatment before wastewater is discharged into the inlet.

The Asplund plant is operating with a permit issued in 2000 and continued through administrative action, Skadowski said. We are in the early process with Alaska DEC and Anchorage regarding updating the application with new data, she said by email.

The other Alaska communities with wastewater plants currently operating with waivers that allow mere primary treatment are Pelican and Whittier, Skadowski said.

The AlaskaBeacon.com is a donor-funded independent news organization in Alaska.
This aerial photo shows tourists visiting the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This photo taken on Oct. 2, 2021 shows a performance staged at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Tourists visit a relic of a bathing pool at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

Tourists visit the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This aerial photo shows tourists visiting the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This aerial photo shows tourists visiting the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Tourists visit a relic of a bathing pool at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

Tourists visit the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

A tourists in traditional Chinese clothing Hanfu visit the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

Tourists visit a relic of a bathing pool at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Dec. 16, 2022 shows a performance staged at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This photo taken on May 5, 2023 shows cultural and creative products displayed at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Tourists visit the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Tourists visit the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Editor: Zhang Zhou
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

CNNs Kaitlin Collins is being steamrolled by Trump, who has pushed 2020 election lies, promised to pardon the 1/6 insurrectionists, and smeared E. Jean Carroll.

Trump starts off the town hall with claims that the 2020 election was rigged:

CNN doesn't start with E. Jean Carroll, but allows Trump to lie about the 2020 election, "Most people understand what happened. That was a rigged election, and it's a shame we had to go through it." pic.twitter.com/ZHEMHaq2MZ  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 11, 2023

Trump blamed 1/6 on Nancy Pelosi:

CNN is now allowing Trump to blame 1/6 on Nancy Pelosi, as Kaitlin Collins is little more than a speed bump, "If they would have had just  I offered them 10,000 soldiers." Trump did not offer them 10,000 soldiers. pic.twitter.com/YlnzuY4h5y  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 11, 2023

Trump promised to pardon the 1/6 insurrectionists:

Trump promises to pardon the 1/6 insurrectionists if he is back in the White House, "I would say it will be a large portion of them, you know? They did a very  and it'll be very early on. And they're living in hell right now." pic.twitter.com/jFsBjJmp52  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 11, 2023

Trump then claimed that women would still vote for him after he was found to have sexually abused E. Jean Carroll:

Trump says women will still vote for him after he was found to have sexually abused E. Jean Carroll, " No, I don't think so because I think the whole thing just so you understand  you ready? I never met this woman. I never saw this woman." pic.twitter.com/fHCB3qKCCY  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 11, 2023

The CNN town hall is a disaster for both CNN and the nation. A broomstick could have replaced Kaitlin Collins, and the broomstick would be more effective at stopping Trump and correcting his lies.

Collins and CNN seem to have decided to go soft on Trump, as all that is being offered to counter Trumps tsunami of lies and falsehoods is token resistance and correction.

Why is Kaitlin Collins there?

She is not trying to stop Trump, and she lets him say the lie and then offers a flat-voiced correction. There is no accountability for Trump at the CNN Town Hall.

CNN isnt just platforming a sexual predator who attempted to overthrow the US government, CNN is actively promoting him.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

During the CNN Town Hall, Trump wouldnt answer when asked if he would give Ukraine weapons, and if he supported Ukraine in the war against Russia.

Video:

Q: Would you give Ukraine weapons? Trump: Let me put it a nicer way. If I'm president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours. So that's a no. Trump also wouldn't say that he wants Ukraine to win the war. #CNNTownHall pic.twitter.com/uARs1GXCFL  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 11, 2023

The exchange between Trump and Kaitlin Collins:

Collins: Do you want Ukraine to win this war?

Trump: I dont think in terms of winning and losing. I think getting it settled so stop killing all these people.

Collins: Mr. President, can I follow up on that? Thats an important statement you made. Can you say if you want Ukraine or Russia to win this war?

Trump: I want everybody to stop dying. Theyre dying. Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And Ill have that done in 24 hours Ill have it done. You need the power of the presidency to do it.

Collins: But you wont say you want Ukraine to win?

Trump: I want Europe to put up more money. Because theyre in for 20 billion, theyre in for 170 and they should equalize. They have plenty of money. I got NATO to pay hundreds of millions that they werent paying under Obama and Bush and all these other presidents. Thats why theyre able to help them fight the war because of the money I got.

A vote for Trump is basically a vote for Putin in the Ukraine war. What is striking is how absolutely nothing has changed with Trump in the last eight years. He is still in the back pocket of Vladimir Putin.

The CNN town hall has been a disaster, but the only good element to the fiasco is that Trump has exposed himself as the same anti-America, pro-Putin fraudster, who has a contempt for democracy and wants to weaken the United States.

For More Stories Like This, Subscribe To Our Newsletter:
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Fox and Friends Steve Doocy confronted House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY) about his lack of evidence supporting the Biden pay for play allegation.

Video:

Wow! Steve Doocy to James Comer this morning: "You don't actually have any facts to that point. You've got some circumstantial evidence. And the other thing is, of all those names, the one person who didn't profit  there's no evidence that Joe Biden did anything illegally." pic.twitter.com/Ad8L3NSXWE  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2023

Doocy recapped Comers Biden influence-peddling allegation and said, Thats just your suggestion. You dont actually have any facts to that point. Youve got some circumstantial evidence, and the other thing is, of all of those names, the person who didnt profit. Theres no evidence that Joe Biden did anything illegally.

Rep. Comer responded by claiming that Hunter Biden and associates hid President Bidens involvement, and the Kentucky Republican said, But make no mistake, Joe Biden was involved. Comer then defended his investigation as still in the early stages and claimed to have informants that nobody has heard of yet.

Chair Comer then returned to more vague conspiracy theories. Comer knows that Joe Biden was involved. He doesnt have any evidence to prove it.

Even Fox News isnt buying what Comer is selling. Maybe Fox News lifer Steve Doocy was being a good company man and trying to prevent the network from being sued again.

It isnt as if Fox News has had a change of heart. Fox would love a good Biden scandal to dive into, but even they see the reality that it has been months and James Comer has nothing.

For More Stories Like This, Subscribe To Our Newsletter:
A Long March-7 Y7 rocket carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

WENCHANG, Hainan, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China launched a new cargo mission on Wednesday night to transport supplies to its orbiting Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft, a Long March-7 Y7 rocket lifted off at 9:22 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, the agency said.

After around 10 minutes, Tianzhou-6 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded and began working. The agency declared the launch a complete success.

The cargo vessel will later conduct an automated rendezvous and docking with the station combination in orbit.

The newly launched Tianzhou-6 has improved features compared to the previous Tianzhou craft, with a greater loading volume and a larger carrying capacity.

Wang Ran, chief designer of the Tianzhou series who works with the China Academy of Space Technology, said the effective loading volume increased from 18.1 cubic meters to 22.5 cubic meters, equivalent to a 20 percent expansion. The loading capacity has been improved to 7.4 tonnes, making Tianzhou-6 the world's largest cargo spacecraft in service.

In this mission, Tianzhou-6 is loaded with more than 200 pieces of goods, including daily supplies for taikonauts as well as clothes, food, fruit and water, with a total weight of around 5.8 tonnes.

The cargo craft has also upgraded to reduce the launch demand for cargo craft from twice a year to three times every two years, which will substantially reduce transportation costs.

The Tianzhou-6 mission is the first after China's crewed space station program entered the stage of application and development. The cargo craft is also tasked with sending multiple scientific experiment payloads to the space lab.

Liu Wei, designer of the cargo craft's application system at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said Tianzhou-6 will deliver a total of 98 experiment-related items with a weight of 714 kg, including research samples and supporting equipment. Taikonauts will transport these goods to the station modules after the cargo craft docks at the space station.

As scheduled, 29 scientific experiments and application tests will be carried out in four fields: space life science and biotechnology, fluid physics and combustion science in microgravity, material science in space, and new technology tests for space applications.

Liu said that the Wentian lab module will host studies like the microgravity environment's influence on the differentiation of stem cell lineage, the 3D growth and tissue construction of stem cells, and the molecular evolution of protein and nucleic acid's same origin.

Several tests outside the Wentian and Mengtian lab modules will be conducted for the first time, Liu added.

Tianzhou-6 is also tasked with an experiment satellite project by Dalian University of Technology. 

A Long March-7 Y7 rocket carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

A Long March-7 Y7 rocket carrying the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

Editor: Zhang Zhou
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) criticized CNN for letting Trump attack E. Jean Carroll during the networks hosted town hall.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez tweeted:

This, the choice to platform election disinformation, lies about January 6th, totally unchecked and reckless claims about abortion they need to take ownership of what just happened. This cannot be normalized. Its dangerous.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 11, 2023

In case you missed it, here is a clip of what Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was referring to:

Trump says women will still vote for him after he was found to have sexually abused E. Jean Carroll, " No, I don't think so because I think the whole thing just so you understand  you ready? I never met this woman. I never saw this woman." pic.twitter.com/fHCB3qKCCY  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 11, 2023

Everyone knew this was coming. As soon as the verdict was announced in the civil trial, the warnings went out that Trump was going to use the town hall to attack E. Jean Carroll because that is what he always does.

CNN could not have been surprised by this, because it is how Trump operates. The network could have shut down Trump when he began to smear Carroll. CNN could have started off with the sexual abuse question and had tight follow-ups prepared.

Trump steamrolls and takes over any interview when he is given time and space. Trump cant handle or function within structure. If CNN would have kept the questioning tight and brief, Trump would have been denied the room that he needed to smear his victim.

CNN dropped the ball in many ways at the Trump town hall, but allowing a sexual predator to verbally attack the woman that he sexually assaulted is worse than poor planning.

It is a contemptible disrespect to victims that should never have appeared on CNN.

For More Stories Like This, Subscribe To Our Newsletter:
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) predicted that the 2024 presidential election wont be close as Trumps answers at the CNN town hall were a goldmine for Democrats.

Rep. Lieu tweeted:

Donald Trump on national TV doubled down on taking away a womans right to choose. The election will not be close. Trump will, again, lose Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia. The abortion issue will crush Trump and Republicans. This is not complicated. https://t.co/42A4wUJG46  Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 11, 2023

Some people think the Town Hall was a debacle for CNN. But it was definitely a gold mine for @JoeBiden and Democrats. We are going to highlight multiple Donald Trump statements at the Town Hall from now until next November. This presidential election will not be close. https://t.co/PCkSHMJl0U  Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 11, 2023

Not that many Americans would have watched one town hall on CNN. But many Americans will now see the sick things Donald Trump said because @JoeBiden and Democrats will absolutely use clips from that town hall in ads across America. https://t.co/bTrQgCWPGO  Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 11, 2023

America now knows after almost eight years of Trump exposure that the former president doesnt just say things to get votes. He really believes and will follow through on items like a national abortion ban and helping Russia take over Ukraine. Trump will destroy democracy in the United States. These are things that will happen if Trump returns to the White House.

Rep. Lieu was correct. The CNN Town Hall was viewed by a tiny fraction of those who will be voting in the 2024 general election. Exponentially more 2024 voters will see and hear all of the ads that Democrats are going to make off of Trumps appearance on CNN.

Democrats will also use Trumps words against 2024 Republican House and Senate candidates.

Trump has consistently been the gift that keeps on giving to Democrats. The odds of him returning to the White House after losing in 2020 were already not great, and the former president gave Democrats a big leg up with a town hall appearance that should remind voters of why he is unfit for the White House.

For More Stories Like This, Subscribe To Our Newsletter:
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

The Lincoln Project strongly called out CNN and accused the network of an act of malpractice by normalizing Trump to chase Tucker Carlsons viewers.

The Lincoln Project said in a statement to PoliticusUSA:

CNN gave Donald Trump a campaign kickoff celebration tonight. Chris Licht sold out CNNs values to chase Tucker Carlsons viewers in a desperate attempt to find lost ratings.

Tonights disaster must be a lesson that every other news organization on earth must learn: DO NOT NORMALIZE DONALD TRUMP. CNN gave Trump 90 minutes of uninterrupted air time to rewrite history and reset his own narrative. If democracy is to survive, then the media cannot follow CNN down the rabbit hole and treat Donald Trump like a ratings booster.

Tonight we saw the MAGA Trump Cult in full regalia. Trump spewed his greatest hits of election denying, wallowing in self pity, and told lie after lie, while CNNs hand-picked audience fawned over every answer and even laughed at his version of the sexual abuse case that he lost. Trump and his MAGA followers live in a deranged world where they are only too happy to take our nation off a cliff.

To the other candidates in the GOP race, heres a nickel of free advice: stop being afraid of Trump and tell it like it is. You could end his campaign now if any of you had some courage to say out loud what you are thinking, that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy and doesnt belong anywhere near the Oval Office. Tonight showed that trying to be clever and cute will only lead to your loss.

This outlandish and shameful display could have been avoided and prevented. Trump is the most anti-democratic force this nation has seen for ages and we cannot afford four more years. He has called for crushing the press and throwing out the constitution. CNNs malpractice cannot be repeated if our democracy is to survive. The stakes are simply too high.

The Lincoln Project is a leading pro-democracy organization in the United States  dedicated to the preservation, protection, and defense of democracy.

The corporate media always rallies around itself. The Lincoln Project hit on the great unspoken. CNN gave Trump a platform to attack democracy and harm the country because they want Tucker Carlsons viewers. Whether or not CNNs ploy worked will be revealed when the ratings are released. However, Trump hasnt been a legit ratings draw on cable news for years, so it would not be surprising if the viewership numbers are less than eye popping.

Corporate media will normalize Trump and allow him to attack democracy as long as they can make money off of it. The way to stop them is to make sure that they pay for Trumps toxicity. Any media organization like CNN that climbs into bed with Trump needs to wear the Trump stink that they spread.

CNN doesnt get to platform Trump and allow him to attack the country and spread his lies without consequences.

If the American people reject what CNN chose to do, other networks will see that Donald Trump is not worth the negative costs.

For More Stories Like This, Subscribe To Our Newsletter:
For Aiken County government, it will be the end of an era.

County Administrator Clay Killian announced Tuesday night that he would be retiring July 20.

An emotional Killian described his decision as bittersweet in a letter he read to Aiken County Council at the start of a work session to prepare a budget for the county's 2023-2024 fiscal year.

There were tears in Killian's eyes and his voice shook and broke as he addressed the panel at the Aiken County Government Center.

I am extremely proud of the work that has been done and the organization that we have built," Killian said. Public service is a high calling, one that was embedded in me by my grandfather, who served on my hometowns county council for 29 years. Because of him, local government is where I always wanted to serve, and I have been blessed beyond measure to have been able to serve four communities in our state.

Killian also stated in the letter that for the last 21 years, it has been the highest honor of my nearly 40-year career in local government to serve as the county administrator for Aiken County.

Killian, 64, became the countys administrator in November 2001.

I just feel like it is probably the right time, said Killian of his decision to leave the position. There is no good time, because were so busy, but it seems like its the right time for me to make the change. I love this place. It has been a great job. Not a tribute to me, but this organization is in great shape. Weve got good people in good places. Weve got a great team. Im confident that it will continue to go very well here.

After Killian retires from the county, he will continue to work.

Ive been talking to a company for two years  I cant tell you who it is yet  and they indicated to me that when I felt like the time was right, they would like to talk to me about coming to work for them, he said. We worked out an arrangement for me to do that. Its not a local firm, but Im not moving because I will be working from home a good bit.

The deal was finalized Monday evening and Killian, who lives in the Montmorenci area, signed an agreement Tuesday morning.

Its an opportunity to do a lot of what Im doing now, just in a different way, he said. Ill be assisting other counties with the challenges and the issues that theyre having.

County Council Chairman Gary Bunker praised Killian for his efforts as a leader.

I think he is a brilliant, hard-working, dedicated man who has devoted over 20 years to Aiken County, Bunker said. Its hard to calculate how much he is going to be missed when he leaves.

He is simply an outstanding administrator and someone who truly understands the ins and outs of county government in South Carolina, Bunker continued. Hes been a real asset to our county and a real asset to our citizens. I just cant say enough good things about him.

Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt, who was at the work session, told Killian: You and I have a relationship that most sheriffs and administrators dont have. It just doesnt happen. And I think thats within the county as a whole, we have good relationships. Im proud to call you my administrator, and Im proud to call you my friend.

Asked how the county would go about finding a new administrator, Bunker said: My intention is that we will have a replacement in place by the time Clay leaves. It is my desire that we do it through internal promotion.

"I dont see much sense in doing a search committee when its most likely that were going to pick somebody who is experienced and knows the procedures and processes and budgets, he added. It just makes a whole lot more sense to do it internally. Of course, Im only one vote out of nine (the number of County Council members), but thats my gut feeling.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Considerable clouds early. Some decrease in clouds late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Roaring planes will fly at top speeds over Georgia and South Carolina this weekend at the Augusta Air Show.

Featuring the famed U.S. Thunderbirds from the Air Force branch, and other aerobatic performers like the Red Bull Air Force and the Socom ParaTroopers, the airshow returns to the Augusta Regional Airport for the first time since 2000.

We really encourage kids to come out , said Lauren Smith, assistant director of marketing and PR at Augusta Regional Airport. It is something fun to do for the community, we havent had something like this in 20 years. I know I am bringing my girls out and they are ecstatic to come so bring your kids out.

Smith said the airshow is a good way to spark interest and excitement in aviation and might inspire kids to pursue careers in the aviation industry which "is in dire need of pilots and aircraft mechanics."

Airshows are patriotic in nature, so you can come out and be a part of waving the American flag and watching some of the folks that protect our freedom every day, said Chris Dirato, PR director for the Augusta Air Show. I think that is very important, airshows are inherently family friendly but it can be an educational tool. You can bring your kids out and you can show them what our military do on a daily basis for us.

Over 200 staff and crew members will travel into the city to help with the airshow. Smith said they are expecting a sizable economic impact for the region.

The staff and crew are going to be staying in Augusta and visiting area restaurants and businesses, and people will be coming to Augusta from throughout the CSRA to see the airshow, Smith said.

 We just had the Masters and we had a lot of traffic there and this is another big draw to highlight the area, Smith said.

I think its a lot of beneficial noise and smoke," said Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson. "You get not only the residents of Augusta, but the residents of this entire region together to come take a look at some fast and cool airplanes, to get an opportunity to be outdoors and to get an opportunity to celebrate community.

Major Lauren Schlichting, a Thunderbirds No. 4 Slot Pilot in her second season, is excited to fly over a new area of the country and be a source of inspiration for young kids who have an interest in aviation.

I think that it is just really important because when you see someone that looks like you doing something that you want to do it gives you motivation and you are like, 'Oh cool, if they can do that, I can do that,' Schlichting said. Its important for me to represent that for little girls because I was that little girl who wanted to be a fighter pilot.

They are here to inspire the youth of America and let them know that there are careers available in the Air Force, Dirato said.

Advance tickets to the airshow are $33.50 for adults and $25 for children. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit augustaairshow.com.

Tickets can be purchased online through the Augusta Airshow website. Several nearby access roads will be closed. For more information on parking and driving directions, visit the interactive map online.
The longtime dominant carrier at Charleston International Airport is trimming flights this summer to three major cities while also increasing the number of passenger seats by bringing in larger aircraft during the peak vacation travel season.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is cutting back flights to Boston, Detroit and Minneapolis, and adding one flight to New York's LaGuardia Airport, according to Charleston airport liaison Gary Edwards.

The biggest change in the number of flights will be for Delta service to Beantown. The airline will offer 39 fewer flights to Boston from June through August while increasing its seat count by about 1,000 over the same period.

The carrier is switching aircraft on certain routes from smaller Bombardier and Embraer planes with room for up to 88 passengers to larger Airbus models with nearly double the seating capacity.

Delta also is cutting its daily service to Minneapolis to four times a week and halving its twice-daily flights to Detroit, a route that will be served by higher-capacity jets, Edwards said.

Delta's adjustments come as the industry deals with a crew shortage as the summer travel season gets underway.

Airlines have been ramping up their hiring efforts after demand snapped back faster than expected from the pandemic. Last year, shortages of pilots and flight attendants contributed to a jump in the rate of canceled and delayed flights.

Delta hasn't disclosed its hiring plans for 2023, but its CEO has said the carrier has hired nearly 20,000 workers since the start of 2021, according to a May 3 report by the Associated Press.

Edwards said by adding bigger planes and reducing frequency, the airline is looking to deploy its resources more efficiently and effectively, he said.

A representative for the airline did not respond to a request for comment on the flight cuts from The Post and Courier. A spokesperson told the online news outlet Best Life that the seasonal reductions are designed "to improve overall reliability in our operations."

Edwards said Delta's use of larger aircraft this summer also helps Charleston International manage its increasingly crowded gates.

"We are striving for airlines to use larger equipment at the airport so the facilities can be used more efficiently," Edwards said.

CHS expects to see 12 percent more passengers, or an additional 91,500 departures, from June through August compared to the same period last year. For all of 2023, the airport has forecast 5.7 million to 5.8 million arrivals and departures, topping last year's count by more than 400,000.
The concept of a community of shared future for humanity is a concept first proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. It is based on the core idea that we live in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world and that we must work together to solve global challenges and pursue common goals. The basis of this concept is harmony and cooperation. Only by working together can all countries of the world create a better future for all people. This concept emphasizes mutual respect, understanding and cooperation among all nations, regardless of their size, wealth or political system.

The whole world as one community, that is the firm commitment and strategic choice of China, which is getting closer and closer to the center of the world stage. To build a harmonious world for people of various countries, this is Chinese wisdom that inherits the fine traditions of Chinese culture and reflects the universal aspirations of all human beings. The concept is a plan for the development of the world and the future of humanity.

A community with a shared future for humanity is guided by the principles of equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. This means that all countries should have equal rights and opportunities to participate in global governance and decision-making, as well as that cooperation between countries should be based on mutual benefit and not on the pursuit of narrow self-interest.

China has outlined several key areas of focus for a community with a shared future for humanity, including promoting economic growth and development, addressing global challenges such as climate change and poverty, and promoting cultural exchange and understanding. The idea of building a community with a shared future for humanity humanity is the core and essence of President Xi's diplomatic thinking.

In practical terms, China has sought to promote a community with a shared future for mankind through initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to promote economic and cultural exchanges between countries along the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road. China is also an active participant in international organizations such as the United Nations and has sought to work with other countries to address global challenges such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is very important to emphasize that the concept emphasizes the importance of mutual respect, understanding and cooperation among all nations and seeks to promote common goals and common prosperity for all people.

At a time when the world is facing unprecedented challenges, it is an opportunity to review the original mission of the United Nations, to confirm the collective commitment to multilateralism, as a new starting point for the continued promotion of peace and human development. Geopolitical conflicts have led to turmoil in several regions, and non-traditional security threats such as terrorism, climate change and major infectious diseases continue to proliferate.

As one of the founding members of the United Nations and a permanent member of the Security Council, China aims to maintain world peace and promote common development, to protect justice and promote mutual benefit and win-win results, as well as to promote the reform of the global governance system and build a community with common interests for the future of humanity. Practicing the concept of multilateralism and supporting the UN Charter always stand on the right side of history.

The common fight against the epidemic made people aware of the fact that humanity shares a common destiny. In the long run, humanity will eventually overcome the challenges, but such a major public health emergency will not be the last. The various security issues facing humanity present new challenges to the international community. That is why it is important to embrace the concept of community with a common future of humanity, stick to multilateralism and follow the path of solidarity and cooperation.

More efficient multilateral mechanisms and more active regional cooperation will create a better tomorrow for human development. If only all countries work together and help one another, there will be no difficulties that cannot be overcome and no problems that cannot be solved.

China joins forces with other countries to contribute wisdom and strength to the preservation of world peace and the promotion of common development. During the epidemic, China firmly supported the World Health Organization to play a key and leading role and make important contributions to the global fight against the pandemic.

A firm commitment to multilateralism is essential to global security, stability and development. Global challenges require all countries to work together, and solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons. In the future, China will cooperate with other countries in the world to promote and strengthen multilateralism, protect the multilateral system, and join forces to create a better tomorrow for world peace and common development.

President Xi noted that we should expand our global vision and develop keen insights into human development and progress trends, respond to the general concerns of people from all countries, and play our part in resolving the common issues facing humankind.

All people, regardless of where they are in the world, want to have better education, more stable jobs, higher incomes, secure social security, better medical and health care, improved living conditions and a beautiful environment, and the key to success lies in strengthening multilateralism.

China's aspiration to promote a community with a shared future is sincere. In the new era, China continues to uphold the theme of a time of peace and development and advocates peace, development and win-win cooperation. It does so by firm and concrete actions and practices to promote and lead the building of a community with a common future for humanity, and will continue to contribute to lasting world peace and stability, common development and prosperity, as well as exchange and mutual understanding between civilizations.

In the process of building this community, China will actively lead the trend of time and progress of human civilization and make significant new contributions to peace, universal security, shared prosperity, openness, inclusiveness and development in the world.

Contributed by Zoran Spasic, Director of the Serbian Center for Cooperation with Asian Countries

Editor: GSY
The developer of a Four Seasons hotel coming to downtown Charleston presented its design plans to the city's Board of Architectural Review for the first time this week, drawing both favorable reviews and pushback over a request to add more height.

Florida-based Strategic Property Partners is proposing three buildings for the 1.9-acre corner site at 155 Meeting St., with heights varying from three to seven stories.

This week, the firm sought conceptual approval from the BAR, including a proposal to add an eighth floor to the tallest structure if it can show "architectural merit" and to include a first-floor space that would measure 25 feet from ground to ceiling, or 5 feet more than what's allowed.

The requests were deferred to give the developer time to address comments from the board and city staffers.

The public comments submitted to the board ranged from letters of support from the nearby Gibbes Museum of Art and the French Quarter Neighborhood Association to concerns from some residents who called the height and scale of the project out of sync with the Historic District.

The plan to add an eighth-floor to house a rooftop terrace, conservatory and pool was the biggest point of contention.

Brad Cooke, senior vice president of development for Strategic Property Partners, said during his presentation that the firm considered the Four Seasons project a thoughtful redevelopment of the site, and that the firm knew that the additional height request would be a request not taken lightly" and would have to be earned.

The company stressed that the eighth-floor section won't be visible from King Street or Horlbeck Alley.

The city defines architectural merit as an exemplary ... design, with the highest level of materials and finishes, that contributes to the public realm.

Justin Schwebler with Historic Charleston Foundation said that while the three- and five story buildings are suitable, the height and mass of the third miss the mark.

Erin Minnigan of the Preservation Society said she's confident that the overall development will be of "high-quality and well-executed" in terms of design and materials, but she also asked the BAR to deny the request for an eighth floor. She also suggested that the board further reduce the height of the tallest building by a half-story.

A building of this scale will have detrimental impacts to the prevailing character of the area and set a dangerous precedent for new construction in the heart of the Historic District, Minnigan said.

No decision was made, but members of the BAR agreed that the project is heading in the right direction, including plans to make pedestrian improvements to the narrow Horlbeck Alley on the south side of the property.

The Grand Hotel section of the property will be the anchor of the project, with 150 guest rooms and 40 residential condominiums. Restaurants, public space and event venues also will be part of the development.

Last month, City Council approved the requested zoning changes.

City staffers were generally positive, calling the project a substantial improvement compared to the existing site, which houses a former Days Inn motel that Strategic Property Partners will demolish.

It will be the first Four Seasons-flagged property in the Palmetto State.

Strategic Property Partners has invested about $57 million to assemble the nearly 2-acre site. The firm is partly owned and capitalized by Cascade Investment, which manages the personal wealth of software billionaire Bill Gates and owns a controlling stake in Four Seasons.

The developer also includes backing from Jeff Vinik, a former manager of the Fidelity Magellan mutual fund who owns the Tampa Bay Lightning and is a minority owner of the Boston Red Sox.
Running concurrently with the annual Spoleto Festival USA is a more local festival that spans the same duration. Piccolo Spoleto is back for its 45th year from May 26 to June 11, featuring a variety of artistic occurrences across the Lowcountry.

Baroque music to cabaret, outdoor art exhibitions to sundown poetry, sandcastle sculpting to a block party span this year's Piccolo features.

In addition to the traditional Memorial Day concert and finale concert at Hampton Park, here are 12 Piccolo picks for those looking to participate in this annual celebration of Lowcountry-grown culture.

For additional events and information, go to piccolospoleto.com.

Sunset Serenade with Charleston Symphony

8 p.m. May 26

This traditional show to kick off Piccolo Spoleto is one not to miss. The Charleston Symphony, featuring guest artist Alva Anderson, will perform a free sunset serenade at the U.S. Customhouse, 200 East Bay St.

Gap Gallery Pop-Up Show

5-8 p.m. May 26

After its pop-up location on King Street became new local metal bar Sugey's, Gap Gallery is popping up somewhere new. As part of Piccolo Spoleto, the curated exhibit of local artists' works will be on display at Redux Contemporary Art Center, 1056 King St., for a one-night event.

45th annual Outdoor Art Exhibition

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday, May 26-June 10

The work of 60 South Carolina fine artists will be presented in a free open-air venue the entire family can enjoy. Marion Square is transformed into a strollable market that will also feature daily painting demonstrations.

Pajama March with Seed & Feed Marching Abominable

10:30 p.m. May 27

Bring the kids to march along with this quirky costumed volunteer band that's been a fixture at Piccolo Spoleto through the years. It's a fun late-night outing that will take place on the East Bay Landing of the U.S. Customhouse, 200 East Bay St. There will also be two other events as part of this: in Marion Square at 11 a.m. May 27 and back at the Customhouse at 11 a.m. May 28.

Gullah-Geechie Takeover at Cannon Street Arts Center

12-4 p.m. May 27

This event at Cannon Street Arts Center, 134 Cannon St., will celebrate local Gullah-Geechee culture by way of art history, poetry, dance and tradition, along with food and music. Local artists from the Gullah-Geechee nation will display their works, while local musicians of Larry Ford & Company will play traditional music. Jasmine Smalls will host, and Ketnu Nefer will offer education about land connection and herbal healing, while Amanda Smith will discuss connecting with the African diaspora. Elder Carlie Towne of the Gullah Geechee Angel Network said the event is free to attend, but donations will be accepted.

The following day from noon to 3 p.m. at the same location, there will be a sweetgrass basket- weaving workshop by Andrea "Annie" Cayetano-Jefferson, a sixth-generation Gullah basket weaver. Registration can be made by emailing ctowne90@hotmail.com or calling 843-330-5480, and a $100 donation is asked to attend the class.

Lowcountry Voices Black Broadway Program

5 p.m. May 27

Charleston choral performing arts organization Lowcountry Voices will present a free show at the Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St., as part of Piccolo Spoleto this year. It will be a musical revue of Black Broadway, featuring beloved classics that include "Ain't Misbehavin'," "Porgy and Bess," "The Color Purple," "The Lion King," "Sister Act" and more.

Early Music Series

3 p.m. various dates starting May 28

Since 1986, the Early Music Series has been a major part of Piccolo Spoleto. This year the series moves to Saint Marys Catholic Church, 89 Hassell St., and will feature Bach, Vivaldi and Mozart. All 12 concerts start at 3 p.m. and are one hour. A full list of musical compositions and dates, starting on May 28, is available on the website.

Rising Star Showcase for Youth Artists

11 a.m. and 3 p.m. May 29, June 3, June 11

Come experience young talent at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 405 King St. Piccolo Spoleto's Rising Stars will be featured for the 15th year, showcasing young actors, dancers, musicians, writers and visual artists during a series of six programs.

Sundown Poetry Series

Various dates starting May 30

Eight poets will be featured for the annual sundown poetry series at Washington Square. They are: Willie Lee Kinnard III (May 30), Marlanda Dekine (May 31), Eugene Platt (June 1), Angelo Geter (June 2), John Milkereit (June 6), Kurtis Lampkin (June 7), Elizabeth Robin (June 8) and Katherine Williams (June 9). Signings and book sales will follow at Buxton Books. Find out more at piccolospoleto.com.

Sand Sculpting Competition

9 a.m. June 3

Another family-friendly favorite is this Isle of Palms front beach sand-sculpting contest, which features some talented carvers and, hopefully, sunny weather. Make a beach day out of it.

Charleston Author Series

5 p.m. June 3

Piccolo Spoleto's longest-running event devoted to fiction is back. South Carolina authors will read brief short stories in the courtyard beside Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King St. This year's featured authors are Brittany Butler, Gervais Hagerty, Y-Danair Niehrah and Sara Peck.

'UnShakeable'

7 p.m. June 8 and June 9, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. June 10

Presented by Charleston Opera Theater in partnership with the Charleston Symphony, "UnShakeable" is an uplifting story of two actors experiencing memory loss during the global pandemic, touching on themes of isolation, loneliness and dementia but also hope, joy and rekindled romance through the words of Shakespeare. The 40-minute performance takes place at Threshold Repertory Theatre, 84 Society St.
CHAPIN  The Lexington-Richland Five school district is parting ways with Jaramillo Accounting Group, the New Mexico-based auditing firm that found instances of mishandled money and potential ethics violations in the district over the course of a 19-month-long procurement review.

The roughly 17,500-student districts board of trustees voted 5-2 on May 8 to give the firm a 30-day notice of their intention to end the relationship, a move thats allowed by its contract, according to district spokeswoman Amanda Taylor.

Before the boards vote, the firm, also known as JAG, was under contract to perform another procurement audit for the 2022 fiscal year, and also had renewal options for financial and procurement audits covering 2023 and 2024, Taylor said in an email.

The break with JAG comes amid a lawsuit by former Superintendent Stephen Hefner, who alleges that the district, the firm and three current and former board members conspired to defame Hefner through the firms second report.

That means Lexington-Richland Five will have to find another firm in time to perform this years state-mandated annual audit, which is due to the state Department of Education on Dec. 1. The district believes that audit will still be on time.

Board member Kevin Scully, who made the motion to cut ties with JAG, said during the meeting that it was time for the district to turn the page on its auditor, and give its administration a chance to work with a firm that they can have full confidence in.

He also pointed to the context of the lawsuit, arguing that the firm could potentially have adverse interests with the district.

But the idea of breaking up with JAG was met with firm opposition from board member Catherine Huddle, who is both a defendant in Hefner's suit and a longtime proponent of the firms audit into the districts procurement system, which has cost the district $102,650.

She said JAGs work was the first audit in years that found significant procurement issues in the district, so ending that work looks "political" and "retaliatory."

The board has not been provided any credible reason to consider terminating this contract, she said.

Huddle and board member Elizabeth Barnhardt cast the two votes against ending the district's relationship with JAG.

That vote came before the board gave its initial approval to the administration's proposed 2023-24 budget, which includes a property tax increase, at the same May 8 meeting.

Huddle objected to the idea of considering raising taxes after ending the contract with an audit firm that found issues with how the district spent money.

"I think that this is terrible for taxpayers," she said during the meeting.

Board Chairwoman Rebecca Blackburn Hines, who voted against extending JAGs appointment in June, said during the May 8 meeting that she doesn't think the auditor discussion relates to the tax question, but that some outputs of JAG's audit were a "good thing," as the district has found policy issues and errors that it has been able to correct.

The board's public discussion about JAG's future in the district on May 8 was seemingly limited by an apparently "confidential" matter related to the audit, which Huddle and Hines referenced during the meeting but did not explain.

Huddle said May 10 that it was something that occurred after JAG published its report, but that she could not speak about it further for "legal reasons."

Taylor said in a May 10 email that it was district practice not to comment on "confidential matters." Hines, Scully and JAG did not respond to requests for comment following the meeting May 8 meeting.

The procurement audit has spurred questions since it was first initiated with a September 2021 request for bids. It sometimes lacked detail about its process and timeline, and prompted some to ask why a South Carolina school district was contracting with a firm in New Mexico.

JAG was one of only two firms that responded to that September 2021 request for audit services, and was selected after the other bidder was "determined to be non-responsive," according to Taylor.

Since that procurement audit process kicked off, former board members Jan Hammond and Ken Loveless, each proponents of JAG's efforts and defendants in Hefner's lawsuit, were replaced on the school board in November. Hammond decided not to run again, while Loveless lost his reelection bid by 16 votes.

They were replaced by Barnhardt and Mike Satterfield, who voted May 8 in favor of cutting ties with JAG.

Scully, who also won a seat on the board in November, said during the May 8 meeting that JAG's audit has contributed to "some level of division" in Lexington-Richland Five.

"I believe that as we sit here today, (terminating JAG) presents us with a very good opportunity to clean the slate," he said.

Click here for more news from Columbia, S.C.
Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. High near 85F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.
Folly Beach Police Department Deputy Chief Rocky Burke announces his candidacy for sheriff, bringing his 48 years of experience in public safety to the campaign trail. Throughout his career, Burke has served in various public safety roles, including law enforcement and fire service. He has t Read moreFolly Beach Deputy Chief to run for Charleston County sheriff
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mainly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
ATLANTIC BEACH  After seeing success last year in its return from a two-year hiatus, Atlantic Beach's annual Memorial Day bike festival is expected to draw larger crowds and even more vendors this year.

The Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival, commonly known as Black Bike Week and formerly BikeFest, was first started by the Carolina Knight Riders motorcycle club 43 years ago. The festival has grown from more than 100 attendees its first year to the tens of thousands estimated to visit May 26-29 this year.

Last year, the festival drew massive daily crowds of 15,000 to 20,000 after it returned from a two-year cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event typically spills over into nearby areas in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach due to Atlantic Beach's small size.

Atlantic Beach Town Manager Benjamin Quattlebaum said he expects a larger crowd this year thanks to the festivals headliner, popular R&B artist King George, who will perform Friday night.

Were seeing a big uptick in a number of new vendors interested in registering in advance and committing to come this year, Quattlebaum said, adding that more than 40 vendors have registered so far, compared to about 75 vendors who registered in total last year. Were very excited about the response we are receiving.

Officers from outside police agencies are expected to help with crowd and traffic control along U.S. Highway 17, including the Myrtle Beach Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Highway Patrol.

"Everybodys in sync in terms of preparing for the safety of patrons who come to not only Atlantic Beach, but the whole county region, Quattlebaum said.

As happened in 2022, a traffic chute will be established on U.S. 17 headed north into Atlantic Beach, and the public will only be able to enter the town and festival at 36th Avenue in North Myrtle Beach. The public will not be able to turn left or merge with U.S. 17 until they have passed through Atlantic Beach, according to town officials.

This festival comes two years after the NAACP and Myrtle Beach Police settled a 2018 lawsuit for $50,000 over the use of a traffic loop during the 2014 festival, which was then called BikeFest.

Previously, a 23-mile traffic loop was placed after a spate of shootings rocked Myrtle Beach during the 2014 BikeFest and led then-Gov. Nikki Haley to call for an end to the event.

Myrtle Beach also will collect data including traffic, emergency response times, crowd sizes and crime statistics during Memorial Day weekend that will be shared with the public after Labor Day annually through 2025 as terms of the lawsuit settlement.
Fifty years a fireman.

And hes still not done.

Raymond Lloyd joined the Charleston Fire Department on May 11, 1973. He qualified for his full pension in 1998. Many firefighters would have embraced the moment, then turned to a second career.

Not Lloyd. He kept at it.

He retired from the Charleston Fire Department as an assistant chief on Jan. 3, 2018, nearly 45 years after hed begun. Then, almost right away, he volunteered for the Folly Beach Department of Public Safety where he runs fire-related training programs.

On May 9, Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg read a proclamation honoring Lloyds service and devotion. The proclamation named May 11 "Assistant Fire Chief Raymond Lloyd Day, when Lloyd will serve as honorary fire chief.

In the mid-1970s, the department was integrating. Some White firefighters were transferred to Black stations, and vice versa. Most of it went pretty smooth, Lloyd said.

He was part of the Make-Up Company at the time, filling in all over when whole companies went on vacation. He became familiar with nearly every corner of the territory.

He served longer-term downtown and in West Ashley. He learned on the job, mentored by his colleagues and supervisors. He observed closely, studied, took classes, prepared  and became a versatile and trusted leader.

He was here when Hurricane Hugo plowed through the Lowcountry in 1989. He was here as the municipal boundaries of Charleston expanded to West Ashley and then beyond to James and Johns islands, and to Daniel Island.

When the Sofa Super Store caught fire on June 18, 2007, Lloyd was in charge of night drills, and covered James and Johns islands. He was at Station 7 on Fort Johnson Road overseeing a drill when he learned of the big blaze. He ended the training, sent everyone back to their stations and rushed to the fire.

I arrived on scene 20 minutes into it, he recalled. Firefighters were struggling to contain the blaze, which was spreading into the main showroom. They received a message about a trapped employee, so Lloyd and others rushed to the back of the structure and cut open the wall.

The fire got worse. The roof collapsed. Some of the firemen managed to escape. Nine were killed.

Lloyd carried on. This work was in his DNA. His great-great-grandfather Michael Hogan was in the Irish volunteer firehouse in Charleston. His great-grandfather Edward Lloyd also was a volunteer firefighter. His father James Hogan Lloyd Jr. was a Charleston firefighter.

A great-uncle was a fireman in Philadelphia; a distant cousin served in Brooklyn.

When Lloyd returned to Charleston from college, his father said: Either go back to school or get a job. So Lloyd applied for positions with the police force and the fire department. The fire department answered first.

His son, Ray Lloyd, thinks he understands.

He loves serving the community, the younger Lloyd said of his father. He loves the fellowship of the department. And hes an adrenalin junky.

Charleston Fire Chief Daniel Curia arrived in Charleston just after Lloyd had retired, but nevertheless got to know about the Lloyd's contributions.

"He is what you want a public servant to be," Curia said. "He is knowledgeable, he is civic minded, he is professional, he is humble. Its one of those things where the community intuitively knows there are these people working in the background to keep them safe. Raymond Lloyd happily does that."

At 65, the elder Lloyd thought about keeping a foot in the door, but his chief encouraged him to enjoy the next phase of his life.

Then Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin and Deputy Police Chief Rocky Burke convinced him to join their public safety team. It wasnt a hard sell.

Technically, Lloyd is part time, but he keeps plenty busy answering calls (mostly EMS), doing administrative work, and training staff.

Hes been with Folly Beach since May 2018. Lloyds 71 now. Who knows when hell step away.
NORTH CHARLESTON  A two-year, multi-agency sting bore fruit May 9, culminating with more than two dozen arrests on a variety of federal charges.

Local, state and federal law enforcement officials unveiled Operation Trendsetter during a media conference at North Charleston City Hall, one day after 25 people were rounded up across the Lowcountry. One other person was indicted before the sting and remained at large.

Officials confirmed their suspicion that some of the people arrested are associated with an organized crime group.

I think these guys are still in awe (about) what happened yesterday, still a little shellshocked, Charleston County Sheriff Kristen Graziano said. I dont think its sunk in yet the magnitude of what happened yesterday in our community. I cant underscore enough how important this event was and the collaboration of all these agencies together. Were just getting started, for sure, but the success cant be underscored, that Ill tell you.

The operation consisted of three separate investigations with various organizations focusing on specific types of crime.

A portion of the investigation focused on a drug trafficking organization based primarily out of North Charleston. The defendants charged in that portion of the investigation are:

Monta Peatro Harley, 34, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, cocaine, and marijuana; possessing cocaine base with intent to distribute; possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;

Xzayvier Vanyon Harley, 25, of Summerville, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, cocaine and marijuana;

Trevion Swansea Wigfall, 25, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin; possessing fentanyl and heroin with intent to distribute; possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;

Ariana Donnise Hamilton, 26, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;

Luther Antonio Smith, 22, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;

DeAndre Malik Horry, 25, of Mount Pleasant, charged with fentanyl; possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;

Davonte Durrell Reid, 28, of Ladson, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;

Damon Christopher Heyward, 25, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;

Davion LaPrince Anderson, 23, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;

Eurie Gerard Richardson, 30, of Summerville, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;

Scotty Orlando Simmons, 25, of Charleston, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base;

Zavie London Jefferson, 28, of Charleston, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine;

Dexter Deandre Ferguson-Fuller, 24, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; possessing cocaine and cocaine base with intent to distribute; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Another portion of the investigation focused on individuals in the Charleston area conspiring to illegally obtain firearms through the use of straw purchasers. The five individuals charged in that portion of the case were:

Bernard Freeman Scott, Jr., 24, of Ladson, charged with conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms; making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms; and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon;

Andre Moore, 24, of Charleston, charged with conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon;

Nykobie Bryant Fleming, 26, of Charleston, charged with conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms and making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms;

Jedarius Tyewon Haynes Dessausure, 26, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms and making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms;

Jasmine Lasha Smalls, 27, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms and making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms.

The third portion of the investigation focused on wire fraud in Summerville and North Charleston, with one person charged with money laundering. The eight individuals charged in this portion of the case are:

Staci Harley, 41, of Summerville, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud;

Roberta Harley, 61, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud; wire fraud; and money laundering;

Anthony Harley, 40, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud;

Zyaisha Blue, 22, of Summerville, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud and wire fraud;

Benjamin Blue, 42, of Summerville, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud and wire fraud;

Antanasia Harley, 20, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud and wire fraud;

Anthony Pinckney, 40, of Summerville, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud and wire fraud

Sheniqua Mitchell, 37, of North Charleston, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud and wire fraud.

The investigation was a collaboration between the U.S. Attorneys Office; the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Secret Service; the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Small Business Administration; the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; sheriffs offices in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester County; the Charleston, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston and Summerville Police Departments. The Charleston Fire Department also participated.
FOLLY BEACH  Fifty years have passed since this island known as the Edge of America was incorporated as its own municipality. And the city is planning to celebrate the milestone in a big way.

First up is the opening of a museum highlighting the city's history from the Civil War through the present day in a visual gallery.

Beyond that, there are going to be times for remembering, such as the surfing that made the island a draw, shag-dancing on summer nights and the general funkiness Folly attracted that didn't sprout elsewhere.

It was a place where everybody came to party, recalled Foster Folsom, who grew up on Folly Beach in the 1950s.

During that time there was a boardwalk at the beach, carnival rides, a Ferris wheel and merry-go-round, and even a go-kart track at the end of the island.

There were bands on the pier until the pier burned down, he said.

Actually there were two piers that caught fire. And the current pier, which opened last year, is a replacement of one from 1995 that was damaged by shipworms.

Evidently, Folly hasn't had a lot of luck with piers.

The idea for the Folly Beach Historical Museum at the Folly Beach Community Center and Library on Center Street was presented years ago by City Councilwoman Katherine Houghton. She wanted to share Folly through a treasure trove of artifacts, photos and stories made available by the areas residents past and present.

Folly Beach Municipal Clerk Wes Graham said the museum will initially include whale bones, megalodon teeth, Native American pottery, Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley replicas (some locals worked on the project) and writeups highlighting major people and events that happened in the city.

Houghton envisions the museums blueprint extending later to accommodate more displays and larger artifacts. But she and a committee of others had a goal of just getting the space open and ready for visitors by the citys 50th.

"We can open it up, then be able to show folks because people don't know the history of Folly," Houghton said. "They don't want to say it, but it's unbelievable."

And there is a lot of history to be told about this special island, established as a municipality in the early '70s. Even at that time, Folly Beach was considered one of the areas most affordable and accessible beaches.

Folsom recalled how so many people visited the beach and danced on the pier or on a pavilion there. But in the '70s, the place Folsom grew up in changed a great deal, he said. The first big change was a hotel going into where the Folly Beach pavilion was.

Then Hurricane Hugo hit.

The storm in 1989 washed away much of the sand on Folly.

"There literally was no beach," said Paul Chrysostom, owner of Mr. John's Beach Store on Center Street.

He said a few blocks might've had a small pocket of a beach, but that wasn't plentiful. Space was so scarce that residents relied on tide charts published in The Post and Courier because at high tide "you couldn't get out there."

Hugo opened the doors to a great deal of development on Folly Beach, though. The island decades ago initially saw seasonal visitors as people from the mill towns of the Upstate would travel down to vacation during summers, according to local stories. But gradually, more teachers and nurses would come in, adopt lonesome cottages and fix them up to live in year-round, Chrysostom said.

He started to notice more change in the early 1990s.

People started coming in and buying up really nice old beach houses, and then just tearing them down and putting up these McMansions, Chrysostom said.

Folly's year-round population ballooned with time, going from 1,400 in 1990 to above 2,000 today.

But just as many things have changed, other features are the same.

State Sen. Chip Campsen of Charleston describes Folly's culture as still edgy and a 1960s kind of vibe. The Isle of Palms Republican grew up surfing on Folly and still does today.

"It's great to have places that aren't just homogenous, places that aren't like everywhere else," Campsen said. "And Folly certainly is not that."

What makes Folly special for surfers is the fact that it's an east-facing beach that gets deep and has better swells. Surfers can get to the zone pretty quick from the popular "Washout" on Folly's east end, where the waves tend to be stronger and more hollow because they don't have to cross a sandbar system.

"That makes it the best surf break in South Carolina and other states as well," Campsen said.

Shops and more

Mr. John's Beach Store has been on Center Street since Chrysostom's parents opened it in 1951. It was initially located diagonally across the street from its current spot and served as a beach shop and pharmacy until the mid-1960s.

Now, Chrysostom sells a lot of Folly Beach-themed clothing and swimwear, floats, bodyboards and a number of trinkets, some of which catch the eyes of visitors before they even make it inside.

Farther down the street is the Sand Dollar, a biker-friendly private club that in earlier times was famous for it's mega-cheap $1 Budweiser cans. It is one of the oldest and most well-known bars on Folly, existing for more than four decades. Live music, cheap drinks and pool tournaments are regular offerings.

A few streets over is Bert's Market, which operates by the slogan, "We may doze, but we never close." The 24-hour market doesn't consider itself a convenience store because it has a number of offerings, including groceries, hot meals, household goods, fishing supplies and beach items. A blessing box sits out front with donated food items for people in need.

50th-anniversary plans

Memorial Day to Labor Day still tends to be the busiest season for Folly Beach. But spring break crowds have increased over time. September is when visitors begin to dwindle.

Before the people leave this summer, the Folly Association of Business will host a 10-day 50th-anniversary celebration to include festivals, dancing on the pier, carnival rides, a prom-themed gala and more.

A number of events are planned Sept. 22 through Oct. 1. Details can be found at visitfolly.com.

The ribbon-cutting celebration for the museum is planned for 2 to 4 p.m. May 12. At 5:30 p.m. that same day, the city will celebrate its birthday with a picnic and concert at the Folly River Park featuring The Vistas.
The looming redevelopment of Charleston's cruise ship hub, Union Pier, landed the area surrounding the property on a list of "11 Most Endangered Historic Places" in the United States.

The 64-acre port-owned property is currently the subject of a proposed overhaul that is making its way through the city approval process.

The Preservation Society of Charleston, the Historic Charleston Foundation and the Coastal Conservation League banded together to advocate that the National Trust for Historic Preservation list Union Pier on its annual endangered places list, which was released May 9.

The Trust listed the site's history as a port and trade center, a fixture in the slave trade and later a base for Black fisherman known collectively as the Mosquito Fleet, as reasons the property needs to preserved in a way that acknowledges its history. If the site is not developed in a culturally sensitive way, it will tarnish the historic value of the surrounding neighborhoods, the trust argues.

Port officials said current proposal for the site take those factors into account.

Meeting dates Preservation Society Workshop May 11, 5:30-7:30 pm St. Julian Devine Community Center, 1 Cooper St. RSVP at eventbrite.com. Coastal Conservation League Environmental Impacts information session May 16, 6 p.m. Hosted virtually via Zoom RSVP at coastalconservationleague.org. Historic Charleston Foundation Union Pier Advocacy Forum May 18, 6-7:30 p.m. Charleston Museum Auditorium, 360 Meeting St. Register at historiccharleston.org.

"The Bennett Rice Mill Facade will be incorporated as the centerpiece of a beautiful promenade to Charlestons waterfront. The historic Mosquito Fleet will be honored with more opportunities for fishing. The historic waterfront will be knitted together with public walking paths and parks that connect cultural assets in downtown Charleston," a statement from the State Ports Authority reads.

Although the port held its own public input process throughout the fall, local advocates expressed concern that the zoning document for the property that the port has proposed, called a planned unit development, did not incorporate enough of the public's feedback. The groups hope that a process led by local advocacy groups will result in a more historically sensitive plan with increased parks space and a revised stormwater management strategy.

"Advocates believe that a more robust, inclusive community visioning process is critical," the National Trust's endangered places announcement reads.

The three organizations had long advocated for the halt of cruise ship operations from the downtown site. Beginning in 2025, cruises will only make port-of-call stops in Charleston rather than start and end their voyages at Union Pier. Because this will free up most of the site for other uses, the port hopes to sell the property to a developer by the end of the year and use the profits from the sale to maintain and expand the Leatherman Terminal in North Charleston.

The proposed zoning document allows for 1,600 residential units, 600 hotel rooms and over 500,000 square feet of retail and office space. Height limits for buildings range from 2 stories at the waterfront to seven stories at the center of the property.

"The current developer-led plan proposes building sizes and density that are not remotely compatible with Charlestons historic built environment," a statement from the three advocacy groups read.

The three advocacy groups plan to host meetings to collect feedback on the proposal in the coming weeks.

"We invite the entire community concerned about the Union Pier proposal to participate and learn more," a statement from the Preservation Society reads. Meeting information notes that RSVPs are required and space is limited.

The city process

As local advocacy groups are arranging meetings, the zoning document is currently making its way through the city's approval process. The next step will be the second review from the city's Technical Review Committee on May 18. It will then head to the Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission previously held information sessions for the public on topics including stormwater management, urban design and affordable housing. No action was taken at those meetings.

When the commission does take a vote on the proposal, those leaders can attach conditions to the zoning document before allowing it to advance to City Council.

As of now, the Planning Commission is tentatively set to host a public hearing on the proposal June 7. On the same day, the commission may vote on whether to advance the proposal to City Council. City ordinance states they have 30 days after the public hearing to hold a vote on the proposal. If they do not, it automatically moves to City Council without revision.

When it reaches City Council, the item can remain on the agenda for up to a year. If it is not acted on within one year, it is automatically denied.

Editor's note: This post was updated to clarify that the National Trust for Historic Preservation labeled the historic neighborhoods surrounding Union Pier as endangered.
FLORENCE  Pressed white uniforms were on full display as the Medical University of South Carolina Florence honored its nurses on May 11.

Nancy Kincaid was named the nurse of the year and almost 50 other nurses were recognized for their achievements at a ceremony marking National Nurses Week, which ends May 12.

Sometimes our job seems to be a thankless job, but know that every life you save is so important, said Florence Mayor Teresa Myers Ervin, who is a registered nurse. She presented a proclamation from the Florence City Council honoring nurses.

Kincaid was met with a standing ovation when her name was announced, and she teared up as her colleagues congratulated her.

A nurse in the ambulatory surgery center, Kincaid was described as an advocate for patients and an invaluable resource for new nurses. Despite what may be going on in her personal life, she comes to work faithfully and cares for her patients as if they are all that matter in that moment, said Costa Cockfield, chief nursing officer.

Cockfield said Kincaid paid attention not only to her patients but also to her friends, family and co-workers, highlighting Kincaids work at her church and caring for parents, as well as her work within the unit finding ways to make her fellow nurses feel appreciated, such as taking up offerings during tough times and creating a birthday board for better ones.

As you can see, she is the full package, Cockfield said.

Kincaid was one of 14 nurses nominated to be nurse of the year, one of a number of awards handed out at the event.

The Outstanding Nursing Unit award went to The Womens Pavilion, which educates and prepares expectant mothers for pregnancy, labor and delivery and caring for newborns. Trish McLeod, assistant chief nursing officer, said the unit was the highest-performing group at MUSC and helped the hospital score national awards, including recognition from U.S. News & World Report as a Best Hospital for Maternity Care.

Natasha Anderson and Tallia Calomeris were honored for receiving the Palmetto Gold award, a statewide award that recognizes the top 100 South Carolina nurses each year. Kim Owens was honored as the Advanced Practice Provider of the Year. And 14 nurses were also named rising stars.

Nurses werent the only ones recognized at the event.

Dr. Charles Stonerock, a cardiovascular specialist, was honored as the Physician friend of Nursing.

Shannon Shaw, a recruiter, earned the Nursing Leadership Champion award, and Alisa Webb, a patient registrar, earned the Nursing Support Champion award.
COLUMBIA  For the first time in more than two decades, South Carolina legislators are relying on the governor to call them back to the Statehouse to complete their work.

The regular session ended at 5 p.m. May 11, as required by state law. But legislators know they're returning for several more weeks.

Instead of the normal cheers in the House and Senate celebrating the official close, the chambers were nearly empty when the clock struck 5 o'clock. Both adjourned like it was any other Thursday.

Typically, "people are running around and trying to get things done because everybody turns into a pumpkin at 5 o'clock," Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, told reporters in the lobby. But there's no urgency when "we already know the governor's going to call us back."

As Davis spoke, Gov. Henry McMaster's office made it official, sending out notice of his May 12 news conference to call a special session.

Top of the priority list is a state budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, the only thing that must get done.

A six-member committee of senators and House members will attempt next week to reach a compromise on the chambers' separate $13 billion spending plans. Differences include hundreds of millions of dollars for local projects requested by legislators.

Debate will also continue on measures banning most abortions, allowing adults to carry handguns without a permit and reforming what law enforcement criticizes as the state's catch-and-release bond system for violent criminals.

Special sessions are normal. What's unusual is the Legislature letting the regular session end without a temporary law limiting when they return and what work can continue before the state constitution requires them to resume in January.

The last time that happened was in 2001, when Democratic Gov. Jim Hodges called them back. Legislators ended up working through September to finish the budget and redraw district lines following the 2020 census.

This time, House Speaker Murrell Smith told his colleagues he has no intentions of keeping them in Columbia beyond June 1.

"We have in essence been in session year-round for three years since COVID, and its time for us to go home and remember were part-time legislators and tend to our business and our families at home," the Sumter Republican, in his first year as speaker, announced from the podium May 10.

Once the budget's finalized, he said, "It is not my intention to bring us back unless its an absolute emergency."

While it's up to McMaster to bring legislators back, only House and Senate leaders control what they debate and when they're done.

First on the House's agenda is a bill banning abortions at roughly six weeks with limited exceptions, which advanced from the Judiciary Committee earlier this week. The chamber's GOP leaders had refused for months to take up the Senate's "fetal heartbeat" bill but changed their tune after another debate in the Senate made abundantly clear a ban from conception had no chance of becoming law this session.

Debate on the House floor will launch May 16 and last as long as it takes to vote on the bill, Smith said, warning his colleagues they may need to bring their own breakfast, lunch and dinner for days. The chamber will not recess once it starts, he said.

His comments came after the House's eight Democratic women marched into the chamber, each carrying a cardboard banker's box full of amendments ready for a prolonged debate. According to Democrats, they collectively held more than 1,000 proposed changes.

"At this point, we are taking every opportunity to make sure that the people of South Carolina understand that we are fighting to protect their freedoms and their rights," said Rep. Spencer Wetmore, D-Folly Beach.

In preparation, the GOP-dominated House voted May 11 for cloture  ending the ability for any more amendments and limiting discussion of those already submitted. Regardless, the existing pile could keep them busy for more than 50 hours.

"Since we're going to be here overnight, I'm going to get some matching pajamas," Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Columbia, jokingly told several Republicans at the back of the chamber.

Senators expect to return May 23 to deal with whatever the House sends them on abortion.

If it's fundamentally the same restrictions and exceptions the Senate passed in February, the bill stands a good chance of becoming law, said Davis, who has consistently opposed a ban at conception.

Instead of filibustering, as he did last fall to block the House bill, Davis said he would vote to send a six-week ban to McMaster, depending on the details of any House amendments.

Legislators expect to send McMaster their budget compromise by May 24, come back the following week to handle any of his line-item vetoes, then adjourn for the year. Bills that don't become law before they go home for good stay in play for 2024 at whatever point in the process legislators left them.

Bills that did get wrapped up in the regular session's closing hours include a measure splitting up the Department of Health and Environmental Control into two separate agencies  one for public health and the other for environmental regulation. Legislators' calls for separating the massive agency's functions ramped up amid public anger over its COVID-19 response.

Davis, who led Senate negotiations for the final compromise, noted that while it was a yearslong effort, the issue was not partisan. Votes in both chambers were unanimous throughout the process this year.

The split won't happen right away. The separation will occur in July 2024, allowing time for a study on the state's various health agencies and how to merge their duties.

"Good, effective delivery of public health services isn't a Republican issue. It's not a Democratic issue. It's not a conservative or liberal issue," he said. "Everybody wants to deliver public health services to South Carolinians in the most efficient way possible at the lowest cost."

Alexander Thompson contributed to this report.
COLUMBIA  State Sen. Marlon Kimpson asked his fellow senators to "do great things" for the people of South Carolina in his absence. And he left them a parting gift should they ever need his advice.

"While I won't be here, I'm going to be generous and leave you with the next best thing: I'm going to continue to grace you with my presence," he said as a slightly-larger-than-life-size cutout of him was brought on the floor.

"Marlon 2 doesnt have quite the personality," he continued in his May 11 humor-laden goodbye speech. "But if I must say so myself, he will be a constant reminder of my charge to each of you.

"I suspect you will all miss me greatly," the Charleston Democrat added. "Just know you can have one of these in your office to receive my wise counsel daily."

The cost, he said, is $42.90  representing his Senate district number and his landslide reelection wins in 2016 and 2020 (which, he noted, he won unopposed). He actually won both by more than 98 percent.

Kimpson was first sent to the Senate in an October 2013 special election to represent parts of downtown Charleston, West Ashley and North Charleston. He's resigning to take a job on President Joe Bidens advisory committee for trade policy and negotiations.

The White House announced the appointment in March, but Kimpson wanted to stay in the Senate through the end of the 2023 session.

His farewell speech followed a video montage of his greatest hits from the podium in his one-of-a-kind nasally twang which often brought levity to heated discussions.

"Were in a paaaandemic," was a frequent phrase amid COVID-19 debates.

"Ive never smoked marijuana. I drink plenty of brown liquor," he said in supporting medical marijuana legislation, which ultimately failed.

The montage ended with him at the podium during a filibuster, when few senators were in the chamber.

"Quite frankly, I dont care if people listen to me," he said. "Im very comfortable talking to myself. Sometimes I look in the mirror and say 'Self!'  that would be me  'Youre a good-looking man.' "

And, of course, it included a line he used often to goad his Republican colleagues following Biden's 2020 win: "I just got back from the White House."

In seriousness, Kimpson said he's proud of how the Legislature came together in 2015 to pass a law requiring police body camera policies after a bystander's video showed a white North Charleston police officer shooting and killing a fleeing, unarmed Black man.

That same year, the murder of nine people at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church by an avowed white supremacist resulted in the Legislature taking the Confederate flag off Statehouse grounds for good. The church is in his district.

"They were murdered by a homegrown terrorist who had been known to wear the Confederate battle flag," Kimpson said. "This body banded together to remove that flag in front of this Statehouse  to rid this state of a polarizing symbol that continued to divide us."

He left with the optimism that means someday "we can certainly raise the minimum wage, pass hate crime legislation and expand Medicaid for people in South Carolina," which are things the GOP-dominated Legislature has refused to do.

"Yall do good now  you hear" read the signed sendoff at the end of the video.
SPARTANBURG  Among the roads that could be included in a six-year penny sales tax referendum on November's ballot for asphalt repaving is an 11-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 29 from John B. White Sr. Boulevard in Spartanburg to the Cherokee County line.

County Council has formed a Capital Penny Commission to sort through a proposed list of projects that could be funded by the tax, if approved by voters. The penny sales tax would generate about $478 million from May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2030, to help pay for road and bridge infrastructure projects. County Director of Public Works Travis Brown presented a recommendation on May 9 to County Council on which projects should be reviewed by the commission.

The commission will make a recommendation to the County Council by Aug. 15 to finalize the referendum's language.

Brown said projects were identified in part by addressing areas of higher growth and how best to work with the S.C. Department of Transportation to coordinate contracts. Funding from the penny sales tax would pay for improvements to state, county and municipal roads. It could also be used to replace bridges, improve storm water runoff infrastructure, and for intersection improvements throughout the county.

The projected cost to repave U.S. 29 from John B. White Sr. Boulevard to the Cherokee County line would be about $22 million. Also on the list for repaving is a 6-mile stretch of Reidville Road from S.C. Highway 290 to S.C. Highway 295 with a cost of $14 million to complete. Thirteen miles of Southport Road from S.C. Highway 215 to U.S. Highway 176 southeast of Spartanburg is also among the recommended projects for repaving. It would cost about $25 million to complete this asphalt repaving project.

Brown said the recommended projects include 14 intersection improvements, 10 bridge replacements and 30 storm water infrastructure upgrades. A majority of the asphalt paving projects would likely be completed before other work was completed, Brown said.

"In December 2021, the council retreat identified infrastructure as a top priority," Brown said. "Since that time the county team has worked to identify strategies by that plan."

On March 20, a resolution was approved by County Council to form a Capital Penny Commission consisting of six members. County Administrator Cole Alverson said the county worked with DOT to help identify which roads need improvement based on condition.

"We have spent hours looking over maps and discussed methodology," Alverson said. "As a general reminder we will submit it to the Capital Penny Commission to develop a list to act on later this fall."

The current penny sales tax approved by voters in November 2017, which paid for projects including the new Spartanburg County Courthouse and Spartanburg Police Station headquarters, is set to expire on April 30, 2024.

"I hope people understand where we are and what we are trying to do," Spartanburg County Councilman Bob Walker said. "I have been for the penny sales tax since day one. Look at other counties and see what they have done to use this penny sales tax for roads and infrastructure. It is the way to go and allows everyone to contribute."

Voters in York and Dorchester counties have previously approved penny sales tax hikes to help pay for road improvements in their communities.

The project categories and funding being considered by the Capital Penny Commission for the six-year penny sales tax referendum include the following:

S.C. Department of Asphalt Pavement Improvement Program  $157 million

Spartanburg County Asphalt Pavement Improvement Program  $165 million

Intersection Improvement Program  $42 million

Spartanburg County Road Corridor Reconstruction Program  $40 million

Bridge Replacement Program  $23 million

Storm Water Improvement Program  $28 million

Municipal Paving Program  $12 million

County Safety and Other Improvements  $9 million
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 09:40:27

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 544 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

PARIS, FRANCE / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Bon Parfumeur, a niche and confidential perfumery brand based in France, is excited to launch its brand new Perfume Collection of Niche Haute for fragrance industry and perfumery industry players. With its 30 eaux de parfums in the collection, 900 resellers globally, and unique positioning in the perfume industry, Bon Parfumeur is becoming a must-know brand that cannot be overlooked.Founded by Ludovic Bonneton in 2017, Bon Parfumeur offers unisex fragrances that are clean and 100% made in France with love. Each fragrance is intelligible and irresistible, encapsulating know-how and emotions while triggering sensory pleasure and freedom. The brand's workshop promotes encounters, and Bon Parfumeur is proud of the links forged with its perfumers, craftsmen, friends, customers, and the planet, for ever more freedom, pleasure, and meaning.The company is thrilled to be recognized as the new French leader in the niche haute perfumery industry. The company has always aimed to create high quality fragrances named as the perfumers do (numbers, olfactive families and ingredients) that allow perfume lovers to discover the niche perfume world while understanding their own taste better. This recognition is a testament to the company's hard work and commitment to its values.Furthermore, Bon Parfumeur's unique positioning in the perfume industry creates a bridge between niche and selective brands. The high quality and understandable naming of the brand allow perfume lovers to discover the niche perfume world while understanding their own taste better. Bon Parfumeur has been displayed in 900 stores resellers globally, mainly in the USA (100 doors), UK (150 doors), France (200 doors), and China (50 doors).Bon Parfumeur's community, made in France with love, freedom, workshop, and haute perfumery values are the driving force behind the brand's success. Bon Parfumeur is committed to providing high-quality fragrances that allow perfume lovers to discover the world of niche perfumery while understanding their own taste better.Consequently, each fragrance produced by Bon Parfumeur is numbered, indicating its place in the chronology of creation, and features three representative ingredients and an olfactory family recognizable by its color. Bon Parfumeur takes pride in the connections they've built with their perfumers, craftsmen, friends, customers, and the planet to promote more freedom, pleasure, and meaning.About the Company - Bon ParfumeurBon Parfumeur is a French Haute Perfumery brand that offers unisex fragrances, all made in France with love and cleanliness in mind. Their fragrances are intelligible and irresistible, encapsulating emotions and know-how while evoking sensory pleasure and freedom.In addition to that, Ludovic Bonneton, the creator of Bon Parfumeur, has always been passionate about fragrances and has a collection of over 100 bottles at home. However, he was never interested in delving into the complex technical aspects and jargon associated with high perfumery. It wasn't until he had a chance to meet with Raymond Chaillan, a renowned contemporary perfumer, that Ludovic realized that discussing perfume in a way that prioritizes sensory pleasure over technicalities was possible. This encounter marked a turning point for Ludovic and inspired him to create Bon Parfumeur, with the aim of sharing the joy of perfume with others.For more information on Bon Parfumeur and its fragrances, please visit the following link: https://www.bonparfumeur.com/ Media Details:Company name: Bon ParfumeurContact Phone Number: +33 01 34 35 35 56Name: Ludovic BonnetonEmail: contact@ bonparfumeur.com SOURCE: Bon Parfumeur
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 21:45:14

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 330 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

CINCINNATI, OH / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / CBT Company has announced the acquisition of Crush Bearings and Drives, a family-owned mechanical power transmission company based in Lexington, Kentucky. The acquisition will expand CBT's presence in Kentucky, where it will continue to provide a rich portfolio of services and solutions for mechanical, electrical, digital, and belting applications.CBT LogoCBT LogoCrush Bearings specializes in bearings, belts, electrical and mechanical power transmission, and motion control products. The company also offers services including motor and gearbox repair, hydraulic and pneumatic cylinder repair, machining service, and fabrication. Crush serves many industries including aggregate, agriculture, automotive, food & beverage, forestry/lumber, manufacturing, mining, steel, and utilities.Jay Stahl, President of CBT Company, expressed his excitement about the acquisition."Bob Crush and his whole organization have built a wonderful business and earned an outstanding reputation throughout Kentucky. The entire CBT team is very excited to welcome the Crush Bearings and Drives family to the CBT family. This is a great opportunity to do more together than we could ever accomplish individually," said Jay Stahl, CBT President. "We will maintain the Lexington and Louisville facilities and leverage our combined personnel, products and services to provide an even better value proposition to our customers." CBT's footprint and winning business model will grow into the Kentucky market with Crush's current offerings, extending CBT's services, technology, and products to this region. Additionally, CBT looks to use Crush's expertise in industries CBT does not currently participate in.Bob Crush, owner of Crush Bearings, said the two family-owned businesses were a perfect match."Like us, CBT is a family-owned business that focuses first on customer service and providing customer solutions. Partnering with an organization like CBT will enable us to expand the products and services we can offer our customers." The acquisition was finalized May 1, 2023.Contact InformationElise RingVice President, CBT Companyering@ cbtcompany.com 513-621-9050Related FilesCBT Crush Bearings Acquisition PR 5.4.2023.docxSOURCE: CBT Company
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 22:15:45

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 429 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / CNH Industrial has been honored with the Best Contribution to Thailand's Education Award 2023 for its significant role in the development of education in Thailand. Presented by the Thai Ministry of Education during its 131st anniversary ceremony, the award is a testament to CNH Industrial's commitment to empowering educational institutions and underserved communities.CNH Industrial has a longstanding commitment to providing scholarships, financial and technical grants, and educational resources in the country, alongside collaborating with academic institutions to accelerate vocational training and skills development programs to equip young people with future-ready skills and knowledge.Mark Brinn, Managing Director of CNH Industrial for Southeast Asia and Japan, said, "Education unlocks opportunities for all people to reach their full potential while contributing to the community. As a company we support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In line with fostering social equity and inclusive growth, we aim to help empower people and reduce inequalities through education." The Best Contribution to Thailand's Education Award highlights the role that business and other key stakeholders play in improving Thai education and how this makes a positive impact on society. It also reinforces how public-private partnerships can accelerate educational progress.CNH Industrial's We Care We Share outreach program, in partnership with the Thai Ministry of Education and vocational colleges was commended for delivering real community impact.Launched in 2020, through the program, CNH Industrial has been providing equipment, technical and financial resources for education and training programs to local colleges.The Company supports the Diploma in Agriculture Machinery in partnership with the Pakdee College of Commerce and Technology vocational training school. CNH Industrial also donated a New Holland TT2.50 Tractor to the school to support hands-on machinery experience.In the Nakhon Ratchasima province, the Company donated a New Holland TC5.30 combine harvester to the Nakhon Ratchasima College of Agriculture and Technology to support training on new farming trends and technologies. The machine will also be used to harvest corn on the College's farm.In April, CNH Industrial donated another New Holland TC5.30 combine to the Nakhonsawan Agricultural and Technology Vocational College, with this one to be used for harvesting rice. A New Holland BC5060 small square baler and TT2.50 48 horsepower tractor with auto-guidance were demonstrated to staff and students, who were impressed by the combination of reliable machinery and smart technology.CNH Industrial receives Best Contribution to Thailand's Education Award 2023View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from CNH Industrial on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: CNH IndustrialWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cnh-industrial Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: CNH Industrial
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 15:07:47

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 681 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / CoTec Holdings Corp. (TSXV:CTH)(OTCQB:CTHCF) ("CoTec" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has invested US$1.5 million into Ceibo Inc. ("Ceibo"), a Delaware corporation, for a small equity interest. Ceibo, through its wholly-owned Chilean subsidiary has developed a revolutionary process to leach low-grade primary copper sulphides, such as chalcopyrite, and copper waste material using a proprietary high throughput inorganic leaching technology. Jetti Resources LLC, a copper mining extraction company has developed a competitive, though more advanced, technology which has recently been valued at USD2.5 billion.[1] CoTec participated in Ceibo's recently completed Series B financing round with funding secured from a group of leading international investors. Ceibo will use the proceeds from the financing to scale its technology through continued small- and large-scale column testing and the building of a demonstration plant.If successful, Ceibo's technology will represent a leading, low-carbon, high recovery primary and waste copper sulphide heap leaching process. This could deliver considerable value through a significant reduction in the time required to bring additional copper into production, a competitive cost structure and a lower environmental and carbon footprint, protected by a high technical barrier to entry.Julian Treger, CoTec CEO commented: "We are pleased to have been given the opportunity to invest in Ceibo. In line with CoTec's business model, we expect to contribute to the development of the technology by appointing a representative to a Technical Advisory Board that Ceibo intends to form. We also intend to identify opportunities for Ceibo to commercially deploy its technology with a view to participating in any such opportunities that Ceibo chooses to pursue as a co-investor or joint venture partner."Entering the copper industry has been one of CoTec's key strategic objectives and we view Ceibo's technology as an excellent entry point for us as copper will play an essential role in the transition towards a carbon-neutral energy system. We are looking forward to working with the Ceibo team as they continue to develop this exciting technology and in securing application opportunities that we could jointly pursue."Our board and senior executives have extensive experience and industry relationships that, along with the financial support of our co-investors, will allow CoTec to make a meaningful and immediate contribution to Ceibo's success." About CoTecCoTec is an ESG-focused company investing in innovative technologies which have the potential to fundamentally change the way metals and minerals can be extracted and processed. The Company is committed to supporting the transition to a lower carbon future for the extraction industry, a sector on the cusp of a green revolution as it embraces technology and innovation. CoTec is a publicly traded mining issuer listed on the Toronto Venture Stock Exchange ( CTH.V) and the OTCQB (CTHCF).For further information, please contact:Braam Jonker - (604) 992-5600Forward-Looking Information Cautionary StatementStatements in this press release regarding the Company and its investments which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including statements relating to management's expectations with respect to its current and potential future investments and the benefits to the Company which may be implied from such statements. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. For further details regarding risks and uncertainties facing the Company please refer to "Risk Factors" in the Company's filing statement dated April 6, 2022, a copy of which may be found under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com , and in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators.Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.[1] Biesheuvel, T. (October 24, 2022). Copper Tech Firm Jetti Raises Funds at $2.5 Billion Value. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-24/copper-tech-firm-jetti-raises-funds-at-2-5-billion-valuation#xj4y7vzkg SOURCE: CoTec Holdings Corp.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 11:30:14

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 1027 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

PARIS, FRANCE / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / The funding round, led by Educapital, brings together the family office Wille Finance, business angel Jean Stephane Arcis and existing investors Maif Avenir and Arkea Capital via its Invest impact fund We Positive.Edflex is a market leader, offering a unique range of e-learning content - from over 10,000 publishers - to upskill employees worldwide. The start-up continues its expansion with a second round of financing reaching 13 million dollars. A remarkable development despite a context of budgetary restrictions and an edtech sector in which emerging players are struggling to get a place facing established market leaders.Learning teams must reinvent themselvesFaced with a changing world of work, where employees are increasingly training themselves: training must be adapted and be more flexible. This is why Edflex has been innovating since its creation in 2016, and aims to make training a reflex in companies, and no longer a constraint. It is becoming a strategic issue for companies, they need to develop the skills of their employees permanently. Edflex's approach allows them to save time and make considerable savings by providing employees with a digital catalog that is renewed daily. Edflex aggregates the best content from existing publishers, in multiple languages and formats to cover over 95% of training needs. Centralization facilitates access to this content and increases employee engagement."Today, our 200 customers recognize the strong value we bring to their training teams and employees," said Clement Meslin, co-founder. "We are entering a new chapter in our growth, which should enable us to assert our position as the leader in learning content aggregation and curation in the European market.A new impetus for digital learning, a method in constant evolutionEdflex's offer is based on a unique combination of technology and people. It provides simplified access to qualified educational content from over 10,000 publishers (Cegos, Elephorm, Openclassrooms, HEC, etc.). Today, the solution is available to several hundred thousand learners worldwide.In order to accelerate the upskilling on a daily basis and to support L&D (Learning & Development) teams in this transformation, Edflex plans to use these funds to:- Expand its content library and partnerships with industry experts and top e-learning publishers- Strengthen its existing technology with a focus on improving personalization and content curation capabilities- Enhance connectors with the world's leading HR and learning solutions (LMS), ensuring easier learning every day- Increase its global presence by entering new markets and strengthening development in emerging markets, the DACH region (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) and North America.Become the leader in aggregation and curationWith the goal of growing from 850,000 users to 10 million worldwide within the next five years, Edflex is supported by trusted players.This latest financing round, led by Educapital - Europe's leading investment fund in edtech and future of work - also includes the participation of Wille Finance, a Swiss family office active throughout Europe and in Israel and well established in the DACH region, as well as a renowned business angel: Jean Stephane Arcis (founder of Talentsoft and investor in HRtech). Existing investors Maif Avenir and Arkea Capital (a subsidiary of Credit Mutuel Arkea) via its Impact Fund We Positive Invest, are also participating in this new round, thus demonstrating their continued support and confidence in the vision and future of Edflex."We are thrilled to have the support of both our new and existing investors as we continue to redefine the e-learning landscape," said Philippe Riveron, co-founder of Edflex. "With this new funding, we are poised to strengthen the value of our solution, establish strategic partnerships and impact even more learners around the world." Our investors testifyEducapital"Edflex has continually demonstrated its commitment to supporting learners in their development through personalized, flexible, and high-value learning formats," said Litzie Maarek, partner at Educapital. "We believe they are well positioned to support L&D (Learning & Development) over the long term, and we are delighted to support their growth alongside the other investors." Arkea CapitalMorgan Carval, Director of Impact Investments at Arkea Capital adds: "Having been present alongside Edflex since 2021, we have seen the relevance of its offering and its ability to adapt to the rapid changes in the digitalized training market. Helping employees maintain and develop their employability in a rapidly changing world is fully part of the mission of our We Positive Invest impact fund.Wille Finance"We are delighted to join Edflex as a new investor and to accompany the company in its next stage of development. We are joining an innovative and passionate team that seeks to transform continuing education through technology. We were convinced by their ability to implement a quality content curation solution, making Edflex's offering particularly well suited to today's learning challenges. We believe in their vision and look forward to seeing how Edflex will help shape the future of online education." Cyril Petit, Investment Director at Wille Finance.Jean-Stephane Arcis"I was seduced by the quality and complementarity of Edflex's management team and by its unique positioning in Europe as a content aggregator to intelligently facilitate access to training. Edflex has everything it takes to consolidate its leadership position", Jean-Stephane Arcis, founder of Talentsoft and business angel in this round.MAIF Avenir"Investing in human capital is essential to ensure that skills can evolve over time, and that employees find the opportunity to train independently. Edflex is one of the rare activities where performance and impact can be combined, which is why MAIF Avenir is very happy to participate again in this financing round as a historical investor of Edflex." Timothee Poulain, Investment Director at MAIF Avenir.About EdflexFounded in 2016 by Clement Meslin, Philippe Riveron, Raphael Droissart and Remi Lesaint, Edflex is a leader in the field of corporate learning. Its solution connects organizations and their employees with the best of existing learning content, offering a fluid, engaging experience tailored to needs. The flexibility of formats, themes, training levels and the richness of languages offered shape employees for the jobs of tomorrow. With more than
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 15:07:11

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 654 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / ElevATE Semiconductor ("ElevATE"), a premier designer of innovative, low power, high density components for next generation automated test equipment (ATE), is thrilled to announce the successful closing of a continuation vehicle in partnership with Presidio Investors ("Presidio") and Kline Hill Partners ("Kline Hill"). This rare accomplishment highlights the long-term commitment of world-class investors who recognize the potential of the ATE business and are dedicated to supporting ElevATE's ongoing growth.Since initially investing in ElevATE in 2018, Presidio has collaborated with the company's management to execute a multi-year strategy focused on institutionalizing operations, strengthening sales channels, and investing in R&D capabilities. Today, ElevATE stands at the forefront of ATE technology and design innovation and is well-positioned to seize the market opportunities ahead.David Kenyon, CEO of ElevATE, said, "This is an exciting step for ElevATE in its evolution. With this transaction, we were able to attract world-class investors that share our vision with capital and a long-term horizon which allows us to work with our customers to bring the most innovative, technologically advanced chips to the market." The Presidio-managed continuation vehicle obtained a controlling interest in ElevATE from Presidio Investors Fund II and other shareholders, with Kline Hill Partners leading the transaction. A diverse group of high-quality investors, including partners in the Presidio Investors Fund II, provided support.Presidio Managing Partner Christian Puscasiu remarked, "The closing of our first continuation fund is an important milestone for Presidio and ElevATE. We're excited to be able to add a cadre of new, high-quality investors led by Kline Hill to continue the development of ElevATE. Having built a strong foundation over the past four years, ElevATE is poised to accelerate its growth path and bring innovation to this important part of the semiconductor production supply chain." Raudel Yanez, Managing Director at Kline Hill Partners, added, "We're excited to lead this transaction and partner with Presidio to extend their ownership of this high-quality business and help support ElevATE's strong growth trajectory. Our partnership demonstrates our ability to support GPs and their portfolio companies, while executing a transaction that is well aligned with our strategy." Credit Suisse Private Fund Group served as exclusive financial advisor and K&L Gates LLP provided legal counsel to Presidio. Stephenson Harwood LLP provided legal counsel to Kline Hill.About ElevATE SemiconductorEstablished in 2012, ElevATE Semiconductor Inc. is a leading chip designer for semiconductor automated test equipment with differentiated low-cost capabilities. ElevATE's mission is to serve semiconductor and system test customers by providing world class test integrated circuits that address the industry's most complex ATE challenges. ElevATE has 34 employees across its production facility and headquarters in San Diego and satellite office in Austin, Texas. For more information, please visit www.elevatesemi.com About Presidio InvestorsPresidio Investors is a leading Austin, Texas-based private equity firm investing in quality businesses in the lower middle market. Presidio makes control investments in growing, niche services companies with enterprise values between $30 million - $200 million and employs a collaborative approach to help grow and develop businesses to produce excellent returns for all stakeholders. Presidio principals have over 75 years of private equity investing and operating experience. To learn more about Presidio, please visit www.presidioinvestors.com About Kline Hill PartnersFounded in 2015, Kline Hill Partners is an investment firm focused on the private equity secondary market, with industry-leading capabilities in the small-deal space. With over $3 billion in assets under management, Kline Hill's funds are backed by a blue-chip investor base that includes endowments, foundations, family offices, and other institutional investors. Together, Kline Hill's Core and Solutions strategies make up a platform designed to serve the entirety of the small-deal secondary market, with capabilities spanning LP fund transfers, GP-led transactions, and secondary direct transactions. For more information, please visit www.klinehill.com Contact InformationDavid KenyonCEO and President+1 858 451 7240SOURCE: ElevATE Semiconductor
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 15:06:55

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 832 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Value of Open Source Software and Standards for Buy-Sides ExpandsNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / The Fintech Open Source Foundation (FINOS), the financial services umbrella of the Linux Foundation, today announces the addition of Fidelity Investments (Fidelity) as its newest buy-side member joining the foundation's growing community of leading asset managers, hedge funds, and financial services firms. Fidelity's membership represents a continued recognition of the value in open source standards, projects, and initiatives for the entire financial services ecosystem.Following the memberships of Wellington Management and Point72, FINOS' community has seen an increase in representation from buy-side firms, as a strong recognition of the value of FINOS open projects in cross-constituency industry-wide collaboration."The growing commitment from institutions, such as Fidelity, to the acceleration of open source adoption marks another key milestone for the FINOS community", said Gabriele Columbro, Executive Director of FINOS and General Manager of The Linux Foundation Europe. "We have seen a significant draw in interest from buy-side firms in the last year on projects such as FDC3, which has subsequently led to further engagement from the sell-side to collaborate through open source. We look forward to growing foundational open source standards and principles across the industry, and establishing open source as a key component across all facets of the financial services industry." The value for buy-side firms in participating in industry-wide, open collaboration stems not only from infrastructure mutualization and a connected cloud journey, but also from core open source standards like FDC3 and the Common Domain Model (CDM) that drive cross-industry interoperability."Open source software development and a culture of continuous learning are key pillars in enabling the delivery of secure, stable, and scalable solutions in a rapidly changing environment," stated Joe Frazier, Head of Cloud and Platform Engineering at Fidelity Investments. "We are thrilled to join the Fintech Open Source Foundation and actively contribute to and collaborate with the community on new and existing projects that will safely and securely accelerate the delivery of software applications across financial services." The continued growth of organizations throughout the industry engaging in open source software (OSS), both in FINOS and upstream projects in the Linux Foundation, speaks to the widespread development of talent and designated open source leadership - an essential component in establishing concrete and tangible value across the industry through open source.Kim Prado, Chair of the FINOS Governing Board and CIO, US Capital Markets, I&CB and Office of the COO at BMO, remarked, "We're thrilled to have Fidelity Investments join the FINOS community as the latest buy-side member. Their dedication to open source adoption and cooperative efforts bolsters our objective of promoting innovation and compatibility within the financial services arena. Fidelity's knowledge and perspective will be crucial as we continue to build an open source backbone connecting top-tier asset managers, hedge funds, and financial services companies. Together, we will champion open standards, projects, and initiatives that deliver an unprecedented level of cross-industry interoperability." Hear from Fidelity and others furthering open source innovation at Open Source Summit North America from May 10 through 12.To learn more about joining FINOS as a member, visit the Membership Benefits page. Are you using FDC3? Add your implementation to the FDC3 Community page.Join the FINOS team in London at its upcoming Open House & Regtech Global Showcase (open to the public) on June 14 and Member Meeting (member only) on June 15. Mark your calendar and register now for FINOS' Open Source in Finance Forum (OSFF) in New York on November 1.About FINOSFINOS (The Fintech Open Source Foundation) is a nonprofit whose mission is to foster adoption of open source, open standards and collaborative software development practices in financial services. It is the center for open source developers and the financial services industry to build new technology projects that have a lasting impact on business operations. As a regulatory compliant platform, the foundation enables developers from these competing organizations to collaborate on projects with a strong propensity for mutualization. It has enabled codebase contributions from both the buy- and sell-side firms and counts over 50 major financial institutions, fintechs and technology consultancies as part of its membership. FINOS is also part of the Linux Foundation, the largest shared technology organization in the world. Get involved and join FINOS as a Member. To stay up to date on FINOS news, events, podcasts, blogs, and more, sign up here.About Fidelity InvestmentsFidelity's mission is to strengthen the financial well-being of our customers and deliver better outcomes for the clients and businesses we serve. With assets under administration of $10.3 trillion, including discretionary assets of $3.9 trillion as of December 31, 2022, we focus on meeting the unique needs of a diverse set of customers. Privately held for over 75 years, Fidelity employs nearly 67,000 associates who are focused on the long-term success of our customers. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit https://www.fidelity.com/about-fidelity/our-company Media Contact:Catharine RybeckCaliber Corporate Adviserscatharine@ calibercorporateadvisers.com SOURCE: FINOS
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 15:56:09

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 389 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / The Home DepotOriginally published on Built From ScratchWhen Sheila Concepcion was just 21, she left everything she knew in the Philippines and migrated to the United States with her dad. Sheila's dad returned to the Philippines soon after, so finding a job and planting roots became her top priority. She accepted a role as a cashier at a Home Depot store in Jersey City, New Jersey, and began the next chapter of her life in a new country.Being a cashier in a bustling home improvement store came with some difficulties at first. "I was nervous because I didn't know anything about U.S. money yet," Sheila recalls. "I had to sit myself down in a room and learn by separating coins in a jar one by one." Over the past 25 years, Sheila's knowledge of the business has grown, and she's worked in many different departments in the store - from bookkeeping associate to operations assistant manager to her current role as store manager.Sheila's favorite part of her current role is the impact she can make on customers, associates and local communities. "It feels good to go home knowing that I played a part in helping our customers solve their home improvement problems, while providing associates with knowledge and support," she says. Sheila also enjoys volunteering with Team Depot, the company's associate volunteer force, and she loves the sense of pride she feels after helping meaningful organizations.Each May, during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Sheila takes an intentional moment to celebrate and reflect on her heritage. "I was born in the Philippines and lived there until I was 21, so I identify strongly with my Filipino roots," she says. "My heritage has shaped me to be who I am today, which is hardworking, motivated, family-oriented and dedicated to building strong relationships with the people around me. I'll never forget what my dad taught me: that please and thank you are the magic words." Interested in a career at The Home Depot? Visit www.careers.homedepot.com View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from The Home Depot on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: The Home DepotWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/home-depot Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: The Home Depot
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 16:11:10

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 637 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / The Morningstar folks are on top of monitoring and reporting on investment trends, including embracing sustainable investing as a major trend to track. They acquired the Sustainalytics ESG ratings firm and over the years have rated hundreds of sustainability-labeled mutual funds and ETFs. For the 2023 celebration of Earth Day, which was first held in 1970.In our Top Story below, Morningstar's Tom Kuh looked at six pioneering funds that launched as much as a half-century ago and reports on where they are now.Early societal movements in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries focused on preserving and protecting natural resources (forests), open land (leading to today's national and state parks), and ocean treasures (coral reefs). This was first labeled as "conservation" but that evolved over time to include "environmental protection" as American and European industries liberally poured waste and toxins into land, air, and bodies of water.The first Earth Day was organized by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, to raise public awareness of the significant damage being done to our environment. An estimated 20 million people attended events on April 22, 1970, which was shortly after President Richard Nixon in his first term exerted pressure to help the 91st Congress pass the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (becoming the law of the land on January 1, 1970)."NEPA" created the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality ("CEQ") within the White House. The legislative momentum paved the way for passage of significant legislation such as the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act. This wave of 1970s legislative and administrative action helped to raise public awareness of the importance of environmental protection. Savvy, prescient players in the investment community responded by creating investable products that initially addressed environmental issues.The Morningstar analysis of early mutual funds categorized as "socially responsible investments" (SRI), evolving over time to "sustainable and responsible" and then to "impact" investments. SRI was new in the early 1970s and the pioneer funds were small in comparison to where they are today.The six pioneering mutual fund complexes analyzed by Morningstar are:Pax World Funds (now, Impax Asset Management);Calvert Research and Management (now part of Eaton Vance Management);Parnassus Investments;Domini Impact Investments;Trillium Asset Management (founder Joan Bavaria was one of the founders of Ceres);Boston Trust/Walden Asset Management.As Tom Kuh points out, "the firms stand out as authentic, staying true to their purpose at a time when investors are alert to the potential for greenwashing." Although Earth Day 1970 began "with an exclusive focus on the environment," Kuh points out, "we can view sustainable investment as the investment legacy of Earth Day." These funds stayed true to their original purpose. Many more mutual funds and ETFs and other investable products (green bonds are an example) have come to market. While claims of "greenwashing" are sometimes made, the SEC has standards and rules in development for the asset managers of climate-related investment products.Of value for us: Tom Kuh explains the comprehensive process that Morningstar uses to help guide investors seeking sustainable portfolios with such resources as its Sustainable Investing Framework, Morningstar Sustainable Ratings, and ESG Commitment Level. The G&A team closely follows the ESG ratings firms and will continue to keep you updated on trends in sustainable investing.This is just the introduction of G&A's Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc.Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/governance-accountability-institute-inc Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 15:07:38

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 530 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

WEST VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Potash, an alkaline potassium compound, is a vital fertilizer component and plays a crucial role in the global food supply chain. However, the Russian-Ukraine war has disrupted the supply chain. Canada, Russia, and Belarus account for 70% of worldwide potash production, and Canada, the world's largest producer of potash, has been unable to fill the gap left by the conflict, leading to a global potash shortage and rising prices. With no end in sight for the war, dependable potash suppliers are in high demand.But hope may lie elsewhere - a company called Millennial Potash (OTCMKTS:MLPNF) has recently acquired the Banio Potash Project in Gabon. The Gabon coastline is rich in potash deposits, presenting a possibly unique opportunity for the global potash supply chain. The country is estimated to have over two billion tons of potassium salts, making it one of the largest potash basins in the world. Due to its strategic location on the Atlantic coast of Africa, Gabon has a significant cost advantage due to its proximity to major potash markets, making it an attractive source of potash for the key importing markets of Brazil, Asia, and Europe.Acquiring the basin in Gabon would certainly seem like a highly strategic choice, and Millennial Potash's Board and Management team is really what sets the company apart from competitors. The board is led by Farhad Abasov, Graham Harris, Peter MacLean, and Jason Wilkinson. The team members collectively have successfully built and exited multiple resource companies. Millennial Lithium was the most recent success. In January 2022, Millennial Lithium was acquired by Lithium Americas for $491 million. The management team built it up from a small market cap of $30 million.Prior to Millennial Lithium's acquisition, the Board members had built and later sold a Canadian junior miner company by the name of Allana Potash Corp. to the fertilizer giant Israel Chemicals Ltd. The team had also previously sold Potash One to a German fertilizer group in a $434 million deal. The company's track record of highly profitable mergers and acquisitions creates a promising outlook for the Banio Potash Project. The team's combined experience in potash and other large mining projects will be instrumental to the project's success.The Banio Potash Project is strategically located in the well-known potash-bearing basin with an exploration camp, drill rigs, and a drill core on site. With its large resource, control of a strategic location, and a strong team behind the operation, Millennial Potash could have the potential to become a major player in the global potash market and provide a reliable source of potash for countries around the world, and they're not sparing any effort - for this new project, they've even taken on a new CEO with decades of mining experienceIt is estimated that by 2050, the world will need to produce 70% more food than it does today to feed the projected 9.7 billion people on the planet. Potash is a critical resource and having a strong supply from Africa would help to meet the growing demand for fertilizer and ensure a sustainable future for global communities.Featured photo by FLY&I on Unsplash.Contact:Michael Harrisir@ millennialpotash.com SOURCE: Millennial Potash Corp.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 16:02:00

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 506 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

The innovative private university selects Pathify to better serve all their students.DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Pathify - the only centralized user experience hub for higher ed - proudly welcomes Indiana Tech to the growing community of global customers obsessed with improving the student technology experience.Pathify Dedicated to providing a world-class student experience, Indiana Tech amplifies this commitment with a unifying platform tailored to current student needs and interests."At Indiana Tech, we often say that tech is everything and everything is tech," said Jeff Leichty, Chief Information Officer at Indiana Tech. "It's an acknowledgement both of our deep roots as a STEM-focused university and of the vital role that technology plays in every career field today. Our partnership with Pathify is enabling us to better leverage technology to fulfill our commitment to providing every student with world-class support and service. Just as important, it's helping us better connect our students, faculty and staff with one another." Pathify fills the massive user experience void at the center of the higher education digital ecosystem, delivering a personalized user experience unifying technology, content, communications and people. Offering highly personalized experiences for users at every point in their journey, the Engagement Hub encourages system-agnostic integrations, collaborative social groups, personalized tasks and multi-channel communication with full web/mobile parity."The partnership with Indiana Tech marks another exciting addition to our growing partner base in the Midwest," said Matt Hammond, Chief Revenue Officer at Pathify. "We are looking forward to supporting Indiana Tech's emphasis on community engagement with their students on our platform." Indiana Tech joins the Pathify customer community in the Midwest with other customers such as Cornerstone University, Aquinas College and Stark State College.About Indiana TechIndiana Tech is a comprehensive non-profit four-year private university which provides learners a professional education; prepares them for active participation, career advancement, and leadership in the global 21st-century society; and motivates them toward a life of significance and worth.Founded in 1930, Indiana Tech's main campus is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana; through its extensive online programs and regional locations around the Midwest, it serves students from around the globe. The university offers career-focused certificates, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees in fields such as engineering, computer sciences, cybersecurity, allied health fields, business, criminal justice and many more.Learn more at https://www.indianatech.edu/ About PathifyObsessed with making great technology while developing incredible long-term relationships with customers, Pathify remains hyper-focused on creating stellar experiences across the entire student lifecycle - from prospect to alumni. Delivering cloud-based, integration-friendly software designed to drive engagement, Pathify pushes personalized information, content, and resources to the right people, at the right time - on any device. Led by former higher ed executives, entrepreneurs, and technology leaders, the team at Pathify focuses every day on the values Impact, Wit, Contrast, Technique and Care.Learn more at pathify.com Contact InformationChase WilliamsCEO & Co-founderchase@ pathify.com +61 403 571 564Megan KratzmanHead of Marketing(602) 400-4443SOURCE: Pathify
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 02:15:30

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 420 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Ryan Beasley Law welcomes Lance Crick, a former First Assistant United States Attorney and Acting United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina to the team.GREENVILLE, SC / ACCESSWIRE / May 10, 2023 / Ryan Beasley Law is pleased to announce the addition of Lance Crick to its Greenville office. Lance joins the firm in an Of Counsel capacity after serving over two decades in the legal profession, including more than 21 years with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina.Crick graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Wofford College in 1995 before earning his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1998. He then began his legal career as an Assistant Solicitor in Pickens County, South Carolina before joining the United States Attorney's Office as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division in 2001, where he prosecuted cases primarily in the areas of violent crime and narcotics.During his time with the United States Attorney's Office, Crick held various leadership roles, including serving as the Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Greenville office, Deputy Chief for Violent Crimes in the Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney in three consecutive administrations, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney and Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. Lance served as Counsel on Strategic Partnerships, where he led the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program and Law Enforcement Coordination (LEC) program as his final role the U.S. Attorney's Office before joining the firm.As a part of Ryan Beasley Law, Lance will provide strategic and effective legal counsel to clients in the areas of criminal defense, investigations, and white-collar crime, drawing upon his extensive experience and his commitment to protecting the rights of individuals and businesses."We are thrilled to welcome Lance to our team," said Ryan Beasley, founder of Ryan Beasley Law. "His impressive legal career and leadership experience make him an invaluable asset to our firm and our clients. We are excited to have him join us and look forward to the contributions he will make to our practice." About Ryan Beasley LawRyan Beasley Law has protected the rights of those facing serious criminal allegations since 2001. Their attorneys intentionally take fewer cases to offer proper attention and deliver the justice their clients deserve. With superior representation in a supportive environment, their attorneys are dedicated to criminal defense and civil litigation.Media ContactCaroline Turnerpress@ storyllc.com 864-501-5015SOURCE: Ryan Beasley Law
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 22:00:39

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 501 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

The Mather Group LLC named among best workplaces in the USAVIENNA, VA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / The Mather Group LLC has been named to Inc. magazine's annual Best Workplaces list. Featured in the May/June 2023 issue, which hits newsstands on May 16, 2023, and prominently featured on Inc.com , the list is the result of a comprehensive measurement of American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company culture.The Mather Group is a small and mighty digital marketing agency that operates completely remotely. Its foundation is found in its motto, "Nice People, Great ROI," which all employees live out, whether strategizing for an internationally recognized brand or a homegrown nonprofit."For the second year in a row, we've been named one of the best workplaces in America. Our team is 100% remote, so we don't have one common workplace. We know though that it isn't the "where" that matters, but the "who," the "what," and the "how," says TMG CEO and founder Josh Greene. "Who do we want in our lives? What do we believe in? How do we treat each other? How do we treat clients? We all have to be on the same page for it to work.It isn't easy to form bonds remotely, but then, it isn't easy to do in person either. Every single person is valued for who they are, because who they are is a major part of what they bring to the table. I'm incredibly proud of the community we have built within the company." About The Mather Group, LLCThe Mather Group, LLC, is an entirely remote company that specializes in digital marketing and online reputation management. Recognized for its people and one-of-a-kind solutions, it has helped some of the largest Fortune 500 companies, international brands and consultancies, and high-profile non-profit organizations. For more information, visit themathergroupllc.com About Inc. MediaThe world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com About Quantum WorkplaceQuantum Workplace, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee-engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com Contact InformationJosh GreeneAdvisorjgreene@ themathergroupllc.com (703) 594-1217SOURCE: The Mather Group, LLC
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-12 00:00:32

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 1015 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / In March, Russia announced that it, together with China and Iran, was conducting joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman. This is one of many recent events connecting these three states, and their growing alliance has major implications for the U.S.MEMRI's Russian Media Studies Project (RMSP), launched in 2016, is closely monitoring this and other developments in the region, providing an invaluable window to understanding it. Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, the project's output has increased by orders of magnitude in order to keep up with the rapid pace of events and of official and media statements on them - and to analyze what they mean for the U.S. and the rest of the West.The MEMRI RMSP publishes up-to-the-minute translations and analyses of statements and trends in Russian politics, diplomacy, think tanks, military, and media These, along with MEMRI's translations from Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Urdu, Pashto, and Chinese and original MEMRI analysis, are aimed at informing media, academia, legislatures, governments, and the public at large. No one else does the work that we do. Register today for a free subscription to RMSP emails to follow the latest developments in Russia.Topics monitored 24/7 by the MEMRI RMSP over the past seven years have included: Russia's foreign and domestic policy, Russia-U.S. relations, anti-U.S. indoctrination, cyber war, the rising U.S.-Russia military tensions, Russia-China relations, Russia-Turkey relations, Russia-Iran relations, Russia-NATO relations, the Russia-U.S.-NATO clash over Ukraine, Russia's intervention in Syria, Russia's geopolitical interests, Russia's influence in Europe and its potential allies, Russia's return to the developing world including Latin America, Russia's vision of the post-coronavirus world, Russia's rivalry with the U.S. in the former Soviet republics and in the Arctic, and energy and arms shipments as force multipliers of Russian diplomacy.Following the one-year mark of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the MEMRI Russian Media Studies Project (RMSP) has released a four-part series of videos compiled from MEMRI TV clips on the topic - see below. Below are links to dozens of highlighted reports from the RMSP concerning the war.FOUR-PART VIDEO COMPILATION SERIESPart I: Clips on the Russia-Ukraine CrisisPart II: Clips on Support For Russia from the Arab and Muslim WorldPart III: Clips on Russian Officials' Threats Against and Attacks on the U.S. and Discussions of Russian Weapons - on Russian and Arab TV ChannelsPart IV: Clips Praising Russia's Relations with the Arab World and with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Clips Defending Terrorist Organizations, on Russian, Arab, and Iranian TV.Click on the links below to view the videos.MEMRI RUSSIAN MEDIA STUDIES PROJECT VIDEO COMPILATION PART I - CLIPS ON THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CRISISTo view this video, click here or below:MEMRI RUSSIAN MEDIA STUDIES PROJECT VIDEO COMPILATION PART II - CLIPS ON THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CRISIS: RUSSIA RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM THE ARAB AND MUSLIM WORLDTo view this video, click here or below:MEMRI RUSSIAN MEDIA STUDIES PROJECT VIDEO COMPILATION PART III - CLIPS ON RUSSIAN OFFICIALS' THREATS AGAINST AND ATTACKS ON U.S. & DISCUSSIONS OF RUSSIAN WEAPONS - ON RUSSIAN & ARAB TV CHANNELSTo view this video, click here or below:MEMRI RUSSIAN MEDIA STUDIES PROJECT VIDEO COMPILATION PART IV - CLIPS PRAISING RUSSIA'S RELATIONS WITH THE ARAB WORLD AND WITH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN, AND CLIPS DEFENDING TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS - ON RUSSIAN, ARAB & IRAN TVTo view this video, click here or below:Below are selected translations and original analysis from the RMSP about the Russia-Ukraine war from the past year:RMSP TRANSLATIONS & ANALYSIS ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WARREPORTS ON RUSSIA'S MILITARY AND ITS INVASION OF UKRAINERussian 'Military Review' Contributor Staver Calls For Setting An Example By Punishing Commanders Responsible For Makiivka CarnageRussian Military Expert Skomorokhov: The Russian Army Is In A Very Deep Crisis, There May Be No Hope For VictoryRussian Military Analyst To Defense Ministry And Kremlin: 'Do You Actually Believe That We Have No Right To The Truth?'Russian Military Expert Knutov: There Is No Difference Between Ukrainians And ISIS; The Souls Of Ukrainians Have Been Possessed By DemonsRussian Military Analyst Biryukov: Russian Leadership Promised Quick Victory, But Now Believes Ukraine And The West Will Succumb To A War Of Attrition; What If They Are Wrong Again?Russian Military Expert Felgengauer Punctures The Hope That Tension Between China And Taiwan Could Open Up A Second Front To Distract The USRussian Special Forces Veteran Kozlov: Russia Must Prepare For Ukrainian Guerilla Warfare That Will Recruit RussiansRussian Military Expert Pukhov: The Accession Of Finland And Sweden To NATO Deteriorated Russia's Strategic PositionRussian Military Analyst Viktor Litovkin: If The West Declares War On Russia, Sends Forces To Ukraine - This Would Mean All-Out War; Russia's Nukes Are Capable Of Destroying Many CountriesRussian Military Expert Linin Concedes NATO's Vast Air And Naval Superiority, But Insists That Russia's Military Potential Equals That Of The North Atlantic AllianceRetired Russian Colonel-General Ivashov: One Year Ago, I Warned That Invading Ukraine Will Hurt Russia; The Current Reality Is Much Worse Than I PredictedRussian Foreign Ministry Diplomatic Academy Vice Rector Oleg Karpovich: Russia Will Not Meekly Wait For Western Tanks To Cross Its BordersRussian Political Scientist Mirzayan: Ukraine War Will Conclude In Partition, As In KoreaRussian Former Colonel Trenin: Russia Failed To Assess The Western Response To Ukraine Invasion, But There Is No Way Back, Russia Must Persevere And Conquer Most Of UkraineCracks Appear In Russia's Stonewall Denial Of Using Iranian Drones In UkraineRussian Topwar.ru Outlet Publishes Devastating Takedown Of Ukraine InvasionRussian Foreign Policy Analyst Yusin: Russia Needs A String Of Victories Or One Spectacular Victory In Ukraine To Reassure Wavering AlliesPurported Putin-Whisperer Dugin: 'Solar' Putin Must Mobilize The Entire Russian People To Win The Struggle Between The Forces Of Light And The Forces Of DarknessREPORTS ON RUSSIAN OFFICIALS AND LEADING EXPERTS TALKING ABOUT NUCLEAR STRIKES AND NUCLEAR WARAnti-Liberalism Russian Philosopher Dugin: 'We Are On The Brink Of A Third World War;' 'The Likelihood Of A Nuclear Armageddon Is Growing Day By Day'Russian Military Expert Maxim Klimov: Our Commanders In Ukraine Should Be Allowed To Use Tactical Nucl
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 22:35:14

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 985 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11th, 2023 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with Etruscus Resources, Pan Global Resources, POET Technologies, Odd Burger Corp, Barsele Minerals, Beacn Wizardry & Magic, Avrupa Minerals, Nextech3D.ai and ARway discussing their latest news.The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives.Drill Program Begins at Lewis Property 10 km West of Keats Discovery, NewfoundlandEtruscus Resources Corp. is pleased to announce its 2023 drill program has commenced at the Company's Lewis Property. The Property is road accessible and is located 5 km south of the Trans Canada Highway in the Gander Gold Belt, approximately 10 km west of New Found Gold's Keats Zone discovery in Newfoundland. The geological team arrived last week and has quickly established core cutting and staging areas along with conducting ground truthing to confirm collar locations for the entire Program. Drilling is now underway.For the full interview with Carl Ryan and to learn about Etruscus Resources Corp., click here.Pan Global Secures Surface Access to Explore a 680 Hectare Area West of the La Romana Copper-Tin Discovery at the Escacena Project, SpainExploration to commence immediately at Romana West, including ground geophysics and an initial 25-30 drill hole program. Potential to extend the current 1,200m strike-length of the La Romana mineralization a further 800-1,000m to the west. Surface access agreement allows exploration to also commence at three additional untested targets: Barbacena, El Pozo and Romana Nort.For the full interview with Tim Moody and to learn about Pan Global Resources, click here.POET Technologies Announces First Volume Purchase Order For Its Optical EnginesPOET Technologies Inc., the designer and developer of the POET Optical Interposer and Photonic Integrated Circuits and light sources for the data center, tele-communication and artificial intelligence markets, today announced the first volume production order for its optical engines placed with the Company's 80%-owned joint-venture company, Super Photonics Xiamen.For the full interview with Vivek Rajgarhia and to learn about POET Technologies Inc., click here.Odd Burger Signs Letter of Intent to Open 150 locations in India and Singapore and Provides Corporate UpdateOdd Burger Corporation is pleased to announce it has signed a non-binding letter of intent with 14728696 Canada Inc. o/a Earthlings Canada Inc. to open 145 locations in India and 5 locations in Singapore over a period of 10 years.For the full interview with James McInnes and to learn about Odd Burger Corporation, click here.Barsele Announces Plans for Resumption of Diamond Drilling Activities in 2023Diamond drilling is budgeted for 3,000 metres (approximately 15 holes) and will test for Intrusive-hosted "Orogenic Gold" and Volcanogenic Massive Sulphides. Drilling will commence near the Risberget Zone and will test Orogenic Gold targets in the vicinity of previously intersected gold mineralization, along the southeasterly extension of the 3.6-kilometre Avan-Central-Skirasen gold trend. The Avan Zone, where high gold grades have been locally encountered, is the second principal target where drill testing will take place. Additionally, drill testing for Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide mineralization will take place along the southeastward extension from the Norra VMS Deposit.For the full interview with Steve Cope and to learn about Barsele Minerals, click here.BEACN Announces Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2022BEACN Wizardry & Magic Inc. is pleased to report that sales of the BEACN Mic, Mix and Mix-Create for the year ended December 31, 2022, resulted in revenue of $4,325,458 (2021 $nil) gross profit of $1,636,687 (37.8%) (2021 $nil) and net loss of $451,154 (2021 loss of $2,713,756).For the full interview with Craig Fraser and to learn about BEACN Wizardry & Magic Inc., click here.Avrupa Minerals Completes Definitive Agreement with Western Tethyan Resources to Option Out the Slivova Gold Project, KosovoThe Definitive Agreement outlines a path towards potential gold production from the Slivova deposit. Western Tethyan Resources completed a robust Due Diligence review, a Concept Study, and continues to work on a Preliminary Economic Assessment, including a metals resource update for the Slivova deposit; WTR can earn-in to 85% of the Slivova Project.For the full interview with Paul Kuhn and to learn about Avrupa Minerals, click here. Nextech3D.ai Signs 3D Modeling Expansion Contract With Vornado Air LLC To Bring 3D Models Onto The Prime Marketplace Nextech3D.AI , a Generative AI-Powered 3D model supplier for Amazon, P&G, Kohls and other major e-commerce retailers is pleased to announce the Company has signed an expansion 3D modeling contract with Vornado Air LLC.For the full interview with Evan Gappelberg and to learn about Nextech3D.AI , click here. ARway.ai 'The Augmented Reality Experience Platform' Gaining Momentum as 2023 Sales Pipeline Reaches Over $1.4M in Revenue Potential ARway.ai . is an AI powered Augmented Reality Experience platform with a disruptive no-code, no beacon spatial computing solution enabled by visual marker tracking with centimeter precision announces a sales pipeline of over $1.4MM in potential enterprise contracts, representing a significant revenue opportunity for ARway.ai as it expands its reach across the globe in the indoor navigation industry.For the full interview with Evan Gappelberg and to learn about ARway.ai ., click here.Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit The Power Play by The Market Herald.About The Market HeraldThe Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets.DISCLAIMER: Report Card Canada Media Ltd. ("Report Card") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market Herald Limited, an Australian company ("Market Herald"). Report Card is not an advisory service%2
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 15:06:58

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 692 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

THE VILLAGES, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / The Willows, an Inspirit Senior Living Community, is pleased to announce the completion of their extensive renovations and the grand opening of their new luxury apartments, the Bellwether Suites. The Willows is a premier senior living community in The Villages, Florida, offering personalized care and upscale amenities for independent, Assisted Living, and Memory Care residents.Inspirit Senior Living The Willows Community Renovations focused on updating the existing spaces to provide a boutique residence experience unique to the area. The Willows now feature completely remodeled living spaces, including a rich dining area, private dining room, theater, multipurpose activity spaces, game room, outdoor patios, and a cafe lounge. The new design features a base of light and bright neutrals mixed with soft greens, rich blues, and bright oranges that bring energy into the space. The use of lighter-toned woods, darker metals, and pops of color accentuate the historical Spanish style from the surrounding area while staying true to the Floridian aesthetic.The Willows Sage Memory Care also features fresh new living spaces designed specifically for the memory impaired, creating a warm, safe atmosphere that promotes a peaceful yet stimulating environment for their residents. The Sage Program's mission is to honor its residents - creating meaningful interactions in safe hands while working within its residents' memories and abilities.The Bellwether Suites are the latest addition to The Willows Senior Living Community. These seven luxury units range from 340-500 square feet and offer exclusive amenities such as a new coffee bar and lounge, private patios, and kitchenettes. The suites feature rich dark blues for a modern and fresh feel, offering all the comforts and conveniences to help simplify residents' lives and experience peace of mind."We are thrilled to unveil our newly renovated spaces and the Bellwether Suites," said David McHarg, CEO of Inspirit Senior Living. "We have designed these spaces with our residents' comfort and safety in mind while providing upscale amenities that make them feel at home. The Bellwether Suites are a true testament to our commitment to excellence." The Willows offer residents the highest standards of care, engaging programs, best-in-class dining experience, exemplary service, and an abundance of elegance. The superior care and the well-being of the Willows residents is a direct reflection of their deficient-free surveys in the last four years. With an administrator of 30 years, a strong long-term management team, and a committed family of employees, The Willows community exudes a positive and exciting culture among all, enhancing their residents' overall quality of life. "As the Executive Director of The Willows, this new exciting renovation and the addition of the Bellwether Suites graduates us from an excellent Assisted Living Community to an extraordinary one," said Pam Campbell, Executive Director of The Willows community. "I am honored to work alongside a team who drives our community through integrity and poise, always doing whatever it takes to enhance the lives of our residents." The Willows Senior Living Community proudly offers its residents an exceptional senior living experience. With the completion of the renovations and the introduction of the Bellwether Suites, they continue to raise the bar for senior living communities in Florida.For more information about The Willows Senior Living Community and the Bellwether Suites, please visit their website at https://inspiritseniorliving.com/thewillows -- ### --ABOUT INSPIRIT SENIOR LIVINGInspirit Senior Living is an owner/operator of senior living communities in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, and Southern regions of the United States. Founded in 2015 by some of the senior-care industry's most respected leaders, Inspirit aims to identify under-performing struggling communities and to acquire, modernize, and professionalize them, taking advantage of the network's economies of scale while preserving each property's homelike atmosphere and the individual attention to each resident that defines a successful senior living experience. Inspirit is committed to being a force for good in every community where it operates, creating good jobs, contributing to the local economy, and providing senior care that respects the dignity and gifts of every resident.For more information, visit www.inspiritseniorliving.com Contact InformationDavid McHargCEOdmcharg@ inspiritseniorliving.com SOURCE: Inspirit Senior Living
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-11 16:56:37

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 676 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Edison International(L-r) Edison International President and CEO Pedro Pizarro, 2023 Edison Scholar Jackie Li and Li's mother YangYan Ou.Energized by EdisonDiane Castro ENERGIZED by Edison WriterIt was a typical morning in first period AP physics for Temple City High School senior Jackie Li until an unexpected guest speaker walked into the classroom.Edison International President and CEO Pedro Pizarro called Li to the front of the class to surprise her with the life-changing news: "Congratulations, you're an Edison Scholar, Jackie!""It was unbelievable. I kept thinking, Is this for real? Is this really for me?'" said Li. "I don't think I can fully comprehend the scale of what this means. I need to sit down." Li is among 30 high school seniors in Southern California Edison's service area who earned a $50,000 Edison scholarship to study science, technology, engineering or math (STEM), cybersecurity or data analytics. Edison Scholars are also eligible for a paid summer internship with SCE upon completing their first year of school.For Li, the immediate future is to major in chemistry. Through her teachers and various science competitions, Li found a love for environmental science and how it intersects with other scientific fields such as biology, chemistry and physics."I grew up in rural China, where it was mainly farmland, and you can see for miles on a clear day," said Li. "However, in Los Angeles, when you look out toward the mountains, you see a layer of yellow smog and can't really see the stars. I find a drastic difference between the two environments, and I don't want L.A. to continue to be like this. I want to do something for the environment, make the world a better place and make an impact on the future." For the first time since 2019, students received the scholarship news with in-person surprise check presentations delivered by Edison representatives during school events that included a pep rally, an open house and in-classroom visits."The Edison Scholars Program is all about helping students achieve their dreams. Meeting these talented students and their families is the most fun I have in my job every year," said Pizarro, who was joined in the classroom by Li's mother, grandmother, school counselors, administrators and district representatives. "It is so gratifying to help bright and motivated students pursue their passion, be successful in college and lead the transition to a clean energy future. We believe in Jackie and all the scholars and hope they come to work with us someday." "I came to the United States as a Chinese immigrant when I was in kindergarten. Now, I am the first in my family to go to college in the U.S. It is nice to carry on the legacy," Li said.The morning was even more significant for her mother, YangYan Ou, from the surprise announcement to watching the newly named Edison Scholar pose for photo ops with school officials. "I am very proud of her. She has worked very hard for a long time," Ou said, beaming with pride.Li explained how the scholarship would allow her to forgo a part-time job: "This scholarship will allow me to pursue things like a paid internship in a research lab instead of just getting a job for the money." Edison International, the parent company of SCE, is one of the largest corporate philanthropic contributors in Southern California. The Edison Scholars Program is funded entirely by Edison International shareholders.SCE will host a reception to celebrate Li and all the 2023 Edison Scholars at the company's Rosemead headquarters on May 5. To learn more about the Edison Scholars, visit the Edison Scholar 2023 Spotlight Page.CONTRIBUTORSPHOTO CREDIT: ERNESTO SANCHEZVIDEO CREDIT: ERNESTO SANCHEZ AND ROBERTO LAZARTEView additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Edison International on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Edison InternationalWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/edison-international Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Edison International
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their family members have viewed the progress of construction works carried out in a residential complex consisting of 23 building in the city of Shusha, Azernews reports.

Special Representative of the President in the Shusha district Aydin Karimov informed the head of state and the First Lady of the works done.

The residential complex occupies a total area of 8 hectares. The construction of 8 buildings started on July 1, 2022, while the construction of 15 buildings on September 1, 2022.

The construction of the complex consisting of three-storey and five-storey buildings is planned to be completed at the end of this year.

The residential complex will have 450 apartments, including 28 one-room, 195 two-room, 190 three-room, 30 four-room and 7 five-room ones.
Russians limited in their ability to defend against AFU counterattacks in Bakhmut area  ISW

The Russian occupation troops are exhausted and severely limited in their ability to defend themselves against local counterattacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Bakhmut region (Donetsk region), according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

"Pervasive issues with Russian combat capability, exacerbated by continued attritional assaults in Bakhmut area, are likely considerably constraining the ability of Russian forces in this area to defend against localized Ukrainian counterattacks," the report notes.

"The 72nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade itself is emblematic of many of the endemic force generation issues constantly faced by the Russian military," experts note.

Ukrainian sources claimed on May 9 that Ukrainian forces destroyed the 6th and 8th companies of the 72nd Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Army Corps near Bakhmut and advanced 2.6km along a 3km frontline in the area, although ISW has not observed visual confirmation of these reported wider Ukrainian advances.

A prominent Russian milblogger claimed on May 10 that the Ukrainian forces tried to advance further in the "Luhansk People's Republic" 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade's zone of responsibility in Bakhmut area following Ukrainian counterattacks on May 9 but that formations of an unspecified Russian paramilitary company (PMC) prevented a Ukrainian breakthrough.

The Russian Ministry of Defense, in turn, said that the Russian Airborne Forces are holding back the actions of Ukrainian forces on the flanks around Bakhmut.

Previously, ISW experts have assessed that reports of Ukrainian counterattacks throughout Donetsk region appear to be part of an ongoing pattern of localized and limited counterattacks.

The report notes that this 72nd Russian brigade, which was formed mainly from volunteers in August 2022 in Orenburg region (Russia) as part of the 3rd Army Corps, was badly destroyed in Kharkiv region during the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the fall of 2022.

Ukrainian media suggested that the surviving elements of the 72nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade may have redeployed to Mykolaiv region following the Kharkiv region counteroffensive, where they once against suffered losses during Ukraine's southern counteroffensive in October 2022.

Western analysts, in turn, suggest that some units of the 72nd brigade of the Russian Federation were recently transferred to Bakhmut area.

"The Russian military command's apparent commitment of elements of a formation that has suffered two successive defeats to the Bakhmut axis alongside already killed Wagner elements likely offer Ukrainian forces opportunities to exploit with limited counterattacks," the report says.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, has said he is hopeful that President Muhammadu Buhari will assent to the Public Health Emergency Bill before he leaves office on 29 May.

Mr Oloriegbe, while speaking at a media roundtable alongside other legislators in Abuja on Tuesday, said the ninth assembly would continue to push to ensure that the bill is assented to by the President.

Mr Oloriegbe, a lawmaker representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, said the Public Health Emergency Bill, when approved, would revoke the 96-year-old Quarantine Act and establish a framework for managing public health emergencies of national and international concern.

He noted that the bill, which the Senate passed in January 2022, would be harmonised with the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill presented by the House of Representatives.

As at the time we had COVID-19, it was the Quarantine Act that we had. There was a debate that led to the repeal of the Quarantine Act and the enactment of a new public health law. A version of that law was passed in the House, and one was passed in the Senate, he said.

We are at the stage of harmonisation now. I am chairing a committee in the Senate and plan to call a joint meeting to consider and adopt a version that we will jointly present.

He said if the bill is not assented to, the 10th Assembly will follow up and ensure its success.

The roundtable, which was themed: Strengthening Health Security in Nigeria through Public Health Legislation, was organised by the Nigeria Health Watch in partnership with the Global Health Advocacy Incubator.

The bill

The bill titled, A Bill for an Act to Provide for an Effective National Framework for the Control of Outbreaks of Infectious Diseases and Other Events Endangering Public Health and Requiring Public Health Emergency Measures and For Other Related Matters (SB. 413) was first introduced to the Senate in 2020.

The legislation, which seeks to repeal the 96-year-old Quarantine Act, is sponsored by Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu North).

If signed into law, it would establish a legal and administrative framework for handling outbreaks of infectious and contagious diseases that portend a significant threat to public health safety within Nigeria or are likely to be transmitted into Nigeria or outside Nigerian borders.

Health emergencies

In her remarks, the Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, Vivianne Ihekweazu, said public health emergencies can have devastating consequences for individuals, communities, and entire countries, as witnessed with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms Ihekweazu said all hands must be on deck to ensure the country is fully prepared for future health emergencies.

She noted that the media roundtable is a unique opportunity for experts to share their views on the proposed public health bills.

The bills have significant implications for public health in the country and must be thoroughly examined and discussed by key stakeholders in the health sector, she said.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman House Committee on Health Services, Tanko Sununu, noted that public health law and policy are vital tools for shielding Nigerians from health threats, preventing diseases, and promoting healthy populations.

Mr Sununu said public health not only offers adequate and timely medical care but also monitors, tracks, and controls disease outbreaks, making it an essential element of National security.

He said by accelerating efforts to pass and implement the bills; the government would be demonstrating its commitment to protecting the health and well-being of Nigerians and ensuring that the country is better equipped to respond to any future public health emergencies.

He said the National Assembly has played a significant role in combating infectious disease outbreaks in the country.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has arrived at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja for Thursdays hearing of his petition seeking to overturn Bola Tinubus victory.

Atiku was a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 25 February presidential election.

But Mr Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) clinched the presidency after polling 8.8 million votes to beat Atiku and Labour Partys Peter Obi in the race.

Atiku and Mr Obi are in their separate petitions challenging the outcome of the election, alleging that the conduct of the election by Nigerias electoral body, INEC, violated various provisions of the Electoral Act.

They alleged manipulation of the electoral process by INEC in favour of Mr Tinubu.

They urged the court in their separate petitions to either declare them the winner of the election or order a fresh election.

Thursday makes Atikus first appearance in court since the five-member panel began sitting on Monday. But Mr Obi, on his part, has been attending court whenever his case came up since Monday,

Atiku attended the ongoing pre-hearing sessions of the petitions in company with Dino Melaye, Kogi State PDP governorship candidate, and other party stalwarts.

A five-member panel of the Court headed by Haruna Tsammani, fixed today, Thursday, for hearing of Atikus request for a live broadcast of the courts proceedings.

He had argued in court filings that a telecast of the hearing would boost Nigerians confidence in the court as it would enhance transparency.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State has suspended former Minister of Works Barnabas Gemade from the party for alleged anti-party activities.

Austin Agada, the state APC chairman, said this at a stakeholders meeting on Wednesday in Makurdi, the state capital.

Mr Agada said the party had also suspended Terhemba Shija and some ward officials for anti-party activities, alleging they worked against the party during the 2023 general elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Messrs Gemade and Shija were governorship aspirants at the last primary election that produced Hyacinth Alia as the state governorship candidate.

He said that apart from taking the party to court, Mr Gemade, a former senator, and Mr Shija, a professor, worked against the party to ensure it lost at the poll.

Gemade lost his polling unit, ward and local government area to the opposition, and Shija colluded with PDP against the party.

Shija is still in court and is working hand in hand with PDP to have Alias victory at the last general election quashed at the tribunal, Mr Agada said.

The party chairman said the case had been referred to the APC fact-finding committee to advance reasons they should not be expelled from the party.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The federal government has enrolled three million girls in secondary schools across the country through the Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme.

The National Project Coordinator of AGILE, Amina Haruna, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday at the launch of a National Campaign, tagged Madubi, to boost the enrollment of girls in school and reduce the number of out-of-school children.

AGILE, which is a federal government initiative in partnership with the World Bank, is currently running in Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Plateau and Katsina States.

The campaign, targeted at increasing enrolment and retention among girls, is aimed at improving the secondary education of girls in the focal states.

The Madubi is a national campaign we want to advocate for the outside society on the importance of girl-child education that is why we are adopting this, and it means a mirror of a child she said.

Three million children have been enrolled in the project, we have renovated over 5,000 classrooms and we are now going on constructions of classrooms.

We also have the financial incentives where it will allow retention of girls in school as well as financial incentives for beneficiaries and caregivers, she said.

Ms Haruna added that 11 other states would be joining the seven participating states in June to further give more girls access to education.

Meanwhile, Khadiyat Bello, an official of the campaign, noted that the project was essential.

Ms Bello said that Nigeria was faced with a gender learning crisis as 60 per cent of the out-of-school children were girls and less than 30 per cent of primary school girls transit to secondary school.

She said this had affected enrolment retention and completion rate of the girl-child.

She said there was a need to acknowledge the role of females as multipliers of society and the first point of contact in learning.

Our future is a mirror of the opportunities afforded to the girl child today.

Education is Madubi, a mirror or looking glass through which we can view not just a reflection of the girl childs potential but that of the entire society.

Adolescence is a critical stage in human development, more so for girls. After early years, adolescent and secondary education are the periods most capable of influencing the kind of woman and humans that they turn to become.

READ ALSO: Why were organising summit on girl child in Nigeria PLAN International

Agile is one intervention tackling multi-sectoral issues, it addresses the concerns on the demand and supply ends of education divide.

It addresses the issues of access and capacity, providing financial scholarships and conditional cash transfers to send girls to school, she said.

She called on stakeholders to ensure that all girls were educated so as to project society in a good light.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kogi Command, has arrested a 41-year-old father for allegedly raping his 16-year-old daughter.

Speaking after parading the suspect on Wednesday at NSCDC Command Headquarters, Lokoja, the states commandant, Ahmad Gandi, said the command received a complaint lodged by an NGO on 5 May.

According to him, the complaint was lodged on a case of defilement, rape and incest in which the suspect is the biological father of the victim.

The commandant said that the abusive act was on for three years from 2020 to 2023, since when the victim was 16 years old.

Mr Gandi said that the younger sister of the victim advised her that they should either commit suicide or kill their father to free themselves from the abusive act.

The commandant said that the father had admitted to committing the act and would be charged in court after concluding the investigation.

Mr Gandi commended the NGO for reporting the case to the command while urging other victims in the society who were dying in silence to come out and report such cases.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that journalists were not allowed by the NSCDC to disclose the identity and names of both the victim and the suspect due to the sensitivity of the case to avoid the victims stigmatisation.

The victim told journalists that she had been sexually abused by her father since 2020 after her mother left home.

It happened in 2020 when my mum left home and since then my dad had been sexually abusing me.

In 2021, my father impregnated me and took me to a clinic where they aborted the pregnancy I had for him.

I couldnt leave the house because of my younger sister as I was afraid my father could do the same thing to my sister, the victim said.

After aborting the pregnancy he continued the sexual abuse until I couldnt take it anymore, which I have to report to an NGO who reported the case to NSCDC, the victim narrated.

On his part, the suspect admitted to having committed the act, that he actually dis-flowered his daughter, saying he was hypnotized after his wife left in 2020.

I actually committed the act but I dont know how I did it. I love my wife very well; I begged her to come back home but she never did for the past three years.

It is the same stage I was when my mother left my father that my wife left my children for me and went away. I love my wife but she never come back to me, the suspect said.

In his comment, the Executive Director of the NGO, the Islamic Centre for Communication and Creative Thought (ItrippleCT), Abdulrasak Ibrahim, commended the NSCDC for doing a fantastic job by swinging into action to arrest the suspect.

Mr Ibrahim noted that after hearing about the issue, the victim was immediately relocated to a safe place from her fathers house to protect her from further abuse.

Speaking on the matter, the Chairperson of federation of women lawyers (FIDA), Kogi, Lilian Okolo, and Idris Muraina, the chairman of the Kogi Network of NGO (KONGONET), also commended the NSCDC for their proactive-ness in handling the case.

Ms Okolo assured that FIDA would make sure that the suspect was brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to other irresponsible fathers out there.

Mr Muraina assured that the NGOs in Kogi would continue to put professionalism into play in such cases to ensure that the right of the girl-child was protected and get justice for her.

He urged other victims of such acts going through such traumatic experiences in the state to speak out, assuring that it would be pursued to a logical conclusion to get justice for them.

READ ALSO: How popular Nigerian bishop allegedly raped assistant pastor in Lagos

The KONGONET chairman also appealed to the state and federal governments, and the international community to provide a Safe Keep accommodation in the state where victims of such acts could be accommodated during the duration of the case.

As of today, we dont have such safe-keep accommodate in Kogi where gender-based violence victims could be kept during the trying period, Mr Muraina said.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a retiring Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Garba Umar, as senior security adviser on International Police Cooperation and Counter-terrorism in the office of the Minister of Police Affairs.

The presidents Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

The president, who leaves office on 29 May, said the appointment was meant to enable Nigeria to keep the important position and make way for Mr Umar to complete his nationally beneficial tenure as an Executive Member of the International Police Organisation (INTERPOL).

In approving his appointment, Mr Buhari took note of a precedent in which a former executive member, Kamal Subair, was retained in service by the Federal Government of Nigeria after retirement in 2018.

The president also took note of the fact that during his tenure as a member of the executive committee, Mr Umar assisted Nigeria in many ways, with the hope that in the remaining one year, he will even do more in securing equipment for crimes, border management and counter-terrorism for the country.

According to him, Mr Umar is also expected to help in getting more Nigerians into important positions in the INTERPOL.

Mr Umars tenure at the INTERPOL ends in November 2024, and his new appointment as Senior Security Adviser takes effect from 16 May, 2023.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Sponsor of the Peace Corps of Nigeria Bill, Ali Ndume, has condemned the illegal establishment and operation of corps by some persons he did not name.

He said in the press statement on Thursday that some groups have been parading themselves as officers of Corps without the approval of the president.

The Peace Corps Bill was sponsored by Mr Ndume and it has been passed by the National Assembly. The bill has been forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari for his approval.

The bill seeks to give legal backing to the establishment of the Peace Corps as a government parastatal and allow its members to be absorbed into the proposed organisation at commencement.

Mr Ndume, who represents Borno South, said any group laying claim to the ownership and parading themselves as officers of the Corps without the presidents approval is doing so illegally.

The attention of the leadership of the Senate and indeed the National Assembly has been drawn to different groups laying claims to the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps which was harmonised and adopted by the two Chambers of the National Assembly.

It is important to say that effect cannot be given to this Bill until the same is assented into Law by Mr President. Therefore, any group laying claim and parading itself as Nigerian Peace Corps for now is illegal, he said.

Mr Ndume also said the Corps is under the leadership of Dickson Akoh as the national commandant.

The Bill as passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly is solely sponsored by the current Peace Corps of Nigeria under the headship of Prof. Dickson Akoh as the National Commandant, he noted.

Since the Bill was transmitted to Mr President for his assent by the Clerk of the National Assembly on the 12th April, 2023, the Senate has been inundated with several entreaties as to the status of the Bill, especially the Organisation that is sought to give statutory backing after Mr Presidents assent to the Bill.

He also said when the bill has been finally approved, the leader of the corps will be addressed as national commandant.

Also, on the issue of the nomenclature of the headship of the proposed Nigerian Peace Corps, the title is National Commandant as contained in Part III, Section 11(1) of the Bill as passed and not Commandant General as widely been speculated.

However, the Bill made adequate provision in Section 38 (8) was made to accommodate individuals, groups, associations or bodies that have shown or demonstrated interest to be absorbed as members of the Corps shall be absorbed subject to the mandatory basic training and orientation programme of the Corps as prescribed on the commencement of this Act.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Security agencies have killed seven gunmen in Anambra State, south-east Nigeria, during separate operations on Wednesday.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Echeng Echeng, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press conference in Awka, the state capital.

Mr Echeng said five of the hoodlums were suspected members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), while two others were suspected kidnappers.

How they were killed

The police commissioner said the five suspected IPOB members were killed when joint security operatives accosted them in Akwaihedi, a community in Nnewi South Local Government Area of the state.

Akwaihedi, a community in Anambra State, shares boundaries with communities in Imo, another state in the South-east.

Mr Echeng said the hoodlums were heading to Anambra State on a motorcycle for a planned attack before the operatives intercepted them.

The operatives engaged the assailants (and) neutralised five of the gang members, he said.

Two rocket launchers, four AK-47 rifles, one automatic pump action, four magazines, eight live ammunition, police berets and charms were among the items recovered from the gunmen, according to the police.

The commissioner said in a separate operation on the same day, police operatives attached to Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Unit, Awkuzu, also killed the two suspected kidnappers while attempting to rescue two kidnap victims in the suspects hideout in Ifite, Ogbunike, a community in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State.

He said the operatives stormed the suspects hideout following a tip-off about their criminal activities in the area.

A black Lexus SUV and several security camouflages comprising police and military uniforms were the items recovered from the suspects, the police said.

Mr Echeng said the synergy among various security agencies, including the police, military and vigilante operatives, has helped immensely in the fight against hoodlums in the state.

For us today, this is a big positive one that happened to avert a major planned attack in the state, he said.

The police commissioner urged residents of the state to continue to support the security agencies and the state government in their efforts to provide security in the state.

Increased attacks

Like other states in Nigerias south-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target government officials, security agencies and their facilities.

The latest incident comes barely two days after police killed two gunmen along Umusiome Nkpor, a community in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.

Hours ago, gunmen, suspected to be IPOB members enforcing a sit-at-home order, shot a chief security officer of a commercial bank at Nkwo Market in the Ihiala Council Area of the state.

The Nigerian government has accused the IPOB of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

The secessionist group is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The chairman of Geregu Power Plc, Femi Otedola, has sold 2.8 million units of his shares in the power generation company, where he is holding the majority stake.

He offloaded the shares via two transactions executed on different dates.

The first involved 1.9 million shares sold at N288.9 each on 8 May; the second 948,092 shares sold at N290.7 per unit on 9 May, according to a regulatory filing seen by PREMIUM TIMES.

Both deals summed up to N817.3 million.

A separate share dealing document at the Nigerian Exchange on Wednesday showed Paul Olurotimi Otedola, the sibling of the energy tycoon, procured 300,000 units of the companys shares at N288.9 per unit on 8 May.

His interest in the company now totals 4 million shares, having acquired 3.7 million shares earlier this year at N809.2 million.

About a fortnight ago, Mr Otedola divested his 6.3 per cent substantial stake in Transnational Corporation Plc, a conglomerate with interest in power generation, to tycoon Tony Elumelu after week of off-market share purchases.

The businessman on Tuesday accused Chairman of Transcorp accused the chairman of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp), Tony Elumelu, of backstabbing him repeatedly at his most vulnerable moments in business.

Mr Otedola made the revelation in a statement that marks his first public intervention in the recent battle for the soul of Transcorp.

In his statement Tuesday, Mr Otedola opened up on how he went bankrupt in 2008 and was betrayed by Mr Elumelu.

I became Chairman of Transcorp Hotel in 2007 with a shareholding of 5% and unknowingly Tony gradually started buying shares quietly, he said.

The businessman also alleged that in 2012, he told Mr Elumelu about his interest in the Ughelli power plant and the Transcorp chair quietly went ahead to outbid him in the acquisition of the plant.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Jigawa State students recently evacuated from troubled Sudan have pleaded with the state government to consider transferring them to another country to complete their educational pursuits.

The 162 students who are mainly on scholarship in Sudan were among thousands of Nigerians evacuated from Sudan following violent civil clashes in the country. The student said the conflict in Sudan is not likely to be resolved soon.

Some of the students told PREMIUM TIMES at the Dutse Airport on Monday, after arriving from Sudan, that they were about to complete their medical courses when the clashes broke out.

There are 162 students sponsored by Governor Muhammed Badaru, who are studying medicine in the Sudan. Of this number, 150 are in their third year of study, nine are in their second year of study and three are in their first year of study.

18 other students were sponsored to study in Sudan by Muhammed Ndimi Foundation (MNF) and 30 others are self-sponsored.

One of the students leaders, Nura Illiyasu, said the crisis caused a lot of depravity in Sudan government infrastructures as the countrys central market in Khartoum, the airport, and the Ministry of Higher Education have all been destroyed.

Mr Illiyasu said the majority of the evacuated students have only one semester to complete their studies and if not because of the crisis, they should be finishing in the next three months.

On behalf of Sudan medical students, its a pleasure for me to inform you that we have come back home with our lives safely after escaping from the current crisis in Sudan, which is a great misfortune to our studies.

Sudan cant restore their affairs in the estimated month or years from this situation

Given this, we scholarship students of Jigawa State are seeking for the government to collect our transcript to transfer us to various universities in different countries so we can continue enjoying the sound education that we have started in peace.

There are universities across the world that offer medicine, especially in nearby countries like Egypt, Cyprus, and Turkey. They offer our courses with very good practical and they can admit us on our conditions.

We would be stranded and frustrated because all our life and our family depend on this education. We have ambitions, and we are from low-income families. Our parents cannot take responsibility for our studies even in Nigeria. We urge the government to consider this, Mr Illiyasu said.

The Executive Secretary Jigawa State Scholarship Board, Saidu Magaji, said the government is now in the first phase of addressing the problem, which is the evacuation of the students.

The official said the students are being evacuated in batches.

After the evacuation, the government will assess the situation and come out with the next line of action. The effort of the government to get the students educated will not go in vain, Mr Magaji said.

Background of the Sudan Conflict

On 15 April, an armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan began when clashes broke out in western Sudan, in the capital city of Khartoum, and the Darfur region of the country.

The crisis involves two rival groups: The Sudanese army and a paramilitary group known as the RSF, or Rapid Support Forces. Both groups are locked in a power struggle that has led to the death of over 500 people.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces need more time to launch a counteroffensive against the Russian Federation, as the military still needs the promised Western assistance, BBC reports.

"With [what we already have] we can go forward, and, I think, be successful... But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable," he said in an interview for public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, like the BBC.

"So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time," he added.

The president described combat brigades, some of which were trained by Nato countries, as being "ready" but said the army still needed "some things", including armoured vehicles that were "arriving in batches."

The president expressed confidence that the Ukrainian military could advance, warning of the risks of a "frozen conflict" which, he said, was what Russia was "counting on." "They can't pressure Ukraine into surrendering territories. Why should any country of the world give Putin its territory?" the head of the state said.

Zelenskyy dismissed fears about losing U.S. support if President Joe Biden, who has vowed to support Ukraine as long as it takes, is not re-elected in 2024. Ukraine, he said, still enjoyed bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress. "Who knows where we'll be [when the election happens]? I believe we'll win by then," he said.
A Federal High Court in Awka, has dismissed a suit by the Anambra State Government challenging the power of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate its finances.

The EFCC had asked the state government to provide explanations about an alleged case of fraudulent misappropriation of funds in respect of data collection exercise for the administration of subsidies to smallholder farmers.

The anti-graft agency also sought explanation from the government on alleged cases of abuse of office and misappropriation of funds.

Miffed by the EFCCs enquiries about its financial affairs, the government filed the suit to challenge the commissions power to probe its finances.

Governor Willie Obianos administration filed the suit.

This newspaper reported how Mr Obiano was arrested by the EFCC hours after handing over to his successor, Charles Soludo, on 17 March 2022.

The suit

The Anambra State Government, in the suit, asked the court to determine whether the appropriation, disbursement and or administration of funds belonging to the state government is subject to investigation by the EFCC being an agency of the Federal government.

The government also asked the court to determine whether the power of the EFCC, as an agency of the federal government, was not restricted to the matters set out in the exclusive legislative list and if the finances of the state are not matters within the concurrent legislative list as contained in the countrys 1999 Constitution.

It sought to know if the provisions of the constitution do not reserve the power and function to conduct investigation into the appropriation, disbursement and or administration of its accounts to the State House of Assembly.

It further asked the court to determine whether the EFCC can legitimately probe the public funds of the government which have been lawfully appropriated by the State House of Assembly.

The judgement

The judge, Nnamdi Dimgba, ruled that the EFCC has constitutional powers to investigate any act of economic and financial crime in any part of the country, according to a statement by the commissions spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren on Wednesday.

Mr Dimgba stressed that neither a State House of Assembly nor auditor- general of a state preclude the commission from performing its mandate as contained in the constitution.

In the context of the case at hand, which is whether it is legitimate for the EFCC to commence investigative activities against the named officials of Anambra State Government as contained in Exhibit 1 concerning the manner of the management and utilisation of the public funds of Anambra State, the question posed must be answered against the Plaintiffs and the corresponding reliefs sought denied, the judge was quoted as saying.

While agreeing with an earlier judgment that Nigeria practices co-operative federalism, Mr Dimgba said the commission was empowered to investigate and prosecute offenders for both the federal and state economic and financial crimes under the co-operative federalism practiced in Nigeria.

As such it qualifies as any other authority or person empowered by Section 211(1) (b) of the constitution to institute or initiate criminal proceedings, he said of the EFCC.

EFCC is the coordinating agency for the enforcement of the provisions of any other law or regulation on economic and financial crimes, including the Criminal Code and Penal Code. The commission has powers under Section 13(2) of the EFCC Act to prosecute offences so long as they are financial crimes, he added.

The judge said although two Federal High Courts in Rivers and Ekiti States had previously ruled that the EFCC lacks the powers to investigate a states finances, he would not hold such a view.

I am of the view that it is not a proposition that is borne out from a proper construction of Sections 125 to 129 of the constitution juxtaposed with the powers of the first defendant under the EFCC Act, Mr Dimgba said.

He further said the judges who delivered the judgments in Rivers and Ekiti States might have arrived at their conclusions based on facts different from the facts presented before him in the latest suit.

It is unclear, for now, if Governor Soludos administration will appeal the court judgment.

The State Commissioner for Information in Anambra State, Paul Nwosu, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking his comments.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing of the case concerning the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, until 14 September.

The case mainly involves the federal governments appeal challenging last years decision of the Court of Appeal dismissing the terrorism and treasonable felony charges against Mr Kanu.

The Biafra secessionist also has a pending before the Supreme Court, an application for bail with an alternative prayer for transfer of his custody from the State Security Service (SSS) to the Kuje correction centre in Abuja.

A five-member panel of Justices led by John Okoro, on Thursday, adjourned the suit despite frantic efforts by Mr Kalus legal team to convince the court to hear the case and not to defer it to another date.

The IPOB leaders lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had during the proceedings, urged the court to hear a motion that could help address his clients fast-deteriorating health conditions in SSS custody.

But the federal governments lawyer, Tijani Gadzali, a SAN, objected to the position, asking for time to file a response to Mr Ozekhomes reply brief.

The court, swayed by Mr Gadzalis position, adjourned the case until 27 September.

The panel had on 27 April adjourned the case until Thursday for hearing of applications that have cropped up in the appeal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Mr Ozekhome informed reporters after Thursdays proceedings that he has a pending application seeking the release of Mr Kanu on bail, or an order transferring the detainee from the SSS custody to the Kuje correctional centre in Abuja.

Speaking of the IPOB leaders state of health in SSS custody, Mr Ozekhome said, I expressed my fear regarding Kanus state of health which I described as life threatening.

The court requires an individual to stand trial, not to sit down trial, lie down trial or prostrate trial, which means that Kanu, with his state of health, cannot stand trial, the lawyer added.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Supreme Court, at its previous sitting, granted the federal government leave to increase its grounds of appeal from to 13.

Both the federal governments appeal and Mr Kaus application are the two major matters pending at the court for hearing.

Background

Mr Kanu, who leads a separatist campaign for the secession of the mainly Igbo-speaking South-east states and parts of neighbouring states as an independent Biafra Republic, is being incarcerated at the headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) in Abuja.

His trial on charges of treasonable felony and terrorism started after his arrest over his separatist activities in 2015. But the case went into a pause after he fled the country in the wake of a military invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, Abia State, while he was on bail in September 2017.

The IPOB leader was forcibly brought back from Kenya by the Nigerian government in June 2021 to face trial.

However, ruling on an application Mr Kanu later filed to challenge the entire 15 charges, the trial Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed eight of the counts adjudged to be inappropriate.

Displeased with the partial discharge handed down by the court, Mr Kanu proceeded on appeal to the Court of Appeal in Abuja to attack the rest of the seven counts.

The Court of Appeal acceded to his request by dismissing the remaining seven counts, and ordering his release from custody in its judgement handed down on 13 October 2022.

The appellate court based its decision on its finding that the extraordinary rendition mode of returning Mr Kanu to Nigeria breached both local and international laws.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Despite ranking 50th in the world among countries with research paper publications, Nigeria is said to have ranked poorly in the number of innovations derived from these research papers.

According to the Acting Director of the Innovation and Technology Management Office (ITMO) at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Abiodun Gbenga-Ilori, a total of 13,282 research papers were published in Nigeria in 2020, ranking 50th globally based on the figure.

However, Mrs Gbenga-Ilori said only 300 of the 13,282 research papers led to successful innovations.

She said in Ghana, Nigerias neighbouring West African country, where only 4,189 research papers were published within the same period, more than 300 innovations were recorded.

Mrs Gbenga-Ilori made the revelations in UNILAG on Thursday at the launch of an initiative tagged: Project Innovation to Market (I2M).

About I2M

Described as a support system for building a sustainable innovation ecosystem in Nigeria, the project, according to the universitys Vice-Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, is aimed at addressing the challenges of innovations and translation of research works in Nigeria.

She said: Despite the abundance of brilliant ideas, many innovators face significant hurdles when it comes to turning their concepts into viable commercial ventures. And that is where Project Innovation to Market steps in. This initiative recognises the challenges that exist and also recognises the immense potential of groundbreaking ideas and we seek to bridge that gap between innovation and commercialisation.

Mrs Ogunsola, a Professor of Medical Microbiology, said the primary objective of I2M is to provide innovators and researchers with the necessary resources, mentorship, and support to transform their ideas into market trading products and services, and will help them early to identify buyers.

She said the project is a pioneering initiative funded by the UKAIDs Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) to bridge the knowledge gap in Nigeria by providing resources on how to innovate and translate research outputs into the market.

Speaking on the projects goal, Mrs Gbenga-Ilori, who doubles as the Team Lead, highlighted the factors identified to be militating against the conversion of research to innovation in Nigeria including lack of proper know-how on how to innovate; limited access to capital for prototyping; inadequate access to machinery and laboratory equipment; slow intellectual property protection, and limited access to market and industry linkages.

She said the project aims to nurture innovations at various stages, by providing training, incubation, mentorship, advisory, funding, patenting, and company and tax registrations.

I2M is an initiative for all Nigerian innovators, not limited to the UNILAG community, and we will be collaborating with research institutions nationwide. We also have industry experts we plan to collaborate with to serve as mentors to our participants across the country, she said.

Funder, others speak

In her welcome remark, UNILAG Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development Services, Ayodele Atsenuwa, said innovation and research are what universities are known for, and that they are major ways to address unemployment.

She said the project I2M is one of the first activities of the universitys ITMO that won a funding opportunity from RISA through a competitive process.

Speaking on the initiative, the Country Manager of RISA, Alice Omisore, said the objective is to bridge the gap between research institutions and innovators through funding and technical support for many organisations that are focused on providing capacity building for the research and innovation ecosystem.

Also speaking, the West Africa Research and Innovation Team Lead of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Leane Jones, commended the university for the initiative.

She said: The project is exciting as it brings together key stakeholders from a vast range of organisations critical to support innovation across the nation, including universities, polytechnics research institutions, innovation hubs, industry, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, pooling ideas and resources.

Pooling ideas and resources more formally into a research, funding and training database repository for all stakeholders will create opportunities for growing advocacy policy chain for innovation and fundraising needed for translating research into innovation.

Meanwhile, the Director of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship at the National Universities Commission (NUC), Ladan Ashafa, who represented the agencys Executive Secretary, Abubakar Rasheed, commended RISA for the funding.

Mr Ashafa said collaboration should be adequately considered in the projects operation, describing it as the future of innovation.

Expected outcome, sustainability

Speaking on the expected outcome and sustainability plan of the, the project team lead said within the first year, the initiative will see to the formation of a working consortium.

Mrs Gbenga-Ilori said other expected outcomes include the creation of iBank software platform, on boarding and training of 800-innovators, 100 innovations licensed to the industry, 20 incubated startups and a co-working space to be used by innovators.

She noted that 600 of the 800 innovators have already been onboarded, adding that 225 supported Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) have been created, and that it will ensure the provision of a minimum of 80 IP protection request fields.

She added that the goal is that post-first year, the universitys ITMO will leverage its partnerships to secure more project funding for sustainability.

The projects Innovation Director, David Alozie, said the project team is hoping to collaborate with investors and private industries to identify their interests in the innovations for mentoring and funding.

He said there is a portal for registration and for investors to check the works of the participants.

Nigeria Innovation system

The launch of Project I2M also featured a panel session on how to strengthen the Nigerian Innovation Ecosystem.

The panel session had the Founder of Future Africa, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji; the Executive Director of Fate Foundation, Adenike Adeyemi; the Country Director of Google Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan; the pioneer Head of UNILAG Innovation Unit, Hakeem Amuda; the Executive Secretary of Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Teju Abisoye; and the Founder of the Ground Breakers, lan Barker, who joined virtually.

Mr Aboyeji acknowledged that the internet has created many opportunities but that Nigeria needs to do more by creating room for innovations that will gain momentum globally.

He emphasised the need for the optimisation of human potential and rethinking the market for more viable opportunities.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Nigeria is a trying environment for private businesses, as well as citizens. When overzealous federal bureaucrats play foul with electric power, they exacerbate harsh conditions. In effect, they further hinder the operations of private businesses and inflict gratuitous hardship on Nigerians who are already much abused.

A few days ago, a friend of mine called to share some woeful experience. The guy, a US-based pharmacist, recently spent three weeks in Aba, the most populous city in Abia State, where some members of his family live and he owns a business.

According to my pal, the whole of Aba metropolis was, for ten straight days, without electric power during his visit. I had never known my friend to be given to embellishment or hyperbole. Even so, I voiced some doubt. In a pained, raised voice, he sought to disabuse me. Im not telling you that somebody told me. I was there. For close to ten days, the residents of Aba didnt have one flickering second of light.

He was able to manage, he said, because his home in Aba is equipped with a generator. Still, it cost him a grand bundle of cash to buy fuel for the generator. Again, he was part of the lucky minority. For some of his relatives and acquaintances, it was pure, unadulterated suffering. Tons of refrigerated food, cooked and raw, went bad. At night, residents turned and tossed in restless sleep in hot, airless rooms.

And this was only a partial glimpse of the domestic facet of residents unrelenting experience of powerless hell.

Now consider this: Aba is one of the most densely populated cities in Nigeria. In addition, it is one of Africas most dynamic industrial hubs. It is the location of some of the countrys privately owned medium- and low-level manufacturing industries.

For a city of this scale and importance, the implications of a long-lasting power outage are profound. Imagine the strain, for example, on hospitals where doctors must carry out routine and specialised surgeries. Even where hospitals own massive generators, they stand to incur huge costs if they run the generators round-the-clock for several days. Ultimately, the increased costs are passed on to patients or their relatives who often pay out of pocket.

After getting off the phone with my friend, I decided to dig around for information that would explain the plague of darkness that befell Aba and surrounding communities  a total of nine local government areas. To my chagrin, but hardly shock, I discovered that  like many a disaster in Nigeria  it was all man-made.

For manufacturers and other businesses, the outlook is just as forbidding, if not even grimmer. Ten days without power translates into incalculable disaster. Electricity powers manufacturing. In the absence of electric power, many businesses are forced to grind to a halt. When productive activities cease, the ripple effects are dire. Proprietors lose revenue and, in critical conditions, may face closure. Consumers are deprived of much-desired or needed goods and services. Employees often go unpaid, furloughed or are laid off outright. The dysfunctions also have broader macro-economic impact. When businesses and people are distressed on account of a collapse of electric power, governments stand to collect much less internally generated revenues.

Lets not forget the grave security implications of thrusting a major city into darkness. Most Nigerian cities, Aba among them, are beset by high crime rates. Criminals thrive under the cover of darkness. It follows that the ten or so days when Abas residents went without power were an unwitting boon to the worst of criminals. In a country where many violent crimes go unreported or unsolved, we may never get a full reckoning of the ways in which emboldened criminals lay siege to Abas hapless residents.

After getting off the phone with my friend, I decided to dig around for information that would explain the plague of darkness that befell Aba and surrounding communities  a total of nine local government areas. To my chagrin, but hardly shock, I discovered that  like many a disaster in Nigeria  it was all man-made.

Since September last year, a corporate entity called Aba Power has been responsible for supplying electric power to the sprawling commercial nerve centre. By many accounts, the company has been doing a commendable job. However, the company has faced two teething problems.

The first has to do with a perennial habit of many Nigerian consumers of utilities: the reluctance to pay bills. Even though Aba Power has greatly improved power supply within its jurisdiction, a significant percentage of commercial and residential consumers do not pay their tariffs. Some rogue consumers even go as far as tapping power illicitly. More hardened criminals frequently prey on the companys equipment, thus compromising the reliability of power supply.

TCNs seemingly gracious gesture was immediately subverted by a bizarre, even malicious, manoeuvre. That same day, the TCNs executive director for market operations, Edmund Eje, ordered the market operator to totally remove Aba Power from the national grid. Thus, with nary a moments warning, all of Aba Powers 29 feeders were shut out.

Hampered by a lagging collection on its bills, Aba Power had a second problem. It happened to owe N896 million to Federal Government agencies in the power sector. On 19th April, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) sent a letter to Aba Power demanding payment within thirty days of the nearly N900 million debt. The thirty-day notice was in line with best practices. Corporate and individual debtors are usually given a window of time within which to meet their obligations.

In this instance, TCNs seemingly gracious gesture was immediately subverted by a bizarre, even malicious, manoeuvre. That same day, the TCNs executive director for market operations, Edmund Eje, ordered the market operator to totally remove Aba Power from the national grid. Thus, with nary a moments warning, all of Aba Powers 29 feeders were shut out. Millions of the companys customers in Aba and surrounding local government areas, many of them commercial enterprises, were thrust into a powerless dungeon.

Ejes action was baffling. It also smacked of bad faith. Its hard to defend his inordinate haste to punish Aba Power and, by extension, its millions of customers. After all, TCN had that day served Aba Power a thirty-day notice to settle its debt. As if to underscore a malicious intent, Eje treated the far more indebted Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company with kid gloves. Even though the Kaduna Company owed TCN a whooping N33 billion, only three of the firms feeders were taken off the national grid  for just four days!

Why did Eje order all of Aba Powers feeders removed from the national grid for ten days, while the Kaduna Company, which owes TCN thirty-two times more money, was given an exceedingly lenient treatment?

Nigeria is a trying environment for private businesses, as well as citizens. When overzealous federal bureaucrats play foul with electric power, they exacerbate harsh conditions. In effect, they further hinder the operations of private businesses and inflict gratuitous hardship on Nigerians who are already much abused.

Okey Ndibe is a US-based writer and academic.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Looking back in his quiet moments, 16 years after he felt hard done by the Blue Star experience, Africas richest man might perhaps sometimes pinch himself as he recalls how what started as a grudge match has ended up feeling like the parable of the rejected stone.

It started like a grudge match. Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote, was dealt a bad hand in a failed transaction. Later, he vowed revenge. Not in a pound of flesh, but by venturing to make his own success where he had been ambushed.

At issue was the decision of the government of Umaru Musa YarAdua in 2007 to reverse the sale of the Port Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries (two of Nigerias moribund refineries) to Blue Star, the Dangote-led consortium.

Blue Star had paid about $670 million for the plants in the twilight of the Obasanjo administration, and gone away thinking it was a done deal. It wasnt.

Even though the refineries were producing at about 20% of their capacity at the time of sale, the YarAdua government, egged on by labour, insisted these national patrimony were under-valued and underpriced. The sale was reversed.

Dangote walked away bruised, but unbowed. Six years later, he announced plans to build a private refinery in Lagos with a capacity of 650,000 bpd  over 200,000 bpd more than the installed capacity of Nigerias four refineries combined.

It sounded like a crazy idea. So crazy, Nigerias Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele said on Tuesday, that on account of it, the US lender J.P Morgan threatened to expel Nigeria from its Government Bond Index for Emerging Markets.

After unforeseen delays, including cost reviews (from the original $12-$14 billion to $19 billion), not to mention energy transition concerns, the glut in global supply caused by COVID-19 and spooky markets caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, the refinery is now set for official commissioning on 22 May.

One source told me on Monday that perhaps the most significant recent reason for the delay was the need to sychronise power supply to the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU), which has now been significantly completed by General Electric.

Apart from an estimated 250,000 direct and indirect jobs that the refinery would create, the refinery is also expected to spin off other business opportunities, a story that Dangote loves to share in a country with 33% unemployment.

S&P Global reported two months ago that early commencement of the Dangote Refinery would not only benefit Nigeria, but could also benefit Africa, currently suffering a shortage of diesel as a result of the closure of three of five refineries in South Africa.

The continent imports about 700,000 bpd of diesel. Diesel is one of the four quality Euro-V products expected from Dangote Refinery. Others are gasoline, jet fuel and polypropylene.

Dangote Group said it was not in denial of the dilemma it faces from green campaigners. The Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Devakumar G. Edwin, said five years ago that the group was dedicated to producing efficient and clean fuels by investing in processes that meet European standards of gasoline.

But how does Africas richest man propose to deal with the growing resonance of the global green army?

He was once outspoken on global warming and its predations. At a fundraiser hosted by the Lagos State government for victims of a major flood disaster in 2011, Dangote said, All over the world, nature is reacting. We are having extreme weather conditionsas managers of the city, our responsibility is to share knowledge with our people to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

That was before he started building his refinery. For Nigeria and much of Africa, where energy resources, renewable and otherwise, remain considerably underutilised, the choice seems to swing between managing emissions, already among the lowest in the world, and expanding industrial processes required to meet rising energy demand.

Dangote Group said it was not in denial of the dilemma it faces from green campaigners. The Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Devakumar G. Edwin, said five years ago that the group was dedicated to producing efficient and clean fuels by investing in processes that meet European standards of gasoline.

Edwin tracked back to why the refinery was started. Primarily, he said, Nigeria exports raw materials and imports finished products. When you import the finished product back, you are essentially importing poverty into the country.

We have always focused on import substitution. Its what we are doing in sugar and what weve done in cement. So, we decided to adopt the same strategy for petroleum refining.

Apart from the economic implications, an NGO, Stakeholder Democracy Network, reported on its website that the quality of the stock of imported fuel could also potentially undermine air toxicity, and cause other environmental problems.

Yet, the Energy Transition Plan (ETP), a green playbook by the government to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, is an indication that Nigeria recognises the urgency of a sustainable carbon footprint.

The ETP comes on the heels of the Petroleum Industry Act, finally ratified in 2021. The law is supposed to introduce stability, transparency and accountability to an industry that has long resisted reform.

The ETP anticipates a scenario in which increased investment in the sector would lead to an uptake in the use of gas as a transition fuel and also help accelerate the move toward decarbonisation.

The divergence of opinions surrounding what methods to implement and what outcomes to project has in some way come to define the conversation on sustainability, with a number of developing countries even canvassing such ideas as energy justice!

The continent faces what could well be Hobsons choice: How to overcome widespread energy poverty, while at the same time not ignoring global concerns about the deleterious effects of converting its rich deposits of hydrocarbon resources. Nigeria, like many commodity-rich countries on the continent, is at a crossroads. Is there a bridge?

Large industrial projects like Dangote Refinery, which covers 2,635 hectares, are infamous for environmental challenges they present to the local ecosystem, often causing long-term damage and increased risk of displacement. Already, local populations have called attention to the disruptive effects of the refinery to the environment and their livelihood.

The continent faces what could well be Hobsons choice: How to overcome widespread energy poverty, while at the same time not ignoring global concerns about the deleterious effects of converting its rich deposits of hydrocarbon resources. Nigeria, like many commodity-rich countries on the continent, is at a crossroads. Is there a bridge?

Maybe. And Africas richest man is poised not only to fill a vital supply gap but also to do so as a business, keenly aware of all the bad habits that ruined the state refineries. Reuters quoted him as saying he was focused on starting production at the end of the third quarter of 2022 and to reach full capacity by early 2023  a dream now deferred.

Dangote Refinery is not Nigerias first experience in private refining. To plug the supply gap, previous governments issued dozens of licences for modular refineries.

As a result of price caps and other regulatory hassles, however, only two of them with a combined capacity of 10,000 bpd are currently producing. Yet their combined output, even with those of rogue refineries that dot the oil-rich Niger Delta region, still fall far short of the estimated daily consumption of 72 million litres of petrol  an estimate viewed with suspicion in some circles.

One-and-a-half decades after Dangotes Blue Star misery, the mood in official circles has changed. In 2021, the government gave state oil firm, NNPC Limited, approval to buy a 20% stake valued at $2.76 billion in Dangote Refinery, indicating a significant shift in government attitude.

Dangote told The Economist that the refinery would save Nigeria up to $10 billion in foreign exchange and generate approximately $10 billion in exports. The countrys perennially opaque petrol demand and supply chain could also be re-written. While the location of the Refinery could bring benefits of lower freighting costs, pump prices would still be largely determined by the markets.

Nigeria imports 80-90% of all domestically consumed petroleum products. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), Nigeria imported $11.3 billion in refined petroleum products in 2021, becoming the 18th largest importer of the products in the world, while refined petroleum was the first most imported product in Nigeria.

Whatever the world may be saying about fossil fuels, carbon footprint and spooky markets, the hundreds of thousands of unemployed Nigerians cannot wait for the relief that the commencement of the refinery promises, even if its indirect.

As Kudirat Oyefeso, a trader in Ajah, Lagos, about eight kilometres from the site of Dangote Refinery said, It is the person who is alive and has something to do that can worry about climate change.

Looking back in his quiet moments, 16 years after he felt hard done by the Blue Star experience, Africas richest man might perhaps sometimes pinch himself as he recalls how what started as a grudge match has ended up feeling like the parable of the rejected stone.

Azu Ishiekwene is Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


In the coming weeks, Sudans external well-wishers should take their lead from local people. That means, using aid differently in decentralised ways that bolster existing capacities. For example, food aid to build food security and not dependence; disaster relief to create environmental and family resilience; healthcare to peoples neighbourhoods and not prestigious disease palaces; small-area solutions for water and sanitation, not unsustainable leaky infrastructure

Peace is a relative term for the people of Sudan, a good day being one when they can go about their daily lives without fearing attack. There have been few such days in Sudans 70 years as an independent nation.

Despite enormous natural endowments and $4 billion annually in official development assistance, chronic insecurity consigns Sudan to the lower ranks of poor nations: 167th out of 191 on the United Nations Human Development Index. 14% of its 46 million population is mired in extreme poverty.

Before the current conflict erupted on 15 April, three million Sudanese were internally displaced and a million were refugees from neighbouring countries. Overall, some 16 million depended on humanitarian assistance for life-sustaining essentials such as food, water, and shelter, including three million malnourished children. Climate-induced disasters, such as droughts and floods, and disease outbreaks, added to their woes.

The UNs Humanitarian Response Plan for 2023 demanded $1.7 billion but received only 14% of that total. All such statistics are now moot. The swift and devastating impact of the present crisis has killed hundreds and wounded thousands. Widespread looting of food warehouses, attacks on public infrastructure, interrupted supply chains and black-market profiteering in fuel and other essentials, multiply the misery of desperate civilians.

Forty per cent of Sudanese live in cities and the urbanised nature of todays violence means that populations dependent on electricity, running water, internet, cars, mobile banking and supermarkets dont cope well when modern support systems collapse. An ageing population with chronic diseases cant get regular medication and mothers cant deliver babies safely, when most hospitals have been bombed or forcibly closed by fighters.

Troubles were predicted by many analysts some time ago but ignored by policymakers. So, when violence erupted, it wrong-footed everyone. The subsequent exodus of diplomats and foreign aid workers caused further dismay and panic.

Sudans shock implosion is the consequence of the flawed compromise pushed by the international community, after a popular uprising in 2019 removed the long-standing dictator, President Omar Al-Bashir. This allowed the security forces to remain in charge, while promising a gradual move to democracy. But there was no process for accountability and justice for the egregious abuses of security forces over previous decades. Military to civil transitions founded on that basis never work, as contemporary experiences from Myanmar, Mali, and Chad indicate.

The present conflict has roots deep in the Darfur genocide of 2003/4. This was carried out by Al-Bashirs army, alongside auxiliary Janjaweed militia  later transformed into the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Directed against black African Darfuris, the genocide was hallmarked by mass rapes and whole-scale destruction of homes and livelihoods. 300,000 people died and 2.5 million were displaced.

Al-Bashir entered history as the first serving head of state to be indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on genocide and other crimes against humanity, with arrest warrants issued in 2009 and 2010. But he evaded justice, thanks in no small measure to South Africa, which refused to arrest Al-Bashir when he visited in 2015, despite its own judiciary demanding that the authorities do so.

The present paroxysm derives from the Darfur genocide, and it is there that it must be defused through serving long-delayed justice, by surrendering the genocide masterminds, Omar al-Bashir and Ahmed Haroun, to the ICC. The 1994 Rwanda genocide teaches the importance of accountability that combines both international and domestic tracks to reset a broken nations trajectory.

South Africas stance encouraged others and Al-Bashir also travelled to Uganda, Kenya, Chad, Malawi, DRC, Central African Republic, Egypt, Jordan and elsewhere with impunity.

The course of Sudanese  and African  history would have been completely different if South Africa had acted according to its ICC membership obligations. Subsequently, although Al-Bashir was pushed out by Sudans own courageous civil resistance movement, his military remained in control and protected him in comfortable detention in Khartoum.

His successors were Army Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo aka Hemedti. Their violent power competition is causing Sudans current strife. Although this ignited in Khartoum, the absence of genocide accountability and restitution allowed festering resentments to resurface in fresh ethnicised violence in Darfur. Other marginalised regions such as Nuba, Blue Nile, and Abyei may follow, as other armed groups seek to settle old scores

It is not hard to understand this blind spot. Regional powers such as Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE), and farther afield China, have strong economic stakes, especially around gold, oil, and agriculture, in Sudan.

Neighbouring South Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia have security sensitivities hosting each others refugees. Also, resource-sharing concerns, now including water from the contentious Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Eritrea has also been interfering in Sudan, as it supports discontented groups in eastern Sudan.

Private security actors, such as Russias Wagner Group, and various militias from Libya and Chad, profit from the chaos. As does the RSF, which has benefitted from European Union funds received in Sudan for border policing, to discourage refugee flows towards Europe. RSF also gained valuable combat experience and income from fighting in Yemen.

The contradictory influences of competing nations with fingers in the Sudan pie mean that the multilateral African Union, Arab League, or UN, find it difficult to exercise their good offices or have little leverage when their own memberships work at cross purposes.

While outsiders cannot impose peace, they can cease malign activities such as supporting their preferred armed factions or the rapacious extraction of Sudans resources that feeds corruption and criminality. They must stop making shabby compromises that bolster the power of unprincipled generals.

The present paroxysm derives from the Darfur genocide, and it is there that it must be defused through serving long-delayed justice, by surrendering the genocide masterminds, Omar al-Bashir and Ahmed Haroun, to the ICC. The 1994 Rwanda genocide teaches the importance of accountability that combines both international and domestic tracks to reset a broken nations trajectory.

Critically, involvement in Sudan for conflict mediation or humanitarian provision must disrupt the status quo that perpetuates crises. By ending the culture of impunity that has prevailed for so long; by standing up to vested interests that resist change.

However, this is improbable in Sudan without a popularly mandated civilian government, and that means a resumption of the internal struggle for democracy. It requires sustaining ordinary citizens through the crisis. This brings us to humanitarian aid.

Although foreign aid workers may creep back into Sudan, that is not the answer because of the way in which the multi-billion-dollar global humanitarian enterprise operates. It is risk-averse and increasingly distrusted across a range of crisis-torn countries, where it disappoints people because of its inflexible, inefficient, and inconsistent dispensations. Its alleged neutrality is often perceived as legitimising the oppressor, while binding the wounds of the victims.

They bring hope with whatever aid they can scrounge or assistance they can render. They help each other to survive to continue the struggle for their rights. That is why calling them humanitarians diminishes their contribution  they are actually resisting oppression.

Sudans Resistance Committees are proving yet again that the most practical succour in crises comes from within suffering communities. Such as the White Helmets saving lives in Northwest Syria and the home bakers of Ukraine boosting morale. Or Afghan teachers bringing hope by running underground girls schools, and bullet-evading medics providing healing in Myanmar.

In the coming weeks, Sudans external well-wishers should take their lead from local people. That means, using aid differently in decentralised ways that bolster existing capacities. For example, food aid to build food security and not dependence; disaster relief to create environmental and family resilience; healthcare to peoples neighbourhoods and not prestigious disease palaces; small-area solutions for water and sanitation, not unsustainable leaky infrastructure; and creating small employment-generating businesses, not massive profit corporations.

Aid must not be co-opted into the war economy. Trickling-in and diffusing aid through small-cash transfers via formal banking and informal family support systems is a less tempting target for fighters who survive by looting large warehouses and shiny vehicles beloved of large aid organisations.

Critically, involvement in Sudan for conflict mediation or humanitarian provision must disrupt the status quo that perpetuates crises. By ending the culture of impunity that has prevailed for so long; by standing up to vested interests that resist change.

Above all, this requires Sudans partners to listen to what the countrys long-suffering citizens want and acquiring the wisdom to act beyond their own self-interests.

Mukesh Kapila CBE is the former United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan. He is Professor Emeritus of Global Health and Humanitarian Affairs, University of Manchester; and Senior Adviser to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


I have seen several public affairs commentators  including lawyers  using the media, especially television, to say our justice system cannot be trusted. Some analysts pontificate and blow hot air on TV because they want their views and positions  on behalf of their clients  to be the law.

We have entered a busy season of election petition hearing, and their Lordships will be highly engaged. A lot of work lies ahead. This is not surprising because politicians are generally desperate people who want to win elections at all cost. The general elections involve contests at different levels: state houses of assembly, governorships, House of Representatives, Senate and the Presidency. This process excludes the off-season elections.

It is the same desperation that caused the subversion of democracy in Adamawa State, as I argued in an earlier article. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari, who had no business announcing the result of the supplementary gubernatorial poll, went ahead to illegally declare Senator Aishat Binani Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress as the election winner.

Thankfully, the Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) intervened quickly and restored normalcy.

Although Yunusa-Ari was eventually arrested and granted bail, he was not remorseful. He reportedly said that he did nothing wrong. Can you believe that? This egregious culture of impunity  it spreads like cancer  without consequences, is one of our biggest headaches and it threatens our humanity. Hopefully, he will face the full wrath of the law.

The joke was on Senator Binani because she gave an acceptance speech and went to court, seeking judicial review in an attempt to stop INEC from voiding her illegal declaration as the winner of the election.

Isnt that what is called abuse of court process? That was exactly what Senator Binani did. A senator is supposed to make laws but she turned herself into a law breaker.

With 18 registered political parties, all manner of persons have been posing as politicians and wasting our time; some of them picked their partys nomination forms just to try their luck or use it as leverage to negotiate for positions. In the absence of internal democracy, parties conduct parallel primaries. In the end, it is the courts they turn to for the rightful winners and eligible candidates.

Some frivolous cases that should not have been filed in the first place, are given hearing dates because the litigants are encouraged by their lawyers, who always believe theres a chance to win on technical grounds. Of course, the lawyers are handsomely paid by their clients.

The recent general elections were the seventh cycle since 1999. In spite of the challenges that we faced, I believe we are making progress. I agree with those who say the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is a game-changer.

The deployment of BVAS nationwide by INEC during the last general elections was successful and one of its key benefits is that it prevents over-voting. BVAS can state correctly the number of accredited voters in a polling unit.

INEC has been called all sorts of names and accused of bias because the expectations of some politicians were not met. This is laughable. Our elections always end up as controversial events, despite the best efforts of the electoral umpire. However, this is not to say that we cannot improve on our elections.

When politicians win, it means the process was free and fair; but when they lose, the election was rigged. We are used to these tales by the moonlight. I call it sheer hypocrisy.

Isnt it obvious that the problems with our elections are instigated by politicians and not INEC? Who are those who recruit thugs to snatch ballot boxes? What of vote-buying? Who are the merchants of electoral violence? Unfortunately, security agencies are also compromised and usually look the other way when electoral fraud is perpetrated.

There are also cases of collusion and bad behaviour by some rogue INEC officials. In such cases, the law should take its course with consequences where applicable. Even if we conduct the elections 100 times or inaugurate another brand new INEC, it is not a guarantee that there will be no irregularities.

This is why we have numerous election petitions across the country. But it is unfair to subject their Lordships to unnecessary media trial. It is a disgusting campaign that undermines the integrity of the bench.

With the lorry-load of petitions that are suffocating the courtrooms, it is obvious that many other criminal and civil cases will be on hold. The wheel of justice will grind to a halt  albeit, temporarily  for some people.

I have seen several public affairs commentators  including lawyers  using the media, especially television, to say our justice system cannot be trusted. Some analysts pontificate and blow hot air on TV because they want their views and positions  on behalf of their clients  to be the law.

Since INEC declared Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu president-elect, the commentators aforementioned, their associates and clients have taken to media outlets to cast aspersions on their Lordships. They even want to teach them new skills in law and ethos unknown to our jurisprudence.

How can a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) tell the whole world on national television that he has no confidence in our judiciary? Is it because his preferred candidate did not win an election? We cannot pretend that such allegations are normal and sweep them under the carpet.

Politicians and their lawyers carry on as if our elections must be do-or-die-affairs due to their selfish interests but I am happy to tell them the truth: Nigeria will move on without them. There can only be one winner in an election.

The idea that all election petitions should be concluded before 29 May also animated conversations on TV and the social media. Although this idea is brilliant, it is an example of the media trial of their Lordships.

The right thing to do is to amend the Constitution, instead of deploying arm-twisting tactics, as some SANs are doing. If Kenya did it, some commentators suggested, Nigeria can also do it, but they forget or pretend not to know that the enabling laws are not the same.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP, is a veteran of this game and I admire his commitment and tenacity, but like a true democrat, he should have stayed with one party or built a new party from the ground up.

The Waziri Adamawa is 76 years old. He has contested in six presidential elections and lost all of them. How does he find the staying power? He polled 6,984,520 votes in February to come second but he believes he won the election, even after INEC has declared Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC as the winner and president-elect.

I understand how Atiku feels. He is pained and disappointed. To win, Atiku needs the right strategy and nuanced thinking. He cannot be doing the same thing in every election cycle and expect a different result. The former VP says he will reclaim his stolen mandate; he has to prove this in court. He has filed his petition, asking the tribunal to review the process of the election and declare him the winner.

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), is also saying he won the presidential election. He wants to reclaim the same mandate. Fair enough, but how many presidential mandates do we have? He filed his petition to challenge the outcome of the poll at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja.

But we should not muddle the waters, because there can only be one president at a time. If both Atiku and Obi are claiming victory, which one of them is the rightful owner of the mandate, assuming there was a stolen mandate in the first place? Obi came third in the election with 6,101,533 votes.

When Obi became the governor of Anambra State under the banner of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) from March to November 2006; February to May 2007 and June 2007 to March 2014, how did he do it? More than once, he got his reprieve and court judgement in his favour.

Last Tuesday, the Supreme Court affirmed Ademola Adeleke as the governor of Osun State by upholding the decision of the Appeal Court in Abuja, which had earlier affirmed Adelekes victory on 24 March. His rival was Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC whom he defeated in the gubernatorial poll on 16 July.

Adams Oshiomhole, former governor of Edo State (11 November, 2008  11 November, 2016), also reclaimed his mandate in using the courts when he ousted Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, who was governor for 18 months (29 May, 1999  11 November, 2008).

Cases can be won and lost in the courts and we must understand that their Lordships are interested in the evidence and merit of each case before them. There is no room for morality or emotions or the fulminations of dejected losers in law.

Atiku and Obi must prove their cases beyond reasonable doubt. Indeed, the verdict of the Justices of the Supreme Court in the Adeleke vs Oyetola case is instructive, going forward, as it relates to all election petitions before them.

If Obi, Adeleke and Oshiomhole could win their cases in the past, what is different this time?

Since INEC declared Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu president-elect, the commentators aforementioned, their associates and clients have taken to media outlets to cast aspersions on their Lordships. They even want to teach them new skills in law and ethos unknown to our jurisprudence.

This hollow argument suggests that Abuja has a veto power over all the other states. How is that possible? All states are equal before the law. Indeed, how can the FCT with 1.5 million voters have a veto power over the rest of the country with over 90 million registered voters? Does it even make sense? It means Abuja has a special status that comes with juicy privileges for its residents that the rest of the country can only cringe for.

Those who say they no longer have confidence in our justice system should tell us what is biting them. Atiku wants the hearings to be broadcast live on national television. Peter Obi shares the same sentiments. Understandably, theres so much at stake with a presidential election but the impression being created is that their Lordships have something to hide and only a live telecast can expose their hidden agenda.

I hope Atiku and Obi are ready to pick up the bills because TV networks will charge for their services. It would be unfair to use taxpayers money for this purpose. In his previous petitions, would the PDP presidential candidate say our justice system treated him unfairly?

Some sections of the media are canvassing Atiku and Obis position. Are they saying that if theres no live telecast, justice would not be properly served? I just want to understand their logic  and how it makes sense.

Throughout Governor Adelekes court hearings, up to when the Supreme Court delivered its judgement, no TV station covered any proceeding live but a verdict was announced all the same based on the letters and spirit of the law. The logic of their Lordships in the case was sound, and they marshaled their arguments, point by point, on the basis of available evidence.

Adegboyega Oyetola couldnt prove his case. The Supreme Court is the temple of justice and final arbiter. It was the end of the road for Oyetola.

These protagonists of fair, open and transparent hearing should actually request that the global TV networks come to Abuja and cover the proceedings. This arrangement should give them enough comfort. Live TV coverage will not change the colour of the meat in the sandwich and without the unnecessary media hype, their Lordships will still carry out their jobs  without fear or favour.

If Atiku and Obi do not have confidence in our judiciary, they should not have filed their petitions. The campaign of calumny, intimidation and blackmail against their Lordships must stop.

The other matter that has also shown the desperation of some commentators, lawyers, politicians and their fans, is the status of Abuja as a requirement for winning the presidential election. Again, some sections of the media have been hyping this narrative as if the rest of us did not go to school.

This hollow argument suggests that Abuja has a veto power over all the other states. How is that possible? All states are equal before the law. Indeed, how can the FCT with 1.5 million voters have a veto power over the rest of the country with over 90 million registered voters? Does it even make sense? It means Abuja has a special status that comes with juicy privileges for its residents that the rest of the country can only cringe for.

A highly respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) flew this kite as soon as INEC declared Bola Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election. Even as a layman, to suggest that a presidential candidate needs 25% of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is both a fallacy and misnomer.

To the best of my knowledge, all ballots cast and recorded anywhere in Nigeria are equal. Mind you, we do not have an Electoral College, which is operational in America, where we borrowed the expensive presidential system of government from.

To be declared the winner of a presidential election, the Constitution says the candidate would have polled 25% of the total votes cast in at least two-thirds of the 36 states and the FCT.

If the candidate has 25% in 24 or more states, FCT will no longer count. The candidate must also have the highest number of votes.

But the arguments by the so-called analysts and legal experts is that if a candidate gets 25% of the votes cast in 24, 25, 30 or even 36 states, 25% in FCT is still required to be declared the winner.

I disagree with this but let us await the verdict of the Supreme Court.

My understanding is that FCT will only count if the candidate scores 25% of the votes in 23 states. In which case, 25% of the votes cast in the FCT will become necessary to win. In that instance, FCT will count and have the status of a state  the 37th state.

Ehi Braimah is a public relations strategist and publisher/editor-in-chief of Naija Times, can be reached via hello@neomedia.com.ng

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


In this post we will bring you the best legit, verified and sure platform to sell gift card online in Nigeria.

Gift cards are unique because they represent money value stored in a voucher which can be used to purchase gift items from the store.

However, the monetary value of the gift card made them an asset which can be resold to get back cash.

Most Nigerians, when given a gift card nowadays, would prefer to sell it for cash. But most of the time unknowingly they fall into the hands of scammers and end up losing their gift card. Losing your gift cards can be very painful. The fact is these scammers are now everywhere, so anyone could fall victim.

So, therefore, the best legit, verified and confirmed site in Nigeria to sell gift cards and trade iTunes, steam, Google play, Sephora, vannila, Amazon etc for naira is Cardyork.com

Cardyork has been functioning and operating as a gift cards vendor in Nigeria. They provide an excellent platform for Nigerians to safely sell gift cards and digital currencies at a high rate without the participation of a middleman. Cardyork is now the surest and best online platform for selling gift cards in Nigeria. Cardyork is to here to stay and to serve Nigerians.

On Monday The companys Public Relation Officer Olayemi Segun told our correspondent that Cardyork converts various gift cards and digital currencies to naira and customers get credited in their Nigerian Bank.

Segun noted that Cardyork has made gift card and digital currencies trading more safe and easier for all Nigerian.

The PRO urge all Nigerians and members of the public to sell all their gift cards and digital currencies on Cardyork And not to fall a victim to scammers.

When you trade on cardyork you get to enjoy lots of benefit

Cardyork is a reliable and legit platform for nigerians to sell their gift card to Naira, there are many benefits to trading on cardyork below are some of the benefit you get when selling your iTunes ,Amazon Google play, amex, Nordstrom, vannila etc to Naira on cardyork

1. Fast transaction  Cardyork guarantees fast transaction, redeeming your gift card and other digital assets online on cardyork is like signing up for a fast transaction. Cardyork processes all gift card successfully and customers get paid into their Nigerian Bank within 10 minutes. This is one of the reasons many Nigerians are drawn to cardyork as it serves them the stress of having to wait for a long period of time to get the payment for their gift card.

2. High rate  when you trade on Cardyork , youll noticed you have been losing money to your previous gift card vendor. Caryork has taken gift card trading in Nigeria to a whole new height and level. As they make sure their customer receive good money for their gift card.

3. 24/7 Services  service time is one important aspect you should look out for. Nigerians love to trade their gift card any time, A good gift card vendor is the one thats always available to attend to its customers. Cardyork is always available to serve all their customers, why its the recommended and the best verified and confirmed site to sell your Gift Card in Nigeria.

What You should Know Before Selling gift cards online in Nigeria

As a Nigerian trading your gift card online for naira, there are certain things you should know some of which are:

The Reputation of the gift card vendor or platform :

Its not wise or advisable to just trade your gift card on just any platform. You should check the reputation of the gift card vendor. Its always advisable in your best interest to sell gift cards on a reputable, legit and verified platform. Thats why Cardyork.com is the best verified and confirmed site to sell your gift card online in Nigeria.

Know the balance of your Gift card:

Another thing worthy of note is your gift card balance. its always necessary to know the balance of your gift card, in fact you should treat your gift card as cash. If you become careless you could lose your gift card to rippers. You need to keep it safe and treat it like cash.

No more losing of your gift card to scammers and selling of gift cards at low rates. Cardyork offers high and competitive rates for all your gift cards and digital currencies.

The Following gift cards can be traded on cardyork.com for naira

Steam gift card, iTunes,Amazon, Google play, Sephora, Nordstrom,Nike, Macy, Razer gold, American Express, eBay , Xbox, Footlocker, vannila etc

Start selling gift cards on Cardyork

Cardyork contact detail

WhatsApp : 0802 684 6656

Website: www.cardyork.com

If you are a gift card owner in Nigeria, make sure to trade gift cards only with legit and verified gift card vendors like Cardyork. Dont lose your gift cards because of carelessness. Trade your gift card on cardyork.com  the best verified and confirmed site to sell gift cards to Naira and get credited in your Nigerian Bank account instantly.

Cardyork provides free daily price Updates via WhatsApp and their website, www.cardyork.com to assist their customers in determining the best card to collect at any given time.

Frequently asked questions

Best site to Sell Steam gift card in Nigeria

The best site to sell Steam gift cards in Nigeria is www.Cardyork.com. their service is fast and reliable

How much is $100 Steam Gift Card in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 etc steam gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $100 Canadian Steam gift card in Naira

The price and rate of $25 $50 $100 etc Canadian steam gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $100 Australian Steam gift card in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 etc Australian steam gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $100 New Zealand Steam gift card in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 New Zealand etc steam gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today visit www.cardyork.com

How much is  100 Euro steam gift card in Naira

The price of 25 50 100 etc Euro steam gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today visit www.cardyork.com

How to Sell Steam gift cards online in Nigeria.

There are numerous ways to sell steam gift cards online in Nigeria. But you have to be careful when choosing where to sell your Steam Gift Card because you may risk losing your gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem steam gift cards online in Nigeria.

Convert steam gift cards to Naira

Converting a steam gift card to Naira is very easy now. You will be paid into your Nigerian bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started

Where to sell Steam gift card in Nigeria for naira

The best verified and confirmed site to sell steam gift cards in Nigeria to Naira is www.cardyork.com Its a reputable platform where Nigerians sell steam gift cards for Naira.

Convert Amazon gift cards to Naira

Converting an Amazon gift card to Naira is very easy now . You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started

Best site to sell Amazon gift cards in Nigeria

The best site to sell iTunes gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com. their service is reliable and fast

How much is $100 Amazon gift card in Naira

The price of $25,50,$100 etc Amazon gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is Canada $100 Amazon gift card in Naira

The price of Canada $25 50 $100 etc Amazon gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is 100 UK Amazon gift card in Naira

The price of 25 50 100 etc UK Amazon gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How to sell Amazon gift cards in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell Amazon gift cards online in Nigeria. But you have to be careful when choosing where to sell your Steam Gift Card because you may risk losing your Gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem steam gift cards online in Nigeria.

Sell iTunes gift cards for cash in Nigeria

To sell iTunes gift card in Nigeria and get paid right away visit www.cardyork.com, its a registered and legit site to sell iTunes gift card for cash in Nigeria

Best site to sell iTunes gift cards in Nigeria

The best site to sell iTunes gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com their service is reliable and fast

Convert iTunes gift card to Naira

Converting an iTunes gift card to Naira is very easy now . You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.comto get started

How much is $100 iTunes gift card in naira

The price of $100 $50 $ 25 etc iTunes gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $100 Canadian iTunes gift card in naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 etc Canadian iTunes gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $100 Australian iTunes gift card in naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 etc Australian iTunes gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $100 New Zealand iTunes gift card in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 etc New Zealand iTunes gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is 100 Euro iTunes gift card in Naira

The price of 25 50 100 etc Euro iTunes gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How to sell iTunes Gift Cards Online in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell iTunes gift cards online in Nigeria. But you have to be careful when choosing where to sell your Steam Gift Card because you may risk losing your gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem iTunes gift cards online in Nigeria.

Where to sell iTunes gift card in Nigeria for naira

The recommended best verified and confirmed site to sell iTunes gift cards in Nigeria to Naira is www.cardyork.com. its a reputable platform in Nigeria to sell iTunes gift card for Naira

How to sell Razer Gold gift cards online in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell Razer Gold gift cards online in Nigeria. But you have to be careful when choosing where to sell Razer Gold gift cards because you may risk losing your gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem Razer Gold gift cards online in Nigeria.

How much is $100 Razer Gold gift card in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 Euro etc iTunes gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $100 Canadian Razer Gold gift cards in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 etc Canadian Razer Gold gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $100 Australian Razer Gold Gift Card

The price of $25 $50 $100 etc Australian Razer Gold gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $ 100 Euro Razer Gold Gift Cards in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 etc Euro Razer Gold gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $500 Razer Gold gift card in Naira

The price of $200 $300 $500 etc Razer Gold gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

Convert Razer Gold gift card to Naira

Converting a Razer Gold gift card to Naira is very easy now . You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started now

Best site to Sell Razer Gold gift cards in Nigeria

The best site to sell Razer Gold gift cards in Nigeria is www.Cardyork.com. Their service is reliable and fast.

Where to sell Razer Gold gift cards in Nigeria for naira

The best verified and confirmed site to sell Razer Gold gift cards in Nigeria to naira is www.cardyork.com. Its a reputable platform where Nigerians sell Razer Gold gift cards for naira.

Sell Razer Gold gift cards for cash in Nigeria

To sell Razer Gold gift card in Nigeria and get paid right away visit www.cardyork.com, its a registered and legit site to sell Razer Gold gift card for cash in Nigeria

Convert American Express (AMEX) gift card to Naira

Converting an American Express gift card to Naira is very easy now . You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started now

How to sell American Express (AMEX) gift card online in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell American Express gift cards online in Nigeria. But you have to be careful when choosing where to sell American Express gift Cards because you may risk losing your gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem American Express gift cards online in Nigeria.

How much is $100 American Express (AMEX) gift card in Naira

The price of $25 50 $100 etc American Express gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price now. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $500 American Express (AMEX) gift card in Nigerian naira

The price of $200 $300 $500 etc American Express gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

Best site to Sell American express (AMEX) gift cards in Nigeria

The best site to sell Amex gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com. their service is reliable and fast.

Where to sell American Express (AMEX) gift card in Nigeria for naira

The best verified and confirmed site to sell American Express gift cards in Nigeria to Naira is www.cardyork.com. its a reputable platform where Nigerians sell American express gift cards for Naira.

How much is $100 Google Play gift card in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 etc Google Play gift cards in Nigeria varies from time to time. To know the current price in Nigeria today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $100 Canadian Google Play gift card in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 etc Canadian Google Play gift cards in Nigeria varies from time to time. To know the current price in Nigeria today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $100 New Zealand Google play gift card in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 New Zealand etc Google Play gift cards in Nigeria varies from time to time. To know the current price in Nigeria today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is 100 Euro Google Play gift card in Naira

The price of 25 50 100 Euro etc Google Play gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price of euro Google Play gift card today visit www.cardyork.com

Best Site to Sell Google Play Gift Cards in Nigeria

The best site to sell Google Play gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com. Their service is very reliable and fast.

Sell Google Play Gift Card for Cash in Nigeria

To sell Google Play Gift Card in Nigeria and get paid right away visit www.cardyork.com, its a registered and legit site to sell Google Play gift card for cash in Nigeria

How to Sell Google Play Gift Cards online in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell Google Play Gift Cards online in Nigeria. But you have to be careful when choosing where to sell Google Play gift cards because you may risk losing your gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem Google Play gift cards online in Nigeria.

Where to sell Google Play Gift Cards in Nigeria for Naira

The best verified and confirmed site to sell Google Play gift cards in Nigeria to Naira is www.cardyork.com Its a reputable platform where Nigerians can sell Google Play gift cards for Naira.

How much is $100 Sephora Gift Cards in Naira

The price and rate of $25,50,$100 etc Sephora gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price now. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $500 Sephora Gift Cards in Nigerian Naira

The price of $200 $300 $500 etc Sephora gift cards in Nigeria varies from time to time. To know the current price of Sephora today. Visit www.cardyork.com

Where to Sell Sephora Gift Cards in Nigeria for Naira

The best verified and confirmed site to sell Sephora gift cards in Nigeria to naira is www.cardyork.com. Its a reputable site to sell Sephora gift cards in Nigeria for naira.

How to Sell Sephora Gift Cards Online in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell Sephora gift cards online in Nigeria. But you have to be careful when choosing where to sell Sephora Gift Cards because you may risk losing your gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem sephora gift cards online in Nigeria.

Convert Sephora Gift Cards to Naira

Converting a Sephora gift card to Naira in Nigeria is very easy now. You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started

Best site to Sell Sephora Gift Cards in Nigeria

The best site to sell Sephora gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com. their service is reliable and fast

Sell Sephora Gift card for cash in Nigeria

To sell Sephora gift card in Nigeria and get paid right away visit www.cardyork.com, its a registered and legit site to sell Sephora gift card for cash in Nigeria

How to Sell Footlocker gift cards online in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell footlocker gift cards online in Nigeria. But you have to be careful when choosing where to sell footlocker Gift Cards because you may risk losing your Gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem footlocker gift cards online in Nigeria.

How much is $100 Footlocker gift card in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 etc footlocker gift cards in Nigeria varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $500 Footlocker gift card in Naira

The price of $200 $300 $500 etc footlocker gift cards in Nigeria varies from time to time. To know the current price today. Visit www.cardyork.com

Best site to Sell Footlocker gift cards in Nigeria

The best site to sell footlocker gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com. their service is very fast and reliable

Convert Footlocker Gift Cards to Naira

Converting a footlocker gift card to Naira is very easy now . You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started

Sell Footlocker Gift Cards for Cash in Nigeria

To sell Footlocker gift card in Nigeria and get paid right away visit www.cardyork.com, its a registered and legit site to sell footlocker gift card for Naira in Nigeria

Where to sell Footlocker gift card in Nigeria for Naira

The best verified and confirmed site to sell Footlocker gift cards in Nigeria to naira is www.cardyork.com Its a reputable site to sell Footlocker gift cards in Nigeria for naira.

Best Site to Sell eBay Gift Cards in Nigeria

The best site to sell eBay gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com their service is fast and reliable

How to sell eBay Gift Cards Online in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell eBay gift cards online in Nigeria. But you have to be careful when choosing where to sell eBay gift cards because you may risk losing your Gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem eBay gift cards online in Nigeria now

How much is $100 eBay Gift Cards in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $200 etc eBay gift cards in Nigeria varies from time to time. To know the current price in Nigeria today. Visit www.cardyork.com

Sell eBay Gift Card for Cash in Nigeria

To sell ebay gift cards in Nigeria and get paid right away. visit www.cardyork.com, its a registered and legit site to sell eBay gift card for cash in Nigeria.

Convert eBay Gift Card to Naira

Converting an ebay gift card to Naira is very easy now in Nigeria. You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started

Convert Xbox gift card to Naira

Converting an Xbox Gift Card to Naira is very easy now in Nigeria . You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started

How to sell Xbox gift card online in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell Xbox gift cards online in Nigeria. But you have to be careful when choosing where to sell Xbox gift cards because you may risk losing your gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem Xbox gift cards online in Nigeria.

How much is $100 Xbox Gift Card in Naira

The price and rate of $25,50,$100 etc Xbox gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price now. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $100 Canadian Xbox Gift Card in Naira

The price of $25,50,$100 etc Canadian Xbox gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price now. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $100 New Zealand Xbox Gift Card in Naira

The price of $25,50,$100 etc New Zealand Xbox gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price now. Visit www.cardyork.com

Sell Xbox Gift Card for Cash in Nigeria

To sell Xbox gift cards in Nigeria and get paid right away. visit www.cardyork.com, its a registered and legit site to sell xbox gift card for cash in Nigeria

Best Site to Sell Xbox Gift Card in Nigeria

The best verified site to sell Xbox gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com their service is fast and reliable

Where to sell Xbox Gift Card in Nigeria for Naira

The best verified and confirmed site to sell xbox gift cards in Nigeria to Naira is www.cardyork.com its a reputable platform where nigerians sell xbox gift cards in Nigeria for Naira

How much is $100 Nordstrom Gift Card in Naira

The price and rate of $25 $50 $ 100 etc Nordstrom gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price now. Visit www.cardyork.com

How much is $500 Nordstrom gift card in Nigerian Naira

The price of $200 $300 $500 etc Nordstrom gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price of Nordstrom now. Visit www.cardyork.com

Where to Sell Nordstrom Gift Card in Nigeria for Naira

The best verified and confirmed site to sell Nordstrom gift cards in Nigeria for naira is www.cardyork.com Its a reputable site where Nigerians sell Nordstrom gift cards for naira.

Convert Nordstrom Gift Card to Naira

Converting a Nordstrom gift card to Naira is very easy now . You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started

How to Sell Nordstrom gift card online in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell Nordstrom gift cards online in Nigeria. But you have to be careful when choosing where to sell Nordstrom gift cards because you may risk losing your Gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem Nordstrom gift cards online in Nigeria

Best Site to Sell Nordstrom Gift Card in Nigeria

The best verified site to sell Nordstrom gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com Their service is very fast and reliable

Best Site to Sell Apple Gift Card in Nigeria

The best verified site to apple gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com their service is fast and reliable

Convert Apple Gift Card to Naira

Converting an apple gift card to Naira is very easy now . You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started

How to sell Apple gift card online in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell Apple gift cards online in Nigeria. But you have to be careful when choosing where to sell Apple gift cards because you may risk losing your Gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem apple gift cards online in Nigeria

Sell Apple gift card for cash in Nigeria

To sell Apple gift cards in Nigeria and get paid right away. visit www.cardyork.com, its a registered and legit site to sell Apple gift card for cash in Nigeria

How much is $500 Apple gift card in Nigeria Naira

The price of $200 $300 $500 etc Apple gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price of an apple gift card in Nigeria today. Visit www.cardyork.com

Where to sell Apple gift card in Nigeria for Naira

The best verified and confirmed site to sell apple gift cards in Nigeria for naira is www.cardyork.com Its a reputable site to sell apple gift cards in Nigeria for naira.

Best site to sell Finish Line Gift Card in Nigeria

The best verified site to sell Finish line gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com their service is very fast and reliable

How much is $100 Finish Line Gift Card in Naira

The price and rate of $25,50,$100 etc finish line gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price now. Visit www.cardyork.com

How to Sell Finish Line Gift Card online in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell finish line gift cards online in Nigeria. But you need to be careful when choosing where to sell finish line gift cards because you may risk losing your Gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.comis the recommended site to redeem finish line gift cards online in Nigeria

Sell Finish Line Gift Card for Cash in Nigeria

To sell finish line gift cards in Nigeria and get paid right away. visit www.cardyork.com, its a registered and legit site to sell finish gift card for cash in Nigeria

Convert Finish Line gift card to Naira

Converting a finish line gift card to Naira is very easy now in Nigeria . You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started

Covert Tory Burch gift card to Naira

Converting a Tory Burch gift card to Naira is very easy now in Nigeria . You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started

How to Sell Tory Burch gift card Online in Nigeria

There are numerous ways to sell Tory burch gift cards online in Nigeria. But you need to be careful when choosing where to sell Tory Burch gift cards because you may risk losing your gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem Tory Burch gift cards online in Nigeria

How much is $100 Tory Burch gift card in Naira

The price and rate of $25,50,$100 etc Tory Burch gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price now. www.cardyork.com

Sell Tory Burch gift card for cash in Nigeria

To sell Tory Burch gift cards in Nigeria and get paid right away. visit www.cardyork.com, its a registered and legit site to sell Tory Burch gift card for cash in Nigeria

Best site to sell Tory Burch gift card in Nigeria

The best site to sell Tory Burch gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com their service is fast and reliable

How much is 100 Euro Google Play gift Card in Naira

The price of 25 50 100 etc Google Play gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price of euro Google Play gift card today visit www.cardyork.com

Is Cardyork Legit?

Yes, Cardyork is a legit platform where Nigerians sell their iTunes, amex, steam, Sephora, Google play gift card etc to Naira and get paid directly into their Nigerian Bank account

How much is $100 Macy Gift Card in Naira

The price of $25 $50 $100 etc Macy gift cards varies from time to time. To know the current price of euro Macy gift card today visit www.cardyork.com

Best site to Sell Macy Gift Card in Nigeria

The best site to sell Macy gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com Their service is very fast and reliable

How to Sell Macy Gift Card Online in Nigeria for Naira

There are numerous ways to sell Macy gift cards online in Nigeria. But you need to be careful when choosing where to sell Macy gift cards because you may risk losing your Gift card to rippers. www.cardyork.com is the recommended site to redeem Macy gift cards online in Nigeria

Sell Macy Gift Card for cash in Nigeria

To sell Macy gift cards in Nigeria and get paid right away. visit www.cardyork.com, its a registered and legit site to sell Macy gift card for cash in Nigeria

Covert Macy Gift Card to Naira

Converting a Macy gift card to Naira is very easy now in Nigeria. You will be paid into your Nigerian Bank account directly.

Visit www.cardyork.com to get started

Where to Sell Macy Gift Card in Nigeria for Naira

The best verified and confirmed site to sell Macy gift cards in Nigeria to Naira is www.cardyork.com Its a reputable platform where Nigerians sell Macy gift cards for Naira.

Best site to sell vannila gift card in Nigeria

The best site to sell vannila gift card in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com. their service is very fast and reliable

Best site to sell Best Buy gift card in Nigeria

The best site to sell Best Buy gift card in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com. their service is very fast and reliable

Best site to sell Walmart gift card in Nigeria

The best site to sell Walmart gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com Their service is very fast and reliable

Best site to sell Nike gift card in Nigeria

The best site to sell Nike gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com Their service is very fast and reliable

Best site to sell Offgamer gift card in Nigeria

The best site to sell Offgamer gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com Their service is very fast and reliable.

Best site to sell Saks gift card in Nigeria

The best site to sell Saks gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com Their service is very fast and reliable.

Best site to sell Game stop gift cards in Nigeria

The best site to sell Game stop gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com Their service is very fast and reliable.

Best site to sell Netflix gift cards in Nigeria

The best site to sell Netflix gift cards in Nigeria is www.cardyork.com Their service is very fast and reliable

Start trading gift card at Cardyork

You can sell or trade gift cards online at cardyork by going to www.cardyork.com

WhatsApp 0802 684 6656

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Break the glass ceiling in business and leadership with the BSN Women Entrepreneurship Mastering programme.

As we strive towards creating a more equitable and inclusive world, we must acknowledge and dismantle the barriers that limit individuals, women, and men inclusive from reaching their full potential.

To achieve transformative leadership growth, we must invest in programmes and initiatives that support marginalised individuals and provide them with the necessary resources and opportunities to succeed.

The BSN Women Entrepreneurship Mastering programme is created to help women develop the skills and knowledge necessary to start and grow successful businesses.

Enrolling in this programme fosters a culture of mentorship and development, where industry professionals allow individuals to learn from and be supported.

Breaking the glass ceiling and promoting transformative leadership can create a more just and equitable society that benefits us all. Let us work together to make this a reality.

To know more about the programme, kindly send an email to enquires@bsn-mba.net

About the BSN MBA

 Duration of the MBA: 24 months

 Very flexible payment is available

 Interactive real-time virtual classes

 Travel to The Netherlands for Graduation

 50% scholarship on payment

 And so much more!

Connect with us on Social Media using the links below;

Website

LinkedIn

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Business School Netherlands-Nigeria

8, AdekunleFajuyi Way,

Lagos, Nigeria.

+234 806 721 1068

enquiries@bsn-mba.net

www.bsnmba.org

Business School Netherlands

Herenstraat 25,

Buren, The Netherlands.

+31 344 579 030

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Chairman of the Cross River chapter of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Monday Ogbodum, disclosed that no civil servant in the state was promoted by the Ben Ayade-led administration in the last seven years.

Mr Ogbodum spoke with journalists on Thursday in Calabar on a wide range of issues as it affected the welfare of workers under Mr Ayades eight years administration which comes to an end on 29 May.

The TUC chairman, who scored the outgoing administration low on workers welfare, said that aside from the regular payment of salaries and pensions, workers had the worst of welfare under the administration.

While describing the civil servants in the states work environment as probably the worst in the country, Mr Ogbodum said the last time retirees were paid gratuity was in 2014.

Promotion for workers since 2016 has not been 100 per cent implemented while nothing is being done or has been done to local government workers.

Payment of gratuities: A committee put in place by government to actualise and effect payment has become moribund after the initial release of the sum of N200 million in January to April 2022 which could not accommodate all retirees in the month of March 2014.

No further release has been made by government. Therefore, payment of gratuities to state retirees from April 2014 and local government workers from 2012 is still pending, he stated.

On the payment of salaries and pension, Ogbodum said while the workers still awaited salary for April, the administration had been regular with payment even though it was often delayed.

Annual incremental rate used to be a thing of joy and a little relief to workers when at the month of January every year, a token is being added to their salaries, but government had reneged on this, despite the MOU entered into.

Supply of computers: workers salaries were deducted for this purpose and up till now, some workers have not been supplied computers.

The committee as captured in the MOU to ascertain the outstanding liabilities has not been set up by the government.

He further said that the last minimum wage was yet to be fully implemented by the outgoing administration.

He said that only workers between levels one to six had fully enjoyed payment of the minimum wage while it was yet to be fully implemented for workers on levels seven to 17.

READ ALSO: Senate confirms appointment of six RMAFC federal commissioners

Mr Ogbodum, who doubles as the state chairman of the Senior Civil Servants Association of Nigeria, however, tasked the incoming administration of Bassey Otu to prioritise workers welfare, to get the best out of them.

According to him: As I speak with you, workers morale in Cross River is at its lowest ebb and the incoming administration must put mechanism in place to boost their morale.

Governor Ayade had on the May Day celebration, lifted an embargo on workers promotion to boost their morale in Cross River.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has expanded the scheme for recruiting Russian convicts to participate in hostilities in Ukraine from the beginning of 2023.

According to a defense intelligence report published on Twitter by the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Thursday morning, in April 2023 alone, the ranks of the Russian military were supposedly filled with up to 10,000 convicts.

"From summer 2022, prisoners were the key pool of recruits for the Wagner Group private military company's operations in Ukraine. However, the group highly likely lost access to the Russian penal system in February 2023 when its public feud with the MoD was escalating," British intelligence reported.

"The MoD's prisoner recruitment campaign is part of a broader, intense effort by the Russian military to bolster its numbers, while attempting to avoid implementing new mandatory mobilisation, which would be very unpopular with the Russian public," the report notes.
Three unions at the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, began an indefinite strike, on Thursday, over unpaid wages.

They are the universitys chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Other Associated Institutions (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists.

The striking workers locked all entrances to the school, paralysing activities at the institution, which is owned by the Ebonyi State Government.

Chairperson of SSANU, Elias Odigbo, said the indefinite strike was to protest against the non-payment of three months salaries.

He said the last time the varsity paid salaries was in February.

We also want the government to actualise our promotion since 2016. Since 2016 no promotion has been made, especially for non-academic staff.

Another reason is that during the COVID-19 lockdown, there were 20 per cent deductions from our salaries with promises to refund the deductions.

Management refunded only five months deductions up till now.

We have 10 months of deductions left, and we have been begging for a refund to no avail.

We also need conversion of staff for those who have acquired additional qualifications.

We are not fighting the government or the school management. All we are asking for is our rights. The workers need their wages to work diligently, he said.

Also speaking, the NASU chairperson, Nwovu Origbo, appealed to the state government to pay the outstanding three months salaries and refund the 20 per cent of COVID-19 deductions.

Mr Origbo said the strike would continue until the workers demands were met.

We are not going to call off the strike until all our demands are met. We are not beggars but workers, he said.

Responding to the strike, the state Commissioner for Education, Sunday Nwangele, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he would address a news conference on Friday.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


BETHESDA, Md., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) applauds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for issuing a final guidance that recommends determining blood donor eligibility based on an individual assessment. Therefore, every prospective donor, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, will be evaluated using the same individual donor assessment (IDA) questions relevant to HIV. The final guidance recommends a new individualized, gender-inclusive donor assessment process, eliminating the screening questions for men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have sex with MSM.

Along with its final recommendations, FDA has formally recognized a new version of the AABB Donor History Questionnaire, which is the tool used by blood collectors to assess donor eligibility. FDA's formal recognition of AABB's tool enables blood collectors to begin the extensive process of implementing IDA protocols.

"FDA's announcement represents a momentous change for the blood community and our country," said Debra BenAvram, CEO of AABB. "The implementation of individualized donor assessment protocols will lead to a more inclusive and diverse donor pool, an expansion of the nation's blood supply, and more opportunities to save lives and improve health. AABB will work closely with our blood center members nationwide to implement FDA's recommendations as quickly as possible."

For years, AABB has led efforts to champion the adoption of inclusive, science-based eligibility criteria that support the safety and availability of life-saving blood products. AABB has long supported the adoption of blood donor deferral policies that do not unnecessarily exclude individuals who can donate blood safely. FDA's final guidance is aligned with this goal.

AABB commends FDA for making recommendations that are informed by numerous data sources, including surveillance information from the Transfusion Transmissible Infections Monitoring System (TTIMS), several research studies, such as the FDA-funded "Assessing Donor Variability and New Concepts in Eligibility" (ADVANCE) study, and the experiences of other countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. Importantly, FDA's final guidance recognizes that existing testing capabilities and practices are consistent with maintaining optimal safety and availability of the blood supply.

AABB looks forward to supporting blood collectors in their efforts to welcome new and returning donors into the blood community. Eligible individuals can identify blood collectors in their communities by using AABB's Blood Donation Site Locator at WhereToDonateBlood.org.

"To ensure the safety of the nation's blood supply, blood donor eligibility must be based on rigorous scientific evidence. FDA's recommendations in the new final guidance meet that threshold," said Claudia Cohn, MD, PhD, AABB's chief medical officer. "The latest research, along with testing capabilities and the implementation of similar protocols in other countries, shows that individualized donor assessment is both a safe and equitable method of collecting blood donations. As a physician, I welcome FDA's recommendations and look forward to their swift implementation."

SOURCE Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies
LOS ANGELES, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- United Nations award-winning storyteller, Aaron Ableman, and innovative businessman, Justin Wilkenfeld, today announced their upcoming self-help and inspirational book Rebels of Kindness, in partnership with Kindhumans. Published in partnership with Freedom Three Press, pre-sale and bulk sales for Rebels of Kindness begin May 11th, 2023 with an official on sale date of June 20th, 2023. In a world of increasing division and vitriol, Ableman and Wilkenfeld have created a much needed "call to kindness", blending real world storytelling, poetry and science-backed wellness practices.

"Rebels Of Kindness" by by Aaron Ableman & Justin Wilkenfeld

Authors Ableman and Wilkenfeld found each other on converging journeys as social entrepreneurs seeking to drive change through ethical and impactful business, before coming together to create Rebels of Kindness. The book (and associated products) focuses on three major areas: kindness to self, kindness to others, and kindness to the planet. Rebels of Kindness not only challenges readers to find the "rebels'' in their lives, but to become one themselves. In addition, Ableman and Wilkenfeld highlight 40 individuals throughout the book that have healed themselves, others, and the planet through remarkable experiences. Highlighted individuals include leaders from spiritual teacher and founder of the Isha Foundation, Sadhguru, to Nobel Peace Prize winner and Filipino journalist, Maria Ressa. The foreword for Rebels of Kindness is written by founder and spiritual director of the Agape International Spiritual Center, Michael Beckwith.

Rebels of Kindness aims to bring their vision beyond the pages of the book to the real world through workshops, activations and more. The book is a catalyst for brands, organizations and leaders seeking timeless tools to unlock transformation and impact. Rebels of Kindness is partnered with and sold through Kindhumans, an online ethical marketplace inspired by the three Cscommunity, commerce and causes. In turn, 50% of proceeds from book sales will be donated to the Kindhumans Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing free media for "frontlines & fence lines" organizations.

Rebels of Kindness is currently available for presale on Kindhumans.com , Amazon , Barnes & Noble and other major retailers.

SOURCE Kindhumans
State Opts Out of Physician Supervision of CRNAs at Critical Access Hospitals

ROSEMONT, Ill., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Wyoming partially opted out from federal regulations that require physician supervision of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) reports that the governors of 23 states and Guam have exercised such exemptions for either full or partial opt-out.

In a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon wrote, " I am exercising the option to exempt Wyoming critical access hospitals and hospitals with 25 licensed beds or less from the requirement that Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) be supervised by a physician...I believe this exemption is in the best interest of the citizens of Wyoming regarding access to and the quality of anesthesia services in the state."

"Gov. Gordon's action ensures Wyoming's patients have access to value-based, high-quality care and optimizes healthcare teams at some of our most remote healthcare facilities," said Parry Davison, CRNA, president of Wyoming Association of Nurse Anesthetists (WYANA). "Wyoming recognizes that CRNAs are qualified to make decisions regarding all aspects of anesthesia care based on their education, licensure, and certification."

"The AANA and the WYANA applaud Gov. Gordon for recognizing the important role CRNAs have in delivery of safe anesthesia care in Wyoming," said AANA President Angela Mund, DNP, CRNA. "Increased demand, limited resources, and a state with a large rural population dictate that a system capable of meeting the needs of Wyoming residents be maintained. This letter recognizes the achievements and the impacts CRNAs make in the state."

CRNAs, as advanced practice registered nurses, are members of one of the most trusted professions according to Gallup. CRNAs provide all aspects of superior anesthesia throughout Wyoming.

SOURCE American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology
SBU notifies three ex-MPs from Party of Regions - Tsarov, Sviatash and Markov of new suspicions

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has collected new evidence of the guilt of former MPs from the Party of Regions Oleh Tsarov, Dmytro Sviatash and Ihor Markov, who contributed to the occupiers in waging an aggressive war against Ukraine, the SBU reports.

According to a message of the Ukrainian intelligence service on the Telegram channel on Thursday, it is noted that the former MPs are hiding from justice in the territory of the aggressor country.

"Based on new evidence, the SBU investigators informed all three defendants of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason committed under martial law)," the report says.

According to the investigation, Tsarov cooperated with the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense after the start of a full-scale invasion.

"It has been established that the former MP leaked information to the aggressor about the consequences of enemy air strikes on the territory of Ukraine. It was he who gave the invaders detailed information about the results of missile attacks on the Kremenchuk oil refinery," the intelligence service notes.

The SBU emphasizes that Tsarov received this information from another former MP of the Party of Regions - Sviatash.

As the investigators established, after February 24 last year, Sviatash actively supported the aggressor country, for that the Russian Federation considered him "as a potential gauleiter of Kharkiv region."

According to the SBU, he passed on to the invaders information about the weapons, time and direction of movement of the Defense Forces units across the region.

The traitor received intelligence data through his "party" connections in Kharkiv region.

Another suspect, according to the intelligence service, Markov, regularly justified Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.

"Videos of his provocative speeches were shown more than once on the air of central Russian TV channels," the SBU said.

SBU investigators additionally qualified Markov's criminal actions under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Article 436 (war propaganda), Article 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants).

For all the new exposed facts, investigative actions are ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The SBU reminds that earlier the special service had already notified these defendants about the suspicion of committing other crimes against the state security of Ukraine.

The investigation was carried out by SBU officers in Vinnytsia and Odesa regions under the procedural leadership of the prosecutor's office.
LAS VEGAS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has just filed a lawsuit against Nevada's Clark County School District (CCSD) for forcing a 15 year-old female student to perform a pornographic script, and then participating in a cover up.

As reported at ACLJ.org and Fox News, the lawsuit alleges that a student in the Las Vegas area school district was forced to perform a profanity-laced, sexually explicit monologue before the entire class as a graded assignment. School officials then lied to the parents. Finally, the school board banned the parent from even reading the words the student had been forced to say before the school board, as the content was deemed too explicit to be read in public.

ACLJ states that CCSD violated the student's First Amendment rights by compelling her, a minor, to read a monologue that is sexual and obscene. But they decided to go a step further and violate her mother's First Amendment right to speak when they refused to let her read the same monologue at the CCSD School Board Meeting that they made her daughter recite in front of her class.

Moreover, the State of Nevada recognizes the parental right to direct the sexual education of their children, including material relating to the "human reproductive system and . . . sexual responsibility." NRS 389.036. In order to educate children on sexual topics, the state requires several levels of approval to be obtained by the parents, along with special qualifications for each teacher.

The ACLJ has stepped in alongside Lex Tecnica Ltd. to represent this family in a lawsuit against CCSD to protect their rights.

Jordan Sekulow, ACLJ's Executive Director, says: "Public Schools are entrusted with millions of children across the United States, and we would expect that, at a minimum, they would not sexualize our children in the name of education. Unfortunately, however, Nevada's Clark County School District violated its duty to our clients, Candra & Terrell Evans, when a teacher required their child to perform a sexually explicit and obscene monologue for a graded assignment. The ACLJ has stepped in to protect this family against a rogue school district who thinks they are above the law."

Adds Sekulow: "Today we filed an Amended Complaint against the CCSD and look forward to litigating this case in court."

Read the full complaint here.

About ACLJ: The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on the preservation and defense of constitutional rights, is based in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit ACLJ.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Brian Mayes

615-771-2040

[email protected]

SOURCE American Center for Law and Justice
NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The addictions therapeutics market size is set to grow by USD 9.86 billion from 2022 to 2027 progressing at a CAGR of 7.65% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by the high consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and opioid products. Despite increasing awareness about and stringent regulations on the consumption of these products, the market has witnessed an increase in the consumption of alcohol, opioids, and tobacco products.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Addictions Therapeutics Market 2023-2027

Here is an Exclusive report talking about Market scenarios with a historical period (2017-2021) and a forecast period (2023-2027). Download Sample Report in minutes!

The report on the addictions therapeutics market provides a holistic update, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis.

Addictions Therapeutics Market 2023-2027 - Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

High consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and opioid products

Approval of new drugs and launch of digital therapeutics to treat addiction

Initiatives to increase awareness about and combat addiction

Market Trends

Increasing R&D of novel drugs

Emergence of free state-run addiction treatment programs and facilities

Increasing alcohol consumption among women

Market Challenges

Presence of generics

Minimum insurance coverage for addiction treatment

Social stigma among drug-addicted population

Addictions Therapeutics Market 2023-2027: Market Segmentation

The addictions therapeutics market is segmented by distribution channel (hospital pharmacy, retail pharmacy, and others), type (alcohol addiction therapeutics, tobacco addiction therapeutics, and drug addiction therapeutics), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of World (ROW)). This study identifies the Increasing R&D of novel drugs, the Emergence of free state-run addiction treatment programs and facilities, and the Increasing alcohol consumption among women as one of the prime reasons driving the addictions therapeutics market growth during the next few years.

The market share growth by the hospital pharmacy segment will be significant during the forecast period. Owing to the good discounts, improving reimbursement, and the growing number of drug addicts, hospital pharmacies experience increasing demand for addiction therapeutics. North America is projected to contribute 45% by 2027. North America was the most significant contributing region in the market, primarily owing to the increasing consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and opioids in the US and Canada.

This report presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources through an analysis of key parameters- View Sample Report

The addictions therapeutics market covers the following areas:

Addictions Therapeutics Market Sizing

Addictions Therapeutics Market Forecast

Addictions Therapeutics Market Analysis



Companies Mentioned

Alkermes Public Ltd. Co.

Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Aphios Corp.

Braeburn Inc.

Emergent BioSolutions Inc.

GlaxoSmithKline Plc

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Hikma Pharmaceuticals Plc

Indivior Plc

Johnson and Johnson

kaleo Inc.

Mallinckrodt Plc

Orexo AB

Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd.

Pfizer Inc.

Purdue Pharma LP

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Viatris Inc.

Related Reports:

Alzheimers Disease Therapeutics Market- The alzheimer's disease therapeutics market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.91% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 4,391.9 million.

Hospital Infection Therapeutics Market- The hospital infection therapeutics market is estimated to decline at a CAGR of 4.98% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecasted to increase by USD 3,106.6 million.

Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports.

Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform

Addictions Therapeutics Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 7.65% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 9.86 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023(%) 6.56 Regional analysis North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution North America at 45% Key countries US, Canada, Germany, UK, and France Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Alkermes Public Ltd. Co., Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc., Aphios Corp., Braeburn Inc., Emergent BioSolutions Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Hikma Pharmaceuticals Plc, Indivior Plc, Johnson and Johnson, kaleo Inc., Mallinckrodt Plc, Orexo AB, Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd., Pfizer Inc., Purdue Pharma LP, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Viatris Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse Technavio's Healthcare Industry Reports

Key Topics Covered:

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Type



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Global addictions therapeutics market 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Global addictions therapeutics market 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.2 Type Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  Type Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.3 Distribution Channel Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  Distribution Channel Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size  Country Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 23: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 24: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 25: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 26: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 27: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 28: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 29: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027

6 Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 30: Chart on Distribution Channel - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Distribution Channel - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Distribution Channel

Exhibit 32: Chart on Comparison by Distribution Channel



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Comparison by Distribution Channel

6.3 Hospital pharmacy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 34: Chart on Hospital pharmacy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Hospital pharmacy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 36: Chart on Hospital pharmacy - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Hospital pharmacy - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Retail pharmacy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 38: Chart on Retail pharmacy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Retail pharmacy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Retail pharmacy - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Retail pharmacy - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 42: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 44: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.6 Market opportunity by Distribution Channel

Exhibit 46: Market opportunity by Distribution Channel ($ billion)

7 Market Segmentation by Type

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 47: Chart on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 48: Data Table on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

7.2 Comparison by Type

Exhibit 49: Chart on Comparison by Type



Exhibit 50: Data Table on Comparison by Type

7.3 Alcohol addiction therapeutics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 51: Chart on Alcohol addiction therapeutics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on Alcohol addiction therapeutics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 53: Chart on Alcohol addiction therapeutics - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 54: Data Table on Alcohol addiction therapeutics - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.4 Tobacco addiction therapeutics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 55: Chart on Tobacco addiction therapeutics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Tobacco addiction therapeutics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 57: Chart on Tobacco addiction therapeutics - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Tobacco addiction therapeutics - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.5 Drug addiction therapeutics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 59: Chart on Drug addiction therapeutics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 60: Data Table on Drug addiction therapeutics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 61: Chart on Drug addiction therapeutics - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 62: Data Table on Drug addiction therapeutics - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.6 Market opportunity by Type

Exhibit 63: Market opportunity by Type ($ billion)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 64: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 65: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 66: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 67: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 68: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 69: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 70: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 71: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 72: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 73: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 74: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 75: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 76: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.5 Asia - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 77: Chart on Asia - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 78: Data Table on Asia - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 79: Chart on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 80: Data Table on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.6 Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 81: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 82: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 83: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 84: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.7 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 85: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 86: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 87: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 88: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.8 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 89: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 90: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 91: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 92: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.9 Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 93: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 94: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 95: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 96: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.10 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 97: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 98: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 99: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 100: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.11 France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 101: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 102: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 103: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 104: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.12 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 105: Market opportunity by geography ($ billion)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 106: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 107: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 108: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 109: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 110: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 111: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 Alkermes Public Ltd. Co.

Exhibit 112: Alkermes Public Ltd. Co. - Overview



Exhibit 113: Alkermes Public Ltd. Co. - Product / Service



Exhibit 114: Alkermes Public Ltd. Co. - Key news



Exhibit 115: Alkermes Public Ltd. Co. - Key offerings

12.4 Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Exhibit 116: Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 117: Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 118: Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 119: Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 120: Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc. - Segment focus

12.5 Aphios Corp.

Exhibit 121: Aphios Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 122: Aphios Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 123: Aphios Corp. - Key offerings

12.6 Braeburn Inc.

Exhibit 124: Braeburn Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 125: Braeburn Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 126: Braeburn Inc. - Key offerings

12.7 Emergent BioSolutions Inc.

Exhibit 127: Emergent BioSolutions Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 128: Emergent BioSolutions Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 129: Emergent BioSolutions Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 130: Emergent BioSolutions Inc. - Key offerings

12.8 GlaxoSmithKline Plc

Exhibit 131: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Overview



Exhibit 132: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 133: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 134: GlaxoSmithKline Plc - Segment focus

12.9 Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Exhibit 135: Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 136: Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 137: Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. - Key offerings

12.10 Hikma Pharmaceuticals Plc

Exhibit 138: Hikma Pharmaceuticals Plc - Overview



Exhibit 139: Hikma Pharmaceuticals Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 140: Hikma Pharmaceuticals Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 141: Hikma Pharmaceuticals Plc - Segment focus

12.11 Indivior Plc

Exhibit 142: Indivior Plc - Overview



Exhibit 143: Indivior Plc - Product / Service



Exhibit 144: Indivior Plc - Key offerings

12.12 Mallinckrodt Plc

Exhibit 145: Mallinckrodt Plc - Overview



Exhibit 146: Mallinckrodt Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 147: Mallinckrodt Plc - Key news



Exhibit 148: Mallinckrodt Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 149: Mallinckrodt Plc - Segment focus

12.13 Orexo AB

Exhibit 150: Orexo AB - Overview



Exhibit 151: Orexo AB - Product / Service



Exhibit 152: Orexo AB - Key offerings

12.14 Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 153: Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 154: Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 155: Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 156: Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

12.15 Pfizer Inc.

Exhibit 157: Pfizer Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 158: Pfizer Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 159: Pfizer Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 160: Pfizer Inc. - Key offerings

12.16 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Exhibit 161: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 162: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 163: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 164: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 165: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. - Segment focus

12.17 Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Exhibit 166: Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 167: Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 168: Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc. - Key offerings

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 169: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 170: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 171: Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 172: Research methodology



Exhibit 173: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 174: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 175: List of abbreviations

health: Includes veterinary drugs (excluded from the scope of the report)

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

Newsroom:

SOURCE Technavio
The archive features short oral history interviews with the health care workers who were on the frontline of COVID-19 in Alameda County, California.

OAKLAND, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Alameda Health System (AHS) has published an AHS COVID-19 Memory Archive to commemorate the end of the COVID-19 state of emergency on May 11, 2023. Earlier in the year, the Health Officer of Alameda County rescinded its declaration of the local COVID-19 health emergency and Governor Gavin Newsom terminated the State of California's COVID-19 state of emergency. On May 4, 2023, the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). These four actions at the County, State, Federal, and global levels effectively end the state of emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Alameda County.

The AHS COVID-19 Memory Archive is a historical record of short oral history interviews, memories, and materials that reflect AHS's experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, as described by the frontline workers, physicians, nurses, administrators, telephone operators, chaplains, and others across the system. It is one safety-net health care system's collective memory of serving and caring for its community through the global pandemic.

Explore the AHS COVID-19 Memory Archive, here.

"None of us could have fully understood the magnitude of the crisis before us at the start of the pandemic," said AHS CEO James Jackson. "We have lost so much. Life as we once knew it is gone, along with so many loved ones, colleagues and patients. From the earliest days of COVID-19, AHS staff responded courageously to safeguard the health of patients and the community. When I allow myself to sit with the grief for all that has been lost, I become overwhelmed with gratitude for all that we still have, for how many we saved, and for the staff who risked their health to serve Alameda County."

Many of us have wondered if COVID-19 will ever end. We now know that COVID-19 is with us to stay, but with vaccines and treatments, we are better equipped to prevent and treat severe illness. In the absence of a definitive end to the pandemic, AHS has identified the end of the state of emergency as the appropriate time to pause, reflect, and celebrate our health care workers. It is serendipitous that the end of the state of emergency happens to fall on Hospital Week (May 7-13, 2023), the annual celebration of hospitals, health systems, and health care workers, and Nurses' Week (May 6-12, 2023), when we recognize nurses for their dedication to caring for others.

"Over the past three years, the public has been bombarded with evolving information, disinformation, and punditry about COVID-19. But we rarely heard from the health care workers who were the heroes on the front lines of this unprecedented global crisis. They each have unique stories to tell. We wanted to capture their first-hand memories of COVID-19 in this particular time and place, so they will not be lost to history," said Eleanor Ajala, AHS manager of media and communications.

About Alameda Health System

Alameda Health System (AHS) is a leading public integrated health care provider and medical training institution recognized for its world-class patient and family-centered care. AHS provides comprehensive medical treatment, health promotion and disease prevention throughout our integrated network of hospitals, clinics and health services. AHS includes three acute care hospitals, four ambulatory care wellness centers, four post-acute facilities and the only psychiatric emergency department in Alameda County. AHS is committed to promoting wellness and optimizing the health of the community through the mission of caring, healing, teaching and serving all. For more information, visit AlamedaHealthSystem.org.

CONTACT: Eleanor Ajala

Manager, Media and Communications

Alameda Health System

(510) 421-9222

[email protected]

SOURCE Alameda Health System
As a tribute to X aat K waani (Salmon People), this special Alaska Airlines aircraft is the first of any domestic airline fleet to be named in an Alaska Native language and to depict the ancestral importance of salmon through Northwest Coast formline art.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines unveiled its newest aircraft paint theme today - X aat K waani - designed by the talented Alaska Native artist Crystal Kaakeeyaa Rose Demientieff Worl. X aat K waani means "Salmon People" in the Alaskan Tlingit language and refers to the spiritual link between the people who interact with the beloved salmon and all of us who benefit from their stewardship of the environment.

Today, Alaska Airlines unveiled its newest aircraft "Xaat Kwaani," designed by the talented Alaska Native artist Crystal Kaakeeyaa Rose Demientieff Worl. Alaska Native artist Crystal Kaakeeyaa Rose Demientieff Worl got a private first showing of the aircraft after its arrival in Anchorage, Alaska, May 10, 2023. Xaat Kwaani means Salmon People in the Alaskan Tlingit language and refers to the spiritual link between the people who interact with the beloved salmon.

Using Northwest Coast formline art, the salmon design by Worl is a one-of-a-kind work that honors salmon, culture, artistic expression, and language. Traditional formline art dates back thousands of years and is a two-dimensional design style of the Northwest Coast.

"Every time I looked at an Alaska plane, I couldn't help but visualize the salmon being in formline, or having some sort of design that represents identity. I can't help but look at things and see how to Indigenize them," said Worl . "I have high hopes this project will encourage people to learn and embrace Indigenous culture and values."

Through her art, Worl aims to bring attention to Indigenous culture and to pass on ancestral values to a new generation.

"Crystal Worl has a love of monumental art  most recently murals gracing the sides of buildings in Juneau and Anchorage for locals and visitors to enjoy. And we had a large blank canvas  a 737-800," said Marilyn Romano, regional vice president, Alaska Airlines. "During our first conversation, Crystal shared her desire to paint an Alaska Airlines plane  she has flown with us most of her life. Salmon as a focus was intentional and Crystal shares the relationship between salmon and Native people through storytelling and artistic design."

Salmon has a special meaning and significance in the state of Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and along the West Coast. Some travel as far as 600 miles each way, each uniquely adapted to its particular river system, ocean and watershed environment.

Learn more about how Worl's design came to life at https://bit.ly/3MhaZ6G.

The Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 is the first livery of a U.S. airline fleet to have the name of the plane in an Alaska Native language and the first time Alaska Airlines has featured a language besides English on the main door of an aircraft.

"This will be significant to have Indigenous language on an airplane," said Worl. "People will see it, they'll read it, they'll try to say ' X aat K waani' (Salmon People), and they'll want to know more and be curious to learn about it and want to feel connected to it. I'm excited to be part of this."

The aircraft will begin flying on May 12, 2023, with an inaugural flight from Anchorage through Southeast Alaska. First stop of Alaska Airlines flight 62 will be through Crystal's hometown of Juneau, the state's capital, before it continues through Sitka, Ketchikan and Seattle.

X aat K waani (Salmon People) paint facts:

It took 117 gallons of paint to complete the livery.

Four main colors were used to create the livery: Midnight Blue, Atlas Blue, White and Pink.

From landing to take-off, it took just 12 days to paint.

The specially painted livery will fly for a number of years through a paint system that applies a protective clear coat over the base coats. This protective coating will keep the livery looking fresh for many years.

View a timelapse video of the painting of the plane.

Learn more about Worl, download photos and the full X aat K waani media kit at https://bit.ly/3LW4PHI.

About Crystal Worl

Crystal Kaakeeyaa Rose Demientieff Worl is Tlingit Athabascan from Raven moiety, Lukaax.adi Sockeye Clan, from the Raven House and is Deg Hit'an Athabascan from Fairbanks, Alaska, and Filipino. Worl has created several public art installations in Alaska including a design on the side of a Juneau's Capitol City Fire Rescue ambulance, a steel cut medallion installed in downtown Juneau, and a 60-foot by 25-foot mural of Tlingit activist Elizabeth Peratrovich on Juneau's downtown library building, and last year, painted a mural 125-foot by 48-foot in Anchorage. In March 2023, Worl designed "The Art of Skateboarding" stamps for the United States Postal Service that laud the sport of skateboarding  and what Indigenous groups have brought to the skating culture. Today, Worl lives in Juneau, Alaska, as a co-owner and co-designer of Trickster Company with her brother Rico Worl. Trickster Company promotes innovative Indigenous design focused on the Northwest Coast art and exploring themes and issues in Native culture.

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. We strive to be the most caring airline with award-winning customer service and an industry-leading loyalty program. As a member of the oneworld alliance, and with our additional global partners, our guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 25 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com and follow @alaskaairnews for news and stories. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines
OAKVILLE, ON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (TSX: AQN) (NYSE: AQN) ("AQN" or the "Company") today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023. All amounts are shown in United States dollars ("U.S. $" or "$"), unless otherwise noted.

"In the first quarter of 2023, we achieved operational milestones in line with our targets," said Arun Banskota, President and Chief Executive Officer of AQN. "In our regulated business, we achieved an increased operating profit reflecting planned execution and constructive rate case outcomes. In our renewables business, we advanced our project pipeline and achieved overall financial performance consistent with our expectations."

First Quarter Financial Highlights

Adjusted EBITDA 1 of $341.0 million , an increase of 3%;

of , an increase of 3%; Adjusted Net Earnings 1 of $119.9 million , a decrease of 15%; and

of , a decrease of 15%; and Adjusted Net Earnings1 per common share of $0.17 , a decrease of 19%, in each case on a year-over-year basis.

All amounts in U.S. $ millions except per share information Three months ended March 31 2023 2022 Change Revenue $ 778.6 $ 733.2 6 % Net earnings attributable to shareholders 270.1 91.0 197 % Per common share 0.39 0.13 200 % Cash provided by operating activities 34.2 166.2 (79) % Adjusted Net Earnings1 119.9 141.2 (15) % Per common share 0.17 0.21 (19) % Adjusted EBITDA1 341.0 330.5 3 % Adjusted Funds from Operations1 210.9 220.2 (4) % Dividends per common share 0.1085 0.1706 (36) %

1 Please refer to "Non-GAAP Measures" below for further details.



Quarterly Results

Solid Regulated Growth from New Rate Implementations  Operating profit for the Regulated Services Group increased to $255.3 million from $231.2 million , up $24.1 million from the prior year. The year-over-year increase in operating profit was primarily driven by new rates at a number of the Company's utilities, most notably at the Empire Electric and Park Water systems.

 Operating profit for the Regulated Services Group increased to from , up from the prior year. The year-over-year increase in operating profit was primarily driven by new rates at a number of the Company's utilities, most notably at the Empire Electric and systems. Stable Year-Over-Year Renewable Operating Performance Reduced by HLBV Roll Offs  Operating profit, excluding Hypothetical Liquidation at Book Value ("HLBV") income, for the Renewable Energy Group during the three months ended March 31, 2023 was effectively flat year-over-year. Total operating profit for the Renewable Energy Group was $106.5 million , down $11.4 million from the prior year. The decline was driven by lower HLBV income primarily as a result of the end of production tax credit eligibility on 2012 vintage facilities, as previously experienced in the latter half of 2022. Additionally, modestly lower production from the Company's renewable assets was offset by improved results at its Texas Coastal Wind Facilities.

 Operating profit, excluding Hypothetical Liquidation at Book Value ("HLBV") income, for the Renewable Energy Group during the three months ended was effectively flat year-over-year. Total operating profit for the Renewable Energy Group was , down from the prior year. The decline was driven by lower HLBV income primarily as a result of the end of production tax credit eligibility on 2012 vintage facilities, as previously experienced in the latter half of 2022. Additionally, modestly lower production from the Company's renewable assets was offset by improved results at its Texas Coastal Wind Facilities. Higher Interest Expenses Reflect Growth Financing and Macro Environment  Interest expense increased by $24.0 million year-over-year, with approximately two-thirds of this increase attributable to higher short-term borrowing costs and approximately one-third attributable to financings to support growth initiatives.

Other Recent Highlights

Termination of Acquisition of Kentucky Power Company and AEP Kentucky Transmission Company, Inc.  On April 17, 2023 , the Company announced it had mutually agreed with American Electric Power Company, Inc. and AEP Transmission Company, LLC to terminate the stock purchase agreement regarding the acquisition of Kentucky Power Company and AEP Kentucky Transmission Company, Inc. (the "Kentucky Power Transaction Termination").

 On , the Company announced it had mutually agreed with American Electric Power Company, Inc. and AEP Transmission Company, LLC to terminate the stock purchase agreement regarding the acquisition of Kentucky Power Company and AEP Kentucky Transmission Company, Inc. (the "Kentucky Power Transaction Termination"). Key California Rate Case Resolved; Settlement Approved  On April 27, 2023 , the Company received a final order in its CalPeco Electric system rate case, with an annual revenue increase of $27.0 million , including approximately $7.1 million due to increases in rate base. The order approved an authorized return on equity ("ROE") of 10% and an equity ratio of 52.5%. A one-time net earnings benefit of approximately $11.4 million is expected in the second quarter of 2023.

 On , the Company received a final order in its CalPeco Electric system rate case, with an annual revenue increase of , including approximately due to increases in rate base. The order approved an authorized return on equity ("ROE") of 10% and an equity ratio of 52.5%. A one-time net earnings benefit of approximately is expected in the second quarter of 2023. New Rate Cases Filed by New York Water and Empire Electric Arkansas  On May 4, 2023 , the Company filed a New York Water rate application seeking a revenue increase of $39.7 million , based on an ROE of 10% and an equity ratio of 50%. Similarly, on February 14, 2023 , the Company filed an Empire Electric ( Arkansas ) rate application seeking a revenue increase of $7.3 million based on an ROE of 10.25% and an equity ratio of 56% to be phased in over three years.

On , the Company filed a New York Water rate application seeking a revenue increase of , based on an ROE of 10% and an equity ratio of 50%. Similarly, on , the Company filed an Empire Electric ( ) rate application seeking a revenue increase of based on an ROE of 10.25% and an equity ratio of 56% to be phased in over three years. Completion of the Deerfield II Wind Facility  On March 23, 2023 , the Company achieved full commercial operations at its 112 MW Deerfield II Wind Facility, located in Huron County, Michigan . The Deerfield II Wind Facility has agreed to sell all of its output to Siculus, Inc., a subsidiary of Meta, pursuant to a renewable energy purchase agreement.

 On , the Company achieved full commercial operations at its 112 MW Deerfield II Wind Facility, located in . The Deerfield II Wind Facility has agreed to sell all of its output to Siculus, Inc., a subsidiary of Meta, pursuant to a renewable energy purchase agreement. Sustainable Financing Activity & Ratings Improvements Reflect Algonquin's ESG Commitment  On March 31, 2023 , the Company completed an amendment and restatement of its senior unsecured revolving credit facility, which increased from $500 million to $1 billion and now includes sustainability-linked performance targets. Separately, on March 10, 2023 , MSCI upgraded AQN to a "AAA" ESG rating, placing AQN among the top 13% of companies reviewed.

 On , the Company completed an amendment and restatement of its senior unsecured revolving credit facility, which increased from to and now includes sustainability-linked performance targets. Separately, on , MSCI upgraded AQN to a "AAA" ESG rating, placing AQN among the top 13% of companies reviewed. Credit Rating Affirmed at BBB with Outlook Improved to Stable  In April 2023 , each of DBRS, Fitch, S&P and Moody's made announcements regarding the credit ratings of the Company and its subsidiaries. DBRS and Fitch both affirmed their ratings and stable outlook, S&P revised its outlooks from negative to stable, and Moody's affirmed its Baa2 ratings and stable outlooks of Liberty Utilities Co. and Liberty Utilities Finance GP1. These actions follow a similar improvement in outlook to stable from DBRS in February 2023 .

In , each of DBRS, Fitch, S&P and Moody's made announcements regarding the credit ratings of the Company and its subsidiaries. DBRS and Fitch both affirmed their ratings and stable outlook, S&P revised its outlooks from negative to stable, and Moody's affirmed its Baa2 ratings and stable outlooks of Liberty Utilities Co. and Liberty Utilities Finance GP1. These actions follow a similar improvement in outlook to stable from DBRS in . Atlantica Strategic Review  On February 21, 2023 , Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure plc ("Atlantica") announced that its board of directors had commenced a strategic review process. AQN, which owns approximately 42% of Atlantica, supports the commencement of that process.

Outlook

Reiterate Estimated 2023 Adjusted Net Earnings Per Common Share  The Company reiterates its previously-disclosed estimate of Adjusted Net Earnings per common share for the 2023 fiscal year within a range of $0.55 - $0.61 (see "Non-GAAP Measures" below).

The Company reiterates its previously-disclosed estimate of Adjusted Net Earnings per common share for the 2023 fiscal year within a range of - (see "Non-GAAP Measures" below). Organic Capital Investment Expectations Maintained  With the Kentucky Power Transaction Termination, the Company expects to spend approximately $1 billion on capital investment opportunities in the 2023 fiscal year. Of this amount, approximately $700 million is expected to be spent by the Regulated Services Group and approximately $300 million is expected to be spent by the Renewable Energy Group.

With the Kentucky Power Transaction Termination, the Company expects to spend approximately on capital investment opportunities in the 2023 fiscal year. Of this amount, approximately is expected to be spent by the Regulated Services Group and approximately is expected to be spent by the Renewable Energy Group. Remain Focused on Optimizing Balance Sheet  The Company remains committed to a BBB credit rating and does not expect any new equity financings through 2024.

AQN's Management Discussion & Analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2023 (the "Interim MD&A") and unaudited interim consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2023 will be available on its web site at www.AlgonquinPowerandUtilities.com and in its corporate filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com (for Canadian filings) and EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar (for U.S. filings).

Earnings Conference Call

AQN will hold an earnings conference call at 8:30 a.m. eastern time on Thursday, May 11, 2023, hosted by President and Chief Executive Officer, Arun Banskota, and Chief Financial Officer, Darren Myers.

Date: Thursday, May 11, 2023 Time: 8:30 a.m. ET Conference Call: Toll Free Dial-In Number 1-800-806-5484

Toll Dial-In Number (416) 340-2217

Event Passcode 8220700# Webcast: https://bell.media-server.com/mmc/p/hm4w86az

Presentation also available at: www.algonquinpowerandutilities.com



About Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. and Liberty

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp., parent company of Liberty, is a diversified international generation, transmission, and distribution utility with over $17 billion of total assets. Through its two business groups, the Regulated Services Group and the Renewable Energy Group, AQN is committed to providing safe, secure, reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable energy and water solutions through its portfolio of electric generation, transmission, and distribution utility investments to over one million customer connections, largely in the United States and Canada. AQN is a global leader in renewable energy through its portfolio of long-term contracted wind, solar, and hydroelectric generating facilities, together with its pipeline of renewable energy development projects. AQN owns, operates, and/or has net interests in over 4 GW of installed renewable energy capacity. AQN's common shares, preferred shares, Series A, and preferred shares, Series D are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQN.PR.A, and AQN.PR.D, respectively. AQN's common shares, Series 2018-A subordinated notes, Series 2019-A subordinated notes and equity units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQNA, AQNB, and AQNU, respectively.

Visit AQN at www.algonquinpowerandutilities.com and follow us on Twitter @AQN_Utilities.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements included in this news release constitute ''forward-looking information'' within the meaning of applicable securities laws in each of the provinces and territories of Canada and the respective policies, regulations and rules under such laws and ''forward-looking statements'' within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, ''forward-looking statements"). The words "will", "expects", "estimates", "targets", "outlook" (and grammatical variations of such terms) and similar expressions are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Specific forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: AQN's estimated Adjusted Net Earnings per common share for the 2023 fiscal year; the Company's net-zero by 2050 target; credit ratings; expected 2023 capital investments; and the Company's expectation of no new equity financings through 2024. These statements are based on factors or assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including assumptions based on historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Since forward-looking statements relate to future events and conditions, by their very nature they require making assumptions and involve inherent risks and uncertainties. AQN cautions that although it is believed that the assumptions are reasonable in the circumstances, these risks and uncertainties give rise to the possibility that actual results may differ materially from the expectations set out in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein (including any financial outlook) are provided for the purposes of assisting in understanding the Company and its business, operations, risks, financial performance, financial position and cash flows as at and for the periods indicated and to present information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Material risk factors and assumptions include those set out in AQN's Annual Information Form and Management Discussion & Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2022 (the "Annual MD&A"), and in the Interim MD&A, each of which is or will be available on SEDAR and EDGAR. In addition, AQN's estimate for 2023 Adjusted Net Earnings per common share set out above is based on, and should be read in conjunction with, the assumptions set out under "Outlook  Estimated 2023 Adjusted Net Earnings Per Common Share" and "Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements and Forward-Looking Information" in the Annual MD&A.

Given these risks, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of their dates. Other than as specifically required by law, AQN undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise.

Non-GAAP Measures

AQN uses a number of financial measures to assess the performance of its business lines. Some measures are calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("U.S. GAAP"), while other measures do not have a standardized meaning under U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP measures include non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP ratios, each as defined in Canadian National Instrument 52-112  Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure. AQN's method of calculating these measures may differ from methods used by other companies and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.

The terms "Adjusted Net Earnings", "Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization" (or "Adjusted EBITDA"), and "Adjusted Funds from Operations", which are used in this news release, are non-GAAP financial measures. An explanation of each of these non-GAAP financial measures can be found in the section entitled "Caution Concerning Non-GAAP Measures" in the Interim MD&A, which section is incorporated by reference into this news release, and a reconciliation to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure, in each case, can be found below. In addition, "Adjusted Net Earnings" is presented in this news release on a per common share basis. Adjusted Net Earnings per common share is a non-GAAP ratio and is calculated by dividing Adjusted Net Earnings by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the applicable period.

AQN does not provide reconciliations for forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures as AQN is unable to provide a meaningful or accurate calculation or estimation of reconciling items and the information is not available without unreasonable effort. This is due to the inherent difficulty of forecasting the timing or amount of various events that have not yet occurred, are out of AQN's control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted, and that would impact the most directly comparable forward-looking U.S. GAAP financial measure. For these same reasons, AQN is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information. Forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures may vary materially from the corresponding U.S. GAAP financial measures.

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Earnings

The following table is derived from and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated statement of operations. This supplementary disclosure is intended to more fully explain disclosures related to Adjusted EBITDA and provides additional information related to the operating performance of AQN. Investors are cautioned that this measure should not be construed as an alternative to U.S. GAAP consolidated net earnings.



Three months ended

March 31 (all dollar amounts in $ millions) 2023

2022 Net earnings attributable to shareholders $ 270.1

$ 91.0 Add (deduct):





Net earnings attributable to the non-controlling interest, exclusive of HLBV 14.4

4.1 Income tax expense 24.7

9.5 Interest expense 81.9

57.9 Other net losses1 3.5

4.7 Unrealized loss on energy derivatives included in revenue 

0.6 Pension and post-employment non-service costs 5.0

2.6 Change in value of investments carried at fair value2 (179.4)

40.5 Gain on derivative financial instruments (2.2)

(0.7) Loss on foreign exchange 1.4

0.3 Depreciation and amortization 121.6

120.0 Adjusted EBITDA $ 341.0

$ 330.5

1 See Note 16 in the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements. 2 See Note 6 in the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.



Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Earnings to Net Earnings

The following table is derived from and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated statement of operations. This supplementary disclosure is intended to more fully explain disclosures related to Adjusted Net Earnings and provides additional information related to the operating performance of AQN. Investors are cautioned that this measure should not be construed as an alternative to consolidated net earnings in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The following table shows the reconciliation of net earnings to Adjusted Net Earnings exclusive of these items:



Three months ended

March 31 (all dollar amounts in $ millions except per share information) 2023

2022 Net earnings attributable to shareholders $ 270.1

$ 91.0 Add (deduct):





Gain on derivative financial instruments (2.2)

(0.7) Other net losses1 3.5

4.7 Loss on foreign exchange 1.4

0.3 Unrealized loss on energy derivatives included in revenue 

0.6 Change in value of investments carried at fair value2 (179.4)

40.5 Adjustment for taxes related to above 26.5

4.8 Adjusted Net Earnings $ 119.9

$ 141.2 Adjusted Net Earnings per common share $ 0.17

$ 0.21

1 See Note 16 in the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements. 2 See Note 6 in the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.



Reconciliation of Adjusted Funds from Operations to Cash Provided by Operating Activities

The following table is derived from and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated statement of operations and consolidated statement of cash flows. This supplementary disclosure is intended to more fully explain disclosures related to Adjusted Funds from Operations and provides additional information related to the operating performance of AQN. Investors are cautioned that this measure should not be construed as an alternative to cash provided by operating activities in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The following table shows the reconciliation of cash provided by operating activities to Adjusted Funds from Operations exclusive of these items:



Three months ended

March 31 (all dollar amounts in $ millions) 2023

2022 Cash provided by operating activities $ 34.2

$ 166.2 Add (deduct):





Changes in non-cash operating items 164.8

48.1 Production based cash contributions from non-controlling interests 9.1

3.7 Acquisition-related costs 2.8

2.2 Adjusted Funds from Operations $ 210.9

$ 220.2

SOURCE Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.
OAKVILLE, ON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. ("AQN") (TSX: AQN) (TSX: AQN.PR.A) (TSX: AQN.PR.D) (NYSE: AQN) announced today that its board of directors has approved and declared the following common and preferred share dividends:

US$0.1085 per common share, payable on July 14, 2023 , to the shareholders of record on June 30, 2023 , for the period from April 1, 2023 to June 30 , 2023. Registered shareholders can elect to receive the dividend in Canadian dollars in the amount of C$0.1453 .



C$0.32263 per preferred share, Series A, payable in cash on June 30, 2023 to preferred share, Series A holders of record on June 15, 2023 , for the period from March 31, 2023 to, but excluding, June 30, 2023 .



C$0.31819 per preferred share, Series D, payable in cash on June 30, 2023 to preferred share, Series D holders of record on June 15, 2023 , for the period from March 31, 2023 to, but excluding, June 30, 2023 .

Each of the foregoing dividends will be paid in cash. Effective March 16, 2023, AQN suspended the dividend reinvestment plan ("DRIP") for its common shares. If AQN elects to reinstate the DRIP in the future, shareholders who were enrolled in the DRIP at its suspension and remain enrolled at reinstatement will automatically resume participation in the DRIP.

The quarterly dividends payable on common shares are declared in U.S. dollars. Beneficial shareholders (those who hold common shares through a financial intermediary) who are resident in Canada or the United States may request to receive their dividends in either U.S. dollars or the Canadian dollar equivalent by contacting the financial intermediary with whom the common shares are held. Unless the Canadian dollar equivalent is requested, holders of common shares will receive dividends in U.S. dollars, which, as is often the case, the financial intermediary may convert to Canadian dollars. Registered holders of common shares receive dividend payments in the currency of residency. Registered holders of common shares may opt to change the payment currency by contacting TSX Trust Company at 1-800-387-0825 prior to the record date of the dividend.

The Canadian dollar equivalent of the quarterly common share dividend is based on the Bank of Canada daily average exchange rate on the day before the declaration date.

Pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) and corresponding provincial legislation, AQN hereby notifies holders of common shares, preferred shares, Series A, and preferred shares, Series D that such dividends declared qualify as eligible dividends.

About Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. and Liberty

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp., parent company of Liberty, is a diversified international generation, transmission, and distribution utility with over $17 billion of total assets. Through its two business groups, the Regulated Services Group and the Renewable Energy Group, AQN is committed to providing safe, secure, reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable energy and water solutions through its portfolio of electric generation, transmission, and distribution utility investments to over one million customer connections, largely in the United States and Canada. AQN is a global leader in renewable energy through its portfolio of long-term contracted wind, solar, and hydroelectric generating facilities, together with its pipeline of renewable energy development projects. AQN owns, operates, and/or has net interests in over 4 GW of installed renewable energy capacity. AQN's common shares, preferred shares, Series A, and preferred shares, Series D are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQN.PR.A, and AQN.PR.D, respectively. AQN's common shares, Series 2018-A subordinated notes, Series 2019-A subordinated notes and equity units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQNA, AQNB, and AQNU, respectively.

Visit AQN at www.algonquinpowerandutilities.com and follow us on Twitter @AQN_Utilities.

SOURCE Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.
Receives commitment for $4 million in debtor-in-possession financing to support ongoing operations

ST. LOUIS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Healthcare Products, Inc. ("AHP" or the "Company"), a reputable and leading manufacturer of medical gas construction equipment, respiratory therapy equipment, home healthcare products and emergency medical supplies, today announced that on May 8, 2023, it voluntarily initiated a Chapter 11 proceeding in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri Eastern Division. AHP intends to use the bankruptcy process to implement an orderly sale of the business under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code in an effort to maximize value for all stakeholders while simultaneously ensuring the possibility of continued operations and employment, guaranteeing the availability of their life-saving products in the marketplace for years to come.

In connection with the filing, AHP has obtained $4 million debtor-in-possession financing from Sterling Commercial Credit and the support from a stalking horse bidder, Flexicare, Inc., to acquire its New York facility and business and its St. Louis business operations through two separate transactions, subject to higher or otherwise better offers. Ravinia Capital has been retained as AHP's investment banking advisor to manage the sale and bidding process in a court-supervised auction.

"This is a significant step in our restructuring process, and we are very thankful to the Ravinia Capital team for their hard work in securing the agreements with Sterling and Flexicare, which we believe validates the immense value and future prospects of AHP's business," said Akash Amin, AHP's President and Chief Restructuring Officer. "We have complete confidence in the strength of our brand and products and strongly believe that each of our facilities is well-positioned for profitability under the stewardship of new owners. With these agreements in place, and the protections afforded by the Bankruptcy Code, we can broaden our marketing efforts to seek a going concern sale of the business and keep our life-saving products in the marketplace for the millions of patients and practitioners who depend on them worldwide."

Prior to the filing, the Company's Board of Directors approved various strategic initiatives aimed at improving AHP's financial and operational strength. While many of the Company's initiatives have gained positive momentum, AHP's business continues to be impacted by ongoing operational and financial challenges stemming from a variety of factors including, but not limited to Covid-19 related challenges, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and a volatile economic environment. After a thorough evaluation of all strategic options, the Company, in concert with the Board of Directors, unanimously agreed that pursuing a sale of the business provides the best path forward for the Company and its stakeholders.

AHP's auction and bidding procedures will be divided into two segments, one for the St. Louis brands and assets and the second for the New York CO2 absorbent brands and assets (inclusive of AR). Interested parties could include both strategic and financial buyers, for whom substantial due diligence materials are available, and can enter one or both auctions.

The Company seeks to execute an expedited sale process for the benefit of all AHP employees, customers, vendors, and other strategic partners. For more information about the sale process, interested parties should contact Tom Goldblatt, Managing Partner, Ravinia Capital, at [email protected].

"At the heart of AHP's restructuring is our commitment to patient health and safety, and we have tremendous appreciation for the hard work of our dedicated team members and their continued commitment to our business and our customers. As we continue to work through the sale process and solicit bids for our assets from other interested parties per Court approved bidding procedures, we will continue to prioritize the needs of our customers," Mr. Amin concluded.

The Company has filed a number of customary motions with the Bankruptcy Court intended to support the continuation of its day-to-day operations for customers, employees, vendors and suppliers, and other business partners during the court-supervised sale process.

The Company is being advised by MorrisAnderson & Associates, Ltd., as Chief Restructuring Officer and Financial Advisor, Spencer Fane LLP as restructuring counsel, and Ravinia Capital LLC as Investment Banker.

About Allied Healthcare Products Allied Healthcare Products, Inc. manufactures a variety of respiratory products used in the health care industry in a wide range of hospital and alternate site settings, including sub-acute care facilities, home health care and emergency medical care. The Company's product lines include respiratory care products, medical gas equipment and emergency medical products. For more information, please visit www.alliedhpi.com.

Media Contact

Liz Gonzalez

Paladin for Allied Healthcare Products

[email protected]

SOURCE Allied Healthcare Products
BALTIMORE, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Urological Association (AUA) today announced that Logan Galansky, MD, has been named the 2023-2024 H. Logan Holtgrewe Legislative Fellow. This fellowship is designed to prepare and educate urology residents and fellows in the legislative aspect of health policy.

The AUA has named Logan Galansky, MD, as the 2023-2024 H. Logan Holtgrewe Legislative Fellow.

As the AUA's Holtgrewe Fellow, Dr. Galansky will complete a four-week fellowship with a legislative office in Washington, DC, participate in major AUA advocacy initiatives, including the Annual Urology Advocacy Summit and meetings of the AUA's Public Policy Council and Legislative Affairs Committee. She also will attend the Brandeis University Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy & Management.

"Each year, the H. Logan Holtgrewe Legislative Fellowship draws high quality applicants from across the United States and 2023 is no different," said AUA Public Policy Council Chair Dr. Eugene Rhee. "Dr. Logan Galansky embodies all the traits the selection committee hopes for in a Holtgrewe Fellow. She brings an unmatched understanding of public policy and a passion for advocacy to the fellowship that makes her a stalwart advocate for the AUA's legislative priorities. She is the ideal choice for the 2023-2024 Holtgrewe Fellow and I congratulate her on this achievement."

Dr. Galansky is a urology resident at the Johns Hopkins Hospital Brady Urological Institute in Baltimore, Md. She received her medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and holds a bachelor's degree in Public Policy Analysis and Science, Technology, and Society from Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. Dr. Galansky currently serves as the chair of the American Urological Association's Policy and Advocacy Resident Workgroup, a member of the AUA State Advocacy Committee and an AUAPAC Champion. Her clinical and research interests include pediatric urology, congenitalism/transitional care, reconstructive urology and health services research, particularly value-based care models. Prior to a career in urology, Dr. Galansky served as a Senior Research Analyst for the Federal Health and Human Services Division at the Lewin Group, a policy research analytics and health care consulting firm, and as a Senate intern on Capitol Hill.

The Holtgrewe Fellowship program was established in recognition of Dr. H. Logan Holtgrewe, former AUA president and past chairman of the AUA's Health Policy Council. The Holtgrewe Fellowship is open to all AUA residents in their research year, fellows and first-year post-graduates. Applications are available on the AUA website starting in January of each year.

Learn more about the program.

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 23,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

Contact:

Corey Del Bianco, Corporate Communications & Media Relations Manager

443-909-4033,

[email protected]

SOURCE American Urological Association
Leading builder of single-family rental communities climbs in rankings

LAS VEGAS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AMH (NYSE: AMH) ("AMH" or the "Company"), a leading owner, operator, and developer of single-family rental homes, has been recognized by BUILDER magazine as the 39th largest homebuilder in the United States on its 2023 Builder 100 List with 2,183 new homes built last year.

"We are proud to be recognized by BUILDER magazine for the third consecutive year, contributing much-needed supply during a national housing shortage. Since the launch of our development program in 2017, our team has constructed 7,700 new homes in over 130 communities nationwide, with thousands more under development," said Brent Landry, Executive Vice President of Development of AMH. "Moving forward, we remain focused on bringing new high-quality housing options to an underserved market."

AMH-built homes include premium finishes and popular features such as fenced yards, pocket offices, granite or quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, luxury vinyl plank flooring, 2- and 3-car garages, and lawn care services. The Company also incorporates state-of-the-art amenities like pools, fitness centers, yoga rooms, playgrounds, nature trails, and clubhouses at many of its new developments to promote a lifestyle of greater comfort and ease.

"We thoughtfully design our communities to support our residents' well-being, sense of belonging, and overall quality of life. And we provide additional amenities and professional services to strengthen their long-term growth into successful neighborhoods, which drive economic activity, add to the local tax base, and contribute stability to their regions," said Zack Johnson, Executive Vice President of Real Estate Investments of AMH. "Our goal is not just to build more houses, but to elevate the experience of single-family living for thousands of households in this country."

The 2023 Builder 100 list can be viewed here.

About AMH

AMH is a leading owner, operator, and developer of single-family rental homes. We're an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on acquiring, developing, renovating, leasing and managing homes as rental properties. Our goal is to simplify the experience of leasing a home and deliver peace of mind to households across the country.

In recent years, we've been named one of Fortune's 2022 Best Workplaces in Real Estate, a 2023 Great Place to Work, a 2023 Top U.S. Homebuilder by Builder100, one of America's Most Responsible Companies 2023 and America's Most Trustworthy Companies 2023 by Newsweek and Statista Inc., and a Top ESG Regional Performer by Sustainalytics. As of March 31, 2023, we owned nearly 59,000 single-family properties in the Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and Mountain West regions of the United States. Additional information about AMH is available on our website at www.amh.com.

AMH refers to one or more of American Homes 4 Rent, American Homes 4 Rent, L.P., and their subsidiaries and joint ventures. In certain states, we operate under AMH Living or American Homes 4 Rent. Please see www.amh.com/dba to learn more.

AMH Contacts:

Media Relations

Phone: (855) 774-4663

Email: [email protected]

Investor Relations

Phone: (855) 794-2447

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE AMH
WASHINGTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coalition of Domestic Folder Manufacturers (the "Coalition") is pleased with the preliminary determination by the United States Department of Commerce ("Commerce") that imports of paper file folders into the United States from China, India, and Vietnam are being sold at less than fair value (commonly termed "dumping"). Commerce's investigations concerning these three countries cover paper file folders, including manila, hanging fastener, classification, and expanding folders, as well as filing pockets, filing jackets, and filing wallets.

Commerce found that imports of paper file folders from China are being sold below normal value, determining that dumping is occurring at a rate of 192.70 percent. In addition, Commerce determined that imports from India and Vietnam also are being sold below normal value. Paper file folders from India are being dumped at rates ranging from 15.07 percent to 86.01 percent, and imports from Vietnam are being dumped at a rate of 324.70 percent. This means that U.S. importers of paper file folders from these countries will now have to begin paying cash deposits to U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("Customs") at these rates, based on the value of their future imports. For example, for every $100 of paper file folders imported from Vietnam, importers will now have to pay $324.70 to U.S. Customs as cash deposits for future dumping duty liability.

Commerce is also investigating whether imports of paper file folders from India are being subsidized by the government. On March 20, 2023, Commerce published an affirmative preliminary determination in that parallel investigation, finding that imports of paper file folders from India are subsidized at rates ranging from 3.65 percent to 59.26 percent of the import value. Commerce's final determinations in both the subsidies and antidumping investigations are expected later this year.

The Coalition is represented in these actions by the law firm King & Spalding LLP. Mike Taylor, attorney for the Coalition, explained that "All the Coalition wants is for the international trading rules to be enforced so that U.S. manufacturers can compete on a level playing field." Mr. Taylor continued: "The new requirement for the payment of antidumping duty cash deposits at the time of importation will help ensure that U.S. jobs are not lost because of unfair competition."

The Coalition intends actively to continue monitoring imports for unfairly traded paper file folders from other countries, and the Coalition also plans actively to coordinate with U.S. Customs to ensure that importers fully comply with their new obligations. The importation of subject paper file folders without the payment of countervailing and antidumping duties may result in severe civil or criminal penalties, including imprisonment.

About King & Spalding

Celebrating more than 130 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,300 lawyers in 23 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com.

SOURCE K&S
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes in the United States maintaining bipartisan support regardless of the presidential elections in this country.

"Remember, they said that the kind of support for Ukraine would depend on the elections to the Congress. We see that no matter what the challenges are, whatever the internal challenges in the United States, we have not lost the support of the United States Congress. Yes, we will see more - there will still be important decisions in the autumn. And it seems to me that the United States supports Ukraine and we feel bipartisan support," the president said in an interview with the BBC correspondent for Eurovision News, published on Thursday.

Zelenskyy also noted that "there is great support from the people themselves, ordinary Americans - the support of Ukrainians. This cannot be lost. And this is the most important thing. Any elections and internal processes always have an impact on any state. Especially when it comes to elections in the United States. But first, I think we will not lose bipartisan support. The second is that the elections in the United States are in a year. Who knows where we'll be."

He acknowledged that the world "has some moments of fatigue, but the fatigue is not because of Ukraine. I want to be clear. The fatigue is because of Russian aggression."

"The fatigue is because they are bombing us. Of course, there are people who get tired. But these are not the majority of people. And thanks to the majority, we win. You can't get tired, because there could simply be a third world war," Zelenskyy said.
LAS VEGAS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Antonia J.A. Hock, a recognized global expert on leadership excellence and business innovation, will be presenting the opening keynote at the 2023 AAPL Annual Leadership Conference, which will be held in person on June 9-11, at The JW Marriott, Chicago, IL.

Antonia J.A. Hock (PRNewsfoto/Antonia J.A. Hock & Associates)

"The leadership that physicians provide within healthcare has a powerful impact for their teams, patients, and the organizations that they lead. As the modern healthcare landscape continues to change at a rapid rate, there has never been a more important time to invest in competencies and strategies that deliver leadership excellence. This is all about what they don't teach physicians in med school", said Ms. Hock.

During her high-impact session, Setting the Stage for Excellence: The Future of Leadership in Healthcare, Antonia will explore the unique opportunities and skills that physician leaders can use today to evolve their leadership capabilities and guide their organization. Attendees should expect to leave this session with new ideas as well as tactics for building and managing teams, creating a winning mindset, expanding leadership skills, and qualities that can enhance individual leadership performance.

Hock is the Founder & CEO of Antonia J.A. Hock & Associates, a global consulting firm focused on transformational leadership and innovation. Prior to launching her own firm, she spent six years as the Global Head of The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center. A sought-after consultant, thought leader, and keynote speaker, she has authored many highly-acclaimed articles for publications including Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Business Insider, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur.

Expanding on the conference theme that "All Physicians are Leaders", attendees of her session will benefit from Hock's multi-industry background in technology, hospitality, and consulting, which has shaped her unique perspective and philosophy on developing modern leadership skills and building world-class teams that deliver outstanding performance and results.

"Our Annual Leadership Conference is the preeminent event in the healthcare industry where physicians come together for skills-building leadership sessions, engaging networking experiences and career-enhancing professional development. We are delighted to have Antonia kicking off our 3-day event with her vision for the future of leadership in healthcare," said Peter Angood, MD, President and CEO of AAPL.

To register or learn more about the 2023 AAPL Annual Leadership Conference, visit Annual Leadership Conference Home | AAPL (physicianleaders.org)

About Antonia J.A. Hock & Associates

Antonia J.A. Hock & Associates is a global consulting firm focused on helping clients address and overcome key market forces all companies face in today's business environment. These include developing exceptional leaders and driving business innovation; navigating key market disruptors and disruption; and strengthening consumer behavior. More information can be found at www.antoniahock.com.

About the American Association for Physician Leadership

The American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) is focused on the personal transformation of all physicians, and through them the organizations they serve. With the goal of improving patient outcomes, workforce wellness, and a refinement of all healthcare delivery, AAPL has remained the only association solely focused on providing professional development, leadership education, and management training exclusively for physicians. Since its founding in 1975, AAPL has educated 250,000+ physicians across 40 countries - including CEOs, chief medical officers, and physicians at all levels of healthcare. www.physicianleaders.org.

Contact: William Andrews (725) 666-5700 or [email protected]

SOURCE Antonia J.A. Hock & Associates
SHENZHEN, China, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Anycubic, a well-known 3D printer manufacturer, will launch two brand new products soon - the first leveling-free LCD printer Photon Mono M5s and a high-speed FDM printer Kobra 2.

12K Photon Mono M5s and Speedy Kobra 2

Anycubic has come up with new solutions to address users' pain points of the two most widely used types of printers. For LCD printers, Anycubic will launch the first consumer-grade resin printer with a leveling-free feature to further enhance the ease of use for users while pursuing the ultimate accuracy. For FDM printers, Anycubic will launch a high-speed entry-level printer that guarantees high-speed printing while being universally accessible in terms of price.

Photon Mono M5s - Print Like A Master

Photon Mono M5s brings a resolution of 12K in a 10.1-inch monochrome LCD screen. This superior ultra-high resolution screen allows perfectionists to print models of details at a microscope level of 19m. From the globally anticipated Photon Mono X to the Photon Mono M5s, Anycubic is dedicated to advancing printing technologies to endow 3D creators with top-of-the-range results.

Photon Mono M5s is the first desktop consumer resin 3D printer with a leveling-free solution. The leveling-free solution leaves makers with leveling adjustment hassle-free. Combined with the application of Anycubic's 3rd Gen high-speed release film, the printing success rate is also noticeably raised.

Anycubic proposes a printing scheme that boosts printing efficiency by three times to an average speed of 105mm/h, saving up to 74% printing time.

Kobra 2 - Print Fast, Pay Less

Kobra 2 is Anycubic's fastest printer of its line. With a default speed of 150mm/s and a maximum of 250mm/s, Kobra 2 is 5X faster than most commonly seen beginner FDM printers in the market. Kobra 2 reduces print time drastically by up to 70%. Most beginner FDM printers print at 50mm/s, and a 3Dbenchy will take up to 110 minutes; while Kobra 2 only needs 30 minutes to get the work done.

"At Anycubic, we strive to provide our community with the best 3D printing products and technology while keeping in mind a good balance between practical functionalities and cost. Bringing the cost down and making 3d printing technology accessible to most families is the goal of our business," said James Ouyang, Vice President of Anycubic.

Kobra 2 incorporates the widely-lauded direct extruder with a new dynamic mechanic structure, an upgraded cooling system, and a double Z-axis threaded rod design, ensuring a successful printing experience beyond just being fast.

With Anycubic's 2.0 LeviQ leveling system and the smart Z-offset, 3D creators can enjoy seamless printing.

Photon Mono M5s and Kobra 2 will officially launch on May 15. There will also be a live stream on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok at 9:00 AM EDT on May 15, 2023. Please visit www.anycubic.com for more information.

About Anycubic

Since its establishment in 2015, Anycubic has been committed to propelling 3D printing technology to ensure that 3D printing is accessible and affordable to people from all walks of life. We are happy to see people unleash their imagination and creativity into reality. Anycubic has made its presence in over 200 countries and regions since 2015. The company has released more than 20 widely favored products, with 3 million units sold over the past 7 years. With the commitment to "For Freedom to Make," Anycubic will continue to bring the best products and technologies to all makers.

SOURCE Anycubic
MARINA DEL REY, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: ARMP) ("Armata" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company focused on pathogen-specific bacteriophage therapeutics for antibiotic-resistant and difficult-to-treat bacterial infections, today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2023, and provided a corporate update.

First Quarter 2023 and Recent Developments:

Announced positive topline results from the SWARM- P.a. Phase 1b /2a clinical trial, which evaluated AP-PA02 in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with chronic pulmonary Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, supporting progression into Phase 2b ;

Phase /2a clinical trial, which evaluated AP-PA02 in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with chronic pulmonary infections, supporting progression into Phase ; Announced further clinical progression of AP-PA02 with the first patient dosed in the Phase 2 non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) study;

Advanced AP-SA02 with dosing of the second patient cohort in the Phase 1b /2a Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia study;

/2a bacteremia study; Continued AP-SA02 prosthetic joint infection study start-up activities; and

Closed $30 million convertible credit agreement with Innoviva Strategic Opportunities LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Innoviva, Inc., Armata's largest shareholder.

"Armata continues to make progress exploring the potential of phage therapy with our two therapeutic candidates targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in four high-need indications," stated Dr. Brian Varnum, Chief Executive Officer of Armata. "We recently completed our first randomized clinical trial, the first step to delivering on our commitment to bring this novel therapy through the rigorous trials required for regulatory approval and patient access. The positive data from our Phase 1b/2a study of AP-PA02 in cystic fibrosis patients demonstrated inhaled AP-PA02 to be well tolerated. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of AP-PA02 provided valuable insights into the dose and schedule required to drive a meaningful decrease in sputum density of P. aeruginosa. Building on these results, we are currently evaluating AP-PA02 in our ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis".

"Armata is also advancing its second lead phage product, AP-SA02, in a Phase 1b/2a study in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, with financial support from the U.S. Department of Defense. AP-SA02 offers a potential benefit to patients with difficult-to-treat S. aureus bacteremia. In parallel, the Company plans to study AP-SA02 in prosthetic joint infections, another indication characterized by difficult-to-treat S. aureus infection".

"In January we announced a $30 million secured convertible credit agreement with Innoviva. This investment allows us to continue to execute on our strategy of advancing phage therapeutics, including building a new state-of-the-art advanced biologics manufacturing facility required to bring phage to market. The commitment to building this infrastructure is a central component of our dedicated effort to advance phage therapy and positions Armata to deliver on multiple value creating milestones".

First Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Grant Revenue. The Company recognized grant revenue of approximately $0.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, which represents Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium ("MTEC")'s share of the costs incurred for the Company's AP-SA02 program for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. The Company expects to receive $16.3 million in grant funding from MTEC administered by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Defense Health Agency and Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program. The Company recognized approximately $1.2 million of revenue in the comparable period in 2022.

Research and Development. Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2023 were approximately $9.6 million as compared to approximately $8.0 million for the comparable period in 2022. The Company continues to invest in clinical trial and personnel related expenses associated with its primary development programs.

General and Administrative. General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2023 were approximately $2.5 million as compared to approximately $2.0 million for the comparable period in 2022. The increase was primarily related to expenses related to the increased legal and professional expenses.

Loss from Operations. Loss from operations for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was $(11.3) million as compared to a loss from operations of approximately $(8.8) million for the comparable period in 2022.

Cash and Equivalents. As of March 31, 2023, Armata held approximately $25.1 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, as compared to $14.9 million as of December 31, 2022.

As of May 5, 2023, there were approximately 36.1 million shares of common stock outstanding.

About Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Armata is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of pathogen-specific bacteriophage therapeutics for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant and difficult-to-treat bacterial infections using its proprietary bacteriophage-based technology. Armata is developing and advancing a broad pipeline of natural and synthetic phage candidates, including clinical candidates for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and other pathogens. Armata is committed to advancing phage with drug development expertise that spans bench to clinic including in-house phage specific GMP manufacturing.

Forward Looking Statements

This communication contains "forward-looking" statements, including, without limitation, statements related to Armata's bacteriophage development programs, Armata's ability to set up or operate R&D and manufacturing facilities, Armata's ability to meet expected milestones, Armata's future success or failure, Armata's ability to be a leader in the development of phage-based therapeutics, Armata's expected receipt of grant funding, and statements related to the timing and results of clinical trials, including the anticipated results of clinical trials of AP-PA02 and AP-SA02, and Armata's ability to develop new products based on natural bacteriophages and synthetic bacteriophages. Any statements contained in this communication that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Armata's current expectations. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Armata's actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks related to the ability of Armata's lead clinical candidates, AP-PA02 and AP-SA02, to be more effective than previous candidates; that the top line results are indicative of the final data; Armata's ability to expedite development of AP-PA02 and AP-SA02; Armata's ability to advance its preclinical and clinical programs and the uncertain and time-consuming regulatory approval process; Armata's ability to develop products based on bacteriophages and synthetic phages to kill bacterial pathogens; the Company's expected market opportunity for its products; Armata's ability to sufficiently fund its operations as expected, including obtaining additional funding as needed; and any delays or adverse events within, or outside of, Armata's control, caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Additional risks and uncertainties relating to Armata and its business can be found under the caption "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in Armata's filings and reports with the SEC, including in Armata's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 16, 2023, and in its subsequent filings with the SEC.

Armata expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Armata's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

Media Contacts:

At Armata:

Pierre Kyme

Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

[email protected]

310-665-2928

Investor Relations:

Joyce Allaire

LifeSci Advisors, LLC

[email protected]

212-915-2569

Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

















March 31, 2023

December 31, 2022











Assets











Cash and cash equivalents

$ 25,106,000

$ 14,852,000 Awards receivable



1,257,000



1,936,000 Prepaids and other current assets



12,232,000



10,259,000 Total current assets



38,595,000



27,047,000 Property and equipment, net



5,437,000



3,617,000 Operating lease right-of-use asset



42,828,000



43,035,000 Other long term assets



8,173,000



8,389,000 Intangible assets, net



13,746,000



13,746,000 Total assets

$ 108,779,000

$ 95,834,000













Liabilities and shareholders' equity











Total current liabilities

$ 51,415,000

$ 24,873,000 Long term liabilities



31,840,000



31,804,000 Deferred tax liability



3,077,000



3,077,000 Total liabilities



86,332,000



59,754,000 Shareholders' equity



22,447,000



36,080,000 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$ 108,779,000

$ 95,834,000

Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)



















Three Months Ended March 31,





2023

2022

















Grant Revenue

$ 796,000

$ 1,236,000

Operating expenses:













Research and development



9,604,000



8,028,000

General and administrative



2,538,000



1,983,000

Total operating expenses



12,142,000



10,011,000

Loss from operations



(11,346,000)



(8,775,000)

Other income (expense):













Other income (expense), net



18,000



1,000

Change in fair value of convertible debt



(3,162,000)



-

Net loss

$ (14,490,000)

$ (8,774,000)

Net loss per share, basic and diluted

$ (0.40)

$ (0.30)

Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted



36,045,040



28,996,499



Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)













Three Months Ended March 31,





2023

2022













Operating activities:













Net loss

$ (14,490,000)

$ (8,774,000)

Adjustments required to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:













Share-based compensation



857,000



493,000

Depreciation



230,000



226,000

Change in fair value of convertible debt



3,162,000



-

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net



(7,329,000)



4,540,000

Net cash used in operating activities



(17,570,000)



(3,515,000)

Investing activities:













Purchases of property and equipment, net



(2,010,000)



(236,000)

Net cash used in investing activities



(2,010,000)



(236,000)

Financing activities:













Proceeds from issuance of convertible debt, net of issuance costs



29,594,000



-

Proceeds from sale of common stock, net of offering costs



-



44,631,000

Net cash provided by financing activities



29,594,000



44,631,000

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents



10,014,000



40,880,000

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period



20,812,000



11,488,000

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period

$ 30,826,000

$ 52,368,000

































Reconciliation of Cash and cash equivalents:



Three Months Ended March 31,





2023

2022 Cash and cash equivalents

$ 25,106,000

$ 46,408,000

Restricted cash



5,720,000



5,960,000

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

$ 30,826,000

$ 52,368,000



SOURCE Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ashton Thomas Private Wealth ("Ashton Thomas") seeks to attract high-profile, sophisticated advisory teams with Goldman Sachs Advisor Solutions ("GSAS") as a custody provider.

Ashton Thomas provides the culture and ecosystem for its advisory practices to succeed in the complex, service-focused business of managing wealth for affluent clients. GSAS provides institutional-grade solutions and custody services for growth-oriented Registered Investment Advisors ("RIAs").

"Goldman Sachs has shaped much of the wealth management space for well over a century," states Ashton Thomas founder and CEO, Aaron Brodt. "Ashton Thomas is focused on elevating the wealth management experience for elite advisors and their clients. Through scalable support, attentive client service, and delivery of focused solutions, we will continue to win meaningful market share within the RIA space. Goldman Sachs brings depth of institutional knowledge, research capabilities, access to alternatives and other capital markets resources, and consultative support."

"As one of the first firms to transition assets to our platform, Ashton Thomas understood why we entered the RIA custody space, and embraced our mission to provide advisors with more choice. The Ashton Thomas team has played an active role in the evolution of our business," states Jeremy Eisenstein, Co-Head of Custody Sales and Relationship Management at Goldman Sachs Advisor Solutions.

Ashton Thomas launched its GSAS experience for advisors using the enterprise wealth management platform of spinoff fintech provider, Amplify Technology. Dubbing itself the "RIA Operating System" (ROS), Amplify offers a cloud-based wealth management solution for RIAs, broker-dealers, and TAMPs. The platform is focused on maximizing efficiency, improving client outcomes, and driving growth by automating and integrating the daily functions of a wealth management practice through a unified access point.

"We want to recognize the collaboration that has brought us to this moment," states Ron Shurts, Co-Founder of Amplify and Co-Founder of Annexus, an independent insurance product design and distribution company. "Ashton Thomas is leveraging its service model for successful advisors, harnessing the power of Goldman Sachs' institutional capabilities, and employing the Amplify ecosystem in an experience that sets advisors apart from their peers with distinction."

Ashton Thomas has attracted several advisor teams with assets under management (AUM) in the $200 million to $1 billion range over the past few years. The firm recently opened a 9,300 square foot office in Denver's Cherry Creek district, its largest real estate footprint outside of Arizona to date.

About Goldman Sachs Advisor Solutions

Goldman Sachs Advisor Solutions is a brand of Folio Investments, Inc., d/b/a Goldman Sachs Custody Solutions, (GSCS) and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (GS&Co.), which are subsidiaries of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Custody, clearing and certain brokerage services are provided by GSCS, an SEC registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/MSRB/SIPC. Additional brokerage services offered by Goldman Sachs Advisor Solutions are provided by GS&Co., which is an SEC registered broker-dealer and investment adviser, and member FINRA/MSRB/SIPC.

About Ashton Thomas Private Wealth

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth is a diversified financial advisory firm committed to a culture of excellence, integrity, and respect in every aspect of its business. Its advisors serve foundations, business entities, and affluent individuals and families through fee-based financial planning and investment portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, and related financial education programs. The firm also strives to remain at the forefront of technological innovation and thought leadership within the financial services industry. Ashton Thomas currently has offices in Arizona, California, and various locations throughout the Rocky Mountain region. The firm is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.

SOURCE Ashton Thomas Private Wealth
BEIJING, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Autohome Inc. (NYSE: ATHM; HKEX: 2518) ("Autohome" or the "Company"), the leading online destination for automobile consumers in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2023.

First Quarter 2023 Highlights [1]

Net Revenues in the first quarter of 2023 were RMB1,533.6 million ( US$223.3 million ), compared to RMB1,471.3 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

in the first quarter of 2023 were ( ), compared to in the corresponding period of 2022. Net Income attributable to Autohome in the first quarter of 2023 was RMB405 .5 million ( US$59.0 million ), compared to RMB318 .2 million in the corresponding period of 2022, and net income attributable to ordinary shareholders in the first quarter of 2023 was RMB392.8 million ( US$57.2 million ), compared to RMB307 .5 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

in the first quarter of 2023 was .5 million ( ), compared to .2 million in the corresponding period of 2022, and in the first quarter of 2023 was ( ), compared to .5 million in the corresponding period of 2022. Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome (Non-GAAP) [2] in the first quarter of 2023 was RMB483.5 million ( US$70.4 million ), compared to RMB437.5 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

in the first quarter of 2023 was ( ), compared to in the corresponding period of 2022. Share Repurchase: As of May 5, 2023 , the Company had repurchased 3,939,934 American depositary shares ("ADSs") for a total cost of approximately US$118.8 million .

Mr. Quan Long, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Autohome, stated, "We began the year by rolling out a series of initiatives to broaden the reach of our dual ecosystem, comprised of user service and customer service. On the user side, we launched our C-end strategy to enrich our platform services, expanding from our previous focus on car consumption to capture all aspects of cars' life span. This shift is transforming our platform's overall content, empowering us to address a wider range of automobile consumers' needs and has helped us gain great user traction, as reflected by the 41.9% year-over-year growth of our mobile daily active users in March 2023 to reach a record high of 64.15 million, according to QuestMobile. On the customer side, we have fully implemented our new Autohome Energy Space retail model and initiated franchise stores, further augmenting the scale of our new retail services. We have also made strides in product and technology creation, with expanded application scenarios for our digital products and new AI-powered data products for dealers. These advancements have broadened our business horizons with more comprehensive service offerings that help us maintain our competitive edge. Looking forward, we will continue to create and promote more market innovation-led products and services that support our ability to deliver long-term value to the automotive industry and all of our stakeholders."

Mr. Craig Yan Zeng, Chief Financial Officer of Autohome, added, "We delivered a solid performance in the first quarter as total revenues increased by 4% year-over-year, led by strong growth in our media services. Notably, revenues from TTP Car Inc. and data products resumed their upward trajectory, and revenue contribution from new energy vehicle brands continued to rise significantly with a growth rate once again outperforming the market. In addition, the first quarter saw a rapid upward trend in all of our key indicators for our data products for dealers. The number of dealer customers for data products, the average revenue of data products per dealer store and the average number of data products adopted by each dealer store all grew by double-digits compared to the prior year period. As we move through 2023, we will remain committed to leveraging technology to maximize our strengths and empower the industry, while also exploring new business opportunities to propel our long-term sustainable growth."

[1] The reporting currency of the Company is Renminbi ("RMB"). For the convenience of readers, certain amounts throughout the release are presented in US dollars ("US$"). Unless otherwise noted, all conversions from RMB to US$ are translated at the noon buying rate of US$1.00 to RMB6.8676 on March 31, 2023 in the City of New York for cable transfers of RMB as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted into US$ at such rate. [2] For more information on this and other non-GAAP financial measures, please see the section captioned "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and the tables captioned "Unaudited Reconciliations of Non-GAAP and GAAP Results" set forth at the end of this release.

Unaudited First Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Net Revenues

Net revenues in the first quarter of 2023 were RMB1,533.6 million (US$223.3 million), compared to RMB1,471.3 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

Media services revenues were RMB361.5 million ( US$52.6 million ) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB266.8 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

revenues were ( ) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to in the corresponding period of 2022. Leads generation services revenues were RMB680.6 million ( US$99.1 million ) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB708.2 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

revenues were ( ) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to in the corresponding period of 2022. Online marketplace and others revenues were RMB491.5 million ( US$71.6 million ) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB496.3 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues was RMB340.2 million (US$49.5 million) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB255.0 million in the corresponding period of 2022. The increase was primarily attributable to the growth of operational costs. Share-based compensation expense included in cost of revenues in the first quarter of 2023 was RMB2.1 million (US$0.3 million), compared to RMB3.5 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses were RMB996.6 million (US$145.1 million) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB1,084.1 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

Sales and marketing expenses were RMB523.1 million ( US$76.2 million ) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB592.3 million in the corresponding period of 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decline in marketing and promotional spending. Share-based compensation expense included in sales and marketing expenses in the first quarter of 2023 was RMB10.0 million ( US$1 .5 million), compared to RMB8.4 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

expenses were ( ) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to in the corresponding period of 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decline in marketing and promotional spending. Share-based compensation expense included in sales and marketing expenses in the first quarter of 2023 was ( .5 million), compared to in the corresponding period of 2022. General and administrative expenses were RMB149.2 million ( US$21 .7 million) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB136.6 million in the corresponding period of 2022. Share-based compensation expense included in general and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 2023 was RMB12.3 million ( US$1.8 million ), compared to RMB16 .1 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

expenses were ( .7 million) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to in the corresponding period of 2022. Share-based compensation expense included in general and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 2023 was RMB12.3 million ( ), compared to .1 million in the corresponding period of 2022. Product development expenses were RMB324.4 million ( US$47 .2 million) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB355.2 million in the corresponding period of 2022. Share-based compensation expense included in product development expenses in the first quarter of 2023 was RMB21.7 million ( US$3.2 million ), compared to RMB12.9 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

Operating Profit

Operating profit was RMB263.2 million (US$38.3 million) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB241.2 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

Income Tax Expense

There was an income tax expense of RMB54.7 million (US$8.0 million) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB8.0 million in the corresponding period of 2022. The increase was primarily attributable to the lower income tax expense in the first quarter of 2022 which was caused by the true up adjustment of a preferential rate of 5% for withholding tax on cash dividends.

Net Income Attributable to Autohome

Net income attributable to Autohome was RMB405.5 million (US$59.0 million) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB318.2 million in the corresponding period of 2022.

Net Income Attributable to Ordinary Shareholders and Earnings per Share/ADS

Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB392.8 million (US$57.2 million) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB307.5 million in the corresponding period of 2022. Basic and diluted earnings per share ("EPS") were RMB0.80 (US$0.12) and RMB0.79 (US$0.12), respectively, in the first quarter of 2023, compared to basic and diluted EPS of RMB0.61 and RMB0.61, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2022. Basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB3.18 (US$0.46) and RMB3.17 (US$0.46), respectively, in the first quarter of 2023, compared to basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB2.44 and RMB2.44, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2022.

Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Autohome (Non-GAAP) and Non-GAAP EPS/ADS

Adjusted net income attributable to Autohome (Non-GAAP) was RMB483.5 million (US$70.4 million) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to RMB437.5 million in the corresponding period of 2022. Non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS were RMB0.98 (US$0.14) and RMB0.98 (US$0.14), respectively, in the first quarter of 2023, compared to non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS of RMB0.87 and RMB0.87, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2022. Non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB3.92 (US$0.57) and RMB3.91 (US$0.57), respectively, in the first quarter of 2023, compared to non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB3.47 and RMB3.47, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2022.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

As of March 31, 2023, the Company had cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments of RMB22.71 billion (US$3.31 billion). Net cash provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2023 was RMB1,029.1 million (US$149.8 million).

Employees

The Company had 5,395 employees as of March 31, 2023, including 2,160 employees from TTP Car, Inc.

Conference Call Information

The Company will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 11, 2023 (8:00 PM Beijing Time on the same day).

Please register in advance of the conference call using the registration link provided below. Upon registering, each participant will receive a set of participant dial-in numbers and a personal PIN, which will be used to join the conference call.

Registration Link: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI613628a34f1c4327b7324c39ee49f6e8

Please use the conference access information to join the call ten minutes before the call is scheduled to begin.

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at https://ir.autohome.com.cn and a replay of the webcast will be available following the session.

About Autohome

Autohome Inc. (NYSE: ATHM; HKEX: 2518) is the leading online destination for automobile consumers in China. Its mission is to engage, educate and inform consumers about everything auto. Autohome provides occupationally generated content, professionally generated content, user-generated content, and AI-generated content, a comprehensive automobile library, and extensive automobile listing information to automobile consumers, covering the entire car purchase and ownership cycle. The ability to reach a large and engaged user base of automobile consumers has made Autohome a preferred platform for automakers and dealers to conduct their advertising campaigns. Further, the Company's dealer subscription and advertising services allow dealers to market their inventory and services through Autohome's platform, extending the reach of their physical showrooms to potentially millions of internet users in China and generating sales leads for them. The Company offers sales leads, data analysis, and marketing services to assist automakers and dealers with improving their efficiency and facilitating transactions. Autohome operates its "Autohome Mall," a full-service online transaction platform, to facilitate transactions for automakers and dealers. Further, through its websites and mobile applications, it also provides other value-added services, including auto financing, auto insurance, used car transactions, and aftermarket services. For further information, please visit https://www.autohome.com.cn.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "future", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, Autohome's business outlook, Autohome's strategic and operational plans and quotations from management in this announcement contain forward-looking statements. Autohome may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), in announcements made on the website of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "Hong Kong Stock Exchange"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Autohome's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Autohome's goals and strategies; Autohome's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; the expected growth of the online automobile advertising market in China; Autohome's ability to attract and retain users and advertisers and further enhance its brand recognition; Autohome's expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and services; competition in the online automobile advertising industry; relevant government policies and regulatory environment of China; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Autohome's filings with the SEC and announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Autohome does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement net income presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, we use Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome, Non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS and earnings per ADS, Adjusted net margin and Adjusted EBITDA as non-GAAP financial measures. We define Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome as net income attributable to Autohome excluding share-based compensation expenses, amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisition, investment loss/(gain) relating to non-operating impact of a write-down of the initial investment in a financial product, and loss pickup of equity method investments, and impairment of long-term investments, with all the reconciliation items adjusted for related income tax effects. We define non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS as Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome divided by the basic and diluted weighted average number of ordinary shares. We define non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS as Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome divided by the basic and diluted weighted average number of ADSs. We define Adjusted net margin as Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome divided by total net revenues. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income attributable to Autohome before income tax expense, depreciation expenses of property and equipment, amortization expenses of intangible assets and share-based compensation expenses. We present these non-GAAP financial measures because they are used by our management to evaluate our operating performance, in addition to net income prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are important to help investors understand our operating and financial performance, compare business trends among different reporting periods on a consistent basis and assess our core operating results, as they exclude certain non-cash charges or items that are non-operating in nature. The use of the above non-GAAP financial measures has certain limitations as they excluded certain items that have been and will continue to be incurred in the future, but such items should be considered in the overall evaluation of our results. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned "Unaudited Reconciliation of non-GAAP and GAAP Results" set forth at the end of this press release.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

In China:

Autohome Inc.

Investor Relations

Sterling Song

Investor Relations Director

Tel: +86-10-5985-7483

E-mail: [email protected]

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Jenny Cai

Tel: +86-10-6508-0677

E-mail: [email protected]

In the United States:

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Brandi Piacente

Tel: +1-212-481-2050

E-mail: [email protected]

AUTOHOME INC. UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA (Amount in thousands, except per share / per ADS data)







For three months ended March 31,



2022

2023



RMB

RMB

US$

Net revenues:











Media services 266,802

361,468

52,634

Leads generation services 708,204

680,634

99,108

Online marketplace and others 496,286

491,527

71,572

Total net revenues 1,471,292

1,533,629

223,314

Cost of revenues (255,017)

(340,214)

(49,539)

Gross profit 1,216,275

1,193,415

173,775















Operating expenses:











Sales and marketing expenses (592,254)

(523,116)

(76,172)

General and administrative expenses (136,562)

(149,156)

(21,719)

Product development expenses (355,247)

(324,366)

(47,231)

Total operating expenses (1,084,063)

(996,638)

(145,122)

Other operating income, net 109,024

66,388

9,667

Operating profit 241,236

263,165

38,320

Interest and investment income, net 90,768

225,015

32,765

Loss from equity method investments (26,229)

(31,435)

(4,577)

Income before income taxes 305,775

456,745

66,508

Income tax expense (8,040)

(54,681)

(7,962)

Net income 297,735

402,064

58,546

Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests 20,513

3,438

501

Net income attributable to Autohome 318,248

405,502

59,047

Accretion of mezzanine equity (30,876)

(36,499)

(5,315)

Accretion attributable to noncontrolling interests 20,118

23,749

3,458

Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders 307,490

392,752

57,190















Earnings per share for ordinary shares











Basic 0.61

0.80

0.12

Diluted 0.61

0.79

0.12

Earnings per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders

(one ADS equals for four ordinary shares)











Basic 2.44

3.18

0.46

Diluted 2.44

3.17

0.46















Weighted average shares used to compute earnings per share attributable to

ordinary shareholders:























Basic 504,448,800

493,324,032

493,324,032

Diluted 504,709,220

494,826,708

494,826,708



















AUTOHOME INC. UNAUDITED RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP AND GAAP RESULTS (Amount in thousands, except per share / per ADS data)















For three months ended March 31,



2022

2023



RMB

RMB

US$

Net income attributable to Autohome 318,248

405,502

59,047

Plus: income tax expense 9,381

56,021

8,157

Plus: depreciation of property and equipment 57,228

47,938

6,980

Plus: amortization of intangible assets 10,837

10,840

1,578

EBITDA 395,694

520,301

75,762

Plus: share-based compensation

expenses 40,861

46,185

6,725

Adjusted EBITDA 436,555

566,486

82,487















Net income attributable to Autohome 318,248

405,502

59,047

Plus: amortization of intangible assets resulting from business

acquisition 10,722

10,722

1,561

Plus: share-based compensation

expenses 40,861

46,185

6,725

Plus: investment loss/(gain) arising from one of financial products [3] 54,420

(5,813)

(846)

Plus: loss on equity method investments, net 26,229

31,435

4,577

Plus: tax effects of the adjustments (12,947)

(4,520)

(658)

Adjusted net income attributable to Autohome 437,533

483,511

70,406















Net income attributable to Autohome 318,248

405,502

59,047

Net margin 21.6 %

26.4 %

26.4 %

Adjusted net income attributable to Autohome 437,533

483,511

70,406

Adjusted net margin 29.7 %

31.5 %

31.5 %















Non-GAAP earnings per share











Basic 0.87

0.98

0.14

Diluted 0.87

0.98

0.14

Non-GAAP earnings per ADS (one ADS equals for four

ordinary shares)











Basic 3.47

3.92

0.57

Diluted 3.47

3.91

0.57















Weighted average shares used to compute non-GAAP

earnings per share:











Basic 504,448,800

493,324,032

493,324,032

Diluted 504,709,220

494,826,708

494,826,708

















[3] It represented the loss or gain of an investment with fair value below its initial investment, which was recognized at "interest and investment income, net". The impact was considered to be not directly related to the Company's operating activities.

AUTOHOME INC. UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET (Amount in thousands, except as noted)

As of December 31,

As of March 31,

2022

2023

RMB

RMB

US$ ASSETS









Current assets









Cash and cash equivalents 2,801,299

1,877,864

273,438 Restricted Cash 9,175

8,514

1,240 Short-term investments 19,279,592

20,831,760

3,033,339 Accounts receivable, net 1,927,699

1,803,067

262,547 Amounts due from related parties, current 49,644

44,935

6,543 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 357,522

438,882

63,906 Total current assets 24,424,931

25,005,022

3,641,013 Non-current assets









Restricted cash, non-current 5,000

5,000

728 Property and equipment, net 255,298

223,081

32,483 Goodwill and intangible assets, net 4,220,305

4,200,833

611,689 Long-term investments 419,208

387,772

56,464 Deferred tax assets 265,606

265,606

38,675 Amounts due from related parties, non-current 9,419

17,797

2,591 Other non-current assets 116,052

218,943

31,881 Total non-current assets 5,290,888

5,319,032

774,511 Total assets 29,715,819

30,324,054

4,415,524











LIABILITIES AND EQUITY









Current liabilities









Accrued expenses and other payables 2,537,281

2,236,441

325,651 Advance from customers 96,047

119,692

17,429 Deferred revenue 1,147,131

2,085,066

303,609 Income tax payable 251,121

297,115

43,263 Amounts due to related parties 27,096

32,121

4,677 Total current liabilities 4,058,676

4,770,435

694,629 Non-current liabilities









Other liabilities 50,591

115,169

16,770 Deferred tax liabilities 517,926

498,236

72,549 Total non-current liabilities 568,517

613,405

89,319 Total liabilities 4,627,193

5,383,840

783,948











MEZZANINE EQUITY









Convertible redeemable noncontrolling interests 1,605,639

1,642,138

239,114











EQUITY









Total Autohome shareholders' equity 23,888,842

23,731,071

3,455,511 Noncontrolling interests (405,855)

(432,995)

(63,049) Total equity 23,482,987

23,298,076

3,392,462 Total liabilities, mezzanine equity and equity 29,715,819

30,324,054

4,415,524

SOURCE Autohome Inc.
The global automotive chip market is driven by factors such as increase in demand for advanced driving assistance system (ADAS), rise in demand for electric vehicles, and surge in demand for autonomous driving.

PORTLAND, Ore., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Automotive Chip Market by Product (microcontrollers, logic ICs, sensors, analog ICs, others), by Application (powertrain, body electronics, safety systems, chassis, telematics & infotainment systems), by Propulsion Type (ICE vehicles, electric vehicles): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". According to the report, the global Automotive Chip industry generated $49.8 billion in 2021, and is anticipated to generate $121.3 billion by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 9.6% from 2022 to 2031.

Download Sample of Research Report - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/11775

Prime determinants of growth

Increase in demand for ADAS, rise in demand for electric vehicles, and surge in demand for autonomous driving drive the growth of the global automotive chip market. However, complexity of design and high manufacturing costs are hampering the automotive chip market growth. On the contrary, increased focus on cybersecurity, and rise in demand for connected cars are expected to offer remunerative opportunities for expansion of the automotive chip market during the forecast period.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20222031 Base Year 2021 Market Size in 2021 $49.8 billion Market Size in 2031 $121.3 billion CAGR 9.6 % No. of Pages in Report 313 Segments covered Product, Application, Propulsion Type, and Region. Drivers Increase in demand for advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) Rise in demand for electric vehicle Surge in demand for autonomous driving Opportunities Increased focus on cybersecurity Rise in demand for connected cars Restraints Complexity of design High manufacturing costs



Covid-19 Scenario

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent global lockdowns, the automotive chip market faced a downturn.

However, as the global situation started ameliorating, the demand has increased for EVs and ADAS-equipped vehicles which require chip manufacturers to increase their production capacity and invest in new technologies to meet the growing demand for advanced automotive chips.

The microcontrollers segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on product, the microcontrollers segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for nearly one-third of the global automotive chip market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Microcontrollers provides automotive chip to support the growing demand for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving technologies that helps in increasing demand in this segment. However, the sensors segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 11.3% from 2022 to 2031, as it offers automotive chip with various applications such as engine control, safety systems, and driver assistance.

Procure Complete Research Report Now - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/automotive-chip-market/purchase-options

The safety system segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on application, the safety system segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than one-fourth of the global automotive chip market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the rise in awareness of the important safety features in vehicles, as well as the implementation of new regulations and standards such as Euro NCAP and NHTSA. Moreover, the same segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 10.5% from 2022 to 2031, owing to their use in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), collision avoidance systems, electronic stability control (ESC), and airbag control systems.

The ICE vehicles segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on propulsion type, the ICE vehicles segment accounted for the largest share in 2021, contributing to around four-fifth of the global automotive chip market revenue and is estimated to rule the roost throughout the forecast period. ICE vehicles help many manufacturers investing in more efficient engines and lightweight materials to improve fuel economy. These innovations require advanced chips to control and monitor engine performance. However, the electric vehicles advertising segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 16.3% from 2022 to 2031. This is due to a rise in the governments incentives and subsidies to encourage the adoption of EVs as a part of their efforts to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.

North America to maintain its dominance by 2031

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2021, accounting for nearly one-third of the global automotive chip market revenue, owing to rise in the adoption of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and electric vehicles. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 11.4% from 2022 to 2031 and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period, owing to the increase in demand for electric and autonomous vehicles, as well as the developments in the automotive industry in this region.

Leading Market Players: -

Analog Devices, Inc.

Infineon Technologies AG

NVIDIA Corporation

NXP Semiconductors

Renesas Electronics Corporation

Robert Bosch GmbH

ROHM CO.

LTD, STMICRO Electronics

Texas Instruments Incorporated

TOSHIBA CORPORATION

Interested to Procure the Research Report? Inquire Before Buying - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/11775

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players of the global Automotive Chip market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

Similar Reports We Have on Automotive Industry:

Space Electronics Market Research Report 2023-2035

Automotive Semiconductor Market Research Report 2023-2035

Automotive Power Electronics Market Research Report 2023-2035

Semiconductor in Military and Aerospace Market Research Report 2023-2035

High-Speed Biometric and Microchip Ticketing System Market Research Report 2023-2035

About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of " Market Research Reports " and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact:

David Correa

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022

UK: +44-845-528-1300

Hong Kong: +852-301-84916

India (Pune): +91-20-66346060

Fax: +1(855)550-5975

[email protected]

Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/automotive-and-transportation

Follow Our Blog: www.theinnovativereport.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/3950895/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Allied Market Research
Babson College expands mental health options for students, adding teletherapy, a crisis connection, and wellness programming

WELLESLEY, Mass., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Babson College and Uwill, the leading teletherapy solution for colleges and students, announced a partnership to complement the college's existing counseling capabilities, and provide students additional mental health resources. As the mental health crisis continues to grow around higher education, Babson adds Uwill's proprietary technology to facilitate immediate appointments with licensed mental health counselors based on student needs. In addition, it directly connects students in crisis with licensed counselors trained in trauma to assess student risk, deescalate situations, and offer as-needed response.

"We are passionate about helping students to pursue a holistic sense of well-being and success through their academic and personal development. This spring, we are very excited to share that Babson is partnering with Uwill, a mental health platform offering students services to help them enhance their psychological well-being, safety and success," said Babson College Director of Counseling and Psychological Services, Alison Markson, LICSW, Psy.D. "This wraparound solution allows students to access free short-term teletherapy that is flexible and available in all 50 states and internationally. In addition, students have access to immediate crisis support, available 24/7."

Babson adds this teletherapy option at a time where recent national survey data from Uwill and NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education shows a continued decline in student mental health. 72% of student affairs and counseling leadership said the overall trajectory of campus mental health worsened during the past year.

"It's an honor to partner with Babson to support their students," said Eric Rodriguez, director at Uwill. "All students now have access to counselors with their preferences in mind, and are able to get the most immediate and individualized help."

Utilizing its proprietary technology and counselor team, Uwill pioneered the first student and therapist matching platform. The solution offers an immediate appointment with a licensed counselor based on student preferences, all modalities of teletherapy, a direct crisis connection, wellness events, realtime data, and support. Uwill partners with students from all 50 states, including institutions such as Bates, Boston College, and UC Santa Barbara.

About Babson College:

Based in Wellesley, MA, Babson College specializes in providing a premier business education through a unique entrepreneurial lens to produce highly effective leaders across all industries. Babson College has been revolutionizing business education since its founding in 1919 and is credited as the creator of entrepreneurship education. With a world-class alumni network that includes some of the most impactful executives in organizations of all kinds, Babson College prepares and empowers its students to become entrepreneurial leaders who add sustainable, economic, and social value everywhere. For more information visit: http://babson.edu/ .

About Uwill

Uwill has become the leading mental health and wellness solution for colleges and students. The most cost-effective way to complement a college's mental health offering, Uwill partners with more than 150 institutions including Bucknell University, Dartmouth College, University of Michigan, and University of Maryland, College Park. Uwill is also the teletherapy education partner for NASPA. For more information, visit uwill.com

Contact:

Brett Silk

[email protected]

SOURCE Uwill, Inc
Busy Parents Can Still Find the Perfect Summer Vacation in Destinations across North America and Europe, Including Wyoming, Maine, the Canadian Rockies, Iceland, France, Spain and Switzerland

BERKELEY, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Backroads, the leader in active travel, today released their top picks for a last-minute family adventure  the perfect antidote to summer doldrums and vacation procrastination. With a few clicks of the mouse or a phone call, families open the door to a world of possibility and discovery in iconic US national parks, such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Grand Canyon. Or they can venture farther from home to discover the natural beauty and rich cultures of France, Iceland, Switzerland and Canada, among other Backroads destinations. Whether it's biking, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, exploring a cave dwelling, learning how to make mozzarella or kids-only fun, Backroads has options for every member of the family.

With over 30 years of experience in family travel, Backroads seamlessly handles the planning and logistics of hundreds of Biking, Walking & Hiking and Multi-Adventure vacations around the world. Parents trust Backroads to do the heavy lifting for an active summer vacation so they can just show up and have a blast with their kids. From riding family-friendly bike paths in the Czech Republic to saddling up for a horseback ride with local wranglers in Montana or kayaking in the crystal-clear waters off the coast of Mallorca, there's never a dull moment on a Backroads family trip. The company's commitment to excellence, its flexible itineraries and exceptional Trip Leaders set it apart in the active travel industry. Three or more leaders guide every trip so parents can enjoy some quality adult time while kids, teens and 20-somethings get to hang out with leaders and their peers.

That's why Backroads offers family trips for three distinct age categories. Tweet this

Backroads guests consistently rave about experiencing an active vacation with likeminded travelers, and this is especially true for families. That's why Backroads is the only travel company that offers Family Trips for three different age groups so families can experience the magic of traveling with other guests in similar life stages: Families with Teens & Kids (best for ages 9+), Families with Older Teens & 20s (one or more kids age 17+) and Families with Young Adults 20s & Beyond (one or more kids age 20+). With summerand perhaps college or other important rites of passageon the horizon, it's a great time to book a family vacation.

Snapshot of Backroads Family Trips with Space Available Include:

Basque Country Multi-Adventure Tour

Brittany & Normandy Bike Tour

Bryce, Zion & Grand Canyon Multi-Adventure Tour

California's Yosemite Multi-Adventure Tour

Yosemite Multi-Adventure Tour Czech Republic & Austria Multi-Adventure Tour

& Austria Multi-Adventure Tour Great Smoky Mountains Multi-Adventure Tour

Loire Valley Bike Tour

Maine's Acadia Multi-Adventure Tour

Acadia Multi-Adventure Tour Oregon's Bend & the Cascades Multi-Adventure Tour

Bend & the Cascades Multi-Adventure Tour Portugal Multi-Adventure Tour

Spain's Mallorca Multi-Adventure Tour

Mallorca Multi-Adventure Tour Spanish Pyrenees to Costa Brava Multi-Adventure Tour

Switzerland Multi-Adventure Tour

Wyoming's Yellowstone & Tetons & Montana's Big Sky Multi-Adventure Tour

Yellowstone & Tetons & Big Sky Multi-Adventure Tour Wyoming's Yellowstone & Tetons Multi-Adventure Tour

"Getting away with your kids on a summer vacation is a great bonding experience no matter how old they are," said Backroads Founder & President, Tom Hale. "Our kids grew up on Backroads trips and as they got older, I realized how important it was to have activities and meals designed for specific age groups. That's why Backroads offers family trips for three distinct age categories. Teens and young adults want to engage with their peers, and the same goes for the younger ones. Meanwhile, parents are connecting with other parents, and there's this great synergy happening between people in the same stage of life. Everyone's just having a great time being active, spending time outdoors and learning and experiencing new things. We defy any kid to say they're bored on a Backroads trip!"

For the complete collection of Backroads Family Trips and for more information, visit Backroads.com or call 800-462-2848.

About Backroads

Backroads was founded in 1979 by Tom Hale and has been a leading innovator in active and adventure travel for over 40 years. Guests join Backroads to bike, hike and so much moreon expertly planned active adventures highlighting the unique character of each destination. The company offers multiple ways to go active: Biking, Walking & Hiking and Multi-Adventure tours; Active Ocean & River Cruises, Active Safari, Active Culinary and Snow Adventures; and Dolce Tempo trips for travel at a more relaxed pace. Backroads also offers Private Trips and Family Trips designed for three distinct age groups: Families with Teens & Kids (best for ages 9+), Families with Older Teens & 20s (one or more kids age 17+) and Families with Young Adults 20s & Beyond (one or more kids age 20+). Repeat guests and referrals from past guests make up many of the travelers that Backroads hosts each year in hundreds of locations across the globe. For more information, please visit backroads.com or call 800-462-2848.

SOURCE BACKROADS
Harbor East Businesses Unite to Celebrate Re-Opening of Central Ave.

BALTIMORE, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tru by Hilton Baltimore Harbor East is hosting a block party to celebrate the re-opening of Central Ave during National Tourism Week. Unlock the Block: Central Ave, a free family-friendly event, will take place on May 13, 2023, from 12 p.m.  4 p.m on Central Ave between Fleet and Bank streets. The block party will include local food trucks, a DJ, games and giveaways, specials from local businesses, and more.

Central Avenue, a bustling commercial district in the heart of Baltimore, has long been a hub of economic activity. However, the lengthy construction on Central Ave and the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions to the local economy, with many businesses struggling to stay afloat. In response, the team at Tru by Hilton Baltimore Harbor East wanted to unite fellow businesses to celebrate the re-opening of the vital street.

"We are honored to host this event to support local businesses and to serve the Baltimore community. The COVID-19 pandemic and construction of Central Ave has been a difficult time for many businesses including ours, and we want to help provide others the resources and support that we all need to thrive in the long term. We believe that by working together, we can create a more vibrant, prosperous community for everyone," said Monica Rodriguez, General Manager, Tru by Hilton Baltimore Harbor East.

To learn more about the event and the participating businesses, visit www.unlocktheblockcentralave.com

About Tru by Hilton Baltimore Harbor East

Tru by Hilton Baltimore Harbor East is a 140-room hotel, located at 411 S Central Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland. The property is owned by Holladay Properties and managed by Aimbridge Hospitality. The hotel is conveniently located near Baltimore Harbor, Harbor East, Little Italy, and Fells Point. The Convention Center and Oriole Park are just five minutes away. The Tru by Hilton Baltimore Harbor East is also just 30 minutes away from Washington, D.C. and Annapolis, MD. To learn more, visit our website.

Media Contacts Monica Rodriguez General Manager Tru by Hilton Baltimore Harbor East +1 443-996-6884 [email protected]

Jillian Koeneman Sr. Director of Marketing Holladay Properties +1 586-899-9039 [email protected]

SOURCE Tru by Hilton Baltimore Harbor East
During a virtual forum, Berkshire VNA clinicians will share their experiences, talk about changes to homecare and join with the community to improve patient care conditions

PITTSFIELD, Mass. , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkshire VNA clinicians, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, will talk about the evolution and challenges of homecare, share their experiences, and discuss how to improve patient care conditions during a virtual community forum co-hosted by the Western Massachusetts Area Labor Federation on May 16.

Virtual Community Forum

When: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Where: A virtual forum hosted on Zoom and shared on social media. The public and media are welcome to attend. Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89232583852. Meeting ID: 892 3258 3852. Who: Moderated by State Senator Paul Mark, D-Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire, with panelists including Berkshire VNA Physical Therapist Tamaryn Clowdus and Berkshire VNA Registered Nurse Shaun Mattoon.

"Homecare has seen changes over the years that have made it much harder for clinicians to spend quality time with our patients and maintain a sustainable work-life balance," said Tamaryn Clowdus, physical therapist, and member of the organizing committee at Berkshire VNA. "Berkshire VNA clinicians are struggling with caring for sicker patients and an ever-greater documentation burden. We are seeking support from our community and adequate investment in our workforce to provide the best possible patient care."

"VNA clinicians care for patients independently in their home, requiring us to assess and deal with a wide range of medical situations without the support of a typical healthcare facility," said Shaun Mattoon, registered nurse, and member of the organizing committee at Berkshire VNA. "Earlier discharges from hospitals mean patients have more complicated issues when they arrive home. These are challenges we want to take on so we can provide care to our community, but we need more support to do so safely."

BVNA registered nurses and physical, occupational and speech therapists joined MNA in December 2021 following an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. Berkshire VNA is owned by Berkshire Health Systems, which also owns Berkshire Medical Center where the MNA represents approximately 900 registered nurses.

Established in 1901, the Berkshire VNA provides comprehensive care to patients of all ages who are recovering from an illness or hospitalization in their own home. The medical needs of Berkshire VNA patients are varied and complex and may include, among other things, post-surgical conditions such as total hip or total knee replacements; stroke; Parkinson's Disease; Multiple Sclerosis; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS); cardiopulmonary conditions; amputations; and post-trauma care (breaks, fractures).

In recent years, many hospital-based services for patients have shifted to in-home services, making VNAs and their caregivers an essential and ever-expanding part of the healthcare system. Hospitals now move patients back home faster than before as doing so reduces costs and opens in-hospital beds. This has led to a dramatic increase in the size of the region's at-home patient population as well as in the complexity of those patients.

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.com/MassNurses  Instagram.com/MassNurses

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged "not to put pressure" on Ukraine with calls for negotiations with Russia.

"I believe that it is absolutely fair that it was Ukraine that proposed the format of the peace plan, because we have a war here. I believe that no country in the world has the right ... It should consolidate its forces, give advice to Ukraine, help, offer anything. But do not push with it, because we have a war," Zelenskyy said in an interview with the BBC correspondent for Eurovision News, published on Thursday.

"And you can't force Ukraine to retreat from some of its values, interests. You can't force Ukraine to give up just its territory. Why then won't any country in the world give Putin its territory, because they really want it all to end? It seems to me that this is an illogical process," the president said.

According to him, "now all states will offer their view of the peace. We have seen the initiatives of China, we will see the initiatives of Latin America, we will see the initiatives of other states, it is possible that someone from the European continent. We will surely see some signals from the countries of the East, the Arab states."

"Vision must remain vision. Vision cannot be pressure, and this is important. And therefore, everyone who proposes their initiatives, I believe that these initiatives can be worked on in the format of our plan. I think this is absolutely fair," the President of Ukraine said.
Impact Leader, Catalyst, and Artist, Kwanza Jones, drops a landmark track, making waves with a new reggaeton sound to her original track titled, "We Buildin'."

LOS ANGELES, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nine-Time Billboard charting artist and investor of over $150 million, Kwanza Jones , delighted fans last week with the surprise release of a new take on her original track titled, "We Buildin'." It celebrates the power of collective action and positive change.

Kwanza Jones, drops a landmark track, making impact with a new reggaeton sound to her original track, "We Buildin'." Tweet this Kwanza Jones music release: "We Buildin (Reggaeton Mix)"

As her unique style of dance music continues to grow in popularity, Jones is thrilled to announce the release of the reggaeton version of "We Buildin'." The new track titled, "We Buildin' (Reggaeton Mix)," is an up-tempo reggaeton tune that pays tribute to the essence of building on your future, brick by brick.

Listen to " We Buildin' (Reggaeton Mix) "

The new song was released in time for the dedication of two new dormitories at Princeton University , named after Kwanza Jones (Princeton '93) and her partner in business and life, Jose E. Feliciano (Princeton '94). The dormitories will be the first buildings to be named after Black and Latino benefactors since the founding of Princeton. They are connected by a bridge representing the physical expression of connecting communities and bridging culture.

In 2019, Jones and Feliciano made a historic donation of $20 million to support Princeton University's strategic goal of undergraduate expansion.

In an interview with The Hype Magazine, Jones stated, "In 2019 Jose and I donated $20 million to our alma mater Princeton University. It was the largest gift by underrepresented people of color to the University. The donation helped broaden access to the University for students from diverse backgrounds and put a spotlight on the benefits of diversity, inclusion, and representation. In Fall 2022, the University completed and officially opened the doors to two new adjoining dormitories, one named after him and one named after me  Kwanza Jones Hall. I always operate from a place of gratitude. Supporting and giving back to the communities that have supported me have been career highlights, too."

Jones creates music to provoke thought and serve as a catalyst for positive social change. "I feel it's my duty to use my voice and music as a catalyzing positive force for good," said Jones.

"We Buildin' (Reggaeton Mix)" celebrates the possibilities that come from building opportunities. It serves as a reminder that we can build the lives we want and achieve a better future by taking action.

All the streaming platforms that carry "We Buildin' (Reggaeton Mix)" can be found here .

About Kwanza Jones

Kwanza Jones' song "Think Again" earned her first appearance on the Billboard charts. She debuted at No. 47 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Charts.

Kwanza Jones boosts humans and humanity through culture, capital and community. She is a sought-after speaker, accomplished artist, impact investor, and philanthropist. With a multifaceted background spanning music, media, production, law and business, Jones is an energetic and visionary leader. She is CEO and founder of SUPERCHARGED by Kwanza Jones, a motivational media company. Jones has served on numerous boards including the Apollo Theater, Bennett College, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer, and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Through her Jones Feliciano Initiative , she has committed over $150 million to education, entrepreneurship, equity and empowerment organizations. To learn more, visit kwanzajones.com and connect with her on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Kwanza Jones Boost Friends Community .

SOURCE SUPERCHARGED
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BioInnovation Institute (BII), an international non-profit foundation incubating and accelerating world-class life science research, announces the launch of a new deep tech accelerator start-up program, the Deep Tech Lab - Quantum, to propel emergent and disruptive quantum science and biotechnology solutions toward the marketplace.

Deep tech and quantum science have received significant attention from governmental organizations, universities, and investors for their potential to play a role in tackling significant societal challenges. To unlock the potential in quantum science through start-up innovation, the Danish Government has appointed the BII to create and run a new deep tech start-up accelerator.

Troels Lund Poulsen, acting Danish Minister of Defence, says: "It is the Government's ambition that Denmark remains at the forefront of quantum technology development. Our ability to innovate is a key part of this ambition. Quantum is of great strategic importance to Denmark and requires close collaboration between the Government, universities and private entities. We are very pleased that BII and a number of Danish universities have partnered with us to contribute to the DIANA and help realize the dual-use potential of quantum solutions."

As part of Denmark's vibrant innovation ecosystem in quantum science, the accelerator will act as an important step in fostering the most impactful technological solutions developed by the best and brightest innovators.

Jens Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer of BioInnovation Institute says: "We are proud to have been appointed by the Danish government to drive the new quantum accelerator in collaboration with strong players in the science ecosystem. We truly believe this initiative is a big step forward in further exploiting the commercial potential that quantum science holds. BII offers a strong platform to bring groundbreaking life sciences research and innovative ideas to the market."

BII is set to maintain its close collaboration with The Novo Nordisk Foundation, which recently announced funding to develop Denmark's first fully operational quantum computer.

Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO, Novo Nordisk Foundation says: "I am thrilled to see BioInnovation Institute take on the operation of the new Deep Tech Lab  Quantum accelerator, as it is a testament to the effectiveness and success of BII's life science acceleration programs. This expansion into new related areas clearly demonstrates BII's commitment to continuous innovation and growth. By strengthening the innovation ecosystem this way, we can drive the development of groundbreaking solutions that benefit people and society."

Propelling dual-use technologies toward the marketplace

The Deep Tech Lab was initiated as part of Denmark's recently announced contribution to NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) Initiative. The initiative has close ties to NATO's newly launched innovation fund through which it is expected to fund early-stage start-ups with up to 1 billion euros over a 15-year timeframe.

The Danish government appointed BII to operate the accelerator by leveraging BII's current program model in commercializing groundbreaking new dual-use technologies that can address both societal problems and national security issues, e.g., new radar technologies or communication technologies based on quantum science.

BII will operate the new accelerator in close collaboration with academia and industry organizations to seek out novel, cutting-edge technological solutions. It will take advantage of Denmark's strong innovation ecosystem within quantum science, such as the newly launched NATO Center for Quantum Technology at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, to develop commercially viable start-up companies within deep tech and quantum science.

"Denmark has an internationally recognized position within quantum technology, and the Danish eco system is one of the fastest growing. The DIANA Quantum Centre is a unique platform for expanding the Danish eco system and for attracting companies, talent, and investments in Danish high technology, and for further strengthening the Danish research in the field of quantum technology," says Jan Westenkr Thomsen, Head of Department at the Niels Bohr Institute, where the DIANA Center is established with contributions from DTU, AU and the Danish National Metrology Institute.

Using a proven business acceleration program

The new quantum start-up accelerator will be built on the same ground principles as BII's Venture Lab program, which has already proven to be a successful and attractive innovation platform for accelerating early-stage life science start-up projects. Establishing a quantum start-up accelerator is only one of many initiatives to position Denmark as a world leader in quantum science, a field expected to hold tremendous potential.

The start-up companies in the program will gain access to a network of top-tier trusted investors, business mentorship, and education from expert staff, and state-of-the-art testing opportunities in BII's office space and laboratories. It is also planned that some of the companies may receive non-dilutive funding (investment capital that does not require ownership in the company).

The first deep tech start-up companies are expected to join the accelerator program in the fall of 2023, and it is expected to have a fully operational program in Copenhagen, Denmark, as part of a pan-European network of similar start-up accelerators in 2025.

Read more at www.deeptechlab.bii.dk

About Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA):

DIANAQ (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic Quantum Center) provides deep tech and dual-use innovators with access to NATO resources including grant funding, accelerator programming, and pathways to adapt their solutions for defence and security needs. Read more on: https://www.diana.nato.int

About the DeepTech Lab:

Deep Tech Lab - Quantum supports startups in quantum technologies to drive innovation, cultivate the ecosystem, and strengthen Denmark's leadership in the field. The program focuses on business acceleration, scientific advancement, and team development. It offers unique resources for startups seeking to accelerate their growth and achieve their full potential. Through its affiliation with the DIANA Center for Quantum Technologies, Deep Tech Lab - Quantum will also be part of the DIANAQ Accelerator Network established by NATO to foster an eco-system of innovators within several emerging and disruptive technology areas. Deep Tech Lab is an independent entity under BioInnovation Institute (BII). Read more at www.deeptechlab.bii.dk

About the BioInnovation Institute Foundation:

At BioInnovation Institute (BII), we accelerate world-class life science start-up innovation for the benefit of people and society. As a non-profit institute, BII operates the company creation programs, Bio Studio, Venture Lab and Venture House, to support life science start-ups with knowledge, network, infrastructure and funding of up to 3M EUR per projects and 1,8 M EUR per start-up. With our expertise, network, funding, and infrastructure, we empower startups to succeed and believe in the transformative power of life science innovation. Read more on www.bioinnovationinstitute.com

SOURCE BioInnovation Institute
Partnership extends support, resources for Black Brewers across the country

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boston Beer Company (BBC), makers of the iconic Samuel Adams beer, announced today at the Annual Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville a donation of $225K to the National Black Brewers Association (NB2A.). This donation is timed to the launch of the NB2A, an organization dedicated to addressing underrepresentation of Black people in the brewing industry.

National Black Brewers Association at Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville

Kevin Johnson, the founder of the NB2A., expressed his gratitude for Boston Beer's donation: "We're thrilled to receive this generous donation from Boston Beer Company. Partnerships with household names like the Boston Beer Company are essential to the success and growth of organizations like ours. With their support and resources, we're better equipped to provide the necessary tools and opportunities for Black brewers and brewery owners to thrive. We believe that by working together, we can create a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable industry that benefits everyone."

Jennifer Glanville Love, Director of Partnerships at the Boston Beer Company, emphasized the company's commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion in the brewing industry: "Boston Beer Company is proud to be an inaugural supporter of the National Black Brewers Association to champion and amplify Black brewers and brewery owners who, today, represent less than 1% of the brewing community. Backed by Samuel Adams Brewing The American Dream, Boston Beer will provide the necessary funding and valuable beer and business resources to help cultivate and grow the Black brewing community."

The donation from Boston Beer Company is a significant step forward in promoting diversity and inclusion in the brewing industry. The NB2A will use the funds to support its mission of empowering Black brewers and brewery owners to create a more equitable and inclusive industry for all.

About National Black Brewers Association

Less than 1% of craft breweries in the U.S. are owned by African Americans and there is no single entity to help African American brewers and brewery owners with their specific needs and issues.

Given these challenges, the National Black Brewers Association ("NB2A") was formed as a 501c6 membership-based non-profit organization to:

Promote the Black brewing community as a first-of-its kind organization.

Increase the number of African Americans in the brewing industry at all levels of production, especially ownership and brewmaster.

Exercise political influence by developing and advocating for effective policy; and

Foster understanding about the history and legacy of African American brewing in the United States .

The NB2A is governed by a dynamic Board of Directors composed of the most experienced and successful Black brewery owners and brewmasters across the country. For more information on the National Black Brewers Association, visit our website at www.nationalblackbrewersassociation.org .

About Boston Beer Company:

The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM ) began in 1984 brewing Samuel Adams beer and the Samuel Adams brand is currently recognized as one of the largest and most respected craft beer brands. Our portfolio of brands also includes Truly Hard Seltzer, Twisted Tea, Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Dogfish Head Brewery and Hard Mountain Dew as well as other craft beer brands such as Angel City Brewery and Coney Island Brewing. For more information, please visit our website www.bostonbeer.com.

SOURCE National Black Brewers Association
MCLEAN, Va., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Steampunk announced today that Bronwyn Haley has joined the company as Vice President of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Sector within their Homeland, Commerce, and Justice (HC&J) Portfolio. Bronwyn brings to Steampunk decades of expertise in US DOJ operations, client relationships, and organizational risk management.

Bronwyn Haley joins Steampunk as Vice President, Department of Justice Sector.

"We are thrilled to add Bronwyn to our leadership team. She brings amazing Government depth and experience coupled with personal core values that align closely to Steampunk," said Steampunk CEO, Matt Warren. "DOJ represents a huge growth and focus area for us, and we are confident in Bronwyn's ability to help accelerate our customer's success going forward."

Prior to joining Steampunk, Bronwyn was the Director of Enterprise Risk and Resilience at 5 Stones intelligence, where she provided a comprehensive and integrated approach to identify, address, and mitigate the full spectrum of an organization's risk matrix. Additionally, Bronwyn served as 5 Stones intelligence's Project Manager for the US DOJ, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Financial Investigators Program. In this role, she supervised 35 financial investigators supporting transnational criminal investigations across DOJ.

Bronwyn began her career as a DEA Intelligence Research Specialist before becoming a Special Agent. She's served as DEA's Deputy Chief Inspector for their Office of Professional Responsibility  Board of Professional Conduct, Supervisory Special Agent for the Washington Division leading investigative groups and multi-agency task force units, DEA Special Operations Division conducting international counter-terrorism operations, and Country Attache / Assistant Country Attache in Paris France where she established and maintained DEA's presence and relationships within the North/West African region.

"I am excited for the opportunity to bring together Steampunk's capabilities, along with their people-centered culture, to the very important mission that I've dedicated the majority of my adult career to," said Bronwyn Haley. "It is a true honor, and I am very grateful, for the opportunity to be a part of a community whose culture is one of service, and whose values are people and principal forward."

About Steampunk

Steampunk is a Change Agent in the Federal contracting industry, bringing new thinking to clients in the Homeland, Federal Civilian, Health, and DoD sectors. Through our Human-Centered delivery methodology, we are fundamentally changing the expectations our Federal clients have for true shared accountability in solving their toughest mission challenges. As an employee-owned company, we focus on investing in our employees to enable them to do the greatest work of their careers  and rewarding them for outstanding contributions to our growth. If you want to learn more about our story, visit http://www.steampunk.com.

Media Contact: Robert Pearson, Chief Marketing Officer

[email protected] | 571.344.5538

www.steampunk.com | @steampunk_inc

SOURCE Steampunk
MONTREAL, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Cannara Biotech Inc. ("Cannara" or the "Company") (TSXV: LOVE) (OTCQB: LOVFF) (FRA: 8CB), a vertically integrated producer of premium-grade cannabis and derivative product offerings at affordable prices with two mega facilities based in Quebec spanning over 1,650,000 sq. ft., today announced its upcoming participation at Canaccord Genuity's 7th annual global cannabis conference. This one-day event will feature company presentations and one-on-one meetings with senior management teams representing the most reputable and recognizable names in the thriving cannabis industry.

Nicholas Sosiak, Chief Financial Officer of Cannara will give a presentation outlining Cannara's brief history, its current state of operations and the opportunity ahead for existing and potential new shareholders on Thursday May 18th at 9:00 am ET. For those interested in listening to the presentation, you may register for the event here: https://wsw.com/webcast/canaccord88/love.v/2788332. Investors that are unable to attend the live presentation will have the opportunity to watch a recording on the investor page of the company website cannara.ca.

Nicholas Sosiak, Chief Financial Officer of Cannara commented, "We are excited to have been selected to present at one of the premier cannabis conferences in the industry. Cannara has achieved so much in its brief existence, the management team and I are very proud of our accomplishments. I look forward to showcasing the Cannara name to all of the reputable investors taking part in this tremendous event".

About Cannara Biotech Inc.

Cannara Biotech Inc. ( TSXV: LOVE ) ( OTCQB: LOVFF ) ( FRA: 8CB ) is a vertically integrated producer of affordable premium-grade cannabis and cannabis-derivative products for the Quebec and Canadian markets. Cannara owns two mega facilities based in Quebec spanning over 1,650,000 sq. ft., providing the Company with 120,000kg of potential annualized cultivation output. Leveraging Quebec's low electricity costs, Cannara's facilities produce premium-grade cannabis products at an affordable price. For more information, please visit cannara.ca .

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Cannara Biotech Inc.
LOS ANGELES, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Oakland REALTOR Kevin Brown has been elected 2024 first vice-president of the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), it was announced today during NAR's Legislative Meetings in Washington, DC. He served as president of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (C.A.R.) in 2014.

Oakland REALTOR Kevin Brown has been elected 2024 first vice-president of the National Association of REALTORS (NAR).

"Homeownership has transformed the lives of millions of Americans. For many, it's the way up the economic ladder as it creates safety, security, prosperity and intergenerational wealth," said Kevin Brown, an Oakland REALTOR. "I am well positioned to lead our organization by providing more homeownership opportunities and hybrid forms of financing for the underserved. I'll also work to find more creative ways of producing housing inventory. My primary goal is to provide the opportunity of homeownership for all while helping to secure a solid middle class."

Brown is a second-generation real estate broker with over 44 years of experience, serving in myriad leadership positions for NAR, C.A.R. and local associations of REALTORS. His first position was membership committee chair for the Oakland Association of REALTORS in 1986. Most recently, he was a member of NAR's Public Policy Coordinating and RPAC PAG committees and Business Insurance Work Group. In 2021, he served as NAR's REALTOR Party Director and served on its Executive Committee.

He has served on C.A.R.'s Board of Directors since 1993 in a variety of committee positions, including Federal, Executive, Standard Forms, REALTOR Risk Management and Consumer Protection Forum, MLS Policy, Professional Standards and MLS Policy.

At the local level, Brown served as president of the Oakland Association of REALTORS in 1995. He also was named REALTOR of the Year in 1996 for the Oakland Association of REALTORS.

Brown specializes in residential and commercial real estate sales and has extensive expertise in investment property brokerage and management. His past clients include residential buyers and sellers, banks, institutional investors, large trusts, law firms, the City of Berkeley, smaller individual investors and the U.S. Marshals Service. He has spent over three decades studying and helping to create public policy at the local, state, and national levels to protect consumer interests and preserve real property rights. He has been called upon to testify before Congress on tax reform, GSE reform, and the impact of tax reform on the middle class.

Leading the way in California real estate for more than 110 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States with more than 200,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.

SOURCE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (C.A.R.)
CHICAGO, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS) ("CARS" or the "Company"), the leading digital automotive platform that provides a robust set of digital solutions, today announced that it would participate in the following two investor conferences in May:

Conference: 17th Annual Barrington Research Virtual Spring Investment Conference

Conference Date: Thursday, May 18

Conference: 51st Annual J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media, and Communications Conference

Fireside Chat: In Boston, Tuesday, May 23 at approximately 2:15 p.m. CT / 3:15 p.m. ET

Speakers: Alex Vetter, Chief Executive Officer and Sonia Jain, Chief Financial Officer

To schedule a one-on-one meeting with the Company, please contact your representative at Barrington Research and J.P. Morgan.

A live audio webcast of the J.P. Morgan Fireside Chat will be made available online at investor.cars.com. A webcast replay will be available shortly afterwards by visiting Events on the Investor Relations website.

About Cars.com

CARS is a leading automotive marketplace platform that provides a robust set of digital solutions that connect car shoppers with sellers. Launched in 1998 with the flagship marketplace Cars.com and headquartered in Chicago, the Company empowers shoppers with the data, resources and digital tools needed to make informed buying decisions and seamlessly connect with automotive retailers. In a rapidly changing market, CARS enables dealerships and OEMs with innovative technical solutions and data-driven intelligence to better reach and influence ready-to-buy shoppers, increase inventory turn and gain market share.

In addition to Cars.com , CARS brands include Dealer Inspire, a website and digital solutions provider enabling dealers to be more efficient through connected digital experiences; FUEL, an advertising solution providing dealers and OEMs the benefit of leveraging targeted digital video and display marketing to Cars.com's audience of in-market car shoppers, DealerRater, a leading car dealer review and reputation management platform, CreditIQ a digital financing technology platform, and Accu-Trade Group, a leading provider of vehicle valuation and appraisal technology.

The full suite of CARS properties includes Cars.com , Dealer Inspire , FUEL , DealerRater , CreditIQ , Accu-Trade  and NewCars.com . For more information, visit www.Cars.com .

SOURCE Cars.com Inc.
The founders and hosts of PBC Conference recently announced their expansion with the addition of the CBC Summit.

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "CBC Summit 2023 will bring together 100+ leading executives to address banking & compliance challenges in the crypto industry."

For the last four years, the team behind CBC Summit has been instrumental in addressing banking and compliance challenges for the cannabis industry through their flagship event, PBC Conference.

CBC Summit is a curated, one-day event with 100+ executives addressing crypto banking and compliance challenges. Tweet this

With the current state of crypto banking, it's now paramount to address the challenges plaguing the crypto community and provide the same level of support, education, and partnership opportunities that have helped drive the cannabis industry forward over the last four years.

Building on their extensive and growing network of compliance and banking professionals and state and federal government legislators and regulators, the team is now tackling the crypto industry, with the launch of CBC Summit.

Panel topics at the inaugural CBC Summit 2023 include:

To bank, or not to bank, the crypto industry

industry What do crypto exchanges & crypto related companies look for in a banking partner?

exchanges & related companies look for in a banking partner? Standing up a bank's crypto compliance program

compliance program Crypto contributions to battling financial crime

contributions to battling financial crime FIAT On-ramps & Off-ramps

CBC Summit CEO, Joshua Radbod, adds,

"I'm excited to bring our success and experience, in helping the cannabis industry, to the crypto community. Having run the PBC Conference for the last four years and helping the Cannabis Banking Ecosystem grow and mature, I believe we have the team, experience, and reputation to now help the crypto industry in the same way.

Just like we did with PBC, the CBC Summit will bring together both the government and private sector to move this industry forward, together."

Register now to join us for the inaugural CBC Summit on September 28th, 2023, at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. ( REGISTER ).

About: The CBC Team created and operates a portfolio of events dedicated to tackling banking & compliance challenges in emerging industries. CBC Summit covers the crypto industry while PBC Conference (in its 4th annual season) covers the cannabis industry. More information at https://www.cbcsummit.io/

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE CBC Summit
WASHINGTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Center for Lyme Action, the leading nonprofit dedicated to growing federal funding for Lyme and tick-borne diseases, honored Members of Congress who have demonstrated extraordinary support in the push to cure Lyme disease  the most prevalent vector-borne disease and the most widespread tick-borne illness in the United States, with nearly half a million new cases estimated each year.

"Lyme is a frustrating and debilitating disease, but it's a solvable problem," said Jeff Crater, co-founder of the Center for Lyme Action. "Our award recipients have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in working to find a cure for Lyme and tick-borne diseases and we are honored to have them as long-term partners in this important fight for all Americans."

Receiving the 2023 Center for Lyme Action Lyme Champion Awards were Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Sen. Patty Murray (WA), Sen. Ed Markey (MA), Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02), Rep. Gregory Steube (FL-17), Rep. Bill Keating (MA-09), Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-06), Rep. Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA-15), and Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-20).

"Unfortunately, Lyme disease cases are on the rise," Maine Senator Susan Collins told Center for Lyme Action advocates at their annual DC fly-in. "My state of Maine has one of the highest rates of Lyme disease cases nationwide, and we simply must not lose momentum in research to combat the devastating diseases that can be caused by tick bites."

"All over the country, people are spending more and more time outside so we need to understand the risks of contracting Lyme and other vector-borne diseases," Minnesota Senator Tina Smith communicated with advocates from over 40 States. "The CDC numbers don't account for the many thousands that have been misdiagnosed while suffering from tick-borne illnesses; yet, we are making progress in our fight against Lyme and vector-borne illnesses."

"Tick-borne diseases are expanding into new areas and increasing in frequency in already hard hit areas like my own state of New Jersey," added New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith, Co-Chair of the House Lyme Disease Caucus. "Unfortunately, Federal officials still do not have a good grasp on Lyme and its impact, let alone the newly emerging tick-borne diseases and the myriad of co-infections that can result from a single tick bite. Without better information on tick-borne diseases and how to treat them, we will continue to fail to address the root of the problem in the patients in need."

"There is still too much unknown about the causes of tick-borne disease and the appropriate treatments for it," said California Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. "Our task now as Members of Congress and as advocates, is to ensure that tick-borne disease programs are fully funded, including the Regional Centers of Excellence for Vector-borne Diseases, which are leading the way on cutting edge research into Lyme."

The Center for Lyme Action awards build on the momentum of 163% increase in Federal funding for Lyme disease across Federal agencies from $59 million in FY20 to $155.5 million in FY23. Federal funding for Lyme disease continues to be very low at $82 per patient compared with much rarer diseases. Less common diseases such as West Nile Virus and Malaria have 80 times and 1800 times the amount of per patient federal research funding.

"The awards ceremony was all about recognizing and thanking our supporters," Crater said. "Now we are getting back to work  spending time meeting with Members of Congress to ensure Appropriators understand the gravity of Lyme and tick-borne disease and the need to fully fund the Kay Hagan Tick Act and grow research funding for diagnostics, therapies and hopefully within the decade, a cure to stamp out all tick-borne diseases."

To date, Lyme disease has been reported in every state nationwide, except Hawaii. For more information, go to centerforlymeaction.org or follow CLA on Twitter @lyme_action and on Instagram @CenterforLymeAction.

Press Contact Meredith Faucette

[email protected]

Related Links

https://www.centerforlymeaction.org

SOURCE Center for Lyme Action
BEIJING, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Numerous skyscrapers under construction, modern neighborhood compounds filled with green and driverless buses crisscrossing on new asphalt roads are just a handful of the indicators reflecting the rise of the Xiongan New Area in north China's Hebei Province.

A high-level, ecologically friendly modern metropolis featuring high-tech infrastructure, the Xiongan New Area is one of China's ambitious projects. So developed in the new area that no one would believe everything about this dream city was built from scratch just six years ago.

Located 105 kilometers from both the capital Beijing and the coastal metropolis Tianjin, Xiongan was established to relieve pressure on Beijing while promoting the "coordinated regional development" of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The city is expected to be comparable to the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the Shanghai Pudong New Area.

Taking a one-hour high-speed train, President Xi Jinping paid an inspection visit to the city on Wednesday, where he hailed the "important phased results" in the city while urging continuous, high-quality development that involves innovation, a high level of digitization, low carbon development and resident-friendly environment.

An innovation hub

Everything is going digital in Xiongan as high-quality development featuring scientific and technological innovation ramps up.

The driverless buses, which are currently undergoing trials, is one example. To improve the efficiency of the transportation network, the vehicles can not only recognize traffic lights and road signs but also reduce speed or stop in case of obstacles.

The city is also home to 153 km of "digital roads," where sensors on the lamp poles can monitor the number and speed of vehicles to reduce traffic jams. "The construction of the smart city ... has set an example for the planning and management of future cities," said Weng Mengyong, chairman of the China Highway and Transportation Society.

During his trip, President Xi underlined his vision for "a fertile ground for innovation and business ventures."

The Chinese president also called for pioneering policies and measures in the reform and opening up, as well as forward-looking trial and demonstration innovation projects in the area.

Since China announced plans to establish the city in 2017, the Xiongan New Area has completed more than 510 billion yuan (about $74 billion) of investment. Specifically, China's state-owned enterprises have set up more than 140 subsidiaries and branches focusing on industries such as information technology, modern life sciences, biotechnology and new materials, among others.

A city for the people

"Xiongan is a young city with great potential," said Zhao Can, an employee of Hebei Xiongan Urban Construction Co., Ltd. The former Beijing resident has decided to settle down in Xiongan with his wife.

Zhao is among the hundreds of thousands of young talents attracted to the city for its favorable policies, friendly public services and "green" living environment.

During President Xi's Wednesday trip, he visited a residential community that is home to 5,000-plus relocated residents and highlighted the importance of ensuring the relocated residents live well and have satisfactory jobs.

Promoting equal access to basic public services is crucial in building a people's city that is both livable and conducive to doing business, Xi noted.

Experts say the development of the Xiongan New Area is a paradigm of China's modernization that carries historical significance.

"A complete and scientific plan goes first, followed by a whole-of-nation system to support innovative moves. The city is born to be a base for homegrown technological breakthroughs," said Cong Yi, dean of the School of Marxism at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics.

"It not only mirrors where China's economic strength is rooted but also will play an exemplary role in the world, showcasing that the Chinese way of modernization is not purely driven by economic growth, but rather is an all-rounded development model."

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-05-11/China-s-city-of-the-future-Xiongan-and-its-innovation-driven-growth-1jIrs4oCwKc/index.html

SOURCE CGTN
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, who arrived in Ukraine on Thursday, May 11, visited Irpin.

In Irpin Ukraine today I saw the devastating results of Putins illegal invasion, she said on Twitter.

She also stressed that the European Commissioner seeks to support Ukraine in mine clearance, ammunition disposal and investigation of war crimes.
BEIJING, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Since China established diplomatic ties with five Central Asian countries 31 years ago, regional exchanges and cooperation in strategic, economic and security fields have been making increasingly substantial strides.

The closer ties are expected to reach a new high late next week when the first China-Central Asia Summit takes place in northwestern China's Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, a city that is known as the starting point of the ancient Silk Road that went through Central Asia to Europe. Chinese President Xi Jinping will host the summit to be attended by state leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Experts say the upcoming gathering of the heads of state highlights the fact that China and the Central Asian countries share broad common interests and that regional cooperation is becoming increasingly profound amid growing global turbulence.

Head-of-state diplomacy

"Head-of-state diplomacy is the biggest political advantage of all-around cooperation between China and the Central Asian countries," according to Sun Zhuangzhi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Such a summit can enhance strategic mutual trust, establish cooperation mechanisms and remove political obstacles by resolving differences. At the same time, through head-of-state diplomacy, countries will be more likely to support each other on core interests and major concerns, and coordinate with each other in international affairs, which can help to improve global governance, Sun wrote in a recent article published in the journal Contemporary World.

In January last year, President Xi chaired a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Central Asian countries. One month later, five Central Asian countries' state leaders attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics. And the third China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' meeting in June decided to upgrade the gathering to the head-of-state level.

Following that, Xi visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and attended the SCO Summit in Samarkand in September, his first major overseas visit since the outbreak of COVID-19.

Experts say these intensive diplomatic activities demonstrated the great importance China attaches to the Central Asian countries.

Deng Hao, a researcher at China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), noted that a good China-Central Asia relationship helps improve the strategic and security environment in China's western regions and it also promotes stability and development in the Central Asian countries, a win-win strategy.

Multi-pillar cooperation, impressive results

Deng wrote in the journal of China International Studies that China has made great diplomatic achievements in Central Asian countries, especially the building of three pillar cooperation mechanisms: Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

The SCO, born more than two decades ago with a mission to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism, aims to provide a safe and stable developing environment for SCO member countries. Over the years, the SCO has witnessed burgeoning security cooperation in regional and international arenas, and unleashed enormous development opportunities for the region and the wider world, Deng said.

And the BRI, put forward by Xi in 2013 and with a focus on connectivity, aims to build Central Asia into a channel connecting China and Europe, which can further activate the economic circles of Asia and Europe. Ten years on, China has signed BRI cooperation documents with all Central Asian countries and has yielded impressive results in infrastructure construction, economic and trade cooperation and financial facility.

Official data shows the trade volume between China and the Central Asian countries reached $70.2 billion in 2022, a more than 100 times increase compared with the trade volume when the two sides established diplomatic ties.

"The BRI has brought China and the five Central Asian countries even closer. The upcoming China-Central Asia Summit will further guide the six countries to continue the friendship and deepen cooperation, jointly building the China-Central Asia community with a shared future," said Yu Xiaoshuang, an assistant researcher at the CIIS.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-05-09/Head-of-state-diplomacy-ushers-in-thriving-China-Central-Asia-ties-1jF3AMX0C9a/index.html

SOURCE CGTN
The Cherokee Collection emphasizes affordability and features industry-leading technology designed to keep healthcare professionals safe and stylish on the job.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Careismatic Brands, Inc., announced today the release of The Cherokee Collection by Cherokee Uniforms, a new line of high-quality medical garments that will keep healthcare professionals safe and stylish on the job. The announcement comes during National Nurses Week, which celebrates nurses across the globe working to make a difference in their communities.

The Cherokee Collection features industry-leading technology and uses fashion-forward colors and trims to provide functional uniforms that serve medical experts in real-world conditions. Careismatic Brands, the parent company behind Cherokee Uniforms, worked closely with industry veterans and healthcare professionals to ensure that all aspects of The Cherokee Collectionfrom fit to function to stylemeet the needs of the workers who will wear its products.

The Cherokee Collection is crafted from a cutting-edge dobby fabric that uses 360-degree stretch spandex with integrated Certainty technology to fight odor. The collection will feature top-of-the-line items for both women and men in sizes ranging from XS-3XL.

"The Cherokee Collection was designed to ensure that healthcare workers feel protected, comfortable and stylish as they serve our communities in the post-pandemic era," said Milo Slattery, chief product officer at Careismatic. "Garments in The Cherokee Collection embody the performance and comfort that today's health professionals expect, with a forward-thinking approach and aesthetic."

Cherokee has been among the most respected brands in the medical apparel space for more than 30 years and was one of the first modern medical uniform suppliers to use fashion-forward designs. Cherokee has spent decades refining the fit, functionality and fabrics of its uniforms to support healthcare workers worldwide.

"This is an exciting time for Cherokee Uniforms," said Slattery. "The brand's promise is 'we fit who you are,' and with The Cherokee Collection, we're giving healthcare professionals a fresh new option to help them bring their best to work each day."

The Cherokee Collection retails for $22-$32 per piece and is available at medical apparel stores nationwide and on CherokeeUniforms.com

ABOUT CAREISMATIC BRANDS

Careismatic Brands, Inc. is a trusted global leader in medical apparel, footwear, and accessories, with a distribution platform that spans 70 countries. Its extensive portfolio of trusted brands includes Cherokee Uniforms, Dickies Medical, heartsoul scrubs, Infinity, Scrubstar, Tooniforms, Anywear, Healing Hands, Med Couture, Medelita, Classroom Uniforms, Allheart, and Silverts adaptive apparel. Careismatic is proud to support a number of nonprofit organizations, including The DAISY Foundation, U-VOL Foundation, and Mercy Ships.

For more information on Careismatic Brands, visit www.careismatic.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

SOURCE Careismatic Brands
Independent Survey Shows Female Franchise Owners Are Highly Satisfied with Chicken Salad Chick's Performance

ATLANTA, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken Salad Chick was identified by Franchise Business Review as being one of only 50 franchises to qualify as a 2023 Top Franchise for Women .

Chicken Salad Chick was founded by Stacy Brown, a mother to three children. Her mission is to spread joy, enrich lives, and serve others, and that is what the brand has embodied since her founding, now under the leadership of CEO Scott Deviney. This mission has influenced countless women looking to invest in a franchise concept. Today, Chicken Salad Chick is comprised of 20 percent women franchisees and 60 percent of husband/wife duos and/or multi-family owned throughout the system. The brand's core values, business model, and support system are its biggest strengths and allow it to attract and retain impressive franchisees.

A recent successful example is Julie Beville, at the helm of Sing Bev Hospitality LLC with her husband, Scott Beville, and long-time friend Michelle Singleton. Today, Beville's portfolio boasts 17 open restaurants with several more in development, staking claim as the largest franchisee in the Chicken Salad Chick system.

"Chicken Salad Chick is a great brand for everyone but especially women looking to become their own boss," said Julie Beville. "The brand allows flexibility and Sundays off so that you are able to spend time with family and create memories with them. On top of the flexibility, the brand is just a wonderful thing to be a part. The atmosphere exudes positivity and happiness, and helps change the mood for employees and customers alike. I am so proud to be a part of such a wonderful brand that constantly seeks to empower and support its female franchisees."

In their first year as franchisees, this team was named the recipient of the Chicken Salad Chick's Franchisee of the Year Award. Fast forward to 2022, and they become the first franchisee to win the award twice in brand history. Julie and the ownership group is entering a high-growth period while the existing stores continue to achieve strong performance  breaking best-day records more than five times in 2022. As a powerhouse woman entrepreneur, Julie Beville has become a standout ambassador representing Chicken Salad Chick by leaning into brand values.

Chicken Salad Chick was among 322 franchise brands, representing over 8,100 female franchise owners, that participated in Franchise Business Review's research on the Top Franchises for Women. Chicken Salad Chick franchisees were surveyed on 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including leadership, training & support, financial opportunity, and work/life balance.

"Franchising is a terrific option for women seeking business ownership on a full- or part-time basis," said Michelle Rowan, president and COO of Franchise Business Review. "There are thousands of different franchise opportunities available, so before making the decision to invest in a particular franchise, it's important to research feedback from current female franchise owners on how well the franchise meets their expectations in terms of support, work/life balance, financial opportunity, culture, and other key areas of business ownership. When you look at the brands on this year's list of the Top Franchises for Women, 87% of women said they enjoy owning and operating the business, making them all excellent options for women looking to make the transition to business ownership."

Notably, Chicken Salad Chick's survey data showed that 98% of franchisees rated long-term growth opportunity of the business as moderate, strong, or very strong  4% higher than the food segment average. Additionally, over 90% said they would recommend the franchise to others.

"At Chicken Salad Chick, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive brand and that is all thanks to our founder," said Scott Deviney, CEO of Chicken Salad Chick. "Stacy Brown set the standard and we have worked hard to uphold it throughout the years. We incorporate many family values in guiding our business model to make sure all of our franchisees are able to spend quality time with their family and feel supported. We are honored to be named Top Franchises for Women and hope to inspire others in the industry."

Visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com to see the full list of the 2023 Top Franchises .

Chicken Salad Chick's investment opportunity and multiple revenue streams have quickly gained attention among local families and aspiring entrepreneurs interested in pursuing the franchise opportunity. Looking ahead, the brand's development goal is to have 500 locations open and operating by the end of 2025.

To learn more about opportunities with Chicken Salad Chick, contact Carrie Evans, Vice President of Franchise Development, at [email protected] or visit http://www.chickensaladchick.com/franchising.

About Chicken Salad Chick

Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu is a perfect fit for any guest. Founded in Auburn, Alabama by Stacy and Kevin Brown, in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick has grown to more than 200 restaurants in 17 states. Today, under the leadership of Scott Deviney and the Chicken Salad Chick team headquartered in Atlanta, the brand is continuing its rapid expansion with both franchise and company locations. Chicken Salad Chick has received numerous accolades including rankings in Franchise Times' Fast & Serious and Fast Casual.com 's top Movers and Shakers for the third consecutive year, QSR's Best Franchise Deals for the second consecutive year and Franchise Business Review's Top Food Franchises in 2020. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information.

About Franchise Business Review

Franchise Business Review (FBR) is a leading market research firm serving the franchise sector. FBR measures the satisfaction and engagement of franchisees and franchise employees and publishes various guides and reports for entrepreneurs considering an investment in a franchise business. Since 2005, FBR has surveyed hundreds of thousands of franchise owners and over 1,200 leading franchise companies. FBR publishes free and unbiased franchisee satisfaction research reports throughout the year online at www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com . To read our publications, visit https://franchisebusinessreview.com/page/publications/.

SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick
Seasoned underwriter with significant experience across all regions

NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb today announced that Adam Mason has been appointed Executive Vice President, Casualty for Overseas General Insurance, the company's general insurance operations. Currently, Mason serves as Deputy Head of Casualty for the business. In his new role, he will be responsible for the growth and profitability for Chubb's casualty lines in 51 countries and territories outside North America.

Adam Mason has been appointed Executive Vice President, Casualty for Overseas General Insurance, Chubb's international general insurance operations.

Mason will continue to report to Mark Homan, who, as Chubb announced separately, has been named Division President, International Property and Casualty, for Overseas General Insurance. The appointments are effective June 1, 2023.

"Over two decades at Chubb, Adam has built a strong reputation as a technical underwriter and experienced multinational executive," said Homan. "As Deputy Head and Chief Underwriting Officer for our international Casualty business, Adam has been instrumental in driving the growth and profitability of our portfolio across all regions. We're pleased to welcome this experienced leader and manager to this important role."

Mason has more than 30 years of industry experience. Prior to serving as Deputy Head of Casualty for Overseas General Insurance, he was Chief Underwriting Officer, Casualty. Mason joined the company, then named ACE, in 2002, working in the U.K. and Ireland for both the multinational retail and international wholesale casualty underwriting teams. He joined Chubb's casualty business in 2011. Earlier in his career, Mason served as an Assistant Underwriter at Independent Insurance and a Casualty Underwriter at CNA.

Mason holds a degree in Economics and Geography from Middlesex University.

About Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 34,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com

SOURCE Chubb
HOUSTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Holding, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), today announced its offer to purchase (the "Offer") for cash an aggregate principal amount of up to $472.975 million (the "Excess Cash Flow Offer Amount") of its 9.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 (the "Notes") at a purchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the settlement date, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase, dated May 11, 2023 (the "Offer to Purchase").

The Offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 9, 2023, unless extended or earlier terminated by the Company (the "Expiration Time"). Subject to the Excess Cash Flow Offer Amount of $472.975 million, for each $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) prior to the Expiration Time and accepted by the Company, holders of Notes will receive $1,000 in cash (the "Offer Price"), plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the settlement date. Tendered Notes may be validly withdrawn at any time prior to the Expiration Time, unless extended or earlier terminated by the Company. The settlement date is currently expected to be the fifth business day following the Expiration Time.

If the aggregate principal amount of the Notes tendered in the Offer exceeds the Excess Cash Flow Offer Amount of $472.975 million, the Company will purchase Notes having an aggregate principal amount equal to the Excess Cash Flow Offer Amount on a pro rata basis (subject to the applicable procedures of The Depository Trust Company), with adjustments as may be deemed appropriate by the Trustee (as defined below).

The Notes are governed by an indenture, dated as of August 1, 2019 (as amended to the date hereof, the "Indenture"), by and among the Company, the Guarantors party thereto and TMI Trust Company, as trustee (the "Trustee"). Under the terms of the Indenture, the Company is obligated to offer to purchase for cash an aggregate principal amount of up to the Excess Cash Flow Offer Amount of its outstanding Notes at the Offer Price. The Offer is being made to satisfy this requirement.

The Excess Cash Flow Offer Amount is equal to 50% of the Excess Cash Flow (as defined in the Indenture) of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries for the Excess Cash Flow Period (as defined in the Indenture).

None of the Company, its board of directors (or any committee thereof), TMI Trust Company, the paying agent for the Offer, or the Trustee or their respective affiliates is making any recommendation as to whether or not holders should tender all or any portion of their Notes in the Offer.

This announcement is not an offer to purchase or sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or sell any securities. The Offer is being made solely by the Offer to Purchase. The Offer is not being made to holders of Notes in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction.

About CITGO Holding, Inc.

CITGO Holding, Inc. ("CITGO Holding" or the "Company") is the direct parent of CITGO Petroleum Corporation ("CITGO"). CITGO Holding is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PDV Holding, Inc. ("PDV Holding"), a Delaware corporation and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. ("PDVSA" or "ultimate parent"), which is a Venezuelan corporation 100% owned and controlled by the Government of Venezuela.

CITGO manufactures or refines and markets transportation fuels as well as petrochemicals, other industrial products and lubricants. We own and operate three large-scale, highly complex petroleum refineries with a total rated crude oil refining capacity of approximately 807,000 barrels per day, located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Corpus Christi, Texas and Lemont, Illinois. Our refining operations are supported by an extensive distribution network, which provides reliable access to our refined product end-markets. We own 35 active refined product terminals with a total storage capacity of 18.3 million barrels and have equity ownership of an additional 3.5 million barrels of refined product storage capacity through our joint ownership of an additional eight terminals, spread across 22 states. We own or have an equity interest in four additional terminals, consisting of approximately 1 million barrels of refined storage capacity, which are currently inactive or only utilized to store feedstocks used in refining operations. We also have access to more than 150 active third-party and related-party terminals through exchange, terminalling and similar arrangements. Our retail network consists of approximately 4,200 independently owned and operated CITGO-branded retail outlets located east of the Rocky Mountains. We and our predecessors have had a recognized brand presence in the U.S. for over 100 years.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "target," "will," "would," "should," the negative of these terms and similar terms and phrases. These statements relate to, among other things, expectations regarding revenues, costs and expenses, refining and other margins, profitability, cash flows, capital expenditures, liquidity and capital resources, our working capital requirements and other financial and operating items. These statements also relate to our industry, business strategy, goals and expectations concerning our market position and future operations. Any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of our future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. Although we believe the assumptions upon which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of these assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and the forward-looking statements based on these assumptions could be incorrect. In addition, our business and operations involve numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could result in our expectations not being realized or could otherwise materially affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We caution readers that these forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results that are projected, expressed or implied. We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or development, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE CITGO Corporation
Website Portrays How National Home Builder is Blurring the Lines of New Home Construction

MARYVILLE, Tenn., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Clayton Home Building Group, a national builder of attainable single-family residential housing and part of the Clayton organization, announced the launch of its website, ClaytonHomeBuildingGroup.com. The website features how the builder is blurring the lines of home construction in ways that reflect the company's values of attainable homeownership, innovation and social responsibility. The website also serves as the digital home for Opening Doors, Clayton Home Building Group's lifestyle magazine.

Clayton Home Building Group: Blurring the lines in home construction

"We are thrilled to launch our first website dedicated to showcasing Clayton Home Building Group's extraordinary team members and the homes they build," said Keith Holdbrooks, Chief Executive Officer of Clayton Home Building Group. "With housing demand at an all-time high and affordability at an all-time low, our three unique but connected business units are dedicated to finding innovative ways to build high quality, attainable homes. ClaytonHomeBuildingGroup.com allows us to tell this story and connect with our customers and partners."

Clayton Home Building Group built more than 62,000 single family residential homes in 2022 and is comprised of three interrelated business units, Clayton Manufacturing, Clayton Properties Group and Clayton Supply. Clayton Manufacturing has 40 home building facilities across the country focused on constructing quality off-site homes. Clayton Properties Group is comprised of nine site-built home builders nationwide and has been named a top 10 builder by Builder Magazine. Clayton Supply is the company's vertically integrated division that sources and distributes building materials to both Clayton's home building facilities and site-builders. Clayton Supply also builds DuraCraft Cabinets and Lux Windows and Doors.

ClaytonHomeBuildingGroup.com tells the story of how the three connected business units work together to blur the lines between on-site and off-site construction methods to address today's housing demand and attainability crisis. The website showcases how this novel home building approach is decreasing build time for homeowners, increasing housing supply and exploring new housing frontiers with innovative homes such as the CrossMod and ON2 Homes in Denver, which start at half the median cost of a single-family home in metro Denver.

Clayton Home Building Group's culture reflects the company's values of attainable homeownership, a world-class team member experience, doing good through volunteer work, and commitment to sustainability. Examples of how these values are brought to life are woven throughout the website with vivid imagery and storytelling.

ClaytonHomeBuildingGroup.com also serves as the digital home for Opening Doors, Clayton Home Building Group's lifestyle magazine that celebrates homeownership through design inspiration, culinary discoveries, travel adventures and seasonal trends. The magazine also features stories about Clayton team members, environmentally conscious building methods and philanthropy. Site visitors can enjoy the digital version of the magazine and sign up to receive a printed copy in the mail.

Clayton Home Building Group's newsroom and blog can also be found on the website.

About Clayton

Founded in 1956, Clayton is committed to opening doors to a better life and building happyness through homeownership. As a diverse builder committed to quality and durability, Clayton offers traditional site-built homes and off-site built housing  including modular homes, manufactured homes, CrossMod homes, tiny homes, college dormitories, military barracks and apartments. In 2022, Clayton built 62,620 homes across the country. Clayton is a Berkshire Hathaway company. For more information, visit claytonhomes.com.

CrossMod is a registered trademark of Manufactured Housing Institute.

Media Contact

Caitlyn Crosby

[email protected]

SOURCE Clayton Home Building Group
WILMINGTON, N.C., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CloudWyze, a homegrown North Carolina internet and managed service provider and GREAT Grant recipient, is expanding service in Nash County, N.C. in their continued efforts to close the digital divide.

Wilmington-based internet service provider CloudWyze is set to expand its fiber internet service in Nash County, NC, covering additional areas in Nashville and portions of Rocky Mount.

Fiber internet from CloudWyze was first available to more than 2,500 residents in Nashville, N.C. in November 2022, and quickly drew hundreds of subscribers in the area. With the recent extension, CloudWyze will bring reliable high-speed fiber internet to more than 1,300 additional households and businesses in the eastern part of Nashville and western parts Rocky Mount, including the neighborhoods near Oak Level Road, Old Carriage Road, and Eastern Avenue.

"Nash County, through a public-private partnership with CloudWyze, continues to expand high-speed internet into rural areas," said Patsy McGhee, the Assistant to the County Manager in Nash County. "The private investment by CloudWyze is also being used in these areas, but also is expanded to include a larger fiber build in and around Nashville, providing competition to benefit the residents and businesses in those areas."

Nash County and CloudWyze entered a public-private partnership in 2018 to bring fixed wireless internet service to several areas of the county, including Red Oak, Castalia, Momeyer, Spring Hope, Middlesex, and Bailey, and have since added fiber internet to the scope of the partnership.

"For us, it was always more than simply providing internet. Quality access backed by strong partnerships are a catalyst for the growth and success of these communities," said Shaun Olsen, CloudWyze founder and CEO. "A reliable internet connection enables students to learn remotely, businesses to access critical resources, patients to utilize telemedicine, grandparents to video call their grandkids, and so on. Connectivity is no longer a luxuryit is a necessity."

To learn more or sign up for service, please visit cloudwyze.com or call CloudWyze on the direct line for Nash County residents at 252-220-5589.

About CloudWyze:

Founded in 2012, CloudWyze empowers residents and businesses in Eastern North Carolina with high-speed internet solutions and technology support. Their technology experts are committed to creating equitable access to critical information and services to drive growth and prosperity in their local communities. CloudWyze offers public and private cloud-based solutions, around-the-clock support, phone and internet. Visit their website to learn more and follow them on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

For Media Inquiries Contact:

Hannah Williams

Marketing Coordinator

910-795-1000 ext. 144

[email protected]

SOURCE CloudWyze
ATLANTA, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloverly, a technology powered climate action platform, today announced that it has raised a $19 million Series A funding round. The investment was led by Grotech Ventures , a leading global technology investor, and joined by other leading firms including Aquiline Technology Growth , Impact Engine , Mission One Capital , New Climate Ventures , and CreativeCo Capital , and supported by existing investors including Tech Square Ventures , SoftBank Opportunity Fund , Circadian Ventures , Knoll Ventures , SaaS Ventures , and Panoramic Ventures . This financing will fund the further development of Cloverly's industry-leading digital infrastructure for the voluntary carbon markets, including the new supplier platform, helping buyers, suppliers, and nearly any other company to easily scale their impact. The Series A will also support tripling Cloverly's team and launching a second headquarters in London in order to accommodate global customer demand.

Carbon Removal Marketplace

Innovation Within a Critical Industry

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ), "The deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) to counterbalance hard-to-abate residual emissions is unavoidable if net zero CO2 or GHG emissions are to be achieved." The voluntary carbon market (VCM) represents a critical mechanism for driving immediate climate action by addressing unavoidable emissions today in parallel to the large-scale emissions reductions required to avert climate change in the future. In order to reach global emissions targets, the National Academy of Sciences states that an additional 10 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide must be removed annually by 2050. This pressing need is fueling incredible growth for these markets, expected to reach between $50 billion dollars by 2030 according to McKinsey and the Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets . However, despite the growth and urgency, the VCM lacks many of the fundamental elements required to drive meaningful impact at scale.

Cloverly has been addressing these problems surrounding access, ease, trust, and transparency since its inception as the first API in the world for carbon credits and the company has grown to become the leading digital infrastructure powering the VCM, partnering with global leaders such as American Express, Salesforce, Visa, more. Businesses can quickly scale their climate action by directly purchasing quality carbon removals or by embedding the Cloverly technology into their own products, services, or supply chains. Project suppliers can also scale by leveraging the Cloverly Marketplace as well as Cloverly's supplier software that enables them to manage critical commercial operations such as inventory management, multi-channel distribution, and the tracking of credit sales. The new supplier platform offers credits from innovative suppliers such as Tradewater , Therm , KOKO Networks , CarbonCure .

"Cloverly has been such a strong champion as we look to scale our distribution of carbon credits," added Rahul Misra, CarbonCure's Head of Carbon Product and Operations. "The value they provide both by showcasing our solution and via their genuine partnership is important as we navigate the very dynamic voluntary carbon market and engage with a diverse range of credit buyers."

The Market Demand

Consumer spending data supports not only the environmental imperative to scale climate change but also the public demand to incorporate sustainable choices into our lives. A 2022 NielsenIQ report shows 30% of consumers are more likely to purchase sustainable products and a 2022 report from the Wharton School of Business highlights that two thirds of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Incorporating climate action into user experiences and product roadmaps is one of the greatest opportunities businesses can leverage to meet this proven market demand.

"We cannot wait - we need to act now," shared Jason Rubottom, CEO of Cloverly. "The importance of the voluntary carbon market demonstrates an unprecedented demand for solutions that allow both businesses and consumers to actively contribute to critical climate action. Cloverly is uniquely positioned to facilitate that engagement and this funding round represents that."

"Through our due diligence, we spoke to many of Cloverly's customers. We were struck by the passion they had for Cloverly's product and team," recalled Lawson Devries, general partner at Grotech Ventures. "It became clear that Cloverly has not only established itself as a global leader in a large market but that they were bringing real value to their stakeholders and positively impacting the larger fight against climate change. We are excited to be a part of that."

"It has been remarkable to watch Cloverly evolve since its seed round," reflected Vasant Kamath of Tech Square Ventures, the original lead investor in the company. "Seeing both the product and team rapidly grow into a world-class player in just a few short years is a testament to their continued innovation to meet this critical market need."

About Cloverly

Cloverly launched as the first API for carbon credits and now is the most advanced digital infrastructure powering the voluntary carbon markets. With a mission to scale high-impact climate action, Cloverly is now trusted by 200+ enterprises worldwide spanning financial services, technology, ESG / carbon accounting, supply chain, eCommerce, and more, with dozens of the leading project developers and suppliers leveraging the Cloverly platform to manage their carbon credit operations. For more information, visit http://launch.cloverly.com/home .

About Grotech Ventures

Founded in 1984, Grotech Ventures is a leading early investor in high-potential technology companies. Grotech seeks innovative, early-stage investments across the technology landscape and continues to invest and add value throughout the life cycle of each portfolio company. The firm has a strong combination of financial backing, industry relationships, and deep domain and operational expertise to accelerate growth. With more than $1.0 billion in committed capital, Grotech supports early-stage companies through investments starting at $500,000. For more information, visit http://www.grotech.com .

Media Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Cloverly
SAN FRANCISCO, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to an increasingly challenging environment in downtown San Francisco, the iconic luxury Australian furniture brand, Coco Republic, is following other established retailers in closing its Union Square store and will immediately commence a sale of all of its on-site inventory.

Coco Republic is holding a closing sale of all inventory in the 53,000-square-foot design showroom in San Francisco at 55 Stockton in Union Square. All of the inventory at the three-story 53,000-square-foot Coco Republic location in Union Square will be included in the closing sale at 55 Stockton Street.

Downtown San Francisco has been struggling with well-documented issues, which have significantly exacerbated challenges that started with the coronavirus pandemic. Due to a significant decrease in foot traffic and customers, retailers have been finding it difficult to operate in the area. Despite taking numerous precautions in and around their San Francisco store to protect customers and employees, Coco Republic has concluded that it is impossible to continue to keep the location open.

"We invested extraordinary time and capital in our initial US flagship store in Union Square," said Anthony Spon-Smith, Coco Republic's Creative Director and Founder based in Sydney. "Less than six months from opening, we could not be more disappointed to be shuttering this flagship location in our sister city, but ultimately, the safety and well-being of our customers and employees is our highest priority."

Coco Republic will continue delivering exceptional products and experiences to retail customers and trade designers around the world. In California, Coco Republic's flagship store remains the cornerstone of the 100,000-square-foot HD Buttercup Design Center in Culver City. A newly remodeled Coco Republic store in Orange County will be opening later this month, and the worldwide brand's online presence in the U.S. will expand in May with the launch of a new e-commerce platform at www.cocorepublic.com.

"In the immediate term, we will continue to service San Francisco residents online and provide full-service commercial sales support," said Skye Westcott, US President of Coco Republic. "We love the Bay Area and hope to be back if conditions improve in the years ahead."

Please send any inquiries to [email protected].

SOURCE Coco Republic
Charcuterie expert lays out step-by-step instructions and video tutorial on how to turn mom's favorite snacks into a beautiful, edible flower arrangement

AUSTIN, Minn., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With Mother's Day right around the corner, many are likely wondering how to make the day special for the moms in their lives. Thankfully, California-based Columbus Craft Meats, a charcuterie pioneer, is here to help with a food-inspired twist on a classic Mother's Day gesture: flowers. Surprise her this year with a delicious charcuterie board adorned with easy-to-make salami roses  or another deli meat, if she prefers  as recommended by Evan Inada, charcuterie/partnerships director at Columbus Craft Meats, a member of the Hormel Foods family.

Surprise mom this year with a delicious charcuterie board adorned with easy-to-make salami roses  or another deli meat, if she prefers  as recommended by Evan Inada, charcuterie/partnerships director at Columbus Craft Meats, a member of the Hormel Foods family. Surprise mom this year with a delicious charcuterie board adorned with easy-to-make salami roses  or another deli meat, if she prefers  as recommended by Evan Inada, charcuterie/partnerships director at Columbus Craft Meats, a member of the Hormel Foods family.

"Who doesn't love homemade gifts?" Inada asked. "I can't think of a better way to celebrate this special occasion than with a delicious treat prepared by your loved ones. My daughter and I frequently arrange food bouquets in our house, and it's a great activity to do together. Plus, we get to eat our work!"

Creating a perfect charcuterie board is a fun way to make something personal while also ensuring that it tastes great. Columbus Craft Meats makes shopping for your charcuterie board easy, as the brand has all the flavors and artisan products for your board-building needs, available at retailers nationwide.

"Every charcuterie board is focused on five categories: meat, cheese, acid, crunch and a sweet 'wow' factor," Inada said. "When shopping for your board, keeping those five categories in mind can help ensure a balanced flavor profile, but don't be afraid to let your kids choose items they think mom will love."

For the meats, medium-diameter Italian dry salami and a larger-diameter Genoa or soppressata make for easy rose folding, while a full-muscle salumi item like coppa and prosciutto adds elegance to the board. Pick mom's favorite when choosing cheeses. Add some flare with a brie or mascarpone, and then add a firmer cheese like cheddar, Gouda or mimollette to cut out shapes for your board. For acidity, include fresh fruits such as green grapes, strawberries and gooseberries, or other items with vibrant colors. Add fruit/nut crackers and milder crackers that play well with the rich and creamy flavors on the board for crunch. You can also toss your favorite plain nuts in turbinado sugar and dried lavender to add a unique flavor. Finally, add fresh flowers, chocolates or even honeycomb for that sweet "wow" factor.

When creating the salami roses, begin by folding all the salami slices in half, as shown here. There are three ways to fold a rose, each of which is easy enough for kids to do:

The easiest way is to fold all the salami in half, then line them up like a tower on top of each other, then roll them from the bottom and secure with a toothpick.



Another method is to get a small-rimmed wine glass and fold each full salami over the rim until you can flip it over and place it on the board.



A third option is to start with one twisted "rose" and work from the inside to the outside, folding half-fold salami until you can place them in a small cup to hold their form.

Once your salami roses are complete, decorate them with green grapes, thyme or rosemary to create the rose look on the board, and place them next to the brie wheel with a cookie-cutter heart cutout.

"You can do no wrong," Inada said. "Just have fun with it!"

Columbus Craft Meats encourages fans to share their Mother's Day creations with us by tagging the brand on their favorite social-media channels.

facebook.com/columbusmeats

twitter.com/Columbus_Meats

instagram.com/columbusmeats

youtube.com/@columbuscraftmeats

tiktok.com/@columbusmeats

For more Mother's Day inspiration, visit https://www.hormelfoods.com/inspired.

ABOUT HORMEL FOODS  Inspired People. Inspired Food.

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters, SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, WHOLLY, Hormel Black Label, Columbus, Jennie-O and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named on the "Global 2000 World's Best Employers" list by Forbes magazine for three years, is one of Fortune magazine's most admired companies, has appeared on the "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list by 3BL Media 13 times, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement  Inspired People. Inspired Food.  to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://csr.hormelfoods.com/.

SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation
British Defense Minister Ben Wallace confirmed information about the transfer of long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, The Guardian reports.

Today I can confirm that the UK is donating Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, the minister said in the House of Commons.

He stressed that the donation of these weapons systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russias continued brutality, especially the deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, which is against international law.

Ukraine has a right to be able to defend itself against this, he stated. Wallace stressed that we will simply not stand by as Russia kills civilians.

Russia must recognise that its actions alone have led to such systems being provided to Ukraine, the minister said.

CNN previously reported on this decision, citing several senior Western officials. According to the report, the UK has received assurances from the Ukrainian government that these missiles will be used only on the territory of Ukraine, and not on the territory of Russia.
VisualCortex joins Axis Technology Integration Partner Program to deliver computer vision software and video analytics solutions to Axis Communications' global network of customers and partners across 50 countries

SYDNEY and LUND, Sweden, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VisualCortex  the Video Intelligence Platform connecting computer vision's potential to real-world business outcomes  has signed an agreement with Axis Communications, a leader in network video solutions, joining the Axis Technology Integration Partner Program.

Under the terms of the agreement, VisualCortex will make its video analytics technology  particularly its People Counting Solution and Vehicle Counting Solution  readily accessible to Axis Communications clients, partners and system integrators across the globe.

"As an Axis Technology Integration Partner, VisualCortex will provide dedicated integrations and support to enable Axis Communications' global ecosystem to take full advantage of our platform approach to computer vision," said VisualCortex CEO and Co-Founder, Patrick Elliott. "Axis Communications is a recognized leader in video surveillance and innovative network solutions. With a presence in over 50 countries, building the VisualCortex  Axis relationship is a vital part of our global growth plans and partner-based go-to-market strategy."

"Axis' channel-centric business model recognizes that the specialist knowledge and capabilities of partners like VisualCortex play a critical role in driving the shift from analog to digital video surveillance  something we've been doing for over 30 years," said Regional Director for Oceania at Axis Communications, Wai King Wong. "Supporting vendors like VisualCortex to develop deep integrations to Axis devices has been a core part of Axis' customer enablement strategy."

"The Axis Technology Integration Partner Program is a powerful collaboration platform that provides our partners with the tools and resources needed to develop advanced video surveillance solutions that truly empower our customers," said Wai King Wong. "The Axis Technology Integration Partner Program gives VisualCortex access to the tools, technical support and symbiotic marketing opportunities needed to deliver world-class video analytics solutions to our customers in quick-time. This strategic partnership marks a pivotal step in our global growth plans and partner-based go-to-market strategy, and we are excited to be working with VisualCortex to deliver cutting-edge solutions to our valued customers worldwide."

About VisualCortex

VisualCortex is making video data actionable in the enterprise. Its Video Intelligence Platform provides the stability and flexibility to productionize computer vision technology at scale. Able to be used for any video analytics use case in any industry, VisualCortex's production-ready cloud-based environment transforms video assets into analyzable streams of data.

The VisualCortex platform delivers the artificial intelligence smarts, governance and usability, enabling organizations to connect any number of video streams, repositories and use existing commodity hardware. An intuitive user interface, out-of-the-box reporting, range of configurations and integrations empower non-technical people to produce, analyze and act on insights derived from computer vision throughout the enterprise. Organizations can easily combine these AI-generated video insights with other data sources and systems to facilitate both real-time operations and strategic analysis. The VisualCortex Model Store also provides a secure marketplace for customers, partners and independent machine learning experts to share quality controlled computer vision models .

For more information, visit www.visualcortex.com

About Axis Communications

Axis enables a smarter and safer world by creating solutions for improving security and business performance. As a network technology company and industry leader, Axis offers solutions in video surveillance, access control, intercom, and audio systems. They are enhanced by intelligent analytics applications and supported by high-quality training.

Axis has around 4,000 dedicated employees in over 50 countries and collaborates with technology and system integration partners worldwide to deliver customer solutions. Axis was founded in 1984, and the headquarters are in Lund, Sweden.

For further media information, interviews or images, or product demonstrations, please contact:

Lachlan James, VisualCortex Chief Marketing Officer, on +61 (0)431 835 658 or [email protected]

For regular updates, follow VisualCortex on Twitter (@VisualCortexApp), LinkedIn (VisualCortex), YouTube (VisualCortex) and Facebook (@VisualCortexApp).

For regular industry news and analysis, subscribe to VisualCortex's mailing list here: https://visualcortex.com/contact-us/

SOURCE VisualCortex
Challenge Match by BBX Capital Foundation Inspires Others to Create Endowed Funds for the Arts

More Than $1.6 Million Raised

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A creative arts funding challenge match recently issued by BBX Capital Foundation has resulted in more than $1.6 million in new endowed funds for the arts in Broward County. As part of their $1M endowed gift commitment to the Community Foundation of Broward, BBX Capital Foundation offered a one-to-one challenge match of $500,000 to inspire other companies and individuals to establish their own endowed funds for the arts. BBX Capital is the Community Foundation of Broward's first corporate Community Builder and the first company to establish a $1M endowment for the arts in Broward.

BBX Capital Foundation presents a $1 million check to Community Foundation of Broward to commemorate its commitment to endowed funding for the arts in Broward County. From left to right, Community Foundation of Broward President/CEO Jennifer OFlannery Anderson, Ph.D. BBX Capital President and CEO Jarett Levan, BBX Capital Foundation Executive Director Lois Marino and Community Foundation of of Broward Board Chair Juliet Murphy Roulhac (Photo courtesy Community Foundation of Broward)

The new funds are part of a growing group of endowed funds for the arts at the Community Foundation, which met the BBX Capital Foundation challenge by identifying new or existing fundholders to establish or add to funds dedicated to the arts.

Companies, individuals, and organizations that met the arts funding challenge include Stearns Weaver Fund for the Arts, Fred Smith Arts Fund, Judith Linnell Foundation Fund, Ed Hashek and John Jors Charitable Fund, John Ryan Fund for Performing Arts, Mildred H. Fagen Fund and the Funding Arts Broward Endowment Fund. All funds are established at the Community Foundation. The BBX Arts Challenge resulted in nearly $700,000 in new endowed arts funds from these generous donors.

"The arts are a major attraction for Broward's residents and visitors and are crucial to the vitality of our community," said Jarett Levan, President and CEO of BBX Capital and board member of BBX Capital Foundation. "Our goal was to set an example to inspire other companies and individuals to create their own funds for the arts. We are pleased others see the value of the arts as we do and hope the momentum to create these endowed funds continues." Levan and his wife, Dara, previously established the Dara and Jarett Levan Fund for the Arts at the Community Foundation.

Community Foundation of Broward was quick to accept and meet the challenge because the need for dedicated arts funding in Broward is so great.

"We thank the BBX Capital Foundation for their leadership. The pandemic affected the arts exponentially," said Community Foundation President/CEO Jennifer O'Flannery Anderson, Ph.D. "These endowed funds help ensure support for the arts continues, even during challenging times. The funds are enduring, provide a reliable, dependable source of revenue and unrestricted support for their missions for generations to come."

Arts funding has long been a priority of the Community Foundation, which notes on its website that arts and culture are core to thriving communities and vital to connecting people to their neighbors and each other.

The Community Foundation seeks to expand, elevate and sustain a vibrant arts community and increase exposure of unique historical and cultural experiences to all residents. It convenes artists and organizations to share and learn how to best elevate the arts and engage local residents.

For more information about Community Foundation of Broward, please email Kirk Englehardt, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the Community Foundation ([email protected]) or call 954-761-9503.

About Community Foundation of Broward:

Founded in 1984, Community Foundation of Broward (CFB) helps families, individuals, and corporations create personalized charitable Funds that deliver game-changing philanthropic impact. 489 charitable Funds represent more than $269 million in assets, distributing $145 million in grants over the past 37 years. CFB provides bold leadership on community solutions and fosters philanthropy that connects people who care with causes that matter  which empowers visionaries, innovators and doers to create the change they want to see in the community  and BE BOLD. www.cfbroward.org.

About BBX Capital Foundation:

BBX Capital Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporate foundation. Since its inception, the BBX Capital Foundation has awarded more than $20 million in contributions and in-kind services to charitable organizations throughout Florida.

Media Contact:

For Community Foundation of Broward

Kirk Englehardt

Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Community Foundation of Broward

[email protected]

(M) 786-562-4282 (O) 954-761-9503 x105

SOURCE Community Foundation of Broward
TORRANCE, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 11, 2023, AI SPERA, an AI-based Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) provider, announced a data-sharing partnership agreement between its flagship search engine, Criminal IP, and DNS0.EU. This strategic collaboration makes perfect sense, as both entities share a common objective of providing the utmost protection against internet threats by blocking malicious domains, thus contributing to a safer DNS environment.

Criminal IP has become a new partner of DNS0.EU

DNS0.EU is an independent non-profit organization based in France, originally established as the European DNS project in 2022. The organization's primary objective is to provide secure DNS services to protect the citizens and institutions of the European Union. Currently, there are 27 operational servers located in 62 data centers across 55 cities in Europe, all of which comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Utilizing AI technology, Criminal IP performs real-time collection and analysis of IP addresses, enabling effective detection of cyber threats. This CTI search engine has established a mutual data-sharing partnership with DNS0.EU, which has bolstered its recognition and reliability in terms of technology and data. The data collected worldwide by Criminal IP is processed and transferred to DNS0.EU's internal system in a feed format, resulting in the blocking of malicious domains. As a new partner of DNS0.EU, Criminal IP significantly enhances threat intelligence and internet security throughout the European Union by providing public DNS services and secure DNS for children, protecting them from accessing adult content.

Since its official launch on April 17, 2023, Criminal IP has achieved global recognition in cybersecurity, establishing itself as a prominent CTI search engine through API integrations and strong partnerships. Moreover, on May 3, 2023, Criminal IP introduced a WordPress security plugin called Anti-Brute Force, Login Fraud Detector (Criminal IP FDS).

About AI SPERA: AI SPERA provides an OSINT-based CTI from a hacker's perspective by developing the latest AI-driven security technologies. AI SPERA defends against ever-evolving cyber threats, spanning education and research, corporate security teams, white hackers, national agencies, and cybercrime investigation organizations.

SOURCE AI Spera Inc.
NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ATSG, a leading global, tech-enabled managed services and solutions company, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Elizabeth Kubycheck, Chief People & Brand Officer, as a 2023 Women of the Channel Power 80 Solution Provider  a subset of prominent executives selected from the CRN 2023 Women of the Channel list.

The CRN 2023 Women of the Channel honorees bring their creativity, strategic thinking, and leadership to bear, turning their unique talents toward driving success for their customers and technology partners. The annual Power 80 Solution Provider list honors the most influential women in leadership at some of the country's most prominent solution providers, based on their remarkable expertise, channel advocacy, and contributions to building solution provider businesses that thrive.

As a 20+ year veteran of the global technology industry and member of ATSG's Executive Leadership Team, Mrs. Kubycheck has been instrumental in leading ATSG's corporate brand & communications strategy, people & employee engagement operations, and executive chief of staff overseeing the execution of corporate initiatives to drive profitable growth. Mrs. Kubycheck has been transformational in unifying ATSG's teams, brand identity, and industry relations across all functions throughout ATSG's expansive growth; working strategically to integrate and unify newly hired and acquired teams and offerings into the global organization.

"Elizabeth's crucial leadership role in driving the company's global people operations and market strategy for expansive growth has been a key component of our overall success," said Anthony J. D'Ambrosi, Chief Executive Officer, ATSG. "Her all-encompassing, inclusive, and communicative approach to executive collaboration, employee involvement, and strategic partnership alignment has facilitated the achievement of the company's overall mission and vision. Elizabeth has emerged as a genuine ambassador of our ONEATSG culture and purpose, constantly innovating and tailoring programs, and initiatives to address the dynamics of this ever-changing environment. We take immense pride in her accomplishments and are honored to see her contributions acknowledged in our industry and throughout the channel ecosystem."

"We are ecstatic to announce this year's honorees and shine a light on these women for their significant achievements, knowing that what they've accomplished has paved the way for continued success within the IT channel," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "The channel is stronger because of them, and we look forward to seeing what they do next."

The 2023 Women of the Channel list will be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine, with online coverage starting May 8 at www.CRN.com/WOTC.

About ATSG

ATSG is a global managed services leader providing award-winning digital transformation services to today's dynamic enterprises. ATSG's Intelligent Solutions as a Service portfolio of Digital Workplace, Digital Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, and Customer Experience offerings are powered by the ATSGOne Intelligent Multicloud Platform. Headquartered in Manhattan, New York, ATSG is a portfolio company of RunTide Capital, a private equity firm focused on building tech-enabled growth companies.

More information on ATSG is available at www.atsg.net. Like us on LinkedIn, follow us on Twitter, or become a fan on our Facebook page.

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com

 2023. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company LLC. All rights reserved.

Contact:

Stacey Loew

ATSG, Inc

[email protected]

SOURCE ATSG, Inc.
VIENNA, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Croma (Croma-Pharma GmbH) announced today that it has received marketing authorisation for Letybo, the company's botulinum toxin product, in 12 additional European markets. These include Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Slovakia and Sweden. Letybo will be launched in these countries in the coming weeks.

In 2022, Croma already received marketing authorisations and initiated launches of Letybo in 11 initial markets (including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Romania and the UK). As a next step, the company plans to obtain marketing authorisation in other European countries such as Croatia, Iceland or Switzerland.

'The launch of Letybo, our botulinum toxin, in Europe in 2022 was a turning point for Croma. It added a highly catalytic, missing element to our already comprehensive, differentiated portfolio. This has allowed us to significantly enhance our attractiveness as a one stop supplier and tap into new customer segments', commented Andreas Prinz, CEO. 'The planned market entry in the newly authorised countries is expected to further accelerate our growth. We are grateful to our partner Hugel for their valuable support during the launch phase.'

With the phased launches of Letybo for the treatment of glabellar (frown) lines in Europe, Croma has significantly enhanced its broad, minimally invasive aesthetics range of hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, PDO threads, biostimulators and its complementary skincare lines. Croma is one of five companies in Europe to have a botulinum toxin in its product portfolio. Letybo was the first new botulinum toxin to be introduced to the European market in 17 years.

About Croma

Croma is a global player in the minimally invasive aesthetics market and a leading European manufacturer of premium quality hyaluronic acid syringes. The company offers a comprehensive and innovative aesthetics portfolio including botulinum toxin, fillers, lifting threads and biostimulators complemented by its own skincare brand. Founded in 1976 by a pharmacist couple, Croma-Pharma GmbH is a family company headquartered in Austria where it also operates its manufacturing plant. With 550 employees, 13 subsidiaries in Europe and Brazil, two joint ventures and 60 exclusive export partners, it distributes its products in 80 markets globally, including the US/Canada, China and Australia/New Zealand. It also operates as a contract manufacturer in orthopaedics and ophthalmology. For more information please visit croma.at

Contact

Uschi Mayer

External Communications

CROMA-PHARMA GmbH

Cromazeile 2 I A-2100 Leobendorf, Austria

Mobil: +43 676 84 68 68 966

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: croma.at

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044449/4030991/Croma_Pharma_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Croma-Pharma
TSX: MFI

www.mapleleaffoods.com

Company announces results of vote for election of directors

MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (TSX:MFI) today announced the appointment of Curtis Frank as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. Frank, who has built an impressive career at Maple Leaf Foods over more than two decades, takes on the role as Michael McCain steps down as CEO after 25 years of leading the Company. This transition represents the final step in a detailed succession plan that was announced last year, which will also see McCain continuing as Executive Chair of the Board of Directors.

"I am incredibly proud and humbled to lead this great Canadian food company," said Frank. "From my roots growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan to building my career here at Maple Leaf Foods, food and agriculture have always been at the center of my life. I have had the great fortune to work with and to be mentored by Michael. He is a passionate and visionary leader who has established Maple Leaf Foods as an iconic Canadian food company that is admired on the global stage. Drawing on this legacy, I am energized and excited to lead us into our next chapter, as we build on our leading brands, leverage our world class assets, and advance our leadership in sustainability while remaining grounded in our culture and leadership values."

"Curtis is a remarkable leader. He stands out in every dimension of our Leadership Values and has a track record of success delivered through his extraordinary skill in connecting with people," said McCain. "He has the unwavering commitment of my entire family, who will continue to be deeply connected to Maple Leaf Foods as owner/operator shareholders. Curtis and I have executed a meticulous transition, and he knows every inch of this company. He has earned this role and will carry forward our purpose with passion. I know that his extensive tenure at the helm of Maple Leaf Foods will be astonishing in its achievements."

Earlier today the Company also held its Annual Meeting of Shareholders, at which all director nominees were elected to the Board of Directors. The results of the vote were as follows:

Names of Directors Number of Shares Voted For Percentage of Shares Voted For Number of Shares Voted Against Percentage of Shares Voted Against W.E. Aziz 102,428,142 99.27 % 752,884 0.73 % R.G. Close 95,322,299 92.38 % 7,858,727 7.62 % T.P. Hayes 95,400,794 92.46 % 7,780,232 7.54 % K.N. Lemon 102,938,346 99.76 % 242,680 0.24 % A.G. Macdonald 103,082,514 99.90 % 98,512 0.10 % L. Mantia 102,988,782 99.81 % 192,244 0.19 % J.W.F. McCain 102,932,864 99.76 % 248,162 0.24 % M.H. McCain 101,746,349 98.61 % 1,434,677 1.39 % B. Newlands Campbell 102,987,752 99.81 % 193,274 0.19 %



Following the meeting, and in connection with his appointment as President and CEO, Curtis Frank was also appointed to the Board of Directors, while Michael McCain was appointed as Executive Chair and Tom Hayes was appointed as Independent Lead Director.

All other resolutions at the meeting were also successfully approved by shareholders, including:

the reappointment of KPMG LLP as the auditors of the Corporation (92.92% of votes cast in favour); and

the advisory resolution on Maple Leaf Foods' approach to executive compensation (96.44% of votes cast in favour).

In total, 103,417,040 common shares were voted at the meeting, representing 84.61% of the Company's total outstanding common shares. A full report on voting results is available under Maple Leaf Foods' profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Maple Leaf Foods

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. ("Maple Leaf Foods") is a carbon neutral company with a vision to be the most sustainable protein company on earth, responsibly producing food products under leading brands including Maple Leaf, Maple Leaf Prime, Maple Leaf Natural Selections, Schneiders, Schneiders Country Naturals, Mina, Greenfield Natural Meat Co., Lightlife, Field Roast and Swift. Maple Leaf Foods employs approximately 14,000 people and does business in Canada, the U.S. and Asia. The company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI).

SOURCE Maple Leaf Foods Inc.
LONDON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cynalytica Inc., a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions, will be showcasing an innovative Augmented Reality (AR) solution at Infosecurity Europe 2023, which will take place from June 20-23, 2023, at ExCel London.

Leveraging Cynalytica's OTNetGuard and AnalytICS Engine with Splunk AR is designed to provide enhanced visibility and monitoring capabilities for Industrial Control Systems (ICS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and Operational Technology (OT) systems. With the increasing complexity and sophistication of cyber-physical threats, it is essential for organizations to have real-time accessible situational awareness of their critical infrastructure. Cynalytica's application of Splunk AR offers a new way to visualize and analyze ICS/SCADA and OT systems, providing security teams with a better understanding of their environment and the ability to identify potential threats before they cause harm.

AR leverages advanced technologies such as machine learning and computer vision to generate real-time overlays of ICS/SCADA and OT systems. The AR overlay displays critical system information, such as network traffic, device status, and anomaly detection alerts, directly on top of the physical environment. This approach enables security teams to quickly identify anomalies, suspicious activities, and potential attacks in real-time, reducing response times and minimizing the impact of cyber-physical incidents.

"We are excited to showcase the application of AR, at Infosecurity Europe 2023," said Richard Robinson, CEO at Cynalytica Inc. "The applications of AR in cyber-physical monitoring and security is a potential game changer in the world of ICS/SCADA and OT cybersecurity, offering enhanced visibility, monitoring and collaboration capabilities that were previously unavailable. With the rise of cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure, organizations need to stay ahead of the curve and adopt innovative solutions to protect their assets. AR is one such innovation that can help organizations achieve better cybersecurity outcomes."

Visit Cynalytica and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Booth G80 at Infosecurity Europe 2023 to see a demonstration of the AR solution in action and learn how it can help secure your critical infrastructure.

About Cynalytica

Cynalytica is a leading provider of industrial cybersecurity solutions, helping organizations to protect their critical infrastructure systems from cyberattacks while providing visibility and unique situational awareness to cyber-physical assets. With a range of innovative technologies, Cynalytica is committed to providing comprehensive, effective, and secure solutions for OT and ICS/SCADA systems.

SOURCE Cynalytica Inc.
HANGZHOU, China, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dahua Technology, a world-leading video-centric smart IoT solution and service provider, recently released its 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance Report, demonstrating Dahua's actions in sustainable development and continuous efforts in building a greener and safer digital world.

Transparent ESG Management

As a world-leading video-centric AIoT solution and service provider, Dahua is committed to improve its sustainable development capabilities and make continuous efforts in building a greener and safer digital world. Over the years, the company has been focusing on maximizing its economic, environmental, and social contributions and has been actively enhancing its corporate social responsibility through transparent Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) management.

With a comprehensive ESG management structure, Dahua actively adheres to its corporate social responsibility through transparent ESG management. It continuously integrates Dahua's ESG philosophies with business management, comprehensively improving the company's ESG management capabilities and boosting its sustainable development.

Promote Sustainability & Protect Biodiversity

Dahua is committed to bringing outstanding technologies and services to every corner of the world, utilizing digital intelligence to promote sustainability and biodiversity protection. Dahua's intelligent monitoring solutions were applied in helping scientific research of the flora and fauna in Antarctica, protecting the wetland ecosystem in Yangtze River, providing early warning of forest fire, as well as many others.

Build a Green Low-carbon Community

Green Products

Dahua applies clean technology to its eco-friendly and innovative products to reduce energy consumption. For instance: the Integrated Solar Panels with PTZ/Mini PTZ Camera can save up to 350-500 kWh per 10,000 units; the Smart Lighting Solution and Smart Air-conditioning Solution reduce energy consumption by 20% and 30% respectively.

Green Packaging

Dahua's new sustainable packaging is designed with environmentally friendly materials, increasing its reuse rate by 30%. Plastics in the product packaging is reduced by 9%, which also reduced 75 tons of disposable plastics. It decreases the use of packaging materials by 40% and lessen the use of cardboard by around 12.5 tons per 1 million products.

Green Operation

A Green Product Management Platform is used to cover the whole product life cycle. There were over 8,000 RoHS reports updated in 2022 (30,000 in total). The coverage rate of REACH declarations for different material types reached 100%.

Green Manufacturing

Dahua established a dedicated production cleaning team for energy conservation, pollution reduction, and efficiency enhancement. The Dahua Park's upgraded smart electricity system saves up to 1,389,800 kWh per year. Its newly upgraded air-conditioning system saves up to 6,000 tons of water annually. Several photovoltaic power stations were also deployed to generate clean energy and help reduce carbon emissions.

Continuous Development & Compliant Operation

Dahua established 5 major R&D centers globally and 6 domestic regional development centers, continuing high R&D investment in 2022. It lead the compilation of 22 standards and obtained 53 trademarks and 1,405 new patents and software copyrights (4,979 in total). An ethical compliance and management committee was also formed to continuously ensure the company's high-quality development and compliant operation.

Employee Growth

With more than 23,000 employees worldwide, Dahua puts great importance to its employees' well-being and career growth. A brand new kindergarten was established in the new Dahua headquarters to provide daycare to the young children of Dahua employees. In 2022, Dahua spent around CNY 4.947 million for employee trainings (96% coverage), garnering employee learning performance rate of 571,000 person-times (600,000 hours in total).

Collaborative & Win-win Ecosystem

Dahua strives to build strong alliances with its partners, providing more than 5,600 person-times of dealer trainings and more than 80,000 overseas training sessions last year. It achieved 100% signing rate on the "new conflict-free minerals statement" for suppliers and 95.75% coverage of new suppliers screened based on environmental criteria.

Global Public Welfare

Dahua actively supports the sustainable development of human and nature through its tech for good initiatives, providing financial support and digital equipment to educational and social organizations on a global scale, and constantly bringing positive impact to the communities where it operates.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2074635/appolinary_kalashnikova_WYGhTLym344_unsplash.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2074657/Dahua_LOGO_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Dahua Technology
DALLAS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dallas intellectual property and business litigation attorneys at Caldwell Cassady & Curry are welcoming experienced litigator Richard Cochrane as the firm's newest associate.

Mr. Cochrane joins Caldwell Cassady & Curry after building his litigation skills at an international law firm in Dallas. His background includes representing clients in a broad range of industries before federal district courts, courts of appeal, bankruptcy courts, and the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Mr. Cochrane's experience includes drafting pleadings, motions, and discovery, preparing fact and expert witnesses for depositions and trials, and drafting expert reports. He previously served as a judicial extern for the Hon. Judge Amos L. Mazzant III in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

"Richard is an extremely smart and dedicated lawyer who is already establishing himself as an integral member of our trial team," says firm principal Jason Cassady. "His attention to detail and understanding of key intellectual property issues are a welcome addition."

Mr. Cochrane earned his law degree from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. He served as associate managing editor for the SMU Law Review and was a scholar at the Tsai Center for Law, Science, and Innovation.

He completed his undergraduate degree in petroleum engineering at Texas A&M University. His work in the oil and gas industry includes his prior role as a field engineer for a large oilfield services company on offshore facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.

Caldwell Cassady & Curry represents companies and individuals in high-stakes civil litigation, including patent infringement cases, trade secrets claims, fiduciary duty cases, class actions, and disputes involving company founders. The firm has tried and won some of the nation's top verdicts against the largest companies in the world. Learn more about the firm at www.caldwellcc.com.

For more information, contact Bruce Vincent at 214-763-6226 or [email protected].

SOURCE Caldwell Cassady & Curry
DANA POINT, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dental Implants GPS announced today more growth on tap for the local dental implant group with the Grand Opening of its third location in the Riverside, Inland Empire, area.

The expansion is in response to demand and success attained in Dental Implants GPS' inaugural Southern California Centers in Dana Point and Huntington Beach.

Dental Implants GPS Patient Mike. See his life-changing story. Dental Implants GPS Patient Susanna seeing her new smile! Eric Baker, DDS, MD CEO, Dental Implants GPS Tim Betita, DDS, MD COO, Dental Implants GPS

Dental Implants GPS offers a breakthrough, totally digital, dental implant full-mouth restoration solution that replaces teeth and restores confidence for thousands of SoCal patients in one day!

"We are excited to bring the GPS Smile Solution to individuals living with traditional dentures, partials, or experiencing significant tooth loss in the Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario area," said Eric Baker, DDS, MD, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Dental Implants GPS. "Riverside is a logical choice for our expansion because of the number of people who need our services in that area."

The GPS treatment can deliver a lifelong solution that gives patients stability, comfort and superior aesthetics. Dental Implants GPS patients benefit from our advanced technology, Specialist Doctor Team, and custom digital dental lab. The GPS lab provides the Doctors the ability to deliver a beautiful, immediate GPS Smile in just one day, which is an important key differentiator in the marketplace. Unlike other clinics where it takes months to a year, GPS patients receive their final teeth in a few days!

Tim Betita, DDS, MD, Founder and Chief Operating Officer says, "A person's teeth are so important for healthy eating and overall well-being. Often deteriorating dental conditions prevent people from living their lives and doing the things they once enjoyed. Dental Implants GPS exists to change the lives of our patients starting with a healthy mouth and confident GPS smile."

Dental Implants GPS offers free consultations and 3-D digital imaging so that those searching for the right choice can come in, meet the team and learn what treatment options and financing exists for them. GPS is not a one-size fits all approach. The GPS team customizes each case to the patients medical, dental and personal needs.

The Riverside Clinic Grand Opening will take place on May 25, 2023. The Center is located at 6848 Magnolia Ave #100 in Riverside.

GPS is already planning its next location!

About Dental Implants GPS

Headquartered in Dana Point, CA, Dental Implants GPS, was founded by Dr. Eric Baker and Dr. Tim Betita, both Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and Medical Doctors. To date, Dental Implants GPS has Centers in Dana Point, Huntington Beach and now in Riverside.

Dental Implants GPS brings together doctors solely focused on providing people who have unstable dentures, or those suffering with missing and failing teeth, with advanced dental implant treatments that are customized to their needs.

The Doctors also own a Oral Surgery practice called Niguel Coast Oral and Facial Surgery and a Specialized Dental Implant Lab, Full Arch Solutions +.

They run several Dental Study Clubs that work to network and train other local dentists on implant dentistry. They have personally changed thousands of lives with their dental implant expertise.

For more information about Dental Implants GPS, visit our website at https://dentalimplantsgps.com.

SOURCE Dental Implants GPS
The European Union provided Kyiv with over 1,000 missiles within the framework of the munitions supply program for Ukraine since February 9, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell has said.

However, he did not specify what type of missiles it was about.

"I know that's not enough. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he's going to delay the counteroffensive  certainly they need more preparation, they need more arms, they need to have more capacity and it is us that has to provide it," Borrell said.

As reported, on March 20, 2023, the EU ministers for foreign affairs and defense agreed to provide Ukraine with artillery shells from the available stocks and ramp up military production in the EU to ensure such supplies.

On April 13, the Council of the EU fulfilled the first part of the agreement and approved the allocation of EUR 1 billion through the European Peace Facility to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Later, on May 5, the Council of the EU approved the allocation of EUR 1 billion for the procurement of artillery shells and missiles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
CHICAGO and WASHINGTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Development Innovation Lab at University of Chicago is pleased to announce the launch of a new Innovation Commission for Climate Change, Food Security and Agriculture.

Michael Kremer, University Professor in Economics and the College and the Harris School of Public Policy and 2019 Nobel laureate, announced its launch at the AIM for Climate Summit in Washington, D.C.

"We already have a huge gap in productivity and rising food insecurity across countries," said Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico and Commission member. "Adding climate change to the equation introduces a further layer of urgency. This topic has to be confronted as a dual challenge of adaptation and mitigation, relying on the best analysis and evidence."

Agriculture makes up a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. Promising areas for innovation to mitigate the climate impact of agriculture include livestock feed additives to reduce methane emissions, green fertilizer, crops designed to sequester carbon through their roots, enhanced rock weathering, soil-chemistry advice for farmers to reduce fertilizer-overuse, and payments for environmental services.

At the same time, farmers, particularly in low-income countries, are among those most vulnerable to climate change. There are also many promising innovations to support farmers to adapt to climate change. Examples include drought-resistant seeds, improved weather forecasts paired with digital agricultural advisory services, innovative financing systems for insurance and resilience boosting investments, and weather responsive safety nets.

Chaired by Kremer, the Innovation Commission will be led by a Secretariat that works with leading researchers, innovators, and practitioners in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The full Commission will be announced in the coming months.

"There are many promising areas for innovation, both in mitigation and adaptation," said Michael Kremer. "Each individual innovation might not succeed, but the tremendous costs of climate change justify investing in many potential innovations. For many of the needed innovations, commercial incentives to invest fall short of the social need."

The returns to this innovation can be huge. The estimated social rate of return to public investment in R&D is 55%, a phenomenal rate of return relative to most other investments. The benefits of the green revolution alone, in which improved crop varieties were successfully developed and spread across the world, have been larger than the costs of all development assistance ever spent.

Starting immediately and continuing for the next three years, the Innovation Commission will carefully consider the evidence and make recommendations on innovations with the potential to address the interlinked challenges of climate change, food security, and agriculture.

The Innovation Commission will also consider proposals for meta-innovations: new systems to promote innovation and shape it to meet these global challenges.

It will draw on the experience of Commissioners, including former heads of state, finance ministers, and leaders in international organizations. It will also draw on Kremer's experience helping to co-found Development Innovation Ventures at USAID, which has generated an estimated $17 of social benefits for each $1 spent. It will also draw on his experience helping to design a $1.2 billion dollar advance market commitment for new pneumococcal vaccines. Subsequently three vaccines were developed saving an estimated 700,000 lives.

Learn more about the Commission and its growing team of contributors here.

SOURCE Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago
The YDC Claims Fund was established to compensate victims who suffered sexual and physical abuse when they were children detained at YDC (the Youth Detention Center in Manchester, NH). Victims can file a claim with the YDC Claims Fund before December 31, 2024. Alternatively, victims can choose to file a lawsuit in New Hampshire superior court.

Although the YDC Claims Fund will not meet the needs of every victim, it makes sense for many who want to pursue relief confidentially in a private forum. The YDC Claims Fund also makes sense for those who do not want to wait years for a jury to decide their case and would prefer the faster alternative to endless years of litigation that the YDC Claims Fund offers.

We give our clients results , not promises. We look forward to additional recoveries from the YDC Claims Fund for our other clients as we continue fighting for victims who feel that justice requires closure and compensation now .

To learn more about the YDC Claims Fund, click here. To schedule a free and confidential consultation with an attorney experienced in YDC matters, click here.

SOURCE Douglas, Leonard & Garvey, P.C.
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Volvo Trucks leads the market for heavy electric trucks after the first quarter of 2023, both in Europe and in North America. In total, the Swedish truck manufacturer has sold almost 5,000 electric trucks in about 40 countries. Now, its electric product range is being made available in new markets in Asia, Latin America and Africa.

During the first quarter of 2023, a total of 600 electric trucks weighing 16 tons and more were registered in Europe  more than four times compared to the same period in 2022 (134). Volvo Trucks has the largest market share of this at 50%: an increase compared to 2022, when the company's market share for the full year was 32%.

Volvo Trucks also maintains a leading position in North America, with nearly half of the heavy electric truck market.

"Our commitment to sustainable transport is clearly paying off. We are determined to work closely together with our customers to decarbonize truck transport," says Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks.

The markets with most electric trucks registered overall (including all brands) during the first quarter of 2023 were Germany, France, the Netherlands and the US.

Increasing order intake

Volvo Trucks saw a strong increase in new truck orders during the first quarter of 2023. A total of 486 electric trucks were ordered, which is an increase of 141% compared to the same period in 2022. Most of these orders came from countries in the northern part of Europe, including the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Sweden.

5,000 trucks in 40 countries

After launching its first electric truck in 2019, Volvo Trucks has sold almost 5,000 electric trucks in about 40 countries  mainly in Europe and North America, but also in countries like Australia and Morocco. During 2023, the company will start to sell electric trucks to customers in South Africa, South Korea, India and markets in Latin America.

Six electric models

Last year, Volvo added the three most popular 44-ton heavy-duty trucks to its electric lineup: the Volvo FH, the Volvo FM, and the Volvo FMX. With these new additions, Volvo Trucks has six electric truck models in series production, giving it the industry's most extensive portfolio of zero exhaust emission trucks.

Currently, Volvo Trucks is scaling up production of electric trucks at three plants: in Gothenburg, Sweden; in Blainville, France; and in New River Valley, US. In the third quarter of 2023, serial production will also start at Volvo's largest factory in Ghent, Belgium.

Charging infrastructure required

Thousands of public charging points for heavy trucks will be needed to scale up the volumes of electric trucks. Volvo Group will, together with Daimler and Traton, build at least 1.700 high-performance green energy public chargers all around Europe. The group is also investing in a charging corridor in North America.

Volvo Trucks is aiming for 50% of global sales of new trucks to be electric in 2030, and 100% to be net-zero emission by 2040.

Note that:

All references to Europe mean the European Union plus Norway and Switzerland .

mean the European Union plus and . The Volvo market share and overall growth data referenced for heavy (16 tonnes) electric trucks Europe includes content supplied by IHS Markit.

includes content supplied by IHS Markit. North America means USA and Canada . The Volvo Trucks market share position for North America is based on intelligence supplied by Volvo Trucks North America.

May 11, 2023

For further information, please contact:

Helena Lind

Media Relations Director, Volvo Trucks

[email protected]

+46 76 5536257

Press images and films are available in the Volvo Trucks image and film gallery at http://images.volvotrucks.com.

Volvo Trucks supplies complete transport solutions for discerning professional customers with its full range of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Customer support is provided via a global network of dealers with 2,300 service points in about 130 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 12 countries across the globe. In 2022 approximately 145,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. Volvo Trucks' work is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care.

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE AB Volvo
The new agreement signifies NetJets commitment to creating an enhanced customer experience and trust in Embraer's industry-leading portfolio and customer support

With a partnership spanning more than a decade, NetJets has taken delivery of nearly 120 total aircraft since it first signed an order with Embraer in 2010

MELBOURNE, Fla., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To continue providing reliable global access and exceptional service to current NetJets Owners and their guests, NetJets has signed a new deal with Embraer (B3: EMBR3, NYSE: ERJ) for up to 250 Praetor 500 jet options, which includes a comprehensive services and support agreement. The deal is valued in excess of US $5 billion, with deliveries expected to begin in 2025, and will be NetJets' first time offering the midsize Praetor 500 to customers. For over a decade, NetJets has operated Embraer's Phenom 300 seriesone of NetJets' most requested aircraft.

The partnership between Embraer and NetJets began in 2010 when NetJets first signed a purchase agreement for 50 Phenom 300 aircraft, with up to 75 additional options. In 2021, after Embraer successfully delivered over 100 aircraft, the companies signed a continuing deal for up to 100 additional Phenom 300/E jets, in excess of $1.2 billion.

With this new agreement, NetJets signifies not only its commitment to creating an enhanced customer experience as the company is averaging over 1,200 worldwide flights per day but also its trust in Embraer's industry-leading portfolio and top-ranked support to deliver the ultimate experience to NetJets customers.

"Since 2010, Embraer has enjoyed NetJets' ongoing commitment to our industry-leading aircraft, which is a true testament to the value of our brand and our ability to deliver the ultimate experience in business aviation," said Michael Amalfitano, President and CEO of Embraer Executive Jets. "Our strategic partnership has been an integral part of our business growth, with NetJets taking all aircraft delivery options that have been ordered with Embraer since inception. After building this successful foundation with the Phenom 300 series, it's our pleasure to have now signed this monumental deal for the Praetor 500 midsize jet, and we look forward to an even more exciting future ahead."

"We are eager to add the Embraer Praetor 500, one of today's most state-of-the-art business jets, to our midsize fleet," said Doug Henneberry, Executive Vice President of NetJets Aircraft Asset Management. "This historic fleet agreement is another way that we are growing our fleet for the benefit of our loyal customers. By adding up to 250 aircraft to our fleet, we will continue providing NetJets Owners with exceptional service and seamless access to all corners of the globe."

The Praetor 500 is the world's most disruptive and technologically advanced midsize business jet, boasting an impressive best-in-class rangeenabling U.S. coast-to-coast capabilityindustry-leading speed, and unparalleled runway performance. In terms of technology, it's the only aircraft in its category with full fly-by-wire flight controls.

Not only does the Praetor 500 offer exceptional performance but it also offers one of the most comfortable cabin experiences. It features the lowest cabin altitude in its class, as well as the tallest and widest cross section in the segment. Additionally, it offers a flat-floor cabin, stone flooring, a vacuum lavatory, and ample baggage space, including a fully enclosed internal baggage compartment.

Link to images:

https://eej.imagerelay.com/sb/1738d44f-185b-44ed-bdf4-143968041827/netjets-p500

Follow us on Twitter: @Embraer and @NetJets

About Embraer Executive Jets

Embraer is creating tomorrow's world of bespoke private air travel today, utilizing industry-leading innovation, design, and technology - all the while incorporating sustainable and socially responsible practices. As a global company with more than 50 years in aerospace, Embraer delivers the ultimate experience in business aviation through aircraft that feature disruptive performance, comfort, and technology. Its portfolio consists of the Phenom 100EV, which offers the business aviation experience in its purest form; the Phenom 300E, which is the best-selling light jet for the past 11 years straight; and the Praetor 500 and the Praetor 600, which with best-in-class flight range, are the most disruptive and technologically advanced midsize and super-midsize business jets, capable of continent-crossing and ocean-spanning missions, respectively. Every day, Embraer business aircraft operate around the globe, supported by a strong, responsive customer support network that's top-ranked in service across the industry. For more information, visit executive.embraer.com.

About NetJets

Originally incorporated in 1964 as Executive Jet Airways, NetJets has been settingand exceedingindustry standards for 60 years. Today, NetJets is proud to be a Berkshire Hathaway company known for its unwavering commitment to safety and service. It encompasses NetJets, Executive Jet Management, QS Partners, and QS Security and offers a variety of travel solutions customized to fit each Owner's needs. These include shared ownership, lease and jet card options, aircraft management, private jet chartering, brokerage and acquisition services, and specialized security services. This is why so many of the world's most discerning travelers choose NetJets generation after generation. It is also because NetJets has the largest, most diverse private jet fleet in the world, which grants anytime access to even the most remote destinations across the globe. To learn more about the leader in private aviation, visit netjets.com today.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical or current facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, which are based on assumptions that are inherently subject to significant risks and uncertainties, many of which that are difficult to predict or are beyond Embraer's control, and actual results may differ materially from those expected or implied as forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, and Embraer undertakes no obligation to update or review the forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Embraer S.A.
NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ESPRIT is set to open a long-term pop up space today at 130 Greene Street in New York City's SoHo neighborhood. Following the brand's reintroduction to NYC with its Prince Street pop up, this 3,000 square foot retail location will also act as an experiential space where shoppers can fully experience the famous ESPRIT attitude.

ILYA SAVENOK/COURTESY OF ESPRIT ILYA SAVENOK/COURTESY OF ESPRIT

This retail space taps into the ESPRIT's iconic heritage and legacy with the signature Memphis Design terrazzo patterns, a curation of vintage items and archival catalogs, and new campaign imagery displayed throughout, exciting consumers about the brand's comeback. Archival materials from the celebrated 1980s and 1990s pay homage to the origins of ESPRIT's playful aesthetic, and mannequins dressed in vintage looks will inspire shoppers, past and present.

The product range includes a selection of new Summer 2023 styles alongside vintage pieces, connecting the brand's history of design and fashion innovation with the vision of where ESPRIT is heading. Shoppers will be given the opportunity to personalize their purchases with a dedicated customization station within the store.

"Opening the Greene Street pop up is the next step to solidifying ESPRIT's reintroduction to the North American market; allowing shoppers to fully immerse themselves into the world of ESPRIT past and present," said William Pak, CEO of ESPRIT. "This experiential retail space in Soho, one of the most iconic and exhilarating neighborhoods in the world, will allow customers to experience ESPRIT's brand pillars - playful, modern, cool - in a dynamic environment that will evolve in theme each month."

This new pop up is part of the expansion plan that ESPRIT is implementing across North America throughout this year and into 2024. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed corporation currently operates about 160 retail stores, with an additional 450 franchise partner stores worldwide, and is looking to expand its presence in North America this year. ESPRIT returned to the U.S. in Fall 2022 with a pop up in Los Angeles and plans to open another short-term pop up in Los Angeles this Summer. Permanent retail locations are planned to open in New York City, Los Angeles, and Vancouver in late 2023. This, combined with the rollout of the ESPRIT brand relaunch, aims to put the company on track to strengthen its market position and achieve consistent, sustainable growth.

ESPRIT is set to officially relaunch globally in Fall 2023 with a focus on modernizing the brand heritage and values for today's consumer. Customers will be reintroduced to ESPRIT's signature playful, modern and cool aesthetic, updated for the 21st century.

ESPRIT SoHo Pop Up

130 Greene Street

New York, NY 10012

Tel: 929.399.6362

Hours:

Monday - Saturday: 11am-7pm

Sunday: 12pm-6pm

Store images can be found in this link .

About ESPRIT:

Known and beloved in the 80s, ESPRIT is an iconic lifestyle brand. Tapping into its innovative brand origins, rooted in creativity, community and playfulness, ESPRIT puts forward a confident and current aesthetic world around its "rules don't apply" brand promise. This world aims to attract the existing brand fans nostalgic for the brand as well as the young generation of consumers who are wearing the ESPRIT-pioneered styles without even knowing it. ESPRIT's brand direction comes to life through mischievous communication, aspirational visual language, cutting-edge retail experience and the new and differentiating product direction that mixes urban and country styles, dressiness and informality and is designed for all genders. Building upon being playful, modern, and cool as the three core brand pillars, ESPRIT is reinventing itself as the ultimate icon for the post-icon age.

With a commitment to being the pioneer of a hyper-personalized consumer experience, ESPRIT opened a global network of innovation headquarters. Design and creative is led out of New York as the brand's Global Creative hub. Amsterdam supports the network with its focus on technology and denim innovation, while Hong Kong remains as the global administrative headquarters.

ESPRIT has presence in more than 30 markets around the world and has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 1993.

PRESS CONTACT:

ESPRIT | PR Consulting

[email protected]

SOURCE Esprit
Eviation signs letter of intent with MONTE, a U.K.-based regional aircraft lessor focused on sustainable aviation

MONTE orders up to 30 of Eviation's Alice, the world's first flight-tested all-electric commuter plane

Orders for Alice now valued at over US$ 4 billion

ARLINGTON, Wash., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Eviation Aircraft , a manufacturer of all-electric aircraft, today announced that MONTE, a U.K.-based regional aircraft lessor focused on sustainable aviation, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for up to 30 all-electric commuter Alice aircraft. MONTE will provide financing and leasing solutions for the Alice and its associated charging infrastructure to its global customer base of regional aircraft operators.

The Future is Electric: Carbon-Free, Cost-Effective, Convenient

Eviation Announces MONTE Order for up to 30 All-Electric Alice Aircraft

The Eviation Alice is a nine-passenger electric aircraft  the only flight-proven all-electric commuter aircraft of its size. Built from a clean-sheet design around magniX's industry-leading electric propulsion system, Alice produces zero carbon emissions and costs a fraction to operate per flight hour compared to light jets or high-end turboprops  thereby providing the opportunity to activate more routes, improving the convenience of air travel.

"The need to accelerate technological solutions to climate change, such as Eviation's Alice, is becoming ever more urgent," said Loic Questiaux, Sales Director, EMEA, at Eviation. "Just one month ago, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that the planet is likely to pass the threshold of 1.5C warming over pre-industrial temperatures by the early 2030s, a tipping point for the planet's climate. By supporting groundbreaking innovations such as Alice, MONTE is helping to advance much-needed innovation in confronting one of the greatest challenges facing mankind."

"We are delighted to enter into this agreement with Eviation," said Rishi Majithia, Director of MONTE. "The Alice is a unique, well-designed and pioneering aircraft that we are excited to offer to our global customers in the regional aviation industry."

"Passing the US$ 4 billion threshold is a significant marketplace endorsement for the Alice. We are thrilled to welcome MONTE as our latest customer, as they share our vision for a new era of sustainable, responsible aviation," said Gregory Davis, President and CEO of Eviation. "The leasing community has an important role to play in reducing the aviation industry's carbon emissions. With a network spreading from the Americas to Asia-Pacific and throughout Europe, I am excited for how MONTE can utilize the Alice to bring sustainable aviation to the world."

About Eviation Aircraft

Based in Washington State, Eviation Aircraft Inc. develops and manufactures electric aircraft to delight operators and passengers with green, cost efficient and convenient regional transportation. Its electric propulsion units, high-energy-density batteries, mission-driven energy management, and innovative airframe are designed from the ground up for electric flight. Please visit us at www.eviation.com.

About MONTE

MONTE is a leader in financing zero and low emission technologies in the regional aviation market. MONTE is exclusively focused on supporting the aviation industry's transition to net zero carbon emissions by providing financing and leasing solutions for sustainable aviation to regional aircraft operators. For more information, please visit www.montecleantech.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2074455/Eviation_MONTE_Alice_Aircraft.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1509407/4030226/eviation_logo.jpg

SOURCE Eviation
Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates ambitious entrepreneurs who are building bolder futures

CHICAGO, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced that Paul Reitz, CEO of Titan International, Inc.  maker of Titan Tires, Titan Wheels and Goodyear Farm Tires (Titan)  has been named an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 Midwest Award finalist. Now in its 37th year, Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive business awards for transformative entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who are building a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous world for all.

Paul Reitz  CEO and President

Reitz was selected by an independent panel of judges. Entrepreneurs were evaluated based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.

"I'm honored to be in consideration for this award among the many talented leaders who could have been selected," said Paul Reitz, CEO at Titan. "I'm incredibly proud of what we've been able to achieve at Titan, and I certainly didn't do it alone. Our One Titan team has excelled in adapting to business challenges with resilience and tireless effort over the past several years  ultimately leading to a record-setting year in 2022."

Driving Strategic Global Growth

Reitz joined Titan as Chief Financial Officer in 2010 and was later promoted to President in 2014, followed by CEO in 2017. During this time, he has been instrumental in driving the Company's global growth strategy and implementing processes that significantly improve global operating efficiency, performance and financial health.

In 2015, he shepherded an expansion and extension of the licensing agreement with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company to allow Titan the ability to distribute the Goodyear Farm Tire brand into 127 additional countries  a decision that significantly grew and diversified the Company's global footprint. That same year, he developed and launched the One Titan framework  an initiative that brought together the Company's global team in an operating environment that fostered teamwork, accountability to each other, and information sharing that set the stage for Titan navigating through a challenging business climate in the years to come. Through improved global collaboration, and a number of strategic investment and divestment decisions, Reitz and team were able to successfully navigate through several years of depressed end user markets, followed by the COVID-19 Pandemic, during which time Titan (and most of its 20 global production facilities) were deemed critical infrastructure by numerous national governments. Reitz and team safely and successfully kept plants in operation, so as to keep the supply chain uninterrupted for the farmers who feed the world and the construction industry that maintains our critical infrastructure.

Throughout this time, Reitz ensured innovation and research and development remained key priorities, thereby continuing to expand upon the success of industry-unique innovations such as Low Sidewall Technology (LSW)  a technology that not only drastically improves in-the-field performance for farmers, but also protects farmers' most precious asset, the soil.

Emerging from the Pandemic, under Reitz's leadership, the Company had a record-setting year in 2022, reaching $2.17 billion in sales (an all-time high), record adjusted EBITDA of $253 million (up from $135 million in 2021), record adjusted net income of $140 million, a record free cash flow of $114 million and share price that increased by four-fold compared to early 2020. All this was achieved while simultaneously putting significant effort toward environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. Titan introduced the Company's first CSR report in 2021 and expanded upon a number of policies to align with the United Nations Global Compact  focusing on human rights policy, labor management policy, occupational health & safety policy, diversity & inclusion policy, environmental policy and conflict minerals policy.

Recognition to Come

Regional award winners will be announced on June 21, 2023, during a special celebration. The winners will then be considered by the National judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, which will be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum, one of the nation's most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in June 2024.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognized more than 11,000 entrepreneurs throughout the US since its inception in 1986, and it has grown to recognize business leaders across 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.

About Titan International, Inc.

Titan International, Inc. (NYSE: TWI) is a leading global manufacturer of off-highway wheels, tires, assemblies and undercarriage products. Headquartered in Illinois, the company produces a broad range of products to meet the specifications of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket customers in the agricultural, earthmoving/construction, and consumer markets. In the United States, the company produces two distinct tire brands  Goodyear Farm Tires and Titan Tires.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, N.A.; SAP America; and the Kauffman Foundation. In the Midwest, sponsors also include regional Platinum sponsors, Cresa Global, Inc., DLA Piper, LaSalle Network, and Marsh-McLennan; regional Gold sponsor, Becker Professional Education; and regional Silver sponsor, ADP.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year

Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. National Overall Award winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year title. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.

About EY Private

As Advisors to the ambitious, EY Private professionals possess the experience and passion to support private businesses and their owners in unlocking the full potential of their ambitions. EY Private teams offer distinct insights born from the long EY history of working with business owners and entrepreneurs. These teams support the full spectrum of private enterprises including private capital managers and investors and the portfolio businesses they fund, business owners, family businesses, family offices and entrepreneurs. Visit ey.com/us/private.

About EY

EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

SOURCE Titan International, Inc.
NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The size of the facility management services market in India is forecasted to increase by USD 16.32 billion from 2022 to 2027 at a CAGR of 15.23%, according to a recent market study by Technavio. The growth of the market will be driven by the rising levels of outsourcing in building management, the development of SEZs and mega food parks, and focus on smart cities. Charts & data tables about market and segment sizes for a historic period of five (2017-2021) years have been covered in this report. Download a sample report

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Facility Management Services Market in India 2023-2027

Rising levels of outsourcing in building management is driving the market growth. End-users can focus on their core business activities by outsourcing various facility-related services such as HVAC, catering, security, and various other support services. There are significant growth opportunities in end-user segments such as healthcare, infrastructure, and retail, which further emphasizes the importance of outsourcing services such as facility management. Using an outsourced provider can help end-users minimize training and operational costs and, in turn, maximize profits. Tools for financial management, benchmarking, energy management, space planning, and tenant management are crucial for integrated facilities management. All these factors are expected to fuel the growth of the market during the forecast period.

The impact of technology on managing building facilities is a key trend in the market. Technological developments are expected to create significant opportunities for providers during the forecast period. Providers should leverage advanced technologies to focus on parameters such as cost, quality, and time. Intelligent security monitoring systems, intelligent building control systems, and advanced robotics are some of the technologies that are expected to shape the future of the market. The facility management services market in India is moderately mature. Therefore, facility management providers should hire, train, and retain staff with the skills to handle advanced technologies. These factors will support market growth during the forecast period.

Employee attrition and lack of training can challenge market growth. There is a shortage of qualified and semi-skilled workers to provide facility management services, especially those that require technical expertise. For example, high skills are required to operate new surveillance devices and security gadgets. The availability of unskilled labor increases the bargaining power of suppliers. Therefore, labor force retention is a major challenge for suppliers, which will restrict market growth during the forecast period.

Technavio has extensively analyzed 15 major vendors, including A La Concierge Services Pvt. Ltd., BVG India Ltd., CBRE Group Inc., Clean India Group, CLR Facility Services Pvt. Ltd., Colliers International Property Consultants Inc., Cushman and Wakefield Plc, EFS Facilities Services Group, ISS AS, Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., OCS Group International Ltd., Quess Corp. Ltd., ServiceMax Facility Management Pvt. Ltd., SILA Group, SMS Integrated Facility Services Pvt. Ltd., Sodexo SA, Tenon Facility Management Pvt. Ltd., Updater Services Ltd., Vatika Group, and Handiman Services Ltd.

Key benefits for industry players & stakeholders 

The report offers information on the criticality of vendor inputs, including R&D, CAPEX, and technology.

It also provides detailed analyses of the market's competitive landscape and vendors' product offerings.

The report also provides a qualitative and quantitative analysis of vendors to help clients understand the wider business environment as well as the strengths and weaknesses of key market players. Data is qualitatively analyzed to categorize vendors as pure play, category-focused, industry-focused, and diversified; it is quantitatively analyzed to categorize vendors as dominant, leading, strong, tentative, and weak.

Expand operations in the future - To get requisite details, ask for a custom report.

Customer landscape - Analysis of price sensitivity, adoption lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria by Technavio

One of the core components of the customer landscape is price sensitivity, an analysis of which will help companies refine marketing strategies to gain a competitive advantage.

Another key aspect is price sensitivity drivers (purchases are undifferentiated, the purchase is a key cost to buyers, and quality is not important), which range between LOW and HIGH.

Furthermore, market adoption rates for all regions have been covered.

Get a holistic overview of the market by industry experts to evaluate and develop growth strategies. Download the sample

The market is segmented by service (soft services and hard services) and end-user (IIBB, manufacturing, infrastructure, healthcare, and retail and others)

Segmentation by service

The soft services segment will account for a significant share of market growth during the forecast period. Soft services are classified into housekeeping (includes cleaning services to maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of a facility), transportation (includes transportation services such as fleet management and the delivery of goods), catering (includes food facility for employees, visitors, and special occasions), and security (Includes surveillance cameras, alarms, and guarding facilities). The growth of this segment is attributed to factors such as the low cost of soft services when compared to hard services.

The report comprises of various segments as well as analysis of the trends and factors that are playing a substantial role in the market, buy the report

What are the key data covered in this report?

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the facility management services market in India between 2023 and 2027

between 2023 and 2027 Precise estimation of the size of the facility management services market in India size and its contribution to the parent market

size and its contribution to the parent market Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the facility management services market in India

A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of facility management services market vendors in India

Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports.

Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform

Related reports

The size of the facility management services market in North America is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.69% between 2022 and 2027, and the size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 114.36 billion. This report extensively covers market segmentation by end-user (commercial buildings, government buildings, and residential buildings), and service (soft services and hard services).

The Middle East facility management services market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.85% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecasted to increase by USD 34.05 billion. This report extensively covers market segmentation by service (hard service and soft service) and type (outsourced and in-house).

Facility Management Services Market Scope in India Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 15.23% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 16.32 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 12.58 Competitive landscape Leading vendors, market positioning of vendors, competitive strategies, and industry risks Key companies profiled A La Concierge Services Pvt. Ltd., BVG India Ltd., CBRE Group Inc., Clean India Group, CLR Facility Services Pvt. Ltd., Colliers International Property Consultants Inc., Cushman and Wakefield Plc, EFS Facilities Services Group, ISS AS, Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., OCS Group International Ltd., Quess Corp. Ltd., ServiceMax Facility Management Pvt. Ltd., SILA Group, SMS Integrated Facility Services Pvt. Ltd., Sodexo SA, Tenon Facility Management Pvt. Ltd., Updater Services Ltd., Vatika Group, and Handiman Services Ltd. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for the forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse for Technavio industrials market reports

Table of contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Country Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Service



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 07: Parent market



Exhibit 08: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 09: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 10: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 11: Chart on India - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 12: Data Table on India - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 13: Chart on India : Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 14: Data Table on India : Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Facility management services market in India 2017 - 2021

2017 - 2021 Exhibit 15: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Facility management services market in India 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.2 Service Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 16: Historic Market Size  Service Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.3 End-user Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 17: Historic Market Size  End-user Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 18: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 19: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 20: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 21: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 22: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 23: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 24: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027

6 Market Segmentation by Service

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 25: Chart on Service - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 26: Data Table on Service - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Service

Exhibit 27: Chart on Comparison by Service



Exhibit 28: Data Table on Comparison by Service

6.3 Soft services - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 29: Chart on Soft services - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 30: Data Table on Soft services - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 31: Chart on Soft services - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 32: Data Table on Soft services - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Hard services - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 33: Chart on Hard services - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 34: Data Table on Hard services - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 35: Chart on Hard services - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 36: Data Table on Hard services - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 Market opportunity by Service

Exhibit 37: Market opportunity by Service ($ billion)



Exhibit 38: Data Table on Market opportunity by Service ($ billion)

7 Market Segmentation by End-user

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 39: Chart on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 40: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

7.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 41: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 42: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

7.3 IIBB - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 43: Chart on IIBB - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 44: Data Table on IIBB - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 45: Chart on IIBB - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 46: Data Table on IIBB - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.4 Manufacturing - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 47: Chart on Manufacturing - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 48: Data Table on Manufacturing - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 49: Chart on Manufacturing - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 50: Data Table on Manufacturing - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.5 Infrastructure - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 51: Chart on Infrastructure - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on Infrastructure - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 53: Chart on Infrastructure - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 54: Data Table on Infrastructure - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.6 Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 55: Chart on Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 57: Chart on Healthcare - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Healthcare - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.7 Retail and others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 59: Chart on Retail and others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 60: Data Table on Retail and others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 61: Chart on Retail and others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 62: Data Table on Retail and others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.8 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 63: Market opportunity by End-user ($ billion)



Exhibit 64: Data Table on Market opportunity by End-user ($ billion)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 65: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

9.1 Market drivers

9.2 Market challenges

9.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 66: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

9.4 Market trends

10 Vendor Landscape

10.1 Overview

10.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 67: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

10.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 68: Overview on factors of disruption

10.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 69: Impact of key risks on business

11 Vendor Analysis

11.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 70: Vendors covered

11.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 71: Matrix on vendor position and classification

11.3 A La Concierge Services Pvt. Ltd.

Exhibit 72: A La Concierge Services Pvt. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 73: A La Concierge Services Pvt. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 74: A La Concierge Services Pvt. Ltd. - Key offerings

11.4 BVG India Ltd.

Exhibit 75: BVG India Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 76: BVG India Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 77: BVG India Ltd. - Key offerings

11.5 CBRE Group Inc.

Exhibit 78: CBRE Group Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 79: CBRE Group Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 80: CBRE Group Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 81: CBRE Group Inc. - Segment focus

11.6 Clean India Group

Exhibit 82: Clean India Group - Overview



Exhibit 83: Clean India Group - Product / Service



Exhibit 84: Clean India Group - Key offerings

11.7 Colliers International Property Consultants Inc.

Exhibit 85: Colliers International Property Consultants Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 86: Colliers International Property Consultants Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 87: Colliers International Property Consultants Inc. - Key offerings

11.8 Cushman and Wakefield Plc

Exhibit 88: Cushman and Wakefield Plc - Overview



Exhibit 89: Cushman and Wakefield Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 90: Cushman and Wakefield Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 91: Cushman and Wakefield Plc - Segment focus

11.9 Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.

Exhibit 92: Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 93: Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 94: Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 95: Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 96: Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. - Segment focus

11.10 OCS Group International Ltd.

Exhibit 97: OCS Group International Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 98: OCS Group International Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 99: OCS Group International Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 100: OCS Group International Ltd. - Key offerings

11.11 Quess Corp. Ltd.

Exhibit 101: Quess Corp. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 102: Quess Corp. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 103: Quess Corp. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 104: Quess Corp. Ltd. - Segment focus

11.12 ServiceMax Facility Management Pvt. Ltd.

Exhibit 105: ServiceMax Facility Management Pvt. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 106: ServiceMax Facility Management Pvt. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 107: ServiceMax Facility Management Pvt. Ltd. - Key offerings

11.13 SILA Group

Exhibit 108: SILA Group - Overview



Exhibit 109: SILA Group - Product / Service



Exhibit 110: SILA Group - Key offerings

11.14 SMS Integrated Facility Services Pvt. Ltd.

Exhibit 111: SMS Integrated Facility Services Pvt. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 112: SMS Integrated Facility Services Pvt. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 113: SMS Integrated Facility Services Pvt. Ltd. - Key offerings

11.15 Sodexo SA

Exhibit 114: Sodexo SA - Overview



Exhibit 115: Sodexo SA - Business segments



Exhibit 116: Sodexo SA - Key news



Exhibit 117: Sodexo SA - Key offerings



Exhibit 118: Sodexo SA - Segment focus

11.16 Tenon Facility Management Pvt. Ltd.

Exhibit 119: Tenon Facility Management Pvt. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 120: Tenon Facility Management Pvt. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 121: Tenon Facility Management Pvt. Ltd. - Key offerings

11.17 Updater Services Ltd.

Exhibit 122: Updater Services Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 123: Updater Services Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 124: Updater Services Ltd. - Key offerings

12 Appendix

12.1 Scope of the report

12.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 125: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 126: Exclusions checklist

12.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 127: Currency conversion rates for US$

12.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 128: Research methodology



Exhibit 129: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 130: Information sources

12.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 131: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
H.R. 2 Offers a Sustainable Solution to the Worsening Border Crisis, as Title 42 Ends

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Biden administration formally ends Title 42 today, vastly exacerbating an already raging crisis on our southern border, the House of Representatives has passed legislation that would restore order at the border. H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, is a landmark piece of legislation that will secure our borders and fulfill the promise the Republican House majority made in the Commitment to America to Americans across the country.

"As recently as yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayrokas called upon Congress to provide his agency with the resources it needs to end the unprecedented illegal immigration crisis that has raged over the past two years. Today, the House of Representatives responded by approving H.R. 2, which not only provides the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with the manpower, infrastructure and technology it needs, but with statutory reforms that end numerous incentives for people to violate our immigration laws," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

"While the Biden administration's preferred approach to the illegal immigration crisis is more resources to process and release millions of migrants into the country, it is neither a sustainable policy nor one that is supported by the American people. These are precisely the policies that created the crisis," Stein continued. "H.R. 2 is aimed at deterring and preventing large-scale illegal immigration. As the situation at the border deteriorates  more than 10,000 illegal entries a day in the week leading up to the termination of Title 42 and even higher levels expected in the coming days  the Secure the Border Act offers a clear and viable alternative.

"The goal must be to end the exploitation of children, curb the growing power of the criminal cartels that control human and drug smuggling operation, end the abuse of our asylum system, and rein in the crushing burdens Biden policies have imposed on the American people. The House has now acted by approving a bill that accomplish all those things. As the crisis at the border is about to grow significantly worse, it is imperative that the Senate act immediately," concluded Stein.

Contact: Ron Kovach, 202-328-7004 or [email protected].



ABOUT FAIR



Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
Software Development Kit (SDK) Allows Data Scientists to Create Powerful Features with a Few Lines of Code, and Deploy Pipelines in Minutes

BOSTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FeatureByte , an AI startup formed by a team of data science experts, today announced the release of its open-source FeatureByte SDK. The SDK allows data scientists to use Python to create state-of-the-art features and deploy feature pipelines in minutes  all with just a few lines of code. FeatureByte automatically generates complex, time-aware SQL to perform feature transformations at scale in cloud data platforms such as Databricks and Snowflake.

By enabling a self-service data environment for data scientists, organizations can realize a series of benefits from the FeatureByte SDK, including:

Accelerated AI innovation : Data scientists can focus on creative problem solving and iterating rapidly on live data, rather than worrying about the "plumbing."





: Data scientists can focus on creative problem solving and iterating rapidly on live data, rather than worrying about the "plumbing." Better business decisions : The FeatureByte SDK delivers better AI data that yields higher performing models, resulting in better business decisions for an organization.





: The FeatureByte SDK delivers better AI data that yields higher performing models, resulting in better business decisions for an organization. Higher productivity with reduced costs : The self-service data environment delivers up to 10x compute efficiency for training, and requires 1/5th of the resources to deploy feature pipelines.

"At FeatureByte, our goal is to radically simplify feature engineering and management to help enterprises truly scale AI across their organizations," said Razi Raziuddin, CEO and co-founder of FeatureByte. "FeatureByte offers a self-service environment for data scientists so they have a consistent, scalable way to prepare, serve and manage data across the entire lifecycle of a model."

FeatureByte helps data scientists transform creative ideas into training data swiftly, to deliver more accurate ML models using tools like Jupyter Notebooks. Organizations can streamline machine learning data pipelines in order to rapidly deploy powerful AI solutions.

"We've made the FeatureByte SDK available in open source, so that every data scientist and engineer can focus on creativity, experimentation and problem solving, rather than data pipelines and plumbing," said Xavier Conort, CPO and co-founder of FeatureByte. "FeatureByte helps data scientists derive the most accuracy from their data, capturing a variety of signal types beyond the traditional Recency, Frequency, and Monetary metrics,"

For more information and to access the FeatureByte SDK, visit docs.FeatureByte.com.

About FeatureByte

Meet the modern feature engineering and management platform, empowering data scientists to build, deploy, and monitor world-class features and production-ready machine learning data pipelines in minutes  instead of weeks or months. FeatureByte raised a $5.7 million seed round in August 2022, led by Glasswing Ventures and Tola Capital. Learn more about the company and access our open-source SDK at www.featurebyte.com .

SOURCE FeatureByte
The EU is exploring the possibility of using frozen Russian assets in the interests of Ukraine, but the EU must at the same time keep within the legal framework that does not allow unjustified confiscation of funds, European Commission Spokesman Christian Wieganda has said.

At a briefing in Brussels on Thursday, the spokesman said at that stage, the frozen assets of individuals and organizations included in the sanctions lists of the European Union in the EU amount to about EUR 24.1 billion. He said restrictive measures prescribe the freezing of assets, but they do not allow them to simply be seized, since there is no legal basis for this.

The European Commission's spokesman said the commission's officials agreed to prosecute individuals who circumvent the restrictive measures, and work in this direction, in cooperation with lawmakers, has successfully advanced. He also said it should allow for the seizure of assets in case of circumvention of sanctions, since the commission must act in a manner that is consistent with the rule of law and criminal law.

Wieganda said member states are also discussing frozen Russian state assets owned by the Central Bank of Russia.

He said discussions about this are ongoing and the idea is to work on these assets and use the income from them. Wieganda said the rule of law must also be observed and these funds cannot simply be seized without an acceptable reason or without a carefully crafted legal justification. According to him, the commission officials seek to understand, what can they do with these immobilized assets in order to use them in the interests of Ukraine.

He said the topic of using assets of Russian origin for Ukraine is one of the most relevant in negotiations with the United States. This option is also being explored by some EU member states, the spokesman said.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flume, the company that brings connectivity and intelligence to residential water usage, is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Rain Bird Corporation. Together, the companies will deliver a new generation of whole-home water management solutions to help homeowners and water agencies achieve substantial water savings.

By combining Flume's easy-to-install smart home water monitoring technology with Rain Bird's market-leading irrigation controllers, property owners and water agencies will be able to track water usage down to the drop from irrigation to indoor appliances. The collaboration will also enable homeowners and water agencies to establish firm water usage goals and improve water management abilities.

Flume's smart home water monitor reports water use by appliance and fixture, allowing users to measure water use in real-time, while Rain Bird's smart controllers automatically adjust watering schedules based on weather conditions to reduce overwatering. The partnership will link Rain Bird's controllers with Flume's water monitor capabilities, allowing homeowners to quantify the savings generated by using Rain Bird's Smart controller features. The combined system will also measure water usage by irrigation zone to improve the accuracy of irrigation adjustments. These features will be available to the homeowner via each company's mobile app.

A pilot study concluded that homes equipped with both a Flume smart home water monitor and a Rain Bird Smart controller reduced their outdoor water consumption by an impressive 25 percent or more, with many homes showing a 40 percent reduction in irrigation water use.

"Up to this point, there were limited ways to measure irrigation water usage and the water savings created by the use of smart controllers," says Eric Adler, Flume co-founder. "But through our partnership with Rain Bird, we can measure actual irrigation water usage, not estimates, which gives a much more accurate picture of both real and potential water savings. It also offers the user peace of mind, as the two devices working together can detect irrigation leaks and even specify where the leaks are in the irrigation system."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 14 percent of all water supply is lost after the water meter, meaning homeowners may be billed for unknown leaks either inside or outside the home. Rain Bird's smart controllers partnered with Flume's whole-property water monitoring will help homeowners mitigate this water loss.

"Both Rain Bird and Flume are keenly aware of and focused on the need to conserve water," says Jed Price, director of Rain Bird's Contractor Business Unit. "As a 90-year-old company founded on The Intelligent Use of Water, Rain Bird has taken and will continue to take proactive steps to optimize irrigation in order to allow homeowners, companies and communities to enjoy outdoor landscapes while minimizing water consumption. This partnership will set the stage for homeowners to take full control of their entire water consumption while nurturing an optimized landscape, and protecting one of their community's most precious resources."

The paired products will be available through both companies' traditional sales channels, including online, and will also be available to utilities and water retailers for specific programs. Rain Bird will also offer the products for sale to homeowners through professional irrigation contractors, making installation even easier for homeowners.

About Flume

Inspired by California's 2015 record-breaking drought, Flume empowers homeowners to better understand their use and conserve water. By providing real-time water use information, Flume protects the home, puts the power of water consumption and conservation in the customer's hands, and improves the relationship with our most precious resource. The Flume Smart Water System consists of an easy-to-install sensor that adapts to most existing home water meters, which communicates water use to the homeowner in real-time. To date, Flume has tens of thousands of devices installed across the United States. Learn more at www.flumewater.com .

CONTACT:

Sarah Musiker,

[email protected]

SOURCE Flume, Inc.
SYDNEY, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FP Markets receives the prestigious accolade of ' Best CFD Broker in Africa ' at the FAME Awards 2023, part of the Finance Magnates Africa Summit (FMAS23).

FP Markets, a leading Australian Forex and CFDs broker, was presented with the 'Best CFD Broker in Africa' award for 2023 at the prestigious FAME Awards, as testament to its expanding presence in the African CFD market.

FP Markets crowned Best CFD Broker in Africa at FAME Awards 2023 (PRNewsfoto/FP Markets)

The event took place at the renowned Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on the 10th of May, 2023 as part of the Finance Magnates Africa Summit (FMAS23) and brought together some of the most prominent names in the financial sector, celebrating excellence and innovation within the industry.

This accomplishment marks FP Markets' first award in Africa and its first accolade of 2023, following an impressive series of awards in 2022, including the 'Best Global Forex Value Broker' for an unparalleled fourth consecutive year and 'Best Forex Broker in Europe'. The award coincides with FP Markets' regulatory approval by South Africa's Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in 2022, highlighting its ongoing efforts to provide an exceptional product and customer experience and maintain a strong regulatory framework across its international operations.

Craig Allison, Chief Executive Officer of FP Markets, commented on the company's latest award: 'Winning the Best CFD Broker in Africa award represents a significant milestone for the team. Not only does it serve as our first award on the African continent, but it also demonstrates our global reach in the Forex and CFD market. Our advanced technology, consistently tight spreads, and award-winning customer support have allowed us to deliver the highest quality of service to our clients in this vibrant region. Receiving this accolade is a testament to the hard work of our team, and we look forward to growing our presence in Africa and solidifying our position as the go-to CFD broker for traders around the world'.

FP Markets offers over 10,000 trading instruments, giving traders access to CFDs across Forex , Indices , Commodities , Stocks , ETFs , Bonds and Cryptocurrencies , making it one of the largest offerings in the industry with leading platforms, including MT4 , MT5 , cTrader , and Iress . Over the past 18 years, FP Markets has learned that the combination of tight spreads and fast execution, coupled with cutting-edge platforms, a wide product range, and first-rate customer support are the key ingredients that give serious traders the confidence to trade. Since its establishment in 2005, FP Markets has continued to expand its product offering, enabling traders to experience some of the best trading conditions in the industry.

About FP Markets:

FP Markets is a Multi-Regulated Forex and CFDs Broker with over 18 years of industry experience.

The company offers highly competitive interbank Forex spreads starting from 0.0 pips.

Traders can choose from the leading powerful online trading platforms, including FP Markets' Mobile App, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, WebTrader, cTrader, and Iress.

The company's outstanding 24/7 multilingual customer service has been recognised by Investment Trends and awarded 'The Highest Overall Client Satisfaction Award' over five consecutive years.

FP Markets has been awarded the 'Best Global Forex Value Broker' for four consecutive years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) at the Global Forex Awards.

FP Markets has been awarded the 'Best Forex Broker  Europe ' and the 'Best Forex Partners Programme  Asia ' at the Global Forex Awards 2022.

' and the 'Best Forex Partners Programme  ' at the Global Forex Awards 2022. FP Markets has been awarded 'Best Trade Execution' at the Ultimate Fintech Awards 2022.

For more information on FP Markets' comprehensive range of products and services, visit https://www.fpmarkets.com/ .

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2075125/FP_Markets_Fame_Awards_2023.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1574261/4031784/FP_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE FP Markets
SAO PAULO, Brazil, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FS Luxembourg S.a r.l. (the " Issuer "), a wholly-owned finance subsidiary of FS Industria de Biocombustiveis Ltda. (" FS Ltda. "), announces that it has commenced a cash tender offer (the " Tender Offer ") for up to US$100.0 million in aggregate principal amount (subject to increase or decrease by the Issuer, in its sole discretion, the " Maximum Tender Amount ") of its 10.00% senior secured notes due 2025 (the " Notes "). The Notes are fully, unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed by FS Ltda. and FS I Industria de Etanol S.A. (together with FS Ltda., the " Guarantors ").

The Tender Offer is being made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in an offer to purchase, dated May 10, 2023 (the " Offer to Purchase "). Any capitalized term used but not defined in this press release has the respective meaning set forth in the Offer to Purchase.

Certain information regarding the Notes and the terms of the "Modified Dutch Auction" pricing mechanism is summarized in the following table:

Title of

Security CUSIP / ISIN Principal Amount

Outstanding Early Tender

Premium(1) Base Price / Minimum Bid

Price(1)(2)(3) Acceptable Bid Premium Range(1) Acceptable Bid Price Range(1)(2)(3)(4) 10.00% Senior

Secured Notes

due 2025 Rule 144A:

30315X AB0 /

US30315XAB01 Regulation S:

L40756 AB1 /

USL40756AB19 US$598,984,000 US$50.00 US$1,000.00 US$0.00 -

US$10.00 US$1,000.00 -

US$1,010.00

__________________ (1) Per US$1,000 principal amount of Notes accepted for purchase. (2) Includes the Early Tender Premium. (3) Does not include Accrued Interest. (4) Holders who tender the Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Date may specify a Bid Price, which must be within the Acceptable Bid Price Range.

The Tender Offer will expire at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on June 8, 2023, unless extended by the Issuer (such time and date, as it may be extended, the " Expiration Date "). The deadline for Holders to validly tender (and not validly withdraw) Notes in the Tender Offer and be eligible to receive payment of the Total Consideration, which includes the Early Tender Premium, will be 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on May 23, 2023, unless extended by the Issuer (such time and date, as it may be extended, the " Early Tender Date ").

The Tender Offer is being conducted as a "Modified Dutch Auction" until the Early Tender Date. This means that if Holders elect to participate in the Tender Offer at or prior to the Early Tender Date, they must specify the minimum purchase price (the " Bid Price ") they would be willing to receive in exchange for each US$1,000 principal amount of Notes they choose to tender in the Tender Offer. The Bid Price that is specified for each US$1,000 principal amount of Notes must be in increments of US$1.00, and must be within the acceptable bid price range, as set forth in the table above (the " Acceptable Bid Price Range "). If any Bid Price is not specified in a whole increment of US$1.00, such Bid Price will be rounded down to the nearest US$1.00 increment. Each Holder tendering Notes in the Tender Offer at or prior to the Early Tender Date is required to specify a Bid Price. Holders who tender Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Date without specifying a Bid Price, or at a Bid Price below the Acceptable Bid Price Range, will be deemed to have specified the base price as set forth in the table above (the " Base Price ") as their Bid Price. Tenders of Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Date at Bid Prices above the Acceptable Bid Price Range will not be accepted and will not be used for purposes of calculating the Clearing Price. Acceptance of tendered Notes may be subject to proration as described below.

Under the "Modified Dutch Auction" procedure, we will accept Notes validly tendered in the Tender Offer (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date in the order of the lowest to the highest Bid Prices specified or deemed to have been specified by tendering Holders, and will select the single lowest Bid Price so specified that will result in an aggregate principal amount equal to the Maximum Tender Amount (or, if the amount of Notes validly tendered in the Tender Offer multiplied by the highest Bid Price so specified by tendering Holders with respect to all Notes so tendered and not validly withdrawn is less than the Maximum Tender Amount, then we will select such highest Bid Price), which we refer to as the " Clearing Price ." References to the " Clearing Premium " are to the result of the Clearing Price less the Base Price. The Clearing Price is the same as the Total Consideration.

Holders of Notes that are validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) prior to or on the Early Tender Date and that are accepted for purchase will receive the total consideration (the " Total Consideration "), which will be equal to the Base Price plus the Clearing Premium. Holders validly tendering Notes in the Tender Offer after the Early Tender Date and at or prior to the Expiration Date will only be eligible to receive payment of the " Tender Offer Consideration ," which equals the Total Consideration less the Early Tender Premium, as set forth in the table above. Any Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date and at or prior to the Expiration Date will be deemed to have been tendered with a Bid Price equal to the Total Consideration.

In the event that the amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date with a Bid Price equal to or below the Clearing Price would result in an aggregate principal amount that exceeds the Maximum Tender Amount and we elect to have an Early Settlement Date, then, subject to the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer, Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date will not be eligible for purchase, unless the Maximum Tender Amount is increased.

If the purchase of all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date with a Bid Price equal to or less than the Clearing Price would cause us to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes that exceeds the Maximum Tender Amount (taking into account the aggregate principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) given such Clearing Price), then the Tender Offer will be oversubscribed at the Early Tender Date and, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer, we will purchase on, at our option, the Early Settlement Date or the Final Settlement Date Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase, as follows:

first , all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date with a Bid Price less than the Clearing Price; and

, all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date with a Bid Price less than the Clearing Price; and second, all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date with a Bid Price equal to the Clearing Price, on a prorated basis according to the principal amount of such Notes, such that we purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes that does not exceed the Maximum Tender Amount.

If the Tender Offer is not oversubscribed at the Early Tender Date and the purchase of all Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but at or prior to the Expiration Date (when combined with all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date) would cause us to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes that exceeds the Maximum Tender Amount, then the Tender Offer will be oversubscribed at the Expiration Date and, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer, we will purchase on the Final Settlement Date Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Date and accepted for purchase, as follows:

first , to the extent there was no Early Settlement Date, all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date; and

, to the extent there was no Early Settlement Date, all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date; and second, all Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but at or prior to the Expiration Date, on a prorated basis according to the principal amount of such Notes, such that we purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes that does not exceed the Maximum Tender Amount.

All tendered Notes not accepted will be promptly credited to the Holder's account with DTC or otherwise returned to the Holder without cost.

The Issuer's obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Tender Offer is conditioned upon the satisfaction or, when applicable, waiver of certain conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. The Issuer has the right to amend or terminate the Tender Offer at any time and to increase or decrease the Maximum Tender Amount at its sole discretion, subject to applicable law.

Assuming acceptance by the Issuer of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date, the Issuer intends to make payment in cash of an amount equal to the Total Consideration plus Accrued Interest for such accepted Notes on the Early Settlement Date, which is expected to be three business days after the Early Tender Date or as promptly as practicable thereafter. Assuming acceptance by the Issuer of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) after the Early Tender Date, but at or prior to the Expiration Date, the Issuer intends to make payment in cash of an amount equal to the Tender Offer Consideration plus Accrued Interest for such accepted Notes on the Final Settlement Date, which is expected to be two business days after the Expiration Date or as promptly as practicable thereafter.

The Issuer has engaged Banco BTG Pactual S.A.  Cayman Branch, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Santander US Capital Markets LLC to act as dealer managers (the " Dealer Managers ") in connection with the Tender Offer. In such capacity, the Dealer Managers may contact Holders regarding the Tender Offer and may request brokers, dealers, commercial banks, trust companies and other nominees to forward the Offer to Purchase and related materials to beneficial owners of Notes. The Dealer Managers can be contacted at their telephone numbers set forth on the back cover page of the Offer to Purchase with questions regarding the Tender Offer.

Copies of the Offer to Purchase are available to Holders from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the tender agent and the information agent for the Tender Offer (the " Tender and Information Agent "). Requests for copies of the Offer to Purchase should be directed to D.F. King at +1 (800) 967-5079 (toll-free), +1 (212) 269-5550 (collect) or [email protected].

Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any related documents have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, nor have any such documents been filed with or reviewed by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority of any country. No authority has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer to Purchase or any related documents, and it is unlawful and may be a criminal offense to make any representation to the contrary.

Under no circumstances shall this press release constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes or any other securities of the Issuer, the Guarantors or any of their affiliates in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. The Tender Offer is not being made to, nor will the Issuer accept tenders of Notes from, Holders in any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offer would not be in compliance with the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdiction.

Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are information of a non-historical nature or that relate to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. No assurance can be given that the transactions described in this press release will be consummated or as to the ultimate terms of any such transactions. Neither the Issuer nor the Guarantors undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or for any other reason.

Disclaimer

This press release must be read in conjunction with the Offer to Purchase. This press release and the Offer to Purchase contain important information that must be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the Tender Offer. If any Holder is in any doubt as to the action it should take, it is recommended to seek its own legal, tax, accounting and financial advice, including as to any tax consequences, from its attorney, accountant or other independent financial or legal adviser. None of the Issuer, the Guarantors, the Dealer Managers, the Tender and Information Agent or any affiliate of such persons expresses any opinion as to whether the terms of the Tender Offer are fair to any Holder. Holders must make their own decision as to whether to tender any Notes and, if so, the principal amount of Notes to tender and the Bid Price at which to tender.

SOURCE FS Luxembourg S.a r.l.
National nonprofit invests in PK-12 teachers through their self-designed summer fellowships to engage public/private/charter school students with relevant learning

HOUSTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fund for Teachers has announced the names of 396 teachers to receive $1.7 million in grants to experience learning they proposed as vital to their students' success. Because the nonprofit places no limits on what is learned  or where  these teachers will pursue topics as diverse as cacao farming and Yiddish music in locales as far flung as Penland, North Carolina and the fragile Alpine ecosystem of Andorra.

A complete list of 2023 Fund for Teachers Fellows can be found here.

Fund for Teachers has invested $36 million in more than 9,500 educators' self-designed summer fellowships since 2001. Tweet this FFT Fellow Ariana Sanders (Cincinatti, OH) designed a fellowship to participate in the Witness Tree Institute's immersive educator experience in Ghana. She explored the impact of colonization, as well as how Africans protect their natural resources, to inform the development of learning objectives and course modules for Ethnic Studies, to be offered to Ohios high school teachers. (Pictured at the Assin Manso Slave River)

Since 2001, Fund for Teachers has invested $36 million in more than 9,500 educators, transforming grants into growth for teachers and their students.

"Teachers are the backbone of our society," said Karen Eckhoff, executive director. "They educate, encourage, and empower the children who will shape our future. And in our post-pandemic, school shooting society, their role is even more amplified. There can be no better investment."

At a time when large numbers of teachers are leaving the profession due to a myriad of factors, Fund for Teachers grants represent trust in teachers' professionalism and capacity for meeting the diverse needs of each classroom and student.

"The Fund for Teachers fellowship made me feel like I was good at my job, that I was capable of growth, and that I was willing to go the extra mile (or 7,468 miles) to get better at what I do," said Sarah Slack, teacher at The Montauk School in Brooklyn, NY. With her grant, Sarah researched physical and behavioral traits of gray wolves in natural and artificial settings to support the development of a Genetics, Heredity, and Evolution unit plan that uses the study of wild and domestic canines to anchor the curriculum and promote student engagement.

In addition to its summer fellowships, the organization also re-invests in its Fellows by awarding Innovation Circle Grants to deepen learning around a topic (this year "Centering Students") -- first independently during the summer, then throughout the fall with other Fellows and led by a Fellow. Over the past two decades, FFT Fellows have pursued new knowledge and insights in 170 countries on every continent, with the majority remaining in North America. Visit www.fundforteachers.org for more information.

MEDIA CONTACT

Carrie Caton Smith, Fund for Teachers

[email protected]

SOURCE Fund for Teachers
Nearly 100 youth gather in Washington D.C. to protest Altria's shareholder meeting and expose Big Tobacco's lies and schemes to addict kids



WASHINGTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 18, over 125 youth and advocates from 15 different states will protest tobacco giant Altria's annual shareholders meeting. These advocates will hold a demonstration outside Altria's Washington, D.C. office, while several youth activists have been made designees by shareholders to directly address Altria's executives and ask questions during the virtual shareholders' meeting.

This year marks the eighth consecutive year that Mobilize Against Tobacco Lies (MATL), a collaborative of youth programs and national partners, will gather to expose and fight back against the tobacco giant.

Altria and its Philip Morris USA subsidiary sell the number one most popular cigarette brand among kids, Marlboro, and its John Middleton subsidiary sells the second most popular brand of cigars among kids, Black & Mild. Altria has long targeted kids and other vulnerable groups with its products and also invested in Juul at the height of the youth e-cigarette epidemic. Altria claims to be "moving beyond smoking," but the truth is that they make most of their revenue from cigarettes and fight real efforts to reduce smoking like bans on menthol cigarettes.

Despite Altria and the tobacco industry's efforts, the United States has made great progress to reduce youth smoking. However, the latest government survey shows over 3 million U.S. middle and high school students still use tobacco products, including over 2.5 million who use e-cigarettes.

WHAT: Over 125 youth and other advocates will protest Altria's shareholder meeting to expose how Altria profits off cigarettes and other tobacco products, addicts kids, and fights real efforts to reduce tobacco use. WHO: Mobilize Against Tobacco Lies is a collaborative of tobacco control youth programs and national partners, including seven youth programs and five national partners:

Reality Check of New York Indigenous Peoples Task Force

Michigan Making It Count Corporate Accountability

Texas Say What Counter Tools

New Hampshire Dover Youth to Youth Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii Center for Black Health and Equity

Wisconsin FACT Truth Initiative

Delaware Kick Butts Generation

WHEN: Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM ET WHERE: Altria's Lobbyist Office 101 Constitution Ave NW, #400W, Washington, D.C. 20001

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
COVINA, Calif. , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Prophecy Market Insights ""Gene Therapy for Rare Disease Market accounted for US$ 78.4 Million in 2022 and is estimated to be US$ 2087.6 Million by 2032 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 36.6%"

What is the Overview of Gene Therapy for Rare Disease Market?

Gene Therapy has become relevant to rare disease patients and successful gene therapy requires single dose to confer lifelong improvement. Ongoing research and development activities has contributed in market growth. Under development technologies such as cell suspension technology, compendium of standard analytical & bioanalytical methods, cell potentiation technology, plug and play manufacturing process for adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes is expected to fruitful the demand for Gene Therapy for Rare Disease market growth.

What are the Recent News of Gene Therapy for Rare Disease Market?

 In October 2021, U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration, five profit organizations and ten pharmaceutical companies has joined forces to develop gene therapies for rare diseases. By standardizing process and leveraging on experience with platform technology, gene therapy product development will be accelerated to allow more timely access to new therapies for needy patients.

Looking for More Information? Download the Free Sample Report:

https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Insight/request-sample/397

Report Scope:

Attribute Details Base year for estimation 2022 Forecast period 2022  2032 Market representation Revenue in USD Million & CAGR from 2022 to 2032 Accounted in 2022 US$ 78.4 Million Estimated to be in 2032 US$ 2087.6 Million CAGR 36.6 % Market Segmentation By Drug  Approved Drugs and Pipeline Drugs By Therapeutic Application - Oncology, Neurological Disorders, Ophthalmic Disorders, Hematological Disorders, Immunodeficiency Disorders, Metabolic Disorders, and Others Regional scope North America - U.S., Canada Europe - UK, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Russia, Rest of Europe Asia Pacific - Japan, India, China, South Korea, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America - Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa - South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Rest of Middle East & Africa Report coverage Revenue forecast, company share, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Customization Scope Avail of customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Insight/request-customization/397

What is Prophecy's Analyst View on Gene Therapy for Rare Disease Market?

New product launch of novel gene therapies for rare disease has become major contribution in target market growth. Growing number of drug approvals, presence of major key players and increase in research & development activities with technological innovation is expected to foster the demand for Gene Therapy for Rare Disease market growth in coming years.

What is gene therapy and how does it work in the treatment of rare diseases?

Gene therapy is a medical treatment that involves modifying a person's DNA to treat or prevent a disease. In rare diseases, gene therapy aims to address the underlying genetic cause of the disease by introducing a functional copy of the defective gene into the patient's cells. This is typically done using viral vectors or non-viral methods. The goal is to produce a functional protein that can correct the genetic defect and achieve a long-lasting therapeutic effect. Although gene therapy for rare diseases is still a developing field with many challenges, it holds great promise for the treatment of genetic disorders that have few or no other treatment options.

What are the Possibilities for Gene Therapy for Rare Disease Market?

Increasing investment in gene therapy research and development could lead to the discovery of new treatments for rare genetic disorders.

Advances in technology, such as gene editing and improved delivery methods, could make gene therapy more effective and accessible to a wider range of patients.

Ongoing clinical trials for gene therapy treatments for rare diseases could lead to FDA approval and commercialization of new therapies.

Growing patient demand for personalized medicine and innovative treatments for rare diseases could create a larger market for gene therapy.

Collaboration between pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and patient advocacy groups could accelerate the development and commercialization of gene therapies for rare diseases.

Continued regulatory support for gene therapy research and development, including expedited approval pathways, could help bring new therapies to market more quickly.

The increasing prevalence of rare genetic disorders and the lack of effective treatments for many of these diseases creates a significant unmet medical need that gene therapy has the potential to address.

What are the future prospects for gene therapy in the treatment of rare diseases, and what new developments can we expect in the field?

The future prospects for gene therapy in the treatment of rare diseases are promising, as new developments in technology and research are making the treatment more effective and accessible. Gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 could allow for more precise and targeted treatments, while combination therapies and improved delivery methods are also being explored. It is likely that we will see many new developments in the field in the coming years, leading to increased treatment options for patients with rare genetic disorders.

Looking for More Information? Download the PDF Brochure Report:

https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Insight/request-pdf/397

What are key benefits of the Gene Therapy for Rare Disease Market?

Potentially curative: Gene therapy has the potential to cure or significantly improve symptoms of rare genetic disorders by addressing the underlying cause of the disease. Personalized medicine: Gene therapy is tailored to the specific genetic mutation that causes the rare disease, allowing for a more personalized treatment approach. Long-lasting effects: Gene therapy has the potential to produce a long-lasting therapeutic effect, reducing the need for ongoing treatment and improving quality of life for patients. Fewer side effects: Compared to traditional treatments such as chemotherapy, gene therapy is often associated with fewer side effects, making it a more tolerable treatment option for patients. Potential to treat multiple diseases: Some gene therapies have shown promise in treating multiple rare diseases, increasing the potential impact of these therapies on patient populations. Increasing investment: Gene therapy research and development is attracting increasing investment, which could lead to the discovery of new therapies for a wider range of rare diseases.

Here are Some Key Reasons to Purchase the Report:

Market growth potential High unmet medical need Favorable regulatory environment Potential for high revenue Collaboration opportunities Advancements in technology Increasing investment in gene therapy R&D Growing patient demand for personalized medicine Potential for long-term therapeutic effects Potential to treat multiple diseases with one therapy.

Report available for Immediate Download:

https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/buy_now/397?licence=6350&report_type=Gene+Therapy+for+Rare+Disease+Market&v1_licence_type=press_id

Key Questions Asked in Report:

What is the size and growth potential of the Gene Therapy for Rare Disease Market?

What are the major drivers and restraints for the Gene Therapy for Rare Disease Market?

What are the key players operating in the Gene Therapy for Rare Disease Market and what are their market shares?

What is the current and future market demand for gene therapy for rare diseases?

What are the most common rare diseases targeted by gene therapy?

What is the future outlook for the Gene Therapy for Rare Disease Market, and what are the potential opportunities and challenges?

Browse Other Related Research Reports from Prophecy Market Insights:

Gene Therapy Market accounted for US$ 2.05 billion in 2020 and is estimated to be US$ 12.29 billion by 2030 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 19.8%

Cell and Gene Therapy Market accounted for US$ 13.0 billion in 2022 and is estimated to be US$ 62.5 billion by 2032 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 22.8%

Rare Disease Market accounted for US$ 161.4 billion in 2020 and is estimated to be US$ 547.5 billion by 2030 and is anticipated to register a CAGR 13.1%.

Drug Discovery Informatics Market accounted for US$ 2.3 billion in 2020 and is estimated to be US$ 4.9 billion by 2029 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 8.9%

About Us:

Prophecy Market Insights is a leading provider of market research services, offering insightful and actionable reports to clients across various industries. With a team of experienced analysts and researchers, Prophecy Market Insights provides accurate and reliable market intelligence, helping businesses make informed decisions and stay ahead of the competition. The company's research reports cover a wide range of topics, including industry trends, market size, growth opportunities, competitive landscape, and more. Prophecy Market Insights is committed to delivering high-quality research services that help clients achieve their strategic goals and objectives.

To know more

Contact Us:

Sales Prophecy Market Insights

 US toll free: +1 860 531 2574

 Rest of world: + 91 7775049802

 Email- [email protected]

 Website- www.prophecymarketinsights.com

Follow us on:

LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook |Youtube

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2067755/Prophecy_Market_Insights_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Prophecy Market Insights
Dallas businessman to open 5 clubs in the Dallas metro area

CHANDLER, Ariz., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pickleball Kingdom, the leading indoor brand in the booming world of pickleball, is proud to announce the awarding of a 5-unit franchise deal in the Dallas metro market. This monumental step marks another milestone for the rapidly growing brand, as it continues to expand indoor pickleball across the nation.

Under this new agreement, Pickleball Kingdom will partner with franchisee, Dan Jenkins, a local Dallas businessman, to bring the unparalleled "Kingdom experience" to Dallas residents and visitors. This expansion will further solidify Dallas as a destination location and help to expand its economy with more jobs, revenue, and visitors.

"Pickleball Kingdom will become the go-to destination for people in Dallas who want to have fun and be healthy." Tweet this

Ace Rodrigues, the visionary Founder of Pickleball Kingdom, expressed his excitement about this new development: "We're thrilled to welcome Dan Jenkins as a valued partner in our journey to revolutionize the pickleball experience. His passion for the sport and his love and commitment to his community align perfectly with our brand values. With this new partnership, we are confident that Pickleball Kingdom will flourish and become the go-to destination for people in Dallas who want to have fun and be healthy."

Dan Jenkins, the newly appointed franchisee, shared his enthusiasm: "I am honored to join forces with Pickleball Kingdom and bring their unrivaled indoor pickleball experience to my home city. I'm excited to provide top-notch facilities for players of all skill levels, including beginners. With Pickleball Kingdom's proven track record and commitment to excellence, I am confident that our Dallas clubs' members and visitors will agree with Pickleball Kingdom's value statement of, 'Life is better with Pickleball.'"

Pickleball Kingdom's state-of-the-art facilities offer players a customized experience, with an abundance of indoor courts, equipment, tournaments, and professional instruction. The franchise's commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive community of indoor pickleball has contributed to its immense success and expansion. Dallas residents and visitors will enjoy the benefits of playing indoors with reservations and out of the heat, cold, sun, wind, and off dirty courts.

For more information:

www.pickleballkingdom.com

For more information about Pickleball Kingdom's franchise opportunity:

www.pickleballkingdom.com/franchising

For pictures:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/3im7s8hyzrbrspy62fp1d/h?dl=0&rlkey=1bmoyfndp7v8kkic4i0relbqc

SOURCE Pickleball Kingdom Franchising
The global artificial intelligence and robotics in aerospace and defense market is expected to grow primarily due to increasing applications of AI in aviation sector. Military sub-segment is expected to flourish immensely. The market in the Asia-Pacific region is predicted to grow at a high CAGR by 2031

NEW YORK , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Aerospace and Defense Market Forecast Analysis:

As per the report published by Research Dive, the global artificial intelligence and robotics in aerospace and defense market is expected to register a revenue of $35,848.1 million by 2031 at a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period 2022-2031.

Segments of the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Aerospace and Defense Market

The report has divided the artificial intelligence and robotics in aerospace and defense market into the following segments:

Type : hardware, software, and services

: hardware, software, and services Software  Highly dominant by 2031

The growing investments by major players including IBM, Microsoft, and Google, etc., for development of cloud-based AI computer algorithms is expected to be the primary growth driver of the market by 2031.

Application : military, commercial, and space

: military, commercial, and space Military  Highly lucrative by 2031

Increased military budget spending on R&D and the purchase of AI-based equipment is expected to help the market gather a significant revenue by 2031.

Region : North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and LAMEA

: , , , and LAMEA Asia-Pacific  Fastest growing by 2031

The presence of major innovators in the field of AI development and integration such as Japan, South Korea, and China in this region is predicted to propel the market forward in the forecast period.

Access to the Complete PDF Sample of the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Aerospace and Defense Market

Dynamics of the Global Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Aerospace and Defense Market

The growing demand and applicability of artificial intelligence and robotics in aerospace and aviation sector is expected to help the artificial intelligence and robotics in aerospace and defense market to garner a significant revenue during the forecast period. Additionally, increasing adoption of AI industrial robots to improve the accuracy and consistency of product manufacture is expected to be an instrumental factor in the growth of the market in the analysis timeframe. However, according to market analysts, increasing technical and operational challenges might become a restraint in the growth of the market.

Multiple research and development initiatives with respect to possible uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in aerospace sector is predicted to offer numerous growth opportunities to the market in the forecast period. Moreover, growing adoption of artificial intelligence and robotics in air traffic management is expected to help the artificial intelligence and robotics in aerospace and defense market to surge ahead in the forecast timeframe.

COVID-19 Impact on the Global Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Aerospace and Defense Market

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the routine lifestyle of people across the globe and the subsequent lockdowns adversely impacted the industrial processes across all sectors. The artificial intelligence and robotics in aerospace and defense market, too, was negatively impacted due to the pandemic. The lockdowns and travel restrictions brought the aerospace and aviation sector to a virtual halt during the pandemic. This reduced the overall development and integration of AI and robotics in aviation industry. Ultimately, this caused a decline in the growth rate of the market during the pandemic.

Speak with an Analyst or Schedule a call to get more Industry Insights on the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Aerospace and Defense Market

Key Players of the Global Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Aerospace and Defense Market

The major players of the market include

Airbus SE

Thales Group

Raytheon Technologies Corporation

IBM Corporation

Lockheed Martin Corporation

General Dynamics Corporation

Boeing Company

Intel Corporation

Microsoft Corporation

Boeing Company

These players are working on developing strategies such as product development, merger and acquisition, partnerships, and collaborations to sustain market growth.

For instance, in October 2021, IBM, a multinational technology giant, announced that it was partnering with Raytheon, a global aerospace and defense company, and Deloitte, a leading consulting company. The partnership between IBM and Raytheon is aimed at developing advanced AI-based solutions for aerospace and defense sector, while the IBM-Deloitte partnership has been made to develop DAPPER, an AI-enabled managed analytics platform. Both these partnerships are expected to help the three companies to consolidate their positions as a leader in their respective industries.

Granular Research on Specific Regions or Segments of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Aerospace and Defense Market & Avail 10%OFF

What the Report Covers

Apart from the information summarized in this press release, the final report covers crucial aspects of the market including SWOT analysis, market overview, Porter's five forces analysis, market dynamics, segmentation (key market trends, forecast analysis, and regional analysis), and company profiles (company overview, operating business segments, product portfolio, financial performance, and latest strategic moves and developments.)

More about Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Aerospace and Defense Market:

Some Trending Reports:

The Global Military Embedded Systems Market Size is anticipated to reach $3,259.3 million by 2031

The Global Avalanche Radar Market Size is predicted to be valued at $64,412.5 million by 2031

The Global Aircraft Circuit Breakers Market is predicted to be valued at $387.1 million by 2031

About Research Dive

Research Dive is a market research firm based in Pune, India. Maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the services, the firm provides the services that are solely based on its exclusive data model, compelled by the 360-degree research methodology, which guarantees comprehensive and accurate analysis. With an unprecedented access to several paid data resources, team of expert researchers, and strict work ethic, the firm offers insights that are extremely precise and reliable. Scrutinizing relevant news releases, government publications, decades of trade data, and technical & white papers, Research dive deliver the required services to its clients well within the required timeframe. Its expertise is focused on examining niche markets, targeting its major driving factors, and spotting threatening hindrances. Complementarily, it also has a seamless collaboration with the major industry aficionado that further offers its research an edge.

Contact:

Mr. Abhishek Paliwal

Research Dive

30 Wall St. 8th Floor, New York NY 10005

(P) +91-(788)-802-9103 (India)

+1-(917)-444-1262 (US)

Toll Free: 1-888-961-4454

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: https://www.researchdive.com

Blog: https://www.researchdive.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/research-dive/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ResearchDive

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Research-Dive-1385542314927521

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/997523/Research_Dive_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research Dive
DUBLIN, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Growth Opportunities for Track and Trace Solutions in the Global Container Shipping Sector" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This study focuses on track and trace solutions used in the container shipping industry, specifically dry and reefer containers.

Track and trace solutions are used to track (identify location and history) shipments throughout the entire supply chain, from supplier to consumer, using radio frequency identification (RFID), GPS tracking, and/or barcodes.

Human workers have traditionally completed these shipment processes, but as supply chains and other operational processes have become increasingly complex, track and trace solutions are necessary to provide much-needed visibility.

This study focuses on market definitions, sizes, forecasts, drivers, restraints, trends, competitors, and growth opportunities for the 2022-2029 study period. Individual regions within these large groups are not covered. The top competitors in this study include P&O Ferrymasters from DP World, OPTEL Group, ORBCOMM, and ZIM.

Shipping companies are looking to reduce their labor workforce and the manual handling of cargo by automating ports. Barcodes and RFID tags are pre-scanned and kept ready to be attached to the cargo before it is loaded into shipping containers.

Current pressure on global supply chains and the geopolitical instability in Europe are limiting shipping companies' ability to provide effective solutions. This limitation is increasing the demand for fuel, leading to higher fuel prices and operating costs.

The track and trace solutions for the container shipping market have tremendous growth potential. Pandemic-related pauses in workflow, massive demand from backhauls, and increased competition among companies contribute to customers' need for track and trace solutions.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Strategic Imperatives

Why is it Increasingly Difficult to Grow?

The Strategic Imperative

The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on Track and Trace Solutions for the Container Shipping Industry

Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine

2. Growth Opportunity Analysis

Scope of Analysis

Segmentation

Key Competitors

Growth Metrics

Forecast Assumptions

Revenue Forecast

Revenue Forecast Analysis

3. Reefer Containers

Growth Metrics

Growth Drivers

Growth Driver Analysis

Growth Restraints

Growth Restraint Analysis

Forecast Assumptions

Revenue Forecast

Revenue Forecast Analysis

Competitive Environment

Revenue Share

Revenue Share Analysis

4. Dry Containers

Growth Metrics

Growth Drivers

Growth Driver Analysis

Growth Restraints

Growth Restraint Analysis

Forecast Assumptions

Revenue Forecast

Revenue Forecast Analysis

Competitive Environment

Revenue Share

Revenue Share Analysis

5. Growth Opportunity Universe

Growth Opportunity 1: Need for Solution Longevity

Growth Opportunity 2: Incorporation of Blockchain and Digital Twins

Growth Opportunity 3: Flexibility to Customize Containers Based on Cargo

6. Next Steps

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xhnvtx

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global K-12 Online Tutoring Market Report and Forecast 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global K-12 online tutoring market reached a value of USD 328 billion in 2022. Aided by the increasing adoption of online learning systems worldwide, the market is projected to further grow at a CAGR of 16.2% between 2023 and 2028 to reach a value of USD 820.71 billion by 2028.

Companies Mentioned

Ambow Education Holding Ltd.

China Distance Education Holdings Limited

TAL Education Group

Vedantu Innovations Pvt. Ltd.

Tutor Group Limited (iTutorGroup)

K-12 online tutoring refers to the provision of educational support for students in kindergarten through 12th grade via digital platforms. Online tutoring services offer personalised and interactive learning experiences, which cater to the unique needs of each student. These platforms provide a wide range of learning materials, such as quizzes, video lessons, and assessments, so as to aid students in improving their scores academically.



The growth of the global K-12 online tutoring market is propelled by various factors, such as the increasing adoption of online learning systems, technological advancements, and the growing requirements for personalised learning experiences. The widespread availability of the internet has made it possible for students and teachers to connect seamlessly, driving the growth of online tutoring services.

The demand for online tutoring continues to rise as more households gain access to high-speed internet. The proliferation of smartphones and tablets has facilitated the delivery of K-12 online tutoring services. Mobile devices enable students to access learning resources and communicate with tutors anytime and anywhere, increasing the convenience and flexibility of online tutoring and propelling the growth of the K-12 online tutoring market.



The growing competition for college admissions and scholarships has led to an increased emphasis on academic performance. This has driven the demand for supplementary education services, including online tutoring, to help students improve their grades and test scores. Many governments around the world have been actively promoting digital education and online learning. These initiatives, combined with supportive policies, have played a crucial role in fostering the growth of the K-12 online tutoring market.



K-12 online tutoring offers unparalleled flexibility in terms of scheduling and accessibility. Students can access tutoring sessions anytime and from anywhere, eliminating the need for transportation and allowing them to balance their academic commitments with other activities. This convenience has attracted a growing number of students and parents to opt for online tutoring services and boosted the growth of the K-12 online tutoring market.

Market Segmentation

The market can be divided on the basis of type, application, and region.

Market Bifurcation by Type:

Structured Tutoring

On-Demand Tutoring

Market Breakup by Application:

Pre-Primary School

Primary School

Middle School

High School

Market Division by Region:

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East and Africa

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8ld88f

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their family members attended a ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone for the 2nd residential complex consisting of 17 buildings in the city of Shusha, Azernews reports.

The President and the First Lady were informed about the works to be carried out in the complex.

The Shusha master plan provides for construction of two-storey and three-storey buildings in the D4 zone. Of 238 apartments of the complex, 119 are two-room and 119 three-room ones.

All conditions will be provided for the residents with kids playground, sport and leisure zones to be built and the greenery and landscaping works to be carried out.

The Azerbaijani President laid the foundation stone for the 2nd residential complex consisting of 17 buildings in the city of Shusha.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis has said that the only path to success of the upcoming NATO Summit should be a consensus of the Allies on the "inevitability" of Ukrainian membership in the North Atlantic Treaty.

He said this at the Embassy of Germany in Sweden on Thursday within the framework of the conference "Road to Vilnius" in Stockholm while speaking about his expectations from the upcoming summit. As reported, Vilnius will host the NATO Summit on July 11-12.

The minister said that one of the questions on agenda of the summit would be the Ukraine issue.

"It is not about the conflict itself, but specifically about Ukraine's political path towards NATO," he said.

"NATO Secretary General said that Ukraine's application [for NATO membership] is on the table and it has to be considered understanding that we have to build a consensus and the consensus is very difficult one to build especially on the question of the membership itself. The second parameter for success in Vilnius is when we would be able to say that Ukraine is moving on its path towards NATO. [] In my mind, one of the political concepts we actually should be discussing or trying to achieve or trying to convince [the Allies] and form the consensus around the table in NATO is the inevitability of Ukrainian membership in NATO," Landsbergis said.

The Luthianian minister also said that "when we say that Ukraine's place is in the transatlantic alliance, we actually have to, in our minds, devise the path of how and when this is going to happen."

"I understand that Vilnius might not be the place to present the actual plan, to present the steps, but the political understanding that its inevitable to create a stable security architecture in Europe without Ukraine in NATO, probably, is not going to happen. Everything else could be discussed as interim projects, interim agreements, interim proposals. But if we are thinking about the continent and long-term security of the continent, most likely we have to admit that this is the only path forward," Landsbergis said.
BEIJING, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, on Monday met with representatives to the 10th Conference for Friendship of Overseas Chinese Associations at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, Xi expressed a warm welcome to the representatives and extended sincere greetings to overseas Chinese around the world, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, were present at the meeting, according to Xinhua.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the conference on Monday, Shi Taifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, expressed the hope that overseas Chinese will work together to act on the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, actively promote world peace, global development and win-win cooperation, and advance friendship and exchanges between China and other countries, Xinhua reported.

Dedicated to the integration of China and the rest of the world to build a global community of shared future, the 10th Conference for Friendship of Overseas Chinese Associations was attended by nearly 500 leading members of overseas Chinese associations from more than 130 countries and regions, according to Xinhua.

Overseas Chinese include Chinese nationals living overseas and Chinese people who have acquired foreign nationalities, Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Monday.

Due to their allegiance to dual cultures and politics, they are natural bond between China and the world and can play a vital role in helping the country promote the construction of a global community of shared future amid a turbulent world, as they are one of the groups who desire friendship between China and the rest of the world the most, Wang explained.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese government has attached great importance to giving full play to the role of overseas Chinese, developing friendly relations between China and the countries and regions where overseas Chinese live, and promoting world peace, expert noted.

Xi has repeatedly referred to overseas Chinese as the witnesses and promoters of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the rest of the world. He hoped that overseas Chinese would become enthusiastic disseminators of Chinese culture, active promoters of exchanges and mutual learning between the culture of the Chinese nation and the cultures of other countries and regions in the world, and non-governmental envoys who would make good contacts between people overseas and the Chinese people. These important expositions are exactly the affirmation and expectations of overseas Chinese in promoting the construction of a global community with shared future, experts stressed.

The CPC Central Committee in 2021 published a revised set of regulations on united front work, including a new chapter on united front work and overseas Chinese.

The new chapter stated that one main task of the work regarding overseas Chinese is to guide overseas Chinese, returned overseas Chinese and their families to become devoted to promoting friendly cooperation and exchanges between Chinese and foreign people and to promote the construction of a global community of shared future.

It is in this new chapter that the CPC directly connects overseas Chinese and the promotion of the construction of a global community of shared future in its documents. This is also a new demonstration of the CPC's emphasis on overseas Chinese-related affairs, according to experts.

SOURCE Global Times
BEIJING, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Six years after China announced the construction of the Xiong'an New Area, the site that "started from scratch" from a blueprint has become a reality, as a high-level modern metropolis has been building up, which is "nothing short of a miracle," Chinese President Xi Jinping said during an inspection to the area on Wednesday, at a time when the "dream city" has just celebrated its sixth anniversary of its establishment.

Development of the 1,770-square-kilometer site in North China's Hebei Province has been panning out successfully, with the focus now shifting from widespread construction to a new operational stage during which high-quality development is placed at the heart.

The progress is a culmination of all-out efforts to crystallize a grand vision against epidemic disruption and a complex global economic landscape. It not only proves the decision with "lasting importance for the millennium to come" the Party made in 2017 is completely accurate, but it also offers a vivid display of the Chinese way of modernization in all aspects that is green, low-carbon, innovative, open and sharing, observers said.

The building of the high-level socialist modern metropolis, which lives up to the world's most advanced model of a "city of the future" that no other Western cities have trialed, is also set to channel new impetus to the global economic pattern, analysts said.

Building the Xiong'an New Area has achieved important phased results, Xi said at a symposium with Chinese officials, state broadcaster the China Central Television reported.

The top-level construction and development plan has been basically completed, and the construction of basic infrastructure has achieved important progress. Initial results have been achieved in relieving Beijing's non-capital functions. The conditions for the gathering of industrial and innovation elements have gradually improved, and the relocation and resettlement work is progressing in an orderly manner, he said.

Xi stressed that Xiong'an has entered a phase of advancing large-scale construction and at the same time taking on functions nonessential to Beijing's role as China's capital. He called for efforts to firm up confidence and maintain resolve while taking solid steps to continuously achieve new progress in developing the Xiong'an New Area.

These achievements have been made under the severe situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the past three years and great changes unseen in a century, which did not come easily, Xi said. It proves that the major decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on the construction of Xiong'an New Area is absolutely correct, and the work in all aspects regarding the city's development is solid and effective, he noted.

"The basic shape of Xiong'an is in sight. And the next step is to set in motion the engines of the local real economy, such as industries, technicians and talents, to make the city start roaring. And this will signal the city has entered a new operational development phase," Cong Yi, dean of the School of Marxism at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Cong said that the second stage does not equate to "drawing an end to" its construction. The city is set to drive more innovations and reforms in China, not only technologically, but also in mechanisms and systems.

Xi inspected several sites in Xiong'an, including Xiong'an railway station, the first major basic infrastructure construction project at the area which is of landmark significance, and the Xiong'an Hall of the Xiong'an Convention and Exhibition Center, during which he learned about progress in Baiyangdian Lake ecological environment management and protection, as well as dredging and electricity network building.

China announced plans to establish Xiong'an New Area on April 1, 2017.

A new model of modernization

Xi stressed at the meeting that local authorities need to firmly grasp the function, position, mission and principal requirement of Xiong'an New Area, elevate political standing, and maintain historical patience.

According to Xi, short-term goals and medium- and long-term goals need to be properly coordinated, including the relationship between urban construction speed and population concentration scale, industrial transfer and industrial upgrade, as well as the release of Beijing's non-capital functions and the city's own development, to ensure the right direction of the construction and development.

The city needs to advance works in several areas, including fully implementing innovation-driven strategy to make it an innovation highland and a hot destination for entrepreneurs. Also, it needs to follow the philosophy that "clean waters and green mountains are just as valuable as gold and silver," adhering to low-carbon, green development, and build the area into a paradigm for green development.

Zhang Gui, secretary general of the College of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Collaborative Development under Nankai University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that Xiong'an New Area is a paradigm of China's modernization, which embraces the traits of Chinese high-quality development that involves innovation, co-existence of human beings and nature, a high-level of digitalization and low carbon development.

Xiong'an New Area does not sit near the river or sea, and it does not rely on heavy capital products and chemicals for development; the development of Xiong'an, which is envisioned to be a "city of the future," is based on light assets and innovative R&D, Zhang said.

The construction of the Xiong'an New Area carries historical significance for the development of both China and the world since the very start.

"From its historical mission, as well as the development trend of the whole world, the opening-up of Xiong'an New Area is its essence and the mission of our country," Zhang said.

China's central authorities have stressed in the city's development guideline the importance of planning, saying "every inch of land should be clearly planned before construction."

"It is an unprecedented and quite bold move that no other Western cities have dared to explore. A complete and scientific plan goes first, followed by a whole-of-nation system to support innovative moves. The city is born to be a base for homegrown technological breakthroughs," Cong said.

"It not only mirrors where China's economic strength is rooted, but also would play an exemplary role in the world, showcasing that the Chinese way of modernization is not purely economy-driven, but rather is an all-rounded development model," Cong added.

According to the design, by the middle of this century, the area should become an important part of the world-level Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei city cluster.

Currently, with the opening of an intercity railway in 2020, travel time between Beijing West Railway Station to Xiong'an has been cut from nearly 1.5 hours to about 50 minutes. A fast train takes only 19 minutes to run from Beijing Daxing International Airport, another key project for the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, to Xiong'an.

Xi pointed out that local authorities should steadily push forward multiple missions involving diverting the non-capital functions of Beijing, and continue the consequential plan to move the second batch of centrally administrated state-owned enterprises' headquarters and their second- and third-tier subsidies, or innovation businesses based in Beijing, into the area.

"Against the background of global changes, the construction of Xiong'an is definitely not a closed-door project, but closely connected with the world," Zhang said, noting that the city is set to draw talents nationwide as well as worldwide.

SOURCE Global Times
BEIJING, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, against the backdrop of increasing exchanges in various fields between China and African countries, some rising stars in African politics and business are being nourished by China's experiences in development.

The Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School based in Tanzania is an institute for southern African countries. It opened in 2022 with its first workshop held in late May and early June of the year.

Under the theme of "New Development in the New Era: Exploration by and Exchanges between the CPC and the Former Liberation Movements of Southern Africa," it gathered 120 young and middle-aged officials from six major Southern African parties.

After the first training workshop in May 2022, all participants wrote a letter "to thank Comrade Xi Jinping for facilitating the training," according to Marcellina Chijoriga, principal of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School.

To their surprise, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, replied to the letter.

In his letter, Xi said he is pleased to know that the workshop was successfully held, during which the participants discussed the important topics of what kind of development a ruling party should lead its country to pursue in the new era and how to pursue it, learnt from each other and gained better understanding of such topics, the Xinhua News Agency reported on June 10, 2022.

Xi pointed out that the realization of national development, national rejuvenation and people's happiness requires continuous efforts for generations.

Building a better world requires exchanges and mutual learning among countries, he said, adding that the participants are determined to be the pioneer of the times and the pillar of national rejuvenation, which is the original purpose of the school.

Inspiring development

"We have seen how China has developed over the decade, which shows the world that their development paths are working. Strong leadership has been a major factor contributing to economic success," said Chijoriga, the principal.

"The cadres pay attention to many aspects of the CPC's growth paths After the May 2022 training, participants appreciated the 14 principles that China is applying to achieve tremendous and fast development," she said.

These principles include governance, ensuring every aspect of development is people-centered, rule of law, ensuring utmost discipline in the Party, and equality of all countries regardless of size, wealth, and strength, thus building a community with a shared future for mankind, and environmental protection, among others. These could work for their respective countries, the principal summarized.

"To me, any international force that seriously supports those areas in a win-win approach can be a good opportunity to take. A friend who supports growing and improving your economy is a good friend," Chijoriga said.

Noting that youth is always accompanied by dreams, Xi said he hopes the participants make the best of what they have learned, keep working hard and embrace their youthful ambitions on the journey to realize the dream of national rejuvenation and African rejuvenation.

China and Africa belong to a community with a shared future that shares weal and woe, and the hope of long-term friendship between the Chinese and African people rests with the younger generation, Xi noted.

Xi said he hopes that the participants voluntarily shoulder the responsibility and mission entrusted to them by this era, take an active part in the cause of the China-Africa friendship, carry forward and pass on the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and contribute to the building of a high-quality China-Africa community with a shared future.

Future leaders

According to Chijoriga, a total of 120 trainees participated in the training workshop. Their average age was 41. There were 55 women and 65 men. There were 20 individuals from each of the six participatory countries - Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

Talking about the future leaders of Africa, Chijoriga said "they have more hope to shoulder the responsibilities than before. They promised to integrate theory with practice, and were fully devoted to seeking development for their countries, rejuvenation for their nations, and happiness for their people."

They feel able to explore the new world, build capacities and capabilities of their people, and make due contributions to their countries' political and socio-economic development, she said.

The Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School was named after the first chairman of Tanzania's Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party and Tanzania's former president Julius Nyerere, in memory of his important contributions to the national liberation movement of southern Africa.

The leadership school was co-founded by six parties in southern Africa: Tanzania's CCM, the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, the Mozambique Liberation Front Party, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, the SWAPO Party of Namibia, and the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF).

In February 2022, Xi sent a congratulatory letter for the inauguration ceremony of the school.

As the world is undergoing changes rarely seen in a century, China and Africa need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation more than ever to cope with risks and challenges, promote common development and improve people's well-being, Xi stressed.

The CPC is willing to take the inauguration of the Julius Nyerere leadership school as an opportunity to strengthen the exchange of state governance experience with parties in Africa, support each other in pursuing development paths that suit their own national conditions, deepen pragmatic cooperation, promote the building of a high-level community with a shared future between China and Africa, and contribute more to the building of a better world, he said.

Closer ties

In the last decade, China has made significant strides in enhancing the quality of life and well-being of people in Africa, as well as bolstering the development capabilities of African nations. Both parties have been employed to establish a strong China-Africa community, with a common vision for the future across multiple sectors.

The favorability of China among African citizens is increasing, and cooperation between Africa and China is also deepening.

China holds a significant advantage over the European Union in terms of decision-making and timely completion on infrastructure projects in Africa, according to a survey conducted by the Inter Region Economic Network (IREN), a Kenya-based think tank, the South China Morning Post reported in July 2022.

The survey, based on responses from over 1,000 policymakers from 25 African countries in the last quarter of 2021, highlights China's strength in building tangible projects such as roads, power dams, railways, and bridges. In contrast, the European Union's strengths lie in the abstract areas of soft power exchanges, high standards, and climate change consciousness.

In a 2022 survey among young people in Africa, China overtook the US as the "foreign power" with the biggest positive influence in Africa in the eyes of young Africans.

The survey conducted by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation found that 76 percent of 4,507 young Africans named China as the "foreign power" with a positive influence on their lives, while the figure for the US was 72 percent. In 2020, 83 percent of the respondents saw the influence of the US as positive, compared with 79 percent for China.

People who view China's impact positively cite the affordability of Chinese goods, as well as Chinese investments and aid for infrastructure development. These individuals also believe that China is contributing to the generation of job opportunities for people in their respective countries, which is a primary concern for young people in general.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang emphasized in January that China will continue to be Africa's development partner for common growth and work together to build the China-Africa community of shared future in the new era. Qin made these remarks during the eighth China-African Union (AU) Strategic Dialogue, where he met with AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

China has always prioritized Africa in its diplomacy, and carrying forward and expanding China-Africa friendship has become a glorious tradition and a distinctive feature of China's diplomacy, he said.

SOURCE Global Times
DUBLIN, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Tobacco Heating Devices Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2017-2027 Segmented By Price Range (Low, Medium, High), By Distribution Channel (Offline, Online), and By Region" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global tobacco heating devices market is anticipated to witness a growth of significant CAGR during the forecast period, 2023-2027.

Companies Mentioned

British American Tobacco Plc

Philip Morris International Inc.

Imperial Brands Plc

Japan Tobacco Inc.

KT and G Corp.

Mysmok Electronic Technology Co. Ltd.

Shenzhen Yukan Technology Co. Ltd.

Fog and Frog Technology ( Shenzhen ) Co. Ltd.

High-end investment by market players to find cigarettes that are less harmful to the health of an individual and the growing expenditure capacity of consumers are primary factors driving the demand for the global tobacco heating devices market. The growing popularity of the online platforms and marketing promotion strategies adopted by market players are further accelerating the global tobacco heating devices market growth over the next five years.

Heated tobacco heating devices are devices that heat processed tobacco leaves which allows the users to enter nicotine into their lungs. Heated tobacco devices use electronic heating elements such as sticks, plugs, or capsules and some heat the liquids to create emissions to pass through a tobacco plug to absorb nicotine and flavor from tobacco.

United States permits sales of heated tobacco products including Eclipse and IQOS. The emissions created from heated tobacco products contain a lower level of harmful ingredients than the smoke from regular cigarettes and scientists can currently access the long-term and short-term effects of heated tobacco products.

Increasing Awareness About Benefits of Using Heated Tobacco Devices Supports the Market Growth

World Health Organization (WHO) describes the tobacco in heated tobacco products are heated without reaching the ignition point to produce emissions containing chemicals and nicotine. Regular smokers inhale large amounts of toxic chemicals by burning chemicals, since heated tobacco products are made to avoid the burning of tobacco, therefore they pose lower risks to users.

Studies have shown that people who switched from cigarettes to heated tobacco had lower levels of exposure to harmful chemicals than those who kept smoking conventional cigarettes. There is no concrete evidence yet that smoking through heated tobacco devices is less harmful and the market players are working continuously to increase the effectiveness of these devices to boost their market share in the global market.

They are adopting aggressive marketing strategies and making use of online platforms to increase their knowledge about the benefits of using tobacco heating devices.

The growing Popularity of Online Channel Supports the Market Demand



The high-speed internet penetration and the proliferation of smart devices are increasing the reach of e-commerce companies to different parts of the globe. Consumers are becoming more aware by reading blogs, articles, and social media posts on the benefits of using tobacco heating devices which are expected to influence their sales in the global market.

Market players are offering heated tobacco devices on online platforms to increase their global presence and boost their market share. They are selling heated tobacco products at prices lower than the market size and are delivering the products to the doorstep of the consumers. The ease of shopping and the rise in the number of market players shifting to online platforms are expected to propel the global tobacco heating devices market over the next five years.

Report Scope:



In this report, global tobacco heating devices market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

Tobacco Heating Devices Market, By Price Range:

Low

Medium

High

Tobacco Heating Devices Market, By Distribution Channel:

Offline

Online

Tobacco Heating Devices Market, By Region:

North America

United States

Canada

Mexico

Europe

France

Germany

United Kingdom

Italy

Spain

Asia-Pacific

China

India

Japan

South Korea

Australia

Middle East & Africa

& UAE

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

South America

Brazil

Argentina

Colombia

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qobwd1

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
SALEM, N.H., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GPC Investments Inc., a leading investment firm focused on middle-market companies in healthcare, manufacturing, wholesale, and distribution, announced today the acquisition of Body Armor Outlet (BAO), a premier supplier of body armor and protective gear for law enforcement, military personnel, and civilians. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The GPC acquisition enables the BAO to explore new markets for defense equipment, expanding its portfolio and product offerings, providing a broader range of high-quality body armor and protective gear to its customers. This will lead to a more streamlined purchasing process for its customers, including police departments, military units, private security firms, and individuals seeking to protect themselves and their families.

"We are thrilled to be joining forces with GPC Investments," said Ray Bellia, CEO of BAO. "The acquisition just makes sense. It enables us to leverage the expertise of GPC to fuel growth in the current markets we service and expand into new markets. I am extremely excited to see the GPC leadership take a forward approach to grow BAO into a full-service defense company while keeping customer satisfaction a top priority."

Woodly Honore, CEO of GPC Investments, Inc. said this about the acquisition, "Body Armor Outlet has been a staple in New Hampshire. As a highly respected supplier of body armor and protective gear, the company has a proven track record of delivering top-quality products to its customers. The team jumped into action when it came to supporting the state during the COVID pandemic, highlighting the amazing leadership they have. We look forward to building on what Ray Bellia, CEO of BAO, and the Body Armor team have created. We are excited to make BAO a household name and an integrated defense company as we execute our strategic growth plan for 2023 and beyond."

About BAO Health

Founded in 2004, Body Armor Outlet has established itself as a trusted provider of body armor, tactical gear, and other protective equipment. BAO Health answered the call when hospitals and states were in crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic, growing into one of the nation's top 20 largest pandemic-era suppliers of PPE in the healthcare market. For more information, visit https://bao.health/.

About GPC Investments

In August of 2022, GPC Investments Inc. was established as the investment division of GPC Holdings, Inc. Its objective is to procure robust American companies. The company's founding principle is centered around PIP - People, Impact, and Profit. GPC Investments Inc. prioritizes making a positive impact and will not compromise the welfare of individuals to generate profits. The organization's fundamental principles include integrity, diversity, and accountability, with a strong belief that a company's employees are its most valuable asset.

SOURCE GPC Investments Inc.
CHICAGO, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Guaranteed Rate Insurance LLC, one of the fastest growing national insurance brokers, today released a proprietary digital insurance API. This new platform provides Guaranteed Rate Insurance business partner customers an immediate way to compare and purchase home, auto, life and other insurance policies at the point of sale.

Guaranteed Rate Insurance's new API provides a method for its business partners to cater to its customers' insurance needs by seamlessly connecting storefronts with authorized insurance agents who have already prepared a range of preliminary coverage choices. This innovative tool ensures consumers can access, review and purchase competitive insurance policies precisely when protection is required or highly recommended.

"As part of our commitment to providing the best possible products and service to our customers, we are continually increasing our reach by expanding our partner network and ensuring we are the easiest independent fintech insurance platform to work with," said Jeff Wingate, Head of Guaranteed Rate Insurance and Executive Vice President. "Our API is fully secure, so customers can trust that their personal information is safe and protected throughout the insurance purchasing process."

The Guaranteed Rate Insurance proprietary API is a "win-win" for customers and business partnerships. Business partners can offer insurance solutions as part of their product offering which creates a user-friendly, hassle-free and beneficial purchasing experience. Customers win by insuring and protecting their home, auto and major purchases at the point of sale in a fully secure, easy-to-use manner.

"With the introduction of the partner API, we move closer to achieving fully embedded digital insurance marketplace offerings," said Ryan Haggard, Guaranteed Rate Insurance's Vice President and Head of Insurance Product and Technology. "When a customer is transferred to Guaranteed Rate Insurance, the API has all the data needed for our agents to deliver instantaneous insurance quotes."

Guaranteed Rate Insurance looks forward to expanding this insurance offering to as many business partners as possible, including real estate brokerages, mortgage servicers, auto dealers and home inspection companies. To learn more about Guaranteed Rate Insurance business partnerships, contact [email protected].

About Guaranteed Rate Insurance

Guaranteed Rate Insurance is a national insurance brokerage, licensed in all 50 states, that offers comprehensive personal, commercial, specialty, and life insurance products. Founded in 2008, Guaranteed Rate Insurance is owned by Guaranteed Rate, the second largest retail mortgage lender in the country. Guaranteed Rate Insurance has built a reputation on providing customers with impeccable service as demonstrated by its 98% customer satisfaction rate*. Combining a growing team of insurance agents and a robust digital platform, Guaranteed Rate Insurance searches for great rates from more than 50 top-rated insurance carriers, while providing a "personal shopping" experience. Visit rate.com/insurance for more information.

*98% Customer Satisfaction: Data Source is Guaranteed Rate's Client Satisfaction Surveys (Averaged 2020-2021)

SOURCE Guaranteed Rate Insurance
The new graphene-based conductive hydrogel electrodes offer convenience of use, controllable degradation, and excellent signal transmission

GWANGJU, South Korea, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Implantable bioelectrodes are electronic devices that can monitor or stimulate biological activity by transmitting signals to and from living biological systems. Such devices can be fabricated using various materials and techniques. But, because of their intimate contact and interactions with living tissues, selection of the right material for performance and biocompatibility is crucial. In recent times, conductible hydrogels have attracted great attention as bioelectrode materials owing to their flexibility, compatibility, and excellent interaction ability. However, the absence of injectability and degradability in conventional conductive hydrogels limits their convenience of use and performance in biological systems.

Researchers from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Korea have developed graphene-based conductive hydrogels as bioelectrode materials for overcoming the challenges associated with traditional, metal-based bioelectrodes. These conductive hydrogels are injectable, skin-compatible, easy to use, and demonstrate excellent signal transmission. Moreover, their controllable degradability can allow the development of high performing, convenient bioelectrodes with advanced applicability.

Against this backdrop, researchers from Korea have now developed graphene-based conductive hydrogels possessing injectability and tunable degradability, furthering the design and development of advanced bioelectrodes. The study was led by Professor Jae Young Lee from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) and was published in the Small journal on 24 February 2023.

Explaining the rationale for their study, Prof. Lee says, "Traditional implantable electrodes frequently cause several problems, such as large incision for implantation and uncontrolled stability in the body. In contrast, conductive hydrogel materials allow minimally invasive delivery and control over the bioelectrode's functional in vivo lifespan and are thus highly desired."

To synthesize the injectable conductive hydrogels (ICHs), the researchers used thiol-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (F-rGO) as the conductive component due to its large surface area and excellent electrical and mechanical properties. They selected dimaleimide (PEG-2Mal)- and diacrylate (PEG-2Ac)-functionalized polyethylene glycol as prepolymers to facilitate the development of ICHs that are stable and hydrolysable, respectively. These prepolymers were then subjected to thiol-ene reactions with poly (ethylene glycol)-tetrathiol (PEG-4SH) and F-rGO.

ICHs made with PEG-2Ac were degradable (DICH), while those with PEG-2Mal were stable (SICH). The researchers found that the novel ICHs outperformed various existing ones by binding extremely well to tissues and recording the highest signals. Under in vitro conditions (outside a living organism), SICH did not degrade for a month, while DICH showed gradual degradation from the third day onwards.

When implanted onto mouse skin, DICH disappeared after three days of administration, whereas SICH retained its shape for up to 7 days. In addition to controlled degradability, both ICHs were skin-compatible.

Further, the team evaluated the ability of the ICHs to record in vivo electromyography signals in rat muscle and skin. Both SICH and DICH recorded high-quality signals and surpassed the performance of traditional metal electrodes. The SICH recordings could be monitored up to three weeks, whereas DICH signals were completely lost after five days. These findings suggest the applicability of SICH electrodes for long-term signal monitoring and that of DICH for temporary use requiring no surgical removal.

Summarising these results, Prof. Lee says, "The novel graphene-based ICH electrodes developed by us incorporate features like high signal sensitivity, simplicity of use, minimal invasiveness, and tunable degradability. Altogether, these properties can assist in the development of advanced bioelectronics and functional implantable bioelectrodes for a variety of medical conditions, such as neuromuscular diseases and neurological disorders."

We certainly hope this development ushers in a new era of therapeutic and diagnostic advancement soon!

Reference

Title of original paper: Injectable Conductive Hydrogels with Tunable Degradability as Novel Implantable Bioelectrodes

Journal: Small

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202300250

*Corresponding author's email: [email protected]

About the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)

Website: http://www.gist.ac.kr/

Contact:

ChanSung Kang

82 62 715 6253

[email protected]

SOURCE Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology
BRIDGEWATER, N.J., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hamamatsu is honored to be part of a regional consortium seeking to advance photonics. This new Princeton-led collaboration to drive economic and technological advancements in photonics  the branch of science that includes lasers, optical fibers and cutting-edge light-based innovations  has been awarded a development grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation's Regional Innovation Engines, or NSF Engines, program.

The grant will lay the groundwork for a multistate collaboration called Advancing Photonics Technologies that aims to advance research, transition discoveries into the economy, and build the region's technological workforce.

The collaboration includes universities and community colleges, leading photonics companies, statewide economic and workforce development programs, and technology accelerators and incubators that help transition research into startup companies.

Photonics, which involves the control of light for use in technologies, has applications in healthcare, clean energy, computing, telecommunications, advanced manufacturing, and more. It has the potential to improve cancer detection, food safety, smart phones, computing and self-driving cars, among other uses.

The Advancing Photonics Technologies collaboration is one of more than 40 teams across the nation selected to receive one of the first-ever NSF Engines Development Awards, which provide up to two years of funding toward the planning of a multistate initiative to create economic, societal and technological opportunities for their regions. The awards enable the teams to prepare strong proposals for becoming future NSF Engines, which will each have the opportunity to receive up to $160 million to implement their plans.

Princeton University will lead the development-stage collaboration along with co-lead Rowan University, both in New Jersey, with partners throughout neighboring states Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York.

"These NSF Engines Development Awards lay the foundation for emerging hubs of innovation and potential future NSF Engines," said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. "These awardees are part of the fabric of NSF's vision to create opportunities everywhere and enable innovation anywhere. They will build robust regional partnerships rooted in scientific and technological innovation in every part of our nation. Through these planning awards, NSF is seeding the future for in-place innovation in communities and to grow their regional economies through research and partnerships. This will unleash ideas, talent, pathways and resources to create vibrant innovation ecosystems all across our nation."

Launched by NSF's new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships and authorized by the "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022," the NSF Engines program aims to catalyze robust partnerships, accelerate technology development, address societal challenges, advance national competitiveness and create high-wage jobs.

"Photonics is one of the unseen gems of the New Jersey economy, providing thousands of good-paying jobs and leading global innovation," said Governor Phil Murphy. "Congratulations to Princeton University, Rowan University, and the many other New Jersey institutions of higher education, companies, and state agencies that are joining forces on this effort to affirm our state's longstanding role as a leader in innovation."

The initiative will focus on increasing opportunities for growth and participation in the photonics economy in ways that ensure diversity and equity while providing an inclusive and accessible environment.

The development grant enables the collaboration's universities, community colleges, industry and state economic development agencies to plan:

a diverse and inclusive research and innovation ecosystem around photonics

expansive opportunities for the translation of technological and scientific breakthroughs from research labs to industry

a robust pipeline for jobs creation and workforce development

"This initiative unites colleges and universities, startups, and established companies across our region to catalyze research, develop new technologies, create jobs and strengthen the economy," said Christopher L. Eisgruber, president of Princeton University. "Princeton is proud to be part of this National Science Foundation program, which is helping to grow scientific research and technological innovation in every part of our nation."

Princeton's co-lead institution is Rowan University, a rapidly growing public research institution.

"Public-private partnerships between industry and higher education institutions are critically important for driving economic growth and workforce development," said Rowan University President Ali Houshmand. "We are pleased to share in this effort and look forward to translating research into opportunities for our region."

The collaboration will be led by principal investigator Craig B. Arnold, the Susan Dod Brown Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Princeton's Vice Dean for Innovation. Arnold's research expertise spans materials synthesis and processing in areas including advanced manufacturing, energy storage and conversion, and optics and photonics. A holder of 13 granted patents, Arnold is the co-founder of two companies and leads Princeton's campus-wide initiative to broaden opportunities in innovation.

"Photonics will play a crucial role in pushing 21st century applications to be cleaner, smarter, and more secure," Arnold said. "To enable this technology and expand its reach, we aim to grow a robust, diverse photonics workforce that is tightly integrated within an ecosystem of continuous innovation and use-inspired research."

The collaboration's co-principal investigator Robert V. Chimenti is a visiting assistant professor and photonics coordinator at Rowan University. An experienced industry expert, Chimenti's research focuses on new laser and spectroscopy applications, with an eye toward developing novel instrumentation for commercialization. As a community college alumnus, Chimenti is deeply committed to workforce development opportunities and alternate pathways for non-traditional students.

"The mid-Atlantic region has a long history of photonic innovations ranging from the light bulb to the color TV to the modern liquid crystal display, making it the ideal choice for this venture," said Chimenti. "We have a diverse talent pool, exceptional resources with a high density of companies producing and using photonics technologies and devices, as well as an established academic and technical research ecosystem. In short, we're at just the right time and place."

Partners in the collaboration include:

Universities and colleges

Princeton University  lead institution

Rowan University  co-lead institution

Delaware State University

Lehigh University

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Penn State University

Rowan College of South Jersey

of South Jersey Rutgers University-Newark

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Stevens Institute of Technology

of Technology Sussex County Community College

University of Delaware

Companies

Edmund Optics

Go!Foton

Hamamatsu

Hellma USA

Horiba Scientific

Kearfott Corporation

Metrohm Spectro

Nokia Bell Labs

Nubis Communications

OFS

Thorlabs

Statewide economic development agencies

New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology

Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools

New Jersey Economic Development Authority

New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program

Entrepreneurial incubators and accelerators

Material Impact

Princeton Innovation Center BioLabs

SOSV, HAX Accelerator

VentureWell

View a map of the NSF Engines Development Awards. More information can be found on the NSF Engines program website.

About Hamamatsu Corporation

Hamamatsu Corporation is the North American subsidiary of Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. (Japan), a leading manufacturer of devices for the generation and measurement of infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. These devices include photodiodes, silicon photomultipliers, photomultiplier tubes, scientific light sources, infrared detectors, image sensors, spectrometers, and cameras. The parent company is dedicated to the advancement of photonics through extensive research. This corporate philosophy results in state-of-the-art products which are used throughout the world in scientific, industrial, and commercial applications.

Information furnished by Hamamatsu Corporation is believed to be reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed for possible inaccuracies or omissions. Specifications are subject to change without notice.

SOURCE Hamamatsu Corporation
RICE LAKE, Wis., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Repeating Arms, one of the country's leading firearm manufacturers and a world leader in the lever action category, is releasing a limited-edition series of fifty "Team Jack" edition rifles to raise funds for the Vancouver, Washington, family of 14-year-old Jack Troxel to provide financial relief for past and ongoing medical expenses.

Jack Troxel of Vancouver, Washington, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2021 and is currently in remission after close to two years of an intense treatment program. (Photo/Ryan Troxel) Henry Repeating Arms is donating a limited-edition series of 50 Team Jack rifles with an engraved and hand-painted design on the buttstock to provide financial relief for the medical expenses associated with childhood brain cancer treatments. (Photo/Henry Repeating Arms)

Jack was diagnosed with an intracranial malignant non-germinomatous germ cell tumor on July 2nd, 2021, and has since gone through four brain surgeries, seven rounds of chemotherapy, one round of high-dose chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, six weeks of full brain and spine radiation, and four weeks of intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy to counteract the toll such treatments take on a developing body. Jack is currently in remission and receives MRI scans every three months.

Henry Repeating Arms Founder and CEO Anthony Imperato donated all fifty of the rifles, which are now available for sale online. Baron Engraving of Trumbull, Connecticut, donated the artwork development time, engraving, and hand-painted embellishments. All proceeds from the "Team Jack" campaign, including both rifles going up for auction, will be presented to the Troxels.

The Henry "Team Jack" Golden Boy Silver .22 S/L/LR lever action rifle features genuine American walnut furniture, a 20" blued steel octagon barrel, a gleaming nickel-plated receiver cover, buttplate, and barrel band, and a unique serial number range from TEAMJACK01 through TEAMJACK50. Unique to this edition is the highly detailed design on the buttstock, which is laser engraved and painted by hand. The design features images depicting Jack's love of the great outdoors, a "Team Jack" banner with a "His Fight Is Our Fight" tagline, and two ribbons, one in gold and one in grey. The gold ribbon is the international awareness symbol for childhood cancer, and the grey ribbon represents support for brain cancer.

To learn more about the "Team Jack" edition rifle or to make a purchase, visit henryusa.com/teamjack. Additionally, the first and last rifles in the series are up for auction online to enhance fundraising efforts.

"Throughout his entire ordeal, we held onto what we call the 'three F's,' which helped Jack get through the most difficult times. Faith, Family, and Friends," said Ryan Troxel, Jack's father. "Thank you to Henry Repeating Arms for the donations and support on Jack's behalf. We can't believe this."

"The courage and strength shown by these kids going through unimaginable struggles at such a young age will never cease to astound me," said Imperato. "To everyone that chooses to purchase one of these rifles to help support Jack and his family, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Sending a big hug to Jack and his parents."

All firearm purchases must ship to a federally licensed firearms dealer. To learn more about Henry Repeating Arms and its products, visit henryusa.com.

About Henry Repeating Arms:

Henry Repeating Arms is one of the leading firearm manufacturers in the United States and a world leader in the lever action category. The company motto is "Made in America, or not made at all," and its firearms come with a lifetime guarantee backed by award-winning customer service. The company is also known for its Guns for Great Causes charitable program, which focuses on assisting the families of sick children, children's hospitals, military veteran organizations, law enforcement and first responder groups, Second Amendment advocacy groups, and wildlife conservation organizations. The company currently employs over 600 people and has over 350,000sf of manufacturing space in its Wisconsin and New Jersey facilities. The company is named in honor of Benjamin Tyler Henry, who invented and patented the Henry lever action rifle in 1860  the first practical repeating rifle and America's unique contribution to the international stage of firearms design. Visit Henry Repeating Arms online at henryusa.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/HenryRepeating, and @henry_rifles on Instagram.

SOURCE Henry Repeating Arms
RICHMOND, Va., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hilb Group announced today that it has acquired a book of voluntary employee benefits business in its Mid-Atlantic region of operations. The transaction became effective May 1, 2023, and will continue to build on the long-term growth strategy for the company.

About Hilb Group: The Hilb Group is a leading property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and advisory firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Hilb Group is a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm. Hilb Group seeks to grow through strategic acquisitions and by leveraging its resources and expertise to drive organic growth in its acquired agencies. The company has completed more than 150 acquisitions with over 125 offices in 27 states. Hilb Group is rated as one of the Fastest Growing Brokers by Business Insurance, a Top P/C Agency by Insurance Journal, and one of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Inc. 5000. For more information on Hilb Group's growth as well as career opportunities, please visit our website at http://hilbgroup.com.

Media Contact:

Peter Lobred

804.548.4629

[email protected]

M&A Contact:

Ryan Havermann

804.414.6508

[email protected]

SOURCE The Hilb Group, LLC
The "Platform of Joint Actions" Integration Hub opened in the city of Mukachevo to facilitate the active inclusion of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in decision-making processes within their host community, the press service of the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine (UNDP) has said.

"The non-governmental organization Mariupol Youth Union developed the hub with the assistance of the UNDP, the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and the European Union. The Integration Hub is hosted in the Center for Public and National Culture. UNDP supported the project with $90,000 to overhaul the premises and an additional $15,000 to train the staff. UNHCR contributed $30,000 for the purchase of furniture and equipment," it said.

Zakarpattia region hosts some 147,000 registered internally displaced people, of which 39,000 are hosted in Mukachevo community.

"In response to the devastating effects of the February 2022 full-scale invasion, the Mariupol Union of Youth NGO, now relocated in Zakarpattia region founded this hub, to serve as a multifunctional space for all in the community.This hub will provide professional skills trainings, workshops for youth in cooperation with the NGO NEEKA, and serve as a gathering point for the Mukachevo and displaced communities as well as private sector actors and local authorities. It will thereby help promote social cohesion and foster growth and sustainable development in Mukachevo and its environs," the UNDP said.

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ukraine Christophoros Politis said the hub constitutes a platform for inclusion and engagement in Mukachevo. It is intended to create a space to strengthen cohesion between host communities and displaced people, businesses and civil society organizations, and to demonstrate the positive impact of joint action at local level.

"UNDP remains steadfast and committed to promoting inclusion and diversity, in its support to the recovery of Ukraine," he said.

UNHCR Representative in Ukraine Karolina Lindholm Billing said the purpose and spirit of this hub are to create a space where locals from Mukachevo, and people who have fled and found safety and a new home there, can come together to get to know each other, learn new skills and contribute to the communities in which they live.

"I very much support the approach that people who have been forced to flee their homes and find safety here should not be viewed as 'IDPs' or 'refugees', but rather be welcomed and embraced as fully included members of the society, who bring valuable skills and capacities, and help the region advance and move forward to a brighter future," she said.

Program Manager at the EU Delegation in Ukraine Alejandro Eggenschwiler said the hub marks another critical step towards building genuinely inclusive communities.

"The Russian war of aggression cannot divide the people of Ukraine. The enthusiasm with which local communities welcome newcomers is inspiring," he said.
Brand new U8 and ULED X TVs are now available across the region

QINGDAO, China, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hisense, the consumer technology brand announced the launch of its brand new ULED X and hero U8 TV products in the United Arab Emirates region yesterday.

In 2022, Hisense TV ranked No.2 in global TV shipments, and in the same year, also won the 'Dubai Quality Global Award' for launching a series of high-quality products and services specifically targeting the local Dubai market.

Hisense launches ULED X to UAE Market Hisense shows its latest display products to the consumers

First unveiled at this year's CES, Hisense's 110-inch ULED X was awarded the CES 2023 Innovation Award for its advanced optical systems, extraordinary image processing, and industry-leading display technologies. It has redefined the standard of high-end LCD TV picture quality by elevating the brightness, contrast, and screen image taking it to a whole new level.

Hisense's commitment to investing in technology research and development is underpinned by operating 23 global R&D centers worldwide. And when it comes to providing quality technological appliances, employing and retaining the best local talent that improves the whole organization, is also paramount. For many years, the company has continuously invested in local executives, experts in sales, marketing, supply chains and many other roles to help build a highly-localized professional operations team.

Speaking at the product launch event in Dubai, Jerry Liu Vice President of Hisense International commented: "Our Dubai Company has become one of Hisense's fastest-growing overseas companies. From 2018 to 2022, Hisense's brand awareness in the UAE market increased from 48% to 73%, representing a growth of 25 percentage points. The brand equity also increased from 57 to 145, a growth of over 154%. Hisense's brand influence has been expanding year by year, gradually becoming a key marketplace for Hisense's overseas brands and greatly expanding its coverage area. Hisense's core mission is to pursue scientific and technological innovation, take the lead in advanced manufacturing with intelligence as the core, and bring happiness to millions of families with high-quality products and services."

About Hisense

Hisense is a leading global home appliance and consumer electronics brand. Hisense's business covers multimedia products (with a focus on Smart TVs), home appliances, and IT intelligent information. Recently, Hisense has grown rapidly and is now operating in more than 160 countries.

SOURCE Hisense
WASHINGTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) is pleased to announce the honorees of the 13th annual Heroes of Military Medicine Awards. The special event, held May 11, 2023, in Washington, D.C., brings top military medical researchers and practitioners together to salute those who have made exceptional contributions to military medicine. With the support of the Chairman Sponsor, Humana Military , HJF recognizes the heroes who have advanced medicine for our nation's warfighters, veterans, and civilians.

The 2023 Heroes of Military Medicine Award Honorees are:

The Hero of Military Medicine Civilian Honoree is Mrs. Hollyanne Milley .

The Hero of Military Medicine Ambassador Honoree is Mr. Benjamin Hall , State Department Correspondent for Fox News Channel.

The Heroes of Military Medicine Honorees are:

Army: Colonel (Doctor) Benjamin "Kyle" Potter

Navy: Lieutenant (Doctor) Anna Rayne

Air Force: Major (Doctor) Jonathan Henderson

The Hero of Military Medicine DHA Honoree is Andrew D. Bloom, M.D.

"HJF holds a deep appreciation and high regard for these true military medical heroes," said Joseph Caravalho, Jr., M.D., HJF President and CEO and retired Army Major General. "Since 2010, HJF has celebrated men and women who exemplify commitment to military medicine for those who need it mostwhether warfighters, veterans or civilians. Congratulations to each for their extraordinary achievements."

Each year, three awards are presented to active-duty military medical professionals, one each from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, with nominations coming from the Services' respective Surgeon General. Additionally, honorees are recognized with the Military Medicine Ambassador Award, Military Medicine Civilian Award, and Military Medicine DHA Award.

More information about each of this year's award recipients can be found at https://www.hjf.org/hmm-honorees.

About HJF:

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF), now celebrating its 40th anniversary, is a global nonprofit organization with the mission to advance military medicine. HJF's scientific, administrative and program operations services empower investigators, clinicians, and medical researchers around the world to make discoveries in all areas of medicine. HJF serves as a trusted and responsive link between the military medical community, federal and private partners, and the millions of warfighters, veterans, and civilians who benefit from military medicine. For more information, visit www.hjf.org.

CONTACT:

Colleen Franklin

(240) 694-2075

[email protected]

SOURCE Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine
SEOUL, South Korea, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyosung Chairman Hyun-joon Cho accompanied President Suk-yeol Yoon's state visit to the US as a member of Yoon's economic delegation. Chairman Cho attended the official event held in Washington, D.C. and engaged in activities to enhance economic cooperation between the US and Korea.

Chairman Cho attended events such as the US-Korea Business Roundtable and the US-Korea Business Forum for High-tech Industries, forming close relationships and establishing cooperative plans with CEOs of major US corporations.

Hyun-joon Cho, the Chairman of Hyosung Group

He then proceeded to participate in the welcoming event and state dinner held at the White House to meet with both heads of the state, President Suk-yeol Yoon and President Biden, and made lasting impressions as he engaged in networking with other people of influence in US politics.

As Chairman Cho continues to build relationships with the finance and political figures in the US, Hyosung's business in the US is expected to expand further.

Hyosung is currently operating businesses related to electricity, ATM, tire cords, air bag fabric materials in the US. In 2022, Hyosung has recorded approximately USD 1.8 billion in US sales and its sales continue to grow every year.

SOURCE Hyosung Corporation
NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Insider, a single platform for building individualized, cross-channel experiences, today announced that Steve Cakebread joins the company's advisory board. Cakebread brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Insider team, having served as a senior financial executive in the technology industry for over 40 years.

Cakebread is best known for his role in leading the financial teams that took Salesforce, Pandora, and Yext to IPO. In 2020, Steve authored The IPO Playbook: An Insider's Perspective on Taking Your Company Public and How to Do It Right . Earlier in his career, Steve served as CFO for Autodesk, Vice President of Finance at Silicon Graphic (now SGI), and Director of Finance at Hewlett-Packard. His proven track record in guiding companies through successful IPOs will provide Insider with invaluable counsel as the company prepares for the future.

"From Insider's leadership team to the product and roadmap, I see a unique combination of innovation, vision, and momentum that is reminiscent of companies like Salesforce and Yext," said Steve Cakebread. "Today, Insider serves more than 1,200 brands and retailers worldwide, including one-third of the Fortune 500, making one of the most impressive client rosters I have ever seen. Insider is also building impressive recognition in the marketplace, recognized already as a leader by IDC's MarketScape: Worldwide Customer Data Platforms Focused on Front-Office Users and Gartner's 2022 Magic Quadrant for Personalization Engines. More importantly, Insider has been named the #1 leader in G2 for six years in a row, gaining the highest possible satisfaction scores of 98/100 by verified users.

With a product-first approach that's translating to phenomenal growth in global markets, including North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. I believe Insider is well-poised to become the market leader in the customer experience industry.

I look forward to contributing to Insider's continued growth and success, and helping their leadership team find the correct course of action to source innovative, world-first solutions to marketers' biggest frustrations and challenges," he said.

Cakebread's appointment follows news that Insider unlocked unicorn status with a $1.22B valuation and a $121M Series D investment. More recently, Insider made its first-ever acquisition, MindBehind, a Meta-verified, Conversational Commerce and Messaging Platform, to accelerate its development of conversational solutions. Cakebread will provide invaluable insights and guidance as Insider continues to grow aggressively and considers new ways to increase its product offering and cement its position as the market leader in customer experience.

"I am delighted to welcome Steve Cakebread to Insider's advisory board," said Hande Cilingir, Co-Founder and CEO at Insider. "It's hard to imagine anyone with more capital market or IPO experience than Steve, having led three companies from private ownership to their IPOs. Steve's deep understanding of how to build teams, policies, procedures, and controls that support a company's growth will be invaluable. In this position, Steve can offer his guidance, insights, and experiences from Salesforce, Pandora, and Yext. I look forward to working together to explore new ways to accelerate our market-leading product, including potential mergers and acquisitions, to better serve our customers and deliver continued value to our stakeholders. There is A Brand New Way for crafting customer experiences, which is why Insider exists. I cannot wait to see what impact Steve's guidance and insight will have on our business; his IPO expertise is exactly what we need to navigate Insider's next chapter."

Insider is trusted by the world's best-loved brands, including Samsung, GAP, Santander, Vodafone, IKEA, MAC, Virgin, Toyota, Singapore Airlines, Madeira Madeira, Marks & Spencer, BBVA, and Estee Lauder.

About Steve Cakebread

Steve Cakebread is a seasoned financial executive with over 40 years of experience in the technology industry. He is best known for leading the financial teams that took Yext, Pandora, and Salesforce to IPO. Cakebread held senior financial positions at companies such as Autodesk, Xactly Corporation, and Pandora Media, among others. He is also the author of 'The IPO Playbook: An Insider's Perspective on Taking Your Company Public and How to Do It Right', an invaluable reference guide for preparing for a successful IPO.

About Insider

Insider a single platform for building individualized, cross-channel experiencesenables enterprise marketers to connect customer data across channels and systems, predict their future behavior with an AI intent engine, and build individualized customer experiences. Marketers use Insider's platform to deliver consistent and engaging experiences across channels like Web , App , Web Push , Email , SMS , and Messaging Apps (e.g., WhatsApp).

One-third of Fortune 500 companies and top brands across retail, automotive, and travel choose Insider to deliver AI-led personalized experiences that exceed customer expectations. Insider is trusted by over 1,200 global businesses, including Singapore Airlines, Estee Lauder, Virgin , Toyota , New Balance , IKEA , GAP, L'Oreal , Samsung , Newsweek , MediaMarkt , Nissan , AVIS, Marks & Spencer , Allianz, Madeira Madeira , Santander, BBVA , Pizza Hut, Avon , and CNN .

For more information, visit www.useinsider.com .

SOURCE Insider
Israel's largest provider of humanitarian aid acts quickly as conflict continues near Gaza Strip

JERUSALEM, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a quick response to the more than 500 rockets launched at southern Israel in the last two days, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) announced the placement of five new bomb shelter units today in areas of Ashkelon identified by local authorities as lacking ample protection. The areas included residential spaces where homes still had no shelters as well as commercial zones where people had no refuge from incoming rockets.

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews Acts Quickly to Protect Civilians in Israel's South Amidst Gaza Conflict Tweet this The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews recently provided four new fortified security vehicles to local security officers in Israel's south, to help them safely navigate communities near the Gaza Strip amidst ongoing rocket fire. Photo Credit: Amnon Ziv, 2023 Bomb shelter provided by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews being installed in Ashkelon, Israel on May 11, 2023. In recent years, The Fellowship has donated more than 400 such shelters throughout Israel. Photo Credit: IFCJ, 2023

This latest installation comes in addition to numerous other safety projects made possible by The Fellowship across Ashkelon, including a mobile command center The Fellowship donated earlier this year which allows the municipal leadership to manage the city through these types of crises. The organization also purchased four protective vehicles that are used by local security officers to arrive quickly and safely at the scene of attacks.

The new shelters will provide much-needed protection to the residents of Ashkelon during these challenging times. The shelters are part of an ongoing effort by The Fellowship to ensure that the Israeli public is properly protected in the face of a growing array of threats. In recent years, The Fellowship has donated over 400 such shelters throughout the country, and has plans to renovate and equip 2,500 existing shelters. To date, The Fellowship has invested over $65 million in security projects.

Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of The Fellowship said, "Strengthening our nation's home front defenses, particularly in these times of security crisis, has long been one of the primary objectives of The Fellowship. We see it as a central part of our mandate to ensure that the people of Israel are provided the physical protection and basic needs they need to survive during times of crisis. These shelters not only protect people in time of need but are a critical reflection of the spirit of solidarity that enables our donor community of hundreds of thousands around the world to know that they are partners in caring for the people of Israel. We are deeply appreciative of their support in allowing us to quickly and effectively implement lifesaving solutions in these times of need."

The Fellowship, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, is the largest provider of humanitarian aid in Israel and supports needy populations through a variety of projects and initiatives promoting immigration, and investing in civilian homeland defense. Among its many projects, The Fellowship has supported the purchase of security vehicles, hundreds of first responder medical kits, the establishment of a sheltered emergency department in the French Hospital in Nazareth, and the upgrading of the MRI Unit at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.

About The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

For 40 years, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has been leading efforts to build bridges between Christians and Jews and provide humanitarian care and lifesaving aid for Israel and the Jewish people. Through the generosity and loyalty each year of its donors, partners, and staff, The Fellowship helps over 1 million people living in poverty, has provided nearly 3,000 bomb shelters for security, and has helped 770,000 make aliyah back to their homeland, Israel. The Fellowship is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, continuing a mission to bless Israel and the Jewish people  like our world has never seen.

About Yael Eckstein

As President and CEO of The Fellowship, Yael Eckstein oversees all programs and serves as the international spokesperson for the organization. With over a decade of nonprofit experience in multiple roles, Yael has the rare distinction of being a woman leading one of the world's largest religious charitable organizations. In addition to her weekly podcast on matters of faith, Holy Land Reflections, each month, Yael invites thought leaders to discuss Jewish-Christian relations and Israel's significance on her podcast, Conversations with Yael. She is the 2023 recipient of the Jerusalem Post's Humanitarian Award, and in 2020 and 2021 was named to the publication's list of 50 Most Influential Jews. Born outside of Chicago, Yael is now based in Israel with her husband and their four children.

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Gartman

[email protected]

+1 312-641-8544

SOURCE International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
SAN DIEGO, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "Today we are pleased to announce that Invivoscribe's LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay has been approved by BSI (Netherlands) and the EMA as a Class C CDx assay, meeting the stringent new IVDR (Regulation (EU) 2017/746) requirements. Invivoscribe is one of the first companies in the world to gain an IVDR approval of a CDx assay. IVDR is a set of regulations that came into effect on May 26, 2022 that were put in place by the Europe Union (EU) to ensure the safety, traceability, quality and performance of in-vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDs)," says Jason Gerhold, Global Director of Regulatory, Quality, and Clinical Affairs at Invivoscribe.

The IVDR applies to all existing and new IVDs placed on the market in the EU, including those that are imported from outside the EU. The IVDR is a new classification system for IVDs, based on the level of risk associated with the device. The classification system is divided into four classes, Class A (lowest risk), Class B, Class C, and Class D (highest risk). The classification of an IVD will determine the level of scrutiny it will receive during the conformity assessment process. The IVDR depends on notified bodies that are authorized by the EU to assess and certify IVDs. Notified bodies are independent organizations that are accredited by the EU to perform conformity assessments and issue CE certificates.

Invivoscribe is one of the first companies in the world to gain an IVDR approval of a CDx assay. Tweet this

Manufacturers of IVDs are required to demonstrate compliance with the IVDR by implementing a quality management system and by providing technical documentation to support their claims of conformity. They will also be required to appoint an individual responsible for regulatory compliance and to maintain vigilance and post-market surveillance systems. Manufacturers will also have to provide a summary of safety and clinical performance (SSCP) for their devices which should be available to the public. Overall, the IVDR aims to increase the safety, traceability, quality and performance of IVDs, and to provide greater assurance to patients and healthcare professionals that the IVDs they use are reliable and accurate.

The LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay is a PCR-based in vitro diagnostic test designed to detect internal tandem duplications (ITD) and tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutations D835 and I836 in the FLT3 gene in genomic DNA extracted from patients diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). FLT3 somatic variants are among the most common driver mutations as is one of the strongest predictors of overall survival in acute myeloid leukemia (AML)1, the deadliest form of leukemia. Each year in the U.S. AML is diagnosed in about 20,000, and statistics indicate that new AML patients with FLT3 mutations have only a 30.5% five-year relative survival rate2.

"By being one of the first CDx to be approved under IVDR, Invivoscribe has once again demonstrated our leadership position, our focus on regulatory compliance, and our emphasis on the importance of international standardization of molecular diagnostic assays. We believe that adherence to strict standards and lab practices is an example of where the value of vertical integration of our company becomes readily apparent," said Jeff Miller, CEO and CSO of Invivoscribe. "With a highly talented global team, expertise in R&D, bioinformatics and AI, cGMP manufacturing, regulatory, quality, clinical affairs, sales, marketing, and performance of our clinical laboratories around the world, Invivoscribe is well positioned to serve the needs of healthcare providers, and global and regional pharma and biopharma partners."

About Invivoscribe

Invivoscribe is a global, vertically-integrated biotechnology company dedicated to Improving Lives with Precision Diagnostics. For nearly thirty years, Invivoscribe has improved the quality of healthcare worldwide by providing high quality standardized reagents, tests, and bioinformatics tools to advance the field of precision medicine. Invivoscribe has a successful track record of partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies interested in developing and commercializing companion diagnostics, and provides expertise in both regulatory and laboratory services. Providing distributable kits, as well as clinical trial services through its globally located clinical lab subsidiaries (LabPMM), Invivoscribe is an ideal partner from diagnostic development, through clinical trials, regulatory submissions, and commercialization. For additional information, please contact Invivoscribe at: [email protected] or follow Invivoscribe on LinkedIn.

References:

1. Daver N et al. Leukemia (2019) 33:299-312.

2. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/amyl.html

SOURCE Invivoscribe, Inc.
Chefs, bakers and industry leaders will experience the superior taste, safety and versatility of Italian and European organic flour and semolina at hands-on workshops

LOS ANGELES, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Italian Milling Industry Association (ITALMOPA) will host greater Los Angeles chefs, bakers and culinary professionals at two hands-on cooking workshops on May 15 as part of its Pure Flour from Europe program. Co-funded by the European Union, the program promotes the safety, versatility and superior quality of Italian and European organic flour and semolina.

ITALMOPA will host Los Angeles culinary professionals at cooking workshops as part of Pure Flour from Europe program. Tweet this

At these 90-minute private events, Chef Francesco Allegro will lead attendees in creating two classic Italian pasta dishes  empowering them to return this knowledge and these skills to their kitchens and communities. During the first workshop, Allegro will feature Molino De Vita flour in a recipe for cavatelli with tomato sauce and ricotta; a vegan option with tomato sauce and breadcrumbs will also be available. The second workshop will highlight the use of Molino Casillo and Molino Grassi flour in making tortellini stuffed with ricotta, parmesan and spinach and served with butter and sage sauce. The vegan tortellini option will be stuffed with potatoes, kale and herbs and served with olive oil and tomato sauce.

"We are thrilled to host this event at Eataly Los Angeles to showcase the quality of Italian organic flours and semolina to culinary professionals in the area," said Andrea Valente, ITALMOPA president. "The EU and Italy are pioneers in food safety, quality, and environmental sustainability, which enhances the flavor of virtually any culinary creation."

Through time-honored mastery, cutting-edge production techniques and strict adherence to EU regulations, Italy's organic flour and semolina are unparalleled  a true testament to the art of cooking. Crafted specifically for professional chefs, bakers and discerning consumers, these superior products result from centuries of expertise, innovative technology and rigorous standards that ensure their excellence.

The private event is open to culinary professionals only. To be considered, complete a registration request online or contact [email protected].

About ITALMOPA

Founded in 1958 and based in Rome, ITALMOPA represents 82 companies across Italy that mill soft and durum wheat for the production of flour and semolina for pasta, breads, pastries, pizza and more. For more information, please visit pureflourfromeurope.eu .

SOURCE PURE FLOUR FROM EUROPE
KANAZAWA, Japan, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Nano Letters how high-speed atomic force microscopy leads to insights into processes relevant to Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, the technique is shown to be an excellent tool for studying the effect of drugs against the disease.

According to the amyloid hypothesis, Alzheimer's disease  the most common type of dementia  is caused by flaws in the production, accumulation, and disposal of amyloid-beta (A) in the brain. A refers to a group of peptides (protein fragments) that over time form plaques in the brain of people with Alzheimer's disease. Drugs aiming to reduce the aggregation of A have been developed, but recent findings show that different types of A aggregates have different contributions to the development of Alzheimer's disease. In particular, intermediate aggregates such as protofibrils are more toxic than the actual final fibrils, the main component of A plaques. A precise understanding of the complex aggregation pathways is therefore necessary for the further development of efficient drugs against Alzheimer's disease. Kenjiro Ono from Kanazawa University and colleagues have now succeeded in visualizing the structural dynamics of protofibrils, as well as the effect of a recently developed drug based on anti-A antibodies.

The scientists looked at the formation and the structure of A protofibrils by means of high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM). The latter method has in recent years emerged as a powerful nanoimaging tool for studying biomolecules and their dynamics at high spatiotemporal resolution. HS-AFM observations showed that protofibrils have a nodal structure, with stable structural features  specifically, the binding angle between nodes  across several samples. Importantly, this nodal structure is distinct from proper, mature fibrils, which have a helical structure.

Ono and colleagues then investigated the dissociation of protofibrils. They found that the length of protofibrils depends on their concentration, suggesting that aggregates can dissociate spontaneously.

To obtain detailed insights into the functioning of anti-A antibody drugs, the researchers examined the binding between A protofibrils and a new drug known as lecanemab. They found that the binding ability (affinity) of lecanemab for protofibrils is almost independent of the size of the protofibrils  in other words, the affinity does not substantially vary throughout the aggregation process. HS-AFM observations further revealed that lecanemab covers the surface of small, pre-protofibril aggregates. In doing so, the drug inhibits the further aggregation into protofibrils, which in turn prevents the formation of proper A fibrils and plaques.

The results of Ono and colleagues provide direct evidence of a mechanism through which an antibody drug interferes with the A aggregation process. More generally, the work confirms the versatility of the HS-AFM method for studying biochemical pathways. Quoting the scientists: "Single-molecule HS-AFM is an effective tool for revealing the structural dynamics of transient, metastable amyloid aggregation intermediates and the effects of anti-aggregating drugs on them."

Background

High-speed atomic force microscopy

The general principle of atomic force microscopy (AFM) is to make a very small tip scan the surface of a sample. During this horizontal (xy) scan, the tip, which is attached to a small cantilever, follows the sample's vertical (z) profile, inducing a force on the cantilever that can be measured. The magnitude of the force at the xy position can be related to the z value; the xyz data generated during a scan then result in a height map providing structural information about the investigated sample. In high-speed-AFM (HS-AFM), the working principle is slightly more involved: the cantilever is made to oscillate near its resonance frequency. When the tip is moved around a surface, the variations in the amplitude (or the frequency) of the cantilever's oscillation  resulting from the tip's interaction with the sample's surface  are recorded, as these provide a measure for the local 'z' value.

HS-AFM results in a video, where the time interval between frames depends on the speed with which a single image can be generated (by xy-scanning the sample). Researchers at Kanazawa University have in recent years developed HS-AFM further, so that it can be applied to study biochemical molecules and biomolecular processes in real-time. Kenjiro Ono and colleagues have now applied the method to study the structural dynamics of amyloid-beta protofibrils, known to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, as well as the effect of an anti-amyloid-beta antibody drug against the disease.

Reference

Takahiro Watanabe-Nakayama, Mayumi Tsuji, Kenichi Umeda, Tatsunori Oguchi, Hiroki Konno, Moeko Noguchi-Shinohara, Yuji Kiuchi, Noriyuki Kodera, David B. Teplow, and Kenjiro Ono. Structural Dynamics of Amyloid Protofibrils and Actions of Anti Amyloid Antibodies as Observed by High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy, Nano Lett. (2023).

DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00187

URL: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00187

Figure 1 link and caption

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-6.png

High-speed atomic force microscopy and schematic visualization of protofibrils  dynamics, binding, dissociation and biochemical interactions. Copyright  2023, American Chemical Society.

Contact

Hiroe Yoneda

Senior Specialist in Project Planning and Outreach

NanoLSI Administrative Office

WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI)

Kanazawa University

Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan

Email: [email protected]



Tel: +81 (76) 234-4550

About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI)

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/

Nano Life Science Institute (NanoLSI), Kanazawa University is a research center established in 2017 as part of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The objective of this initiative is to form world-tier research centers. NanoLSI combines the foremost knowledge of bio-scanning probe microscopy to establish 'nano-endoscopic techniques' to directly image, analyze, and manipulate biomolecules for insights into mechanisms governing life phenomena such as diseases.

About Kanazawa University

http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/e/

As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities.

The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa  a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas.

SOURCE Kanazawa University
Kao Data has secured an extensive, industrial-scale site for redevelopment at Kenwood Point, Manchester , with the aim of establishing a new 40MW data centre.

The development represents an investment of 350M, with the facility set to follow Kao Data's award-winning design, energy efficiency and sustainability ethos, and include heat re-use capabilities.

This addition to Manchester's technology ecosystem will help accelerate the city's position as a leading tech hub, and support its business and research communities following the government's commitment to invest 3.5 billion in the future of UK science and tech.

LONDON , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kao Data, the specialist developer and operator of high-performance data centres for enterprise, cloud, HPC and AI, has today announced a new 40 megawatt (MW) data centre in Manchester, UK. Following the acquisition of two new data centres last year, the move represents the next phase in the continued expansion of the Kao Data platform, with Manchester named as the first of its new Tier II locations in Europe.

The latest phase of Kao Data's platform expansion has seen the company secure a 39,000m2 ex-industrial site for sustainable redevelopment at Kenwood Point, Manchester. The new data centre, which is planned to become operational in late 2025, will provide space for nine data halls, creating a leading infrastructure hub to support Greater Manchester's growing technology ecosystem and the UK's largest high performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors outside of London and the Oxford-Cambridge arc.

Kao Data's first data centre in the North of England will follow the organisations award-winning high performance design, efficiency and sustainability ethos, providing a sustainable, OCP-Ready and NVIDIA-DGX Ready certified infrastructure platform for advanced computing. For example, the facility will deliver an industry-leading PUE of 1.2, be powered by 100% renewable energy, and utilise hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in its generators  providing the highest-grade, sustainable data centre capacity in the region. Furthermore, the data centre will be precision-engineered to incorporate heat re-use capabilities, supporting local communities in its immediate vicinity with a valuable resource in the wake of the cost-of-living crisis.

"Our move into Manchester marks an important next step in the continued evolution of our organisation, and we're excited to bring our industry-leading data centre platform to one of the UK's most influential technology and business hubs," said Spencer Lamb, Chief Commercial Officer, Kao Data. "We believe our new facility will set a new standard for sustainable data centres within the region and will provide a piece of foundational infrastructure that supports both Northern England's advanced computing clusters, and the UK Governments' ambitions to become a technological and economic powerhouse for HPC and AI."

Manchester has been hailed as one of the UK's fastest growing technology hubs and has established itself as the country's pre-eminent Tier II data centre cluster, driven by the media, scientific research, and enterprise sectors. The city's technology ecosystem, for example, is projected to add 74.8bn GVA (gross value added) to the UK economy, and the region is an attractive location for enterprise with access to a highly skilled workforce, readily available renewable energy, and lower operating costs than the London market.

In March 2023, the UK government committed 3.5 billion to the future of science and tech, with around 1BN of the funding pledged directly to support the next generation of supercomputing and artificial intelligence research. Greater Manchester is already home to some of the UK's most advanced computing organisations including The Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation at Daresbury, the SKA Telescope at Jodrell Bank, and a plethora of research focused universities.

As AI becomes more ingrained into every facet of business and enterprise, Greater Manchester is perfectly placed to play a pivotal role in the government's ambitions to become a world-leading superpower in science and tech. With the move to establish a new 40MW data centre in the city, Kao Data is actively supporting this mission, and the regions technology-driven business communities.

Kao Data is attending DTX Manchester on the 17th and 18th May 2023 to make connections with Manchester's technology and business ecosystems. Meet us at stand D34, or to learn more, visit the website.

About Kao Data

Founded in 2014, Kao Data develop and operate high performance data centres for advanced computing. With hyperscale-inspired facilities east and west of London, we provide enterprise, cloud, HPC and AI customers with a world-class home for their compute.

Designed, engineered, and operated by one of the industry's most respected teams, our carrier neutral data centres offer the highest calibre OCP-Ready and DGX-Ready environments. We are the UK's home for the most demanding computing infrastructure, with our east of London facility in Harlow housing NVIDIA's Cambridge-1, the UK's most powerful supercomputer. This is complimented by state-of-the-art facilities in west London, which combined, deliver a data centre footprint of 55MW, all powered by 100% renewable energy.

Backed by leading international investors, Kao Data is one of the UK's most pioneering data centre developers and operators. We underpin our customers' mission-critical workloads with high performance infrastructure, operations and compute efficiencies, representing the future in industrial scale computing.

kaodata.com

SOURCE Kao Data
CHICAGO, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Karrot, a leading channel revenue growth platform, is thrilled to announce its partnership with Children International, a renowned organization committed to empowering children and youth to achieve their full potential.

CI Logo

At Karrot, we believe that growth goes beyond the realm of business. As we help our clients thrive and expand their channel revenue, we also recognize the importance of giving back to society. With this in mind, we have established a profound alliance with Children International to make a tangible difference in the lives of children worldwide.

By pledging a portion of our fees directly to Children International, we are actively contributing to their impactful initiatives. This collaboration enables us to play a crucial role in nurturing the growth and development of children, creating lasting positive change in their lives.

"Our partnership with Karrot Rewards means more children and families from vulnerable communities globally will have equitable access to quality education, healthcare, employment training, and other essential services."  Kristen Mallory, Global Director of Programs at Children International

Children International works tirelessly to break the cycle of poverty by providing children with vital resources, educational opportunities, healthcare, and mentorship. Together with Children International, Karrot aims to empower children, unlocking their potential and offering them a brighter future.

"Our partnership with Children International aligns perfectly with our core values and mission. By empowering children and youth, we are investing in a better world," said Ernie Naylor, CEO at Karrot. "We are excited to combine our expertise in channel revenue growth with Children International's impactful programs to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children worldwide."

Through this partnership, Karrot clients can take pride in knowing that their business growth is directly contributing to transforming lives and creating opportunities for vulnerable children. Together, we are fostering hope, breaking barriers, and inspiring positive change.

For more information about Karrot's partnership with Children International or to join us in empowering children's futures, please visit www.thekarrot.com or www.children.org/partners

About Karrot

Karrot is a leading channel revenue growth platform dedicated to empowering businesses to accelerate their growth through innovative strategies and solutions. With a focus on driving results, Karrot partners with clients to unlock their full potential and achieve sustainable success.

About Children International

Children International is a global nonprofit organization that empowers children and youth to break the cycle of poverty. By providing life-changing opportunities, essential resources, and mentorship, Children International helps children unlock their potential and create a better future for themselves and their communities.

Media Contact:

Rob Woods

Director of Sales & Marketing

Karrot Rewards, Inc

312.809.6121

[email protected]

SOURCE Karrot Rewards Inc
All Challenger 2 tanks that London wanted to deliver to Kyiv are already in Ukraine, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said on Thursday.

He said, speaking in the House of Commons, that he knows that all these tanks have arrived in Ukraine, as well as a lot of spare parts, and a lot of armored vehicles. But he doesnt know if all these goods were delivered, but emphasized that all the tanks are in Ukraine.

He added that the Ukrainian military learned how to use these tanks both in Britain and in Ukraine.

Earlier, British media reported that Britain would send Ukraine 14 Challenger 2 tanks, 20 Bulldog armored personnel carriers and 30 AS-90 self-propelled artillery units.

Challenger 2 is the main battle tank of the British Ground Forces, produced from 1994 to 2009. The caliber of the rifled gun is 120 mm, the ammunition is 52 shells. In total, the British industry has produced more than 400 tanks of this model.

In April, it became known that the British authorities handed over to Ukraine several thousand shells for Challenger 2, some of these shells contain depleted uranium.
Three new brewers and a new lineup of ICED K-Cup pods from The Original Donut Shop, McCafe At Home and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters provide consumers with great-tasting iced coffee with the push of a button

BURLINGTON, Mass. and FRISCO, Texas, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Keurig Dr Pepper announced today that it has expanded its iced coffee portfolio with the introduction of the Keurig K-Iced family of brewers, featuring three new coffee makers, along with the addition of five new delicious ICED K-Cup pod varieties that provide a great iced coffee experience. Together, the ICED suite of products delivers an unparalleled cafe-quality iced coffee experience in the comfort of consumers' own homes.

Keurig Launches ICED Innovation to Bring Delicious Cafe Quality Iced Coffee to All Tweet this K-Iced Brewer

As the summer heat rises, the new K-Iced brewers hit the spot for consumers seeking the option to brew either a refreshing and delicious iced coffee or a rich, full-flavored hot coffee from one coffee maker at-home. The brewers feature a Brew Over Ice option that automatically adjusts the brew temperature, starting hotter to extract the full flavor of the ground coffee then cooling down to minimize ice melt. That functionality is now front and center on the coffee maker console via an eye-catching, newly designed blue button. The innovative brew over ice process results in a vibrant, balanced and flavorful cup of coffee when brewing over ice that never tastes watered down, all in just two minutes.

The Keurig K-Iced family features the following three new brewers:

K-Iced Single Serve Coffee Maker is available on Keurig.com, Amazon and other major retailers nationwide for a MAP of $99 and features 6, 8 and 10 hot and iced brew sizes, a 42 oz removable reservoir and two fresh colorways.

and features 6, 8 and 10 hot and iced brew sizes, a 42 oz removable reservoir and two fresh colorways. K-Iced Essentials Single Serve Coffee Maker is available exclusively at Walmart at a MSRP of $79 and features 6, 8, or 10 oz hot and iced brew sizes, a 36 oz removable reservoir and an iced tumbler package.

and features 6, 8, or 10 oz hot and iced brew sizes, a 36 oz removable reservoir and an iced tumbler package. K-Iced Plus Single Serve Coffee Maker is available exclusively at Target for a MSRP of $129 and features 8, 10, or 12 oz hot and iced brew sizes, a 46oz removable reservoir, three unique colorways and a drip tray to accommodate tumblers and travel mugs up to 7" tall.

"Understanding that Gen-Z is leading the way in iced coffee consumption, with an astounding 73% of consumers between 18-24 drinking iced coffee weekly1, we're excited to further expand our brewer and coffee portfolio to meet the needs of our consumers," said Becky Opdyke, Senior Vice President, Coffee Marketing at Keurig Dr Pepper. "With the new K-Iced line, consumers not only get that full flavored hot coffee they expect from Keurig, but also a refreshing iced coffee at the touch of a button  all in one coffee maker. We know a staggering 80% of iced coffee drinks are consumed at home2 which makes the new ICED system the perfect addition."

In addition to the brewer, Keurig has expanded its ICED K-Cup pod offerings within the new system, with several new K-Cup pods, including The Original Donut Shop ICED Duos Cookies + Caramel, McCafe At Home ICED One Step Mocha Frappe, McCafe At Home ICED One Step Hazelnut Latte, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Iced Vanilla Caramel and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters ICED Hazelnut Cream  further allowing consumers to elevate their at-home coffee experience.

These K-Cup pods are specially crafted to stand up to ice and are compatible with all Keurig models, delivering balanced iced coffee that doesn't taste watered down. The new ICED K-Cup pod SKUs can be purchased on Keurig.com and in select national retailers.

To learn more about the new ICED Systems, visit www.keurig.com and follow @keurig on Instagram , Facebook and Twitter . For iced coffee recipe ideas, visit Cafe Creations or download the Keurig app.

1 Statistic is attributed to Beverage Segmentation 2021

2 Statistic is attributed to Kantar Millward Brown

About Keurig Dr Pepper

Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) is a leading beverage company in North America, with annual revenue of more than $14 billion and approximately 28,000 employees. KDP holds leadership positions in liquid refreshment beverages, including soft drinks, specialty coffee and tea, water, juice and juice drinks and mixers, and markets the #1 single serve coffee brewing system in the U.S. and Canada. The Company's portfolio of more than 125 owned, licensed and partner brands is designed to satisfy virtually any consumer need, any time, and includes Keurig, Dr Pepper, Canada Dry, Clamato, CORE, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Mott's, Snapple, and The Original Donut Shop. Through its powerful sales and distribution network, KDP can deliver its portfolio of hot and cold beverages to nearly every point of purchase for consumers. The Company's Drink Well. Do Good. corporate responsibility platform is focused on the greatest opportunities for impact in the environment, its supply chain, the health and well-being of consumers and with its people and communities. For more information, visit www.keurigdrpepper.com.

SOURCE Keurig Dr Pepper
Steven C. Laird, Seth McCloskey honored for personal injury expertise

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Courthouse veterans Steven C. Laird and Seth McCloskey of Fort Worth-based Laird & McCloskey have each earned placement on the 2023 edition of Lawdragon's 500 Leading Consumer Plaintiff Lawyers, a distinguished legal guide featuring the top plaintiffs' attorneys in the nation.

"We are thankful to see that our advocacy and results are endorsed by our peers in the industry," said firm founder Mr. Laird. "We feel honored to be named among some of the profession's top lawyers."

The dynamic team at Laird & McCloskey has secured some of the state's largest verdicts on behalf of the victims of truck wrecks and in other cases involving personal injury and wrongful death. Personal injury partners Mr. Laird and Mr. McCloskey are two of only four trial lawyers in North Texas who are board certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

"It's inspiring to see that our passion and dedication to the field is recognized by some of the top leaders in the industry," said Mr. McCloskey. "We are grateful to our entire team, our clients and our industry peers for making this honor possible."

Laird & McCloskey is widely known for truck accident expertise and has earned a national reputation for securing favorable verdicts and settlements on behalf of plaintiffs. The personal injury boutique also earned placement on the 2023 edition of the esteemed Best Law Firms in America legal guide.

Lawdragon's 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers legal guide recognizes lawyers who stand on the front line of justice by taking on the toughest cases. Selection is based on peer assessment and independent research of an attorney's success record.

Click here to view the full list.

About The Law Offices of Laird & McCloskey

The Law Offices of Laird & McCloskey is a firm of experienced Fort Worth truck accident lawyers with over 30 years of experience helping victims and their families. The firm is located at 1119 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Worth, Texas. To learn more about the firm's representative matters or to schedule a meeting with one of its attorneys, call (817) 531-3000 or visit https://www.texlawyers.com/

Media Contact:

Alyssa Woulfe

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Law Offices of Laird & McCloskey
Experts find MPD engages in disproportionate policing of Black neighborhoods, illegal jump-outs, and unconstitutional stops and searches

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of civil rights advocates, the lawyers for Sergeant Charlotte Djossou, and the lawyers for individuals who have brought cases alleging constitutional harm from illegal jump-outs, yesterday sent a letter calling on Council member Brooke Pinto, Chair of the D.C. Council Committee on the Judiciary, to hold a public hearing examining the continuing problem of jump-outs, discriminatory targeting of Black neighborhoods, and other police abuses of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

The departure of Chief Contee presents an opportunity for the D.C. Council to enact much-needed reforms. Tweet this MPD Sergeant Charlotte Djossou, an 18-year veteran of the department Related Documents View PDF

Renewed concern was sparked by sworn depositions in a lawsuit filed by MPD Sergeant Charlotte Djossou, an 18-year veteran of the department. "Robert Contee, the departing Chief of Police, admitted in sworn testimony that the MPD has never conducted an investigation of illegal jump-outs, and he does not know whether MPD continues to engage in them," said Lynne Bernabei, Djossou's attorney. "This testimony is in stark contrast to his public statements that the MPD no longer conducts jump-outs."

The letter to Councilmember Pinto cites reports in support of a hearing, one of which is an expert report of Dr. Jack Glaser of the University of California at Berkeley. He found, based on his review of documents and testimony uncovered in Sergeant Djossou's lawsuit, that the MPD engages in disproportionate policing of Black neighborhoods, illegal jump-outs, and unconstitutional stops and searches, which harm the Black community.

"The departure of Chief Contee presents an opportunity for the D.C. Council to enact much-needed reforms to address longstanding police abuses," said said Naike Savain, Director of Policy at DC Justice Lab. "The MPD must engage with all communities to promote effective and fair policing. While these problems are not new, the District has failed to address them for many years and under many police chiefs. Enacting sensible reforms and regaining the trust of the D.C. community is critical."

The full letter is attached.

Contacts:

Lynne Bernabei, Bernabei & Kabat, PLLC, [email protected] (202-745-1942)

Amber Taylor, ACLU-D.C., [email protected]

Vasuki Wilson, DC Justice Lab, [email protected] (202-294-2342)

Joseph Caleb, Caleb Andonian PLLC, [email protected] (202-953-9849)

Michael Bruckheim, Bruckheim & Patel, LLC, [email protected] (240-753-8222)

SOURCE Bernabei & Kabat, PLLC
WASHINGTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The bipartisan Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act of 2023 introduced by Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT-1) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA-16) finishes the job the CHIPS Act began by incentivizing investment in the domestic printed circuit board (PCB) industry.

This bill is a necessary follow-on to the CHIPS Act: without a trusted, reliable domestic source of PCBs and substrates, computer chips don't connect to end use electronic devices.

The technology stack: chips, substrates and printed circuit boards

Domestic PCB production shrunk over the past 20 years, falling from 30% to barely 4%of the world's supply.

Ninety percent of the world's supply now comes from Asia56% in China alone.

Major provisions of the bill:

$3 billion to fund factory construction, workforce development and R&D

to fund factory construction, workforce development and R&D A 25% tax credit for purchasers of American-made PCBs and substrates

"Now is the moment for Congress to take decisive action by furthering robust legislation to reshore our manufacturing, strengthen our supply chains, and prioritize national security," said Congressman Blake Moore. "The Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act provides a tried and true approach to incentivizing American companies to produce printed circuit boards here at home, which will maintain the integrity of military and national security commercial materials, boost our economy and workforce, and usher in a new era of American manufacturing. The progress we have made on semiconductors is a significant step in the right direction, but congressional support for the entire microelectronics ecosystem is needed to reduce reliance on China. I am grateful to reintroduce this bill with Congresswoman Eshoo and am hopeful this bipartisan effort will successfully move through the legislative process."

"Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are critical components of almost every piece of electronics used today. However, over the past two decades, a vast majority of PCB manufacturing has moved offshore, making PCBs vulnerable to tampering by foreign adversaries, and only 4% of PCBs are manufactured in the United States. If we want to ensure technological superiority across the global stage and strengthen national security, we need to bring PCB production back to America, which is exactly what my bipartisan bill does," said Rep. Eshoo.

"Remember, chips don't float. They need PCBs to connect to any electronic device. With production of American-made semiconductors ramping up, PCBs are a key ingredient in revitalizing the nation's microelectronics ecosystem. Without a robust domestic supply chain, we have become almost entirely reliant on foreign suppliers for the PCBs we need," said Travis Kelly, Chairman of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America.

PCBAA President Will Marsh said, "Our industry is grateful for this bipartisan support for American-made microelectronics. This is the right response to years of offshoring and a dangerous dependence on foreign sourcing."

PCBAA Executive Director David Schild said, "From F-35s to F-150s, the modern world is built on printed circuit boards, and we need to make more of them in America. This bill will lead to new factories, high paying jobs and an ecosystem to support the work being done by our colleagues in the semiconductor industry."

For interviews or more information, visit www.pcbaa.org or contact Mike Doble at (703) 579-7963, email: [email protected].

SOURCE Printed Circuit Board Association of America
View the History of Lion Brand Yarn Here

LYNDHURST, N.J., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lion Brand Yarn Company, a leading global marketer and distributor of knitting and craft yarn and a fifth-generation, family-owned business, is proudly celebrating its milestone 145-year anniversary. Founded in 1878, Lion Brand has been at the forefront of the American crafting community throughout its long history, evolving and connecting with consumers through numerous cultural shifts, including recently developing fully sustainable products and partnering with nonprofit organizations that promote mental health and work to combat discrimination.

Lion Brand Yarn Announces 145th Anniversary Celebration Lion Brand Yarn Announces 145th Anniversary Celebration

"Few creative mediums have proven their longevity and adaptability across cultures and trends throughout the years as much as the fiber arts, and Lion Brand Yarn is proud to have been at the forefront of this wonderful, inclusive community since 1878," said Adam Blumenthal, President, CEO and fifth-generation family member of Lion Brand Yarn. "Our success and longevity are a testament to many things, including the quality, trust and value associated with our brand, our continuously evolving product portfolio, the comfort our products provide to our amazing, highly engaged Lion Brand customers and the continued support of our retail partners."

Throughout the next several months, more than one million followers across Lion Brand's social channels will be treated to historical content looking back at past fashions in the fiber arts category, shoutouts from aficionados and opportunities to win Lion Brand gift cards, among many other surprises.

Lion Brand Yarn's history and resilience are significant: The brand was founded before the automobile, motion pictures, the Hershey Bar and Coca-Cola. Today, the company continues to be a market leader, driven by core legacy brands including Wool Ease, Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, Hometown, Heartland, Homespun and Pound of Love; meaningful new innovative product introductions including Hue & Me and Mandala; and an extensive natural and sustainable fiber portfolio including Re-Spun and Coboo, all of which are supported by leading-edge social and digital media.

In addition, Lion Brand Yarn supports knitters and crocheters by offering more than 8,000 free patterns on lionbrand.com and promoting community engagement via a diverse array of respected bloggers and influencers. The company has a long history of charitable endeavors, working with nonprofit organizations including Mental Health America , Knit the Rainbow , Warm Up America , HatNotHate , It Gets Better Project and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , which has received over $2 million in proceeds from sales of Vanna's Choice, a brand launched in collaboration with longtime Lion Brand spokesperson and "Wheel of Fortune" star Vanna White.

Notable company milestones include:

In 1904, Lion Brand's first advertisement appeared in the Ladies' Home Journal.

first advertisement appeared in the Ladies' Home Journal. In 1951, Lion Brand was one of the first companies to introduce nylon and orlon into the market, forever changing the hand-knitting world.

was one of the first companies to introduce nylon and orlon into the market, forever changing the hand-knitting world. In 1965, Lion Brand became the first hand-knitting company in America to receive the coveted Woolmark, a globally recognized symbol of quality and authenticity in 100% wool products.

became the first hand-knitting company in America to receive the coveted Woolmark, a globally recognized symbol of quality and authenticity in 100% wool products. In 1978, Lion Brand received an official declaration from the City of New York in recognition of its 100th anniversary.

received an official declaration from the in recognition of its 100th anniversary. In 1981, Lion Brand introduced Jamie Yarn , the first yarn line with a photo on the label.

introduced , the first yarn line with a photo on the label. "Wheel of Fortune" star and knitting and crocheting aficionado Vanna White became Lion Brand's spokesperson in 1994, later launching the best-selling Vanna's Choice line of pattern books and yarn.

became spokesperson in 1994, later launching the best-selling Vanna's Choice line of pattern books and yarn. In 2002, Lion Brand ignited the Fun Fur craze, inspiring millions of new knitting and crocheting enthusiasts.

ignited the craze, inspiring millions of new knitting and crocheting enthusiasts. In 2004, Lion Brand's website received hundreds of thousands of downloads of the free pattern for Martha Stewart's now-iconic prison release poncho.

website received hundreds of thousands of downloads of the free pattern for now-iconic prison release poncho. In 2013, Lion Brand was awarded the highly coveted Family Business Award of Excellence by Ernst & Young.

was awarded the highly coveted Family Business Award of Excellence by Ernst & Young. In 2020, Lion Brand acquired Silk City Fibers, a leading marketer and distributor of fine yarns to designers and discriminating consumers.

acquired Silk City Fibers, a leading marketer and distributor of fine yarns to designers and discriminating consumers. In 2021, Lion Brand partnered with renowned Black crochet artist Aniqua Wilkerson to create Skein Tones, a product line that complements a wide spectrum of skin tones. The product was honored with a 2022 Gold Stevie Award from the American Business Awards.

partnered with renowned Black crochet artist to create Skein Tones, a product line that complements a wide spectrum of skin tones. The product was honored with a 2022 Gold Stevie Award from the American Business Awards. In 2022, Lion Brand's Truboo, Coboo, and Re-Spun yarns were named Sustainability Product of the Year by the Business Intelligence Group's Sustainability Awards.

ABOUT LION BRAND YARN COMPANY

Celebrating its 145th anniversary in 2023, Lion Brand Yarn Company is a fifth-generation, family-owned business and one of the leading knitting and craft yarn companies in the United States. Lion Brand yarns are sold online and in stores across North America and in over 100 countries. Hundreds of types of yarn can be purchased on LionBrand.com and sister company SilkCityFibers.com, in addition to tools and accessories. Since 1878, Lion Brand has inspired and educated knitters and crocheters. Today, research shows that knitting and crocheting help relieve stress through the soothing, repetitive motions of the craft and by helping people achieve a creative outlet that produces tangible and valuable products.

SOURCE Lion Brand Yarn Co.
TOLEDO, Ohio, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A community development organization that has delivered more than $200 million to fuel housing, economic development, and jobs in Toledo's underserved neighborhoods has named a new executive director, with plans to accelerate investment activity in the region.

The national nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) tapped Tom Kroma this week to take the helm of its LISC Toledo program, leveraging his 25 years of experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors serving the Toledo region.

Kroma most recently served as director of real estate for NeighborWorks in Toledo, overseeing development efforts and support programs focused on affordable housinga particularly critical issue in the city. According to recent research, one-third of Toledo households are cost-burdened, and there is a shortage of more than 12,700 affordable units for people with extremely low incomes.

"Investing in affordable housing is not just about building or renovating structures," Kroma said. "Stable, affordable homes directly connect to the well-being of our neighborhoods. They support good jobs, thriving small businesses, family health, community safety, and contribute to how well kids do in school. By investing in affordable housing, we have the chance to fuel economic opportunity and local growth," he said.

In addition to his housing expertise, Kroma also has broad experience in other core aspects of community development. He previously served as director of economic development for Mercy Health, leading community stabilization efforts in the Cherry Legacy Neighborhood near St. Vincent Medical Center. Earlier, he was the director of the Toledo Department of Neighborhoods, managing the organization that plans, administers, and oversees the city's use of community improvement funds.

Kroma spent an additional 15 years in various roles with the cityfrom serving as a manager in the department of transportation to director of public utilities to assistant chief of staff to the mayor. He also worked in the private sector as vice president at Surface Enterprises, Inc., managing projects and customer relations for a mid-sized commercial construction company.

"I am passionate about promoting collaborations, improving systems, and maximizing outcomes that benefit our city and all its residents," he said. "That's why I was so excited for this opportunity with LISC: day in and day out, our job is to build on Toledo's rich culture and history so that everyone has the chance to contribute to and benefit from our vibrant future."

Denise Scott, LISC national president, noted that Kroma's experience directly connects to LISC's three decades of work in Toledo and will help drive ongoing growth. "Tom knows that community investments aren't just about projects; they are about people. He understands how important it is to directly engage with residents, business owners, funders, and city officials to craft plans that deliver on what people really want and need. And he has designed programs that break down barriers to opportunity, especially for people of color and other underserved communities. We are thrilled to have him on the LISC team."

Kroma has a B.S. in construction management from Bowling Green State University and an associate degree in architectural technology from the University of Toledo Community & Technical College. He has volunteered his time with the Lucas Country Workforce Development board, the Ohio Conference of Community Development board, the Toledo Streets Newspaper board and the Toledo Metro Area Council of Government (TMACOG) Commuter Services Council, among other groups.

He can be reached at [email protected] beginning on May 15.

About LISC

LISC is one of the country's largest community development organizations, helping forge vibrant, resilient communities across America. We work with residents and partners to close systemic gaps in health, wealth and opportunity and advance racial equity so that people and places can thrive. Since our founding in 1979, LISC has invested $29.7 billion to create more than 489,000 affordable homes and apartments, develop 81.4 million square feet of retail, community and educational space and help tens of thousands of people find employment and improve their finances. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.

SOURCE Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
INDIANAPOLIS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- [email protected], the oncology unit of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), today announced that data from its oncology portfolio will be presented at the 2023 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Meeting, to be held June 8  11, 2023, in Frankfurt, Germany, and virtually. The company-sponsored abstracts include new analyses of clinical data in approved and investigational uses based on the BRUIN Phase 1/2 trial evaluating Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib) in patients with B-cell malignancies previously treated with a covalent Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, including mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).



A list of presentations, along with their viewing details, are shared below.

Medicine Abstract Title Presentation Details Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib) Genomic Evolution and Resistance to Pirtobrutinib in Covalent BTK-Inhibitor (cBTKi) Pre-treated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Patients: Results from the Phase 1/2 BRUIN Study Abstract Number: S146 Session Type: Oral Session Date / Time: June 9 at 14:45  16:00 CEST Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib) Comparison of Bleeding-Related Events in Patients who Received Pirtobrutinib with and without Antithrombotic Agents Abstract Number: P1088 Session Type: Poster Session Date / Time: June 9 at 18:00  19:00 CEST Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib) Matching-Adjusted Indirect Comparison (MAIC) of Pirtobrutinib vs Venetoclax Continuous Monotherapy in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory CLL Previously Treated with a Covalent BTK Inhibitor Abstract Number: P623 Session Type: Poster Session Date / Time: June 9 at 18:00  19:00 CEST Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib) Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) Among Patients with Mantle Cell Lymphoma Receiving Pirtobrutinib After Prior Covalent BTKi: Interim PRO Analysis from the BRUIN Phase 1/2 Study Abstract Number: P1112 Session Type: Poster Session Date / Time: June 9 at 18:00  19:00 CEST LOXO-338 A First-in-Human Phase 1 Study of Oral LOXO-338, a Selective BCL2 Inhibitor, in Patients with Advanced Hematologic Malignancies Abstract Number: P636 Session Type: Poster Session Date / Time: June 9 at 18:00  19:00 CEST

About Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib)

Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib, formerly known as LOXO-305) (pronounced jay-pihr-kaa) is a highly selective (300 times more selective for BTK versus 98% of other kinases tested in preclinical studies), non-covalent (reversible) inhibitor of the enzyme BTK.1 BTK is a validated molecular target found across numerous B-cell leukemias and lymphomas including mantle cell lymphoma.2,3 Jaypirca is a U.S. FDA-approved oral prescription medicine, 100 mg or 50 mg tablets taken as a once-daily 200 mg dose with or without food until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

INDICATION FOR JAYPIRCA

Jaypirca is a kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) after at least two lines of systemic therapy, including a BTK inhibitor.

This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR JAYPIRCA (pirtobrutinib)

Infections: Fatal and serious infections (including bacterial, viral, or fungal) and opportunistic infections have occurred in patients treated with Jaypirca. In the clinical trial, Grade 3 infections occurred in 17% of 583 patients with hematologic malignancies, most commonly pneumonia (9%); fatal infections occurred in 4.1% of patients. Sepsis (4.5%) and febrile neutropenia (2.9%) occurred. Opportunistic infections after Jaypirca treatment included, but are not limited to, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and fungal infection. Consider prophylaxis, including vaccinations and antimicrobial prophylaxis, in patients at increased risk for infection, including opportunistic infections. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms, evaluate promptly, and treat appropriately. Based on severity, reduce dose, temporarily withhold, or permanently discontinue Jaypirca.

Hemorrhage: Fatal and serious hemorrhage has occurred with Jaypirca. Major hemorrhage (Grade 3 bleeding or any central nervous system bleeding) occurred in 2.4% of 583 patients with hematologic malignancies treated with Jaypirca, including gastrointestinal hemorrhage; fatal hemorrhage occurred in 0.2% of patients. Bleeding of any grade, excluding bruising and petechiae, occurred in 14% of patients. Major hemorrhage occurred in patients taking Jaypirca with (0.7%) and without (1.7%) antithrombotic agents. Consider risks/benefits of co-administering antithrombotic agents with Jaypirca. Monitor patients for signs of bleeding. Based on severity, reduce dose, temporarily withhold, or permanently discontinue Jaypirca. Consider benefit/risk of withholding Jaypirca 3-7 days pre- and post-surgery depending on type of surgery and bleeding risk.

Cytopenias: Grade 3 or 4 cytopenias, including neutropenia (24%), anemia (11%), and thrombocytopenia (11%), have developed in patients with hematologic malignancies treated with Jaypirca. In a clinical trial, Grade 4 neutropenia (13%) and Grade 4 thrombocytopenia (5%) developed. Monitor complete blood counts regularly during treatment. Based on severity, reduce dose, temporarily withhold, or permanently discontinue Jaypirca.

Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter: Atrial fibrillation or flutter were reported in 2.7% of patients, with Grade 3 or 4 atrial fibrillation or flutter reported in 1% of 583 patients with hematologic malignancies treated with Jaypirca. Patients with cardiac risk factors such as hypertension or previous arrhythmias may be at increased risk. Monitor for signs and symptoms of arrhythmias (e.g., palpitations, dizziness, syncope, dyspnea) and manage appropriately. Based on severity, reduce dose, temporarily withhold, or permanently discontinue Jaypirca.

Second Primary Malignancies: Second primary malignancies, including non-skin carcinomas, developed in 6% of 583 patients with hematologic malignancies treated with Jaypirca monotherapy. The most frequent malignancy was non-melanoma skin cancer (3.8%). Other second primary malignancies included solid tumors (including genitourinary and breast cancers) and melanoma. Advise patients to use sun protection and monitor for development of second primary malignancies.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity: Based on animal findings, Jaypirca can cause fetal harm in pregnant women. Administration of pirtobrutinib to pregnant rats during organogenesis caused embryo-fetal toxicity, including embryo-fetal mortality and malformations at maternal exposures (AUC) approximately 3-times the recommended 200 mg/day dose. Advise pregnant women of potential risk to a fetus and females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment and for one week after last dose.

Adverse Reactions (ARs) in Patients with Mantle Cell Lymphoma Who Received Jaypirca

Serious ARs occurred in 38% of patients. Serious ARs occurring in 2% of patients were pneumonia (14%), COVID-19 (4.7%), musculoskeletal pain (3.9%), hemorrhage (2.3%), pleural effusion (2.3%), and sepsis (2.3%). Fatal ARs within 28 days of last dose of Jaypirca occurred in 7% of patients, most commonly due to infections (4.7%), including COVID-19 (3.1%).

Dose Modifications and Discontinuations: ARs led to dosage reductions in 4.7%, treatment interruption in 32%, and permanent discontinuation of Jaypirca in 9% of patients. ARs resulting in dosage modification in >5% of patients included pneumonia and neutropenia. ARs resulting in permanent discontinuation of Jaypirca in >1% of patients included pneumonia.

ARs (all Grades %; Grade 3-4 %) in 10% of Patients: fatigue (29; 1.6), musculoskeletal pain (27; 3.9), diarrhea (19; -), edema (18; 0.8), dyspnea (17; 2.3), pneumonia (16; 14), bruising (16; -), peripheral neuropathy (14; 0.8), cough (14; -), rash (14; -), fever (13; -), constipation (13; -), arthritis/arthralgia (12; 0.8), hemorrhage (11; 3.1), abdominal pain (11; 0.8), nausea (11; -), upper respiratory tract infections (10; 0.8), dizziness (10; -).

Select Laboratory Abnormalities (all Grades %; Grade 3 or 4 %) that Worsened from Baseline in 10% of Patients: hemoglobin decreased (42; 9), platelet count decreased (39; 14), neutrophil count decreased (36; 16), lymphocyte count decreased (32; 15), creatinine increased (30; 1.6), calcium decreased (19; 1.6), AST increased (17; 1.6), potassium decreased (13; 1.6), sodium decreased (13; -), lipase increased (12; 4.4), alkaline phosphatase increased (11; -), ALT increased (11; 1.6), potassium increased (11; 0.8). Grade 4 laboratory abnormalities in >5% of patients included neutrophils decreased (10), platelets decreased (7), lymphocytes decreased (6).

All grade ARs with higher frequencies in the total BRUIN population of patients with hematologic malignancies (n=583) were decreased neutrophil count (41%), bruising (20%), diarrhea (20%).

Drug Interactions

Strong CYP3A Inhibitors: Concomitant use with Jaypirca increased pirtobrutinib systemic exposure, which may increase risk of Jaypirca adverse reactions. Avoid use of strong CYP3A inhibitors during Jaypirca treatment. If concomitant use is unavoidable, reduce Jaypirca dosage according to the approved labeling.

Strong or Moderate CYP3A Inducers: Concomitant use with Jaypirca decreased pirtobrutinib systemic exposure, which may reduce Jaypirca efficacy. Avoid concomitant use of Jaypirca with strong or moderate CYP3A inducers. If concomitant use with moderate CYP3A inducers is unavoidable, increase the Jaypirca dosage according to the approved labeling.

Sensitive CYP2C8, CYP2C19, CYP3A, P-gP, BCRP Substrates: Concomitant use with Jaypirca increased their plasma concentrations, which may increase risk of adverse reactions related to these substrates for drugs that are sensitive to minimal concentration changes. Follow recommendations for these sensitive substrates in their approved labeling.

Use in Special Populations

Pregnancy and Lactation: Inform pregnant women of potential for Jaypirca to cause fetal harm. Verify pregnancy status in females of reproductive potential prior to starting Jaypirca and advise use of effective contraception during treatment and for one week after last dose. Presence of pirtobrutinib in human milk and effects on the breastfed child or on milk production is unknown. Advise women not to breastfeed while taking Jaypirca and for one week after last dose.

Geriatric Use: In the pooled safety population of patients with hematologic malignancies, 392 (67%) were 65 years of age. Patients aged 65 years experienced higher rates of Grade 3 ARs and serious ARs compared to patients <65 years of age.

Renal Impairment: Severe renal impairment (eGFR 15-29 mL/min) increases pirtobrutinib exposure. Reduce Jaypirca dosage in patients with severe renal impairment according to the approved labeling. No dosage adjustment is recommended in patients with mild or moderate renal impairment.

PT HCP ISI MCL APP

Please see Prescribing Information and Patient Information for Jaypirca.

About Lilly

Lilly unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help more than 51 million people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges, redefining diabetes care, treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects, advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease, providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders, and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit Lilly.com and Lilly.com/newsroom or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. P-LLY

Jaypirca is a trademark owned by or licensed by Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates.

 Lilly USA, LLC 2023. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements (as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) about Lilly's oncology portfolio and pipeline, including Jaypirca as a treatment for people with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) previously treated with a BTK inhibitor and as a potential treatment for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and LOXO-338 as a potential treatment for people with advanced hematologic malignancies and other conditions and the timeline for future readouts, presentations, and other milestones relating to Jaypirca and LOXO-338 and their clinical trials, and reflects Lilly's current beliefs and expectations. However, as with any pharmaceutical product, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of drug research, development, and commercialization. Among other things, there is no guarantee that planned or ongoing studies will be completed as planned that future study results will be consistent with study results to date, that LOXO-338 will receive regulatory approvals or Jaypirca will receive additional regulatory approvals, that LOXO-338 or Jaypirca will be commercially successful, or that Lilly will execute its strategy as expected. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from Lilly's expectations, see Lilly's Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release.

Mato AR, Shah NN, Jurczak W, et al. Pirtobrutinib in relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies (BRUIN): a phase 1/2 study. Lancet. 2021;397(10277):892-901. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00224-5 Hanel W, Epperla N. Emerging therapies in mantle cell lymphoma. J Hematol Oncol. 2020;13(1):79. Published 2020 Jun 17. doi:10.1186/s13045-020-00914-1 Gu D, Tang H, Wu J, Li J, Miao Y. Targeting Bruton tyrosine kinase using non-covalent inhibitors in B cell malignancies. J Hematol Oncol. 2021;14(1):40. Published 2021 Mar 6 . doi:10.1186/s13045-021-01049-7

SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company
NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lument Finance Trust, Inc. (NYSE: LFT) ("we", "LFT" or "the Company") today reported its first quarter 2023 results. Distributable earnings for the quarter was $0.2 million, or $0.00 per share of common stock. GAAP net income attributable to common shareholders for the quarter was $4.6 million, or $0.09 per share of common stock. The Company has also issued a detailed presentation of its results, which can be viewed at www.lumentfinancetrust.com.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

The Company will also host a conference call on Friday, May 12, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. ET to provide a business update and discuss the financial results for the first quarter of 2023. The conference call may be accessed by dialing 1-888-336-7151 (U.S.) or 1-412-902-4251 (international). Note: there is no passcode; please ask the operator to be joined into the Lument Finance Trust call. A live webcast, on a listen-only basis, is also available and can be accessed through the URL:

https://app.webinar.net/JOaqAk069bY

For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a recorded replay will be available for on-demand viewing approximately one hour after the end of the event through the Company's website https://lumentfinancetrust.com/ and by telephone dial-in. The replay call-in number is 1-877-344-7529 (U.S.) or 1-412-317-0088 (international) with passcode 8222665.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this release, the Company presents certain financial measures that are not calculated according to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). Specifically, the Company is presenting distributable earnings, which constitutes a non-GAAP financial measure within the meaning of Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K and is net income under GAAP. While we believe the non-GAAP information included in this press release provides supplemental information to assist investors in analyzing our results, and to assist investors in comparing our results with other peer issuers, these measures are not in accordance with GAAP, and they should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, our financial information calculated in accordance with GAAP. The methods of calculating non-GAAP financial measures may differ substantially from similarly titled measures used by other companies. Our GAAP financial results and the reconciliations from these results should be carefully evaluated.

Distributable Earnings

Distributable Earnings is a non-GAAP measure, which we define as GAAP net income (loss) attributable to holders of common stock computed in accordance with GAAP, including realized losses not otherwise included in GAAP net income (loss) and excluding (i) non-cash equity compensation, (ii) depreciation and amortization, (iii) any unrealized gains or losses or other similar non-cash items that are included in net income for that applicable reporting period, regardless of whether such items are included in other comprehensive income (loss) or net income (loss), and (iv) one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP and certain material non-cash income or expense items after discussions with the Company's board of directors and approved by a majority of the Company's independent directors. Distributable Earnings mirrors how we calculate Core Earnings pursuant to the terms of our management agreement between our Manager and us, or our Management Agreement, for purposes of calculating the incentive fee payable to our Manager.

While Distributable Earnings excludes the impact of any unrealized provisions for credit losses, any loan losses are charged off and realized through Distributable Earnings when deemed non-recoverable. Non-recoverability is determined (i) upon the resolution of a loan (i.e. when the loan is repaid, fully or partially, or in the case of foreclosures, when the underlying asset is sold), or (ii) with respect to any amount due under any loan, when such amount is determined to be non-collectible.

We believe that Distributable Earnings provides meaningful information to consider in addition to our net income (loss) and cash flows from operating activities determined in accordance with GAAP. We believe Distributable Earnings is a useful financial metric for existing and potential future holders of our common stock as historically, over time, Distributable Earnings has been a strong indicator of our dividends per share of common stock. As a REIT, we generally must distribute annually at least 90% of our taxable income, subject to certain adjustments, and therefore we believe our dividends are one of the principal reasons stockholders may invest in our common stock. Furthermore, Distributable Earnings help us to evaluate our performance excluding the effects of certain transactions and GAAP adjustments that we believe are not necessarily indicative of our current loan portfolio and operations, and is a performance metric we consider when declaring our dividends.

Distributable Earnings does not represent net income (loss) or cash generated from operating activities and should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP net income (loss), or an indication of GAAP cash flows from operations, a measure of our liquidity, or an indication of funds available for our cash needs.

GAAP to Distributable Earnings Reconciliation





Three months Ended



March 31, 2023 Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Information



Net Income attributable to common shareholders

$ 4,581,733 Adjustments for non-Distributable Earnings



Unrealized losses (gains) on mortgage servicing rights Realized loss on commercial mortgage loans Unrealized provision for credit losses

49,129 (4,271,672) (179,684) Subtotal

(4,402,227) Other Adjustments



Recognized compensation expense related to restricted common stock

3,358 Adjustment for income taxes

(10,246) Subtotal

(6,888)





Distributable Earnings

$ 172,618





Weighted average shares outstanding - Basic and Diluted

52,231,152 Distributable Earnings per weighted share outstanding - Basic and Diluted

$ 0.00

About LFT

LFT is a Maryland corporation focused on investing in, financing and managing a portfolio of commercial real estate debt investments. The Company primarily invests in transitional floating rate commercial mortgage loans with an emphasis on middle-market multi-family assets.

LFT is externally managed and advised by Lument Investment Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

Investors, security holders and other interested persons may find additional information regarding the Company at the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov/ or the Company website www.lumentfinancetrust.com or by directing requests to: Lument Finance Trust, 230 Park Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10169, Attention: Investor Relations.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release constitute forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. You can identify forward-looking statements by use of words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "may," "will," "seek," "would," "could," or similar expressions or other comparable terms, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's beliefs, assumptions and expectations of its future performance, taking into account all information currently available to the Company on the date of this press release or the date on which such statements are first made. Actual results may differ from expectations, estimates and projections. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements in this press release and should consider carefully the factors described in Part I, Item IA "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, which is available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, and in other current or periodic filings with the SEC, when evaluating these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the Company's control. Except as required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Lument Finance Trust, Inc.
Industry-leading food tech company Meatable held its first-ever cultivated meat tasting in Singapore with future commercial partners and the Singapore Economic Development Board

Meatable received approval from the Singapore Food Agency for the first tasting, an important step towards receiving regulatory approval for sale of its cultivated meat

With this milestone, Meatable is on track to launch into the Singaporean market in 2024, followed by the US

DELFT, Netherlands, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Meatable , the innovative Dutch food tech company that is on a mission to deliver cultivated meat at scale, has reached a major milestone in its history by holding its first-ever tasting in Singapore after receiving the Singapore Food Agency's (SFA) approval.

Meatable Sausage (PRNewsfoto/Meatable) Tom Gray - Little Farms. (PRNewsfoto/Meatable)

The SFA has stringent safety requirements to give approval for holding cultivated meat tastings, with a clear framework of criteria that companies need to meet. In the last few months, Meatable has worked in cooperation with the SFA to ensure it fulfilled all these criteria to gain approval for its first-ever tasting. This is an important step in the process for Meatable on the way to receiving regulatory approval for sale of its cultivated meat products.

Following this approval, a select group of retail partners and the Singaporean Economic Development Board (EDB) were invited to try the company's cultivated meat product, a cultivated pork sausage, featuring the pronounced pork flavor, bite, and texture that is found in traditional meat. These partners will help Meatable to develop, optimize and launch its products in restaurants and supermarkets, with the plan to have them on sale in 2024.

Karen Tay, Managing Director at Classic Fine Foods Singapore  a leading global distributor of fine food across Asia, the Middle East and the UK said: "My vision for cultivated meat is that it will become a mainstream option. Some existing processes and practices are not sustainable for the world that we live in. The Meatable sausage I tasted today was very delicious. I wouldn't have known if you didn't tell me it was cultivated meat."

Tom Gray (pictured on the right), Commercial Director at Little Farms  Singapore's freshest grocery, said:

"The taste and texture were great. It was a very satisfying and a very interesting experience all around."

Andre Huber, Executive Director at Huber's Butchery  Singapore's premier butcher, said:

"I think cultivated meat is probably the future of meat. We had conventional, traditional meat for centuries and thankfully now we found a new way to produce meat. To help our earth, to help our future generations. I've tried Meatable's sausage and I like where it stands. It has that nice meaty texture and it clearly has that meat flavor which plant-based proteins are lacking."

The first of many tastings to educate the world

As the first country to approve cultivated meat in 2020, Singapore has quickly become one of the most forward-thinking regulatory environments in the world for cultivated meat. Its 30 by 30 strategy means the country is working to build up its agri-food industry's capability and capacity to produce 30% of its nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030.

This also makes Singapore the perfect launch country for Meatable's first products, followed later by the US. The tasting follows previous investments Meatable has made in Singapore's growing innovative food ecosystem, including a partnership with Esco Aster , the first and only commercially licensed cultivated meat manufacturer, and a collaboration with plant-based butcher Love Handle . The recent tasting took place at Country Foods' Experiential Centre at The Arts House (Old Parliament House), where Meatable and Love Handle are building their Future of Food Innovation Centre together in downtown Singapore.

In the coming months, Meatable will organize more tastings in Singapore and internationally, to educate future partners and consumers as well as gain learnings as a company on how to best develop and provide cultivated meat at scale.

Krijn de Nood, co-founder and CEO of Meatable, said: "We were delighted to receive the exemption from the SFA to deliver our first tasting in Singapore. This marks a significant milestone for Meatable. First of all, it allows our partners to taste and experience our delicious products and secondly for us as a company, this is an important step towards regulatory approval for sales in Singapore. This is all part of our mission to satisfy the world's appetite for meat without harming people, animals, or the planet."

Contact:

YourStory PR for Meatable

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +44(0)7867488769

About Meatable

Meatable is an innovative, Dutch food company, aiming to deliver, at scale, the new natural , cultivated meat that looks like, tastes like, and has the nutritional profile of traditional meat. Use of opti-ox technology enables Meatable to produce meat rapidly, sustainably, and without harming animals. Founded in 2018 by Krijn de Nood (CEO), Daan Luining (CTO), and Dr. Mark Kotter (principal inventor of opti-ox technology), Meatable has brought together a team of experts with unique knowledge in fields including molecular biology, chemistry, tissue engineering, bioprocess development, food safety, and food science to create the new natural meat. The company has raised $60 million in funding from leading life science and food investors including Section 32, DSM Venturing, BlueYard Capital, Agronomics, and Dr Rick Klausner. Follow Meatable : LinkedIn , Twitter , Instagram , Facebook .

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2074076/Meatable_Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2073080/Meatable_Sausage.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2073081/Meatable_Tom_Gray.jpg

SOURCE Meatable
Event marks its 41st anniversary and raises over $1.3 million to support the health of all moms and babies

ARLINGTON, Va., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 40 Members of Congress gathered at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC last night for the 41st Annual March of Dimes Gourmet Gala. The annual event invites members of Congress to participate in a cook-off competition, serving their favorite hors d'oeuvres, and desserts to a panel of highly esteemed Washington DC-area chefs. This year's record-breaking event raised $1,370,000 to support the organization's advocacy, research, education and programs across the country.

More than 600 guests attended the event including renowned comedian, activist, maternal mental health advocate, and March of Dimes Celebrity Advocate, Angelina Spicer.

"We're honored to collaborate with our volunteer leaders on the 41st Annual March of Dimes Gourmet Gala," says Dr. Elizabeth Cherot, March of Dimes Senior Vice President and Chief Medical and Health Officer. "We're grateful to the Members of Congress and our event sponsors for their continued support in our mission of helping moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies."

"Maternal mental health is mom's health," said Spicer. "Having experienced postpartum depression after my daughter's birth, I want to ensure that all moms have the support and resources they need for the best possible outcome," said Spicer. "It was my honor to support this year's March of Dimes Gourmet Gala to ensure all moms and babies receive the care and advocacy that March of Dimes continues to provide."

Beloved local DC chefs judged the contest, including Frederick De Pue of The Henri, Kevin Tien of Moon Rabbit, Scott Drewno of The Fried Rice Collaborative - CHIKO/Anju, Mike Friedman of All Purpose/The Red Hen and Robby Meltzer of Jose Andres Group.

Awards were presented in six categories of achievement:

Judge's Choice  Rep. Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-GA) & Mrs. Vivian Bishop ; Spicy Kale Soup

Mrs. ; Spicy Kale Soup People's Choice  Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) ; Beatty's Mix, Roll & Pop (in your mouth) Meatballs!

; Beatty's Mix, Roll & Pop (in your mouth) Meatballs! Healthiest Recipe  Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-NY) ; Shrimp Fried Quinoa

; Shrimp Fried Quinoa Hometown Hero  Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) ; Pennsylvania 6th Mushroom Bourguignon

; 6th Mushroom Bourguignon Best Presentation  Senator Jim Risch & Mrs. Vicki Risch (R-ID) ; Idaho Potato Mashtini Bar

& Mrs. ; Idaho Potato Mashtini Bar Easiest Preparation  Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) & Mrs. Renee Hudson ; Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

Gourmet Gala Co-Chairs were Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and Mrs. Ann Scott, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mr. John Bessler, Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Mrs. Sydney Barron Gallego, and Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-GA) and Mrs. Julie Ferguson.

More than 80 sponsors supported this year's event, including: Samsung, Presenting Sponsor; NACDS Foundation, Pampers and Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Platinum Sponsors; American Beverage Association, Chevron, Comcast NBCUniversal, Flex and Walmart, Award Sponsors; Abbott, Aflac, BlueCross BlueShield, Boeing, Coca-Cola Company, Humana, Johnson & Johnson, Phillips 66, Siemens Corporation, UPS Foundation and Volkswagen Group of America, Regional Sponsors.

To learn more about March of Dimes Gourmet Gala, including event photos, please visit marchofdimes.org/gourmetgala.

ABOUT MARCH OF DIMES

March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. We support research, lead programs and provide education and advocacy so that every family can have the best possible start. Building on a successful 85-year legacy, we support every pregnant person and every family. To learn more about March of Dimes, please visit marchofdimes.org

SOURCE March of Dimes Inc.
Poland has sent Ukraine 14 MiG-29 fighters and 325 tanks, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland to the EU has said.

"Out of the 575 tanks delivered to Ukraine so far, as many as 325 have been given by Poland. The Netherlands is second (85), Germany third (80) and the United States fourth (76). In addition, of the 28 planes transferred to Kyiv so far, Poland has sent as many as 14 MiG-29 fighters," the mission said on Twitter.

On May 8, Polish Minister of Defense Mariusz Blaszczak announced the dispatch of MiG-29 fighters.

In April, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Warsaw would be able to supply Kyiv with a total of 14 MiG-29 fighter jets.

The MiG-29 is a fourth-generation Soviet and Russian multirole fighter aircraft developed in the 1970s. Designed to destroy air targets with guided missiles and airborne guns and to destroy ground targets using unguided weapons. Has numerous modifications. The aircraft is operated by more than 20 countries of the world.
The partnership with iconic off-road vehicle manufacturer Jeep establishes Midland Radio as the market leader in off-road communications.

KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Midland Radio, the leader in two-way radio communication technology, announced its partnership with Jeep, the leading manufacturer of off-road vehicles. Midland Radio is kicking off the relationship with the introduction of the T77VP5J Jeep X-Talker Extreme Dual Pack, the first of many Jeep-branded Midland products to come.

Midland Radio and Jeep have long been at the forefront of the off-roading community, providing rugged and reliable products that enthusiasts love. The dedication and affinity toward this community over the years is why both brands continue to create unrivaled experiences for this audience through innovative products and events. Midland's continued sponsorship of Jeep Jamboree, and this newly announced partnership further solidifies Midland Radio's position as the market leader in off-road communications and the trusted manufacturer for Jeep enthusiasts.

The T77VP5J Jeep X-Talker Extreme Dual Pack is a by-product of Midland's long-time customer favorite T71 license-free handheld. With features that include up to 38 miles in range, 36 channels, crisp communication, and Weather Alert Radio with Weather Scan technology, users can venture far and wide without worrying about losing contact or getting caught in severe weather. A micro-USB charging port also allows for easy, accessible in-vehicle recharging. Now, with Jeep branding, Jeep enthusiasts can show off their love for the brand on a practical piece of equipment that they can take with them on the trails or out camping.

"When the leading automotive manufacturer of off-road vehicles chooses and trusts you as their go-to off-road communication equipment, you are doing something right," said Dan Schwartz, CEO of Midland Radio. "We are excited to partner with Jeep and to announce the T77VP5J. We aim to enhance all Jeep enthusiasts' experiences by providing the best possible communication while hitting the trails in their Jeep 4x4 vehicles."

The T77VP5J is the first Midland Radio product to consist of the Jeep brand, with additional Jeep branded models to come in the popular MicroMobile line.

The T77VP5J Jeep X-Talker Extreme Dual Pack is offered at $134.99 and is currently available for purchase from Midland and approved retailers. The radios can also be found at Jeep dealerships nationwide.

About Midland Radio

For over 50 years, Midland Radio has taken a pioneering role in two-way radio technology, introducing CB radio and 14-channel FRS radio technology to the market. Today, Midland is the leading supplier of two-way radios and weather alert radios and an innovator in emergency radio technology. Headquartered in Kansas City, the heart of the country, the Midland brand represents quality, value, and reliability, with products sold in leading consumer electronics, sporting goods, specialty outdoor and many other retailers nationwide. For more information, visit www.midlandusa.com.

SOURCE Midland Radio
SEATTLE, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, today announced the addition of Ryan Falls as a consulting actuary and a statewide public pension system marketing lead. Ryan will focus on continuing to expand the firm's statewide public pension consulting business, which already serves many of America's largest and most complex public pension systems.

Ryan brings 25 years of actuarial and benefits consulting experience, specializing in major public employee retirement systems. Prior to joining Milliman, Ryan was the lead actuary for the Arizona State Retirement System, the Teachers Retirement System of Oklahoma, the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board, the New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Association, and the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

"Ryan is a leader in statewide system plan design and sustainability and has worked closely with plan sponsors on public pension plan reform," says Matt Larrabee, a principal and consulting actuary with Milliman. "Ryan has a reputation for telling systems what they need to hear in an understandable, empathetic manner that matches well with Milliman's consulting approach. His work, especially in the southwestern US, will help Milliman expand our offerings and complements our strong public pension expertise."

Ryan's background includes actuarial valuations for public pension and retiree health care plans, along with hybrid plan design and asset liability modeling. He also has led nine actuarial audits in the past five years.

"I've seen first-hand the monumental effort it takes to manage a statewide retirement system, and the impact that has on employees, plan sponsors, and the state as a whole," says Ryan Falls. "Milliman's independence, creativity, and its mission to protect the financial well-being of people everywhere is vitally important in public plan design. I'm thrilled to join a leader in the benefits space."

About Milliman

Milliman is a leading provider of actuarial, consulting, and benefit administration services. The firm has practices in healthcare, property and casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services, and employee benefits. Founded in 1947, Milliman is an independent firm with offices in major cities around the globe. For further information, visit milliman.com.

SOURCE Milliman, Inc.
PHILADELPHIA, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MRP, a leading provider of account-based technology and solutions, today announced Christopher Rack's appointment as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Chris will report directly to Seamus Keating, CEO of publicly-listed parent company FD Technologies.

Chris Rack CEO OF MRP

Chris joins MRP with 16 years of B2B sales and marketing technology experience, leading teams in high-growth organizations and helping clients successfully navigate complex and constantly changing business environments. Chris joins MRP from DemandScience, where he served as Chief Revenue Officer, and brings a wealth of experience in growing businesses and leading teams in demand and lead generation. Chris worked previously for other early-stage, rapid-growth companies in this space, including eMedia and Spiceworks.

Chris expressed excitement about joining the company and contributing to developing fresh growth opportunities for MRP clients, stating: "This is an exciting phase in MRP's journey. Already established as an industry-leading provider of account-based technology and tech-enabled services, demand for MRP's solutions is high and we are well positioned to scale. I look forward to bringing my expertise and experience to the role, working closely with the senior management, board members, and the entire MRP team to take the company to the next level of growth."

Seamus Keating, CEO, FD Technologies: "Our strategy as a Group is to support each business unit's distinct value proposition and maximize its growth opportunity. We are delighted to welcome Chris to lead the MRP business and I look forward to working with him and the team to deliver enhanced customer satisfaction and revenue growth."

About MRP

MRP revolutionizes how sales and marketing organizations reach and connect to the right buying groups and decision-makers, cost-effectively driving engagement and revenue, globally and at scale. Applying the industry's leading account intelligence and the broadest selection of orchestration channels in the market today, MRP Prelytix powers over 1,000 programs across six continents to coordinate, execute, and optimize them in up to 20+ languages.

For more information, please visit https://www.mrpfd.com/

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2075297/MRP_Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2075296/Chris_Rack_MRP_CEO.jpg

SOURCE MRP
Finale of six-week program is a cornerstone of M&T's celebration of U.S. Small Business Month

HARLEM, N.Y., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A beauty consultancy, a cold-pressed juice company, and a community gathering space were announced as the winners of M&T Bank's (NYSE:MTB) Harlem Multicultural Small Business Lab pitch competition, in partnership with Carver Federal Savings Bank.

The winners, who were awarded a total of $35,000, were selected following a pitch competition held on May 4 at the Harlem Commonwealth Council. The winners were selected by a panel of judges including representatives from M&T, Carver, Elevate Digital, and consultancy, Covenant Seven, and include:

M&T Harlem Multicultural Small Business Lab winners (from left to right): Alton Weeks, Cellful Organics; Erica Watson, MixxTresses Hair Collection; and Brittany Wallace and Catherine Buccello, The Bodega Lounge, NYC. The winners, who were awarded a total of $35,000, were selected following a pitch competition held in partnership with Carver Federal Savings Bank on May 4 at the Harlem Commonwealth Council.

Erica Watson , MixxTresses Hair Collection (First Prize, $16,000 )A firm that provides hair extensions, products, and replacement services, as well as educates clients on the beauty and maintenance of textured hair.

, MixxTresses Hair Collection (First Prize, )A firm that provides hair extensions, products, and replacement services, as well as educates clients on the beauty and maintenance of textured hair. Alton Weeks , Cellful Organics (Second Prize, $12,000 )A cold-pressed juice company that aims to improve focus, mental clarity, energy, and immune systems.

, Cellful Organics (Second Prize, )A cold-pressed juice company that aims to improve focus, mental clarity, energy, and immune systems. Brittany Wallace and Catherine Buccello , The Bodega Lounge, NYC (Third Prize, $7,000 )A community center for creators to build fellowship, network, and flourish personally and professionally.

In total, 60 entrepreneurs from the Harlem area participated in the Harlem Multicultural Small Business Lab  the fifth in a series of programs launched by M&T Bank in Buffalo in 2021 to help multicultural small businesses access the resources and knowledge needed to grow.

"The Harlem Multicultural Small Business Lab is an example of how M&T shows up to help the communities where we live and work," said David Femi, head of M&T's Multicultural Banking & Diverse Market Strategy. "Driving community growth and small business growth goes hand-in-hand, and I am excited about the impact these winners will create. At M&T, we are committed to the growth and sustainability of our diverse small businesses."

The Harlem Multicultural Small Business Lab helped entrepreneurs deepen their business expertise and gain insights into creating business plans, understanding credit and the underwriting process, accessing capital, marketing, networking, and more. The program was held each Thursday evening at the Harlem Commonwealth Council.

"The feeling is indescribable; this was such an invaluable experience," said Erica Watson, Owner, MixxTresses Hair Collection and first prize winner. "I feel so elated, so motivated, and so ready to take my business to the next level."

To learn more about M&T's efforts to support small business diversity, please visit: M&T Multicultural Banking.

Additional Programs Putting a Spotlight on Small Businesses

The Harlem Multicultural Small Business Lab is among multiple M&T programs that celebrated and supported U.S. Small Business Week (April 30-May 6) and the bank's 338,000-plus small-business customers.

In addition to the Lab, M&T announced several ongoing small business initiatives aimed at highlighting small businesses across the bank's footprint, including:

M&T's new Spotlight Shopin-branch retail pop-ups that feature local small businesses. The first in-branch Spotlight Shop, which was launched at M&T's Kenmore branch in Buffalo, provides a new opportunity for local entrepreneurs to showcase their brands, reach different audiences, and expand their customer base. M&T also hosts a complementary virtual Spotlight Shop on its website to further expand the reach of these small businesses. Future Spotlight Shops are planned in Maryland, Delaware and New York.

Learning programs focused on helping entrepreneurs launch their companies. On Tuesday, May 23, M&T will host a webinar titled, "Small Business, Big Ideas? Launch Your Entrepreneurial Journey," which will address the challenges of launching a new company and provide guidance and advice from M&T bankers and small-business owners. The webinar is free to attend. To learn more and register, please visit: https://smallbusinessbigideas.splashthat.com/.

About M&T Bank

M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T's principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, provides banking products and services in 12 states across the northeastern U.S. from Maine to Virginia and Washington, D.C. Trust-related services are provided in select markets in the U.S. and abroad by M&T's Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank. For more information about M&T Bank, visit www.mtb.com .

Media Contacts:

New York Metro (NYC, Long Island and New Jersey):

David Samberg

(201) 368-4515

[email protected]

National Media and Trade Publications

Frank Lentini

[email protected]

 2023 M&T Bank. Member FDIC. NMLS# 381076 Equal Housing Lender.

SOURCE M&T Bank Corporation
Company approaches 120 years with an eye to the future

MINNEAPOLIS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Murphy Companies, a leading third-party logistics and warehouse services firm, announced Kirk Fischer has joined the 119-year old privately held firm as its new president and CEO. He will succeed D. Thomas Griep, who served in the role since 2020 and is retiring after more than 21 years with the company. Griep will remain an advisor to the Board of Directors for one year.

Kirk Fischer brings more than 30 years of supply chain leadership, business development and talent development experience to Murphy.

Fischer brings more than 30 years of supply chain leadership, business development and talent development experience to Murphy. He most recently served as chief solutions and growth officer at Shorr Packaging Corp. Prior to that he held positions of senior director  consumer packaged goods at DHL Supply Chain, and president at Jacobson Companies (acquired by XPO). He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In his new role, he will help pursue expansion opportunities for Murphy while implementing technology solutions that give customers even greater visibility and control of their supply chain.

"Kirk's success in supply chain and his appreciation for the importance of our company culture will help us advance customer satisfaction, employee development and overall business success and longevity," said Board Chair Alexandra Murphy.

"Tom's leadership during his tenure has set our course for continued success with countless accomplishments for Murphy customers and staff," continued Murphy. "As Murphy Companies transitions to our fifth generation of ownership, our board is firmly committed to the future of the company. We are confident Kirk will continue the forward-looking practices Tom put into place."

D. Thomas Griep, who was the first non-family member to serve as chief executive, joined the company in 2002. He has held positions at Murphy in financial, legal, and IT as well serving as corporate secretary and CFO of Murphy Rigging and Erecting. Under his leadership the company doubled its footprint in Kansas City, Missouri, established its first million square foot site, and achieved record-breaking growth. Griep further integrated the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) management process while enhancing the company's commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He developed a top performing senior management team with women holding 40 percent of the positions. He also worked to align the company and its decision-making process around its five core values.

"Murphy has accomplished a tremendous amount during the past 21 years, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have led such a talented team," reflected Griep. "The company is in excellent hands, and I look forward to seeing Murphy achieve even greater success in the years to come."

"Murphy has developed an outstanding reputation for its use of technology to solve complex logistics challenges, while providing a high level of personal service to each and every customer," commented Fischer. "I'm honored to be selected to lead Murphy into the future alongside our talented management team."

About Murphy Companies

Privately held Murphy Companies has been dedicated to Moving Business Forward with leading third-party logistics (3PL) and warehouse services for five generations. Its experienced workforce simplifies logistics to swiftly move, store, and ship goods for customers of any size through its diversity of locations including any virtual location using enterprise technology and streamlined processes. As one of the fastest growing 3PL providers, the team provides customized logistics support with asset-based and brokerage transportation; bulk, rack and food grade warehousing; fulfillment; and international shipping with a General Purpose Foreign Trade Zone. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Murphy Companies has stood by customers from small start-ups to Fortune 500 firms for 119 years, forging partnerships based on mutual respect. The company is comprised of five entities: Murphy Logistics Solutions, Inc., Murphy Warehouse Company, Murphy Transportation Services, Inc., Murphy Logistics, Inc., and Murphy Transportation, Inc. For more information visit https://www.murphylogistics.com/

SOURCE Murphy Companies
DALLAS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nanoscope Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing gene therapies for retinal degenerative diseases, today announced that its Multi-Characteristic Opsin (MCO) gene therapy platform will be featured in a presentation at the 26th ASGCT Annual Meeting, taking place May 16-20, 2023 in Los Angeles, CA.

Details for the presentations are as follows:

Abstract Title: Optogenetic Therapy with MCO-010 for Vision Restoration in Patients with Severe Sight Loss Due to Retinitis Pigmentosa: The Phase 2b RESTORE Study

Abstract/Poster Number: 808

Session Type: Poster Session

Session Title: Wednesday Poster Session

Session Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Session Time: 12:00 PM PT

Presenter: David Liao, M.D., Retina Vitreous Associates Medical Group, Los Angeles, CA

Dr. Liao will discuss Nanoscope's 52-week safety and efficacy outcomes from the Phase 2b RESTORE trial, the Company's most advanced clinical program. Efficacy and safety data from the RESTORE trial are consistent with those observed in the earlier Phase 1/2 trial, and thus provide compelling evidence on the benefit/risk profile of MCO-010 in retinitis pigmentosa.

About Nanoscope Therapeutics Inc.

Nanoscope Therapeutics is developing gene-agnostic, sight restoring optogenetic therapies for the millions of patients blinded by retinal degenerative diseases, for which no cure exists. The company's lead asset, MCO-010, recently reported topline results from the RESTORE Phase 2b multicenter, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled clinical trial in the U.S. for retinitis pigmentosa (NCT04945772). The company has also fully enrolled a Phase 2 STARLIGHT trial of MCO-010 therapy in Stargardt patients (NCT05417126). MCO-010 has received FDA Fast Track designations and FDA orphan drug designations for both RP and Stargardt. Preclinical assets include non-viral laser delivered MCO-020 gene therapy for geographic atrophy.

Investor Contact:

Argot Partners

212-600-1902

[email protected]

SOURCE Nanoscope Therapeutics
OSLO, Norway, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Navamedic ASA (OSE: NAVA), a Nordic pharma company and reliable provider of high-quality products to hospitals and pharmacies, today announces its results for the first quarter of 2023. Navamedic experienced good momentum across the business and delivered another strong quarter, with record high revenues of NOK 121.7 million, representing an increase of 93.3 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2022.

In the first quarter of 2023, Navamedic's gross margin was 41.3 per cent, an increase from 39.4 per cent from the corresponding quarter in 2022. EBITDA for the quarter was NOK 15.8 million compared to NOK -0.4 million in the first quarter of 2022. Operating profit (EBIT) amounted to NOK 13.9 million compared to NOK -2.2 million in the same quarter last year. Additionally, Navamedic achieved organic growth of 70.5 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2022.

"We have had a strong start to 2023, and we are now well on our way to becoming a NOK 1 billion company. Our growth is driven by the successful build-up of our diversified product categories, and we have experienced continued demand for products across our business areas," commented Kathrine Gamborg Andreassen, CEO of Navamedic.

Increased demand has resulted in revenue growth across the company's three core business areas: Prescription drugs (RX), Consumer Health and Hospital.

At the end of the period and in line with Navamedic's M&A strategy, the company announced it had submitted a recommended cash offer to acquire all shares in Sweden-based Sensidose AB, a pharmaceutical company targeting patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. Sensidose AB sells drugs in combination with an innovative medical device for individual dosing. As of 10 May, Navamedic held 6.9 million (57.9 per cent) shares in Sensidose AB and 426,577 warrants of series TO 1.

Post-period, Navamedic acquired the rights to distribute and sell Alflorex, an over-the-counter product for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), in Sweden. The agreement follows Navamedic's initial agreement with Novozymes in 2019, and with additional rights to distribute Alflorex in Sweden, Navamedic has increased its market share in Sweden.

Navamedic will host a presentation on Thursday,11 May, starting at 08.30 CEST. The presentation will take place at Dronning Eufemias Gate 16 in Oslo, and will be available to follow via webcast at the following link: https://channel.royalcast.com/hegnarmedia/#!/hegnarmedia/20230511_4

Representatives from Navamedic's management team, CEO Kathrine Gamborg Andreassen and CFO Lars Hjarrand will host the presentation.

The presentation will also be made available at www.navamedic.com/investors/financial-results.

EBITDA and other alternative performance measures (APMs) are defined and reconciled to the IFRS financial statements as a part of the APM section of the attached first quarter presentation on slide 26.

For further information, please contact:



Kathrine Gamborg Andreassen,

CEO, Navamedic

Mobile: +47 951 78 680

E-mail: [email protected]



Lars Hjarrand,

CFO, Navamedic

Mobile: +47 917 62 842

E-mail: [email protected]

About Navamedic

Navamedic ASA is a full-service provider of high-quality healthcare products to hospitals and pharmacies. Navamedic meets the specific medical needs of patients and consumers by leveraging its highly scalable market access platform, leading category competence and local knowledge. Navamedic is present in all the Nordic countries, the Baltics and Benelux, with sales representation in the UK and Greece. Navamedic is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: NAVA). For more information, please visit www.navamedic.com.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

CONTACT:

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/17619/3767840/2053168.pdf Navamedic Q1 2023 Presentation

SOURCE Navamedic ASA
NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuberger Berman High Yield Strategies Fund Inc. (NYSE American: NHS) (the "Fund") announced today approval of the terms of the issuance of transferable rights ("Rights") to the holders of the Fund's common stock (par value $0.0001 per share) ("Common Stock"), as of the record date, May 23, 2023 (the "Record Date"). Holders of these Rights will be entitled to subscribe for additional shares of Common Stock (the "Offer") at a discount to market price.

After considering a number of factors, including potential benefits and costs, it was determined that it is in the best interests of both the Fund and its stockholders to conduct the Offer and increase the assets of the Fund available to take advantage of investment opportunities, consistent with the Fund's investment objective to seek high total return (income plus capital appreciation).

The Fund's investment adviser, Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC, believes this is an attractive time to raise additional assets for the Fund based on several factors, including the following potential benefits:

The Offer provides the Fund with new proceeds to capitalize on attractive investment opportunities within non-investment-grade credit, potentially enhancing the long-term returns of the Fund

The Offer provides common stockholders an opportunity to buy Common Stock below market price or realize value from the sale of Rights

Anticipated positive impact to total expense ratio by spreading fixed costs over a larger asset base

Potential for increased trading volume and liquidity of NHS Common Stock

The Fund expects to maintain its current distribution level following the Offer. Additionally, the Fund has declared a regular monthly distribution payable on May 31, 2023, with a record date of May 15, 2023, and a regular monthly distribution payable on June 30, 2023, with a record date of June 5, 2023, neither of which will be payable with respect to Common Stock that is issued pursuant to the Offer as such issuance will occur after these record dates. Common Stock issued pursuant to the Offer will be entitled to receive the monthly distribution expected to be payable in July.

Certain key terms of the Offer include:

Holders of Common Stock on the Record Date ("Record Date Stockholders") will receive one Right for each outstanding share of Common Stock owned on the Record Date. The Rights entitle the holders to purchase one new share of Common Stock for every three Rights held (1-for-3); however, any Record Date Stockholder who owns fewer than three shares of Common Stock as of the Record Date will be entitled to subscribe for one share of Common Stock. Fractional shares of Common Stock will not be issued.

The subscription price per share of Common Stock (the "Subscription Price") will be determined by the Fund on the expiration date of the Offer, which is currently expected to be June 21, 2023 , unless extended by the Fund (the "Expiration Date"). The Subscription Price will be equal to 92.5% of the average of the last reported sales price of a share of Common Stock of the Fund on the NYSE American on the Expiration Date and each of the four (4) immediately preceding trading days (the "Formula Price"). If, however, the Formula Price is less than 89% of the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") per share of Common Stock at the close of trading on the NYSE American on the Expiration Date, the Subscription Price will be 89% of the Fund's NAV per share of Common Stock at the close of trading on the NYSE American on that day.

, unless extended by the Fund (the "Expiration Date"). The Subscription Price will be equal to 92.5% of the average of the last reported sales price of a share of Common Stock of the Fund on the NYSE American on the Expiration Date and each of the four (4) immediately preceding trading days (the "Formula Price"). If, however, the Formula Price is less than 89% of the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") per share of Common Stock at the close of trading on the NYSE American on the Expiration Date, the Subscription Price will be 89% of the Fund's NAV per share of Common Stock at the close of trading on the NYSE American on that day. Record Date Stockholders who fully exercise all Rights issued to them can subscribe, subject to certain limitations and allotment, for any additional shares of Common Stock that were not subscribed for by other holders of Rights at the Subscription Price. Investors who are not Record Date Stockholders but who otherwise acquire Rights, including in the secondary market, are not entitled to subscribe for any additional shares of Common Stock. If sufficient shares of Common Stock are available, all Record Date Stockholders' over-subscription requests will be honored in full. If these requests exceed available shares of Common Stock, they will be allocated pro rata among those fully exercising Record Date Stockholders who over-subscribe based on the number of Rights originally issued to them by the Fund.

Rights are transferable and are expected to be admitted for trading on the NYSE American under the symbol "NHS RT" during the course of the Offer. The last day Rights will trade will be one business day before the Offer's Expiration Date ( June 20, 2023 , unless extended). During the course of the Offer, Record Date Stockholders may choose to sell their Rights.

The Offer will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. The Fund expects to disseminate subscription certificates evidencing the Rights and a copy of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus for the Offer to Record Date Stockholders shortly following the Record Date. Brokers, custodians or trust companies may send notices to common stockholders shortly thereafter. To exercise or sell their Rights, common stockholders who hold their Common Stock through a broker, custodian or trust company should contact such entity to forward their instructions to either exercise or sell their Rights on their behalf. Common stockholders who do not hold Common Stock through a broker, custodian, or trust company should forward their instructions to either exercise or sell their Rights by completing the subscription certificate and delivering it to the subscription agent for the Offer, together with their payment, at one of the locations indicated on the subscription certificate or in the prospectus supplement.

The information in this press release is not complete and is subject to change. This document is not an offer to sell any securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. This document is not an offering, which can only be made by a prospectus. Investors should consider the Fund's investment objective, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The Fund's prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus will contain this and additional information about the Fund and additional information about the Offer, and should be read carefully before investing. For further information regarding the Offer, or to obtain a prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, when available, please contact the Fund's information agent:

AST Fund Solutions, LLC

55 Challenger Road, Suite 201

Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660

(866) 387-9392

About Neuberger Berman High Yield Strategies Fund Inc. The Fund's investment objective is to seek high total return (income plus capital appreciation). Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in high yield debt (below investment grade) securities of U.S. and foreign issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in other securities and financial instruments, and up to 15% of its total assets in collateralized loan obligations.

About Neuberger Berman

Neuberger Berman, founded in 1939, is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages a range of strategiesincluding equity, fixed income, quantitative and multi-asset class, private equity, real estate and hedge fundson behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors globally. With offices in 26 countries, Neuberger Berman's diverse team has over 2,700 professionals. For nine consecutive years, the company has been named first or second in Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work in Money Management survey (among those with 1,000 employees or more). Neuberger Berman is a PRI Leader, a designation, since last assessed, that was awarded to fewer than 1% of investment firms for excellence in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. In the 2021 PRI Assessment, the firm obtained the highest possible scoring for its overarching approach to ESG investment and stewardship, and integration across asset classes. The firm manages $436 billion in client assets as of March 31, 2023. For more information, please visit our website at www.nb.com.

Statements made in this release that look forward in time involve risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the adverse effect from a decline in the securities markets or a decline in the Fund's performance, a general downturn in the economy, competition from other closed end investment companies, changes in government policy or regulation, inability of the Fund's investment adviser to attract or retain key employees, inability of the Fund to implement its investment strategy, inability of the Fund to manage rapid expansion and unforeseen costs and other effects related to legal proceedings or investigations of governmental and self-regulatory organizations.

Contact:

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC

Investor Information

(877) 461-1899

SOURCE Neuberger Berman
Colorful, High Performance Hard Anodized Nonstick Collection

VALLEJO, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Expanding its flagship gourmet cookware brand, Meyer Corporation, U.S. introduces Anolon Achieve, a new collection of hard anodized nonstick cookware blending long-lasting high performance with colorful on-trend styling. Available now at retail nationwide and at Anolon.com, Anolon Achieve is offered in Teal, Cream, and Silver.

New Anolon Achieve 10 Piece Cookware Set in Teal. Also Available in Cream and Silver colors.

Constructed of hard anodized aluminum  a material that is 8 times stronger than standard aluminum, and twice as strong as stainless steel  Anolon Achieve quickly and evenly distributes heat for optimum cooking results without hot spots. The ultra-durable, triple-layer premium nonstick cooking surface  which lasts 16 times longer than standard nonstick  ensures perfect food release and effortless cleanup. Anolon Achieve is specially designed to keep oil in the center of the pan while cooking for the most flavorful results. The colorful exterior nonstick helps prevent staining, and the modern styling includes a contrasting band of hard anodized near the base.

Additional features and benefits of Anolon Achieve include the following: securely fastened metal rivets coated in nonstick for easy cleaning; larger cooking area to accommodate more food; tempered glass lids reinforced with thick metal rims to allow cooks to monitor the cooking process without releasing heat and flavor; and ergonomically designed cast stainless steel handles that are comfortable to grip and stay cool during stovetop use. For flexibility in cooking methods, Anolon Achieve is oven safe to 500 F.

Expertly engineered to make cooking easier and more enjoyable, Anolon Achieve is available in the following set and open stock items:

10-Piece Set : 1.5 Qt. Covered Saucepan, 3 Qt. Covered Saucepan, 6 Qt. Covered Stockpot, 3 Qt. Covered Saute Pan, 8.25-inch Open Frying Pan, and 12-inch Open Frying Pan ($229.99)

: 1.5 Qt. Covered Saucepan, 3 Qt. Covered Saucepan, 6 Qt. Covered Stockpot, 3 Qt. Covered Saute Pan, 8.25-inch Open Frying Pan, and 12-inch Open Frying Pan 8.25-inch Open Frying Pan ($21.99)

10-inch Open Frying Pan ($29.99)

12-inch Open Stir Fry Pan ($39.99)

2 Qt. Covered Saucepan ($34.99)

3 Qt. Covered Saucepan ($49.99)

4 Qt. Covered Saucepot ($49.99)

* All pricing is suggested retail (please contact us to verify pricing prior to publishing).

For further information on Anolon Achieve and other Anolon kitchen products, consumers are welcomed to visit Anolon.com, or call Anolon's toll-free number 1-800-388-3872, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m.  5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Consumers can also follow Anolon Facebook.com/Anolon , Twitter.com/Anolon , Pinterest.com/Anolon , Instagram.com/Anolon , and YouTube.com/Anolon .

Anolon is a premier brand offered by California-based Meyer Corporation, one of the largest cookware companies in America. In addition to Anolon, brands sold by Meyer include Circulon, Farberware, KitchenAid, Meyer, Rachael Ray, Ayesha Curry, Hestan, Ruffoni, BonJour, and LocknLock.

SOURCE Meyer Corporation, U.S.
NEW DOCUMENTARY, SPIRIT, WILL BE AVAILABLE ON PRIME VIDEO AND FOLLOWS THREE BARTENDERS FROM DIAGEO'S WORLD CLASS COMPETITION

WILL BE AVAILABLE ON PRIME VIDEO AND FOLLOWS THREE BARTENDERS FROM DIAGEO'S WORLD CLASS COMPETITION FEATURED TALENT INCLUDES GLOBALLY RENOWNED CHEF ROY CHOI AND COCKTAIL EXPERTS, RYAN CHETIYAWARDANA, AGOSTINO PERRONE AND KAITLYN STEWART

LONDON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SPIRIT, a brand-new feature documentary, launches this week and promises to change the way we think about cocktails forever.

Set against the backdrop of one of the world's most respected and prestigious cocktail competitions  Diageo's World Class Global Bartender of the Year  the documentary reveals the highs and lows of three of the world's best bartenders as they prepare to create the most important cocktails of their career.

SPIRIT : Becoming the World's Best Bartender NEW FEATURE DOCUMENTARY, SPIRIT, CAPTURES THE JOURNEY IN COMPETING FOR WORLD CLASS TITLE

Coinciding with World Cocktail Day 2023, the documentary will be available to watch on Prime Video in select markets from May 13th and unveils the world of bartending in an incredible new light. Viewers can expect to witness a flawless display of craft, passion and edge-of-your-seat competitive action from 50 bartenders at the top of their game.

To showcase what it takes to reach the highest levels of bartending, producers Something Originals secured exclusive access to World Class Global Finals in Sydney, Australia  following the journey of competitors and country champions Sahil Essani (India), Liisa Lindroos (Finland) and Yui Ogata (Japan) as they shake, stir and strain their way towards the coveted title of World Class Global Bartender of the Year.

The documentary includes insight from some of the industry's leading trailblazers. From the godfather of the modern food truck movement, Roy Choi, to owner of some of the world's best bars including Lyaness in London and Super Lyan in Amsterdam, Ryan Chetiyawardana; to the Director of Mixology at globally-renowned The Connaught Bar in London, Agostino Perrone, and World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2017, Kaitlyn Stewart; the industry icons share their insider knowledge of what it takes to succeed in the world of luxury hospitality  a journey of determination, craft, and game-changing flavour.

Speaking about the documentary, Marissa Johnston, Global Head of World Class at Diageo said: "SPIRIT so accurately captures the essence of World Class  one of the world's biggest and most respected cocktail competitions. It's a remarkable and compelling insight into what it takes to be a bartender today  we hope people enjoy it and are inspired to consider a career in the hospitality industry."

Director Ross Bolidai remarked: "The aim of this new documentary was to get under the skin of World Class Global Finals to tell a story of tenacity, determination and spirit that reimagines how cocktails are seen globally. It was a privilege to witness the grit each of the competitors displayed from start to finish."

Diageo World Class has also confirmed it will host the 14th edition of its global finals in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 23rd - 27th September 2023.

On the 2023 World Class Global Finals location, Marissa Johnston said: "Following on from the incredible experience of hosting World Class Global Finals in Sydney, Australia, I'm so excited to bring the competition to the incredible city of Sao Paulo. We can't wait to celebrate even more bartending talent in Brazil!"

The SPIRIT documentary can be watched on Prime Video from May 13th. The full trailer is available to watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CQ1koBUKJM For more information on the documentary, visit the IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27699377/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2075261/NEW_FEATURE_DOCUMENTARY_SPIRIT.jpg

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CQ1koBUKJM

SOURCE World Class
Yermak holds meeting with Brazilian delegation headed by chief Adviser to President of Brazil

On the instructions of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak took part in a security briefing for a delegation from Brazil headed by Chief Advisor to the President of the Federal Republic of Brazil Celso Amorim.

According to the presidential press service, the meeting was also attended by Deputy Heads of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva and Roman Mashovets, Advisor  President's Commissioner for Children's Rights and Children's Rehabilitation Daria Herasymchuk and Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strilets.

During the meeting, the guests were informed about the challenges facing Ukraine due to the invasion of the Russian Federation, the current situation at the front, the actions of the Russian occupiers, in particular the recent missile attacks by Russia on civilian infrastructure and Ukrainian citizens, as well as the Ukrainian Peace Formula.

Advisor  President's Commissioner for Children's Rights and Children's Rehabilitation Daria Herasymchuk informed the Brazilian delegation about the situation with the deportation of Ukrainian children to the temporarily occupied territories and Russia.

Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strilets spoke about the damage to Ukraine's environment caused by Russian aggression.

"The only plan capable of stopping Russian aggression in Ukraine is the Ukrainian Peace Formula," emphasized Yermak.

The Head of the President's Office expressed hope for a further balanced position of Brazil and President Lula da Silva personally regarding the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.

Yermak also expressed hope that Brazil will facilitate the invitation of our country to this year's Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the EU, which will be held in Brussels in July.

"We would be grateful to the Brazilian side and personally to President Lula da Silva for the assistance in involving Ukraine in this Summit," he said.

On behalf of Zelenskyy, Yermak conveyed an invitation to the President of Brazil to visit Ukraine at his convenience.
COVINA, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Prophecy Market Insights "Rare Disease Market accounted for US$ 161.4 billion in 2020 and is estimated to be US$ 547.5 billion by 2030 and is anticipated to register a CAGR 13.1%"

What is Rare Disease Market?

Rare Disease is a health condition which affects smaller number of people in general population and thus, caused by person's genes and chromosomal changes. Haemophilia, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida and muscular dystrophy are some examples of Rare Disease market.

Growing implementation of technology and new drug launch has provided lucrative opportunities in target market growth. Presence of major key players & strong product pipeline, robust and favorable infrastructure and growing burden of diseases is expected to fruitful the demand for Rare Disease Market growth in coming years.

What are the Recent Key Highlights of Rare Disease Market?

In February 2023 , CDER set to continue advance rare disease drug development including ARC (Accelerating Rare Disease Cures) program also working with National Organization for Rare Disorders in developing advanced drug development education series for patients.

, CDER set to continue advance rare disease drug development including ARC (Accelerating Rare Disease Cures) program also working with National Organization for Rare Disorders in developing advanced drug development education series for patients. In February 2023 , Sanofi Specialty Care set to bring new therapies of Pompe, ASMD (Acid Sphingomyelinase deficiency) rare disease in India . The company has also received recommendation from Subject Expert Committee in importing & marketing two new products such as, Xenpozyme (Olipudase alfa powder) and Nexviazyme (Avalglucosidase alfa powder) for rare disease treatment.

Download a Sample Copy of Report:

https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Insight/request-sample/4634

Who are the Top Key players operating in the Rare Disease Market?

Pfizer

Hoffmen La Roche

Abbott

Sanofi

Eli lilly

Genelux

Mercks & co.

Glaxosmith Kline

Astra Zeneca

Eisai

Rexahn

Taino

Report Scope:

Attribute Details Base year for estimation 2022 Forecast period 2023  2032 Market representation Revenue in USD Million & CAGR from 2022  2032 Accounted in 2020 US$ 161.4 billion Estimated to be in 2030 US$ 547.5 billion CAGR 13.1 % Market Segmentation  By Drug type- Biologics and Non-Biologics  By Route of Administration- Oral and Injectable  By Phase- Preclinical, Phase1, Phase2, Phase3, Phase4  By Therapeutic Area- Infectious disease, Neurological, Alimentary/Metabolic, Cancer, Blood & Clotting and Others  By Patients- Neonatal, Pediatric, Adults  By Distribution Channel- Hospital & Retail Pharmacies, and E-commerce/Online Pharmacies Regional scope North America - U.S., Canada Europe - UK, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Russia, Rest of Europe Asia Pacific - Japan, India, China, South Korea, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America - Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa - South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Rest of Middle East & Africa Report coverage Revenue forecast, company share, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Customization Scope Avail of customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Insight/request-customization/4634

What is Prophecy's Analyst View on Rare disease Market?

Development of novel drugs has contributed in target market growth. Growing research and development activities has further, facilitated the demand for Rare Disease market growth. Favorable government policies and growing strategic partnerships and acquisitions is expected to fuel the demand for Rare Disease market growth in future.

What are the latest developments for Rare Disease Market?

Increased focus on gene therapy

Growth of precision medicine

Use of digital technologies

Collaboration between stakeholders

Advances in rare disease research.

These developments are helping to improve diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes, and are transforming the Rare Disease Market. Gene therapy is a promising approach to treating rare diseases, while precision medicine is being increasingly adopted to improve treatment effectiveness and reduce side effects. Digital technologies such as telemedicine and remote monitoring are being used to improve access to care, and collaboration between stakeholders is helping to accelerate the development and approval of rare disease therapies. Finally, advances in rare disease research are helping to improve our understanding of these conditions and identify new therapeutic targets.

What are the Growth Factors of Rare disease Market?

Increasing prevalence of rare diseases: The prevalence of rare diseases is increasing globally, driven in part by improved diagnostics and increased awareness. This is creating a growing market for rare disease treatments.

The prevalence of rare diseases is increasing globally, driven in part by improved diagnostics and increased awareness. This is creating a growing market for rare disease treatments. Advances in medical technology: Advances in medical technology are making it possible to develop more effective and targeted therapies for rare diseases. For example, gene therapy and precision medicine are enabling highly targeted treatments for specific genetic mutations.

Advances in medical technology are making it possible to develop more effective and targeted therapies for rare diseases. For example, gene therapy and precision medicine are enabling highly targeted treatments for specific genetic mutations. Regulatory incentives : Governments are offering incentives such as tax credits and fast-track approvals to encourage the development of rare disease therapies. This is attracting investment and speeding up the development of new treatments.

: Governments are offering incentives such as tax credits and fast-track approvals to encourage the development of rare disease therapies. This is attracting investment and speeding up the development of new treatments. Patient advocacy and awareness: Patient advocacy groups are playing an increasingly important role in raising awareness of rare diseases and advocating for improved access to treatment. This is creating a more supportive environment for rare disease research and development.

Patient advocacy groups are playing an increasingly important role in raising awareness of rare diseases and advocating for improved access to treatment. This is creating a more supportive environment for rare disease research and development. Collaborative research efforts: Collaborative research efforts between pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and government agencies are helping to accelerate the development of rare disease treatments. This is leading to more rapid progress and greater innovation in the field.

Collaborative research efforts between pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and government agencies are helping to accelerate the development of rare disease treatments. This is leading to more rapid progress and greater innovation in the field. Increasing funding for rare disease research: Governments, philanthropic organizations, and private investors are increasing their funding for rare disease research, creating a more supportive environment for innovation and development in the field.

What are the Drivers of the Rare Disease Market?

Unmet medical need

Orphan drug incentives

Increasing prevalence of rare diseases

Advancements in medical technology

Patient advocacy and awareness

Collaborative research efforts

Increasing funding for rare disease research

These drivers are spurring investment and innovation in the Rare Disease Market, creating opportunities for pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders to develop and commercialize innovative therapies for rare diseases.

What are the Restrains of the Rare Disease Market?

High development costs

Regulatory challenges

Reimbursement challenges

Limited patient population

Lack of awareness and education among healthcare providers

Difficulty in diagnosis

Limited access to treatment in certain regions

These restraints can make it difficult for pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders to develop and commercialize rare disease therapies, and can also make it challenging for patients to access these treatments. However, despite these restraints, there is growing momentum in the Rare Disease Market, driven by a range of growth factors such as unmet medical need, increasing prevalence of rare diseases, and advancements in medical technology.

Download PDF Brochure:

https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Insight/request-pdf/4634

Key Reasons to Purchase the Report:

Market insights

Competitive analysis

Patient insights

Regulatory insights

Industry partnerships

Purchasing Rare Disease Market research reports can provide valuable insights and intelligence that help pharmaceutical companies and stakeholders to make informed decisions, understand patient needs, navigate regulatory challenges, identify partners, and gain a competitive edge in the market.

Key questions answered in this report:

What is the current size of the Rare Disease Market, and what is its expected growth rate over the next few years? What are the key drivers and restraints affecting the Rare Disease Market, and how are they likely to impact market growth? Which rare diseases are most prevalent, and what are the current treatment options for these diseases? What are the emerging trends in Rare Disease Market, and what impact are they likely to have on the market in the future? What are the regulatory challenges associated with developing and commercializing rare disease therapies, and how can these challenges be addressed? Who are the key players in the Rare Disease Market, and what are their strategies for growth and market entry?

Browse Other Related Research Reports from Prophecy Market Insights:

Orphan Drugs Market is estimated to be US$ 869.6 million by 2030 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of CAGR of 10.4%

Rare Disease Diagnostics Market is estimated to be US$ 72.7 billion by 2032 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of CAGR of 8.2%

Precision Medicine Market accounted for US$ 65.66 billion in 2022 and is estimated to be US$ 168.8 billion by 2032 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 12.9%.

About Us:

Prophecy Market Insights is a leading provider of market research services, offering insightful and actionable reports to clients across various industries. With a team of experienced analysts and researchers, Prophecy Market Insights provides accurate and reliable market intelligence, helping businesses make informed decisions and stay ahead of the competition. The company's research reports cover a wide range of topics, including industry trends, market size, growth opportunities, competitive landscape, and more. Prophecy Market Insights is committed to delivering high-quality research services that help clients achieve their strategic goals and objectives.

To know more

Contact Us:

Sales

Prophecy Market Insights

 US toll free: +1 860 531 2574

 Rest of world: + 91 7775049802

 Email- [email protected]

 Website- www.prophecymarketinsights.com

Follow us on:

LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook |Youtube

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2067755/Prophecy_Market_Insights_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Prophecy Market Insights
Study commissioned by Campaign Legal Center aims to determine confidence in American elections and election process

NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Ad Council Research Institute (ACRI) and the Campaign Legal Center (CLC) released findings from a new study that revealed a significant knowledge gap, as well as ongoing fears and concerns about the fairness and accuracy of the U.S. election process among many conservative-leaning and independent voters. The new study, (Dis)Trust in Elections: Rebuilding Voter Trust & Confidence in the U.S. Election Process, offers organizations, government entities, election boards, and election officials key insights into the ideal target audience for election-confidence building efforts.

"Especially as we head into a new election cycle, the need to instill trust in the process at all levels among American voters is paramount," said Derrick Feldmann, lead researcher and managing director of ACRI and Ad Council Edge. "While our findings show distrust is present, there is hope. Making this information available will empower organizations in communities across the country to change the tide of voter doubt for the upcoming election cycle and those in the future."

"American voters should have the utmost confidence that when they cast their ballots on Election Day, their vote will count," said Sandhya Bathija, vice president of communications for CLC. "Clearly, the research indicates there are some gaps that must be addressed. But there are also reasons to be optimisticthat by drawing attention to the checks and balances within our electoral process, we can help increase knowledge and change attitudes and behaviors among this unique demographic of voters."

Key findings from the study include:

The ideal target audience for confidence-building efforts is conservative-leaning and independent voters.

Only about a third (31%) of conservative-leaning voters in the sample believe the 2020 presidential election was conducted fairly and accurately. Another third (35%) are not very confident, and 31% are not confident at all.



Half of independent voters (51%) were somewhat confident, with 28% not very and 18% not at all confident in the fairness and/or accuracy of the election.

Distrust is built by multiple factors and exacerbated by a lack of knowledge.

Top beliefs among conservative-leaning voters that contribute to distrust: voting fraud took place (74%), unregistered voters and/or illegal immigrants voted (72%), encouraging multiple voting / making voting easier for some (58%).



Top beliefs among independent voters: Encouraging multiple voting/ making voting easier for some (50%), voting fraud took place (48%), unregistered voters and/or illegal immigrants voted (44%).

Despite ongoing distrust, people still support the country, believe in the US, and plan to continue exercising their right to vote in the future.

43% of conservative-leaning voters and 39% of independents say this distrust has no impact on their likelihood to vote; 38% of conservatives and 32% of independents say it makes them much more likely to vote.

(Dis)Trust in Elections: Rebuilding Voter Trust & Confidence in the U.S. Election Process provide a deeper look into voter distrust in the U.S. election process. Download the report here.

About the Ad Council and ACRI

The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change around the most pressing issues in America. Since the non-profit's founding, the organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country's most iconic and impactful campaigns  Smokey Bear, A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Love Has No Labels, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. With a current focus on mental health, racial justice, gun violence and other critical issues, the Ad Council's national campaigns encompass advertising and media content, ground game and community efforts, trusted messenger and influencer engagement, among other innovative strategies to move the needle on the most important issues of the day.

To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org join the Ad Council's communities on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter, and view campaign creative on YouTube.

The Ad Council Research Institute (ACRI) leverages the Ad Council's insight-driven approach to examine some of the most important social issues of our time. Building upon years of research expertise, ACRI works with brand, corporate and nonprofit partners and clients to conduct research to gain a deeper understanding of the public's perceptions, attitudes and willingness to act on social issues; develop and test messaging and narratives for social good campaigns; help build knowledge on the role influencers or trusted messengers can play to move the public to act; and identify key performance indicators for communications initiatives, and the tools through which to measure, assess and optimize them over time. Learn more about ACRI and our 2022 research agenda here.

About the Campaign Legal Center

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) is a nonpartisan organization that advocates for every eligible voter to meaningfully participate in the democratic process. CLC uses tactics such as litigation, policy advocacy, partnerships and communications to make systemic impact at all levels of government. The organization is committed to democracy, not to political parties or results, and was founded in 2002 by its current president, Trevor Potter, Republican former commissioner of the Federal Election Commission. To find out more about Campaign Legal Center, visit CampaignLegal.org.

SOURCE The Ad Council
PARIS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nilos , a leading financial platform for businesses operating with crypto-currencies, has launched its new Virtual EU IBANs aimed at companies dealing with crypto in Europe. The move has been made possible by their new partnership with Modulr, a leading payment and card issuing platform. The solution allows businesses to have a dedicated crypto-friendly payment account, enabling them to create EUR and GBP virtual accounts, make payments across Europe and the UK, and use SEPA and Faster Payment rails.

The crypto market has long struggled to find viable payment alternatives, with traditional banking systems proving unhelpful for businesses dealing with crypto-currencies. Even when these businesses do find banking options, on/off ramps don't work and onboarding takes more than a month and compliance is challenging.

For the first time, Nilos solves these issues by offering customers a modulable payment infrastructure that lets them move from crypto to fiat seamlessly using their own business account.

With our technology, businesses can now seamlessly move funds from crypto to fiat in just 7 seconds, with their name as the originator of the payment. This innovative solution eliminates the pain points associated with slow, compliance-heavy processes and empowers businesses to thrive in the evolving landscape of payments." Said Eytan Messika, Co-founder of the platform.

The company already processed several millions in deposits in the last month and works with all types of companies from big brands like Warner and web3 native companies like DappRadar.

The startup raised a $5.2 million funding round back in April 2022. Viola Ventures and Fabric Ventures led the round, with Mensch Capital Partners also participating. Several business angels also contributed to this round, such as Yuval Tal, Sebastien Borget, Emmanuel Schalit, Benjamin Seror, Didier Valet, Guillaume Houze, Philippe Suchet and Valentine Baudouin.

For more information on Nilos; please visit nilos.io

SOURCE Nilos
TOKYO, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nippon Express Italia S.p.A. (hereinafter "NX Italia"), a group company of NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC., has acquired IATA CEIV Pharma certification*, a quality certificate for pharmaceutical transport established by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), for its warehouse facility in Lainate, near Milan Malpensa Airport, effective April 3 of this year.

Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202305095498-O1-I17xe4r6

Photos of warehouse facility:

https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M103866/202305095498/_prw_PI2fl_Tq94bmiJ.jpg?_ga=2.29713785.758542448.1683592316-1430758024.1637027940

https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M103866/202305095498/_prw_PI3fl_0L8vF5aj.jpg?_ga=2.236594887.758542448.1683592316-1430758024.1637027940

As one of Europe's leading pharmaceutical industry centers, Italy is home to many major pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Milan boasts the Milano Innovation District (MIND), a science and technology park dedicated to pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing, and the Italian government has placed the district at the heart of its growth strategy for the pharmaceutical industry. Milan is also an important hub for the distribution of pharmaceuticals to the rest of Europe, and demand for high-quality pharmaceutical logistics services is on the rise.

The Nippon Express Group has positioned the pharmaceutical industry as a key industry in its "Nippon Express Group Business Plan 2023 -- Dynamic Growth," and is pursuing the global development of a safe and secure pharmaceutical logistics platform to meet the ever more sophisticated and diverse needs of pharmaceutical logistics.

NX Italia acquired Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification in May 2021, evidencing its compliance with internationally recognized standards for the proper distribution of pharmaceuticals, and, with the acquisition of CEIV Pharma certification, will now be able to provide safer and higher-quality pharmaceutical transportation services using Milan Malpensa Airport as a hub while striving to deepen customer trust as pharmaceutical imports and exports grow.

The Nippon Express Group is committed to contributing to the health of people around the world by supporting its customers in the global pharmaceutical industry from a logistics perspective through the establishment of a reliable and safe global pharmaceutical logistics platform.

*About CEIV Pharma:

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202305095498-O1-G17R59sP.pdf

Nippon Express website: https://www.nipponexpress.com/

Nippon Express Group's official LinkedIn account:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/nippon-express-group/

SOURCE NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC.
CNLABS is an ISO/IEC-17025 accredited lab offering testing services for NIST USGv6 profiles

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has approved CNLABS as an accredited test laboratory for the USGv6 program.

United States Federal Agencies use the USGv6 program for strategic planning and acquisition policies. The program requires OEMs and product vendors to test their products as per the USGv6-r1 specifications at accredited test labs. With the approval, CNLABS becomes the second lab accredited by NIST to undertake product testing for the USGv6 program globally.

USGv6

"The latest revision to the USGv6 profile inherits from and refines the generic NIST IPv6 profile for use in Federal IT acquisitions. USGv6 Test Program strengthens the commitment to maintain synchronization with the industry-driven IPv6 Ready Logo program to minimize testing requirements on vendors. It is exciting to see CNLABS approved for USGv6 in addition to IPv6 Ready Logo" says Latif Ladid, Senior researcher at the University of Luxembourg and President of the IPv6 Forum.

NIST and its partners developed the USGv6 Profile to assist government agencies in developing acquisition requirements for IT products. The USGv6 Test Program provides the means to assess product compliance with the IPv6 requirements specified under the USGv6 Profile. The Standards Profile for IPv6 in the USG applies to all future uses of IPv6 in non-classified, non-national security federal IT systems.

"The OMB memorandum published in Nov 2020 for Completing the Transition to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) outlines the Federal government's strategic intent to deliver its information services, operate its networks, and access the services of others using only IPv6. NIST has since expanded its USGv6 standards profile and test program to facilitate this government-wide initiative to promote the vision of having 80% of IP-enabled assets on federal networks to be IPv6-only by 2025. Addition of CNLABS to this program further strengthens the available test infrastructure required for achieving this vision"  Doug Montgomery, Manager, Internet Technologies Research Group at NIST.

CNLABS is proud to be accredited by NIST for the USGv6 program. This places us in a unique position as the only global lab to offer testing services for all major IPv6 certifications, including the IPv6 Ready Logo (Worldwide), MCMC IPv6 (Malaysia), TEC MTCTE (India), and USGv6 (USA)" says Krishna Kumar Lahoti, Director - CNLABS. We are committed to providing our customers with comprehensive testing services under one roof. This accreditation helps us deliver on that promise, while we expand our cybersecurity testing capabilities through the ITSAR program for India and EU RED 3.3(d,e,f) program for Europe. With our expanded testing capabilities, we are well placed to enable and support our customers to confidently launch their products internationally."

About CNLABS

CNLABS is a vendor-neutral test lab offering industry certifications, regulatory compliance testing, interoperability and third-party certification testing for product vendors, enterprises, and service providers. The lab is accredited to NABL (ILAC) and meets the globally recognized ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard that assures quality and competency of the lab, personnel, and test results.

Media Contact:

Jayaprakash Kumar

CEO - CNLABS

+1 (408) 8767506

[email protected]

SOURCE CNLABS
LOS ANGELES, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Corporation ("Norfolk Southern" or the "Company") (NYSE: NSC).

Class Period: October 28, 2020  March 3, 2023

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 15, 2023

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the Norfolk Southern lawsuit, you can submit your contact information at www.glancylaw.com/cases/Norfolk-Southern-Corporation/. You can also contact Charles H. Linehan, of GPM at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or via email at [email protected] to learn more about your rights.

On February 3, 2023, after the market closed, a Norfolk Southern Railway Company ("NSR") 149-car general merchandise freight train operated by three Norfolk Southern personnel derailed after a wheel bearing overheated and failed in East Palestine, Ohio, leaving behind a "mangled and charred mass of boxcars and flames." The train was not classified as a hazardous material train, but was carrying several hazardous materials that subsequently ignited, causing damage to non-derailed railcars. On February 5, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered the evacuation of those within a one-by-two mile area near the derailment due to 115,580 gallons of vinyl chloride in five of the derailed cars. The following day, on February 6, responders engaged in a controlled detonation and burn of the vinyl chloride, exposing surrounding areas to massive volumes of chemicals, including residential neighborhoods only 1,000 feet from the accident. Reports cited thousands of dead fish, chemical slicks in the water, and chemical odors around the site.

On this news, Norfolk Southern's stock price fell $5.66, or 2.2%, to close at $246.46 per share on February 6, 2023.

Then, on February 8, 2023, Governor DeWine stated that Norfolk Southern "created the problem" and that it was "their liability," asserting that the Company "ought to pay for it." Upon returning to their homes after evacuation orders were lifted, many residents reported hazardous air quality and other health and environmental concerns.

On this news, Norfolk Southern's stock price fell $7.64, or 3.1%, to close at $238.98 per share on February 9, 2023.

On February 13, 2023, the EPA concluded that Norfolk Southern may be responsible for the cleanup costs of the derailment site or the costs incurred by the EPA area cleanups. On this news, Norfolk Southern's stock price fell $7.33, or 3%, over the next two trading days, to close at $235.28 per share on February 14, 2023.

Then, on February 23, 2023, the National Transportation Safety Board ("NTSB") issued a preliminary report on the derailment, stating it was 100% preventable. And on March 7, 2023, the NTSB announced that it had opened a special investigation into safety practices at Norfolk Southern because the Company had suffered five significant accidents since December 2021, three of which resulted in Company employee deaths.

On March 14, 2023, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a complaint against Norfolk Southern alleging trespass, nuisance, negligence, open dumping, and water and discharge violations in connection with a series of Norfolk Southern train derailments.

On March 15, 2023, Norfolk Southern's stock price fell to a low of less than $203 per share  19% below the price prior to the East Palestine train derailment, thereby injuring investors.

The complaint filed alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Norfolk Southern's Precision Scheduled Railroading ("PSR"), including its use of longer, heavier trains staffed by fewer personnel, had led to Norfolk Southern suffering increased train derailments and a materially increased risk of future derailments; (2) Norfolk Southern's PSR was part of a culture of increased risk-taking at the expense of reasonable safety precautions due to Norfolk Southern's near-term focus solely on profits; (3) Norfolk Southern's PSR rendered Norfolk Southern more vulnerable to train derailments and train derailments with potentially more severe human, financial, legal, and environmental consequences; (4) Norfolk Southern's capital spending and replacement programs were designed to prioritize profits over Norfolk Southern's ability to provide safe, efficient, and reliable rail transportation services; (5) Norfolk Southern's lobbying efforts had undermined Norfolk Southern's ability to provide safe, efficient, and reliable rail transportation services; (6) Norfolk Southern's commitment to reducing operating expenses as part of its PSR goals undermined worker safety and Norfolk Southern's purported commitment to an injury-free workplace because Norfolk Southern's PSR plan prioritized reducing expenses through fewer personnel, longer trains, and less spending on safety training, technology, and equipment such as hot bearing wayside detectors (a/k/a hotboxes) and acoustic sensors; (7) Norfolk Southern's rail services were, as a result of its adoption of PSR principles, more susceptible to accidents that could cause serious economic and bodily harm to Norfolk Southern, its workers, its customers, third parties, and the environment; (8) Norfolk Southern had failed to put in place responsive practices and procedures to minimize the threat to communities in the event that these communities suffered the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous and toxic materials; and (9) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Charles Linehan, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

SOURCE Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP
- OPPO's latest foldable phone, the Find N2 Flip, will receive the new Google Android 14 Beta 1 update

- Developers can experiment with new features and APIs on their flip phones, and Android 14 includes updates to enhance productivity, performance, privacy, security, and user customization

DUBAI, UAE, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OPPO today announced its newly launched foldable phone, the Find N2 Flip will be among the first smartphones in the world to receive the new Google Android 14 Beta 1 update. Developers and early-adopters can get their hands on the developer's version of ColorOS, which is built around the first beta of Android 14, to experiment with new features and APIs on their OPPO flip phone.

OPPO Google IO 2023 (PRNewsfoto/OPPO)

"OPPO's Find N2 Flip sets a high bar for new flip smartphones. We have combined industry-leading engineering and innovation with intuitive design principles to create the Find N2 Flip," said Peter Dohyung Lee, head of the flagship product line at OPPO. "Cooperating with Google, OPPO recently brought the Speech-to-Text feature to the cover screen of the Find N2 Flip. Further with Android 14, we will continue to take foldable phones to new heights by combining cutting-edge hardware with unparalleled software."

Android 14 brings several updates aimed at enhancing productivity, performance, privacy, security, and user customization. It offers more intuitive system user interfaces, such as the new mid-display back arrow and an improved system share sheet. The system also allows apps to limit visibility of specified views only to accessibility services, which strengthens users' privacy. Foldable devices present an opportunity for innovative app development, and developers are encouraged to use Android APIs, tools, and resources provided by Google to build apps designed for large and small screens.

The flip phone boasts one of the largest cover screens of its kind, the most invisible crease with its New Generation Flexion Hinge, the day-long battery life with SUPERVOOC flash charging. Moreover, it comes with the promise of four major ColorOS updates and five years of security updates for global users.

Developers can download the developer's version of ColorOS built around Android 14 Beta 1 here right now. Later this year, global users of the Find N2 Flip can look forward to enjoying the public version of ColorOS based on Android 14.

About OPPO

OPPO is a leading global technology brand since 2004, dedicated to providing products that seamlessly combines art and innovative technology.

OPPO is on a mission to building a multiple-access smart device ecosystem for the era of intelligent connectivity. The smartphone devices have simply been a gateway for OPPO to deliver a diverse portfolio of smart and frontier technologies in hardware, software and system. In 2019, OPPO launched a $7 Billion US Dollar three-year investment plan in R&D to develop core technologies furthering design through technology.

OPPO is firmly pursuing the creation of the best technology products and technological artistry for global users. Based on the brand elements of leading, young and beautiful, OPPO dedicates to the mission of letting the extraordinary users enjoy the beauty of technology.

For the last 10 years, OPPO has focused on manufacturing smartphones with camera capabilities that are second to none. OPPO launched the first mobile phone, the Smile Phone, in 2008, which marked the launch of the brand's epic journey in exploring and pioneering extraordinary technology. Over the years, OPPO has built a tradition of being number one, which became a reality through inventing the world's first rotating camera smartphone way back in 2013, launching the world's then thinnest smartphone in 2014, being the first to introduce 5X Zoom "Periscope" camera technology and developing the first 5G commercial smartphone in Europe.

Today, OPPO was ranked as the number four smartphone brand globally. OPPO brings the aesthetics of technology of global consumers through the ColorOS system Experience, and Internet service like OPPO Cloud and OPPO+.

OPPO's business covers 60 countries operated by more than 40,000 dedicated employees, with over six research institutes and five R&D centers across the world, from San Francisco to Shenzhen. OPPO also opened an International Design Centre headquartered in London, driving cutting edge technology that will shape the future not only for smartphones but for intelligent connectivity.

About OPPO MEA

OPPO started its journey in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region in 2015 after setting up its regional office in Egypt. Following the immense success of the brand's sales centre in Cairo in the first year, OPPO accelerated its expansion plan across the MEA region and inaugurated its country operations in the UAE in 2019. Now OPPO is physically present in more than 14 markets across the region, including Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and the Levant.

To empower its presence in the region in line with its product localisation strategy, OPPO further invested in MENA and set up its very own factory in Algeria in 2017, thus, becoming the first Chinese brand to build a manufacturing premises in North Africa. Based on insights of local consumers in each country, OPPO has evolved the progress of product localisation, taking into consideration several perspectives towards each market, including product localisation, to further meet the core needs of users; marketing localisation, to better communicate with local young customers; and talent localisation, to understand local consumers further and provide an optimum customer service.

Within the last year, OPPO has started to adjust its product line in the Middle East region specifically. This has included the launch of its flagship OPPO Find X Series and the introduction of the OPPO Reno Series. OPPO will continue to evolve its local product line to offer more premium series to consumers in the region.

A forward-thinking international technology company, OPPO strives to be a sustainable company that contributes to a better world and have enacted positive change in every way possible through activating local community initiatives and humanitarian, charity campaigns.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2074864/OPPO_Google_IO_2023.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1451542/OPPO_Logo.jpg

SOURCE OPPO
THE NEW OFFICE WILL PROVIDE A STRATEGIC LOCATION FOR OTC LOGISTICS TO BETTER SERVE ITS CLIENTS AND SUPPORT THE COMPANY'S COMMITMENT TO A HEALTHIER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.

HOUSTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Logistics, a leading provider of logistics and supply chain solutions, is pleased to announce the expansion of its operations with the opening of a new North Office in The Woodlands. The new office will be located at a LEED Silver-Certified Class A building, providing a healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green building for its employees and clients.

OTC LOGISTICS EXPANDS OPERATIONS AND COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY WITH NEW NORTH OFFICE IN THE WOODLANDS. OTC Logistics is proud to join the ranks of LEED-certified buildings, which are recognized globally for their commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the world's most widely used green building rating system, offering a framework for sustainable building practices. OTC Logistics is proud to join the ranks of LEED-certified buildings, which are recognized globally for their commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

The new office will provide a strategic location for OTC Logistics to better serve its clients in the North region. The workspace was primarily selected to provide a more intimate training and teambuilding environment to exchange synergies and become a more cohesive unit as the company continues to grow. The current north office personnel are comprised of eight team members, and the company is seeking top talent in the industry as it executes its short-term growth goal to triple in size by the end of the year, employing up to 30 personnel.

"We are thrilled to expand our operations with the opening of our new North Office in The Woodlands," said Javier Loya, Co-CEO of OTC Global Holdings, the holding company of OTC Logistics. "This move will enable us to better serve our clients in the region and provide a healthy and sustainable work environment for our employees. We look forward to continuing to grow and innovate in the logistics and supply chain industry."

OTC Logistics' new office is housed by WorkLodge who supports the company's commitment to sustainability, contributing to a healthier and more sustainable future. The LEED-certified building provides numerous environmental, social, and governance benefits, including cost savings, improved air quality, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the opportunity to contribute to FT5K, a non-profit organization which was exclusively funded by and supported by the WorkLodge team.

"We are excited to open our new North Office in The Woodlands and to contribute to the community through the FT5K non-profit organization," said Kirk Lane, Managing Partner of OTC Logistics. "As a member of the WorkLodge team, we will support social projects including help provide housing for underserved children and fight hunger in the Houston area, as well as advance multiple sustainability projects driven by the FT5K organization. We are proud to be a part of this effort and look forward to expanding our operations and our environmental, social and governance impact."

About OTC Logistics

OTC Logistics is a leading global provider of logistics, freight forwarding and supply chain solutions. With a team of experienced professionals and a commitment to innovation, OTC Logistics offers a range of services, including transportation, warehousing, and inventory management. With dedicated engineers and a single point of contact for every project, OTC Logistics offers global precision, speed and safety in full-service logistics and freight forwarding since 2016. For more information, visit www.otclogistics.com.

About OTC Global Holdings

OTCGH is the world's largest independent institutional broker of commodities, covering financial and physical instruments from offices in Chicago, Geneva, Houston, London, Louisville, New Jersey, New York and Singapore. OTCGH has been awarded "Broker of the Year" by Energy Risk. With a portfolio of nearly 20 companies, OTCGH is a liquidity provider on CBOT, ICE, NYMEX, and NODAL. The company serves more than 450 institutional clients, including over 70 members of the Global Fortune 500, and transacts in hundreds of different commodity delivery points in Asia, Europe and the Americas. For more information, visit www.otcgh.com

SOURCE OTC Global Holdings
TSXV: PGZ OTCQB: PGZFF

Exploration to commence immediately at Romana West, including ground geophysics and an initial 25-30 drill hole program





Potential to extend the current 1,200m strike-length of the La Romana mineralization a further 800- 1,000m to the west





strike-length of the La Romana mineralization a further 800- to the west Surface access agreement allows exploration to also commence at three additional untested targets: Barbacena, El Pozo and Romana North

VANCOUVER, BC, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Pan Global Resources Inc. ("Pan Global" or the "Company") (TSXV: PGZ) (OTCQB: PGZFF) is pleased to announce that a surface access agreement has been reached clearing the way for exploration and drilling to commence immediately on the Romana West target. The Romana West target is on-strike from the La Romana copper-tin-silver discovery at the Company's 100%-owned Escacena Project ("Escacena") in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, southern Spain. The agreement also provides access to several other large untested gravity and heliborne-electromagnetic (HEM) targets within Escacena.

Figure 1  Escacena Project Map highlighting the area covered by the new surface access agreement and target locations, including the La Romana discovery. (CNW Group/Pan Global Resources Inc.)

"This access agreement is a significant breakthrough on a largely unexplored part of Escacena and allows exploration to commence immediately on the potential on-strike continuation of the near-surface La Romana copper-tin-silver mineralization at the Romana West target," said Tim Moody, Pan Global President and CEO. "Gaining access to Romana West follows on from the strong relationships already established and developed with local communities. The access agreement also allows exploration to begin on several other compelling gravity and HEM targets at Escacena that are untested. Pan Global will expand geochemical sampling and ground geophysics to this area and execute a drill plan on the Romana West target testing a further 800-1,000 meters along strike west of the La Romana copper-tin-silver mineralization."

The access agreement opens up 680 hectares of Escacena to exploration for the next three years, with potential to continue beyond this period. The area represents 12% of the existing Pan Global mineral rights at the Escacena Project and has remained largely unexplored since the mineral rights were granted. This includes the potential western extension of the La Romana discovery at the Romana West target as well as the Romana North, Barbacena, and El Pozo targets. See Figure 1 below.

While the agreement encompasses a number of targets, the priority is Romana West. The Romana West target includes the westward projection of a large gravity anomaly coincident with the La Romana mineralization and indicates potential to extend the La Romana mineralization a further 800 to 1,000m. Ground geophysics, including detailed gravity and IP, will commence immediately at Romana West and two drill rigs will begin mobilizing to the area. Drilling to-date at La Romana shows the mineralization extends over approximately 1.2 kilometers of strike and remains wide open to the west in the direction of the historical La Romana mine workings and Romana West target. The mineralization also remains open down dip in several areas.

The planned drill program at Romana West includes an initial 25 to 30 drill holes on north-south lines approximately 100m apart to delineate the western extent of the near-surface La Romana mineralization.

Exploration will also expand to the largely unexplored Barbacena, El Pozo, and Romana North targets as part of the ongoing systematic exploration program to define and prioritize further targets for drill testing.

Drill rigs are currently operating at the La Romana and Canada Honda and results are pending for approximately 20 drill holes at La Romana, Canada Honda, and Zarcita. Negotiations are also continuing with land owners for access along strike to the east of the La Romana mineralization and the Bravo target.

About the Escacena Project

The Escacena Project comprises a large, contiguous, 5,760-hectare land package controlled 100% by Pan Global in the east of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. Escacena is located near operating mines at Las Cruces and Riotinto and is immediately adjacent to the former Aznalcollar and Los Frailes mines where Minera Los Frailes/Grupo Mexico is in the final permitting stage with construction anticipated to start in 2023. The Escacena Project hosts the La Romana copper-tin-silver discovery and a number of other prospective targets, including Zarcita, Hornitos, La Jarosa, Romana Deep, Romana North, Romana West, Canada Honda, Bravo, Barbacena, El Pozo, and San Pablo.

About Pan Global Resources

Pan Global Resources Inc. is actively engaged in base and precious metal exploration in southern Spain and is pursuing opportunities from exploration through to mine development. The Company is committed to operating safely and with respect to the communities and environment where we operate.

Qualified Persons

James Royall, Vice President Exploration for Pan Global Resources and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information for this news release. Mr. Royall is not independent of the Company.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

www.panglobalresources.com

Statements which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. It is important to note that actual outcomes and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information included in this news release are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental, environmental and technological factors that may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and prices. Readers should refer to the risk disclosures outlined in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis of its audited financial statements filed with the British Columbia Securities Commission.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

SOURCE Pan Global Resources Inc.
The California Department of Social Services Recognizes the Impact of the Nonprofit and Awards it with an Extended Two-Year, $4.7 Million Contract so the Free Helpline May Continue to Offer Emotional Support to Parents and Youth Struggling with Mental Illness

LOS ANGELES, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This May, Parents Anonymous celebrates the third anniversary of the California Parent & Youth Helpline, a free Helpline for California diverse parents, children and youth up to 25 years old needing immediate emotional support and Evidence-Based Parents Anonymous Groups to enhance mental health and enhance personal growth and change.

California Parent & Youth Helpline

"Research on the Helpline confirms that anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation is successful addressed by enhancing well-being and self-efficacy and more importantly diverse Parents, Children and Youth from every county in California has the opportunity to join a Free, Online Weekly Parents Anonymous Group," says Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin, ACHT, ACSW and President and CEO at Parents Anonymous Inc. "We are very excited to increase the Helpline hours to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week starting July 1, 2023. We believe that asking for help is a sign of strength."

As a result of the positive impact of the multilingual and culturally responsive Helpline, which is staffed by professional counselors, Parents Anonymous Inc. was awarded a new $4.7 million contract from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). The contract will provide the necessary funds so the Helpline may continue to serve parents and youth in need of support for another two years, with an option for a third year.

"In California, we are committed to preserving and strengthening our mental health system," said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary, California Health and Human Services Agency. "Our goal is to ensure that all Californians have access to the mental health services they need and the California Parent & Youth Helpline has proven to be a great resource for children and families."

Parents Anonymous launched The California Parent & Youth Helpline in 2020 in response to the growing need for additional mental health resources because of COVID-19. With initial funding from CDSS, the Helpline has provided the necessary tools and resources to thousands of parents and children in need of emotional support for the last three years, including but not limited to:

The Helpline has received over 57,000 calls, texts and live chats from diverse parents, children and youth from all 58 counties in California to date.





from diverse parents, children and youth from all in to date. 7,000+ Evidence-Based Parents Anonymous services for diverse, parents, children and youth resulting in significant increases in resilience, well-being, and family functioning.





Evidence-Based Parents Anonymous services for diverse, parents, children and youth resulting in significant increases in resilience, well-being, and family functioning. Over 1,000,000 page views and unique visitors to the website seeking resources and to connect to all Evidence-Based Parents Anonymous Programs statewide.

A grateful local Latina, Native American mother of seven, grandmother of four, and kin provider had this to say about how the Helpline helped her and her family:

"I have been very blessed to use The California Parent & Youth Helpline. It has been a big part of my life and sanity especially during the pandemic during lockdown and school closures. The California Parent & Youth Helpline is a LIFELINE for me and all my children. I struggle with mental health issues and addiction. I have used this service since it started, and because of the judgment-free, compassionate space, I can continue to be there for my family. This support has helped me grow and address my underlining emotions that in the past held me down and most importantly, it has helped me stop using drugs. During the pandemic, I was able to utilize the free, Weekly Evidence-Based Parents Anonymous Groups to help reduce my feelings, and my children's feelings, of isolation and fear."

The roles of parents and youth continue to grow more complex with the challenges of societal struggles, financial hardships, and the ever-changing daily life struggles. Parents Anonymous is providing a step in the right direction to local Californians with its California Parent & Youth Helpline and on a national level with its National Parent Helpline.

"The California Parent & Youth Helpline has proven to be an excellent resource for children and youth in need of immediate emotional support  especially during the pandemic," said Kim Johnson, Director, California Department of Social Services. "We are glad that the helpline will continue to be available in California, supporting the emotional and mental health needs of California parents, caregivers, and youth."

Those in need of support can call or text at 855-427-2736, or live chat from 8 a.m.  8 p.m. PST, 7 days a week through caparentyouthhelpline.org.

To learn more about the California Parent & Youth Helpline please visit caparentyouthhelpline.org. For more information about Parents Anonymous and its programs visit parentsanonymous.org .

About Parents Anonymous

Since 1969, Parents Anonymous Inc. has created and disseminated internationally various Evidence-Based Programs and initiatives that support the empowerment journey of diverse parents, children, and youth. According to the Federal Title IV-E Prevention Clearinghouse, Parents Anonymous is the ONLY culturally responsive program that is proven to Effectively Improve Parenting, Enhance Mental Health and Reduce Substance Abuse while Ensuring Child Safety for diverse families with children and youth of all ages. Also, Parents Anonymous started and partners with thousands of entities to celebrate National Parent Leadership Month every February. With the support of the U.S. Congress, the National Parent Helpline began in 1969 as the first and only nationwide emotional support system for Parents, Caregivers, Children & Youth. Since May 2020, Parents Anonymous has operated The California Parent and Youth Helpline and online Parents Anonymous Weekly Groups. Learn more at parentsanonymous.org or by following on Facebook or Instagram.

Media Contact

Name: Taylor Murray

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 281-692-8700

SOURCE Parents Anonymous
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko is seeking assurances from his counterpart in Berlin that Ukraine will be able to send seriously injured soldiers to Germany's capital safe in the knowledge that their medical costs will be met. He said this in a letter to new Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner, according to Politico.

"Some 250-500 Ukrainian troops will need treatment each month for lost limbs. At least some of these patients could certainly be cared for in your city in view of the special expertise of the clinics in Berlin  but at present it will unfortunately not be possible to reimburse the costs in your city," he said in the letter.

Germany had pledged that injured Ukrainian civilians and soldiers have unbureaucratic and fast access to high-quality medical care after their arrival in Germany without having to bear any costs themselves, but private groups have to take over the organization and financing of urgent medical care in some regions, with Berlin among them, says Politico.

"It is not always certain for us that Germany will cover the treatment costs for our soldiers who come to Germany for treatment of the consequences of complex war injuries. We need a pragmatic and secure clarification of the financing by Berlin and Germany," Klitschko said.

Klitschko said Kyiv would "very much welcome an intensification of the friendly relations between the two capitals towards a town twinning."

The Kyiv mayor also stated he would be very pleased if Kyiv and Berlin could use military hospitals as an example to "develop the future partnership and present it to the outside world."
Giving investors a voice can be a key differentiator for asset management firms worldwide

NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The rise in demand for pass-through voting from investors, combined with support from regulators, is fostering the democratization of investing in a major way, according to a new report by global fintech leader, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR).

"Pass-through voting gives a voice to investment fund holders," said Demi Derem, General Manager, International Investor Communication Solutions at Broadridge. "Institutional Investors are increasingly active in expressing their views on ESG-related agenda items, among other things, which they consider to be important. Firms that fail to meet this demand can quickly find themselves falling behind their competition."

Pass-through voting is the practice of providing investors a voice in how asset managers vote proxies on the underlying equities in a specific fund. Funds can allow individual and institutional investors to vote in proportion to their holdings relative to the other shareholders. Additionally, funds can poll retail investors to learn their preferences. Through innovative technology, Broadridge is working with the industry to incorporate these capabilities.

Broadridge's latest white paper, "Pass-through Voting: Granting a voice to the investor community in the passive investment space," explains how growth in the investment funds space has increased the industry's interest in leveraging technology to provide pass-through voting and to give a voice to institutional and individual investors who own specific funds, but not directly the underlying stocks. For instance, the growth of passively managed index funds, ETFs and mutual funds, resulted in many investors having no direct ownership interest, or ability to vote the underlying securities in proxy matters. Pass-through voting provides investors this voice.

The white paper was prepared in collaboration with Firebrand Research. For more details on Pass-through Voting, what it is and where this trend might be headed, read the full white paper here.

About Broadridge

Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader with more than $5 billion in revenues, provides the critical infrastructure that powers investing, corporate governance and communications to enable better financial lives. We deliver technology-driven solutions that drive business transformation for banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and public companies.

Broadridge's infrastructure serves as a global communications hub enabling corporate governance by linking thousands of public companies and mutual funds to tens of millions of individual and institutional investors around the world. Our technology and operations platforms underpin the daily trading of more than U.S. $9 trillion of equities, fixed income and other securities globally. A certified Great Place to Work, Broadridge is part of the S&P 500 Index, employing over 14,000 associates in 21 countries.

For more information about us and what we can do for you, please visit www.broadridge.com .

Broadridge media contact:

Tatjana Kulkarni

+1 203-285-0766

[email protected]

SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.
Next phase of the nonprofit's $100 million commitment to increase access to care includes support for Latinx communities

PHOENIX, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Two-thirds of U.S. households now include pets, but 50 million of those pets are not getting basic veterinary care. Lack of access to veterinary care in the U.S. is disproportionately experienced in communities where there may also be a lack of access to health care and other social services. The national shortage of veterinarians adds to the complexity of accessing pet care in historically excluded communities. To help address this issue, PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in the U.S., has launched an innovative grant program to support the unique needs of communities by leveraging local insights.

Credit PetSmart Charities

Social determinants of health  the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn and work  affect their quality of life. When a lack of access to food, housing, transportation and education impacts pet parents, it is likely the same will be true for access to veterinary care for the pets in that community. These social factors often lead to inequities.

PetSmart Charities' program includes several grant phases. The first set of grants has been awarded to 10 Latinx communities in the U.S. to help inform and co-create programs and solutions that address each area's unique needs. Through funding from PetSmart Charities, grantees will host listening sessions and other engagements to understand needs and which barriers are the greatest to accessing vet care in each community, including financial, language, proximity and other issues.

The 10 communities participating in the first phase of the grant program are Asheville, North Carolina; Douglas, Arizona; Hall County, Georgia; Laredo, Texas; Napa and Oceano, California; South Detroit, Michigan; Seattle and South Seattle, Washington; and South Phoenix, Arizona.

Access to Veterinary Care is a Health Equity Issue

"We believe that every family should be able to benefit from the love of pets  and that all pets should have access to adequate veterinary care," said Aimee Gilbreath, president of PetSmart Charities. "Pet ownership should not be a luxury or privilege, and all communities need the expertise of veterinary practitioners. We're so excited about the potential of this program to increase access to culturally sensitive care that meets the needs of the Latinx populations in each of these 10 communities."

According to the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, 61% of Latinx households include pets1. This first grant phase is focused on building relationships with members of each of the 10 communities to better understand the unique needs of each to better support pet health. The second grant phase for this cohort begins in 2024 and will leverage the learnings from the first grant phase to support increased access to veterinary care in each community.

"This grant is supporting critical work we recently launched in a community on the Arizona/Mexico border we know needs better support with veterinary services," said Steve Farley, CEO of the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, one of the program grant recipients. "Many families in this community have pets they love like family, but vet care is scarce. Additionally, the poverty rate is high and human services are also lacking, so there's a tremendous opportunity to do good here for people through their pets. This grant has helped us start conversations with community members directly and discover what services they need. Local communities are so rarely asked for their perspective, and the response has been amazing so far. This unique approach is a visionary one and we're grateful for it."

Multi-Pronged Approach to Improving Access to Veterinary Care

These grants are just one component of PetSmart Charities' $100 million commitment over five years to improve access to veterinary care across the U.S. This commitment will tackle many challenges that contribute to this issue, including the veterinary shortage, regulatory challenges, a lack of affordable care and/or payment models and more.

PetSmart Charities estimates it would cost more than $20 billion annually to bridge the gap for pets in need of veterinary care under the current system based on a research study performed of average pet care costs and gaps in care. To help lead the charge, the nonprofit is taking a leadership role in marshaling partners and stakeholders to develop and execute solutions to solving the gap in veterinary care access, including grant programs such as this one.

For more information on how PetSmart Charities is working to expand access to veterinary care nationwide or to help support initiatives like this for pets and their families, visit petsmartcharities.org .

About PetSmart Charities

PetSmart Charities is committed to making the world a better place for pets and all who love them. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps up to 400,000 pets connect with loving families each year. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to support organizations that advocate and care for the well-being of all pets and their families. PetSmart Charities grants and efforts connect pets with loving homes through adoption, improve access to affordable veterinary care and support families in times of crises with access to food, shelter and disaster response. Each year, millions of generous supporters help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities directly at PetSmartCharities.org, while shopping at PetSmart.com, and by using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting more than $500 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart LLC, PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator for the past 18 years in a row  placing it among the top one percent of rated charities. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

Media Contact:

Regine Labossiere, Carmichael Lynch Relate

[email protected], 646.265.8677

24-hour media at PetSmart and PetSmart Charities: [email protected]

Data from AAVMC.

SOURCE PetSmart Charities, Inc.
With Shutdown of California Reactor Looming, Accelerator-Based Phoenix Imaging Center Prepared to Bolster Supply Chains of Aerospace and Defense Industries

FITCHBURG, Wis., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix LLC, an industry leader in neutron imaging and nondestructive testing, today announced that it has increased its capacity for neutron radiography to meet the demand of current and prospective customers.

Earlier this week, GE Hitachi announced its intent to transfer ownership of its Vallecitos Nuclear Center to NorthStar Group Services, Inc. for nuclear decontamination, decommissioning and environmental site restoration. The closing of the facility will impact the supply chains of aerospace, defense and other industries. In 2021, Phoenix and GE Hitachi established a partnership to transition customers from the Vallecitos Nuclear Center to Phoenix. During this transition period, Phoenix has been servicing neutron imaging customers with the Vallecitos Nuclear Center and its own Fitchburg location.

Phoenix has increased its capacity for neutron imaging this year by 20%, and it is continuing efforts to further increase supply at its Fitchburg location and beyond.

"We have appreciated the partnership with GE Hitachi, which has allowed us to expand our network of neutron imaging facilities to better serve our wide range of customers. We are thrilled to continue offering those customers, and more, exceptional service through our highly reliable imaging facility in Wisconsin," said Tom D'Orazio, CEO of Phoenix. "The advantage of our accelerator-based system over nuclear reactors is greater flexibility and more hours available to operate. As reactors age, they require more scheduled maintenance and therefore more downtime. We can quickly adapt to demand because we can generate neutrons on demand, 24/7. And we continue to assess building additional imaging centers at locations where high demand justifies further investment."

Neutron imaging, or neutron radiography, is a nondestructive testing technique that acts as a vital safety net by detecting potential flaws and defects that may compromise the structural integrity of mission-critical components The Phoenix Imaging Center is one of the only sites in the world that offers production-scale, high-quality neutron imaging services without relying on the aging fleet of research reactors that have historically performed the service.

About Phoenix

Phoenix is an industry leader in neutron imaging, a critical tool for nondestructive testing in aerospace, defense, health care and other industries. This testing helps manufacturers design better, more efficient, safer products, and provides quality assurance and failure analysis. Located in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, the Phoenix Neutron Imaging Center is the first facility of its kind to offer commercial neutron imaging services and radiation effects testing without the use of a nuclear reactor.

SOURCE Phoenix LLC
Paid for More Than 200 Million Cases, More Than RMB280 Billion, Driving High-quality Development in the Insurance Industry

HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An of China," "Ping An," the "Company" or the "Group," HKEX: 2318; SSE: 601318) released its 2022 Annual Insurance Claims Report. In 2022, Ping An's four insurance companies paid for more than 200 million cases, an average of about 600,000 cases per day. In 2022, Ping An Life paid for 4.1 million cases, Ping An P&C paid for 190 million cases, Ping An Annuity paid for 15.99 million cases, and Ping An Health Insurance paid for 2.45 million cases. Claims payments exceeded RMB280 billion, equivalent to RMB770 million per day.

In recent years, the insurance industry has shifted from high-speed development to high-quality development. Insurance claims services play an important role in protecting people's livelihoods and promoting the healthy development of the insurance industry. Zhichun Zhang, Ping An's Chief Financial Officer, summarized the philosophy of Ping An's insurance claims services as: putting the customer first, "helping customers to find reasons for claims", proactively fulfilling insurance liabilities, and providing professional and heartwarming services.

Paid for more than 200 million claims in 2022, an average 600,000+ claims per day

The report analyzed the claims data of the four member companies in detail. In 2022, Ping An Life paid RMB79.6 billion in compensation, including claims, maturity benefits, annuities, death and medical care benefits. That included critical illness benefits of RMB20.1 billion, an average of RMB87,000 per case. The total number of medical claims was 3.76 million, an average of more than 10,000 claims per day.

Ping An P&C paid a total of RMB194 billion in claims payments in 2022, providing protection for more than 60 million car owners and more than 5 million cargo vehicles. Ping An P&C also protected the health of 40 million customers and the safety of 6 million household properties. It ensured more than 1.8 million small and micro enterprises could quickly resume work and production after disruptions, served agriculture, farmers and rural areas, and protected the livelihoods of more than 12 million farmers.

Ping An Annuity paid RMB13.2 billion in claims. Empowered by technology, it achieved the fastest case settlement within 5 seconds, and an average claims processing time of 1.5 days. Customers were able to handle 86% of cases through its Hao Fu Li app, and 5.36 million cases were automatically reviewed and settled in the system, with 400,000 cases automatically settled without human intervention.

Ping An Health paid RMB 4.8 billion in claims in 2022, serving 605,000 claims customers, with an online claims rate of 97.7%. The first time materials submission success rate was 91.4%. Ping An Health was able to drastically shorten hospital discharge claims processing times from 55 days to no more than 3 days, with an average of 4 hours.

The report also identified several key trends from analysis of claims data, including eight trends from dimensions such as high-risk diseases, changing customer needs, and industry development trends. The three most dangerous critical illnesses in 2022 were malignant tumors, acute myocardial infarction, and conditions resulting from stroke. Customer needs are shifting from passive post-incident claims to pre-medical services and active health management. As the population ages, claims services need digital upgrading to provide elderly-friendly services. Technology and artificial intelligence will drive the transformation of all claims services, making customer experiences simpler, more convenient, and efficient. The "Integrity Platform" will help to speed up claims settlement, and the proportion of materials-free and audit-free claims settlements will grow.

Ping An stated that it is the 35th anniversary since the Company is established, the releasing of the Annual Insurance Claims Report shares the claims data of Ping An's four insurance companies from different perspectives, which demonstrates a further exploration of insurance to better fulfill the promise of "ensuring the wellbeing of every family through professionalism".

About Ping An Group

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An" or the "Group") strives to become a world-leading integrated finance and healthcare services provider. With nearly 227 million retail customers and 693 million internet users, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Under the technology-driven "integrated finance + healthcare" strategy, Ping An provides professional "financial advisory, family doctor, and elderlycare concierge" services. Ping An advances intelligent digital transformation and employs technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of its financial businesses and enhance risk management. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. As of the end of 2022, Ping An had RMB 11,137,168 million in total assets. The Group ranked 17th in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2022 and ranked 25th in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2022.

For more information, please visit www.group.pingan.com and follow us on LinkedIn - PING AN.

SOURCE Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd.
CHICAGO, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Portage Point Partners, LLC (Portage Point), an elite boutique advisory, consulting, interim management and financial services firm, announced today that Thomas Studebaker has joined the firm as Managing Director & Co-Head of the Turnaround & Restructuring practice. Tom will partner with industry veteran Vladimir Kasparov to lead the rapidly growing practice across the firm's Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York offices.

Tom brings nearly 20 years of restructuring advisory and interim management experience to Portage Point, having spent the last 15 years at AlixPartners. While at AlixPartners, Tom served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) to two public global renewable energy companies, interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to a privately owned energy company, interim CFO to a PE owned global consulting company and restructuring advisor to a variety of companies across the technology, energy, business services and retail sectors. Together with Vlad, Tom will be responsible for accelerating Portage Point's leading Turnaround & Restructuring franchise within the broader Portage Point business advisory platform designed to deliver integrated services that identify value capture, mitigate risk and positively impact outcomes at every stage of the ever-changing middle market business and investment life cycle.

Tom received his bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame, his MBA from Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg School of Management, is a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor and a certified public accountant licensed in the state of Massachusetts.

"Tom's wealth of practice building knowledge, deep turnaround and restructuring expertise and expansive network will reinforce and bolster our accelerated growth profile," said Matthew Ray, Founder & Managing Partner of Portage Point. "We are laser focused on delivering a combination of pedigree and situational command unmatched in the middle market. And under Tom and Vlad's leadership our Turnaround & Restructuring practice will continue to offer elite talent with a cross-functional perspective, uncompromising effort and skillful consensus building during the most urgent and complex operational and financial challenges," added Mr. Ray.

"I am thrilled to welcome Tom to the team and lead this practice in partnership," said Mr. Kasparov. "We worked together more than 15 years ago and to reunite now during these unique economic times is truly exciting. Adding Tom's leadership and experience to our platform will further enable the team's ability to maximize value at every stage of the business and investment lifecycle."

"Portage Point has been on my radar since Matt founded the firm just seven years ago," said Mr. Studebaker. "The brand has become synonymous with quality and speed to impact. I am incredibly excited to be joining a firm with a clear vision, exciting growth aspirations and a team-first culture all of which allow the firm to deliver exceptional results to its middle market stakeholders."

About Portage Point Partners

Portage Point is an elite boutique business advisory, consulting, interim management and financial services firm delivering integrated services that identify value capture, mitigate risk and positively impact outcomes at every stage of the ever-changing business and investment lifecycle. We are an operationally-oriented and financially-grounded team built to efficiently close knowledge gaps and deliver actionable insights to middle market stakeholders. Our expertise includes transaction advisory services, performance improvement and accelerated transformation, interim management, investment banking and financial restructuring.

Since its founding in 2016, industry-leading organizations have honored Portage Point with numerous firm, transaction and individual awards most recently The Americas' Fastest Growing Companies 2023 and 2022, 2022 and 2021 Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies, 2022 Fastest Growing Firms and 2022 Outstanding Firm: Boutique Turnaround Consulting.

For more information, please visit www.portagepointpartners.com.

SOURCE Portage Point Partners
Partners PG&E, PG&E Foundation, UC Berkeley and Mills College at Northeastern to Celebrate First Graduates of Program Aimed at Closing Wealth Gap

OAKLAND, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday (May 13), 24 high school students will graduate from the Economic Equity and Financial Education Pilot Program, a two-semester advanced financial education course taught at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. The program was created and funded by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and The PG&E Corporation Foundation (The PG&E Foundation).

The student graduates successfully completed a rigorous academic program that began last fall. Each will be awarded college scholarships of $8,000. All of the students have been accepted to college, and some have been accepted to the University of California, Berkeley.

Last year, in an effort to address wealth inequality and the racial wealth gap affecting African Americans in particular, PG&E and The PG&E Foundation partnered with the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley and Berkeley Executive Education, Mills College at Northeastern University, and Amenti Capital Group to prepare African American high school students from Oakland and the Greater Bay Area for future financial success and academic leadership. The pilot supports PG&E and The PG&E Foundation's Better Together Giving Program dedicated to bolstering people, the planet, and California's prosperity, and ensuring a safe and inclusive future for all.

Otis Ward, a senior at McClymonds High School in Oakland, is one of the students to complete the program, receive a scholarship and earn acceptance to UC Berkeley.

"Opportunities such as the PG&E scholarship are essential, especially for Black Oakland students that are underserved within our community. I'm really excited to have completed this program as it can be a stepping stone for fellow young Black youth from my West Oakland community who are striving for post-secondary education, just like myself," said Ward, one of the 24 program graduates.

PG&E created the program after two years of planning as a racial justice initiative following the George Floyd tragedy to help address economic challenges faced by African Americans, and together with The PG&E Foundation provided $500,000 in funding through its community charitable Better Together Giving Program.

Students took courses taught by Berkeley Haas professors Panos Patatoukas and Sunil Dutta and financial industry professionals on topics including personal finance, capital markets and wealth creation, financial data analysis and investments. African American Haas undergraduates also mentored the high schoolers.

Mills College at Northeastern University TRIO Programs recruited the student participants as part of the Upward Bound program  which helps underserved high school students and first in their families attending college to succeed  and the Mills Educational Talent Search  which supports high school students achieving their higher education goals.

The curriculum was developed in collaboration with Patatoukas and Jason Miles, an African American venture capitalist with more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry and founder of Amenti Capital Group.

"Mitigating the problem of access inequality and addressing the wealth gap in the African American community has been the driving force of our joint efforts with PG&E and The PG&E Foundation," Patatoukas said. "We are excited to make financial education more accessible, and we are committed to continue to foster diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environments. I look forward to congratulating this first graduating class of Oakland and Bay Area students from this impactful program."

"There is a tremendous pool of talented students who represent shining examples of future African American leaders. They must be empowered with practical investing tools and knowledge about risk-return trade-offs early in their lives. We are energized by this unique opportunity to catalyze generational wealth creation alongside like-minded partners and this first graduating class of students," said Miles.

According to the Disparities in Wealth by Race and Ethnicity 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances, the typical white family has eight times the wealth of a typical Black family. The survey cites a number of complex societal factors across generations, including how individual savings and investment decisions contribute to wealth accumulation.

"It's truly rewarding to know these students have gained this critical knowledge because this type of information is needed to help them achieve economic parity. We are conscious of how the racial wealth gap contributes to inequality, and we know that the educational opportunities this program provides will be a significant catalyst to helping them to create generational wealth. We congratulate this inaugural class of high school students, and we are excited to support them with their future academic pursuits," said Jimi Harris, PG&E Community Relations Chief and program creator.

The program is designed to provide wealth creation tools through an advanced financial education curriculum for high school students, and also to support post-secondary education achievement through scholarships for participants, funded by PG&E. The program can serve as a model for future high school education curriculum.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com / and http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.

About the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley

As the second-oldest business school in the United States, Berkeley Haas has been questioning the status quo since its founding in 1898. Berkeley Haas offers outstanding management education to about 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students from around the world to attend one of its six degree-granting programs and join the school's network of 41,000 alumni worldwide.

About Berkeley Executive Education

UC Berkeley Executive Education serves leaders and organizations who aspire to redefine the future of business, delivering over 150 programs annually to a global audience. Its immersive learning experiences, led by renowned UC Berkeley faculty, equip global executives and their organizations with the vision and capabilities to thrive in an evolving world.

About Northeastern University

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experience-driven lifelong learning. Our world-renowned experiential approach empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create impact far beyond the confines of discipline, degree, and campus.

Northeastern's comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate programson-campus, online, and in hybrid formatslead to degrees through the doctorate in nine colleges and schools. Among these, we offer more than 140 multi-discipline majors and degrees designed to prepare students for purposeful lives and careers.

About Amenti Capital Group

Amenti Capital Group is an emerging merchant bank that provides independent advisory services and venture capital to early-stage technology companies in high growth ecosystems. We leverage deep industry knowledge, operational expertise, and longstanding relationships to deliver attractive returns through our end-to-end model. We serve entrepreneurs and sophisticated investors while following our core principles of innovation, integrity and inclusion.

SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Ravins AI-powered visual inspection solutions could be deployed across a range of IAGs insurance brands to streamline the condition assessment, maintenance and repair of vehicles and commercial motor fleets.

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ravin AI , a leader in deep learning vehicle inspection technology, secured today its first Australian Investment from Firemark Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of IAG, the largest general insurer in Australia and New Zealand.

Many large insurance providers serving the automotive industry can often face internal and customer-facing time-lags, as well as issues relating to the consistency of vehicle assessments and claims estimates.

Ravin's platform is designed to improve the accuracy of vehicle assessments, reducing operational costs and improving customer trust by providing more transparent repair quotes. IAG's investment also reflects Ravin's wider market penetration strategy into the APAC region.

"We are delighted to have received investment from such a renowned insurance provider and look forward to helping streamline and scale IAG's operations using our deep learning vehicle inspection technology," said Eliron Ekstein, Co-founder and CEO of Ravin AI. "This exciting Investment reflects IAG's commitment to providing the best possible service for its customers by incorporating AI-based solutions into its toolkit for vehicle assessment, maintenance and repair. We are excited to work with IAG and look forward to seeing the impact of our collaboration on the retail and commercial Australian motor insurance landscape."

"IAG's investment is based on Ravin's market-leading vehicle inspection platform, which leverages mobile phone cameras and CCTV footage, combined with deep learning algorithms, to provide a comprehensive 360-degree analysis of a vehicle's exterior condition," said IAG Firemark Ventures General Partner, Scott Gunther.

"Having scanned the market for comprehensive and efficient vehicle inspection solutions, we found Ravin AI's deep learning technology to be the most promising, with their accuracy, speed and transparency being central to the platform.

About IAG

IAG is the parent company of a general insurance group with operations in Australia and New Zealand. IAG's main businesses underwrite over $13 billion of insurance premium per annum under many leading brands, including: NRMA Insurance, RACV (under a distribution agreement with RACV), CGU, SGIO, SGIC and WFI (Australia); and NZI, State, AMI and Lumley (New Zealand). For further information, please visit www.iag.com.au

About Ravin AI

Ravin AI is an international provider of automated artificial intelligence solutions for vehicle inspections serving diverse fleet, insurance, and remarketing customers around the world. Unlike other marketplace solutions, Ravin does not require its customers to purchase or install dedicated hardware but rather uses mobile and CCTV cameras. Ravin AI was founded in 2018 by Eliron Ekstein and Roman Sandler, and has raised $30M to date from investors including KAR Global (owner of ADESA auctions, AutoVIN inspection and more), PICO Venture Partners, FM Capital, and Shell Ventures. Strategic partners include Toyota Financial. For more information, visit Ravin.ai .

Media Contact

Eli Cohen-Gold

Gova10 for Ravin AI

[email protected]

SOURCE Ravin AI
VANCOUVER, BC, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - RESAAS Services Inc. (TSXV: RSS) (OTCQB: RSASF), ("RESAAS" or the "Company"), a leading provider of technology solutions for the Real Estate Industry, has announced a partnership with IMAGIN Images.

IMAGIN Images is an award-winning 3D rendering technology used by leading real estate developers globally, with a particularly strong presence in Los Angeles, Miami, Toronto, and Vancouver, Canada. IMAGIN's high-quality rendering technology and leading-edge "Superfly" virtual experience produces the most true-to-life animations for real estate developers.

"In today's real estate market, unique real estate data gathered by RESAAS shows increased appetite for new real estate developments and pre-construction projects," said Tom Rossiter, CEO of RESAAS. "As a true platform for the entire real estate industry, RESAAS has proactively selected IMAGIN Images as our partner to welcome Real Estate Development companies as customers. IMAGIN's 3D renderings provide unparalleled levels of quality; a level of detail demanded by the luxury real estate sector that RESAAS has an extremely strong presence in."

IMAGIN Images is the only rendering company that brings 3D technology from video game engines to the world of real estate.

Under the terms of the one-year agreement signed on May 8, 2023, RESAAS will generate revenue from referral fees paid by IMAGIN Images for each new and returning customer it provides introductions to.

About RESAAS Services Inc.

RESAAS is an award-winning global technology platform for the real estate industry. With over 500,000 real estate agents utilizing RESAAS in 160 countries, RESAAS enables real-time industry communication, delivers new business opportunities and captures unique real estate data. Some of real estate's biggest brands leverage RESAAS to provide business intelligence to real estate brokerages, franchises and associations. For more information, please visit https://www.resaas.com .

Disclaimer

The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The statements made in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that may involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results could differ materially from RESAAS Services Inc.'s expectations and projections.

SOURCE RESAAS SERVICES INC.
CA head enforcement authorities should focus on illegal disposable flavored vapes flooding the state and targeting youth

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Reynolds American Inc. (Reynolds) announced today that its subsidiary, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJRT), has filed a lawsuit against California state officials, including Attorney General Robert Bonta, in response to the Attorney General's issuance of several Notices of Determination ("Notices") that allege certain Camel and Newport cigarettes styles are "presumptively" flavored based on their promotional materials. The lawsuit, filed in California state court, seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, including that the Notices be rescinded.

RJRT stands by its new products and believes that they comply with California state law and therefore can continue to be sold. Before introducing the products for sale, RJRT followed all applicable pre-market regulatory requirements.

The new Camel and Newport styles do not impart a distinguishable taste or aroma other than tobacco and are marketed to clearly indicate that they are non-menthol. The California Attorney General's Notices do not acknowledge the fact that RJRT's new product introductions are prominently labeled and marketed as non-menthol.

Reynolds has repeatedly called on enforcement officials in California to take action to combat the flood of illegal, unregulated, disposable vapes in kid-friendly flavors like Watermelon Bubble Gum and Rainbow Candy that are being shipped into the state's ports from unknown origins. Prioritizing enforcement of these illicit vapor products, rather than focusing on compliant products, would better serve Californians.

About Reynolds American Inc. Reynolds American Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the global BAT Group and the U.S. parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc., American Snuff Company, LLC, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, and Modoral Brands Inc. To learn more about Reynolds American Inc. and its operating companies, please visit www.reynoldsamerican.com .

SOURCE Reynolds American Inc.
Marcus Theatres, Teleflora, OpenSky and Dot & Bo Among Companies Offering Relevant Offers at Checkout, Creating New Monetization Opportunities for Ecommerce Businesses

NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rokt , the leading ecommerce technology company using machine learning to make transactions more relevant to each shopper, today announced the launch of its latest offering, Rokt Payments Marketplace, which enables ecommerce businesses to unlock a new revenue stream on their payment page by presenting shoppers with relevant credit card and payment-related offers in a customizable and native placement. As an extension of Rokt's Ecommerce product, the technology creates an opportunity for payment providers at a critical moment in the checkout process, when consumers are highly engaged and about to purchase.

"Payments Marketplace turns what has long been a major cost center for ecommerce businessesthe payments pageinto a profit center," said Bill Barton, Chief Product and Engineering Officer of Rokt. "Our latest offering maximizes the revenue opportunity in the payments space by converting static, fixed real estate into a flexible experience that's tailored to each individual based on the card offer or message they're most likely to respond to."

Rokt announces the launch of Rokt Payments Marketplace. Tweet this

Marcus Theatres, Teleflora, OpenSky and Dot & Bo are among the first of many ecommerce businesses leveraging first-party data alongside Rokt's advanced machine learning to tailor the experience for each of their customers with highly relevant offers directly on their own payments pages. Wells Fargo is among the many payments companies currently running offers through Rokt's Payments Marketplace.

About Rokt

Rokt is the global leader in ecommerce technology, enabling companies to drive incremental value from every transaction by offering highly relevant messages at the moment customers are most likely to convert. Rokt's machine learning technology has powered billions of global transactions annually for the world's leading companies, including Live Nation, AMC Theatres, PayPal, Uber, Hulu, Staples, Lands' End, and HelloFresh. Founded in Australia, with US headquarters in New York City, the company operates in 15 countries across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Rokt for a second year in a row joined the fastest-growing private companies in the US on the Inc. 5000 list in 2022.

To learn more, visit Rokt.com.

Media Contact

Rokt

Tarana Mehta - VP Marketing

[email protected]

SOURCE ROKT Pte. Ltd.
Reznikov on project of Canada, Latvia to train Ukrainian officers: They will master process of planning, coordinating maneuvers, conducting reconnaissance

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has said that as a result of training under the new Canadian-Latvian initiative, Ukrainian junior officers will master the process of planning, coordinating maneuvers and conducting reconnaissance.

My Canadian and Latvian colleagues, Anita Anand and Inara Murniece, launched a new ambitious project for training brave Ukrainian junior officers in Latvia. They will master the process of planning and orders, maneuver coordination, intelligence reconnaissance, etc. I believe that Canadian and Latvian instructors will do their best to help our warriors learn how to fight and win. Education is the key to the success, Reznikov said on Twitter.

He also thanked the Canadian and Latvian peoples for supporting Ukraine.

We will celebrate our victory together, Reznikov added.

As previously reported, the Canadian Defense Ministry informed that Canada and Latvia would jointly train Ukrainian military in Latvia, starting from May 15 this year. These exercises are conducted in addition to other ongoing deployments of the Canadian Armed Forces as part of Operation UNIFIER in support of Ukraine.

In total, more than 36,000 Ukrainian servicemen have been trained under UNIFIER at the moment.
Swiss innovator makes customer experience management solutions available on OCI to better serve its Middle Eastern customers

ZURICH, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SANDSIV , the leading innovator of Customer Experience Management (CXM) enterprise solutions, today announced its expanded capability to deliver the sandsiv+ enterprise software solution to Middle Eastern clients using Oracle Could Infrastructure (OCI).

The move comes as SANDSIV expands operations in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia and underscores the company's commitment to providing superior customer experiences across multiple industries, including government, citizen engagement, tourism, hospitality, finance, telecom, and e-commerce.

OCI is the only hyperscaler that has multiple cloud regions in the UAE and regions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with plans to open additional regions. By offering its solutions on OCI in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, available from January 2023, SANDSIV is able to gain access to flexible, secure, and high-performance computing resources to operate its service platform more cost-effectively, and rapidly scale services as it expands in multiple regions such as the Middle East, APAC, Oceania and Africa. SANDSIV chose OCI for its price-performance benefits, enhanced manageability at scale, security-first cloud architecture and high availability across multiple cloud regions.

"Our mission is to provide advanced end-to-end CXM solutions that bridge the gap between people and companies worldwide. As our business grows and expands, we recognize that accessing local cloud services across global regions at scale is essential for our and clients' success. This is why our partnership with Oracle is of great significance to us," said Frank Warnsing, founder and Head of Strategic Alliances of SANDSIV. "We selected OCI to support our expansion plans in the Middle East to provide to our customers more comprehensive and efficient solutions and services than other vendors."

"Oracle's role in the region will rapidly accelerate cloud adoption and transformation across the Middle East's businesses and public sector," said Billy Kneubuhl, Switzerland country leader, Oracle. "SANDSIV is a great example of how OCI can help organizations increase their market presence, reduce costs, and quickly adapt and scale services for customers."

Ahmed Zaqa, the Managing Partner and Head of CX at CXBrand, the leading CX consulting firm in KSA, shared his insights on the recent announcement, stating: "We are delighted to see industry innovators like SANDSIV joining the Middle East market. We've always seen SANDSIV as a top CXM platform, and now with the ability to deploy in the local cloud in the Middle East via Oracle, they're able to offer unmatched security and performance to organizations in the region. We're excited to see the positive impact this expansion will have on customers' experiences throughout the region."

sandsiv+ follows local regulations and compliance to securely collect customer data - anytime, anywhere - and develops deep, real-time actionable insights that can guide business decisions. With its AI-powered CX solution built on an advanced IT architecture with superior deployment & integration capabilities, SANDSIV disrupts the CX space and has been named the number one CX solution in Europe by Frost & Sullivan and the global leader by Info-Tech Research Group .

To stay up-to-date on SANDSIV's continuous expansion and collaboration with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, kindly visit: https://sandsiv.com/news/ .

About CXBrand

CXBrand is a specialised customer experience consulting firm that helps organisations in the Saudi and Gulf market to enhance their customers' experience and enable them to delight their customers. Supported by its experienced team from all over the globe and by a unique methodology called CASPR, proprietary, they drive customer journey to delightfulness working closely between consultation methods and leading technology solutions.

https://cx-brand.com/ .

About SANDSIV

SANDSIV is a Swiss software provider located in Technopark Zurich, Switzerland's main technology hub. Recognized and awarded as the leading innovator in the CXM vendor landscape, SANDSIV has built its reputation in delivering its state-of-the-art Customer Experience enterprise solutions "sandsiv+" to advanced CX teams at leading organizations and multinationals throughout the world, including leading companies in the telco, financial services, utilities, tourism, hospitality, retail and transportation sectors.

About sandsiv+

sandsiv+ captures, analyses, integrates, improves, and measures the customer experience. Introduced in 2014, the next-generation CX solution harmonizes data from any direct or indirect channel and generates inferred data using artificial intelligence. Its analytical features are built on advanced AI technologies including Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Deep Machine Learning, providing for the increasingly unsupervised production of faster and more accurate actionable insights, and allowing organizations to act responsively and plan wisely. The solution supports complex integration, customization and configuration.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Silvia Bello

Digital Marketing Manager

[email protected]

SOURCE SANDSIV
BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Saw Mill Capital Partners II, LP ("Saw Mill"), and funds advised by Neuberger Berman, a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager, today announced the successful closing of Saw Mill Capital CV, LP ("Continuation Fund."), which simultaneously acquired two related Saw Mill assets, Climate Pros and Industrial Refrigeration Pros. The Continuation Fund provides additional time and capital to further invest in each company's acquisitive growth initiative, while also offering liquidity to existing limited partners. Saw Mill investors were provided a choice to receive liquidity or continue their investment.

Climate Pros is a leading tech-enabled provider of mission critical refrigeration and HVAC repair, maintenance and modernization services. Industrial Refrigeration Pros is a leading provider of design, construction, repair and maintenance services for mission critical ammonia and CO2 based industrial refrigeration systems. Both companies in aggregate have grown from $90 million to over $550 million in revenues, creating meaningful value for Saw Mill and its limited partners.

The transaction was led by Neuberger Berman, providing a significant capital commitment. Accounts managed by Hamilton Lane also made a significant capital commitment.

"We are thrilled to partner with Neuberger Berman and Hamilton Lane in supporting the continued growth of both companies," commented Howard Unger, Managing Partner at Saw Mill. Tim Nelson, Partner at Saw Mill added, "This fresh and dedicated capital commitment will accelerate the investments in technology, organic expansion and strategic acquisitions, and provide the necessary time to realize the full potential of both rapidly growing companies."

"We are excited to partner with Saw Mill on this GP-led secondary transaction," said Ben Perl, Managing Director at Neuberger Berman. "We are impressed by Saw Mill's investment approach of leveraging proprietary research and competitive intelligence to inform their investments and position each company with an exceptional product, resulting in market leading organic growth rates."

Sixpoint Partners, Latham & Watkins and MDC Opinions advised Saw Mill on the transaction.

About Climate Pros

Climate Pros is a national provider of commercial refrigeration systems service and modernization to leading retailers. Headquartered in the greater Chicago area, the company is a technology-enabled leader with over 1,600 employees and local presence across the United States. It has been ranked in Inc's 5,000 Fastest-Growing Companies for the past 10 years. For more information, visit www.climatepros.com.

About Industrial Refrigeration Pros

Industrial Refrigeration Pros is a full-service industrial refrigeration solutions provider serving the food & beverage processing, cold storage, and other cold chain industries. The company services customers nation-wide with its highly skilled workforce and expertise across multiple system and facility types. For more information, visit www.irpros.com.

About Saw Mill Capital

Saw Mill Capital is a middle market private equity firm experienced in partnering with founders of facility and industrial service, specialty distribution and niche manufacturing businesses. The firm provides a dedicated business intelligence team and a curated operational approach to each portfolio company to accelerate core organic growth and establish market leaders. Saw Mill has been helping leadership teams transform entrepreneurial companies since 1997. For more information, visit www.sawmillcapital.com.

About Neuberger Berman

Neuberger Berman, founded in 1939, is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages a range of strategiesincluding equity, fixed income, quantitative and multi-asset class, private equity, real estate and hedge fundson behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors globally. With offices in 26 countries, Neuberger Berman's diverse team has over 2,600 professionals. For nine consecutive years, the company has been named first or second in Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work in Money Management survey (among those with 1,000 employees or more). Neuberger Berman is a PRI Leader, a designation, since last assessed, that was awarded to fewer than 1% of investment firms for excellence in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. In the 2021 PRI Assessment, the firm obtained the highest possible scoring for its overarching approach to ESG investment and stewardship, and integration across asset classes. The firm manages $427 billion in client assets as of December 31, 2022. For more information, please visit www.nb.com.

About Hamilton Lane

Hamilton Lane is one of the largest private markets investment firms globally, providing innovative solutions to institutional and private wealth investors around the world. Dedicated exclusively to private markets investing for more than 30 years, the firm currently employs nearly 600 professionals operating in offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Hamilton Lane has nearly $832 billion in assets under management and supervision, composed of nearly $108 billion in discretionary assets and over $724 billion in non-discretionary assets, as of December 31, 2022. Hamilton Lane specializes in building flexible investment programs that provide clients access to the full spectrum of private markets strategies, sectors and geographies. For more information, please visit www.hamiltonlane.com.

CONTACT:

Tim Nelson

[email protected]

SOURCE Saw Mill Capital
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The second launch of an all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) by Axiom Space builds on the new era of privatized utilization of the orbiting laboratory.

Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) will send four private astronauts to the space station. It will also carry more than 20 payloads sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory that will be performed during the space expedition onboard the orbiting outpost. These investigations span diverse disciplines, from life sciences to biomanufacturing, materials science, technology demonstrations, and education projects. This research and technology development will bring value to humanity while enabling the development of a robust and sustainable market in low Earth orbit.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Ax-2 crew onboard a Dragon spacecraft no earlier than 5:37 p.m. EDT on May 21, 2023, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Ax-2 astronauts flying on this mission include Commander and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and Pilot John Shoffner, both of the United States. They are joined by mission specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, who represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Alqarni and Barnawi are the first two representatives from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia slated to launch on a mission to the space station.

Axiom Space is an ISS National Lab Commercial Service Provider, and through this partnership, the company can offer additional access to low Earth orbit for researchers and private astronauts alike.

Below highlights some of the investigations launching on the Ax-2 mission:

A project from the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center will study the effects of microgravity on the production of stem cells and stem cell-derived products. The research team will examine how the space-based environment affects the steps currently used in ground-based manufacturing to reprogram skin cells (fibroblasts) into stem cells that can generate into a variety of tissue types (e.g., heart, brain, and blood). Results could help advance regenerative medicine applications on Earth.

Two projects are from the Sanford Stem Cell Institute at the University of California San Diego. The first builds on a project flown on Ax-1 (Modeling Tumor Organoids) by expanding the research team's tumor organoid model to include triple-negative breast cancer cells. The team will study immune dysfunction and drug challenge to further develop stem cell models that could aid in the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer. The second project will analyze blood samples from Ax-2 crew members before, during, and after spaceflight to better understand changes in the activity of DNA- and RNA-editing proteins. These proteins are involved in mutations that may be related to the development of cancer and diseases caused by immune dysfunction.

A collaboration between the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the RegenMed Development Organization will send bioengineered liver and kidney tissue constructs to space to examine microgravity's effects on the vascularization of thick tissues. If successful, this project could set the foundation for the in-space production of tissue that could improve efficiency of organ transplants on Earth. Additionally, this project serves as a precursor to a future ISS National Lab-sponsored project awarded through NASA's Vascular Tissue Challenge.

A project from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will test a wearable system for astronauts designed to simulate some of the aspects of normal gravity. The Gravity Loading Countermeasure Skinsuit is intended to mitigate some of the negative effects of microgravity, such as muscle atrophy, spinal elongation, and sensorimotor changes. The system could be used to supplement astronaut exercise during future missions to the Moon and Mars. It could also be used to further reduce the physiological effects of microgravity on astronauts during missions in low Earth orbit.

You can read more about these investigations and others launching on Ax-2 through Axiom Space's science overview and through the ISS National Lab launch page.

To download a high-resolution photo for this release, click here.

About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:

The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the space station are available to support non-NASA science, technology and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit www.ISSNationalLab.org.

About Axiom Space:

Axiom Space is building history, guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom Space operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while developing its successor, Axiom Station  a permanent commercial destination in low-Earth orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home. For more information about Axiom Space, visit www.axiomspace.com.

SOURCE International Space Station National Lab
BEIJING, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Segway-Ninebot, a leading brand in the development of micromobility solutions, has announced the introduction of a range of new products for 2023. These products include electric KickScooters, eScooters, and off-road vehicles, with most of the new models showcasing intelligent features. The products debuted at 2023 MWC Barcelona and Segway-Ninebot's own launch events in May 10th.

Intelligent development has been a key focus for Segway-Ninebot, and the company has been accelerating the development of smart technology to deliver safety and reliability under strong R&D capability. According to the 2022 financial report, Segway-Ninebot invested RMB 583 million in annual R&D last year. It has a total of 1,380 R&D professionals, accounting for over 39% of employees, and has obtained 4,148 global intellectual property rights.

The 2023 intelligent lineup includes the Ninebot KickScooter F2 Series, Ninebot KickScooter MAX G2, Segway eScooter E300SE, and more. The F2 Series and MAX G2, as flagship KickScooter products, are equipped with automobile-class Traction Control Systems (TCS). This is the first time TCS has been applied to KickScooter products, providing riders with precise control, maintaining stability in slippery conditions, and preventing loss of control. In addition, Segway-Ninebot has partnered with Apple to integrate Find My technology into the F2 Series and MAX G2, allowing riders to locate their KickScooters on a map using the Find My app on their Apple devices.

The Segway eScooter E300SE includes ABS and smart TCS to provide further safety and ultimate control across all urban terrains. Front and rear hydraulic disc brakes with 'J. JUAN' dual-piston calipers offer more powerful braking where needed. The Airlock system within the RideyGo! feature enables riders to switch the eScooter on and off automatically via Bluetooth.

Segway-Ninebot's commitment to innovation and sustainability has helped the company become a leading brand in micromobility development. With a global presence and a range of innovative products, Segway-Ninebot is continually pushing the boundaries of micromobility transportation.

About Segway-Ninebot

Segway-Ninebot is a global enterprise focused on intelligent short distance transportation and service robotics. Our mission is to simplify the movement of people and objects, while making life more convenient and fun. With products ranging from self-balancing scooter, KickScooter, eScooter, off-road vehicle to delivery robot, Segway-Ninebot maintains a clear market lead with products offered in 100+ countries and regions. For more information, please visit www.segway.com.

SOURCE Segway-Ninebot
MILWAUKEE, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating Livent (NYSE: LTHM) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law in its transaction with Allkem.

Click here to learn how to join the action https://www.ademilaw.com/case/livent-corp or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you.

Livent public stockholders are expected to receive only 2.406 New Topco Shares for each share of Livent common stock they hold. Following the completion of the transactions, former Allkem shareholders are expected to hold approximately 56% of New Topco and former Livent stockholders are expected to hold approximately 44% of New Topco. The transaction agreement unreasonably limits competing bids for Livent by imposing a significant penalty if Livent accepts a superior bid. Livent insiders will receive substantial benefits as part of change of control arrangements.

We are investigating the conduct of Livent's board of directors, and whether they are (i) fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders, and (ii) obtaining a fair and reasonable price for Livent.

If you own Livent common stock and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or https://www.ademilaw.com/case/livent-corp.

We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contacts

Ademi LLP

Guri Ademi

Toll Free: (866) 264-3995

Fax: (414) 482-8001

SOURCE Ademi LLP
NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of adidas AG ("adidas" or the "Company") (OTCMKT: ADDYY). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether adidas and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

In the fall of 2022, musical artist Kanye West, Adidas's design partner for the Company's popular Yeezy shoe, made a series of overtly anti-Semitic and racially offensive remarks in public. On October 25, 2022, following mounting public pressure, Adidas canceled its partnership with West.

Then, on November 27, 2022, The Wall Street Journal published an article entitled "Adidas Top Executives Discussed Risks of Staff's 'Direct Exposure' to Kanye West Years Ago." The article revealed that Adidas's leadership, including Chief Executive Officer Kasper Rrsted, had discussed the risk of the Company continuing a relationship with West as early 2018, citing the artist's often erratic and controversial behavior.

On this news, Adidas's American depositary receipt (ADDYY) ("ADRs") fell $2.20 per ADR, or 3.13%, to close at $62.34 per ADR on November 28, 2022.

Then, on February 9, 2023, Adidas warned that the Company could shift from a profit to a loss if it failed to sell its inventory of Yeezy shoes following the termination of its partnership with West. Specifically, the Company stated that it expected sales to fall at a high single-digit rate in currency-neutral terms because of the "significant adverse impact of not selling the existing stock" of Yeezy products. Failure to sell the stock of Yeezy's (valued at 1.2 billion euros) would accordingly lower Company revenue by 1.2 billion euros (or about $1.29 billion), and operating profit by 500 million euros."

On this news, Adidas's ADR price fell $7.4 per ADR, or 8.96%, to close at $75.16 per ADR on February 9, 2023.

Finally, on February 21, 2023, S&P Global announced that it was downgrading Adidas to "'A-/A-2' From 'A-1' On Deteriorating Credit Metrics; Outlook Negative." S&P largely attributed the downgraded to the financial impact of the termination of Adidas's partnership with West.

On this news, Adidas's ADR price fell $3.56 per ADR, or 4.62%, to close at $73.59 per ADR on February 21, 2023.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. ("JinkoSolar" or the "Company") (NYSE: JKS). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether JinkoSolar and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On May 8, 2023, federal agents executed a search warrant at JinkoSolar's solar panel manufacturing plant in Jacksonville, Florida. Federal authorities did not disclose the specific reason for the search warrant.

On this news, JinkoSolar's stock price fell $3.91 per share, or 8.25%, to close at $43.47 per share on May 9, 2023.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. ("Spirit" or the "Company") (NYSE: SPR). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Spirit and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On April 13, 2023, media outlets reported that The Boeing Company ("Boeing") would likely have to reduce deliveries of its 737 Max airplane in the near term because of a problem with a part manufactured by Spirit. Boeing stated that Spirit had informed it that a "non-standard" manufacturing process was used on two fittings in aft fuselages.

On this news, Spirit's stock price fell $7.38 per share, or 20.73%, to close at $28.22 per share on April 14, 2023.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of TAL Education Group ("TAL" or the "Company") (NYSE: TAL). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether TAL and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On March 14, 2023, Seeking Alpha published an article entitled "TAL Education, Chinese ed-tech stocks slump on crackdown fears", reporting that "Chinese media reports indicated the company may have flouted government regulations." The article further reported that "TAL subsidiary Xueersi restarted courses that run counter to conventions put in place by Xi Jinping's Common Prosperity drive. Specifically, courses were restarted in subjects like mathematics and English under the guise of permitted tutoring outside of core subjects. Under the 'Double Reduction Policy', tutoring in core subjects must be offered as a strictly non-profit business."

On this news, TAL's American Depositary Receipt ("ADR") price fell $0.68 per ADR, or 10%, to close at $6.12 per ADR on March 14, 2023.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. ("TDS" or the "Company") (NYSE: TDS). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether TDS and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On November 4, 2022, TDS reports its financial and operating results for the third fiscal quarter of 2022. The Company disclosed that the heavy promotional activity of its majority-owned UScellular subsidiary, including its "free upgrade promotion", had not only failed to correct postpaid churn rate, but had in fact substantially eroded the Company's profitability.

On this news, TDS's stock price fell $4.29 per share, or 25.89%, to close at $12.28 per share on November 4, 2022.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
Two-day negotiations on the Black Sea Grain Initiative have ended in Istanbul, Deputy Prime Minister of the Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov said.

The two-day negotiations on the Black Sea Grain Initiative in Istanbul concluded, with the UN and Turkey suggesting further online talks. Ukrainian delegation is pushing for the extension of the initiative/emphasizes the need to resume fleet registration and inspections without any delay, Kubrakov said on Twitter.
SAN DIEGO, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The family of an 18-year-old filed a lawsuit against the City of San Diego, claiming the City's negligence in failure to warn swimmers about a riptide led to their son's death. The wrongful death suit was filed by Singleton Schreiber partners Brett Schreiber and Ben Siminou along with attorney Domenic Martini and co-counsel Evan Walker.

According to the complaint on June 14th, 2022, the victim Woodlain Zachee Prudhomme was swimming with a friend at San Diego's Mission Beach. Lifeguards and other employees of the City of San Diego in charge of monitoring Mission State Beach were aware throughout the day of a rip current in the vicinity of Lifeguard Tower 16. However, they took no measures to warn the public about this dangerous rip current.

While swimming, Mr. Prudhomme was approached by a lifeguard on a jet ski who negligently instructed him to swim toward Lifeguard Tower 16. Mr. Prudhomme, unaware of the presence of the rip current, obeyed the lifeguard's instructions. He ultimately swam straight into the dangerous rip current and was dragged farther into the ocean by the current and began to drown, tragically disappearing beneath the waves.

"Had this young man been aware or warned of the threatening rip current, he would not have gone into the water in that area at all," said Brett Schreiber of Singleton Schreiber. "The rip current created a foreseeable and substantial risk that these lifeguards could have warned the public about. This led to the wrongful death of Mr. Prudhomme as well as endangering the lives of many other beachgoers."

"This is such an important public safety issue," said Singleton Schreiber attorney Domenic Martini. "This young man lost his life at Mission Beach, one of the most popular beaches in all California. We're bring this suit to find out how this could have happened right under the City lifeguards' noses."

The complaint details the City of San Diego as being charged with dangerous condition of public property, negligent undertaking as no hazardous conditions of the water were reported to the public, and wrongful death.

"A family has lost a son. That shouldn't have happened. Period," said attorney Evan Walker of The Law Office of Evan W. Walker. "The City of San Diego needs to admit to this family and to the public what it did and take full responsibility."

About Singleton Schreiber

With over 200 employees and offices throughout the western United States, Singleton Schreiber has represented more than 12,000 victims of utility fires and has recovered approximately $2 billion in settlements and verdicts for its clients. The firm currently represents thousands of victims of the numerous fires in California, New Mexico, and Oregon. The firm's dedication to obtaining justice for those impacted by toxic conditions and environmental hazards sets it apart from the competition. The firm is also a premier personal injury firm, obtaining top results for clients, including more than $100 million in verdicts in 2022. singletonschreiber.com

SOURCE Singleton Schreiber
DENVER, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SOL Mental Health announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Kevin Trexler as the company's new Chief Executive Officer. Trexler will succeed Evan Lengerich, who co-founded the Company in 2019. Lengerich will continue to serve as the Company's President and focus on the company's national expansion with strategic partners.

"Kevin brings strong leadership and decades of experience in health care services to the company. I am excited to see how the organization will expand with his guidance. Most importantly, Kevin is aligned with our mission and values and focused on creating an environment where clinicians can deliver outstanding patient care," said Lengerich.

Kevin Trexler joins SOL Mental Health from American Dental Partners, where he served as CEO from 2015-2021. Prior to American Dental Partners, he worked at DaVita Healthcare Partners, Inc. in various roles since 2006, most recently as Senior Vice President of Operations where he led ~700 clinics in the eastern US. Before that, Trexler served on a fast attack submarine in the US Navy. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A from Harvard Business School.

Trexler said of the appointment, "I am honored and excited for the opportunity to serve clinicians and patients at SOL Mental Health. There is a mental healthcare crisis in our country, and we are committed to improving access to and the quality of care delivered."

About the SOL Mental Health

SOL is a fully in-network, comprehensive, outpatient behavioral health practice serving children, adolescents, and adults through both in-person clinics as well as virtual care options. The company was founded in Denver and provides care to thousands of patients in multiple states.

SOURCE SOL Mental Health
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SonoThera, a biotechnology company dedicated to treating the root cause of human diseases through genetic therapy, today announced they will present preclinical data related to the use of their nonviral ultrasound-guided gene therapy platform demonstrating efficient, durable, and well-tolerated delivery of next-generation nucleic acid payloads in mouse liver and kidney. A poster will be presented at the ASGCT annual conference held May 16-20, 2023, in Los Angeles, CA.

Poster session details are as follows:

Date: May 19th, 2023

Time: 12 pm

Title: Non-Viral Gene Therapy Utilizing Transcutaneous Ultrasound-Mediated Gene Delivery

Abstract number: 1301

In addition, Dr. Zoya Gluzman-Poltorak, SonoThera's Chief Development Officer, will give an oral presentation summarizing the main challenges in developing genome editing technologies with a specific focus on in vivo nucleic acid delivery. The presentation will be given as part of the ASGCT Education Session entitled "Gene Editing Technologies".

Oral presentation details as follows:

Date: May 17th, 2023

Time: 9:00  9:30 am PST

About SonoThera

Founded by Drs. Kenneth Greenberg, Michael Davidson, and Steve Feinstein, SonoThera, Inc. is a biotechnology company dedicated to treating the root cause of human disease through genetic therapy. SonoThera is developing an ultrasound-guided, nonviral gene therapy platform and treatments designed to provide patients with the next generation of safe and effective genetic medicines. The platform utilizes sonoporation, a microbubble-mediated biophysical process to non-invasively deliver genetic payloads selectively targeting a wide range of organs within the body. SonoThera is headquartered in South San Francisco, California. Visit www.sonothera.com to learn more.

Investor Inquiries:

[email protected]

Media Inquiries:

McDougall Communications on behalf of SonoThera

Laura DiCaprio, P: +1 585-434-2153, [email protected]

SOURCE SonoThera
America's #1 Brioche brand marks May 14th with an array of tempting recipes

NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- St Pierre Bakery, the nation's leading brioche brand, ushers in National Brioche Day with a series of sweet and savory recipes headlining France's beloved bread. Held annually on May 14th, the niche food holiday observes 24 hours devoted to France's magnifique golden-glazed treat.

Sweet Brunch French Toast with Bananas and Caramel Sauce

Brioche boasts a curious, centuries-old history, shares the brand. Experts have traced the origins of brioche all the way back to 1400s Normandy and believe the recipe first reached Paris around the 1700s. Legend has it that the mighty bread may have even sparked the French revolution: some speculate that the Queen's infamous diatribe, "Let them eat cake!" was actually mistranslated from the word "brioche."

Nowadays, brioche isn't just for royalty. Once a novelty crafted only by specialty bakeries, the irresistible bread delights gourmands in every corner of the country, thanks to burgeoning brand St Pierre Bakery. Pre-sliced, utterly decadent and completely delicious, their signature St Pierre Brioche Loaf promises to elevate your everyday eating.

In honor of National Brioche Day, the bakery is inviting long-time brioche buffs and new enthusiasts to try their hand at one of three indulgent recipes that spotlight brioche's versatility and whimsy:

Sweet Brunch French Toast with Bananas and Caramel Sauce

Add a touch of Parisian flair to your breakfast or brunch. Rich caramel, banana, and golden brioche come together in an original French Toast recipe.

Add a touch of Parisian flair to your breakfast or brunch. Rich caramel, banana, and golden brioche come together in an original French Toast recipe. Nutella Bostock

A classic French pastry, Bostock was created as a way to use up day-old brioche. Soaked in syrup, generously smothered in frangipane and baked until it's crispy on top, Bostock is a sumptuous cross between French toast and an almond croissant. A sweet twist on the original recipe, this chocolatey treat adds a generous helping of Nutella and an additional slice of Brioche Loaf.

A classic French pastry, Bostock was created as a way to use up day-old brioche. Soaked in syrup, generously smothered in frangipane and baked until it's crispy on top, Bostock is a sumptuous cross between French toast and an almond croissant. A sweet twist on the original recipe, this chocolatey treat adds a generous helping of Nutella and an additional slice of Brioche Loaf. Happy Egg Breakfast Brioche Toasts Stack

This Breakfast Toast Stack is filled with savory layers of juicy tomatoes, meaty mushrooms, caramelized onions, crispy bacon, and fresh chives. For the grand finale, top it all off with a perfectly fried egg. This is the ultimate breakfast dish that's easy to make and sure to impress.

About St Pierre:

As America's favorite brioche brand, St Pierre offers a range of European baked delights. From authentic brioche loaves and tasty rolls, to delicious Belgian waffles and French crepes, there's always something new to try. Each delicious product is designed to be eaten morning, noon or night to help make every day magnifique. www.stpierrebakery.com

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE St Pierre Bakery
CINCINNATI, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard Textile is proud to announce it has been selected as a 2023 US Best Managed Company. Sponsored by Deloitte* Private and The Wall Street Journal, the program recognizes outstanding U.S. private companies and the achievements of their management teams.

Standard Textile named US Best Managed Company for third consecutive year.

The 2023 designees are U.S. private companies that have demonstrated excellence in strategic planning and execution, a commitment to their people and fostering a dynamic culture, as well as strong financials. Designees propelled their businesses forward and remained true to their purpose and values by investing in their people, creating advantage through digital transformation, taking measurable action on sustainability, and demonstrating their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

"We're incredibly honored to be named one of the nation's Best Managed Companies for a third consecutive year," said Alex Heiman, President of Standard Textile. "This recognition reflects the collective efforts of every individual in our organization and reaffirms the ideals upon which Standard Textile was founded. After more than 80 years in business, we remain committed to helping build a better standard of life, whether through the innovations and services that support our customers or through the programs and donations that impact our communities. I'm so proud of our One Standard team."

Applicants are evaluated and selected by a panel of external judges focused on assessing hallmarks of excellence in four key areas: strategy, ability to execute, corporate culture and governance/financial performance. They join a global ecosystem of honorees from more than 46 countries recognized by the Best Managed Companies program.

About the Best Managed Companies Program

The Best Managed Companies program is a mark of excellence for private companies. U.S. designees have revenues of at least $250 million. Hundreds of private companies around the world have competed for this designation in their respective countries through a rigorous and independent process that evaluates four key criteria in their management skills and practices  strategy, execution, culture and governance/financials. U.S. program sponsors are Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal. For more information, visit www.usbestmanagedcompanies.com.

About Standard Textile

Founded in 1940, Standard Textile has developed a culture of innovation, quality, and service. A vertically integrated company, Standard Textile is a leading global provider of institutional textiles, serving customers in the healthcare, hospitality, interiors, and consumer markets worldwide. Having obtained over 150 product and technology patents, its products are engineered to deliver durability, longevity, and value. For more information visit www.standardtextile.com.

Contact

Judy Sroufe

Vice President, Brand Marketing and Communications

Standard Textile

(513) 761-9256, ext. 2243

[email protected]

*Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of our legal structure.

SOURCE Standard Textile
DALLAS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stellar Service Brands ("Stellar"), a multi-brand residential and commercial service organization that includes Restoration 1 , bluefrog Plumbing + Drain and Softroc , has named Devin Hughes as vice president of franchise development. With over 12 years of franchising experience, Hughes will play a crucial role in advancing growth opportunities across all three brands.

"As the demand for businesses in the home services industry continues to grow, we are excited to welcome Devin to the Stellar Service Brands team," said Sherry Rose, CEO of Stellar Service Brands. "With many untapped markets ripe for development, his extensive experience in franchise development and sales, combined with his dedication to helping entrepreneurs achieve their goals, make him a perfect fit."

Over the course of his career thus far, he has sold more than 300 new franchise units and secured 220+ units in the past four years alone. In addition, he has trained and developed comprehensive sales teams and processes, built extensive candidate marketing strategies and broker connections and developed a sophisticated area development sales program.

Before joining Stellar Service Brands, Hughes served as senior director of franchise development at Driven Brands focusing on the Meineke Car Care brand. He has also held positions at Senior Helpers, UniFirst and Alliance Franchise Brands. Hughes earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Texas Southern University and is also a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) by the International Franchise Association (IFA).

"Franchise development is much more than just a business transaction, it is a transformative journey that focuses on empowering individuals to succeed," said Hughes "As someone who is deeply passionate about helping people thrive by starting their own business, I am excited to work closely with our franchisees, cultivate strong relationships, and bring on the right franchise partners to help us grow our brands. I am also looking forward to working with brands that have low initial investments and operate in recession-resistant, needs-based, and high-growth markets."

To learn more about Stellar Service Brands, visit Stellarservicebrands.com

About Stellar Service Brands

Based in Dallas, Texas, Stellar Service Brands is a holding company that includes Restoration 1 , an award-winning franchise that specializes in a wide array of emergency mitigations, restoration and reconstructions services; bluefrog Plumbing + Drain , a trusted franchise in plumbing repair and installation; and Softroc , a provider of poured in place rubber surfacing. Together, they include more than 525 franchise locations awarded across the U.S. With the investment and support of MPK Equity Partners, Stellar plans to continue expanding by adding brands that share the company's goal of providing exceptional home and commercial services.

SOURCE Stellar Service Brands
The new fully programmable mobile enterprise data security platform SnippetExchange is driving unprecedented client demand.

SILICON VALLEY, Calif. and LONDON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SnippetSentry announces the closing of an extended Series A to meet strong client and market demand.

Earlier this year, SnippetSentry's innovative concept and roadmap to a fully customizable, scalable, mobile data security enterprise platform was released to select existing clients and partners, turning into immediate requests for licenses and prompting the company's leadership to extend the Series A to accommodate an expedited market release cycle. The round was led by Carolina Financial Group a second time.

"We're thrilled to be using SnippetSentry because it will give us more comprehensive control over the ever-expanding range of digital communication," Bruce Roberts, CEO of Carolina Financial Group, states. "It vastly extends the reach of our business in a way that increases our customer contact in a seamless and compliant manner."

Purpose-built with automation, and global scalability in mind, SnippetExchange is designed for seamless deployment, with minimum I.T. involvement and no changes to user behavior.

"The positive feedback from our initial pilot clients was immediate product-market fit validation. It was natural for us to align our market vision to more effectively address today's challenges of capturing and securely dispatching messages," says Edward Green, CEO of SnippetSentry "With SnippetExchange, we are addressing one of the most significant gaps in today's enterprise security posture  mobile data transmissions  in a way unlike any company currently in the market."

SnippetSentry will showcase the SnippetExchange at leading industry events this May in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, CA.

About SnippetSentry:

SnippetSentry, based in Silicon Valley/California, empowers companies to tackle a significant challenge in today's enterprise security posture  unmonitored mobile communications data. Their customizable platform, SnippetExchange, proactively addresses this challenge by securely capturing and safeguarding mobile communications data. Strengthen your company's security posture; capture iMessage, Android SMS, WhatsApp, WeChat, and more, for a complete enterprise record  Every Message. Every Time. www.SnippetSentry.com

For more information:

Sabine Zimmerhansl, COO

[email protected]

P 650.988.5885

SOURCE SnippetSentry
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TATAA Biocenter, a leading CRO of molecular analysis services, announces it has become a certified service provider for RealSeq Biosciences, a developer of innovative sequencing solutions for microRNA analysis.

This collaboration will bring considerable benefits to scientific researchers by providing access to a comprehensive range of molecular analysis services, including RealSeq Biosciences' cutting-edge small RNA sequencing technology.

As a service provider for RealSeq Biosciences, TATAA Biocenter will offer a full range of sequencing services, including RNA/small RNA sequencing, single-cell RNA/small RNA sequencing, and transcriptomics, using RealSq Biosciences' proprietary technology. The partnership will enhance TATAA Biocenter's existing bioanalytical service offerings and provide researchers with access to the latest sequencing solutions.

"We are excited to become a certified service provider for RealSeq Biosciences and offer our customers access to their innovative sequencing technology, which is particularly suitable for microRNA profiling," said Mikael Kubista, CEO of TATAA Biocenter. "It perfectly complements our own Two-Tailed PCR technology for ultrasensitive targeted microRNA analysis and our HTG Molecular platform for extraction free targeted microRNA profiling, making us the most comprehensive provider of microRNA analysis services globally."

RealSeq Biosciences' technology brings many advantages over traditional RNA/small RNA sequencing methods, including increased accuracy, reduced error rates, and enhanced sensitivity. The technology is ideal for applications such as gene expression analysis, mutation detection, and pathway analysis.

"We are pleased to announce that TATAA Biocenter will join the inaugural cohort of Certified RealSeq Service Providers. TATAA, a global leading service provider, has the technical expertise and innovative position that we feel is required to support RealSeq small RNA NGS service projects," said Sergio Barberan-Soler, Co-founder/CEO RealSeq Biosciences.

The partnership will benefit researchers across a wide range of industries, including academia, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and more. The companies plan to collaborate on a range of projects and explore new applications for their combined technologies.

"We are super excited about the opportunity to partner with TATAA in the RNA/small RNA sequencing space and look forward to supporting their RNA service business opportunities," said Anne Scholz, Co-founder/COO, RealSeq Biosciences.

Contact for more info:

Martin Cooke, TATAA Biocenter, Marketing & Comms Specialist.

Email: [email protected]

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Tataa Biocenter
All Skilled Trades Workers at UC Now Covered by Union Contract

OAKLAND, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Teamsters Local 2010 members in the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Skilled Trades Unit reached their first-ever tentative agreement with the University of California (UC) this week, after two years of negotiations and dozens of worksite actions. The UC Davis Skilled Trades Unit is made up of 305 plumbers, painters, electricians, and other Skilled Trades workers at the UC Davis campus and the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

The tentative agreement includes significant gains for UC Davis Teamsters, including an 11.3 percent raise this year, a 25.2 percent compound raise over five years, and a $3,000 lump sum bonus to be paid on ratification of the agreement. New grievance and arbitration procedures  along with requirements on progressive discipline  will ensure that UC Davis workers will have a voice in their workplace and the means to protect their job security.

"This great first contract is the result of eight years of fighting and organizing by UC Davis Skilled Trades workers to win union representation and fair treatment," said Jason Rabinowitz, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 2010. "After decades without a union and living at the whims of management, UC Davis Teamsters have won unprecedented and guaranteed raises, job protections, grievance and arbitration procedures, and many more rights that they were previously denied."

The UC Davis Skilled Trades Unit unionized with Teamsters Local 2010 in November 2020 and began negotiations with UC on May 12, 2021. Prior to becoming Teamsters, they were the only remaining group of Skilled Trades workers in the UC system to be unrepresented by a union. The tentative agreement, should it be ratified, will make sure UC Davis workers see the same benefits that Skilled Trades members of Teamsters Local 2010 at campuses like UC San Diego (who won a 20.4 percent raise over four years) and UC Santa Barbara (who won a 26.4 percent over five years) have won in recent years.

"As a team we fought hard on this contract so that we could improve our workplace and provide a livable wage for all the hardworking Skilled Trades Teamsters at UC Davis," said Ryan Burgess, a UC Davis High Voltage Electrician and member of the negotiating committee. "United we bargain, divided we beg. No more begging."

UC Davis Skilled Trades Teamsters will vote on whether to ratify the tentative agreement over the upcoming weeks.

Teamsters Local 2010 represents 15,000 hardworking employees at the University of California and California State University systems. We are affiliated with the 1.2 million members of the Teamsters Union across the United States and Canada. Learn more at: https://teamsters2010.org

Aimee Baror, [email protected], (213) 220-0538

SOURCE Teamsters Local 2010
Up to 30% discounts & $200 Amazon gift card

NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tenorshare, a prominent software company, has unveiled exclusive discounts as a tribute to its devoted customers for celebrating its 16th anniversary this year. Everyone can take advantage of these fantastic discounts during the 30-day anniversary celebration, which runs from May 10, 2023, to June 8, 2023.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L6zqwCg55U

Tenorshare Celebrates its 16th Anniversary with Exciting Activities

There are three different activities that customers can participate in to win amazing prizes. Hurry out to join them!

Activity 1: Click the rope to light up

Ready for some good luck? Click the rope to start the lucky draw and blow out the birthday candle to make a wish. It's your lucky day because 100% of participants will win a prize! Prizes range from a $200 Amazon gift card to 30% off your next purchase. Don't miss your chance to win!

Activity 2: Save 30% off on Best Sellers

Click either Win or Mac products to receive a 30% discount on your purchase. In this part, you can choose from 4ukey, ReiBoot, UltData, and iCareFone series to avail of a 30% discount.

Activity 3: Win $200 by Birthday Memories Sharing

Want to win $200? Just follow Tenorshare on Twitter and Facebook, then share your previous birthday memories on social media with the hashtags #Tenorshare16thAnniversary and #Tenorshare for a chance to win $200.

Activity 4: Follow Tenorshare on YouTube to win $50

Follow Tenorshare Official on YouTube, watch the anniversary video, and share your blessings in the comments section for a chance to win $50.

When will you get the prize?

After the event, we will release a video on YouTube announcing the winner, chosen at random from the comments, who will receive a $50 Amazon gift card. We will also contact the winner via comment and the winner must reply with their email address within 7 days, otherwise the prize will be forfeited.

Important Notes:

Every IP address is eligible for two lucky draws per day.

Welcome to share the promotion page on Twitter or Facebook for an additional chance to win.

Discounts apply to all products except Phone Mirror (1 Month) and iAnyGo (1 Month). And the coupon code is only valid during the event.

About Tenorshare:

Are you looking for reliable, professional software solutions for your mobile device or computer? Look no further than Tenorshare! With millions of satisfied users across Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac platforms, Tenorshare has established itself as a leader in data transfer, system repair, data recovery, phone unlocking, and other utilities. And now, as Tenorshare celebrates 16 years of success, you can get in on the fun and win exciting prizes during Tenorshare's 16th anniversary! Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity!

More information: https://www.tenorshare.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TenorshareOfficial/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tenorshare_Inc

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/TenorshareOfficial/videos

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tenorshare_tech_tips

This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com

SOURCE Tenorshare Co. Ltd.
Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has held a meeting with his Guatemalan counterpart Mario Bucaro, thanked him for the opportunity to personally address the Caribbean countries at the ministerial meeting of the Association of Caribbean States.

First meeting in Guatemala with Mario Bucaro. I thank Guatemala for supporting our fight for freedom and providing the first-ever opportunity to address Caribbean nations in person at ACS ministerial. No matter the distance, true friends are always near. That is why I am here, Kuleba said on Twitter.

Earlier, Kuleba said that he went on a visit to Guatemala. At the invitation of his colleague Mario Bucaro Flores, he will take part in the Council of Ministers of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and make a bilateral visit.
INDIANAPOLIS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A Florida television station and a publication focused on military issues will receive American Legion Fourth Estate Awards during the 104th National Convention of the nation's largest veterans organization in Charlotte, N.C., on August 31.

The Fourth Estate Award has been presented annually by The American Legion since 1958 for outstanding achievement in the field of journalism. Nominations in 2023 were considered in broadcast and print categories. They were selected by the organization's Media & Communications Commission May 8 and announced today.

Taking top honor in the broadcast category is the ABC Action News (WFTS-TV) I-Team in Tampa, Fla. In a three-part series titled "Bogus COVID-19 Testing Clinics Putting Floridians' Health at Risk." Producer Adam Walser led an investigation into pop-up COVID-19 testing clinics that often promised "instant results" to paying customers. One family received an e-mail reporting their "negative" test results while they were still on line waiting to be tested. Another clinic promised results in 15 minutes, when scientific experts said the technology for such a quick reading did not exist at the time. The fraudulent results exposed thousands of people needlessly by giving a false sense of security, likely costing lives.

Walser and the I-Team previously were previously recognized with a Fourth Estate Award in 2021.

The Military Times is being recognized for its 2022 coverage about the harmful effects of burn pits and other toxic exposures on generations of military members. Reporter Leo Shane was often the "go-to" source for veterans service organizations tracking the developments of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, which was signed by President Biden last year.

"The American Legion has always cherished the role that the free press plays in our constitutional republic," said Vincent J. "Jim" Troiola, national commander of The American Legion. "These award winners are being recognized for outstanding works of journalism that not only stand far above normal media reporting but have had a positive impact on society.

"I will be honored to present both of these deserving recipients with our highest recognition of journalistic accomplishment, The American Legion Fourth Estate Award, at our national convention this summer," Troiola said. "They are credits to their profession."

Previous winners of the award include CNN, CBS, USA Today, ABC News, C-SPAN, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and Life Magazine, among others.

About The American Legion. The American Legion is dedicated to the motto of "Veterans Strengthening America" and calls on all Americans to "Be the One" to stop veteran suicide. Chartered by Congress in 1919, The American Legion is committed to mentoring youth and sponsoring wholesome community programs, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting a strong national security and continued devotion to servicemembers and veterans. Legionnaires in more than 12,000 posts across the nation and regions overseas serve their communities with a devotion to mutual helpfulness.

Contact: John Raughter, Media Relations

[email protected] or 317-630-1298

SOURCE The American Legion
The Project Secured the Freedom of 10 Women in the Past Three Years

DALLAS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference on Crimes Against Women is proud to present the 2023 IGNITE Award to The Women's Prison Project, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Tulane's Domestic Violence and Criminal Justice Clinics. The organization is being honored for its work to support survivors charged or imprisoned after killing an abuser in self-defense or for having committed crimes under an abuser's coercion or duress. The United States Department of Justice estimates that 60 percent of incarcerated women are abuse survivors, and over a third were abused by an intimate partner.

"A majority of women in U.S. prisons attribute their incarceration to a history or context of abuse," said Jan Langbein, Chief Executive Officer of Conference on Crimes Against Women and Genesis Women's Shelter & Support. "The Women's Prison Project is not only providing legal representation to these women who are survivors, but they are bringing to light the connections between incarceration and domestic violence as they advocate for change in the legal system. We are thrilled to honor their contributions."

The Women's Prison Project provides legal representation to criminalized survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and trafficking, with a particular focus on survivors charged or imprisoned after killing an abuser in self-defense or for having committed crimes under an abuser's coercion or duress. Founded in 2020, the project has trained 84 third-year law students and 57 of those have worked on cases, gaining valuable hands-on legal training. The project provides representation and legal services and has secured the freedom for 10 women, one pre-trial. The nine women who had been serving sentences had served a combined total of 199 years in prison.

The IGNITE Award was created in 2019 to honor courageous efforts that are sparking awareness and action across the country, bringing injustice out of the darkness and lighting the fire of change not only in the recipients' local communities, but across the nation. The award will be presented at the opening plenary of the 2023 Conference on Crimes Against Women on Monday, May 22 at 8:00 a.m.

For additional information about the Conference or to register, please visit www.conferencecaw.org.

About the Conference on Crimes Against Women:

The goal of the Conference on Crimes Against Women is to create an overall reduction in the rate of crimes against women and, ultimately, eliminate violence against women. It is also, however, a primary part of our mission to improve the way crimes against women are investigated and prosecuted, as well as to improve the way victims are treated throughout the criminal justice system. The problem of domestic violence is so pervasive and at such epidemic proportions, that tangible decreases in the rate of violence against women will not be seen until huge volumes of women are safer in their homes. This volume happens through culture shifts, and conferences like CCAW create the momentum and the network for that very culture shift. For additional information about the Conference, please visit www.conferencecaw.org.

About Genesis Women's Shelter & Support:

Since opening its doors in 1985, Genesis Women's Shelter & Support has provided safety, shelter and expert counseling services to women and children who have experienced domestic violence. Genesis is committed to removing every roadblock a woman might face on her journey to the abuse-free life she deserves. These life-changing services include an emergency shelter, long-term housing, an award-winning onsite, K-12 school, daycare, access to legal representation and cutting-edge therapeutics. Genesis serves more than 3,700 women and children each year, and relies on the generous support of the Dallas community to continue providing these services at no cost to clients. For more information, visit www.genesisshelter.org.

SOURCE Conference on Crimes Against Women
The French Pavilion returns to the Summer Fancy Food show this June 25th- 27th in New York with an increased presence of 50 French companies offering a wide range of gourmet products, With many exhibitors certified "free-from", organic or vegan, the Pavilion has something for everyone.

NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Business France is once again bringing together a dynamic and exciting French Pavilion for the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York, with 50 exhibitors under the Taste France brand  28% more than last year's pavilion.

The 2023 Summer Pavilion showcases the diversity of France's regions, with classic staples such as madeleines from Maison Colibri, Rougie foie gras, and soft cheeses from Fromagerie Delin, and an abundance of spices, oils, salts and condiments to accentuate any meal. With about half sweet and half savory options, the exhibitors provide a balanced offering for all palettes.

France's food innovations will also be front and center, with items such as molecular gastronomy flavor pearls by Christine Le Tennier, or alcohol-free wines from Pierre Chavin. Visitors will have the opportunity to taste exotic products from French overseas territories, such as Tahiti Smoked Tuna and Bora Bora sea salt.

"The 2023 French Pavilion exemplifies the wide range of options from all of France, including our overseas territories", said Jacques Epangue, Business Unit Manager (food & beverages) at Business France North America. "French companies are finely attuned to the needs of American consumers, as demonstrated by the various certifications available: over half of the delegation boasts at least one label -organic, protected designation of origin, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, halal, kosher, sustainably farmed -if not several!"

Find the French pavilion at booth 923 on Level 3

MEDIA CONTACT

Katrina Perito

Business France North America

[email protected]

About Taste France

Launched in 2020, Taste France is the label embodying the French gastronomy while promoting the whole agricultural and agri-food downstream ecosystem gathering a diversity of food-service professionals ranging from producers to suppliers. This label reaffirms the founding values of the French food industry: excellence, responsibility, authenticity, sharing and innovation.

www.tastefranceforbusiness.com #TasteFrance @TasteFrance_EN

About Business France

Business France is the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy, responsible for fostering export growth by French businesses, as well as promoting and facilitating international investment in France.

www.businessfrance.fr @businessfrance #BusinessFrance

SOURCE Business France
DALLAS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, a leading litigation firm focused on personal injury cases, is proud to report that its founder, Frank Branson, has been honored in 2023 as one of D Magazine's "Best Lawyers in Dallas." This distinguished recognition highlights Mr. Branson's exceptional contributions in the field of tort law and is evidence of his reputation as a battle-tested litigator.

Mr. Branson, renowned for his unwavering commitment to advocating for his clients, has consistently been acknowledged in numerous publications throughout his illustrious career. In addition, his exceptional work in high-stakes personal injury litigation has solidified his position as a trusted and respected legal professional.

"I am deeply honored to be recognized as one of D Magazine's 'Best Lawyers in Dallas' since its inception in 2001," said Frank Branson. "This accolade reinforces the firm's mission to deliver outstanding results."

The annual Best Lawyers in Dallas list showcases attorneys who exhibit outstanding proficiency in their respective practice areas, through peer nominations. A distinguished panel of anonymous lawyers and the D Magazine editorial staff meticulously selects the honorees. The complete list of this year's exceptional attorneys can be found in the May 2023 issue of D Magazine.

The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson is a leading litigation firm based in Dallas, Texas. Founded by Frank Branson, the firm specializes in handling complex personal injury cases, including product liability, trucking/transportation injuries, catastrophic injuries, commercial air crashes, and professional negligence.

For more information about The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson and the range of legal services they offer, please visit the website at https://flbranson.com.

Media Contact:

Tamlyn Sheng

206-914-8228

[email protected]

SOURCE The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson
INDIANAPOLIS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Protect and Serve Act of 2023 is federal legislation aimed at enhancing the safety of law enforcement officers across the United States. The Act is essential for officers who put their lives on the line daily to protect the public.

UPI / Alamy Stock Photo

Sponsored by Reps. John Rutherford (FL-05), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Jared Golden (ME-02), Pete Stauber (MN-08), and Dutch Ruppersburger (MD-02), H.R. 743, the Protect and Serve Act of 2023, creates federal penalties for anyone who targets law enforcement officers and purposefully harms them in the execution of a crime. This includes a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment for someone who attacks and injures an officer and a penalty of life in prison for someone who kills or kidnaps an officer.

Police officers risk their lives daily to protect and serve their communities. They are regularly exposed to violence and other dangerous situations, making them vulnerable to physical harm. National Police Association spokesperson Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith (Ret) stated "For the last three years the nonstop unwarranted vilification of law enforcement has emboldened criminals to escalate violence against police. The Protect and Serve Act will provide much needed moral and legal support to the hard pressed men and women of law enforcement."

By establishing a federal criminal offense for assaulting police officers, the Protect and Serve Act of 2023 would serve as a deterrent for potential offenders. This could reduce violent incidents targeting law enforcement personnel, ultimately contributing to a safer environment for officers and their communities.

Creating a federal criminal offense for targeting police officers will serve as a deterrent to potential offenders and contribute to building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. In light of the significant risks faced by officers in their daily duties, it is crucial to support the passage of the Protect and Serve Act of 2023.

About The National Police Association: The National Police Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit Educational/Advocacy organization. For additional information visit www.NationalPolice.org.

Media Contact:

Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith (Ret.)

3024691765

[email protected]

SOURCE National Police Association
CHANDLER, Ariz., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) is proud to announce it has accepted an invitation to become a member of the National Association of Institutions for Military Education Services (NAIMES), an organization dedicated to the delivery of quality postsecondary education programs to the military community.

NAIMES continuously seeks to promote quality degree programs, student support services, and principles of good practice. As the NAIMES website states, membership is by invitation only.

"NAIMES is thrilled to welcome UAGC as the organization's newest member," said Keith Hauk, President of NAIMES. Tweet this

"We are excited about the opportunity to join NAIMES and honored to collaborate with other institutions that share our commitment to supporting the military community," said Paul Pastorek, President of the University of Arizona Global Campus. "As a military-friendly online university, we understand the unique needs and challenges facing military personnel and their families, and we are dedicated to providing them with the resources and support necessary to succeed in their academic pursuits."

UAGC was selected for NAIMES membership in mid-April 2023. The majority vote of member institutions needed to be approved as a member is based on two criteria  (1) that a candidate institution signs the Department of Defense (DoD) voluntary education Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and (2) the candidate provides the institutional diversity needed to fulfill the NAIMES mission.

"NAIMES is thrilled to welcome UAGC as the organization's newest member, which gives UAGC access to a network of resources and expertise designed specifically to assist military students," said Keith Hauk, President of NAIMES. "This includes access to training, professional development opportunities, and the latest research on military education support. We know that UAGC will be a valuable addition to our organization and that their commitment to elevating supporting practices for military students will strengthen our collective efforts to ensure that our service members and their families receive the education and resources they need to succeed."

The University of Arizona Global Campus is proud to have a diverse student population, including the more than 25% of its student body who use a military education benefit. UAGC values their service, dedication, and sacrifice.

About University of Arizona Global Campus

The University of Arizona Global Campus ("Global Campus" or "UAGC") is an independent university that is operated in affiliation with the University of Arizona. Global Campus is designed to provide flexible opportunities for working students from diverse backgrounds who seek to gain knowledge and skills that will help them to achieve their life and career goals. Global Campus is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and is one of the nation's most innovative online universities with approximately 25,000 students. UAGC offers more than 50 degrees at the associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. For more information visit uagc.edu.

SOURCE University of Arizona Global Campus
Things to do: New attraction brings immersive and educational experience to Atlanta

ATLANTA, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Museum of Illusions Atlanta announces it will open to the public May 19. The newest Atlanta attraction will offer visitors an interactive and immersive journey through the world of optical illusions and mind-bending puzzles. With over 80 exhibits to explore, including some that will make their world debut in Atlanta, the Museum is sure to keep guests mesmerized with mind-bending illusions, holograms and gravity-defying spaces with educational opportunities at their fingertips.

Museum of Illusions opens in Atlanta on May 19 Museum of Illusions opens in Atlanta on May 19

"After much anticipation, Museum of Illusions is opening in Atlanta in just a couple of days  giving both locals and visitors an unforgettable experience like no other," said Museum of Illusion CEO, Jonathan Benjamin.

With over 40 locations in 25 countries spanning the globe  including New York, Orlando and Chicago as well as global cities such as Paris, Dubai and Madrid  Museum of Illusions stands as the largest conglomerate of private museums worldwide.

Below are key details on Atlanta's newest attraction:

The Atlantic Station Museum of Illusions will be located at 264 19th Street NW near Publix

The Museum will be open seven days a week:

Sunday  Thursday 10 a.m.  9 p.m.



Friday  Saturday 10 a.m.  10 p.m.

 Tickets start at $24 for children (ages 5-12), $29 for adults (ages 13+), $26 for seniors (ages 60+ with ID) and $26 for military; children under 4 receive free admission

for children (ages 5-12), for adults (ages 13+), for seniors (ages 60+ with ID) and for military; children under 4 receive free admission Corporate events, field trips and other group functions may also be hosted at the Museum

Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets early as they often sell out in advance

Please visit moiatlanta.com for more information and secure your spot today.

SOURCE Museum of Illusions
OREM, Utah, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cody Kewley, a Utah Real Estate Agent and Investor plans to help homeowners sell over 50 million dollars worth of real estate within the next couple of years. Kewley, a native real estate investor and now real estate agent with Fathom Realty, first started his career fixing and flipping houses in Idaho, Florida, and Tennessee! After moving to Utah, Cody Kewley obtained his real estate license and plans to help over 100 clients within the next year sell their houses. Kewley's company, "Cody Kewley Real Estate Agent," has already been working with a handful of investors, homeowners, and agents to help accomplish his goal. Currently, most of his leads and potential clients are from Utah County, Salt Lake County, and surrounding cities.

Cody Kewley Real Estate Agent Brokerage Fathom Realty

Cody Kewley plans to work with agents all across Utah to help achieve this massive goal. Kewley is not achieving this goal alone; Real Estate Agents and Investors across the state have been sending him deals daily in hopes of getting the real estate deals across the finish line. The investors that Kewley works with are cash buyers that can typically close on houses within two weeks, which helps the sale time for homeowners.

How has the company "Cody Kewley Real Estate Agent" found and sourced all of these real estate deals? Kewley relies upon (SEO) Search Engine Optimisation websites that help attract leads. Or, to simplify, when customers search on Google "Real Estate Agents Near Me," typically Kewley will pop up in the search results. Thus driving not only sellers in Utah looking to sell a house but also out-of-state buyers looking for representation to buy in Utah.

Kewley's Company "Cody Kewley Real Estate Agent" takes pride in helping local homeowners easily sell their houses. After spending years in the real estate investing realm, Kewley has built relationships with; lenders, contractors, real estate agents, insurance agents, and title companies. Kewley gives all these direct contacts to homeowners to help them save time by giving them a list of qualified real estate specialists.

Property owners in and around Utah can contact Kewley directly by visiting his website www.UtahREAgent.com and plan a free scheduled meeting. He would love to connect whether you are a real estate seller, buyer, agent, or investor.

Contact Information:

Business Name: Cody Kewley Real Estate Agent

Cody

661-817-3568

1443 W 800 N STE 201, Orem, UT 84057

Website: www.utahreagent.com

SOURCE Cody Kewley Real Estate Agent
From bamboo to AI, the industry is evolving

LAS VEGAS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ABC Kids Expo , the organizers of North America's premier juvenile products gathering, just wrapped their 2023 show in Las Vegas, where thousands of new products from strollers to car seats to items you didn't know you needed, but now after seeing them, can't live without, were featured. The ABC Kids Expo team scoured the floor to find the top trends in the industry.

"The innovation level of our industry is at an all time high," said Aaron Pederson, President, All Baby & Child, ABC Kids Expo. "From the materials being used to new spins on classic products to tech forward solutions, we're seeing companies, both big and small, really developing products that are going to be a huge asset to both parents and kids alike. It's an exciting time in the industry and we can't wait to see what comes next."

Top trends coming out of the show included:

Bamboo is not just for panda bears anymore. We're seeing bamboo in kids pajamas and in other fabric based products Earth tones are the new "it" color. From clothing to car seats to strollers, traditional black is taking a bit of a back seat Everything is for everyone with more gender neutral products Making mom (and dad's) lives easier is top priority and we're seeing that in ease of use, as well as added technology in products Baby carriers are seeing an evolution, becoming more user friendly and being made with lighter materials Stroller wagons are bigger and more plentiful than ever AI is making its way into the industry, particularly with baby monitors

This year's ABC Kids Expo featured nearly 250 exhibitors, spilling into the hallways of the sold-out Paris Convention Center. The ABC Kids Expo is held yearly in Las Vegas, NV. The 2024 show will be held from May 15-17 at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino. The show is only open to the trade. For additional information visit https://theabcshow.com/ .

About All Baby & Child

ABC Kids Expo (All Baby & Child), founded in March 2003, is a non-profit organization dedicated to producing events on behalf of the juvenile products industry. The corporation's main objective and purpose are to act as a business league that helps organize and manage trade shows to benefit juvenile product manufacturers, specialty store retailers, distributors, and manufacturers' representatives.

Media contact:

Julie Stern/ [email protected]

SOURCE ABC Kids Expo
UCB's expertise in macrocyclic peptide discovery, using its proprietary mRNA-display platform, ExtremeDiversity, will aid Ariceum's discovery of treatments for solid tumors

Ariceum's expertise in radiopharmaceuticals and labelling technology will aid UCB's discovery of treatments for immune-related diseases

Potential to expand Ariceum's pipeline with three new programs at discovery stage

BERLIN and BRUSSELS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ariceum Therapeutics (Ariceum), a private biotech company developing radiopharmaceutical products for the diagnosis and treatment of certain hard-to-treat cancers, and UCB (EURONEXT BRUSSELS: UCB), a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced an exclusive, strategic research collaboration agreement to identify and develop novel systemic targeted radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of solid tumors and immune-related diseases.

Under the terms of the research collaboration, UCB and Ariceum will utilize each other's proprietary technology platforms to enable the discovery of peptide-radioisotope conjugates as potential therapeutics for immune-related diseases and cancer. Ariceum will also gain access to UCB's expertise to discover novel synthetic macrocyclic peptides using its mRNA-display technology platform, ExtremeDiversity. UCB will benefit from Ariceum's expertise in the field of radiochemistry and labelling technology to enhance its ability to explore how this technology might lead to the discovery of highly differentiated products for immune-related diseases. Both companies will have the opportunity to explore several targets under this research collaboration.

Manfred Rudiger, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Ariceum Therapeutics, said: "We are excited about this strategic collaboration between UCB and Ariceum which aims to broaden Ariceum's pipeline with potentially several new programs at discovery stage. Through this partnership, Ariceum will have access to a unique library that will be used to screen against targets of interest for oncology for which current targeted approaches have failed, while working with UCB on enabling targeted systemic radiotherapy approaches in other areas of severe diseases."

Dhaval Patel, Chief Scientific Officer of UCB, commented: "The collaboration with Ariceum further enhances our strategic drug discovery capabilities and provides UCB with the opportunity to learn and explore the potential of this modality in our drive to continuously innovate. We look forward to working with Ariceum's scientists and are eager to leverage the technology platforms and disease expertise at each company."

About Ariceum Therapeutics

Ariceum Therapeutics (Ariceum) is a private, clinical stage radiopharmaceutical company focused on the diagnosis and precision treatment of certain neuroendocrine and other aggressive, hard-to-treat cancers. The name Ariceum is an anagram of 'Marie Curie' whose discovery of radium and polonium have been huge contributions to finding treatments for cancer.

Ariceum's lead targeted systemic radiopharmaceutical product, 177Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan ("satoreotide") is an antagonist of the somatostatin type 2 (SST 2 ) receptor which is overexpressed in neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and some aggressive cancers such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC), all of which have few treatment options and poor prognosis. Satoreotide is being developed as a 'theranostic' pair for the combined diagnosis and targeted radionuclide treatment of these tumours.

Ariceum Therapeutics, launched in 2021, acquired all rights from Ipsen. Ipsen remains a shareholder in the Company. Ariceum is headquartered in Berlin, with operations in Germany, Australia and Switzerland and activities currently across Europe, North America and Australia.

Ariceum is led by a highly experienced management team and supported by specialist investors including EQT Life Sciences (formerly LSP), HealthCap, Pureos Bioventures, Andera Partners and Earlybird Venture Capital. For further information, please visit www.ariceum-therapeutics.com

About UCB

UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or the central nervous system. With approximately 8 700 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of  5.5 billion in 2022. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB).

SOURCE Ariceum Therapeutics
Ukraine considers Putin's decision on visafree travel, resumption of flights with Georgia as political compensation for refusal to impose sanctions on Russia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin to cancel Russian visas for Georgian citizens and restore air traffic as political compensation for the refusal of the current authorities to impose sanctions on Russia imposed because of the invasion of Ukraine, said sppokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko.

"Russia offers Georgia to conclude an agreement with the devil. And in a deal with the devil, as you know, the devil wins. We consider Vladimir Putin's decision to cancel Russian visas for Georgian citizens and restore air traffic as political compensation for the refusal of the current authorities to impose sanctions on Russia imposed because of its attack on Ukraine, as well as the slowdown in European integration," Nikolenko wrote on Facebook.

The Foreign Ministry stressed that Tbilisi's course to normalize relations with Moscow is taking place against the background of the Russian occupation of 20% of Georgian territory and the occupying of Georgia with Russian citizens.

"The Kremlin receives concessions without responsibility for the grief it has caused the Georgian people. In 2008, Russian planes had already flown to Georgia to bomb civilians. Now they are planning to bomb the European future of Georgians," the ministry said.

Nikolenko added that Russia is not interested in Georgia's promotion in the EU and NATO, its prosperity and development. At the same time, "the policy of rapprochement with the aggressor does not find support among some Georgian politicians and the population, who have repeatedly publicly expressed their position."

"In this context, we express solidarity and support to the Georgians in their legitimate desire to build a prosperous European state within its internationally recognized borders. We call on the Georgian government to synchronize its policy towards Russia with that of the EU, as well as to refrain from actions rejecting Georgia's further European movement," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry urged.

Earlier, the Russian Federation issued a presidential decree on lifting restrictions on flights to Georgia, which had been in effect since July 2019. Before the arrival of the airline from Georgia to Russia, flights were operated by Georgian Airways and MyWay Airlines.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili offered to introduce visas for Russian citizens in response.

"I propose to convene the National Security Council and consider the introduction of visas for Russian citizens for a period of three months, which is necessary for us, taking into account internal challenges. We need more state control over Russians entering our country, so it is necessary to take some measures so that all this is in a normal civilized framework," Zourabichvili said at a briefing on Wednesday.

She noted that "Georgia does not need any alleged concessions from Russia."

Zourabichvili believes that the decision of the Russian leadership "contradicts the interests of Georgia."

Currently, Russians visit Georgia in accordance with a visa-free regime.
HILVERSUM, The Netherlands, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Music Group N.V. ("UMG" or "the Company") today announced the results of its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders ("AGM") held earlier today.

The following resolutions on the AGM agenda were adopted with a majority of the votes cast, including, among others:

a positive advisory vote on the 2022 remuneration report;

the adoption of the 2022 financial statements;

the re-appointment of Sir Lucian Grainge as Executive Director;

as Executive Director; the approval of a supplement to the Executive Directors Remuneration Policy in respect of Sir Lucian Grainge ;

; the re-appointment of Sherry Lansing and Luc van Os as Non-Executive Directors;

and Luc van Os as Non-Executive Directors; the appointment of Haim Saban as Non-Executive Director; and

as Non-Executive Director; and the appointment of Ernst & Young Accountants LLP as external auditor for the financial years from 2023 up to and including 2025.

The resolution for the re-appointment of Anna Jones as Non-Executive Director was not adopted with the requisite majority of the votes cast. Anna Jones' current term runs until the close of the AGM to be held in 2024.

The proposal to adopt a final dividend of EUR 0.27 per share was also adopted. With the interim dividend of EUR 0.24 per share that was paid in October 2022, this brings the total dividend for the financial year 2022 to EUR 0.51 per share. The following timetable shall apply with respect to the payment of the final dividend:

May 15, 2023: Ex-dividend date;

May 16, 2023: Dividend record date; and

June 6, 2023: Dividend payment date.

Detailed voting results from the AGM will be made available on the Companys website within 15 days, as required under the Dutch Financial Supervision Act.

About Universal Music Group

At Universal Music Group (EURONEXT: UMG), we exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content. Featuring the most comprehensive catalogue of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. For more information on Universal Music Group N.V. visit www.universalmusic.com .

SOURCE Universal Music Group N.V.
NYSE American: UEC

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Uranium Energy Corp (NYSE American: UEC, the "Company" or "UEC") is pleased to announce the Company's President & CEO, Amir Adnani, will be delivering a virtual presentation: "Uranium Energy Corp is Enabling the Green Energy Transition" in the closing session of the International Atomic Energy Agency ("IAEA") International Symposium on Uranium Raw Material for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle (URAM-2023), being held May 8-12th in Vienna, Austria.

In their recent 2022 Climate Change and Nuclear Power Report, the latest IAEA high case projection for 2050 "sees a 120% increase in nuclear electricity production capacity from current levels". Climate change mitigation and energy supply security are key drivers for decisions to start, continue and expand the use of nuclear power.

Amir Adnani, President & CEO stated: "We are honoured to be invited to share the Company's achievements in the areas of sustainability and our vision as the leading Western supplier of secure, 100% unhedged, low cost, environmentally friendly, low carbon intensity uranium for the nuclear industry."

The presentation will be made available on the company's website at www.UraniumEnergy.com on May 13, 2023.

About the International Atomic Energy Agency

The International Atomic Energy Agency ("IAEA") is the world's central intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the nuclear field. It works for the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, contributing to international peace and security and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. www.iaea.org

About Uranium Energy Corp

Uranium Energy Corp is the fastest growing supplier of the fuel for the green energy transition to a low carbon future. UEC is the largest, diversified North American focused uranium company, advancing the next generation of low-cost, environmentally friendly In-Situ Recovery ("ISR") mining uranium projects in the United States and high-grade conventional projects in Canada. The Company has two production-ready ISR hub and spoke platforms in South Texas and Wyoming. These two production platforms are anchored by fully operational central processing plants and served by seven U.S. ISR uranium projects with all their major permits in place. Additionally, the Company has diversified uranium holdings including: (1) one of the largest physical uranium portfolios of U.S. warehoused U 3 O 8 ; (2) a major equity stake in Uranium Royalty Corp., the only royalty company in the sector; and (3) a pipeline of resource stage uranium projects. The Company's operations are managed by professionals with decades of hands-on experience in the key facets of uranium exploration, development and mining.

Twitter: @UraniumEnergy

Stock Exchange Information:

NYSE American: UEC

Frankfurt Stock Exchange Symbol: U6Z

WKN: AJDRR

ISN: US916896103

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian securities laws. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans, "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, the actual results of exploration activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation or realization of mineral resources, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry including, without limitation, those associated with the environment, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Many of these factors are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities.

SOURCE Uranium Energy Corp
DALLAS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- RKD Group, the leading fundraising and marketing solutions provider to nonprofits in North America, is thrilled to welcome Vidya Chadaga as Executive Vice President of Products.

Chadaga is a skilled product strategist, technology expert and empathetic leader with more than two decades of experience in bringing innovative products to market. She has held influential positions at several top SaaS companies, including Marketo (now part of Adobe), Cleo, ServiceMax (acquired by GE), Cast Iron Systems (acquired by IBM), Oracle and SAP.

Vidya Chadaga RKD Group

"To be successful, nonprofits need data and technology enablement to build and continue great relationships with their donors of today and tomorrow," CEO Chris Pritcher said. "Vidya will be instrumental in our efforts to develop products that enable our nonprofit partners to reimagine their fundraising in this age of connection."

Chadaga will join RKD's executive committee, helping to build innovative solutions that solve the industry's biggest problems.

"I am excited to join a company that has a strong values-based approach to serving both employees and clients," Chadaga said. "My vision is to help nonprofit organizations streamline their fundraising and marketing efforts while providing a seamless donor experience that fosters long-term engagement."

About RKD Group

RKD Group is North America's leading fundraising and marketing solutions provider to hundreds of growth-focused nonprofit organizations. With five decades of experience, RKD leverages technology, advanced data science and award-winning strategic and creative leadership to accelerate net revenue growth, build long-term donor relationships and drive the best return on investment. For additional information go to RKDGroup.com.

Related Links:

https://rkdgroup.com/

Contact:

Justin McCord

[email protected]

214-755-9752

SOURCE RKD Group
SHENZHEN, China, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global technology brand vivo today announced Android 14 Beta 1 will be available on vivo X90 Pro and iQOO 11 smartphones in Southeast Asia starting from May 11. The program provides vivo developers with early access to the latest Android experience, enabling them to try out the new features and improve the compatibility of their applications. The new-generation Android 14 is set to bring several notable upgrades to the user experience, including optimized device resource management, improved battery life, enhanced security and privacy, and more personalization and accessibility features.

vivo Releases Android 14 Beta Program for Developers on vivo X90 Pro and iQOO 11

Optimized device resource management and improved battery life

Android 14 will simplify the smartphone's background processes by optimizing how applications are activated, improving the phone's resource management and battery life. One of the key upgrades is that scheduling exact alarms, or actions that need to happen at a precise time, are denied by default, as they can significantly consume the device's resources, especially battery life. Therefore, apart from clocks or calendar apps, all newly installed apps for Android 14 must request this permission from the user before scheduling exact alarms. The app can do this by prompting users to enter their preferences in the settings screen. However, developers are encouraged to carefully evaluate the application usage scenarios and choose a more flexible alarm alternative as much as possible to reduce resource consumption and improve the user experience.

In addition, Android 14 further standardizes the use of foreground services by reserving them for the user's highest-priority tasks, helping improve resource consumption and battery life. Applications must specify appropriate foreground service types, and they must declare a specific permission, based on the foreground service type. Therefore, developers need to clearly define and specify the application's backend work intent and clarify which usage scenarios are appropriate for foreground services.

Enhanced security and privacy

In addition to improved battery life, Android 14 provides a more secure device environment and gives users more control to protect personal information. It introduces a photo selector feature that is more privacy-friendly and reduces the need for apps to directly obtain file read and write permissions by system takeover.

Android 14 will feature a new permission confirmation pop-up that allows users to grant partial access to photos and videos by selecting a range of media files. Alternatively, the user can choose to allow or deny the app access to all media files.

To address malware threats which typically target older API levels to bypass the security and privacy protections introduced in newer Android versions, starting with Android 14, a minimum installable target API level is applied, preventing apps with API Levels below 23 from being installed.

To safeguard the smartphone further, Android 14 is introducing restrictions to implicit and pending intents, safer dynamic code loading, and additional restrictions on starting activities from the background.

Further personalization and accessibility features

Android 14 further optimizes the personalization and accessibility features, such as regional preferences set-up for temperature units, the starting day of the week and the way numbers are presented based on the user's individual needs and preferences. In terms of accessibility, non-linear font scaling to 200% has been added. Non-linear scaling ensures that all text remains readable, preserving the proportional hierarchy between elements of different sizes.

vivo has been proactive in supporting developers to adapt and optimize their apps for the latest Android operating system and deliver the optimal user experience. Starting from May 11, developers are invited to visit the vivo Developers website and join the Android 14 Beta Program for vivo X90 Pro and iQOO 11 in Southeast Asia.

(END)

About vivo

vivo is a technology company that creates great products based on a design-driven value, with smart devices and intelligent services as its core. The company aims to build a bridge between humans and the digital world. Through unique creativity, vivo provides users with an increasingly convenient mobile and digital life. Following the company's core values, which include Benfen*, user-orientation, design-driven value, continuous learning and team spirit, vivo has implemented a sustainable development strategy with the vision of developing into a healthier, more sustainable world-class corporation.

While bringing together and developing the best local talents to deliver excellence, vivo is supported by a network of R&D centers in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Xi'an, focusing on the development of state-of-the-art consumer technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, industrial design, imaging system and other up-and-coming technologies. vivo has also set up an intelligent manufacturing network (including those authorized by vivo), with an annual production capacity of nearly 200 million smartphones. As of now, vivo has branched out its sales network across more than 60 countries and regions, and is loved by more than 400 million users worldwide.

*"Benfen" is a term describing the attitude on doing the right things and doing things right  which is the ideal description of vivo's mission to create value for society.

Stay informed of latest vivo news at https://www.vivo.com/en/about-vivo/news

SOURCE vivo
WTCA connected business leaders and B2B delegates leading to tangible business opportunities throughout Ghana and Africa, leveraging its core strength as a business enabler

NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)  an international trade organization connecting more than 300 World Trade Center (WTC) locations in nearly 100 countries and World Trade Center (WTC) Accra have successfully concluded the 53rd annual WTCA General Assembly (GA) in Accra, Ghana. The five-day event, which took place April 23-27, brought together leaders and members of the global network of World Trade Center locations and their business networks  consisting of leaders from business, government, academia, media and international organizations  to hear insights from chief dignitaries representing Ghana, Namibia and the United States, and key experts; engage in roundtables and conversations; and explore new opportunities for growth and development across Africa. Themed "Towards African Economic Integration and Enhanced Global Presence," the event built on the WTCA's ongoing commitment to Africa.

Attendees at the 2023 WTCA General Assembly held April 23-28 in Accra, Ghana. Photo Credit: World Trade Center Accra.

The business gathering in Accra featured notable keynote speakers, panel discussions, and a series of networking events that focused on Africa's unique trade and investment opportunity. H.E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, emphasized how Ghana is at the forefront to promote Africa's potential to attract foreign investment, the Global Legal Entity Identification for businesses in Ghana, and the need for Africa to invest in innovative technology to advance its competitiveness in the global market. H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) Secretariat, spoke passionately about the concrete steps Africa has taken towards economic integration including through the establishment of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which ensures seamless trade between African countries using a digital payment system.

"With the outlook of demographic growth to double in the next 25 years, the opportunities are there in Africa. As the WTCA, we want to support this growth through our business network and positively affect wealth and prosperity to enhance peace and harmony on the Continent," said John E. Drew, Chair, Board of Directors of the WTCA. "With 15 World Trade Center licenses established across Africa  including a new location set to open in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  the WTCA is committed to promoting investment and trade opportunities throughout the Continent. There is a real desire for our network to do business there."

H.R.H. Togbe Afede XIV, Executive Chairman of WTC Accra, summarized with clarity the opportunities available throughout Africa stating that "we believe Africa can help solve some of the problems that the world is facing today, especially in food production and energy transition. With 20% of the world's landmass and 60% of the world's uncultivated land, we believe Africa is the answer to food security across the globe. We believe in the promise of Africa to move the world forward  the time to be in Africa is now."

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) was a key event partner and sponsor represented by Emeka Uzomba, Senior Advisor, AfCFTA, Afreximbank, who discussed financing trade and strategic investments in Africa. In the Afreximbank sponsored "Deal Room," the Bank's experts engaged with participants who conducted business meetings, and discussed transactions between African companies and global partners.

"We are thrilled to have partnered with the WTCA at this year's GA to drive economic growth and development in Africa. Our collaboration will leverage the strengths of both organizations to support businesses in expanding operations and accessing new markets," said Uzomba. "Together, we are committed to unlocking the full potential of African trade and investment, and creating opportunities for businesses to thrive."

The WTCA continues to play a critical role in establishing interconnected business networks around the world, and now, through the efforts of this year's GA, has launched its focus on supporting the growth of African economies. GA participants focused on forging business alliances with buyers, sellers and investors across multiple sectors in Africa, such as Agriculture; Agro-Tech, Food Processing; Manufacturing; Mining, Power and Energy; and Water, among others. These strategic collaborations promise to equip WTCA members and their business networks with avant-garde resources and know-how, thereby boosting growth and expansion endeavors in Africa.

"General Assembly attendees were able to appreciate, more than ever, the importance of what our Association does best  bringing people together from all over the world to understand the host country's business environment and opportunities, and share our WTC businesses' best practices with each other. Our Association allows us to discover business opportunities in various parts of the world and we can attest to Africa's potential after attending this year's GA in Accra. All these efforts and opportunities enhance the WTC brand's awareness and value," said Antony Georgakis, Head of Operations, WTC Cyprus.

"This event was a once in a lifetime opportunity  coming to Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, in Ghana, we need assistance to perfect packaging products that meet world standards and enter the world market, and also training so that what we do in Ghana can become internationally marketable. Ghana needs trade, not aid  we can do business with the world and we are waiting to work together," said Diana Twum, a Ghanaian entrepreneur and GA B2B delegate.

The 2023 General Assembly concluded with a grand ceremonial announcement of next year's host. The 54th annual WTCA GA is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru, India from March 3-6, 2024, and will be hosted by World Trade Center (WTC) Bengaluru.

MEDIA CONTACT:

World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)

Chanelle Kasik

Phone: +1 212 432 2644

Email: [email protected]

Violet PR

David Margolis

Phone: +1 917 331 4855

Email: [email protected]pr.com

About World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)

The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) is a network of more than 300 highly connected, mutually supporting businesses and organizations in 92 countries. As the owner of the "World Trade Center" and "WTC" trademarks, the WTCA licenses exclusive rights to these brands for Members to use in conjunction with their independently-owned, iconic properties, facilities and trade services offerings. Through a robust portfolio of events, programming and resources that it offers its Members, the goal of the WTCA is to help local economies thrive by encouraging and facilitating trade and investment across the globe through Member engagement. To learn more, visit www.wtca.org.

About World Trade Center (WTC) Accra

WTC Accra, currently located on the first floor of the magnificent World Trade Center building in Accra, is a doorway to a world of global trade opportunities for companies in Ghana and the West African sub-region, as well as a soft-landing pad for international commercial interests seeking to take advantage of exciting opportunities in Africa. We connect people, products and ideas from around the globe through our year-round calendar of international trade fairs, blockbuster consumer shows and prestigious international conferences, which are complemented by our innovative free zone and award-winning real estate developments. As the region's largest purpose-built complex for events and exhibitions, we provide a platform for unparalleled business and networking opportunities. More details on WTC Accra can be found on their website, http://www.wtcaccra.com.

SOURCE World Trade Centers Association
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WuKong Education, a leading online education technology company with over 300,000 students worldwide, joins four Asian American authors to donate 1,500+ books to 100 US K-12 schools during Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. As WuKong Education marks its seventh anniversary, the brand launches additional offerings to showcase its diverse and inclusive values.

Among the many groups who were honoring AAPI Heritage Month in May, two groups of likeminded educators initiated book drives aiming to inspire children to see themselves as heroes.

From WuKong Education's new headquarters in Silicon Valley, the team coordinated with rural schools in Asia to set up book corners for disadvantaged children. Since WuKong Education's inception in 2016, the company's online classes have expanded to 300,000 families in 118 countries with the focus of teaching Chinese as a second language. As the majority of WuKong students' families share a common root in Asia, rural schools in Indonesia and Thailand were chosen to host reading corners with hundreds of new books.

Meanwhile, in New York, Massachusetts, and Washington State, four Asian American authors, Yobe Qiu, Serena Li, Vincent Yee, and Tracy Guan met over Zoom to plan the "Asian American Books, Everywhere All at Once" book drive. Inspired by the Oscar-winning movie "Everything Everywhere All at Once," the authors' goal was to send 500 books to 25 schools in the US. This is crucial, as less than 15% of books published feature an AAPI character.

Rebecca Deng, Head of Marketing for North America at WuKong Education, saw both great causes. "We wanted to do something to make it even bigger and better. I knew more schools would love to receive AAPI books," said Deng, who is a mother of two. With WuKong Education's matched donation, 1,500+ books will be donated to 100 schools during AAPI Heritage Month.

In addition, WuKong Education will support the Disney+ series "American Born Chinese," starring Daniel Wu who plays Sun Wukong. During the series' release in May, WuKong Education will give away Disney+ annual memberships to lucky WuKong students, allowing more children to see themselves as heroes in mainstream media. These activities demonstrate WuKong Education's values and social responsibility to the AAPI community, as well as provide all students with richer learning and cultural experiences.

Founded in New Zealand in 2016, WuKong Education was one of the first companies to enter the Chinese language online education field. In 2021, the company launched WuKong Math to help improve young learners' logical thinking, problem solving, and comprehensive mathematical abilities. As part of its seventh anniversary, WuKong Education plans to launch English Language Arts classes, as requested by its students, 88% of whom speak English as their first language. This summer, students will be able to take WuKong Chinese, WuKong Math, and WuKong English with WuKong's network of 3,000+ teachers.

SOURCE WuKong Education
The signs at the intersection of Heydar Aliyev and 8 November streets have been unveiled in Shusha.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their family members attended the unveiling ceremony, Azernews reports.

The President and the First Lady were informed of the works to be done in the streets.

Heydar Aliyev Street is 1,751 meters in length and 10-14 meters in width, while 8 November Street 2,912 meters in length and 10 meters in width.
Number of wounded due to shelling of Toretsk increases to nine people  PGO

The number of wounded as a result of enemy shelling of Toretsk, Donetsk region, has grown to nine people, there is a whole family among the victims, the Prosecutor Generals Office (PGO) reports.

"According to the investigation, on May 11, 2023, the troops of the Russian Federation, at about 13:00, fired from artillery at Toretsk. A 65-year-old local resident received a shrapnel wound. Two hours later, the Russian army again shelled this settlement. This time possibly from the multiple launch rocket system Smerch," the PGO said on the Telegram channel on Thursday.

It is noted that enemy shells hit the residential quarter. Five men and three women were injured, among the victims there is a family  parents and a son.

In addition, houses, outbuildings, garages and a car were damaged.

Under the procedural guidance of Donetsk regional prosecutor's office, a pretrial investigation was launched into criminal proceedings on the fact of violation of the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

As previously reported, the occupiers fired at Toretsk, as a result, six people were injured.
Interfax-Ukraine to host discussion 'What measures should be taken to contain consumer prices in Ukraine'

On Tuesday, May 16, at 14.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a discussion entitled "What measures should be taken to contain consumer prices in Ukraine." Participants include: economist, financial analyst Oleksiy Kusch; political expert Kostiantyn Matviyenko; political scientist, co-founder of the National Platform Resilience and Social Cohesion Oleh Saakyan (8/5a Reitarska Street). The event will be streamed on the Interfax-Ukraine YouTube channel. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot.
Patna, May 11 : A retired IPS officer in Bihar has hit out at political strategist Prashant Kishor for reportedly associating his name with the latter's 'Jan Suraaj Abhiyan' without his consent.

A. Rahman Momin, a native of Bhojpur who retired from the post of Inspector General of Police (IGP) and was a 2000 batch IPS officer, said: "I am having family responsibilities and I am taking care of it. I never joined any political party in my life. As far as Jan Suraaj is concerned, its members are approaching retired police officers like me but I did not go there to join Jan Suraaj. When I did not join Jan Suraaj, how could they include my name and also publish the same in newspapers. Such things are not acceptable." "I just returned from HAJ and as I am a Haji, I have no interest in politics. I am spending time with my family. I don't know how the team of Prashant Kishor included my name in Jan Suraaj without my permission. Such a thing is attributed to cheating with me. I condemn it," Monin added.

On May 7, it was announced by Kishor's team that 12 retired IPS officers are set to join the Jan Suraaj Abhiyan.

When contacted, an office bearer of the Abhiyan who is looking after the media affairs told IANS: "If the name has been included in it, it means he had given approval for joining the Jan Suraaj Abhiyan. We will clarify the issue by Thursday." Slamming Kishor over the development, JD-U MLC Neeraj Kumar said: "Prashant Kishor is fooling the youth of Bihar to gain political ground but this incident has exposed him and his Jan Suraaj Abhiyan. People of Bihar understand the nature of Prashant Kishor."
Patna, May 11 : A senior Health Department official in Bihar was seen threatening para-medical students with jail time.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when a group of para-medical students went to meet Pratyaya Amrit, Additional Chief Secretary, Health Department.

A purported video of the incident went viral on social media, in which Amrit was seen telling students to leave his office. "Agitate before me, (I) will send you to jail... Don't do drama before me. You don't have etiquette. Leave my room, I say," the official was seen telling the students.

Following this, a person in civil dress and one in uniform were seen forcing students to go out of the office.

Interestingly, the para-medical students earlier went to meet Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who also holds the Health Ministry portfolio. Yadav told them to submit their grievance to the Additional Chief Secretary.

The authenticity of the video could not be confirmed.

The students are saying: "Sir, we have genuine demand. All is in your hand. We are pleading before you with folded hands to address our issues. Agitation from May 10 is our compulsion." Students were seen saying sorry several times during the conversation.

Amrit could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts.
Washington, May 11 : US Congressman George Santos has pleaded not guilty to 13 criminal charges.

The not-guilty plea on Wednesday afternoon at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York, came hours after the unsealing of the indictment against Santos.

Santos, the US representative for New York's 3rd congressional district, has been charged with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the US House of Representatives.

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Santos, 34, said he will not resign from Congress and he plans on running for reelection.

The first-term Republican lawmaker called the indictment "a witch hunt", saying that he's going to "fight to defend myself." Breon Peace, US attorney for the eastern district of New York, stated in a statement that the "indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations".

"Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself," Peace said.

The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted of the charges, Santos faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the top counts.

Santos admitted to fabricating several aspects of his work history and education, following his election in the 2022 midterm elections of the US.
Jerusalem, May 11 : Tens of rockets were fired by Palestinian militants into Israel, in response, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched airstrikes against Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets in the Gaza Strip.

The exchange of fire came on early Wednesday evening just hours before a reported ceasefire is expected to come into effect.

The IDF said rockets were fired at several cities in southern and central Israel, including the country's financial hub Tel Aviv.

About 300 rockets were fired into Israel on Wednesday, according to the IDF, adding that at least 60 rockets were intercepted by air defense systems and tens of others failed to reach targets within Israel. The IDF also announced it struck at over 100 targets in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli emergency services said no injuries were reported during the afternoon barrage, with several people treated for anxiety.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held security consultations throughout Wednesday. Reports in several local media outlets suggested a ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza militants has been reached through Egyptian mediation. According to those reports, it will come into effect late Wednesday.

However, Netanyahu said his country's offensive against the Gaza Strip "is not over yet," despite media reports on an impending ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

He gave a televised address from the Israeli Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening, praising Israeli air defense systems managed to intercept many of the hundreds of rockets fired by Palestinian militants into Israel on Wednesday.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also gave an address, saying he hopes the operation will bring to an end soon.

The exchange of fire came after an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday in the Gaza Strip killed three senior PIJ leaders.

The Gaza-based joint chamber of military operations of Palestinian factions claimed responsibility for launching hundreds of missiles to Israel on Wednesday. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported 21 people were killed since Tuesday and 64 Palestinians injured.
Washington, May 11 : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has publicly expressed concerns over reports of China gathering DNA from Tibetans, making him the senior-most American official to raise the issue to date.

As the featured speaker at Freedom House's annual Freedom Awards on Wednesday, Blinken stated: "We're also concerned by reports of the spread of mass DNA collection to Tibet as an additional form of control and surveillance over the Tibetan population." In September 2022, Citizen Lab reported that Chinese police may have gathered about 920,000 to 1.2 million DNA samples in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), which spans around half of traditional Tibet, over the prior six years.

Those figures represent one-quarter to one-third of the region's total population.

That same month, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said China's authorities were systematically collecting DNA from residents of the TAR, including by taking blood from children as young as five without their parents' consent.

Blinken's statement met with an accusatory response from China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

However, the International Campaign for Tibet welcomed the Secretary's remarks.

"Throughout its brutal occupation of Tibet, China has used Tibet as a laboratory for relentless methods of social control, including this horrific campaign of mass DNA collection," said the ICT, an advocacy group based in Washington D.C. and Europe.

"The best way to protect Tibetans from China's authoritarian rule is to push for a peaceful resolution to China's illegal occupation of Tibet. The US can and must do that by passing the bipartisan Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act that is currently in both Houses of Congress." According to Citizen Lab, China's DNA collection program is unrelated to criminal justice.

"Our analysis indicates that for years police across Tibet have collected DNA samples from men, women, and children, none of whom appear to be criminal suspects," Citizen Lab says in its report.

Police are also not targeting specific groups like activists or government critics. Instead, they are collecting DNA from entire communities.

Similarly, the HRW said in its report that, "there is no publicly available evidence suggesting people can decline to participate" in the DNA collection, "or that police have credible evidence of criminal conduct that might warrant such collection".

At a press briefing on Wednesday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin responded to a question about Blinken's remarks by claiming they "mean nothing except manufacturing sensational news items".

Wang then accused the US military of collecting genomic data of Chinese, Arabs and "European Aryans".

China has illegally occupied Tibet for over 60 years, forcing the Dalai Lama into exile in 1959.

Earlier this year, Democrats and Republicans in both chambers of Congress reintroduced a bill that can help peacefully resolve the occupation.

The Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act will pressure China to resume negotiations with the Dalai Lama's envoys for the first time since dialogue between the two sides stalled in 2010.

The legislation will recognize that Tibetans have the right to self-determination and that Tibet's legal status is yet to be determined under international law.
Kabul, May 11 : The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned of a large-scale outbreak of the Moroccan locust across eight provinces in Afghanistan, the country's 'wheat basket'.

The sightings of locust at different development stages have been made in Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz, Samangan, Sar-e-Pul and Takhar, with fresh reports coming in from Herat and Ghor provinces.

"The reports of Moroccan locust outbreak in Afghanistan's wheat basket is a huge concern. The Moroccan locust eats more than 150 species of plants, including tree crops, pastures and 50 food crops, all of which grow in Afghanistan. It represents an enormous threat to farmers, communities and the entire country," said Richard Trenchard, the FAO Representative in Afghanistan.

"The last two big outbreaks, 20 and 40 years ago, cost Afghanistan an estimated eight and 25 per cent of its total annual wheat production. Harvest forecasts this year are the best we have seen for the last three years -- but this outbreak threatens to destroy all these recent gains and dramatically worsen the food insecurity situation later this year and into next year," Trenchard added.

The Moroccan locust is ranked among the most economically damaging plant pests anywhere in the world. A full outbreak this year could result in crop losses ranging from 700,000 to 1.2 million metric tonnes of wheat -- up to a quarter of the total annual harvest.

This translates to between $280 million and $480 million in economic loss -- as of today's prices in the country.

North and Northeast regions of Afghanistan are prone to Moroccan locust outbreaks.

This year has seen "perfect" conditions for a locust outbreak: drought, over-grazing, very limited locust control and just the right amount of rainfall in March and April for locusts (approximately 100 mm). These conditions created the ideal environment for locusts to hatch and swarm.

In these parts of Afghanistan, Moroccan locust lays eggs between May and June, depending on environmental conditions, in hilly and rangeland areas. The young locusts hatch from the egg-pods the following year in late March and start feeding on surrounding grasses.

This year the hatching started earlier than usual.

"The alarm bells rang late, but FAO, its incredible NGO partners, local communities and local authorities sprang into immediate action," said Trenchard.

"Chemical supplies were low across the country so we were forced to focus on traditional amechanical control' methods to reduce the impact of the outbreak."
Prayagraj : , May 11 (IANS) The Allahabad High Court will review the acquittal of 39 accused persons in the 1987 Maliana massacre in Meerut district in which 72 people were killed by a mob, allegedly including the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel.

The high court has summoned the lower court's records related to the acquittal of 39 accused.

Hearing a criminal appeal filed by a survivor of the killings, Rais Ahmad, a division bench comprising Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Manish Kumar Nigam said, "Summon the lower court record. List this case on August 14, 2023." Rais had challenged the verdict of the sessions court of Meerut district that had acquitted all 39 accused in the case on March 31 this year for lack of evidence.

It may be recalled that on May 23, 1987, riots broke out in Maliana following clashes in neighbouring Hashimpura the previous day.

In the violence in Maliana, 72 people were killed, while in Hashimpura, 42 lost their lives.

According to the victims' lawyer, hundreds of locals accompanied by a huge contingent of PAC had entered Maliana with guns and swords. All five entry points of the locality were allegedly blocked, and the massacre followed.

Yakub Ali, a local, filed a case against 93 people on May 24 that year. Out of 93 accused, 23 died in the past 36 years of trial and 31 "could not be traced".

A day before the Maliana carnage, 42 Muslims were allegedly rounded up by the PAC personnel in Hashimpura area of Meerut, taken to Upper Ganga canal at Muradnagar in Ghaziabad, shot and thrown into the water body.

A Delhi court had convicted 16 ex-PAC men in 2018.

However, over 36 years and 900 hearings later, Meerut's additional district and sessions judge Lakhwinder Sood on March 31, acquitted all 39 accused in the Maliana massacre case.

"There were several reasons spelt out for the acquittal. First, the police had not conducted an identification parade of the accused. Secondly, the cops had allegedly put 93 random names from the voter list, including those who had died years prior to the carnage. Then, no weapon was recovered from the site," additional district counsel Sachin Mohan had told reporters after the Meerut court verdict.

Ten witnesses, including the plaintiff, testified in the court, but the prosecution was not successful in proving the case against the accused on the basis of sufficient evidence, he added.
Kyiv, Ukraine, May 11, 2023 Maple Hope Foundation, a registered Canadian non-profit organization, today announced the delivery of a generous donation of 30 Thornhill Medical life-support systems, MOVES SLC, for immediate use in Ukraine by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, as part of Maple Hopes Medical Relief Initiative.

The medical equipment was donated to Maple Hope Foundation by the Government of Canada. As part of Maple Hope Foundations deployment of the donation in Ukraine, Thornhill Medical is contributing technology training to military anesthesiologists, along with medical accessories and consumables. The casualty care portable life-support system will be utilized by forward medical personnel for casualty and patient care, transport of patients by land and air, and in other critical care environments.

Thornhill Medicals MOVES SLC is a micro-integrated life support system, which was designed for the provision of medical care in conflict and disaster-stricken zones. The portable, battery-operated system which is both lightweight and rugged, combines an oxygen concentrator, a unique O2-conserving ventilator, suction, and complete patient monitoring into a single, compact, system.

Medical experts at Maple Hope Foundation and in Ukraine have expressed their gratitude for this new donation of the proven technology, emphasizing its dire need. The MOVES SLC has been in use in Ukraine by civilian and military medical personnel since 2022; and there is great demand for additional systems.

Quotes: "Doctors of our center highly appreciate the capabilities and functionality of the MOVES SL life support system in working with the wounded. We used this system for evacuation, transportation of the seriously injured, and when performing additional research methods (CT).

This module was used by doctors to transport the wounded both by ground and air transport. The MOVES SLS system turned out to be quite compact, convenient and easy to use, protected from damage due to the metal case. 3, with its help, monitoring of patients' vital functions and adequate artificial ventilation of the wounded's lungs was fully ensured. The presence of an oxygen generator in the system additionally expands the capabilities of the device, which will greatly facilitate the work of doctors.

A powerful battery allows patients to be transported over long distances without the need for on-board power. The use of the tablet allowed the staff to quickly change the necessary parameters and monitor the indicators. The use of the MADM system effectively provides sedation of the wounded during transportation The MOVES SLC life support module is a highly effective and practical means of saving the lives of the wounded during military operations in Ukraine in 2022. It is modern, high-tech equipment that is extremely necessary to save the lives of the wounded in the conditions of Ukraine's war with the Russian Federation."

Oleksandr Oleksandrovich Bugai, Deputy Commander of the Medical Forces, Chief Anesthesiologist of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Maple Hope Foundation expresses tremendous pride in its contribution to the delivery of cutting-edge medical equipment that will undoubtedly have a significant impact in emergency medical situations. This new capability will empower front line Ukrainian medical teams to save more lives and dramatically improve medical outcomes for casualties. The Foundation remains fully committed to its mission of providing much-needed medical support, and this latest initiative marks a significant step towards achieving that goal.

Dr. Irina Chorny, Chief Medical Advisor of the "Maple Hope" Foundation

Thornhill Medical is pleased to continue its support to Ukraines front-line military and civilian medical providers as they treat life-threatening injuries and to help Maple Hope Foundation deliver medical humanitarian relief to those in Ukraine.

Lesley Gouldie, CEO, Thornhill Medical

About Maple Hope Foundation: Maple Hope Foundation is a registered Canadian non-profit organization providing humanitarian relief to Ukraine since 2014. The organization's mission is to provide Ukrainians relief from the impacts of war by delivering direct humanitarian aid to Ukraine and assisting displaced Ukrainians arriving in Canada. Since Russias invasion in 2022, the organization provided $8.7 million worth of humanitarian aid.

About Thornhill Medical: Thornhill Medicals ground-breaking products are designed to be used globally by emergency health care providers, humanitarian and military medical teams. Thornhills oxygen-focused research and applications are transforming patient care in extreme circumstances, while inspiring and enabling other new technologies to unlock vital life-saving solutions. Thornhill Medicals innovations are in 19+ countries including in Ukraine. With a team committed to courage, collaboration and saving lives, Thornhill Medical leads the way in the nimble and precision-focused field of medical technologies.

For more information, please contact:

Olivia Chorny

Maple Hope Foundation (Vancouver)

olivia.chorny@maplehopefoundation.org

Tel: +1 (604) 716 1135

Kathleen Powderley

Thornhill Medical

kathleen@responsiblecomm.ca

Tel: +1 (416) 803-5597
Prayagraj : , May 11 (IANS) The Allahabad High Court has dismissed the bail application of former MLA Uday Bhan Karwariya, ex-MLC Surya Bhan Karwariya, ex-MP Kapil Muni Karwariya and another person in the 1996 murder case of Jawahar Yadav Pandit, a former Samajwadi Party MLA.

Justice Salil Kumar Rai and Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal rejected the bail application of the convicts filed in their criminal appeals, challenging their conviction in the murder case.

The plea of the appellants was that the Prayagraj sessions judge, while passing the conviction order, had failed to consider the serious inconsistency in the statements of prosecution witnesses and the prosecution had failed to prove its case against the appellants beyond reasonable doubt.

"Also, the plea of alibi of the appellants was not considered though they had produced witnesses in support thereof that they were present at some other place at the time of incident," the appellants' counsel argued.

The court observed, "Contention of the appellants that the plea of alibi was not considered though they have produced defence witnesses in support thereof, is also unfounded because once the incident is proved by eyewitnesses and the defence could not impeach the credibility of the eyewitnesses during cross-examination, the plea of alibi cannot be accepted." It may be recalled that in August 1996, Jawahar Yadav, then a SP MLA, was sprayed with bullets in Civil Lines in Prayagraj, then Allahabad, with AK-47s. He died on the spot.

Twenty-three years later on October 31, 2019 the district court convicted former MP Kapil Muni Karwariya, former MLA Udaybhan Karwariya, Suraj Bhan Karwariya in the murder case of Jawahar Yadav.
New Delhi, May 11 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned NCP leader Jayant Patil for questioning in connection with a case pertaining to alleged irregularities related to Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS).

According to sources, the Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president has been asked to join the probe on Friday by 10 a.m.

The (ED) on Wednesday raided the premises of IL&FS.

Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), Mumbai, had lodged a case against IL&FS Group of Companies and their key managerial personnel for alleged financial irregularities.

The Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had also lodged an FIR against the firm.

In 2019, the ED lodged a case of PMLA against IL&FS on the basis of the EOW's FIR and SFIO's complaint.

The ED has learnt in the investigation that the Statutory Audit of IL&FS was made by Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP for the period from FY 2008-09 to 2017-18 and by BSR & Associates for the period FY 2017-18.

In 2018, the IL&FS moved for bankruptcy. The ED has as of now attached some assets belonging to different firms in this matter.

The ED had in 2020 questioned MNS chief Raj Thackeray in this matter for the loan given to Kohinoor Construction.
New Delhi, May 11 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was on Thursday conducting raids at 11 places in four districts of Jammu and Kashmir in connection with a terror funding case.

According to sources, the raids were being conducted in Badgam, Baramulla, Pulwama and Kupwara districts.

The NIA teams are accompanied by the local police and CRPF personnel.

The sources said that the agency was examining a number of incriminating documents and was also questioning a few suspects.

The raids started this morning and are currently going on.

As of now the NIA official has not commented on the matter officially.

Further details were awaited
Chennai, May 11 : The 27-run win against Delhi Capitals took Chennai Super Kings to 15 points, moving them one point adrift of table-toppers Gujarat Titans, but what was more pleasing for Chennai Super Kings skipper M.S. Dhoni was the fact that his key allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali got the chance to be in the middle for a longer duration in Match No 55 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

Jadeja faced 16 deliveries in the middle and scored 21 runs while Moeen Ali batted at No.3 and faced 12 balls, scoring 12 runs as CSK rode on crucial contributions by Shivam Dube (25) and Ambati Rayudu (23) and a final flourish by Dhoni (20 off 9) to post 167/8. Both usually do not get to face a lot of deliveries as theycome down the order.

Jadeja (1-19 off 4) and Moeen Ali (0-16 off 4) stifled the opposition in the middle overs even as Matheesha Parthirana (3-37) and Deepak Chahar (2-28) restricted the Delhi Capitals 140/8 in 20 overs and helped the hosts to a 27-run win on Wednesday night. Jadeja was adjudged Player of the Match for his allround effort.

Dhoni said Jadeja and Ali getting to face a few deliveries in the middle was a good thing going into the final phase of the preliminary league of IPL 2023.

"Good thing is, Moeen and Jaddu got to bat. As we get closer to the last phase, everyone has a few deliveries under their belt. We need to be happy with our batting," said Dhoni on Wednesday during the post-match presentation ceremony.

Dhoni said his spinners got a lot of help as the pitch turned more in the second half.

"It turned more in the second half. Our spinners use a lot more seam than some of the other bowlers. We did not know what's a par score. That's why I wanted the bowlers to bowl their best deliveries but not look for wickets every delivery. That's when you start not bowling well. I felt 166-170 was a good score," said Dhoni.

Chennai now have two more matches remaining in the preliminary round -- the first at MA Chidambaram Stadium against Kolkata Knight Riders and the return clash with Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

Latest updates on IPL 2023

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Gaza, May 11 : A fresh Israeli airstrike on an apartment in the Gaza Strip on Thursday killed a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militant group, according to sources.

Palestinian security officials confirmed that Ali Hassan Ghali, the head of the PIJ's missile unit, was killed after two Israeli suicide drones attacked his apartment in the Hamad Residential City, near Khan Younis, reports Xinhua news agency.

The officials said that his brother Mahmoud Ghali and their nephew Mahmoud Mansour, who were also in the apartment, were killed in the drone attack.

Palestinian medics at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said that three Palestinians were brought dead to the hospital and 15 were injured following the strikes.

Al-Quds Brigades, the PIJ armed wing, confirmed the development, calling the Israeli airstrikes "a treacherous Zionist assassination operation".

Israel's military also confirmed that it had targeted Ghali and what it called two "other PIJ operatives in Gaza".

They described the commander as a central figure in the PIJ who had been "responsible for the recent rocket barrages launched against Israel".

The latest attacks came two days after Israeli drones and fighter jets carried out simultaneous airstrikes on several buildings in the Gaza Strip, killing three senior PIJ members.

On Wednesday, efforts taken by the mediators Egypt, Qatar and the UN failed to reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the PIJ to end the latest escalation, which has so far killed 24 people dead and injured more than 70 others.

On Wednesday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the country campaign was not over, reports the BBC.

"We have hit Islamic Jihad with the most significant blow it has ever suffered," he said, referring to the killing of the three PIJ commanders on Tuesday.

The PIJ is the second biggest militant group in Gaza after Hamas, and has been responsible for many of the rocket attacks on Israel in recent years.

This week's airstrikes were the deadliest since three days of hostilities between Israel and PIJ last August, in which 49 Palestinians were killed in Gaza.

PIJ and other groups fired more than 100 rockets into Israel over two days last week, following the death in an Israeli prison of a Palestinian hunger striker.

The Israeli military carried out airstrikes on sites it said were linked to Hamas in response.

Tensions also remained high in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, after Israel carried out arrest raids.

Two Palestinians were killed in the town of Qabatiya by Israeli forces, who said the pair had fired at them.

An Israeli soldier was also seriously wounded during a separate exchange of fire with Palestinian gunmen in Tubas.
Amaravati, May 11 : Veteran South Indian actor Suman Talwar has said that he will enter active politics.

The actor announced at a programme in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh that in Telangana he would support Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

He did not say which party he would back in Andhra Pradesh but indications are that he will rejoin the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Suman had taken interest in politics by joining TDP in 1999 in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh. After he did not get any recognition in the party, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2004. As he did not get any key role in the BJP, he had kept himself away from politics.

Suman had recently defended Tamil superstar Rajinikanth over his remarks made at birth centenary celebrations of legendary actor and former chief minister N. T. Rama Rao at Vijayawada.

Rajinikanth's speech in which he had praised TDP president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had evoked strong reaction from ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).

Suman had stated that there was nothing wrong in Rajinikanth's speech as he did not criticise any party and leader. The actor said the superstar spoke truth about Chandrababu Naidu. He pointed out that Naidu played a key role in the transformation of Hyderabad and the city's development as an information technology hub.

Suman had also remarked that ups and downs are common in politics. He also commented that some mistakes happened during Chandrababu Naidu's rule.

Suman has acted in 700 movies in 10 languages in a career spanning 45 years. The 63-year-old is mainly known for his work in Telugu and Tamil films.
Quito, May 11 : Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso will appear before the National Assembly to defend himself in an impeachment trial for alleged embezzlement, Government Minister Henry Cucalon announced.

"The head of state will go to the National Assembly to defend his position and prove the truth," Xinhua news agency quoted Cucalon as saying to the local media on Wednesday.

"The President has not committed embezzlement. So far, they have not been able to prove it because the evidence does not exist," he said.

On Tuesday, the Assembly voted to hold the trial following opposition charges that Lasso embezzled public funds from a public-private sector contract for transporting crude oil.

Lasso, who will complete two years in office in two weeks, could be ousted with the votes of two-thirds of the 137-member National Assembly, or 92 lawmakers.

According to the opposition parties, Lasso was accused of ignoring alleged embezzlement in relation to a contract between state-owned company Flota Petrolera Ecuatoriana and the private company Amazonas Tanker, resulting in a loss for the state.

The President has denied the accusations, saying that his government had made profitable changes to the deal, which was signed long before he took office.

This marks the first time in 44 years that an Ecuadorian President has faced a possible impeachment by the National Assembly.
New Delhi, May 11 : The US-based investment management company Vanguard has slashed ride-hailing firm Ola's valuation by 35 per cent amid global macroeconomic conditions, reducing its worth to about $4.8 billion.

According to a report in TechCrunch, Vanguard cut the valuation of Ani Technologies, Ola's holding firm, by 35 per cent and disclosed this in its report to investors.

"It reduced the holding of its Ola shares to $33.8 million from the $51.7 million purchase price, according to an analysis of its filings," the report noted.

Ola was valued at $7.3 billion at the close of 2021 and at $5.7 billion in a private funding round in January 2019.

The company did not comment on the report.

Ola's losses accumulated to Rs 17,453 crore as revenue shrank 63 per cent in FY21.

The company lost Rs 328 crore on its ride-hailing business and Rs 653.5 crore on the cab-leasing segment during FY21, according to reports.

In January this year, the ride-hailing major started to lay off 200 employees from its Ola Cabs, Ola Electric and Ola Financial Services verticals as part of the "restructuring" exercise.

The company had told IANS it was "centralising operations and is undertaking a restructuring exercise to minimise redundancy and build a strong lateral structure that strengthens relevant roles and functions".

Earlier, restructuring exercises impacted employees across product, marketing, sales, supply, tech, business, and operations verticals at the company, affecting nearly 500 employees that "were a result of restructuring in the cars and dash businesses".

The ride-hailing major had shut down its used vehicle business Ola Cars, as well as its quick-commerce business, Ola Dash, as the company shifted focus on its electric two-wheeler and car verticals.
New York, May 11 : The family members of a 33 year-old Indian-American woman, who was allegedly shot at and killed by her husband last month, are raising money to help prevent gun violence.

Nabaruna Karmakar, an engineer by profession, was found with two gunshot wounds after officers arrived at her home in Morrisville, North Carolina, responding to a 911 call, police said.

Karmakar's husband Michael Aaron Matthews, who placed the 911 call to report a purported double suicide, was been arrested and charged for shooting and killing his wife at their home on April 14.

Despite the report of a double suicide, Karmakar was the only person hit by gunfire at the scene, and police believe she was murdered, the People reported.

The fundraiser set up by the victim's family has so far raised close to $10,882.

"We are all deeply saddened by the death of Nabaruna Karmakar, a beautiful girl with a smart mind whose life was claimed by gun violence. Hoping there will be no more victims, Naba's family is raising money to benefit Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund," the GoFundMe page read.

Formed in 2013, the non-profit organization advocates for gun violence prevention, according to its website.

Indians working and living in the US have not been spared from the scourge of gun violence, with Aishwarya Thatikonda from Telangana being the latest victim.

The first four months of gun violence in 2023 as of May 1, saw 5,971 deaths, 11,035 injuries, 184 mass shootings and 290 children shot, according to the non-profit Gun Violence Archive.

Prior to her death, Karmakar worked in research at the SAS Institute and earned master's and doctorate degrees in industrial engineering from North Carolina State University, the People reported.

The motive for the murder is yet to be ascertained with police officials carrying out further investigations into the case.

Matthews appeared before a court on April 17 where the judge announced that he would remain locked up without bond for the time being.

If convicted of the murder, Matthews could face the death penalty or life in prison.
Kolkata, May 11 : In the backdrop of increasing cases in West Bengal, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was conducting a review of its manpower in the state and identify areas where additional staff is required.

Sources said that currently two units of CBI are operational in West Bengal, the first being the anti-corruption wing (ACB), which is conducting the probes in different alleged financial scams in areas of recruitment in state-run schools, cattle smuggling and coal smuggling, among others. The ACB operates from CBI's Nizam Palace in central Kolkata.

The second unit of CBI is that of the special crime branch (SCB), which is handling the post-poll violence cases in West Bengal, and it operates from the agency's office at Central Government Office (CGO) complex at Salt Lake in the northern outskirts of Kolkata.

Sources said that during the recent visit of CBI's additional director Ajay Bhatnagar to Kolkata, the agency's officials highlighted the problem of manpower crunch at its Kolkata offices, especially in ACB in the backdrop of the rising number of cases.

Sources said that Bhatnagar at that point of time assured that officers from other states will be deputed to West Bengal shortly to speed the process of investigation. In view of that the current manpower review is on to identify the areas where additional manpower is required and also the rank- basis requirements in those areas.

Preliminary estimates in the review suggest that the requirement of additional manpower is about 100 in the ranks of deputy superintendent, inspector and sub-inspectors. It is learnt that Bhatnagar has assured his junior colleagues with some immediate reinforcements and the remaining will be done on the basis of the requirements as per the manpower review.

Recently, CBI had faced the wrath of the judges in a number of cases over their slow pace investigation in different cases, especially the one related to a scam on recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff. In fact, the CBI teams investigating the scam had also been insisting on addition in manpower considering that the names of more influential persons are surfacing during the course of investigation.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. A genius personality, great leader Heydar Aliyev made an invaluable contribution to the formation and development of Azerbaijan's relations with the UN, Head of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Office in the country Farid Babayev said, Trend reports.

Babayev made the remark during an event on the "Role of Heydar Aliyev in implementation of UN development projects in Azerbaijan".

"During the leadership of Heydar Aliyev, important areas of activity were identified in the implementation of UN development initiatives and measures were taken to establish closer ties between Azerbaijan and the countries of the world, development in the humanitarian and economic spheres, the UNFPA representative reminded.

According to him, thanks to the social policy of Heydar Aliyev as the leader of the country, and the development processes that began under his leadership, Azerbaijan demonstrates brilliant development indicators in this and many other socio-economic areas.

Besides, Babayev noted that the UNFPA, which has been operating in Azerbaijan for more than 30 years, also provided its support to this development.

"Back in September 1994, Azerbaijan took part in the Population and Development conference held in Cairo, the most influential international platform in the field of population and demography, he said. The document adopted as a result of this conference is considered the main global framework guiding the activities of the UNFPA for the subsequent period.

He further noted that over the past almost 30 years, UNFPA activities in Azerbaijan also broadly meant to support the government in addressing the challenges arising from this framework in the national context.

Indicators related to the population and its structure are the main elements of the security of each country. This is also important in terms of issues such as the preservation of the gene pool of the people, migration and demography, Babayev explained.

The concept of national development of Azerbaijan, adopted during the leadership of Heydar Aliyev, is based on the social factor - all the goals set and the measures taken ultimately created the conditions for the welfare of the population, strengthening social protection, and developing human capital, he added.

UNFPA started its assistance to the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1994 to address the reproductive health concerns of the population. UNFPA established its full-fledged Country Office in Azerbaijan in 1996 and expanded its operations trough the standalone projects aimed at further expanding access to quality family planning and reproductive health services, as well as increased availability of population data.
New Delhi, May 11 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested a third accused in the Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.

According to sources, the third accused has been identified as Pappu Dhillo, a liquor businessman.

Earlier, in the day, the ED had arrested one Nitesh Purohit.

Both will be produced before a Special PMLA Court later in the day. The ED is all set to seek their custodial remand.

The ED had on Monday said Anwar Dhebar, the brother of Raipur Mayor Ajaz Dhebar, is the kingpin in the liquor scam.

Anwar is currently in the custody of the ED. He was caught while trying to flee from the backdoor of a hotel in the early hours of May 6.

The ED alleged that Anwar was the main collection agent and frontman of this syndicate. He was allegedly extorting Rs 75 per case as commission from liquor businessmen.

The ED said that its investigation has established that in order to decide the quantum of commission on the sale of country liquor, a meeting was called by Anwar in March 2019, which was attended by the liquor businessmen where the distillers were asked to pay Rs 75 per case commission against its procurement by CSMCL. In return Anwar promised to raise their landing rates proportionately.

This system was agreed upon and the syndicate started collecting a huge amount of commission on the sale of accounted liquor cases. Each liquor case was purchased by MD CSMCL only, hence, all the data was always available and till the commission was not paid, the dues of the distillers were not cleared.

The commission was reportedly shared with a political party by Anwar. Also, this commission was paid by the distillers from the enhanced landing rate received by them.

"This was a pre-planned agreement. Hence, in a way the entire commission of PART-A has been sponsored by the Chhattisgarh state exchequer," the ED alleged.

"Anwar is a strongman and one of his brothers is accused in a murder case being investigated by the CBI. Anwar ran the entire syndicate on the ground as per instructions from the higher powers," the ED alleged in the remand paper accessed by IANS.

The ED has alleged a criminal syndicate was operating in Chhattisgarh which indulged in the collection of bribes by controlling the government departments.

The ED has further alleged that this syndicate comprised senior state government officials, private persons and political executives of the state government.

"Anil Tuteja IAS, the joint secretary in the Department of Industry and Commerce, was managing the affairs and was the kingpin of this illegal syndicate along with Anwar Dhebar. They had close proximity to the political executive and were misusing them. They were running systematic extortion and corruption, particularly in the rich excise department," read the ED's documents accessed by IANS.

The ED sources said that their probe has established that massive corruption was taking place in the excise department and hundreds of crores of Rupees in cash was being collected from every possible point of access in a distributed hierarchical manner.

"Multiple individuals were involved in the illegal sale of alcohol in Chhattisgarh. At each stage of the illegal sale, a small percentage of the funds was taken by those involved in that stage as their payment, and the rest of the funds were sent to Anwar Dhebar, the main accused. The syndicate, after keeping its cut, passed on the final loot for the benefit of the political executives and for electioneering. This loot has caused a massive loss to the state exchequer and loss of central government taxes, and general loot from the local business community," the source said.

"Liquor is a state subject and it is the duty of the state government to regulate its demand and supply for the purpose of public health and revenue generation. As per the findings of the I-T department, large amounts of bribes were being collected by the criminal syndicate from liquor suppliers. Money was also gathered from other departments like the food department," the ED paper read.
New Delhi, May 11 : The body of a man was found hanging from a tree in north Delhi's Civil Lines area, a police official said on Thursday.

The 22-year-old deceased was identified as Rahul, a resident of the Khyber Pass locality in Civil Lines.

The Civil Lines police station received a call on Thursday morning about a man's body hanging from a tree, following which a police team immediately rushed to the spot.

"At the location, Rahul, who worked as labourer, was discovered hanging from a tree using a cable wire. The district crime team, FSL team, and FSL Rohini have visited the scene, and action under section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) is being initiated," the official added.
New Delhi, May 11 : The Supreme Court on Thursday said that had Uddhav Thackeray refrained from resigning as the chief minister of Maharashtra, the court could have reinstated him, but the court cannot quash a resignation. The top court also held that the Governor erred in concluding that Uddhav Thackeray had lost the majority in the House.

A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said the court cannot quash the resignation submitted by Thackrey.

The bench made it clear that had Thackeray refrained from resigning, it could have reinstated him, but the court can't quash a resignation.

The bench noted that the petitioners argued for restoring the status quo ante, however, Thackeray did not face the floor test.

The top court held that the Maharashtra Governor erred in concluding that Uddhav Thackeray had lost the majority in the House.

The bench said the lack of security to MLAs (Eknath Shinde faction) is not a reason to conclude that a government has fallen and it was nothing, but an extraneous reason to be relied upon by the Governor.

The top court said the Governor had no objective material to doubt the confidence of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and to call for a floor test.

The bench noted that Devendra Fadanvis and independent MLAs also didn't move a no confidence motion and the Governor's exercise of discretion was not in accordance with the law.

The bench said neither the Constitution nor the law empowers the Governor to enter the political arena and play a role either in inter-party or intra-party disputes.

The top court pronounced its judgment on the political crisis in Maharashtra in connection with the rebellion by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and other MLAs, leading to the fall of Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray.
New Delhi, May 11 : A blue notice has been issued against the US-based gangster, Harjot Singh on the basis of a request by NIA, sources said on Thursday.

The notice was issued last month. The blue notice is often issued to collect additional information about a criminal.

The NIA has already issued a look out circulars against Amrik Singh and Mandeep Singh hiding in Philippines; Satnam Singh alias Satta, a member of Jagdeep Singh alias Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang hiding in Greece; and a few more gangsters who are reportedly hiding in these three countries.

The NIA wants to identify their exact location to initiate the extradition proceedings. The Special NIA court in Delhi had issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against them due to their non appearances in the matter.

The case involves Khalistani outfits like Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), along with north India-based gangsters. They are suspected of being involved in terror attacks, arms and drug smuggling from Pakistan using drones, targeted assassinations, and extorting money from industrialists, businessmen, and professionals.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 11 : The Kerala Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday demanded naming of the proposed Hospital Protection Act after Vandana Das - the young doctor who was murdered by a drug addict, while on duty.

The 22-year-old house surgeon was stabbed to death by a 42-year-old drug-addict patient, who was brought to a hospital in Kottarakara around 4 a.m on Wednesday morning, where she was on duty.

The suspended school teacher Sandeep, was brought to the hospital by police after he created a ruckus in his house during which he injured himself.

Sandeep attacked five persons, including police officials, but the surgical knife that he used in a fit of rage killed Vandana.

Despite being rushed to a premier hospital in the state capital city about 70 kms from the place of the incident, she succumbed to her injuries.

Angry medical professionals attached to the various associations took to the streets and this morning Kerala president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Dr Sulphi Noohu came out with a passionate plea regarding naming of the proposed law.

"Even though the practice of naming a law after individuals does not exist in Kerala, it's there in other states, hence our request is this proposed law should be named after our dear Vandana. Things change when people die, but here it should change as our Vandana was murdered and precedence and conventions should be given the go by," said Noohu.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held talks with IMA officials as they are on a strike across the state against the murder.

"The Chief Minister heard us and our grievances and there is going to be another meeting called by him later today when the entire health department will take part . At the moment our protest stands," said Noohu.
Rome, May 11 : Tourism in Italy this year is set to smash record levels set before the coronavirus pandemic, new data showed, putting the sector's recovery ahead of pace in Europe as a whole.

Provisional data from the start of the year shows a dramatic improvement in the sector compared to the same period a year earlier, Sandro Cruciani from Italy's National Statistics Institute (ISTAT) told Parliament.

Cruciani told the Chamber of Deputies that the number of overnight stays by tourists in January and February was up more than 45 per cent compared to same period a year ago, with a larger increase in foreign tourists (more than 70 per cent) than domestic travellers (29 per cent).

"If the data for the coming months confirms this trend, it will be possible to see a full recovery and even to exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2023," Cruciani said.

The last full year before the pandemic, 2019, was a record year for Italian tourism.

The prediction that 2023 will overtake 2019 "must push us to do more and more, intervening to favour policies of seasonal adjustment and overcome the phenomenon of over-tourism", said Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche after Cruciani's speech.

Tourism represents a major element of the Italian economy, accounting for around 13 per cent of its gross domestic product in 2019.

The country was Europe's third leading tourism market that year, behind only France and Spain in total tourism arrivals.

The crash of the tourism sector due to the pandemic contributed to a 9.04 per cent contraction of the Italian economy in 2020, the year that bore the greatest brunt of Covid-19.

The sector then began a slow recovery in 2021, ISTAT said, followed by a large increase so far in 2023.

However, the tourism sector in the rest of Europe is recovering more slowly.

A report from the European Travel Commission (ETC) shows international tourist arrivals in Europe as a whole were around 18 per cent below the 2019 level through this year as a fourth of destinations covered by the ETC report recorded arrivals more than 10 per cent below 2019 levels.

The ETC says the war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2022, "continues to hinder travel sector recovery in Northern and Eastern European destinations".
New Delhi, May 11 : Mumbai-based drug maker TechInvention Lifecare has launched an oral cholera vaccine in India, in partnership with South Korean Eubiologics, following its successful phase III clinical trial, the company announced on Thursday.

"Euvichol-Plus is the world's first and only oral cholera vaccine that comes in a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unidose pack in India," the company said in a statement.

The LDPE unidose pack of Euvichol-Plus is not only easy and safe to use, but it also reduces the issues pertaining to conventional glass vials in terms of breakage, storage, transportation, distribution, waste management, and facilitates delivery in emergency situations and humanitarian crises in campaign mode.

Cholera remains a major global public health threat, and there has also been an alarming resurgence of cases in susceptible countries globally amidst the stoppage in production of one of the only two cholera vaccines.

The company has received "marketing authorisation by the Indian FDA after a stringent evaluation process" Syed Ahmed, TechInvention Founder and CEO, told IANS.

"The first vaccine for cholera in India was Shanchol being manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur, which stopped manufacturing recently. This makes Euvichol Plus the only WHO prequalified vaccine that's being consistently supplied to UN healthcare agencies and low and middle income countries all across.

"Given the situation, we will work with Eubiologics to enable consistent and adequate supplies in India in spite of the global shortages," he said.

Eubiologics has, to date, provided around 110 million doses of the Euvichol-Plus vaccine from 2018 to 2023 in around 32 countries through UNICEF.

India features at the top of the list of cholera-endemic countries, with an estimated incidence rate of 1.64 per 1,000 people. In India, estimates show that 400 million people are at risk of cholera, with an estimated 6,751,888 cases and 20,256 (3 per cent) deaths annually. From 2011 to 2020, 565 outbreaks were reported in India that led to 45,759 cases and 263 deaths.

"We wish to contribute to the national initiatives along the lines of WHO's 'Ending Cholera: A Global Roadmap by 2030'. TechInvention has two more vaccines in late-stage clinical development and regulatory approval in India, while there are more on the anvil," Ahmed said in the statement.

Ahmad told IANS that Euvichol-Plus "is a liquid formulation of oral cholera vaccine containing O1 and O139 of Vibrio cholerae inactivated by heat or formalin and fulfils WHO requirements for cholera vaccine. The bacterial cells are inactivated with either formalin or heat. Being bivalent inactivated the vaccine is safe and immunogenic".

The vaccine targets "all age groups of one year and above", he added.

The phase III, open-label, multicenter, parallel-group, randomised clinical study compared the immunogenicity and safety of Euvichol-Plus with Shanchol (Sanofi Pasteur) in healthy Indian adults and children and showed a positive result.

For the study, the company also collaborated with the ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NCED), for the bioanalytical testing. Clinical trials have been conducted as per the ICH-GCP guidelines and clinical study report approved by the Indian FDA post the subject expert committee meeting, Ahmed said.

While the company did not disclose the price, it said that the discussion is ongoing "with the government and private procurement bodies" for "a price that is affordable and in the interest of public health".

"We are happy to have collaborated with TechInvention and to bring our WHO-prequalified cholera vaccine, Euvichol-Plus, in a unidose pack to India. We hope to make a difference in the lives of Indian children and contribute to the reduction of disease prevalence by increasing vaccine coverage wherever it is needed," said Eubiologics CEO Yeong-Ok Baik, in the statement.
Washington, May 11 : Thousands of American troops are being deployed along the US-Mexico border, facing a chaotic surge of migrants as Title 42, a public health policy that allowed the swift expulsion migrants during the Covid-19 pandemic, is set to come to an end on Thursday.

The Title 42 policy, introduced in March 2020 by the administration of former President Donald Trump, will end at 11.59 p.m. on Thursday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Under the policy, US authorities turned back would-be migrants -- including those seeking humanitarian asylum -- attempting to cross the border from Mexico more than 2.5 million times using the Covid-19 pandemic as justification.

About 2,500 US National Guard troops have already been at the country's southern border.

The White House has said another 1,500 troops will be sent there before the end of this month, making the .S military presence at the border to a total of 4,000 personnel.

The first set of new troops, about 550 personnel, headed to El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, local media reported.

Texas Governor Greg Abbottalso announced this week that hundreds of Texas National Guard soldiers, equipped with Black Hawk helicopters and C-130s, are being deployed to a number of hot spots along the Rio Grande.

A number of Texas border cities including El Paso and Brownsville, among the hot spots, have recently issued disaster declarations so as to tap into more resources to manage the influx of migrants.

Online videos from the border show hundreds of migrants, including many children, waiting in line along the banks of the Rio Grande to seek asylum in the US.

In Brownsville alone, where a SUV rammed into a crowd outside a migrants centre on Sunday killing eight and injuring more than 10 others, some 7,000 migrants had been in custody.

More than 10,000 migrants were caught crossing at the US-Mexico border illegally each day on Monday and Tuesday, according to Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council.

On Wednesday, the Mexican government had said that the US expelled 2,825,970 people expelled at its border crossings in over the three years under Title 42.

In a statement, Mexico's Interior Ministry saod the vast majority were deported (2,710,494), with six out of 10 being Mexican nationals (1,641,746).

The bulk of the remaining migrants deported at the southern border came from countries including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

Meanwhile, the ripple has been felt across the US.

In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order on Tuesday, allowing cities and the state to tap into more resources for new migrants.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, when announcing an emergency declaration, said resources of the third largest U.S. city are now stretched to "the breaking point" and existing facilities are "full".

While mobilizing troops, President Joe Biden's administration has also prepared new restrictions for migrants crossing the border, rolling out a regulation on Wednesday that presumes most migrants are ineligible for asylum if they had travelled through another country without seeking protection elsewhere first or if they failed to enter the US lawfully.

Migrants violating the new rule could be deported and barred from the US for five years, said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The Biden administration will also open the first "regional processing centres" among about 100 planned, in Colombia and Guatemala so as to direct migrants to legal pathways finally leading into the US.

The end of Title 42 "does not mean our border is open", Mayorkas argued on Wednesday, criticizing Congress for failing to repair "a broken immigration system".

"Even after nearly two years of preparation, we expect to see large numbers of encounters at our southern border in the days and weeks after May 11," he said.

"It's going to be chaotic for a while," Biden addressed the border situation on Tuesday, referring to the expected surge of migrants as the restriction policy ends.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The 100th anniversary of the birth of national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev has been widely covered by the Bulgarian press, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Bulgaria told Trend.

Information about the unprecedented merits of the founder of the modern Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, to the country and people was presented on various news sites of Bulgaria.

The articles say that Heydar Aliyev was a genius of public administration, had foresight, rich management experience and political wisdom.

According to the the articles, thanks to the comprehensive reforms initiated by the national leader, independent Azerbaijan could become a modern and dynamically developing strong country, and the energy strategy of Heydar Aliyev not only contributed to the prosperity of Azerbaijan, but also served as the basis for the recognition of the country as a reliable partner at the international level.

Moreover, the internal policy of Heydar Aliyev has brought stability to Azerbaijan, while the external policy has brought many friends and partners, and Bulgaria is one of them.
Mumbai, May 11 : Soon after the Supreme Court verdict, former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday asked how he could "seek the vote of confidence from 'traitors' who had betrayed".

To a pointed query on the SC's observations that if the then CM had not quit, the court could have reinstated him, Thackeray said: "Maybe my decision was erroneous... But how could I ask for the vote of confidence of the very same 'traitors' who had betrayed me?" However, on all other counts, the SC has made strong observations on the manner in which his government was toppled, including the role of the Governor.

Thackeray has also demanded that if the present government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has any ethics left after the SC verdict, "then it should immediately resign, just as I had done (in June 2022)".

The Shiv Sena (UBT) president added that they would now urge the Speaker Rahul Narwekar to take up the matter of the disqualification of the 16 MLAs, including Shinde, and decide on priority.
Chennai, May 11 : Car maker Hyundai Motor India Ltd will be investing about Rs 20,000 crore for modernising its plant near here, rolling out new models and to make electric vehicle battery assembly packs and EV charging stations.

The Hyundai Motor India and the Tamil Nadu government's Guidance Bureau on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for this purpose.

Speaking at the function, Chief Minister M.K.Stalin said the investment will speeded up the government's target of growing the state economy to one trillion dollars by 2030.

Referring to the cabinet reshuffle on Thursday Stalin said the government's support to the industries and the steps taken to grow the sector in the state will continue.

Stalin said Tamil Nadu ranks at the top in the production of automobiles and automobile components and as a logical progression the state also ranks at the top in the production of electric vehicles.

In March 2023, Hyundai Motor India had announced that it is considering acquiring land and building and some assets of General Motors India's Talegaon plant in Maharashtra with a view to have a plant in a second location.

According to Hyundai Motor India, a Term Sheet has been signed for the potential acquisition of identified assets of the plant like -- land and building, certain machinery and equipment situated at the General Motors India's plant in Talegaon.

Hyundai Motor India said the proposed acquisition is subject to the signing of the 'Definitive Asset Purchase Agreement' and fulfillment of conditions precedent and receipt of regulatory approvals from relevant Government Authorities and all the stakeholders related to the acquisition.

The Indian subsidiary of South Korea's Hyundai Motors has a big manufacturing facility in Irrungattukottai near here.

Hyundai Motor India has earlier announced its plans to get into electric vehicle manufacturing.

Further another facility outside Tamil Nadu is a sort of de-risking strategy and also being closer to other markets in the country.
Kiev, May 11 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that his country needs more time to launch a counter-offensive against Russia as his war-torn nation's military awaits the delivery of promised military aid.

Speaking to the BBC from his headquarters in Kiev, Zelensky described combat brigades, some of which were trained by NATO countries, as being "ready" but said the army still needed "some things", including armoured vehicles that were "arriving in batches".

"With (what we already have) we can go forward, and, I think, be successful," he told the BBC.

"But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time." The much-anticipated counter-offensive could be decisive in the ongoig war, redrawing frontlines that have remained unchanged for months now.

It will also be a crucial test for Ukraine, eager to prove that the weapons and equipment it has received from the West can result in significant battlefield gains, says the BBC.

Russian forces, meanwhile, have fortified their defences along a frontline that runs for 1,450 km from the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, to Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south.

The President, however, expressed confidence that the Ukrainian military could advance, warning of the risks of a "frozen conflict" which, he said, was what Russia was "counting on".

"Everyone will have an idea," Zelensky said. "(But) they can't pressure Ukraine into surrendering territories. Why should any country of the world give (Russian President Vladimir) Putin its territory?" He also again rejected the Russian accusation that Ukraine was behind an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin last week, which was described by Moscow as an attempt to assassinate President Putin.

The Ukrainian leader said he believed the apparent attack could have been a false flag operation, carried out by Russia itself, and that the claim was being used as an "excuse" by Moscow to attack his country.

"They constantly look for something to sound like a justification, saying: 'You do this to us, so we do that to you'," President Zelensky said.

"But it didn't work. Even for their domestic public, it didn't work. Even their own propagandists didn't believe that. Because it looked very, very artificial."
Hyderabad, May 11 : Controversial movie 'The Kerala Story' team is likely to attend the Hindu Ekta Yatra being organised by the BJP in Telangana's Karimnagar town on May 14.

State BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar said on Thursday that he is looking forward to hosting the team at Hindu Ekta Yatra.

Sanjay, who is also an MP from Karimnagar, took to Twitter to convey birthday wishes to Adah Sharma, who acted in 'The Kerala Story'.

"May you have outstanding career in cinemas and bring more unconventional scripts that touches our cultural ethos," Sanjay wrote, adding that he was looking forward to hosting the movie team at the Hindu Ekta Yatra.

After watching the film in Hyderabad on May 7, Sanjay had said that he would encourage creation of more such movies and vowed tax exemptions if the BJP came to power in the state.

He had revealed that he had invited film's director and producer Sudipto Sen and Vipul Shah to the Hindu Ekta Yatra.

Sanjay alleged that there was a conspiracy to trigger terror and promote 'Love Jihad' in the country. He went on to claim that the film depicted only 5 per cent of the ground reality.

Sanja expects about a lakh people at the Hindu Ekta Yatra. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP in-charge for Telangana Tarun Chugh and other leaders will participate in the yatra.

Sanjay appealed to all those working for the protection of Hindu religion to participate in the yatra. He said the yatra will demonstrate the unity of Hindus.

The yatra is seen as another attempt by the BJP for polarisation of majority in the run up to the Assembly elections scheduled later this year.

With a few months left for the polls, the saffron party has intensified its efforts to consolidate its vote bank. The party has been raising controversial issues to cash in on them politically.

Last week, the BJP organised a recitation of 'Hanuman Chalisa' in front of the Congress party's state headquarters Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad to condemn the party's electoral promise in Karnataka to ban Bajrang Dal.
San Francisco, May 11 : Google has released "MusicLM" -- a new experimental AI tool that can generate high-fidelity music in any genre given a text description.

The tool was first announced in January this year and is now available to the public.

The text-to-music AI tool is available in the AI Test Kitchen app on the web, Android or iOS.

"Starting today, you can sign up to try it in AI Test Kitchen on the web, Android or iOS. Just type in a prompt like acesoulful jazz for a dinner party" and MusicLM will create two versions of the song for you. You can listen to both and give a trophy to the track that you like better, which will help improve the model," Google said in a blogpost on Wednesday.

The tech giant also said that it has been working with musicians like Dan Deacon (an American composer and electronic musician) and hosting workshops to see how this technology can empower the creative process.

Moreover, Google has also introduced "Project Gameface" -- a new open-source hands-free gaming mouse that enables users to control a computer's cursor using their head movement and facial gestures.

People can raise their eyebrows to click and drag or open their mouths to move the cursor, making it possible for anyone to pursue gaming.

The project was inspired by the story of quadriplegic video game streamer Lance Carr, who lives with muscular dystrophy, a progressive disease that weakens muscles, the company said.
Mumbai, May 11 : Soon after the Supreme Court verdict, the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance on Thursday hailed the verdict as "a triumph of truth" which has 'vindicated' their stance as the state government now has got a stamp of approval.

Speaking to the media, a visibly relieved Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and a beaming Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that all the doomsayers who predicted the downfall of the state government have been silenced by the SC judgement.

"We fully support the SC ruling... It was on expected lines. We are happy, our stand has been upheld by the highest court of the land," the duo said, 11 months after they toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by former CM Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022.

Shinde added that for all these months, the Opposition had been spreading canards that the government was illegal and unconstitutional and "would collapse anytime, but all their predictions were proved false".

"The majority is important in a democracy and we enjoy the majority... There is a Constitution in this country and nobody can go beyond it, this is clear from the SC judgement. It is evident that the government we have established was within the laws," Shinde pointed out.

On the resignation of former CM Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde took a potshot saying he (Thackeray) knew that he had lost the majority and had no options but to quit his office.

After resigning he attempted to prove it as a principled stand, "but we have preserved morality", and saved the Shiv Sena formed by Balasaheb Thackeray's ideals which he (Uddhav Thackeray) had mortgated with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, Shinde averred.

Referring to the point of disqualification of the 16 MLAs, including himself, Shinde said that now the final decision on this would be taken by the Speaker (Rahul Narwekar) following the rule of law.

"Today, our government has got the approval of the SC as a full majority government... We welcome the judgement," declared Shinde.

Fadnavis termed it as a victory of the people and democracy, and the SC has "completely turned the tide against the MVA".

"The SC has made it clear that Uddhav Thackeray cannot be made the CM again, the right of disqualification of the 16 MLAs vests with the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker, who will take the decision and the SC has refused to interfere in this," Fadnavis pointed out.

He also took a swipe at Thackeray saying after realising that he did not have a majority, he (Thackeray) quit as the CM and then took a high moral ground.

"Those who adopted an unprincipled stand by breaking off with the BJP and joining hands with the Congress-NCP have no right to give lessons on ethics to others," said Fadnavis sharply.

The Sena-BJP activists in Mumbai and other parts of the state erupted into celebrations, distributing sweets and congratulating each other after the much-awaited SC judgement was delivered this afternoon.
Mumbai, May 11 : Taking off from where it left -- a fight for power in politics, the third season of Nagesh Kukunoor's 'City Of Dreams' is packed with betrayal and more.

Starring Atul Kulkarni, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Priya Bapat, Eijaz Khan, Sushant Singh, Rannvijay Singha and many others in pivotal roles, the show is releasing on May 26 on Disney+ Hotstar.

This season, one gets to step into the murky world of politics as Ameya Gaikwad (Atul Kulkarni) and Poornima Gaikwad (Priya Bapat), come together to protect their legacy from their rivals and external forces.

Talking about the show, Atul Kulkarni said: "City Of Dreams Season 3 delves deep into the web of politics, the Gaikwads and all that surrounds them. Working on this show has been a creatively satisfying experience and my character, Ameya Rao Gaikwad has seen a graph of growth at each step. He undergoes a significant transformation in this season, through a series of events that fundamentally alter the core of his persona." Actor Sachin Pilgaonkar said his character Jagdish Gaurav has grown consistently in a subtle way and this season too will expose him differently.

"The fight for power in politics is indeed a world of its own. While the crux remains the same, City of Dreams is explored very differently this time and I am sure audiences will enjoy it." Priya Bapat shared that this season, her character Poornima is extremely complex, emotional and layered.

"She navigates life one step at a time and attempts to strike the perfect balance between the turmoil of her personal life and the urge to come back even more powerful, to protect her legacy." Actor Eijaz Khan said that Season 3 brings with it a different side to Wasim Khan and a realisation that his true self lies in being a fearless cop.

"His friendship with Poornima evolves as the story progresses. This time around, Wasim is on a mission to cleanse the city from its roots," he added.
New Delhi, May 11 : Even as Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday began his Jan Sangharsh Padayatra from Ajmer to Jaipur to highlight corruption and other issues, senior leaders in the party feel that he crossed the line when he held a press conference a day ahead of Karnataka polling.

Pilot, a former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan has been attacking Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over several issues.

On May 9, while addressing a press conference in Jaipur, he had said, "I think his (Gehlot's) leader is (former Chief Minister and BJP leader) Vasundhara Raje and not (former Congress chief) Sonia Gandhi.

On the timing of the press conference of Pilot, a senior member of the Congress disciplinary committee feels that he has crossed the line this time, sources said.

The source said that the senior member of the party's disciplinary committee feel that he went too far this time.

"He held a press conference on May 9, just a day before the crucial Karnataka Assembly polls, which incidentally collided with the visit of Rahul Gandhi to Rajasthan," the source said.

The source also said that the timing of Pilot's press conference was not good in view of the polling in Karnataka just a day later, where the party had run a spirited campaign to come back to power.

The source also said that during the entire Karnataka campaign, the Congress had presented a united face by bringing the two warring leaders -- former Chief Minister Siddaramaih and Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar -- together.

Rahul Gandhi was on a day-long visit to Rajasthan on May 9 where he participated in the party's training programme in Mount Abu.

The source said that Pilot's press conference on May 9 gave a clear message of a deeply divided house.

The source said, however, the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee is yet to decide on the issue.

Another party source said that some senior leaders had also urged Pilot to postpone his on May 9 press conference for a few days. However, he went ahead with his plans and did not pay heed to the request of senior leaders from Delhi.

On May 9 Pilot launched a tirade against Gehlot in Jaipur.

Addressing a press conference in Jaipur, Pilot said, "This fact has become clear from the speech of the Chief Minister, which he delivered the day before yesterday in Dholpur." Pilot raised questions on Gehlot's statement "that praised BJP leaders, but tarnished the image of the party's own MPs and MLAs".

On Sunday, Gehlot said that Raje and two BJP leaders, namely Kailash Meghwal and Shobharani Kushwaha, helped him in saving his government.

Speaking on Gehlot's statement, Pilot said, "Gehlot should explain why there are two faces to his statement. If he says that BJP was trying to topple the government and on the other side, he says that Raje was trying to save his government, then what does he want to say." On Thursday, he began his Jan Sanghrash Yatra from Ajmer to Jaipur to highlight the issue of corruption. During the Yatra, he launched a scathing attack against his own government, raising questions why the house of the arrested accused in the paper leak case has not been bulldozed yet. The posters for his Yatra also drew particular attention. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were missing from the posters, but only Sonia Gandhi's photo was there.

Pilot is continuously raising the issue of no action being taken by the Gehlot government against the allegations of corruption during the BJP rule.
Mumbai, May 11 : In a strong reaction, the Maharashtra Congress on Thursday said that the Supreme Court verdict has proved that "the BJP is dangerous for democracy and can stoop to any levels to grab power".

"The Supreme Court has taken serious note of various things including how every action of the (then) Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in bringing down the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was blatantly wrong. We have been saying this consistently that the BJP misused the Raj Bhavan to topple our government," Maharashtra unit Congress President Nana Patole said.

Terming the Supreme Court's verdict that the (current) government is illegal and unconstitutional as a 'tight slap' on the ruling dispensation, Patole said that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and Speaker Rahul Narwekar should resign on moral grounds.

The state Congress chief said that not only did the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) abuse Raj Bhavan, but also other agencies to bring down the MVA government, and now all those decisions are proved wrong.

"The observations of the Supreme Court while delivering the verdict makes it obvious that the BJP has discarded democracy. It is dangerous and they will stoop down to any level to grab power," Patole said.

He reiterated that the central agencies and other Constitutional offices have become puppets of the power-hungry BJP government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "and this is a real threat to democracy and the Constitution." Congress Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe said that the manner in which the Speaker (Rahul Narwekar) is giving reactions to the Supreme Court verdict makes it appear that he is not impartial but working for a party and "has no moral right to hold his office".

State General Secretary Sachin Sawant said that the former Governor remained an RSS worker who tarnished the dignity of his august post, and "the people of Maharashtra will never forgive the BJP for muddying politics in its greed for power".

On the authority of the Speaker (Narwekar) to take a decision on the disqualification of the 16 MLAs including Shinde, Patole said "he is expected to decide in an impartial manner".

"Though the Shinde-Fadnavis government may have got a temporary reprieve and now survives on technical grounds, the observations made by the Supreme Court are worrying as this regime has been virtually declared illegal and unconstitutional," Patole said.
Islamabad, May 11 : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has alleged that Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid has been placed under "house arrest" in Islamabad, the media reported.

In a tweet, the party said that the government had "lost their senses" because it was "intoxicated with power". It regretted that "non-elected" chief ministers in the other provinces were issuing orders while one elected by the people had been placed under house arrest, Dawn reported.

PTI leader Murad Saeed has warned that party supporters would march to Islamabad if former prime minister Imran Khan was not released today, Dawn reported.

"My Pakistanis, I am telling you that if Imran Khan is not released today, take to the streets and change your lives," he said in a video message shared on Twitter, Dawn reported.

Speaking on the floor of the Sindh Assembly, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that attacks had taken place on the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters and the Karachi Corps Commander office in the past by militant groups.

"PTI has to make a decision, whether it wants to become Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or a political party like Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). They have to make this decision," he said, Dawn reported.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The information circulated in the Armenian press about the alleged shelling of a medical vehicle by units of the Azerbaijani Army is false and misleading, Trend reports.

Starting from the morning of May 11, the Armenia armed forces making the situation even more tense, from the positions in the direction of Zod settlement of the Basarkechar have carried out mortar shelling against the Azerbaijan Army's opposite positions.

The Azerbaijan Army units took necessary adequate retaliatory measures.
New Delhi, May 11 : Former JD(U) national president RCP Singh on Thursday joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the saffron party's national general secretary Arun Singh, national media in-charge Anil Baluni and national co media in-charge Sanjay Mayukh.

Welcoming Singh into the saffron party, Pradhan said to help Bihar get rid of "jungle raj" and to establish law and order, develop the state and provide security to its people, the BJP, under the leadership of late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and George Fernandes, had formed an alliance.

The BJP ran the alliance for a long time but when JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar decided to part ways with the saffron party due to his vested interest, at that time too, Singh had tried to convince Kumar against his move, Pradhan said.

With Singh joining the BJP, the party will become stronger in Bihar, the minister claimed.

Targeting Kumar, Singh said: "The country has progressed, but where does Bihar stand. India has become the fifth largest economy. Nitish Kumar is touring other states for the past three days to forge opposition unity to take on the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. But he should tell us who is the leader of the opposition alliance." Attacking Kumar over his desire to become Prime Minister, Singh said Nitish Kumar was PM (Paltimaar) and he will always be that.

Singh said that Kumar who used to fight against the RJD is now talking about being united with it till death.

Singh, a former confidant of Kumar, was made national president of the party. During the then JD (U)-BJP alliance, Singh was made a central minister from the JD(U)'s quota, but after that his relations with Kumar turned sour. Singh was not sent to the Rajya Sabha by Nitish Kumar due to which he had to resign from the Modi cabinet and from the JD (U) as well.
Bengaluru, May 11 : A day after polling was held for 224 Assembly seats in Karnataka, the sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Honnali constituency in the state's Davanegre district, M.P. Renukacharya on Thursday said that an alliance with the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) cannot be ruled out in case of a hung Assembly.

"If such a situation emerges, an alliance might happen with the JD-S," he told reporters. The remarks of Renukacharya, who is close to former Chief Minister and veteran party leader B.S. Yediyurappa, assume significance in the current scenario, with some exit polls also predicting a hung Assembly in the state.

Renukacharya, who contested as a BJP nominee from Honnali, further said that "to date, there was no tacit understanding with the JD-S".

Reacting to exit polls predictions, Renukacharya said the party leaders know the pulse of the people as well as party workers.

"People have voted for BJP despite what media reports suggest. I am not blaming (anyone) here. BJP will come to power in Karnataka," he said.

At the same time, he also said: "I will not fully push aside the media reports. We predicted 150 seats. Now (it seems), the BJP will get more than 125 seats. We know the pulse of workers at rural areas.

"Our national leaders will decide if any need for an alliance arises. That situation might also arise. That will be decided after the results," he said.

The results of the Assembly elections held on Wednesday will announced on May 13.
Bhubaneswar, May 11 : The Odisha Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has frozen Rs 1.22 crore of a fake trade app Join Trade, an official said on Thursday.

Using morphed pictures of leading Bollywood actors like Akshay Kumar and Manish Paul, the Join trade- Financial growth app claims to provide instant profit with minimal investment of money, said EOW SP, Dilip Tripathy.

It came to the fore that more than 1 lakh people have downloaded the fraudulent app, which claims to be a professional financial trading and wealth management platform with different investment schemes with minimal deposit of Rs 100 to Rs 20,000, he said.

During further inquiry, the EOW found that the investors can deposit amount only through UPI IDs reflected in the app which keeps changing constantly each minute and such IDs were linked to savings bank and current accounts maintained in the name of many shell companies and individual persons.

Layering was used for transacting the ill-gotten money by transferring the bulk credit amount to further unknown accounts maintained in the name of firms/companies and individuals, Tripathy said.

So far, the EOW has found five bank accounts having a total transaction of Rs 18.67 crore. Of the five, three accounts were maintained in the name of big firms/ companies based in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Delhi.

And all the above noted mule accounts which were opened in the name of individuals and companies were maintained mainly in YES Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and IDFC First Bank. These accounts were operated by the fraudsters mostly through internet banking.

A total amount of more than Rs 1.22 crore was frozen by EOW from the above cited bank accounts. The EOW has also written to Google to remove the app from Google Play Store.
Jaipur, May 11 : A review meeting on the progress of MoUs and LOIs, at The Invest Rajasthan Summit 2022, was held under the chairmanship of Rajasthan additional chief secretary, Industries and Commerce, Veenu Gupta, at Udyog Bhavan on Thursday.

Following up on the progress of investments on the ground till date, it was reported that more than 50% of the investments announced in The Invest Rajasthan Summit have already been implemented. Among a total of 2091 projects, 1074 projects have been implemented and 1017 projects are currently in the under implementation stage. A total of 4195 cases were reviewed during the meeting.

Veenu Gupta emphasized the importance of establishing enterprises for the all-round development of the state. She urged officials to help industries so that they don't face any difficulty in getting information related to setting up their enterprise or obtaining NOCs from various departments.

Gupta also instructed the officers to remain in touch with investors and provide them with all necessary help including immediate redressal of investment-related issues.

"It's essential for us to provide a supportive environment to industrialists to flourish in Rajasthan," said Gupta. "We're working hard to further ease the process of establishing enterprises in the state and offer a hassle-free experience to investors."
Kolkata, May 11 : A woman passenger detained by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata for consuming alcoholic beverages and misbehaving with the passengers on an IndiGo New Delhi-Kolkata flight, was on Thursday morning handed over the police.

It is learnt that arrested passenger Paramjit Kaur, who was travelling to Kolkata by that IndiGo New Delhi-Kolkata flight, was found by the cabin crew and fellow passengers to be in an inebriated state. Soon after, she even started misbehaving with her fellow passengers.

Airline officials immediately contacted the CISF officers deputed at Kolkata airport. At 1.10 a.m. after the flight landed at the airport, airline staff handed over the accused passenger to the CISF personnel.

The CISF detained her till Thursday morning at the airport premises and finally around 7 a.m. on Thursday, she was handed over to the cops of the Airport Police Station which comes under the Bidhannagar City Police.

The CISF personnel had to wait till sunrise since at Indian law, the police cannot take a woman in custody after sunset.
Kolkata, May 11 : Expressing dismay over the slow progress of investigation by the state police into the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl at Kaliaganj in North Dinajpur district, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), including two retired officers, to probe the matter.

The SIT formed by Justice Rajasekhar Mantha comprises Special Commissioner of Kolkata Police, Damayanti Sen, retired IG Pankaj Dutta, and retired Joint Director of CBI, Upen Biswas.

The probe by the SIT will be under the direct supervision of the high court. While ordering the formation of the SIT, Justice Mantha observed that since the current investigating team is under tremendous pressure, the matter is being handed over to the SIT.

At the same time, Justice Mantha also enforced an embargo on the three members of the SIT not to discuss anything related to the case in the public domain.

Both Dutta and Biswas are quite regular in television debates conducted by different vernacular news channels.

While passing the order, Justice Mantha also authorised the SIT to arrange for a second autopsy of the victim if the members of the team deem that to be necessary.

He also directed the state police to handover all the documents related to the case, including the case diary, to the SIT at the earliest. The police have also been directed to present its preliminary investigation report in the matter before the next date of hearing.

Justice Mantha also directed the police to make security arrangements for the family members of the victim, a minor girl.

To recall, on April 25, parts of Kaliaganj turned into virtual battlefields following violent protests by the local people against the alleged rape and murder of the minor girl.

The family members of the victim alleged that the cops promptly removed the body with the intention to destroy evidence. Four ASIs were suspended in connection with the minor girl's death case, who were seen dragging the body of the teenage victim.
Gurugram, May 11 : Haryana Chief Minister's Flying Squad on Thursday arrested a man from Mumbai on charges of supplying fake injections to cancer patients in Gurugram.

The suspect has been identified as Ali, a Turkish national.

"The accused used to procure fake injections from Turkey, which were reportedly made in Italy. We are questioning the suspect to find out his modus operandi," said Inspector Harish, a member of the Flying Squad.

"The suspect used to charge Rs 1.50 lakh per injection from his accomplice who further sold it to cancer patients keeping a margin of Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh," he said.

The police had already nabbed Sandeep Bhui Motiur in connection with the case on April 21, while Rehman Ansari surrendered before the drugs department. Motiur Rahman Ansari, a kingpin of this entire racket, has also been arrested.

Officials said that following a disclosure by Sandeep, the police nabbed Kanishk Rajkumar, who holds a diploma in pharmacy, from Noida on Wednesday.

During questioning Sandeep disclosed that he scored 40 fake injections on four occasions from Kanishk.

On April 21, the police had received information from secret sources that a fake cancer injection will be supplied to a patient in Sector 52 for Rs 2.5 lakh.

On reaching the spot, the police arrested Sandeep, a native of Kolkata, and recovered a fake injection from his possession.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 11 : All roads in the Kottayam district of the state led to the house of 22-year-old woman doctor Vandana Das who was killed by a patient while on duty.

The incident occurred around 4 a.m on Wednesday when Sandeep, a 42-year-old teacher was brought by the police to the Kottarakara state run hospital after he suffered an injury.

Soon Sandeep, alleged to be a drug addict, turned violent and after attacking the police officials who had brought him, he turned his ire towards Vandana, a house surgeon.

Using a surgical knife, he slashed Vandana six times and she fell down.

Her life could not be saved, even after rushing her to a premier hospital in the capital city.

The body was brought to her house late on Wednesday night after keeping it at the college where she studied near the capital district.

There was an endless stream of mourners from all walks of life, many of whom had not even seen or met Vandana.

Her parents were inconsolable, breaking down all the time. Touching scenes was seen when Health Minister Veena George came to pay her last respects.

She had come to console Vandana's parents but broke down herself on hearing the lamentations of the mother.

It took a while before George could regain her composure and was seen wiping her tears.

Similar scenes was witnessed when friends, neighbours and relatives saw her body being placed on the pyre.

On Wednesday Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan came to the hospital where Vandana's body was kept and tried to console her parents.
Imphal, May 11 : A Manipur Police commando was killed and four other policemen were injured when Kuki militants attacked a police patrol party at Tronglaobi in the state's Bishnupur district on Thursday, police said.

A police official in Imphal said commando Heisnam Jiten was killed and four other policemen sustained bullet injuries during an operation against Kuki militants.

Further details of the incidents are awaited.

Thursday's militant attack took place within less than 24 hours after Kuki extremists fired upon an Army and Assam Rifles team at Dolaithabi in Imphal East district, injuring an Assam Rifles jawan, when the security personnel were on an area domination patrolling.

Defence sources had said that armed militants after firing a few rounds, ran away. The injured Assam Rifles jawan, who sustained gunshot injury in the firing, was safely evacuated to the military hospital by an Army helicopter.

Meanwhile, Manipur government's newly appointed Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh said that in the recent violence in the state has claimed 66 lives so far.

Search is going on for two missing persons at Khumbong, he said.

So far, 284 arms and 6,700 ammunition have been recovered after the miscreants looted them from the security and police personnel during the ethnic violence in different districts.

After the ethnic violence broke out on May 3, the miscreants and the agitators snatched 1,041 arms and 7,460 pieces of ammunition from the security forces.

Manipur witnessed unprecedented violent clashes, attacks, counter attacks and arsoning of houses, vehicles and government and private properties in more than 10 districts during and after '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 Scheduled Tribe category.

However, the overall situation in the ethnic violence-hit Manipur improved further on Thursday with the authorities relaxing curfew in 11 districts, including Imphal West and Churachandpur, for four to eight hours in the morning even as the Army and central paramilitary forces continued their vigil in the sensitive areas.

Mobile internet service will continue to remain suspended in the state till May 13.

In all, 128 columns of the Army and Assam Rifles continued flag marches in the tension-ridden and violence-hit areas in different districts. The central forces also undertook round-the-clock aerial surveillance using drones and choppers.

A defence release on Wednesday said that the Indian Army's three-pronged domination strategy in Manipur is helping the state return to normalcy. It added that the Army is leaving no stone unturned in monitoring the troubled areas, not only in the hinterland, but also along the India-Myanmar border.
Bhubaneswar, May 11 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made it clear on Thursday that he is not going to join the third front or a common political platform of non-BJP parties.

Patnaik also said that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will go solo in the next Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls, both scheduled next year.

The Chief Minister told this to mediapersons after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Thursday afternoon.

Patnaik-led BJD has been maintaining equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress. So, when reporters asked him if there is any possibility of BJD joining the third front, the CM replied, "No... Not as far as I am concerned... Not now." On his meeting with PM Modi, Patnaik said they discussed issues related to Odisha's demands, not any political matter.

"Our discussion was mainly related to the demands of Odisha. I spoke to the Prime Minister about the proposed Jagannath International Airport in Puri for which the boundary has already been earmarked," he said.

"We want an expansion as the Bhubaneswar airport is witnessing too much traffic. The Prime Minister said that he will definitely help in every possible way," the Chief Minister said.

Patnaik also ruled out any meeting with other political leaders during his trip to Delhi.

Patnaik ruling out joining the third front assumes significance after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met him on Wednesday. He had also held talks with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in March.

Following the break-up of the BJD-BJP coalition government in 2009, the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD has been maintaining equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress. Also, the BJD has not shown much interest to get involved in national politics. The regional party maintains that its focus is on the interests of Odisha and its people.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The 100th anniversary of the birth of the architect and founder of the modern independent Azerbaijan, national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, who occupies a special place in the political history of the world, is widely covered by authoritative foreign media, Trend reports.

The articles published in the media have brought to attention the exceptional merits of the great leader Heydar Aliyev to the Azerbaijani people, noting that he stands on a par with the great politicians and statesmen of the world.

The article published in the Turkish Anadolu Agency under the headline "Azerbaijan honors the memory of the great leader Heydar Aliyev on the 100th anniversary of his birth" emphasizes the idea "The role of the individual in the history of the country and the people can be understood by the example of the life of Heydar Aliyev."

The article details the meaningful life and multifaceted political activity of the great leader Heydar Aliyev, the period of his leadership of Azerbaijan in the Soviet Union, and later work in high positions in the USSR. The invaluable merits of the ever-living leader as President of independent Azerbaijan, the achievements of the country in domestic and foreign policy were also mentioned, and the meetings of the Great Leader with the heads of Turkiye were noted.

In the material posted in the Turkish-language version of the Anadolu Agency, it is emphasized that PTT (Posta ve Telgraf Teskilati in Turkish, meaning post and telegraph directorate) has printed a commemorative monetary sign and a special envelope on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the national leader.

An article published on the website of the Turkish TRT Haber says that Heydar Aliyev, who devoted his 80-year life to serving the people, was together with his people in the most difficult moments of Azerbaijan, protecting the Motherland from all kinds of adversities, led it on the path of dynamic development. The article emphasizes that the Azerbaijani people always honor the memory of their great son with the deepest respect, adds that 2023 has been declared the "Year of Heydar Aliyev" in Azerbaijan, and the cycle of events that began at the beginning of the year will continue throughout the year.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great leader Heydar Aliyev, the Turkish Haber Global channel spoke about the cycle of events held in Turkiye's Istanbul, Ankara, and other cities. Moreover, it was underlined that the memory of the great son of the Turkic world, and the national leader is honored with the highest respect in the fraternal country.

Milliyet, Hurriyet and other Turkish news sites also noted the exceptional services of national leader Heydar Aliyev to Azerbaijan and its people.

The leading Italian media published articles dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the brilliant leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev.

The materials distributed by Il Sole 24 Ore, Libero, Tiscali Notizie, Askanews, InsideOver, and Agenzia Nova news agencies spoke about the saving and creative mission of the national leader, his unprecedented role in the socio-political life and the history of the statehood of the Azerbaijani people.

The importance of the "Contract of the Century" [ratified on 12 December 1994 by the Parliament of Azerbaijan], implemented as a result of the merits of the great leader in the formation of the oil and gas policy of Azerbaijan, as well as the visionary policy of a brilliant personality, increasing the role of the country as a strategic player in the global energy supply, was emphasized.

The articles noted the importance of Heydar Aliyev's visit to Italy as the first President of independent Azerbaijan in 1997, and the special role of the national leader in the development of Azerbaijani-Italian relations. According to the articles, currently, Azerbaijani-Italian relations have risen to the level of multidimensional strategic partnership, thanks to the TAP gas pipeline, the country is a reliable energy supplier to Europe, including Italy.

The articles quoted the words of Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Italy Rashad Aslanov. The diplomat noted the role of the great leader in ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, the importance of a multi-vector foreign and energy policy, and added that Azerbaijani people highly appreciate the merits of Heydar Aliyev.

The 100th anniversary of the great leader Heydar Aliyev was also widely covered by the Bulgarian press. On various news sites of this country, including articles published in cross.bg, it was said that national leader Heydar Aliyev, thanks to his foresight, rich managerial experience, and political wisdom, was a genius of statehood and about the period when Azerbaijan was subjected to military aggression by Armenia in the first years of the restoration of its state independence, 20 percent of its sovereign territories were occupied, as a result of ethnic cleansing, the country faced the problem of mass refugees and internally displaced persons, so by the efforts of Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan was saved from the danger of destruction.

It was stressed that thanks to the comprehensive reforms initiated by the national leader, independent Azerbaijan has turned into a modern and dynamically developing strong country. Its energy strategy has not only contributed to the prosperity of Azerbaijan but also served as the basis for the recognition of our country as a reliable partner at the international level.

As the Bulgarian press said, on May 10, the memory of Heydar Aliyev was honored with deep respect by Azerbaijanis living all over the world. According to the press, the internal policy of Heydar Aliyev has brought stability to Azerbaijan, while the foreign policy has brought numerous friends and partners, and Bulgaria is one such partner.

The Russian press also published a series of materials on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the great leader Heydar Aliyev.

Russian "Parlamentskaya gazeta" official parliamentary newspaper published an article "Heydar Aliyev: a leader who saw problems", which emphasizes that Heydar Aliyev is a symbol of modern Azerbaijan. The article notes that Heydar Aliyev was one of the brightest leaders of the USSR.

"His difference from the rest and his popularity among Soviet citizens was his preference for personal communication, the ability to solve problems on the spot," the article notes.

The article "Heydar Aliyev: a Historical Personality" published in the Russian Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper mentions the activities of Heydar Aliyev during the Moscow period, and Heydar Aliyev is characterized as a person capable of solving the largest global problems.

Calling Heydar Aliyev the "Ataturk of Azerbaijan", the newspaper writes that during his leadership of the country, fundamental changes took place in Azerbaijan.

"It is on the example of Heydar Aliyev that one can see what role a personality plays in history. Today Azerbaijan plays the role of a reliable bridge between Eastern and Western civilizations, and has become one of the most dynamically developing countries in the world," the publication says.

Russian Ura.news site analyzes in detail the role of the great leader Heydar Aliyev in the development of Azerbaijani-Russian relations, and shares with readers the memories of outstanding personalities about him.

The article published in the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper "Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev, who laid the foundation for a prosperous Azerbaijan" emphasizes that modern Azerbaijan cannot be imagined without Heydar Aliyev, and his historical heritage.

"It was thanks to his return to power in the 90s that the country was able to escape from internal bloody contradictions and entered the path of true independence. And it wasn't so easy. After all, it is much more difficult to preserve and develop sovereignty than to acquire it," the article says.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the great leader Heydar Aliyev, the Russian "Russia-1" TV channel presented to the audience a documentary by Saida Medvedeva.

The film emphasizes that Heydar Aliyev is a symbol of modern Azerbaijan. He turned Azerbaijan, which he faithfully served, into a strong, authoritative state, and united the people.

In the article "Wise and far-sighted leader: How is Heydar Aliyev imprinted in the memory of history?", published on News.ru site it was noted that 2023 has been declared the "Year of Heydar Aliyev" in Azerbaijan.

The publication writes that the years of Azerbaijan's leadership by the great leader were the time of the country's rise. The article presents the opinions of former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Grigory Karasin, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, as well as former President of Moldova in 2001-2009 Vladimir Voronin and others about Heydar Aliyev.

The article "Aliyev is a legend of Azerbaijan" published in the Moscow-based Moskovskij Komsomolets newspaper emphasizes that June 15 is celebrated in Azerbaijan as the National Salvation Day. Heydar Aliyev came to power at a time when Azerbaijani society was on the eve of chaos and civil war, he saved the country from this disaster. The material contains statements about the great leader of political scientists Fuad Akhundov and Sergey Markov.

Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper published an article "The Formula of Heydar Aliyev's Power as a Response to the Challenges of changing Eras" by Grigory Bondarev.

"The managerial formula of the creator of modern Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, is often called the answer to the challenges arising from the need for systemic modernization during the fall of the Soviet regime." The article notes the role of the great leader in the history of the USSR and Azerbaijan, his merits in strengthening Azerbaijani-Russian relations," the author writes.

INFO24.RU online publication calls the liberation of Karabakh from [Armenian occupation] the best contribution to the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev. The material prepared for the anniversary of the great leader reflects the opinions of military expert Igor Korotchenko, People's Artist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Aleksandr Kalyagin.

The Argumenty i Fakty newspaper also published an article "Heydar Aliyev. How a politician becomes a legend", dedicated to the anniversary of the national leader.

The article notes that after the return of Heydar Aliyev to power in Azerbaijan, they sought to preserve the best that remained of the Soviet era and combine this with options for new development.

"In the spring of 1994, he was able to stop the conflict in Karabakh, and internal political confrontations in the country. Thus, the period of the country's revival began. He died during the rise of Azerbaijan and after his death became a legend," the article says.

An article dedicated to the great leader published in the International Affairs journal says that May of 10th marks the 100th anniversary of the creator of independent Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev. He has gone through a difficult path and has always been loyal to his people.

The story prepared by Russia-1 TV channel highlights the invaluable services of Heydar Aliyev to the Azerbaijani people.

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu also shared his memories with the audience.

The Kuwaiti media also published articles dedicated to the great leader Heydar Aliyev. In the Arabiclanguage mass media of this country - the newspapers of An-Nahar, Al-Qabas, Al-Wasat, Al Rai, Al-Anba, the Al Jarida, q8-press.com and dasmannews.com electronic news portals, as well as the English version kuwaittimes.com, timeskuwait.com and the social networks of these media published extensive articles dedicated to the 100th anniversary since the birth of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev.

The articles emphasize that the foundation of relations between the two countries was laid on December 13, 1994, at the meeting of national leader Heydar Aliyev with Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was the Emir of Kuwait within the framework of the Islamic Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Morocco.

The articles also provide detailed information about the multifaceted political activities of the great leader Heydar Aliyev during the Soviet period and the years of independence of Azerbaijan. It is brought to the attention of readers that Heydar Aliyev has always attached great importance to Islamic solidarity and the development of ties with Islamic states. His visits to Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, and other Muslim countries during his work in the leadership of the USSR in 1982-1987 led to the recognition of the great leader as one of the leading politicians of the entire Islamic world.

The materials also contain detailed information about the political activities of the great leader during the years of independence of Azerbaijan, and it is said that he skillfully brought Azerbaijan out of the hardest trials and turned it into a rapidly developing country.

The authoritative Al-Watan Arabic newspaper published an article dedicated to the 100th anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev. The article says that the Azerbaijani people and Azerbaijanis living in different countries of the world are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the brilliant politician, national leader Heydar Aliyev, who saved Azerbaijan from the danger of collapse and destruction and put it on the path of development and peace. It was brought to the attention of the reader that, according to the Order of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, 2023 has been declared the Year of Heydar Aliyev in Azerbaijan.

The article emphasizes that every moment of Heydar Aliyev's life, full of dedication, is a source of pride and the national heritage of the Azerbaijani people. The author writes that the great leader worked for the sake of the future, prosperity and peace for his people both during the years of Soviet power and during the years of independence of Azerbaijan. He was elected a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which was the highest authority of the USSR and was appointed First Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers. Holding these posts, Heydar Aliyev also did a lot for the sake of his homeland.

Leading media outlets of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, and the UAE, including reputable articles Qaran News, Asia Elyoum, AlHadath, Mesrena Elyoum, mebusiness.ae and other publications were dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the great leader Heydar Aliyev have been published.

The publications emphasize the exceptional services of the great leader Heydar Aliyev to the Azerbaijani people and state, saying that the name of Heydar Aliyev is inscribed in golden letters in the history of Azerbaijan. Special attention is drawn to the fact that it is thanks to these merits that the memory of Heydar Aliyev as the national leader of the Azerbaijani people is revered with the highest respect.
Karachi, May 11 : Pakistani authorities have decided to release 500 Indian prisoners, 499 of them fishermen, who have completed their jail terms, media reports said on Thursday.

The Indian prisoners will be released from jails in phases. The first batch of 200 prisoners will be released from the Malir District Jail on Thursday and will be sent to Lahore, ARY News reported.

Edhi Foundation will facilitate the travel of the released Indian citizens to Lahore by train, and they will be handed over to the Indian authorities at the Wagah border on Friday, ARY News reported.

Another batch of 200 Indian fishermen will be released from jails in Karachi on June 2 for repatriation to India.

The third batch of 100 Indian prisoners will be released from jails on July 3 for repatriation to their home country, ARY News reported.

Pakistan and India regularly arrest each other's fishermen for violating the maritime boundary, which is poorly marked, the report said.
With the arrest of five persons in connection with serial low-intensity blasts near Golden Temple in the past five days, the investigating agencies are now probing Khalistan connection.

According to the investigators, radical literature has been recovered from the accused and the choice of site of blasts strongly hints at the same. DGP Gaurav Yadav while addressing the media said that Amritsar police Commissioner Naunihal Singh has been directed to form SIT to probe the blasts. The police are investigating their foreign links as well.

"We will dig out their Indian and foreign links if any," said Yadav. It was CCTV analysis by SGPC that got them to round up the accused and hand them over to police.

Those arrested are identified as Azad Veer Singh of Wadala Kalan village in Baba Bakala, Amrik Singh of Dubri village in Gurdaspur, Dharminder Singh, Harjeet Singh and Sahib Singh of Amritsar. They have reportedly confessed to all three blasts but police are yet to divulge the true motive. First blast occurred near Saragari Sarai on Heritage Street near Golden Temple on May 6 night while the second on May 8 morning. The third explosion took place at around 12.12 am last intervening night.

According to police investigation so far Azad Veer and Amrik Singh had assembled the explosives while Dharminder Singh, Harjeet Singh and Sahib were held for sourcing and providing explosives. Sahib Singh was a licensed holder of explosives used for manufacturing firecrackers. The police have also apprehended a woman whose role was being looked into. The police have recovered 1.1kg of explosive material besides some radical literature from their possession.

Azadvir and Amrik Singh were putting up in the Guru Ram Dass Sarai located in the Golden Temple complex for the past several days and it is here only that they assembled the explosives for creating crude bombs.

Azad Veer conducted today's blast when he went to the bathroom and threw the bomb on the 'Galliara' side behind the Sarai at around 12.12 am today. The preliminary interrogation revealed that the accused assembled 200gm of explosives in a container then suspended the same in a polythene bag from a thread from roof top of Saragarhi parking for first blast on May 6.

It exploded at around 11.30 p.m. They then kept another bomb at the rooftop on May 8 at around 4 a.m. It was connected with a thread, which was pulled by a passer-by leading to the blast at the same spot at around 6.30 a.m.

Azad Veer was earlier booked by Chheharta police on charges of hurting religious sentiments Dharminder had a case of NDPS act while Sahib Singh was booked under explosives act. Amirk Singh has also a criminal case against him.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Islamabad, May 11 : The Pakistan Supreme Court has started hearing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) plea against its Chairman Imran Khans arrest after the deposed Prime Minister was presented before a three-member bench, media reports said.

The court had directed the authorities to present the PTI chief before the court. Accordingly, Khan was brought to the court in a convoy of 15 vehicles, Geo News reported.

The directive to present Khan before the court came after Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Umar Ata Bandial, termed the PTI leader's arrest from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC) as a mighty disgrace to the country's judicial establishment.

The CJP passed the remark while heading a three-member bench hearing PTI's petition challenging Khan's arrest. Apart from the CJP, the bench also included Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar.

At the outset of the hearing, the former premier's lawyer, Hamid Khan, informed the court that Khan had gone to the IHC in order to secure an extension of his interim bail. When the PTI chief was getting his verification done, Rangers personnel broke into the room, Geo News reported.

"The Rangers misbehaved with Imran Khan and arrested him," he added.

At this, CJP Bandial inquired about the case in which Khan was seeking bail extension.

Justice Minallah inquired if a plea can be filed before the biometric verification is conducted.

At this, the lawyer said that Khan went for biometric verification because a plea cannot be filed before that.

"Why did the NAB (National Accountability Bureau) take the law in its hand? It would have been better for NAB to seek permission from the IHC registrar," Justice Minallah said, Geo News reported.
New Delhi, May 11 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with sources saying that the meeting centred around certain demands related to the state.

The meeting took place just days after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had met Patnaik in Bhubaneswar amid speculations of an Opposition front being cobbled up in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

Patnaik, however, ruled out any political intonation to the meeting.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Patnaik said: "I have not discussed anything with the Prime Minister in this connection (politics). As far as I am concerned, there is no possibility of BJD joining a third front as of now.

"Going alone in the assembly and Parliamentary elections has always been our principle," he added.

Giving some details about the meeting, Patnaik said: "I have just met the Prime Minister. The topic of discussion was mainly about Odisha's demands, which include an international airport -- the Shree Jagannath International Airport, which we want to set up in Puri."
Islamabad, May 11 : The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday termed former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khans arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case as illegal, media reports said.

The Supreme Court started hearing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) plea against party Chairman Khan's arrest after the deposed Prime Minister was presented before a three-member bench, Geo News reported.

The court had directed the authorities to present the PTI chief before the court. Accordingly, Khan was brought to the court in a convoy of 15 vehicles, Geo News reported.

The directive to present Khan before the court came after Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Umar Ata Bandial, termed the PTI leader's arrest from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC) as a mighty disgrace to the country's judicial establishment.

The CJP passed the remark while heading a three-member bench hearing PTI's petition challenging Khan's arrest. Apart from the CJP, the bench also included Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar.

At the outset of the hearing, the former premier's lawyer, Hamid Khan, informed the court that Khan had gone to the IHC in order to secure an extension of his interim bail. When the PTI chief was getting his verification done, Rangers personnel broke into the room, Geo News reported.

"The Rangers misbehaved with Imran Khan and arrested him," he added.

At this, CJP Bandial inquired about the case in which Khan was seeking bail extension.

Justice Minallah inquired if a plea can be filed before the biometric verification is conducted.

At this, the lawyer said that Khan went for biometric verification because a plea cannot be filed before that.

"Why did the NAB (National Accountability Bureau) take the law in its hand? It would have been better for NAB to seek permission from the IHC registrar," Justice Minallah said, Geo News reported.
Islamabad, May 11 : The Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday ordered "immediate release" of PTI Chairman Imran Khan after terming his arrest as unlawful, media reports said.

The top court also directed the former Prime Minister to approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Dawn reported.

The directives were issued by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Umar Ata Bandial, as the court resumed hearing the former premier's plea against his arrest.

The CJP remarked that the country was on fire after the arrest of the PTI Chairman and the court wants peace to prevail in the country, Samaa TV reported.

The apex court had ordered to produce Khan in the court within an hour, as it started hearing the former Prime Minister's petition challenging his arrest in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) case. A three-member bench took up the plea.

Headed by Bandial, the bench also comprised Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah.

The directive to present Khan before the court came after Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Umar Ata Bandial, termed the PTI leader's arrest from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC) as a mighty disgrace to the country's judicial establishment.

The CJP passed the remark while heading a three-member bench hearing PTI's petition challenging Khan's arrest. Apart from the CJP, the bench also included Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar.

At the outset of the hearing, the former premier's lawyer, Hamid Khan, informed the court that Khan had gone to the IHC in order to secure an extension of his interim bail. When the PTI chief was getting his verification done, Rangers personnel broke into the room, Geo News reported.

"The Rangers misbehaved with Imran Khan and arrested him," he added.

At this, CJP Bandial inquired about the case in which Khan was seeking bail extension.

Justice Minallah inquired if a plea can be filed before the biometric verification is conducted.

At this, the lawyer said that Khan went for biometric verification because a plea cannot be filed before that.

"Why did the NAB (National Accountability Bureau) take the law in its hand? It would have been better for NAB to seek permission from the IHC registrar," Justice Minallah said, Geo News reported.
Chandigarh, May 11 : The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday appealed to the Election Commission of India to register a case against all the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators and senior leaders in Punjab for "rigging" the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll held on Wednesday.

Addressing the media here, former state minister Bikram Singh Majithia said that AAP legislators who had been caught in Jalandhar on the polling day or had been photographed there included Dalbir Singh Tong, Daljit Singh Grewal, Jasbir Sandhu, Gurpreet Gogi, Amolak Singh, Madan Lal Bagga and Ajay Gupta.

He said the lack of even a semblance of control on the election process by the chief electoral officer had encouraged AAP to indulge in goondaism and even take over polling booths.

"Videography inside the booths was also not done, while Gaurav Montu, an AAP leader close to minister Inderbir Singh Nijher, was even caught by SAD-BSP candidate Sukhwinder Sukhi while in possession of seals meant for ballot boxes," Majithia said.

He also said that SSP Mukhwinder Bhullar tried to prevail upon SAD workers to let Montu go free, indicating that the entire administration was under the influence of the AAP government.

The SAD leader then alleged indifference on the part of Deputy Commissioner Jaspreet Singh towards the complaints filed by the Opposition in this regard.
Guwahati, May 11 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday termed his neighbouring state counterpart Mamata Banerjee's decision to ban 'The Kerala Story' in West Bengal a wrong one.

Sarma, along with his cabinet colleagues and party leaders, watched the movie here.

Speaking to media persons after watching the cinema, he said: "I cannot comment on what is happening in West Bengal. But I must say that banning this movie will not serve its purpose. The movie is not against any community; it is against terrorism. 'The Kerala Story' talks about the conspiracy of a militant organisation, and even innocent Muslim girls can fall into their trap.

"I think whoever has taken the decision to ban the movie... it is the wrong decision. They have taken a stand with the notion that the movie is against Muslims. However, it showed only the brutal design of terror organisations like IS. 'The Kerala Story' was never against any community or religion." The Assam Chief Minister also suggested that those who are advocating for a ban on this movie must watch 'The Kerala Story' first and then take a decision.

Sarma also congratulated the makers of 'The Kerala Story', and said it will guide children not to fall into the trap of terrorism and religious conversion.

"Watching this movie will educate people to lead a healthy social life," he added.

According to him, 'The Kerala Story' reflects the true story of a certain innocent lady who has been used by the disbanded organisations.

He said: "What I have seen through real-time interviews and social media posts is that Kerala is going through a tough time. I urge the people of that state, irrespective of religion, to raise their voice against the use of innocent girls by terror outfits.

"This movie exposed the design of militant outfits all over the world and showed what has been going on inside terrorist camps in the name of Jihad and religion," he added.

Sarma also spoke about love-jihad in Assam without uttering the exact words.

"In Assam, we do not have girls who join militant organisations, but here, girls are motivated to convert their religion in the name of love. The intent of the girls is innocent, and they may have fallen in 'true love' but the intention of the other side is not good. Therefore, I request all to remain cautious about such things," he said.
Chennai, May 11 : The Tamil Nadu forest department is on a mission to capture a wild elephant 'Karuppan' that trampled a farmer to death in Perumugai village in Erode district on May 4.

The farmer , P. Sitheeswaran along with three others, was working in a banana plantation when the elephant chased them. While the others managed to escape, the elephant caught Sitheeswaran and trampled him to death. It stood near the body for over an hour and did not allow anyone to approach it.

The elephant was captured on April 17 in the Thalavadi hills, Erode and was released in the interior forest area at Thattakari forest range on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border in the Erode forest division. It was released without fixing a radio collar on its neck.

'Karuppan' was tracked by the Erode forest division officials for a few days but could not be traced after it moved to the Kadambur forest range and the Anthiyur forest range.

The elephant, according to Anthiyur forest range officials, was seen in the Bhavani river area and later a sugarcane field.

The officials are using public address systems to warn the villagers about the presence of the animal and not to go near it.

Anthiyur MLA, G. Venkitachalam has had a meeting with the forest officials and asked the public not to chase it out of the sugarcane field as the forest department has constituted a 60- member team to capture it.

Another wild tusker, 'Arikomban' was captured by the Kerala forest department from the Chinnakanal range in Idukki after it killed people, destroyed crops and damaged shops and houses. The animal was fitted with a radio collar and is being monitored at the border of the Kerala-Tamil Nadu forest area. It had ventured into Tamil Nadu and the people there had driven it into the forest.

The Tamil Nadu forest department is monitoring the movements of this elephant also in coordination with the Kerala forest department.

Sources in the Tamil Nadu forest department told IANS that monitoring 'Arikomban' was relatively easier as it was fitted with a radio collar and its movements were transferred to the Kerala department through GPS.
New Delhi, May 11 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Thursday that the adjudicating authority has confirmed the provisional attachment of immovable properties worth several crores of rupees belonging to suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal in Jharkhand.

Earlier, the ED had attached these immovable properties worth Rs 82.77 crore belonging to Singhal and others in Ranchi.

The properties include Pulse Super Speciality Hospital, Pulse Diagnostic and Imaging Centre, plants and machineries, and two land parcels in Ranchi.

The ED had initiated a money-laundering investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Jharkhand Police and the state Vigilance Bureau. The investigation revealed that the proceeds of crime generated from the MNREGA scam was deposited in different bank accounts belonging to Singhal and her relatives, and such funds were also used to purchase properties.

The proceeds of crime were intermingled and layered with the other unaccounted money generated by Singhal by misusing her official position. Using this modus operandi, Singhal amassed huge wealth disproportionate to her known source of income. The funds invested in these immovable properties primarily came from the unaccounted cash profits generated from these proceeds of crime.

During its investigation, the ED had conducted searches at various locations belonging to Singhal and her associates. During the searches, cash to the tune of Rs 19.76 crore was unearthed and seized.

Singhal was arrested by the ED on May 11 last year, and a charge sheet was filed against her and six others on July 5, 2022 on charges of money laundering.

She is currently in judicial custody at the Hotwar Jail in Ranchi after being denied any relief by the Supreme Court.
Title changed. Details added: first version posted on 10:35

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The Armenian Armed Forces are deploying additional military forces and equipment in the direction of Zod settlement of the Basarkechar district, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

"Thus, the Armenian side is trying to pave the way for another provocation. We reiterate that the entire responsibility for the tension in the region lies with the leadership of Armenia," the ministry said.

On the evening of May 10, units of the Armenian armed forces, using various types of small arms, have committed a deliberate provocation against the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Zod settlement. As a result of target fire, serviceman of Azerbaijani army, Muslim Mahmudlu, was seriously wounded in the head.

Starting from the morning of May 11, the Armenian troops are making the situation even more tense, from the positions in the direction of Zod settlement have carried out mortar shelling against the Azerbaijan Army's opposite positions.

The Azerbaijan Army units took necessary adequate retaliatory measures.
Mumbai, May 11 : The Maharashtra opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday termed the Supreme Court verdict as "falling short of justice" while drawing attention to the misuse of the Governor's office by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to destroy a political rival.

Now, the Speaker (Rahul Narwekar) must act immediately as per the Supreme Court order, but feels hopes are dim for the "Rs 50-crore per MLA spender BJP to relinquish power through Constitutional means", the AAP said.

"The Supreme Court ruling is a watershed moment for Indian democracy. The manner in which the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's government was forced out of office with the connivance of the (then) Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari or the partisan approach of the Central agencies was blatantly wrong and a travesty of justice," said Mumbai AAP President Preeti Sharma-Menon in a scathing statement.

She said that the algorithm for dismissal of elected opposition governments includes BJP's shameless power grab, a pliant governor, compromised central agencies, brazen horse-trading and incapacitating the Speakers office.

"Though the Supreme Court verdict fell short of delivering justice, they adequately made it clear that the conduct of the Governor was completely suspect and just stopped short of saying that the BJP misused the Governor's office to derail an elected government and to destroy a rival political party," pointed out Sharma-Menon.

AAP Working President Ruben Mascarenhas warned that if the BJP's infamous Operation Lotus 2.0 operation of Maharashtra is not stopped, then it will be used by the BJP to illegally usurp power from legitimately elected Opposition parties' state governments.

"The Constitution of India is supreme and the rule of law must prevail," urged Mascarenhas, while calling upon the Speaker to take his decision on the disqualification of 16 MLAs as soon as possible, as per the Supreme Court directives.
Islamabad, May 11 : The chief organiser of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Maryam Nawaz, on Thursday advised the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to join Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), media reports said.

Maryam said this in a tweet right after the top court ordered to release Imran Khan while terming his arrest from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC) as 'illegal', Samaa TV reported.

"The Chief Justice [of Pakistan] was very happy today to meet the person who usurped Rs 60 billion from the national exchequer, and he was even happier to release this criminal, Maryam tweeted.

She went on to say, "The Chief Justice is primarily responsible for the attacks on the most important and sensitive installations in the country, as he has become the shield of 'fitna' and is exacerbating the situation in the country by fuelling the fire." The PML-N leader advised CJP Umar Ata Bandial to resign from his position and join the PTI, "just like his mother-in-law", Samaa TV reported.

Earlier on Thursday, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had censured the Supreme Court for providing "relief" to Khan, The Express Tribune reported.

"The SC is giving relief to a criminal, a terrorist, a gangster who leads armed groups," said Marriyum Aurangzeb.

The remarks came as the minister addressed a press conference in Islamabad minutes after the apex court ordered Khan to be produced in court within an hour on Thursday, as it heard the PTI's plea challenging his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The former premier was arrested on May 9 by the paramilitary force from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over allegations of having looted Rs 50 billion from the national treasury, along with a property tycoon, and getting the Al-Qadir University Trust registered on a 450-kanal land.

Hours after Khan's arrest, the IHC had declared that his arrest from the court premises was carried out legally, while the PTI alleged political persecution.

A day later, an anti-graft court granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) eight-day physical remand of Khan.

The government had also backed the arrest as legal, dismissing allegations of foul play.

At the presser, Marriyum told reporters, "Imran Khan arrested by the NAB for investigation in the Al-Qadir Trust case. After the arrest, terrorists and armed groups attacked state and public properties," The Express Tribune reported.
Chennai, May 11 : The Tamil Nadu Coastal Police have been maintaining vigilance after a Panchayat president and his son were arrested for links with international drug cartels, an official said on Thursday.

The father-son duo was arrested on Tuesday after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had intercepted a vehicle on Monday night and found drugs in it.

When the person in the vehicle was questioned, he said that the drug was to be delivered to N. Mahalingam (60), who is the president of Vizhunthamavadi panchayath in Keellaiuur block, and his son Alex (32), a ward councillor.

It may be noted that for the last one month the central intelligence agencies have been providing inputs on some international networks trying to use the Nagapattinam coast line to push high quality drugs into the country.

A source told IANS that certain former cadres of the now defunct LTTE are trying to push in drugs to raise funds for revamping the organisation.

After the arrest and subsequent judicial custody of a top intelligence operative of the LTTE , Sabesan a.k.a. Satkunam in October 2021 has reduced the activities of the defunct LTTE cadres.

Sabesan was accused as being the brain behind the smuggling of the drugs valued at Rs 3,000 crore off the Vizhinjam coast in Kerala along with five AK-47 assault rifles and pellets.

The agencies are trying to cut the ground support these networks are receiving within the state of Tamil Nadu.

A highly placed source with a central agency probing the network told IANS that the former sympathisers of LTTE have developed a network in Tamil Nadu.
Patna, May 11 : A minor boy reached the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) in Ranchi on Thursday - offering to sell his kidney.

The minor boy named Deepanshu was spotted by resident doctor of the Neurosurgery department named Dr Vikas. Asked by the doctor why he wanted to sell his kidney, Dipanshu said that her mother has sustained a fracture in her leg and he is unable to bear expenses for her treatment.

Dipanshu works in a hotel in Ranchi but does not earn enough to bear the cost of his mother's treatment. Hence, he started searching for patients who need a kidney, and roamed many hospitals, before reaching RIMS Ranchi.

Following his revelation, Dr Vikas and his friends assured the boy of proper treatment for his mother in the RIMS, and asked him to bring her there.

Dr Vikas also tweeted the photograph of Dipanshu, who hails from Bihar's Gaya, and tagged Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to request his help.

Dipanshu's father had died some years after his birth. His mother is a daily wage labour and brought him up. However, she met with an accident and suffered a fractured leg. As the financial condition of the family was not sound, he reached Ranchi and started working in a hotel to earn money.
New Delhi, May 11 : The Congress on Thursday dubbed the violence in Manipur 'pre-planned' and demanded immediate imposition of President's Rule in the state.

The Congress also compared the valley-based organisations Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun in Manipur to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bajrang Dal.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das said: "The condition in Manipur is visible to the country and world and I have been working in Manipur for the last three years. There are two areas -- hill area and the valley area." He said that "the hill area is vast and people have many complaints. They have demanded development".

He pointed out that for decades all the communities have been living peacefully and no clashes had taken place in the past.

"However, the two long-standing demands precipitated the current crisis. First, more autonomy to HAC and the 6 ADCS for the hill areas. Second is ST status for the Meiteis. The BJP government, both in the state and the Centre, betrayed the people of all communities of Manipur," Das said.

Dubbing the incident of violence as heart wrenching and serious, he said: "No democratic process was initiated either by the Centre or the state government to fulfil these demands. Instead conflict was triggered through undemocratic actions by the state government, including sudden evacuation of villages from 38 forest areas, the spread of violence by BJP functionaries at protest sites and provocation from the Chief Minister with his arrogant utterances." Das, who is also the in-charge of Manipur, said: "It seems that violence was pre-planned as no one from the Centre is monitoring the issue." Highlighting the reason for violence, the Congress leader said that the during the rallies by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur in all hill districts of the state on May 3, which was largely peaceful in the beginning as a memorandum was given to the District Collector at the end of the protest.

"But when it was underway in Churachandpur district, former BJP youth president Barish Sharma, with a mob, had participated in the rally. Why was he there at the rally? Who asked him to go there? He created problems by arguing with the students," he alleged.

He said that under Sharma's leadership, the Anglo-Kuki war centenary gate in Churachandpur was damaged which agitated the Kuki tribe present there and the violence was aggravated.

Comparing the two Manipur organisations Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun with the RSS and the Bajrang Dal, Das said: "It is during this time that two special forces like RSS and Bajrang Dal were created. One is Arambai Tenggol and the other is Meitei Leepun. They were in black clothes and moved around in a group of hundreds on bikes with guns. They entered police stations and police training centres and looted the armory." He said that they also burned churches, looted villagers, and created fear among the people.

Questioning the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress leader said: "Why the Prime Minister had not appealed for peace in the area?" He also questioned the absence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the state following the violence.

"We want President's rule in Manipur to ensure law and order in the state and bring more accountability," Das added.
New Delhi, May 11 : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday exhorted Japanese investors to invest in India, while highlighting the country's digital public infrastructure revolution and its impact in the areas of health, education, financial inclusion and agriculture.

She said that enhancement in India's digital infrastructure has helped in reducing pilferage significantly and inducing transparency and accountability.

Sitharaman further apprised investors and business leaders of India's specific focus on Artificial Intelligence with proposed Centres of Excellence which will benefit not just the present but the future generations as well.

She said this during an interaction with investors and business leaders during an event on "Rising Investment Opportunities: Destination India", organised in collaboration with the Japan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (JCCI) and the Indian embassy in Tokyo.

Earlier, the Finance Minister had arrived in Japan on a two-day official visit.

Sitharaman informed the gathering that the Indian government is focussing on skilling people in the fast-developing area of Artificial Intelligence so that the young population can use it towards innovative solutions for all.

She shared the progress made by India in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and elucidated the various steps and systemic reforms undertaken by the government during and before the pandemic that laid the foundation for India's strong and sustained recovery.

Referring to India's commitment to greening of economy and the goals under Nationally Determined Contributions NDCs, especially in renewable energy, Sitharaman said that India already achieved, with its own funds, 175 GW of solar energy and now aims to achieve 300 GW by 2030.
Mumbai, May 11 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accompanied by his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, on Thursday met Shiv Sena-UBT President and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar and state Congress Working President Naseem Khan as part of his efforts to forge a grand alliance of all non-BJP parties.

After the meetings, Nitish Kumar said that if more and more opposition parties unitedly stand and work together, it can help achieve a better fight against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"When all opposition unites to fight, there will be a direct contest (against the BJP). We can get good success and the country can head in the right direction," remarked Nitish Kumar, who was accompanied by his Janata Dal-U's national Secretary Kapil Patil and others.

He observed that what the BJP is doing is not good for the country and its imperative for the opposition parties to work together and save democracy in India.

"There should not be any dispute. All must remain united with the same objective to work in the best interests of the country, and provide an alternative in the next elections," he said.

To a query whether Pawar would be the main face of the opposition alliance, Nitish Kumar said that "nothing could be more delightful than that", and he had requested him to work more vigorously both for his party and the entire country.

Khan welcomed the visiting dignitaries at Mumbai Airport and wished them the bet for their efforts to work out a united opposition front, saying Nitish Kumar had already met Congress top brass in New Delhi recently.

Earlier this morning, Nitish Kumar and Yadav, JD-U President Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Bihar Legislative Council Chairman Deveshchandra Thakur and Bihar Cooperation Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha, were accorded a grand welcome on their first visit to Mumbai with huge banners and posters heralding their trip, said a JD-U official.

The duo and others were accorded a traditional Maharashtrian style welcome at the Thackeray residence 'Matoshri' in Bandra where they had lunch with Uddhav and Aditya Thackerays, with MP Sanjay Raut also present.

Later, they drove to Pawar's residence 'Silver Oaks' in south Mumbai where they were welcomed by Sharad Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule and others.

In the past few days, Nitish Kumar has been jetting around the country meeting top Opposition party leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Arvind Kejriwal, Hemant Soren, Naveen Patnaik, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Sitaram Yechury, D. Raja and other.
Chennai, May 11 : Senior Congress leader and former Union minister, P. Chidambaram on Thursday congratulated Tamil Nadu Minister Thangam Thenarasu on getting the Finance portfolio.

In a statement, the veteran leader said: "Congratulations to Thangam Thenarasu on his appointment as Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu. I wish Tamil Nadu further development under his new role, and also congratulations to TRB Rajaa on his becoming the industries minister of the state." It may be noted that subsequent to TRB Rajaa swearing in as minister, the Tamil Nadu government issued a statement regarding changes in the portfolios of five ministers.

High-profile finance minister of Tamil Nadu, PTR Thiagarajan, was divested of his portfolio, and state Industries minister, Thangam Thenarasu, became the new Finance minister.

Mano Thiagarajan was allocated the Diary development minister portfolio which was held by S.A. Nasser, who was dropped.
New Delhi, May 11 : Ninety nine officials of Tihar Jail have been transferred following the killing of gangster Tillu Tajpuriya by members of a rival gang a few days ago.

The transfers were ordered by Director General (Prisons) Sanjay Beniwal, who deemed the incident a grave matter. The transferred officials include 11 deputy superintendents, 12 assistant superintendents, head warders and warders.

"However, the transferred officers/officials shall draw their salary from where they were drawing earlier. Further, all the above mentioned officers/officials hereby stand relieved with immediate effect without waiting for formal relieving from concerned jails/offices. Non-compliance of the order shall be viewed seriously," the transfer order read.

According to prison officials, additional transfers may take place in the coming days.

The killing of Tajpuriya has prompted the authorities to undertake a comprehensive review of the situation, resulting in a strategic overhaul of operations and implementation of essential reforms at the grassroots level.

On Monday, the Delhi High Court sought a response from the jail authorities on the steps taken to prevent such an incident.

Justice Jasmeet Singh was dealing with a plea moved by Tajpuriya's father and brother seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the murder and also protection for them.

On watching the incident, which was captured on the CCTV cameras installed inside the jail, Justice Singh said that it was seen that Tajpuriya was taken out of his cell and was stabbed to death.

According to video footage, Tajpuriya was reportedly attacked with improvised weapons by four members of the Gogi gang inside Tihar Jail on May 2. Despite being alive and in the custody of prison security personnel, the accused attacked Tajpuriya a second time.

As per reports, Tajpuriya was stabbed over 90 times by the assailants, who are reportedly members of the Jitender Gogi gang.

Sunil a.k.a. Tajpuriya (33), a resident of Tajpur Kalan on the outskirts of Delhi, was lodged in Tihar Jail under tight security.

Gangster Satinder Singh Brar, also known as Goldy Brar who is believed to be in hiding in Canada, has claimed responsibility for the attack on Tajpuriya, citing revenge, according to an unverified social media post.
Islamabad, May 11 : Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed grievances about his arrest on Thursday, claiming that he was abducted from the Islamabad High Court and beaten with sticks, which is not an acceptable treatment for even a criminal, media reports said.

Khan claimed that he was taken to various places, including the police lines, and had no knowledge of what was happening outside, Samaa TV reported.

Khan also mentioned that he had many cases registered against him, including on charges of terrorism, and demanded to see the arrest warrant. He also criticised those who want chaos and anarchy instead of elections, stating that a party that wants elections will not support such behaviour.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman urged his party workers to refrain from damaging public and private property, Samaa TV reported.

During the hearing in the Supreme Court on Thursday, Khan appealed to the public to protest peacefully and not harm the country.

The court termed Khan's arrest by Pakistan's anti-corruption body as illegal, and ruled that the PTI chief should be released immediately. Khan was under the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
First version published at 10:37

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. A criminal case has been opened on the fact of an Azerbaijani serviceman being wounded in the head by the Armenian troops, Trend reports via the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan's Military Prosecutor's Office, the Kalbajar Military Prosecutor's Office received information about the injury of Muslim Mahmudlu, a serviceman of the No. 1 military unit of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, as a result of shootout by the Armenian Armed Forces.

On this fact, a criminal case was opened in the Military Prosecutor's Office of Kalbajar under article a criminal case was initiated under article 120.2.12 (premeditated murder motivated by national, racial, religious hatred or enmity) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, witnesses were interrogated, appropriate examinations were appointed and other necessary investigative actions were carried out.

The investigation is ongoing, all measures will be taken in accordance with the requirements of the legislation.
Agartala, May 11 : Various organisations, including student and women's bodies, in Tripura staged protests on Thursday against the kidnap and gang-rape of a college student.

The condition of the girl, who is undergoing treatment at a government hospital, is stated to be "very critical".

A police spokesman said that Gautam Sharma, the prime accused in the case and the driver of the vehicle in which the crime was committed, has been arrested along with co-accused Sudip Chetri, and a hunt is on to nab the remaining two accused persons.

He also said that cash to the tune of Rs 90 lakh has been seized from the house of one of the accused persons, Prasanjit Paul, who managed to flee before the raid party reached his home.

Additional teams have been formed and raids are being carried out in various parts of the state to nab the remaining accused persons.

The 20-year-old student was kidnapped on Monday afternoon when she was returning from her college on the outskirts of Agartala.

According to the police, the victim was found at an abandoned place along the bypass road late on Monday night and was taken to the hospital, where her condition is stated to be very critical.

The victim's mother said that her daughter was returning home when Gautam offered her a lift.

There were three others in the car, the girl's mother said, as she alleged that all the four persons raped her daughter inside the moving vehicle and abandoned her along the bypass road.

Tripura Ganatantrik Nari Samity, a women's wing of the CPI-M, SFI, DYFI and other organisations on Thursday gheraoed the police headquarters here and staged a massive protest demanding punishment for the culprits.

Veteran women leaders Rama Das and Krishna Rakshit said that students, girls and women are not safe even in the capital of BJP-ruled Tripura.

"In the latest incident, a college girl was kidnapped from the capital city in broad daylight and then gang-raped by four men inside a car. The police are yet to arrest the culprits even after three days of the heinous crime," said Das, a CPI-M central committee member.

Tripura BJP general secretary Papia Datta and the party's Mohila Moracha leaders also visited the hospital to see the victim, and demanded severe punishment for the culprits.
Kolkata, May 11 : A special CBI court in Kolkata on Thursday extended the judicial custody of Trinamool Congress MLA Jiban Krishna Saha till May 25 in connection with his reported involvement in the alleged multi-crore recruitment scam in state-run schools of West Bengal.

Saha's counsel claimed in the court on Thursday that the CBI has put up a concocted story about his client throwing his two mobile phones into a pond adjacent to his residence in Murshidabad district during a CBI raid at his house.

"This is a concocted story. No videography was done at the time of the raid. The central agency also did not follow the norms required for the seizure of electronic devices," Saha's counsel argued.

He also said that had his client thrown his mobile phones into the pond, the laxity was on the part of the CBI.

"Has any of the officers who were conducting the raid been penalised for that," Saha's counsel questioned.

In counter argument, the CBI counsel said that had they seized the mobile phones at the beginning of the raid, the question of throwing them away would not have arised.

"Why would the CBI try to destroy the evidence collected by the agency itself," the CBI counsel argued.

After hearing both sides, the judge extended Saha's custody till May 25.
Shillong, May 11 : The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has detected around 1.52 lakh suspected fake mobile connections subscribed based on forged documents in six states of the northeast region, officials said on Thursday.

DoT officials said that more than 1.47 lakh mobile connections that failed in the re-verification process have been disconnected by the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.

So far, the TSPs have blacklisted 493 Points of Sale (PoS) and registered 71 police complaints against the suspected PoS for further investigation and necessary action against the culprits.

Cyber crimes, financial frauds and anti-social activities are mainly committed through SIMs fraudulently subscribed on the basis of forged documents.

In order to detect and weed out such suspected SIMs, the DoT has taken up the initiative of conceptualising and implementing an innovative and indigenous artificial intelligence and facial recognition powered solution for telecom SIM subscriber verification (ASTR).

The system uses subscriber images and a database of TSPs to detect fraudulent subscriptions.
New Delhi, May 11 : The Supreme Court judgment, ruling on a batch of petitions arising out of the intra-party rift in the Shiv Sena, made a detailed analysis of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (or the anti-defection law) to draw a distinction between a legislative party and a political party.

A five-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, said the Tenth Schedule would become unworkable if the term 'political party' is read as the 'legislature party'.

The bench -- also comprising Justices M.R. Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli, and P.S. Narasimha - said that the Parliament, in its constituent capacity, was conscious of the necessity of not allowing anti-defection laws to stifle intra-party dissent and the freedom of expression of legislators.

"When the anti-defection law seeks to curb defections from a political party, it is only a logical corollary to recognize that the power to appoint a whip vest with the political party," it said.

The bench observed that to read the term 'political party' as 'legislature party' would be contrary to the plain language of the Tenth Schedule. It said that to hold that it is the legislature party which appoints the whip would be to sever the figurative umbilical cord which connects a member of the house to the political party.

The bench said "that a whip be appointed by the political party is crucial for the sustenance of the Tenth Schedule. The entire structure of the Tenth Schedule which is built on political parties would crumble if this requirement is not complied with. It would render the provisions of the Tenth Schedule otiose and have wider ramifications for the democratic fabric of this country. Thus, the courts cannot be excluded by Article 212 from inquiring into the validity of the action of the Speaker recognising the whip".

The bench said the Speaker, on taking cognizance of the resolution passed by the faction of Shiv Sena Legislative Party (SSLP) led by Eknath Shinde, did not attempt to identify which of the two persons who were nominated (Sunil Prabhu or Bharat Gogawale) were authorised by the political party.

"In a contentious situation such as this, the Speaker should have conducted an independent inquiry based on the rules and regulations of the political party to identify the whip authorised by the Shiv Sena Political Party." "The Speaker must only recognise the Whip appointed by the political party. The decision of the Speaker recognising Mr. Gogawale as the Chief Whip of the Shiv Sena is illegal because the recognition was based on the resolution of a faction of the SSLP without undertaking an exercise to determine if it was the decision of the political party".

The bench noted that the leader of the legislature party is the link between the political party and the legislative Assembly. "If the interpretation of the respondents is accepted, the action of the leader condoning an MLA's prohibitory conduct would not reflect the voice of the political party and would instead reflect the voice of the legislature party. This would be contrary to the manner in which the Tenth Schedule is intended to operate. The manner in which the Tenth Schedule would then operate would not effectively prevent or provide a solution to the constitutional sin of defection," said the bench.

The top court concluded that the political party and not the legislature party appoints the whip and the leader of the party in the House. "Further, the direction to vote in a particular manner or to abstain from voting is issued by the political party and not the legislature party," it said.
Rome, May 11 : World No.5 Coco Gauff advanced to the third round of Italian Open after defeating Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-1 in her opening match, here on Thursday.

En route to her 59-minute victory, the 19-year-old American fired 29 winners while holding Putintseva to just one. While she served at just 44 percent first serves in, Gauff did not face a break point in the match. In contrast, Putintseva served at 72 percent first serves in, but was broken five times.

Gauff came into her match against Putintseva with a 2-0 lead in their head-to-head. The Kazakhstani endured a three-hour duel 24 hours earlier, defeating Viktorija Tomova, 6-7, 7-6, 6-0 in the first round. The fatigue from that effort was evident against Gauff, as Putintseva was a step off of her trademark defensive prowess. Gauff responded by overpowering her from the baseline.

"I usually have long matches with her. I was fully prepared for that. But I told myself to play on my terms, not her terms," Gauff said.

"She's obviously a tricky player, has some big wins. Made the quarters of the French a couple times. I know clay is her surface. It's also kind of mine, too, so it was a good match today," she added.

The American's performance was a strong recovery from her disappointing 6-3, 6-0 loss to Paula Badosa in the third round of Madrid.

Gauff will face 27th seed Marie Bouzkova next for a spot in the Round of 16. Bouzkova rallied from 4-0 down to Caty McNally to win 10 consecutive games before closing out a 6-4, 6-3 win.
Patna May 11 : A court in Bihar's Sasaram on Thursday sentenced the convict in a 2009 rape-cum-murder of a minor to death.

Mohammad Shahid had committed the crime on June 16, 2009 and after a long legal fight of 14 years, the victim's family has secured justice.

The incident occurred when Shahid, a native of Buxar district, went to Semri village under Kargahar police station to attend a marriage function of his relative on June 16, 2009.

"The accused had raped a 14-year-old minor girl on June 16, 2009. After the rape, the accused killed her and buried the body near the scene of crime. The local police managed to discover the dead body two days after the incident," Vidyasagar Rai, the lawyer for the the victim's family, said.

"On Thursday, a final hearing of the case was held in the court of ADJ-1 in Sasaram where he found the accused guilty. He observed this case in the category of rarest of rare and accordingly, pronounced the death penalty," Rai said.
Bengaluru, May 12 : With the possibility of hung Assembly looming large in Karnataka, the JD(S) is all set to play the kingmaker's role in the state.

Hopeful of winning over 30 seats in the Assembly polls, sources in JD(S) said on Thursday that party leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is now not only going to be the kingmaker but is also set to become the 'king'.

Earlier during polls campaigning, Kumaraswamy had claimed that both national parties - BJP and COngress - will have to come to his doors after the elections.

Sources revealed that after getting the reports from party workers on ground, Kumaraswamy had boarded a flight to Singapore and is handling the negotiations from there with national parties.

They further claimed that the JD(S) has "decided to go with the Congress as per the wishes of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy will become the Chief Minister".

Congress leader Siddaramaiah, the betenoire of Gowda family, will bear the brunt of the alliance as there are all possibilities of JD(S) honchos asking Congress to keep him at bay.

Meanwhile, JD(S) national spokesperson and senior leader Tanveer Ahmad said that both national parties - Congress and BJP - are "trying to reach out" to his party for forging a post-poll alliance.

"Both the national parties are definitely trying to reach out to us... We will take a decision at an appropriate time. Right now, I can tell you that we will take a decision for the betterment of Karnataka," Ahmad told IANS.

The 89-year-old Deve Gowda, during campaigning, toured the entire state, attended public rallies, gave speeches and appealed to the people that he wants to see his son on the seat of power for the last time. The emotional appeal to Vokkaliga masses seemed to have worked for JD(S).

Kumaraswamy, who had undergone heart surgery, also toured all across the state for hectic campaigning. He was admitted even hospitalised for two day during the campaigning due fatigue and other ailments. His hard work also seemed to have borne fruit in this election.

It is however to be seen how things shape up on May 13, when the results will be declared.

The BJP is claiming that all exit poll predictions have fallen flat before and no survey could foresee the victories achieved by BJP in Lok Sabha as well as state elections in Karnataka.

Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and National General Secretary B.L. Santhosh has claimed that the BJP will get a majority in the elections.
Partner and Co-Founder Heidi Ann Lepp, Esq., has been practicing family law for 30 years. She is certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a matrimonial attorney, and is both a trained mediator and collaboratively trained practitioner. Heidi was President of the Somerset County Bar Association and has lectured/presented at the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education. She was previously selected to the 2022 Best Lawyers list as Lawyer of the Year in Family Mediation; the Martindale-Hubbells list of Top Attorneys of New Jersey; the Best Lawyers for Families list in NJ Family Magazine; and the Top 50 Women in New Jersey Super Lawyers list. She has been named on the Super Lawyers list every year since 2015.

Partner and Co-Founder Mark T. Mayrides, Esq., has concentrated his practice exclusively in matrimonial law since 1995. He is licensed to practice law in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He is Past President of the Somerset County Bar Association and has been a Member of the Somerset, Hunterdon, and Mercer County Matrimonial Early Settlement Panels for over 20 years. In 2018, Mark received the Somerset County Professionalism Lawyer of the Year Award. From 2006 through 2010, Mark was selected to the Rising Stars Super Lawyers list and has been named on the Super Lawyers list every year since 2018.

Partner and Co-Founder Sarah M. Eaton, Esq., has been practicing family law exclusively since 2007. She is licensed to practice in New Jersey, New York, and the U.S. District of Columbia. Sarah is Co-Chair of the Somerset County Bar Association Family Practice Committee, a Member of the Somerset County, Hunterdon County, and Middlesex County Matrimonial Early Settlement Panels, and an Attorney Member of the District XIII Ethics Committee. From 2014 through 2017, Sarah was selected to the Rising Stars Super Lawyers list. This is her second consecutive year being named on the Super Lawyers list.

Jane R. Altman, Esq., Of Counsel, has been practicing family law for over 40 years. In 2018, Jane received the Saul Tischler Award from the New Jersey State Bar Association for lifetime achievement and contribution to the advancement of Family Law in the State of New Jersey. She was the first attorney from Mercer County, New Jersey, to receive this Award since its inception in 1986. Jane has been active in local and State Bar organizations, including her service as a Trustee of the Mercer County Bar Association; a Matrimonial Early Settlement Panel Panelist; and a Member of the District VII Ethics Committee and the District VII Fee Arbitration Committee. She has been named on the Super Lawyers list every year since 2012.

Super Lawyers uses a multi-phase selection process that involves a combination of professional achievements, peer recognition, and independent research. In compiling their annual lists, Super Lawyers evaluates courtroom performance, pro bono work, and other professional honors and awards. Attorneys selected to the Super Lawyers lists are nominated by their colleagues.

Lepp, Mayrides & Eaton, LLC is a family law-focused firm that is committed to providing top-quality legal services to their clients. Call 908-829-9280 or go to http://www.lmefamilylaw.com to schedule a consultation today. Located in Somerville, New Jersey, the firm serves clients throughout the state.

Lepp, Mayrides & Eaton, LLC  A Year in Review

Partner and Co-Founder Heidi Ann Lepp, Esq.



Selected to the Best Lawyers for Families list, NJ Family Magazine 2022

Selected to the Best Lawyers list of 2022 Lawyer of the Year in Family Mediation

Selected to Martindale-Hubbells list of Top Attorneys of New Jersey, 2022

Partner and Co-Founder Mark T. Mayrides, Esq.



Selected to the Best Lawyers for Families list, NJ Family Magazine, 2022

Partner and Co-Founder Sarah M. Eaton, Esq.



Named to the 2022 List of the Best of the Best Top 10 Family Law Attorneys

Selected to the Best Lawyers for Families list, NJ Family Magazine, 2022

Selected to the Top 50 Women in New Jersey Super Lawyers list, 2022

Jane R. Altman, Esq., Of Counsel


BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Azerbaijani serviceman of the extra active military service of the Azerbaijani army Orkhan Novruzalizade was killed as a result of provocation by Armenian Armed Forces, Trend reports via the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan.

According to the ministry, the units of the Azerbaijani army are taking decisive retaliatory measures and controlling the operational situation.

The leadership of the ministry expressed condolences to the martyrs family.

On the evening of May 10, units of the Armenian armed forces, using various types of small arms, have committed a deliberate provocation against the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Zod settlement. As a result of target fire, serviceman of Azerbaijani army, Muslim Mahmudlu, was seriously wounded in the head.

Starting from the morning of May 11, the Armenian troops are making the situation even more tense, from the positions in the direction of Zod settlement have carried out mortar shelling against the Azerbaijan Army's opposite positions.

The Azerbaijan Army units took necessary adequate retaliatory measures.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry also informed about deployment of additional military forces and equipment by Armenia in the mentioned settlement's direction.
More than ever before, were finding that U.S. trade and consumers recognize the combination of savoir faire, adventure and quality that Languedoc delivers."

Following the release of 2022 year-end results, the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc (CIVL) has announced that the U.S. remains the number one export market for Languedoc wines. Total exports across all styles grew 17% by value as of year-end 2022, reflecting growing appreciation in the U.S. for quality wines from Languedoc. Consumer demand for Languedoc reds and roses is particularly noteworthy: Combined, red and rose styles increased 62% in value and 32% in import volume (2021 to 2022). Total exports surpassed 960,000 cases of wine sold across all styles, a metric that cements Languedoc as a region to watch in the U.S market.

More than ever before, were finding that U.S. trade and consumers recognize the combination of savoir faire, adventure and quality that Languedoc delivers, said Olivier Legrand, Director of CIVL. With almost half of our appellations less than 20 years old, a new generation of vignerons is coming of age with very exciting wines and new ideas that are firmly rooted in our regions commitment to sustainability. A third of our vineyard is organically certified, which also makes Languedoc exciting for wine lovers who value environmental responsibility.

A year-end 2022 trade survey conducted by research provider Wine Opinions reveals whats driving Languedocs strong presence in the U.S. market. The survey, which queried 369 U.S. qualified retailers, beverage directors and importers, identified the Languedoc region as a rising star led by an innovative generation of winemakers that value sustainable and organic wine production. Other key selling points highlighted by survey participants included interest in Languedocs wide variety of wines and styles and outstanding quality-to-value.

Survey results demonstrated high awareness of Languedoc, with 83% of respondents citing Languedoc as a leading wine region in the south of France. Other survey results also shed light on the growing appeal of Languedoc wines in the U.S. Respondents were asked to rank statements about the region, namely:



A dynamic generation of Languedoc winemakers are driving quality and sustainability higher. 74% of respondents ranked this statement as a top qualifier of success for Languedoc. 33% of Frances certified organic vineyards are in Languedoc and Roussillon, the highest of any French wine area.

Languedoc can produce GSM-style blends, fresh light whites and a variety of rose wines at better value for the price than other regions. 77% of respondents responded positively to this statement, indicating that a wide variety of styles from the regions 20 AOPs deliver noteworthy quality for their price.

There has been tremendous improvement in Languedoc wines over the past decades in terms of style, quality and new appellations. 75% of respondents responded positively to this statement. 9 of the Languedoc regions 20 AOPs are less than 20 years old, a quality standard that has been well-received by the trade.

Positive trends in Languedoc sales and awareness reflect the regions continued dedication to promoting variety, quality, innovation and sustainability in its winemaking practices  cementing Languedoc as a forerunner in the U.S. new French wine scene. This strong regional awareness is supported by ongoing trade education, media outreach, and digital discovery campaigns led by the CIVL. Media and trade who are interested in receiving news and updates from Vins du Languedoc are invited to contact Claire Martin (claire@gregoryvine.com) or Katie Keith (katie@gregoryvine.com).

About Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc (CIVL)

The Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc (CIVL) manages 20 AOPs (Appellations d'Origine Protegees) and 13 IGPs (Indication Geographique Protegee) spread over four regions in the south of France: the Aude, Herault, Gard and Pyrenees-Orientales. Established in 1994, CIVL acts as a central authority with oversight over the regions grape-growing and winemaking business.

The historic region of Languedoc encompasses 90,000 acres of vines and 22,000 winegrowers and negociants. Languedocs leading grape varieties in the red and rose categories include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and Cinsault, while predominant white grapes are Chardonnay, Piquepoul, Bourboulenc and Clairette. Red wines make up nearly 60% of all production in the region. In a testament to its innovative spirit, Languedoc was the first region in the world to create sparkling wines with the styles of Blanquette and Cremant de Limoux, which remain popular today. (Read more.)

To request more information, please contact our press relations team.

MEDIA CONTACTS  U.S.

Claire Martin (claire@gregoryvine.com)

Katie Keith (katie@gregoryvine.com)

###
Michele Markham, Enterprising Woman of the Year Award Winner To be among the caliber of leaders being recognized as the Class of 2023 for the Enterprising Women of the Year Awards is a testament to the great work the EAG Advertising & Marketing team delivers every day for our entrepreneurial and enterprising clients.

This month, Markham will be attending the Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration and Conference in Clearwater Beach, Fla. The three-day educational and networking conference culminates in a Gala Award Dinner where she and other top women entrepreneurs from around the world will be recognized for their leadership, community involvement and mentorship.

To be named an Enterprising Women of the Year Award Winner in recognition of your success in business and community leadership is a once-in-a-lifetime honor. Michele was selected from among hundreds of nominees worldwide. Were looking forward to shining a spotlight on her, along with other extraordinary women entrepreneurs at the conference, says Monica Smiley, CEO and publisher of Enterprising Women.

Enterprising Woman of the Year Awards is one of the most notable recognition programs for women business owners in the world with awardees having proven entrepreneurial leadership of growing companies, active mentorship for women and girls in their local areas and engagement in their communities.

In Markhams case, she is the sole owner of EAG, the only company from the Kansas City metro with more than $3 million in annual revenues to win. Markham joined EAG after leaving Ketchum where she worked her way up from account executive to the agencys first woman president. She was promoted to EAG president, co-led the agency to record growth over a five-year period, gained minority ownership of EAG, and ultimately acquired the agency as sole owner in 2021. Markhams mentorship ranges from personally mentoring with the Kansas City Business Journals Mentoring Monday program, serving on the board of Academie Lafayette, a French immersion charter school, and previously guest lecturing for the Kauffman FastTrac program for women to professionally connecting EAG with local school programs that place high school interns in the business world. Markham not only contributes time and money to local community organizations, but fosters an agency-wide culture of giving, be it financially, pro bono marketing services and item donation drives for more than 30 local nonprofits.

To be among the caliber of leaders being recognized as the Class of 2023 for the Enterprising Women of the Year Awards is a testament to the great work the EAG Advertising & Marketing team delivers every day for our entrepreneurial and enterprising clients, says Markham. The most effective leaders hire great people and give them the trust and space they need to do great things, whether its marketing, mentoring or community related. Im fortunate to have had so many inspirational colleagues, clients and mentors in my career, and Im looking forward to meeting more at this conference.

About ENTERPRISING WOMEN Magazine

Enterprising Women, with headquarters in Cary, North Carolina, is the nations only women-owned magazine published exclusively for women business owners that chronicles the growing political, economic and social influence and power of entrepreneurial women. The magazine provides a friendly meeting place, a public forum and a national stage for the critical issues confronting womens businesses and daily lives from the unique perspectives and experiences of entrepreneurial women. Published in both print and digital editions, the online edition of the magazine reaches one million readers in 185 countries. For more information, please visit https://enterprisingwomen.com or call (919) 362-1551.

About EAG Advertising & Marketing

EAG Advertising & Marketing is a Kansas City-based agency providing entrepreneurial companies with services ranging from strategic planning to full-service outsourced marketing services and all tactics in between. At EAG, skilled, in-house marketing professionals conduct brand development, graphic design, website design and development, SEO, SEM, content creation, digital and traditional media, email marketing, social media marketing and more. EAG, an Agency of the Year Fountain Award winner, has provided advertising and marketing services to more than 500 small businesses across Kansas City and the country. The agency is a winner of numerous graphic design and marketing awards from the ANA Business Marketing Association, KCDMA AMBITs, Non Profit Connect's PHILLY awards, AIGAs A17 Design Awards, Best Places to Work, 25 Under 25, Top Companies, and a Workplace Wellness Silver Certified Company via the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their family members have visited the tomb of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the Alley of Honor as May 10 marks the 100th anniversary of the architect and founder of modern and independent Azerbaijani state, the great son of the Azerbaijani people and the National Leader, Azernews reports.

A guard of honor was lined up here.

President Ilham Aliyev laid a wreath at the tomb of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, and paid tribute to the National Leader.

The National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was played.

First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and the family members paid tribute to the National Leader.

The head of state, the First Lady and their family members then put flowers at the grave of the Great Leader`s wife, outstanding ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva.

They also paid respect to prominent statesman Aziz Aliyev and professor Tamerlan Aliyev.





</body> </html>
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Armenia's provocative actions should be strongly condemned by the international community, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said, Trend reports.

According to the information of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, on the evening of May 10, units of the armed forces of Armenia stationed in the direction of Zod carried out a deliberate provocation by subjecting the opposing positions of Azerbaijans Army to fire from various types of small arms, and as a result of this provocation, a serviceman of Azerbaijans Army was severely injured.

Despite the warning to Armenia to stop its provocations and deliberately not aggravate the situation, since the morning of May 11, the armed forces of Armenia have aggravated the situation and subjected the positions of Azerbaijans Army to fire from mortars, as a result of the provocations, one of our servicemen was killed.

"Usual occurrence of Armenia's provocations against the backdrop of the intensification of negotiations on a peace agreement, as well as awaited negotiations between the leaders, shows that Armenia is not interested in the peace process. Such actions of Armenia, which undermine the negotiation process, must be seriously rejected and condemned by the international community.

In order to prevent the provocations of Armenia, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan takes all necessary measures.

All responsibility for the deliberate aggravation of the situation lies with the military-political leadership of Armenia," the statement says.
Its a great win for our team who worked so hard, theyre so dedicated and so passionate. Im excited to be a woman on this stage and representing fintech. And its just another reminder to reach our potential and keep going, said Luvleen Sidhu, CEO & Founder, BMTX

The 6th annual Fintech Nexus Industry Awards took place on May 10, 2023 at the Javits Center as part of the Fintech Nexus USA conference. The awards celebrate the achievements of the most outstanding individuals and organizations in the finance industry.

The 2023 Fintech Nexus Industry Awards winners are:

Executive of the Year: Luvleen Sidhu, Chair, CEO & Founder, BMTX

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Trailblazer: Wemimo Abbey, Samir Goel, Co-CEOs, Esusu

Fintech Innovator of the Year: Square

Emerging Fintech Innovator: Argyle

Innovation in Lending: BHG Financial

Innovation in Payments: The Clearing House

Innovation in Digital Banking: Current

Excellence in Financial Inclusion: Tricolor

Top Service Provider: Brighterion by Mastercard

Best of the Blockchain in Financial Services: Chainalysis

The fintech space continues to evolve and grow, and its an honor to recognize the individuals and organizations that are driving the industry forward, said Peter Renton, Co-founder & Chairman, Fintech Nexus.

Luvleen Sidhu, CEO & Founder, BMTX accepted the award for Executive of the Year. Its a great win for our team who worked so hard, theyre so dedicated and so passionate. Im excited to be a woman on this stage and representing fintech. And its just another reminder to reach our potential and keep going, said Sidhu.

The Fintech Nexus Industry Awards is the premier awards event for the fintech community, providing a platform for industry players to come together, network, and celebrate their achievements.

About Fintech Nexus:

Fintech Nexus is a diversified media company providing essential knowledge, connections and inspiration to more than 200,000 financial professionals, creating a link between traditional finance and the future of finance. Popular offerings include: news, live and virtual events, podcasts, webinars, whitepapers and credentialed education courses.
Francis Acunzo recently sat down with PatientNows Audrey Neff for an episode of the True to Form podcast and is set to make quarterly guest appearances. Fran is excited to make quarterly guest appearances on the podcast to discuss a range of topics in the realm of medical aesthetics.

Acara Partners Co-Founder & CEO and Princeton Medspa Partners President, Francis Acunzo, recently sat down with host Audrey Neff for PatientNows True to Form podcast. Fran is excited to make quarterly guest appearances on the podcast to discuss a range of topics in the realm of medical aesthetics.

During the episode titled The State of Medical Aesthetics in 2023, Audrey and Fran discussed the past, current and future state of medical aesthetics. Having successfully launched over 180 medical spas across the country, Fran shared the top mistakes aesthetic practices make that hinder growth, opportunities for businesses looking to exit and predictions on what the industry will see more of as it continues to evolve in 2023 and beyond.

Listen to the episode now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

To learn more about Francis Acunzo, Acara Partners or Princeton Medspa Partners, please call 203.488.0028. Acara Partners is located at 944 Main St., Branford, CT 06405.

About Francis X. Acunzo

Francis Acunzo and his wife Colleen are regarded as the founders of the medspa industry, opening the very first medical spa in 1996. Fran was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Aesthetic Guide, a medical aesthetic publication that recognizes the best of the best in the industry once a year. Voted on by peers, Francis was the second-ever non-physician to win this prestigious award. He is recognized for his devoted career to the advancement of the aesthetic industry.

Since 2004, the Acunzos have been the proud founders and owners of Acara Partners, an award-winning aesthetic business consulting agency in Branford, CT. Fran and his team have provided management and marketing support to more than 350 aesthetic medical practices and have developed more than 180 medspa locations.

Fran is also President of Princeton Medspa Partners, a growing merger and acquisition company in the medspa industry. The industry experts of Princeton Medspa Partners include an unprecedented team of aesthetic pioneers and thought leaders who are seeking out the leading medspas in the nation and providing owners with desirable exit opportunities.

About True to Form Podcast

Hosted by PatientNow Director of Marketing & International Speaker Audrey Neff, True to Form is a podcast between leaders making headway in the aesthetic, anti-aging and elective medical industries. Learn from the experts to discover the secrets to success and the pitfalls to avoid when it comes to growing all aspects of your aesthetic practice this year and beyond.

About Acara Partners

Acara Partners is a business consulting agency that was founded in 2004 by Francis Acunzo and his wife Colleen Acunzo, who are considered the founders of the medspa industry, opening the first resort spa in the northeast in 1985. Acara Partners specializes in business development, marketing strategy, corporate consultation, strategic planning, sales and operations.

Acara's team of consultants and marketing professionals has worked with hundreds of aesthetic medical practices and has developed more than 180 medical spas nationwide. Acara Partners is one of the aesthetic medical industrys preferred consulting groups for physicians and entrepreneurs that are developing their own aesthetic medical practice. Acara's 99% success rate and client satisfaction make them the go-to consultant group to bring medspas to life  from conceptualization to open doors.

About Princeton Medspa Partners

Princeton Medspa Partners is a national aggregator of medspas and aesthetic medical practices. The company focuses its efforts on acquiring and managing provider-owned and driven businesses, as well as franchise developments. Inquiries regarding the company can be directed toward Princeton Medspa Partners CEO Nick Williams at nwilliams@princetonmedspapartners.com. Inquiries to the investor board can be directed to Phil Piro at ppiro@princetonequity.com.
The Gateway of India is illuminated by five Christie Crimson WU31 laser projectors for this spectacular show. We extend our warmest congratulations to the E Factor team for creating an awe-inspiring spectacle that aptly showcases the full potential of our laser projectors, which have garnered a reputation for delivering exceptional results in various large-scale projection mapping projects across India.

Christie is pleased to announce that its high-brightness Crimson Series 3DLP laser projectors are delivering big, bright visuals for a new light and sound show at the Gateway of India, an iconic arch-monument built in the early 20th century.

Located on the waterfront at the Apollo Bunder area in South Mumbai, the Gateway of India was erected to celebrate the landing of King George V and Queen Mary on their visit to India in 1911. Standing at 26 meters (85 feet) in height and made of basalt, it has also been referred to as the Taj Mahal of Mumbai, and is among the citys top tourist attractions.

The mesmerizing spectacle has been put together to commemorate Indias independence and 75th anniversary of the withdrawal of British troops from the country, as well as the contribution of Maharashtra in Indias struggle for Independence. The projectors were installed and commissioned by E Factor, a leading event planner that provides end-to-end solutions for the creation of unique experiences in India. A total of eight Christie Crimson WU31 laser projectors were used for this permanent installation.

Over the past few years, Christie Crimson Series has breathed life into numerous landmarks across India, and we are well-versed with its exceptional specifications and capabilities, said Jai Thakore, co-founder and chief operating officer, E Factor. After conducting extensive market research, we chose the Crimson WU31 projector for this project, as it met all our requirements in terms of brightness, performance, and installation flexibility. We are excited to deploy them to showcase one of Indias most iconic landmarks in the best possible light.

The E Factor team, in collaboration with Christie, designed and manufactured bespoke weatherproof enclosures for the Crimson WU31 projectors. These enclosures are equipped with intelligent automation systems that can detect any changes in temperature or humidity, ensuring that the projectors remain functional and secure. To prevent automation failure, E Factor installed an external parameter reading system that provides digitalized readings in real-time.

The projectors housed in enclosures are then fitted on towers positioned 100 meters (328 feet) away from the monument, ensuring that the projections are visible from a distance. To further enhance the visual experience, additional rolled-in screens are deployed on all three arches of the Gateway of India. This is the first time such an approach has been taken, resulting in a

multi-dimensional and multi-layered experience that complements the existing facade of the Gateway of India.

The Christie Crimson WU31 projectors exceeded our expectations in terms of brightness and color accuracy. They successfully showcased specially created visual content on the facade of the Gateway of India monument, much to the satisfaction of our stakeholders. We are proud of the outcome and the impact that it has had on the monuments overall visual appeal, Thakore added.

Rishubh Nayar, sales director for India, Enterprise, Christie, commented, Were thrilled that the Gateway of India is illuminated using our Crimson WU31 laser projectors for this magnificent light and sound show, which commemorates Maharashtras significant role in Indias Independence movement. We extend our warmest congratulations to the E Factor team for creating an awe-inspiring spectacle that aptly showcases the full potential of our laser projectors, which have garnered a reputation for delivering exceptional results in various large-scale projection mapping projects across India.

Engineered to withstand the rigors of demanding, high-usage applications, the Christie Crimson Series projectors are built tough and feature an IP5X-sealed, solid-state laser light source providing years of reliable, low-cost and virtually maintenance-free operation. Equipped with 31,500 lumens, these high-brightness laser projectors produce bright and stunningly colorful images. Along with the ultra-fast processing of Christie TruLife electronics and built-in warp and blend capabilities of Christie Twist, they offer installation flexibility and amazing visual experiences. In India, the Crimson Series has been used in major projects such as the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, Statue of Equality in Hyderabad, and Milan Mela complex in Kolkata.
Big companies are 66% more likely to outsource projects than small businesses

While outsourcing has become a norm for organizations of all sizes and across all industries, larger companies are 66% more likely to outsource projects than small businesses, as shared by Capital Counselor. In fact, 92% of the top 2000 global companies use IT outsourcing, as per ISG research.

DesignRush, a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies, shares the top benefits of web development outsourcing:



Cost efficiency

Global talent pool

Time efficiency

Fresh perspective

High-quality website

Learn more about these top benefits and how to outsource web development in five easy steps in the full guide here.

DesignRush also outlined the best web development companies that build fully functional and high-performing websites for businesses of all sizes and across industries.

The top web development companies in May are:

1. Mtoag Technologies - mtoag.com

Mtoag Technologies is an award-winning India-based web design and development company focused on designing clean and easy-to-use websites that drive business results. The agency has over 13 years of experience and has executed 2,500+ successful projects for clients worldwide.

2. Interactivated - interactivated.me

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Interactivated is a full-cycle digital agency with a strong focus on designing and developing eCommerce and marketplace platforms, apps, and SaaS solutions. With over 25 years of experience, the company is on a mission to help clients empower their digital presence and drive fast ROI.

3. Visible One - visibleone.com

Visible One is a Singapore-based digital creative consulting agency building bespoke result-driven solutions for SMBs. The company has 10 years of experience offering marketing and digital IT services that help businesses achieve great performance in the digital age.

4. eSeller Technologies - esellertechnologies.com

eSeller Technologies is an international IT consultancy specializing in web design and development services. They work with customers ranging from small to high-end projects with the aim to help bring innovative products to market that accelerate their business growth.

5. Infinite Ideas Web Design - infiniteideaswebdesign.com

Infinite Ideas Web Design is a Canada-based full-service digital marketing agency that focuses on a forward-thinking and data-driven approach to deliver strategies aimed at generating leads, maximizing ROI, and driving revenue. The company has worked with local and global businesses on projects spanning from web design and development to SEO and beyond.

6. OpenGeeksLab - opengeekslab.com

Expertise: Web Development, App Development, UI/UX Design, and more

7. Surf - surf.dev

Expertise: App Development, Web Development, UI/UX Design, and more

8. Mark Of Approval Web & Marketing - markofapproval.com

Expertise: Web Design, Web Development, Copywriting, and more

9. CXR.Agency - cxr.agency

Expertise: UX/UI Design, Web Development, Game Development, and more

10. LikeIT - likeit.pro

Expertise: eCommerce Development, App Development, Digital Marketing, and more

11. Louis Wright - louiswright.co.uk

Expertise: Web Development, System Development, Brand Management, and more

12. MSDN Solutions - msdnsolutions.com

Expertise: Software & App Development, Web Development, Cybersecurity, and more

13. polytekton - polytekton.com

Expertise: Graphic Design, Web Design, Web Development, and more

14. Ditinex Enterprise - ditinex.com

Expertise: Web Development, App Development, Web Hosting, and more

15. WebCreative Digital Agency - webcreative.digital

Expertise: App Development, Web Development, Digital Marketing, and more

16. Grawlix Software - grawlixsoft.com

Expertise: eCommerce Development, Software Consulting, Web Development, and more

17. Defyn Digital - defyn.com.au

Expertise: Web Development, App Development, Web Hosting, and more

18. TomKin Consulting - tomkinconsulting.com

Expertise: Web Design & Development, Branding, Graphic Design, and more

19. Sparrow Web Services - sparrowebservices.com

Expertise: Web Design, Web Hosting, Website Maintenance, and more

20. Zagg Developments - Zagg Developments.com

Expertise: Content Strategy & Architecture, Web Design & UI/UX, Web Development, and more

21. Pixer - pixer.io

Expertise: Branding, UI/UX Design, Web Development, and more

22. Stackend Solutions - stackendsolutions.com

Expertise: Web Development, App Development, Security, and more

23. Digipro Solution - digiprosolution.com

Expertise: Graphic Design, Web Development, SEO, and more

24. Marz Agency - marzagency.com

Expertise: Content Marketing, Web Design & Development, SEO, and more

25. Quinn Marketing - quinnmarketing.com.au

Expertise: Web Design & Development, Branding, Digital Marketing, and more

26. HitUsUpDesigns - hitusupdesigns.com

Expertise: SEO, Web Design & Development, Print Design, and more

27. Webonology - webonology.ca

Expertise: Graphic Design, Web & App Development, Digital Marketing, and more

28. Delaine Technologies - delainetech.com

Expertise: App Development, Web Development, Blockchain Development, and more

29. Synthax.codes - synthax.codes

Expertise: UX Design, Web Development, Support & Maintenance, and more

30. Dilighttec - dilighttec.com

Expertise: App Development, Web Development, eCommerce Development, and more

Brands can explore the top web development companies by location, size, average hourly rate, and portfolio on DesignRush.

About DesignRush:

DesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects.
Our solutions are only as strong as our partnerships, and we are honored to be recognized once again as a top partner for Spectrum Business.

Granite Telecommunications, a $1.85 billion provider of communications and technology solutions to multilocation businesses and government agencies, announced today that it received the Spectrum Business 2022 Spotlight Award for top sales performance. This win marks the fifth consecutive year that Granite has earned the accolade.

Our solutions are only as strong as our partnerships, and we are honored to be recognized once again as a top partner for Spectrum Business, said Rob Hale, Granites President and CEO. We leverage Spectrums advanced communications network to deliver robust and reliable connectivity and voice services to our multilocation customers, backed by our consolidated billing and exceptional customer care.

Spectrum Business is part of Charter Communications, Inc., a leading broadband connectivity provider serving more than 32 million customers in 41 states under the Spectrum brand of Internet, TV, Mobile and Voice services. The Spectrum Business Spotlight Award is given annually to recognize the companys top Value Added Resellers (VARs) of Spectrum Business products and services.

Once again, Granite has proven to be one of our top partners in providing our small and medium sized business customers with exceptional internet and voice services, said Keith Dardis, Senior Vice President of Spectrum Community Solutions. We congratulate Granite on this well-deserved recognition and their continued commitment to providing our mutual customers with reliable and cost-effective products so they can flourish in todays highly competitive marketplace.

Granite was formed more than 20 years ago to help multilocation businesses simplify the procurement and management of local and long-distance phone services by providing one point of contact and one invoice for all customer locations nationwide.

Today, Granite is the leader in aggregating Plain Old Telephone Services (POTS) and has extended its unique value proposition  one company, one contact, one bill  to include a range of advanced business communications services, including Internet access, SD-WAN, wireless WAN, hosted PBX, SIP trunking, mobile voice and data, mobile device management, managed security, network integration and more.

ABOUT GRANITE

Granite delivers advanced communications and technology solutions to businesses and government agencies throughout the United States and Canada. The $1.85 billion company serves more than two-thirds of Fortune 100 companies and has 1.75 million voice and data lines under management, supporting more than 650,000 locations. Founded in 2002, Granite has grown to be one of the largest competitive telecommunications carriers in the U.S. by simplifying sourcing and management of voice, data and cellular service with a single point of contact and consolidated invoicing for all locations nationwide. Today, Granite supports customers with a wide range of services, including access, UCaaS, mobile voice and data, and MSP solutions for SD-WAN, monitoring and network management. Granite employs more than 2,250 people at its headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts and 11 regional offices nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.granitenet.com.


Tropical Palms, a Kissimmee, Fla., manufactured home community under the Encore brand from ELS. Altogether, the reports on Florida manufactured home communities include data representations for 209,607 homesites.

Datacomp has published the May 2023 JLT Market Reports for the state of Florida, the largest market area for manufactured homes in the United States. JLT Market Reports provide detailed research and information on communities in 187 major housing markets nationwide. These include the latest pricing trends and statistics, marketing programs, and a variety of other useful management insights.

Datacomp publishes the JLT Market Reports and is the nations #1 provider of market data for the manufactured housing industry. JLT Market Reports are recognized as the industry standard for manufactured home community market analysis.

May 2023 manufactured housing market data published in JLT Market Reports for Florida includes information on 779 All ages and 55+ manufactured home communities.

Altogether, the reports on Florida manufactured home communities include data representations for 209,607 homesites.

More About JLT Market Reports

Each JLT manufactured home community report from Datacomp has detailed information about investment-grade communities in the major markets. The detailed information includes:



Number of homesites

Occupancy rates

Average community rents, and increases

Community amenities

Vacant lots

Repossessed and inventoried homes, and much more

JLT Market Reports also include management insights on communities by the number of homesites, occupancy rate, home types, and other important detail. Established reports show trends in each market with a comparison of May 2023 reports to May 2022, as well as a historical recap of community information from 1996 to the present date in most markets.

The May 2023 JLT Market Reports for Florida manufactured home communities are available for purchase and immediate download online at the Datacomp JLT Market Report website, or they may be ordered by phone in electronic or printed editions at (800) 588-5426.

Each fully updated report for mobile home communities is a comprehensive look at investment-grade properties within a market, enabling owners and managers, lenders, appraisers, brokers, and other organizations to effectively benchmark those communities and make informed business decisions.

About JLT Market Reports

For more than 20 years, countless professionals have trusted JLT Market Reports for timely and accurate management reports on land-lease manufactured home communities. JLT Market Reports are currently published for 186 markets nationwide and are recognized as the industry standard for manufactured housing industry data. In 2014, JLT & Associates merged its resources, skills, and expertise with Datacomp, the industry's oldest and largest national manufactured home appraisal company and number one provider of market data for the manufactured housing industry, and MHVillage, the premier website for advertising mobile homes for rent and sale nationwide and publisher of the MHInsider trade magazine for manufactured housing news. For more information, or to purchase complete JLT Market Reports, call (800) 588-5426 or visit http://www.datacompusa.com/JLT.
First version published at 12:02

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Armenia's provocative actions should be strongly condemned by the international community, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said, Trend reports.

According to the information of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, on the evening of May 10, units of the armed forces of Armenia stationed in the direction of Zod carried out a deliberate provocation by subjecting the opposing positions of Azerbaijans Army to fire from various types of small arms, and as a result of this provocation, a serviceman of Azerbaijans Army was severely injured.

Despite the warning to Armenia to stop its provocations and deliberately not aggravate the situation, since the morning of May 11, the armed forces of Armenia have aggravated the situation and subjected the positions of Azerbaijans Army to fire from mortars, as a result of the provocations, one of our servicemen was killed.

"Usual occurrence of Armenia's provocations against the backdrop of the intensification of negotiations on a peace agreement, as well as awaited negotiations between the leaders, shows that Armenia is not interested in the peace process. Such actions of Armenia, which undermine the negotiation process, must be seriously rejected and condemned by the international community.

In order to prevent the provocations of Armenia, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan takes all necessary measures.

All responsibility for the deliberate aggravation of the situation lies with the military-political leadership of Armenia," the statement says.
Just Drive Media, an integrated communications and marketing agency, has been recognized as one of Inc. Magazines Best Workplaces for 2023. The list is the result of a comprehensive measurement of American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company culture, whether operating in a physical or a virtual environment.

Just Drive Media has been fully virtual since the company was founded in 2007, with team members located around the country.

Building a remote culture that makes Just Drive Media a great place to work requires an intentional approach, said Ali Winkle, CEO and co-founder of Just Drive Media. Our mission is the foundation of our culture, and its a huge part of why we all come to work every day. We help brands build stronger customer connections, while empowering our team to pursue mastery in their craft and purpose in their lives. We want to do work were proud of, with people who energize us.

Part of our special sauce is developing great teams who share our values and are passionate about what we do, Winkle continued. Together weve created a truly special environment of teamwork, innovation, and near-obsessive client service, but also of respect, well-being and growth.

After collecting data from thousands of submissions, Inc. selected 591 honorees this year. Each company that was nominated took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, which included topics such as management effectiveness, perks, fostering employee growth, and overall company culture. The organizations benefits were also audited to determine overall score and ranking.

Just Drive Medias stellar team also was recently honored with three Gold Hermes Awards, including one for a virtual event series for VMware Tanzu (Dev Deep Dive: VMware Tanzu Enhances the Developer Experience), and two for the Just Drive Media brand refresh for the companys 15th anniversary.

About Just Drive Media

Shaping communications strategies for clients in the technology industry since 2007, Just Drive Media is an award-winning, remote agency that delivers meaningful results. Named as PR Week's 2022 Outstanding Boutique Agency, Just Drive Media serves as a one-stop shop for all communications needs, with unrivaled experience across social media marketing & analytics, PR, and daring creative that creates lasting audience impact. For more information, visit justdrivemedia.com.

About Inc. Media

Inc. is the worlds most trusted business media brand, offering entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels, including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. The prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com.
Loop Water Authority Joins the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System Joining the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System was a smart step for our agency in being able to track and streamline our bid process.

The Loop Water Authority officially announced today it has joined the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, an e-procurement system from Bidnet Direct that provides over 375 local government agencies throughout Colorado and Wyoming a solution for bid and vendor management. The Loop Water Authority invites all potential vendors to register online with http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/loopwaterauthority to access its upcoming solicitations.

Moving forward into the digital era, the Loop Water Authority can publish all bid opportunities on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System site, by doing this they will be able to track every step of the process and have a more transparent bid process. Participating government agencies utilizing the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System can track vendors interested in a specific bid, as well as finding out which ones download the documents.

What a game changer it is to be able to track every step taken during the bid process, from publishing the bids and RFPs, to seeing which vendors are interested and who has downloaded the documents and addendums, says Jessie Shaffer, General Manager & Board President of the Loop Water Authority. Joining the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System was a smart step for our agency in being able to track and streamline our bid process, and its also a benefit to our vendors as they have access to more bid opportunities and the information they need is readily available to them.

The Loop Water Authority invites all local vendors to receive access to its upcoming solicitations by joining the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System. Vendor benefits of registering on http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/loopwaterauthority include:



Centralized Location to Opportunities from all 389 Participating Agencies

Notification of Term  Contract Expiration

Bid Alerts Customized to the Vendors' Products or Services Provided

Full Customer Service Support

About the Loop Water Authority:

The Authority will provide wholesale treated water to its members.

About Bidnet Direct:

Bidnet Direct, powered by mdf commerce, is a sourcing solution of regional purchasing groups available at no cost to local government agencies throughout the country. Bidnet Direct runs regional purchasing groups, including the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, across all 50 states that are used by over 1,600 local governments. To learn more and have your government agency gain better transparency and efficiency in purchasing, please visit https://www.bidnetdirect.com/buyers
My individual study and understanding the book of Psalms gave me a desire to write this book. Psalms helps the Christian to walk on the right path despite the war and attack against the Christian by the enemy

Author Larry Jarvis shares his analysis of God-man relationship detailed in verse in Unwrapping Psalms: Meditating Through the Psalms Confabulating the Psalms Psalm Dialog ($16.49, paperback, 9781662876769; $7.99, e-book, 9781662876776).

Jarvis uses his skill explaining complex patents in court to explain the relationship that God seeks with each individual through worship, submission, discipleship and trust.

My individual study and understanding the book of Psalms gave me a desire to write this book. Psalms helps the Christian to walk on the right path despite the war and attack against the Christian by the enemy, said Jarvis.

Larry Jarvis is a trial attorney involving patents, trademarks and copyrights. His work has taken him to ten different countries of the world, to the US Supreme Court and to The Hague in the Netherlands. He has an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering. He is married, has four children and nine grandchildren. He has taught adult Bible classes at his churches for over forty years. Jarvis resides in both Sanibel, Florida attending Sanibel Community Church and in Wheaton, Illinois attending College Church of Wheaton.

###

Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. Unwrapping Psalms is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.
University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman Hosts 2023 Scholarship Gala These funds, each of you and the entire community make a significant impact on the university and our students.

The University of La Verne raised nearly $2 million for scholarships and announced the largest commitment of funds in university history during its 25th Anniversary Scholarship Gala May 6 on the historic La Verne campus.

This is truly a mic drop moment, President Devorah Lieberman told hundreds of attendees, including civic and community leaders. These funds, each of you and the entire community make a significant impact on the university and our students.

During the celebration, Lieberman shared the personal stories of four students and how they benefited from scholarships as well as the support of staff and faculty across campus.

More than 90 percent of all our students receive scholarship support from donors and supporters like you who recognize the intellect, empathy, bravery, and belonging these students have to offer the world, said Lieberman.

She later recognized longtime university champions Sara and Michael Abraham. They recently made an additional commitment to the university and the College of Health and Community Well-Being.

Sara and I believe the value of what you can give is not important in life, but the value of giving to others is what makes life important, said Michael Abraham, who has served as a member of the board of trustees for 24 years. From veteran students who have served their country to healthcare graduates who will serve their communities, our intention is for this gift to provide pathways to their service and success. We are proud to be able to support the universitys commitment to its mission and students.

The couple has previously named the Sara and Michael Abraham Campus Center and the Sara and Michael Abraham Veteran Student Success Center.

In a surprise announcement, community partner Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) revealed it would put $1.5 million toward scholarships and a new IEHP Health Career Academy under the Randall Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Social Impact

Lieberman thanked guests for their generosity and partnership on behalf of students and higher education in her final gala address before she retires June 30.

I am humbled to say that I have had the privilege of serving the University of La Verne as president for 12 years and I am grateful for all that we have been able to accomplish together- This includes establishing new colleges, expanding our footprint into Ontario, increasing our endowment and national visibility, donor named deans and faculty members, exceeding our $125 million comprehensive campaign, and a laser focus on maintaining a culture where everyone feels like they belong.

The Scholarship Gala closed with a drawing for a 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid XLE, which was generously donated by the OREMOR Automotive Group, and won by Alumnus Freddie Ochoa, 03 and 09.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE:

The University of La Verne is a private, nonprofit, comprehensive institution founded in 1891 on four core values: lifelong learning, ethical reasoning, civic and community engagement, and diversity and inclusivity. Located in Southern California, the university is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, serving students on the historic La Verne campus, regional campuses, and online. It is consistently listed in U.S. News & World Report rankings for National Universities, Best Value Schools, Top Performers on Social Mobility and Best Online Programs. Learn more about the university at laverne.edu
This award is a testament to our dedicated team and their ongoing efforts to cultivate a workplace that champions innovation, growth, and employee satisfaction." - Nick Damoulakis, CEO and President, Orases

Orases, a leading custom software development company, has been named to Inc. magazines distinguished annual Best Workplaces list. The recognition will be officially announced in the May/June 2023 issue, available on newsstands from May 16, 2023, and prominently featured on Inc.com. The list shines a spotlight on American businesses that have excelled in cultivating exceptional workplaces and company cultures, whether in a physical or virtual environment.

Founded in Frederick, MD, Orases has consistently prioritized a culture of innovation, collaboration, and job satisfaction. Shared values and a commitment to delivering industry-leading software solutions have shaped an environment where each team member feels valued and motivated to perform at their best.

This year, Inc. identified 591 standout companies from thousands of applicants. The rigorous selection process involved an in-depth employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, covering key areas such as management effectiveness, employee growth, perks, and overall company culture. In addition, an audit of each organizations benefits helped to determine the final score and ranking.

CEO and President of Orases, Nick Damoulakis, expresses immense pride in this achievement, stating, This award is a testament to our dedicated team and their ongoing efforts to cultivate a workplace that champions innovation, growth, and employee satisfaction. We will continue to strive for excellence in every facet of our operations.

Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk emphasizes the prestige of the recognition, noting, Being named to Best Workplaces is an honor that only a small fraction of companies have been able to claim. Proving to the world that youre a magnet for talent and have a culture that keeps teams engaged, productive, and proud to come to work is a truly remarkable achievement.

About Orases

Orases is a custom software development company that crafts intuitive applications designed to streamline business operations. Committed to transforming ideas into innovative solutions, Orases continuously strives to make a real difference for its clients and their businesses.

About Inc. Media

Inc. Media, the worlds most trusted business-media brand, empowers entrepreneurs with the knowledge, tools, connections, and community necessary to build great companies. Its multi-platform content reaches over 50 million people each month across various channels. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com.

About Quantum Workplace

Quantum Workplace is an HR technology company based in Omaha, Nebraska. They serve organizations with a variety of tools including employee-engagement surveys, action-planning tools, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com.
Call for nominations issued for the 9th Annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award from the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness. We encourage anyone who shares in our sight-saving mission to submit nominations for this years Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award! said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness.

The National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) has issued a call for nominations for the ninth annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award. The award recognizes significant efforts by an individual, or group of individuals, to improve public health approaches for childrens vision and eye health at the state or national level. The deadline for submission is July 1, 2023, at noon ET.

The award was established in 2014 by the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health Advisory Committee to commemorate Dr. Bonnie Strickland and her groundbreaking work to establish a comprehensive system for childrens vision in the United States. Strickland served as Director of the Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, before her retirement in 2014.

The Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the NCCVEH, to be held virtually on Sept.14, 2023. The award consists of a commemorative plaque, recognition, and opportunity to present at the Annual Meeting. The award recipient will be featured on the NCCVEH website with an overview of their innovative approaches to childrens vision and eye health systems. An all-volunteer committee for the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award will review all nominations and select the award winner.

Nominees for the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award may be an individual or group comprised of diverse stakeholders who are implementing changes to improve childrens vision in the United States and reduce disparities in childrens vision and eye health. Prevent Blindness is accepting nominations of individuals or groups who seek out new and innovative solutions to barriers to healthy vision in children and have successfully implemented those solutions. Projects which demonstrate replicability and sustainability will be prioritized. New this year, there are separate nomination forms for individuals and for groups.

Nominees should be able to demonstrate an impact in one or more areas of a population health system supporting childrens vision:



Key Stakeholder Engagement or Collaboration, including diverse representation from families, racial/ethnic groups, geography, and socio-economic levels from target populations

Training and Education

Public Awareness

Provision of Resources and/or Services

Surveillance and Accountability

Reduction of Health Inequities

Vision and Eye Health Infrastructure Development- Local, State, or National Level

The 2022 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award was presented to Donny W. Suh, MD, FAAP, MBA, FACS, Chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, and Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine. Additional previous award winners include Shavette Turner, Vice President of Childrens Services at Prevent Blindness Georgia; Logan Newman, NBCT, ABO, MS Ed, Program Developer and NYS Certified Science teacher, Career in Technical Experience Teacher, and founder of the East High School Vision Care Program; Anne L. Coleman, MD, MPH, UCLA Stein Eye Institute; the Vision in Preschoolers (VIP) Study Group; Richard Bunner, retired from the Ohio Department of Health; Sean P. Donahue, MD, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Vanderbilt University; the Illinois Eye Institute (IEI) at Princeton Vision Clinic; and the Pediatric Physicians Organization at Childrens (PPOC).

Now in our 115th year, Prevent Blindness celebrates the efforts of those who work to improve vision and eye health for children across the country, said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. We encourage anyone who shares in our sight-saving mission to submit nominations for this years Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award!

For more information, or to submit a nomination for the 2023 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award, please visit https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/bonnie-strickland-champion-for-childrens-vision-award, or contact Donna Fishman, director of the NCCVEH, at dfishman@PreventBlindness.org.

About the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness

Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. In 2009, Prevent Blindness established the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH), with support from the federal Health Resources and Services Administrations Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Serving as a national resource for the establishment of a public health infrastructure, the NCCVEH advances and promotes childrens vision and eye health, providing leadership and training to public entities throughout the United States. The NCCVEH is advised by a committee of national experts and leaders from the fields of ophthalmology, optometry, pediatrics, nursing, family advocates and public health to guide the work and recommendations of the NCCVEH. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving mission, call (800) 331-2020 or visit us at https://NationalCenter.PreventBlindness.org.
Abdominal Aortic & Junctional Tourniquet-Stabilized (AAJT-S) stops non-compressible hemorrhages to help save lives. "The AAJT-S is equipping EMS, special operations and military professionals to save lives globally, and we want to continually expand where the AAJT-S is available to stop life-threatening bleeding whenever and wherever it occurs," stated Compression Works Chief Medical Officer John Croushorn, MD

Compression Works Inc., the medical device company that developed the Abdominal Aortic and Junctional Tourniquet - Stabilized (AAJT-S), is proud to announce that it will be showcasing their life-saving technology and leading lab training programs at the prestigious Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA) conference. The aim of this event is to educate attendees about AAJT-S's multi-functional benefits. SOMA is the leading professional organization that focuses on enhancing the knowledge, experience, skills, and wisdom of current and future Special Operations and Tactical providers.

The SOMA 2023 Training, Education, and Scientific Assembly will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, from May 15-19, 2023. Compression Works will be providing hands-on demonstrations of the AAJT-S junctional tourniquet at booth #632. Moreover, the company will be providing comprehensive training at lab events on Thursday, May 18th, at both 8 am (currently sold out) and 10:15 am, with limited spots still available.

The AAJT-S junctional tourniquet has been specifically designed to effectively control hemorrhaging and prevent fatalities during pre-hospital care following a traumatic injury. The device holds the distinction of being the sole junctional hemostatic device that has received clearance for controlling pelvic bleeding and is the only device that has recorded lives saved in upper and lower junctional bleeding.

"Every year, tens of thousands of people die from non-compressible hemorrhages, and injuries to the abdomen, axilla, pelvis and inguinal areas require immediate care from emergency medical professionals and combat medics to stabilize accident victims and battlefield casualties," said Compression Works President and CEO Scott Dodson. "The ability to control difficult-to-manage hemorrhages quickly and easily is crucial for patient survival until they can reach definitive care. Members of the military, special operations and emergency medical communities continue to demonstrate the successful use of the AAJT-S device to stop bleeding and save lives," added Dodson.

The AAJT-S device provides multi-functional hemorrhage control and is FDA-cleared to control bleeding in the axilla, inguinal and pelvis and for pelvic fracture stabilizations. When applied at the mid-abdominal level, the AAJT-S has also been proven to be equivalent to Zone 3 REBOA. Evidence of the efficacy of the device has been presented in scientific articles appearing in over 70 publications.

"Our presence and lab training sessions at SOMA 2023 will help educate more medical providers on the multi-functional uses of the AAJT-S junctional tourniquet and clearly outline the extensive and life-saving benefits of the device," said Compression Works Chief Medical Officer John Croushorn, MD. "The AAJT-S is equipping EMS, special operations and military professionals to save lives globally, and we want to continually expand where the AAJT-S is available to stop life-threatening bleeding whenever and wherever it occurs," concluded Dr. Croushorn.

About Compression Works

Compression Works is a medical device company that has developed a game-changing solution to one of the leading causes of preventable deaths: hemorrhaging. As a developer and manufacturer of the Abdominal Aortic and Junctional Tourniquet-Stabilized (AAJT-S) medical device, they offer an innovative solution that meets the most pressing and unmet needs of emergency healthcare providers. Through their commitment to hemorrhage control research, identifying capability gaps, and developing life-saving technologies, Compression Works facilitates the delivery of quality care in critical moments. The AAJT-S device is trusted by the military, trauma centers, rural emergency departments, EMS and federal and local law enforcement agencies, and is proudly manufactured and assembled in the USA. Compression Works is a veteran-owned business dedicated to providing urgent, professional, and life-saving solutions to save lives on and off the battlefield. For more information, please visit CompressionWorks.com.
Top risk management executives from market-leading companies trust our expert-built GRC platform Phalanx GRC to build, manage and maintain their programs, and we look forward to continuing to create breakthrough technology solutions for third party risk professionals.

Risk3sixty, an Atlanta-based cybersecurity technology and consulting firm, announced today that it has received the prestigious Innovator Award from the Third Party Risk Association (TPRA), the industrys leading trade organization. Julie Gaiaschi, CEO & Co-founder, TPRA presented the award to Christian Hyatt, risk3sixtys CEO and Co-founder, during the recent Third Party Risk Roundup 2023 annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Singled out from a robust field of 30 nominees, risk3sixtys innovative technology solutions, industry-leading collaboration and social responsibility secured the award for the Georgia-based company.

"All of us at risk3sixty are humbled to be named this years recipient of the TPRM Service Provider Innovator Award from the Third Party Risk Association, said risk3sixty CEO and Co-founder Christian Hyatt. Top risk management executives from market-leading companies trust our expert-built GRC platform Phalanx GRC to build, manage and maintain their programs, and we look forward to continuing to create breakthrough technology solutions for third party risk professionals.

Officers, board members and select member practitioners from TPRA reviewed the credentials of the third party risk management (TPRM) service providers under consideration before selecting risk3sixty. In recognizing a pioneering service provider that builds, implements and supports innovative TPRM services and solutions to third party risk management companies, the judges also evaluated each nominees collaboration with practitioners, regulators and other service providers, as well as social responsibility and philanthropy.

Each year, TPRA recognizes a market-leading TPRM service provider with the Innovator Award to emphasize one leading companys contribution to advancing the industry. Risk3sixty was recognized for product innovation and providing the Phalanx Essentials GRC platform at no cost.

About risk3sixty

risk3sixty, an Atlanta-based cybersecurity technology and consulting firm, works with high-growth technology firms to help leadership build, manage and certify security, privacy and compliance programs that underpin public and stakeholder trust while enabling business goals. These efforts are propelled by the companys cybersecurity playbook and expert leadership paired with the powerful security, privacy and compliance platform, Phalanx GRC. The firm has a proven track record of helping accomplish these missions for unicorns, high-value clients that have a valuation of $1 Billion. To learn more, visit https://risk3sixty.com. To learn more about the Phalanx GRC platform, visit https://phalanxgrc.com.


SITC is proud to continue to bring together the best and brightest minds in cancer immunotherapy to further the science and educate the next generation of scientists and clinicians.

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is excited to announce Susan Kaech, PhD, from Salk Institute as the Keynote Speaker at its 38th Annual Meeting and Pre-Conference Programs. The title of her presentation is Stressing Out the Immune System in Cancer. SITC is also hosting Robert D. Schreiber, PhD, FAIO, Washington School of Medicine, the 2023 recipient of the Richard V. Smalley Memorial Award and Lectureship, the societys most prestigious award and which honors those who have been pioneers in their work and made a notable impact on the field of cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Schreiber will also give a presentation as a part of this award.

SITC is proud to continue to bring together the best and brightest minds in cancer immunotherapy to further the science and educate the next generation of scientists and clinicians, said SITC President Leisha Emens, MD, PhD. The incredible opportunity for networking with such a diverse audience from so many disciplines really makes this a special event.

As the largest conference focused solely on cancer immunotherapy, SITC 2023 will feature cutting-edge research presentations by experts in the field, oral and poster abstract presentations and ample opportunity for structured and informal discussions, including important networking opportunities. The meeting also includes updates on major national and international initiatives coming from academia, government and industry.

We have put together a tremendous line-up of immune-oncology expert speakers presenting the cutting-edge science that is moving our field forward, said E. John Wherry, PhD, 2023 SITC Annual Program Committee Chair. It remains a catalytic time for cancer immunology and immunotherapy and the new science and exciting interactions and collaborations that are emblematic of SITC meetings will ultimately help attendees bring novel treatments for patients dealing with cancer.

You can register now for the SITCs 38th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2023), being held from Nov. 15, 2023, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA. Virtual participation is also available. Visit http://www.sitcancer.org for more information on this event and other SITC resources.

SITC 2023 attendees will:



Participate in key scientific sessions focused on a variety of basic-, translational- and clinical-focused topics from leaders in the field

Learn about cutting-edge research via oral abstract presentations and poster presentations  the 37th Annual Meeting had over 1,500 abstract submissions

Engage with industry representatives and learn about the latest technological advances in our exhibit hall

Earn continuing education credits

Connect with other SITC 2023 attendees from around the world

Registration is now underway for SITC 2023, taking place Nov. 15, 2023. Click here to register, view sessions, learn about advertising and sponsorship opportunities and more. In addition, SITC is now accepting submissions for Regular and Young Investigator Award Abstracts. The deadline for submissions is June 27, 2023 and can be submitted here.

About SITC

Established in 1984, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is a nonprofit organization of medical professionals dedicated to improving cancer patient outcomes by advancing the development, science and application of cancer immunotherapy and tumor immunology. SITC is comprised of influential basic and translational scientists, practitioners, health care professionals, government leaders and industry professionals around the globe. Through educational initiatives that foster scientific exchange and collaboration among leaders in the field, SITC aims to one day make the word cure a reality for cancer patients everywhere. Learn more about SITC, our educational offerings and other resources at sitcancer.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
Son/Editor Rob Schwartz explains New Book The Wisdom of Morrie by Morrie Schwartz (beloved subject of "Tuesdays with Morrie") emphasizes Human Connections during Stanfords Longevity Book Club Talk Dad suggests that you want to maintain, strengthen and create human connections...Make your connections with your friends and family stronger, share more things with them, share more love with them, and also create new relationships in his new book. - Son/Editor Rob Schwartz, "The Wisdom of Morrie"

In sync with Mental Health Awareness Month (May), Sociology Professor and beloved subject of Tuesdays with Morrie, Author Morrie Schwartz emphasizes the importance of prioritizing human connections over daily tasks in his new book: The Wisdom of Morrie  Living and Aging Creatively and Joyous (April 2023, Blackstone Publishing). Morries Son/Editor Rob Schwartz recently spoke at The Longevity Book Club (May 2, 2023) that is part of the Stanford Center on Longevity about his late fathers book and sage advice tips for how to live vibrantly at any age.

As a posthumously published book, Morrie Schwartzs words are even more timely and relevant today with the New U.S. Surgeon General Advisory: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (May 2023). Morrie urges everyone to make new friends, learn new things, and join organizations to stay connected, especially as one ages.

Rob Schwartz found his late fathers book in his desk after Morrie passed in November 1995 from ALS. Many observe that The Wisdom of Morrie is like a Prequel to Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom because Morrie wrote it between 1988-1992 (around age 70-75) during retirement and prior to being diagnosed with ALS (aka Lou Gehigs disease).

When asked to describe Morries new book, Rob explained, Dad wrote about the myth of ageism that once you get old, you cant do anything.He says you need to break out of the age-casting (preconceived notions of what an aging person is supposed to be) and do whatever you want to doMorrie never thought of himself as an elderly person, but felt society viewed him that way.

When asked what Morrie recommends to live vibrantly while aging, Rob continued, He suggests that you want to maintain, strengthen and create human connectionsHes saying dont wait until the end of your life and youre on your death bed. Make your connections with your friends and family stronger, share more things with them, share more love with them, and also create new relationships.

In addition, The Wisdom of Morrie highlights the authors Top 5 insights for living a long and happy life, which include embracing 1. Laughter, 2. Meditation, 3. Spiritual Connections, 4. Finding New Interests and 5. Strengthening Human Relationships.

When asked about his dad being a Mental Health Advocate, Rob explained, My father became a therapist back in the 1970s,and it (therapy) was very expensive. So he started, with a group of other psychologists, the Mental Health Collective in Cambridge, Massachusetts, called Greenhouse, which offered therapy on a sliding scale. Meaning, you could pay what you could.

In addition to publishing his late fathers new book, Music/Film Producer Rob Schwartz is producing a music festival in Los Angeles in 2024 called ONETOPIA that will be a live one-day event broadcast and streamed around the world. 100% of all net proceeds from ONETOPIA will go to global mental health and wellness initiatives through the ONE HUMANITY Foundation.

And according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), It is estimated that more than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (57.8 million in 2021). As a result, mental health awareness, compassion and solutions to loneliness in The Wisdom of Morrie even more important.

WHERE TO BUY THE BOOK

The Wisdom of Morrie book is now available in Hardback, eBook and Audiobook formats online and in many bookstores.

AMAZON

https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Morrie-Living-Creatively-Joyfully/dp/B0BFJKYDMN

BLACKSTONE PUBLISHING

https://www.blackstonepublishing.com/the-wisdom-of-morrie-ezrc.html#541=2053650

MEDIA CONTACT:

Liz Kelly, 310-987-7207

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

MORRIE SCHWARTZ (1916-1995) is the Author of the new book The Wisdom of Morrie  Living and Aging Creatively and Joyously (April 2023, Blackstone Publishing). After being a professor of Sociology and Social Psychology for 30+ years at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, Morrie wrote this new book after retiring at age 70. Morrie is best-known as the beloved subject of the classic, multimillion-copy number one bestseller "Tuesdays with Morrie". His groundbreaking 1954 book (with Alfred Stanton), The Mental Hospital, made him a superstar in psychology and helped him earn a full-time professorship as his first university position. Morrie was dedicated to social justice and valuing human beings.

ROB SCHWARTZ is Music/Film Producer and Son/Editor of his later father Morrie Schwartzs new book on aging titled: The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyously (Blackstone Publishing). Rob has recently appeared in interviews on Good Morning America, Nightline, PBS NewsHour, Good Day Sacramento and NBC 10 Boston News about his dads new book. Additionally, Rob has extensive experience as a journalist, music/film producer, and entrepreneur. Hes founded a number of companies, both in Japan and the US, and held executive positions in others. His areas of expertise include producing numerous film and music projects in Asia, the US, and Europe. In addition, he has been reporting for Billboard magazine on Asia since 2007. Rob is one of the producers of ONETOPIA, a benefit music festival slated for 2024. For more information, visit https://Onetopia.com and https://wisdomofmorrie.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The Azerbaijani side has agreed to the Brussels meeting, which did not take place last year, Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aykhan Hajizada said, Trend reports.

According to the spokesperson, the meeting is scheduled to resume in May on the initiative and with the participation of the President of the EU Council Charles Michel.

"As you know, last year in Brussels, with the mediation of President of the EU Council Charles Michel, several meetings were held between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. In December, the Armenian side refused to participate in a meeting in the same format in Brussels, thereby hindering the process," Hajizada said.
This event reveals some of the most current thinking in risk reduction; its a must-participate for financial cybersecurity professionals, says WSTA content committee chair and Nemertes CEO Johna Till Johnson.

The Wall Street Technology Association (WSTA), a not-for-profit organization that provides financial technology and business professionals a forum to learn from and connect with each other, will host a hybrid educational event on Cybersecurity in a Risky World on May 18, 2023 in New York City.

Speakers at this event include Keynote and Panel Moderator: Johna Till Johnson, CEO and Founder, Nemertes; Platinum Speaking Sponsors: Akamai Technologies, Fortinet, Imperva, Uptycs, and Verizon; Fireside Chat/Networking Social Sponsor: OneSpan; Speaking Sponsors: Cohesity and Rubrik; Panel Sponsors: Abnormal Security, Check Point, F5, and Sonatype; LiveStream Sponsor: LogRhythm, and WiFi Sponsor: mend.io. For more information, https://www.wsta.org/event/cybersecurity-for-financial-services

From AI to nation-state attacks, cybersecurity risks to financial services firms continue to escalate. Although theres no 100% perfect protection, advances in cybersecurity frameworks, paradigms, and technologies can mitigate risk, says WSTA content committee chair and Nemertes CEO Johna Till Johnson. This event reveals some of the most current thinking in risk reduction; its a must-participate for financial cybersecurity professionals.

Event Description

In the financial services industry, cybersecurity needs to be thought of holistically in order to be effective. This starts with data analysis and classification, leads to data protection and privacy, and moves on to infrastructure and application security.

This event focuses on full-stack cybersecurity, architecture, engineering, operations, staffing, training, and SOCs/outsourcing. Although many themes are applicable across industries, these sessions will focus specifically on cybersecurity for financial services & banking firms. Topics to be covered include cybersecurity automation, ML, AI, SecOps, cloud security, network security, collaboration security, and much more.

About the Wall Street Technology Association (WSTA)

The WSTA facilitates virtual and in-person educational and networking events where members meet and exchange ideas and best practices that assist them in effectively capitalizing on technology advances in areas such as Cybersecurity, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Mobility, Wireless, Machine Learning (ML), Data, Cloud, Blockchain, Digital, Architecture, etc. and dealing with financial industry business challenges. Founded in 1967, the WSTA is a not-for-profit association with a long history of evolving to meet the needs of its members.

The WSTA hosts seminars, roundtables, panel discussions, and social events. These events offer many opportunities to learn about leading technologies, as well as network and share information with industry colleagues. The WSTAs educational newsletter, TechTrends, provides additional content and information about the WSTA and industry-related activities. The website is a dynamic resource providing access to additional resources including webinars, white papers, videos, and information about other industry events.

About Nemertes

Nemertes is a global research-based advisory and consulting firm that analyzes the business value of emerging technologies. Since 2002, we have provided strategic recommendations based on data-driven operational and business metrics to help organizations deliver successful technology transformation to employees and customers. Simply put: Nemertes better data helps clients make better decisions. http://www.nemertes.com
Virtual school performance, research, and policy have changed very little since 2013 when the National Education Policy Center began publishing regular comprehensive reports on virtual schooling. Virtual school performance remains poor, little if any research supports the claimed benefits of virtual schooling, and state regulatory policies are still inadequate. Nonetheless the unsupported claims are widely believed and virtual schools continue to proliferate.

Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2023 provides a scholarly analysis of the characteristics and performance of publicly funded K-12 virtual schools. It reviews the available research on virtual school practices, examines recent state legislative efforts, and provides policy recommendations.

Organized into three sections: (1) Full-Time Virtual Schools: Enrollment, Student Characteristics, and Performance; (2) Assessing Virtual Schools After a Global Pandemic: A Reality of Unfulfilled Promises; and (3) Key Policy Issues in Virtual Schools: Finance and Governance, Instructional Quality, and Teacher Quality, the briefs recommendations to policymakers include:



Require federal and state education agencies to accurately identify and monitor full-time virtual schools, remedying gaps in information transparency on performance measures and accountability.

Establish requirements for reduced student-to-teacher ratios and regular contact between teachers and online students.

Slow or stop the growth of virtual schools until substantial academic and/or non-academic outcomes improve and benefits are comparable with brick-and-mortar public schools.

Require Individualized Education Plans for all students in virtual schools, akin to those special education students receive. The plans should indicate if students need standardized or personalized programs and then deliver content according to these plans.

Require virtual school graduation rates to align with statewide averages. If the virtual school fails to meet these benchmarks, assign it probationary status after a year and close after five years of probationary status.

Require virtual schools to maintain a within-school-year student mobility threshold equal to the mobility rate of brick-and-mortar schools.

Develop new accountability structures for virtual schools, calculate the revenue needed to support them, and provide adequate funding.

Require high-quality curricula, aligned with applicable state and district standards, and monitor changes to digital content.

Delineate the definitions of adequate quantity of instruction to ensure subject mastery.

Examine the work and responsibilities of virtual school administrators and ensure that those hired for these roles are prepared with the knowledge and skills to be effective, particularly with respect to evaluating teachers and promoting best practices.

Find Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2023, by Alex Molnar, Gary Miron, Shelby Hagle, Charisse Gulosino, Bryan Mann, Luis Huerta, Jennifer King Rice, Amanda Glover, and Kayla Bill, at:

https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/virtual-schools-annual-2023

This research brief was made possible in part by support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice: http://www.greatlakescenter.org

The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), a university research center housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, sponsors research, produces policy briefs, and publishes expert third-party reviews of think tank reports. NEPC publications are written in accessible language and are intended for a broad audience that includes academic experts, policymakers, the media, and the general public. Our mission is to provide high-quality information in support of democratic deliberation about education policy. We are guided by the belief that the democratic governance of public education is strengthened when policies are based on sound evidence and support a multiracial society that is inclusive, kind, and just. Visit us at: http://nepc.colorado.edu
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Armenia continues military provocations aimed at a gross violation of human rights, ignoring Azerbaijan's calls for peace, the Ombudsperson's Office told Trend via the statement of the Ombudsperson of Azerbaijan.

"On the evening of May 10, units of the Armenian armed forces, using various types of small arms, have committed a deliberate provocation against the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Zod settlement of the Basarkechar. As a result of target fire, the serviceman of Azerbaijani army, Muslim Mahmudlu, was seriously wounded in the head," the statement of the Ombudsperson of Azerbaijan said.

May Allah rest the soul of the Shehid in peace who died as a result of another military provocation of Armenia, we express our deep condolences to his family, and categorically condemn the commission of military provocation by Armenia, which is not interested in the peace process in the region, continues its occupation policy and grossly violates human rights, the statement said.

Armenia purposefully aggravates the situation in the region, grossly violating the norms and principles of international law and international humanitarian law, and commits provocations for the creation of new hotbeds of conflict despite Azerbaijans constant calls for peace.

As the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan, I call upon the entire international organizations to take decisive measures to prevent the commission of military provocations by the armed forces of Armenia and to restore peace in the region," the statement said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Further expansion of the implementation of mine action projects by the UN agencies operating in Azerbaijan is important, Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov said, Trend reports.

Jabbarov made the remark during an event on the "Role of Heydar Aliyev in implementation of UN development projects in Azerbaijan".

"The key point preventing the rehabilitation of the liberated lands is the de-mining of these territories. This hinders rapid reintegration. The main issue facing us in the near future is the restoration of the liberated territories, and the return of our compatriots to our ancestral lands, the minister noted.

According to him, entrepreneurs and investors are provided with the necessary state support in building a business in Azerbaijan's Karabakh, benefits are provided and important infrastructure projects are being implemented.

Jabbarov reminded that at the Summit of the Contact Group of the Non-Aligned Movement in response to COVID-19, held in Baku this year, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev put forward an initiative to add mine action to the UN agenda as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal.

"The Ministry [of Economy of Azerbaijan] has already prepared a draft sustainable development goal in this direction and submitted it to the National Coordinating Council for Sustainable Development," he added.

In February this year, Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched a joint project Support for increasing the capacity of ANAMA for the safe return of former internally displaced persons.

The relevant document on the implementation of the project was signed on February 7 in Azerbaijan's Shusha city by UNDP Resident Representative a.i. in Azerbaijan Nuno Queiros and Chairman of the Board of ANAMA Vugar Suleymanov.

This project is expected to strengthen and expand ANAMAs institutional capacity in policy and data management. It's aimed at joining efforts to clear mines from the liberated territories in order to speed up the process of the return of former internally displaced persons there.

Following the liberation of its lands from Armenian occupation in the 2020 Second Karabakh War, Azerbaijan from Nov. 2020 started carrying out operations on clearing its lands of mines, booby traps, and various weapons left behind by the Armenian troops.

Since the signing of the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, by Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia [following the second Karabakh war] up to date, a total of 299 people, including military personnel and civilians, have become victims of mines as a result of the explosion of mines laid by the Armenian armed forces, 55 of them were killed, and 244 people were injured of varying severity.
More than two million visitors are expected to attend the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which is running May 22-28 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition in the U.A.E. and organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi. This is the 32nd edition of the annual fair, and it will feature some 1,300 exhibitors from nearly 90 countries.

The motto for the 2023 fair is "stories that never end," and the theme is sustainability, which coincides with the UAEs Year of Sustainability, marking the countrys hosting of the annual COP28 conference on climate change in November. Turkey will be this years guest of honor at the fair, and several Turkish authors will participate, including Besir Ayvazoglu and Mehmet Hakk Sucin.

This year, the fair has organized more than 2,000 events for the week, including the second edition of the International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries on May 21 and 22, and will focus on a full range of activities, from comic books to AI. The general professional program of the fair will offer 40 activities.

The Fairs focus personality this year is the 14th-century Arab philosopher Ibn Khaldun. Tunisian historian and archaeologist Dr. Ibrahim Shabouh, philosopher Ahmed Barqawi, and British writer Anthony Sattin will discuss Khaldun's work and legacy.

The fair will also coincide with the presentations of the 2023 Sheikh Zayed Book Awards and the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, with winners participating in the fair. Other authors and personalities attending include Matt Ridley, author of The Rational Optimist; Spanish philosopher and author Carissa Veliz; and Ali Tabrizi, director of the documentary Seaspiracy, one of Netflixs ten most popular films in 2021.
In honor of Mothers Day, weve rounded up 2023 picture books and novels for young readers that capture the different kinds of relationships shared between mother and child, ranging from affirming and celebratory to challenging and complex. To read more about complicated mother-daughter dynamics, read our interviews here.

Picture Books

Because Im Your Mom by Ahmet Zappa, illus. by Dan Santat. Little, Brown, Mar. 28 $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-316-33821-9. In the follow-up to Because Im Your Dad, a monster-styled mother proves to be game for good times with her child.

Mommy Time by Monique James-Duncan, illus. by Ebony Glenn. Candlewick, Mar. 28 $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-5362-1226-6. Two siblings revel in the joy of spending quality time with their mother.

Moms Can Do It All! by Ted Maass, illus. by Ekaterina Trukhan. Grosset & Dunlap, Mar. 14 $8.99 (18p) ISBN 978-0-593-52297-4. Maass celebrates hardworking mothers tackling a variety of jobs in this board book.

My Love for You by Cristina Petit, illus. by Carlotta Passarini. Peter Pauper, Jan. 1 $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4413-4010-8. One by one, child/parent wildlife pairs engage in doting exchanges, using naturalistic metaphors to describe young animals affection for their maternal parents.

My Mom Is a Lioness by Swapna Haddow, illus. by Dapo Adeola. Red Comet, Apr. 4 $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-63655-063-3. In this follow-up to My Dad Is a Grizzly Bear, a child perceives their mothers strengths to be as powerful as a lions.

My Mommies Built a Treehouse by Gareth Peter, illus. by Izzy Evans. Lantana, Apr. 4 $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-915244-18-5. Two mothers help their child build a treehouse and work together through construction setbacks.

My Mommy Marches by Samantha Hawkins, illus. by Cory Reid. Lantana, Mar. 7 $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-915244-12-3. A child admires and follows in the steps of her mothers practice of peaceful advocacy and protest.

Supermoms!: Animal Heroes by Heather Lang and Jamie Harper, illus. by Jamie Harper. Candlewick, Mar. 7 $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-5362-1797-1. This picture book spotlights the impressive and surprising work that different maternal species do to support their young.

To My Panik: To My Daughter by Nadia Sammurtok, illus. by Pelin Turgut. Inhabit Media, May 2 $17.95 (24p) ISBN 978-1-77-227448-6. An Inuit mother explains to her daughter just how much she loves her in this question-and-answer picture book.

Novels

Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury. McElderry, Feb. 28 $21.99 (512p) ISBN 978-1-66-590349-3. Via dual perspectives told a decade apart, Black teens Daisy and Brittney try to unravel the secrets of a haunted house while navigating fraught relationships with their mothers.

Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying. First Second, Apr. 25 $24.99 (208p) ISBN 978-1-250-76699-1; $17.99 paper ISBN 978-1-250-76700-4. Chinese American Valerie Chu dreams of being gwai for her mother meaning good or obedientincluding by staying thin, and struggles with an eating disorder when she develops an unhealthy relationship with food.

My Week with Him by Joya Goffney. HarperTeen, July 11 $19.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-06-325474-9. With a forthcoming audition that could get her away from her life in Texas, Nikki attempts to reconcile with her best friend and her mother before she leaves.

Remind Me to Hate You Later by Lizzy Mason. Bloomsbury, Feb. 28 $18.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-5476-0918-5. After her best friend Jules dies by suicide, Nat explores the fraught relationship between Jules and her mother, brought on by social media stardom.
John Glusman, who has served as v-p and editor-in-chief of W.W. Norton since 2011, will relinquish his position as editor-in-chief in July to become executive editor. Dan Gerstle, who joined Nortons Liveright imprint as a senior editor in 2018, is moving to the Norton trade group to succeed Glusman as editor-in-chief.

This change, coming at a time when Norton is celebrating its centenary year, underscores the shift that is essential to the continuity and well-being of our independent, employee-owned firm, Norton chairman and president Julia Reidhead said in a statement. Brendan Curry, the director of Norton's trade group, added: As John returns to full-time editing, we sought a leader who understands Nortons mission from the inside, who knows what makes our editors so special, and who will lead that impressive group to acquire books that further Nortons long tradition of publishing works that offer striking new ideas and arguments, original research, artistry, and imagination. Of Gerstle, he said: His fresh and distinctive entrepreneurial approach to acquisitions and editing will continue while he manages the accomplished group of editors that John has led so ably.

Glusman, the company said in a statement, has had at least one bookand often two or more simultaneouslyon the New York Times bestseller list for approximately 200 weeks over his nearly 12 years at Norton. Big books edited by Glusman during that time include Richard Powers's The Overstory, Neil deGrasse Tyson's Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Under his leadership, Norton also published works by such authors as Ronan Farrow, Saidiya Hartman, David Rohde, Frans de Waal, and Edward White.

Glusman's career in publishing has led him through many of the major imprints of distinction. Prior to Norton, Glusman was an executive editor at Crown; FSG, where he was executive v-p and editor-in-chief from 2002-2004; Collier Books, as executive editor, from 1986-1989, where he founded the Collier Fiction trade paperback series; Washington Square Press, where he was editor-in-chief; and, in the beginning of his career, Random House and Vintage Books, where he went on to relaunch the Modern Library. Authors he has edited include Nobel laureates Peter Handke, Czesaw Miosz, Orhan Pamuk, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and such wide-ranging bestselling authors as John Banville, Saul Bellow, Joan Didion, Graham Greene, Alice Hoffman, Erik Larssen, E. Annie Proulx, Paul Theroux, and William T. Vollmann.

It has been very gratifying to look across all of Nortons imprints at the talent that is cultivated here every day, on every level. One cannot help but be inspired with optimism for the future, Glusman said in a statement. I am delighted to see Dan step into his new role, where he will continue to be energized by the work thats taking place around him.

Among the books edited by Gerstle are Matthew Ball's The Metaverse, Fintan OToole's We Don't Know Ourselves, Seth Wickersham's Its Better to Be Feared, all bestsellers, and the Pulitzer Prizewinning Covered with Night by Nicole Eustace, and he has edited works by authors including Merve Emre, Adam Gopnik, Kerri Greenidge, Elizabeth Hinton.

Gerstle came to Liveright from Basic Books, where he served most recently as senior editor from 2015 to 2018, and began acquiring books in 2013. Before joining Basic Books, he was assistant editor at FSG from 2012 to 2013. He started his career at FSG's Hill and Wang imprint in 2011.
Purdue Global graduates celebrate during one of two in-person ceremonies on Saturday (May 6) at Purdue Universitys Elliott Hall of Music. More than 1,400 graduates participated in the ceremonies, which also included a virtual ceremony. (Purdue Global photo/Kelsey Lefever)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Lauren Castrinos Bradford had a short, simple thought as she navigated Purdue Globals Master of Arts in psychology. In a year, youll wish you had started now, she told herself.

But then, Bradford, who is a huge fan of country music superstar Luke Bryan, had a different thought: Some dreams you chase, some dreams you catch, as her own dream became reality when she completed her masters degree program with a concentration in applied behavior analysis (ABA) in November 2020 and passed South Carolinas behavior analyst exam.

I knew a year later I would look back at whatever decision I had made with either regret or pride, Bradford said. My boys were watching me study, respond to discussion posts, take exams and often struggle with no sleep because the option to do all of those things while they were in school was gone. But whether I succeeded or failed, they were watching.

That is the message Bradford delivered Saturday (May 6) when she keynoted Purdue Globals commencement at Purdue Universitys Elliott Hall of Music. Bradford, from Anderson, South Carolina, spoke to 1,414 graduates during two ceremonies.

Bradford shared her own story of raising two children  one of whom was born with medical complications that required therapy, surgeries and doctor visits. Seven years later, her oldest child would be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. With her background in ABA, she was determined to be her childs biggest advocate and cheerleader.

Today, you all have caught your own dream you have been chasing for two years. Four years. Maybe even longer. But dont stop here. Keep chasing more of those seemingly impossible dreams, because in a year, youll wish you had started now, Bradford said.

The graduates attending the ceremony reside in 49 states  including 290 from Indiana  as well as the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, China, Guatemala, South Africa and the United Kingdom. There are 251 graduates affiliated with the military. Fifty-three systemwide Purdue University employees are among those who earned a Purdue Global degree or certificate via the Purdue Global education benefit.

"Graduates, you continually persisted in your pursuit of completing your studies and earning your degree, Chancellor Frank Dooley said during the two ceremonies. The stories that you share with us show that. You have had your comeback and are on to the next chapter of your lives and careers.

Purdue University President Mung Chiang also addressed the graduates.

Kerry Bruso of Windermere, Florida, who received her Master of Business Administration, performed the national anthem during the first ceremony. Gabriela Navarette of Round Lake Beach, Illinois, who received her Bachelor of Science in health care administration, sang the anthem during the second ceremony.

Purdue Global continues to serve people from all walks of life, ages and career levels. It also serves as an educational avenue for the military. As of May 1 the Purdue Global student body includes more than 5,100 active-duty, National Guard and Reserve military members serving around the globe; more than 1,400 military family members; and more than 3,000 veterans.

Currently at Purdue Global:

60% of students are 30 years of age or older.

42% of students are underrepresented minorities.

51% of students have a child or other dependents.

50% are first-generation college students.

Saturdays ceremonies marked Purdue Globals 17th commencement since its formation in 2018.

Purdue Global is Purdues online university for working adults and is an expansion of Purdues 21st century land-grant mission to provide educational access to all people. Purdue Global helps prepare students for whats next in their lives and careers by offering programs that lead to a degree backed by Purdue University.

Purdue Global recently launched a new brand platform and marketing campaign called This Is My Comeback that highlights the fact that there are nearly 40 million Americans who have earned college credits but have not completed a degree. Purdue Global has many partnerships with Fortune 500 companies or through organizations like Guild to become one of the leading options for employee education benefits.

The next Purdue Global commencement is scheduled for Oct. 21 on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette.

Writer/Media contact: Matthew Oates, 765-496-6160, oatesw@purdue.edu, @mo_oates

Sources: Frank Dooley, Beth Smith, Lauren Castrinos Bradford
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Azerbaijans Shusha, liberated from the Armenian occupation in 2020, is rapidly reviving and returning to life, Trend reports.

Shusha, the pearl of Azerbaijan and the cradle of culture is now living a new life.

The Armenians claimed that this city is a "very important and significant place" for them. But why was the city devastated by Armenians during the years of occupation? Why haven't they implemented any infrastructure or construction projects there, except for the construction of one or two villas? Houses and buildings built in Soviet times were also destroyed.

The Armenians did not build and did not want to build anything in the city, because they understood that Shusha was rejecting them. Every stone of the city erupted hatred for the occupier. Now Shusha is coming back to life.

"Shusha occupies a special place in the history of Azerbaijan. This is our ancient historical city. Azerbaijanis have lived and created in Shusha for centuries. Shusha is the pearl not only of Azerbaijan but also of the entire Caucasus. However, the despicable enemy, keeping Shusha under occupation, inflicted a great blow on our cultural heritage, destroyed our historical monuments, destroyed and desecrated our mosques. Now we are back in Shusha. We will restore all our historical monuments and mosques. After 28 years, the azan will be distributed again in Shusha," the President of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev said in an address to the Azerbaijani people on November 8, 2020.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev raised the National Flag of Azerbaijan in Shusha after the liberation from occupation.

The restoration of the city of Shusha, as well as other liberated lands of Azerbaijan, is proceeding very rapidly.

Our monuments, shot by Armenians during the occupation, busts of great figures of culture and art of the Azerbaijani people Khurshidbanu Natavan, Uzeyir Hajibeyli and Bulbul were returned to the city.

Azerbaijans Shusha was declared the cultural capital of Azerbaijan on May 7, 2021.

Shusha with its cultural, historical, architectural, and urban planning traditions has been the pearl of Azerbaijan for centuries.

Repair and restoration work began in Shusha after the liberation. Roads were laid, then infrastructure and energy facilities, water supply were built. To solve the problem of supplying the city with drinking water, a temporary water pumping station was built in the village of Dashalty. Then, a 9.4-kilometer main water pipeline was laid from the source of Kichik Kirs to Shusha.

A little more time passed and the 110/35/10-kilovolt electric substation "Shusha", and the hotels "Kharibulbul" and "Karabakh" were built and put into operation.

Last year, one of the symbols of the city was restored - the spring of the Khan's daughter, built-in 1873 at the expense of Khurshidbanu Natavan and destroyed by the Armenians during the occupation.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan, First Lady Emine Erdogan visited the spring of the Khan's daughter on June 15, 2021.

The historical significance of the Turkish leader's visit to the city was not only that he was the first head of a foreign state to visit the liberated Shusha. During this visit, the historic Shusha Declaration of Alliance between Azerbaijan and Turkiye was signed, which raised relations between Baku and Ankara to the highest level.

The declaration, which covers all spheres of interstate relations, pays special attention to joint activities in the fields of defense and industry of defense, as well as mutual military assistance of countries to ensure each other's security.

In May of 2021, for the first time after liberation from occupation, the Kharibulbul music festival was held in Azerbaijans Shusha, which became a significant event.

Thus, Azerbaijans Karabakh, which throughout history has been considered the "conservatory of the Caucasus", is being revived.

The museum-mausoleum complex and the bust of Molla Panakh Vagif, the house-museum of People's Artist Bulbul and the monument to the brilliant composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli have been restored in Shusha.

No matter how hard the Armenian occupiers tried, no matter what heinous actions they committed, they failed to destroy the Azerbaijani spirit of the city of Shusha.

At the end of August last year, Vagif Poetry Days were held in Shusha, and Uzeyir Hajibeyli's birthday was celebrated on September 18, which is celebrated as National Music Day.

The mosques "Saatli", "Yukhary Govharagha" and "Ashagi Govharagha" have been restored.

Secondary school No.1, a tunnel on the Ahmadbeyli-Fizuli-Shusha road, a new hotel and conference center in the city, 7 boiler houses with a total capacity of 7270 kilowatts built and commissioned by the company "Azeristiliktejhizat", an underground cable with a length of 30 km. All these are among the newly built facilities.

Among the important projects is the restoration of the Topkhana Forest, which suffered from ecocide during the Armenian occupation. Thousands of trees have been planted in this forest, which occupies about 20 percent of the territory of the Shusha district.

While speaking about the restoration and reconstruction works in Shusha, it is impossible not to mention the legendary "Shusha Road" laid by our soldiers during the 44-day Second Karabakh War.

The length of the modern highway, which President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev called the "Victory Road", is now 101 kilometers: it starts from the Hajigabul-Minjivan-Zangezur corridor highway and passes through Azerbaijans Fizuli, Khojavend, Khojaly and Shusha districts.

A new residential area consisting of 6 blocks is being built in Azerbaijans Shusha. The population by quarters is about 2,000 people, which is indicated in the general plan of the city.

There will be 25 buildings in the blocks with a total area of 46,765 square meters.

Some 3, 4 and 5-story buildings will be built in the architectural style inherent in Azerbaijans Shusha in the first quarter. It is going to build 17.6 kilometers of new roads in the city. The general plan of Shusha also defines the locations of public parking lots.

During the development of the master plan, it was also envisaged the construction of "green corridors" in order to preserve and develop green spaces and landscapes in accordance with the relief of the city.

The huge volume of repair, restoration and reconstruction works carried out in Shusha over the past two years, the intensity and scale of these works are a vivid example of the purposeful policy pursued by the head of the Azerbaijani state to turn the pearl of Karabakh into one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

The revival and return to life of Azerbaijan's Shusha is a symbol of the obvious reality: Karabakh is Azerbaijan!
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Chair of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan, Sahiba Gafarova, met with the French Ambassador to the country, Anne Boillon on May 11, the Parliament told Trend.

Gafarova reminded that last year marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and France, and that a rich history of diplomatic ties has developed over the years.

She noted the ties between the parties in the fields of economy, trade, energy, transport, culture, education. At the same time, numerous high-level visits and meetings were highlighted.

Gafarova mentioned the visits of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to France and the visits of French presidents to Azerbaijan, as well as the activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in France.

Gafarova also said that despite the achievements in bilateral relations in the past, the statements of some French officials and politicians openly expressing support for Armenia during and after the 44-day war (second Karabakh war), and questioning the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, caused serious discontent of the Azerbaijani public, and added that such provocative statements negatively affect the our bilateral relations.

The speaker condemned the adoption of biased resolutions by the French Parliament, and noted that in November 2022, the Parliament adopted a statement condemning these resolutions. She also highlighted that Azerbaijani parliamentarians expressed their dissatisfaction with the provocative activities and statements of representatives of a number of regions and cities of France, as well as members of the Parliament.

In addition, Gafarova called unacceptable the statements made by French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna in Armenia in connection with the Lachin-Khankendi road during a recent visit to the region, as well as the statements voiced in an interview with Radio France. In her opinion, such biased opinions indicate that France continues to take a one-sided, biased position on this issue.

"It should be clear to everyone that the Karabakh region is an internationally recognized sovereign territory of Azerbaijan and an integral part of our country," Gafarova said.

The sides also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.
Deterring a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is arguably the most important defense problem of the next few decades. Artificial reefs could help to deter China simply by waiting to impale any potential invasion force.

If China is to conquer the island, it needs to be able to rapidly move vast quantities of personnel and equipment across a 100-mile strait and onto the island itself, despite opposition from Taiwanese and perhaps American forces. This requires a seaborne invasion, since the required mass of materiel greatly exceeds what could be delivered by air. Moreover, the armada will be restricted to only a few potential landing sites with appropriate water depths for ships and landing craft, as well as vehicle-accessible routes for ground forces to exit the landing area.

Taiwan can target incoming Chinese forces using an array of systems, such as missiles, bombs, naval mines, explosive uncrewed surface vessels, and artillery. However, even physical barriers without explosive payloads can effectively complement these weapons. Emplacing artificial reefs near potential landing beaches could help to deter or defeat a Chinese invasion while also providing environmental and economic benefits, all at extremely low cost. Ships and/or landing craft that tried to operate in those areas would run aground or even impale themselves on reefs, rendering themselves ineffective, stationary targets. They would also clutter a crowded operating area, impeding the movements of other ships and landing craft. Anticipating this damage and disruption, China would be less tempted to attempt an amphibious assault.

This is not a new idea. When Athenian forces invaded Sicily 2,400 years ago, the defenders of Syracuse implanted underwater stakes in their harbor to impale and ground Athenian vessels. These pre-explosive equivalents of naval mines played a supporting role in the catastrophic defeat of Athens, culminating in the death or capture of nearly the entire invasion force.

Emplacing artificial reefs near potential landing beaches could help to deter or defeat a Chinese invasion while also providing environmental and economic benefits, all at extremely low cost. Share on Twitter

More recently, ships running aground on reefs have been immobilized and experienced large-scale damage. The USS Guardian had to be dismantled after it ran aground on a Philippine reef in 2013, and a U.S. Military Sealift Command vessel was stuck on a reef near Okinawa for over a week in 2015. Just in the last year, two large cargo ships have run aground on reefsone in Jordanian waters in September 2022, and another east of Belize in March 2023. All of these incidents took place in well-charted waters in peacetime, whereas ships and landing craft operating under fire in waters where they had never been before would likely be more prone to risk. Even if a ship can eventually free itself from a reef, the initial impact can damage equipment both on the hull and inside the ship, particularly if salt water is able to intrude.

China could try to bombard the reefs in an effort to diminish the hazard they pose to the invasion forces. However, bombardment would likely result in chunks of reef being displaced from one place to another, creating new hazards in unknown locations. Any unexploded ordnance would also pose a risk to the Chinese vessels moving through it. In addition, bombardment of the reefs would reveal the intended landing site. If China tried to avoid tipping its hand by bombarding reefs in a range of locations, this would divert substantial airpower and missiles from other targets, including Taiwan's military forces, during the critical opening days of the conflict.

Reefs could even have military benefits well before a conflict, as Chinese forces sought information about the physical environment. Chinese scouting of the approaches to the landing site using uncrewed undersea vehicles (UUVs) or low-profile uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) would be inhibited by reefs and the sea life that they support, particularly entangling plants. Making the environment more complex with reefs would necessitate more Chinese scouting, while also requiring that uncrewed vehicles have advanced autonomy to avoid collisions and groundings. UUVs and USVs that became stuck in the reefs would provide valuable intelligence regarding Chinese technologies and intentions.

Compared with the costs of military hardware, artificial reefs are inexpensive. Pyramid-shaped or spherical concrete reef substrates can cost just a few thousand dollars; dozens of them could be purchased and emplaced for less than it costs to operate a single fighter jet for an hour. They can last for decades or longer, with no maintenance costs whatsoever. Ancillary environmental benefits include providing habitats for various creatures, some of which attach themselves to the reef, expanding its size and impact. Reefs also reduce coastal erosion and vulnerability to storms by dampening extreme waves. For this reason, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is investigating the use of artificial reefs to help protect coastal military bases from rising, increasingly intense seas. Artificial reefs can also serve as attractions for divers and recreational fishing boats, stimulating local economies.

Building artificial reefs near potential Taiwanese landing beaches could provide an array of benefits at a very low cost. Share on Twitter

Overall, building artificial reefs near potential Taiwanese landing beaches could provide an array of benefits at a very low cost. These physical barriers would complicate China's intelligence preparation of the battlespace, then severely impede an actual invasion. Attempts to bombard the reefs on the eve of an invasion would cost orders of magnitude more than the reefs themselves, whether China used missiles or aircraft with guided munitions. More importantly, bombardment of the reefs would divert precious Chinese assets at a critical time, and the reefs would retain much of their ability to stymie the attackers. Chinese decisionmakers would know all this in advance, diminishing their ardor for aggression. In short, artificial reefs could help to deter China simply by waiting to impale any potential invasion force.

Scott Savitz is a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation.

This commentary originally appeared on RealClearDefense on May 10, 2023. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
Property details:

ESCAPE TO NORTHERN MAINE AND OWN A PIECE OF PARADISE NEAR THE CANADIAN BORDER!! This huge 36 +/- acres tract of land is located in Caswell, Maine. A small town with the feel of the way life used to be. No traffic jams here! The land has 280' of road frontage, and has electricity and telephone service. You have a nice brook that flows over 1,500' through the land. The land also comes with a nice gravel road R.O.W. that leads to the back part of property. This lot is loaded with moose, deer and ot...

Price: $ 500 Seller State of Residence: Maine Property Address: Main st US 1A Type: Recreational, Acreage Zip/Postal Code: 04750 Zoning: Mixed City: Caswell State/Province: Maine Location: 047**, Frenchville, Maine

You will be redirected to eBay



Nearby Maine
Property details:

ESCAPE TO GODS COUNTRY AND OWN A PIECE OF PARADISE IN THE NORTHERN MAINE WOODS.This huge 38.55 +/- acre tract of recreational and hunting land is located in Eagle Lake. A pristine rural town in the center of Aroostook county. Lot comes with a 50' R.O.W. which is on a private road. Lot sits high and dry with beautiful views of the valley. You have 660' of water frontage on Brown Brook which also serves as the boundary line for this lot. There are moose, deer, and black bear in this area, a great ...

Price: $ 1,575 Seller State of Residence: Maine Type: Recreational, Acreage Property Address: Devoe Brook road Eagle Lake Maine Zip/Postal Code: 04739 Zoning: Mixed City: Eagle Lake State/Province: Maine Location: 047**, Eagle Lake, Maine

You will be redirected to eBay



Nearby Maine
Victoria Fuller / Instagram

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 05/11/2023



ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

alum Victoria Fuller has teased that she and boyfriend, The Bachelorette 17 alum Greg Grippo , have been looking for a house together.Greg revealed last month that he saw himself marrying Victoria and welcoming children together within the next five years.And Victoria, who most recently appeared on 's eighth season last year, just took to Instagram to tease that they're searching for a home where they can start their lives together.Victoria took to Instagram Stories on May 2 and posted a photo of herself gazing at a beautiful, large home from its front lawn."Remember when I told yall we were gonna be looking at houses," Victoria wrote on the image, adding a smiling while crying emoji.The home -- which is located in Nashville, TN, where Victoria currently lives -- boasts white exterior paint, four columns near the front door, black shutters, and a two-car garage.Greg currently lives in New York City, but he's been spending a lot of time in Nashville and previously told the media he planned to move to Victoria's city to make their relationship work.Greg and Victoria have apparently been going strong ever since meeting each other's loved ones around Christmas in December 2022.Greg and Victoria first met at Governors Ball Music Festival in Summer 2021 and remained friends for nearly a year.The couple told Nick Viall in December on "The Viall Files" podcast that they had mutual interest in each other but never acted on those feelings, especially since Victoria wanted to appear on in June 2022 and Greg was in a relationship with a woman overseas at that point.Victoria therefore looked for love on Paradise, and she fell hard and fast for Johnny DePhillipo , who initially competed for Gabby Windey 's heart on The Bachelorette's nineteenth season.Victoria and Johnny got engaged on 's eighth season, but the couple split shortly after filming the finale.Victoria alleged Johnny had called her terrible names -- including a "f-cking c-nt" and "homewrecker," which Johnny denied and called "low blows" -- and Johnny claimed Victoria was jealous and "heartbroken" over his The Bachelorette stint, which was airing on television while they were secretly engaged.Johnny also said Victoria demanded a lifestyle he wasn't ready for yet and their differences were glaring.According to Victoria, she and Johnny ended their engagement three weeks after Johnny's marriage proposal because their dynamic was "toxic." But Johnny believes his relationship with Victoria didn't officially end until mid-September considering they were allegedly still speaking and going to therapy before Victoria enjoyed a surprising European getaway with Greg in late October.Fans first spotted Victoria and Greg, and suspected a romance, during their time in Italy.Because of how quickly Victoria moved on from Johnny, the brunette beauty was accused of cheating on her then-fiance with Greg.Victoria and Greg also flirted on social media as reports swirled about Victoria and Johnny's split.Victoria said that Greg officially asked her to be his girlfriend on Halloween, and then Victoria went public with her new relationship on November 4, when the reunion special taped.'s reunion aired in late November, and fans were shocked to see Victoria and Greg so affectionate and carefree about their relationship. Victoria claimed she didn't care what anyone thought of her because she was so happy with Greg."I'm completely in love with her , like, head over heels in love with her," Greg said on Nick's podcast.On his podcast, Nick playfully asked Greg if he was ready to propose marriage to Victoria."Stay tuned!" Victoria teased."I mean, we both want that in life," Greg interjected, "she's my person."Victoria agreed that Greg is her "person" as well, and then Greg added, "I haven't felt -- I don't want to say 'content,' that's not the right word because it sounds boring. But I think there's a certain beauty with being content with someone."Greg said he could just sit in a room with Victoria for days on end and they wouldn't get sick of each other."We're growing day by day, and I see it going that route," Greg gushed. "I want that and I know that that's important to her, and I want to be able to take that step with her."Victoria was clearly getting choked up and she said, "I'm going to cry."Prior to appearing on Paradise, Victoria competed for Peter Weber on The Bachelor's 24th season and finished in third place after Fantasy Suites.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
Actress Jacklyn Zeman, who played Bobbie Spencer on General Hospital, has died, the show announced Wednesday.

ADVERTISEMENT

Zeman was 70.

"On behalf of our @GeneralHospital family, I am heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved @JackieZeman," Frank Valentini, the show's executive producer posted on Twitter. "Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work."

Zeman's family says she died after a short battle with cancer. Her soap opera career started out in 1977 on One Life to Live, but later that year she was cast as Bobbie Spencer. She remained with General Hospital for over 45 years.

The show tweeted an acknowledgment of her death, crediting her for her work over the past four decades.

Jacklyn Zeman has been a beloved member of the 'General Hospital' and ABC family since she originated the iconic role of Bobbie Spencer over 45 years ago," their tweet said. "She leaves behind a lasting legacy for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of the bad girl turned heroine and will always be remembered for her kind heart and radiant spirit."

Zeman was a five-time Emmy nominee for General Hospital and for a role in The Bay. She appeared in 880 shows as Spencer.

The New Jersey native attended New York University and was a one-time Playboy Bunny, who then moved into acting.

FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS!

Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source!

She was remembered by her co-stars and fellow actors on social media.

John Stamos posted, "I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of the talented and beloved actress, @JackieZeman I recall the wonderful times we spent working together on General Hospital. Her warm personality and infectious energy always brightened my day. Jackie will forever hold a special place in my heart, and her memory will continue to inspire me. XO."

Rick Springfield says that Zeman was responsible for helping him get on the show as Dr. Noah Drake.

"Such a truly kind soul with no touch of the diva and only sweet things to say about everyone," Springfield told People. "She was the one (along with Gloria Monty) who helped launch my 80s career when after the screen test along with several other hopeful young men.

He continued, "Gloria asked Jackie who she thought would make a good Noah Drake and God bless her if Jackie didn't say me. Love to your spirit as it ascends sweet girl. You left your mark on many of us and you will not be forgotten."

Patty Shen, who plays Brad Cooper on General Hospital told the New York Post he would miss the longtime soap star.

"I loved hearing her stories about the show in the 70s & 80s," he said. "Always so kind & down to earth. You will be so missed, Jackie. Condolences to her daughters, family & legions of fans who have loved Bobbie Spencer for decades."
Details added: first version posted on 15:16

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The visit of a delegation headed by the Rector of the National Defense University of the Republic of Turkiye, Professor Erhan Afyoncu to Azerbaijan continues, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

According to the ministry, representatives of the Institute of the Ground Forces, the Institute of the Air Force and the Institute of the Navy of the National Defense University of the fraternal country visited the graves of national leader of Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev and the outstanding ophthalmologist, Academician Zarifa Aliyeva in the Alley of Honor.

Besides, the delegation visited the graves of Azerbaijani heroes, who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, in the Alley of Martyrs, and the Baku Turkish Martyrs' Memorial [in honor of Turkish soldiers who fought alongside the Azerbaijani forces against the BolsheviksArmenian Dashnaks in 1918], and laid bouquets of flowers at them.

Then the Turkish guests visited the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev and a military commando unit.

During the visit, briefings were given to the guests about the history and activities of military units and institutions, weapons and equipment in use were presented, exemplary performances of commandos were demonstrated, and the sides exchanged presents.
Porterville, CA (93257)

Today

Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 97F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 60F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
After 27 years, the case of a murdered infant, dubbed Jonathan Foundling by police, came to a close in March after the University of Georgia Police Department identified a former UGA student as the mother who allegedly gave birth to and stabbed the infant to death.

Years later, UGA and Red & Black alums, who were students during the tragic and bizarre incident, reflect on their time reporting and living during the case.
Jeremy Williams, an Athens-Clarke County firefighter of over 23 years, took his place behind the pulpit to provide public input during the commissions special called session on Dec. 6, 2022.

Williams, who represented the local Professional Firefighters of Athens-Clarke County union Local 2795  expressed concerns that the ACC Fire Department was understaffed and undercompensated, resulting in burn out and excessive turnover rates.
Not every fashion brand carries the burden of making their products both stylish and safe for the road. For Athens-based motorcycle gear and apparel brand Chic Riot, however, these are two of the small business top priorities. Chic Riots products are geared towards women riders, enthusiasts and passengers.
Wadia Group-owned Go First Airways (Go First) insolvency plea could trigger a 'momentum rally' in shares of rival airlines, Interglobe Aviation (parent company of IndiGo) and SpiceJet, as they look to gain bankrupt airline's market share, said analysts.

Photograph: Vivek Prakash/Reuters

On the bourses, shares of InterGlobe Aviation hit a 52-week high of Rs 2,235.95, surging 8 per cent on the BSE in Wednesdays intra-day trade, before settling 4.5 per cent higher at Rs 2,164 apiece.

Those of SpiceJet and Jet Airways, meanwhile, rallied up to 6 per cent in the intra-day trade, and ended 1 per cent and 5 per cent higher, respectively, following the development, which was announced post market hours on Tuesday.

By comparison, the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex dipped 0.26 per cent.

The surprise bankruptcy filing by Go First, analysts said, will likely lead to supply constraints in terms of total seats on offer across airlines amid overall strong air traffic trends, which will not only drive airfares, but also top-line and margins for the companies in this sector.

Domestic airlines flew 13 million passengers in March 2023, up 21.4 per cent year-on-year.

Between January-March 2023, domestic airlines carried 37.50 million passengers as opposed to 24.72 million passengers during the same period last year.

Prateek Kumar, an analyst tracking the sector at Jefferies suggests in a note that as the revival path is not clear yet for Go First, the market disruption caused by the shutdown of operations is likely to have a bearing on the sector's competitive intensity, and could also impact air fares, especially amid the recent strong traffic trends seen in the Indian aviation sector.

Further, if the suspension is prolonged, other airlines that are adding capacity would look to avail the slots vacated by Go First, especially in the much constrained key metros, and grab on to the market share, he added.

Go First, which commanded a market share of 6.9 per cent as of March 2023, filed for insolvency on Tuesday, saying it could no longer continue to meet financial obligations.

The airline, reports suggest, has total financial obligations worth Rs 11,463 crore towards banks, financial institutions, vendors, and aircraft lessors. Of this, exposure of financial creditors stands at Rs 6,521 crore.

"The sudden supply crunch, with Go First being grounded, will benefit existing players as the development has come at a time when airfares are rising with a load factor of 80-90 per cent on an average.

"Other airlines will make money as airfares will rise due to capacity constraints," said Jinesh Joshi, research analyst, Prabhudas Lilladher.

Apart from IndiGo, Tata group-owned Air India, could be the second key beneficiary given its strong fleet and balance-sheet strength.

However, SpiceJet, analysts said, is yet to gain financial muscle to reap the benefits from the situation.

Meanwhile, SpiceJet, on Wednesday, announced mobilising plans to revive 25 grounded aircraft.

Funds for the revival, the airline said, will be drawn from the governments Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) and better cash accruals.

It has already mobilised around Rs 400 crore towards getting its grounded fleet back in the air.

Momentum plays

With the development still unfolding, analysts believe short-term traders could scalp immediate gains, while long-term investors could continue to hold on to the stocks.

Mayuresh Joshi, head of equity research at William O'Neil India, for instance, sees aviation stocks as 'momentum plays' given the development and prefers IndiGo among the lot.

"IndiGo, along with Air India, could gain market share, capitalising on low crude oil prices. However, what the government does, in terms of price capping and/or support to Go First, remains to be seen. IndiGo, in this backdrop, remains the preferred momentum pick," he said.

Gaurang Shah, senior vice president at Geojit Financial Services, too, is bullish on IndiGo from a long-term perspective given its market leadership and a strong balance-sheet.

Disclaimer: This article is meant for information purposes only. This article and information do not constitute a distribution, an endorsement, an investment advice, an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities/schemes or any other financial products/investment products mentioned in this article to influence the opinion or behaviour of the investors/recipients.

Any use of the information/any investment and investment related decisions of the investors/recipients are at their sole discretion and risk. Any advice herein is made on a general basis and does not take into account the specific investment objectives of the specific person or group of persons. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov had a meeting with Founder and Head of the US humanitarian organization Roots of Peace Heidi Kuhn, Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Trend.

Heidi Kuhn carries out humanitarian activities in the field of mine clearance.

FM provided detailed information on the mine threat in Azerbaijan as a result of Armenia's 30-year aggression and occupation of Azerbaijani lands.

It was brought to attention that Azerbaijani citizens have become victims of mines massively planted by Armenia, as well as the fact that Armenia refuses to cooperate with Azerbaijan in the field of mine clearance.

It was also mentioned that the mine threat hinders the restoration and reconstruction work carried out after the end of the 44-day Patriotic War (Second Karabakh War), and the process of returning internally displaced persons to their homes.

In turn, Kuhn pointed out the importance of normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations for the entire region and also announced her intention to visit the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from Armenian occupation and support cooperation.

Then the sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest.
'Which fund manager in the world will put money into a company that hasn't filed its annual account?'

IMAGE: Byju Raveendran, founder and CEO, Byju. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Directorate of Enforcement's recent searches at Byju's premises that led to the seizure of allegedly 'incriminating' documents are expected to adversely impact the fundraising efforts of the edtech giant, according to industry sources and experts.

The Bengaluru-based firm, which achieved a valuation of $22 billion in a funding round in March last year, is in the process of raising $700 million from investors, according to the sources.

However, the company may face challenges in convincing investors for fresh funding and ensuring that the money reaches its bank accounts, until it gets clearance from the ED authorities.

The ED move is also expected to have an impact on the Rs 8,000 crore (Rs 80 billion) IPO plans of its subsidiary, Aakash Educational Services, according to sources.

Besides that, if any shareholder specifically goes to the Securities and Exchange Board of India objecting to the IPO, Sebi may take note of it.

Aakash was acquired by Byju's for $1 billion in 2021.

"This company has not filed its latest annual accounts and has been delaying that. There's obviously something wrong if you can't file your annual accounts on time," said an industry executive aware of Byju's strategy.

"The firm may face a crisis to raise fresh funding. Which fund manager in the world will put money into a company that hasn't filed its annual account?"

Byju's was expected to file its FY22 results with the ministry of corporate affairs. Other edtech unicorns, such as Unacademy, upGrad, Vedantu, PhysicsWallah, and Eruditus, have already filed their FY22 financials.

The company should have filed its annual results with the ministry by September last year.

But it has been delaying that for over seven months now. Before this, the company filed its FY21 results in September 2022, after a nearly 18 month delay.

Byju's declined to comment about the impact on its fundraising efforts due to the ED's searches.

However, company sources said the process to raise $700 million is on track and the firm would close the deal soon.

They said the firm is also planning to file its results soon, but didn't give any specific date.

The ED conducted searches and seizure action at three premises of Byju's, under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act. These three premises are two business units and one residential property in Bengaluru connected with Byju Raveendaran and his company 'Think & Learn Private Limited'.

During the search and seizure action, various incriminating documents and digital data were allegedly seized.

FEMA searches also revealed that the company reportedly received foreign direct investment to the tune of approximately Rs 28,000 crore (Rs 280 billion) during the period from 2011 to 2023.

Legal experts said the development is likely to make existing and future potential investors worried. They may demand explanations with regard to the investigation.

Salman Waris, managing partner at technology law firm TechLegis Advocates & Solicitors, said if the ED after investigation finds that there had been a violation of Section 4 of the FEMA by any Indian resident or entity that has acquired, held, owned, possessed or transferred the foreign exchange, foreign security or any immovable property, it can cease the company assets in India equal to that valuation.

"Since there's always a chance of funds seizure in such cases, only very convincing explanations can satisfy the investors," said Waris.

"Hence, if a violation of laws is proved during the ED investigation, investors can definitely hold back committed funds under the clauses of a term sheet, even if it's binding because such developments affect the public perception of the company."

The ED statement said the company has not prepared its financial statements since 2020-2021 and has not got the accounts audited, which is mandatory.

Hence, the genuineness of the figures provided by the company is being cross-examined by banks.

The investigation against the platform was initiated on the basis of various complaints received from various private persons.

"Nobody knows, tomorrow if an investor puts money in the company and the ED decides to freeze that account," said a person familiar with the matter.

Last year, the ministry of corporate affairs asked Byju's to explain why it did not file its audited financials for the year ended March 2021.

It also sent Byju's parent company a letter asking it to explain the 18 month delay in filing audited accounts.

The other challenge is that earlier this year, Byju's reportedly sought more time from lenders to renegotiate an agreement governing a $1.2 billion loan that is in breach of covenants, according to people familiar with the matter.

Raveendran, founder and chief executive officer of Byju's, said the company has taken all efforts to fully comply with all applicable foreign exchange laws.

In a letter addressed to the employees, Raveendran said all the company's cross-border transactions have been duly vetted by both firm's professional advisors and counsel and advisors and counsel of the investment funds and other sophisticated counterparties.

All such transactions are routed only through regular banking channels and the Reserve Bank India's authorised dealer banks and the requisite documentation and statutory filings have been duly submitted, Raveendran said.

'I want to reassure you that we are fully cooperating with the authorities,' Raveendran wrote to employees.

Byju's has raised a total funding of $5.8 billion from investors like Qatar Investment Authority, Sumeru Ventures, Vitruvian Partners, BlackRock, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Sequoia, Silver Lake, Bond Capital, Tencent, General Atlantic and Tiger Global. The firm has over 150 million learners.

The US-based asset manager BlackRock has reportedly reduced the valuation of the Byju's by about 50 per cent to $11.5 billion.

This is a sharp decrease from the $22 billion at which the edtech decacorn was last valued in 2022.

Byju's posted losses of Rs 4,588 crore (Rs 45.88 billion) in FY21, 19 times more than the preceding year, according to the latest available financial report.

The firm was targeting to be profitable by March this year.

Early this year, Byju's handed the pink slip to 900-1,000 employees in a fresh round of layoffs, according to media reports, although sources in the company said the move was part of the 'optimisation' strategy that the edtech giant had announced last year that included sacking 2,500 workers.
In a boost to the embattled Adani Group, Mauritian Financial Services Minister Mahen Kumar Seeruttun has told the nation's Parliament that Hindenburg Research's allegations of the presence of 'shell' companies in the Island nation are 'false and baseless' and that Mauritius was in compliance with OECD-mandated tax rules.

Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters

US short seller Hindenburg on January 24 alleged that billionaire Gautam Adani used shell companies based in Mauritius to manipulate stock prices of his Indian-listed companies.

A shell company is an inactive firm used as a vehicle for various financial manoeuvres.

When a Member of Parliament (MP) through a written notice question asked the Minister about Hindenburg's allegation of use of Mauritius-based entities as conduits for money laundering and share price manipulation for the Adani Group, the minister said the nation's law does not allow shell companies.

"At the outset, I wish to inform the House that the allegations of the presence of shell companies in Mauritius are false and baseless," he said.

"According to the law, shell companies are not allowed in Mauritius."

All global business companies licensed by the Financial Services Commission have to meet substance requirements on an ongoing basis and are being strictly monitored by the Commission, he said.

"So far, there has been no breach that has been found," he said.

He said the Financial Services Commission has taken note of the Hindenburg report but the regulator is bound by the confidentiality clause of the law and cannot disclose details.

"The Financial Services Commission can neither deny nor confirm whether an investigation has been and/or is being conducted.

"As such, disclosure of information on global business companies would be in breach of section 83 of the Financial Services Act and may have an adverse impact on the repute of our jurisdiction," he said.

Dhanesswurnath Vikash Thakoor, chief executive officer, of FSC, had previously stated that an initial assessment of all the entities related to the Adani group in Mauritius was not found to be any non-compliance with rules.

Listing out the requirements for companies registering in Mauritius, the minister said they first have to carry out their core income-generating activities in or from the country.

They must be managed and controlled from Mauritius, have at least two directors resident in Mauritius, maintain at all times their principal bank account in the country, keep and maintain at all times their accounting records at their registered office in Mauritius and prepare their statutory financial statements and cause those financial statements to be audited in Mauritius.

The statement came just before the Hindenburg-Adani issue comes up in Supreme Court.

The apex court, which had appointed an expert committee to look into regulatory issues, is likely to take up capital market regulator Sebi's plea for a six-month extension in timelines to probe allegations against the Adani group.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is assessing the connection between Adani Group and two Mauritian firms - Great International Tusker Fund and Ayushmat Ltd - that participated as anchor investors in the recently cancelled share sale of Adani Group's flagship company.

The conglomerate lost $140 billion in market capitalisation at one point after short seller Hindenburg raised allegations of fraud and stock price manipulation against the group.

Adani Group, however, has denied all the charges.

"With respect to the allegation of Mauritius being a tax haven, I wish to inform the House that Mauritius strictly complies with the international best practices and has been rated as compliant with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD standards," the Mauritian minister told the Parliament.

Since 2018, Mauritius has reformed its global business framework and tax regime with a view to removing harmful tax practices.

"As per the peer review conducted by the OECD forum on harmful tax practices, the OECD is satisfied that Mauritius does not have any harmful features in its tax regimes, thus recognizing Mauritius as a well-regulated, transparent and compliant jurisdiction," he said.

He said the Financial Services Commission monitored the Adani issue closely.

"The commission is pursuing its actions within the ambit of the relevant legislations and in line with its current supervisory process.

"It has been carrying out reviews of all the companies cited in the Hindenburg report."

"And as part of the Supervisory Review, the Financial Services Commission has requested and received compliance reports pertaining to all the relevant companies, which show compliance with the prevailing legislations in Mauritius.

"Given the multilayering of those companies cited in the report, the Financial Services Commission continues to monitor the matter diligently," he said.

Also, the Financial Services Commission is collaborating with law enforcement agencies in Mauritius and overseas regulators on the matter.

When the MP asked how he arrived at the conclusion that allegations made in the report are 'false and baseless', the minister said he was referring to the statement made the report with regard to shell companies being registered in Mauritius.

"And this is, like I said in my reply, to be able to be licensed in Mauritius, there are conditions and requirements that need to be satisfied.

"And those conditions, I have spelled out all those conditions, and based on the fact that these companies adhere to those conditions, then it is unfounded to say that those companies are shell companies," he said.
The two main factions in Karnataka's Congress party -- one led by Siddaramaiah and the other by D K Shivakumar -- are both contenders for the chief ministership.

Both groups have fought hard to get their choice of MLAs the party ticket, notes Aditi Phadnis.

IMAGE: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi are welcomed by Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar and party leader Siddaramaiah on their arrival at Belagavi airport, March 20, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

It could have been the Cuban cigars. Or it may have been hard-nosed bargaining and a recognition of the facts of life.

When Balasaheb Thackeray and Pramod Mahajan entered into seat adjustment on behalf of the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1989, it was Mahajan who did much of the heavy lifting in persuading his own party that the balance of advantage would ultimately lie in favour of the BJP.

Among other things, Balasaheb's derisive references to the BJP as 'Kamalabai' conveyed to Sena workers a sense of braggadocio that sometimes irritated Mahajan and co.

Murli Manohar Joshi told Business Standard privately once that he had taken great care to never share a platform with Thackeray because of that leader's fundamentally anti-Constitutional stance.

"My party may be in alliance with them, but I will never endorse this kind of politics," Dr Joshi had said.

Cigars could disarm Thackeray. But selling the deal to his own party was far more difficult and Mahajan had to convince top leaders that the BJP would only gain, not lose, by the arrangement.

IMAGE: Bal Thackeray, left, and Pramod Mahajan. Photograph: Rediff Archives

Political negotiation between two parties is a rare art because you have to package tactical losses as strategic victories.

Protocol and hierarchy matter a lot -- if the other side feels you lack organisational heft, it will not take you seriously.

The alliance between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP broke down ostensibly because of the farm laws.

But Naresh Gujral, the SAD's principal alliance negotiator, confessed that talking to the BJP was "so much easier" when Arun Jaitley was alive.

The relationship between the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal in Odisha was an intricate balance between managing the frustrations of state BJP leaders like K V Singh Deo, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Juel Oram and marketing the USP of the alliance to the BJD, while keeping ears cocked for activity by smaller parties that had the potential of upending the BJD.

The alliance worked for a decade, but in 2009, Chandan Mitra, then BJP MP, was despatched as L K Advani's personal envoy to review the arrangement but had to concede failure.

Many felt the hierarchy asymmetry between Naveen Patnaik and Mitra was one reason; but the BJP's state unit too rejected Mitra's intervention.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's recent autobiography describes some of the travails of a political negotiator.

He says it was crossed wires between two centres of power in the Congress -- Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi -- that led to Himanta Biswa Sarma's exit from the party to the BJP.

Sonia Gandhi told him to reassure Mr Biswa Sarma.

Rahul Gandhi told him to 'let Biswa Sarma go'.

Another negotiation, undertaken by S S Ahluwalia, then a Union minister, on behalf of P V Narasimha Rao, in Tamil Nadu after G K Moopanar's rebellion in 1996 won the battle for the Congress but lost the war: Because of Mr Ahluwalia and Rao's efforts, the Congress succeeded in tying up with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Moopanar was opposed to the alliance, and he left the Congress and formed the Tamil Maanila Congress.

The AIADMK alliance lost the 1996 assembly election (and also the Lok Sabha elections) resoundingly and the Congress yielded its political space to the Tamil Maanila Congress.

The operation was successful, but the patient died!

Of course, the path of a negotiator is studded with landmines, as Digvijaya Singh, Congress general secretary, found in 2017.

The Congress won 17 seats in the 40-member Goa assembly and needed the support of just four MLAs to form the government.

Either Mr Singh did not have the mandate or he dawdled over negotiations with independent MLAs and, in the time taken by the party to select a leader, the BJP, with 13 seats, moved fast to secure the support of smaller parties and Independents to stake claim to form the government.

For the Congress, negotiation failed before it even started.

IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi flanked by Karnataka party chief D K Shivakumar, left, and party leader Siddaramaiah, right, during an interaction in Kurnool with farmers from Raichur and northern Karnataka during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, October 21, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo

In the coming days, negotiation is going to be put to the test as never before.

In Karnataka, the Congress has a good chance of returning to power, but the two main factions in the state party -- one led by former chief minister Siddaramaiah and the other by D K Shivakumar -- are both contenders for chief ministership.

You can become chief minister only if you have the MLAs.

Both groups have fought hard to get their choice of MLAs the party ticket.

To pacify the leaders, the Congress reckons anything between 15 and 20 assembly seats have been given to 'wrong' people: Those who have no chance of winning.

There's a lesson somewhere for the BJP too: When the principal negotiator himself becomes a political actor, there's a problem.

BJP Organising Secretary B L Santhosh's ambitions have collided with B S Yediyurappa's and the net loser could be the BJP.

IMAGE: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik along with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar address the media after their meeting in Bhubaneswar, May 9, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

However, the biggest negotiation test will be for Nitish Kumar ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year.

Unlike many in the Opposition, the Congress believes a one-to-one contest between it and the BJP is absolutely no guarantee of victory.

But they've given Nitish the go-ahead to try. So, are they setting him up for failure? Nitish is no novice at this game.

But where his negotiations will take India will be clear only in 2024.
Palanivel Thiaga Rajan was on the hit-list, not because the chief minister was unhappy with his performance, but because there were constant complaints from other ministers that he was sitting on their files far too long, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.

IMAGE: Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, then the state finance minister, speaks in the Tamil Nadu assembly.

If Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin thought he would usher in his third year in office with a lot of fanfare, it's not to be.

His long delayed plans to spruce up the sagging image of the government, which was caught in continual complaints of corruption, intemperate language used by senior ministers and inefficient bureaucratic execution at all levels, has been timed just wrong.

With the result, state Bharatiya Janata Party President K Annamalai can momentarily claim victory for his 'crusade' against big-ticket corruption in high places in the government and outside.

Stalin may have wanted the induction of third-term legislator Dr T R B Rajaa, party veteran T R Baalu's son, and a doctorate-holder in management psychology, to steal the limelight.

Instead, the much-rumoured shifting of nationally well-known and equally popular finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR) to the relatively less-important IT portfolio, is being talked about even more ever since the talk of ministerial reshuffle began doing the rounds over the past several weeks, and more so closer to the pre-fixed swearing-in schedule.

PTR was on the hit-list, not because the chief minister was unhappy with his performance, but because there were constant complaints from other ministers that he was sitting on their files far too long, thus delaying project implementation at all levels and making the government that much (more) unpopular with the people.

At one time, close to 1,000 files were awaiting his approval, but on the chief minister's persistence he cleared almost all of them in a jiffy.

However, on most files he reportedly noted that he had 'no opinion to offer' or used some such phraseology -- which was seen as not becoming of the all-important finance minister that he was.

The current perception is that his transfer has to do with the BJPs Annamalai-issued two audio tapes in quick succession, in which PTR purportedly shames the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and its first family.

In the first, a voice, which Annamalai claims was PTR's, says that Stalin's son Udayanidhi, at present a minister, and son-in-law Sabareesan had amassed Rs 30,000 crores (Rs 300 billion) in just about a year.

In the other, the voice praises the BJP's kind of one-man-one-post, and criticises the DMK for not following the same.

While PTR came up with statements claiming that the tapes were doctored and supported it with expert opinion, the damage had been done.

This is more so after Annamalai said that there was more to follow in what could now be dubbed 'PTR-gate' in the absence of a better reference-title.

Yet, the fact remains that PTR's transfer had nothing much to do with the audio tapes, as both Udayanidhi and Sabareesan were said to be among those wanting him to continue, citing his continued popularity with the grassroots-level and also at the popular level.

As is being pointed out even after the portfolio change, he is one of the few ministers against who charges of corruption and/or inefficiency has been never laid, in private or public. However, Stalin cannot wish away the opprobrium attending on his current decision, whatever the reason, whatever the justification.

If there were unsaid expectations in Opposition circles and equally unmentioned apprehension in the ruling DMK that PTR may quit the government as his ego might have been hurt, they were not to be.

He has since tweeted his greetings for his successor, Thangam Tennarasu, the equally popular and even more efficient industries minister.

He has also accepted his new portfolio with equal grace, declaring that his long years overseas would come in handy to acquit himself well in the new portfolio (with equal success).

The simultaneous induction of Dr T R B Rajaa, a PhD holder in management psychology, and entrusting him with the all-important industries portfolio, flows from Stalin's confidence in the 47-year-old third-term legislator, first as the convener of the party's NRI and IT wings, and membership of the state planning commission.

Yet, with Tennarasu having put in place plans for an investors conclave, Rajaa, a 'man for details', has his maiden ministerial job cut out. It is as much as a challenge as it is an opportunity the son of DMK veteran and former Union minister T R Baalu, at present the leader of the DMK parliamentary party.

Even without it, Rajaa's induction comes with its own share of bouquets and brick-bats for the leadership.

On the positive side, he is the first minister in the Stalin team from the Cauvery delta and had missed the bus when the DMK came back to power in 2021. It owed to competition among party legislators from the Thanjavur region.

However, there is another side to it. Including Rajaa, there are six ministers from the Mukkulathore community in the mandated upper-limit of 35 whereas some communities might not have got adequate representation.

This apart, there are complaints that 'family rule' dominate the DMK, though a clear distinction is being drawn in Udayanidhi Stalin's case. He is readily accepted as the party's future.

Individual second-line leaders and legislators thus complain that they stood no chance if this rule was to be followed all across the board. This may have consequences as even in the rival All India Anna DMK, direct family rule is limited to a few -- and mostly was centred on the OPS faction, not the majority EPS-led party.

The successful IT minister that he was, Mano Thangaraj has since been shifted to dairy development, where Avadi S M Nasar became the only one to lose the job.

On the face of it, for Thangaraj, it could be seen as a demotion (like in the case of PTR), but Stalin wants him to set right the new department, which was/is in a mess, directly affecting daily milk supplies to consumers across the state for a period.

However, Nasar's exit has left K S Masthan as the only Muslim minister. It may have some consequences as the sacking comes around the time the state government has refused to ban the highly controversial film, The Kerala Files, but after possible counsel that the judiciary could strike it down, if moved.

A section of social media has also pointed to the Jayalalaithaa-led AIADMK government, with its pro-Hindutva image, had banned Kamal Haasan's Viswaroopam, respecting the Islamic sentiments of the local community.

Ultimately, the courts ordered the movie released, after a lot of high drama on the streets, in which Kamal Haasan, as the film's producer, too played his part.

The cabinet reshuffle has definitely deflected some of the attention from Annamalai's attacks on the government.

For once, his critics, both in the local media and others, have stopped questioning him for a convincing response to the source of income for him to buy a high-end Rafale wrist-watch, a collector's item, or the reason for his friends to spend on his high living expenses over the past months.

They may now return to him, but the greater interest is in knowing if he would come up with more of the PTR-gate stuff, and if it would produce similar impact.

In between, the state government has hauled up Annamalai for criminal defamation against Stalin, for claiming that he had taken Rs 200 crores (Rs 2 billion) in bribes as deputy chief minister in 2011.

It is not unlikely that Annamalai's defence team would challenge the legal propriety of the government suing their client on an allegation that did not pertain to Stalin's chief ministerial job, but to a different period and designation.

There is also no knowing the future of the Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) defamation suit the DMK threatened to file against Annamalai if he did not apologise for making that charge in the much-hyped but relatively empty 'DMK Files' some weeks ago.

Annamalai responded by serving a notice for Rs 500-crores-plus-one, but again there is no momentum in either case.

Now that the much-expected cabinet reshuffle is beyond him, the CM is expected to focus on reshuffling the top bureaucracy, as both Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu and state Director General of Police C Sylendrababu are retiring in the coming weeks, one after the other. There are expectations of shuffling of top officials at other levels too, including those serving in the CM's secretariat.

The expectations are that Stalin, learning from the experience of confusing honesty with efficiency in his earlier choices, would pump in the kind of energy at the official level, to ensure that the people feel that the government was working and for them, too.

Such sentiments manifest even more at a time when Jawahar Nesan, convener of the state education policy-framing team, quit, naming the chief minister's first secretary, T Udayachandran, IAS, as seeking to influence them to come up with a report aligning with the BJP-ruled Centre's National Education Policy.

Nesan's other complaint was that despite his submitting a detailed report to the chief minister some time ago, no action was initiated.

Rather, there are no reports that the chief minister made personal or official inquiries regarding the complaint, especially since the DMK as a party and the Stalin as chief minister have been opposed to the NEP all through.

N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and author, is a Chennai-based policy analyst and political commentator.
'...The more the Pakistan army becomes weaker, then there is every possibility that terrorist groups may create more anarchy in Pakistan.'

IMAGE: A boy rides past a paramilitary check post in Karachi that was set afire by supporters of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan, during a protest against his arrest, May 9, 2023. Photograph: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters

Former Intelligence Bureau Officer Avinash Mohananey, who spent a considerable time in Pakistan on security assignments, discusses the turmoil in the country after former prime minister Imran Khan's arrest on May 9.

"Going by the power that the army wields, the dirty tricks that the army can indulge in, Imran Khan will be on the receiving side," Mohananey tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com. The first of a two-part interview:

Why would Imran Khan be arrested at this time?

As of now, Imran Khan is the most popular leader in Pakistan. If Imran Khan is allowed to be free, or, if early elections are held as he desires (in Pakistan) or in the Punjab province, which the supreme court of Pakistan has also ordered, then certainly Imran Khan is going to come out a victor.

Once he assumes power, it is very likely he will treat the army very shabbily and send Opposition political leaders to prison.

That's what he did in his first term (as prime minister) too. It's very difficult to pin him down, and that's what happened after his arrest yesterday (on May 9) evening when they (the Pakistani Rangers) arrested him from the court (in Islamabad).

How could Imran Khan run down the Pakistan army and yet survive when he was prime minister given the military's overarching influence in Pakistan?

The problem is that the people of Pakistan are so fed up with their day-to-day lives, that anyone who could give them assured relief will be regarded as a messiah or the great leader.

Whatever hope the Pakistani people see today in the sanctity of the democratic process rests on the shoulders of Imran Khan.

The (Pakistan) army in the past has been involved in domestic politics and every time when it took over, it was welcomed wholeheartedly but within a few months it would become the most hated object of the people.

They have created a huge structural mess and besides -- and this is unique to the Pakistan army -- they openly grabbed all prime land, the prime real estate in that country and distributed to their own officers.

Depending upon their ranks, these officers would get one, two, three or four plots (the higher the seniority, the higher their share of the prime real estate in Pakistan).

The land is developed at the cost of taxpayers' money and when prices appreciate they sell off a couple of these plots and construct palatial houses for themselves on the rest.

So the people perceive their army as the biggest land grabbing machine in Pakistan. Most Pakistanis detest the army for exactly this reason.

By taking on the army like no other political leader before, Imran Khan became the darling of the Pakistani middle class and he used this popular support to leverage his opposition to the Pakistan army and become a sort of messiah in the country.

Is that the reason why after Imran Khan's arrest on the evening of May 9 the protestors's first attacks were targeted at the army?

Imran Khan's following is largely among the middle class and that too in urban areas. The first visible sign of the army's presence is the corps commanders in Lahore and the GHQ (army's General Headquarters) in Rawalpindi, both populous cities.

During such violence, the protesters always attack the most visible symbol of corruption, decadence and absolute power.

The houses of the corps commanders in Lahore and Rawalpindi represent the brute power the army uses to usurp wealth and hence became the very first targets of violent protesters.

IMAGE: Imran Khan in Lahore, October 28, 2022, during the long march to pressure the government to announce new elections. Photograph: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters

Is the Pakistani middle class leading the violent protests against Imran Khan's arrest?

By the Pakistani middle class I meant the lower middle class, the middle-middle class as well as the upper middle class. The army and the sprawling military industrial complex it has built form the elite Pakistani establishment.

Like India, the Pakistani middle class too has seen burgeoning growth and they form the core of the ardent supporters of Imran Khan's style of politics.

This middle class wants Imran Khan to succeed (in crushing the army's undue influence in all walks of their lives); they bought his narrative.

However, Imran Khan is lucky that the Pakistan army got him removed from power a year ago. If he had continued in power, he would have faced the same music that these people (the Pakistan army) are facing now.

One must acknowledge that Pakistan is facing a structural economic, social and religious problem since its inception in 1947.

The balance of payments crisis today in Pakistan is not the creation of Imran Khan or Shehbaz Sharif (the current Pakistan prime minister and former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif's brother).

Pakistan exports little and its imports are huge in the absence of outflow of foreign exchange, lack of foreign investments. The bulk of foreign exchange Pakistan earns is through remittances from its people in West Asia and the Gulf countries. No country can survive on just remittances.

What's Imran Khan's future after his arrest? Given the country's past, is he likely heading the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto way?

This is too far-fetched and Imran Khan is surely not heading that way. I can say for sure that battle lines have been drawn between Imran Khan and the Pakistan army.

One of the two sides has to blink first, but going by the power that the army wields, the dirty tricks that the army can indulge in, Imran Khan will be on the receiving side.

There is another interesting aspect to Imran Khan's arrest.

Internationally, he is disliked by the Americans. He's disliked by the Chinese and also the Saudis. All these three countries have been staunch allies of Pakistan.

Given the middle class support for Imran Khan and the violence that we are currently witnessing in Pakistan, can we say that Pakistan is heading towards a civil war?

The more the Pakistan army becomes weaker -- because that is the only institution in Pakistan that works -- and if Imran emerges more powerful in the battle, which just started yesterday (May 9, 2023) evening, then there is every possibility that the religious extremists and terrorist groups may find space to occupy, and may create more anarchy in the already difficult situation within Pakistan.

It (a civil war) is too early to predict, but the direction in which the Pakistan is going is not good.
'The senior army leadership has no interest in reconciling with Imran Khan, and no interest in seeing him return to power.'

IMAGE: Imran Khan speaks with Reuters during an interview in Lahore, March 17, 2023. Photograph: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters

"Imran Khan hasn't been controllable since his falling out with the army leadership. The State likely concluded that the only way to control him is to arrest him," explains Dr Michael Kugelman, Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, the Washington, DC-based think-tank.

A leading specialist on Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and their relations with the United States, Dr Kugelman gives an insightful and must-read interview about what is unraveling in Pakistan to Rediff.com's Archana Masih. The first of a two-part interview:

IMAGE: Imran Khan is taken into a vehicle by the Pakistan Rangers after they arrest him in Islamabad, May 9, 2023. Photograph: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf/Handout via Reuters

What does Imran Khan's rather dramatic arrest mean? What signals does it send?

I think the message is clear: For the Pakistan army, the gloves have come off. After several threats of arrest that weren't carried out due to changes of heart or failed implementation, this time the military meant business: It sent paramilitary forces to smash their way into the Islamabad high court to apprehend him.

For analysts trying to make sense of this crisis, it's important to navigate around all the uncertainty and zero in on what we do know. And we know that the senior army leadership has no interest in reconciling with Khan, and no interest in seeing him return to power.

The arrest takes him out of the electoral picture, though he could still contest an election from jail.

The next step could be to build a disqualification case, as that would remove any chance of Khan participating in the next election, whenever that may be.

Imran has shown no signs of slowing down since his ouster as prime minister and after being wounded in the attack in 2022 -- and has repeatedly blamed the military, ISI officer Major General Faisal Naseer and the prime minister, for the attack. Is this the reason that provoked his arrest?

The fact that the arrest came so soon after Khan reiterated the allegations against General Naseer does suggest a link. The video he posted with that allegation may have been the final straw, from the military's perspective.

In effect, after so many provocations and allegations from Khan, the military reached an 'enough is enough' moment and decided to act decisively.

But this may not be the full story. The military may also have been waiting for the right time to order the arrest, and under the right conditions. Previous attempts may not have panned out because word spread in advance about a pending arrest, prompting Khan's supporters to rush out to resist.

In this case, there was no advance warning, and it happened during a routine court visit by Khan. There was a strong surprise element, which helped the State. So it may have been a case of all the key elements coming together at the right time for the army.

Does the breach of Pakistan's army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the burning of the Pakistan Radio station on Tuesday provoke a dangerous confrontation between the army and Khan's supporters. Where could all this lead to?

There's a bit of uncertainty around these violent attacks on State infrastructure and military facilities.

Reports have circulated that some of this damage is actually being inflicted by pro-State goons to provoke unrest and give the government a pretext to postpone elections and declare martial law. Who knows whether that's true or not.

But either way, one can't deny that public fury is being directed against the military in ways we haven't seen in years -- and much of that fury comes from PTI supporters.

The trajectory of this confrontation will, of course, depend on what steps the army takes next.

How will it treat Khan in detention?

How long will he be jailed?

How far does it go to sideline him?

ill disqualification be next?

Will it try to ban the PTI and end the Khan political enterprise once and for all?

While the senior army leadership clearly wants to sideline Khan, the full story goes deeper than this. There are sizable contingents of low and middle-rank officers, and also some retired officers, that still support Khan.

Cohesion and unity is critical for any military, but especially Pakistan's, which likes to be projected as the country's saviour -- the institution that brings together a fractious nation vulnerable to India's predations.

Army chief General Asim Munir must surely be aware of the implications for military cohesion of pursuing an all-out campaign against Khan and the PTI.

IMAGE: Imran Khan's supporters hurl stones at the police in Peshawar, May 10, 2023. Photograph: Fayaz Aziz/Reuters

What are the chances of martial law being imposed the country?

De facto martial law has already been imposed, in that the army has been called in to Punjab and KPK (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) provinces already.

Given the serious threats to public order, in a different era the military may have taken over by now. We can't rule that out in the present crisis, if there is sustained violent unrest over a long period of time.

But let's be clear: The army is on the back foot, on the defensive, in ways that it hasn't been for a long time. It's taken hits to its popularity, thanks to Khan's anti-military narrative.

Martial law, much less a full coup, would likely be met with deep levels of anger in Pakistan.

Ultimately, the army likely doesn't want to have to make the choice of whether to impose martial law or not. This is why it'll hope that the protestors stay in the streets for some time longer, but then, eventually, run out of steam and then go home.

If the protests aren't sustained, and unrest subsides, the incentive for martial law recedes.

Do you see this arrest enhancing Imran Khan's popularity?

Victimisation is a powerful thing in Pakistani politics. With his arrest, Khan's victimisation narrative -- reflected in (in his view) his illegitimate ouster from power, his being targeted by the State (including an assassination attempt), and the State's broader repression against his party -- has just gotten a whole lot stronger.

So in addition to galvanising his impassioned support base, he's likely to win over some new supporters as well.

But if Khan toils in jail for a long time, it's hard for him to build on and sustain that public support. By contrast, if he gets out soon, he'll have the opportunity to connect with the public and make himself into an even bigger player.

This is one reason why the State likely won't feel a strong incentive to have him freed anytime soon.

IMAGE: Debris of a vehicle after it was set afire by Imran Khan's supporters in Peshawar, May 10, 2023. Photograph: Fayaz Aziz/Reuters

His party believes that the military and government want to jail and disqualify him from politics before the elections or kill him. Do you think there is any merit in these fears because Imran has proven to be uncontrollable by the military?

I definitely think the civilian and political leadership are keen to sideline him from politics.

Khan is a one-time favorite son of the military who has effectively morphed into a Frankenstein's monster: He hasn't been controllable since his falling out with the army leadership. The State has likely concluded that the only way to control him is to arrest him.

Disqualification would be the final step that would ensure his absence from the political scene.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party president and MLA Jayant Patil for questioning in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in the now bankrupt financial services firm Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS), official sources said on Friday.

IMAGE: NCP leader Jayant Patil speaks to the media, at party office, in Mumbai on May 5, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

The 61-year-old MLA from Islampur seat of Maharashtra has been asked to depose before the federal agency in Mumbai on Friday, they said.

Patil, a former minister of home and finance, is also the Maharashtra president of the NCP and is a seven-term legislator.

Alleged payment of some 'commission amount' by some accused companies to entities linked to Patil are under the scanner of the agency and it is understood he will be questioned about these transactions and his statement recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The agency has recently initiated fresh action in this 2019 case after it searched the Mumbai offices of Deloitte Haskins and Sells and BSR and Associates, an Indian affiliate of global accounting firm KPMG, the two former auditors of IL&FS.

The IL&FS filed for bankruptcy in 2018.

The search action against the two auditors came a week after the Supreme Court set aside a Bombay high court verdict that quashed a Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) probe against the two companies, both former auditors of IL&FS Financial Services, paving the way for action against them under the Companies Act and allowing the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to take forward its enquiry against them.

The SFIO is an agency under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs that investigates and prosecutes white collar crimes and frauds.

The money laundering probe into the alleged financial irregularities at IL&FS was launched by the ED in 2019 after the federal agency took cognisance of a Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) FIR filed against IRL, ITNL (group companies of IL&FS), its officials and others.

The ED also took cognisance of a complaint filed by the SFIO against IL&FS Financial Services (IFIN) and its officials.

The agency had also attached assets of various entities in this case in the past.

Arun Kumar Saha, one of the former members of the committee of directors of IFIN, and Karunakaran Ramchand, former managing director of ITNL, were arrested by the ED. A charge sheet was also filed by the ED before a special PMLA court in Mumbai.

The agency alleged in the charge sheet that the senior management of IL&FS indulged in acts of commissions and omissions, leading to illegal personal gains to them at the expense of the company.

It had said in order to maintain the credentials of IFIN -- so that they could continue to receive high remuneration -- the directors allegedly falsified the accounts and indulged in 'circuitous transactions' to artificially boost the balance sheet of the IL&FS group, whereas in reality, these illegal activities were leading to further losses to the group.

According to records, the IL&FS group companies had an aggregate debt burden of more than Rs 91,000 crore and a series of defaults had taken place between June and September in 2018, threatening to collapse the money markets of India.

This had led to initiation of action against the firms and their auditors.

The Union government took the management control of IL&FS and appointed a new board in October 2018 in an effort to control defaults and restore confidence and financial stability in capital markets.

*****

Coincidence, says Maha minister on ED summons to Patil

Meanwhile, Maharashtra minister Uday Samant on Thursday said it is a merely a coincidence that Patil has been summoned by the ED ahead of the Supreme Court's verdict on petitions pertaining to the 2022 political crisis in the state.

The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on Thursday on a clutch of cross-petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena pertaining to the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis.

Asked about Patil getting summons from the ED ahead of the SC verdict, state Industries Minister Samant told reporters, "It is merely a coincidence."
Pakistan's former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a close aide of ousted prime minister Imran Khan, was arrested by police on Thursday, amid worsening political turmoil that has left at least eight people dead and led to the deployment of the army in the country's capital and three provinces.

IMAGE: A man speaks on his mobile as fire and smoke billow from a Radio Pakistan building after it was set afire by the supporters of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan during a protest against his arrest, in Peshawar, on May 10, 2023. Photograph: Fayaz Aziz/Reuters

A video shared by Qureshi's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Twitter shows plain-clothed men taking him away, with him waving at party workers before departing from the location where he was detained.

The PTI claimed that 66-year-old Qureshi was arrested by the Islamabad police in the early hours of Thursday and transferred to an 'undisclosed location'.

Another top PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry was apprehended by the police on Wednesday while emerging from the Supreme Court building, where he had sought refuge for over 12 hours in an attempt to evade his impending arrest.

Chaudhry arrived at the court early on Wednesday morning, knowing that law enforcement authorities were waiting to detain him.

Despite remaining inside the apex court throughout the day, he was eventually taken into custody late in the evening, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Their arrests come two days after paramilitary forces whisked away PTI chief and former premier Khan on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials who barged into a room of the Islamabad high court on Tuesday.

An anti-corruption court on Wednesday sent the 70-year-old former prime minister on an eight-day physical remand to the anti-corruption watchdog.

Khan's dramatic arrest on Tuesday sparked widespread violent protests across Pakistan, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 300 others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies and prompting the authorities to deploy the army in the country's capital Islamabad, as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces on Wednesday to maintain law and order.

In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said strict action would be taken against 'state's enemies' as he slammed Khan's PTI for violence that gripped the country after his arrest in the Al Qadir Trust corruption case.

"The miscreants will be dealt with iron hands. They will be punished according to the law," the prime minister said and urged PTI protesters to immediately stop 'anti-state activities'.

"They attacked sensitive property as if they were enemies. I have never seen such heartbreaking scenes...We will not allow anyone to conspire. We will not let their nefarious agenda succeed," he said.

His address came after chairing a Cabinet meeting that decided to deploy the army in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and capital Islamabad.

Reports showed that Lahore and Peshawar faced the worst situation with incidents of arson and firings.

Sharif addressed the nation hours after the Pakistan Army warned former Khan's supporters of 'severe retaliation' in the wake of attacks on its installations and asserted that it will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands while describing May 9 as a 'black chapter' in the country's history.

Enraged over the arrest of their leader in a corruption case on Tuesday, Khan's supporters on Wednesday stormed the General Headquarters of the Army.

They set the residence of the Lahore Corps Commander on fire while attacking military vehicles and installations.

'We will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands,' the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Army's media wing said in a terse statement on Wednesday.

The ISPR said that on the one hand, these miscreants evoke the nation's emotions for achieving their 'limited and selfish objectives' and on the other hand, they deceive people, continuing to highlight the army's importance.

'This is an example of hypocrisy,' it stated.

The military's media wing said that 'this group wearing a political cloak' has done what enemies could not do in 75 years, all 'in the lust for power'.

May 9 will be remembered as a 'black chapter' in history due to the protestors 'targeting army property and installations' after the arrest of Khan, it said.

The PTI has already announced to carry on the protests until Khan is set free.

According to a report in the Dawn newspaper, the PTI has issued a rebuttal to the ISPR statement, terming it 'contrary to facts' and 'based on a poor understanding of ground realities'.

'The statement is a sad collection of hatred and revenge-based narratives against the most reliable, popular and largest political party of Pakistan,' it said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for peace in Pakistan.

According to Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Guterres has appealed to all parties to respect the right to peaceful assembly and has stressed the need for law enforcers to honour the law while enforcing it against Khan.

'The Secretary-General urges the authorities to respect due process and the rule of law in proceedings brought against former Prime Minister Khan,' the spokesman was quoted as saying by the Geo News.

On Wednesday, Khan was produced in the Anti-Accountability Court No. 1 presided by Judge Muhammad Bashir, the same judge who had convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam in a corruption case of having properties in London.

In its verdict, the court handed over Khan for an eight-day remand to the NAB.

During the hearing, the NAB lawyers requested the court to grant a 14-day remand of Khan to probe the allegations against him in the Al Qadir Trust case in which he is accused of looting Rs 50 billion of the national treasury.

But Khan's lawyer opposed the plea and asked the judge to release him as the charges were fabricated.

In his statement, Khan told the accountability court that he was fearful for his life.

"I have not been to the washroom in 24 hours," he said.

"I am afraid I will meet the same fate as 'Maqsood Chaprasi'," Khan said, referring to a witness in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's money laundering case who died due to a cardiac arrest last year. Khan's party had termed the witness' death 'mysterious'.

Separately, the District and Sessions Court indicted Khan in the Toshakhana case.

Judge Humayun Dilawar conducted the hearing in the makeshift court set up in the New Police Guest House along with the ATC No. 1.

Khan was present in the court and pleaded not guilty when the charges were read.

He also refused to sign the court documents, according to Geo News channel.

The case was filed last year by the Election Commission of Pakistan and Khan had skipped several hearings in the past months.

The charges are about the allegation that Khan concealed the proceeds of sale from the state gifts.

Khan was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.

He is the only Pakistani prime minister to be ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament.
The governor of a state is not empowered to enter the political arena and play a role in inter-party or intra-party disputes, the Supreme Court said on Thursday, holding that the discretion exercised by then Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asking Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to face a floor test was "not in accordance with law".

IMAGE: Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray with former governor B S Koshyari.



However, the five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud held that the governor's June 30, 2022, decision inviting Eknath Shinde to form a new government was justified since Thackeray had resigned without a trial of strength.

In a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas related to the political crisis that led to the fall of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Thackeray following a revolt by the Shinde faction in the Shiv Sena, the apex court said the governor had "no objective material" on the basis of which he could doubt that the incumbent dispensation had lost confidence of the House.

It said the Constitution empowers elected representatives to act on behalf of the people and, consequently, the governor, who despite his constitutional status is unelected, is vested with limited discretionary powers.

The bench, also comprising Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha, said the power of the governor to act without the aid and advice of the council of ministers is of an "extraordinary nature" and exercise of such power has ramifications for parliamentary democracy.

"The governor is the titular head of the state government. He is a constitutional functionary who derives his authority from the Constitution. This being the case, the governor must be cognisant of the constitutional bounds of the power vested in him. He cannot exercise a power that is not conferred on him by the Constitution or a law made under it," it said.

"Neither the Constitution nor the laws enacted by Parliament provide for a mechanism by which disputes amongst members of a particular political party can be settled. They certainly do not empower the governor to enter the political arena and play a role (however minute) either in inter-party disputes or in intra-party disputes," the bench said in its 141-page verdict.

It said discretion to call for a floor test is not an "unfettered discretion" but one that must be exercised with circumspection, in accordance with the limits placed on it by law.

"There must be some objective material in addition to a mere request to call for a floor test. In the present case, the governor did not have any objective material before him to indicate that the incumbent government had lost the confidence of the house and that he should call for a floor test. Hence, the exercise of discretion by the governor in this case was not in accordance with law," the bench noted.

It also dealt with the submissions raised by the Thackeray faction which had challenged the exercise of discretion by the governor in inviting Shinde to form the government.

Referring to Article 164(1B) of the Constitution, the bench noted that it bars an MLA or a member of the legislative council of a state (where one exists) from being appointed as a minister if they have been disqualified under Paragraph 2 of the Tenth Schedule.

"In other words, the mere institution of a disqualification petition does not trigger some or all of the consequences which flow from the disqualification itself. To hold otherwise would be to blur or efface the distinction between the institution of a disqualification petition against a member of the house and the disqualification of that member," it said.

The bench said a claim that something is true does not mean that it is actually true and the claim must be established according to the procedure established by law before it can be considered to be a fact.

"Article 164(1B) is therefore triggered only when the speaker returns a verdict finding that the member of the house in question has breached Paragraph 2 of the Tenth Schedule. If the speaker finds that Shinde is disqualified, he will no longer be eligible to hold the post of chief minister for the duration specified in Article 164(1B)," it said.

The bench noted that in the 288-member assembly, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party, and by a letter of June 30, 2022, the then leader of opposition, Devendra Fadnavis, wrote to the governor claiming that 106 MLAs of the BJP extend their support to Shinde for formation of a government.

It also noted that some independent candidates too extended their support to a government helmed by Shinde, and on the same day, Shinde wrote to the governor seeking to be called to form the government.

The bench said based on the material before him, that is the communications received, the governor invited Shinde to take the oath of office and directed him to prove his majority on the floor of the House within seven days.

"The post of the chief minister of the state of Maharashtra fell vacant after the resignation of Thackeray on June 29, 2022. The leader of the party that had returned the highest number of candidates to the state assembly extended support on behalf of the party to Shinde. Thus, the decision of the governor dated June 30, 2022, inviting Shinde to form the government was justified," the bench said.

It said the governor had relied on the letters written by Fadnavis and seven Independent MLAs calling upon him to direct Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

"First, both Fadnavis as well as the seven MLAs could have well moved a motion of no-confidence. Nothing prevented them from doing so. Second, a request by some MLAs for a direction to the chief minister to prove his majority does not, taken alone, amount to a relevant and germane reason to call for a floor test," the bench said.

"The governor was not justified in calling upon Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the House because he did not have reasons based on objective material before him, to reach the conclusion that Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House, it said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the speed of work in the national capital will increase manifold following the Supreme Court verdict on administration of services as his hands were earlier tied and also announced that the officers who 'obstructed' the work of the people will soon 'face the music'.

IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addressing a press conference, in New Delhi. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo

His remarks came after the Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict, ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services except for public order, police and land.

Addressing a press conference following a meeting with his Cabinet colleagues at the Delhi Secretariat, Kejriwal said those officers who obstructed the work of people of Delhi will face the music in the coming days.

"My hands were tied and I was thrown in the water to swim. But we managed to stay afloat. Despite all obstacles, we did good work in Delhi," he said.

Kejriwal thanked the people of Delhi for supporting him throughout his fight and said they will 'work to prepare a lean, thin, responsive and compassionate government'.

"We gave a model of education to the country. The work will happen at 10 times speed it was happening earlier. Delhi will now present a model of able governance to the entire country," he said.

Kejriwal said he will also meet LG V K Saxena later in the day to seek his blessings.

On being asked about the Anti-Corruption Branch, he said, "The ACB is not with us but vigilance will now be with us. Disciplinary proceedings can be initiated against officers who do not work properly."

Asserting that an elected government needs to have control over the administration, a five-judge constitution bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said the Union Territory of Delhi has 'sui generis (unique) character' and refused to agree with the 2019 judgement of Justice Ashok Bhushan that the Delhi government has no power over the issue of services.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Footage of the destruction of Armenia's military infrastructure by the Azerbaijani army in the Zod direction of the Basarkechar district has been published, Trend reports.

On the evening of May 10, units of the Armenian armed forces, using various types of small arms, have committed a deliberate provocation against the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Zod settlement. As a result of target fire, serviceman of Azerbaijani army, Muslim Mahmudlu, was seriously wounded in the head.

Starting from the morning of May 11, the Armenian troops are making the situation even more tense, from the positions in the direction of Zod settlement have carried out mortar shelling against the Azerbaijan Army's opposite positions.

The Azerbaijan Army units took necessary adequate retaliatory measures.
Pakistan's Punjab police have booked former prime minister Imran Khan and 1,500 of his party workers for attacking and setting on fire a top army officer's house in Lahore.

IMAGE: A ragpicker collects usable items next to the debris of a burnt vehicle following a protest by the supporters of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan against his arrest, in Peshawar, on May 11, 2023. Photograph: Fayaz Aziz/Reuters

Enraged over the arrest of their leader in a corruption case on Tuesday, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief's supporters on Wednesday stormed the General Headquarters of the Army.

They set residence of the Lahore Corps Commander on fire while attacking military vehicles and installations.

The PTI chairman, his deputy Shah Mahmood Qureshi and others have been named under murder, terrorism and 20 other heinous offences for attacking the Corps Commander House known as 'Jinnah House' in Lahore Cantonment on Tuesday.

Khan and others have also been charged with looting valuables worth over 150 million rupees from the Jinnah House.

According to the first information report (FIR) filed on Wednesday, two people were killed in the attack.

It said over 1,500 PTI workers and leaders attacked the army officer's house at the behest of Khan and other senior leaders of the party.

Following the arrest of Khan in a corruption case by the Pakistan Rangers in Islamabad on Tuesday, his supporters attacked senior officers' residences and the Pakistan Army's installations in different parts of the country.

An anti-corruption court on Wednesday sent 70-year-old Khan on an eight-day physical remand to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

His dramatic arrest on Tuesday sparked widespread violent protests across Pakistan, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 300 others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies.

The PTI supporters have held the army responsible for Khan's arrest.

Separately, the Punjab police registered dozens of FIRs against the PTI leadership and workers for injuring police officials, damaging and looting public property and raising 'highly objectionable' slogans against the Pakistan Army.

On Wednesday, protestors set ablaze Askari Tower in the Gulberg area. The plaza is reportedly owned by the son of former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa (retd).

Police named 1,200 PTI workers for killing a man while setting on fire and ransacking the tower. They also booked Khan in this case, saying he was behind the attack.

The protesters also set ablaze Shadman police station in Lahore. Their attempt to enter the Governor House and the Chief Minister Secretariat in Lahore was foiled by the police and Rangers.

Meanwhile, the police have claimed that they have arrested Khan's 76 supporters who attacked the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

An FIR has also been registered against 300 miscreants including PTI's main regional leader Bashart Raja.

According to the Punjab police, over 1,400 people have been arrested across the province in the wake of widespread violence.
With most exit polls predicting a tight contest between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly polls in Karnataka, leaders of the two parties seem 'jittery' over the outcome, while the Janata Dal-Secular appears to be expecting a hung verdict, which would enable it to play a role in government formation.

IMAGE: A voter shows a mark of indelible ink after casting her vote at a polling booth during the Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections 2023, in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Most pollsters, however, have also given an edge to the Congress over the ruling BJP, while indicating the possibility of a hung assembly in the state.

Counting of votes is on May 13.

Political leaders were finally able to relax on Thursday after weeks of high-voltage campaigning and polling on Wednesday.

Though they are exuding confidence about their party winning comfortably in the polls to the 224-member assembly, the exit polls have certainly made them anxious to an extent, sources in both national parties said.

No one wants a 2018-like scenario to unfold this time too, they said.

The JD-S will be the key factor in case of a hung verdict, and may emerge as a 'king' or 'kingmaker', as in 2018.

Party leader H D Kumaraswamy, the man who holds the key to the formation of a coalition government, in case of a fractured mandate, has left for Singapore for a health checkup, and would be back on counting day, sources said.

The JD-S leader was hospitalised during the campaigning for exhaustion and weakness.

"There is certainly a scenario of a hung verdict, and the strong possibility of a coalition government with JD-S playing an active role. Let the results come out formally; things will get revealed one after the other as to who will play what role," a senior JD-S leader said on grounds of anonymity.

In the previous assembly elections in 2018, the BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 104 seats, followed by the Congress with 80 seats and the JD-S 37.

There was also one independent member, while the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party (KPJP) got one legislator each elected.

With no party getting a clear majority then, and as the Congress and the JD-S were trying to forge an alliance, B S Yediyurappa of the BJP, which was the single largest party, staked a claim and formed the government.

However, the government was dissolved within three days ahead of a trust vote, as Yediyurappa was unable to muster the required numbers.

Subsequently, the Congress-JD(S) alliance formed the government with Kumaraswamy as chief minister, but the wobbly dispensation collapsed in 14 months, as 17 legislators resigned and came out of the ruling coalition.

They defected to the BJP and facilitated the party's return to power.

On Thursday, All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala met Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah at the latter's residence in Bengaluru and held discussions.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai seemed confident on Thursday about BJP's comfortable win, rejecting the exit polls.

"Last time, during the Karnataka election, exit polls had predicted 107 for Congress and 80 for BJP, but actually it was a reverse -- BJP got 104 and Congress 80. There are several such examples about exit polls and it will once again repeat," he said.

Modi's campaign was a big plus for the BJP and it had a huge impact among youth and women voters, Bommai said in response to a question on whether the party would achieve its target of winning 150 seats.

"I have not said 150, I have been maintaining that BJP will get full majority and we will get it."

He did not want to respond to speculations about the possibility of a hung verdict.

State Congress president D K Shivakumar too on his part exuded confidence about Congress winning 141 seats and forming a government with a full majority.

He ruled out the possibility of a hung assembly.

Thanking his voters in Kanakapura assembly constituency, Shivakumar said the strength that they had given was not just for him, it was for the people of the state.

"People from every house were candidates here and they fought the election," he said.
All Photographs: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com IMAGE: Delegates take pictures at the Youth 20 consultation meeting on climate change under India's G20 presidency in Srinagar.

IMAGE: Students take part in a painting competiton during the Y20 event.

IMAGE: Security personnel stand guard during the Y20 conference.

IMAGE: Foreign and national delegates at the Y20 convention.

IMAGE: Foreign delegates and students at Y20 meet.

IMAGE: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha along with Kashmir University Vice Chancellor Nilofer Khan and senior officials inaugurates the conference.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
The Kerala high court on Thursday said the killing of a 23-year-old doctor at a taluk hospital in Kollam district of the state a day ago by a man she was treating was the outcome of a 'systemic failure' and 'cannot be brushed aside as an isolated incident'.

IMAGE: Doctors and medical students raise slogans during their protest against the killing of a female doctor, outside Kerala Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo

A special bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Kauser Edappagath directed the state police chief to 'ensure that security is provided to all hospitals in the manner as is legally possible so as to prevent any further incidents of attack'.

The court said as far as the incident in question was concerned, 'there was little doubt that the killing of a doctor by a person who was in custody or police -- be that as an accused or in any other capacity -- points strongly at systemic failure'.

'This is a gruesome incident which should never have happened,' it added.

The bench further said that as matters stand now, lack of protocols or their insufficiency cannot be used as a reason to justify another attack.

The court observed that the manner in which the accused -- G Sandeep, a school teacher by profession -- was produced in the taluk hospital for treatment 'was a recipe for disaster' and it was a 'miracle' the nurses attending to him were not attacked.

'We therefore, direct that every protocol that is applicable for production of an accused or persons in custody before magistrates shall apply to presentation of such persons before doctors, healthcare professionals or hospitals concerned,' it said.

The bench also noted that it was informed that even the protocols regarding producing accused before magistrates are 'extremely wanting' and it was only due to 'providential grace' that any judicial officers have not been attacked.

It said that protocols need to be thought of regarding the manner in which doctors, healthcare workers, students, interns and house surgeons can be protected 'because otherwise their faith in the system will erode surely'.

'We, therefore, direct the state police chief to formulate sufficient protocols with regard to the manner in which persons in custody -- be that an accused or others -- are to be presented in hospitals or before doctors or healthcare professionals as part of the criminal justice system or otherwise,' the court said.

'The police will have to certainly pull up their socks on a war-footing,' the bench said during the hearing.

The court also said that if another doctor or healthcare professional is attacked, the State DGP would be held responsible.

It also urged the police and the state to step in and 'make sure the healthcare community is assuaged appropriately', as if any patient suffers an untoward issue due to the doctors strike, public sentiment might turn against them.

'We are concerned as doctors are on a warpath and hundreds and thousands of patients are waiting in queues for treatment. We are worried if something untoward happens as a result, the public sentiment may turn. It is with the doctors now,' the bench said.

A majority of doctors have not reported to work for the past 24 hours, demanding that the government bring out new legislation for protection of hospitals and healthcare professionals with immediate effect.

The functioning of hospitals has largely been hit across the state due to the agitation by medical students and doctors.

Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and casualties were exempted from the stir, but the Out Patient (OP) services in state hospitals have been affected.

During the hearing of the matter, State Police Chief Anil Kant and ADGP Law and order M R Ajith Kumar told the bench that they would come out with a new set of protocols within a week.

They also told the court that the State Industrial Security Force (SISF) has young, armed and trained personnel picked from the police and are available for deployment at hospitals on payment basis.

However, the state government would have to decide whether they would foot the bill for deployment of these personnel in the government hospitals.

The

bench directed the police to place the suggestion before the policy makers.

The top police officers of the state also agreed it was a systemic failure and that the officers present at the scene ought to have protected the young doctor -- Vandana Das -- with their lives.

The bench observed that after the police officers were stabbed, they ran away while the doctor 'transfixed with fear' was unable to escape to safety and was stabbed 11 times by the assailant.

'Even if a police officer lost his life, a doctor should not have. They are not trained to face such situations, but police are,' the bench said.

The ADGP said that the police officers present there did not run away after being stabbed and were instead looking for some means to subdue Sandeep and one of them even hit him with a plastic chair available there to stop him.

Das was killed at a taluk hospital in Kottarakkara area of Kollam district during the small hours of Wednesday by Sandeep who was brought there by police for treatment of a leg injury.

According to the police, Sandeep had called on the emergency number 112, claiming that his life was in danger.

When local police located him, he was standing 500 metres away from his home, surrounded by local residents and his relatives, and had a wound on his leg and a stick in his hand.

He was taken to the hospital in a police jeep and was accompanied by his brother-in-law and a local political party leader.

During dressing of his wound, he got violent, initially stabbed the local political leader and the police there and then repeatedly stabbed Das who could not escape to safety, police said.

Das, who suffered grievous injuries in the attack, died a few hours after the incident.
The lieutenant governor is bound by the aid and advice of the council of ministers of National Capital Territory of Delhi in matters within the legislative scope of the national capital, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.

IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Delhi assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel at Vidhan Sabha in New Delhi, March 17, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said the term administration with regard to powers of the lieutenant governor cannot be understood as the entire administration of Delhi.

Delineating the boundary of powers of the LG, the bench, which also comprised Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha, said he may act in his discretion only in two classes of matters.

Firstly, where the matter deals with issues which are beyond the powers of the legislative assembly and where the President has delegated the powers and functions to the Lieutenant Governor in relation to such matter; and secondly, matters which by law require him to act in his discretion or where he is exercising judicial or quasi-judicial functions," the bench said.

The top court said executive administration by the lieutenant governor, in his discretion, can only extend to matters which fall outside the purview of the powers conferred on the Legislative Assembly.

"The term administration cannot be understood as the entire administration of GNCTD. Otherwise, the purpose of giving powers to a constitutionally recognised and democratically elected government would be diluted," the bench said.

"We reiterate that in light of Article 239AA (which deals with the special status of Delhi as UT) and the 2018 Constitution Bench judgment, the Lieutenant Governor is bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers of NCTD in relation to matters within the legislative scope of NCTD.

"As we have held that NCTD has legislative power over 'services' (excluding public order', police', and land') under Entry 41 in List II, the Lieutenant Governor shall be bound by the decisions of GNCTD on services.

"To clarify, any reference to 'Lieutenant Governor' over services (excluding services related to public order', police' and land') in relevant Rules shall mean Lieutenant Governor acting on behalf of GNCTD," the bench said.

In a big victory for the AAP government in its tussle with the Centre, the apex court in a unanimous verdict ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services except for public order, police and land.
Eknath Shinde will continue as the chief minister of Maharashtra, with the Supreme Court holding on Thursday that it cannot restore the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray as he resigned without facing a floor test in June last year.

IMAGE: Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray submits his resignation from the post of Maharashtra Chief Minister to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on June 29, 2022. Photograph: PTI Photo

The court also pulled up former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and said he did not have reasons based on objective material before him to arrive at the conclusion that then chief minister Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House.

In a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas related to the political crisis that led to the fall of the three-party MVA government following a revolt by the Shinde faction in the Shiv Sena, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud held that the then speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of the Shiv Sena in the Maharashtra assembly was "contrary to law".

The bench said, "The governor was not justified in calling upon Mr Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the House because he did not have reasons based on objective material before him to reach the conclusion that Mr Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House. However, the status quo ante cannot be restored because Mr Thackeray did not face the floor test and tendered his resignation."

The bench, also comprising Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha, said, "The governor had no objective material on the basis of which he could doubt the confidence of the incumbent government. The resolution on which the governor relied did not contain any indication that the MLAs wished to exit from the MVA government. The communication expressing discontent on the part of some MLAs is not sufficient for the governor to call for a floor test."

It added that the governor ought to apply his mind to the communication (or any other material) before him to assess whether a government has lost the confidence of the house.

"We use the term 'opinion' to mean satisfaction based on objective criteria as to whether he possessed relevant material, and not to mean the subjective satisfaction of the governor. Once a government is democratically elected in accordance with law, there is a presumption that it enjoys the confidence of the house. There must exist some objective material to dislodge this presumption," the court said.

It added that the MLAs did not express their desire to withdraw support from the MVA government in the resolution dated June 21, 2022m and even if it is assumed that they had implied that they intended to exit from the government, they only constituted a faction of the Shiv Sena legislature party (SSLP) and were, at the most, indicating their dissatisfaction with the course of action adopted by their party.

"The political imbroglio in Maharashtra arose as a result of party differences within the Shiv Sena. However, the floor test cannot be used as a medium to resolve internal party disputes or intra-party disputes," the bench said.

It added that "dissent and disagreement" within a political party must be resolved in accordance with the remedies prescribed under the party constitution or through any other method that the party chooses to opt for.

"There is a marked difference between a party not supporting a government and individuals within a party expressing their discontent with their party leadership and functioning," the court observed.

It said neither the Constitution nor the laws enacted by Parliament provide for a mechanism by which disputes among the members of a particular political party can be settled.

"They certainly do not empower the governor to enter the political arena and play a role (however minute) either in inter-party disputes or in intra-party disputes. It follows from this that the governor cannot act upon an inference that he has drawn that a section of the Shiv Sena wished to withdraw its support to the government on the floor of the House.

"Therefore, the governor erred in relying upon the resolution signed by a faction of the SSLP MLAs to conclude that Mr Thackeray had lost the support of the majority of the House," the bench said.

Justice Chandrachud, who wrote the 141-page verdict on behalf of the bench, said the governor was justified in inviting Shinde to form the government.

"The post of chief minister of the state of Maharashtra fell vacant after the resignation of Mr Thackeray on June 29, 2022. The leader (Devendra Fadnavis) of the party (BJP) that had returned the highest number of candidates to the state Assembly extended support on behalf of the party to Mr Shinde. Thus, the decision of the governor dated June 30, 2022, inviting Mr Shinde to form the government was justified," the bench said.

The top court also dealt with the question of whip and said a political party and not a legislature party appoints its whip and leader in the House.

It said a speaker must only recognise the whip appointed by a political party and in this case, the speaker's decision recognising Gogawale as the Shiv Sena chief whip was "illegal" because it was based on the resolution of a faction of the SSLP, without undertaking an exercise to determine if it was the decision of the political party.

The top court also referred the 2016 Nabam Rebia verdict pronounced by a five-judge Constitution bench relating to the speaker's power on disqualification of MLAs to a larger bench of seven judges, saying a substantial question of law remains to be settled.

"To give quietus to the issue, we refer the following question (and any allied issues which may arise) to a larger bench: whether the issuance of a notice of intention to move a resolution for the removal of the speaker restrains them from adjudicating disqualification petitions under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. The matter may be placed before the Chief Justice for appropriate orders," the bench directed.

The 2016 judgment dealt with the powers of an assembly speaker and ruled that he or she cannot proceed with pleas for disqualification of MLAs if a prior notice seeking the speaker's removal is pending before the House.

The bench said an MLA has the right to participate in the proceedings of the House regardless of the pendency of any petition for his disqualification and the validity of the proceedings of the House in the interregnum is not "subject to" the outcome of such disqualification petitions.

On the disqualification proceedings of Shiv Sena MLAs, the bench said the court cannot ordinarily adjudicate petitions for disqualification under the Tenth Schedule in the first instance and the speaker must decide the petitions within a reasonable period.

The top court said the speaker and the Election Commission (EC) are empowered to concurrently adjudicate on the petitions before them under the Tenth Schedule and under the provisions of the Symbols Order respectively.

In a blow to the Thackeray bloc earlier this year, the EC declared the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena and allotted the bow-and-arrow election symbol of the party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray to it.
The Supreme Court on Thursday said it cannot ordinarily adjudicate disqualification petitions against legislators under the anti-defection law and directed the Maharashtra assembly speaker to take a decision on such pleas against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other MLAs within a reasonable period.

IMAGE: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde addresses the meeting of faction of Shiv Sena MLAs, BJP MLAs, and other party leaders, in Mumbai, July 3, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo

A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud rejected the submission of the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena that the top court should adjudicate the pending disqualification petitions against Shinde and others on the ground that the incumbent speaker, Rahul Narwekar, is biased.

"This court cannot ordinarily adjudicate petitions for disqualification under the Tenth Schedule in the first instance. There are no extraordinary circumstances in the instant case that warrant the exercise of jurisdiction by this court to adjudicate disqualification petitions. The speaker must decide the disqualification petitions within a reasonable period," the bench said.

The bench, also comprising Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha, in a unanimous verdict said in the absence of exceptional circumstances, the speaker is the appropriate authority to adjudicate petitions for disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

"This court should normally refrain from deciding disqualification petitions at the first instance, having due regard to constitutional intendment. The question of disqualification ought to be adjudicated by the constitutional authority concerned, namely the speaker of the legislative assembly, by following the procedure prescribed," the bench said.

CJI Chandrachud, who penned down the 141-page verdict on behalf of the bench, said the disqualification of a person as a member of a House has drastic consequences for the member concerned and by extension, for the citizens of that constituency and therefore, any question of disqualification ought to be decided by following the procedure established by law.

The bench did not agree with the submission of the Thackeray faction that the speaker cannot be entrusted with the adjudication of the disqualification petitions because he is "biased and partial" as he was appointed with the support of the MLAs against whom such petitions have been filed.

It said in a parliamentary democracy, the speaker is an officer of the assembly and performs the function of presiding over the House proceedings and representing the House for all intents and purposes.

"The incumbent speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has been duly elected by the MLAs in terms of the procedure laid down under the Maharashtra Assembly Rules, 1960," the court said, adding that the petitioners (the Thackeray faction) have referred to Narwekar's decision to cancel the recognition of Sunil Prabhu as the Shiv Sena Chief Whip on July 3, 2022 to argue that he is biased and impartial.

"The decision of the speaker to cancel the recognition of Prabhu has also been challenged in the instant proceedings. Even if this court sets aside the decision of the speaker cancelling the recognition of Prabhu on merits, it would not be a sufficient reason for this court to decide the disqualification petitions," it said.

The bench said it is also unable to accept the alternative submission of the petitioners to direct the deputy speaker to adjudicate the question of disqualification for the simple reason that the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has duly elected the speaker, who has been entrusted with the authority to decide disqualification petitions under the Constitution.

"The deputy speaker can perform the duties of the speaker only when the office of the speaker is vacant. As observed in Kihoto Hollohan (a 1992 verdict) and Shrimanth Balasaheb Patil (a 2020 verdict), the speaker is expected to act fairly, independently and impartially while adjudicating disqualification petitions under the Tenth Schedule," it said.

The bench added that ultimately, the speaker's decision on the question of disqualification is subject to a judicial review and "therefore, this court is of the opinion that the speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is the appropriate constitutional authority to decide the question of disqualification under the Tenth Schedule".

On June 23, 2022, the then chief whip of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party, Sunil Prabhu, filed petitions under the Tenth Schedule for the disqualification of Shinde and 15 other Shiv Sena MLAs.

Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal issued notices to Shinde and the other MLAs on June 25, seeking their replies by June 27.

Shinde and the other MLAs then moved the top court, which on June 27 extended the time to respond to the disqualification petitions from June 27 to July 12, 2022.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Thursday discussed efforts to strengthen opposition unity ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections, the two leaders said.

IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with NCP President Sharad Pawar during a press conference, in Mumbai, May 11, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Kumar, who visited Pawar at the latter's residence in south Mumbai along with deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, told reporters that what the ruling BJP is doing not in the interest of the country.

Earlier, he met Uddhav Thackeray at the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader's Bandra home.

What BJP is doing nowadays is not in the interest of the country. In such a situation, if more and more opposition parties unite, it would be better for the country, he said.

Kumar said many parties have got in touch with them.

All I can say now is that it is happening in the interest of the country, he said.

Pawar said these discussions are part of the United Progressive Alliance.

We all have been together and we are bringing in more parties and groups, he said.

Kumar said they are trying hard to form a larger coalition in the country. We will discuss it with all the stakeholders and can give it a new name, he said.

Asked if Pawar will be the main face of the opposition alliance, Kumar said, There will be nothing more delightful than that. I have told him that he has to work with more vigour not only for his party but for the entire country.

The more opposition parties come together, the better it is in the interest of the country, Kumar said.

Pawar said, To save democracy, it is important to work together. After looking at the condition of the country, it seems that if we work together, there will be support for the alternative.

The NCP chief said BJP will lose in the Karnataka assembly elections.

As per my info, people there will oust BJP and elect a secular government, he said.

Welcomed the Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar ji and deputy Chief Minister Shri Tejashwi Yadav ji at my Mumbai residence today. We had a brief discussion to strengthen the Opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Pawar tweeted after meeting Kumar.

Kumar has been meeting Opposition leaders to strengthen the bloc against the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls due next year.
In a major relief for embattled Imran Khan, Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday declared the former prime minister's dramatic arrest "unlawful" and "invalid" and ordered his immediate release after he was produced before a bench on its orders.

IMAGE: Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan, along with his supporters, leaves the district high court in Lahore, February 20, 2023. Photograph: Mohsin Raza/Reuters

Khan, 70, was arrested on Tuesday from the Islamabad high court and an accountability court Wednesday handed him over to the National Accountability Bureau for eight days remand in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.

His arrest sparked widespread protests across Pakistan, prompting the government to deploy the army in the national capital as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. The violent protests left at least eight people dead.

On Thursday, a three-member apex court bench, comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah, ordered his immediate release.

Khan is facing over 120 cases across the country, including for allegedly committing treason and blasphemy and inciting violence and terrorism.

The bench, while hearing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman's plea against his arrest, expressed anger at the way he was taken into custody by paramilitary Rangers and ordered the NAB to produce him before it.

Khan, who was ousted from power in April last year, was brought to the court amid heavy security.

"It is good to see you," Chief Justice Bandial told Khan.

After a brief hearing, the court declared that Khan's arrest was "invalid" and "unlawful" and ordered that he should be set free.

"The manner of execution of the arrest warrant issued by the chairman, National Accountability Bureau dated 01.05.2023 in the Al-Qadir Trust case within the premises of the Islamabad high court against the petitioner is invalid and unlawful, the ruling said.

The court also directed him to go to the IHC on Friday and seek further legal recourse. "You will have to accept whatever the high court decides," the top judge said.

Bandial also said that it is every politician's responsibility to ensure law and order.

During the hearing, Khan told the court that he was "kidnapped from the court" when he was preparing for the biometric attendance before filing an appeal in a case.

Khan claimed he was subjected to violence, saying he had been beaten with clubs and that such brutality was not even inflicted on criminals.

When the chief justice asked him to condemn violence by protestors, Khan distanced himself from the protests by saying that he was in custody. "I was caught as if I am a terrorist," he said and asked, "How am I responsible for the bloody protests?"

He also said that he never supported violence.

"I urge everyone to avoid damaging public properties," Khan said, adding that he was just pushing for elections.

Elated supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party poured into the streets soon after the Supreme Court's verdict.

The PTI has called on supporters from across the country to reach Islamabad on Friday in solidarity with the party chairman as he appears before the IHC.

PTI tweeted: Patriotic Pakistanis of every age will peacefully gather in Islamabad on 12 May 2023!

Khan's lawyers said outside the court that he has called off all protests.

The court while freeing Khan refused to allow him to go home and directed that he would stay for night at the Guest House of police in protection of the state and go to the IHC on Friday.

The court also allowed that up to 10 people could meet him.

"Imran Khan will stay at the guest house as a guest [and] his protection would be the government's responsibility," Bandial said. "You can rest there, chat with visitors and go to sleep."

Reacting sharply to the verdict, ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president Maryam Nawaz said that the chief justice should resign from his position and, like his mother-in-law, join Khan's party.

Maryam claimed that the chief justice seemed exceedingly pleased with meeting an individual accused of embezzling Rs 60 billion from the national treasury, and was even more delighted in releasing the alleged criminal.

She went on to accuse the chief justice of being responsible for the attacks on crucial and sensitive institutions in the country. She further said that the top judge had become a shield for a miscreant (Khan) and was adding further fuel to the fire.

At the start of the hearing earlier in the day, Chief Justice Bandial asked how an individual could be arrested from the court premises.

The court said that no one could be arrested from the court without permission of the court's registrar. It observed that the arrest tantamount to denying access to justice without fear and intimation, which was the right of every citizen.

Khan's counsel Hamid Khan informed that court that his client had approached the IHC seeking a pre-arrest bail but was arrested by paramilitary Rangers.

The court also took note of about 90 to 100 Rangers personnel entering the court to arrest Khan. What dignity remains of the court if 90 people entered its premises? How can any individual be arrested from court premises? the Chief Justice asked.

He observed that the National Accountability Bureau had committed contempt of court. They should have taken permission from the court's registrar before the arrest. Court staffers were also subjected to abuse, he said.

Khan approached the apex court on Wednesday to set aside the warrants of NAB of May 1 for his arrest and to challenge the decision of the IHC which upheld his arrest.

Meanwhile, Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Thursday expressed distress over the political turmoil and unrest in the country following the arrest of Khan and urged all concerned to look for political solutions, rather than coercion and arrests.

Alvi, who was a member of Khan's party before he became Pakistan's President in 2018, in a long Twitter statement said that he was "alarmed, shocked & deeply disturbed over the current situation in the country".

"I strongly appeal to all citizens of the country to remain peaceful," he said.

Khan's several close aides, including former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, party's secretary general Asad Umar and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, were also arrested.
Former Janata Dal-United president RCP Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday in the presence of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, after which he accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, once his mentor, of compromising with crime and corruption in his pursuit of "kursi" (chair).

IMAGE: RCP Singh being welcomed into the BJP by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, New Delhi, May 11, 2023. Photograph: ANI on Twitter

Once a close confidant of Nitish Kumar, Singh had a fallout with him last year as he was seen by his party to be veering closer to the BJP as the differences between the two parties grew leading to the subsequent severance in their ties.

On joining the BJP he took a swipe at his former mentor, saying Kumar had compromised with his stand against crime and corruption in his love for the chair. He will be left with nothing in Bihar, Singh said, and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his work for the poor and overall leadership of the country.

In his strong remarks against the Bihar chief minister, Singh mocked him as "palti maar" (someone who keeps taking a U-turn) and said he was and will remain "PM (palti maar)".

Singh said if no work is happening in the country, then how did India become the fifth largest economy in the world.

The former cabinet minister, who had to resign from the Modi government after the Janata Dal-United did not nominate him to the Rajya Sabha for a fresh term last year, took pot-shots at Kumar for his efforts to forge unity among the opposition ranks.

Kumar was given the mandate of Bihar's development but he has been travelling from one state to another, Singh said.

Pradhan lauded Singh, claiming that he played a key role in strengthening the JD-U in the state and enjoys credibility among the extremely backward sections of society.

A bureaucrat, Singh served under Kumar when he was a Union minister after being brought into politics by the JD-U leader. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha twice and was for long the most powerful leader in the party after Nitish Kumar before their fallout.

He also comes from the Kurmi caste like Kumar.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their family members have attended the opening of the Shusha Hotel-Congress Central Complex.

Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov informed the head of state and the First Lady of the conditions created in the Shusha Hotel-Congress Central Complex, Azernews reports.

The Shusha Hotel-Congress Central Complex, whose foundation was laid on August 29, 2021 with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, is located in the center of the city - on the Zafar road. The construction of the project based on the Caravanserai concept started in 2022. Local and foreign companies were involved in the construction works.

The five-star complex was designed with the synthesis of modern and national architectural styles. The four-storey complex has 154 rooms, a conference hall, banquet hall, restaurant, swimming pool, SPA & Fitness center.

There are nearly 1,000 books in the library of the complex.








First version published at 16:45

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov had a meeting with Founder and Head of the US humanitarian organization Roots of Peace Heidi Kuhn, Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Trend.

Heidi Kuhn carries out humanitarian activities in the field of mine clearance.

FM provided detailed information on the mine threat in Azerbaijan as a result of Armenia's 30-year aggression and occupation of Azerbaijani lands.

It was brought to attention that Azerbaijani citizens have become victims of mines massively planted by Armenia, as well as the fact that Armenia refuses to cooperate with Azerbaijan in the field of mine clearance.

It was also mentioned that the mine threat hinders the restoration and reconstruction work carried out after the end of the 44-day Patriotic War (Second Karabakh War), and the process of returning internally displaced persons to their homes.

In turn, Kuhn pointed out the importance of normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations for the entire region and also announced her intention to visit the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from Armenian occupation and support cooperation.

Then the sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest.
The following are the highlights of the Supreme Court verdict in which a five-judge Constitution bench unanimously held on Thursday that it cannot restore the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray as the former chief minister resigned without facing a floor test in June last year.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis flash the V sign after a special session of the Maharashtra assembly, at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai, July 4, 2022. Photograph: Kunal Patil/PTI Photo

SC said it could have considered the grant of remedy of reinstating the MVA government headed by Thackeray if he had refrained from resigning from the chief minister's post.

SC pulled up former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and said he did not have reasons based on objective material placed before him to arrive at the conclusion that then chief minister Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House.
The Biju Janata Dal will go solo in next year's Lok Sabha polls as it has always done, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Thursday, days after JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar met him amid efforts to forge a united opposition.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in New Delhi, May 11, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Patnaik, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi earlier in the day to discuss developmental issues related to his state, also ruled out joining any third front, a plan floated by some regional parties earlier.

He reiterated the BJD's position of remaining equidistant from both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He also described Bihar Chief Minister Kuamr visiting him in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday as a "courtesy call".

Over the last few days, Kumar has met leaders of various non-BJP parties in his attempt to cobble together a united front against the ruling party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Patnaik has been at the helm in Odisha since 2000 and his BJD is among some regional parties that have maintained a neutral stand on the issues involving clashes between the ruling BJP and Opposition. At times, it has supported the BJP in Parliament as well.

Patnaik said he met the prime minister to raise issues related to his state.

In the meeting that lasted around 20-25 minutes, Patnaik raised issues related to infrastructure development in the state, including the under-construction Sri Jagannath Airport, incomplete national highways and opening of bank branches in Gram Panchayat which do not have the facility.

Asked about his meeting with Kumar, and the possibility of a 'third front' emerging, Patnaik said, "No, not as far as I'm concerned, not now".

Asked if the BJD will fight the upcoming elections alone, he said, "That has always been the case".

Patnaik, who is in Delhi till Friday, also clarified that he has no plans of meeting any other leaders in the current trip.

On his meeting with Kumar on Tuesday, he said, "It was a courtesy call, he paid a visit. It went off well."

On Tuesday after the meeting, both Patnaik and Kumar had claimed that no discussion were held on any political alliance between the JD(U) and BJD for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
You are the owner of this article.
Added details (first publication 17:40)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Units of the Armenian Armed Forces from firing positions located in the direction of Zod settlement of the Basarkechar are firing D-30 howitzers at positions of the Azerbaijani army in this direction of the conditional border, starting from 17:00, Trend reports.

Units of the Azerbaijani army have responded adequately.

On the evening of May 10, units of the Armenian armed forces, using various types of small arms, have committed a deliberate provocation against the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Zod settlement. As a result of target fire, serviceman of Azerbaijani army, Muslim Mahmudlu, was seriously wounded in the head.

Starting from the morning of May 11, the Armenian troops are making the situation even more tense, from the positions in the direction of Zod settlement have carried out mortar shelling against the Azerbaijan Army's opposite positions.

The Azerbaijan Army units took necessary adequate retaliatory measures.
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.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Manchester Fire Rescue EMS/Facebook Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Manchester Fire-Rescue-EMS/Facebook Show More Show Less 3 of 3





MANCHESTER  Two people were injured Thursday morning in an explosion at an auto body shop, police said.

Manchester Police Lt. Ryan Shea said two people were using a plasma cutter at Sandmans Automotive & Fabrication, 122 Hilliard St., when an oil tank in the back of a pickup truck exploded.
CT State Police / Contributed

BURLINGTON  A local woman killed in a motorcycle crash over the weekend was about to graduate from college with a bachelors degree in cybersecurity, according to her obituary.

Jena Marie Flammia, 23, was remembered as a soft-spoken, kind-hearted woman, who at a young age touched many lives in a positive, caring way," her obituary said. Flammia, who had impeccable taste in clothing, took pride in her appearance and always made sure she was well-dressed before she left the house, her obituary said. She liked to bake, hike and care for animals, even taking pet-sitting gigs and working at the store Dogology in Canton.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  One of two inmates who escaped from a Philadelphia prison was captured while dressed as a woman, authorities said, and a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force focused Friday on tracking down the other escapee.

Members of the task force were conducting surveillance in an area of North Philadelphia where they believed 24-year-old Nasir Grant was staying, said Robert Clark, a supervisory deputy with the Marshals Service Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Thursday, a man resembling Grant came out of a residence, Clark said.

Grant got into a car and authorities followed it and stopped him nearby.

I believe he was thoroughly surprised," Clark said, adding that Grant was taken into custody without any problem.

"He submitted to our commands, and it was pretty much an uneventful arrest, which is the way we like it, Clark said.

The search continued for Ameen Hurst, 18, who escaped with Grant from the Philadelphia Industrial Correction Center on Sunday night by cutting a hole in a fence surrounding a recreation yard, the Philadelphia Department of Prisons has said.

Hurst and Grant were gone for nearly 19 hours before officials knew they were missing.

Hurst had been charged with four counts of murder, while Grant was being held on conspiracy drug charges and conspiracy weapons charges. Officials have said the inmates were housed in the same unit, but different cells.

Clark described the search for the two men as exhausting, with all task force members working 16- to 18-hour days. The arrest of Grant will allow the task force to focus on the hunt for Hurst, he said.

The men were aided by a woman in the city, who authorities said Thursday had been charged with escape and conspiracy.

A judge set bail at $500,000 for Xianni Stalling, though that ruling was being appealed by prosecutors who had sought $2 million bail. She was arrested around 1 a.m. Wednesday by U.S. Marshals. She was being represented by the public defender's office, which declined to comment.

Authorities said Thursday that there is evidence that Stalling was communicating with one of the escaped inmates, but declined further comment. She was also charged with hindering apprehension and use of a communication facility.

___

This story has been updated to correct that the woman's last name is Stalling, not Stallings.
Jordan Pettitt/AP

LONDON (AP)  The U.K. is sending Ukraine long-range cruise missiles to help push back Russian forces, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Thursday. It's the first known shipment of the weaponry that Kyiv has long sought from its allies.

Wallace told lawmakers in the House of Commons that Britain is donating Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of more than 250 kilometers (155 miles). He didn't say how many are being sent.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met with the newly appointed Ambassador of India to Azerbaijan, Sridharan Madhusudhanan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Trend.

Azerbaijani FM accepted a copy of the Ambassador's credentials and wished him success in his future activities.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on the current state of bilateral and multilateral relations between Azerbaijan and India, and the processes taking place in the region.

Speaking about the existing cooperation between the two countries in political, economic, trade, cultural, humanitarian, tourism and other spheres, Jeyhun Bayramov pointed out the importance of using the existing potential for the development of relations. In particular, the usefulness of the political consultations held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries and mutual visits was noted. Along with the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and India, the importance of commitment to the practice of multilateral cooperation within the framework of international organizations, in particular, the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), was noted.

Having informed in detail about the current situation in the region in the post-conflict period, reconstruction and construction works carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, efforts to normalize relations with Armenia and promote the peace agenda, the Azerbaijani FM expressed confidence that, despite the existing challenges and difficulties, there is no alternative to peace in the region, stressed the full determination of Azerbaijan continue peace-building efforts.

Speaking about the importance of supporting the normalization process by the international community, the Minister also noted the importance of eliminating the mine threat created by Armenia in the region.

Indian Ambassador Sridharan Madhusudhanan thanked Azerbaijani FM Jeyhun Bayramov for the reception and noted that in the course of his activities, he would make every effort to develop relations between the two countries. Noting the importance of continuing cooperation between Azerbaijan and India based on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, and solidarity, he emphasized the importance of expanding mutual contacts.

Other issues of mutual interest were also discussed at the meeting.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP)  A Tunisian national guardsman behind an attack that killed five people intentionally targeted the ancient synagogue on the Mediterranean island of Djerba in a premeditated act, Tunisia's interior minister said Thursday.

Interior Minister Kamel Fekih pledged to spare no effort to ensure the stability of the country and to protect foreigners after Tuesday's attack. Three Tunisian servicemen and two civilians attending an international pilgrimage at the El Ghriba synagogue were killed. A dozen others were wounded.

El Ghriba is believed to be one of the worlds oldest Jewish temples. Tunisian authorities revealed the gunman's name  Wissam Khazri  and said he planned the attack, but they gave no explanation of why.

Fekih said security forces killed the gunman within 120 seconds of arriving outside the synagogue complex. The minister described the shooting as a cowardly criminal attack but refrained from calling it a terrorist act.

France's anti-terrorism prosecutor's office opened an investigation. A French citizen was among the victims.

Israeli and Tunisian authorities and family members identified the civilian victims as cousins: Aviel Haddad, 30, who held dual Tunisian and Israeli citizenship, and Benjamin Haddad, 42, who was French.

The interior minister called on security services to be vigilant for any efforts to destabilize the North African country. Tunisia is mired in political and economic crisis, and the synagogue attack is a new blow to its once-thriving tourism industry as well as to a vibrant Jewish community.

Fekri said the gunman killed one of his colleagues and seized his weapon at a national guard base on the coast of Djerba, then took a National Guard motorcycle to a schoolyard about 200 meters from the Ghriba temple, where hundreds of worshipers were present.

When he left the school after monitoring the movement of a traffic police car that was parked in the vicinity, he shot the first victim at about 8:13 p.m. and then moved toward the security guards, who were protecting the area around the synagogue, opening fire indiscriminately in order to cause as many victims as possible. But he was immediately surrounded and shot, Fekri told reporters in Tunis.

He said that a spirit of celebration quickly returned to the island of Djerba, a land of peace and tolerance, which is proof that the author failed to implement his plan.

Tunisian President Kais Saied sought to assure his compatriots and foreign visitors that Tunisia will remain a safe country, despite the criminal attempts to destabilize it."

Speaking Wednesday night at a meeting of the National Security Council, Saied claimed the attack was intended to sow discord and sabotage the tourist season in the run-up to summer.

But these criminals will not succeed because the state is strong in its institutions, its security forces and its people awake," he said.

The chair of the synagogues committee, Perez Trabelsi, was in the house of worship during the attack and told The Associated Press of his terror.

I was scared, as were most of the people gathered in the oukala, a large space adjacent to the synagogue. Everyone was panicked. Many took refuge in the rooms for fear of being hit by the shots that came from outside, he said.

The synagogue attracted more pilgrims this year  around 6,000 people from the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and beyond  than it had for some time, Trabelsi said. He said he was saddened that the pilgrimage to the site that is revered in Judaism was spoiled by those who wish Tunisia harm.

Jews have lived on Djerba, a picturesque island off the southern coast of Tunisia, since 500 B.C. Djerbas Jewish population is one of North Africas biggest, although in recent years it declined to 1,500, down from 100,000 in the 1960s.

In 2002, a truck bombing killed about 20 people at the entrance to the same temple during the annual Jewish pilgrimage. Al-Qaida claimed that attack, whose victims included German and French tourists as well as Tunisians.

___

Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met with the new Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Trend.

The Ambassador handed a copy of his credentials to Azerbaijani FM.

FM congratulated the Ambassador on his new appointment and wished him success in his future activities.

A number of issues, such as cooperation in political, economic, energy, humanitarian, educational, tourism and other spheres, as well as on multilateral platforms on the agenda of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and brotherly Kazakhstan, were discussed at the meeting.

Azerbaijani FM noted with satisfaction the extensive bilateral and multilateral cooperation relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, based on common ethnic, cultural, and historical roots, and the prospects for their development.

In turn, Kazakh Ambassador pointed out that during his diplomatic activity, he will make every effort to expand cooperation between the two countries. Noting that there is a wide potential for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, he emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation between the countries in the fields of tourism, energy, economy, transport and other spheres.

According to the meeting, it is crucial to intensify joint efforts in important areas within the framework of international organizations, in particular the Organization of Turkic States and others.

Both sides also exchanged views on other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.
In a boost to the embattled Adani Group, Mauritian Financial Services Minister Mahen Kumar Seeruttun has told the nation's Parliament that Hindenburg Research's allegations of the presence of 'shell' companies in the Island nation are 'false and baseless' and that Mauritius was in compliance with OECD-mandated tax rules.

US short seller Hindenburg on January 24 alleged that billionaire Gautam Adani used shell companies based in Mauritius to manipulate stock prices of his Indian-listed companies.

A shell company is an inactive firm used as a vehicle for various financial manoeuvres. When a Member of Parliament (MP) through a written notice question asked the Minister about Hindenburg's allegation of use of Mauritius-based entities as conduits for money laundering and share price manipulation for the Adani Group, the minister said the nation's law does not allow shell companies.

"At the outset, I wish to inform the House that the allegations of the presence of shell companies in Mauritius are false and baseless," he said. "According to the law, shell companies are not allowed in Mauritius."

All global business companies licensed by the Financial Services Commission have to meet substance requirements on an ongoing basis and are being strictly monitored by the Commission, he said.

"So far, there has been no breach that has been found," he said. He said the Financial Services Commission has taken note of the Hindenburg report but the regulator is bound by the confidentiality clause of the law and cannot disclose details.

"The Financial Services Commission can neither deny nor confirm whether an investigation has been and/or is being conducted. As such, disclosure of information on global business companies would be in breach of section 83 of the Financial Services Act and may have an adverse impact on the repute of our jurisdiction," he said.

Dhanesswurnath Vikash Thakoor, chief executive officer, of FSC, had previously stated that an initial assessment of all the entities related to the Adani group in Mauritius was not found to be any non-compliance with rules.

Listing out the requirements for companies registering in Mauritius, the minister said they first have to carry out their core income-generating activities in or from the country. They must be managed and controlled from Mauritius, have at least two directors resident in Mauritius, maintain at all times their principal bank account in the country, keep and maintain at all times their accounting records at their registered office in Mauritius and prepare their statutory financial statements and cause those financial statements to be audited in Mauritius.

The statement came just before the Hindenburg-Adani issue comes up in Supreme Court. The apex court, which had appointed an expert committee to look into regulatory issues, is likely to take up capital market regulator SEBI's plea for a six-month extension in timelines to probe allegations against the Adani group.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is assessing the connection between Adani Group and two Mauritian firms - Great International Tusker Fund and Ayushmat Ltd - that participated as anchor investors in the recently cancelled share sale of Adani Group's flagship company.

The conglomerate lost USD 140 billion in market capitalisation at one point after short seller Hindenburg raised allegations of fraud and stock price manipulation against the group. Adani Group, however, has denied all the charges.

"With respect to the allegation of Mauritius being a tax haven, I wish to inform the House that Mauritius strictly complies with the international best practices and has been rated as compliant with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD standards," the Mauritian minister told the Parliament.

Since 2018, Mauritius has reformed its global business framework and tax regime with a view to removing harmful tax practices. "As per the peer review conducted by the OECD forum on harmful tax practices, the OECD is satisfied that Mauritius does not have any harmful features in its tax regimes, thus recognizing Mauritius as a well-regulated, transparent and compliant jurisdiction," he said.

He said the Financial Services Commission monitored the Adani issue closely. "The commission is pursuing its actions within the ambit of the relevant legislations and in line with its current supervisory process. It has been carrying out reviews of all the companies cited in the Hindenburg report."

"And as part of the Supervisory Review, the Financial Services Commission has requested and received compliance reports pertaining to all the relevant companies, which show compliance with the prevailing legislations in Mauritius. Given the multilayering of those companies cited in the report, the Financial Services Commission continues to monitor the matter diligently," he said.

Also, the Financial Services Commission is collaborating with law enforcement agencies in Mauritius and overseas regulators on the matter. When the MP asked how he arrived at the conclusion that allegations made in the report are 'false and baseless', the minister said he was referring to the statement made the report with regard to shell companies being registered in Mauritius.

"And this is, like I said in my reply, to be able to be licensed in Mauritius, there are conditions and requirements that need to be satisfied. And those conditions, I have spelled out all those conditions, and based on the fact that these companies adhere to those conditions, then it is unfounded to say that those companies are shell companies" he said.
China continues its diplomatic push in Europe on Thursday with a high-level visit to the Netherlands where Vice President Han Zheng will be meeting the king and the prime minister  and facing questions about its relations with Russia and the European Union.

The visit comes amid difficult relations between China and the West. The 27-nation EU increasingly sees Beijing as a systemic rival on the global stage instead of an ally and economic partner.

President #XiJinping's special representative, VP #HanZheng had brief meetings with British PM Rishi Sunak, Prince of Wales William, and held talks with Deputy PM Oliver Downey at the latter's request.

He was warmly received and sincerely thanked by the British side. pic.twitter.com/f4d4Obt8po  Zhou Li (@Zhou_Li_CHN) May 7, 2023

Dutch King Willem Alexander received Han early on Thursday before Prime Minister Mark Rutte has political talks with the vice president in the afternoon. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has also travelled through Western Europe this week, meeting with his German and French counterparts.

On Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Berlin wants to work in partnership with China everywhere it's possible but that it would be naive to ignore the risk of ending up in a position of reliance, including on security issues. It is a view increasingly shared in the West.

The European Union is not specifically advocating decoupling from the economic and geopolitical giant but is proposing de-risking its relations to avoid becoming too dependent on China.

The EU, of which the Netherlands is a founding member, also wants Beijing to be more forceful in addressing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The visit comes amid diplomatic tensions around proposed new EU trade measures against countries that help the Kremlin to circumvent the bloc's sanctions against Russia. The proposal sparked a warning from China that it would retaliate if targeted by such sanctions.
As authorities tightened their grip on the Opposition after violent protests broke out following Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan's arrest, the party's senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry was arrested from outside the Supreme Court premises late Wednesday, May 10.

According to the sources, the former Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan had been inside the Supreme Court since 11 AM in a bid to evade arrest and was detained as soon as he came out of the apex court premises.

PTI leader Chaudhry was detained by the Islamabad police under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Act and was shifted to the Secretariat Police Station.

PTI leaders taken into custody

The senior member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chaudhry earlier brandished the order copy from the Islamabad High Court to the police, maintaining that he cannot be arrested in any case till May 12. Chaudhry claimed that the detention of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had caused division in the nation. He argued that in order to foster communication, political opponents should be allowed space.

Earlier, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested PTI Secretary General Asad Umar from the premises of the Islamabad High Court  the same court from which former Prime Minister Imran Khan was taken into custody. On Tuesday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Khan was arrested in a graft case and presented before the accountability court at the Police Lines Headquarters. The court granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) eight-day remand of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust graft case, Samaa reported.

Khans arrest escalated tensions all across the nation amid the economic crisis. The protests have led to widespread destruction of property.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Wang Yi held talks in Vienna this week, the latest in a series of small signs that tensions could be easing between the world's two biggest economies.

The meeting was not publicized by Washington or Beijing ahead of the high-level talks that took place on Wednesday and Thursday. The White House described the discussions as candid and constructive."

As the political and military rivalry between China and the U.S. intensifies, American officials and analysts are worried that a lack of reliable crisis communications could cause a minor confrontation to spiral into greater hostilities. They cite the ability to communicate with the former Soviet Union as allowing the Cold War to end without a nuclear exchange.

Sullivan and Wang discussed key issues in the U.S.-China relationship, Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan, and more, according to the White House statement.

This meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage competition, the White House said in a statement.

Tensions spiked last year following then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to democratically governed Taiwan. That visit, the first by a sitting House speaker since Newt Gingrich in 1997, led China, which claims the island as its territory, to launch military exercises around Taiwan.

U.S.-China relations became further strained earlier this year after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon that traversed the continental United States.

Beijing also was angered by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's stopover in the U.S. last month that included an encounter with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The speaker hosted the Taiwanese leader at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in southern California.

But there are signs that the two sides are getting diplomatic communications back on track.

President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Bali, Indonesia , in November. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was to travel to China in February, but the trip was postponed after the spy balloon incident. Blinken and Wang, Chinas top diplomat, met later in February on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference after the U.S. had shot down the balloon.

The White House has expressed interest in rescheduling Blinken's visit. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre earlier this week said that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo also could visit Beijing at some point.

This weeks talks were the first face-to-face meeting between Sullivan and Wang, who was elevated last year to the Communist Partys Politburo, the top policymaking body made up of the partys 24 most senior officials.

Wang served as foreign minister for nearly 10 years and was the only diplomat promoted to the 24-member Politburo.

U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang also met in Beijing this week, and Biden's special envoy for climate, John Kerry, held a call last month with his counterpart, Xie Zhenhua.

Burns, during a virtual forum hosted by the Stimson Center earlier this month, said communication is improving.

Yes, we did have instances when we wanted to have certain very high-level conversations when it wasnt possible," Burns said. But I have to say, in recent weeks, in the last month or so, theres been a consistent communication between myself and senior officials in the foreign ministry, my colleagues in the U.S. mission and their counterparts in the foreign ministry here.
Guo's sentence for 'subversion' is linked to a website he set up calling for constitutional democracy

Guo Feixiong, also known as Yang Maodong, sits in a detention center in Guangzhou in southern China's Guangdong province in 2014.

Chinese authorities have handed down an eight-year jail term to a veteran rights activist after he set up a website calling for constitutional democracy, his sister said on Thursday.

The Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced Yang Maodong, better known by his pen name Guo Feixiong, to eight years' imprisonment after finding him guilty of "incitement to subvert state power," his sister Yang Maoping said.

The court said Guo, 56, had set up a website titled the "World Forum for Constitutional Democracy" in 2020, where he had published and reposted "inflammatory articles," she said.

"He was sentenced to eight years," Yang said. "This is a shameless act."

"Why does the fact that people complain to higher ups about injustice or present their demands amount to 'inciting subversion'?"

Yang said her brother was "framed" by the authorities because he called publicly on China's then-Premier Li Keqiang to ask for the return of his confiscated passport after his U.S.-based wife Zhang Qing fell terminally ill with cancer.

Zhang Qing, the wife of Chinese human rights activist Guo Feixiong, speaks to journalists before a hearing of a House Foreign Affairs Committee subcommittee in Washington, DC, on October 29, 2013. Guo Feixiong was not allowed to leave China to see her after she fell terminally ill with cancer. Credit: AFP





Guo never got to be with Zhang before her death, and was instead detained again in December 2021, Yang said.

He then went on a months-long hunger strike in detention out of protest at his treatment by police, who tricked Guo into making a "confession" by promising he would be allowed to go to the U.S. to visit Zhang, who died in January 2022, according to Yangs account at the time.

Like a death sentence

Fellow rights activist Zhu Chengzhi said the lengthy jail term handed down to Guo was tantamount to a "death sentence," given the deterioration in his health caused by the hunger strike.

"The authorities have handed him a death sentence," Zhu said. "His hunger strike has caused huge damage to his health."

"I fear that Guo Feixiong may not last until the day of his release."

Guo, whose birth name is Yang Maodong, was previously jailed for six years by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court on Nov. 28, 2014, after prosecutors added a new charge at the last minute that effectively forced him to serve the whole of his jail term without counting time already served.

According to the indictment at the trial, the initial charge against Guo was based on his participation in anti-censorship demonstrations outside the cutting-edge Southern Weekend newspaper offices in Guangzhou in early 2013, where he held up a placard and made a speech in favor of press freedom in 2013.

His latest sentence comes amid growing concerns over the health and safety of veteran rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife Xu Yan, who have been incommunicado for nearly a month.

Yu and Xu were detained last month on suspicion of picking quarrels and stirring up trouble en route to a meeting with European Union officials in Beijing, prompting calls for their release from Brussels.

Close surveillance

A rights activist who gave the pseudonym Chen Long for fear of reprisals said the couple's apartment remains under close surveillance, with security personnel preventing fellow activists from visiting their 18 year-old son.

"A lawyer tried to visit Yu Wensheng's son, but there were two women from the sub-district committee office watching the door," Chen said. "They are reporting anyone trying to visit to the state security police, who will then come straight away."

Chinese rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife Xu Yan, shown in this undated photo, have been incommunicado for nearly a month. Credit: @xuyan709 Twitter





"There is really very little news about Yu Wensheng and his wife, because no lawyer has been able to meet with them and find out about their current situation," he said. "Their son is alone and isolated."

U.S.-based rights lawyer Wang Qingpeng said Yu and Xu's detention could be linked to Yu's support for jailed rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi and political activist Xu Zhiyong.

"None of the actions of Ding Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong broke Chinese law or international laws, but they were still given harsh sentences, so I really can't imagine how they will deal with Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan," Wang said.

He said rights lawyers and their families have been constantly harassed since a nationwide crackdown on the profession launched in July 2015.

"We have seen Wang Quanzhang and Li Heping constantly being forced to relocate, tracked and threatened by state security police in Beijing," he said. "Their children have grown up in an environment where they are intimidated and threatened."

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
Zunzi's satirical comic strip recently took aim at electoral rule changes and attempts to lure talent to the city

The Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao, shown with a cartoon by Huang Jijun, also known as Zunzi, is seen in Hong Kong, Thursday, May 11, 2023.

A Hong Kong newspaper has axed a regular cartoon strip by political satirist Zunzi following an onslaught of public criticism from government officials.

In an announcement in a column on its A14 page of Thursdays newspaper, the Chinese-language Ming Pao said Zunzi's cartoon strip would be terminated, with just two more editions left to run.

"We would like to thank Zunzi for witnessing the changes of the past 40 years alongside us," it said, adding that the decision had been reached through an "agreement" with the cartoonist.

The newspaper union, the Ming Pao Staff Association, issued a statement on Thursday expressing "regret and a sense of helplessness" over the axing of Zunzi, as well as thanking him for his hard work over the years, including "upholding social justice and kindness."

Huang Jijun, 68, who has published work relating to the June 4, 1989, bloodshed under the pen-name Zunzi and had cartoons in every edition of the now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper for 26 years, declined to comment on the reason for the move when contacted by Radio Free Asia on Thursday, saying he needed to focus on his last two comic strips.

Asked why his cartoon had been shut down, he said only: "The comic ceased publication as the result of an agreement with Ming Pao, and it's inappropriate for me to speak on behalf of the Ming Pao."

Humor as a tool

The Ming Pao's announcement came a day after the government took aim at a recent Zunzi comic strip satirizing recent changes to electoral rules for the city's District Council, which mean the government will directly appoint members of district anti-crime and fire protection committees, who are currently directly elected by local people.

"The Ming Pao today (May 9) published a cartoon strip by Zunzi that distorts and discredits the principle of appointment of members of the District Fight Crime Committee and District Fire Protection Committee by the Government," the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau said in a statement on its Facebook page.

"Recently, the Ming Pao has made some misleading remarks about the government's proposed plans for improving district governance ... a political act that tramples on ethics," it said.

Political cartoonist Huang Jijun, also known as Zunzi, poses for a photo with some of his political cartoons in Hong Kong in 2020. Credit: AFP





Hong Kong security czar Chris Tang hit out at Zunzi last month for making fun of a police request for better surveillance equipment.

Zunzi has also taken aim at the Hong Kong government's global talent recruitment drive, quipping that "priority will be given to applicants who are accepting of harsh governance, prompting the police force to write an angry letter to the Ming Pao, while a strip depicting political censorship was criticized by cultural officials as "wantonly smearing" the authorities.

Arrests and prosecution under the national security law have followed similar public denunciations by officials or Chinese Communist Party-backed media organizations in a number of past cases.

Mak declined to comment on the axing of Zunzi when asked about it by journalists on Thursday.

"The government will humbly listen to different opinions, but we must clarify false statements or things that are inconsistent with the facts, so the public can know the truth," she said.

Crackdown on dissent

The move highlights the dwindling number of independent media organizations in Hong Kong under an ongoing crackdown on dissent.

"There are fewer and fewer free newspapers in Hong Kong, but it's not necessarily total silence," he said. "The times are changing, and the platforms that speak out are also changing."

Huang, who has previously said he plans to remain in Hong Kong, told RFA Cantonese he could "take a trip" out of town.

Ronson Chan, former chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, which has also been denounced by pro-China newspapers, said the government's level of tolerance "appears to have changed."

"In the past you could say whatever you liked, and draw whatever you liked," he said. "There was once a variety of different voices in Hong Kong."

"Now, you can cross [invisible] red lines for no reason, and the risks [of operating here] are off the scale."

He said ongoing government censorship has led to a climate of fear.

"If people see that others are less willing to speak out, they will be less willing, and it will be a vicious circle," Chan said.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has sent a letter to President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev, Trend reports.

"His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Mr. President please accept my deep appreciation for the meeting we had during the 10th Global Baku Forum hosted by Nizami Ganjavi International Center.

May I take this opportunity to send my warmest words of respect to the memory of a great leader of Azerbaijan, the late Heydar Aliyev on the occasion of his 100 birthday.

May God bestow a great joy and success for the people of Azerbaijan and their present leader - His Excellency President Aliyev on this important day.

My best wishes,

Ehud Olmert

Prime Minister of Israel 2006-2009"
"Hong Kong is a litmus test for how China views the world," said Sebastien Lai, son of jailed Hong Kong media magnate Jimmy Lai, during a visit to Washington, D.C., this week.

The suppression of Hong Kong's promised freedoms under Chinese rule should serve as a warning to the international community that Beijing will continue to export its authoritarian rule far beyond its borders, says the son of jailed Hong Kong media magnate Jimmy Lai.

"Hong Kong is a litmus test for how China views the world," Sebastien Lai told journalists during a visit to Washington. "If they aren't willing to respect those freedoms in Hong Kong, then the long arm of China is basically everywhere."

"If they're not willing to do that in Hong Kong, with all the economic benefits that come with, they're not willing to do that in the U.S., in the U.K., in Ireland, he said.

You see that with the secret police stations," Lai said. "It really shows how they view cooperation with another state; it doesn't seem like they want friendly cooperation with democratic countries."

Jimmy Lai's Next Digital media empire and its flagship Apple Daily newspaper were forced to close amid a national security investigation, and he is still awaiting trial on charges of "collusion with a foreign power" and others linked to "seditious publications," as the authorities move to disqualify his British barrister.

International press freedom groups say the ruling Communist Party under supreme leader Xi Jinping has "gutted" press freedom in the formerly freewheeling city amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent in the wake of the 2019 protest movement.

Hong Kong journalists who fled the city after Beijing imposed a national security law from July 1, 2020, continue to campaign for press freedom for the city from overseas, but say they are constantly targeted for transnational repression by agents and supporters of the Chinese state, including secret Chinese police stations in a number of countries.

Shine a light

Lai told RFA Cantonese that he intends to keep speaking out to "shine a light" on the unfolding crackdown on freedom of speech that saw the jailing of his father and the closure of his flagship Apple Daily newspaper following raids by the national security police.

"What I want to achieve is for the world to see that both my father and all these other political prisoners are standing trial right now," he said.

At the meeting in Washington, D.C., #FreeJimmyLai leaflets were seen on the tables. Credit: Kevin Hu





"The Hong Kong government keeps claiming that there is still freedom of the press and rule of law with all of its "Hello Hong Kong" propaganda, which is pretty despicable, because that's pretty clearly not the case," Lai said. "They're saying one thing, while doing another, so the world needs to know this."

He also warned any investors or companies looking to invest or expand operations in Hong Kong to look at the national security investigation of the Apple Daily as a cautionary tale.

"The Apple Daily headquarters was over five floors. At its peak, we had a newsroom of over 900 people," Lai said, adding: "They raided it twice. The first time, they sent 200 people there."

"Basically, 200 police rushed in, grabbed laptops, and made sure that nobody could work, nobody could touch any devices. The second time [they sent] 500 people," he said.

"So, if you want to know what could happen to any business in Hong Kong ... that is a very good picture to look at before you make any decisions in terms of investments."

He said the risk of charges under a national security law imposed on the city by Beijing in the wake of the 2019 mass protests against diminishing freedoms means that the cost of doing business in the city has now risen sharply.

"The ability, like in Western countries, to speak out on anything you want has been massively limited," Lai said. "It's all well and great if you're going there for a holiday or whatnot, but in terms of a financial center ... you at least need the rule of law and some semblance of free speech, and that's not the case there."

Trying to lure talent

Lai's comments came as the Hong Kong authorities try to boost investor interest in Hong Kong, seeking to attract fresh talent and visitors with new visa schemes and free plane tickets in a bid to counteract a mass exodus of middle-class and wealthy people in the wake of the national security law crackdown.

"It's just a very dark time for a financial center," Lai said. "How long can you keep being a financial center if people aren't allowed to speak up ... or if people are jailed for liking social media posts, and unfair sentences are handed out left and right?"

U.S. Congressman Mike Gallagher hit out at the Vatican for not standing up for Jimmy Lai, who, like him, is a Catholic. Credit: Kevin Hu





"My father got five years, nine months ... on a commercial charge ... the first time anybody has gone to jail for a lease violation," he said. "The fact that they used this to attack my father shows how much Hong Kong has gone down as a place to do business, as a place to live, as a place to work."

Lai, who is a British national like his father, said the United States had been much tougher on China than Britain.

"The U.K. government has been incredibly weak, he said in comments reported by Reuters as Britain's Minister for Investment Dominic Johnson said he held a series of meetings with government officials and executives in Hong Kong this week.

"It's very sad to see a democratic government being afraid  or asking permission even  to speak on behalf of one of its citizens that is in prison for freedom of speech."

U.S. Congressman Mike Gallagher, chair of the House of Representatives select committee on Chinas Communist Party, meanwhile hit out at the Vatican for not standing up for Jimmy Lai, who, like him, is a Catholic.

"The silence from the Vatican on Chinas human rights abuses and Jimmys case, in particular, is deafening," Reuters quoted him as saying, adding that the Vatican's Washington embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
U.S. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio has introduced a bill that seeks to strengthen American air bases in the Indo-Pacific region to better respond to mainland Chinese aggression against Taiwan.

The Deterring Chinese Preemptive Strikes Act direct[s] the U.S. Department of Defense to harden U.S. facilities in the Indo-Pacific to help further deter a preemptive strike against U.S. forces and assets in the region by China ahead of an invasion of Taiwan.

War games conducted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies showed that Beijings strategy if it were to mount such an invasion would be to attack U.S. bases in the region with missiles, a statement by Rubios office said.

The bill, introduced Thursday, will have to be approved by both houses of Congress and then signed by the Democratic President Joe Biden to become law.

It calls for a survey of aviation assets in the region to determine if any that would be needed to respond to an invasion of Taiwan lack improvements that would mitigate damage to aircraft in the event of a missile, aerial drone, or other form of attack by the Peoples Republic of China.

When the survey is complete, the secretary of defense would then deliver the results of the survey to the appropriate congressional committees, which would then enact plans to make the improvements.

Senator Rubio has been clear on the importance of defending Taiwan, a representative from Rubios office told RFAs Mandarin Service, citing the Taiwan Protection and National Resilience Act, a bill that Rubio and colleagues introduced in March that seeks to create a plan for dealing with a potential invasion.

When asked if U.S. lawmakers were working with President Biden to prevent threats to U.S. airspace, Rubios office was critical of the administration, saying it appears to be more concerned about not antagonizing China instead of taking the steps needed to protect American servicemembers from future attacks.

Mainland communist China considers democratic Taiwan to be a rogue province. Beijing insists that its diplomatic partners accept its claim on the island of Taiwan, which it calls the "one China" policy, effectively forcing them to cut ties with the democratic island.

Beijing last month conducted military exercises in waters around the island of Taiwan, prompting Taipeis Foreign Minister Joseph Wu to say, They seem to be trying to get ready to launch a war against Taiwan.

In February, CIA Director William Burns said that Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to be able to invade Taiwan within the next four years.

Additional reporting by Bing Xiao for RFA Mandarin. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
The Ransong reservoir in Pyongyang county, Kangwon province, North Korea, experienced a significant water level decline between April 10, 2022 [left] and April 13, 2023 [right]. Credit: NASA

Drinking water is becoming more difficult to obtain for many North Koreans as the country is in the midst of one of the worst droughts since the government began keeping records in 1981, sources in the country told Radio Free Asia.

And satellite evidence shows that many of the countrys reservoirs have shrunken, sometimes dramatically, over the past year.

State media reported Tuesday that a lack of water could make food shortages worse, and there was a nationwide effort to try to save crops from damage.

On a personal level though, the people are having to go to greater lengths to obtain water to drink, a source from the northwestern province of North Pyongan told RFAs Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

There are many reservoirs, [but they dry up, so] we fetch water and drink it. We carry water with a bucket, but the water supply is not working well, she said. We can more easily fetch water in the winter, but the spring and fall seasons are the worst. The water pumping station is running dry and we dont get tap water at all.

The source said that the people go to the riverside to fetch water and purify it so that it is safe to drink.

Its a really serious situation and we dont use disinfectants. We use charcoal, the source said. We spread sand, put on a layer of charcoal, pour the water over it and make a hole in the bucket. Thats what we drink.

View from the sky

Satellite imagery of reservoirs in North Korea shows that spring droughts this year and last year have greatly reduced water levels, Bruce Songhak Chung, a researcher at the South Korea-based Korean Institute for Security and Strategy, told RFA.

His team used images taken by NASAs Landsat 8 and 9 satellites to compare water levels from April 2022 in 12 reservoirs in various parts of the country with their water levels in April 2023.

We found that the water in the 12 agricultural reservoirs across  had a net decrease compared to last year. In particular, the Ransong Reservoir in Pyonggang County, Kangwon Province, had a 62% decrease in water, said Chung, who added that this would mean a crisis when trying to find water for irrigation.

Chung noted that the images could be used to measure the surface area of the lakes, but it would be difficult to determine volume because that requires knowledge of the reservoirs average depths.

Depending on the region, some reservoirs showed an increase in water levels, said Chung. However, overall, we can confirm that the water in North Korean reservoirs has decreased this year compared to last year.

This years record-breaking drought is due to weather events that have happened over the last year including La Nina, which is caused by rising sea surface temperatures due to global warming, Chung said.

That means North Koreas farms could be in big trouble, he said.

The preparations for farming are in an emergency situation and it does not seem like irrigation alone will solve the problem, he said. If this years spring drought is similar to last years or a little more severe, the outlook for this falls harvest will be bleak.

Black market for water

Due to the scarcity of water, a black market for water has emerged, said the North Pyongan source.

Water sellers carry containers filled with spring water and they go here and there and sell spring water for a certain amount per container, said the source. They sell a five-liter [1.3 gallon] container, or a 10-liter [2.6-gallon] container. Water is difficult to carry and it has to be brought in from a place far from downtown. So you buy water when the water sellers bring it by.

Water for farming is even more difficult to obtain, the source said.

Every farm has an irrigation canal and every river has an irrigation canal. In places where there is no irrigation canal, they use a pump. They pump up the water with electricity. However, right now the fields are all dry and it is a very bad situation, she said. There is no problem with the areas near the river, but farming is difficult in the areas with no rivers close by. It is making a bad situation even worse.

Another source, from the western province of South Hwanghae, told RFA that the irrigation channel is no longer working.

The waterway is a mess right now, she said. People come and carry water on their backs, or with an ox cart. Its been so long without irrigation, and people dont have any idea how difficult life is here.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Edited by Eugene Whong.
At end of summit, however, Southeast Asian bloc sticks to widely criticized five-point peace plan.

Caption: (From left) Bruneis Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos gather for a photo during the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, May 11, 2023.

The president of 2023 ASEAN chair Indonesia warned the Burmese military on Thursday that human rights violations cannot be tolerated, even as he acknowledged the bloc has made no progress in implementing its Myanmar peace plan.

Still, as they wrapped up their two-day summit in Indonesia, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations expressed their deep concern about the escalation of violence in member-state Myanmar, but insisted on sticking to a peace plan that critics have panned as ineffective.

Violations of humanitarian values cannot be tolerated, President Joko Jokowi Widodo said at a press conference following the end of the summit in Labuan Bajo, a seaside town on Flores island.

He stressed the need to engage all parties in Myanmar, saying ASEANs credibility is at stake.

Myanmar, which was not represented at the summit after the junta was barred from sending political representatives, has been in turmoil since the military overthrew an elected government in February 2021.

The Burmese military has ignored a five-point consensus it agreed to with ASEAN in April 2021, one of whose main points was an end to violence. Its forces have also killed more than 3,400 people since the generals seized power.

I must speak candidly. On the implementation of the 5PC [Five-Point Consensus], there has not been significant progress. Therefore, ASEAN unity is required to decide on the next steps, Jokowi told his Southeast Asian counterparts on Thursday, according to a copy of his speech.

Nevertheless, ASEAN leaders reaffirmed their support for the five-point plan, a statement by the ASEAN chair said at the end of the summit.

We discussed the development in Myanmar and reiterated our unified position that the Five-Point Consensus remains our main reference, the statement said.

We supported the chairs continued engagement with all stakeholders in Myanmar to find a peaceful and durable solution that is Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led, to create a conducive environment for facilitating an inclusive national dialogue.

Jokowi calls for ASEAN unity

Meanwhile, Indonesia as ASEAN chair was ready to hold talks with all parties in Myanmar for humanitarian reasons, Jokowi said at the press conference.

Engagement does not mean recognition, he said.

He also warned against any external interference in ASEAN.

Without unity, it will be easy for others to break ASEAN. There should be no party inside or outside ASEAN that benefits from the conflict in Myanmar, Jokowi said.

Violence must be stopped and people must be protected.

The Myanmar junta has cracked down on mass protests, killed more than 3,000 people and arrested thousands more, according to human rights groups. The United Nations said more than 1.8 million people had been forced to flee their homes in Myanmar because of violence since the coup.

The crisis has strained ASEANs unity and credibility. The regional bloc has struggled to find a common stance and exert influence over the junta.

Many regional observers and analysts, as well as the previous foreign minister of Malaysia, had said it was time to junk the consensus and devise a new plan on a deadline that included enforcement mechanisms.

Some experts say that ASEANs approach to Myanmar reflects its limitations as a consensus-based organization that prioritizes stability and non-interference in its members domestic affairs.

Others argue it still has a role to play but needs to be more assertive and creative in dealing with the junta.

It remains relevant to unite ASEAN and prevent ASEAN countries from moving on their own, and taking actions that undermine collective efforts, said Muhammad Waffaa Kharisma, a researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta.

But it is true that it needs to be evaluated for its effectiveness. It gives too much decision-making power to the military junta, he told BenarNews. If the military junta does not change its behavior, there is no mechanism to change that.

Contested waterway

During the summit, the leaders also discussed some issues at the heart of territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

The chairs statement said some ASEAN members had raised concerns about land reclamations, and damage to marine environment caused by certain activities in the sea, although no countries were named.

The South China Sea is one of the worlds busiest waterways and has an abundance of natural resources. It is home to several flashpoints involving maritime disputes over oil and gas exploration projects and fishing rights.

China claims nearly the entire sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. While Indonesia does not regard itself as a party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of the waterway overlapping Indonesias exclusive economic zone as well.

The ASEAN leaders reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in conducting activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation, the statement said.

The statement welcomed the progress in negotiations for a code of conduct, which aims to prevent conflicts and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

China and ASEAN signed a nonbinding declaration on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea in 2002, but negotiations on the code of conduct have been slow and contentious.

The two sides agreed on a single draft text in 2018, with the latest round of negotiations taking place in March in Jakarta.

On the sidelines of the summit, Jokowi invited the other leaders to sail together on a traditional wooden boat called phinisi.

ASEAN is one family, he said.

The ties are very strong and the unity is very important to sail towards the same goal.

Tria Dianti in Jakarta contributed to this report. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service.
Beijing has come under fire for projects that fund the regimes oppression of the people.

A youth holds a burning Chinese flag at Monywa city center during a protest against the Myanmar junta in Monywa, Sagaing region, Thursday, May 11, 2023.

UPDATED AT 01:18 p.m. ET on 2023-05-12

Young activists in central Myanmar burned a Chinese flag on Thursday amid growing anger at Beijings unwavering support for the military junta.

We want the world to know that the Chinese government is working together with the fascist military junta in Myanmar that abuses and kills our people, Swan Htet Bo, chairman of the Monywa Youth Association, told RFA Burmese.

The protest at a traffic junction in Sagaing regions Monywa city was the latest outburst of disgust with China, which invested money in factories and mines across the country.

In the months after the February 2021 coup, 32 Chinese garment factories were set on fire, according to Myanmars Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, and while attacks by anti-junta forces on Chinese projects have damaged the water supply pipeline to the Letpadaung copper mine in Sagaings Salingyi township.

A Chinese-linked gas pipeline and a nickel plant in the Mandalay region have also been attacked.

There has been an uptick in anti-China sentiment in the regions of Yangon, Sagaing, and Mandalay following a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw on May 2.

Activists say the junta diverts income from China-backed projects and other foreign investment to buy weapons and equipment it uses to suppress those who oppose its rule.

Attack on Chinese pipeline

Thursdays protest came just four days after a paramilitary group known as the Natogyi Guerrilla Force attacked junta troops guarding an office used to operate a Chinese oil and gas pipeline, located about three miles east of Mandalay regions Natogyi township.

Anti-junta forces display the munitions they say they used on a Chinese oil and gas pipeline in Natogyi, Mandalay region, May 7, 2023. Credit: Natogyi Guerrilla Force

A member of the NGF told RFA that the May 7 evening attack was planned in response to visits by Chinese officials to Naypyidaw in recent weeks.

Their actions anger the people of Myanmar because they are supporting the fascist military, the NGF member said, speaking on condition of anonymity, citing security concerns. Thats why we attacked the office by firing three 60mm rockets. There was an exchange of fire, too.

The attack killed two junta soldiers and injured another, he said, adding that the military brought the wounded to Myoma hospital in Natogyi for treatment.

RFA was unable to independently verify the number of junta casualties claimed by the NGF.

The group said that since the attack, the junta has assigned more than 80 security personnel to guard the office, which had previously been assigned 20.

When contacted about the attack by RFA, Thein Htay, the juntas economic minister and spokesman for Mandalay region, said he was unaware of the incident and could not comment.

In an interview, MieMie Winn Byrd, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army and Myanmar expert at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii, told RFA that the people of Myanmar are "acting out" because they feel "disrespected" by China's public support for the junta.

"And for China, this is the wrong move for them for the long-term security of their interests and their long-term relationship with Myanmar ... because the junta has very little control, less than half the country under its control now," she said. "So, if if China really cares about its interests, it will side with the people and respect the wishes of the people."

Byrd said that "more than 90% of the people are against the military" in Myanmar, suggesting Beijing is betting on the wrong horse.

"In general, China always gets Myanmar wrong, as much as they pay attention to it," she said. "They are always surprised because they're so focused on their interests ... so they miss a lot of stuff. In this particular case, over 90% of the people reject the military. So, if they really care about their real interests, they might want to rethink it."

In addition to Qin Gangs visit, Peng Xiubin of China's International Liaison Department met with former junta leader Than Shwe and Thein Sein, the former president of Myanmars quasi-civilian government from 2011-2016, on a four-day visit to the capital in late April, during which he pledged economic assistance from Beijing.

Qins predecessor, Wang Yi, visited Myanmar in July last year, although he failed to meet with Min Aung Hlaing, while Chinas special envoy for Asian affairs Deng Xijun has met the junta chief at least twice since December.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

Updated to include comments by MieMie Winn Byrd, a Myanmar expert at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii.
Myanmar's military has continued to use slash-and-burn tactics to force people out of Khin-U.

Junta raids over the past five days have forced more than 3,500 villagers to flee their homes in Khin-U township, locals told RFA Thursday.

They said troops started burning homes in eight villages, including Koke Tet, Yone Pin and Thin Paung, on May 7.

A 60-year-old woman from Koke Tet village, who did not want to be named for security reasons, told RFA the displaced people no longer have enough food.

There is nothing at home. Villages were torched, she said.

Now people are hiding in the forest. And we are fleeing from place to place as the army is raiding villages and we were not able to take anything from home when we fled.

The number of houses burned by the military is not yet known as locals said they were too afraid to return home while troops were still in the township.

Khin-U has come under repeated attack by junta forces since the 2021 coup. Around 70 villages have been attacked by the junta, who burned more than 20,000 homes in the township between Feb. 1, 2021 and April this year, according to the pro-democracy Khin-U Information Group.

A 60-year-old man, who also requested anonymity, told RFA he was forced to flee his home in Khin-U township four times over the past two years and he and his fellow villagers are struggling to survive.

The situation is similar across Sagaing region. Nearly 750,000 people have fled their homes due to fighting and insecurity since the coup, according to a May 6 statement by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

RFAs calls to the junta spokesman for Sagaing region, Aye Hlaing, who is also the regional minister for social affairs, went unanswered Thursday.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.
Opening of new embassy comes ahead of President Bidens brief PNG stopover later this month

Military personnel prepare to raise a U.S. flag at the opening of the U.S. embassy in Nukualofa, Tonga on May 10, 2023.

The United States opened an embassy in Tonga on Wednesday as it continued efforts to bolster its diplomatic presence in Pacific island countries where it is vying for influence with China.

The opening of the U.S. embassy in the Tongan capital Nukualofa follows the reopening of the U.S. embassy in the Solomon Islands in February after a three decade absence. The United States also has said it wants embassies in Vanuatu and Kiribati in addition to its existing missions in countries such as Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

We are proactively engaging the people of the Pacific, said Tony Grubel, deputy chief of mission for the U.S. embassy in Fiji, at a flag raising ceremony in Tongas capital. Addressing your priorities, with you, on your terms.

Chinas influence in the Pacific has burgeoned over several decades through a combination of increased trade, infrastructure investment and aid as it seeks to isolate Taiwan diplomatically and gain allies in international institutions. The Solomon Islands and Kiribati switched their diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan in 2019.

Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands last year, alarming the U.S. and allies such as Australia who fear it could pave the way for a Chinese military presence in the region.

Tongas Acting Prime Minister Samiu Vaipulu [left] and U.S. deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Fiji, Tony Grubel [center], watch a flag raising ceremony at the opening of the U.S. embassy in Nukualofa, Tonga on May 10, 2023. Credit: Marian Kupu/BenarNews

Tongas Acting Prime Minister Samiu Vaipulu said the opening of a U.S. embassy in the Polynesian kingdom of some 100,000 people was a welcome development. It comes ahead of President Joe Bidens planned stopover in Papua New Guinea on May 22 and meeting with Pacific island leaders.

"Today is a historic day for us all and one, which we have long awaited, he said. The embassy opening represents an important milestone in Tongas history and one which His Majestys government warmly welcomes.

Present at the ceremony were the high commissioners of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and representatives of Japans embassy. Chinas embassy didnt send a representative.

Tongas government debt to China  as a percentage of the island countrys total government debt  is the highest among Pacific island countries followed by Samoa and Vanuatu.

In 2018, Tongas then prime minister Akilisi Pohiva publicly urged other Pacific island countries to collectively lobby Beijing for debt forgiveness.

Like the Solomon Islands embassy opening in Honiara, the Tongan embassy event appeared to be a soft launch.

A Department of State statement said it would pave the way for the U.S. to send more diplomats and resources to Tonga including the potential appointment of a resident Ambassador to Tonga.

In the Solomon Islands, the United States renamed the small office of its consular services agency as an embassy and hasnt named an ambassador yet.

Grubel said development agency USAID is working on programs relevant to Tonga.

"USAID continues to address the existential threat posed by climate change as a top priority, along with facing the challenges related to water security, infectious diseases, economic development, and safeguarding of maritime resources, he said.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service.
The US Secretary of State says the effort is a form of control and surveillance.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Freedom House 2023 Annual Awards Ceremony, in Washington, D.C., May 9, 2023.

UPDATED at 11:33 A.M. EDT on 05-12-2023

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed concern over the collection of DNA from Tibetans and Uyghurs by Chinese authorities, sparking a vehement reply from Beijing.

Speaking at a Freedom House awards event in Washington on Tuesday, Blinken said access to human genomic data opens up more human rights concerns because advances in biotechnology have enabled genomic surveillance based on DNA, potentially facilitating rights abuses. He is the senior-most U.S. official to raise the issue.

Weve seen some of those, for example, committed by the Peoples Republic of China against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang, he said. Were also concerned by reports of the spread of mass DNA collection to Tibet as an additional form of control and surveillance over the Tibetan population.

In recent years, the Chinese government has stepped up its repressive rule in Tibet. This includes the forced collection of biometric data and DNA in the form of involuntary blood samples taken from school children at boarding schools without parental permission.

When asked by a reporter from Chinese media about Blinkens comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Wednesday said the claims do not hold water and mean nothing except manufacturing sensational news items.

As a country governed by law, China provides legal protection of the privacy of all its citizens, regardless of ethnic background, Wen said.

Wen pointed out that the United States widely collects and uses genomic information, citing a Wall Street Journal report on plans by the U.S. Defense Department to develop genetically engineered weapons and the militarys collection of the genomic data.

He also cited a report by Russian news service RT that the U.S. Air Education and Training Command once issued a tender seeking to acquire samples of ribonucleic acid and synovial fluid from Russians.

Its pretty clear who exactly is using genomic information for secret purposes, Wen said.

A State Department spokesperson later told Radio Free Asia that the U.S. is committed to advancing the human rights of Tibetans and supporting efforts to preserve their distinct heritage, and continues to raise concerns about human rights in the region with the Chinese government.

[W]e are alarmed by reports of the use of mass DNA collection in Tibet as an additional form of control and surveillance over the Tibetan population, the spokesperson said in an email. We urge the PRC to stop this intrusive and disturbing policy.

Setting rules

During his speech, Blinken also mentioned U.S. President Joe Bidens executive order on biotechnology and biomanufacturing innovation, issued last September, which seeks to ensure that the U.S. and its partners set norms and rules on advanced biotechnology that reflects their values.

The guidelines are a way to start to create guardrails and to shape the space, particularly as countries on the cutting edge of tech-enabled repression seek to export their models and technologies, with all the biases and risks that they contain, and to do so at scale, he said.

Tibetan exiles demonstrate against the U.S.-based company Thermo Fisher Scientific, in Dharamshala, India, Feb. 3, 2023. Protesters alleged that the Chinese police use equipment provided by the company for surveillance and to build a DNA database of Tibetans, Uyghurs and other minorities in China. Credit: Associated Press

Emile Dirks, a post-doctoral fellow at The Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, said Wens comments were the first time that an official from Chinas Foreign Ministry discussed mass DNA collection in Tibet.

For me the important development is that now China may be compelled to acknowledge the existence of this program or at least forced to publicly engage in a discussion with people who are pointing out the existence of this DNA collection, he said.

The Citizen Lab focuses on research and development and strategic policy at the intersection of information and communication technologies, human rights and global security.

Last September, Dirks produced a report on the mass DNA collection in Tibet between 2016 and 2022, finding that police may have collected genomic data from 25% to 33% of the regions population of 3.7 million.

Based on publicly available sources, the report found that police targeted Tibetan men, women and childrenand in some cases Buddhist monksfor DNA collection outside of any ongoing criminal investigation in a campaign similar to mass data collection from Uyghurs living in Xinjiang.

Form of social control

Though authorities justified the DNA collection as a way to fight crime, find missing people and ensure social stability, the report noted that without checks on police powers, authorities could amass DNA collections for any purpose.

The program amounted to a form of social control of Tibetans long subjected to state surveillance and repression, it said.

Maya Wang, associate director in the Asia division at Human Rights Watch, said the U.S. government should devote more resources to go after companies in China involved in the DNA collection efforts and seek to put an end to it.

China has used Tibet as a laboratory for relentless methods of social control, including the mass DNA collection campaign, said International Campaign for Tibet, an advocacy group, in a statement issued Wednesday.

The best way to protect Tibetans from Chinas authoritarian rule is to push for a peaceful resolution to Chinas illegal occupation of Tibet, the statement said, and suggested that the U.S. can do this by passing the bipartisan Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act currently in both houses of Congress.

The acts purpose is to empower the U.S. government to achieve its long-standing goal of getting Tibetans and Chinese government authorities to resolve their differences peacefully through dialogue.

Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.

The story was updated to include comments by a US State Department spokesperson.
Human rights activists portraying Chinese President Xi Jinping, Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume, and two chained and handcuffed Uyghur laborers stage an outdoor protest during Volkswagen's annual shareholder meeting in Berlin, Germany, May 10, 2023.

UPDATED at 12:15 P.M. EDT on 05-11-2023

Throwing cake and impersonating Chinese President Xi Jinping, activists staged protests inside and outside Volkswagens shareholder meeting on Wednesday over the German carmakers alleged use of Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang, where it has a joint venture plant.

Outside the hall, activists wore a big-headed mask of Xi and a flat paper mask of Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume, who stood arm-in-arm. The Xi figure held a metal ring attached to a chain leading to two handcuffed people representing Uyghur workers in blue laborer uniforms.

Standing behind them, activists with the World Uyghur Congress held up big signs saying, Camps, forced labor, family separations: VW major shareholders in Lower Saxony must not remain silent about crimes against Uyghurs, a reference to the location of Volkswagens headquarters.

Genocide of Uyghurs! VW has to withdraw from East Turkistan! said another sign, a reference to the name Uyghurs call their homeland in modern-day Xinjiang.

Inside the exhibit hall where shareholders gathered, other protesters  including one woman who was topless and had dirty money painted on her back  shouted at executives and waved a banner that said, End Uyghur Forced Labor, according to Reuters. Others activists expressed concerns about climate change.

At one point, an activist hurled a cake toward company executives, one of whom was speaking on the podium, video shows.

After the disruption, security personnel escorted the activists out of the auditorium.

Controversial joint venture

The activists are upset that Volkswagen has a joint venture factory with its Chinese partner SAIC Motor Corp. in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

China has come under harsh international criticism for its severe rights abuses of the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs, including forced labor.

The U.S. government and several Western parliaments, including the German Bundestag, have declared that the abuses amount to genocide or crimes against humanity.

Volkswagen has defended the plant, where workers now perform quality checks on assembled vehicles, saying that it is a typical joint venture operation in China and that there have been no signs of mistreated laborers.

Human rights activists portraying Chinese President Xi Jinping, Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume, and two chained and handcuffed Uyghur laborers stage an outdoor protest during Volkswagen's annual shareholder meeting in Berlin, Germany, May 10, 2023. Credit: World Uyghur Congress

The World Uyghur Congress Berlin director, Gheyyur Qurban, read a statement at the shareholder meeting, telling the corporate executives about China's efforts to try to wipe out the Uyghur population in Xinjiang through intrusive surveillance, detentions in internment camps, and other rights abuses in a way that no one from the outside notices.

In the middle of this dystopia is Volkswagen, he said, adding that Volkswagens plant that is part of the joint venture operates in the vicinity of more than 20 detention camps.

This makes it the only car manufacturer in the world to be present in the region, Qurban said. Volkswagen tirelessly emphasizes that it will not tolerate any violations of human rights at this plant.

Qurban then addressed questions to Blume, asking how Volkswagen can rule out human rights violations at the Urumqi plant if it has no direct influence on it and what checks the company has taken to ensure that no human rights violations, including forced labor, are being committed there.

China has said the camps were vocational training centers meant to prevent religious extremism and terrorism in the restive region, and that they now are closed.

Hanno Schedler, a consultant for genocide prevention and responsibility to protect at the Society for Threatened Peoples, said his human rights group wants Volkswagen to shutter the Urumqi plant because the work conditions of Uyghur laborers there are unknown within an open-air prison in Xinjiang.

Today we are here to show Volkswagen, but also the German public, that it is important that a company like Volkswagen with its heavy involvement, its heavy engagement in China and into East Turkistan, Xinjiang, has a special responsibility to fight against genocide, to fight against family separations, to fight against the sterilization, the forced sterilization of women, and to fight against forced labor, he said.

A Volkswagen spokesperson later told Radio Free Asia by email that the company stands firmly against forced and child labor in connection with its business activities around the globe, and that it has no evidence of forced labor at the Urumqi plant or in the supply chain.

Even though in Chinese joint venture sites, the joint venture bears responsibility for the employees, all partners agree that basic values and rights must be respected and protected," the statement said. Ensuring good working conditions for all employees is of top priority.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.

The story was updated to include comments from a Volkswagen spokesperson.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on May 14 accepted the Charlemagne Prize at a ceremony in Aachen, Germany, saying it was a "great honor" to receive the prize on behalf of the Ukrainian people, who have been fighting for their freedom and the values of Europe.

Zelenskiy, who was showered with accolades before he accepted the prize, said every Ukrainian "would deserve to stand here."

In his acceptance speech he stressed that Ukraine wanted nothing more than peace, but this could only be achieved with victory in the conflict, which he said would decide the fate of Europe.

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 in Ukraine, click here.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz thanked Zelenskiy for defending European values and spoke the words "the president is here. We are all here" in Ukrainian, quoting Zelenskiy after the invasion began in February 2022 as he made it clear that the Ukrainian people would not yield to Russia's violence.

"Rarely in history have such brief words had such a great effect," Scholz said.

"Europe owes a lot to the Ukrainian people and personally to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy," he added. "We stand together! We belong together! And our story will continue together."

Scholz also pledged Germany's "full support" to Ukraine on its journey to become a member of the European Union.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki hailed Zelenskiy as "the most outstanding leader on an international stage in the 21st century," while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Zelenskiy and the Ukrainian people were paying with their blood and their lives as they fight for freedom, humanity, and peace.

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the recipient of the award last year, was also present at the ceremony. She said it was an honor to meet Zelenskiy.

"We stand united with Ukraine for freedom and for democracy," Tsikhanouskaya said on Twitter.

Earlier in Berlin, Zelenskiy thanked Germany for its "powerful support" after Berlin pledged a 2.7 billion-euro ($3 billion) package of arms and said the weapons will be used to "significantly strengthen our defense" but not to attack Russian territory.

The military package includes 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 30 Leopard 1 tanks, 15 Gepard antiaircraft tanks, 200 reconnaissance drones, four additional Iris-T antiaircraft systems including ammunition, additional artillery ammunition and more than 200 armored combat and logistics vehicles.

As Zelenskiy continues his tour of European capitals -- he was expected to travel to Paris later on May 14, according to AFP -- Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar provided an update on the situation on the battlefield.

Malyar said that Ukrainian forces had captured more than 10 Russian positions on the outskirts of Bakhmut and taken captive enemy soldiers of various units.

"Anyone who knows the real situation and is there now understands the gravity of what is happening," Malyar added.

In a rare announcement of battlefield losses, the Russian Defense Ministry said on May 14 that two of its military commanders had been killed in eastern Ukraine, as Kyiv's forces renewed efforts to take back territory near the embattled city of Bakhmut.

The ministry said in a statement that the commander of the 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade, Vyacheslav Makarov, and Yevgeny Brovko, deputy commander of the army corps for military-political work, had been killed in fighting to repel Ukrainian attacks.

It said that Makarov had been leading troops from the front line, and that Brovko "died heroically, suffering multiple shrapnel wounds."

It also said Ukrainian forces had waged attacks in the north and south of Bakhmut over the past 24 hours, but they had not broken through Russian defenses. "All attacks by units of Ukraine's armed forces have been repelled," it said.

It was not possible to independently verify Russia's account of the battlefield situation.

Zelenskiy's trip to Germany comes after the Ukrainian leader received vocal support on May 13 from Italian leaders in Rome and at the Vatican, where Pope Francis called for humanitarian gestures toward the most fragile persons, innocent victims of the conflict."

On the war front, at least one Russian SU-34 warplane and a military Mi-8 helicopter had crashed in the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine, Russian emergency services were quoted by TASS news agency as saying, with several reports claiming the craft had been shot down.

Later, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that a Russian SU-35 jet and a second Mi-8 helicopter also crashed on May 13, but that report could not immediately be confirmed.

Ukraine did not comment on the reports. Kyiv normally does not comment directly on any incidents occurring within Russias borders.

If confirmed that the aircraft were shot down, it would represent a major coup for the Ukrainian military and an embarrassment for the Kremlin.

On the war front, Ukrainian forces intercepted and destroyed three missiles and 25 drones overnight in the latest aerial attack by Russian forces, Ukraine's air force said on May 14.

Russia attacked "from different directions with Shahed attack drones, Kalibr missiles from ships in the Black Sea, [and] cruise missiles from Tu-95 strategic aircraft," the air force said in a statement.

Russia has increased the number of missile and drone strikes since the beginning of May, which Ukrainian authorities attribute to Moscow's fear of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Late on May 13, Russian missiles hit the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, which is home to the electro-pop duo Tvorchi, this year's contestants from Ukraine at the Eurovision 2023 Song Contest, local authorities said.

The attack came as the contest was under way in Britain because Ukraine, last year's winners, could not host it due to the war.

WATCH: After Ukraine was unable to host this year's Eurovision competition, Liverpool stepped in to host the annual song contest and is putting Ukrainian artists and culture front and center.

The strike hit warehouses owned by commercial enterprises and a religious organization, injuring two people, local officials in Ternopil reported on Telegram.

Melinda Simmons, Britain's ambassador to Kyiv, praised Tvorchi for their Eurovision entry.

"The staging was brilliant. And poignant as their university home town of Ternopil was targeted by Russian missiles this evening," Simmons tweeted.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation Rabbi Arthur Schneierhas sent a letter to President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev, Trend reports.

"His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Your Excellency, dear President Aliyev,

I join with you and the people of your country as you mark the anniversary of the birth of your father, President Heydar Aliyev, of blessed memory, and the founding of Azerbaijan.

I had the privilege of knowing him and his commitment voiced to me for interreligious cooperation, a basic foundation for harmony. I know he is watching over your from Heaven as you carry on his legacy which brought development, progress and stability to Azerbaijan and has taken its rightful place in the international arena.

With best wishes,

Rabbi Arthur Schneier"
SOFIA -- Shortly before noon on May 1 on the rugged outskirts of Sofia, an explosive device went off near the heavily armored car carrying Bulgarian Prosecutor-General Ivan Geshev. No one was hurt and there was minimal damage. Geshev's motorcade continued the 30 or so kilometers to its destination in the capital, apparently without stopping.

After the incident, there was a firehose torrent of public claims, including accounts of a 5-meter-high "column of fire," a large crater from the explosion, allegations of the presence of a military drone, and a grave risk to Geshev's children.

The prosecutor-general's detractors, however, have alleged that the attack was staged, a false-flag operation meant to lend credence to earlier Geshev claims that there was plot against him.

The Balkan country of nearly 7 million people has a reputation as one of the European Union's most corrupt places and a history of bungled investigations into alleged corruption, unexplained poisonings and explosions, and other wrongdoing.

Decades of prosecutorial missteps and repeated pleas from the European Union and other institutions, may not have dealt a bigger blow to Geshev's perceived untouchability than inconsistencies in official statements on last week's blast and a subordinate saying Geshev "misled" him about the bombing and interfered in efforts to solve the case.

The incident follows recent forays by Geshev -- who has described himself as "a tool in the hands of God" -- into sensitive political territory, with Bulgaria still stuck in the mud after five inconclusive elections in just over two years.

He called a press conference weeks ahead of the last elections in early April to deliver an untethered outburst alleging -- without evidence -- a grand mob-style conspiracy, involving business owners, journalists, and politicians, to oust him and his allies at the Interior Ministry.

In the days before the roadside explosion, word spread of his office's investigation into the government's enforcement of Russia sanctions, contentious in light of Bulgarians' historically hot-and-cold feelings toward Moscow.

Local and international media reported on May 1 that Geshev and his family had narrowly "escaped" a "targeted" and "violent explosion" that was part of an "assassination attempt" on Geshev, Bulgaria's top prosecutor since his controversial promotion in 2019.

After days of silence, Geshev himself appeared from abroad to distance himself from his initial suggestion that the blast threatened his children and blamed the situation on "various improvisations in the media."

The National Investigative Service (NSLS), which falls under the legal authority of one of Geshev's deputies, initially said it was investigating the explosion as a terrorist attempt to assassinate Geshev. In conducting the investigation, the NSLS is expected to question Geshev as the purported victim.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and GERB party leader and former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, who is scrambling to form a government after the last round of inconclusive elections in early April, similarly condemned it as a "terrorist act," while the Interior Ministry has consistently described it as an "incident."

Views on the supposed attack have largely followed political lines. The co-chairman of the strongly pro-EU Democratic Bulgaria alliance said that "the case resembles a staging." Another Geshev critic, the anti-corruption We Continue the Change party's co-chairman, Asen Vassilev, dismissively likened accounts and images of the incident to "a pirate scaring rabbits."

Supporters of Geshev hit back, with prosecutors from around the country staging silent protests outside courthouses on May 2 in support of the prosecutor-general. His spokesman, who was participating in the Sofia protest, said that "it is inadmissible for anyone to think that the attack against Ivan Geshev was staged."

But disclosures since the incident have cast doubt on some of the earliest reporting and muddied crucial details.

For days, there was official misinformation about who was traveling with Geshev. In comments widely quoted by other media, the Epicenter website quoted Geshev as saying soon after the incident that "it's a good thing that I changed cars at the last moment" and, "I'm worried about the children; they were very scared."

For days, investigators, including the director of the NSLS, Borislav Sarafov, insisted publicly that Geshev was traveling with his wife and children at the time of the explosion.

But questioned by lawmakers, acting Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said on May 5 that "There were no family members of Mr. Ivan Geshev in the car that was the object of this explosion. He was traveling alone, with his assigned security guard from the National Security Service."

Sarafov emerged hours later to concur and to say he'd been "misled by Mr. Geshev's words that he was worried about his children" and their safety.

Geshev then said from New York on May 7 via public broadcaster BNT that Sarafov had misspoken, and his family wasn't with him at the time of the blast. The media, he alleged, was guilty of "various improvisations."

Then, on May 8, in an unprecedented shot at a hierarchical structure in which the prosecutor-general wields nearly unchecked influence, Sarafov said that the Prosecutor-General's Office should get out of the political landscape "onto which it has stepped...and return to its proper environment -- in defense of justice only and only within the framework of its institutional powers."

Inconsistencies in the accounts further fueled public skepticism about the explosion, much of which centered on images from the cordoned-off crime scene that were shared by local media.

Underwhelming images appeared to belie Sarafov's assertion that the blast caused a 4-to-5-meter-high "column of fire" that tore out a "crater" that was 30-40 centimeters deep and nearly 3 meters wide. A close-up of a headlight said to be from Geshev's armored vehicle purported to show minor damage from a bullet or shrapnel. And Sarafov said the detonation involved "no less" than the equivalent of 3 kilograms of TNT, although a week later there was still no official identification of the explosive or quantity.

And while Sarafov suggested the perpetrator had clearly been surveilling "the routes" that Geshev traveled and the blast occurred on a "backup one," Demerdzhiev dismissed that report, saying it was "a usual route" for Geshev's motorcade. The minister also downplayed the damage to Geshev's headlight, adding, "The car of the prosecutor-general is better protected than the one in which the president travels."

Not long after the explosion, investigators also revealed that an unnamed Israeli "counterterrorism expert," who happened to arrive in Bulgaria in the hours before the incident, had been allowed to inspect the crime scene immediately after the blast.

Safarov's deputy, Yasen Todorov, who was nominated for his post by Geshev, initially said the Israeli "did not participate in the inspection." Days later, Sarafov said Todorov had brought in the Israeli "on Geshev's order."

Officials have maintained silence on the Israeli's identity, including in response to questions from RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service to the NSLS and the Interior Ministry. The Israeli Embassy told RFE/RL that it was "in no way connected and has nothing to do with this issue."

RFE/RL has confirmed the individual's name via multiple sources. Unofficial information suggests he has ties to the Jerusalem Police Department, and he met Geshev on a previous visit, but there is no publicly available information on his professional expertise.

Outsiders, including the European Union and the U.S. State Department have long warned of a lack of public confidence in Bulgaria's judiciary.

Some of the EU's most dire assessments concern Geshev's influence.

"The lack of a possibility for an effective criminal investigation of the prosecutor-general and his/her deputies has been a long-standing issue, which was raised not only by the European Commission but also by the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe," the European Commission said in its annual Rule Of Law report in 2022.

"As pointed out in previous reports, the combination of the powers held by the prosecutor-general and his/her position in the Supreme Judicial Council result in a considerable influence within the Prosecutor's Office as well as potentially within the Supreme Judicial Council (both in its Prosecutorial Chamber and its Plenary) and within the magistracy."

With little still known about the attack, the investigation by Geshev's subordinates in the National Investigative Service has raised eyebrows, underscoring the Western and domestic criticism that Bulgaria's top prosecutor is above the law.

"With the [existing] structure of the Prosecutor-General's Office, I don't believe that an objective investigation can be conducted," Boyko Rashkov, a former interior minister, told the local Sega news website. "Shouldn't the victim not investigate himself?"

Rashkov, the former interior minister, has argued that Geshev's unhindered primacy and other circumstances leave no one in a position to conduct an unbiased investigation.

Instead, he said, the course of the probe so far suggests a process destined less to solve a crime than to "demonstrate to the chief how loyal we are to him."

Written by Andy Heil based on reporting by Genka Shikerova and Ivan Bedrov
Reactions in Georgia have been mixed after Russia announced it was abolishing visas for Georgian nationals and lifting a ban on direct flights to the South Caucasus nation, with members of the government welcoming the announcement while the president and others denounced it, highlighting the complicated, and often rocky, relations between Moscow and Tbilisi.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 10 signed two decrees, one allowing Georgian nationals to enter Russia without visas starting from May 15, unless they are coming to work in Russia for more than 90 days. The second decree lifted a ban on direct flights by Russian airlines to Georgia that Moscow unilaterally imposed in 2019 after a wave of anti-Kremlin protests in Georgia.

Hours after that announcement, Russia's Transport Ministry said Russian airlines would operate seven flights weekly between Moscow and Tbilisi. It said Russia wanted "to facilitate the conditions for communication and contacts."

The European Union, United States, Canada, and other states have banned Russian airlines from entering their airspace since Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Relations between Russia and Georgia have been on edge for years.

The two countries fought a brief war in 2008 over South Ossetia, a Russian-backed breakaway region of Georgia. The two countries have had no formal diplomatic ties since that war, which ended with Georgia not only losing control of South Ossetia but Abkhazia, as well. Russia has troops stationed in both regions.

Georgia voted in favor of all international resolutions condemning Russias aggression in Ukraine. It has also provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid and taken in thousands of war refugees. At the same time, the Black Sea country of 3.7 million has been a top destination for Russians fleeing the partial mobilization that Putin announced in September 2022 and the worsening general crackdown in Russia.

In June 2022, the European Commission declined granting Georgia EU candidate status, instead urging it to carry out a series of reforms. In March, amid large street protests, Georgia's government abandoned efforts to pass a draft law regulating so-called foreign agents. Critics said the bill was like a Russian law used to undermine civil society there, and that it was symbolic of an authoritarian shift in Georgia.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said in a post on Twitter on May 10 that Putins dual decrees were another provocation.

"Resuming direct flights and lifting visa ban with Georgia is unacceptable as long as Russia continues its aggression on Ukraine and occupies our territory," she wrote.

Zurabishvili, whose post is largely ceremonial, has often accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of having ties to Moscow since being elected with its backing in 2018.

Echoing those concerns, Teona Akubardia, deputy chairwoman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security, told RFE/RL's Georgian Service that the Kremlin action "increases the dangers" for Georgia.

"This is another test for the citizens of Georgia, how they will respond to this hostile move by Russia and how Russia will achieve its goal -- to use additional levers of influence against Georgia," she added.

Dozens of Georgians later on May 10 protested outside the Georgian Foreign Ministry building in Tbilisi hours after Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili welcomed Russia's decision, saying it "will simplify the daily living conditions of our citizens, and it will give them the chance to communicate and travel freely and easily."

Deputy Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili told reporters the announcement would significantly improve travel options for the million Georgians living in Russia.

The Kremlin announcement is a "very clear sign that Georgia is moving closer to Russia and distancing itself from the West," offered Gigi Gigiadze, a former Georgian deputy foreign minister and former ambassador to Denmark, in comments to RFE/RL's Georgian Service. "This is very bad for Georgia," Gigiadze added.

It also smacks of desperation in Moscow as it searches to find allies amid growing international isolation for its ongoing attack on Ukraine, according to Georgian political analyst Gela Vasadze.

"It is clear that the situation after February 2022 has changed dramatically. Russia has become a pariah for most economically developed countries," Vasadze told Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.

"For 22 years, Georgia has learned to live well without Russia. Georgia is absolutely economically independent from Russia. We have been receiving gas from Azerbaijan since 2007, and most of our trade is with the European Union. As for trade with Russia, this is trade exclusively with companies that are affiliated with the ruling authorities," Vasadze explained.

Reports earlier this year that the Georgian government was mulling whether to restart direct flights with Russia triggered concerns at the time in both Brussels and Washington.

"Many Western countries, including the United States, prohibit Russian aircraft from entering their airspace. We would be concerned about the resumption of flights between Russia and Georgia, given that companies at Georgian airports could be subject to sanctions if they serve aircraft subject to additional import and export controls," the U.S. State Department told the Georgian Service of Voice of America on February 2.

"The entire Western community has distanced itself from this brutal regime, and now is not the time to expand engagement with Russia."

"We are aware of the recent discussions on the possible restoration of direct flights between Russia and Georgia," Peter Stano, an EU spokesman, told the Georgian newspaper Netgazeti on February 4.

"The European Union calls on Georgia to join the sanctions imposed by the European Union and other countries against Russia in the aviation sector and to remain vigilant against any possible attempts to circumvent the sanctions."
For much of the last 20 years, Kyrgyz alcohol magnate Sharshenbek Abdykerimov was known to many as "a wallet," a term used to describe a wealthy figure who finances political activity to help secure power and better treatment.

As the founder of the Ayu Holding company -- whose revenue is partly derived from producing vodka and other spirits -- he reportedly had the ear of several Kyrgyz presidents and may have benefited from legislation that helped his company corner the local market.

But under President Sadyr Japarov, Abdykerimov's wallet does not appear to carry the same weight.

And after what Japarov himself called the confiscation by the authorities of two of the businessman's most important assets, Abdykerimov's seat in the backroom of Kyrgyz politics looks -- at a minimum -- to be under threat.

But if the rise of Abdykerimov tells a story about where Kyrgyzstan has been, does his apparent fall offer any indication of where the country is heading?

"Abdykerimov, like other oligarchs in Kyrgyzstan, unfortunately played a huge role in corrupting politics," explained Leila Nazgul Seiitbek, a lawyer and chairwoman of the NGO Freedom for Eurasia.

"And it led to a natural outcome," she said, calling the company's problems and "similar situations around other medium and large businesses" part of a "new phase" in the regime of Japarov and the national security chief often viewed as his equal in power, Kamchybek Tashiev.

We Can't Be Bought By Ayu!

Since springing to the presidency from a prison cell during a political standoff in 2020, Japarov has regularly used interviews with the state media outlet Kabar to clear the air around political controversies and counter criticism from his opponents.

He sent a chill through the country's business community last month when he described to Kabar how the state had nationalized Ayu's vodka distillery and ethyl-alcohol production facility, claiming that a raid had unearthed systematic tax evasion within the company.

"We told them that the days when the company could buy off the government were in the past, and that they should no longer count on it.... But they didn't hear us," Japarov said, before adding, "From now on, both ethyl alcohol and vodka will be produced by the state."

The government has since moved away from any characterization of the move as a seizure. Economy Minister Daniyar Amangeldiev told RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service in an interview that the company had willingly handed over its assets without "any sort of pressure from the government." Japarov's office also characterized the takeover of the two factories as "voluntary" when he was asked by RFE/RL.

The office spokesman did not respond to a question about whether there was still an active criminal case against Ayu, as was announced on April 14, the day of Japarov's interview.

Kyrgyz business analysts have expressed skepticism about the idea of a voluntary handover.

Azamat Akeneev told RFE/RL that it seemed highly unlikely that Ayu Holding, a company not known for its charity, would have considered such a move, and said the high profile of the company set off another red flag for investors watching Kyrgyzstan.

"Ayu is widely known not only to entrepreneurs, but also to the general public. This is one of our largest taxpayers, which employs tens of thousands of employees," he said.

RFE/RL attempted without success to contact Abdykerimov and Ayu via their representatives.

The independent media outlet Kaktus reported last month that Abdykerimov is currently receiving treatment abroad for a liver problem.

All The Presidents' Man?

The Ayu Holding company was founded in 2003 and quickly rose to become a powerful player in the local vodka market.

In 2009, during the presidency of Kurmanbek Bakiev, the company's hand was seen behind a law mandating that all vodka producers should produce no less than 10,000 liters of vodka annually or face losing their license.

In the coming years, many of Ayu's smaller competitors duly exited the market.

Bakiev's overthrow in 2010 gave rise to a new, mixed political system under which the powers of the prime minister and the president were more evenly balanced than before.

Abdykerimov initially backed the wrong horse, joining the Respublika party headed by Kyrgyzstan's prime minister-in-waiting, Omurbek Babanov.

When Babanov became embroiled in a conflict with President Almazbek Atambaev, Abdykerimov was one of several lawmakers in Respublika whose businesses reportedly came under pressure from the anti-corruption arm of Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security -- an organ under presidential control.

But the now-familiar accusations of Ayu producing counterfeit alcohol evaporated as soon as Abdykerimov and several other businessmen abandoned Babanov's party, later forming a new one called Kyrgyzstan.

Medet Tiulegenov, a Bishkek-based political scientist, told RFE/RL that the Kyrgyzstan party fit the definition of a "satellite party," bolstering Atambaev's favored Social Democratic Party at the expense of popular opposition politicians.

"Abdykerimov's role was seemingly in financing the activities of this party," Tiulegenov said of the businessman, who became the head of the National Olympic Committee in 2015, the first year the Kyrgyzstan party entered the legislature.

But things fell apart for Abdykerimov's party after the October 2020 vote, when it was one of three factions comfortably crossing the threshold to take parliamentary seats. The election has been described by some as the most flagrant and systematic case of vote-buying in Kyrgyzstan's rich political history, and the losing parties subsequently revolted.

But the eventual annulment of the election results failed to calm the crisis, and amid the meltdown, Japarov was released from the prison where he was serving time for hostage-taking -- a sentence he has always described as motivated by his political opposition.

Less than two weeks later, the populist Japarov had replaced Sooronbai Jeenbekov as the country's ruler, confirming his ascent in a presidential election months later.

Shadow Games

As Japarov and his partner, Tashiev, consolidated power, a number of high-profile politicians were arrested. The arrests were typically connected with an investigation into activities at the Kumtor gold mine that authorities eventually seized control of in 2021.

One of the men detained was Almazbek Batyrbekov, a close ally of Abdykerimov's who had headed the Kyrgyzstan party in parliament and who was head of the state alcohol inspectorate from 2008 to 2010 -- a time when Ayu's competitors really began feeling the squeeze.

Batyrbekov, who did not respond to a request to comment for this article, was later released.

Abdykerimov, shown by The Guardian in 2016 as owning property in Britain's tallest residential tower, was not arrested during this period.

But Ayu's premises were reportedly raided in the months after Jeenbekov's ouster and, in 2021, the Asia News tabloid likened the businessman's position under the new regime to that of "a child from another family."

"They say that Sharshenbek Abdykerimov is now not only unable to promote his party, but that he thinks about his own safety and has gone into hiding," the media outlet wrote.

In formal politics at least, Abdykerimov's last stand appears to have been a bizarre campaign event ahead of Kyrgyzstan's 2021 parliamentary elections. According to a colorful report by Eurasianet, Abdykerimov used the appearance to try to marry off one of his wife's relatives and personally sang about 10 songs onstage.

But by the end of the event Abdykerimov had decided he no longer wanted to campaign for a parliamentary seat. "Everybody should stick to what they know. The shoemaker patches up boots, the baker makes pies," Eurasianet quoted him as saying.

Ayu is one of a number of prominent businesses that has come under pressure since Japarov consolidated power.

In December 2022, lawmaker Elvira Surabaldieva complained that her family's businesses had been inspected by officials who came "with threats" that she linked to her independent political positions.

Just days before that, the National Security Committee announced that a well-known resort on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul had been "returned to the balance of the state" after being illegally privatized. The resort, Akun, was associated with the family of former parliament speaker Chynybai Tursunbekov, who died of coronavirus complications shortly before Japarov rose to power.

But last month, the deputy head of Kyrgyzstan's State Property Management Fund, Meder Mashiev, told lawmakers that the resort was not on the state's balance after all, and that its privatization was not being considered.

Japarov, for his part, says his government is battling corruption and the shadow economy that according to some estimates equates to more than half of GDP. But the head of state's own preference for investors has cast doubt on those claims.

In March, Japarov was shown by his official press service meeting with a group of businessmen that included Khabibula Abdukadyr.

Abdukadyr, a Chinese-born Uyghur businessman, was the subject of a media investigation into mass smuggling and money laundering by RFE/RL, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, and the Kyrgyz media outlet Kloop.

Japarov defended their appearance together by noting that Abdukadyr was not under criminal investigation.

In comments to RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, former Economy Minister Emil Umetaliev said that the uncertainty around major companies like Ayu will not "inspire confidence" in an economy that badly needs investment.

But Leila Nazgul Seiitbek of Freedom for Eurasia draws parallels between Kyrgyzstan's new business as usual and the era of the Bakiev regime, which was renowned for its ruthlessness.

The current authorities "will continue efforts to take over enterprises and assets that are a source of profit [in order to] strengthen their power," Seiitbek predicted.
For more than a decade, a unique bit of malicious computer code was burrowed in the deepest corners of Internet servers in more than 50 countries, secretly gathering data and even records of what a person might be typing on a keyboard. Important information was extracted and covertly sent via a network of other infected computers, hiding its tracks from easy detection, back to the code's creators.

Called various names -- Snake, Uroburos, Venomous Bear -- the malware was suspected in a damaging hack of Germany's Foreign Ministry in 2017. NATO computers were reportedly compromised. The personal computer of a journalist who worked for a U.S. news organization and reported on the Russian government was reportedly targeted.

This week, authorities in the United States, Britain, Canada, and two other countries announced they had effectively unplugged the malware, disrupting a powerful surveillance tool that, they said, had been developed by Center 16, a cutting-edge cyber-unit of Russia's main intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB).

Snake was "the most sophisticated cyber-espionage tool designed and used by Center 16 of Russia's Federal Security Service for long-term intelligence collection on sensitive targets," the U.S. government's cyber-agency said.

The developers of the malware "were really good," said Paul Rascagneres, an IT security researcher who was among the first to identify Snake in 2014. "The design and the malware architecture was extremely advanced, with security bypasses that were not documented at this time.... It was serious code developed by a serious team."

Adam Meyers, head of intelligence at the U.S. cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, says the decision by the U.S. government and partner agencies in the other countries to release so much information on the FSB unit, as well as arcane details of the code and programming behind the malware, was meant to send a message.

"What it represents is the [U.S.] government is taking a more proactive stance on this stuff...which has been around for more than a decade," Meyers said. "It's a signal to the Russian government, to the Russian intelligence services, and to say, 'We see you and we know what you're doing, and if it suits us, we will disrupt you at the time and place of our choosing.'"

In court filings unsealed the same day as the announcement, the Justice Department said that the espionage campaign was "very consequential," and that the hackers had stolen sensitive documents from NATO countries.

The FSB had no comment on the allegations.

'Inside Jokes, Personal Interests, And Taunts'

Russia's intelligence and security agencies have overlapping, sometimes competing cyber-operations. Some of the most destructive known cyberweapons -- Sandworm and NotPetya, for example -- have been developed by Russia's military intelligence agency, known as the GRU. That agency, and another called the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), has been accused in the hacking of U.S. political campaigns in 2016.

The FSB has two known cyber-units. The first, Center 18, or the Center for Information Security, was roiled by a major treason scandal in 2019.

The other is Center 16, formally known as the Center for Radio-Electronic Intelligence by Means of Communication, or Military Unit 71330, which oversees the FSB's signals intelligence capabilities, including intercepting communications, decryption, and data processing.

According to an FBI affidavit unsealed on May 9, Snake was first developed in 2003 or 2004 by Center 16, and early versions included an image of an ancient symbol called an Uroboros -- also spelled Ouroboros -- in which a dragon or snake is shown eating its own tail. Some of the code also included the string "Ur0bUr()sGoTyOu#" in which the word "uroboros" is partly visible. The FBI said it was identifying the FSB unit by the name Turla.

"Snake has been a core component of this unit's operations for almost as long as Center 16 has been part of the FSB," the affidavit said.

"In terms of general persistent activity of this team/group/unit they have been probably the more active and professional one, in contrast to other operations employed by the [Russian] military for example," Michael Sandee, a researcher with Fox-IT, a Dutch digital forensics company, said in an e-mail.

"It's a super complex piece of malware," CrowdStrike's Meyers said.

FSB coders who developed early versions of the malware often peppered their work with "inside jokes, personal interests, and taunts directed at security researchers" -- a common practice among coders and programmers. Those remained identifiable as the malware evolved, the FBI said, "which have assisted the U.S. government in attributing the Snake malware to the FSB."

In one instance, according to the FBI, the "Ur0bUr()sGoTyOu#" string was replaced with the string "gLASs D1cK" in 2014 after cyber-researchers began publicizing the Snake or Uroburos malware.

Investigators said they were also able to home in on an FSB remote location, in the city of Ryazan, southeast of Moscow, with FSB programmers doing much of their work during regular working hours.

Journalist Targets

U.S. officials said they had been monitoring Turla and Snake-related variations of the malware for nearly two decades. British officials, meanwhile, said last year that Center 16 had been "observed conducting cyber-operations since at least 2010."

Beginning in 2015, the FBI said, it monitored data stolen by Snake and other encrypted communications, involving the Foreign Ministry of a "NATO-member state." A similar monitoring effort took place between 2017 and 2020, the FBI said, involving the government of "another NATO-member state."

Neither country is identified by the FBI or the other security agencies that partnered with the FBI. However, sometime beginning around 2015, Germany was hit by a monthslong, massively damaging hack that targeted its parliament, its Foreign Ministry, energy infrastructure, and other agencies.

In 2018, Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, called the hackers "exceptionally dangerous."

In 2019, U.S. and British security agencies issued an advisory warning of a hacking campaign overseen by Turla that targeted computers in at least 35 countries, mainly in the Middle East.

The FBI also said it had determined that FSB hackers "used Snake malware to target the personal computer of a journalist for a U.S. news media company who has reported on the government of the Russian Federation."

Neither the journalist nor the news organization is identified.

British intelligence also said Center 16 had conducted hacking and other cyber-operations targeting Russian dissidents, political opponents, and Russian citizens.

In its affidavit, the FBI said officials delayed notifying people with compromised computers so that researchers could coordinate the effort to unplug, or disrupt, Snake without the FSB interfering. The effort was called Operation Medusa.

"Were Turla to become aware of Operation Medusa before its successful execution, Turla could use the Snake malware on the subject computers and other Snake-compromised systems around the world to monitor the execution of the operation to learn how the FBI and other governments were able to disable the Snake malware and harden Snake's defenses," FBI agent Taylor Forry wrote.

Croatia Connection

The U.S. Justice Department targeted Center 16 previously: in a 2021 indictment that was unsealed in March 2022, accusing three FSB officers of using spear-phishing attacks -- fake e-mails that trick a recipient into clicking on a malware link -- that targeted more than 3,300 users at more than 500 U.S. and international companies.

They also targeted U.S. government agencies such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, U.S. authorities said.

A separate indictment targeted a programmer who worked for an institute under the Russian Defense Ministry. That man, Yevgeny Gladkikh, allegedly used a type of highly powerful malware known as Triton to hack a petrochemical plant in 2017.

Center 16 operatives have also turned up in other locations outside of Russia. One, Aleksei Ivanenko, worked under diplomatic cover in Croatia until April 2022, when Croatian authorities announced they were expelling him along with 23 other diplomats and support staff.

According to a leaked database of Russian government records reviewed by RFE/RL, Ivanenko worked as an "engineer" for Center 16, prior to being sent to Croatia.

Cyber-experts were divided on whether the effort would cause lasting damage to Center 16's operations.

"It is unlikely to really cause much lasting disruption to the intelligence-gathering operation long-term, but probably a bit annoying for the Russians in the short term, as they lose some access and need to reestablish," Fox-IT's Sandee said. "I think it is more of a distraction than anything else, and simply done to do something, rather than nothing, if you catch my drift."

In the absence of Snake malware, the FSB Center 16 hackers most likely have other cybertools that they've developed and could deploy.

"I don't want to take away from the overall value of this effort by U.S. government," Meyers said, but he added that the FSB had "other tools.... They have an whole arsenal of malware and tools and this is one of them.

"It stings a bit, but they're not out of business, they're not looking for new jobs," he said.

"But it has a big impact on them," Rascagneres said in an e-mail. "Replacing everything, losing access on infected systems. It costs a lot. They need to reinfect the targets, deploy new malware, pivot in the targeted network."

"The process of compromising a sensitive target takes weeks/months of work," he said.
Added details (first version published at 18:48)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met with the newly appointed Ambassador of India to Azerbaijan, Sridharan Madhusudhanan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Trend.

Azerbaijani FM accepted a copy of the Ambassador's credentials and wished him success in his future activities.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on the current state of bilateral and multilateral relations between Azerbaijan and India, and the processes taking place in the region.

Speaking about the existing cooperation between the two countries in political, economic, trade, cultural, humanitarian, tourism and other spheres, Jeyhun Bayramov pointed out the importance of using the existing potential for the development of relations. In particular, the usefulness of the political consultations held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries and mutual visits was noted. Along with the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and India, the importance of commitment to the practice of multilateral cooperation within the framework of international organizations, in particular, the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), was noted.

Having informed in detail about the current situation in the region in the post-conflict period, reconstruction and construction works carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, efforts to normalize relations with Armenia and promote the peace agenda, the Azerbaijani FM expressed confidence that, despite the existing challenges and difficulties, there is no alternative to peace in the region, stressed the full determination of Azerbaijan continue peace-building efforts.

Speaking about the importance of supporting the normalization process by the international community, the Minister also noted the importance of eliminating the mine threat created by Armenia in the region.

Indian Ambassador Sridharan Madhusudhanan thanked Azerbaijani FM Jeyhun Bayramov for the reception and noted that in the course of his activities, he would make every effort to develop relations between the two countries. Noting the importance of continuing cooperation between Azerbaijan and India based on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, and solidarity, he emphasized the importance of expanding mutual contacts.

Other issues of mutual interest were also discussed at the meeting.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Prime Minister of Israel from 1999-2001, Member of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center Ehud Barak sent a letter to President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev, Trend reports.

"His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Dear President Ilham Aliyev,

Todays 100th anniversary of your late father, President Heydar Aliyev, is a proper opportunity to look backwards proudly into the life story, achievements and legacy of a great historic figure, political and war leader and the man who became the father of modern independent Azerbaijan.

Along his life, in the KGB, through the power corridors towards the top group of the Soviet Union leadership, during the historic earthquake of the USSR collapse, in the internal struggle for power at home, and the infinite saga of fighting for Nagorno-Karabakh, future President Aliyev proved hed been made of the right stuff for leadership under the toughest of conditions.

Strong and stable, alert and sophisticated, tenacious and determined, ready to act forcefully or negotiating, based on the flipping phases of reality, but always focused on his devotion and loyalty to the interests and destiny of the Azeri people and the emerging and struggling towards a thriving Azerbaijan.

Your late father gathered a huge respect among world leaders. Im proud of being blessed to know him in person, vividly recall our meeting in NY during the world gathering of leaders under the UN auspices to celebrate the New Millennium. I was deeply impressed and enriched by our exchange and his clear, thoughtful and action-oriented grip on international geo-politics.

You should be proud of carrying his leadership legacy to further heights at the service of Azerbaijan and its people. Im proud of being able to call you a friend and wish you and Azerbaijan a future of fulfilling your vision for your country.

God bless you

God bless Azerbaijan,

Sincerely yours,

Ehud Barak

Prime Minister of Israel 1999-2001"
Added details (first version published at 19:24)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met with the new Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Trend.

The Ambassador handed a copy of his credentials to Azerbaijani FM.

FM congratulated the Ambassador on his new appointment and wished him success in his future activities.

A number of issues, such as cooperation in political, economic, energy, humanitarian, educational, tourism and other spheres, as well as on multilateral platforms on the agenda of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and brotherly Kazakhstan, were discussed at the meeting.

Azerbaijani FM noted with satisfaction the extensive bilateral and multilateral cooperation relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, based on common ethnic, cultural, and historical roots, and the prospects for their development.

In turn, Kazakh Ambassador pointed out that during his diplomatic activity, he will make every effort to expand cooperation between the two countries. Noting that there is a wide potential for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, he emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation between the countries in the fields of tourism, energy, economy, transport and other spheres.

According to the meeting, it is crucial to intensify joint efforts in important areas within the framework of international organizations, in particular the Organization of Turkic States and others.

Both sides also exchanged views on other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The Distinguished Visitors Day of the "Anatolian Eagle - 2023" International Flight-Tactical Exercises was held on May 11 in Turkish Konya, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

At the invitation of the Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Turkiye, Mr. Hulusi Akar, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and the Deputy Minister of Defense  Commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Ramiz Tahirov, who are on a visit to the fraternal country, have arrived in Konya to participate in the Distinguished Visitors Day of the international exercises.

With the participation of the honor guard, a solemn welcome ceremony of the Azerbaijani delegation was held in the area, where the exercises are being conducted, and a photo was taken.

Then the opening of the Anatolian Eagle Training Center was held.

Colonel General Z. Hasanov and other guests met with representatives of ASELSAN and Tubitak companies at the exhibition and got acquainted with modern weapons and equipment on display.

In the briefing hall, the guests were presented with a video made on the basis of the images taken during the "Anatolian Eagle - 2023" International Flight-Tactical Exercises.

Distinguished visitors were presented a briefing about the course of joint exercises and the tasks accomplished. After the briefing, the Defense Ministers of the Republics of Azerbaijan and Turkiye delivered speeches.

Colonel General Z. Hasanov greeted the military personnel participating in the exercises and prayed for the repose of the souls of the servicemen, who became Shehids, and the people, who died as a result of the earthquake.

The Minister of Defense noted that Azerbaijani-Turkish relations are being successfully continued under the leadership of the heads of the two states.

Today, Azerbaijani-Turkish relations are based on strategic partnership, and as part of it, consistent measures are taken in the field of army development.

Colonel General Z. Hasanov noted that "Anatolian Eagle - 2023" International Flight-Tactical Exercises, held in Konya, Turkiye, and the "Heydar Aliyev - 2023" Exercises, held in Kars, Turkiye, are aimed at further improving the knowledge and skills of servicemen.

Then the Minister of National Defense of Turkiye, Mr. H. Akar, delivered a speech and highly appreciated the conduct of the joint exercises. Noting the importance of developing military cooperation, Mr. H. Akar emphasized that the exercises are crucial for servicemen to gain experience and that military cooperation is aimed at the security of the two peoples and countries, as well as stability in the region.

Both Ministers highly appreciated the professionalism and skills, shown by the exercises participants, and the successful fulfillment of the assigned tasks, as well as wished the participants success in their further military service.

As part of the visit, Lieutenant General R. Tahirov also met with his Turkish counterpart, Army General Atilla Gulan. At the meeting, the importance of the experience gained by the servicemen during joint exercises was noted. The sides expressed confidence that cooperation based on mutual trust and support will be successfully developed and strengthened in the future.

The guests, participating at the Distinguished Visitors Day, watched the practical part of the exercises and demonstration flights of F-5 aircraft belonging to the "Solo Turk" aviation group of the Turkish Air Force.

At the end of the event a test launch of new missile installed on Su-25 attack aircraft as a result of modernization was demonstrated. During the firing, the designated target was destroyed with high accuracy from the distance of 25 kilometers. The effectiveness of the missile was highly appreciated.

In the end, a photo was taken.
SCHOOLS hung out the bunting and tucked into coronation-themed fare as they joined the national celebrations at the new monarchs crowning.

The Union Flag could be seen proudly displayed on cakes, hats, T-shirts and party dresses at a host of events organised to mark the monarchical milestone of King Charles III being crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday.

Schools across the Dearne Valley got into the spirit by encouraging pupils to wear the national colours and around 10,300 kids at tea parties, picnics and royal banquets enjoyed themed food, ranging from red, white and blue cup-cakes and traditional British dishes like fish and chips to street party favourites like sandwiches and sausage rolls.

Wath Academy held a coronation tea party, inviting 150 people from the local community, including ward councillor Cllr Alan Atkin, members of the Royal British Legion and full family generations from the area, for a special afternoon tea.

Swinton Cllr Victoria Cusworth, Rotherhams Councils cabinet member for children and young people, joined children at Brookfield Junior Academy who made crowns and held a royal banquet.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/RotherhamCoronation to see our photo gallery from the day. Wed love to receive your photos from coronation parties and events  send them to newsdesk@rotherhamadvertiser.co.uk or find us on Facebook at the Rotherham Advertiser page.
Kultar Singh Sandhwan

Speaker Kultar Sandhawan appealed to the people to maintain peace

CHANDIGARH: Expressing deep sorrow over the recent incidents near Sri Darbar Sahib, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhawan said that these incidents are a matter of concern.

In a press statement issued here, Speaker Sardar Sandhawan appealed to the people to maintain peace and said that with the continuous incidents, there is a conspiracy to scare the pilgrims coming from all over the world with devotion, which the Punjab government will never allow to succeed. .

Advertisement

He said that some anti-Punjab forces are not tolerating the peace, brotherhood and progress of the state. The speaker asked the police administration to quickly arrest the perpetrators of these incidents as well as the masterminds of this nefarious conspiracy and tighten the security arrangements in the state.




Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies of 3 states

Such a large gathering of MLAs/leaders from across the country is a big deal: Kultar Singh Sandhawan

CHANDIGARH: Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have started preparations for the National Legislators Conference to be held in Mumbai from June 15 to 17. In this regard, the convener of the National Legislature Conference, Rahul V. Karad held a meeting at the Haryana residence with the Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies of the three states, Kultar Singh Sandhawan, Gian Chand Gupta and Kuldeep Singh Pathania.

Haryana Legislative Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta said that this is a historic program. It includes leaders of all parties, even if the government is of different political parties, but the program will be on the constitution and integrity of the country. To participate in it, registration has to be done by May 30. So far 2 thousand MLAs have been registered. The MLAs of various parties participating from across the country will discuss the challenges faced by the country and other aspects.

Advertisement

Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh said that this program regarding democracy is being seen as a dream. Such a large gathering of MLAs/leaders from across the country is a big deal. There is a perception that people who come into politics are misunderstood. Youngsters don't know about it, but now it is a good opportunity for them to get information.

Himachal Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said that conferences have been held before but this is the first time when all MLAs at the national level will come together and present their views. During the event, ideas related to strengthening the social structure and democracy will be discussed. He also described the special school started on politics as very special.




Third Blast Reported Near Golden Temple

The Police have sealed off the Blast Site

AMRITSAR: Third explosion has been reported in about 6 days near the Sri Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab. The blast took place at 12:45 am near the Langar Hall of the Golden Temple. Hearing the sound of the explosion, people panicked. The management of Sri Harmandir Sahib immediately informed the police.

The Police reached there in the night and sealed off the blast site. Forensic teams are taking samples from the spot. Three suspects including two boys and one girl have been detained in the matter. The police is interrogating them for further investigation.

Advertisement

Reportedly, The detained people were staying in room number 225 of the inn. A suspicious bag has also been recovered from their possession. Prior to this, explosions were reported in the Golden Temple on Saturday and Monday as well.

According to the sources, the police have also seized a letter from the spot. However, police officials did not say anything about what was written in the letter and whether it had anything to do with the blast or not.

Vikramjit Singh, manager of Sri Harmandir Sahib, confirmed the explosion and said that a loud sound was heard during the night. The blast took place in an empty space near the Langar Hall and Sri Guru Ramdas Ji Inn. No loss of life or property has been reported yet.

Advertisement

After the incident, Police Commissioner of Amritsar Naunihal Singh reached the spot. He took stock of the situation but refused to divulge more details about the incident. He said, "He will be informed about the incident in the next few hours. Now let the police do the work. Now all we can say is that a loud bang was heard."
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted in favor of Perrigo Company plc.'s (PRGO) Opill Daily Oral Contraceptive for over-the-counter or OTC use.

Opill consists of 0.075 mg norgestrel, which has been used to prevent pregnancy in millions of women in the U.S. since it was approved by the FDA in 1973. About 50 years of use and scientific evidence show that progestin-only pills such as Opill are effective at preventing pregnancy and are safe for most women to use, Perrigo said in a statement.

Perrigo said Wednesday that the FDA's Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee (NDAC) and the Obstetrics, Reproductive, and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ORUDAC) voted unanimously 17 to 0, with no abstentions, that the benefits of making Opill, a progestin-only daily oral contraceptive, available for over-the-counter (OTC) use outweighs the risks.

The joint committee's vote, while not binding, will be considered by the FDA when making its final decision regarding the potential approval of Opill for OTC use, which is expected later this year.

The company noted that the OTC oral contraception has support from major medical organizations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. If approved, Opill would be the first birth control pill available over-the-counter in the U.S.

For More Such Health News, visit rttnews.com

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Upon launch in India, Hyundai i20 facelift will continue to rival the likes of Maruti Baleno, Tata Altroz and Toyota Glanza

Test mules of i20 facelift have been spotted overseas multiple times in recent months. The hatch has now been unveiled in Europe. It is expected to go on sale later this year. India launch is likely to take place at a later date. i20 is currently in its third generation, which was launched in 2020.

2023 i20 facelift gets sportier styling and new equipment, which can help improve competencies against rivals. While it gets only the 1.0-litre turbo petrol motor in Europe, India-spec i20 facelift is likely to continue with the existing powertrain options.

Hyundai i20 facelift  whats new

Visual tweaks for 2023 Hyundai i20 facelift include subtle changes to the front fascia. Mild updates are there for the front grille and LED DRLs. The hatch has a refreshed bumper and comes with redesigned air vents towards the edges. Another change is the positioning of the Hyundai logo. As compared to the existing model that has the logo placed on the grille, i20 facelift has the logo on the front section of the bonnet. The design of the bonnet remains unchanged.

Side profile of 2023 Hyundai i20 facelift is largely the same as earlier. However, it does get a new set of alloy wheels. There arent many changes to rear profile, with the exception of a refreshed bumper design. It gets a sporty blacked-out section, along with a more prominent faux diffuser element.

Colour options have also been updated for 2023 Hyundai i20 facelift. Three new colour options have been introduced  Lumen Grey Pearl, Meta Blue Pearl and Lucid Lime Metallic. Earlier colours that have been carried forward are Atlas White, Aurora Grey Pearl, Phantom Black Pearl, Dragon Red Pearl and Mangrove Green Pearl. Some of these colour variants are also available with black roof option, which have been carried forward.

On the inside, Hyundai i20 facelift 2023 gets a revised instrument cluster. Users have the option to choose a 10.25-inch digital instrument display. There is also the option for a 10.25-inch touchscreen. The hatch gets a new Lucid Lime interior theme. This particular shade has been used as accents across the air vents, doors, and stitching on steering wheel, seats and gear lever gaiter.

Hyundai i20 facelift  improved safety

Safety has been improved with i20 facelift. It gets new ADAS features such as lane keep assist and an updated forward collision warning system. Optional ADAS features include rear cross traffic collision avoidance and blind spot collision avoidance. There is also an option of smart cruise control that can adjust the vehicles speed based on navigation data.

In Europe, i20 facelift 2023 will continue with the 1.0-litre turbo petrol motor. It will be available in two states of tune, one with 99 bhp and the other generating 118 bhp. Transmission choices include 6-speed iMT and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. In India, i20 has the 1.2-litre petrol motor as well. It makes 83 PS with the 5-speed manual and 88 PS with the IVT gearbox. Torque output is 114.7 Nm.

When launched in India, 2023 Hyundai i20 facelift will be looking to achieve higher sales numbers. In CY 2022, Hyundai i20 was second in the list of best selling premium hatchbacks. A total of 75,572 units were sold, with a market share of 21.41%. However, the gap is quite big with Maruti Baleno that sold 1,85,665 units in CY 2022 and commanded market share of 52.59 percent.
The 2.2L diesel engine generating 197 bhp and 440 Nm, first debuted with Santa Fe  new Kia Carnival is likely to don the same motor

The South Korean brand is facelifting its 4th generation Carnival MPV in global markets. We say MPV because thats how Kia is marketing it, instead of a minivan, as it did with the first three generations. 4th generation Carnival will get EV9-inspired design language as seen in spy shots. Kia has showcased a pre-facelift 4th generation model at 2023 Auto Expo as well.

Rendering artist Pratyush Rout has penned down his version of new Kia Carnival based on spy shots. Strong SUV-inspired design language sheds its minivan appeal to quite an extent. We dare say Kia Carnival is the best-looking minivan in the world as well. Facelifted model will build on these strengths to appeal to a wider audience.

New Kia Carnival Render Based On Spy Shots

If launched, Kia India hasnt clarified whether well get the pre-facelift model or facelifted model. Kia launched 4th generation model globally in 2020, while we got 3rd Gen model that year. Were more likely to get a pre-facelift model, but we hope that is not the case.

Speaking of the facelift, our render tries to encapsulate what Kia designers would have done. Design changes are reminiscent of recently debuted Kia EV9 electric SUV. Outgoing 4th gen model gets a slightly animalistic front fascia, which is Kias jam. That said, our render of facelifted model looks a lot cleaner.

There is a new grille with a criss-cross pattern. Kias Tiger Nose grille is sleeker and flanked with neatly integrated wide LED DRLs extending down into the LED headlights. Speaking of headlights, this is where primary changes are evident. As opposed to horizontally laid out headlights on pre-facelift model, facelift has vertically oriented headlights like on EV9.

2023 Kia Carnival Facelift render has bull horn-like trims at lower bumper, which add a lot of character and personality. There are LED light bars below its headlight replacing conventional fog lights. The inverted-L LED tail lights mimic the LED DRLs at front. Blacked-out pillars give the vehicle a floating roof effect.

New alloy wheel design on our render looks swanky

Test mules don the same alloy wheels as outgoing 4th gen Carnival, but our new Kia Carnival render gets a different design. Automatic sliding doors, multiple sunroofs, acres of space, SUV-inspired design language, decent features and specifications, tech-loaded interior along with ADAS suite are some of its strengths.

A recent report mentioned Kia is likely to ditch its 2.2L diesel motor in India failing to meet BS6 P2 standards. We would wager Kia will retain the same engine with the outgoing 3rd gen model and upcoming 4th gen model. Facelifted or pre-facelift model, is debatable though. This engine develops 197 bhp and 440 Nm, mated to a sole 8-speed TC. Prices of the new Carnival could be in the Rs 35 lakh region.

Disclaimer  Design renders presented in this blog are solely for illustrative purposes and have not been commissioned, approved, or endorsed by the manufacturer. Designs presented here may not reflect the final product or the manufacturers intentions. The renders are provided as conceptual designs or artistic interpretations only, and their accuracy or feasibility cannot be guaranteed.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their family members participated in the event regarding the start of reconstruction and repair works of the Government Services Center in the city of Shusha, Azernews reports.

The President and the First Lady were informed of the works to be done.

Reconstruction and repair of the Government Services Center began at the directions of President Ilham Aliyev. Former post office building and its premises will be overhauled here. The four-storey building after its overhaul will house ASAN Khidmet and DOST Khidmet centers, SMB (Small and Medium Business) house, Digital Development and Transport Ministrys branch (post office, communications hub).
KHOJAVAND, Azerbaijan, May 11. The visit of international travelers from the Swedish 'Club100' organization to Azerbaijani Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur is underway, Trend's Karabakh bureau reports.

The visit participants first visited the Fuzuli International Airport, which was built in the Fuzuli district after the 2020 second Karabakh war.

Then, having seen the large-scale destruction committed by Armenia in Fuzuli city [during its occupation], the travelers got acquainted with the newly built Fuzuli urban residential complex.

After Fuzuli, the visitors went to the Khojavand district, where the delegation of 31 people is currently visiting the Azykh Cave (known as a habitation site of prehistoric humans).

The delegation is headed by Bengt Hildebrand, who represents the club, which unites travelers of Scandinavian origin.

Within three days, the delegation also plans to visit Aghdam, Tartar, Kalbajar, Lachin, Zangilan and Jabrayil.

This trip is of exceptional importance for the promotion of the territories liberated from occupation within the framework of dark tourism (tourism involving travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy).

Over the past two years, six trips have been organized to Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur by representatives of the world's largest international travel networks - ETIC, MTP, TCC, NomadMania, Travelers Club of Turkiye, the UK "Piki Reels" club. One trip was organized in 2021, four - in 2022, and one trip - in 2023. The current trip is already the seventh in a row.

As part of these trips, more than 200 travelers visited Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur.
North County is Alive With The Sound of Music

From emo to punk to folk, musicians in North County are turning up the volume
Radys chief diversity and inclusion officer opens up about single parenting, being a first generation college graduate, and running multiple businesses
Oliviero Colmignoli inspects curing salamis in one of the many drying rooms at his Olli Salumeria factory in Oceanside.

Back in 1850, Oliviero Colmignolis great-great-grandfather started making dry sausages at his home in Italys Umbria province. In those days, salami-making consisted of hand-stuffing some salted pork into a casing, hanging it from the rafters with a piece of string, then opening a window and hoping for the best.

Four generations later, Colmignoli  whose nickname is Olli  is still following the familys Old World tradition of salami-making, but now the Encinitas resident is using the latest technology at a huge processing plant in Oceanside. Every week, Olli Salumeria turns out 30,000 pounds of high-end artisan salami in a factory that uses robots to move, weigh and measure the moisture in each of the slowly curing links, which hang by the tens of thousands from steel racks in 21-foot-tall, climate-controlled rooms.

Oliviero Colmignoli watches a robotic wheeled cart weigh and calculate the moisture content of a rack of curing salami at his Olli Salumeria factory in Oceanside. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Press )

Advertisement

Colmignoli, 38, can use his cellphone to track of the progress of every single salami in the 80,000-square-foot factory, but he insists that while the process has changed, some things never do. All the fresh spices are still hand-measured and each string of sausages is hand-tested for the perfect firmness, a quality unique to Olli sausage that he said cant be done by machine.

The family has always pursued technology, which allows us to deliver quality at a price thats accessible, but the salami-making process has never changed from its traditional roots, he said.

The Oceanside Olli factory opened last year and employs 50 workers, who turn out some 7,000 cases of meat products each week for customers that include Costco, Whole Foods, Gelsons, Bristol Farms, Jimbos and Frazier Farms. The companys specialty is high-end, artisan salami thats made with all-natural, antibiotic-free pork from small farms in Iowa and Canada thats processed without nitrates. The five-inch salamis, which come in nine varieties, retail for $11 to $12.

Oliviero Colmignoli hand-tests the firmness of a stack of salami being prepared for packaging at his Olli Salumeria factory in Oceanside. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Press )

So how did an Italian sausage-maker end up in Oceanside? Thats a story that began 166 years ago with Innocenzo Fiorucci, the familys meat-processing pioneer. Colmignoli said his great-great-grandfather paid the bills by selling salted meats in the winters and cobbling shoes each summer. Over the next 90 years, the Fiorucci family became well-known for their Norcia-style sausages (Norcia is a town in Umbria), which Innocenzos son, Cesare, started producing and selling in Rome after World War II.

Cesares son, Ferruccio, didnt have any sons of his own, so the familys salami tradition was passed on to his son-in-law, Claudio Colmignoli, who moved to Virginia in 1986 with his wife and 9-year-old son Olli. They opened a U.S. manufacturing plant for Fiorucci Foods in Richmond, but four years later, Ollis parents divorced and he and his mother moved back to Rome. After high school, he moved to London to study photography, but after a few years working in that field, the salami siren song called him back into the family fold.

In 2004, Olli Colmignoli moved his family to Virginia to work in the Fioriucci Foods plant in Richmond. A few years later  after his family sold their assets to a private equity firm  Olli Salumeria was born. Colmignoli said he and an investor friend were discussing American versus Italian prosciutto (dry-cured ham). He felt that Italian prosciutto was superior because the pigs in Italy are naturally raised on small family farms. Together, Colmignoli and his now-former partner decided to reproduce the conditions in Italy to create an higher-end American product.

Raw ground pork, mixed with seasonings, is fed into an Italian-made sausage-stuffing machine at the Olli Salumeria factory in Oceanside. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Press )

Working from a small plant in Virginia, Ollis first prosciutto was unveiled in 2010 and its salami debuted in 2011. The fledgling company was boosted by great press in newspapers like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, whose reporters were charmed by its Old World aspirations. Oprah Winfrey recommended Olli products in a Christmas best list and then Whole Foods came calling. The high-end supermarket chain was looking for U.S. companies to produce private-label charcuterie items under its Gusto brand, and the chain helped connect Colmignoli with humane pork suppliers in Canada and Iowa to ensure a consistent supply.

Eventually, Olli Salumeria focused all its energies on salami and its Virginia plant maxed out. When he decided to build a much larger plant in 2014, he looked to the West Coast for expansion. California shoppers are willing to pay for more quality foods, and Californias Mediterranean climate appealed to the Rome-bred Colmignoli, his South African wife, Leanna, and their two daughters, now 11 and 16. He picked San Diego because his sister, Giulia, and her husband, Christopher Antinucci, had already settled here to open their fast-growing Rome-style pizza chain, Napizza.

The enormous Oceanside factory was built for growth, with enough room to process 400,000 pounds of meat each week, nearly seven times its current production. He believes that will take about 10 years to reach. Olli salami is manufactured to American tastes. Its smokier, less sweet and much harder than Italian salami. That hardness is achieved through drying, which can take five weeks to five months, depending on the variety. During the drying process, the salami loses 50 percent of its weight, so it takes 60,000 pounds of pork to make 30,000 pounds of salami.

A machine lifts freshly-stuffed raw salami into racks that will be sprayed with a fermenting mold and chilled for a week before they move to curing rooms to dry at Olli Salumeria in Oceanside. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Press )

The pre-cut raw pork arrives daily and is poured into a truck-sized grinder in a chilled room. Employees mix the ground pork with fresh spices (oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, anise, fennel seed pollen, mace and fresh garlic cloves), feed it by machine into mesh casings and then spray it with a penicillin-like mold that starts the fermenting process. After a week in cold storage, the sausages are moved by robotic carts into slightly warmer drying rooms, where streams of moisture-free forced air cycle up and down through the racks.

Once the sausages reach the perfect weight and level of dehydration, theyre washed, dried and packaged. Among the varieties Olli produces under its own label and the Gusto and Murrays private labels are Toscana, made with Italian fennel pollen; spicy Calabrese, with cayenne pepper and paprika; Chorizo, made with pimenton de la vera (Spanish smoked paprika); and Napoli, which is smoked over apple wood. There are varieties made with Italian summer black truffles and boars meat, a new pepperoni line, and a new test batch now in the curing stages made with barley and smoked porter beer from Carlsbads Guadalupe Brewery.

When asked how his great-grandfather Cesare  who built the familys first major salami factory outside Rome in the 1960s  would feel about the modernized Olli factory, Colmignoli smiles with pride.

He was the first to use technology, and I think hed love it, he said. The technology has definitely come forward, but without changing the process.

1 / 11 At the Olli Salumeria salami sausage processing plant in Oceanside a large quantity of pork, above right, works its way into a machine staffed Elias Olivas, left, and Carlos Ferre. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Pre) 2 / 11 A large steel container of raw pork mixed with spices and other ingredients is ready to be poured into a salami making machine at Olli Salumeria. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Pre) 3 / 11 A machine lifts a large rack of just made salamis at Olli Salumeria. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Pre) 4 / 11 Olli Salumeria company president Oliviero Colmignoli holds some salamis ready for packaging and shipment. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Pre) 5 / 11 Olli Salumeria company president Oliviero Colimignoli looks at one of the many computer screens that monitor the prooduction of their salami. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Pre) 6 / 11 Racks of salamis cure are cured in the drying room. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Pre) 7 / 11 Oliviero Colmignoli, president of Olli Salumeria, smells Italian fennel, one of the many spices used in the production of his high-end salamis. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Pre) 8 / 11 Labels on a flow wrapping machine at Olli Salumeria for one of the many brands of salami produced by the company. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Pre) 9 / 11 Oliviero Colmignoli inspects curing salamis in one of the many drying rooms at his companys large Oceanside facility. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Pre) 10 / 11 Oliviero Colmignoli inspects curing salamis in one of the many drying rooms at his companys large Oceanside facility. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Pre) 11 / 11 Packages of salami are ready to ship salami at the Olli Salumeria factory in Oceanside. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Pre)

Food & Wine Videos

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Azerbaijan's Shusha is the temple of art, the cradle of Azerbaijani music, the center of our unity and the source of our strength, Secretary General of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) Sultan Raev said in the interview with Anadolu [Turkish journal], Trend reports.

He noted that the figures of culture and art who address the world from the city of Shusha are very important people both for Azerbaijan and for the entire Turkic world.

Raev pointed out that the brotherly Azerbaijani people have made a great contribution not only to the Turkic World but also to the entire world's culture and civilization. Thanks to the glorious victory of the heroic people of Azerbaijan, the liberated lands are now a space of freedom, independence, and brotherhood.

"If the sounds of gunshots and mine explosions were heard in Shusha before, today the songs of the entire Turkic world are being sung here. Our voice echoes through the vast expanses of Azerbaijans Karabakh," Raev said.

He noted that Azerbaijans Shusha has been declared the cultural capital of the Turkic world. Therefore, many events will be held in the city in this regard in 2023.
Prior to their journey to the International Space Station (ISS) this month, Saudi Astronauts Ali al-Qarni and Rayyanah Barnawi completed their training and started quarantining, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Wednesday.

Read More: Crown Prince Meets Saudi Astronauts Before Their Space Mission

Read More: KSA to Send 1st Saudi Female and Male Astronauts to Space in 2023

The first-ever astronauts from the Kingdom, including the first Arab woman in space, will carry out 20 experiments, including one looking at how to make artificial rain in future human territories on the Moon and Mars.

At the National Space Training and Research Center (NASTAR), one of the most modern flight simulator facilities in Pennsylvania, USA, they received training on all of the equipment and procedures required to accomplish their mission on the ISS with Axiom Space and SpaceX.

"The training program enhanced our readiness to deal with any challenge we may face during the space mission. It helped us develop the skills necessary for the success of the mission. The program emphasizes that space skills require intensive and accurate training, not only to ensure the achievement of the mission's objectives but also to ensure the safety of fellow astronauts' personal space," Al Qarni said.

Saudi Arabia will become just the sixth country to have two national astronauts operating simultaneously onboard the orbiting laboratory, even though 263 individuals from 20 different nations have already visited the ISS.
FUZULI, Azerbaijan, May 11. The scale of destruction in Fuzuli was shocking, Swedish traveler Steve Lindgren, who is with a group of other international travelers from the Swedish 'Club100' organization in Karabakh, told Trend.

"I participated in a mine action program in Southern Lebanon, and 4 of our employees died there. In connection with this program, we were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The employees of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action are also worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, so I want peace to be established in Karabakh. I will always pray for the people here, may my prayers be with them," Lindgren added.

International travelers from the Swedish 'Club100' organization are on a visit to Azerbaijani Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur. The delegation is headed by Bengt Hildebrand, who is represented on the board of the "Club 100". This prestigious regional club unites international travelers of Scandinavian origin. The trip started from the Fuzuli district.

Within three days, the delegation also plans to visit Aghdam, Tartar, Kalbajar, Lachin, Zangilan, and Jabrayil.

This trip is of exceptional importance for the promotion of the territories liberated from occupation within the framework of dark tourism (tourism involving travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy).

Over the past two years, six trips have been organized to Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur by representatives of the world's largest international travel networks - ETIC, MTP, TCC, NomadMania, Travelers Club of Turkiye, the UK "Piki Reels" club. One trip was organized in 2021, four - in 2022, and one trip - in 2023. The current trip is already the seventh in a row.
Fungal networks interconnecting trees in a forest is a key factor that determines the nature of forests and their response to climate change. These networks have also been viewed as a means for trees to help their offspring and other tree-friends, according to the increasingly popular "mother-tree hypothesis." An international group of researchers re-examined the evidence for and against this hypothesis in a new study.

Trees in a forest are interconnected through thread-like structures of symbiotic fungi, called hyphae, which together form an underground network called a mycorrhizal network. While it is well known that the mycorrhizal fungi deliver nutrients to trees in exchange for carbon supplied by the trees, the so-called mother-tree hypothesis implies a whole new purpose of these networks. Through the network, the biggest and oldest trees, also known as mother trees, share carbon and nutrients with the saplings growing in particularly shady areas where there is not enough sunlight for adequate photosynthesis. The network structure should also enable mother trees to detect the ill health of their neighbors through distress signals, alerting them to send these trees the nutrients they need to heal. In this way, mother trees are believed to act as central hubs, communicating with both young seedlings and other large trees around them to increase their chances of survival.

This is a very appealing concept attracting the attention of not only scientists, but also the media, where this hypothesis is often presented as fact. According to the authors of the study just published in New Phytologist, the hypothesis is however hard to reconcile with theory, prompting the researchers to re-examine data and conclusions from publications for and against the mother tree hypothesis.

The study, led by Nils Henriksson at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, found that the empirical evidence for the mother tree hypothesis is actually very limited and theoretical explanations for the mechanisms are largely lacking. While big trees and their interconnections with their neighbors are still essential for the forest ecosystem, the fungal network does not work as a simple pipeline for resource sharing among trees. This means that apparent resource sharing among trees is more likely to be a result of trading between fungi and trees rather than directed transfer from one tree to another. Very often, this even results in aggravated competition between trees rather than support of seedlings.

"We found that mycorrhizal networks are indeed essential for the stability of many forest ecosystems, but rarely through sharing and caring among trees. Rather, it works like a trading ground for individual trees and fungi, each trying to make the best deal to survive," explains Oskar Franklin, a study author and a researcher in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Ecosystem Services Research Group of the IIASA Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program. "The forest is not a super organism or a family of trees helping each other. It is a complex ecosystem with trees, fungi, and other organisms, which are all interdependent but not guided by a common purpose."

"Although the narrative of the mother tree hypothesis is scarcely supported by scientific evidence and is controversial in the scientific community, it has inspired both research and public interest in the complexity of forests. It is vital that the future management and study of forests take the real complexity of these important ecosystems into account," Franklin concludes.
Even without body parts that allowed for movement, new research shows -- for the first time -- that some of Earth's earliest animals managed to be picky about where they lived.

These creatures from the Ediacaran Period, roughly 550 million years ago, are strangely shaped soft-bodied animals that lived in the sea. Researchers have long considered them enigmatic.

"It's not like studying dinosaurs, which are related to birds that we can observe today," said Phillip C. Boan, UC Riverside paleontology graduate student and lead author of the new study. "With these animals, because they have no modern descendants, we're still working out basic questions about how they lived, such as how they reproduced and what they ate."

For this particular research project, the researchers focused on understanding where in the sea the animals spent their lives.

The ancient sea was also a largely foreign place compared to today's marine environments. It was dominated by a mat on the sea floor composed of bacteria and layers of other organic materials. In addition, predatory creatures were uncommon.

Given the alien nature of Ediacaran Earth, the researchers were surprised to find an animal that lived much the way barnacles do today. A new Paleobiology paper details how Obamus coronatus, named for the former U.S. president, opted to live on specific parts of the sea floor in the company of other Obamus.

The animal averaged about a half-inch in diameter and was "shaped like a French cruller donut with ribbons on top," Boan said. It did not move of its own accord, and likely spent its entire life embedded in its preferred spot on the sea floor.

"We think about the very oldest animals and maybe you wouldn't expect them to be so picky. But Obamus only occurs where there is a thick mat, and it's a pretty sophisticated way of making a living for something so very old," said Mary Droser, UCR distinguished professor of paleontology and study co-author.

In 2018, Droser's laboratory named the Obamus in honor of Barack Obama's passion for science. Her group discovered it at an extraordinarily well-preserved fossil site in the Australian Outback, at what is now called Nilpena Ediacara National Park.

A series of storms buried the Ediacaran sea floor at Nilpena in layers of sediment, helping preserve sandstone impressions of entire animal communities that lived together there. "This way, we're able to piece together whole ecosystems," Droser said. "Looking at them is like snorkeling around on the ancient sea floor, instead of looking at a single animal in a fish tank."

For this project, the research team selected three animals found in relatively large numbers at Nilpena, and examined how they were geographically distributed.

The other two animals, Tribrachidium and Rugoconites, are also immobile creatures with no modern descendants. "They are tri-radially symmetrical, like the Mercedes Benz logo," Boan said. "And they would have lived their entire lives embedded in the sea floor, as Obamus did."

Distribution for these other two animals was varied. Sometimes they could be found living in the company of other organisms like themselves, but not in every instance. However, Obamus displayed a clear preference.

"This is really the first example of a habitat-selective Ediacaran creature, the first example of a macroscopic animal doing this," Boan said. "But how did they get where they wanted to go? This is a question we don't yet know the answer to."

The research team theorizes that Obamus were likely motivated by the need to reproduce.

"There are a limited number of reproductive strategies, especially for animals like these," Droser said. "There are more strategies today, and they're more elaborate now. But the same ones used today were still being used 550 million years ago."

Obamus likely spread itself via selective larva that preferred locations with thick microbial mat and near other Obamus. "We don't entirely understand how Obamus offspring spread out, but we know that when they picked a place to live, it was very specific," Boan said.

A deeper understanding of how life on Earth developed over time can give researchers insight into how life could develop on another planet. For this reason, Droser's lab is funded by NASA's Exobiology program.

"This is our window into how a complex ecosystem forms," Boan said. "We only have Earth, and we need to use every part of its history when thinking about life, even way off in the cosmos."
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The visit of a delegation headed by the Rector of the National Defense University of the Republic of Turkiye, Professor Erhan Afyoncu to Azerbaijan continues, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

According to the ministry, representatives of the Institute of the Ground Forces, the Institute of the Air Force and the Institute of the Navy of the National Defense University of the fraternal country visited the graves of national leader of Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev and the outstanding ophthalmologist, Academician Zarifa Aliyeva in the Alley of Honor.

Besides, the delegation visited the graves of Azerbaijani heroes, who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, in the Alley of Martyrs, and the Baku Turkish Martyrs' Memorial [in honor of Turkish soldiers who fought alongside the Azerbaijani forces against the BolsheviksArmenian Dashnaks in 1918], and laid bouquets of flowers at them.

Then the Turkish guests visited the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev and a military commando unit.

During the visit, briefings were given to the guests about the history and activities of military units and institutions, weapons and equipment in use were presented, exemplary performances of commandos were demonstrated, and the sides exchanged presents.
The European Azerbaijan School organized a series of events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the national leader Heydar Aliyev, and to celebrate the declaration of 2023 as the "Year of Heydar Aliyev" by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

The life and legacy of the great leader Heydar Aliyev, who rendered exceptional services to his homeland and people, is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. The 100th anniversary of the birth of the national leader Heydar Aliyev is a significant milestone, widely celebrated both within our country and across international borders. This celebration is a testament to the unparalleled contributions and tireless efforts that Heydar Aliyev devoted to his homeland and people, and is a reflection of the deep respect and gratitude felt by every Azerbaijani towards the Great Leader.

The leadership, academic staff and students of the European Azerbaijan School paid their respects to the memory of Heydar Aliyev by visiting his grave at the Alley of Honor. They laid wreaths of flowers and roses in front of his grave.

Later, the school team laid wreaths and flowers in front of the grave of outstanding ophthalmologist-scientist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva.

The Secondary students of the school organized a flash mob activity dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev's birth, forming the letters "H.A-100" and displaying their respect to the great leader.

The primary school students of the school prepared an interesting composition in honor of Heydar Aliyev, performing the song "You are such a Summit", expressing their deep love and respect for the National Leader.

The Secondary campus hosted an event called "Heydar Aliyev-100" to honor the national leader, which started with the playing of the National Anthem. The director of the school, Francesco Banchini, delivered a speech highlighting Heydar Aliyev's unparalleled services for the prosperity of Azerbaijan, emphasizing the national leader's unwavering commitment to education and his advice to young people to work tirelessly on the path of education. Mr. Banchini urged Azerbaijani youth to follow in Heydar Aliyev's footsteps and to take advantage of educational opportunities to build a brighter future for humanity.

The students presented information and video material dedicated to the life of Heydar Aliyev, including his work as a successful politician and statesman and his purposeful contributions to the welfare of Azerbaijan.

The event ended with the students singing poems and songs dedicated to Heydar Aliyev, honoring his memory and his contributions to their country.

As we reflect on his meaningful life and rich heritage, we express our deep gratitude and respect for his tireless work for the welfare of his country and people. We honor and celebrate the remarkable achievements of the Great Leader and his invaluable role in shaping the future of our nation.
AGHDAM, Azerbaijan, May 11. A Swedish traveler, who is with a group of other international travelers from the Swedish 'Club100' organization in Karabakh, told Trend he visited Karabakh for the first time, and it was sad for him to see the large-scale destruction this territory underwent.

"However we are also witnessing the restoration and restoration work being carried out here. Its very pleasant to watch how people clear these lands from mines and restore territories," he said.

International travelers from the Swedish 'Club100' organization are on a visit to Azerbaijani Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur. The delegation is headed by Bengt Hildebrand, who is represented on the board of the "Club 100". This prestigious regional club unites international travelers of Scandinavian origin. The trip started from the Fuzuli district.

Within three days, the delegation also plans to visit Tartar, Kalbajar, Lachin, Zangilan, and Jabrayil.

This trip is of exceptional importance for the promotion of the territories liberated from occupation within the framework of dark tourism (tourism involving travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy).

Over the past two years, six trips have been organized to Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur by representatives of the world's largest international travel networks - ETIC, MTP, TCC, NomadMania, Travelers Club of Turkiye, the UK "Piki Reels" club. One trip was organized in 2021, four - in 2022, and one trip - in 2023. The current trip is already the seventh in a row.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The Azercosmos space agency revenues reached 515 million manat ($302 million) since the beginning of its activity in 2013, Chairman of the Board of Azercosmos Space Agency Samaddin Asadov said during the discussion of the new draft law on space activities at the meeting of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) Committee on economic policy, industry and entrepreneurship, Trend reports.

Asadov pointed out that 90 percent of the income came from abroad, in USD and euro.

"We have supported the inflow of foreign currency into the country. The space sphere is considered profitable and pays off," he said.

The company owns two communication satellites  Azerspace-1 and Azerspace-2, as well as the low-orbit Azersky satellite.

In 2022, the income of the Azercosmos space agency from the sale of satellite and telecommunication services amounted to $26.6 million.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov has met with the President of Exploration and Production at Total Energy Nicolas Terraz, Trend reports via a tweet of Azerbaijani Minister of Economy.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on the company's activities in Azerbaijan, opportunities for expanding cooperation, and promising projects.
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that IRB Brasil Resseguros S.A., a publicly-traded Brazilian reinsurance company, agreed to a civil injunction to settle charges that the company had planted a false story with the media and disseminated false documents in order to influence IRB's stock price.

According to the SEC's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, in February 2020 after a significant decline in IRB's stock price following a short seller's report questioning IRB's financial results, IRB and its former executive vice president of finance and investor relations, Fernando Passos, spread a fabricated story that Berkshire Hathaway Inc. had recently invested in IRB. The complaint alleges that IRB, through Passos, created and shared a fake shareholder list that showed Berkshire had made substantial purchases of IRB stock. The complaint further alleges that IRB communicated the false information to analysts and investors during meetings in both the United Kingdom and the United States. According to the complaint, IRB's stock price rose by more than 6 percent following the Brazilian and U.S. media reports that Berkshire had invested in IRB and subsequently dropped by more than 40 percent after Berkshire denied that it was an investor. Following Berkshire's denial, IRB conducted an internal investigation; shared the results with SEC staff; and fully cooperated with the SEC's investigation. IRB also took extensive remedial measures, including replacing senior management; replacing and expanding its Board of Directors; and implementing processes and procedures designed to prevent this type of misconduct from occurring in the future.

IRB consented to the entry of a final judgment, subject to court approval, which would permanently enjoin it from violating the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. Due in part to the company's significant cooperation and remediation in this matter, the SEC did not impose a penalty as part of its settlement with the company. On April 18, 2022, the SEC charged Passos with violating the antifraud provisions of the Exchange Act and is seeking civil monetary penalties, as well as an officer-and-director bar, against him.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Jeffrey Lyons and supervised by Ian Karpel, Nicholas Heinke, and Jason Burt of the Denver Regional Office, with the assistance of trial counsel Zachary Carlyle under the supervision of Gregory Kasper.
The SEC today announced that it had obtained ex parte emergency court orders from the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, after it filed a complaint under seal charging Charles Thomas Lawrence, Jr., a resident of Connecticut and Long Island, New York, with misappropriating at least $4.8 million from 11 investors in Wisconsin, North Carolina, New York, and elsewhere. On May 4, 2023, the court entered an ex parte temporary restraining order against Lawrence, prohibiting him from violating the antifraud provisions of Securities Act and Exchange Act, and from soliciting, accepting, or depositing any monies obtained from actual or prospective investors pending the final outcome of the action, as well as other ancillary relief. The court also froze Lawrence's assets, and the assets of five named relief defendants.

According to the SEC's complaint, Lawrence schemed to defraud investors and misappropriated at least $4.8 million of investor funds for personal benefit. As alleged, Lawrence misrepresented that he was the managing director of a defunct Swedish entity and that, among other things, the investment contracts he offered guaranteed no losses and generated weekly investment returns that ranged from 25 to 100%. However, these no-risk investments were fictitious, the complaint alleges. Lawrence allegedly directed money instead to an entity he controls, Landes Prive, LLC. As further alleged, Lawrence misappropriated almost all of the investor funds to make lavish personal purchases, including spending at least $1.2 at Cartier and at least $522,000 for charter jets and international travel. In addition, Lawrence is alleged to have sent at least $689,000 to the named relief defendants. Finally, the complaint alleges that Lawrence attempted to hide his scheme when he created a fake web-portal purporting to show investments and returns, gave various excuses for failure to return investor funds, and made Ponzi-like payments to certain investors.

The SEC's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin charges Lawrence with violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The SEC seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, a civil penalty, and a bar against Lawrence serving as an officer or director of a public company. The complaint also names relief defendants: Justin D. Smith, Brenda M. Bisner, Landes Prive, LLC, Landes and Compagnie Trust Prive a/k/a Landes and Compagnie Trst [sic] Prive KB; and HekYeah, LLC, and seeks disgorgement with prejudgment interest from each relief defendant.

The SEC's investigation, which is ongoing, was conducted by Matthew T. Wissa, Keith Constance, and supervised by Amy S. Cotter of the Chicago Regional Office. The litigation will be handled by Mr. Wissa, BeLinda Mathie, and Daniel Hayes.

The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Missouri Secretary of State Securities Division.
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against GA Investors and John Does 1-4 alleging that the defendants conducted fraudulent offerings of securities, including crypto asset mining pools, through dozens of websites. Among other emergency relief, the SEC seeks an order requiring that defendants' fraudulent websites be taken down immediately.

The SEC's complaint alleges that defendants have offered investments through dozens of fraudulent websites including GA-Investors.org. According to the complaint, the websites offered exorbitant returns -- in some cases as high as 61.9% in 24 hours -- for investments in various securities. The complaint alleges that some of the websites also impersonated legitimate companies, including a registered broker-dealer. As alleged in the complaint, defendants solicited investors across the world, including investors in the United States, who invested approximately $85,000 in GA Investors' fraudulent securities offering. The complaint alleges that the GA Investors website offered guaranteed daily returns ranging from 2% to 4.5%. As alleged in the complaint, investors were directed to purchase crypto assets from a separate crypto asset trading platform and transfer those crypto assets to a GA Investors wallet address. The complaint alleges that, although some investors were able to make small withdrawals from their accounts, when the investors sought to recoup larger portions of their investments, the defendants froze investor accounts and misappropriated the investor funds.

The SEC's complaint, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, charges GA Investors and John Does 1-4 with violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The SEC seeks an order granting a temporary restraining order, asset freeze, and other emergency relief. The complaint also seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus prejudgment interest, and civil monetary penalties.

The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) has issued Investor Alerts warning investors about fraudulent crypto trading websites and crypto investment scams. Additionally, OIEA and the FBI jointly warned investors about fraudsters who falsely claim to be registered -- or who impersonate registered investment professionals -- in order to lure investors into scams.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Kerry Dakin, Alyssa DiPaolo, Sean Fishkind, David London, Russell Mawn, John McCann, and Celia Moore, of the SEC's Boston Regional Office.
L to R: Thea Donahue (Senior Designer), Jacob Bonacorsi (Senior Designer), Shari Stein (Co-owner DesignTeam Plus, Registered Interior Designer), Harold Remlinger (Co-owner, DTP, Licensed Architect), Jo Alter (Senior Project Manager, Senior Designer)

Construction is well underway at the site of downtown Farmingtons soon-to-be newest brewery, Heights Brewing. The husband-and-wife team of Ryan Kavanagh and Shawn MacDonnell have made the big step out from a home brewing operation and into the old Pages Food & Spirits building, where theyll make and serve a variety of seasonal and mainstay beers, and offer smoked meats and more. Unique to their menu are gluten-free beers and food items, which adds an extra layer of foresight in designing the new space. That results in two distinct grain mills, one for standard beers and one for gluten-free. Exhaust systems will even remove particulates from the air.Its a new set of challenges for the team at DesignTeam Plus, which is impressive considering that the Birmingham-based design firm has more than 17 (and counting) breweries in their portfolio. This is also a more urban setting than the firm is typically used to, which creates additional challenges  and opportunities.Downtown Farmington is experiencing significant investment in its public spaces, with the Farmington Road streetscape project making that corridor more walkable and pedestrian-friendly, and pocket parks popping up wherever the city can squeeze them in. DesignTeam Plus has incorporated that emphasis on public spaces into their own project, as well soon find out.We spoke with Harold Remlinger, co-owner of DesignTeam Plus and the architect of record for the Heights Brewing project, and Shari Stein, co-owner and Principal Interior Designer for the firm.How would you characterize your design for Heights Brewings new home?It's kind of a collaboration between the owners and ourselves, because as part of our design process we always ask the owners to provide us with three adjectives that describe their brand. What they came to us with was Delicious, Decadent, and Local. So we looked at materials that were timeless, but also that fall under the decadent side of things  being of very nice quality, appealing, interesting. Materials that are always drawing people back in to take a look at what's going on as things are changing.We also took our whole team to downtown Farmington and walked the streets, in the early phase of design, to get the flavor and flair of the farmers market, the artwork, the murals, to integrate all of that into the interior environment.And as to the delicious aspect, that fell mostly on the client side with the styles of beer that they're producing, the gluten-free beer that they're going to be producing as well as the smoked meats and foods that they're going to be serving. They challenged us with designing the brewhouse and the kitchen to accommodate those gluten-free items. I feel that we've created an interesting space that's inviting  the street frontage with the windows opening up and the large glass garage door so you can see the brewhouse from the street. And that's how we're tying in the local aspect, that we're actually interacting with the public as they are going by. The brewery is located within The Syndicate area, which allows for open alcohol in public areas. We tried to embrace that. They also wanted to pay homage to Pages restaurant because thats what was in that building for almost 37 years beforehand. And prior to that it was the Stein Haus, which the community really remembers well, too. When comments were coming back on our Facebook posts about this project, a lot of people liked looking back and reminiscing about their days in the 70s going to the Stein Haus. So it's funny that it went from the Stein Haus to Pages and now back to beer with a new brewing company. We tried to preserve the street frontage facade, but add in custom awnings that will be backlit, which then creates interest and is visually appealing to basically create wayfinding so that people know exactly where they are downtown.So we preserved the brick but are giving it a modern flair.To piggyback off what you said earlier about taking the staff downtown and walking around and drinking it all in  forgive the pun  what were you struck by downtown and how was that incorporated?One thing is the murals downtown. They have some really cool murals on the buildings downtown and our employees really wanted to embrace that. We have a custom wall covering that were doing for Heights.Its a sort of mural on the inside of the brewery that maps out the different styles of beer, and other southeastern Michigan breweries styles of beer, as well. Even Farmington Brewing Company will be recognized on the wall of Heights, to get that local brewers culture and the connection between the community of microbreweries.Its kind of like a brewery map, if you will.Given that your firm has designed so many Michigan breweries now, how does this one fit in? How is it uniquely itself?We view each one as unique because we really cater to each particular client. Its all about their personality; were not just cutting and pasting. So with every single client, it's all about personality and flair.I think this one is probably the most urban setting of breweries that we've done. A lot of our breweries have been out in rural areas and on their own property. This one is landlocked, it has zero property lines, and it's in an urban downtown. So we really have to focus on the connection to the streetscape. How do people interact with it? And what's the circulation for delivery? And how that affects what goes on. So I think that would kind of make this one a little bit more unique as youre in this very urban downtown setting.*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.Heights Brewing is located at 23621 Farmington Rd. in downtown Farmington. Visit them online for updates on their expected September opening. And visit DesignTeam Plus online for a peek at their portfolio of Michigan breweries and more.
City Manager Mark Vanderpool (File photo: Joe Powers Insitu Photography)

The Esports Arena is complete with Alienware Aurora R12 gaming computers with i7 processors. (File photo: Steve Koss)

Following the recession in 2008, many southeastern Michigan communities faced challenges and downturns. More than a decade later, the impacts of the recession lingers on in some of these communities, via lower property values and a loss of population. However, one community was able to pivot and look toward the future. Sterling Heights Vision 2030 plan created a series of investments and outreach that has now made Sterling Heights one of the top three cities to live in Macomb County.Sterling Heights is a relatively young municipal city, like many suburbs in the metro Detroit area, and was incorporated in 1968. Today, with a growing population of more than 133,000 residents, Sterling Heights has established itself as the fourth-largest city in the state. That places it just behind neighboring Warren, which has more than 138,000 residents for the title of Michigan's third largest city.Sterling Heights' real estate market has remained strong throughout the years. There was a population increase from 2010 to 2020, making it one of the few metro cities in the area to grow in population. Cities like Detroit, Fraser, and Madison Heights all saw declines during the same period.The median home sale price in the city is $270,000 as of March 2023. That is $100,000 more than Warren and nearly $200,000 more than Detroit. According to Redfin, homes sell, on average, 1 percent below the asking price and within a month of listing  twice as fast as a city like Ann Arbor. So what makes Sterling Heights unique? They have a vision."We were at a fork in the road. It was a really important moment," City Manager Mark Vanderpool says about the time leading up to developing Vision 2030. There was a lot of discussion, and we decided the best thing to do was take this chance to invest in the community."Vanderpool has been working for the city for 19 years. His more than 36 years of experience in the field has taken him to different points throughout the country. When the opportunity came to work for Sterling Heights, he says he jumped at the chance.This is a wonderful city to work for, because everyone is working to make it work. Were not caught up in politics or opinions  everyone from the Mayor (Michael Taylor), to city council to DPW, we just want to make the city work. Its about a commitment to excellence, says Vanderpool.That commitment led Sterling Heights to create its Vision 2030 plan in 2014. The plan was designed to invest in the city and put it in a better place to recover after the recession ended. The plan was developed around seven guiding principles: Provide safe neighborhoods, create vibrant leisure and recreation experiences, form walking and biking paths, develop private and public focal points in the community, maintain aesthetically pleasing greenspaces, offer unique commerce experiences, and establish a high-tech and emerging industrial sector.Pick a point in any news cycle and the city has likely made an announcement of one improvement or another being made as it relates to one of those seven guiding principles. It was just last month when the city announced its Think Sterling Green initiative , a series of sustainability efforts that works to improve the citys green infrastructure while creating savings opportunities for city residents. That announcement came on the heels of their debuting the new WaterSmart website , which allows residents to save money and conserve water by monitoring their water usage down to the hour.Vision 2030s goals created measurable metrics for the city. Sterling Heights 2021 residential survey showed that 87 percent of residents were satisfied living in the city. In that same year, they performed a review of the plan and saw that they were falling short on their hiring goals. The city then implemented a leaner hiring process by focusing on the best talent and increasing compensation to increase recruitment.When the city needed to raise funds for projects, they were able to use the plan to present direct cause-and-effect examples to residents."We put the issues on the ballot and let the people decide. It was an investment of about $50 million. We made it clear what they were getting and how we were going to do it. I really credit our mayor and council for having the courage to put everything forward," says Vanderpool.One of those proposals was REcreating Recreation. The 2016 millage transformed empty lots and unused space into recreational destinations.Dodge Park is a prime example of this investment. There's also the farmers market, the award-winning Esports Arena , the Music in the Park concert series, the ice rink, and Community Center  all products of the millage. The programs final capstone project, a three-season bocce ball facility dubbed the Bocce Barn, celebrated its opening this past March "When the REcreating Recreation Millage passed, it was close. There are always people wary of raising any kind of tax. I can tell you though, everyone I've known who has voted against it loves it now," says Melanie Davis.Davis is Sterling Heights Communications Director  and some say a magician, since she seems to appear at every event no matter her schedule. Davis believes that these events are the reason the city has been so successful. They present multiple opportunities for residents to engage and connect. She credits the city's administration for creating the right atmosphere and not letting politics take precedence over their residents."Leadership here is what made the difference. I don't think any of the big ideas we had would have happened without the Mayor and Councilor Mark [Vanderpool] and all of our employees, Davis says. I think of the library and all the outreach it does. Right now a lot of libraries in the country are facing heavy opposition. Here, they have the freedom to meet everyones needs."Davis has lived in the city since she was 7 years old and says she wouldnt move anywhere else if given the chance.My kids are the big reason Im here. Its a very safe city and the schools are great. Theres a real sense of community and I wouldnt want to leave that.
Brenda Hunt, President and CEO of the Battle Creek Community Foundation will retire at the end of March 2024.

Brenda Hunt, President and CEO of the Battle Creek Community Foundation is seen at her 25th-year celebration with the foundation in 2018.

Brenda Hunt, President and CEO of the Battle Creek Community Foundation will retire at the end of March 2024.

Brenda Hunt, President and CEO of the Battle Creek Community Foundation is seen at her 25th-year celebration with the foundation in 2018.

Brenda Hunt, President and CEO of the Battle Creek Community Foundation will retire at the end of March 2024.

Brenda Hunt, President and CEO of the Battle Creek Community Foundation will retire at the end of March 2024.
Everyone experiences anxiety differently. It helps to find a coping mechanism that works for you, as well as having someone there for you when you need them, whether it be a friend, therapist, partner, or whoever works for you. There are ways to help Athena McCarthy

There are many ways to cope with anxiety, and coping mechanisms vary between people. Some things that can often help are repetitive motions, like finding something to fidget with, medication, and having a safe person to talk to. Athena McCarthy

Anxiety can lead to a severe panicked feeling, and once it gets bad enough, it can cause anxiety attacks. But, we should keep in mind that anxiety isn't all bad, it's just when someone has an extra amount of anxiety that it can become a problem. Athena McCarthy

In some cases, anxiety can get really bad, and it can make you want to stop talking, make you feel like everyone is judging you, and such. Athena McCarthy

Having anxiety is a condition where you have more anxiety, or feel more afraid about simple things than other people do. A lot of people have anxiety, but it is still something that needs to be brought more to light. Athena McCarthy

Having anxiety is a condition where you have more anxiety, or feel more afraid about simple things than other people do. A lot of people have anxiety, but it is still something that needs to be brought more to light.

In some cases, anxiety can get really bad, and it can make you want to stop talking, make you feel like everyone is judging you, and such.

Anxiety can lead to a severe panicked feeling, and once it gets bad enough, it can cause anxiety attacks. But, we should keep in mind that anxiety isn't all bad, it's just when someone has an extra amount of anxiety that it can become a problem.

There are many ways to cope with anxiety, and coping mechanisms vary between people. Some things that can often help are repetitive motions, like finding something to fidget with, medication, and having a safe person to talk to.

Everyone experiences anxiety differently. It helps to find a coping mechanism that works for you, as well as having someone there for you when you need them, whether it be a friend, therapist, partner, or whoever works for you. There are ways to help

Athena McCarthy, 15, Voices of Youth Battle Creek Artist

Athena McCarthy, 15, Voices of Youth Battle Creek Artist

Editor's note: This project is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave's Voices of Youth Battle Creek program which is supported by the BINDA foundation, Battle Creek Community Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the City of Battle Creek.Athena McCarthy, a 15-year-old freshman in high school, has been drawing their entire life. Currently, they have started taking classes as part of Kellogg Community College's high school dual enrollment program, and are happy to learn more about art. Athena likes time to themselves, music, and video games, and they want to take a stand in the world through their artwork.When Athena was conceiving this project, they decided they wanted to create something related to anxiety. Athena has anxiety, and they want to show part of how it can feel to the world, but if you can find the right people, they can help you manage it. They created these works digitally on ibis paint.
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.
Nick Otto/Special to The Chronicle

A San Francisco man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after stabbing a man with a cleaver aboard a BART train heading from Embarcadero to West Oakland, according to officials.

Charles Johnson, 24, was arrested around 1 p.m. while fleeing with the victims backpack after the train arrived at West Oakland Station, authorities said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The lead detective in the fatal 2021 freeway shooting of 23-month-old Jasper Wu testified during a preliminary hearing this week, revealing how he zeroed in on the men charged in a case that has devastated community members and amplified the debate over Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Prices policies.

Derek Hatzenbuhler of the California Highway Patrol described a murder case built on jailhouse calls, vehicle records, police camera footage, wiretaps and statements made by a dead man. Trevor Green, Ivory Bivens and Johnny Jackson Jr. are each charged with murder and a raft of other counts and enhancements in what authorities allege was a roving gun battle in Oakland between rival gang members.

The case has drawn widespread attention because Prices predecessor, Nancy OMalley, charged the three men with enhancements meant to lengthen sentences. Price, who campaigned on a progressive platform in her bid to succeed OMalley, generally doesnt support sentencing enhancements.

The preliminary hearing, which started April 24, hasnt revealed how the District Attorneys Office will ultimately prosecute the case in front of a jury. Its up to the judge hearing the evidence what charges the state could take to trial, a decision likely to come some time after the hearing.

But Prices handling of the case has been the subject of intense speculation and scrutiny. Some county residents and Jaspers family fear Prices progressive policies could lead to lighter sentences for the defendants. Prices defenders point out she has said shes still weighing the case and say its unfair to challenge her based on speculation.

Green, 22, Bivens, 24, and Jackson, 28, who have all pleaded not guilty, face potential sentences of up to life in prison without parole if convicted. Price, however, pledged on the campaign trail last year to never seek life without the possibility of parole in any case.

If convicted of the charges against them, even without sentencing enhancements, which Price has sought to limit, the defendants would face life sentences and lengthy terms in prison before theyd be eligible to seek parole.

In a video statement last month, Price said shed met with the Fremont toddlers parents and told them she would hold the people responsible accountable and work to make sure another family doesnt endure another such tragedy.

Jaspers mother keeps a picture of him in a Superman costume and has recalled him as an incredibly good boy.

On the afternoon of Nov. 6, 2021, Jasper was struck in the head by a stray bullet on Interstate 880 that the detective testified was fired as two alleged gang members attempted to shoot two rivals traveling in another car. The targets of the gunfire fired back, Hatzenbuhler said.

He said he learned at 2:30 p.m. of the shooting and soon heard that a man had checked himself into San Francisco General Hospital, across the Bay Bridge, with a gunshot wound to the back. In a trauma unit, the investigator found Keison Lee, 34, who told him hed been shot on I-880 in Oakland while driving an unknown vehicle from an unknown friend, Hatzenbuhler said.

Lee said he didnt know whod shot him but that they were in a sedan. Lee said he didnt return fire.

Prosecutor Peter McGuinness played surveillance video from a street near the hospital that showed a man walking away from a Nissan Altima. Hatzenbuhler said the man was the defendant Jackson, and that the car had both bullet entry and exit points.

Inside the car, Hatzenbuhler said, police found a large blanket printed with what appeared to be a blown-up pregnancy announcement photo Jackson posed for with the mother of his child. A photo of the blanket was shown in court.

McGuinness also played video from a police camera on 82nd Avenue in Oakland. Hatzenbuhler testified that he recognized Lee and Jackson as two men who climbed into a car resembling the Nissan, which was parked near a home that Jackson appeared to visit. The video shows the men drive away about 15 minutes before the shooting.

A man who was at the home on 82nd Avenue recalled that Lee called him not long after leaving and said a dark Infiniti had pushed up on the Nissan on I-880, Hatzenbuhler testified. Lee wanted the man to check the home security camera to see if the sedan had been by the house.

The camera  and the police pole camera  indeed showed a dark Infiniti sedan pass the house shortly before Lee and allegedly Jackson appeared in the frame and got in the Nissan.

Judge Scott Patton also heard a series of jailhouse calls, including one that went to a phone number allegedly belonging to Green at 11 a.m. on the morning of the shooting. The detective said Green received the call from the jail while in a vehicle going through a McDonalds drive-thru with Bivens, whose voice Hatzenbuhler said he recognized on the recording. The detective characterized the call as evidence that Green and Bivens were in the same vehicle hours before the shooting.

Hatzenbuhler said he also found an online listing for the Infiniti, and the seller confirmed that Bivens had purchased the vehicle a month before the November 2021 shooting. The investigator said he matched the vehicle identification number to the one on the car Bivens had purchased when it was found in Vallejo in 2022.

The detectives identifications of the defendants voices on tapes, which are scratchy and distorted, could be critical in the case.

Defense attorneys fought to exclude various phone calls involving the defendants that were intercepted by law enforcement, including one that the prosecutor said features Lee telling an associate that Green and Bivens had been the ones shooting at him on I-880.

Ernie Castillo, a lawyer representing Bivens, said it was clear that even if the state was interpreting the tape correctly, Lee had no way of knowing who shot him and wouldve only been privy to rumors.

There is no way he had direct knowledge of who carried out the shooting, Castillo said.

The judge agreed it was unlikely that Lee couldve seen and recognized the face of the person or people who were shooting at him from behind while driving.

Lee cant be asked about what he knew or how he knew it. Lee was killed in a drive-by shooting on 82nd Avenue almost one year to the day after Jaspers homicide.

The judge said he was well aware Lees statements couldve been based on rumor, and that he would give them proper weight when deciding whether the state has enough evidence to proceed to trial.
The Oakland teachers strike continued into the sixth day Thursday, with no indication from either side that an agreement was imminent.

The two sides remained at the bargaining table but appeared to remain at odds over both the unions salary and common good demands that fall outside the state-mandated contract topics of compensation and working conditions.

The common good demands falling outside the required contract issues include using district property for homeless family housing; reparations for Black students; a water station for every 300 students; increasing mental health support staffing; and subsidized transportation for all 34,000 students, among other items.

District officials for the first time put a number on the common good demands, saying they would cost $1 billion to implement.

Oakland education officials described that number as laughable, according to a union representative. It was unclear how district officials could get close to that number, they said.

District officials did not provide a breakdown of the $1 billion based on the demands.

Union officials responded later in the day to provide their own estimate for what appeared to be a small subset of the common good demands, saying they have proposed adding a small amount of staff, which would cost an additional $500,000. Yet the union also did not provide cost estimates for most of the common good demands such as water stations, reparations, homeless proposals and subsidized transportation, in addition to additional staffing for mental health, nurses, art programs and more.

Our common good goals are largely about ensuring educators, parents, students and other stakeholders have a voice in the decision-making process, said Kampala Taiz-Rancifer, union vice president. We have no idea how OUSD came up with that ridiculous number.

In terms of compensation and benefits, it appeared Oakland Education Association and district officials were relatively close. The union has demanded a 23% raise. The district has offered a 13% to 22% raise for teachers and a lesser increase for other members of the bargaining unit, including nurses, counselors and librarians.

All 3,000 members would get a 10% retroactive raise from October and a $5,000 one-time bonus. The total cost of the districts compensation proposal would cost about $70 million annually.

A mid-career teacher, according to the district, would get an $11,342 annual raise and more than $10,000 in back pay and bonus. The raise would mean an annual salary of $89,759.

Based on the terms of the current contract, the gross pay would be $69-$72 per hour for the mid-level teacher, up from just over $60. That pay is based 6.75-hour days for elementary teachers and seven-hour days for middle and high schools teachers over a 186-day work year.

At the top end of the scale, teachers would make about $85 per hour under the districts proposal, up from about $72.

The compensation package also includes full health coverage, which means a 15% increase in district costs, and the equivalent of 19% of payroll for state-required pension costs.

District Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell said the two sides were close on salary and benefits, but there isnt enough money to cover all the union is asking for in other areas.

The remaining issue is to how best to work on the common good proposal, which seeks to assign the school district addressing such broad societal issues as housing for homeless or drought-resistant landscaping, she said in a video statement late Wednesday. The issues cannot be tackled through school district budgets alone.

As worthy as the common good causes might be, they should not hold childrens learning hostage or deprive students of the services schools provide, including nutrition, safety and social-emotional connections, she added. OUSD wants to find a way other than the bargaining table to take on these issues and move forward with getting students back to the classroom and putting a significant raise into employees paychecks now.

The national teachers union has increasingly advocated for common good proposals in contracts, with Los Angeles, West Contra Costa and San Diego school districts including clauses that relate to items outside mandatory bargaining topics.

Our common good proposals reflect the priorities identified in our member bargaining survey and our conversations with thousands of OUSD parents and community members, Oakland union officials wrote on their website.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao weighed in on the open-ended strike, urging the two sides to work together to settle the strike.

One Oakland means that we all work together toward a shared goal of a united city  one in which all residents have opportunities to live, work, play and learn, she said in a statement. That includes our children, who deserve to be in classrooms getting quality education in a safe, equitable and joyful environment.

The demands, however, have split the community, with parent petitions and co-signed letters calling for the strike to end, and others expressing ongoing support for the teachers and union.

We recognize that in addition to fair wages, teachers are also striking for safer and more racially just schools for all our students, according to a letter circulating online and requesting signatures. Teacher retention depends not only on fair pay; teachers also need the support required to successfully do their jobs. These common good items  including safe learning environments and shared decision-making at community schools  reflect care for the whole child. They support the student, teacher, and community to facilitate learning and ensure that every child can thrive.
Not everyone is panicking as technology companies leave San Francisco or lay off workers, big stores shutter and a hobbled downtown threatens to drag the city into economic crisis.

Some hope the decline will lower the cost of housing so they and others can afford to move to the city  or avoid having to leave  after persistently high prices pushed or kept them out for years, or had them barely making the rent. That could also help restaurants and other working-class employers replenish their ranks, after a mass exodus during the pandemic.

Rents havent gone down enough for crucial low-wage health care workers, para-educators in the public schools, hotel workers, janitors, who are having a hard time coming back to the city, said Sarah Fred Sherburn-Zimmer, executive director of the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco. She added that some people earning slightly more, at nonprofits and schools, have been able to move to the city.

In scattered conversations across social media, people wish for lower rents and hope that a doom loop could deliver them.

Can someone explain to me why the doom loop will be bad for those of us who want to stay here indefinitely regardless? said someone with the username my_life_has_value on the internet forum Reddit.

I feel like Im missing something, but if remote workers dont return and major chunks of the city remain more or less empty, how will that not decrease rents? this person said. Im actively looking to move to the East Bay or elsewhere solely for cost of living reasons, but I would love to stay if I could, the rest of it be damned.

Whats SFNext SFNext is a Chronicle special project to involve city residents in finding solutions to some of San Franciscos most pressing problems. Send feedback, ideas and suggestions to sfnext@SFChronicle.com Where to find more SFNext content

A doom loop is a self-reinforcing economic downturn, characterized in San Francisco by downtown office buildings that emptied during the pandemic and remain so because of remote work, leading to the real estate depreciating in value, tanking tax revenue for City Hall and thinning public services until residents and businesses leave, further shrinking the tax base. Mayor London Breeds office insists the city is not in a doom loop, but a string of store closings and falling real estate valuations continue.

San Franciscos high cost of living can be a barrier to hiring enough people in these and other crucial fields, such as teachers, emergency services workers, child care providers and even police. Numerous city departments also face staffing shortfalls.

When there arent enough workers to perform these essential jobs, the city doesnt function as well, said Issi Romem, former chief economist at real estate listing site Trulia and founder of research firm MetroSight.

Across all city departments, total vacancies are equal to 4,259 positions, or about 12% of full-time staff, according to data from the citys Department of Human Resources. Some have greater vacancy levels, like the Port of San Francisco, at 27%, and the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, at about 24%.

Reddit user intrepid-puddle wrote they had just moved back to the city and hoped they could afford to stay.

Myself and nearly everyone I know lost our rental housing between 2013-19 (evicted one way or another when our buildings were sold to be rented at higher rates), the poster wrote.

Others suspected the doom loop might usher in a cultural and demographic shift.

People wanted tech out and to reverse gentrification. It seems like this doom loop would deliver that, wrote user krad-31337. If things get bad enough, more and more of the wealthy will leave.

Rents in San Francisco have generally risen since the mid-1990s as the city became a global technology hub, though the burst of the dot-com bubble in the early 2000s and later small shocks temporarily interrupted climbing prices, according to Patrick Carlisle, chief market analyst for the San Francisco branch of real estate firm Compass. COVID-19 dealt a blow reminiscent of the dot-com crash, cutting average asking rents about 25% in 2020, according to Compass analysis. The most severe drops were probably in the relatively new apartment buildings along Market Street in the downtown area, Carlisle said.

But rents have crept back up and stand at only about 13% below levels for two-bedroom apartments just before the pandemic hit, and 16% below the peak in mid-2019, according to estimates from listings site Apartment List. That drop isnt enough to enable many lower earners to afford housing. As of April, two-bedroom apartments rented for an average of about $2,550 per month, Apartment List data show, while currently on Craigslist the average listing is about $3,900. To comfortably afford a two-bedroom flat that rented for the average of those two prices, a household would need to earn at least about $129,000, the equivalent of about $62 per hour, according to federal affordability guidelines.

Thats far more than the median hourly wage of $17.05 for restaurant servers in the San Francisco metropolitan area, which includes Oakland and Hayward, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; its $17.21 for bartenders; $19.29 for janitors; $20.41 for cooks. People in other important professions also struggle to live in the city, such as preschool teachers, with a median income of $21.66, and school bus drivers, at $28.18 per hour. Firefighters are more secure, earning a median income of $48.47 per hour, while police patrol officers earn $60.38.

At current levels, lower rents are more a benefit to those who can already afford to live in the city, but who might be able to move to larger or better quarters, or simply save money.

Still, rents could fall again if the citys economy continues to slide.

Were seeing tons and tons of residential vacancies across the city, said Sherburn-Zimmer of the Housing Rights Committee, and reduced demand would push prices down over time. With more units empty, current tenants will have leverage to negotiate rent levels with their landlords, she said. In one case, a tenant association is trying to negotiate with corporate landlord Veritas over rent increases, Sherburn-Zimmer said.

For Alicia Sandoval, born and raised in the Mission District, the pandemic lowered rents just enough that she could return after being priced out for a decade.

A 2010 job loss left Sandoval unable to cover her San Francisco rent, so she moved in with friends and then got her own place in the less expensive Concord area, far from her community. In 2016, she started work as a tenant counselor at the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, when in-office work was still the norm, requiring an exhausting two-hour commute each way. But in late 2021 she scored an apartment in the Mission, slicing her commute time and putting her once again near family.

She recalled the first time her parents visited her new home.

Theyre elderly, so theyd never been over to where I used to live in Contra Costa, Sandoval said. So making them dinner, inviting them over to my place, thats priceless.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

For the past two months, floodwaters have been lapping at the edges of a city in the San Joaquin Valley and its prison complex, and efforts to finance a levee upgrade had hit a wall  until last week.

On Thursday, after weeks of pleas for money, Gov. Gavin Newsom committed to help pay the roughly $17 million to $21 million cost of raising Corcorans nearly 15-mile-long levee.

The funding couldnt come soon enough. The giant snowpack in the Sierra Nevada continues to melt, and a historical lake that reappeared with the wet weather and threatens to flood Corcoran is expected to grow with the mountain runoff.

Already, water from the revived Tulare Lake is rising along the southeast and western portions of the citys L-shaped levee. About 22,500 residents live in this farm community, more than 8,000 of whom are inmates at two neighboring state correctional facilities.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

California is facing unprecedented weather whiplash  we just experienced the driest three years on record, and now were dealing with historic flooding, Newsom said in a statement Thursday.

Beyond money, the other wildcard has been time. The city hopes to get the levee raised before the bulk of the snowmelt comes down from the mountains, probably late this month or in June, and potentially swells Tulare Lake.Its a huge undertaking. An early project proposal estimated that raising the levee by an average of 4 feet would require about 850,000 cubic yards of dirt  more than 50,000 dump trucks worth.

The city and the local Cross Creek Flood Control District began raising the levee last month, but City Manager Greg Gatzka said theyd only get so far with the work because of limited funds. Gatzka said at the time they had no choice but to move forward.

As of last week, the project was more than half complete.

The governors funding support will enable us to continue swift action on our urgent levee needs, Corcoran Mayor Jeanette Zamora-Bragg said in an email.

The Governors Office of Emergency Services plans to front $17 million for cost of the levee project. State officials hope the payment will be reimbursed by the federal government under President Bidens recent declaration of emergency for Kings County.

Raising the Corcoran levee provides greater certainty that we wont need to evacuate critical facilities and will ensure public safety, Newsom said.

The citys levee has been raised several times before, largely because the ground is sinking in the Tulare Lake basin as a result of excessive groundwater pumping on farms. In Corcoran, the current rate of subsidence is more than a foot per year, according to the state Department of Water Resources.

State officials said they dont want to see the state or federal government having to pay more money to raise the levee in the future if the ground continues to sink and would open discussions with local officials and farmers about the subsidence. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, passed in 2014, requires communities to halt overpumping, but the terms dont fully kick in for years.

I look forward to a conversation on what the local agency is going to do differently so that we dont find ourselves in this situation again, Newsom said.

The formation of the long-dormant Tulare Lake was the product of an extraordinarily wet winter, culminating with a series of big storms in March.

The basins many dams, canals, levees and ditches normally contain the water that runs out of the Sierra and into the valley, but this year it was too much. The lakebed, which is mostly farmland with the exception of a few communities such as Corcoran, has subsequently flooded. Earlier this month, more than 100,000 acres was under water.

State officials also said Thursday that the governors proposed budget for next fiscal year, released Friday, would contain additional one-time money to help communities across California deal with the impacts of flooding. The proposal, known as the May Revise, adds $290 million to the $210 million proposed in January. The governor had been criticized for cutting millions of dollars for floodplain restoration earlier this year.

Budget negotiations in the coming months will be complicated by an expected budget shortfall. In January, Newsoms Department of Finance estimated the deficit for next year will be about $22 billion. Senate Democrats have proposed increasing taxes on large corporations to close the deficit, but Newsom has rejected that idea. Instead, hes advocated for cutting funding from some transportation and environmental projects.

Newsom and lawmakers face a June 15 deadline to agree on a budget framework to allocate funding for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Sophia Bollag contributed to this report.
The northern lights are likely to make a rare appearance Thursday night in states far to the south of their usual trajectory, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Space Weather Prediction Center.

The agency predicted that a severe geomagnetic storm, which causes the red and green bands of light, will hit Earth by midday Thursday, May 11, creating the aurora while also intermittently disrupting satellite, radio and GPS systems.

The space weather agency predicted that the lights would be visible as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa and Oregon.

It did not mention California, but many still held out hope.

More northern lights for NorCal? the National Weather Services Sacramento branch wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, as projections for the Thursday storm grew closer.

If you want to see the Northern Lights find a night sky away from city lights and look toward the north, the weather service added. Weve had a couple of events in the past month or so, but it is unknown if the upcoming event will allow viewing of the Aurora this far south.

The northern lights are typically most visible near the North Pole, sometimes stretching lower into Canada and the northern United States. But Californians did catch a glimpse of the phenomenon earlier this year, and for enthusiasts hoping to get another look, experts say there are ways to improve your chances.

It must be dark to see the aurora, the space weather prediction center says on its tips webpage, and best viewing is usually between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

The storm on Thursday was rated as G3 level, or strong, by the NOAA center, with moderate activity continuing into Friday. According to Space.com, the auroras will result from highly unusual solar activity  with a backwards polarity that occurs in only 3% of sunspots.

UCLA space physics Professor Vassilis Angelopoulos previously told The Chronicle that, in addition to getting as far away from the city as possible, light watchers should follow NOAAs space weather forecasts to see the geomagnetic K-index, a measure of the strength of the storms, hit 7.

However, cloudy skies could also obscure Californians view. And space weather predictions can change significantly, even hour by hour.

Chronicle meteorologist Gerry Diaz said that while high fog will spread over San Francisco, the Peninsula and along the Bay Thursday night, skies are forecast to be much clearer as you head into the North Bays Napa, Santa Rosa and Petaluma valleys. Cloverdale can expect some clouds, but should be mostly clear as well.

In the East Bay, cloud cover will mostly be west of the Caldecott Tunnel, while residents in Walnut Creek, Livermore and the Sacramento Valley should have mostly clear skies, Diaz said, but high fog is possible around Vallejo, Concord and Pittsburg.

Further north, Diaz said, clouds may set up along the Eureka and Mendocino coast after sunset, leading to limited visibility for the northern lights along Highway 101. A better bet would be to head east toward I-5, where clear skies are forecast for the Medford, Redding and Shasta areas overnight.
The As exclusive negotiation agreement with the port of Oakland for the Howard Terminal site, where the baseball team has proposed building a multibillion-dollar waterfront stadium and surrounding development, is set to expire the night of May 12.

Failure to renew the agreement could mean the As are truly walking away from Oakland and staking their fortunes on a move to Las Vegas  or it could be another in a long line of negotiating tactics.

The port commission, which met Thursday, said no further discussions are scheduled before the agreement ends late Friday night. Without the deal, the port can now negotiate with any party over future use of the site northwest of Jack London Square. Previously, the port was bound to negotiate only with the As, though the baseball team was free to engage in talks concerning other potential venues.

The As could still return to the table and strike a new arrangement with the port. The team would have to restart its negotiations, but it has already cleared numerous hurdles, including environmental reviews, so the process would be expedited.

The team did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday. The As had previously declined to say whether they intended to renew or extend the negotiating agreement.

On the surface, you go, Bad news, its over for Howard (Terminal), said Andy Dolich, a sports business consultant and former As executive for 14 years. The As have opened many doors in their pursuit of a new ballpark, some theyve slammed shut and some theyve reopened again.  Thats why I believe it is a subliminal and maybe a direct negotiating tactic as time rolls on.

The As had proposed building a $1 billion, privately financed 35,000-seat waterfront ballpark at Howard Terminal, a mile west of downtown Oakland, as well as a multibillion-dollar development that would have included 3,000 residential units, up to 1.5 million square feet of commercial space, up to 270,000 square feet for retail, an indoor 3,500-seat performance center, 400 hotel rooms and up to 18 acres of publicly accessible open space.

In 2019, the port approved an exclusive negotiation agreement with the team that would have  if the project proceeded  allowed the As to lease the property for $3.8 million per year for the first 20 years of a 66-year lease.

Last month, the As announced they would instead focus their efforts on building a ballpark in Las Vegas, dealing a major blow to Oakland, which had been in the middle of negotiations with the team.

Dave Kaval, the president of the As, revealed that the team had entered into a purchase agreement on a 49-acre site near Tropicana Boulevard and Interstate 15 in Las Vegas where it could build a 35,000-seat stadium. Since then, Las Vegas media outlets have reported that the As are now considering building a $1.5 billion stadium on part of the site of the Tropicana Las Vegas hotel.

Mayor Sheng Thao said at the time that Oakland was blindsided by the news, as staff had been at the negotiating table when the teams Las Vegas shift was announced.

Oakland officials said the two sides had made progress on reaching a deal and expected to have a substantive update on negotiations. One of the key sticking points between the city and the team was how offsite infrastructure costs would be covered. The city has raised $375 million in state and federal funds for off-site infrastructure and was waiting to hear about applications for nearly $100 million more in state and federal grants. In total, off-site infrastructure costs were estimated at $568 million.

The As are currently seeking from $400 million to $500 million in public subsidies to fund their Las Vegas project.

Thao had hired San Francisco political powerhouse Steve Kawa to help mediate the negotiations, and he had helped the two sides broker an agreement to meet daily this week in a negotiation summit.

But after Las Vegas media outlets reported the As were in a purchase agreement, Thao said the city would cease negotiations with the team. Since then, Thao has signaled she would be open to restarting negotiations.

On Thursday, people called into the port of Oakland meeting urging the As to abandon their plans in Las Vegas and return to the negotiating table.

Its a scummy thing to do, one speaker said about leaving Oakland.

Another speaker identified himself as an As fan and said he was embarrassed by the teams behavior.

I urge you guys to get back to the table or I will hate you forever, he said as several commissioners chuckled.

Mike Jacob, vice president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, which represents port workers and has opposed the project, applauded the ending of the agreement in a statement.

This active and critical industrial asset was not the right place for the As mega-development, and the teams ownership never made a good-faith attempt to work with the existing seaport community, Jacob said.

Jacob said his group looks forward to working with the city and the port to ensure that transportation and industrial uses at Howard Terminal continue to be an important component of the regions international trade economy as we foster new initiatives in the maritime sector.

Sports consultant Dolich isnt convinced this is the end of the story.

It seems illogical that this is just a negotiating ploy, he said. But if you add up all the other negotiating ploys overtime, it would seem that maybe its part of their convoluted plan.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

One of the worlds most famous chefs, Jose Andres, wants to open his first Bay Area restaurant at a high-end shopping center  but he may ditch his plans due to a dispute over a municipal gas ban.

The owner of Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, where Andres recently announced he plans to open an outpost of his restaurant Zaytinya, has threatened to sue the City of Palo Alto over a new building code that prohibits natural gas connections in all new buildings. The dispute was first reported by Palo Alto Online.

The upscale mall is constructing three new buildings, one of which would house Andres new restaurant and an outpost of popular Bay Area dim sum restaurant Dumpling Time. But the city has indicated these buildings wont be able to connect to a gas line already constructed to serve the restaurants, despite the fact they were approved before the city changed its rules for natural gas in new construction.

Andres may pull out of the project altogether if his restaurant cant cook with gas, a lawyer for Stanford Shopping Center wrote in an April 8 letter to the Palo Alto city attorney. Zaytinya, which has locations in New York City and Washington, D.C., serves Turkish, Greek and Lebanese dishes like grilled octopus and lamb kebabs with harissa-spiced pita.

Zaytinya relies on traditional cooking methods that require gas appliances to achieve its signature, complex flavors, Anna Shimko of law firm Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP wrote. Without a gas connection and appliances, Zaytinya would be forced to alter its signature five-star menu, which it is unwilling to do. Zaytinya cannot compromise the caliber of its cuisine and reputation and if SPG cannot provide gas in Building EE, Zaytinya will likely choose not to locate within the City.

Representatives for Andres did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Simon Property Group, which owns the mall, is prepared to take actions necessary to protect its legal rights and substantial investment in Stanford Shopping Center, Shimko added.

Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

The dispute illustrates the growing tension over efforts to phase out natural gas in California and the implications for the restaurant industry. In Berkeley last month, a federal appeals court overturned the citys first-in-the-nation ban on natural gas lines in new buildings after a lawsuit filed by the California Restaurant Association.

It was a major, exciting development for the Bay Area when it was announced in early April that Andres, an internationally renowned chef known for his humanitarian work with organization World Central Kitchen, was bringing a restaurant to the region. Andres first expressed interest in opening at Stanford Shopping Center two years ago, according to Shimkos letter, and the mall started figuring out how to demolish additional space to make room for his restaurant.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post via Getty Images/The Washington Post via Getty Im

The new building is part of a major, yearslong redevelopment at the shopping center that is also bringing a massive three-story Restoration Hardware store with a rooftop restaurant. Stanford Shopping Center has overhauled its food options in recent years, like many Bay Area malls hoping to become dining as much as shopping destinations, adding splashy names like Shake Shack and Blue Bottle Coffee.

Last May, Simon Property Group and Zaytinya signed a lease that requires the mall to provide gas connections. A few months later, the property group signed a lease with Dumpling Time with the same stipulation. The mall proceeded with plans to comply with those leases, spending $120,000 to install a gas line connecting the building to Palo Altos gas utility, Shimko wrote, before the citys new natural gas rules.

It appears the city of Palo Alto has argued that the building is subject to the ban because the city has not yet issued a building permit for the project.

Reach Elena Kadvany: elena.kadvany@sfchronicle.com
The most entertaining character in this weeks episode of Succession wasnt Greg or Gerri. It was biodynamic German wine.

In Tailgate Party, Tom attempts to pawn off this polarizing red on his party guests, which, much like the event itself, does not end well. This was not our first encounter with the German bottling: It first appeared in Season 3, Episode 6, in a memorable  and loaded  scene that included one of my favorite tasting notes of all time.

Its quite ... agricultural, Tom pronounced, euphemistically. He was deflated as he discovered that the German vineyard that he and Shiv now owned was the sort of place that produced rustic, wild-tasting (maybe even  natural) wine, rather than the polished, blue-chip bottles that typically grace the Roys tables.

This week, the biodynamic wine took on an additional meaning. The most recent episode is in many ways about marriage: We glimpse the fraught relationship between Kendall and his ex-wife, Riva, and the unlikely harmony between newlyweds Connor and Willa. At the center of the episode is the recently resuscitated marriage of Tom and Shiv, which by the end of the hour has  spoilers ahead  spoiled.

Throughout the titular pre-election night party, the German wine keeps popping up, becoming a symbol for the burden and decay of Tom and Shivs union.

This is a family that has always brandished fine wine as an intimidation tactic. Look at the fing wine Im serving you! Logan once shouted. At Connors rehearsal dinner, in Episode 2 of this season, he sat at a table alone, morosely sipping on Chateau Haut-Brion, the prestigious first-growth Bordeaux that sells for $700 or more.

Back in Season 3, the biodynamic wine served as a clever vehicle for showing how out of touch Tom and Shiv had become with the way the other half drinks. The gastronomically spoiled Tom, who at the time was contemplating going to prison as the fall man for the Roy familys misdeeds, was as horrified by the prospect of drinking wine with a funk as of eating prison food. Shiv was largely indifferent to the wine: She agreed it wasnt great (earthy and Germanic were her exact words), but unlike her husband, she didnt become fixated on her disappointment.

Now, as Tom and Shiv host their party, Tom is desperately trying to get rid of a few cases of his Spatburgunder (thats the German word for Pinot Noir, by the way). But he knows that this crowd, which apparently includes 40 of the most important people in America, wont go for it.

So this German one, with this label, lets push this, OK? Tom instructs waitstaff before the party begins. Say its a light, fruity red. Dont say its biodynamic, and dont say its German, just say its a light, fruity red. And yes, a little bit of fizz is normal, its sophisticated.

He knows this wine is very out of place at the party, where most people appear to be drinking Piper-Heidsieck Champagne  a luxury brand thats much more in line with the Roys typical drinking habits. Although the biodynamic wine would likely be a hit at any of New Yorks hip natural wine bars, thats lost on this group. The red wine smells like wet dog, Frank tells Kendall.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

(Wet dog is a standard descriptor for cork taint, which made me wonder whether the wine had been marred by the cork rather than by its biodynamic origins. But given that we learned in Season 3 that the wine was bottled under screwcap, cork problems seem unlikely. I think were meant to understand that it just smells bad.)

Yet, fully aware of his guests distaste for it, Tom continues to push the Spatburgunder, attempting to reposition its funkiness as a virtue. Its the kind of wine that separates the connoisseurs from the weekend Malbec morons, he pitches.

He grows increasingly anguished. Later in the evening, he resorts to telling a server to put the bottles out of sight so we have a kind of scarcity thing.

By the time the episode reaches its climax, in Tom and Shivs heated argument on the balcony, the wine has become a potent stand-in for Toms anxiety about his marriage, which weve understood to be on shaky footing from the first scene, with that ominous scorpion gift. Tom is angry with Shiv for many things, but mainly for never fully committing to him  for telling everyone hes going to get fired, for wanting an open relationship, for always having one foot out of the marriage.

And then you fobbed me off with that fing undrinkable wine, and you won't have my baby because you never even thought, honestly, that you'd be with me more than, like, four fing years! he yells at her.

As with their German vineyard, he thought they were doing something together, but she never intended to really stick around for it. Whether he wants it or not, it looks like Tom will be getting the vineyard in the divorce.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Sen. Dianne Feinstein returned to the Judiciary Committee Thursday to break the stalemate on three judicial nominees, an issue at the heart of calls for her to return to the Senate or resign.

Feinsteins absence had left the Senate Judiciary Committee evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, preventing more liberal judicial nominees from moving forward. Her return allowed three nominees whose committee votes had been delayed for at least three hearings to move forward to the full Senate  Charnelle Bjelkengren, nominee for the Eastern District of Washington; Marian Gaston, nominee for the Southern District of California; and S. Kato Crews, nominee for the District of Colorado. One nominee, Bejelkengren, had been unable to get a committee vote since Feb. 16.

Feinstein, who returned to the Senate Wednesday after a nearly three-month absence, was wheeled into the Senate Judiciary Committee over an hour late to a standing ovation from both sides of the aisle and met by the flock of reporters and photographers that have closely followed her return.

Feinstein only spoke during the hearing to vote in favor of those three nominees and to request that all of her votes that day be recorded as physically present.

Shuran Huang/Special to The Chronicle

Feinstein told The Chronicle that she returned to the Senate now because she felt better, she said with a laugh.

Reshaping the judiciary with more liberal judges is one of the few things that President Biden and his fellow Democrats can do in a gridlocked government, where Republicans hold the House, and confirming judges was frequently brought up when Feinstein was called on to resign.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y, said on May 1 that Feinstein should retire. I think criticisms of that stance as anti-feminist are a farce. Her refusal to either retire or show up is causing great harm to the judiciary.

During Feinsteins absence, the Senate confirmed 21 judicial nominees and 10 nominees advanced out of committee during that time.

Three nominees were confirmed Thursday before Feinstein was present  Jeremy Daniel, nominee for the Northern District of Illinois; Brendan Hurson, nominee for the District of Maryland; and Darrel Papillion, nominee for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Feinstein voted to confirm those nominees by proxy, according to the Senates rules, due to bipartisan support.

Feinsteins return is also critical for the upcoming vote to increase the limit on how much money the U.S. government can borrow. That limit is expected to be reached sometime in early June, and without action from Congress, the U.S. could default on its debts and the countrys economy could go into free fall.

When asked if she was concerned about the debt ceiling, Feinstein told The Chronicle she absolutely is. Thats a very big vote. Youll see when I vote, but I just got back a couple of days ago and I want to have a chance to reconnoiter a bit and read a lot of material.

Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said Feinstein broke a stalemate over four judges. The Judiciary Committee did not vote Thursday on Michael Delaney, nominee for the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
A religious charity that hands out food and beverages to homeless people in Santa Ana has been threatened with fines by the city in response to complaints from neighbors. But President Bidens Justice Department has told a federal court that the food distribution is a religious activity protected by federal law.

(C)ourts have routinely found that providing charity to homeless individuals  including by offering food and drink  can constitute religious exercise,  the departments Civil Rights Division said Tuesday in a filing with the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana (Orange County). And in this case, government lawyers said, a lawsuit against the city by the Christian ministry Micahs Way makes clear that food and drink distribution is an integral part of its religious exercise.

Micahs Way has a stated mission of providing services to the homeless, including light food and beverages. After the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, the group moved its food distribution outdoors, at the same time that the American Addiction Institute began a needle-exchange program two doors down.

Local residents soon complained of increased litter, drugs and trespassing, and city officials asked both Micahs Way and the Addiction Institute to move out of the neighborhood or at least scale down their operations. When the city issued a citation to Micahs Way for operating a business without a permit, the charity applied twice, was turned down, then agreed this January to move its operations back indoors but was told it would still face a fine unless it ended the food and beverage handouts, the Justice Department said.

Micahs Way then sued under a 2000 federal law, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, or RLUIPA. It prohibits any federal, state or local land-use restriction that imposes a substantial burden on the religious exercise of an individual or organization unless the agency can show it is necessary to fulfill a compelling governmental interest.

Micahs Way has plausibly alleged a violation of RLUIPA, the Justice Department said in its filing, because the groups lawsuit says providing food and drink to homeless individuals is part of its exercise of religion that would be substantially burdened by the citys action. The department cited a 2016 ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears cases from California and other Western states, that concluded a church in Ventura was exercising freedom of religion by feeding homeless people.

Under the Citys demands, MW would be completely prohibited at its current location from distributing food and beverages to homeless individuals who come to its doors, a service that MW believes it has a religious duty to perform, Justice Department lawyers told the court.

The city managers office did not respond to a request for comment. After Micahs Way filed suit in February, Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who had served as Santa Anas mayor until last year and lives in the neighborhood, told the online publication Voice of OC that he had tried to work with the religious organization to continue its services at another site.

The problem neighbors mentioned was that Micahs Way drew many people experiencing homelessness to a densely populated residential neighborhood, Sarmiento said.
Californias task force on reparations hasnt even sent its final recommendations to lawmakers, but there are early indications that the call for cash payments faces a precarious road in Sacramento.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who would ultimately need to sign off on any reparations program, set off rampant speculation this week when he released a statement that many interpreted as a signal that he might not support cash payments for Black residents whose ancestors were enslaved, a crucial piece of the task forces findings.

Dealing with that legacy is about much more than cash payments, the Democratic governor said Tuesday night. Many of the recommendations put forward by the task force are critical action items weve already been hard at work addressing.

By Wednesday morning, Newsoms office clarified that he had not ruled out cash payments and was waiting to review the task forces full report. The panel must deliver its recommendations by July 1, and has endorsed a rough initial assessment of damages thats equivalent to as much as $1.2 million in compensation for a lifelong California resident.

The Governor looks forward to reviewing the final report, and all recommendations, when complete, Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in an email.

Several task force members said Newsoms message was in keeping with their decision to recommend a holistic mix of potential forms of restitution, including monetary compensation, as well as other remedies such as formal apologies, policy reforms and public education efforts.

Jovan Scott Lewis, a task force member and a UC Berkeley geography professor who studies racial inequality, said Newsoms sentiment is very much aligned with the recommendations in terms of the broad scope of potential reparations.

I really do think thats a very reasonable statement to make at this point, Scott Lewis said. That being said, the task force absolutely endorses cash reparations.

The ambiguity in Newsoms statement led to a host of confusion and concern in the Black community. Sheryl Lee Ralph, the Emmy-winning actress from the sitcom Abbott Elementary, tweeted her frustration: Really @GavinNewsom?!?!?! #Reparations not worthy of your public support???

Task force chair Kamilah Moore, an attorney and reparations scholar, repeatedly tweeted throughout the day to assure Ralph and other concerned posters that Newsom had not taken a final stance and had even called the task forces work a milestone.

But a prominent member of the task force was reading tea leaves from Newsoms statement. State Sen. Steven Bradford, a Democrat from Los Angeles County and a task force member, told reporters that Newsoms initial comment was setting a realistic expectation that there probably wont be check payments in the amounts that weve all heard.

Bradford added, Ive tried to temper peoples expectations that it might not be a check.  Theres a lot of stuff we can do that doesnt require a check.

The senator said while he plans to push for monetary compensation, as the task force recommended, hes trying to be practical in recognizing that such a plan might not get the necessary support in the state Senate and Assembly.

Im realistic enough to know that we might not have colleagues who are willing to do that, Bradford said. (There) will be many that say we cant afford to make these payments as well.

The task force, the first statewide reparations panel in the country, voted last weekend to approve a report that outlines recommendations for how to reconcile the states role in enabling slavery and its many vestiges of white supremacy. The panel specifically called for cash payments to help repair the economic harm of such policies.

While task force members did not suggest a specific amount for payments, their final report includes a rough estimate from economists on the potential damages, which could be up to $1.2 million per person over a lifetime.

The number is not a formal plan for cash payments, but a methodology that the Legislature could use to calculate restitution and develop a more specific reparations proposal. Task force members said the size of the payments would vary based on how long a person has lived in the state, and that reparations would be paid in installments, not lump sums.

In many ways, the task forces recommendations are the start of a broader conversation about reparations at the state Capitol. Lawmakers and Newsom have the final say, and would need to determine how to pay for the plan, which the task forces economists have estimated could cost more than $800 billion.

The task force recommended that direct reparations be limited to people who can trace their lineage to chattel slavery in the U.S. and descendants of a free Black person living in the country before 1900, excluding Black people whose families immigrated later.

Legislative leaders havent said how quickly they plan to take up the task forces recommendations. Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, a Democrat from San Diego, said she is eager to receive its final report and will be carefully examining its findings and recommendations.

Still, the reluctance Bradford described about cash reparations likely signals an uphill slog for that part of the proposal. State lawmakers and Newsom created the task force in 2020, in the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and a renewed national movement to examine enduring racial inequities.

Scott Lewis said its clear that reparations proponents face a more difficult climate today given the countrys increasingly polarized politics and the diminished attention to issues like the arbitrary killing of Black people. He said their success or failure in securing cash payments will depend on how effectively advocates and the task force can explain the states 150-year history of racial injustice.

This is effectively a recommendation for providing money to a community that has lost money at the hands of the state, Scott Lewis said. If we can clearly articulate that this is what this money is about, I think there should be optimism.
Californias voter-approved law to protect pigs by banning sales in the state of pork from breeding pigs held in small cages was upheld Thursday by a divided U.S. Supreme Court, which said the law did not excessively interfere with interstate commerce.

Proposition 12, approved by more than 62% of the states voters in 2018, requires producers of breeding pigs to house them in cages of at least 24 square feet, allowing them enough room to turn around. It also set standards for cages that hold egg-laying hens and veal calves and banned the sale in California of meat  including pork, produced almost entirely in other states  from animals held in cages that violated those standards.

The National Pork Producers Council and allied groups filed suit, saying Prop. 12 would unconstitutionally burden interstate commerce while driving up prices nationwide. The measure was placed on hold during the legal challenge and has not yet taken effect.

But the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, said the industry groups had not shown that the measure exceeded the states authority to protect Californians from practices it considers inhumane.

In a functioning democracy, policy choices like these usually belong to the people and their elected representatives, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the lead opinion. They are entitled to weigh the relevant political and economic costs and benefits for themselves.

In our interconnected national marketplace, many (maybe most) state laws have the practical effect of controlling extraterritorial behavior, Gorsuch said. For example, he said, a states income tax laws lead some individuals and businesses to move elsewhere, and environmental laws influence businesses decisions on where to manufacture their products.

How is a court supposed to compare or weigh economic costs (to some) against noneconomic benefits (to others)? No neutral legal rule guides the way, Gorsuch said.

He also said such laws can be overturned only if they were intended to interfere with commerce in other states. Justice Clarence Thomas joined that portion of Gorsuchs opinion, while Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan said they would uphold Prop. 12 because industry groups had failed to claim any harms that would amount to a substantial burden on interstate commerce.

The deciding vote came from Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who said opponents allegations of damage to their industry, though substantial, could not outweigh the concerns of California voters.

Californias interest in eliminating allegedly inhumane products from its markets cannot be weighed on a scale opposite dollars and cents  at least not without second-guessing the moral judgments of California voters or making the kind of policy decisions reserved for politicians, Barrett wrote.

That was similar to arguments made by lawyers for the state and animal-protection groups. Jeffrey Lamken, attorney for the Humane Society of the United States, told the court at a hearing in October that Prop. 12s ban on sales of noncompliant products gives all Califorinans access to morally acceptable pork.

The dissent by Chief Justice John Roberts stopped short of declaring Prop. 12 unconstitutional, but said the case should be sent back to a federal appeals court to weigh industry groups claims of substantial economic harm against the putative local benefits of increasing the size of breeding cages. He was joined by Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Roberts cited industry claims that Prop. 12 would cost them between $290 million and $348 million, raise production costs by 9.2%, and even increase the risk of injury to breeding sows.

These consequential threats to animal welfare and industry practice are difficult to quantify and are not susceptible to categorization as mere costs of compliance, the chief justice wrote. He said Prop. 12s opponents plausibly allege a substantial burden against interstate commerce that lower courts must re-evaluate.

The ruling drew sighs of relief from sponsors and supporters of the ballot measure.

Todays landmark ruling affirms the right of states to institute policies to promote anti-cruelty and food safety standards, said Wayne Pacelle, who took part in launching Prop. 12 and is now president of the nonprofits Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. It is a loss for hog factory farmers and a win for the vast majority of (Americans) who want to know that animals raised for food were not immobilized and otherwise tormented in production.

We celebrate that in the near future, countless pigs, calves, and hens will no longer needlessly suffer the most extreme forms of confinement, said AJ Albrecht, managing director of another group, Mercy for Animals.

Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office defended Prop. 12 in court, said the ruling means that California can continue to have in place humane and commonsense standards, instead of the extreme confinement pushed by some pork producers. He said the court reaffirmed states important role in regulating goods sold within their borders.

The pork industry was disappointed, said Scott Hays of Missouri, president of the National Pork Producers Council, the plaintiff in the case.

Allowing state overreach will increase prices for consumers and drive small farms out of business, Hays said in a statement.

But attorney Adi Dynar of the conservative Pacific Legal Foundation, which filed arguments in support of the pork industry, said the divided ruling leaves room for future lawsuits challenging state actions that have outside impact.

The groups filing emphasized the separation-of-powers problems with extraterritorial statutes, and the courts majority agrees with us on that, Dynar said. At the end of the day, one state shouldnt be able to regulate or discriminate against the citizens of another state.

The case is National Pork Producers Council v. Ross, No. 21-468.
Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle

San Francisco police arrested a man suspected of robbing nine banks in six days, according to authorities.

Julien Lee, 34, was arrested Tuesday afternoon by San Francisco police officers and booked into San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of second-degree robbery, second-degree attempted robbery, burglary and resisting arrest, authorities said. Lee also was arrested for outstanding warrants outside of San Francisco for charges of robbery, burglary and grand theft.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has asked a judge to dismiss charges against a police officer accused of unlawfully shooting and wounding a man in the Mission District four years ago, one of several high-profile law enforcement prosecutions brought by Jenkins predecessor, Chesa Boudin.

In a motion filed Thursday afternoon, Jenkins said she could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the shooting was not a justifiable act of self-defense. A San Francisco Superior Court judge is expected to rule on Jenkins dismissal request next week.

That is the lens through which I looked at this case: Did we believe the officer was acting in self-defense, the district attorney said in an interview. We know the defense is going to come in arguing self-defense, and did we have the evidence to overcome that? In this instance, she said, the answer was clearly no.

The dramatic move in the Christopher Flores case comes as Jenkins faces criticism for her handling of another high-profile incident  the fatal shooting of an alleged shoplifter by a Walgreens security guard. After initially citing credible evidence that the guard was trying to defend himself, Jenkins appeared to backtrack a week later, saying she may still file charges. Jenkins also drew scrutiny after signaling her intent to drop another historic police prosecution for the slaying of Keita ONeil in 2017. That case is pending.

She acknowledged that the timing of her dismissal of the Flores case may subject her to more backlash, but said it was outside her control.

We had a court date (Thursday) in this case, and while it may have been in my political interest to delay filing this motion and drag the case out  we certainly could have requested more time of the court  I did not believe that that was appropriate, Jenkins said.

Boudin charged Flores with assault with a firearm and negligent discharge of a firearm under color of authority stemming from a chaotic incident on Dec. 7, 2019.

It began when alleged burglary suspect Jamaica Hampton attacked Flores, then a rookie officer, and his training officer Sterling Hayes as they tried to get out of their patrol car on 23rd and Mission streets. Video shows Hampton at one point striking Flores over the head with a vodka bottle, prompting a frenetic foot chase around parked cars that ended with both officers shooting Hampton.

Flores fired as Hampton tried to get up, after Sterling had unloaded six rounds. Hampton spent weeks in a hospital, had a leg amputated, and lost partial use of his dominant arm. Sterling was not charged with any crime.

Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

Prosecutors in Boudins administration later offered to settle the case if Flores agreed to attend a one-day training and counseling session and meet with the injured man, Jamaica Hampton, in a restorative justice model of resolution. Flores, who is still a Police Department employee, according to the District Attorneys Office, turned down the offer.

Clearly the prior administration did not believe that they could secure a verdict in this case, Jenkins said. If they truly felt that they could, they would not have offered a dismissal, for such insignificant things in return, she said.

Jenkins said she reviewed the evidence  including surveillance and police body-worn camera video, 911 call audio, and witness statements  and weighed dropping the charges against Flores before seeing the settlement offer, which served to reaffirm her decision.

During her review of court transcripts, Jenkins said she also learned that prosecutors had omitted certain pieces of exculpatory evidence when presenting their case to a grand jury that indicted both Flores and Hampton in December 2020.

After the grand jury released its indictment Boudin filed felony assault charges against both men. Hampton was eventually released to a mental health diversion program, and the charges against him were dismissed, Jenkins said.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Nora Mishanec contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates at sfchronicle.com
Massive layoffs have become rampant within the tech industry over the last several months as the job market now faces a major contraction after years of over-hiring during the pandemic.

According to data from Layoffs.FYI, more than 220,000 people have been laid off globally since October, with dire consequences for many, including immigrant workers. The Bay Area, in particular, has been hit hard as Meta, Google, Twitter and other regionally-based tech companies have forced an estimated 100,000 people out of their jobs.

Tech layoffs: Charts show biggest job cuts impacting Bay Area workers

The following timeline shows when major tech companies announced cuts that impacted large numbers of Bay Area workers, as well as significant layoffs stated by companies based in the region. Notable omissions include Amazon, Microsoft, Dell and other layoff announcements with little effect in the Bay Area.

April 21: Lyft

Total: 1,072 employees | Bay Area: 383

The rideshare companys new CEO is preparing mass layoffs that could hit almost 30% of its workforce.

The layoffs will impact 1,072 employees and freeze hiring for an additional 250 open positions, according to an SEC filing. Lyft had 4,419 employees at the end of last year and announced 683 layoffs in November. The number doesnt include drivers, who are not currently considered employees under California law.

Savings will go toward investments in competitive pricing, faster pick-up times, and better driver earnings, CEO David Risher wrote in a memo to employees.

March 28: Lucid Motors

Total: 1,300 | Bay Area: 133

The Bay Area-based luxury electric car manufacturer cut its workforce by 18% as part of a restructuring, according to an SEC filing. The layoffs impacted approximately 1,300 employees and are expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter.

According to TechCrunch, Lucid reported 2022 earnings that missed Wall Street expectations and lowered its 2023 production target to between 10,000 and 14,000, roughly half of the 20,000 to 22,000 deliveries analysts had expected for the year.

March 14: Meta

Total: 21,000 employees | Bay Area: Unknown

Meta announced it will cut an additional 10,000 employees in another major downsizing for one of the Bay Areas biggest employers.

With 21,000 total layoffs since last November, the Menlo Park-based company has made the deepest cuts of any tech company during the pandemic, now exceeding Amazons roughly 18,000 cuts.

The layoffs come in the wake of an advertising downturn and a costly bet on the metaverse that has cost the social media company billions of dollars.

Feb. 13: Twilio

Total: 1,500 employees | Bay Area: Unknown

The cloud communications company told employees it planned to lay off 17% of its workforce, around 1,500 of the nearly 9,000 employees the company said it had as of September of last year.

For the last 15 years, we ran Twilio for growth, building a tremendous customer base, product set, and revenue base. But environments change  and so must we, said CEO Jeff Lawson in a note posted on the companys website. The layoffs come after Lawson told employees last September the company would cut 11% of its workforce as part of a continuing effort to strive for profitability.

Feb. 7: Zoom

Total: 1,300 employees | Bay Area: Unknown

The San Jose-based video conferencing software company that became ubiquitous during the pandemic, announced it would lay off 1,300 employees, or around 15% of its workforce.

In a message to employees posted on the companys site, CEO Eric Yuan said like many other tech companies, Zoom staffed up during the pandemic to meet skyrocketing demand for its services, tripling in size.

Unlike other tech CEOs who recently announced large rounds of layoffs while claiming responsibility for cuts, Yuan said he and his executive team would slash their own pay for the current fiscal year.

Jan. 31: PayPal

Total: 2,000 employees | Bay Area: 319

The San Jose digital payments company announced the planned reduction of 2,000 employees, which is about 7% of the companys workforce.

The cuts were announced on the same day that San Jose-based cloud software company NetApp reportedly said it would cut 8% of its workforce, while the CEOs of Pleasanton software company WorkDay said in a securities filing that 3% of its employees would lose their jobs.

PayPal CEO Dan Schulman told employees in a note that the job cuts would take effect in the coming weeks and promised generous departure packages, among other benefits.

While we have made substantial progress in right-sizing our cost structure, and focused our resources on our core strategic priorities, we have more work to do, Schulman wrote.

Jan. 20: Google, Alphabet

Total: 12,000 employees | Bay Area: 1,608

Alphabet, the parent company of search giant Google, announced mass layoffs Jan. 20. CEO Sundar Pichai told employees that 12,000 roles would be cut globally  about 6% of its workforce. The company's cuts will affect at least 1,845 workers in California, including 1,608 in the Bay Area, according to state filings.

The layoffs hit the companys Mountain View headquarters hardest with the majority of cuts in the state at 1,436 employees affected. Other offices impacted include San Bruno, home to the headquarters of YouTube, Palo Alto, Los Angeles and Irvine. No jobs were affected in San Francisco, where Google has numerous offices near the Embarcadero.

Jan 10: Coinbase

Total: 950 employees | Bay Area: Unknown

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase is laying off around 950 workers in the companys second major downsizing in seven months, CEO Brian Armstrong announced to employees on Jan. 3. The cuts affect 20% of employees at Coinbase, which was formerly headquartered in San Francisco and is now remote. The company cut 1,100 jobs in June.

Salgu Wissmath/The Chronicle, Hearst Fellow / The Chronicle

Jan. 4: Salesforce

Total: 8,000 employees | Bay Area: More than 700

The cloud computing giant, which is San Franciscos largest private employer, announced on Jan. 4 that it will cut around 10% of its nearly 80,000-person workforce. More than 750 employees in the companys home city were affected by permanent layoffs.

Nov. 30: Kraken

Total: 1,100 employees | Bay Area: Unknown

Kraken, one of the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchanges, announced job cuts Nov. 30. CEO Jesse Powell wrote in a blog post on its site that the company would lay off approximately 1,100 people, or 30% of the San Francisco-based companys workforce worldwide, in order to adapt to current market conditions.

Nov. 30: DoorDash

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Total: 1,250 employees | Bay Area: More than 300

The food delivery giant on Nov. 30 announced layoffs, with CEO Tony Xu telling employees that the San Francisco-based company would cut 1,250 jobs, despite writing in a post that our business remains strong and continues to grow. In a filing, Doordash said 311 of its affected employees were based in San Francisco.

Nov. 22: HP

Total: Between 4,000 and 6,000 employees | Bay Area: Unknown

HP told investors on Nov. 22 that the company plans to lay off between 4,000 and 6,000 people in its offices across the world during the next two years. The Palo Alto-based company, which builds computing hardware and software, previously told investors it had about 51,000 employees worldwide.

Santiago Mejia, Staff / The Chronicle

Nov. 17: Cisco

Total: 4,000 employees | Bay Area: More than 700

Tech infrastructure giant Cisco is laying off 5% of its workforce, or more than 4,000 people, including nearly 700 workers in the Bay Area. However, the San Jose company said it would continue to hire in growth areas and expects to have a similar number of workers  around 83,300 people  at the end of its fiscal year ending in July as it did in the previous year.

Nov. 9: Meta

Total: 11,000 employees | Bay Area: More than 2,500

Meta announced mass layoffs on Nov. 9, saying they were the culmination of a financial roller-coaster ride during the pandemic. The lost jobs affected 11,000 employees , including 2,564 jobs in the Bay Area. The layoffs impacted 13% of its workforce and was the largest reduction in staff in the history of the Menlo Park-based company.

The expected dates of the layoffs at Park Tower were Jan. 13 and Feb. 10, the Facebook parent company stated.

Nov. 4: Twitter

Total: 3,700 employees | Bay Area: Almost 900

Since Elon Musk took over as owner and CEO of the social media giant in October, multiple rounds of layoffs have been announced and nearly two-thirds of the companys staff has been cut. Twitter laid off 784 workers in San Francisco and 106 employees in San Jose, according to state filings on Nov. 4.

The San Francisco-based company has faced several lawsuits since, including from affected employees over allegedly improper severance packages and claims of discrimination against women and people with disabilities, as well as claims of unpaid rent at multiple offices.

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle 2018

Nov. 3: Stripe

Total: 1,000 employees | Bay Area: Unknown

Stripe, an online payment-processing company and the second-most valuable private U.S. startup, is laying off around 14% of its staff, or more than 1,000 workers. Patrick Collison, CEO of the South San Francisco-based firm, announced the cuts in an email to staff on Nov. 3. The layoffs will bring down the companys head count to around 7,000 people, equivalent to its size in February 2022.

Chronicle staff writers Erika Carlos, Roland Li and Joel Umanzor contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

UPDATE: Elon Musk just named Twitter's new CEO. Here's what she'll be focused on

Twitter owner Elon Musk said he has hired a new CEO for the company.

Excited to announce that Ive hired a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will be starting in ~6 weeks! Musk posted on the social media website. My role will transition to being exec chair & CTO, overseeing product, software & sysops.

He didnt identify the woman. But the Wall Street Journal reported that Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal chair of global advertising and partnerships, is in talks to take the Twitter CEO role. Twitter Inc. was reincorporated into Musks X Corp. last month and no longer exists as a separate corporation, though it still uses the brand name.

Musk had previously said he was looking for a successor and ran a Twitter poll, in which the majority of voters said he should resign.

I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job, he posted in December.

The billionaire is also head of Tesla and SpaceX and has faced scrutiny over how he splits his time between three companies. Tesla shareholders sued in Delaware court last year, challenging his up to $55 billion compensation package at the electric car company.

Musk said at the time that he would prefer to focus on being an engineer rather than being CEO. The case is ongoing.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Tesla board members have discussed having chief financial officer Zach Kirkhorn be Musks successor at that company.




UPDATED FORECAST: These Bay Area cities will get Florida-like weather this weekend

A ridge of high pressure will expand its heat across the West Coast on Thursday, and a warming trend across much of Northern California is set to pick up. This warmth will continue to build across the North Bay, East Bay and South Bay before some of it eventually begins spilling into communities along San Francisco Bay by Friday.

More weather: How a rare atmospheric setup will bring monsoon-like weather to California

Weather models are signaling a sharp rise in temperatures between Thursday and Saturday as the ridge reaches its maximum intensity. And that will lead to some far-reaching heat concerns as some Bay Area cities are set to experience their first 90-degree day of the year.

A timeline of impacts

Thursday, Friday and Saturday are shaping up to be comfortable days with sunshine abound for many bayside residents  cities like San Francisco, Oakland and Hayward will be shielded from the worst of the heat thanks to a flattened out marine layer. This shallow layer of the atmosphere will help to funnel cool air over the Pacific Ocean past the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco Bay, where it will keep daytime temperatures in the upper 60s to lower 70s Thursday and Friday.

Baron/Lynx

The same cant be said for residents away from the bay shore. Warm, dry air will spill into the North Bay, East Bay and South Bays valleys, raising daytime highs to the upper 70s to lower 80s on Thursday and Friday. Higher temperatures  upper 80s to lower 90s  are forecast to develop Friday afternoon in far northern Napa and Sonoma counties, as well as around Clearlake. Thats because the ridge of high pressure responsible for this hot weather will begin to center itself over the Pacific Northwest, reaching its maximum strength by Saturday.

Weatherbell

Because of how strong the ridge is expected to get by Saturday, it will especially affect the inland areas of the North Bay, East Bay and South Bay. And with no marine layer to help shield those regions, residents in cities like Santa Rosa, San Jose and Walnut Creek all have good chances of seeing the 90-degree mark. The warm weather will raise some heat risk for sensitive populations, especially since it will be one of the first 90-degree weekends for many cities east of the Caldecott Tunnel, the highlands of Sonoma and Napa counties and the Santa Clara Valley.

Baron/Lynx

Bay Area inland valleys are likely to have hot spots where temperatures reach the 90s by 1 p.m. on Saturday, especially in areas like San Jose where the urban heat island effect  when pavement and other dark surfaces mean temperatures in a city center are hotter than surrounding, greener areas  will play a role in raising temperatures. Residents who are out hiking in the foothills facing away from the bays and delta region are also going to be prone to some of that afternoon heat.

Thankfully, the ridge of high pressure is set to begin weakening by Sunday as clouds help to provide some shade in parts of Northern California. Keep an eye out for updates on potential heat advisories from the National Weather Service.

Thursday breakdown

San Francisco: Residents on the west side can expect an ebb and flow or marine clouds Thursday morning as cool air sits over the Sunset and Richmond districts through 11 a.m. Sunshine will then chip away at those marine clouds, clearing most of them out in the afternoon  a few patches might linger around Twin Peaks.

Look for highs near the 60-degree mark by the water, including in the Presidio, Embarcadero and Hunters Point. Warmer air will be in the Castro, Mission, SoMa and downtown in the afternoon, leading to highs that could reach the mid-60s.

Warm air will linger over some of the hillsides and neighborhoods east of Sutro Tower tonight, resulting in lows just above 50 degrees.

Peninsula and Pacific coast: A cool, misty morning is expected for residents between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, with patches of fog possible along Highway 1 and Highway 92 through 11 a.m. Sunnier skies will pop up by noon, warming the Peninsula so that highs reach the upper 50s by the immediate coast and lower 60s in the San Bruno Gap  including Daly City, Millbrae and San Mateo. Expect some breezy conditions along parts of the coast and bayside 2-6 p.m., with gusts reaching 25 mph.

Residents south of Millbrae and along the Interstate 280 and Highway 101 corridor will be shielded from most of Thursdays marine-enhanced winds by the Santa Cruz Mountains, allowing highs to reach the mid-60s in Menlo Park, Atherton and Stanford.

Weather models hint at a slight possibility of fog returning to Highway 1 and Highway 92 in the evening and into the overnight hours. Look for lows near 50 degrees by the coast and bayside, and upper 40s in the east-facing hillsides, including San Andreas Lake and Emerald Hills.

North Bay: High fog will be possible in the morning across most of the bayside, including Sausalito, Tiburon and Vallejo. Some of this fog also has a chance of making it to the Napa, Sonoma and Petaluma valleys. Expect most of it to burn off after 10 a.m., making way for warmer and drier air.

Residents in the inland valleys can look forward to mostly sunny skies and highs in the upper 60s, with a few pockets of lower 70s possible in the highlands of Sonoma and Napa counties and in cities like Fairfield and Vacaville. Cooler air on the bayside will keep daytime temperatures in the lower 60s in places like Tiburon and San Quentin, though mid-60s will be much more prominent along Highway 101 in Marin County, including in San Rafael and Mill Valley.

A couple weather models hint at some patchy fog returning to Point Reyes and Bodega Bay after sunset, but chances remain low. Expect a quiet evening across the North Bay, with lows falling to the lower 50s by the water and upper 40s inland.

East Bay: The morning is shaping up to be a little foggy for residents in the Oakland and Berkeley hills as the marine layer reels in high fog to the Interstate 80 and 880 corridors  including Alameda, Hayward and Richmond. Cloudy skies are expected for most of the bayside and delta through 11 a.m. before sunshine begins to burn it off. Because of the mornings cloud cover, expect the highs to flatten out in the lower 60s by the water.

Residents east of the Caldecott Tunnel are in for a much sunnier and warmer day, with highs reaching the lower 70s in Walnut Creek, Pleasanton and Dublin. Weather models hint at some fog developing over the Oakland and Berkeley hills again around sunset, but most will likely be brief and patchy. Look for nighttime lows in the lower 50s by the bayside and delta and upper 40s in the San Ramon and Livermore valleys.

South Bay and Santa Cruz: A veil of high fog is set to develop over the Santa Clara Valley and most of Santa Cruz County in the morning, leading to mostly cloudy conditions until it begins to burn off after 11 a.m. Expect sunnier skies the rest of the day, with temperatures reaching the lower 70s in San Jose, Cupertino, Los Gatos and most of the Highway 101 corridor between Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Residents in the Santa Cruz Mountains and along Monterey Bay can expect slightly cooler temperatures, with highs only reaching the mid-60s.

Patches of high fog might resurface west of Highway 17 in Felton, Scotts Valley and Ben Lomond tonight, but chances are low. Look for nighttime temperatures in the upper 40s across most of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, though a few lower 50s cant be ruled out in Aptos, La Selva, Capitola and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva have participated in an unveiling ceremony of the Iron Fist Street sign in Shusha, Azernews reports.

The head of state and the First Lady were informed of the restoration and reconstruction works carried out in the street.

Iron Fist Street is 2,473 meters in length and 10-15 meters in width.

The head of state unveiled the Iron Fist Street sign.
Housing

spotlight

Advocates: Banko Brown, Jordan Neely killings stem from 'dehumanizing' rhetoric

Advocates for the unhoused say the deaths of two homeless Black men on opposite coasts  Banko Brown, shot outside of a San Francisco Walgreens, and Jordan Neely, choked aboard a New York subway  highlight growing anti-homeless sentiment and rhetoric across the country.

In a span of five days, the two men violently lost their lives due in part to the real life ramifications of dehumanizing public discourse surrounding visible homelessness, they said.

Jennifer Friedenbach, the executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness San Francisco, said she recently asked her predecessor, Paul Boden, if there was any precedent for the increasingly toxic tone of conversations about homelessness.

Am I imagining things, or is the level of anti-homeless vitriol much worse than its ever been? she asked him.

Its worse than its ever been, Boden replied.

Unsheltered homelessness dropped 15% from 2019 to 2022, according to San Franciscos point-in-time count. Yet, in the first San Francisco City Survey issued since the COVID-19 pandemic, 75% of respondents said that homelessness had worsened in The City.

Browns death is but the most recent in a string of highly publicized violent acts against unhoused San Franciscans.

In January, San Francisco prosecutors charged art gallery owner Collier Gwin with misdemeanor battery after he sprayed an unhoused woman with a hose.

Garret Doty allegedly attacked former fire commissioner Don Carmignani in self-defense after Carmignani bear-sprayed him. San Francisco police said Carmignani matched the description of a man who serially attacked unhoused people with bear mace in Cow Hollow and the Marina.

Dr. Margot Kushel, director of the UCSF Benioff Housing and Homelessness Initiative, said far too many reactions to visible homelessness, as well as conversations addressing potential solutions, are based on peoples fears as opposed to action.

Kushel called violence against unhoused people a hidden epidemic in a blog post for UCSF last year, noting that homeless people are disproportionately likely to be victims of violence. Unhoused offenders are comparably rare, she said, yet often draw outsized attention and media coverage as opposed to unhoused victims.

Jake Offenhartz/Associated Press NYPD officers watch as protesters gather in a New York subway station to protest the death of Jordan Neely. Advocates say anti-homeless rhetoric and sentiment in San Francisco and across the country is becoming increasingly toxic and untenable, with violent consequences.

The rhetoric dehumanizing folks leaves them not only more likely to have these horrible things happen to them but also renders them less able to ask for the same protections that other people do, Kushel told The Examiner.

Walgreens security guard Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony said he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed Brown, a transgender man and community organizer at the Young Womens Freedom Center, on April 27. Brown, whom police and prosecutors said wasnt armed, allegedly shoplifted from the pharmacy.

Daniel Penny said through his lawyers that he and other New York City subway passengers acted to protect themselves when he placed Neely, 30, in a chokehold and others subdued the unhoused man. Penny alleged that Neely aggressively threatened him and other passengers as he acted erratically. A witness told CNN that Neely hadnt harmed anyone, nor did he appear to be armed.

Both Anthony and Penny were released from custody  the former after San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said she wouldnt file murder charges, the latter after police questioned but didnt arrest him  and neither has faced charges. Jenkins said this week her office cant release footage from the killing because an investigation is still open, resisting mounting calls from the public and politicians to disclose evidence and reexamine her initial charging decision.

New York Mayor Eric Adams told CNN that we cannot just blatantly say what a passenger should or should not do in a situation like that, and we should allow the investigation to take its course, two days after Neelys death.

I cant imagine the mayor of New York coming out with that statement if a guy in a business suit was choked to death on his way home from work, Friedenbach said.

I just cant imagine it, she said. I cant imagine Brooke Jenkins coming out with this if it was a similar businessperson that was walking out of Walgreens and got shot on the street.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has not publicly commented on Browns death. The mayors office didnt respond to The Examiners request for comment prior to publication.

Brandon Greene, director of the ACLU of Northern Californias racial and economic justice program, said many unhoused people, including Brown and Neely, are already dehumanized because of their race and gender identity.

Black, transgender and nonbinary people experience homelessness at higher rates than their white and cisgender counterparts, respectively. The Citys point-in-time count reported that nearly 40% of unhoused San Franciscans are Black, despite making up fewer than 10% of The Citys population, and that about 28% of them identified as LGBTQ. The UCLA Williams Institute pegged the LGBTQ population in the San Francisco metropolitan statistical area at 6.7%

Being homeless, Greene said, compounds existing disparities. He argued that if homelessness rates among white Americans were the same as among Black ones, the way that we talk about solutions to homelessness would be different.

Black folks are overrepresented in New York and California in the unhoused population and overrepresented in all sorts of on-ramps to being unhoused as well, he said. Overrepresented in housing burdens, police contact, the racialized wealth gap, a dearth of mental health services, etc. And all those things come crashing together in cases like this.

Greene said homelessness cant be eliminated without considering the various ways in which Black folks are criminalized, dehumanized and systemically kept out of access to things that would lead to better outcomes. Friedenbach and Kushel also noted that San Francisco is in the midst of a housing shortage gripping the region, state and much of the country.

The City, home to some of the highest home prices and rents in the country, must build 82,000 homes by 2031 to meet its California-approved housing goals. San Francisco also has a shortage of nearly 4,400 shelter beds.

Homelessness, the advocates who spoke with The Examiner said, is a societal failure, not an individual one. But Kushel said its far easier to take it out and yell at unhoused people for being at fault than to confront decades of policy failure on housing, as well as race, gender identity and disability.

I think its really important for our elected leaders to come out and say we  the collective we  have failed over decades to create a society where we have enough housing ... and that we all need to work together to solve this collective failure, Kushel said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The communication structures of Azerbaijan and Russia are holding a coordination meeting in Azerbaijani city of Guba, the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport told Trend.

According to the ministry, Azerbaijan is represented at the meeting, along with representatives of the ministry, by specialists of the State Administration of Radio Frequencies, Information and Communication Technologies Agency, Radio&TV Broadcasting and Satellite Communications Production Association and mobile operators.

Technical studies and reports are being discussed at the coordination meeting in order to ensure the unhindered use of various frequency bands in border areas, including the corresponding frequency bands for radio and television broadcasting, new generation mobile communication networks and the use of other terrestrial technologies.

The meeting also provides for the definition of principles and criteria for the coordination of these frequency bands in accordance with national interests.
A man was arrested in San Francisco on Tuesday on suspicion of robbing local banks nine separate times across a single week in early May, with the suspect allegedly fleeing the scene with stolen cash in more than half of those instances, officials said Thursday.

The San Francisco Police Department said the 34-year-old suspect was arrested after police received a report May 9 at 3:30 p.m. that a man had robbed a bank on the 2000 block of Irving Street in the Sunset District.

At the bank, witnesses told officers that the man gave the teller a note demanding cash. The suspect stole cash and then fled the scene on a bicycle, police said.

An hour later, officers spotted a man on Geary Street who matched the description of a man seen robbing local banks in recent days. Officers chased after the man and called in more crew to detain him and arrest him with probable cause, police said.

The suspect was booked at the San Francisco County Jail and potentially faces a slew of charges, including four counts of second-degree robbery, four counts of second-degree attempted robbery, eight counts of second-degree burglary, and resisting arrest, as well as outstanding warrants out of San Francisco for robbery, burglary and grand theft.

The charges are based on nine separate robberies and attempted robberies that police believe were all done by the same person. The first occurred on May 3 on the 200 block of Winston Drive near San Francisco State University, and the second, two days later and less than 3 miles away in the Sunset District on the 2000 block of Irving Street, police said.

The suspect allegedly hit four banks on May 8: starting in the Richmond District on the 6100 block of Geary Boulevard, heading over to SoMa on the 600 block of 8th Street, returning to the Richmond District on the 300 block of Clement Street and finally stopping in a bank in the Sunset on the 1800 block of Irving Street.

Police received reports of three more robberies on May 9, two of them on the 2600 block of Ocean Avenue near Merced Manor and the third on the 2000 block of Irving Street in the Sunset that led to the arrest.

Police alleged that the suspect walked into local banks and gave tellers a note demanding money. The tactic worked in five of nine incidents, with the tellers handing over money before the suspect took off, police said.

Police did not say how much money the suspect allegedly stole.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The number of space satellites of Azerbaijan will be increased, Chairman of the Board of Azercosmos space agency of Azerbaijan Samaddin Asadov said during the discussion of the new draft law on space activities at today's meeting of Milli Majlis (Parliament) Committee for Economic Policy, Industries and Enterprising, Trend reports.

Asadov noted that space activities not only serve the national interests of Azerbaijan, but also have commercial purposes.

According to him, all TV channels of Azerbaijan and Georgia broadcast via Azerbaijani satellites.

The chairman highlighted that today Azerbaijan has no dependence on space satellites of foreign countries.

Azercosmos space agency owns two communication satellites - Azerspace-1 and Azerspace-2.

The first Azerbaijani Azerspace-1 satellite was launched into orbit in 2013 and its service life is 17 years, while the second communication satellite was launched into orbit in 2018 and its service life is up to 22 years.
Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

Highway 17 between San Jose and Santa Cruz has been characterized as one of the most dangerous roads in California due to its sharp, blind curves and sudden changes in speed along the mountain road.

Data from as far back as 1998 found the highway corridor particularly dangerous, according to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commissions Safe on 17 Task Force. In 2019, the commission reported 839 total collisions, with four crashes resulting in death and 275 crashes causing injuries. The data suggests that theres a collision on the highway more than twice day.
The names of UC Berkeley and the city of Berkeley have been called into question again after more revelations about the philosopher they were named after, who purchased and owned enslaved people.

Historians at Trinity College in Dublin discovered through records that Irish philosopher Bishop George Berkeley forced enslaved people to work on his plantation in Rhode Island, according to the Mercury News.

With the citys reputation as a progressive haven and UC Berkeleys history of renaming buildings originally named after white supremacists, the discussion of a major name change has been renewed.

Changing the name would sever us from association with an ugly person, with ugly ideas and ugly beliefs. None of us want to be associated in any way with slavery, racism, or colonialism. And none of us should be compelled to be so associated because the city in which we live is named after a slave owner, racist, and colonialist, longtime Berkeley resident Daniel OConnell wrote in a 2022 opinion piece for Berkeleyside.

Along with purchasing three enslaved people, Bishop George Berkeley expressed a number of racist and colonialist ideas in his writing  including advice to other slave owners about forcing enslaved people to be baptized and kidnapping Indigenous children in order to put them through missionary school, OConnell wrote.

However, neither the city nor the university has any plans to consider doing away with the now-reputable name.

We acknowledge that the universitys founders chose to name their new town and campus after an individual whose views warrant no honor or commemoration, a UC Berkeley spokesperson said in a statement shared with SFGATE. At the same time, we are cognizant of the fact that over the course of the ensuing 155 years since the universitys founding, 'Berkeley' has come to embody and represent very different values and perspectives  including our belief in, and actions to advance the application of academic excellence in support of the greater good, equity, inclusion, diversity, justice, and social mobility.

This situation isnt new to the UC system: Last year, what was formerly UC Hastings College of the Law was renamed UC College of the Law, San Francisco due to Serranus Clinton Hastings' part in the mass killing and disenfranchisement of Native Americans in the 19th century. The city of Berkeley has made similar remedies in the past, most notably being the first city in the country to officially change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day in 1992.

Berkeley city officials declined to comment, though a spokesperson for Mayor Jesse Arreguins office said that any consideration of a change to the citys name would require an amendment to the city charter through a voter-approved ballot measure. Since Berkeley was incorporated into the state under its current name, a name change would likely also require new state legislation, the spokesperson added.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Officials in a remote northeastern Oregon county have voted to give tax breaks worth an estimated $1 billion to Amazon for five more data centers there.

Wednesdays unanimous vote by Port of Morrows five commissioners was the last step in securing the enterprise zone incentives, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Companies in the state can receive property tax exemptions through local enterprise zones.

Local officials hope the incentives will bring $12 billion in new Amazon spending in their county along the Columbia River about 160 miles (257 kilometers) from Portland.

Amazon already has four giant data centers in Morrow County and several hundred local jobs tied to its operations. But its growth has produced contentious debate over how the Seattle company secured its incentives and an ongoing probe over possible self-dealing by some people awarding its tax breaks.

The state is investigating potential conflicts of interest among port officials and a former county commissioner who own Windwave Communications, a company that provides fiber-optic service to Amazons local data centers.

Amazon and Windwave haven't responded to requests from the newspaper for information about the value of the two companies contracts.

Those two port commissioners, Jerry Healy and Marv Padberg, in an April letter to the state ethics commission said their company does have a deal to provide most of the fiber-optic service to one new Amazon data center. But they said they only have a potential conflict of interest in voting on incentives for the other four facilities.

Three other public bodies in Morrow County previously gave their approval to the latest agreement, each in votes with little public discussion. The incentives exempt Amazon from paying nearly three-quarters of the property taxes other businesses pay.

But Amazon is Morrow Countys largest taxpayer. Its data centers account for a third of property tax revenue, with payments of $26 million in 2021, according to the company.

Amazon declined to make any of its local managers available to the newspaper for comment on its data center operations.

Weve been an active member of eastern Oregon communities since 2011, investing more than $15.6 billion while supporting thousands of local jobs, Amazon said in a written statement after Wednesdays vote.

David Sykes, chairman of the Morrow County commission, told the newspaper he sees Amazon fitting into a nicely diversified economy."

Its a good blend of industries, Sykes said, that rescued the county from its dependency on natural resources after a sawmill and coal plant shut down.

Data centers are among the state's fastest-growing industries, fueled partly by tax breaks worth $180 million last year alone.

Oregons program of enterprise zone incentives places no limits on how much local governments can give away in negotiations with businesses. The state created the program for small manufacturers in the 1980s, but data centers with billions of dollars in high-end computers have recently dominated the program.

Critics question whether small counties are equipped to negotiate with some of the worlds largest tech companies. And the value of the tax breaks varies widely.

The latest deal between Morrow County and Amazon will provide giveaways approximately twice as valuable, for example, as an agreement officials in The Dalles reached with Google in 2021.

The enterprise zone program sunsets in two years and Oregon lawmakers are considering reforms that could limit the duration of the incentives, link the size of the tax breaks to jobs created, and mandate public notice before votes on the deals.
The chair of CNN, Chris Licht, issued a robust defense Thursday of his decision to broadcast a live town hall with former President Donald Trump, an unruly and bracing event that has prompted criticism inside and outside the network.

On a networkwide editorial call, Licht congratulated the moderator, Kaitlan Collins, on a masterful performance before acknowledging the public backlash.

We all know covering Donald Trump is messy and tricky, and it will continue to be messy and tricky, he said. But its our job.

I absolutely, unequivocally believe America was served very well by what we did last night, Licht added. People woke up, and they know what the stakes are in this election in a way that they didnt the day before. And if someone was going to ask tough questions and have that messy conversation, it damn well should be on CNN.

The town hall, which aired in prime-time Wednesday, featured Trump deploying a fusillade of falsehoods, sometimes too quickly for the moderator to intercept.

Collins interrupted and corrected Trump again and again, calling out his lies about a rigged 2020 election and his depiction of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot as a beautiful day. Trump, however, often talked right over her. The live audience, a group of Republicans and Republican-leaning independent voters, often cheered him on, even when he derided Collins as a nasty person.

While we all may have been uncomfortable hearing people clapping, that was also an important part of the story, Licht said Thursday, because the people in that audience represent a large swath of America. And the mistake the media made in the past is ignoring that those people exist. Just like you cannot ignore that President Trump exists.

Critics said it was reckless for the network to provide a live forum to Trump, given his track record of spreading disinformation. Even the networks own commentators appeared taken aback by what had transpired on its airwaves.

We dont have enough time to fact check every lie he told, Jake Tapper told viewers Wednesday night.

Licht, who took over CNN last year after the network was acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery, has had a rocky tenure, and some journalists there have bristled at his public comments that the network had veered too far into an anti-Trump stance when Trump was in the White House. Licht has said CNN must appeal to more centrists and conservative voters, a strategy that has support from his corporate superiors.

There were signs Thursday that frustration inside CNN about the town hall were bubbling up. The networks own media newsletter, Reliable Sources, published a tough assessment after the event, noting, Its hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening.

The newsletter cited several critical posts on social media about the Trump forum, including some observers who faulted the network for choosing a town hall-style format where voters were free to jeer Collins, the moderator.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
PRAGUE (AP)  The Czech dominant power utility CEZ said on Thursday its net profit in the first quarter of the year was 10.8 billion Czech crowns ($505 million), 60% less than a year ago.

At the same time, the board of directors has approved a proposal for a record dividend of 117 Czech crowns per share for the companys annual shareholder meeting on June 26.
BILLERICA, Mass. (AP)  BILLERICA, Mass. (AP)  Entegris Inc. (ENTG) on Thursday reported a loss of $88.2 million in its first quarter.

On a per-share basis, the Billerica, Massachusetts-based company said it had a loss of 59 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and asset impairment costs, were 65 cents per share.
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP)  A Massachusetts seafood business said Thursday that it did not discriminate against an immigrant worker who complained to the state.

The worker, Paula Fortes, is a Black woman who immigrated to the U.S. from Cape Verde, an island nation off the west coast of Africa. She filed the complaint against Eastern Fisheries, a New Bedford seafood harvester and distributor, a year ago and amended it earlier this week.
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP)  WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP)  Sotherly Hotels Inc. (SOHO) on Thursday reported a key measure of profitability in its first quarter.

The Williamsburg, Virginia-based real estate investment trust said it had funds from operations of $4.7 million, or 24 cents per share, in the period.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled for a onetime top aide to ex-Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York and for others who were convicted of corruption related to an economic development project known as the "Buffalo Billion.

In two cases before the court, both liberal and conservative justices were unanimous in saying there were problems with the convictions. The cases are the latest in a line stretching back years that criticize federal prosecutors for overreaching in public corruption cases against state and local officials, as well as people doing business with government.

In 2020, the high court threw out the convictions of political allies of former Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., over the Bridgegate scandal that involved four days of traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge. In 2016, the Supreme Court threw out the bribery conviction of former Gov. Bob McDonnell, R-Va.

The current cases grew out of the Buffalo Billion development project, which was intended to revitalize parts of Buffalo and other areas in upstate New York. But the project was a multiyear black cloud over the Cuomo administration and was frequently cited by critics as proof that Cuomo failed to address chronic corruption in state government, even within his own administration. Cuomo resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations.

In one case, the justices ruled for Joseph Percoco, a former aide so close to Cuomo that he was considered like a brother. Percoco was convicted of accepting money from companies seeking to influence the Cuomo administration as it worked on the Buffalo Billion project.

Percoco was ultimately sentenced to six years in prison, a conviction upheld on appeal. The case also involved Syracuse real estate executive Steven Aiello who paid Percoco for his assistance.

But the Supreme Court, in an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, said the jury in Percoco's case was given improper instructions when it found him guilty of a wire fraud conspiracy count. Percoco was convicted based on instructions that required the jury to determine whether he had a special relationship with the government and had dominated and controlled government business ... We conclude that this is not the proper test, Alito wrote.

In a statement, Percoco's lawyer, Yaakov Roth, said his client's prosecution was an abuse of the federal fraud statutes. He added: We are gratified that the court agreed with our position that he was not a public official during the relevant time period, and so he did not violate federal law by acting on behalf of private clients."

Roth said a lower court will have to determine whether his client's two remaining convictions can survive after the Supreme Court's ruling. But Percoco has finished serving his sentence, so the question is just whether the remaining convictions will stay on his record.

In the second case, which also involved Aiello, the court ruled for him and for developers Louis Ciminelli and Joseph Gerardi and Alain Kaloyeros, formerly one of Cuomos top economic development advisers. The court in an opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas said that the basis for their fraud convictions was faulty.

The group's prison terms had been put on hold while their case was appealed and the decision makes it more likely that this is the end of the case. Alexandra Shapiro, who represented Aiello and Gerardi, said in a statement that her clients feel greatly vindicated by the Supreme Courts unanimous decisions in both cases.
Magic mushrooms are clearly becoming more mainstream: Daytime talk show host Dr. Phil recently aired an episode featuring mothers who use magic mushrooms  and it included a shoutout to an Oakland psilocybin lab.

The May 4 episode, titled Moms on Mushrooms, profiled two mothers who say using magic mushrooms has improved their mental health and made them better parents.

Im not as reactive, said Tracey Tee, one of the women. I think before I speak. I dont get as upset. ... It just softens everything and allows me to be more present, more present with my family.

Psilocybin mushrooms, frequently called magic mushrooms, contain a compound that can cause hallucinations if taken at high enough doses. But the mothers featured on the show said they are taking weekly microdoses of the drug, which is a dose small enough that they never feel any kind of drug high. Thousands of people have reported that taking these mushroom microdoses improves mood and creativity, although microdosing has yet to be confirmed in rigorous clinical trials.

Show host Dr. Phil, whose legal name is Phil McGraw, questioned how the mothers could precisely control the effects of the mushrooms given that there are more than 100 known varieties of illegal psychedelic mushrooms. One of the women responded by saying that her mushrooms were tested by Oakland Hyphae, a psilocybin lab in Oakland that hosts competitions between mushroom growers.

I have a lab report so I know exactly how much psilocybin I am taking, guest Ashley Ryan said.

As mushrooms are becoming legal and decriminalized in various parts of the U.S., we are going to be able to see these lab reports more frequently and know exactly what it is that we are putting into our bodies, she added.

McGraw, after struggling to understand the word Hyphae, said he thought it was great that the mushrooms had helped the parents. Oakland Hyphae runs an analytical lab where growers can have their products tested for how much psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, they contain.

Reggie Harris, founder of the company, said in an email that it felt validating to have their work broadcast to a national audience. He added that the segment also showed how the public still needs more education on psilocybin because not every magic mushroom has the same potency, making it more complicated to safely microdose without lab testing.

We are at the leading edge of really defining how we can responsibly use this natural medicine, Harris said in an email.

The Bay Area has been a national leader in psychedelic reform. The Oakland Board of Supervisors voted to restrict law enforcements ability to investigate the use and possession of psychedelics like psilocybin mushrooms in 2019. San Francisco followed with a similar law in 2022, though neither of these votes actually decriminalized psilocybin; the drug remains illegal to sell or possess anywhere in California.

NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

That hasnt stopped an entire commercial industry from sprouting up around psilocybin mushrooms. Vendors regularly sell magic mushrooms in Oakland convenience stores, at city parks and on social media. One Bay Area mushroom church has opened a location in Oakland and San Francisco, where members can purchase the psychedelic drug.

Ryan asked McGraw if he would try magic mushrooms himself  an idea the host quickly dismissed.

Hell no, McGraw said. I dont know enough about it. But its working for you, and I think thats terrific.
Tim Cheung has high standards when it comes to Bay Area restaurants. So, when the TikTok star behind Bay Area Foodies heard about the viral chicken sandwich at Birdbox, which is made with an attached chicken foot, he knew he had to get his hands on one. The sandwich may be horrifying to some people, but not to him.

In its controversial nature, its viral content, Cheung said. I think that having a foot attached to a sandwich gives the sense of where your food comes from. You get that feeling that its fresh and not created in a lab.

When hes not eating internet-famous sandwiches, Cheung, who is best known by his 321,000 Instagram followers for slurping massive bowls of noodles in his car or biting into gigantic strawberry-stuffed mochi, is on the hunt for his next delicious meal around the bay.

I meet the food blogger on a cloudy San Francisco morning to have lunch at Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup in Japantown. Cheung greets me wearing a bright blue puffer jacket and appears more mellow in person than his typical animated self on social media. The staff recognizes him immediately as we take a seat by the window. Daeho has been featured many times on Cheungs social media pages, chiefly for the kalbijjim, a braised beef rib entree, which is his favorite Korean dish.

Imagine a mountain of the most tender beef short ribs just bubbling in a Jacuzzi of concentrated spicy umami, Cheung enthusiastically shared in an Instagram post last March.

A waiter appears not long after we order and presents us with a massive bowl of kalbijjim  prepared with thick rice cake noodles, assorted vegetables, and the optional cheese topping for $5 extra. When the waiter places the giant bowl on the table, he whips out a blowtorch and begins to melt the cheese tableside until it transforms into a gooey splendor. Cheungs eyes gleam with excitement.

Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos. Susana Guerrero/SFGATE

The food itself is a show, Cheung tells me as white smoke billows from the hot stone bowl. Its such a great time eating this kind of dish.

From computer science to food blogging

Cheung, who is from the South Bay, launched Bay Area Foodies in 2015 after graduating with a bachelors degree in molecular biology from UC Santa Cruz. He decided to open an Instagram account devoted to his tasty discoveries around the bay.

Food had been a passion of his since childhood. Growing up in San Jose, Cheung began to cultivate an interest in food when he and his family would visit the abundant Vietnamese restaurants in the area. Among them was Pho Ha Noi, a popular pho restaurant in San Jose with a location in Cupertino and an upcoming site in Palo Alto. The Vietnamese restaurant is known for drawing lines and is still one of Cheungs favorite spots. He orders the beef short rib pho, which comes with a full pound of meat.

Things really clicked for Cheung at age 14 while on a fateful run during P.E. class. Cheung and a group of classmates were doing a 5K run around San Jose when they ran past Araujos Mexican Grill. The group was starving by the end of the class, so they decided to visit the taqueria.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Tim Cheung eats at Daeho. (Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE) Tim Cheung eats at Daeho. (Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE)

The specialty at Araujos is that they charcoal grill the asada  and this was my first time having an authentic Mexican burrito, he said. I didnt know so much delicious food existed. I literally shed a tear.

Cheung eventually enrolled in a post-bachelor program in 2017 for computer science but dropped out when Bay Area Foodies picked up momentum. He just couldnt resist the pull of creating food videos before his hobby became a full-time gig. He launched his TikTok in 2019, and it has grown to nearly 400,000 followers.

I havent looked back ever since, Cheung said.

How to eat like a gourmand

Bay Area Foodies has taken Cheung to all corners of the Bay Area, with pit stops throughout San Jose and San Francisco. Hes featured mochi at the decades-old Shuei-Do Manju Shop in San Jose and tamales at the Walmart parking lot in Mountain View. Along the way, hes discovered some amazing hidden gems.

Last year, Cheung had a viral post that featured the Hong Kong-style pork chop plate, which is priced at $6.50, at Super Star Restaurant in San Francisco. Cheungs video of him taking a big bite out of the juicy pork chop garnered more than 93,000 likes on Instagram, and nearly a million views on TikTok. The post also piqued the interest of locals, who ventured out to the Excelsior District to try it themselves.

I think they serve one of the cheapest meals in all of San Francisco, Cheung said. People usually associate San Francisco with expensive food, but if you look hard enough, you can find these hidden gems that are very affordable and delicious, too. It blew me away.

When hes in the mood for Chinese barbecue, hell head to Kam Po Kitchen in San Franciscos Chinatown. Hes a huge fan of the Chinese-style barbecue pork dish served with rice. What Cheung likes best about the mom-and-pop business is that it isnt trying to be stylish. Instead, it offers comfort food priced under $10.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

It gives you that really homey feel, he said. You walk in, and the menu is kind of run-down. They cross off menu items so they can rewrite another one on top. You dont go there for the atmosphere.  The biggest selling point is the food. You just get good, delicious, simple food for a good price.

Cheung is a fan of getting the most for his money. When he visited the House of Prime Rib for the first time in February, he made sure to come armed with a plan  albeit a controversial one. Instead of getting a plate with a baked potato, Yorkshire pudding and creamed spinach to accompany the prime rib, Cheung requested to hold the sides altogether.

If you want to maximize your money over there, you should box the sides and focus on the meat, Cheung said. So, if you can finish your first plate, you can get a second and sometimes a third depending on the server. Some people might disagree and say that the sides are the best.

How does Cheung find his spots? Like many of us, he relies on social media. He usually starts with the ongoing list of local businesses that hes previously bookmarked on Instagram or TikTok. Sometimes hell spend an hour or two on Yelp. In either scenario, hes always on the prowl for locations that strike a balance between innovation and flavor.

There have been times when hes tried viral foods and has been left sorely disappointed. Such was the case a few years back when he tried birria tacos from a business he prefers to keep anonymous.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

A lot of spots copy that kind of taco style and its kind of underwhelming, Cheung said. Ive had a few spots that were really good, but the majority of them I felt mediocre.

To avoid burnout, he tries to avoid posting about viral foods unless the business has perfected the dish. Its often a challenge to find a balance between testing trendy meals and knowing what his followers are actually craving. But when he cant seem to find inspiration on Yelp or TikTok, his followers will always put a new restaurant on his radar via direct messages.

I love to try new food, Cheung said. I can do that forever.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.  For 72 hours at the end of April, people on or around Glen Canyon Dam say they could feel it shaking, hear it roaring. "Intense" and "awesome" went some descriptions. Turbines and bypass tubes blasted water at such a volume and such a rate  39,500 cubic feet per second  that Larry Stevens observed a hurricane-sounding wind below. The mightiest of boaters would not dare approach.

It was "like a lot of elephants stampeding by every second," recalled Stevens, who since the 1970s has frequented the water the dam keeps, Lake Powell, and the wonder of the world downstream: the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

Known as "Mr. Grand Canyon" by some associates, Stevens has been among scientists and environmentalists who for years have called on the event they finally saw happen as April turned to May. Water rocketed from Glen Canyon Dam as part of what regulators call a high-flow experiment. These experiments simulate floods from snowmelt in Colorado's mountains and ranges down the watershed that naturally, beneficially flowed through the Grand Canyon before the dam's 1963 construction.

The Bureau of Reclamation last oversaw a high-flow experiment in the fall of 2018. This more natural version, one in the spring, had not been seen since 2008.

The releases have been hard to come by while the focus has been on keeping Lake Powell up during an all-time drop. The Grand Canyon separates Powell and Lake Mead, two reservoirs responsible for giving water and hydropower to more than 40 million people in seven states.

And so Stevens cherished those 72 hours the water gushed. He thought back to the '80s, the last time he was boating through the Grand Canyon under such rollicking circumstances. He thought of rapids returning, sandy beaches restored and invasive vegetation cut back  the river alive and loud again in what has been a quiet, parched age of climate change and a broken system of management on the Colorado River.

The high-flow experiment was celebrated by Stevens and others for only so long; the Grand Canyon would not be saved in those three days, they knew. Larger questions loomed.

Virtual meetings continue over the Bureau of Reclamation's Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. The stage is to be set for operations across the Colorado River Basin at a crucial time of lower supply and higher demand.

It's a crucial time, too, for one of the seven natural wonders of the world. At least for the Grand Canyon, there has been "a wonderful day," as Lynn Hamilton called it.

"It can't be gloom and doom all the time," said the executive director of Grand Canyon River Guides. "It's nice to have a bright spot."

Her nonprofit comprises advocates inside and outside the recreation industry. After the high-flow experiment, those inside the industry are celebrating the restoration of beaches historically used for launching and docking boats and camping.

A primary aim of the experiments is to rebuild those shorelines with sand and sediment pushed from the Paria River, less than 20 miles from Glen Canyon Dam's turbines and bypass tubes.

The Paria was identified in the years following the dam's construction, as observers found silt rushing down with snowmelt was getting trapped in Lake Powell. Water coming down through the Grand Canyon was coming out clear  unnatural to the river called Colorado, derived from Spanish for "colored red."

"And so for decades, that sediment-starved water has eroded a lot of the beaches and sandbars all the way through the canyon," said Durango-based Sinjin Eberle, a southwest point person for advocacy group American Rivers.

Without the sandy, cobbly surges of spring, the river floor has not been naturally scoured, allowing algae to proliferate. Native plant life has struggled against invasive species, altering insect life and the food chain. Native fish populations have vanished, including the pikeminnow, gone in the '70s, hardly 10 years after the dam.

Also in the absence of sand, tribes have expressed worry over cultural sites being degraded, exposed and put at risk of pilfering across the canyon.

"There has been evidence of some becoming uncovered because there's less windborn sand blowing" to protect them, Eberle said.

It has all contributed to his organization recently declaring perhaps America's most iconic river as also the most endangered.

That's on the heels of increased concern regarding smallmouth bass, which were stocked in Lake Powell in the '80s. They swim toward the warm, top part of the lake. The top has plunged to never-before-seen levels during this megadrought, down to where the notoriously hungry predators can exit for the warming river. It's believed they would wreak havoc on the native populations remaining.

"Smallmouth bass can start spawning certainly by 60 degrees," said Jim Strogen, a Grand Canyon lead with Trout Unlimited. "We're well within the tolerance of them spawning and, the way it is right now, for them to take off."

Also amid Powell's historic drop, onlookers have eyed the position of those bypass tubes that blasted last month's release, below the powerful turbines. There's a scenario where those tubes could be primarily relied upon, should Powell's level continue to fall, to pass water downstream to Lake Mead. But, given the tubes' lower capacity, that would mean less water traveling through the Grand Canyon.

"That's pretty scary when you're talking about an ecosystem as important as this," Eberle said.

In the face of several competing interests  farming and urban life as we know it  the importance of that ecosystem is tested when high-flow experiments are decided.

Central to this latest decision was the projected boosts to lakes Powell and Mead, which have both hovered around a quarter full as of late. Recent forecasts have called for Powell to be 50 feet higher year-to-year by October and a 22-foot rise for Mead by the same time  still far from capacity.

While environmentalists have pushed for high-flow experiments, power distributors have warned of water leaving without generating electricity. That can mean higher expenses to harness it in other ways, hence higher costs to consumers.

"This particular (high-flow experiment), we modeled and projected to cost us $1.4 million in lost energy," said Brian Sadler with Western Area Power Administration, one of the four power marketing administrations under the U.S. Department of Energy. The company's customers are spread across 15 states over the plains and mountains.

Hydropower is increasingly precious, Sadler said. "But as far as this experiment and the environment, that's really important to us, too. Even though this has an impact financially and operationally and somewhat indirectly to our customers, we're on board with this."

That, he said, was in accordance with the 2016 Long Term Experimental and Management Plan, a federal guideline on when and how high-flow experiments can be greenlit. That plan sprung from the 1992 Grand Canyon Protection Act, which dictated Glen Canyon Dam be operated to "mitigate adverse impacts" and "improve the values" of the Grand Canyon.

"That's what we keep pointing to," said Hamilton, with Grand Canyon River Guides.

That's what she'll keep pointing to as talks continue over the Bureau of Reclamation's Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.

The question of Stevens, or Mr. Grand Canyon as Hamilton knows him: "Do we want to try to manage the Grand Canyon in a natural, hydrological fashion? Is that something we value? What's the value of that to each of these stakeholders?"

After seeing that joyous sight last month, he can only speak for himself and others who've spent much of their lives in the canyon.

"It's our home," he said. "That wild nature and awe and wonder ... It's an amazing experience."

___

(c)2023 The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Visit The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at www.gazette.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Animals living in the Santa Monica Mountains of California have a strange new kind of neighbor, according to wildlife officials.

Biologists with the National Park Service recently captured a 210-pound black bear and outfitted him with a radio collar to track his movements through a western area of the mountain range south of the 101 Freeway, officials said in a news release.

Its the first time officials have found evidence of a bear living in the area since they started studying mountain lion populations there 20 years ago, officials said.

He appears to be the only bear here in the Santa Monica Mountains, and hes likely been here for almost two years based on our remote camera data, said Jeff Sikich, the lead field biologist on the mountain lion study. This seems to be our first resident bear in the 20 years we have conducted mountain lion research in the area. It will be interesting to see how he shares the landscape with our other resident large carnivores.

Biologists named him BB-12. Hes between 3 and 4 years old by their estimate, and though there have been bear sightings before, its the first time biologists have captured and radio-collared a bear in the Santa Monica Mountains, officials said.

Biologists added BB-12 as a new species to the wildlife study in the Santa Monica Mountains, officials said.

Over the years, bears have been spotted very rarely in the area, officials said.

A young black bear was seen about four miles northwest of the mountains in July 2021, lumbering along Reino Road in Newbury Park. And one has been spotted on wildlife trail cameras in one half of the Santa Monica Mountains, from Malibu Creek State Park to the western border of the range in Point Mugu State Park.

Biologists believe this could be the same bear spotted on those trail cameras, officials said.

There was some evidence of bears in the area in the early 2000s, when a bear carcass was found under a landslide in Malibu Creek State Park. Then in 2016, a bear was spotted three times over three months on wildlife trail cameras in the central portion of the mountains, but then never seen again, officials said.

There have been rare bear sightings north of the 101 Freeway in the Simi Hills, including one seen near Westlake High School in 2006, and another killed by a car on the highway going north near Lindero Canyon Boulevard, officials said.

But theres never been evidence of a breeding population in either area, officials said.

The closest black bears live northeast in the Santa Susana Mountains, north of the 118 Freeway, officials said. And grizzly bears used to roam the entire state, but went extinct in the early 1900s.

Black bears are not native to Southern California. About 30 of them were relocated from Yosemite National Park into the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains in the 1930s.

As this bear gets older and is looking to mate, it might attempt to move back north and cross the freeway again, Sikich said. There is no evidence of an existing population here in the Santa Monica Mountains, and therefore likely no females.

BB-12s radio-collar will track his movements so officials can figure out where he might attempt to cross the freeway, Sikich said in the release. That will help officials better understand habitat connectivity for wildlife in the urban, fragmented landscape.

What to do if you see a bear

Bear attacks in the U.S. are rare, according to the National Park Service. In most attacks, bears are trying to defend their food, cubs or space.

There are steps people can take to help prevent a bear encounter from becoming a bear attack.

 Identify yourself: Talk calmly and slowly; wave your arms. This can help the bear realize youre a human and nonthreatening.

 Stay calm: Bears usually dont want to attack; they want to be left alone. Talk slowly and with a low voice to the bear.

 Dont scream: Screaming could trigger an attack.

 Pick up small children: Dont let kids run away from the bear. It could think theyre small prey.

 Hike in groups: A group is noisier and smellier, the National Park Service said. Bears like to keep their distance from groups of people.

 Make yourself look big: Move to higher ground and stand tall. Dont make any sudden movements.

 Dont drop your bag: A bag on your back can keep a bear from accessing food, and it can provide protection.

 Walk away slowly: Move sideways so you appear less threatening to the bear. This also lets you keep an eye out, but dont make eye contact. Let the bear leave the area on its own.

 Again, dont run: Bears will chase you, just like a dog would.

 Dont climb trees: Grizzlies and black bears can also climb.

If a black bear makes contact and attacks you, fight back. If a grizzly attacks you, its better to play dead to show the bear youre not a threat to it or its cubs.

2023 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A California community is marking Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with an apology for past actions against the Filipino-American community.

During a meeting this week, Monterey County's board of supervisors adopted a resolution recognizing May as AAPI month and issuing an apology for a riot that occurred in Watsonville nearly a century ago.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON (AP)  The formal end of the national Public Health Emergency on Thursday is largely a symbolic and psychological step, representing the countrys formal emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic.

But behind the scenes, several core aspects of Americas pandemic-era emergency safety net are also coming to a close, from extra food assistance to automatic reenrollment in Medicaid. While these measures were always designed to be temporary, their expiration is inevitably producing hardship and confusion.

People are starting to get their jobs back, but it's still not all the way back and everything is more expensive than before the pandemic, said Radha Muthiah, president of the Capital Area Food Bank. The people we serve always seem to be playing catch-up.

At Thursday's White House briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre took note of the end of the public health emergency. The work won't stop, she said, with the administration working to ensure continued access to COVID vaccines, treatments and tests and to tackle long-COVID.

During the height of the pandemic, safety net programs gave Americans a lifeline. The child tax credit was increased,unemployment benefits and food assistance were expanded, and a federal moratorium on eviction kept people in their homes even if they were unable to pay rent.

The Census Bureau reported last year that COVID relief efforts and others sharply reduced childhood poverty. But these programs have now expired.

The impact is being felt.

Perhaps the fastest shock to the system has come in the SNAP program, the monthly food-assistance vehicle commonly known as food stamps. During the pandemic, all SNAP recipients had their benefits boosted though an Emergency Allotment program. The duration of those extra payments was originally tied directly to the duration of the public health emergency, but that was changed in December 2022 and the final pandemic-boosted SNAP payments went out at the end of February.

The average family started receiving about $90 less per month in March, although some households dropped by up to $250, according to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

On the ground, the impact has been immediate. Muthiah said her organization distributed 13% more fruits, vegetables, meat and canned goods in March, the month after the extra SNAP benefits expired. In times of financial hardship, she said many families in need prioritize non-negotiable items like rent or gas while turning to charities to fill the holes in their food budgets.

We're seeing a cumulative effect of things being rolled back, said Muthiah, who estimated that 300,000 families in her food bank's service area have been impacted.

In many cases, the end of the extra SNAP assistance has led to confusion and frustration. Allison Miles-Lee, an attorney with the D.C. charity Bread for the City, said there has been a spike in demand for legal services as SNAP recipients struggle to understand how their new  theoretically back to normal  monthly payment was decided. In many cases, the amounts are based on sometimes obsolete information on family size, income or number of dependents.

A lot of people just didn't report or update their information for three years," Miles-Lee said. Now they're panicked and just sort of flying blind."

Tina Robinson is one of those confused SNAP recipients. The 49-year-old D.C. resident used to receive $100 per month through SNAP. During the pandemic that rose to $200 per month. But starting in March, her SNAP benefits abruptly dropped to $6 and she doesn't know why.

What exactly can you buy with $6, Robinson asked as she waited in line for free groceries Wednesday morning at Bread for the City's charity food pantry. That's almost worse than sending me zero, because it probably took $20 worth of government employee time to get that $6 to me.

Robinson said she has tried to get some clarity by calling the D.C. Department of Human Services. "I called many times. They don't answer their phones," she said.

Robinson says she never received the letter notifying her of the impending benefits reduction. But even those who saw the drop coming are having a hard time getting by without that pandemic-era boost.

Helena Smith, a 63-year-old retiree, says she did receive her letter and knew that her benefits would drop by more than $100. That difference in her food budget was enough to bring her back to the local food pantry.

It really did help a lot during the pandemic and I'm grateful for it, Smith said. I knew it couldn't last forever, but it was a lot to lose all at once."

A similar, slower moving, process is happening with Medicaid, as dozens of states begin a review process that will remove as many as 14 million people from the health care program.

Before the pandemic, people would regularly lose their Medicaid coverage if they started making too much money to qualify for the program, gained health care coverage through their employer or moved to a new state. But the federal government prohibited states from kicking people off Medicaid during the pandemic, even if they were no longer eligible. That action, known as the Continuous Enrollment Provision, was also originally tied directly to the public health emergency. But like the extra SNAP payments, that was modified in December 2022 and the deadline changed to March 31.

Now dozens of states are launching reviews of their Medicaid recipients and removing those deemed ineligible. The process could take up to a year to complete, although some states are moving faster than others; Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma and West Virginia are among the states aiming to begin removing ineligible Medicaid recipients as early as this month.

Jennifer Wagner, director of Medicaid eligibility with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the process is already being marked by confusion and miscommunication. Many states are notifying recipients by mail that they need to reapply for Medicaid when other forms of communication such as text messages are generally considered more reliable. And even when the mail messages make it into the correct hands, it doesn't necessarily clarify the situation.

"We're seeing some pretty confusing notices out there, said Wagner, who noted that one state is requiring recipients to fill out a 46-page form.

What's worse, Wagner said, is that many states are counting on the same overtaxed safety net agencies to handle both Medicaid and SNAP-related questions  creating administrative bottlenecks and massive wait times at call centers.

Chaos at the state level is a virtual inevitability, Wagner said. There are tremendous staffing shortages. These state agencies were already understaffed.

___

Associated Press writers Adriana Morga in New York City and Amanda Seitz and Collin Binkley in Washington contributed to this report.
BROOKLYN  A local man is in critical condition after being shot by state police who said he was wielding a knife while trying to avoid eviction at a Tiffany Street apartment building Tuesday, an official said.

A housing judge ordered Byron Harvey evicted in April after he failed to pay $875 a month in rent from Feb. 1, 2022 to Jan. 1, 2023 for an apartment at the Tiffany Street address, court records showed.

Connecticut State Police troopers were called to the building around 9:35 a.m. Tuesday to help a state marshal serving a court-ordered eviction at the building, state police said.

A trooper shot the tenant while trying to evict him from the Tiffany Street apartment, state police said. State police said the tenant had a knife and refused to leave.

The tenant, who state police have not identified, was flown to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass., where he underwent surgery, state police said.

A hospital official said Harvey was in critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon.

There were no other reported injuries from the incident, state police said.

The state Office of the Inspector General as well a detectives from the Connecticut State Police's Major Crimes Unit are investigating the police shooting. A spokesperson for Inspector General Robert Devlin, a retired judge, said he will likely release more information Thursday.

State police have referred all questions about the case to Devlin's office. It is unclear if the trooper has been placed on leave after the incident.

Under the 2020 Police Accountability Law, officials are required to release footage of police use-of-force incidents by request within 96 hours of the incident.
More than 100 years ago there was a visible Chinatown in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

It was made up of a group of Chinese people who first came to New Orleans about 150 years ago.

Historian Winston Ho of the Historic New Orleans Collection says after the Civil War, Southern planters scrambled to find new workers, so they brought in Chinese people from California and China, but it didn't work out long term.

"Basically the conditions were miserable, the Chinese didn't think they were being paid enough, they asked for more money, the planters were not used to negotiating with their workers and ultimately the Chinese all left," said Ho.

They left to get jobs in the city at restaurants and laundromats. In the 1870s, Chinese businesses started popping up in the 1100 block of Tulane Avenue and Rampart, creating the first Chinatown.

Pat Ellzey's great-grandfather was one of the business owners on Tulane Avenue.

Her family was also among the first members of the Chinese Presbyterian Church.

It was started by a missionary in 1881 to teach English to the Chinese immigrants on Liberty Street.

"It gave a place to gather together and worship God," said Ellzey.

In 1937, Chinatown was forced to move.

According to some historians, the merchants lost their lease, and the area was being redeveloped.

So the business owners found a new home in the Vieux Carre.

By the 1940s, about 10 Chinese-owned businesses lined the streets in the 500 block of Bourbon Street.

Jefferson Parish president Cynthia Lee Sheng's grandfather owned a laundromat in the early 1900s. The family then owned a restaurant. She is grateful for their contributions because she knows it wasn't easy.

"Certainly, the first immigrants struggled  maybe they faced difficult times, maybe they faced racism, maybe they faced language barriers," said Sheng.

A big hurdle came in 1882 when the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed. The law banned Chinese workers from immigrating to the U.S. for 10 years, because of job competition.

Historians believe that was partly the reason why Chinatown wasn't able to grow.

"Yeah, so Chinatown died out slowly," said Ho.

But their hard work is not dead. The American dream is still alive in their children, as they contribute to the rich and diverse history that is uniquely New Orleans.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NEW HAVEN  A new retail cannabis store could be in the works the city's Hill neighborhood.

Florida-based Trulieve Holdings Inc. is looking for a home in New Haven, submitting an application to the City Plan Commission seeking a permit to operate as a cannabis retailer.

The proposed store would be located at 254 Kimberly Ave., current site of a Dairy Queen, just off Ella T. Grasso Boulevard and Interstate 95. According to the application, the existing ice cream store would be demolished upon the city's approval. The new building would be about 2,500 square feet.

The store would have nine full-time and 10 part-time employees, according to the application, and would be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Trulieve is based in Tallahassee and currently operates 185 cannabis retailers nationwide including one in Bristol. The company didnt respond to a request for comment Wednesday about why it chose New Haven.

The property owner, listed as 254 Kimberly Avenue LLC., also didnt respond to an email request for comment.

The parcel at the proposed site, which sits in an inclusionary zone, is in one of the cannabis-allowed locations according to the citys zoning map.

The application noted that the proposed cannabis retailer would generate less traffic than the existing Dairy Queen. The applicant also said having a cannabis retailer nearby "will not have any detrimental effects on surrounding property values" while pointing to findings of studies that found residential real estate values going up when located near a newly opened cannabis outlet.

New Havens first recreational cannabis retailer opened earlier in January at Affinity Dispensary, formerly known as Affinity Health and Wellness, along with other sellers in the state as it became legalized.

Another possible retail cannabis store could be at the former site of Long Wharf Theatre on Sargent Drive. Insa Inc., a Massachusetts-based cannabis company, has signed a 10-year lease with the property owner and currently is navigating some zoning hurdles.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  A former Internal Revenue Service agent and Oakland tax enforcement officer has been charged in connection with a scheme that stole $3 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief money, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

Frank Mosley, 58, is one of six people accused of obtaining money from the federal Payroll Protection Program in 2021 and 2022 by submitting phony loan applications for funds that were intended to help keep small businesses afloat, the U.S. attorney's office said in a statement.

Mosley and the others submitted applications for four companies, falsely claiming they had up to 49 employees each and at least $150,000 in monthly payroll when in reality they "were little more than shell companies, with no payroll expenses," prosecutors said.

The defendants allegedly did not use the funds for any legitimate business expenses, such as to pay employees. Rather, they used the funds for significant personal expenses, personal credit cards, personal investments, and distributions to their family members," the statement said.

Mosley currently is a tax enforcement officer for the city of Oakland, prosecutors said.

There was no immediate response to an email sent to the city asking about his work status.

Mosley is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aiding or advising a false tax return. If convicted, he could face up to 33 years in federal prison.

It wasn't immediately clear whether he had an attorney to comment on his behalf. The U.S. attorney's office said it had no public information about his counsel.
LONDON - Meghan did not attend the coronation of King Charles III - or did she?

Both the Duchess of Sussex's spokesperson, and Buckingham Palace, had confirmed beforehand that she would not be attending the May 6 ceremony - yet discussion of Meghan, who has long sparked both fascination and vitriol from the British press - still led to one of the coronation's most memorable viral moments.

As the cameras zoomed in on a mysterious figure with flowing silver mullet hair, an impressive mustache and oversized tinted glasses sat in Westminster Abbey, some viewers decided that it must be Meghan, attending the ceremony in a wig as part of a cunning disguise.

"You're not fooling us," tweeted one royal watcher to Meghan, while another joked, "Meghan Markle's disguise nearly had me fooled . . ."

As photos of the unidentified figure went viral, British and American tabloids also joined in the fun, with one running the headline: "Coronation viewers convinced Meghan Markle 'snuck into ceremony' in bizarre disguise."

The speculation prompted the gray-haired guest, who was in fact Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, to make a statement.

"I understand there's been quite a lot of interest in me," 79-year-old Jenkins said on TikTok Wednesday, as he sought to dispel rumors he was the 41-year-old American wife of Prince Harry undercover. "I was quite surprised that some people thought I was Meghan Markle in disguise."

Sounding both calm and bemused, Jenkins, who was knighted in 2015 for "services to composing," noted that some commentators had even determined his hair and mustache were "obviously a disguise" so he could "try and steal the crown jewels."

"I look this way all the time," Jenkins chuckled, adding that he had had his standout handlebar mustache for more than 60 years. "I've had the mustache since I was 18 years old. It was very trendy then. . . . Nothing sinister about it or surprising at all!"

The composer added he was at the coronation because music he had written was played at the ceremony, and showed viewers the medal he was wearing at the coronation, which was given to him after he received his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.

Jenkins is among the most performed living composers, according to a global survey from 2011. The musician holds several honors at home and abroad, according to his official website.

More than 18 million people tuned in to watch King Charles and Queen Camilla being crowned, according to British media. Around 2,000 guests were invited - including Prince Harry and his wife Meghan.

There had been intense speculation over whether Harry and Meghan would attend, given they have been enmeshed in a very public fallout with members of the royal family.

Ultimately, Harry attended the service alone, sitting three rows from the front and heading back to the United States almost immediately after. The prince, who is fifth in line to the British throne, had no formal role in the coronation service and did not join family members afterward on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

Meghan meanwhile, stayed home in California. The coronation coincided with their son Archie's fourth birthday.

Jenkins's video statement that he was not Meghan was viewed more than 1 million times, and sparked a new round of coverage, with the tabloid Daily Mail heralding that the "mystery" was "finally solved," and the BBC running the headline: "I wasn't Meghan in disguise at coronation."

But some people joked they were still unconvinced. "I've never seen you and Meghan Markle in the same room, sir," read one comment on Jenkins's video, while another person tweeted, "That is exactly the kind of thing Meghan Markle in disguise would say."
DINWIDDIE, Va. (AP)  Seven sheriff's deputies and three employees of a psychiatric hospital in Virginia cannot all be tried together in the death of a man who was pinned to the floor while being admitted, a judge ruled, while leaving open the possibility of joint trials for some of the defendants.

Dinwiddie Circuit Judge Joseph Teefey Jr. on Wednesday granted requests from two Central State Hospital employees to be tried separately from the other defendants. It remains unclear whether the remaining eight defendants will stand trial together. During a court hearing, the judge did not rule out trying some of them at the same time.

Lawyers for the two hospital employees argued it would be unfair to require their clients to stand trial with some of the other defendants, including sheriff's deputies who had a more active role in restraining Irvo Otieno, 28. All 10 defendants are charged with second-degree murder in Otieno's death March 6.

Rhonda Quagliana, an attorney for hospital security guard Sadarius Williams, argued in court papers that Williams' participation was markedly different and does not support a conviction for second-degree murder.

Teefey granted the request by Williams to be tried separately from the other defendants and granted a similar request from an attorney for hospital employee Darian Blackwell. The Washington Post reported that attorneys for the two men said they would agree to be tried together.

During earlier hearings and in statements, attorneys for several of the defendants have argued that Otieno was combative and that the deputies were trying to restrain him. They have said their clients were positioned near Otieno's feet during the restraint and did not realize he was having trouble breathing.

Video from the hospital shows various members of the group attempting to restrain Otieno  who was in handcuffs and leg shackles  for about 20 minutes. For most of that time, Otieno was on the floor being held down by a group that at one point appeared to include 10 people.

An autopsy determined Otieno died of asphyxia while he was in handcuffs and metal leg restraints and held to the floor for about 11 minutes.

In a motion seeking to hold a single trial for all 10 defendants, Dinwiddie Commonwealths Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill argued that they acted together and should be tried together.

The family of Otieno, who was Black, has said he was brutally mistreated while he was experiencing a mental health crisis, both at the hospital and while in law enforcement custody for several days before that.

The family is being represented by Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney who also represented the family of George Floyd and has said Otienos treatment has parallels to Floyds killing by Minneapolis police in 2020.
HAMDEN  The Space Ballroom is entertaining a unique theatrical collage, "Live From the Edge," created and performed by Universes, through May 21 under the auspices of Long Wharf Theatre.

These evenings will be a potpourri of sounds, songs, stories and sights combined with politics, poetry and petite plays. With jazz, hip hop, and gospel merging with dance, movement, clapping and burlesque, this is a happening, a high-energy community of entertainment that probes your conscience as it plays with your mind.

The troupe of five, led by Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp who founded the group in the Bronx, N.Y. 28 years ago, joined by Asia Mark, Nate John Mark, Nsangou Njikam, and soon by Sophia Ramos, capture the stage with emotional riffs, childhood stories, songs from what could be a revival meeting, explorations of the alphabet, tales of a hurricane, a little snappy rap, and all that jazz.

There is vibrancy, sensitivity and a hint of violence, traveling from Noahs ark to the subway, with talk about growing up, prisons, neighborhoods, dreams, invisibility, all a nonstop monologue or dialogue with rhythm and jive as the oral tradition continues.

Universes has traveled all over the United States as well as internationally. For the past three years, it has served as playwrights-in-residence at Long Wharf Theatre under the auspices of Artistic Director Jacob Padron, who terms their show a thrilling theatrical experience ... by boundary-breaking artists.

Each performance is unique, involving the audience to be part of the show. The evening I attended, we sang Happy Birthday to hip-hop on its 50th birthday, and to Steven Sapps cousin Kenny.

For tickets ($35 members, $55 regular, $75 pay it forward), call the Long Wharf Theatre at 203-693-1486 or go online at boxoffice@longwharf.org. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m. Stay after each show for a talk back.

Come help Long Wharf celebrate a new era of theatrical performance as it works to create a diverse community for New Haven.

For information, visit spaceballroom.com.
MERIDEN  A local man was sentenced to seven years in prison Wednesday for trafficking cocaine from Puerto Rico to Connecticut, according to the U.S. attorneys office.

Bimael Acevedo-Roman, 29, coordinated the shipment of packages containing kilogram quantities of cocaine from U.S. post offices in Puerto Rico to various addresses in Meriden, New Britain and Bristol. He and others then picked up the packages and delivered them to his home in Meriden, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said in a news release.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  A Minnesota man was convicted of first-degree murder Thursday for beheading his girlfriend in front of several witnesses.

Alexis Saborit, 44, was found guilty in the slaying of America Thayer, 56, in July 2021.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Saborit struck Thayer with an 8-pound dumbbell while they were in a vehicle near downtown Shakopee, then he decapitated her with a machete.

People in other cars and nearby homes saw the attack. One of them shot a video that appeared to show Saborit pull Thayer's body out of the car into the street then pick up her head by the hair.

Saborit and Thayer were on the way to his court appearance for felony charges alleging that he set fire to their apartment in Shakopee during a confrontation with police and that Saborit attacked Thayer after she told him she wanted to end their relationship.

Saborit fled the scene and disposed of the machete along the way. He was arrested about 1  miles away near the TraveLodge Hotel where he was staying.

County Attorney Ron Hocevar said he was pleased with the verdict, and that he expects Saborit to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  A Mississippi man was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after illegally manufacturing machine guns, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday.

Kent Edward Newhouse, 41, manufactured firearms from April to July 2022, according to the Justice Department. In April of that year, a confidential informant told the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that the Jackson man was using 3D-printers to manufacture auto sears, which are firearm components designed to cause semi-automatic guns to function as fully automatic machine guns.
NEW LONDON  A local man who shot and killed a man more than five years ago was sentenced Tuesday, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice.

In state Superior Court in New London, a judge ordered Jamir Johnson, 23, to serve 33 years in prison, suspended after 17 years served, and five years of probation, the DCJ said.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Oakland teachers started their second week on strike Thursday as they push for their contract to include common good provisions such as using district property to help homeless students, addressing reparations for Black students, and improving school safety.

There is no end in sight for the strike by 3,000 educators, counselors and other workers in the Oakland Unified School District, who say the district has failed to bargain in good faith on a new three-year contract that also makes more traditional demands like higher salaries. Other common good demands include providing more mental health support, fixing deteriorating schools, and offering subsidized transportation for low-income students.

Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell said in a message to parents Wednesday that the district, the state's 11th largest, is offering raises of as much as 22% for some teachers but that the common good demands are not possible to meet because they would cost $1 billion. Issues like student homelessness are important but demand multi-agency and government support," she said.

But teachers say adding more support beyond the classroom would improve learning conditions and retain educators. About 20% of Oakland students have disabilities or need special education services, said Ismael Armendariz, a special education teacher and the Oakland Education Association's interim president.

He said that the district loses about 25% of its teachers each year because they dont have support, and that the district offers the lowest salaries in the region. The district also has one of the highest concentrations of non-credentialed teachers in the state, he said.

Armendariz said the union in Oakland is also pushing for teachers, parents and students to have decision-making power on how to spend $85 million in state grants for community schools, campuses that offer support for students, their families and communities.

The funds are part of the $4.1 billion California Gov. Gavin Newsom approved in the past two years to vastly expand the K-12 community school model in poor neighborhoods and offer free school meals, mental health support to students, tutoring, after-school programs, health care for families, and English classes for adults in the community near campus.

Experts say that bargaining beyond salary and working conditions by adding common good clauses to address community issues has become more common in the past decade, beginning in Chicago in 2012, when teachers went on strike and demanded a voice in improving schools. They won a nurse and social worker in every school, resources for unhoused students, and wage increases.

In California, a growing number of school districts have bargained common good demands with teacher unions, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second-largest school system. In a 2019 strike, the United Teachers Los Angeles won shared governance at community schools.

Shared decision-making would keep the district accountable, Armendariz said, pointing out that in 2021 the Oakland school board voted to commit more support to all schools with over 40% Black students and allocated funds, but that the district has yet to follow through.

Some parents said the teachers demands are not reasonable and are affecting children already struggling mentally and academically because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Oakland, only about 30% of students can do math or read at grade level, according to data from the California Department of Education.

Lakisha Young, who has a son in the seventh grade and is the founder and CEO of the literacy-focused nonprofit Oakland Reach, said she is not sending her child to school because she has the flexibility to keep him home. She is angry Oakland teachers are on strike for the third time since 2019, when they were out for a week after more than a year of contract negotiations. In April, teachers walked out for one day over plans to close several schools.

Our kids are being used as pawns because teachers want more control over more things, Young said.

The strike comes at the end of the school year, which wraps up May 25. But the districts 80 schools remain open to the districts 34,000 students, with meals being offered and office staff educating and supervising. Only about 1,200 students have shown up to school since the strike started May 4, district spokesperson John Sasaki said.

Like many parents, Leslie Ayers, who has a sophomore at Oakland Technical High School, wants the strike to end. But she said she also understands that teachers are looking for solutions to problems that make it hard for kids to learn.

Obviously the district cant solve these problems on their own, so their solution is to just shrug and claim its too expensive, she said. "District leaders should be demanding more help from elected officials, not sending out finger-wagging emails essentially scolding the union for being too ambitious.

___

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Leslie Ayers first name. It is Leslie, not Leyla.
ENID, Okla. (AP)  Sometimes a wrong call can really get your goat.

Police in Enid, Oklahoma at first walked slowly and cautiously through the grassy, wooded area of a farm seeking the source of faint cries in the distance.

That's a person, one of the officers said to the other on a video that has been widely shared from a Facebook post by the police department in the city about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of Oklahoma City. The distressing noise that sounded like human cries for help escalated as officers David Sneed and Neal Storey began running to help who they thought was perhaps a person trapped under farm equipment.

Instead, it was a goat.

Thats a goat? ... from a long distance it sounds it sounds like help," Sneed asked through laughter.

The farmer said he had two male goats in the barn, and he took one out and he wasn't happy, according to police spokesperson Cass Rains.

Now the town and the police department are enjoying the tale of the rescue that wasn't.

All in all, as the department wrote: You really cant say it was that baaad of a call.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville is facing backlash for remarks he made about white nationalists in the armed forces in an interview about his blocking of military nominees. He said that while Democrats may consider such people to be racists, I call them Americans.

Tuberville said Thursday that his comments had been misinterpreted. His office said he had been expressing skepticism at the idea that white nationalists were in the armed services.

The first-term senator from Alabama made his initial remarks in an interview last week with WBHM, an NPR affiliate. He suggested that the Biden administrations efforts to expand diversity in the military were weakening the force and hampering recruitment, though the Army has said that the real problem is that many young people do not see enlistment as safe or a good career path.

We are losing in the military so fast. Our readiness in terms of recruitment, Tuberville said, according to the stations transcript of the May 4 interview. And why? Ill tell you why. Because the Democrats are attacking our military, saying we need to get out the white extremists, the white nationalists, people that dont believe in our agenda."

When asked if he believed white nationalists should be allowed in the U.S. military, Tuberville responded, Well, they call them that. I call them Americans.

Responding to criticism of his comments, Tuberville said Thursday at the U.S. Capitol that he had been trying to refute the notion that all supporters of former President Donald Trump are white nationalists.

Democrats portray all Trump people as white nationalists. That's what I was saying ..." Tuberville said. "There's a lot of good people that are Trump supporters that for some reason my Democratic colleagues want to portray as white nationalists. That's not true.

The comments came as Tuberville continued to hold up Senate approval of a slew of military appointments over his opposition to Pentagon abortion policies. Those policies provide travel funds and support for troops and dependents who seek abortions but are based in states where they are now illegal.

The White House National Security Council said it was abhorrent that Senator Tuberville would argue that white nationalists should be allowed to serve in the military, while he also threatens our national security by holding all pending DOD military and civilian nominations. Extremist behavior has no place in our military. None.

Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday on the Senate floor that Tuberville's words were gravely damaging and that senators are called to a higher standard of conduct.

Does Sen. Tuberville honestly believe that our military is stronger with white nationalists in its ranks?" Schumer said. "I cannot believe this needs to be said, but white nationalism has no place in our armed forces and no place in any corner of American society, period. Full stop. End of story.

Tuberville, who has endorsed former President Donald Trump in his 2024 White House bid, has faced criticism for previous comments related to race. At a Nevada rally featuring Trump, he asserted in October that Democrats support reparations for the descendants of enslaved people because they think the people that do the crime are owed that."

Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that the move to hold up all the nominations is what will actually degrade Americas armed forces.

He said that the nominations of about 650 senior officers, for jobs that generally put them in command of large, complex organizations across the military, is unsettling for the institution and over time will significantly degrade readiness, capability and morale.

___

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP

___

Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON (AP)  White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Wang Yi during talks in Vienna this week that the Biden administration is looking to move beyond tensions spurred by the U.S. shooting down a Chinese spy balloon that traversed the continental United States, according to a senior Biden administration official.

The meeting was not publicized by Washington or Beijing ahead of the high-level talks on Wednesday and Thursday in the Austrian capital. The White House described the wide-ranging discussions, in which the two leaders spent more than eight hours together, as candid and constructive."

The administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting, said that both sides recognize that the February incident was unfortunate" and are now looking to reestablish standard, normal channels of communications.

The talks are the latest in a series of small signs that tensions could be easing between the worlds two biggest economies.

As the political and military rivalry between China and the U.S. intensifies, American officials and analysts are worried that a lack of reliable crisis communications could cause a minor confrontation to spiral into greater hostilities. They cite the ability to communicate with the former Soviet Union as allowing the Cold War to end without a nuclear exchange.

The White House in a statement said the meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage competition," and that Sullivan and Wang discussed key issues in the U.S.-China relationship, Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan, and more.

The meeting took place in a luxury hotel along Viennas historical Ringstrasse, according to an Austrian official familiar with the matter. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said planning for the meeting was closely guarded and Austrian authorities were only given a few days' advance notice that Vienna was chosen for the talks.

Chinese officials saw the discussions as substantive" and said both sides would "continue to make good use of this channel of strategic communication," according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Sullivan also repeated White House concerns about a lack of constructive engagement by Beijing to use its influence to press Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine and called on China to do more to stop the movement of illegal drugs, according to the administration official. The U.S. in particular has been pressing China to clamp down on the production of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.

Sullivan also raised the cases of three American citizens imprisoned in China  Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and David Lin. All three have been designated by the State Departments office of the special presidential envoy on hostage affairs designates as wrongful detainees."

Tensions between the countries spiked last year after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to democratically governed Taiwan. That visit, the first by a sitting House speaker since Newt Gingrich in 1997, led China, which claims the island as its territory, to launch military exercises around Taiwan.

U.S.-China relations became further strained earlier this year after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon that had crossed the United States.

Beijing also was angered by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's stopover in the U.S. last month that included an encounter with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The speaker hosted the Taiwanese leader at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in southern California.

But there are signs that the two sides are getting diplomatic communications back on track.

President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Bali, Indonesia, in November. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was to travel to China in February, but the trip was postponed after the spy balloon incident. Blinken and Wang, Chinas top diplomat, met later in February on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference after the U.S. had shot down the balloon.

The White House has expressed interest in rescheduling Blinken's visit. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre earlier this week said that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo also could visit Beijing at some point.

The talks between Sullivan and Wang was their first face-to-face meeting since Wang was elevated last year to the Communist Partys Politburo, the top policymaking body made up of the partys 24 most senior officials.

Wang served as foreign minister for nearly 10 years and was the only diplomat promoted to the Politburo.

U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang also met in Beijing this week, and Biden's special envoy for climate, John Kerry, held a call last month with his counterpart, Xie Zhenhua.

Burns, during a virtual forum hosted by the Stimson Center earlier this month, said communication is improving.

Yes, we did have instances when we wanted to have certain very high-level conversations when it wasnt possible," Burns said. But I have to say, in recent weeks, in the last month or so, theres been a consistent communication between myself and senior officials in the foreign ministry, my colleagues in the U.S. mission and their counterparts in the foreign ministry here.



Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna contributed reporting.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Biden administration on Thursday approved an $8.5 billion sale of Chinook helicopters to NATO ally Germany.

The approval comes as the war in Ukraine continues to tax the military stocks of Western countries but is not directly related to the conflict.

The State Department said it had notified Congress that the U.S. would sell Germany 60 Chinooks along with engines and associated spare parts, including missile warning systems.

The Chinook is the Armys key heavy-lift helicopter, used to transport troops and equipment, and was a familiar sight in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Chinooks were the aircraft used to evacuate U.S. embassy personnel from Sudan in April.

The sale is meant to boost Germanys heavy lift military capability and deter regional threats, the department said. The helicopters are not intended to be used in Ukraine.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally which is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe, it said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON (AP)  Senate Democrats advanced three of President Joe Bidens judicial nominees along party lines Thursday after weeks of delay due to California Sen. Dianne Feinsteins extended absence.

With Feinstein back in the Senate, and voting in the committee, the panel approved three federal district court judge nominations that had been stalled: Charnelle Bjelkengren of Washington state, S. Kato Crews of Colorado and Marian Gaston of California. Feinsteins 10-week absence recovering from shingles meant that the committees votes were tied along party lines and Democrats could not move forward with any nominees without Republican support.

Feinsteins return came after weeks of angst among Democrats and liberal advocacy groups about a backlog of nominations on the panel, even as the committee voted out several judges with bipartisan support.

In an unusual request, Feinstein had asked to be temporarily replaced on the panel while she remained out of the Senate. But Republicans last month blocked a vote, saying there was little precedent for a temporary committee replacement and that they didnt want to help Democrats confirm the most partisan judges. Two weeks later, Democrats said that Feinstein would return to Washington.

The 89 year-old California senator, the longest-serving Democrat in the current Senate, returned Wednesday after her bout with shingles and cast a vote on the Senate floor looking noticeably thinner and using a wheelchair. Her office said she would operate on a reduced schedule as she continues to recover.

At the Judiciary meeting Thursday, she arrived in a wheelchair but walked to her seat on the dais, receiving a standing ovation. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he spoke for all of them with feelings of relief and support for our colleague Senator Feinstein.

The panel did not hold a vote on Michael Delaney, a nominee for the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, who has generated some rare concern from Democrats and advocacy groups over his signature on a legal brief defending a parental notification law for abortion in New Hampshire.

Durbin said after the vote that the nomination currently doesnt have enough support  meaning some Democrats are not ready to vote for him.

It wasnt the right moment, Durbin said of Thursday's meeting. Well see.

Republicans railed against the three judicial nominees approved along party lines. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said the nominees were part of a small subset of Bidens judicial nominations who are so extreme that they could not have a prayer of getting even a single Republican vote on this committee.

Cruz noted that South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Judiciary panel, votes for most of Biden's judicial picks. But Graham did not support those judges.

GOP senators, including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, had criticized the three judges approved along party lines for their partisan ideologies or what they said was a lack of experience and knowledge of the law. Bjelkengren was unable to answer basic questions from Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., about articles of the Constitution during her confirmation hearing earlier this year.

Durbin defended the nominees, including Bjelkengrens stumbles during her questioning from Kennedy. One response during a hearing does not negate a lifetime of service, he said.

The committee approved three other federal judge nominations with bipartisan support at the beginning of the meeting. Feinstein, who arrived around an hour and a half after the hearing started, was not present for those votes but voiced her support once she arrived.

All six judge nominations approved by the panel on Thursday will now move to the Senate floor for final confirmation votes.

Even with a reduced schedule, Feinsteins return will give Democrats more room to maneuver in their narrow 49-51 majority  not only on the Judiciary panel but on the Senate floor and during the upcoming negotiations over raising the nations debt ceiling.

Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat on the Judiciary panel, said Feinsteins return enables Democrats to have their full majority again. Several other senators have been absent for medical reasons this year, including Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat who received treatment for clinical depression.

Im energized and ecstatic to move forward on Bidens nominees and other Democratic priorities, Blumenthal said.
By Bay City News

What most people recognize as graffiti art arose in the late 1960s in such places as Philadelphia and especially New York, which, by the early to mid '70s, was the unofficial capital of an art form that many people opposed. Created by everyone from political activists blasting ideas to gang members claiming turf to rebellious young artists with a flair for spray-paint penmanship, graffiti to many in the mainstream represented a defiant underbelly of society that could not be restrained. And a lot of it was marvelous. By the late '70s, cities were cracking down on graffiti with a variety of means, but artists found new forums to display their talents. During the '90s, vibrant and spirited graffiti zines took root, echoing the scruffy, DIY style and ethos of punk, underground rock, tattoo art, graphic novels, and more. And since pretty much every slice of the '90s has gotten a new look in the past several years (did we really need a "Full House" reboot, people?), it's about time someone revisited the graffiti zine golden years. Someone has. San Francisco museum Letterform Archive has just opened what's said to be the first extensive exhibit in the country looking back at the indie graffiti zines, as well as the artists and writers, that flourished in the '90s. Titled "Subscription to Mischief," the exhibit offers examples and insights into more than 40 zines as well as details and history about artists involved and methods they employed. The show was created by Letterform Archive's librarian Kate Long Stellar with guest curators such as Greg Lamarche, a famed artist and creator of one of the scene's best-known publications, "Skills." The exhibit runs through Nov. 1 at the museum, 2339 Third St., fourth floor, in San Francisco. On Thursdays from 1 to 8 p.m, admission is free. On Fridays through Sundays, the museum is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and admission is $10 (free to those 12 and under). More information is at letterformarchive.org.
GREENWICH  Greenwich High School senior Ambika Grover is one of 161 high school seniors from across the country chosen as a 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholar.

Students were selected for the honor by members of the Commission on Presidential Scholars.

Ambika is an impressive and accomplished young woman who represents all that Greenwich High School offers, said GHS Principal Ralph Mayo in a statement. To be awarded this highest nationwide honor is a true testament to her hard work, dedication and determination that permeates throughout our building.

A presidential executive order established the Presidential Scholars program in 1964 to recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The commission selects these students due to their academic achievement, academic and artistic scholarship in the arts or their accomplishment in career and technical education fields after schools recommend students to their states Department of Education.

Grover is the fifth GHS student since 2003 to become a presidential scholar and the third student to receive this honor in the past four years. The last GHS student to be named a Presidential Scholar was in 2021.

Not only am I extremely proud of Ambika and her many achievements during her time at GHS, but, speaking on behalf of every GPS teacher, administrator and staff member from her time in kindergarten through today that has helped her along the way, we are overjoyed and honored to be a part of her educational journey, Mayo said.

Grover is joined by Lukas Koutsoukos of Wilton High School as the two students from Connecticut to receive this recognition.

The 2023 class of Presidential Scholars will receive a U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion in June.

Grover and Koutsoukos represent some of the very best of Connecticut, and I applaud their perseverance and drive, Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement. Connecticut is home to some of the best schools in the nation, and that is due in large part to the incredible teachers and faculty we have in our state who dedicate themselves to providing our students with the highest-quality education possible.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON (AP)  Protecting a narrow, four-vote majority, Republican leaders in the House are making clear that they intend to let the legal process play out with New York Rep. George Santos before they take steps to force his resignation or expel him.

The freshman congressman was accused Wednesday by federal prosecutors of embezzling money from his campaign, falsely receiving unemployment funds and lying to Congress about his finances and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Santos pleaded not guilty.

Republican leaders, who for months have faced mounting questions about Santos after most of his campaign biography was exposed as a lie, were unmoved and brushed aside calls  including from some colleagues  that they take immediate action to push Santos out of Congress.

In America, theres a presumption of innocence. But theyre serious charges. Hes going to have to go through the legal process, said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

Scalise was seconded by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the No. 3 House Republican, who sidestepped the question of whether Santos should resign.

As Ive said from the very beginning on questions on this subject, this legal process is going to play itself out, she said.

The position Republican leaders have staked out generally follows the precedent that Congress has set in similar criminal cases over the years. The House has expelled just two members in recent decades, and both votes occurred after the lawmaker had been convicted on federal charges. But many say the narrow majority that Republicans won in the House is surely another factor in the GOP leadership's thinking.

There are a few members of the New York delegation and a few others calling for his immediate expulsion on the Republican side, which could tilt the leadership's hand. But given where were at with the debt limit and a four-vote majority, they dont want to lose any of those votes right now, said Casey Burgat, an assistant professor who leads the legislative affairs program at George Washington University.

Santos is adamant that he will stay in Congress and seek reelection. In a press conference outside a Long Island federal courthouse, he spoke Wednesday of getting back to Washington so he could vote on a top House GOP priority, a border bill that would restrict some asylum seekers and boost border enforcement.

He ended up voting for that bill Thursday as well as one that seeks to give states more incentive to pursue cases of unemployment insurance fraud. One of the counts Santos faces is that he fraudulently collected unemployment benefits during the pandemic, even though he was being paid a substantial salary at the time.

Santos also voted last month for the House GOP bill that ties a debt limit extension to an estimated $4.8 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years. In a dramatic flourish, Santos was the last Republican to cast a vote in favor of that bill, helping it win passage by a paper-thin margin  217-215.

While GOP leaders say the legal system needs to run its course, a few Republicans have seen enough.

The people of New Yorks 3rd district deserve a voice in congress, tweeted Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas. "George Santos should be immediately expelled from Congress and a special election initiated at the soonest possible date."

The House and the Senate have the power to punish members of their chamber for misconduct, including through expulsion. To date, according to the Congressional Research Service, 20 members have been expelled, but the large majority of them occurred at the outset of the Civil War. Half of the 20 expulsions were the result of a single vote in the Senate involving senators who represented states that had seceded from the Union, but had not formally resigned.

The two most recent expulsions followed convictions on public corruption charges were:

Rep. Michael J. Ozzie Myers, D-Penn., was convicted of bribery and conspiracy for taking money from FBI agents who posed as Arab sheiks. He was expelled in 1980 following his conviction and served more than a year in prison.

Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, was expelled in 2002, three months after he was found guilty of 10 federal charges, including racketeering, bribery and fraud for taking bribes and kickbacks from businessmen and his own staff.

Some lawmakers have also resigned upon being convicted of a crime, pre-empting an expulsion vote.

Last year, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., resigned from office after a California jury convicted him of lying to federal authorities about an illegal campaign donation from a foreign national.

Two years earlier, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., submitted his resignation about a month after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiring with his wife to steal about $250,000 in campaign funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle, from vacations to outings with friends and private school tuition. Then-President Donald Trump pardoned Hunter shortly before he left office.

Trump also pardoned former Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., who resigned in 2019 ahead of admitting to helping his son and others dodge $800,000 in stock market losses when he learned that a drug trial by a small pharmaceutical company had failed.

More than three dozen Democratic lawmakers have signed onto a bill from Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., that would expel Santos from the House.

It's pretty clear to everyone, including his constituents, that he is a complete fraud and shouldn't be in Congress, Garcia said.

Garcia said McCarthy is not pushing to expel Santos because he needs his vote. He urged the several Republicans from New York who have criticized Santos to sign on to the expulsion legislation.

He can barely keep his caucus together on votes, so it's clear that he's using George Santos' support to keep him in leadership, Garcia said.

During a press conference Thursday, the House Democratic leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, stood in front of a photo of Santos and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., known for her incenderary rhetoric, and said it was time for the GOP conference: to decide who are you."

Ive made clear that George Santos is not fit to serve in the United States House of Representatives, and the American people share that opinion as well, including the overwhelming majority of the people in the third congressional district in New York, Jeffries said.

Republicans deny that Santos has been a distraction and say they are focused on other issues.

This place is bigger than any one member, said Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., the chairman of the powerful Republican Study Committee.

Despite the reports that Santos was facing federal charges, and a crush of media attention at his arraignment in New York, Republicans said there was no discussion of him during their weekly, closed-door caucus meeting on Wednesday morning.

I never heard his name mentioned once, said Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.

___

Associated Press staff writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

PARIS (AP)  French prosecutors are seeking to send former President Nicolas Sarkozy and 12 others to trial on charges that his 2007 presidential campaign received millions in illegal financing from the government of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

After a decade of investigation, the French national financial prosecutors office announced its decision Friday to seek a trial. It's now up to judges to determine whether to move ahead. In general, judges in France follow such prosecutors' requests, though not always.

The case is the biggest and most shocking of multiple corruption investigations involving Sarkozy. He has been convicted in two others. He denies wrongdoing in all cases.

In the Libya case, he is charged with illegal campaign financing, embezzling, passive corruption and related counts.

Sarkozy has been under investigation in the Libya case since 2013. Investigators examined claims that Gadhafis government secretly gave Sarkozy 50 million euros for his winning 2007 French campaign. The sum would be more than double the legal campaign funding limit at the time, 21 million euros, and would violate French rules against foreign campaign financing.

The investigation gained traction when French-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine told news site Mediapart in 2016 that he had delivered suitcases from Libya containing 5 million euros ($6.2 million) in cash to Sarkozy and his former chief of staff. Takieddine later reversed course and Sarkozy sought to have the investigation closed.

After becoming president in 2007, Sarkozy welcomed Gadhafi to France with high honors later that year. Sarkozy then put France at the forefront of NATO-led airstrikes that helped rebel fighters topple Gadhafis government in 2011.

In an unrelated case, Sarkozy was sentenced to a year of house arrest for illegal campaign financing of his unsuccessful 2012 reelection bid. He is free while the case is pending appeal.

He also was founded guilty of corruption and influence peddling in another case and sentenced to a year in prison. A decision on his appeal is expected soon.

___

This version corrects the number of people sent to trial besides Sarkozy to 12.
BANGKOK (AP)  Seven Buddhist monks are among nine suspects who are being held in pretrial detention after being arrested for allegedly embezzling assets worth about 300 million baht ($8.9 million) from donations received by a temple in Thailands northeast, authorities said Thursday.

The Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases said the actions of the ringleaders in the case gravely undermined Buddhism.

Five monks and a driver were sent to pretrial detention on Thursday, according to a statement from the court in Bangkok. They were arrested at Wat Pa Thammakhiri in Nakhon Ratchasima province when police conducted a raid Tuesday and uncovered property worth about 100 million baht ($2.9 million) allegedly hidden by the suspects.

Cash, jewelry and amulets were found in many spots, including the monks private quarters, police said. Some items were buried underground.

The first arrests in the case occurred last Friday, when police took into custody the temple abbot and a famous monk, Kom Kongkaew, who were accused of stealing over 180 million baht ($5.3 million) of the temples money.

Kom, his sister, and the abbot were denied bail Monday. The court said that after he was taken into custody, Kom instructed the six suspects arrested this week to hide the valuables that were discovered by police. The court deemed all nine to be flight risks who might tamper with evidence.

Police said the abbot, Wutthima Thaomor, told them that Kom advised the monks to use some of the stolen funds to purchase jewelry.

The abbot, along with Kom and his sister, are accused of taking the donation money by withdrawing cash from the temples bank account and handing it over to be deposited in the sister's bank account, in which police discovered 130 million baht ($3.8 million). Another 51 million baht ($1.5 million) in cash was found at her home.

Some Buddhist temples in Thailand are extremely wealthy because their followers donate large amounts as a way of making religious merit.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  China continues its diplomatic push in Europe on Thursday with a high-level visit to the Netherlands where Vice President Han Zheng will be meeting the king and the prime minister  and facing questions about its relations with Russia and the European Union.

The visit comes amid difficult relations between China and the West. The 27-nation EU increasingly sees Beijing as a systemic rival on the global stage instead of an ally and economic partner.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Prosecutors in Mexico said Thursday they have arrested two more men in the March 3 kidnapping of four Americans and the killing of two of them.

The Gulf drug cartel turned over five men to police soon after the abduction in the border city of Matamoros, and prosecutors said the two newly arrested suspects also appeared to be members of the same cartel.

The two were arrested during raids in the northern border state of Tamaulipas on Sunday and flown to Mexico City on a military plane. It was not immediately clear why the arrests were not announced at the time.

Federal prosecutors did not provide the full names of the suspects, but the details and first names match two men listed on a federal database as being arrested in Tamaulipas that day. Those names  Axel Alfredo Cardenas and Alan Alexis Cardenas  suggest they are related to Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the Gulf cartel leader captured in 2003.

Prosecutors confirmed the two were sons of Osiel Cardenas' nephew, Jose Alfredo Cardenas Martinez, who was arrested in 2022. They also said the pair assumed leadership roles in the cartel following their father's arrest.

The two allegedly headed up the gangs of cartel gunmen known as the Scorpions and the Cyclones. They were caught in an early morning raid in which police found six guns and over a thousand doses of synthetic drugs, a term used in Mexico to refer to either methamphetamines or fentanyl.

The statement did not specify the charges the men would face, but it said they had been engaged in drug and migrant smuggling, kidnappings and extortion in the Matamoros area.

In March, less than a week after the abductions, a letter claiming to be from the Gulf cartel's Scorpions faction condemned the violence and said the gang had turned over to authorities its own members who were responsible. A Mexican woman also died in the March 3 shootings.

We have decided to turn over those who were directly involved and responsible in the events, who at all times acted under their own decision-making and lack of discipline, the letter reads, adding that those individuals had gone against the cartels rules, which include respecting the life and well-being of the innocent.

Five men were found tied up inside one of the vehicles that authorities had been searching for, along with the letter.

The four Americans crossed into Matamoros from Texas so that one of them could have cosmetic surgery. Around midday, they were fired on in downtown Matamoros and then loaded into a pickup truck.

Americans Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard died in the attack; Eric Williams and Latavia McGee survived. Most of them had grown up together in the small town of Lake City, South Carolina.

A Mexican woman, Areli Pablo Servando, 33, was also killed, apparently by a stray bullet.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

ACANDI, Colombia (AP)  Migrants who have hiked into the dense Darien jungle covering the Colombia-Panama border while the U.S. government moved to lift pandemic-related asylum restrictions have found an increasingly organized migration route.

The majority who spoke with The Associated Press had not heard anything about the policy change, and the few who did had a very limited understanding.

The Darien Gap is the most imposing physical barrier for migrants heading north until they reach the U.S. border. They must hike over steep mountains, endure torrential rain and ford swift running rivers. They are easy prey for bandits who rob and rape.

But on the Colombian side of the border, locals have become increasingly organized in recent years as it became a major migration route.

Migrants begin their crossing in Acandi, Colombia, where there is now a camp at the edge of the jungle. This week, hundreds of migrants, many carrying young children, waited there for their turn to start the walk, paying $175 to cross.

At the camp, some first aid is available, as well as porters to carry belongings for a price. Along the Colombian sections of the route are now stands selling food and drinks. The path is less organized and more dangerous on the Panamanian side.

Johnny Ramirez, 33, arrived in Acandi with 10 more members of his extended family from Venezuela. They had left their country four days earlier.

Where we are theres no future, theres no work, Ramirez said. He had heard the U.S. asylum restriction Title 42 was being lifted, but was unclear on what it would mean for him. Who knows what it will be like to get in.

Welington Galarza Macias, 49, had fled violence in his native Ecuador. It took him four days to reach Acandi. A heavy equipment operator, Galarza hoped to find work in the United States.

Panamanian authorities have said that more than 100,000 migrants crossed the Darien this year and the United Nations has warned some 400,000 could come through by years end, shattering last years record of nearly 250,000.
TOKYO (AP)  Japanese automaker Nissan reported Thursday a seven-fold surge in January-March profit and forecast strong sales for this fiscal year riding on the popularity of its new model offerings.

Nissan Motor Co.s net profit for the fiscal fourth quarter totaled 106.9 billion yen ($798 million), up dramatically from 14.2 billion yen a year ago.

Quarterly sales jumped 36% to 3.097 trillion yen ($23 billion), amid an easing of the supply shortage of computer chips and other parts, which had been caused by social restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Chief Executive Makoto Uchida told reporters the automaker was preparing all-solid-state batteries for its electric models, as the world makes a rapid shift toward green zero-emissions technology.

He acknowledged serious challenges remained but promised to boost Nissans profitability, especially in key markets like China.

A midterm plan will be outlined later this year to transform Nissan into a truly healthy and resilient company, aiming to achieve both sustainable growth and financial stability, said Uchida.

For the fiscal year through March 2024, Nissan expects 315 billion yen ($2.4 billion) in profit on 12.4 trillion yen ($93 billion) in sales. The sales, if achieved, would be a record for Nissan.

That would also mark an improvement over 221.9 billion yen ($1.7 billion) in profit recorded for the fiscal year that just ended in March, which was up 3% from the previous fiscal year.

Sales totaled nearly 10.6 trillion yen ($79 billion) for the fiscal year ended in March, up nearly 26% on year, according to Nissan, based in the port city of Yokohama.

A shutdown in China over COVID-19 hurt the global supply of auto parts, slamming the worlds automakers, including Nissan. That is gradually easing, while automakers also work to find alternative suppliers.

Uchida pointed to China as a market that is ahead in EVs where Nissan hoped to appeal to buyers. In the U.S. market, the Rogue and Pathfinder sport-utility vehicles were popular. In China, Nissans Sylphy is No. 1 in sedan sales.

Nissan is forecasting vehicle sales to grow this fiscal year across regions, including Japan, the U.S., China and Europe.

Nissan has been in an alliance with Renault SA of France since 1999, when Carlos Ghosn was sent in by Renault to a then-struggling Nissan to lead a turnaround. Ghosn first served as chief executive and later chairman before he was arrested in late 2018 on various financial misconduct charges.

The French-Brazilian Ghosn, who says he is innocent, jumped bail in late 2019. He is now in Lebanon, the country of his ancestry, which has no extradition treaty with Japan.

___

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
ROME (AP)  Pope Francis could meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican this weekend, a Vatican official said Thursday.

Francis has repeatedly called for an end to Russia's war in Ukraine and expressed solidarity with the martyred Ukrainian people. Recently he revealed a secret peace mission was underway but provided no details.

Word of the possible meeting Saturday in Rome followed news, confirmed last week by Berlin police, that Zelenskyy was expected in Germany starting Saturday evening. Italian media, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that Zelenskyy might be in Rome earlier that day to meet with Premier Giorgia Meloni and the pope.

A Vatican official said a pope-Zelenskyy audience Saturday is a possibility. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the visit was not confirmed.

On Sunday, Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine are set to receive the International Charlemagne Prize, awarded annually by the western German city of Aachen for contributions to European unity. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to give the speech honoring Zelenskyy.

Francis met with Zelensskyy before the war and last month met with the Ukrainian prime minister, who asked the pontiff's help in mediating the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia after the Kremlin's invasion. Francis recently told reporters he thought the Vatican could help, given it's previous mediation in prisoner swaps.

On Thursday, Francis bid farewell to the Russian ambassador to the Holy See, Alexander Avdeev, at the end of his seven-year tenure.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced Thursday that judges have issued four new arrest warrants stemming from his investigations of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Libya.

Prosecutor Karim Khan also said he recently applied for two additional warrants.

He told the U.N. Security Council that he has applied to the courts independent judges to unseal the four new arrest warrants, and they will decide in due course.

Khan called the warrants an important step in the rights of victims and survivors for accountability, but only a first step.

The Security Council unanimously referred Libya to The Hague, Netherlands-based ICC in February 2011 to launch an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The referral followed Moammar Gadhafis brutal crackdown on protesters that was then taking place. The uprising, later backed by NATO, led to Gadhafis capture and death in October 2011.

Oil-rich Libya was then split by rival administrations, one in the east, backed by military commander Khalifa Hifter, and a U.N.-supported administration in the west, in the capital of Tripoli. Each side is supported by different militias and foreign powers. Libyas current political crisis stems from the failure to hold elections in December 2021, with rivals at odds including over the current prime minister and eligibility requirements for presidential candidates.

Khan, who visited Libya last November, said the arrest warrants are part of the ICCs renewed activity and greater focus on Libya. He told the council a team from his office will travel to the country again in the coming weeks and he hopes to establish a field office in Tripoli.

Since November, he said, the ICC has supported prosecutions in Italy and the Netherlands stemming from acts in Libya.

The ICC prosecutor stressed the importance of partnerships and the urgency of galvanizing the Security Council and the international community to act to bring justice to victims. In November, Khan said his office had joined a coalition of nations investigating human trafficking in the country.

Khan spoke movingly of talking to victims and survivors in the western town of Tarhuna where hundreds of corpses were uncovered in several graves after militia fighters loyal to eastern Libyan military leader Gen. Khalifa Hifter retreated from the area in June 2020 after failing to take the capital Tripoli.

Theyre not seeing that their lives matter, he said. There is a gap between the promise of justice, the prayer of never again (after World War IIs atrocities), the specter of international institutions working for them. They see that they are still in refugee camps. They are dislocated. Theyre living in fear around the world.

Khan said the victims dont trust the 15-member Security Council, the ICC and the U.N. which they see as all talk because theyre not seeing enough change in their lives  and this is something every country and all people need to recognize and make efforts to improve.

A statement from the 10 Security Council nations that are parties to the Rome Statute that established the ICC said the court plays an important role in international peace and security and welcomed its concrete actions in Libya.

We encourage the ICC to continue its efforts to enhance its engagement in Libya and hope to see further cooperation from Libyan authorities, said the statement from Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, France, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The United States is not a party to the court, but the U.S. Missions legal adviser, Mark Simonoff, told the council that the work of the ICC in Libya plays a critical role in support of out collective pursuit of accountability, peace and security.

By contrast, Russias new deputy ambassador, Maria Zabolotskaya, delivered a vitriolic denunciation of the ICC.

She called it a puppet tribunal with a puppet prosecutor that serves the interests of the collective West. She said it acted as a full-fledged accomplice in NATOs military aggression against Libya, which completely ruined its statehood and triggered a protracted civil war.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Korea will drop its COVID-19 quarantine requirements and end testing recommendations for international arrivals starting next month after the World Health Organization declared the end of the global health emergency.

In lowering the coronavirus alert level from critical to plainly alert starting June 1, health authorities will also lift mask mandates in pharmacies and small clinics but will continue require mask wearing in large hospitals and long-term care facilities and other medical venues with high infection risks.

The decision was announced during a meeting attended by President Yoon Suk Yeol, where he thanked the countrys medical workers and said it was delightful that people are getting their normal lives back after three and a half years.

He said his government will take steps to improve the countrys capacity to deal with future pandemics, including providing stronger support for vaccine developments and expanding international cooperation.

South Korea has been requiring seven-day quarantines for virus carriers. While the mandate will be lifted from June 1, health officials will continue to recommend people to isolate for five days if they test positive for the virus, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Travelers had been advised to take PCR tests within three days after arriving in the country, but that recommendation will also be lifted.

Youngmee Jee, KDCAs commissioner, downplayed worries that virus measures were being loosened too quickly, saying that the countrys COVID-19 situation was stabilizing, partially because of high vaccination rates and immunity gained through infections during previous waves of the virus.

The fatality rate of COVID-19 after a steady decline is now at a similar level with influenza and there are enough medical resources to deal with a modest rise in infections, with about half of the countrys 700 hospital beds designated to treat serious cases currently vacant, Jee said.

She said officials will maintain preventive measures to protect vulnerable groups, including senior citizens and people with medical conditions, and continue financial support to lower the costs of tests and hospitalizations for virus carriers.

The risk of COVID-19 is not yet over, but considering the decline in cases, improved medical response capacities and high levels of immunity, we have reached a point where we need to step out of an international emergency state and transition toward a long-term management phase, Jee said during a briefing.

The announcement came as health workers reported 20,574 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, which represented a slight increase from last weeks level. Lee Sang-won, KDCAs chief of epidemiological investigations, said the pace of the countrys COVID-19 infections has moderately increased in recent weeks because of the spread of XBB, a new omicron variant. He said it was unlikely that the spread would develop into another huge wave of the virus.

There are concerns that the lifting of the quarantine mandate will result in people showing up to work when sick, considering the countrys notoriously harsh work culture.

Lim Sook-young, another KDCA official, said the government, for the time being, will continue to provide subsidies to COVID-19 patients in low-income brackets and to small companies when they offer paid leave to sick employees, so that infected people could be encouraged to isolate and recover.

She said government agencies were debating further plans to institutionalize a culture of resting when sick, including pushing employers to establish consistent guidelines over paid and sick leave and provide employees expanded options for working at home.

South Korea had maintained a stringent COVID-19 response based on aggressive testing, contact tracing and quarantines during the earlier part of the pandemic, but has eased most of its virus controls since last year as the omicron variants surge rendered those containment strategies irrelevant.

WHO had declared an end to the COVID-19 emergency last week, though Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the viral disease remained a global health threat.
Francois Nel/Getty Images for Atlantis The Ro

A shopping center is threatening to sue the city of Palo Alto over its natural gas ban, arguing that the prohibition on new natural gas hookups will prevent world-famous chef Jose Andres from opening his first Zaytinya location in the Bay Area.



The Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto was set to be the site for a new location of Zaytinya, a Mediterranean restaurant owned by Andres. Developers demolished the Macys Mens Store and were planning to erect three new buildings in its place  one of which would contain the new Zaytinya. But lawyers for the shopping center say the city has told them that the restaurant may not be able to connect to a natural gas hookup that was specifically installed for the new buildings.

The dispute between the city and the Stanford Shopping Center was first reported by Palo Alto Online. An attorney representing Simon Property Group, which owns the shopping center, wrote a letter to the city on April 28 that said Andres will pull out of the venture if his new restaurant isnt able to connect to the gas line.
The United States Supreme Court has dismissed a pork industry challenge to California's controversial bacon law, which pork producers warned would spur a great bacon crisis in the state.

In 2018, California voters approved the law  Proposition 12  which bans the sale of pork products from farms with metal enclosures that restrict pigs from turning around. The two pork producers who brought the suit alleged that Proposition 12 violated the court's dormant Commerce Clause precedents, which bar states from discriminating against out-of-state goods or impermissibly burdening interstate commerce. The pork producers did not claim discrimination (Proposition 12 applies to farms both inside and outside of California) but instead argued it would drive up industry costs across the country.

A slim majority of the court rejected this argument, and the lineup was scrambled ideologically. The five who took California's side were Justices Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. The first three were appointed by Republican presidents, while the latter two were appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama. Gorsuch, writing for himself, Thomas, Sotomayor and Kagan, said that the pork industry's claim of harm remains nothing more than a speculative possibility. Barrett did not join that part of Gorsuch's majority opinion but ruled in favor of California on separate grounds.

Four other justices  Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson  said they would not have dismissed the claim and instead remanded the case back to the lower courts for further consideration. Jackson, who was appointed by President Joe Biden in 2022, signaled that she was skeptical of California's arguments during oral arguments in October.

Roberts, writing for those four, argued that the pork industry successfully demonstrated that California placed a substantial burden on interstate commerce.

Proposition 12 may not expressly regulate farmers operating out of State, Roberts wrote. But due to the nature of the national pork market, California has enacted rules that carry implications for producers as far flung as Indiana and North Carolina, whether or not they sell in California.

Kavanaugh wrote a separate opinion, in which he fully embraced the industry's arguments of substantial harm and accused California  the nation's most populous state  of trying to unilaterally impose its moral and policy preferences for pig farming and pork production on the rest of the Nation.

The State has aggressively propounded a 'California knows best' economic philosophy  where California in effect seeks to regulate pig farming and pork production in all of the United States, Kavanaugh wrote. Californias approach undermines federalism and the authority of individual States by forcing individuals and businesses in one State to conduct their farming, manufacturing, and production practices in a manner required by the laws of a different State.

Gorsuch, in his majority opinion, fired back at Kavanaugh, stating that his colleague's argument means voters in States with smaller markets are constitutionally entitled to greater authority to regulate instate sales than voters in States with larger markets. He then dryly quipped, So much for the Constitutions 'fundamental principle of equal sovereignty among the States.'

For whatever it's worth, the Biden administration took the pork producers' side in this case, warning of the consequences of allowing states to pass laws that substantially impact industries in other states. Kavanaugh fully accepted this argument as well, tossing out several hypotheticals.

What if a state law prohibits the sale of fruit picked by noncitizens who are unlawfully in the country? Kavanaugh wrote. What if a state law prohibits the sale of goods produced by workers paid less than $20 per hour? Or ... what if a state law prohibits 'the retail sale of goods from producers that do not pay for employees birth control or abortions' (or alternatively, that do pay for employees birth control or abortions)?

He concluded that section with Californias law thus may foreshadow a new era where States shutter their markets to goods produced in a way that offends their moral or policy preferencesand in doing so, effectively force other States to regulate in accordance with those idiosyncratic state demands. That is not the Constitution the Framers adopted in Philadelphia in 1787.

On Twitter, several animal rights advocates celebrated the ruling. Conversely, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley wrote, Disappointing news the Supreme Court upheld 9th circuit decision to allow California to regulate how pork reaches ur plate Prop 12 is an attack on your breakfast U can expect to pay more for bacon Californias liberal regulations impact pork producers nationwide.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was the subject of some awkward headlines this week.

Take this one from Fox News, which published Wednesday: California Gov. Newsom declines to back reparations checks, says slaverys legacy is 'more than cash payments.' The origin of the headline can be found in a statement Newsom's office sent to multiple news outlets in response to a move from California's Reparations Task Force, which over the weekend approved a final set of recommendations for how the state can compensate its Black residents for slavery and other forms of racial prejudice.

Dealing with that legacy is about much more than cash payments, Newsom said in that statement. This work must continue. Following the Task Forces submission of its final report this summer, I look forward to a continued partnership with the Legislature to advance systemic changes that ensure an inclusive and equitable future for all Californians.



Reading that statement, one can see why California's political media ecosystem was quick to brand Newsom as not on board with the task force's recommendations. Those recommendations didn't include an exact dollar figure for what the state's Black residents should be paid, but they did provide mathematical formulas for figuring out what a specific resident should be paid based on certain factors, including their age and how long they've lived in California.

The state Legislature has the final say on what action will happen with regard to reparations, and Newsom would need to sign any measures lawmakers produce into law. Perhaps afraid of being labeled an enemy of reparations, Newsom's office quickly tried to clarify its initial statement on Wednesday. Eytan Wallace, a reporter for KTLA, said in a Twitter thread Wednesday that Newsom's chief communications adviser, Anthony York, expounded further on the governor's perspective in an interview.

Gov. Newsom is *not* backing away from cash payments, but wants to wait for the report in its entirety to arrive on his desk before he makes any decision, Wallace tweeted, citing York. The $ payments matter 'will be resolved' only after Newsom meets with legislative leaders in the coming months.

To be crystal clear, per York: Gov. @GavinNewsom is '*not* ruling anything out' at this time, he added.



The whole episode, frankly, is strange but not unsurprising given the controversial nature of the topic  Californians rejected race-based affirmative action not even three years ago  as well as Newsom's likely presidential ambitions in 2028 or beyond.

National polling shows that most Americans are opposed to slavery reparations, but Newsom must balance national attitudes against the interests of many Black Californians who support the task force's work. It's a difficult tightrope for Newsom to walk, and we got a full glimpse of him trying to do so this week.
As fans of John Waters might expect, his City Arts & Lectures conversation with Aubrey Plaza was not exactly a family-friendly event.

The notoriously raunchy San Francisco director of Pink Flamingos, Hairspray and many more campy classics took the stage at Sydney Goldstein Theater wearing a black turtleneck underneath an orange-and-white blazer, complemented by sparkling gold sneakers. These days, Waters splits his time between Provincetown, Massachusetts, and an apartment in Noe Valley, and he can be seen hosting Oakland punk rock festival Mosswood Meltdown every July (he also consulted with the festival owners on local dive bar Thee Stork Club).

Although City Arts & Lectures events include appearances by everyone from actors (Tom Hanks on May 18) to politicians (Stacey Abrams on June 3), the series typically has a literary focus, with one subject being interviewed live by an often equally famous colleague (the recording is broadcast later on KQED and the City Arts & Lectures podcast). Plaza (Emily the Criminal, White Lotus) served as the interviewer, channeling the deadpan demeanor of her character from Parks and Recreation. She didnt discuss her own career, but the pairs paths may cross professionally soon, as shes said she would do anything to get the part in his next film, an adaptation of his 2022 novel Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance.

Cole Burchiel

The interview covered many areas of Waters decadeslong career but had a strong emphasis on Liarmouth. Before delving into the novel and other topics, from talking penises to several high-level sexual proclivities that are not fit for print, Plaza began the conversation by citing the 1994 movie Serial Mom as her inspiration for entering the film industry.

Serial Mom really did change my life. I saw that movie when I was a teenager. And up until that point, did not realize that people were making interesting, good, funny independent films, Plaza said. Then she shared that after her second time renting the film, she was so excited that she drove into a median on the way home. I remember it clearly, because it involved a car accident.

The pair did not discuss whether Plaza has been confirmed to play the protagonist in the film adaptation of Liarmouth, but Waters did have plenty to say about the book. He described protagonist Martha Sprinkles in typical extravagant Waters-ian fashion:

She steals suitcases in airports. Her family wants her dead. Children and dogs hate her. Shes on the run with a big chip on her shoulder. They call her Liarmouth, until one insane man makes her tell the truth.

Aubrey then cited her favorite line from the book: Silence is about her.

[Martha] doesnt like music, art  everything she hates because it isnt about her, Waters said.

Then things took a vulgar turn when Waters and Plaza dove into an explainer on  eargasms.

Did you know there was ear sex? asked Waters.

Yes, darling, replied Plaza.

Cole Burchiel

A question about the talking penis featured in Liarmouth (his dick turns gay, but his mind is straight) led Waters to reflect on his early sexuality.

I had a girlfriend in high school that I have fond memories of, but yes, I was always gay. But the first time I ever went to a gay bar, I thought, I aint this! It was so square. Gay music is still terrible.

He went on to describe how he hated disco, preferring to hang out at punk rock haunts like Mudd Club in New York and pioneering SF venue the Deaf Club, which operated on Valencia Street for 18 months in the late 1970s.

The best moments of the night were when Plaza stepped into April Ludgate mode, adopting the terse tone of her misanthropic Parks and Rec character with simple questions: How do you sleep at night? (I read every night before I go to sleep.) What was your mother like? (She was very supportive, even though they were absolutely horrified by the work I did.) What do you think about animals? (Im not lonely, so I dont have a pet.) And most provocatively, she asked, When you are coming up with this st, what the fk are you thinking?

That question led Waters to describe his typical daily routine.

People go to work, thats what I do. I wake up Monday to Friday  you could kidnap me by the second  I wake up at 6 a.m. and take a bath. Showers are too violent for me, Waters said. From there, he reads six newspapers that he has delivered, plus five online ones, and then he looks at emails and gets to writing. At [8:00 a.m.]  not 7:59, not at 8:01  I go in and think up fked-up st. I do that with Bic pens and my special kind of scotch tape, and I hand-write everything until about 11:30.

Cole Burchiel

Drugs were also a topic of discussion, with Waters sharing his experiences with LSD (once in 1964, stolen from a hospital, and a second time on his 70th birthday).

I took LSD again, and damn it worked! And not these micro-doses you pussies take.

Plaza shared that shes a regular cannabis user; however, Waters isnt a fan, as it makes him nervous. Waters also has never liked ecstasy (a drug that makes you love everyone, it sounds like the most disgusting night) but is a big proponent of poppers.

As far as inspirations go, Waters namechecked directors including Ingmar Bergman, Andy Warhol, Russ Meyer, Gaspar Noe and Bruno Dumont, and said he's enjoyed recent films Beau Is Afraid and How to Blow Up a Pipeline.

The full interview, including an audience Q&A where one attendee asked Plaza if shes ever not high and then awkwardly offered her a painting, is scheduled to air on KQED May 28, as well as on the City Arts & Lectures podcast. The rest of its summer season is set to feature appearances from Tom Hanks (May 16), Andy Cohen (May 19), Jamie Loftus (May 24), Ocean Vuong (June 9), Elliot Page (June 10) and more.
WFO MEDFORD Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 14, 2023

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Medford OR

226 AM PDT Thu May 11 2023

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON SATURDAY TO 11 PM PDT

SUNDAY...

* WHAT...Maximum temperatures of 90 to 99 degrees expected.

* WHERE...In California, Western Siskiyou County. In Oregon,

Central Douglas County, Eastern Curry County and Josephine

County, Eastern Douglas County Foothills, Jackson County and

Siskiyou Mountains and Southern Oregon Cascades.

* WHEN...From noon Saturday to 11 PM PDT Sunday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A period of near record heat is expected

over the west side valleys Saturday into Sunday. It will also be

slow to cool off Saturday night, especially in more urban

areas.

* View the hazard area in detail at

https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/map/?wfo=mfr

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, May 10, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Western Oldham County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Northwestern Deaf Smith County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Southwestern Hartley County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 800 PM CDT.

* At 700 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 11 miles north of

Glenrio, or 18 miles south of Nara Visa, moving north at 35 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

Reduced visibility due to blowing dust.

* Locations impacted include...

Glenrio and Romero.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY inside a sturdy structure and stay away from

windows. Do not drive into areas where blowing dust restricts

visibility.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, May 10, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Western Cimarron County in the Panhandle of Oklahoma...

Western Dallam County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Northwestern Hartley County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 815 PM CDT.

* At 721 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located from 6 miles

northeast of Sedan to 2 miles west of Kenton, moving northeast at

50 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

Blowing dust may reduce visibilities.

* Locations impacted include...

Texline, Kenton, Wheeless, Ware, Black Mesa Park and Felt.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY inside a sturdy structure and stay away from

windows. Do not drive into areas where blowing dust restricts

visibility.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, May 10, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

Severe Weather Statement

National Weather Service Amarillo TX

733 PM CDT Wed May 10 2023

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT

FOR WESTERN OLDHAM...NORTHWESTERN DEAF SMITH AND SOUTHWESTERN HARTLEY

COUNTIES...

At 732 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located 8 miles east of

Nara Visa and 10 miles northeast of Glenrio, moving north at 35 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

Locations impacted include...

Glenrio and Romero.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY inside a sturdy structure and stay away from

windows. Do not drive into areas where blowing dust restricts

visibility.

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Oldham County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Western Deaf Smith County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 815 PM CDT.

* At 735 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 5 miles east of

Bellview, or 20 miles northwest of Friona, moving north at 60 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

Hail damage to vehicles is expected.

* Locations impacted include...

Adrian, Glenrio and Bootleg.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, May 10, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Western Deaf Smith County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 915 PM CDT.

* At 819 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Bootleg, or

12 miles northwest of Friona, moving northeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

Hail damage to vehicles is expected.

* Locations impacted include...

Simms and Bootleg.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO LUBBOCK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, May 11, 2023

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Lubbock TX

443 AM CDT Thu May 11 2023

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern

Childress and northeastern Hall Counties through 500 AM CDT...

At 443 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near

Memphis, moving northeast at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 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...

Memphis, Lakeview and Plaska Community.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 3470 10027 3454 10064 3473 10080 3475 10077

3475 10030

TIME...MOT...LOC 0943Z 238DEG 33KT 3470 10060

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN

MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 AM CDT

FOR SOUTHWESTERN BORDEN...NORTHEASTERN MARTIN AND SOUTHEASTERN DAWSON

COUNTIES...

At 444 AM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from 12 miles southeast of Grassland to 9 miles northwest

of Lenorah, moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

Ackerly and Sparenberg.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

To report severe weather contact your nearest law enforcement agency.

They will send your report to the National Weather Service office in

Midland.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO SHREVEPORT Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, May 11, 2023

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Nacogdoches County in eastern Texas...

Northwestern San Augustine County in eastern Texas...

Western Shelby County in eastern Texas...

Southeastern Cherokee County in northeastern Texas...

Southern Rusk County in northeastern Texas...

* Until 430 AM CDT.

* At 137 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. The expected rainfall rate is 1

to 2 inches in 1 hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4

inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing

or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

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...

Nacogdoches, Jacksonville, Rusk, Center, San Augustine, Alto,

Tenaha, Timpson, Garrison, Wells, Trawick, Melrose, Martinsville,

Woden, Douglass, Sacul, New Salem, Forest, Morrill and Ponta.

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.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO SHREVEPORT Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, May 11, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Panola County in northeastern Texas...

Southeastern Rusk County in northeastern Texas...

Northeastern Nacogdoches County in eastern Texas...

Northwestern Shelby County in eastern Texas...

* Until 600 AM CDT.

* At 510 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Garrison, or

20 miles north of Nacogdoches, 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...

Carthage, Tenaha, Timpson, Garrison, Mount Enterprise, Gary City,

Dotson, Woods, Lawsonville and Paxton.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO SHREVEPORT Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, May 11, 2023

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Northwestern Shelby County in eastern Texas...

Panola County in northeastern Texas...

Central Rusk County in northeastern Texas...

* Until 900 AM CDT.

* At 549 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or

expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

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...

Henderson, Carthage, Tenaha, Beckville, Joaquin, Pinehill, Minden,

Joinerville, Turnertown, Gary City, Fairplay, Dotson, Chapman,

Church Hill, Woods, Paxton, Brachfield, Laneville, Deadwood and

Front.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO SHREVEPORT Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, May 11, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southern De Soto Parish in northwestern Louisiana...

Northeastern Shelby County in eastern Texas...

* Until 930 AM CDT.

* At 824 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Logansport,

or 16 miles west of Mansfield, moving east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Mansfield, Logansport, Joaquin, South Mansfield, Grand Cane,

Stanley and Carmel.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly

from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the

basement or small central room in a sturdy structure.

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
Airtel Africa reported revenue growth of 11.5% in its full-year results on Thursday, to $5.26bn in reported currency.

However, when considering constant currency, Airtels revenue growth stood at 17.6%.

The FTSE 250 company said growth was observed across all segments in the 12 months ended 31 March, with mobile service revenue growing 16.2% in constant currency, driven by an 11.8% increase in voice revenue and a 23.8% uptick in data revenue.

Mobile money revenue also saw substantial growth of 29.6% in constant currency.

Underlying EBITDA was 17.3% firmer at constant currency and 11.4% on a reported basis, reaching $2.58bn.

Airtels underlying EBITDA margin stood at 49%, while profit after tax was down $5m at $750m.

The board put the decrease down to higher foreign exchange and derivative losses, amounting to $245m.

Basic earnings per share were 5.2% firmer at 17.7 cents, with the growth primarily driven by higher operating profits and exceptional items gains on deferred tax credit recognition in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Tanzania.

However, earnings per share before exceptional items were down 15% to 13.6 cents, mainly due to higher foreign exchange and derivative losses.

Excluding foreign exchange and derivative losses, earnings per share before exceptional items were ahead 13.4% at 20.6 cents.

Looking at its key operating performance indicators, Airtel Africa's total customer base expanded 9% to 140 million customers.

The board said that growth was propelled by increasing adoption of mobile data and mobile money services, leading to a 16.9% increase in data customers to 54.6 million, and a 20.4% increase in mobile money customers to 31.5 million.

It said average revenue per user grew by 7.4% in constant currency, driven by increased usage across voice, data, and mobile money

In line with its progressive dividend policy, the Airtel Africa board recommended a final dividend of 3.27 cents per share.

That would bring the total dividend for the 2023 financial year to 5.45 cents per share, representing a 9% increase.

Our six-pillar strategy continues to provide the basis for stakeholder value creation by facilitating continued expansion of our services to enhance both digital and financial inclusion across Africa, said chief executive officer Olusegun Ogunsanya.

This strategy will continue and will be underpinned by our sustainability strategy as articulated in our sustainability report published in October.

The macro-economic outlook remains volatile, but we are well positioned to deliver against the growth opportunities these markets offer, with a continued focus on margin resilience.

At 0900 BST, shares in Airtel Africa were down 5.51% at 111.5p.

Reporting by Josh Whitie for Sharecast.com.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their family members have participated in the inauguration of the Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque in Shusha after the reconstruction and restoration works, Azernews reports.

The President and the First Lady also attended the opening of an exhibition dedicated to encyclopedic scientist Mir Mohsun Navvab Garabaghi.

President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were first informed of the works carried out in the mosque.

Restoration of the Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque was completed in late 2021. The author of the mosque is famous architect Karbalayi Safikhan Garabaghi.

Conservation and restoration works were carried out as per the original design by the consortium of Azerbaijani, Italian and Turkish firms under supervision of Austrias Wehdorn Architekten company. The project was funded by Pasha Holding.

The President, the First Lady and their family members viewed the Mir Mohsun Navvab Garabaghi - encyclopedic scientist of the 19th century exhibition in the madrasa located on the territory of the mosque.
AdCount Technologies' SupplyNote proudly announces the appointment of Pramod Buram as Business Head. Pramod's 12-year track record in the Food and Beverage (F&B) industry, coupled with his specialization in B2B Enterprise SaaS Business Development, positions him as an invaluable asset to the company.

Pramod has played a crucial role in the development and success of various SaaS businesses throughout his career, contributing to the growth of well-known brands like Theobroma, Ribbons & Balloons, Future Group, Coffee by Di Bella, Cure Foods, Box8, Swiggy Kitchens, Ola Foods, Freshmenu, 99 Pancakes and more. His strategic involvement has been instrumental in improving supply chain operations and efficiency for these companies.

After obtaining his degree in Hospitality Administration/Management from the esteemed IHM Mumbai, Pramod spearheaded sales for TitBit Inc (now XPR POS) for over two years. In 2015, he joined Torqus' core team, where he took charge of business development and led the company to its acquisition by Dineout (Times Internet). Pramod is known for his exceptional business acumen, client-centric approach, and unwavering commitment to operational excellence.

Following his departure from Torqus in June 2020, Pramod worked as a consultant to help restaurants navigate the pandemic. He later joined Supplytics companies O4S and LocoNav, where he led international markets.

"Pramod's dedication to the F&B industry and his relentless pursuit of excellence make him an ideal fit for SupplyNote. His ability to understand clients and team members, and his genuine concern for their success, will undoubtedly drive our growth. We are thrilled to have him on board and are confident that he will help us achieve our key performance metrics," said Mr. Kushang, Co-founder & CEO of SupplyNote.

With his new role at SupplyNote, Pramod is poised to lead the platform to new heights of success. He is committed to enhancing the platform's operational profitability, solidifying its position as a leading player in the Indian F&B sector's supply chain, and expanding its global reach. Pramod's vision includes extending the business to the U.K and SEA, and the MENA region by forming strategic partnerships with key players. Mr. Kushang added

Pramod Buram, on his appointment, said, "Having been acquainted with SupplyNote during my time at Torqus, I've seen firsthand the remarkable progress they've made in the F&B industry. I am excited to join the team and leverage my experience to drive SupplyNote's growth and success. I am eager to collaborate with the team and help the company become the preferred choice for businesses worldwide."
National Technology Day is an annual event celebrated in India on May 11th to commemorate the country's successful nuclear tests conducted in 1998. The day serves as a reminder of India's technological progress and ability to develop and innovate in science and technology. The day has a different theme every year. For 2023, the theme is 'School to Startups-Igniting Young Minds to Innovate.' India is one of the fastest-growing nations globally, and much of the credit goes to technological advancement. It is also an occasion to recognize the importance of technology in the country's development and growth. The day serves as a reminder of India's commitment to advancing technology and innovation and improving its citizens' lives through scientific progress.

Moreover, technology has transformed many industries and led to the creation of new ones. For example, the rise of e-commerce has made shopping more convenient, and the development of renewable energy sources is helping us address climate change. Advances in healthcare technology have also led to better diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the program marking National Technology Day 2023, at Pragati Maidan, on May 11, 2023, at 10:30 AM. The program will also mark the commencement of the celebration of the 25th year of National Technology Day, which will be held from May 11 to 14, 2023. National Technology Day reminds the world about India's growing power in science and technology, particularly in developing nuclear technology. The day also honors scientists and engineers contributing to the nation's development. National Technology Day is commemorated yearly as a reminder of India's rich scientific past and the need to promote an innovation and technical advancement culture. It is a day to honor the accomplishments of Indian scientists and inventors, encourage the next generation of creative thinkers, and pave the path for a technologically advanced and wealthy future.

Rikant Pittie, Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip, said, "National Technology Day is a momentous occasion that commemorates India's technological achievements and celebrates the progress made over the years. In India, technology plays a pivotal role in propelling every industry forward, and as a member of the travel industry, we have been privileged to be a part of this transformative journey.

The travel industry has undergone significant advancements in recent years, with the introduction of cutting-edge technologies like Generative AI, ML, Virtual Assistance and more. The Government's DiGiYatra initiative serves as another testament to the industry's growth and evolution. With the integration of sophisticated tools like customer sentiment analysis, big data analytics, personalized services, virtual check-ins, and more, the industry is poised for rapid expansion and has boundless potential. As a brand, we have embraced these technologies and incorporated them into our platform to foster innovation, enhance customer satisfaction, and encourage loyalty and ease of use."

Sumit Sabharwal, CEO of TeamLease HRtech said, "Technology has transformed every aspect of our lives, from the way we work and communicate, to the way we conduct businesses. It has revolutionized all the existing industries, and even created new ones. It has helped people collaborate when physical proximity was not possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. On National Technology Day, we celebrate the enormous possibilities that technology has brought us.

As we mark this day, we should also recognize the profound responsibility that comes with the power of technology. We should be committed to continuous innovation while ensuring the well being of society and environment. Accessibility to technology should be our primary goal so that every part of the world develops impartially, without any digital divide.

In this rapidly changing world, we must embrace the opportunities that technology presents. Let us use technology to build a more sustainable, equitable, and productive future, where innovation is harnessed for the greater good. On this National Technology Day, let us commit ourselves to shaping a better world through the power of technology."

Aveekshith Bushan, Vice President, Asia Pacific & Japan, Aerospike said, "World Technology Day is a day to celebrate the achievements of the technology industry and the impact that technology has had on our lives. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the challenges ahead and consider how we can harness the power of technology to address the biggest challenges facing our society.

We continue to see our customers use Aerospike to transform our lives for the better. Our focus is to leverage our real-time, highly scalable and performant, always-on database to push the boundaries of what is possible. In today's world, where hyper-local delivery, real-time payments and instant gratification have become the norm, the ability to process data quickly has become ever more critical. Real-time data touches us every moment of every day. Whether it's fraud detection and protection, mobile payments, telecommunications, or smart manufacturing, we must recognize the importance of making decisions in real-time.

Real-time data continues to grow by 30% per year, with overall data projected to grow to over 180 zettabytes by 2025. With this in mind, its critical these decisions be made by technologies that provide consistent performance at an unlimited scale and affordable cost. This meets the technical demand of processing at a massive scale while ensuring consumer demands are satisfied.

With the right tools and technologies, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and make informed decisions in the moments that matter. Ultimately, we believe that technology can continue to be a positive force world and that by working together to innovate, we can create a brighter, more connected future for all."

Santhosh Reddy, CTO and Co-Founder, ShakeDeal, said "India has made great strides in technology over the decades, and on National Technology Day, this achievement is celebrated. Along with many sectors, the supply chain industry has shown tremendous growth in technology.

Currently, AI is transforming the industry by providing advanced analytics, prediction, and automation capabilities. AI can analyze vast amounts of data, understand relationships, and provide visibility. This technology is helping businesses gain deeper insights into customer demand, identify patterns and trends, and predict future demand with greater accuracy.

Furthermore, technologies such as ML, robotics, and big-data analytics are enhancing performance, driving growth, and supporting better decision-making. We as a brand are committed to exploring the full potential of these technologies and are looking forward to further developments in the near future."

Ajeya Motaganahalli, Vice President, Engineering, FlashBlade and MD, India R&D, Pure Storage said, On National Technology Day, we celebrate the spirit of innovation and scientific progress that has been driving India's technology ecosystem for the past 25 years. We've seen amazing progress over that time and can take immense pride in the contributions that our scientists and engineers have made to not just India but to humanity. Now we have to turn our attention to the biggest challenge facing mankind - climate change. Science and technology will play a key role and I am convinced that India can also make a significant contribution and help build a brighter, more sustainable world for future generations.

Kunal Purohit, Chief Digital Services Officer, Tech Mahindra said, National Technology Day is a significant occasion to celebrate the incredible advancements in technology that have transformed the world as we know it. Today, technology is omnipresent and a key facilitator in creating needle-moving outcomes across all industries and governments. The convergence of technologies such as Generative AI, automation, Metaverse, Blockchain, 5G and quantum computing is unlocking new possibilities for businesses and creating a more connected world. It is also enabling significant reduction in the cost of doing business, enhancing revenues through increased differentiation, and ensuring higher customer delight. Tech Mahindra is focused on leveraging next-generation technologies to enable end-to-end digital transformation for global customers and solving complex business challenges.

Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India said, In todays dynamic era of evolution, technology is driving human progress, and the force behind technological growth comes with innovative ideas. We envision a smarter future in which digital technologies have the potential to revolutionize how everyone does business in an increasingly connected world. New-age disruptive technologies such as AI, IoT, ML, and cloud computing are the key factors in unlocking the true potential of the IT sector in the next decade of India's growth in technology and will drive new possibilities in digital transformation. Organizations must focus on upskilling and reskilling the employees to develop competencies and unfold tremendous growth opportunities across sectors. At MediaTek, we believe in investing in local Indian talent and scaling capabilities to drive innovation for India and global markets through dedicated technical training sessions, e-learning platforms, and regular opportunities for upskilling.

Rajiv Bhalla, Managing Director India & Vice President Large Video Wall Experience (APAC) at Barco said, In this progressive era of evolution, theres a significant increase in the demand for technology adoption, disrupting & impacting our lives like we never comprehended. New-age innovations has escalated the significant surge in the use of technologies and digital demands and has played an essential role in our lives more than ever. As a result, the government is also prioritizing digitalization and the adoption of new-age technologies, thus enabling India to emerge as a digital-first nation.

Organizations are focusing on revamping their business digitally & taking initiatives to enable digital transformation. This includes an increased focus on skilling to build digital talent, enhanced investment in technological innovations and R&Ds, hiring young talent, and improving infrastructural facilities with a strong vision to create a digitally enabled India. In all this, Barco foresees acceleration in digitization, adoption of new-age technologies like IoT, cloud-led data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, AI innovation, and seamless connectivity & networking. Going forward, Barco expects automation of processes, focus on tech-based upskilling & reskilling as the major upcoming trends in technology.

Manish Gupta, Vice President, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell Technologies India, said, As India gears up for an advanced, tech-savvy future, National Technology Day serves as a reminder of the impact that technology has on industries at large. At Dell, we believe in integrating AI, ML to unlock new possibilities and transforming the way businesses approach IT challenges. Additionally, by harnessing the powers of edge and multi-cloud, businesses can better manage their data, in turn improving customer experiences and enhancing innovation driven productivity. With data centers also rapidly overcoming security and other business challenges, there has been a consistent effort to minimize carbon emissions with cutting-edge technology solutions like Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) and Liquid Immersion Cooling (LIC). This not only helps businesses in achieving their sustainability goals, but also enhances the efficiency of data centers. At Dell Technologies, we are committed to using technology to create a better and a more sustainable future and have been working towards helping our customers reduce their carbon footprint."

Madhusudanan R, Co-Founder, M2P Fintech said, At M2P Fintech, technology is at the core of everything we do. Our mission is to leverage technology to deliver digital financial services in a seamless manner. With advancements in AI, the significance of technology cannot be underestimated, and we will need to evolve to harness its potential with its ability to transform the world. We remain committed to investing in and leveraging technology to make financial services more accessible, user-friendly, and secure. We're proud to be at the forefront of tech evolution which will help build a better tomorrow.
DEAR DR. ROACH:

I am an 80-year-old semi-retired vet who has been having my knees managed with injections for a number of years. The right knee is bone-on-bone, and last year, I had to get what my doctor referred to as a booster, three months after my usual six-month shot in my right knee. The left knee is stable with six-month shots.

Since then, Im doing quite well and just managing with Tylenol and the occasional Voltaren. My doctor and I were considering replacement on the right knee this year, but then I started to improve. Im relatively healthy now with controlled hypertension and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Im told by other friends and relatives, including my daughter-in-law who is a rheumatologist, that I may regret waiting on the surgery, as I may not be as healthy in a few years.

On the other hand, Im quite active now, and I know that its a tough recovery. There is an old saying that its minor surgery if its on you, but major if its on me.

If you were in my shoes, would you wait for more disability or go for the surgery now? -- C.A., D.V.M.

ANSWER:

It sounds like you most likely have osteoarthritis, the most common reason to consider joint replacement surgery. The main reason to consider joint replacement in general is when the symptoms, especially pain or an inability to exercise, cant be managed by other treatments -- like the occasional injection, Tylenol and the diclofenac (Voltaren) you are taking now.

A total knee replacement isnt a minor surgery at all. It is common, even routine, but there is always the possibility of a bad outcome, including infection, reaction to the prosthesis, blood clots, nerve damage and bleeding. People over 80 are at highest risk for complications, but even so, complications only happen in a few percent of people. Still, you need to be aware of the risks to make an informed decision.

I often advise my own patients not to wait too long, but it sounds like you arent having too much pain nor disability. So, I would not urge you to rush to surgery. It is true that you may not be in as good physical shape as you are now in a few years, but I have had patients in their late 80s do well with joint replacement surgery.

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.

(c) 2023 North America Syndicate Inc.
A 31-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly macing a disorderly subway rider in Manhattan Tuesday night, according to police.

Alex Goddard, 31, was at the 42nd Street-Port Authority subway station at around 9:45 p.m. when he got into a dispute with a 50-year-old man, police told the New York Post. The man was allegedly throwing items at passersby.

After being maced, the 50-year-old man fell to floor and suffered eye pain and a minor laceration. He refused medical attention, police said.

Goddard was arrested at the scene and charged with reckless endangerment, assault and unlawful possession of a noxious matter, according to the report.

The incident comes about a week after Jordan Neely, 30, was choked to death by another subway rider, Daniel Perry.

Neely, 30, died from compression of the neck, due to a chokehold that police say was applied by retired Marine Daniel Penny aboard a New York City subway train.

Neely had reportedly been shouting at people on an F train in Manhattan when fellow riders tackled him.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  An unfounded report of threats led to a police response outside an intermediate school in New Springville on Thursday morning, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

A least five marked patrol cars with flashing lights were posted outside Rocco Laurie Intermediate School, I.S. 72 , at 33 Ferndale Ave., as staff and students showed up for classes in the morning.

The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is our number one priority, said a statement from the city Department of Education (DOE). Any threats made against our schools are taken extremely seriously, and are fully investigated in partnership with NYPD. Out of an abundance of caution, NYPD is providing additional support to the school during morning arrival and dismissal today.

The NYPD is responding to the Rocco Laurie Intermediate School (I.S. 72) on Ferndale Avenue in New Springville on the morning of Thursday, May 11, 2023. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)

The NYPD is responding to the Rocco Laurie Intermediate School (I.S. 72) on Ferndale Avenue in New Springville on the morning of Thursday, May 11, 2023. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)

OTHER STATEN ISLAND NEWS:

>> NYPD: Man, 36, fatally stabbed on Staten Island

>> Staten Island man accused of boxcutter robbery at retailer, shoplifting at supermarket

>> D.A. McMahon to investigate homicide of 16-month old boy caused by fentanyl, cocaine

>> Source: Detectives trying to determine who fired gun in shooting of teen on Staten Island

>> Source: Suspect who fired into S.I. salon missed gang target, hit innocent teen, woman

>> Death of boy, 1, on Staten Island ruled homicide; caused by fentanyl, cocaine, M.E. rules

>> NYPD: $9K in smoke products stolen in burglary on Staten Island

>> Husband charged with murder in stabbing death of wife in Richmond
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  New York City public school families will receive $391 per child in food benefits under a federal coronavirus (COVID-19) relief program from last summer to help pay for meals.

New York State is continuing to distribute food benefits  called the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer, or P-EBT  to all households with eligible children who receive free school lunch under the National School Lunch Act, according to the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

Since all New York City public school children are eligible for free lunch, regardless of family income, all families in the school system will receive the food benefits. Families in charter and private schools who receive free meals through the federal school lunch program will also be eligible for food benefits.

Every child will receive $391 in summer 2022 P-EBT food benefits.

Additionally, for each month of the 2021-2022 school year, students (including pre-K) are eligible for monthly benefits based on the number of school days they were absent or attending school remotely for a COVID-19-related reason. The benefit starts at $21 for students absent or remote for one to five school days per month, going up to $78 for six to 15 missed school days per month, and $128 for those absent or remote for 16 or more days per month.

Children under 6 years old as of Sept. 1, 2021, who received SNAP food assistance will also receive $31 in food benefits for each month of the 2021-2022 school year.

The benefit card can be used to buy any food for the household, such as:

Fruits and vegetables;

Meat, poultry, and fish;

Dairy products;

Breads and cereals;

Other foods, such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages; and

Seeds and plants, which produce food for the household to eat.

Households cannot use benefits to buy items like alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco, vitamins, medicines, supplements, live animals, foods that are hot at the point of sale, and any non-food items like pet food, cleaning supplies, paper products, hygiene items and other household supplies.

Families dont need to apply to receive this benefit. Distribution is underway and designed to get benefits to children as quickly as possible.

The state already began to issue the benefits for the 2021-2022 school year and summer 2022. Many eligible children will receive benefits automatically over the next three to four weeks. Benefits will continue to be issued until Sept. 30, 2023.

Those who already received food assistance will have the money automatically added to their benefit cards. Children enrolled in Medicaid will see the money added to Medicaid cards. And for those who received the pandemic relief funds on food benefit cards last school year, the money will be added to the same card.

Recipient households should also receive a text message alert when their food benefits are distributed. Families can check www.connectebt.com to see if the summer benefit was deposited, according to the state.

You can check your familys P-EBT food benefit transaction history by visiting www.connectebt.com or by calling 1-888-328-6399. To order a replacement card, call 1-888-328-6399. If the cardholder receives Medicaid through the states marketplace, order a replacement by calling 1-855-355-5777.

School Zone: A new newsletter with the updates you need as our schools try to get back to normal. Enter your email address here and hit "subscribe" to receive this weekly newsletter:



FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  To celebrate the new boating season, the Richmond County Yacht Club presents its annual open house. This year it will under the billing of OCEANUS featuring multimedia works by local artists Sarah Yuster, Michael McWeeney and Donna Napoli-Steele.

The event takes place Saturday, May 13 from noon to 4 p.m. at 142 Mansion Ave., Great Kills. Live music will be presented by acclaimed jazz bassist Catherine Michetti and her trio. A cash bar is available and hors doeuvres are complimentary.

Sarah Yuster's "New York City from Raritan Bay." (Courtesy of Sarah Yuster)

Artists works are inspired by the water. West Brightons Yuster is a landscape and portrait painter with works in two Smithsonian collections  Sarayhuster.com. Stapleton resident McWeeney is a photojournalist and photo editor for the New York Post  Michaelmcweeney.com. Napoli-Steele is a watercolorist and innovative sculptor who teaches are at Notre Dame Academy High School, Grymes Hill  Donnanapoli-steele.com.

Acclaimed bass guitarist Catherine Michetti (Courtesy of the Michetti Family)

Established in 1923, this celebration coincides with the clubs 100th anniversary. It will highlight a junior sailing program offered each summer for members and non members. The club also hosts the Billion Oyster Project in the borough Billionoysterproject.org/richmond-county.

The Richmond County Yacht Club welcomes new members. No boat is necessary as there are unique opportunities for boat sharing. For more information reach out to the clubs Commodore Rob Kafel at commodore@rcyachtclub.org.
General Hospital star Jacklyn Zeman, known for her portrayal of Bobbie Spencer for 45 years in the hit soap opera, has died at 70 years old, following a short battle with cancer, the actors family told ABC News.

Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work, executive producer Frank Valentini said on Twitter.

Jackie will be greatly missed, but her positive spirit will always live on with our cast and crew. We send our heartfelt sympathy to her loved ones, friends, and family, especially her daughters Cassidy and Lacey.

Fans on Twitter offered their condolences on the passing of the beloved actress. Ive watched her since 1978, said one fan. She IS General Hospital. This is so shocking as she is just 70 years old and she was on GH looking great just a few days ago. Condolences to her family. Rest in peace dear Jackie.

OMG! I met her many years ago at one of the soap opera events, said another fan on Twiter. When it was my turn to get her autograph, we talked about family and found we had a lot in common. I feel like a good friend has passed. RIP Jackie.

Yet another said, I am truly saddened to learn of this. Ive watched her portray Bobbie Spencer since I was in high school. Im 59 now, so that will tell you how long ago that was. My condolences to all the cast and crew. I know you are all grieving this beautiful, talented colleague.

As nurse Spencer, Zeman appeared in more than 800 General Hospital episodes, earning an Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Daytime Emmy nomination. A New Jersey native, Zeman started acting in high school and attended New York University.

Heartbroken for her daughters and all of you who had the privilege of working with Jackie Zeman, Tweeted a fan. I started watching back when Bobbie was trying to break up Laura and Scotty (even though I was a little too young for the storyline!) So sad #GeneralHospital.

She is survived by her two children, Cassidy and Lacey.
Fort Benning, the U.S. Armys Georgia-based training facility, was renamed Fort Moore in honor of a decorated Vietnam War commander and his wife during a ceremony Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

The name change comes a year after an independent commission recommended the Army rename nine bases that were named after Confederate officers.

The fort is home to the esteemed Army Ranger School, as well as a training ground for soldiers learning to fight in the infantry and serve as part of tank crews, the report said.

Fort Moore is named in honor of the late Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia Moore.

Founded in 1918, the base was initially named for Henry L. Benning, a Georgia Supreme Court justice and supporter of secession. Benning joined the Confederate Army during the Civil War and earned the rank of brigadier general, the report said.

The name change is part of an effort by the military to confront racial injustice. In January, the Pentagon ordered the names of Confederate officers and soldiers be stripped from bases, ships, streets and other places by the end of the year, the report went on to say.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  New immigrants arriving in the United States can have a difficult time getting connected to the services they need, but Catholic Charities of Staten Island hopes to change that later this month.

In partnership with the Mayors Office of Immigrant Affairs, the non-profit organization will host its second annual community resource fair for immigrant families on Thursday, May 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its Anderson Avenue facility in Port Richmond, the Catholic Youth Organization building.

Rosemarie Martinez, Catholic Charities of Staten Islands immigrant outreach coordinator, said that accessing resources like legal advice and health care can be challenging on Staten Island, and with the ongoing migrant crisis, those resources have become even more vital.

Many of [the immigrants] dont know where to start, Martinez said. Sometimes they are afraid of asking or afraid of going to places, but here, they know that theyre going to have trust in people that they can actually rely on.

This will be the organizations second annual resource fair. Martinez wasnt in her current role at the time, but she said it had been a successful event.

A flyer shows information about the community resource fair being held Thursday, May 25, 2023. (Courtesy: Catholic Charities)

Un volante muestra informacion sobre la feria de recursos comunitarios que se llevara a cabo el viernes 25 de mayo de 2023. (Cortesia: Catholic Charities)

Tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in New York City since January 2022, many bused from southern states, and according to the city, more than 36,000 still remain in the citys shelter system in what officials have come to call the migrant crisis.

Throughout that crisis, Catholic Charities of New York, the Staten Island organizations umbrella organization, has become one of the citys most important non-profit organizations serving as the Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center in Manhattan.

Mayor Eric Adams announced in November that the city had tapped eight community-based organizations, including La Colmena on Staten Island, to serve as satellite navigations centers to the central location.

La Colmena, which focuses on workforce development, will be one of several service providers on-hand at the community resource fair being hosted later this month.

A flyer Martinez provided also lists organizations like Community Health Action of Staten Island, El Centro del Inmigrante and Make the Road New York as service providers that will be at the resource fair. She said a predominantly Hispanic population is expected at the fair, but that its open to all immigrants.

Thats what we are looking to do  connecting all these resources and knowledge and talent, and having it in one place, where people feel that they can actually get some information, she said.

MORE NYC NEWS

Two more Staten Island hotels are now sheltering migrants, local pols say

NYC congestion pricing gets thumbs up from feds

$50 fines coming for New Yorkers who take out their trash too early

NYC minimum wage will be $16 next year, with another increase coming

Improvements to this century-old community center promise to serve Staten Island children for 100 more years
CITY HALL  New York Citys right to shelter is a decades-old legal standard granted to people in the five boroughs, but Mayor Eric Adams decided to challenge that Wednesday night.

As the city prepares for a looming influx of migrants, the mayor issued an executive order that temporarily rolls back some city policies based on the right to shelter established through a 1979 lawsuit and subsequent legal action.

Those lawsuits made New York City one of three U.S. municipalities that has a right to shelter for all homeless people, according to the Coalition for the Homeless.

A Coalition co-founder, attorney Robert Hayes, brought the suit that year on behalf of Robert Callahan, a homeless man suffering from alcoholism who Hayes discovered sleeping on the street in Manhattan, according to the Coalition.

In a settlement, the city and state agreed to provide shelter and board to all homeless men who met the need standard for welfare or who were homeless by reason of physical, mental, or social dysfunction. Women and children were added later, according to the Coalition.

The Legal Aid Society joined the Coalition Wednesday night slamming the mayors order, and said it is weighing the options, including possible litigation.

Earlier tonight, Mayor Eric Adams signed Executive Order 402, which will suspend critical protections of New Yorks landmark Right to Shelter laws, as well as local tenant due process rights. For decades, Right to Shelter laws have protected people from immeasurable harm, including long-term New Yorkers and new arrivals to our city, the two groups wrote in their joint statement. These long-standing laws have served as sound policy, ensuring the humane treatment of families in need, but Mayor Adams is heading down a dangerous road.

Mayor Eric Adams addresses the media during a City Hall press conference held Wednesday, April 19, 2023. (Staten island Advance/Paul Liotta)

The two groups raised concerns that the rollbacks by fiat could put migrants in harms way. Families with children could find themselves languishing at the citys intake facility for days on end, or be forced into congregate settings.

We recognize the efforts from City staff to avoid putting people in harms way, but weve learned through experience that congregate shelters put families and children at risk of communicable diseases and sexual assault, and they adversely impact mental health, the groups said. The City has other options, including implementing recommendations we have offered many times since last summer to transition those residing in shelters to permanent housing, which will create much-needed shelter capacity.

Since January 2022, tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in New York City, many bused from southern states, and more than 36,000 still remain in the citys shelter system.

Throughout the crisis, Adams and members of his administration have maintained that the city has a moral and legal obligation to house migrants arriving in the five boroughs, refusing to back off the right to shelter, but that changed with the executive order.

The mayor also received pushback to another recent policy announcement that the city would bus arriving migrants to Rockland and Orange counties while paying for their accommodations. Officials in those localities have taken legal action seeking to block the move.

Adams fielded questions Thursday about his decisions at an unrelated press conference. He said it was a challenge to arrive at the decision, but he felt it made the most sense for the city. The mayor also made his latest call for assistance from the federal government.

This is just wrong what is happening to New York City. Its wrong and no one seems to care, Adams said. It was a challenging thing to do, but were doing the right thing. No one thought about a humanitarian crisis when they first took this court case of right-to-shelter.

The mayor said that just last week the city received 4,200 new arrivals, and that more are expected with the expiration of Title 42, a pandemic-era federal rule put into effect by former President Donald Trumps administration.

That rule has made it easier to deport migrants arriving from Canada and Mexico, but is set to expire Thursday night, with city officials anticipating a surge in migrants that could see as many as 800 people arriving in the five boroughs everyday.

Migrant arrivals have grown the population in an already-burdened shelter system by 83%, Adams said, and the right to shelter rollbacks will help diffuse that influx.

The spike in the citys shelter population has necessitated the reopening of emergency homeless hotels around the five boroughs, including at least four on Staten Island.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) and Borough President Vito Fossella issued a joint statement Friday after learning about the most recent hotel shelters in Rosebank and Willowbrook.

The duo called on the city to rethink its right to shelter policies, and seem to have gotten their way, at least in part, thanks to Adams executive order.

As Ive said for the past year, New York Citys right-to-shelter law was intended for homeless New Yorkers, not citizens of other countries, Malliotakis said Thursday. Im pleased that the Mayor has finally acknowledged that his plan to house migrants in luxury hotels is unsustainable and unfair to hard-working taxpayers, particularly when city services are being slashed and retiree health benefits diminished,.

MORE NYC NEWS

NYPD officers to be trained on identifying and interacting with autistic people

Catholic Charities to host immigrant community resources fair in Port Richmond

Two more Staten Island hotels are now sheltering migrants, local pols say

NYC congestion pricing gets thumbs up from feds

$50 fines coming for New Yorkers who take out their trash too early
CITY HALL  Mayor Eric Adams signed legislation Thursday that will provide NYPD officers with training on how to identify and interact with autistic people.

In November, the NYPD will need to implement the training for recruits in the Police Academy and department-wide training for uniformed members every other year, according to the bill.

Equipping New Yorks Finest with the tools to better interact with people with autism spectrum disorder is critical to advancing safety and justice for all New Yorkers, Adams said. The legislation we are signing today will ensure the NYPD continues to serve all communities across our city fairly and equitably

Training will focus on how to best recognize people with autism, who are often over-sensitive to their environment and have difficulty processing their surroundings, respond to incidents involving autistic people in a competent way, and interview people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including those who have experienced incidents of gender-based violence.

The legislation didnt pass the City Council without opposition. Members against the bill pointed out that mental health training already exists within the department, raised concerns about whether more training would help reduce the use of force, and called for policies putting health-care workers on the front lines of responses to mental health issues.

City Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse (D-Brooklyn), who brought the bill to the Council, said during a hearing on the legislation that there are nearly 300,000 people with autism in the five boroughs, and that better training will help lead to safer outcomes for police and people with autism.

Police interactions with New Yorkers with ASD are inevitable, she said. New Yorkers with ASD have unique needs, and at times, their behavior and mannerisms can be misinterpreted as an act of aggression or non-compliance. This new law will fully train our police officers on how best to approach and engage with people on the autism spectrum.

MORE NYC NEWS

Catholic Charities to host immigrant community resources fair in Port Richmond

Two more Staten Island hotels are now sheltering migrants, local pols say

NYC congestion pricing gets thumbs up from feds

$50 fines coming for New Yorkers who take out their trash too early

NYC minimum wage will be $16 next year, with another increase coming
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Uzbek low-cost Centrum Air air carrier has announced the launch of direct flights from Uzbekistans capital Tashkent to Egypts Hurghada, Trend reports via the companys statement.

The first flight on Tashkent Hurghada  Tashkent route is scheduled for June 2, 2023. Regular flights in this direction will be carried once a week  on Fridays.

Meanwhile, Centrum Air has already connected by charter flights from Tashkent with another resort city in Egypt. On May 2, 2023, the flight on the Tashkent  Sharm el-Sheikh route was carried. It is expected that the flights in this direction will be operated once a week  on Tuesday.

Centrum Air is an Uzbek low-cost carrier that started to operate passenger flights on January 2023. The fleet of the air carrier consists of two Airbus A320 aircraft, and in the near future, the flight operator plans to purchase an additional passenger board  a Boeing 737.

The low-cost airline plans to expand its feet to 20 aircraft in 2023, and in the next three years to 100. The first flight of Centrum Air was carried out on January 18, 2023, on Vilnius - Tashkent route.

Furthermore, besides international flights, the air carrier operates domestic ones as well. The first domestic flight was carried out from Tashkent to Fergana. On February 15, 2023, at 09:52 (GMT+5), a plane from Centrum Air landed at the Fergana International Airport. Flights on Tashkent - Fergana - Tashkent route will be carried out twice a week  on Fridays and Sundays.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A $107 million resiliency plan designed to blunt the power of waves during extreme weather has made steady progress since it broke ground in late 2021 and is nearing a completion date late next year.

The Living Breakwaters project, a series of eight separate in-water structures spanning 2,400 linear feet off the South Shore of Staten Island, was slated to be completed by the end of 2024 but is currently proceeding ahead of schedule, according to Kevin Robinson, the project manager for Weeks Marine, the company responsible for construction.

Using a combination of engineering, massive stones and ecologically-enhanced concrete, the effort is expected to reduce the impact of waves, foster habitat for marine life and mitigate beach erosion.

Since we last were in Tottenville to celebrate the start of construction in late 2021, weve made tremendous progress on the Living Breakwaters, which is already bringing marine life back to the Raritan Bay, helping to rebuild the shoreline, and reducing the strength of life-threatening waves, said New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas.

As we mark the halfway point of construction on this project, we are grateful for the support of the Tottenville community and local stakeholders and look forward to our continued work together to protect New Yorkers from future storms, said Visnauskas.

A massive crane is used to transport materials to the breakwaters. (Staten Island Advance/Joseph Ostapiuk)

HOW PROJECT WORKS

During a Monday morning in early May, the Advance/SILive.com received a first-hand look at the operation underway hundreds off feet from the edge of Tottenville.

A massive crane more than 100 feet tall situated on a barge transfers behemoth stones taken from a quarry in Upstate New York and places them on individual breakwaters, where excavators strategically interlock the materials to ensure the project works as designed.

The materials are laid on top of marine mattresses  rectangular-shaped baskets made of high-strength mesh that sit against the ocean floor and distribute the breakwaters weight  which then receive an outer layer of armor stone to protect them against the elements. The smallest of the eight breakwaters is 11 feet from floor to crest; the largest is about double that size. Multiple reef ridges then extend outward from each breakwater to invite marine life, including seals, to the waters off Staten Island.

A total of 800 pre-cast tide pools and 500 armor blocks will have been placed when the project, long-delayed in its initial planning stages, marches toward the finish line. The fifth breakwater is more than a quarter finished, and the sixth and seventh structures have been started. The eighth and final breakwater will begin to be created by this summer, according to Weeks Marine.

The first four breakwaters in shallower water were the first to be completed and offered a limited window for construction as low tide delivered challenges to the construction crew. The completed structures are especially visible when water levels are low but peek just above the surface during periods of high tide.

After the breakwaters are completed, they are affixed with lights on each end to alert mariners and included on official maps. Then, temporary resiliency measures on Tottenvilles coast  sandbags that line the shoreline  will be removed and followed by the placement of tons of new sand.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation will lead maintenance efforts of the breakwaters after the states contract with Weeks Marine expires at the end of 2024.

Borough President Vito Fossella tours the project. (Staten Island Advance/Joseph Ostapiuk)

CONCEIVED AFTER SANDY

After the storm surge from Sandy hit our shores and tragically resulted in loss of life and property, the Living Breakwaters was conceived to protect our southernmost shoreline, said Borough President Vito Fossella, who was on-hand to observe the construction. Were pleased to see so much progress being made. This project ultimately will improve safety by mitigating the force of future storm waves and preserving the width of our beachfronts.

Marine life from seals to small fish have already begun to make a presence, said Fossella, who observed a video clip of a whale breaching off Tottenville Beach. Following his visit, he spoke highly of the work that has been completed thus far.

Our visit to the breakwaters underscored the complexity and engineering involved in the project, said Fossella. We cant speak highly enough about the professionalism of the contractors and subcontractors working here on this job. Its clear that theyre not only a highly skilled team but also, theyre committed to doing this right. So my hats off to all of them.

The Living Breakwaters project is part of the series of coastal resiliency measures expected to be put in place to protect Staten Island, which was devastated by Hurricane Sandy more than a decade ago. Unlike the East Shore Seawalls goal of keeping water out of streets and homes, the breakwaters is focused on reducing the energy of waves, which can dislodge homes from their foundation.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) previously said the project would compliment the resiliency measured being developed across the borough. A $52 billion U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposal could join the trove of plans to shield Staten Island from impacts expected to worsen under continued planetary warming.

EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT

Outside of its physical benefits to Staten Islands coast, Living Breakwaters also offers an educational component to Staten Island students, leveraging ongoing work with the Billion Oyster Project and offering an up-close example of environmental engineering.

I like the fact that students and teachers can study the Living Breakwaters in class for marine biology and environmental science  and they never even have to get wet, said Ed Burke, senior adviser to the borough president. The images of marine life reestablishing itself among the oyster habitat and intricate rockwork will serve as a vivid lesson in ecosystem restoration, happening right off our own beaches.

The breakwaters operate in similar ways to how coral reefs protect tropical islands  a natural solution that offers multi-purpose benefits.

Sometimes nature has the best engineering solutions, said Burke.



RELATED COVERAGE: Climate change and extreme weather

>> Where would Army Corps plan put storm surge barriers on Staten Island? These 6 graphics show locations.

>> Staten Island in 2100: Graphic projections show harsh reality your grandkids may face if climate projections hold true

>> Will Staten Island see another Hurricane Sandy? Heres what experts say rising tides, warming seas could mean for us.

>> Heres how much scientists say extreme weather fueled by climate change cost the U.S. in 2022
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore) and state Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn) honored the life and humanitarian work of slain Stapleton lawyer Eric E. Garvin with a resolution and proclamation at the New York State Capitol Monday.

Well, Mr. Speaker, in January of this year tragedy struck the Staten Island community and the entire community when Eric traveled to Chile and his life was taken from us, Fall said on the Capitol floor, by criminals who have now been arrested and are being prosecuted as we speak.

Fall, who was a friend of the Garvin, sponsored the resolution and proclamation, alongside Scarcella-Spanton, posthumously honoring the attorney as a community leader and renowned social justice advocate.

Eric E. Garvin, 38, was posthumously honored with a resolution and proclamation at the New York State Capitol Monday. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Assemblyman Charles Fall)The Office of Assemblyman Charle

Fall described Garvin as someone who went above and beyond to fight inequalities. Being given a proclamation represents the highest honor a citizen can receive from the New York State Legislature.

Eric was my dear friend; he exuded a humanitarian spirit with everyone he came in contact with. It was an honor for me to share this moment with his beloved parents Eric Sr. and Anna Marie, his sister Naomi & his grandmother Marjorie Garvin along with former Councilwoman Debi Rose, Fall said in a statement. Legislative body in the Assembly chambers paused in its deliberations, noting the significance of Erics purposeful life and accomplishments. Through his selfless commitment and dedication to community, Erics legacy will long endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all who were privileged to know him; he will deeply be missed.

The Garvin family, including Garvins father, retired U.S. Air Force Col. Eric Garvin, Garvins mother, Anna, his elder sister, Naomi, and Garvins grandmother, community advocate, Marjorie Garvin were given the proclamation on the state Legislature floor.

Eric E. Garvin, 38, was posthumously honored with a resolution and proclamation at the New York State Capitol Monday. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Assemblyman Charles Fall)The Office of Assemblyman Charle

Anna, Naomi and I are profoundly grateful to Assemblyman Charles Fall and his phenomenal staff for spearheading this memorable event, said Eric Garvin Sr. We were deeply touched by this memorable event because it demonstrated that Genes life mattered.

The Garvin family traveled to Albany with former Councilwoman Debi Rose for the honor.

I was proud to recognize Eric Garvin on the Senate floor, and Im honored that the Garvin family was able to join us in Albany this week to commemorate Erics life. Eric was a remarkable person with a passion for community work, and his untimely passing is a loss that still weighs heavily on his community. He was taken from us far too soon, and his memory will never be forgotten, said Scarcella-Spanton.

Eric E. Garvin, 38, was posthumously honored with a resolution and proclamation at the New York State Capitol Monday. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Assemblyman Charles Fall)The Office of Assemblyman Charle

Chilean authorities have since made multiple arrests in the death of the Garvin, 38, who was shot after getting dinner in Santiago on Jan. 14, according to a Chilean newspaper report. Currently, the men charged in connection with the slaying are awaiting trial in Chile.



RELATED COVERAGE: Death of Staten Islander in Chile

>> Staten Island community celebrates the life of Eric Garvin, who was killed in Chile

>> The photo cost my son his life. Dad details moments before killers ambushed Staten Island lawyer in Chile.

>> NYC family on quest for answers after son is fatally shot in Chile: What we know so far

>> NYC man, 38, shot to death in Chile vacation horror

>> Familys search for answers ends in heartbreak: Timeline of key events in Staten Island lawyers Chile slaying
Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal.

Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.



We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.



A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
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 ousting of Bubs Australia founder Kristy Carr and its recently demoted executive chairman Dennis Lin has the hallmarks of a governance coup engineered by the infant formula makers largest shareholder, the private equity firm C2, which is backed by Chinese giant Alibaba.

At the very least it had the shareholders support.

And what it lacked in explanation, it made up for in brutality and intrigue.

Bubs chief executive Kristy Carr was on leave - now shes left. Credit: Louise Trerise

Carrs misdeed was, according to Bubss statement to the ASX, a failure to comply with reasonable board directions - which certainly carries the inference Carr was out of control and that the board responded with a collective dummy spit.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The Armenian Defense Ministry reported that three of its servicemen were wounded as a result of a provocation by the Armenian Armed Forces, Trend reports.

On the evening of May 10, units of the Armenian armed forces, using various types of small arms, have committed a deliberate provocation against the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Zod settlement of the Basarkechar region. As a result of target fire, a serviceman of the Azerbaijani army, Muslim Mahmudlu, was seriously wounded in the head. The necessary response measures were taken by the units of the Azerbaijani army.

Starting from the morning of May 11, the Armenia armed forces making the situation even more tense, from the positions in the direction of Zod settlement of the Basarkechar have carried out mortar shelling against the Azerbaijan Army's opposite positions. The Azerbaijan Army units took necessary adequate retaliatory measures.
Few clubs in Australia are quite as exclusive or shrouded in mystique as Qantas invite-only Chairmans Lounge.

While the airline cultivates this by keeping schtum about who gets in, the lounge tends to be populated by federal MPs, corporate heavies and celebrities.

Losing access is therefore such a stinging symbol of ones decline in status that even those with strong opinions about the embattled carrier and its unpopular departing boss Alan Joyce arent keen to leave.

Alan Joyce and Alan Jones. Credit: John Shakespeare

This week, Alan Jones was informed via email that hed lost lounge access following one of the airlines reviews, a brutal reflection of the radio veterans fall from king of Sydneys airwaves to an old man yelling at a webcam for his online-only ADH TV.
Theres a point in adolescence when you simply cannot believe youve been born into this particular place and time. Surely, theres been some mistake, you mutter, as you stare at your drab suburban surrounds.

Its a delusion, of course  youll find, usually, you fit in quite well  yet that doesnt diminish the intensity of your disbelief. You start speculating. Perhaps I was a foundling, given to this strange family. Or, Maybe Im of royal blood, but a mistake was made at the hospital.

Or in my case: Im probably a Tibetan lama, reincarnated as a moody Canberra teenager.

I owed this fantasy to my devoted reading of Lobsang Rampa, a bestselling author in the 60s and 70s. His books, beginning with the mega-hit The Third Eye, described the authors life growing up in a Tibetan Lamasery, to which hed been sent at the age of seven. Along the way, he revealed the mysteries of clairvoyance.

During those moments of adolescence when I became weary of poking at my acne, I might idly massage the point between my eyebrows, wondering when my own third eye might emerge.
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

For 12 days next month, a Christian chapter house in the heart of Melbourne will be transformed into a celebration of Haitian Vodou during our mid-winter RISING festival. Visitors to the lofty hall beside St Pauls Cathedral will find a series of macabre-looking contraptions built from discarded metal, clothing and bones, including the remains of a man who never travelled abroad in his life but whose posthumous tour has taken in Boston, New York, Germany, and now Melbourne.

Ghetto Biennale, described as a celebration of Haitian street culture, is the work of art collective Atis Rezistans, which was co-founded by artist Andre Eugene in 2009. Eugene was among a handful of Haitian artists who were denied entry to the US after being invited to take part in a group exhibition in Miami. In response, they established their own biennale, inviting local and international talents to collaborate in an environment thats very different to the great halls and ultra-modern galleries of the contemporary art world.

We invited many people from all over the world but dont forget that where we live is a ghetto, Eugene tells me during a precarious early morning phone call. Power blackouts mean that hes sitting in darkness, with both lighting and internet out of action. Ive got a yard, I work in the yard with people and these are poor people, not academic artists. Theyre like autodidacts, he says.

A documentary on Atis Rezistans paints a compelling image of the corner of Port-au-Prince that these artists call home. Its a sea of corrugated iron and cinder blocks, exposed reinforcing and stripped-down vehicles. The raw materials they employ in their work is reflective of this world  sculptures assembled from car parts, building materials, roadside litter  and bones.

The recycled material is really important for me because where I live you can find many trash all over, everywhere, says Eugene. The mayor is never cleaning the street. And sometimes when the police descend on the protests in the street they put fire in the tyres, and smoke in the air is not good for your health. Thats the reason I recycle everything.

At the various events in which Ghetto Biennale has appeared around the world, its the human bones  a symbol of the interconnectedness of the living and the dead in the Vodou religion  that attract the most attention. In Haiti bones are common in Vodou altars and sculptures, but Eugenes Biennale co-curator, Leah Gordon, says people do slightly obsess over the body parts.
Advertisement

Eating outLunch 10 of Sydneys best fine-dining restaurant lunch deals Forget eating al-desko. These are the lunch deals worth dishing out less for. Bianca Hrovat May 11, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Lunchtime specials can be a clever way to try some of the citys most revered dishes without splashing all of your hard-earned cash. Whether youre looking for a workday treat, or somewhere to kick back with friends on the weekend, these are the deals worth dishing out for. The fried chicken with ume and micro herbs at Kuro Bar & Dining. Supplied Kuro Bar & Dining It really is luxe for less when lunchtime rolls around at hatted Japanese restaurant Kuro. Head chef Nobu Maruyama presents a selection of some of his best dishes for just $49 (the set dinner menu starts at $100), including the signature charcoal-coloured Kuro fried chicken. The price includes two courses, with optional desserts starting from just $12. Fri-Sat from noon

368 Kent Street, Sydney, kurosydney.com

Advertisement

The lunch special at Lana includes three snacks, one main and two sides for $69. Pictured are the prawn and bug rolls. Supplied Lana, $69

Hatted CBD restaurant Lana is serving its $69 express lunch menu every Thursday and Friday. Sample The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Chef of the Year 2023 finalist Alex Wongs innovative cooking with inclusions such as calamari and octopus ssam, pumpkin torta with miso and sage furikake, and potato focaccia with black garlic butter. Thu-Fri 11.30am-2.30pm

Level 1, 5-7 Young Street, Sydney, lana.sydney The set lunch menu is more than $60 cheaper than the starting price of aMares set dinner menus. James D Morgan aMare, $79

Advertisement

Experience the excellent service at hatted Barangaroo restaurant aMare with Pranzo al Volo: a midweek lunch menu curated by head chef Alessandro Pavoni. The price includes a shared antipasto table, a selection of four mains (including the delightfully cheesy cacio e pepe), salad and petit fours. Mon-Fri noon-2.30pm

Crown Sydney, level 1, 1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo, crownsydney.com.au The Friday lunch special at Alma and St Alma includes a three-course meal and a marg. Alana Dimou Alma and St Alma, $49 The Mexican food at Alma (Avalon Beach) and its little sister St Alma (Freshwater) is innovative and delicious  and just $49 for three courses at lunchtime on Friday. Its a great excuse to kick off the weekend early, as the price includes an ice-cold margarita with your choice of entree, main and sides (think dishes such as kingfish ceviche, burrata with salsa verde, and smoked chicken with corn-truffle mousse).

Advertisement

Fri from noon

47 Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach, almaavalon.com.au

20 Albert Street, Freshwater, st-alma.com.au The club sandwich lunch special at The Charles Bar. Supplied The Charles Bar, $25 The sleek, European-inspired bar at The Charles is offering triple-decker club sandwiches brimming with bacon, chicken and salad as part of their $25 lunch special every weekday. The price includes a side of crisps and your choice of soft drink or beer. Mon-Fri noon-3pm

66 King Street, Sydney, thecharles.sydney

Advertisement

Mexican restaurant Esteban has an express lunch special with pink ling ceviche, prawn tacos and butchers choice steak for $65. Steven Woodburn Esteban, $65 Theres ceviche, tacos, steak and potatoes on the express lunch menu, or almuerzo pequeno, at hatted Mexican restaurant Esteban. Journey down the fairy-lit CBD laneway any time between noon and 2.30pm for a quick meal (and maybe a cheeky mezcal while youre at it). Wed-Sat noon-2pm

1 Temperance Lane, Sydney, estebanrestaurant.com.au The Spice Temple lunch noodle special includes a bowl of fresh noodles and a drink for $25. Supplied

Advertisement

Spice Temple, $25 The lunchtime noodle special has returned to Spice Temple, where you can enjoy a bowl and a beer (or wine, if you prefer) at the bar for $25. There are five options to choose from, ranging from hearty comfort food (Beijing noodles with Blackmore wagyu) to a spicy mid-afternoon kick (fried Shanxi noodles with lamb and cumin). Thu-Sun noon-3pm

10 Bligh Street, Sydney, spicetemple.com.au Modern Middle Eastern restaurant Aalia is located at Martin Place. Jason Loucas Aalia, $55

Advertisement

The weekday express lunch menu at hatted Middle Eastern restaurant Aaliais meant for sharing, with a selection of skewers and mezze from $55 a head (minimum two people). Menu highlights include smoky buffalo labne with beetroot molasses, harissa and Murray cod skewers, and chicken shawarma. Tue-Sat from noon

Shop 7.07-7.08, 25 Martin Place, Sydney, aaliarestaurant.com Redbird Chinese is running a weekend lunch special with bottomless natural wine from $89 a head. Supplied Redbird Chinese, $89 Hatted Redfern restaurant Redbird is serving a plant-based Chinese tasting menu alongside a selection of minimal-intervention wines every Sunday for just $89. The weekend lunch special, Native and Natty, includes dishes such as Sichuan-braised eggplant and kung pao tofu, spinach and water chestnut dumplings, and san choy bao, plus two hours of bottomless natty wine.

Advertisement

Sun 1pm-3pm

99 Redfern Street, Redfern, redbirdchinese.com.au Lolas in Bondi has a new Italian-focused menu, and $49 lunch special. Edwina Pickles Lolas Italian and Bar, $49 For just $49 you can try the new Italian menu from head chef Toby Stansfield, who took over the kitchen at Bondi Beach restaurant Lolas this month. The lunch special includes a full three courses, with standouts such as the calamari fritti, orecchiette with cime di rapa, and tiramisu. Bonus: the special is available on the weekend, allowing you to get stuck into their impressive selection of Italian wines. Thu-Sun from noon

Level 1, 180-186 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach, lolasitalianandbar.com.au

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
A Labor-dominated inquiry into the Voice referendum has endorsed the governments proposed model as constitutionally sound and urged the parliament to pass the bill to authorise the national vote without amendment.

The recommendation is contained in a report handed down today after a six-week inquiry into the referendum.

But the Liberal committee members, who were in the minority, reached an opposing conclusion, warning in a dissenting report that the current Voice model posed an unquantifiable legal risk and called for changes to the wording of the amendment.

The majority report, authored by Labor committee chair Nita Green, said: Based on a careful examination of the evidence, the committee is of the view that the bill is constitutionally sound.

In coming to this conclusion, the committee was particularly persuaded by the evidence of former High Court chief justice Robert French, who asserted that future High Courts are highly likely to apply the interpretation of identifying the intent of the parliament.

Further, a number of other distinguished legal experts, former judges, and current practitioners strongly asserted that the proposed amendment poses little to no risk to the processes of executive government or the broader legal system.

While care should be taken in future when drafting further legislation to establish the Voice, the committee is of the view that the bill provides the necessary powers as requested by the Uluru Statement from the Heart, while also limiting potential risks and complications.

The Liberal dissenting report, led by deputy chair Keith Wolahan and signed by senators Andrew Bragg and Kerrynne Liddle, concluded the uncertainty and risk associated with the proposal as currently drafted are unquantifiable, and if adopted at a referendum would in effect be permanent and said the proposal should not be adopted in its current form.

But it confirmed the Coalition would not stand in the way of Australians having their say at a referendum, clearing the way for the governments bill to authorise the vote to pass the parliament in June.

The Liberal members, however, were scathing of the lack of public consultation on the drafting of the amendment, and said: The parliament should never again be asked to consider a constitutional change that is put forward without detail, without process, and without a proper understanding of the risks.

More importantly, the Australian people should not be asked to vote on a serious constitutional change in those circumstances.

The committee comprised seven Labor members, three Liberals, one National, one Greens member and one independent.
NSW court documents reveal Efrem and Terry, and sometimes their filmmaker brother Uri, formed investment partnerships that bought up real estate across Sydney, beginning in 1978. The Harkhams bought Noahs, which overlooks Bondi from Campbell Parade, for $5.6 million in 1997. Uri sold out of the partnership to Efrem and Terry in 2012. The Harkhams bought Noahs Backpackers hostel for $5.6 million in 1997. Credit: Flavio Brancaleone The Harkhams added the $8.5 million building next door in 2020 and, last year, sold the combined block to a pub baron for $68 million. Terry was in charge of the day-to-day operations of the partnership. But Efrems legal teams told the court Terry signed his wife Geraldine up as director and shareholder without Efrems knowledge or consent.

Efrem Harkhams book opened with a dedication to his older brother Terry. This led to substantial amounts of [partnership] funds being paid out to those interests, Justice Stephen Robb concluded in a judgment this week. When Efrem discovered these matters, there was a falling out between the brothers. There was no suggestion in the case that Terrys dealing, or Geraldines appointment, were invalid or misappropriated. Rather, Efrem asked Justice Robb to hit the partnership with freezing orders until Efrems lawyers could identify and claw back his share.

The hotelier also alleged eye-watering commercial loans worth $50 million, $46.5 million and $17 million were secured with Harkham properties behind his back. I never knew about these loans. I was not consulted about these loans, Efrem told the court. He further alleged $50.8 million flowed to Terrys companies without his consent. Among the alleged transactions of concern were $6.2 million to Terry, Geraldine and their children, $1.3 million to Harkham Wineries, $2.5 million for credit cards and $6.2 million for an unknown purpose. Terrys lawyers countered that all the business was duly reported in the financial statements sent to Efrem for his 100-page tax returns in the US.

There is no evidence, Justice Robb concluded, that the funds were dishonestly misappropriated by Terry or Geraldine. Efrem made no inquiry into the inner workings of the companies, the court heard, as it was handled by his accountants. My team knew of my deep connection to Terry, my trust of Terry, so you have to keep that in mind when youre saying that I knew about the numbers, Efrem told the court. Terry and Geraldine agreed the partnership should sell its four properties and hold the money in trust. They asked for $10 million to be carved out of the trust to repay one loan from one of Terrys businesses. The court agreed and Terry and Geraldines $20 million-plus Vaucluse home was put up as security in the deal.

BEVERLY HILLS As Efrem sued his brother in Sydney, he was on the receiving end of dual $50 million lawsuits by Terry and his brother Ben who claimed he violated a covenant worth more than twice Noahs in Sydney. Terry and Ben, in near identical court filings, claimed Efrem denied them the fruits of their investments in Luxe Rodeo  the only hotel on Beverly Hills iconic and most valuable street. The three Harkham brothers partnered with another couple to purchase the 88-bedroom hotel in 1995 for $12.25 million. They assumed full control in 2002 with Efrem the majority holder. Terry and Ben alleged Efrem and his agents falsely portrayed the Luxe Rodeo as unprofitable so he wouldnt need to pay his brothers their share of the profits. Credit: Glenn Francis, Pacific Pro Digital

Terry and Ben allege they were asked to contribute more money to revamp the Luxe Rodeo into the flagship of the hotel empire, enticing the likes of Rolex and Ferrari into its retail spaces. They alleged Efrem and his agents falsely portrayed the Luxe Rodeo as unprofitable so he wouldnt need to pay his brothers their share of the profits. [Terry] trusted Efrem to look after his financial interests in Los Angeles with unyielding loyalty, which Efrem owed Plaintiff as his brother and controlling business partner, Terrys filings say. My dear brother, I call on you, to transform the entire situation to a joyous one, where two brothers can rejoice the abundance. Ben Harkham to Efrem Terry and Ben accused Efrem and his son, Aron, of taking out a $38 million loan and violating its terms, triggering millions of dollars in repayments in 2021. The hotel had been shuttered, by 2020, because of the pandemic.

The Harkhams sold the hotel for $200 million in December 2021 making a total $160 million profit. But Terry and Ben allege it was undervalued and sold in a fire sale to escape the loan. [Their] forced sale also occurred at a time when hotel operations were forestalled due to a global pandemic, thereby further reducing market demand and deflating the ultimate sale price, the court filings allege. Terry and Ben both alleged Efrem and his son conspired to cut them out of the sale and accomplished their theft by dumping the $160 million into US real estate. The file alleges industrial buildings across California and apartment blocks in Manhattan were purchased by Efrem and Arons companies as the final act in the conspiracy in early 2022. Weeks later an email landed in Efrems inbox from Ben  as with all Harkham family feuds, issues of trust and staggering dollar sums featured heavily.

When I sent you the money, I sent it to my brother, and in dealings with a brother, I didnt think that it was fitting to invoke lawyers or accountants, Ben wrote. We did very well in Rodeo Drive. Ben asked Efrem to deposit $5 million into his bank account, noting he was owed $25 million in total. My dear brother, I call on you, to transform the entire situation to a joyous one, where two brothers can rejoice the abundance that is bestowed on us by much higher forces, Ben said. One month later, in July 2022, the legal letters started flying.
First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on May 13, 1964.

The yacht Cythera weathered two severe storms on its 900-mile trip from Norfolk Island but was never in distress, the skipper, Mr Peter Fenton, said yesterday.

A tearful Penny Fenton is re-united with her parents after they arrived at Rushcutters Bay. Credit: Martin Brannan

It slipped almost unnoticed into Sydney Harbour early yesterday, to end a week-long search off the Australian coast.

Already badly damaged before the start of its journey the yacht was gale blown 200 miles off course.
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 Welcome back to Yours.Sincerely, our Friday dive into the letters and comments on what you decided was the topic of the week. Hundreds of readers took to their keyboards to tell us their thoughts about King Charless coronation and whether it was time for Australia to cut ties with the monarchy. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit: Did the coronation show us its time for a change? The Heralds Europe correspondent Rob Harris asked how is it possible to explain the pomp and ceremony of the coronation in the era of Uber Eats, Netflix, vaping and Alexa. Mac_the_Dog Everything about the coronation is absurd. You can make an argument about not messing with our current form of government, but this silliness shows its time for change. Westman I watched Seinfeld. Another show about nothing.

Advertisement

Kate I couldnt watch it. The whole thing is ludicrous, inappropriate and cringeworthy. I dont mean this personally against Charles, who is clearly trying to read the room. It is not his fault to be sitting there in 2023 getting a crown full of stolen jewels from all of the world put on his head. Loading anon melbourne Waiting for 74 years to get a paid job? Sad really. James I felt privileged to be able to witness such an important historical event. The religious/historical symbolism of the ceremony was fascinating. And the recognition of multicultural Britain by including all religions and cultures in the service, was outstanding. Greyish Ghost Good to watch for 10 minutes just to confirm the complete anachronism of the entire royalty rubbish. Hereditary rulers? What a joke. Pledging allegiance? Rubbish. A nice tourist attraction for the Brits, sure, but dump the rest of it and get rid of our connection to it. Luc God save the King God bless our country and her people. Inspire our leaders with wisdom, kindness and humility to lead our great Republic of Australia. Illustration: Cathy Wilcox Credit:

Advertisement

Time to cut the monarchys apron strings? There can be no more urgent work in Australia than true recognition of the enduring impact of the violence of colonisation, wrote journalist and author Julia Baird. Readers were divided in their opinions. Tony McIntyre We complain about the apron strings of the monarchy and then complain when they do not interfere in how this country is run. Please make up your mind. It has to be Australia that makes up for the injustices of the past. You can no longer appeal to the Privy Council any more so the apron strings have been cut. Real Life Queen Victoria could be forgiven for racism of the time that was a believed view of civilisation back then. But to know what we know now, and still repeat the pantomimes and deepen the repeated rituals embedded in this patriarchy seems much less forgivable. Loading artusj England and its monarchy has nothing to do with this country. It is time, in every aspect, to ignore and turn our backs on its colonial history and set about to repair the wrongs that were done. Pam Timms, Suffolk Park Lets not depend on the current monarch to right the wrongs done to our First People by colonisation. By becoming a republic, we take an important step in the reconciliation process. We tell the world that our allegiance lies with our democratically elected government and that we stand together with the First Nations people of our magnificent and ancient land.

Advertisement

gobsmack For 70 years weve had a fawning press which didnt seem to be able to move past how gracious QEII was. Suddenly, with a new person in the same chair, we have become aware of what a terrible institution the monarchy is. Daisy Blue No no no, this medieval Commonwealth nonsense has to stop.

Australia can do better. Illustration: Cathy Wilcox Credit: A bonehead decision? Premier keeps the lights off Premier Chris Minns defended his governments decision to not light up the sails of the Sydney Opera House for King Charles coronation, saying the hefty cost of the lights could be better used elsewhere, wrote reporter Anthony Segaert. Barry59 So petty and Im in favour of a republic and vote ALP. Makes Minns look Lilliputian. dazcha What, exactly, would spending the equivalent of a teachers annual pre-tax salary on lighting the Opera House achieve? Id rather see the money go towards something that matters.

Advertisement
Three Victorian university vice chancellors earned more than $1 million last year, and three received six-figure salary increases, despite all eight universities posting deficits as the pandemic continued to weigh on their finances.

Vice chancellors at Monash, Deakin and La Trobe universities had salary increases of more than $100,000 last year, their annual reports reveal, either because pay cuts they took in 2020 and 2021 were phased out, or because they again claimed large executive bonuses they did not accept at the height of the pandemic, when universities were shedding thousands of jobs.

Victorias three highest-paid vice chancellors (from left): Pascale Quester of Swinburne University, Margaret Gardner of Monash University and Duncan Maskell of the University of Melbourne. Credit: The Age

Only one of Victorias eight vice chancellors, Swinburnes Professor Pascale Quester, took a pay cut last year, even as the states universities posted deficits that tallied beyond a combined $507 million.

The Australian Association of University Professors argues that vice chancellor salaries have become wildly excessive and should be slashed.
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has been taken to task after describing a riot at the beleaguered Banksia Hill Detention Centre as a form of terrorism and saying serious medical conditions such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder were used as an excuse for inmates actions.

Experts and activists said the riot, which lasted more than 12 hours through Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, was a cry for help from children stuck in a broken system.

Lawyer Stewart Levitt, who is leading a class action lawsuit against the state government, said McGowans comments on Wednesday were racially driven, noting FASD was 138 times more prevalent in Indigenous children than in the general population.

[McGowan] then describes these children ... as terrorists. What an extraordinary line that is, Levitt said.
Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and Israeli Ambassador Hadas Meitzad discussed the bilateral cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of their countries, with the former revealing a Georgian police attache would be dispatched to Israel to develop the cooperation, Trend reports with reference to Agenda.

The Georgian Interior Ministry cited Gomelauri as revealing the plan for the sending of the law enforcement envoy in the near future, saying the move would further strengthen ties between the relevant services of the countries.

The introductory meeting with the diplomat, hosted by Gomelauris office, also discussed the upcoming visit of the Israeli National Police head to Georgia and praised the effective law enforcement partnership between the sides.
If I was one of those guys, I thought, Id have to find out who was the person who did it to me. Id need to know the identity of the bloke who ruined my life.  Bryan Browns first collection of stories. Browns curiosity about how ordinary people get swept into the criminal underworld sparked the idea for a television series, which he put down on paper. However, instead of handing that material to a screenwriter, which is what he would normally do, the stories took on a life of their own, so much so that former Tuesday Book Club host and one-time publishing director Jennifer Byrne told him they were good enough to be published. Allen & Unwin agreed and soon Brown was not out there selling a movie or a television series, but making appearances at literary events, doing readings in bookstores and struggling not to cringe when he is introduced as an author.

And getting great reviews, such as the rave in The Sydney Morning Herald: Jimmy Sweet is an extraordinary piece of work, wrote Brian McFarlane. If Brown ever decides to leave acting there is clearly another career waiting for him. While his debut collection of stories is being marketed in the crime category, anyone familiar with Browns working-class upbringing in Sydneys west will see his personal history filtered through. In other words, this is crime fiction that feels deeply personal, even as it takes in the privileged lifestyle which he now enjoys. The opening and closing stories centre on three brothers who slip into a life of crime despite the warnings of their eldest sibling, who is already in jail; theres one about Sam the Tea-Leaf (rhyming slang for thief) who has an ancestor who came out as a convict and has nickin in his blood; and theres the tale of the former swim champion who gets duped into a life of crime, is jailed and sets out to find out who set him up. I guess you can only write what you know. The characters all made sense to me. I understand all their choices. And I understand how they were formed by their early years, Brown says.

You might get polished up a bit, but you never quite leave your past. I was very much shaped by the western suburbs of Sydney and I think thats my strength as a man. This pervades the characters in my stories. I dont think about it a lot. But when I look back at the stories in Sweet Jimmy, there arent many middle-class characters. While Browns stories have enough twists and turns to hold fans of the genre, the most surprising aspect of his fiction is how it channels his voice  the brash Australian drawl which, along with that of fellow legend Jack Thompson, was central to the cultural revival of the 1970s. It was the sound of Australia embracing and celebrating its identity. A number of people have said that reading my book is like sitting in a pub listening to me telling a story, which worries me because everyone gets the idea that Im in a pub all day. Those days are long gone, he laughs. It took Brown himself a while to accept his god-given vocal stylings. After spending his early acting career in the UK, where he developed a proper British accent so he could work, Brown returned to Australia as it was finding its voice, most famously through the plays of David Williamson.

Golden oldies: Greta Scacchi and Bryan Brown in Darby and Joan. Credit: Acorn TV We were suddenly seeing Australian people on stage and later in movies and hearing Australian voices. I was watching people I could relate to. I could play those characters. I knew where they came from. It was a wonderful eye-opener, he says. Loading The reason I went to England was because were only doing English and American plays. I thought if Im going to be an actor Im not going to it second hand. When I came back it was wonderful to discover we were doing our own plays and movies. It gave me the career Im still enjoying. Indeed, it is a career that is still going strong. Apart from the literary side hustle  his first novel, The Drowning, is coming out in September  Brown is getting so much work he must be the envy of actors half his age.
Next years stage three tax relief will still leave middle-income wage earners up to $172 worse off in 2025 than they were in 2019, with independent analysis revealing bracket creep is eating into the pay packets of ordinary workers.

The analysis by economist Professor Ben Phillips from the Australian National Universitys Centre for Social Research and Methods, shows that once the stage three tax cuts kick in next year, middle-income households  those earning about $100,000  will have less disposable income compared with 2019.

Then-treasurer Scott Morrison and then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the 2018 budget which included a planned three stage tax plan. The benefits of the plan have been eaten by bracket creep for middle-income earners. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Phillips analysis tracked the impact of the original tax package first announced by then-treasurer Scott Morrison in his 2018-19 budget, and includes the welfare measures announced this week by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and the governments ramp-up in childcare assistance.

Morrison said at the time the stage three cuts would protect what Australians earn from bracket creep. His successor, Josh Frydenberg, who increased the size of the tax cuts, also maintained they would protect people from the process by which a greater proportion of their income is taxed at a higher rate.
Barry Humphries once told the defunct Bulletin magazine to be an Australian was to hate anyone from anywhere else. He was playing off the truth all our families came across the sea, a shared beginning that makes the concern slowly building over the Albanese governments plan to increase Australias overseas migration intake a bemusing own goal.

It kicked off two weeks ago when the Heralds chief political correspondent David Crowe outlined Treasurys upgraded migration projections, with a record 400,000 net overseas migrants expected to land here this financial year, followed by 315,000 in 2023-24. Crowes story attracted an unusually large number of online comments. The majority voiced strong opposition to the increase, citing overcrowding, lower wages and higher rents.

Loading

Then in Tuesdays budget, Treasurer Jim Chalmers revealed the governments target of 1.495 million new migrants could be expected to arrive in Australia over the next five years, confirming the essence and numbers involved in Crowes scoop. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was quick to attack the massive intake, saying there was nowhere for them to live and it ensured interest rates stayed high for longer.

Labors big Australia policy was not mentioned in the election, it was not mentioned in the Treasurers speech, I think Labors just trying to slide it through, Dutton said.
Its that confidence in his ham-fisted approach that has even his biggest fans flummoxed. Wounded by the last meeting, Pesutto and his supporters remained confident that Deeming would not spend her nine-month suspension  a compromise deal  seeking atonement. They were confident she would present the party with the fresh challenge to remove her, but few thought it would happen so soon. Liberal MP Moira Deeming speaking at an anti-trans rights protest on March 18. Credit: Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull While Deemings misstep  her decision to sue Pesutto  didnt take long to occur, it was more good luck than good management. But his willingness to use that as a second trigger to expel the Upper House MP, so soon after the last disaster and before bridges had been built, is cause for concern.

There are now three possible outcomes for the opposition leader. Any attempt to renege on Fridays vote or implement another compromise deal would see his authority shot. If the motion fails, it will also be viewed as a proxy leadership vote, and his leadership will be terminal. But even a win  his only option  leaves Pesutto ripe for a leadership challenge in the months ahead, unless he repairs divisions and stops alienating the broader party. Deeming may be the chief mischief-maker that started this sorry episode but the mishandling was a disaster of Pesuttos own making.

Whipped up into a frenzy by a social media backlash, the Liberal Partys leadership team did a quick Google and hastily constructed a dossier to discredit Deeming, who they already suspected would be trouble. Loading In doing so, they wanted to look strong, mainstream and in charge. But all it achieved was to make Liberal MPs question the model of politics that the leadership team was willing to operate. In less than six months, Pesutto has racked up enemies at a rate that would rival a MAFS villain. Its easy to dismiss his conservative enemies as simply waging a factional war but the displeasure runs a little deeper. When he won the leadership ballot by one vote last December, he failed to realise he didnt have political capital to burn. Instead of uniting his team and allaying the fears of his factional foes, Pesutto has raised concerns among freedom-loving Liberals that their free speech is under attack.

Preventing electoral oblivion is Pesuttos aim. He remains one of the few Liberal MPs who realises you cannot be beholden to grassroots members whose views arent always representative of the state. But nor can he afford to alienate an entire volunteer base or risk a grassroots revolt. Pesuttos greatest strength remains the lack of a clear alternative. His main leadership rival, Brad Battin, who holds a frontbench position, has damaged himself by sidling up to Deeming in recent weeks. While he has since made it clear he didnt appreciate Deemings legal threats, he doesnt currently have enough support to launch a challenge for the top job, but that could change. Loading Going forward, Pesutto will also have to repair his fraught relationship with Canberra. This extends beyond federal Victorian Liberals  whats left of them  who believe the chaos on Spring Street is threatening their re-election chances next year. Interstate MPs are also blaming the lengthy saga for damaging the broader brand and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is understood to be fed up with his state counterpart, according to his political allies.

Pesutto is privately dismissive of these concerns, in part fuelled by his residual anger at the federal team  primarily Dutton  for his infamous gang comments ahead of the 2018 state election, which he believes cost the party votes. Regardless, this division cannot become a running sore. Loading Just five months into the job, Pesutto remains one of the shortest serving opposition leaders in Victorias history. But a short stint in the job has been a positive omen for party leaders, with the likes of Albert Dunstan, Alexander Peacock and William Watt going on to lead their state after brief terms in the job. One of the few politicians to spend less time in the job than Pesutto  and not become premier  was Trevor Oldham, who died in an air crash while on the way to the Queens coronation in 1953.
Even after two decades of calling Switzerland home, taking in the view across the alps, especially from the Rigis panorama trail, still results in a pinch-me moment. The 7km path starts with a gondola ride to Rigi Scheidegg and has me getting out my camera as each turn presents one mountain peak after another. Before taking the cog train down from Rigi First, I stop at Chalet Schild for a bite (if I remember to reserve). The menu, written on a blackboard, is ever-changing, but alplermaggeron , the Swiss version of mac and cheese, is one I look out for. See rigi.ch , chaletschild.ch

Life on the lake of Zug in central Switzerland couldnt be more different than the shores of Queenslands Redcliffe peninsula, where Kristin Reinhard grew up. The freelance writer and photographer initially left Brisbane for a gap year as an au pair, but after falling for a local, she still calls Switzerland home, 23 years later. See z-nuni.com

Life in Zug revolves around the lake, especially after a long winter. When the sun is warm enough, I love to meet friends lakeside for lunch, stroll along it with the family on a Sunday afternoon, and in peak summer, grab a bottle of something sparkling to share with friends as we take in one of Zugs famous sunsets. Summertime also means badi time, where lakeside swimming spots (called a badi) open up for us to laze the days away. While not what I would call a beach, Zugs Strandbad is the next best thing  a view of the distant Rigi is an added bonus. See zug-tourismus.ch

EAT

My everyday life revolves around visits to the Freiruum, a food hall, co-working and activity space that has become the beating heart of Zug. It satisfies my multicultural food cravings, like the pulled pork sandwich from Brisket, has fantastic coffee and is a great place to meet with colleagues and friends alike. For something classic, my Swiss husband and I escape the kids for date night at the Zugersee Lido, a 10-minute drive from Zug in the village of Walchwil. This lakeside restaurant cooks freshwater fish caught by the local fisherman the Zug way- poached in white wine and cream sauce. See freiruum.ch, zugersee-lido.ch

DRINK

Platzhirsch, with its sommelier-curated wine list, is my go-to when in the mood for a glass of wine. Add on either a charcuterie platter or, my favourite, the eggplant tartare, and a quick drink can quickly turn into dinner. If I am in the mood for a cocktail, its time for Kurioz and their spicy margaritas. Add their raw cheese platter, and I am a happy woman. See platzhirschzug.ch, kurioz.ch
The Australian-led military intervention helped secure Timor-Lestes shift to independence in the violent aftermath of its United Nations-sponsored referendum in 1999. But Gusmao indicated other rockier periods in relations had not been forgotten, including Australias signing in 1989 of the Timor Gap Treaty, which divided up the spoils of oil and gas in the Timor Sea with Indonesia. He also pointed to Australias withdrawal from the maritime boundary jurisdiction of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea just before Timor-Lestes independence was restored in 2002; as well as the 2005 CMATS Treaty, which set aside boundary claims for 50 years and which Gusmao believes Dili was forced into. While the sea border dispute was eventually resolved in 2018, relations were also rocked by a spying scandal after the Australian Secret Intelligence Service bugged Timor-Leste ministerial offices in 2004 in a clandestine bid to gain an advantage in negotiations over resources in the Timor Sea. It is a reparation, said Gusmao, who was prime minister between 2007 and 2015 but whose party has been in opposition in recent years. I dont say apologise. We dont need [it]. But he suggested Australia was morally obliged to endorse the piping of gas to Asias youngest nation, as it would be another way to apologise for the bad policies and for exploiting the situation in Timor-Leste after the Indonesian invasion of 1975.

I believe that if I am the new prime minister we will have a good relationship with the [Australian] government, said Gusmao, whose National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) party is bidding to reclaim power. We feel that it is time. I dont know about Woodside because Woodside is not the government. But the government, I believe that they [will] come to the right [decision] and understand that they have to give us the right to develop ourselves. Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta spoke of his countrys ambitions on Greater Sunrise at the National Press Club in Canberra last year. Credit: James Brickwood The Australian government last October named ex-Victorian premier Steve Bracks, a former adviser to Gusmao, as its special representative on Sunrise. Bracks has since travelled twice to Timor-Leste. Bracks appointment followed a signal by Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta that his country could turn to China to invest in a pipeline if Australia and Woodside did not back one.

Asked about the potential for Chinese involvement if Australia and Woodside did not get on board with his countrys ambition for Greater Sunrise, Gusmao said: I dont raise this issue now. What I say is we will do it. From where [support for the pipeline will come], it will depend on negotiations when it is the right time. Beijing has an increasing presence in Timor-Leste. Chinese state-owned companies built the new Tibar Bay port outside Dili and a four-lane expressway along the south coast anticipating the gas project coming to fruition. China was also behind buildings such as the presidential palace and the defence and foreign affairs ministries, and last year won contracts to run the national electricity grid and to digitalise Timor-Lestes radio and television services. Supporters of Mari Alkatiris Fretilin party at a recent rally. Credit: Juliao Fernandes Fellow prime ministerial candidate Mari Alkatiri warned against Timor-Leste using its strategically important location to get its own way. This is a very dangerous game, said the Fretilin party secretary-general, who was Timor-Lestes first prime minister and long-time political rival of Gusmao.

We cannot get involved in global strategy, geopolitics. We are a very small country. I told it to the Chinese ambassador here in this room, and to the American ambassador. [I said] Please, we need peace and stability to face a lot of [the] problems of our people. Loading Alkatiri, 73, said he also wanted to see gas from Greater Sunrise piped to Timor-Leste if economically feasible. I think Australia will understand us, he said. I believe Australia would like to have neighbours that flourish and not ones that are in economic and financial crisis. We need a good relationship and co-operation at all levels with Australia. Australia was the very first country, the only one, to formally recognise the annexation [by Indonesia], but ended up helping us to get freed from Indonesia. It took 24 years, more than 200,000 people died, but we ended up winning the friendship of Australia and Indonesia both. We need to keep it.

Timor-Leste has a 56.56 per cent stake in Sunrise, Woodside owns 33.44 per cent and Japans Osaka Gas 10 per cent. Seventy per cent of the fields lie in Timorese waters. While it is a commercial decision for the joint venture partners, leaders in Dili hope the Australian government can help facilitate the outcome they want. Fretilin secretary-general Mari Alkatiri in his office in Dili. Credit: Raimundos Oki Woodside has indicated it may be more open to the Timor-Leste gas option. It had agreed to a new study by the Sunrise joint venture that will include evaluation of which option provides the most meaningful benefit for the people of Timor-Leste, a company spokesperson said. Woodside chief executive Meg ONeill said at the Macquarie Australia conference in Sydney last week: There are some technical questions that we need to get our arms around, particularly how you get a pipeline across the trench that lies between the field and Timor-Leste.
Hopewell Township, NJ: A metallic object that punched a hole in the roof of a central New Jersey home this week, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom, was a meteorite, experts have concluded.

Scientists with The College of New Jersey determined the 15 by 10-centimetre object, which weighs about one kilogram, was a rare stony chondrite meteorite. They came to that conclusion after conducting a visual examination, making density measurements and scanning electron microscope images.

The meteorite punched a hole in the roof of the central New Jersey home, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom. Credit: AP

They were assisted in their work by Jerry Delaney, a retired meteorite expert from Rutgers University and the American Museum of Natural History.

Getting the chance to examine the meteorite was a rare and thrilling opportunity for me, as well as for a group of physics students and professors at TCNJ, said Nathan Magee, chair of the schools physics department.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Ms. Silveria Jacobs will be attending the Caribbean Climate and Energy Conference (CCEC) in Aruba this week. With the hosting of this conference, by Aruba and the Netherlands, the Kingdom of the Netherlands hopes to work towards more awareness for climate action in small island states within the Caribbean.

Previous discussions were held between Prime Minister Jacobs and Minister Jetten regarding opportunities for Sint Maarten internationally, and within the Kingdom, to gain access to funds earmarked for climate action and sustainable development. Furthermore, discussions were held on recommendations as to how Sint Maarten can best tap into the needed funds and technical expertise to help Sint Maarten as a SIDS take climate action.



Following up on these discussions Prime Minister Jacobs, on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Minister Jetten, on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate in the Netherlands. This MoU will strengthen the collaboration between the Netherlands and Sint Maarten in the field of renewable energy and facilitate gaining access to much-needed technical assistance as well as climate action funds.



If my previous discussions and lobbying have provided any insight, it is that there is great importance for Sint Maarten to be part of the discussions where it pertains to green energy and sustainable development for our island. With the signing of this MoU we are poised to make great strides for the sustainability and long-awaited energy transition Sint Maarten envisions, said Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs.



More about CCEC and the daily program

Upon the invitation of the Prime Minister of Aruba, Evelyn Wever-Croes, and the Minister for Climate and Energy Policy, Rob Jetten, representatives from regional countries, international organizations, and financial institutions will meet in Aruba. Examples of themes that will be addressed include an inclusive energy transition and financing for all plans.



The first day of the conference will be devoted to the climate and energy transition within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Caribbean islands in the Kingdom will discuss what kind of corporation is needed to achieve the climate goals laid down in the Paris Agreement. Day two of the conference will have an international focus, during which a broad panel of countries, organizations, and development banks will discuss the climate action that is needed for small islands worldwide. On the third day, the participants will dive into different climate and energy-related projects in Aruba and will meet young people to discuss the climate and energy transition.
Jenoptik posts good start to fiscal year 2023

Posted by Publisher Internet

br />



Double-digit growth in revenue and EBITDA

Order intake remained at high level

Guidance for 2023 confirmed: significant revenue increase and margin improvement expected

aWith double-digit growth in revenue and earnings, Jenoptik delivered a solid start to the fiscal year 2023. Our Advanced Photonic Solutions division, in particular, continues to show strong momentum, as expected. Mainly in view of a healthy order backlog, we are optimistic for the remainder of the fiscal year, pursuing the objectives of optimally using our existing capacities while simultaneously expanding them,a says Stefan Traeger, President & CEO of JENOPTK AG.A A

Revenue growth of 12.2 percent a profitability significantly improved

The photonics group Jenoptik continued on its course of growth in the first quarter of 2023, with revenue up by 12.2 percent to 234.1 million euros (prior year: 208.5 million euros), primarily due to sustained strong demand in the Advanced Photonic Solutions division. Jenoptik posted its strongest revenue growth in Asia/Pacific, with a rise of 31.4 percent, followed by Europe (including Germany) with 12.9 percent. The Americas region almost reached the very strong level of the prior year. Overall, 74.0 percent of revenue was generated abroad (prior year: 76.4 percent).A A

EBITDA again grew at a faster rate than revenue, mainly due to strong performance in the Advanced Photonic Solutions division and the improvement in earnings of the Non-Photonic Portfolio Companies. At 36.6 million euros it was 74.2 percent up on the prior-year figure of 21.0 million euros. The EBITDA margin was 15.6 percent (prior year: 10.1 percent). With depreciation and amortization virtually unchanged, group EBIT came to 19.9 million euros, compared with 4.7 million euros in the same period in the prior year. At 11.8 million euros, group earnings after tax were also significantly higher than the prior yeara?s figure of 2.8 million euros, despite higher interest and tax expenses. Earnings per share amounted to 0.21 euros (prior year: 0.05 euros).

Order intake remained at high level a capacities to be increased

As expected, the Groupa?s order intake of 283.0 million euros in the past quarter was down on the very high prior-year figure of 310.3 million euros. Due to the still high book-to-bill ratio of 1.21, the order backlog further increased to 776.1 million euros (31/12/2022: 733.7 million euros). Jenoptik is continuing to expand its production capacities in response to strong demand, primarily through the construction of a new fab in Dresden, Germany, for the semiconductor equipment industry, a new site for the medical technology business in Berlin, as well as machinery and equipment. Accordingly, at 22.5 million euros, capital expenditure in this quarter was higher than the prior yeara?s figure of 20.5 million euros.A A

Strong free cash flow; very good financial and balance sheet position

The free cash flow before interest and taxes increased mainly driven by higher earnings from minus 3.1 million euros in the prior-year quarter to 28.5 million euros. The corresponding cash conversion rate was 78.0 percent, compared with the negative figure for the prior year. With an equity ratio of 50.6 percent (31/12/2022: 50.4 percent), net debt of 465.5 million euros (31/12/2022: 479.0 million euros), and leverage (net debt in relation to EBITDA) of 2.3 (31/12/2022: 2.6), Jenoptik continues to have very solid financial and balance sheet ratios.

Business performance in the divisions

The Advanced Photonic Solutions division saw continued dynamic growth, with revenue increasing by 15.1 percent from 158.0 million euros to 181.8 million euros. Business with the semiconductor equipment industry, in particular, but also in the areas of Industrial Solutions and Biophotonics, saw revenue increases in the first three months of 2023. The divisiona?s EBITDA margin improved to 20.0 percent, compared with 17.2 percent in the prior year. As expected, the order intake of 212.1 million euros was down on the very high prior-year figure of 238.1A million euros.

The Smart Mobility Solutions division posted revenue growth of 8.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023, to 22.9 million euros (prior year: 21.2 million euros). Due to product mix effects, the EBITDA margin came to minus 0.4 percent, compared with 3.2 percent in the prior year. In the first three months of 2023, the division posted an order intake worth 38.9 million euros, on a par with the prior-year figure.

At 28.3 million euros, revenue of the Non-Photonic Portfolio Companies was close to the prior yeara?s level of 28.8 million euros. Driven by higher earnings of Prodomax and the elimination of negative impacts from Interob, EBITDA amounted to 3.2 million euros, compared with minus 2.2 million euros in the same period of the prior year.

Guidance for fiscal year 2023 confirmed

In view of good business performance in the first quarter, the Executive Board of JENOPTIK AG confirms its guidance for the full year 2023. The Group therefore continues to expect revenue of between 1,050 and 1,100 million euros and an EBITDA margin of 19.0 to 19.5 percent. This forecast assumes that geopolitical risks do not worsen. These include, for example, the Ukraine conflict a with the sanctions that have been put in place and potential impacts on price developments, energy supplies, and supply chains. Potential portfolio changes are not considered in this forecast.

Conference call for journalists, analysts, and investors

The Executive Board of JENOPTIK AG will hold a conference call with analysts, investors, and journalists (in English) on May 11, 2023 at 11:30 am (CEST).

The Quarterly Statement for January through March 2023 and the presentation on the first quarter of 2023 are available on theA Jenoptik website in the Investors/Reports and presentationsA section. Images are available for download from the Jenoptik image database throughA media.jenoptik.com.

Optical technologies form the basis of our business. Jenoptik is a global photonics group and comprises the two divisions Advanced Photonic Solutions and Smart Mobility Solutions. Non-photonic activities, particularly for the automotive market, are operated as independent brands within the Non-Photonic Portfolio Companies. Our key markets primarily include semiconductor & electronics, life science & medical technology as well as smart mobility. More than 4,400 people worldwide work for the Jenoptik Group, which is headquartered in Jena (Germany). JENOPTIK AG is listed on the German Stock Exchange in Frankfurt and traded on the MDax and TecDax. In fiscal year 2022, Jenoptik generated revenue of 980.7 million euros.
Vast, a startup backed by cryptocurrency billionaire Jed McCaleb, is aiming to launch a school bus-sized space station to orbit by late 2025 with some help from partner SpaceX, Elon Musk's rocket firm, Trend reports citing Reuters.

The cylindrical spacecraft dubbed Haven-1 is the latest platform planned as a replacement to the International Space Station, a two-decade-old orbital research laboratory run primarily by the U.S., Russia and the European Space Agency.

The ISS is expected to retire in 2030 and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wants commercial space stations to replace the ISS.

The agency in 2021 awarded $415 million in development funds to four companies including Northrop Grumman and billionaire Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

Vast wasn't among the awardees, but hopes to receive some NASA funding by 2028, the company's president, Max Haot, told Reuters on Monday.

NASA did not respond to an email seeking comment.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said early Thursday that overnight air strikes killed Ali Ghali, the commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad's rocket force, Trend reports citing I24.

As part of a joint mission with Shin Bet security agency intelligence, two other members of the group were killed along with Ghali in his hideout. Palestinian sources said the IDF struck a residential building in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Ghali was an central figure in the terrorist organization, responsible for targeting and launching rockets, the IDF said. He was a veteran of several rounds of fighting with Israel, including the 2021 Operation Guardian of the Walls and the 2022 Operation Breaking Dawn.
How hot is the sun? The temperature of the sun varies considerably between each layer.

Life on Earth would not exist without our huge hot glowing ball of gas. But just how hot is the sun? Well, that depends

The temperature of the sun varies from around 27 million degrees Fahrenheit (15 million degrees Celsius) at the core to only about 10,000 degrees F (5,500 degrees C) at the surface, according to NASA (opens in new tab).

Every 1.5 millionths of a second, the sun releases more energy than all humans consume in an entire year according to NASA Space Place. (opens in new tab) Here, we explore how hot each layer of the sun is and why the temperatures vary so much.

Related: When will the sun die?

Where does the sun's heat come from?

The sun is made of gas and plasma. Most of the gas  92%  is hydrogen. If the sun were smaller, it would just be a huge ball of hydrogen akin to Jupiter. According to NASA Space Place, the hydrogen in the sun's core is held together by a lot of gravity resulting in high pressure. The pressure is so high that when hydrogen atoms collide with enough force they create a new element  helium  in a process called nuclear fusion.

The continual nuclear fusion, causes energy to build up and the sun's core reaches temperatures of about 27 million degrees F (15 million degrees C). The energy then radiates outward to the sun's surface, atmosphere and beyond.

Radiative zone temperatures

Outside the sun's core lies the radiative zone where temperatures range from 12 million degrees F (7 million degrees C) nearest the core to around 4 million degrees F (2 million degrees C) in the outer radiative zone, according to the educational website Study.com (opens in new tab). No thermal convection occurs in this layer, according to the science news website Phys.org (opens in new tab). Instead, heat is transferred via thermal radiation whereby hydrogen and helium emit photons that travel a short distance prior to getting reabsorbed by other ions. It can take light particles (photons) thousands of years to meander their way through this layer before reaching the surface of the sun.

Convection zone temperatures

Beyond the radiative zone is the sun's convective zone which extends for 120,000 miles (200,000 kilometers) according to Study.com. Temperatures in the convection zone are approximately 4 million degrees F (2 million degrees C). Plasma in this layer moves in a convective motion  like boiling water  bubbles of hot plasma transport heat to the surface of the sun.

The sun's atmosphere: Photosphere, chromosphere and corona temperatures

The temperature of the sun varies between each layer of the atmosphere. (Image credit: NASA/SDO)

(opens in new tab)

Temperatures in the sun's atmosphere also vary considerably between the layers. In the photosphere, temperatures reach about 10,000 degrees F (5,500 degrees C) according to the educational website (opens in new tab) The Sun Today. It is here that the sun's radiation is detected as visible light. Sunspots on the photosphere appear dark because they are cooler than the other parts of the sun's surface. The temperature of sunspots can be as low as 5,400 to 8,100 degrees F (3,000 to 4,500 degrees C) according to the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research (UCAR) (opens in new tab).

The chromosphere lies above the photosphere and temperatures range from approximately 11,000 degrees F (6,000 degrees C) nearest the photosphere to about 7,200 degrees F (4,000 degrees C) a couple of hundred miles higher up.

Now here is where things get a little bit strange. Above the chromosphere lies the corona  the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere. The sun's corona extends thousands of miles above the visible "surface" (photosphere) of the sun. Now you might think that temperatures here must be the lowest here since we are the farthest away from the heat-generating core but that isn't the case. At all.

The sun's corona can reach temperatures of around 1.8 million degrees F to 3.6 million degrees F (1 to 2 million degrees C), that's up to 500 times hotter than the photosphere. But how is the sun's upper atmosphere hotter than the surface? It's a great question, and one that has scientists rather stumped. There are some ideas about where the energy comes from that heats the corona, but a definitive conclusion is yet to be made. If you'd like to read more about this solar mystery check out this article on "Why is the sun's atmosphere hotter than its surface?".

Sun temperature FAQs answered by an expert

We asked Jia Huang, solar researcher at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, a few frequently asked questions about the sun.

Jia Huang Solar researcher Jia Huang is an assistant researcher at the Space Sciences Laboratory of the University of California Berkeley, whose current work focuses on investigating the solar wind and data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe.

How do we know the temperature of the sun? In my opinion, we know the temperature of the sun in two ways: theory and observation. Theoretically, we can estimate the temperatures of various solar layers by considering the underlying physical processes. Observationally, we can directly measure the temperatures of the layers above the photosphere (including photosphere, chromosphere, transition region, and corona) either with remote telescopes (we can derive the temperatures based on spectroscopic data) or with in-situ instruments onboard spacecraft (a method applies only to the solar corona when Parker Solar Probe enters it).

Why does the temperature of the sun vary so much? The temperature of the sun relates to the generation, transport, and dissipation of energies. The distinct physical processes occurring in various layers of the sun lead to considerable energy fluctuations, causing the wide range of temperatures observed throughout the sun.

Where are the highest temperatures of the sun found? The core of the sun has the highest temperature, approximately 10 million Kelvin, as a result of the incessantly thermonuclear fusion processes that produce the energy the sun relies on. In general, the temperature decreases from the core to the photosphere and then increases towards the corona; however, the abnormally high temperature of the corona (~1 million kelvin) is still a mystery. One interesting thing is that some colleagues compare the sun to fried ice cream, indicating the solar corona is much hotter than the solar surface, but this is not very accurate because the core of the sun is the hottest.

The Parker Solar Probe

The Parker Solar Probe, launched in August 2018, is currently orbiting and observing our star. One of its aims is to investigate why the corona defies stellar dynamic models by having a temperature greater than the photosphere.

The craft flies through the sun's atmosphere, withstanding violent temperatures, often coming as close to its surface as 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers). As it does this it will collect measurements of the corona and essential data on solar winds, also taking images of the star.

In 2021 the probe became the fastest craft created by humans, passing the sun at 364,621 mph (692,018 kph). When it is closest to the sun, the Parker Solar Probe travels at 430,000 mph (700,000 kph), according to NASA's Parker Solar Probe page (opens in new tab).

NASA's Parker Solar Probe launched on August 12, 2018 on a mission to study the sun. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben)

(opens in new tab)

how does our sun's temperature compare to other stars?

Stars come in a variety of sizes and colors so it should be no surprise that they have different temperatures too. Astronomers can tell a lot about the temperature of a star by its color, or its spectral type.

There are 7 spectral types designated by the letters O, B, A, F, G, K, and M. The hottest stars are O and B stars which shine mostly blue light with a great deal of their light in the ultraviolet spectrum. M-type stars are the coolest class more prominent in red wavelengths but also emitting a lot of infrared light.

Blue stars have estimated surface temperatures of 25,000 kelvin (K) (44,540 degrees F/ 24,726 degrees C), while red stars are much cooler at around 3,000 K (4,940 degrees F/ 2,726 degrees C), according to the University of Central Florida (opens in new tab). In between these are white stars with temperatures of around 10,000 K (17,540 degrees F/ 9,726 degrees C), yellow stars, like the sun, at 6,000 K (10,340 degrees F/ 5,726 degrees C), and cooler orange stars with temperatures in the region of 4,000 K (6,740 degrees F/ 3,726 degrees C).

Additional resources

You can explore the sun in more detail with NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (opens in new tab) or keep up to date with the latest findings (opens in new tab) from NASA's Parker Solar Probe on its mission to "touch" the sun. If you want to improve your knowledge and understanding of the sun check out this free course courtesy of the Open University (opens in new tab). Read about energy from the sun and how we can make use of it in this informative guide from the National Energy Education Development Project (NEED) (opens in new tab).
Google answers ChatGPT challenge with Bard expansion



Mountain View, United States, May 10 (AFP) May 10, 2023



Google on Wednesday said it is opening Bard, a rival to Microsoft-backed ChatGPT, to 180 countries as it expands use of artificial intelligence across its platform.

Executives at an annual Google developers conference in Silicon Valley said that generative AI will also be used to supercharge the tech giant's leading search engine.

"We have been applying AI for a while, with generative AI we are taking the next step," Google chief executive Sundar Pichai told thousands of developers gathered for the event.

"We are reimagining all our core products, including search," he said.

Google is racing to catch up with rival Microsoft, which has rushed to integrate ChatGPT-like powers in a wide array of its products, including the Bing search engine.

Microsoft's dash into AI came despite fears about the technology's potential threat to society, including its impact on the spread of disinformation and whether it could make whole categories of jobs obsolete.

Cathy Edwards of Google Search said the new experience would be akin to a search that is "supercharged" by a conversational bot.

Other Google executives laid out how generative AI is being woven into Gmail, photo editing, online work tools and more.

The company's AI efforts would be carried out in a "bold and responsible" way, senior product director Jack Krawczyk said during a briefing.

Google's expansion meant it removed a waitlist for Bard, letting users around the world engage with it in English after months of testing it out in the US and Britain.

Bard will be modified to support 40 languages in coming months, according to Krawczyk.

"We're excited to get Bard into more people's hands," Krawczyk said.

"We're pretty fired up about where Bard is going."

Google also announced browser "extensions" that will imbue apps and services such as Gmail and Maps with AI features.

Bard technology will enable features such as filling in text to help draft emails and suggesting ideas for artwork by scrutinizing a picture of available supplies.

Google is also letting partners build such extensions, including one from Adobe that will let users generate images, Krawczyk said.

The tech titan also unveiled new Pixel devices including a $1,799 foldable smartphone with a bendable screen that is the size of a tablet computer when opened.

"You're getting the best of both worlds," Google senior vice president of devices Rick Osterloh said of the Fold.

"It's a powerful smartphone when it's convenient and an immersive tablet when you need one."

Google also added a new tablet and a lower-priced version of its flagship smartphone to the Pixel lineup.



- Risky tech? -



Google's announcements came a week after rival Microsoft expanded public access to its generative artificial intelligence programs, which are powered by models made by OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.

"This could be a defining moment in the AI battle with Google and Microsoft going head-to-head for market share," Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a note to investors.

Microsoft's early investment in OpenAI gave it a head start "in this Game of Thrones Battle for Big Tech with Google now playing major catchup mode," the analyst added.

AI-enhanced features of Microsoft's Bing search engine and Edge internet browser recently became open for anyone.

The services have been enhanced with the ability to work with images as well as text, and Microsoft intends to add video to the mix.

Despite the rollouts by two of the world's biggest companies, risks from AI include its potential uses for disinformation, with voice clones, deep-fake videos and convincing written messages.

A range of experts in March urged a pause in the development of powerful AI systems to allow time to make sure they are safe.

Their open letter, signed by more than 1,000 people, including billionaire Elon Musk and Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak, was prompted by generative AI technology from Microsoft-backed firm OpenAI.

A prominent computer scientist often dubbed "the godfather of artificial intelligence" recently quit his job at Google to speak out about the dangers of the technology.

Geoffrey Hinton, who created some of the technology underlying AI systems, maintained that the existential threat from AI is "serious and close."
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The court ruled against former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was arrested on May 9, Trend reports via Pakistani media.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan found the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan illegal.

Imran Khan, Pakistan's former prime minister, was arrested on Tuesday on corruption charges.

Mr. Khan has faced dozens of charges, from corruption to sedition, since he was ousted after losing a confidence vote last year.

His arrest happened while he was in court in the capital Islamabad.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

When the writer Lisa Belkin sat down to have breakfast with her mother and her mothers new husband on a sunny morning in February 2014, she had no idea her stepfather was about to send her down a rabbit hole to trace a chain of random events that led to the murder of a Stamford police officer more than a half-century ago.

I met this guy, Alvin Tarlov told Belkin. He asked me for some help.

Tarlov suspected Belkin might be interested in his story. Preparing for her visit to the couples home in Tucson, Ariz., he had read Belkins book Show Me a Hero: A Tale of Murder, Suicide, Race, and Redemption. An examination of a public housing battle in Yonkers, N.Y., it was made into a 2015 HBO miniseries starring Oscar Isaac.

Alluding to her book, Tarlov said, It reminds me of a story, as they ate their poached eggs.

I dont think I said a word for 45 minutes, Belkin recalls as she sits in her home in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. When he finished, I told him: You know I have to write about this, dont you? 

Tarlov replied, Well, if you must.

I spent the next nine years going further and further and further into the rabbit hole, Belkin says. Its the universal question, the endless fascination of: how did we get here?

In the introduction to her new book Genealogy of a Murder: Four Generations, Three Families, One Fateful Night (W.W. Norton & Co.), Belkin writes: How any of us become who we are has long been a fascination of mine, a central thread in the knot of who I am. It is one of the reasons I first gravitated toward journalism. Take me back to the beginning, I ask early on in most interviews. How did we get here? Have our paths crossed before? Where did your path start? 

Belkin writes that she discovered her stepfathers journey, like all of our lives, was filled with coincidences and connections, deliberate choices and chance events, global forces and intimate interactions.

As we talk in her upstairs office, Belkin leans forward and gets more specific: How did these three men with the same starting line, the same age, shaped by the same forces of history, end up who they were and where they were at that moment?

That moment was the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Officer David Troy in downtown Stamford on July 7, 1960. The shooter was Joe DeSalvo, who had held up a bar on Main Street called The Skipper. Troy, who just happened to be in the area at that time, chased DeSalvo down an alley. DeSalvo, after climbing a staircase, turned and fired.

This was a huge moment in Stamford, Belkin notes. David Troy was the first policeman to be killed by a criminal there. This just didnt happen in Stamford.

Belkin points to the photo behind her desk of a smiling young police officer. Thats David Troy. I wrote this with him over my shoulder.

After following this story for the better part of a decade, conducting more than 100 interviews, doing extensive research into these immigrant families as far back as the 1880s and traveling to states where key events occurred, Belkin was at last ready to write the book. It will be put on sale May 30. Having finally finished the project, she says, It was like these people had been sitting there for 100 years, waiting for me to figure it out.

The third man in that chain of fateful events was Tarlov, who in 1960 was a doctor working with inmates in a medical lab at Stateville Penitentiary in Joliet, Ill. One of them, DeSalvo, had served nine years of a 10-to-70-year sentence for armed robbery.

DeSalvo had a parole hearing scheduled for April 1, 1960, and Tarlov believed the inmate was a good candidate for release. DeSalvo had worked as a lab technician in the prison and could do that work on the outside. He was intelligent, well-liked and a model prisoner.

And so Tarlov wrote a letter to the parole board recommending that DeSalvos application be granted. Mr. DeSalvo has matured emotionally and intellectually, Tarlov wrote. He is ready to assume his place as a useful citizen in society.

The parole board approved DeSalvos release, in part because Tarlov had arranged for him to be hired as a lab technician at Norwalk Hospital.

But DeSalvo could not adjust to the straight life. During the trial for Troys murder in December 1960 at the Fairfield County Courthouse in Bridgeport, a psychiatrist testified DeSalvo had suffered from a deep-rooted, deep-seated character neurosis since age 8. His emotional development has been extremely deprived. He had very little contact with both his parents.

On Dec. 14, before the jury could rule on DeSalvos fate, he was found dead in his cell at the Fairfield County Jail. He had overdosed on a massive amount of Seconal. DeSalvo had written a suicide note, including a final line addressed to Tarlov: Im sorry.

Joe might have been doomed from the start, Belkin says, because there was nobody who came into his life and said, You are worthy. Al tried to be that person. But thats a huge responsibility, and he couldnt do it.

Belkin begins the book describing Tarlov sitting with his wife on a beach in Madison, enjoying a July vacation in 1960. Tarlov glanced at a nearby newspaper headline with a Stamford dateline: City Combed for Slayer of Policeman. And Tarlov felt a chill. Could this be the work of DeSalvo, the man he had helped get paroled?

The book ends with a description of the day Belkin brought Tarlov to Norwalk to meet Troys two daughters and son and their own children. (Troys wife Rosie died in 2002.)

Al was worried, Belkin remembers. He didnt know if they would blame him for their fathers death. But they were as gracious as could be.

As the meeting wound down, Tarlov told them: I am sorry for the pain youve suffered because of an action of mine. I made the best choice I could with the information I had.

But at least, thanks to Belkins determination to tell this story, the Troy family finally learned how it all happened. I felt a responsibility to the Troy kids, she says. They didnt know any of this when I first sent them a message on Facebook. They didnt know my stepfather existed. They saw the writing of this book as getting their father back.

Indeed, David Troys elder daughter Doreen Troy Dolan says, Although many of our questions can never be answered, through Lisas research we gained a piece of our history we never could have had before.

Belkin says that writing the book gave me a feeling of giving people a gift of their own story. And that is very gratifying.

She dedicated the book to Tarlov, who is now 93. The dedication states: To Alvin R. Tarlov, who has always tried to do the right thing, even  especially  when it was complicated. Thank you for entrusting me with your memories.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Turkish presidential candidate Muharrem Ince, the head of the Memleket Party, announced that he was withdrawing his candidacy from the struggle for the highest post, Trend reports via TASS.

His speech was broadcasted by local TV channels.

The presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkiye will be held on May 14, 2023.

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.
STAMFORD  Stamford officials are moving forward with the residential renovation of a vacant office building in the city's Cove neighborhood, despite the concerns of some neighbors and state officials.

The Zoning Board on Monday night voted unanimously to approve a zoning map change and site plan for Seaview House Marina. The property's owner plans to turn the 100,000-square-foot office building at 68 Seaview Ave. into a low-density apartment complex with 52 units. The building will have 13 one-bedroom, 35 two-bedroom and four three-bedroom apartments.

In lieu of on-site affordable housing units, the developer will contribute $2.3 million to the city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Zoning Board Chair David Stein said he was "very happy" to see the project approved.

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3





"It turns a largely unused office building into much needed housing and it produces more than $2.3 million in funding for affordable housing," Stein said. "I hope we see more projects which convert underused office buildings into additional housing for Stamford.

The board first took up the application in September, but deliberations did not begin in earnest until March because of issues with flood zone regulations set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Architects and engineers crafted a plan to make the building compliant with environmental regulations by raising it out of the flood zone. The developers team also planned to raise Seaview Avenue, the abutting road, above the 100-year flood zone to ensure dry access for first responders in case of an emergency.

The consultants plan did not receive universal approval from government agencies. In September, the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection told local officials they are opposed to increasing residential density in a high hazard area.

The agency's sign-off is not required for zoning approval.

The board also opted against mandating that the developer receive confirmation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that the project will not affect the hurricane barrier, which prevents high tides from spilling over into the city. Instead, the consultants will provide written certification to the corps, which will in turn either agree or request a redesign.

Ultimately, the Zoning Board tasked the citys Environmental Protection Board  which regulates FEMA policies on a local level  with reviewing the plans before a building permit can be issued. The items they will look over include flood zone requirements, sturdiness of underground storage tanks, compliance of a building that serves the complex's public access marina and the raising of the roadway. The latter change is also subject to approval by the city engineer.

The building sits primarily in an AE flood zone, associated with stillwater flooding. But the second-floor parking deck extends outward, crossing into a VE flood zone, which can be subject to wave action. According to Stamford's Zoning Regulations, buildings located in multiple flood zones must entirely comply with the stricter zone's requirements. Consultants said they are considering shaving the overhanging parking structure off the building.

Bob Clausi, executive director of Stamford's Environmental Protection Board, said that the procedures are "the exact same requirements we would make of anybody."

"This is a little more unusual project because they have an existing building that is noncomplicant and theyre going to be putting residents into it. So, we want to make sure that the building becomes compliant, both for the protection of the people who are going to live in the building and for the preservation of the citys flood insurance rating," Clausi said.

Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media

William Hennessey, the attorney representing the developer, had urged local officials to "practice the art of the possible" with the application.

"We have to recognize that the (office) building is there. The building does not meet present flood regulations. Therefore, the FEMA guidelines restrict the amount of investment that can be put into the building  a building that's a half-century old (and) needs a lot of investment if it's going to function as an office building," Hennessey said in March. "In order to justify the capital expenditures, you're going to need to achieve a certain rent rate. There's no market for that rent rate, thus it won't happen. So, the building will sit there."

During recent Zoning Board hearings on the application, condominium owners from the next-door Marina Bay Condominium Association, voiced concerns  both individually and through an attorney, Timothy Herbst  about noise, security and construction delays as the project progresses.

"All we are saying is that if you are going to introduce residential development into a former office building that happens to be located in a flood zone, to do so by imposing reasonable conditions that consider the mitigative measures," Herbst said.

Herbst also sent a letter to local officials May 8 detailing requests for the Zoning Board on behalf of condo owners.

Stein said that officials parsed through the letter before Monday night's meeting.

"Some of them were already conditions that were requested by other city departments," Stein said. "We had incorporated a couple of them and we felt that others were not the responsibility of the developer."

On Monday night, Hennessey said the renovation would be a boon for the city and the Cove neighborhood. In addition to raising the road, the developer will also install new drainage systems on the parcel and abutting properties.

"Not one new building is being built. Everything that exists today will be there," Hennessey said. "The building doesnt get taller, wider, bigger. We dont do anything except retrofit the inside and make it comply with the flood zone."
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  People convicted of felonies years ago by nonunanimous juries in Louisiana would have a chance for parole under a measure advanced at the Legislature on Thursday  over the objections of criminal justice advocates who said it doesn't go far enough to right a historic, racist wrong.

Advocates and relatives of people imprisoned on 10-2 or 11-1 verdicts harshly criticized the bill, saying that granting parole  instead of a new trial  leaves those convicted branded as criminals with limited freedoms. It has to be true relief, said Hardell Ward, an attorney with the advocacy group Promise of Justice Initiative. Release from being considered guilty.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

There have been a few cracks in the predictable pattern of Republican-controlled states loosening gun laws while Democratic states tighten them. But it's far too soon to say the GOP is changing direction even amid a record-setting pace for mass killings in the United States.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, is sticking by his plan to call a special legislative session on gun control. Lee had asked lawmakers to pass a bill allowing judges to take away guns from people who the judge thinks pose an imminent threat to themselves or others. Lee shies away from calling his plan a red flag law, which he calls a toxic political label.

And two Republicans in a Texas legislative committee broke ranks to advance a bill that would raise the purchase age for semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21.

We cannot assume that gun safety is not possible in states led by Republicans, said Allison Anderman, who tracks state legislation for the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which favors more restrictions.

Still, a quick Republican turnaround is unlikely after decades of making gun rights a party cornerstone. Top GOP lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott oppose the Texas bill, while Lee has faced resistance from Tennessee Republicans. Nearly half the states have passed legislation this year related to gun policies or school safety, an Associated Press survey found. The bills are split roughly equally between Democratic-led states tightening gun restrictions and Republican-led states expanding gun rights.

Heres whats happening:

A FLURRY IN MICHIGAN

A Democratic takeover of both houses of the Michigan Legislature, combined with Gretchen Whitmer winning a second term as governor, has led to seven gun-related laws getting passed. Those include expanding background checks to all sales and requiring secure storage of guns. Whitmer is expected to sign legislation later this month so that people who are an imminent danger to themselves or others could have their guns confiscated, based on a judge's decision.

She told supporters last month when signing some bills to buckle up, were going to continue this work.

Democrats in Minnesota are also trying to push through a red flag law and expanded background checks, attaching them to a budget bill on Wednesday.

GUN CONTROL FRUSTRATION

Unlike in Michigan and Minnesota, supporters of stricter gun laws in many Republican-controlled states are voicing frustration. Georgia Democrats, for example, filed 16 bills to tighten gun laws this year. The only bill that got a committee hearing was received with hostility by Republicans and gun-rights supporters.

Democrats renewed their push following a shooting this month at an Atlanta doctor's office that killed one and wounded four others, with 71 Democratic House members signing a letter asking Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to call a special session. But Kemp and other Republicans are laying low. If anything, gun rights supporters expect a further loosening of laws in Georgia.

PERMITLESS CARRY

Among the states staying pro-gun are Florida and Nebraska, which have become the latest Republican-controlled states to let people carry a concealed handgun without a permit. Permits and usually a background had once been required to carry a concealed handgun in public in every state but Vermont. With the votes in Nebraska and Florida, 26 states have now repealed such requirements since 2011. Florida's law takes effect July 1. Nebraskas law takes effect Sept. 10.

Of the remaining 23 states without broad permitless carry laws, only Louisiana, South Carolina and North Carolina seem ripe for expansion. While Republican lawmakers in North Carolina earlier overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to allow people to but a handgun without getting a permit from a local sheriff, a top Republican has effectively quashed legislative efforts to let people carry a concealed handgun without another type of permit.

The permitless carry effort also appears stalled in South Carolina, while outgoing Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has opposed a broad expansion in his state.

REACTING TO THE SUPREME COURT

Some states have passed new limits on where residents can carry guns, reacting to last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision saying Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense and that officials cant broadly deny gun permits. In Hawaii, where it had been virtually impossible for a civilian to legally carry a loaded gun in public, lawmakers are seeking to prohibit people from carrying guns in places including hospitals, stadiums, movie theaters, bars or restaurants serving alcohol, public libraries, schools and beaches.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLES

Demands to ban semi-automatic rifles have been bubbling up among gun control advocates. Washington became the 10th state to ban sales of semi-automatic rifles including AR-15s and AK-47s. The measure, sought by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, passed after multiple failed attempts. Anyone who already has such a rifle can keep it. Opponents have already sued to strike it down. A similar proposal failed in Colorado after lawmakers passed a series of narrower gun control measures, showing that the measure doesn't have universal support among Democrats.

BLOCKING ENFORCEMENT

Kentucky in April became the latest state to declare itself a Second Amendment Sanctuary." The bill, which became law without Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's signature, seeks to ban state and local law enforcement from helping enforce any federal laws or regulations enacted on guns, ammunition and accessories since Democratic President Joe Biden took office. Any officer who did so would be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to being fired.

A federal judge in March struck down a similar law in Missouri as unconstitutional, ruling state and local police can help investigate federal firearms crimes and enforce such laws.

SUING GUN MAKERS

Colorado, Washington and Hawaii have passed laws making it easier to sue gun manufacturers and sellers. The Washington law, for example, requires reasonable controls in making, selling and marketing weapons. That includes not selling guns to people known to be dangerous or to straw buyers who might buy weapons on someone elses behalf. It allows the state or private parties, such as relatives of victims, to sue over violations and win damages.

___

Associated Press reporters David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to this report.
A Mexican citizen previously arrested in Stamford pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally reentering the United States after being deported, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Connecticut.

Jose Guadalupe Castillo Lara, 41, is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 3, the U.S. attorneys office said. His aliases include Jose Castillo, Jose Latta, Francisco Rodriguez and Jose Ruiz, the office said.

In April 2009, Castillo was deported from the U.S. to Mexico after he was convicted of felony assault in Texas, according to the U.S. attorneys office. He reentered the U.S. soon after and was apprehended by law enforcement in Texas, the U.S. attorneys office said. Castillo was sentenced to two years in prison for violating the terms of his probation on July 13, 2009 and deported for a second time in June 2010, the office said.

Nearly a decade later, Castillo was arrested by Stamford police on Nov. 17, 2018, according to the U.S. attorneys office. The following year, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Castillo with reentry of a removed alien, the U.S. attorneys office said. The next day, the office said, Castillo was convicted in state court of disorderly conduct stemming from his Stamford arrest.

Following the conviction, according to the U.S. attorney's office, Castillo was released from state custody. He remained at large until he was apprehended this year in Massachusetts, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Castillo pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford. He will face up to 10 years in prison at sentencing, the office said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

STAMFORD  A city mother pleaded not guilty Thursday to accusations that she kept her 2-year-old sons death a secret for days, lied about being kidnapped and helped dispose of his remains before later leading police to her son's body buried in Cummings Park.

Iris Rivera-Santos, 29, entered not guilty pleas to charges of risk of injury to a minor, hindering prosecution, tampering with evidence and cruelty to persons during a hearing at the state Superior Court in Stamford Thursday afternoon.

Her attorney, Daniel Ford, submitted the not guilty pleas as a matter of procedure. After entering the pleas, Rivera-Santoss case can proceed to the courts pretrial docket.

Rivera-Santos was arrested by Stamford police on Feb. 3, nearly a month after officers said Rivera-Santos told them about the boy's death. On Jan. 2, Rivera-Santos contacted police and told them she escaped Edgar Ismalej-Gomez, 26, who she said held her at gunpoint for days after he killed their son, Liam, and then led them to the child's body, which had been buried in Cummings Park.

During an interview with investigators, the woman's 7-year-old son said he was playing with the toddler around Christmas Day when he pushed the boy, who fell and hit his head, the warrant said.

However, it's unclear if Stamford police believe that's how Liam Rivera died.

"I can't comment, there is an ongoing investigation and it involves a lot of moving parts," Stamford Deputy Police Chief Richard Conklin said in February.

While the circumstances around the death remain unclear, police have determined the children's mother, Iris Rivera-Santos, 29, lied about her involvement and about being held captive at gunpoint, the warrant shows.

Stamford police said they arrested Ismalej-Gomez in Stamford on Jan. 3 as he was getting into a cab headed for New York. Ismalej-Gomez was taken into custody on a probation violation and is expected to face more charges. He has not been charged in Liam's death and remains in the custody of the state Department of Corrections on $3 million bond.

He was prohibited from having contact with Liam after pleading guilty last year to breaking the toddler's arm in 2021, authorities said.

But phone records showed Rivera-Santos allowed him to rejoin the family in the months before the boy died, the warrant for her arrest said.

The phone records also indicated Ismalej-Gomez may not have been at the Belltown Road basement apartment when the 2-year-old suffered the fatal blunt-impact injury to the head, the warrant stated.

Rivera-Santos had told police she saw Ismalej-Gomez strike the child several times on Dec. 28 until the toddler was quiet, the warrant stated.

She also told police Ismalej-Gomez refused to her allow her to check on the boy and sat next to her the entire night, told her not to call an ambulance when they found the boy not breathing the next morning because he said the child was already dead, and that Ismalej-Gomez held her at gunpoint for days as they drove to and from Virginia and prevented her from using her phone, the warrant stated.

However, police said video footage showed they remained in the Stamford area; phone records indicated Rivera-Santos sent numerous messages to Ismalej-Gomez, family and friends in the days after her son died, the warrant stated.

Police said video footage also showed Rivera-Santos allegedly helping Ismalej-Gomez bury the boy's body in Cummings Park, the warrant stated.

"This further contradicts Rivera's statements that she was held against her will and was forced to travel to Cummings Park with Ismalej," police said in the warrant. "Rather, Rivera appeared to be a willing participant."

The warrant for Rivera-Santos's arrest included a series of messages between her and Ismalej-Gomez that showed he was not home when she claimed he killed their son.

"These messages have been provided in their original form as well as translated because they occur during the period in which Rivera originally reported that Ismalej killed the victim," police wrote in the warrant. "These conversations show that Ismalej was not home during the originally reported time of death."

Police said surveillance footage showed Ismalej-Gomez was inside a Stamford business from 7 p.m. Dec. 28 to around 1 a.m. Dec. 29, the warrant stated. After phone records indicated Rivera-Santos messaged Ismalej-Gomez to come home because she was "afraid," police said traffic cameras showed him walking back to the Belltown Road home where he arrived around 2 a.m., the warrant stated.

"Officers were able to determine that Rivera's claims that Ismalej forced his way into her residence and was controlling her every move without leaving her side, are false," police wrote in the warrant. "Officers were able to determine that Ismalej had left Rivera's house on several occasions and Rivera always invited him back to her residence."

Police said phone messages also revealed Rivera-Santos had left all three of her children with Ismalej-Gomez, even though he was prohibited from having contact with the 2-year-old, the warrant stated.

Rivera-Santos also told police that her two older children were not aware of the toddler's death, the warrant stated. However, both children told the interviewer that they knew the boy had died and the 7-year-old said he pushed his brother, police pointed out in the warrant.

Police also noted that Rivera-Santos had previously been arrested for making a false statement that Ismalej-Gomez kidnapped the toddler in early 2022.

"In Rivera's version of events, she portrayed herself as a victim of Ismalej, which provides her with a defense for not being able to report the death of the victim," police said in the warrant. She also used the story to "insulate herself from any culpability," police said in the warrant.

Rivera-Santos is next scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford on July 26, while Ismalej-Gomez is due on May 24.
STAMFORD  A Superior Court judge shot down a 60-day jail sentence offered by state prosecutors to a city man accused of robbing a Stamford Macys at knifepoint last year.

Edwin Morales-Salguero, 39, appeared at the state Superior Court in Stamford prepared to accept a plea offer from the state in which he would plead guilty to third-degree robbery and sixth-degree larceny in return for a three-year sentence suspended after 60 days and three years of probation.

During Wednesday's hearing, Morales-Salguero entered his guilty pleas and appeared to be headed toward a disposition when Judge Gary White halted the proceeding.

I wont accept this, White said. Sixty days in jail? Not for robbing someone with a knife.

Instead, White scheduled a supervised pretrial hearing for Morales-Salguero, his attorney Sean Scott, and state prosecutors on July 21.

Scott declined to comment on the case Wednesday.

Morales-Salguero was arrested on June 10, 2022, after a report of a shoplifting at a store inside the Stamford Town Center, 151 Broad St., about a week earlier, according to police.

Police said security had spotted a man walking out of the store apparently without paying for multiple items of clothing around 5 p.m. on June 4, 2022. When security gave chase, the man allegedly struck one of the guards and then pulled out a small knife, police said.

Although the man ran off before police arrived, officers located a fanny pack that the man apparently lost in the struggle with security guards, police said. Inside the bag, police found a crack pipe and a New York citation issued to Morales-Salguero, according to police.

Investigator Kevin Becroft used surveillance footage from the store then cross-referenced those images with body cam footage from previous police encounters to identify Morales Salguero as the man involved in the scuffle, police said at the time.

Morales-Salguero was charged with first-degree robbery, sixth-degree larceny, breach of peace, third-degree assault and possession of drug paraphernalia.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BERN, Switzerland (AP)  A parliamentary committee in Switzerland on Thursday recommended easing export controls for Swiss-made war materiel to help prop up the domestic defense industry as Western neighbors urge the country to do more to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia.

The passage of two motions by the Security Policy Commission of the upper house of parliament, the Council of States was largely a procedural step, but it highlighted the economic and political pressures on Swiss lawmakers.

The Council commission took into consideration Switzerlands longtime policy of military neutrality and the effects of export restrictions on Swiss defense contractors. Its sister commission in parliaments lower house took a similar position in January.

The war in Ukraine has prompted Swiss government officials to grapple with their countrys longtime conception of neutrality, which is enshrined in the constitution and prohibits exporting weaponry to active war zones.

The policy also bars countries like Germany, Spain and Finland that have bought Swiss arms from re-exporting such items to countries like Ukraine.

However, Switzerland has joined European Union sanctions against Russian interests in the wake of President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine.

Werner Salzmann, the president of the Security Policy Commission said the committee's main interest in softening export controls was ensuring the viability of the Swiss defense industry. While Switzerland maintains its own army and all young men are required to do military service, the country's defense needs are not substantial enough for the domestic industry to survive and thrive at current levels.

The measure is now expected to go to the broader parliament next month, although Salzmann said any changes would not take effect before March 2024 at the earliest.

The commission approved two separate motions that, if approved, would allow the executive branch to lift some restrictions on the export of weaponry and war materiel in exceptional circumstances and if required to ensure national security.

Another motion said the law on the export of war materiel could also be adapted to allow deliveries to countries that are committed to our values and have similar export controls to Switzerland, a text provided by the commission said.

Buyer countries could re-export Swiss-made weapons after five years within certain parameters. Re-export to countries that severely violate human rights would be banned, and the risk that the weapons could be used against civilians would have to be averted.

The destination country could not be at war domestically or internationally unless the country was engaged in a struggle of legitimate self-defense" under international law.

Strict criteria would apply so that no Swiss war material would be used in conflicts, Salzmann told reporters. However, the re-export of war material to a country at war would be possible if this country made use of its right of self-defense under international law.

Last month, the Group of Seven industrial countries  Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States  sent a letter to Swiss authorities seeking more action to strengthen international sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

Both sides of the neutrality debate acknowledge that weaponry and other war materiel from Switzerland, a small but wealthy Alpine country of about 8.7 million people, is unlikely to tip the balance in the war. But Switzerlands stockpiles have remained mostly intact as many other countries in western Europe have delivered weapons to Ukraine, and theyre looking to replenish their stocks as well as re-export Swiss war materiel there.

Any decision from Switzerland, which is known internationally for its neutrality, could set the tone for other countries  like Japan  that have been bound by their own laws to avoid exporting weapons to active conflict zones.

Celine Vara, a Green party lawmaker on the commission who doesn't want Switzerland to ship weapons to Ukraine, said the debate was emotional because "what is certain is that there is indeed a desire to support Ukraine in its defense against this Russian invasion.

On the other hand, what is also certain is that there is a lot of motivation and personal interests in this discussion, because we know that the market for weapons of war represents billions," she said. "These are colossal sums  and there are also many personal interests within the commission.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Azerbaijan and Turkiye have jointly extended the hand of peace to Armenia, and we are still waiting for it to be accepted, Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar said during a briefing on the results of the "Anatolian Eagle - 2023" international flight-tactical exercises, Trend reports.

"We want peace. We are trying to explain this to Armenia, and we say that it should not act on the basis of proposals coming from outside. If Armenia acts in accordance with the conditions and geography of the region, it will be much more useful for Armenia and the region," the minister said.

At the invitation of the Minister of National Defense of Turkiye Hulusi Akar, Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov arrived on a visit to the fraternal country to watch the "Anatolian Eagle - 2023" international flight-tactical exercises held in Turkish city of Konya.

The exercises, with involvement of a group of military personnel and Su-25 attack aircraft of the Azerbaijani Air Forces, are held with the participation of representatives from Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and the UK.
R ail passengers face fresh travel disruption over the next few days because of strikes by train drivers and other workers in long-running disputes over pay.

Members of the drivers union Aslef will walk out on Friday at more than a dozen train operators, crippling services across the country.

Further strikes will be held on May 31 and June 3  the day of the FA Cup final at Wembley.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will strike on Saturday  the day of the Eurovision Song Contest final in Liverpool.

We do not want to go on strike - we do not want to inconvenience passengers, we have families and friends who use the railway too, and we believe in investing in rail for the future of this country

Passengers are being urged to check before they travel on both days.

Picket lines will be mounted outside railway stations as the unions continue their long-running campaign for a bigger pay rise than has been offered.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: We do not want to go on strike  we do not want to inconvenience passengers, we have families and friends who use the railway too, and we believe in investing in rail for the future of this country.

But the blame for this action lies, fairly and squarely, at the feet of the employers who have forced our hand over this by their intransigence.

It is now up to them to come up with a more sensible, and realistic, offer and we ask the Government not to hinder this process.

We have been negotiating with employers  the train operating companies  for many months on pay. On several companies we have managed to come to an agreement, and on several others, multi-year deals have been honoured.

Unfortunately a number of companies still have their hands tied by the Department for Transport and arent able to negotiate a reasonable deal with Aslef members.

We are still prepared to negotiate in good faith but, unfortunately, as we have been unable to come to an agreement, we have had to consider industrial action.

Our message to all those travelling, for Eurovision or other reasons, is check before you go, and keep checking. Also, be aware trains that are running may be more crowded than you expect

Aslef said a 4% pay offer was risible and obviously unacceptable.

Steve Montgomery, who chairs the Rail Delivery Group, said: The upcoming rail strikes called by the Aslef and RMT leadership will not only affect our passengers daily commute but will also impact those travelling from outside Liverpool and London to come to Eurovision and the FA Cup final, causing disappointment and frustration for those who have planned to attend.

It will also further burden our people who have already lost thousands of pounds at a time of financial strain.

We understand the impact of these strikes on individuals and businesses alike, and we can only apologise for this unnecessary and damaging disruption.

While we are doing all we can to keep trains running, unfortunately there will be reduced train services across the network between Friday May 12 and Saturday June 3, so our advice is to check before you travel. Passengers with Advance tickets can be refunded fee-free if the train that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of watchdog Transport Focus, said: For those planning to head to Liverpool, strikes could really prove a party-pooper.

Many people will be infrequent or first-time train users so may not have realised how wide the disruption will be.

Our message to all those travelling, for Eurovision or other reasons, is check before you go, and keep checking. Also, be aware trains that are running may be more crowded than you expect.

The Rail Delivery Group said that after many weeks of negotiations with the Aslef leadership it had made a revised and fair offer including a pay rise of 8% over two years.

It would have introduced overdue, common-sense improvements already in place in parts of the network, which would will see more trains running on time for passengers.

Sadly, this has been rejected, said a spokesperson.
M obile phone giant Vodafone has said its major shareholder, United Arab Emirates telecoms group e&, will take a seat on its board as part of a further tie-up between the pair.

The British company said e& chief executive Hatem Dowidar will join the Vodafone board as a non-executive director under a deal that will see the firms work together on areas including procurement, offering services to multinationals and public sector groups, and technology developments.

Abu Dhabi-listed e& has built up a stake of 14.6% in Vodafone, marking a deepening of a strategic tie-up that began in May 2022 when e& first invested in the FTSE 100 giant.

Vodafone said Mr Dowidar will stay on its board for as long as e& keeps its current 14.6% stake and the group would be able to nominate a second non-executive director if its shareholding climbed above 20%.

Vodafones recently appointed group chief executive Margherita Della Valle said: We know e& well and Im delighted we have strengthened our existing relationship through this strategic partnership.

This closer alignment allows us to capture opportunities in our respective markets and brings additional telecoms experience to our board.

Mr Dowidar said: We are convinced that our strategic relationship will unlock opportunities for both companies to explore the swiftly expanding global telecom market and next-generation technologies.

It comes as Vodafone is under mounting pressure to boost its performance, weighed on by woes in its German business.

Ms Della Valle was confirmed last month as Vodafones boss, having held the role on an interim basis after the firm ousted her predecessor Nick Read in December amid concerns over the companys flagging performance.

She is leading an overhaul to turn around its fortunes.

On announcing the new strategic tie-up, Mr Dowidar said: We have full confidence in her leadership abilities to steer the company toward growth.
O ne of the leading members of the LGBTQ+ community has just landed the top job at giant hedge fund Man Group.

Robyn Grew, 54, will take over as chief executive of the $150 billion business, replacing the retiring Luke Ellis in September.

Man Group earlier said that the next chair will be Anne Wade, who will succeed City grandee John Cryan later this year. That means the firm will be led by two women for the first time in its history.

Ellis, 60, is a highly regarded City player closely associated with the growth of Man. He is one of the best paid fund managers, getting $11.3 million (9.1 million) last year.

Grews salary will be closely watched for evidence that it is comparable. She joined Man Group in 2010 as chief compliance officer after previous roles at LIFFE and Barclays Capital.

She will relocate to London from the US in time.

Ellis, CEO since September 2016, said: "It has been a privilege to be CEO of Man Group and it is easy to want to stay on forever when you are leading such a great team of people. However, I feel that now is the right time to pass the reins to the next custodian of this firm and having worked with Robyn for well over a decade I could not be more thrilled at her appointment.

Grew said the job is an honour. She has been outspoken on the need for financial services to recruit from a wider pool of talent.

She told Financial News in January: When I made that move into finance in 1994, hedge funds in London seemed to have this masters of Mayfair reputation, a rather caricatured image of a group of men in a room shouting on the phone (and at each other), and making big, risky bets. It didnt put me off at the time  I was used to working in environments largely populated by men, especially at a senior level  nor did it turn out to be the reality.

Credit Suisse said in a note: Mr Ellis is well regarded and his retirement may be seen as a blow by many investors. But Ms Grew is a continuity candidate with experience including solutions, trading, execution and as group COO.

Ellis warned last month that the banking crisis sparked by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank is far from over. He said: I think we will have significantly more banks that dont exist in 12-24 months.

Man Group shares rose 1p to 209p.
A bout two-fifths of total scam losses where people were tricked into transferring money to a fraudster last year were not reimbursed, according to figures from trade association UK Finance.

The body said 285.6 million was returned to victims, representing about three-fifths (59%) of the 485.2 million lost to authorised push payment (APP) fraud in 2022.

More than half (57%) of reported cases related to purchase fraud, with other scams including impersonation scams, investment fraud, romance scams and people paying up-front fees for goods or services that never materialised.

The figures were released as UK Finance chief executive David Postings called for the burden of fraud repayments to be spread beyond the banking sector, saying there had been a missed opportunity to include tech companies in reimbursement.

UK Finances annual fraud report said 2022 marked the first time that APP fraud reimbursement rates had exceeded 50%.

Currently, some UK banks have signed up to a voluntary reimbursement code and some, such as TSB, operate their own fraud reimbursement guarantees.

New financial regulations being considered by the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) will require banks and building societies to fully reimburse victims of authorised push payment (APP) scams, where the loss is more than 100.

UK Finances report indicated that APP scam reimbursement rates among banks which have signed up to the voluntary reimbursement code are about 66%. TSB recently said that its fraud guarantee refunds 97% of all fraud cases.

The total 485.2 million loss to APP fraud last year was down by 17% compared with the previous year, although the volume of cases, at 207,372, increased by 6%.

Within this total, 200,643 cases involved personal accounts and 6,729 cases involved non-personal or business accounts.

UK Finance said its figures indicate that 78% of APP fraud starts online, with telecoms accounting for 18% of these scams.

Its report said: APP fraud losses continue to be driven by the abuse of online platforms used by criminals to scam their victims.

These include investment scams advertised on search engines and social media, romance scams committed via online dating platforms and purchase scams promoted through auction websites.

The Government recently released a new fraud strategy, which will include allowing banks to delay payments from being processed for longer, to allow for suspect payments to be investigated.

The strategy will also include banning cold calls on all financial products, such as those relating to bogus insurance or sham cryptocurrency schemes, to help stop scams at source.

Measures in the Online Safety Bill will also help to protect people from scam online adverts.

Mr Postings welcomed the plans to allow banks to delay suspect payments, but he said of the fraud strategy: I think it could have included more on the tech companies than it did.

The banking sector is the only sector reimbursing at the moment. Our belief is that the burden should be spread

He added: They missed the opportunity to include them in reimbursement and I think that would have been helpful.

Mr Postings said: The banking sector is the only sector reimbursing at the moment. Our belief is that the burden should be spread.

On the plans to make APP fraud reimbursement mandatory, Mr Postings said: My view is that we run the risk with total reimbursement that people wont take enough care and I do think there is a balance to be struck.

He added: I in no way want to victim blame, however, if there is literally no reason to take any care about making a payment, why would anybody do that.

My other concern is that, in reimbursing everything, the definition of a fraud could, or a scam could, widen to include trade disputes.

And my concern is that banks customers that arent affected by this are at some point paying the price for the reimbursement.

He said the focus should be on stopping the fraudsters, adding: A lot of this money is going to really bad actors that are destroying the fabric of our society, and thats where I think the focus should be.

Action from social media firms and phone companies to reduce fraud is also crucial

Paul Davis, director of fraud prevention at TSB, said: With two-fifths of the funds stolen by fraudsters not returned to customers of other banks, its clear that plans for mandated refunds cant come soon enough.

Action from social media firms and phone companies to reduce fraud is also crucial  as these sectors must take more responsibility for their users safety.

Overall, the report said that more than 1.2 billion was stolen through fraud in 2022  equating to more than 2,300 every minute.

This was a reduction of 8% compared with 2021. As well as APP scam losses, 726.9 million worth of unauthorised fraud made up the total.

Additional protections when people make payments, such as the confirmation of payee service which checks that someones name matches their account number, are having an impact, UK Finance said.

The report also said that card ID theft losses jumped to record levels last year.

Losses from card ID theft surged by 97% in 2022 compared with 2021, totalling 51.7 million. The number of cases more than doubled over the same period to 82,064  and both totals are the highest ever recorded by UK Finance for this category.

Card ID theft happens when a criminal uses a card or card details, along with stolen personal information, to open or take over a card account held in someone elses name.

Thefts require the compromise of customers personal information, which is then used to impersonate victims.

It is believed that the increase behind this type of fraud is a result of fraudsters efforts to target victims personal information using phishing emails, scam texts and the theft of mail from external mailboxes and multi-occupancy buildings, UK Finance said.

This information is then used to target customers existing accounts or apply for credit cards in their name.

Victims of unauthorised fraud cases such as these are legally protected against losses.

The banking and finance industry also prevented 1.2 billion of unauthorised fraud from getting into the hands of criminals last year, UK Finance said.

UK Finances Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign urges people to:

 Stop. Taking a moment to stop and think could keep you safe.

 Challenge. It is OK to reject, refuse or ignore any requests.

 Protect. Contact your bank immediately if you think you have fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud.
T he CFO of Revolut has quit the firm just weeks after its auditor said it was unable to independently verify three-quarters of the revenue in the companys 2021 accounts.

Mikko Salovaara, who was first appointed CFO in April 2021, said he was leaving the London fintech for personal reasons.

In a statement he said: I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as group CFO at Revolut and remain confident in the firms future successes.

Revolut co-founder Nik Storonsky said: I thank Mikko for his contribution and wish him well on his next steps.

In March, the fintechs auditor, BDO, warned some information on its accounts may be materially misstated and said it could not provide assurance over 477 million of the firms revenue, adding that its IT systems werent designed in such a way that would allow for IT or business process controls to be effectively tested throughout the year.

A Revolut spokesperson said the banks overall revenue figure was not in question and BDOs concerns were remedied in 2021.

Revoluts accounts were published two months after the statutory filing deadline. Salovaara told Reuters the delay was because our accounting systems needed replacement.

There is not any doubt over the completeness of the balance sheet, which, in turn, logically means that total revenue is also correct, he said.

It comes amid a challenging period for one of Londons biggest tech firms as it wrestles with regulators to secure a UK banking license.

In March, Salovaara said Revolut was really near the very final stages

Currently, the company only has a license in Lithuania but could soon reach a scale that causes it to fall under the aegis of the European Central Bank.

Last month, investor Schroders said it had written down its stake in the business by as much as 46%, wiping some $15 billion off its estimated value.

The Canary Wharf-based firm, which offers debit cards and crypto services to its 27 million customers, posted revenues of 636 million for the year to end-December 2021, while net profits topped 26 million, turning around a loss of 223 million the year before.
V ladimir Putin, of all people, was the first world leader to grasp what a big deal artificial intelligence was for geopolitics. Whoever becomes the leader, he warned a group of schoolchildren more than five years ago, will become the ruler of the world. What, back then, seemed even to cutting-edge researchers like hyperbole, feels to many like imminent reality in the uncanny age of Americas ChatGPT and Chinas Ernie Bot. This is because the geopolitics of great power competition is about to be reshaped by the AI revolution. There will be no research pause, no pause to assess its risks that most of the worlds leading researchers are calling for. We are on the brink of an AI arms race with implications for us all.

This is exactly what Geoffrey Hinton, the AI pioneer who recently resigned from Google, wants to prevent. Dubbed the godfather of AI, the British-Canadian researcher believes these models are only a few years away from outstriping their human creators, will soon be exceptionally good at manipulating them, and if they were to be programmed with the ability to set their own goals would quickly realise that seizing as much control over human society as possible was a rational way to achieve it.

It is important to note that AI sceptics think this is overdramatic. They identify Hinton as making a leap of faith that a machine would even want to set its own goals if it was enabled, and part of a historic pattern of technological creators and inventors believing their inventions have magical powers.

But even the sceptics are worried that AI in the wrong hands could give immense powers to bad actors. Invent new diseases? Outline how to print them? The prompts are easy to imagine and totally possible. This is why nobody disagrees with Hintons current call for nuclear-style agreements between China and the US to encode safety structures, from an off switch to some kind of do no harm circuit, into every form of artificial intelligence available.

This is the geopolitics of AI that we should be getting. Instead, the geopolitics of AI we are about to get is the exact opposite. Both the US and China are deeply frightened by Putins prediction  and by what catastrophic implications there could be if they fall behind. Washington is worried that in terms of state funding Beijing has already overtaken them in terms of spending. Beijing, in turn, is worried that in terms of technology prowess Chat-GPT and American AIs seem superior to Baidus Ernie Bot. Instead of looking for an agreement to work collaboratively for AI safety the US is seeking to kneecap an increasingly hostile Chinas AI lead and the FBI warns China is engaging in rampant high-technology espionage. The chips war, where Washington placed export controls on critical computing components, are best understood as AI wars: without access to such chips, the bet in Washington is that they can slow Chinas technological advances and establish a dominant lead.

Artificial intelligence is best understood as like electricity. It is applicable to almost everything. Militaries and intelligence services understand this better than most, which is why the Pentagon and the CIA are investing significant resources into finding its applicability. High on their concerns are AIs such as Midjourney which can supercharge propaganda and disinformation or guide armies in the field. The AI arms race is well and truly here.

Sceptics worry that the mindset now gripping Washington will only further meld Silicon Valley into the national security state and hype of all kinds will be pushed by developers to get the biggest contracts.

What is happening is the exact opposite of the research pause that leading researchers want. Instead, each state, researchers warn, may throw untold resources into competitive god-like AIs.

It is a damning testament to our age that one of humankinds greatest discoveries is being met with such fear by its own creators like Hinton. If humanity was politically organised in a way that was genuinely democratic and collaborative  not pitted against each other by superpowers and corporations  the AI research pause, safety embeds and regulations it needed to unleash wonders for medicine, science and human productivity. Instead, it seems set to unleash wave after wave of deeply disruptive jobs losses, weapons, propaganda and human struggle.

Ben Judah is the author of This Is Europe: How We Live Now, published in June.
Loading....

The Metropolitan Police is on track to miss vital targets for purging rogue officers from its ranks and preventing others from joining the force. That is the damning warning delivered by the police watchdog.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services has given a red alert to the Met Met against some of the recommendations, meaning it does not expect Scotland Yard to make changes before the deadline it has set.

This warning, contained in a letter published this morning, is the latest blow to a force that only in March was branded institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic by Baroness Casey in her report.

We do not doubt the sincerity of Commissioner Sir Mark Rowleys determination to rid the Met of those who should never have joined. But speed is of the essence, to ensure the failings that let Wayne Couzens and David Carrick commit appalling crimes as officers never happen again.

Londoners deserve no less than a police force they can trust. That will not be possible until the Met can demonstrate, beyond doubt, that it has implemented all the changes and recommendations necessary.

A welcome U-turn

Eventually, reality comes for us all  even hardline Brexiteers. Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has confirmed that the Government has ditched plans to complete a so-called bonfire of remaining EU laws by the end of this year. Furthermore, only around 600 laws will be revoked rather than the 4,000 initially pledged.

This climbdown will come as a welcome relief to business, already grappling with uncertainty and reduced access to European markets. It appears also to be a recognition that any benefits for Brexit are not to be found in diverging from the EU for the sake of it. The Prime Minister is therefore right to renege on the promise he made during the Conservative leadership election.

Brexit is far more complex  and damaging  a process than many Tory backbenchers will ever concede. It was simply never feasible, let alone desirable, to jettison thousands of rules and regulations at breakneck speed, for an undefined purpose.

Rather than blaming civil servants, ministers must focus on working with Whitehall to develop and execute policies to battle the cost of living crisis and, yes, improve relations with our European neighbours.

Queen Bey is back

The Coronation may be over but royal watchers still have something to look forward to: the return of Queen Bey.

Beyonce kicked off her world tour last night with a spectacular show in Stockholm, wearing garments made by London design houses including Alexander McQueen and David Koma.

She takes up residence at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for five nights later this month. It is not one to miss.
A BBC reporter says she went viral for all the wrong reasons after mixing up Finnish Eurovision entrant Kaarija with a fan.

Following a preview of the first semi-final on Tuesday, reporter Katie Walderman spoke to several fans who tipped Finland to go the distance in the competition.

This included one man who was dressed in a similar luminous green top worn by Kaarija onstage, with Walderman mistaking him for the Finnish artist.

Speaking to BBC North West Tonight on Wednesday, Walderman said: What a 24 hoursIve gone viral for all the wrong reasons.

She recalled seeing a man signing autographs and asking if he was the Cha Cha guy  referring to the song the Finish entrant sang.

The strapline underneath the interview had read Kaarija  Finland entrant.

Walderman added: I wished him luck for the semi-final  so I put them in my (news interview) package. Then I came off air last night and my phone just went boom and I was like, oh, no.

The BBC then showed Waldermans interview with the real Kaarija, who said he had found the mix-up funny.

Its looking great, and I love it when people do the crazy Kaarija things, the rapper said.

Its so weird, but Im so happy because people give me so much support.

The first Eurovision semi-final took place on Tuesday, with Kaarija among the 10 acts selected to advance to the grand final on Saturday.

A BBC North West Tonight spokesperson said Waldermans mistake had been a case of Eurovision fever.
K eanu Reeves rock band Dogstar have reunited and are set to give their first live performance for over two decades.

The Los Angeles-formed three-piece features the Hollywood star on bass guitar, Bret Domrose on lead vocals and Rob Mailhouse on drums.

The band are due to play at the 2023 BottleRock festival, in Napa Valley, California, on May 27, where they will perform brand new songs.

Recent posts on social media had hinted at their reunion, before the performance was announced officially on Wednesday,

The band was active from the mid 1990s to the early 2000s, and garnered much media attention due to Reeves involvement.

During this time they released an EP, Quattro Formaggi, and two albums, titled Our Little Visionary and Happy Ending.

Their last performance was in 2002, in Japan.
"Republic of Armenia is intensifying its military provocations against Azerbaijan along the borderline regions," Azernews reports citing a press release by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on further military provocations of Armenia.

"According to the information of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on the evening of May 10, units of the armed forces of Armenia stationed in the direction of Zod carried out a deliberate provocation by subjecting the opposing positions of Azerbaijans Army to fire from various types of small arms, and as a result of this provocation, a serviceman of Azerbaijans Army was severely injured.

Despite the warning to Armenia to stop its provocations and deliberately not aggravate the situation, since the morning of May 11, the armed forces of Armenia have aggravated the situation and subjected the positions of Azerbaijans Army to fire from mortars, as a result of the provocations, one of our servicemen was killed.

Usual occurrence of Armenia's provocations against the backdrop of the intensification of negotiations on a peace agreement, as well as awaited negotiations between the leaders, shows that Armenia is not interested in the peace process. Such actions of Armenia, which undermine the negotiation process, must be seriously rejected and condemned by the international community.

In order to prevent the provocations of Armenia, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan takes all necessary measures.

All responsibility for the deliberate aggravation of the situation lies with the military-political leadership of Armenia," the ministry added.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. The candidate of Turkiye's Ata Alliance Sinan Ogan may withdraw his candidacy for the post of president of Turkiye, Trend reports with reference to the Turkish media.

It is expected that he will clarify this issue tonight, speaking on one of the Turkish TV channels.

On May 11, Turkish presidential candidate Muharrem Ince, the head of the Memleket Party, announced that he was withdrawing his candidacy from the struggle for the highest post.

The presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkiye will be held on May 14, 2023.

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.
I f I were being lazy I could, when writing about Margaret Qualley, employ one of many celebrity profile cliches. I could inform you about the weather and how she is defying it. I might throw in that she is not wearing any make-up. And I could make a point of telling you that the Golden Globe-nominee is So! Normal! Really! But you know the problem with cliches, right? Doh.

And so, regrettably for my journalistic integrity but great for a lunch date, when I meet her at the Marlton in Greenwich Village it is biblically bucketing out when Qualley swoops in all smiles and sparkle, like a human dose of vitamin D. Not (it seems) in make-up, she is wearing the kind of chaotic get up (Laura Ashley dress from eBay, dads letterman jacket, fiances cap peppered with brooches and, okay, fine, a Chanel bag) only the beautiful or cool can get away with. First impressions? Very, very nice and, yep, very, very normal.

Qualley likes to chat. Within minutes she has put her mind to who she can set me up with (do it Margaret, Im serious) and is reaching around for an explanation as to what makes the menus Amish chicken, well, Amish. One of the best things about my job is getting to meet so many awesome, awesome people. Literally just talking and listening is the most interesting thing in the world.

Rebekah Campbell photographs Margaret Qualley for ES Magazine / ES Magazine

Her new project is all about the talking. Sanctuary is a twohander starring Qualley and Christopher Abbott as a dominatrix and her employer. A psychological thriller-cum-dark comedy, a deliciously twisty exploration of sexual, gender and class politics. Its the passing of the torch of who has power, is Qualleys take. Its confusing. You dont know whats reality and whats acting. Its an outrageous, theatrical, hot ride.

Sanctuarys loquaciousness feels like a play and demands attention from the viewer. Every line is intentional; its sort of anti-background watching I say. Im glad you think so. Thats another thing that I like about it. Maybe Im wrong, but I feel like people think you need to be like bombs! Boom! Action! Craziness! Whirlwind! Now theres a montage! Youre outside! Youre inside! Youre upside down! Shes here! Theyre here! she says with exaggerated mania. And this is just so contained. Its just two people in one room, they dont leave, its all there, its just talking. And it turns out, I think thats pretty interesting. Maybe you dont need all the other bullshit, maybe we just need to talk to each other and that might actually be the sexiest thing in the world.

Theres a moment in the film when Rebecca, Qualleys character, says matter-of-factly: I want what Im worth relative to what you have. Why do women often find it hard to assert themselves? Its hard to ask for what you need. It is. [When I was young and dating] my way of saying I was hungry was Is anyone hungry? instead of being, like, Hey I want to go get something to eat! Thats a very small example that doesnt have much weight to it, but theres always a feeling of not wanting to be too much. Later, when discussing French director Claire Denis, she says, You dont have to pretend to be a dude to be in your power, you can be a woman and be in your power. In fact its probably more powerful.

Rebekah Campbell photographs Margaret Qualley for ES Magazine / ES Magazine

During her childhood in Asheville, North Carolina, Qualley didnt harbour ambitions of being an actor. Rather, as the significant baby (her sister, Rainey, is five years older; brother, Justin, seven years) she just dreamed that one day I would be like my older sister. I think thats what all kid siblings feel like. Id park myself outside her door and wait for the moment Id be allowed in there. Id hang for a while, listen, so stoked to be included.

Nevertheless, acting was always there on the periphery. Her mum, Andie MacDowell, was she says, probably the only Hollywood actress in Asheville. Was that weird, inhabiting two worlds? I grew up always being like, Well its just normal to me, shes my mom, so its my normal life. But also I knew it was weird. She tells me she would grapple with trying to say the right thing in response to curiosity about her family. But whats the right thing? What makes me seem the most relatable? Eventually she plumped for honesty as the best policy; real life is often many things at once. Its weird. Im really lucky. It was a strange thing but then I did go to a normal school, [had] normal friends, and have a somewhat normal life. Then my mom would go off and do movies and sometimes Id go with her and sometimes Id meet, like, Gerard Depardieu. She laughs at the surrealism of it.

Rebekah Campbell photographs Margaret Qualley for ES Magazine / ES Magazine

Growing up, Qualley, now 28, was less influenced by her mothers specific career path as the fact that she was on one. Since I came into this world my mom was going and doing the thing she loved and Im very grateful for that, she says, adding she credits her with showing her the skys the limit.

Still, the real glitz of Qualleys childhood came from her love of dance. She would enter competitions across North Carolina, bedecked in rhinestones and feather boas and false eyelashes and jazz shoes and double denim jackets that had been custom embroidered. I loved dancing that way and loved dance competitions. But in her early teens she experienced an inevitable rite of passage: mortification. Suddenly she felt this is embar - rassing and transitioned to ballet because it was much more respected and kept at it until she couldnt stand it any more. No, I cant commit my life to this because I f***ing hate it!

Sometimes Id get to go with my mom to her movies and Id meet, like, Gerard Depardieu

Now, she says, shes going back to my dance competition freak, shimmying, nine-year-old self  or attempting to. Were all on an endless course of trying to figure out who we are, you know? And I feel like that a lot of times youre really on fire when youre a little kid. [Its about] trying to bring that little kid  respectfully, with all the knowledge that youve learnt throughout your life  into the world in a way that feels good to you.

The way she paints it, cool doesnt have much sway now. Qualley is happy leaning into domesticity in her small-town New Jersey beach house. I love to clean if Im feeling out of control  my favourite thing to do is tackle the house. Get all the nooks and crannies, organise the spice drawer, colour co-ordinate my clothes An average day for me is cleaning in New Jersey and either listening to an audio book or reading Danielle Steel, who Im obsessed with. I have insomnia and I find reading Danielle Steel the most soothing thing. Shes currently gobbling up The Apartment (a page-turner, to say the least) and has just finished Blue .

Like a Steel heroine, at 16 Qualley moved to New York alone, looking for purpose (I was happy to be on my own and figuring it out in real time). Unsure what she wanted to do but in need of a creative outlet, she would book art and photography classes via Craigslist. One day her thenboyfriend invited her to tag along to his acting class. Id come from dance world where Id do anything physically, but I was never expected to talk, in fact I was really discouraged from talking. So it was crazy to be like, Ooh, youre talking. It was scary and fun, and I fell in love with it.

Rebekah Campbell photographs Margaret Qualley for ES Magazine / ES Magazine

It was a scene-stealing cameo in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, as a tongue-poking member of the Manson family, that launched Qualley into the zeitgeist. But it was the Netflix drama Maid that really cemented her as more than a pretty face. In it, she played Alex, a young mother who had escaped an abusive relationship trying to make ends meet. It was a nuanced, refreshingly humanising portrayal of the poor, one that doesnt blame the subject but the system. There but for the grace of God, et cetera. The ideals that Americans have been sold on arent very community driven. Its really heart-breaking. The whole landscape of the United States right now is pretty f***ing upsetting, she says, adding of the clampdown on womens reproductive rights in 13 states: What the literal f***?! Its so gross and upsetting its hard to think about, and its upsetting not to think about it.

Does she feel the pressure to say something about everything she cares about? I dont have Instagram. Im not really in that game. Its kind of a lose-lose situation. She thinks well look back on these nascent days of social media a bit like a high-school yearbook, with a big dollop of cringe. People make mistakes, people with the best intentions can do dumb things.

I love to clean if Im feeling out of control  my favourite thing to do is tackle the house. Get all the nooks and crannies, organise the spice drawer

Each role she takes is a reaction to the last. Sanctuary, which was filmed over 18 days two summers ago, followed Maid. After Sanctuary she departed for Panama as the lead in Denis Stars at Noon. Co-starring Joe Alwyn it scooped the Grand Prix at Cannes. When Qualley heard Denis wanted to work with her there was no question about doing it. Shes a legend, shes made some of the most beautiful films and I wanted to learn from her.

But there was another reason. Her father, Paul Qualley, whom she hadnt seen for three years because of the pandemic and to whom she is close, was living in Panama. He came to set with me every single day. I was playing somewhat of a prostitute, so he wasnt watching, she laughs. But he was there, even when the call time was 4am and despite her protestations. I think the greatest gift that a parent can give to their kid is just paying attention to them, just caring and watching. My dads awesome at that. It was a really special time for us.

Qualley is big on family. Alongside her parents and siblings, there is also her fiance, the producer and musi - cian Jack Antonoff (his family rocks, too). Does it help having a partner in an adjacent creative industry? It helps whatever Jack is. Jacks the best person Ive ever met. Im the luckiest girl in the world. I met him when I was 26 and Im so grateful I got him at that age because I get to spend the rest of my life with him. I had a deep pit of longing until I met him, she says. Its not like everything is figured out once you find your person, but it is a lot easier. What advice would she give to anyone still in the longing-and-looking phases? Trial and error, keep f***ing at it! Its kind of fun, its kind of exhausting; it can be great, it can be horrible. Im a little spiritual  she corrects herself  Im spiritual and I believe things happen for a reason.

Rebekah Campbell photographs Margaret Qualley for ES Magazine / ES Magazine

Career-wise it seems like shes well on the right-decision phase. Up next is the Sanctuary press tour and she has just finished filming Ethan Coens solo directorial debut, Drive-Away Dolls (totally slapstick, really silly, I had the time of my life) and Yorgos Lanthimos Poor Things. And shes actively seeking out more London in my life. People never really talk about the food in London, but I think the food in Londons awesome.

Well, Americans think we have crap food and crapper teeth, I say. So wrong! Your teeth are pearly white and the foods amazing! Right now, however, shes off to hang with Antonoff at his studio before going uptown for a fitting at Chanel. Im right back at being in the hallway outside my big sisters door being like, Im allowed in? Sick!

Sounds very normal when you put it like that. Qualley grins. Were all totally the same and were all totally different.

Sanctuary opens in UK cinemas this summer.

Photography: Rebekah Campbell

Stylist: Taylor McNeill

Hair by Edward Lampley at CLM using Oribe

Make-up by Emi Kaneko at Bryant Artists using CHANEL Les Beiges Summer-To-Go and CHANEL Hydra Beauty Micro Creme Yeux

Manicure by Megumi Yamamoto at Susan Price NYC using Chanel Le Vernis

Photographers Assistant: Alonso Ayala

Stylists Assistant: Kennedy Smith

Production Assistant: Caleb Simpson
A senior British Army officer cheated the system to dishonestly claim taxpayer cash to pay his childrens private boarding school fees, a court has heard.

Retired colonel Marcus Reedman, 51, was posted to a desk job at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) building in Whitehall at the time of the allegations, between October 1 2016 and August 17 2017.

It is alleged that Reedman claimed continuity of education allowance (CEA) payments to help fund his three childrens 75,000-a-year private school fees, which matched his entire army salary.

Southwark Crown Court heard his eldest daughter and son attended Brighton College, costing around 30,000 each a year, while his youngest daughter was a daygirl at the Marlborough House prep school in Kent, for which no CEA was claimed.

If Mr Reedman had to fund his own childrens school fees from his own salary it would have been 75,000 which would have been his entire salary, said prosecutor James Dawes KC.

He could not afford on his income to pay for his three childrens private education.

The court heard the CEA covers up to 90% of the cost of private boarding school fees for the children of eligible service personnel to enable them to stay in continuous education while their serving parent is posted away from home accompanied by their spouse.

Mr Dawes said the system is largely administered by commanding officers relying on trust, adding: It is really easy to cheat the system.

It is subsequently open to abuse.

This case is about a senior officer who the prosecution say cheated the system.

He didnt act honestly in his application and his receipt of CEA.

Prosecutors say Reedman defrauded the MoD by dishonestly failing to disclose information which had an effect on his eligibility to claim CEA.

The indictment states he failed to disclose a change in his personal circumstances that his wife Astrid Reedman and family werent living at his residence at work address (RWA) in Biggin Hill, south-east London but instead staying at the family home in Rye, East Sussex.

Reedman denies a single count of fraud and the trial continues.
A London woman convicted of four previous thefts has been jailed for 10 weeks after police found her in possession of a 750 stolen phone.

Parashkeva Ilevia, 27, of Enfield, was arrested on Cheapside, near Bank Tube station, by City of London Police Proactive Crime Team officers on February 13.

The officers had been on patrol around Cheapside in response to numerous thefts and pickpocket offences in recent weeks.

She was spotted with another woman and their behaviour caught the officers attention so a search was carried out.

Ilevia was found in possession of a phone that had been stolen from a victim just hours before, the force said on Thursday.

The phone, thought to be worth 750, was then returned to the victim.

IIevia was sentenced to 10 weeks imprisonment after being found guilty of handling stolen goods at London Magistrates Court.

Acting Inspector, Dan Green, City of London Police, said: A custodial sentence is a great result for our Proactive Crime Team, who through intelligence lead patrols, apprehended a woman who was targeting future victims and had one stolen mobile in her possession.

Do not come to the City and think you can steal from residents, workers or visitors without paying the penalty. Our targeted patrols, excellent police work and extensive CCTV will mean you will be caught and brought to justice.

Ilevia had four previous convictions for theft and one caution for offences elsewhere in London.

Her arrest comes as London grapples with a phone theft epidemic.

In April it was revealed that a mobile phone is reported stolen in the city every six minutes.

A staggering 90,864 phones - equating to almost 250 a day - were stolen across the capital last year, according to stats provided to the BBC by police.

Westminster is Londons phone theft hotspot, with 25,899 mobiles stolen there in 2022 - almost 30 per cent of the total stolen across the capital.

In response to the shocking statistics, Policing Minister Chris Philp said he was deeply concerned by those figures.

Asked by LBC whether there is currently enough follow-up by police on these crimes, the Croydon South MP added: I think there is more we can do.

One of the reasons why I was keen to sort out these problems with the bureaucracy, and the form filling, and to lift that burden off policing, is to free up time to spend on follow-up. He also pointed to the Governments police officer recruitment drive.
A man will appear in court charged with indecent exposure after being accused of flashing a group of schoolchildren in north London.

Police received a report of a man exposing himself in front of kids waiting at a bus stop in Egerton Road, Stamford Hill at roughly 4.30pm on Tuesday, 9 May.

Officers soon caught up with the suspect who was subsequently arrested onboard a bus.

Wilson Moran, 46, of Baronet Road, Tottenham, was charged on Wednesday with one count of exposure.

He will appear in custody at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Detectives are still keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident.

Call 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 5477/09May.
P olice are re-examining the case of an eight-year-old boy who was abducted as he walked home from school in London in 1981.

Vishal Mehrotra went missing as he returned home to Putney on the day of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencers wedding.

His body was found in woodland in Rogate, West Sussex, around seven months later.

Sussex Police are now rmaking further enquiries into the young boys murder, 42 years on.

Vishals father, father Vishambar Mehrotra, was told by a police officer visiting his home that detectives have been directed to advance the case, the BBC reports.

It comes after a new true crime podcast named Vishal recently produced by the BBC unearthed new evidence in the case.

In the 1990s, convicted paedophile Nicholas Douglass was found to have written a document entitled Vishal, which he is said to have completed after the boys body was found.

When asked by the BBC in 2020 why he had named the document after the murdered boy, Douglass reportedly said: Its the first [name] that came into my head because it had been in the press. [There was] massive publicity and at the time.

It was the first Asian name I could think of. Thats the honest truth.

He has repeatedly denied having anything to do with Vishals murder.

A Sussex Police spokesperson said: Detectives visited the father of Vishal Mehrotra to offer further reassurance that all viable lines of enquiry, including from any recent media coverage, will be pursued.

The Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team continues to assess any further lines of enquiry for criminal investigation as a result of a Channel 4 documentary and BBC podcast, recently broadcast.

Senior detectives met with Vishals father on Wednesday (May 10) to discuss the documentary and podcast series and to inform him that some further enquiries were being carried out as a result.

The force also apologised for an oversight during an investigation conducted in the mid-1990s by Sussex Police, which had a potential link to Vishals death. It concerned a document titled Vishal that was found as part of an investigation into historic child sexual abuse at Muntham House School in West Sussex.

The document was found by police in 1996 and enquiries were carried out in the context of the Muntham House investigation, but it wasnt until 2019 during the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse that any potential link was made to the murder of Vishal Mehrotra.

Sussex Police apologised to Vishals father that this link was not made sooner.

Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman said: We acknowledge the ongoing distress to Mr Mehrotra and Vishals wider family and their need to find answers to what happened to Vishal in 1981.

The force is committed to identifying those responsible for Vishals tragic death and to delivering justice for Vishal and his family.

Extensive and thorough police enquiries have been completed to date but we remain open to and welcome any new information, and officers will continue to follow-up on any reasonable and viable lines of enquiry.

Anyone with information relating to the case is urged to get in touch with police online or by calling 101 quoting Operation Moor. Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A gun-making far-right extremist who said minorities should be shot and accidentally blew up his kitchen while experimenting with explosives has been ordered to be detained for eight-and-a-half years.

Vaughn Dolphin was convicted last month of six offences of possessing terrorist information, two of recklessly disseminating a terrorist publication, two of having an explosive substance and one of possessing a firearm without a licence.

A Birmingham Crown Court trial was told Dolphin, 20, filmed himself in a gas mask surrounded by a choking cloud of smoke, after attempting to blend a blast mixture in a saucepan on a domestic hob.

Dolphin, of Walsall Wood Road, Aldridge, Walsall, West Midlands, was arrested last year after a police raid uncovered guides on how to build a shotgun and homemade plastic explosives on an encrypted USB drive.

Also discovered was a host of Nazi-related material and a rudimentary gun made by Dolphin from a piece of aluminium tube  which police described as a viable firearm.

Dolphin is known to have communicated with white supremacists, and was proven to have made anti-Muslim comments while calling for minorities to be shot.

Passing sentence on Dolphin on Thursday, Judge Melbourne Inman KC said: The jury heard you were a member of extreme right-wing groups holding extreme racist ideas.

Addressing the terrorist information and publications disseminated or possessed by Dolphin, the judge said of one of 11 offences: Its an aggravating factor that you were in contact with a number of extremists and the material was a horrific recording of multiple murders.

You had a rudimentary but effective muzzle-loading firearm.

Stressing that there was a strong need for deterrence because of the obvious danger posed by such offending, the judge added: The offences were committed over a three-month period.

The material related to making items that could be used to kill or seriously injure people.

The judge accepted that Dolphin, who was not found to have intended to encourage terrorism, was still relatively immature for his age.

As well as an eight-and-a-half-year sentence of detention in a young offenders institution, Dolphin was handed a 12-month extended period on licence to be added to the end of the term.

He was told that he will not become eligible for parole until he has served five years.

At Dolphins trial it emerged that he had been a college student studying public services, which included a topic detailing the horrifying effects of terrorism and terrorist attacks on civilians.

Among the charges he was convicted of was one related to the reckless online sharing of a video, which could encourage terrorism, of a gun attack in Buffalo, New York, in which 10 people were killed by 18-year-old white supremacist Payton Gendron in May last year.
S ophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, has expressed her concern for a woman in her 80s who is in a critical condition, after being hit by a police motorcycle who was escorting the royal.

The incident happened at the junction of Cromwell Road and Warwick Road in Earls Court, west London.

The critically injured woman, who is in her 80s, collided with the vehicle at around 3.21pm on Wednesday, May 10.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: The Duchesss heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family.

She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments.

Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated.

So who is the Duchess of Edinburgh? Heres everything you need to know.

Who is the Duchess of Edinburgh?

The Duchess of Edinburgh, whose full name is Sophie Rhys-Jones, was born on January 20, 1965, in Oxford, England. She is the youngest of four children. Her father, Christopher Bournes Rhys-Jones, worked as a tyre salesman, and her mother, Mary OSullivan, worked in a part-time capacity.

The Duchess attended Dulwich Preparatory School and later moved on to West Kent College, where she studied secretarial skills. She then pursued a career in public relations, working for several companies in this field.

In 1993, the Duchess launched her own PR firm called RJH Public Relations. This had an impressive clientele that included high-profile clients such as the National Lottery. Her successful career in PR contributed to her crossing paths with members of the royal family.

The Duchess met Prince Edward, the youngest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, in 1993 at a charity event. The couple dated for several years and announced their engagement in January 1999. They got married on June 19, 1999, at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle.

After their marriage, the Duchess was granted the title of Countess of Wessex. She became Duchess of Edinburgh in March when King Charles named his younger brother the Duke of Edinburgh (the royal title previously belonged to their father, Prince Philip, who died in April 2021).

The couple have two children: Lady Louise Windsor, born in 2003, and James, Viscount Severn, born in 2007.

As a full-time working member of the royal family, the Duchess works on behalf of the King across the UK and Commonwealth and supports a large number of her own charities and organisations.

She is a patron of more than 70 charities and organisations.

According to the royal familys website, every year she visits hundreds of schools, hospitals, military bases, charities and community groups to see their work first-hand and to highlight it to the wider world.
A n algorithm developed using artificial intelligence could be used by doctors to diagnose heart attacks with better speed and accuracy, according to new research.

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh found the algorithm, named CoDE-ACS, was able to rule out a heart attack in double the number of patients.

The algorithm was found to be 99.6 per cent accurate.

Researchers hope the algorithm will be able to greatly reduce hospital admissions amid intense pressure on critical care services.

Clinical trials are already underway in Scotland to assess the efficiency of the tool in a hospital setting.

The tool performed well regardless of age, sex or pre-existing health conditions, the study found.

The current gold standard for diagnosing a heart attack is measuring the levels of protonin, a protein, in the blood.

However, the same threshold is used for every patient  meaning factors like age, sex and other health problems are not considered. This can affect the accuracy of a heart attack diagnosis.

Previous research by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has shown that women are 50 per cent more likely to get a wrong initial diagnosis.

People who are initially misdiagnosed have a 70 per cent higher risk of dying after 30 days.

The algorithm was developed using data from 10,038 patients in Scotland who arrived at hospital with a suspected heart attack.

It uses routinely collected patient information, including age, sex, ECG findings and medical history, as well as troponin levels, to predict the probability that an individual has had a heart attack.

Each patient is then given a probability score of 0 to 100.

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director of the BHF, said the current testing approach made it difficult for clinicians to differentiate a heart attack from something less serious.

CoDE-ACS, developed using cutting edge data science and AI, has the potential to rule-in or rule-out a heart attack more accurately than current approaches.

It could be transformational for Emergency Departments, shortening the time needed to make a diagnosis, and much better for patients.

Professor Nicholas Mills, BHF Professor of Cardiology at the Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, who led the research, said: Harnessing data and artificial intelligence to support clinical decisions has enormous potential to improve care for patients and efficiency in our busy Emergency Departments.

Analysis by the BHF found that the number of people on cardiac waiting lists has risen to a record high of 380,787 at the end of March 2023  an increase of nearly 8,000 people since last month.

It means there has been a 63 per cent rise in the cardiac waiting list compared to February 2020, the month before the pandemic began.
T he leader of Haringey Council has said the Tasering of a man which left him paralysed never should have happened and incidents like it are why confidence in the police is so low.

Metropolitan Police Pc Imran Mahmood, 36, tasered Jordan Walker-Brown during a patrol in Finsbury Park in May 2020, and on Thursday was cleared of unlawfully inflicting grievous bodily harm on him following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

Mr Walker-Brown, who was 23 at the time, was left with catastrophic injuries after hitting his head on the pavement and breaking his back.

He had not pulled out a weapon and presented no physical threat to anyone at the time he was tasered, prosecutors had told the court.

Mr Walker-Brown appeared outside court on Thursday in a wheelchair.

In response to the not guilty verdict, Haringey Council leader Peray Ahmet said the case highlights the dangers that Tasers pose and raises questions about the Mets plans for rolling out more to frontline officers.

Ms Ahmet said people of colour are disproportionately likely to be victims of Tasering, as she called for root and branch reform within the Met.

Ms Ahmet said: We remain convinced that this incident should never have happened, and that action and leadership are needed from the police to ensure that no young person in Haringey has to experience what Jordan went through.

Incidents such as this are one of the reasons why confidence in the police is so low among our residents, especially members of our Black communities who disproportionately experience heavy-handed police tactics.

Councillor Ahmet said the borough needs a police service which residents and the council can be confident to work with.

In March we called on the Met to implement in full the findings of Baroness Caseys review, and we reiterate this call today. We will continue to engage with the police and challenge them to prevent incidents like this from happening in future.

It remains clear that we need root and branch reform of the Metropolitan Police Service to ensure that it employs officers of integrity who care about and are rooted in the communities they serve, and that the right processes are in place to ensure that force is only used when necessary to protect others from harm.

We will continue to engage with police leadership on this issue to protect the safety of our residents, especially people of colour who are disproportionately likely to be victims of tasering.

Jordan Walker-Brown with supporters outside court / PA

Detective Chief Superintendent Caroline Haines, who is responsible for policing in Enfield and Haringey, said: My thoughts today are with Mr Walker-Brown and his family whose lives have been changed forever.

I dont underestimate the effect this incident will have had on them and have offered to meet with them when appropriate to listen to their concerns and discuss the matter in further detail. It is always a matter of deep regret when an individual comes to harm following contact with police and officers know that in such circumstances their actions will be subject to the highest scrutiny.

I am also very aware of the significant impact this incident has had on the wider community. We know that todays outcome may reignite those feelings, which is why we have been working closely with key members of the community and partner agencies across the borough to listen to concerns and build on our existing relationships with all communities.

We are aware that police use of Taser is seen by some as a controversial tactic, and incidents like this raise very legitimate concerns about its use. We are concerned too, and want to improve how we engage with our communities around this issue, by encouraging a two-way dialogue and having those we serve more involved in monitoring how we use the tactic.

We do believe that it remains a vital tool, but will continue to keep its use under constant review and regularly train our officers to ensure they use the tactic appropriately.

PC Mahmood has been on restricted duties since the incident. Now that criminal matters have concluded, misconduct proceedings may follow.

Baroness Caseys peport into standards within the Metropolitan Police revealed that the force has been riddled with bullying, poor leadership and the rotten treatment of Black people.

Baroness Dame Louise Casey said that the protection of women had been thrown out of the window and called the Met institutionally sexist, racist and homophobic.

The Baroness had been appointed to lead the independent review following the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021.

It was reported in 2019 that the Met had widely rolled out the use of Tasers among some 10,000 officers.
F ourteen Just Stop Oil protesters were arrested during a slow march to block traffic at Parliament Square on Thursday morning during rush hour.

A group of 41 activists with the eco group began marching along The Strand at around 8.30am, causing serious disruption.

The group said around 12 activists were later arrested at Parliament Square. Police put the figure at 14 arrested.

A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: At 09:15hrs, police put a section 12 condition on Just Stop Oil, now at Parliament Square, to move out of the road to stop disruption to traffic.

At 09:19hrs, 14 people who stayed in the road were arrested for breach of S12 condition. The road is now clear.

An arrested protester at Parliament Square / Just Stop Oil

These orders are used when a senior officer believes it is necessary to prevent a procession from causing serious public disorder, serious criminal damage or serious disruption to the life of the community.

Protesters earlier blocked traffic at the Strand, then temporarily at Whitehall, before moving on to King Charles Street and Parliament Square.

A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said: Your government has taken away your right to peaceful protest. If you are not outraged by this, you are not paying attention.

If we tolerate the crushing of peaceful dissent, regardless of whether we agree with each other or not, we no longer live in any sort of functional democracy.

The group is in its third week of daily direct action in its bid to end new oil and gas licences.

On Wednesday, around 32 activists with the group blocked Moorgate after marching through the City from Queen Victoria Street near Mansion House.

Earlier this week, the group also walked slowly in front of traffic in Camden, holding up banners reading Just Stop Oil.

Just Stop Oil estimates that since February 14 last year, some 2,100 arrests have been made in connection with the groups activities.
Foreign ministers of Turkiye, Russia, Iran and Syria has agreed to form a committee, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavushoglu has said, stressing that a road map will be created together to normalize relations between Turkiye and Syria., Trend reports citing Hurriyet Daily News.

We do not have designs on Syrias soil. We exist there to fight terrorism. We discussed the safe return of refugees in our country. A roadmap will be created, he said in a televised interview on May 11.

The minister said he had a bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, first and then moved on to the four-party meeting.

The Syrian foreign minister was waiting for us downstairs, and we greeted each other. There was some shyness, but we greeted and shook hands, Cavushoglu said, adding that each party expressed their opinions openly.

Syrias border and territorial integrity were among the featured topics, Cavushoglu said, stressing that Turkiye launched cross border operations into Syria to fight terrorism and to avoid the formation of a terror corridor.

We cleared DAESH and PKK from there. Especially the PKKs plan to divide Syria is obvious; some countries support it, he stated.

As a result, the emphasis on Syrias territorial and border integrity came to the fore. Of course, there was a political process, and its revitalization was emphasized. The establishment of permanent stability by mobilizing the political process was discussed, Cavushoglu noted.

The foreign ministers of Turkiye and Syria held their first official meeting as part of a quadripartite format on May 10 in Moscow since the start of Syrian civil war in 2011. Cavushoglu and his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, were accompanied by Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in a four-way meeting in Moscow.

Participants exchanged views on efforts to normalize relations between Turkiye and Syria and discussed counterterrorism, the political processes and humanitarian matters, including the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Syrians to their homeland, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

Participants also reaffirmed their commitment to Syrias sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, in accordance with the U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254 and the official declarations issued under the Astana Format, read the statement.

The participants also decided to instruct the deputyforeign ministers to prepare a roadmap in coordination with the defense ministries and intelligence units of the four countries for the advancement of relations between Turkiye and Syria, the statement added.
A Royals fan who waited on The Mall to catch a glimpse of the Kings coronation ended up spending 13 hours in police custody after being wrongfully mistaken for a Just Stop Oil protester.

Australian architect Alice Chambers, 36, had been unknowingly standing next to the group of protesters when she was arrested on the morning of Saturday May 6.

She told the i newspaper that she had been arrested on suspicion of potential to cause a breach of the peace around 9am along with a dozen others, in a moment captured by Sky News cameras.

I went to get up and two police officers just grabbed me and handcuffed me. I dont think they said anything, I think they arrested me before they asked a question, she told i.

I feel like once I was in the system they didnt listen, I tried to explain that I wasnt part of the group.

Ms Chambers spent the next 13 hours in a cell at Wandsworth Police Station, where she said she was searched and had her fingerprints and mugshot taken, the i reports.

Finally two officers allegedly interviewed her at 7pm and discovered that she was not a Just Stop Oil protester but merely a Royals enthusiast. She was eventually released at 10pm that day.

The [officers] looked at each other and then they asked have you ever heard of Just Stop Oil? I said, Up until today no. They said we have no further questions and were really sorry youve been caught up in this, she told i.

That was the point I started crying and got emotional  that was the first time anyone had been able to listen to my side of the story.

Ms Chambers, who has lived in London for seven years, has made a complaint to the Met.

Sky News

The Met told the Standard: We are aware that a woman was arrested in relation to a protest on May 6 2023.

The arresting officer was from Lincolnshire Police and the complaint has therefore been passed to the relevant force to investigate. The Met will assist by providing any relevant information they require.

Chief Inspector Simon Outen from the Professional Standards Department at Lincolnshire Police said: Our officers were in central London providing mutual aid support to colleagues in the Met on Saturday 6 May, and during that time, a woman in her 30s was arrested in connection with a Just Stop Oil protest.

She was subsequently released with no further action.

We have now received a complaint and we are reviewing the incident, and we are in contact with the complainant to establish the full details of her allegations.

On Thursday, Tory MP David Davis said he felt really sorry for this woman.

Her day was ruined as a direct outcome of giving police too many powers, the MP for Haltemprice and Howden wrote on Twitter.

Changes to the law have engendered an attitude that peaceful protest should be viewed with suspicion. We should also review the viability of charges like conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.

They appear to require very little evidence and almost amount to pre-crime. This sort of pre-emptive arrest should only be used to prevent violence, or crimes involving very serious harm.

The Metropolitan Police faced criticism after arresting six protesters ahead of the Kings coronation to then release them without charges. Scotland Yard expressed regret over the arrests.

In total officers arrested 64 people in London over the coronation weekend.

Scotland Yard chief Sir Mark Rowley on Tuesday claimed officers had foiled a plot to cause multiple serious injuries at the Kings Coronation after the force was criticised for heavy-handed tactics.

Meanwhile a cross-party panel of MPs will consider whether to open an inquiry into the Metropolitan Polices arrest of anti-monarchy protesters over the coronation weekend, its chairwoman has confirmed.
L ondon College of Fashion is opening its doors to the public as part of the 1.1 billion transformation of Stratfords Olympic park into the capitals cultural hub.

The college, which counts designers Jimmy Choo and Patrick Cox amongst its alumni, will be the first major institution to open in what has been dubbed the East Bank.

Visitors to the area, which will also be home to east London outposts of the V&A and Sadlers Wells, will be able to access exhibitions, events, talks and performance nights with club DJs.

The college has promised a free, cultural programme aiming to welcome, engage and collaborate with the public from September, when it opens.

Its Fashion Undressed festival will look at the future of the industry and its bid to be more sustainable, while visitors will also be able to see the next generation of designers in graduate shows and exhibitions.

There will also be an exhibition looking at British folk costume including Pearly King suits and Notting Hill Carnival costumes.

Tamsin Ace, head of cultural programming, said: London College of Fashions new home can only be a vital cultural destination if we listen to our communities.
A woman in her 80s was left fighting for her life after a collision with a police motorcycle escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh in west London.

Buckingham Palace has said Sophies thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family after the crash in Earls Court.

The pensioner was in a critical condition in hospital following the collision at 3.20pm Wednesday.

It is understood the Duchess, who is married to Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, was being escorted by motorcycle outriders when the incident happened at the junction of Warwick Road and West Cromwell Road.

Two motorcycles, one with King Charles cypher, were seen inside the cordon following the collision.

The Special Escort Group provides armed escorts for Royal family members, VIPs, protected members of the Government, visiting royals, heads of state and other visiting dignitaries. They are also sometimes used to accompany high security prisoners.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh arrive at a coronation Big Lunch in Cranleigh Village Hall on Sunday, May 7 / POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Accident investigators have been gathering evidence at the scene and an internal inquiry by the Mets Directorate of Professional Standards has also been launched.

Witnesses described how police and passers by raced to give the pensioner emergency medical attention. A huge police cordon was thrown up around the scene causing rush-hour tailbacks.

Tricia Connelly, 31, who lives nearby, said: There were blue lights from the emergency services everywhere. There were people huddled around a person on the ground. It was very harrowing.

There were police bikes there and shortly before the accident I had seen a motorcade going past me. That junction is horrible its a death trap.

Student Karl Lehman said: I was returning from college and heard a screech and then a scraping noise. There were some police there with bikes, and then people were pushed back so the woman could get medical attention.

The junction has multiple pedestrian crossings and is on the A4 with the eastbound lane heading into central London and west towards Heathrow.

A worker at a Tesco which is next to the scene said: We saw sone motorcyclists and a convoy, then there was a scream. There was a lady on the ground.

The police were trying to help her then there were ambulances. The junction is very dangerous, we see incidents all the time.

A Met Police spokesperson said: A woman has been injured after being involved in a collision with a police motorcycle in west London.

At approximately 15:21hrs on Wednesday, 10 May a police motorcycle on escort duties was involved in a collision with a member of the public on the junction of Cromwell Road and Warwick Road, SW5.

Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and Londons Air Ambulance attended and a woman, aged in her 80s, has been taken to hospital.

She remains there in a critical condition. Her family have been informed.

There are no reports of any other injuries. Enquiries into the circumstances of the collision are ongoing.

Road closures remain in place while the scene is dealt with.

As is routine, the Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed.

A palace spokesman said: The Duchesss heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family.

She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments.

Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated.

An independent investigation has been launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
N ew Royal Mail statistics are set to reveal how some neighbourhoods are receiving post as little as once a fortnight, including in London, according to reports.

Insiders have dubbed these postcodes postal deserts, according to the Telegraph newspaper, as mail bosses battle with staff shortages and strikes.

Royal Mail is expected to unveil figures later this week showing that annual delivery performance has sunk to near-record lows.

Among the London areas where residents have complained of poor postal services are East Dulwich and West Norwood.

One fed-up resident asked on social media: Does anyone know if Royal Mail still operate in SE22? I have not received important post and I havent seen a postie in days. Whats going on?

Residents in the area have previously complained of missing hospital appointment letters and Christmas and birthday cards.

A lack of postal vans has been blamed for a poor delivery service in Dorking, Surrey, the paper reported.

Nick Freeman, the motoring lawyer known as Mr Loophole, said that disruption to the postal deliveries could allow speeding motorists to escape fines because they must receive a notice of intended prosecution within fourteen days of an alleged offence.

However, the data is also expected to show that Royal Mails overall performance has improved over the last three months because of fewer strike days.

In the final quarter of last year, first-class deliveries were on time just 54 per cent of the time instead of the 93 per cent target.

The Standard has contacted Royal Mail for comment.

A spokesperson told the Telegraph: We are committed to improving our performance and accelerating Royal Mails transformation in order to restore service levels while meeting the changing requirements of our customers.

Were sorry to any customers who have not received the high standards they expect.

To improve our quality of service it is vital that we modernise our network and ways of working so that we can more effectively manage the changing mix of mail in our posties mailbag.
S adiq Khan has said he was left speechless after more files linked to the murder of Private Investigator Daniel Morgan were discovered in a locked cabinet at New Scotland Yard despite full disclosure assurances from former commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.

The Mayor of London was quizzed about the discovery by Alastair Morgan, who is still seeking justice for his brother Daniel who was killed with an axe in a pub car park in 1987 in a still unsolved murder.

A string of unsuccessful investigations into his death have been mired with claims of corruption.

An independent panel set up to look into the case published a scathing report in June last year in which it accused the Met of "a form of institutional corruption" for concealing or denying failings over the unsolved murder.

Im very rarely speechless in my job for reasons youll appreciate. I was speechless when I was told there was a filing cabinet that was locked and when it was opened up these documents were found, the mayor told Speak to Sadiq on LBC on Thursday morning.

This will be properly looked into, just to reassure you. My understanding is, the reason for the delay is that those documents were gone through to see if theyve already been disclosed to the panel.

And only in discovering some of them hadnt been disclosed to the panel was it brought up to me and the others.

My understanding is all those documents have now been sent to the panel and the police have again... apologised to you and your family.

But its not good enough, because I was reassured by the former commissioner thered been full disclosure.

Then Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan / PA

Khan added that former Met commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, had not accepted the findings of the panel into Mr Morgans murder.

Alastair Morgan has campaigned for decades for justice for his brother Daniel, who was killed in the car park of the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south-east London on March 10, 1987.

Alastair Morgan, the brother of murdered private investigator Daniel Morgan (PA) / PA Wire

Alistair said on Twitter: My grief for my brother, I can see, has been encased for decades within an armour-plated shell of pure rage.

This rage I needed, time and time and time again to stand up, again and again and again to the psychological torture inflicted upon us by the British police, the decades of indifference and inertia from the home office and the sheer ugliness of the Murdoch press and its filthy actions.

But we have prevailed. We are all, except for dear Dan, still standing to bear witness to this history.

And of course, our dear mother. may she rest in peace. Who died in 2017, after 30 years of campaigning, still tortured by all this, and never having seen the final report. There is much, much to be forgiven.

Met Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray said the discovery of paperwork in a unit that had not been used for a number of years was unacceptable and deeply regrettable.

Some of this material should have been disclosed to Baroness Nuala OLoans Daniel Morgan Independent Panel which published its final report in June 2021.

A Met spokesperson said: A careful assessment has been completed to understand the significance of the newly found documents and any potential impact.

A total of 95 pages of material (37 documents) have been initially identified that would have been disclosed under a protocol agreed with the Panel.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct, the Mayors Office for Policing and Crime and the Home Office have been informed.

The Met spokesperson added: Our assessment is that there are no evidential documents that relate to criminal investigations into the murder.

The Met has written to the family of Daniel Morgan and Baroness Nuala OLoan to explain what we believe has taken place and outline next steps.

A spokesperson for the police inspectorate HMICFRS said: The Met has informed us of the documents it has recently discovered, which are relevant to our previous inspection. We have agreed to review these documents and will report our assessment of them in due course.
A dam Price has quit as leader of Plaid Cymru, the Welsh national party, which he has helmed since 2018.

The member of the Senedd for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr announced his decision on Wednesday following a review into his partys culture.

His resignation has triggered a leadership election, which could conclude over the summer.

Meanwhile, Llyr Gruffydd MS, who represents North Wales in the Senedd, has been declared interim leader. His position will be confirmed by the partys National Council on Saturday.

This is all you need to know about the issue at the heart of Welsh politics.

Plaid Cymru supports Welsh nationalism / Adam Davy / PA

Who is Adam Price and what does Plaid Cymru stand for?

Under Mr Prices leadership, Plaid Cymru won only 13 of the 60 seats in the Welsh Parliament and lost the key constituency of Rhondda, after having promised to hold a referendum into Welsh independence if the party won a majority.

This has been a central policy of the party as well as EU membership, as was the co-operation agreement between the government and Welsh nationalists.

However, this was a slight reduction in votes and the party came third overall  which has led Plaid to begin a power-sharing agreement with Labour, the largest party.

We have driven the agenda for change in a way that no previous opposition party has dreamt of doing, Mr Price wrote in his resignation letter to party chairman Marc Jones.

The co-operation agreement was truly ground-breaking and has delivered life-changing benefits to our children, families and friends all over Wales.

Our core driver  independence for Wales  has broken the banks of mainstream politics and now many, from all parts and all parties, believe like we do that it is a matter of when and not if.

The 54-year-old is also known for being the first gay leader of a UK political party. He has two children.

Why has Adam Price resigned?

Mr Price announced his departure after a review on May 3 was released. It found a culture of harassment, bullying, and misogyny in Plaid Cymru, and that he had failed to implement a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment and that women had been especially let down.

Eighty-two recommendations were given to detoxify the party and the leader said all of these would be taken on board.

He has apologised.

Evidence from an anonymous staff survey and elected members highlight cases of sexual harassment, bullying, and discrimination, the report said, claiming: These are not isolated cases.

It is understood Mr Prices personal behaviour is not under scrutiny but the review was about the culture in the party as a whole.

Plaid Cymru chairman Marc Jones said: On behalf of Plaid Cymru, I want to thank Adam for his drive and vision over the past four-and-a-half years. Adams personal commitment to making Wales a fairer nation is a lasting legacy of which he and Plaid Cymru can be proud.

Leanne Wood was replaced by Adam Price as Plaid Cymru leader / Jane Barlow / PA Archive

Who might replace Adam Price as the new leader of Plaid Cymru?

As of May 11, nobody had thrown their name into the ring to be the new leader of Plaid Cymru  a role Adam Price has held since he took over from Leanne Wood in 2018.

There are candidates, however, who may put themselves forward for one of the top roles in Welsh politics. Plaid Cymru has three seats in the House of Commons, one in the House of Lords, 202 in Welsh local governments, and one Welsh police crime commissioner.

Llyr Gruffydd MS, who represents the North Wales region in the Welsh Parliament, has already been declared interim leader. He was unanimously nominated by the Plaid Cymru Senedd Group on Thursday morning, according to the party.

Liz Saville Roberts is MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd and the leader of Plaid Cymru in the House of Commons. She became the partys first female MP in 2015 and has worked on online bullying and cyber crime as well as rape-prevention strategy.

Leanne Wood has been out of politics since 2021 and, since being ousted by Mr Price as party leader in 2015, has been critical of her successor. She stood against his plan for a second referendum and has also said the Prince of Wales title could be abolished.

Her leadership was also challenged by Rhun ap Iorwerth, who has been deputy leader alongside Sian Gwenllian since 2018. Mr Ioweth is a member of the Senedd for Ynys Mon, and Ms Gwenllian is member of the Senedd for Arfon. Both are long-time members and supporters of the partys direction.

The partys sole member of the House of Lords is Dafydd Wigley, a former MP who is now honorary party president. Aged 80, however, he may not wish to stand as party leader.
T he UK has confirmed it will supply Ukraine with the long-range Storm Shadow missiles it requested for its fight against invading Russian forces.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the weapons will give Ukraine the best chance of defending itself.

The Storm Shadow cruise missile is fired from aircraft and has a range of more than 155 miles, according to the manufacturer.

By contrast, the US-supplied Himars missiles currently used by Ukraine only have a range of around 50 miles.

The longer range means Ukrainian pilots will be able to remain further from the front lines.

Powered by a turbo-jet engine, the 1,300kg Storm Shadow travels at speeds of more than 600mph, is just over five metres long and has a wingspan of three metres.

After launch, the weapon, equipped with its own navigation system, descends to a low altitude to avoid detection before locking on to its target using an infra-red seeker.

On final approach the missile climbs to a higher altitude to maximise the chances of hitting the target.

On impact, it penetrates the target before a delayed fuse detonates the main warhead.

Storm Shadow missiles have been used by British and French air forces in the Gulf, Iraq and Libya.
A failure to ditch thousands of EU-era laws by end of the year as promised is not quite a U-turn, a minister insisted on Thursday.

Home Office minister Sarah Dines rejected Brexiteers fury at delays to axing European legislation.

Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has confirmed that around 600 laws would be revoked rather than the 4,000 pledged, insisting it is about more than a race to a deadline.

Completing a post-Brexit bonfire of remaining EU laws by the end of 2023 was a key pledge of Rishi Sunaks leadership campaign last year.

But Ms Dines told GB News: Its not quite a U-turn, its a more calculated, calm way of getting rid of some of these laws. We dont want to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

We need to make sure we get rid of those laws which we dont need and we keep some which are compatible with what we want to do in this country.

However former Brexit Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg accused Mr Sunak of breaking his word and behaving like a Borgia after scaling back the promise.

Politicians have not delivered, he told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme.

This comes back to the Prime Ministers promise in his video during his leadership campaign when he said he would do this.

Bear in mind at that time, he had already given right round consent to the retained EU Law Bill.

He knew that it wasnt easy. He knew that it was going to be an effort to get it done by actually a slightly longer deadline at that point. He accepted the deadline of 2023. He has broken his word. This is very serious.

Sarah Dines / PA Media

Brexit hardliners on the European Research Group of Tory MPs have been angered by the move.

Around 20 MPs met Conservative Chief Whip Simon Hart on Wednesday night to relay their concerns.

In an editorial in the Telegraph, Ms Badenoch claimed it was impossible to push ahead with Government plans to scrap the laws by the deadline because civil servants had focused on which laws should be preserved ahead of the deadline, rather than pursuing the meaningful reform government and businesses want to see.

In a written statement to MPs she added: We will still fully take back control of our laws and end the supremacy and special status of retained EU law by the end of 2023.

Mr Rees-Mogg blamed the Whitehall blob for the delay.

Setting a deadline theoretically makes Whitehall work  without a deadline, nothing will happen, and we will retain these laws for a long time, he said.

Ms Dines said the Government was doing a proper, measured job of reviewing legislation.

Asked whether the delay could be blamed on the blob Civil Service, she added: I dont think its all-out war.

Its just a very huge task. We are changing our constitutional arrangements by leaving and I fully support Brexit.

What we need to do is keep the best but get rid of all the rest that we dont need.

We are doing that in a proper way.

Jane Gratton, of the British Chambers of Commerce, said firms had been worried about the headlong rush towards the sudden removal of vast swathes of legislation overnight.

It is welcome that Government has listened, and the Bill will no longer apply a blanket sunset clause in this way, with the real risk of unintended but negative consequences, she said.
J oe Biden sparked a row on Thursday by saying he flew to Ireland recently to make sure the Brits didnt screw around amid a Brexit trade row.

The US president made the comments at a Democratic National Committee Reception in New York where he spoke of his trip to Northern Ireland last month, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, and then back to his ancestral homeland in Ireland.

In quotes released by the White House, Mr Biden, 80, said: The basic fundamental values that I find is that most ethnic communities are similar.

And one of the things  I got to go back  not what I had planned on talking about, but I got to go back to Ireland for the  for the  the Irish Accords, to make sure they werent  the Brits didnt screw around and Northern Ireland didnt walk away from their commitments.

Joe Bidens visit to Northern Ireland 1 / 24 Joe Bidens visit to Northern Ireland AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images REUTERS Sky News REUTERS AP AFP via Getty Images REUTERS PA AFP via Getty Images Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street AP REUTERS Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street REUTERS Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street

Rishi Sunaks government had hoped to have had power-sharing restored in Northern Ireland for the GFA anniversary but the Democratic Unionist Party refused to take up its seats at Stormont as it remained in a stand-off over post-Brexit trading ties with the rest of the UK.

Some MPs were calling for the GFA to be reworked to resolve the row but Mr Sunak instead struck the Windsor Framework deal with Brussels to ease border checks across the Irish Sea.

Mr Biden faced criticism that he spent less than 24 hours in Northern Ireland before heading south across the border and on Thursday some Tory MPs also expressed disquiet at his screw around remark.

Former Northern Ireland Secretary Shailesh Vara told The Standard: This is deeply regrettable that President Biden has to use such language to further his re-election chances in the US.

Ex-shadow Northern Ireland minister Laurence Robertson added: Northern Ireland is British and Mr Biden needs to remember that.

We should always use moderate, temperate language, especially when we are speaking about other countries we should show respect to those countries.

However, Simon Hoare, chairman of the Commons Northern Ireland Committee, suggested the presidents comments highlighted concerns in world capitals over the apparent willingness of the Government under Liz Truss and Boris Johnson to flout international law over the Brexit bust-up.

Stressing Britains reputation for upholding the rule of law, he said: If you start to give the impression that there is a flippancy towards that, we should not be surprised if people including our closest geopolitical ally feels the need to check in to make sure all is well.

But Mr Bidens comments drew a scathing response from DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson who said: Its unbelievable and frightening as well to think this is the man who is the leader of the free world.

If you believe that there should be a special relationship between the US and UK then at least show us some respect.

Asked whether the US presidents presence in Northern Ireland had been needed to ensure the Brits did not screw around, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said: The Windsor Framework was a culmination of substantive work between the UK and the EU and at its heart the UK priority was always protecting the Good Friday Agreement.

We have been consistent on that point throughout and we are pleased that between the UK and the EU we have been able to reach an agreement which works for the people of Northern Ireland and for the whole UK.

Pressed further on the issue and US involvement, he added: Its factually the case that it is an agreement between the UK and the EU.

As part of his brief stopover to Belfast, Mr Biden met with Mr Sunak for tea as he sought to reach out as a friend to Unionists in Northern Ireland.

He later said his top priority was make sure the Irish accords and the Windsor Agreement stay in place and keep the peace before heading to Dublin.

The President then embarked on a trip across the Republic of Ireland where he toured Carlingford Castle, met with Irish president Michael D Higgins, and visited County Mayo to meet with distant cousins.

Mr Biden also met with Irish premier Leo Varadkar who disputed claims the US president was anti-British.

It was during his tour south of the border where the US President made an awkward gaffe at a pub in County Louth.

At the time, he paid tribute to Rob former Irish rugby international Rob Kearney, who was a member of the team that famously beat New Zealand for the first time ever in a 2016 match played in Chicago.

A hell of a rugby player, Mr Biden said at the time, who beat the Black and Tans before he corrected himself.

The Black and Tans was the name for part-time officers recruited to bolster Royal Irish Constabulary numbers, many of whom gained a violent reputation during the Troubles.
T he Business Secretary was given a furious scolding by the Speaker of the House of Commons on Thursday over the U-turn on scrapping EU laws after Brexit.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle was unhappy that the change to Government policy appeared in a newspaper and Kemi Badenoch issued a written statement to MPs before it was announced in Parliament by a minister.

During the debate, Sir Lindsay snapped who do you think youre speaking to? after Ms Badenoch said she was sorry the timings of the announcement were not to your satisfaction.

MPs also criticised Ms Badenoch for her tin ear and patronising approach in response to questions over the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

Sir Lindsay, who granted an urgent question on the changes, said: Given the importance of this announcement, on such matters full engagement with Parliament and its committees is essential I will remind Government, we are elected to hear it first, not to read it in the Telegraph and certainly not a WMS (Written Ministerial Statement) is satisfactory on such an important matter.

Ms Badenoch replied: Im very sorry that the sequencing that we chose was not to your satisfaction.

Sir Lindsay countered: That is totally not acceptable.

Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch (PA) / PA Wire

Following an off-microphone remark from Ms Badenoch in which she appeared to say she should have said not the right procedure, Sir Lindsay said: Who do you think youre speaking to, Secretary of State? I think we need to understand each other.

I am the defender of this House and these benches on both sides, I am not going to be spoken to by a Secretary of State who is absolutely not accepting my ruling.

Take it with good grace and accept it, that members should hear it first, not a WMS or what you decide.

These members have been elected by their constituents and they have the right to hear it first and it is time this Government recognised were all elected, were all Members of Parliament and used the correct manners.

Ms Badenoch apologised and added: What I was trying to say was that Im very sorry that I did not meet the standards which you expect of secretaries of state, forgive my language.

The Speaker has had several run-ins with ministers after major announcements appeared in the press before MPs were told.

Conservative MP Michael Fabricant later said: Can I say to Ms Badenoch)she has shown a tin ear if she thought for one moment that these changes wouldnt arouse interest in the House of Commons and that it needed a UQ to bring her here this morning.
Republicans charged Wednesday that President Joe Bidens family has earned more than $10 million from shady business deals crafted while he was vice president, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya.

With Biden ramping up his bid for a second term as president in the 2024 election, the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee alleged that the family took in $1 million tied to a business deal with a Romanian tycoon when the then vice-president oversaw relations with the country in 2014-2015.

The deal was allegedly done by Rob Walker, a business partner of Bidens son Hunter.

In a detailed report, committee Republicans said Walker began receiving money from Romanian tycoon Gabriel Popoviciu shortly after Biden welcomed Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to the White House in September 2015.

A Cyprus company allegedly owned by Popoviciu, Bladon Enterprises, paid a private company owned by Walker over $3 million from November 2015 to May 2017.

The Republicans alleged that after the transfers came in from Bladon, Walkers company paid more than $1 million into accounts controlled by Hunter Biden, his sister-in-law Hallie Biden, and James Gilliar, another business partner of Hunter.

They said the pattern matches that of an already well-reported business deal Hunter Biden and Walker had with an energy company in China.

After receiving money from that company in 2017, the committee said Walker distributed more than $1 million to Gilliar and the Bidens.

Oversight Committee Chair James Comer said the Romanian funds were part of more than $10 million that Hunter Biden, his family and business associates had received from deals with foreigners in China, Ukraine, and elsewhere while Joe Biden was vice president from 2009 to 2017.

Hunter Biden and his associates courted business in countries that correlated directly with Joe Bidens work as vice president. This is also not normal. It is not ethical, Comer said in a press conference.

The Republicans showed no evidence that Joe Biden directly benefitted from or even knew of the business deals and money transfers.

But they said he must have been aware of all of the companies set up by Hunter and his associates to conduct the business.

Nobody in this room can logically sit here and say that the president of the United States had no idea that these companies were being formed while he was vice president of the United States, said Republican Representative Byron Reynolds.

Biden has repeatedly denied impropriety with regard to his sons deals, and defended Hunters business practices.

My son has done nothing wrong. I trust him. I have faith in him, he said last week.
A ctor Stephen Tompkinson has been cleared of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a man he confronted for drunkenly making noise outside his house.

The DCI Banks star was accused of punching Karl Poole in the head after finding him and a friend drinking at the bottom of his driveway in the early hours of May 30 2021.

Mr Poole fell to the ground and broke his skull when his head hit the pavement, Newcastle Crown Court was told.

Prosecutors claimed Tompkinson "snapped" and "lashed out" at Mr Poole in "disgust" at his behaviour.

But Tompkinson told jurors he only pushed Mr Poole away in self-defence and the contact "wasn't enough to knock a sober man off his feet".

On Thursday, a jury found him not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm after deliberating for just under two hours.

The trial was told Mr Poole and his friend Andrew Hall had been drinking since midnight that bank holiday Sunday and had gone to the beach before passing Tompkinson's home in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, on the walk back.

Tompkinson, who was living with his partner and her seven-year-old son at the time, heard "strange noises" at around 5.30am.

The 57-year-old called 999 after seeing the pair try to stand up and fall several times while drinking from a bottle of Jagermeister, jurors heard.

While waiting to be connected, Tompkinson went outside wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown and told the "heavily intoxicated" men who he was calling.

Neighbour Caroline Davidson, who was watching from her bedroom window, told the court she saw Tompkinson slap and punch Mr Poole, causing him to stumble and fall backwards, hitting his head on the ground.

Tompkinson said he could not have punched Mr Poole because he was holding his phone.

He told the court the two men "took great objection to me complaining about them being there" and had started to move towards him.

He said he put his hand out to stop Mr Poole coming any further.

"I didn't want to hurt him, I wanted to stop him to change his mind about coming towards me and further on to my property," Tompkinson said.

Tompkinson told the court he has lost acting work since being charged and any association with him in the industry was "on hold" while the legal proceedings were hanging over him.
T he DUP is not weakening its stance on Stormont and will not re-enter devolved government until concerns around the Northern Ireland Protocol are addressed, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said.

The Northern Ireland Assembly has been effectively collapsed for more than a year as the DUP presses the UK Government to act on the concerns it has raised, including around the regions place in the UK internal market.

While the Government negotiated the Windsor Framework with the EU, the DUP said the deal doesnt adequately address the concerns.

Addressing his partys manifesto launch in Belfast ahead of next weeks council elections, Sir Jeffrey pledged to stand firm.

We are pledged to continue to stand firm after this election until we have properly secured and protected our place within the United Kingdom

Some said after the assembly elections that we would weaken our position. It was a lie then and it is a lie now, he said to applause.

Those who seek to steal votes from the DUP and divide unionism on the basis of that lie serve no purpose in what were all trying to achieve, which is the restoration of Northern Irelands place within the United Kingdom and our ability to trade with the rest of the United Kingdom.

Let me be clear, we are pledged to continue to stand firm after this election until we have properly secured and protected our place within the United Kingdom.

The truth that many political representatives dont want to hear is that the protocol upset the delicate political balance in Northern Ireland, and was not supported and is not supported by the unionist community.

Our judgment and our principled position in opposing the protocol in Parliament and at Stormont has been vindicated. When others said there would be no renegotiation and no change, our determination has proven what can be achieved.

He said that while the Windsor Framework undoubtedly represents significant progress across a number of areas, it does not deal with some of the fundamental problems at the heart of our current difficulties.

It is clear that those who support the union want to see a unity of purpose among their elected representatives

Sir Jeffrey also urged unionists to work together in a spirit of cooperation of common purpose.

Last years assembly election saw Sinn Fein overtake the DUP to emerge as the largest party at Stormont.

Recent opinion polls suggested Sinn Fein will also top the poll at next weeks local government vote.

Sir Jeffrey said last years election must act as a wake-up call for unionists.

This election is not only important because it will set the direction of our councils over the next four years, but its outcome is also being closely monitored and watched both nationally and internationally, he said.

Now is not the time for more division, and throughout our engagements on the doors in this campaign, it is clear that those who support the union want to see a unity of purpose among their elected representatives.

The transfer of votes will matter, and we know this from the assembly election the last election must act as a wake-up call for all unionists  divided votes hands seats to the opponents of the union.

The DUP is running 152 candidates for the council elections on May 18 when 462 seats will be contested across 11 councils in Northern Ireland.

The number is marginally down from 161 candidates in 2019 council elections which saw 122 elected.

Sir Jeffrey said he has visited nine or 10 of the 11 council areas and has been greatly heartened by the response, insisting his partys vote is not only holding up well, but advancing.

He described his party has having a positive plan for local government in Northern Ireland.

Our goal for every council is to deliver the best services at the lowest possible cost to rate payers, he said.

The Democratic Unionist Party has always championed the cutting of wasteful spending and keeping the rates burden to a minimum for hard-pressed rate payers.
T he final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will see 26 countries sing for votes which could make it a long evening, so make sure you have snacks at the ready!

Acts will be sung from all corners of the continent, including places not usually considered in Europe, such as Israel, or ever considered, in the case of Australia! Although many countries who have competed in the contest in years gone by have decided to give it a miss in 2023 or been banned.

BBC 1 will broadcast the show from Liverpool from 8pm to midnight on Saturday, so there is plenty of time to stock up on food. Committed fans can even tune in from 5.50pm when there will be a Pointless Eurovision special, before a themed edition of The Hit List before The One Show begins a Eurovision countdown from 7.30pm. You can watch in the comfort of your own home, or go to one of many parties around London.

As well as the main entries, there will also be a performance from guest Rita Ora while the show will be presented by Alesha Dixon and Hannah Waddingham.

Mae Muller of the United Kingdom performs during dress rehearsals at the Eurovision Song Contest at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool (Aaron Chown/PA) / PA Wire

Here is our guide to the whole event and how the voting system works.

Now for those snacks!

What are the best snacks to eat while watching the Eurovision Song Contest 2023?

The delivery company Getir has put together a list of the best snacks to enjoy from each of the big five nations which - for the unfamiliar - are the biggest spenders on the event who are given a bye to the final. This is the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Italy.

France

Its no secret that some of the best cheeses in the world come from France, so let cheese paired with dry meats be the base layer for your French-inspired snack board. Add in fresh and dried fruits as well as jams to act as palate cleansers. Use a mixture of:

Cheese: Camembert, Gruyere, Brie

Meats: Salami, cured hams and pate

Fruits: Grapes, sliced apples, fig jam

Savoury: Crackers, any crusty bread

Sweet: macaroons

Complement your board with French-born wines such as Rose Cotes de Provence or Domaine Coudoulis Cotes du Rhone Le Petit Rouge. If wine isnt to your fancy, opt for world-renowned, French-born ciders like Kronenbourg and Galipette Brut Cidre.

Italy

Italy hosted the 2022 competition having won in 2021 / Getty Images

A beautiful Italian Charcuterie board filled with Italian meats and cheeses is sure to satisfy guests. But, as these are similar flavours and foods to other European countries, include the likes of pizza and Italian breads to make it more unique. Use a mixture of:

Cheese: Parmigiano Reggiano, Fontina, Burrata, Mozzarella

Meats: Prosciutto, Calabrese, Speck

Fruits & vegetables: tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers

Savoury: A mixture of pizzas with different traditional toppings such as Margarita, mushrooms and prosciutto. Crackers, focaccia or ciabatta, with olive oil in a side dish for dipping is another Italian show stopper.

Pair with native Italian beers like Peroni or a sparkling wine like Via Vai Prosecco made in Veneto.

Italian band Maneskin won Eurovision in 2021.

Germany

Lena Meyer-Landrut won the 2010 Eurovision competition for Germany with her performance of Satellite / Getty Images

German cuisine is very meat-centric so let these be the star of your board. Pair them with pretzels and savoury snacks like pickled eggs. Use a mixture of:

Meats: Frankfurter, knackwurst, Sommerwurst

Cheese: Cambozola, Rauchkase and Butterkase

Savoury: Pretzels, pickled eggs, radishes

Fruits: apples, tomatoes, grapes

Sweet: Chocolate-coated pretzels, butter biscuits

Spain

Blanca Paloma attending the National Lotterys Big Eurovision Welcome Party at St Georges Hall, Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA) / PA Wire

The main two food items for a Spanish charcuterie board are Spanish cured meats and cheeses. Take it up a notch and create a tapas feast with other traditional Spanish foods such as empanadas and finish it off with some sweet churros. Use a mixture of:

Meat: Jamon Iberico, salami, chorizo, Jamon serrano

Cheese: Manchego, Iberico, Tetilla, Zamorano

Savoury: empanadas, croquettes, crusty bread, olives, almonds

Fruits: grapes, dried apricots, cherry tomatoes, blueberries

Sweet: churros paired with dipping chocolate

Pair with Spanish-born beers and wine such as Estrella, and Bodegas Paco Garcia

Spains entry for the 2023 competition will be Blanca Paloma.

UK

Last but not least is the home nation, which will be represented by Mae Muller - who has recently met her new fans Charles and Camilla.

A simple, easy and fun way to create a snack board for the UK is to embrace the British picky bits trend thats become quite the craze over the past year. Requiring minimal cooking but maximal satisfaction, use a mixture of:

Savoury: Crisps, oven chips and curly fries, chicken nuggets, sausage rolls, garlic bread

Dips: Hummus, salsa, ketchup, BBQ sauce

Sweet: Jaffa cakes, Jammie Dodgers, Shortbread

Pair with British tipples such as Brewdog Punk IPA, Somerset Cider or Bombay Sapphire Gin & Tonic.

Be sure to have a range of condiments to hand so that guests can dip in whatever they please. Also, have plenty of crackers and bread as these pair with all of these boards. To level up the Eurovision celebrations, you could make little toothpick flags for each country-inspired board.
A Met police officer dubbed Creepy Campbell by colleagues has been sacked after sending anonymous texts to two young female officers asking for sex.

A misconduct panel was told PC Alex Campbell, who is married to a police officer and has a young child, bought an untraceable burner phone from a supermarket so he could send anonymous messages to one probationary officer.

Among the messages published by the misconduct hearing was one asking if she was loyal to your fella or do you consider other avenues?

When the female officer demanded to know his identity, he told her: I cant babe! Not till I know I can trust you x.

He went on to tell her he was being a sleeze behind the mrs back and thought I could try and hook up with you?

The next day he sent her messages from his own number telling her he was looking forward to working alone with her again and when she confronted him confessed he had also sent the anonymous messages.

An investigation found Campbell, who was based in the Safer Neighbourhood team in Clapham and had been with the Met for over 10 years, had sent similar messages to another young female officer months before and had continued to message her after she made it clear she was not interested.

In one, he told her he has missed her sexy little bod while she had been away from work.

The panel was told she had been hesitant about reporting the messages but subsequent to the Wayne Couzens case and subsequent actions taken by senior officers in the Metropolitan Police Service, she was motivated to pursue matters further.

A misconduct report said Campbell admitted the allegations and said he indicated that he had been affected by Covid.

It went on: The panel finds that PC Campbell utilised the power imbalance in his relationship with PCs A and C in order to target them for his sexual advances.

His contact with them was abhorrent. It was a predatory campaign of sexually-motivated harassment. It had a sexual motive. It was degrading. It caused upset, distress, anxiety, shame, fear and distrust to its victims.

PC Campbell was repeatedly advised in no uncertain terms by his victims that his advances were unwanted and unwarranted, but failed to heed these warnings and persisted with his own agenda nonetheless.

PC Campbell was dismissed from the Met without notice.

His case will be another blow to the Met which was recently labelled institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic in a damning report by Baroness Casey and has faced a series of scandals, including the murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens and David Carrick being unmasked as one of the UKs most prolific sex offenders.
P iers Morgan is accused of knowing a tabloid story about Prince Michael of Kents finances had been blagged illegally by private investigators working for the Daily Mirror, the High Court has heard.

The former newspaper editor turned TV host is under fire in a legal battle brought by Prince Harry and others against the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), alleging phone hacking and unlawful newsgathering.

On the second day of the trial, barrister David Sherborne detailed a 1999 Daily Mirror story which claimed Prince Michael of Kent had run up 2.5 million in debts including an unauthorised 220,000 overdraft at private bank Coutts.

It is said the Mirror obtained details of the senior Royals bank account through the services of Southern Investigations, a private eye agency which allegedly fooled the bank into giving out information by posing as the Princes accountant.

The Royal Family was obviously a very important target to different newspapers, and the Daily Mirror was no exception, said Mr Sherborne.

At the time of the Prince Michael of Kent story, it (the newspaper) was edited by Piers Morgan and (he) lies right at the heart of this in a number of ways.

The court heard a complaint was lodged with the Mirror after the story first ran, with lawyers for the Prince denying that any debts had been run-up and asserting: What is clear is that your newspaper has obtained information in a manner which is not only in breach of confidence but which may well also be in breach of the criminal law.

Prince Michael of Kent / PA Archive

In response, Morgan stood by the story and insisted it had come from an impeccable source.

Further your suggestion that this newspaper, or any of its employees, may have been involved in a breach of the criminal law in investigating the subject matter of these articles is a poor and thinly disguised threat that I will not dignify with comment, he wrote.

The allegationcomes from an impeccable source who has an intimate knowledge of your clients financial state.

Mr Sherborne suggested Morgan had avoided answering the question in his response.

The trial is due to analyse phone records from Southern Investigations as well as invoices submitted to MGN which are alleged to reveal unlawful activity.

Coutts bank also provided a statement at the time, denying the debt claims and suggesting a member of staff had received a hoax call which they suspected as being the source of the leaked information.

Mr Morgan, and the MGN lawyers he consulted before writing this letter, knew full well that the information had been obtained unlawfully and that the criminal law had in fact been breached, and the impeccable source they referred to was in fact (private investigator) Mr Rees, said Mr Sherborne, in written submissions.

He added that Morgans letter to the Princes lawyers had also showed an awareness of how the Kents accounts had allegedly been restructured and rescheduled - information that could only have come from the information which had been blagged.

The court heard Morgans alleged knowledge of unlawful blagging is denied by MGN.

The TV host spoke out on Wednesday after he was accused on the first day of the trial of knowing about phone hacking and unlawful activity on the newspaper when he was editor.

In a pre-recorded interview ahead of the trial with the BBCs Amol Rajan, Morgan said: I think phone hacking is completely wrong and shouldnt have been happening and it was lazy journalists being lazy.

He added: Theres no evidence I knew anything about any of this I never told anybody to hack a phone.

MGN has admitted some wrongdoing by journalists and investigators in a claim brought by Prince Harry, soaps stars Nikki Sanderson and Michael Le Vell, and comedian Paul Whitehouses ex-wife Fiona Wightman.

But the media group denies allegations of phone hacking for many of the stories that will form the centre of the case.

The trial continues.
T he owner of a 38 million superyacht detained by the UK government at the start of Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine has launched a High Court bid to regain control of it.

The boat, named The Phi, was declared an icon of Russian power by then-Transport Secretary Grant Shapps in March 2022 after being boarded and detained by the National Crime Agency.

Impounding the 200ft cruiser, which boasts a wine cellar and freshwater swimming pool, was seen as a UK victory against the Putin regime.

Weve detained a 38million superyacht and turned an icon of Russias power and wealth into a clear and stark warning to Putin and his cronies, said Mr Shapps. Detaining The Phi proves, yet again, that we can and will take the strongest possible action against those seeking to benefit from connections to Putins regime.

Legal proceedings have now been launched by the owner of the superyacht, Sergei Georgievich Naumenko, and two companies seeking to take back The Phi, currently moored at Canary Wharf.

The claimants want to overturn the detention order and are also seeking damages. When the yacht was first detained, members of the crew denied it was tied to Putins regime. Captain Guy Booth called its seizure unjust, saying: Its headline-grabbing, clickbait, attention-seeking.

Mr Shapps posted a picture of himself standing next to the superyacht at Canary Wharf, promising more robust action against Putin.

Dalston Projects Limited is a company based in Saint Kitts and Nevis and carries the Maltese flag.

The High Court battle over it has been adjourned until a full hearing in July.
U kraines defence minister on Thursday hailed Britain for supplying Storm Shadow long range missiles to help his embattled nation defend itself against Russias invasion.

Oleksii Reznikov suggested the missiles would help Ukraine to shed light on our Victory.

It came after Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed that the UK is sending such weapons to help Kyiv with its planned counter-offensive which is expected to be launched within weeks.

In a Tweet Mr Reznikov wrote: The weather forecast is predicting a cyclone moving from the UK towards Ukraine, bringing with it Storms. It is through the Shadow of the Storm that the sunshine of our liberty will break through and shed light on our Victory.

Mr Wallace told MPs in the Commons the donation of the weapons was a calibrated and proportionate response to Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine and gave Ukrainians the "best chance to defend themselves.

The Kremlin said Moscow would take an appropriate military response to any British-supplied Storm Shadow weapons used by Ukrainian forces.

The Storm Shadow cruise missile has a range of over 250km (155 miles), according to the manufacturer.

They are fired from aircraft, so the longer range means Ukrainian pilots will be able to stay further from the frontlines.

Once launched, the Storm Shadow drops to low altitude to avoid detection by enemy radar, before latching onto its target with an infra-red seeker.

The decision to provide them follows repeated pleas from Ukraine for more weapons from the West.

Earlier this year, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov insisted longer-range missiles would not be used to attack targets within Russia itself.

Storm Shadow long range missiles can be fired from jets / Crown Copywrite

Updating the Commons on the conflict, Mr Wallace said: We simply will not stand by while Russia kills civilians.

We have seen what Ukrainians can do when they have the right capabilities, stressing how drones and cruise missiles had been shot down.

That is why the Prime Minister and I have now taken the decision to provide longer range capabilities.

Today I can confirm that the UK is donating Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.

Storm Shadow is a long range, conventional-only, precision-strike capability.

It complements the long range systems already gifted including HIMARs (light multiple rocket launcher) and Harpoon missiles, as well as Ukraines own Neptune cruise missile....

Mr Wallace explained further: The donation of these weapon systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russias continued brutality, especially the deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure which is against international law.

Ukraine has a right to be able to defend itself against this.

Storm shadow missiles on a fighter / Crown Copywrite

The use of Storm Shadow will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based within Ukrainian sovereign territory.

The Defence Secretary told MPs that he would not give further details about the capabilities.

But he added that "while these weapons will give Ukraine new capability, members should recognise that these systems are not even in the same league as the Russian AS-24 killjoy hypersonic missile" or "even the Kalibr cruise missile with a range of over 2,000 kilometres, roughly seven times that of a Storm Shadow missile".

Mr Wallace, though, went on: "Russia must recognise that their actions alone have led to such systems being provided to Ukraine.

"It is my judgment as Defence Secretary that this is a calibrated and proportionate response to Russia's escalations."

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace (Brian Lawless/PA) / PA Wire

On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would take an appropriate military response to any British-supplied Storm Shadow weapons used by Ukrainian forces.

The Ministry of Defence in London tweeted this morning: Due to Russias continued attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas, more than 11 million people have been displaced. Despite the Kremlins sustained lie that they would not attack civilians or their infrastructure.

Britain has led the West in arming Ukraine, first with NLAWs (Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapons), and later by pledging Challenger II tanks, leading to Germany and other European nations sending Leopard II tanks, and America Abrams.

However, Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky is still pleading for fighter jets to force Putins troops out of his country which was invaded in February 2022.

Mr Wallace added that the Kremlin cannot hide the fact that Putins invasion is "already failing.

He explained: "Travelling through that country (Ukraine), as I have done several times since the invasion, you see the smashed buildings and the piles of rubble where once there were thriving businesses and homes full of life.

"They reveal the truth of Russia's invasion: the needless destruction and the gratuitous violence, the continuing violations despite warnings of international law and the deliberate targeting and killing of civilians.

"They are the visible and tragic symbols of the Kremlin's desperation."

He added: "The Kremlin cannot hide the fact that their invasion is already failing. They can only occupy the rubble left by their destruction."

The Defence Secretary noted that this week's Victory Day Parade showcased "this historic failure", adding: "It demonstrated Putin's efforts to twist the Soviet Union sacrifice against the Nazis with an insult to their own Immortal Regiment.

UK Storm Shadow missiles "will strengthen Ukraine's fight to repel the Russian forces", shadow defence secretary John Healey told MPs.

He said: "We are united in our determination to help in the defence of Ukraine and of our shared values ... we welcome this vital new military support as the Ukrainians prepare for their expected counter-offensive.

"Today's announcement of UK Storm Shadow missiles will strengthen Ukraine's fight to repel the Russian forces and to defend against the brutal attacks."

He warned: "Russia is far from a spent military force and the next few weeks and few months will be critical. I'm really proud of British military leadership over the last year on Ukraine. I want in six months' time to be able to say the same.

"We want the UK's momentum for Ukraine to be maintained and accelerated ... we must and we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."
J ust a few days after officiating over King Charles III's coronation, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has been found guilty of speeding.

On October 2, while the 67-year-old was driving his Volkswagen Golf along the Albert Embankment in the heart of London towards his official house at Lambeth Palace, he was caught by a speed camera. It recorded a speed of 25 mph in a 20 mph zone.

The Most Rev Welby was prosecuted on Wednesday (May 10) at a secret hearing and received three penalty points and was told to pay 510. The conviction and penalty occurred on the same day as the Archbishop's attention-grabbing House of Lords speech protesting against the government's Illegal Migration Bill.

Speaking in the House of Lords, Welby has attacked the Governments Illegal Immigration Bill, labelling it isolationist, morally unacceptable, and politically impractical, and saying it risks great damage to the UKs reputation.

[The bill] is isolationist, it is morally unacceptable and politically impractical to let the poorest countries deal with it alone and cut our international aid, he said. This is an attempt at a short-term fix. It risks great damage to the UKs interests and reputation at home and abroad, let alone the interests of those in need of protection or the nations who together face this challenge.

Rishi Sunak and Suella Bravermans bill is facing scrutiny from peers in the House of Lords.

It is not the first time the Archbishop has criticised the Governments immigration policy, previously labelling the Rwanda deportation policy ungodly and saying the rhetoric of ministers was harmful.

So who is Justin Welby, and what is the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury?

Who is Justin Welby?

Justin Welby has been Archbishop of Canterbury since 2013 / Steve Parsons/PA

Justin Portal Welby, 67, has been the Archbishop of Canterbury since 2013. He studied at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, before working in the oil industry for 11 years.

Mr Welby was ordained in 1992 and spent his first 15 years serving in Coventry. He became a canon of Coventry Cathedral in 2002 and, during this time, he worked in Africa and the Middle East.

He was Dean of Liverpool from 2007 to 2011, and Bishop of Durham from 2011 to 2012, before becoming the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Upon becoming archbishop, he said: There is every possible reason for optimism about the future of Christian faith in our world and in this country.

His personal priorities for his ministry are a renewal of prayer and religious life, seeking reconciliation within the church, and encouraging every Christian to share their faith.

Mr Welby is married to Caroline, with whom he has five children. A sixth child, Johanna, died aged seven months in 1983.

Growing up, he believed his biological father to be Gavin Welby, the son of German Jewish immigrants. However, in 2016, he revealed that DNA testing showed his biological father was Sir Anthony Montague Browne, who was a private secretary to Sir Winston Churchill.

Mr Welby lives at Lambeth Palace, which is his official London residence.

What is the Archbishop of Canterburys role?

The King is crowned with St Edwards Crown by the Archbishop of Canterbury / Victoria Jones/PA Wire

Justin Welby is the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury, a role that has existed since the year 597. Mr Welby succeeded Rowan Williams, who retired in December 2012.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is a senior member of the House of Lords.

He is one of 26 bishops of the Church of England, and is considered to be the senior bishop. He is viewed by the Anglican Communion of churches as their spiritual leader.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is often involved in royal ceremonies. Most recently, Mr Welby officiated King Charles IIIs coronation on May 6 at Westminster Abbey.

He also officiated Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding in 2018, gave a sermon at the Queens funeral in 2022, and christened Prince William and Kates children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, in 2013, 2015 and 2018 respectively.
A Ukrainian unit said it had routed a Russian brigade near the stronghold of Bakhmut on Wednesday.

The claim appeared to support comments by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner private army, who earlier this week said the Russian brigade had abandoned its positions in Bakhmut, Moscows primary target in its winter offensive.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who heads Ukraines ground forces, said Russian units in some parts of Bakhmut had retreated more than a mile as the result of counter attacks.

The situation on the ground, which is the bloodiest battle in Europe since World War Two, is difficult to confirm.

Wagner units have led a months-long Russian assault on the eastern city, suffering heavy losses, but Ukrainian forces say the offensive is stalling.

The special military operation continues. This is a very difficult operation, and, of course, certain goals have been achieved in a year, Tass new agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as telling a Bosnian Serb television channel.

We managed to beat up the Ukrainian military machine quite a bit, said Peskov, citing Russian missile strikes in Ukraine. This work will continue.

Peskov said he had no doubt that Bakhmut will be captured and will be kept under control. He also said the Russian campaign in eastern Ukraine was proceeding slowly because Russia is not waging war.

Smoke erupts following a shell explosion in Bakhmut last week / via REUTERS

Waging war is a completely different matter - it means complete destruction of infrastucture, it means complete destruction of cities, he said. We are not doing this. We are trying to preserve infrastructure and preserve human lives.

Peskovs comments did not address claims that Russias 72nd Separate Motor-rifle Brigade had abandoned positions on the southwestern outskirts of Bakhmut.

In a statement, Ukraines Third Separate Assault Brigade said: Its official. Prigozhins report about the flight of Russias 72nd Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade from near Bakhmut and the 500 corpses of Russians left behind is true.

A Russian brigade is typically formed of several thousand troops.

Our army is fleeing. The 72nd Brigade pissed away three square km this morning, where I had lost around 500 men, Prigozhin said on Tuesday, complaining his troops were receiving only 10% of the shells they needed.

In a statement later on social media, Prigozhin said Wagner forces had advanced 170 metres (530 feet). Ukrainian troops were confined to an area of 2.25 sq. km. (just under a square mile) and were coming under pressure in western districts dotted with high-rise apartments.
A leading Islamic militant has been killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip.

According to the Israeli military, Ali Ghali, a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was one of 24 killed, two of which were other senior militants, following the attack on the Khan Younis complex on Thursday.

Palestinian media reported that the strikes targeted the top floor of a building at the residential, Qatari-built complex in southern Gaza Strip, killing at least two senior Islamic militants and the commander.

Palestinians look for remains of people killed during an Israeli strike in Khan Younis / REUTERS

The attack came after reports of failed peace talks between the two sides after missiles hit central and southern Israel as well as Gaza on Wednesday

In a prime-time TV address on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had dealt a harsh blow to the militants but cautioned: This round is not over.

We say to the terrorists and those who send them. We see you everywhere. You cant hide, and we choose the place and time to strike you.

On Tuesday, Israel launched a separate attack killing three other Islamic militants and 10 civilians which set off a wave of retaliatory attacks.

Any terrorist who harms Israeli citizens will be made to regret it, said Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

It identified killed militants as Khalil Bahtini, the Islamic Jihad commander for northern Gaza Strip; Tareq Izzeldeen, the groups intermediary between its Gaza and West Bank members; and Jehad Ghanam, the secretary of the Islamic Jihads military council.

Separately, Israeli TV stations showed air defence systems intercepting rockets above the skies of Tel Aviv and the military said that for the first time, an air-defence system known as Davids Sling had intercepted a rocket.

Israeli officials said over 400 rockets had been fired by Wednesday evening.

The army said that schools would remain closed and restrictions on large gatherings would remain in place in southern Israel until at least Friday.
ADS ADS

On the occasion of the second edition of the annual Time to Watches event, we sat down with the CEO of Behrens, Lin Bingqiang, to discuss the brands new 11G, its cultural significance, and the future plans for Behrens in the global watch industry.

For someone who is not familiar with Behrens, how would you summarize the brand?

The reason why we have named the brand Behrens is because Mr. Peter Behrens is known as the founding father of modern industrial design. We named the brand after him to pay respect to his contribution to the design industry.

Lin Bingqiang  Mathieu Rotzer/WorldTempus

Can you talk to us about your new 11G? Why did you want to make the lightest mechanical watch?

First of all, there were two watches which were nominated for the GPHG award in the year 2020. In the year 2021, we came up with another new release which was a combination of both the Time on Mars as well as the Time on Earth models. The name of this watch was Project One. Then, in the year 2022, we were able to create our own in-house movement for the first time. It was a systematic and modularized type of watchmaking for that represented the past three years. If we continued that systematic route, we would run the danger of becoming too predictable. People might say this is all that Behrens can do; this is their entire ability. So, the core team of Behrens made this crazy plan to challenge themselves. That is the reason why we came up with this idea of making the lightest watch in the world  to challenge our past, change our route and give people a big surprise.

What was the most challenging aspect in developing this model?

There were two main aspects that were challenging when developing this model: the design perspective and the technical perspective. From the technical perspective, it is extremely hard to manufacture, using existing machines, due to its curved base for the core watch movement. A traditional watch movement is completely flat. As a result, it is a really huge production challenge when you have a 15-degree angle from gear to gear to assemble and combine them and make sure they are working accurately. Our team worked really hard towards a successful outcome and we never stopped believing that we could achieve this.

From the designs perspective, the challenge was to create designs for Behrens products that dont resemble other brands design languages or ideas. It is really hard to avoid that as there are so many watches on the market already. As a result, it is hard for people to see Behrens as completely different from other brands. However, through a lot of original thinking and design work, we made sure that this novelty implements Behrens core design concept.

20G in titanium (the 11G will be in carbon)  Mathieu Rotzer/WorldTempus

How important is it for Behrens to integrate elements of traditional Chinese culture into their watches?

Watchmaking is a combination of different industries like art, science, engineering, design, physics, culture etc. What Behrens wanted to do was imbed the traditional Chinese culture into its designs in a very subtle way. We do not want to reveal this aspect in an obvious way, but implement it subtly which allows our customers to discover the hidden message. If you think about the design of our novelty, it looks like a board which was used in ancient Chinese culture which ministers held in their hands when seeing their emperors as a sign of respect. The design can be extended to the box for the watch as well, which takes the same shape.

Where do you see Behrens in the future?

Behrens is still extremely young. First of all, we want to make sure that Behrens is more of an open-source platform, not only for themselves but also for the entire industry in the future. An example of this could be a design war concept, whereby we offer designers the opportunity to compete in designing a watch where we can build the winning idea. This will allow designers to hugely benefit by participating and showing their talents. Secondly, we are going to put a very big emphasis on customer requests from the market. We will take these very seriously. In addition, we want to make Behrens more multicultural and more open in terms of design, technologies, and branding. In terms of our logo for the brand, at first glance, it looks like it is comprised of from the letter B and R, but the true symbol behind it is to express a more inclusive view, not only for our own history and culture, but for others as well.
P akistans highest court has ordered the release of Imran Khan, the countrys former prime minister, who has been in custody since his dramatic arrest on Tuesday.

The countrys Supreme Court on Thursday afternoon ruled Mr Khans arrest to be illegal.

Mr Khan was dragged from a courtroom in Pakistans capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday, as he appeared to face corruption charges. He denies the charges.

He has since been held at a police compound in Islamabad where a judge on Wednesday ordered the 70-year-old opposition leader could be detained for at least another eight days.

Pakistans top court on Thursday ordered the anti-graft agency to release Mr Khan from its custody, broadcaster Geo TV reported.

Clashes with police in the country since Mr Khans dramatic arrest on Tuesday have killed at least eight of his supporters and left dozens injured.

Five of the deaths were reported in north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, two in the eastern city of Lahore and one person was killed in the south-western city of Quetta.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan (file) / AP

More than 200 police officers were also injured.

Hundreds of supporters of Mr Khan were arrested in raids overnight on Wednesday, while the violence saw demonstrators burn down a railway station on the outskirts of Islamabad.

Police said that nearly 1,600 of Mr Khans supporters were arrested on charges of damaging public property and attacking military installations.

In one incident, hours after Mr Khans arrest, a mob set fire to the sprawling residence of a top army commander in the eastern city of Lahore.

Also on Thursday, police filed new terrorism charges against Mr Khan and top leaders from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on charges of inciting mobs to violence.

They said the mobs attacked military installations, damaged public property, burned down dozens of police vehicles, attacked police officers and disrupted life by blocking key roads and highways.

Police detain a supporter of Imran Khan / AP

In an address to the nation late on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who took over after Mr Khan was ousted in April last year in a no-confidence vote in Parliament, said the outbreak of violence was unforgivable.

He said: Such scenes were never seen by the people of Pakistan. Even patients were taken out of ambulances and ambulances were set on fire.

Following the violence, the government has shut down schools, colleges and universities in the eastern Punjab and north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, where Mr Khan has a massive grassroots following.

The government also suspended internet service in various parts of the country.
U krainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet Pope Francis in the Vatican on Saturday, diplomatic sources said.

The planned trip, which has not been officially announced, would be just two weeks after the pope said the Vatican was involved in a peace mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

It comes as Ukraine is reported to be planning a counter-offensive against Russian forces with invading forces said to be in retreat near the besieged city of Bakhmut.

Pope Francis waves as he arrives for his weekly general audience / AFP via Getty Images

A Ukrainian unit said it had routed a Russian brigade near the city in an incident underlining the task facing the Kremlin as it carries out what it calls a very difficult military operation.

The claim appeared to support comments by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary army, who said the Russian brigade had abandoned its positions in Bakhmut, Moscows primary target in its winter offensive and scene of the bloodiest ground combat in Europe since World War Two.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who heads Ukraines ground forces, said Russian units in some parts of Bakhmut had retreated by up to two km (1.2 miles) as the result of counter attacks.

Surveillance footage released by Ukraine appears to show white phosphorus raining down on Bakhmut / Ukraine Defence Ministry

Wagner units have led a months-long Russian assault on the eastern city, suffering heavy losses, but Ukrainian forces say the offensive is stalling.

The special military operation continues. This is a very difficult operation, and, of course, certain goals have been achieved in a year, Tass new agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as telling a Bosnian Serb television channel.

We managed to beat up the Ukrainian military machine quite a bit, said Peskov, citing Russian missile strikes in Ukraine. This work will continue.

Peskov said he had no doubt that Bakhmut will be captured and will be kept under control. He also said the Russian campaign in eastern Ukraine was proceeding slowly because Russia is not waging war.

Waging war is a completely different matter - it means complete destruction of infrastucture, it means complete destruction of cities, he said. We are not doing this. We are trying to preserve infrastructure and preserve human lives.

Prigozhin has clashed with Russias defence ministry in recent weeks and expressed concerns about a promised Ukrainian counter-offensive to recapture territory Russia occupied after the invasion was launched on Febuary 24, 2022.
S outh African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his government is looking into reports the country has provided weapons to Russia.

He was questioned about it in parliament after the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, said Washington believed a Russian vessel had been loaded with weapons and ammunition in December.

The matter is being looked into and in time we will be able to speak about it, Ramaphosa told lawmakers.

Brigety said US officials had concerns about South Africas professed neutrality regarding Russias war in Ukraine and said weapons were put on a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near Cape Town for three days in December.

She said: Amongst the things we noted were the docking of the Russian cargo ship Lady R in Simons Town between December 6 and December 8, 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons, ammunitions ... as it made its way back to Russia.

Brigety said South Africas alleged arming of Russia during its invasion of Ukraine was extremely serious and called into question its supposed neutral stance in the conflict.

The South African government, a key partner for the U.S. in Africa, has stated numerous times it has a neutral position on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully.

But recent displays of its closeness to Russia opened it to accusations it has taken Russias side.

South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for talks in January, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.

Weeks later, it allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast.

The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navys flagship vessels.

The South African navy also took part in the drills and characterized them as exercises that would strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.

South Africas decision to stage those naval drills in February, which coincided with the one-year anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, raised serious concerns for the U.S., Brigety was quoted as saying Thursday.

At the time of the drills, the South African armed forces said they were planned years ago before Russias invasion of Ukraine.
U S troops lined the border in Texas as thousands of migrants scrambled to cross from Mexico before Covid-19 restrictions end.

Tens of thousands of migrants have crossed to the United States already this week, with New York saying it has received 500 new arrivals a day.

The huge surge came as the US rolled out a new regulation on Wednesday that presumes most migrants are ineligible for asylum if they passed through other nations without seeking protection elsewhere first, or if they failed to use legal pathways to enter the US.

It is a key part of President Joe Bidens border enforcement plan as coronavirus restrictions - known as Title 42 - are set to end just before midnight on Thursday.

Migrants cross the Rio Grande river, as seen from Matamoros, Mexico, on May 10 / AP

Under Title 42, which has been in place since the coronavirus pandemic broke out in March 2020, many border crossers were rapidly expelled to Mexico without a chance to seek asylum, leading to repeat attempts.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the new rule would mean harsher consequences for migrants crossing illegally who, if caught, could be deported and barred from the United States for five years if they do not qualify for asylum.

We are making it very clear that our border is not open, that crossing irregularly is against the law and that those who are not eligible for relief will be quickly returned, Mr Mayorkas said at a press conference in Washington.

Large crowds of migrants have been gathering near the border in Mexico before the new rule comes into effect.

US border officers run a drill at San Ysidro crossing port on the US-Mexico border seen from Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on May 10 / AFP via Getty Images

More than 10,000 migrants were caught crossing at the US-Mexico border illegally each day on Monday and Tuesday, said Brandon Judd, president of a union for Border Patrol agents.

US President Joe Biden earlier this week acknowledged that the border would be chaotic for a while.

US cities are expecting to receive some of those migrants after they cross the border. New York City said it is already receiving 500 per day and expects the number to increase after Title 42 expires on Thursday, leading Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday to issue an executive order temporarily suspending a policy guaranteeing shelter for all those in need.

We have reached our limit, spokesperson Fabien Levy said in a statement. This is not a decision taken lightly and we will make every effort to get asylum seekers into shelter as quickly as possible.

Violence broke out at a crossing between Reynosa, Mexico and Pharr, Texas on Wednesday morning as Mexican soldiers clashed with an armed group of suspected people smugglers, killing three, officials in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas said. The Mexican Army said it had no immediate comment.

Migrants try to get to the US through the Rio Grande / AFP via Getty Images

Democorat President Biden has been criticised by both Republicans and members of his own party, for the new measure. Counters previous statements Mr Biden made on the campaign trail in 2020, when he said he thought it was wrong for people not to be able to seek asylum in the United States.

The rule, which comes into effect on Thursday and expires in two years, will apply to the vast majority of non-Mexican migrants seeking asylum since they typically pass through multiple countries en route to the US.

The Biden administration says it plans to simultaneously expand legal pathways for migrants abroad, to provide alternative ways to enter the US and discourage illegal crossings.

Biden officials on Tuesday said the administration planned to open more than 100 migration processing centers in the Western Hemisphere.

It comes as the British Governments plans to clamp down on migrants attempting to cross the Channel by small boats have also drawn criticism.

An attempt to stop Home Secretary Suella Bravermans Illegal Migration Bill in its tracks was heavily defeated in the House of Lords on Wednesday, despite a rare intervention from the Archbishop of Canterbury who heavily criticised the plans, saying they risked great damage to the UKs reputation.
PwC apprentice

Although Salome Tirado Okeze was interested in computer science and studying the subject at A-level, she assumed that a career in it would mean endless coding.

Then, through school, she heard about a work-experience week at PwC in Edinburgh that combined a focus on business and computer science.

I realised, with a bit of research, that technology degrees are much more varied than I first thought, says Salome.

She applied for the placement and was accepted. Through it, she learnt about PwCs technology degree apprenticeships, Flying Start.

The programme is offered to around 200 applicants a year, in partnership with universities and colleges in five locations across the UK. University tuition is fully funded and the apprentice is paid a full-time salary, plus all the company benefits of a permanent employee.

Salomes parents were initially sceptical about an apprenticeship route to a degree and were worried that the standard might not match that of a traditional degree.

But their daughters research and persistence began to change their perception. With her parents onside, Salome went through an application process that involved an online assessment, video interview and assessment day.

When I was offered a place on the degree apprenticeship programme  with one of the biggest consulting firms in the world  my parents were so proud, says Salome. And relieved that I was able to go to university without the burden of student debt like so many of my friends.

The PwC Technology Degree Apprenticeship involves a four-year Computer Science degree, which Salome is studying at Leeds University. She does her on-the-job learning with the firm via integrated placements during summer when university is closed, and is spending her third year of the apprenticeship at the PwC Leeds office, embedded across various technology teams.

She has worked across a range of areas from cyber security, data and analytics to technology consulting and forensic technology.

Id describe it as a problem-solving degree  technology just happens to be the medium we use to do the solving, says Salome.

What really cemented my decision to pursue the Flying Start apprenticeship was the work placement I did with PwC when I was 16, says the 20-year-old, who will graduate next year. I remember thinking it was too good to be true. Tuition fees? Covered. Work experience? Covered. A full-time salary while studying? Also covered. I remember wondering what the catch was  but here I am, two years later, no catch and really enjoying the programme.

Allegis Group apprentice

Apprentice Keira Todd /

When details of her apprenticeship salary landed in her inbox, Keira Todd thought the company had made a mistake.

The 18-year-old, who works in procurement for Allegis Group, a global recruitment company, was amazed.

I had already worked on a trainee course at minimum wage and I thought the apprenticeship would be similar, but the salary was triple what I had been getting, she says.I thought, This cant be right. But it was!

Keiras advice to other young people applying for apprenticeships is not to settle for the first thing they see. Now I know my value and I know what Im worth, she adds.

The teenager works in procurement and is a point of contact for Allegis Group employees who need to buy in a range of items, from travel to computer equipment and stationary. She spends a dedicated day each week undertaking a Level 3 qualification (the equivalent of three A-levels) with Multiverse, the tech start-up established by Euan Blair that provides apprenticeships as an alternative to university and corporate training.

At work, Im doing things to the same standard and at the same level as everyone else, Keira says. I love prioritising my inbox! People have been really nice about my work and starting an apprenticeship at a relatively young age and even said, Youre so inspirational, which is lovely to hear.

While many of her friends are at university, the teenager decided while doing her GCSEs that it was not the path for her.

I thought, Im going to do things for myself and be really successful, and thats not going to be through university, she says. I wanted to get hands-on experience. I didnt really like school. I thought it was set in its ways and not mindful of different opportunities.

Being in the more mature environment of a workplace can sometimes make her feel like Im in my little own little boat. But at the same time, it brings many advantages, such as learning from colleagues.

And one of the biggest pluses about earning while learning is appreciating your free time and being able to afford great holidays.

I think one of the things that puts people off going into work is what seems like limited time off, says Keira. But if you are studying and have a part-time job as a waitress or in a bar, youll be working evenings and weekends. I start work at eight and I log off at five; Ive got all of my evenings and I look forward to my weekends.

Most companies give over 20 days of annual leave, not including bank holidays, and although it might not seem like a lot, Ive been on four holidays this year and Im off again in a couple of weeks and I can afford to go on good ones.

The Evening Standard Step Up Expo takes place from 30 June 1 July 2023 at London Olympia - for more information click here
From learning lifesaving first aid, how to apply handcuffs and the appropriate use of force, to studying policing laws and effective interview techniques, Akeem Griffiths first few terms at university were very different to most of his fellow undergraduates.

PC Griffiths is in his first year of a three-year police constable degree apprenticeship (PCDA). Not only is the course fully funded by the Metropolitan Police, apprentices are paid a starting salary of more than 33,500 including allowances and will gain a degree in professional policing practice on completion.

The policing programme is one of a growing number of degree apprenticeships that are increasingly sought after by young people keen to avoid a mountain of debt, gain a high-level qualification and learn on the job.

An apprentice is employed as a paid officer from day one, spending a majority of his or her time working alongside experienced officers on the front line in their designated boroughs. Officers also spend time learning policing laws and regulations, and working towards their degree at one of four partner universities; Brunel University London, the University of West London, Anglia Ruskin University or the University of East London.

PC Griffiths is part of a group of 30 other recruits at Anglia Ruskins east London campus. About 70 per cent of his cohort is aged 18 to 22. The oldest recruit is 37 but the upper age limit is 57.

The first 17 weeks of the PCDA was spent on campus and gave students a firm foundation in modern policing. High on the list of essentials was the officer safety training.

My mum really wasnt keen on me joining the police, says PC Griffiths, who lives in south-east London. She was worried for my safety basically. But when I told her about the really thorough training we have in keeping ourselves, colleagues and the public safe, it really reassured her and she began to change her mind about it.

After the time at university, another 10 weeks are devoted to trainees achieving their Independent Patrol Status (IPS). This involves being taken out in marked police vehicles and going through real-life scenarios, such as stop and search, making arrests and writing up reports, with the help and assistance of instructors. When the IPS is secured, its on to the streets for real, with support from experienced officers and team colleagues.

During the three-year course, apprentices return intermittently to university for a week or two of further study, giving them the opportunity to reconnect with fellow students.

When you go back for those weeks throughout your degree, you get to catch up with your fellow officers who are deployed across London, says PC Griffiths.  We are all on the same journey but I guarantee that people stationed at one borough will have different experiences to those in another borough. Its really rewarding to get to share those.

While there are other entry routes into the Met, getting a degree but staying out of debt made sense to PC Griffiths.

People who do a traditional degree end up in debt for a very long time, he says. Here, you get that paid for and you come out with a degree at the end of it. I would recommend this course to anyone, even those who dont think of themselves as academic and havent considered doing a degree. If you put your mind to it, you can be a police officer.

The Evening Standard Step Up Expo takes place from 30 June 1 July 2023 at London Olympia - for more information click here
I f throughout your years on this planet youve been compared to a magpie on more than one occasion, youre in the right place.

Known for their uncanny ability to scout out the most unique and interesting of objects due to their innate attraction to all things shiny, magpies collect various bits, bobs, and tat to attract a mate. Some humans arent too dissimilar, though while magpies will return their treasures to nests, human magpies place them in nesting trays  otherwise known as trinket dishes.

A low maintenance means to store your daily jewellery pieces before bed, your favourite skincare, nail polish, face oils and even collectible figurines, trinket dishes have a multitude of uses. As such, theyre particularly useful for us magpie-like folk who tend to pile up seemingly random collections of teeny tiny vintage and antique items of varying import and value. In fact, trinket dishes themselves have become coveted, collectible treasures. Some of us have so many scattered around the home that it has become almost impossible to discern trinket from tray.

Trinket-hunting has also become an unlikely craze among adults and teenagers as an offshoot from the surge in thrift shopping in recent years. Indeed, videos containing the hashtag #vintagetrinketbox have garnered over 73M views. People of all ages seem to be on a near-constant mission to trawl though the depths of vintage bins to find all sorts of knick knacks and vintage jewellery finds which adhere to their chosen aesthetics and cores.

Additionally, during the DIY phase of lockdown back in 2020, crafting clay trinket dishes was an incredibly popular pastime  not least because it was the easiest object to make for beginners who were using at-home pottery kits. If, however, the DIY lifestyle doesnt appeal to you, keep scrolling for a round-up of the sweetest trinket dishes for all your bits and bobs.

Shop now.
V anessa Feltzs ex Ben Ofoedu has admitted having some dark thoughts following their split in February after 16 years together.

Broadcaster Feltz, 61, shocked fans when she announced that they had broken up after she found out that he had been unfaithful.

While she was met with a flurry of support, he became the victim of online trolling and was painted as a villain by the media, both of which soon began to take a toll on his mental health.

At the same time, he was also still trying to come to terms with the death of his brother Roy, who passed away aged just 47 due to an unexpected medical crisis.

I was just spiralling out of control. I just felt like everything was closing in on me, my whole life and with the trolling and the backlash I received from my split with Vanessa, he told the MailOnline.

Ben Ofoedu and Vanessa Feltz pictured in happier times / Getty Images

I understand that people are just saying stuff and voicing their opinion, but I kind of understand now how people feel that theres no way out and they just want to end it all.

It got so bad that he says he started waking up and dreading what the next headline was going to be, absolutely dreading.

His one saving grace he said was landing a starring role in the new London show, Tony n Tinas Wedding.

Ofoedu is playing the character Vinnie Black in the immersive wedding experience and he told the publication that he is thankful that is has give him a new focus away from any personal drama.
A ctress Jodie Whittaker will lend her voice to upcoming animated film Tabby McTat, which will be broadcast over Christmas on the BBC.

The former Doctor Who star, 40, will be narrating the adaption which is based on the picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

Whittaker is joined by Gavin And Stacey star and comedian Rob Brydon  who starred in Donaldsons The Smeds And The Smoos  as Fred and Gangs Of London star Sope Dirisu as Tabby McTat.

The film will see busker Fred and musical cat Tabby enjoy their life singing to audiences in London streets before tragedy strikes.

In the story Fred breaks his leg while chasing a thief and his cat is left alone.

Donaldson, who in 2023 is celebrating her 30th year in partnership with Scheffler, said: I used to love busking with my husband Malcolm when we were living in Bristol, and also in Paris.

We also both love cats  in fact, weve just acquired two new kittens named Tabitha and McTat.

So this story is really close to my heart and combines two of my passions: singing and cats.

Also among the cast is Peep Shows Cariad Lloyd, The Thick Of Its Joanna Scanlan and Enola Holmess Susan Wokoma.

The film is directed by Sarah Scrimgeour and Jac Hamman, who both previously worked on Donaldson and Scheffler adaption Superworm, and is written by Max Lang and Suzanne Lang.

It is produced by Barney Goodland and Michael Rose of Magic Light Pictures  the company has adapted other works from the childrens picture book duo including Oscar-nominated short film The Gruffalo  and animation services are provided by Red Star Studio.

Goodland said: Julia and Axels book is a beautiful, heart-warming story that were delighted to be adapting for BBC viewers this Christmas.

The friendship between Fred and Tabby is a truly special one and the film explores how their relationship changes unexpectedly as their lives move forward, and ultimately, how they learn to embrace that change.

Tabby McTat will air on the BBC over the Christmas period.
Fatma Khafagy, a member of the National Dialogue Board of Trustees, said on Sunday that she has submitted a draft law to establish an anti-discrimination commission to the dialogues Committee on Human Rights and Public Freedoms.
C larksons Farm star Kaleb Cooper has announced a new bursary with the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) for students wanting to pursue a career in agriculture.

The agricultural entrepreneur and farm contractor shot to fame in 2021 after the release of the hit Prime Video farming show, which follows Jeremy Clarkson as he attempts to run an Oxfordshire farm.

On Thursday, Cooper joined RAU students at the Cirencester university to launch the bursary, which will provide 3,000 to support a student in exploring different paths into agriculture, as well as the opportunity for a work placement with Cooper or one of his industry partners during their studies or as a gap year placement.

The 24-year-old said he is keen to encourage applicants who have a genuine and demonstrable interest in agriculture, are not from a farming or agricultural background, and can demonstrate hardship or financial need.

Cooper said: Farming is who I am. Encouraging the younger generation into agriculture has always been so important to me.

I feel lucky that I knew my path from such an early age and want to help spread that passion and drive. Launching this bursary means so much as it can support students who want to pursue an agricultural career or who might be struggling to get into farming.

He shared a post on Instagram captioning it: I truly believe agriculture is for anybody no matter your background and having come from a non-farming family myself I want to encourage others with the passion and determination to pursue their career within the industry.

The Kaleb Cooper bursary will open for applications to RAU students in September, with the first award to be made in early 2024, it was announced.

RAU vice-chancellor Professor Peter McCaffery said: We are delighted that Kaleb has chosen to support RAU students through this bursary.

His passion for farming comes through loud and clear in his appearances on Clarksons Farm and he has definitely helped bring farming and agriculture even more into the public eye.

This bursary will help to give the successful applicant the chance to follow their dreams and pursue a career in agriculture as Kaleb himself did. We are very excited to be working with him.
E urovision will take place in the UK on Saturday but the omens are not good for home entry Mae Muller.

Ukraine won the 2022 competition and, as per tradition, it would be the host for this year. However, the ongoing conflict with Russia means that Britain - the runner-up last year - will stage the event in Liverpool.

Mullers entry I Wrote a Song is, according to bet365, the eighth most likely to win at 40/1 with Swedens Loreen deemed as the favourite. Loreens song Tattoo was given odds of 8/13.

The winner in 2021 was Italy, and Britain has not won the song contest since 1997 - which means the country last hosted in 1998.

Swedens Loreen is the favourite for the 2023 title / Getty Images

But, if the UK defies the bookies odds and comes top in the Eurovision final on Saturday, it will be the first time in nearly 30 years that the same nation has both hosted and won.

The last occasion was in 1994, when Ireland staged the event in Dublin and also claimed first place with the song Rock n Roll Kids, performed by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan.

It meant Ireland had actually won three times in a row, having also hosted and won in 1993, following on from their 1992 win.

The UK has not yet managed to win Eurovision while also staging the event, though it has come close several times, finishing in second place on five of the eight times it has hosted the contest.

This happened most recently in 1998, when the contest took place in Birmingham and the UKs entry Imaani came a close second behind Israels Dana International.

The first occasion was back in 1960, when the UK again came a close second, this time behind France.

United Kingdom entrant Mae Muller at the Eurovisions Turquoise Carpet opening ceremony (Peter Byrne/PA) / PA Wire

Aside from Ireland, only four other countries have won Eurovision while also hosting the event.

They are Switzerland, in the very first contest in 1956; Spain in 1969 (joint winners with the UK, Netherlands and France); Luxembourg in 1973; and Israel in 1979.

Victory for the UK this year would be the sixth time the country has won the contest and the joint second-highest number of wins of any competing nation, level with Sweden and one behind Ireland.
O nce exclusively open to European countries, the Eurovision Song Contest has opened its doors to far-flung countries Australia and Israel in recent years.

Now, hoping for their chance at performing alongside European nations is New Zealand.

Kiwi brewery Yeastie Boys has launched an unofficial Eurovision song in a campaign to get song contest bosses to open their doors to NZ.

Comedy duo Two Hearts, made up of Laura Daniel and Joseph Moore, have released a track titled Eurovision (Open Up) as part of the campaign.

The brewery has also launched a petition calling for New Zealand to be let into Eurovision, in which they ask: Can New Zealand come and play too?

They argue that: New Zealand is a country with a rich musical heritage that could bring a lot to the Eurovision party. Just ask Lorde, Crowded House or Dane Rumble.

We have taken it upon ourselves to highlight this injustice and right this wrong by inviting fellow New Zealand pals Two Hearts to launch the first ever official unofficial Eurovision entry.

Founder Stu McKinlay told NME : New Zealanders grow up with a sense of social justice being very important and Australia being invited to Eurovision without New Zealand is like inviting someone to your wedding but not giving them a plus one!

Everyone loves New Zealand and finds us cute and non-threatening and that makes us a sure thing for doing well in the public vote. I mean who really likes Australia?

Israel joined the song contest in 1973 and is allowed to take part because the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) is an active member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Meanwhile, Australia joined Eurovision in 2015 to commemorate the competitions 60th anniversary.

Additionally, Cyprus, Armenia, and Morocco have all been part of the song contest over the years. Could New Zealand be next?
G oogle outlined at the 2023 I/O conference how AI will come to its search engine.

The AI version of Google Search is called Search Generative Experience, and it will open up to the first users in the coming weeks, Google explains in a blog post.

It uses Googles large language model tech and will populate the top part of your search results. The feature will collate information from multiple sources into prose similar to what you might see from a chatbot.

Googles demo includes someone asking which e-bike they should buy. The Search Generative Experience displays links to recommendations made elsewhere on the web  which look like the sponsored ad slots you might see when searching for products today.

Google describes this as AI coming front and centre instead of working in the background, as it has done to date.

The company also suggests AI will be able to handle the kind of complicated questions you might ask one of the recent chatbots, but not a search engine.

Its example question is: Whats better for a family with kids under 3 and a dog: Bryce Canyon or Arches?. This reads like the kind of thing you see asked on a forum.

AI search versus chatbots

How is this different from todays chatbot experience? Some chatbots, such as the publicly available version of ChatGPT, have knowledge up to only a certain point in time. Googles AI search will naturally be powered by newly published content as well as older articles.

This AI tech will come to the US first, in both the Chrome browser and the Google app on iOS and Android. In this early stage, you will have to sign up at the Google Labs website to give it a try. We in the UK are out of luck for now.

The company continues to address AI large language models tendency to make stuff up as it did with the Google Bard chatbot. It says on its website that there are known limitations with generative AI and LLMs, and Search, even today, will not always get it right.

This move to incorporate generative AI into web searches is more tentative than Microsofts approach, though. In February, Microsoft announced the AI-powered Microsoft Bing. When using Bing through the Edge browser, you will already see a Bing Chat box containing generative results alongside more conventional web search listings.

However, Googles vision for AI search as presented in its Search Generative Experience sees the AI component take precedence over traditional search results. This is likely to have a huge impact on how many people actually visit the websites Google AI search collates its information from.

There is no word on when Googles Search Generative Experience will be available for UK folks to try out. However, is is likely to be released first as part of the Google Labs beta tester programme.
U K consumers are used to suffering from stingy currency conversions across borders. The Apple iPhone 14 Pro starts at 1,099 in the UK, compared with $999 (~792) across the Atlantic, for example.

You can blame all kinds of factors for this, including the lack of automatic sales tax and the impact of Brexit. But that doesnt make it any easier for consumers.

Theres something especially strange with the Google Pixel Tablet, though. At Google I/O last night, the company announced three products: the Pixel Fold, Pixel 7a and Pixel Tablet. And while the two phones matched the US pricing pretty closely, the Pixel Tablet was bizarrely subject to a UK price hike:

Device US price UK price Pixel Tablet $499 599 Pixel 7a $499 449 Pixel Fold $1,799 1,749

As you can see from the table above, both the Pixel 7a and Pixel Tablet share a $499 price tag in the US. However, in the UK, this translates to two price points that are 150 apart. This rules out the standard sales tax explanation.

European markets were similarly affected, with $499 translating to 509 for the Pixel 7a and 679 for the Pixel Tablet in France and Germany.

We reached out to Google about this, and had not yet received a response at the time of publication. So all we can do is speculate.

The most likely explanation is that Google is keen to make inroads into the US smart home market. The Pixel Tablet doubles up as a Nest Hub-style smart screen, and the company may be happy to sell the Pixel Tablet at cost or even at a loss in a part of the world that Google sees as vital. In other words, Europe could be subsidising the US.

Ultimately, the main loser of this strategy is likely to be Google. A 449 RRP would be hugely competitive for a tablet and speaker dock, undercutting both the Apple iPad Air (669) and Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (749).
Tor Wennesland , the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said the recent Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip are "unacceptable", adding that he was "deeply alarmed by developments in the strip after Israel launched a military operation."

"I condemn the deaths of civilians in the Israeli airstrikes," added Wennesland, urging "all concerned to exercise maximum restraint and avoid an escalation."

In the early hours of Tuesday, Israel launched airstrikes which struck multiple residential buildings in the Israeli-besieged strip, killing at least 13 people, including eight children and women.

"I remain fully engaged with all sides in an attempt to avoid a broader conflict with devastating consequences for all," Wennesland stressed.

Meanwhile, Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Sanan Majali called on the international community to act immediately to stop the Israeli aggression and provide protection for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the rest of the occupied territories.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperartion (OIC) also said in a statement that this new barbaric massacre" is an extension of the brutal Israeli military aggression against the Palestinian people and another flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law.

The OIC held Israel fully responsible for the repercussions of the continuation of these crimes, aggressions and organized terrorism that threaten to undermine security and stability in the region.

It called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities and provide international protection to the Palestinian people, and to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for all its crimes and violations against the Palestinian people, their land and holy sites.

Earlier today, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned in a statement the recent Israeli escalation, describing it as a violation of international law, warning that such attacks on the Palestinians would undermine efforts to achieve security in the region.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The violence Nancy Henry saw her mother endure as a child has left a permanent scar.

It never leaves you, the Ajax Ward 2 councillor says in an interview. And things happen that bring it back.

She remembers as a young girl, her mother crying in the bathtub with broken ribs after being abused by her husband and Nancys father.

As a child I was scared to go to sleep because I never knew what I was going to wake up to, she says.

And it all came flooding back to her when she found her mother, Sandra Dewsbury, dead in her apartment this February.

My world stopped, she says.

Two months later, Henry brought forward a motion to council pleading with the provincial government to declare intimate partner violence (IPV) an epidemic.

Knowing how it destroys families and hearing about it happening in todays society even more so than it did then, she felt it necessary to push on the issue.

I think municipalities standing together strong, passing this will get the funding needed to help all these places to have the staff, and what they need to help women get back into society, strong and able to be on their own and hopefully break free from their abuser, Henry says.

Her mother didnt have that opportunity. And her mother stayed with her husband until the day he died 20 years ago. She would take her two girls and leave him, but she always went back.

And I could never understand why, Henry says. It wasnt until I was older that I learned he would find her, and he would harass the person who was helping us to the point they would ask us to leave.

It continued, even after Nancy chose to leave and live with her grandmother when she was just 17.

It was a pattern she couldnt get away from, no matter how hard she tried, Henry says.

Specific legislation addressing family and domestic violence has been passed by six provinces and three territories; but Ontario has not implemented this type of legislation.

Henrys motion was passed by Ajax council, and similar motions have been passed in Durham Region and Whitby  both brought forward by women. Henry says a similar motion is coming before Pickering council.

Its about time that women join together, and stand up for each other and say enough, she says.

The motion also called on the Region of Durham to declare an IPV epidemic and integrate IPV into the regions Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.

Violence Prevention Coordination Council of Durham (VPCC), which represents 35 local agencies including Lukes Place, Herizon House and the Durham Rape Crisis Centre, reported a significant increase in demand for assistance from local IPV support providers on behalf of member Victim Services of Durham Region, with IPV victim support up 32 per cent over four years and sexual violence victim support up 277 per cent over four years.

Laura Oliver of VPCC spoke at the April Ajax council meeting, when the motion was passed.

And Ajax remembers all too well five years ago on March 18 of 2018, the triple homicide of Krassimira Pejcinovski and her two children, Roy, 15, and Venellia, 13, all victims of intimate partner violence, Oliver said.

She referred to Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam, who were murdered by a man with whom each had a relationship with in Renfrew County in 2015.

The province held an inquest into the murders in June 2022 and the five-person jury returned with a verdict including 86 recommendations, two of which were included in the motion.

Every three days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner, Oliver said.

One in five women experience some form of abuse in their intimate relationship.

This past year, 52 women in Ontario or one woman every week were victims of femicide, she said.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, resources and support are available on the website of the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres at sexualassaultsupport.ca/get-help/. The Ontario-wide Assaulted Womens Hotline is 1-866-863-0511.

SHARE:
To ensure it can successfully support its schools in providing equal technological education to its students, Niagara Catholics board of trustees is asking the provincial government for additional funding to hire experienced teachers and improve classroom infrastructure.

In a letter sent to the Ministry of Education, Niagara Catholic District School Board said it is supportive of the governments continued focus on trades, technology and workplace pathways, as well as the new mandatory technological education credit for high school students.

But the letter, signed by board chair Danny Di Lorenzo, expressed concerns as to how schools will add programming while making sure all students have equal access.

In an interview, Di Lorenzo said the topic came up at an April committee meeting during a presentation on technology education. Even though schools are doing a great job, conversation arose about meeting demand now that all high school students will be required to earn one technological education credit before graduating.

We decided in order to meet those needs, we have to let Minister (Stephen) Lecce know that we do have an excellent tech program, were very innovative in what we do, said Di Lorenzo, adding that exposure to technology will open a lot of doors for students.

But at the moment, while each school has some technology classes, not all students have easy access to the full range of courses offered. Asking the government to support infrastructure will allow schools to renovate, with many Niagara Catholic schools built in the 20th century and not equipped to provide the technology and resources needed. More funding would enable all schools to provide students, at the very least, access to technologies including in transportation, cosmetology, culinary, construction and manufacturing, within its own building, said Di Lorenzo.

Every student has access to the boards integrated technology hub in Welland, the Niagara Launch Centre, but not to the same degree. Di Lorenzo said while the board is medium-sized in terms of population, Niagara Catholic has a very large footprint, leaving some students having to spend more time on the bus, travelling from one school to another.

Itd be great if we had the funding to make these centres of excellence across the board, in the north end, in the west end, he said.

We want to give all our students in our schools the opportunity to access all the technologies because we truly feel that it is important  that we reinforce and support the ministry to provide more tech programs. But we also need the ministry to provide additional funding to allow us to do more so that we can properly prepare the students.

Thats where staffing comes in  its one thing to offer a class, but is has to be led by a qualified, experienced teacher.

If youre in construction, you have to have your construction qualifications, which usually means having had so many hours in the trade, and so it is a challenge to get the teachers, said Di Lorenzo.

Since sending the letter, the board has not heard a response  the letter was also sent to the premier, local MPPs and Ontario Catholic School Trustees Association.

RELATED STORIES Niagara Region Confusion, lack of clarity for Niagara school board trustees following tabling of provincial education bill

The Ministry of Education did not respond to request for comment by publication.

In the meantime, for the next school year when the technology requirement launches, Niagara Catholic programming will remain status quo.

Right now, students have all the techs available to them. Its not the most efficient model because theyre spending some time on a bus, said Di Lorenzo.

What we want to do is continue with that so students can stay at their own school with their peers, spend less time on a bus and be able to access the courses at their school or at a centre of excellence  such as the Launch Centre  that would be convenient for each school.

SHARE:
The Israeli military said it renewed strikes on Gaza Wednesday, killing one person according to the Palestinian territory's health ministry.

In a statement, the military said it was "currently striking Islamic Jihad organisation rocket launching infrastructure in the Gaza Strip".

A Gaza health ministry official told AFP one person was killed.

An AFP journalist saw air strikes hit north of Gaza City, with smoke billowing from the densely-populated territory.

Israel's military said it also fired on militants "who were travelling to a rocket launch site in the city of Khan Yunis" in southern Gaza.

The latest violence comes a day after Israeli air strikes killed 15 Gazans, including top militants from Islamic Jihad and four children, according to a health ministry toll.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Since January, this newspaper has run multiple columns by people opposing the monarchy and Canadas structure as a constitutional monarchy.

Recently, two of those writers have pointed to an Angus Reid survey that found 60 per cent of respondents opposed recognizing Charles as King of Canada.

The approval ratings for Charles Windsor, prince or King, are remarkably consistent with those of 2016. . What is new is the jump in the undecideds: 20 per cent to 30 per cent of Canadas population is undecided.

Why so many? Apathy? Do they think we have higher priorities? Or could it be because they have no idea what would replace monarchy or how that would happen?

If people do not have any idea what Canadas Constitution and government would look like without the monarchy, they cannot make an informed decision about ditching it. Nor has anyone discussed the cost of replacing it or what value it provides.

Presidents, in U.S. dollars, cost more than $200 million (France) to more than $400 million ((Italy); the British monarchy costs the British taxpayer $80 million by comparison (2014/15, The Telegraph). The combined cost of the Governor General and lieutenant-governors in Canada is just more than half of that per year (Macleans, 2016). In 2019-20, that cost was just less than $59 million, or $1.55 per Canadian (Monarchist League triennial survey 2021).

Do Canadian taxpayers really want to quadruple the cost to become a republic?

Monarchy costs less, but is there value? According to the watchdog Transparency International, constitutional monarchies are more stable and more transparent than alternatives. Monarchs are also non-political. They can represent everyone and are outside the polarization of elections. One of their most valuable contributions is sponsoring important causes. They shine a spotlight on and draw support to issues including climate change, youth empowerment, mental health, homelessness, sexual and domestic abuse and child welfare, across the Commonwealth.

The survey also does not explain what it is about monarchy people object to. Most arguments contain phrases like its time its outdated etc. These are not reasons, and also render our parliamentary system outdated since it developed in step with the monarchy. Could abolitionists pony up a fact or two?

People dont like the oath? OK, change it. You dont have to scrap the Crown to do that.

And it is the Crown that is important, not the head it sits on. The Crown is a legal entity that underpins our Constitution. Getting rid of the monarchy which represents the Crown would not be simple, and could fracture the nation more than it is already.

The undecided are a huge unknown, which points to the biggest problem: ignorance. Many Canadians have no idea what role the Crown plays or what is required to amend the Constitution. Nor do they have knowledge of the history of the constitutional conferences leading to 1982 or what those say about inter-provincial relations. Educating Canadians about the Constitution and Crown, and the value of the King and his deputies is crucial so people can make informed decisions.

Bob Hepburn wrote Canada should hold a nation-wide referendum to see if there is support for opening the constitutional debate. Each province would have to have its own referendum to guide its legislature, because each province has to decide whether to support changing the Constitution.

We can change things without upending the Constitution. The dramatically increased cost of a republic would be an ongoing expense, as would another level of elections. Plus theres the cost of constitutional conferences.

We are in a cost-of-living crisis. Our health-care system is in existential crisis. Would it not be frivolous to spend millions on a constitutional debate?

I cant think of a prime minister who would be willing to take this on. It aint broke, dont spend money fixing it. Thats a vanity project.

Victoria Whealy, a Niagara resident, is a historian and member of The Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada

SHARE:
The book is slugged 4C Untitled Flatiron Nonfiction Summer 2023.

To be released July 9, it will be 544 pages. Those are the only facts in this column. So maybe stop reading and go listen to Last Kiss. But if you get that reference, youve probably already bought 4C, which is burning up the preorder charts.

Confused? Me too.

Despite not having a listed title, author or synopsis, Taylor Swift fans believe they have cracked this springtime publishing mystery. They claim the upcoming book, making cameos on Top 10 lists everywhere, was secretly written by their goddess, who is dropping cryptic clues and tantalizing Easter eggs.

So her fans are now clicking buy like rats in a Skinner box.

Amazon has already sprinkled its No. 1 Best Seller pixie dust.

It started this month when Ms. Swift tweeted: It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9, iykyk (evil laugh emoji) 

My daughters inform me iykyk means if you know, you know. I did not know. But if the release date is July 7, wondered the Sherlock Swifties, whats this about July 9? Thats the publication date of 4C. Coincidence? The conspiracy theory then got doused with accelerant by Ms. Swift: Thanks to you, dear reader, it finally will be.

Dear reader? For a music album?

Variety reported this week on an unconfirmed pitch leaked to social media, in which a sales rep allegedly told sellers a confidentiality contract must be signed before receiving advance copies of the book. The rep, citing global appeal, also compared the mysterious book to recent memoirs by Matthew Perry and Prince Harry.

I look forward to Harrys followup: What The Hell Was I Thinking?

Anyway, this unknown book will have a first run of one million copies. Thats huge. And it rules out any possibility the big reveal will be, I Pity the Fool! by Mr. T.

The Swifties turned to numerology. Flatiron, an imprint of Macmillan, said details  including author and title  will be released June 13. Hang on. Isnt 13 T-Swizzles lucky number? If you add up 544 pages, oh sweet Moses, 5 plus 4 plus 4 equals 13. July 9 is a Sunday, an odd day for a global book release. But in You Are in Love, Swift sang: Morning, his place / Burnt toast, Sunday / You keep his shirt / He keeps his word.

Books are made up of words!

Preorder, preorder, preorder!

My favourite stories are nonstories. As a proud merchant of fluff, the fluffiness of this weird tale warms my heart. Swifties, who presumably do not blow a lot of disposable income on Tolstoy, Dickens or Joyce, are happily buying books. Well, one book.

That Variety reports was absolutely not written by Taylor Swift.

Whatever. Stop being a wet blanket, Variety. If the Swifties can catapult an unknown tome into bestseller territory during an economic downturn, there is a glimmer of hope for all of us in this godforsaken business of letters.

We just need to weaponize Taylor Swift.

As I wrote many moons ago, this is her world and we just live in it. If she ever decided to sell branded turnips, there would be no regular turnips left for anyone over the age of 25. Ms. Swift could bring back the Pet Rock and hula hoops by Sunday. If she started wearing mismatched socks, millions would copy.

Her fans are turning an unknown book into a premature bestseller simply because they suspect she wrote it. This is gold for all ink-stained wretches.

Swifties, lean in close. Im not authorized to tell you this. I could get fired. But I love and fear you. I heard a rumour, from sources in the upper echelons of Torstar, that Taylor will soon be writing a column for us.

It will begin on July 13 and run on the 13th day of every month for 1,313 consecutive months. It will be about cats. Sometimes, it will be about chicken tenders. Or leggings. Taylor might guest one day for Ellie or Lisi Tesher. Do you suspect your boyfriend dresses up as Batman before sleeping with your seamstress? Now is the time to send in your letter. He should not be doing this.

In an upcoming episode of Kevin Donovans riveting The Billionaire Murders podcast, I also heard Swift will solve the case. Seriously. She knows what happened and will spill. She will also be columnizing on the Jays, jetting to war zones and will mastermind a new Tay-Tay Crossword. All the clues will zig or zag diagonally, instead of going up, down, sideways. Spelling is optional.

I feel sorry for the author of 4C Untitled Flatiron Nonfiction Summer 2023. I also feel sorry for the booksellers who will be clocking overtime with refunds next month.

But the publishing world just got a crash course in the power of Swifties.

As Variety reported: Yet all these things are apparent coincidences, as (Swift) is not gearing up to release a memoir almost simultaneously with her next album and smack in the middle of a national stadium tour 

Dont be disappointed, Swifties. No, she did not write the upcoming book.

But there is no proof she is not coming to the Toronto Star.

Subscribe, subscribe, subscribe!

Read more about:

SHARE:
CALGARY - A young man convicted of manslaughter in the hit-and-run death of a Calgary police officer will face an adult sentence, an Alberta judge ruled Wednesday.

Sgt. Andrew Harnett died after being dragged by an SUV, then falling into the path of an oncoming car on Dec. 31, 2020.

The offender, who is now 20, was days away from turning 18 when Harnett died and was driving the vehicle when it took off from a routine traffic stop with the officer holding on to the wheel and trying to get him to stop.

He testified during his trial that he was scared when Harnett and another officer approached the vehicle during a traffic stop and he saw Harnett put his hand on his gun.

Court of Kings Bench Justice Anna Loparco found the young man not guilty of first-degree murder but guilty of manslaughter last year.

The Crown wants the 20-year-old to serve between 11 and 13 years in prison.

Loparco said the offender had shown maturity, even when committing the offence, and was living on his own.

I find that on the whole he demonstrated traits more aligned with an adult than a young person, Loparco said.

He did not return to the family home following his flight from police. Rather, he went to his own suite and monitored the situation on social media. When he discovered Sgt. Harnett had died, he did not involve his family.

Loparco rejected defence arguments that the actions were largely impulsive and said the objective of the court is to hold the individual, who as the driver was taking a lead role, accountable.

He reached speeds of 80 to 90 kilometres an hour. He also intentionally engaged in a variety of manoeuvres aimed at dislodging Sgt. Harnett from the car, Loparco told the court.

The consequential harm done was immense. A man lost his life, a family lost a husband and soon-to-be father, brother and son. A wide circle lost a friend. Society lost a police officer who exemplified professional conduct.

Loparco said she doubted the genuineness of the young mans expressed remorse and added his recounting of the events deflects blame and minimizes his role. She said he is also considered to be a high risk to reoffend.

The judge said although he may need counselling and support, that cant be offered with a three-year youth sentence.

In my view, a maximum youth sentence, even without credit for any pretrial custody, would not be of sufficient length to hold (the offender) accountable for his offending behaviour, she said.

This court shall, therefore, impose an adult sentence.

Loparco is to hear final arguments on sentencing from both lawyers May 31.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 10, 2023.

Read more about:

SHARE:
The Alberta Energy Regulator has warned Imperial Oil about more wastewater problems at its Kearl oilsands mine in northern Alberta.

The regulator has issued a notice of non-compliance to the company after chemicals associated with oilsands tailings were found at an off-site well at levels that exceed provincial guidelines.

In light of the exceedance of sulphate levels in the off-site well, we have issued a notice of non-compliance to Imperial for failing to control industrial runoff, says a notice from the regulator obtained by The Canadian Press.

This is not related to a tailings pond or the (environmental protection order) issued against Imperial in February.

The notice says sulphates have been detected in a well near a mine overburden disposal area that is 100 metres from the Muskeg River, a tributary of the Athabasca River. Data from the provincial oilsands monitoring program using samples from the Muskeg River show sulphates measured suddenly spiked by a factor of roughly 10 in the first three months of 2023.

The chemicals are naturally occurring and are not particularly harmful themselves. They are tracked because they are often found in high concentrations in tailings, which are toxic.

In an emailed statement, Imperial said the results were reported to the regulator and shared with communities.

This is part of the routine regulatory process, and is not associated with the seepage around the external tailings area (ETA) or environmental protection order (EPO), it said.

The regulator said in a statement that Indigenous communities that are close to the Kearl site have been informed.

It added that while there is a communications restriction in place during the period leading up to the May 29 provincial election, the regulator has received special permission from the chief electoral officer to continue communicating directly with Indigenous communities and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo on matters related to Imperials Kearl site.

Imperial is using sulphate measurements to outline how far seepage from one of its tailings ponds at Kearl has spread.

The company is still dealing with issues created by those releases.

In May 2022, workers discovered discoloured water seeping near a tailings pond on the north of the mine site. That substance was later found to be groundwater mixed with tailings.

The following February, another 5.3 million litres of wastewater escaped from a containment pond, prompting the regulator to issue an environmental protection order.

Area First Nations and responsible governments were angered they werent kept informed about the investigation into the first release. Three probes have been launched into that nine-month delay: one by a House of Commons committee, one by Albertas information commissioner and one by the regulators board of directors.

Imperial says it has largely cleaned up the containment pond release. It has installed pumps, drainage trenches and monitoring wells to keep the seepage from spreading further, although it still continues.

The regulator has told Imperial it must now provide a plan to delineate the new problem and bring its operations back into compliance.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.

 Follow Bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960

SHARE:
VICTORIA - A former New Democrat cabinet minister says he is joining the Opposition BC United, saying his former party no longer champions rural British Columbia.

Harry Lali, who was the NDPs transportation and highways minister in the late 1990s, says in a statement the New Democrats are now an urban interest party with little focus on issues and challenges facing rural communities.

Lali was first elected in 1991 in the Merritt-area riding of Yale-Lillooet and re-elected four times before his defeat in 2013 by Jackie Tegart, who now represents the Fraser-Nicola riding for BC United.

The 68-year-old ran unsuccessfully for the NDP in the Fraser-Nicola riding in 2017, despite former premier John Horgan asking him not to run.

Lali was seated in the legislature on Thursday when BC United Leader Kevin Falcon welcomed him to the party.

The statement says Lali likes the small business and rural development focus of the BC United and he is a friend and supporter of Falcon.

I firmly believe that the best interests of resource-dependent, small-town rural B.C., and British Columbia in general, will be best served by a Kevin Falcon-led BC United government after the next election, the statement says.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.

Read more about:

SHARE:
KEY FACTS Police identified the slain officer as Sgt. Eric Mueller

One person is in custody and there was no risk to public safety, OPP said

Officer treated and released, another in critical but stable condition after ambush in eastern Ontario village

BOURGET, ONT.Sgt. Eric Mueller, a 42-year-old father of two and a veteran Ontario Provincial Police officer described as the glue that held his shift together, was shot dead Thursday while responding to a disturbance in a quiet village southeast of Ottawa. Police are describing the shooting as an ambush.

Two other officers were taken to hospital with injuries and a suspect was arrested at the scene. The incident is the latest shooting of a police officer to rock the country in recent months, and one that has left many unanswered questions as police piece together what led to the tragic events.

This was not Muellers first brush with danger on the job. Early in his career, he was hit by a transport truck while attempting to arrest a man on outstanding warrants. Mueller, then 27, was crushed against his cruiser and thrown into the air. He suffered a severely broken leg  a life-altering injury that required three surgeries and left him with chronic pain.

What I remembered the most was the fear of not being a police officer again, Mueller told the court in a victim impact statement, according to a 2010 report in the Brockville Recorder. I know Im lucky to be alive today.

Mueller was a coach and a mentor to colleagues, someone everyone looked up to as the glue that held his shift together, the best leader that many people ever had the privilege of working for, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique told reporters Thursday.

He was hired as a provincial officer in 2006 and promoted to sergeant in 2018, Carrique said.

The shooting took place on a country road a short walk from the village centre, at a house tucked into the forest near a row of semi-detached bungalows. Neighbours watched the police activity on Thursday morning from their driveways, amid lawns speckled with dandelions.

Madison Bach said she woke at 3 a.m. to nurse her six-month-old baby and saw the flashing lights of police cruisers outside. She only found out what had happened later in the morning.

We were at a loss for words, Bach said. You know, you hear about the rates of crime increasing and you never think that its going to happen so close to your house.

It really makes you re-evaluate your safety, especially with having kids  you want to do everything in your power to keep them as safe as possible.

Down the street, residents at a small apartment building 500 metres from where the shooting took place woke Thursday to find an abandoned police SUV parked at the curb in front of their home. Lying on the hood of the vehicle was a black baseball cap bearing the yellow symbol of the Ontario Provincial Police.

It looked like someone had tossed the hat while trying to get somewhere in a hurry.

Later that morning, Louise Lascelle, who lives in one of the apartments, watched as a uniformed officer collected the hat and placed it in a brown paper bag. Shortly after, the police vehicle was towed from the scene. Lascelle wondered if it belonged to the slain officer.

Police have not yet released the names of the injured officers, but the commissioner said one was a 43-year-old officer with 19 years of service, and that another 35-year-old officer with 10 years on the force was treated and released from hospital. Both were exemplary officers highly regarded by their colleagues and community, the OPP commissioner said.

The incident happened shortly after 2 a.m. when the OPP officers responded to a disturbance off Laval Street in Bourget, about 50 kilometres east of Ottawa. Police had received a report of gunshots, but the OPP commissioner said it has not been confirmed whether any shots were fired before they arrived.

When the officers arrived, they were shot by someone at the home, police said. All three were taken to an Ottawa hospital.

Alain Bellefeuille, 39, has been charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder using a firearm, according to court records.

The suspect appeared before an Ontario judge by video link on Thursday. Bearded, with long, dishevelled hair, Bellefeuille spoke in a low raspy voice, blinked repeatedly and seemed mildly disoriented. A court-appointed lawyer said on his behalf that he was extremely tired at this point and does not wish to answer any questions.

Bellefeuille was remanded into custody and given a week to contact counsel. His next court appearance is on May 18.

The court issued a no-contact order between the accused and several individuals, including some of his neighbours.

Police said they believe the suspect was the resident of the home and they are not aware of anyone else who was at the residence. He was not injured during the arrest.

Carrique did not provide specifics on the suspects criminal record but said this is not a case where this is an individual that we have been dealing with repeatedly for years.

They said a long gun had been found at the scene but they could not confirm whether it was used in the incident.

Half a dozen police vehicles were parked outside the home where the shooting took place Thursday morning, as well as a large mobile support truck. Two more OPP vehicles blocked Laval Street, keeping people away from the scene.

The major crossroads in Bourget  Laval Street and Champlain Street  were closed when people came in to work in the morning. There was no reason given on site, but residents, by that time, had already heard why.

Clarence-Rockland Mayor Mario Zanth said the police officers were well known in the village. Were a small community, so this is hitting home for sure.

Of the slain officer, the mayor said, Its the same thing that I can say about every single officer that puts their life on the line daily to keep us safe. He dedicated his life to protecting the public, and theyll be remembered as such  as one of those that are local heroes.

In a statement, Premier Doug Ford extended his thoughts to the family of Mueller, who he said was senselessly killed in the line of duty.

The Ontario Provincial Police Association said it was devastated to learn about the shooting.

Our officer will forever be remembered as a hero in life, the association representing OPP officers said in a statement.

There have been at least nine other police officers killed in Canada since September

Last weekend, the names of four officers killed in 2022 were added to the Ontario Police Memorial as part of an annual remembrance ceremony.

Toronto police Const. Andrew Hong was shot in what police described as an ambush on Sept. 12 at a Tim Hortons in Mississauga. A month later, South Simcoe police constables Devon Northrup and Morgan Russell were killed after they responded to a disturbance call in Innisfil, Ont.

Then on Dec. 27, OPP say Const. Greg Pierzchala was fatally shot in an ambush while responding to a call for a vehicle in a ditch.

The spate of police deaths across Canada is unprecedented and having a significant impact on officers and recruiting efforts, said the president of the Canadian Police Association.

Were kind of all reeling from the frequency that these tragedies are happening  and then the knock-on effect is its having a significant impact on families of police officers, said Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association and a constable with Vancouver police.

Stamatakis, an officer for more than 30 years, said it seems the job has become more dangerous, possibly because of more access to firearms and a greater prevalence of mental health challenges in the general population.

Weve got to build the capacity in our in our support services, Stamatakis said. And by that, I mean our health-care systems, our social services, to be able to better support people so that we can avoid them falling into the type of crises or situation where this is the outcome.

With files from Steve McKinley and The Canadian Press

Read more about:

SHARE:
ST. JOHNS, N.L. - Politicians across Newfoundland and Labrador have registered their dismay with a decision by Memorial University to extend a ban on the singing of the provincial anthem at convocation ceremonies.

Members of the legislature staged a vocal protest on Wednesday by standing in the house of assembly and singing the Ode to Newfoundland.

In the fall of 2022, the university said it would not play the anthem because it omits Labrador and contains outdated language. As well, university officials said the song does not reflect the many communities within the institution.

At the time, members of the legislature responded by unanimously endorsing a motion that called on the university to reverse its decision and resume playing the song and the Ode to Labrador at graduation ceremonies.

But on May 9, the universitys senate voted to extend the ban.

The decision to remove the Ode to Newfoundland from convocation was intended to create safer and more welcoming spaces for all students, Dr. Neil Bose, the universitys president, said in a statement.

We are committed to working together with representatives from the different communities and groups, internal and external to the university, to consider the continued evolution of our convocation ceremonies.

Catharyn Andersen, Indigenous vice-president at the campus in St. Johns, has noted that the song was written by and for settlers. She has argued that the ode leaves some students feeling excluded during convocation ceremonies.

As well, Andersen has pointed out that the Ode to Newfoundland was written at a time when Europeans were exploring the island for valuable resources with little thought given to its Indigenous populations.

On Wednesday, a Progressive Conservative member of the legislature, Barry Petten, asked Culture Minister Steve Crocker if the government was going to take action against the university, saying Memorials decision was out of touch with the majority of residents.

Its an insult to the people of this province, Petten told the legislature.

Crocker said he agreed with Petten, and the minister confirmed that he had called Bose earlier in the day to express his profound displeasure with the lack of respect for this house of assembly.

Petten then invited members to sing the ode in defiance of the ban, and they obliged. When the song was done, a small number of members sang the Ode to Labrador.

The Ode to Newfoundland was written in 1902 by Sir Cavendish Boyle, a British civil servant who served as colonial governor of Newfoundland. The music was written by British composer Sir Hubert Parry. Newfoundland was a British colony at the time; it didnt join Confederation with Canada until 1949.

The provincial government adopted the ode as Newfoundland and Labradors official anthem in 1979. The song speaks of shimmring white snow, starlit nights, and ends with God guard thee Newfoundland.

The song is played in schools, at hockey games and at the beginning of some radio broadcasts across Newfoundland.

The Ode to Labrador was written by Dr. Harry Paddon in 1927.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.

 By Michael MacDonald in Halifax.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misspelled the last name of Sir Hubert Parry.

SHARE:
Accused mobster and convicted killer Vincenzo (Jimmy) DeMaria says hes a victim of negative ethnic profiling because he was born in Italy.

Ive been profiled, DeMaria, 69, said. Absolutely. No doubt about it.

DeMaria, a baker and York Region businessman, spent 17 years in Ontario prisons after being convicted of second-degree murder in 1982, and continues to serve a life sentence on parole. He blamed crooked police, a greedy police agent, a drug habit and negative profiling for much of his woes.

I can only tell you about my suffering. Has there been suffering? Absolutely, he said, speaking at an ongoing deportation hearing as he fights to stay living in Canada, rather than be sent to his native Italy.

His parents brought him to Canada when he was nine months old and he never took out citizenship when he became an adult.

He suggested the deportation hearing was part of a broader pattern of ethnic profiling.

This whole thing is stereotypes, he said.

His younger brother Giuseppe (Joe) DeMaria is wanted in Italy on Mafia association charges, the hearing heard. On this, DeMaria said that Italian police are often fed false information from Canadian law enforcement officers.

DeMaria said he took a course while in custody for drug rehabilitation to cure his drug habit, and since his conviction has completed high school and studied real estate and business management. He was also chair of the inmate committee at Joyceville medium security institution.

He said its hard for people with Italian heritage to get into some professional schools like law in Canada, because of profiling.

In certain professions, Italians are looked down upon, he said.

He said he had hoped that his son, Carlo DeMaria, 48, would become a lawyer. Instead, Carlo works in the finance and insurance businesses, he told the hearing.

The elder DeMaria was convicted of second-degree murder for a 1981 killing at College and Grace Streets, which he said was in self-defence. He fired nine shots into his victim, Vincenzo Figliomeni, 37, a father of four who owed him $2,000. Court heard most of the shots went into Figliomenis back.

Justice Nicholson McRae, who sentenced DeMaria in 1982, said: This was a brutal shooting. It was an execution.

DeMaria told his deportation hearing this week he was hooked on opioids when he killed Figliomeni.

He said that much of the governments case against him in the current deportation hearing was built on the testimony of a paid police agent.

He wanted to earn as much as he could, DeMaria said, adding that he would like the chance to question the agent.

DeMaria also said he doesnt suspect acquaintances like Cosimo Elia Commisso or Angelo Figliomeni, both of the GTA, are in the Ndrangheta, or Calabrian Mafia.

He said he knows Figliomeni as a prominent local fundraiser for health care and community events.

Commisso and his brother, Rocco Remo Commisso, spent time in prison with DeMaria in the early 1980s after the brothers were each convicted of a string of violent charges, including three counts of conspiracy to commit murder.

DeMaria said that he and Cosimo Elia Commisso sometimes also participated in community fundraising events for charity after they both got out of prison.

He said he never asked the Commisso brothers or Angelo Figliomeni about the Ndrangheta.

Theyre not things that you ask people, he said.

DeMaria said he considers Cosimo Elia Commisso a friend but said the two do not do business together.

DeMarias deportation case wont be resolved until the fall at the earliest, and both sides can appeal if they lose.

SHARE:
With effective and timely support from the international community, particularly NATO member countries, in 2023 Ukraine will win the all-out war launched by Russia against Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Is such an outcome truly possible?

While some political pundits sneeringly argue that it is not, many of them also believed that the Kremlin was right when it predicted that Russias so-called special military operation in Ukraine would only last about three days.

Others fear that China will provide military support to Russia, giving the Russian army a fighting chance.

However, during a one-hour phone conversation on April 26  their first since Russias all-out war against Ukraine  Chinas President Xi Jinping told Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and a responsible great power  we would not add fuel to the fire.

Even if China reneged on this statement and decided to support Russia militarily, at the cost of its shortterm economic relationship with the U.S. and the EU, China would only send weapons  not its army.

This would raise the cost of Ukraines victory but would not remedy a glaring problematic combination within Russias army that will inevitably lead to its defeat  namely, low morale and high incompetence.

In any event, a weakened, or even defeated, China-dependent Russia would not exactly be a bad outcome for China.

In 2022, NATO member countries provided hesitant and incremental military support to Ukraine.

Indeed, it was only once Ukraine demonstrated incredible heroism, strength and resilience, as well as amazing combat effectiveness, that NATO member countries started to provide weapons that were more in line with Ukraines actual needs to defend its territorial integrity and restrain Russias expansionist ambitions.

Notwithstanding, this costly procrastination by the West, according to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny, by the end of 2022, Ukraine liberated 40 per cent of the territories that Russia invaded in 2022.

This is undoubtedly the most relevant statistic and clearly demonstrates that Ukraine is indeed capable  with effective and timely Western support  to restore in 2023 its internationally recognized 1991 borders.

This capability should prompt NATO-member countries to stop wavering and provide Ukraine advanced Western equipment, including F-16 fighter jets and long-range missiles. Such assistance would surely help Ukraine win this unprovoked war in the very near future, and prevent further killings of civilians, including innocent children, as well as additional costly destruction of Ukraines cities and towns. Ukraines victory will also remove the most serious threat to the security of NATO-member countries.

Ukraines military success will ultimately be a decisive victory for liberal democracies over authoritarian regimes, namely Russia, backed by Iran, North Korea and Belarus. This will have a significantly positive impact on peace, security, stability and prosperity in the world.

Ukraines victory shall also signal that the international community will no longer tolerate blatant violations of the fundamental values enshrined in the UN Charter, making this world a better place.

Eugene Czolij is president of Ukraine-2050, honorary consul of Ukraine in Montreal and was Ukrainian World Congress president from 2008 to 2018.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Wednesday, in a first response to ongoing Israeli airstrikes that have killed 19 Palestinians, including three senior militants and at least 10 civilians.

The rocket fire set off air-raid sirens throughout southern Israel and as far away as Tel Aviv, on the Mediterranean Sea, 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. Residents had been bracing for an attack since Israel carried out its first airstrikes early Tuesday.

It was the heaviest fighting between the sides in months, pushing the region closer toward a full-blown war. But in signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the smaller Islamic Jihad faction. Hamas, meanwhile, appears to be remaining on the sidelines.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the Islamic militant group took control of Gaza in 2007.

As rocket fire continued, Israeli TV stations showed air defense systems intercepting rockets above the skies of Tel Aviv. In the nearby suburb of Ramat Gan, people lay face-down on the ground as they took cover during one attack.

In a move that could further raise tensions, Israeli police said they would permit a Jewish ultranationalist parade to take place next week. The parade, meant to celebrate Israel's capture of east Jerusalem and its Jewish holy sites, marches through the heart of the Old City's Muslim Quarter and often leads to friction with local Palestinian residents.

As air raid sirens continued to wail, Israeli media said at least 100 rockets had been fired. Israeli rescuers said two people were hurt running for shelter, and local officials said an empty home in the southern town of Sderot was struck.

Throughout the day, Israeli aircraft hit targets in Gaza for the second straight day, killing at least three Palestinians. The Israeli military said its warplanes targeted 40 rocket launchers across the enclave.

Eden Avramov, a 26-year-old resident of the southern Israeli town of Sderot, described the 24 hours since Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza as terrifying. We are all traumatized from this routine  the waiting, the booms, the alarms.

Speaking from her homes bomb shelter, she said she had mixed feelings about the Israeli militarys assault on Gaza. I am happy to see that theyre responding to last weeks bombs, it feels like they care, she said. I just dont want to see anyone get hurt, here or on the other side.

Tuesday's strikes killed three senior Islamic Jihad militants and at least 10 civilians  most of them women and children. Palestinian militants have pledged to retaliate while Israel says it is prepared for a further escalation of hostilities.

The Israeli military has said its attacks were focused on Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant infrastructure in the coastal enclave.

On Wednesday, the army said an airstrike targeted militants traveling to a rocket launcher site in southern Gaza Strip.

Medics said the strike killed one man and seriously wounded another. Later on Wednesday, another airstrike killed a Palestinian in northern Gaza and two Palestinians in the southern city of Rafah. Palestinian officials could not confirm whether the targets were militants.

It also remained unclear whether two Palestinians killed in a separate airstrike late Tuesday were militants or civilians. Israel has claimed the men were preparing to fire anti-tank missiles.

The Israeli military had instructed residents of southern Israel to remain near bomb shelters, and schools were still closed for a second day as a precaution against rocket attacks.

Israel says the airstrikes are a response to a barrage of rocket fire launched last week by Islamic Jihad in response to the death of one of its members from a hunger strike while in Israeli custody.

Israel says it is trying to avoid conflict with Hamas, the more powerful militant group that rules Gaza, and limit the fighting to Islamic Jihad.

Our actions are meant to prevent further escalation," said Rear Adm. Danny Hagari, the Israeli military's chief spokesman. "Israel is not interested in war.

Hamas has expressed solidarity with its smaller counterpart in Gaza, and the two groups often coordinate with one another.

In a statement, the organization of Palestinian factions in Gaza, including Hamas, said the campaign against Israel  which it dubbed Avenging the Free  involved firing hundreds of rockets in retaliation for Israel's killing of three Islamic Jihad commanders as well as several civilians. The resistance is ready for all options," the factions said. If (Israel) persists in its aggression and arrogance, dark days await it."

Still, it remained unclear whether Hamas had joined the fray. If the ruling militant group is dragged into the fighting, the risk of a full-blown conflict would increase.

Israel has come under international criticism for the high civilian toll on Tuesday, which included wives of two of the militant commanders, some of their children and a dentist who lived in one of the targeted buildings along with his wife and son.

In past conflicts, rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes due to high civilian deaths. Israel says it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties and holds militant groups responsible, saying they operate in heavily populated residential areas and use residents as human shields.

Meanwhile, Israeli police said they would allow the annual flag-waving march marking Jerusalem Day to take place along its traditional route through a main Palestinian thoroughfare in the Old City on Thursday next week. The decision could raise the risk of further violence.

Thousands of Israeli nationalists take part each year, with some chanting racist slogans, as they walk across the Old City to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in the Jewish Quarter. Last year's march was marked by violence, and in 2021, the march helped trigger a rocket attack on Jerusalem and 11-day war with Hamas.

Earlier on Wednesday, the military said that Palestinian gunmen opened fire at troops in the Palestinian town of Qabatiya in the northern West Bank during an army raid. Troops returned fire, killing the two men, and confiscated their firearms, it said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the slain men as Ahmed Assaf, 19, and Rani Qatanat, 24. The Islamic Jihad militant group later claimed the two men as its members.

Israel has been conducting near-daily military raids in the occupied West Bank for over a year to detain suspected Palestinian militants, including many from Islamic Jihad. The northern West Bank city of Jenin and its environs have been the frequent target of such raids as it has emerged as a hub of Palestinian militant activity.

Israel says the raids in the West Bank are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart future attacks.

At least 107 Palestinians, around half of them militants, have been killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank since the start of 2023, according to an Associated Press tally. At least 20 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek all three territories for a future independent state.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


OTTAWA - The former deputy chief of staff to Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper told members of Parliament Thursday that the Liberal government isnt doing enough to combat foreign interference, echoing similar testimony from national-security experts.

Jenni Byrne, who also managed the Conservatives campaigns in the 2011 and 2015 federal elections, testified Thursday at a House of Commons committee that is studying foreign interference.

She said the government is too soft on China, and is turning a blind eye to the countrys alleged meddling in Canadas democracy  even as she denied being informed of foreign-interference allegations that security agencies say they were aware of during her time in office.

Byrne pointed to the Liberal government taking two years to expel a Chinese diplomat who was allegedly involved in a 2021 plot to intimidate Conservative MP Michael Chong and his family in Hong Kong.

It casts a chill, and it should cast a chill for every member of Parliament, regardless of what political stripe they are, she said Thursday at the committee.

If a government allows this to happen, it makes every single one of you a target of foreign interference based on your right to vote and speak in the House of Commons and put forward motions.

The allegation that Chong was being targeted by China came to the attention of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service not long after he voted in favour of a motion condemning the Chinese governments human-rights record.

But Chong, along with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other political actors, said he was not made aware of the threats at the time, and instead learned about them in recent media reports.

Trudeau said it was unacceptable that security officials did not raise the issue to a political level, and he was directing security agencies to immediately inform parliamentarians about such threats even if they are not deemed credible.

Canada announced this week that it was expelling the diplomat who was allegedly implicated, and Beijing responded by moving to remove a Canadian diplomat posted to China.

As Trudeau and his ministers continue to face questions about accusations that China meddled in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, witnesses who study national security testified on Thursday that the government should be doing more in response  such as creating a foreign agent registry and holding an independent public inquiry.

During the committee hearing, Liberal MP Ruby Sahota said a foreign agent registry is going to be implemented in the coming months following consultations that just concluded.

The government has not ruled out a public inquiry.

Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former intelligence officer with Canadas spy agency, said both Conservatives and Liberals have found themselves the victims of foreign interference attempts.

He said the current government should expel more Chinese diplomats and that the country has too big a presence in Canada.

As of March 16, there were 178 registered diplomats accredited to Beijings embassy and consulates in Canada, and an additional five accredited to the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal, Global Affairs Canada said last week in response to a question raised in the House.

Theres no reason to have so many diplomats with someone who doesnt want to do business with us, Juneau-Katsuya said to the committee.

He said CSIS has known since the mid-1990s that Conservative and Liberal governments have been compromised by China. While he didnt provide specific evidence, he said he knows that the agency has warned cabinets about such issues in the past.

In a public report covering the periods of 2011 to 2013, CSIS said foreign interference was a growing threat in Canada.

But Byrne said she was not briefed on election interference by bad actors during the 2011 and 2015 national campaigns she ran, or while serving in the prime ministers office.

She said such interference never came to mind because there was never any thought I had that there were foreign actors participating into the election process.

New Democrat MP Matthew Green said its highly suspicious that somebody with the kind of security clearance Byrne had would never consider foreign interference.

Either you knew and did nothing, or you didnt know and youre incompetent, said Green, borrowing lines from Conservative MP Michael Cooper, who has used the same phrasing while questioning government officials during the committees study.

Trudeau has insisted that the best way to get to the bottom of the various allegations is through an investigation by former governor general David Johnston, who has been appointed as a special rapporteur.

He is mandated to look at what Trudeau, his staff and his cabinet ministers knew about the attempted interference, and what they did about it.

Johnston will have access to classified documents and is expected to issue recommendations on whether or not a public inquiry is necessary by May 23, but he has until the end of October to complete his review.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.

Read more about:

SHARE:
OTTAWA - One year after receiving 48 recommendations aimed at stamping out sexual misconduct in the military, defence officials gave an update on their progress Thursday that has left critics frustrated with the pace of change.

Its starting to be a little bit too little, too late, said Charlotte Duval-Lantoine of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, who has written a book on military sexual misconduct.

I understand the need to keep communicating on this issue and keep on signalling that the military and the Department of National Defence are implementing things, she said.

Were now two years after the scandal. People want to hear the results.

That scandal in 2021 involved the ouster of a number of high-ranking members of the military  including the former chief of the defence staff, retired general Jonathan Vance  as a result of sexual misconduct allegations.

At the time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there had been a failing of the entire system and called for an independent review by former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour.

The Defence Department laid out a plan last December to implement the recommendations from her May 2022 report.

On Thursday, officials said they had fulfilled one recommendation by renaming the sexual misconduct response centre to the sexual misconduct support and resource centre.

The centre has launched a new fund to help victims of sexual misconduct with legal fees incurred during criminal proceedings or for four hours worth of legal advice. The fund would be available to military members and people who say they faced misconduct perpetrated by a military member.

They can attest to it was an incident of sexual misconduct, said Linda Rizzo Michelin, the chief operating officer, adding the cases do not need to involve a formal investigation.

A key recommendation of the Arbour report was to transfer jurisdiction of criminal sexual offences from the Canadian Armed Forces to the civilian justice system.

Arbour said the change was necessary to address doubt about the militarys ability to properly handle such cases. But she also noted that some police forces and associations, including the Ontario Provincial Police, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and its B.C. counterpart, opposed the recommendation.

Last summer, Ontarios solicitor general wrote a letter to Defence Minister Anita Anand complaining that the new caseloads were putting a strain on resources.

As of last July, civilian police services had accepted 31 cases and refused 23 others.

There are agreements in place with the RCMP, Surete du Quebec and now the Ontario Provincial Police to refer cases to police for investigation, officials said.

However, in a technical briefing provided to reporters Thursday morning, they refused to give an update on the number of cases that have been referred and the number that have been rejected, if any.

An official with the Canadian Forces Provost Marshals office said a breakdown of the case data is being compiled.

Speaking to reporters Thursday afternoon, Anand said in French that the rejection rate is about 50 per cent.

She also maintained that sexual misconduct is her top priority as minister.

Every single day, I am committing hours of work to ensure that we are building the institution that we need, for moral reasons and for operational reasons, she said.

Anand said a federal-provincial-territorial committee has been set up to facilitate conversations between deputy ministers about how case transfers will be handled.

In her report last year, Arbour warned that Ottawa and the provinces could end up engaged in interminable discussions about the matter if the federal government did not formally make the change.

The NDP said the Liberals need to introduce legislation.

Its completely unacceptable, the massive delays when it comes to military misconduct in our Canadian Armed Forces, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told reporters in French.

The chief of professional conduct and culture for the Canadian Armed Forces said Thursday that the military is considering other measures to prevent misconduct, and noted that most incidents happen outside formal military activities.

For instance, the military may change some of its policies around alcohol use after analyzing data that showed a spike in sexual misconduct reports around December  a time when many groups are holding gatherings.

We know that there is a correlation, but it is not the only one, and many other factors play into that, said Lt. Gen. Jennie Carignan.

Duval-Lantoine said her research showed many members feel there is a problem with alcohol culture in the military.

Theres enough of a correlation that we need to address it, she said.

But I would flag that we shouldnt treat it as, Were going to limit everyone to one beer per person and then there will no longer be sexual misconduct in the mess. Its not the case.

The support and resource centre also announced Thursday it would expand its services to include cadets, junior rangers and members of the defence community who are at least 16 years old.

And officials told reporters that they are launching a call for members of the defence community whove been the victims of sexual misconduct to join a consultation group.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Minister of National Defence Angel Tilvar said on Thursday in southeastern Constanta that as many young people as possible should be attracted to pursue a military career, as it is a reality that new members are currently needed for the Romanian Armed Forces.

"It is a reality that we need new members for the Romanian Armed Forces, on the one hand, on the other hand it is a reality that a number of soldiers, a number of officers are about to meet or are already meeting the conditions to retire and to leave the Armed Forces. That is why I invite those who talk about lowering military pensions to think twice before calling for such a thing, because on the one hand we are not talking about special pensions, on the other hand, apart from today's festive moment, behind each of you there is a career path that has meant sacrifices," said Angel Tilvar, at the end of the award ceremony for the winners of the "Man of the Year in the Naval Forces" contest.According to the minister, the main resource that the Romanian Army has is its people."What happened here was dedicated to the main capability and the main resource that the Romanian Army has, namely the person, the person who takes precedence over equipment, because all this equipment that we are talking about these days and during this period, because 2.5 percent of GDP for Defence means something, it is an effort that the Romanian society makes, but it is useless to talk about tanks, missiles, corvettes, frigates, all the things we want and that we will have. They need highly qualified personnel because at present the Romanian Army means highly qualified personnel and that is why I insist that the motivation to join the Armed Forces, but also the desire to stay in the Armed Forces should be encouraged by ensuring a standard of living and the predictability of a career in this field," said Angel Tilvar.The National Defence minister attended the award ceremony for the winners of the 13th edition of the "Man of the Year in the Naval Forces" contest, which was held in five sections. The event took place in the festivity hall of the Naval Forces headquarters in Constanta.
IGPF: Almost 75,000 people enter Romania on Wednesday, of whom approximately 8,200 Ukrainians.

The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that, on Wednesday, a number of 74,909 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, of whom 8,185 were Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres.

According to a release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, approximately 156,200 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with more than 44,600 means of transport, completed the control formalities at the border crossing points nationwide, both on the way in and on the way out.

As of 10 February 2022 (the pre-conflict period), a number of 4,195,811 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.

In the relevant areas - the border crossing points and the "green border," the border policemen discovered 59 illegalities (38 offences and 21 contraventions) committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, with the amount of fines enforced stands at 31,000 RON.

Assets of an estimated value of approximately 303,300 RON were impounded.

On Wednesday, a number of 23 foreign citizens were not allowed to enter the country because they didn't meet the requirements stipulated by the law, while a number of 16 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave the country for various legal reasons.
MEP Ciolos on Romania's accession to Schengen area a month before last JHA meeting of Swedish EU presidency.

Romanian MEPs in the largest political groups in the European Parliament still believe, to varying degrees, in Romania's chance of joining the Schengen area in the second half of the current year -- when the presidency of the EU Council will be held by Spain -- but they see differently the path to follow for that to happen, adopting positions from "there is no strategy" to support the approach to "let the officials work in peace."

MEP Dacian Ciolos, from the Renew group, said that, in his opinion, "there is still a chance, but it is much, much weaker than it was at the beginning of the year."

"Already the subject has practically disappeared from the European agenda. Romania is trying to maintain it, but with the same people who registered a failure a few months ago," Ciolos told a group of Romanian journalists in Strasbourg.

Dacian Ciolos also said that, given that the pilot projects launched at the beginning of the year at the Romanian-Serbian and Turkish-Bulgarian borders are behind schedule, a possible strategy of betting on their results to convince Austria and the Netherlands to change their position could prove to be a failure, told Agerpres.

On the other hand, he said that, as far as he knows, there are discussions between the governments of Bulgaria and the Netherlands about the possibility of withdrawing the veto of the Netherlands following a positive assessment of Bulgaria in the EU report on the rule of law "and then leaving Austria isolated and possibly with political pressure or other means to convince Austria."

Ciolos also says that "Romania should be much firmer at European level, very firm and clear, not to block the European Union, as other states do, but until blocking certain decisions there are levers to make it very clear to others that you too are a member state that matters and that decisions that are important for you must be important for others as well."

He described as an opportunity for Romania the fact that Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, remains with the personal objective of obtaining a favourable decision on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area by the end of her mandate.

"The Spanish government is a socialist government, Ylva Johansson is a socialist, we have a socialist party in the government, other levers can be used and there is a small chance, but in my view, if some things are not done and if the pressure is not maintained, it can be reduced," Ciolos said.

"When we negotiated the elimination of visas for Romanian citizens in Canada, we kept up the pressure for seven to eight months, without it necessarily showing up in the media. (...) So, if you just wait, it won't happen, because everyone has their own objectives," Ciolos added.

The Renew MEP reiterated that Romania should have, from the highest level, mobilised all the political resources it has and said that he would have expected to be asked for support.

"Each of us has channels. I would expect to see such a task force at the highest political level in Romania, to give a signal that all political forces are mobilising their resources. So, we, the REPER MEPs and I would say in fact all the Romanian MEPs in the Renew group (...) had some very clear and firm positions towards our colleagues in the Dutch delegation and towards Mark Rutte in order to obtain the decision not to oppose Romania," said Ciolos.
MEP Muresan on Romania's accession to Schengen area a month before last JHA meeting of Swedish EU presidency.

Romanian MEPs in the largest political groups in the European Parliament still believe, to varying degrees, in Romania's chance of joining the Schengen area in the second half of the current year -- when the presidency of the EU Council will be held by Spain -- but they see differently the path to follow for that to happen, adopting positions from "there is no strategy" to support the approach to "let the officials work in peace."

As far as he is concerned, MEP Siegfried Muresan of the EPP group believes that there is no need to speculate on this file at the moment.

" (...) We can see that not even the frenzy that seized us at the end of last year, before the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council meeting on December 8-9, necessarily helped the decision-making process. What is important is for Romania and Austria to work together at the diplomatic level, at official levels. A pilot project is currently being carried out at the external border of Romania, which will lead to an even better control, to an even better record of the persons, of the goods that enter and leave Romania," said Muresan in Strasbourg at a news briefing with Romanian journalists.

He still insists on giving assurances that Romania was never the source of immigration to Austria, as accused by the Austrian interior minister on the day he opposed the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, told Agerpres.

"Those people did not come from Romania; they had not passed through Romania in significant numbers. It is clear that Austria needs a solution to its migration problem. Once again, we are not the cause, but we are willing to participate in whatever way we can. As such, I think we have to let the offiicals work undisturbedly and we will see if in the coming months there will be a political constellation favorable to putting the subject back on the agenda," added Muresan.

Asked to comment on statements by Dacian Ciolos that there is no strategy supporting Romania's accession to the Schengen area, Muresan said that "Mr Ciolos is part of a party that is in the opposition; as such it is natural to criticise the powers that be both when he has arguments, as well as when he does not have arguments."

Asked if such strategy exists, he cited, among his arguments, Gerhard Karner's visit to Bucharest.

"Austria's minister of the interior went to Bucharest; there are official contacts, at the level of ministers, ministries, at the political, diplomatic level, between Romania and the only EU member state that so far has not given its consent, Austria. Let's leave the people to work and I hope that we can have the subject reinstated and a positive decision as soon as possible."

Regarding Romania's prospects for accession to the Schengen area, he says that "the Spanish presidency is a more realistic term than the presidency before it, but also a more realistic term than the presidency after that, because next year is a year with several rounds of elections in Europe, including to the European Parliament."

"As such, the second part of this year would be a favourable moment," concluded Muresan.
MEP Negrescu on Romania's accession to Schengen a month prior to last JHA meeting of Swedish Presidency of EU Council.

Romanian MEPs from the largest political groups in the European Parliament still believe, to varying degrees, in Romania's chance to join the Schengen space in the second half of the current year, when the Presidency of the Council of the European Union will be held by Spain, but they see different the path to follow until the achievement of this goal, adopting standpoints ranging from "there is no strategy" to support this demarche, to "let the authorities work in peace."

MEP of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group Victor Negrescu says that at the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) meeting in June, the Schengen topic will probably not be included on the agenda, although he would wish this thing, "because only like this we could maintain the attention of the European officials regarding the enlargement of the Schengen space and Romania's accession."

At the same time, he pleaded within a meeting with the Romanian journalists in Strasbourg, that "it would be appropriate that in the European Council, at the level of heads of state and government, to try to relaunch this topic and put pressure on Austria, together with the states that support us, in such a way that the Austrian government, which has made countless previous promises, revises its behavior."

He brought to mind that Austria did not reanalyzed the matter of Schengen enlargement, as it said it would after completing the local elections on its territory, and the Austrian Interior minister had "a radical standpoint" on the occasion of his visit to Bucharest.

"Unfortunately, the enlargement of the Schengen space has become an extremely important political subject for the right-wing ruling party in Austria. It is their main political topic and this matter has been taken including by the European People's Party (EPP) and today, Romania risks being caught in the middle of everything which this political rhetoric means started by the Austrian prime minister [Karl Nehammer]," Negrescu stated.

Moreover, he drew attention over the fact that at the last EPP meeting, this political family did not pass a support resolution for Romania "which indicates the fact that there are issues in terms of the support for Romania at the European right-wing politics level, which is also extremely concerning."

He said that, all Socialists-Democrats voted for Romania's accession to Schengen, the S&D group being "the only political group where there was unanimity for Romania."

Although probably neither the future prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, nor the Social Democratic Party (PSD) ministers will have powers in the concrete advancement of the accession to Schengen, which fall to President Kalus Iohannis and some Liberal ministers, Negrescu said that "we are also in dialogue with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, with Spain taking over the Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second part of this year, in the attempt to raise this subject."

He welcomed as a positive fact the efforts which Spain has already put in regard to unblocking Romania's and Bulgaria's accession to Schengen, but drew attention that, if changes of positions shall not occur by June, probably the summer is not going to change anything.

"The Spanish Interior minister discussed with the Austrian counterpart, the Spanish prime minister discussed with the Austrian chancellor, which is commendable, because this has not been done in a consistent manner by the previous presidencies. This does not mean that things will change, given the politicization of the subject. There will be a meeting in October too, but if we don't see a change of position by June, I don't think the summer is to change anything," he said.

In his turn, Negrescu welcomed the efforts put in by Commissioner Ylva Johansson, who has "politically assumed this objective and almost succeeded," however, he argues, "there is obviously a need of more influence and more involvement on behalf of the European Commission, at the highest level and on behalf of the European Council."
Over 200 public statisticians protesting before Parliament for application of pay memorandum.

More than 200 employees of the National Institute of Statistics (INS) are protesting today before INS main offices and Parliament, demanding the application of a memorandum agreed upon in July 2022 at a government meeting regulating pay for the public statistics sector, Chairman of the Trade Union of the Bucharest National Institute of Statistics (SINSB) Dan Iliescu told AGRERPRES.

"The government of Romania, last July -- following protests -- undertook under a memorandum to solve the pay problems in the public statistics system, in the sense of implementing the uniform pay law for the employees of the INS, from the main central offices to the local directorates of statistics, bringing pay to the same level because, basically, we hold the same positions, we have the same powers, we perform the same tasks, but we are on different pay scales. These things were understood by the prime minister and the Ministry of Labour, acknowledged by the government, approved by a memorandum, but they were not transposed into the national legislation," says Iliescu.

According to him, the next step is a strike, unless the demands are met, told Agerpres.
PSD's Ciolacu argues government rotation is to be completed by 1 June.

Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu says the government rotation shall be "definitely" complete by 1 June, mentioning that there is dialogue being carried out in the coalition on this topic, told Agerpres.

"The government rotation, in other words, the new government will have a prime minister who comes within the Social Democratic Party. At this moment, this name is Marcel Ciolacu. I don't think something can be changed, but, there is always this possibility too. I didn't come to create an ambiguity," Marcel Ciolacu told Romania TV private television station on Wednesday evening.

He rejected the version of a possible nomination, by President Klaus Iohannis, of Mihai Tudose [former PM from the PSD - editor's note] as a PSD prime minister, because he "would decline."

"I believe that Mr Tudose, firstly, would decline and I think Mr. Iohannis doesn't want a political adventure now and a political instability. Both I and Mr Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca want political stability and I have seen (...) that we managed some overlapped crisis and succeeded, against all views, to overcome the difficult moments not only for Romania. (...) We have a political agreement which we observe. At this time, we are observing the political agreement. This doesn't mean that I with Mr Nicolae Ciuca and Mr Kelemen Hunor cannot talk about the possible changes. There is always time, these discussions are taking place, but the agreement, at the moment, still stands, just as it was signed," Ciolacu stated.

The leader of the Social-Democrats said he is still content with the activity of Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu and mentioned he wished for him to remain in the Government because he performed.

According to the current discussions, the PSD will not have a deputy prime minister in the future Government, he also said.
PSD's Ciolacu says he will insist on keeping Sorin Grindeanu in future gov't.

Social Democratic Party (PSD) Chairman Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday that he will insist on keeping Sorin Grindeanu in the government, not necessarily to keep the portfolio of the Ministry of Transport, told Agerpres.

The Social Democrat leader was asked if he would insist that the PSD keep the portfolio of the Ministry of Transport and after the rotation of prime ministers, given that he had often said that the Minister of Transport, Sorin Grindeanu, should have continuity.

"No. I will insist on keeping Sorin Grindeanu," Ciolacu said.

Regarding the presence of Mihai Tudose in the future government, Ciolacu said: "We will discuss it. Mihai Tudose, first of all, was prime minister of Romania, he has the ability to see the whole picture economically and administratively. Sometimes entering a ministry is also a personal decision and one takes into account certain personal things."
More rockets were fired toward Israel, while Israel struck more targets in Gaza as Egyptian TV channel Extra News said Wednesday that Egypt has brokered an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza.

There was no immediate comment from Jihad faction on the ceaasefire.

Israeli government officials confirmed that Cairo was trying to facilitate a cease-fire. Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen confirmed that the Israeli government is considering an Egyptian suggestion for an immediate ceasefire. According to news agencies quoting Cohen, there is a possibility that an agreement on a ceasefire could be reached "within hours."

Shortly after the state-run Egyptian TV channels announcement, more rockets were fired toward Israel, AP reported.

Palestinian resistance fired hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Wednesday in reponse to Israel deadly airstrikes that killed 21 Palestinians, most of them children and women, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The rocket fire set off air-raid sirens throughout southern Israel. A home and car were hit by rockets in the southern Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Sderot, Israeli officials said, with the occupation army announcing a series of new strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Smoke billowed from the densely populated enclave.

Sirens were also heard in Tel Aviv, which is located 80 kilometres (50 miles) to the north on the Mediterranean Sea.

The Israeli military said that for the first time, an air-defense system known as Davids Sling intercepted a rocket. The system, developed with the U.S., is meant to intercept medium-range threats and is part of a multi-layered air defense that also includes the better-known Iron Dome anti-rocket system. Israeli media said a previous attempt to use the system several years ago had failed.

Egypt had called earlier on Wednesday for an immediate ceasefire between Israelis and Palestinians and condemned the Israeli forces' recent escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry will participate in a new meeting of Munich group on the Middle East Peace Process.

In a move that could further raise tensions, Israeli police said they would permit a Jewish ultranationalist parade to take place next week. The parade, meant to celebrate Israel's capture of east Jerusalem, marches through the heart of the occupied Old City's Muslim Quarter and often leads to friction with local Palestinians.

The meeting, which will be held on Thursday, brings together representatives of Egypt, Jordan, France and Germany.

Shoukry is expected to hold a press conference with counterparts in the group

Furthermore, the Arab League Council held on Wednesday an extraordinary session  on the level of permanent representatives  to discuss the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


PSD's Ciolacu: Simion made an abuse and won no vote with protest before Parliament.

Social Democratic Party (PSD) Chairman Marcel Ciolacu said that the protest organised by the Alliance for Romanians' Union (AUR) on Wednesday before Parliament is an "abuse" of the party's leader, George Simion, adding that members and supporters of this party "copy" the behavior invented by the Save Romania Union (USR), told Agerpres.

"At all these demonstrations, you have seen, the Romanian flag is used a lot. A serious thing, because we are throwing the Romanian flag into ridicule, we are also putting party symbols on the Romanian flag. It seems to me that there is also a law in Parliament and maybe we should vote on it as soon as possible, so that no one can put any insignia on the Romanian flag. Secondly, they copy what the USR have invented. Remember, these demonstrations were also inside Parliament and in the streets organised by USR. They are copying this behaviour. This behaviour does not lead to anything good. First of all, it is Parliament's duty to legislate, to vote. There are debates in committees. If you assault the MPs, then the committee meetings will be held online and there is no longer the danger of physical aggression," Ciolacu said in a Wednesday evening broadcast on Romania TV private television.

The PSD leader believes that the AUR approach was "a manipulation."

"I think it is a great manipulation. My phone number was sent to me by other people too. 'Call Ciolacu!' and I say: 'If you don't mind, it's my number'," Ciolacu added, reporting that he had spoken to the person who called him and who told him that he had not read the law, but that he had learned from social media that "children would be stolen from us."

He said that the PSD was involved, through Senator Titus Corlatean, in the recovery of some Romanian children from abroad.

"We will never accept anything like that (taking children away from their families - editor's note). It's a milestone in the PNRR, it passed, there have been many amendments, because they always present how the law was. Then the amendments are forgotten by everybody. It's a political style, some parties work that way, with manipulation and intoxication of some people. (...) We have earned this right, me, you and our children, to go out and demonstrate in the streets and I value this right very much. Up to violence there is a long way," Ciolacu said.

According to the PSD leader, there were "no major problems" and "no limits were exceeded" at the protest, but he considers those who resort to violence guilty.

Marcel Ciolacu mentioned that he has an institutional communication with the chairman of AUR, but a dialogue with the leader of AUR has not been established.

"In order to establish a dialogue, both parties must want it. (...) What Mr. Simion did today is an abuse. My opinion is that he did not win any votes from this demonstration," Ciolacu stressed.

He expressed his opposition to Alexandru Muraru's request to outlaw AUR, but said that everyone has the right to their opinion.

Among the reasons for Wednesday's AUR protest before Parliament is the draft law on the organisation of activities to prevent the separation of children from their families. The Chamber of Deputies adopted on Wednesday the legislative act which provides, among other things, for the establishment of the National Child Observatory.
More than 120 experts in heritage interpretation from Europe and the USA will participate, on Friday and Saturday, in Sighisoara, in the Interpret Europe conference, the most important European event in the field of natural and cultural heritage interpretation, organized for the first time in Romania.

"In the Citadel of Sighisoara, surrounded by world heritage sites, we will discuss the qualities that the landscape, as a learning framework, can create, cultivate and exercise to facilitate the interpretation of natural and cultural values. We will learn from each other and from our Romanian hosts how to use interpretation to engage communities around UNESCO World Heritage sites in creating sustainable development territories. We will identify new learning opportunities to provide locals and tourists with unique experiences designed to support change for the better of the places where each of those present carries out their activity", said the general director of Interpret Europe, Helena Vicic, in a press release sent by the City Hall of Sighisoara.The conference will be preceded by a visit to the UNESCO International Geopark Tara Hategului - University of Bucharest, the first territory in Romania that, since its inception, has approached interpretation as a defining element in building a territory of sustainable development.During the conference, study visits will be organized to help the participants discover the valuable natural and cultural heritage and the people who value it in Saschiz, Cobor, Viscri, Racos and the Carpaterra Geopark, Breite, Biertan, Malancrav, Targu Mures and Calugareni.On the first day, the participants will discover the Citadel of Sighisoara in a guided tour, and after the end of the conference they will have the opportunity to participate in a tour that includes the Bran Castle and emblematic landmarks in the city of Brasov.The Interpret Europe conference is co-organized by AICI Studio de Arhitectura and takes place under the patronage of the UNESCO Venice Regional Office and the National Heritage Institute of Romania, with the support of the UNESCO Chair of Heritage Interpretation and Education at the University of Primorska, Slovenia and the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO.
Speaker Ciolacu: Group leaders to bring proposals to Standing Bureau on Wednesday's events at Parliament.

The leaders of the parliamentary groups will present proposals to the Standing Bureau regarding Wednesday's events in Parliament in which the Alliance for Romanians' Union (AUR) was involved, President of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday, adding that what happened is "unacceptable."

"I believe that it will be discussed within the Standing Bureau, I have seen that the group leaders have started to shape their opinions and I am firmly convinced that the group leaders will come up with some proposals in the Standing Bureau. Let's see what the group leaders come up with," said Ciolacu, asked if measures will be taken against AUR, the party that caused a scandal in Parliament and around the Parliament Palace on Wednesday.

In his opinion, "in any case, what happened is unacceptable."

"It was a manipulation. We all know that all the things they said were caught up in those laws, that children were being sold, were all lies and Romanians will be find out shortly that nobody is taking any children or stealing any children. They copied what the USR [Save Romania Union] was doing about 3 - 4 years ago, and other parties, at that time, applauded this. That means to allow a precedent being created. (...) I care a lot about the functioning of the Chamber of Deputies and Parliament and I think it is right that the group leaders, as they are the interface with my fellow deputies, come up with these proposals," Ciolacu stressed.
The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

Do you have a retirement savings account? If the answer is no, youre among millions of Americans who dont. A new NerdWallet study found that 60% of Americans dont have a retirement-specific savings account, such as an IRA or 401(k).

That number is even higher among non-white consumers: 71% of Black non-Hispanic Americans and 72% of Hispanic Americans say they dont have such accounts. That is compared with 54% of white non-Hispanic Americans who dont have an IRA or 401(k).

The newly passed Secure 2.0 Act even noted this disparity among Black and Latinx Americans and included a provision for auto-enrollment in employer-sponsored retirement accounts starting in 2024 to give all Americans more opportunities to save for retirement.

But you dont have to wait for Secure 2.0 to kick in to start saving for retirement. Start by getting a sense of what you want and what opportunities are around you.

1. Know your retirement needs

When planning for retirement, think about your goals. How much money will you need based on the lifestyle youd like to have? When and where do you want to retire? Thinking about these questions and using a retirement calculator can help you determine how much money to save and where.

Although the popular advice is to start saving for retirement early, life is rarely linear. Some people might have started working later, taken a step back to go to school or start a new career, or only recently felt financially stable enough to set aside money for retirement.

Whatever your circumstances are, it isnt too late. Focus on what you can contribute to your retirement accounts. Anything you can add now has the potential to grow over time.

2. Consider the pros and cons of a retirement account

Investing in a retirement-specific savings account offers several advantages, such as a potential 401(k) match from your employer and tax breaks, but a major advantage is growing your money. The longer you stay invested, the bigger your nest egg has the potential to be.

That said, retirement accounts do have drawbacks. A crucial one is that you typically cant withdraw funds before age 59  without incurring penalties or taxes, though a provision in Secure 2.0 will allow for penalty-free  but not tax-free  emergency withdrawals starting Jan. 1, 2024.

And, because retirement accounts are investment accounts, losses are possible. When you get ready to select your investments, think about how much risk youre comfortable with.

3. Evaluate your retirement account options

If your employer offers a 401(k) plan, this can be one of the easiest ways to start. You opt into the plan and decide how much you want taken out of your paycheck, pre-tax, and put into your 401(k). Most employers also have an employer match, where they will match a certain percentage of your contributions, usually 3%-6%.

Contributing to meet the full amount of your employer match will get you the most free money, but if you can't, start with what you feel comfortable with setting aside. The maximum you can put in your 401(k) is $22,500 in 2023 ($30,000 if youre 50-plus), but you dont have to hit the max. Do what feels feasible for you.

If you dont have a retirement account at work, an individual retirement account, or IRA, is another option.

Opening an IRA could also be a solution for people who are self-employed or want an additional way to save for retirement. IRAs can be opened at a bank, online stock broker or through a robo-advisor. Some brokers and robo-advisors have low or no account fees and no minimum balance.

There are different types of IRAs, but the most popular are the traditional IRA and Roth IRA. With a traditional IRA, you dont pay taxes on your contributions, giving you an upfront tax break. You pay taxes later, when you withdraw from the account in retirement. With a Roth IRA, you pay taxes on the money before you put it in the account, and withdrawals in the future come out tax-free.

Just like 401(k)s, IRAs have an annual contribution limit. IRAs have a combined limit, so in 2023, the contribution limit is $6,500 across all IRA accounts; people over 50 can contribute $7,500.

4. Decide how youll invest

Once youve opened your retirement account, choosing how to invest the money in your account is key. Its a good rule of thumb to hold a mix of stocks, bonds and cash, but the allocation of these assets depends on your risk tolerance and your retirement goals.

Your 401(k) plan administrator may select your investments for you, or it may let you pick your own, but there might be a limited selection.

With an IRA, you generally have more choices of what kinds of things you can invest in. You can choose your own investments with an online broker, but if you dont want to pick stocks, a robo-advisor can put together a portfolio for you based on your answers to questions about your investing goals.
I was 10-weeks pregnant and craving pizza while on vacation in Germany. We picked a well-reviewed restaurant, only to be told that no tables would be available that night. My husband, who meant well, suggested we try our luck at a different restaurant a few doors down. But it didnt serve pizza, and for me at that moment, nothing but pizza would do.

So, naturally, I burst into tears.

Thankfully, we swiftly found another option and my highly specific food craving was satisfied. But traveling while pregnant is tricky, assuming its safe for you to do so (always talk to your doctor or midwife first). Not only might you be dealing with nausea, fatigue, food cravings you may not be able to accommodate in other countries, and other maladies, but also some travel activities can be unsafe during pregnancy.

I traveled a few times while pregnant, both for work and leisure, leaning on a few helpful credit card perks to make the experience as comfortable as possible. Your cards benefits could smooth the way to a less chaotic, and more enjoyable, travel experience.

3 times credit card perks make it better

When booking travel: Insurance and seat upgrades

Travel protections like trip cancellation insurance can come in handy if you need to back out of your trip due to a covered reason, like illness. Note that what counts as a covered reason can vary by card, and some situations related to pregnancy may not be covered. This can include travel after a certain week in your pregnancy, or if you become pregnant with multiples before booking travel. Review what your card does and doesnt cover, and consider additional travel insurance if needed.

Thanks to big sign-up bonuses, airline credit cards speed up the time it takes to earn a substantial number of miles. Booking flights directly through airlines with those miles can give you an out if you need to cancel your trip. Some airlines will refund your miles with no fees if you back out, even close to your travel date.

If youre accustomed to toughing it out in the back of the plane, this might be a good time to cash in miles earned from airline cards on a seat upgrade. A dangerous health issue to avoid is deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot that can travel to your lungs. Your risk of DVT increases in pregnancy. More spacious seating with increased mobility could decrease lower extremity swelling and venous stasis, which can increase the risk of DVT, Dr. Meghan Zysik said in an email. Zysik is an attending obstetrician and gynecologist at Albany Medical Center, part of the Albany Med Health System in Albany, New York.

At the airport: Ditch the luggage and lines, embrace the lounges

The times I traveled alone, I didnt want to hoist my carry-on bag into the overhead compartment, and theres never a guarantee a kind stranger will offer to help (especially if you arent visibly pregnant yet). With airline cards, you typically get a free checked bag, saving you $60 in bag fees per round trip flight. Everybody has to pay attention to their body, says P. Fadwah Halaby, a certified nurse midwife in West Palm Beach, Florida. Dont lift it if it feels like its going to hurt. Halaby recommends limiting lifting any bags weighing more than 25 pounds.

Now that you can move through the security line unencumbered by baggage, dont let that statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry go unused. Not only is this benefit worth at least $78 in value, but itll also get you out of line, and off of your feet, faster. Prolonged standing can lead to physical discomfort and worsen lower extremity swelling, Zysik said. Take the time saved with PreCheck to eat a meal, sit, and rest or doing calming routines such as meditation.

A perfect place to do all those things is an airport lounge, which some travel cards grant you free access to.

During the trip: Hotel freebies and away-from-home medical care

Your credit card company may offer referrals to local medical providers if you need assistance during your trip. This can include providing names of English-speaking doctors and hospitals, and even helping you stay in contact with your family. Youd have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for these services, but youll get help during a stressful time.

Hotel credit cards come packed with extras to make your stay more relaxing. One of my cards earned me status, granting free access to a lounge at our hotel in Berlin that provided breakfast, happy hour and all-day snacks. You can also get a few more hours of rest with late checkout, another benefit of cards that give you automatic status at hotel brands.

Take reasonable precautions

Before heading out of town, talk with your doctor or midwife because some medical conditions during pregnancy may increase your risk of health complications. Certain activities are off limits, like scuba diving. Your medical provider can also recommend medications that can ease pregnancy symptoms.

And, of course, they may insist you refrain from travel entirely. You have to use common sense. It really needs to be said, Halaby says. Do you have a diagnosis? Are you being treated for something in particular that may or may not be good for traveling? If any of that is the case for you, a relaxing staycation may be the more medically sound option.

This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press.

Sara Rathner writes for NerdWallet. Email: srathner@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @sarakrathner.

The article How Credit Card Perks Can Boost Comfort for Pregnant Travelers originally appeared on NerdWallet.
ST. LOUIS  Two projects that will add more than 100 apartments for seniors across north and south St. Louis moved closer to final approval Wednesday.

The first project, from Yaphett El-Amin of Fields Place LP, plans to build about 90 apartments for seniors with a grocery store and other commercial space at the north side of Lexington and Clarence avenues in north St. Louis' Greater Ville neighborhood.

The first phase would consist of a four-story building with 50 apartments and a ground-floor grocery store. The second phase would entail another three-story building with 40 apartments, according to plans. The project has the support of Alderman Sharon Tyus and State Rep. Kimberly-Ann Collins.

In Bevo Mill, in south city, Lutheran Senior Services and Tower Grove Neighborhoods Community Development Corp. plan to build a four-story building with 64 affordable apartments for seniors at the southeast corner of Gravois Avenue and Morgan Ford Road. About seven will be market rate.

The $18 million project has $5.1 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Sean Spencer, executive director of the Tower Grove CDC, said he hopes the project will draw in additional investment and be a catalyst project for the neighborhood.

The St. Louis Planning Commission unanimously approved the projects at its Wednesday meeting. Both will need final approval from the Board of Aldermen.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday preserved a California law banning the sale of pork in Americas most-populous state from pigs kept in tightly confined spaces, rejecting an industry challenge claiming that the voter-backed animal welfare measure impermissibly regulates out-of-state farmers.

The justices upheld a lower courts decision to dismiss a lawsuit by the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation seeking to invalidate the law. The industry had argued that the measure violated a U.S. Constitution provision called the Commerce Clause that courts have interpreted as empowering the federal government  not states  to regulate interstate commerce.

The measure, approved by voters as a 2018 ballot initiative called Proposition 12, bars sales in California of pork, veal and eggs from animals whose confinement failed to meet certain minimum space requirements.

The law mandates pig confinement spaces large enough to enable the animals to turn around, lie down, stand up and extend their limbs. Animal rights groups have said some pork producers confine pigs in cages so small that pigs cannot turn around for most of their lives.

The pork industry groups argued that the law violated the Constitution by forcing farmers in other states to change their practices in order to sell pork in California, a lucrative market.

California farms collectively are only a small part of the $26 billion-a-year U.S. pork industry. The size of cages used at American pig farms is humane and necessary for animal safety, according to the industry, which asserts that Californias law gives the state unwarranted influence over the pork sector.

President Joe Bidens administration sided with the pork producers in the case, saying that states cannot ban products that pose no threat to public health or safety due to philosophical objections.

Proposition 12 set the required space for breeding pigs, or sows, at 24 square feet. The current industry standard is between 14 and 20 square feet, according to a 2021 report from Dutch banking and financial services company Rabobank.

The Supreme Court took up the case after the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a judges decision to throw out the pork industry challenge.
Advice columnists are asked today whether an offended family member must stay in touch with out-of-touch Uncle Ernest or Aunt Thelma after they spout a racist viewpoint.

The query seeks permission to cut ties with someone over conflicting political or social justice views  and the columnist or commenters sometimes say sure, give up that relationship.

But Shelly Tochluk takes a different tactic in her upcoming book, Being White Today: A Roadmap for a Positive Antiracist Life.

Keep the door ajar to a constructive relationship, she says. Ask questions and listen to responses. Dont lambast a friend or family member by yelling youre out of your mind. After asking questions and listening calmly, then offer another viewpoint in a positive way.

Many people who really care and want to make a difference think this is going to get resolved in one conversation. Thats not how it works.

And why is it important for white people to leave that door ajar for tough conversations?

One important reason, she says, is that our democracy is going to rise or fall on swing voters. Just 2% to 4% of voters may turn elections, she says. The possibility of opening minds to antiracist viewpoints is what she focuses on.

Tochluk, who is also the author of Witnessing Whiteness, will be at the Phyllis Wheatley Heritage Center on May 18. Left Bank Books is selling books, and Tochluk will sign copies of her previous book, along with book plates for Being White Today, which officially publishes June 14. The event is free, but reservations are required.

Tochluk is not an advice columnist, but an educator at Mount St. Marys University in Los Angeles who also leads workshops and discussions for teachers and others on discussing racism. YWCA Metro St. Louis has facilitated Witnessing Whiteness groups since 2011.

She co-authored the new book with Christine Saxman, who has done social justice training for at least 20 years.

We understand that, especially for white people, the terrain has shifted; they have to grapple with racial identity in a way they didnt before, Tochluk says.

In the early chapters of Being White Today, she and Saxman acknowledge the rise of far right conservativism and how vulnerable young people can be to the rhetoric.

They write in an advance edition:

Assuming the next generation and the ones that follow will remain inclined toward an inclusive, multiracial democracy is naive. It ignores the white supremacists influence, as they work to weaponize White identity to gain power and seek to shape policies for decades to come. Given population trends and the way that US electoral systems allow for minority rule, where those in power represent a small proportion of the overall population, the next generation of White voters will likely continue to wield outsized influence.

The authors make it clear that they dont think white readers should feel shame about their color or guilt over history they had no control over. But the book differentiates identifying as white and supporting white supremacy culture (or whiteness).

They say: White nationalists actively organize around the idea that White people are under assault; they offer messages of empowerment and pride. Antiracist messaging must counter this with an empowering message of its own: We can be proud antiracist White people who work with people of all racial identities toward an inclusive democracy that benefits everyone. We can be strong and powerful in our commitment when we understand that each of us has a purpose-filled role to play.

Tochluk says the new book discusses terminology, feelings and questions in depth. It has no easy 10 tips for how to change someones mind, and it acknowledges that people will make mistakes when trying to change their own attitudes. Although geared to a white audience in an effort to meet them where they are, it may interest some people of color, she says. In addition, the guidance about discussing racism may be used for other hot-button social topics. (For a reader new to these topics, Witnessing Whiteness may be the place to start, she says.)

Ultimately, one of the biggest take-aways from Being White Today is that readers dont need to have an either/or attitude but should pursue both/and thinking to discuss complex issues. For example, acknowledging that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and owned slaves.

The authors write: There is no need to choose between the idea of abolishing whiteness and developing a positive, antiracist White identity. Both goals can live side by side when we do not conflate whiteness (oppression) with White people.

What Shelly Tochluk  When 6 p.m. May 18  Where Phyllis Wheatley Heritage Center, 2711 Locust Street  How much Free; registration required  More info ywcastl.org
The UN rights chief Thursday called on the international community to exert all possible pressure on the fighting sides in Sudan to resolve the conflict and end 'the wanton violence'.

The fighting has plunged "this much-suffering country into catastrophe", United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said.

Addressing a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on the situation in Sudan, he urged "all states with influence in the region to encourage, by all possible means, the resolution of this crisis".

His comments came as fighting continued in the Sudanese capital, pushing ever more people to undertake dangerous journeys to safety across the country's borders.

More than 750 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced in the fighting that began on April 15 between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"I condemn the use of violence by individuals who have no regard for the lives and fundamental rights of millions of their own compatriots," Turk said.

He also slammed "this wanton violence, in which both sides have trampled international humanitarian law, notably the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution".

Thursday's urgent council session in Geneva, requested by Britain, Germany, Norway and the United States, with the support of dozens of other countries, was expected to wrap up later with a vote on a draft text calling for an immediate halt to the violence.

German ambassador Katharina Stasch said the UN's top rights body had had no choice but to host the special session.

"The Human Rights Council cannot stay silent when human rights are at stake," she said, insisting that "respect for human rights is a prerequisite for lasting, stable peace".

The draft text being discussed condemns "all reported violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including reported acts of sexual and gender-based violence, committed since the start of hostilities by all parties to the conflict across the country."

In particular, the text calls for strengthening the mandate of an existing special rapporteur on the rights situation in Sudan to include "detailed monitoring and documentation... on all allegations of human rights violations and abuses since October 25, 2021, including those arising directly from the current conflict."

And it calls for the expert to assist the UN rights chief in drafting "a comprehensive report" on the rights situation in Sudan, to be presented during the main annual rights council session in March next year.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Kansas' Democratic governor on Thursday scuttled a small legal settlement favored by top Republican officials between the state and the owner of a Wichita fitness studio forced to shut down during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic and then operate under restrictions.

The settlement would have cost the state $4,305.46 and ended a lawsuit filed in December 2020 by Ryan Floyd and his business, Omega Bootcamps Inc. The case has yet to go to trial in Sedgwick County District Court in Wichita, and Attorney General Kris Kobach asked Gov. Laura Kelly and eight leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature to sign off, as required by state law.

Six of those eight legislative leaders are Republicans, and all six voted to approve the settlement during a live online WebEx meeting that Kelly convened. But Kelly opposed it, along with the House and Senate's top Democrats, and under Kansas law, the governor's action decided the issue.

Kelly did not explain why she opposed the settlement, though a spokesperson later said in a text that the settlement is not in the best interest of the state. The governor and the lawmakers had no public discussion of the settlement but met in private for 35 minutes with two members of Kobach's staff.

The governor cut off public discussion before the private session with Kobach's staff, even though House Democratic Leader Vic Miller asked to have the case verbally summarized in public. The Associated Press requested by email before the meeting that the discussion be held in public.

We had this meeting here today, and you voted no,  Republican state Sen. Rick Billinger, who chairs the Senate budget committee, told Kelly, as she moved to adjourn the meeting immediately after the decision. I mean, I don't understand that.

Kelly said, I mean it's very clear; I voted no,  and then said they could have a discussion after the group adjourned  out of public view.

Ryan Kriegshauser, an attorney representing Floyd and Omega Bootcamps, called Kelly's action an insult to common sense," and Floyd said the settlement amount represented the rent he still had to pay during 53 days he remained closed because of COVID-19 restrictions.

All the dude ever wanted was his rent back, said Josh Ney, another attorney representing Floyd. Now the state will likely spend untold thousands to continue litigating this case.

The state asked the judge handling the lawsuit to dismiss it without a trial in October 2021. But the judge has not ruled on that request. Miller, a veteran attorney, said he expects the judge to dismiss the lawsuit.

Just in general, when we become an easy target for cases that have no merit, it encourages other cases with no merit to be filed, Miller said. You have to look at the bigger picture.

The lawsuit argued that the state used Floyd's and his business private property for the benefit of the general public when it and local officials imposed restrictions to check the spread of COVID-19. Statewide restrictions started with Kelly's order shutting down most businesses for five weeks, starting in late March 2020.

The lawsuit cited part of the states emergency management law that says people can seek compensation in court if their property is commandeered or otherwise used by state or local officials. Miller said that language doesn't cover COVID-19 restrictions, while the lawsuit contends it does.

Kriegshauser said it's notable that the judge has been struggling for more than 18 months with a decision on whether the case should go forward. Also, the Legislature whittled away over time at the power of the governor and local officials to shutter businesses or issue mask mandates in response to criticism of their actions.

"Of course there is merit to this action, Kriegshauser said of the lawsuit.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Omega Bootcamps received two pandemic relief loans totaling about $24,000 in 2020 and 2021. In his lawsuit, Floyd said he wants an appraiser to be appointed to set the amount of damages owed by the state.

Kelly spokesperson Brianna Johnson noted those loans in defending the governor's action.

Kobach was elected attorney general last year but served as secretary of state, Kansas' top elections official, from 2011 to 2019, and Kriegshauser worked for him as an attorney and policy deputy in 2011-12. Lawyers outside the attorney general's office have handled the state's defense in the lawsuit.

Kelly's action came the same day as the formal end of the U.S. national public health emergency for COVID-19. In Kansas, Republican legislative leaders forced an end to a state of emergency in June 2021, about three months earlier than Kelly wanted.

The lawsuit was put on hold by the judge in 2021 so that Kriegshauser could urge Kansas lawmakers to use federal COVID-19 relief funds to compensate small businesses for their financial losses during the pandemic. Republican lawmakers approved a plan that could have set aside tens of millions of dollars, but Kelly vetoed it, arguing that the well-intentioned measure violated a national coronavirus relief law.

In 2022, Kelly and lawmakers agreed on providing up to $50 million worth of refunds on the local property taxes paid by retail storefront businesses shut down or restricted during the pandemic, up to $5,000 for each business.

But critics have said the process of getting the aid is difficult, and the $5,000 cap discourages businesses from applying. The state Department of Revenue reported Thursday that it had approved 23 applications worth more than $22,000 in aid.

Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna
ST. LOUIS  Rayon shrouds rippled in spring bluster. Edith Aloe pulled a rope to reveal bold bronze sculptures amidst fountains, all to symbolize the joining of two great rivers.

"I'm speechless," Aloe said, but not for the reason that had caused such a fuss.

The main sculptures were of men and women facing one another to represent the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. The figures were naked. The males were anatomically complete.

"Meeting of the Waters," by Swedish-born sculptor Carl Milles, was unveiled on May 11, 1940, across Market Street from Union Station. The idea was to showcase St. Louis' river origin with a stirring artwork at a prime location.

The 3,000 people present for the dedication applauded heartily, although some were dampened by wind-whipped spray from the fountains. Mayor Bernard F. Dickmann called the work "a perpetual advertising medium for the city." Nothing was said officially about anatomy.

The central sculptures, of a man standing on a catfish and a woman on a shell, appear headed for embrace. Milles had wanted to name his work with "Wedding of the Waters." City leaders, seeking to conjure a less-vivid coupling, substituted the word "meeting."

It had been a matter of public sensibility since 1937, when Milles displayed clay models of his inspiration. Two members of the Municipal Art Commission were shocked by the representations.

"We can't let our children see things like that," said commissioner Hubert Hoeflinger, who also was a city alderman. "What's the matter with fig leaves? It would be better to leave something to the imagination."

Edith Aloe responded that the sculptures would be modified "over my dead body." Her opinion was powerful because the new plaza was named for her late husband, Louis Aloe, the city's aldermanic president from 1916 to 1923. She also was charmed by Milles' art and donated $12,500 to the project.

Louis Aloe had been a driving force behind voter approval of an ambitious $87 million bond issue in 1923. It paid for landmarks such as Kiel Auditorium, the River Des Peres channel project and parts of today's Gateway Mall, the downtown parkway along Market Street.

The plaza was intended to replace the dumpy taverns and flophouses that lined the north side of Market and inflicted a grim vista on visitors arriving by train. Demolition took place in 1931.

Commission chairman Francis Healy sided with Hoeflinger, but the vote was 4-2 to accept Milles' design. Commissioner Victor Berlendis, a sculptor, mocked the minority view, saying, "What's wrong with a little nudity?"

In a final protest, Hoeflinger and Healy had their names omitted from the accompanying plaque, which scrap thieves swiped two decades later. The city still maintains the plaza, the sculptures and their fountain sprays.

Union Station unveiling
Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

This is a sentence I didnt expect to write: Sen. Josh Hawley is right about something.

Missouris senior senator, an elitist Republican with degrees from Yale and Stanford, likes to pretend he is a populist man of the people. More often than not, I disagree with him, or at least find him disingenuous. Not this time.

After Donald Trump was found liable by a New York jury for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, Hawley suggested the verdict would have little impact on the Republicans who support the former president.

Maybe Im wrong, Hawley told the Kansas City Star. Maybe itll affect it. But I just kind of doubt it.

Hes not wrong. Almost on cue, the next night in New Hampshire, in the made-for-television Trump rally that CNN pitched as a town hall, the hand-picked Republican crowd literally laughed away the verdict from Trumps New York peers. Just as Trumps supporters have laughed at the criminal fraud charges the former president is facing in New York, the likely election-related charges out of Georgia and the investigation into Trumps role in the Jan. 6 insurrection and in mishandling secret documents.

Its easy for thinking people of all political persuasions to see this collision of events and become disheartened. Just as they do after Republicans turn their backs on constitutional principles and demonize transgender people and take away their freedom to make health care decisions with their physicians. Theres also the fact that in deep-red states like Missouri, the Republicans in charge will do nothing to stop gun violence and instead weaken gun laws year after year.

Thats where I found myself this week: disheartened.

Then I received an email from Phil Henning.

Henning is a Republican who lives on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. Hes a conservative and a veteran, the sort of reader who often disagrees with me. Henning writes me regularly, mostly taking me to task for, in his view, not pounding the drum loudly enough about how bad crime is in the St. Louis region.

This week, we found common ground.

I agree with you on pulling back on recent gun carry laws in Missouri, Henning wrote, responding to my column on the Wild West that has been created by Republicans aversion to gun safety laws.

I have no issue with restricting gun ownership to 18 years old for handguns and 21 for rifles except for legal use of personal property, he added. That protects hunting and home defense. I also believe a training regimen of at least 8 hours on gun safety and citizen use of force is reasonable and a 3-day waiting period (what we have in Illinois) prior to a weapons sale.

Henning agreed to let me share portions of his letter because we both find value in Americans understanding that people of diverse backgrounds can come to some agreement about the current state of gun violence in this country.

Henning is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force.

While we cant legislate behavior, we can pull back on allowing kids to possess firearms and having no training to carry a deadly weapon, he wrote. My Air Force unit trained many young airmen in the safe use of weapons and 18 year olds carried M-16s and other weapons with a chambered round and we had almost a perfect safety record of zero accidental discharges across the Air Force with about 8,000 security forces armed in daily duties.

His letter reminded me of the words of retired Army Major Gen. Paul Eaton, who last year wrote on Twitter: Let me state unequivocally  For all intents and purposes, the AR-15 and rifles like it are weapons of war.

Dozens of the nations top military leaders have come out in favor of basic gun safety regulations because they know what weapons of war do to children. Theyve seen the blood and carnage firsthand.

I havent served our nation like Henning or his fellow veterans have. I appreciate the wisdom that comes with having carried a weapon of war in defense of the country. Well likely continue to disagree, sometimes vehemently, on some of the topics of the day. But on one of the most volatile subjects  gun safety  we found common ground.

That gives me a modicum of hope amid a disheartening time.
RIVERVIEW  A father on probation for domestic violence was charged Wednesday in the death of his 3-year-old son.

Victor D. Pickering, 26, is charged with child abuse resulting in the death of his son, Levi Pickering, at their home in the 400 block of Thrift Avenue in Riverview.

Charging documents allege the father was watching Levi on May 2 when the child had to be rushed to the hospital with severe injuries, including major head and facial trauma, bruises on several parts of his body, a lacerated liver and pancreas and a broken collarbone, among other injuries. The 3-year-old died Tuesday, about a week after he suffered the injuries.

Pickering told St. Louis County police that Levi was injured when he fell a few feet, but medical professionals told investigators that story didn't match the injuries, police said.

Charges allege the death instead appears to stem from intentional abuse and maltreatment by the father. Police wrote in court documents that they observed that Levi's 4-year-old brother also had bruising on his body.

Pickering was on probation for a January 2019 domestic assault at the time of the death. In that case, police in Sikeston, Missouri, arrested Pickering after a woman reported that when she told Pickering to leave, he beat her, causing scratches on her face and a bite mark on her arm.

Pickering pleaded guilty in May 2019 and was placed on five years probation.

His bail was set Wednesday at $500,000, cash only and required to be paid in full.
JEFFERSON CITY  A plan to outlaw texting while driving in Missouri is headed to Gov. Mike Parsons desk.

The measure, which was endorsed in the House earlier this week, won final approval in the Senate Thursday on a 26-7 vote.

Missouri and Montana are the only states not to outlaw texting and driving for all motorists. Drivers age 21 and younger in Missouri already arent allowed to text and drive.

Texting while driving would be considered a secondary traffic offense. That means police would have to pull over a driver for a primary offense, such as running a stop sign or speeding, in order to cite the driver for texting while driving.

Police also wouldnt be able to access information on the phone unless the user was involved in a serious accident, said Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance, who sponsored the measure.

The proposed new law, which would go into effect in August, comes as the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows distracted driving fatalities increased by 11% to 3,211 deaths from 2020 to 2021.

Since 2018, distracted driving fatalities have increased by 21%, and the fatality rate is the highest its been since 2016.

The legislation would forbid people from holding or supporting an electronic communication device while driving, with exceptions such as when they are accessing a map for navigational purposes or playing a song stored on their phone.

It would also outlaw writing, sending or reading text-based communications while driving unless used with a voice-operated, hands-free feature.

Phone calls also wouldnt be allowed unless used with a hands-free, voice-operated feature.

Motorists also wouldnt be allowed to participate in video conferences or record videos while driving unless the recording is for the sole purpose of monitoring operator behavior. The St. Louis Board of Aldermen last year considered a measure that would have barred its members from participating in meetings online while driving. New rules, adopted last month by the board, effectively ended the practice by barring members from voting or being counted as present if they were operating a motor vehicle.

Exceptions in the legislation include one for emergency personnel performing official duties and another for individuals reporting an emergency situation to 911.

Motorists using their phones while their vehicles are lawfully stopped or parked also couldnt be fined.

The proposal includes enhanced penalties for repeat offenders, violations occurring in a work zone when workers are present, violations occurring in a school zone, and violations that are the proximate cause of property damage, personal injury or death.

The measure also launches a program where car buyers can pay their sales taxes directly to auto dealers rather than having to pay them at a drivers license facility after they purchase a vehicle. Schroer said the change will address a large number of people who dont pay their sales taxes and drive on long-expired temporary tags.

The legislation is Senate Bill 398.
JEFFERSON CITY  The mother of a Kansas City girl who died from a stray bullet watched from the gallery Thursday as the Missouri Senate approved legislation imposing tougher penalties for people who fire celebratory gunshots.

As part of a wide-ranging package of crime laws, the gun measure is aimed at stopping the practice of people shooting bullets into the air, including on New Years Day, July Fourth and after other events.

On July 4, 2011, Michele Shanahan-DeMoss watched as her 11-year-old daughter, Blair, was killed by a stray bullet during a backyard barbecue in Kansas City.

The practice is common in St. Louis too, where last year at least four people were injured when hundreds of bullets flew into the air on Jan. 1, according to police records.

The measure, dubbed Blair's Law, declares a person commits the offense of unlawful discharge of a firearm if, with criminal negligence, he or she discharges a firearm within or into the limits of any municipality. The law carves out some exceptions, including for law enforcement officers and military personnel acting within their official capacities.

The overall package, approved on a 30-4 vote, now heads to Gov. Mike Parson for his consideration.

Stripped from the package were attempts by Republicans to take over the St. Louis Police Department and bring in a special state prosecutor to oversee felony cases because of concerns about St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardners performance.

Those initiatives were dropped after Gardners decision last week to resign effective June 1.

Action in the Senate Thursday came after Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, slowed the chamber to a crawl for three days in hopes of leveraging support for initiatives he backs.

Once he relented, lawmakers quickly began ticking off a few last-minute priorities before the session ends Friday.

An agriculture bill was quickly approved, followed by a longer debate on the new crime laws, including one that makes stealing a package from someones porch a felony.

Other provisions include measures to streamline the expungement process, which has been a priority for Sen. Brian Williams, D-University City.

It also would establish a restitution system for people whose convictions are overturned.

Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, D-St. Louis, was among those pushing for legislation to compensate people who have been exonerated and released from incarceration.

Also included in the package are enhanced penalties for people convicted of killing a police dog.

Under current Missouri law, killing a K-9 officer is treated no more seriously than property damage, said Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, who sponsored the change.

The provision is known as Maxs Law, which was inspired by the killing of St. Joseph K-9 officer Max.

Maxs Law recognizes the contributions of these heroic animals and ensures that individuals who take the life of a K-9 officer are subject to a punishment that fits the crime, Luetkemeyer said.

The legislation is Senate Bill 189.
ST. LOUIS  Police on Thursday identified two people killed in a Cherokee Street bar shooting during Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

Rayon Caffey, 25, and Eric Taylor, 44, were shot around 10 p.m. at Exotic Bar and Grill at 2837 Cherokee Street. They both were pronounced dead at a hospital.

Caffey lived in the 2800 block of Ohio Avenue on the edge of the city's Benton Park West neighborhood, and Taylor lived in the 3600 block of South Grand Boulevard in the city's Gravois Park neighborhood.

Another man and a woman were also shot  one in the leg and one in the thigh  in the incident but survived. Police have not released what happened before the shooting.

Exotic Bar opened in the summer of 2021. In January, the business said on their Facebook page it would stop allowing anyone under 24 years old into the bar to order food or drinks.

In a separate incident, two people were shot and injured Saturday during the Cherokee Street Cinco De Mayo festival. Police have charged one person in that shooting.
UPDATED 9:45 a.m. Thursday with arrest

ST. LOUIS  A 28-year-old man was shot and killed late Tuesday in the city's North Pointe neighborhood.

Officers found Brandon West, of Spanish Lake, lying in the street suffering from gunshot wounds just after 10 p.m. in the 5900 block of Summit Place.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers arrested a 25-year-old woman in the killing and will be seeking charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, police said Thursday.

This is at least the 55th homicide in the city this year.

This weekend saw a spate of killings that kicked off a four-month stretch that typically sees an increase in homicides as the weather warms.

Between 2018 and 2022 in St. Louis, about 42% of homicides have happened between May and August, according to a Post-Dispatch analysis. Last year, 84 of the citys 200 homicides happened during that stretch.
JEFFERSON CITY  A Republican-led school choice effort is fizzling in the waning hours of the Legislatures annual session, potentially leaving supporters to regroup for another run at the controversial issue next year.

With time ticking down toward Fridays scheduled adjournment, Republicans acknowledged that a plan allowing students to transfer to school districts where they dont live is on life support amid pushback by education groups.

After the open enrollment scheme narrowly won approval in the House in March, backers in the Senate added some sweeteners designed to secure more votes, including raising base pay for teachers to $38,000 annually and requiring school districts in larger cities to hold a public vote if they want to move to a four-day week.

But that hasnt gotten it over the finish line after some Republicans balked at the idea of students being able to leave their home districts.

Im not terribly optimistic given how the Senate is operating, said Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, who is the architect of the legislation. If the Senate was operating normally, Id say there is a chance but it is still a long shot.

The GOP-controlled Senate has been mired in a major slowdown this week, led primarily by Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, who is trying to force the House to pass some of his initiatives by stalling action in the upper chamber.

While that has gummed up progress in the Senate, the school choice push does not have a record of success after legislation similar to Koenigs bills also died in the Senate in 2021 and 2022.

I dont know that there is any path forward. Im frustrated to say the least, said Rep. Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, who spent 34 years as a public school administrator and sponsored the House version.

The proposal would allow districts to limit the number of students transferring out to 3% of the districts previous years enrollment. And districts wouldnt be required to accept students under the program.

Pollitt said he is surprised that there is opposition to a program that would only affect a small percentage of students.

The scare tactics on a bill that limits the program to 3% are just disappointing, he said.

Pollitt said if a bill somehow emerges from the Senate, hes unsure whether any new provisions will have the support needed to pass again in the House.

The wide-ranging education measure also includes a provision prohibiting lawsuits against a school district that bars transgender students from participating in sports.

The Senate version also creates an $80 million Parent Public School Choice Fund to cover special education and transportation costs.

Opponents say the bill would leave certain school districts behind, but proponents said the program would encourage competition and force lagging districts to improve.

Opponents also say the proposal could pose special challenges in the St. Louis metropolitan area. St. Louis County alone has 22 separate school districts, including some of the states richest and poorest.

The legislation is House Bill 827.
Egis, a global player active in the consulting, construction and engineering sectors, said it has secured two major contracts from Saudi Arabia's Royal Commission for AlUla to undertake several projects related to the development of the private aircraft terminal, otherwise known as a fixed based operator (FBO), at AlUla's International Airport.

Announcing the contract win, Egis said its current scope of work is divided into two components - expansion of the existing hangar, to provide the necessary storage, maintenance and operations space, and the development of a new purpose-built FBO Terminal building.

This new project is a continuation of the collaborative work between RCU and Egis which began last year with the opening in November of a new airport hangar for private aircraft.

Built in line with clean energy standards, the 3,000 sqm hangar is equipped with ground flight and engineering crews and can also provide long-term parking services, said the statement.

As per the deal, Egis will provide a comprehensive range of services, including a complete architectural design and engineering package for detailed design, airside design and airport operation support services, construction and turnover support services, infrastructure and landscaping design, airfield geometry and master planning, gradings, airfield lighting, markings and signage.

According to RCU, AlUla International Airport, and its development, is a key element in its strategy to position the ancient city as a premier global tourism destination for history, heritage, culture, and ecotourism.

The airport acts as a gateway to northwest Arabia, enhancing AlUlas rapidly growing status as a modern and efficient logistical hub for the region and supporting the comprehensive regeneration of AlUla county as a whole.

Ongoing development work at AlUlas International Airport is also firmly aligned with RCUs strategic goal of boosting annual visitor numbers to more than two million people by 2035, it added.

"The expansion of infrastructure at AlUlas International Airport is ongoing and in keeping with the pace of development that has transformed AlUla into a unique destination for visitors from around the world," remarked its CEO Engineer Amr Almadani.

"The first and last thing private plane passengers experience during their visit to AlUla, is the FBO Terminal that will be built to the highest standards as part of our ongoing collaborations with Egis. Key partnerships such as this are an essential part of RCUs journey towards growing AlUlas tourism appeal as well as attracting investment in a range of dynamic and rapidly growing sectors that are shaping the future of northwest Arabia," he stated.

Alaa Abusiam, the CEO of Egis in Middle East and South Asia, said over the past two years, Egis had been actively involved in the development of AlUla's infrastructure in multiple areas including environmental and consulting work.

"We are proud to continue working with the Royal Commission for AlUla to support the development of its infrastructure, airports and more. We are committed to providing exceptional quality and innovative solutions that meet the needs of our clients and the community," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The United Nations top human rights body is holding a one-day emergency session Thursday in Sudan to draw attention to the killings, injuries, and other abuses against civilians since the conflict between its two top generals erupted last month.

The Human Rights Council, which is made up of 47 U.N. member states, is set to vote on a resolution that would further scrutinize current human rights violations taking place in Sudan.

The fighting in Sudan started as a result of a power struggle between the chief of Sudans military, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and rival Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands a powerful paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF.

During the opening speech of the session, President of the United Nations Human Rights Council Vaclav Balek accused both sides of violating international humanitarian law.

Balek accused the Sudanese military of launching attacks in densely populated civilian areas and the RSF of taking over numerous buildings in Khartoum to use as operation bases, evicting residents and launching attacks from densely inhabited urban areas."

The call to hold the special session was led by Western countries. Council member states  including Chile, Costa Rica, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan  joined the call for the special session. The main co-sponsors of the draft resolution were all European, in addition to the United States.

While all representatives unanimously called for de-escalation to the ensuring conflict, some expressed skepticism about the draft resolution.

"We regret that this draft resolution includes wording that this council has not yet had time to debate and which would warrant an in-depth examination, said Salim Baddoura, Lebanon's representative to the UN office in Geneva. He provided no further details.

The conflict has so far claimed the lives of more than 600 people, including civilians, and displaced hundreds of thousands. The violence has also spread to other regions, namely the restive Darfur province.

The U.N. has raised concerns about the plight of civilians caught up in the crossfire and worries about food security and aid deliveries and urged support for neighboring countries hosting people fleeing the ongoing violence.

Separately, dozens of independent experts working with the U.N. human rights office issued a joint statement on Thursday, citing reports that civilians of all ages are experiencing various human rights abuses, in Sudan, including sexual assault, gender-based violence, looting, and shortages of food, water and healthcare.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


KANSAS CITY  Officials in Missouris largest city approved a resolution Thursday to declare it a sanctuary for people seeking or providing gender-affirming care, defying state lawmakers who voted a day earlier to ban such care for minors and restrict it for some adults.

The Kansas City Council voted 11-1 to pass a resolution that declares the city a safe haven for gender-affirming care and adopts an official policy on gender-affirming care.

The policy applies only to city staff and city agencies. It directs city employees to not criminally prosecute or fine any person or organization that seeks, provides, receives or helps someone to receive gender-affirming care such as as puberty blockers, hormones or surgery.

It also says that if the state passes a law or resolution that imposes criminal or civil punishments, fines or professional sanctions in such cases, personnel in Missouris largest city will make enforcing those requirements their lowest priority.

The resolution also encourages the Kansas City Police Department, which is under state control, to adopt a similar policy.

The measure was sponsored by Mayor Quinton Lucas, Councilman Eric Bunch and Councilwoman Andrea Bough.

Lucas said he looked forward to proudly signing the measure.

We love all and welcome all, he said in a tweet earlier Thursday.

In response to emails and calls:



I am indeed proudly Baptist and look forward to proudly signing into law later today Kansas City's declaration that it will be a safe haven in Missouri for trans rights. We love all and welcome all.  Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) May 11, 2023

Kansas Citys proposal is coming from a Democratic-leaning city in a state with a Republican governor and GOP-controlled Legislature.

Similar action has been taken in places like Austin, Texas.

The resolution also comes as a judge considers a proposed emergency rule from Republican state Attorney General Andrew Bailey that would require adults and children to undergo more than a year of therapy  and fulfill other requirements before they could receive gender-affirming treatment.

Republican state lawmakers across the U.S. whove attacked gender-affirming care as part of a larger effort to roll back LGBTQ+ rights have argued that theyre protecting children from decisions they may later regret. But gender-affirming care for minors has been available in the U.S. for more than a decade and is endorsed by major medical associations.

Updated at 5 p.m.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  The family of a man killed by police officers in the Kansas City suburb of Independence, Missouri, filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit Thursday, accusing the officers of shooting the man without justification.

The lawsuit on behalf of Tyrea Pryor's relatives names two officers and the city of Independence. It seeks at least $25 million in damages.

In March 2022, police were called to a disturbance and began following a car that left the scene. The car crashed a short time later. Pryor, 39, and a woman were in the car.

Police found a rifle in the vehicle but the lawsuit said Pryor was not brandishing it. Video footage released by the family's attorneys showed that officers also believed Pryor had a pistol. No pistol was found.

Tyrea was shot approximately 15 times while he was unarmed, defenseless and trapped in a wrecked vehicle, it states.

Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Jean Peters Baker announced in March that the officers would not be charged, citing the reasonable belief that they faced a threat.

The city of Independence said in a statement that any loss of life is tragic.

We are constantly working to improve our ability to respond to intense situations and ensure our officers are prepared to provide the services needed during any call they receive, the statement said.
The bear was too busy snacking on salmon to notice us.

We were kayaking  a safe distance away. What an experience! Our small UnCruise ship, known for Alaska wilderness experiences, enabled us to kayak and hike away from the crowds.

Another day, another trip, we were privileged to visit orphan bear cubs and injured bald eagles in Sitka at the Fortress of the Bear (these orphaned cubs would otherwise have been euthanized) and a short distance away at the Alaska Raptor Center. (While you are in Sitka, you wont want to miss the 18 amazing totem poles at the Sitka National Historical Park, first brought here in 1906. Take the mile-long Totem Trail through the temperate rainforest.)

Weve fished successfully for halibut west of Homer in the Cook Inlet and less successfully for salmon on the Kenai River. We birdwatched, staying at a remote lodge only accessible by boat at Kenai Fjord National Park. (Alaska Wildland Adventures has been offering such opportunities to get into the wilderness since 1977.)

Perhaps the most iconic of our Alaska adventures was a stay deep inside Denali National Park a decade ago at family-owned Camp Denali, one of just a few lodges that provide guided hikes in the trailless park because when they were established they were outside the park boundaries; now they are inside the six-million acre park.

Friends toured in an RV; our kids camped. There are more than 400 RV parks and campgrounds to choose from. Weve also happily toured Southeast Alaska on major cruise ships, meeting many multigenerational families along the way. The appeal: No packing and unpacking, no navigating from place to place, on board and shore activities to suit all ages and the chance for kids to learn along the way.

Princess Cruises, for example, has partnered with the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet to offer special family Discovery shore excursions.

According to Travel Alaska, 1.65 million tourists will visit this summer, more than half on 60 large and small cruise ships. It is a top destination for first-time cruisers with departures from San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver. And there are options for all budgets. (There are also some Holland America cruises offering kids free deals.)

Alaska is also a top bucket list trip for many Americans, especially multigenerational families. Alaska is an easier  and more affordable  trip than many other bucket list destinations. It is appropriate for all ages, including those with mobility issues. And a trip is guaranteed to be one for the memory books.

There are 100,000 glaciers, more bears than people, the worlds largest temperate rainforest, eagles, whales, soaring totem poles, salmon galore (just south of downtown Ketchikan, the Herring Cove area is home to a salmon hatchery and is a popular location for fishing and wildlife viewing) and fascinating gold rush history.

The narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, had made it much less dangerous to trek to the gold fields in the Klondike and today enables travelers to experience spectacular scenery, and learn a little history at the same time as the train travels along the historic route of the Klondike Gold Rush. You can also ride the train and then hike back.

The Alaska Railroad, meanwhile, is celebrating its centennial. Many cruise passengers, particularly on Holland America and Princess, opt for a cruise tour via train to Denali, staying in wilderness lodges at the edge of the park.

Its impossible to see all of Alaska on one trip. Denali National Park and Preserve itself, home to North Americas tallest peak, is six million acres; The Tongass National Forest is nearly 17 million acres, encompassing nearly 90 percent of Southeast Alaska. There are more than 46,000 miles of tidal shoreline, 80 percent inaccessible by road and longer than the other 48 states coastlines combined.

Small-ship cruises (just make sure they are age appropriate for your children) are expanding with access to lesser-visited destinations. (Families bringing kids ages 8 to 17 save $500 per child and there are family-oriented activities (face painting with glacial mud; tide pool treasure hunts among them).

Alaskan Dream Cruises debuts a new glacier-focused itinerary in 2024. Starting in Sitka, this eight-night Ice of the Inside Passage visits Prince of Wales Island, the Alaska Native community of Klawock and Dall Island, offering an up-close view of seven different glaciers along the way.

With so much to see, do and learn, a cruise  whether you choose a large ship or small expedition vessel is a terrific introduction to what Alaska has to offer. The key is to choose the right cruise line for your family  and your budget. There still are appealing deals for this season. However, if you want to gather extended family (and friends) for a special cruise celebration, it certainly isnt too early to plan for 2024. Youll get your pick of cabins, and working with a travel adviser who is a cruise expert can not only help you sort through the many options but also get you some extra perks on board too.

Just remember your rain gear!
Magewell Bringing New Presentation, Streaming, and AV-over-IP Solutions to InfoComm 2023

Demonstrations will include recently introduced innovations, established products and new unveilings

Nanjing, China( )

Continuing the momentum from its innovation-packed exhibits at ISE 2023 and last months NAB Show, Magewell is bringing exciting demonstrations of its latest solutions to InfoComm 2023 in Orlando next month. Exhibiting in booth 2855, the company will showcase recent releases alongside established products and some new surprises.

While streaming, AV-over-IP and software-based solutions have become pervasive in the professional AV market, systems integrators and end-users are constantly striving to make such technologies easier, more efficient and more effective. Magewells capture, IP conversion and streaming solutions enable or enhance applications ranging from video conferencing and online learning to live event production and medical imaging.

Staff from Magewell and MVD (the companys exclusive North and South American distributor) will demonstrate new and proven solutions spanning all three of Magewells core product portfolios:

Capture

Far more than just a multi-input video capture and mixing device, the USB Fusion hardware and accompanying app offer powerful live presentation features to engage and impress both online and in-venue audiences. Users can easily combine camera, screenshare and media file sources into attractive layouts for online lectures, video conferencing, live event coverage and more. The results can be output over HDMI to local displays or captured via USB into popular software. Demos will highlight newly added wireless input capabilities including AirPlay, Google Cast and Miracast.

Magewell will also showcase its recently announced Eco Capture AIO M.2 ultra-compact video capture card with selectable HDMI and SDI interfaces, as well as their always-popular USB Capture series of plug-and-play, external video capture devices.

IP Conversion

A highlight of Magewells IP conversion demonstrations will be the companys first product with integrated Dante audio networking: the Pro Convert Audio DX multi-format IP audio encoder, decoder, and capture device. The new hardware offers flexible IP audio conversion between Dante, NDI and SRT technologies while seamlessly bridging analog audio, software and IP networks.

Additional demos will showcase end-to-end AV-over-IP and multi-site stream delivery workflows using NDI, NDI|HX and SRT technologies, with Magewell encoders and decoders all managed by the latest version of the companys centralized control software.

Streaming

Ideal for applications ranging from live event and lecture streaming to AV over IP, the Ultra Encode AIO advanced live media encoder builds on the rich feature set of earlier Ultra Encode models with expanded features including 4K (30fps) encoding; simultaneous multi-protocol streaming; a touchscreen LCD; and recording to files. Ultra Encode AIO can encode one live input source or mix the HDMI and SDI inputs into a combined output, and flexibly supports H.264 and H.265 streaming in protocols including RTMP, SRT, HLS and more. It can also encode and transmit NDI|HX2 and NDI|HX3 for AV-over-IP workflows.

For more information about Magewell, please visit https://www.magewell.com.

About Magewell  Magewell (www.magewell.com) develops innovative, high-performance video I/O and IP workflow solutions that seamlessly bridge signals, software, streams, and screens. The simplicity, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of Magewells capture, conversion, and streaming products and SoM boards make them the preferred choice of integrators, end-users, and OEM customers for bringing high-quality AV signals into and out of IP networks and popular software. Magewell solutions power applications including live streaming, event production, video conferencing, multi-site video distribution, remote learning, medical imaging, and more.

###

Copyright 2023 Nanjing Magewell Electronics Co, Ltd. All rights reserved. NDI is a trademark of Vizrt Group. Dante is a registered trademark of Audinate Pty Ltd.
Base Operations Insights: Spikes in Mob Violence in Ankara and Istanbul During 2018 and 2019 Elections Indicate Similar Patterns of Violence Should Be Prepared For

WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Base Operations, the street-level intelligence company that delivers unparalleled access to global threat data to help organizations enhance their corporate security programs, has compiled a threat assessment for the upcoming Turkish elections on May 14 using historical data to forecast potential violence in the region.



Heatmaps for Istanbul & Ankara

Hotspots show mob violence, protests & violent demonstrations from 4/1/18 to 7/31/18





The election in Turkey is being monitored by companies around the world for its geopolitical impact, as well as for potential short-term disruption to businesses. Leading up to the election, Base Operations analyzed Ankara and Istanbul during the 2018 election year to anticipate where violence or unrest could occur.

The 2018 election period saw spikes in politically motivated mob violence for both Ankara and Istanbul. Incidents in both cities were concentrated near election centers and voting facilities leading up to and shortly following the previous election. Spikes in similar incidents occurred during 2019 local elections.

In Istanbuln these incidents were more frequent and more dispersed, taking place in the districts of Zeytinburnu, Esenler, KAAthane, AiAli and Umraniye, and the neighborhoods of Esentepe and OkmeydanA. In the capital city of Ankara, these incidents were concentrated in the district of Cankaya and Kecioren.

Given the patterns of activity in the previous two election periods, it is reasonable to prepare for similar activity leading up to and following the election dates of May 14 and May 28 (if a second voting period is needed). Should extraordinary circumstances occur during or following this election, additional caution should be taken in areas near voting facilities.

Key findings from the Ankara analysis:

Eighty-two percent of all protest activity during this period required intervention by police (103/125 events), up from the six-year average of 62%.

June saw eight (8) events recorded as Mob Violence, all geared towards various political parties. This is a 142% increase from the six-year monthly average of 3.3 events per month.

Districts where these events most commonly occurred:

Cankaya District - often Yuksel Street. Cankaya is home to many government buildings, as well as nearly all foreign embassies to Turkey.

Kecioren District

Ankara-Konya intercity road in Ankara province

Istanbul

Eighty-nine percent of all protests during this period were peaceful.

While there was a steady increase in protests requiring intervention leading up to the 2018 election, the 12 incidents in the month of June are only 33% higher than the five-year monthly average.

The 14 incidents of Mob Violence recorded during the month of the election reflect a 1,500% increase of the five-year monthly average of one event.

Districts where these events most commonly occurred:

Zeytinburnu

Esenler

KaAAthane

AiAli

Umraniye

Neighborhoods of Esentepe

Neighborhoods of OkmeydanA

See complete analysis here: https://medium.com/@matt.fuller_89282/base-operations-insights-19c1468d052b.

Learn more about Base Operations: baseoperations.com.

Contact Information

Matthew Fuller

VP Sales

[email protected]

862-432-3931

Related Files

Istanbul_Event Summary_2018-03-31_2018-07-31.csv (2).png

Ankara_Event Summary_2018-03-31_2018-07-31.csv.png

SOURCE: Base Operations

View source version on accesswire.com:
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / CNH Industrial has been honored with the Best Contribution to Thailand's Education Award 2023 for its significant role in the development of education in Thailand. Presented by the Thai Ministry of Education during its 131st anniversary ceremony, the award is a testament to CNH Industrial's commitment to empowering educational institutions and underserved communities.

CNH Industrial has a longstanding commitment to providing scholarships, financial and technical grants, and educational resources in the country, alongside collaborating with academic institutions to accelerate vocational training and skills development programs to equip young people with future-ready skills and knowledge.

Mark Brinn, Managing Director of CNH Industrial for Southeast Asia and Japan, said, "Education unlocks opportunities for all people to reach their full potential while contributing to the community. As a company we support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In line with fostering social equity and inclusive growth, we aim to help empower people and reduce inequalities through education."

The Best Contribution to Thailand's Education Award highlights the role that business and other key stakeholders play in improving Thai education and how this makes a positive impact on society. It also reinforces how public-private partnerships can accelerate educational progress.

CNH Industrial's We Care We Share outreach program, in partnership with the Thai Ministry of Education and vocational colleges was commended for delivering real community impact.

Launched in 2020, through the program, CNH Industrial has been providing equipment, technical and financial resources for education and training programs to local colleges.

The Company supports the Diploma in Agriculture Machinery in partnership with the Pakdee College of Commerce and Technology vocational training school. CNH Industrial also donated a New Holland TT2.50 Tractor to the school to support hands-on machinery experience.

In the Nakhon Ratchasima province, the Company donated a New Holland TC5.30 combine harvester to the Nakhon Ratchasima College of Agriculture and Technology to support training on new farming trends and technologies. The machine will also be used to harvest corn on the College's farm.

In April, CNH Industrial donated another New Holland TC5.30 combine to the Nakhonsawan Agricultural and Technology Vocational College, with this one to be used for harvesting rice. A New Holland BC5060 small square baler and TT2.50 48 horsepower tractor with auto-guidance were demonstrated to staff and students, who were impressed by the combination of reliable machinery and smart technology.

CNH Industrial receives Best Contribution to Thailand's Education Award 2023

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from CNH Industrial on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: CNH Industrial

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cnh-industrial

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: CNH Industrial

View source version on accesswire.com:
Google's policies are ever evolving to cater to shifts in customer behaviour and SEO strategies must be adapted to meet the changing landscape of digital marketing.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Zib Digital, a leading digital marketing agency in Auckland, has announced that it is closely monitoring the changes in Google's policies and shifts in customer behaviour. As a top SEO Auckland company, Zib Digital understands the importance of keeping up with the latest developments in the digital marketing world.

Zib Digital

Zib Digital

With the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing in Auckland, it is essential to stay on top of Google's policies to ensure that businesses' websites rank high in search results. Google is continually updating its algorithms to provide users with the most relevant and accurate information. Zib Digital's team of experts is closely watching these changes to provide their clients with the most effective SEO strategies.

According to Zib Digital, customer behaviour is also shifting. With the rise of mobile and voice search, the way customers interact with businesses online is changing. As a result, businesses must adapt their digital marketing strategies to stay ahead of the competition.

As the premier SEO company in Auckland, Zib Digital provides their clients with comprehensive SEO services that help businesses rank high in search results. By understanding the changes in customer behaviour, they can tailor their strategies to meet the evolving needs of their clients.

The team at Zib Digital is committed to ensuring their clients receive the most effective strategies, by staying up-to-date on the latest developments in the industry. They use proven SEO tactics that have been successful in the past while adapting their approach to meet the changing landscape of digital marketing.

With their expert team of digital marketing professionals, businesses can be sure that they are receiving the most effective SEO strategies that will help them rank high in search results when they partner with Zib Digital.

To learn more about the evolving digital marketing landscape and to discuss tailored SEO strategies, contact Zib Digital.

About Zib Digital

As a leading digital marketing agency, Zib Digital has helped grow businesses in a wide variety of industries, both in Australia and internationally, through clever online marketing.

Contact Information

Zib Digital

Manager

(03) 8685 9290

SOURCE: Zib Digital

View source version on accesswire.com:
GENEVE, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE May 11, 2023 / TradeNow365 seeks to bring democracy to the modern trading world through the power of leverage, TradeNow365 has strived to centre itself as a constant source of financial and trading management to clients from all around the world. The pandemic and new trade recommendations have changed the landscape of the industry, and TradeNow365 has placed itself at the forefront of the new era.

TradeNow365 has built a reputation around education, accessibility, and transparency in the online trading world. It aims to educate end-users of all experience levels on how to expand their portfolio, grow their wealth, and use their own capital to their advantage.

TradeNow365 simply believes that everyone has the right to the information and tools they need to achieve financial freedom.

With a growing global presence, TradeNow365 transacts a large number of option contracts each month. It has always been the aim of TradeNow365 to help as many people as possible to reach their financial dreams, and that journey will continue long into the future.

TradeNow365 is experiencing significant growth in trading volume, with a large number of transactions being processed every month. As a company, their goal is to help clients achieve their financial aspirations. TradeNow365 is committed to providing the best possible service and support to customers as they move forward into the future.

With offices in Geneva, London, Frankfurt and Hong Kong, TradeNow365 is well-placed to offer education and customer service to clients in all time zones across the globe. No matter how experienced the trader is or how much they need to learn, TradeNow365 is all about providing tools, information, and access to investors.

Technological tools at TradeNow365, enable clients to see better returns than traditional business opportunities, with a particular focus on commodities such as soft materials, energies, metals, and more. TradeNow365 believes that the ability to successfully trade using these commodities should not be restricted to certain communities, but should be accessible to people from all walks of life. Democratic trading lies at the heart of everything that TradeNow365 does.

About TradeNow365 -

TradeNow365 is currently based in Switzerland. However, with an expanding team and a global aim, TradeNow365 strives to bring a sense of democracy to the online trading world, providing clients with the tools and education they need to make informed trading decisions. The company mission is to make it accessible to achieve financial freedom, regardless of who you are, where you come from, or how much trading knowledge you have. Via commodity trading in the soft material, metals, and energy sectors, as well as 24-hour customer service and an array of tools, TradeNow365 wants to change the trading sector forever.

For more information about TradeNow365, you can visit or contact them at: https://www.tradenow365.com/

Media Contact

Organization: Tradenow365

Contact Person: Peter Simmons

Website: https://www.tradenow365.com/

Email: [email protected]

Contact Number: 1 844 632 0966

Address: Pl. de la Fusterie 12, 1204 Geneve, Switzerland

City: Geneve

Country: Switzerland

PR Contact

King Newswire

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Tradenow365

View source version on accesswire.com:
In a TV interview on Monday with TV host Ahmed Moussa, Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, stated that Egypt has no intention of taking the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) at this stage.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared the interview on Wednesday on its official Facebook page.

In the interview, which was conducted during Shoukrys Monday visit to Chad, Shoukry said that Egypt had no plans to go to the UNSC at this stage as Ethiopia gears up for the fourth filling of the dam despite objections from both Cairo and Khartoum.

He added that the Egyptians must have confidence in their leadership and their institutions to deal with the matter and take all the necessary actions to protect the Egyptian citizen and Egypts water security.

Despite the concerns expressed by Egypt and Sudan over the construction of the GERD, Ethiopia has proceeded with the unilateral filling of the dam's 74-billion-cubic-metre reservoir over the past three years and is preparing to commence the fourth phase of filling in July.

Furthermore, Ethiopia began generating electricity from the dam in 2022 without reaching a comprehensive agreement with either of the downstream countries.

Egypt has already resorted to the UN Security Council in the past three years, as Ethiopia has been filling the dam since 2020.

In June 2020, Egypt began its efforts to oppose the dam by sending a letter to the UNSC condemning the first filing of GERD and calling for resuming the tripartite negotiations.

In 2021, Egypt and Sudan brought the issue of GERD before the UNSC in a meeting held in July of that year.

In the meeting, Tunisia, the only Arab non-permanent member of the Council, presented a draft resolution that called for Ethiopia to resume negotiations in good faith and set a six-month timeline for reaching an agreement under the auspices of the African Union (AU).

In September of the same year, the UNSC issued a presidential statement urging Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt to resume negotiations under the auspices of the African Union (AU) and to "finalize a mutually acceptable agreement on filling and operating the dam within a reasonable time frame".

In February 2022, Egypt and Sudan also headed to the UNSC for the third time in a row to protest the third filling without succeeding in bringing about any substantial change, whether by halting the filling process or reviving negotiations.

Egypt depended throughout its history on the river Nile, and 65 percent of Egyptians work in the agricultural sector. Therefore, we shall not allow the Egyptian people to suffer harm, said Shoukry in the TV interview.

Moussa then asked the foreign minister whether the African Union had made any progress in the talks with Ethiopia and whether these talks had failed to make a breakthrough.

Shoukry responded that the AU had undoubtedly neither succeeded in making Addis Ababa change its position nor had it recourse to similar experiences of transboundary rivers, such as the Senegal River and other similar rivers in Europe.

Egypt and Sudan have been negotiating with Ethiopia for over a decade to reach a legally binding and comprehensive agreement regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) construction, which Addis Ababa began building on the Blue Nile in 2011.

The African Union has been engaged in the talks since the summer of 2020 before the talks halted in April 2021.

The Ethiopian government's stubbornness in enforcing the concept of sovereignty over a shared, transboundary resource has made it impossible to reach a consensus under the current circumstances, Shoukry revealed.

In April, Egypt accused Ethiopia of attempting to "buy time" to continue filling GERD unilaterally without reaching a deal and stressed that Addis Ababas constant claim that Egypt is politicizing the GERD issue was nothing short of an attempt to "evade legal responsibility.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


LONDON & FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- By agreement of the Parties, Farrow Law Firm has been authorized to issue the following statement on behalf of Dont Look Media LLC, Louis Spagnuolo, Farrow Law, P.A. and Jay Farrow.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510005839/en/

Farrow Law Firm Announces Amicable Resolution of Claims Against Fly Victor Limited (Photo: Business Wire)

Louis Spagnuolo, Dont Look Media LLC, Jay Farrow and Farrow Law LLP amicably resolved any and all claims or causes of action they have or had against Clive Henry Jackson, Bernardus Vorster, Dan Northover, Nelson Rocha, Jr., Fly Victor Limited, Alyssum Group Limited, Alyssum Holdings Limited, Youngjets LLC, Fly Victor, Inc., Victor Technology, Inc., Sudranreb Consultancy Ltd., Infinet Technologies SARL, Longhurst Corporate Ltd., Letyano Limited, Autotorq Holdings Limited, Mike Ryan, and David Young. All such claims or causes of action have been amicably resolved.

The details of the resolution are confidential, but all legal claims have been discontinued. There has been no admission or determination of liability against any party, and all matters have been settled and/or dismissed. All prior statements that were made against or regarding these individuals or entities are hereby retracted.

The parties are pleased to have resolved their differences amicably.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510005839/en/

Janine Davis

+1 954.252.9818

[email protected]

Source: Farrow Law LLP
SIGNY, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- New data from Global Blue (NYSE: GB) shows that the overall dynamic recovery for Tax Free Shopping remains strong across Continental Europe and Asia Pacific.

Globally, issued Sales in Store like-for-like recovery remains solid at 106%1 in April vs. 101%1 in Q1 2023.

This acceleration of the recovery in April is due to the progressive return of Mainland Chinese shoppers. This is despite an unfavorable calendar effect linked to the absence of Gulf Cooperation Council Citizens traveling in April due to Ramadan2.

For the first time, the Asia Pacific recovery rate almost reached 2019 levels, at 99%1.

Continental Europe recovery remains solid

In Continental Europe, the recovery is stable at 110%1 in April compared to 109%1 in Q1 2023.

Regarding origin markets, the return of Mainland Chinese residents has accelerated, with a recovery rate reaching 47%1 in April vs. 31%1 in Q1. This acceleration has offset the slowdown in the Gulf Cooperation Council residents recovery at 109%1 in April vs. 255%1 in Q1 due to the Ramadan unfavorable calendar effect2.

US shopper recovery remains strong at 274%1 in April vs. 288%1 in Q1.

In terms of destination markets, the solid recovery in April was across all destinations, predominantly led by Greece at 155%1, France at 138%1, Spain at 123%1, Italy at 111%1, and Switzerland at 107%1.

An accelerating recovery in Asia Pacific

In Asia Pacific, the recovery reached 99%1 in April vs. 87%1 Q1.

In terms of origin markets, the return of Mainland Chinese shoppers has also been a key contributor to the strengthening recovery in Asia Pacific. In April, Mainland Chinese shopper recovery in South Korea reached 105%1 in April vs. 47%1 in Q1, whilst in Singapore Mainland Chinese shopper recovery reached 83%1 in April vs. 40%1 in March.

With regards to the other origin market nationalities, Hong Kong and Taiwan residents continue to have an elevated recovery level at 349%1 in April vs. 368%1 in Q1. This was followed by South East Asia residents at 164%1 in April vs. 145%1 in Q1.

Regarding destination markets, Japan and South Korea are leading the Sales in Store like-for-like recovery, both reaching 102%1 in April, followed by Singapore at 94%1.

A gradual recovery for Mainland Chinese shoppers

Since China's borders reopened in January 2023, air capacity recovery from Mainland China to key destinations has been gradually on the rise.

In Continental Europe, air capacity recovery reached 36%3 in April vs. 22%3 in March. In Asia Pacific, air capacity recovery reached 31%3 in April vs. 14%3 in March as a result of the easing of Covid restrictions in the region. The willingness to travel for Mainland China shoppers has significantly increased, reaching 79%4 in April vs. 70%4 in March.

The average spend progression is also strong for Chinese shoppers. In April, it increased by 59%5 in Continental Europe and 127%5 in Asia Pacific.

On the back of this progressive air capacity recovery and average spend increase, there is a steady improvement in the Sales in Store like-for-like Mainland Chinese recovery which has reached 45%1 worldwide in April vs. 32%1 in Q1.

Projected Air

capacity recovery

from Mainland

China3 May

2023 June

2023 Q3 2023 Continental Europe 41% 46% 51% Asia Pacific 42% 49% 49%

APPENDIX

YTD Data

Issued SIS L/L recovery1 (in % of 2019) April

2023 Q1

2023 Q4 2022 Q3

2022 Q2

2022 Q1

2022 Continental Europe 110% 109% 104% 101% 75% 53% Asia Pacific 99% 87% 80% 51% 39% 16% TOTAL 106% 101% 97% 89% 65% 40%

Glossary

- Gulf Cooperation Council countries include: Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman

- South East Asia includes: Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore

- North East Asia includes: Japan, South Korea

ABOUT GLOBAL BLUE

Global Blue pioneered the concept of Tax Free Shopping 40 years ago. Through continuous innovation, we have become the leading strategic technology and payments partner, empowering retailers to improve their performance and shoppers to enhance their experience.

Global Blue offers innovative solutions in three different fields:

Tax Free Shopping: Helping retailers at over 300,000 points of sale to efficiently manage 35 million Tax Free Shopping transactions a year, thanks to its fully integrated in-house technology platform. Meanwhile, its industry-leading digital Tax Free shopper solutions create a better, more seamless customer experience.

Helping retailers at over 300,000 points of sale to efficiently manage 35 million Tax Free Shopping transactions a year, thanks to its fully integrated in-house technology platform. Meanwhile, its industry-leading digital Tax Free shopper solutions create a better, more seamless customer experience. Payment services: Providing a full suite of foreign exchange and Payment technology solutions that allow acquirers, hotels, and retailers to offer value-added services and improve the customer experience during 31 million payment transactions a year at 130,000 points of interaction.

Providing a full suite of foreign exchange and Payment technology solutions that allow acquirers, hotels, and retailers to offer value-added services and improve the customer experience during 31 million payment transactions a year at 130,000 points of interaction. Complementary RetailTech: Offering new technology solutions to retailers, including digital receipts and eCommerce returns, that can be easily integrated with their core systems and allow them to optimize and digitalize their processes throughout the omni-channel customer journey, both in-store and online.

In addition, our data and advisory services offer a strategic advisory to help retailers identify opportunities for growth, while our shopper experience and engagement solutions provide data-driven solutions to increase footfall, convert footfall to revenue and enhance performance.

For more information, visit https://www.globalblue.com/about-us/media

Global Blue Monthly Speaker Notes Data, April 2023, Source: Global Blue

1 Recovery rate is equal to 2023 Issued Sales in Store divided by 2019 Issued Sales in Store, like-for-like (i.e.: at constant merchant scope and exchange rates).

2 Ramadan took place from May 5th to June 3rd in 2019, while it took place from March 22d to April 20th in 2023, leading to an unfavorable basis effect in March and April 2023.

3 Air capacity: ForwardKeys data platform  March 2023

4 Global Blue Willingness to travel survey

5 Chinese shoppers increase of average spend per international shopper versus 2019

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005441/en/

MEDIA CONTACTS

Virginie Alem  SVP Marketing & Communications

Mail: [email protected]

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS

Frances Gibbons  Head of Investor Relations

Mob: +44 (0)7815 034 212

Mail: [email protected]

Source: Global Blue
Gradient is revolutionizing brand encounters with visionaries and boundary-pushers who dont fit into a box  they create entirely new shapes.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gradient Experiential, a full-service experiential marketing agency, welcomes Wei Wu as Creative Technologist. Wu previously taught 3D scanning and digital fabrication at Harvard University. Her professional and educational pedigree make her an excellent addition to Gradient's team of creative pioneers.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005963/en/

"We believe in the power of technology to enhance human connections, says Chief Product Officer Martin Rogard. We leverage Augmented Reality (AR), Web3 and Livestream to scale immersive experiences. Were excited to welcome Wei Wu as our first creative technologist as we continue to power our vision.

Before her time at Harvard, Wu researched AR board game design at MIT and used virtual reality (VR) technology to enhance rehabilitation services at Hong Kong University. In addition, she worked in computational design for numerous architecture firms, like SANAA in Tokyo and Shanghais RoboticsPlus.

The Gradient team seeks minds that can think creatively and pragmatically  people who can simultaneously focus on a given project's details and the larger experience. According to Creative Director Kyra Taurman, Wei not only understands the value of the digital layer but also how that layer intersects with physicality.

Based in Cambridge, MA, Wu earned a bachelors degree in architecture from Guangdong University of Technology. She also holds a masters degree in design studies from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. When not immersed in work, she transforms into a new media artist. Her interactive projects utilize techniques such as robotic fabrication, animation and extended reality.

Wu will conceptualize innovative ideas for digital products, services and experiences. The move comes as Gradient continues to build a high-caliber team of power players and fluid thinkers to deepen interactions between their clients and consumers through impactful brand experiences.

About Gradient:

GRADIENT is a U.S.-based, future-forward experience company created to help brands ignite authentic connections with their audiences through emotionally engaging yet measurable experiences. To meet brands business goals, they imagine and implement creative experiences that touch peoples hearts, move their minds and yield lasting business results.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005963/en/

Amera Ratliff

Executive Editor

[email protected]

681-222-9177

Source: Gradient Experiential
Shatterproof Provides Trusted and High-Quality Addiction Prevention Tools and Methods to Change Attitudes about Substance Use Disorders

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Californians now have a free, confidential way to find lifesaving, high-quality addiction treatment. As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, Shatterproof, a national organization focused on guiding communities, removing systemic barriers to recovery, mobilizing the country to advocate for change, and ending addiction stigma, is expanding and bringing its work to California.

The new resources include the Shatterproof Treatment Atlas platform to connect individuals with high-quality, appropriate evidence-based addiction treatment; Unshame California, a science-based and data-driven campaign that promotes anti-stigma messaging through stories of Californians impacted by substance use disorders (SUDs); and two community walks to celebrate those living in recovery and bring hope to the millions who are still struggling with addiction. Through an investment from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) over four years, along with funding from Blue Shield of California, both Treatment Atlas and Unshame California align with ongoing statewide initiatives to reduce overdoses, support recovery efforts, and educate the public.

No one should struggle or die from a preventable and treatable disease. Shatterproofs work aims to make sure that our nation has trusted, evidence-based guidance and resources to help everyone in need, said Gary Mendell, founder and CEO of Shatterproof. With substance use and overdoses at an all-time high in our country, it is critical that we are working with the California Department of Health Care Services and Blue Shield of California to bring our effective impactful programming to Californians. Together, we are stronger than addiction. By working together, we can help so many struggling today.

Shatterproof Programming

The first resource in the United States to offer many unique features, Treatment Atlas is a confidential, free-to-the-public, nonprofit platform that is publicly available to help people find and compare addiction treatment facilities for SUDs, including alcohol and drugs, so they can make informed decisions for their care. People with a SUD or their loved ones can search the online platform based on criteria, such as location, use of best practices, types of treatment offered, accepted insurers, payment options, specialty populations served, and patient experiences. The platform is currently live in 10 other states and offers a comprehensive list of addiction treatment providers across each respective state, including inpatient, residential, intensive outpatient, and outpatient sites of care. People can also answer ten anonymous questions that assess an individuals risk and severity to get initial guidance on which addiction treatment options might be best for them. The online screener to assist in guiding the public to the appropriate type of care is informed and endorsed by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Treatment Atlas includes multilingual education, public awareness, and training materials available in several languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, and Creole. Region-specific materials are created to meet unique community needs, and provider profiles on Treatment Atlas list if services are provided in other languages.

Unshame California is part of the Shatterproof National Stigma Initiative. Addiction stigma leads to tens of thousands of preventable deaths each year. Stigma precludes many from seeking treatment, creates social isolation, and prevents the use of life-saving medications. The Unshame California campaign is working to change that by sharing stories of Californians impacted by SUDs that inspire compassion and hope. The campaign is informed by community members and aims to ensure representation and engagement are reflective of Californias extraordinary diversity. Unshame California will offer monthly webinars with information, resources, and/or training related to, or promoting addiction stigma reduction. Unshame California is available in English and Spanish.

Devastating Effects of Opioids in California

Data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that in 2021, there were 6,843 opioid-related overdose deaths in California, and 5,722 of those deaths were related to fentanyl. There were also 224 fentanyl-related overdose deaths among teens, ages 15-19 years old.

Blue Shield of Californias Commitment to Fighting the Opioid Epidemic

Blue Shield of Californias launch of Treatment Atlas is just one of many initiatives the insurance company has undertaken to combat the opioid crisis in California.

Blue Shield of California is committed to helping individuals navigate and connect with high-quality substance use treatment and recovery services, said Jennifer Christian-Herman, vice president of MindBody Medicine at Blue Shield of California. Our support of Shatterproof will further enhance our efforts to tackle this critical public health issue and direct Californians to evidence-based, patient-focused care that improves outcomes and saves lives.

Learn More

To learn more about the Shatterproof walks occurring in Los Angeles and San Francisco, visit shatterproofwalk.org.

For questions about addiction treatment providers in the state of California, email [email protected].

To learn more about how to get involved in reducing addiction stigma in California communities, email [email protected].

ABOUT SHATTERPROOF:

Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S. Shatterproof harnesses the models of business, the rigor of science, and the power of a national movement to create change and save lives through three pillars of work: revolutionizing the addiction treatment system, breaking down addiction-related stigmas, and supporting and empowering our communities. Find Shatterproof on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube: @ShatterproofHQ or follow us on Instagram at @weareshatterproof. To learn more, visit www.Shatterproof.org. If you are experiencing anxiety, depression, or a substance use disorder, text SHATTERPROOF to 741741 for help.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005748/en/

Lauren Lawson-Zilai

Shatterproof

Senior Director, Media and Public Relations

Phone: (240) 910-5483

[email protected]



Source: Shatterproof
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

MotorK Plc (AMS: MTRK) (MotorK" or the "Company") held its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") today.

MotorKs shareholders duly passed all the resolutions proposed, including the adoption of the Company's 2022 financial statements and the reappointment of Mrs. Laurel Bowden as a director of the Company. Each of the resolutions put to the AGM was voted on by way of a poll. Resolutions 1 to 8 (inclusive) were passed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions 9 to 12 (inclusive) were passed as special resolutions.

The text of all the resolutions is contained in the Company's Notice of Annual General Meeting dated 18 April 2023, which is available for inspection on the Company's website at www.motork.io.

The results of the polls (incorporating the proxy votes lodged in advance of the meeting) taken on the resolutions have today been uploaded to the Company's website at www.motork.io.

Important information

This press release contains information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014).

ABOUT MOTORK PLC

MotorK (AMS: MTRK) is a leading software as a service (SaaS) provider for the automotive retail industry in the EMEA region, with over 400 employees and eleven offices in eight countries (Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, the UK and Israel). MotorK empowers car manufacturers and dealers to improve their customer experience through a broad suite of fully integrated digital products and services. MotorK provides its customers with an innovative combination of digital solutions, SaaS cloud products and the largest R&D department in the automotive digital sales and marketing industry in Europe. MotorK is a company registered in England and Wales. Registered office: 5th Floor One New Change, London, England, EC4M 9AF - Company Registration: 9259000. For more information: www.motork.io or www.investors.motork.io.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005724/en/

MotorK Investor Relations

Etienne Jacquet

[email protected]

+33 6 22 18 39 09

Source: MotorK plc
TeamSparta, a Korean Edutech startup, opened courses for the first semester on April 15

An 8-week full-stack web development course for those with no experience, making it easy for anyone to get into coding

Classes are provided in real-time using online Zoom and metaverse, Gather, to Japanese non-IT developers

SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TeamSparta Inc., a Korean Edutech startup, announced on May 11 that it had officially launched the 'Sparta Coding Club' in Japan, an online coding education service for Japanese who are outside the IT development sector.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510006097/en/

(Graphic: TeamSparta Inc.)

Sparta Coding Club is an online coding lesson service that ranks first in the Korean coding education sector in terms of customer satisfaction. It provides practical coding education for beginners with no experience in coding. This entry into the Japanese market is expected to serve as an opportunity to provide training for IT skills that can be used for practical affairs to non-IT majors in Japan.

Sparta Coding Club in Japan is an 8-week Full-Stack Web Development Course curriculum for developing websites. It teaches basic programming knowledge required for website development, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, MongoDB, and AWS. Sparta Coding Club is a hands-on curriculum that allows students to learn how to code by building things themselves. For those who complete the course, there are additional mentoring opportunities for job hopping and side hustles.

For each semester, courses are delivered online on Zoom and Gather, a metaverse platform, for 5 hours from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. every weekend. The first course in Japan started on April 15 with a total of 18 students and will finish on June 4. The tutor is Daiki Nagashita, who works as a developer at Pocket Change Inc.

Currently, it is accepting applications for the second semester. The first course of the upcoming semester will start on May 29 and anyone who wants to learn coding can apply. In fact, the first-semester course includes those from various backgrounds such as IT sales, marketers, teachers, and general office workers.

Hyungeun Lee (Victoria Lee), Global Team Leader at TeamSparta Inc., expressed her aspirations saying, Japan is geographically close to Korea, and they have many similarities in market conditions. With the growing need for coding among non-developers, I believe Sparta Coding Club will be able to quench the such thirst for education. Starting with e-learning classes, we hope to successfully settle in the Japanese B2C market, and then further expand into the Japanese B2B corporate training market as well.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510006097/en/

TeamSparta Inc.

Hanga Naganuma

[email protected]

Source: TeamSparta Inc.
UNITE HERE Local 25, the hotel workers Union, will conduct an informational picket to alert customers that workers at the Fairmont are not protected by a union contract with Local 25

UNITE HERE:

Who: UNITE HERE Local 25, the union that represents approximately 6,500 hotel, restaurant, and casino workers in DC, MD, and VA

What: Union members and staff picketing, handing out leaflets and speaking on bullhorns outside the hotel to alert guests about the absence of a union contract at the Fairmont

Where & When: Sunday, May 14th at 11am and 2pm on the public sidewalk outside the Fairmont Georgetown: 2401 M St NW, Washington, DC 20037

Why: Workers at the Fairmont Washington D.C., Georgetown, operated by Accor, are not protected by a union contract. Local 25 has negotiated contract with other hotels that include:

100% employer-paid healthcare for union hotel workers and their families.

An employer funded fixed-benefit pension that allows union hotel workers to retire with dignity.

Days off: Most union hotel workers get two consecutive, fixed days off and are not required to work on their off-day, without 36-hour notice, unless there is an emergency.

Over time: Union hotel workers receive time and one-half pay if they over 40 hours in one week, if they work over 8 hours in one day, or if they work on their day off.

Room quotas for housekeepers: Union housekeepers in D.C. have workload protections and are not required to clean more than 16 rooms per day.

Work schedules: Most union hotel workers get their weekly schedule three days in advancethis allows workers to make plans, take care of personal obligations, and spend more time with their families.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005922/en/

Benjy Cannon, 202-714-1567, [email protected]

Source: UNITE HERE
NEW YORK, NY, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fast Companys 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards were unveiled this week, and the nonprofit Action Against Hunger was honored for its potentially lifesaving new app that is equipping health workers and parents with a faster, more effective way to detect childhood malnutrition.

With just a quick photo, the app compares the shape of a healthy child to the child being screened, eliminating human error and providing a more accurate and detailed view of a childs nutrition status. It eliminates the need for health workers to lug cumbersome bucket scales and heavy height boards from one community to another, cross-referencing weight, height and upper-arm circumference with complex data tables, a time-consuming and error-prone process.

Dubbed SAM Photo App, it was designed to meet the urgent need to detect severe acute malnutrition (SAM), which contributes to more than 5,000 daily child deaths from hunger-related causes. Nearly 75% of children never receive the help they need, and delayed diagnosis of malnutrition is a significant barrier.

Designed for poor, rural areas with no internet connection, low literacy levels, and the most basic Android phones, this new tool holds the promise of screening more children more quickly. The goal is to reach more hungry children more quickly, opening the door to affordable, lifesaving malnutrition treatments, which have been proven 90% effective.

Our long-term vision is for every parent to be able to check their childs nutritional status at home just as easily as parents in wealthier countries can check a childs temperature, said Laura Medialdea Marcos, Principal Investigator of SAM Photo App Project, Research Expert, Technical Department, Action Against Hunger. This tool also could be invaluable to community health workers in countries that have less structured or less well-resourced health systems. Ultimately, it could change the paradigm of the way the world screens and diagnoses malnutrition.

The World Changing Ideas Awards honor sustainable designs, innovative products, bold social initiatives, and other creative projects that are changing the way we work, live, and interact with the world. This year, issues of food and agriculture garnered attention, from SAM Photo App to a palm oil alternative to an animal-free egg white.

We are honored that our work is being recognized by Fast Company alongside so many impressive initiatives to address the most pressing issues of our timelike the fact that millions of people go to bed hungry every night, said Dr. Charles E. Owubah, CEO of Action Against Hunger. Action Against Hungers singular purpose is to end hunger in our lifetimes. Awareness of the issue and innovations like SAM Photo App are key to advancing that goal.

A panel of Fast Company editors and reporters selected winners and finalists from a pool of more than 2,200 entries across urban design, education, nature, politics, technology, corporate social responsibility, and more. The seventh annual awards also feature entries from across the globe, from Italy to Singapore to New Zealand, recognizing creative solutions to some of the worlds biggest issues. The winners will be featured in Fast Companys Spring 2023 issue, on newsstands May 9, 2023.

Its thrilling to see the creativity and innovation that are so abundant among this years honorees, says Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. While its easy to feel discouraged by the state of the world, the entrepreneurs, companies, and nonprofits featured in this package show the limitless potential to address societys most urgent problems. Our journalists have highlighted some of the most exciting and impactful work being done todayfrom housing to equity to sustainabilityand we look forward to seeing not only how these projects evolve but how they inspire others to develop solutions of their own.

Action Against Hunger has run large-scale pilots of SAM Photo App in Senegal, where more than 90 clinics are using the new solution and is actively working to expand the program from the Sahel region to other countries, including potentially in Latin America and Asia. SAM Photo App is a finalist in the Developing World Technology category, and previously earned Gold in the 2023 Anthem Awards.

# # #

About Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger is a nonprofit leading a global movement to end hunger in our lifetimes. It innovates solutions, advocates for change, and reaches more than 24 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across more than 50 countries, its 8,300 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. It strives to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

About the World Changing Ideas Awards

World Changing Ideas is one of Fast Companys major annual awards programs and is focused on social good, seeking to elevate finished products and brave concepts that make the world better. A panel of judges from across sectors choose winners, finalists, and honorable mentions based on feasibility and the potential for impact. With the goals of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation, Fast Company draws attention to ideas with great potential and helps them expand their reach to inspire more people to start working on solving the problems that affect us all.

Emily Belly Tyree Action Against Hunger ebtyree at actionagainsthunger.org

Source: Action Against Hunger
Columbus, OH, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tim Lamb, President of the Tim Lamb Group, the largest auto dealership sales and acquisitions firm in North America, has brokered the sale of the Cain Toyota and Cain BMW Dealerships in North Canton, OH to Five Star Automotive Group. Lamb, facilitated the deal which closed on April 26, 2023 between owners David and Brian Cain and Five Star Automotive Group. Cain Toyota, now known as, Toyota of North Canton is located at 6527 Whipple Ave, NW and Cain BMW, now known as BMW of North Canton, is located at 6461 Whipple Ave. NW both in North Canton, OH.

The two image facilities sit side-by-side on approximately 10 acres. The 20,102 square foot BMW store includes a 13,092 square foot showroom and second-story office space as well as 7,010 square feet for parts and service. The 40,862 square foot Toyota store includes 11,946 square feet for showroom and administration offices along with 28,916 square feet dedicated to parts and service. The Toyota location is one of their highest expected sales dealerships in the state of Ohio. Both BMW and Toyota of North Canton continue to offer a wide selection of new, used, and certified pre-owned vehicles.

It was a hard decision for us to make, but we felt that the time was right for us to sell, stated David Cain, Dealer Principal for Cain Motors. Choosing Tim Lamb to represent us with this transaction was an easy decision and just felt right from our initial conversation all the way through closing, stated Brian Cain, Dealer Operator for Cain Motors. David continued with, We were committed to our customers and our staff who have been the cornerstone of our history since 1981; making Cain the oldest owned BMW and Toyota dealers in Ohio. We want to thank all of our employees, clients, and vendors as its been a pleasure working with you over the past 42 years.

Five Star Automotive Group is a family-owned company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with locations in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Indiana, and Ohio and have been in business since 1986. The purchase of these two dealerships marks Five Star Automotives thirty-second rooftop location, their fifth dealership in Ohio, third Toyota dealership, second BMW dealership, and the eleventh dealership purchased from Tim Lamb Group.

In most recent years, the Toyota brand has become one of the most sought-after franchises in the industry, ranking first in Interbrands 2022 most valuable automotive brands. Toyota North Canton is the seventh Toyota dealership that the Tim Lamb Group has brokered in the past year.

About Tim Lamb GroupSince 2006, Tim Lamb Group has been the number one choice for dealers looking to sell, or purchase, a new vehicle dealership. Fifteen regional directors handle billions of dollars per year in transactions for multiple dealer operators in every part of the United States and Canada. The Group has leveraged their factory management experience and retail dealership background to become the largest auto dealership sales and acquisitions firm in North America. For more information and dealerships for sale, visit www.timlambgroup.com.

###

Attachments

Dawn Kelley Expand Marketing Group 734-765-1429 [email protected]

Source: Tim Lamb Group
THE WOODLANDS, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Earthstone Energy, Inc. (NYSE: ESTE) (Earthstone or the Company) announced today its participation in upcoming conferences.

TPH&Co. Hotter N Hell Energy Conference, May 16 - May 17, 2023

Goldman Sachs Eighth Annual Leveraged Finance & Credit Conference, May 22 - May 24, 2023

Wells Fargo Energy Conference, May 23 - May 24, 2023

Louisiana Energy Conference, May 30 - June 1, 2023

RBC Energy Conference, June 6 - June 7, 2023

BoA Securities Energy Credit Conference, June 7 - June 8, 2023

JP Morgan 2023 Energy, Power and Renewables Conference, June 21  June 22, 2023

The Company plans to use the investor presentation on the homepage of its website as supplemental conference materials.

About Earthstone Energy, Inc.

Earthstone is a growth-oriented, independent energy company engaged in acquisitions and the development and operation of oil and natural gas properties. Its primary assets are located in the Permian Basin of New Mexico and west Texas. Earthstone is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ESTE. For more information, visit Earthstones website at www.earthstoneenergy.com.

ContactClay JeansonneInvestor RelationsEarthstone Energy, Inc.1400 Woodloch Forest Drive, Suite 300The Woodlands, TX 77380713-379-3080[email protected]

Source: Earthstone Energy Inc
On Wednesday, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed its sincere condolences to Tunisia after the attack near the Ghriba synagogue on the island of Djerba on Tuesday.

Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the spokesperson for the ministry, expressed heartfelt sympathies to the victims and their families.

The spokesperson also reiterated Egypt's solidarity with the people and government of Tunisia and commended the bravery of the Tunisian security forces in handling the situation.

According to the Tunisian interior ministry, a Tunisian police officer shot dead two people participating in an annual pilgrimage to the renowned Ghriba synagogue, as well as two members of the security services on the island of Djerba before being killed on Tuesday.

The synagogue was previously targeted in a suicide truck bombingthat killed 21 people in 2002.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- goeasy Ltd. (TSX: GSY), (goeasy or the Company), one of Canadas leading non-prime consumer lenders, announced that all of the nominee directors listed in the management proxy circular dated March 21, 2023 were elected as directors of goeasy. The vote was conducted at the Companys Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders, which took place on May 10, 2023. The results of the vote are set out below:

Director Nominee Votes For Votes Withheld Donald K. Johnson 8,100,510 96.92% 257,319 3.08% David Ingram 8,049,816 96.32% 308,013 3.68% David Appel 8,170,900 97.76% 186,929 2.24% Sean Morrison 8,106,955 97.00% 250,874 3.00% Karen Basian 8,122,049 97.18% 235,780 2.82% Susan Doniz 7,678,071 91.87% 679,758 8.13% Honourable James Moore 7,882,218 94.31% 475,611 5.69% Tara Deakin 7,528,673 90.08% 829,156 9.92% Jason Mullins 8,134,455 97.33% 223,374 2.67% Jonathan Tetrault 8,146,077 97.47% 211,752 2.53%

Final results on all matters voted at the Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders held on May 10, 2023 have already been filed with the Canadian securities regulators.

About goeasy

goeasy Ltd. is a Canadian company, headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, that provides non-prime leasing and lending services through its easyhome, easyfinancial and LendCare brands. Supported by approximately 2,400 employees, the Company offers a wide variety of financial products and services including unsecured and secured instalment loans, merchant financing through a variety of verticals and lease-to-own merchandise. Customers can transact seamlessly through an omnichannel model that includes online and mobile platforms, over 400 locations across Canada, and point-of-sale financing offered in the retail, powersports, automotive, home improvement and healthcare verticals, through over 7,500 merchant partners across Canada. Throughout the Companys history, it has acquired and organically served over 1.3 million Canadians and originated over $10.7 billion in loans.

Accredited by the Better Business Bureau, goeasy is the proud recipient of several awards in recognition of its exceptional culture and continued business growth including Waterstone Canadas Most Admired Corporate Cultures, ranking on the 2022 Report on Business Women Lead Here executive gender diversity benchmark, placing on the Report on Business ranking of Canadas Top Growing Companies, ranking on the TSX30, Greater Toronto Top Employers Award and has been certified as a Great Place to Work. The Company is represented by a diverse group of team members from 78 nationalities who believe strongly in giving back to communities in which it operates. To date, goeasy has raised and donated over $4.8 million to support its long-standing partnerships with BGC Canada, Habitat for Humanity and many other local charities.

goeasy Ltd.s. common shares are listed on the TSX under the trading symbol GSY. goeasy is rated BB- with a stable trend from S&P and Ba3 with a stable trend from Moodys.

For more information about goeasy and our brands, visit www.goeasy.com, www.easyfinancial.com, www.lendcare.ca, www.easyhome.ca.

For further information contact:

Jason MullinsPresident & Chief Executive Officer(905) 272-2788

Farhan Ali KhanSenior Vice President, Chief Corporate Development Officer(905) 272-2788

Source: goeasy Ltd.
Fast and efficient mixing machine on market delivers highly accurate color without waste



Technology eliminates the need for manual mixing

GLEN MILLS, Pa., May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global coatings company, announced today the launch of Axalta Irus Mix, a fast and efficient fully automated and completely hands-free mixing machine for the automotive refinish industry. Axalta Irus Mix delivers highly accurate color and works with Axaltas innovative packaging, maximizing profitability and providing sustainable benefits to help Refinish customers meet or exceed key business and sustainability goals. The company introduced the new technology today in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

At Axalta, innovation is central to our business, said Troy Weaver, Senior Vice President, Global Refinish. We constantly look for ways to help our customers to do business better, enabling them to work as efficiently as possible and to maximize their profitability. When we launched our digital end-to-end color management process, Axalta Irus, we knew what the future held for the industry. Today, we are delivering technology so customers can automate and mix color like never before.

Axalta Irus Mix completes the simple three-step Axalta Irus digital color management process of: Scan - Find - Mix. The new technology enables customers to work more efficiently, profitably, and sustainably. As part of an exclusive partnership with SANTINT, a leading global equipment manufacturer, Axalta drove the concept, development, design, and construction of Axalta Irus Mix.

Axalta Irus Mix provides four key benefits:

Time advantage

It is a fast and efficient fully automated mixing machine. Based on Axaltas trials, refinish customers can eliminate mixing time labor with Axalta Irus Mix.

Labor optimization

Very simple to use and does not have to be operated by a technician. The process allows refinishers to do other key tasks while the paint is being mixed.

Waste reduction benefits

Designed to work with Axaltas proven bottle system, there is no need to refill or decant product into special bottles. Additionally, bottles are fitted with precise dosing lids, delivering accurate color without waste.

Sustainability

Axaltas bottle system is made from 50% recycled plastic, underscoring the companys ongoing commitment to sustainability. Axaltas premium basecoat qualities  Spies Hecker Permahyd Hi-TEC, Cromax Pro, and Standox Standoblue - are available in these bottles exclusively with Axalta Irus Mix.

Axalta Irus Mix is being rolled out across Europe beginning in June 2023 and globally thereafter.

About Axalta

Axalta is a global leader in the coatings industry, providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful, and sustainable coatings solutions. From light vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, building facades and other industrial applications, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity, and enhance durability. With more than 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the global team at Axalta continues to find ways to serve our more than 100,000 customers in over 130 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information, visit axalta.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and @axalta on Twitter.

Global Media Contact

Jessica McDuell

D +1 302-897-4486

[email protected]
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NOVA LEAP HEALTH CORP. (TSXV: NLH) (Nova Leap or the Company), a growing home health care organization, is pleased to announce the release of financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2023. All amounts are in United States dollars unless otherwise specified.

Nova Leap Q1 2023 Financial Results

Financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023 include the following:

Q1 2023 revenues of $6,396,076 decreased by 5.7% relative to Q4 2022 revenues of $6,780,083 and by 12.3% relative to Q1 2022 revenues of $7,296,609.

Q1 2023 Adjusted EBITDA increased to $86,025 from $71,313 in Q4 2022 and was lower than Q1 2022 Adjusted EBITDA of $227,562 (see calculation of Adjusted EBITDA below).

Gross profit margin as a percentage of revenues remained strong at 35.2% in Q1 2023. Gross profit margin percentage was 35.6% in Q4 2022 and 34.8% in Q1 2022.

Head office and operations management expense decreased by $101,942 in Q1 2023 as compared to Q1 2022 and $115,892 as compared to Q4 2022 due to the elimination of targeted support functions in Head office late in Q2 2022 and managements efforts since Q3 2022 to streamline our US operations.

The loss from operating activities in Q1 2023 decreased to $182,864 from $321,424 in Q4 2022 and $198,829 in Q1 2022.

Q1 2023 net loss decreased to $296,876 from $970,395 in Q4 2022 and $389,674 in Q1 2022.

The Company had available cash of $894,365 as of March 31, 2023 as well as full access to the unutilized revolving credit facility of $1,108,402 (CAD$1,500,000).

President & CEOs Comments

The message to shareholders is that we continue to deliver prudent fiscal management which should provide us with flexibility to restart our acquisition strategy and improve results in future quarters, said Chris Dobbin, President & CEO of Nova Leap. This past quarter was focused on two initiatives  continuing our capital allocation strategy of paying down the Companys debt while further restructuring the U.S. operations and working with U.S. leadership on the changes implemented during the latter part of 2022 and Q1 2023  both of which I will speak to further.

From a capital allocation perspective, we have been paying down a substantial portion of our debt and remain on track to have approximately $290,000 of bank debt at the end of the year. We believe this will provide the Company with much greater flexibility with future expansion opportunities. I have referenced this previously and our approach to debt repayment has been consistent.

Let me collectively address the revenue decline and restructuring of operations. With respect to the quarter over quarter revenue decline from Q4 2022 to Q1 2023, just under 40% of the decline relates to two less days in the quarter for which we had to perform services. Given that we charge on a per hour basis, that has a big impact. The remainder was a decrease in hours, most of which we anticipate to be temporary. Some of the decrease in hours was expected given the closure of one of our physical locations which was not producing the results intended and for which we had previously recognized a goodwill impairment. We have been prudently restructuring operations for the past three quarters throughout the organization and that restructuring continued well into Q1 2023. We have been very diligent with this approach so as to have minimum disruption to our staff and clients.

We began to see the positive results of the restructuring from the latter part of 2022 in Q1 2023 such that even with a drop in revenue, Adjusted EBITDA increased. The restructuring that occurred well into Q1 2023 will be more fully reflected in Q2 results. Notwithstanding all the changes that have been made, there are still many areas in the U.S. for which we can produce improved results. In fact, many of the changes that were made were done in order to increase organic revenue going forward. I believe we have the leadership team in place to achieve this and I believe that we will see further positive impacts of these changes in the quarters ahead.

This news release should be read in conjunction with the Unaudited Condensed Interim Consolidated Financial Statements for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 including the notes to the financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis dated May 11, 2023, which have been filed on SEDAR.

About Nova Leap

Nova Leap is an acquisitive home health care services company operating in one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S. & Canada. The Company performs a vital role within the continuum of care with an individual and family centered focus, particularly those requiring dementia care. Nova Leap achieved the #42 ranking on the 2021 Report on Business ranking of Canadas Top Growing Companies, the #2 ranking on the 2020 Report on Business ranking of Canadas Top Growing Companies and the #10 Ranking in the 2019 TSX Venture 50 in the Clean Technology & Life Sciences sector. The Company is geographically diversified with operations in 10 different U.S. states within the New England, Southeastern, South Central and Midwest regions as well as in Nova Scotia, Canada.

NON-IFRS AND OTHER MEASURES:

This release contains references to certain measures that do not have a standardized meaning under IFRS as prescribed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Rather, these measures are provided as additional information to complement IFRS measures by providing a further understanding of operations from managements perspective. Accordingly, non-IFRS financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of financial information reported under IFRS. The Company presents non-IFRS financial measures, specifically Adjusted EBITDA (as such term is hereinafter defined), as well as supplementary financial measures such as annualized revenue. The Company believes these non-IFRS financial measures are frequently used by lenders, securities analysts, investors and other interested parties as a measure of financial performance, and it is therefore helpful to provide supplemental measures of operating performance and thus highlight trends that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS financial measures.

Adjusted Earnings before interest, taxes, amortization and depreciation (Adjusted EBITDA), is calculated as loss from operating activities plus amortization and depreciation and stock-based compensation expense. The most directly comparable IFRS measure is loss from operating activities.

Annualized revenue is calculated as actual revenue extrapolated from the beginning of the year or date of acquisition over 365 days.

The reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the loss from operating activities is as follows:

Q1 2023 $ Q1 2022 $ Q4 2022 $ Loss from operating activities (182,864 ) (198,829 ) (321,424 ) Amortization and depreciation 234,027 330,888 307,717 Stock-based compensation 34,862 95,503 85,020 Adjusted EBITDA 86,025 227,562 71,313

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION:

Certain information in this press release may contain forward-looking statements, such as statements regarding future expansions and cost savings, timing of receipt of ERC, and plans regarding future acquisitions and business growth, including anticipated annualized revenue or annualized recurring revenue run rate growth and anticipated consolidated Adjusted EBITDA margins. This information is based on current expectations and assumptions, including assumptions described elsewhere in this release and those concerning general economic and market conditions, availability of working capital necessary for conducting Nova Leaps operations, availability of desirable acquisition targets and financing to fund such acquisitions, and Nova Leaps ability to integrate its acquired businesses and maintain previously achieved service hour and revenue levels, that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Risks that could cause results to differ from those stated in the forward-looking statements in this release include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or any recurrence, including staff and supply shortages, regulatory changes affecting the home care industry or government programs utilized by the Company (such as ERC), other unexpected increases in operating costs and competition from other service providers. All forward-looking statements, including any financial outlook or future-oriented financial information, contained in this press release are made as of the date of this release and included for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future, and these statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT:

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information: Chris Dobbin, CPA, CA, ICD.D Director, President and CEO T: 902 401 9480 E: [email protected]

Revenue in USD $ Revenue in USD $ Adjusted EBITDA & Operating Income (Loss) in USD $ Adjusted EBITDA & Operating Income (Loss) in USD $

Source: Nova Leap Health Corp.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SKUx, an innovative payments technology and consumer engagement platform, today announced the launch of a new card program with Highnote, the embedded finance company setting a new standard in modern card platform management. The partnership, which comes on the heels of SKUxs $11 million Series A, further empowers SKUx to continue transforming how rewards, refunds, emergency disbursements, and other payments are delivered, redeemed, and reported. The new card product eliminates longstanding challenges facing brands and merchants managing rewards programs and potentially unlocks significant global incremental retail value.

The digitization of consumer retail is ubiquitous except in the realm of merchant rewards and payments  discounts, rebates, refunds, promotions, etc.  where little has changed in decades. This lack of digitization results in millions of dollars lost every year in poor customer experience, manual financial reconciliation, and fragmented processes. Now, SKUxs solutions enable consumer brands, merchants, emergency and charitable organizations, and others to deliver precision payments instantly and seamlessly, saving brands and merchants money while delighting their customers.

Its hard to appreciate the magnitude of money that flows between merchants and their customers, in light of just how outdated and clunky the systems to move that money are, says Bobby Tinsley, Co-founder and President of SKUx. SKUx saw an industry that was beyond ripe for disruption, and we built a digitally transformative solution for it. We are obsessed with powering the best experiences by providing payments at the speed of todays consumer  designing products optimized for digital wallets, mobile payments, and QR codes. Our partnership with Highnote enables us to continue this vision at both the quality and service our clients demand.

SKUxs new solution powered by Highnote enhances value and experience for both the merchants and the consumers.

Access to Co-Branded, Digital Cards: Consumers receive instant access to digital cards that can be stored in a mobile wallet. The cards can feature customer branding, and consumers can use them to quickly and easily take advantage of rewards, refunds, and other payments.

Consumers receive instant access to digital cards that can be stored in a mobile wallet. The cards can feature customer branding, and consumers can use them to quickly and easily take advantage of rewards, refunds, and other payments. Enhanced Relationship Management: Brands and merchants can transform a single payments experience into the catalyst of a long-term relationship unlocking value and increasing brand affinity.

Brands and merchants can transform a single payments experience into the catalyst of a long-term relationship unlocking value and increasing brand affinity. Flexibility: Each card program can be configured with features and functionality specific to each brands desired customer experience, leading to greater brand affinity, stronger financial and risk controls, and improved return on investment.

SKUx offers a range of breakthrough products and solutions using Highnotes card platform technologyfrom SKUx Customer Care and Recovery, a trailblazing new way for companies to streamline and digitize their response to product recalls and individual customer complaints, to SKUx Crisis Disbursements, which streamline emergency payments to individuals in a crisis emergency. The new offerings serve as a complement to SKUPay, SKUxs patented solution for product-based payments that are redeemed at the point of purchase.

The average consumer has become more digitally savvy, and their expectations around ease of use and instant access to funds have risen, says John MacIlwaine, CEO of Highnote. SKUx has tapped into this trend by providing more elegant and modern solutions to consumer needs, and we couldnt be more proud to be their enabler in driving this digital transformation. We look forward to jointly using our technologies to empower some of the most well-known brands on the planet by taking their financial relationships with consumers to the next level.

To learn more about SKUx, visit skux.io. To learn more about Highnote, visit highnote.com.

About SKUxSKUx powers product-based payments at the speed of todays consumer. We deliver seamless consumer engagement through a patented platform that combines first-party data, mobile branding, offer serialization, secure digital payments, and settlement to deliver incremental revenues and real-time transparency for merchants, brands, and payment partners.

For more information, visit skux.io.

About HighnoteHighnote is an embedded finance company setting a new standard in modern card platform management. Purpose-built to realize customer loyalty and engagement through embedded card experiences, its fully integrated tech stack provides every service needed for innovative companies to launch new ways to use card payments. Utilizing the developer-friendly Highnote platform, product and engineering teams at digital enterprises of all sizes can easily and efficiently embed virtual and physical payment cards (commercial and consumer prepaid, debit, credit, and charge), ledger, and wallet capabilities into their existing products, creating compelling value for users while growing revenue and building a unique and differentiated brand. The company has raised more than $100 million from leading investors and strategic partners and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. For additional information, please visit www.highnote.com.

Highnote issuing statement:This card is issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A Inc.

Media Contact: Jillian Smith, [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/03b9cf75-e14b-44f5-aebc-176383ff09c4

SKUx and Highnote partner to modernize brand rewards and payments management SKUx customers now enjoy the full benefits of a comprehensive solution for managing rewards, refunds, emergency disbursements, and other payments, accessed through virtual cards powered by Highnote's modern platform.

Source: Highnote
WAYNE, Pa., May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Judge Group is pleased to announce it has been named a Top Temporary Staffing Firm and one of Americas Best Professional Recruiting Firms by Forbes.

Forbes lists include the top companies that specialize in connecting job seekers with employers for temporary and contract roles, and agencies who have excelled at recruiting and staffing. These prestigious recognitions by Forbes are a testimony to the hard work, diligence, and commitment of Judges team to providing exceptional recruiting services to clients and candidates.

Forbes collaborated with market research firm Statista to identify the top-rated temporary staffing firms and recruiting agencies in the U.S., based on feedback from over 5,200 external recruiters, HR managers, hiring managers, and job seekers who have recently worked with a recruiting agency. The top lists for Temporary Staffing are based on the number of evaluations as well as assessments in the various evaluation dimensions. Recruiting and staffing firms must receive a minimum number of evaluations as well as a minimum score across all evaluation areas to be included in the top lists.

This nomination reflects ongoing efforts to exceed client expectations and deliver exceptional results. The Judge Group team is committed to providing personalized, tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of each client.

"We are thrilled to be nominated as a top recruiting agency by Forbes," said Martin Marty Judge, III, The Judge Group CEO. "This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who go above and beyond to ensure that our clients and candidates receive the best possible service. We are honored to be considered among the best in the industry and will continue to strive for excellence in everything we do."

The Judge Group, headquartered in suburban Philadelphia, is located at 151 South Warner Road, Wayne, PA 19087. To learn more, visit www.judge.com.

ABOUT THE JUDGE GROUPThe Judge Group is an international leader in business technology consulting, talent solutions, and learning and development. With over 30 locations across the United States, Canada, and India, Judge is proud to partner with the best and brightest companies in business today, including over 60 of the Fortune 100.

ABOUT FORBESForbes Media is a global media, branding and technology company, with a focus on news and information about business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership and affluent lifestyles. The company publishes Forbes, Forbes Asia, and Forbes Europe magazines as well as Forbes.com. The Forbes brand today reaches more than 94 million people worldwide with its business message each month through its magazines and 37 licensed local editions around the globe, Forbes.com, TV, conferences, research, social and mobile platforms. Forbes Medias brand extensions include conferences, real estate, education, financial services, and technology license agreements.

ABOUT STATISTAStatista is one of the worlds leading data and business intelligence platforms, empowering people worldwide to make fact-based decisions. Statista.com is the premier destination for statistics & reports, market, consumer, and company insights, providing direct access to data, analysis, and trends on 80,000 topics from 22,500 sources across more than 180 industries. Founded in 2007 in Germany, Statista now employs around 1,400 people in 14 locations worldwide.

Contact:Jessica Walsh Director, Content Development +1 610-784-8389 [email protected]

Source: The Judge Group
CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE and NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- YieldMax announced the launch today of the YieldMax NVDA Option Income Strategy ETF (NYSE Arca: NVDY), which seeks to generate monthly income via a synthetic covered call strategy on NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA). NVDY is actively managed by ZEGA Financial. The fund does not invest directly in NVDA.

NVDY is the latest member of the YieldMax family and like all YieldMax ETFs, aims to deliver substantial monthly income to investors. NVDY joins existing YieldMax ETFs, TSLY, OARK and APLY, whose current yield information is provided in the table below:

ETF Ticker1 ETF Name Reference Asset Current Yield2,3,4 TSLY YieldMax TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF TSLA 39.46 % OARK YieldMax Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF ARKK 28.48 % APLY* YieldMax AAPL Option Income Strategy ETF AAPL 0.00 %

* APLYs inception date was April 17, 2023. APLYs distribution is $0.00 due to the limited amount of time elapsed since its inception.

1. YieldMax ETFs have a gross expense ratio of 0.99%.

2. The Current Yield is the annual yield an investor would receive if the most recently declared distribution, which includes option income, remained the same going forward. The Current Yield is calculated by multiplying such distribution by twelve (12), and dividing the resulting amount by the ETFs most recent NAV. The Current Yield represents a single distribution from the ETF and does not represent its total return.

3. The 30-Day SEC Yield for TSLY is 4.14%, the 30-Day SEC Yield for OARK is 3.30% and the 30-Day SEC Yield for APLY is 0.00%. The 30-Day SEC Yield represents net investment income, which excludes option income, earned by such ETF over the 30-Day period ended April 30th, 2023, expressed as an annual percentage rate based on such ETFs share price at the end of the 30-Day period.

For TSLY prospectus, click here. For TSLY standardized performance, click here. For OARK prospectus, click here. For OARK standardized performance, click here. For APLY prospectus, click here. For APLY standardized performance, click here. For NVDY prospectus, click here.

The performance data quoted above represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investors shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Performance current to the most recent month-end can be obtained by calling (833) 378-0717.

Tidal Financial Group is the adviser for all YieldMax ETFs and ZEGA Financial is their sub-adviser.

About Tidal Financial Group

Formed by ETF industry pioneers and thought leaders, Tidal Financial Group sets out to revolutionize the way ETFs have historically been developed, launched, marketed and sold. With a focus on growing AUM, Tidal offers a comprehensive suite of services, proprietary tools, and methodologies designed to bring lasting ideas to market. Tidal is an advocate for ETF innovation. The firm is on a mission to provide issuers with the intelligence and tools needed to efficiently and to effectively launch ETFs and to optimize growth potential in a highly competitive space. For more information, visit https://www.tidalfinancialgroup.com/.

About ZEGA Financial

Founded in 2011, ZEGA Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and investment manager that specializes in derivatives. The firm leverages technology, data, experience, and proprietary strategies to craft products and services for advisors and individual investors. ZEGA Financial helps investors successfully navigate volatile and uncertain markets through innovative hedging strategies. The firm's founding principles grew out of the bestselling book co-authored by Jay Pestrichelli, ZEGA's CEO and Co-Founder, entitled "Buy and Hedge, the Five Iron Rules for Investing Over the Long Term." His book highlights how to bridge the complicated nature of options investing with the needs of the everyday investor.

Risk Disclosures

Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

Holdings

As of May 10, 2023, neither OARK, TSLY, APLY or NVDY held any shares of NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA). Each of their holdings of NVDA was 0.00% as of such date.

The Fund is distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside is not affiliated with Tidal, YieldMax, or ZEGA.

Source: YieldMax
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Bear Creek Mining Corporation (TSXV: BCM) (OTCQX: BCEKF) (BVL: BCM) ("Bear Creek" or the "Company") announces that Sandstorm Gold Ltd. ("Sandstorm") has advanced Bear Creek an additional US$5 million pursuant to an amendment to the gold purchase agreement (the "Gold Purchase Agreement") between the two parties originally dated December 17, 2022 (see Bear Creek Mining news release dated December 17, 2022). Proceeds from the additional stream advance will be used to accelerate access to certain higher-grade areas of the Mercedes mine and for general working capital purposes.

The Gold Purchase Agreement originally called for the Company to deliver 25,200 ounces of gold over a 42-month period (the "Fixed Delivery Period") followed thereafter by the delivery of 4.4% of production from the Mercedes gold mine (the "Variable Delivery Tranche") in exchange for an initial payment by Sandstorm of US$37.5 million, which was used as partial payment for the acquisition of Mercedes. Ongoing cash payments from Sandstorm are equal to 7.5% of the spot gold price for each ounce of gold delivered during the Fixed Delivery Period and 25% of the spot gold price for each ounce of gold delivered pursuant to the Variable Delivery Tranche.

The terms of the Gold Purchase Agreement as amended effective May 11, 2023, extend the Fixed Delivery Period and deliverable gold ounces, pursuant to which Bear Creek will deliver to Sandstorm 600 ounces of gold per month for an additional seven months (a new total of 29,400 ounces over 49 months) at a price equal to 7.5% of the spot gold price at the time of delivery, in exchange for an additional payment to the Company of US$5.0 million. All other delivery and payment terms of the Gold Purchase Agreement remain the same.

A total of 7,200 ounces of gold have been sold to Sandstorm to date pursuant to the Gold Purchase Agreement. No delivery or payment amendments have been made to Bear Creek's additional gold and silver stream agreement with Nomad Royalty Co. Ltd. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sandstorm).

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Anthony Hawkshaw

Chief Executive Officer

For further information contact:

Barbara Henderson - VP Corporate Communications

Direct: 604-628-1111

E-mail: [email protected]

www.bearcreekmining.com

Subscribe to Bear Creek Mining news

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding: the terms and conditions of the Sandstorm Gold Purchase Agreement as amended; and other statements regarding future plans, expectations, guidance, projections, objectives, estimates and forecasts as well as the Company's expectations with respect to such matters. These forward-looking statements are provided as of the date of this news release, or the effective date of the documents referred to in this news release, as applicable, and reflect predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events based on the Company's beliefs at the time the statements were made, as well as various assumptions made by and information currently available to them. In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to: that the terms and conditions of the Gold Purchase Agreement will not be subject to material changes. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions on which they are based do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the expectations expressed in them. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions expressed above do not occur, but specifically include, without limitation, risks relating to general market conditions and the additional risks described in the Company's latest Annual Information Form, and other disclosure documents filed by the Company on SEDAR. The foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. Investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on behalf of the Company, except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165803
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Mayfair Gold Corp. (TSXV: MFG) (OTCQX: MFGCF) - the company expects to report an updated resource estimate of approximately 3.5 million ounces for its flagship Fen Gib Gold project in Northeast Ontario by the end of Q2 2023. Mayfair gold has drilled more than 122,000 meters over the past 27 months and has made significant progress in expanding the project's resource base. They are focused on exploration and development of gold resources in Canada and are committed to maintaining high environmental and social responsibility standards.





Cannot view this video? Visit:

https://www.b-tv.com/post/tsxv-mfg-investor-alert-mayfair-gold-3-5-million-ounce-resource-update-expected-btv-investing-news-30sec

Mayfair Gold Corp. (TSXV: MFG) (OTCQX: MFGCF)

https://mayfairgold.ca/

About BTV:

BTV-Business Television is Canada's longest running business show. With Hosts Taylor Thoen and Jessica Katrichak, BTV features emerging companies across the country to bring viewers investment opportunities. BTV also produces News Alerts and branding/ awareness spots for issuers broadcast on BNN Bloomberg, Fox Business News, Bloomberg TV US and Bloomberg Terminals. www.b-tv.com

BTV Business Television/CEO Clips Contact: Trina Schlingmann (604) 664-7401 x 5 [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165569
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - MineralFunds.com President and CIO Christopher J. Berlet BSc, CFA discusses the advent of a robust gold market this year. Christopher says that there are several signals, such as declining gold production, depleting reserves, and Central Bank gold buying, that indicate that we are in the early stages of a robust gold cycle.

A Copy of the Full Interview is Available at the Link Below:

https://mailchi.mp/34b8fe048db2/chris-berlet-of-mineralfundscom-discusses-tracking-gold-fund-holdings-bullish-signals-for-gold

MineralFunds.com provides comprehensive information on the asset allocations of 101 gold funds globally, with assets totaling ~$30 billion held as investments in public gold companies. Canada and Australia are the top destinations for investment dollars from these gold funds, with 55% and 15% of the market allocations, respectively.



Christopher explains how reviewing asset allocations of these gold funds can provide investors with significant market intelligence which helps to identify new junior exploration companies, with high performance potential, that have already been identified and vetted by gold fund management teams. Portfolio turnover of these funds is relatively low, allowing investors to observe the public companies these funds are building positions in or divesting from.



To access the full InvestorIntel interview, click here.

About MineralFunds.com

MineralFunds.com provides prices, performance, and trade information for metal ETFs including Precious Metals, Battery Metals, Platinum Group Metals, and Base Metals. MineralFunds.com also provides comprehensive fund information, including asset allocations, for Gold & Precious Metals Managed Funds from all investment jurisdictions.





Cannot view this video? Visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_jNj4DA3bI

For further information please contact:

(416) 525 - 6869

[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165792
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Nurcapital Corporation Ltd. (TSXV: NCL.H) (the "Company") announces that its previously announced letter of intent with Caravel Resources Corp. dated March 31, 2023, has been terminated. The Company will continue to search for new business opportunities and transactions.

For more information, please contact:

Nurcapital Corporation Ltd.

Sharief Zaman, Director

Telephone: 416-754-4135

Email: [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165808
Ain Shams University has awarded an honourary doctorate to prominent Egyptian economist Mahmoud Mohieldin for his distinguished contributions in his field, making him the fifth-person-ever to receive this degree from the prestigious Egyptian University.

Mohieldin accepted the award during a ceremony held on Wednesday in the attendance of the President of Ain Shams University, Mahmoud El-Metini, Presidential Advisor for Health and Prevention Affairs, Dr. Mohamed Awad Tag Al-Din and a large group of academics and researchers from inside and outside Egypt.

Over more than 30 years as a public servant, Mohieldin held influential positions in Egypt and internationally.

At home, he served as minister of investment from 2004-2010, where he was applauded by many for implementing innovative policies to improve the investment atmosphere in the country.

Internationally, he has been serving as UN Climate Change High Level Champion, playing a key role in the success of the COP27 held in Sharm El-Sheikh last November.

He also serves as an Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund.

Mohieldin graduated with a bachelor's in economics from Cairo University. He holds a master's degree in economics and social policy analysis from the University of York, UK and a PhD in economics from the University of Warwick, UK, among other academic degrees.

In his speech at the ceremony, President El-Metini explained that the university's board of directors decided to award Mohieldin with the honourary degree as recognition for his contribution in the field of the economy over 30 years on the local and international levels.

In accepting the award, Mohieldin expressed his appreciation to the faculty and administration at the university, adding that Ain Shams has been at the forefront of advancing academia and the sciences in the country since its establishment in the fifties of the last century.

He stressed to the audience that the global community needs to work harder to confront multiple crises, such as climate change, rising unemployment, epidemics and diseases, and economic uncertainties.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - There's a surprisingly funny story behind the development of psychology in America, and it involves a little-known journey by some of the top minds in the field. Author Clint Miller recently released Freud in America, a tongue-in-cheek account of how two psychologists took one of history's strangest vacations to see if sex-crazed America could save the future of a movement. This lightly fictionalized comedy blends historical sources with the author's dry wit to produce a memorable dramatization of real-life events that are almost too absurd to be true.





Book cover ofFreud in America

Freud in America chronicles the trip that Sigmund Freud and his protge Carl Jung took in 1909 to see if the United States was as curious about the secrets of sex as it appeared to be. Along the way, Freud and Jung struggle with their own deeply repressed desires and their volatile relationships with each other, themselves-and, apparently, their mothers. This pivotal journey establishes the legitimacy of psychoanalysis but ends in an irrevocable split between the two pioneers who made it happen.

Fans of light comedy or humorous medical historieswill enjoy learning about the depravity that often preceded discoveries in psychology and mental health. Freud in America is a fast-moving read that doesn't require any prior knowledge except knowing when to laugh.

When it launched, Freud in America became the #1 New Release in multiple categories and subsequently went on to reach several Amazon bestseller lists.Freud in Americahas been described as equal parts hilarious and scandalous; a refreshing and entertaining way to learn about Sigmund Freud the real person as well as the Sigmund Freud who created psychoanalysis.

Unlike other books that delve into this period in history, Miller doesn't hesitate to poke fun at unbelievable situations like Freud's pants-wetting emergency in New York or how William James, the Father of American Psychology, had an obsession with both seances and nitrous oxide.

Freud in America: The Funniest Travel Story in the History of Psychology, Sex, and the Subconscious is published by Ambitco. The paperback and ebook formats are available for purchase on Amazon. An audiobook and a film adaptation are currently in development.

Clint Miller is an award-winning writer and the recipient of Harvard's prestigious Artist Development Fellowship. After studying at Yale and Harvard, he published several philosophical and historical works with Baker's Plays, Samuel French, and Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Miller's work has also been optioned for film and television in multiple world markets. For more information, visit him online at www.theclintmiller.com.

Source:

Charlotte Simmons

[email protected]

Dabb Media

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165737
Alexandria, Virginia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Pay Later Flights announces its launch as a new website that offers customers the ability to pay for flights and hotels with flexible payment plans, allowing travelers to take their trips without worrying about immediate payment.

At Pay Later Flights, customers can book flights and hotels with no upfront cost. They are also offered several plans that they can choose from depending on their budget and needs. The flexible payment plans allow travelers to spread out payments over a period of time, with a range of up to [six] months.

"We are thrilled to be offering a new way of booking flights and hotels that is suited to fit the financial needs of travelers today," said Robert Nickles, chief marketing officer at Pay Later Flights. "We understand that travel can be expensive, and our goal is to make it easier for customers to pay for their trips without having to worry about immediate cost."

How Does Pay Later Flights Work?

In a simple process, Pay Later Flights allows travelers to book their flights and hotels without paying the full amount upfront: First, customers choose a destination and select the flight and hotel they would like to book. Then, customers will be asked to provide basic personal information such as name, address, and employment status to apply for a payment plan.

Payments can be made through various options, including credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers. Once the payment plan is accepted, customers will receive their travel documents, such as tickets and hotel reservations, via email.

"We understand that many people can't afford to pay for a once-in-a-lifetime experience in one lump sum, so we developed this payment plan option to make traveling more accessible and affordable," said Nickles. "Our goal is to make it easier for customers to experience the world without worrying about how they are going to pay for it."

To learn more about the company, visit its website at www.paylater.flights.

Press Contact:

Robert Nickles

Chief Marketing Officer

[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165598
Syncredible, an innovative smart digital business card app, announced the launch of an updated range of services, including a unique group synchronization feature with a strong focus on users' privacy.

Rijeka, Croatia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Syncredible, an innovative smart digital business card app, announced the launch of an updated range of services, including a unique group synchronization feature with a strong focus on users' privacy and seamless and efficient networking.

More information is available at https://syncredible.app/en/.

Syncredible Smart Digital Business Card Networking App with Group Sync Launched

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/165522_d331853914d11951_001full.jpg

The newly launched services at Syncredible aim to unlock the potential of digital networking and open up a new world of possibilities with smart digital business cards, adding value to personal and business connections.

Users can create a one-of-a-kind personalized networking experience every time by updating and changing their credentials at the click of a button using a Syncredible smart digital business card.

Also, the Syncredible networking app makes it incredibly easy to store, personalize, update, and share contact information. Users can generate their smart digital business cards with just one click and share them with others. This way, people can stay connected with their contacts and ensure all information is always up-to-date.

The team at Syncredible has developed a unique group synchronization feature that allows users to join a private or business group and have all of its members' contact information immediately added to their phone book, eliminating the need to enter it manually. All the information that contacts wish to share will be displayed on the user's phone in an organized manner and can be accessed with just one click.

Additional information can be found in the Syncredible explainer video.

Smart digital business cards have revolutionized storing and sharing contact information. In a world of ever-evolving technology, staying connected has never been easier, and yet, analog business cards have made it difficult to share more than just a contact's name and number.

But with the introduction of Syncredible's revolutionary smart digital business card, people can enjoy seamless and efficient networking and share more than ever before. With Syncredible, users have the power to decide which information they would like to share with their contacts.

By simply providing important details such as name, email, nickname, social media, birthday, address, company, website, or profile picture, users can instantly exchange whatever information they wish.

With the help of the Syncredible networking app and its group synchronization feature, individuals can connect with all employees in seconds, in addition to an excellent onboarding function that connects new employees to the rest of the team. Of course, it is also easy to sync with a single person instead of a group.

Users may effortlessly stay in touch with one another by scanning digital business cards and keeping their contact information accurate and up-to-date. The user can show the QR code for their Syncredible account or give a link to their digital business card, join a group, and all the contact information will automatically be added to their phone book.

At Syncredible, the highest priority is protecting their users' data. The team uses asymmetric encryption, with a private key made up of 12 English words chosen randomly from a vast list of words. The team believes that ultimate security should not be based only on trust, which is why they utilize Zero-Knowledge encryption to safeguard their users' data.

Josef Baumgartner is the CEO and visionary behind Syncredible, a smart digital business card app that transforms phone books into an alive, connected experience. He stated, "With Syncredible, you can take your contacts to the next level and start making real, meaningful connections."

Following the latest announcement, the Syncredible team is committed to helping individuals and organizations improve their networking efficiency and fully customize and personalize the contact information they want to share with others while protecting the user's privacy to the greatest possible extent.

Interested parties can find more information on the Syncredible smart digital business card by visiting https://syncredible.app/en/.

Contact Info:

Name: Josef Baumgartner

Email: [email protected]

Organization: Syncredible GmbH

Address: Munchener Str. 26, 85247 Schwabhausen, Germany.

Website: https://syncredible.app/en/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165522
Vancouver, British Colombia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - US Critical Metals Corp. (TSXV: USCM) (OTCQB: USCMF) (FSE: 0IU0) ("USCM" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") has approved the Notice of Intent ("NOI") filed for the Phase 1 drill program at the Clayton Ridge Lithium Property ("Clayton Ridge" or the "Project"). The Project is located in Esmeralda County, Nevada and spans a total of approximately 3,600 acres within the Clayton Valley region, which is the only lithium producing region within the US.

Clayton Ridge is located in the volcanic mountains above the Clayton Valley. The volcanic mountains potentially represent the source of lithium within the lower valley system, as the genesis of the lithium in the region is volcanic in nature. USCM has the right to a 100% interest in the Project subject to completing the following in 2023: (i) drill 1,500 meters on the Project, (ii) pay US$75,000 in cash to the property vendor; and (iii) issue 500,000 common shares of the Company to the property vendor. Upon completion of the foregoing conditions, USCM will acquire a 100% interest in Clayton Ridge.

The NOI permits 4.72 acres of disturbance area, which will include 11 drill pads and approximately 2,900 meters of constructed roads. Upon completion of this drill program, the Company will seek to reclaim additional acres in order to advance with subsequent programs prior to completing a Plan of Operations. Westland Engineering & Environmental Services, Inc. prepared and filed the now approved NOI with the BLM.

The Company is currently making operational arrangements to commence the drilling at the Clayton Ridge and will be forthcoming with further details.

Management Commentary

Mr. Darren Collins, Chief Executive Officer and Director of USCM, comments: "We extend our thanks to the BLM from an efficient and professional permitting process. USCM now has a full drill ready and permitted property that we intend to test in the near future."

QP Statement

Robert J. Johansing, BSc (geology), MSc (economic geology), who is a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (the "QP"), has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Robert J. Johansing is a consultant for the Company.

Project Overview

The Clayton Ridge Lithium Property (the "Property") is a lithium claystone deposit located in Esmeralda County, Nevada on the east flank of the Clayton Valley, the only lithium producing region of the United States. The Property is located just 18 kilometers west of Goldfield, Nevada and roughly 17 km southeast of Silver Peak, Nevada, lying within a topographic swale between the Montezuma Range and Clayton Ridge. The project is comprised of 180 unpatented lode mining claims, covering 3,600 acres, with easy driving access to all claims. The Property is one of several lithium projects in region. In addition to the only operating lithium producer in the US (Albemarle), the Clayton Valley and immediate surroundings host several lithium projects ranging from early- to late-stage exploration (including, but not limited to, Noram Lithium, Pure Energy, American Lithium, Ioneer Ltd., Cypress Development and Spearmint Resources).

About US Critical Metals Corp.

USCM is focused on mining projects that will further secure the US supply of critical metals and rare earth elements, which are essential to fueling the new age economy. Pursuant to option agreements with private Canadian and American companies, USCM's assets consist of four agreements, each providing USCM with the right to acquire interests in five discovery focused projects in the US. These projects include the Clayton Ridge Lithium Project located in Nevada, the Sheep Creek Rare Earth Project located in Montana, the Haynes Cobalt Project located in Idaho, the Lemhi Pass Rare Earth Project located in Idaho and the Long Canyon Uranium Project located in Idaho. A significant percentage of the world's critical metal and rare earth supply comes from nations with interests that are contrary to those of the US. USCM intends to explore and develop mineral resources with near- and long-term strategic value to the advancement of US interests.

For further information please contact:

Darren Collins

Chief Executive Officer and Director

US Critical Metals Corp.

Telephone: 1-786 633-1756

www.uscmcorp.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain information that may be deemed "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information includes statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may include, without limitation, the expectation that the Company will acquire the Project in 2023, the expectation that the Company will commence drilling shortly; exploration plans and expected exploration results at the Project, results of operations, and the expected financial performance of the Company.

Although the Company believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by its nature, forward-looking information involves assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with general economic conditions; the COVID-19 pandemic; adverse industry events; the receipt of required regulatory approvals and the timing of such approvals; that the Company maintains good relationships with the communities in which it operates or proposes to operate, future legislative and regulatory developments in the mining sector; the Company's ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; mining industry and markets in Canada and generally; the ability of the Company to implement its business strategies; competition; the risk that any of the assumptions prove not to be valid or reliable, which could result in delays, or cessation in planned work, risks associated with the interpretation of data, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, as well as other assumptions risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company, including as set forth in the Company's public disclosure documents filed on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of USCM as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While USCM may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165670
Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Following its highly successful flagship event held in Dubai in March of this year, the World Blockchain Summit is set to return to Singapore.





World Blockchain Summit Returns to Singapore: Bringing Together Global Crypto Leaders and Innovators

Scheduled for 13,14 July 2023, The World Blockchain Summit Singapore aims to bring together investors, enterprises, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs to explore collaboration and investment opportunities and to stay abreast of the latest developments and advancements in the field of blockchain technology.

In recent years, Singapore has emerged as a leading hub for blockchain and cryptocurrency development. The country's favorable regulatory environment, robust infrastructure, and highly skilled workforce have attracted numerous blockchain-based startups and established players in the industry. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has been supportive of the industry, providing a clear regulatory framework for digital assets and establishing initiatives to promote blockchain development.

Given the favorable conditions for blockchain innovation and development in Singapore, the upcoming World Blockchain Summit in Singapore presents a unique opportunity for blockchain entrepreneurs, startups, and individuals seeking to advance their businesses through the blockchain. The summit will offer a platform for accessing funding opportunities and expert guidance, enabling attendees to take their businesses to the next level.

#WBSSingapore will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, and presentations from leading blockchain experts and visionaries. The agenda will cover several important topics, including:

Web 3.0: A New Era of Internet Technology

Asia: The Next Hub for Crypto and Blockchain Innovation

Regulation and Compliance in the Web 3.0 Landscape

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and its Impact on Traditional Finance

The Future of Payments in a Web 3.0 World

NFTs: The Future of Digital Ownership

Digital Asset Solutions for Business

Regulation of Crypto Assets

The Big Picture: Market Outlook for 2023

The event comprises:

A space for exhibiting ground-breaking projects.

A designated area for investors to explore potential deals.

Opportunities to network with prominent figures and pioneers in the industry.

Singapore boasts over 400 blockchain-related firms, and with the proliferation of decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), investors are increasingly seeking opportunities in Web3 startups and projects. Our goal at World Blockchain Summit Singapore is to bridge the gap between investors and startups by introducing them to innovative projects and founders. We believe that this platform will help bridge the gap between investors and startups in the blockchain space, and contribute to the growth of this exciting industry," said Naveen Bharadwaj, Group CEO of Trescon.

Registration for the World Blockchain Summit Singapore is now open, and early bird tickets are available for a limited time. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the world's most exciting blockchain and crypto event of the year.

About World Blockchain Summit (WBS)

World Blockchain Summit (WBS) is a part of Trescon, a rapidly growing company that organizes emerging tech events. It aims to support the growth of Web 3.0 globally. The management team has over 20 years of experience managing successful conferences, expos, and summits. Additionally, WBS works with web 3.0 industry leaders and innovators as advisors to ensure alignment with current market trends and needs.

WBS is the world's longest-running blockchain, crypto, and web 3.0-focused summit series. Since its inception in 2017, it has hosted more than 20 editions in 11 countries as it strived to create the ultimate networking and deal flow platform for the Web 3.0 ecosystem. Each edition brings together global leaders and emerging startups in the space, including investors, developers, IT leaders, entrepreneurs, government authorities, and others.

To book tickets, visit: bit.ly/pr_booktickets

For inquiries, Contact: [email protected]

PR Contact:



ZEX PR WIRE

https://zexprwire.com/

[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165809
WASHINGTON , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coalition of Domestic Folder Manufacturers (the "Coalition") is pleased with the preliminary determination by the United States Department of Commerce ("Commerce") that imports of paper file folders into the United States from China , India , and Vietnam are being sold at less than fair value (commonly termed "dumping"). Commerce's investigations concerning these three countries cover paper file folders, including manila, hanging fastener, classification, and expanding folders, as well as filing pockets, filing jackets, and filing wallets.

Commerce found that imports of paper file folders from China are being sold below normal value, determining that dumping is occurring at a rate of 192.70 percent. In addition, Commerce determined that imports from India and Vietnam also are being sold below normal value. Paper file folders from India are being dumped at rates ranging from 15.07 percent to 86.01 percent, and imports from Vietnam are being dumped at a rate of 324.70 percent. This means that U.S. importers of paper file folders from these countries will now have to begin paying cash deposits to U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("Customs") at these rates, based on the value of their future imports. For example, for every $100 of paper file folders imported from Vietnam , importers will now have to pay $324.70 to U.S. Customs as cash deposits for future dumping duty liability.

Commerce is also investigating whether imports of paper file folders from India are being subsidized by the government. On March 20, 2023 , Commerce published an affirmative preliminary determination in that parallel investigation, finding that imports of paper file folders from India are subsidized at rates ranging from 3.65 percent to 59.26 percent of the import value. Commerce's final determinations in both the subsidies and antidumping investigations are expected later this year.

The Coalition is represented in these actions by the law firm King & Spalding LLP. Mike Taylor , attorney for the Coalition, explained that "All the Coalition wants is for the international trading rules to be enforced so that U.S. manufacturers can compete on a level playing field." Mr. Taylor continued: "The new requirement for the payment of antidumping duty cash deposits at the time of importation will help ensure that U.S. jobs are not lost because of unfair competition."

The Coalition intends actively to continue monitoring imports for unfairly traded paper file folders from other countries, and the Coalition also plans actively to coordinate with U.S. Customs to ensure that importers fully comply with their new obligations. The importation of subject paper file folders without the payment of countervailing and antidumping duties may result in severe civil or criminal penalties, including imprisonment.

About King & Spalding

Celebrating more than 130 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,300 lawyers in 23 offices in the United States , Europe , the Middle East and Asia . The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/antidumping-duty-cash-deposits-to-be-collected-on-imports-of-paper-file-folders-from-china-india-and-vietnam-301822682.html

SOURCE K&S
Busy Parents Can Still Find the Perfect Summer Vacation in Destinations across North America and Europe , Including Wyoming, Maine , the Canadian Rockies, Iceland , France , Spain and Switzerland

BERKELEY, Calif. , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Backroads, the leader in active travel, today released their top picks for a last-minute family adventure  the perfect antidote to summer doldrums and vacation procrastination. With a few clicks of the mouse or a phone call, families open the door to a world of possibility and discovery in iconic US national parks, such as Yosemite , Yellowstone, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Grand Canyon . Or they can venture farther from home to discover the natural beauty and rich cultures of France , Iceland , Switzerland and Canada , among other Backroads destinations. Whether it's biking, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, exploring a cave dwelling, learning how to make mozzarella or kids-only fun, Backroads has options for every member of the family.

That's why Backroads offers family trips for three distinct age categories.

With over 30 years of experience in family travel, Backroads seamlessly handles the planning and logistics of hundreds of Biking, Walking & Hiking and Multi-Adventure vacations around the world. Parents trust Backroads to do the heavy lifting for an active summer vacation so they can just show up and have a blast with their kids. From riding family-friendly bike paths in the Czech Republic to saddling up for a horseback ride with local wranglers in Montana or kayaking in the crystal-clear waters off the coast of Mallorca, there's never a dull moment on a Backroads family trip. The company's commitment to excellence, its flexible itineraries and exceptional Trip Leaders set it apart in the active travel industry. Three or more leaders guide every trip so parents can enjoy some quality adult time while kids, teens and 20-somethings get to hang out with leaders and their peers.

Backroads guests consistently rave about experiencing an active vacation with likeminded travelers, and this is especially true for families. That's why Backroads is the only travel company that offers Family Trips for three different age groups so families can experience the magic of traveling with other guests in similar life stages: Families with Teens & Kids (best for ages 9+), Families with Older Teens & 20s (one or more kids age 17+) and Families with Young Adults 20s & Beyond (one or more kids age 20+). With summerand perhaps college or other important rites of passageon the horizon, it's a great time to book a family vacation.

Snapshot of Backroads Family Trips with Space Available Include:

Basque Country Multi-Adventure Tour

Brittany & Normandy Bike Tour

Bryce, Zion & Grand Canyon Multi-Adventure Tour

California's Yosemite Multi-Adventure Tour

Yosemite Multi-Adventure Tour Czech Republic & Austria Multi-Adventure Tour

& Austria Multi-Adventure Tour Great Smoky Mountains Multi-Adventure Tour

Loire Valley Bike Tour

Maine's Acadia Multi-Adventure Tour

Acadia Multi-Adventure Tour Oregon's Bend & the Cascades Multi-Adventure Tour

Bend & the Cascades Multi-Adventure Tour Portugal Multi-Adventure Tour

Spain's Mallorca Multi-Adventure Tour

Mallorca Multi-Adventure Tour Spanish Pyrenees to Costa Brava Multi-Adventure Tour

Switzerland Multi-Adventure Tour

Wyoming's Yellowstone & Tetons & Montana's Big Sky Multi-Adventure Tour

Yellowstone & Tetons & Big Sky Multi-Adventure Tour Wyoming's Yellowstone & Tetons Multi-Adventure Tour

"Getting away with your kids on a summer vacation is a great bonding experience no matter how old they are," said Backroads Founder & President, Tom Hale. "Our kids grew up on Backroads trips and as they got older, I realized how important it was to have activities and meals designed for specific age groups. That's why Backroads offers family trips for three distinct age categories. Teens and young adults want to engage with their peers, and the same goes for the younger ones. Meanwhile, parents are connecting with other parents, and there's this great synergy happening between people in the same stage of life. Everyone's just having a great time being active, spending time outdoors and learning and experiencing new things. We defy any kid to say they're bored on a Backroads trip!"

For the complete collection of Backroads Family Trips and for more information, visit Backroads.com or call 800-462-2848.

About Backroads

Backroads was founded in 1979 by Tom Hale and has been a leading innovator in active and adventure travel for over 40 years. Guests join Backroads to bike, hike and so much moreon expertly planned active adventures highlighting the unique character of each destination. The company offers multiple ways to go active: Biking, Walking & Hiking and Multi-Adventure tours; Active Ocean & River Cruises , Active Safari, Active Culinary and Snow Adventures; and Dolce Tempo trips for travel at a more relaxed pace. Backroads also offers Private Trips and Family Trips designed for three distinct age groups: Families with Teens & Kids (best for ages 9+), Families with Older Teens & 20s (one or more kids age 17+) and Families with Young Adults 20s & Beyond (one or more kids age 20+). Repeat guests and referrals from past guests make up many of the travelers that Backroads hosts each year in hundreds of locations across the globe. For more information, please visit backroads.com or call 800-462-2848.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/backroads-announces-cure-to-summertime-blues-an-active-adventure-for-the-whole-family-301822354.html

SOURCE BACKROADS
Inaugural annual prize salutes University of Chicago, Weizmann Institute professors

CHICAGO , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Two groundbreaking professorsthe University of Chicago's Juan de Pablo and the Weizmann Institute of Science's Alon Chenreceived the inaugural Bennett Family Award for Collaboration in the Science of Wellness. The annual award is designed to recognize experts doing collaborative research that merges science and wellness for the advancement of human health and wellbeing globally. It is a joint initiative between wellness advocate and Bennett Family Foundation President Bija Bennett and the Global Wellness Summit, an annual international symposium for leaders shaping the wellness industry's future.

Bennett cited the transformational potential of scientific research as an impetus for establishing the Bennett Family Award , which was presented at the 2022 Global Wellness Summit in Tel Aviv this past fall.

"Scientific partnerships are critical today, especially in the wellness sector. It is becoming more important than ever as we strive to restore health, promote resilience and prevent disease across lifespans," Bennett noted in presenting the honor. As a life-long champion of mental health awareness and scientific collaboration, she advocates for an emerging wellness paradigm that addresses the whole person in multiple and interconnected dimensions. "I believe collaborations allow researchers to learn new approaches from each other and apply this knowledge to innovative solutions in their own work, " Bennett pointed out.

Bennett's second, though no less important, impetus for establishing the Bennett Family Award was to honor the role her parents, Marshall and Arlene Bennett , played in bringing together the Weizmann Institute and the University of Chicago and funding many of their collaborative projects. Building on the existing Marshall and Arlene Bennett Family Research Program , the two institutions recently expanded their joint projects to include artificial intelligence research with the Toyota Technological Institute.

"I believe the wellness industry must become deeply integrated with science and cultivate more research on issues that can help people achieve optimal wellness. With my parents gone, I wish to celebrate their legacy and carry their seminal work forward," Bennett said.

First Bennett Family Award Honors Molecular Engineering and Neurology Trailblazers

This award was established to honor researchers who not only focus on cutting edge solutions in the science of wellness but have also demonstrated how the power of scientific collaboration can advance health and wellbeing and have a tremendous global impact. "De Pablo and Chen have both generated groundbreaking developments with their work that can change life as we know it for the better," Bennett pointed out.

De Pablo, a University of Chicago professor of molecular engineering, guides collaboration among researchers at the University, the Argonne and Fermilab national laboratories and other innovative science organizations. At the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, de Pablo leads research in DNA, polymers, machine learning and nanotechnology, spanning the disciplines of biology, physics, computing and materials science. His discoveries in probiotics are in wide commercial use.

Chen, a neurobiology professor and the Weizmann Institute's president , conducts multidisciplinary research in life sciences, physical science and engineering. His study of molecular interactions may help explain the mechanisms behind depression and how to re-engineer fabrics to resist water or bacteria. His collaborations with the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Germany reveal how behaviors and environment affect the way genes work and how stress relates to anxiety, depression and eating disorders.

Chen, who was present at the Global Wellness Summit, said, "I am honored to receive this award and would like to thank Bija not only for this meaningful recognition but also for her inspiring dedication to strengthening the link between mental and physical health and supporting scientific research and global collaboration. She is carrying on the remarkable legacy of her parents, whose generosity and lifelong commitment to supporting science, medicine and innovation continues to make a difference throughout the world today."

Bennett Hopes the Award Will Have a Transformative Impact at the Personal Level for All

Bennett, who has dedicated her life's work to understanding, practicing and teaching principles and care strategies that contribute to wellness, hopes the Bennett Family Award will inspire scientists from different fields to collaborate and work on multidisciplinary solutions that can help individuals take care of themselves, enjoy optimal wellness and transform their health, wellbeing and fitness throughout their lives.

"What makes a person happy, healthy and resilient? Why do some people cope with stress better than others? What resources empower individuals, families and communities to thrive?" Bennett asked in awarding the honor. "There are no right answers to these questions and so many solutions that can make an impact. These are questions that are worthy of scientific examination as well as personal reflection. And their solutions will change people's lives."

Going forward, and with next year's award in mind, Bennett noted, "I hope this award inspires scientists and wellness professionals to see life with new eyes, consider a myriad of options, put their connections to work and take action to collaborate on projects that canand willheal the world," she said. She encourages people to share concepts and ideas through the contact page of her website, bijab.com .

About Bija Bennett

Bija Bennett is an internationally known wellness and lifestyle pioneer and an outstanding communicator who conveys the tenets of mind-body health in remarkably accessible and engaging ways. An author, speaker and life-long champion of mental health awareness, Bija is an advocate for an emerging wellness paradigm that addresses the whole person in interconnected ways, teaching care strategies and multidisciplinary solutions to help individuals realize optimal wellbeing. As a certified yoga therapist, she has treated thousands of patients and developed pioneering programs for Fortune 500 companies, major medical institutions, spa and hospitality groups and personal clients. Bija has written four internationally respected books and publishes regularly in Rolling Stone and AGEIST magazines . She is an ambassador for the Global Wellness Institute, the leading organization empowering wellness worldwide, and currently serves as GWI's Yoga Therapy Initiative chair. In partnership with the Global Wellness Summit, Bija established the Bennett Family Award for Collaboration in the Science of Wellness to recognize scientists collaborating for the advancement of human health and wellbeing. She has spoken at universities and corporate retreats and regularly appears at national and international conferences. Additionally, she has co-taught seminars with Deepak Chopra , M.D., and has worked with clients of all levels and ages, from CEOs to celebrities, including Laura Dern , George Harrison , The Beach Boys, Barbra Streisand , Donna Karan, Elizabeth Taylor and more. Through her charismatic and engaging style, Bija is a dynamic representative of the future of mind-body health.

About the Global Wellness Summit

The Global Wellness Summit is an organization that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the multi trillion-dollar global wellness economy. In addition to an annual conference held at different locations around the globe, GWS also hosts regular virtual gatherings, including Wellness Master Classes, Wellness Sector Spotlights and Investor "Reverse Pitch" events. The organization's annual Global Wellness Trends Report offers expert-based predictions on the future of wellness. For more information, visit globalwellnesssummit.com.

CONTACT:

Allie Kuopus

Purpose Brand

629-756-020 [email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bennett-family-award-honors-global-collaborations-in-the-science-of-wellness-301822569.html
WASHINGTON , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Center for Lyme Action, the leading nonprofit dedicated to growing federal funding for Lyme and tick-borne diseases, honored Members of Congress who have demonstrated extraordinary support in the push to cure Lyme disease  the most prevalent vector-borne disease and the most widespread tick-borne illness in the United States , with nearly half a million new cases estimated each year.

"Lyme is a frustrating and debilitating disease, but it's a solvable problem," said Jeff Crater, co-founder of the Center for Lyme Action. "Our award recipients have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in working to find a cure for Lyme and tick-borne diseases and we are honored to have them as long-term partners in this important fight for all Americans."

Receiving the 2023 Center for Lyme Action Lyme Champion Awards were Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Sen. Patty Murray (WA), Sen. Ed Markey (MA), Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02), Rep. Gregory Steube (FL-17), Rep. Bill Keating (MA-09), Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-06), Rep. Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA-15), and Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-20).

"Unfortunately, Lyme disease cases are on the rise," Maine Senator Susan Collins told Center for Lyme Action advocates at their annual DC fly-in. "My state of Maine has one of the highest rates of Lyme disease cases nationwide, and we simply must not lose momentum in research to combat the devastating diseases that can be caused by tick bites."

"All over the country, people are spending more and more time outside so we need to understand the risks of contracting Lyme and other vector-borne diseases," Minnesota Senator Tina Smith communicated with advocates from over 40 States. "The CDC numbers don't account for the many thousands that have been misdiagnosed while suffering from tick-borne illnesses; yet, we are making progress in our fight against Lyme and vector-borne illnesses."

"Tick-borne diseases are expanding into new areas and increasing in frequency in already hard hit areas like my own state of New Jersey ," added New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith , Co-Chair of the House Lyme Disease Caucus. "Unfortunately, Federal officials still do not have a good grasp on Lyme and its impact, let alone the newly emerging tick-borne diseases and the myriad of co-infections that can result from a single tick bite. Without better information on tick-borne diseases and how to treat them, we will continue to fail to address the root of the problem in the patients in need."

"There is still too much unknown about the causes of tick-borne disease and the appropriate treatments for it," said California Congresswoman Anna Eshoo . "Our task now as Members of Congress and as advocates, is to ensure that tick-borne disease programs are fully funded, including the Regional Centers of Excellence for Vector-borne Diseases, which are leading the way on cutting edge research into Lyme."

The Center for Lyme Action awards build on the momentum of 163% increase in Federal funding for Lyme disease across Federal agencies from $59 million in FY20 to $155.5 million in FY23. Federal funding for Lyme disease continues to be very low at $82 per patient compared with much rarer diseases. Less common diseases such as West Nile Virus and Malaria have 80 times and 1800 times the amount of per patient federal research funding.

"The awards ceremony was all about recognizing and thanking our supporters," Crater said. "Now we are getting back to work  spending time meeting with Members of Congress to ensure Appropriators understand the gravity of Lyme and tick-borne disease and the need to fully fund the Kay Hagan Tick Act and grow research funding for diagnostics, therapies and hopefully within the decade, a cure to stamp out all tick-borne diseases."

To date, Lyme disease has been reported in every state nationwide, except Hawaii . For more information, go to centerforlymeaction.org or follow CLA on Twitter @lyme_action and on Instagram @CenterforLymeAction.

Press Contact Meredith Faucette

[email protected]

Related Links

https://www.centerforlymeaction.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/center-for-lyme-action-honors-congressional-leaders-during-lyme-disease-awareness-month-301821430.html

SOURCE Center for Lyme Action
BEIJING , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Since China established diplomatic ties with five Central Asian countries 31 years ago, regional exchanges and cooperation in strategic, economic and security fields have been making increasingly substantial strides.

The closer ties are expected to reach a new high late next week when the first China-Central Asia Summit takes place in northwestern China's Xi'an , Shaanxi Province , a city that is known as the starting point of the ancient Silk Road that went through Central Asia to Europe . Chinese President Xi Jinping will host the summit to be attended by state leaders from Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan , according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Experts say the upcoming gathering of the heads of state highlights the fact that China and the Central Asian countries share broad common interests and that regional cooperation is becoming increasingly profound amid growing global turbulence.

Head-of-state diplomacy

"Head-of-state diplomacy is the biggest political advantage of all-around cooperation between China and the Central Asian countries," according to Sun Zhuangzhi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Such a summit can enhance strategic mutual trust, establish cooperation mechanisms and remove political obstacles by resolving differences. At the same time, through head-of-state diplomacy, countries will be more likely to support each other on core interests and major concerns, and coordinate with each other in international affairs, which can help to improve global governance, Sun wrote in a recent article published in the journal Contemporary World.

In January last year, President Xi chaired a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Central Asian countries. One month later, five Central Asian countries' state leaders attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics. And the third China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' meeting in June decided to upgrade the gathering to the head-of-state level.

Following that, Xi visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and attended the SCO Summit in Samarkand in September, his first major overseas visit since the outbreak of COVID-19.

Experts say these intensive diplomatic activities demonstrated the great importance China attaches to the Central Asian countries.

Deng Hao , a researcher at China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), noted that a good China - Central Asia relationship helps improve the strategic and security environment in China's western regions and it also promotes stability and development in the Central Asian countries, a win-win strategy.

Multi-pillar cooperation, impressive results

Deng wrote in the journal of China International Studies that China has made great diplomatic achievements in Central Asian countries, especially the building of three pillar cooperation mechanisms: Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

The SCO, born more than two decades ago with a mission to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism, aims to provide a safe and stable developing environment for SCO member countries. Over the years, the SCO has witnessed burgeoning security cooperation in regional and international arenas, and unleashed enormous development opportunities for the region and the wider world, Deng said.

And the BRI, put forward by Xi in 2013 and with a focus on connectivity, aims to build Central Asia into a channel connecting China and Europe , which can further activate the economic circles of Asia and Europe . Ten years on, China has signed BRI cooperation documents with all Central Asian countries and has yielded impressive results in infrastructure construction, economic and trade cooperation and financial facility.

Official data shows the trade volume between China and the Central Asian countries reached $70.2 billion in 2022, a more than 100 times increase compared with the trade volume when the two sides established diplomatic ties.

"The BRI has brought China and the five Central Asian countries even closer. The upcoming China-Central Asia Summit will further guide the six countries to continue the friendship and deepen cooperation, jointly building the China - Central Asia community with a shared future," said Yu Xiaoshuang, an assistant researcher at the CIIS.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-05-09/Head-of-state-diplomacy-ushers-in-thriving-China-Central-Asia-ties-1jF3AMX0C9a/index.html

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cgtn-head-of-state-diplomacy-ushers-in-thriving-china-central-asia-ties-301821973.html

SOURCE CGTN
The National Dialogue will not vote on issues and proposals will be submitted to President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, General Coordinator of the dialogue Diaa Rashwan said on Wednesday.

During an extended meeting with foreign and Arab correspondents, Rashwan indicated that the National Dialogue is not an alternative to state institutions  like the parliament or the government  and it cannot dictate what state institutions ought to do.

The dialogue will propose legislations or executive decisions which will be submitted to the president to take the necessary actions, whether by presenting them to the House of Representatives, or by issuing executive decisions in their regard, Rashwan said.

Among the correspondents who attended the three-hour meeting were those of Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Financial Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.

No red lines

According to the dialogue bylaws, all outcomes  whether reached by consensus or not  will be submitted to the president, without using a voting mechanism and, therefore, there will be no majority or minority in all discussions within the national dialogue.

There are no red lines for the views, discussions or issues that will be presented by all participants in the National Dialogue, the general coordinator said.

The long-awaited National Dialogue kicked off on 3 May with several political forces, civil society groups, professional and labour unions, and public figures participating to discuss key political, economic, and social issues.

No timeline

The general coordinator stated that there is no specific timeline for the National Dialogue, stressing that the process will proceed until discussions on various tracks are finalized.

The timeline depends on the participants in the dialogue themselves. Proposals will be submitted to the president once an agreement is reached an any one issue, he said.

Rashwan cited the example of sending a proposal to the president for full judicial supervision of the general elections in Egypt.

In March, the Board of Trustees of the National Dialogue called for the renewal of the 10-year legislation which regulates the work of the National Election Authority in order to renew judicial supervision over all elections and referendums  set to expire in January 2024.

In response, El-Sisi directed the government to study the proposal made by the board of trustees to renew legislation that stipulates full judicial supervision over elections and referendums.

Pre-trial detention

The general coordinator explained that political forces sent a list of over 1,000 pretrial detainees to be considered by the prosecution for release after the president's call for dialogue in April 2022.

Since then, more than 1,400 pre-trial detainees have been released, and 17 others who have been sentenced have received presidential pardons, Rashwan said. He added that now some of those who were released from prisons actively participate in the dialogue and contribute to building bridges of communication between various political forces.

Rashwan previously said that only a few of its members of the Civil Democratic Movement  a bloc including 12 opposition parties and groups  remain in prison, with the exception of one or two including activist Ahmed Douma.

On the eve of the inauguration of the dialogue, the general coordinator stressed that the issue of pre-trial detention would be uppermost in the human rights discussions agenda during the dialogues sessions.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


SAN FRANCISCO , May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to an increasingly challenging environment in downtown San Francisco , the iconic luxury Australian furniture brand, Coco Republic, is following other established retailers in closing its Union Square store and will immediately commence a sale of all of its on-site inventory.

Downtown San Francisco has been struggling with well-documented issues, which have significantly exacerbated challenges that started with the coronavirus pandemic. Due to a significant decrease in foot traffic and customers, retailers have been finding it difficult to operate in the area. Despite taking numerous precautions in and around their San Francisco store to protect customers and employees, Coco Republic has concluded that it is impossible to continue to keep the location open.

"We invested extraordinary time and capital in our initial US flagship store in Union Square ," said Anthony Spon-Smith , Coco Republic's Creative Director and Founder based in Sydney . "Less than six months from opening, we could not be more disappointed to be shuttering this flagship location in our sister city, but ultimately, the safety and well-being of our customers and employees is our highest priority."

Coco Republic will continue delivering exceptional products and experiences to retail customers and trade designers around the world. In California , Coco Republic's flagship store remains the cornerstone of the 100,000-square-foot HD Buttercup Design Center in Culver City . A newly remodeled Coco Republic store in Orange County will be opening later this month, and the worldwide brand's online presence in the U.S. will expand in May with the launch of a new e-commerce platform at www.cocorepublic.com.

"In the immediate term, we will continue to service San Francisco residents online and provide full-service commercial sales support," said Skye Westcott , US President of Coco Republic. "We love the Bay Area and hope to be back if conditions improve in the years ahead."

Please send any inquiries to [email protected].

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/coco-republic-to-close-downtown-san-francisco-location-and-commence-immediate-on-site-inventory-liquidation-301821667.html

SOURCE Coco Republic
TORONTO , May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Cybeats Technologies Corp. ("Cybeats'' or the "Company")(CSE: CYBT) (OTCQB: CYBCF) is pleased to announce that further to its press release of April 6, 2023 , the Company has completed the second and final tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") through the issuance of 4,109,000 units ("Units") of the Company at a price of $1.00 per Unit for gross proceeds of $4,109,000 . In total, an aggregate of 6,221,000 Units were issued for gross proceeds of $6,211,000 through the completion of the two tranches of the Offering.

Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one whole Common Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall be exercisable to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of $1.40 for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance.

"The capital raise will fuel the ongoing support of our overwhelming commercial demand within the growing SBOM management market. The additional working capital will also support the onboarding of recently announced enterprise clients," said Yoav Raiter , CEO, Cybeats.

Gross proceeds raised from the Offering will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. The securities issued upon closing of the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of closing, pursuant to applicable securities laws. The closing of the Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals.

In connection with the Offering, the Company paid certain eligible persons (each, a "Finder"): (i) a cash commission in the aggregate of $56,600 ; and (ii) an aggregate of 55,600 finder warrants (each, a "Finder Warrant") Each Finder Warrant is exercisable at a price of $1.40 per Common Share until May 10, 2025 . In addition, a Finder was issued 3,500 Units representing (a) cash commission in the amount of $3,500 .

In connection with the Offering, certain subscribers (the "Subscribers") entered into share loan and pledge agreements with a certain existing shareholder of the Company's (the "Lender"), pursuant to which the Lender loaned to the Subscriber an aggregate of 1,549,500 Common Shares without resale restriction. As collateral, the Subscriber pledged to the Lender an equal number of Common Shares purchased pursuant to the closing of the Offering.

The Offering constituted a "related party transaction" as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), as an insider of the Company acquired 40,000 Units. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the participation in the Offering by insider does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the closing of the Offering, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances so as to be able to avail itself of the proceeds of the Offering in an expeditious manner.

About Cybeats

Cybeats is a cybersecurity company providing SBOM management and software supply chain intelligence technology, helping organizations to manage risk, meet compliance requirements, and secure their software from procurement to development and operation. Our platform gives customers comprehensive visibility and transparency into their software supply chain, enabling them to improve operational efficiency and increase revenue. Cybeats. Software Made Certain. Website: https://cybeats.com

SUBSCRIBE: For more information, or to subscribe to the Company's mail list, visit: https://www.cybeats.com/investors

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for the products described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Company filings are available at sedar.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cybeats-announces-closing-of-private-placement-for-gross-proceeds-of-over-6-2-million-301821612.html

SOURCE Cybeats Technologies Corp.
Israel's largest provider of humanitarian aid acts quickly as conflict continues near Gaza Strip

JERUSALEM , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a quick response to the more than 500 rockets launched at southern Israel in the last two days, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) announced the placement of five new bomb shelter units today in areas of Ashkelon identified by local authorities as lacking ample protection. The areas included residential spaces where homes still had no shelters as well as commercial zones where people had no refuge from incoming rockets.

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews Acts Quickly to Protect Civilians in Israel's South Amidst Gaza Conflict

This latest installation comes in addition to numerous other safety projects made possible by The Fellowship across Ashkelon , including a mobile command center The Fellowship donated earlier this year which allows the municipal leadership to manage the city through these types of crises. The organization also purchased four protective vehicles that are used by local security officers to arrive quickly and safely at the scene of attacks.

The new shelters will provide much-needed protection to the residents of Ashkelon during these challenging times. The shelters are part of an ongoing effort by The Fellowship to ensure that the Israeli public is properly protected in the face of a growing array of threats. In recent years, The Fellowship has donated over 400 such shelters throughout the country, and has plans to renovate and equip 2,500 existing shelters. To date, The Fellowship has invested over $65 million in security projects.

Yael Eckstein , President and CEO of The Fellowship said, "Strengthening our nation's home front defenses, particularly in these times of security crisis, has long been one of the primary objectives of The Fellowship. We see it as a central part of our mandate to ensure that the people of Israel are provided the physical protection and basic needs they need to survive during times of crisis. These shelters not only protect people in time of need but are a critical reflection of the spirit of solidarity that enables our donor community of hundreds of thousands around the world to know that they are partners in caring for the people of Israel . We are deeply appreciative of their support in allowing us to quickly and effectively implement lifesaving solutions in these times of need."

The Fellowship, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, is the largest provider of humanitarian aid in Israel and supports needy populations through a variety of projects and initiatives promoting immigration, and investing in civilian homeland defense. Among its many projects, The Fellowship has supported the purchase of security vehicles, hundreds of first responder medical kits, the establishment of a sheltered emergency department in the French Hospital in Nazareth, and the upgrading of the MRI Unit at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon .

About The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

For 40 years, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has been leading efforts to build bridges between Christians and Jews and provide humanitarian care and lifesaving aid for Israel and the Jewish people. Through the generosity and loyalty each year of its donors, partners, and staff, The Fellowship helps over 1 million people living in poverty, has provided nearly 3,000 bomb shelters for security, and has helped 770,000 make aliyah back to their homeland, Israel . The Fellowship is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, continuing a mission to bless Israel and the Jewish people  like our world has never seen.

About Yael Eckstein

As President and CEO of The Fellowship, Yael Eckstein oversees all programs and serves as the international spokesperson for the organization. With over a decade of nonprofit experience in multiple roles, Yael has the rare distinction of being a woman leading one of the world's largest religious charitable organizations. In addition to her weekly podcast on matters of faith, Holy Land Reflections, each month, Yael invites thought leaders to discuss Jewish-Christian relations and Israel's significance on her podcast, Conversations with Yael. She is the 2023 recipient of the Jerusalem Post's Humanitarian Award, and in 2020 and 2021 was named to the publication's list of 50 Most Influential Jews. Born outside of Chicago , Yael is now based in Israel with her husband and their four children.

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Gartman

[email protected]

+1 312-641-8544

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/international-fellowship-of-christians-and-jews-takes-action-to-protect-civilians-in-israels-south-301822680.html

SOURCE International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
Kao Data has secured an extensive, industrial-scale site for redevelopment at Kenwood Point , Manchester , with the aim of establishing a new 40MW data centre.

The development represents an investment of 350M, with the facility set to follow Kao Data's award-winning design, energy efficiency and sustainability ethos, and include heat re-use capabilities.

This addition to Manchester's technology ecosystem will help accelerate the city's position as a leading tech hub, and support its business and research communities following the government's commitment to invest 3.5 billion in the future of UK science and tech.

LONDON , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kao Data, the specialist developer and operator of high-performance data centres for enterprise, cloud, HPC and AI, has today announced a new 40 megawatt (MW) data centre in Manchester, UK . Following the acquisition of two new data centres last year, the move represents the next phase in the continued expansion of the Kao Data platform, with Manchester named as the first of its new Tier II locations in Europe .

The latest phase of Kao Data's platform expansion has seen the company secure a 39,000m2 ex-industrial site for sustainable redevelopment at Kenwood Point , Manchester . The new data centre, which is planned to become operational in late 2025, will provide space for nine data halls, creating a leading infrastructure hub to support Greater Manchester's growing technology ecosystem and the UK's largest high performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors outside of London and the Oxford - Cambridge arc.

Kao Data's first data centre in the North of England will follow the organisations award-winning high performance design, efficiency and sustainability ethos, providing a sustainable, OCP-Ready and NVIDIA-DGX Ready certified infrastructure platform for advanced computing. For example, the facility will deliver an industry-leading PUE of 1.2, be powered by 100% renewable energy, and utilise hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in its generators  providing the highest-grade, sustainable data centre capacity in the region. Furthermore, the data centre will be precision-engineered to incorporate heat re-use capabilities, supporting local communities in its immediate vicinity with a valuable resource in the wake of the cost-of-living crisis.

"Our move into Manchester marks an important next step in the continued evolution of our organisation, and we're excited to bring our industry-leading data centre platform to one of the UK's most influential technology and business hubs," said Spencer Lamb , Chief Commercial Officer, Kao Data . "We believe our new facility will set a new standard for sustainable data centres within the region and will provide a piece of foundational infrastructure that supports both Northern England's advanced computing clusters, and the UK Governments' ambitions to become a technological and economic powerhouse for HPC and AI."

Manchester has been hailed as one of the UK's fastest growing technology hubs and has established itself as the country's pre-eminent Tier II data centre cluster, driven by the media, scientific research, and enterprise sectors. The city's technology ecosystem, for example, is projected to add 74.8bn GVA (gross value added) to the UK economy, and the region is an attractive location for enterprise with access to a highly skilled workforce, readily available renewable energy, and lower operating costs than the London market.

In March 2023 , the UK government committed 3.5 billion to the future of science and tech, with around 1BN of the funding pledged directly to support the next generation of supercomputing and artificial intelligence research. Greater Manchester is already home to some of the UK's most advanced computing organisations including The Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation at Daresbury, the SKA Telescope at Jodrell Bank, and a plethora of research focused universities.

As AI becomes more ingrained into every facet of business and enterprise, Greater Manchester is perfectly placed to play a pivotal role in the government's ambitions to become a world-leading superpower in science and tech. With the move to establish a new 40MW data centre in the city, Kao Data is actively supporting this mission, and the regions technology-driven business communities.

Kao Data is attending DTX Manchester on the 17th and 18th May 2023 to make connections with Manchester's technology and business ecosystems. Meet us at stand D34, or to learn more, visit the website.

About Kao Data

Founded in 2014, Kao Data develop and operate high performance data centres for advanced computing. With hyperscale-inspired facilities east and west of London , we provide enterprise, cloud, HPC and AI customers with a world-class home for their compute.

Designed, engineered, and operated by one of the industry's most respected teams, our carrier neutral data centres offer the highest calibre OCP-Ready and DGX-Ready environments. We are the UK's home for the most demanding computing infrastructure, with our east of London facility in Harlow housing NVIDIA's Cambridge -1, the UK's most powerful supercomputer. This is complimented by state-of-the-art facilities in west London , which combined, deliver a data centre footprint of 55MW, all powered by 100% renewable energy.

Backed by leading international investors, Kao Data is one of the UK's most pioneering data centre developers and operators. We underpin our customers' mission-critical workloads with high performance infrastructure, operations and compute efficiencies, representing the future in industrial scale computing.

kaodata.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kao-data-announces-strategic-platform-expansion-investing-350m-in-new-40mw-manchester-data-centre-301822282.html

SOURCE Kao Data
HOUSTON , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nabors Energy Transition Corp. ("NETC" or the "Company") (NYSE: NETC) announced today that its stockholders approved an extension of the date by which it has to consummate its initial business combination, allowing the Company's board of directors, without another stockholder vote, to extend such date up to seven times for an additional one month each time (but in no event to a date later than 25 months from the closing of NETC's initial public offering) (each such month, a "Monthly Extension Period") by depositing $295,519.23 for each Monthly Extension Period into the Company's trust account for its public stockholders. The Monthly Extension Periods will provide the Company with additional time to complete its previously announced initial business combination (the "Business Combination") with Vast Solar Pty Ltd ("Vast").

About Nabors Energy Transition Corp.

NETC is a blank check company formed to effect a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The Company focused its search for a target business on companies that identify solutions, opportunities or technologies that focus on advancing the energy transition; specifically, companies that facilitate, improve or complement the reduction of carbon or greenhouse gas emissions while satisfying growing energy consumption across markets globally.

Important Information for Stockholders

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or constitute a solicitation of any vote or approval.

In connection with the proposed Business Combination, Vast filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a registration statement on Form F-4 (the "Registration Statement"), which included (i) a preliminary prospectus of Vast relating to the offer of securities to be issued in connection with the proposed Business Combination and (ii) a preliminary proxy statement of the Company to be distributed to the holders of the Company's capital stock in connection with the Company's solicitation of proxies for a vote by the Company's stockholders with respect to the proposed Business Combination and other matters described in the Registration Statement. NETC and Vast also plan to file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed Business Combination. After the Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC, a definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to the stockholders of the Company. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF THE COMPANY AND VAST ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS CONTAINED THEREIN (INCLUDING ALL AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION.

Investors and security holders can obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents containing important information about the Company and Vast once such documents are filed with the SEC, through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, the documents filed by the Company may be obtained free of charge from NETC's website at www.nabors-etcorp.com or by written request to NETC at 515 West Greens Road , Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77067.

Participants in the Solicitation

NETC, Nabors Industries Ltd., Vast and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of the Company in connection with the proposed Business Combination. Information about the directors and executive officers of the Company is set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 , filed with the SEC on March 22, 2023 . To the extent that holdings of the Company's securities have changed since the amounts printed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 , such changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the preceding paragraph.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information included herein and in any oral statements made in connection herewith include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included herein, regarding the proposed Business Combination, the Company's and Vast's ability to consummate the transaction, the benefits of the transaction and the Company's and Vast's future financial performance following the transaction, as well as the Company's and Vast's strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. When used herein, including any oral statements made in connection herewith, the words "could," "should," "will," "may," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project," the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company and Vast management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Company and Vast disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. The Company and Vast caution you that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company and Vast. These risks include, but are not limited to, general economic, financial, legal, political and business conditions and changes in domestic and foreign markets; the inability of the parties to successfully or timely consummate the proposed transactions or to satisfy the conditions to the closing of the proposed transactions, including satisfaction of the minimum proceeds condition and the risk that any required regulatory approvals are not obtained, are delayed or are subject to unanticipated conditions that could adversely affect the combined company; the risk that the approval of the stockholders of the Company for the proposed transactions is not obtained; the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transactions, including as a result of a delay in consummating the proposed transaction or difficulty in, or costs associated with, integrating the businesses of the Company and Vast; the amount of redemption requests made by the Company's stockholders; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company or Vast following announcement of the transaction; the occurrence of events that may give rise to a right of one or both of the Company and Vast to terminate the definitive agreements related to the proposed Business Combination; difficulties or delays in the development of Vast's concentrated solar power facilities; the risks related to the rollout of Vast's business and the timing of expected business milestones; potential benefits and commercial attractiveness to its customers of Vast's products; the potential success of Vast's marketing and expansion strategies; and the effects of competition on Vast's future business. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described herein and in any oral statements made in connection therewith occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the Company's expectations and projections can be found in the Registration Statement and the Company's periodic filings with the SEC, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 22, 2023 , and any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company's SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Investor Relations Contact

William C. Conroy

+1 281-775-2423

[email protected]

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nabors-energy-transition-corp-announces-stockholder-approval-of-extension-of-deadline-to-complete-initial-business-combination-301822850.html

SOURCE Nabors Energy Transition Corp.
SAN FRANCISCO , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP is investigating a data breach impacting more than one million patient records in the custody of NextGen Healthcare, Inc., an electronic health record software provider.

According to NextGen, the breach took place between March 29 and April 14, 2023 and involved the theft of over one million patients' names, dates of birth, addresses, and social security numbers. The company attributed the attack to an unknown third party who used stolen credentials to gain access to an internal NextGen database.

If your personal information was impacted by this incident, you may be entitled to money damages and an injunction requiring changes to NextGen's security practices.

If you received notification of this data breach or are a NextGen customer and wish to obtain additional information about your legal rights, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.classactionlawyers.com/nextgen.

About Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP

Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe represents shareholders, employees, and consumers in class actions against corporate defendants, as well as shareholders in derivative actions against their officers and directors. The firm is based in San Francisco , and with the help of co-counsel, litigates cases nationwide.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/privacy-alert-nextgen-healthcare-under-investigation-for-data-breach-of-one-million-patient-records-301822550.html

SOURCE Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP
YAL's Student Rights Campaigns end mask and vaccine mandates, remove pepper spray bans, defend free speech, and more

AUSTIN, Texas , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Young Americans for Liberty (YAL)the nation's most active youth liberty organizationannounced a major milestone for its Student Rights Campaigns (SRCs) taking place across America. Mobilizing thousands of student activists on behalf of freedom, YAL has officially liberated more than two million students on college campuses around the country.

Students should not be treated like second-class citizens on campus.

Pushing back against a wide range of unfair, anti-liberty policies, YAL has successfully ended mask and vaccine mandates, removed pepper spray bans, and defended free speech on college campuses across America. The organization's student activists were particularly active at Indiana University, the University of Alabama Huntsville, and the University of Maine in recent months. Most recently, YAL pushed for body cameras on police officers at the University of South Florida, ensuring that campus law enforcement is held accountable to students.

"By freeing over two million students from unjust administrative policies, Young Americans for Liberty's Student Rights Campaigns have demonstrated the vital importance of fighting for individual freedom and protecting the rights of all students," said JP Kirby, YAL's Director of Student Rights. "Students should not be treated like second-class citizens on campuscollege students are adults and deserve to be treated accordingly. I am proud of our student activists for fighting for their rights."

You can follow YAL on Twitter @YALiberty .

Young Americans for Liberty is the nation's most active youth liberty organization. YAL represents over 5,000 student activists at more than 500 colleges and universities across the country. The organization's Hazlitt Coalition, dedicated to advancing the cause of liberty at the state level, includes more than 320 pro-liberty legislators from over 40 states.

Media Contact

Carter Quill

704-776-8113

[email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/young-americans-for-liberty-frees-two-million-students-across-america-301822846.html

SOURCE Young Americans for Liberty
TBILISI (Reuters) -Armenia and Azerbaijan blamed each other for an exchange of fire in a border area on Thursday in which Azerbaijan said one of its soldiers was killed.

The clashes come amid an intensification of diplomatic talks between the two South Caucasus rivals aimed at bringing them back from the brink of another all-out conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The enclave is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, but populated mainly by ethnic Armenians and has been the centre of a decades-long dispute.

Baku last month installed a checkpoint at the start of the Lachin Corridor - the only road route linking Armenia to Karabakh - in a move that Yerevan said was a "gross violation" of a Russian-brokered 2020 ceasefire agreement.

In Thursday's clash, the latest in a series of border flare-ups, both sides said they were acting in self-defence and blamed the other for firing first.

Azerbaijan said Armenian forces had staged a "deliberate provocation" and had killed one Azerbaijani soldier. Armenia's defence ministry said four of its soldiers were wounded after Azerbaijan shelled its positions near the village of Sotk on their shared border.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the incident was an attempt by Azerbaijan to disrupt ongoing peace talks between the sides.

The foreign ministers of both countries met in Washington for four days of talks at the start of May that did not yield a breakthrough. Pashinyan is set to meet Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels on May 14 for EU-brokered talks aimed at cooling tensions.

The latest clashes are also seen as a test of Russia's ability to influence events in the South Caucasus.

Russia is a formal ally of Armenia through a mutual self-defence treaty, but also strives for good relations with Baku. Moscow says the 2020 peace accord it brokered to end a six-week war that killed thousands is the only basis for a long-term solution.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called for both sides to show restraint and said Moscow's diplomatic contacts with both Yerevan and Baku were continuing. But there are no plans for Russian President Vladimir Putin to speak to Pashinyan or Aliyev directly, Peskov said.

(Reporting by Jake Cordell in TbilisiEditing by Gareth Jones)
(Reuters) -Canada's Absolute Software said on Thursday it had agreed to be taken private by Crosspoint Capital Partners for $657 million, extending a recent trend of private equity firms snapping up cybersecurity providers.

Shareholders of Absolute Software will receive $11.5 per share in cash, representing a premium of 34% to the U.S.-listed stock's last close, the company said.

The U.S.-listed shares rose to $11.29 in trading before the bell.

Shareholders are set to vote on the acquisition, valued at $870 million including debt, at a special meeting expected to be held in late June.

Crosspoint Capital, which has invested in McAfee and Forescout, focuses on cybersecurity, privacy and infrastructure software sectors.

Peer Thoma Bravo has agreed to acquire Magnet Forensics, ForgeRock over the past few months, taking advantage of a drop in valuations.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
FILE PHOTO: The logo of French retailer Carrefour on shopping trolleys in Sao Paulo, Brazil, July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker/File Photo

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Carrefour Brasil said on Thursday it has entered into exclusive talks with Barzel Properties for the sale of five distribution centers and five stores for 1.3 billion reais ($259.83 million).

In a securities filing, the Brazilian arm of French retailer Carrefour SA said the properties will be leased back under 20-year lease agreements, which are renewable for additional 5-year terms.

Rent expenses related to these properties will be around 10 million reais per month, it added.

($1 = 5.0033 reais)

(Reporting by Carolina Pulice and Peter Frontini; Editing by David Alire Garcia)
The British government announced Thursday it was giving long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine to help drive out Russias occupying forces, just as Kyiv delayed a possible counteroffensive as it awaits the delivery of more Western weapons.

U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told lawmakers in the House of Commons that Britain is donating Storm Shadow missiles, a conventionally-armed deep-strike weapon with a range of more than 250 kilometers (150 miles).

That means it can hit targets deep behind the front line, including in Russia-occupied Crimea. U.K. media reported that Ukraine has pledged not to use the missiles to attack Russia itself.

Wallace said the missiles are now going into or are in the country itself.

Ben Hodges, a former U.S. Army Europe Commanding General, tweeted: Well done UK!

He added: This will give Ukraine capability to make Crimea untenable for Russian forces and would force a Russian rethink of where to position its Black Sea fleet.

The British move gives another boost to the Ukrainian military after it received other advanced Western weapons including tanks and long-range precision artillery.

The announcement came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his countrys military needs more time to prepare an anticipated counteroffensive aimed at pushing back Russian occupying forces and opening a new chapter in the war more than 14 months after the Kremlins full-scale invasion.

Zelenskyy said in an interview broadcast Thursday by the BBC that it would be unacceptable to launch the assault now because too many lives would be lost.

With (what we have) we can go forward and be successful, Zelenskyy said in the interview, according to the BBC.

But wed lose a lot of people. I think thats unacceptable, he was quoted as saying. The interview was reportedly carried out in Kyiv with public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, including the BBC.

So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time, Zelenskyy was quoted as saying.

A Ukrainian fightback against Russia's invasion has been expected for weeks. Ukraine is receiving Western training as well as advanced weapons for its troops as it gears up for an expected assault.

While a counterpunch is possible as the weather in Ukraine improves, there has been no word on when it might happen. Zelenskyys remarks could be a red herring to keep the Russians guessing, and ammunition supply difficulties faced by both sides have added more uncertainty.

A claim by the Ukrainian military on Wednesday that it had advanced up to two kilometers (1.2 miles) around the hotly contested eastern city of Bakhmut brought speculation that the counteroffensive was already underway.

But Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraines Operational Command East, told The Associated Press that the attack was not the grand counteroffensive, but its a harbinger showing that there will be more such attacks in the future.

The Kremlin's forces are deeply entrenched in eastern areas of Ukraine with layered defensive lines reportedly up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) deep. Kyiv's counteroffensive would likely face minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles.

Russia is acting slow in Ukraine because it wants to preserve infrastructure and save lives there, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed in an interview with the Bosnian Serb channel ATV broadcast Wednesday night.

Moscow has repeatedly explained its lack of advances on the battlefield as an effort to protect civilians, but those claims have been proven false.

Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on reducing the war to a so-called frozen conflict, with neither side able to dislodge the other, according to the BBC. He ruled out surrendering territory to Russia in return for a peace deal.

Military analysts have warned that Putin is hoping that the Wests costly support for Kyiv will begin to fray.

Ukraines Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euros ($70 billion) in military aid to help thwart the Kremlins ambitions, and with no peace negotiations on the horizon the alliance is gearing up to send more.

European Union Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the possible need to delay a counteroffensive was a sign that the West must step up its military support for Ukraine.

Certainly, they need more preparation, Borrell said at a defense and security conference in Brussels. They need more arms. They need to gather more capacity, and it is us who have to provide for that.

A senior NATO official said that in the coming months of the war, Ukraine will have the edge in quality but Russia has the upper hand in quantity.

The Russians are now starting to use very old materiel, very old capabilities, Adm. Bob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, told reporters late Wednesday in Brussels.

The Russians will have to focus on quantity, he said. Larger number of conscripts and mobilized people. Not well-trained. Older materiel, but large numbers, and not as precise, not as good as the newer ones.

Over the winter, the conflict became bogged down in a war of attrition with both sides relying heavily on bombardment of each others positions.

A counteroffensive is a major challenge, requiring the Ukrainian military to orchestrate a wide range of capabilities, including providing ammunition, food, medical supplies and spare parts, strung along potentially extended supply lines.

The front line extends more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles).

The Kremlin wants Kyiv to acknowledge Russias sovereignty over Crimea and also recognize Septembers annexation of the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.

Ukraine has rejected the demands and ruled out any talks with Russia until its troops pull back from all occupied territories.

___

Search Keywords:

Short link:


BEIJING (Reuters) - China and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement on May 11, China's commerce ministry said on Thursday.

The two sides will create a more favourable, transparent and stable business environment for enterprises through the FTA, and further stimulate the potential of trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, the ministry said.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
People protest the death of Jordan Neely, a man that died after being placed in a chokehold by a fellow passenger in a New York City subway train earlier this week, whose death has been ruled as homicide by the city's medical examiner, in New York City in

By Tyler Clifford and Brendan O'Brien

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A former U.S. Marine who killed a homeless man by putting him in a chokehold on the New York City subway will be arrested on Friday and arraigned on a charge of manslaughter, the Manhattan district attorney said on Thursday.

A viral video showed the former Marine, identified as Daniel Penny, putting 30-year-old Jordan Neely in a chokehold on May 1 while they rode on the F train in Manhattan. Neely died from a compression of the neck, the medical examiner said, but Penny's lawyers said he did not mean to kill him.

According to witnesses, Neely, who was known to impersonate Michael Jackson in the subway system, was complaining loudly about being hungry and saying he was ready to die when Penny came up behind him and gripped him around the neck. Penny restrained him on the floor of the subway car until he appeared to stop moving. Neely was later declared dead.

"We can confirm that Daniel Penny will be arrested on a charge of manslaughter in the second degree. We cannot provide any additional information until he has been arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, which we expect to take place tomorrow," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.

A bystander's video of Neely's death garnered national attention and revived a debate among New Yorkers about crime in the subway and what to do with a growing number of homeless people in the city.

The killing, and a delay by prosecutors in charging Penny, sparked protests, with some saying the incident amounted to a "lynching" and an example of "white vigilantism" against people of color. Neely was Black and Penny is white.

In a statement from his legal team, Penny expressed "condolences to those close to Mr. Neely." The statement alleged that Neely had aggressively threatened passengers riding in the subway car.

"Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death," the statement said.

Penny's attorneys, Steven Raiser and Thomas Kenniff, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

An attorney for Neely's family said in a statement on Monday that Penny's actions on the train and his words show that "he needs to be in prison."

A spate of attacks on train passengers last year, particularly Asian Americans, prompted Adams to increase police patrols and expand outreach to the mentally ill in the subway system, citing rising homelessness in the wake of the pandemic.

The video that circulated on social media after Neely's death showed a man identified as Penny applying a chokehold to a man identified as Neely for more than three minutes. Two other men are seen in the video restraining Neely's arms before he went limp.

Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the video.

(Reporting by Tyler Clifford and Jasper Ward; editing by Rami Ayyub and David Gregorio)
FILE PHOTO: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy enters his car as he leaves his house in Paris, France, March 21, 2018. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/

PARIS (Reuters) - Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy should stand trial on charges of corruption and illegal financing of an election campaign related to alleged Libyan funding of his successful 2007 presidential bid, France's financial prosecutor (PNF) said.

Prosecutors have investigated allegations that former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi sent Sarkozys election campaign millions of euros in cash, allegations that were first made by one of the sons of the late autocrat.

The PNF said Sarkozy was one of 13 individuals who should be tried, citing charges against him of "concealment of laundering public funds, passive corruption, illegal campaign financing and criminal conspiracy with a view to committing a crime punishable by 10 years in jail".

Sarkozy has always denied the accusations. Neither his aides nor his lawyers responded to a request for comment.

"Theres not even the smallest inkling of proof," the former president said in an interview in 2018, adding that the allegations had made his life a living hell.

Among the others whom the prosecutor said should face trial are Sarkozy allies, including former ministers Claude Gueant, Brice Hortefeux and Eric Woerth on charges of complicity in illegal campaign financing.

Sarkozy faces legal woes on multiple fronts. In March 2021, he was sentenced to three years in prison, two of them suspended, for bribery and influence-peddling in a separate matter. Appeal court judges will deliver their verdict in that case next week.

He was also handed a one-year sentence after being found guilty of illegal campaign financing during his failed 2012 re-election bid. He has appealed that sentence, a move that in effect suspends it.

In its statement, the PNF on Thursday said the parties involved now have the opportunity to make representations to the case's investigating judge, who will decide if the prosecutor's recommendations should be followed.

(Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Richard Lough and Nick Macfie)
FILE PHOTO: The new GM logo is seen on the facade of the General Motors headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo

SHANGHAI/BERLIN (Reuters) - Automakers including Volkswagen and General Motors could have considerable unused production capacity for conventionally powered vehicles in China by 2030 if they do not speed up their transition to electric vehicles (EV), Greenpeace said on Thursday.

As demand for new energy vehicles (NEV) - including fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars - grows, new NEV-only producers such as BYD will take market share and leave legacy automakers sitting on wasted production space geared toward unwanted internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, the organisation said.

Over-capacity in China's combustion engine car industry is a long-standing issue, with a ban in place by regulators since 2017 on the construction of new capacity.

By the end of 2021, China had total annual production capacity for 40.89 million passenger vehicles of all fuel types with a utilisation rate of 52.5%, showed data from the China Passenger Car Association.

Greenpeace estimated that if NEVs make up 40% of sales by 2030 - a conservative forecast considering 30% of sales this year so far were of NEVs - a third of ICE production capacity at 10 major automakers including Volkswagen AG, Toyota Motor Corp and General Motors Co (GM) could end up unused.

If the sales rate reaches 70%, the average unused capacity utilisation rate for ICE production would rise to two thirds, Greenpeace said, basing its estimates on public information about planned capacity and projected sales.

GM and Volkswagen will face the largest pressure with over 3 million units of idled capacity for ICE cars in China, presenting a major risk for those automakers, Greenpeace said.

Volkswagen, GM and Toyota said in statements to Reuters they were accelerating their EV strategies in China, with GM adding it would convert over half of its manufacturing footprint in the country to be EV-capable by 2030.

Volkswagen pointed to its rising sales in China and said it expects to profit from the country's growing demand for cars.

"We will speed up in electrification and digitalisation," a spokesperson said.

Greenpeace's study did not factor in possible plans by automakers to export cars from China to offset the production glut, a strategy some have already taken.

Chinese NEV makers including BYD Co Ltd have outpaced foreign peers with EV models and followed Tesla Inc's example with bold price cuts for best-selling cars this year, cannibalising sales of ICE vehicles as the price gap between the technologies narrows.

(Reporting by Zhang Yan in Shanghai and Victoria Waldersee in Berlin; Additional reporting by Daniel Leussink and Joe White; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
FILE PHOTO: A smartphone with a displayed Intel logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

By Stephen Nellis

(Reuters) - Intel Corp and Boston Consulting Group on Wednesday said they are working together to sell generative artificial intelligence tools to big businesses.

Generative AI is the class of technology behind popular chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT that can reply to queries with human-like text. Google owner Alphabet Inc and Microsoft Corp are revamping their search engines with AI technology to provide answers to questions rather than lists of links.

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Intel worked together on similar technology so that BCG's employees could put the group's half century worth of archives - much of which is in the form of reports and presentations - to better use. Previously, BCG employees conducted a keyword search and had to click through each document to see whether it contained what they were looking for.

With the new system, the AI system can answer employees' questions using the archive or summarize entire documents.

"We're in the knowledge business and the expertise business. Rarely are we just looking for one piece of something on the page," said Suchi Srinivasan, a managing director and partner at BCG.

The system was developed on a supercomputer built by Intel with its Xeon central processors and Habana AI chips. Intel built the supercomputer and software so that BCG did not have to share its data with Intel.

"The number of times Intel actually saw that data is zero," said Kavitha Prasad, Intel's vice president and general manager of data center, AI and cloud execution and strategy.

Intel and BCG said they plan to start selling some of the technology they have developed to help other companies to train AI systems using the customer's proprietary data, without having to share it with Intel or BCG. Srinivasan said the two will target industries like financial services, which have strict rules over data storage and sharing.

(Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Mexico's Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard hold a call with U.S. President Joe Biden, at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico May 9, 2023. Mexico Foreign Relations Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexico is cooperating with the United States to avoid "chaos" and "violence" on their shared border as U.S. COVID-19 restrictions - known as Title 42 - come to an end, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Thursday.

The restrictions, which have blocked hundreds of thousands of migrants caught at the border from seeking asylum since 2020, are set to end Thursday evening and be replaced with tough new rules.

U.S. President Joe Biden said earlier this week following a call with Lopez Obrador that the shared border would be "chaotic" for a while as the regulations change. Some migrants have rushed to cross ahead of the new rules.

Lopez Obrador said authorities were working in the south of Mexico to "protect" migrants amid an increase in people smugglers offering to take migrants to the United States for exorbitant prices under the promise that the border is "open."

He said his administration had decided to send the Mexican National Guard to the country's southern border and that they had been given orders to not use force against migrants.

Lopez Obrador also urged Biden to adopt "good neighbor" policies and work with countries such as Cuba and Venezuela so that their citizens do not need to migrate. He has long pushed for more U.S. investment in the region to tackle the root causes of migration.

(Reporting by Kylie Madry; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Rosalba O'Brien)
Pope Francis and Pope Tawadros II, the 118th Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark Cathedral, meet at the Vatican May 11, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Thursday announced that 21 Coptic Orthodox Christians beheaded by Islamic State in Libya in 2015 are being recognised as martyrs by the Vatican.

He revealed the move during a meeting with Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church and said he was doing so with Tawadros' consent.

The 21 Copts, 20 Egyptians and a Ghanaian, were lined up on Feb. 15, 2015 in orange jumpsuits on a beach in the Libyan city of Sirte, which Islamic State then controlled. The Islamist group posted a video of the killings, showing the men praying as they died.

Francis told Tawadros that the inscription of the men in what is known as the Roman Martyrology, or calendar of saints, was "a sign of the spiritual communion that unites our two Churches".

Their 'feast' day - which celebrates their memory - is expected to be Feb. 15.

Tawadros, 70, is at the Vatican to mark the 50th anniversary of the first meeting between a Roman pope and a Coptic pope, which took place between their respective predecessors, Paul VI and Shenouda III, in 1973.

Copts comprise about 10% of Egypt's mostly Muslim population and there are small Coptic Christian communities throughout the Middle East and Africa. They have long been attacked by Islamist militants who see them as heretics.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
A view shows plumes of smoke and fire at an Omdurman National Bank branch, in Omdurman, Sudan, May 11, 2023 in this screen grab taken from a video obtained by Reuters. Video obtained by Reuters/via REUTERS

KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Sudan's warring factions early on Friday committed to protect civilians and the movement of humanitarian aid, but did not agree to a ceasefire and remain far apart, U.S. officials said.

After a week of talks in the Saudi port of Jeddah, Sudan's army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) signed a declaration that they would work towards a short-term ceasefire in further discussions, they said.

"The two sides are quite far apart," a senior U.S. State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A text of the declaration released after the talks said the two factions "commit to prioritizing discussions to achieve a short-term ceasefire to facilitate the delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance and restoration of essential services."

A U.S. State Department statement said the parties would focus on reaching a deal for an effective ceasefire of up to about 10 days.

Negotiators working with Saudi and U.S. mediators will next discuss specific security measures for safeguarding relief supplies, the U.S. official said. The State Department statement said measures "will include a U.S.-Saudi and international-supported ceasefire monitoring mechanism."

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said in a post on Twitter that the talks and the commitment to protecting civilians were a first step, and "other steps will follow".

"The most important thing is to adhere to what was agreed upon, and the Kingdom will work until security and stability return to Sudan and its brotherly people," the Saudi minister said.

The army and RSF said in their agreement that they would schedule "subsequent expanded discussions to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities."

The U.S. official said it would be a long process to move from a temporary ceasefire, once agreed, to a permanent cessation of hostilities. But Washington hopes the two sides' willingness to sign Friday's declaration will build momentum.

Civilian groups are expected to participate later in the talks, the U.S. official said. The Forces for Freedom and Change, a coalition of political parties supporting democratic rule, called the declaration "an important first step towards ending the war" and urged the forces to abide by it.

Clashes rocked Halfaya, an entry point to the capital Khartoum, on Thursday as residents heard warplanes circling over Khartoum and its adjoining cities of Bahri and Omdurman, but the fighting appeared calmer than on Wednesday.

In public neither side has shown it is ready to offer concessions to end the conflict that erupted suddenly last month, threatening to pitch Sudan into a civil war, killing hundreds of people and triggering a humanitarian crisis.

Previous ceasefire agreements have been repeatedly violated, leaving civilians to navigate a terrifying landscape of chaos and bombardment with failing power and water, little food and a collapsing health system.

ALLOW DEAD TO BE BURIED

The senior State Department official said the declaration signed early Friday seeks to improve the flow of humanitarian relief and begin restoration of water and electricity services.

Mediators hope it will be possible "to arrange for the withdrawal of security forces from hospitals and clinics, and to perform the respectful burial of the dead," the official said.

The World Health Organization has said more than 600 people have been killed and more than 5,000 injured in the fighting. The Health Ministry said at least 450 people were killed in the western Darfur region.

Many have fled Khartoum and Darfur, uprooting 700,000 people inside the country and sending 150,000 as refugees into neighbouring states, according to U.N. figures.

Western countries condemned abuses by both sides at a human rights meeting in Geneva, but Sudan's envoy there said the conflict was "an internal affair".

(Reporting by Nafisa Eltahir and Ahmed Tolba in Cairo, Aziz Yaakoubi in Riyadh, Hatem Maher in Dubai, Emma Farge and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber in Geneva and Daphne Psaledaki and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Writing by Cynthia Osterman; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Diane Craft and Simon Cameron-Moore)
FILE PHOTO: Vessels are seen as they wait for inspection under United Nation's Black Sea Grain Initiative in the southern anchorage of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey December 11, 2022. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik/File Photo

By Jonathan Spicer and Michelle Nichols

ISTANBUL/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations discussed on Thursday U.N. proposals to extend a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, which Moscow has threatened to quit on May 18 over obstacles to its grain and fertilizer exports.

The U.N. and Turkey brokered the Black Sea agreement in July last year to help tackle a global food crisis that has been worsened by Moscow's war in Ukraine. At the same time, the U.N. agreed to help Moscow facilitate its own agricultural shipments.

The meeting of senior officials in Istanbul on Thursday appeared to end without Russian agreement to extend the Black Sea deal. The Kremlin said earlier on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin could speak with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at short notice if needed regarding an extension of the deal, but there were no such plans at present.

"The meeting discussed the recent proposals by the United Nations, namely the resumption of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline, the longer extension of the deal, improvements at the Joint Coordination Centre for stable operations and exports, as well as other issues raised by the parties," the U.N. said.

"The parties presented their views and agreed to engage with those elements going forward," the U.N. said in a statement.

RUSSIAN DEMANDS

Turkey's Defence Ministry said progress was made in the talks on the Black Sea grain deal and that the parties agreed to continue four-way technical meetings on the deal. On Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he thought the deal could be extended for at least two more months.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said after the talks on Thursday that the grain deal should be extended for a longer period and expanded. He said the talks would continue online.

Russia has issued a list of demands regarding its own agricultural exports that it wants met before it agrees to an extension of the deal. Those include restarting a pipeline that delivers Russian ammonia to a Ukrainian Black Sea port, which the U.N. has been pushing for.

While those Russian exports are not subject to Western sanctions imposed following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow says restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance are a barrier to shipments.

"Let me be clear, Russia is exporting just fine. It is exporting grain and fertilizer at the same levels, if not higher, than before the full scale invasion (of Ukraine)," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters.

Another key Russian demand is returning access to the SWIFT payment system for the Russian Agricultural Bank, known as Rosselkhozbank, which was cut off by the European Union in June over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

As an alternative the United Nations proposed other banks could help process payments. Reuters has reported that JPMorgan has processed the first payments for the Russian Agricultural Bank and could process dozens more, however Moscow has said this is not a long term fix.

'WEAPONIZING FOOD'

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin, speaking to Russian media in Istanbul, said on Thursday that if Russia's demands remained unresolved, then the Black Sea deal would "cease its existence". He specifically cited SWIFT access.

Some 30 million metric tonnes of grain and foodstuffs has been exported from Ukraine under the deal, including nearly 600,000 metric tonnes of grain in World Food Programme vessels for aid operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Yemen, the United Nations has said.

Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.N. make up a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul, which implements the Black Sea export deal. They authorize and inspect ships. No new vessels have been authorized by the JCC since Thursday.

In an excerpt of a letter seen by Reuters last month, Russia told its JCC counterparts that it will not approve any new vessels to take part in the Black Sea deal unless the transits will be done by May 18 - "the expected date of ... closure."

"This is Russia once again weaponizing food," Thomas-Greenfield said on Thursday. "They're holding vulnerable and hungry people in Africa, the Middle East and around the world hostage."

(Additional reporting by Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv, Ali Kucukgocmen and Huseyin Hayatsever in Ankara; Reuters staff; Writing by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Frances Kerry and Daniel Wallis)
FILE PHOTO: Lithium producer Livent Corp's processing plant is seen in Belmont, Gaston County, North Carolina, U.S. July 15, 2021. Picture taken July 15, 2021. REUTERS/Ernest Scheyder/File Photo

By Melanie Burton

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Shares in Australian-listed lithium miners jumped on Thursday after a $10.6 billion merger in the sector raised expectations for more consolidation among producers of the key metal in electric vehicle batteries.

The tie up between Allkem Ltd and Livent announced on Wednesday will create the world's third-biggest producer of lithium for which demand is expected to soar more than five-fold by 2030 amid the energy transition.

Consolidating disparate lithium producers may lead to smoother supply chains for carmakers such as Tesla Inc., General Motors and BMW that are increasingly hungry to secure supplies.

Allkem shares rallied as much as 18.6%, while Livent gained 5.2% in New York overnight, leading a strong sector advance that saw Australias biggest independent lithium producer Pilbara Minerals rise as much as 8%.

Developer Lake Resources, which specialises in the same type of lithium extraction technology in Argentina as Livent, rallied 13%. Others including Liontown, Core Lithium and Sayona Mining were up between 2%-5% after rallying earlier.

Miners flush with cash after last year's surge in commodity prices have been driving deals in Australia's resources sector. Lithium producers in particular have been printing money over the past two years as prices rose six-fold before falling sharply earlier in 2023.

"We saw the lithium price remain not far from record highs for some time which means producers are reasonably cashed up," said David Lennox of private wealth manager Fat Prophets, which holds Allkem shares.

"There will probably be a few more takeovers in the sector. Given the demand expectations, everyone wants to get on board."

BROADER OFFERINGS

Large cash reserves mean miners are well capitalised for heavy spending on expansion projects such as chemical conversion facilities with leftovers for dividends or takeovers, said RBC analyst Kaan Peker in Sydney.

"M&A is set to continue" in the sector, Peker said, adding that miners that expand in size and scale could provide broader offerings to their customers and secure market share as well as rein in costs.

Allkem CEO Martin Perez de Solay cited the broader range of lithium products it would be able to offer key customers such as Toyota, which also holds 6.16% of Allkem shares through its trading unit, as a key rationale for merging with Livent.

He said in an interview that Toyota is "quite positive" on the deal.

"We are all looking forward jointly with them on a larger and deeper business relationship with the Toyota group," he said.

Toyota Tsusho Corp, the trading entity that holds Allkem shares, said the merger would expand growth options for Allkem in an email to Reuters.

There will be no changes to the policy of the merged company and Toyota Tsusho in the efforts to secure lithium going forward, the Japanese trading company added.

Toyota's lithium demand is set to increase as the company forecast this week that its battery electric vehicle sales would grow five-fold in the year to March 2024.

Historically, original equipment makers (OEMS) like automakers have shied from taking upstream risk in miners because it's not their core competency, but they can't be counted out as buyers in this round of M&A, RBC's Peker said.

"The tightness in the feedstock market is definitely a concern for them. If one breaks rank it's possible that OEMS do acquire upstream assets, something a bit more meaningful than small company stakes, with significant offtake where they can control their destiny," he said.

Volkswagen said in March it plans to invest in mines to bring down the cost of battery cells, meet half of its own demand and sell to third-party customers.

Takeover approaches in Australia's lithium sector this year include Albemarle's $3.7 billion bid for lithium developer Liontown and Tianqi-Igo's approach for lithium explorer Essential Metals Ltd.

(Reporting by Melanie Burton and Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
UNHCR representative Hanan Hamdan expressed concern about how wars and conflicts in the MENA region are affecting civilians, especially refugees and internally displaced persons.

Hamdan, representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to Egypt and the Arab League since March, told Ahram Online there are over 15 million displaced and stateless persons in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and 117 million worldwide.

Egypt hosts more than 291,000 registered asylum seekers and refugees from 57 countries, the majority of whom come from Syria, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Yemen, and Somalia, she added.

Ahram Online: With the escalation of wars and conflicts in several Arab regions, how is the UNHCR working to ensure safety for displaced refugees?

Hanan Hamdan: The MENA region has witnessed broad levels of safety and protection from refoulement, strengthening registration and determination of refugee status, strengthening legislative frameworks, addressing the risks of statelessness and ensuring security from violence and exploitation, and working to find durable solutions, including increased resettlement efforts.

The commission and the League of Arab States also organise regular meetings and capacity-building sessions at the sectoral, regional, ministerial, and expert levels. These sessions aim to enhance dialogue with stakeholders regarding refugees and provide assistance in developing their policies.

With regard to the situation in Sudan, the commission plays a vital role in managing the file of new arrivals to Egypt from Sudan in cooperation with the Egyptian government and relevant ministries and in joint coordination with United Nations agencies, including the International Organisation for Migration, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the United Nations Women, and the United Nations Population Fund.

More than 64,000 people crossed the border into Egypt, including more than 60,000 Sudanese, most of them are women and children with urgent needs. The UNHCR is also working to coordinate efforts to assess the situation and the special needs of the new arrivals in order to discuss ways to provide them as soon as possible, through the presence of the UNHCR protection team in Aswan.

The United Nations is delivering and distributing aid by the Egyptian Red Crescent to the arrivals, including water, personal and women's hygiene items, wheelchairs, health assistance, and food.

AO: What are the priorities of Arab countries to enhance refugee protection in the region?

HH: The main priorities are identified in three strategies: the Arab Strategy for the Protection of Refugee Children in the Context of Refugees in the Arab Region, which was launched in 2019; the Arab Strategy for Access to Public Health Services in the Context of Refugee and Displacement in the Arab Region, which was recently adopted; and the Arab Strategy for Protection from Gender-Based Violence in the Context of Refugees and Displacement, especially sexual violence against women and girls, which is currently being prepared.

In 2018, the member states adopted the Arab Declaration on Belonging and Legal Identity, which aims to ensure equal nationality rights between women and men to end statelessness.

The UNHCR works with the Arab League on several axes, including gender-based violence, advocacy, awareness-raising and mobilisation of support, the Global Compact on Refugees and the Comprehensive Response Framework, capacity-building, statelessness and legal identity, public health, child protection, education, and mixed movements.

AO: How are the UNHCR and Egypt cooperating on matters concerning refugees?

HH: Egypt is signatory to various agreements and protocols regulating the work of the UNHCR, and the current period is witnessing many aspects of cooperation with the Egyptian government, including facilitating and accelerating the residence permit procedures for refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt.

Currently, there are 291,000 refugees in Egypt from various countries, the majority come from Syria. The Egyptian authorities have also simplified procedures for refugees and asylum seekers by reducing the number of times an applicant must go to the immigration office from three to two visits and shortened waiting times to receive a residence permit. The UNHCR looks forward to continuing to work alongside the Egyptian government to bring more positive changes to enhance the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.

The UNHCR also appreciates the efforts of the Egyptian government to ensure the protection of refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt, and the Egyptian people welcome refugees as they have done over the years.

The Egyptian government provides public health services to all refugees of various nationalities on an equal footing with Egyptians. The government also provides government education services to refugee children from Yemen, Syria, Sudan, and South Sudan on an equal footing with Egyptian children.

Also, the Egyptian government, represented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, implements many programmes and events for young refugees, and opens the doors of youth clubs to receive refugees. Among the projects implemented by the ministry is the Safe Spaces and Digital Centres project, which aims to provide a safe environment for refugee women and girls and integrate them into Egyptian society.

The projects provide a range of activities such as awareness against gender-based violence, and about reproductive health. In addition to vocational training and social empowerment, we also cooperate with the Ministry of Social Solidarity to enhance the protection of refugee children and refugee women who are survivors of gender-based violence, as well as the economic inclusion of refugees.

AO: What are the commissions most important programmes in this field?

HH: The commission works closely with the Egyptian government, represented by various ministries such as the ministries of foreign affairs, interior, social solidarity, health, population, youth and sports, etc. We also work with various councils such as the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, the National Council for Women and the National Council for Human Rights to ensure that the needs of refugee women and men of different nationalities are met, and that they have access to basic services such as protection, health and education services.

The commission also participates in film festivals, believing in the role of art in spreading awareness and correcting misconceptions. In the coming period, we will work on implementing several awareness-raising and capacity-building programmes with academic entities to reach a larger number of students, especially those interested in asylum and migration studies.

We are also working with donors and some countries to finance refugee programmes, provide support for the host community, increase the number of opportunities available for resettlement to a third country, and facilitate return. Voluntary refugees return to their country.

We give special importance to the role provided by the private sector, as the support provided by this sector injects new energy and vitality into finding responses to the needs of refugees. Some of the leading companies, institutions, and charities in the world and in Egypt are already helping us to maximise our impact and improve our ability to make a difference by providing life-saving assistance and sustainable solutions for millions of refugees and displaced people around the world.

We also focus in particular on programmes for young people between the ages of 15 and 24 who find themselves far from their home countries, and often their families as well, and who may face increased risks, such as exposure to gender-based violence. Many young refugees may also lose access to skills, social circles and the ability to pursue their aspirations and dreams. We also aim to enhance their potential and support them as they resume their lives, providing programmes for skills development, education, psychosocial support, family reunification, and recreational programmes.

AO: How do you assess the situation of refugees in the Arab region in light of their increasing numbers?

HH: Refugees and asylum seekers are in search of a safe haven to escape violence, persecution, war, or disaster in their home countries. With the beginning of 2023, the number of displaced and stateless people had reached more than 15 million people in the MENA region and 117 million worldwide. With this rapid increase, we always strive to ensure that the displaced are able to seek and access protection, meet their basic needs, raise awareness of their issues and provide support to communities.

After the Syrian crisis, the number of refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced persons increased dramatically, the majority of whom fled to surrounding Arab countries. We try to socially and economically integrate refugees of all nationalities into the societies hosting them so that they can build their skills and provide their basic needs. We work with the governments of these countries in order to find a better life opportunity for refugees and asylum seekers.

AO: How well is the region aware of refugee issues? And, what are the glaring examples of misinformation in this regard?

HH: As I indicated, the MENA region has more than 15 million refugees, asylum seekers, forcibly displaced persons, and stateless persons. The Syrian crisis and some wars in the Arab region also affected the countries of the Arab world as a whole. The number of Syrian refugees worldwide is 6.8 million, or 27 percent of the worlds refugees. A large percentage of them live in the Arab region. The same goes for Yemen and Iraq.

Many refugees from these countries, due to wars and conflicts, have fled to neighbouring countries, which has contributed to raising awareness in the region about refugee problems, especially since many Arab countries have opened their borders to receive them.

Unfortunately, there are some misconceptions about refugees and asylum seekers, including that many people do not know the difference between a refugee and an immigrant. The immigrant left his home country by choice, while the refugee was forced to flee his country and cannot return voluntarily.

Also, among the misconceptions is that refugees and asylum seekers are a burden and negatively affect the economy of the country hosting them, despite the existence of many economic studies that prove the opposite, especially when they are given opportunities to access the competitive labour market.

There are many examples of refugees and asylum seekers who are successful in their fields and who defied difficulties and difficult circumstances. Those with whom the UNHCR is always in contact, and among these honourable examples, is the Iraqi Dr Nagham Hassan, winner of the Nansen Refugee Award for the MENA region last year for helping people forcibly displaced.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts after arriving at Aberdeen International Airport in Aberdeen, Scotland, Britain May 1, 2023. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

By Nathan Layne and Tim Reid

(Reuters) -An unrepentant Donald Trump held firm to past grievances at the first televised town hall of the 2024 U.S. presidential election on Wednesday, stressing from the moment he took the stage that he has little intention of mounting a more disciplined campaign for his third White House bid.

In a contentious 70-minute broadcast, Trump drew laughter from a New Hampshire audience when he mocked writer E. Jean Carroll's account of his having sexually abused her, repeated falsehoods about his 2020 election loss, said he would pardon many of his supporters convicted of taking part in a Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and called the CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins a "nasty person."

Responding to questions from Collins and members of the audience at Saint Anselm College, Trump made no effort to offer more moderate positions on issues, which political analysts say is key to broadening his appeal to a wider swath of Republicans.

Asked by Collins whether he would acknowledge that he lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020, the Republican Trump reasserted unfounded claims that the election was rigged against him, brushing aside her attempts to correct the record.

"That was a rigged election," Trump said, adding that anyone who thought otherwise was "stupid."

Trump, the front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination, declined to express regret for the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol when his supporters sought to prevent Congress from ratifying the election result, and he repeated his plan to pardon individuals involved if voters return him to the White House in 2024. Trump and Collins frequently spoke over each other with Collins challenging a number of the former president's false claims.

Stu Rothenberg, a non-partisan political analyst, said Trump's performance was a likely prelude to his 2024 campaign.

"It was classic Trump - it was Donald Trump from 2015 right up until now: the Big Lie, the outrageous style, demeaning individuals, mocking them," said Rothenberg, senior editor at the Inside Elections newsletter. "He hasn't changed, nor will he. It was a glimpse into the next year and a half."

The audience of Republicans and independent voters who plan to vote in the Republican primary were generally very supportive of Trump, giving him a standing ovation when he took the stage. New Hampshire is an early nominating state that could prove critical in Trump's bid to win the November 2024 election.

Some applauded when he described his Jan. 6 speech and the events that led up to the Capitol riot in positive terms.

"I've never spoken to a crowd as large as that, and that was because they thought the election was rigged. They were there with love in their heart. That was unbelievable, and it was a beautiful day," he said.

Responding to Trump's remarks, Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison issued a statement calling Trump a "dangerous, extreme candidate who seeks to undermine democracy." Biden sought to fundraise off the event.

"Do you want four more years of that? If you dont, pitch in to our campaign," Biden wrote on Twitter.

Collins tried to fact-check Trump's assertions in real time, sometimes leading to the two talking over each other as Trump, who usually sticks to conservative media outlets, refused to back down. It was Trump's first appearance on CNN since 2016.

On Tuesday, a federal jury found Trump sexually abused Carroll in a department store dressing room in Manhattan in the 1990s, then harmed her reputation by describing her claims as "a hoax" and "a lie." It said he must pay her $5 million in damages. Trump's lawyer said they would appeal.

"What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up and within minutes, you're playing hanky panky in a dressing room?" Trump said, one of many disparaging comments about Carroll that elicited applause and laughter. He called her a "wack job."

After Tuesday's verdict, Carroll issued a statement saying: "Today, the world finally knows the truth ... This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed."

Trump stood by his remarks in a 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape in which he bragged about grabbing women by the genitals, suggesting stars could have their way with them. The comments were used against Trump at trial.

"And you would like me to take that back. I can't take it back because it happens to be true. I said, it's been true for 1 million years, approximately a million years, perhaps a little bit longer than that," Trump said. "I'm not referring to myself, I'm saying people that are famous, people that are stars."

(Reporting by Nathan Layne and Tim Reid; Additional reporting by Eric Beech and Daniel Trotta; Editing by Ross Colvin and Howard Goller)
FILE PHOTO: Joseph Percoco (L), former aid to New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, walks out of the Manhattan Federal Courthouse in New York, September 22, 2016. REUTERS/Bria Webb/File Photo

By Nate Raymond and Andrew Chung

(Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the bribery conviction of Joseph Percoco, an ex-aide to Democratic former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, in a ruling that further limits the ability of federal prosecutors to pursue corruption cases.

The justices ruled 9-0 in favor of Joseph Percoco, Cuomo's former executive deputy secretary who was charged in 2016 as part of a corruption crackdown by federal prosecutors in Manhattan centered on the halls of the state capital of Albany.

In Percoco's case, the jury was required "to determine whether he had a 'special relationship' with the government and had 'dominated and controlled' government business," conservative Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the court's opinion. "We conclude that this is not the proper test for determining whether a private person may be convicted of honest-services fraud, and we therefore reverse and remand for further proceedings."

Percoco was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to six years in prison for seeking $315,000 in bribes in exchange for helping two corporate clients of Albany lobbyist Todd Howe seeking state benefits and business.

Thursday's ruling represented the latest in recent years in which the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has limited prosecutors in political corruption cases. In 2020, it overturned the convictions of two aides to Republican former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in the "Bridgegate" political scandal. In 2016, it threw out Republican former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell's bribery conviction.

The Supreme Court heard arguments in November in the case involving Percoco and a related one involving former construction company executive Louis Ciminelli. The justices also unanimously overturned Ciminelli's conviction on Thursday.

Percoco's attorney, Yaakov Roth, said he was "gratified" with the court's decision, calling the prosecution an abuse of the federal fraud statutes that "blurred the fundamental line between private citizens and public officials."

The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment.

Percoco was convicted alongside an executive at a real estate developer, Steven Aiello, who prosecutors said orchestrated bribes to Percoco. Howe pleaded guilty and cooperated with investigators. Prosecutors said Percoco referred to the payments as "ziti," a type of pasta that became a term for money by characters in "The Sopranos" mobster TV series.

At the time of the actions at issue, Percoco was no longer serving in government as Cuomo's aide but instead managing the governor's 2014 re-election campaign, a fact his lawyers said meant he could not be convicted of bribery.

Defense lawyers argued that Percoco's status as a private citizen meant that his acceptance of money to convince the government to do something indicated he was not a criminal but a lobbyist who was free to be paid for his influence.

The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2021 upheld his conviction, finding Percoco had a guaranteed job in Cuomo's administration post-election and in the interim exercised enough influence over government decision-making to owe a duty to the public.

The charges against Percoco and Ciminelli were pursued by former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, an appointee of President Barack Obama. Bharara also brought corruption cases against top state lawmakers including former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Cuomo was not charged but resigned in 2021 in an unrelated sexual harassment scandal.

The case involving Ciminelli focused on Howe's role as a consultant hired to help administer Cuomo's $1 billion revitalization initiative for the Buffalo, New York, area - dubbed the "Buffalo Billion."

Prosecutors said executives at two companies including Ciminelli conspired with Howe and Alain Kaloyeros, who oversaw the project's grant application process, to rig bids to ensure contracts went to their firms.

Ciminelli was convicted alongside Kaloyeros, the former president of State University of New York's Polytechnic Institute, and developers Joseph Gerardi and Aiello. They also have asked the Supreme Court to reverse their convictions.

Ciminelli's lawyers argued that prosecutors relied on an invalid legal theory of wire fraud that involved depriving a victim not of tangible property but of economically valuable information.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Additional reporting by Andrew Chung in New York and John Kruzel in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham)
FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (not pictured), amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine May 9, 2023. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to meet Pope Francis in the Vatican on Saturday, diplomatic sources said on Thursday, days after the pope said the Holy See was involved in a peace mission to try to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

The planned trip has not been officially announced. Pope Francis has given no further information about the peace initiative.

There was no immediate comment from the Kyiv government on reports of the possible trip. Zelenskiy's office never releases details of his travel plans ahead of time for security reasons.

An Italian political source confirmed that Zelenskiy might be in Rome at the weekend and said if that was the case, he would also see Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is a staunch defender of Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February 2022.

News of the planned visit was first reported by Italy's Ansa news agency. It said Zelenskiy was also expected to travel to Germany this weekend.

Since the invasion, the pope has pleaded for peace practically on a weekly basis, and has repeatedly expressed a wish to act as a broker between Kyiv and Moscow. His offer has so far failed to produce any breakthrough.

Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met the pope last month and said he had discussed a "peace formula" put forward by Zelenskiy. He said he had also invited the pontiff to visit Kyiv.

Pope Francis, 86, has said previously that he wants to visit both Kyiv and Moscow on a peace mission.

Tens of thousands have been killed, millions uprooted and whole cities have been flattened during the war in Ukraine.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella, additional reporting by Angelo Amante in Rome and Tom Balmforth in Kyiv; Writing by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Grant McCool)
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is seen in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 30, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

By Blake Brittain

(Reuters) - U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman of the Federal Circuit sued the appeals court's chief judge and others in Washington federal court on Wednesday, seeking to block their investigation into her fitness to hold office.

Newman, who is 95, said in her complaint that the probe violated her constitutional rights, and she denied that there were legitimate concerns about her mental and physical capacity.

The judge asked the district court to halt or transfer the investigation.

An attorney for Newman said the complaint "speaks for itself." Representatives for the Washington D.C.-based Federal Circuit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Newman, a leading intellectual property law jurist, was appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1984 to the patent law-focused Federal Circuit, which often hears major cases involving technology and pharmaceutical companies.

An order by Federal Circuit Chief Judge Kimberly Moore that was made public last month said a three-judge committee had determined that Newman may "suffer a disability that interferes with her ability to perform the responsibilities of her office," and that she had refused a medical evaluation.

Newman's lawsuit claimed that the orders justifying the probe were "riddled with errors," describing as false an assertion that she was hospitalized after having a heart attack in 2021.

She said that she served on more appeals panels than most of her colleagues and issued at least eight opinions that summer, and that her productivity has not dropped over the past three years.

The complaint said the committee investigating her gave her only a few days to comply with requests for mental evaluations and her private medical records, which she called a "baseless invasion" of her privacy.

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Editing by David Bario & Simon Cameron-Moore)
FILE PHOTO: A portion of the Cheniere Texas LNG facility is seen from a playground near a residential neighborhood in Portland, Texas, U.S., June 13, 2022. Picture taken June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare

By Curtis Williams

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy's refusal to grant export permit extensions to liquefied natural gas (LNG) developers that fail to meet a construction deadline poses a new hurdle for greenfield plants, analysts said on Thursday.

The DOE last month said it would grant future extensions solely on extenuating circumstances and rejected an extension for Energy Transfer's proposed Lake Charles LNG project.

The change will fall heavily on firms without a track record and available financing, analysts said.

Around a dozen LNG projects in the U.S. and Mexico that would process more than 20 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of exports now face difficulties moving forward because of the change, according to an analysis from consultants Rapidan Energy Group.

Without extensions to obtain non-Free Trade Agreement permits, financing for new entrants could dry up, and "for many of these projects, it looks like 'game over,'" said Alex Munton, Rapidan's Global Gas Service director.

Glenfarne Group, which has two plants - Texas LNG and Magnolia LNG - on Rapidan's list of at-risk projects, said it is confident the DOE ultimately will provide extensions.

"Both projects represent exactly the type of forward-thinking environmentally sensitive model the DOE wants for U.S. gas exports in any form, a Glenfarne spokesperson said.

Energy Transfer appealed the rejection of its permit extension, but has had one customer considering whether to go elsewhere, co-CEO Marshall McCrea told analysts this month.

However, the decision was welcomed by firms with established customers and operations.

Cheniere Energy Inc and Venture Global LNG, which have been able to regularly build new plants, praised the decision.

"Fully commercialized LNG projects, including Chenieres, have been constructed and have commenced exports within the seven-year deadline," a Cheniere spokesperson noted.

"We view this development as favorable to Venture Global, given our typical construction schedule, said Shaylyn Hynes, a spokeswoman for Venture Global LNG, which has consistently beat the seven-year window.

(Reporting by Curtis Williams; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
About 35 airmen have signed up for an additional year in Turkey since the Air Force approved a tax-free bonus of $1,000 per month, making it the most generous noncombat assignment pay in the service.

The Air Force bumped up the incentive pay at the end of last year from $300 a month added to the paychecks of airmen based primarily at Incirlik Air Base on one-year unaccompanied tours.

For years, Incirlik has been low on airmens wish lists, largely because of the heavy restrictions on leaving the base and on bringing families.

In 2016, the Pentagon ordered nearly 700 military family members to leave Incirlik and two smaller bases because of deteriorating security.

But the Air Force began letting personnel into a roughly 10-block area outside the base in Adana, a city of about 1.8 million, just before the devastating earthquakes that struck southern Turkey and Syria in February, killing about 50,000 people.

Access to those 10 blocks was restricted after the earthquakes but has since been reinstated. Airmen also can visit select locations outside the base and throughout Turkey at their leisure or through base tours, 39th Air Base Wing officials said.

Some areas in Adana and elsewhere remain off-limits because of security concerns and earthquake damage.

Air Force 2nd Lt. Devon Canterbury signed up for the incentive pay before moving to Incirlik this spring, his first assignment out of technical school.

More time in one place, he figures, will give him a better foundation as he begins his Air Force career and will allow more time to travel.

Canterbury, the officer-in-charge of the cyberoperations radio section for the 39th Communications Squadron, opted to extend before the natural disaster struck but doesnt regret his decision.

The earthquakes made me worry a bit, but when my sponsor told me that the base and nearby areas did not undergo any major damages, I felt safe in my decision, he said.

While the quakes toppled poorly constructed high-rise buildings in the city, Incirlik was largely spared.

Taking the incentive pay can be a gamble since theres little time to test the waters. Airmen are eligible to enroll before moving to Turkey or within 60 days of arriving. A waiver is required to sign up outside of that window.

The higher incentive pay is in effect until Dec. 31 of this year and will be reviewed annually, base officials at Incirlik said. Its available to all ranks at all locations in Turkey.

In 2022, 65 airmen elected to stay in the country for another year for the extra $300 a month. Incirlik has more than 1,500 personnel assigned, with more than 200 currently within the eligibility window for incentive pay, military personnel flight officials said.

If an airman receiving incentive pay ends a tour early, the Air Force will review on a case-by-case basis whether to require the money to be returned. Airmen who leave because of humanitarian, family or expedited transfer reasons arent liable for repayment.

Canterbury, 24 and single, said he plans to save some pay and use some to travel to Europe and back to the U.S. to visit family and friends.

The base is pretty lively, (and) there is always something to get into, such as karaoke, trivia night, bingo and Turkish language and cultural classes, he said.

Everybody is friendly and willing to help you with whatever you need, he said.
FORT MOORE, Ga.  The Armys home of infantry and armor training is now Fort Moore.

Army officials gathered at the Georgia training post to mark the official name change from Fort Benning  a moniker that the installation had held since its founding as Camp Benning in 1918  to Fort Moore, in honor of Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife Julia Moore. The name change comes as the Pentagon, mandated by Congress, works to rid its installations of names and items honoring those who served the Confederacy.

Lt. Gen. Hal and Julia Moore were courageous leaders and visionaries whose lives exemplified duty, honor and country, and each time we pass through the gates [of Fort Moore] their legacy will inspire us, said Maj. Gen. Curtis Buzzard, the top commander of Fort Moore and its Maneuver Center of Excellence. The home of the infantry and armor forces will now be named after two people who not only embodied but demonstrated the Army values  one on the battlefield, [and] the other on the home front.

Fort Moore is a name our soldiers and our mission deserve because when recruits sign on to be all you can be in the Army, they come here to be more.

Against an overcast sky on Thursday morning, Army Col. Colin Mahle, Fort Moores garrison commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Sanchez, its garrison senior enlisted leader, slowly unfurled the installations new cream-colored Fort Moore flag to applause from the packed Doughboy Stadium where the Army gathered to celebrate the new name. The Moores spent portions of Hals military career at Fort Benning, where they are buried in the post cemetery. They were chosen for the honor as a husband-and-wife unit to honor the importance of the Army family, according to the panel that selected new names for Fort Benning and eight other Army installations in the South.

The Moores children  Greg Moore, Steve Moore, Cecile Moore Rainey, Dave Moore and Julie Moore Orlowski  led the push to rename Fort Benning for their parents after the Pentagons Naming Commission sought public input into the process. All the Moore children attended the ceremony Thursday.

Steve Moore is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., like his father and said it was difficult to find the words to describe his feelings as he looked at a giant banner bearing his parents picture with the words Fort Moore above them.

This has been a 2-year effort to get here, and I just can't believe that we're looking at that placard up there with Mom and Dad's picture and their names, said Moore, who was born on Fort Benning. This is humbling, but thats not even an adequate word. I just cant believe were here.

The Moore family  more than 60 of whom attended the ceremony  gathered with old friends before and after the ceremony. Among them were nearly a dozen men who served under their fathers command in Vietnam.

It was in Vietnam that Hal Moore first rose to national prominence, commanding the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment at LZ XRay in November 1965 at the opening of the Battle of Ia Drang, the first major U.S. battle of the Vietnam War. Americans at home watched news reports from the battlefield as Hal Moores troopers faced an attack from a much larger enemy force. Then a lieutenant colonel, Hal Moore steadily commanded his troops and fought off the attack, leading from the front, said Tony Nadal, a retired Army colonel who was a company commander under Moore in that battle. Moore received the Distinguished Service Cross  the second-highest honor for battlefield heroics  for his actions at LZ XRay.

If you have to go to war, you want to go to war with the best  and I did, Nadal said of Moore during the ceremony. He was the greatest soldier I ever served with.

Hal Moore, who also served in Korea, would later attain three stars and serve as the Armys personnel chief. He is credited with taking multiple actions to ensure soldiers had equal opportunities in the service regardless of their race, ethnicity or religion. After retiring, he wrote the bestselling novel We Were Soldiers Once  And Young with war correspondent Joe Galloway, who was at Ia Drang as a journalist. The book was turned into a movie, We Were Soldiers, with Mel Gibson portraying Hal Moore.

Meanwhile, Julia Moore worked at home to raise her children and care for other military spouses  especially those whose husbands were killed in action. After learning that wives were being informed of their husbands deaths by telegrams delivered by cab drivers, Julia Moore worked to ensure the Army sent uniformed soldiers to conduct casualty notifications, according to the Army. She also helped establish Army Community Services and worked with the Red Cross.

Her children described Julia Moore as a go-getter who would support her children through anything  including the familys 28 moves during Hal Moores Army career.

She was so adaptable, said Cecile Moore-Rainey, the Moores daughter. She was so full of enthusiasm, and as much as she was doing and as difficult at times as it was as kids, moving constantly [and] meeting new people, we never really saw her as not being available.

Officials at Fort Moore on Thursday chose to focus on the future, with no official mention during the ceremony of the reason for the change  Henry Bennings ties to the Confederacy. Benning, for whom the post was named when it was established during World War I, was a local resident who worked as a lawyer and a judge before joining the Confederate army and rising to general. A slave owner, Benning never served in the U.S. Army and worked, even after the Civil War, to promote racial segregation and white supremacy, according to historians.

Gen. Gary Brito, the commander of Army Training and Doctrine Command who attended the ceremony, said he had no message to those who voiced disagreement with changing the names of Fort Benning and other bases.

Today's ceremony does truly exemplify the character of Gen. Moore, and I think connected that to the long historic mission of Fort Benning  now Fort Moore  and what it has done to train soldiers over the decades, said Brito, who has spent some nine years of his career at Fort Benning, including as its commander from 2018 to 2020. I think it is an appropriate recognition.

Fort Moore is one of nine Army posts changing names.

Fort Pickett, Va., Fort Rucker, Ala., Fort Lee, Va., and Fort Hood, Texas, have been renamed Fort Barfoot, Fort Novosel, Fort Gregg-Adams and Fort Cavazos, respectively.

Fort Bragg, N.C., is scheduled to become Fort Liberty on June 2, and Fort Polk, La., will become Fort Johnson on June 13. Dates have yet to be set for name changes at Fort Gordon, Ga., and Fort A.P. Hill, Va.

The service-wide effort is expected to cost some $62.5 million, according to a Defense Department report. Fort Moores change was expected to cost some $5 million, but officials at the installation have said that is not a final price tag.

On Thursday, as officials marked the name change at Doughboy Stadium, Fort Moore Department of Public Works officials scoured the post to change out as many signs bearing the name Benning as possible. But, by the afternoon, plenty of reminders of the installations long held name remained, including road signs and street names not controlled by the military. Those items could change in the future, but no final decisions had yet been made, said a spokeswoman for the city of Columbus, just outside Fort Moores gates.

While Fort Benning might now be Fort Moore, after the ceremony it was back to business as usual at the more than 182,000-acre installation that trains some 20,000 soldiers each week, Buzzard said.

We're at the epicenter of winning at the Maneuver Center of Excellence, the general said. This is exactly what we do. Our name may be changing, but our mission is not. We will continue to train soldiers and leaders to fight and win in the crucible of ground combat.
SAN DIEGO  Rescues crews have suspended their search for three people who were aboard a Learjet that plunged into the Pacific Ocean about a mile from a Navy-owned island off the coast of San Diego, U.S. officials said Thursday.

The U.S. Coast Guard said its crews along with U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Customs and Border Protection all searched a combined 334 square miles in the vicinity Wednesday after the Phoenix Air Learjet went down that morning off San Clemente Island.

The aircraft was used by a Navy contractor who departed from the Ventura County area, said Drew Verbis, spokesperson for Naval Base Ventura County on the coast northwest of Los Angeles.

He had no other immediate details, and identities of those aboard have not been released.
Three U.S. Marines are being credited with saving the life of a restaurant patron in Estonia over the weekend who was unconscious and not breathing.

Lance Cpl. Colton Allen, Lance Cpl. Christopher Butemeyer and Lance Cpl. Aiden Morey were dining in the capital Tallinn on Sunday when they noticed an unconscious man in a nearby booth, Task Force 61/2 said in a statement Wednesday.

The three are assigned to a reconnaissance company that has been training Estonian allies for more than a month. The task force is deployed to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.

Seeing that the mans lips were blue and his skin also was beginning to turn color, Allen and Butemeyer cleared his airway while Morey called emergency services, the statement said.

I felt confident in our abilities to do the job, Butemeyer said in the statement. We all knew what needed to be done and we all did our own individual tasks to help.

While Butemeyer rubbed the mans sternum to force him into consciousness, Allen monitored his pulse.

He still didnt awaken, so the Marines moved him to the floor, placed him on his side and kept his airway clear until professional help arrived, the statement said.

Medical workers later helped the man regain consciousness. They said that without the intervention of the Marines, he would have suffocated, according to the statement.

It feels good and surprising that we showed up at the right time and the right place, Morey said.
Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed a fourth Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander on Thursday, raising the death toll from the latest burst of fighting to 25.

Israel braced for more rocket fire amid reports of faltering attempts to broker a cease-fire.

It has been the worst bout of fighting between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza in months, and among the dead were also women and children. The conflagration comes at a time of soaring tensions and spiking violence over the past year in the West Bank.

Early on Thursday, the Israeli military carried out strikes against the Islamic Jihad group and said a senior commander in charge of the group's rocket launching force, Ali Ghali, was killed when his apartment was hit.

According to Palestinian media reports, the strikes targeted the last floor of a building at a residential, Qatari-built complex in southern Gaza Strip, killing at least two people, including the commander. The Health Ministry in Gaza said 25 people had been killed since the fighting erupted.

Following intense fighting on Wednesday, when rockets rained down on southern and central Israel and airstrikes pounded Gaza, a state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt, a frequent mediator between the sides, had brokered a cease-fire. But with the violence continuing into the early hours of Thursday, it appeared neither side was backing down.

The Israeli military says that in its strikes it has zeroed in on militants with what it says are precision strikes, but children, among them a 4-year-old, were also killed. Military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told Israeli Army Radio Thursday that a quarter of the rockets launched during this round of fighting fell in Gaza, killing at least four, including a 10-year-old girl

In a prime-time TV address on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had dealt a harsh blow to the palestinian groups. But he cautioned: "This round is not over.

We say to the terrorists and those who send them. We see you everywhere. You can't hide, and we choose the place and time to strike you, he said, adding that Israel would also decide when calm is restored.

Israel launched strikes early Tuesday against top Islamic Jihad commanders, killing three and setting off a burst of rocket fire on Wednesday that set off air-raid sirens throughout southern and central Israel. Damage was reported when rockets slammed into buildings that were empty because residents had fled the area. Israeli officials said some 400 rockets were fired toward Israel. Most, they said, were intercepted or fell in open areas.

It was the heaviest fighting between the sides in months, pushing the region closer toward a full-blown war. But in signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas group, targeting only the smaller and more Islamic Jihad faction. Hamas, meanwhile, appeared to remain on the sidelines.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the Islamic group took control of Gaza in 2007.

Late Wednesday, Egypt's Extra News television channel, said the Egyptian intelligence had brokered a cease-fire. Israeli officials confirmed that Egypt was trying to facilitate a cease-fire. Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes diplomacy, they said Israel would evaluate the situation based on actions on the ground, not declarations.

Islamic Jihad said it would continue firing rockets. Mohamad al-Hindi, an official with the group, said a sticking point in the talks was that the Palestinians wanted an Israeli commitment to stop targeted killing operations, such as the ones that killed three top Islamic Jihad commanders early Tuesday.

As rockets streaked through the sky, Israeli TV stations showed air defense systems intercepting rockets above the skies of Tel Aviv. In the nearby suburb of Ramat Gan, people lay face-down on the ground as they took cover.

The army said that schools would remain closed and restrictions on large gatherings would remain in place in southern Israel until at least Friday. Residents were instructed to stay near bomb shelters.

Israel has come under international criticism for the high civilian toll Tuesday, which included wives of two of the armed commanders, some of their children and a dentist who lived in one of the targeted buildings along with his wife and son.

In past conflicts, rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes due to high civilian deaths.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


(Tribune News Service)  U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific hosted a delegation from the Royal Thai Marine Corps on Oahu on Monday and Tuesday for the first Marine-to-Marine Future Engagement Planning meetings between the United States and Thailand.

The meeting took place as the United States and China compete for influence in Southeast Asia, and as the Marine Corps seeks to assert itself as a major player in U.S. strategy in the region. In a news release, the Marines' top officer in the Pacific, Lt. Gen. William Jurney, said "our goal is more than just training and doing things together; we must be ready to respond to a variety of contingencies."

Thailand is the United States' oldest treaty ally in Asia and this year marks the 190th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

In March, militaries from both countries teamed up for the 42nd annual Cobra Gold military exercise in Thailand  the largest iteration of the exercise in recent years.

Concerns about COVID-19 led to significantly scaled back exercises. In 2022, the United States sent less than 1,300 troops to Cobra Gold, which drew a total of less than 3,500 participants. This year it included more than 7,000 service members from 30 countries, including the United States, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, India and Australia. A small detachment of Chinese troops also joined the exercise for the humanitarian aid portion.

The Marine Corps is stepping up meetings with regional countries in the Pacific and Asia as it seeks to reorganize its forces and refocus its priorities after years of drawn-out counterinsurgency battles in the Middle East. Service brass envision Marines returning to their naval roots conducting the sorts of "island hopping" missions they did during World War II, but with a 21st-century twist.

Service leaders picture relatively small groups of Marines operating spread out across islands and the ocean and setting up missile batteries to sink enemy ships, while using drones and other technologies to support their operations. They also say they hope that a more agile and mobile Marine Corps can more quickly respond to humanitarian crises in the region as climate change and rising seas make natural disasters more common.

In pursuing the new strategy, Marine Corps leaders are looking to bolster alliances and partnerships with regional countries so that their Marines can partner with foreign troops, as well as access their bases.

The Marine Corps makeover is largely tailored for operations in the Western Pacific, where China has been embroiled in a series of disputes with neighboring countries over territorial and navigation rights in the South China Sea, a critical waterway that more than a third of all international trade moves through. Beijing considers the entire sea its exclusive territory and has built bases on disputed islands and reefs to assert its claims.

China has sought to invest heavily in Southeast Asia as part of its Belt and Road Initiative  sometimes called the "new Silk Road"  with some Chinese officials and business leaders having ambitious goals for Thailand in particular. They have been pushing hard for the construction of the Kra Canal  potentially the largest canal in southeast Asia  which would be built with Chinese money and give Chinese merchant and military vessels a shortcut to the Indian Ocean.

China, along with many other countries in Asia and the Pacific, imports oil from Africa and the Middle East that often makes its way through the Strait of Malacca. The canal would allow tankers to move straight through Thailand between the Indian and Pacific oceans.

But some analysts are concerned Beijing would use the canal to exert control over maritime movements and trade in the region. In 2018, a senior Indian navy official told Indian English-language newspaper the Business Standard that "in theory, the Kra Canal could benefit India and the region by taking pressure off the overcrowded Malacca Straits. In practice, there's reason to worry about what Chinese involvement in this project will mean for the balance of power in the Indian Ocean."

In January 2020, the Thai government formed a parliamentary committee to study the feasibility of the canal project. The committee submitted its report to the Thai House for debate last year, where lawmakers ultimately concluded it wasn't feasible. But some analysts contend Chinese officials continue to try to leverage connections with members of the Thai military establishment and business community in hopes of keeping the proposed project alive.

As COVID-19 restrictions wind down around the world, the U.S. military is stepping up face-to-face talks with its regional counterparts in hopes of strengthening their own personal ties. In the Marine Corps news release, officials said they plan for the meeting at Camp Smith to become an annual event. Jurney said "we want to work together in the bonds of friendship to strengthen our readiness."

(c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Visit at www.staradvertiser.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, March 31, 2003: This Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, was assigned to the 91st Bomb Group during World War II, and was based in England. It was named by the crew after a popular 1944 song by the Andrew Sisters.

The crew and the plane were listed as missing in action on May 29, 1944, when they were forced to land in Sweden when the plane suffered mechanical failure during a bombing mission to Poland. In a deal with the U.S. government, the Swedish government  neutral during WWII  repatriated the crew (as well as crews from seven other bombers forced to divert that day), but kept the aircraft. Tracked down decades later by a military historian, the remains of the Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby were donated to the U.S. Air Force in 1972 and restored.

The bomber is currently in storage at the National USAF Museum awaiting transfer to the Smithsonians Air and Space Museum.
Hotel Silber looks like other buildings in downtown Stuttgart that managed to escape complete destruction during the allied bombing campaign in World War II.

The century-plus-old structure at Karlsplatz is in an area home to swanky shops, boutiques and plenty of foot traffic. Its easy to stroll past the building and be unaware of its history.

But on city streets in Germany, reminders of its Nazi past are always around, often in plain sight.

Whether its the small brass plaques embedded in sidewalks dedicated to the millions of victims of the Nazi regime or memorials in parks that once served as deportation hubs, history has a way of rushing back.

Such is the case with Hotel Silber, the Gestapos regional headquarters, where secret police launched their investigations into political opponents, Jews, gay people and anyone else deemed unacceptable.

The building functioned as a hotel from around 1875 until 1919 and was partly damaged during WWII bombing. It was almost erased from memory as part of recent redevelopment plans for the area.

But in 2008, an initiative by residents formed to prevent the building from being bulldozed. Having walked past it countless times, I finally decided to look inside.

Entrance to the museum is free. The exhibit deals with the history of the Gestapo in Stuttgart and has a variety of original documents, such as death warrants of political enemies, photos from the period and background on how the secret police was organized.

The most attention-grabbing relic is a scratched-up steel cell door from the time, which has names and dates carved into it by people who were imprisoned at the site.

One of the more notable figures to spend time locked up was Hans Scholl, who along with his sister Sophie was part of the White Rose resistance movement. The siblings were executed by the Nazis in 1943 in Munich for treason.

The museum, unfortunately, doesnt have displays in English, but an English audio guide helps visitors make sense of what they are seeing. It doesnt offer a wide-ranging look at the Nazis during WWII but is instead focused on the role the local Gestapo had in targeting the regimes enemies.

The exhibit is quite small and takes only about 30 minutes to walk through. Still, I found my visit to be a worthwhile reminder of past atrocities that seem so unthinkable in Germany today.

Hotel Silber

Address: 10 Dorotheenstrasse, Stuttgart

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Cost: Free

Information: Phone: 0711 2124040; Online: geschichtsort-hotel-silber.de
At 774 feet tall, the Namsan Seoul Tower is one of Asias tallest structures and one of the citys most famous landmarks.

Officially called YTN Seoul Tower, this iconic structure on Nam mountain is the second-highest spot in the South Korean capital. It comes with restaurants, shops and a view that makes it seem like youre on top of the world.

Opened in 1980 as a broadcast tower, Namsan Seoul Tower has become one of Koreas most famous tourist attractions.

The tower is known for its organic electroluminescent diode, or OLED, displays on the first, second and fourth floors. Unlike light-emitting diodes, OLED displays work by passing an electric current through an organic compound that emits light in response. The five kinds of OLED displays include a panorama tunnel and a 3D video world that will leave any art-lover and tech-geek speechless.

For another type of electric response, take the one you love to the Proposal Staircase, one of the most inspiring areas in the tower and, if youre into that kind of thing, an opportune spot to declare your intentions before heading to the Bridge of Love that connects Level 2 and Level 3. There you may purchase a Love Lock at the souvenir shop, write a note on it and attach it almost anywhere on the tower.

At Linlin Land on the towers first floor, visitors will find life-size figurines of the worlds endangered species like Capuchin monkeys, lemurs and red squirrels. Continue to the fourth floor and youll find Yoohoo Land, with the same conservation-minded characters, but in greater numbers and more animated.

The crowning Namsan experience is on the top floor, where visitors will find a 360-degree view of the entire city. The main observation deck truly gives you an exceptional experience, so be sure not to miss it. This floor features high-powered telescopes for close-up views of the city, and each window panel lets you know which major world city you are facing.

Weekdays are best to visit Namsan Seoul Tower to avoid the crowds. Set aside three to four hours to make the most of all the attractions.

There are five ways to reach Namsan Seoul Tower: cable car (my personal favorite); shuttle bus; Seoul city tour bus; taxi or private car service. Whatever mode of transportation you use youll have an amazing time.

Directions: The Namsan cable car station is at 83 Sopa-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

Times: Noon to 10 p.m., weekdays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., weekends

Costs: Adults 16,000 won, or $12.14; children 12,000 won, or $9.10

Food: There are numerous food vendors.

Information: Online: nseoultower.co.kr/eng
CAPE TOWN, South Africa  The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine via a cargo ship linked to a sanctioned company that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town in December.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation into the visit by a Russian vessel named Lady R to his nation's main naval base was already underway behind the scenes with the help of U.S. intelligence services before Ambassador Reuben Brigety went public at a news conference in the South African capital, Pretoria, that the cargo was weapons and ammunition.

Brigety said the U.S. was certain that military equipment was loaded onto the Lady R at the Simon's Town naval base between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 and then transported to Russia. He said it brought into question South Africa's supposed neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and its calls for the conflict to end.

"The arming of the Russians is extremely serious and we do not consider this issue to be resolved," Brigety said in comments reported by multiple South African news outlets.

If South Africa is found to be giving Russia military aid, it threatens to fracture the relationship between the United States and a key partner in Africa. Despite South Africa's neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, the Biden Administration was hoping it could still be a key buffer against growing Russian and Chinese influence on the continent.

While Ramaphosa's office said in a statement later Thursday that there was currently "no evidence" to support allegations that arms were loaded onto the Lady R, The Associated Press established that the vessel is tied to a company that was sanctioned last year by the U.S. for being involved in transporting military equipment for the Russian government.

The news of Brigety's comments broke while Ramaphosa was in Cape Town answering questions on other matters in Parliament. When the leader of the political opposition, John Steenhuisen, asked about the weapons and ammunition, the president replied that "the matter is being looked into, and in time we will be able to speak about it."

Ramaphosa declined to comment further, citing the need for the investigation to play out.

Steenhuisen asked the president if South Africa was "actively arming Russian soldiers who are murdering and maiming innocent people?"

Ammunition supplies have become a problem for Russia in the war. The leader of Russian military company Wagner complained last week about his mercenary soldiers in Ukraine allegedly dealing with dire shortages.

Ramaphosa's office acknowledged in its statement that the Lady R docked in South Africa, but did not say when, where or for what reason. The statement also criticized the American ambassador for going public.

Records reviewed by the AP show the Lady R was purchased by a Russian company, Transmorflot LLC, in 2019. In May 2022, the U.S. sanctioned Transmorflot and several vessels it alleges are controlled by the company, including the Lady R, for aiding the Russian war effort. The company then changed its name to MG-Flot LLC, which is also listed as the current owner of the Lady R.

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that another ship owned by MG-Flot, the Rasul Gamzatov, transported artillery shells from Iran to Russia, citing Middle Eastern officials.

The AP has also independently confirmed that the Lady R docked at the Simon's Town naval base during the time frame Brigety cited.

MarineTraffic, a service that collects radio and satellite transponder data from ships, tracked the Lady R off the South African coast in early December, but the signal was lost on Dec. 5. Ships are required by international law to keep their transponders on while at sea. Smugglers often turn them off to hide their movements.

Satellite imagery obtained by AP shows a ship the same length, color and layout as the Lady R docked at the naval base the following day and remained there through Dec. 8. AP also obtained photos of the ship at the naval base, the name Lady R clearly visible on its stern in both English and Russian. The ship set sail Dec. 9 and its transponder signal popped back up on Dec. 10. It returned to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea on Feb. 22.

Steenhuisen's opposition party had previously raised questions over the appearance of a "mystery" Russian vessel in Simon's Town. In late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship was handling an "old order" for ammunition, and arms were offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.

The South African government has stated numerous times it is neutral on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully through diplomacy but recent displays of its closeness to Russia opened Africa's most developed country to accusations that it has effectively taken Russia's side.

South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks in January, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.

Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast. The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navy's flagship vessels. The South African navy took part in the drills and said they would "strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China."

South Africa also faces a diplomatic dilemma over a possible visit this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes involving the abductions of children from Ukraine. Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a meeting of leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

South Africa is a signatory to the international court based in The Hague, Netherlands, and obliged to arrest Putin. The government indicated it would not detain the Russian leader and threatened to leave the ICC instead. Ramaphosa's office released a statement last month backtracking on the threat.

AP Writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this story. AP Global Investigative Reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington.
Tokyo lodged another round of diplomatic protests with Beijing on Thursday over intrusions around Japan-controlled islands in the East China Sea, according to Japans Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The latest incident marked the 13th time this year that Chinese vessels have passed the 12-mile territorial limit around the Senkaku chain, a small but potentially significant flashpoint approximately halfway between Okinawa and mainland China.

Two Chinese coast guard ships passed the 12-mile limit between 2:56 a.m. and 3:32 a.m. Thursday and remained there into the afternoon, a Japan coast guard spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone that day.

Japans Foreign Affairs Ministry lodged complaints Thursday with the Chinese Embassy in Japan and with the Chinese government in Beijing, a ministry spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone that day.

We asked them to leave the area, the spokesman said. Some government officials in Japan are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

The Senkakus  five uninhabited islets and three rocks 105 miles east of Taiwan  are administered by Japan but claimed by China and Taiwan, who refer to them as the Diaoyu and Tiaoyutai, respectively. The area reportedly holds a wealth of natural resources, including fish, oil and natural gas.

The first Chinese coast guard ship passed the territorial limit southeast of Minamikojima, followed by a second vessel south of Uotsurijima, the coast guard spokesman said. Both were trailing Japanese fishing boats.

The Chinese ships were met by a larger contingent of Japanese coast guard vessels, the spokesman said. The Japanese ships positioned themselves between the fishing boats and the Chinese vessels and warned the Chinese by radio and electronic message boards to leave the area.

Chinese ships came within 12 miles of the Senakus 28 times and remained for a total of 37 days in 2022, the spokesman said. The record is 2013, when Chinese vessels entered the territorial limits 52 times and remained there for 54 days.

China is increasingly aggressive in asserting its claims or harassing its neighbors in the East and South China Seas, vital waterways where an estimated $1.2 trillion in global trade passes each year.

In February, Manila accused Beijing of temporarily blinding crew members on a Philippine coast guard vessel with a military-grade laser during a South China Sea resupply mission, Reuters reported on Feb. 13.

On April 23, a Chinese coast guard vessel blocked a Philippine patrol ship near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, 105 nautical miles west of Palawan, the Philippines. The two nearly collided, according to The Associated Press.

The U.S. and Philippine governments in February announced plans to resume later this year joint patrols in the South China Sea that were suspended in 2016.

Vietnam complained in April 2020 after a Chinese maritime surveillance vessel rammed and sank one of its fishing boats with eight crew members aboard near the Paracel Islands, another disputed chain in the South China Sea.

The U.S. Defense Department condemned the incident in a statement April 9. Chinas behavior, the statement said, stands in contrast to the United States' vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, in which all nations, large and small, are secure in their sovereignty, free from coercion, and able to pursue economic growth consistent with accepted international rules and norms.
Group of Seven nations aim to send a signal to China this month by announcing a joint effort to counter "economic coercion," even as they struggle to agree on more than a broad statement of intent.

While member states want to better coordinate their responses to China's economic practices, signing off on tangible measures is proving more complicated, according to people familiar with the discussions. Officials are still wrangling over how tough to be in their messaging to China, particularly on specific tools that could be deployed against it.

The U.S. has advocated for other G-7 nations to take stronger positions on Beijing when leaders meet next week in Hiroshima, the people added, but European countries would prefer to focus on coordination and general warnings against coercive behavior. A White House spokesperson declined to comment.

The debate reflects the dilemma facing the U.S., Europe and China's neighbors like Japan on how to deal with China's growing economic clout when their supply chains remain so interlinked with the world's second-biggest economy. G-7 nations are all dependent in some fashion on Chinese goods in key areas and there is a consensus on the need to test the resilience of supply chains, the people said.

Leaders are likely to hold a private discussion about China in Hiroshima and it will be central to a stand-alone document on economic security as well as talks on trade and foreign policy.

The proposed "platform on economic coercion" would allow G-7 countries to coordinate their actions in areas including trade and investment restrictions, boycotts and threats such as cyberattacks, the people said.

But such a mechanism is unlikely to include an automatic response to hostile economic actions, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. European members in particular oppose the idea of preordained countermeasures.

What joint action might be possible will depend on individual circumstance, the people said. They added there's a spectrum of measures China has taken, ranging from targeting specific companies to enacting total trade boycotts.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin blasted the G-7 as a "small clique that puts the U.S. first," at a briefing in Beijing on Thursday. "The international rules that the G-7 talks about are Western rules," he said. "Such rules serve only the interests of the G-7 and a few others rather than the common interests of the world."

Despite the pre-summit wrinkles, the U.S. and Europe do show signs of moving closer to each other on their China policies. The U.S. language appears to be shifting, as officials start to adopt the phraseology of "de-risking" without "decoupling" that European officials now use. That's in part a nod to the European caution and to show the U.S. recognizes the complexities involved in formulating policy across multiple countries, the people said.

At the same time, the European Union position on China has hardened since the Covid pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine exposed risky supply chain dependencies, with the bloc looking to mitigate those risks as well as put limits on several exports that could be used for military purposes.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this week accused China of increasingly acting as a rival and competitor. He said European nations should not aim for an immediate decoupling from China, but implement a "smart de-risking." And Italy has signaled to the U.S. that it intends to pull out of a controversial investment pact with China before the end of the year.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Tuesday he was concerned with even the notion of de-risking. Speaking at a briefing with German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, he said it could equate to "de-Sinicization," according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

President Joe Biden plans to limit investment in China's economy by American businesses, and has hoped for an endorsement from other G-7 countries, although they aren't expected to announce similar restrictions at the same time, Bloomberg previously reported.

Some European nations prefer to focus on language about the risks to companies putting money into China, while boosting information exchanges about screening foreign investments, the people familiar with the discussions said.

Speaking in Niigata, Japan, where she is attending a meeting of G-7 finance ministers this week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she hoped to discuss a new set of possible restrictions on investment in China.

"Obviously, it would be most effective if there's coordinated action by a group of like-minded countries and agreement that this is a useful approach," Yellen told reporters on Thursday. She said the restrictions would be "narrowly scoped and targeted at technologies where there are clear national security implications."

Ahead of the summit, some G-7 embassies have been instructed to map out China's influence in a number of countries around the world, including their vulnerability to economic coercion. The efforts have focused on countries in Africa and Latin America, alongside central and Southeast Asia that the G-7 is looking to step up engagement with.

There are also exchanges between the U.S. and European allies on countering a push by some governments to require foreign companies to share their technology with the state, another policy area tacitly focused on China.

Concerns about the impact of potential Chinese activity in Taiwan on global supply chains have been a further talking point in pre-summit discussions.

The leaders are expected to reaffirm their opposition to any forced change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. The summit comes weeks after French President Emmanuel Macron came under fire for saying Europe shouldn't be dragged into a conflict over Taiwan between the U.S. and China. He and others in his government have since clarified the French position to align with G-7 support for Taiwan.

Bloomberg's Michael Nienaber, Chiara Albanese, Jordan Fabian and Colum Murphy contributed to this report.
KYIV, Ukraine  President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in remarks broadcast Thursday that Kyiv is delaying its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia's occupying forces because Ukraine lacks enough Western weapons to succeed without suffering too many casualties.

His remarks, in an interview with European broadcasters, were aired shortly before Britain said it has sent Ukraine air-launched cruise missiles that would allow pilots to extend their reach farther than possibly any other weapon in their arsenal, to locations deep behind the front line.

A Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russia's more than 14-month-old invasion has been expected since warmer weather improved battlefield conditions, and Zelenskyy said it's possible that "we can go forward and be successful," the BBC reported.

"But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable," he was quoted as saying in the interview, conducted in Kyiv with public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, including the BBC.

"So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time," Zelenskyy was quoted as saying. "In terms of equipment, not everything has arrived yet."

Analysts and Ukrainian officials have talked for months of a coming Ukrainian counterpunch. Zelenskyy's remarks could be designed to keep the Russians guessing, with more uncertainty because both sides are struggling to secure enough ammunition.

Ukraine's troops are receiving Western training, as well as advanced weapons, as it gears up for such an assault.

Later Thursday, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told lawmakers it sent Ukraine the Storm Shadow missiles, a conventionally armed weapon with a range of more than 250 kilometers (150 miles). By contrast, the truck-mounted HIMARS launchers that Washington has supplied feature GPS-guided missiles capable of hitting targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) away.

Wallace said the cruise missiles "are now going into or are in the country itself," but didn't say how many were provided.

The air-launched missiles would allow Ukrainian forces to target locations such as Russia-occupied Crimea. Kyiv has pledged not to use them to attack Russia itself, U.K. media reported. The U.S. and its allies have expressed concern that enabling Ukraine to use their weapons to hit targets inside Russia could provoke the Kremlin to escalate the war.

The British delivery adds to the tanks and long-range precision artillery that Western countries have already supplied to Ukraine.

Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, tweeted: "Well done UK!"

"This will give Ukraine capability to make Crimea untenable for Russian forces" and require Russia to reevaluate the positioning of its Black Sea fleet, Hodges said.

Sidharth Kaushal, a research fellow at London's Royal United Services Institute, said the Storm Shadow missiles could allow Ukraine to strike Russian vessels in its Black Sea headquarters port of Sevastopol, from which Moscow's Kalibr missiles "have been used to target crucial Ukrainian infrastructure."

Patrick Bury, senior lecturer in security at the University of Bath, wasn't surprised at Zelenskyy's comments about delaying the spring campaign.

"If you are Zelenskyy, you are doing everything you can to make sure you get everything you need" before launching the offensive, he said.

"On the other hand, I would not be surprised at all if it started in the next couple of weeks, depending on the mud. ... As of last week it was still one of the wettest springs they've had over there in years.  It's just not favorable," Bury added.

A Ukrainian military claim Wednesday that its troops had advanced up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) around the hotly contested eastern city of Bakhmut fueled speculation that the counteroffensive was underway.

Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraine's Operational Command East, told The Associated Press that the fighting and forward movement was not the "grand counteroffensive, but it's a harbinger showing that there will be more such attacks in the future."

But Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's private military force Wagner that has spearheaded Moscow's battle for Bakhmut, claimed Kyiv's counteroffensive was "in full swing," with Ukrainian forces advancing "on the flanks" around the city.

"Unfortunately, in some areas they're doing it successfully," Prigozhin said.

Kremlin forces are deeply entrenched in eastern Ukraine with layered defensive lines reportedly up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) deep. Kyiv's counteroffensive would likely face minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles.

Russia is "acting slow" in Ukraine because it wants to preserve infrastructure and save lives there, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Bosnian Serb channel ATV on Wednesday night.

Moscow has repeatedly explained its lack of advances on the battlefield as an effort to protect civilians, but those claims have been proven false, with frequent attacks on civilian buildings.

Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to reduce the war to a so-called frozen conflict, with neither side able to dislodge the other, according to the BBC. He ruled out surrendering territory to Russia in return for a peace deal.

The Kremlin wants Kyiv to acknowledge Russian sovereignty over Crimea and to recognize September's illegal annexation of the provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine has rejected the demands and ruled out any talks with Russia until its troops withdraw from all occupied territories.

Military analysts have warned that Putin hopes the West's costly support for Kyiv will fray.

Ukraine's Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euros ($70 billion) in military aid, and with no peace talks on the horizon, the alliance is gearing up to send more.

European Union Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said delaying a counteroffensive was a sign that the West must step up its military support for Ukraine.

"Certainly, they need more preparation," Borrell said at a defense and security conference in Brussels. "They need more arms. They need to gather more capacity, and it is us who have to provide for that."

Russia also is seeking more weapons and ammunition. The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia via a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near Cape Town in December. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation was underway.

Over the winter, the Ukraine conflict became bogged down in a war of attrition, with both sides relying heavily on bombarding each other's positions.

A counteroffensive is a major challenge, requiring the Ukrainian military to orchestrate a wide range of capabilities, including providing ammunition, food, medical supplies and spare parts, along potentially extended supply lines. The front line extends more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles).

Zelenskyy has been making the rounds of Western capitals to seek more support. As part of that effort, Pope Francis could meet Zelenskyy at the Vatican this weekend, a Vatican official said Thursday. Francis recently revealed a secret peace "mission" but provided no details. Zelenskyy was expected in Germany starting Saturday evening. Italian media, citing unidentified sources, reported that Zelenskyy might be in Rome earlier that day to meet with Premier Giorgia Meloni and the pope.

A Vatican official said an audience with the pope on Saturday "is a possibility." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the visit was not confirmed.

Russia's latest long-range barrages killed at least six civilians and wounded 13 others, Ukraine's presidential office said.

In other developments, a Ukrainian drone damaged a fuel storage tank across the Russian border in Bryansk, the region's governor reported on Telegram. In Ukraine's Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, meanwhile, Russian-appointed authorities reported an assassination attempt against a judge. The authorities didn't report how the attack occurred, saying only that the judge wasn't injured, but two of his guards were. Ukraine didn't comment on either attack.

Lawless reported from London. Lorne Cook in Brussels, Gerald Imray in Cape Town, South Africa, and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed.
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany  Defusing of an unexploded World War II bomb discovered during excavation work temporarily halted construction Thursday at a new electric vehicle battery plant and held up some incoming flights at Ramstein Air Base.

The 550-pound explosive was found Wednesday, less than 20 inches underground beneath a concrete slab on the site of the former Opel car factory.

The grounds are located between the U.S. Armys Rhine Ordnance Barracks and Pulaski Barracks, as well as within the approach path for aircraft bound for the air base.

We know that aircraft were waiting in a holding pattern, so time mattered, said Werner Schmidt, a spokesman for the Kaiserslautern regulatory office.

The defusing operation began at 11:52 a.m., and was finished in about 16 minutes, according to the city. German officials worked with a representative from the 569th U.S. Forces Police Squadron to coordinate with the Ramstein tower.

Within minutes of the opening, an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III flew above the factory grounds on its approach into Ramstein.

Workers here must have crossed over (the bomb) thousands of times, said Peter Hamel, a spokesman for ACC, the battery manufacturer that will occupy the site.

Alexander Schaefer, a troop lead with the Rheinland-Pfalz explosive ordnance clearance service, said the bomb came equipped with two mechanical fuses, one in the front and one in the rear.

He and his partner removed it by disconnecting the internal ignition chain, which contains more than 275 pounds of hazardous explosives.

While it was the first bomb found during the construction for the new battery factory, it may not be the last, officials said.

Four bombs where found in 2019 alone when building got underway at the nearby Amazon distribution center, which opened in September.

German technicians remove nearly 5,000 bombs each year. The countrys national ordnance disposal organization, KSU, estimates that nearly 100,000 tons of explosive material remains buried in fields and under city streets.

The industrial corridor and rail tracks in Kaiserslautern saw especially heavy bombardments and air raids during the war.

In February, a similar American-made bomb was found in the city center, requiring businesses to close and residents to vacate their buildings for hours.

However, the location at the largely empty construction grounds made for a safe operation, Schaefer said.

Production in the adjacent Opel plant, which continues to operate an engine manufacturing site as part of a formerly much larger industrial complex, was not affected by the evacuation.

Shoppers at the nearby IKEA also were undisturbed by the ordnance removal.

The defused bomb was quickly readied for transport to a bunker for temporary storage. From there, it will go to an ordnance disposal range near Luebeck.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed a fourth militant commander on Thursday, raising the death toll from the latest burst of fighting to 25. Israel braced for more rocket fire amid reports of faltering Egyptian attempts to broker a cease-fire.

It has been the worst bout of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza in months, and among the dead were also women and children. The conflagration comes at a time of soaring tensions and spiking violence over the past year in the West Bank.

Early on Thursday, the Israeli military carried out strikes against the Islamic Jihad militant group and said a senior commander in charge of the group's rocket launching force, Ali Ghali, was killed when his apartment was hit.

According to Palestinian media reports, the strikes targeted the last floor of a building at a residential, Qatari-built complex in southern Gaza Strip, killing at least two people, including the commander. The Health Ministry in Gaza said 25 people had been killed since the fighting erupted.

Following intense fighting on Wednesday, when rockets rained down on southern and central Israel and airstrikes pounded Gaza, a state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt, a frequent mediator between the sides, had brokered a cease-fire. But with the violence continuing into the early hours of Thursday, it appeared neither side was backing down.

The Israeli military says that in its strikes it has zeroed in on militants with what it says are precision strikes, but children, among them a 4-year-old, were also killed. Military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told Israeli Army Radio Thursday that a quarter of the rockets launched during this round of fighting fell in Gaza, killing at least four, including a 10-year-old girl .

In a prime-time TV address on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had dealt a harsh blow to the militants. But he cautioned: "This round is not over."

"We say to the terrorists and those who send them. We see you everywhere. You can't hide, and we choose the place and time to strike you," he said, adding that Israel would also decide when calm is restored.

Israel launched strikes early Tuesday against top Islamic Jihad commanders, killing three and setting off a burst of rocket fire on Wednesday that set off air-raid sirens throughout southern and central Israel. Damage was reported when rockets slammed into buildings that were empty because residents had fled the area. Israeli officials said some 400 rockets were fired toward Israel. Most, they said, were intercepted or fell in open areas.

It was the heaviest fighting between the sides in months, pushing the region closer toward a full-blown war. But in signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the smaller and more militant Islamic Jihad faction. Hamas, meanwhile, appeared to remain on the sidelines.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since the Islamic militant group took control of Gaza in 2007.

Late Wednesday, Egypt's Extra News television channel, which has close ties to Egyptian security agencies, said the Egyptian intelligence had brokered a cease-fire. Israeli officials confirmed that Egypt was trying to facilitate a cease-fire. Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes diplomacy, they said Israel would evaluate the situation based on actions on the ground, not declarations.

Islamic Jihad said it would continue firing rockets. Mohamad al-Hindi, an official with the group, said a sticking point in the talks was that the Palestinians wanted an Israeli commitment to stop targeted killing operations, such as the ones that killed three top Islamic Jihad commanders early Tuesday.

As rockets streaked through the sky, Israeli TV stations showed air defense systems intercepting rockets above the skies of Tel Aviv. In the nearby suburb of Ramat Gan, people lay face-down on the ground as they took cover.

The army said that schools would remain closed and restrictions on large gatherings would remain in place in southern Israel until at least Friday. Residents were instructed to stay near bomb shelters.

The initial Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday that set off the exchange of fire killed three senior Islamic Jihad militants and at least 10 civilians  most of them women and children. The Israeli military has said its attacks were focused on Islamic Jihad militant infrastructure in the coastal enclave.

Israel says the airstrikes are a response to a barrage of rocket fire launched last week by Islamic Jihad in response to the death of one of its members from a hunger strike while in Israeli custody.

Israel says it is trying to avoid conflict with Hamas, the more powerful militant group that rules Gaza, and limit the fighting to Islamic Jihad.

Israel has come under international criticism for the high civilian toll Tuesday, which included wives of two of the militant commanders, some of their children and a dentist who lived in one of the targeted buildings along with his wife and son.

In past conflicts, rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes due to high civilian deaths. Israel says it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties and holds militant groups responsible because they operate in heavily populated residential areas.

Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Israel and Palestinian groups traded more heavy fire Thursday, the third day of the worst escalation of violence in months that has killed 25 people in Gaza.

Air strikes by the Israeli army since Tuesday have killed fighters as well as civilians, including several children, said officials in the blockaded Palestinian enclave.

Early Thursday, shops in Gaza were shuttered and the streets were largely abandoned as Israeli military aircraft circled over the territory where several buildings lay in ruins.

The Islamic Jihad group told AFP that rockets were fired again at Israel around 9:00 am (0600 GMT).

Islamic Jihad confirmed it has lost four military leaders in strikes in recent days, the most recent being Ali Ghali, commander of a rocket launch unit.

Another group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said four of its fighters had been killed.

Meanwhile , the Israeli military said fighters in the Gaza Strip have fired more than 500 rockets at Israel, causing no casualties so far.

Of these, 368 rockets made it over the border and 154 were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, while 110 fell inside Gaza, it said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address late Wednesday that "we are still in the midst of the campaign" and "fiercely attacking the Gaza Strip".

"We say to the terrorists and the ones sending them: we see you everywhere, you cannot hide, and we choose the place and the time to hit you.", he claimed.

Wave of escalation

In Gaza City's Al-Rimal district, Mamoun Radi, 48, said: "We hope that the wave of escalation will end, but we support revenge for the martyrs.

"Israel assassinated a leader of (Islamic) Jihad at dawn today because it does not want calm."

Across southern Israel, sirens wailed intermittently through the night and Thursday morning.

Ceasefire efforts

An Islamic Jihad source told AFP that senior member Mohammad al-Hindi, head of the group's political department, would arrive in Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian intelligence officials.

An Israeli official had told AFP on Wednesday that Egypt was "trying to facilitate a ceasefire".

The Arab League has condemned the "barbaric Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip, which targeted civilians, children and women in residential neighbourhoods".

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reaffirmed Washington's "ironclad support for Israel's security".

This week's Gaza clashes are the worst since a three-day escalation in August killed 49 Palestinians, with no Israeli fatalities.

Violence has also flared in the occupied West Bank, where the Israeli army has staged repeated raids against Palestinians which have often flared into street clashes or gun battles.

On Thursday, a Palestinian died from his wounds after being shot by the Israeli army in a raid the day before in the West Bank city of Qabatiya, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The conflict has escalated since Netanyahu returned to power late last year heading a coalition with extreme right and ultra-Orthodox parties.

Israel has also been shaken by its biggest domestic political crisis in decades as mass protests have flared against plans to reform the justice system, spearheaded by Netanyahu who is also battling corruption charges in court.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed two militant commanders Thursday, while a 70-year-old man was killed by Palestinian rocket fire in the first fatality inside Israel amid the current wave of fighting. The continuing bloodshed, which has left 30 Palestinians dead, came despite Egyptian efforts to broker a cease-fire.

It has been the worst bout of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza in months, with at least 10 civilians  mostly women and children  among the dead. The conflagration, now in its fourth day, comes at a time of soaring tensions and spiking violence over the past year in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian militants launched unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel throughout the day. One rocket struck an apartment block in the central Israeli city of Rehovot, killing a 70-year-old man, the MADA rescue service said. It said four others were moderately wounded.

Earlier Thursday, Israeli military pressed ahead with its strikes against the Islamic Jihad militant group and said a senior commander in charge of the group's rocket launching force, Ali Ghali, was killed when his apartment was hit.

Later in the day, Israel said it killed another Islamic Jihad commander who was meant to replace Ghali in southern Gaza. Islamic Jihad confirmed the man, Ahmed Abu Daqqa, was one of its commanders.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said at total of 30 people had have been killed since the fighting erupted. An Associated Press tally showed that among the dead were 14 militants, including at least five Islamic Jihad commanders; 10 civilians; and six others, including four who Israel says were killed in failed rocket launches, whose affiliation remained uncertain.

Late Thursday, the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights said its preliminary investigations indicated that three Palestinians, including two children aged 8 and 16, died when "homemade rockets had fallen short" inside Gaza in three incidents. It said 26 other people were wounded in these cases.

Military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told Israeli Army Radio that two other militants were also killed in the early morning strike, although no group immediately claimed them as members, and that the rest of the building remained intact.

"The apartment was targeted in a very precise way," Hagari said. "I hope this leads to a reduction, a blow and a disruption of the Islamic Jihad rocket abilities."

The strikes targeted the top floor of a building in a residential, Qatari-built complex in southern Gaza Strip. The pre-dawn airstrike in the city of Khan Younis caused damage to three surrounding buildings. The complex, known as Hamad City, consists of several tall buildings and thousands of housing units. The strike created panic among residents, with falling debris and shattered glass littering the streets.

"My children started crying. I did not see anything because of the dust, broken glasses, and debris," said Abdullah Hemaid, who lives across from the targeted building.

Islamic Jihad said Ghali was a commander in charge of its rocket squad and a member of its armed group's decision-making body. The group has said it will only cease fire if Israel agrees to halt targeted killings of its fighters.

The current round of fighting erupted overnight Tuesday when Israel killed three senior Islamic Jihad commanders in near-simultaneous airstrikes.

On Wednesday, a state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt, a frequent mediator between the sides, had brokered a cease-fire. But with the violence continuing late Thursday, there was still no breakthrough.

The Israeli military says that in its strikes on some 150 targets, it has zeroed in on militants with what it says are precision strikes. But children, among them a 4-year-old, were also killed.

Hagari, the military spokesman, told Army Radio that a quarter of the rockets launched have fallen in Gaza, killing at least four, including a 10-year-old girl, two 16-year-olds and a 51-year-old man. That claim could not immediately be independently confirmed.

Efforts to mediate a cease-fire were still underway Thursday with top Islamic Jihad political bureau member Mohamad al-Hindi arriving to Cairo to discuss details. A delegation of Egyptian mediators also was traveling to Israel, according to Israeli press reports.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that "despite our strenuous efforts, these efforts still have not yielded the desired fruits and results."

Israeli officials declined to comment.

The initial Israeli airstrikes set off a burst of rocket fire on Wednesday that triggered air-raid sirens throughout southern and central Israel.

The military said more than 500 rockets have been fired toward Israel. It said most were intercepted by Israel's missile defense system or fell in open areas.

Damage was reported when rockets slammed into buildings that were empty because residents had fled the area. Three buildings in the southern town of Sderot were struck Thursday, officials said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israel says the airstrikes are a response to a barrage of rocket fire launched last week by Islamic Jihad in response to the death of one of its West Bank members from a hunger strike while in Israeli custody.

Israel has come under international criticism for the high civilian toll. In past conflicts, rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes due to high civilian deaths. Israel says it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties and holds militant groups responsible because they operate in heavily populated residential areas. It also says militants fire rockets indiscriminately at Israeli communities.

Hagari said Israel does its best to avoid harming civilians and that under international norms, there was a "proportionate ratio" of combatants to noncombatants among the dead in Gaza.

In signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel has avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the smaller and more militant Islamic Jihad. Hamas, which has much more to lose than Islamic Jihad, also has remained on the sidelines.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars and numerous smaller engagements since the Islamic militant group took control of Gaza in 2007.

The army said that schools would remain closed and restrictions on large gatherings would remain in place in southern Israel until at least Friday. Residents were instructed to stay near bomb shelters.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, where Israeli-Palestinian violence has surged over the past year, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a 30-year-old man died after he was shot by Israeli troops in a raid on Wednesday, and that a 66-year-old Palestinian man died after he was shot during a gun battle between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in a refugee camp near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem on Thursday.

The Israeli army said it has arrested 25 suspected Islamic Jihad members in West Bank raids in recent days.

Ben Zion reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
ALEXANDRIA, Va.  A northern Virginia man arrested on terrorism charges has a husband-wife relationship with another American who was dubbed by authorities as an "empress of ISIS " for her work to establish an all-female battalion of the Islamic State, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Mohammed Chhipa, 33, of Springfield, Virginia, was arrested last week on charges that he provided support to a terrorist group. Prosecutors allege that he transferred nearly $200,000 in cryptocurrency, with some of that money traced back to the Islamic State, to support Chhipa's stated goal of helping smuggle female ISIS members from detention camps. Other funds remain unaccounted for.

At a detention hearing Wednesday, prosecutors also disclosed a relationship between Chhipa and Allison Fluke-Ekren, an American from Kansas who is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Fluke-Ekren pleaded guilty last year to organizing and leading the Khatiba Nusaybah, a battalion in which roughly 100 women and girls  some as young as 10  learned how to use automatic weapons and detonate grenades and suicide belts.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Aminoff told the judge that Chhipa considers himself to be married to Fluke-Ekren, although the marriage was apparently conducted online and has no legal status in the U.S. He said Chhipa, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from India, has been trying to adopt Fluke-Ekren's children.

Court documents in Fuke-Ekren's case do not mention Chhipa by name, but also indicate that Fluke-Ekren considered herself to be married to a man she met online. It is not clear that the two have ever met in person.

Whatever the relationship between Chhipa and Fluke-Ekren, the charges against Chhipa appear unrelated to that relationship. Prosecutors say that between November 2019 and July 2022, Chhipa used virtual currency to transfer more than $188,000 to accounts known and unknown. An FBI affidavit states that some money remains unaccounted for but that $18,000 went to wallets known to be used by ISIS women located in Syria, while $61,000 went to cryptocurrency wallets in Turkey. The affidavit states that money intended to arrive in Syria is often routed through Turkey.

The affidavit quotes text messages sent by Chhipa indicating he wanted the money to be used to bribe guards at detention camps where families of Islamic State fighters are still being held.

The affidavit says Chhipa also met with an FBI "controlled persona"  either an undercover agent or a confidential source  and accepted cash from the individual. Chhippa then transferred the money to Bitcoin and sent it directly to a known ISIS member, according to the affidavit.

Chhipa has been under investigation for years. Indeed, prosecutors say he fled to Egypt in August 2019, fearing he would be arrested after his home was raided. He was brought back to the U.S. after authorities contacted Interpol, but he was not charged until Monday. Prosecutors say Chhiipa continued to engage in illegal conduct after he returned to the U.S., even though he know he was drawing authorities' scrutiny.

Family members who attended Wednesdays hearing did not comment, but passed out a written statement supporting him. The statement described Chhipa as tirelessly working for the betterment of women and children and said he has been targeted by false allegations.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John Anderson ruled at the conclusion of Wednesday's hearing that Chhipa should remain jailed while he awaits trial.
WASHINGTON  The militarys top leaders said Thursday that a default on the nations debt would imperil troop pay and hurt the U.S. militarys reputation worldwide, issuing a warning to Congress amid a dispute over the governments debt limit.

If the U.S. runs out of money to pay its bills, which could be as soon as June 1, the Defense Department would lose the ability to pay service members with any degree of predictability, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in testimony to a subpanel of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

This will affect the livelihood of our troops and our civilians, Austin said. We wont be able to pay people like we should and I think thats something that China and everybody else can exploit.

Lawmakers and the White House remain locked in a standoff over the debt ceiling after a meeting between President Joe Biden and congressional leaders on Tuesday failed to produce an agreement. House Republicans are refusing to raise the ceiling and avoid a default without significant cuts to spending.

The fight has already delayed congressional work on the National Defense Authorization Act, must-pass legislation that sets annual priorities for the Pentagon, and threatens to further upend the military.

Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that a default would allow China, the U.S. militarys top strategic competitor, to double down on its claims that the U.S. is a declining power.

Defaulting on the debt will only reinforce that thought and embolden China and increase risk to the United States, he said.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said he was particularly concerned by Chinas ability to use the default for a disinformation campaign targeting U.S. citizens and then emerge as the stable adult in the room on the world stage.

This could be one of the greatest strategic errors vis-a-vis China in history, said Reed, an Army veteran and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Austin said he agreed with that assessment and noted the risk to the reputation of the U.S. was substantial.

We are viewed as being a source of stability, globally, and we always pay our debts and theres just a number of things that were working with allies and partners on that would come into question, Austin said without elaborating.

Biden is scheduled to again meet with congressional leaders on Friday to discuss ways to raise the $31.4 trillion borrowing cap. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is proposing a deal that would lift the cap in exchange for reducing overall spending to fiscal 2022 levels while the White House and Democrats want a clean extension of the debt ceiling without stipulations.

Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, lashed out against the Republican plan on Wednesday for forcing a rescheduling of debate on the NDAA this week and said it was the first indication of how the ongoing standoff will affect the military.

The Republican leaderships decision to take the debt ceiling increase hostage, to basically play chicken with the full faith and credit of our country, also cannot do anything but jeopardize our national security, the Washington state congressman said.
WASHINGTON  The Biden administration on Thursday approved an $8.5 billion sale of Chinook helicopters to NATO ally Germany.

The approval comes as the war in Ukraine continues to tax the military stocks of Western countries but is not directly related to the conflict.

The State Department said it had notified Congress that the U.S. would sell Germany 60 Chinooks along with engines and associated spare parts, including missile warning systems.

The Chinook is the Army's key heavy-lift helicopter, used to transport troops and equipment, and was a familiar sight in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Chinooks were the aircraft used to evacuate U.S. embassy personnel from Sudan in April.

The sale is meant to boost Germany's heavy lift military capability and "deter regional threats," the department said. The helicopters are not intended to be used in Ukraine.

"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally which is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe," it said.
ROCKVILLE, Md.  The passage of almost 60 years has done nothing to dim former Navy fighter pilot Everett Alvarez Jr.s memories of the night that he was shot down in the South China Sea and began what would be the second-longest period of captivity for an American service member in the Vietnam War.

At 85 years old, Alvarez still vividly remembers his Douglas A4 Skyhawk filling with smoke and coming apart as he had just a few seconds to make a series of life-or-death choices.

I was really low. I knew I had to get out right there, he said Wednesday in an interview at his suburban Washington, D.C., home. I was trying to get altitude, I was trying to get out to the sea [away from the North Vietnamese coastline], I was trying to maintain control, but I couldnt do it.

Then a lieutenant junior grade, Alvarez made one final radio transmission to his wingmen from the USS Constellation before he hit the ejector seat and bailed out into the stormy darkness on Aug. 5, 1964  only three days after the Gulf of Tonkin incident that triggered Americas full-scale entry into the war.

Ill see you guys later, he told them.

Alvarez would ultimately spend 8 years as a prisoner of war  much of it in the infamous Hanoi Hilton.

He was the first American to be shot down over North Vietnam and the first to be taken prisoner there. This week, hes also among many veterans who are being honored with a Welcome Home celebration on the National Mall by the Vietnam War Commemoration to remember the 50th anniversary of the end of U.S. involvement in the conflict.

Only Floyd James Thompson, an Army Special Forces officer advising the South Vietnamese, was imprisoned longer. He was captured in South Vietnam on March 26, 1964  more than five months before the Gulf of Tonkin incident  and held for nearly 10 years. He died in 2002.

From pilot to prisoner

Alvarez said its a miracle that he ejected and made it to the ground alive. Just another second or two in either direction, he said, would have brought certain death.

I timed it pretty well, he said, then revising that assessment. I didnt time it pretty well. God timed it pretty well. I figured someone is watching over me.

Even after ending up in the gulf, still alive, Alvarez said he was then immediately met by gunfire from armed fishermen on the water.

[They] told me to put my hands up in the air, which I did, he said. And they got me, quickly.

About a week later, Alvarez found himself in Hoa Lo Prison  now infamously known as the Hanoi Hilton, a large complex built by colonialists to house political prisoners when the region was known as French Indochina.

I could hear the clanking of the big gate that opened up into the prison as we drove in. I was still blindfolded and they led me into a room where that was my first living quarters.  It was a barren room, a little table, about a 10 feet by 12 [feet] room. They had a metal frame with a slat, a board, which would be the bed.

Given nothing but a straw mat and a pillow, which was just a straw bundle, and a mosquito net, Alvarez began serving what would turn out to be more than 3,100 days of continuous captivity by the North Vietnamese.

During those days, Alvarez said he was often moved over to different parts of the prison complex, and sometimes he was moved away from the complex and into the forest. At times he had roommates, and other times he didnt. Sometimes his captors could be benevolent, and other times they were just violent.

I told them as little as I could, he said. They quizzed me for six weeks to learn everything they could.

Late in 1965, his captors moved Alvarez and other captured Americans to a group of small huts somewhere outside Hanoi  a period that the naval aviator called the second phase of his POW life. After several weeks, they were sent back to Hanoi and cycled through locations the POWs called the zoo and the briar patch.

At one point in 1966, the North Vietnamese marched Alvarez and several other captive Americans through the streets of Hanoi, then the capital of North Vietnam. Alvarez said the Hanoi march began what might have been the most hostile period of his detention, one that would last for three years.

Things were starting to turn rough by then. After the march, things really got rough, he said. They would punish us. They would torture us for propaganda.

About three years of constant punishment, torture, different things, they werent having success converting us to their ideology, and so they really went after us for propaganda purposes  statements, letters, tapes.

The tough treatment of Alvarez and the other POWs continued through the next few years, especially after an escape attempt. That treatment included malnourishment, which gave Alvarez dysentery and reduced him to a little more than 100 pounds.

During his time in captivity, Alvarez said there were so many unknowns that he basically had no choice but to hang on to the few morsels of motivation he could muster  thoughts of home, trust in his faith and confidence in his country.

It was a battle. You have got to hang on to your values, you have got to hang on to your ideals, you have got to hang on to, you know, youre a member of a team, a group. Everybody was in this thing to keep resisting, he said.

It was about that time that Alvarez received what was perhaps his worst injury, and one that still causes him trouble today. One of the guards flew into a rage and swung the butt of his rifle into the left side of Alvarezs face.

To this day, thats why I have difficulty. It dislocated my jaw, he said, also noting he sustained a variety of other injuries that required surgeries on both arms and his back.

Another thing that kept him and the other American POWs going during those dark years in captivity, he said, was communicating with each other. Sometimes they scribbled messages for each other on the bottom of their dishes, and other times they spoke to each other via a finger-tapped communication code.

Going home, finally

The constant interrogations and punishments for Americans at the prison would go on for a couple more years before Alvarez finally began to see some light at the end of the tunnel for him and the others at Hoa Lo.

President Richard Nixon famously increased bombing in North Vietnam in 1972, which included the Hanoi area toward the end of that year. They are often referred to as the Christmas bombings and one of the goals of that strategy was to push North Vietnam to the bargaining table.

Scholars and historians have debated for decades how successful Nixons strategy was, but Alvarez said when he heard the intensity of the American bombs exploding around him, he knew that the end of the war was in sight. He also knew something was afoot because the POWs living conditions began to improve, which is a common bargaining strategy often seen at the end of modern conflicts.

We knew [North Vietnam] couldnt last long, Alvarez said of the relentless U.S. bombing in the latter part of 1972. A couple of weeks later in January 1973, Alvarez said he and the other American prisoners were told they were finally getting released.

They said, You will be going home soon,  he said.

On Jan. 27, 1973, U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War ended with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords and officials on both sides began planning for the release of the POWs.

We were anxious to go, Alvarez said.

Escorted by their guards to a nearby landing strip on Feb. 12, Alvarez and dozens of other American POWs stood on the tarmac and watched as their plane  a Lockheed C-141 Starlifter  swooped in to pick them up and take them to a U.S. base in the Philippines. Alvarez was the first one called to board the plane.

What I remember the most is the plane started up and we were taxiing, and we got to the end of the runway  we lifted off and everybody let out a big cheer, he said. And we toasted each other with a little Coke or soft drink that we had and said, We made it. 

Upon arrival in the Philippines, Alvarez was the second one off the plane  after the senior-ranking officer of the group  and he was told hed have an opportunity to say a few words to the waiting crowd and a row of television cameras.

I have to tell you, I was just amazed at the crowd and the attention, Alvarez said, noting hed heard about the rising anti-war movement in the U.S.

I came down the ramp and I had no idea what I was going to say. But theres [an] admiral  at the bottom of the steps. I gave him a salute and I said, Lt. j.g. Alvarez reporting back, sir. 

That moment was captured by a photographer and displayed on the front page of the Feb. 14, 1973, edition of Stars and Stripes.

After his return and recuperation in 1973, Alvarez went on to several different enterprises. He retired from the Navy in 1980 and subsequently served a few political appointments for President Ronald Reagan for the remainder of the decade, including deputy director of the Peace Corps and deputy administrator with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

He became a lifetime member of the Board of Fellows at Santa Clara University in California  his alma mater  and founded the information technology consulting firm Alvarez LLC about 20 years ago. The firm is still active in federal government information technology  and Alvarez is still chief executive. His son Marc is president of the company.

Alvarez has also written two books about his experiences in Vietnam, received numerous medals from his time in the Navy and might soon receive the Congressional Gold Medal, which lawmakers are now considering.

Whats the status on that? he asked with a smile.

As he now prepares to be honored at the Welcome Home Celebration in Washington this weekend, the proud American grandson of immigrants from Mexico points to several things that have allowed him to be successful in serving his country and realizing the American Dream.

Everything Ive done, Ive just had a lot of support. I think Ive been successful in most things Ive tried to do. Ive graduated in electrical engineering from a college. I became a Navy pilot. I was a political appointee. I got into the business world, Alvarez said. I was nothing special. Im just one of the guys that had to do what we had to do. And thats how we did it, one day at a time. I had a lot of discussions  a lot of conversation with the man upstairs. Thats what worked for me.
(Tribune News Service)  The veterans affairs budget bill heading to Gov. Tim Walz includes $190,000 to form a panel to probe how well Minnesota is caring for some of its most vulnerable veterans.

The inquiry comes after caregivers at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Hastings spoke out about a pattern of bullying, intimidation and reprisals by superiors. Current and former caregivers said the toxic work atmosphere led to the departure of staff and resulted in substandard care for the veterans living there.

In response to the allegations, Larry Herke, commissioner of veterans affairs, fired two top officials responsible for overseeing care at the Hastings domiciliary. The Minnesota Senate veterans committee said it would investigate workplace problems and the quality of care at the facility.

The panel created by the Legislature will include state officials from the departments of health and veterans affairs; medical professionals; current and former domiciliary staff as well as members of the public.

The group will investigate whether staffing and management levels are adequate to care for veterans needs at the states two domiciliaries in Hastings and Minneapolis. Theyre also tasked with examining medical care outcomes to see if the staffing levels are enough to care for residents.

Sen. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, who chairs the Senate veterans committee, has said it important to investigate current and former workers complaints and ensure veterans are getting the care they need.

Republicans and Democrats on the veterans committee both questioned Herke about why a toxic work environment was allowed to fester for so long. Caregivers insist no one addressed their complaints until they spoke out publicly.

Herke testified to the Senate veterans committee that he moved quickly to address problems in the summer of 2022 when the complaints were sent to him. When things were not improving quick enough, Herke said, he decided to fire two top leaders at the Hastings home.

Herke assured lawmakers veterans care has not suffered.

Gov. Tim Walz, a 24-year Army National Guard veteran, has said he is confident the Department of Veterans Affairs will address any workplace problems in Hastings.

The states two domiciliaries, are care homes not nursing homes, but veterans are supposed to have 24-hour access to to nurses, social workers, counselors and other providers. Many of the residents do not have family members or others to advocate on their behalf. The veterans affairs budget includes about $128 million in new spending, a dramatic increase from the $280 million in the current two-year budget.

Much of the new funding will go to fund the operation of three new veterans homes the state is opening in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston.

The veterans affairs budget is part of the states next two-year spending plan being developed at the Capitol. It is one of the few piece with broad bipartisan support, passing the House unanimously and with a 61-5 vote in the Senate. Democrats have narrow control of both chambers of the Legislature. They have until May 22 to finish their work on the budget that is expected to top $70 billion.

2023 MediaNews Group, Inc.

Visit at twincities.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed two militant commanders on Thursday, the Israeli occupation army said, as the Palestinian death toll from the latest burst of fighting rose to 28. Rocket fire toward southern Israel continued even as Egypt pressed on with attempts to broker a cease-fire.

It has been the worst bout of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza in months, and among the dead were also women and children. The conflagration, now in its third day, comes at a time of soaring tensions and spiking violence over the past year in the occupied West Bank.

Early on Thursday, the Israeli occupation army carried out strikes against the Islamic Jihad militant group and said a senior commander in charge of the groups rocket launching force, Ali Ghali, was killed when his apartment was hit.

Later in the day, Israel said it killed another Islamic Jihad commander who was meant to replace Ghali in southern Gaza. Islamic Jihad confirmed the man, Ahmed Abu Daqqa, was one of its commanders.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said 28 people  including at least 10 civilians  have been killed since the fighting erupted. Among the dead were at least nine Islamic Jihad militants and nine others, including four whom Israel says were killed in failed rocket launches, whose affiliation remained uncertain.

The occupation army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told Israeli Army Radio that two other militants were also killed in the early morning strike, although no group immediately claimed them as members, and that the rest of the building remained intact.

The apartment was targeted in a very precise way, Hagari said. I hope this leads to a reduction, a blow and a disruption of the Islamic Jihad rocket abilities.

The strikes targeted the top floor of a building in a residential, Qatari-built complex in southern Gaza Strip. The pre-dawn airstrike in the city of Khan Younis caused damage to three surrounding buildings. The complex, known as Hamad City, consists of several tall buildings and thousands of housing units. The strike created panic among residents, with falling debris and shattered glass littering the streets.

My children started crying. I did not see anything because of the dust, broken glasses, and debris, said Abdullah Hemaid, who lives across from the targeted building.

Islamic Jihad said Ghali was a commander in charge of its rocket squad and a member of its armed groups decision-making body. The group has said it will only cease fire if Israel agrees to halt targeted killings of its fighters.

The current round of fighting erupted overnight Tuesday when Israel killed three senior Islamic Jihad commanders in near-simultaneous airstrikes.

Following intense fighting on Wednesday, when rockets rained down on southern and central Israel and airstrikes pounded Gaza, an Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt, a frequent mediator between the sides, had brokered a cease-fire. But with the violence continuing into Thursday, it was unclear where progress on the talks stood.

The Israeli occupation army says that in its strikes on some 150 targets, it has zeroed in on militants with what it says are precision strikes. But children, among them a 4-year-old, were also killed. Hagari, the military spokesman, told Army Radio that a quarter of the rockets launched during this round of fighting fell in Gaza, killing at least four, including a 10-year-old girl, two 16-year-olds and a 51-year-old man. That claim could not immediately be independently confirmed.

Efforts to mediate a ceasefire were still underway Thursday with top Islamic Jihad political bureau member Mohamad al-Hindi arriving to Cairo to discuss details. A delegation of Egyptian mediators also was traveling to Israel, according to Israeli press reports, but Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that despite our strenuous efforts, these efforts still have not yielded the desired fruits and results.

Israeli officials declined to comment.

The initial Israeli airstrikes set off a burst of rocket fire on Wednesday that triggered air-raid sirens throughout southern and central Israel. Damage was reported when rockets slammed into buildings that were empty because residents had fled the area. The occupation army said more than 500 rockets were fired toward Israel. It said most were intercepted by Israels missile defense system or fell in open areas.

Israel claims the airstrikes are a response to a barrage of rocket fire launched last week by Islamic Jihad in response to the death of one of its occupied West Bank members from a hunger strike while in Israeli custody.

Israel has come under international criticism for the high civilian toll. In past conflicts, rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes due to high civilian deaths. Israel says it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties and holds militant groups responsible because they operate in heavily populated residential areas. It also says militants fire rockets indiscriminately at Israeli communities.

The latest outburst has pushed the region closer toward a full-blown war.

But in signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targeting only the smaller and more militant Islamic Jihad faction. Hamas, which has much more to lose than Islamic Jihad, also has remained on the sidelines.

Israel and Hamas have fought four wars and numerous smaller engagements since the Islamic militant group took control of Gaza in 2007.

The occupation army said that schools would remain closed and restrictions on large gatherings would remain in place in southern Israel until at least Friday. Residents were instructed to stay near bomb shelters.

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli-Palestinian violence has surged over the past year, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a 30-year-old man died after he was shot by Israeli occupation troops in a raid on Wednesday, and that a 66-year-old Palestinian man died after he was shot during a gun battle between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in a refugee camp near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem on Thursday.

The Israeli occupation army said it has arrested 25 suspected Islamic Jihad members in occupied West Bank raids in recent days.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Sources have revealed that family members of murder victim Willie Maughan have been devastated by the campaign, which includes videos and a number of statements that gardai say are not factual.

Gangster Cornelius Price denied any involvement in the disappearance of William Willie Maughan (34), his 21-year-old Latvian girlfriend Anna Varslavane, and their unborn child

Associates of dead gangland boss Cornelius Price have launched a depraved social media campaign against one of his gangs murder victims.

Sources have revealed that family members of murder victim Willie Maughan have been devastated by the campaign, which includes videos and a number of statements that gardai say are not factual.

Prices gang is suspected of abducting and murdering Mr Maughan (34) and his pregnant Latvian girlfriend, Ana Varslavane (21) in April 2015.

Ana Varslavane and Willie Maughan

Mr Maughan, a recovering drug addict from Tallaght, and Ms Varslavane had lived for three months in a caravan in Prices compound, in Gormanston, Co Meath. The pair were planning on moving out of the compound to go back to his family home in Tallaght on the day they went missing.

The motive for the murders is believed to have been Prices fear that Mr Maughan was going to go to the gardai with information about the murder of a rival drug dealer in Balbriggan a year earlier.

Notorious gangland boss Cornelius Price

In the social media campaign, a number of claims have been made against Mr Maughan and Ms Varslavane, including allegations that he physically abused her and that she was a prostitute.

The thugs also claim Mr Maughan was involved in a murder and that Price acted as a good friend by giving him accommodation in the compound.

The allegations  some of which are too vile to be printed  also include claims that a sickening incident in August 2016, when the grave of Mr Maughans brother was dug up at Bohernabreena Cemetery in Tallaght, was not carried out by Prices gang.

Price was in jail at the time but gardai believe his gang was behind the incident and one of his associates has been arrested in relation to it.

Exclusive: Cornelius Price confronted by heartbroken father

It is all lies, complete lies, but this is very upsetting for anyone who knew William, a source close to the Maughan family said.

It is like Prices associates are doing everything in their power to break them down at every opportunity. Have they not done enough to them at this stage? They are considering making a criminal complaint to gardai about this.

It is absolutely shocking some of the stuff that has been posted on TikTok videos and Facebook in recent days. Disgusting really, the source added.

Price died in February in Wales from complications linked to a brain condition.
Mr O Se was caught driving six times over the legal limit near his home in Mounthawk Manor, Tralee

Former Kerry footballer Darragh O Se will be banned from the road for three years after he lost an appeal against a drink-driving conviction.

Mr O Se was caught driving six times over the legal limit near his home in Mounthawk Manor, Tralee on August 12, 2020.

In 2021, he was convicted and banned from driving for three years, but subsequently appealed the decision.

He appeared at Tralee Circuit Court before Judge Sinead Behan on Tuesday evening.

Mr O Se, who won six All-Ireland medals with Kerry, argued that he had been denied access to legal advice before providing a urine sample.

Sergeant James Hurley gave evidence that Mr O Se initially failed a breathalyser test and was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

He was asked to provide a urine sample at Tralee Garda Station.

Sgt Hurley said Mr O Se then requested to make a phone call to a retired garda sergeant and his solicitor, but both calls rang out.

Radio Kerry reported that former garda Shane OReilly said he was given the opportunity to make another phone call, but declined. Mr O Se claimed he asked to make a third phone call but was refused.

The urine sample gave a reading of 414mg of alcohol per 100ml. The legal limit is 67mg per 100ml of urine.

Judge Behan ruled that legal assistance before giving a urine sample would have been of no benefit to him as he would have had to provide the sample either way.

The driving ban was upheld.

It will come into effect on October 31 this year. He must also pay a 400 fine.
Jennifer Dunne (38) and her partner Nathan Kinsella (44), both from Blackrock, Co Dublin, are charged with six money laundering offences

The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) has seized documents that were intended to be used for the legal defence of a woman accused of money-laundering, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

Michael Bowman SC today applied to the court to have the original versions of the documents returned to his client, Jennifer Dunne.

Mr Bowman said that CAB had been cooperative in allowing access to the documents and providing copies, but his client's preference would be to possess the originals.

Grainne O'Neill BL, for the bureau, said that CAB investigations can be wide-ranging and some of the documents seized may be relevant to a respondent other than Ms Dunne.

She said there may be issues raised in other proceedings in relation to the chain of evidence or forensics if the documents are returned to Ms Dunne.

Ms O'Neill said the bureau had sent copies of all the documents to Ms Dunne and would allow access to the originals whenever requested.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt ruled that the bureau should hold onto the original documents.

He said they "may have a much broader use than that related to Ms Dunne" and therefore it is appropriate that they stay where they are.

Nathan Kinsella

Ms Dunne (38) and her partner Nathan Kinsella (44), both of Richmond in Blackrock, Co Dublin, are charged with six money laundering offences under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing) Act, 2010.

They are both accused of converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using property, namely funds lodged to an AIB account on dates between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2019, within the State, knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.

They are due to go on trial on October 31, this year.
This had come as a shock and is extremely concerning for our members

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) and the Garda Representative Association (GRA) have both condemned a decision to charge an officer in relation to the deaths of three men on the N7 last year.

A sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court yesterday heard that the DPP directed that a Garda involved in the pursuit of the three who were members of a Tallaght-based criminal gang that specialised in burglaries, is to be charged with a driving offence.

The DPP informed GSOC on Tuesday evening that the Garda is to be prosecuted.

A GSOC officer told the inquest into their deaths yesterday that the Garda would be charged but he had not been informed of this fact and had not been summonsed.

The AGSI described the situation as "scandalous".

In a statement, General Secretary Antoinette Cunningham said that "once again" a Garda "is subject to a protracted GSOC process" only to "find out in a public domain that he is to face charges".

"The personal impact" of this is "grave" and "the professional impact damaging," she said.

Ms Cunningham said there are "multiples cases of this each year" which it described as "wrong" and "unacceptable".

It is "in no way best practice" and "will have a negative consequence on ongoing Garda recruitment," she added.

GSOC said it could not comment at this time "as summonses are being prepared".

But "the exact nature of the charges would be made known in due course," its statement add.

Meanwhile, GRA President Brendan O'Connor said the news that any member would face the threat of criminal charges for any actions while carrying out their duty for the protection of the public had come as a shock and is extremely concerning for our members.

The three victims  Dean Maguire (29), Karl Freeman (26) and Graham Taylor (31)  were killed instantly when their BMW vehicle burst into flames following a head-on crash with a truck between Citywest and Baldonnel on July 7, 2021 while they were driving on the wrong side of the carriageway.

A designated officer with GSOC, Sean Campbell, applied for an adjournment of the inquest into the deaths of the three men based on the new development in the case.

Mr Campbell said the garda facing the prosecution was still not aware of the precise offence with which he would be charged and consequently he did not wish to say anything further on the matter.

Following a brief adjournment, the coroner said she would grant GSOCs application for an adjournment in the case on the basis criminal proceedings are being considered.

Dr Keane set a further hearing in the case for May 23.

Last August, the inquest heard the bodies of the three men had to be identified using DNA samples taken from relatives because of the extent of the injuries they suffered in the collision and subsequent fire.

Controversy was generated following the mens deaths in 2021 over the conduct of mourners at the requiem mass and burial of Mr Maguire.

The funeral at St Marys Priory church in Tallaght garnered international headlines after a screwdriver and torch  tools associated with burglars  were brought to the altar as offertory gifts.

Many attendees also ignored attempts by local priests to limit the numbers in church and to get the congregation to observe social distancing and mask-wearing as part of Covid-19 restrictions.

One woman who delivered a eulogy said Mr Maguire would not be forgotten before adding: Sorry for the language, Father  rest in peace, you f**king legend.

A poster brought to the church read: RIP Dean  You know the score, get on the floor, dont be funny, give me the money.

Fr Donal Roche, who oversaw the requiem ceremony and threatened to halt proceedings at one stage if greater respect was not shown in church, subsequently described it as the most disturbing funeral he had ever attended.

A funeral cortege featured motorcyclists doing wheelies and burnouts in a high-speed convoy, while Mr Maguires associates also carried out dangerous manoeuvres on public roads around Crumlin and other parts of the city in the days following his death.

All three men, who had a combined total of over 200 convictions, were known to gardai and were believed to be key figures in a burglary gang that was linked to Fat Andy Connors  a crime gang leader who was shot dead outside his home in Saggart, Co Dublin in August 2014.
All three were known to gardai for involvement in organised burglaries, had over 200 criminal convictions between them, and had come to the attention of gardai prior to the fatal collision.

The body representing frontline gardai has said it is "extremely concerning" that a member is facing prosecution in relation to a fatal crash in which three known criminals died.

Dean Maguire (29), Karl Freeman (26) and Graham Taylor (31) were pronounced dead after the BMW they were travelling in on the wrong side of the N7 dual-carriageway collided head on with a truck on July 7, 2021.

All three were known to gardai for involvement in organised burglaries, had over 200 criminal convictions between them, and had come to the attention of gardai prior to the fatal collision.

Their inquest yesterday heard that a garda will face prosecution in relation to "his driving on the night" of the incident.

Evidence was given that a prosecution was directed following an investigation by the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC).

The Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents over 12,500 rank-and-file gardai, has said the news is a "shock" to its membership and added that it will be providing assistance to the individual.

GRA President Brendan O'Connor told Independent.ie: "The news that any member would face the threat of criminal charges for any actions while carrying out their duty for the protection of the public has come as a shock and is extremely concerning for our members.

However, as we do not know the details or context of any possible charges, it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this time except to say that the association will be providing any assistance and supports we can to our colleague at this time," Mr O'Connor added.

The inquest also heard that the garda's solicitor had been informed of the pending prosecution but that the member had not yet been formally notified of the charges.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has described the fact that a garda was made aware of public charges being brought against him as "scandalous".

General Secretary Antoinette Cunningham said it was another situation in which a garda is subjected to a "protracted GSOC process only to find out in the public domain" that he is facing charges.

"The personal impact is grave, and the professional impact damaging. We see multiples cases of this each year. This cannot continue.

"It is in no way best practice and most certainly will have a negative consequence on ongoing garda recruitment," Ms Cunningham said.

On a basic human rights level any person is entitled to be made fully aware of any criminal charges being proffered against them without it being aired fist in a public forum. That this matter happened in that way is simply wrong and unacceptable.

AGSI is once again calling for a complete overhaul of GSOC and how it operates," she added.

Coroner Clare Keane was informed yesterday that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had taken the decision to initiate the prosecution based on a file submitted by GSOC which investigated the circumstances of the fatal crash.

A designated officer with GSOC, Sean Campbell, applied for an adjournment of the inquest into the deaths of the three men based on the new development in the case.

Mr Campbell said the garda facing the prosecution was still not aware of the precise offence with which he would be charged and consequently he did not wish to say anything further on the matter.

The GSOC officer said he was not in a position to provide any more details about the prosecution until he had received documents from the DPP relating to the summons to be served on the garda.

Pressed by solicitors on behalf of the families of the three men deceased, Mr Campbell replied that the offence related to the garda's "driving on the night.

The GSOC official said he would be happy to answer any questions once the summons had been served on the garda and he was aware of the offence.

The inquest was adjourned for a further hearing on May 23.
Professor Colin OGara chats to Nicola about addiction in Ireland

HE is the consultant psychiatrist with his finger on the pulse when it comes to alcohol abuse, cocaine use and gambling addictions.

With an expertise in the use of medicine to help those trying to quit acute and dangerous habits, Professor Colin OGara says absolutely anyone is open to developing problematic addictions which could destroy their lives.

Today, the head of addiction services at St John of God talks about how modern life, our traumatic past and our historic relationship with alcohol have all fed into an addicted Ireland.

And he warns how with the use of cocaine, now normalised in every town across the country, a looming threat of a crack cocaine epidemic is never far away.

Crime World Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud.

MORE EPISODES 
We priced that out, and it was about $84,000. We're a small business. We can't afford that

The latest incident at the Irish Nobleman Pub was captured on camera

The owner of an Irish pub in Chicago has described the ridiculous situation of being told by the local police department to install "riot proof" windows after a series of break-ins.

Declan Morgans Irish Nobleman Pub was recently targeted by a burglar who broke a window with a brick.

Morgan said this was just the latest incident to affect his business that had suffered previous other break-ins.

However, he claims that although police have identified the perpetrator, they are unable to prove his guilt.

As a result, he said local police are expecting his business to "police" itself by ramping up security measures, including installing "riot proof" windows.

Irish pub owner Morgan

But he told Fox News' Ashley Strohmier on Wednesday that this was "ridiculous to expect.

"The city is asking us to police ourselves, and it just doesn't make sense," he said while appearing on Fox & Friends First.

"The police came out pretty fast, then we were informed to put in riot glass," Morgan recalled. "We priced that out, and it was about $84,000. We're a small business. We can't afford that."

The $1,400 price tag to replace the broken window and hire more security, coupled with layoffs after the city removed the pub's expanded patio are making it "more difficult to survive," Morgan said.

"I don't know where it's coming from [the calls to install riot glass], but it's ridiculous to expect a small business to spend that much money."

After concerns over widespread burglaries heightened in recent days, the Chicago Police Department issued an alert on April 30, saying in part, "If possible, use ArmorPlast, an unbreakable shield that fits over existing glass."

Morgan said that while Chicago police are doing the best they can to tackle the crime crisis, those in charge are leaving business owners to fend for themselves.

He added that the business struggled under the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic and crime has only exacerbated existing problems.

The police advisory

According to Morgan, there have been 25 bars broken into across the neighbourhood within the last month, with some broken into multiple times in a week.

"The police told us they know who it [the perpetrator] is, but they can't prove it because there are no fingerprints, Morgan added. The guy wore a mask the entire time, but the detective told us they knew who it was."

Even if the perpetrator is put in handcuffs, Morgan said he is concerned city policies would mean he would be back on the streets within hours.
Molly Walters (23) was chosen to receive the 3,500 bursary and three month paid internship at River Islands head office design studio in London.

Pictured (right) is Molly Walters (23) from Dublin, who was chosen to receive the 3,500 bursary and three month paid internship at River Islands London based head office design studio. Photograph: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland   Photocall Ireland

Pictured is model Kelly Horrigan wearing the loungewear collections, which was inspired by Molly's late grandmothers philosophy of treasuring and taking care of her possessions and garments. Photograph: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland   Photocall Ireland

A Dublin student is set for London after receiving the coveted River Island National College of Art and Design (NCAD) fashion design bursary.

Molly Walters (23) was chosen to receive the 3,500 bursary and three month paid internship at River Islands head office design studio in London.

The highly sought-after bursary provides winning graduates with an invaluable first step into the commercial fashion world, with many past winners having their designs sold in River Island stores and online.

Pictured (right) is Molly Walters (23) from Dublin, who was chosen to receive the 3,500 bursary and three month paid internship at River Islands London based head office design studio. Photograph: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland   Photocall Ireland

The bursary, which was first launched in 2004, has proved to be extremely successful for aspiring Irish designers.

This year, River Island asked NCAD students to create a capsule collection for the spring/summer season to be judged by the companys design team.

Mollys winning entry, 'Waste not, Want not, was brought to life by a loungewear collection inspired by her late grandmothers philosophy of treasuring and taking care of her possessions and garments.

Mollys designs used techniques like embroidery and print to materialise memories.

Angela OKelly, head of design for body and environment at ,NCAD said: Each year the River Island competition project advances skill sets in the students, developing knowledge and expertise in key areas of innovative high street fashion design.

The winning prize of a bursary and placement in the River Island design studios in London offer invaluable experience for our graduates and a superb launch pad into the fashion industry.

Naomi New, River Islands Head of Womenswear Design, added: We are proud to be among the first to champion some of Irelands brightest new design talent.

Our industry thrives on fresh ideas and its fantastic to give NCAD graduates the chance to come to our London design studio to develop their careers.
Costing us 5 each, 30c more expensive than advertised, we couldnt fault the taste or texture, but once again on our weekly travels weve encountered a publican who has not updated his price list.

IT is almost 10 years since the pub-mobile was in Croom and even on that occasion it was a brief passing through on our way back to HQ.

The Old Commando was keen to make a proper visit to the small village just outside Adare, and as we embarked on the two and a half hour journey we wondered what the atmosphere would be like in a county potentially licking its wounds after last weekends defeat to Clare.

Just goes to show nobodys invincible, the Old Commando said as we cruised along the M7.

Its just a pity the Grab All Association put it behind a paywall the Young Commando replied.

Everyone should have been able to witness a classic like that. Our designated driver parked the pub-mobile on the Main Street and we picked Daffys pub as our main port of call.

The Old Commando, who is on a mission to get publicans to update their price lists, scrambled at the door to check out the price of a pint of stout before we went in.

4.70  thats cheap. Lets hope its true though, he said rather sarcastically after reading the list at the entrance.

Much to our surprise, the bar was empty. Not a single soul  whether it was customer or staff  was to be seen. There was plenty of noise in the pub but it was all coming from the lounge.

Although we normally prefer the bar area, it made no sense to stay there so we traipsed into the lounge and placed our order with the lively barman on duty.

Pints of Fosters, Tuborg, Birra Moretti and Orchard Thieves were all available on draught but the Old Commando is never tempted to stray from his first love, Guinness.

Costing us 5 each, 30c more expensive than advertised, we couldnt fault the taste or texture, but once again on our weekly travels weve encountered a publican who has not updated his price list since the most recent hikes were introduced.

Remember, its required by law!

On a more positive note, the atmosphere was brilliant in the lounge where we sat in the curved seating just across from the bar.

There was terrific banter and woeful slagging, as one local described it, going on between some Kilmallock natives and the locals.

Leave your feelings at the door-type stuff. There was a mixed clientele of all ages and we counted three TVs in the lounge.

The red velvet covered seating and barstools were in decent shape and a second room at the rear of the lounge had a pool table and was also busy.

A signed and framed match programme is on display from the 1978 Munster vs All Blacks game as well as numerous Limerick hurling photos from the past few years, with Declan Hannon lifting Liam one of the highlights.

The Liam number plates are also hanging behind the bar representing the wins from 1974, 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Will they be able to print one for 2023?

The Young Commando carried out the toilet inspection and he reported back to us that they are located up the yard and contained two urinals and one cubicle.

The cubicle lock was broken and should be fixed immediately, and the hot water tap was not working.

Overall, we had a good time in Daffys pub as both the barman and the locals were friendly and entertaining. The pints of stout, although more costly than advertised, still went down a treat with our team of Commandos.

We promise not to leave it another decade before visiting Croom.

Rating: Three pints out of Five

One for the road

The Old Mill  Croom, Co. Limerick

THERE was no sign saying locals only but thats how we felt during our brief stay at the Old Mill pub in Croom.

From the moment we arrived the barman duty was suspicious of us and we felt his eyes never left us until we walked back out the front door.

He even went to the toilet at the same time as the Young Commando.

The Old Commando, however, never bats an eyelid at these things, he was just happy to be sipping pints in the front bar which he described as a throwback to the good old days.

There are five large screen TVs in this area and the tiled floor was spotlessly clean.

the second section of the bar there is a pool table, a jukebox, a dart board and a further two TVs. The toilets were OK with sawdust sprinkled across the floor but the cubicle light was extremely dim and it was very difficult to see.

Rating: Three pints out of Five
Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) has announced that request for proposals has been issued to all the qualified bidders for development of Jazan cluster project.

The project scope includes setting up of 12 SSTPs of varying capacities with a total combined capacity of 74,700 cu m per day along with associated collection networks of approximately 1,348 km. The project is set for commercial operations in Q3 2028.

In the initial stage, SWPC had announced that the Jazan project will see the development of 20 SSTPs of varying capacities with a total combined capacity of 104,500 cu m per day (with sizes ranging from 1,000 cu m/day to 15,000 cu m/day), together with associated collection networks of 1,500 km (with lengths ranging from 7 km to 415 km).

In June last year, TradeArabia had reported that 19 developers, including 10 Saudi groups, had been prequalified for the Jazan SSTP project.

SWPC said the first cluster that is proposed to be procured corresponds to SSTPs and associated collection network in Jazan region. It will conduct a competitive process to select a developer or developer consortium for the development, financing, engineering, procurement, construction, and implementation of the project.

The list of the bidders (lead and/or technical) for the Jazan project include French water expert Saur Group; Italian EPC major Ercole Marelli Impianti Tecnologici and California-based Merit Technologies; in addition to Chinese heavyweights - Harbour Engineering Company, China Railway Construction Company, CITIC Construction and China State Construction Engineering Corporation; as well as Hong Kong's Bio Treat International; and UAE's Metito Utilities Limited.

The SWPC had indicated in 2021 that a total of 46 companies, including 27 Saudi firms, as part of 38 consortia, had expressed their interests in the project.

The big Saudi players in the race are Ajlan & Bros Energy Company; Tawzea; AlFanar; Al Khorayef Water; Mowah; Al Yamama Company; Al-Jazea; Civil Works Company; Miahona Company and SARH Attaqnia Construction Company.

The Saudi utility developer said the winning bidder, through a project company to be incorporated, would develop the SSTP project on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model under a 25-year Sewage Treatment and Collection Network Implementation Agreement with SWPC, while for the collection network, it will be on a design, build, finance and transfer (DBFT).

KPMG Al Fozan & Partners is the lead and financial advisor for the project, while Jacobs Engineering Group (CH2M Saudi Limited) is responsible for providing technical advisory services and Amer Al Amr Law Firm the legal advisory services.
The Tablyat Masr Initiative is a series of talks initiated by The National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (NMEC), and it focuses on Egyptian cuisine as a key element of intangible cultural heritage.

On Monday, the NMEC held its monthly series of Tablyat Masr Initiatives. Tablyat Masr meaning the traditional Egyptian round wooden table that is quite short and used as a mobile dining table, is an initiative organized by the museum which aims to highlight the importance of the heritage of Egyptian food in order to document and revive it.

This session focused on the origin of Koshary, and the significance of salted fish, onions, garlic, and humus in ancient Egyptian harvest rituals.

Which Egyptian Cuisine?

Professor of Archaeobotany (the analysis and interpretation of plant remains found at archaeological sites) and Archaeology of food, Ain Shams University, Mennat-Allah El-Dorry puts it this way: "Egyptian cuisine is an interchangeable concept that developed over the years and was more of a manifestation of cultural infusions. So, when we ask what Egyptian cuisine is, we must ask which era. While there is evidence that Egyptian Dill, Coriander, and Anise were authentic culinary elements in ancient Egypt, there are many other food components that were very popular in Egyptian cuisine, yet they are not Egyptian."

"There are many Egyptian recipes that include Ginger and Galangal, a spice planted in Asia, which is evidence of a very rich trade with the rest of the world, especially with Asia," El-Dorry explains.

She added that in the 14th century, the way fried spices and herbs were fried before using it to get their full flavour is a typical Asian cooking methodology. "It was in the 20th century when Mohamed Ali introduced some new crops to Egypt, such as Oranges, and we imported corn, potatoes, tomatoes and pepper from the newly discovered Americas," she continued. "Imagine Egyptian cuisine without tomatoes!" she exclaimed.

Heritage Cooking Books

The idea of documenting Egyptian recipes was not novel to Egyptian society. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, many books were published. Harb El Manshoue Fi Hawader El Souk (The War of the Marketplace, published in the 17th century) was a witty book depicting a virtual fight between animals, fruits and vegetables in the souq (market) and which proteins are better. There was also the book titled: Brains Confounded: An Ode of Abi Shadouf, (Haz al ko7ouf fi qasidet Abi Shadouf) where he wrote about the differences between the town and village cuisine. The name of the meal Fesikh (salted fish), was first mentioned in this book.

In the late 19th and 20th centuries, books written by head chefs of the Royal Family cuisine shared their recipes with the public. "Osta Ahmed Ibrahim, the head chef of Khedive Ismail , and his famous book Nasihet Al Anam Fi Hosn Al Taaam (Advice on the Best of Food). There is another more famous book co-written by Toghian Said and Abu Zeid Amin, and it has a whole section for oriental recipes. Basima Zaki's book and that of Abla Nazira co-written with Bahia Othman," continued El-Dorry.

Origins of Koshary

"In 1864, Sir Richard Burton (British Explorer), who followed the hajj (pilgrimage) route along the Red Sea, wrote about the Suez winter breakfast, which was a mixture of lentils, rice, ghee, and onions. They called it Koshary, and the people living in Hijaz ate a similar dish. An Indian pilgrim who came from Asia first introduced it to the people of the Red Sea. When Koshary moved to the Nile Valley, it developed over time into the form of Koshary we now know. So Koshary is a 100 percent Egyptian cuisine meal with an Indian grandfather," she smiles as she elaborates.

The Ancient Egyptian Harvest Season

The second part of the session focused on the origins of ancient Egyptian agricultural rituals and harvest seasons. Professor Maissara Abd Allah, Deputy executive manager at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, gave a talk titled The Harvest of Ancient Egyptian Gods, where he delved into an enchanting world of philosophy and spirituality that unveiled a profound religious doctrine of ancient Egypt.

"The ancient Egyptians referred to Egypt as 'The Sky On Earth' because, according to their beliefs, when God created the universe, the universe was Egypt, and this land was a gift from God, and so all of their acts on this land are sacred acts of worshipping whether it be looking at the sun or harvesting," noted Abd Allah.

"Consider the river Nile while crossing from Upper Egypt to the Mediterranean; it is exactly parallel to the milky-way in the sky, which ancient Egyptians view as the Dress of Nut, the goddess of the sky. The stars that are scattered on the body of Nut mirror the locations of ancient Egyptian governorates and the main religious centres.

Thats why ancient Egyptians named the Karnak temple, Masaherta, or the manifestation of the sky on earth. The temple of Karnaks architectural design symbolized the Egyptian land, with its two main axis, from south to north representing the river Nile axis and from east and west, the axis of the sun," he noted.

The ancient Egyptian religious beliefs picture the universe as a dark place covered with water, out of which materialized the first land, which was Egypt. Aton, the creator who created himself by himself, created Shu, the god of air. Tefut, the god of light, worked with Shu and both gods worked together to expand the universe. When both gods got married, they gave birth to Geb, the god of the land and Nut, the goddess of the sky. When such gods married, they gave birth to four children that are the essence of the Agriculture cycle: Osiris, a kind and fair ruler; his wife Isis, a wise, fair, and fertile deity, Set an evil, envious man married to the goddess of love, beauty, and joy, and Nephtys, who represents the sisterly love and the funeral rite.

Ancient Egyptians believed that the world was in a cycle of prosperity and that the Gods had to be worshipped to maintain the prosperity cycle.

They had three main harvest seasons: The first is the Shemo El-Seim (different spelling because it was changed to Sham El-Nessim in the Coptic language) festival that comes in April to celebrate the harvest.

Then it is followed by the 11 Bashans (May) festival, which ensures that the crops are ready to be harvested and that the prosperous cycle of agriculture will continue for another year. This is called the Valley Festival, the closing ceremony where Amun pays a visit at the end of the harvest season.

Amun's procession comes out of El-Deir Al-Bahary temple in Luxor to Habu temple and crosses the Nile to Karnak temple. This route ends with a great banquet of offerings where the dead in the graveyards are brought back to life and join the living in celebrating the harvest.

The Food of Harvest Celebrations

The food offered during harvest celebrations is highly symbolic. Some of it is still eaten during Sham El Nessim."Salted fish (Fesikh) is a symbol of Osiris, the god of the underworld who managed to be resurrected after his death. The technique of salting fish is very similar to the mummification technique, where the internal organs of the fish are emptied and replaced with salt to preserve it, he added.

Green onions and garlic are considered sacred plants in ancient Egypt because they grow by themselves with no seeds. Malana, which is green humus, symbolizes Osiriss seed that was conceived inside the womb of Isis and manifested into their son Horus. The seed resembles the face of Horus. The lotus flower was offered as well as a symbol of life. People would drink alcohol and remember the memories of the dead," he concluded.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Spanish police confirmed a skull, bones and a suitcase have been found in the hills close to where 15-year-old Dubliner Amy went missing in Mijas Costa, near Fuengirola, on New Years Day 2008.

The aunt of missing teenager Amy Fitzpatrick and the boyfriend of a waitress who also disappeared in Spain are offering each other support as they wait for human remains to be identified.

Spanish police confirmed a skull, bones and a suitcase have been found in the hills close to where 15-year-old Dubliner Amy went missing in Mijas Costa, near Fuengirola, on New Years Day 2008.

She had been living there with her mother Audrey, stepfather Dave Mahon and brother Dean.

Latvian-born waitress Agnese Klavina (30) was last seen leaving a nightclub in Marbella on September 6, 2014.

Amy's aunt Christine Kenny and Amy's father Christopher Fitzpatrick. Photo: Val Sheehan

Christine Kenny said she could not rule out the possibility the skull and bones may be those of her niece, Amy.

She is in contact with Ms Klavinas boyfriend, British businessman Michael Millis, and said they were offering each other help and assurance as they wait for the remains to be identified.

Since news of this body in Spain emerged, Michael has been in touch with me as hes wondering if it could be Agnese, Ms Kenny said.

We share a common connection in that we have loved ones belonging to us missing for some years and were there for each other to offer help and assurance.

We all want to find both Amy and Agnese, as well as anybody else who is still missing.

This has been tormenting all of us for years and we need closure and resolution.

Amy Fitzpatricks aunt, Christine Kenny. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos

The body that was found is someones daughter and she deserves dignity.

We are still waiting for the remains to be identified. The body was found in the hills near Mijas and they reckon the body has been there over a decade.

They found a skull and other human body parts.

They reckon, though, from the bone structure, that its a woman aged between 25 and 30 or thereabouts, but it takes ages for that type of thing to be dealt with.

There is a possibility that it could be Amy, though, as there was a satchel bag found with the remains and Amy used to have a similar type of bag.

Ms Kenny has led a campaign on behalf of Amys fathers side of the family to seek answers about what happened to her niece.

She recently met Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin to try to press Spanish authorities to put more resources into the search.

I wish this was finished with and the child was found and someone came forward with the information, thats what we need now because it has taken its toll, she said.

My main concern is that Amy is found, one way or another. If she is found deceased, that she is given a decent burial and she is laid to rest with Dean in the family plot, so her father Christopher  who bought the grave  and the family can pay their respects.

The people who are responsible for her going missing should also be brought to justice. I want the case upgraded to one of murder.

Christine adds that a woman who sent her new important information recently is vital to solving the puzzling case.

This lady has never been given her name, but she has been giving information over the years, she reveals.

This information has eventually found its way to me through sources. I havent got around to all the bits and pieces. There is about 21 pages in it and its ongoing.

She seems to be on the ball all the time, the woman. I dont want this person to stop giving the information to the police, and the Guardia Civil as well.

Christine says the woman insists the people involved in Amys disappearance were well known to her.

She reckons she knows who is responsible for Amys disappearance, she confirms.

Amy spent New Years Eve in 2007 with her friends Ashley and Debbie Rose near her Spanish home.

She was never seen again after leaving the Rose house around 10pm on New Years night to walk the few minutes back to her home.
When I turned down the corridor the first day and saw what I saw, it actually stopped me in my tracks

A man whose elderly father was admitted to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) after suffering a stroke says he has been left "traumatised," and his dad with "permanent" symptoms by the conditions there.

Derek McMahons 79-year-old dad, John, suffered a stroke in his room at St Pauls Nursing Home, Dooradoyle in Limerick on April 5.

He was rushed to UHL but the "dysfunctional healthcare system" Derek says he encountered there has hindered his recovery.

Derek, who lives in the United States, was "upset and saddened" by the "disturbing" volume of people on trolleys along a corridor which was "full of patients."

When I turned down the corridor the first day and saw what I saw, it actually stopped me in my tracks, he told the Limerick Leader.

The trolleys were placed toe-to-head with no space in between, and on both sides of the corridor with approximately three feet of space along the centre," he added.

TD tells Leo Varadkar of dying OAP's agonising wait on trolley in Portiuncula Hospital

Derek immediately informed a nurse that his father is diabetic, but was told that the hospital was having difficulty providing him with insulin, a critical drug required for treating the condition.

"I ended up leaving and returning to St Paul's nursing home to obtain his insulin," Derek said.

When I arrived back, the nurse was very appreciative and administered the insulin to my Dad right away," he added.

"When I was there, I couldn't figure out how they were going to get any of the patients to the toilet because the trolleys were packed on both sides of the corridor."

He added: "I quickly discovered that the majority of the patients were wearing diapers."

Derek revealed that his father had been "professionally confirmed to have suffered a significant stroke but was placed on a trolley for five days."

"When it comes to strokes, speed is everything," Derek pointed out.

Derek, who was visiting his daughter who lives in Cork, returned to Limerick on April 7, to see his father following his medical emergency.

Based on his experiences in the US, he said he was upset and saddened to think that's all the elderly in Ireland have to rely on for healthcare.

University Hospital Limerick

A UL Hospitals Group statement to the Limerick Leader delivered by a ULHG spokesperson said that were unable to comment on individual cases due to our ethical and legal obligations to protect the privacy of our patients and our staff.

"We are sorry that any admitted patient faces long wait times for a bed, it adds.

"We are concerned when anyone is dissatisfied with the care they have received in our hospitals. UL Hospitals Group has an official complaints process, and patients, or their loved ones, are encouraged to engage with that process so the issues can be properly resolved.

"Staff are available to assist patients through the complaints process. Complaints can be made via email to yoursay@hse.ie."

According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, the latest figures in UHL released on Wednesday showed there were 92 patients on trolleys, 39 in the emergency department, and 53 in wards elsewhere in University Hospital Limerick. Nationally, a total of 613 patients were waiting for a bed,
We shouldn't accept it at any level, not in today's world, because it's live and let live

Senator Eileen Flynn who recently told how a taxi refused to take her home to a halting site in Ballyfermot has spoken out against racism, saying it hurts.

The Dublin senator, who represents the Travelling community, says the racism they endure is very casual.

It's very acceptable (compared to) other forms of racism, she said during interview on The Tonight Show. But I need to be very clear, in my opinion, racism is racism and it hurts, no matter if it's because of the colour of your skin or if it's because of your gender, whatever it may be.

We shouldn't accept it at any level, not in today's world, because it's live and let live, she added.

Senator Flynn is the first Traveller to serve in the Oireachtas and has served in the Seanad since June 2020.

Senator Flynn has spoken out about racism

Last week, she revealed how she got a taxi home from town but the driver refused to take her to her house in a halting site.

She said that after she spoke out, she had received numerous positive messages from ministers, from TDs, from senators, from the general population, from civil society.

However, she added that there were some, not many, nasty comments on social media, that did not take into consideration the young Traveller child who has to wake up to Twitter, to Facebook, whatever it may be.

Look at the suicide rate within our community, she added. Traveller women are six times more likely to die by suicide than women in the general population. Traveller men seven times more likely to die by suicide than men in general population.

This has an impact. Hate and rejection and racism and discrimination has an impact, not (on) me, I'm OK, but on our younger children because you feel like you're nothing and you're nobody.

After her experience in the taxi Senator Flynn said: We have a long way to go before we tackle racism in this country, and to be not brought where you want to go and to be judged on the basis of everybody in the community. We dont judge settled people.

Unfortunately, when you are a member of the Traveller community, even in 2023, being a Senator or what you will be, you will experience racism and discrimination.

We need to do more than tackle it. We need to protect people and put good legislation in place, she said.
It went through the ceiling, hit the floor and ricocheted around the room.

A five-billion-year-old meteorite the size of a potato crashed through the roof of a family home in New Jersey this week.

The flying space rock possibly came as debris from a massive comet more than three billion miles from Earth.

It came through the roof of my dads bedroom, homeowner Suzy Kop told CBS News.

Initially, Ms Kop thought somebody threw a stone into her house but after inspecting the roof, it became apparent this was not the case.

Roof (Credit:6ABC)

"It appears whatever came from the sky fell through the roof of the top window, that's my dads bedroom.

"I did touch the thing because it thought it was a random rock, I don't know, and it was warm.

We are thinking it's a meteorite, came through here, hit the floor here because that's completely damaged, it ricocheted up to this part of the ceiling and then finally rested on the floor there,' Ms Kop said.

Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at the Franklin Institute, told CBS News that the object could be between four and five billion years old.

"It's been running around in space all that time and now it's come to Earth and fell in their laps," he said.

Meteorite (Credit:6ABC)

"For it to actually strike a house, for people to be able to pick up, that's really unusual and has happened very few times in history."

The Hopewell Township Police Department (HTPD) issued a report shortly after news of the meteor incident broke.

'A metallic object believed to be a meteorite struck the roof of a residence on Old Washington Crossing Pennington Rd,' the department said.

'The ranch-style home was occupied at the time, but no injuries were reported.

'HTPD has contacted several other agencies for assistance in positively identifying the object and safeguarding the residents and the object.

'This may be related to a current Meteor shower called the Eta Aquariids. The investigation is ongoing. '

Halley's Comet

Eta Aquariids features chunks of debris from Halleys Comet, which is the most famous asteroid because astronomers learned from it for the first time that comets are repeat visitors to our skies.

Scientists have been able to link the comet's appearance to observations dating back more than 2,000 years.

The comet has not visited Earth since 1986 and will not return until 2061 on its regular 76-year journey around the Sun.

NASA also commented on the crazy New Jersey event.

"Although meteorites tend to hit Earth's atmosphere at high speeds, they slow as they travel through the atmosphere, breaking into small fragments before hitting the ground," NASA said.

"Meteorites cool rapidly and generally are not a risk to the public."
Yevgeny Prigozhin mocked the Russian leader following a one-tank Victory Day parade in Moscow

Front of the demonstration march during the celebrations of the May 1st in Moscow, Russia.   NurPhoto via Getty Images

The head of the private army fighting for Russia in Ukraine has called Vladimir Putin a complete a**hole in a new video.

Yevgeny Prigozhin of the Wagner mercenary group mocked the Russian leader following an embarrassing one-tank Victory Day parade in Moscow.

Though the Wagner chief did not refer to Putin by name, he has never shied away from criticising other senior Russian defence figures and has used the opposition name for Putin, grandfather or even the bunker grandfather.

Prigozhin who treatened to pull his army out of the brutal fight for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, released a scathing video lashing out at his troops' lack of ammunition and threatening to strangle those who are preventing shells from reaching the frontline.

Vladimir Putin   Getty Images

They're collecting [artillery shells] in warehouses - why, no one knows, he stormed.

Instead of spending a shell to kill the enemy and save the lives of our soldiers, they let our soldiers die - and the happy grandfather thinks this is good for him.

If he turns out to be right, then God bless everybody... but how will we win the war, if, by chance - and I'm just speculating - it turns out that this grandfather is a complete a**hole?

Prigozhin added: The shells give freedom. And if they don't give freedom with the shells... if they keep holding onto them then first we need to shove it up their a*** and then throw them in jail.

After 14 months of war in Ukraine, Russia's armed forces were only able to muster one T-34 tank the Victory Day parade that marked the Red Army's victory over the Nazis in the Second World War.

The previous years parades have featured various Russian tanks, missiles, armoured vehicles and other impressive machinery rolling past the Kremlin in a display of Moscow's military strength.

Putin claimed in a speech watched by scores of uniformed soldiers, military officials and leaders of former Soviet nations, that Russia wants peace.

Civilisation is once again at a decisive turning point, he declared. A real war has been unleashed against our motherland, he said in a reference to his ongoing invasion that the Kremlin says is a proxy conflict with the West.

It came just hours after another barrage of cruise missiles hit several sites across Ukraine.

Putin compared his invasion of Ukraine to the Soviet fight against Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

'To Russia! To our brave armed forces! To Victory!' Putin concluded in his speech.

Prigozhin meanwhile has made his disdain for the Russian defence ministry and army generals clear in various profanity-laced videos released.

Last week, the mercenary chief raged against defence minister Shoigu and General Gerasimov.

He was filmed standing over the corpses of dozens of slain Wagner fighters  all of whom he claimed had been killed in bitter fighting earlier that day in fervent attempts to capture Bakhmut.

'These are the Wagner PMC [Private Military Company] fighters who died today  the blood is still fresh... Film them all! he demanded.

Addressing Putin-appointees Shoigu and Gerasimov, who are in charge of military operations, he said: 'Now listen to me, you ******* *****. These are someone's ******* fathers and someone's sons.

'And those scum who don't give us ammunition will eat their guts in hell. Mother*******.'

Front of the demonstration march during the celebrations of the May 1st in Moscow, Russia.   NurPhoto via Getty Images

Prigozhin also threatened to pull his troops back from the battle - the second time he has done so in the space of a week - despite allegedly being told he would be tried for treason if he followed through on his warning.

Yesterday we received a military order which stated several important things... if we leave our positions this would be seen as state treason.

If there will be no ammunition, we will leave. And we will ask the question who is the traitor to the motherland here.'

Prigozhin continued: Today one of the Ministry of Defence's detachments ran away from one of the flanks.

All of them ran away, and they left a frontline nearly 2.5 kilometres deep exposed.
I feel a little sad that I cant provide that charisma and swagger

Irish Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy has admitted that fans are often left underwhelmed when they meet him because he is nothing like his on-screen character Tommy Shelby.

Although he has starred in several Christopher Nolan films, including The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Dunkirk, and his forthcoming drama Oppenheimer, it is his lead role in the BBC drama that he is best known for.

But the 46-year-old Cork man admits that he finds it a little sad that I cant provide the charisma and swagger of the mob boss he plays.

I do feel people are a little bit underwhelmed. Thats fine, it means Im doing my job, he admitted. But sometimes I feel a little sad that I cant provide, like, that charisma and swagger. He couldnt be further from me.

Murphy who was speaking about working with Nolan again, also opened up about his complicated relationship with fame, saying that it can ruin experiences.

Murphy as Murphy

He says that he finds being photographed offensive and that it fetishises everything

You can be walking down the street and someone takes a picture like this is a f***ing event, Murphy explained in a new interview with Rolling Stone UK.

I dont like being photographed by people. I find that offensive. If I was a woman, and it was a man photographing me..., he added.

Comparing fame to commuting, he said: You have to commute to get to your destination.

I think thats the way the best people are, theyre not doing it for any other reason but love of the craft. They have a compulsion to make work, not to be famous or get attention.

He argued that fame evaporates with regularity.

Im around here all the time and no one gives a f***ing s***. Nobody cares. I go to the shop. It dissipates. But if one of the guys from Succession walked in here, Id be all intimidated and shaky. When youre confronted with someone youve invested a lot in, or you think is amazing, the encounter is strange.

Elsewhere in the interview, Murphy discussed his views on religion, saying he has no problem with people having faith.

"But I dont like it being imposed. When its imposed, it causes harm. Thats where I have an issue.

So, I dont want to go around bashing the good things about institutionalised religion, because there are some. But when it gets twisted and fu**ed-up, like it did in our country, and imposed on a nation, thats an issue.
We did everything we could. Michael Kealy [RTEs Eurovision Head of Delegation] was amazing, he wrote. But the truth is they never give Ireland a chance, sorry if we let you down. We tried our best.

Wild Youth lead singer Conor ODonohoe said the band tried our best, after they crashed out of the Eurovision semi-final on Tuesday night.

The four-piece failed to make it through to the Grand Final, despite delivering a strong performance and getting a rapturous response from the crowd.

Ireland has now not qualified for the Grand Final since 2018.

In a now deleted Instagram post, ODonohoe shared his disappointment with fans.

Wild Youth's Conor O'Donohoe   Getty Images

We did everything we could. Michael Kealy [RTEs Eurovision Head of Delegation] was amazing, he wrote. But the truth is they never give Ireland a chance, sorry if we let you down. We tried our best.

Earlier this week the band had said they would be hugely disappointed if they failed to make it through, and that they had given it their all.

Wild Youth took to the stage of the M&S Arena in Liverpools Albert Dock to perform song We Are One.

The competition in the first semi-final was stiff and fans had dubbed it the semi-final of death.

Wild Youthn performing at the Eurovision semi-final   PA

Read more Eurovision 2023: Heartbreak for Ireland as Wild Youth fail to qualify for final

The acts to make it through were Croatia, Moldova, Switzerland, Finland, Czechia, Israel, Portugal, Sweden, Serbia, and Norway.

RTEs Eurovision boss Michael Kealy said; We are extremely proud of Wild Youth  they put on a brilliant performance and were fantastic representatives for Ireland.

Outside of the venue Irish Eurovision fans expressed their frustration with the result.

Kevin Wilson, originally from Kilkenny and now living in London, believes its time for Ireland to change their selection process.

I really liked the song. It was just a shame that they didnt get the qualification. It is disappointing as a fan because you want your country to do well and get to the final.

Kaarija from Finland   PA

The issue is that Ireland doesnt have the same commitment to the Eurovision as other countries like the Scandinavian countries. If you look at Sweden and Finland, they have pretty intense national selection processes... Ireland doesnt.

Neil Farren from Dundalk, who works for Eurovision news site Eurovoix, said he found the result extremely disappointing.

I am frustrated with how RTE treats the contest, he said. They dont see it for what it is  a chance to promote Irish music to an audience of 200m people. There is so much good music and talent we are not showcasing.

Eurovision fan Charlie Waters suggested bringing back one of our more successful past acts.

It was a really strong semi-final, but sadly, it didnt work out. Send Jedward for a third time  third time is a charm, he said.

Cian OMahony from Cork said the performance was strong, but the song itself was generic.

It got a great reception in the arena I dont know where we are going wrong. I feel like we are writing songs for Eurovision when it should just be great songs that happen to go to Eurovision.

Sweden and Finland, both contenders to win the overall contest, provoked the strongest reactions from the crowd.

Watching Loreen (Sweden) perform was like watching art, Eurovision superfan and co-host of podcast Eirevision Conor Devlin said.

Kaarija from Finland performs during the first semi-final of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool   REUTERS

Meanwhile, Catherine Tate has been announced as the UKs spokeswoman for the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest.

The 53 year old actress and comedian will deliver the results of the countrys national jury live from the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool on Saturday.

It will be the first time a UK spokesperson has announced the scores from the same location as the contest itself.

She said: Its very exciting to be announcing the iconic douze points at Eurovision. Its just a foot in the door really as next year I hope to be the UK entrant.

In taking up the role, Tate follows in the footsteps of AJ Odudu, Amanda Holden, Nigella Lawson, Mel Giedroyc, Richard Osman, Cheryl Baker and Katrina Leskanich from Katrina And The Waves among others.

The announcement comes after the contest began in earnest on Tuesday night with the first of the two live semi-finals.

Ireland has participated in Eurovision more than 50 times and has a record seven wins, but has failed to qualify for the final since Ryan OShaughnessy entered with his song Together in 2018.

Eurovision boss Martin Osterdahl has said organisers expect 85 million people to watch the grand final globally in some capacity.

UK broadcasters have shaken up their schedules ahead of the event, with Britains Got Talent not airing on Saturday evening.
An Ohope man wants the council to loan him $10,000 to fly a water diviner over the district in a helicopter.

Admitting it sounds like a somewhat strange idea, Neville Johnson has proposed the plan to find a source of artesian water for Whakatane and Ohope.

Mr Johnson spoke during the public forum of Whakatane District Councills environment, energy and resilience committee last week.

He believes the Otakiri aquifer, considered amongst the finest quality drinking water in New Zealand, can be accessed a lot closer to the Whakatane township than the spring in Johnson Road, Otakiri, possibly by as much as 10 kilometres.

Mr Johnson has proposed the council loan him the money to hire Mount Maunganui-based water diviner Grant Birchall and hire a helicopter to fly him over the district.

He said Mr Birchall was able to divine water by flying over the land in a helicopter and was also able to detect the depth of the water.

Mr Birchalls website says he does this through his connection to the magnetic field surrounding the Earth, a gift he inherited from his father.

He really does have this ability. Im quite convinced of it, Mr Johnson said.

Mr Johnson said he had been involved in the drilling industry, though water was not his primary interest - gold was.

People have very different beliefs on water divining. However, I am probably in a position to judge whether Mr Birchall is a water diviner. I think there is no one in New Zealand who has spent as much money on diviners as I have.

He invited the councillors to look at Mr Birchalls website, which shows testimonials from two drilling companies as well as a land adviser for Te Tumu Paeroa, the Office of the Maori Trustee, which administers about 1800 Maori land trusts.

I firmly believe Grant Birchall has an extraordinary ability, Mr Johnson said.

Mr Johnson said through a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request to Whakatane District Council, he had learned that, in 2018, it had set aside a budget of $3.65 million to investigate a fresh water source for Whakatane and Ohope and as of December last year, had spent $2.3 million of that budget.

So, there is just over $1.25 million of that budget left.

He said if the council agreed to pay $10,000 to him, he would eventually repay that money when a certain project of mine comes off.

He emphasised that this would be a loan. Any information he got from Mr Birchall would be handed over to the council as a gift and he would still owe them the $10,000.

Of this, $3000 plus gst would be Mr Birchalls fee while the rest would be used to hire a helicopter.

This is an investment, not an expense, he said.

Mayor Victor Luca said he felt Mr Johnsons objective was the same as the councils.

To find good drinking water sources closer to town. I think we are all aware around this table that the township is completely dependent on a single water source, so that is a vulnerability, Dr Luca said. That source being a river was also problematic, as there was potential for algal blooms and salt water intrusion among other issues.

"Weve been looking at this subject for more than 20 years, the idea of bringing in good artesian water  The question is, how do you detect it. The council has spent quite a bit of money employing methods that are scientifically state of the art. With a company that has got quite a good track record.

Councillor Lesley Immink asked Mr Johnson why the council would need to loan or invest $10,000 with him rather than going directly to Mr Birchall.

Mr Johnson said it was because Mr Birchall was opposed to working with councils as he had been dudded by them in the past.

Grant emphatically told me that he would not work for the council, but if I employed him he would.

Mrs Immink said she was not opposed to investigating working with water diviners, but it would have been great to see some endorsements from other councils on his testimonials page.

Councillor Tu OBrien said he had, growing up, seen water diviners at work, first-hand, and believed it worked.

Ive seen them work, especially out on the Rangitaiki Plains. Im interested.

However, he also was unsure about the $10,000 investment Mr Johnson suggested.

Councillor Nandor Tanczos also indicated interest in the idea but said the arrangement Mr Johnson had made with Mr Birchall was not one he was particularly comfortable with.

-Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
A Western Bay of Plenty councillors comments about the councils relationship with Maori have been labelled mischievous by a senior staff member.

Councillor Margaret Murray-Benge raised her concerns about the word prioritise in the councils 12 page, long-term plan preparation document during the Annual Plan and Long Term Plan Committee Meeting on Tuesday.

The draft Strategic Assumptions for the 2024-2034 Long Term Plan document helps with preparing the Western Bay of Plenty District Councils 10 year plan.

The assumption stated: Council seeks to prioritise and build upon the key relationship with Maori which is important to deliver on councils strategic direction and Long Term Plan.

Murray-Benge said: Its true we do work closely with Maori and thats important, but partnership with Maori will continue to increase [in] importance.

I just say it cannot go over our commitment to the wider community, it cant prioritise over anybody else because the Treaty [of Waitangi] when you read it doesnt say that.

To move into so called partnership just doesnt add up because its not in the treaty and I just think that we are being quietly misled and Im just sending a signal that I think this quite wrong, she said.

Deputy mayor John Scrimgeour. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

Committee chairperson and deputy mayor John Scrimgeour interjected and said: Youre entitled to your view but we do have a responsibility to work with all groups and tangata whenua is one of them.

Murray-Benge replied: I didnt say that sir, its giving priority to one particular section is not right because we do have a responsibility to everybody.

General manager strategy and community Rachael Davie responded to Murray-Benges remarks: Your comments are mischievous.

The reference within the strategic assumptions doesnt purport to put relationships with tangata whenua ahead of relationships with community at large or any other stakeholder group it is simply recognising our statutory obligations and the status of the Treaty, said Davie.

Murray-Benge Im not trying to be mischievous, Im trying to highlight the fact that Im uncomfortable with where we seem to be heading.

The councillor has previously raised her concerns about Maori representation on councils.

In 2021, she organised a meeting to oppose the introduction of Maori wards in Tauranga for the city council elections and stimulate debate about the issue.

In a council meeting about Three Waters reform last year, she said the water services were being transferred over to these huge entities that are tribal dominated and it's just so undemocratic.

Councillor Anne Henry. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

During Tuesdays meeting, councillor Anne Henry said she was all for equity and gave the definition of prioritise.

Something given special attention to, the highest or the higher importance rank and privilege, she said.

Im not disagreeing with the sentiments in there [the assumption] but could we use another word instead of prioritise please?

Mayor James Denyer said he had suggested different wording during the long-term plan workshop.

Changing that from council seeks to prioritise and build upon the key relationships to council seeks to consciously build on the key relationships with Maori.

I just wonder if that would be a more appropriate way to highlight the fact that we do want to work closely with Maori, but without any connotation of putting above the community, he said.

Murray-Benge said that was a good idea.

The councillors agreed to change the wording and adopted the strategic assumptions.

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
A medical aid mission to Fiji powered by the generosity of Bay of Plenty residents is now underway, with the M/V YWAM KOHA sailing out of Tauranga Harbour today to empower a healthy future for thousands of people in need.

The former cargo vessel is deploying to far-flung islands surrounding Fijis mainland to deliver free dental and optometry services at a cost of over $700,000.

All of this has been funded privately through donations from businesses, churches and individuals, says YWAM Managing Director Marty Emmett.

Its a koha from the people of New Zealand to the people of Fiji to make life a little better for those less fortunate than ourselves.

M/V YWAM KOHA is operated by the Tauranga Moana-based Christian aid organisation YWAM Ships Aotearoa (Youth With A Mission), and Emmett is astounded by the willingness of people to help.

Our platinum partner, Trinity Lands, has doubled their support for this financial year which has allowed us to upgrade the ships safety systems and other equipment. Weve seen about $100,000 donated from Bay of Plenty families and local businesses in the last month alone which is incredible.

Lots of companies are keen to develop their environmental and social conscience and we would love to work with them. Swire Shipping New Zealand recently became a corporate partner. Their first major act was to furnish the ship with two new anchor chains, as the ones on the vessel were in poor condition. We are so grateful for Swire Shippings support, as well as all the other partners who have enabled our aspiration of deploying again in 2023 to become a reality.

M/V YWAM KOHAs inaugural mission to Fiji last year resulted in the ships primary health teams treating 578 patients.

Almost 1000 rotten teeth were extracted and over 300 more were restored. Education and prevention was a major focus, with toothbrushing demonstrations carried out in dozens of village schools and over 3000 toothbrushes and toothpaste handed out.

About one third of the 120 volunteers on board for this second deployment are Bay of Plenty residents, with remaining crew coming from across New Zealand, Australia and as far away as Denmark.

We need medical staff obviously but it also takes a lot of people to run a ship  from the captain through to the deck team, cooks and hospitality team on board.

This new mission is much longer than last year, with volunteers spending a total of 13 weeks delivering outreach care to remote island villages over a five month period.

It will be mainly dental services but were also pioneering a new optometry clinic to deliver prescription glasses which will be life-changing for many people.

Emmett says the organisations theme this year is to "go again better".

Last year we really went as students. We went to learn, to partner, and to build relationships. We want to go back this year and do better  be more effective, more efficient and help more people.

YWAM Ships is in process of forming a 10-year partnership with the Fijian Government to provide medical aid missions to the region, and the organisation is working with the countrys Ministry of Health.

Were going to the remote places the places only boats can reach. Fijis oral health leaders are very keen to be involved and we know we can make an enormous difference to peoples lives as the need is massive.

Last year we delivered over 2000 individual services and this year we would love to double that. It would be a dream to deliver over 4000 services and we definitely have capacity to bless thousands of people. Its really exciting to see M/V YWAM KOHA set sail again, knowing the impact we can make.

YWAM Ships Aotearoa is driven by an aspirational dream of empowering health throughout the Pacific. This dream is funded by the generosity of hundreds of like-minded partners.

If you want to join this team in making an impact in the lives of thousands of people, both here in Aotearoa and in the Pacific, you can go to our website to give at www.ywamshipsaotearoa.org.nz/donate/
Egyptian renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass has on Wednesday released a documentary on the life of Cleopatra, the same day Netflix began streaming a controversial production depicting the ancient queen as black.

For weeks, pundits and officials in Egypt have reacted angrily to streaming platform Netflix's decision to cast British actress Adele James in the lead role of its production "Queen Cleopatra", insisting the ruler had lighter skin.

Archaeologist Zahi Hawass's 90-minute documentary "Cleopatra", released on director Curtis Ryan Woodside's YouTube channel, describes itself as telling the "true" story of the Ptolemaic dynasty's last ruler.

"Was Cleopatra black? First of all, I have nothing against black people at all, but I am stating the facts -- look at the Macedonian queens, none of them were black", Hawass, a former antiquities minister, says in the documentary.

In April, Egypt's antiquities ministry weighed in on the debate, insisting the historical Cleopatra had "white skin and Hellenistic characteristics".

Netflix promoted its documentary-drama "Queen Cleopatra", produced by Jada Pinkett Smith, as featuring "reenactments and expert interviews".

Cleopatra was the last sovereign of the Ptolemaic dynasty, which was of Greek origin and ruled Egypt between 332 and 30 BC.

While legend holds the queen, born around 69 BC, was a great beauty, her appearance and the colour of her skin are largely open to interpretation.

Following the release of a trailer for the Netflix production, an online petition accusing the streaming service of rewriting history had garnered more than 40,000 signatures by late April.

Commentators in Egypt often decry campaigns among mostly African-American groups claiming the black origins of pharaonic civilisation.

In 2009, a BBC documentary claimed that Cleopatra had African blood, an assertion that passed without incident.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The European Commission has published a proposal for a Regulation on net-zero industry (NZIA) within the framework of the Green Deal Industrial Plan for the net-zero age.

The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise welcomes the European Commissions initiative to improve the investment conditions for certain green technologies within the European Union. The green transition faces challenges from high energy prices in Europe and the continued lengthy and unpredictable permit processes. The ability to secure access to critical components and technologies remains an important issue for the business community, as is a stable supply of fossil-free energy at a competitive cost.

The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise wishes to stress the core values that are fundamental to the business communitys continued growth and opportunities to meet the climate challenges. Technology neutrality is a prerequisite for promoting new advances. Using legislation to control those existing technologies or materials that should be promoted risks placing important areas that are equally important for business growth and opportunities at a disadvantage in seeking to meet climate challenges, potentially distorting competition and even inhibiting new discoveries or innovations. In addition, the capacity for these companies to adapt will be greatly restricted if prevailing circumstances were to suddenly change.

The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise therefore advocates broader solutions, which promote business in general rather than selective initiatives and fast tracks for individual industries and technologies. For this reason, it is important that the increased priority that the Regulation gives to certain green technologies is not interpreted in a contradictory way. The Regulation should therefore state that the permit and enabling of other green technologies is also of great importance to European industry and the green transition.

The European Commissions proposal has been developed with great urgency. While it is extremely important to drive the green transition and prioritise removing the barriers to business investment and a clear desire to realise the transition, the Commission must nevertheless make thorough proposals based on a detailed impact assessment. The proposal on net-zero industry has, however, not been preceded by any such impact assessment. A working document analysing the proposal is due to be presented by the Commission within three months of its presentation. And although such an analysis is to be welcomed, it is not in itself sufficient to replace a full impact assessment, which not only describes a submitted proposal, but also makes a broader analysis of the wider world and presents alternative courses of action. The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise believes that this approach is unacceptable, because it leads to less well-prepared proposals and limits the opportunities for stakeholders both to take a position on the Commissions proposals and to make well-founded comments.

Furthermore, one can question the title of the proposal itself, which is rather misleading. Given that all the technologies included in the proposal relate in some sense to energy, consideration should be given to including the word energy in the title of the proposal. This would be more consistent with the content of the proposal, which does not include any proposals for other types of technologies capable of playing an important role in the transition to net-zero emissions in various sectors, such as new technologies in the production of goods themselves. It would also pave the way for complementary future proposals from the European Commission, which could lead to a broader and more-generalised application of promotional measures for technologies that can support the green transition. In several places throughout the text - for example on pages 1-3 - the European Commission itself writes about net-zero energy technologies. The title should therefore be Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europes net-zero energy technology products manufacturing ecosystem.

Read more in our position paper below.
From Al-Ahram Weekly archives: Fifty years of dispossession 1948-1998*

Issue: 17 - 23 December 1998

As a formal document, the Wye River Memorandum breaks no new ground. Its stated purpose is merely to reaffirm and "facilitate implementation" of "prior agreements". Nonetheless the memorandum illuminates the process set in motion at Oslo and dispels lingering illusions. In these remarks, I will first sketch the crucial historical background, then analyse the document and, finally, consider the prospects for a just settlement.

The main obstacle to the realisation of this goal was the indigenous Arab population. In his recently published quasi-official history of Israel, British historian Martin Gilbert argues that "there was a strong desire among the Labour Zionists to live together with the Arabs, and not, as many of the extremists hoped, to make them subordinate to Jewish nationalist needs, or even to drive them out of Palestine altogether." Scholarship does not sustain this claim. Labour Zionism was committed to the "building of a Jewish society by Jews alone, from foundation stone to rafter" in "all of Palestine" (Anita Shapira). Accordingly, as Zeev Sternhell shows in his important study, The Founding Myths of Israel, "nobody fought against the Arab worker more vigorously than [Labour Zionists]; nobody preached national, economic and social segregation with more determination than the Labour movement."

Faced with indigenous resistance, European conquest movements in the post-Columbus era typically resorted to the most brute force: extermination. Yet, by the early twentieth century this extreme option was no longer available. The Zionist movement thus set its sights on "population transfer" -- the euphemism for expulsion -- of the indigenous population. Indeed until after World War II, international opinion acquiesced in expulsion as a means of resolving ethnic conflicts. Historian Benny Morris observes that, for the Zionist leadership, "transferring the Arabs out" was seen as the "chief means" of "assuring the stability and 'Jewishness' of the proposed Jewish state". During the 1948 War the Arab population was effectively expelled from the conquered areas of Palestine, completing the first phase of Zionist conquest.

In the course of the June 1967 War, Israel conquered the long-coveted West Bank and Gaza (as well as the Sinai and Golan Heights). In this second phase of conquest, the Zionist leadership confronted the same dilemma as earlier in the century: it wanted the land but not the people. The options available for resolving this dilemma, however, had considerably narrowed. Not only extermination but expulsion as well was no longer politically tenable. The Zionist movement accordingly opted for encirclement: appropriating as much of the resources (especially water) and land as was feasible while confining the Arab population to native reservations. This is the essence of the Allon Plan, first formulated in July 1967 and the operative framework of the Oslo process, allowing Israel to retain roughly half the West Bank.

Israel's partial withdrawal option fell afoul, however, of the international consensus that formed after the June 1967 War for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Embodied in UN Resolution 242, this consensus called for a full Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab land in exchange for an Arab commitment to full peace with Israel. It bears recalling that the root of Israel's enduring quarrel with the international community has been the demand not for a Palestinian state but for full, as against partial, withdrawal. Indeed, 242 made no mention at all of a Palestinian state, referring merely to a "just settlement of the refugee problem". The Allon Plan is not incompatible with a Palestinian state: what to call the arid patches of land ceded to the Arab natives is a matter of semantics. For Israel, the crux has always been its claim to "territorial revision" (Abba Eban).

After the June War, Israel called for partial withdrawal on all the Arab fronts. Egypt offered in February 1971 to sign a bilateral peace treaty if Israel fully withdrew from the Sinai. Israel refused. In the name of "security", it demanded retention of part of Sinai, Moshe Dayan famously declaring that "we prefer Sharm Al-Sheikh without peace to peace without Sharm Al-Sheikh." Once Egypt proved itself a military force to reckon with in the October 1973 War, Israel came around, agreeing at Camp David in1978 to the peace terms it rejected in 1971.

A core Zionist tenet, Zeev Sternhell observes, is "never giving up a position or a territory unless one is compelled to by a superior force". Israel did continue to bargain hard at Camp David, demanding (unsuccessfully) to retain control of the oil refineries, settlements and airfields it had built in Sinai. Yet Sharm Al-Sheikh figured not at all in these intense, often bitter, negotiations. Israel abandoned Sharm Al-Sheikh -- its crucial "security" asset -- without even a whimper. It is an instructive lesson in the substance, or lack thereof, of Israel's "security" concerns.

Confronting, in the first years of the Intifada, the compound force of Palestinian civil resistance and widespread international outrage, Israel considered the prospect of full withdrawal. But the challenge to Israeli power soon receded. As the Intifada lost momentum, a concatenation of events -- Iraq's destruction in the Gulf War, the demise of the Soviet bloc, the open alignment of the Arab regimes with the US, the PLO's precipitously declining fortunes -- convinced Arafat to cut a deal with Israel, accepting partial withdrawal in exchange for the trappings of statehood.

The PLO's capitulation at Oslo did not result from political ineptitude. Uri Savir's account of the negotiations shows that the Palestinian negotiators did, at every crucial juncture in the Oslo process, raise the right objections. The problem was, they had no power.

Once Arafat conceded, as he effectively did at Oslo, that the West Bank and Gaza were "disputed territories", both sides having equal title, it was inevitable that, in the ensuing battle over percentages, a 50-50 split would be held up as the legitimate "compromise". Yet Netanyahu deserves the lion's share of credit for recasting public discourse. By tenaciously claiming that Israel had title to all and Palestinians to none of the West Bank, Netanyahu turned any withdrawal into an Israeli concession.

Who could then expect Israel to "give away" more than 50 per cent of "its" land for peace?

Before Netanyahu, full withdrawal in exchange for full peace was the legitimate compromise, Labour's partial withdrawal the illegitimate one; after Netanyahu, partial withdrawal in exchange for full peace became the legitimate compromise, zero withdrawal the illegitimate one. Redefining the poles of debate with his pugnacious theatrics, Netanyahu has effectively legitimised the Labour Party's rejectionist stance, in the process also managing to "lower," as he put it, "the level of Palestinian expectations".

Apart from "extremists", no one any longer speaks about full withdrawal. Indeed, the call for full withdrawal is now equated with the call for zero withdrawal, as pundits condemn the "extremists on both sides".

THE WYE MEMORANDUM is basically divided into two parts, "Further Redeployments" and "Security". (A third section takes up miscellaneous "Other Issues".) Bits and pieces comprising some 40 per cent of the West Bank are to come under "full" (Area A) or "partial" (Area B) Palestinian jurisdiction before final-status negotiations begin. According to Savir, Rabin was prepared to relinquish "roughly 50 per cent" on the eve of final-status negotiations. The putative ideological rift between Labour and Likud aounts to perhaps 10 per cent of the West Bank.

Indeed, the various final-status maps of the Likud all fall within the parameters of Labour's Allon Plan, retaining for Israel roughly half the West Bank. For those who care to hear the truth, the Israeli press has been reporting for years that "there's almost no difference between Netanyahu's and Peres's concepts of the permanent agreement," indeed, "Sharon and Peres are not far from each other in their perception of the permanent settlement." This pragmatic convergence between Labour and Likud points up, incidentally, that partial withdrawal was the maximum Israel could have hoped for at Oslo. Israel did not effect a "historical compromise" with the Palestinians; only with reality.

Technically, Wye marks a regression from "prior agreements". At bare minimum the 1995 Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip (hereafter: Interim Agreement) stipulated a "complete redeployment of Israeli military forces from Area B" before final-status negotiations (Article XIII), placing 30 per cent of the West Bank in Area A. The memorandum, however, puts only 18 per cent of the West Bank in Area A. Yet, this quibbling over percentages is ultimately beside the point. The "Palestinian Authority" exercises no substantive authority anywhere in the West Bank -- except as Israel's surrogate. The "security" provisions of the Wye Memorandum make this abundantly clear.

The security section of Wye initially observes that "both sides recognise that it is in their vital interests to combat terrorism and fight violence." Yet to implement this protocol, Wye specifies an action plan only for the Palestinian side: "The Palestinian side will make known its policy for zero tolerance for terror and violence... A work plan developed by the Palestinian side will be shared with the US... to ensure the systematic and effective combat of terrorist organisations... In addition to thebilateral Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation, a US-Palestinian committee will... review the steps being taken to eliminate terrorist cells... In addition to the bilateral Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation, a high-ranking US-Palestinian-Israeli committee will...address the steps being taken to combat terror and terrorist organisations," and on and on.

One would never suspect from this document that, according to the Israeli human rights organisation, B'Tselem, many more Palestinians have been killed by Israelis than Israelis by Palestinians since the onset of the Oslo process (356 Palestinians as against 251 Israelis through October 1998). The "vast majority" of killings by Israel, according to Amnesty International, were "unlawful".

Wye also repeatedly emphasises Palestinian responsibility for the vigorous "investigation, prosecution and punishment" of "terrorist suspects". Yet according to Amnesty, "there continues to be almost total impunity for unlawful killings of Palestinians" by Israel: "Investigations are inadequate. The officers responsible rarely appear before an inquiry; if they do so they are rarely punished; if they are punished the sanction is trivial in relation to the loss of life." To illustrate this last point, Amnesty cites the case of four soldiers convicted of killing a Palestinian motorist: "The court fined each soldier one agora, equivalent to about US$0.03."

The Wye Memorandum reeks of the rancid Israeli (and American) discourse on terrorism. Terrorism is a self-generating force. It originates in the "terror support structure", "terrorists and their structure", "terrorist organisations and their infrastructure", "terrorist cells and the support structure that plans, finances, and supplies and abets terror", "organisations (or wings of organisations...) of a military, terrorist, or violent character", and -- lest we forget -- the "external support for terror".

Detached from its Israeli environment, Palestinian terrorism is always the cause but never the effect of evil: assaulting Israeli innocents, it is by definition unrelated to Israel's brutal rule. Thus, to understand terrorism, it is irrelevant that, since the Oslo Accord, more than 600 Palestinian homes have been demolished and 140,000 dunums of Palestinian land confiscated. It is also irrelevant that, due primarily to Israel's illegal imposition of closure on the eve of Oslo, the Palestinian standard of living has fallen by nearly 40 per cent, with fully 30 per cent of the work force unemployed and fully 40 per cent of the population living at or below the poverty line.

Given that terrorism is an implacable negative force, the only means to combat it is an implacable positive force: repression. And in this Manichaean struggle between good and evil, the more repression the better: any restraints will impede the struggle. Accordingly the Wye Memorandum gives short shrift to human rights concerns, despatching them in one sentence: "Without derogating from the above, the Palestinian Police will... implement this Memorandum with due regard to internationally accepted norms f human rights and the rule of law..." Presumably on account of its exemplary human rights record, Israel is not called upon to do even this much. Indeed, the record does impress. According to Amnesty, even after Oslo, Israel continued to engage in "mass arrests of Palestinians"; place "thousands of Palestinians" under administrative detention without charges or trial, sometimes for "years on end" ("many may have been prisoners of conscience"); "use torture systematically on Palestinian political suspects... Its use was effectively legal, an internationally unprecedented state of affairs" ("this legalisation of torture has, over the past five years, if anything, become a more entrenched part of the system in which Palestinian detainees find themselves"); resort to "brutality, amounting to torture or ill-treatment...at checkpoints"; and conduct "unfair trials... Convictions are almost invariably based exclusively on the accused's confession, usually extracted by the use of torture and ill-treatment."

The Palestinian Authority's "deplorable" human rights record has been extensively documented. Without extenuating PA culpability, it bears recalling that Israel recruited Arafat precisely in order to facilitate repression. Thus Rabin boasted that the PA would quell Palestinian resistance "without problems caused by appeals to the High Court of Justice, without problems made by [the human rights organisation] B'Tselem, and without problems from all sorts of bleeding hearts and mothers and fathers." Truth be told, "Palestinian Authority" is a misnomer. Apart from what Israel and the US authorise it to do, the PA exercises no authority whatsoever: in all respects it is beholden to them. The Oslo process marked, in Meron Benvenisti's phrase, the continuation of "occupation...albeit by remote control". In exchange for the perquisites of collaboration, the PA must ruthlessly crush all opposition to continued Israeli occupation.

Human Rights Watch observes that "the role of Israel, the US and the international community in influencing the conduct of the PA should not be underestimated... External demands that the PA halt anti-Israel violence have been made in terms that condone a disregard for the human rights of Palestinians. Such pressure is highly potent, due in part to the situation of extreme political and economic dependency in which the self-rule entity exists."

It goes on to recall that "the Netanyahu government...conditioned the easing of the closure of the West Bank and Gaza on a halt in prisoner releases by the PA"; that "the Clinton administration demanded that Arafat act more decisively to prevent anti-Israel violence, but made no reference to the need for due process, even as...massive, arbitrary round-ups were taking place"; that "as President Arafat cracked down on the opposition, particularly Islamist groups, by carrying out arbitrary arrests, detaining people without charge, and practicing torture, Israel and the US praised the crackdown while remaining largely silent on the facts"; and that "despite clear evidence of the systematically unfair practices of the state security courts, neither Vice-President Al Gore nor any other US official has publicly retracted the praise for their creation that Gore offered."

The single most egregious Palestinian violation of Oslo is the size of its police force, which "well exceeds" (Human Rights Watch) the already extraordinary 30,000 figure allowed for in the Interim Agreement (Annex I, Article IV). Revealingly, Israel hasn't exerted any real pressure on Arafat to correct this. Indeed, already thinking ahead in the 1978 Camp David Accords, Israeli negotiators stipulated that the "self-governing authority" in the West Bank and Gaza should constitute a "strong police force"to assure Israel's "security" (Framework, paragraph A2). The same ominous phrase stipulating a "strong police force" reappears in the September 1993 Declaration of Principles (Article VIII), the May 1994 Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area (Article VIII), and twice in the Interim Agreement (Articles XII, XIV). The Wye Memorandum only calls on the "Palestinian side" to "provide a list of its policemen to Israeli side". So long as Israel can monitor in which direction the rifles are pointed, themore police, the better -- especially as Palestinian illusions are dispelled and resistance mounts. The Wye "land-for-security" formula means, incidentally, that in return for any land, the Palestinians forfeit the right to all resistance, including the basically non-violent civil disobedience characterizing the first years of the Intifada, condemned by Israel and the US as "terrorist acts". Nelson Mandela renounced the right to armed resistance only after the South African government acknowledged the right of the indigenous population not to a Bantustan but full human rights. The indigenous population of Palestine was forced by Israel to forfeit its right to any resistance in exchange for a Bantustan.

PROSPECTS: Like the South African Bantustans, the fragmented Palestinian entity resulting from the Oslo process will no doubt eventually be granted statehood. And like the Bantustans, it will be a state in name only. Recall that the viability of a Palestinian state resulting from full Israeli withdrawal was never at all certain; much intellectual energy was expended to conquer these doubts. What then is one to make of a Palestinian state resulting from a partial Israeli withdrawal? Israel is now "resigned" to the prospect of an independent Palestinian state because it won't be one. Recall further that, for Bantustan critics, the issue was not only viability but equity: whites engineered a grossly inequitable division of South Africa's resources, keeping for themselves everything worth keeping. All the Bantustans won was the right -- in the words of one dissenter -- to "police themselves and administer their own poverty". This is also the only right Palestinians can expect to win under Oslo.

The purpose of the protracted "transitional" period in the Oslo process is not to build "trust" between Israel and Palestine but rather to structurally consolidate Israel's domination over Palestine. In addition to settlement and road-building, this entails coopting Palestinian elites, refining "security collaboration", etc. The main alleged threat to Israeli security in June 1967 was not the West Bank but the Egyptian Sinai. In October 1973 Egypt launched a surprise attack, seeming to threaten Israel'sexistence and costing 2000 to 3000 Israeli lives (many times, incidentally, the total victims of Palestinian "terrorism"). Nonetheless once Israel decided on full withdrawal, trust somehow proved not at all an obstacle: a mere three years elapsed between

Camp David and Israel's total pull-out from the Sinai. Yet the Oslo process is already in its fifth year with no end to the purported "trust-building" process in sight. The Camp David Accord and subsequent Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty combined came to less than a dozen pages. The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement alone runs to hundreds of pages. Israel is not ending the occupation; it is dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's to secure it.

Arafat must eventually choose between two equally bad alternatives. He may unilaterally declare an independent Palestinian state over 40 per cent of the West Bank, blustering, as the Bantustan leaders did, that this is "only the first stage". In fact, the main lesson of the South African experience was that emancipation was achieved despite and around, not through, the Bantustans: indeed the Bantustans impeded the struggle for justice. Declaring Oslo dead, Israel will then unilaterally annex the rest ofthe West Bank. The more Netanyahu postures indignation at the prospect of a unilateral Palestinian declaration, the better his pretext, if and when Arafat does so, to annex half the West Bank. Totally dependent, Palestinian elites will continue to do Israel's bidding, repressing dissent while enjoying the perquisites of collaboration. Pundits will no doubt wax eloquent over the "irony of history": although the "peace process" died, each side got what it wanted -- the Palestinians a "state" and Israel "secure borders."

Enticed by a slightly larger Israeli withdrawal and an enlarged American "aid" package, Arafat may alternatively enter into a final settlement with Israel. Israel will then get an official deed to nearly all of Palestine: it would be the jewel in the crown of Zionist diplomacy. "At its heart," historian Martin Gilbert writes, "Zionism had striven for a hundred years for the recognition of its legitimacy by the Palestinians." Indeed, for all its flouting of international law and contempt for "Goyim" opinon, Israel has always sought official imprimaturs of its proprietary right to Palestine. The Balfour Declaration and especially the 1947 UN Partition Resolution (181) loom large in Zionist histories. Property may be, as Proudhon memorably put it, theft, but it is also theft invested with the power of legitimacy. Hence Netanyahu's insistence at and since Wye that the Palestine National Council officially, democratically and without any ambiguity annul the Charter. For the longest time Israel exploited the Charter to discredit the Palestinian leadership: it "served as a gold mine of raw material" for "Israel's propaganda". Now that this same Palestinian leadership stands poised to collaborate, Israel wants all the official documents to be fully in order. Not a scratch of doubt must remain that Palestine belongs "by right" not at all to the indigenous population but only to the Jews.

The Oslo process cannot produce a permanent settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The population between the Mediterranean and the Jordan will soon be half Israeli-Jewish, half Palestinian-Arab. Lincoln long ago understood that a state of affairs in which the population is half free, half enslaved cannot forever endure. Israel no doubt also knows this. Edward Said rightly observes that Zionism's successes owe much to its pragmatic discipline of detail ("another dunum, another goat"). Yet ultimatey, Zionism has always depended on the "miracle" to break free from an impasse. Indeed, it harnessed the discipline of detail to make the "miracle" possible. The intractable Arab "demographic problem" was resolved in 1948 by the "miraculous clearing of the land" (Chaim Weizmann). The loss of Zionist elan in the early 1960s was restored by the "miracle" of the June War. The resurgent Arab "demographic problem" in the 1970s was overcome by the "miracle" of Russian Jewry. Israel no doubt hopes for yet another "miracle" to resolve the conflicts inherent in the Oslo process. An Oslo settlement between Israel and Arafat would command international legitimacy. If Palestinians continue to resist, Israel may engineer -- alas, with impunity -- another "miraculous clearing of the land".

Barring a "miracle", the inevitable if very distant future is one in which Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews, enjoying reciprocal individual and communal rights, coexist within a unitary entity. Yet, just as the centre of gravity of the Palestinian struggle shifted from southern Lebanon to the Occupied Territories after the defeat suffered in June 1982, so the centre of gravity of the Palestinian struggle may shift again from the West Bank and Gaza to Israel following the defeat suffered at Oslo. Only the Israeli Palestinians now have a clear goal -- full individual and communal rights -- and a leadership able to articulate it. Paradoxically, the fruit of Oslo will perhaps be that the Palestinian struggle for justice will -- in Amilcar Cabral's phrase -- "return to the source".

*

This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weeklys special pages commemorating 50 years of Al-Nakba, the Palestinian catastrophe when Israel was created on 15 May 1948. These pages, published in 1998, were part of a year-long series of articles documenting the history and nature of the Arab-Israeli struggle, as well as that of Palestinian dispossession and exile.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


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.
Freaky Friday 2

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed Freaky Friday 2 is in the works with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis returning to their roles from the 2003 movie. Elyse Hollander is writing the sequel to the Disney comedy about a mother and daughter who swap bodies, though details of the new plot have not been announced.

Freaky Friday was based on Mary Rodgers 1972 novel, which also inspired a 1976 film starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris, and remains the most well-known of the body-swap genre, which includes films like Vice Versa and the Blumhouse horror film Freaky. The 2003 film, which also starred Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, and Stephen Tobolowsky, grossed $160 million and became a pop culture phenomenon.

Something really touched a chord. When I came back, I called my friends at Disney and said, It feels like theres a movie to be made, Curtis told the New York Times while promoting Halloween Ends last year.

Lohan, who is pregnant with her first child and often seems to be on the verge of a comeback, also told the Times she was open to a sequel: We would only make something that people would absolutely adore.

MORE BUZZ:

Syracuse native Toosii hits No. 1 on Hot Rap Songs chart ( BB

Rihanna, A$AP Rocky baby name revealed: RZA ( ET

Shakira calls Tom Cruise dating rumors hilarious ( DM

The Righteous Gemstones returning for season 3 ( SF

Jelly Roll to share life story in ABC News documentary ( BB

Lily Collins engagement, wedding rings stolen during spa visit ( E!

Janelle Monae drives fans wild in wet T-shirt for music teaser ( DM

Emilio Estevez ready to go for more Young Guns sequels ( SF

Keanu Reeves Dogstar to perform new songs at Napa Valley festival ( BB

Arnold Schwarzenegger addresses Maria Shriver divorce in Netflix docuseries ( ET

Bring It On shot extra footage of Clovers to fake equal screen time in trailers ( SF

Harry Styles getting his own comic book featuring One Direction ( BB

Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news about movies, TV, music and celebrities.
Utica, N.Y.  A second Central New York inmate has been arrested for escaping from deputies after a court appearance in Utica on Wednesday, deputies said.

Mitchell J. Clark, 40, fled from deputies around 12:26 p.m. near Utica City Court after an appearance for criminal contempt and harassment charges, deputies said in a news release.

A second inmate ran away around the same time, deputies said Thursday.

Kristopher L. Spain, 35, of Utica, ran first and was immediately taken into custody a short distance away, deputies said. As he was being taken back to the transport van, Clark fled, they said.

Clark managed to run through the parking lot for the Utica Police Department and made it to Oriskany Street. Video shows Clark handcuffed and in an orange jumpsuit running away from four deputies.

He was tackled as he opened the door of a white SUV.

Spain was arrested and charged with third-degree escape, a misdemeanor, deputies said. He is being held at the Oneida County jail and will be arraigned tomorrow, they said.

Spain has served time in state prison twice:

2018: 3rd-degree criminal mischief. Sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison. He was released in January 2021.

2008: 1st-degree attempted rape. Sentenced to 1 to 4 years in prison.

Clark was charged with escaping in the second degree, a felony, deputies said.

Clark also has served time in state prison three times, according to state records:

2017: Criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5- to 6-year sentence, He was released in May 2022.

2013: Burglary, 2- to 4-year sentence

2008: Burglary, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3-year sentence.

Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Reach her at 315-396-5961, on Twitter @kirk_rylee, or rkirk@syracuse.com.
This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weeklys special pages commemorating 50 years of Al-Nakba, the Palestinian catastrophe when Israel was created on 15 May 1948. These pages, published in 1998, were part of a year-long series of articles documenting the history and nature of the Arab-Israeli struggle, as well as that of Palestinian dispossession and exile.

Who says Oslo is dead? The final status negotiations are well underway. Although it is only a dry-run for the real thing, carried out by a group of academics and aspiring politicians, it is a realistic blueprint of the future as the most sympathetic and 'moderate' Israelis would like to see it. Absent from the picture, however, is the weight of the majority of the Palestinians whose fate is being discussed in closed rooms -- namely, the refugees.

According to Ha'aretz ('Inching up a treacherous slope', 9 September 1998), a group of Israelis and Palestinians under the auspices of Harvard University's International Affairs Centre, has produced a 'compromise' report for the 'final solution' of the refugee problem (the quotation marks are not explicit, but intended).

The Israeli group is known to favour peaceful settlement with the Palestinians. Some of them have held official positions, all of them have an influence on Israeli public opinion and decision-makers. So far, so good. The 'compromise', therefore, should be the best that can be hoped for from the Israeli side.

What is this compromise? Israel agrees to share the practical (though not moral or legal) responsibility for Al-Nakba of 1948, and is prepared to admit some families under the 'Shaml' programme, with some compensation to others to be offset by compensation to Jews from Arab countries. In return, the Palestinians would forfeit their right of return to their homes. Only those lucky enough to be selected by the Israelis can go back to the West Bank and Gaza.

The report's principal co-authors are Joseph Alpher and Khalil Shikaki. Alpher is an American-Israeli who was a Mossad officer for over a decade, chasing figures of the Resistance Movement, before becoming a director of the Jaffee Centre for Strategic Studies. He is now a director of the American Jewish Committee in Israel. Shikaki is a Nablus academic and leading pollster. He is a refugee from Zarnuga and his family is exiled in Rafah refugee camp where his father Ibrahim and brother Abdul-Aziz still live. He took a different political course from his eldest brother, Fathi, who was murdered by the Israeli Mossad in Malta in 1995.

The report, or at least the Israeli portion of it, is based on the assumption that Palestinians do not belong to the land of Palestine, hence they have no 'right of return' to it. They are not a people, so they can be stowed away in different countries. Their plight is simply a humanitarian issue to which all countries, including Israel, should contribute. The report is far too sophisticated to say this bluntly, but every direction it takes leads to this conclusion.

Moreover, it says that Russians, Ethiopians, Poles and Moroccans have the 'right' to return to Israel unconditionally if they are Jews, and they should be paid compensation by the Palestinians, among others, if they left their homes in Arab countries to settle in Palestine.

So the message to the five million refugees who were expelled from 530 localities and whose land constitutes 92 per cent of the present state of Israel is, "sorry for everything that happened in 1948 -- that's all". The weight of human rights, UN resolutions and, above all, the dogged determination of the Palestinians, squeezes out nothing more than a hollow half-hearted apology.

The report generously accepts the return of "tens of thousands" of refugees under a family reunification programme, but it neglects to mention that this is only a fraction of the three quarters of a million who were waiting to regain their homes when Israel promised in 1949 to allow the return of 100,000 as a price of admission to the UN -- a promise that was never honoured.

How many refugees are allowed to return to the West Bank and Gaza (whose borders are left undefined in the report) should be regulated by the remaining territory's absorptive capacity and Israel's acquiescence. Those familiar with the present difficulty of getting a Palestinian ID will know that "return" on these conditions is a misnomer.

According to a 1996 study by K McCarthy of Rand Corporation, the absorptive capacity of the West Bank, not to mention Gaza, is far too low to sanction the admission of any appreciable number of refugees. Note, moreover, that these refugees are not actually going to be allowed to return home, but merely to change their camp address to Palestine. Present conditions are, of course, much worse than those that obtained before. Thus on both counts, the absorptive capacity and Israeli acquiescence, this 'compromise' is rendered useless.

But the most blatant aspect of the Israeli position is the linkage of compensation for Palestinians to that of compensation for Jews. The report neglects to mention the fact that the Palestinians are entitled to both return and compensation. Careful studies put their total legitimate claims at US$511 billion, excluding homes and land. These are not for sale. The refugees are determined to recover their property. It is beyond comprehension that the report ignores these facts, even as Jews, thanks to the pressure tactics of the World Jewish Restitution Organisation, are seeing their former property in Europe restored to them without the benefit of a single UN resolution.

The linkage of Palestinian claims with compensation for Jews who left Arab countries is irrelevant for three reasons. First, this Jewish immigration to Israel took place after the expulsion of the Palestinians, and as a result of it. Those Jews are beneficiaries of Palestinian property and they should be paying compensation, not receiving it. Second, any Jewish claims should be addressed to the countries which they left voluntarily. They should apply to those countries to recover their property and citizenship. This matter is of no concern to the Palestinians. Third, there is no UN resolution or international consensus to support this Jewish claim. The fact of the matter is that the Jewish claim, exaggerated as it is, is simply designed to thwart the legitimate claims of the Palestinians.

The proposal to settle Palestinian refugees in other countries is as old and as persistent as the Transfer Plan advocated by Herzl, which became an integral part of hard-core Zionist doctrine. Last year, a new Transfer Plan, proposed by Donna Arzt under the umbrella of the American Council on Foreign Relations was flatly rejected by the Gulf countries. A cursory examination of the events of the last 50 years shows clearly that such settlement schemes are doomed to failure.

The Palestinians are willing, the report says, to accept that the return of the refugees en masse is not feasible. The boundaries are lost and the country is full of immigrants. If this is not an echo of the Israeli position, it is grossly misinformed. Every single donum in Palestine is traceable. If it took Jarvis, the land expert of the UN Conciliation Commission, eight years to produce half a million records from the land owners registry in 1964, it will now take the Israel Land Administration (ILA) only a few minutes to retrieve any information from its computer database. After all, ILA rents Palestinian land to the bankrupt Kibbutz. As for the overcrowded country, the report failed to mention that only about 170,000 Kibbutz farmers control 17,000,000 donums of Palestinian land, wasting precious water and with very little to show for it.

The report never mentions that Jewish immigration is a threat to the stability of the region -- indeed a cause of war -- or a strain on its limited resources, especially water. It never questions the racist nature of the Jewish Law of Return. It never shows any recognition of the anomaly between the refusal of the Palestinians' right to return home and unlimited access for new immigrants to these same homes.

The sad thing about the report is that it is intended to be the best that could be proposed by the most sympathetic Israelis. Israelis, it seems, are still the victims of the myths they have created and which they expect the Palestinians to believe. For a better future for both peoples, they should look outside their own cloistered world and recognise -- indeed address -- the injustice they inflicted upon the Palestinians. Ha'aretz described finding a solution to the refugee problem as being like climbing Mount Everest. It seems the Israelis will have to climb a lot more before they are in a position to see the new sun rise.



* The writer is a former member of the Palestine National Council , with a number of studies on the question of Palestinian refugees.

* This story was published in Ahram Weekly on 5 December 1998

Search Keywords:

Short link:


State Supreme Court Justice Gerard Neri on Thursday said opponents of the states plan to tear down the Interstate 81 viaduct will not get a second chance to argue the case in his court.

The group Renew 81 for All, in March, asked Neri to allow them to reargue the case they brought against the state Department of Transportation.

New York state has a $2.25 billion plan to build a street-level community grid in place of a high-speed overhead highway. The state intends to break ground soon on the first contract along I-481, where high-speed traffic will be diverted. The overpass is not scheduled to come down for three years.

The group argued that the state did not follow proper environmental laws when it chose the community grid.

Neri ruled in February that the state could start building out Interstate 481 in the suburbs, but would have to complete three more environmental studies before tearing down the overpass in the city.

Renew 81 for All is led by former Syracuse police Chief Frank Fowler, Onondaga County Legislator Charles Garland, CNY Labor Federation President Ann Marie Taliercio and the towns of DeWitt, Salina and Tully.

The case is also making its way through the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

Read more:

After a mixed decision in court, NY sticks to plan to remove I-81 through Syracuse

New group, using SAVE 81s playbook, tries to stop I-81 project with last-minute lawsuit

Black leaders in Syracuse angered and mystified by lawsuit that halts years of work on I-81

Video: See how new I-690 exits will change commute to Syracuse University, hospitals, dome

What can Syracuse learn from Rochester about rebuilding a neighborhood split by a highway? 7 tips

How much are taxpayers spending to keep I-81 in Syracuse safe before NY tears it down?

I-81: Upstate NYs biggest highway project is about to start, but maybe not where you think

See maps of construction in the Syracuse suburbs

Why an I-81 skyway would be costly and unworkable: Who wants to live under a 70-foot bridge?

Contact Michelle Breidenbach | mbreidenbach@syrause.com | 315-470-3186.
The U.S. Supreme Court today unanimously overturned the convictions of two men, including a former top governors aide, who were accused of corruption in a high-profile 2018 case related to New York state development projects.

Todays decision makes it almost certain that other defendants in the case  including Cor Development executives Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi  also will have their convictions set aside.

The Supreme Court today overturned the felony convictions of Joseph Percoco, a former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Buffalo construction company executive Louis Ciminelli.

Both men were prosecuted in 2018, along with seven others, following a sweeping investigation led by then-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

Alexandra Shapiro, an attorney for Aiello and Gerardi, declined to discuss the specifics of their cases until the court issues formal decisions. But she issued this statement:

We are gratified by the Supreme Courts rulings in Ciminelli and Percoco. For seven years, Mr. Aiello and Mr. Gerardi have maintained their innocence. They feel greatly vindicated by the Supreme Courts unanimous decision in both cases, which reverse the judgments previously issued by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. They wish to thank those who have stood by them and offered their support.

Percoco was convicted in March 2018 of honest services fraud for allegedly accepting a bribe from Aiello in return for helping to get a raise for Aiellos son and helping Cor Development smooth out a labor issue.

The Supreme Court determined that the instructions to the jury in Percocos case failed to properly account for the fact that he was not on the state payroll at the time of the alleged crime. Percoco was accused of taking Aiellos money while working as Cuomos campaign manager.

Aiello was convicted in that trial of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. The court did not issue a ruling on his appeal today, but his conviction will likely be set aside. If Percoco was not guilty of accepting a bribe, it seems unlikely that Aiello can be guilty of giving one.

Ciminelli, the Buffalo developer, was convicted of bid-rigging during a second trial in July 2018, as were Aiello and Gerardi. The Supreme Court today set aside Ciminellis conviction, saying the legal theory behind it was invalid.

Ciminelli, Aiello and Gerardi were all convicted based on evidence that they had conspired with government officials to steer lucrative state construction contracts to their companies. The contracts were awarded by Fort Schuyler Management Corp., a nonprofit affiliated with the State University of New York.

Lawyers for the defendants argued that Fort Schuyler suffered no harm  that it got what it paid for. But prosecutors said the scheme deprived the agency of the right to control its assets.

The Supreme Court ruled that the right to control is not property, which is what federal fraud statutes are intended to protect.

Aiello, 65, and Gerardi, 63, have been free pending their Supreme Court appeals. They were incarcerated for several months last year, until the Supreme Court agreed to hear their appeals in July.

Aiello had been sentenced to three years in prison; Gerardi was sentenced to 2  years.

The Cor Development contracts at issue in their bid-rigging trial were to build a film hub and a high-tech factory at Collamer Crossings business park in DeWitt. The film hub, now known as the Greater Syracuse Soundstage, is now owned by Onondaga County. The high-tech factory is home to NexGen Power Systems.

Ciminelli was convicted in connection with a contract for his company, LPCiminelli, to build a $750 million factory in Buffalo.

Do you have a news tip or a story idea? Contact reporter Tim Knauss: email | Twitter | | 315-470-3023.
Vernon, N.Y.  Vernon Downs racetrack and casino may shut down by the the end of the year unless the state restores a tax cut received a few years ago, owner Jeff Gural said today.

The business, officially called Mid-State Raceway, filed a layoff notice with state Labor Department saying it may need to close its slot-machine casino and some restaurants by August, with the harness racetrack shutting in September and the hotel and other operations closing on or before Dec. 31.

The closing would eliminate 249 union jobs, the notice said. It would also cost about 40 non-union employees their jobs, Gural said today.

The harness track season, with races on Friday and Saturday nights, began in April and is scheduled to run through November. This is the tracks 70th season.

Gural said he lost $2 million operating Vernon Downs last year, a number he said could be made up if the state restores a tax reduction it gave him in 2017. That reduction was eliminated in 2021 when the Covid pandemic cut the number of employees.

The tax cut was based on maintaining the employees, but Gural said that was impossible during the pandemic and its still a struggle.

He said hes currently paying $13 million in what is officially called a vendors fee to the state, on $28 million in gross revenues. The restoration of the 2017 tax cut would drop his vendors fee to $11 million, which would be enough to break even.

Im not talking about profit here, Gural said. Everything was fine (with the tax cut) and we were breaking even.

Gural said he tried to get the tax break restored last year without success, so we sucked it up and had a $2 million loss.

He also failed to get a restoration of the cut in the recently enacted 2023-24 state budget. With just a few weeks left in the state Legislatures 2023 session, he said he had to raise the alarm by issuing the closing notice.

I told them I would close, he said. Im not going to lose another $2 million. This is stupid.

He has enlisted the support of Workers United Upstate New York, which represents union employees. They have scheduled a press conference with track officials and others for 11 a.m. Friday at the casino hotel, 4229 Stuhlman Road in Vernon.

Ive been at Vernon for just over 13 years now, I basically worked my way up  I started as a dishwasher, and now Im one of the lead line cooks, the fine dining venue at Vernon, Dale Nicholas, the union steward at Vernon Downs, said in a news release released by the union and track. Its really disheartening to feel that all that work, all that success, is being thrown away. My family and I need the State to help us out so I can keep my job.

Gural sought the tax break in 2017 citing increased competition from several new state-licensed Upstate casinos that opened around that time and the Oneida Indian Nations decision to add the Point Place and Yellow Brick Road casinos in Madison County.

In addition to Vernon Downs, Gural owns Tioga Downs just west of Binghamton. That was a harness racing track with slots that was allowed to transform into a full-service Vegas-style casino in 2016. He also owns or has interest in tracks and casinos in New Jersey.

He said the tax rate he received in 2017 was endorsed by a state consultant in light of the increased gaming competition Upstate.

Gural said hes hoping Vernon Downs can remain open, partly because Im a horseman at heart.

Horses are why I got into this business, he said.

The small community of Vernon in Oneida County depends heavily on the tracks economic input, he said.

Its the best (harness) track in the state, he said. The horseman stay there 12 months out of the year, and we have people depending on the stables and everything else. We donate to the Food Bank every year. Closing would wipe out the little town of Vernon. It would be devastating.

On Wednesday, state Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, an Oneida County Democrat, issued a statement about the situation:

I have been notified by my constituents of the possible closing of Vernon Downs in stages, if the legislative and executive branches cant find a solution to supporting another tax credit extender, she said. I have worked endlessly with my colleagues in the legislature in the past and will continue to do so to assist Vernon Downs to remain open. My number one priority remains the employees and their families.

State Sen. Joseph Griffo, a Republican from Rome, also released a statement.

I understand the challenges facing Vernon Downs and initially and successfully led efforts to provide relief for the venue in the past, Griffo said. I will continue to work with my colleagues at all levels of government to keep the facility open and operational, support employees and ownership and push for action to be taken in Albany again to ensure that Vernon Downs is given every opportunity to be successful and thrive.

Don Cazentre writes about Upstate New York casinos for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.
On May 5 at 4:19 a.m., New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers and police officers helped search for a 22-year-old Clarkson University student who had jumped from a bridge into the Norwood Lake section of the Raquette River in Potsdam and was swept away by currents.

Potsdam Fire set up a staging area while DEC personnel, New York State Police (NYSP) dive teams, Potsdam Police, St. Lawrence County Sheriffs, and five fire departments searched above and below West Dam.

The search yielded no results until the following afternoon when a member of the NYSP dive team found the students body in approximately nine feet of water a short distance below the dam.

Clarkson University identified the victim as an aerospace engineering student from Greensboro Bend, Vermont, the Watertown Daily Times reported. He was expected to graduate in December.

Rangers prepare to carry out a 43-year old from Hornell who dislocated his shoulder on the evening of May 6 while hiking near Grace Peak.

The following reports are excerpted from DEC:

A 43-year old from Hornell dislocated his shoulder on the evening of May 6 while hiking near Grace Peak. The hiker activated a beacon, which alerted rangers to his location. Rangers and members of Keene Valley Backcountry Rescue hiked in and put the mans arm in a sling, then carried him the final mile-and-a-half out to a Keene Valley Ambulance.

A 23-year-old hiker from Latham injured her ankle on the trail to Prospect Mountain in the town of Lake George around nightfall on May 2. Two rangers reached the hiker within minutes and stabilized her ankle, then assisted her and her companion back to their vehicle.

A 26-year-old hiker from Syracuse suffered a severe migraine and nausea on Tabletop Trail on the afternoon of May 7. A ranger hiked in to assess her condition, catching up with the woman and her partner as they walked toward the Marcy Dam outpost. Rangers transported the pair via ATV to their vehicle where the woman with the migraine declined medical treatment.

A ranger ticketed a group of off-roaders for driving their Jeeps in Sonyea State Forest, Livingston County.

On April 30 a ranger went to check on a lock missing from a gate at Sonyea State Forest, Livingston County. As the ranger secured the gate, he noticed five Jeep Wranglers traveling together and waited to see where they went, mindful of Sonyea State Forests history of illegal, offroad motor vehicle use. Eventually the jeeps made their way to a trail off limits to motor vehicles, so the ranger blocked their exit and issued five tickets for illegal motor vehicle use on State Forest lands.

A 69-year-old woman injured her ankle on the afternoon of May 8 near the viewing platform at Kaaterskill Falls. Alerted by a passing hiker, a ranger provided medical aid to the elderly hiker, who used crutches to move up the trail. But when she became exhausted and couldnt continue, the ranger borrowed a wheelie walker from another group and pushed the patient 200 feet to his truck, then drove her to the Laurel House trailhead where she declined any further care.

A group of unprepared hikers from Pennsylvania got assistance, and some advice, from a ranger patrolling near Lake Colden Outpost on April 29. The hikers each arrived to the outpost at different times between 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., and only one had a headlamp. All were cold and wet and one hiker was hypothermic. The ranger warmed the hikers and provided them nourishment. The hikers spent the night and continued out the following morning.



Sign up for the CNY Outdoors Newsletter

Enter your email address to get weekly updates on CNY outdoors news delivered to your inbox:









READ MORE

Rangers rescue ADK climber severely injured in 40-foot fall - newyorkupstate.com

Rangers find body of missing Upstate NY man, squelch brush fires - newyorkupstate.com

Rangers assist rescue efforts in two Upstate NY drownings, nab sap stealers - newyorkupstate.com

Rangers recover two bodies in separate incidents; rescue injured hikers - newyorkupstate.com

Rangers catch cattail thieves, search for evidence in ADK murder investigation - newyorkupstate.com

Steve Featherstone covers the outdoors for The Post-Standard, syracuse.com and NYUP.com. Contact him at sfeatherstone@syracuse.com or on Twitter @featheroutdoors. You can also follow along with all of our outdoors content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/ or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoors.
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon is asking government officials and nonprofit groups to urgently assess how many people could be temporarily housed in the county to deal with an expected surge of migrants entering the U.S.

McMahon said today the county needs to know its capacity to absorb the migrants before an expected surge at the southern border when a federal border policy expires at midnight.

Our goal is to protect members of our community and at the same time help out where we can, McMahon told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.

He spoke after joining a conference call with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who wants to move migrants from the city to vacant hotels in the citys suburbs and in Upstate New York.

McMahon said that Adams asked county leaders and mayors on the call if their communities would volunteer to temporarily house some of the migrants because New York Citys shelters are already full.

The city has more than 37,500 migrants in its care. The number has surged this year as Texas offered free bus rides that took migrants from border cities directly to New York City.

McMahon said he wont make any decision about hosting migrants or blocking efforts to relocate them to Onondaga County until after stakeholders tell him how much space is available for temporary housing.

If the capacity is too low, the county executive said he will consider issuing an emergency order that bars hotels and shelters from housing migrants.

This is a consequence of whats happening at our border and we have to be ready to react to it, McMahon said.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente and three other county executives in New York issued emergency orders in the past week aimed at blocking New York City from busing migrants to their counties.

Those actions countered Gov. Kathy Hochuls separate emergency order Tuesday to ease the migrant relocation process in the state. Hochuls order allowed the state to mobilize more National Guard members and more quickly provide food and supplies to migrants.

McMahon said he supports the regions traditional goals of welcoming refugees, but he said the migrant crisis is different because most asylum-seekers arriving at the border have not been vetted or even applied for refugee status.

Communities across the U.S. have started to prepare for an increase in migrants seeking asylum when a federal policy instituted during the Covid-19 pandemic expires at midnight. The U.S. will no longer be able to order the expulsion of migrants under Title 42 of a public health law.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
A jury has awarded nearly $100 million to an Upstate New York man who accused a former Catholic priest of child sex abuse.

The Democrat & Chronicle reports the victim was awarded $95 million on Wednesday after he alleged Rev. Foster P. Rogers sexually abused him in Rogers car in July 1979. The unidentified man, who lives in the Rochester area, was 15 at the time.

The award includes $30 million for past pain and suffering, $15 million for future pain and suffering, and $50 million in punitive damages.

It is one of the largest awards in New York state since the Child Victims Act opened a one-year window for civil lawsuits from past victims of childhood sex abuse. An Erie County woman was awarded $100 million earlier this month under the CVA, according to WGRZ.

According to the D&C, it is unlikely the victim will see much money as Rogers now has limited income. The victim did not seek damages through the Diocese of Rochester, which is one of several New York dioceses that have filed for bankruptcy amid hundreds of claims of abuse against former priests.

Rogers, who has also been accused by others of sexual assault, was moved by the Rochester diocese to different churches across the state over a 35-year span. According to the Noaker Law Firm, Rogers worked at Christ the King in Rochester from 1967 to 1969, St. Patrick Church in Elmira from 1970 to 1973, St. John the Evangelist in Rochester from 1974 to 1975, Assumption Church in Fairport from 1976 to 1979, St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church in Auburn from 1980 to 1998, and St. Pius X Church in Chili from 1999 to 2002.

Rogers was forced to resign in 2002 when he was accused of past sexual abuse of minors, including allegedly molesting a teen parishioner at a church in 1975.

According to the Post-Standard archives, two other priests resigned in 2002 after church officials found more allegations of sexual abuse in a review of diocesan files. One was Rev. David Simon, a former Auburn resident and a former parishioner of St. Alphonsus Church, where Rogers served as an assistant pastor and pastor for nearly two decades.

The Democrat & Chronicle reports the victim in Wednesdays award had no connections with any church. He grew up in a poor part of Rochester and Rogers preyed on him by offering him a ride home, according to Buffalo attorney Amy Keller.

There was no trial to determine liability, according to the Rochester newspaper. Rogers did not hire an attorney and did not contest the charges before the damages trial Wednesday.
During a contentious CNN town hall Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump dug in on his lies about the 2020 election, downplayed the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, and repeatedly insulted the woman whom a civil jury this week found him liable of sexually abusing and defaming.

Trump, returning to the network after years of acrimony, also refused to say whether he wants Ukraine to win the war against Russian aggression and said the U.S. might as well default on its debt obligation, despite the potentially devastating economic consequences.

The live, televised event  held in early-voting New Hampshire  underscored the challenges of fact-checking Trump in real time. The former president was cheered on and applauded by an audience of Republican and unaffiliated voters who plan to vote in the GOP primary, as moderator Kaitlan Collins sometimes struggled to correct the record as Trump steamrolled with untrue statements. You are a nasty person, he snapped at one point.

The event also highlighted what is perhaps Trumps most fundamental challenge as he emerged as the undisputed frontrunner for the Republican nomination to take on President Joe Biden again. While Trumps tone and divisive statements often thrill Republican primary crowds, he has so far done little to expand his appeal among the moderates and independents who soured on him in 2020 and will be crucial to winning the general election.

Indeed, Trump on Wednesday repeatedly doubled down on his lies that the 2020 election had been rigged, even though state and federal election officials, his own campaign and White House aides, and dozens of courts, including Republican judges, have said there is no evidence to support his claims.

He also displayed no remorse for what happened on Jan. 6, when a mob of his supporters violently stormed the Capitol in a bid to halt the certification of Bidens win. He excused his delayed response that day  he was silent for more than three hours as the carnage unfolded  pulling out a printout of his tweeted timeline as a form of defense.

Instead, he lashed out at the Black police officer who shot and killed rioter Ashli Babbitt, calling him a thug, despite a Justice Department finding that the shooting was justified. And he said he is inclined to pardon a large portion of the rioters charged in the attack. More than 670 people have been convicted of crimes related to that day, including some found guilty of seditious conspiracy or assaulting police officers.

Trump also rejected a suggestion that he apologize to his former vice president, Mike Pence, who was targeted by the mob after Trump wrongly insisted that Pence had the power to overturn the election results.

I dont feel he was in any danger, he said. In fact, Trump said, Pence was the one who did something wrong.

He would not commit to accepting the results of the next election, either, saying he would do so only if he feels its an honest election  as he said before the 2020 election.

The primetime forum  the first major television event of the 2024 presidential campaign and Trumps first interview appearance on CNN since before he was elected president in 2016  drew suspicion from both sides of the political divide as soon as it was announced.

Democrats questioned whether a man who continues to spread lies about his 2020 election loss should be given the airtime. Conservatives wondered why Trump would appear on  and potentially give a ratings bump to  a network he has continually disparaged.

The stakes were raised considerably Tuesday after jurors in New York found Trump had sexually abused and defamed advice columnist E. Jean Carroll nearly three decades ago, though they rejected her claim that he raped her. The jury awarded her $5 million in damages.

Trump, at Wednesdays event, called the case fake news and insisted he didnt know Carroll, even as he attacked her in deeply personal terms. Shes a wack job, he said, drawing laughs from the crowd.

Trump has generally not reacted well when pressed onstage about his behavior toward women, most notably during the first Republican presidential debate of 2015, when he sparred with then-Fox News host Megyn Kelly and later accused her of having blood coming out of her wherever. Carroll is one of more than a dozen women who have accused Trump of sexual assault or harassment over the years; Trump has denied the allegations.

While the civil trial verdict carried no criminal penalties, it is just one of myriad legal issues facing Trump, who was indicted in New York in March over hush money payments made to women who alleged extramarital affairs with him. Trump is also facing investigations in Georgia and Washington over his alleged interference in the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents and potential obstruction of justice.

The difficulties of interviewing Trump live on air became immediately apparent as the town hall began with questions about the 2020 election. As the evening wore on, Collins became more aggressive in trying to pin Trump down on specifics, trying half a dozen times to get him to say what he would do if a federal abortion ban were to reach his desk.

He said that he would negotiate so people are happy.

During the exchange, Trump repeated the false claim that abortion rights supporters wanted to kill a baby in the ninth month of pregnancy or even after a birth  comments that went unchecked by Collins.

He also refused to say whether he wants Ukraine to win its war against Russia. I dont think in terms of winning and losing, he answered. And he declined to say whether he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, as the International Criminal Court has alleged.

Thats something to be discussed at a later date, Trump said, arguing that calling Putin a war criminal would complicate efforts to make a deal to end the conflict. Trump was widely criticized during his time in office for accepting Putins insistence that Russia had not interfered in the 2016 election to help him, even though U.S. intelligence agencies had determined otherwise.

As for the looming risk of an unprecedented government default, Trump sounded blase.

Well, you might as well do it now because youll do it later because we have to save this country, he said.

A discussion about Trumps refusal to turn over classified documents kept at his Mar-a-Lago club was particularly contentious. When Collins interrupted him at one point, Trump said, Can I finish?

Yeah, whats the answer? she said.

You are a nasty person, Trump quipped.

Biden responded to the town hall on Twitter, writing: Its simple, folks. Do you want four more years of that? If you dont, pitch in to our campaign.

Trump has long called CNN fake news and sparred with Collins. Nonetheless, Trumps team saw the invitation from the network as an opportunity to connect with a broader swath of voters than those who usually tune into the conservative outlets he favors. One adviser noted that Trump found success in 2016 by stepping outside Republicans traditional comfort zone.

The appearance served as another contrast with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is seen as a top rival to Trump for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024 and is expected to launch his campaign in the coming weeks. DeSantis has taken a sheltered media approach, largely eschewing questions from the mainstream press while embracing Fox News, which was once a loyal Trump cheerleader but is now frequently denigrated by the former president.

Trumps campaign has turned to new channels, including popular conservative podcasts and made-for-social-media videos that often rack up hundreds of thousands of views. His team has also been inviting reporters from a variety of outlets to ride aboard his plane and has been arranging unadvertised stops at local restaurants and other venues to show him interacting with supporters, in contrast to the less charismatic DeSantis.
Hunet polled 561 people who have worked for a company for less than three years and found that they expected to last only 2.8 more years in the job on average.

Kim Seok-ho, a sociologist at Seoul National University, said, "The dream of lifetime employment has been shattered and people are increasingly nervous about working for one company for a long time, while younger Koreans are changing jobs to prove their own worth. But the trend is a huge waste from an employer's perspective."

While the older generation counted on a lifetime job in a single company, gradually rising through the ranks on a rigid system of seniority, young people are much more flexible. They are encouraged by headlines of people getting huge pay raises or massive stock options in certain fields.

A growing number of young Koreans feel anxious about getting stuck in a job and will seize any opportunity to move to better-paying position.

Some 27.3 percent expected to work just one or two more years, while 20.2 percent saw themselves sticking around for two to three years. Some 9.3 percent said they intend to change jobs in less than a year, while only 15.3 percent said they will work in the same company for more than five years.

Human resources managers complain that job hopping makes their task much more difficult.

One 28-year-old who has worked in a company for five years said, "When I tell my friends I've worked for the same company for five years, they're surprised and ask me when I plan to switch jobs. One of my friends quit his job last year to study to go to medical school, while another who worked in a company for three years switched recently to a foreign company."

A 29-year-old who has worked for a major conglomerate for two years said, "When my coworkers move to a start-up or tell me I should be more adventurous, I feel like I'm too complacent."

But job hopping does not always translate into higher pay and better perks, and many people end up regretting it. One 34-year-old who switched from a foreign company to a large Korean clothing firm said she is sorry she made the move because of the small wage increases she gets now.

"I got a pay raise when I switched jobs, but now the wage hike is capped at three percent a year so I'm wondering if I should move again," she said.

Others who quit their jobs after hearing about the success stories of their former coworkers end up having to spend a long time out of work. One 32-year-old office worker who moved to a start-up company early last year said, "I changed jobs looking at the growth potential of my new employer, but my hopes of making a lot of money from stock options have been dashed due to the weak stock market right now."

A staffer at another start-up said, "Quite a lot of workers hope to make lots of money quickly when they come here but often end up regretting the move. Established businesses should give young workers more opportunities to prove their worth."
Leading crew admit to Environmental Crimes on Rhode Island-bound oil tanker

Ships Operator, Captain, and Chief Engineer admit to Environmental Crimes aboard a Rhode Island-bound oil tanker

PROVIDENCE The Greek company that owned and operated the Galissas: a tanker carrying diesel oil from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to Providence, RI, in February 2022, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island to federal environmental crimes carried out by its captain and chief engineer. In addition, the vessels captain pled guilty to failing to report a hazardous condition in the vessels cargo tanks to the United States Coast Guard prior to the tanker entering the port of Newport, Rhode Island. The vessels chief engineer pled guilty to knowingly discharging untreated oily bilge water directly from the tanker into the sea during the transatlantic voyage. During proceedings in U.S. District Court in Providence, Zeus Lines Management S.A., (Zeus) owner/operator of the Gallissas, admitted violating The Ports and Waterways Safety Act and The Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. The Galissas captain Jose Ervin Mahinge Porquez, a resident of the Philippines, admitted to violating The Ports and Waterways Safety Act. The Galissas Chief Engineer Roberto Cayabyab Penaflor, also a resident of the Philippines, admitted violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. Under the terms of the plea agreement Zeus will pay a total monetary penalty of $2.25 million, consisting of a fine of $1,687,500 and a community service payment of $562,500. The community service payment will go to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects to benefit marine and coastal natural resources located in the State of Rhode Island. Additionally, Zeus will serve a four-year term of probation, during which any vessels operated by the company and calling on U.S. ports will be required to implement a robust environmental compliance plan. A critical mission of this office is protecting our environment from pollution and polluters, whether they impact our neighborhoods or precious natural resources like the Narragansett Bay, one of the crown jewels of Rhode Island, said United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Zachary A. Cunha. In this case, a foreign company decided it could ignore its obligation under American law, putting our waters and coastal communities at risk. Todays guilty pleas are a reminder that this Office will enforce our environmental laws to hold violators  individuals and corporate  accountable and protect our vital natural resources and our citizenry. This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the health and safety of the marine environment, said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division. The reckless actions of these defendants not only threatened the marine environment, but also the safety of this coastal community. The Department of Justice will continue to work with our partner agencies to ensure those who pollute and endanger our coastal communities are held fully accountable. This case demonstrates the U.S. governments resolve to ensure the safety of life at sea and protect our ports from rogue and negligent actors, said Rear Adm. John Mauger, Commander of the First Coast Guard District. Everyday thousands of ships safely call on U.S. ports and handle nearly 95% of US trade that drives our economy and provides for our national security. By sailing into a major U.S. port with a known faulty inert gas generator, the operator, and senior officers of the Galissas endangered not only their shipmates but also the people of Rhode Island. The Coast Guard will continue to train and deploy our vessel examiners to protect mariners and our nations ports by deterring and detecting unsafe and illegal activity. We appreciate the strong resolve from DOJ in holding these rogue actors accountable. According to information presented in court, while the Galissas was conducting cargo operations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in February 2022, crew members became aware that the vessels inert gas system became inoperable. The inert gas system is necessary to ensure that oxygen levels within the vessels cargo tanks remain at safe levels and do not pose a hazardous condition. Rather than remaining in Rotterdam until the inert gas system could be repaired, Zeus and the ships captain, Porquez, decided to instead sail to the United States, where a spare part would be delivered upon the vessels arrival. On February 11, 2022, while crossing the Atlantic, Porquez submitted a Notice of Arrival to the U.S. Coast Guard which failed to report the hazardous condition. On February 15, 2022, the Coast Guard sent an email in preparation for inspection which inquired about the vessels inert gas system. Porquez responded to the email but did not disclose the inoperable inert gas system. Upon arrival off the coast of Rhode Island February 19, 2022, the vessel embarked a local ships pilot to sail the vessel closer to shore and take delivery of the spare part. Although the crew installed the spare part, the inert gas system remained inoperable. Porquez failed to report to the Coast Guard the hazardous condition that the vessels inert gas system was inoperable while the tanks were not gas free. The following day, February 20, the U.S. Coast Guard boarded the Galissas to conduct an inspection. Only then did Porquez inform the Coast Guard that the inert gas system was inoperable. The Coast Guard immediately took measurements of the oxygen levels within the vessels cargo tanks, which were registered more than double the maximum allowable levels. The Coast Guard then ordered that the vessel be moved further offshore so as to not endanger the port of Newport, Rhode Island. Zeus Operations Manager directed Porquez to create a logbook showing oxygen levels during the transatlantic voyage. Porquez had a logbook created that falsely indicated the cargo tanks were at safe oxygen levels when the vessel left the Netherlands and remained at safe levels during the majority of the vessels transit of the Atlantic Ocean. In reality, the crew had not taken any readings of the oxygen levels in the cargo tanks during the vessels voyage. Porquez had tasked the vessels Chief Officer with creating this fraudulent logbook that was then presented to the U.S. Coast Guard during its inspection. Additionally, Zeus and chief engineer Penaflor admitted that throughout the transatlantic voyage, oily bilge water was illegally dumped from the Galissas directly into the ocean without being properly processed through required pollution prevention equipment. Oily bilge water typically contains oil contamination from the operation and cleaning of machinery on the vessel. They also admitted that these illegal discharges were not recorded in the vessels oil record book as required by law. Specifically, on three separate occasions between November 2021 and February 2022, Penaflor ordered crew members working for him in the engine room to discharge a total of approximately 9,544 gallons of oily bilge water from the vessels bilge holding tank directly into the ocean using the vessels emergency fire pump, bypassing the vessels required pollution prevention equipment. In addition, in preparation for the U.S. Coast Guards inspection of the Galissas, Penaflor instructed crew members on several occasions to not tell the Coast Guard about bypassing the pollution prevention equipment resulting in illegal discharges. A sentencing hearing in this matter is scheduled to be held on August 8, 2023. The defendants sentences will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Senior Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of the Department of Justices Environment and Natural Resources Divisions Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams for the District of Rhode Island are prosecuting the case with assistance from Lieutenant Commander Paul J. Milliken from the U.S. Coast Guard District One Legal Office. The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case.




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.
Santos was elected to Congress last fall after a campaign built partly on falsehoods. He told people he was a wealthy Wall Street dealmaker with a substantial real estate portfolio who had been a star volleyball player in college, among other things. In reality, he didn't work at the big financial firms he claimed had employed him, didn't go to college and had struggled financially before his run for public office.

Santos was expected to make an initial court appearance at a federal courthouse on Long Island later Wednesday, at which time the charges against him would be unsealed. Reached by the AP on Tuesday, Santos said he was unaware of the charges.

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said the indictment "seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations." "Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself," Peace said.

The indictment says Santos induced supporters to donate to a company under the false pretense that the money would be used to support his campaign. Instead, it says, he used it for personal expenses, including luxury designer clothes and to pay off his credit cards.

U.S. Rep. George Santos, the New York Republican infamous for fabricating key parts of his life story, was arrested on federal criminal charges on Wednesday ahead of an expected court appearance.

Questions about his finances also surfaced. In regulatory filings, Santos said he loaned his campaign and related political action committees more than $750,000, but it was unclear how he would have come into that kind of wealth so quickly after years in which he struggled to pay his rent and faced multiple eviction proceedings.

In a financial disclosure form, Santos had reporting making $750,000 a year plus dividends from a family company, the Devolder Organization. He later described that business as a broker for sales of luxury items like yachts and aircraft. The business was incorporated in Florida shortly after Santos stopped working as a salesman for a company accused by federal authorities of operating an illegal Ponzi scheme.

Many of Santos' fellow New York Republicans called on him to resign after his history of fabrications was revealed. Some renewed their criticism of him as news of the criminal case spread.

"Listen, George Santos should have resigned in December. George Santos should have resigned in January. George Santos should have resigned yesterday. And perhaps he'll resign today. But sooner or later, whether he chooses to or not, both the truth and justice will be delivered to him," said U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro, a Republican representing parts of upstate New York. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was more circumspect, saying "I think in America, you're innocent till proven guilty."

Santos has faced criminal investigations before. When he was 19, he was the subject of a criminal investigation in Brazil over allegations he used stolen checks to buy items at a clothing shop. Brazilian authorities said they have reopened the case. In 2017, Santos was charged with theft in Pennsylvania after authorities said he used thousands of dollars in fraudulent checks to buy puppies from dog breeders. That case was dismissed after Santos claimed his checkbook had been stolen, and that someone else had taken the dogs.

Federal authorities have separately been looking into complaints about Santos work raising money for a group that purported to help neglected and abused pets. One New Jersey veteran accused Santos of failing to deliver $3,000 he had raised to help his pet dog get a needed surgery.
The legal changes were proposed this year after the city's top court approved jailed pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai's appointment of London-based lawyer Timothy Owen to represent him as he faces collusion charges under a Beijing-imposed national security law.

The bill was passed by a majority in the city's legislature, filled by mostly Beijing loyalists, with little opposition through a show-of-hands vote. Critics said the changes will leave defendants with even fewer choices when they look for legal representation in some of the city's most controversial cases.

The city's leader will only give approval if there are sufficient grounds to believe the lawyers' involvement will not contradict the interests of national security, and the decision cannot be challenged.

The changes will require overseas lawyers who do not generally practice in Hong Kong to obtain permission from the chief executive before submitting applications to represent clients in national security cases in court.

Hong Kong lawmakers on Wednesday passed an amendment to a law granting the city's leader the power to bar overseas lawyers from handling national security cases, following a high-profile row sparked by a pro-democracy Hong Kong publisher's hiring of a British lawyer.

Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to China in 1997, uses the same common law jurisdiction as the U.K., and lawyers from other common law jurisdictions can generally work within the city's legal system when their expertise is needed.

Hours after Hong Kong's top court in November approved Lai's choice of lawyer, city leader John Lee asked Beijing to decide whether foreign lawyers should be allowed to work on national security cases. While China's top legislative body didn't directly rule on whether these lawyers could handle such cases, it said the city's leader and committee for safeguarding national security had the power to decide the matter.

In proposing the amendment, the government said the changes would "effectively implement the spirit of the interpretation" of the law and address potential national security risks associated with overseas lawyers handling such cases. The mechanism will apply to both criminal and civil cases related to national security, it said.

On Wednesday, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam defended the changes by arguing defendants can choose representation from more than 1,600 barristers in Hong Kong. But, in practice, defendants in national security cases are left with a small pool of lawyers who can handle such cases, said Kevin Yam, senior fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian Law.

"Almost all the barristers who are willing and able" to take up such cases are handling an ongoing trial involving 47 activists who were charged under a national security law over an unofficial primary election, Yam said. That trial is expected to last for 90 days.

"We're left with a situation where a type of case that very few lawyers are willing to take" will lose "yet another source from which you can get legal representation," he said.

He also noted the definition of national security is vague, so it will be hard to determine when foreign lawyers will be turned away under the new mechanism.

The legal changes passed Wednesday are not retrospective. Lai's lawyers earlier learned that the committee for safeguarding national security had decided Owen's representation of Lai would likely pose national security risks and advised the director of immigration to refuse any new work visa applications from Owen related to the case. The director of immigration said his department would act in accordance with that advice.
Salesian Agricultural College launch Organic Conversion plan for Drystock Enterprise

The Salesian Agricultural Colleges proposed conversion of their beef and sheep farm to organic was officially launched at Pallaskenry in County Limerick today, Thursday, 11 May 2023. The organic conversion proposal was officially launched by Pippa Hackett, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Rachel McNamara, Farm Operations Manager, Majella Moloney, Teagasc Regional Manager; Niall Collins T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science; Pippa Hackett, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Cllr Sean Hartigan, Limerick; Dr Stan Lalor, Teagasc Director of Knowledge Transfer; Father John Horan, Rector Salesian Agricultural College; Joe Kelleher, Teagasc Organic Specialist and Derek O'Donoghue, College Principal at the launch of an Organic Conversion plan for the Drystock Enterprise in the Salesian Agricultural College, Pallaskenry, Co Limerick. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

Speaking at the college today, Minister Hackett said: Salesian College has a strong reputation as a provider of quality agricultural courses. I am delighted to see the college taking the lead and switching to organic farming for their drystock enterprises. There is a growing demand for more sustainable methods of farming and education has a key role in making agriculture more resilient in Ireland and protecting our farm families.

Derek O'Donoghue, Principal Salesian Agricultural College added: Salesian Agricultural College looks forward to operating an organic drystock farm which further embeds our commitment to sustainable farming methods. We currently deliver the Level 5 Organic Farming Module, and now students will be able to see the practical application of organic farming methods on the college farm. Working with the Teagasc Organic Team, the learnings from our organic drystock farm will be made available to the wider farming community.

The government has a target of having 10,000 organic farms by 2030, so there will be an increasing population of young farmers that will require an agricultural education with a strong emphasis on organic farming.

Dr Stan Lalor, Director of Knowledge Transfer in Teagasc said; Conversion of the drystock enterprise to an organic system offers Salesian Agricultural College the opportunity to offer their students with a learning experiences that will demonstrate an environmentally, socially and financially sustainable farming system. The Salesian Agricultural College will lead the way among Irish colleges. There will be key learnings from this system of production that will be applicable to all students.

The case for the conversion of the drystock enterprise was prepared in March of this year and the conversion process has already commenced with the sowing of red clover swards for silage taking place in April of this year.
mystiikmonk Newbie

Join Date: Apr 2023 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 5 Thanked: 42 Times Infractions: 0/1 (5)

Stretching the legs of my new BMW 330Li | Drive to JLR K-Gudi from Bangalore



Cars and photography are something I am deeply passionate about. Cars, ever since I was a kid, and photography, a few years back.



With the new car (BMW 330Li M-Sport) delivered a month back and tight office schedules over last month, I was feeling restless for a long ride. Along with that, the school vacation season made it even worse to get hold of any good bookings on short notice, especially the JLRs (Jungle Lodge and Resorts by Karnataka Govt). JLR's have good hospitality and monopoly over most of the good safaris that can be done in the jungles of Karnataka and hence it was always on my wish list.



As I was checking through all the resorts available, luckily for me one room was available for booking immediately at K-Gudi Wilderness Camp i.e. one of the JLRs located at BR Hills. I had been to that area before in my Polo GT for 1-Day rides. I knew the road had some scenic routes once we entered the BR Hills area. Hence without further ado booked rooms immediately for the next day, charged up my camera, and went to sleep to be ready for the next day.



Route  What I had thought vs where I ended up....



I was sure not to take the Kanakpura road as, first it was single lane and last time around, I got stuck behind so many trucks and govt buses that, it spoilt the experience. Hence, I decided to take the route via Mysuru Expressway. I was happy as this would be my first ride on the expressway and the car, being my first luxury car purchase and that too being low slung one, I need not worry about scraping the underbody. Little did I know that Google Maps would have rerouted in the mid without me noticing and I ended up reaching BR Hills via Bengaluru - Mysuru Expy and Chamarajanagara-BR Hills instead of Bengaluru - Mysuru Expy -> Kollegala road. The latter road was particularly good, even though they were state highways and I returned via that road. I could easily maintain good speed throughout. The onward roads were not bad either, but it had a lot more country roads than expected and mostly through a lot of small villages/towns where roads were in not that pristine condition. Surprisingly, even with such roads, the BMW fared well. I was told about the raised ground clearance and not even once I scraped across the entire Journey.



The Route:





The country roads during onward journey:







Entry to the Jungle



Then we entered the jungle via check post. From the check post to the actual camp is around 10km and it's deep within the jungle. In this stretch, almost 15-20% are broken tarmac and sedans need to be careful. Along the way spotted some wildlife and had to click from inside the car as it was not advisable to get down around that area.



Post entering the checkpost:







Once we reached the JLR site, the place is like a small scenic site with a small water body within the jungle which is open to the public. You can see the Deers and Boars roaming around and people usually come for a day ride till here. Before we entered JLR, I had my breakfast there, which we had packed with us as we knew there were no food options available, except for JLR and that is also restricted to guests. I could not resist clicking a few car pics around that place.









The JLR Experience / Food/Safari



As this was my first JLR experience, I was curious to explore and understand why there is always hype around these stays. The booking amount includes the stay, food, and safari cost. The staff were very polite, friendly and that is something I immediately liked. They allowed us for an early check-in and meanwhile, we started exploring the property as well till lunchtime. We had opted for a Tent Room. Our room was decent and clean. There is also an option for cottage/log huts.



The stay area  Each accommodation is part of and faces the jungle. We could constantly hear the chirping sound of birds.



Accommodation area:







The food was good. I think the veg option during lunch could have been better. The dinner was nice and did hit the taste buds. Tea/Coffee and snacks were served before and after the safari.



Dinner:





As we stayed for 1 night, there were 2 scheduled safaris. One around 4 pm to 6.30 pm and the other one at 6 am. I had very less expectation from these safaris as wildlife spotting here is rare. Though there are chances of spotting tigers and leopards, again that is exceedingly rare. The safari naturalist tried his best for spotting and took us across the jungle on all routes.



I did manage to capture a few birds, a wild elephant, and a pack of wild dogs in pursuit of hunting.



















Post our morning safari, we had a nice breakfast and finally checked out by 10 am and returned to Bangalore, finishing our quick weekend getaway I have been an avid fan of Team-BHP travelogues for many years and as my member request got approved recently, this would be my first attempt to contribute to this already epic forum.Cars and photography are something I am deeply passionate about. Cars, ever since I was a kid, and photography, a few years back.With the new car (BMW 330Li M-Sport) delivered a month back and tight office schedules over last month, I was feeling restless for a long ride. Along with that, the school vacation season made it even worse to get hold of any good bookings on short notice, especially the JLRs (Jungle Lodge and Resorts by Karnataka Govt). JLR's have good hospitality and monopoly over most of the good safaris that can be done in the jungles of Karnataka and hence it was always on my wish list.As I was checking through all the resorts available, luckily for me one room was available for booking immediately at K-Gudi Wilderness Camp i.e. one of the JLRs located at BR Hills. I had been to that area before in my Polo GT for 1-Day rides. I knew the road had some scenic routes once we entered the BR Hills area. Hence without further ado booked rooms immediately for the next day, charged up my camera, and went to sleep to be ready for the next day.I was sure not to take the Kanakpura road as, first it was single lane and last time around, I got stuck behind so many trucks and govt buses that, it spoilt the experience. Hence, I decided to take the route via Mysuru Expressway. I was happy as this would be my first ride on the expressway and the car, being my first luxury car purchase and that too being low slung one, I need not worry about scraping the underbody. Little did I know that Google Maps would have rerouted in the mid without me noticing and I ended up reaching BR Hills via Bengaluru - Mysuru Expy and Chamarajanagara-BR Hills instead of Bengaluru - Mysuru Expy -> Kollegala road. The latter road was particularly good, even though they were state highways and I returned via that road. I could easily maintain good speed throughout. The onward roads were not bad either, but it had a lot more country roads than expected and mostly through a lot of small villages/towns where roads were in not that pristine condition. Surprisingly, even with such roads, the BMW fared well. I was told about the raised ground clearance and not even once I scraped across the entire Journey.The Route:The country roads during onward journey:Then we entered the jungle via check post. From the check post to the actual camp is around 10km and it's deep within the jungle. In this stretch, almost 15-20% are broken tarmac and sedans need to be careful. Along the way spotted some wildlife and had to click from inside the car as it was not advisable to get down around that area.Post entering the checkpost:Once we reached the JLR site, the place is like a small scenic site with a small water body within the jungle which is open to the public. You can see the Deers and Boars roaming around and people usually come for a day ride till here. Before we entered JLR, I had my breakfast there, which we had packed with us as we knew there were no food options available, except for JLR and that is also restricted to guests. I could not resist clicking a few car pics around that place.As this was my first JLR experience, I was curious to explore and understand why there is always hype around these stays. The booking amount includes the stay, food, and safari cost. The staff were very polite, friendly and that is something I immediately liked. They allowed us for an early check-in and meanwhile, we started exploring the property as well till lunchtime. We had opted for a Tent Room. Our room was decent and clean. There is also an option for cottage/log huts.The stay area  Each accommodation is part of and faces the jungle. We could constantly hear the chirping sound of birds.Accommodation area:The food was good. I think the veg option during lunch could have been better. The dinner was nice and did hit the taste buds. Tea/Coffee and snacks were served before and after the safari.Dinner:As we stayed for 1 night, there were 2 scheduled safaris. One around 4 pm to 6.30 pm and the other one at 6 am. I had very less expectation from these safaris as wildlife spotting here is rare. Though there are chances of spotting tigers and leopards, again that is exceedingly rare. The safari naturalist tried his best for spotting and took us across the jungle on all routes.I did manage to capture a few birds, a wild elephant, and a pack of wild dogs in pursuit of hunting.Post our morning safari, we had a nice breakfast and finally checked out by 10 am and returned to Bangalore, finishing our quick weekend getaway
Thunderbird makes email better for you, bringing together speed, privacy and the latest technologies. Focus on what matters and forget about complexity.

Is Thunderbird free?

Yes, Mozilla Thunderbird is free and open source. You can use it for personal and commercial use. However, Mozilla is open to donations in order to keep improving the app.

Does Thunderbird let users make a local copy of my messages?

Yes, Thunderbird will keep a copy of all your messages on your computer by default. You can also create a local backup of your messages or download them from your server whenever you need it.

Can Thunderbird replace Outlook?

For general email use, yes, Thunderbird can be a suitable replacement for Outlook. Those that require better integration with Microsoft Office and Exchange will be more satisfied with Microsoft Outlook. Additionally, Thunderbird's interface may not be as polished as Outlook's.

How many email accounts can I have with Thunderbird?

Thunderbird has no limitation on the number of email accounts users can add to the app.

What mail services does Thunderbird support?

Thunderbird supports most mailing services that synchronize items through the IMAP protocol or download messages through the POP3 protocol. The application also supports synchronization for MS Exchange and Outlook.com accounts. Thunderbird supports Gmail, iCloud, Outlook.com, IceWarp, Microsoft Exchange, Yahoo, AOL, GMX, Kerio and more.

Features

Mail Account Setup Wizard

Prior to this feature you had to know your IMAP, SMTP, and SSL/TLS settings. Now all you need to provide is your name, email address, and password and the email account set up wizardry will check our database and find the email settings for you.

Personalized Email Addresses

Ever dreamed of having a personalized email address (such as "dad@thesmithfamily.com") for you, your family or your business? Thunderbird makes this easy - you can sign up for a new email address within Thunderbird, and it will all be set up automatically for you ready to send and receive.

One-click Address Book

One-click Address Book is a quick and easy way to add people to your address book. Add people by simply clicking on the star icon in the message you receive. Two clicks and you can add more details like a photo, birthday, and other contact information.

Attachment Reminder

The attachment reminder looks for the word attachment (and other words like file types) in the body of your message and reminds you to add an attachment before hitting send.

Multiple-channel chat

Enjoy real-time conversation with your contacts, right from your favorite messaging application, with multiple supported networks. Thunderbird makes it easy to search through both past conversations and received emails.

Tabbed Email

Thunderbird replicates the new look and feel of Mozilla Firefox in an effort to provide a similar user experience across all Mozilla software desktop or mobile and all platforms.

Tabbed email lets you load emails in separate tabs so you can quickly jump between them. Tabs appear on the top of the menu bar providing a powerful visual experience and allowing the toolbars to be much more contextual.

Tabbed email lets you keep multiple emails open for easy reference. Double-clicking or hitting Enter on a mail message will open that message in a new tab.

When quitting Thunderbird, visible tabs will be saved and will be restored when you open Thunderbird the next time. There is also a Tab menu on the Tab toolbar to help you switch between tabs.

Search the Web

You can now search the Web without having to leave Thunderbird. Type whatever comes to mind in Thunderbird's search box and choose from several different search providers.

You can also highlight words in your email, right click, and select "search the web for:" to start your Web search.

Quick Filter Toolbar

The Quick Filter Toolbar lets you filter your email faster. Start typing in words in the Quick Filter search box and the results are displayed instantly. Or you can filter your email by New Messages, Tags, and people in your Address Book. You can also "Pin" or save a Filter and use it across multiple folders.

Search Tools

The search interface in Thunderbird contains filtering and timeline tools to pinpoint the exact email you're looking for. Thunderbird also indexes all of your emails and chat conversations to help you search even faster. Your search results are displayed in a tab so you can easily switch back and forth to your search results and other email.

Message Archive

If you think you're going to need an email in the future but want it out of your inbox without deleting it, archive it! Archiving helps you manage your inbox and put your email into the archive folder system.

Selecting the Archive button or hitting the 'A' key will archive your email.

Activity Manager

The Activity Manager records all the interactions between Thunderbird and your email provider in one place. There's no more guess work. You only have to look in one place to see everything that's happening with your email.

What's New

Changes

Support for Google Talk chat accounts removed

Fixes

Thunderbird could crash on startup on Windows 11

After compacting folders, new downloaded messages were inaccessible

Marking a message as a Favorite (starred) did not update the thread pane when using Unified Folders

Compose window failed to populate some fields when S/MIME was configured

Non-text attachments has an incorrect "charset=windows-1250" mime header

Messages sent as attachments incorrectly had an "X-Mozilla-Cloud-Part" header

Improved Address Book import/export support in Profile Importer

IMAP stability improvements

Offline cache was unusable for NNTP accounts

Signing S/MIME messages failed

Various UI improvements

Previous Notes:

Native support for macOS devices built with Apple Silicon CPUs

New Thunderbird now operates in multi-process (e10s) mode by default

New Latvian language support

New user interface for adding attachments

New Enable redirect of messages

New Ability to change order of accounts in UI

New Allow showing empty CC/BCC rows in compose window

New Warning popup when sending a reply to a likely non-existant email address such as "noreply@example.com"

New Warning popup when public recipients of a message exceeds threshold

New Add support for "X-Unsent: 1" header, to open a saved email in a compose window for editing

New Add support for non-ASCII characters in recipient addresses

New Context menu to expand mail list pills in the compose window to the list of recipients

New Quick Find is now available in the multi-message (thread summary) view

New Keyboard shortcuts to access To/CC/BCC fields of compose window

New Allow pinning folder views to the Folder Pane

New Language packs and dictionaries added to about:support

New PDF.js viewer now included in Thunderbird

New OpenPGP: "Copy Key Id" option added to Key Manager context menu

New OpenPGP: Added config option to disable encrypting saved drafts

New Encrypt mail to BCC recipients (with warning that it will expose the recipients in the list of keys)

New CardDAV address book support

New CardDAV address books automatically detected based on provided user information

New Access to Outlook Contacts; To enable, set ldap_2.servers.outlook.dirType to 3; This setting may cause startup delays.

New Suggest replacements for discontinued/incompatible add-ons

New Chat: Beta-level support for Matrix servers (set chat.prpls.prpl-matrix.disable to false)

New Calendar: Remote calendar auto-detection now supported

New Calendar: Calendar and category colors now displayed in selection dropdowns

New Calendar: "Edit" item added to event context menu

New Calendar: Support opening of .ics files by double-click

New Calendar: Thunderbird now informs the operating system that it knows how to open webcal: URLs

New Calendar: Filter and sort items to be imported in the Import dialog

New Prompt to choose the identity of an accepted calendar invite when no identity matches the event attendees list

New Support mid: URL scheme for Related Links in calendar event dialogs

New Permissions to access calendar and address book are now requested when a GMail account is set up, so that calendar and address book can be accessed without having to re-authorize (see notes)

New Calendar: Per-calendar and global notification settings (in addition to alerts set in events)

New Tasks: Undo/Redo support for event and task creation and deletion

Changes

Changed "Master Password" renamed to "Primary Password"

Changed Renamed "Add-ons" to "Add-ons and Themes" and "Options" to "Preferences"

Changed Account setup moved to a tab

Changed Mail recipients that are not found in any address book will no longer appear in red type; invalid addresses will appear red

Changed Clicking on an already-selected pill in the recipient list will now allow editing the address

Changed Folder pane color scheme overhauled with a focus on readability

Changed Sending backend, SMTP protocol, and LDAP protocol implementations rewritten in Javascript

Changed Sending backend, SMTP, and IMAP protocols now operate only in UTF-8 mode

Changed Sending a message will now fail if any recipients are not accepted by the SMTP server

Changed Error messages from an SMTP server are now displayed to the user

Changed UI Customization controls moved to the View menu

Changed End-to-End Encryption "Advanced Settings" are now disabled when encryption is not configured

Changed Movemail support removed

Changed WeTransfer FileLink provider removed

Changed Enterprise policies updated

Changed Printing UI updated

Changed AutoComplete from LDAP directories now searches by substring instead of left-side match

Changed Chat modules and custom widgets are now lazy-loaded to improve Thunderbird startup time

Changed Default IRC server for new chat accounts changed to "libera.chat"

Changed Chat: Image based emoticons replaced with Unicode

Changed Calendar: Opening an existing event now opens summary dialog

Changed Calendar: Default to CalDAV when supported by the server

Fixes:

Thunderbird did not properly handle Self-signed certificates on IMAP servers

Fixed Various issues with special and non-ASCII characters in IMAP folders names, especially on Gmail

Fixed Drag & drop operations could be disrupted by incoming mail notifications

Fixed Dragging a folder from an authenticated IMAP server to a not-yet authenticated server fails

Fixed Temporary errors from POP3 servers would cause Thunderbird to stop downloading mail until it was restarted

Fixed Favorite Folder view did not maintain UI state between Thunderbird restarts

Fixed Saved search virtual folders were not retained after restarting Thunderbird

Fixed Thunderbird did not correctly warn about all affected filters when removing a folder

Fixed Manually running filters on a maildir folder did not work

Fixed Partially downloaded messages displayed in a stand-alone window did not refresh after clicking link to download the rest of the message

Fixed An erroneous "Sender" header was displayed in the message preview after viewing certain S/MIME signed emails

Fixed Some temporary files created by the message composer were not automatically removed after closing the compose window

Fixed Archiving messages from an NNTP account made the target folder unusable

Fixed Compose window: The user-configured style for quoted text was not honored

Fixed Message headers in compose window disregarded manual resizing when adding additional recipients

Fixed Various improvements to new message notifications

Fixed A Thunderbird icon pinned to the Windows taskbar reverted to a non-functional placeholder after an update

Fixed Various improvements to recipient pills in message compose window

Fixed Keyboard shortcut to open the Message Security popup did not work on Mac

Fixed Subject column in message lists sometimes showed text from invalid email headers

Fixed Account settings: When creating a new account, some already entered settings did not copy to the Advanced Config dialog

Fixed Default address book preference was not honored in the contacts sidebar

Fixed Import Address Book from CSV did not not allow mapping all available fields

Fixed LDAP address books did not display multi-valued attributes

Fixed Address Book: Users with LDAP admin rights could delete accounts if trying to delete an entry from an address book backed by LDAP

Fixed Some preferences related to an address book were not removed when the address book was deleted

Fixed Shortcut for Advanced Address Book Search (Ctrl+Shift+F) did not work on Linux

Fixed Radio buttons could not be selected on photo tab of an address card

Fixed Windows uninstaller did not always remove all Thunderbird program files

Fixed Chat: Double clicking an account type in new account wizard did not select it

Fixed Chat account settings did not always save as expected

Fixed User nickname colors were not used in chat content

Fixed Chat: Multiple system messages did not collapse

Fixed Calendar: Reminder details appeared editable when viewing an event

Fixed Calendar: HTML rendering in event descriptions restored

Fixed Calendar: The toolbar in the invitation details dialog was not honoring the theme colors

Fixed Calendar: Various dialog updates

Fixed Calendar: Import and export via CSV did not parse years correctly in event dates

Fixed Calendar: Event boxes were not always focused when clicked

Fixed Dragging and dropping an ICS file to the Today Pane did not populate the "New Event" dialog

Fixed Calendar: Reduced flickering effect in Today Pane

Fixed Calendar: The time of day indicator line did not update automatically

Fixed Location field was not preserved when modifying recurring events stored on a remote calendar

Fixed Today was difficult to pick out visually in the month/multiweek calendar views

Fixed Columns in Today Pane were not resizable

Fixed Calendar event text could render outside the confines of the event block

Fixed Event time and event name were not vertically aligned

Fixed Improved formatting of event descriptions with long links, such as Zoom invites

Fixed RSVP replies to invitations sometimes sent from the wrong email address

Fixed Various UI and theme improvements, especially to dark themes

Fixed Various security fixes

Known Issues
Learn Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Ukrainian, Esperanto, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, Norwegian, Hebrew, Welsh and English. Totally fun and free. New! Arabic, Latin.



Practice your speaking, reading, listening and writing skills!

You'll improve your vocabulary and grammar skills by answering questions and completing lessons. Start with basic verbs, phrases, and sentences, and learn new words daily.

It's free, for real

No fees, no ads, no gimmicks. A college-quality education without the pricetag. This is how the do it.

Scientifically proven

An independent study found that Duolingo trumps university-level language learning.

Learning, gamified

Lose hearts with incorrect answers, practice against the clock, level up. Duolingo is addictive.

Also on the go

Make your breaks and commutes more productive with our iPhone and Android apps.

What's New

We just wrapped up Grease Week at Duolingo! We care about even the smallest details of your experience, so our engineers have been all hands on deck working to fix the bugs in the app that accumulate over time. We even cleaned under the rugs.
In brief: A little-known Japanese company called Rapidus aims to mass produce 2nm chips just two years after the likes of Samsung, TSMC, and Intel. Many in the industry consider that an impossible task, but one of the two men leading the company believes it's just a matter of focusing on being the first to break ground on new process technology  kind of like TSMC. Rapidus also has the benefit of being at the center of Japan's strategy to conquer advanced semiconductors, meaning it will see plenty of subsidies over the coming years to fund its ambitions.

Back in 2021, the Japanese government said it would make it a top priority to reboot the local semiconductor industry, which was once a dominant force on the global market. Despite hosting more chip factories than an other country, Japan has fallen behind when it comes to mass-producing chips on advanced process nodes. To put things in perspective, Japan's share of global semiconductor sales has shrunk from 50 percent in 1988 to about 9 percent in 2022.

Meanwhile, Taiwan has become the world leader in this area, mostly thanks to TSMC. The country currently makes more than half of the world's semiconductors, and that figure is over 90 percent if you look at chips made using the most advanced process nodes. South Korea has a much smaller share of the overall market, but dominates when it comes to memory chips, thanks in no small part to companies like Samsung and SK Hynix.

That said, industry veteran Tetsuro Higashi says he's building a semiconductor company that can catch up with the likes of TSMC and Samsung in just four short years. Despite being 73 years old, Higashi is determined to show that Japan has what it takes to rejuvenate its chip industry and help it regain its edge.

It all started in August 2022 with the creation of Rapidus, a government-backed venture tasked with establishing a prototype 2nm-class process node by the end of 2025. Those ambitions became more clear in December last year, when Rapidus enlisted the help of IBM to spearhead research and development efforts. The US-based tech giant has extensive semiconductor IP and was the first company to unveil a 2nm chip design back in 2021.

Rapidus is led by two industry veterans  Tetsuro Higashi (who previously presided over Tokyo Electron) and Atsuyoshi Koike (who previously presided over Western Digital's Japanese arm). It is also backed by a several technology and financial firms such as Kioxia (formerly Toshiba Memory Corp.), Sony, Toyota Motor, Denso, NEC, NTT, Softbank, and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank.

More importantly, the company receives substantial subsidies from the Japanese government. And its partnership with an American firm represents a significant departure from Japan's previous attitude towards working with international organizations when it comes to national efforts. The result is that Rapidus engineers are learning the 2nm process at IBM's research center in Albany, New York, and the US gains a strategic partner in semiconductor manufacturing.

Higashi says that Rapidus is planning to have a cutting-edge manufacturing facility fully operational by 2027. This is a massive undertaking that will cost an estimated seven trillion yen (around $52 billion), most of which will come through government subsidies. As for the location, we only know the company has its eyes set on Chitose, a city located 36 kilometers away from Sapporo, the capital city of the Hokkaido prefecture.

TSMC's factory in the Kumamoto prefecture | Kyodo

Choosing the right location for a chip factory is a difficult task. Chitose has an ample water supply and relies on renewable sources for its energy needs, which make it a good candidate. However, most of the relevant suppliers are clustered in the Kumamoto prefecture, so Rapidus will need to encourage them to have a presence in Hokkaido as well. Notably, this is where TSMC is building a chip plant as part of a joint venture with Sony.

Also read: Aiming for Atoms  The Art of Making Chips Smaller

Perhaps the biggest challenge for Rapidus will be to acquire all the necessary EUV lithography equipment from ASML. Intel, Samsung, and TSMC are also looking to secure EUV machines for their expansion plans, which is why lead times are now around two years. Luckily for Rapidus, US sanctions against Chinese semiconductor firms have blocked some orders, which may help reduce waiting times for everyone else.

Unlike other low-profile chipmakers, Rapidus isn't interested in making chips using older, more mature process nodes. Furthermore, Higashi explains the company won't be able to compete with the likes of TSMC and Samsung when it comes to manufacturing volume, so it will instead focus entirely on beating them in the transistor miniaturization race.

Building a leading semiconductor company from scratch is a bold bet, but now that Moore's Law has slowed down, it may actually be easier to catch up with existing chipmakers. We'll have to wait and see, as companies like TSMC, Samsung, and Intel have deep pockets and are just as determined to take chip manufacturing to the next level since their future depends on it.
TechSpot is celebrating its 25th anniversary. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust

The big picture: One of the biggest criticisms against Apple's 2019 6K monster monitor has been its astronomical price. Dell announced a similar display at CES 2023 and quietly released it this week, revealing a price significantly lower than Apple's but still pretty pricey.

The latest entry in Dell's high-end UltraSharp monitor series is now available for $3,200. That's about $1,800 cheaper than Apple's $5,000 Pro Display XDR, which launched in 2019, with a similar screen resolution and feature set.

Dell's 32-inch 6K U3224KB isn't really for gaming, much less eSports, with a refresh rate of just 60Hz. As an elite-level IPS Black productivity panel, however, it displays at a maximum of 6,144 x 3,456 pixels  slightly more vertical pixels but slightly fewer horizontal than the Apple Pro's 6,016 x 3,384.

The U3224KB also features a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, 100 percent RGB color gamut, 99 percent DCI-P3 and Display P3 gamut, and 1.07 billion colors. Unlike Apple's panel, Dell also included a 4K dual gain HDR webcam with a multi-element lens and AI-based auto-framing.

Dell's biggest disadvantage against Apple is probably HDR brightness. While the Pro Display XDR maintains 1,000 nits and reaches a peak of 1,600 nits, the U3224KB is only certified for Vesa DisplayHDR 600.

However, the U3224KB has a broader range of connection ports than the Pro XDR, which only supports USB-C and Thunderbolt 3. Dell packed in a DisplayPort 2.1 connection, an HDMI 2.1 port, Thunderbolt 4 upstream, Thunderbolt 4 downstream, USB-C (with extended 140W power range), RJ45, and four USB-A ports.

Furthermore, while Apple's designed its monitor and some of its features around macOS, the U3224KB foregoes platform-specific bells and whistles to display the output of anything plugged into it.

Dell initially unveiled the U3224KB and its specs at CES in January but didn't reveal the price until launching the display this week. While the MSRP is $3,200, a sale at Dell's store currently cuts that down to $2,560.

Additionally, Apple and Dell have smaller, cheaper, high-end workstation monitors. Last year, Apple released the 27-inch 5K Studio Display for $1,600. Reports indicate The Cupertino company is also developing a 32-inch 7K monitor that would include one of its latest processors.
His party wants to bring in sweeping reforms of Thailand's economy and political structure, to remove the army from politics forever. His party is polling strongly -- just behind Thailand's biggest party, Pheu Thai. Pheu Thai is the political machine of billionaire former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin lives in exile, as does his sister, Yingluck, also a former prime minister, after a 2006 coup also toppled her government.

Nothing less than the future of the country is at stake on May 14, Kanphong Prayoonsak, a Move Forward candidate in a Bangkok district told VOA in early April. "It's do or die. It's the old ways and powers versus change," he said. "If the old power does come back, the country will fall into chaos and political turmoil once again. We will enter an era of regression."

Prayuth, 69, is a former army chief who led a coup in 2014 as head of the military, which has used coups and court decisions to stay involved in the country's politics for decades. Prayuth's critics say he has presided over nearly nine years of falling freedoms and soaring inequality, which have seen young pro-democracy activists chased through the courts, and the benefits of Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy shared among an increasingly narrow elite.

Thais go to the polls May 14 in an election pro-democracy parties say is critical for resetting the kingdom's politics nearly a decade after the military and its establishment supporters seized power in a coup.

 Number Crunching

Overall Thailand's National Assembly has 750 members, although only members of the lower house, the House of Representatives, are up for election this year. A majority of 376 from both the Senate and House of Representatives will be needed to form a government after the election and then elect a premier.

The electoral landscape is complicated, and experts say deliberately so to help the army keep one foot in power against pro-democracy opponents who have won every popular vote over the last two decades.

In the House of Representatives parties will compete in 400 constituencies and for a further 100 seats allocated according to the proportion of the overall vote each receives. All 250 seats in the Senate, though, have been appointed by Prayuth's government, and their terms will be up in May of next year. That means he potentially needs just 126 House members' support after the poll if the Senate backs him.

Prayuth, an arch-nationalist and royalist who sharply divides public opinion, is the prime ministerial candidate for the newly formed United Thai Nation Party. He successfully survived large pro-democracy protests across 2020 and 2021, which for the first time raised open questions over the role and wealth of the monarchy, Thailand's most powerful institution.

A court also ruled last year that he had not breached an eight-year limit in power, a criteria written into the constitution by his administration to prevent Shinawatra premiers serving for long. "All I've ever done has been for the nation," he told a crowd in southern Thailand on April 30. "I've retired [from the army] for eight years now so I'm fully a civilian but the army is also important, we can't just not have it. We must pay back our nation if we were born in this country."

On the conservative side of Thai politics he faces a potential challenge from Prawit Wongsuwon, another former army chief, aged 77, who served in Prayuth's government, but stayed with the ruling Phalang Pracharat party. He wants to be prime minister and has pitched himself as a compromise candidate, especially if Prayuth does not perform as well as he expects. "Many might call me a dictator in disguise but I tell myself I might have not been clear in explaining about 'my democratic soul'" he wrote on his Facebook page on April 21, adding "it has to be me" who bridges the conservative and liberal divide.

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul may also have a say in who enters the government as the head of the Bhumjaithai party, which has campaigned on the basis of its cannabis liberalization policy. His party is expected to scoop up dozens of seats which may give him a deciding role in a government coalition.

 High Stakes for Democracy

Pheu Thai leads the polls from the pro-democracy side. The party is targeting a landslide of 310 House seats, which would put it in a commanding position to pull together a coalition for government. Former Prime Minister Thaksin's 36-year-old daughter, Paetongtarn, is running as one of its three prime ministerial candidates.

But experts say the pro-democracy vote may be shared by the Move Forward Party, which has won the loyalty of under-35 voters, with its wider diagnosis of Thailand's entrenched social and economic ills. Its platform includes decentralizing power, demilitarizing politics and tackling the country's super-rich monopolies, which own large swaths of the economy.

It also wants to reform the royal defamation law, which has been used to charge scores of young pro-democracy protesters in recent years. "I can actually see a glimpse of change from Move Forward," said Atipat Seriniyompakorn, 30, a Bangkok-based phtographer, "I can see my future in their policies."

Given the divide, experts warn a return of Prayuth may tip Thailand back into crisis. "We can expect to see the same pattern of crackdowns and persecution of activists calling for sweeping reforms to continue," said analyst Napon Jatusripitak of the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. "I also expect to see significant backlash against this government, especially if it is a minority one, from the supporters of political parties from the other side of the spectrum." Over 52 million voters are eligible to vote in the May 14 polls.
Forward-looking: Google unveiled its big push into AI at the I/O event this week. Much of it revolves around image-related generative AI technology, which the company is introducing for numerous new features across Google Search, Android, and more. Google is utilizing AI to assist users in editing images, creating new images, analyzing photos, and communicating in a more immersive manner.

At Google I/O, the company revealed multiple projects leveraging generative AI imaging. Google unveiled new AI features for personalization, editing, search, and more.

Some Pixel phones will receive a new Google Photos feature later this year  Magic Editor. Magic Editor uses generative AI to enable users to edit images with functions similar to powerful tools like Photoshop's Content-Aware feature.

Google's demonstration of the software showcased someone removing a strap from a person's body, brightening the sky, or shifting a picture's subject. In these instances, generative AI fills in the gaps that moving objects would leave behind on patterns such as the ground or a park bench, concealing any indication that the picture was edited.

Google is also employing generative AI in image searches. A new feature called "About this image" will inform users when Google first indexed an image, where it initially appeared, and where else it has been found online. This tool will be available to US-based English users first.

This function aims to bolster efforts in combating misinformation resulting from images being used out of context. Additionally, it will notify users if anyone has confirmed that a picture is AI-generated.

To demonstrate its responsibility with generative AI, Google announced that it will add watermarks to all images created with its AI tools. Moreover, Google Search will display generative AI watermarks from other publishers.

One area where Google is enabling users to utilize AI image generation is Android home screen personalization. Next month, Pixel phone owners will be able to respond to text prompts to create new wallpapers using AI. On-device machine learning will also transform 2D photos into 3D images with the Cinematic wallpaper feature.

Project Starline (video on top), which Google first unveiled in 2021, will also employ AI to provide images with additional depth. Starline is a video conferencing system that aims to render call participants in realistic 3D, creating the appearance of a digital window. The initial prototype utilized a booth-sized array of cameras, but AI has allowed Google to develop a new version that generates better images with fewer cameras in a more compact setup.

Google's image-related announcements are just a portion of its AI initiative, an essential aspect of which includes generative AI-enhanced text search.
A hot potato: Bill Gates is a long-time proponent of funding innovative nuclear energy ventures, but Microsoft is now going way beyond this financially risky approach. Helion Energy, a Washington-based start-up, is guaranteeing Redmond it can generate electricity by nuclear fusion five years from now.

Microsoft and Helion have entered an outstanding agreement involving nuclear fusion, a source of clean, theoretically unlimited energy that Helion is betting will be commercially viable by 2028. The Washington start-up is essentially planning to plug its innovative (and potentially revolutionary) technology into the electric grid within 5 years, achieving something that the international scientific community, governments and private companies all over the world have been chasing for almost a century.

A statement from Helion founder and CEO David Kirtley highlights how the venture has nothing to do with science fiction or a potential commercial fraud: the company signed a "binding agreement" with Microsoft, which means Helion is committed to "be able to build" a working system and sell energy to Redmond to avoid paying harsh financial penalties.

Nuclear fusion is universally considered the "holy grail" of energy, as scientists are essentially trying to replicate what happens at the center of every star in the universe in a controlled manner. When two hydrogen nuclei are pushed against each other by overwhelming pressure and gravity force, they fuse together, generating a new helium nucleus. According to the law of mass-energy equivalence, a major portion of matter within the fusion reaction turns into the gargantuan amount of electromagnetic energy we can see every day coming down from the sky.

The traditional (and most advanced) approaches to try and replicate the fusion process in a contained reaction involve a powerful laser system "shooting" at a tiny target of fusion fuel, or a magnetic field designed to compact superheated plasma energy in a machine known as tokamak. The US Department of Energy recently said it achieved an unprecedented scientific breakthrough with fusion ignition, but no one has been able to attain, or even promise, what Helion is now betting it can do in a five-year timespan.

The company is developing a new machine which employs a completely different method for energy generation. The 40-foot device is a "plasma accelerator" capable of heating deuterium (a hydrogen isotope) and helium-3 atoms to 100 million degrees Celsius, creating a plasma flux which is then "shot" at the center of the machine by powerful, pulsing magnetic fields. When fusion happens, the machine converts heat into electric energy, which is finally sent to the grid.

Helion says its system can "electrically recover" all the energy put in the machine to feed fusion ignition, and the system itself would "quickly" become smaller and cheaper in the future. The company also states that getting enough deuterium and the rare helium-3 isotope fuel is not an issue, as there's a patented process to make more helium-3 atoms by fusing deuterium atoms together in its plasma accelerator.

Scientists and experts are baffled, but they're also giving Helion some credit while waiting for the technical details about this new fusion energy wonder. One of Helion founders is OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Microsoft made a huge investment in OpenAI to push ChatGPT's generative AI throughout its entire product portfolio, so Altman could very much be one of the main proponents for the 2018 agreement.
What just happened? Disney+ finished the second quarter with four million fewer paid subscribers than it had at the end of the first quarter. The House of Mouse reported 157.8 million paying Disney+ subs as of April 1, down from 161.8 million in the trailing quarter. That's a loss of roughly 2.5 percent quarter over quarter and represents the second consecutive quarterly loss for the streaming service.

In the first quarter, Disney+ turned in its first ever decline as it finished with 2.4 million fewer subscribers than it had at the end of Q4.

Disney said some of the subscriber losses can be attributed to airing fewer Indian Premiere League matches.

Disney's other streaming services fared better. ESPN+ added 400,000 subscribers in the second quarter to end up at 25.3 million subscribers, and Hulu picked up 200,000 users which pushed its total to 48.2 million.

On the earnings side, Disney reported revenue of $21.82 billion for the second quarter  up 13 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share increased to $0.69 from $0.26 in the year-ago quarter.

During the company's earnings call, CEO Bob Iger announced plans to roll Hulu content into Disney+ to create a "one-app experience." The merger will happen sometime later this year starting in the US, but both apps will also continue to be available as standalone offerings. It sounds like more of a convenience thing, putting content from both services in one place for those that subscribe to both.

The decision could complicate ownership of Hulu (Comcast owns 33 percent of Hulu) but that's a discussion for a different day.

Iger also said another price hike is in the works for the ad-free Disney+ tier. As of writing, the ad-supported version of Disney+ is priced at $7.99 per month while the ad-free option commands $10.99 monthly. Iger said the price hike will better reflect the value of their content offerings and create a wider gap between the two tiers.

Addressing the four million subscriber loss, Iger described it as relatively small and said it led the company to believe they have "pricing elasticity."
A hot potato: Tipping has and probably always will be an emotional topic. As technology continues to replace jobs traditionally done by humans, does the moral tug to tip for exemplary service disappear?

The Wall Street Journal recently looked into this very topic and found that in several cases, businesses are prompting customers for tips at self-checking machines even when there is zero interaction with an actual employee.

At a self-serve beer fridge at San Diego's Petco Park, 28-year-old Corey Gary was prompted to leave a tip during checkout. The IT specialist said he was confused by the message because it was not clear who he was actually tipping, but elected to leave 20 percent anyway.

When pinged for a tip on a $6 bottle of water at a self-checkout kiosk at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, Garrett Bemiller said he was caught off-guard. He described the prompt as a bit of emotional blackmail and declined to tip.

While self-checking out at a cookie shop in Metairie, Louisiana, Emily Clulee and Gracie Sheppard noticed a sign asking them to consider tipping "if we made you smile." The two complied despite the fact that their only interaction with an employee was when they were asked to step aside to wait for their order.

Researchers and labor advocates label the behavior as tip creep and argue that it is a way for employers to pin the responsibility of wage increases on the consumer. Some, like Professor William Michael Lynn at Cornell University's Nolan School of Hotel Administration, believe companies are "taking advantage of an opportunity."

Companies, meanwhile, insist tips are an optional way of saying thank you for a job well done. But who are you thanking if there was no human interaction during the entire process?

What are your thoughts on the matter? Have you been prompted for a tip at a self-service kiosk? Are companies in the wrong for rattling the tip jar when no actual human interaction has occurred?

Image credit: Kiosk by Poster POS, Tip by Sam Dan Truong
Typing a question or looking for something on the web with keywords was the practice from before, but Google is introducing a new "Generative AI" for its Search features that will elevate the experience for all. One would think that this is similar to Google Bard, but the company says this is an entirely different way of looking for something online, offering better results to users.

Moreover, the company is yet again putting this newly-unveiled feature on a waitlist for interested users, meaning that it is in beta testing mode at present.

(Photo : Google)

Google I/O 2023: Generative AI in Search Introduced, What Does It Do?

At its highly anticipated I/O 2023 event, Google made a groundbreaking announcement that is set to revolutionize the way we search the internet. The tech giant unveiled its new Generative AI technology, available on its renowned search engine, promising to deliver more creative and engaging results compared to its competitors.

One might think that Google already has the Bard for that, but it is important to note that this feature is not a chatbot, per se, but an AI embedded in Search that will provide better results for all.

It is somewhat similar to Microsoft Bing's conversational search, as Google's Generative AI is available on the search engine, but then again, Bing AI is like a chatbot as well but gives search results in the process.

Google's Generative AI harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to generate search results that go beyond factual information.

While traditional search engines primarily focus on delivering accurate and relevant answers, Google's Generative AI aims to bring a touch of creativity and novelty to the search experience. The technology has been trained on vast amounts of data, allowing it to understand context, infer meaning, and generate insightful responses.

Read Also: Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, One of AI's Leading Developers, Quits Google to Warn the World of its Dangers

Google's Generative AI Search is on a Waitlist, How to Join?

Google said that this feature is still experimental and under testing, so users would have to join the waitlist to experience its features. To join Google's Generative AI search and use the experience firsthand, users would have to signup to Search Labs, then have it installed on the desktop via Google Chrome, or download the app via the App Store or Google Play.

Google is Going Massive for its AI Developments

Bard the chatbot was one of Google's most significant drops earlier this year, but it did not bode well with its early flaws seen by the public.

Still, the company did not stop there and opted to introduce more of its AI developments to the world, promising new experiences under its Google DeepMind division.

The introduction of Generative AI in Google's search engine marks a significant step forward in the field of artificial intelligence and search technology, from the renowned internet company. With Generative Search, users can expect a more creative and interactive search experience that goes beyond mere information retrieval.

As the waitlist opens, anticipation grows among users who are eager to explore the endless possibilities that Google's Generative AI will unlock. Google's Generative AI Search promises to redefine how we interact with search engines and discover information online.

Related Article: Google I/O 2023 Brings New Language Model, Mobile Devices, Android Updates, More

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
An Apple leaker's source has been fired. The iPhone maker allegedly used the so-called "multi-step sting" operation to catch the employee.

(Photo : Getty Images)

Customers interact with Apple products at the new Apple retail store at Wuhan International Plaza on May 21, 2022 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. According to local media reports, this is the first Apple store to open in Wuhan, and the 44th store in mainland China.

Rumors provided by leakers about new (or upcoming) Apple products are rampant as the tech giant manufacturer releases new gadgets.

Although there are numerous reliable Apple leakers, some new unreliable Apple insiders also appear.

These include Twitter user @analyst941. But, Apple was able to stop the leaker by firing his source.

Apple Leaker's Source Fired by iPhone Maker!

According to MacWorld's latest report, analyst941 recently shared some iOS 17 leaks and other possible information about upcoming Apple releases.

(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Attendees gather at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference at the Moscone West center on June 2, 2014 in San Francisco, California. Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the annual WWDC which is typically a showcase for upcoming updates to Apple hardware and software. The conference runs through June 6.

Also Read: Apple to Release a New Beats Studio Pro Soon, But How Would It Fare Against the AirPods Max?

Unfortunately, Apple already has some hints on who the leaker's source is.

Instead of providing correct details, the iPhone maker gave a set of false information to suspected employees.

@analyst941's source received false release dates for the Final Cut Pro and Logic on Apple iPad. Because of this, the gadget manufacturer was able to identify the job insider.

This was also confirmed by the Apple leaker since the fired employee is his sister.

"I don't want to share too many details right now because of the legality of things - but a multi-step sting has gotten my sister fired from Apple," said the leaker via 9To5Mac.

He added that they are afraid that the next step of Apple would be to file legal action against him and his sister.

To avoid more serious issues, @analyst941 decided to deactivate his Twitter account for good.

Apple Leakers You Need To Follow

Instead of following new Apple leakers on Twitter and other social media platforms, here are the most trusted individuals worth your following:

Ming-Chi Kuo

OnLeaks

Jon Prosser

Mark Gurman

IceUniverse

Max Weinbach

If you want to learn more details about these individuals, all you need to do is click this link.

Here are other stories we recently wrote about Apple:

The latest Apple trade-in value increase this 2023 includes iPhone 13 and other gadgets.

Recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed the growth of AI.

For more news updates about Apple and other giant gadget makers, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Apple's iPad Pro to Arrive with 14-inch Screen? M3, MagSafe, iPadOS 17 and MORE

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google took the I/O 2023 event to a whole new level as it officially unveiled a highly-rumored smartphone from the company, which is the Google Pixel Fold. For the longest time now, leaks and speculations flooded the internet for the company's next Pixel device, one that would allow users to experience an expandable screen that they could stow in a smaller state.

Google Pixel Fold is Here and it Boasts Top Specs

The tech giant unveiled its latest innovation, the highly anticipated Pixel Fold, a cutting-edge foldable device that is set to redefine the smartphone experience.

The internet company surely packed it with impressive features and a sleek design, centering on the thinnest body on a foldable with only 5.8 mm thickness for when the device is unfolded. It bodes well against the Galaxy Z Fold 4 with 6.3-mm-thickness and the Oppo Find N2, which measures 7.4 mm.

Still, this is the thinnest foldable in the US, but for the international market, Huawei offers a thinner 5.3 mm device with the Mate X3.

(Photo : Google)

Moreover, it delivers a 4,821 mAh battery with 30W wired fast charging that says it can last up to 24 hours, the largest among the competition as well, with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 only offering 4,400 mAh, and the Oppo Find N2 at 4,520 mAh.

It delivers a compact 5.8-inch screen when folded, but when unfolded, the Pixel Fold transforms into a significant 7.6-inch display. Google also promises that its hinge is the most durable in the market, also offering 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of Storage, packing in the latest Tensor G2 processor to power the device.

Read Also: WhatsApp Android Mic Issues: Stays On Even When Not in Use, Says its Google's Fault

Pixel Fold Preorder: Google Has a Treat for All

The Pixel Fold is now available for pre-order, and its price has been set at $1,799. To sweeten the deal, Google is offering a free Pixel Watch (priced at $349 for either the WiFi or WiFi LTE version) with every pre-order purchase through the Google Store only.

Google's Dance with the Foldables

For a long time now, speculators and leakers have claimed that Google is looking to deliver a folding version of the Pixel to the world, and this is the company's first dance with the foldable smartphone industry.

It was originally speculated for 2022, but as Google missed this window, there were claims that it is coming this year. Before the I/O 2023 event, Google announced the device earlier but did not reveal any more information about it before the showcase.

With its groundbreaking features, sleek design, and powerful performance, the Google Pixel Fold is set to make a significant impact in the foldable device market.

The Pixel Fold, along with the accompanying Pixel Watch, offers a comprehensive package that brings together cutting-edge technology and impeccable design.

Google is bringing the Pixel Fold by June and it will provide the world with a new experience in foldable smartphones, delivering the "Pixel" standard and quality to all. The new experience allows owners a chance to expand more of their display with its inner foldable one or use it like a regular-sized smartphone for its outer screen.

Related Article: Google I/O 2023 Brings New Language Model, Mobile Devices, Android Updates, More

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Twitter's encrypted DM feature finally arrives, as confirmed by the social media platform's security engineer, Christopher Stanley.

(Photo : ALASTAIR PIKE/AFP via Getty Images)

The Twitter logo is seen on a phone in this photo illustration in Washington, DC, on July 10, 2019. - Twitter is moving to filter out inappropriate content based on religion as part of its effort to curb hate speech. In a policy update on July 9, 2019, Twitter said it would take down "dehumanizing language" that targets specific religious groups.

Recently, Elon Musk announced that they are working on new end-to-end encryption for Twitter's direct messages.

"The acid test is that I could not see your DMs even if there was a gun to my head," boastfully said the billionaire.

Now, Musk kept his promise by rolling out the most-awaited Twitter encrypted DM feature.

Twitter Encrypted DM Feature Arrives!

According to Engadget's latest report, Twitter is already rolling out the new encrypted DM enhancement.

(Photo : Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The suspended Twitter account of U.S. President Donald Trump appears on an iPhone screen on January 08, 2021 in San Anselmo, California. Citing the risk of further incitement of violence following an attempted insurrection on Wednesday, Twitter permanently suspended President Donald Trumps account.

Also Read: Twitter Free API Access Restored for Limited Purposes: Emergency, Weather, and Transportation Alerts Only

"Super excited about launching Phase 1 of our Encrypted DM's project!" announced Stanley via his official Twitter post.

The Twitter security engineer added that the social media platform aims to be the most trusted online platform.

Super excited about launching Phase 1 of our Encrypted DM's project!



Twitter seeks to be the most trusted platform on the internet, and encrypted Direct Messages are an important part of that. As Elon Musk said, when it comes to Direct Messages, the standard should be, if  Christopher Stanley (@cstanley) May 10, 2023

Stanley admitted that they are still far away from being the most secure social media website on the internet.

"Until then, here is the Encrypted Direct Message we are releasing - a new way of communicating on Twitter," added Christopher.

Who Can Access Twitter Encrypted DMs?

Since the new Twitter encrypted DM feature is still in its Phase 1 launch, not everyone can use it.

If you want to take advantage of this new privacy enhancement, then you need to get verified first.

This means subscribing to the controversial Twitter Blue service.

As of writing, Elon Musk hasn't confirmed if the new Twitter encryption DM will be available to all users once it's rollout is completed.

If you can access it already, then here are the steps you need to follow to use it:

First, click the unencrypted conversation in your inbox. After that, tap on the Information button and click the "Start Encrypted Message" option.

To learn more about the latest Twitter encryption DM feature, you can visit this link.

In other news, Elon Musk announced that the Twitter Community Notes will start labeling misinformation.

Previously, a Twitter glitch affected users during the Meta Gala event.

For more news updates about Twitter and other social media platforms, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Twitter's Purge: Elon Musk's Inactive User Policy Requires Logging in Every 30 Days or Lose Account

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Fire and smoke may be considered a significant danger now, but in the early days, it is one of the earliest technologies which humans discovered as a way to shine a light on dark surroundings, cook food, and keep them warm. These traces of smoke and fire are also what Maria Medina from the University of Cordoba has used as a lead in learning more about the Nerja Caves in Spain.

Through the so-called "Smoke Archaeology," the researchers were able to date early humans' exploration of the hidden cave which is now a tourist attraction, with the latest discovery that it was visited earlier compared to what was previously known.

(Photo : University of Cordoba)

'Smoke Archaeology' Answers How Early Humans Visited the Nerja Caves

A groundbreaking method called "Smoke Archaeology" is shedding new light on the ancient history of the famed Nerja Caves in Andalusia, Spain.

Marian Medina, an archaeologist from the University of Cordoba, has coined this innovative approach, utilizing the analysis of fossilized soot and charcoal from torches used by early humans to explore the cave. Through Transmission Electron Microscopy and Carbon-14 dating techniques, Medina has uncovered evidence suggesting that humans were visiting the Nerja Caves as far back as 41,000 years ago.

In the study entitled "35,000 years of recurrent visits inside Nerja cave (Andalusia, Spain) based on charcoals and soot micro-layers analyses" published via Scientific Reports, the team shared how they used this novel method in learning more about human presence in the famed cave.

The team also learned through the Smoke Archaeology method that early humans were visiting the cave 10,000 years earlier compared the initial studies.

Read Also: Marine Archaeologists Find 7,000-Year-Old Sunken Road off Coast of Croatia

Fire was a Tool for Early Humans, Also for Modern Researchers

Medina's groundbreaking research involves carefully studying the fossilized remnants of soot and charcoal found within the Nerja Caves. These residues were left behind by the torches used by early humans to navigate the dark caverns.

By analyzing the composition and dating the charcoal samples, the team has been able to determine the approximate age of human activity in the caves.

Ancient Discoveries Give Answers to Modern Questions

Much like space, the Earth is still filled with many ancient wonders that are yet to be discovered by humans. Technological advancements made it possible to learn more about these age-old questions, including the use of Google Earth by Oxford to locate Roman military camps in the Arabian desert.

Old and new methods work the best for looking into ancient sites, with archaeologists still looking to dig in different locations and taking their findings to labs and special equipment for further analysis.

The discoveries made through Smoke Archaeology in the Nerja Caves have ignited a new way of looking for evidence and discovering more accurate information about different sites in the world. As this kind of research continues, it is expected to reveal further insights into early human behavior, migration patterns, and how they interacted with the environment around them.

Thanks to the innovative approach of Smoke Archaeology, researchers are now equipped with a powerful method to delve deeper into the mysteries hidden within the caverns. As discoveries emerge, the Nerja Caves is only one of the many sites to learn more about, applying novel methods and other technology in looking for evidence of human interaction with the Earth during prehistoric times.

Related Article: Archaeologists Find Strange Skeletons with Tied Hands, Face Down in Spain

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
FBI gave advice to Android and iPhone users on how they can prevent internet-enabled crimes.

(Photo : GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)

Visitors walk at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on February 25, 2019. - Phone makers will focus on foldable screens and the introduction of blazing fast 5G wireless networks at the world's biggest mobile fair starting February 25 in Spain as they try to reverse a decline in sales of smartphones.

As users become more and more dependent on the internet, scammers, fraudsters, and other malicious actors are finding new ways how to victimize them.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation warned that daily online tasks can open up users to online criminals.

FBI stated that these tasks can be as simple as opening a link from a text message or accessing an email attachment.

To help people protect their online banks, the FBI decided to provide the three internet rules.

FBI Gives Advice To Android, iPhone Users

According to The US Sun's latest report, the threat-focused national security agency provided three internet rules that iPhone and Android users must follow:

(Photo : Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

An Iphone 7 Plus with its new dual camera is displayed at Puerta del Sol Apple Store the day the company launches their Iphone 7 and 7 Plus on September 16, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus has been launched on Friday September 16th in more than 25 countries. Customers have started to queue 38 hours before the opening of the store placed in the center of Madrid.

Also Read: New AI Voice Scam Analysis Claims 77% of Victims Lose Money! How Can You Be Safe?

Only open email or text attachments from verified senders or those you are expecting. Always avoid opening attachments from unknown contacts. To enhance your online accounts' security, always ensure that you are using strong and unique passwords; update them regularly as well. Android and iPhone users should also install reliable anti-virus software and keep their internet systems and software up to date.

Since online crimes are becoming more rampant, the FBI warned consumers to avoid connecting to public WiFi networks.

The security organization added that it will also be best to avoid using free public charging stations.

What Android, iPhone Victims Can Do

There's no denying that scammers and other online criminals are becoming more notorious as years go by.

Because of their methods, many Android and iPhone users can't avoid becoming their victims.

If ever you fall victim to their malicious campaigns, the best thing you can do is report the incident to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

If you want to learn more about the FBI's internet security advice, you can visit this link.

Here are other stories we recently wrote about cybersecurity:

The Atomics MacOS Stealer malware, which targets Apple users, was recently discovered.

Previously, experts warned about the rise of YouTube-impersonating phishing emails.

For more news updates about cybersecurity threats, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: TSB Bank Warns About Get-Rich-Quick Scams on Meta-Owned Platforms! Here's How to Spot Them

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Some 42 businesses newly joined the ranks of Korea's top 500 companies in terms of sales last year.

According to corporate tracker CEO Score, they include online-only Kakao Bank as well as battery maker SK On and the Korea Racing Authority.

The minimum revenues required for entry into the exclusive club rose by 19.3 percent to some W1.31 trillion (US$1=W1,325).

The list is dominated by petrochemical companies with 49, but Samsung remained at the top, followed by auto giants Hyundai and Kia.

Combined sales of the 500 companies stood at over W4,000 trillion, up 23.7 percent, but their combined operating profits decreased 15.9 percent to some W236 trillion.
As LG ushers in its new 49-inch UltraGear gaming monitor, it marks an exciting shift in the expansive gaming display market. After a series of impressive products from the South Korean company, like the OLED and Flex displays, the UltraGear sets its sights on the more practical and immersive experiences gamers crave.

A Powerful Ultra-Wide LCD: LG's UltraGear Touts Top-of-the-Line Performance and Features

According to the story by The Verge, with its full suite of VRR and HDR tech, lower price than Samsung's Odyssey G9, and satisfying set of ports, this new ultra-wide monster from LG is a strong contender for gamers - if only it had a USB-C port.

Gaming displays have been getting wider and brighter for a few years now. Companies like Samsung, BenQ, and Alienware had some of the first ultra-wide gaming monitors that supported the popular 21:9 aspect ratio.

Even some boxy curved panels from Asus and Acer offered gamers and content creators the extra width to prod their projects. But LG looked slightly different in the ultra-wide gaming world and decided to go for a more radical design with its UltraGear, offering the full 32:9 curved ultra-wide arrangement with a 1000R curvature.

The Benefits of UltraGear: Fast Response Times, High Refresh Rates, and RGB Lighting

Gamers with ultra-wide gaming monitors can vividly understand the immersive experience offered here. Meanwhile, gamers upgrading from smaller displays will open up their field of view and free up multiple windows and programs while they game.

The official LG listing shows that the UltraGear includes fast response times, 120 Hz refresh rate, FreeSync and HDR 10 support, 3-side Kensington locks, two HDMI 2.1, two DisplayPort 1.4, and one USB-A 3.0 port.

Pro gamers, eSports professionals, and the competition crowd can use this monitor immediately. Another exciting feature to note on LG's UltraGear is its RGB lighting. Fairly standard on gaming systems, RGB lighting does more than just bring sparkles to the buyer's setup.

Enhanced Lighting for an Unrivaled Gaming Experience with the UltraGear Monitor

Cyberpunk 2077 gamers will know just how effectively the lighting sets the whole atmosphere. It also helps to highlight gameplay highlights like kills, enemy movements, and other narrative directions.

While the UltraGear may not end up stealing the crown from Samsung's Odyssey G9, LG's latest monitor will surely create healthy competition among gaming displays.

Read Also: Dell's 6K Monitor vs. Apple Pro Display XDR: $1,800 Cheaper with Top-tier Specs

A Cost-Friendly Alternative to the Samsung Odyssey G9

It also shows that gamers can expect more diverse and immersive experiences from the South Korean tech giant, especially those looking for affordable displays without compromising too much on performance.

At a $1,299.99 MSRP, this is a great value considering its highest-end features. For comparison, Samsung's Odyssey G9 is priced at $1,499.99 at Best Buy, making LG's UltraGear a great alternative if buyers want to save money. Of course, it's still important to watch for any sales that can reduce the price of the Odyssey G9.

Related Article: Philips 24B1D5600 Monitor Launches: LCD and E Link Combined

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google's Project Starline has been a long time coming, with an immense promise to revolutionize the way people communicate with others. Initially large and bulky, the new prototype unveiled at Google I/O 2023 is much more compact, making the hardware component much lighter and easier to set up.

Google's Project Starline: Aiming to Create a More Realistic Video Communication Experience

According to the story by XDA-Developers, as LG ushers in its new 49-inch UltraGear gaming monitor, it marks an exciting shift in the expansive gaming display market.

After a series of impressive products from the South Korean company, like the OLED and Flex displays, the UltraGear sets its sights on a more practical and immersive Google's Project Starline has been a buzzword of sorts the past few years.

Still, now the company is finally ready to start rolling out a market-ready version of its next-generation video communication system. The goal is to make video calls that offer a more realistic experience, with a life-life representation of the people on the other end, regardless of location.

Originally, this involved bulky hardware with infrared emitters and multiple cameras, but the latest iteration has been miniaturized significantly, making it much easier to use. Initial details were revealed in Google's blog regarding Project Starline.

Bringing People Together - An Introduction to Project Starline

The Project Starline system is being tested by early access partners such as Salesforce, T-Mobile, and WeWork, though the company has yet to announce a public launch timeline.

In the meantime, excitement for the technology continues to build since it could revolutionize how users communicate by creating a more immersive experience. Google recently published a video officially introducing its new Project Starline prototype.

The Project Starline system works through machine learning and computer vision, using standard cameras combined with a special light field display to project a bi-dimensional image of the person on the other side of the call.

Machine learning is used to build a realistic 3D model of the person and render the image on the light field display. Combine this with spatial audio, resulting in a video call that makes it feel like the person is in the room with the users.

Read Also: Google I/O 2023: Pixel Fold Debuts, Features Thinnest Body and Biggest Battery Among the Competition

Potential Applications of Google Project Starline

The technology isn't just useful for making video calls more realistic; it could also be potentially used for other applications such as telemedicine, remote meetings, virtual conferences, and more.

This means that the technology could truly revolutionize how people communicate and operate, potentially improving the lives of millions around the world. Google Project Starline is an exciting and ambitious project that could have far-reaching implications for the world.

Google's Project Starline is something to watch as the combination of hardware and software advancements develop further. If the latest Proto-type update is any indication, users can expect the technology to keep getting smaller and more accessible.

If that happens, then the possibilities are endless regarding what users can do with it and how it can help improve communication on a global scale.

Related Article: Google I/O 2023: Shows Off Generative AI in Search, Now Available for Waitlist-How to Join

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Sony has introduced its latest flagship smartphone, the XPERIA IV, which is specifically designed for content creators and mobile enthusiasts, as reported first by B&H Photo Video.

The new device boasts a range of enhancements in its camera, audio, and gaming capabilities.

XPERIA IV's Features

The XPERIA IV comes equipped with the next-generation Exmor T for mobile sensor, which elevates wide-angle imagery by improving low-light performance.



With an upgraded resolution of 48MP, compared to the previous 12MP, the smartphone's camera captures more light, resulting in superior night shooting capabilities. This enhancement is achieved through a unique 2-layer stacked design, allowing for increased light sensitivity.



In addition to hardware improvements, Sony has introduced several software features to enhance the photography and videography experience on the XPERIA IV.



Creative Look presets provide users with a selection of imaging styles, reducing the need for extensive post-processing and enabling seamless shooting-to-sharing workflows.



The S-Cinetone feature enhances videos captured with the XPERIA IV by providing accurate skin tone representation, giving a professional touch to the footage. Moreover, the device utilizes new AI processes to enhance the overall accuracy of both images and videos.



For users who prefer portrait-style shooting, the XPERIA IV introduces a fresh vertical user interface (UI) designed specifically for stills and videos.



Sony acknowledges the specific requirements of the vlogging community and has integrated two notable features into the XPERIA IV.

The Product Showcase feature automatically identifies items presented to the camera, ensuring precise focus without requiring manual adjustments. Additionally, the inclusion of a rear-facing Video Priority mic enhances audio capture by emphasizing the speaker's voice while minimizing background noise.

Gaming Features

Drawing upon its extensive experience in audio and gaming, Sony has implemented enhancements in these areas as well. The XPERIA IV features a high-power and low-noise amplifier that significantly improves audio fidelity and bass response when using the phone's front-firing speakers.

The XPERIA IV also provides support for Hi-Res Audio, delivering an immersive audio experience through both wired headphones and Bluetooth connectivity.



In the realm of gaming, the XPERIA IV caters to the needs of gamers with a variety of tailored features. These include rapid 240 Hz motion blur reduction and responsive touch scanning, guaranteeing smooth and accurate gameplay.



Moreover, the device enables recording at 120 Hz and facilitates live streaming. Gaming enthusiasts will also find value in the gaming audio mixer, voice changer, and the option to capture single or burst screenshots.

Read Also: PlayStation VR2 to Expand to Retailers After Initially Being Sold Exclusively at the Sony PlayStation Direct

Product Highlights

The XPERIA IV boasts an array of impressive product highlights that enhance the overall user experience. Its 6.5-inch 4K HDR 21:9 OLED screen provides stunning visual clarity, complemented by a high refresh rate of 120 Hz for a smooth and fluid display.



It also has a generous storage capacity of 256GB and a substantial 12GB of RAM,

The device features a 2-layer stacked 24mm 48MP wide lens, while the 12MP 85-125mm telephoto lens and 16mm ultra-wide lens offer versatility in capturing different perspectives.

Related Article: Sony, PlayStation is developing 'Superman' Game? Microsoft Claims, But Maybe a Typo to 'Spider-Man'

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Cruise, the self-driving car company owned by General Motors, is set to expand its robotaxi testing to Houston and Dallas, following its previous entry into Austin, reported first by Engadget.

This expansion focuses on familiarizing autonomous vehicles with the cities rather than offering rides to passengers immediately. Residents are anticipated to spot Cruise's robotaxis navigating the streets with a safety driver on board.

Expanding on Texas

Cruise took to Twitter to announce its plans, stating that supervised testing in Houston would commence in the coming days, followed shortly by Dallas.

Currently, Cruise's robotaxis are available on a limited basis in Austin and Phoenix during overnight hours, as well as throughout certain areas of San Francisco throughout the day.

Nonetheless, the swift advancements made by Cruise have elicited concerns from authorities.

In January, the San Francisco Transportation Authority voiced its concerns and urged regulators to impose restrictions or a temporary halt on Cruise and Waymo's expansion.

The request stemmed from incidents where the self-driving vehicles abruptly halted in traffic, causing disruptions for emergency vehicles. Despite these concerns, Cruise has persisted in its progress.

Following the request, Cruise celebrated a significant milestone of completing one million miles in fully driverless mode and extended the availability of its robotaxis in San Francisco to operate round the clock, albeit exclusively for employees at present.

Although an exact date has not been disclosed for the general public to access robotaxi rides in Houston and Dallas, it is anticipated that it will take several months before the service is made fully available.

Initially, the availability may be constrained to a select group of individuals and restricted to nighttime operations. Prospective users will be required to sign up for a waiting list and undergo acceptance in order to create an account and access Cruise's robotaxi services.

As of now, the company has stated that its services will remain exclusive to invitees due to the limited number of cars available.

Read Also: Robotaxis Are Causing Problems in San Francisco, Now Looking to Slow Down Approvals in the City

Available Next Week

Megan Prichard, Cruise's vice president of ride-hail, told Houston Chronicle that the testing in Houston will commence next week.

"We designed the technology to launch first in San Francisco with the idea that we would see all sorts of challenges: everything from roller skate parties, to heavy traffic to raccoons in the roads," Prichard said in a statement.

"And we thought that if we designed our technology for a dense urban environment, that we would be able to then pick it up and put it into other cities around the country and around the world with only a little bit of fine tuning."

With the expansion of its autonomous vehicle testing to Houston and Dallas, Cruise is actively tackling unique challenges inherent to each city, drawing on the knowledge gained from its operations in San Francisco.

The company's goal is to fine-tune its technology to effectively navigate diverse urban landscapes, laying the groundwork for future deployments in cities throughout the United States.

Related Article: US Safety Regulators Conduct Investigation on Cruise Robotaxi Braking and Clogging Reports

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The FBI has sounded the alarm on the surge in elder fraud rates, reporting a staggering 84% increase in losses compared to the previous year.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center's (IC3) 2022 Elder Fraud Report highlights the distressing trend, with a significant portion of the losses attributed to cryptocurrency investment fraud.

Elder Frauds on the Rise

Recognizing the vulnerability of seniors, the FBI's Springfield office is implementing measures to provide education to seniors and their families regarding internet crime. The primary objective is to enhance awareness and mitigate the risk of further victimization.

Elderly individuals often find themselves as prime targets for financial fraud schemes, leaving them susceptible to devastating losses. In some cases, victims have seen their life savings wiped out, leaving them and their caregivers in dire financial straits.

Based on the report findings, over 88,000 individuals aged 60 and above disclosed losses amounting to $3.1 billion.

Investment fraud emerged as the leading cause of victim loss, closely followed by technical-support fraud, where perpetrators manipulate victims into granting remote access to their computers by posing as technical assistants.

Business Email Compromise, involving scammers sending deceptive emails impersonating trusted entities, ranked third on the list.

In the state rankings, Illinois residents alone reported losses surpassing $75 million, solidifying the state's position among the top 10 states with the highest elder fraud losses.

Special Agent in Charge David Nanz of the FBI Springfield Field Office emphasized the gravity of crimes targeting the elderly, acknowledging the vulnerability of these individuals and their significance in society.

Nanz stated, "When criminals steal the hard-earned life savings of older Americans, we will respond with all the tools at our disposal. But in addition to our investigative efforts, the FBI is dedicated to stopping the exploitation of our seniors through community outreach and education."

Read Also: FBI Gives Advice to Android, iPhone Users On How To Prevent Internet-Enabled Crimes; Check These 3 Rules

How to Prevent Frauds

To avoid schemes such as elder fraud, here are 10 tips that the FBI suggested:

1. Shred financial documents.

2. Disconnect from the internet if you see suspicious pop-ups.

3. Be wary of unsolicited calls, mail, and door-to-door offers.

4. Don't share personal info unless you initiate contact.

5. Keep computer security software up to date.

6. Discuss investments with trusted advisors.

7. Get plans and purchases in writing.

8. Avoid upfront payments for services.

9. Don't pay with gift cards or cryptocurrency.

10. Take time to decide. Avoid rushing or keeping secrets.

Victims of fraud or individuals aware of potential elder fraud, regardless of financial loss and in the absence of imminent threat, are encouraged to report the incident to the FBI's ic3.gov.

The Department of Justice offers an Elder Fraud Hotline (833-FRAUD-11 or 833-372-8311) to provide resources and assist in filing complaints with the IC3. Victims can also reach out to the FBI Springfield office at 217-522-9675 or submit tips online.

Related Article: FBI Gives Update on Horizon Bridge Crypto Theft; North Korea-Backed Lazarus Group, APT38 Behind It?

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google Workspace is about to take personalization to the next level with the introduction of Duet AI. This artificial intelligence assistant promises to revolutionize the way people work with documents.

This cutting-edge technology will offer tailored support for users across various tasks, from writing to art and spreadsheet organization.

Powered by natural language processing capabilities, The Straits Times tells us that Duet AI will provide personalized assistance similar to the popular Bard chatbot. And the best part? The report writes that this exciting feature will be available to a limited number of Google Workspace users in over 180 countries, including Singapore.

With Duet AI on your side, crafting emails in Gmail will become a breeze. Simply command the AI to "help me write" with a short prompt and watch as it takes care of the rest. Say goodbye to hours spent agonizing over the perfect email and hello to streamlined productivity with Duet AI.

AI Takes Over Google Workspace!

Google has taken the biggest step forward in AI-assisted productivity by launching its latest AI tools.

Google Docs users can now enjoy the benefits of smart chip pop-ups, which allow for more customizations. Moreover, proofreading tools are available to help users proofread, tone, and style their writing - available in several languages!

For Google Sheets, the Duet AI system is now available to help users organize spreadsheet data and track changes, reducing the need for manual data entry. Users can rely on AI to do the heavy lifting by describing what they are trying to accomplish, saving them time and effort. Just say the magic words: "Help me organize."

The AI revolution doesn't stop there, as Google Slides users can now utilize AI-generated visuals to enhance their presentations. This feature will save users time by generating visuals with minimal input, leaving them more time to focus on delivering their presentation.

More Exciting Features from Google

Google has recently made huge waves by announcing the general release of its upgraded chatbot, Bard, to over 180 countries. This release marks the end of a long waitlist for access to the chatbot, which is now equipped with the ability to understand both Japanese and Korean languages. What's even more impressive is that the tech giant plans to add support for 40 other languages soon.

One of the most exciting features of the new and improved Bard is its integration with Google Lens. Users can now paste images into their search prompts, and Bard will analyze them to help identify objects or generate creative captions based on the uploaded picture.

Read Also: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to Address US Senate on Urgent Need for AI Regulation

In the future, Bard will even include images in its responses, such as pictures of recommended travel destinations when tasked with creating a travel itinerary.

In addition to these exciting developments, Google announced that Adobe Firefly will soon be integrated into Bard. This new feature will allow text to be instantly transformed into images using Adobe's AI image generator.

Firefly joins a growing suite of image-generative tools, such as Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, to enhance the chatbot's capabilities. While Google has not provided launch dates for these developments, users can rest assured that they will be announced soon.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: MIT's New AI Tech Could Make X-Ray Vision a Reality! Here's How It Could Benefit Vehicles

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
An extensive archaeological research project spanning five years unveiled a haunting and tragic tale from Australia's past. The findings reveal the dark events surrounding the Batavia maritime disaster and mutiny.

Led by a team of archaeologists from The University of Western Australia and the Western Australian Museum, the international research endeavor has uncovered a wealth of evidence that offers a deeper understanding of the haunting story.

The investigation unveils multiple graves and indications of the survivors' defiance against the mutineers.

A Story of Resilience and Defiance

The ill-fated ship Batavia, belonging to the Dutch East India Company, met its tragic end in 1629 off the Abrolhos Islands in Western Australia. For centuries, this maritime disaster has intrigued historians and adventurers alike.



Sharing his expertise, Professor Alistair Paterson, the lead author hailing from UWA's School of Social Sciences and the Oceans Institute, provided valuable insights into the artifacts and gravesites that weave a narrative of resilience, defiance, and the somber aftermath experienced by the individuals caught in the tragic events.

"Through meticulous analysis, we've discovered the remains of 12 victims, interred in both individual and mass graves, as well as evidence of a fierce struggle between survivors and a group of mutineers, and remnants of a possible gallows site where justice was served," Professor Paterson said in a press release statement.

The landscape of Long Island has exposed a significant cluster of iron fastenings believed to mark the gallows site where mutineers met their fate, serving as a poignant symbol of the Dutch East India Company's endeavor to restore order amidst the tragedy's aftermath.

The research on land, in addition to the underwater discoveries, has yielded a profound comprehension of the survivors' initial movements from the shipwreck to nearby islands, the arduous challenges they confronted, and the dynamic power shifts occurring between the mutineers and those who managed to endure.



Furthermore, the excavation of human remains has yielded crucial insights into how the victims were treated and buried. Notably, the presence of centrally positioned graves on Beacon Island indicates the existence of a functional burial ground, likely established in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

Additional islands nearby, such as Long (Seals) Island and West Wallabi Island, have presented compelling proof of improvised weapons, signs pointing to the presence of resistance groups, and structures linked to the resourceful survivors.

As part of the ARC Project "Mobilizing Dutch East India Company collections for new global stories," there are plans for additional research.

This upcoming inquiry will encompass enhanced forensic analysis of human remains, physical evaluations, the use of stable-isotope technology, DNA studies, and additional historical research.

The significance of these findings extends beyond the Batavia wreck itself. They offer invaluable insight into the challenges faced by some of the earliest European visitors to Australia and highlight the behavioral responses of the survivors.

Read Also: Archaeologists Find Strange Skeletons with Tied Hands, Face Down in Spain

What Happened to the Batavia Maritime Disaster?

The Batavia maritime disaster was the result of navigational errors. After the shipwreck, a group of mutineers seized control and committed acts of violence and murder against the survivors. The events unfolded into a tragic tale of mutiny, survival, and subsequent efforts to restore order.

The discoveries made by the international research team have unraveled a haunting and tragic chapter in Australian history, offering a deeper understanding of the Batavia maritime disaster and the struggles faced by its survivors.

The findings were published in Historical Archaeology.

Related Article: Marine Archaeologists Find 7,000-Year-Old Sunken Road off Coast of Croatia

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The European Union is now in the spotlight bold move to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

In a groundbreaking decision, the EU has banned the public use of biometric surveillance, including facial recognition and predictive policing, effectively setting a new standard for AI regulations worldwide.

Reuters reports that this historic development came after Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted on May 11 to include these bans in the upcoming AI Act.

Negotiations for the AI Act have been ongoing for the past two years, making it one of the first legislative attempts to regulate the use and development of AI.

The timing of this decision could not be more critical. AI tools and applications are becoming increasingly available and widely used across various industries, making it crucial to have strict regulations in place to ensure that these technologies are used ethically and responsibly.

EU Concerned About Misuse of Biometric Surveillance

In a landmark move towards regulating biometric surveillance technology, the European Parliament recently passed legislation to protect fundamental rights.

MEP Kim van Sparrentak highlighted the importance of prioritizing fundamental rights in creating such regulations. She emphasized that AI should serve the interests of people, society, and the environment, not the other way around.

Cointelegraph tells us that the legislation also includes new transparency measures aimed at governing the use of generative AI tools. These measures propose that AI tools must be classified according to their perceived risk level, ranging from low to unacceptable.

Read Also: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to Address US Senate on Urgent Need for AI Regulation

This classification system aims to ensure that AI is used responsibly and ethically, with a focus on protecting the interests of individuals and society as a whole.

Predictive Policing

The use of facial recognition technology has been a controversial topic, with concerns raised over privacy, data protection, and the potential for misuse by law enforcement agencies.

Predictive policing, which involves using data to predict crime, has also come under scrutiny for its potential for bias and inaccuracies.

Back in October 2022, the United Kingdom's information rights authority raised concerns about AI and biometric technology, citing bias, privacy, and mass spying.

The inability of algorithms that have not been sufficiently developed to detect emotional cues, according to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), creates a risk of systemic bias, inaccuracy, and even discrimination.

The EU's decision to ban these technologies is a significant step towards creating a responsible and ethical approach to AI. It is hoped that other countries will follow suit and create their own regulations to ensure that AI is used responsibly and ethically.

Lawmakers worldwide are paying attention to the AI boom and considering how to regulate the technology. The United Kingdom, the United States, and China have all voiced the need for regulations.

Recently, US Vice President Kamala Harris met with the CEOs of four major tech companies involved in artificial intelligence to discuss the potential of AI and the risks it poses.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Public Health Experts Sound Alarm on AI's Potential Misuse

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Best Buy's sales boost strategy has a major flaw.

A retailer claimed that the e-commerce giant's membership program will no longer work. When the global COVID-19 pandemic began, Best Buy and other giant retailers offered big sales.

This is because many consumers want to purchase many gadgets just to help them get through quarantine. But, this is no longer the case since the world is already getting over the COVID-19 health crisis.

Best Buy's Sales Boost Strategy Has One Major Flaw

According to Entrepreneur's latest report, the days of the COVID-19 pandemic are over.

Also Read: Best Buy-Apple Upgrade+ Program Expands! iMac, Mac Studio Now Included; Financing, Duration, and More

Telsey Advisory Group Retail Analyst Joe Feldman explained that although Best Buy has a good sales strategy, it is in a very tough market.

"People just aren't buying electronics these days, and you're seeing it across the spectrum, whether it's Walmart, Target, Costco, Amazon," he explained via CNBC.

Feldman explained that gadgets and other electronics are no longer in demand, especially those big-ticket electronics.

Aside from this, Joe also pointed out the membership program of Best Buy, saying that it has not been a "Gangbusters success."

He added that the membership program might not become successful because consumers are no longer buying new devices.

Best Buy's Membership Program

The giant electronics retailer launched its TotalTech membership two years ago, which originally cost $199.99 per year.

Now, Best Buy plans to change this membership program to make it its top tier "My Best Buy Total." The membership program's new version is expected to offer cheaper service tiers to attract more consumers.

It will be divided into three categories:

The first tier will cost $179.99 per year, offering 24/7 tech support, 20% off repairs, two-year product protection, and other benefits. The second tier will cost $49.99 per year, offering free two-day shipping with no minimum purchase, members-only prices, and other additional benefits. The third tier will be a free membership tier, offering free shipping with no minimum purchase.

Here are other stories we recently wrote about Best Buy:

In 2022, Best Buy's Prime Day version offered discounted "Super Mario" games and watches. Meanwhile, Best Buy's PS5 restock offered the "God of Ragnarok" bundle.

For more news updates about Best Buy and other giant retailers, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Best Buy Recycle-by-Mail Technology Box Launches-Giving Smartphones, Other Gadgets 2nd Life

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Peloton has recalled nearly 2.2 million exercise bikes following issues with their seats. This is the second recall that the company encountered so far.

Peloton Recalls 2.2 Million Bikes

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced on Thursday, May 11 that millions of Peloton-made bikes for exercises are subject to recall over safety concerns.

According to a report by NBC News, many people have complained that the seat post of the bikes are too fragile which suggest that they could easily injure the user.

The injury hazards are cited in 35 reports, according to Peloton. Some of the injuries that some users got include bruises and fractured wrists, according to CPSC.

"Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled exercise bikes and contact Peloton for a free repair. Peloton is offering consumers a free seat post that can be self-installed," the advisory said.

Peloton Bike Model Affected by the Recall

As per TechCrunch, the exercise bike which was subjected to the recall is the Peloton Bikes Model PL01. The particular model was sold in the United States somewhere between January 2018 and May 2023. However, it was manufactured in Taiwan.

This is not the first time that Peloton faced a major recall. Back in 2022, the company recalled 125,000 units of Tread and Tread+ treadmills after they resulted in a child's death.

At first, Peloton treated CPSC's findings to be misleading, but it quickly agreed to the decision when a series of "high-profile" cases came out of the blue.

It's indeed disheartening to see recalls everywhere. Peloton, for instance, has heavily felt the impact of the decision since the post-pandemic period.

According to Peloton, the Tread+ recalls resulted in $165 million in losses. The $50 million is for the full refunds while the $150 million is for the deliveries of all affected products.

Additionally, the company was also slapped with a $19 million fine after it failed to report the hazards that the treadmills posed, according to CPSC.

Related Article: Peloton Adds New Feature, Lanebreak, Turns Bike Rides Into a Game

Peloton is Launching Tiered Membership For App Subscriptions

In another report by The Verge, Peloton CEO Barry McCarthy has announced that the firm will relaunch its brand in late May. This is to inform its customers that there are so many things to explore in the company.

Interestingly, the Peloton app will focus on rolling out a new tiered subscription for apps. At the time, the pricing for the service is not yet identified, but most likely it will vary depending on the content variances.

For the past years, Peloton has faced a lot of controversies including multiple recalls. It's reasonable why the company wants to launch a revamped subscription to attract more users who once leave the platform for good.

Read Also: Best E-Bike Accessories to Purchase in 2023

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Most Korean exporters believe shipments to China will not recover within this year because they are losing out to increasingly competitive local rivals.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry polled 300 exporters and found that 84.3 percent were pessimistic about the recovery of the shipments.

Some 40 percent said exports to China will take two to five years to recover, though 27.3 percent expect improvements next year. Some 17 percent said they will never rebound completely because China's industry is catching up fast. Only 15.7 percent said their exports will recover now that China has lifted lockdown restrictions.

Many exporters feel threatened by China's rapid technological growth. Some 36.6 percent said Chinese technology is on a par with Korea's, and 3.7 percent said Korea is actually falling behind. Seven of 10 companies expect that China's growth will continue to surpass Korea's or fall to a similar rate.

"Exports to China are sluggish because of falling chip prices and mounting inventories, but China is also increasing self-sufficient in terms of intermediate materials that it used to import from Korea," the KCCI said.

Given that Korea's exports to China have stagnated for the last 10 years, they are unlikely to get a significant boost even if chip prices recover.
Leading Saudi mega developer NEOM unveiled details of the work behind Zero Gravity Urbanism, the concept underpinning the design of its upcoming innovative development - The Line - developed in collaboration with the global architecture community.

The Zero Gravity Urbanism seeks to address global environmental and social challenges by striking a balance between nature conservation, livability, and sustainable human progress, said the mega developer of the kingdom's futuristic city.

The historic Abbazia di San Gregorio in Venice will be home to a landmark exhibition entitled, Zero Gravity Urbanism - Principles for a New Livability, which will run from May 20 to September 24.

The event features the proposals of world leading architects sharing their work on The Line and their contribution to this urban revolution. Contributors include Morphosis, Sir Peter Cook, UNStudio, Fuksas, Oyler Wu, DMAA, and Adjaye, among others.

The four-month long event will feature a host of events including educational programmes and round tables featuring top architects, academics, and urban thinkers from around the world.

According to Neom, Zero Gravity Urbanism proposes a radical and progressive approach to cities with a sharper view towards balancing nature, livability, and human progress.

In contrast to city development of the last century, it provides a sustainable model that responds to the worlds most pressing environmental and urban challenges, while addressing the need to accommodate a fast-growing urban population. The proposed model tackles urban sprawl, and climate change.

From a conservation perspective, The Line proposes a city that can accommodate up to 9 million inhabitants with a land footprint of 2% of that of cities with a similar population, stated the developer.

This allows nature to thrive and contributes to protecting 95% of NEOMs 26,500 sq km land area.

The Line is also a model for a city that is fully powered by renewable energy and is supported with sustainable water and food production, it added.

CEO Nadhmi Al Nasr said: "The work undertaken by NEOM in the last few years will not only be important in the context of The Line, but will also in a pro-active and meaningful way, help to engage in the ongoing development of sustainable urban design globally."

From a human perspective, The Line, with its 3-dimensional organization of private and public space, provides universal and equitable access to amenities and services. It will also ensure all residents have direct views and immediate access to nature, he noted.

The city is car-free and is composed of hyper mixed-use walkable communities providing 5-minute access to daily needs, he added.

Chief Urban Planning Officer Antoni Vives said around 68% of the worlds population is expected to be living in urban areas by 2050.

"The current global urban model driven by the automobile is failing and must be revisited considering its impact on the environment and on peoples wellbeing," he cautioned.

Executive Director of Urban Planning Tarek Qaddumi said: "Working on The Line with some of the most recognized designers and research institutions has resulted in a significant body of work that re-establishes our urban realm as a space for human and cultural exchange."
The genius, the monster, the vampire. He needed blood to sign each of his paintings: my fathers blood, my brothers, my mothers, my grandmothers, and mine. He needed the blood of those who loved him. Marina Picasso wrote this in her 2001 autobiography, Picasso, My Grandfather. On the 50th anniversary of his death (April 8, 1973), the weight of the 21st century and its feminist mores have fallen heavily on the painter. When he wasnt working on his art, Picasso was difficult, dark, manipulative, charismatic, narcissistic and tyrannical with women. Many have asked whether the dissonance between the person and the talent affected the value and price of his work. The answer is a resounding no. A Picasso was always a Picasso during world wars, the Great Depression of 1929 and the 2008 financial crisis. His pieces were like cash in hand. But now, prices for Picassos on the specialized art website Mutualart.com are looking a little deflated, which has never happened before in the history of the artist from Malaga (Spain).

Auction prices are best viewed as trends, not Biblical commandments. So far this year, over $97 million (89 million) in artwork has been sold, up from the losing streak of the pandemic years ($511 million in 2022; $667 million in 2021; and $243 million in 2020). In 2023, 1,798 lots have been offered, but only 994 (55.2%) were sold at auction. In contrast, 5,522 pieces were offered in 2021 and 4,001 found buyers. Average auction prices today also reveal a certain softness in the market. In 2022, the average price was $4,401; in 2023, it dropped to $3,776. Average prices are important indicators because they reveal trends that are not skewed by a single very expensive or inexpensive piece. This year, just one large Picasso canvas has come onto the market. On May 11, Christies will auction Nature morte a la fenetre, an oil on canvas painted by Picasso in 1932, a year before his 1933 breakthrough. The auction house has not set a starting price, but believes it will go for around $40 million. But even if it brings in that amount, its much less than Femme nue couchee (1932) another Picasso oil sold by Sothebys for $67.5 million in 2022, or Tete de femme (Fernande), a Picasso bust sculpted in 1909 that Christies sold just a few days earlier for $48.5 million.

Nature morte a la fenetre, a Picasso oil on canvas from 1932.

Whatever happens with Nature morte a la fenetre, the sale price will not reflect the broader market value of Picassos body of work. A great piece usually fetches a great price. Moreover, art collectors usually dont offer their best pieces in tough economies. In February, a huge oil on canvas (76 x 51 1/4 in. or 194.5 x 130.1 cm.) painted by Picasso in 1956 titled Femme dans un rocking-chair (Jacqueline) sold for 16.9 million (19.5 million or $21.3 million). This was in the middle of the 15-20 million range set by Christies, which denies any weakness in the Picasso market. The Pace Gallery in New York City (declining any comment on his personal life) will open an exhibit in November of 14 Picasso sketchbooks, created between 1900-1959. The gallery emphatically said the sketchbooks are not for sale.

The numbers clearly show that Picasso prices are suffering. Perhaps its because Picasso was known for saying things like, Women are machines made for suffering There are only two types: goddesses and doormats. As in any myth, excess and injustice often coexist with genius. You have to ask why.

Manolo Borja-Villel, the former director of Madrids Museo Reina Sofia, Spains national museum of 20th-century art, gave us his view. I dont think Picassos stature will suffer in the medium or long term. Attacking the man is easy. The current anti-patriarchal narrative has somewhat eroded the patriarchal Picassos reputation. He wasnt the only one who behaved like that, but the aura of his genius took him further than others, he said. It begs the question of why such attitudes were normal at the time and even indicative of talent. This theme underlies the Juan de Pareja (Velazquezs longtime slave, whom he freed on his second trip to Rome) exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (on display until June 16). Violent, colonial, enslaving and unequal social structures have a way of bringing out artistic beauty and virtue, said Borja-Villel.

This summer, the Brooklyn Museum (New York) will open an exhibit called Its Pablo-matic. Curated by Picasso critic Hannah Gadsby, the exhibit examines the artists complicated legacy through a contemporary, feminist lens. Meanwhile, designer Paul Smith is preparing an exhibition at the Musee Picasso in Paris to appeal to a younger crowd. The life and behavior of a creator should not prevent a critical appreciation in strictly artistic terms. But ethical strictures are more rigid than ever these days, said art curator Bartomeu Mari.

A last word on prices. According to Mutualart.com, the average price of a Picasso in 2023 is $3,776. At the peak of the pandemic in 2020, it was $5,252. The minotaur has been wounded.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Elon Musk has hired a woman to replace him at the head of Twitter

INFO EUROPE 1  The French in the sights of the Chinese crooks of Sihanoukville, Eldorado of the online scam

"Reduced by more than half in a century and a half": Russian scientists have found out the speed and scale of melting of Altai glaciers

Elon Musk gives up his place as CEO of Twitter to advertising Linda Yaccarino

The week of God Tweeter: from the beginning of the electoral campaign to Pablo Motos in gayumbos

Soft or hard? Daily or monthly? Keys to get the most suitable contact lenses right

What it means to dream of spiders, according to psychology

Came second but won the audience votes: "Was here to win"

"Iconiques" is back with Etienne Daho on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 May on Europe 1

When Beijing universities encounter exotic styles, what is the experience of "checking in" 32 countries in one day? - China News Network video

Cannes Film Festival: stars, jury, Palme d'or d'honneur... Everything you need to know about the 76th edition

From the street to the concert hall Migrant workers playing piano on the streets take to the concert hall stage

When they are blackmailed by private photos: Most people are afraid to ask for help for fear of losing their privacy

In the short video, Cai Danjun has 38,<> more "students" in "Dream of Red Mansions"

Hammarby's August Mikkelsen on which country has the best supporters: "Never experienced before"

Euro 2024 qualifiers: the date of the next list of the France team is now known

Ligue 1: Olympique de Marseille face Angers and still hope to win second place in the championship

Simon Forsstrom kept up the pressure  took his first victory on the European Tour

Ja Morant sidelined from Grizzlies for appearing with a gun on social media for the second time

"Go up now, clown": Torres, after being sent off, faces the public in a youth derby

Three times less than in Europe: annual inflation in Russia for the first time in three years fell to 2.31%

The Cabinet of Ministers submitted to the State Duma for ratification an agreement between Russia and China in the field of gas supplies

Gather consensus and pool strength The three provinces of Xiang, Zhejiang and Lu jointly explore regional cooperation in construction machinery

"Five female doctors" at the bottom: advertisements have been "counterfeited" by Peking University

How to learn children's programming in the AI 2.0 era? Spark programming gives the answer

Truce between Israel and Gaza after five days of war and 35 dead

Tourism: the French are already preparing their summer holidays for the happiness of professionals

Foreign companies invest in Zhejiang and deepen development, and the Chinese market continues to release the "gravitational effect"

Some institutions advertise that the implant is less than 2000,<> yuan

The 'play therapy' of Ignacio, the child of the six cycles of chemo and the goal 'i' that Rodrygo dedicated to him

Car drove off the road in Abisko  was suspended just above the rapids

Spokesperson of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council: The judicial independence of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will never allow US politicians to interfere

Giro d'Italia: the time, the pink but not the joy for Evenepoel

The independence movement explodes against the Queens League of Pique and Llanos: "Remember to speak in Spanish"

The Palestinian Resistance Points to a Technical Defect that Caused a Rocket to Be Fired at Israel and Affirms Its Commitment to the Ceasefire

Half of them are in the Diaspora. The number of Palestinians has increased nearly 10 times since the Nakba

New NASA study: Solar flares may have formed the building blocks for life on Earth

Lucy, the blind and neurodivergent pianist who played at the coronation of Charles III

Express route through Malagadir, the megacity in southern Spain that has it all

How you will be affected if there is a train strike  Oresund trains worst affected

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

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhny appeared on Ukrainian TV after rumors of his death

US Time magazine Prime Minister Kishida is introduced on the cover of "I hope my country becomes a military power"

Virginia von Furstenberg, granddaughter of Agnelli, dies after falling from a high floor of the Palace Hotel in Merano

Blanca Paloma, after the Eurovision disappointment: "This is a contest that depends on factors that escape us"

Witness after fatal beating in Asarum: "Usually noisy and noisy at the site"

Thousands of demonstrators protest in Seville against the regularization of irrigation in the surroundings of Donana

When will the results of the presidential and parliamentary elections be announced in Turkey?

 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.
December 2010. Obama was working in the Oval Office to prevent the government shutdown, struggling against the biggest stumbling block of his first term, the Republican Party. The opposition was pressuring him to extend George W. Bushs tax cuts. The demands forced the president to change his plans to spend Christmas in Hawaii, where his family awaited him. On the other side of the presidential residence, the music of Van Morrison filled a movie theater upholstered in red velvet. John Chuldenko had chosen the album Astral Weeks to break the three-decade silence of one of the most mysterious music collections in the world.

Its incredibly profound, Chuldenko confesses. Along with a group of music nerds, the writer and music fan chose the 1968 classic to break the tension of a special moment. They were finally before the collection that they had followed for years, a Holy Grail for lovers of both vinyl and politics, two of Chuldenkos passions. I really felt a sense of completion. They were designed to be played in this room, and I dont think anyone had ever done it, he said.

Chuldenko is the grandson of ex-president Jimmy Carter, now, at 98 years old, in palliative care. His stepfather is Jack Carter, the eldest son of the man who governed the United States between 1977 and 1981. Music was playing in the White House constantly. My grandfather told me this story that when he wasnt working in the Oval Office, unless he was actively in a meeting, there was always music playing, Chuldenko recounts at his home in Los Angeles. On the walls of his house hang photographs from the presidency and posters from the campaign of the former Georgia governor. Artists like Willie Nelson and The Allman Brothers Band backed Carter in one of the first examples of how rock could influence young voters.

Chuldenko at home in Los Angeles. Dan Balilty

The Rolling Stones were responsible for alerting Chuldenko to the White House records. His uncle Jeff, the third of Carters three sons, told him that one day, the music of Jagger and company was so loud that his mother and Joan Mondale, the vice presidents wife, intervened to lower the decibels of Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967), which had filtered into an important dinner. I asked, well, whered you get the records? He said, there were records there.  That opened up a can of worms and the deep dive that I ended up doing to try to uncover more about this mysterious record collection, he says.

The collection was born from an industrys desire to influence power. The Recording Industry Association, a lobbying group, knew that the White House had a library (started by a similar group, but of editors). In 1969, it proposed to the Richard Nixon administration to curate a special music selection. A commission of five experts  four white men and one white woman  met once a month in New York to propose the titles to include, which would be limited to 2000. It was always intended to act as a window outside the White House, Chuldeeneko says. That first edition included easy listening and big band music. It also had some gems: there was Elton Johns first album, then a composer who had just played at Los Angeless Troubadour; Janis Joplins Pearl; two compilations of Bob Dylans hits; Joni Mitchells Clouds; Sly & the Family Stones Stand!, and a Frank Zappa album. The jazz selection featured three John Coltrane titles, five by Miles Davis, six by Duke Ellington and only one by Ray Charles.

The collection was presented in 1973 by Pat Nixon, the First Lady. It was divided into six categories: pop, classic, jazz, folk, country and gospel. The albums were stored in folders with the presidential seal, each genre with its own color. An additional section of recordings and spoken word material included Vladimir Nabokov reading Lolita and the Hungarian Revolution narrated by its leader Bela Kiraly.

The selection was meant to imitate the library, which was updated every four years. When the records moment came, though, the Watergate scandal had expelled the Nixons from the White House, and, with them, the project. The Carters took up the ice again in 1979. They got carte blanche to really push the limits in the second edition, Chuldenko says. The selection committee grew and became more inclusive, including a younger woman and Ed Bland, a black producer at Vanguard Records, in charge of blues. Bob Blumenthal, who was in charge of pop music, insisted on also including Latin music.

The updated collection was presented in the early days of January, 1981. Carter had lost his re-election attempt to Ronald Reagan. They pulled the solar panels off the White House and got rid of the record library. It was boxed up and put in storage, Chuldenko says.

There are big things happening, he smiles. This year marks half a century since the first collection was presented. Its a big occasion. My fingers are crossed that we can get the right people to say yes. It is no secret that Joe Biden has a high opinion of Jimmy Carter. Chuldenko has proposed updating the collection, which was frozen in the early 1980s without seeing the emergence of rap or stars like Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince. It would be a dream, says the man who snuck a record player into the White House in 2010 to pull notes out of records that had been hidden in obscurity.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography is a kaleidoscopic vision of the famed New York chef, traveler and communicator Anthony Bourdain, served up by food writer Laurie Woolever, who was his top aide for nearly a decade. The book, which came out in 2021 and has now also been released in Spanish, is like a tasting menu made up of nearly 100 interviews with friends and relatives of the author of the seminal memoir Kitchen Confidential. This is Woolevers second book after the chefs death in June 2018.

Bourdain committed suicide at the age of 61 during the filming in France of the television program Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, a fact that added to his aura of cursed poet. As Woolevers biography shows, the man who looked like such a winner was in reality a suffering soul. In a Zoom conversation from New York, she said that to this day, she misses being able to talk about things with the man who was her boss but also her friend: I miss him every day.

Question. So Bourdain wasnt actually the tough guy who made acidic comments about restaurants?

Answer. No. When you read Kitchen Confidential you see a side of him thats very brash, which he had, but which I think was also a fantasy, a projection, a bit of an act, kind of like this is the pirate I wanted to be as a boy, or the cowboy. In real life, I was surprised when I first met him that he was very soft-spoken, very gentle, shy, a little awkward. He was not a pirate in his daily life, but much more kind and empathetic than his writing might lead one to believe. He was unique.

Q. And did he have a dark side?

A. He made many people happy, but he also hurt them with his bad decisions.

Q. You say in the foreword to your book that you did not intend to write a book full of praise, and that by interviewing so many people with ties to Bourdain, you learned about more aspects of his personality. What can readers find out about Bourdain that they dont already know?

A. People will see a complexity there, a portrait of the complete man who had deep insecurities, deep sadness. Of course, when a person takes their own life, there is some sadness implied, but I think people will see there was a more complicated relationship with addiction than most people think. His addiction to heroin as a young man is well known. He stopped and the understanding for many people was, well, he is no longer an addict and he no longer struggled with addictions. But the truth when you read it in the book is much more complex. Another aspect of his personality that you will discover is his very romantic sense of love; for the search for a true love he was capable of sacrificing anything. And they will also see his deep obsession with getting everything right with his television shows and his writing. He was a man who did not practice moderation in anything, starting from a very young age, 12 or 13. His childhood friends confirmed it to me. There are also interesting details about the relationship with his mother and brother Christopher and his father, things that he glossed over in life. He had a complicated relationship with his mother, who died in 2020, but I had a chance to talk to her in 2018.

Laurie Woolever, Bourdain's biographer, in an image provided by herself. David Scott Hollowa

Q. What does the family think of this biography?

A. The fact that his ex-wives, Nancy and Ottavia, and his daughter Ariane, were all willing to to participate in the book was huge for me, it conferred a lot of respect and also responsibility on me to tell their story accurately and strike a balance between asking difficult questions in some cases and maintaining a level of respect. It has been very emotional talking to all of them. We have to bear in mind that when he died he left behind a daughter who was 11 years old at the time. Anything that is said in the book is for her to live with, its the record of her father. It was key for me to get her point of view; she is a very smart child, and she was given the last word in the book, which I think was necessary and important. I hope Ariane sees how much she was loved and what a strong impact he had on the world.

Q. And how do you think todays foodies and young chefs should view him?

R. He was an important marker in time. Kitchen Confidential was written in the late 1990s, and it was a reflection of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s in America and of that time in kitchen culture. There are universal truths and ideas that transcend the decades and what it is to be a professional cook. But its also important to realize that he was writing about a time and a place that we have moved on from. And he was himself very willing to say that some of this was very bad behavior and cocaine fueled a lot of creativity and long working hours, but it didnt work out well for him. What a young person reading Tonys book should take away is his passion and love of the people at all levels  owners, fellow cooks, suppliers, fishermen, butchers. He had this ability to find the humor in this business, which is so difficult. And that he was able to admit his mistakes and find that there is always something to learn. Both in his writing and in his television career, he constantly showed his interest in being proven wrong and learning something new. He learned everything about the world in his post-chef career. By meeting people in all kinds of circumstances and hardships, he was able to add to his understanding of the world, and that is an important lesson for young people: the more you travel, the more you talk to people and listen, the more you learn.

Q. Would you agree that his culinary and cultural television programs, such as Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations or Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown were revolutionary? His style has been copied often.

A. Yes. For the book I spoke with a number of television executives, directors and other people in the business, who said that in the years after Tonys death, dozens if not hundreds of people would come up to them and say I want to be the next Anthony Bourdain. but they always got the same answer : There was only one Anthony Bourdain. He created a new style of travel and food television where it wasnt about shock value or even the cooking skills. It was about the people who prepare and serve the food every day,

Q. Are you proud to have worked with Bourdain for so long?

A. Absolutely. He wasnt perfect, but he was very good and generous and fair. His interest in always telling the truth regardless of the personal consequences it entailed is an ethic that I always tried to live by. And also his commitment to his vision. There is a section in the book where TV executives explain how he refused to dumb down the show or to get bogged down with marketing concerns or what might attract the most viewers. Its a framework I have tried to uphold in my own work.

Woolever and Bourdain waiting for their food at a market in Hue, Vietnam, in 2014, in a photograph provided by Woolever. David S. Holloway

Q. In the testimonies by Bourdains acquaintances collected in the biography, his last partner, Asia Argento, does not come out looking very good. Why wasnt her voice included in the book?

A. It was ultimately an editorial decision not to include her. She had written her own autobiography that came out around the same time, and as a public person she gave many interviews on the subject, and I felt she would not contribute anything that she had not already said in her own words.

Q. This book, published in the United States in 2021, is the complement to World Travel: An Irreverent Guide, which collected memories of your travels with Bourdain, and included opinions from friends and colleagues. After these two posthumous books, is there more material left for another one?

A. These are the last two books I will do focused on the figure of Anthony Bourdain. Ive already said everything I wanted to say. I am now working on my own memoir, in which he obviously appears, because he was very much a part of my professional life for a long time. But it is my own perspective on what it has been like to work in this fascinating world of food since I graduated from college, and what it is like to be a woman in the industry.

Q. It feels like things have changed a lot in the industry in the past couple of decades. Besides your writing, you also co-host a food-focused podcast, Carbface for Radio. Is it getting harder to make a living as a food writer in todays world of endless online resources?

A. Things have changed a lot since I graduated from college. At first it felt there were a lot of possibilities, then suddenly the internet took over the food writing world, magazines closed, and cookbooks have become, if not obsolete, a little bit old-fashioned, because now you can find photos and videos instantly online. Thats been a difficult thing to recognize and to work with. Its a fascinating, difficult and heartbreaking time to be in this business. But Im optimistic, because people still love to hear about and talk about food. Platforms are constantly evolving and you just have to keep raising interesting issues and trust that there will be an audience for it.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Abortion rights protesters hold signs and try to drown out Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, as he speaks to media members outside outside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse in Baton Rouge, after a hearing there on Monday, July 18, 2022. District Judge Don Johnson Johnson heard arguments regarding the state's 'trigger law' Monday to determine whether the clinics could continue to stay open temporarily or be shut down again, deciding in favor of extending the temporary restraining order one day, and requesting more information be presented to him before another hearing Tuesday morning. Court watchers agree the law will ultimately be either upheld or struck down by the state Supreme Court.
Cell phone tower technician Zachary Cottrell descends, placing his feet on ladder pegs after replacing radios near the top of a 160-foot tower near Stumberg Lane and Airline Highway, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. He and his ground man Dustin Bauer are independent contractors from Farwell, Michigan. 'I wasn't sure how long I would last (working at heights like this) when I first started this a little over a year ago,' Cottrell said. After a period of getting used to it, he's at peace with the heights. 'I'm good now,' he said with a smile.
After years of chasing the dream, the new gold standard of well-being is silence. That this is an increasingly noisy world is a fact: composer and noise pollution activist R. Murray Schafer discovered that, in order to be able to hear them over the racket of the city, the intensity of the 1912 fire sirens was 96 decibels (measured at a distance of approximately 11 feet), while in 1974 it already reached 114 decibels at the same distance. In 2019, journalist Bianca Bosker conducted a similar experiment: todays fire trucks need 123 decibels to be heard from 10 feet away.

To this sound  lets call it physical  another noise is added, perhaps even more annoying and harder to silence: the sounds of (dis)information. In 2011, Eric Schmidt, then CEO of Google, stated that until 2003 humanity had produced an amount of information equivalent to 5 exabytes, the same quantity that was generated every two days at the time. That same year, a study published in the journal Science estimated the amount of information generated by humanity up to the year 2007 at 295 exabytes: in 2011 it was already 600 exabytes. And by 2025, an estimated 463 exabytes of information will be created every day around the world. If you want to try to understand all these numbers, one exabyte is equivalent to 20 times all the books written until 2013.

It is not surprising that silencing all these stimuli has become a recurring fantasy for everyone, regardless of age: on TikTok, the social network for young people and teenagers par excellence, the hashtag #silentretreat has reached close to 420,000 views. Understandable: a study carried out at Duke University showed that two hours of silence per day stimulate the development of new cells in the hippocampus, the region of the brain related to memory formation and much of our emotions. We want others to shut up, we want to shut up ourselves and we want others to force us to do it. Hence, more and more people are interested in attending silent retreats.

Stopping your mind is possible

Maite Mendez, founder of Mandalablue Yoga  a center in Tarifa, southern Spain, which due to the increase in demand is currently organizing two long silent retreats and one one-day retreat monthly  tells EL PAIS that the people who attend are those who have too much: Too much work, too many things on their minds, too much noise, too much anxiety, too much stress, too many daily activities... they feel the urgent need to stop and wish that someone would force them to stop. In these retreats, people are looked after well: they do not need to think about what to eat, when to sleep or what to do. Everything is taken care of, which produces a sense of calm and relaxation. In addition, they enjoy a lot of time to themselves, to do nothing, to take notes and empty their minds, sleep or contemplate.

One participant explains that, before going there, he felt so anxious that he had to ask his wife to look up retreats for me. I wanted to learn to quiet the mind. I decided to attend this particular one because, as a beginner, I wanted something easier than the tougher practices (such as fasting and many hours of meditation) that they do in others. I would come back without a doubt. The feeling of being in a space where I can give everything to myself, without speaking and without a phone, is very liberating. I cannot praise it enough.

Carola Garcia Diaz, teacher and teacher trainer of mindfulness-based stress reduction, in addition to being the coordinator of Retiromindfulness.com and Mindfulnessvivendi.com, has been organizing this type of activities since 2012. Before attending one, she clarifies, it is important, although not essential, to first know something about meditation. It helps to know what practices are going to be done during the day: sitting meditation, walking, moving, as well as having some experience in a mindfulness course. However, we invite people to come with the uncertainty of what is going to happen and we explain to them, especially those who come for the first time, that not knowing is an important part of the practice and that it is okay for them to come with doubts. Our practice consists precisely in welcoming what happens moment by moment, and how that can help us live more fully. Silence is an enormous help to be able to do this exploration with time and in a safe space of respect and inclusion.

In his seven years of retreats, the psychologist specializing in neuropsychology and Buddhist meditation instructor Xevi Molas has only seen one participant drop out, due to anxiety. The greatest benefit is becoming aware that we have more power over the mind than we thought, and acquiring tremendous mental calm, he explains. Being immersed in a whirlwind of activities, we are not aware of the speed at which our mind works, but when we are there, we discover something that we did not know but that we yearned for.

And yes, stopping our mind is possible, he continues. What is most striking during the retreats is that many of us sit very far apart to avoid even eye contact. Once silence takes over your mind, you dont want to lose it. Thanks to these days of meditation and silence, I discovered a new way of relating to myself, to others and to life in general. I discovered that life is much easier than it seems, but our minds are so complex that we tend to overcomplicate things. Personally, what is most difficult for me is facing the last day, when you know that you have to return to monotony. You go from being in a calm, controlled environment, to an environment full of stimuli, where anxiety and depression are the quintessential disorders and where we have almost no control over anything.

Being open to the experience

Dr. Santiago Segovia Vazquez, professor of psychobiology and one of the heads of the Elea Psychoeducational Institute (whose mindfulness-based services include silent retreats) in Madrid, Spain, has been organizing this type of activities for ten years. He points out that in order to have a good experience, it is important to know that the schedule and rules of the house of spirituality where it is held must be respected. It is also essential to be clear that you must respect the rule of external silence and cultivate inner silence; this will allow for the necessary atmosphere of tranquility for the different mindfulness practices and the connection with yourself. We know its hard otherwise. Finally, it must be taken into account that meditation practice will be carried out for many hours of the day, which for inexperienced practitioners is a great challenge. Our mind tends to be constantly active, jumping from one thought to another. Being silent requires slowing down that mental activity and allowing ourselves to simply be present in the moment. And this can be especially challenging in a modern world filled with constant distractions and external stimuli. Some people are uncomfortable with silence.

Wanting to give up is part of what happens in a retreat of this kind, warns Carola Garcia. It is easy for thoughts like I dont like it and when will this end? to come up, although the opposite is also true; and we do talk about it in the time allowed for it, because wanting things to be different is the origin of our discomfort, or at least an important part, and the point is to learn to make friends with it, not to reject it, and to see what happens when we make room for it in our experience. To loosen up the level of demand and perfectionism and learn to be with things as they are. From there, spaces for well-being, creativity and connection open up. It is not about enduring or tolerating, but about exploring and inquiring from direct experience, especially of the body, and seeing how this can help us and be a tool to feel free and at peace. Curiously, what is most difficult is keeping oneself company for several days without distractions, but at the same time, learning to sustain this is a strength for daily life, explains the expert.

Blanca, 64, has been attending this type of retreat for more than 15 years, many of them organized by Mindfulness Vivendi, in Madrid. The first time I went with a friend, and I remember not talking at meal times, something so common. It was hard, strange. Everything went slowly and it didnt seem to be going anywhere. I was used to vacations being full of activity and novelty, and I had many moments of not knowing what I was doing there, feeling the unease of apparently doing nothing, just being there without solving anything; but leaving was also hard, getting back to normal, the cars, the bustle, the rush. It took me a while to land and take off.

What I discovered with these experiences was a certain naturalness: silence allowed me to be more aware of what I felt, how I felt and what was around me. I didnt have to do anything, just be able to be with that moment of my life. I realized that it was a way of taking care of myself. I started making peace with some of my demons, and even without speaking, or speaking little, I had a strong sense of community and harmony. Its a health cure  and it also removes wrinkles; when I returned to Madrid, the supermarket cashier asked me if I had had a facelift. I also felt more relaxed and cheerful. I handle difficulties better, as well as the fact that things are not as I would like them to be. Over time, I think that I am more patient and understanding; perhaps, above all, with myself. I also feel more energy and determination to do what I have to do.

Silvana, 38, has attended several of Eleas retreats. I have returned, and will certainly continue to do so. Before going to my first, breaking with the daily turmoil seemed to me something difficult to achieve on a weekend. We are not used to pausing and taking a look at ourselves. But the atmosphere that you feel from the beginning makes you, little by little, develop a level of serenity and composure that leads, almost without you noticing it, to enjoying the silence and the calm that is generated in the group. You can enjoy the silence. Serenity is essential to start building a life of well-being, regardless of the circumstances that we have to live. Through calm, emotional regulation and compassion we can find a way where we can better relate to ourselves and those around us. And all this with simple guidelines to follow that entail perseverance, but little daily dedication.

A mirror to many internal realities

It is not the same for everyone. Psychologist Alba Valle, from the Loca Sabiduria online mindfulness training and courses center, warns that before going to a silent retreat, the person should take into account that reality may not match their expectations. Someone may think that after a few days of silence the mind stays like silk, but it doesnt have to be that way. Silence is like a light switch. What happens when you turn on a light in a dark room? You see what is there. We become clearly aware of our mental habits, our worries and our real emotional state. I say real because frequently, in daily life, superfluous routine experiences cover the state we are in and, suddenly, when we stop, things come to us that we were not aware of, such as an unexpected feeling of emptiness and frustration.

A meditation retreat acts as a mirror to many internal realities. For this reason, for many people it is a liberation. Afterwards, they become aware of things that they want to change in their life; for example, they might decide to end a relationship. And others will not feel anything in particular, they simply were aware, at peace. All of this is fine and no specific experience is sought, since what is really being done in a retreat is training to be more level-headed in life. Its interesting to note that the effect of the retreat, as the teachers explain, is seen over the days and weeks.

Among the benefits people notice in the medium and long term, Maite Mendez, founder of Mandalablue Yoga, points out that attendees will experience a greater sensation of responsibility, self-management and liberation, which for practical purposes translates into a deep sensation of lightness on a physical level, as well as a mental and emotional relaxation. Many participants tell us about the great openness of heart they feel after the retreat and the ability to concentrate they get, because they have freed themselves from a lot of mental noise. With that, tasks that used to take hours, after the retreat take them a few minutes. The benefit is truly incredible in how we are in life, with ourselves and with others.

Dr. Segovia Vazquez adds that when you internalize the lessons learned, you can focus on the present moment and accept emotions and thoughts without judging them, which allows you to better manage stress and anxiety, among other things. The practice of meditation and its teaching facilitate what is known as informal practice, that is, observing the day to day with that level-headed perspective.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Will Gregory is sitting in a room full of synthesisers  some old, some even older, and a handful new  arranged in a manner you would hardly call neat.

Ive got a lot of them here, admits the composer for TV and film, non-singing half of the electro-folk/dance-pop band Goldfrapp, and leader of the Will Gregory Moog Ensemble.

But they are all switched off. On hot days, if you turn them all on it gets really hot because there are so many valves going.

Will Gregory and Australian Chamber Orchestra artistic director Richard Tognetti at the ACO Pier 2/3. Credit: James Brickwood

That may explain why he keeps the bulk of his substantial collection off site. But it doesnt explain why he has so many synths.
When youre picking out some flowers for Mothers Day, its worth thinking about how you can give mum something beautiful without the ugly underbelly that underpins so much of the unsustainable floristry and floral design industries.

Its an issue driven by the industrys excessive use of single-use plastic, like packaging, decorations, and floral foam (the water-absorbing base used for flower arranging), and the heavy carbon and chemical footprint associated with imported flowers.

Research has found Australians were set to spend $754 million on Mothers Day in 2022 with flowers (34 per cent of those surveyed) being the most popular gift.

Sophie Wolanski from Muck Florals about to install some sustainable flowers at a store in Mosman ahead of Mothers Day. Credit: Wolter Peeters

So, how can you buy more sustainable blooms this year? A growing awareness of these problems is driving a shift within the floral industry to pursue more sustainable practices.
Staff at one of Melbournes biggest universities are being urged to offer rooms to international students amid concerns they will turn their backs on Australia as the rent crisis stings.

Monash University Student Union said this week that the housing situation had become so dire that options that werent ideal needed to be considered.

International student Xinyu Zhang says it is difficult for international students to find a house that is safe and affordable in Melbourne. Credit: Penny Stephens

Union president Sebastian Schultz said the union was encouraging tutors or educators to help house international students.

Weve gotten to such a point that ... we need to reconsider options that we knew werent ideal, and we ruled out because we thought we werent at that stage, Schultz said. It looks like were at that stage.
The troubled Victorian building regulator could be taken back into the state planning department under one of the changes mooted to resolve concerns it is not meeting its legal obligation to oversee the industry and has a toxic workplace culture.

Sue Eddy resigned as chief executive of the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) on Thursday, as revealed by this masthead on Wednesday, after the regulators repeated failures came under the spotlight.

Sue Eddy has resigned as chief executive of the Victorian Building Authority.

Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has been reviewing the authoritys governance and performance, and The Age has confirmed that one of the options being discussed is to move the VBA into the Department of Transport and Planning.

Four government and industry sources said the possibility, which would remove the board and turn the statutory authority into an agency, has been floated in stakeholder meetings for months.
Design is everywhere in Copenhagen. You could spend days exploring the city and ticking off a lengthy list of notable buildings and design pieces. Or you could spend a few hours simply meandering about while your cruise ship is docked. Design is deeply ingrained in daily life, and Copenhagen was officially designated as the UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for 2023. A series of events on the theme Sustainable Futures  Leave No One Behind will run throughout the year, with visitors offered unique opportunities to learn, debate, watch and participate. Camilla Van Deurs, Copenhagens Chief City Architect, explains that the UNESCO designation is thanks to Copenhagens strong legacy of architecture. We have a rich design history. From King Christian IV of Denmark who erected many of the citys historic buildings, to prominent, modernist Danish architects and designers such as Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner and Georg Jensen, she says. These pioneers have put Denmark on the world map of architecture, and their legacy has been carried on by innovative, contemporary Danish architects and designers such as Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, Henning Larsen, HAY, to name a few. World-class Danish architects like Jorn Utzon have designed places like the iconic Sydney Opera House, and Arne Jacobsen has designed the functionalist Bellavista housing complex north of Copenhagen. Although we dont get to the Bellavista complex, we hire bikes and join the masses of fellow cyclists to experience how design is integrated into daily life. Copenhagen has been voted the worlds best city for cyclists several times (a whopping 42 percent of Copenhageners commute to work or study daily in the saddle), and were keen to join in.

We cycle to Enghaveparken first, carefully trying to avoid high bike traffic areas with a little human each perched behind us. First laid out in 1929 with some parts drawn up by Arne Jacobsen, the green space has recently undergone a revitalisation. Significant rainfall over the years  particularly high-intensity cloudbursts in 2011  called for a redesign, and San Francisco-based landscape design studio Third Nature took on the job. The revamped park can now contain over 22 million litres of water in reservoirs, which have been elegantly integrated into its neoclassical design. Water is everywhere. The Danes drink some of the cleanest water in the world, and Copenhagen is traversed by canals and encircled by water. Its nippy today, but still there are swimmers powering through laps. Not us though. We cycle the 13 kilometre-long Harbor Ring route with its 11 bridge crossings, admiring the water from afar. Copenhagen  a city of swimmers. The loop tracks its way through some of the citys newer urban districts with attention-grabbing architectural sights left, right and centre. We take it slow to appreciate the views (and stop for pastries for the kids). The leisurely pace provides us with a glimpse into city life, and how seamlessly design is interwoven into it. After a few days of exploring, I understand both why Copenhagen has been named World Capital of Architecture for 2023, and why its subtitle is Copenhagen in Common. It is an outstanding example of a city which combines architecture, history and everyday life to create a unique urban identity alongside a sustainable urban environment.

We manage to fit in a visit to the Danish Architecture Centre before flying out, and dive a little deeper into the role architecture and design play in urban design. The first permanent exhibition on Danish architecture opened on March 24  as part of the citys celebration of its designation as World Capital of Architecture for 2023  but even so, the majority of the museum is dedicated to design, with some really thought-provoking exhibitions. Yet, its not only the exhibitions that grab our attention, but the way in which the content is displayed. My eldest plays with blocks and giant chairs for an hour, assembling the pieces in a variety of configurations, while my youngest crawls around and into a tilted house on repeat. The fun continues even when we move on from Kids City to the main museum. Its immersive, yes, but its more than that. Its all-encompassing. Completely absorbing. Our longer-than-anticipated visit ends with me sliding down a four-storey slide, which begins on the top floor and ends in the entry foyer. Designed by German-Belgian artist Carsten Holler, its functional art with a dose of fun injected in. My eldest promises that she will follow, but chickens out and takes the stairs down with the rest of my clan. I usually encourage her to give new things a go, but this time I dont bother. I know we will be back soon and she can try again then. Tatyana Leonov travelled at her own expense and with some support from Visit Copenhagen. See visitcopenhagen.com
Most towns are set back from the ever-flooding Mekong, but Cai Be is an exception. Its mouldy French colonial church appears to float on the waterlily-tangled water, and its market becomes mobile as locals take to rowboats piled with greens and tropical fruit, their wares advertised on the ends of long wooden poles. Although there are no great sights, wandering rewards you, since back streets are lined with shops and small businesses where locals make sweets, rice noodles or mahogany furniture, and sell everything from bonsai trees to computers. Innumerable cafes and sampans for trips along canals tempt you to idleness. See vietnam.travel

If youre a fan of 20th-century, Vietnam-born French writer Marguerite Duras (and why wouldnt you be) youll want to visit Sa Dec where she lived and wrote The Lover. Lover Huynh Thuy Les villa is a literary shrine full of dusty antique furniture, and glows with the light from stained-glass windows. Irrespective, youll enjoy Sa Decs crumbling waterside mansions and rickety temples, while surrounding flower farms have become an Instagrammers delight. The towns markets are perhaps best however: gold-toothed grannies sell leafy greens, scrumptious mangoes and rambutans, and frogs and fish that wriggle in plastic buckets. See vietnam.travel

TAN CHAU

Working a silk loom at a traditional silk factory in Tan Chau. Credit: Getty Images

This Vietnamese town just short of the Cambodian border is noted for its silk manufacturing. Glorious lengths of shimmering silk emerge from rattling and clanking machines. The most coveted is black, dyed with a local berry and dried in the breeze. The town is also devoted to mat weaving, slipper making and eel farming, and surrounded by rice fields and villages where monks snooze and kids show off by leaping into the Mekong from bridges. Getting into a water taxi is the best way to admire Tan Chaus rather dishevelled beauty, and catch cooling breezes. See vietnam.travel

PHNOM PENH
What in the World, a free weekly newsletter from our foreign correspondents, is sent every Thursday. Below is an excerpt. Sign up to get the whole newsletter delivered to your inbox.

Welcome, officially, to the new Carolean era.

A few days before I flew to the UK last year to take up my posting as Europe correspondent, I had lunch with veteran broadcaster and one-time senator Derryn Hinch in Melbourne.

The full pomp and ceremony of the Kings coronation was something to behold.

Hinch isnt everyones cup of tea but hes become a great friend and mentor to me and he is still a journalist to his bootstraps. Long before he was the Human Headline on radio and TV he was a newspaper man and an editor. In fact he used to write for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age as New York correspondent.
London: Britain has become the first country to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles to aid its efforts to repel Russian President Vladimir Putins forces.

Ukraine has been asking for fighter jets and longer-range missiles for months as it prepares to launch its long-awaited counter-offensive amid fears its conflict with Russia is stalling.

The British government says the new missiles will help Ukrainian soldiers  pictured here fighting Russian forces in the Donetsk region  to penetrate further into Russian-held territory. Credit: AP

The Kremlin had warned that if Britain provided missiles, it would require an adequate response from our military.

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the House of Commons the Storm Shadow cruise missiles were now going in, or are in the country itself.
Susie Maroney dives into the water on her second attempt to cross from Cuba to the U.S. Credit: Canadian Press Photo

Eight hours after completing her historic crossing of the Straits of Florida, swimmer Susie Maroney was already contemplating her encore: Mexico to Cuba, she said. Next year. Definitely.

Her face was bright red from sunburn. Her neck, shoulders, chest and legs were covered in itchy bites and stings from sea lice and jellyfish. She hadnt had a proper sleep in about 36 hours.

On her second attempt in 11 months, Maroney, 22, from Cronulla in Sydney, had become the first swimmer to make the 179-kilometre crossing from Cuba to Florida. It took her just 24 hours to do it.

Im tired, but Im so happy, she said. Im on such a high. Ive got ages to sleep now - its not as if I have to swim tomorrow.

This time there was no doubt about the result. Last June, in her first attempt, Maroney swam for more than 38 hours and made it into United States waters, but was not deemed officially to have finished. That time she was taken from the water hallucinating and vomiting.

It was better than last time - the combination of wind and currents were favorable - but it was still bad. The seas were heavy overnight when Maroney and her two support boats made slow progress. She swallowed a lot of sea water. Her ribs hurt. Her tongue became so swollen she had trouble swallowing during the hourly food stops. And, once again, she had hallucinations. The monkeys came back.
The second was the testimony of two other women with similar stories: Jessica Leeds, a former stockbroker who claims Trump grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt during a flight in 1979; and Natasha Stoynoff, a former writer for People magazine, who alleged that he pinned her against a wall and forcibly kissed her during an interview in Florida in 2005. Trump during his videotaped deposition, where he mistook E. Jean Carroll for his wife in a photo. And the third was the jaw-dropping video deposition of Trump himself, in which he mistook Carroll for his second wife, Marla Maples  undercutting his claim that his accuser was not my type  and then doubled-down on his infamous Access Hollywood hot mic confession: that being famous gave him the right to grope women  to grab them by the pussy  without their consent. Historically, thats true with stars, he defiantly told Carrolls lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, as those of us sitting in the Manhattan courtroom watched the video in near disbelief. If you look over the last million years, I guess thats been largely true. Not always, but largely true. Unfortunately  or fortunately.

Loading Whether this will affect Trumps political prospects or change the dynamics of the 2024 presidential race is another question altogether. The verdict will no doubt do little to alter his unshakeable base, which subscribes to his view that this was merely another witch-hunt and hoax, carried out in a heavily Democratic city where he was never going to get a fair trial. The response of senior Republicans was also telling. Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who Trump backed to win her fourth term despite the partys poor showing at midterm elections, branded the allegations as old news. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who relied on Trumps Make America Great Again wing in Congress to fulfil his ambition to become speaker, ignored reporters questions on the matter.

And potential rivals Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley initially said nothing at all, while former vice president Mike Pence, who is also considering running for president, suggested voters wouldnt care. On one hand, this is no surprise given Trumps ongoing influence. Not only is the 76-year-old the overwhelming frontrunner for the Republican nomination, a Washington Post/ABC News poll released this month also had Joe Biden trailing his predecessor by six percentage points in a hypothetical rematch. Rioters loyal to Donald Trump rally at the US Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021. Credit: AP But contrary to Pences view, a sizeable chunk of the electorate may indeed care, exhausted by the baggage of a twice-impeached president, who was also indicted last month for hush money paid to a porn star, and is still under investigation on multiple fronts: election interference in Georgia; the mishandling of classified documents; his role in the US Capitol attack. Some of those voters are likely to be the independents or suburban women who tend to decide whether elections are won or lost. After some peeled away from Trump at the 2018 midterms, the 2020 presidential election and at last years midterms, how many more can Republicans afford to lose in critical swing states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, or Arizona?

Loading Many of those voters are also likely to be Democrats and progressives for whom there is no greater galvanising force than the desire to stop Trump returning to the White House, regardless of whether they want 80-year-old Biden running for a second term. And some might be an entirely new generation of voters who werent old enough to head to the ballot box when the Access Hollywood tape was leaked in 2016 and may have only now learnt about the predatory pattern of behaviour that convinced a jury to hold him to account. As former Republican congresswoman Barbara Comstock lamented after the verdict, such voters would have every right to be put off  not just by Trump, but the party more broadly. We have repulsed an entire generation with this guy, said the former Virginia representative, who served under Trump until 2019.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (left) speaks with the chair of the Alliance's military committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, on May 10, 2023. DPA / Europa Press

Against the backdrop of Russias war in Ukraine and escalating rhetoric against the West from the Kremlin, NATO is finalizing the reform of a common strategy to tackle both the Russian threat and terrorist groups. Its structure, designed to respond the new geopolitical reality and accelerated by Moscows invasion, is the biggest reconfiguration since the Cold War, NATO sources told EL PAIS.

The document, which runs to some 4,000 pages, outlines the first complete and unified reform of NATO doctrine in three decades. Among the proposals are changes to the Alliances military strategy  moving away from large-scale interventions to prioritize the deployment of smaller battalions and regional experts  and its methods to analyze and provide updates on the various threats posed by the Kremlin, among them military, cyber and hybrid attacks, and NATOs response to these scenarios.

The military leaders of NATOs 31 member states and Atlantic Alliance experts are now reviewing the strategy, which unifies national and regional plans. This reform is expected to be approved at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, where the main items on the agenda will be the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the commitments the Alliance can offer Kyiv, which formally applied for membership last September.

Allies will know exactly what forces and capabilities are needed, including where, what and how to deploy, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday at a meeting with NATO military chiefs in Brussels, where the new package of proposals was discussed. The Regional Plans will require an improved NATO Force Model to produce more troops at high readiness across our Alliance, added Lieutenant-Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee.

New NATO capabilities

With all eyes on movements on the front lines in Ukraine, NATO is pressing forward with its updated, geographically specific defense plans, which outline how the Alliance can respond to attacks against member states and how it will operate in the face of the Russian threat and global terrorism. The strategy also provides guidelines for the defense of key locations. For the first time since the end of the Cold War, we will have objective, threat-based capability targets, Bauer said.

Almost since its inception, NATO has had plans in place to address the potential threat of Russia: in fact, the Alliance was born an organization vis-a-vis the USSR. But Moscows invasion of Ukraine has drastically changed NATOs relationship with the Kremlin, which for many years included high-level diplomatic ties and a bilateral cooperation council. The new strategy will operate on different levels: nationally, the so-called strategic hat that covers three large geographical areas (North Atlantic, Central Europe and the South, from Spain to Turkey), will provide detailed analysis of threats and possible reactions categorized by domain: land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.

A range of threats

The threats facing NATO and potential scenarios are diverse: from the possibility of Russia deploying thousands of troops on the borders of the Alliances eastern flank to the vulnerabilities of the infrastructures of member states brought into focus by the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which has prompted the Alliance to step up surveillance of marine telecommunications cables, gas pipelines and other elements crucial to the operations of NATO members.

The last NATO summit, held in June last year in Madrid, declared the Russian Federation the most significant and direct threat to Allies security and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area and called for significant defense reinforcement, accelerating the development of the Regional Plans. In the new scheme, the focus is no longer only on strengthening NATOs eastern flank, but on the need to establish a solid defensive network based on the so-called 360-degree approach  one that covers NATOs entire territory. The new strategy, for example, aims to reduce reliance on the deployment of numerous combat groups and instead to use brigade-sized units (made up of about 5,000 military personnel) that can move without fixed structures and deploy more rapidly, with vehicles, tanks and fighters pre-positioned on the ground.

The new concept has, however, unsettled NATOs eastern European allies, who are on Russias doorstep. These nations are concerned that the plans represent too theoretical a framework and are calling for more concrete elements, as well as further strengthening the Alliances presence on their own flank. For the new strategy to be put in place, the Alliance will need more investment, according to sources within the organization.

On Wednesday, Stoltenberg once again stressed that NATO members must increase their defense spending. His goal is to agree on a new commitment, which is now at 2% of GDP as a minimum. However, although some countries including Canada have ramped up their defense budgets, others are barely at above 1% of GDP  Spain is at 1.09% and Belgium at 1.18%, for example  and states are not obliged to reach the 2% target. Spain has set itself the goal of reaching 2% by 2029 but is also pushing for contributions to the Alliance not to be measured only in terms of defense investment, but by military deployments and other factors.

The meeting of NATO military chiefs in Brussels coincided with mounting tension in Ukraine. The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, was unable to participate by videoconference, citing the situation on the front lines. Kyivs forces are preparing for a counteroffensive on the eastern and southern front while the Kremlin has launched a new wave of attacks on civilian infrastructure designed to wear down Ukraines air defense systems. On Wednesday, the Ukrainian Army said it had regained control of an area of several kilometers around the town of Bakhmut, the epicenter of Russian operations in Ukraine and where the mercenary Wagner Group has been complaining about a lack of ammunition supply for its troops.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Pope Francis has revealed that, while he was still the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner gave indications to three judges that they should convict him for his actions during the dictatorship (1976-1989). The Pontiff told 32 Jesuits whom he visited in Hungary about a lengthy judicial statement that he had to give in 2010 over the 1976 kidnapping of the priests Orlando Yorio and Ferenc Jalics, accused by the military of having ties to the guerrillas.

Some in the government wanted my head on a platter, and they brought up not so much this matter of Jalics [who was of Hungarian descent], but instead questioned my entire set of actions during the dictatorship, said the Pontiff. The dialogue with the priests took place on April 29 and was reported by La Civilta Cattolica, an Italian Jesuit magazine whose contents get greenlighted by the Vatican.

On November 8, 2010, the man who was still known as Archbishop Bergoglio testified in the framework of the ESMA case, an ongoing investigation into the militarys actions at the largest illegal detention and torture center in Argentina during the dictatorship. A journalist named Horacio Verbitsky with ties to Kirchnerism had accused Bergoglio of having handed over Jalics and Yorio to their captors from his position as provincial superior of the Jesuits. Bergoglio told the judges who questioned him that he had pleaded for the priests before the dictator Jorge Rafael Videla and his deputy on the military junta, Admiral Eduardo Massera.

More information Pope Francis, the Latin American pontiff who resists going home

They gave me the possibility to choose the place in which to carry out the interrogation. I chose to do it at the Episcopium [bishops palace]. It lasted four hours and 10 minutes. One of the judges was very insistent about my behavior [during the dictatorship]. I answered truthfully at all times. But, in my view, the only serious and well-founded question was the one posed by the lawyer who belonged to the Communist Party. And thanks to that question things became clear. In the end, my innocence was proven. But at that judgment almost nothing was said about Jalics, and instead about other cases of people who had asked for help, said the Pope, quoted by La Civilta Cattolica. When Jalics and Yorio were arrested by the military, the situation in Argentina was confusing and it was not at all clear what should be done. I did what I felt I had to do to defend them. It was a very painful situation, he added.

When Bergolgio became Pope Francis in 2013, many in Argentina still believed that he had not done enough during the dictatorship for the disappeared detainees. Some even accused him of complicity with the regime. The role of the then-archbishop during the 1970s is part of an extensive study that the Catholic Church carried out based on hundreds of thousands of files that were in the Episcopate in Buenos Aires and in the Vatican. The result of this work was published this year in two volumes (there is a third underway) under the title The Truth Will Set You Free. In an interview with EL PAIS, the rapporteur of the investigation, Carlos Maria Galli, said that the Church should have done more to avoid so much killing, but denied that there had been any complicity.

Regarding the role of Bergoglio, he said that the attacks against him were a bit contrived because they were useful to whichever government happened to be in place, in this case, the Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner administration. When they considered him an opponent, they began to attack him. One of the elements involved re-reading the story of the two Jesuits arrested in 1976 [Jalics and Yorio] and saying that Bergoglio had set them free in order to make them vulnerable. Bergoglio helped save at least 30 people, said Galli.

Pope Francis also told the Hungarian Jesuits that years later, when he was already the pontiff, the judges who had questioned him in 2010 revealed to him that they had been pressured by the government to convict him. I have seen two of the judges here again, in Rome. One of them came with a group of Argentines. I didnt recognize him, but I had the impression that I had seen him before. I kept looking at him, and said to myself, I know him. He gave me a hug and left. I saw him one more time, and he introduced himself. I told him to be at peace with this story. Yes, I deserve to be judged for my sins, but on this point I want to be clear. Another one of the three judges also came, and told me clearly that they had received indications from the government to sentence me.

The priests Ferenc Jalics and Orlando Yorio used to work in a poor neighborhood in the city of Buenos Aires, and they were soon targeted by the military. In the neighborhood where they worked, there was a guerrilla cell. But the two Jesuits had nothing to do with them: they were pastors, not politicians. But they were still taken prisoner, despite being innocent. They [the military] did not find anything with which to accuse them, but they still had to serve nine months in jail, suffering threats and torture. Then they were released, but these things leave deep wounds, said the Pope. Jalics came to see me immediately, and we chatted. I advised him to go see his mother in the United States. The situation was really too uncertain and confusing. Then the myth arose that it was I who had handed them over to be imprisoned.

At the close of his talk with the Hungarian Jesuits at the Budapest Nunciature [the diplomatic representation of the Holy See], he told them to read The Truth Will Set You Free: There you will be able to find the truth about this case.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition




President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in remarks broadcast Thursday that Kyiv is delaying its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russias occupying forces because Ukraine lacks enough Western weapons to succeed without suffering too many casualties.

His remarks, in an interview with European broadcasters, were aired shortly before Britain said it has sent Ukraine air-launched cruise missiles that would allow pilots to extend their reach farther than possibly any other weapon in their arsenal, to locations deep behind the front line.

A Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russias more than 14-month-old invasion has been expected as winter turned to spring, and Zelenskyy said in an interview that we can go forward and be successful, according to the BBC.

But wed lose a lot of people. I think thats unacceptable, he was quoted as saying in the interview, conducted in Kyiv with public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, including the BBC.

So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time, Zelenskyy was quoted as saying. In terms of equipment, not everything has arrived yet.

Analysts and Ukrainian officials have hinted for months at a coming Ukrainian counterpunch as the weather improves, with various dates speculated for its commencement. Zelenskyys remarks could be designed to keep the Russians guessing, and both sides have difficulty with the supply of ammunition, adding more uncertainty.

Ukraine is receiving Western training, as well as advanced weapons, for its troops as it gears up for such an assault.

Later Thursday, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told lawmakers it sent Ukraine the Storm Shadow missiles, a conventionally armed weapon with a range of more than 250 kilometers (150 miles). By contrast, the truck-mounted HIMARS launchers supplied to Ukraine by Washington have GPS-guided missiles capable of hitting targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) away.

Wallace said the cruise missiles are now going into or are in the country itself, but he didnt say how many were provided.

The air-launched missiles would allow Ukrainian forces to target locations such as Russia-occupied Crimea. Kyiv has pledged not to use them to attack Russia itself, U.K. media reported. The U.S. and its allies have expressed concern that enabling Ukraine to use their weapons to hit targets inside Russia could provoke the Kremlin to take more drastic actions in the war.

The British delivery adds to the tanks and long-range precision artillery that Western countries have already supplied to boost Ukraines military.

Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, tweeted: Well done UK!

This will give Ukraine capability to make Crimea untenable for Russian forces and require Russia to reevaluate the positioning of its Black Sea fleet, Hodges said.

Sidharth Kaushal, a research fellow at Londons Royal United Services Institute, said the Storm Shadow missiles could allow Ukraine to strike Russias fleet and support vessels in its Black Sea headquarters port of Sevastopol, where Moscows Kalibr missiles have been used to target crucial Ukrainian infrastructure.

Patrick Bury, senior lecturer in security at the University of Bath, wasnt surprised at Zelenskyys comments about the delay of spring campaign.

If you are Zelenskyy, you are doing everything you can to make sure you get everything you need before launching the offensive.

On the other hand, I would not be surprised at all if it started in the next couple of weeks, depending on the mud. ... As of last week it was still one of the wettest springs theyve had over there in years.  Its just not favorable, he said.

A claim by the Ukrainian military on Wednesday that its troops had advanced up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) around the hotly contested eastern city of Bakhmut fueled speculation that the counteroffensive was already underway.

Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraines Operational Command East, told The Associated Press that the fighting and forward movement was not the grand counteroffensive, but its a harbinger showing that there will be more such attacks in the future.

But Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russias private military force Wagner that has spearheaded Moscows battle for Bakhmut, claimed Kyivs counteroffensive was in full swing, with Ukrainian forces advancing on the flanks around the city.

Unfortunately, in some areas theyre doing it successfully, Prigozhin said.

The Kremlins forces are deeply entrenched in eastern Ukraine with layered defensive lines reportedly up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) deep. Kyivs counteroffensive would likely face minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles.

Russia is acting slow in Ukraine because it wants to preserve infrastructure and save lives there, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with the Bosnian Serb channel ATV on Wednesday night.

Moscow has repeatedly explained its lack of advances on the battlefield as an effort to protect civilians, but those claims have been proven false, with frequent attacks on civilian buildings.

Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on reducing the war to a so-called frozen conflict, with neither side able to dislodge the other, according to the BBC. He ruled out surrendering territory to Russia in return for a peace deal.

Military analysts have warned that Putin is hoping that the Wests costly support for Kyiv will begin to fray.

Ukraines Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euros ($70 billion) in military aid, and with no peace talks on the horizon, the alliance is gearing up to send more.

European Union Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said delaying a counteroffensive was a sign that the West must step up its military support for Ukraine.

Certainly, they need more preparation, Borrell said at a defense and security conference in Brussels. They need more arms. They need to gather more capacity, and it is us who have to provide for that.

A senior NATO official said that in the coming months, Ukraine will have the edge in quality but Russia has the upper hand in quantity.

The Russians are now starting to use very old materiel, very old capabilities, Adm. Bob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, told reporters late Wednesday in Brussels.

The Russians will have to focus on quantity, he said. Larger number of conscripts and mobilized people. Not well-trained. Older materiel, but large numbers, and not as precise, not as good as the newer ones.

Over the winter, the conflict became bogged down in a war of attrition, with both sides relying heavily on bombarding each others positions.

A counteroffensive is a major challenge, requiring the Ukrainian military to orchestrate a wide range of capabilities, including providing ammunition, food, medical supplies and spare parts, strung along potentially extended supply lines. The front line extends more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles).

The Kremlin wants Kyiv to acknowledge Russian sovereignty over Crimea and to recognize Septembers illegal annexation of the provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.

Ukraine has rejected the demands and ruled out any talks with Russia until its troops withdraw from all occupied territories.

Russias latest long-range barrages killed at least six civilians and wounded 13 others, Ukraines presidential office said.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

Generally cloudy. High 57F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 58F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds light and variable.
A federal jury found former president Donald Trump guilty of defamation Tuesday in a case related to the multiple sexual abuse allegations that have haunted him for years. Trump  who intends to return to the White House in 2024  has thus becomes the first candidate for president (still only self-declared, he must first win the Republican presidential primary) who has been sentenced in court. In April, Trump also became the first sitting or former president to be indicted, when he was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records over his involvement in hush money paid to a porn star so that she would keep quiet about an alleged affair. Whats more, Trump is the first president to have faced two impeachment votes in the House of Representatives. And he is now under investigation for tax offenses, for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, and for his role in the self-coup attempt that was the January 6 assault on the Capitol.

The case in question arose in 2019, when the writer E. Jean Carroll claimed that 25 years earlier, the then-television presenter and real estate magnate raped her in the fitting rooms of a New York department store. Trump responded by saying the allegations were made up. Shes not my type was his argument. The dispute led to a civil trial (the statute of limitations had passed for a criminal case), in which the jury ruled that Carrolls account was credible and that Trump was guilty of defaming her by accusing her of fabrication. The conviction sets a valuable precedent. Up to 16 women have accused Trump of sexual abuse. Carroll was the second to accuse him of rape. His first wife, Ivana Trump  who passed away last year  also accused him of raping her during their marriage, although she later retracted the allegation. On March 30  when it was announced that Trump would be indicted for hush money paid during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence Stormy Daniels  the aura of impunity surrounding the former president finally broke. This second legal blow is going to cost Trump $5 million in damages to Carroll.

The sordidness of the two cases that have reached the courts so far is just one example of the corrosive impact that Trumps entry into politics has had on U.S. institutions. But Tuesdays verdict was more about restoring the dignity of the women whom he has publicly humiliated, rather than addressing the true nature of the institutional damage. The collective victim of Trumps actions is U.S. democracy, and it is still awaiting justice. For that to happen, Trumps collaborators  the leaders of the Republican Party  must decide to work with U.S. institutions to bury the toxic legacy of Trumpism and put an end to it once and for all. Republicans now have an umpteenth opportunity to react, before voters from the partys anti-establishment minority faction once again choose a convicted man as their leader.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Quside/ICFOs ultra-fast and ultra-pure random number quantum generator used in the experiment. Quside/ICFO

Physicist James Trefil once said that quantum mechanics is a place where the human brain will simply never feel comfortable. This discomfort happens because nature, at a microscopic scale, obeys laws at odds with our perception of macroscopic reality. These laws include superposition (a particle can simultaneously be in different states, like Erwin Schrodingers live and dead cat), and quantum entanglement at a distance. Albert Einstein described the latter as spooky action at a distance, a principle allowing particles separated by distance to respond instantaneously and behave as a single system. A spectacular experiment that defies the speed of light was recently published in Nature by an international team of scientists led by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, collaborating with Spains Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) and Quside, a quantum computing company. The study demonstrated for the first time super quick quantum random number generators that enable spooky action at a distance between superconducting quantum bits.

This experiments results contradict Einstein, who once considered quantum entanglement impossible. The physicist believed in the principle of locality, which states that an object is influenced directly only by its immediate surroundings. But advances in quantum physics have shown that two entangled particles can share a single unified state, even if they are 30 meters apart, as in the Zurich experiment.

Einstein could not accept that an action in one place could have an instantaneous effect elsewhere. But John Bell proved in 1964 that quantum entanglement exists. Subsequent experiments with this property by John Clauser, Alain Aspect and Anton Zeilinger earned them a Nobel Prize in 2022.

A major achievement of the study published in Nature is that it experimentally demonstrated in Bell tests performed on pairs of spatially separated, entangled quantum systems that quantum physics does not follow the principle of local causality with no so-called loopholes. The absence of loopholes means everything happens exactly as predicted by quantum physics  no communication between particles.

A similar experiment was conducted a year ago by Spanish physicist Adan Cabello of the University of Seville (Spain) with ytterbium and barium ions (Science Advances). But the Nature study raised the complexity level by using two superconducting qubits entangled at temperatures close to absolute zero (-273.15C or -459.67F) and 30 meters apart.

Defying the speed of light

Simultaneous measurements of the two qubits showed synchronized responses consistent with spooky action or entanglement at a distance. To demonstrate the absence of loopholes (that the coordination of states did not come from signals sent between qubits), the scientists made random 17-nanosecond measurements, which is the time it takes light to travel five meters. A full measurement required another 62 nanoseconds, the time for light to travel 21 meters. Because the systems were 30 meters apart, communication between the two was impossible.

The new study is significant because it has practical applications beyond the theoretical proof. Morgan W. Mitchell, a professor at the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) and a co-author of the study, said, With ordinary computing, your home device communicates constantly through the internet with a server. But to do something equivalent with quantum computers, we need to communicate them somehow, but not using classical bits. We have to use quantum bits and entanglement is the most efficient way to do this.

Mitchell said, This study shows that experiments like this can be done with the same superconductors used by Google and IBM. Other experiments used systems with a single pair of particles, but ours created entanglement between many electrons at both sites. And we achieved this for the first time without loopholes.

Applications

According to Mitchell, their experiment made progress toward distributed quantum computing with multiple computers at multiple sites Its a long-term goal that were not going to achieve immediately. But this experiment demonstrated its feasibility.

Carlos Abellan an expert in photonics and Qusides co-founder and CEO, said the experiment created a spectacular and unique technology that synchronized two particles with unprecedented speed. This required generating quantum random numbers and extracting them at extraordinarily fast speeds (17 nanoseconds) to eliminate any possibility of communication between the qubits. We had to engineer new ways of generating and extracting the random numbers before the information reached the other side. We needed to double the speed of earlier systems, said Abellan. Instead of using one device for calculations, we connected eight devices in parallel, and then synchronized and combined the signals. This gave us 16 random number generators with double the speed. If we had taken 19 nanoseconds instead of 17, the experiment would have been invalidated.

The experiment proved that quantum information can be transmitted between separate superconducting circuits housed in cryogenic systems. In other words, it works with currently available quantum computing systems. But why two separate systems can behave as one is still unexplained. Its a question for the philosophers, and a very difficult one at that. You can ask 10 different physicists and youre going to get 10 different answers. Its a mystery for new generations to solve. But these experiments prove that it really exists, said Mitchell.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
A Young Man Stands Up Against the Chinese Communist Party

Zhao Yunting was imprisoned for criticizing the CCP

Zhao Yunting protests against the Chinese regimes tyranny in front of the Chinese Embassy in Helsinki, Finland, in March 2023. (Courtesy of Zhao Yunting)

Zhao Yunting, a Shanghai native, enjoys his new-found freedom in Finland, where he is not afraid to expose the Chinese regimes atrocities. His online posts criticizing Beijing and its zero-COVID policy got him imprisoned at the age of 21.

In a recent interview with the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times, Zhao talked about being persecuted by Chinese authorities.

He said, It is my ideal to stand up and openly oppose the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Convicted for Expressing Opinion

Like most Chinese teenagers, Zhao spent much time surfing the internet, which taught him to bypass the Great Firewall and access uncensored information from overseas.

In the early morning of Dec. 13, 2021, during the COVID-19 lockdowns, he shared his thoughts on Chinese social media Weibo about the opaque Chinese pandemic data, inadequate medical treatment and assistance from Beijing, and lack of human rights in China.

Three hours later, the police arrested him.

I was shocked how fast they acted; I was horrified because the internet taught me how brutal the CCP could get, Zhao said.

At the police station, he was first locked inside an iron cage and interrogated, and then he was brought to a storage room, where he was beaten and harassed.

Zhao was detained for allegedly picking quarrels and provoking trouble, a charge that the CCP uses to target dissidents and those who dont toe the Party line.

I did not violate any laws but exercised my rights entitled by the Constitution, he told the police.

Zhao was imprisoned for a month in Jiading District Detention Center, with more than 20 inmates in a cell. He did not receive any medical assistance when he was ill. And there was no hot water, even though it was a cold winter.

The police monitored Zhao after he was released in 2022. He was warned not to post any comments critical of the CCP.

It was very disgusting, he said, I only hoped for a free and a just, democratic society.

Despair Over Extreme Measures

The extreme COVID-19 lockdown was the last straw that drove Zhao to flee China.

When Shanghai started the lockdown at the end of March last year, many people had a difficult time due to food shortages and limited medical assistance.

Two months later, news of people committing suicide spread in the city.

COVID-19 testing in a locked-down neighborhood in Shanghai, China, on March 17, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

During the lockdown, the community workers would call on all residents to take COVID-19 tests.

They forced the daily nucleic acid tests. It was meaningless, he told The Epoch Times.

Zhao believed doing the tests would increase the chance of cross-infection, so he refused to take the test. But he said the police threatened and coerced him.

Zhao had nowhere to hide as the authorities monitored residents through a health QR code on their cell phones linked to personal IDs and the police station.

The oppression and harassment from the police made him leave China. In March, he applied for asylum in Finland.

Since then, he has frequently visited the Chinese Embassy in Helsinki to protest against the CCPs tyranny.

To speak out against the CCP is my pleasure, he said.

Zhao is proud to be able to speak up for those who are still trapped and oppressed in China.

He said he gained a clear understanding of the CCPs nature after learning about the many cases of abuse it concealed over the years, such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, the persecution of dissidents and Falun Gong adherents, the forced property demolitions, and the live organ harvesting among prisoners of conscience.

Zhao praised The Epoch Times and its sister media outlet NTD for reporting the truth about the CCP. I trust them, he said.

Hong Ning contributed to this report.
Smart technology can provide better and faster care for the elderly, while easing pressure on staff, according to Health Secretary Steve Barclay.

Ahead of his trip to the G-7 Summit in Nagasaki, Japan, Barclay spoke about the role of robots and AI technology in supporting patients in care homes across the UK.

Learning how other countries use smart tech in social care and applying innovative methods in Britain would help patients, suggested Barclay in an interview with The Telegraph.

I think theres a space to look at what is working in other health care systems. Do we have the humility to learn from that and see what we can adopt? There may be space to do that within robots, but it may also be particularly around AI, he said.

Looking at the examples in Japan where it may be on robotics, it may be on artificial intelligence, it may be other areas where technology is helping both to support patients in the care home, in their own home, and also avoid some of those visits to emergency departments, because once frail, elderly people are admitted to hospital, often they end up staying for a significant length of time, Barclay added.

Rapid population ageing in Japan and the shortage of caregivers boosted research in the field of robotics in elderly care. By 2018, the Japanese government had spent over $300 million in funding research and development for such devices.

AI and robotics could be part of the solution to the issue of overstretched hospitals and understaffed care homes.

An attendee shakes hands with a robotic arm during the Japan Robot Week 2022 event in Tokyo on Oct. 19, 2022. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

The NHS has been dealing with a high number of A&E attendances and long waiting lists for urgent and non-urgent care during and after the pandemic. Currently, the maximum waiting time for non-urgent, consultant-led treatments is 18 weeks.

Barclay admitted that one of the key challenges within the UK is frail, elderly patients admitted to emergency departments when often care can be better delivered earlier.

When we look at the pressures that emergency departments often face, theres scope to do much more upstream in the care home, looking at what care can be given earlier, how technology can play a part with that but also for people in the home itself, the minister said.

Facing a Ticking Time Bomb

The British Medical Association (BMA) has warned that the UK could see up to 500,000 vacancies in social care by the end of 2030.

This, alongside an ageing population, means that we are effectively facing a ticking time bomb. The Government must act now to effectively remunerate and value care workers to ensure that there are enough staff to look after all those in need of social care in the future, the BMA said in 2022.

Barclay suggested robots and AI can help in better supporting patients and reducing demand on health and social care staff.

With one in seven people in the UK now expected to be over 75 years old by 2040, the government has been looking to automate elder care as the solution.

Faced with a shortage of care staff, in 2019 the government invested 34 million in the biggest research programme entirely dedicated to making autonomous systems safe and trustworthy for public use.

The investment is set to help develop robots that could help an elderly person up after a fall and raising the alarm, delivering food to an older person at mealtimes, and even ensuring they take crucial medication at the correct time.

During his visit to Japan, Barclay will stop by the Silver Wing Social Welfare Corp., a Tokyo-based nursing home operator that uses humanoid robots and AI technology to entertain and monitor its residents.
Danielle Smiths News Conference Disrupted by Activists

Protesters are escorted from the building after disrupting United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith's campaign announcement in Calgary, Alta., on May 11, 2023. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Three individuals disrupted a news conference being held as part of Alberta Premier Danielle Smiths reelection campaign, with one man storming the stage.

At a press conference at a south Calgary hotel on May 11, Pamela Rath, a UCP candidate for Calgary Mountain View, was speaking when a group of protesters started shouting, saying, among other chants, Hospitals are not for sale.

A man with a sign pushed past staffers and rushed on the stage. He then refused to leave, standing beside the podium with a sign that said, SHC, like new, modern appliances for sale.

We will not sell our arms and legs for hospitals. Hospitals should be public, the man can be heard saying.

Security escorted the premier from the room, while Rath and Rajan Sawney, a UCP candidate for Calgary North West, remained to the side of the podium. The protesters remained on the stage, while Smith waited in the adjacent room, telling staff that the press conference would resume once the disruption is finished.

The protesters eventually left the area after repeated requests by staff, after which Rath completed her speech on new affordability measures for seniors.

Smith said the protesters and the opposition party were misrepresenting the UCPs position on health care to terrify people, and reiterated her previous UCP campaign pledges that no one will ever pay out of pocket for a family doctor or for hospital services.

A protestor disrupts a UCP press conference in Calgary on May 11, 2023, in a screengrab from video. (UCP/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

In a statement issued following the press conference, the UCP alleged that two of the radical activists had been identified as a former federal NDP candidate and a labour union activist.

Elections are about ideas, not physical intimidation and violence, said Joseph Schow, UCP candidate for Cardston-Siksika. We call on the NDP and their union activists to ensure a safe and orderly campaign, so nobody gets hurt.

The NDP issued a statement following the disruption on May 11. Elections are about talking to voters. What happened today during a press conference with Danielle Smith was unacceptable and we strongly condemn the actions taken by the protesters involved, said the party.

Health Care

The UCP and NDP have been campaigning on their health care policies as the province deals with issues of timely availability of care.

The NDP released a video on March 10 showing Smith speaking of ideas to reform the health care system at a conference in October 2021, before she was leader of the UCP. Sharing the video, NDP Leader Rachel Notley said Smith wanted to sell off our hospitals.

The video in question is a small clip from Smiths one-hour thirty-minute speech at a FreedomTalk conference, which discussed among other things the various metrics Alberta Health Services (AHS), is supposed to meet and report publicly as a result of being contracted by the province to deliver health services.

Under the Canada Health Act, Canadians cannot be charged for medically necessary services that are provided by a doctor or in a hospital. However, governments can contract with private corporations or nonprofit entities to deliver health care.

Smith suggested that if AHS were to fail to meet metrics or underperform, a request for proposal could go out for the province to consider contracting a different group of doctors or entity to manage and operate publicly funded hospitals that would remain government-funded. Smith also suggested a provincial agency could serve as an auditor to determine if services were being provided adequately by AHS.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
ANALYSIS: Chinese Diplomats Expulsion by Ottawa a Rare Move, Despite Reports of Rampant Interference

Ottawas recent expulsion of a Chinese diplomat for threatening the family of a Canadian MP is a rare move in recent years, despite intelligence reports of Chinese diplomats blatantly interfering in Canadas elections and key institutions and bluntly insulting or threatening Canadians.

Amid opposition parties calls for action to address threats to the Hong Kong-based family of Conservative MP Michael Chong, the Liberal government on May 8 declared Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei persona non grata, a move that Beijing reciprocated a day later by expelling a Canadian diplomat.

Zhao had reportedly targeted Chong because the MP had sponsored a parliamentary motion in 2021 to declare Chinas treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities a genocide.

Although the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) had produced reports on this matter at the time, there are conflicting claims by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his past and current national security advisers, and CSIS itself as to whether the information was shared through the right channels to reach the PM. Whats known is that the government took action once the issue was reported by media and later confirmed by CSIS.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said in March that the government had denied a visa to a representative of the Chinese regime last fall because the person was a political operative. She said at the time that its easier to prevent entry than to later expel a diplomat.

The last time Canada expelled a Chinese diplomat was in 2006, when the federal government sent Wang Pengfei home for harassing the Chinese community in Canada. The Epoch Times, which broke the story at the time, reported that Wang had been collecting information on Falun Gong adherents in Canada and inciting Chinese international students to help him in the efforts against the group, which is heavily persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

That was in the early days of the Conservative government of Stephen Harper, who had been hawkish on the China file. At the time, China was on its way to becoming an emerging power, enriching its coffers after the West allowed it to become a member of the World Trade Organization and setting up huge trade deficits for flight of capital to China.

As the regime became richer and more aggressive on the world stage, its influence activities in Canada and the targeting of the diaspora became more blatant a decade later. But the expulsions of diplomats didnt keep pace.

Conservative member of Parliament Michael Chong speaks to reporters on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 3, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

Liberal MPs on May 8 voted against a motion sponsored by Conservative MP Michael Cooper that in part asked for the expulsion of all Chinese diplomats responsible for intimidation tactics against Chinese Canadians. The non-binding motion passed with the support of all opposition parties. The resolution also calls for the creation of a foreign agent registry similar to the one in the United States and Australia, a public inquiry into election interference, and the closure of Chinese police stations in Canada.

As of March 2023, there were 138 Chinese diplomats in Canada, second only to the number of diplomats from the United States, Canadas closest ally and neighbour to the south, with 169 representatives. As comparison, the UK has 33 diplomats stationed in Canada.

Interference

After reports emerged of secret police stations operating in Canada, Conservatives MP Raquel Dancho asked officials if anyone had been arrested or had their diplomatic credentials removed, to which government officials responded no.

A Feb. 17 Globe and Mail article, citing CSIS documents and national security officials, said Chinas then-consul general in Vancouver Tong Xiaoling had bragged in 2021 that she helped defeat two MPs representing the Conservative Party in the 2021 election. The article added that Chinese diplomats had said they wanted the Liberals to win, as they saw the party more favourable to the regimes interests. It added that Beijing had instructed its diplomats to propagate the idea that, if elected, the Conservatives would ban Chinese international students from universities in Canada.

Another Globe article, published Feb. 28, said a Chinese diplomat in 2014 had asked a CCP-linked businessman to donate a large sum of money to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation after Justin Trudeau became leader of the Liberal Party in 2013, adding that the Chinese regime would reimburse the sum to the businessman.

A November 2022 Global News article citing intelligence sources said the CCP had funded at least 11 candidates in the 2019 federal election and placed agents in MPs offices to influence policy-making. The article added that the Chinese Consulate in Toronto directed an election-campaign staff member to monitor candidates meetings and to prevent engagements with representatives of Taiwan.

China watchers and the Opposition have been asking the Liberal government if any Chinese diplomats will be expelled given the extent of Beijings interference in Canada.

The Chinese Consulate in Vancouver in a file photo. (Melodie Von/NTD)

We must be prepared to expel Chinese diplomats involved in interference or harassment, Canadas former envoy to China David Mulroney told the Commons Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Jan. 7. Our failure to do so only encourages increasingly brazen meddling. This will trigger retaliation, but we must make it clear that expulsion is the inevitable consequence of such hostile behaviour.

Canadas most recent prior case of sending a foreign diplomat home goes back to 2018, when it expelled or rejected the credentials of seven Russian representatives in solidarity with the United Kingdom. This followed Russian agents having used nerve agent attacks against a political dissident in the UK.

Threats

After Canada declared the Chinese diplomat involved in the threat to MP Chongs family persona non grata, China warned on May 8 that it will take resolute countermeasures and all consequences arising therefrom shall be borne by the Canadian side. This was followed by the expulsion of a Canadian diplomat the next day.

China warned Canada of serious consequences in December 2018 when Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on an extradition request from the United States. Shortly thereafter, China arbitrarily detained two Canadian citizens and held them in confinement for over 1,000 days. It also escalated the penalty given to several Canadians being held on drug charges to the death sentence, and dealt a major blow to the export sector by blocking imports of key agricultural products from Canada into China.

Throughout this episode, Ottawa didnt limit any of Chinas diplomatic operations in Canada. This was while China limited consular access to Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor who were detained in China in retaliation for Mengs arrest.

In 2020, then-Conservative leader Erin OToole asked the Liberal government to withdraw the credentials of Chinese Ambassador Cong Peiwu if he doesnt publicly apologize because of his threat against Canadians in Hong Kong.

A man holds a sign with photographs of Canadian citizen Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor during rally in support of Hong Kong democracy in Vancouver on Aug. 16, 2020. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

Cong had said that if Canada cares about the good health and safety of those 300,000 Canadian passport holders in Hong Kong and the large number of Canadian companies operating in Hong Kong, it should keep quiet and not support the protesters in Hong Kong against Beijings suppression.

A year before, when then-foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland issued a joint statement with European Union officials on the protests in Hong Kong, Chinese officials singled her out by name, without mentioning the European officials, condemning her for the statement.

A Chinese diplomat in Brazil in 2021 called Canada a running dog of the US, referring to Trudeau as a boy.

Among many retaliatory threats by Cong against Canada during his tenure, one was his promise of countermeasures after two Conservative senators introduced a motion to sanction Chinese officials for rights violations under the Magnitsky Law. Leo Housakos, one of the senators behind the motion, said Canada shouldnt be tolerating threats from the Chinese regime.

Nothing is more egregious than the Chinese ambassador threatening the Canadian government, he told The Epoch Times at the time.

Congs predecessor, Lu Shaye, called Canada and its allies white supremacists for demanding the release of Kovrig and Spavor.

Ottawa has so far used its Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, also known as the Magnitsky Law, to sanction individuals in Russia, Sudan, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia for human rights violations. The law has not been used to sanction Chinese officials since its adoption in 2017.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
ANALYSIS: House Investigators Zero In on Biden Deals With Chinese, Romanian Players as White House Decries Baseless Claims

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) (C) and other Republican members of the committee hold a news conference to present preliminary findings into their investigation into President Joe Biden's family on May 10, 2023, in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer is floating evidence-free innuendo, and making absurd attacks on the president and his family to try to score political points, according to Ian Sams, the designated White House spokesman in the growing scandal on the millions of dollars flowing from foreign entities to President Joe Biden and nearly a dozen members of his family since 2008.

In a statement emailed to journalists by the White House more than two hours before the Kentucky Republicans May 10 news conference, Sams argued that Comer was continuing a long pattern of making absurd claims that President Biden has made governing decisions not in the interest of America, but of the Chinese Communist Party, using baseless claims, personal attacks, and innuendo to try to score political points.

Oddly, he has been promisingthen failing to deliverthis press conference for weeks, raising questions about his shoot-first, figure-it-out-later approach to what is clearly an evidence-free, politically-motivated investigation.

The White House heading on the Sams statement declared that James Comers Absurd Innuendo Ignores Reality.

But in fact the 36-page, single-spaced, deeply footnoted memorandum made public by Comer is based on dozens of government documents, personal emails, corporate bank records and highly detailed accounts of the wheeling and dealing that enabled Joe Biden to become a multi-millionaire while working on the federal payroll in Congress and the White House.

A Blizzard of Facts

The Comer memorandum focuses in particular on business deals with foreign entities in Romania and China, noting a May 21, 2014, speech by then Vice President Joe Biden to Romanias prime minister, judges, prosecutors and legislative leaders.

Corruption is a cancer, a cancer that eats away at a citizens faith in democracy, diminishes the instinct for innovation and creativity; already-tight national budgets, crowding out important national investments.

It wastes the talent of entire generations. It scares away investments and jobs. And most importantly it denies the people their dignity.

It saps the collective strength and resolve of a nation. Corruption is just another form of tyranny, Joe Biden told the Romanians.

In September 2014, Joe Biden met in the White House with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who told reporters the vice president voiced satisfaction over Romanias progress with the fight against corruption.

At the same time, according to the memorandum, Biden associates were doing lucrative deals with Romanian entrepreneur Gabriel Popoviciu even as he was at the center of one of the most high-profile corruption prosecutions in that country.

Within five weeks of this meeting [with Iohannis], Bladon Enterprises Limited began making deposits into Robinson Walker LLCs bank account. Bladon Enterprises is reported to be Gabriel Popovicius Cypriot company that he has used to conduct business in Romania, the memorandum said.

The deposits totaled in excess of $3 million. Rob Walker is a long-time business partner of Joe Bidens son, Hunter.

Bidens Romanian Benefactors

Biden family accounts received approximately $1.038 million from the Robinson Walker LLC account after Bladon Enterprises deposits. Sixteen of the seventeen payments from Bladon Enterprises to Robinson Walker LLC were made while Joe Biden was vice president, the memorandum said.

Among the recipients of the Bladon Enterprise money were Hunter Biden, Hallie Biden and what the memorandum described as an unknown Biden account. Hallie Biden is the wife of Beau Biden, Joe Bidens oldest son, who was Attorney General of Delaware when he died of cancer in 2015.

The [oversight and accountability] committee is further concerned that while Vice President Biden advocated publicly for anti-corruption measures in Romania, bank records show Biden family members and business associates were simultaneously reaping in significant amounts of money from a Romanian individual at the center of a Romanian corruption scandal, the memorandum said.

Chinese Communist Partys leader Xi Jinping (2L) attends a meeting with Gabons President Ali Bongo Ondimba at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 19, 2023. (Ken Ishii/AFP via Getty Images)

Copies of five of the Bladon Enterprises wire transfers to Robinson Walker LLC are reproduced in the memorandum, which also includes three detailed charts showing the dates, originating account, beneficiary account, and amounts involved in the 17 total transfers.

Regarding Biden links with Chinese entities, the memorandum focused on the $3 million deal that resulted in payments originating with State Energy HK to Biden family members in March 2017, as well as two Chinese individuals, Ye Jianming and Gongwen Dongas context for the committees concerns about this particular Chinese business ventures potential threats to American national security.

The memorandum cited emails it obtained that showed Hunter Biden formed a partnership with Ye through the Bidens CEFC Infrastructure Investment (US) LLC.

Ye ran CEFC (China) and was previously deputy secretary general of the China Association for International Friendly Contact (CAIFC), which the Financial Times described as an international outreach arm for the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and, according to a U.S. government commission, a platform for deploying undercover intelligence gatherers.

$44 Billion Empire

Yes business empire was valued at an estimated $44 billion by the mid-2010s, according to sources cited by the memorandum, and was working with the Chinese governments Belt and Road Initiative used by Beijing to serve its national interests and extend its influence worldwide.

The memorandum cited a CNN report that the world-traveling Ye and his company were aligned so closely with the Chinese government that it was often hard to distinguish between the two.

But Ye apparently fell out of Chinese President Xi Jinpings graces in 2018 and his current whereabouts are unknown.

The committee is investigating the corrupt conduct of Yeand others with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)who used CEFC and Chinese companies to entice Biden family members with millions of dollars in exchange for influence and legitimacy in the United States and abroad, the memorandum stated.

Dong was Yes chief representative in the United States. He purchased a $50.15 million home in New York Citys Central Park in 2017 and a Park Avenue apartment valued at $33 million.

Bank Records Show Transfers

Bank records indicate Ye Jianming transferred over $130 million to entities controlled by Dong from June through August 2017 alone, the memorandum said.

In August 2017 [approximately two months after the first Ye transfer to Dong], Dong and Hunter Biden [through Owasco P.C.] established a companyHudson West III LLC.

Dong and Hunter Biden were each 50 percent owners of Hudson West III.

Bank records show between Aug. 2Aug. 17 and October 2018, Hudson West III sent more than $4 million to Hunter Biden-related companies and more than $75,000 to James Biden-related companies.

James Biden is one of the presidents brothers.

When Ye Jianming was detained in 2018, Hunter Biden claimed in an email the memorandum claimed was verified by the Washington Post that I am not in a [joint venture] with CEFC. I am not partners with CEFC. I am not employed nor funded by CEFC.

Of Hunter Bidens disavowal of his relationship with Ye and CEFC, the memorandum observed: This statement was false  the committee has obtained a $100,000 wire directly from one of CEFCs subsidiaries to Hunter Bidens professional corporation in August 2017.

As the committee shows, Hunter Biden [and other Biden family members] were in fact funded by CEFC [and other foreign sources].
ANALYSIS: Public Funding Erodes Ideological Freedom, Say Ontario Catholic School Stakeholders

Grade 11 student Josh Alexander is arrested outside St. Joseph's Catholic High School in Renfrew, Ont., on Feb. 6, 2023, for disregarding the terms of a school suspension due to his protest against the school's transgender bathroom policy. (Chris Dacey)

News Analysis

Public funding means the government, not the church or the faith, pulls the ideological strings in Ontarios Catholic school system, some stakeholders say. And this particularly affects how the schools handle matters of gender and sexuality.

Its a cautionary tale to any institution assured it will remain independent when accepting government funding, says Jake Zwart, executive director of the Ontario Christian Home Educators Connection.

Initially there wont be any strings, Zwart told The Epoch Times. But after some years, when youre already reliant on the funding, he said, the conversation will turn to, It is, after all, government money, so we can tell you what you have to do with the government money.

He added, Even though its your money because they taxed you, thats not the perception.

Zwart has watched Ontarios education system closely for decades, even as he chose to homeschool his four boys, and seen this play out.

The tension between traditional faith and modern approaches to gender and sexuality has erupted in Catholic school boards across the province recently. In some cases, police have even been called to board meetings.

The conflict came to the fore in recent months with the case of Josh Alexander, a Grade 11 student who was barred from St. Josephs Catholic High School in Renfrew for the rest of the school year for insisting on expressing his belief that God created only two genders.

The school said his views were harmful to transgender students. He was arrested on Feb. 6 after he disregarded the terms of a suspension set by the school, believing it to be discriminatory.

Alexander, 17, told The Epoch Times he believes Catholic schools have to push even harder to be noticed and almost get a higher social credit score than the public board, because they rely totally on the funding, and theyre afraid of losing it.

Another contentious issue is whether Catholic schools should raise or display the pride flag.

The York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) is currently deciding whether to fly the Progress Pride flag for Pride month in June. The board has strongly stood behind the LGBTQ community in its recent public statements, but spokesperson Mark Brosens told The Epoch Times via email that parents against flying the flag are still welcome to voice their opposition in a respectful manner.

Reactions to such conflicts by the provinces minister of education, church leaders, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission reveal the tenuous hold Catholics maintain on their publicly funded Catholic schools.

The right to a publicly funded Catholic school system was written into Canadas Constitution at the time of Confederation in 1867. It was key in uniting the French Catholic half of the budding nation with the English Protestant half.

This right protects elementary schools, but high schools were created later and Ontario only began fully funding Catholic high schools in 1985 under the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Bill Davis. At the time, there was a major debate within the Catholic community as to whether the government funding would eventually come with more strings attached.

The Churchs Stance

In a March interview with Argentine newspaper La Nacion, Pope Francis said that gender ideology is dangerous. At a meeting with bishops in 2016, he also spoke out against teaching children they can choose their gender, according to a translation by the Catholic News Agency.

The Archdiocese of Toronto declared in 2019 that the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) was right to resist a Ministry of Education policy that sought to include gender identity protections in the codes of conduct for all Ontario school boards.

We do not accept the view of the human person which underlies this terminology, since that view is not compatible with our faith, the Archdiocese said. It said the board had correctly exercised its right to religious freedom which is referenced in the Ontario Human Rights Code.

This Archdiocese statement was presented as evidence in ongoing disciplinary hearings against TCDSB trustee Mike Del Grande, who is accused of making LGBTQ students feel unsafe.

He is being investigated as a teacher, rather than as a trustee, by the Ontario College of Teachers, and the allegation is that he inappropriately expressed his opposition to adding gender identity wording into the boards code of conduct.

Del Grandes fellow trustee Markus de Domenico testified at a disciplinary hearing on April 11 that he thinks Catholic schools should favour inclusion over directions from the church.

The Archdiocese declined to comment further when The Epoch Times reached out for an interview. The Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario also declined to be interviewed.

Ontarios bishops have expressed support for the faith-based Fully Alive program of sex education in Catholic schools despite it having come under heavy criticism by some groups. Critics say it excludes LGBTQ people because it emphasizes that heterosexual marriage is the only sacramentally approved context for sexual relationships.

A source familiar with the inner workings of the Catholic system in Ontario, who asked not to be named as he is not authorized to discuss these matters publicly, described how the schools have become increasingly secular.

The local bishop may be consulted on matters of faith in the schools, he said, but usually when secular views clash with the faith, the secular view wins because the governmenta secular entityprovides the funding.

While Catholic elementary schools require that the child, or at least one parent, be baptized, Catholic high schools are open to anyone. This is where it becomes difficult to maintain the Catholicity of the school, he said. Yet many non-Catholics send their children to Catholic schools precisely because of the good environment created by the faith, he said.

Flag

Education Minister Stephen Lecce met with Torontos new Archbishop, Francis Leo, in April and reaffirmed his unshakeable commitment to protecting Catholic education in Ontario, he said on Instagram. His office did not respond to an Epoch Times inquiry as to how far Catholic independence will go, whether for example, Lecce could force a Catholic board to fly a pride flag.

In response to the YCDSB flag controversy in his own riding, Lecce told reporters in Burlington on May 1 that flying the flag is something thats done to send a signal of respect and inclusion, and I would welcome that in publicly funded schools.

He said he would not, however, intervene in the boards decision.

In 2021, Haltons Catholic board faced similar backlash for resisting the flag. Then-Ontario human rights commissioner Ena Chadha wrote an open letter to the board saying in no uncertain terms that the board should fly the flag, and that it may be found guilty of discrimination if it doesnt.

The Pope, Torontos Archdiocese, and Ontarios bishops have all expressed concern about schools affirming LGBTQ identities. The Progress Pride flag in particular has colours that represent the transgender community, above and beyond the rainbow flag which represents only homosexuals.
ANALYSIS: Trump Disrupts Russia-Ukraine Narrative with Human Cost Argument

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a CNN Town Hall at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., on May 10, 2023, in a still from video. (CNN/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

News Analysis

Ending the war in Ukraine is more important than determining who won, according to former President Donald Trump, who promised, if elected, to quickly settle the conflict by pressuring both sides to end hostilities.

If Im president, I will have that War settled in one day24 hours, Trump said during a May 10 town hall in New Hampshire hosted by CNN.

How would you settle that war in one day? asked the moderator, Kaitlan Collins.

He said he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

They both have weaknesses and they both have strengths and within 24 hours that war will be settled. Itll be over. Itll be absolutely over.

Do you want Ukraine to win this war? Collins asked.

I dont think in terms of winning and losing, Trump responded. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people and breaking down this country [of Ukraine].

Trumps take contrasts with much of the political establishment, which has been locked in the dichotomy of the conflict.

Trumps position didnt directly affirm or contradict the dichotomy, but rather replaced it with a paradigm centered on the lives of ordinary Ukrainians and Russians, none of whom started or perhaps desired the war.

The audience, comprised of New Hampshires Republican and undeclared primary voters, cheered and applauded.

Collins interrupted Trump, declaring that she wanted to ask a follow-up question. Yet when Trump acquiesced, she didnt follow up on his answer. Instead, she reverted back to the establishment paradigm and repeated the same question: Can you say if you want Ukraine or Russia to win this war?

I want everybody to stop dying, Trump said. Theyre dyingRussians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying.

Trump reinforced the same point earlier in the conversation as he reiterated his argument that, had he been in the White House, Putin would not have invaded Ukraine.

All those dead people both Russian and Ukrainian, they wouldnt be dead today, and all those cities that have blown up and disintegrated right to the groundthat wouldnt have happened.

He elaborated further, when Collins asked if he considers Putin a war criminal.

I think its something that should not be discussed now, he said. It should be discussed later.

He explained: If you say hes a war criminal, its going to be a lot tougher to make a deal to get this thing stopped. Because if hes going to be a war criminal where people are going to go and grab him and execute him, hes going to fight a lot harder than hes fighting, you know, under the other circumstance. Thats something to be discussed at a later date. Right now, we want to get that war settled.

In the end, Collins was unable to have Trump commit to a position.

Global Impact

The Ukraine conflict has had a global impact. Beyond the direct loss of life, which Trump said has been underestimated, the war has affected trade in grains and fertilizer, of which Russia and Ukraine are significant exporters. It has also pushed up oil prices in the West, while discounting Russian oil for countries that still import it, particularly China.

The United States and the European Union have committed so much in terms of financial and military resources to the conflict, its affected their own readiness to face other adversaries, especially China, which has been flirting with the notion of invading Taiwan.

Trump touched upon these issues from two angles.

First, he said, were giving away so much equipment [to Ukraine] we dont have ammunition for ourselves.

Then he criticized the EU for committing to Ukraine a fraction of the support the United States has agreed to.

I want Europe to put up more money because theyre laughing at us, he said. They think were a bunch of jerks. Were spending $170 billion for a faraway land and theyre right next door to that land and theyre in for [$20 billion]. I dont think so.

Foreign Policy Bona Fides

While Trump didnt detail his plan for dissolving the Ukraine conflict, he outlined a directionprioritizing human lives over declaring winners and losers.

If simply ceasing hostilities is the end goal, the United States has leverage over both Ukraine and Russia. Without U.S. financial and military support, Ukraine likely couldnt continue to fight.

On the Russian side, Trumps push to have the EU commit substantially more money to the war could represent a bargaining chip with Putin.

His apparent willingness to talk to Putin further indicates that Trump would be willing to accept him as a party to the settlement.

Though Trumps tone toward Putin appears to have soured, he stopped short of calling for him to be removed.

Putin made a bad mistake, in my opinion, he said during the town hall.

What was his mistake? Collins asked.

His mistake was going in, he responded. He would have never gone in if I was president. We used to talk about it.

Trump also has a list of foreign policy accomplishments to point to.

North Korea was so belligerent at the onset of his term, President Barack Obama reportedly called it the most urgent problem Trump would face during their private talk.

Trump first escalated the situation, exchanging a barrage of taunts and threats with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He then opened negotiations and de-escalated the situation to the point where it virtually ceased to be a matter of national concern by the end of his term. Famously, he was the first President to step foot into the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.

In another major accomplishment, his administration negotiated the Abraham Accords, agreements that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations. Such a feat was previously generally dismissed as unfeasible by the foreign policy establishment.

On the Russian front, Putin made few inroads in the Eastern Ukraine conflict during Trumps four yearsa fact Trump cited many times to back his claim that Putin would not have invaded Ukraine on his watch.

A significant factor, Trump managed to keep oil prices within modest levels for most of his presidency, depriving Russia of a major revenue boost.
ANALYSIS: Xi Tightens Propaganda Messaging Over Party Image Concerns

Newly-added censorship targets are discrediting the Partys image and policies

Chinese Communist Partys leader Xi Jinping (2nd L) attends a meeting with Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 19, 2023. (Ken Ishii/AFP via Getty Images)

Top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping told a political education meeting to be aware of two forms affecting the Partys image that he described as low-level red and high-level black.

When talking about strengthening the propaganda and guidance of Xi Thought at a political education meeting on April 3, he stressed the need to guide official coverage and public opinion to prevent low-level red and high-level black, reported state media Qiushi on April 30.

Low-level red, as per official definitions given by the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committees propaganda department in September 2022, intends to praise the CCP while fabricating exaggerated or extreme stories cheaply and vulgarly, resulting in the opposite effect.

High-level black is the use of explicitly positive and implicitly derogatory approaches to attack and denigrate the CCP in a carefully projected but unobtrusive manner.

Whether its low-level red or high-level black, it will damage the Partys cause, affecting the Partys image, the propaganda agency said.

Low-level red and high-level black first became targets of Communist Party censorship in 2019, with a crucial document released by the Central Committee on Jan. 31 that year requiring Party members to safeguard firmly Xis core position in the Party and centralized and unified leadership of the Central Committee, not to engage in any form of low-level red or high-level black, and not to be double-faced or feigning loyalty to the Central Committee.

Blood red has long been a color idolized by the CCP, and it has been used in all the communist regimes emblematic badges and flags, indicating complete political correctness, while black is the opposite of red correctness, or even what the CCP deems as anti-Party with ill-intention.

Although Xi has already been the so-called one above all in China for years, many people who support him and flatter him on the surface are not doing so out of sincerity, Li Yuanhua, a former professor at Capital Normal University, told The Epoch Times on May 3.

The praise or exaltation of him [Xi] instead served more or less to mock him, and this he knew, Li Yuanhua said.

An outdoor screen shows live news coverage of Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the National Peoples Congress (NPC) opening session at the Great Hall of the People, along a street in Beijing, on March 5, 2023. (Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images)

Clumsy Cases of Self-Glorification

The propaganda agency in Zhejiang Province cited several cases analyzing how low-level red and high-level black operate in official reports. The agency said the two forms often appear in public articles covering significant events and sensitive moments in the CCP. They can also be combined.

Among the examples given by the agency were official reports about a deputy mayor finally ate the moon cake with money from his own pocket to tout the Party members integrity. Another was on a poverty-alleviation cadre married a poor woman to highlight the cadres dedication, and one about a couple copying the Party chapter on their wedding night to paint peoples love for the Party.

The agency said these clumsy cases of self-glorification are criticized and teased by the masses. They can be described as inferior red loyalty to the CCP, while high-profile blackening the image of the CCP, said the agency.

Li Yanming, a U.S.-based political commentator, said the emergence of these two forms is due to Xis pivot to the Maoist left.

Its a return to the Cultural Revolution to prolong the Partys life and centralize power, Li Yanming said.

Officials at all levels pander to the left and fawn on Xi, resulting in low-level red to prevail in the CCPs officialdom, he said.

Chinese Paramilitary police officers stand guard below a portrait of the late leader Mao Zedong in front of the Forbidden City at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, on June 4, 2014. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

But many officials are also dissatisfied with the top, especially the remnants of Xis political opponents, who abuse their power, intensify social conflicts, manipulate public opinion, and carry out anti-Xi activities such as high-level black, said Li Yanming.

Excuse for Purge

Li Yuanhua stated that its not only Xi who is not confident of his position but all officials in China from top to bottom, as they wield power not through elections but through nepotism.

No matter how high their positions are, they doubt everything and dont trust the people around them, he said.

In addition, each member of the Communist Party, no matter which faction, is in a state of self-preservation, and competition and rivalry between them are inevitable. Therefore, they often use various excuses to attack their opponents, which is the CCPs usual practice, Li Yuanhua added.

Low-level red and high-level black are among those excuses for internal infightings between various Party factions in this period.

Meanwhile, Li Yanming said that Xi was deeply trapped in the internal and external woes of the communist regime and is looking to weed out his potential enemies by identifying them as low-level red and high-level black.

But along with the Partys relentless political purges, the low-level red and high-level black will be difficult to eradicate, and the purges will only escalate. This is also one of the typical features of the CCPs doomsday crisis, said Li Yanming.

Kane Zhang contributed to this report.
Tequila, lime, and orange liqueur make a splendidly simple, dangerously easy-drinking iconthat everyone wants to take credit for

I remember my first margarita outside the United States: Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in 1993 while awaiting a ferry to Cozumel. It was a two-for-one deal, so I ordered twoone for me and one for my travel buddy, Dave. And, probably predictably, we ended up with four drinks. Small drinks, I thought, chilled but with a couple of ice cubes; not an icy slushie. Down they went. Then down we went, missing the next two ferries and rushing to make the last of the day.

Life lesson: The potency of a classic margarita is not to be trifled with. The sweet-sour balance of lime and orange liqueur masks the burn of the booze, and on a hot day, well, you may just miss your ferry!

Start with a 100 percent agave blanco tequila, which is clear, typically unaged, and has a strong agave flavor.(Evgeny Karandaev/Shutterstock)

The brain-freeze-inducing slurry I expected has its charm. And in fact, the first frozen margarita machine, invented in 1971 by Dallas restaurateur Mariano Martinez, is currently enjoying its retirement in the Smithsonian.

But while the original drink was splendidly simple, its story is anything but.

Orange liqueur and lime juice add a sweet-sour balance that masks the burn of the booze.(TaniaKitura/Shutterstock)

Vernon Underwood, who worked as an early U.S. distributor for tequila brand Jose Cuervo, claimed that in 1937, he asked Los Angeles bartender Johnny Durlesser to make a cocktail to help promote his brand. However, evidence suggests that Durlesser had been making it before Underwoods suggestion. Regardless, by 1945, Jose Cuervo was advertising a margarita recipe with equal parts Cuervo, Triple Sec, and lime juice.

But Tijuana restaurant owner Carlos Danny Herrera claims he created it in 1936 for an actress who could only drink tequila due to an allergy (my eyes are rolling already), and that his recipe was based on shooting tequilasalt, shot, limebut in gentler proportions. If he were alive today, David Negrete, a hotel manager in Tehuacan, Puebla, might beg to differ, having also invented it that year.

Salt cuts the bitterness, and makes the other flavors pop. (Sheli Jensen/Shutterstock)

Alternatively, consider the daisy cocktail, which was popular in the early 20th century and is made with the hard liquor of your choicegin, whisky, brandy, rumwith lemon juice, orange liqueur, a bit of syrup, and a top-off of soda. Its in the ballpark, but why is this relevant? Because margarita is Spanish for daisy, and one origin story has an Irish barman in Tijuana accidentally grabbing tequila for a customers daisy.

Meanwhile, Sara Morales, an expert on Mexican folklore, contests that the drinks creator was the namesake owner of Berthas Bar in Taxco, Mexico, in 1930. We may never know.

Margarita

2 ounces Blanco tequila

1 ounce orange liqueur (Cointreau, Triple Sec, Curacao)

1 ounce lime juice

Lime wedge

Coarse salt

Sprinkle salt in a dish. Moisten the rim of a rocks or coupe glass with the lime wedge, then roll the rim in the salt.

Mix the ingredients in a shaker full of ice, shake well, and strain into the glass over ice.
Archival image of Raramuris in Ciudad Juarez. Mark Goebel Photo Gallery (Getty Images)

Before colonization, present-day Mexico was divided into Aridoamerica and Mesoamerica. Each region was home to people groups who specialized in different activities. In the first, the arid north, pre-Hispanic peoples were hunter-gatherers. In the second, the center and south of the country, larger civilizations were established, which survived thanks to agriculture. The border between them has been a topic of study for decades. Until now, the predominant idea, based on archaeological evidence, has been that the dividing line moved south because the groups living in Mesoamerica were forced to migrate by a dramatic change in climate, which occurred approximately a millennia ago.

However, a new study of the ancient DNA of these populations has revealed the same genetic features, before and after several centuries of mega-droughts. The discovery has opened up another option: some Mesoamerica people groups may not have been displaced, but rather adapted to new ways of life amidst the lack of water. That resistance and capacity for adaptation is notable alongside the political crisis in the Mayan civilization that later provoked large droughts, which previously had led to the collapse of ancient empires like the Hittites.

The genetic diversity of pre-Hispanic peoples shows continuity during the last 2,300 years, and it still survives in populations in Mexico today. Current indigenous groups in the country share DNA similarities with ancient inhabitants. That genetic correspondence is one of the conclusions of the study Demographic History and Genetic Structure in Pre-Hispanic Central Mexico, published today in Science, which sheds light on the demographic movements in ancient societies. A group of scientists has conducted the largest genetic study ever of peoples in ancient Mexico. The findings bring new information about Mexicos past and present.

Anthropological studies had formulated the hypothesis that some populations in Mesoamerica had migrated due to climate changes. But 27 genetic samples from different pre-Hispanic people, taken from eight archaeological sites, suggest something else. The analysis of some remains in the Sierra Gorda, located in central Mexico and the northern border of Mesoamerica, suggests that the population in that place did not migrate during the droughts between 900 and 1,300 C.E. The individuals from the Sierra Gorda before and after the drought shared more genetic material between themselves than with any other pre-Hispanic individual, the researchers say in their article.

One of the studys co-authors, Maria Avila-Arcos, from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), explains that despite the fact that the droughts may have affected other populations, its as not the case of the inhabitants of the Sierra Gorda, which remained in place. In the place that we studied, the population replacement did not happen. The continuity was clear, she says in a phone interview. The publication points out that a possible explanation for that continuity is that the favorable climate conditions in the north of the Sierra Gorda had maintained more humidity than other arid places of the northern border of Mesoamerica.

Another factor that the scientists believe could have helped the inhabitants of the Sierra Gorda survive, especially those who lived in the present-day archaeological sites of Ranas and Toluqilla, is that many of them were involved in the commerce of cinnabar, or cinnabarite, a mineral that was scared to pre-Hispanic cultures. We propose the hypothesis that cinnabar commerce and the Sierra Gorda landscape allowed the peoples of Toluquilla and Ranas to survive, despite the lack of precipitation, the document says. The researchers admit, however, that there are factors that suggest that they could have experienced a reduction in population due to climate change.

A group of Akimel O'odham ('River People') in the Sonoran Desert (now Arizona) in 1880. Graphic House (Getty Images)

The analysis, by scientists from the UNAM alongside researchers from academic institutions in Sweden, Denmark, United States, Spain, Germany and Australia, explains how the migration patterns of ancient Mexican civilizations are much more complex than expected. They note, for example, that the DNA among Mesoamerica peoples was linked, and there was genetic flow between Mesoamerican and Aridoamerican populations. Another correlation they trace is the continuity between the Pericu, who lived in the Baja California peninsula and disappeared in the 18th century, and the Pima, or Akimel Oodham, people, who currently live between Arizona, Sonora and Chihuahua.

The researchers, who used already existing genetic databases, also discovered two phantom populations, societies that had not been mapped until now. One of those genetic contributions, which the scientists have named UpopA and which they estimate was a community that separated from Native Americans 24,700 years ago, has also been found in the genome of current populations in northern Mexico, as well as the Mixe people in the south of the country. The other phantom genes (UpopA2) were identified in the Raramuri community in the Sierra Tarahumara. These lineages raise questions about how these exchanges occurred. There are more questions than answers. What it does show us is that the process of populating America was fairly complex, Avila-Arcos concludes.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Arizona County Sheriff Expecting Surge in Human Smuggling, Drug Trafficking With End of Title 42

Illegal immigrants walk across the Rio Grande to surrender to U.S. Border Patrol agents in El Paso, Texas, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, on Dec.13, 2022. (Herika Martinez/AFP via Getty Images)

FLORENCE, Ariz.A southern Arizona county sheriff said he expects illegal U.S.-Mexico border crossings, drug, and human smuggling to increase exponentially following the end of Title 42.

While there is certainly an influx of people, this has been a disaster for a while, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb said in an interview with The Epoch Times in Florence, Arizona, on May 10 amid initial field reports of more than 10,000 illegal immigrants entering the U.S. Southern border each day this week.

Its not something that just happened overnight. Its been ongoing, and its going to get worse.

Counties along Arizonas porous southern border are already experiencing unprecedented numbers of illegal crossings and migrants waiting at the Donald Trump border wall to be processed when Title 42 expires on May 11.

Illegal immigrants intercepted by Pinal County law enforcement on May 10 await being turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol. (Courtesy of Pinal County Sheriffs Office)

I expect that to increase exponentially over the next few days especially. The cartels will certainly take advantage of this.

In Yuma County, law enforcement intercepted an estimated 800 illegals, with 400 waiting along the Mexico side of the border fence to cross into the United States.

That was just this morning, Lamb said.

This week, a similar situation is happening in Texas in the states busy ports of entry, notably El Paso and Rio Grand Valley. The U.S. Border Patrol and the state National Guard anticipate a massive inflow of illegal immigrants and a humanitarian crisis to follow.

As goes Texas, so goes Arizona, Lamb told The Epoch Times.

With federal government cooperation, the migration will proceed north by car, plane, or bus to communities across the United States.

Everything that comes into Arizona will head to Phoenix at some point. That almost always goes through Pinal Countywhether its the Interstate-10.

Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in his office in Florence, Ariz., on Nov. 12, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Lately, theyve been pushing the U.S. Highway 60 to back-door us. Weve had a lot of traffic stops up there. We expect to see an increase. Whatever comes in through Yuma, Sierra Vista, Cochise County. 

We feel like were the last gauntlet to get through.

While the government claims to allow lawful immigration, Lamb said, individual border states are up against a wall of federal opposition to local action to stem the flow of illegals.

The courts have reaffirmed that border security, and immigration, are federal government issues. Ultimately, theyre affecting the state, whether it be increased crime, human smuggling, drug poisonings in our communitiesall of these are a byproduct of their failure to do their jobs.

When COVID-19 health emergency authorized Title 42 expires in less than a day, national immigration law automatically reverts to Title 8, which prohibits expelling migrants without processing.

Texas Goes It Alone

In November, Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott, a Republican, invoked invasion clauses in the U.S. and Texas Constitutions authorizing his executive order authority to address the southern border crisis.

Lamb said that while Texas appears to be taking matters into its own hands, preventing illegal entries at some points, Arizona likely wont act in the same manner, given the current Democratic administration of Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Recently, Hobbs made three separate trips to the states southern border with Mexico but has not yet committed to closing the border to illegal immigration.

I dont think Arizona will get the same response as Texas, Lamb said. I dont think our government is committed to it. She [Hobbs] recognizes it as an issue. Her treatment is more reactionary than dealing with the problem before it happens.

Open floodgates provide easy access for illegal aliens crossing into the United States from Mexico along the southern border wall fence in Douglas, Ariz., on Aug. 24. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Shes talking about expending funds for transportation, dropping these people in communities across the state. Shes talking about housing for these folks when we have homeless and veterans strugglingAmericans struggling. Were talking about giving money to [Non-Government Organizations] to house people that came to this country illegally, Lamb said.

As Pinal County sheriff, Lamb said the law restricts him to conducting search and rescue operations but does not allow apprehension and detention of illegal immigrants unless they commits a crime against the county.

Its not about stopping people from coming in. Its about saving people, transporting people, housing people, accommodating people that came into this country illegally, Lamb said.

Were in the business of law enforcement. This feels wrong.

Wrong Message to Drug Cartels

Lamb said the government is sending a clear message to the Mexican drug cartels to push illegal drug and human smuggling into higher gear.

The recent deployment of 1,500 military personnel along the southern border by the Biden Administration was misleading in that their mission was not to stop illegal immigration but to help process illegal entries, Lamb said.

Border Patrol agents pick up four illegal aliens from Mexico after local deputies intercept their smuggling vehicle, in Brackettville, Texas, on April 8, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Just because Title 42 is going away tomorrow doesnt mean theyre enforcing it today. [Border Patrol] is overwhelmed already.

Lamb said that until state and federal government officials get serious about preventing illegal immigration, were in big trouble.
Asian Countries Phasing Out COVID Curbs, Inching Closer to Normality

People with shopping bags walk across a traffic intersection towards a train station near a shopping street in the Ueno district in Tokyo on Dec. 30, 2022. (Hiro Komae/AP Photo)

Several countries in Asia have begun removing all COVID-19 curbs and treating the virus like a seasonal flu, signifying a shift into the endemic phase three years after its initial outbreak in 2020.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an end to the COVID-19 global health emergency on May 5, citing a downward trend of the deadly pandemic for more than a year.

According to the WHO, about 17,000 people died across the world from the virus in the 28 days ending on April 30, down from some 374,000 in the 28 days ending on Feb. 7, 2021.

This trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before COVID-19, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing in Geneva.

South Korea

South Korea has decided to scrap its remaining COVID-19 restrictions, including mandatory isolation and testing recommendations for all arrivals, following the WHOs announcement.

President Yoon Suk-yeol said Thursday that South Korea will lower its COVID-19 alert level from serious to alert next month. Indoor mask mandate will no longer be in place but people will still need to wear masks in hospitals with high-infection risks.

Yoon said that COVID-19 patients would no longer be mandated to undergo a seven-day quarantine period and would only be advised to self-isolate for five days, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The country had lifted its COVID-19 border restrictions and scrapped its outdoor mask-wearing rules last year.

Japan

Japan lifted its COVID-19 border measures on April 29, allowing all arrivals to enter without showing proof of vaccination or negative test results. The country also ended its mask-wearing rules in March.

The Health Ministry eliminated quarantine rules and downgraded the legal status of COVID-19 from Class 2 to Class 5 this month, resulting in the disease being treated similarly to seasonal flu.

The expert panel approved the decision to downgrade COVID-19, citing the preparedness of the countrys health care system for a resurgence.

Indonesia

Indonesia removed all COVID-19 measures last year, citing the decline in the number of new infections. President Joko Widodo advised people to wear masks in crowded places but said it was not mandatory.

Widodo said Indonesias COVID-19 situation is under control after observing improvements over the course of 10 months in 2022, allowing the country to drop the large-scale social restrictions on crowds and peoples movement.

During the pandemic, instead of imposing a nationwide lockdown, his administration applied two systems: PSBB, which refers to large-scale social restrictions, and PPKM, a tiered system to curb public mobility.

The Philippines

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved last year to scrap testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers and lift the indoor mask mandate, except in public transport and medical facilities.

Unvaccinated travelers are allowed to enter the country without quarantine but must take an antigen test 24 hours before travel or upon arrival, according to the Philippine Information Agency.

Maria Rosario Vergeire, officer-in-charge for the Health Department, said earlier this year that the country would be ready to ease its restrictions if the WHO decided to end the COVID-19 global health emergency.

The Philippines will continue to be cautious and vigilant, and we will still be imposing these same restrictions that we have right now which are not so much strict, but we have that safeguard that anytime cases will increase, we have our safeguards that we can rely on and we can impose to better protect Filipinos, she said.

Malaysia

Malaysia reopened its borders to all travelers in April 2022 but with some restrictions. The government subsequently allowed travelers to enter without showing proof of vaccination or negative test results in August 2022. The country has lifted its mask-wearing requirements, leaving it up to premise owners to decide whether or not to implement their own mask policies.

Singapore

Singapore lifted all border restrictions in February, allowing the entry of unvaccinated travelers and removing pre-departure testing requirements. According to the governments website, unvaccinated short-term visitors will no longer need to buy COVID-19 travel insurance.

However, it stated that restrictions under the Vaccinated Travel Framework will remain in place for reactivation if there are international developments of concern, such as new severe variants or signs that our healthcare capacity is strained by imported cases.

The country has also lifted its mask-wearing mandate, including in public transport.

Taiwan

Taiwan lifted all its COVID-19 entry restrictions last October. Visitors are no longer required to quarantine upon entry, or take PCR tests, but they will need to monitor their health for a week after arriving, and obtain a negative result on a rapid antigen test the day they arrive.

The self-ruled island has made mask-wearing optional both outdoors and indoors, except in health care facilities and ambulances.

China

China ended all quarantine requirements for inbound travelers in January. The regime has scrapped the cap on the number of international flights coming in and out of China and resumed outbound tourism.

Passengers queue to pass through customs after arriving at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Chinas eastern Zhejiang province on January 8, 2023. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

The Chinese communist regime, which abandoned its draconian zero-COVID policy last December, also ended mask requirements for indoor and outdoor settings, except in hospitals and nursing homes.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong lifted its vaccination requirement for all inbound travelers after China announced the removal of its zero-COVID policy. All pre-departure testing requirements have been eased, but inbound travelers must pass temperature checks upon arrival, the government stated.

The country has also scrapped its mask-wearing mandate and social distancing measures.

Thailand

Thailand announced in January that it would reinstate the requirement for foreign travelers to show proof of vaccination after China reopened its borders. But the government subsequently rescinded this due to concerns that it could affect the recovery of the countrys tourism.

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the governments expert panel had deemed the vaccination requirement unnecessary, citing sufficient immunization levels globally.

People in Thailand are no longer required to wear masks. The government has also allowed bars and pubs to operate for extended hours.

Vietnam

Vietnam scrapped quarantine and other travel restrictions for foreign visitors last year. Travelers are no longer required to take a COVID-19 test before entering the country.

Mask-wearing is no longer required in public settings. However, Vietnams capital of Hanoi stated on April 18 that mask-wearing will be mandatory in public transport and in enclosed spaces, such as restaurants and shopping malls.

Laos

The landlocked Southeast Asian nation of Laos reopened to international travelers in May last year. The country lifted its COVID-19 entry restrictions in December 2022, allowing travelers to enter without showing proof of vaccinations or negative test results.

However, COVID-19 curbs like the wearing of masks in public places are still in place.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Australian Minister Travels to China In Attempt to Resolve Barley Trade War

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell speaks during a meeting via teleconference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 6, 2023. (Lukas Coch-Pool/Getty Images)

Australian trade minister Don Farrell is heading to Beijing to meet his counterpart in the countrys latest effort to resolve the long-term trade dispute with China.

The minister departed for China on May 11 following an invitation from Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao during a virtual meeting between the two sides in February.

At the time, while Farrell and Wang discussed a wide range of trade and investment issues, there was no significant breakthrough.

The trade dispute started in 2020 when Beijing unofficially imposed restrictions on a wide range of Australian commodities after tension escalated between the two countries due to several political and public health matters.

As a result, many Australian exporting industries suffered significant financial damage, including coal, beef, lobster, cotton and timber.

Since then, Australia has been trying to resume normal trade with its largest trading partner.

Speaking about his trip to China, Farrell said it was the next step in stabilising the relationship between the two countries.

We need to show were fair dinkum about resolving these issues. How do we best do that? Well, me turning up there and accepting his invitation, he said in comments obtained by AAP.

The problems didnt occur overnight. Theyre not going to be resolved overnight. But from my point of view, persistence and perseverance are the real keys.

The minister also said he would co-chair the 16th joint ministerial economic commission with Wang.

Trade Improvements for Some Australian Commodities

Regarding recent trading activities, Farrell said some Australian commodities, such as coal, copper and cotton, had seen improvements in shipments to China.

However, he noted that there was no progress in the lobster trade.

So theres a range of issues, and theyre not all in the same category, Farrell said.

Some relate to tariffs, 220 percent punitive tariffs on wine. Meat and crayfish tend to be regulatory things and biosecurity issues.

Id like to have discussions that show a way through all of these outstanding issues so we can look forward to a resumption of trade.

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell (left) speaks to Chinas Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao during a meeting via teleconference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 6, 2023. (Lukas Coch  Pool/Getty Images)

It is expected that the trade minister will invite his Chinese counterpart to visit Australia to thaw the tension between the two countries further.

The trade discussions come after Australia suspended its World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute against Chinas barley import tariffs, which Farrell said would have seen the body rule in favour of Australia.

However, the minister said he believed that concessions could deliver a better outcome for Australia than letting the dispute progress.

That wouldnt have been the end of it. There still would have been another 18 months to two years of process, Farrell said of the dispute.

My ambition is to show goodwill and hope that is then reciprocated.

Farrells remarks came after the Australian government announced in April that it would temporarily pause the WTO dispute in exchange for Beijings promise to conduct an expedited review of the barley tariffs over the next three months.

While the move might be considered a gamble, Australia can still resume the dispute if China fails to keep its promise.

Detained Australians to Appear on Farrells Agenda

In addition to the trade issues, Farrell is also expected to raise the case of detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei with Wang Wentao.

Cheng Lei, who was a news anchor for China Global Television Network, a Chinese state-owned English-language news channel, has spent 1,000 days in detention after the Chinese regime arrested her in 2020.

She was charged with illegally supplying state secrets overseas, which the Australian government has rejected.

Chengs sentencing has been put off for another three months, while the Chinese regime has not revealed details of the charges.

During the detention period, Chinese Communist Party authorities have regularly denied Australian consulate staff contact with Cheng.

Her partner Nick Coyle said that the journalist has only had two face-to-face consular visits in the past 31 months.

Australian officials have been using diplomatic efforts to demand the Chinese regime free Cheng.

Meanwhile, Yang Hengjun, another Chinese-Australian, still remains detained in China on espionage charges after four years.

We believe these cases should be resolved, and these people returned to their families, Farrell said of the detained Australians.

Daniel Y. Teng contributed to this article.
White House Revives Trump-Era Policy, Limits Asylum Eligibility Ahead of Title 42 Expiration

Independent contractors work near a section of border fence in San Luis, Ariz., on May 4, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

The Biden administration stated on May 10 that it has rolled out a new regulation to coincide with the end of Title 42, under which many people who plan to illegally cross the southern border will be rendered ineligible for asylum.

Under the finalized rule (pdf), which essentially brings back a Trump-era travel policy, illegal immigrants will be disqualified from applying for asylum in the United States if they didnt first seek protection in countries that they traveled through on their way to the United States, with limited exceptions.

It will take effect as soon as the Title 42 public health order ends on May 11, along with the national emergency declaration over the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice, the regulation is meant to decrease human smuggling activities at the southern border by encouraging asylum-seekers to use lawful, safe, and orderly pathways, such as seeking refuge in a third country that theyve passed through.

This Administration has led the largest expansion of legal pathways for protection in decades, and this regulation will encourage migrants to seek access to those pathways instead of arriving unlawfully in the grip of smugglers at the southern border, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.

The rule was first proposed in February and has undergone a 32-day public comment period. Its finalization comes as tens of thousands of migrants are arriving at and gathering along the Mexican side of the southern border, waiting for Title 42 to expire.

The move has triggered frustration among immigration activists, who see remarkable similarities between Bidens rule and the Trump administrations 2019 third-country asylum rule.

The Biden administrations pivot back to the Trumpian policies is complete, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council, wrote on Twitter.

These new asylum restrictions mirrors [sic] in large part one of the Trump administrations harshest anti-asylum policies, the 2019 asylum transit banwhich two separate federal courts struck down as unlawful.

He pointed to court decisions that sided with the American Civil Liberties Unions (ACLU) challenge against the Trump-era rule.

The ACLU also joined the criticism over the new policy, hinting that it may sue again.

The ban closes off a pathway to safety for the majority of refugees in desperate need of it, the organization wrote on Twitter. At its core, the new rule mimics two Trump-era policies that were blocked by the courts.

Make no mistake: The fight is far from over.

Feds Surging Personnel to Border

Mayorkas says the federal government is increasing manpower at the border in anticipation of the expected influx of illegal immigrants at the May 11 expiration of Title 42.

Specifically, the administration is in the process of surging personnel to the border, including more than 1,400 DHS personnel, 1,000 processing coordinators, and an additional 1,500 Department of Defense personnel, Mayorkas said at a press conference.

All of these individuals will allow our law enforcement officers to stay in the field and focus on their critical mission, he told reporters.

Our overall approach is to build lawful pathways for people to come to the United States and to impose tougher consequences on those who choose not to use those pathways.

However, Mayorkas also warned that the operation might not go as well as planned due to the sheer number of people waiting to rush the border.

Our plan will deliver results, but it will take time for those results to be fully realized, he said.

Mayorkas also blamed Congress for not allocating resources needed by his department.

I cannot overemphasize that our current situation is the outcome of Congress leaving a broken, outdated immigration system in place for over two decades, despite unanimous agreement that we desperately need legislative reform, he said. It is also the result of Congresss decision not to provide us with the resources we need and that we requested.
Join us for this recap and live Q&A with Joshua Philipp on the previous episode of Crossroads Tonight!



President Joe Biden is being accused of money laundering and influence peddling. This is the latest chapter in the Hunter Biden saga, where the presidents son was suspected of selling his fathers influence to foreign governments and businesses.

On Wednesday, members of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a press conference. They detailed what they described as a complex money laundering scheme, involving payments from several foreign countries to President Joe Biden. And it turns out this isnt just about Joe and Hunter, either. The Committee members claim the payments have been going to close to a dozen members of the Biden family, and they also claim the Biden family was taking steps to conceal the funds.

Well discuss this story in this episode of Crossroads.
Biden Says Border Will Be Chaotic for a While as COVID Restrictions Lift

A Texas National Guard soldier directs immigrants during a dust storm at a makeshift camp located between the Rio Grande and the U.S.-Mexico border fence in El Paso, Texas on May 10, 2023. (John Moore/Getty Images)

President Joe Biden predicted on Tuesday that the U.S.-Mexico border will be chaotic for a while as pandemic-related restrictions end and his new border policies come into effect.

The Trump-era Title 42 border policy will be lifted on Thursday as a set of new policies are set in place to clamp down on illegal border crossings.

The Title 42 restrictions have allowed U.S. officials to swiftly return asylum seekers and illegal migrants over the border on the grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19over 2.8 million times since March 2020.

The Biden administrations new policies allow law-abiding immigrants a path into the United Statesif they apply online through a government app, have a sponsor, and pass background checks.

During a recent visit to the border city of Brownsville, Texas, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said people could apply for permission to join their families and for the U.S. refugee program and humanitarian parole those deemed to be particularly vulnerable, which is decided on a case-by-case basis, at regional processing centersreminiscent of the Trump era Remain in Mexico immigration policies.

The government plans to open 100 such hubs across the Western Hemisphere outside U.S. borders, with the first ones starting in Guatemala and Colombia.

The administration has said that family reunification will be available to the immediate family members of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia. It has named a 100,000 limit for annual family reunifications from Latin America, although details of the policy have yet to be released.

Under humanitarian parole, 30,000 people a month will be allowed to enter the country from four countries.

Our plan will deliver results, but it will take time for those results to be fully realized, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned.

From Thursday, families who apply for entry at the U.S. border will face curfews and monitoring; and the head of household will wear an ankle bracelet as their immigration cases are heard within 30 days.

Immigrants caught crossing the border illegally will not be allowed to return for five years. They can face criminal prosecution if they do.

Biden said his administration was working to make the change orderly. But it remains to be seen, he told reporters. Its going to be chaotic for a while.

Hundreds of illegal migrants have been lining up at major ports of entry ahead of the expiration of the Title 42 policy.

Andres Barra, a 39-year-old migrant, was recently apprehended by border agents near San Diego. He told The Associated Press that he fled Colombia because frequent robberies and extortion had made his life difficult there. He took a plane to Tijuana, Mexico, on Friday, then paid a smuggler $300 to guide him to a mountain peak across the border.

Barra said he had hoped to enter the United States while the current restrictions are still in place, because he was told that crossing the border will be more difficult after Thursday.

According to Gregory Bovino, Border Patrol chief of El Centro, California, his sector apprehended almost three times more illegal immigrants in the last four or five days before Sunday: 260 a day compared to 90 a day the previous week.

Roughly 10,000 people were apprehended by Border Patrol on Tuesday, among the largest apprehensions in a single day, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. More than 27,000 people were in custody. Custody numbers vary as migrants are released or deported, but in March 8,600 people were in Border Patrol custody.

In the Mexican border city of Reynosa, Texas, groups handed out fliers on Tuesday explaining how to register for the CBP One app that the United States has been using to allow eligible immigrants to schedule an appointment to process their claim for legal entry into the country.

We believe we have a robust process to deal with what is going to occur after Title 42 lifts. Again, were using the tools that are available to us because Congress refuses to do their job as it relates to the border, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.

Ever since Biden took office, the United States has seen record numbers of people crossing the border, even with the COVID-19 border crossing restrictions in place.

According to Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Biden has deployed 550 active-duty troops to assist at the southern border, an additional 900 soldiers, Marines, and airmen will join the border by the end of May.

The task of the U.S. Troops will be to help monitor and watch the border, or do data entry and support. The troops will not be interacting directly with the immigrants in any way, Ryder assured, adding that their main goal is to free up U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel to do law enforcement activities.

At the moment, about 2,500 National Guard members are already assisting CBP across the entire length of the border. Separately, Texas has deployed its own, newly established Tactical Border Force to various hotspots along its southern border.

Some illegal immigrants have been spurred to attempt entry by rumors or false information from human smugglers about what the changes in border policy will mean for their chances of being able to remain in the United States.

Its a very complicated legal system and its becoming increasingly difficult to communicate the realities of our clients, said Daniel Berlin of the non-profit International Rescue Committee. While we try to communicate the most accurate and up-to-date information that we have, smugglers and traffickers and other bad actors are communicating false information.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Canadian Taxpayers Group Objects to Government Funding of Senior Sex Story Shows

An ongoing multi-million-dollar federal program meant to engage in cultural diplomacybringing Canadas arts abroadhas included an exhibit of giant sex toys. Since 2010 and up to this day, it also includes a production that has elderly Canadians get up on stage in front of audiences abroad and describe the sexual experiences of their past.

Id like to meet the person who thought paying for seniors to relive their sex lives in front of a live audience in another country is a good use of Canadian tax dollars, said Franco Terrazzano, Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) director, in a May 10 release. How do sex stories from seniors in other countries promote Canada?

The show, called All the Sex Ive Ever Had, has toured to Austria, Australia, and Taiwan. CTF recently learned details about the show through an access-to-information request.

A government document regarding the Taiwan event describes it as a very successful collaboration between Canadian and Taiwanese performers but also a well-delivered social engaging project that promote [sic] Canadian values in freedom of speech and tolerance of society. The production travelled to Taipei five weeks early, in the summer of 2019, to choose six Taiwanese seniors for the show.

The total bill for the show thus far is $12,520, according to CTF. It is funded by a Mission Cultural Fund created in 2016 and managed by Global Affairs Canada. The fund has an annual budget of $1.75 million, but has regularly gone millions over budget, according to CTF.

A government evaluation of the funds effectiveness up to 2020 highlighted the absence of a formal governance structure and unclear roles and responsibilities. It said, however, that the program continues to be useful as a tool for cultural diplomacy.

Global Affairs Canada did not immediately reply to an Epoch Times request for comment on CTFs criticisms.

CTF recalled the 2019 exhibit in Hamburg, Germany, featuring giant sex toys dubbed the Fleshies that spouted water meant to simulate ejaculation. The Mission Cultural Fund gave Canadian artist Peaches almost $9,000 for it, CTF said.

First we learned of the so-called art show in Germany featuring giant sex toys, and now were learning taxpayers are also on the hook for these weird stage productions where seniors share sex stories, Terrazzano said. What on earth is going on at Global Affairs Canada?

Terrazzano concluded, Heres a novel idea: maybe the government lays off the sex shows until it pays down the $1-trillion debt?
Three American companies have been raided in as many months. Their China-based offices were targeted, as Beijing officials say Chinas national security is involved. Those actions come under changes to Chinese spying law, and foreign business groups in the country are getting rattled.

Topics in this episode:
Chinas Shrinking Imports, Slower Exports Growth Darken Economic Outlook

Containers and cargo vessels at the Qingdao port in Shandong province, China, on May 9, 2022. (China Daily via Reuters)

BEIJINGChinas imports contracted sharply in April, while exports rose at a slower pace, reinforcing signs of feeble domestic demand despite the lifting of COVID-19 curbs and heaping pressure on an economy already struggling in the face of cooling global growth.

Chinas economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter thanks to robust services consumption, but factory output has lagged and the latest trade numbers point to a long road to regaining the pre-pandemic momentum at home.

Inbound shipments to China fell 7.9 percent year on year in April, extending the 1.4 percent decline seen a month earlier, while exports grew 8.5 percent, easing from the 14.8 percent surge in March, customs data showed on Tuesday.

Economists in a Reuters poll had predicted no growth in imports and an 8.0 percent increase in exports.

At the beginning of this year, one would assume that imports will easily surpass 2022 levels following the reopening, but that hasnt been the case, said Xu Tianchen, an economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Officials have repeatedly warned of a severe and complicated external environment in the wake of mounting recession risks for many of Chinas key trading partners.

The sharp deterioration in last months trade flows will only renew worries about the state of external demand and risks posed to the domestic economy, especially given the frail recovery from a year earlier when inbound and outbound shipments were severely disrupted by Chinas COVID-19 restrictions.

Given the gloomy outlook for external demand, we think exports will decline further before bottoming out later this year, said Zichun Huang, China economist at Capital Economics in a note.

Import Stress

The downturn in imports suggests the world economy wont be able to count much on Chinas domestic engine of growth, and as the nation re-exports some of its imports, it also reinforces the extent of weakness in some of its major trading partner economies.

A 15.3 percent drop in the import of semiconductors indicate the scale of the demand-pullback in the re-export market for such parts.

Analysts say the sharp global monetary policy tightening campaign of the past 1218 months and recent Western banking stress remain concerns for revival prospects of both China and worldwide.

Shipments growth to ASEANa block of Southeast Asian countriesslowed to 4.5 percent in April from 35.4 percent last month. The region is Chinas largest export partner.

Other recent data also showed South Korean exports to China, a leading indicator of Chinas imports, were down 26.5 percent in April, continuing 10 consecutive months of decline.

Chinas coal imports fell in April from a 15-month high in the prior month, snapping back as demand weakens in the country. Imports of coppera proxy for global growthand natural gas were also down in the same period.

The recent official manufacturing purchasing managers index for April showed new export orders contracting sharply.

Chinas first quarter GDP data last month, while offering some relief, also raised doubts about the demand outlook due to property market weakness, slowing prices, and surging bank savings.
CNN will never be the same again after former President Donald Trump appeared on the network for a Town Hall Wednesday night. The show lasted over an hour and ended with the live audience of Republicans and undeclared voters, at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, cheering for Trump.

And they werent cheering so much for CNN interviewer Kaitlin Collins. Immediately after, CNN itself was even attacked by several public figures and establishment news outlets for even giving Trump a platform. So what took place? Well, it may have made Trump look just a bit too human. And for the well-crafted and ongoing attacks to dehumanize the former president, this could be a threat to the narratives.

Also, border expert and war correspondent Michael Yon joins us from El Paso, TX, to talk the end of Title 42 and what it means for the border crisis.

Well discuss this story in this episode of Crossroads.
Dubai Chambers has opened a new international office in Sydney, Australia by and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce & Industry (AACCI) to boost trade.

The new office opening is in line with Dubai International Chamber's strategic objective to maximise business opportunities in priority markets globally and support the international business expansion plans of Dubai companies.

The Sydney office is the second new office inaugurated in 2023, and expands the Chambers global network to 17 representation offices around the world.

The inauguration was led by Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chambers, in the presence of Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales, and Moin Anwar, Trade and Investment Commissioner (Middle East) for the New South Wales Government. Also in attendance were Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, and Mohamed Hage OAM, President and National Chairman of the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who signed the MoU between the two chambers, as well as a group of delegates from the Australian Business Council.

Trade-boosting MoU

Al Ghurair said: Todays office inauguration and the signing of a trade-boosting MoU with our friends at the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce & Industry not only serves to highlight our existing strong trading partnership, but also underlines our redoubled commitment to working together more closely to foster mutually beneficial business agreements.

This latest office opening in Sydney aligns with the Dubai Global initiative launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, to establish 50 representative offices for Dubai in five continents by 2030. Supported by strategic public and private sector partners, Dubai Global will boost Dubais non-oil foreign trade to AED2 trillion ($540 billion) by 2026.

Beazley said: NSW and the UAE have a shared history of strong bilateral ties that are important and to be celebrated. Todays historic moment, the signing of The Memorandum of Understanding between the Dubai Chambers and the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is one more tangible sign of the further strengthening of links between NSW and the UAE.

Building relationships

Dubai International Chamber's office in Sydney will focus its efforts on building strong relationships with key public and private sector stakeholders, as well as supporting Australian companies to enter the Dubai market and expand internationally through the emirate.

The new office will also create new channels for communication and economic cooperation between UAE and Australian businesses and work with Australian partners to co-organise networking events, business seminars, and business matching meetings.

The value of non-oil trade between UAE and Australia reached around $4.5 billion in 2022, registering growth of around 28.6% compared to 2021. In addition, the number of Australian companies that are registered with Dubai Chamber of Commerce now exceeds 1,530, including 307 new members that joined in 2022.

Joint activities

Under the terms of the MoU, the two Chambers will work together to develop new joint activities and cooperation including mutual exchange on events taking place in their respective jurisdictions and assistance from both sides in organising and collaborating on seminars, webinars, meetings, and contacts.

The UAE mostly exports manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, food, live animals, and crude materials to Australia.

Dubai Chambers analysts suggest there is UAE export growth potential in several sectors including copper and copper products, carpets and coverings, glass and glassware, art and antiques, to name a few.

New export areas from the UAE to Australia that demostrate strong investment potential include digital technologies, infrastructure projects, mining, and real estate, while new import opportunities from Australia to the UAE include coal, inorganic chemicals, iron ores, and meat.

In the near term, the two parties expect to see increased bilateral trade in sectors including construction, minerals, resources, engineering, education, agribusiness, and health.-- TradeArabia News Service
With only hours before Title 42 expires, a new era in US immigration policy will begin this Friday, when the Border Patrol will no longer have the ability to deny migrants the right to claim asylum.

On Thursday, thousands of people were sitting in makeshift camps along the US-Mexico border, waiting for the best possible moment to try and cross. Some plan to turn themselves in to the authorities, while others wish to slip through one of the 26-foot-high fences that separate the southern states from Mexico.

Far from these dusty camps, an all-out political battle is being waged in Washington over one of the issues that will define the 2024 presidential campaign cycle. The hardest-right wing of the Republican Party is painting an apocalyptic picture of open borders and a veritable invasion of migrants.

A group of migrants cross the Rio Bravo. ALFREDO ESTRELLA (AFP)

In the border cities of Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, there is much uncertainty about what lies ahead. This crossing is one of the hot spots along the 2,000-mile-long border, with communities on both sides holding their breath for what will take place on Friday.

The imminence of the end of Title 42 has already taken a toll. A week ago, about 6,000 individuals were being intercepted on a daily basis. This number has risen to 8,000 in recent days. This past Wednesday, 10,400 people attempted to migrate irregularly, while US authorities estimate that there are some 150,000 people in northern Mexico waiting to cross the border.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas made it clear that the next days and weeks could be very difficult. He noted that the Biden administration has sent reinforcement to assist the authorities on the ground, bringing the total number of security officials along the border to 24,000. He also repeated a familiar message: The border is not open.

While in office, Donald Trump dusted off this law from the 1940s and utilized it as a health regulation during the pandemic. It allows for the immediate return of migrants who arrive at the border in search of asylum, under the pretext of stopping the spread of infectious diseases. It has been in force for the past 40 months and has resulted in 2.6 million expulsions.

Migrants wait in line in Yuma, Arizona, on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. MARIO TAMA (Getty Images via AFP)

When it expires at midnight EST on Thursday, the old Title 8  which allowed the Obama administration (2009-2017) to deport more than three million undocumented immigrants in eight years  will go into effect. It will, however, have some modifications from when it was previously utilized. For instance, those who wish to request asylum will be obliged to do so through a mobile application from any country along their route. If they arrive in the United States without having fulfilled this requirement, they will be deported, with a ban on trying again imposed for a period of at least five years. If they are caught trying to cross again during the duration of the ban order, they could face prison time in the US.

There are four countries in the hemisphere with which the United States does not maintain diplomatic relations, whose nationals will not be returned to their places of origin. These nations are Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti. Two planes bound for Guatemala and Honduras left this Wednesday from the El Paso International Airport, carrying individuals who have been deported.

If an asylum application is accepted, the individual claiming asylum can be taken to a detention center while their case is being resolved, or receive an appointment with a judge somewhere in the United States. Said appointment is written in a document that will allow them to travel freely around the country. The wait time for a date can vary greatly, from several weeks to several years. Currently, there are two million unresolved cases, with immigration judges totally overwhelmed.

The transition from Title 42 to Title 8 will weigh heavily on President Joe Biden as he seeks re-election next year. Much rides on the political success of this policy change. The border has become one of the issues that most concerns Americans, with the Republican Party eager to use fears of migration to gain a foothold among the electorate. This Thursday, members of the GOP in Congress introduced their own proposal for the border. However, while they hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives, the Democrats have control of the Senate  hence the law has little chance of passing. Even if moderate Democrats helped it through, President Biden would likely veto it.

A group of migrant women hold up their documents for border officers in San Diego. MIKE BLAKE (REUTERS)

The 213-page Republican-drafted Border Security Act would  among other provisions  provide funding to restart construction of a border wall and improve monitoring technology along the southern and northern borders of the United States. It would also allocate millions of dollars to increase the number of Border Patrol agents, while instituting other changes that Republicans say would streamline the asylum process.

On the other hand, controversial independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema  who represents Arizona, a border state  has spent months rallying support for a bill that would essentially give Biden a new version of Title 42 that need not be tied to a health emergency. The senator  who will seek re-election next year, after having previously won her seat while running as a Democrat  knows that immigration control is a major campaign issue in her state. She has introduced her bill alongside Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina.

The proposed legislation would facilitate the deportation of irregular immigrants for a two-year-long period without the need for a hearing or review of their cases. Many within the Democratic Party are fiercely opposed to this, as it would resume the expulsion of unaccompanied minors  a policy established under Trump that was changed by the Biden administration due to humanitarian concerns. The law proposed by Senators Sinema and Tillis requires 60 votes to be approved in the Senate and it has been gaining some ground.

A sizable bloc of Republicans support it, as well as some moderate Democrats  such as Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia  who are looking to toughen up their position on immigration as they try to secure re-election in conservative states.

Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio is another voice who has broken with the president on this issue. He is also proposing that Title 42 be extended for another two years.

We need more resources at the border, he told reporters. That means everything from military people at the border, police at the border, inspectors at the border, mental health professionals at the border to deal with this situation. Its troubling. And as I said, I dont think the presidents of either party have really stepped up on this.

On the other hand, Senator Mark Kelly  a former astronaut who represents Arizona, which is also a swing state like Ohio  has backed away from Sinemas proposal, which he previously supported. We have to look for other options [for now], we need to guarantee the necessary resources for what will happen after May 11, he stated.

The political fray reaches far beyond Washington. The reaction of the states along the border with Mexico has been mixed. Texas Governor Greg Abbott  an anti-immigration hardliner  has sent a tactical force to strengthen surveillance in migratory corridors. His state party is also pushing a law in the Texas legislature that would make it a crime for undocumented people to enter Texas from Mexico.

Oblivious to all the political infighting that will decide their future, on Thursday morning, the last migrants under Title 42 passed into the United States from Ciudad Juarez. Hundreds of them had been waiting for days in front of a gate at the border wall. Others, meanwhile, havent stopped arriving at the beach along the Rio Grande, which has been reinforced with barbed wire since Tuesday. The last to arrive have continued their pilgrimage by foot. By walking a few miles to the east, they come across gate 42  a reminder of the current law. They gather there, in the final hours before it ends.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Two Youths Commit Suicide in Taxpayer-Funded Cross-Sex Hormone Study

Lawmakers seek answers on what they call transgender 'experiments'

Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old woman who regrets surgically removing her breasts, holds testosterone medication used for transgender patients in Northern California on Aug. 26, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Lawmakers are demanding answers after the suicide deaths of two young people involved in a transgender hormone study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Additionally, 11 participants reported suicidal thoughts during the study, according to a January article by researchers published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

In a letter to Dr. Lawrence Tabak, acting director at NIH, 15 Republican lawmakers question why the study wasnt halted after participants died or reported adverse effects.

It is alarming that vulnerable young people died by suicide while participating in a taxpayer-funded study that will almost certainly inflict devastating physical harm on those who participated, the lawmakers letter stated.

Acting Director of the National Institutes of Health Dr.Lawrence Tabak testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 17, 2022. (SHAWN THEW/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Rather than shutting the study down after such serious adverse events, the researchers published their paper, concluding that the study was a success because cross-sex hormones had altered subjects physical appearance and improved psychosocial functioning, lawmakers added.

The study Psychosocial Functioning in Transgender Youth after 2 Years of Hormones attempted to analyze the psychosocial state of participants.

Researchers evaluated the impact of cross-sex hormones on transgender and nonbinary youth between the ages of 12 and 20, according to the study.

NIH awarded $477,444 in a five-year grant to the Boston Childrens Hospital, the University of California at San Francisco, and the Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago for the study, according to a report in The Daily Signal. Dr. Diane Chen at the Lurie Childrens Hospital led the study.

Lawmakers have blasted the study for subjecting children to radical gender ideology. Of 315 study subjects, 240 were minors.

After the study was published, the medical watchdog group Do No Harm, called the research fatally flawed and borderline unscientific because it muddled instead of clarified questions about the medical transition of children.

Twenty-four participants in the study received cross-sex hormones after puberty suppressionwhen theyre in early pubertyand are likely sterile as a result, according to the lawmakers.

Lawmakers said that other risks to participants include an increased chance of cardiovascular disease and blood clotting. They also questioned the value of a study that didnt include a control group.

The letter stated the taxpayer-funded research was already being used to further the fallacy that chemically transitioning children was safe and effective despite glaring shortfalls.

Police face pro-transgender protesters outside of Boston Childrens Hospital in Boston, Mass., on Sept. 18, 2022. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

The study didnt dwell on the suicides. Instead, it reported positive effects of cross-sex hormones, such as life satisfaction and decreases in depression and anxietyat least for the duration of the study.

Republicans charged that some involved in the study were known transgender activists focused on gender modification for children.

In a video later removed from Boston Childrens Hospitals YouTube channel, the hospital claimed that children can know their gender identity from the womb,' lawmakers said.

According to the letter, Johanna Olson, a co-author of the NEJM article, received a federal grant for a study in which she altered protocol to allow children as young as 8 years old to receive cross-sex hormones.

The lawmakers noted in their objection that research shows gender dysphoria in minors often resolves by itself as struggling teenagers progress through puberty, completely undermining the idea that children should have their bodies permanently altered to match their changing identities.

They added that the NIH plans to give more than $10.6 million to experiment on children and adolescents through 2026.

Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) and Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) led the letter demanding responses to questions by June 9.

Questions included the age of the suicide victims, the clinic that administered the hormones, and what steps may have been taken to halt and review the study when the deaths occurred.

Lawmakers also want to know if any steps were taken to provide ongoing monitoring of other children participating in the study to ensure that they are not at risk for suicide.

They also asked if participants had been evaluated for sterility or impaired fertility as a result of receiving cross-sex hormones and the results.

In a press release, Brecheen said lawmakers are committed to holding those responsible for the loss of life accountable.

It is sickening that the federal government is preying on young people and using our taxpayer dollars to advance its radical gender ideology, Brecheen said.

Josh Brecheen elected as Oklahoma Congressman. (Courtesy of Brecheen for Congress)

Budd called the NIH-funded study highly questionable experiments.

Taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund studies that encourage gender transition interventions on young people, Budd said.

Others signing the letter included Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Reps. Mary Miller (R-Ill.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Randy Weber (R-Texas), Chip Roy (R-Texas), Ronny Jackson(R-Texas), and Michael Cloud (R-Texas).
Congress Must End the Exploitation of Unaccompanied Alien Children

Unaccompanied children, ages 3-9, inside a playpen at the Donna Department of Homeland Security holding facility, the main detention center for unaccompanied children in the Rio Grande Valley in Donna, Texas, on March 30, 2021. (Dario Lopez-Mills/Pool/AFP/Getty Images)

Commentary

One of the Lefts emotional weapons it uses to continue its open border agenda is unaccompanied alien children. A historic number of these children have crossed the southern border during the Biden administrationtheir parents were enticed by promises of entry into the United States and other immigration benefits for their children.

But they are often brutally mistreated on the journey, and many do not face happy endings once here. Sadly, unknown numbers are sex-trafficked, subjected to child labor, and face other abuses. But Congress has an opportunity to end this inhumanity beginning this week when it considers the Secure the Border Act in the House.

The Biden administration refuses to end the flow of unaccompanied alien children, but if you dare call out those on the Left for this exploitation or try to prevent it, they attack you as cruel and unwilling to help children.

To successfully stop the flow of unaccompanied children coming to the United States, it is important to know how it started. In 2008, the Democrat-majority House and Senate passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. In it was folded a bill formerly known as the Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act, originally introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) in 2000 and unsuccessfully reintroduced in each successive Congress until it was included as Section 235 in the must-pass Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.

This law strangely distinguishes between children from contiguous countries (Mexico and Canada) and the rest of the world. Children from Canada and Mexico are returned to their home country while those from every other country are brought into the United States; turned over to the Department of Health and Human Services; and provided legal counsel, legal orientation presentations to their custodians, child advocates, expedited special immigrant juvenile status, green cards, and asylum benefits.

Anyone who read the bill knew it would entice parents to send their children across the border unaccompanied to receive immigration benefits and gain a foothold in the United States so their families could hopefully later follow and be reunified with them in the United States.

With the title of Trafficking Victims Protection, of course, the bill passed Congress, and the number of unaccompanied children has predictably and rapidly risen ever since. Just since Joe Biden has been in the White House, border agents have encountered over 371,000 of these children, a historic number.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas basically advertised this opportunity for the Mexican drug cartels to smuggle children into the United States by repeatedly stating he would not turn unaccompanied children back from the border.

The results have been gut-wrenching, as seen in videos and photos of children left at a rivers edge (see below), dropped over the border wall, abandoned, or worse.

A one-year-old Guatemalan child was abandoned along the Colorado River Monday afternoon by a smuggler who took him across the border and then left him to fend for himself along the waters edge. Thanks to our agents quick response, tragedy was averted! pic.twitter.com/mY2K7t59VE  Chief Raul Ortiz (@USBPChief) March 23, 2023

Their misery doesnt end once the children enter the United States, sadly. Unable to find and vet enough sponsors to take in the children, HHS has lowered the standards for sponsors under HHS Secretary Xavier Becerras stated assembly line treatment. The result has been over 85,000 lost children as well as sex trafficking and child labor violations, which makes Section 235 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, erroneously called Enhancing Efforts to Combat the Trafficking of Children, an abject failure.

Ideally, Section 235 should be repealed entirely. However, a good alternative is in the Secure the Border Act the House is considering this week, which would end the disparate treatment of children by nationality and seek the swift return of all children to their country of origin, unless they are trafficking victims and have a fear of return.

The Left will label anyone who supports closing this unaccompanied child loophole as inhumane as they seek to shame members of Congress away from supporting this legislation. Meanwhile, it is critical to recognize that the Left does not try to stop the flow of unaccompanied children to the United States and works mightily to keep children here rather than return them to their home country and their families. Then, the Biden administration works to bring the families of these children into the United States for family reunification.

Soon, the Left will demand amnesty-like protection and green cards for these children because they entered the United States unaccompanied. But that was thanks to its own handiwork and design of Section 235.

Fifteen years is too long for this pipeline of child exploitation. It is time for Congress to end it. That means members need to stand up to the guaranteed attacks from the Left. After three years of the Left keeping kids out of school, masked, mandatorily vaccinated, indoctrinated, and secretly encouraged to question their gender and pursue gender mutilation, the Left has shown that it does not hold the moral high ground with respect to children.

Congress needs to stand up to the Left like brave parents have these past three years to protect children and the rule of law in America. It should repeal Section 235 to prevent this ongoing child exploitation. In the alternative, Congress should close the unaccompanied children loophole and return children to their home country and their families.

Reprinted by permission from The Daily Signal, a publication of The Heritage Foundation.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Customer Satisfaction With Air Canada, WestJet Below Average: Survey

People make their way through Pearson Airport in Mississauga, Ont., on March 14, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Chris Young)

Canadas two biggest airlines scored below average for customer satisfaction among major North American carriers, according to a new survey, part of a trend of growing passenger frustration across the industry.

Conducted by J.D. Power, the poll found Air Canada and WestJet fell below the average customer satisfaction figure of 782 on a 1,000-point scale for economy class service. WestJet notched 777 to edge out Air Canada, which scored 765.

Pricier fares, crowded planes and fewer flight options are behind the frustrationbut demand remains strong nonethelesssaid Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at the Michigan-based consumer analytics company.

As a result, carriers yielded higher revenues this year after a prolonged industry slump prompted by the pandemic. Taylor said many are running at peak efficiency, though higher labour and fuel costs compared with 2019 have hampered profit margins, and capacity has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels.

A global pilot shortage has fostered problems in North America, partly explaining why fewer planes ply the skies compared with four years ago.

Some airlines have ditched smaller planes, trying to pack in as many passengers as possible per flight as they slim down their schedules.

Theyre more fullthey have a higher load factorand that usually decreases satisfaction, Taylor said.

Meanwhile, the surge in leisure travel after two years under border restrictions and COVID-19 health concerns has pushed prices north.

Because of that high demand, ticket prices are significantly higher, and theyve been going higher for the past two, two-and-a-half years or so. For the vast majority of travellers, thats the key factor in satisfaction, he said.

That discontent is quantifiable in ways other than surveys. The complaints backlog at the Canadian Transportation Agency stood at about 45,000 as of late April, more than triple the tally from a year earlier and requiring at least 18 months on average per case. Many cases revolve around compensation claims after flight delays or cancellations.

The drawn-out uproar prompted the federal government to table an overhaul to Canadas passenger rights charter last month in an effort to tighten compensation loopholes and toughen penalties.

While a spate of upstart airlines has made domestic air travel cheaper than ever overall in Canada  particularly in the busiest corridors  passengers face higher prices and scarcer trip options in many regions and on international routes, according to figures from aviation data firm Cirium.

You want to fly to, say, Winnipeg, it might be a little more expensive, because its not the most popular destination versus, say, getting to Toronto, Taylor said.

The sparser flight boards at many airports also stem from a de facto division of the country by the two main players: Air Canada and WestJet, which share roughly 80 percent of the domestic market.

Since last fall, Calgary-based WestJet has cut routes in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada to refocus on its home turf out west. It has also cut flights on some more heavily travelled corridors, including roughly four out of five trips between Toronto and Montreal compared to 2019 levels, Cirium data shows.

Montreal-based Air Canada has mirrored this move, remaining in Central and Eastern Canada while scaling back in the west. It also scrapped 26 regional routes east of Winnipeg in June 2020, with only two resuming since.

The survey Wednesday ranked airlines in three separate categories: first class and business class, premium economy, and economy and basic economy. In the first two groups, Air Canada placed fifth of six.

For economyencompassing the vast majority of passengersWestJet ranked fifth and Air Canada came eighth out of 11. Neither airline immediately responded to a request for comment.

Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways snagged the top three spotsdespite a meltdown at Southwest that caused of thousands of December flight cancellations in what U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called a system failure. American Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines took up the rear.

JetBlue and Delta came in first and second respectively for business class, and swapped spots for premium economy. United Airlines finished last for business class, and American Airlines did the same for premium economy.

The survey, carried out between March 2022 and March 2023, is based on responses from 7,774 passengers at scores of airports who flew on large North American airlines.
Drug Poisoning Victims Families Demand Legislative Action on National Fentanyl Awareness Day

Protesters gathered in front of California Sen. Toni Atkinss (D-San Diego) office in San Diego on May 9National Fentanyl Awareness Dayrequesting the majority leader take a bipartisan fentanyl bill to the floor for a vote.

Family members wearing t-shirts and carrying pictures of their deceased loved ones joined with advocacy groups in a unified call for action to end the states fentanyl crisis.

Representatives from Atkinss office declined an invitation to attend, according to organizers.

Were asking Pro Tem Sen. Atkins to use her judiciary authority and bring this bill to the Senate, Matt Capelouto told The Epoch Times. This is a last-ditch effort. Sen. Atkins is the last lifeline. Otherwise, were done until 2024, and its a travesty for them not to be able to vote on it.

At issue is Senate Bill 44, also known as Alexandras Law, named for Capeloutos 20-year-old daughter Alexandra, who died from fentanyl poisoning two days before Christmas in 2019. Authored by Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana), the bill is designed to give a warning to fentanyl dealers that if they sell the drug in the future and it leads to a death, they could face murder charges.

The bills 22 co-authors represented a majority of the Senate, but its Public Safety Committee voted on April 25 to not advance the bill forward.

During that committee hearing, Sens. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) argued about the language of the bill and the potential for dangerous consequences.

Wiener called the admonishment a nuclear murder warning that could follow a convicted person for life.

By him throwing in the word nuclear, hes acting like someone that gets this admonishment is going straight to the electric chair, Capelouto told The Epoch Times. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Written to mirror Californias Watson Advisementa warning given after DUI convictions alerting defendants that if they cause the death of another person while driving impaired, they could be charged with murderDemocratic members of the committee reviewing the bill disagreed with their own consultants analysis and argued the bill was different from the DUI admonishment.

Wiener also repeatedly argued about the concept of foreknowledge, claiming that a suitable DUI defense is someone not being aware they are intoxicated.

In a video released on YouTube by Capelouto on May 8 questioning whether California is a fentanyl sanctuary state, Riverside County District Attorney Michael Hestrin contested Wieners assertion.

According to Hestrin, prosecutors do not have to prove that an intoxicated driver was aware of their inebriation, as the burden of proof lies only on showing the suspects blood alcohol level exceeded legal limits and the individual drove a vehicle while under the influence.

Hes conflating these two things, but they dont have to know theyre impaired when they drive, the district attorney said in the video. My prosecutors go into court, DUI is one the most common, and never do we have to prove that the person knew they were over the legal limit or impaired.

Frustrated by the committees repeated denial of punitive fentanyl legislation this year, family members during the protest called for justice.

We dont have a single law on the books that holds a drug dealer accountable for a death, Capelouto said. Its incomprehensible.

A difference in strategiesone that favors a public health policy stance, and another that curbs distribution with enhanced penaltiesare opportunities for collaboration that are currently being missed, according to victims families.

There seems to be a great divide between harm reduction and incarceration, Capelouto said. It doesnt have to be one or the other.

While methods to prevent deaths and overdoses are a favored course of action for Wiener and Skinner, victims family members say they are only part of the solution.

Not one harm reduction technique would have saved my daughter or thousands of others, Capelouto said. She paid the ultimate price, and it wasnt worth a death sentence, while the person on the other side of the transactionthat caused a deathgets to walk free.

The admonishment proposed by the bill offers a preventive tool that educates and informs, according to supporters of the legislation.

This is preventative, and some young drug dealers will get this warning and it will set them on the right path, Capelouto said.

Hestrin, the district attorney, agreed, stating in the video that the advisement would offer benefits and alter patterns of behavior for some that receive it.

If youre dealing drugs, which is illegal  what is implicit is to make your choices wisely in the future, he said. You might want to stop dealing drugs.

With the path forward for the bill limited in 2023, some, including Sen. Umberg and FentanylSolution.orga Newport Beach-based nonprofit focused on ending the fentanyl crisis are looking at a potential ballot initiative to bring the matter before voters.

For now, families are asking Atkins to allow the Senate the opportunity to hear the bill, and Capelouto said he is confident that if she does, it will pass.

This committee was hell-bent on making sure that this did not pass to the floor, because they knew if it did, it would be supported by the Senate and become law, he said.
Dutch Suspect in Student Natalee Holloways Disappearance to Be Extradited to US From Peru

Beth Holloway participates in the launch of the Natalee Holloway Resource Center in Washington on June 8, 2010. Natalee Holloway disappeared in Aruba in 2005. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The prime suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway during a school trip to the Dutch Caribbean Island of Aruba is set to be extradited to the United States.

Holloways mother, Beth Holloway, announced on May 10 that Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot will be extradited.

Van der Sloot will face federal wire fraud and extortion charges related to the alleged extortion of the Holloway family in exchange for information about their daughters disappearance.

I was blessed to have had Natalee in my life for 18 years, and as of this month, I have been without her for exactly 18 years, Beth Holloway said, adding that her daughter would be 36 years old today. It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee.

Natalee Holloway, who lived in suburban Birmingham, was 18 when she embarked on a high school graduation trip to Aruba in May 2005. She disappeared after a night with friends at a nightclub and failed to fly home on May 30.

Extortion Charges

The teen was last seen by classmates leaving a bar with van der Sloot, who was then residing in Aruba, and two local residents in a car. Van der Sloot was arrested but never convicted over Holloways disappearance. He was later convicted in the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores Ramirez in Lima, Peru, and is currently serving a 28-year sentence.

Holloways body was never found, and no charges were filed in the case. A judge declared Holloway legally dead in 2012.

According to an indictment filed in 2010 (pdf), van der Sloot attempted to extort $250,000 from Beth Holloway in exchange for information revealing the location of Natalee Holloways remains.

Prosecutors said in the indictment that Holloway wired approximately $25,000 to Van der Sloot and he later lead the family to a location in Aruba where he said her daughters remains were buried but that this information, as the defendant then knew, was false.

Suspect Plans to Challenge Extradition

Perus government accepted the request from U.S. authorities for the temporary transfer of van der Sloot for his prosecution in the United States for the alleged commission of the crimes of extortion and fraud, to the grievance of Elizabeth Ann Holloway, Daniel Maurate Romero, Perus minister of justice and human rights, said in a statement.

A 2001 treaty between Peru and the United States allows a suspect to be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country, although such extraditions must be first approved by the president.

The treaty requires that the prisoner be returned after judicial proceedings are over against that person, in accordance with conditions to be determined by both countries.

We hope that this action will enable a process that will help to bring peace to Mrs. Holloway and to her family, who are grieving in the same way that the Flores family in Peru is grieving for the loss of their daughter, said Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Perus ambassador to the United States, in a statement reported by WVTM 13 Birmingham.

However, attorney Maximo Altez, who represents van der Sloot, said that he plans to fight the extradition once hes been properly notified by the Peruvian government.

I am going to challenge that resolution, Altez said. I am going to oppose it since he has the right to a defense.

The Epoch Times has contacted Meza-Cuadras office for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Election Group With Ties to Soros, Zuckerberg Meets in Washington for Conference Closed to Public

The U.S. Capitol and the Washington, D.C., skyline in a file photo on May 16, 2005. (Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images)

WASHINGTONAn elections group with ties to Democrat mega-donor George Soros and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg gathered in Washington on May 8 for a meeting that was closed to the public.

The Epoch Times was denied entry to the event, called a Summit on American Democracy and hosted by the Center for Election Integrity & Research (CEIR). Organizers said that the event was invite-only. Only preapproved press and other guests were permitted to attend the summit.

Though the event was live-streamed, the closed nature of the event deprived independent media of access to the laundry list of high-ranking officials attending the summit, including a litany of Secretaries of State, who oversee elections, and other election officials. Among those attending the conference were Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Bill Gates, county supervisor for Maricopa County, Arizona.

The group describes itself as committed to a fiercely nonpartisan approach. But partisan allegations against its founder, funding by Zuckerberg, and indirect ties to the left-wing Soros challenge that description.

During the livestream of the event, the groups founder, David Becker, set the tone for the conference in his opening remarks, repeating contested claims about the security of the 2020 election, and dismissing concerns about election fraud as unfounded.

The 2020 election was, simply put, the most secure, transparent, and verifiable election in American history and its not close, Becker claimed.

At least one journalist who challenged this narrative was allegedly removed from the conference.

Laura Loomer, an outspoken ally of President Donald Trump and proponent of theories about widespread election fraud in 2020, reported that she was thrown out of the conference for confronting election officials from Arizona and Georgia. The organizers later called the police on Loomer.

Becker founded CEIR in 2016. He has also been instrumental in several other electoral organizations and efforts across his career.

Partisan Accusations

During the summit, Becker sought to present himself as nonpartisan and unbiased.

He claimed that he was one of the few election officials who was willing to acclaim Trumps 2016 victory as legitimate, even as others considered claims that voter fraud and election tampering had deprived Hillary Clinton of a victory.

However, Becker founded CEIR in response to concerns about foreign interference in elections, an oft-repeated claim that Trump won in 2016 due to widespread Russian interference. But later multimillion-dollar federal investigations into Trumps victory turned up no evidence of these claims.

And the founders track record is splotched with claims of political biases against conservatives.

In 2005, Beckerwho has worked in elections for decadeswas the subject of a formal ethics complaint while working in the Civil Rights division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The Department of Justice in Washington on Jan. 14, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

During the Republican administration of President George W. Bush, Becker offered his expertise in election law to the city of Boston to defeat a lawsuit from the DOJ regarding election law violations.

In the investigation into this matter, it was discovered that Becker had made a series of nasty, disparaging remarks about Republicans, Hans von Spakovsky said. Von Spakovsky, who now is employed by the Heritage Foundation, was a DOJ legal counsel at the time.

In his role with the DOJ, [Becker] was supposed to be nonpartisan, von Spakovsky said.

Very unethical and unprofessional, he added. I would never hire or trust him.

Brad Schlozman, who directed the Civil Rights division at the time, was even more critical, suggesting that Becker deserved to be disbarred.

It was the most unethical thing Ive ever seen, Schlozman said. Classic case of someone who should have been disbarred.

He added that Becker was a hard-core leftist and someone who couldnt stand conservatives.

As recently as last year, Becker portrayed Trump as a liar and a danger to democratic norms in comments to The Washington Post.

We have a significant percentage of the American electorate right now who have been lied to about the integrity of our elections, who believe that elections  are rigged unless their candidate wins, Becker said. Yet its nowhere close to 50 percent of America overall. But if Trump were to win a narrow victory again, I could see [election denial] ideas  infecting a larger percentage of the electorate. And if a large segment of a democracys electorate loses confidence in elections, that democracy probably is unsustainable.

CEIR did not respond to an Epoch Times request for comment about these allegations.

However, in past comments to another media outlet, Becker addressed some of the allegations, but left others unanswered: This complaint was made over 15 years ago, if memory serves, and was dismissed. There was no action taken against me by the Department of Justice as a result of this complaint. As you know, anyone can make a complaint for any reason, with or without basis.

I served faithfully at the DOJ for seven years, from 1998 to 2005, during which time I received a Special Commendation of Merit from the Attorney General in 2002, during the Bush administration, he added.

Almost $70 Million from Zuckerberg

In August 2020, Beckers organization received a staggering $69.5 million from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Under the appearance of COVID-19 safety precautions, this funding was used to furnish key swing states with more mail-in drop boxes.

Zuckerbergs donation to CEIR came as part of a series of purportedly nonpartisan donations by the Facebook creator.

Facebook co-founder, chairman, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 10, 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

During his opening remarks at the first day of the conference, Becker acknowledged that philanthropy furnished a great deal of his organizations efforts in the 2020 election.

Becker painted an optimistic portrait of the electoral landscape in 2020, noting that paper ballots were to be used in key battleground states like Georgia and North Carolina. However, he said that the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic changed things.

The disease, which has an across-the-board survival rate of around 99 percent and is asymptomatic for many, forced election officials to balance the most social of democratic activities, voting with maintaining social distancing requirements, Becker said.

When states failed to provide enough funding to meet these demands, Becker contended, philanthropy stepped in to fill the gap.

Several million dollars of this philanthropy came from Soros, who donated over $9 million to Democrats in 2020. In addition, the divisive figure donated tens of millions of dollars to groups fighting alleged voter disenfranchisement and other electoral causes.

Ties to Soros

Becker also has ties to controversial mega-donor Soros.

George Soros, Founder and Chairman of the Open Society Foundations, arrives for a meeting in Brussels on April 27, 2017. (Olivier Hoslet/AFP/Getty Images)

Prior to founding CEIR, Becker worked with the Pew Charitable Trust. That organization is funded by the Open Society Foundation, Soros primary political funding organization (pdf).

While working at the Pew Charitable Trust, a formerly right-wing organization that has increasingly veered leftward in recent years, Becker also helped to found the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) in 2012.

Now used across an array of states, ERIC is a tool which claims to help states manage voter rolls. But the systems become controversial among Republicans, who claim Soros supported the creation of ERIC. Others warn that the system that could be used for mass voter fraud due to the sensitivity of the information entrusted to the nonprofit group.

Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said during the 2020 election that he planned to remove Alabama from the ERIC system if he were to win his election. Allen cited concerns over Soros ties as his reasoning for removing the state from the system.

Responding to claims that Soros has no direct ties to the group, Allen cited the connection to the Pew Charitable Trust.

[ERIC is tied to Soros] through the Pew Charitable Trust, their funding partner is Open Society, said Allen. Well, Open Society is George Soros. So, even though the Soros money may have been all spent by now, theres no dispute that Soros money helped feed the project.

CEIR did not reply to an Epoch Times request for information on who was invited to the event or the process by which these invitees were selected.
Elon Musk Invites Don Lemon to Create Show on Twitter

In the wake of Tucker Carlsons viral announcement saying hell be bringing his top-rated show to Twitter, the social medias CEO, Elon Musk, called on former CNN host Don Lemon to consider doing the same.

Musk, an industrialist who purchased the social media platform last year, commented Wednesday on Lemons weeks-old cryptic Twitter statement in which the ousted 57-year-old anchor announced that his agent informed him he was terminated by CNN.

Have you considered doing your show on this platform? May be worth a try, Musk pitched to Lemon, boasting the online services audience is much bigger than his former show.

Lemon, who most recently hosted CNNs This Morning, was fired from the network the same day Carlson was axed from Fox News.

Have you considered doing your show on this platform? Maybe worth a try. Audience is much bigger.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 10, 2023

On April 26, just days after Lemons sudden termination, he was captured on video at an annual gala in New York City telling reporters that everyone appears to be more worried about me than I am.

That same evening, Lemon said during an interview on Extra TV that hell see what happens in the future and wont rush to another job, even if I want another job.

Im going to spend my summer on the beach and on the boat  and then Ill see what happens next, but Im fortunate enough to be in a position where I can do that, Lemon said.

Lemon has not responded to Musks request, neither did a representative for the TV personality immediately respond to a request for comment.

Musks invitation to Lemon comes after reports recently emerged indicating Musk and Carlson came to a possible deal to bring a version of Carlsons former Fox News primetime show to Twitter.

Tucker Carlson in Esztergom, Hungary, on Aug. 7, 2021. (Janos Kummer/Getty Images)

Carlson, the frontman of Tucker Carlson Tonight, announced his future post-Fox plans in a video this week. It was the media personalitys first comment on his future plans since departing from the cable channel in late April.

Starting soon, well be bringing a new version of the show to Twitter, Carlson said. Its the show weve been doing for the last six and a half years, he added.

In response, Musk wrote on Twitter that he had not signed a deal with Carlson, adding his platform is nonpartisan and Carlson would be subject to the same rules [and] rewards as any of the social media services content creators.

On this platform, unlike the one-way street of broadcast, people are able to interact, critique, and refute whatever is said. And, of course, anything misleading will get [Community Notes], Musk wrote, referring to the tech giants crowdsourced fact-checking system previously known as Birdwatch.

Rewards means subscriptions and advertising revenue share (coming soon), which is a function of how many people subscribe and the advertising views associated with the content, he added.

Musk also said that he would like more content creators from both aisles, particularly from the left, to launch a program on Twitter.

Twitter-Based Shows

Musk encouraging established media personalities to start their own show on Twitter comes as the platform recently began allowing users to apply to monetize their contentincluding long-form text and hours-long videosthrough follower subscriptions in the latest change to the microblogging service.

The industrialist noted that creators would receive all the money earned from their posts for the first 12 months and Twitter wont take a penny.

Apply to offer your followers subscriptions of any material, from long-form text to hours-long video! Just tap on Monetization in settings, Musk wrote in an April 13 post on Twitter.

You will receive whatever money we receive, he added. So thats 70 percent for subscriptions on iOS and Android (they charge 30 percent) and ~92 percent on web (could be better, depending on payment processor).

After the first year, the commission on iOS and Android fees will be reduced to 15 percent, according to Musk, who noted that Twitter will also add a small amount on top of that, depending on volume.

Google told Reuters in an email that it had already lowered the service fee for all subscriptions on Google Play to 15 percent from 30 percent in 2022.

According to Twitters official Creator Monetization Standards webpage, creators who want to monetize their content on Twitter must be age 18 or over, must have an account that has been active for at least three months, and is complete with full details, such as name, a profile picture, a header image, and bio, and must have secured their accounts with two-factor authentication.

They must also not be designated a state-affiliated media account, must be in good standing with Twitter, meaning no repeated violations of various Twitter policies, and must reside in a country in which Twitters monetization programs are available, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, among others.

In addition, users who want to monetize their content must be connected to a verified Stripe account, maintain 10,000 active followers or more, and have posted at least 25 tweets in the past 30 days.

Twitter also notes that Twitter users wanting to offer their subscriptions to content must be genuine and cannot be a parody, fan, or commentary account, something that Musk has taken a firm stance on in the past.

Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.

From NTD News.
Elon Musk Says He Has Found a New CEO for Twitter

Twitter CEO Elon Musk speaks at the "Twitter 2.0: From Conversations to Partnerships" marketing conference in Miami Beach, Fla., on April 18, 2023. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk announced on Thursday that he had found someone to take over as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Twitter.

Musk will continue to own the social media company and will play a technical role in the platform, but someone else will lead the day-to-day management of the company.

Excited to announce that Ive hired a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will be starting in ~6 weeks! My role will transition to being exec chair & [Chief Technology Officer], overseeing product, software & [system operators], Musk posted on Twitter Thursday afternoon.

Musk provided no additional details about the future of the social media platform.

The leadership shake-up comes about seven months after Musk took over ownership of the platform in October of last year.

The move was not altogether unexpected. Musk had posted in December that he would resign as CEO of the platform as soon as he could find a suitable replacement.

Tesla Stock Jumps at Announcement

Twitter is just one of several major companies Musk owns. The billionaire entrepreneur also leads the private space company SpaceX and the electric car company Tesla.

Teslas stock value fell by about 65 percent or about $700 billion over the course of 2022, as Musk went through months of negotiations with Twitter before finalizing the buyout. Some Tesla investors had blamed the Twitter deal for the collapse in Tesla stock prices and claimed Musk had become too distracted with acquiring and revamping the social media platform.

The electric car companys stock prices jumped around the same time Musk announced his timeline for the new Twitter CEO to take over. This jump may be a sign of renewed confidence for Tesla investors.

Musks Tenure as Twitter CEO

Musks Twitter takeover marked a significant shake-up for the company.

Within weeks of the $44 billion buyout, Musk moved forward with significant job cuts. As of last month, Musk had cut about 6,500 employees, or around 80 percent of the company staff. Twitter now employs around 1,500 people.

Musk also took the major step of reinstating numerous accounts banned under Twitters previous owners, including that of former President Donald Trump. This effort coincided with the release of numerous internal communications to journalists in a series of exposes known as the Twitter Files. These exposes showcased how Twitter employees coordinated with political campaigns and government officials to flag and remove content and suspend user accounts. Entire segments of these Twitter Files also focused on the companys internal deliberations and efforts to justify removing Trump.

The Twitter Files exposes also confirmed a long-rumored practice of discretely constraining Twitter users in what the company referred to as visibility filtering but which critics often called shadow banning.

Under Musks leadership, Twitter has continued to reexamine its content moderation methods, including last month when Twitter revised its hateful conduct guidelines, removing a policy that classified the intentional misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals as violent speech.

Musks shake-up of the company at times led to criticisms and allegations that the social media platform was becoming a venue for hateful content. BBC reporter James Clayton made such assertions in an interview with Musk. After Clayton failed to provide any specific examples for this assertion, Musk responded, Thats false. Thats a lie.

Musk also reshuffled the deck on organizations and individual users who have had significant clout on the social media platform.

Prior to his takeover, Twitter had awarded blue verification checks to a limited number of users, with the criterion that they had to be active, notable, and authentic. Some had complained that this criterion, especially the notability factor, could feel arbitrary. Musk phased out Twitters original blue verification check and replaced it with a subscription system that allows users to pay for verification.

Twitters Future

In his announcement on Thursday, Musk notably referred to the social media platform as X/Twitter. Musk has repeatedly described a new X app and suggested his Twitter acquisition would serve as a springboard for this new app.

While Twitter began as a microblogging site where users shared their thoughts and provided updates about personal events or developing news stories, Musk has suggested that Twitter could eventually provide a far broader set of features. Musk has repeatedly compared his plans for Twitter to the Chinese app WeChat, which allows for text messaging, voice messaging, broadcasting, video conferencing, mobile gaming, and mobile payments.

WeChat has a lot of functionality that Twitter should have, Musk said in a December Twitter Spaces session. He said he wants to make it easier to process payments through the Twitter app and to have the app support long-form written and video contentand to be able to monetize that easily.

In recent weeks, Musk has also suggested Twitter as a viable video platform for digital content creators. He suggested Fox News host Tucker Carlson and CNN host Don Lemon could launch their own independent programs through Twitter after they parted ways with their respective networks. Carlson is already moving forward with that very idea.

Musk has already taken some steps toward realizing his X app idea. Earlier this month, a court filing (pdf) from a lawsuit brought by conservative political commentator Laura Loomer indicated that Twitter Inc. had reorganized as X Corp, which itself is a subsidiary of X Holdings Corp.

It remains to be seen how this X brand will expand after Musk steps down as CEO of Twitter.

From NTD News
Embattled Orange County Green Energy Agency Replaces CEO

The board of the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) selected an interim CEO on May 8 to replace the recently fired Brian Probolsky, whose last day is May 31.

Joe Mosca, the agencys director of communications and external affairs, was unanimously chosen for the role during a closed session meeting. His new position is effective June 1.

I had the privilege of sitting in on the initial interview when he was hired at his previous position  and I had great confidence in his capacity, not only to understand the sector, but to be a visionary leader, Fred Jung, OCPA chair and mayor of Fullerton, told The Epoch Times.

The board also sent out a request for proposals to recruiting firms last week to help fill the positionthrough a nationwide searchpermanently, according to Jung.

He said Mosca will have a chance to compete for the position.

Board member Tammy Kim, also Vice Mayor of Irvine, said Moscas selection was necessary to give the agency more time for recruiting.

We wanted to fill the position with an internal staff  given that Probolskys last day is May 31, that would not give us enough time to complete a recruitment process, she told The Epoch Times.

Since its inception in November 2020, the OCPA has received criticism over what some say is a lack of transparency and inexperienced management.

Several audits of the agency have been issued, including by an Orange County Grand Jury last June, the Orange County Auditorat the request of Orange County Supervisorsin December, and the California State Auditor in February.

Kim said shes hopeful for the green energy agencys future, and that the agency has addressed auditors concerns.

I feel really great about [the future]  The agency is profitable, and we have instituted pretty much all the points that the auditors asked, she said.

Some recommendations include updating the agencys website with more transparent information regarding pricing and operations, as well as improving record keeping for public record requests.

Auditors also requested the agency hire a director to oversee third-party companies it hires for power procurement.

The energy providerwhich serves Huntington Beach, Buena Park, Irvine, and Fullertonwas formed as a green alternative to Southern California Edison, the primary energy provider in the region.

Jung said he believes in the authority despite the challenges it has faced. He is the agencys longest-serving board member, having served as vice chair when the OCPA was formed.

I have always been a strong proponent of the agency. I think if you believe as an individual in the human contributions to climate change and the negative impacts its had, then you really need to join us in trying to make a difference, he said.

Hired last December, Mosca previously worked for San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Company, and was a founding member and former chair of San Diego Community Power, the second largest Community Choice Aggregation in California.

He also previously served as the Mayor of Sierra Madre in Los Angeles County from 2006 to 2011, and on the city council of Encinitas in San Diego County from 2017 to 2022, according to Linkedin.

Auditors additionally accused the former CEO, Probolsky, of skirting board policies when awarding some contracts. He was let go in April after two years of heading the agency.
Federal Judge Rules 18- to 20-Year-Olds Cannot Be Barred From Buying Handguns

A federal judge in Virginia ruled that 18-to-20-year-old residents cannot be barred from purchasing handguns, arguing that such regulations arent in accordance with American traditions and history.

Because the statutes and regulations in question are not consistent with our Nations history and tradition, they, therefore, cannot stand, U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne wrote (pdf), concluding that the laws barring.

The ruling came in response to a case brought by 20-year-old Virginian, John Corey Fraser, who tried to purchase a handgun in May 2022 before he was denied the sale due to a federal ban on firearms dealers selling handguns to people under the age of 21. Fraser challenged the 1968 Gun Control Act and a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) rule that makes the stipulation.

If the Court were to exclude 18-to-21-year-olds from the Second Amendments protection, it would impose limitations on the Second Amendment that do not exist with other constitutional guarantees, the judge wrote. It is firmly established that the First, Fourth, Fifth, Eight, and Fourteenth Amendments vest before the age of 21.

By that rationale, the Second Amendments protections apply to 18-to-20-year-olds, Payne wrote. By adopting the Second Amendment, the people constrained both the hands of Congress and the courts to infringe upon this right by denying ordinary law-abiding citizens of this age the full enjoyment of the right to keep and bear arms unless the restriction is supported by the Nations history. That is what Bruen tells us.

The judge was referring to a 2022 Supreme Court decision, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, that ruled a New York state law regarding concealed carry weapons was unconstitutional. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority opinion, noted at the time that the order does not expand who can obtain and possess a firearm, adding that federal law generally bars people under the age of 21 from purchasing a handgun.

No federal appellate court, much less the Supreme Court, has squarely determined that the Second Amendments rights vest at age 21 Payne also wrote, concluding that to date, three circuits, the Fifth, Seventh, and Eleventh, have looked at this question head-on and have declined to answer it.

Payne, an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush, further wrote that Alito did not carry out a historical analysis of whether individuals under the age of 21 should be able to buy a handgun. Alitos observation is in a concurrence and is a cursory comment at that, he wrote, adding that the Court notes it but gives it no analytical weight.

He added that under the Bruen decision, the federal government has not met its burden in arguing that 18-to-20-year-olds are part of U.S. history and tradition, noting that founding-era militia laws are evidence that individuals in that age group could purchase firearms. Lawyers for the ATF and Department of Justice, meanwhile, only pointed to laws that came about decades after the founding of the nation, the judge also wrote.

The ATF and DOJ, in opposing Frasers lawsuit, claimed that he is asking the court to essentially create a new law with his ruling by allowing those under the age of 21 to purchase a handgun, arguing that its out of the courts jurisdiction to do so.

Plaintiffs would have this Court make new law by recognizing an unrestricted right by 18- to 20-year-olds to purchase handguns without parental knowledge from federal firearms licencees, the ATFs lawyers wrote last year (pdf). To support this alleged right, Plaintiffs primarily rely upon the 1792 Militia Act and historical research that shows that, during the founding era, 18-year-olds were sometimes permitted to serve in some state militias. According to Plaintiffs, this is enough to demonstrate that all rights secured by the Second Amendment necessarily reach 18-year-olds.

Further, the government argued, the overwhelming majority of states have adopted some restriction on the possession and/or purchase of firearms to individuals under the age of 21 at some point in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Attorneys on both sides of the lawsuit said they expected the DOJ to appeal Paynes decision and request an injunction, which could prevent his ruling from going into effect immediately while higher courts look into the matter.

William T. Clark, an attorney with the pro-gun-control Giffords Law Center, told the Washington Post that teenagers arent mentally capable of making rational decisions around the purchasing of firearms.

Its a significant decisionwe disagree with the outcome, Clark said, adding that there is compelling scientific evidence showing that teenagers are more impulsive and face unique elevated dangers from firearms.

Janet Carter, with gun control group Everytown Law, concluded with Clarks claims, telling the paper that individuals in that age group commit disproportionately more gun homicides than adults aged 21 or older. Carter, however, did not say how many obtained those guns illegally.

Research shows us that 18- to 20-year-olds commit gun homicides at triple the rate of adults 21 years and older, Carter said, adding that the federal law prohibiting federally-licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to individuals under the age of 21 is not just an essential tool for preventing gun violence, it is also entirely constitutional.

The Epoch Times has contacted the ATF for comment. A spokesperson for the agency told the Post that it cannot comment on litigation.
Donald Trump at a rally in Manchester (New Hamsphire). Charles Krupa (AP)

A day after being found guilty of sexual abuse and sentenced to pay $5 million in damages, Donald Trump took part Wednesday night in a CNN town hall, where he took advantage of the prime-time slot to claim he was the victim of a political witch hunt. Its the same claim he made in April when he was charged with 34 counts over his involvement in hush money paid to the porn star Stormy Daniels. It proved a winning strategy: not only did donations pour into the Trump campaign, the former president also saw a bump in popularity. According to a voter intention poll published last weekend, 44% of respondents would support Trump in the 2024 presidential election, compared to 34% for U.S. President Joe Biden.

But while Trump is the clear favorite to win the Republican presidential primaries, the sex assault verdict has started to raise doubts about whether he is the most suitable candidate to run for the White House. On Tuesday, jurors in New York found Trump had sexually abused and defamed advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, though they rejected her claim that he raped her. The former president says the sexual assault case is part of the broader witch hunt against him, alleging that a well-known Democratic Party donor is behind the womans lawsuit.

The case has furthered questions about whether Trumps legal woes will help or harm him. This debate is prominent among the most moderate wing of the Republican Party, which is concerned that Trump  who is the subject of several other investigations  may stain the reputation of the GOP and turn away voters.

While Republicans closed ranks around the former president when he was indicted in April, they may find it more difficult to stand by a candidate convicted of sexual abuse, which is a more sensitive issue for voters. In a November 2017 poll  released after Trump was accused of sexual harassment in a series of unrelated cases  respondents overwhelmingly (61% to 33%) said that he should be impeached and removed from office if the allegations were proven. Even 28% of Republicans agreed. Indeed, there was more support for action against Trump than when he was subject to two impeachment trials, which both failed to convict him. For the Republican Party, finding out whether those numbers still hold, or if they have in fact risen after Tuesdays conviction, is critical.

According to analysts, Trump may be able to present himself as a victim of political persecution when it comes to the cases against his company, the Georgia probe into whether he tried to overturn his election defeat in that state, the federal criminal investigation over top secret documents found at his Florida estate, and the investigation into his role in instigating the assault on the Capitol in January 2021  but it is more difficult to label a conviction for sexual abuse as a witch hunt.

While in all these cases, Republicans have rallied behind Trump, there has been less vocal support for the former president over the sex abuse conviction. Indeed, conservative lawyer George Conway, who believes in the traditional values of the Republican Party, openly celebrated the verdict. God bless E Jean Carroll and congratulations to Roberta Kaplan [Carrolls attorney] and her team for a job well done, he tweeted on Monday.

Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson  who is running against Trump in the primaries  also spoke out against the former president. The jury verdict should be treated with seriousness and is another example of the indefensible behavior of Donald Trump, he said in a statement.

Republican Senator John Thune added that the verdict should make the party rethink whether Trump is a suitable presidential candidate. It has a cumulative effect, he said. People are going to have to decide if they want to deal with all the drama.

Texas Senator John Cornyn was even clearer: The fact is, I do not think he could win the presidency.

Trumps former vice president, Mike Pence, meanwhile, tried to remain on the fence. When asked on NBC if Trump is fit to serve in the White House again, he replied: I think thats a question for the American people.

Only Florida Senator Marco Rubio rushed to defend Trump. That jurys a joke. The whole case is a joke, he told reporters on Tuesday.

But overall, there have been few dissenting voices against Trump. Noticeably silent was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has avoided criticizing Trump as he prepares to launch his campaign for the presidency.

Trumps advisors have warned that the former president has a very low approval rating among women with university degrees, and Tuesdays verdict is likely to make it even harder for him to win over these voters. In last weekends survey, released by the Washington Post and ABC News, 44% of female respondents preferred Biden, compared to 41% in favor of Trump. But this situation was reversed when it came to men, with 48% supporting Trump and 31% backing Biden. A similar division was seen in regard to a potential Biden-DeSantis standoff.

Just about everyone has made up their mind about Donald Trump, and some Republicans are absolutely determined to ignore absolutely everything he says or does, no matter how egregious, Republican consultant and pollster Frank Luntz told The Washington Post. Where this comes into play and where it is important is a critical swing group: women with kids in suburban areas who are economically conservative and socially moderate, but you wont hear a peep from them until November.

In 2020, Trump lost the presidential election in part due to his low approval ratings among female voters.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition




Federal Labor to Recoup Billions From NDIS Overhaul

The National Disability Insurance Scheme NDIS logo is seen at its head office in Canberra, Australia, on June 22, 2022. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

Australias Budget has revealed the Albanese governments plan to save more than $74 billion over the next decade by reducing the annual funding target of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

This follows a decision by Federal Labor to cap the annual funding target of the disability scheme at eight percent by July 2026.

In October 2022, federal Labor had forecasted the annual growth of the NDIS to be 13.8 percent. On May 9, the NDIS was forecast to grow at 10.4 percent per year over the next decade.

The NDIS currently has over 580,000 participants.

Meanwhile, Federal Labor Treasurer Jim Chalmers has assured Australians that eligibility for the NDIS wont be tightened and that he remains committed to the future of the disability scheme.

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers speaks to the media during a doorstop at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on May 9, 2023. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)

The way that the scheme is designed is to provide for people who need our help, and that will continue, he told ABC Radio on May 11.

The task for the government  is to try and make sure that we get genuine value for money in these areas, and fraud is part of it, a big part of it.

However, following the Budget hand down on May 9, the treasurer has faced criticism from the Greens Party for allegedly turning his back on the disabled community after the Budget delivered a $4.2 billion surplus.

Our community was building trust between the federal government and the disability community; instead, this government have chosen to take us back to square one, said Greens NDIS spokesman Jordon Steele-John.

The community have been blindsided by this decision. People expected cuts in a Liberal budget but expected more from the Australian Labor Party, which promised to co-design decisions with the disability community.

Jumping the Gun on NDIS Review Findings?

Meanwhile, a review of the NDIS is expected to be handed down by September.

Steele-John has criticised the federal government for cutting NDIS funding prior to the reviews findings.

On April 28, the national cabinet agreed to implement a new annual target growth of eight percent for the NDIS by 2026.

The NDIS review has had input from many in the disabled community; people were hopeful that the scheme has a clear trajectory for change, Steele-John said.

It is disappointing that big decisions that will impact the future of the scheme are being made without considering the inputs into the review.

When it comes to the economics of the NDISlets not forget that the scheme directly employs 270,000 people across 20 different professions. In addition, it contributes to tens of thousands of other people having indirect work. The return on investment for the NDIS is significant at $2.25 for every $1 spent. In 2020-2021 the economic contribution of the NDIS was $52.4 billion. These benefits need to be in any conversation about the cost.

Western Australian Greens Senator Jordan Steele-John in the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on July 4, 2019. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Chalmers said the funds going into the NDIS would help those that the scheme was designed to assist.

People with a disability and the NDIS are our complete priority, and in order to serve them as they need and deserve, we need to make sure that we can get a handle on these costs, and thats what we intend to do, Chalmers said.

NDIS Unsustainable, Says PM

Albanese said the NDIS would cost Australian taxpayers just under $100 billion in a decade in April.

We need to have a sustainable growth trajectory for the NDIS in order to support equity and fairness for all Australians who are living with disability, including those not eligible for the NDIS and ensure that every dollar goes to those who need it most, Albanese said in April.

To achieve the agreed-upon growth rate of eight percent, federal Labor will outlay $729.9 million to improve the National Disability Insurance Agencys (NDIA) ability to administer the NDIS, while payments related to the NDIS are expected to increase by $1.8 billion in 202324 and $1.7 billion over four years from 202324 to 202627, according to the Budget (pdf).

Additionally, interest payment growth is expected to average 8.8 percent, compared to the 14.4 percent that was forecast in the October Budget.

This primarily reflects the Governments decision to bank tax receipts upgrades, which has resulted in lower deficits and lower debt, as well as lower assumed yields, the Budget states.

The medium-term outlook remains under pressure from fast-growing payments, including interest, the NDIS, defence, health and aged care. The Government is taking meaningful steps to reduce the structural deficit, including through moderating growth in NDIS spending and a fairer, more sustainable tax system.

The NDIS is expected to cost almost $42 billion for the 2023-24 financial year, with the federal government contributing $27.9 billion, or 70 percent. By 2026-27, the NDIS is expected to cost $56 billion, making it the biggest expenditure in the Budget.

Meanwhile, the Senate has called for documents on the NDISs financial sustainability framework to be released.
Finlands Outgoing Prime Minister Files for Divorce

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin delivers a speech during the "This is Europe" debate at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, on Sept. 13, 2022. (FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Finlands outgoing Prime Minister Sanna Marin has filed for divorce jointly with her husband of three years Markus Raikkonen, they said on Instagram on Wednesday.

We are grateful for the 19 years together and our beloved daughter. We will remain best friends, they said in separate Instagram stories.

Marin and Raikkonen, who until recently worked at a venture capital firm, share a 5-year-old daughter. They married in 2020 while Marin was in office dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have lived our youth together, entered adulthood together and grown into parents for our dear daughter together, Marin wrote on Instagram after her August 2020 wedding to Raikkonen.

Prime minister of Finland Sanna Marin holds a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, on Aug. 19, 2022. (RONI REKOMAA/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images)

Marin and her Social Democratic Party lost Finlands election for parliament last month, trailing the right-wing National Coalition Party as well as the nationalist Finns Party.

Read More Outgoing Finnish Leader Marin Steps Down as Party Leader

Marin, 37, the worlds youngest prime minister when she took office in 2019, is considered by fans around the globe as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders, even as voters at home opted for a new government.
Florida Surgeon General Hits Back at FDA, CDC Over COVID-19 Vaccine Safety

U.S. officials are gaslighting the public about COVID-19 vaccine safety, a top Florida public health official said as he urged the officials to investigate concerns with the vaccines.

Your ongoing decision to ignore many of the risks associated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, alongside your efforts to manipulate the public into thinking they are harmless, have resulted in deep distrust in the American health care system, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Floridas surgeon general, wrote in a new letter to Dr. Robert Califf, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use messenger RNA, or mRNA, technology.

Ladapo raised the alarm in an alert in February, noting that the number of reported adverse events following a COVID-19 vaccination had spiked well above the increase in overall vaccine administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. He told Califf and Walensky that they should acknowledge serious side effects and stop claiming that the vaccines are safe and effective. Among his citations is a study that found that the mRNA vaccines were linked to an excess risk of some serious adverse events.

Walensky and Califf responded by claiming that more reports of adverse events were expected because vaccine companies and health care workers were required to report certain events because of the emergency use authorization of the vaccines.

They also noted that problems suffered after vaccination arent necessarily caused by the vaccine.

Most reports do not represent adverse events caused by the vaccine and instead represent a preexisting condition that preceded vaccination or an underlying medical condition that precipitated the event, they said.

Walensky and Califf also said virtually every person should get a primary series of a vaccine and a bivalent booster.

Based on available information for the COVID-19 vaccines that are authorized or approved in the United States, the known and potential benefits of these vaccines clearly outweigh their known and potential risks, the officials said.

They largely cited non-peer-reviewed studies published by the CDCs quasi-journal, including a study that found that a bivalent booster provided a boost of just 50 percent or less in protection against symptomatic infection.

The FDA authorized the Moderna and Pfizer bivalent vaccines as boosters without clinical trial data, and the CDC recommended them to most Americans. The FDA has since replaced the old Moderna and Pfizer vaccines with the bivalents, even though no efficacy estimates from trials have been published. The CDC now states that unvaccinated people should get a single dose of one of the vaccines, down from at least three doses, and that certain populations should get an additional dose.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky in Washington on Feb. 8, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Ignored Studies

In their response, Walensky and Califf decried misinformation about COVID-19 vaccine safety that they said has caused some Americans to avoid getting the vaccines they need to be up to date. They didnt address studies that have reached concerning conclusions, including one that found an increase in acute cardiac events following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.

In the new missive, Ladapo said the officials were ignoring scientific evidence indicating a poor safety profile, including data from the CDCs v-safe system, which show that many vaccinated people were unable to conduct normal activities after being vaccinated.

A reanalysis of Moderna and Pfizer trial data found that vaccinated people were actually at higher risk of some serious adverse events, such as coagulation disorder, or blood clotting problems. The overall risk was 1 in 550, researchers said.

As you are aware, this is extraordinarily high for a vaccine. In comparison, the risk of serious adverse events after influenza vaccination is much lower, Ladapo wrote. For you to claim that serious adverse events such as these are rare when Pfizer and Modernas clinical trial data indicate they are not, is a startling exercise in disinformation.

He said U.S. officials appear poised to promote new vaccines to Americans without properly weighing data on risks and benefits and urged them to publicly release data and answer pressing questions, including their interpretations of a Thailand study that found a high incidence of heart injury in young boys after mRNA vaccination and a Swiss study that found a high incidence of heart injury in adults following receipt of an mRNA booster.

Ladapo also said officials should explain why they left out certain adverse events that were forecasted to potentially be caused by the vaccines off of surveys that the CDC sent to vaccinated people.

Your organizations are the main entities promoting vaccine hesitancyFlorida promotes the truth. It is our duty to provide all information within our power to individuals so they can make their own informed health care decisions, he said. A lack of transparency only harms Americans faith in science. I, Floridians, and people around the world await your response.

The CDC and FDA didnt respond to requests by The Epoch Times for comment.

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf speaks to members of Congress on June 16, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

V-Safe Update

Its not clear who made the decision to leave the adverse events, including myocarditis, a condition now known to be caused by the mRNA vaccines, off of the surveys sent to v-safe participants. A Freedom of Information Act request seeking all communications and other documents related to the decision turned up no documents, the CDC told The Epoch Times on May 11.

V-safe is a new program started by the CDC during the pandemic that relies on users reporting issues through smartphones.

The agency isnt allowing anyone else to sign up for v-safe as of May 19, it stated in a recent update. After May 19, people who already signed up wont be able to add additional doses to their accounts.

Participants can still log information pertaining to their health until June 30. After that date, participants will no longer have access to their accounts.

At this point in the program, very little new data are being reported to the v-safe system. V-safe was developed specifically for COVID-19 vaccines and has been an essential component of the pandemic vaccine safety monitoring systems that have successfully and comprehensively characterized the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines used in the United States, the CDCs website reads.

The agency is developing a new version of the system, which will allow users to share their post-vaccination experiences with new vaccines.

The CDC had refused to release raw v-safe data until forced by a judge in a case brought by the Informed Consent Action Network, represented by a group of lawyers that included Aaron Siri.

Siri questioned the decision to end the monitoring.

To date, v-safe is the only unfiltered vaccine safety data that is available to the public, despite the fact that the agency has required multiple legal actions to obtain it, and if CDC ends the v-safe program or changes it in a way that [significantly] affects this transparency, that would be alarming, Siri told The Epoch Times in an email.

It is already unclear why participants will lose access to their own entries after June 30. It will be interesting to see what the new version of v-safe entails and whether or not users are still invited to complete free-text fields where they can share any information they choose with CDC.
Fox News Exec Reveals One Reason Why Tucker Carlson May Have Left

Fox News host Tucker Carlson discusses 'Populism and the Right' during the National Review Institute's Ideas Summit at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington on March 29, 2019. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A Fox News executive revealed what may have been a key reason for Tucker Carlsons sudden departure last month: ad sales.

In an interview this week with Variety magazine, Fox News Vice President for Advertising Sales Jeff Collins said that big-name corporate advertisers have returned to Fox News 8 p.m. ET timeslot after Carlson departed. Ratings for the new show, Fox News Tonight, have been significantly smaller, but the outlet reported that large corporations were advertising their products again during the show.

We have had over 40 new advertisers come into the hour since we launched the new program, including some of the largest in the country and, really, across all major categories, he said. We have seen new advertisers come in, and new demand.

The report said that one of the largest firms to return to the 8 p.m. timeslot is Procter & Gamble, which has been running advertisements for womens razors and Secret deodorant. Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which makes the medication Ozempic, and Scotts, the lawn-care brand, have also returned, it was reported.

According to another executive, Fox Corporations Marianne Gambelli, the company plans to bring back a full slate of national advertisers at the 8 p.m. hour. Thats our intent, Gambelli remarked.

Over the years, some big-name advertisers have dropped Carlsons show, according to a review from The Hollywood Reporter in 2019, amid perceived controversy about comments Carlson made on the air. A 2020 New York Times article, which claimed advertisers were boycotting Carlsons timeslot, reported that advertisers that left included the Walt Disney Company and Sandals, the vacation resort operator, as well as T-Mobile, NordicTrack, and others.

Mainstream corporate advertisers have employed similar tactics with conservative media outlets, including Breitbart. After Elon Musk took over Twitter, a review found that a range of large sponsors pulled ads from the social media platform despite it posting all-time records in user engagement, according to Musk. The Twitter owner has since asked users to pay a small monthly fee to become verified and has reportedly slashed a significant number of Twitters employees.

It has been noted that Carlsons show has been largely supported by so-called direct response advertisements, which generally have lower-price advertisements. The top advertisers, according to iSpot.TV, were MyPillow, supplement maker Balance of Nature, and Fox News itself.

The show has almost no big-name advertisers left right now, Kara Alaimo, a public-relations expert at Hofstra University, told the New York Times in 2020. She added that comments that Carlson had madedespite his widespread popularitywere not something you want to be on the wrong side of, if youre a mainstream brand.

Brad Adgate, an industry analyst, said in 2019 that direct ads are a short-term strategy. But he said that if this is a prolonged boycott of the show, at some point Fox News might be forced to consider other options. Its on primetime, one of the most watched shows on Fox News, and to have it filled with mostly promos and direct-response ads is resulting in lost revenue for the newer Fox company.

Few Details

Neither Fox News nor Carlson has provided details about why he left the network. In a brief statement, Fox confirmed that Carlson would be departing the network and thanked him for his time at the company.

Carlson has released two videos on Twitter in the past two weeks, with a clip on Tuesday saying that he would be bringing his show to Twitter. Carlson has provided few details about the move to Twitter, but it has drawn intense interest, with it garnering 120 million impressions in two days.

Australian-born media magnate Rupert Murdoch (C) flanked by his sons Lachlan (L) and James (R) arrive at St. Brides Church on Fleet Street in central London on March 5, 2016, to attend a ceremony of celebration a day after the official marriage of Rupert Murdoch and former U.S. model Jerry Hall. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

Amid rumors and speculation, Musk issued a response on Tuesday and said that Carlson would be subject to the same rules and requirements as anyone else who uses the platform. Musk also denied speculation that he and Carlson came to some sort of deal to bring his program to the social media network.

In the clip, Carlson made reference to how journalists like him are essentially censored from talking about certain issues and suggested there are topics that no one in the mainstream will even touch.

If you bump up against the limits [in the news business] you will be fired for it, Carlson said.

The rule of what you cant say defines everything, Carlson added, noting: You cant have a free society if people arent allowed to say what they think is true  There arent many platforms left that allow free speech. The last big one remaining in the world is Twitter, where we are now.

He continued: You see it on cable news, you talk about it on Twitter. The result may feel like a debate, but actually, the gatekeepers are still in charge. We think thats a bad system. We know exactly how it works, and were sick of it.

At the same time, Axios reported that Carlson may be going after his old employer amid a reported contract dispute. Unconfirmed reports indicated that he sent an evidence preservation letter to Fox News.

In response to the claims, his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has told Axios that the idea that anyone would silence Carlson is preposterous.

The Epoch Times has contacted Freedman for comment. When reached for comment about the rumors, a Fox News spokesman redirected The Epoch Times to the initial news release announcing Carlsons departure.
Gen Z Workers Are Saving More for Retirement: Study

Gen Z workers are participating in workplace retirement plans at higher rates than previous generations were at the same stage of their lives, according to a new study by the investment firm Vanguard.

In 2021, 62 percent of workers between the ages of 18 and 24 participated in their companys 401(k) plan, up from 30 percent of people in that age group 15 years previously, the study (pdf) found. This was the highest increase of any generation.

Many Gen Z workers embrace 401(k)s due to automatic enrollment.

Automatic enrollment and the rise of target-date funds are reshaping retirement plan behavior for all generations, but those innovations are having the greatest impact on younger workersthe millennials and Generation Z, according to Vanguard.

In 2006, only 11 percent of employers in Vanguards study sample offered automatic enrollment, but by the end of 2021, that share rose to half of the plans.

The study found that the 401(k) participation rate increased from 62 percent in 2006 to 82 percent in 2021. And among plans with automatic enrollment, participation reached 94 percent in 2021, the study said.

The data for the study was drawn from a subset of Vanguard record-keeping clients, including 219 401(k) programs offered by the same employers in 2006 and 2021.

401(k)

401(k) accounts are tax-advantaged retirement plans that allow employees to forgo receiving a portion of their income, instead steering it into an account where the money can grow through investments.

Traditional 401(k)s allow eligible employees to contribute pre-tax money that is then taxed upon withdrawal in retirement, while contributions to Roth 401(k)s are taxed upfront and can be withdrawn tax-free in retirement.

Employers can contribute to an employees retirement savings by matching the contributions to a 401(k) account up to an amount decided by the employer.

According to a 2021 Gallup survey, the average age retirees left the workforce was 62, while non-retirees said they plan to retire at age 64.

If the goal is to retire in relative comfort, Americans say it takes about $1.1 million, according to a survey by Schroders, an asset management company.

Benefits of Starting Early

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that while 68 percent of private-sector American workers had access to employer-sponsored retirement plans in 2021, only 51 percent chose to participate.

Experts generally recommend that workers save at least between 10 percent and 15 percent of their income in a tax-advantaged retirement account. The earlier a person starts investing funds in a retirement account, the more time they have to grow and compound.

Gen Z is taking a different approach to saving money than older generations by planning to start sooner, making long-term money goals, and becoming financially independent sooner.

A recent survey (pdf) from TransAmerica Center for Retirement Studies found that workers between 18 and 25 already had $33,000 in their retirement accounts. Baby boomers had $162,000 in retirement savings, Gen X had $87,000, and millennials had $50,000, according to the survey.

A Bankrate analysis found that a worker who put away $5,000 per year for retirement in a tax-deferred account starting at age 22 would have nearly $1.3 million by the time they reached age 62, assuming an 8 percent rate of return. If they didnt start until age 32, that balance would fall by about 50 percent to $566,000 at age 62.

Meanwhile, more than two-fifths of baby boomers are nearing retirement with no retirement savings account, according to U.S. Census Bureau data for 2020. This leaves more retirees to depend on Social Security.

However, the Social Security Old Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund is expected to run out of money by the middle of the next decade. When it does, the program must be funded solely by payroll taxes, which currently cover about 77 percent of benefits.
General Hospital Star Jacklyn Zeman Dies at 70

Jacklyn Zeman attends the Center Theatre Group's opening night performance of "The Prom" at Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 10, 2022. (Steven Simione/Getty Images)

Jacklyn Zeman, an actress best known for her role as nurse Bobbie Spencer on the daytime soap opera General Hospital, has died of cancer, her family confirmed on Wednesday. She was 70.

Frank Valentini, the executive producer of what is Americas longest-running soap opera currently in production, confirmed Zemans death Wednesday night in a statement on social media.

On behalf of our [General Hospital] family, I am heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved [Jackie Zeman], Valentini said in a post on Twitter. Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work.

Zeman first joined the cast of General Hospital in 1977 as Barbara Jean Spencer, who went by the name of Bobbie, the feisty younger sister of Anthony Gearys Luke Spencer. She appeared in nearly 900 episodes in total, according to IMDb.

The official Twitter account of the series also released a statement remembering Zeman for her radiant spirit, adding the late actress was a beloved member of the ABC family.

Zeman has been a beloved member of the General Hospital and ABC family since she originated the iconic role of Bobbie Spencer over 45 years ago, reads the tribute posted on Twitter. She leaves behind a lasting legacy for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of the bad girl turned heroine and will always be remembered for her kind heart and radiant spirit.

Born in Englewood, New Jersey in 1953, Zeman discovered a love for dance as a child, and as a teen began acting in school productions. She worked in Venezuela as a dancer after high school and was pre-med at New York University. However, she dropped out when she was offered a contract on the ABC soap One Life to Live after originally being hired for just three days of work.

On One Life, she portrayed Lana McClain for a little more than a year, before leaving for General Hospital.

I didnt even audition, she told a blogger in 2010. Zeman was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award four times for her work on the soap opera.

Jacklyn Zeman, who portrays nurse Bobbie Spencer on ABCs General Hospital, attends to a patient in an ambulance during a taping of GHs first primetime special in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 20, 1996. (Susan Sterner/AP Photo)

The late actresss last appearance on the show was in April for the wedding of her characters grandson. The same month, she also celebrated the shows 60th anniversary by posting a video on Instagram to her fans.

A great, big heartfelt thank you to the very special people who have been watching us and supporting us and keeping us on the air all these years, she said.

Soap World Reacts

The actress was beloved not only by General Hospital viewers, but also by many current and former soap stars on the show, such as Rick Springfield, Laura Wright, and John Stamos.

Incredibly stunned to hear of  Jackies passing, Springfield, who portrayed Dr. Noah Drake on the soap, wrote on Twitter. Such a truly kind soul with no touch of the diva and only sweet things to say about everyone. Love to your spirit as it ascends, sweet girl. You left your mark on many of us and you will not be forgotten.

Wright, who plays Carly Corinthos on the show, said in a post on Instagram Thursday that shes struggling to accept Zemans death.

Laura Wright in a scene on ABCs General Hospital. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for DATG)

Im so grateful to have shared so many years with this beautiful woman. Jackie told the best storiesshe had an INCREDIBLE spirit and she lived such an amazing life, Wright wrote. She loved working on [General Hospital]she adored her daughters and lit up when talking about her grandchildrensaying she will be missed is an understatement.

Stamos, who played Blackie Parrish on the soap and earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 1983 for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series, also paid tribute on Twitter.

I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of the talented and beloved actress [Jackie Zeman], Stamos wrote. I recall the wonderful times we spent working together on General Hospital. Her warm personality and infectious energy always brightened my day. Jackie will forever hold a special place in my heart, and her memory will continue to inspire me.

In the past six months, two other General Hospital cast and crew members have also died. Sonya Eddy, who portrayed head nurse Epiphany Johnson, died in December from complications arising from non-emergency surgery, while producer Nneka Garland died suddenly in April.

Zeman is survived by two daughters, Cassidy and Lacey, from her marriage to Glenn Gordon. The pair were married for 19 years but ultimately divorced in 2007.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Germany Seeking to Revive EUs Diplomatic and Commercial Presence in Africa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has resuscitated the frantic effort to rebuild the EUs waned diplomatic and commercial presence in Africa in the face of growing Chinese and Russian influence in one of the fastest-growing regions of the world.

Scholzs May 4May 7 official visit to Ethiopia and Kenyathe second to the continent in less than a year since taking officesaw him making the case for the African Union (AU) joining the G20, discussing economic cooperation and global challenges such as climate change.

But coming amid the raging conflicts in Sudan and Ukraineand in the wake of the two-year war in Ethiopiathe German chancellors visit has been varyingly appreciated by critics.

Scholz intended the visit as a window to deal with Russian propaganda justifying its war on Ukraine as a result of NATOs expansion.

But African public discourse has largely moved away from the war in Ukraine, according to Teniola Tayo, Trade Policy Fellow at the Africa Policy Research Institute.

There have been other crises within Africa, such as the ongoing conflict in Sudan that is taking up more attention, Teniola told The Epoch Times via a messaging app.

There are also probably more effective ways of correcting some of the disinformation that exists within African public spaces, as the leaders [that] Scholz engaged with are more likely to know the facts of the situation and are not as vulnerable to the prevailing rhetoric.

Scholzs visit was not unconnected with Europes strategic re-engagement with Africa due to a widespread concern about increasing European disinterest on the continent, according to Paul Nantulya, Research Associate and China Specialist at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University.

Nantulya told The Epoch Times that Europe has been engaged in Africa for decades and has always been the continents most valued and strategic partner long before Chinas resurgence on the continent in the 2000s under the Forum for China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) mechanism.

The visit was also driven by a desire to demonstrate Germanys commitment to lift Africas voice in international affairsin particular a call for a permanent African seat in the G-20 which will undoubtedly resonate with African countries as it is something they have fought for since the signing of the Ezulwini Consensus in 2005 that spells out Africas position on international system reform, Nantulya commented to The Epoch Times via email.

A G20 seat would give one of the fastest-growing regions of the world a bigger voice on key issues such as climate change.

The choices of Ethiopia, as the seat of the AU, and Kenya as one of the AUs most influential members, Nantulya explained, were certainly informed by Germanys push for a more influential African position in international affairs.

African countries tend to have objections to the dominance of Western European powers and the United States in international relations and therefore sometimes support Russia and China, whom they believe are putting up a challengeirrespective of what that challenge looks like.

At the same time, African countries largely view post-Soviet Russia as the successor of the Soviet Union whose record in supporting the fight for African independence and the battle against white minority rule in Southern Africa and apartheid in South Africa and Namibia is well-established.

These memories are firmly etched in the political mindsets and attitudes of modern day Africans and should not be dismissed. This explains in part African states voting behavior at the UN when it comes to votes involving Russia and its re-invasion of Ukraine, said Nantulya.

The only way out, the researcher suggests, is for African countries, Europe, and the United States to have an open and frank dialogue about their historical and contemporary grievances and to validate those grievances.

While in Ethiopia, the German Chancellor met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and the interim leader of the Tigray region, Gatchew Reda, and discussed progress in ensuring peace after a two-year war that killed at least 600,000 people.

He also met with African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and discussed the latest developments in Sudan, economic cooperation, and global challenges such as climate change.

While in Kenya, Scholz discussed trade relations and how to end the ongoing conflict in Sudan, as well as Kenyas success story of using renewable energy with President William Ruto.

Scholz also visited Africas biggest geothermal plant, at Lake Naivasha, in the geologically active Great Rift Valley, which is key to Kenyas plans for producing green hydrogen.

We dont have any volcanic regions like this in Germany, but we have many areas and landscapes that have potential for geothermal energy, he said.

It is also something that we can use in Germany, and we will do so. Because there is a lot of potential in this way of producing energy in a climate-friendly way. Geothermal energy is possible in many more places in Germany than people think today.

Better Partner Than China

The government in Berlin is convinced that Europe can make a better partner with Africa than China. Kenya and Ethiopia have been among the recipients of Chinas largest loans to the continent.

That includes funding for Kenyas largest infrastructure project since becoming independenta railway line between Nairobi and Mombasa that has since run into refinancing troubles.

During his talks in Ethiopia and Kenya, Scholz discussed the challenge of debt reduction and Chinas role in those efforts.

Africa is the largest regional component of Chinas controversial $1 trillion Belt and Road initiative to reset global commerce.

But the scheme has received a backlash from African leaders who fume it is creating an unsustainable debt issue while enslaving the people of Africa.

Chinas role as the primary lender for many developing nations has increasingly become part of the wider strategic competition with the United States for influence across the globe.

The European Union and the United States have both touted their own alternatives to the BRI, but both schemes rely on private lenders making their prospects uncertain.

Germany and other European countries view Beijing increasingly as a strategic competitor and they are struggling to reduce their economic dependencies on China, a lesson learned from their over-reliance on Russian energy.

Tibor Nagy, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs hinted to The Epoch Times that Germany is much more interested in expanding economic relations with Africa, especially strategic mineralsgiven its large auto industry.

Thats where they might conflict with Chinawhich as we all know has a lock on most strategic minerals required for [electric vehicle] EV production, he says.

Too Dependent

Kevin Jessip, the president of Global Strategic Alliance, concurs and adds that with tensions at a fever pitch as the Indo-Pacific region heats up over the Taiwan Straitsand geopolitically due to Russias war with Ukraine Germany now finds itself very dependent upon China with its economic cooperation regarding various issues such as food security and climate change.

Germany is not the only country that finds itself too dependent on China, Jessip told The Epoch Times in an email.

Chancellor Scholzs trip was controversial, he says.

Despite objections from many of his cabinet and ruling coalition, he pushed through a controversial deal to allow the Chinese state-owned shipping company Cosco to purchase nearly 25 percent of Hamburgs port terminals which continues to expand the supply chain of global ports globally controlled by the Chinese.

Jessip bemoans Africa for its inability, in many cases, to show accountability and transparency with certain European and U.S. funds allocated to the needs of the intended peoples.

In the recent Equity for Africa Conferences hosted by Liberty University in the United Statesattended by presidents, vice presidents, prime ministers, ministers of finance, businesses and parliamentarians alikethere is now a cry for China to be replaced as the BRI has only caused a new and unsustainable debt load which is being leveraged for the nations mineral rights and other national assets, he said.

The European Union will make an effort to invest in Africa, although Scholz went alone and not in coalition with other EU partners.

Use Both East and West

Africa analyst Tayo and researcher Nantulya agree that Africa could make significant gains if its leaders can navigate the competition of outside powers wisely, with the determination to maximize the benefit for their own countries.

African countries should not choose one partner at the expense of another, but should strategically navigate the various interests while leveraging for their own needs, advises Teniola.

There are things that the Chinese do well, that Western countries will struggle with, she told The Epoch Times.

For example, the Chinese generally have a higher deployment speed when it comes to executing projects. On the other hand, Western partners bring on board stronger accountability measures and more development financing that cuts across social sectors in African countries.

Western partners are also critical to Africas green transition, both as a source of expertise and for climate financing.

Before China came in with its BRI, Nantulya recalls, infrastructure financing was basically a non-starter, yet the demand for it was very high.

Chinas BRI thus forced Europe, Japan, and the United States to come through with their own infrastructure financing packages, he said.

This is a good thing for Africa because it increases the continents options, raises its profile, and plugs more financing to close its huge infrastructure gap of $100 billion per year.

No single partner can close that gap, so there is a lot of room for African countries and private sectors to negotiate arrangements across the different mechanisms that are now in place.

Nantulya says that the United States, Europe, and Japan have also been re-thinking their education, professionalization, and human resource development programs in Africa in light of Chinas huge packages since the 2000s.

This, too, is a good thing for Africa. It gives the continent options, increases competition, and delivers more for Africaas long as African countries negotiate in the public interest.
Governor DeSantis Signs Nations Toughest Illegal Immigration Bill, Attacks Biden Border Policy

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 10 signed an illegal immigration bill he said was the toughest in the country.

One of its provisions requires companies with more than 25 employees to use the federal E-Verify system to check a job applicants eligibility.

At a signing ceremony in Jacksonville, DeSantis blasted the Biden administrations lack of border enforcement, allowing illegal immigration to surge.

DeSantis said that with the formal ending of the COVID crisisand the expiration of immigration controls tied to itillegal immigrants would enter the country at a rate of over 13,000 a day, more than 4.5 million a year.

He tied that to many problems: crime, record rates of drug overdose deaths, and a skyrocketing financial burden to taxpayers forced to fund services such as medical care, education, and law enforcement for illegals.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the debt ceiling at the White House in Washington on May 9, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Alexander Hamilton wrote in the Federalist Papers that energy in the executive is the leading characteristic of good government, DeSantis said.

Wheres this presidents energy? Wheres his vigor? Wheres his commitment to the cause? Hes just sitting around doing nothing of importance or nothing of note while the American people suffer.

That suffering was attested to by two speakers at the event.

One, Rep. Kiyan Michael, a Republican representing Jacksonville in the state House, lost her son in a fatal auto collision with an illegal immigrant who was at fault in 2007.

The other, Nikki Jones, lost her husband in a fatal auto accident in 2019 with a drunk illegal immigrant who had previous DUI arrests but had never been deported.

Cracking Down on Employers

She is now struggling to raise two toddlers, who were 2 years and 6 months old, when their father died.

Other provisions of the bill include suspending licenses for employers who knowingly employ illegal immigrants; making use of a fake ID to gain employment a felony; banning local governments and non-governmental organizations from issuing identification documents to illegal migrants, and invalidating out-of-state drivers licenses issued exclusively to illegal border crossers.

The bill enhances penalties for human smuggling. It makes knowingly transporting five or more illegal migrants or a single illegal minor a second-degree felony subject to a $10,000 fine and up to 15 years in prison.

It provides $12 million to continue the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program to relocate illegal immigrants to sanctuary jurisdictions.

DeSantis made headlines last year when he sent 50 illegal immigrants to the upscale Massachusetts vacation island of Marthas Vineyard, a sanctuary city.

Illegal immigrants gather, after being flown in from Texas on a flight funded by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, at Edgartown on Marthas Vineyard, Mass., on Sept. 15, 2022. (Vineyard Gazette/Handout via Reuters)

And the bill requires hospitals to collect and report health care costs for illegal border crossers. During the 2021-22 fiscal year, DeSantis said, they ran up $340 million in health care costs. Taxpayers were on the hook for two-thirds of that, he said.

The Biden administration wants to use Medicaid to cover illegal aliens, said DeSantis, adding that Florida doesnt support it and wont do it. He said gathering data about the care given to those here illegally will help.

Because [while] we were able to identify some, we think that theres a lot more and the public deserves an honest accounting of how much this is costing us in terms of services. And healthcare is probably No. 1.

DeSantis pounded Biden repeatedly.

He said the president wouldnt give the Coast Guard enough assets to adequately patrol off Floridas shores to stop illegals at sea who can be sent back.

Presidential Dereliction of Duty

The governor said the president is guilty of a huge dereliction of duty in permitting a border so open that the nation had over 100,000 overdose deaths last year.

The Biden administration recently claimed that when it comes to illegal immigration, quote, youve seen it come down by more than 90 percent, he said.

That is a lie. That is something that theyre trying to feed you and hope their buddies in corporate media will run with it, but that is factually untrue and demonstrably untrue.

A provision of the new bill is the use of rapid DNA technology, which allows DNA analysis and matching in as little as 90 minutes, said Al Nienhuis, Hernando County Sheriff and president of the Florida Sheriffs Association.

It has previously taken up to 3 months to get a DNA match, and people were only tested if arrested for serious crimes, he said.

Now, he said, all illegal immigrants will be tested, even when picked up for minor crimes like shoplifting. That will allow authorities to determine quicklybefore the detainee can be released on bailif the suspect is wanted elsewhere in the country on more severe charges.

Nienhuis discussed serious crimes committed by illegal immigrants and exemplified the systems breakdown. A man recently sentenced to 60 years in prison for murder had been caught in Texas by the Border Patrol, claimed to be a juvenile, gave a false name to law enforcement, and was released with a notice to appear in court.

He was released in Jacksonville in the dead of night, without any notice to local law enforcement, where he was released without any supervision whatsoever.

Devastating Testimony

Only after he stabbed a local resident to death did he come to the systems attention, Nienhuis said.

In another case, Nienhuis said a 19-year veteran of the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office was struck and killed by an illegal immigrant employed by a construction company.

This murderer made his way across the southern border without incident and made his way to Tampa, where he was hired along with several other immigrants.

Jones, a Plant City widow, said her husbands killer had multiple traffic violations including DUIs and kept getting let out on U.S. soil prior to him killing my husband. Yeah, four violations and he never got deported. He even attended DUI school as an illegal alien in the state of Florida.

The man knew how to manipulate the system, she said, and refused a breathalyzer and field sobriety tests.

Despite evidence of alcohol in the scene, there was a lack of evidence for the court system, which resulted in a lesser charge, she said. Ultimately, he was sentenced to four years in jail with plans of deportation. Currently, he is at an ICE detention facility after serving only three years.

The aftermath is devastating beyond words, she said. I have two girls. One was only six months and the other only two years at the time he was killed. They will never know their father or know how much he loved them.

They will never experience father-daughter dances or go fishing with him, which my husband loved to do, and always talked about teaching the kids how to fish when they got older.

Every day I wake up and pray to god that I will be able to keep my home for my kids. We had just bought our home. My husband just retired from the military and we settled in Plant City, Florida.

Governors Words of Comfort

Shes had to face the challenge of paying a mortgage, childcare, and other bills without her husbands support or any other help.

Nobody holds responsibility for illegal aliens in the United States. So when an American or legal family is destroyed, there are no funds to stabilize that family. No businesses are held accountable. No sponsors are held responsible. No relief programs are available. Nothing. Ive tried.

DeSantis, who opponents have sometimes criticized for lack of warmth, showed his human side at this press conference.

When Jones finished speaking and he returned to the podium to thank her, the mike picked up his quiet words, comforting her and telling her that help might be available.

He thanked her daughters, who were in the audience, at the end of the speech for being so good and handed them two pens he used to sign the bill.

Michael said she was grateful for the opportunity to sponsor the bill in the House, despite being a freshman legislator just elected in November 2022.

She said that her son was driving to cash his paycheck when the fatal accident occurred. Her sons killer was a twice-deported illegal. That means he was deported twice and defied our laws, and came back.

She said he didnt have a drivers license and didnt know he couldnt make a U-turn at the intersection where he plowed into the car driven by Michaels son.

He didnt know our laws and couldnt understand our signs, she said.

Money spent on illegal immigrants disturbs her, she said.

We have senior citizens that cannot afford to pay their bills. They have to decide, are they going to be able to eat? It bothers me that we have veterans like my husband, 20 years in the military, and theyre sleeping on the street, when we have illegals in hotels. That bothers me.

DeSantis spoke for more than 20 minutes, frequently with passion. In thanking him for his support on the issue, Nienhuis said.

Hes not only courageous, but does he have a tremendous grasp of minute details over such a broad spectrum. I see people nodding their heads. I thank you for taking the time to really educate yourself on these issues.
Greens, Coalition Team up to Block Labors Affordable Housing Fund

A general view of public housing towers is seen from Morehead Street in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 16, 2021. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

The Australian Labor governments high-profile affordable housing fund has failed to pass the Parliaments upper house.

On May 10, Labor attempted to bring a vote in the Senate for the Housing Australia Future Fund; however, the motion was shot down by the Greens and Liberal-National Coalition.

As a result, debate on the housing fund will be paused until the Senate returns in June.

The latest development is a blow to Labors ambitious $10 billion fund (US$6.7 billion) that is supposed to address the lack of social and affordable housing across the country, building 30,000 homes over five years.

Under the proposed legislation, the fund will stay in perpetuity, and each year, the government will use its returns to invest in housing across Australia. However, the return amount that can be withdrawn from the fund is capped at $500 million annually.

Greens Criticise Labor for Rushing the Bill

The Greens accuse the government of rushing the bill.

We warned the government not to bring the bill on before theyd come up with a real plan for renters and an increased guaranteed spend on public and affordable housing, Greens spokesperson for housing and homelessness Max Chandler-Mather said.

Instead, they tried to ram it through after only 45 minutes of debate.

The Brisbane MP said his party would pass the bill straight away if Labor worked with states and territories to introduce a rent freeze and set aside $5 billion to build public and affordable housing.

The budget revealed nothing at all for 5.5 million renters. It also has no new money for public and genuinely affordable housing, Chandler-Mather said.

Were in a once-in-a-generation housing crisis, and the government playing politics with housing in the Senate shows they dont understand or dont care that people are stuck in housing hell.

Greens MP Chandler-Mather speaks during the Greens national campaign in Brisbane, Australia, on May 16, 2022. (Dan Peled/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Treasurer Jim Chalmers called the team-up between the Greens and Coalition an unholy alliance saying the government had worked constructively with the Senate crossbench to get the bill passed.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Greens were playing politics and that their actions would not assist homeless people and domestic violence victims.

Crossbench Senator Implores the Greens to Support the Bill

Crossbench Senator Jacqui Lambie, whose party supported the fund, pleaded with the Greens to back the stalled legislation.

The Tasmanian senator and her colleague managed to secure an amendment to the bill, guaranteeing a minimum of 1,200 homes for all states and territories.

However, the Greens still demanded more investment in social housing and a national rent freeze.

We are falling behind because for every one we build, weve got nearly bloody 50 more on that waiting list, she told the Senate.

Lets get the program started so we can get moving, so we dont have as many (homeless) people out there, especially our children, that next generation.

I dont want to see them starting their lives while living in a tent. We cannot hold this up another day.

While Lambie acknowledged the bill was not perfect, she said people needed a roof over their heads.

Talking about her personal experience, Lambie said her mother would have been paralysed if her family was forced to live in a tent instead of a social housing unit.

Do you really want to keep playing with peoples lives? she said.

Meanwhile, independent Senator David Pocock, who sided with the Greens in blocking the vote, is pushing for the bill to include an ability to increase the $500 million disbursement cap periodically as well as a 2.5 percent indexation for each year.

From day one, I have backed calls from right across the residential and community housing sector for more ambition when it comes to the Housing Australia Future Fund, he said.

But I have also been clear that Im hearing from my community that they want to see legislation pass that will start building houses.
An infection from Cronobacter sakazakii, the bacteria that can contaminate infant formula, could soon join the federal disease watchlist.

Cronobacter infections typically strike infants under 2 months old and can be fatal or permanently disabling.

The same germ is linked to a recall and nationwide shortage of powdered infant formula, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In June, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists CSTE), a nonprofit organization that advocates for effective disease surveillance, is expected to decide if it will officially recommend adding Cronobacter infections to the list of nationally notifiable diseases to the CDC.

When we look back at large-scale outbreaks over the course of the last year, many of those outbreaks were associated with diseases and conditions that were nationally notifiable, but not all of them, said Janet Hamilton, executive director of the council. Cronobacter was one of the exceptions.

So whenever we have something like that, that prompts the council to determine and assess whether we need to potentially be doing more.

If the council votes to add Cronobacter infections to the National List of Notifiable Diseases, it will go to the CDC for approval. And if the CDC deems an illness to be notifiable, its up to state and local governments to adjust their reporting laws and develop processes for doctors to report cases to health departments, which then forward those reports to the CDC.

The earliest that data collection could start is the beginning of 2024, and it would most likely be well into the year, depending on state legislative sessions.

Unless detailed studies are done, the diagnosis as a Cronobacter illness may be missed, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf wrote in a blog post. The lack of mandatory reporting significantly hampers the ability to fully understand Cronobacters public health impact.

Currently, only two states, Minnesota and Michigan, require doctors to report Cronobacter cases, which may be diagnosed more generically as sepsis or meningitis, conditions that can result from an infection.

In 2022, the CDC investigated that four babies were sickened, and two died from consuming formula produced at a facility in Sturgis, Michigan. The incidents triggered an extensive investigation by the FDA and ultimately stopped production at the facility for months. The shutdown worsened ongoing supply chain issues and threw the country into a nationwide shortage.

Ultimately, the FDA and the CDC could find no genetic links between Cronobacter samples from the facility and the bacteria found in the water and powder used to mix the formula the infants had consumed.

In recent months, Gerber infant formula, Enfamil baby formula, and Abbott baby formulas have been recalled due to concerns over the same kind of contamination.

Cronobacter Sakazakii

Cronobacter is found naturally in the environment, including in water, soil, and dry foods such as powdered infant formula. According to the FDA, Cronobacter infections are rare but can be deadly for infants, particularly those younger than two months old, premature, immunocompromised, or of low birthweight.

Cronobacter can survive in these harsh environments for extended periods, making it difficult to control and eliminate. According to the CDC, the germ is known to cause severe sepsis or meningitis in newborns.

The first symptoms of Cronobacter infection in infants are usually a fever, accompanied by poor feeding, excessive crying or very low energy, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services noted. If your child is experiencing these symptoms, you should notify your childs medical provider and seek medical care for your child immediately.

CNN Wire contributed to this report.
As the Biden administration is ending the Covid public health emergency, Title 42s border restrictions are coming to an end too. This order, issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Trump administration allowed authorities to expel migrants at the borders without giving them the opportunity to present a case based on the public health risk posed by Covid-19.

The policy is set to end at 11:59 pm ET on Thursday, May 11, and the U.S. is expecting a significant increase in the number of migrants trying to cross into the country. The Biden administration is preparing for this by setting up additional facilities along the border to process migrants and relying on a fast-track deportation process known as expedited removal. It has also issued a new regulation that would ban migrants who traveled through other countries on their way to the U.S-Mexico border from applying for asylum.

What is Title 42?

Title 42 of the United States Code deals with public health, social welfare and civil rights. It includes laws related to Child Nutrition, Social Security, Civil Rights, Air Pollution Control, and others.

In 1944, as part of the Public Health Service Act, a provision called Suspension of entries and imports from designated places to prevent spread of communicable diseases was implemented. It states that if theres a communicable disease in a foreign country, the Surgeon General shall have the power to prohibit, in whole or in part, the introduction of persons and property from such countries or places [...] to avert such danger.

US Army soldiers and migrants at the border crossing between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso. Nayeli Cruz

It was implemented under the Donald Trump administration during the Covid-19 pandemic in March, 2020. Stephen Miller, a Trump Advisor, had a role in shaping the policy. The CDC issued a public health order allowing for the rapid expulsion of unauthorized migrants and asylum seekers, citing health concerns. Several public health officials, including Anne Schuchat, the second-highest official at the CDC, pushed back on this policy and argued that there is no public health benefit to Title 42. Since it is considered an expulsion rather than a normal deportation, migrants do not have the right to make a case to stay in the U.S. before an immigration judge, and most of them are returned to Mexico within hours.

Title 42 on unaccompanied children

In November 2020, a federal court ordered a halt to the practice of expelling unaccompanied minor children, but on January 29, 2021, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the stay, allowing minors to be expelled once again. Oh March 14, 2022, the Biden administration decided that unaccompanied children are exempt from Title 42.

Children who cross the border alone are often picked up by Customs and Border Protection, processed, and then moved into the Office of Refugee Resettlement shelters. Upon release to their sponsors, they are provided with documents related to their case and can try to seek asylum or other forms of relief.

In February 2021, Mexico stopped accepting families with children under the program and non-Mexican family units with minor children.

Two young migrants cross the Rio Grande, on May 9, 2023. Nayeli Cruz

Title 42 under Biden Administration

In June 2021, it was reported that the Biden administration may be considering rescinding Title 42. But in September, NPR reported that the government was defending the program under the pretext of slowing the spread of Covid-19.

In March, 2022, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the administration can continue to remove migrant families, but only to places where they will not be persecuted or tortured.

On April 1, 2022, the CDC announced they would rescind Title 42, but it was not scheduled to officially end until May 23, 2022. However, on May 20, Robert R. Summerhays, federal judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, issued a ruling blocking the CDC from ending Title 42 expulsion. In October 2022, the administration used Title 42 to expel Venezuelan migrants back to Mexico, a decision that was criticized by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

On November 16, 2022, a federal judge in the U.S. gave the Biden administration five weeks to end Title 42, but on December, 21, 2022, the Supreme Court decided that Title 42 would remain in place.

Hundreds of migrants camp near the border wall, after crossing the Rio Grande, on May 9, 2023. Nayeli Cruz

When does Title 42 expire?

Title 42 is expected to end on May 11, when the Covid-19 public health emergency ends. After the expiration, the Biden Administration intends to reinforce the number of troops deployed at the U.S.-Mexico border. Representatives Thom Tillis and Krysten Sinema introduced a bipartisan bill to extend the program.

During a meeting between Joe Biden and Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, they discussed close coordination between border authorities and strong measures (to enforce the border) in preparation for a return to Title 8, which entails harsher consequences for those removed than for those who have been removed under Title 42.

Biden and Lopez Obrador stressed the value of migration management in a humane and orderly manner, with expanded legal avenues and consequences for irregular migration.

What happens when Title 42 expires?

U.S. officials are preparing for a surge of migrants attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, with arrivals expected to surpass 10,000 per day as of the expiration. The U.S. will resume a policy of screening asylum applications and deporting those who do not qualify. It also has implemented new measures to speed up the process, including screening applicants within 24 hours and deporting them within days or weeks. Those who are caught crossing illegally and deported will be prohibited from re-entering the U.S. for at least five years and could be ineligible for asylum.

On May 2, 2023, an agreement was reached in which Mexico has agreed to accept 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. In exchange, the U.S. has agreed to accept up to 100,000 individuals from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador who have family in the U.S..

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Toothbrushes may harbor illness-causing bacteria, but the way you store and care for your brush may influence its bacterial load significantly.

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

Your toothbrush serves as a reservoir for microorganisms and becomes contaminated with infectious organisms soon after its initial use.

In both healthy people and those with oral disease, pathogenic bacteria and viruses were detected on toothbrushes, including E. coli and herpes simplex virus.

One study found heavy contamination with pathogenic microorganisms in 70 percent of toothbrushes after use.

Storing toothbrushes in communal bathrooms isnt recommendedat least 60 percent were contaminated with fecal coliforms, no matter how they were stored or cleaned.

The best way to store your toothbrush is in a dry environment where it can air-dryplacing your toothbrush into a closed container isnt a good idea, as this may keep your toothbrush moist, allowing bacteria to flourish.

Dipping your toothbrush into 3 percent hydrogen peroxide may reduce bacterial load by 85 percent.

Dutifully brushing your teeth twice a day is an essential part of good hygiene, but what if the toothbrush itself isnt clean? The fact is your toothbrush is far from sterile and by the very nature of brushing your teeth becomes contaminated with bacteria, saliva, blood, debris from your mouth, and more after every brushing.[1]

Depending on where your toothbrush is stored, such as in the bathroom, its also possible that debris from the toilet may find its way onto the bristlesand subsequently into your mouth.[2] In the United States, health organizations including the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] acknowledge that even after being rinsed visibly clean, toothbrushes can remain contaminated with potentially pathogenic organisms.[3]

That being said, unless you have a serious condition such as certain bleeding disorders or immunosuppression, which may necessitate cleaning your teeth with a method other than a less-than-hygienic toothbrush, adverse health effects due to regular toothbrush use are unlikely.[4]

Your Toothbrush Contains Pathogenic Bacteria

Your toothbrush serves as a reservoir for microorganisms and becomes contaminated with infectious organisms soon after its initial useand the contamination grows with each use thereafter, according to a systematic review of toothbrush contamination published in the journal Nursing Research and Practice.[5]

Toothbrushes can become contaminated from the oral cavity, environment, hands, aerosol contamination, and storage containers. Bacteria which attach to, accumulate, and survive on toothbrushes may be transmitted to the individual causing disease, the researchers explained.[6]

For purposes of the review, they were particularly interested in toothbrushes used among vulnerable populations, including people in hospitals. Seven experimental and three descriptive studies were analyzed in all, revealing that toothbrushes retain a significant number of bacteria after use. In both healthy people and those with oral disease, pathogenic bacteria and viruses were detected on toothbrushes, including:[7]

Staphylococcus aureus.

E. coli.

Pseudomonas.

Herpes simplex virus, in numbers large enough to cause infection.

Among people with oral disease, toothbrushes may quickly become contaminated, though some toothbrushes were contaminated before they were even used. One study found heavy contamination with pathogenic microorganisms in 70 percent of toothbrushes after use, and many different types of bacteria were detected on toothbrushes in another study, with varying amounts of growth.

The Way You Store Your Toothbrush Matters

The best way to store your toothbrush is in a dry environment where it can air-dry. Placing your toothbrush into a closed container isnt a good idea, as this may keep your toothbrush moist, allowing bacteria to flourish. Toothbrushes stored in closed containers, or those that came in contact with contaminated surfaces, contain higher levels of bacteria than toothbrushes allowed to dry in the open air.[8]

Storing your toothbrush in a humid environment is also likely to increase the survival of bacteria on your brush, as is placing a cap on it. Bacteria survived more than 24 hours on toothbrushes when moisture was present, while storing your toothbrush in a moist, covered environment may increase bacterial growth by 70 percent.[9]

The shape and design of your toothbrush may also affect its ability to retain germs. Specifically, if your bristles are frayed or arranged in a very close-together pattern, its possible that theyll trap and retain more bacteria.

One study suggested that soft and round, clear, two bristle row toothbrushes were best in terms of contamination levels, while moisture and oral debris left in the bristles allow bacteria to flourish.[10] While its clear that toothbrushes are easily contaminated, its effects on human health are still being uncovered. According to the study:[11]

The selected studies all found that toothbrushes of healthy and oral diseased adults become contaminated with potentially pathogenic bacteria from the dental plaque, design, environment, or a combination of factors  In a vulnerable population such as critically ill adults, pathogenic contamination may increase the risk of infection and mortality.

Germs From Toilet Plumes Could Be an Issue

Another factor in your toothbrushs cleanliness is the common habit of storing them in bathrooms, where toilets are routinely flushed. An association between inhalable bioaerosols produced from disturbed sewage and the transmission of infectious disease has been proposed for over 100 years, wrote researchers in the American Journal of Infection Control.[12]

In other words, when a toilet is flushed, toilet plume aerosols are released into the air, and its possible that this could spread infectious disease, in part by the airborne microorganisms landing on your toothbrush. This mode of disease transmission dates back more than a century when researchers detected airborne transmission of microorganisms from sewage drain systems from one hospital building to another.[13]

In the 1950s, another study involved seeding toilets with Serratia marcescens bacteria, then flushing them to see where the bacteria ended up. Bacterial colonies were found to settle on the floor and microbes were also captured in the airup to eight minutes after the flush. Even in toilets using wash-down flushing, in which the water is released from the toilet rim and flows down the bowl, bioaerosol was found above the toilet up to seven minutes after the flush.[14]

More recent research revealed that Clostridium difficile was detected above toilet seats up to 90 minutes after flushing. Flushing with the lid down made a positive difference, as bacteria concentrations were 12 times higher when the toilet was flushed with the lid up, compared to with the lid down.[15] Overall, the researchers noted:[16]

It may be concluded  that flush toilets produce substantial quantities of toilet plume aerosol capable of entraining microorganisms at least as large as bacteria, that sufficiently small microbe-laden droplets will evaporate to form droplet nuclei bioaerosols small enough to be inhaled deep into the lung, and that these bioaerosols may remain viable in the air for extended periods and travel with air currents. Production of these bioaerosols during multiple flushes after contamination suggests a long-term potential for a contaminated toilet to be an infectious bioaerosol generator.

Avoid Storing Your Toothbrush in a Communal Bathroom

A study presented at the 2015 annual meeting of the American Society of Microbiology looked directly into what happens to toothbrushes stored in communal bathroom settings, such as those in university housing. The researchers, from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, collected toothbrushes from communal bathrooms that were used by an average of 9.4 people per bathroom and tested them for potentially pathogenic organisms.[17]

At least 60 percent were contaminated with fecal coliforms, no matter how they were stored or cleanedno difference was found in toothbrushes rinsed with cold water, hot water, or mouthwash. It was estimated that, in 80 percent of cases, fecal coliforms on the toothbrushes came from another person using the bathroom.

The main concern is not with the presence of your own fecal matter on your toothbrush, but rather when a toothbrush is contaminated with fecal matter from someone else, which contains bacteria, viruses or parasites that are not part of your normal flora, study author Lauren Aber said in a news release.[18]

She noted that using a cover for toothbrushes wont protect them from contamination either and, in fact, may increase bacterial growth because the bristles are kept moist and dont dry out completely between uses.

What Are the Best Ways to Decontaminate Your Brush?

Theres debate over the best way to clean a toothbrush, but the general consensus is that letting it air dry is essential. Some research has found that soaking toothbrushes in mouthwash for 20 minutes before and after brushing may lower its antimicrobial load, while exposure to ultraviolet light is also effective at reducing bacterial load on toothbrushes.[19]

However, the CDC states, You do not need to soak toothbrushes in disinfecting solutions or mouthwash, which may actually spread germs under the right conditions.[20] Rinsing your toothbrush with regular tap water isnt likely to affect bacteria levels, as studies found continued high levels of contamination and biofilm on toothbrushes clean[ed] this way.[21]

One of the simplest ways to clean your toothbrush is to dip it into 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. This was the most effective option for reducing both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria on the toothbrush head, compared to mouthwash and water,[22] and may reduce bacterial load by 85 percent.[23]

Antimicrobial toothbrushes coated with triclosan did not alter bacterial growth on toothbrushes either and should be avoided due to triclosans toxicity. Be aware that if a toothbrush is labeled antibacterial, it may contain triclosan, an antibacterial chemical and known endocrine disrupter.

Its so widely used that its estimated 75 percent of the U.S. population has been exposed, a concerning statistic since it is readily absorbed into human skin and oral mucosa, where it may affect immune responses, production of reactive oxygen species, and cardiovascular functions.[24] Reproductive and developmental effects have also been observed.

How to Store and Handle Your Toothbrush

While it may sound unsettling that your toothbrush is a reservoir for microorganisms, its unlikely to pose a major health risk if youre healthy. Its recommended to get rid of your toothbrush after certain illnesses, like strep throat, to avoid reinfection, but in most cases, daily toothbrush use isnt thought to be a source of illness.

According to the CDC, Various means of cleaning, disinfecting, or sterilizing toothbrushes between uses have been developed, but no published research documents that brushing with a contaminated toothbrush has led to recontamination of a users mouth, oral infections, or other adverse health effects.[25] There are, however, certain best practices you can use to care for your toothbrush, including:[26]

Avoid sharing toothbrushes.

Rinse your toothbrush after use to remove all toothpaste and debris.

Store it in an upright position and let it air-dry.

If storing in a holder with other toothbrushes, dont let the toothbrushes touch each other.

Do not put your toothbrush in the dishwasher or microwave, which may cause damage.

Avoid covering toothbrushes or storing them in closed containers.

Replace your toothbrush every three to four months or sooner if the bristles appear worn, matted, or frayed.

Originally published Sept. 23, 2022, on Mercola.com
Men who were overweight as children are likely at higher risk for infertility, a recent study suggests.

To investigate the impact of obesity-related metabolic disorders on testicular growth, scientists at the University of Catania in Sicily looked at health records from 268 boys aged 2 to 18 years old. The boys had all been referred to the institution for weight control. Among them were 62 boys who had a normal weight, 54 who were overweight, 79 who were obese, and 73 who were severely obese.

Their findings, published in April in the European Journal of Endocrinology, show that boys with normal weight had 1.5 times higher testicular volume than their peers who were overweight or obese before puberty, and that boys with normal insulin levels had as much as 2 times greater testicular volume than boys with elevated insulin levels.

We found that being overweight or obese was associated with a lower peri-pubertal testicular volume, the researchers wrote. In addition, obesity-related comorbidities, such as hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, have been found to influence testicular volume in pre- and post-puberty.

Hyperinsulinemia is the condition where the amount of insulin in the blood is higher than whats considered healthy. The teams previous study showed boys with hyperinsulinemia tended to have lower testicular volume.

Since testicular volume is a fertility predictor directly related to sperm count, the scientists said they believe that careful weight control would help boys avoid infertility when they become adults.

We speculate that more careful control of body weight in this time window could represent a prevention strategy to pursue the maintenance of testicular function later in life, they wrote.

Sperm Counts Already Dropping

The global rise of childhood obesity largely coincides the decline of sperm counts in men across the world.

Over the last 50 years, average sperm concentrations dropped by 51.6 percent, and total sperm counts dropped by 62.3 percent, according to a meta-analysis published in November in the European journal Human Reproduction Update.

The analysis covers 223 papers published between 1973 and 2018 involving sperm samples collected from a total of 57,000 men across 53 countries in all continents. It found that average sperm concentrations have dropped from 104 million to 49 million per milliliter of semen.

Researchers said that fertility drops off rapidly below a sperm concentration of 40 million per milliliter.

The rate of decline also appears to be increasing. Looking at data collected since 1972, the researchers found sperm concentrations declined at a rate of 1.16 percent each year. However, when they looked only at data collected after 2000, they found a 2.64 percent fall each year.

At the same time, the number of children and adolescents with obesity has skyrocketed worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, in 1975 an estimated 5 million girls and 6 million boys were obese. By 2016, those numbers had risen to an estimated 50 million girls and 74 million boys.

Childhood Obesity Not Slowing Down

In the United States, childhood obesity is becoming more common, despite public health campaigns promoting healthy eating and active living.

In an August 2022 study published in Pediatrics, researchers compared data on children entering kindergarten in 1998 and in 2010 and followed them through fifth grade. They found that 16.2 percent of children who had a healthy weight when they started kindergarten in 2010 were obese by the end of fifth grade, compared with 15.5 percent of children who started kindergarten in 1998. Children in the 2010 group also became obese at younger ages than those in the 1998 group.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 5 American children has obesity. When broken down by age groups, obesity affects 12.7 percent of children aged 2 to 5 years, 20.7 percent of children aged 6 to 11 years, and 22.2 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 19 years.

The widespread COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and school closures have also worsened childhood obesity, as children across the country engaged in less physical activity, slept more, and used screens more. They also increased their consumption of unhealthy snacks and drinks.

A 2021 study by the CDC looked at health data of 432,302 people between the ages of 2 and 19 years old and found that the percentage of obese children and teens increased to 22 percent, compared with 19 percent before the pandemic.
Scientists have warned many antidepressants given to UK chronic pain patients are being prescribed without adequate evidence of their effectiveness.

A major investigation into medications has found that despite hundreds of thousands of people being given recommended drugs to manage long-term pain, there is no reliable evidence for their long-term safety or reliability.

The two-year study was one of the largest-ever studies of antidepressants.

These medications are commonly recommended by bodies such as UKs National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA.

The Cochrane review, led by scientists from several UK universities including Newcastle University and the University of Southampton, examined 176 trials consisting of nearly 30,000 patients involved in assessments that prescribed antidepressants for chronic pain.

NICE chronic pain guidance from two years ago supported the use of antidepressants, but it said that there is still insufficient evidence since 2021 to warrant an update.

Study One of the Biggest of Its Kind

Among the drugs studied were amitriptyline, fluoxetine, citalopram, paroxetine, sertraline, and duloxetine. Only duloxetine showed reliable evidence for pain relief.

NHS guidelines say that antidepressants such as amitriptyline can be used for some chronic-pain conditions such as neuropathic pain.

Statistician Gavin Stewart, review co-author from Newcastle University, said: Our study is one of the biggest of its kind and demonstrates the need for large-scale studies in this field. We would encourage funders to support high-quality studies into the use of antidepressants for chronic pain.

Data is often complex and nuanced but the evidence underpinning the use of these treatments is not conclusive for most of the antidepressants we studied and, therefore, current treatment options are hard to justify.

Stewart called on NICE and the FDA to update their guidelines and on funders to stop supporting small and flawed trials.

A sign for the Food and Drug Administration outside their offices in Silver Spring, Md., on Dec. 10, 2020. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo)

Lead author Professor Tamar Pincus, from the University of Southampton, said: This is a global public health concern. Chronic pain is a problem for millions who are prescribed antidepressants without sufficient scientific proof they help, nor an understanding of the long-term impact on health.

Our review found no reliable evidence for the long-term efficacy of any antidepressant, and no reliable evidence for their safety for chronic pain at any point.

Though we did find that duloxetine provided short-term pain relief for patients we studied, we remain concerned about its possible long-term harm due to the gaps in current evidence.

We simply cannot tell about other antidepressants because sufficiently good studies are not availablebut it does not mean that people should stop taking prescribed medication without consulting their GP, she added.

She said that in 2020 to 2021, there were around 15 million prescriptions in England at low doses for amitriptyline.

Person-Centred Approach

Hollie Birkinshaw, a University of Southampton researcher, said: Though previous investigations show that some antidepressants might relieve pain, there has never been a comprehensive study examining all medications across all chronic conditionsuntil now.

The only reliable evidence is for duloxetine, she said.

Adopting a person-centred approach is critical to treatment and, when patients and clinicians decide together to try antidepressants, they should start from the drug for which there is good evidence, she added.

A NICE spokesman said: Our guideline on chronic pain published in 2021 recommends antidepressants, including duloxetine, can be considered for people aged 18 years and over to manage chronic primary pain, after a full discussion of the benefits and harms. This is because the evidence shows these medicines may help with quality of life, pain, sleep, and psychological distress, even in the absence of a diagnosis of depression.

The committee considered that these could be beneficial to some patients and clinicians should be able to choose from the range of therapies based on the individuals needs, background, and acceptance of adverse events.

NICE has conducted a careful and comprehensive review of the recent Cochrane publication findings and we have concluded that there is insufficient new evidence since 2021 to warrant an update to the recommendations on antidepressant use in our chronic pain guideline at this stage.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Among 17 high-income nations, America has the highest probability of its residents dying by age 50, according to Monitoring the Futures (MTF) 2022 report, and a primary reason is drug use.

A widespread epidemic of illicit drug use emerged in the 1960s among U.S. youth, and since then, dramatic changes have occurred in the use of nearly all types of illicit drugs, as well as alcohol and tobacco, MTF states.

It added that concerning changes in society, youth are often on the leading edge, and what happens in that demographic reverberates throughout society.

The substantial changes in drug use during the last 50 or so years have proven to be largely a youth phenomenon, MTF states, adding that the relapse in the drug epidemic in the early 1990s initially occurred almost exclusively among adolescents. Adolescents and adults in their 20s fall into the age groups at highest risk for illicit drug use.

Francisco Chavez, 19, died after he swallowed sky-blue fentanyl pills designed to look like oxycodone, and three others were seriously sickened at a Halloween party in 2018. (Drug Enforcement Administration/Seanna Leilani via AP)

Led by a research team of professors at the University of Michigan, MTF is an ongoing study that has collected data on American adolescents and adults since 1975. The panel study has over 108,000 individuals and annually surveys 28,500 teens and adults. MTF receives funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and is there to help inform policymakers and the government about ways to help reduce drug use.

But, in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, MTF reported that teen drug use decreasedindeed, the declines in illicit drugs other than marijuana by teens were the largest and most sweeping ever recorded in the past 46 years, the University of Michigan states. Plus, in 2022, MTF found that teen drug use, overall, held steady instead of increasing.

But, 2023 doesnt seem to be following that trend.

Declining Numbers

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), stopping adolescent drug use is of primary importance because its highly associated with adult substance abuse.

The adolescent years represent an important developmental stage during which the foundation for future patterns in substance use is often established. Both the quantity and frequency of use during this period are strongly associated with risks for heavy use and misuse of substances in adulthood, NIH states.

Tracy Ritter, a family support specialist for Advocates for Recovery Colorado and co-chair of a workgroup within Colorados state response to the drug crisis, agrees.

When you start younger, the brain isnt developed, Ritter told The Epoch Times. The brain isnt actually developed fully until about 25 years of age. So, because of that immature brain development, there is that greater chance for that addiction than if you started later in life.

Fentanyl victim photos are displayed in Santa Ana, Calif., on April 24, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Additionally, sudden environmental changes are considered a risk factor for youth substance use, especially if theyre living in a challenging home situation or a resource-limited area, NIH reports. As such, the COVID-19 lockdowns and societal disruptions could potentially increase substance use behaviors. But in 2021, that turned out not to be the case.

The University of Michigans Senior Public Relations representative, Morgan Sherburne, said about the MTF study, The percentage of youth who had ever used any illicit drug other than marijuana decreased by more than 25 percent in 2021. Specifically, in 12th grade, this percentage was 27 percent smaller in comparison to the previous year, in 10th grade, the decline was 31 percent, and in 8th grade, the drop was 30 percent.

Sherburne added that when the above numbers are put in context, the 12th-grade decline is three times larger than the previous record, the 10th-grade decline is twice as large as the previous record, and the 8th-grade decline is 50 percent larger than the previous record.

Declines in teen marijuana use, alcohol, and vaped nicotine were also observed, however not at record numbers.

Unintended Consequences

Dr. Richard Miech, the principal investigator of the MTF study and research professor at the Institute for Social Research, said, These declines are an unintended consequence of the pandemic. Among the many disruptions adolescents have experienced as a result of the pandemic are disruptions in their ability to get drugs, disruptions in their ability to use drugs outside of parental supervision, and disruptions in peer groups that encourage drug use.

He added that the decline wasnt from teens stopping a drug theyd already started but from teens not beginning drugs.

Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, concurred.

In 2021, the overall percentage of adolescents reporting illicit drug use decreased significantly, and in 2022, most reported substance use among adolescents held steady with those lower levels reported in 2021, she told The Epoch Times via email. These data are unprecedented and highlight one unexpected potential consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused seismic shifts in the day-to-day lives of adolescents.

Numerous factors likely influenced this decrease in substance use among young people, including drug availability, family involvement, differences in peer pressure, and other factors. However, we do not have research to definitively say which of these factors played a direct role in decreasing substance use among young people, nor how strong of a role each of these factors may have played.

A girl arrives at school as children are welcomed by their principal on their first day at school after lockdowns ended in Auckland, New Zealand, on Nov. 17, 2021. (Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)

The Monitoring the Future Survey is one of the best and most timely tools we have to monitor and understand changes in substance use among young people over time, including through historic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It is encouraging that we did not observe a significant increase in substance use in 2022, even as young people largely returned to in-person school, extracurricular activities, and other social engagements.

Volkow noted, however, that the MTF survey is administered in a school setting. Teens not attending school have a higher probability of drug use.

The NIH, in its systemic review of 49 studies, echoed Volkow and Miechs observations.

Youth substance use most often takes place outside the home environment and usually within the context of the peer group. Moreover, youth substance use is highly dependent on availability and access to drugs and other substances.

The public health restrictions that were necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic limited the time most adolescents spent in-person with their peers, and it follows that availability and access to alcohol, tobacco, and other substances was effectively limited during community lockdowns.

A Child doing his schoolwork at his family home in Tarpoly Creek, Australia, on April 5, 2020. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

In short, young people confined to their homes with parents had fewer opportunities for accessing and using substances. Thus, limited peer-group gatherings, decreased availability and access to substances, and increased time spent in the home with parentsall well-established factors shown to be effective in prevention efforts aimed at decreasing substance useare likely to have conferred important protection against substance use during COVID-19 as observed in the decline in prevalence reported across the bulk of studies we reviewed.

But Volkow cautioned, It is also extremely important to note that while substance use among young people is not becoming more common, it is becoming more dangerous. Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, has proliferated in the illicit drug supply, including in counterfeit pills made to resemble prescription medications like benzodiazepines, ADHD medications, and opioids.

Young people should be aware that prescription pills purchased on social media, given to someone by a friend, or obtained from an unknown source may contain deadly fentanyl. Young people should also be aware that naloxone, a medication that can quickly reverse an opioid overdose, is a safe and lifesaving drug. Moving forward, we must find ways to educate young people about the dangers of illicit counterfeit pills and to expand access to naloxone among this population.

Mental Health and the Future

Despite the decline in teen drug use during the pandemic, mental health issues among teens skyrocketed.

Data collected by the Center for Disease Control and Preventions first Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey found that in 2021, 37.1 percent of high school students experienced poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, 44.2 percent experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, 20 percent seriously considered suicide, and nine percent attempted suicide.

A woman showing signs of depression. (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Youth with poor mental health may struggle with school and grades, decision making, and their health, the survey reported. Mental health problems in youth are also often associated with other health and behavioral risks such as increased risk of drug use, experiencing violence, and higher risk sexual behaviors.

And, while official numbers for teen drug use in 2023 arent yet available, the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration told The Epoch Times via email, As we exit the acute stages of the pandemic, there is consensus that substance use in [youth] is increasing again.
How Do We Improve Global Maritime Security?

The Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi is surrounded by Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on May 3, 2023. (U.S. Navy via AP)

Commentary

Once again Irans robed dictators are launching attacks on oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz. In the last two weeks of April, Iranian forces boarded and seized two oil tankers. One tanker carried crude destined for the United States, so its seizure constituted a direct attack on American maritime commerce.

Irans corrupt ayatollah regime believes seizing civilian ships creates diplomatic and economic leverage. From 20 percent to 25 percent of the worlds daily oil supply passes through the Strait. Grabbing a tanker, or even a freighter hauling sand, tells the world the regime can disrupt global commerce. With a few armed speedboats and kamikaze drones, Tehran can spike world energy costs, rattle financial markets, and get global headlines.

Irans is one of many global state-sponsored, terrorist, and criminal threats to global maritime commerce. In March, pirates operating in the Gulf of Guinea (near the Ivory Coast) seized a Danish tanker and kidnapped six crew members. In April, Yemeni pirates attacked two yachts transiting the strait between Yemen and Africa.

Compared to 2021, in 2022 world-wide piracy decreased by 13 percent. But transport disruptive incidents in the Strait of Malacca (Singapore) increased. Shipping industry advisers warn their clients that their ships entering piracy-threatened zones need up to date intelligence and to have trained their crew to defend against assault at sea.

Many commercial ships transiting these zones now have on-board armed security personnel.

One major marine insurer, Gard (based in Norway), says crews must identify a suspicious approach or attack at an early stage, allowing defenses to be deployed 

That general advice suggests a specific bit of advice I read several years ago. A key tactic is preventing pirates from boarding, but often thats difficultin other words, sink their boats. The pirates, however, often have light or heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers on their small craft, so the commercial ships team, with semi-automatic rifles, is outgunned.

Pirates, Iranian ayatollahs and other bad actors engaged in sea crime to send a message about the vulnerability of the global supply chain. The statistics are no secret: Eighty percent of international trade by volume goes by ship, 70 percent by value.

Commercial ships arent the only at-sea and offshore vulnerabilities.

The Gulf of Mexico, primarily off Texas and Louisiana, produces around 18 percent of Americas oil and gas needs. In 1942 these platforms did not exist, otherwise they would have been easy targets for Nazi U-boats. In 2023, they do. They are easy targets for Russian and Chinese subs, and for terrorists and criminals.

Crime isnt theory. Mexican drug cartels have seized drilling platforms in the Bay of Campeche. The thugs rob drilling crews and demand ransom for their release.

Last fall Russias Nord Stream natural gas pipelines suffered leaks and a mysterious attack. Who damaged the pipelines matters, but the incidents demonstrate that offshore infrastructure vulnerabilities have major international economic and defense consequences. American offshore pipelines are vulnerable.

Eco-terrorists observe pipeline incidents and hijacked tankers. Ecological extremists arent the worst threat herebut criminals and enemy nations are. Damaging Floridas and South Carolinas beaches constitutes an economic attack on the United States.

Major point: With all these threats, do you see why marine insurance, for ships, cargo, and infrastructure, is so high? Insurance adds to your food and energy bill.

What can we do? In 2019 Britain created a Joint Maritime Security Center. Its a node for information sharing and, ideally, for providing security in high-threat situations.

Information helps but doesnt replace physical security assets. The U.S. Navy needs to focus on China, not escorting ships through Hormuz. The U.S. Coast Guard has too many tasks and too few ships. Worldwide its a similar story.

How to solve the escort problem?

Several ideas are worth considering. Arming offshore drilling platforms is a no-brainer. On-shore we have private security companies. So why not carefully regulate private maritime security companies, to defend offshore oil rigs, pipelines, and wind farms? Marine insurance corporations may eventually demand their ships provide escort for commercial vesselsand stop the pirates from boarding.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
ICE Announces Curfews, Ankle Monitors for Some Illegal Immigrants Facing Deportation

Illegal immigrants wait to be processed by U.S. border agents at the U.S.-Mexico border on March 30, 2023. (Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images)

Some members of immigrant families who cross the U.S.Mexico border illegally and seek asylum in the United States will be monitored and must abide by a curfew under a new Biden administration program, Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICEs) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) announced on May 10.

The new process will impact family unitsthose who cross the southwest border with minorswho are apprehended and processed for the last-track deportation process known as expedited removal and who indicate that they plan to apply for asylum without being deported, ICE said in a news release.

It will also impact family units apprehended at the southern border who express a credible fear of persecution or torture if they were to be sent back to their home nation.

Known as the Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM), the program will place certain heads of household for family units on Alternatives to Detention (ATD) technologyeffectively a GPS ankle monitorso that ICE officials can continuously monitor them.

The heads of the households will also be subject to a curfew, ICE said.

According to ICE, the new process is designed to ensure that family units who claim credible fear of persecution if they are returned home turn up for their interviews with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on time, as well as for any other reviews requested by an immigration judge.

The process means that the heads of the families will also not need to be held in detention centers, something that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas has said the government has no plans to bring back.

It also helps ICE to locate families who do not qualify for the credible fear and are thus removed from the United States within 30 days under the expedited removal program.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on March 20, 2019. (ICE/Flickr)

Safe and Humane Immigration Consequences

The majority of heads of households of family units who are not placed into FERM will be placed in other forms of Alternatives to Detention, ICE said.

ERO is committed to imposing immigration consequences in a safe and humane manner to those who unlawfully enter the United States, ERO Executive Associate Director Corey A. Price said in a statement.

Families should not listen to the lies of smugglers. Like single adults, noncitizens traveling with their children who do not have a lawful basis to remain in the United States will be quickly removed and barred from reentry for at least five years, Price added.

According to ICE, immigrant families will only be enrolled into the new program if they are processed for expedited removal; are nationals of countries to which ICE maintains regular removal flights; and reside in a location under the jurisdiction of the ICE field office based in one of four FERM-destination cities.

ICE did not state which cities will take part in the FERM program, however the Los Angeles Times reported that some immigrant families headed to Newark, New Jersey; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and Chicago, Illinois will be subject to the new process.

Heads of households will be under curfews from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., according to the publication, and will have to remain at home during those hours.

The Epoch Times has contacted ICE for further comment.

Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas (2nd-L) speaks at a press conference in Brownsville, Texas, on May 5, 2023. (Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images)

Title 42 Ending

The latest program is one of many initiatives the Biden administration has launched amid the ongoing immigration crisis, which experts have warned will likely worsen now that the Title 42 Trump-era public health policy is coming to an end.

Title 42 allows Border Patrol agents to turn illegal immigrants back to Mexico immediately over public health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is set to expire on May 11. Officials expect a huge surge in immigrants.

Acting Commissioner Troy Miller told Congress in April that about 10,000 immigrants a day are expected to cross the border when Title 42 is lifted, although the Department of Homeland Security has said this could be higher, at around 14,000 a day.

Approximately 26,382 illegal immigrants were apprehended at the southern border over the past weekend alone, while another 7,399 getaways were recorded.

The Biden administration also announced earlier this week that it would be conducting a targeted enforcement operation in El Paso, Texas, targeting immigrants who crossed the southern border illegally and were not processed for entry into the United States.

However, the announcement was quickly criticized by the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents about 18,000 Border Patrol agents and support personnel, who accused the agency of tipping off immigrants ahead of the operation.

Elsewhere, the administration introduced a new regulation under which most immigrants are presumed ineligible for asylum if they passed through other nations without seeking protection elsewhere first, or if they failed to use legal pathways for U.S. entry.

According to Mayorkas, the new rule will bar illegal immigrants from entering the United States for five years if they are found to not qualify for asylum.

We are making it very clear that our border is not open, that crossing irregularly is against the law, and that those who are not eligible for relief will be quickly returned, Mayorkas said on May 10 during a press conference in Washington.
Imprisoned Pro-Democracy Hong Kong Lawyer Receives Gwangju Prize for Human Rights; Beijings Demand for Revocation Rejected

Award host: defiant fight against inhumane treatments become source of courage for others

Vice-chairwoman of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Chow Hang Tung, poses with a candle ahead of the 32nd anniversary of the massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators at Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989, in Hong Kong, on June 3, 2021. (Lam Yik/Reuters)

Currently serving a jail sentence in Hong Kong, Chow Hang-tung, a human rights lawyer and former vice chairman of the now-dissolved Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (the Alliance), has recently been honored with the 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights by the South Korean May 18 Memorial Foundation (the Foundation), a human rights organization that recognizes individuals and groups contribution in advancing human rights. Beijings CCP regime pressured the Foundation to reconsider the decision. The organizers had rejected the request, according to South Korean media.

The Korean Times, an English-language South Korean media outlet, reported that three officials from the PRCs Consulate General in Gwangju, including Consul General Zhang Chenggang, visited the office of the May 18 Memorial Foundation on May 8 for a meeting with the president. The CCP officials accused Chow of being a criminal in a violent protest that damaged China and asked the Foundation to reconsider its decision on the award.

The Foundation refused. The report quoted the Foundations president saying that a country should respect the private sectors assessment of human rights and the decision to award prizes. The report also mentioned the ceremony to be held next Thursday (May 18), which Chows representative is expected to attend to receive the award on her behalf.

The Adjudicating Panel Calls for Global Solidarity with Hong Kongs Democracy and the Upholding of Human Rights

May 18 Memorial Foundation started the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights in 2000. The Foundation was established in 1994 to commemorate Gwangjus incident of May 18, 1980, and is currently the largest human rights organization in South Korea.

On May 3, when the head of the adjudicating panel Moon Hee-sang announced Chows nomination, he called on the global community to stand in solidarity with Hong Kongs democracy, uphold human rights, and demonstrate their support for Hong Kong peoples struggle for freedom and democracy.

Chow Hang-tungs struggle against the Hong Kong authoritys undemocratic, inhumane treatment has become the source of courage and hope for human rights advocates and those longing for democracy worldwide, even when she is in custody, said Moon Hee-sang.

Gave Up Science to Become an Attorney to Fight for Democracy

Chow Hang-tung, 38, used to be a distinguished student pursuing natural sciences at the University of Cambridge. When prohibited by the CCP from entering China to do field research as a Ph.D. candidate, she decided to relinquish her doctoral studies and returned to Hong Kong to pursue law. She was admitted to the bar in 2016.

Chow is presently incarcerated for inciting and organizing illegal gathering to commemorate the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen Square massacre during the pandemic. The Alliance Chow was vice chair for, jointly formed by more than 200 pro-democracy civil groups, had been the organizer for the citys largest annual candlelight vigil for over 30 years.

Chow is sentenced to another 4.5 months for refusing to surrender the Alliances data to the national security police, a demand made by the latter based on a foreign agent accusation of the organization, which Chow and others denied.

Chow was granted bail awaiting appeal, but she declined to accept the bail conditions that would limit her freedom of speech. Additionally, she faced charges of inciting subversion of state power, which would necessitate detention.

Nomination for Nobel Peace Prize and Defiance Against Suppression: Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Figures Stand Tall

On Feb. 2, the world was moved by the nomination of six Hong Kong activists for the Nobel Peace Prize. Among them were Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and the founder of the Apple Daily newspaper Jimmy Lai. These Hongkongers unwavering commitment to the cause of freedom had earned them due recognition.

Speaking Out Against Dictatorship in Court

Chow once wrote, What I said before everything took place shall remain the same in my submission to the court. It shall not alter due to threats of penalty. You can force me on bitter manual taskslike washing the toiletand smelly porridge but you cant force me to speak contrary to my mind. You can even force me to shut up but you cant force me to utter what I do not believe.

In her statement in court, Chow said, After all, dictatorship relies on the people it governs, using tools of totalitarian manipulation such as humiliation and fear to turn individuals into their jailers. This creates a world of falsehood and restriction, devoid of facts, options, and independent thought. The language is restricted, and values are hollowed out, making it impossible for people to exercise autonomous choice.

The key to ending dictatorship is to break free from this prison of thought by protecting the truth, providing options, speaking freely, and defending important values and principles. The Alliance has been actively pursuing these goals, and I am dedicated to doing the same in this court.

Chows crime was nothing more than informing others how to participate in the Victoria Park June 4 vigil in 2020 and 2021, an annual event held in Hong Kong since 1989 for over 30 years but made illegal in the name of covid-19 prevention measures. She was sentenced to prison for one year and ten months for this crime.
Biden Administration Draws Bipartisan Fire for Not Anticipating Sudan Crisis

Smoke billows over buildings in Khartoum on May 1, 2023, as deadly clashes between rival generals' forces entered a third week. (AFP via Getty Images)

The only people surprised that rival generals in Sudan were marshaling forces to battle for supremacy were the U.S. State Department and its Africa desk, Republican and Democratic senators alleged during a May 10 hearing on options for an effective policy response to the unfolding catastrophe.

As a result, the senators said, when fighting exploded on April 15 in Khartoum between the Sudanese army, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Hemedti Dagalo, there was confusion and delay in organizing evacuations of U.S. citizens.

The chaotic departures of more than 700 Americans on British, French, German, and Saudi aircraft in the days after the violence erupted and the April 2829 departure of another 600 U.S. citizens in overland convoys to Egypt prompted several lawmakers to reference another recent evacuation many say the Biden administration bungled.

It seems to me that the Biden administration was caught flatfooted, similar to the way it was in Afghanistan, Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) said during the two-hour hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

After seeing what we saw in Afghanistan, I think the American public is shocked, said Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), a former U.S. ambassador to Japan. My office is hearing a great deal of concern about American citizens who are left behind.

But Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Assistant Administrator Sarah Charles told the committee there is no comparison between the situation that unfolded in Kabul and what is happening in Khartoum.

The only Americans they are aware of left behind are those who want to remain in the embattled country, Nuland said.

In total, we evacuated 2,000 peoplethe majority of whom are our citizens and their family members, along with more than 70 embassy staff, Nuland said. So, whether U.S. citizens left aboard a Saudi, Canadian, French, British, or any other flagged carrier, we helped coordinate every transport that included known U.S. citizens.

While the State Department estimated as many as 16,000 Americans were in Sudan in mid-April, it now estimates that fewer than 5,000 remain. The department has had an advisory since October 2021 cautioning that travel to Sudan was dangerous and should be avoided.

Sudan Army Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan addresses delegates in Juba, South Sudan, on March 28, 2021. (Jok Solomun/Reuters)

Not Sanctioning Generals Questioned

Nuland said the focus is now on sustaining the sixth or seventh ceasefire and getting aid shipments idling in the Port of Sudan delivered to the 10 million Sudanese in danger of starving while talks between al-Burhan and Hemedti, which began May 6 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, continue.

While its a good plan, Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) said, it should have been an actual plan instead of a reaction to a humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan that was predictable.

The State Department should have done more to warn our citizens and position our diplomats to quickly arrange negotiations, he said. This was a predictable scenario that we all saw unfolding. Weve seen this movie before.

Committee Chair Sen. Bob Menendez (R-N.J.) said he was not going to  blame the Biden administration for a foreign policy failure many years in the making, before noting that there were memos warning of risk with potential scenarios in Sudan circulating about the State Departments Africa offices that were heavily redacted and never got to [Secretary of State Antony Blinkens] desk.

Menendez said, It was known that Hemedti and al-Burhan were massing forces around Khartoum and, at lower levels in the State Department, statements were being made about  a possibility of conflict breaking out.

Among those disputed policies was not imposing personal sanctions on the warring generals who had worked together in April 2019 to end the 30-year reign of dictator Omar al-Bashir in a popular revolt, before al-Burhan then deposed a transition government in October 2021.

The late 2021 coup set the stage for what proved to be 18 months of fruitless negotiations among the army, the RSF, the United States, the United Nations, and the African Union, as well as regional nations such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that preceded the eruption of gunfire on April 15.

Sudanese army soldiers near armored vehicles amid ongoing fighting against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in southern Khartoum, on May 6, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)

The administration fell short of the challenge and refused to call a coup a coup in 2021 by not sanctioning the generals, Menendez said. It was legitimizing and entrenching those with guns.

He said Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee was among a select few individuals who monopolized discussion on Sudan and shut the rest of the inter-agency team out of deliberations and silenced a chorus of dissent over U.S.Sudan policy.

[Phee] seems to have an aversion to sanctions at any time or any place. Thats a problem, Menendez said. I dont know how else you induce two individuals like this to act when  there are no ramifications of consequences for their actions.

Sanctions have the proven ability to get us there in the right way.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) agreed, adding that the State Department should have sanctioned both generals in the span between October 2021 and April 2023, especially Hemedti, whom he called a war criminal guilty of atrocities in Darfur two decades ago and was allowed to build his power base in Sudan.

Sudan policy was a consensus within the State Department, but not without objections, Nuland said.

The debate within the bureau, the debate within the building, the debate within the interagency [groups] has been robust and difficult, she said. We have never taken any options off the table, but we were believing that this framework [of the transitional government] that the Sudanese themselves put forward was making progress, and we had the sanctions at the ready.

Then, we had this choice by the generals [to go to war].

Nuland said the State Department did impose harsh penalties against Sudan after October 2021 that paused financial assistance and debt relief for the Sudanese government and targeted members of the Sudan Central Reserve Police to be prosecuted for using lethal force against demonstrators protesting the military coup.

In her testimony, she said the March 2021 sanctions were controversial internally, given how strong they were.

There were questions internally whether that was the right thing to do because some of that has an impact on the Sudanese people, she said.

At least one person in the hearing audience heckled Nuland as she testified. The inaudible jeering continued for several minutes before being muted.

Children carry a bucket of water during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army near Khartoum, Sudan, on April 22, 2023. (Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters)

Perilous Time Ahead for Millions

The State Department will continue to work with the trilateral mechanism that includes the U.N., African Union, IGAD (Horn of Africas multilateral forum), and the Quad (the United States, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) to end the conflict, Nuland said.

Some policies are being rethought, she assured.

You can question whether there was a broad enough community of civilians involved in the post-October 2021 talks mostly geared to accommodate Hemedti and al-Burhan.

Nuland said progress was being made in establishing a democracy in Khartoum over the past 18 months, with only a few items remaining to be ironed out.

That structure did work as a good preparatory for civilian rule, she said.

We were left with one issue, whether or not the generals were going to integrate their forces. You cant have more than one army in the country at one time.

She said that there was an incredible effort made, including by  Secretary [Blinken] himself, on proposing ways the two forces could be integrated.

Unfortunately, they chose the path to war, not to integration.

In her testimony, Charles said the violence in Sudan is a culmination of decades of impunity for crimes committed across Sudan by bad actors who were not sanctioned by the international community.

She said 16 million of Sudans 45 million people require humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs, including 10 million who rely on aid for food. An estimated 1.3 million people in the region did not receive food assistance in April because of the conflict, she said.

A man looks on as an aircraft carrying supplies from Kuwait has just landed at the Port Sudan airport, on May 5, 2023. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.N. World Food Programme estimates that the number of acutely food insecure people in Sudan could increase to more than 19 million within six months and that as many as 50,000 children could die of starvation.

More than 700,000 people have been internally displaced across Sudan, and more than 170,000 have crossed into neighboring countries, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The U.N. estimates that up to 860,000 could flee into neighboring countries if the conflict progresses, meaning that the ramifications of this conflict do not end at Sudans bordersthey stretch out into the region, compounding existing humanitarian needs across several countries, Charles said.

She said 19 of the 33 humanitarian organizations operating in Sudan in April still remain in the country and that there are a lot of supplies flowing into the Port of Sudan, including more than 33 metric tons of USAID assistance, and those supplies are anchored in the [port] right now ready to be distributed by the groups in-country.

Van Hollen said that with as many as 170,000 refugees already fleeing the country as a vanguard for at least eight times more, unrest is spreading across the region, particularly in Ethiopia, where another conflict looms.

We have a very fragile peace in Ethiopia, and there are territorial disputes between Sudan and Ethiopia being aggravated by refugee traffic across their border, he said.

Warnings were ignored, Menendez said, quoting a Sudanese critic of U.S.Sudan policy who claimed, The U.S. built a dream palace that has now crashed down.

When foreign policy dream palaces come down, people across the world pay a price now and in the future, he said.

Disillusioned actors have lost faith in the United States. Thats bad news.
IN-DEPTH: Cartels Stand to Win Big When Title 42 Ends, Immigration Experts Say

A Border Patrol agent checks an illegal immigrant who is wearing two wristbands that Mexican cartels have been using to control human smuggling into the United States, near Penitas, Texas, on March 15. 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Immigration experts say the impending end of Title 42 immigration enforcement will serve to benefit cartel drug and child trafficking operations at the expense of Americans.

Lora Ries, a veteran of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), told The Epoch Times that the coming influx of illegal immigrants will strip critical tools from Border Patrol and facilitate more cartel activity along the border.

Ending Title 42 is helping the cartels because its taking a tool away from border agents, said Ries, who has more than two decades of experience in immigration and homeland security.

Because no major policy changes seem forthcoming from President Joe Bidens administration, there will be more people coming and the cartels will get even richer, she said.

Title 42 in U.S. law allows immigration officials to largely deny land entry, as a public health measure, to migrants who have recently been in countries where a transmissible disease was present. Significantly, illegal migrants captured under Title 42 are considered expulsions by the law, not deportations, and thus have no right to appeal before an immigration judge.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, then-President Donald Trump used this provision of law to substantially reduce the number of illegal migrants entering the country.

Joe Biden (L) and Donald Trump. (Illustration by The Epoch Times/Getty Images)

Despite professed disagreements with his predecessor on the issue of immigration, Biden has kept this policy intact.

But the policy is set to lapse on May 11, and in spite of the protestations of members of Congress from both parties, Biden has barreled ahead on his plan to end Title 42 enforcement.

At the same time, according to the most recent data, around half a million illegal immigrants are streaming into the country every month, leaving resources stretched thin and Border Patrol overwhelmed.

Estimates vary widely as to what the effect of the end of Title 42 will have on levels of illegal immigration, but experts say one thing is clear: Cartels stand to gain from the confusion and disorder that the end of Title 42 will bring.

In preparation for the expiration of Title 42, Biden ordered an additional 1,500 troops to assist the Border Patrol. But like the 2,500 troops already there, these new troops will serve only in an auxiliary capacity, carrying out tasks such as data entry, transportation, and other menial chores to allow Border Patrol to focus on law enforcement.

Ira Mehlman, a spokesperson for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said that cartels are the No. 1 beneficiaries of the end of Title 42.

The people who benefit are, No. 1, the cartels because it increases their business, Mehlman said when asked who stands to gain from the end of Title 42.

This multibillion-dollar business is facilitated by the administrations policies.

In addition, Mehlman noted that it benefits illegal aliens themselves.

But asked whether there was any conceivable benefit to Americans from ending the program, Mehlman quickly replied, No.

Selective Enforcement

On the other hand, both Ries and Mehlman noted that the enforcement of Title 42 has been selective.

Generally, only single, unaccompanied men, accounting for around 19 percent of apprehensions, have been expelled under the program.

Nevertheless, Mehlman emphasized that Title 42 has served as a psychological deterrent. Often, illegal immigrants pay cartels nearly their entire life savings for a shot at entering the United States. The awareness that it could all be for naught if they were apprehended under Title 42 has kept many from coming, Mehlman said.

Illegal aliens seeking asylum line up to be processed by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents at a gap in the U.S.-Mexico border fence near San Luis, Ariz., on Dec. 26, 2022. (Rebecca Noble/AFP via Getty Images)

But as the administration continues with its plan to end Title 42 enforcement over bipartisan opposition, thats about to come to an end.

Ries, who most recently served under the Trump administration, said that in view of this fact, the end of Title 42 wouldnt be the end of the world in and of itself.

Inasmuch as the policy is a COVID-era holdover, she said, It makes sense to end it.

However, Ries said the panic over the program ending reveals the need for Border Patrol to have a general authority to make arrests and prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country.

Without this authority, and with Title 42 on the chopping block, cartels stand to win big.

Drugs

The biggest benefits of ending Title 42 will be for cartel drug smuggling operations, experts say.

Cartels regularly move enough narcotics across the border to kill the entire population of the United States many times over.

Due to inspections and apprehensions, many of these drugs are found and seized near the border. By increasing the overall influx of illegal immigrants, experts said, the end of Title 42 will mean far more success in transporting drugs across the border.

A bag full of bags of fentanyl pills seized by DEA Los Angeles. (Courtesy of DEA Los Angeles)

Ries explained: When you prevent illegal immigration, then the cartels have far fewer drug runners to transport the drugs to our southern border.

If the border agents arent having to respond to so many people appearing on our southern border, then they are more effective at catching drugs. More drugs caught puts a dent in the cartels business.

This serves the interests of the cartels, Mehlman concurred. While [Border Patrol is] processing God knows how many people, theyre not out there patrolling the border, so it makes it much easier for them to get all sorts of contraband, dangerous drugs, fentanyl, into the United States.

This Is Going to Hurt Children

Tara Rodas, a whistleblower who earlier revealed that the U.S. government was acting as a middleman for cartel child trafficking operations, told The Epoch Times that the end of Title 42 is going to hurt children.

The United States currently operates a network of processing facilities for migrant children along the southern border.

Many children who enter the United States illegally come on the dime of drug cartels, who in turn sell the children into sex slavery or child labor. Rodas revealed that due to improper vetting, limited staff, and an emphasis on speed over safety, the federal government had become a crucial part of cartel operations.

Due to a top-down emphasis on speed over safety, Rodas said, many children have been sent to sponsors with no biological relation to them. In several cases, children were given to sponsors later discovered to be associated with MS-13 and other cartels.

A young illegal immigrant waits his turn to take a shower at the Donna Department of Homeland Security holding facility, the main detention center for unaccompanied children in the Rio Grande Valley in Donna, Texas, on March 30, 2021. (Dario Lopez-Mills/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Asked whether she thought the facilities would be prepared for a potential influx of many more children after the end of Title 42, Rodas replied emphatically: No, no, theyre not going to be prepared. No, theyre not.

Adding to the difficulty of ensuring safety were a handful of executive decrees from Biden that substantially reduced vetting requirements, including things as simple as a background check of sponsors or knowing who would be in the home with the children.

These revelations made Rodas realize that the federal government was essentially facilitating a massive cartel human smuggling operation.

Its unclear what effect the end of Title 42 will have on the number of children entering the United States illegally. However, with processing facilities already overwhelmed, Rodas said she is concerned that the emphasis on speed over the safety of children will only get worse.

She cited earlier comments from Xavier Becerra, secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). In a leaked conference call with HHS officials, Becerra called for processing facilities to function like a Ford assembly line.

This will only get worse if theres an influx of new illegal immigrant children after the end of Title 42, Rodas said, adding that the solution to this concern is simple.

First, she said Biden must repeal his executive guidance reducing vetting requirements for children. In addition, Rodas called for DNA testing of sponsors.

Still, with no such changes forthcoming and Title 42 set to end, Rodas said, This is already a crisis beyond anything weve seen.

Bipartisan Opposition to Ending the Program

Pushback for Bidens plan to end the program has come from across party lines in Congress.

Earlier this month, Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) introduced legislation that would allow Title 42 enforcement to continue after the May 11 deadline.

In an emailed comment to The Epoch Times on the bill, Tillis said: The Biden Administration has failed to secure the border and the situation will get even worse once Title 42 is allowed to expire. Its clear that Congress must immediately step in.

The bipartisan bill Im introducing with Senator Sinema will help prevent the catastrophic fallout at the border we will soon see if no action is taken.

In a May 7 interview on CBS, Sinema, a former Democrat turned independent, also condemned the administrations lack of preparedness.

The Biden administration had two years to prepare for the end of Title 42 and did not do so. And our state is going to bear the brunt, the Arizona lawmaker said.

Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) are seen in Washington in file photographs. (Getty Images)

After the introduction of this bill, Sinemas colleague Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and other Democrats also denounced the administrations handling of the border.

During an April interview with 12News, Kelly admitted that he did not have a high level of confidence in Bidens plan for Title 42.

On May 11, we expect higher levels of migrants, and I made it clear to [the White House] that it is unacceptable to be releasing people into the streets and communities across Arizona, Kelly said.

Last year, Kelly defeated a challenge from Blake Masters, who made a tough-on-immigration stance a key pillar of his campaign.

In the lower chamber, House Republicans on May 2 introduced a bill, H.R. 2, that would strengthen the enforcement of immigration law by finishing the wall between the United States and Mexico, as well as grant new resources and personnel to Border Patrol. Critically, it would allow for expedited expulsions of illegal immigrants similar to the expulsions practiced under Title 42.

Solutions

Experts offered their opinions on several possible solutions to address the end of Title 42 and broader immigration concerns.

Ries said that encouraging the passage of H.R. 2 would be the best thing Biden could do to prepare for the end of Title 42.

What [Biden] should do is encourage the Senate to pass H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, she said. The bills toughest hurdle will come in the Senate, where at least 11 Democrats would need to sign on to pass it.

Encourage the Senate to pass it and sign the bill, she said. Because that would give the authority to quickly expel inadmissible aliens when some or all of the border is not under operational control. It would also prevent a lot of this legal illegal immigration in the first place.

Mehlmans response was more simple: The most important thing would just be to enforce the laws on the books.

Still, he said there were several steps Biden could take, specifically by reinstating successful Trump-era policies.

Mehlman mentioned Trumps Remain in Mexico policy. Under this policy, those seeking asylum were required to remain outside the United States until their applications had been accepted. According to testimony a former Border Patrol official gave to Congress, 90 percent of those applications were denied.

Under Biden, Remain in Mexico has been done away with, replaced instead with catch-and-release, whereby those apprehended are released into the interior while awaiting their court date.

Biden also overturned a Trump policy that required genuine asylees to seek asylum in the first safe country they came to, rather than proceeding to the United States.

These and other policies, Mehlman said, sent a clear message to would-be illegal immigrants: Dont do this because youre not going to succeed.

Ries confirmed that during her time with DHS, the driving motive of border policy was to prevent illegal immigration.

Under Biden, both Ries and Mehlman said, the priority has been on processing as many illegal aliens as possible as quickly as possible.

They were dismissive of Bidens move to send troops to the border, noting that these will be performing remedial auxiliary tasks such as data entry and transportation rather than law enforcement.

The solution, both stated, is to allow Border Patrol agents to do their jobs and to give them the resources they need to do so.

DHS and HHS didnt return inquiries from The Epoch Times.
IN-DEPTH: China Escalates Its Cyberwar Against the West

A hacker uses his computer in Dongguan, in China's southern Guangdong Province, on Aug. 4, 2020. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images)

Over the past few decades, China has adopted a policy of information warfare against its global adversaries by leveraging its civilian cyber sector. This constitutes Beijings peoples war on the world inflicted by its civilian cyber militias, according to cybersecurity experts.

The Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) civilian cyber sector includes individual cyberoperatives, private institutions, academia, and government institutions. In operational terms, these civilian sector operators do not have an official place within the Peoples Liberation Armys (PLA) order of battle. They turn into the communist regimes cyber proxies and mercenaries, according to Simone Ledeen, a senior visiting fellow at the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University and a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East.

Ledeen said these proxies conduct cyberespionage and cyberattacks to collect sensitive information from foreign governments, companies, and organizations, giving China a competitive advantage over its adversaries.

A striking recent example of such an operation was the theft of over $20 million in U.S. COVID-19 relief benefits, including Small Business Administration loans and unemployment insurance funds in over a dozen U.S. states last year by the Chinese state-linked cybercriminal group called APT41.

It was the first incident of Chinese hackers targeting U.S. government money. It has happened despite U.S. dominance in cyberspace and its cyberoffensive capabilities being more developed than any other countrya ranking that an IISS research paper determined in 2021.

The APT41 has been on the wanted list of the FBI since 2019 after a grand jury in Washington returned an indictment against APT41 members and Chinese nationals Zhang Haoran and Tan Dailin and another indictment in 2020 against other members, Qian Chuan, Fu Qiang, and Jiang Lizhi.

The groups victims included companies in Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, and Sweden. The defendants, according to the FBI, allegedly targeted telecommunications providers in the United States, Australia, China (Tibet), Chile, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

The U.S. Secret Service Department described APT41 as a Chinese state-sponsored, cyberthreat group in a statement to NBC News.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Secret Service for comment but didnt get a response as of press time.

FireEye, a cybersecurity firm, said in an extensive report on APT41 that the group conducts state-sponsored espionage activity in parallel with its own financially motivated operations.

APT41 espionage targeting has generally aligned with Chinas Five-Year economic development plans, said the report (pdf).

Another alleged Chinese hacking group, LightBasin, publically known as UNC1945, has targeted the global telecommunications sector since 2016. The nature of the data collected by these hackers aligns with information likely to be of significant interest to signals intelligence operations, said Crowd Strike in its investigation report in 2021.

The investigating agency said it doesnt have enough evidence to point at any country nexus. Still, most digital news media, including Cyber Scoop, pointed at UNC1945s Chinese origin and discussed its other malicious activities.

Likewise, the internet has many news reports of the malicious activities of the Chinese cyber proxies and state cyber actors. These operations are only increasing in their sophistication, with 25 percent of Chinas overall hacking activities being targeted at the United States alone, according to a two-month-old NBC report.

An earlier 2021 investigation by Crowd Strike found that China was responsible for two-thirds of the overall state-sponsored attacks globally. The IISS research (pdf) concludes that due to its growing indigenous digital-industrial capacity, China is on its way to joining the United States in having world-leading cyber capabilities.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein speaks at a press conference about Chinese hacking at the Justice Department in Washington on Dec. 20, 2018. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

Civil-Military Partnership

Global awareness about Chinas peoples war on the cyber sphere started building immediately after its operations began. Kieran Richard Green of Tufts University defined Chinas peoples war as tinted cyberoffense within the information domain of its geopolitical strategy.

In a seven-year-old paper titled Peoples War in Cyberspace: Using Chinas Civilian Economy in the Information Domain (pdf), Green said Chinas cyber operations today are a civil-military partnership and Beijings military cyber capabilities are only a part of its larger operations.

Indeed, one of the hallmarks of Chinas cyber strategy is the degree to which it integrates their civilian economy into its approach to the information domain, said Green, adding that the PLA coordinates various components of the information domain with parts of the civilian economy to use it as a force multiplier.

The local militias were a key component of Mao Zedongs concept of peoples war () until 1978, after which their importance was reduced, and the PLA modernized and professionalized. The same development was also seen in Chinas cyberwarfare.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Beijings information warfare capabilities emerged, the Chinese patriotic nationals routinely conducted operations with little oversight from the CCP, according to Green.

The Chinese government initially encouraged these adventures, but by 2002 the CCP began to rein in these freelancers while simultaneously replacing them with auxiliaries dedicated to information warfare. Patriotic hackers were either absorbed into the PLA through recruitment or integrated through the militia system, said Green, adding that Beijings cyber auxiliaries are a part of the PLAs 8-million-man militia system, as well as part of the forces of other agencies.

The 8-million-man militia would have grown exponentially in this period, and the cyber auxiliaries would have increased within it. However, The Epoch Times hasnt been able to determine the current statistics.

Green said its difficult to decipher Chinas cyber peoples war because its difficult to find the exact functions of cyber auxiliaries through open-source information. But he mentioned that the units are recruited from and organized as cells within government, telecommunications, and academic institutions.

Sahar Tahvili, an artificial intelligence (AI) researcher who holds a doctorate in software engineering and is the author of Artificial Intelligence Methods of Optimization of the Software Testing Process, told The Epoch Times in an email that limited evidence about Chinas cultivated relationship with non-state cyberoperatives helps it to maintain a level of plausible deniability.

The Anthem Health Insurance headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Feb. 5, 2015. Chinese hackers stole 80 million records from the healthcare company. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)

CCPs War Against Democracies

For the CCP, which is constantly acting to counter the liberal world order, the peoples war narrative is part of its communist ideology. What was observed during Maos time is being repeated today in the cyber sphere against democracies, said experts.

Benjamin R. Young, an assistant professor at the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, said in an op-ed on Foreign Policy that Maos dictumthe richest source of power to wage war lies in the masses of the peoplegiven during a 1938 lecture to his communist comrades influenced officials and policy planners across all departments.

Sameer Patil, a senior fellow at the India-based Observers Research Foundation, told The Epoch Times that a significant part of Chinas cyber operations is targeted against democratic nations, coinciding particularly with the election time of U.S. allies.

So you will see a lot of the propaganda operations, propaganda and disinformation operations targeting countries such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Taiwan, Philippines, said Patil.

The United States and its alliesincluding the European Union, the United Kingdom, and NATO member statescame together in mid-2021 to expose and criticize the Chinese regimes malicious cyber activities.

The United States is deeply concerned that the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] has fostered an intelligence enterprise that includes contract hackers who also conduct unsanctioned cyber operations worldwide, including for their own personal profit, said the White House in a statement.

The White House said Beijings unwillingness to address criminal activity by contract hackers harms governments, businesses, and critical infrastructure operators through billions of dollars in lost intellectual property, proprietary information, ransom payments, and mitigation efforts.

These operations are concerning, especially for Chinas strategic competitors in the United States, Japan, and Australia. Chinas cyber activities have also been seen as part of its broader strategy to expand its influence and power in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, said Ledeen.

Patil said that India has also been at the receiving end of many Chinese cyber operations. He pointed at the cyberattacks that were particularly noted after the bloody India-China conflict of Galwan when Beijing-backed hackers repeatedly breached Indian power grids.

The two known instances being Mumbai [in] October 2020 and Ladakh, reported in April 2022, he said, adding that India is also one of the top 10 victims of ransomware.

A man walks past a poster depicting portraits of Indian soldiers killed in a hand-to-hand fight with their Chinese counterpart on June 15, in a market area in New Delhi on Aug. 31, 2020. (Jewel Samad/ AFP via Getty Images)

Attacking Activists

The Chinese regimes cyber peoples war targets individuals working globallyparticularly those that expose its human rights violationsto nullify its malicious activities and propaganda, according to experts and reports.

Ledeen said China, in this context, uses its cyber operations to advance its political and strategic goals, including promoting its authoritarian system.

For example, China conducts cyberattacks on dissidents and human rights organizations, using social media and other digital platforms to spread disinformation and propaganda, said Ledeen.

A Chinese state-sponsored threat activity group called the RedAlpha has been targeting human rights organizations, think tanks, news media, and agencies of multiple foreign governments for the past three years, according to a lengthy report released mid-last year by Recorded Future, a global intelligence firm.

RedAlpha is likely attributable to contractors conducting cyber-espionage activity on behalf of the Chinese state, said Recorded Future.

RedAlpha, according to the intelligence firm, was registering and weaponizing hundreds of domains by faking as organizations, including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Amnesty International, the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), Radio Free Asia (RFA), the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).

This list included other global governments, think tanks, and humanitarian organizations that fall within the CCPs strategic interests.

Historically, the group has also engaged in direct targeting of ethnic and religious minorities, including individuals and organizations within Tibetan and Uyghur communities. As highlighted within this report, in recent years RedAlpha has also displayed a particular interest in spoofing political, government, and think tank organizations in Taiwan, likely in an effort to gather political intelligence, said Recorded Future.

Cyberwarfare specialists serving with the Maryland Air National Guards 175th Cyberspace Operations Group at a training session at Warfield Air National Guard Base in Middle River, Md., June 3, 2017. (Air Force photo by J.M. Eddins Jr.)

Pace of Growth

Whats hard-hitting in this context of growing global cyber animosity between the United States, its allies, and China is the pace at which the latters cyberoffensive operations have grown compared to those of its adversaries, such as the United States.

Christopher Wray, the director of the FBI, told the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies on April 27 that Chinese hackers outnumber the U.S. cyber personnel by at least 50 to 1 even if each of the FBIs agents and intel analysts solely focussed on China.

Patil said this is the result of consistent investments by the CCP in beefing up its capabilities to target the leading democratic powers.

China has taken a much [more] strategic view of cyberspace than many other countries, said Patil.

While the world complains about Chinese cyberattacks, Beijing has been leveraging similar allegations against the United States and its allies. Chinese state media Xinhua reported last year that internet addresses in the United States seized Chinese computers to launch attacks in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine.

Since the attacks and counter-attacks are increasing in intensity and number, according to Tahvili, with advancements in AI, cyberwarfare will only become more lethal.

AI techniques can be employed to improve the effectiveness of cyberoffensive operations; for example, AI-driven tools can be used to automate the process of identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in targeted systems, she said.

On the other hand, the involvement of China in AI research and development might lead to a growing pool of skilled professionals in this area, who can contribute to both AI advancement and cyber operations, she said, adding that the ethics of AI will thus become increasingly important for the international community.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into cyberoffensive operations, questions surrounding the ethical use of AI in warfare and espionage will become more pressing, said Tahvili.
Edixon, a 19-year-old Venezuelan, was angry and stressed out at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in downtown El Paso. He had just crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally at dawn from Ciudad Juarez, along with his girlfriend Milena, who laughed euphorically at the feeling of having made it. With her pants torn by the barbed wire, she protected herself from the sun as she sat on the ground in the shade of a portable public toilet.

Edixon and Milena are among the last migrants to have crossed while Title 42 remains in place. The regulation, part of a public health law dating back to the 1940s, was imposed in 2020 by former president Donald Trump with the excuse of protecting America against the spread of the Covid pandemic, and it allowed border officials to immediately turn away 2.6 million people without the usual administrative paperwork and without the right to seek asylum. That measure expires on Thursday, and the prospect has encouraged thousands of people to try to reach the border.

What will happen then is is at this point difficult to predict even for the homeland security secretary, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, who in a press conference admitted that the next days and weeks could be very difficult. He also recalled that the Biden Administration has reinforced personnel on the ground (more than 24,000 officers in total along the 1,951-mile (3,200-kilometer) border. Mayorkas had two messages for prospective migrants. One: Our border is not open. Two: Do not risk your life and your life savings only to be removed from the United States if  if and when  you arrive here.

A group of migrants surrender to the border patrol at the entry point separating Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) from El Paso in the U.S. PATRICK T. FALLON (AFP)

Like so many others, Edixon and Milena ignored those warnings. They walked for three months and crossed Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. Once at the border they continued a little further, to the Church of the Sacred Heart, in downtown El Paso. Edixon said he had all his hopes placed in this shelter, the epicenter of the latest migration crisis in the city, where in recent days more than 2,000 men, women and children were sleeping in the streets adjacent to the temple. By the time Edixon and Milena got there, only a few dozen remained. I dont know what were going to do. I dont know if its a good idea to turn ourselves in. They are going to kick everyone out. They are going to break our hearts, he said.

The streets around the church, which has come to symbolize the eternal border crisis, were cleared in a matter of 24 hours. At 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, several unidentified individuals began handing out flyers urging illegal border crossers who had not yet surrendered to the authorities to urgently do so. The brochure also warned them of dire consequences if they chose to remain in limbo.

Thus began what the bureaucrats, with their talent for euphemism, had dubbed a localized law enforcement operation. In the afternoon, about 20 armed men insisted that the migrants should run to be processed, in a move that was denounced as intimidation by local NGOs. Hundreds of them, persuaded by members of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service, lined up until sunset to meet with immigration officials in a white building surrounded by barbed wire.

Fernando Garcia, executive director of the NGO Red de la Frontera por los Derechos Humanos, holds up the flyer that was distributed to migrants on Tuesday urging them to surrender to border officials. PATRICK T. FALLON (AFP)

Many left there with a handful of stapled papers, known as the Alien ID. The documents include a date and a place in the United States where they must appear before an immigration judge. Some were given an appointment as early as the end of the month. Others, as late as November 2026. Like so many other ins and outs of the tortuous processing system, why the timelines differ so much remains a mystery.

Dozens of them still had not been let out of the building almost a day later, and their friends and relatives anxiously awaited their fate inside the church. The rest, an amount impossible to determine, were deported straight back to Mexico, according to what other migrants, relatives, and friends told this newspaper.

The Alien ID allows migrants to move freely in the United States, but not to work: that permit has its own mysterious requirements. Some migrants choose to travel to places like New York or Orlando, to stay with those who arrived there before them. But a particularly popular destination seems to be Denver (Colorado), about a nine-hour bus ride away ($90) where, rumor has it, local authorities are willing to help migrants, including paying for tickets to other parts of the country.

Once the sidewalks had been cleared, an army of cleaners showed up to get rid of what had been left behind: blankets, food scraps, sandals, T-shirts... And that was when Edixon and Milena showed up, hoping to find a community of which only the leftovers remained. They didnt know how they were going to find food, if there would be room in the shelters for them, if it was better to turn themselves in or not, or where to get the $120 that a thug asked them with the false promise of getting them a legal permit.

Oscar Leeser, mayor of El Paso, at the presentation this Wednesday of a temporary shelter for migrants set up inside a vacant high school on the outskirts of town. PATRICK T. FALLON (AFP)

On Thursday, all eyes will be on El Paso as Title 42 comes to an end. Starting Friday, border apprehensions, which have recently climbed to 8,000 people a day, are expected to rise to over 10,000. Title 42 will be replaced with Title 8 again, but with a new twist: asylum applications will be denied to migrants who show up at the border without having previously requested asylum through a mobile application called CPB One.

In the meantime, the mayor of El Paso has unveiled a brand-new temporary migrant shelter inaugurated in a vacant high school on the outskirts of town. It was his way of stating that the situation is under control. During the media event he insisted that the border was closed yesterday. Its closed today. And it will continue to be closed on Saturday.
IN-DEPTH: What Happens to Unaccompanied Minors Who Illegally Enter the US

Unaccompanied minors wait for their turn at the secondary processing station inside a holding facility in Donna, Texas, on March 30, 2021. (Dario Lopez-Mills/Pool/AP Photo)

With thousands of people entering the United States illegally, every town is a potential border town faced with absorbing large influxes of illegal immigrants who will need food, shelter, clothing, and money. Some are bused to large cities far from the border, some have been flownoften in the middle of the nightto a myriad of destinations.

Many are unaccompanied minorsage 17 and underand although the government has 296 Influx Care Facilities located in 27 states to house such minors, it does not make clear precisely where the minors are sent.

When unaccompanied minors illegally cross into the United States and are apprehended by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they are transferred to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which is legally required to provide care for all unaccompanied children referred to it while their claims to immigration are processed, or until they are placed with a sponsor, which may be a parent or relative.

To be considered an unaccompanied child, they must have no lawful immigration status in the United States, be under 18 years old, and have no parent or legal guardian in the United States available to provide care and physical custody.

More Space Needed

As of May 5, there were 8,790 children in ORR care across the United States, but many more are expected with the ending of Title 42 on May 11.

While ORR has worked to build up its licensed bed capacity, additional capacity is urgently needed to manage the increasing numbers of unaccompanied children referrals from DHS, ORR said in a May 5 statement on its website.

In preparation for the potential need for additional beds and to provide services and care that align with child welfare best practices, HHS opened several Influx Care Facilities (ICFs).

ORR operates a network of 296 facilities/programs in 27 states and has a proven track record of accountability and transparency for program operations, as well as being a good neighbor in the communities where facilities are located, the ORR said.

But when The Epoch Times asked for a list of those facilities and states, neither the ORR nor the Department of Health and Human Services provided it.

Planned Facilities

A future facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, is mentioned on the ORR website. The future Greensboro Piedmont Academy will provide shelter for boys and girls, 13 to 17 years old, and has a capacity of up to 800 beds. But no children are in care there yet, the statement said, and an opening date has not been determined. When open, the academy will provide education, housing, mental health, medical, and case management.

Specifically, ICFs for unaccompanied minors must provide clean and comfortable sleeping quarters, meals, toiletries, laundry, educational and recreational activities, and access to medical services. Minors are tested for COVID-19 before being transported to the facility and every three days while in care. They are given medical screenings and any follow-up care needed for any injuries or illnesses, according to ORR.

In March, news broke that Ehrenfeld Companiesthe owner of the former two-year-college for Mercyhurst University, Granite Ridge, in the Borough of North East, Pennsylvaniawas considering turning the property into housing for unaccompanied minors.

However, Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and members of his office have been contacted by local leaders and residents expressing their objections to such a facility.

There is a lot of concern from community members in North East about the prospect of an unaccompanied migrant facility in their town. We understand the talks between property owners and local officials remain ongoing and that its not a done-deal just yet, Matt Knoedler, Kellys spokesman told The Epoch Times.

So far, Representative Kelly and our staff remain in communication with all parties involved to remain up-to-date about the projects future. We met with local officials and the propertys owners last week to learn more about the future of the project and what the impact of that project may be on the North East community.

Many residents remain concerned about a repeat of what happened in Erie County in 2021. when a group of nearly 150 migrant children were suddenly placed in an emergency intake site without first telling community members or even Representative Kelly. It appears the 2021 case is fresh in the minds of North East residents as the debate over this new proposed facility continues.

Granite Ridge did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.

On April 5, 2021, HHS opened an Emergency Intake Site for Unaccompanied Children at the Target Lodge Pecos North property in Pecos, Texas. As of June 4, 2022, the site transitioned to an Influx Care Facility which provided shelter for boys and girls, 13 to 17 years old.

Then, on March 11, 2023, the facility was placed in warm status, which means the facility is not fully staffed with only minimal onsite facility management services, such as payment of utilities, infrastructure repairs, and fence, landscaping, and storm damage preparation.

Currently, there are no children in care at the site and no reactivation date, according to ORR.

Not All Minors

Between 2012 and 2022, unaccompanied minors entering the United States each year were mostly teenage boys from Guatemala, ORR statistics show. In 2022, the ORR received 128,904 minors from the Department of Homeland Security. Of those, 47 percent were from Guatemala, followed by 29 percent from Honduras, 13 percent from El Salvador, 3 percent from Mexico, and 8 percent from all other countries.

Last year 36 percent of captured unaccompanied minors were female and 64 percent were male; 15 percent were aged 12 or under, 13 percent were aged 13-14, 36 percent were aged 15-16, and 36 percent were 17 or older.

That is, 72 percent were aged 15 or older, and 28 percent were 14 or younger.

I would not want one of these facilities in my neighborhood because regardless of whether the kids commit any crimes, its a magnet for criminals. They attract everything from gangs to human traffickers, Matthew OBrien, director of investigations at the Immigration Reform Law Institute, told The Epoch Times.

These are being portrayed as something like a group home or a foster home. But they really need to be run more like a juvenile detention facility because the other problem is, most of these kidsby the time theyre put into this procedurehave not had background checks run on them. Its a problem vetting minors in general, but particularly minor aliens. So we dont know how many of these kids have had interactions with the criminal justice system in their home countries.

OBrien was appointed by former President Donald Trump, and worked as an immigration judge and ran the National Security Division of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during the Trump administration. He says a lot of unaccompanied minors are not minors at all; they fake their age to get into the program that often ends with a green card.

When he was a judge, OBrien said he saw instances of people who were 27 years old posing as minors and being put in U.S. high schools.

Gang membership in Latin America regularly starts with kids as young as eight to 10 years old. The program has been infected with gang members, OBrien said. Gangs arent stupid. They know that this is also fertile ground for recruitment. Trafficking is another problem.

A trafficker shows up and says, This is my cousins kid. Im a family member. And of course, the child knows that they need to say yes to that because if the child doesnt, the child will be severely punished, OBrien said, adding that once the minor leaves the facility, HHS has no idea what happens to them.

HHS doesnt have any staff to monitor the so-called sponsors. Theres nobody doing random home visits. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is not having their fraud detection and National Security Division look into any of this. So the whole thing is a disaster.

In this way, OBrien says, the United States has become the largest human trafficker of children in the world.

In April, Robin Dunn Marcos, ORR director was questioned in Congress about why 85,000 unaccompanied minors from the border have been reported missing in the past two years. She was unable to answer.

People send their children here in hopes that they are somehow going to serve as an anchor for adult family members to later come here, OBrien said.

People have been misled by leftists, to believe that the ideal life for their children is living in a place where everything is given to them for free. There is a perception that, in the United States, if you show up and stay here long enough, you will be able toeither from state governments or from the federal governmentget free health care, free education, free housing, food stamps, etc. OBrien said.

Honduras clearly has some problems with gangs. But the homicide rate in Honduras is significantly lower than it is in Baltimore. [Parents of unaccompanied minors] are certainly being irresponsible when they put their children into that dangerous stream of people heading toward the United States without adult supervision.

The Cost

Spending on illegal immigration by unaccompanied children has increased greatly in recent years, federal records show, costing taxpayers:

$1.3 billion in 2017

$1.9 billion in 2018

$2.6 billion in 2019

$2.1 billion in 2020 under COVID-19 restrictions

$6.8 billion in 2021

$7.8 billion in 2022a new spending record

$3 billion in 2023 to date

The Contracts

While ORR and HHS have not provided a list of ICFs across the United States, some can be found through government documents. Some of them, in this incomplete list, include:
Trump Adamant About 2020 Election, Jan. 6 Protest During CNN Town Hall

Former President Donald Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association Convention in Indianapolis, on April 14, 2023. (Michael Conroy, File/AP Photo)

Former President Donald Trump came out swinging against a CNN moderator on Wednesday as she interrupted him and tried to school him on the facts of the 2020 election, the subsequent U.S. Capitol protest on Jan. 6, 2021, and other topics.

In the first major TV event of the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump refused to cave in as moderator Kaitlan Collins tried to get him to admit he lost the 2020 election and to disavow claims that it was stolen or rigged.

Minutes into his hourlong appearance, Trump declared that only a very stupid person would fail to see the problems with the 2020 election. He then said he knows that Collins, a former White House correspondent, is not stupid at all.

Then he called out Collins, saying, But perhaps you are given an agenda.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a CNN Town Hall at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., on May 10, 2023, in a still from video. (CNN/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

The former presidents exchange with Collins finally degenerated to the point where he told her: Youre a nasty person.

Trump drew applause from the crowd of Republican and undeclared voters at the event at St. Amselm College in New Hampshire, when he said, Look, we have to have honest elections in our country  Lets just win it again and straighten out our country.

In a Truth Social post a day beforehand, Trump predicted the event could either usher in a new and vibrant CNN, with no more fake news, or it could turn into a disaster for all, including me.

Collins asked Trump whether he had any regrets about the events of Jan. 6. When she asked why he didnt disavow violence sooner, Trump produced a printout from his breast pocket and began reciting tweets that showed he had urged people to be peaceful before, during and after the march on the Capitol.

They thought the election was rigged. They were there proud, with love in their heart  and it was an unbelievable day, Trump said, adding the crowd was the largest he had ever addressed.

Trump said he was inclined to pardon many of the protesters prosecuted for their involvement in the Jan. 6 event, which Democrats labeled an insurrection.

The former president said allowing Black Lives Matter and Antifa rioters and looters to go unpunished is very unfair, while in contrast, the Jan. 6 protesters are living in hell right now, as many are incarcerated in a Washington jail to this day, awaiting trial for more than two years.

Trump also noted that hed given then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) the chance to have 10,000 National Guard troops to guard the Capitol, but she declined.

Collins introduced Trump on the night by announcing, Hes the first former president in more than a century to seek a return to the White House, and he is currently leading the Republican field but also facing multiple criminal investigations and an indictment. Just yesterday, he was held liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

She was referring to a New York jurys verdict in the case of E. Jean Carroll, a former journalist who alleged Trump sexually assaulted her sometime in the 1970s in a department store. He described Carrolls account as ludicrous.

What kind of a woman meets someone, and within moments, youre playing hanky-panky in a dressing room? Trump said.

He also repeated his denial of encountering Carroll.

I dont know who the hell she is  and I swear on my children, which I never do, he said.

Asked whether he regretted not testifying in that case, Trump said: It wouldnt have made a difference. He said his lawyer advised him not to testify because this is a fake story, and you dont want to give it credibility.

Then, wryly, he remarked about Carroll, Shes a whack job. People in the audience laughed.

After an audience member asked whether Trump would support sending more money to Ukraine, Collins asked: Do you want Ukraine to win this war?

Trump said he doesnt like to think of winning vs. losing in such a situation. I think of it in terms of getting it settled, he said. I want everyone to stop dying. But he needs the power of the presidency to step in and make that happen, Trump said.

Fielding questions from the audience, Trump said he would secure the U.S.-Mexico border and would drill baby, drill for oil to immediately improve the economy by lowering energy costs.

Trump also said he is concerned about the nations debt crisis and predicts that the government will need to default eventually.

Our country is dying. Our country is being destroyed by stupid people, he said.

He added that a default is better than spending money like drunken sailors, and that Republicans should refuse to raise the debt limit and continue to call for spending cuts. Democrats will absolutely cave with that strategy, Trump said.

When asked about whether hed sign an abortion ban if he won a second term, the former president didnt provide a direct answer, but said he would negotiate so people are happy.

People that will kill a baby in the ninth month or the eighth month or the seventh month or after the baby is born, theyre the radicalsnot the pro-life, he said.

Trump expressed his ongoing commitment to protecting the Second Amendment. He will try to fight mental health issues in the country instead of restricting everybodys right to access guns.

Theres been nobody thats protected the Second Amendment as you know like I have. Ive protected it through thick and thin, not easy to do,  he said. But we have a very big mental health problem in this country. And again, its not the gun that pulls the trigger, its the person that pulls the trigger. And we have to protect our Second Amendment.

He added that people who dont own guns are not going to be very safe.
Journalist Working for AFP News Agency Killed in Ukraine

AFP journalist Arman Soldin walks in a trench as he covers the war in Ukraine, on March 18, 2023. (Aris Messinis/AFP via AP)

PARISFrench international news agency Agence France-Presse says its Ukraine video coordinator was killed Tuesday during a rocket attack near the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Arman Soldin, 32, was with a team of AFP journalists traveling with Ukrainian soldiers when the group came under fire with Grad rockets, the agency said. The rest of the AFP team was uninjured.

The late afternoon attack took place in the vicinity of Chasiv Yar, a town near Bakhmut, the agency said. Russian forces have been trying to capture the city for nine months, making Bakhmut the focus of the wars longest battle.

His death is a terrible reminder of the risks and dangers faced by journalists every day covering the conflict in Ukraine, said AFP chairman Fabrice Fries.

Soldin was born in Sarajevo, now the capital of Bosnia, and a French citizen, according to AFP. He arrived in Ukraine to cover the war the day after the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, and had traveled regularly to the front lines in recent months.

AFP said it was devastated at Soldins death and all of our thoughts go out to his family and loved ones.

In May 2022, French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, who was working in Ukraine for BFM-TV, was killed near Severodonetsk in the east.

At least 10 media workers have been killed while covering the war in Ukraine, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

RSF Director Christophe Deloire praised the daily courage of those covering the war and called Soldins death a tragedy of all those who defend the independence and reliability of information.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a speech Tuesday night in Washington, expressed condolences to Soldins family and loved ones.

Countless journalists are working to expose and report on the truth in extremely dangerous settings, Blinken said. Today, we were devastated to learn of the death of AFP video journalist Arman Soldin in eastern Ukraine.
Regulators Will Need to Intervene in Banking Crisis, JPMorgan CEO Says

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has proposed a plan to end the turmoil in the banking industry, one that would involve government intervention. Still, the banker expressed concerns that policymakers will take away the wrong lessons from the current upheaval.

I think its going to get worse for banksmore regulations, more rules, and more requirements, he said in a May 11 interview with Bloomberg Television. If you overdo certain rules, requirements, regulationsthere are some of these community banks that tell me they have more compliance people than loan officers.

Dimon said he believes that banks should have been encouraged to look more broadly at potential pitfalls rather than focusing on one annual stress test that ran hundreds of thousands of pages.

At the same time, four regional firms have collapsed amid steep Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and deposit outflows, leading to investor concern about the strength of the industry. Despite JPMorgans purchase of First Republic and Dimons declaration that this part of the crisis is over, the CEO acknowledged that the regional-bank sector is still facing challenges.

It may take a few banks down; thats normal stuff.  That isnt abnormal, he said.

Dimon nonetheless believes that the industry is quite strong and that were getting near the tail end of the problem.

His assessment isnt shared by all members of his staff, who have told him that short sales arent to blame for the drop in regional-bank share prices. Nonetheless, he said he believes that individuals engaged in collusion or short selling and making negative comments about a bank should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

US Debt Crisis and the Chinese Economy

In the wide-ranging interview, Dimon also discussed JPMorgans preparations for a potential U.S. default and his assessment of the state of U.S.China relations. He warned that losses on commercial real estate loans would likely lead to more regional bank failures and urged U.S. leaders to avoid measures that would limit trade with China.

America and China have a lot of common interestsclimate, nuclear proliferation, anti-terrorism, global stability, the CEO said. And we have differences. Were capitalists; theyre not. Its OK. We can sort it out.

Dimon has long advocated for eliminating the U.S. debt ceiling and said JPMorgan has convened a weekly war room to plan how the bank, the countrys largest lender, would react to a potential default. He said he anticipates that if the standoff persists, the meetings will occur more frequently, potentially multiple times per day.

Despite the ongoing turmoil in the banking industry, JPMorgans shares have been largely immune to the pressures plaguing its smaller rivals. The bank reported an unexpected jump in deposits in the first quarter in a flight to safety. It outbid other lenders for First Republic after the San Francisco-based firm became the second-biggest bank failure in U.S. history. Dimon said he sees an opportunity to expand JPMorgans wealth-management offerings by leveraging First Republics relationships with wealthy clients.
Los Angeles to Expand Anti-Camping Law in Woodland Hills Area

LOS ANGELESThe Los Angeles City Council in a 95 vote approved a resolution May 10 seeking to expand the citys anti-camping law to include two locations in Woodland Hills.

Councilman Bob Blumenfield introduced the resolution to expand the citys anti-camping law, known as section 41.18, to incorporate 5400 Alhama Drive and 5416 Comercio Way. The resolution calls for relevant city departments with jurisdiction over those two streets to post notices and begin enforcement once the posting period ends.

The law allows the city to designate specified areas for enforcement to prevent sitting, lying, sleeping, storing, maintaining, placing personal property, and otherwise obstructing the public right-of-way.

Salvador Vazquez, director of sales for Courtyard by Marriott in Woodland Hills, spoke during the public comment section to address the homeless encampments along the backside of the hotel on Clarendon Street, as well encampments on Comercio Way and Alhama Drive.

Our hotel along with neighboring businesses are growing increasingly impacted by the homeless camps and their individuals. We have experienced loss of employees, guests, and business because of run-ins they have experienced with the camps and individuals, Vazquez said.

Vazquez also described concerns regarding safety and security not only for hotel guests but for the nearby community as well. He called upon city council members to expand 41.18 and address the encampment.

Other public comments made opposed the resolution and stated it would only further criminalize unhoused individuals. In addition, public speakers claimed Mayor Karen Basss Inside Safe program would only move those unhoused individuals around different parts of the city and fail to aid them.

According to a statement from Blumenfields office, the area has had serious criminal activity that the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed stemmed from an encampment there.

Councilman Blumenfield does regular homeless outreach and his staff is at West Valley encampments every day, Jake Flynn, director of communications for Blumenfield, told City News Service. This location has continuously gotten more problematic and the recent criminal activity made it applicable for 41.18 buffer zones.

City Councilors Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Eunisses Hernandez, Nithya Raman, Hugo Soto-Martinez, and Katy Yaroslavksy voted against the resolution.
Leader of Toronto Group Listed as Secret Chinese Police Station Met Xi Jinping at Beijing Event Promoting CCP Ideology

China's President Xi Jinping (L) walks with members of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee as they meet the media in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 23, 2022. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

A Toronto businessman affiliated with an organization in Canada thats on a list of secret overseas Chinese police stations recently met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his inner circle in Beijing at an event aimed at promoting the communist regimes ideology.

On May 8, Weng Guoning was among some 500 overseas delegates from Chinese organizations in over 130 countries who attended the 10th Conference for Friendship of Overseas Chinese Associations held in a state building in Beijing.

Weng is a permanent honorary president of the Canada Toronto Fuqing Business Association (CTFQBA). The address of the CTFQBAs headquarters, 220 Royal Crest Crt, Unit 1-2 Markham, matches one of the addresses on a list of 30 overseas police stations operated by the Public Security Bureau of Fuzhou City, in Chinas Fujian Province. Two other locations in the Greater Toronto Area were also on that list.

In a video taken by state media China News Service, he and other delegates are seen applauding as Xi and other Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials arrived at the conference in the Great Hall of the People on May 8.

Chinese state mouthpiece Global Times described the event as an important platform for communication and exchange among major overseas Chinese associations and their leading members around the world.

Besides Xi, other top CCP officials at the event included Wang Huning and Cai Qitwo of the seven-member Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee, the regimes highest decision-making body.

A police officer stands guard outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 10, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

According to Global Times, Shi Taifeng, head of the United Front Work Department (UFWD), also attended the event. The UFWD is Chinas primary foreign interference tool, according to a number of reports cited by Public Safety Canada.

A Community With a Shared Future for Humanity

Speaking at the conference opening ceremony, Shi urged overseas Chinese people to put into practice the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity. This coincides with the conference themeto promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind is a phrase taken from the CCPs Constitution. It is frequently cited by Xi, along with the phrase great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, as the goal of promoting Chinas international influence.

Wengs CTFQBA and the other two Toronto locations allegedly doubling as secret Chinese police stations first came to public attention in a September 2022 report released by Spain-based NGO Safeguard Defenders. The report stemmed from the groups investigation into Beijings claims that some of its overseas police outposts contributed to the repatriationdescribed as persuasion to returnof an estimated 230,000 Chinese people living abroad.

Weng is also chair of the Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations (CTCCO), a Toronto-based umbrella group representing more than 100 member associations. The CTCCO has a record of rallying around Beijing on issues such as the controversial Confucius Institute program.

The Epoch Times reached out to Weng for comment via both the CTCCO and CTFQBA but didnt hear back by publication time.

Donor to Chinese Military

Weng wasnt the only representative from a Canada-based association who attended the May 8 conference in Beijing.

Wang Dianqi, an honorary chair of the Canadian Alliance of Chinese Associations (CACA), also attended the event, according to the China News Service video. The CACA, a Vancouver-based community group, is an umbrella group of over 130 Chinese associations, according to its website.

Wang has consistently donated to the Chinese military.

In a 2017 interview with chinaqw.com, Wang said he had in the past few decades donated nearly 2 million yuan (around C$390,000) to express appreciation to the soldiers of the motherland and help disabled veterans of the old [communist] revolutionary base resolve hardship.

The same year, Wang said he also brought many cases of health products to soldiers in his hometown Tiantai County, Taizhou City, in Chinas southwestern coastal Zhejiang Province.

The CACA has frequently echoed Beijings party line. It was among 87 groups in Canada that signed an open letter last summer in support of Beijings resolution to reunify with Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy that it deems part of Chinese territory.

The letter was published in August 2022 by B.C.-based Chinese-language outlet Dawa News after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island, an event that saw the regime launch ballistic missiles around Taiwan, among other aggressive actions.

Wang had met the Chinese leader for the same occasion in Beijing about four years ago. He shook hands and greeted Xi on May 28, 2019, at the 9th Conference for Friendship of Overseas Chinese Associations, according to an article posted on Sohu, an online news platform in China.

Wang didnt respond to inquiries from The Epoch Times by publication time.
Man Dies After Being Struck by Metrolink Train in Irvine

A 64-year-old man was killed May 8 after being struck by a train in Irvine, according to authorities.

Irvine Police and the Orange County Fire Authority responded to the area of 170 Technology Dr. at 7:36 a.m. Monday after a report of a pedestrian being struck by a northbound Metrolink train, according to a statement from Irvine police.

The trains engineer saw the man on wooden planks near the tracks, slowed down, and alerted him to get out of the way with the trains horn, according to the statement. The man moved to turn away, but ultimately was hit, authorities said.

Michael Mason, likely a transient, was pronounced dead at the scene, Irvine police spokesperson Officer Karie Davies told The Epoch Times. His last known address was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

There were 67 passengers on board the train when the incident occurred, but no other injuries were reported, Davies said.

Anyone with information about the deceased is urged to call Irvine police at 949-724-7000.
Man Gets 6 Years in Attack on Former RHOC Cast Member

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.An ex-boyfriend of Elizabeth Lyn Vargas pleaded guilty May 9 to attacking the former The Real Housewives of Orange County cast member and was immediately sentenced to six years in prison.

Ryan Matthew Geraghty, 34, was arrested in February 2022 following a roughly two-hour standoff with Newport Beach police at Vargass home in the 100 block of Medina Way. Police and prosecutors have not formally identified the victim, but Vargas manager confirmed it was the former cast member of the Bravo series.

Prosecutors contended Geraghty began blackmailing Vargas on Christmas Eve, forcing her to pay tens of thousands of dollars to prevent him from releasing nude photos of her. According to the prosecutors, he also allegedly forced her to buy him a BMW.

Prosecutors said Geraghty went to Vargass home, threatening her with a gun because she refused to pay him any more money. While there, he fired a shot into the ceiling during an argument, as Vargas hid in a closet, prosecutors said.

Geraghty accused her of stealing his car because she stopped payments on the BMW, prosecutors said.

Police went to Vargass home to perform a welfare check, and they determined a suspect was holed up inside, prompting a standoff. After about two hours, officers made their way inside the home and police said they found an armed suspect actively threatening the life of the victim.

Geraghty was taken into custody. Police said that after speaking with Vargas, officers evacuated some surrounding residences while they secured the house. After conducting a search of the residence, the evacuations were lifted and no other suspects were found, police said.

Geraghty pleaded guilty to criminal threats, grossly negligent discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon, sale or transport of a controlled substance, and assault with a semiautomatic firearm, all felonies. He also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance and admitted sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a firearm.

Geraghty accepted a plea deal from Orange County Superior Court Judge Derek Johnson, who gave him credit for 920 days in custody.

According to the criminal complaint, Geraghty has two prior convictions for burglary in Los Angeles County in June 2008 and November 2016.
Mayorkas Says DHS Ready to Meet Influx of Illegal Immigrants as Title 42 Expires

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on May 11, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Hours before Title 42 was set to expire on May 11, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that stemming the flow of illegal immigrants at the U.S.Mexico border would be a difficult but manageable challenge for the Biden administration.

This is a challenge, and we are going to meet this challenge, Mayorkas told reporters at a White House press briefing. Were going to meet it within a broken immigration system while adhering to our values.

Invoked in March 2020 to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Title 42 is an emergency health authority that has allowed for the swift removal of illegal immigrants from countries with a high incidence of COVID-19.

For more than a year, the Biden administration has sought to end the policy but has been held up by legal challenges from Republicans who said the policy was necessary to help curb the rising numbers of illegal immigrants flooding across the southern border.

But with the policy set to expire on May 11 at 11:59 p.m. Washington time, Mayorkas stressed that the administration still had legal means for removing illegal immigrants through Title 8 immigration law.

The transition to Title 8 processing will be swift and immediate, the secretary said. We have surged 24,000 Border Patrol agents and officers, thousands of troops, contractors, and over 1,000 asylum officers and judges to see this through.

We are clear-eyed about the challenges we are likely to face in the days and weeks ahead, and we are ready to meet them.

Revamped Policy

Mayorkass remarks follow the administrations May 10 announcement that it will roll out a new immigration policy in preparation for the tens of thousands of migrants who continue to gather along the Mexican side of the southern border, waiting for Title 42 to expire.

The finalized rule (pdf), which essentially reinstates a Trump-era travel policy, stipulates that illegal immigrants will be disqualified from applying for asylum in the United States if they didnt first seek protection in countries that they traveled through on their way to the United States, with limited exceptions.

The regulation is meant to decrease human smuggling activities at the southern border by encouraging asylum-seekers to use lawful, safe, and orderly pathways, such as seeking refuge in a country that theyve passed through.

Mayorkas said that smugglers have been spreading the word that the border will be open after Title 42 expires.

I want to be very clear: our borders are not open, he said. People who cross our border unlawfully and without a legal basis to remain will be promptly processed and removed.

Issuing a warning to those considering making the trek to the border, he stressed: Smugglers care only about profits, not people. Do not risk your life and life savings only to be removed from the United States if and when you arrive here.

Placing Blame

To incentivize migrants to choose a legal pathway into the United States, the administration will rely on the new policy and strict enforcement of Title 8, under which illegal immigrants will be barred from reentry into the U.S. for five years and can face criminal prosecution.

But for many, the administrations efforts are too little, too late.

[President Joe] Biden sent 1,500 troops to the border to do paperwork, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote on Twitter on May 10. Texas deployed trained soldiers and troopers to take real action and respond to the crisis.

Abbott has been a vocal critic of the administrations approach to the border, often sending busloads of illegal immigrants who have crossed into his state to Washington, D.C., and other Democrat-controlled areas in protest.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump released a video message on May 11 criticizing his successors handling of the border, saying that the United States had become a third-world nation under the current administration.

At this very moment, illegal aliens are lined up by the tens of thousands, ready to break into our country knowing that, even if they are caught, Joe Biden will order them immediately released into American communities, Trump said. And many of these people are very dangerous.

Since Biden took office, more than 5 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border into the United States.

Mayorkas, however, asserted that the blame for the ongoing border crisis should be placed at the feet of Congress, not the Biden administration.

Our current situation is the outcome of Congress leaving a broken, outdated immigration system in place for over two decades, despite unanimous agreement that we desperately need legislative reform, he said. It is also the result of Congresss decision not to provide us with the resources we need and that we requested.

When pressed on how he could say that the border was not open when more than a half-million illegal immigrants escaped capture in the fiscal year 2022, Mayorkas said: We removed, returned, and expelled 1.4 million people last year. Ask those 1.4 million people if they think the border is open.
McConnell Says Americans Will Decide About Trumps Verdict in E. Jean Carroll Lawsuit

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on March 7, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on May 10 declined to comment on the verdict by a New York jury that found former President Donald Trump civilly liable for battery and defamation in a lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll.

Thats about presidential politics and that will all be settled in the primaries next year, McConnell said when asked by a reporter whether the verdict was legitimate.

McConnell added, I dont have any observations about it, the American people are going to have to decide, particularly Republicans and Democrats who they want to run for president.

On Tuesday, a Manhattan grand jury rejected Carrolls allegations that she was raped by Trump in a New York City department store sometime between late 1995 and early 1996.

The jury awarded Carroll $2 million in compensatory damages and $20,000 in punitive damages in the battery claim. She was awarded an additional $3 million in damages in the defamation claim.

In response to news of the verdict, Trump called the verdict a disgrace in a Truth Social post.

I have absolutely no idea who this woman is. This verdict is a disgracea continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time! Trump wrote.

Trumps attorney, Joseph Tacopina, has said that the former president is planning to appeal the verdict.

Democrats have celebrated the jurys decision against Trump.

A jury just found Donald Trump liable for sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll. The Republican party will STILL eagerly stand by him to prop him up while they offer their unwavering support, wrote Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) on Twitter. Their subservience is a slap in the face to survivors and all women.

Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy came to Trumps defense.

Based on the sheer timing of the allegationsthat the alleged offense occurred in the mid-1990s and Ms. Carroll did not sue until 20192022, far beyond the normal statute of limitations for the underlying offense, and in the middle of a spate of other legal charges against Trump for other ancient allegationsthis seems like just another part of the establishments anaphylactic response against its chief political allergen: Donald Trump, Ramaswamy said in a statement.

Mike Pence, who served as vice president under Trump, has argued that the jurys verdict on Trump was not of concern to most American voters.

2024

McConnell was also asked about 2024whether the verdict has made it tougher for Trump to win the presidency.

Theres no question the presidential race is going on pretty early and the Republican primary voters are going to determine sometime next year who they want to be the nominee and I dont have any advice to give them, he said, without elaborating.

Apart from Trump and Ramaswamy, three other major Republican candidates have announced their 2024 bidsformer South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and conservative radio host Larry Elder.

According to several polls, Trump is leading the GOP field.

Trump led with 54 percent of support, in a Defend Texas Liberty Pac survey conducted by CWS Research from April 29 to May 1. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came in second place with 16 percent of support, followed by Haley with five percent. Fifteen percent said they were undecided.

In a January survey from the same firm, Trump held a one-percentage-point lead (36 percent) over DeSantis (35 percent).

The survey polled 699 likely GOP primary voters.

In another survey by the Morning Consult, Trump held a 41-point lead over DeSantis, who finished second with 19 percent of support. Pence and Ramaswamy were tied at third place, each picking up five percent support.

DeSantis, whos yet to launch his candidacy, is supported by 19% of the partys prospective electorate, his lowest level of support since tracking began, the poll says.

The survey, conducted between May 5 and May 7, polled 3,574 potential GOP primary voters.
By Chananthorn Kamjan and Petchanet Pratruangkrai, KYODO NEWS - May 11, 2023 - 10:08 | World, All

The general election in Thailand this weekend is being seen as a crucial test as to whether voters will welcome the return to power of the political vehicle of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra or choose to retain the status quo under the incumbent conservative government, political pundits say.

Sunday's election comes at a time when current Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is running for re-election under a new party, and his alliance is facing a strong opposition force led by the main one, the Pheu Thai Party.

Pheu Thai is projected to win the most seats in the House of Representatives, while the smaller, liberal Move Forward Party, which is popular among young voters, is also strong in opinion polls.

Kavi Chongkittavorn, a veteran journalist on regional affairs, said he sees this upcoming election as one that will fully place Thailand in the "community of democratic countries."

Prayut staged a coup to topple the Pheu Thai-led elected government in May 2014 when he was the army chief and subsequently became interim prime minister of a military-run government. He returned to power under a civilian government after the 2019 election.

"This weekend, the Thai voters can vote and change the country as they wish to see," Kavi said, adding that the young voters are likely to vote for progressive parties while the baby boomers would opt for conservative parties.

The closely watched election will pick 500 members of the lower house of parliament.

On the prospects of the election, Stithorn Thananithichote, director of the Office of Innovation for Democracy at King Prajadhipok's Institute, a conservative think tank, said he expects Pheu Thai to win but not by a landslide, thus making it hard for the party to form a government.

"Pheu Thai will secure around 170-200 seats, or slightly above 200, so it needs to find allies in forming the government, and the allies could be one of its political rivals like (the ruling party) Palang Pracharath," he said.

Thaksin's youngest daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 36, and Pita Limjaroenrat, 42, the leader of Move Forward, have topped recent opinion polls as favorite candidates for prime minister, while Prayut, 69, has trailed behind these two young politicians.

The power to elect the prime minister belongs to members of the lower and upper houses, with the approval of more than half of a joint parliamentary meeting.

According to Stithorn, Pheu Thai is forecast to share votes with Move Forward, which won around 80 seats in the previous election in 2019 under its predecessor, the now-dissolved Future Forward Party.

Should Pheu Thai win a landslide, Paetongtarn, who has been uniting the party on behalf of her father in exile, can become the prime minister, Stithorn said.

But if Pheu Thai does not win a landslide and fails to cobble together a coalition government, Stithorn said Thailand will have Prayut as its prime minister again with the support of the current coalition parties that are in power.

Prayut is running in the polls as a prime ministerial candidate under a new party, United Thai Nation. He will not run, though, for a seat in parliament.

Thaksin's hope to return home will be dimmed under a Prayut-led caretaker government that has been critical of the ousted leader, the political expert added.

The fugitive former prime minister tweeted Tuesday that he will return to Thailand soon before his birthday in July, after he escaped trials for tax evasion and corruption cases and spent nearly 17 years in self-imposed exile.

Thaksin is facing around 10 years in prison while some cases are ongoing.

But for Jade Donavanik, a professor of law from Dhurakij Pundit University, he sees the chance of Prayut's return to power as "slim" as the United Thai Nation is unlikely to secure enough seats to ensure he can be the leader to form a coalition government.

Jade also said another headwind for Prayut is that he has been in power for a total of eight years which is "way too long."

Related coverage:

Ex-PM Thaksin vows to return to Thailand post-election, face jail time

Thai PM Prayut dissolves lower house to pave way for May election

Full-scale Cobra Gold multilateral military drill starts in Thailand
After more than 100 days of congressional investigations, earlier Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee dropped a new bombshell report detailing how President Joe Bidens family received over $10 million in payments, coming largely from foreign entities, and then furthermore, how the family used a giant network of shell companies to obfuscate the money.

However, oddly enough, despite the fact that this report is based on hard evidence, including bank records and company documents, it appears that there is a complete media blackout because no matter which news outlet you went to todaybe it The New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, Newsweek, the Washington Post, Vice, the Huffington Post, BBC Newsthe story was nowhere to be seen.

Kind of amazing to consider what freedom of the press actually means, when our supposedly free press here in America just seems to just run cover for the administration.

Lets go through the actual findings of this report.
Meeting Over Debt Ceiling Between Biden, Congressional Leaders Delayed to Next Week

President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) depart the U.S. Capitol following the Friends of Ireland Luncheon on Saint Patrick's Day March 17, 2023, in Washington, (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

A meeting between President Joe Biden and top congressional leaders that had been scheduled for May 12 to discuss the debt ceiling has been pushed back until next week, according to the White House.

The leaders were scheduled to meet to discuss lifting the debt ceiling in order to avoid a default on the countrys debt obligations before the June 1 deadline.

Staff will continue working, and all the principals agreed to meet early next week, a White House spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters that the postponement doesnt mean that talks with the president have fallen apart, confirming that the meeting had been rescheduled. He said there hasnt been sufficient progress for a follow-up meeting this week.

This is a positive development. Meetings are progressing. Staff is continuing to meet, and it wasnt the right moment to bring it back to principals, a source familiar with meetings told The Epoch Times.

On May 9, Biden met with McCarthy and other congressional leaders at the White House following a three-month deadlock over the debt ceiling.

We agreed to continue our discussions, and were going to meet again on Friday, Biden told reporters after the meeting, noting that until then, staff from both sides will meet daily to discuss progress.

The current limit on federal borrowing in the United States is $31.4 trillion. And although the nation has never defaulted on its debt before, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, that could change as soon as early June if the debt limit isnt lifted.

Everybody in this meeting reiterated the positions they were at, McCarthy told reporters outside the White House after the meeting on May 9. I didnt see any new movement.

I think the best thing that we can do is find places where we can eliminate waste, find places that we can grow this economy, and thats exactly what the House bill does.

In April, House Republicans passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act, which would cap federal spending for fiscal year 2024 at 2022 levels to help offset raising the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion, or through March 2024. The 320-page bill seeks to restore discretionary spending to 2022 levels and limit spending growth to 1 percent per year.

However, the White House dismissed the Republican proposal, accusing House Republicans of proposing harmful cuts to veterans care, public safety, education, and more.

McCarthy has proposed a very different way forward, Biden said after the meeting.

Im not sure, he said. I dont think theyre sure exactly what theyre proposing.

However, Biden didnt rule out a short-term extension of the debt ceiling.

On May 10, the president pressured Republicans again in a speech in New York, calling their threats over the debt ceiling dangerous and meaningless.

If we default on our debt, the whole world is in trouble. This is a manufactured crisis, Biden said. America is the strongest economy in the world. And we should be cutting spending and lowering the deficit without a needless crisis in a responsible way.

When asked if Biden is considering delaying his trip to the Group of Seven (G-7) Leaders Summit in Japan next week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on May 10 that the president is committed to going to the G-7.  But preventing default is the single most important thing on his agenda.
Mental Health Care Key to Keeping Police Officers Safe at Work, Spokesperson Says

Massachusetts State Police divers search Stoneville Pond near the site where Auburn police Officer Ronald Tarentino was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Auburn, Mass., Sunday, May 22, 2016. (Rick Cinclair/Worcester Telegram and Gazette via AP)

Sixty police officers in 28 states and the District of Columbia were killed by criminals in 2022.

While this is an 8 percent decrease from the 73 killed in 2021, a spokesperson for the National Police Association (NPA) said the figures highlight the need for better funding of mental health services.

With calls for police reform over the past several years, cities are considering everything from defunding the police to turning law enforcement tasks over to civilians.

Los Angeles is reportedly considering shifting traffic enforcement to unsworn and unarmed civilians. Philadelphia has also considered such a plan.

According to news reports, Philadelphias plan was delayed because of the pandemic. A spokesman for the city of Philadelphia didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

A Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) spokesman acknowledged there is a draft proposal for his city but said there is no formal plan yet.

Officers Michael Collazo (L) and Rex Englebert, of the Nashville Police Department, in undated photos. (Nashville Police Department)

As directed by the city council, LADOT hired a team to study alternatives to armed traffic law enforcement and facilitate a community advisory task force to develop recommendations. A final report is expected in the coming weeks, Colin Sweeney, the departments public information director, wrote in an email to The Epoch Times.

Betsy Brantner Smith, an NPA spokesperson, said cities should carefully consider all other options before sending unarmed civilians to enforce traffic laws.

She pointed out that low-level burglars, violent felons, and every manner of criminal in between have been caught at traffic stops.

Many are angry at the prospect of arrest and ready to fight. She said she is concerned about the possible unintended consequences of the plan.

Traffic enforcement is one of the most dangerous things a law enforcement officer can do. Youre very likely to get people hurt, Smith said.

Smith said the FBI statistics bear that out.

Nashville Police Department officers rush toward the shooter in the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tenn., on March 28, 2023. (Nashville Police Department via The Epoch Times)

According to the report, six officers were killed in unprovoked attacks, 12 died as a result of investigative/enforcement activities, and 12 were ambushed.

While it doesnt provide details on these deaths, Smith said she has enough experience to know that at least some of the deaths resulted from the most innocuous calls.

It could be a traffic assistance request or a 911 hangup call, Smith said.

She said calls to involve mental health professionals are on the right track but that their work must be done with law enforcement and courts. Police have always worked with social workers and mental health professionals, Smith said.

The ideal patrol car would be an officer and a social worker. But that would cost millions, and no one wants to pay for that, Smith said.

We would never send [civilians] out on their own. Their safety comes before anything else.

Law enforcement officers respond to an active shooter at the Old National Bank building in Louisville, Ky., on April 10, 2023. (Luke Sharrett/Getty Images)

According to Smith, returning to mental health practices abandoned in the 1980s would improve the United States crime problem. She said recent mass shootings prove the need to reinstate involuntary civil commitment.

She said that when she was a young officer, police routinely took the mentally ill to get care rather than put them in jail. Todays police usually dont have that option.

Smith said its time the United States seriously considered reinstating civil commitment to get help for the seriously mentally ill. She has an ally in former vice president and possible 2024 presidential candidate Mike Pence.

Speaking at the National Rifle Associations Leadership Forum in April in Indianapolis, Pence said that the United States should be committed to providing armed security in every school and getting the proper care for the mentally ill even when they dont want to cooperate.

The most prosperous nation in the history of the world can afford to protect our kids, Pence told the crowd. We have to get back to institutional mental health care in this country.

Smith said much of the motivation for so-called law enforcement reform is rooted in politics. Smith said that laws cant be properly enforced or justice evenly administered if skin color and ethnicity take precedence over facts and evidence.

Being a criminal is a choice. You cannot assess a crime by skin color, Smith said.

Lady Justice wears a blindfold for a reason.
Microsoft Signs Power Purchase Deal With Nuclear Fusion Company Helion

Private U.S. nuclear fusion company Helion Energy will provide Microsoft with electricity in about five years, the companies said on Wednesday, in the first such deal for the power source that fuels the sun but has been elusive on Earth.

Government labs and more than 30 companies are racing to generate power from fusion, which could one day help the world slash emissions linked to climate change. Unlike todays fission reactors, it could generate power without producing long-lasting radioactive waste.

Fusion occurs when two light atoms such as hydrogen, heated to extreme temperatures, fuse into one heavier atom, releasing large amounts of energy. So far, earthly fusion reactions have been momentary and suck up more energy than they release, but companies have raised about $5 billion in private funding in the quest to achieve net energy gain.

Helions plant is expected to be online by 2028 and will target power generation of 50 megawatts or greater after a one-year ramp-up period, it said. One megawatt can supply up to about 1,000 U.S. homes on a typical day.

Fifty megawatts is a big first step of commercial-scale fusion, and the revenue feeds right back into us developing more power plants and getting fusion out on the grid both in the United States and internationally as fast as possible, David Kirtley, Washington state-based Helions founder and CEO, said in an interview.

Polaris, Helions seventh-generation machine, should come online next year and demonstrate electricity generation, using a mix of laser and magnet technologies to achieve fusion, Kirtley said. In 2021, Helion was the first private company to achieve 100 million degrees Celsius (180 million degrees Fahrenheit) and the optimum temperature for fusion is about twice that, Kirtley said.

While many fusion companies are looking to tritium, a rare hydrogen isotope, to help fuel reactions, Helion plans to use Helium 3, a rare type of the gas used in quantum computing.

Helion has so far raised more than $570 million in private capital, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman providing $375 million in 2021.

Brad Smith, vice chair and president at Microsoft Corp., said in a news release that Helions work supports our own long-term clean energy goals and will advance the market to establish a new, efficient method for bringing more clean energy to the grid, faster.

The companies did not disclose financial or timing details of the power purchase agreement, or which Microsoft facilities would get fusion-generated electricity.

Kimberly Budil, the head of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which is experimenting with fusion, said last December that a few decades of research and investment could put scientists in a position to build a power plant.

Helion still needs design and construction approvals from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), as well as local permits. But the fusion industry was cheered by the NRCs decision last month to separate fusion regulation from that of fission, a move backers say could reduce timelines for license approvals.

Andrew Holland, head of the Fusion Industry Association, said nothing about fusion has been easy and that the power purchase contract likely had clauses regarding the timing of the delivery of electricity. But he said the deal shows trust is building.

The business world is starting to understand that fusion is coming and perhaps sooner than a lot of people thought, Holland said in an interview. Its a vote of confidence that Helion is on its way, as are other companies building their proof-of-concept machines now.

By Timothy Gardner
Migrants Rush Across US Border in Final Hours Before Expiration of Title 42

A migrant gestures to Texas National Guards standing behind razor wire on the bank of the Rio Grande river, seen from Matamoros, Mexico, on May 11, 2023. (Fernando Llano/AP Photo)

MATAMOROS, MexicoMigrants rushed across the Mexico border Thursday in hopes of entering the United States in the final hours before pandemic-related asylum restrictions are lifteda change that many feared could make it more difficult for them to stay.

With a midnight deadline looming, migrants in Mexico shed clothing before descending a steep bank into the Rio Grande.

On the U.S. side of the river, migrants put on dry clothing and picked their way through concertina wire. Many surrendered immediately to authorities and hoped to be released while pursuing their cases in backlogged immigration courts, which takes years.

President Joe Bidens administration has been unveiling strict new measures to replace the restrictions known as Title 42. The outgoing rules have allowed border officials since March 2020 to quickly return asylum seekers back over the border on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

The new policies crack down on illegal crossings while also setting up legal pathways for migrants who apply online, seek a sponsor and undergo background checks. If successful, the reforms could fundamentally alter how migrants arrive at the U.S.Mexico border.

But thats a big if. Biden has conceded that the border will be chaotic for a while. Immigrant advocacy groups have threatened legal action. And migrants fleeing poverty, gangs, and persecution in their homelands are still desperate to reach U.S. soil at any cost.

William Contreras of Venezuela said Title 42 was good for people from his wracked South American country. He heard that many migrants before him were released in the United States.

What we understand is that they wont be letting anyone else in, said Contreras friend, Pablo, who declined to give his last name because he planned to cross the border illegally. Thats the reason for our urgency to cross through the border today.

While Title 42 prevented many from seeking asylum, it carried no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. After Thursday, migrants face being barred from entering the United States for five years and possible criminal prosecution.

Holding facilities along the border were far beyond capacity.

Texas National Guard soldiers install new rows of barbed-wire near a gate at the border fence in El Paso, Texas, in the early hours of May 11, 2023. (Andres Leighton/AP Photo)

On Thursday, about 400 migrants huddled in strong winds whipping up the sand on the bank of the Rio Grande east of El Paso as groups of Texas National Guard soldiers constructed concertina wire barriers.

Major Sean Storrud of the Texas National Guard said his troops have explained to migrants the consequences of crossing illegally.

The migrants dont really know whats going to happen, Storrud said.

On Wednesday, Homeland Security announced a rule to make it extremely difficult for anyone who travels through another country, like Mexico, to qualify for asylum. It also introduced curfews with GPS tracking for families released in the United States before initial asylum screenings.

At the same time, the administration has introduced expansive new legal pathways into the United States.

Up to 30,000 people a month from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela can enter if they apply online with a financial sponsor and enter through an airport. Processing centers are opening in Guatemala, Colombia, and elsewhere. Up to 1,000 can enter daily through land crossings with Mexico if they snag an appointment on an online app.

In San Diego, more than 100 migrants, many of them Colombian families, slept under plastic tarps between two border walls, watched over by Border Patrol agents who had nowhere to take them for processing.

Albino Leon, 51, said the end of Title 42 prompted the family to make the journey.

With the changes they are making to the laws, its now or never, said Leon, who flew to Mexico from Colombia and got past a first border wall to reach U.S. soil.

Miguel Meza, head of migrant programs for Catholic Relief Services, which has 26 migrant shelters in Mexico, estimates that there are about 55,000 migrants in border cities across from the United States. More arrive daily from the south, as well as migrants expelled by the United States back to Mexico.

Migrants have strained some U.S. cities over the last year.

Elias Guerra, 20, came to Denver last week after hearing it was a welcoming place where he could get a free bus ticket to his final destination. After four nights in a church shelter, the city provided a $58 ticket to New York. He left Wednesday night.

Here its comfortable. Its safe. Theres food. Theres shelter. Theres restrooms, Guerra said as he waited with other migrants in a parking garage where the city processed new arrivals.
Military Deploys to Alberta to Aid in Wildfire Containment Efforts

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith meets with members of the military in Edmonton who are on stand-by to help with the wildfires before she gave an update on the situation in Alberta on May 8, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson)

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is moving into position to support Albertas response to unprecedented wildfires in the province.

Troops from the 3rd Battalion of Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry (3PPCLI) and 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1CER) are deploying in the next few days to Grande Prairie, Fox Creek, and Drayton Valley areas which have been hammered with out-of-control wildfires for more than a week, the government announced in a May 11 news release.

Army reserve soldiers from across the province will also deploy this week.

The military aid comes as Alberta expects a wave of hot weather which may increase the fire hazards.

Premier Danielle Smith said at a May 11 news conference that a heat dome she characterized as an unusual weather event is expected to begin on May 12 and continue until May 16. She said the province is preparing for additional fire activity, as troops will be moving into position to provide aid.

Albertans will see this movement by vehicle on roads and in the air, as some forces and equipment will be moved by Royal Canadian Air Force fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, said the government.

The military will create bases of operations for the forces to help with fire mitigation efforts under the supervision of Alberta Wildfire officials.

The capabilities the CAF can bring to support Alberta are firefighting support to aid in mop-up operations and basic firefighting duties. Airlift resources for increased mobility and logistical responsibilities, such as evacuating isolated communities, will also be provided, said the news release.

Engineering support will be provided where required, incorporating heavy equipment resources, the province advised. It also said the CAF has been working closely with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency and conducting significant planning and reconnaissance throughout Alberta to determine where they are most needed.

The provinces Emergency Management Cabinet Committee has been meeting daily to respond to the wildfire situation.

As of press time on May 11, the province had 82 active wildfires, with 26 burning out of control, and 37 fully contained. The Slave Lake Forest area has so far sustained the most fire damage, with more than 158,000 hectares razed, followed by the Rocky Mountain House area with close to 98,000 hectares, and Edson with over 88,000 hectares.

Most of the out-of-control fires are in western areas of Alberta. There are additional fires outside the Forest Protection Area and the government is providing fire assistance to the agency responsible.

More assistance is coming. On May 11, it was announced that both the federal government and province will be part of a coordinated donation matching program with the Canadian Red Cross as part of a 2023 Alberta Fires Appeal.

This means that every $1 donated will become $3 to support those affected by the wildfires, said Smith at the news conference.
MPs Told to Ban Smartphones in Schools to Clampdown on Upskirting and Pornography

Campaigners claim children are subjected to a highly sexualised environment

Smartphones should be banned in schools because too many children are using them to watch pornography or take inappropriate pictures or videos of girls, MPs have been told.

The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee has been examining the Relationships, Sex, and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum and as part of that review, it heard from a number of experts and campaign groups on Wednesday.

Lucy Marsh, from the Family Education Trust charity, said children growing up in the smartphone era were subjected to a highly sexualised environment.

Marsh said: Until we actually address the fact that children are watching porn, were never going to solve the problem of violence against women because while children have got access to smartphones they are going to be able to view it.

She added: Should children have access to smartphones and should they be in schools for that? For that, I would say the answer is no. I dont think smartphones should be in schools.

Marsh said the government should look at completely banning smartphones in schools and said it would solve some of the problems of things like children being filmed getting changed or being filmed in toilets or upskirting.

Upskirtingthe practice of taking sexually inappropriate photographs in publicbecame illegal in April 2019 and offenders, including juveniles, can be arrested and potentially sent to prison if convicted.

Asked if the current RSHE curriculum does enough to help tackle misogyny and violence against women and girls, Marsh said: Not at all. Were seeing huge damage being done with children watching porn.

She said: Schools are not addressing the harm this does to children in being able to form healthy relationships when theyre adults.

In March Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the government would bring forward a review of RSHE in schools.

MP Raised Concerns About Age-Inappropriate Lessons

The review came after Conservative MP Miriam Cates claimed some pupils had been given RSHE lessons in school which were age-inappropriate, extreme, sexualising, and inaccurate.

Earlier this week the Childrens Commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza, published research that found acts of sexual violence commonly found in pornography were referenced in half of police interview transcripts of child-on-child sex abuse cases.

The report, published on Tuesday, said: Listening to the experiences and voices of child victims of abuse is central to understanding where better support is required, and to determine more about the role pornography may play at this sharpest end of abuse cases.

De Souza said: For too long we have brushed the issue of pornography under the carpet as awkward, uncomfortable, or too difficult to solve, but we cannot shy away from discussing the nature, scale, and impacts of online pornography.

She added: My last report showed just how early in their lives children are seeing violent pornography and the way this often distorts their views on relationships and sex. What this compelling new evidence now shows is that these acts commonly taking place in pornography are also occurring in terrible cases of child sexual abuse and violence.

De Souza made a series of recommendations, including that, RSHE teaching should take a safeguarding-first approach and be overseen by the designated safeguarding lead in each school.

Tanya Carter, from Safe Schools Alliance UK, said schools needed to educate parents about the sheer volume of pornography online.

She told the committee on Wednesday: At Safe Schools we think smartphones absolutely should not be in schools. Once youve got smartphones in schools, every child in that school is only as protected as the least protected child in that school.

It doesnt matter what controls youve got on your own childs smartphone, if another child in that school has no controls on their phone your child can be exposed to hardcore porn at lunchtime, Carter added.

RSHE Should Not Push a World View

Carter said she wanted to see a public inquiry into the RSHE curriculum and said the object of the lessons should be to educate the children and not for a group of adults to push their world view.

She said: Absolutely we want children to have education that benefits them, but some of the materials weve seen its really not beneficial to children.

The government chose to make the teaching of RSHE compulsory in all secondary schools from September 2020.

In March, Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns said she had heard from parents in her Morley and Outwood constituency in Yorkshire who feel theyve got no choice but to educate their children because some schools are exposing infant children to information about adult sexual acts.

As legislators and as parents we have a duty to protect the innocence of our children, she added.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Commentary

Another ANZAC Day (April 25) already fades into memory as I contemplate its powerful influence not only on our Australian history but on a much broader stage.

When I was a boy in the late 1950s and early 1960s, I used to watch the Sydney parade every year, from start to finish.

I must have been an odd sort of kid because I always found it intensely moving. Men and women in their tens of thousands from World War II dominated the daythey were still in the prime of life, a few even then in their 30s.

There was also a solid contingent of World War I men, too, getting on in years, of course, but still fairly vigorous. And there were also touchingly small groups of very old men who had served in the Boer War (18991902).

But time, like an ever-flowing stream, moves inexorably on, and most of those old timers have run their course and passed to their rest.

Crowds are seen as War veterans march by during the ANZAC Day March in Brisbane, Australia, on April 25, 2023. (AAP Image/Darren England)

Historic Battles Through Time

The Greek historian Herodotus tells this story about Xerxes, the king of the Persians, who invaded Greece using his famous bridge of boats across the Hellespont:

Xerxes took his seat on [a throne of white marble] and gazed upon all his land forces and all his ships. There came upon me, said he, a sudden pity, when I thought of the shortness of mans life, and considered that of all this host, so numerous as it is, not one will be alive when a hundred years are gone by.'

Lord Byron took up that story at its final stage. Against all expectations, the Persian fleet was utterly routed, and before Xerxes very eyes and in the sight of most of the population of Athens, his once-proud fleet was annihilated just a year later at the Battle of Salamis (480 BC):

A king sat on the rocky brow

Which looks oer sea-born Salamis;

And ships, by thousands, lay below,

And men in nationsall were his!

He counted them at break of day

And when the sun set, where were they?

The might of Persia was arrayed in all its splendour when the sun rose, but by dusk, their hopes were dashed and their dreams of victory in tatters.

Its quite a story and still immensely stirring, even though those events took place two and a half millennia ago.

For us, in Australia, they hold a special poignancy because while the Greeks called it Hellespont, we now call this region the Dardanelles or the Straits of Gallipoli.

A view of Watsons Pier at ANZAC Cove shortly before the final evacuation. ANZAC Beach was utterly deserted but fortunately, Turkish airmen flew too high to notice this. (AAP Image/ Australian War Memorial)

The story neither starts nor ends with Xerxes and Gallipoli. Besides that narrow sea passage that is the boundary between Europe and Asia lie the ruins of Troy, where history and myth are blended in the great epic poems of Homer, the Iliad, and the Odyssey, the oldest and perhaps the noblest creations of the literature of Europe.

Nearby too, is the great city, once known as Byzantium but later as Constantinople or Istanbul, where the Roman Empire survived till 1453, when it finally collapsed under the forces of Islam.

Not much history is taught nowadays, so few can appreciate the significance of the fact that Romes power endured throughout an enormous span of history from its foundation in 753 BC to the fall of Constantinople (which had become the capital of the Roman Empire) more than 2,000 years later.

Nor is it easy for us today to grasp the impact of that fall on the outlook of the peoples of Western Europe.

Fleeing Greek scholars brought the Greek language and priceless treasures of Greek literature to Western Europe, many of which had previously been unknown or known only by rumour.

Its an ill wind, as the saying goes, that blows no one any good. The fall of Constantinople, the catastrophe that befell the surviving eastern half of the old Roman Empire, played a huge role in kick-starting what we now call the Renaissance!

Celebrating Diamonds Refined Through Failure and Hardship

Against the whole backdrop of history, our own role as a nation in the Gallipoli campaign is just a blink of an eye ago.

All the soldiers who took part have passed away as surely as the troops of Xerxes, yet their memory is still fresh and young.

Their names are listed on war memorials throughout the country, their grandchildren and great-grandchildren still turn up each year to pay their respects at cenotaphs and ceremonies. The wonder is that so many who attend are both young and proud of the great tradition.

A general view of the crowd during the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne, Tuesday, April 25, 2023. (AAP Image/Diego Fedele)

Gallipoli was the first major amphibious operation in modern warfare. But we are not jingoistsGallipoli was a failed campaign, though as a strategy, it was bold and ambitious and clever in its planning.

If it had succeeded, it would almost certainly have shortened the Great War and eased the terrible pressure on the trenches of the Western Front.

But it failed for a wide variety of reasons, and today we celebrate it as the refining fire in which so many elements of our nations spirit were forged.

Not just our nations but New Zealands as well, as the very term ANZAC so neatly records.

Britain and France and the Gurkhas were involved in the bitter fighting, too, a fact often overlooked: six Victorian Crosses were won, before breakfast, by members of the Lancashire Fusiliers on the first day of the Gallipoli Campaign!

All these Commonwealth heroes were well matched by a chivalrous enemy: the Turks, honourable and noble, suffered terribly too.

Surely nobody in the history of warfare ever spoke more generous words over the bodies of the slain than did the Turkish leader Kemal Ataturk: Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Nearly 6 Million Census Respondents Marked Their Ethnicity as Canadian, StatCan Finds

People hold a Canadian flag as they walk on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Canada Day, July 1, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

Nearly 6 million respondents to Canadas 2021 Census of Population marked their ethnicity or cultural origins as Canadian, making it the most named of any ethnicity by census users, according to Statistics Canada figures released on May 10.

Question 23 on Canadas last long-form census asked respondents to identify the ethnic or cultural origins of their ancestorsto which just under 5.7 million individuals replied Canadian, as first reported by Blacklocks Reporter.

Statistics Canada figures show that most census respondents identified as simply Canadian.

About 5.3 million census users said they had English ancestry, while just over 4.4 million identified as being Irish, and nearly the same number said they had Scottish origins.

Just over 4 million identified as French, while about 906,000 said they were French Canadian. Just under 3 million stated they had German ancestry, while 2.2 million listed North American indigenous origins, 1.5 million said Italian, and 1.2 million said Ukrainian.

About 1.7 million identified as having a Chinese background and over 1.3 million indicated Indian.

Over 1 million listed their ethnicity as their province of origin.

Over 981,000 respondents identified their origins as Quebecois, 91,670 said their ancestry was Newfoundlander, 80,550 listed Ontarian,  and nearly 45,000 said Nova Scotian.

Just under 100,000 respondents listed their origins as Canadas western and prairie provinces.

In census terms, Statistics Canada defines a persons ethnic or cultural origin as that of their ancestors rather than their own place of birth.

Often referred to as a persons ancestral roots, ethnic or cultural origins should not be confused with citizenship, nationality, language or place of birth, the federal agency says in its Ethnic or Cultural Origin Reference Guide for the 2021 census.

For example, a person who has Canadian citizenship, speaks Hindi and was born in the United States may report having Guyanese ancestry.

Statistics Canada adds that many of the responses concerning this point with the 2021 census are reflective of Canadians perceptions of their background, which it said can influence changes in responses over time.

This means that two respondents with the same ethnic or cultural ancestry could have different response patterns and thus could be counted as having different origins, it writes.

Therefore, data on ethnic or cultural origins can be fluid.
New Zealand National Party Donor List Reveals Strong CCP Ties

Vicky Lu (2L) was received by the Chinese Ambassador in New Zealand, Wang Xiaolong (2R). (Chinese Embassy in New Zealand)

Two overseas agents from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s state media have been revealed as two of the top donors of New Zealands major opposition party, and the country is lacking proper laws to make it illegal.

The New Zealand Electoral Commissions donation recordsreleased in late Aprilreveal that the National Partys 2022 donors include three high-level CCP influencers, including two media operatives with close ties to the CCP.

Leading the CCP-tied donors is Shanghai-based Lu Xinyan (Vicky Lu), who donated just under NZ$20,000 (AU$18,800 and US$12,732), with an amount of $18,750.

Lu Xinyan is the acting head of the Australia and New Zealand offices of Peoples Daily Overseas Edition. She is also the president and chairman of the board of Atlantic Media Group in New Zealand.

The Atlantic Media Group owns a publishing house, digital media, and a financial magazine. Lu also told a symposium celebrating the 95th anniversary of the CCPs founding held in Auckland in 2016 that the company has also acquired and taken stakes in a number of local Chinese newspapers, covering the Pacific, Asia, and the United States.

As a member of the New Zealand Channel [of Peoples Daily], [we] should be obliged to convey the voice of China and express its position, Lu told her New Zealand audience. Tell stories overseas in a more accessible way of communication so that the world knows about China and understands China.

Vicky Lu ranked the 31st largest donor to the National Party of New Zealand, while Lili Wang ranked 35th. (Screenshot by The Epoch Times)

Additionally, the National Party received just over $17,000 from another Chinese state media affiliate Lili Wang. Wang is the head of the Chinese Language Herald newspaper in New Zealand. Registered in Beijing, The Herald has been revealed in 2019 to be run by a company owned by the CCPs state-run China News Service.

In 2018, Wang travelled to China to attend the Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road in Hainan Province, where the Chinese state and affiliated organisations called on overseas Chinese media to help promote the CCPs agenda, New Zealand newsroom reported.

During the pro-democracy anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill movement in Hong Kong in 2019, the Chinese Herald was in the spotlight for publishing and then retracting a misleading article, which made a number of debunked claims about the protests in Hong Kong.

Also on the list of donors is Steven Wong, the former president of the New Zealand branch of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, who donated $16,161. Wong is currently the President of the New Zealand Chinese Association.

National Party Toed CCP Line on Human Rights Violations in Xinjiang

The revelation of the data comes after the New Zealand National Partys Foreign Affairs Spokesman Gerry Brownlee echoed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda when discussing a United Nations (U.N.) report that found credible evidence of serious human rights violations against the Uyghurs by the CCP in Xinjiang, in September.

Its good that it acknowledges that there has been a terrorism problem, in particular, the part of China that the focus of this report is on, he told Radio New Zealand on Thursday.

Brownlee believes New Zealand should continue to make statements condemning human rights issues in the province where opportunities arise while also recognising that it was a third-world country dealing with a problem internally.

He said that New Zealand also should not look into stopping imports from Xinjiang, claiming it was a great tool for discussions around a more compatible view of human business.

He added that he hoped China would engage appropriately and look at some of the recommendations made by the report.

The U.N. report accused the CCP of using an anti-terrorism law system that used vague national security and counter-terrorism laws to discriminate against Uyghurs and other minorities, leading to serious human rights violations.

The extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups, pursuant to law and policy, in context of restrictions and deprivation more generally of fundamental rights enjoyed individually and collectively, may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity, the report states.

Expert: New Zealand Lacking Foreign Agents Act

The CCP has a long history of infiltrating political parties in New Zealand through personal donations and then interfering with the countrys government, said Chen Weijian, the New Zealand-based editor-in-chief of Beijing Spring magazine.

The CCPs white gloves, these proxy donations havent stopped yet, Chen told Radio Free Asia. The overseas agent of the Peoples Daily is not an ordinary person. This is a very obvious improper donation, but no legal problems can be found. Theres nothing you can do if she follows the Donations Act! New Zealand does not have a Foreign Agents Act until now.

The most important issue is that the entire New Zealand government is very pro-CCP and will not bother with such matters as long as they are not obviously illegal.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and then New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern shake hands before the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on April 1, 2019. (Kenzaburo Fukuhara/Pool/Getty Images)

Feng Chongyi, an associate professor in China Studies at the University of Technology Sydney, echoed Chens concern.

Feng argued that in contrast to Australia, New Zealand had not yet enacted legislation to close the loophole, emboldening CCP agents to engage in political donation activities without restraint.

There is no such legislation in New Zealand, he said. The loopholes in the law here are so large that these agents of the CCP, these ambassadors, are so blatant that they are still as active in political donations as ever.

This comes after a New Zealand public servant was accused of spying for the CCP.

Rebecca Zhu contributed to this report.
By Keita Nakamura, KYODO NEWS - May 11, 2023 - 21:59 | All, World, G7, Japan

Japan is poised to showcase with other Group of Seven advanced nations their "strong determination" to defend the international rules-based order during their summit starting next week, in a pushback to Russia and China, who are seen to be posing challenges to global peace and stability.

Strengthening ties with emerging and developing countries known collectively as the "Global South" -- such as by addressing concerns over food and energy security, public health and climate change -- will also be on the agenda, the government said Thursday as it announced its priorities for the three-day summit from May 19 in Hiroshima, western Japan.

"The international community is now at a historic inflection point, having experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and being faced with Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which has shaken the very foundation of the international order," the Foreign Ministry said.

Japan is hosting the G-7 summit for the seventh time, with the unity of the group -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union -- increasing its significance in the face of the war in Ukraine and China's military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, including over Taiwan.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who took office in October 2021, will chair the meeting, which is expected to bring together leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron.

As for "important themes" during the summit, the ministry cited eight items -- regional situations such as Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific, nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, economic security, climate change, food, public health, development as well as gender, human rights and digitalization.

On Ukraine, Japan expects the G-7 to continue to "strongly promote" sanctions against Russia, whose invasion began more than a year ago, and support Kyiv, the ministry said.

The G-7 leaders are also expected to reaffirm their cooperation toward a "free and open Indo-Pacific," apparently reflecting their concerns at China's expansionary moves in the South and East China seas and tensions over Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island that Beijing views as its own territory.

Japan, the only G-7 member from Asia, has moved in tandem with other G-7 peers in seeking to pressure Russia on the grounds that the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific are inseparable, saying that "Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow."

The G-7 has been vigilant against China's expanding military and economic clout, implicitly criticizing its behaviors as "unilateral attempts to alter the status quo by force" while stressing the importance of "peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

The summit will consist of a total of nine sessions, with three of them being outreach events involving guests to the summit, including the leaders of India and Brazil, which are often regarded as Global South states, according to ministry officials.

The Global South is a term that refers to developing nations mainly in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Many of them have not sided with the United States and its allies over Russia's war in Ukraine.

An advocate of a world without nuclear weapons, Kishida -- whose constituency is in Hiroshima, which was devastated by a U.S. atomic bomb in 1945 -- also plans to lead discussions to promote "realistic and practical" efforts on nuclear disarmament.

In a bid to deepen awareness toward the consequences of nuclear attacks, Japan is arranging a visit by G-7 leaders to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum dedicated to documenting the world's first nuclear attack, according to sources close to the matter.

The Japanese government is also considering a museum tour by leaders of the guest countries, such as India, the sources said.

If realized, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first leader to make such a visit since 1974, when the South Asian nation carried out its first nuclear test, according to the Hiroshima city office. In 1957, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited the museum.

Other countries invited to the summit are Australia, Comoros, which is the chair of the African Union, Cook Islands, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam.

On the sidelines of the summit, Kishida is planning to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Title 42 is coming to a close at midnight Thursday. House lawmakers have passed a border security bill that includes the border wall, asylum process reforms, and more, while U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas addressed the Biden administrations plans to deal with the expected influx.

An activist group in Florida secretly sent gender transition kits to hundreds of children across the country. NTD spoke with the Epoch Times journalist looking into this, Jackson Elliot.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk said he has found a new chief executive for the social media platform and that she will be starting in about six weeks.
Former President Donald Trump took part in the first televised town hall of the 2024 presidential election season on Wednesday. The GOP front-runner addressed allegations and answered questions from voters.

Title 42 ends today, May 11. The Biden administration is reportedly ordering the release of illegal immigrants into the United States with no way to track them, after more than 11,000 illegal immigrants were caught crossing the border on Tuesday.

Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) pleaded not guilty to 13 charges, including fraud and money laundering, in federal court on Wednesday. The congressman says he will not resign and intends to seek re-election next year.

Topics in this episode include:

1. Former President Trump New Hampshire Town Hall

2. Voters React to Trump Town Hall

3. US to Release Illegal Immigrants Without Tracking

4. Santos Pleads Not Guilty to 13 Federal Charges

5. Shootings in the US, What Can Be Done?

6. Gaza: Israeli Strike Kills Key Islamic Jihad Figure

7. Paramount Announces MTV News Shutdown

8. Tips on Saving Money Prudently

9. Artist Uses NYC MetroCards in His Artwork
Orange Unified Board Cleared of Brown Act Violation Allegations, Except for One Trustee

The Orange County District Attorneys office determined the Orange Unified Board of Education did not violate Californias open meeting laws when it voted to fire its superintendent in Januarythough one trustee was found in violation of the rules for disclosing closed session information to the media.

The DA launched a two-month investigation into multiple complaintsfiled by parents and community membersthat the board violated the Brown Act when the majority voted to fire the districts superintendent on Jan. 5 in a special meeting called one day in advance.

The Brown Act is a California law that guarantees the publics right to attend and participate in local legislative body meetings and requires governing boards post regular meeting agendas 72 hours in advance and 24 hours for special meetings.

The complaints alleged the meeting was held with improper notice, the meeting agenda was deficient, that the board had engaged in an unlawful meeting in advance of the January meeting, and that Trustee Kris Erickson, who voted against the termination, improperly disclosed information from a closed session to the Orange County Register.

In two April letters obtained by The Epoch Times, Steven Schriver, senior deputy district attorney, said the investigation found the allegations unsubstantiatedsave for the allegation against Erickson.

In the first letter, Schriver said the board posted notice of the special meeting 24 hours in advance, and that the agenda identified and described the meeting topic in compliance with the law.

Additionally, he said he found no evidence to support allegations that those who voted in favor of the termination met privately to discuss the vote prior to the meeting.

In the second letter, Schriver stated his investigation found evidence that Erickson violated the Brown Act by disclosing information discussed during a closed session.

In a vacuum, the information disclosed by Trustee Erickson may appear benign or inconsequential; however, the breach of confidentiality could subsequently deter Trustees from speaking with the candor necessary for honest debate, and in turn affect their ability to safeguard and represent the publics best interests, his letter stated.

Schrivers letters did not disclose the specific information which Erickson leaked to the press.

However, a Jan. 12 article by the newspaper reported, During the closed session, when she asked for more information about [interim superintendent Edward] Velasquez, Erickson said [Rick] Ledesma told her to Google him.

Erickson did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Schriver requested the entire board take a refresher training on the Brown Act.

Trustee Madison Miner told The Epoch Times she wasnt surprised by the results of the investigation.

Im grateful for the time that the DA spent on it and that it was a thorough investigation, she said. Im pleased but not surprised at the findings.

Miner said she found it ironic that Erickson, an attorney, was in violation of such laws.

As a lawyer, youd think that [Erickson] would have been more cognizant of Brown Act violations, Miner said.

Robert Hammond, an Orange Unified parent, former educator, and former president of the OC Board of Education, said he was disappointed to hear of Ericksons conduct.

As a former schoolteacher and board leader, this is not what we stand for, Hammond told the Epoch Times.

The District Attorneys findings follow months of division over district leadership, which began in early January when the boards conservative majority voted to fire its longtime superintendent, Gunn Marie Hansen, and place assistant superintendent Cathleen Corella on leave pending an academic audit.

Shortly after, Velasquez, a retired educator who previously served as interim superintendent for San Diego Unified School District, was appointed in the same role by the board majority.

However, Velasquez only held the position for a little over a month before he resigned on Feb. 15.

In early March, the board unanimously appointed one of its existing assistant superintendents, Ernie Gonzalez, as acting superintendent.

Last month, however, the board decided to halt its search for a permanent superintendent, citing costs and timing.

Trustees Ledesma, John Ortega, Angie Rumsey, Ana Page, and Andrea Yamasaki did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
Pacific Western Shares Slide as Bank Reports Deposits Fall, Pledges More Assets as Collateral

Shares of Pacific Western Bank fell again on May 10 after the lender confirmed it continued to see deposit outflows of nearly 10 percent in the first week of the month.

The California-based lender disclosed in a securities filing that its deposits fell around 9.5 percent during the week of May 5, with the majority of withdrawals taking place on May 4 and 5, at a time when it confirmed it was exploring strategic options, including a possible sale and that it had been in contact with potential investors.

PacWest funded this decline in deposits with available on-balance sheet liquidity, it noted.

The bank added that as of May 10, it has $15 billion of available liquidity, which exceeds the $5.2 billion in uninsured deposits by around 288 percent.

Shares of PacWest were down 20.9 percent as of the time of writing.

Other regional banks also appeared to be under pressure, with Western Alliance shares down 2.3 percent, despite announcing on Thursday that its total deposits were nearly $49.4 billion as of May 9, up nearly $600 million from May 2.

Elsewhere, KeyCorp was down nearly 2 percent, and Zions Bancorp was down 3.96 percent at the time of writing.

Deposit Turnaround

The latest disclosure from PacWest marks a stark contrast to an update issued by the bank on May 4, when it said it has not experienced out-of-the-ordinary deposit flows following the sale of First Republic Bank and other news, and that core customer deposits had increased since the end of March.

At the time, PacWest said it had a total of $28 billion in deposits as of May 2, of which 75 percent were insured. It also noted that its cash and available liquidity remained solid and exceeded our uninsured deposits.

Thursdays filing also showed that PacWests total deposits declined 16.9 percent, or by $5.7 billion, during the three months that ended March 31, driven primarily by a decrease in retail non-maturity deposits and wholesale non-maturity deposits, although that was offset slightly by an increase of $2.2 billion in time depositsthat is, those with a specific maturity date.

Shares of PacWest were already down more than 50 percent this month, which the bank in Thursdays filing attributed to the closure of First Republic Bank by regulators earlier this month, adding that this had heightened market and customer fears of additional bank failures, including its own.

First Republic Bank was subsequently bought by JPMorgan Chase.

Overall in the last year alone, shares of PacWest are down nearly 80 percent amid concerns about the state of the regional banking sector following weeks of turbulence initially prompted by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

Increased Risks, Uncertainties

These recent events, and the ongoing news coverage of these events, has increased certain risks and uncertainties related to our business and future prospects, the bank said in its latest filing.

In response to ongoing risks and the potential prospect of increased deposit outflows, the bank said it has pledged an additional $5.1 billion of its loans to the Federal Reserve, which has resulted in an additional borrowing capacity of $3.9 billion.

PacWest was the fifty-third biggest commercial bank in the U.S. by asset size as of Dec. 3, 2022, with $41 billion in total assets, according to Federal Reserve data.

Rick Meckler, a partner at Cherry Lane Investments, said PacWests announcement that it has $15 billion of available liquidity to cover uninsured deposits is reassuring, however, he pointed to previous instances in which banks have reassured investors of their stability only to later fail.

It [$15 billion liquidity] is not necessarily viewed as negative. Its the fact that they have to keep reassuring the market, he told Reuters. Investors have seen in the past, banks that are constantly forced to issue statements to shore up confidence suggests there are issues that require them to do that, Meckler added.

Those comments were echoed by Seth Carpenter, chief global economist for Morgan Stanley, during a recent panel hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Bloomberg reports.

Carpenter pointed to increasing monetary tightening by the central bank, noting that a lot of whats going on is exactly what you should have thought you were trying to do as a policymaker.

Is there an additional exogenous component? I think therein lies the real question of what could go wrong, he added.
Parents of Ontario Catholic Student Vocal About Gender Beliefs Suspended From Teaching Jobs

Grade 11 student Josh Alexander of Renfrew, Ont., has received international attention for an ongoing struggle with his Catholic school board over his belief that God made only two genders. His parents, who are teachers in a separate board, have recently been put on leave and are under investigation. They suspect its because of the attention their son has gotten.

From the beginning, I understood the consequences my actions may have and I was willing to take that stand and face the consequences, Alexander told The Epoch Times. But I must admit, Im pretty disappointed to see that since they havent been able to get to me, theyre now attacking my family.

Alexander was first suspended by St. Josephs Catholic High School in November when he organized a protest against transgender students using the girls washroom. When the suspension ended, he was still banned from school grounds for the rest of the year for saying he would continue to express his belief. The school board has said his actions amount to bullying transgender students.

Parents Under Investigation

His father, Matt Alexander, is a grade 7/8 teacher at the Renfrew County District School Board. His mother, Nicole Alexander, is a kindergarten teacher in the same board.

His mother received notice on May 8 that she was to be put on leave and that she is under investigation. The reason she was given, Alexander said, is that she had removed a pride flag someone else had put on the door of her kindergarten classroom.

Somebody reported her and went to the superintendent who told her that in order to protect the students, theyd have to put her on leave and place her under investigation, Alexander said.

His father had received notice about two weeks prior. They havent really given a reason for my dads investigation, Alexander said. Theres been no actual scenario that would have called for investigation.

The Renfrew board did not reply to an Epoch Times inquiry regarding Alexanders parents or the reasons they are being investigated.

Its No Secret That Theyre My Parents

Alexander has participated in events nationwide as part of a group he helps run, called Save Canada. The group describes itself as a Christian youth organization that stands for Christian values and liberty. Alexander has received media attention nationwide and abroad, so he certainly has been the talk of his hometown.

Renfrew Countys not a big area. Everybody knows everybody and theres obviously a lot of talk about me, Alexander said. Its no secret that theyre my parents.

Alexander says he has a good relationship with his parents and seeks advice from them, but it has been clear for some time that he is to make his own decisions regarding his activism. His lawyer, James Kitchen, previously told The Epoch Times, He runs his own life. And thats actually by design, because thats how his parents raised him to be.

Alexanders Beliefs

Kitchen has filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal on behalf of Alexander alleging the school board is guilty of religious discrimination. The complaint says Alexanders faith requires him to reject any affirmation which in any way contributes to the destruction of himself or any other human being; to actively speak truth and reject all falsehoods; and to protect vulnerable women with whom he comes into contact.

It further states that Alexander cannot speak the falsehood that humans can supplant Gods design and rule by changing from one gender to another.  Josh believes Gods design for gender is good.

Guidelines published by the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board, on the other hand, say that every person is able to define their own gender identity and/or expression. A persons self-identification is the sole measure of gender.

Sophie Smith-Dore, co-founder of Arnprior Pride and mother of one of the transgender students at the school, told The Epoch Times in a written message in January, Trans folks and their loved ones (like most marginalized folks) are constantly doing this emotional work and its exhausting. We bear the burden of trying to protect our gender-diverse kids.

She said Alexander and the adults who have rallied behind him belong to the far-right and are scrambling for an agenda.  It doesnt appear to matter to them that their casualties are children.

Alexander told The Epoch Times in December, I do have a little bit of sympathy for the transgender students. I dont think its fair that they are growing up with parents who encourage this behaviour. He says schools have also encouraged gender dysphoria.

He is organizing a nationwide walk-out on May 17, encouraging students to participate in protest of biological males using female restrooms and change rooms.
Parkland School Shooting Trial Judge Announces Resignation

Judge Elizabeth Scherer speaks in court during jury selection in the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 6, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Florida Judge Elizabeth Scherer, known for presiding over the Parkland school shooting trial, announced Wednesday that she will resign on June 30.

Scherer, 46, did not provide a reason in her May 10 resignation letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican.

I am writing to resign from my position as Circuit Judge for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit effective June 30, 2023. It has been a privilege to serve the people of the State of Florida as a member of the judiciary for over 10 years. Thank you for your consideration, she wrote in her resignation letter obtained by WPLG Local10.

Scherers resignation comes one month after the Florida Supreme Court removed her from overseeing post-conviction motions due to the Justices opinion that she could not be fair to Randy Tundidor, who was convicted of murder in the 2019 killing of his landlord in Broward County.

The states high court came to this ruling based on Scherers actions during the trial and sentencing hearing of Nikolas Cruz in the Parkland matter, finding that she showed unfair sympathy to the prosecutors in that case.

During Cruzs trial, Scherer had multiple heated arguments with the defense team. She again clashed with the defense team during Cruzs sentencing hearing over statements the victims families made about the defense team. She sided with the families and kicked a member of the defense team out of the courtroom after he complained of unfairness.

At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Scherer, who as a judge is meant to remain neutral during trials and sentencing, came down from the bench and hugged members of the prosecution team and the victims families. The state Supreme Court Justices cited these interactions in their ruling against Scherer, saying it showed she could not be fair to Tundidor.

Immediately after sentencing Cruz, Judge Scherer left the bench and, while still in her judicial robe, exchanged hugs with the victims families and members of the prosecution team, the justices said in their unanimous decision.

One of the prosecutors in Tundidors case was also on the team that prosecuted Cruz.

Its not clear if the Florida high courts findings contributed to Scherers decision to resign.

Cruz received a life sentence in 2022 after the jury wasnt able to agree on the death penalty for his 2018 killing of 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Following this outcome, the Florida Legislature passed a bill to allow the death penalty when at least 8 of 12 jurors recommend it.

Handling of Case

Scherers handling of the case was controversial, drawing praise from the parents and spouses of the victims, who appreciated the way she treated them, and drawing criticism from legal observers for her clashes with Cruzs legal defense team. It was her first murder trial after being appointed to the bench in 2012. The case was assigned to her automatically and randomly by Broward Countrys computerized system.

Before the trial, Scherer also threatened the Sun Sentinel newspaper after two reporters published a sealed Cruz educational record that they legally obtained, saying she would tell the paper what it could and couldnt print. She never followed through on this threat, which legal experts said would have been unconstitutional.

Among her clashes with Cruzs legal defense team was an incident in which Melisa McNeill, the lead public defender, abruptly rested their case, having only called a small number of their expected witnesses. By this point, Scherer had multiple heated arguments with McNeill. The judge responded by saying it was the most uncalled for, unprofessional way to try a case, although the defense has no obligation to call all of its witnesses or announce its plans in advance.

You are insulting me on the record in front of my client, McNeill responded angrily before Scherer told her to stop and then laid into her.

Youve been insulting me the entire trial, Scherer said to McNeill angrily. Arguing with me, storming out, coming late intentionally if you dont like my rulings. So, quite frankly, this has been long overdue. So please be seated.

At one point during the trial, in June 2022, the defense tried to withdraw from the case. Scherer rejected the withdrawal motion by McNeill, who then filed a motion asking Scherer to remove herself from the case, accusing her of being biased against Cruz. Scherer dismissed the request.
Pennsylvania Settles Election Integrity Lawsuit, Deletes 178,000 Names From Voter Rolls

Pennsylvania has settled a federal election integrity lawsuit, saying that it has removed more than 178,000 ineligible voter registrations and promising greater transparency in its future housekeeping efforts.

As part of its settlement with conservative legal group Judicial Watch, Pennsylvania and several of its counties will publish information related to voter registration, including the total number of active voters; total number of inactive voters; and total number of voters removed from the voter rolls due to death, failure to respond to an address confirmation notice, and failure to vote in the two most recent federal general elections.

These statistics will be published on June 30 every year on the Pennsylvania Department of States website for the next five years, Judicial Watch said.

The federal lawsuit was originally brought in April 2020 against Pennsylvania and the counties of Bucks, Chester, and Delaware. In the complaint, Judicial Watch noted that the three counties removed a total of just 17 names in the most recent two-year reporting period, despite having a combined voter roll of 1.2 million.

This small number, as well as an abnormally high percentage of registrations compared to the counties voting-age population, indicated that they were not cleaning up inactive registrations as required by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), Judicial Watch argued.

More Counties Added

In November 2021, Judicial Watch expanded its NVRA lawsuit, alleging that Luzerne, Cumberland, Washington, Indiana, and Carbon counties also failed to fulfill their duties to remove voters who were dead, moved away, or didnt vote in two federal elections.

The organization also mentioned several other counties that werent part of the suit but had the same problem.

Data also shows that the number of registrations removed pursuant to the procedures set forth in  the NVRA were extremely low in the most recent two-year period, from November 2018 through November 2020, in Northumberland County (two such removals during that period), Armstrong County (nine removals), Bedford County (15 removals), Clarion County (zero removals), and Snyder County (zero removals), the complaint read.

The complaints prompted Pennsylvania to step up its clean-up efforts.

In September 2021, the commonwealth told the court that it identified 27 counties to remove outstanding inactive voters who had failed to return a confirmation notice and did not participate in the subsequent two consecutive federal elections.

With the [Pennsylvania Secretary of States] assistance, the counties removed every single inactive voter eligible for removal from the rolls, it said in a court filing. The total inactive voters removed was 178,258. There are now 0 inactive voters eligible for removal in each of the identified 27 counties.

There has been much criticism surrounding Pennsylvania voter rolls in recent election cycles, including the 2020 presidential election.

Over 8,000 ballots in Pennsylvania were cast by people whose names and dates of birth matched individuals who died in 2020 and prior, former President Donald Trump told his supporters in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, claiming that the election was stolen from him.

Think of that. Dead people! Lots of dead peoplethousands, and some dead people actually requested an application, he said.

Legal Group Welcomes Settlement

Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said he welcomes the result.

This federal lawsuit settlement is good news for voters in Pennsylvania who want to ensure that only eligible voters are on voter rolls, Fitton said in a statement. He also noted that the organization has successfully sued several states into removing over 2 million ineligible registrations in the last two years.

Most recently in March, Colorado settled a Judicial Watch NVRA lawsuit by agreeing to provide the group with the most recent voter roll data for each Colorado county for the past six years. Over the course of the 2020 lawsuit, Colorado voter roll removals increased by 78 percent, from 172,379 to 306,303 per reporting period.

In February, Californias Los Angeles County confirmed the removal of 1.2 million ineligible voters from its rolls since last year under the terms of a settlement agreement in a federal lawsuit that Judicial Watch filed in 2017.
Pentagon Leaders Say Tubervilles Hold on Military Promotions Threatens National Security

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), here greeting supporters after defeating Jeff Sessions in the 2020 Republican U.S. Senate primary in Montgomery, Ala., has laced an indefinite hold on nearly 200 Pentagon promotions. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Sen. Tommy Tubervilles (R-Ala.) indefinite hold on military promotions in protest of the Department of Defenses (DOD) reproductive health policy is having a definite effect on national security in every theater, every domain, and every service, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a Senate panel on May 11.

Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley said the suspended promotions of officers is unsettling because many are three and four-star flag officers set to assume pivotal commands.

The promotion hold is causing a significant degradation in readiness and morale, Milley told the Senate Appropriations Committees Defense Subcommittee.

For months, Tuberville has blocked general and flag officer promotions to protest against a DOD policy that provides paid leave and travel expenses for service members who must travel to receive an abortion.

Nearly 20 percent of those serving in the U.S. military are women, according to the DOD, such as U.S. Army Sgt. Danielle Farber (L), a Pennsylvania National Guard 166th Regional Training Institute Medical Battalion Training Site instructor, and Staff Sgt. Jessica Smiley (R), a South Carolina National Guard military police officer, training together at Fort Benning, Ga. (Sgt. Brian Calhoun/South Carolina National Guard)

The Senate normally confirms thousands of military nominations a year in rote mundane, unanimous votes but Tuberville is insisting they be viewed individually on the Senate floor, which many senators eschew as a needless, time-consuming distraction.

Tuberville maintains the DODs abortion leave policy violates the Hyde Amendment, which blocks federal money from being used for most abortions. While hes endured bipartisan criticism for the holds, several House Republicans and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) have defended his stance.

I stand with [Tuberville] in opposing the [DODs] plan to use federal funds for performing abortions. [Federal statute 10 USC 1093] explicitly prohibits this. Secretary Austin, please respect the boundaries of your position and leave lawmaking to Congress, Lee said in an April 25 tweet.

Senate appropriations panelists, including several Republicans, said they dont see it that way with Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) calling Tubervilles holds dumb and stupid and a gross politicization of the military.

According to the Pentagon, there are currently 196 military nominations pending in the Senate, including 64 three and four-star positions set to rotate within the next 120 days.

In the next nine months, another 80 three and four-star promotions and rotations are scheduled, including for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

That number could swell to more than 650 by this time next year, Milley said.

Its really 650 times three when factoring in promotions down the chain of command fostered by one officers advancement, he said, meaning about 2,000 individual officers are affected.

Most are married and probably have children so at least another 3,000 to 4,000 lives are among those that the delays are directly impacting, Milley said.

Austin: Policy Firmly Rooted In Law

Sen. Patti Murray (D-Wash.) asked Austin to explain the policy you put into place, which is the reason why our colleague from Alabama is holding up promotions.

Austin said 18 percent of those serving in active duty in the military are female.

They dont get to pick where they live and are stationed, he said, so the policy ensures if stationed in a state where abortion is restricted, they can go elsewhere for the procedure.

The policy is firmly rooted in law, Austin said. One in five of our troops are women I want them focused on the mission and not whether or not they will have access to reproductive health care.

With the military experiencing recruiting shortfalls, especially the Army, that problem would be compounded by order of magnitude in drawing women into the armed forces, he said, and that would be devastating for national defense.

Women in the military continue to amaze us each and every day. We would not be the force we are without the contributions they bring to the table, Austin said.

Murray said she spoke on May 10 with a high-ranking officer who is among those waiting for their promotion to go through for a year.

While Congress can diddle over Tubervilles holds, he cant, she said.

He is being sent to a new posting without his new title and will assume new duties and responsibilities without compensation, Murray said before submitting a May 5 letter from Austin in response to a request by Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee Chair Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

This indefinite hold harms Americas national security and hinders the Pentagons normal operations, Austin wrote in his four-page letter, noting because of the holds some commanders are taking on the responsibilities of two positions at once and warning if it persists, there will be acute, self-inflicted problems.

Without these leaders in place, the U.S. military will incur an unnecessary and unprecedented degree of risk at a moment when our adversaries may seek to test our resolve, Austin told Warren.

The department relies on these experienced leaders to execute tactical actions every day and extend our strategic advantages for the long term. Their importance cannot be overstated.

Before the Senate panel on May 11, Austin said the political nature of the holds has some officers rethinking their careers.

It would tragic if that type of talent starts to vote with their feet and leaves the military because of Congressional politics, he said.

Plus, Austin said, its just downright unfair.

These people have earned the right to be promoted and their families deserve what goes with that, he said.
Peoples Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier to Run in Manitoba Byelection

People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier and wife Catherine Letarte speaks from a podium to supporters during the PPC headquarters election night event in Saskatoon, Sask., Sept. 20, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Liam Richards)

Peoples Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier plans to run in an upcoming byelection for a federal seat in Portage-Lisgar, Manitoba, the same riding as former interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen.

Martin Masse, a spokesperson for the PPC, told The Epoch Times on May 11 that there is a strong possibility that Bernier will run in the Portage-Lisgar byelection and that the party will make an official announcement tomorrow. Masse noted the riding is where the PPC received its best score in the 2021 election at 22 percent of the vote, and is also where the largest rally of the campaign was held.

Its a riding with obviously a lot of voters who share the PPCs conservative, libertarian and populist approach to politics, and one where we have the best potential to elect a member of Parliament, he said.

Back in 2021, Bergen won 50 percent of the vote in the Portage-Lisgar riding, while the Peoples Party of Canada candidate came in second with 22 percent.

Bernier will be running against Bergens former campaign manager Branden Leslie, who won the nomination to run under the Conservative banner. The Conservatives have held the riding since 2004.

Bernier had said previously that he was considering running in one of three ridings; Portage-Lisgar, his former riding of Beauce in Quebec, and the Northern Ontario community of Timmins-James Bay.

Im looking at these ridings because, if you look at the past history in these ridings, we did well in 2019 and we did very well in 2021. We have a strong organization in these ridings, Bernier said in a previous interview, adding that there is a large francophone community in northern Ontario and southern Manitoba, which is a plus for me.

Bernier represented the Quebec riding of Beauce from 2006 until 2019, when he lost to Conservative MP Richard Lehoux, who gained 38 percent of the vote to 28 for Bernier. The latter ran again in the riding in 2021, where he received 18 percent of the vote to Lehouxs 48.

Bernier ran for leadership of the federal Conservatives in 2017, finishing a close second in the 13th and final round of voting, with 49 percent of the vote to Andrew Scheers 51 percent. He left the Conservative Party in 2018 to form the PPC.

The Liberals have not yet nominated a candidate for the byelection.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Protect All Human Beings: Thousands Gather in Ottawa for Annual March for Life Rally

OTTAWASeveral thousand people gathered on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday for the 25th annual March for Life pro-life rally, calling for an end to abortion and euthanasia in Canada.

We need to protect all human beings from conception to natural death. We are all made in the likeness and image of God and we all deserve protection, said Debbie Duval, national capital organizer for the Campaign Life Coalition (CLC).

Demonstrators take part in the March for Life event in Ottawa on May 11, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby)

Demonstrators take part in a prayer during the March for Life event on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 11, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby)

We need to abolish euthanasia and abortion in Canada now. And this is how were going to do that:  by showing up to events, by speaking the truth out in love to your neighbors, to your friends, to your communities, and to gatherings like this.

The crowd, motivated by the years theme of Stand Firm, gathered on the hill for prayer, music, and speeches, before partaking in their annual March for Life through Ottawas downtown.

Pro-life supporters of all ages carried signs saying Love Life, Choose Life, Your Mother Chose Life, and Abortion Kills Babies, Adoption Is An Option, while a dozen pro-abortion counter-protestors flashed signs saying, Misogyny Kills More Than Abortion, Women Are Not Baby Incubators, and My Body My Choice.

Julia Bissonnette, a member of the youth organizing committee for CLC, told The Epoch Times that ever since Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau decriminalized abortion in 1969, Canada has had no abortion laws. This means abortions can be performed at any gestational age, including near the end of pregnancy.

Bissonnette said even in cases of impregnation by sexual assault, abortion is not the more merciful choice and is making another victim out of the situation.

Its another traumatic experience on top of the rape, and I think that rather than pushing women towards abortion, pushing them to kill their own children, we should give them resources to help them really  figure out their lives, whether thats giving the child up for adoption or raising the child themselves, she said.

Demonstrators take part in the March for Life event in Ottawa on May 11, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby)Janet Breen, a pro-life supporter, said she believes the my body, my choice argument should not apply after a woman gets pregnant. After youve got another body, a baby growing in you, you dont just have one life, you have two, she told The Epoch Times.

So I think its a crime to kill a baby before its born. I also think that living in that culture where its acceptable trivializes the power of life, it trivializes the value of life, it trivializes the power of our sexuality. I think that these are important things that underpin the stability of a culture, she said.

Medical Assistance in Dying

The event also focused on Canadas Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) laws, which have recently been criticized as being to relaxed. Parliament passed Bill C-7 in March 2021, which repealed the stipulation from the 2016 MAiD legislation that states an individuals death has to be reasonably foreseeable to qualify for the procedure.

Demonstrators take part in the March for Life event on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 11, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby)

MAiD is expected to be expanded to the mentally ill on March 17, 2024, and a Parliament Special Committee on Medical Assistance in Death released a report that included recommendations for expanding euthanasia to minors.

Cpl. Christine Gauthier, a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and Paralympian, spoke at the rally about her experience being offered MAiD by a Veterans Affairs Canada caseworker. During her five-year attempt to get a wheelchair ramp installed at her home, Gauthir was told by a caseworker that they could give her MAiD, and offered to supply the euthanasia equipment for her.

How is it at this point, that after all this time, it is even an idea? Already, battling and fighting suicide is hard enough  It is unbearable to me, she said. You are giving me a great gift that I will take with me today and try to build on the strength of. All of you people are here to keep fighting for the right to live, and not just survive, she told the crowd.

Conservative MP Arnold Viersen, who spoke at the rally, said that Canadian MAiD laws are essentially an exemption to homicide, meaning these particular people are allowed to commit homicide, and the government will not or the law will not pursue them.

We need to establish that human rights are for all of the human family, no matter how big or how small you are. Human rights begin when the human begins, and modern medical science tells us that humans begin at conception, he said.
KYODO NEWS - May 11, 2023 - 21:03 | World, All

Indonesian President Joko Widodo told other ASEAN leaders Thursday that no real progress has been made on implementing a peace plan struck two years ago to end violence in Myanmar, urging unity among the 10-member group on the issue.

The president's remarks came as the two-day summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations wrapped up in Indonesia. He was referring to the so-called five-point consensus agreed upon at a special ASEAN summit in April 2021, attended by Myanmar junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.

"I have to be honest that no significant progress has been made on the implementation of the five-point consensus, so ASEAN's unity is needed to formulate further steps," the president said at the gathering in the central Indonesian fishing town of Labuan Bajo, as the political crisis in Myanmar continues.

Steps laid out in the consensus include ending the junta's violence against political opponents and civilian protesters "through concrete, practical and time-bound actions," as well as starting a dialogue between all sides in the country's political turmoil.

In the ASEAN chairman's statement issued after the summit, the member nations reiterated their deep concern over the escalation of violence in Myanmar and called for the "immediate cessation of all forms of violence" so that humanitarian assistance can be delivered to the strife-torn Southeast Asian country.

Following the summit, the president slammed the humanitarian abuses in Myanmar as "intolerable."

He said Indonesia is always ready to engage with all stakeholders in Myanmar, including the junta, but stressed that "engagement is not recognition."

Diplomatic sources have revealed that a secret meeting between Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Myanmar's military-appointed foreign minister, Than Swe, took place on the resort island of Bali last month.

No further details about the meeting were known, but Marsudi told other ASEAN foreign ministers Monday that the "gap among all parties concerned in Myanmar is very wide" and that a peaceful solution to the Myanmar crisis may not be seen in the near future.

ASEAN sources said another ASEAN leaders' retreat to review the five-point consensus has been proposed, though a decision has yet to be made.

Myanmar, where the military seized power in a February 2021 coup, has continued to crack down on dissent, killing thousands of people. The country is absent from the summit as Indonesia has stood by ASEAN's position that the junta should only send a nonpolitical representative, if any.

During the drafting of the chairman's statement, the Philippines had proposed a paragraph that would underline the group's centrality "amidst major power rivalries" in reference to the growing rivalry between the United States and China.

The suggestion was eventually struck down, and the statement simply said the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen ASEAN's "centrality" to maintain and promote peace, security and stability in the region.

ASEAN leaders also discussed issues surrounding the South China Sea and welcomed progress in speeding up negotiations over adopting a "code of conduct" agreement in the South China Sea.

ASEAN and China are currently drawing up the COC to help avert confrontation in the region.

Some ASEAN members have overlapping territorial claims with China and Taiwan.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Related coverage:

ASEAN leaders denounce Myanmar violence, discuss U.S.-China rivalries

ASEAN-plus-3 finance chiefs to stay vigilant amid bank woes

ASEAN strongly condemns airstrike by Myanmar military
Refugees at Risk as Settlement Services Fight for Funds

Syrian refugees prepare to return to Syria from Wadi Hmayyed, on the outskirts of the Lebanese border town of Arsal, Lebanon, on Oct. 26, 2022. (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)

Refugee advocates have criticised the exclusion of settlement service workers from a $4 billion (US$2.71 billion ) boost to the community sector.

Amnesty International has also questioned the unchanged humanitarian intake cap outlined in the federal budget.

Labor promised to do more to increase refugee and humanitarian places that have fallen to near record lows, Amnesty campaigner Zaki Haidari said.

It is devastating for many communities to see no change in this budget, but with millions more allocated to detain refugees offshore.

Settlement sector workers were also excluded from a $4 billion funding boost to community services.

The federal government argues the increased funding brings affected workers in line with the wage price index, which measures changes in the price of labour.

But peak bodies such as Settlement Services International, which supports about 50,000 migrants, said refugees would be hard hit in the long run.

How can the government expect settlement service organisations to serve more people for longer while wages are cut in real terms? Violet Roumeliotis said.

Settlement Council of Australia chief executive Sandra Elhelw-Wright said workers and providers confronted with rising costs were being pushed to breaking point.

She warned this could force vulnerable migrants and refugees to fend for themselves.

Greens senator Nick McKim said the budget lacked humanity and compassion, locking in legacy coalition policies rather than delivering Labors election promises.

It locks in billions of dollars for offshore detention, does not raise the humanitarian intake and does not acknowledge the dire humanitarian crisis Australia helped to create in Afghanistan, he said.

It fails to deliver Labors commitments to restore migrant settlement services that were slashed.

It does not raise the community-sponsored refugee program, and it does not create the independent refugee tribunal.

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said the budget maintained an unfair, unjust and unequal system.

The centre said Commonwealth support for asylum seeker services had been slashed since 2016, driving people on bridging visas to charity.

Funding reached $300 million in 2015/16, with the Albanese government allocating $37 million next year.

The income support paid to program recipients is a portion (up to 89 per cent) of allowances paid to Australian residents and citizens.

The Refugee Council of Australia and the centre criticised Australias detention regime.

The council said onshore detention and compliance would cost more than $1.365 billion next year, while the offshore detention of about 30 people in Nauru would cost taxpayers $1.5 billion across the next four years.

Both groups welcomed $732.5 million across five years to provide a pathway to permanent residency for people on temporary protection and safe haven visas.

The sector praised the announcement of $136 million across four years to support the mental health of asylum seekers and refugees with experiences of torture and trauma.

Other measures affecting refugees included $10 million across four years to expand family violence protections to temporary visa holders and $9.1 million to improve employment outcomes for refugees and migrants.
More than $10 million in foreign cash, from more than 20 companiesthats what the House GOP says theyve discovered so far about the extent of the Biden familys business dealings. But is the president directly involved?

Homeland Security is laying out a plan on how to deal with the expiration of Title 42. The agency reiterated that the border will not be open.

New York Congressman George Santos has been released on a half-million-dollar bond after he was arraigned in federal court Wednesday. He faces 13 charges in total.

President Joe Biden stays on offense ahead of another debt ceiling talk with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Whats next in the fight to raise the nations debt ceiling?

Social Security benefits are losing their purchasing power. A new analysis shows theyve lost as much as a third in buying power compared to just over 20 years ago.

A birth control pill could soon move from behind pharmacy counters onto store shelves. Find out what an FDA panel recommends and why some scientists have concerns.
Rep. Dunn Wants Alabama Shipbuilder Investigated Over Alleged Ties to China

The U.S. Navy's USS Chancellorsville (CG-62) guided missile destroyer during a joint port visit with the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) aircraft carrier (not seen) in Hong Kong on Nov. 21, 2018. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

A member of the House Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs said President Joe Bidens administration should investigate a U.S. Navy vendor with alleged ties to a Chinese company.

What I want to know is, are the Chinese weakening our Navy and Coast Guard from within? Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.) asked during a subcommittee hearing on May 11.

Dunn questioned Rear Adm. Thomas J. Anderson of the U.S. Navys Program Executive Office for Ships and Rear Adm. Casey Moton of the Program Executive Office, Unmanned and Small Combatants.

He said that the Mobile, Alabama-based Austal USA had taken a contract from a company in his district even though three of its executives have been indicted by the Department of Justice for fraud and its Australian parent company had close ties with a Chinese shipbuilder.

A file photo of a U.S. Coast Guard vessel. (Photo by Mike Hvozda/U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images)

Dunn has been critical of the company since June 2022, when the U.S. Coast Guard awarded Austal the second phase of a $3 billion contract. The first phase had been completed by Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Florida, Dunn said.

According to Dunn, Austal USA had done shoddy work on a contract to build Littoral Combat Ships for the Navy. These are vessels designed to operate in relatively shallow water close to shore.

Then, last March, the Department of Justice announced that three company officers in Mobile had been indicted for defrauding investors. It is not clear if the men are still associated with the company, but their names are not found on the Austal USA website.

Dunn was incredulous that the company had also been awarded a $50 million contract to build command control units for American nuclear submarines even though its parent company, Austal Limited of Australia, had partnered with a Chinese shipbuilder from 2016 to 2021.

It should alarm everyone that a company like Austal that has won multiple Defense and Homeland Security contracts has such close ties to the CCP. This is a deeply troubling national security threat, Dunn said.

USS Montgomery (LCS 8) rolls out of Austals Bay 4 in Mobile, Ala. (Supplied by Austal)

An Austal USA spokesperson did not return a call seeking comment.

The Navy officers told the subcommittee that the United States needs to bolster its maritime industrial base if it hopes to keep pace with Chinas fleet.

One of the challenges we face in this country is the availability of blue-collar labor, Anderson said.

According to the admirals, the United States has 296 ships to Chinas 390. They said the main reason for the disparity is Chinas strong emphasis on commercial shipbuilding. Anderson pointed out that China builds 47 percent of the commercial ships produced yearly. The United States builds just 1 percent.

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) took issue with Andersons comparison. He pointed out that China benefits from slave labor.

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 8, 2022. (Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images)

What exactly do you mean, you wish we had the industrial base in America that they have in China? Higgins asked. I believe shipbuilding in America is the strongest in the world.

Anderson agreed that China did benefit from forced labor. Anderson said his point was that other countries emphasize building their industrial base and have a stronger industrial workforce. He said a more accurate comparison would be South Korea.

I would point out that America made South Korea, Higgins responded.

Anderson said the United States has seven major shipyards that focus on shipbuilding. Two of those shipyards, one in Groton, Connecticut, the other in Portsmouth, Virginia, specialize in nuclear ships and submarines. He said the edge America has over other countries is the quality of its ships and the men and women who sail them.

Some committee members said the Navy could benefit from better financial accountability and more efficient operations.

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) speaks to reporters in Washington on Dec. 7, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) said the Navy had failed five consecutive financial audits, more than other offices in the Department of Defense. He said there are 17 priority recommendations from the Government Accountability Office because of those audits that the Navy has yet to address. Gosar said Congress couldnt help the Navy if the Navy isnt accountable.

We cant do our job without you doing your job, Gosar said.

As an example, committee members brought up the history of the Zumwalt-class destroyer, DDG 1000.

In 2001, the Zumwalt class was introduced as the next generation of Naval destroyers. It was to be bigger, faster, and more versatile than other ships boasting the latest high-tech weapons and systems. This included a distinctly futuristic hull design. The Navy initially ordered 32 of the ships.

Over the years, the project encountered various problems, including serious cost overruns, Anderson said. He told the committee that the project had to be scaled back because the Navy had tried to cram too much new technology into the ship. The Navy has three Zumwalt-class destroyers with no plans to build more.

Weve been very careful to take the lessons from the DDG 1000, Anderson said.
Rep. Ralph Norman Responds to Trump Verdict, Biden Probe, Debt Limit Standoff

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., on March 2, 2023. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) said hes disappointed but not surprised by a verdict finding former President Donald Trump liable for defamation after he denied accusations raised by author E. Jean Carroll that he raped her in a New York City department store dressing room at some point between late 1995 and early 1996.

On Tuesday, a jury in a New York federal court did not conclude that Trump had raped Carroll but did conclude that he sexually abused her and was thus civilly liable for battery and defamation for publicly denying the incident.

Norman concluded that it was unlikely Trump, a Republican, could get a fair jury verdict in New York, which votes overwhelmingly Democratic.

I had a talk with a Republican member of Congress and I asked him about this, the ruling from the court. He said theres no way you can go in New York, that Donald Trump would get a fair trial with any jury, Norman told NTD. So it didnt surprise me. I dont think it surprised Trump. What they put that man through is unconscionable.

Norman said he does not believe the verdict in the New York lawsuit renders Trump unfit to serve and put the verdict in the Carroll case alongside past politically-tinged allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and Democrat-led impeachment charges against the president.

Let them render all the verdicts that they want  you know, they tried to do it on impeachment twice. They tried to do it on the Russian hoax. Theyre after President Donald Trump, but its not going to work, Norman said.

Trumps legal team plans to appeal the Carroll case.

The Biden Family Probe

After defending his fellow Republican, Norman proceeded to raise new claims of a potential money laundering scheme between foreign governments and members of Democratic President Joe Bidens family.

On Wednesday, Republicans in the House of Representatives alleged that millions of dollars flowed from private corporations and foreign governmentsincluding China and Romaniato nearly two dozen Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs) established by Biden family members. The Republicans, led by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), described these findings after reviewing numerous suspicious activity reports (SARs) generated by banking institutions the Biden family members and their business entities used.

I think Congressman Comer has done a good job of uncovering the information that is pretty dire, Norman said.

Norman said one SAR is concerning enough, but lawmakers have learned of 152 SARs associated with the Bidens.

The Biden White House has rebuffed the Republican allegations.

Special Assistant to the President Ian Sams said Comers latest statements on the investigation are a continuation of his long pattern of making absurd claims that President Biden has made governing decisions not in the interest of America, but of the Chinese Communist Party, using baseless claims, personal attacks, and innuendo to try to score political points.

Debt Limit Standoff

Norman also addressed claims from the Biden administration that a Republican effort to tie spending reforms to a debt limit increase will lead to Social Security and veterans benefits being slashed.

The United States is currently hovering at around $31.4 trillion in debt, the statutory limit without an increase. House Republicans have pushed forward a bill that would allow the United States to take on up to $1.5 trillion in new debt through March 31, 2024in exchange for spending cuts and reforms that are estimated to reduce spending by about $4.8 trillion over the next decade.

The Biden administration has called for lawmakers to pass a clean bill to increase the debt limit without imposing new conditions on government spending. The administration has argued Republicans are holding the economy hostage, putting it at risk of a default on its existing debts if Democrats dont meet Republican demands on spending reforms.

Biden and his allies have also claimed the Republican plan would cut funding for entitlement programs and veterans benefits, a claim Norman and other Republican lawmakers have denied.

Youve seen the ads on TV, you know, how Republicans are cutting Social Security, the veterans benefitsnone of thats been cut, he said.

While House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) met with Biden to discuss the debt limit on Tuesday, the two sides remain at an impasse.

Norman predicted the Biden administration will continue to draw the issue out even as time runs out to avoid a default on any U.S. debt payments.

I think what theyll do is play this out to the very end, Norman said.

Wheres their plan? We put ours on paper. Wheres their plan? Whats their solution? he continued. I think we know what it is: spend more money, tax American people, and put us further into a recession, into financial insolvency.

From NTD News
Rolling Thunder 2.0 Biker Rally Being Planned for June in Ottawa

A year after hundreds of motorcycles rolled into Ottawa for a rally in support of veterans, an organizer says a second edition of Rolling Thunder is being planned for June 2023.

We dont want to be going up into Ottawa, up on Wellington Street. Just up around, rev our bikes, salute the people that went before us, and also the veterans that are still on the ground, said organizer Neil Sheard, who was involved in the last Rolling Thunder rally.

On May 1, 2022, more than 350 bikes rolled through downtown Ottawa on a city-designated route. More than 1,000 people also assembled at the Ottawa War Memorial for a service organized by Veterans for Freedom, a group of retired and active Canadian Armed Forces members.

Sheard said due to the timing of last years biker rally, which came a few months after the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa, the city was gun shy about protestors coming into the city. In early 2022, hundreds of vehicles blocked the streets of downtown Ottawa to protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truckers and public health restrictions.

Honestly, I think [Interim Police Chief Steve Bell] had it out for anybody that wanted to try and demonstrate, Sheard said.

During an interview with CTV News in April, Bell said the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) had learned lessons since the original Freedom Convoy and would have a proactive response. To prepare for the event, the OPS set up a vehicular exclusion zone in downtown Ottawa to prevent vehicles from once again occupying the area, and the OPS Board approved the appointment of up to 831 RCMP employees who could be made available as reinforcements.

Bell said while the OPS does not have the ability to prevent people from protesting, as that is a right enshrined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, vehicles are prohibited for use in demonstrations or rallies in the downtown core, including around Parliament Hill and the National War Memorial.

Sheard called the response overkill, but said he was able to work out a deal with the OPS to make the event absolutely beautiful. Sheard said since the police chief and mayor of Ottawa have since been replaced, he hopes the event in June will go smoother.

Plan for 2023

Sheard said for the 2023 event, the plan is for the bikers to meet in Arnprior 65 kilometres west of Ottawa, drive into the citys downtown via Highway 417, and loop around the Ottawa War Memorial. Sheard said the Ottawa Police Service in 2022 changed the organizers proposed route so the bikers would not ride around the war memorial, which he called insanity.

The whole country would love to see this happen, but because theres a bunch of lefties up there, theyre going to be going no, no, no, but the rest of the country is going, Well why cant they ride around the monument? he said.

Sheard, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran who was involved in protests against COVID-19 public health restrictions, stressed that the biker rally is not a convoy, nor is it an attempt at a second Freedom Convoy.

I saw a couple of comments on the Rolling Thunder Ottawa [Facebook] page that youre trying to steal the truckers thunder. I was like, no, that is definitely not it,' he said. Mine is a bike rally.

Sheard said he believes Canadian veterans have been steamrolled by the government over and over, and mentioned how several veterans were offered Medical Assistance in Dying by Veterans Affairs because they dont know how to deal with them.

I just want people to know that we have not forgotten you, he said.

Long story short, were coming into Ottawa. And I hope the insanity stops, and the police and the mayor and the city councilors realize we are not a threat. Were just coming in, drive around that monument, rev our bikes, and leave.

The Ottawa Police Service did not respond to the Epoch Times request for comment before press time.
SCO Expansion Extends CCP Diplomatic and Military Reach

(L-R) Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev, and Tajikistan Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Aslov posing on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers' meeting in Benaulim, India, on May 5, 2023. (Indian Ministry of External Affairs/AFP via Getty Images)

Commentary

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is expanding by absorbing pariah states, such as Iran, Burma (also known as Myanmar), and Belarus, while increasing the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) military and economic reach around the globe.

In early May, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait became official dialogue partners of the SCO, enhancing the CCPs influence in those oil-rich nations. At the same time, Burma also became a dialogue partner, while Belarus aims for full membership in the future. The organization already includes China, Russia, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, while Afghanistan and Iran are dialogue partners. Most of these countries are authoritarian states guilty of human rights abuses.

Russia is engaged in an active war in Ukraine, for which it has been condemned by most of the Western world. Iran is heavily sanctioned for threatening regional security with its nuclear ambitions. Afghanistans Taliban, not formally recognized by any nation, is being legitimized by the CCP. And the Tatmadaw, the military junta that rules Burma, has been fighting a brutal civil war against ethnic minorities and other civilians since seizing power from democratically-elected Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. It is as if the CCP is collecting all of the countries rejected by the democratic international order and assembling them into an axis against the West.

According to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, the SCO serves to project Chinas diplomatic and state power beyond its borders, while also creating buffer states to insulate China from the West. As a political and security union, the SCOs joint military exercises, like those scheduled to be held in Russia this coming August, allow the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) to train in foreign countries. These drills allow the PLA to practice air-ground combat operations and long-distance mobilization.

On the diplomatic front, Beijing cultivates relations with cooperative countries, establishing support bases overseas, such as in Central Asia. The PLA now has a military outpost in Tajikistan, conducting counterterrorism patrols in the border area between China, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. As more countries are persuaded to join, Beijing hopes to replicate and expand these diplomatic and military engagements. By courting far-off countries, the CCP will be able to build a global military power network.

Among the new SCO dialogue partners is Maldives. It does not fit the model of pariah states like Burma and Iran, but it is crucial to the CCPs military ambitions. To displace the United States as the worlds preeminent military power, Beijing needs to establish overseas bases. Particularly important is the Indian Ocean, through which much of Chinas oil and gas are shipped. Burma has already allowed the PLA to establish a listening post in the Bay of Bengal, while the PLA Navy has established a presence in Sri Lanka. The CCP has also announced plans to intensify military cooperation with SCO member Pakistan. Adding Maldives to the CCP web would strengthen Beijings position along oil transportation routes.

The BRICS groupingcomposed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africais also poised to expand, as Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE have recently expressed interest in joining. The addition of these oil-producing nations is a huge win for Beijing, as China is now the worlds largest purchaser of oil.

The Middle East, despite the many conflicts the United States has fought there, has generally been an area where Washington had a great deal of influence, with oil priced in U.S. dollars and many local currencies pegged to the U.S. dollar. Beijings dream of seeing oil priced in yuan will not happen soon, if ever. But these expansions of the SCO and BRICS improve the CCPs global position, threatening U.S. hegemony.

A bit of a contradiction is that New Delhi continues participating in both BRICS and the SCO, despite the threat China and Pakistan pose to Indias national security. India is also a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), commonly known as the Quad, along with Australia, Japan, and the United States. Where NATO was effectively created to counter the expansion of Russia in Europe, the Quad is intended to contain China in Asia. Due to SCO security agreements, members may be expected to share intelligence. At some point, conflicts of interest may force India to decide which side it wants to be on.

In the meantime, the SCO and BRICS are growing and the CCP is extending its reach, threatening the U.S. position.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Search for 3 Continues After Aircraft Went Missing Near San Clemente Island

A satellite image of San Clemente Island, 61 miles off the coast of San Cemente, Calif., in 2019. (Google Maps/Screenshot)

SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND, Calif.U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue personnel continued their search May 11 for three people whose plane went down about one mile southwest of San Clemente Island.

The Coast Guard was notified shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday by the air traffic control tower on the island regarding the possible plane down, and a debris field was subsequently located, Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Levi Read told City News Service (CNS).

We have our Coast Guard Cutter Robert Ward searching the area and they will be searching throughout the night and the early morning, Read told CNS later Wednesday night.

Searchers found the debris field in the ocean about a mile southwest of San Clemente Island, where authorities were sent on a report that an aircraft went down in the area with three civilians aboard.

According to the Coast Guard, a crew from Air Station San Diego launched aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter for the search and rescue operation. Read said the aircraft is a Phoenix Air Learjet owned by Fireside Partners in Delaware.

The search involves personnel from the Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Read said.

The area where the aircraft was reported down is within Los Angeles County, just southwest of Catalina Island.
Social Media and the Scourge of Suicide Contagion

Commentary

The kids of America are not OK. Although the mental health crisis plaguing younger generations is very much global in nature, its particularly bad in the United States. Suicide is the now second-leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 15 and 24. Close to 20 percent of high school students have seriously contemplated suicide, while 9 percent have attempted to take their own lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

According to a recent study carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three high school girls in the United States has seriously considered attempting suicide, while 14 percent of high school boys have seriously entertained the idea. In the United States, on average, young girls spend considerably more time on social media than young boys. The link between increased social media use and suicide is well established. Increased social media use is linked with higher levels of body dissatisfaction, depression, and anxiety.

To compound matters, social media platforms contribute to a phenomenon known as suicide contagion. In short, exposure to an act of suicide within a community (be it a physical or virtual one) increases the likelihood of more suicides occurring. Of course, the idea of suicide contagion is nothing new. In the 18th century, the German novelist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote The Sorrows of Young Werther, the story of a young man named Werther who falls madly in love with a woman named Charlotte. However, after Charlotte marries another man, Werther finds himself tortured by despair. A life without Charlotte, he thinks, is unthinkable, entirely unlivable. A heartbroken Werther loads a pistol, and takes his own life

Werthers story of rejection clearly resonated with male readers across Europe. After reading the novel, many young men, rejected by women they loved, also loaded pistols and took their own lives. Fast forward 250 years, and suicide contagion is now a global phenomenon. Thats because the internets reach, very much global in nature, transcends geographical boundaries. Today, everything is local, or so it seems. Moreover, with social media, users are continuously hit with an inordinate amount of stories that are designed to stir up extreme emotions.

Earlier this year, psychiatrists at the University of Minnesota and Washington University published a paper documenting the ways in which social media amplifies and glorifies suicide, creating a type of widespread contagion.

According to the authors, the cycle often starts with journalists, many of whom break important rules by elaborately outlining the chosen method of suicide. Many journalists also make the mistake of discussing the content of suicide notes left behind. After the journalists have shared their thoughts, social media platforms, which excel in the promotion of emotionally charged content, further amplify the problem. While news outlets may choose to share stories with controversial images and triggering language, note the authors, individual social media users tend to amplify these stories through shock, grief, and condolences via comments and posts of their own. The virality creates a powerful cascade effect.

Deaths from suicide are complicated, messy affairs, rarely ever caused by one specific issue. Although those living with a mental illness are at a heightened risk of committing suicide, those who have never experienced a diagnosable mental illness can also harbor suicidal thoughts and impulses. The mind is incredibly fragile, and social media platforms exploit this fact.

What can be done to protect the children of America? The Texas House recently approved HB 18, a bill that requires social media platforms to obtain parental consent before entering into an agreement with a minor to create a social media account. Of course, some readers will bristle at the idea of government officials weighing in on family affairs. However, if were being completely honest, this is no longer a family affair; this is a nationwide crisis of epic proportions. Social media platforms have too much power, and this power is having a destructive effect. The likes of TikTok and Instagram have an incredibly powerful hold over the mindsand dare I say, the soulsof Americans, particularly younger Americans. To correct things, elected officials must take action. Time is of the essence.

If you find yourself contemplating suicide, please reach out to someone for supporta trusted friend, a family member, a teacher, a neighbor, a work colleague. Someone, anyone. Things are rarely, if ever, as bad as they seem.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Speaker McCarthy Blocks Rep. Tlaibs Anti-Israel Event on Capitol Hill

Event moved to an alternate location

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speaks following the passage of the "The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act," by the House, outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on April 20, 2023. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has blocked Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) from hosting a May 10 event on Capitol Hill to commemorate the Nakba, which is how Palestinians label Israels Independence Day.

Its wrong for members of Congress to traffic in anti-Semitic tropes about Israel. Not only do I condemn Rep. Tlaibs anti-Israel event on May 10, I am hosting in its place a bipartisan discussion in the U.S. Capitol on the importance of the special relationship between Israel and America, McCarthy told The Epoch Times in a statement on May 10.

As long as Im Speaker, we are going to support Israels right to self-determination and self-defense, unequivocally and in a bipartisan fashion, he continued.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Tlaibs office for comment.

The Washington Free Beacon first reported on the event and McCarthys blocking it.

The event was scheduled to be in the Capitol Visitor Center, where spaces can only be reserved by members of Congress.

Tlaibs blocked event was meant to commemorate what Palestinians call the Nakba, or catastrophe, of Israels founding.

May 15th marks 75 years since the beginning of the Nakba, which means catastrophe.. Seventy-five years ago, Zionist militias and the new Israeli military violently expelled approximately three-quarters of all Palestinians from their homes and homeland in what became the state of Israel, stated the invitation.

To uplift the experiences of Palestinians who underwent the Nakba, and educate Members of Congress and their staff about this history and the ongoing Nakba to which Israel continues to subject Palestinians, weve partnered together to host this congressional and community educational event, to be followed immediately afterward by dinner.

The advocacy groups that organized the event have a reputation for anti-Semitic or anti-Israel sentiment. They include, but are not limited to, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, and Emgage Action.

Jewish and pro-Israel groups condemned the event.

Bigoted @RepRashida Tlaib has once again chosen anti-Semitism and anti-Israel hate by hosting a congressional event to mourn Israels founding.

Instead of promoting peace, she continues to amplify voices that seek to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish state. Shame on her, posted Bnai Brith International on Twitter.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)s upcoming antisemitic Nakba event and latest libels demonstrated that Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan was absolutely correct to recently state that Tlaibs ignorance and hate towards Jews and Israel know no bounds,' said Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein in a statement.

Ahead of McCarthy canceling the event, Klein said that the event promotes the sick, twisted, hateful, genocidal concept that it is a catastrophe that Israel has managed to survive, and that the Arabs failed to totally annihilate Israels Jewish population and homeland in 1948 or in the 75 years since then.

Anti-Defamation League CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt wrote a May 9 letter to McCarthy expressing concerns about the now-canceled event.

In the end, according to Jewish Insider, Tlaibs event was held in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Hearing Room, over which McCarthy does not have jurisdiction.
The National Gallery, Londons exhibition of a popular saint

Around 1635, Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbaran painted Saint Francis in Meditation, a striking life-size portrait of Francis kneeling in prayer and gazing up to God in adoration.

Zurbaran made Franciss faith palpable by painting Francis the man, without the fanfare of his miracles. Francis wears the habit worn by the friars of the Capuchin order of Franciscans. His habit is well worn, and patched up. Hes tied three knots in his belt to represent poverty, chastity, and obedience. (Two knots are seen in the painting.) He holds a skull, symbolizing the impermanence of life and Christs crucifixion (a motif that El Greco first introduced to Spanish paintings of St. Francis).

Saint Francis in Meditation, 1635-9, by Francisco de Zurbaran. Oil on canvas; 59 3/4 inches by 39 inches. The National Gallery, London. (The National Gallery, London)

The paintings dark background reflects Franciss ascetic life. We can almost smell the stale air. We can feel the hard stone floor he kneels upon, and the rough woolen cloth of his habit scratching against his skin.

Zurbaran used Franciss emotions to pull us into his world and made sure that the light shone on Franciss hands in prayer and his ecstatic facial expression.

Experts believe that Zurbaran may have created the painting for a door, a window, a private cell, or a chapel. His painting shows us the spirit of prayer and devotion, which Francis believed most important. As Franciss work spread, he issued a warning to Franciscan orders that may have overemphasized theology; he encouraged members to study, but to never extinguish the Spirit of prayer and devotion.

The National Gallery, London owns Zurbarans Saint Francis in Meditation, and until July 30, its part of the gallerys recently opened Saint Francis of Assisi exhibition, which explores the saints life and legacy through art. Over 40 artworks from the 13th century to the present day are on display, from European and American public and private collections.

St. Franciss habit, 13th century. Woolen cloth and hemp belt. Community of the Friars Minor Conventual of the Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence, Italy. (Giusti Claudio/Community of the Friars Minor Conventual of the Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence)

One of the remarkable objects on display is a piece of Franciss habit, kept in a Baroque gilt frame. Franciscan brothers took vows of poverty, and the habit is one of its most visible signs. Experts found that some parts of Franciss other habits were patched up by St. Clare, who led the womens Franciscan order of the Poor Clares.

Allegory of Francis and Lady Poverty, circa 1460, by Vecchietta and workshop. Tempera on poplar; 11 5/8 inches by 7 1/8 inches. Alte Pinakothek, Munich. (Photo Scala, Florence/bpk; Picture Agency for Art, Culture and History, Berlin)

A Universal Saint

Around 1181, Francesco di Pietro di Bernardone (Francis) was born in Assisi to a wealthy silk merchant. Francis served as a soldier, spent time as a prisoner of war, and suffered a long-term illness. In his 20s, he committed himself to God, taking a vow of poverty and forming the Franciscan religious order (Friars Minor). His friars spread the order throughout Europe, and in 1219 he preached to the Sultan of Egypt. Francis is remembered throughout the world for his love of nature, his devoutness, and his many miracles.

Saint Francis Before the Sultan, 1429, by Fra Angelico. Tempera on panel; 11 inches by 12 1/4 inches. Lindenau Museum, Altenburg in Germany. (Bernd Sinterhauf/Lindenau Museum Altenburg, Germany)

St. Francis led by example. His character stood out by virtue of its many contrasts. His piety, at once solitary and popular, his character, at once sweet and austere, his appearance, at once humble and striking, have remained unforgettable, wrote literary critic Erich Auerbach, as cited in the exhibition book.

Sacred Art

Artists have portrayed St. Francis of Assisi more than any other saint, except for New Testament saints. In the century after his death, some 20,000 images of Francis may have been created, an estimate that doesnt include illuminated manuscripts.

Medieval artists depicted St. Franciss miracles during his life and after his death that confirmed his sainthood. A vita-retable (a panel showing a central figure flanked by episodes of that persons life) made around 1253, titled Saint Francis and Four Posthumous Miracles, demonstrates this well. Standing in the center, St. Francis looks like a Byzantine saint as hes flanked by images of his posthumous miracles.

Saint Francis and Four Posthumous Miracles, circa 1253, by Master of the Treasury. Tempera and gold on panel; 45 1/4 inches by 63 inches by 5 1/2 inches. Treasury Museum of the Basilica of St. Francis, in Assisi, Italy. (Photographic archive of the Sacred Convent of S. Francesco in Assisi, Italy)

Later, Counter-Reformation artists focused on St. Franciss faith and spirituality, especially depicting him rapt in ecstasy, such as seen in Zurbarans Saint Francis in Meditation.

But the exhibition also includes modern art that embraces abstract ideas that often need explaining. Some of those artworks show dark episodes of Franciss life without hope, and which might undermine the saints mission.

Surrendering to Gods Will

A couple of Northern Renaissance paintings in the exhibition show Francis receiving the stigmata when he prayed at La Verna, an isolated retreat on Mount Verna, in northern Italy. Around 1507, Albrecht Altdorfer chose a palette of muted earth tones for his painting Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata. In the painting, he seems to almost disappear into the landscape, perhaps alluding to how Francis saw himself as one of Gods many creations.

Description of the Sacred Mount of Verna, 1612, by Fra Lino Moroni. Printed book with 24 engravings after Jacopo Ligozzi. The British Library, London. (British Library Board. All Rights Reserved/Bridgeman Images)

Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata, 1507, by Albrecht Altdorfer. Oil on canvas; 9 1/2 inches by 8 1/4 inches. Picture Gallery, State Museums in Berlin. (Jorg P. Anders/Picture Gallery, State Museums in Berlin)

Looking at Altdorfers painting, we can almost feel a gentle breeze carrying the fresh scent from the beech tree forest nearby and see birds playing overhead, singing as if to praise the sunshine. Brother Francis had meditated there many times before. But that day was different. The awestruck brother couldnt believe his eyes. He saw a vision of God high in the heavens as a six-winged seraph, which is an angelic being in direct communication with God. The seraph placed its wings in a cross: It raised two wings, readied two wings for flight, and wrapped the other two wings around its body.

Altdorfer depicted Franciss faith as the saint held his palms outward, surrendering to receive the stigmata, the five wounds mirroring the wounds of Christs crucifixion. The artist used lines that look like conduits from heaven to show that the wounds were ordained directly by God.

A century after Altdorfers piece, in 1620, Frans Pourbus the Youngers painting titled Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata showed the legend unfolding like a storybook. In the background, Francis is seen just after the seraph appeared to him. Hes awestruck to such an extent that he has fallen to the ground. He shields his eyes from the divine light that falls from the seraph in heaven. In the foreground, we can see Francis rapt in ecstasy, receiving the stigmata.

Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata, 1620, by Frans Pourbus the Younger. Oil on canvas, 89 3/8 inches by 63 3/4 inches; Louvre Museum, Paris. (Gerard Blot/RMN-Grand Palais, Louvre Museum)

There are no lines from heaven, as in Altdorfers painting. Instead, Pourbus the Younger uses the light to softly bring our attention to Franciss hands as he shows us the wounds on his palms.

Guiding Souls to Heaven

Biographer and theologian Donald Spoto wrote in his book Reluctant Saint: The Life of Francis of Assisi that throughout the Middle Ages, birds were often used to represent souls, because they can fly up to God.

In the exhibition, we can see how artists showed Francis preaching to birds. St. Francis loved all of Gods creations, and he guided them to love their creator. He came upon a large flock of birds and spoke to them as though they were rational beings, saying: My brother birds, you owe a great debt of praise to your Creator, who clothes you with feathers, gives you wings to fly with, grants you the purity of the air, and without effort on your part he sustains you, wrote chronicler and archbishop of Genoa Jacobus de Voragine in the popular medieval religious text The Golden Legend: Readings on the Saints. Having captured the birds attention, Francis preached to them, sending them on their way when he finished.

Saint Francis of Assisi and the Heavenly Melody, 1904, by Frank Cadogan Cowper. Oil on canvas; 36 1/2 inches by 29 5/8 inches. Private Collection. (Courtesy of the owner)

We can also see Francis and the birds centuries later in English artist Frank Cadogan Cowpers 1904 painting titled St. Francis of Assisi and the Heavenly Melody. Cowpers painting retells a miraculous event near the end of Franciss life. Francis asked one of the brothers to play the lute for him, but the brother believed that it went against the orders vows. Heaven stepped in and provided the solace Francis sought when an angel appeared and played a melody for him. Cowper painted Francis surrounded by birds and comforted by the angels melody.

Spoto ended his biography: In describing his last moments, Franciss friends never forgot one detail: Many birds, called larks, flew low above the roof of the house where he lay, wheeling in a circle and singing.

The Saint Francis of Assisi exhibition at The National Gallery, London runs until July 30. To find out more, visit NationalGallery.org.uk
By Takehiro Michishita, KYODO NEWS - May 11, 2023 - 14:16 | Feature, All, Japan

From late March to late April, many Muslims living in Japan observed Ramadan, a holy period of the year in Islam that involves a month of fasting during daylight hours, joining fellow believers in other countries around the world.

For some children, it meant refraining from eating their favorite snacks while figuring out ways to keep their minds off food, such as spending school lunchtimes reading books in the library.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar in which followers of the faith abstain from all food or drink from sunrise to sunset, including water, is one of the most important events of the year for Muslims.

The duration of the fast, which also includes prayer and community activities by followers of the faith, is determined by the phases of the moon, which is why it began in late March this year.

Very small children, people who have fallen ill and women who are menstruating are exempt from fasting. But as young kids grow older, many will often start doing so for short periods of the event, based on their willingness to participate and whether they are developed enough to do so.

Shortly after 6 p.m. on April 15, dozens of Muslims gathered at a mosque in Nagoya, central Japan, for "iftar," the evening meal after sunset when people break their fast together.

Yasin Rehan, 8, who was born in Egypt and is now a third-year student at a public elementary school in the city, was one of them.

Munching on dates with other participants, he said, "The meal is 100 times tastier than usual. I am glad I stuck with it."

Yasin began fasting in earnest this year, eating lunch at school on some days but skipping it on others. Yasin's father, Ibrahim, 39, said that although fasting might come naturally to his son since he has Muslim parents, he is happy that "he started voluntarily."

A 9-year-old fourth grader in Nagoya, who was born and raised in Japan but has Indonesian parents, ate school lunch as usual while avoiding all other snacks and drinks.

"He is still small and may feel awkward if he fasts alone in his class," the boy's mother, 42, said. "He is trying to strike a balance in his own way. I'd just like him to practice fasting as he grows."

At the Kurono Elementary School run by the municipal government of Gifu, roughly 10 percent of about 380 students can trace their roots from outside Japan, with around 20 having fasted during Ramadan this year.

"The other students accept the practice as it is, and are learning the importance of mutual understanding and diversity," Eiji Hori, the assistant principal, said.

The school opens its library for Muslim students at lunch breaks during Ramadan and also recommends they sit out of physical education, suggesting they instead observe the class for health reasons.

But for students who must work while studying, Ramadan can be a particularly trying period.

Samad Abdus, a 28-year-old Bangladeshi auto shop worker in Nagoya, struggled to adapt to life in Japan. Unlike in his home country, Ramadan is not celebrated or practiced by the whole of society, making adapting to the new mealtime schedule while living in Japan difficult.

"Here, everyone lives normally and it was hard to get used to it," he said.

There were some days when he did not have time to eat as a vocational student because he was also working a late-night part-time job.

During summer, there have been cases of people falling ill due to anemia caused by fasting, according to the Japan Indonesia Association for Economy Cooperation in Tokyo.

The number of Muslims living in Japan is increasing. An association official said they try to provide information on the difficulties of fasting in Japan to Muslims residing in the country. They also ask that other people accept and respect their right to observe the religious practice.

Related coverage:

FEATURE: Japan lacking burial grounds for expanding Muslim population

FOCUS: Japan firm seeks halal approval for non-alcohol udon soup stock
Supreme Court Sides With Transgender Asylum Claimant in Deportation Dispute

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled May 11 in favor of a transgender illegal alien from Guatemala seeking asylum who claims he would face persecution if forced to return to his home country.

The ruling, a defeat for the Biden administration, is expected to make it easier for those challenging deportation to make their case.

The highly technical ruling also gives the person concerned another opportunity to fight deportation. During oral arguments at the Supreme Court on Jan. 17, neither the petitioners sexual orientation nor gender identity was discussed. Instead, the hearing focused on issues related to procedural law.

The decision is not related to the administrations plan to end the so-called Title 42 policy at 11:59 p.m. on May 11. The Trump-era edict allows the rapid expulsion of illegal aliens crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on public health grounds.

The courts opinion (pdf) in Santos-Zacaria v. Garland, court file 21-1436, was written by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

In the case, the U.S. government tried to deport Leon Santos-Zacaria, a Guatemalan citizen who was born male but identifies as a woman and uses the first name Estrella in everyday life. Santos-Zacaria entered the United States illegally at least twice and was removed to Guatemala in 2008 and 2012. He came back to the United States in 2018 and, after being detained, applied for something called withholding of removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and for sanctuary under the Convention Against Torture.

The INA states that an alien unlawfully present in the country may be deported after the U.S. Department of Justice issues a final order of removal, but Congress restricts the deportation destination. An alien may not be removed to a country where his or her life or freedom would be threatened  because of the aliens race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. LGBT individuals are included in the particular social group category.

Individuals who have been previously deported and then reenter the country, or who have failed to seek asylum within one year of arriving in the United States, may not apply for asylum. Those individuals are generally allowed to apply for withholding of removal.

This means that at the end of the adjudication process, an immigration judge signs a deportation order and then advises the government that it may not carry it out. The removal of the person is said to be withheld. The person may still be removed if the destination country agrees to accept the individual.

At the withholding hearing, Santos-Zacaria told the immigration judge he experienced persecution in Guatemala for being a gay and transgender person. He said he had been raped at age 12 because he was homosexual, ridiculed for behaving like a woman, and threatened with death if he did not move away from the community. He said he did not report these incidents to authorities because he did not believe they would help him.

The immigration judge, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled against Santos-Zacaria. The 5th Circuit specifically found that he had failed to exhaust all available remedies under the INA. The exhaustion rule holds that a plaintiff must exhaust all possible administrative remedies before seeking judicial review.

The Supreme Court found in its new ruling that the INA does in fact require individuals to exhaust their administrative remedies but held that the rule was not jurisdictional.

Harsh consequences attend the jurisdictional brand, the court said, adding that labeling a rule jurisdictional means the judiciary cannot grant equitable exceptions.

The court found that despite the exhaustion requirement, the rule here does not meet a high enough bar to be considered jurisdictional.

Indeed, we have yet to hold that any statutory exhaustion requirement is jurisdictional when applying the clear-statement rule, Jackson wrote.

[E]xhaustion promotes efficiency, including by encouraging parties to resolve their disputes without litigation, the court added.

Under a contrary rule, litigants must slog through preliminary nonjudicial proceedings even when, for example, no party demands it or a court finds it would be pointless, wasteful, or too slow.

When an exhaustion objection is raised late in litigation it could derail many months of work on the part of the attorneys and the court, and waste judicial resources and  unfairly prejudice litigants, Jackson wrote, quoting a Supreme Court precedent.

Such a rule could disserve the very interest in efficiency that exhaustion ordinarily advances, she wrote.

The Supreme Court remanded the case to the lower courts for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Justice Samuel Alito filed a brief statement concurring with the judgment of the court, saying he did not believe it was necessary to decide if the exhaustion rule was jurisdictional.

Justice Clarence Thomas joined the statement.
Supreme Court Upholds Restrictive California Pork Production Law

Neil Gorsuch during a hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington on March 22, 2017. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

The Supreme Court narrowly upheld a voter-approved animal welfare law in California on May 11 that bans the sale of pork from hogs unless the animals were raised in a space that exceeds industry norms.

The court split 54 in its ruling, which affirmed a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion. Three of the six conservative justices voted to uphold the state law, while the other three voted to strike it down.

Legal experts have said that the case is important because the courts ruling could have implications reaching well beyond agriculture law. State-level energy and climate regulations have also been challenged under the so-called dormant commerce clause, or negative commerce clause, in the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits states from enacting legislation that discriminates against or excessively burdens interstate commerce.

Almost all pork production in the United States takes place outside California. The state law applies to all pork, regardless of where it was produced.

The Humane Society of the United States, a respondent in the case, argued that states have the right to keep products they deem immoral and unsafe out of their markets, including pork from pigs confined under conditions that animal welfare activists consider harsh.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), the petitioner, describes itself as an agricultural organization representing the interests of the $26 billion-per-year U.S. pork industry. Among its members are pig farmers, as well as associated businesses, such as veterinarians, pork packers and processors, and other allied businesses that serve the industry. The Biden administration sided with the NPPC in the case.

The case, NPPC v. Ross, court file 21-468, goes back to 2008, when California voters easily approved Proposition 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, which outlawed gestation crates for pregnant pigs, cages for egg-laying hens, and veal crates for calves. However, the measure didnt forbid the sale of food that came from animals confined in prohibited ways.

A decade later, California Proposition 12, the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative, was also easily approved by state voters in 2018.

The initiative mandated minimum space requirements based on square feet for calves raised for veal, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens and bans the sale of (a) veal from calves, (b) pork from breeding pigs, and (c) eggs from hens, when the animals are confined to areas below minimum square-feet requirements.

In the courts majority opinion (pdf), Gorsuch said the constitutional provisions argued by the pork industry dont apply here.

Companies that choose to sell products in various States must normally comply with the laws of those various States, Gorsuch wrote. Assuredly, under this Courts dormant Commerce Clause decisions, no State may use its laws to discriminate purposefully against out-of-state economic interests. But the pork producers do not suggest that Californias law offends this principle.

Instead, they invite us to fashion two new and more aggressive constitutional restrictions on the ability of States to regulate goods sold within their borders. We decline that invitation. While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list.

Gorsuchs opinion was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Amy Coney Barrett.

Chief Justice John Roberts, along with Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented from the majority opinion.

Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, promptly lauded the majority opinion.

Were delighted that the Supreme Court has upheld California Proposition 12the nations strongest farm animal welfare lawand made clear that preventing animal cruelty and protecting public health are core functions of our state governments, Block said in a statement provided to The Epoch Times. We are grateful to our many outstanding allies who helped make Proposition 12 a success.

We wont stop fighting until the pork industry ends its cruel, reckless practice of confining mother pigs in cages so small they cant even turn around. Its astonishing that pork industry leaders would waste so much time and money on fighting this commonsense step to prevent products of relentless, unbearable animal suffering from being sold in California.
Suspended MP Moira Deeming Issues State Liberal Leader John Pesutto With Defamation Concerns Notice

Suspended Liberal MP Moira Deeming has allegedly served Victorian Liberal Party leader John Pesutto with a defamation concerns notice, according to The Australian.

This comes less than one day before the Victorian branch of the Liberal Party moves to vote on a second motion to expel the suspended MP.

Deeming threatened legal action against Pesutto after he missed the 2 p.m. May 4 deadline to exonerate her of being a Nazi or Nazi sympathiser.

However, Pesutto has denied ever saying Deeming was a Nazi or Nazi sympathiser.

Deeming may commence Federal Court proceedings against Pesutto after 28 days if the party leader does not immediately withdraw Fridays expulsion motion, publish an apology to her on his website, and pay compensation and cover Deemings legal costs, The Australian reported.

The principal lawyer for the reputational risk and defamation specialists Company (Giles), Patrick George, issued the notice on the morning of May 11, according to The Australian.

In the notice, George alleges that Pesutto accused Deeming of being a Nazi sympathiser in his attempt to expel her from the party in March.

These accusations, and the motion to expel her, leaked by you to the media to be published as widely as possible, were defamatory of our client, are false, and have caused serious and potentially irreparable harm to her reputation, George wrote in the concerns notice, reported The Australian.

The concerns notice is addressed to Pesutto and not the Victorian Branch of the Liberal party.

While Pesutto is not a signatory to the expulsion motion, he has publicly declared his support for it.

In a previous email to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for John Pesutto said that the motion against Deeming stands.

The reasons for this have been widely canvassed, and any further action is a matter for the Liberal Party room. Questions around legal action that Mrs Deeming may or may not take are a matter for her, the spokesperson said on May 5.

Victorian Opposition Leader Giovanni Pesutto addresses the media at the Parliament of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, on March 27, 2023. (AAP Image/Diego Fedele)

The reason for the motion to expel the suspended MP is that she has engaged in conduct in violation of Clause 57, bringing discredit on the Parliamentary Party.

However, Deemings lawyer argues that the second motion does not state the grounds for our clients expulsion, and yet you still have publicly stated your support for it, reported The Australian.

In the absence of any grounds, and in the absence of your withdrawal of the accusations, this second motion, it can reasonably be assumed, is made on the same basis as the first motion, with the same false and defamatory accusations made against our client, the motion said.

Apart from being grossly unfair, the circumstances entitle our client to commence defamation proceedings against you.

The notice asks Pesutto to pay Deeming compensation by reason of the substantial damage, including damage to her reputation, which she has suffered as a result of the publication of the motion.

Although you have 28 days under the act to make amends, noting the serious and ongoing damage to our clients reputation, this offer is open until 9 a.m. on Friday, 12 May 2023.

Peter Dutton Urges Victorian Liberals to Sort Their Mess Out

On May 5, Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton did not rule out intervening in the Victorian branch of the Liberal Party following Deemings first legal threat against Pesutto.

It doesnt help our brand. It doesnt reflect on the broader party movement, Dutton said on May 5.

I make it very clear to the Victorian division that I want this mess sorted out as quickly as possible, Dutton told ABC Radio on May 5.

In response, a spokesperson for John Pesutto told The Epoch Times in an email that matters related to party governance are for the organisational wing of the party.

[B]ut I do not believe any federal action is necessary as we undertake this difficult process, the spokesperson said.

If Moira Deeming is going to take action to sue me and effectively the parliamentary Liberal Party  that would be a matter for her to consider. Shes free to do what she wants, Im focused on holding the Andrews government to account, Pesutto told reporters on May 4.

This follows a warning from party members who said that expelling Deeming would equate to shooting ourselves in the head, according to leaked minutes of a March 27 party room meeting, reported The Australian.

Deeming was suspended for nine months after appearing at the Let Women Speak rally on March 18. The womans rights rally was overtaken by a neo-Nazi protest that was marred by violent clashes between the police and trans-activists who deemed the rally as having an anti-trans agenda.

On May 6, Deeming issued a statement on Twitter saying: All I have ever wanted, since the leaders failed attempt to have me expelling for allegedly bringing the party into disrepute, was to have my name cleared.

I have had to publicly disclose childhood sexual abuse and endure constant media attacks while remaining silent.

I was elected as a Liberal; I remain a proud Liberal, and I look forward to re-joining the party room at the end of the year.

The offices of Moira Deeming and John Pesutto have been approached for comment.
Taiwan Urges New Zealand to Invest More in Pacific to Counter Chinas Influence

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at his ministry in Taipei, Taiwan, on Dec. 10, 2019. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo)

Taiwans foreign minister has urged New Zealand to increase its investment in Pacific countries to reduce their dependence on China, warning of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) ambition in the region.

I hope New Zealand can make more investment in the Pacific countries, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said in an interview with New Zealands broadcaster TVNZ on May 7.

If like-minded countries like New Zealand, Australia, and the United States increase their investment in the Pacific, they can help Pacific Island countries reduce their dependence on China, he added.

The Biden administration has aimed to allocate over $7 billion for three Pacific Island nationsthe Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesiawith which the United States has economic and defense ties.

Australia announced on May 9 that it would spend A$1.9 billion ($1.3 billion) over the next five years to boost engagement in the Pacific region.

Wu said that Chinas security deal with the Solomon Islands served as a warning to democratic nations about the expansion of the CCPs authoritarian influence in the region.

He emphasized that the CCP does not share the fundamental values of freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and the rules-based international order with other countries like New Zealand.

When China expands its ties in the Pacific, it is also bringing authoritarian beliefs and policies to those countries, Wu said.

The Solomon IslandsChina security deal, signed in April 2022, triggered alarms in the United States and its allies that Beijing may use the accord to establish a military presence in the region.

According to a leaked draft of the agreement, Beijing would be able to dispatch police (which, in China, are military forces), troops, weapons, and naval shipswith the consent of the Solomon Islandsto protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in the Solomon Islands.

Chinas Expansion

The CCP regards Taiwan as a renegade province that must be united with mainland China by any means necessary, even as Taiwan has been a self-governing democracy.

Only four Pacific island nationsPalau, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Tuvalurecognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation. The Solomon Islands and Kiribati switched allegiance to China in 2019.

Wu believed that Beijings relationship with the Solomon Islands and Kiribati had allowed the CCP to exert its authoritarian influence over the mass media and education of the two Pacific nations.

He said the CCP wanted to sign a security agreement with the Solomon Islands despite the nation being geographically distant from China, which showed the Chinese ambition.

The Solomon Islands is very far away from China, but at the same time, its very close to Australia and New Zealand, the minister said. When China expands further, that will be at our cost.

While the world is paying attention to Beijings military activities in the first island chainthe East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and the South China Seaits military activities in the Pacific have also been increasing tremendously, Wu said.

He said that Chinas expansionism also extends to the Indian Ocean and Africa, urging democratic nations to work together to curb authoritarianism from expanding further.

When authoritarianism continues to expand, all democracies need to think about the cost of it and our shared values, he added.

China-New Zealand Ties

New Zealands economy relies heavily on its biggest trading partner, China, and the government has usually strayed from taking a strong stance against the CCP.

In June 2022, New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta had a virtual meeting with her then-counterpart, Wang Yi, during which she expressed concern about the CCPs expanding influence in the Pacific region.

Minister Mahuta acknowledged that China has been present in the Pacific for a long time, but underlined the importance of engagement taking place in a manner that advances Pacific priorities, a statement by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said.

According to Chinese state-run media Xinhua, Wang said China is ready to work with New Zealand and emphasize diplomatic talks on climate change. Wang also said China is prepared to work with New Zealand to participate in more multi-party cooperation for an open and inclusive South Pacific region.

Rebecca Zhu and Daniel Y. Teng contributed to this report.
Texas Gov. Praises Troops for Repelling Illegal Immigrants, Vows That Elite Units Will Continue Effort

Texas National Guard soldiers uncoil concertina wire near the U.S.-Mexico border fence in El Paso, Texas, on May 10, 2023. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that he has deployed elite teams from the Texas National Guard to continue the effort of preventing illegal immigrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border while praising Texas troops for physically repelling people from trying to cross the border illegally near Brownsville.

Abbott told Fox News in an interview Wednesday that he has ordered several elite Texas National Guard teams to continue efforts to repel illegal immigrants from crossing the border after video emerged showing would be border crossers being rebuffed by Texas troops.

First [they are] to put up barriers, whether it be the razor wire that you saw there or other barriers, and then have National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety either in front of it or behind it. Our goal is to repel people from coming into the country, Abbott told the Jesse Watters Primetime program.

We see locations like what was shown in that video, and whenever we see them, we block it, he added.

Abbott was referring to a video that he remarked on earlier showing Texas National Guard soldiers working in conjunction with Texas Department of Public Safety troopers physically repelling people crossing the river illegally into Brownsville, Texas.

Great work, Abbott wrote. [President Joe] Biden sent 1,500 troops to the border to do paperwork. Texas deployed trained soldiers and troopers to take real action and respond to the crisis.

Great work by Texas National Guard and Texas DPS. Biden sent 1,500 troops to the border to do paperwork. Texas deployed trained soldiers and troopers to take real action and respond to this crisis. https://t.co/bVMeG0geQl  Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 10, 2023

The White House and the Pentagon said on May 2 that the number of troops working along the border would be boosted from 2,500 to 4,000, with the additional 1,500 troops serving in a limited capacity, not engaging in law enforcement actions. They have been tasked with actions such as transportation, tracking and surveillance, and data entry.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) called the decision to deploy the additional 1,500 troops a publicity stunt that wont stop what he said was a border crisis created by the Biden administration.

President Biden wants to send troops to the bordernot to secure it and enforce our immigration laws, but to process illegal immigrants faster, Cotton said.

By contrast, Abbott has sought to dial up border security enforcement, telling Fox News in the interview that an 18-mile long razor wire barrier had been put up that blocked a localized surge in illegal border crossings overnight.

Texas National Guard troops man a choke point near an illegal border crossing near El Paso, Texas, on May 9, 2023. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Hurricane Coming

Asylum seekers have been showing up at the U.S.-Mexico border in huge numbers in anticipation of the end of the use of a Trump-era restriction known as Title 42, which was used to quickly expel illegal immigrants from the country back to Mexico.

Many people were trying to cross before Title 42 expires, spurred by fears that it may soon become more difficult to remain in the United States.

Laredo Mayor Victor Trevino told CNN that the border city is preparing for the end of Title 42 as if its a hurricane coming.

After the restrictions expire on May 11, people caught crossing the border illegally will not be allowed to return for five years and, if they do, they can face criminal prosecution under a new rule announced by the Biden administration to crack down on illegal crossings while creating new legal pathways for entry.

Our plan will deliver results, but it will take time for those results to be fully realized, said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Biden predicted on Tuesday that the U.S.-Mexico border will be chaotic for a while as the Title 42 restrictions end and his new border policies come into effect.

Texas National Guard troops set up a choke point near an illegal border crossing near El Paso, Texas, on May 9, 2023. (John Moore/Getty Images)

In anticipation of the surge in would-be illegal border crossings, Abbott earlier announced the deployment of a new Texas Tactical Border Force to the Texas-Mexico border to respond to what his office described as a growing border crisis.

With the move, Abbott said he was enhancing the Lone Star states unprecedented border security efforts with the tactical deployment of hundreds of Texas National Guard soldiers as the country braces for a surge in illegal immigration.

With the ending of Title 42 on Thursday, President Biden is laying down the welcome mat to people across the entire world, but Texas is deploying our new Texas Tactical Border Force, Abbott said in a statement.

The Texas National Guard is loading Blackhawk helicopters and C-130s and deploying specially trained soldiers for the Texas Tactical Border Force, who will be deployed to hotspots all along the border to help intercept and repel large groups of migrants trying to enter Texas illegally, he added.

The Texas Military Department said Tuesday that it had activated 545 service members at locations around Texas to bolster border security ahead of the expected elimination of Title 42.

We have expanded our capabilities to include boat teams that patrol hundreds of river miles, drones and helicopters that detect illicit activity from the air, and brush teams, security points, and roving patrols that block and interdict illegal smuggling (drugs, weapons, and people) into Texas, the Texas Military Department said in a statement.

Preparing for The Unknown

El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said during an April 30 press conference that the Texas city is getting prepared now for what we call the unknown.

He called it bothersome that many illegal immigrants think theyll be admitted to the United States without documentation once Title 42 ends.

Theyve come in, really, with a false pretense that there will be open borders starting on May 11 and anyone thats already in the United States will no longer be required to have proper documentation, and that is an untrue statement, Leeser said.

We are not opening the borders. The borders are not open today, and they will not be open on May 12, he said.

Mayorkas said during a May 5 news conference that after Title 42 ends, the administration will use expedited removal authorities under Title 8 to expel illegal immigrants quickly.

The process of expelling an illegal immigrant takes longer under Title 8 than under Title 42.

Naveen Athrapully contributed to this report.
The COVID Cartels Manipulation of America

A pandemic plan that called for mass vaccination, concerted effort to suppress early treatment

It was insane, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) says. Of our response to COVID I would say thats probably the best word to sum it up: insanea miserable failure.

In a recent episode of American Thought Leaders, host Jan Jekielek spoke with Johnson, who is a member of the Senate committees on the budget, finance, and homeland security and governmental affairs. They discussed the global push for mass vaccination and the concerted effort to suppress early treatment.

Johnson has spearheaded efforts to change Americas COVID-19 policies and has hosted a number of hearings and roundtables on early outpatient treatment for COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccine injuries.

He also shares his thoughts on the RussiaUkraine War and what he sees as the path forward for the United States.

Jan Jekielek: Im going to dub you a COVID response skeptic. From the beginning, you were asking big questions about this whole idea of shutdowns.

Sen. Ron Johnson: Ill take that moniker. Science is all about being skeptical. One of the greatest tragedies of the pandemic is we havent even been allowed to ask questions.

I remember early on in the pandemic watching the video coming out of China with everybody in their moon suits. We didnt know what we were dealing with. We had certainly heard of Ebola and MERS [Middle East Respiratory Syndrome]. Ebola had about a 40 percent death rate or infection fatality rate. MERS had something like a 30 percent rate. Were we dealing with something like that? We just didnt know, until we had the Princess Cruise. John Ioannidiss analysis of what happened on the Princess Cruise has stood the test of time.

This was a deadly disease if you were elderly and had certain comorbidities. But if you were young and healthy, it was a flu-like type of disease. I glommed onto that analysis. I also knew that there was no way you could shut down the American economy the way people like Anthony Fauci were talking about it: a 50-day shutdown to flatten the curve.

What exactly are you going to shut down? Were still going to need hospitals. Were going to need pharmacies, grocery stores, and gas stations. The economy had to continue to operate.

On one of our Senate calls with Anthony Fauci, I asked: Dr. Fauci, youre proposing these shutdowns. Are you taking into account the human and economic devastation youre contemplating here?

He just cavalierly said: Senator, thats somebody elses department. I dont worry about that.

If youre a doctor, you may be specialized, but you have to treat the whole patient. You have to understand what your cure is going to do to the patient. He couldnt have cared less. Very early on, nothing about our response made sense.

I was an early advocate for early treatment. I heard about the possibility of the drug hydroxychloroquine. If you remember, a state senator in Michigan was successfully treated with hydroxychloroquine. I heard about Dr. Zelenko, and Didier Raoult in France. Im reading about these things. My concern was that we wouldnt have enough of the drug.

Im calling up the head of Novartis and texting him. They donated 30 million doses to the national stockpile, but it wasnt being distributed. My main concern was, again, would we have enough manufacturing capacity for a cheap generic drug like hydroxychloroquine?

I had never heard of ivermectin at that point. I knew about vitamin D, which by the way, Anthony Fauci took and told no one. Isnt that curious? He upped his intake of vitamin D. Why wasnt he talking about that early on?

For whatever reason, there was a concerted effort to not research or push any kind of early treatment, anything that might mitigate and lessen the severity of the disease.

It was just: Get tested. Well spend tens of billions of dollars on tests. But if you test positive, do nothing, go home, isolate yourself, and hope you dont get so sick that you have to go to the hospital.

But if you do go to the hospital, then well slap Remdesivir in your arm, costing over 3,000 bucks. Youve had doctors on here, Im sure, talking about the harm that can do to your kidneys. Well put you on a vent, knowing that 80 to 90 percent of people that went on ventilation never got off it.

It was insane. Of our response to COVID I would say thats probably the best word to sum it up: insanea miserable failure.

Mr. Jekielek: What was it that you knew? You said you were reading different things, but what was it that you knew to look at that a whole lot of people didnt?

Sen. Johnson: With John Ioannidiss study on the Princess Cruise ship, he said, OK, well get through this.

I didnt have the level of fear that they imposed on the rest of society.

That was their main tool. The technocrats and the Faucis made sure the world was deathly afraid of this. As a result, youre looking for some relief from that fear.

Then, you have a guy like Fauci saying: Ive got the cure here. Ive got a vaccine.

We didnt look at all the different generic drugs that were on the shelf. Theyve been used safely for decades. They had the kind of properties that youd be expecting in terms of being antiviral or anticoagulant or working with respiratory illnesses. We just threw all that aside.

There was nothing in a pandemic plan that called for shutdowns. Fauci first said, Masks arent going to work.

And they didnt. All you needed to know was, Here is the particle-sized virus and here are the opening pores of the maskthis isnt going to work. They might be marginally effective, but they werent something that you would impose on everybody in society.

We shut down all the mom and pop shops, but we let the big box stores stay open. Bobby Kennedy writes in his A Letter to Liberals that a 2021 study showed there was almost a $4 trillion transfer of wealth from the middle class to the Big Tech social media giants. Those are the people that were in charge of the narrative.

That is what has opened my eyes. Ive been referring to them as the COVID Cartel. Im talking about the Biden administration, the federal health agencies, Big Pharma, and legacy media. The Big Tech social media giants and Big Pharma captured the media as well.

Unfortunately, its easy to manipulate a population, and the best way to manipulate them is with fear.

I had an asymptomatic case of COVID in late September, early October 2020. I was around people, and because Im going to the White House and that type of thing, I was always being tested. I tested positive and never had a symptom. From that experience, I suppose I had less fear, plus I had natural immunity.

In a later interview, I was asked if I was going to get the vaccine. I said: Ive already had COVID and Ive got natural immunity. Its probably going to be better than the vaccine.

I was savaged for that. I was called an anti-vaxxer, which is probably just underneath murderer, rapist, racist, and pedophilethe last thing you want to be called is anti-vaxxer.

I had the good fortune of being connected to doctors and medical researchers who had a completely different take, which is why in January 2022, I held the event COVID-19: A Second Opinion. I thought it was about time the public heard a different opinion on how we should be handling this pandemic, a different opinion on vaccines and vaccine injuries in general.

When I first talked to Bobby Kennedy about this, he said: Were about the same age. When we were growing up, we got three vaccines. Now, its 60 or 70, and theyre doing them in multiples.

Again, Im not a doctor or a researcher, but theres so much of this information out there that certainly concerns a guy like me. Why doesnt it concern the Anthony Faucis and the Collinses and Walenskys and the people who have replaced these folks? Why doesnt it concern our federal health agencies? The answer is pretty obviousthey are completely captured by Big Pharma.

Mr. Jekielek: I would worry that if Big Pharma has captured our agencies, what if the Chinese Communist Party has captured Big Pharma?

Sen. Johnson: They certainly have influence on medical journals and universities, and access to all the research were funding. Its a pipeline right to the Chinese government. That was so absurd about what Anthony Fauci did in funding all these studies, subcontracting them out to people who then subcontracted them out to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. If you are cooperating in any way, shape, or form with a Chinese entity and Chinese citizens in science, youre basically cooperating with the Peoples Liberation Army. Theres no innocent explanation for what we see there.

Mr. Jekielek: Senator, in this recent Twitter Files dump that Matt Taibbi published, theres a lot of COVID-related communications and censorship of some specific accounts. Taibbi basically says that its as if these public health people are acting to elicit a particular behavioral response as opposed to presenting truthful information. I find this deeply troubling.

Sen. Johnson: Theres a very interesting panel thats on videotape from the Milken Institute in 2019. Rick Bright, who was the guy who sabotaged hydroxychloroquine, is on a panel with Anthony Fauci, and theyre bemoaning the fact that we dont have a mass vaccination program. One of them says, Its probably going to take a pandemic to really accomplish that goal. This is in 2019. Well, they got their pandemic.

I dont know what charade was being played in terms of development of the vaccine. They had been working on mRNA. They were just waiting for an opportunity to unleash it globally as part of a mass vaccination program. Thats what this has all been about. Yes, it meant profits for the pharmaceutical companies.

Mr. Jekielek: Some people have called it collusion. How did that happen, not just on this issue, but on many others, along with the idea that vaccination was the only solution?

Sen. Johnson: I wish I had the full answer. Youre Anthony Fauci, and youve got a government agency that is granting hundreds of billions of dollars of research grants to hospital systems and research universities. Youve got grants from the Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and theyre all about vaccines. When you have that money flowing, people dont buck the system.

These guys are all in the same circle. Theyre all going to the World Economic Forum. Theyve been brazen about how theyve allowed their discussions to be videotaped, and how open they are in terms of their plans. Its astounding. You almost cant believe what theyre saying. In many respects, the world is being run by a very elite group of individuals.

Mr. Jekielek: Just to clarify, are you saying you think the World Economic Forum runs the world, or is it the billionaires?

Sen. Johnson: There is an excess of influence by very powerful people. The World Economic Forum is one group. Bill and Melinda Gates, their trust, is supposed to be beneficial, and, in many cases, it probably is. The Wellcome Trust is probably very beneficial. But when youre in charge of making those types of donations to different important causes, causes that are certainly publicized in the press, you have an inordinate amount of influence over what the process is.

The American public, as we talked about earlier, is easily propagandized. Its easy to pull the wool over their eyes and its done repeatedly. Its done by the Left. Ill bring partisanship into this. The radical left has infiltrated virtually every institution, not only in America, but globally. Its a leftist agenda.

It is an agenda that wants to control the population. They think theyre so smart. They think theyre such great angels that they need the power to direct your life, and that youre not smart enough to direct your own life. You need them to be telling you when you can walk outside during a pandemic and whether or not you need to wear a mask. Its grotesquely arrogant and full of hubris.

Mr. Jekielek: Theres a powerful structure which has formed, and I call it the megaphone. Its basically the structure that allows for the creation of a perceived consensus around an issue in society.

For example, with the RussiaUkraine War, there is a perceived consensus about what should be done, or with COVID, that all the vaccines are safe and effective. Some portion of our population is quite susceptible to this, even switching 180 degrees on their viewpoint within 24 hours. I would not have believed this until we saw it in action.

Sen. Johnson: Theres not one person in charge, theres not two or three people in charge, but theres a group of individuals that have pretty much the same Leftist viewpointthat again, think theyre smart and the better angels. If you give them all the power, they can create a utopia. It doesnt work, and they wont admit that this hasnt worked.

Theyll commission a study that says the vaccine saved 2 to 3 million lives. Okay, wheres the data on that? Prove that to me. They dont have the data. Thats what were battling. Were up against powerful forces.

Mr. Jekielek: One of the areas where spending has been criticized lately is on the RussiaUkraine War. I believe this is something that you voted in support of.

Sen. Johnson: I was on Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I was the European chair and the ranking member on the European subcommittee. Ive been to Ukraine a number of times.

I know the Ukrainian people want what we want. They want to shed the legacy of corruption, the endemic corruption in Ukraine. Thats really what Zelenskys platform wasto defeat corruption in Ukraine. So Im sympathetic with it.

And lets face it, Putin is evil. Ukraine doesnt threaten Putin. He just wants the territory. Hes bombing population centers. Hes committing atrocities and war crimes. But you have to recognize reality. Its not a fair fight, and its not a level playing field. The only way you stop Putin is if you respond in kind and threaten Russian populations. Nobodys going to do that because theyve got nuclear weapons.

I dont see an acceptable result for this war. You can just see more and more death, and more and more destruction. At some point in time, you have to recognize that reality. I voted for the first appropriation very early on. Then, there was a hope that showing support for the Ukrainians and providing them with the lethal defensive weapons they needed would spank Putin hard enough to leave. That didnt happen, and I dont see that happening.

To me, this has got to stop. Were not going to like the result, but we will like the result less the longer this drags on and more Ukrainians are slaughtered and more of Ukraine is destroyed. I dont see how this gets any better. It just keeps getting worse and worse. At some point, it has to be ended.

I dont think Putin would have invaded if Trump wouldve been reelected. We could have visibly ramped up the defensive weaponry earlier on. There are things we might have done to prevent it. But since it has started, I just dont see any result that were going to find acceptable.

Mr. Jekielek: Senator, lets go back to thinking about what to do here now. Challenging these industrial complexes that weve been talking about may seem daunting to the common man and woman.

Sen. Johnson: First of all, you start with the basic problem-solving process. Coming from manufacturing, Im solving problems all the time. Its just a basic process. First, you have to admit you have a problem, then you have to properly define it. Once youve defined it, then you take a look at what the root cause is. Then, you can start designing solutions. In Washington, D.C., it almost always starts with a solution thats beneficial to somebody, and its generally about spending money. The solution is always about spending money.

The real overall solution is that we need to reduce the size of the federal government and its influence over our lives. As it relates to federal health agencies, we need to define the mission of what those government agencies do. We need those government agencies. We need an agency that actually does protect the American public in terms of food and health safety. We need a CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] that gathers health information on chronic illnesses and reports it, and then makes their grants responsive to what were seeing.

They should not allow Big Pharma and outside interests to corrupt their mission. We could do it for a whole lot less money and with a lot fewer people.

This country is something rare and precious, and it was built because people had the freedom to dream and aspire and create. If you crush that freedom, people wont dream, create, and build. Well become Venezuela, and we cant let that happen.

Im not going to let them defeat me. Theyve tried to silence me, to marginalize me, but it hasnt stopped me.

Mr. Jekielek: People say that fear is contagious, but one of the things Ive learned from the pandemic is that courage can also be contagious. Senator Ron Johnson, its a pleasure to have you on.

Sen. Johnson: Thank you. I really appreciate what youre doing and what The Epoch Times is doing. Youre doing real journalism, and thats what this country needs. Thats what the world needs.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Embracing eudaimonia can make our lives magical

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson penned one of the most revolutionary sentences ever written: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

These words fly in the face of human history, with its dismal litany of tyrants and emperors, masters, and slaves. Today, we consider Jeffersons pronouncement a given, like some axiom in geometry, which is in fact how he framed it. If asked, however, could we explain what he meant by the pursuit of happiness?

We shouldnt be too hard on ourselves if we have trouble with that question. Search online for What did Thomas Jefferson mean by the pursuit of happiness? and youll find a dozen diverse thoughts and opinions.

Some people, for instance, might translate Jeffersons pursuit of happiness as running after hedonistic pleasures, like children dashing to the display counter of an ice cream shop. Others might interpret it as a summons to seek material wealth, aiming to live the good life with a house in the Keys and a Mercedes roadster in the garage.

Given Jeffersons education and temperament, however, he likely intended a more philosophical connotation, as some of those search results tell us. Lets go with an ancient Greek word that Jefferson knew well, eudaimonia, and select that mouthful of vowels as his synonym for happiness.

Eudaimonia essentially means a life well lived. Its a form of happiness, yes, but attached to virtue and found in our best selves. The adjective flourishing is often associated with eudaimonia.

And now, were getting somewhere.

To rightly pursue a life of happiness, of eudaimonia, means awareness of two tangential circumstances. First, we experience eudaimonia in the pursuit of a goal as well as in its achievement. Consider how many older couples reminisce about the early days of their marriage, when they were living in a walk-up flat and living on beans and rice. We were happy then, they laugh. Thats eudaimonia at work.

On the other hand, the achievement of a goal doesnt guarantee happiness. All too often, the pilgrim reaches the end of a quest only to find disappointment rather than a holy grail. The young woman who graduates from college and medical school and wins that long-coveted M.D., may find her success empty, an enormous let-down. She sought eudaimonia at the moment of accomplishment rather than looking for it on the trail she followed to get there.

In his TED Talk, A Recipe for Eudaimonia, Jay Kannaiyan describes a motorcycle trip he made from the United States back to his native India, traveling through Mexico, Latin America, and Africa. Along the way, he prepared his favorite dish, chicken curry, for his hosts. Through the joy and comradery inspired by these shared meals, Kannaiyan found moments of eudaimonia, an ideal that he describes as being ones best self in each and every moment. Kannaiyans motorcycle trip served as his pursuit of happiness.

At the end of his talk, Kannaiyan asks: How can you find eudaimonia in your life? Its actually all around you. You are surrounded by things that are true, good, and beautiful. Just know that when those three ingredients are present, you are experiencing human flourishing, and you have attained a state of being that is higher than simply being happy.

I encourage readers to watch Kannaiyans video. Meanwhile, heres to a very eudaimonic day to all of you!
Last week, we published Part 1 of a two-part series on the use of mRNA vaccines in the food supply..

In that earlier episode, we exposed the current state of mRNA-based vaccines in our livestock. As a recap: right now mRNA vaccines are in the midst of development for beef cattle (with millions of dollars in funding flowing to different companies doing this research  both in the US and abroad.) For pork, mRNA vaccines appear to have already been on the market since 2018, through a Merck-owned vaccine platform called Sequivity. On their website they promise RNA based customized vaccine prescriptions to pig farmers.

Its not clear how many pig farmers are currently using these mRNA shot, but it appears to be on the market already.

In todays episode, we cover the flip side of this coin: what happens to a person who eats meat thats been treated with mRNA-based vaccine technology. And this question brings us into brand new territory, what the experts refer to as: edible vaccine technology  which has gotten a lot more advanced than youve probably realized.



ref:

The Shocking Truth About mRNA Vaccines in Our Food (Part 1)

Unbeknownst to most people, theres a push to scale up the use of both mRNA technology and gene therapy on the livestock that winds up on our supermarket store shelves. This means that whether its beef, pork, lamb, chicken, or turkey, the meat that youre purchasing from the store could very soon contain the remnants of mRNA based vaccines that the animals were treated with. And right now, only five states are pushing transparency bills.
The Supreme Court Might Curb the Deep State by Overruling the Chevron Case

Commentary

The Supreme Court will not be announcing its decisions in most of this years big cases until June or early July. But the court recently agreed to consider a case that could trim the power of the deep state.

The deep state is a web of federal administrative agencies, career politicians, lobbyists, and compliant mass media. It acts as a shadow government that largely sets the nations political agenda.

The deep state has been around for decades, but is more powerful than ever because the federal government is larger and more intrusive than ever. Most Americans witnessed deep state power for the first time during the Trump administration, when it publicly resisted the authority of an elected president.

One prop of the deep states power is the 1984 Supreme Courts ruling in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council (pdf). That ruling is called the Chevron doctrine. On May 1, the justices granted certiorari in (that is, agreed to review) a new case in which they may overrule the Chevron case and its Chevron doctrine.

The Deep Background

The Constitution created a democratic federal republic. It instituted an elected Congress to make laws, an elected president to enforce laws, and an appointed judiciary to resolve disputes under those laws.

In addition to empowering the new government, the Constitution also limited it. The Constitution included some specific exceptions to federal authority, such as the first eight amendments in the Bill of Rights. It also reserved most governmental functions to the states, a reservation encapsulated in the Ninth and Tenth Amendments.

People who wield power are seldom happy with limits on their power. Federal officials and those who cater to them always pushed back against the Constitutions limits. Those limits began to fall in earnest during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Instead of resisting the assault, liberal majorities on the Supreme Court reinterpreted the Constitution to accommodate the assaulters. I described the courts decisions during that era in my Epoch Times series, How the Supreme Court Re-Wrote the Constitution.

This process of constitutional distortion slowed after 1944, but it didnt end. It continued for the entire six decades that liberal justices comprised a majoritythat is, until late in the 20th century.

In Epoch Times essays published in 2021 and 2022, I described the major themes of the liberal jurisprudence that prevailed throughout most of the 20th century. That jurisprudence is now embedded in the courts case precedent.

Liberal justices enormously increased the authority of Congress. For example, they transformed Congresss power to regulate Commerce (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) into authority to oversee the entire national economy. They changed Congresss power to tax (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) into a license to spend for almost any purpose. These and other changes rendered the federal government supreme in American life.

Not only did liberal justices permit Congress to exercise almost unlimited power, they also permitted Congress to delegate it to unelected administrative agencies. Congress may (and frequently does) pass a statute creating an agency and telling it to regulate some broad swathe of activities, andvoila!Americans are saddled with a new set of bureaucratic masters.

Its true that the court has stated restrictions on Congresss ability to delegate, but those statements are mostly empty words. The justices readily approve vague and undefined delegations such as this agency may regulate the airwaves in the public interest.

Liberal Supreme Court majorities also stacked the rules heavily against any citizen challenging federal power. Outside of a few areas (such as freedom of speech) a citizen claiming a federal law is unconstitutional must prove that theres no possible constitutional reason for the law. (This was why Obamacares insurance mandate was upheld on the silly (pdf) theory that it was a tax.)

How Chevron Fits In

Just as the court imposed an almost impossible burden of proof on citizens challenging a laws constitutionality, the Chevron doctrine imposes a similar burden on citizens challenging the power of federal agencies. The doctrine says that an agency almost always has the final word on whether federal law gives it the powers it claims. Courts must defer to these self-interested agency decisions unless they are unreasonable. In constitutional law, its exceedingly difficult to prove that a government decision is unreasonable.

The Un-Conservative Supreme Court

As I have explained in several Epoch Times essays, contrary to the mainstream media narrative, the current Supreme Court doesnt have a 63 conservative majority. Rather, the bench is highly fragmented: It contains three liberal activists, one nearly pure originalist, one justice who usually defers to government decisions (liberal or conservative), and four others in between.

As a result, the current court has left almost all the liberal case precedents in place. (The principal exception, Roe v. Wade, was an unusually weak decision but even so it was overruled by only a bare 54 majority.) When the media characterize a ruling as conservative, its often because the court has applied a liberal precedent that liberals no longer find convenient.

Thus, the current composition of the court suggests that, just as it has preserved other liberal precedents, it may well preserve Chevron.

Criticisms of the Chevron Doctrine

On the other hand, theres some evidence the justices may overrule Chevron. Several justices have been critical of the Chevron doctrine. They and other commentators point out that:

The doctrine makes an agency a judge in its own cause, thereby violating the Constitutions guarantee of due process of law;

it encourages agencies to expand their power;

administrative agencies are part of the executive branch, so allowing them to make legislative or judicial decisions violates separation of powers; and

the Chevron decision was not well considered, and over time the Supreme Court has had to carve out exceptions.

Another reason for believing that Chevrons days are numbered is that the court didnt refer to it when adjudicating recent cases on the limits of agency authority.

The Present Case

The case the court agreed to hear is Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (pdf). Loper Bright Enterprises is the plaintiff. It operates fishing vessels in the Atlantic Ocean.

The defendant, Gina Raimondo, is the Secretary of Commerce. Part of her department is the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which Congress created to regulate fishermen.

Federal law allows NMFS to require fishing boats to carry official observers to ensure compliance with federal regulations. That much is undisputed. But the NMFS also claims federal law allows it to force fishermen to bear the cost of paying the observers. Loper Bright disputes that.

The appeals court held that under the Chevron doctrine, the fishermen lose because the agencys interpretation isnt completely out-to-lunch. But if the Supreme Court overrules Chevron, the fishermen will have a chance to persuade a judge that the NMFS exceeded its power.

The case probably will be argued in the fall and decided before June 30, 2024.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Top Congressional Democrat Defends Woke ESG Investing

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, delivers remarks during a Committee meeting in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington on Jan. 31, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

A top congressional Democrat defended woke Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ideology and that investors need to be watchful and alert to opportunities and risks.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) blasted Republican attacks on ESG at a House Oversight Committee hearing on May 10, saying that it was needed to guide companies in their business decisions.

Republicans nationwide have been attacking the progressive political agenda, arguing that the adoption of ESG by multi-national financial institutions is an attempt by radical foreign elites to impose their views on American society.

Public sentiment has been turning against ESG, with American investors beginning to insist that asset managers focus on company financial returns when making investment decisions over politics.

Raskin used his time to lecture his fellow congressmen on the English language in an attempt to justify ESG principles.

The word work comes from the Indo-European root weg, which means to be strong and alert, Raskin said, explaining that the word evolved into the modern word vigilance.

The whole point of being a fiduciary is to be vigilant, watchful and alert to opportunities and risks, and thats what asset managers, corporate board members and executives do with other peoples money.

The congressman from Maryland stated that sticking to a non-woke investment strategy is a negligent and inattentive investment strategy.

Raskin Defends ESG After Wifes Nomination to Fed Defeated in 2022

Raskins defense of ESG has become a personal mission for him after his wife, Sarah Bloom Raskin, saw her nomination at the Federal Reserve derailed.

She faced strong opposition from Republican senators and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (D-Va.) over her radical stance on climate-based financial policy.

The unelected governors of Americas central bank shouldnt be responsible for dealing with difficult issues like global warming, social justice and education policy, then-Sen. Pat Toomey (R-La.) said at the confirmation hearing.

Senate Republicans scolded her at her 2022 confirmation hearing over previous comments that she made about the importance of reducing the climate change threat to the health of the American financial system.

In a New York Times op-ed in 2020, Bloom Raskin argued that the Fed should not subsidize fossil fuels over its alleged impact on the climate.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) slammed those comments on climate economic policy during her confirmation hearings, saying that her support for ESG would drive the oil and gas industry into bankruptcy.

Republicans Continue to Attack Climate Change Ideology

The Republican-dominated House Oversight Committee called in attorney generals from several states on May 10 to testify on the dangers of ESG in corporate culture.

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes testified that ESG is part of an open conspiracy to bypass Congress and instead impose costly changes on American consumers using the power of horizontal agreements by key players in our financial system.

Reyes argued that certain climate goals, like the Paris Climate Agreements plan to keep the earths temperature as close to 35 degrees Fahrenheit as possible, would cause catastrophic harm to Americans livelihoods.

He warned that implementation of climate change goals would impact everything from how we grow our food and what we eat to how we power our homes and businesses and even what kind of cars we are allowed to purchase.

Another critic, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, called the ideology a clear and present danger to consumers and to our democracy. An unelected cabal of global elites is using ESG to hijack our capitalist system, capture corporations and threaten the hard-earned dollars of American workers

Ever since the signing of the Paris Agreement, theres been an open conspiracy to bypass Congressby key players in our financial system  these organizations seek to use their collective market power to force burdensome changes on American companies, said Marshall.

Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) accused woke asset managers BlackRock of blatantly ignoring their legal obligations to their customers and shareholders, while his colleague, Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), explained how the ESG agenda was actively undermining the U.S. on the global stage in favor of Communist China.

As the hearings got heated, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) accidentally blurted out that [Democrats] arent here to put working people above big corporations.

Pro-ESG Advocate Says Agenda Helps Investors Make Decisions

The only pro-ESG advocate, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, was called in by House Democrats to challenge the critics allegations.

We are witnessing a widespread, highly coordinated, politically motivated attack on investors and the hard-working people they serve, Frerichs told the committee.

ESG is about looking at a wider range of risks and value opportunities that can have a material financial impact on investment performance.

For example, Frerichs said that environmentally conscious investors in a car company might want to know whether that company is aligned with market expectations and preparing for the shift to electric vehicles.

However, most Republicans said that those concerns were an attack on the beliefs of many Americans who want political language out of their investment portfolios and for companies to stick to doing business.
KYODO NEWS - May 11, 2023 - 16:03 | All, Japan, G7

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday that Japan will seek to lead international efforts in establishing rules for the use of artificial intelligence as the chair of this year's Group of Seven meetings.

The pledge comes as governments have been pushing to harness rapidly developing technologies like AI bot ChatGPT while mitigating risks to privacy and addressing other concerns.

"AI has the potential to positively change the economy and society, and (it also has) risks. We need to respond appropriately to both," Kishida said at the first meeting of a government panel to discuss the country's AI strategy.

"It is necessary for Japan, as the G-7 chair, to exercise leadership in promoting common understanding and establishing rules," he added.

The panel, comprised of academics, business people and government officials, is expected to discuss how to better use and regulate AI. Yutaka Matsuo, a professor at the University of Tokyo, heads the panel.

Chatbots are software applications trained using massive amounts of data from the internet and other sources, enabling them to process and simulate human-like conversations with users.

Among them, ChatGPT, made by U.S. venture OpenAI in November 2022 as a prototype, has caught global attention. It stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer and is driven by a machine learning that works by mimicking processes in the human brain.

But there are also concerns that the service provider gathers vast amounts of personal data without authorization.

Kishida will host the G-7 summit between May 19 and 21 in Hiroshima, joined by leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United States plus the European Union.

It follows the meeting last month of their technology ministers in Japan, in which they agreed to set international standards to ensure the "responsible" use of AI.

Related coverage:

G-7 pushes for int'l standards for AI amid spread of ChatGPT use

FOCUS: Do AI bots like ChatGPT threaten humanity if left unchecked?

G-7 leaders to hold 3 expanded sessions at Hiroshima summit
TORNADO Act Progresses, Seeks to Improve Forecasting and Warning Times

Tornado damage is seen in Mayfield, Ky., after extreme weather hit the region on Dec. 12, 2021. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

A bipartisan bill intent on bringing better understanding, increased forecasting and warning times for tornadoes and severe weather passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Wednesday, May 10.

The TORNADO Act, short for Tornado Observations Research and Notification Assessment for Development of Operations, was reintroduced this year by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) alongside colleagues from both sides of the aisle.

I introduced the TORNADO Act to help protect against future loss of life and property, Wicker said in praising the committees passage. Improved forecasting is the best way to give residents more time to seek shelter. I appreciate my colleagues for seeing the value in this legislation, and I look forward to earning the support of the rest of the Senate.

The legislation would improve the forecasting and understanding of tornadoes and other severe weather by requiring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to update methods for predicting and issuing weather alerts.

Wicker said on March 24 that a tornado left a path of death and destruction that stretched from Rolling Fork to Amory, Mississippi, claiming over twenty lives, injuring dozens, and causing an estimated $100 million in property damages.

He added although NOAA followed current protocols, residents were only issued a warning 20 minutes before the storm arrived, leaving little time for preparation.

The Bill

Provisions of the legislation (pdf) would require NOAA to prepare and submit an action plan for national implementation of high-resolution probabilistic guidance for tornado forecasting and prediction.

It will also encourage NOAA to evaluate the current tornado rating system, the Enhanced Fujita Scale or EF Scale, and make updates.

The EF Scale became operational in 2007, according to NOAA, and is used to assign a tornado a rating based on estimations of wind speed and surveys of damage. Damage is helped to better estimate wind speeds a tornado likely produced using indicators that place a tornado on a scale of EF0 to EF5.

The original Fujita Scale was updated to better determine wind speeds based on ground examinations and surveys of damage. The [EF] scale has to do with how most structures are designed, according to NOAA.

More stipulations of the legislation would require NOAA to coordinate with appropriate entities when conducting post-storm assessments to optimize data collection, sharing, and integration.

A man, top center, salvages a jacket as he looks over a tornado-damaged home, in Rolling Fork, Miss., on March 26, 2023. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

Even when tornadoes are well-forecasted, warnings do not always provide enough lead time to ensure the public can respond or seek appropriate shelter. The federal government has a vested interest in making sure Americans have as much notice as possible of severe weather, Wicker said. The TORNADO Act would improve the forecasting and understanding of these natural disasters so we can prevent future loss of life and property.

Fellow Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith said advances had been made in past decades, but those advancements should continue.

Great advances in weather forecasting in recent decades have helped save lives, but more can and should be done to alert people when tornadoes threaten their lives. The terrible and deadly tornadoes that ripped through Mississippi recently tells us that, Hyde-Smith said. This legislation would be useful in helping provide greater support for NOAA and its research partners, like the University of Mississippi, to advance severe storm and tornado detection technologies.

Senators from Other Tornado-Prone States Cosponsor

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., toured Bethel Springs, Tennessee, earlier this week following a deadly March 31 tornado that took nine lives.

Earlier this year, severe weather and tornadoes took over a dozen precious Tennessee lives and disrupted thousands of livelihoods, said Blackburn. This bipartisan legislation would provide a better understanding of forecasting and communication before and during hazardous weather so that we can improve warning time and help keep people safe.

The legislation was also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Thune (R-S.D.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.).

Cruz said the effort to use innovative technologies to respond to the deadly storms that often threaten Texans would allow greater speed and efficiency in response.

Thune said South Dakotans rely on warnings to protect their families, property and livelihoods.

This common-sense legislation would improve the accuracy of tornado forecasting and streamline the weather alert system, which would lead to earlier, more accurate warnings for tornadoes and other severe weather, Thune said.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) tours a tornado-ravaged town in McNairy County, Tenn., after storms in late March killed nine. (Office of U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn)

Peters, the only Democrat that signed onto the bill as a cosponsor, echoed some of Thunes beliefs.

There are common sense steps we can take to better predict and warn Americans about tornadoes and other severe weather events, Peters said. Im pleased to partner with Senator Wicker on the bipartisan TORNADO Act, which would do just that.

Grassley, Young, and Boozman all mentioned the frequency of severe weather in their states, along with deadly tornadoes that can wreak havoc. They mentioned tornadoes this year that took lives and decimated communities that are still in clean-up, focusing on modernizing NOAA communications to give Americans a better chance to take to safety and be informed.
Trump Says He Would Accept 2024 Election Results If Its an Honest Election

Former President Donald Trump speaks at the New Hampshire Republican State Committee's Annual Meeting in Salem, N.H., on Jan. 28, 2023. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump was asked during a CNN town hall if he would commit to accepting the results of the 2024 presidential election.

Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, was presented with the question by CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins at the live, televised event held in New Hampshire.

The former president responded that hed only accept the results on one condition.

Yeah, if I think its an honest election, absolutely, he said.

Collins didnt accept his response and pressed on whether the former president would still accept the results regardless of the outcome.

If I think its an honest election, I would be honored to, Trump responded.

In its report, CNN framed the response as showing that Trump said he he would not commit to accepting the results regardless of the outcome, saying that he would do so if he believes its an honest election.'

The CNN forum marked the first major televised event of the 2024 presidential campaign.

It was also Trumps first interview appearance on CNN since before he became president in 2016. Prior to the event, Trump said CNN offered him a deal I couldnt refuse in a post to Truth Social.

Trump on 2020 Election

At the town hall, Trump reiterated his belief that the 2020 election was rigged. He noted that his loss was due to multiple factors not limited to voter fraud, but also the social media forces working against him leading up to the election, as well as a controversial letter signed by intel veterans that pushed against the Hunter Biden laptop story at the time, calling it Russian disinformation.

An ex-CIA official later said the Biden campaign was behind the letter. Yesterday, a new congressional report revealed that a CIA official helped recruit people to sign the letter.

Throughout the town hall on Wednesday, Trump refused to say that the 2020 election was not rigged.

You and your supporters lost more than 60 court cases on the election, Collins told Trump. Its been nearly two and a half years. Can you publicly acknowledge that you did lose the 2020 election?

In response, Trump told Collins that there has been video evidence of ballot boxes being stuffed.

They found millions of votes on camera, on government cameras, where they were stuffing ballot boxes. So with all of that, I think its a shame what happened. I think its a very sad thing for our country. I think its a very sad thing, frankly, for the world because if you look at whats gotten to our country, our country has gone to hell.

During the question and answer session, he also continued to refer to the 2020 election as being a stolen one.

When you look at what happened during that election, unless youre a very stupid person, you see what happened, Trump said. It was a rigged election, and it was a shame that we had to go through it.

When you look at what happened during that election, unless youre a very stupid person, you see what happensbut most people understand what happened. It was a rigged election and its a shame that we had to go through it.#Trump said 2020 election was rigged. CNN #TownHall pic.twitter.com/DSV59QY2c3  NTD News (@NTDNews) May 11, 2023

Call with Georgia Secretary of State

Trump and Collins discussed multiple aspects of his efforts to challenge the 2020 election. This included the phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican. Trump asserted that he I didnt ask them to find anything.

The phone call in question occurred in January 2021, and during the conversation, Trump asked the secretary of state to probe potential voter fraud in Georgia. I just want to find 11,780 votes, Trump had told Raffensperger, referring to a figure that is one more than he lost by.

Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said in January 2021 that Trumps remarks had been taken out of context by many news outlets that reported on the call.

Well, every major media is taking it out of context, Dershowitz told Just The News, adding that there was no apparent crime being committed on the phone call by the president.

Hes not saying I want you to create the vote, said Dershowitz in the interview. Hes not saying I want you to manufacture or concoct the votes. Hes saying, and hes been saying this for months, on Twitter and his statements and his campaigns, he thinks that people voted for him and those votes werent counted.

Hes entitled as a citizen, as a candidate, to say, I want you to find those votes, I want you to find the votes that will pass for me and what werent counted, I want you to find votes that were cast against me that shouldnt have been countedby people who are dead people, who are out of state.

The full transcript of the call showed that Trump asserted that he won the state and asked the election official to probe election irregularitiessomething he had been repeating publicly.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Trump Effect: CNNs Primetime Ratings Skyrocket After Town Hall

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a CNN Town Hall with CNNs Kaitlan Collins at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., on May 10, 2023, in a still from video. (CNN/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Former President Donald Trumps participation in a CNN town hall on Wednesday night delivered a ratings boost for the beleaguered cable news channels ratings.

According to Mediaite, citing Nielsen data, CNN obtained 3.12 million total viewers for the 8 p.m. Trump specialfar more than the network usually draws on a weeknight. Of that figure, some 703,000 viewers were among the 2554 age demographic, the ratings show.

In March, CNN averaged some 473,000 viewers across all demographics for the primetime hours, data shows. That was behind both MSNBC and Fox News.

For Wednesday night, Fox News Tonight with Kayleigh McEnany came in second place, with 1.41 million viewers, the ratings show, and MNSBC drew 1.37 million viewers. Notably, former Fox News host Tucker Carlsons 8 p.m. show averaged more than 3 million viewers in March before Carlson and Fox News parted ways late last month under mysterious circumstances.

The early Nielsen data likely wont reflect the town halls full viewership. It also did not include data from CNN.com and CNNs streaming apps that aired the Trump town hall.

Meanwhile, clips from Trumps CNN event were shared far and wide on social media Wednesday, with many turning his responses and comments into memes. YouTube videos showing several Trump statements also drew significant engagement as of Thursday afternoon.

During the town hall, Trump laid out his 2024 agenda as he sparred with CNN moderator Kaitlin Collins and took questions from members of the audience in New Hampshire.

At one point, Trump vowed to pardon many protesters who were sentenced in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, breach at the Capitol. He argued that many demonstrators have been unfairly treated, while calling slain Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by an officer that day, a patriot.

I am inclined to pardon many of them, Trump said. I cant say for every single one because a couple of them, probably, they got out of control.

The former president, which polls suggest he is leading the GOP field in the 2024 presidential election, also weighed in on the debt crisis and said Republican lawmakers should not give in to White House demands. Republicans want to pass spending cuts alongside raising the debt ceiling, while Democrats say the two provisions should be considered separately.

I say to the Republicans out therecongressmen, senatorsif they dont give you massive cuts, youre going to have to do a default. And I dont believe theyre going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave because you dont want to have that happen. But its better than what were doing right now because were spending money like drunken sailors, Trump said.

Also during the town hall, Trump responded to a New York jury not finding him liable for rape but sexual battery in a civil trial brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. The former president said that he doesnt know Carroll, that he was silenced from speaking publicly about the case, and that Carroll is a whack job who made up a story about an encounter that occurred decades ago.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a CNN Town Hall with CNNs Kaitlan Collins at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., on May 10, 2023, in a still from video. (CNN/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

My poll numbers just came outthey went up, Trump also said when asked about the verdict. She wasnt raped, OK?  and I didnt do anything else either, OK, because I dont know who the hell she is, Trump said, triggering audience laughter.

After the verdict, Carroll said through a lawyer that this victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed. Earlier this week, Trumps lawyers told The Epoch Times that his team will file an appeal and suggested the case will be overturned.

Response

CNN, meanwhile, has drawn criticism from a range of Democrat and left-wing pundits, who claimed that Trump shouldnt have been given a platform to speak on the network. In response, CNN CEO Chris Licht was defiant and argued that Trump enjoys widespread support across the United States.

While we all may have been uncomfortable hearing people clapping, that was also an important part of the story, Licht said on a conference call, according to reports. He noted that the people who clapped are a large swath of America, arguing that corporate media outlets have failed to acknowledge these people for years.

In a front-page CNN article and in his email newsletter, media reporter Oliver Darcy appeared to be critical of his employer and Licht. Darcy, a frequent critic of Trump, wrote that its hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening, although he did not provide many specifics in his newsletter.

He described the performance as Trumps unhinged social media feed brought to life on stage and claimed that CNNs Collins had been put in an uncomfortable position, given the town hall was conducted in front of a Republican audience that applauded Trump, giving a sense of unintended endorsement to his shameful antics.

Top CNN anchor Jake Tapper, too, appeared to be critical of the town hall. Without elaborating, Tapper alleged that his network does not have enough time to fact-check what Trump said.

On the right, Fox News contributor Ben Domenech said Trump held a successful forum, telling host Laura Ingraham: This is exactly the kind of forum in which he succeeds. We know this now. And CNN should know this now.

And former Trump campaign manager Steve Bannon praised the former commander-in-chief, saying the CNN town hall was a humiliation of the mainstream media and called CNN a disgrace.

The Epoch Times contacted a CNN representative for comment.
Trump Says Key Focus in Ukraine Should Be to Get That War Settled

Says addressing question of whether Putin is a war criminal 'should be discussed later'

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a CNN Town Hall at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., on May 10, 2023, in a still from video. (CNN/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

At a forum held by CNN late Wednesday, former President Donald Trump was asked whether he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal.

Do you believe [Putin] is a war criminal? asked CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins. Hes responsible for the deaths of thousands of Ukrainian men and women

Well I think its something that should not be discussed now, it should be discussed later, said Trump, who is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election.

If you say hes a war criminal, its going to be a lot tougher to make a deal to make this thing stopped, he added. Because hes going to be a war criminal, people are going to grab him and execute him, hes going to fight a lot harder than hes fighting under the other circumstance. Thats something to be discussed at a later day.

Trump also said that right now, the goal is to get that war settled.

And Im not talking about the money either, he said. Im talking about all the livesthe number of people that have been killed in that war is far greater than you hear. When they blow up a city, and those buildings come falling down, and they say two people were injuredno, no, hundreds and thousands of people are being killed, and we have to get that war settled.

The International Criminal Court in March issued an arrest warrant for Putin for the alleged war crimes of deportation of children from Ukrainian occupied territories into the Russian Federation.

The Biden administration in February announced it had formally determined that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine.

Moments earlier in the CNN town hall, Collins asked Trump whether he still respects Putin today.

Putin Made Tremendous Mistake

He made a tremendous mistake. Hes a smart guy, I remember I said [in the past] he was smart, Trump said, but added that with regard to the RussiaUkraine war that started in February 2022, he thinks Putin made a bad mistake.

What was his mistake? Collins asked.

His mistake was going [into Ukraine]. He would have never gone in if I was president, Trump said, to which the crowd responded with applause.

When Collins asked Trump whether he wants Ukraine to win the war, he responded: I dont think in terms of winning and losing.

I think in terms of getting it settled so we [can] stop killing all these people, he said. Russians and Ukrainians, I want them to stop dying.

Trump asserted if he were president, he would have that war settled in one day, 24 hours. The audience applauded.

When Collins asked how he would do so, Trump said hed meet with both Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.

They both have weaknesses and they both have strengths, Trump said. And within 24 hours, that war will be settled; itll be over.

The CNN forum marked the first major televised event of the 2024 presidential campaign. It was held at St. Amselm College in New Hampshire. Republicans and undeclared voters attended the event.

It was Trumps first interview appearance on CNN since before he became president in 2016.

Prior to the event, Trump said CNN offered him a deal I couldnt refuse in a post to Truth Social.

Trump had predicted the event could either be a start of a new and vibrant CNN, with no more fake news, or it could turn into a disaster for all, including me.
Trump Defends Record on Building Border Wall

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a CNN Town Hall with CNNs Kaitlan Collins at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., on May 10, 2023, in a still from video. (CNN/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Former President Donald Trump sparred with CNN moderator Kaitlin Collins over the facts related to just how much of the U.S.-Mexico border wall was built during his administration at Wednesday nights town hall.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures, the Trump administration had built 458 miles of new primary and secondary border wall as of January 2021. This included replacing dilapidated and outdated sections and locations where no barriers previously existed.

These segments of the wall are located in the San Diego, El Centro, Yuma, Tucson, El Paso, Del Rio, and Rio Grande Valley sectors, according to a CBP document shared by the Trump campaign following the town hall.

At the first major televised event of Trumps 2024 campaign, the former Republican president took questions from Collins and an audience of Republicans and undeclared voters who intend to vote in the GOP primary.

A frequent critic of the network, Trump said on Truth Social a day earlier that the interview may usher in a new and vibrant CNN, with no more fake news, or it could turn into a disaster for all, including me.

Collins, who throughout the night had been interjecting with contradictions to Trumps remarks, kept insisting that his administration only built around 52 miles of border wall. In fact, 52 miles of new primary wall were constructed in locations where no barriers previously existed, according to CBP. However, 351 miles of new primary wall were also built in place of dilapidated and/or outdates designs.

Collins, who appeared not to want to concede this point, insisted that meant the former president couldnt claim that hundreds of miles were built.

The CBP figures reveal the argument to be splitting hairs, leaving the audience and pundits to choose who they think was right based on how they define the word new in the context of rebuilding segments of dilapidated walls that border crossers, as Trump pointed out, could simply step over.

This comes as the U.S. border crisis reaches a potential inflection point, with thousands already pouring across the border and thousands more waiting for an opportunity to cross with Title 42 set to end on May 11. Title 42 is a pandemic-era public health measure that allowed border authorities to rapidly expel illegal border crossers to Mexico in the name of mitigating infection risks.

Speaking about this issue, Trump highlighted his success in building hundreds of miles of border wall.

According to FactCheck.org, the Trump administration has built hundreds of miles of border fencing, more than under any other president in American history.

The organization stated in a 2020 article that most of the wall constructed at that time was replacing existing barriers not fit for purpose. The article noted that a Trump administration official testified in 2018 that 316 miles of new barriers would be built in addition to what is there now. It stated that only 40 miles of new fencing was built at that time but that U.S. Customs and Border Protection had replaced nearly 200 miles of vehicle barriers with 30-foot high steel bollards that included lighting and other technology.

The campaign event, held at St. Amselm College in New Hampshire, covered a broad range of topics. At the start of the hourlong town hall, Collins allowed Trump time to respond but as the event went on, she began to interject regularly, particularly when Trump was addressing important subjects like the 2020 elections or Jan. 6, 2021.

At times, the audience seemed to express their amusement and frustration with Collinss handling of the interview, as the pair had some heated exchanges as they disagreed on certain topics, such as the classified documents discovered at the homes and offices of Trump, President Joe Biden, and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Trump Tells CNNs Kaitlin Collins Shes a Nasty Person During Town Hall

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a CNN Town Hall at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., on May 10, 2023, in a still from video. (CNN/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Former President Donald Trump told CNNs Kaitlan Collins that she is a nasty person during a heated back-and-forth about the classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate, on Wednesday night at a CNN town hall.

Trump stopped mid-response to make the comment to Collins, who appeared frustrated as she spoke over the top of the former president.

Responding to a question about whether he had ever shown presidential documents to anyone, Trump said, not really, before adding that he had the absolute right to do whatever he wants with the documents, maintaining his contention that they were declassified.

He also accused the National Archives of being an extremely left group of people and argued that other presidents had taken records home, including former President Barack Obama.

WE were negotiating with NARA, all of a sudden they raid our house. When Biden has his documents, he wont give back the 1850 boxes. And youre gonna find some real gems in there. So you cant have all these different sets. #Trump on Mar-a-lago raid at CNN #TownHall pic.twitter.com/zi6KO5wM66  NTD News (@NTDNews) May 11, 2023

The conversation became heated as Trump and Collins spoke over the top of each other at times while the former president responded to questions about the FBI raiding his property.

They raided my house. They didnt raid the house of [President] Joe Biden. They didnt raid Obama, Trump said.

But Joe Biden didnt ignore a subpoena to get those documents back, like you did, and so that Collins said, interjecting.

Biden had 1,850 boxes Trump said, cutting back across.

But thats a question investigators have, I think, is why you held onto those boxes when you knew the federal government was seeking them and then had given you a subpoena to return them, Collins asked.

Trump asked: Are you ready? Are you ready? Can I talk?

Yeah, whats the answer? she said.

Do you mind? Trump asked, indicating that hed like to respond.

Yes, I would like for you to answer the question, she said as Trump began to speak. Thats why I asked it, she added.

Its very simple to answer. Its very simple said Trump, who stopped his response to say, Youre a nasty person, I tell you.

Former President Donald Trump (L) speaks at a CNN Town Hall with CNNs Kaitlan Collins at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., on May 10, 2023, in a still from video. (CNN/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

The exchange happened at a live, televised event held in New Hampshire, where Trump, who is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, was presented with the question by the CNN moderator.

Throughout the town hall, Collins had pushed Trump to admit that he lost the 2020 election, disavow claims it was stolen or rigged, and promise to accept the results of the 2024 election, no matter the result. Trump maintained his views on the 2020 election.

It was the first time Trump has appeared for an interview with CNN since 2016. He has long criticized the network as fake news for its partisan reporting on his 2016 campaign and time in office.

The event marked the first major televised event of Trumps 2024 presidential campaign. Prior to the town hall, Trump said on Truth Social that CNN offered him a deal I couldnt refuse. He also predicted the event could either usher in a new and vibrant CNN, with no more fake news, or it could turn into a disaster for all, including me.
Trumps CNN Town Hall Sparks Diverse Reactions From Republicans, Democrats

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a CNN Town Hall with CNNs Kaitlan Collins at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., on May 10, 2023, in a still from video. (CNN/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Lawmakers and political insiders had a wide range of reactions to former President Donald Trumps participation in a town hall event hosted by CNN.

Trumps May 10 appearance at the New Hampshire event allowed the candidate to present his plan for the country as he wades deeper into his 2024 presidential campaign.

Many Republicans congratulated the former president on his appearance, including avid Trump backer Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

I enjoyed congratulating President Trump on his outstanding town hall and undefeated record against CNN, Greene wrote on Twitter. They had to air him telling the truth about how the 2020 election was rigged and stolen. We laughed and laughed.

Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) told NTD, sister media outlet of The Epoch Times, I thought he did great, and that he thinks the former president is going to be our nominee.

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) said he was glad Trump did the town hall because CNN is not exactly the bastion of conservatism.

The congressman told NTD he believes that Trump is one of the presidential candidates said that goes into every environment [and is] comfortable.

He tells his side of the story, and I imagined this more as a preview of coming attractions.

Norman pointed to the focus on controversy over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach and other legal issues, saying, The negativity that they have around this man is unbelievable.

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) was less decisive, telling NTD in an interview after the town hall that he was still unsure about whether he would endorse Trump as the Republican presidential candidate.

Diaz Balart said he would obviously endorse a Republican and voiced his concern for how the current administration is being led, indicating that his primary concern is making sure a Republican is elected. One thing that Im very clear on is that we need to do anything and everything that we can in a democratic process to make sure that this administration gets the heck out of Washington.

When asked whether he believed Trump to be the strongest Republican candidate, Balart said he was a big fan of President Trump and considers him to be a friend. I think his presidency is in stark contrast with this disaster that we have now with Biden, and but I think time will tell whos going to be the strongest candidate.

Meanwhile, Trumps detractors in the party came out swinging. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wrote on Twitter: Donald Trump refused to say tonight that he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia. More proof that he continues to be Putins puppet.

Another group of anti-Trump Republicans, the Lincoln Project, added to their website that CNN gave Donald Trump a campaign kickoff celebration tonight.

The group asserted that leadership at the network sold out CNNs values to chase Tucker Carlsons viewers in a desperate attempt to find lost ratings.

Tonight we saw the MAGA Trump Cult in full regalia.

George Conway, notable Republican, Lincoln Project founder, and former husband of 2016 Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, said, Im no media expert, but it seems to me that interviewing a narcissistic psychopath in front of a packed house of his flying monkeys is not the best format for television journalism.

Democrats Weigh In

Democrat responses were predictably negative, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) making an appearance on MSNBC to say that she found CNNs televised event a profoundly irresponsible decision.

What we saw tonight was a series of extremely irresponsible decisions that put a sexual abuse victim at risk  in front of a national audience, and I could not have disagreed with it more.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) was equally outraged, saying he might suffer long-term negative effects from watching the event.

As someone who was at the Cleveland presidential debate, where President Trump ran right over Chris Wallace  I had a little bit of PTSD watching that last night, Coons said on CNN on May 11.

President Joe Biden used the event to attempt to garner support for his campaign, writing on Twitter: Its simple, folks. Do you want four more years of that? If you dont, pitch in to our campaign.

Trump didnt hold back during the exchange, which was the first major television event of his 2024 presidential campaign.

The former president stuck to his guns about the 2020 presidential election and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. When asked whether he regretted his actions in not disavowing violence sooner, Trump recited his tweets asking people to be peaceful at the march.

Trump also said he saw the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as a difficult situation that was more complicated than winning and losing.

The former president said that, if re-elected, he planned to secure the U.S.Mexico border and would drill baby, drill for oil to ease economic pressure on Americans. On the debt crisis, Trump said he thinks the country will have to default at some point.

Our country is dying. Our country is being destroyed by stupid people, he said.

He said he believed that default is better than spending money like drunken sailors and that Republicans shouldnt raise the debt limit, predicting that Democrats will absolutely cave.

Trump also addressed the topics of abortion and the Second Amendment, saying he is committed to protecting human life, protecting the right for Americans to keep and bear arms, and fighting the mental health crisis in the United States.

Janice Hisle, Steve Lance, and Melina Wisecup contributed to this report.
UK Donates Long-Range Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles to Ukraine

A member of the military walks past a MBDA Storm Shadow/Scalp missile at the Farnborough Airshow, southwest of London, on July 17, 2018. (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)

Britain is supplying Ukraines armed forces with long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has announced.

Addressing the House of Commons on Thursday, Wallace said the missiles would allow Ukraine to hit Russian troops, ammunition, and fuel dumps deep behind the front line.

He told MPs: Today, I can confirm that the UK has donated Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.

Storm Shadow is a long-range conventional precision strike capability. It complements the long-range systems already gifted, including HIMARS and Harpoon missiles, as well as Ukraines own Neptune cruise missiles and longer-range munitions already gifted.

Britains Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace attends the weekly Cabinet meeting at Downing Street, in London, on May 2, 2023. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Ukraine has been asking for months for long-range missiles, but support provided by Britain and other allies such as the United States has previously been limited to shorter-range weapons.

Storm Shadow, manufactured by European missile maker MBDA, is an air-launched long-range missile, designed for attacks against high-value targets such as hardened bunkers and key infrastructure, according to the companys website.

They have a range of more than 250 km (155 miles), according to the manufacturer.

By contrast, the HIMARS missiles supplied by the United States only have a range of around 80 km (50 miles).

Earlier on Thursday, asked about the new British weapons package to Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, It will require an adequate response from our military who will consider the relevant decisions from a military point of view.

Calibrated Proportionate Response

The defence secretary said: As I have said many times in the past we simply will not stand by while Russia kills civilians. We have seen what Ukrainians are able to do when they have the right capabilities.

That is why the prime minister and I have now taken the decision to provide longer-range capabilities, he added.

Wallace said the Storm Shadow missiles give Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russias continued brutality, especially the deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, which is against international law.

Ukraine has a right to be able to defend itself against this. Their use of Storm Shadow will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based within Ukrainian Sovereign Territory, he added.

But Wallace warned that these weapons are not in the same league as the Russian AS-24 Killjoy hypersonic missile or Shahed Iranian one-way attack drones, or their Kalibr cruise missile with a range of over 2,000 km, roughly 7 times that of the Storm Shadow missile.

He said it was Russian actions that led to the British decision to supply long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine.

Wallace said he wrote Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in December, telling him that further Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure would force the UK to consider donating more capable weapons to Ukraine.

Unfortunately, Russia has continued down this dark path, he said, pointing to Russias continued attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, with bombs, missiles, and drones.

Wallace said the new weapons package is a calibrated proportionate response to Russias escalations.

The main opposition Labour Party welcomed the announcement. Labours shadow defence secretary John Healey said that Storm Shadow will strengthen Ukraines fight to repel the Russian forces.

He added: We are united in our determination to help in the defence of Ukraine and of our shared values  we welcome this vital new military support as the Ukrainians prepare for their expected counter-offensive.

UK Support for Ukraine

After the United States, Britain has been the second-largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine contributing 2.3 billion ($2.9 billion) worth of support last year.

Although this is well below what the United States has provided, Britain has in the past been the first country to supply more sophisticated weapons to Ukraine.

Britain sent the first shoulder-launched anti-air and anti-tank weapons to Ukraine in the run-up to the invasion and in February announced it would be the first country to begin training Ukrainian pilots on NATO fighter jets.

In January, Britain said it would send 14 of its main Challenger 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, a pledge that was followed by other nations including the United States and Germany.

Last week, a British-led group of European countries asked companies for expressions of interest to supply Ukraine with missiles with a range of up to 300 km (190 miles), but Britain said on Tuesday that no final decision had been taken on supplying the weapons.

Britains Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addresses participants at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, southern Germany, on Feb. 18, 2023. (Ben Stansall/WPA-Pool/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the Munich Security Conference in February that Britain would be the first country to provide Ukraine with longer-range weapons.

Heavy tanks, air defense, and longer-range weapons are all the things that will allow Ukraine to defend itself and repel Russian aggression, and indeed, yes, to have a counter-offensive that moves Russia outside of its own country, Sunak said at the time.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraines long-awaited counteroffensive against Russias invasion force had yet to start.

Ukrainian forces had already received enough equipment from Western allies for their campaign but were waiting for the full complement of armoured vehicles to arrive to reduce their casualties, Zelenskyy said on Thursday in an interview with European broadcasters.

Lily Zhou, PA Media, and Reuters contributed to this report.
University Free Speech Bill Set to Become Law After Clearing Final Hurdle in House of Lords

A graduation ceremony at the University of Suffolk's campus in Ipswich, England, in October 2015. (PA)

The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill is set to become law after it was accepted by the House of Lords on Wednesday.

The billintroduced in Parliament in May 2021will require universities and colleges to defend free speech and help stamp out unlawful silencing.

The Office for Students (OfS), the higher education regulator in England, would have the power to impose fines on institutions if they breached this condition.

Academics, students, or visiting speakers will be able to seek compensation through the courts if they suffer loss from a breach of the free speech duties.

For the first time, students unions at universities would be required to take steps to secure lawful freedom of speech for members and visiting speakers.

Undated file photo of the UKs Houses of Parliament in London. (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Following the Lords acceptance of the bill, education minister Claire Coutinho wrote on Twitter: University should be a place where students and academics can debate controversial ideas without fear or favour. If not there, then where?

She added, We cannot accept a culture where visiting speakers are no-platformed, academics are hounded out of their jobs, and where self-censorship narrows the terms of debate.

Practical Steps

The minister said the bill contains practical steps to protect freedom of speech on campus.

The bill creates a Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom within the Office for Students, who will promote freedom of speech and diversity of thought on campusand will take firm action if universities fail in their duties to do the same.

Students and staff will have access to a free OfS complaints process, overseen by the Director, to seek compensation if they feel their free speech rights have been wrongly impinged. And, crucially, we have stood firm on their ability to go to court where needed.

She said the bill is already having an impact on freedom of speech on campus even before becoming law.

Ive heard from academics that vice-chancellors are already revising their free speech guidance in advance of the bill becoming law. At every stage of the bill, weve held academics and students at the forefront of our minds. The culture is already shifting.

Free Speech Crisis

Conservative think tank Policy Exchanges 2019 and 2020 publications, both entitled Academic Freedom in the UK, revealed concerning levels of self-censorship among academics.

It added that the latest update from the Academic Freedom Index project stated that the country is experiencing increasing limitations of academic freedom.

The Free Speech Union, which has been campaigning for the free speech legislation, said the new bill will go some way towards addressing the free speech crisis in our universities.

It added: About 20 percent of the 2,000+ cases weve dealt with in the past three years have involved universities, and we believe that in almost every one the student or academic whos got into trouble would have been in a stronger position if this new law had been on the statute books.

The campaign group praised the Conservative government for its role in passing the bill into law, saying the bill is something the present government can point to that will genuinely advance the cause of free speech.

But the group stressed that much remains to be done.

Satisfying though it is to see this bill finally enter the statute books, this is no time for complacency in higher education. The new law only applies to England and Wales, so the next battle is to try to get a similar bill through the Scottish and Northern Irish parliaments. In due course, we will be launching a campaign to do just that.

Right to Sue

Much of the debate over the free speech bill concerned the introduction of a statutory tort that would permit individuals who believe they have been no-platformed by a university or student union to seek compensation.

Critics argued that it would give rise to vexatious claims against universities and could bankrupt students unions.

In December, when the bill passed through the House of Lords, former Conservative universities minister Lord Willetts and others voted to remove the statutory tort from the legislation on the basis that it risked imposing unnecessary additional costs on universities.

But the Lords amendment was defeated in the House of Commons in February.

A subsequent amendment proposed by Lord Willetts in March, which was supported by the Tory frontbench, would still allow legal redress, but only after going through the formal complaints procedure.

But some members of the House of Commons expressed concern that the amendment would prevent individuals from seeking an injunction where swift action is required to rectify a breach of freedom of speech on campus.

The government then proposed a further amendment allowing individuals to seek injunctions in court, which was accepted by the Lords on Wednesday, paving the way for the bill to receive Royal Assent and formally become law.
US Failure to Recognize Natural Immunity Negatively Affected Pandemic Response: NIH Scientist

Undated colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell (blue) heavily infected with COVID-19 particles (red), isolated from a patient sample at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Md., on Oct. 31, 2020. (NIAID)

The failure to recognize how post-infection immunity is similar or superior to that bestowed by vaccination led to prolonged school closures and other problems, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientist told Congress on May 11.

U.S. public health agencies chose to disregard natural immunity, leading to lost jobs, staffing shortages, children kept out of school, and wasted vaccines, said Margery Smelkinson, a research scientist at the NIHs National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

She was one of three experts who testified at a hearing on immunity during the pandemic conducted by the U.S. Houses Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in Washington.

Smelkinson, who said she was testifying in her personal capacity, is employed by the same agency that was led for decades by Dr. Anthony Fauci, who repeatedly downplayed natural immunity along with other top public health officials.

Fauci and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), were among the officials to meet secretly in 2021 to decide whether post-infection immunity should count as one or more vaccine doses in the recommended COVID-19 vaccination schedule, according to documents obtained by The Epoch Times. The meeting resulted in no changes to the recommendations, which advise virtually all Americans to get a vaccine even if theyve recovered from COVID-19.

The governments position on natural immunity meant that COVID-19 vaccine mandates across the country featured no exceptions for the naturally immune, in contrast to some other countries.

The CDC has said that there is post-infection protection but that it varies by person, its unclear how long it lasts, and recovered people should still get vaccinated.

But evidence from before the vaccines were even available signaled that natural immunity was robust, and later studies provided evidence that natural immunity was similar to or even better than vaccination, Smelkinson noted.

One study in July 2020, for instance, found a strong immune response in people who had recovered from COVID-19. Another in October 2020 provided similar findings. And a paper in November 2020 found that mild infections also triggered strong responses.

As early as April 2021, research suggested protection on par with that from vaccines. A CDC study found natural immunity was better than vaccination against the Delta variant, and a more recent CDC paper provided the same conclusions for the Omicron strain. An analysis of dozens of studies found that post-infection protection was similar to or better than vaccination, depending on the strain.

Smelkinson said the governments position resulted in staffing shortages, including in the health care sector, and caused needless loss of life as vaccines were given to essential workers with natural immunity instead of being prioritized for the elderly.

Additionally, the daily quarantine of thousands of students could have been significantly reduced if districts had, at least, made exceptions for students with natural immunity. At least, she said. Disregarding the wealth of evidence of natural immunity led to missed opportunities to implement policies that could have been more effective and efficient in controlling the pandemic and limiting collateral damage.

Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chairman of the panel, said that the government shouldnt have mandated vaccination for the naturally immune.

Other Experts

Dr. Marty Makary, a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told the panel that the stance against natural immunity adopted by Fauci and others didnt make sense. He pointed in part to Fauci saying previously that people who had recovered from influenza didnt need vaccination because the most potent vaccination is getting infected yourself.

They dismissed it, saying there was uncertainty, We dont know how long its going to last. As if we knew how long vaccinated immunity was going to last, said Makary, who also said he was testifying in a personal capacity.

Studies have shown that natural immunity does wane over time, particularly against infection. But the protection from vaccines also drops, with a number of papers indicating the waning is more rapid.

Makary estimated that prioritizing naturally immune health care workers to get vaccinated early on resulted in the deaths of thousands of people who actually needed vaccines but were unable to get them. Another result was higher medical bills, he said.

Dr. Tina Tan, a professor at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine, was also called to testify to the panel as the minority witness for the Democrats. Tan acknowledged that post-infection immunity exists but aligned with the CDC as she asserted that the level of protection after recovery may vary from person to person.

Tan championed so-called hybrid immunity, or vaccination on top of natural immunity. She pointed to papers including a study published in January that found hybrid immunity triggered a stronger immune response against Omicron than natural immunity alone.

Recent data suggests that the best immunity comes from hybrid immunity, the combination of vaccination and immunity after infection, Tan said.

The doctor claimed that the currently available COVID-19 vaccines provide substantial protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death. There is no clinical trial data available for the updated formulations of the most widely used vaccines, manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna, and observational data indicate the vaccines provide subpar protection against symptomatic infection and short-lived protection against hospitalization.

Tan also said that the vaccines are safe, noting that most adverse events are typical post-vaccination symptoms such as fever. But many serious side effects are either caused by the vaccines or suspected to be linked to them, including heart inflammation and blood clotting.

We know that CDC has conducted extensive monitoring of adverse events associated with vaccines and the risks associated with getting a natural COVID-19 infection are far greater than the risks associated with COVID-19 vaccination, Tan said.

One of the latest sets of risk-benefit analyses from the agency concluded that the benefits outweighed the risks, but was criticized by several experts for relying on hospitalization rates that didnt include children even when estimating hospitalizations among children.

The risk-benefit analysis is a marketing strategy to maximize uptake of the vaccine, Allison Krug, an epidemiologist, told The Epoch Times previously. It is not an honest effort to estimate risks and benefits because it ignores the most durable protection on the marketimmunity from prior infectionwhich is near universal now.
By Junko Horiuchi, KYODO NEWS - May 11, 2023 - 14:20 | Feature, All, Japan, G7

The 87-year-old mother of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted to North Korea at age 13 in the 1970s, is hoping that the upcoming Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima will take her a step closer to seeing her daughter brought home.

Sakie Yokota says she is "looking forward" to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida taking up the issue with fellow leaders at the summit as time runs out for her and the families of other abduction victims who continue to fight for their loved ones' return.

"Mr. Kishida, as the prime minister of the country, which has seen many of its citizens abducted, needs to say in his own words that the world cannot let a country which has committed hideous acts continue as if nothing has happened," Sakie said.

Although the issue is unlikely to be high on the agenda, with more attention expected to be given to the North's missile testing, she feels it is important that it is raised.

"I don't want the abduction issue to be forgotten," she said.

It is now more than 45 years since Megumi disappeared on her way home from badminton practice in Niigata on the Sea of Japan coast on Nov. 15, 1977.

Since then, Sakie has kept her daughter's belongings neatly organized, including her gym wear and her "The Rose of Versailles" comic books, imagining how her daughter's life would have been if she were still in Japan.

"I am keeping her belongings just the way they were until the moment when she comes home and says, 'Wow, you have kept all these things,'" she said in an interview with Kyodo News near her home in Kawasaki outside Tokyo.

"She was good at singing but also liked to draw pretty illustrations," she said. "She was a very amusing girl and we laughed together frequently."

Sakie says that with families of the victims aging, she hopes Kishida will win strong backing from his G-7 partners to realize a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as early as possible.

In 2020, Sakie's husband, Shigeru, who had long been a frontrunner in the campaign to bring back the abductees, died at the same age as she is now.

Kayoko Arimoto, whose daughter was abducted by North Korean agents in 1983, died the same year at age 94 while the following year, Shigeo Iizuka, who served for 14 years as head of a group representing the families of abductees, died at age 83.

Looking back on her decades-long struggle in and out of Japan to call for the return of the abductees, she said she feels that the abduction issue "has at last gained attention as a global human rights issue, making the Japanese government serious about resolving it."

But there has been little progress since five abductees were returned to Japan in 2002 following then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Pyongyang to meet with then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. The summit was the first ever between the two countries, which do not have diplomatic ties.

The five were among the 17 Japanese nationals the government officially lists as having been abducted by North Korea.

Related coverage:

Japan PM vows to take every step to resolve North Korea abduction issue

Families' group not to oppose aid to North Korea if abductees returned

Tokyo continues to seek the early return of the other 12, including Megumi, while suspecting Pyongyang's involvement in many other disappearances.

After Koizumi revisited Pyongyang in 2004, North Korea handed over to Japan cremated remains that it claimed were those of Megumi, but they were later proven through DNA analysis not to be hers.

In seeking talks with current leader Kim Jong Un, Kishida has upheld the policy shift introduced by then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2019 when he said was willing to hold direct talks with Kim "without preconditions," rather than insisting that any summit should yield progress on the abduction issue.

But North Korea, which claims that the issue has been resolved and that it holds no more abductees, has ignored the call so far.

Sakie is aware of the difficulty of negotiating with North Korea, which has been aggressively firing ballistic missiles in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and is believed to be preparing to conduct a nuclear test for the first time since 2017.

"I hope Japan and North Korea can hold talks so that they can come closer together for a future in which they live in peace," she said.

The families of the victims are also encouraged by the recent improvement in ties between Japan and South Korea, which has seen its own citizens abducted by Pyongyang.

"It is important to have South Korea on our side," Sakie said, after Kishida earlier this month became the first Japanese leader to visit South Korea in five years. He has also invited President Yoon Suk Yeol to attend the G-7 summit.

Given the time constraints, a group of abductees' families and a supporting entity, the National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea, recently decided to drop its opposition to giving humanitarian aid to North Korea if it helps lead to the return of all abductees.

Takuya Yokota, a brother of Megumi who now heads the families' group, said in February that if Pyongyang immediately returns all the abductees to Japan, the government "should be able to provide humanitarian assistance" to Pyongyang "within the limits of the sanctions imposed by the international community" on the country.

The groups visited the United States earlier this month to explain the new policy to U.S. officials and called for their support to help resolve the abductions issue.

"We have received responses and expressions of intent that they want to do something" to resolve the issue, 54-year-old Takuya said after holding talks with Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and other U.S. officials and lawmakers during the five-day trip.

They also told the U.S. officials of their hope that the abduction issue will be treated separately from the issues of tackling North Korea's nuclear and missile programs given the aging of the families waiting the return of the abductees.

Supporting the families group's new policy, Sakie said, "Tokyo can offer rice or other food items to the people of North Korea who are apparently suffering from the coronavirus pandemic and other hardships" in return for bringing home the abductees.

But she also strongly feels the need for North Korea to be condemned for the abductions. "We have to make North Korea become aware that the whole world views it has acted wrongfully," she said.
Uyghur Advocate Calls for US to Boycott Chinese Goods, Uphold Human Rights

Many solar panels made with slave labor

An employee works on the production of solar panels at a factory of GCL (Group) Holding Co., Ltd, in Hefei, Anhui province, China on Jan. 5, 2022. (Photo by Ruan Xuefeng/VCG via Getty Images)

The United States should not trade off human rights in China for a so-called green revolution, according to Salih Hudayar, the prime minister of the East Turkistan government-in-exile.

On April 28, a dozen Democrats joined Republicans on a resolution that would undo the Biden administrations emergency move shielding some Chinese-made solar panels from tariffs. The resolution of disapproval advances to the Senate next.

The White House warned on April 24 that President Joe Biden would veto the legislation if it gets to his desk.

This rule is necessary to satisfy the demand for reliable and clean energy while ensuring Commerce is able to rigorously enforce U.S. trade laws, hold trading partners accountable, and defend U.S. industries and workers from unfair trade actions, the White House statement reads.

Circumventing Tariffs

The rule referenced by the White House statement put Bidens emergency proclamation (pdf) into effect. The proclamation, issued in June of 2022, sought to waive tariffs on solar panels from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia for 24 months. A Department of Commerce rule issued in September of 2022 put it into effect.

Subsequently, however, a Commerce Department probe found that Chinas solar manufacturers are evading U.S. tariffs by rerouting production through three of these Southeast Asian countries.

The probewhose results were announced in Decemberrevealed that BYD Hong Kong rerouted production through Cambodia, Canadian Solar and Trina routed production through Thailand, and Vina Solar routed production through Vietnamspecifically to evade U.S. tariffs on China-made solar panels.

The companies manufactured solar cells and modules in China, then sent them to one of the Southeast Asian countries for minor processing, after which they were exported to the United States.

Advocating for the Uyghur People

Hudayar spoke with The Epoch Times sister media NTDs China in Focus program on May 9. He is an advocate for the human rights of the Uyghur people and for the independence of East Turkistan, also known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The region in northwest China is the source of much of the worlds polysilicon, a material that is used in almost all solar modules. The industry relies on forced labor by Uyghur workers. It is just one of many documented human rights abuses in the region, along with the incarceration of an estimated 1.8 million people in detention camps.

Hudayar pointed to the White House statement, saying President Biden needs to be more tough on China, as he promised from the beginning. He promised to uphold human rights, and he needs to act upon his promises.

They need to completely ban all solar panels that are made either directly in China or outside of China by Chinese-owned companies, he said.

Solar Panels Made by Slave Labor

According to Hudayar, evidence points to the fact that Chinese solar panels are made with Uyghur slave labor in Xinjiang, China.

Starting in 2014, when China rolled out its concentration camps, polysilicon production or solar panel production in East Turkestan amounted to not even 9 percent of global production. By 2019, [it] went to over 50 percent. And I think, as of 2020, [it went] to somewhere around 60 percent, he said.

So, theres no doubt that the solar panels that are being manufactured in China or by Chinese factories that are being manufactured in third countries to evade, for example, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act [are] being tainted by components that are made with forced labor, he added.

Hudayar stressed that it is unacceptable to cooperate with China in this regard, even to address climate change.

How can you cooperate with a country thats engaging in genocide, thats engaging in mass human rights violations, atrocities across the board against all of its people, let alone the people of East Turkistan or Tibet, or the Falun Gong? he questioned.

I think that the United States government needs to make it clear that were not going to cooperate with you on anything unless you address these issues.

First, human rights should be a priority, or else, how are we going to benefit from the solar panels that are made with slave labor, when if anything we will have been contributing to that slave labor? he added.

Boycotting Chinese Goods

President Joe Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) into law in December of 2021. The law, which bans imports from Chinas Xinjiang region unless the importer can prove that the products were not produced using forced labor, went into effect in June of 2022.

Yet, in Hudayars opinion, the best-case scenario is to simply boycott all goods that are made in China, or that have components made with forced labor.

I think American companies need to pull out of China. We need to invest in other countries where theyre not engaging in genocide or mass human rights violations. We need to divest from China, bring back part of the production back into the United States if we can, he said.

Nathan Worcester contributed to this report.
Washingtons New Law Blocks Parents From Children Who Wish to Transition

The state of Washington has approved a new law that enables shelters to hide children from their parents in case the children want to undergo gender transitioning.

State Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, signed into law SB 5599 on Tuesday. The bill essentially grants shelters the right to not notify parents of minors when the children flee homes where gender transitioning is not accepted. Every childincluding our trans youthdeserves to be safe at home. In a perfect world, that is the case, but unfortunately, that is not the reality, Democrat Senator Marko Liias, the bills primary sponsor, said in a May 9 press release.

This legislation affirms our commitment to ensuring children have a safe and stable place to go when they are not welcome at home.

While supporters of the bill insist that SB 5599 will protect vulnerable youth, especially those who seek gender-affirming care, critics argue that the bill basically removes parents from health and mental health care decisions of their children.

The bill passed the House on April 12. In an interview with The Epoch Times, Republican state Rep. Chris Corry pointed out that SB 5599 allows a disagreement between a child and the parents over the issue of medical transition to be construed as abuse and neglect just because the parents hadnt properly affirmed what the child wants.

Corry noted that there were already state laws available that protect children from abuse and neglect. However, these laws require solid and compelling reasons why kids need to be removed from their homes.

Whats frustrating is even in those cases, the parents still have a right to know where their kids are after theyve been removed, Corry said. In this case, parents would have no idea.

Criticism of the Bill

SB 5599 has attracted intense criticism online. The extremists have picked their position against WA families and parental rights. Now they can try to defend it. Spoiler: Its indefensible, state Rep. Jim Walsh (R) said in a May 10 tweet.

People are overwhelmingly against SB 5599, including many LGBT+ folks. Democrats pass it anyway, allowing youth shelters to hide kids seeking gender-affirming care from their parents, WA Senate Republicans, the official Twitter account of Washingtons Senate Republican Caucus, said in a May 5 tweet.

It included a statement from a concerned gay parent. Im a married gay woman with three children, the statement said. SB 5599 gives unprecedented agency to vulnerable children that we grant in NO OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.

Social welfare organization Gays Against Groomers slammed the passage of the bill. Yesterday, @GovInslee signed SB5599 into law, making Washington a sanctuary state for trans minors that want to undergo medical gender procedures, but whose parents will not allow them to (because theyre good parents), it said in a May 10 tweet.

These people are monsters. Children need to be protected from the predatory medical industrial complex, not their parents.

In a May 11 tweet, Republican Minority Outreach Coordinator Andrew Smith said that none of this matters since within the next 10 years or so gender ideology will collapse as the minors receiving gender affirming care today enter their mid 20s with the consequences of irreversible surgeries, puberty blockers, etc. finally realized.

Auron MacIntrye, a columnist at The Blaze media outlet, called SB 5599 an attack on the family structure. The family is the final barrier to the total state which is why the regime will use trans ideology and the civil rights revolution to destroy what remains of it, he said in a May 11 tweet.

Media Coverage

Meanwhile, the mainstream media coverage about SB 5599 getting signed into law also attracted criticism. The Associated Press (AP) covered the story with the headline Trans minors protected from parents under Washington law.

Conservative influencer Greg Price said in a May 10 tweet while posting a screenshot of the AP story. So much for that whole thing about separating kids from their parents.

Podcast host Brandi Kruse pointed to the headline published by The Seattle Times which said Transgender minors protected from parents under new WA law. The Seattle Times sourced the content from AP.

The mere concept that transgender minors would need to be protected from their parents is insane to me, she said, according to a May 11 tweet.

I might expect to hear that from Senator Marko Liias, or a co-sponsor of the bill, or Jay Inslee. But to see that parroted in a headline from the Associated Press, which is supposed to be one of the most unbiased news entities in the world, is insane to me.

It continues this narrative that if you are a parent and you have concerns about your minor child as young as 13 or 14 years old wanting to get gender care, that you are a parent your child needs to be protected from. And now, not only are Democrats saying that. The mainstream media is saying that.

State Bills on Minor Transgenderism

SB 5599 has been signed into law at a time when some states are pushing forward bills to promote transgenderism among minors while others are passing bills to block it.

In Kentucky, Democrat Governor Andy Beshear vetoed a bill in March that the state GOP claimed would have protected our children by preventing minors from accessing life-altering sex change surgery and drugs.

The bill would have only allowed sex change procedures like hormone therapies and puberty blockers after an individual becomes 18 years old.

In California, an assemblyman proposed legislation in January that would allow children who have filed for petitions to change their gender identities and legal names to get such records sealed.

In Georgia, Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed a bill on March 23 that banned sex change surgeries and hormone replacement therapy for minors.

Late last month, Oklahomas Republican-majority legislature passed a bill banning health care providers from conducting transgender procedures on minors. The bill was approved by the Governor this month.
Were Close to Treason: Former CSIS Officer Decries Lack of Accountability On Foreign Interference

Michel Juneau-Katsuya, Former Chief of the Asia-Pacific Unit, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is seen on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, on May 2, 2023. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

A former officer with Canadas spy agency says that individuals involved in the political process should have to declare they will not cooperate with a foreign power, adding that they should serve jail time if caught doing so.

Because were close to treason here, literally, said Michel Juneau-Katsuya, former chief of the Asia-Pacific Unit within the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

Juneau-Katsuya, who left the agency in the early 2000s, was testifying before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) on May 11, as part of its study on foreign interference.

The former officer, known for his explosive comments on the matter, said every government since Brian Mulroneys has been compromised by agents of communist China.

He also told the ethics committee in March that a new independent agency with arrest powers should be created to tackle foreign interference, with CSIS and the RCMP unable to stop the threat, and the government being penetrated.

Juneau-Katsuya made several recommendations to PROC, his first pertained to making it mandatory for electoral candidates, political staff, and volunteers to sign a declaration that theyre not under the influence or acting on behalf of a foreign government or entity.

This form will clearly warn of possible criminal procedures in case of intentional deception, he said, suggesting offenders should be sent to prison.

No fine, no suspended sentences or anything of that nature.

He made other serious claims, such as that some staff at Global Affairs Canada are under the influence of Chinese agents.

My speculation as an investigator is that unfortunately, at Foreign Affairs or Global affairs today, we have some people working naively and non-intentionally or maybe intentionally, on behalf of China, and a certain sort of shake-up must be done on that site as well, he said.

Juneau-Katsuya supported his claim by pointing to how much time it took to declare a Chinese diplomat persona non grata.

The Globe and Mail reported on May 1 that a Chinese consular officer in Toronto, Zhao Wei, had been involved in efforts to target Conservative MP Micheal Chong and his family over his advocacy for human rights in China.

Zhao was declared persona non grata by Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly on May 8. She said the decision was made after a careful consideration of all factors at play, with the government anticipating retaliation.

The next day, Beijing announced the expulsion of the Canadian consul in Shanghai, a diplomat higher in rank than Zhao.

On the issue of interference in the Canadian democratic process, NDP MP Matthew Green asked Juneau-Katsuya whether he had ever come across information of any quality that foreign actors had used the nomination process to find preferred candidates.

Worse than that, Juneau-Katsuya replied. Ive seen candidates going to the consulate and asking for their help in order to be elected, and he got elected.

Two elected officials at the federal and provincial levels have left their party caucuses in recent weeks after media reports based on national security leaks alleged they were involved in Beijings foreign interference network.

Another one of Juneau-Katsuyas recommendations was to remove the possibility of foreigners from voting in party nominations. He said its obvious nonsense that this is allowed.

The Liberal Party requirement for membership says that members can include those who ordinarily live in Canada, whereas all other parties limit membership to citizens or permanent residents since they need to pay for membership, a kind of political donation.
What Women Really Want

Commentary

This article first appeared in The Catholic World Report

American poet Carl Sandburg once wrote, A baby is Gods opinion that the world should go on. However, this view is not shared by doomsayers in the United States and Western countries who push depopulation, believing the world is overpopulated.

Their response to this crisis is to advocate for unhindered access to birth control and abortion. However, some people, such as business leader and billionaire Elon Musk, are raising the alarm about population collapse, saying that it poses a greater threat to civilization than climate change. Needless to say, this view is controversial. However, one neednt agree with Musks prognosis to notice that something seismic is happening in our world.

Across the developed world, birth rates are plummeting. They have been for decades. They have dropped below replacement level, and still arent leveling out. In some cases, populations are already beginning to collapse.

Japan is perhaps the most extreme example. In 2022, Japans population dropped by over half a million people, marking the 12th consecutive year of population decrease. All signs point to an irreversible processone that is only likely to accelerate with each passing year.

In a recent speech on the subject, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio arguably out-matched Musk in his apocalypticism. Japan, he said, is on the brink of not being able to maintain a functioning society. Something dramatic must be done, he said, to increase birth rates.

This past year, China announced that its population decreased for the first time in decades. Italys birth rate is so low that there are real fears that its en route to disappearing as a nation.

Some retort, of course, that, far from an apocalypse, these demographic trends should be welcomed. As Petula Dvorak argued in the Washington Post a few years back, the cause of the birth dearth can be summarized in one word: choices. That is, for the first time in history women can control their fertility, choosing to welcome as many children as they want (or dont want). Job well done!

The only problem with this argument, however, is that its not true. Women arent welcoming as many children as they want.

A growing body of data resoundingly affirms that all across the developed world women are having far fewer children than they would like to have. Demographers refer to this as the fertility gap. In America, for instance, whereas women say that ideally, they would like to have 2.5 children (above the replacement rate), on average they are having 1.64 (well below the replacement rate).

Importantly, research has also found that women who have fewer children than they want are less likely to say they are very happy. The effect is modest, but consistent enough to be taken seriously.

However, theres a tragic irony here. In my role as the leader of an international pro-life organization, I have traveled widely in the developing world. In many developing nations, roadways are lined with billboards advertising the latest, most-effective contraceptive methods. Television and radio ads pound home the message that welcoming fewer children produces greater happiness.

Typically, these ads are sponsored by Western-funded development organizations, e.g., the United Nations Population Fund, Planned Parenthood, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, etc.

In other words, at the very same moment when theres alarm in the West over a demographic collapse, and Western women are confessing themselves unhappy due to a failure to meet their reproductive ideals, Western nations are spending billions of dollars imposing their ideals of fertility on the developing world.

Perhaps some women in the developing world welcome this aid. However, in my experience, many women are angry that wealthy, powerful foreign agencies and philanthropists view their fertility primarily as a problem to be solved.

In his monumental encyclical Evangelium vitae, Pope St. John Paul II compared these efforts to those of Pharoah who desired to control Israel by killing their first-born sons. Wealthy Westerners, he said, are haunted by the current demographic growth. Theyre afraid of the fertility of poor countries, which represents a threat for the well-being and peace of their own countries.

So, the United States and other wealthy countries resort to what Pope Francis has called ideological colonization. That is, we impose our values on the developing world. Sometimes, we resort to outright bribery. Financial aid packages are made contingent on nations adopting population control policies, or promoting the values of the sexual revolution, whether they want it or not.

Such practices should universally be decried as appallingly condescending, at best. Instead, perhaps we should stop treating healthy womens bodies as a threat and pause and listen to what many women say they really want: to be mothers.

Not only is there nothing wrong with that, but in creating the conditions in which women feel confident enough to welcome as many children as they say they would like, were also creating the conditions not only for happier women, but also for a healthier society with a bright future.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Why Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Says He Wont Run With Donald Trump

Commentary

Perhaps in response to comments here at The Epoch Times and elsewhere, declared Democratic Party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has tweeted the following:

Just to quell any speculation, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES will I join Donald Trump on an electoral ticket. Our positions on certain fundamental issues, our approaches to governance, and our philosophies of leadership could not be further apart.

Pretty emphatic, no?

But what does it mean?

Frankly, Im not sure, but I do know this: Kennedy would stand no chance of winning the Democratic nomination if he had said otherwise.

I write this knowing full well that some of Kennedys thoughts on medical freedom are much closer to those of declared Republican candidates former President Donald Trump and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and also of prospective candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis than they are to those of President Joe Biden or any foreseeable Democratic nominee.

His thoughts are also closer to that trio on the fraught matter of what to do about our three-letter agencies such as the FBI and the CIA, which ranges among the GOP trio and Kennedy from reforming them drastically to dumping them altogether.

Biden sees those agencies as his guardians, as indeed they have shown themselves to be.

For his part, Kennedy has gone so far as to link the CIA with the assassination of his famous uncle, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, quoting JFKs desire to splinter the CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it into the winds.

Kennedy may differ from the Republican trio in the area of the environment, but even on that subject, I have heard hes moving away from leftist orthodoxy and understands how the Paris Accords benefit China most of all. We shall see.

Still, no one is hated more by rank-and-file Democrats than Trump, and Kennedy surely knows this.

If he evinced interest in running with him, it would be game over.

So how should we feel about this? At first, it left me a little depressed, since I was hoping for a beginning of the healing reconciliation that America sorely needs.

But then I reconsidered. We have a two-party system with both having their problems at the moment; the problems of the Democratic Party are far more extreme, having placed our constitutional republic in jeopardy.

The Republicans for the most part have a decent, conservative rank-and-file. Its a number of their RINO leaders that are the problem.

Unfortunately, a significant part of the Democrat rank-and-file is seriously woke having suffered from psychologist Mattias Desmets mass formation psychosis, not to mention an educational system that resembles the Chinese Cultural Revolution but with American characteristics.

The old Democratic Party of Kennedys father and uncle wasnt that way.

It may have had its problemsmost political parties dobut it was far from the collective insanity we have in front of us today.

Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country is about as far from reparations and the rest of the giveaways being promulgated by Democrats as you can get.

Whether RFK Jr. can bring his party back to some semblance of sanity is unknown, but its certainly worth a shot.

Thats why we can relax, even applaud, over Kennedys denial of an interest in joining with Donald Trump and be happy that hes running as a Democrat.

And as for Trump himself, Im sure most will agree hell do just fine anyway. In fact, as far as I know, Trump never suggested wanting to run with Kennedy. Its all been internet chatter.

Now, RFK Jr. has answered it.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Why Tucker Carlsons Upcoming Show Will Shake Up the Media Industry

News analysis

Tucker Carlson is back.

The anchor, who parted ways with Fox News on April 24, announced on May 9 that he would bring his show, which was the most-watched in cable news, to Twitter.

Carlson posted a video on his Twitter account that, as of press time, has gotten 21 million viewsfar more than the numbers of viewers combined of Fox News prime-time lineup, which consistently dominates ratings. After all, between April 24 and May 5, an average of about 1.37 million total viewers, tuned in to Fox News 8 p.m. ET slot, which Carlson helmed for several years.

In the video, Carlson decried the news media for being misleading in every story that matters every day of the week, every week of the year.

The best you can hope for in the news business at this point is the freedom to tell the fullest truth that you can. But there are always limits. And you know that if you bump up against those limits often enough, you will be fired for it, he said.

Carlson, apparently taking a shot at his former employer, said that his show is about combating left-wing media bias and standing up for freedom of speech.

Carlson explained that he is taking his talents to Twitter because it is the last big nonpartisan platform remaining in the world and where our national conversation incubates and develops.

However, lamented Carlson, the news media are acting as propaganda outlets as opposed to journalists whose job it is to unequivocally hold those in power accountable. This feeling, he said, is the impetus for the relaunch of his show, Tucker Carlson Tonight via the social media site whose logo is a bird, flipping it toward the idea of censorship.

Carlsons mission, like Twitter CEO Elon Musks, is about free speech, said Nicholas Fondacaro, associate editor of the conservative media watchdog NewsBusters.

Carlson seemed earnest in his announcement video that he believes Twitter is the last bastion of free speech, likely because Elon Musk has made it clear that ensuring free speech was his priority when purchasing the platform, he told The Epoch Times. Musk has, by most accounts, talked the talk and walked the walk.

In a Twitter post, Musk said that Carlson would need to follow the same rules of Twitter that apply to all users. He also said that there was no agreement between Twitter and Carlson to do the show on the platform.

On this platform, unlike the one-way street of broadcast, people are able to interact, critique and refute whatever is said, said Musk. And, of course, anything misleading will get @CommunityNotes.

I also want to be clear that we have not signed a deal of any kind whatsoever. Tucker is subject to the same rules & rewards of all content creators, he continued.

Rewards means subscriptions and advertising revenue share (coming soon), which is a function of how many people subscribe and the advertising views associated with the content.

I hope that many others, particularly from the left, also choose to be content creators on this platform.

It would be monumental if Twitter were to join the ranks of video content production.

If Twitter is now pivoting into generating its own in-house content, its a major shake-up in the industry, said Fondacaro. Its an enticing proposition that this was one of the first major figures to broadcast their shows to Twitter and especially with the sites massive, built-in user base.

Moreover, if Carlsons show is successful on Twitter, the social media platform could give cable news a run for its money.

If its successful, it means you can bring in a huge audience without the infrastructure of huge cable operations, Jon Nicosia, a media analyst who was an editor for Mediaite, told The Epoch Times. I still think we have cable as we know today for the next five or so years. Remember, there has been YouTube channels that outpace all of CNN for years, but it hung around. We still need to see how Tucker and, more importantly Musk, monetize these viewers.

Nicosia said that a subscription-based model for super followers would be viable for a Twitter show like Carlsons. There are Twitter accounts where followers can subscribe for exclusive content and other perks.

In what appears to be a play at bringing both sides of the ideological spectrum to do video shows on Twitter, Musk suggested to Don Lemon, a former CNN anchor, that he launch his own show on Twitter.

Have you considered doing your show on this platform? said Musk in a May 10 reply to Lemons April 24 post announcing that CNN had fired him. Maybe worth a try. Audience is much bigger.

Whereas former Fox News stars, from Bill OReilly to Megyn Kelly, have not been able to replicate the success they had while on the most-watched cable news network, Carlson may buck that trend.

It shows that for likely the first time, a Fox personality may be more successful outside Fox, said Nicosia. Although Tucker has been his own brand for years.

Before Fox News, Carlson was on CNN and MSNBC. He also co-founded The Daily Caller, a right-wing news site.

However, Carlsons show on Twitter could face a roadblock from his previous employer, noted Fondacaro.

Its still a gamble for Twitter, he said. In addition to this being a new venture, theres also a possible looming legal fight between Carlson and Fox News that could bar or delay the new show from moving forward.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Fox News for comment on Carlsons upcoming show and whether it plans to take legal action against him, were he to proceed with the move on Twitter.
Xi Jinping: With Unlimited Power Comes Unlimited Challenge

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (L) walks with (2nd L to R) Li Qiang, Li Xi, Zhao Leji, Ding Xuexiang, Wang Huning and Cai Qi, members of the Chinese Communist Party's new Politburo Standing Committee, China's top decision-making body, as they meet the media in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 23, 2022. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

Commentary

Xi Jinping has amassed a greater concentration of power than Mao Zedong, and has greater power to suppress domestic and foreign opponents than any Chinese leader in history. And yet the threat to hisand the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP)ability to retain power faces challenges of an enormity and imminence that Mao never knew.

These threats, ironically, parallel the disruptive elements that ensured the collapse of Imperial Chinese Qing Dynasty power in 191112, ending more than 2,100 years of imperial governance of China. Not that the subsequent republican governments were not imperialthat is, governing an empire of component or tributary societiesbut they were, and are, supposedly non-dynastic.

Firstly, the isolation of the Manchu rulers of the Qing court paralleled the growing separation today of the CCP from mainland Chinese society.

Secondly, modern, often foreign, technology had, from the 18th century, made urbanization appealing to the rural Chinese people and induced a sense of individual aspiration, which could not be fulfilled by the government, translating hope into anger and a sense of entitlement. It was a time of major population disruption and movement. This paralleled the situation in 21st-century mainland China. The Qing court, Mao, and Xi all attempted to suppress the foreign influences that ostensibly triggered the unrest.

China, in 1918, saw less than 8 percent of its 395 million population urbanized; China in 2022 had 64.7 percent of its 1.3 billion people urbanized. China has historically seen fluctuations in population levels and movement, some better managed than others. But unmanaged urban unrestparticularly from migrant workers in the citieswas a key factor in the 19081912 revolutionary period.

Today, Xi and the CCP have unparalleled population control technologies and forces, including the use of indirect means of population control (such as zero COVID health mandates). And yet the scale of popular unrest has begun to show evidence that it is overwhelming even the multi-faceted technologies designed to identify anti-CCP elements and deprive them of their access to communications, money, food, and shelter.

University graduates attend a career fair in Wuhan, in central Chinas Hubei Province, on March 21, 2021. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Of particular concern to the CCP is the youth unemployment rate among university graduates, where anger levels are highest. The official youth (16- to 24-year-old) urban unemployment rate was 19.6 percent as of March, but the real rate is believed to be much higher. What is so dramatic about the current situation is that the dream of prosperity based on a university degree has now effectively evaporated, compounding the sense of alienation.

Coupled with this is the abrupt loss of savings and opportunities also felt by middle-aged and older Chinese with the collapse of the domestic housing economy, which had been the major (often only) place to store savings for retirement.

On top of this, agricultural output is, in real terms, declining, and the global market for Chinese-produced manufactures is declining at a rate not fully shown in official statistics. So employment opportunities for all levels of society are disappearing. The hoped-for post-COVID bumpthe economic recovery after the end of COVID measuresin the first half of 2023 was a significant disappointment to the public and CCP alike.

Xis attempt to build population control measures cannot match the rising unrest, even though domestic security budgets exceed the Chinese militarys funding for national defense. Diverting blame for the national angst through measures like the artificial zero COVID health care population suppression has failed to stem the tide. Xis attempts to show success on the world stage have also been significant but have not offset the domestic problems.

In short, all the positive gainsincluding the rising potential of the yuan as a global trading currency and Chinas ability to acquire energy and food from Russia as a result of the Wests sanctions against Moscowdo not yet compensate for the growing domestic economic situation, although they may have slowed the rate of decline.

There has been concern that Xi might, as a distracting measure, attempt to replace food on the Chinese tables by fulfilling his promise to end the Chinese Civil War and destroy the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwans official name): Fill the heart if not the belly.

The threat from external powers to Chinas security, or the United States ability to deny markets to China, for example, are actually usefulinsofar as they exist at allin creating a unifying sense of identity among the mainland Chinese people. But at this stage, defeating the United States and the West may be far from Xis mind, even though he could not say it.

He has more important concerns.

But the threat from the West is disappearing because of its own decline. What will the post-China and post-Western world look like? And when will we see it? Perhaps we are beginning to see it right now.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Yellen Calls for a Different System to End Tremendously Damaging Debt-Ceiling Standoffs

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday called for a different system of managing the countrys finances in order to prevent future debt-ceiling standoffs that she said were tremendously damaging, while reiterating her view that, in the near term, the only way to avoid the looming debt default is for Congress to lift the borrowing cap.

Yellen made the remarks in response to reporters questions before a Group of Seven (G7) conference in Niigata, Japan, on May 11, while back home in Washington tensions remained high around the debt-ceiling deadlock and no solution in sight.

After a three-month hiatus, negotiations on raising the debt cap resumed on May 9 between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), but they ended with no breakthrough.

Biden has insisted on a clean bill to raise the borrowing limit, while McCarthy and House Republicans have put forward a proposal that would pair lifting the cap by $1.5 trillion with $4.5 trillion in spending cuts over a decade. The president has rejected the GOP proposal and vowed to veto it if it reaches his desk.

The Treasury Department has warned that the United States could default as soon as June 1 if no deal is reached, while the White House put out an analysis that said even a short default could eliminate half a million jobs and that a protracted one could cost 8.3 million jobs.

When the United States reached the $31.4 trillion debt cap in January, the Treasury Department started resorting to extraordinary measures to keep making payments on outstanding federal debt obligations and keep the government from defaulting. At some point, the scope to continue with those accounting maneuvers will run out and the government will face the prospect of being unable to meet its financial obligationsa moment known as the X-date.

When the X-date is reached and theres no agreement in Congress to lift the cap, the Treasury Department will be unable to issue any more bills, bonds, or notes and can only make payments on the governments debt obligations from incoming tax revenues.

Debt-ceiling standoffs like the one gripping the country today have occurred nearly 80 times since the 1960s, Yellen said in Niigata, adding that to go through this every couple of years is tremendously damaging.

While she insisted that thee only way in the short term to avoid a default is to lift the borrowing cap, Yellen said that having a debt ceiling in place creates a situation where we cant pay all the governments bills, and I dont think thats any way to run the government.

Personally, I think we should find a different system for deciding on fiscal policy, Yellen said, though she emphasized that this is her own view rather than one endorsed by Biden.

Repeal the Cap?

One option, she said, was that Congress could repeal the debt ceiling entirely.

The law adopting the debt ceiling dates back to 1917, and since the end of World War II, Congress and the president have modified the debt ceiling over 100 times, according to the Congressional Research Service.

During the most recent debt-ceiling impasse just over a decade ago, Congress passed the Budget Control Act of 2011, which allowed the debt cap to be raised by $2.4 trillion in two phases.

But even though that standoff was resolved and a debt default averted, Standard & Poors took the unusual step of downgrading the countrys long-term credit rating, from AAA to AA+. The agency did so in part because it believed the agreed-to fiscal consolidation plan fell short of what would be necessary to stabilize the governments debt dynamics, and in part because the plans deficit reduction was unimpressive compared to the likelihood that politically driven spending would lead to future accumulation of debt.

Democrats repeatedly proposed bills to get rid of the debt ceiling entirely, an idea that Biden last fall called irresponsible.

Another possibility would be for the president to act unilaterally and raise the debt ceiling, which Congress could vote to override. The president could then veto that, requiring a congressional supermajority to override that veto.

14th Amendment?

Yet another idea that has been discussed recently is for the president to invoke the 14th Amendment, which reads in part that the validity of the United States public debt shall not be questioned. This move would basically amount to using executive power to declare the debt ceiling unconstitutional on the premise that the president must find money to pay national debts already incurred.

But invoking the 14th Amendment is an untested legal theory about which experts disagree and that Yellen recently said would spark a constitutional crisis.

While speaking in Japan on Thursday, Yellen said that invoking the 14th Amendment is not a suitable short-term solution for the current deadlock and that its legally questionable whether thats a viable strategy.

Biden on May 9 confirmed that hes looking at the possibility of using the 14th Amendment as a last-ditch option to work around the debt limit.

I have been considering the 14th Amendment, and the man I have enormous respect for, Larry Tribe  thinks that it would be legitimate, Biden told reporters after a meeting with congressional leaders about the debt ceiling.

But the problem is it would have to be litigated, he continued. And in the meantime, without an extension, it would still end up in the same place.

McCarthy reacted by saying that invoking the 14th Amendment would represent a failure on the part of the president to work across the aisle on a matter of key importance to Americans.

Republicans have stood behind McCarthy in the standoff.

The adult in the room has been Speaker McCarthy and the House Republicans, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) told reporters at the Capitol following the Republican caucus weekly luncheon, noting that he was proud of the way McCarthy had addressed the looming crisis of default.

Daines criticized Bidens approach to the standoff as reckless.

Its childish not to negotiate; its irresponsible not to negotiate. Failure to do so could push the United States and global markets into a place weve never been before and hope to never go, he said.

Biden on Wednesday criticized Republicans for insisting on spending cuts rather than agreeing to a clean bill to lift the debt cap.

This isnt just a theoretical debate going on in Washington, he said, accusing McCarthy of refusing to rule out defaulting on the debt.

If we default on our debt, the whole world is in trouble. This is a manufactured crisis. America is the strongest economy in the world. And we should be cutting spending and lowering the deficit without a needless crisis in a responsible way.

Discharge Petition?

Another idea that has been floated recently is that of a so-called discharge petition. House and Senate Democrats have signaled plans for such a move, which would force a vote on a clean debt-ceiling increase without the spending cuts Republicans have demanded.

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) put forward the proposal in a Dear Colleague letter on May 2 (pdf). If 218 House members sign the discharge petition, it would force a vote on the clean debt cap bill.

However, five House Republicans would have to sign the petition for it to proceed, which could be a tall order, given the dynamics of the impasse.

Yellen was asked in Japan on Thursday what options there were for the Treasury to act in the event that the debt ceiling is not raised in time to avoid a default.

There are choices, Yellen said, though she refused to elaborate.

The answer is there is no good alternative that will save us from catastrophe, she said, adding that the only reasonable thing to do is to raise the debt ceiling and avoid the dreadful consequences that will come if we have to make those choices.

Im very hopeful that the differences can be bridged and the ceiling will be raised, she added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
International energy company Equinor has awarded two contracts - a subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF) and a sales and purchase agreement (SPA) for delivery of a floating production, storage and offloading unit for its $9 billion BM-C-33 project in the Brazilian Pre-salt area.

The SURF contract was awarded to a global energy projects leader TechnipFMC, while the sales deal for delivery of FPSO unit was snapped up by Modec, a leading Japanese solutions provider to the floating offshore oil and gas market.

Equinor said it had awarded the contract on behalf of BM-C-33 licence with partners Repsol Sinopec Brasil and Petrobras.

The FPSO award is mainly one lump sum turnkey contract including engineering, procurement, construction and installation for the entire unit. The Equinor FPSO's expected delivery date is 2027.

As per the deal, Modec will also provide Equinor with operations and maintenance service of the FPSO for the first year from its start-up, after which Equinor plans to operate the unit.

Equinor has exercised an option with TechnipFMC following their front-end engineering design awarded in July 2022, to deliver integrated engineering, procurement, construction and installation for SURF.

"We are pleased to award these contracts to companies known for their expertise and quality, which will be important for these milestone deliveries to the BM-C-33 development," remarked Geir Tungesvik, the Executive Vice President for Projects, Drilling & Procurement.

"Modec was also awarded the FPSO contract for our Bacalhau project, and we look forward to draw from experiences between the two projects, to ensure safe and efficient execution of the developments. We also have a long history of collaboration with TechnipFMC and we are pleased to continue our good collaboration on another major project development," stated Tungesvik.

The SURF system will be installed in water depth of approximately 2900 m, which is the deepest installation in Equinors history, he added.

"BM-C-33 is a world class asset in the Brazilian pre-salt Campos area. Brazil is a core growth area for Equinor, and the company has ambitions to deepen our presence in the country," remarked Veronica Coelho, Equinors senior vice president and country manager for Brazil.

"BM-C-33 will be an important contributor to reach this goal, being a key gas supplier to the domestic market, contributing to industrial development and energy security locally," observed Coelho.

"At the same time, we are committed to use technology to lower our emissions substantially. BM-C-33 has a carbon intensity target of less than 6 kg/boe over the field lifetime, while the global industry average is 16 kg CO2 per barrel, she added.-TradeArabia News Service
KYODO NEWS - May 11, 2023 - 14:43 | All, Japan

A junior high school teacher was sent to prosecutors on Thursday a day after his arrest on suspicion of killing a man during a break-in at a home in Tokyo in February.

Kosuke Omoto, 36, allegedly stabbed to death Masafumi Yamagishi, 63, at the latter's home in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward, apparently to steal valuables. Omoto is believed to have amassed millions of yen in debt through gambling and foreign exchange trading, investigative sources said.

Omoto, who lives in nearby Koto Ward, told the police when he was arrested that he had "no connection" to the incident, but has since kept silent, according to the sources. The killing took place on Feb. 24, just 150 meters away from the public junior high school where Omoto works.

According to investigators, Omoto had told police during questioning before his arrest that he had been in the property before as he had been asked by the man to help him carry items inside.

According to the school, the suspect worked the first half of the day of the incident but took time off for the afternoon.

Omoto apparently killed Yamagishi after the latter discovered him in his home when he returned from work. Yamagishi lived there with his mother, who has dementia.

Yamagishi was found collapsed at the entrance with more than 10 slash and stab wounds including to his face, neck and arms, while blood stains were also found in the living room.

Yamagishi's body was found with the handle of a knife in his hand, investigators said, and they are examining whether Omoto took the blade portion with him after the attack.

Police believe Omoto spent a total of 10 minutes inside the property.

A passerby made an emergency call to the police after Yamagishi's mother sought help. The woman, who is in her 80s, sustained minor injuries to her left wrist.

Omoto's suspected involvement in the attack came to light after police found security camera footage of a similar-looking person coming and going in an area near the Yamagishi residence around the time of the incident.

On Thursday morning, the school where Omoto works held an assembly for all students to inform them of the incident.

Omoto was a teacher in charge of a third-grade class when the incident took place, and had been overseeing special-needs education, according to the school.

Related coverage:

13-yr-old stabbed outside Tokyo home in suspected attempted murder
Around 1,500 girls watch movie The Kerala Story in special screening





Staff Reporter

To awaken the Hindu girls and women against Love Jihad, religious conversion and international conspiracy to force Hindu girls to join ISIS, Hindu Seva Parishad organised a special screening of The Kerala Stories for them on Wednesday. Around 1,500 girls and women watched The Kerala Stories freely screened for them by booking 04 halls at Samdariya Multiplex. State President, Hindu Seva Parishad, Atul Jeswani said that the special screening of the movie was organised to ensure safety of Hindu girls and women and Mother Nation. Its not a fictional story but based on real life incidents concerned with 32,000 Hindu girls.

Parishad members including State President, Atul Jeswani, Saurabh Jain, Nitin Sonpali, Gaurav Sahu, Jitendra Chinani, Utkarsh Rawat, Akshay Jha, Dheeraj Gyanchandani, Deepak Vishwakarma, Umesh Rajak, Abhishek Ahirwar and other workers were present prominently on this occasion.
Assam Govt signs MoUs worth Rs 8201 cr for industrial projects, says Himanta





GUWAHATI,

THE Assam Government on Tuesday signed MoUs worth Rs 8,201 crore with private companies to establish mega industrial projects in various parts of the State. This will lead to the creation of more than 6,000 jobs, with more such mega projects in the offing, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Our flourishing economy takes yet another stride on the eve of State Govts second anniversary. These efforts will bring investment worth Rs 8,200 cr and create 6,100 jobs. Many more in pipeline. Thank you all for reposing faith in Assams growth story, Sarma wrote on Twitter.

Speaking at a programme here to mark the signing of the MoUs, Sarma said the Government is in talks with more investors and big breakthroughs can be expected soon.

We are looking for a big industrial summit in later part of 2024. We are waiting for some big breakthroughs. Talks are already on, Sarma said as his Government is set to complete two years in office. The Chief Minister remarked that, We have to thank the people of Assam for creating an atmosphere friendly for investment. There are no agitations, no turmoil. Since the Assam Agitation that started in 1979, it is for the first time that in last two years there has been no bandh in the State, the Chief Minister said.

Sarma claimed that the average GDP growth of the State in the last five years has been 13 per cent, in spite of COVID-19 affecting economic activities. Our GST collection, tax collection all are going in the right direction. In 2021-22, we were able to achieve more than Rs one lakh crore in public expenditure and the amount has only risen, he added.
Doctor stabbed todeath in Kerala infront of cops by manshe was treating





KOLLAM/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM :

A 23-YEAR-OLD doctor was stabbed to death on Wednesday by a man whose leg wound she was dressing at a hospital in Keralas Kollam district where he was brought after a fight with his family members. According to an officer of Kottarakkara Police in the district, while a wound on the leg of the man -- identified as Sandeep -- was being dressed by Dr Vandana Das, he suddenly got provoked and attacked everyone standing there using a scissor and scalpel. The incident occurred during the early hours of Wednesday and Das succumbed to her injuries a few hours later. The brunt of the attack was borne by the young doctor while the police personnel who accompanied the man were also injured. She was rushed to a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram but could not be saved. Dismayed over the killing of the young doctor, the Kerala High Court said the incident was an outcome of police and Government failure.

Coming down hard at the Government and the police, the HC bench said it indicated their failure to protect doctors. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the death of the doctor and said, the incident was shocking and extremely painful. He said a thorough investigation will be conducted into the matter. Assaulting health workers in the line of duty is unacceptable. A thorough investigation will be conducted into the incident.

The Government will take strong action against attacks on doctors and health workers, Vijayan said in a statement. The High Court said while the police was trained and expected to protect women and children, they failed to protect the young doctor. It is a complete failure of the system. Having an aid post in a hospital is not enough. When you (police) knew the man was acting abnormally, you should have restrained him. You should be able to anticipate the unanticipated. Else there is no need for the police. Over time, we have become casual, Did you not fail this girl? the special bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Kauser Edappagath asked. This is what we were scared of. We had said in the past that something like this could happen, the bench said. The court said the incident has created a fear psychosis among the doctors, medical students and their parents.
Staff Reporter

Maharashtra has three lakh teachers, who have cleared DEd, BEd and also cracked Pavitra Portal examination but are still jobless. If the State Government gives a deep thought to the issue, it can come out with a plan to see services of such teachers utilised in night schools which have about 4,000 teaching posts vacant. Ironically, the fate of such teachers is in the dark due to erratic Government Resolution (GR) of May 17, 2017 and of June 30, 2022. After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Shikshak Aghadi brought the issue to the notice of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, he immediately asked the Education Department to take corrective steps. In Maharashtra, there are 165 night schools, of which 11 are in Nagpur. Teachers in night schools are underpaid while those serving in day schools get full salary. To impart better education in night schools, Governments in Maharashtra had been appointing qualified teachers. Accordingly, permanent teachers working in day schools were allowed to teach to students of night schools too. Such teachers were paid half salary in addition to the pay their were drawing for their services in day schools. During the tenure of Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the then Education Minister Vinod Tawde had taken a landmark decision to provide all benefits to the teaching and non-teaching staff working in night schools. A Government Resolution to this effect was issued on May 17, 2017. The GR had specified that the services of qualified teachers be taken for night schools.

They would be working independently and no jobs were offered to the teachers working in day schools.

Anil Mahadevrao Shivankar, President of Nagpur Vibhagiya BJP Shikshak Aghadi, explained to The Hitavada, The change was introduced during Fadnavis Government was good, but when Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) Government came to power, it cancelled the GR of 2017. The MVA government issued a new GR to this effect on June 30, 2022. This new GR allowed the day school teachers to work in night schools too. It hampered the jobs of new candidates. We gave several memorandums to the then MVA Government but those were ignored. When Shinde-Fadnavis Government came to power, we approached them. Now, the State Government has stayed the GR of June, 2022. Shockingly, the stay was withdrawn this year and orders were issued by Education Department allowing the permanent teachers of day schools to work in night schools too.

A delegation of the BJP Shikshak Aghadi, under the leadership of Dr Kalpana Pande, met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and brought the change to his notice. The delegation demanded that the GR issued on June 30, 2022 should be canceled and the GR of May 17, 2017 be brought into implementation. Shinde, immediately, asked School Education Department to take necessary steps so that services of qualified teachers be utilised in night schools. Vinod Kadu, Ranjit Wasade, Sunil Thanekar, Ramesh Popte, Surekha Mohod, Sunita Bhute, Rahul Natnavre, Nandkishor Barve, Suryakanta Bhende, Varsha Nagpure, Rajesh Sathawane, Bhola Parate apart from Dr Kalpana Pande and Anil Shivankar were part of the delegation.

Meanwhile, supporting the demand, Mahesh Joshi, State General Secretary of Maharashtra Navnirman Shikshak Shikshaketar Sena, said, Our party is constantly taking up the issue. The employees of night school will be meeting Raj Thackeray at Mumbai after his Konkan tour. If the GR of June 30, 2022 is not cancelled, the employees will lodge complaint of cheating with the police against the then Chief Minister and present Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the then Education Minister Vinod Tawde. The employees have decided to boycott the voting to be casted to Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena.
Exit polls suggest tight contest in Ktaka





NEW DELHI,

EXIT polls on Wednesday predicted a tight contest between the Congress and the BJP in the high-stakes Karnataka Assembly polls with many pollsters giving an edge to the grand old party. However, several agencies have stated that the BJP will emerge as a single largest party whose numbers will be close to clear majority. Another set of pollesters has expected a situation of hung Assembly in Karnataka.

India Today-Axis My India predicted a clear majority for the Congress with 122-140 seats in the 224-member Assembly and gave the BJP 62-80 seats. It gave 20-25 seats to the JD (S), the third major player in the race.

News 24-Todays Chanakya also forecast a majority for the Congress with 120 seats as against 92 seats for the BJP and 12 for the JD(S). The result for the three-cornered contest between the ruling BJP, the Congress and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowdas Janata Dal (Secular) will be announced on Saturday. While the ABP News-C Voter exit poll predicted that the Congress would get 100-112 seats, BJP 83-95, JD(S) 21-29, The India TV-CNX exit polls gave the Congress 110-120 seats and the BJP 80-90 seats. They predicted 20-24 seats for the JD (S).
Experts visit Suyog Hospital for revolutionary flat foot treatment





Business Bureau

Suyog Hospital in Nagpur, renowned for its exceptional healthcare services, welcomed two international experts, Dr Michael Grahams and Dr Lukasz, to provide ground-breaking treatment for flat foot condition. Under the esteemed leadership of Dr Girish Motwani, the hospital aims to revolutionise the field of foot and annkle orthopedics, offering innovative solutions to patients in need.

Dr Michael Grahams, a distinguished foot expert from the United States, and Dr Lukasz, a renowned orthopedic surgeon from Poland, arrived at Suyog Hospital to lend their expertise in addressing the challenges associated with flat foot condition. The team of experts, including Dr Motwani, Dr Grahams and Dr Lukasz, has been meticulously planning this groundbreaking surgery technique for several months. Patients from Nagpur and surrounding areas who have been suffering from flat foot condition and its associated difficulties can now benefit from this state-of-the-art treatment at Suyog Hospital.

Speaking about this collaboration, Dr Girish Motwani expressed his enthusiasm, stating, We are thrilled to have the esteemed experts join us at Suyog Hospital. This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to providing advanced and comprehensive care to our patients. Our goal is to offer the latest techniques and treatments to ensure optimal outcomes and improved quality of life for individuals with flat foot condition. Suyog Hospital is situated in Suyog Nagar Nagpur. (7559371956).
Girls outshine boys in 10th, 12th Board exams





Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE) has announced the results of the Higher Secondary School Certificate Examination and High School Certificate Examination conducted in 2023. Vidhi Bhosale, a student of Abhinav V M H S School Pussore Raigarh, secured the first rank in the 12th board exam by scoring 98.20%, while Rahul Yadav, a student of Swami Atmanand Government Utkrisht Hindi Medium School Jashpur, topped the 10th board exam by securing 98.83%.

In the 12th board exam, Vivek Agrawal, a student of Anunay Convent H S School Nawdha Chok Shakti Janjgir-Champa, secured the second position, and Ritesh Kumar, a student of Government H S School Purai Durg, came third. Sikandar Yadav, a student of Swami Atmanand Government Utkrisht English Medium School Jashpur, secured the second rank in the 10th board exam, while Pinky Yadav, a student of Government M L B Girls H S School Jashpur Nagar Jashur, and Suraj Painkra, a student of Swami Atmanand Government Utkrisht Hindi Medium School Jashpur, secured the third position.

Overall, 30 students, including 18 girls and 12 boys, secured top 10 positions in the 12th board exam, while 48 students, including 28 girls and 20 boys, secured their positions in the top 10 candidates in the 10th board exam. Girls in Chhattisgarh have once again demonstrated their academic excellence in both 10th and 12th board exams.

The School Education Minister Dr. Premsai Singh Tekam, in a press conference at the board office in Raipur on Wednesday, announced that a total of 3,37,569 students had enrolled in the 10th board exam. Out of those enrolled, 3,30,681 students (1,52,891 boys and 1,77,790 girls) appeared for the exam. The results of 3,30,055 students were declared. Out of those, 2,47,721 students passed the 10th board exam with a pass percentage of 75.05%, with 79.16% of girls and 70.26% of boys passing the exam.

1,09,903 students (33.30 percent) passed in first division while 1,19,901 (36.32 percent) passed in second division. 17,914 (5.43 percent) passed in third division. 3 candidates have passed in pass category. 17,923 candidates are eligible for supplementary exam. The results of a total of 626 candidates have been withheld due to various reasons, in which results of 16 candidates have been withheld due to cheating and application of 281 candidates have been canceled due to lack of eligibility and the results of 324 candidates are under scrutiny. Apart from this, the results of 5 candidates will be declared later. Compared to 2022, in the 10th board exam there has been an increase of about 0.82 percent in the examination results this year.
I-T raids at 17 places on hawala, dabba traders





Business Bureau

The Income Tax (I-T) Department sleuths, on Wednesday, conducted raids at 17 locations in the city, targeting 10 hawala and dabba traders. A special team of about 200 officers and staff of the Income Tax Department from Mumbai conducted the raids on L7 Group of Companies in the city along with offices and residences of dabba trader Ravi Agarwal, hawala traders Gopu Malu, Lala Jain, Paras Jain, Shailesh Lakhotia, Israel Seth, Hemant Tanna, Karni Thawrani, Pyare Khan, Chartered Accountant Ravi Wankhede. The raids were conducted on hawala and dabba traders at Lakadganj, Telephone Exchange Square, Wardhaman Nagar, Garoba Maidan, Medical Square and other parts of the city. Interestingly, the officers of the Income Tax Department from Nagpur were not part of the raids. A team from Mumbai arrived in the city on Tuesday night. The I-T team from Mumbai started the raids on Wednesday morning. The action continued till late evening.

Sources said that the officers seized cash and documents. The Income Tax sleuths are likely to continue the raids even on Thursday, they added. It is important to note that Ravi Agarwal is Chairman of L7 Group of Companies who also owns the plush wedding destination Chattarpur Farms. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch also had conducted raids on Ravi Agarwals L7 Group in the year 2016. The raids were conducted at several places, including the premises of L7 Group at Telephone Exchange Square. Billionaire Pyare Khan is Chairman of Nagpur-based Tajbagh Trust, and had spent around Rs 1 crore for procuring oxygen tankers, oxygen concentrators and cylinders during Covid-19 pandemic. Illegal and fraudulent monetary transactions through banking and non-banking channels are called Hawala trade.

Dabba trading is an illegal form of trading in shares. Dabba trading is an informal trading that takes place outside the purview of the stock exchanges. Dabba trading rings allow people to trade in equities outside the stock exchange platform. While the senior officers of the Income Tax Department, Nagpur remained tight-lipped over the raids, sources told The Hitavada that the raids were conducted simultaneously on a group of hawala and dabba traders based in Mumbai and Nagpur.
Manish Singh takes charge as Public Relations chief





Staff Reporter

In a minor but significant bureaucratic reshuffle, the State Government appointed IAS officer Manish Singh as Commissioner of Public Relations who was MD of MP Industrial Development Corporation Limited and MD Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited with additional charge of Public Relations and Managing Director Madhya Pradesh Madhyam. The Government issued posting orders of four IAS officers on Wednesday. Among them, Raghvendra Kumar Singh, has been shifted as Principal Secretary Mineral Resources Department. Secretary of Chief Minister Vivek Porwal has been given additional responsibility of Secretary, Public Relations Department.

Navneet Mohan Kothari, waiting for posting, has been given responsibility of MD (Managing Director), MP Industrial Development Corporation (MPIDC). Nikunj Srivastava will be relieved of this responsibility when Raghvendra Singh takes charge of Principal Secretary, Minerals. While Vivek Porwal has been given additional charge of Secretary Public Relations along with Secretary to Chief Minister, Cooperation, Aviation.

Principal Secretary, Public Relations, Raghvendra Singh has been made Principal Secretary, Mineral Department, while Secretary to Chief Minister Vivek Porwal has been given additional responsibility of Secretary, Public Relations Department. Navneet Mohan Kothari, an IAS officer, awaiting posting after coming back from deputation to the Government of India, has been made the Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation.

In cleanliness of Indore, IAS officer Manish Singh has received Prime Ministers Excellence Award for year 2021 while being Indore Collector after earning recognition as a hard task master. Today, Indore has a separate identity across the country in terms of cleanliness. Full credit for this goes to Manish Singh. As a Collector, his working style also remained the same when he got the money cheated by the land mafia of Indore to public and also took strict action against hoarders. In last several years, Collector Singh has worked as head of departments like Indore Development Authority, MP Industrial Development Corporation, Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board.
NCB seizes 3.35 kg gold from passenger at Nagpur airport





Business Bureau

The Mumbai zonal unit of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Tuesday said that it intercepted an alleged international gold smuggler at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur and seized gold worth around Rs 1.80 crore from him.

Based on the inputs, the NCB team identified the Indian citizens named A Khan who was returning from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Nagpur. The team also identified flight details of the person. The team then arrived in the city and intercepted the persons arrived here by Jeddah-Nagpur flight on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. As per the statement issued by the NCB, in pursuance of intensive operational activity and active intelligence, the NCB Mumbai intercepted an international gold smuggler along with 3.35 kg of gold at Nagpur airport. The person was coming from Saudi Arabia and was to handover the seized gold to another person.

A Khan was carrying gold in the form of paste and had stored it in seven packets which he had stitched it to the inner side of his jeans. A Khan confessed to NCB officials that the paste was, in fact, gold. NCB officials said Khan had been working in a Saudi Arabia-based company for the last three years.
Rwandan medical doctors and nurses listen to a presentation via a video conference in Kigali, Rwanda, May 10, 2023. The 23rd Chinese medical team in Rwanda, together with Rwandan medical doctors and nurses, celebrated International Nurses Day at Masaka Hospital in the suburb of Kigali, the Rwandan capital, Wednesday.(Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

KIGALI, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The 23rd Chinese medical team in Rwanda, together with Rwandan medical doctors and nurses, celebrated International Nurses Day at Masaka Hospital in the suburb of Kigali, the Rwandan capital, Wednesday.

Medical professionals from Baotou Central Hospital in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region also joined the celebration via a video conference.

Speaking at the event, Zhao Shangjun, the chief of the Chinese medical team, expressed his appreciation for the hard work and dedication of nurses around the world, particularly the Rwandan nurses at Masaka Hospital.

"International Nurses Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate the contributions of nurses to global health. I thank the Rwandan nurses for their strong collaboration with the Chinese medical team to deliver professional and quality medical care to patients at Masaka Hospital," he said.

Zhao highlighted the importance of collaboration between medical professionals from China and Rwanda to provide the best possible care for patients.

Fulgence Niyomugaba, the Quality Improvement officer at Masaka Hospital, who represented the hospital's clinical director, expressed gratitude toward the nurses for their tireless efforts in providing quality healthcare services to patients. He said that the celebration of International Nurses Day was a reminder of the critical role that nurses and midwifery play in healthcare.

"We appreciate and recognize the invaluable contributions of our nurses towards healthcare. We sincerely thank the Chinese medical team for supporting our nurses to provide quality medical care here at Masaka Hospital," Niyomugaba said.

He pointed out that the Chinese medical team has supported the local doctors and nurses at Masaka Hospital to handle and manage complicated medical cases like surgery, among others.

Speaking via video conference, Liang Lu, the deputy president of Baotou Central Hospital, highlighted the importance of sharing knowledge and best practices among medical professionals from different regions. He praised the joint celebration between Chinese and Rwandan medical professionals as a symbol of the growing collaboration between the two countries.

During the celebration, presentations were made on intravenous catheter and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The presentations aimed at sharing knowledge and improving the skills of the medical professionals in attendance.

Nursing students from the East African Christian University in Rwanda also attended the event and had the opportunity to learn from experienced medical professionals. The nursing students conducted a CPR demonstration on a human dummy to assess the breathing and pulse rates.

The celebration, held under the theme "Our Nurses. Our Future." was a reminder of the critical role that nurses play in healthcare and the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing among medical professionals from different countries. 

Zhao Shangjun, the chief of the Chinese medical team, delivers a speech in Kigali, Rwanda, May 10, 2023. The 23rd Chinese medical team in Rwanda, together with Rwandan medical doctors and nurses, celebrated International Nurses Day at Masaka Hospital in the suburb of Kigali, the Rwandan capital, Wednesday.(Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)
Pakistan on the boil after Imrans arrest





LAHORE :

 An anti-corruption court sent Imran on eight-day physical remand to the NAB

 Army deployed in Pakistan Punjab to maintain law and order after violent protests

 I have not been to the washroom in 24 hours, Imran Khan told court

 Internet in Pakistan suspended for indefinite period

VIOLENT protests erupted in Pakistan following the dramatic arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a corruption case. Protesters attacked more than 14 Government buildings, looted and caused serious damage to Government property and more than 25 vehicles of the police and Government agencies were destroyed and burnt. M i s c r e a n t s involved in violent acts, vandalism, damage to public and private property throughout the province have been arrested, said Punjab Police. Later Army troops were deployed in Punjab to maintain law and order in the most populous province after violent protests in several cities and attacks on military installations. The decision was taken by the Interior Ministry at the request of the Punjab Government, according to a notification issued by the Federal Government. The exact numbers of troops/ assets, date and area of deployment will be worked out by Provincial Government in consultation with the Army headquarters, according to the notification. The Army would be working alongside district administration to restore law order and peace, the ministry said. In the day, an anti-corruption court in Pakistan reserved its verdict on the National Accountability Bureaus (NAB) request for a 14-day physical remand of the former Prime Minister. An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Wednesday sent former Prime Minister on an eight-day physical remand to the National Accountability Bureau.

He was produced in the Anti-Accountability Court No. 1 presided by judge Muhammad Bashir, the same judge who had convicted former Premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam in a corruption case of having properties in London. Maryam was later on set free in the case by the Islamabad High Court. However, Sharifs case is still pending in the high court as he failed to appear before the court. At the start of the hearing, the NAB lawyers requested the court to grant a 14-day remand of Khan to probe against him the allegation. But Khans lawyer opposed the plea and asked the judge to release him as the charges were fabricated. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its ruling. But later announced the reserved verdict, and sent Khan on an eight-day physical remand to the NAB. In his statement, Khan told the accountability court that he was fearful for his life, the ExpressTribune newspaper reported. I have not been to the washroom in 24 hours, he said. Khan requested the court to grant his doctor Faisal Sultan access to him. I am afraid I will meet the same fate as Maqsood Chaprasi, Khan said, referring to a witness in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif s money laundering case who died due to a cardiac arrest last year. Khans party had termed the witness death mysterious.

Former provincial Governor Cheema arrested

ISLAMABAD,

A DAY after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, former Governor of Punjab province Omar Sarfaraz Cheema was taken into custody on Wednesday during a raid at his house by the AntiCorruption Establishment (ACE). Taking to his officialTwitter account, PTI leader Hammad Azhar confirmed that Cheema was arrested in the early morning hours of Wednesday, The Express Tribune reported. Former Governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema being taken... byWho?Where? On what charges? he questioned. The video showed officials, dressed in regular clothes, inside Cheemas house.

Imran Khan indicted in Toshakhana graft case

 By Sajjad Hussain

A PAKISTANI court on Wednesday indicted Imran Khan in the Toshakhana corruption case, in fresh trouble for the former Prime Minister who was arrested by paramilitary Rangers a day earlier from the Islamabad High Court premises. Khan, 70, has been in the dock for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch, he received as the Premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana and selling them for profit. Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other Governments and States and foreign dignitaries. Khan was present in the District and Sessions Court where judge Humayun Dilawar conducted the hearing.

Pak SC rejects PTIs plea challenging HC verdict on Imrans arrest

ISLAMABAD

(IANS) THE Pakistan Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf s (PTI) petition challenging the Islamabad High Courts decision to term party chief Imran Khans arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as legal, media reports said. PTIs legal team headed by the partys senior VicePresident Fawad Chaudhry submitted the petition. However, the registrars office returned it minutes after it was submitted. The registrars office stated that the PTI chief did not approach the relevant forum, adding that he could file an intra-court appeal. The petition did not have signatures of Khan.
Road works on for a year in Nandanvan Colony, so are citizens sufferings





Staff Reporter

The residents of Nandanvan Colony near Hasanbag Police Post are going through a lot of sufferings for last one year as they can not even park their vehicles in front of their own houses. When they approach their residences after parking vehicles elsewhere, they have to go through a rough road risking their lives. On taking up the issue before the authorities concerned, including Municipal Commissioner and Zonal Commissioner, their plights were ignored compelling them to write to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. But alas! the sufferings continue. Tired, disappointed and helpless, the residents are awaiting completion of the road concretisation works.

One wonders, why the Nagpur Municipal Corporation decided to construct cement road when tar road would have served the purpose. To add to the residents woes, of the two contractors engaged in road works, one has completed the work of concretisation on one part of the road. But the contractor who is handling the other part is going slow. The constructed part of the road is a bit higher than the under construction part of the road which is full of gravel. The under-construction road where stones, pieces of bricks are scattered, poses a great threat to the commuters as even walking on it becomes difficult.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NEW YORK (AP)  Former President Donald Trump is appealing a New York jurys verdict awarding $5 million to a magazine columnist after the jurors concluded Trump had sexually abused her in the 1990s and defamed her last October.

A notice of appeal was filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court, the first step in a process that will move the civil case brought against Trump by writer E. Jean Carroll to a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The notice was signed by Trump attorney Joe Tacopina, who said after Tuesdays verdict that he believed there were multiple strong grounds for appeal.

The nine-person jury concluded after less than three hours of deliberations that Carroll had failed to prove it was more likely than not that Trump had raped her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman store in early spring 1996. But it did find that she had been sexually abused.

It also said in its verdict that Trump defamed Carroll in a social media statement last October.

Carroll sued Trump in November minutes after a temporary New York state law took effect allowing sexual attack victims to sue their abusers even if the abuse occurred decades earlier.

In the notice of appeal filed in the lower court Thursday where Judge Lewis A. Kaplan presided over the trial, Trump's lawyers wrote that notice is hereby given that Defendant Donald J. Trump appeals to the 2nd Circuit.

Asked for comment, Tacopina said in an email: Judge Kaplan has been overturned once already in Carroll v. Trump. We are confident it will be twice after this appeal is heard.

He was referencing Kaplan's rejection of an attempt to substitute the United States for Trump as the defendant in an earlier defamation lawsuit filed by Carroll for statements Trump made while he was president. The 2nd Circuit later ruled that Trump was an employee of the government for purposes of the lawsuit, but the appeal has not been fully resolved.

A lawyer for Carroll did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The verdict was returned after a two-week trial in which Carroll testified that Trump sexually attacked her in the luxury department store's dressing room after a lighthearted and flirtatious chance encounter that took them from the store's entrance to the desolate sixth floor lingerie area, where Trump invited Carroll to help him shop for a gift.

She first publicly disclosed her experience in a 2019 memoir while Trump was still president. She said his public response was so harsh that it spoiled her reputation, cost her a 27-year job with Elle magazine and subjected her to mean social media attacks from his followers.

Trump, who is currently running for president as a Republican, did not attend the trial. He said he didn't know Carroll, that he never encountered her at the department store, and he has repeatedly hurled insults at her, including at a videotaped deposition in October. Portions of that were played for the jury.

He repeated some of his harsh statements during a CNN town hall on Wednesday night.

Outside the courthouse on Tuesday, Tacopina said that he and Trump were very confident on the appellate issues here.

He said one of the issues to be appealed was the inclusion in the trial of the notorious 2005 Access Hollywood video in which Trump was captured on a hot mic speaking disparagingly about women and saying that celebrities can grab women sexually without asking because women let them do it.

There were things that happened in this case that were beyond the pale, Tacopina said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE  Collinsville High School Principal Daniel Toberman is now officially cooler than the coolest kids at CHS.

Its safe to say none of those kids have ever gotten to fly on a Boeing F/A 18 Super Hornet with the Blue Angels, which is what Toberman got to do on Wednesday as a preview for the Scott Air Force Base Airshow, slated for Saturday and Sunday, May 13-14.

The Blue Angels will be part of the airshow, which is the first at Scott since 2017, as the 2020 show was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It will be the first airshow at Scott since 2010 for the Blue Angels, who were scheduled to be part of the 2020 show.

Toberman, a graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, was one of two key influencers who got to fly on Wednesday with Lt. Commander Thomas Zimmerman, who is Blue Angel No. 7. The other influencer was Sam Eckholm, a YouTube and social media creator who formerly served at Scott AFB.

Its tough to impress some of them, but I think they might be impressed, Toberman said of the students at Collinsville. Someone will think its cool and Ive got the proof with the video as well.

Hopefully they will think its neat, and hopefully it will inspire others to meet challenges and not run away from adversity. It was a challenge and I talked to other people and some of them wouldnt have done it.

'He was awesome'

For Toberman, who was nominated to take the flight, it was the experience of a lifetime.

In the time leading up to this, in the week or so since I found out I was going to do it, I was shocked to have the opportunity and I couldnt believe it, Toberman said.

I feel pretty good about not being too nervous until this morning, then I got really nervous. When you get in the seat, its like, Oh my God, its real. But I wasnt going to bail out.

Toberman was proud that he made it through the flight without throwing up, which sometimes happens to people experiencing the F/A 18s high-speed twists and turns.

Whenever I was telling my friends and family that I was going to do this, they asked me if I was nervous about puking, Toberman said, laughing. I was also nervous about passing out six weeks ago when I talked to a gentleman about the possibility of doing this. I asked him if I was going to puke or pass out and he said, maybe both.

Sean Donoghue (Seven Crew Chief) talked about preparing for tunnel vision and I definitely felt that. But I was able to get away from it.

A total of 17 officers voluntarily serve with the Blue Angels. Each year the team typically selects three tactical (fighter or fighter/attack) jet pilots, two support officers and one Marine Corps C-130 pilot to relieve departing members.

Zimmerman, who joined the Blue Angels in September, was impressed with how Toberman responded to his first flight on a F/A 18.

He came through with flying colors. He was awesome, Zimmerman said.

Toberman, for his part, was grateful for Zimmermans experience in the cockpit.

(Zimmerman) said he would do everything that is in the show, and he did the barrel rolls where you go upside down three times, Toberman said. Nothing else was like a roller coaster, but that part was close, and it was fun.

On the way, (Zimmerman) asked if there was anything I wanted to do again. I didnt want to do the 7.6 Gs again, but we did the barrel rolls again and I could do that a few more times.

Tobermans cool quotient also probably went up with his 8-year-old son, Davis, who was on hand to watch his dads flight.

Last year we went to the airshow St. Charles and saw the Blue Angels, but this is a little different, Toberman said. He missed school to come here, but how many times do you get to see your dad go up in a jet?

2 weeks of highs

Last week, Toberman finished his doctoral program in educational leadership at SIUE.

I got the news about this flight about three days before that, said Toberman, who will come back down to earth for the CHS graduation ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday. I went to that (SIUE) ceremony last Thursday and I did this a week later, so its a nice way to celebrate.

A Fairview Heights native who attended Belleville East High School, Toberman earned his bachelors degree in journalism and Education Specialist (Ed.S.) certification at SIUE, according to the Collinsville school district website. He also has a masters degree from McKendree University.

Toberman, who has lived in Collinsville since 2013, was nominated for the Wednesday flight by the Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG), which recruits men and women for service in the U.S. Navys enlisted and officer programs. NTAG is among several organizations that submit nominees.

We take a look at difference influencers that we have in the area, and specific to this airshow, we wanted someone from Illinois, said John Dickson from NTAG. We looked at some larger high schools that we wanted to pull from.

We talked to different recruiters and our leadership, and we came up with a couple names and Mr. Toberman was one of them. We submitted his name along with his bio and then the Blue Angels decide who will get the KI (key influencer) ride.

Ties to the Air Force

Eckholm, meanwhile, was chosen for his connection to Scott AFB and for his current position.

Eckholm made his debut as a content creator in 2019. He attended the United States Air Force Academy. He spent five years serving as an active-duty Air Force officer.

Eckholm called Wednesdays flight everything I could hope for and the time of my life.

I flew a T-38 trainer jet and thats the only thing close to this, but the (F/A 18) can pull way more Gs and go a lot faster and we were doing the aerobatic stuff, Eckholm said. Ive done a lot of flying on the C-130, C-17 and C-5, but this is a whole other beast.

A shoutout to these guys, the Navy, and the pilots, for the things they do. Its definitely not something you can just walk into. I was fighting the whole time and it feels like a train just hit me.

Eckholm, like Toberman, was happy to get through the flight without throwing up.

Technically Im part of the No-Puke Club, but I call myself the Dry Heaves Club, Eckholm said, laughing. I always knew I would get motion sick, but Im not going to pass up this opportunity.

Blue Angel No. 7 (Zimmerman) is so good at explaining everything. The whole time in the cockpit, he was letting me know what was going to happen next. We made it through all the maneuvers and that was my goal.

Two of Eckholms five years in the Air Force were spent at Scott AFB, where he was part of the 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs.

I was organizing things like this and now Im on the other side, said Eckholm, who left Scott in November of 2020. Ive been out of the Air Force for a few months and doing the video stuff and its great to come back here to Scott and participate in this. Everyone is going to have a great time this weekend and its been an honor.

Telling the story

Eckholms YouTube posts had 19.3 million views in 2022 and he currently has 323,000 subscribers. In addition, he has more than 650,000 fans on his sameckholm TikTok account and has 91,700 followers on his Instagram account.

I like to tell the story of all the airmen and the sailors, and I want to showcase what they are doing, Eckholm said. I want to give people that dirty jobs experience where they can see someone like me, who doesnt have much experience, go through it.

This will be a part of a larger Blue Angels piece Im doing. Ive done a bunch of stuff with the Air Force, but this one was on my list for a while.

For Eckholm, his current position is his dream job.

I wanted to take it full-time, and I felt like I could better serve the military by going after this with all of my passion and energy, Eckholm said. We travel around to different bases and units and showcase their aircraft and their mission and today is the Blue Angels edition.

Eckholm, who lived in the Grove neighborhood in St. Louis while stationed at Scott Air Force Base, is currently in Dallas, where he is from. But thats only for the short term.

Im moving to San Francisco in August, but we travel all over, Eckholm said. Were bouncing around, so it doesnt really matter where I live.

On Saturday, gates for the Airshow at Scott AFB will open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.

For more information on the Airshow, including parking options, visit https://www.scott.af.mil/Airshow/.
EDWARDSVILLE  The kudos keep coming for Edwardsville High School's production of "SpongeBob the Musical"  and might be enough to make even Squidward smile.

Student foley artist Tyler Blair has received a "Wow!" award for his live sound effects and performance in the show, EHS announced this week.

In addition, the EHS Drama Club will receive a surprise Special Recognition award at the St. Louis High School Musical Theater Awards (SLHSMTA) on May 26.

The production already was nominated in nine categories for the St. Louis awards:

Outstanding Musical Level 1

Outstanding Lead Actress: Noelle Sonderegger

Outstanding Supporting Actor: Case Warner

Outstanding Ensemble

Outstanding Costume Design and Execution: Jen Blum-Tatara

Outstanding Direction: Ashley Melton

Outstanding Musical Direction: Emily Ottwein

Outstanding Technical Execution: Jonah Sheckler

The EHS Drama Club presented "SpongeBob the Musical" from March 24-26.

The entire EHS cast will perform a medley song at the Fabulous Fox Theater at the awards ceremony, which begins at 7:30 p.m. May 26. Two EHS students will perform in the opening number, and Sonderegger will be featured in a leads medley performance.



Tickets for the ceremony are $25 and are on sale at Ticket Master or the Fox Theater's Website.

The SLHSMTA program involves a panel of theater professionals evaluating the productions of participating schools. The year-long adjudication process culminates in an awards ceremony modeled on the Tony Awards, according to the SLHSMTA website.

The winners of the Outstanding Actress and Outstanding Actor categories will travel to New York (all expenses paid) to compete in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (Jimmy Awards) program and to participate in a week-long professional development experience.
Editors Note: In recognition of National Historic Preservation Month, local historian Cindy Reinhardt tells the stories behind some of Edwardsvilles historic buildings in a series of eight articles in the month of May. The articles will be published each Tuesday and Thursday this month. For this article, unfortunately the building has been gone many years, but its signature feature, a historic clock, remains on Edwardsvilles Main Street

100 St. Louis St.

The Edwardsville National Bank

Once upon a time, the courthouse on Edwardsvilles Main Street was flanked by two multi-story bank buildings: the five-story Bank of Edwardsville building to the north on Purcell Street and the six-story Edwardsville National Bank to the south at 100 St. Louis St. Both were razed more than 30 years ago, but the clock from the Edwardsville National Bank building remains a landmark on Main Street.

The Edwardsville National Bank (ENB) was founded in 1917 by a whos who of Edwardsville businessmen. Charles Boeschenstein, who had recently sold the Edwardsville Intelligencer to pursue other interests, was president of the new bank. For the first year, the bank occupied rooms in the Yaeger Building on Hillsboro Avenue (where Holiday Cleaners is now located). In July 1918, the bank moved to 156 N. Main St., directly across the street from the courthouse. Many people remember that building as the decades-long home of Schwartz Drug Store. At this new location, ENB added a clock and adopted the advertising slogan, On the Corner at the Clock.

Five years later, in July 1923, the bank moved into a new building just a half block away at the corner of St. Louis and Main streets. It was the tallest building on Main Street, and it was no coincidence that it was six stories instead of five like the competing bank on the opposite corner of the courthouse on Main Street.

That corner was considered one of the best commercial locations in the city. In the 1870s, Athanas Hoffman built a hotel there, the Hoffman House. It was purchased by investors in 1896 who remodeled the building, adding an elaborate turret on the corner, and changed the name to the Leland Hotel.

After the bank purchased the property in 1920, most, but not all, of the hotel was torn down to make room for the new building. The western wing of the hotel on St. Louis Street continued to serve the travelling public. The last of the Leland Hotel building was torn down in 1973, but by then, the hotel had been closed for many years. Only the Leland Barbershop on the ground floor was still open.

After clearing the corner lot, construction of the new bank began in June 1922 and took more than a year to complete. ENB opened at its new location in July 1923, with a new larger building that required a new, bigger clock. The clock was actually four clocks, so it could be viewed from all directions; it was installed in the spring of 1923, a century ago.

The new bank building was a modern marvel, the largest bank building in the county and fireproof throughout. The building included an elevator, still a relatively new feature for Edwardsville buildings of the time, that took visitors to the upper floors of the building where many professional offices were located.

Those tenants included Dr. Eugene Wahl, whose office had the first and only x-ray facility in the area for many years. It is said that when he gave school physicals, he asked the patient if they had taken the stairs or the elevator. If they took the stairs to his fourth-floor office, then they passed.

Esther Funke, one of the countys first female attorneys, had offices in the building, along with a dozen or so of her peers. There were numerous insurance companies with headquarters in the building and many Edwardsville residents still remember visiting Dr. LeRoy Finks dentist office on the sixth floor. In the early days, tenants also included the Chamber of Commerce, the Madison County Farm Bureau and even a beauty shop. The bank, with its opulent offices and teller stations, was on the ground floor.

In August 1929, ENB merged with Citizens State and Trust Bank to become the Edwardsville National Bank and Trust Company. Nearly 60 years later, in 1987, the bank was purchased by Mark Twain Bank, which tore down the stately 70-year-old building to build a large, modern facility. Mark Twain sold to Mercantile and Mercantile to US Bank that is still in Edwardsville today, but not at this location.

When the ENB building was torn down in 1990, the clock was saved. Over the years it was moved several times to different storage locations, no easy feat with an object that weighs nearly a ton. In 1998, through Herculean efforts by the Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission, the clock found a new home at the front of the Main Street parking lot located about half-way between Hillsboro and High Street. Like the St. Louis Street location, this site also had a hotel connection. From 1874-1932, there was a three-story luxury hotel, the St. James Hotel, at this site. The 75-room hotel with its distinctive mansard roof was called the finest in Southern Illinois. One of the features of the hotel was a second-floor walkway to the Tuxhorn Opera House in the building next door (on the south side). The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1932.

A brick tower was designed and built to display the clock, that, although not keeping accurate time in recent years, has now been restored. The west side of the clock tower park was finished off with a historic iron fence built in Highland, Illinois, circa 1870. The fence had once fronted the Madison County Sheriffs Residence and Jail on Main Street.

The new tower included a time capsule with instructions for it to be opened on the 100th anniversary of the clock, which has now arrived. Accordingly, the time capsule will be opened on Saturday, May 13, at noon, and the public is invited to witness the ceremony. The contents should be interesting since, when sealed, many area residents and downtown businessmen were asked to write stories of old Edwardsville to be included in the time capsule.

Sources for this article include materials from the Madison County Archival Library and articles from past issues of the Edwardsville Intelligencer.

If you have questions about this article, please contact Cindy Reinhardt at cindy.reinhardt@madcohistory.org or 618-656-1294.

National Historic Preservation Month:

The Kendall House in Edwardsville

The Thomas Burns House in Edwardsville
GLEN CARBON  Village trustees were asked by a representative of realtors for more time to hammer out details on two ordinance amendments this week, while four other amendments passed with little to no discussion Tuesday.

Ultimately, on the request for more time, they said "no."

The first ordinance amendment at issue pertains to recreational vehicles (RVs) and boats, while the other amendment that prompted more discussion relates to open storage. Both ultimately were approved Tuesday.

Ron Deedrick, a local government affairs director with the Illinois Realtors Association, spoke during the public comment portion of the village board meeting.

"Last fall, I recall the village had discussions on how an RV could be in one's driveway, and at that time, it seemed as if it was discussion in terms of allowing a carve-out, whether that be 48 hours, 72 hours or something of the like," he said. "For instance, we have in-laws in town and they will winterize their RV in the fall and unwinterize it in the spring, so it could be in their driveway for three or four days. The rest of the time, during the summer, it is at a proper facility in town. They've never had any complaints from their neighbors or from building and zoning."

Deedrick said he hopes to see some sort of amendment to the ordinance as the discussion seemed to lean toward more stringent guidelines than what were initially mentioned last year.

The RV and boat amendment says that with the exception of travel trailer parks and commercial establishments engaged in the sale of RVs or boats, they shall be parked to comply with the following regulations:

Not more than one RV or one boat shall be parked on any lot

No RV or boat shall be used as a dwelling

No RV or boat shall be used as an office or for any other commercial purposes

No RV or boat shall be parked in front of the front facade of an existing residence, either in the front yard or driveway, on any lot. RVs or boats may be parked in the side and rear yards

Village Administrator Jamie Bowden said the only change in the RV and boat amendment is to make it for single-family zoning. The other important point is that enforcement on this will not begin until after Sept. 4, which is Labor Day, he said.

After that date, residents will need to make arrangements to find another place to park boats on an approved surface in a side yard.

Complaints vs. proactive crackdown

Bowden also said discretion, not immediate enforcement, will be used regarding RV complaints. Once a complaint is received, a code enforcement or police officer will call the resident with the RV to find out the situation. Bowden said in his own neighborhood there are two or three RVs that appear set up and may be in the neighborhood for a week.

Deedrick asked if 85% of this will be complaint-based or if it will be proactive enforcement. Bowden said the village's newer neighborhoods have covenants which are self-regulating. Bowden said the village is not really out to be punitive but to achieve compliance with village codes.

Village Attorney James Schrempf weighed in.

"Any of these type ordinances  and Mr. Deedrick and I have discussed these kinds of things before in other municipalities  any of these ordinances, the means of enforcement is key," he said. "You've gotta have reasonable people trying to enforce these. He often brings up, 'Well, what if you don't have reasonable people that you do today at some future date?'"

Deedrick implied someone in the future could be a stickler for following zoning rules to the letter. Schrempf said in that case, revisiting the ordinance would be necessary.

Schrempf said in some cases, some residents might try to take advantage of any loopholes present in the ordinance, such as taking the RV for a drive around the block before the time period expires and arguing they now get another set number of hours to park the RV at their home.

"Hopefully, it will be reasonable people dealing with reasonable people," Schrempf said, telling Deedrick that if he learns this amendment is being abused, he should call Mayor Bob Marcus.

Outside storage an issue, too

On the open storage amendment, Deedrick said common sense would dictate that everyone could agree on the portions concerning appliances, building debris, vehicle parts, etc. Other items, such as bicycles, lawn mowers and ladders visible at apartment complexes, for example, particularly on patios or balconies, may fall in a gray area. He said he saw three apartments in a row that had grills in the back.

"The way this ordinance is written, you would have to add on storage facilities as this ordinance would not allow those grills to be visible," Deedrick said.

He requested they table the open storage measure to allow for more time to negotiate with village staff and Schrempf.

Bowden said this is a new ordinance regarding junk storage. Initially proposed to go into effect in all village residential districts, it shall be unlawful to store, maintain or permit appliances, building materials or building debris, vehicle parts, boat parts, scrap metal, machine parts, indoor furniture, bicycles, tools, ladders, lawn mowers, weed eaters, landscaping tools, extension cords, buckets, coolers, spray jugs, dollies, wheelbarrows, paint cans, animal cages or carriers, strollers or car seats, garbage or garbage sacks, trash, or similar items so as to be visible from any adjoining private property or any public property.

All items prohibited must be stored inside a building, garage or shed. When not in use, smokers or grills must be stored either behind the home or in a building, garage or shed. Cut firewood, which should be neatly stacked in lengths, is not to exceed three feet for the personal use of the owner or occupant, and which is stored in a side or rear yard and elevated at least three inches above ground level, shall be permitted.

Rubbish, garbage, trash or other related items placed outside for collection by an authorized waste hauler not more than 24 hours prior to the designated collection date for that property shall be permitted.

"The one thing I do think that makes sense is in an apartment building is when someone has a grill outside," Bowden said. He suggested modifying the measure so that when not in use, grills must be stored behind the home or in a building, garage or shed, before he suggested that the measure get laid over to a future meeting.

Bowden also wanted to move to include bicycles to be held to the same conditions as grills.

Subdivision rules may differ

Trustee Ben Maliszewski said many complainers will call the police to have them enforce subdivision ordinances, where the village lacks responsibility and authority to enforce.

"I think these are good ordinances and provides the village with some help with subdivisions to help the enforcement of sloppy yards," he said.

Maliszewski added he wasn't a fan of laying it over. "The sooner we get this in place, the better off we'll be."

He suggested that it pass as is with the understanding that further tweaks and fine-tuning will be needed later.

Marcus asked what residential districts this applies to and Schrempf responded that all of them are included. Bowden said he wanted to exclude multi-family zoning from this. Trustee Mike Sonderegger agreed.

Trustee Victor Smith asked if the amended measure would be ready by the next meeting. Bowden said yes. Trustee Nekisha Omotola suggested adding scooters to the category with bicycles so it is more encompassing.

First, trustees voted on Trustee Victor Smith's amendment, then they voted on the original motion as amended. Both passed unanimously.

The next village trustee board meeting is set for 7 p.m. May 23 in village hall, 151 N. Main St.
BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. statement encouraging the World Health Organization (WHO) to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer at this year's World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting is misguided and misleading. China once again urges the United States to cease its promotion of issues related to Taiwan using the WHA, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a statement issued by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that advocates for Taiwan's return as an observer at the WHA and its participation throughout the United Nations system.

"China firmly opposes the U.S. statement," Wang said.

There is only one China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Taiwan region's participation in the activities of international organizations, including the WHO, must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle. This is an important principle that was affirmed in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 and the WHA Resolution 25.1, Wang said.

With the DPP authorities refusing to recognize the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle and headstrong on Taiwan independence, the political foundation for cross-Strait consultation has been thrown into jeopardy and the political foundation for the Taiwan region to participate in the WHA no longer exists.

"The U.S. statement is misguided and misleading," the spokesperson said, noting that it intends to connive with "Taiwan independence" forces and support separatist activities.

The Taiwan question is at the heart of China's core interests. It is the most important red line between China and the United States that must not be crossed, Wang said.

"We once again urge the United States to adhere to the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, observe international law and the basic norms governing international relations, act on the U.S. leader's assurances that the country will not support 'Taiwan independence' and will not support 'two Chinas' or 'one China, one Taiwan,' and cease promoting issues related to Taiwan using the WHA," Wang said.

"The one-China principle has the overwhelming support of the international community and represents the global trend. This is not to be denied, nor can it be held back," he noted, adding that any attempt to play the "Taiwan card" or use Taiwan to contain China will be rejected by the international community and will not succeed. 
EDWARDSVILLE  An East St. Louis man was sentenced to 78 years in prison for the June 2021 murder of another man outside a Granite City tire shop.

Fred W. Williams Jr., of East St. Louis, was sentenced Thursday by Circuit Judge Kyle Napp in the shooting death of Delas M. Carter, 30, of Alorton, outside of the tire shop where Carter worked.

Williams was found guilty of first-degree murder and reckless discharge of a firearm in March after a week-long trial.

Were glad that the judge saw this criminal for who he is: a ruthless killer who needs to remain safely behind bars for a long time, Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine said. We hope that this sentence brings some solace and healing to Mr. Carters family members, who have endured so much grief and have exhibited great stoicism throughout the court process.

Carter had stepped outside the tire shop when Williams opened fire on him.

According to evidence presented by Assistant Madison County States Attorneys Luke Yager and Phillip Voss, Williams approached Carter and began firing at close range, striking Carter multiple times. Williams began to run away, but stopped, returned and fired more shots while standing over Carter, who had fallen to the ground.

Carter suffered a total of 10 gunshots.

The shooting was caught on security video but the shooters face was covered.

Williams identity as the shooter was later confirmed through photo and clothing comparisons, extensive cellphone analysis, License Plate Reader data, and a DNA match on clothing found in a getaway car.

A motive for the killing was never revealed.

Haine commended the work of prosecutors Yager and Voss, along with the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, Granite City Police, Illinois State Police and the Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group.

The thorough work of the prosecution team and the investigators on this case painted a very clear picture for the jury and for the sentencing judge, Haine said.

At Williams sentencing hearing Thursday, Yager said the killing was a pure and simple execution.

Napp told Williams the security video showed him coming back to ensure that you got the job done. Napp said the footage was hard to watch, and Ive seen a lot.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Ruth Dea Juwita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 11, 2023

The governments plan to extend PT Freeport Indonesias (PTFI) copper ore export permit sends the wrong signal to the company and is a setback for downstream industry development, says the Indonesian Coal and Mineral Energy Suppliers Association (Aspebindo).

The association has asked the government to be more assertive in implementing regulations to increase the value of natural resources, including enforcing a ban on raw mineral exports.

Aspebindo vice chairman Fathul Nugroho said the extension could lead to a loss of opportunities for Indonesia to obtain greater economic benefits from these minerals, and also reduces incentives to develop downstream industries that are more environmentally friendly and high-value.

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 Ruth Dea Juwita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 11, 2023

Indonesia's aviation market is approaching its pre-pandemic level of activity faster than the international market, according to figures presented by senior vice president of Boeing Company and president of Boeing Global Brendan Nelson.

In Indonesia, we expect to be back at the pre-pandemic level [of 2019] by the first quarter of next year, [which compares with] Q3 [quarter three] next year for the international market, Nelson told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Boeing forecasts a global market value of US$7.2 trillion for new aircraft deliveries as it sees the global fleet increase by 80 percent through 2041 compared to the pre-pandemic level.

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 Philippe Grelard (AFP) Paris, France  Thu, May 11, 2023 09:15 3 d5259e4d93052b0e76bee70b0565758a 2 Entertainment Daft-Punk,music,France,Paris,song,The-Strokes Free

The music of pioneering French electronic duo Daft Punk will resound on Thursday through Paris' Centre Pompidou, as a never-released track is unveiled at the spot where their love affair with the genre began.

Dubbed "Infinity Repeating", the tune was recorded as the robot-helmeted pair were working on their 2013 album "Random Access Memories" but it was left on the cutting room floor in favour of others like global mega-hit "Get Lucky".

Two years after the group broke up for good and ten years after that album's release, fans of their pop, funk and disco-infused sound can head to the central Paris modern art museum to discover the new track.

Entry is free on a first-come first-served basis.

Featuring the voice of The Strokes' Julian Casablancas, the demo and its accompanying video will be played at "ultra-high-fidelity" for 150 people in a gallery space, as well as in a 350-seat cinema auditorium and on a giant screen in the Centre Pompidou atrium.

The Pompidou was the jumping-off point for Daft Punk's leap into electronica, as the teenaged Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo attended a 1992 rave there that opened their eyes to machine music's possibilities.

"The first rave we went to was on the roof" of the Pompidou... "We discovered a different kind of music, as well as an energy, with people dancing to songs they didn't know," Bangalter said in a 2009 podcast.

"We said to ourselves there was something we could do with electronic music".

Their new name was appropriated from a scathing review of their guitar-based band Darlin' in British magazine Melody Maker.

"Infinity Repeating" forms part of 35 minutes of unheard material included on a new release Friday of "Random Access Memories" -- Daft Punk's fourth and final studio album that won five Grammy awards.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (AFP) Cairo, Egypt  Thu, May 11, 2023 18:25 3 96f72165d1db80845b6b1c241c97402b 2 Art & Culture Cleopatra,Africa,Egypt,archeology,black,Netflix,controversy Free

An Egyptian archaeologist on Wednesday released a documentary on the life of Cleopatra, the same day Netflix began streaming a controversial production depicting the ancient queen as black.

For weeks, pundits and officials in Egypt have reacted angrily to streaming platform Netflix's decision to cast British actress Adele James in the lead role of its production "Queen Cleopatra" -- insisting the ruler had lighter skin.

Archaeologist Zahi Hawass's 90-minute documentary "Cleopatra", released on director Curtis Ryan Woodside's YouTube channel, describes itself as telling the "true" story of the Ptolemaic dynasty's last ruler.

"Was Cleopatra black? First of all, I have nothing against black people at all, but I am stating the facts -- look at the Macedonian queens, none of them were black", Hawass, a former antiquities minister, says in the documentary.

In April, Egypt's antiquities ministry weighed in on the debate, insisting the historical Cleopatra had "white skin and Hellenistic characteristics".

Netflix promoted its documentary-drama "Queen Cleopatra", produced by Jada Pinkett Smith, as featuring "reenactments and expert interviews".

Cleopatra was the last sovereign of the Ptolemaic dynasty, which was of Greek origin and ruled Egypt between 332 and 30 BC.

While legend holds the queen, born around 69 BC, was a great beauty, her appearance and the colour of her skin are largely open to interpretation.

Following the release of a trailer for the Netflix production, an online petition accusing the streaming service of rewriting history had garnered more than 40,000 signatures by late April.

In a country where some were already calling for Netflix to be banned for content deemed offensive to Egypt or "its family values", legislator Saboura al-Sayyed last month repeated her call for parliament to block the platform.

Commentators in Egypt often decry campaigns among mostly African-American groups claiming the black origins of pharaonic civilisation.

In 2009, a BBC documentary claimed that Cleopatra had African blood, an assertion that passed without incident.

Topics : Cleopatra Africa Egypt archeology black Netflix controversy
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang  Thu, May 11, 2023 17:50 3 d5259e4d93052b0e76bee70b05660600 1 Archipelago Central-Java,Central-Java-Police,murder,mutilation Free

The Central Java Police have arrested Muhammad Husen, 26, an employee at a water refill depot, on suspicions of murdering and mutilating his employer in Semarang.

Semarang Police chief Sr. Comr. Irwan Anwar said Husen was arrested in his suspect hometown of Banjarnegara, around 160 kilometers from Semarang.

We have named him as the main suspect in a case of premeditated murder, Irwan told a press conference on Wednesday.

The Criminal Code stipulates a maximum penalty of 20 years in jail for premeditated murder.

Husen, who had been working at the depot for only a month, said he was often the target of physical and verbal abuse from his employer Irwan Hutagalung, 53.

For example, he would hit me if I delivered the wrong number of gallon-sized water bottles, Husen told reporters at the press conference.

According to Husens own account, he planned Irwans murder on May 1 and then carried out his plan on May 4, when he used a crowbar to hit Irwan on the head while his employer was asleep at the depot. The next morning, he dismembered the victims body and placed the remains in a ditch near the depot, covering them with cement.

He then stole Rp 7 million and Irwans motorcycle from the depot and fled to Banjarnegara.

The murder came to light three days later, when another depot worker followed a foul odor to the ditch and found Irwans remains. (dre/gev)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Nina A. Loasana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 11, 2023

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Press Council have warned about the damage a recently settled lawsuit against Jakarta-based television station KompasTV could inflict on Indonesia's already declining press freedom.

KompasTV was sued for Rp 1.3 billion over its coverage of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), a joint venture between Indonesian and Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) responsible for constructing the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway.

KompasTV editor in chief Rosiana Silalahi said the lawsuit had been filed by a content creator who was partnered with PT KCIC.

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 Yerica Lai (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 11, 2023

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is set to engage in dynamic talks with current partners and prospective allies on a running mate for Ganjar Pranowo amid speculations it was looking to replicate the winning strategy in 2019 by pairing its presidential nominee with a senior figure from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

While Ganjar looks set to run in the upcoming race on a religious-nationalist platform that the countrys largest nationalist party appeared to construct via electoral partnership with the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), a big question remains about who will be his running mate.

PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said this week talks about who would fill the vice-presidential slot would be dynamic as the party would look for a figure who could complement and help the Central Java Governor win the 2024 presidential race.

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
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) meets with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Berlin, Germany, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei)

BERLIN, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Strengthening dialogue and cooperation between China and Germany will help inject more stability, certainty and positive energy into the world, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said here on Wednesday.

Qin made the remarks during his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, noting that the main purpose of his visit to Germany is to prepare for the seventh round of inter-governmental consultation between the two countries.

Scholz asked Qin to convey his sincere greetings to Chinese leaders. He said that he is very much looking forward to the consultation.

As the host country, Germany is making active preparations for the important consultation and is willing to work together with China to ensure positive results, said Scholz.

In the context of world multi-polarization, the equality of all parties should be upheld to jointly safeguard world peace, he said, noting that Germany attaches importance to China's role and influence, and is willing to strengthen communication with China on major issues such as the Ukraine crisis.

Qin conveyed cordial greetings from Chinese leaders to Scholz, noting that there is something in common between Chinese President Xi Jinping's strategic judgment of "the world undergoing profound changes unseen in a century" and Chancellor Scholz's "Zeitenwende" ("historic turning point").

Facing a world full of turmoil, the international community should strengthen cooperation and join hands to tackle challenges, he said.

Strengthening dialogue and cooperation between China and Germany -- both with important influence and as all-round strategic partners -- will help inject more stability, certainty and positive energy into the world, Qin said.

China looks forward to cooperating with Germany to achieve substantial results in the consultation, he added.

On the Ukraine issue, Qin said that China's position is to facilitate talks for peace. The conflict should be ended as quickly as possible, for any delay would only bring more misery. A political solution should be achieved through dialogue, and ways be found for the long-term peace and stability in Europe.

During his visit to Germany, Qin also met with Jens Ploetner, foreign and security policy advisor in the Federal Chancellery, and held talks with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. 
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Fikri Harish (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 11, 2023

With four days left until registration closes on Sunday, political parties are now scrambling to hand in their list of candidates vying for House of Representatives seats to the General Elections Commission (KPU). The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) led the charge on Thursday, with the fellow pro-government NasDem Party following suit immediately.

The opposition Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) was the first to register its candidates on Monday, while Hanura Party, which contested the 2019 legislative elections but failed to send its representatives to the House, completed its registration on Wednesday.

PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said in addition to the partys central board, PDI-P regional chapters would also simultaneously be registering their candidates for the provincial, regency or municipal legislative councils (DPRD) with the corresponding local KPU office next Monday.

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
Rising public concern over gang-rape cases that have come to light recently has led to a call from mental health experts for an emphasis on character building from early childhood to prevent deviant behavior in later life.

"Although peer pressure is common among children, what happened was [caused by] conduct disorders. Such acts could lead to psychopathic behavior in the future," child and adolescent psychiatrist Suzy Yusna Dewi told thejakartapost.com. The doctor was speaking about the case in Bengkulu where 14 adolescents raped and killed a teenage girl.

Gang rape and murder cases across the nation catapulted into the media spotlight following the death of a 14-year old schoolgirl named Yuyun. Her tragic story has captured the world's attention and brought the battle against sexual violence to the forefront of Indonesias public sphere.

With several more cases revealed afterward, sexual violence, and specifically gang rape and murder involving children as both victims and perpetrators, has given rise to questions about children's upbringing.

Suzy said that from a very young age children must be instilled with self-confidence and taught how to control their emotions, both of which are equally important as stepping stones to developing mature problem-solving skills in life. This is important for childrens ability to differentiate between right and wrong despite peer pressure, she added.

Referring to the case of the 14 young men who consecutively took turns in raping the teenage girl until she died, Suzy said group dynamics had played an important part.

In such cases, the perpetrators took on two roles, namely the provocateur and the follower, said Suzy.

In these cases, there is always a lead figure who is feared and followed by the rest of the group, she added.

In this case, Suzy continued, the followers lacked problem-solving skills, were impulsive and did not have the capacity to think about the consequences of their actions.

This psychological condition contributes to lack of individual regret, or even a lack of understanding that their acts were wrong, she added.

The psychiatrist went on to say that from early childhood, kids need to learn to see the chain reaction of their actions from beginning to end and understand the positive and negative consequences of their choices.

Further, Suzy expressed disagreement about the imprisonment of the convicted rapists, saying that jail would only exacerbate criminal tendencies. She said the prison environment would make the convicts more vulnerable to acts of sexual violence from fellow inmates.

"It would be better for them to enter rehab, and to be assessed and evaluated as part of their treatment," Suzy said.

Clinical and forensic psychologist Kasandra Putranto also expressed the necessity for research into the psychological profiles of the 14 men, seven of whom are underage, to find out the group dynamics.

"What we are doing now is merely assuming. We need to look at the cause to see how their mentality was shaped in such a way that teenage boys, who at their age should be sweet children focusing on study, prayer, meeting friends, were capable of such brutal acts," Kasandra said.

Referring to an example of a case where two children of a similar age displayed opposite behavior - in that they successfully foiled a rape and stood up to perpetrators in defense of the victim - Kasandra said there needed to be further research into the psychodynamics of an individual that could lead to such contrasting behaviors.

She emphasized the importance of comprehensive action to address the causes of sexual assault, including mental education within the family regarding influencing behavior, as well as overcoming cultural practices that had a negative impact.

According to Kasandra, parents especially play a major role developing the character of a child.

"Talk about values to the children to teach them to respect themselves and others. Every mother should teach their son to respect women - to respect their mom and therefore have respect for other women," she said.

Further, Kasandra also called for sex education to be accompanied by moral education.

Children need to have a healthy understanding of sex, she continued, adding that they need to be taught that such intimacy should be valued within a marriage bond.

"Cultural practices such as haphazardly 'marrying kids off' (kawinkan saja), which is still common in underprivileged areas, doesn't actually put a stop to reckless sexual urges," Kasandra said.

Standard community practices also need to be positive to contribute to positive character building, she added. (dan)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 11, 2023

For the third time, Indonesia was named the official country partner of Hannover Messe, which was held in Hannover, Germany, on April 17-21. During the annual trade fair, Indonesia succeeded in attracting investment and registering transactions totaling Rp 37 trillion (US$2.5 billion), with a potential of between 50,000 and 80,000 jobs.

At least 30 collaboration agreements involving mostly businesses and investments were inked during Hannover Messe 2023 (HM23). In accepting the official partner status, however, Indonesia did not only pursue "on the spot" deals, but also the event's global reputation. As such Indonesia must go further and recognize its readiness to embrace various technological investments and join the global value chain (GVC).

Since 1947, the Hannover Fairground in Germany has hosted the world's largest technology show. Disruptive technologies have their origins in the largest city in Lower Saxony.

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 Igor Driesmans, Vincent Piket and Marina Berg Jakarta  Fri, May 12, 2023 02:02 2 d5259e4d93052b0e76bee70b05661795 2 Academia ASEAN,summit,EU,Indo-Pacific,meeting,cooperation,stability Free

Yesterday, the ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo came to a close. In the beautiful scenery at the western end of the island of Flores, ASEAN leaders debated for two days the main challenges the region faces.

The summit was a good reminder of ASEANs ability to come together and craft common regional policies that are noted well outside Southeast Asia. ASEAN is not only the geographic heart of the Indo-Pacific but also the centre of an Indo-Pacific institutional architecture that contributes to the stability and prosperity of the entire continent and beyond.

Tomorrow, another important event will draw attention: The second EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum. In Swedens capital Stockholm, foreign ministers from some 50 Indo-Pacific and EU countries will discuss one year after the first successful Forum in Paris ways to enhance partnerships and cooperation, promote peace, stability and shared prosperity between the EU and the Indo-Pacific.

Stockholm may be geographically distant from Labuan Bajo, yet Europes ties with the Indo-Pacific are strong and longstanding.

The Indo-Pacific is the second largest destination of EU exports and home to four out of 10 of the EUs largest trading partners. The EU also has a major stake in the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific and in the respect for a rules-based international order. Unsurprisingly, our partnership with ASEAN will be prominent at the Stockholm Indo-Pacific Forum, building on the strong momentum in the EU-ASEAN strategic partnership.

Last December, leaders from both sides met in Brussels for a historic Summit, taking the relationship between the two most successful regional organisations worldwide to new levels. The EU committed to invest 10 billion euro (US$10.90 billion) in sustainable infrastructure in Southeast Asia under the EUs Global Gateway. The two sides signed the EU-ASEAN Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement, a treaty that will lead to more flight options and to more competitive prices, opening new routes and increasing connectivity.

A new Green Team Europe Initiative supports the green transition and climate change mitigation and adaptation in ASEAN, while the Sustainable Connectivity Team Europe Initiative will strengthen economic, transport, energy, digital, and most importantly people-to-people links.

The EU and ASEAN not only share strong bilateral ties but also have a similar outlook on the Indo-Pacific: an inclusive, transparent, rules-based, and open region where countries engage on the basis of international law and protection of fundamental freedoms. ASEANs Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and the EUs Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific have very similar priorities, such as how to ensure high quality sustainable connectivity, ensure maritime security, as well as advance collaboration on research, innovation and digitalization.

Indonesia has long been the main driver of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. This year, as the ASEAN chair, Indonesia has set out to deepen Indo-Pacific engagement and will organize the flagship event of the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Infrastructure Forum in early September.

In this light, the Stockholm Forum provides a major opportunity to partner and make the difference in promoting green growth, sustainable connectivity, free and fair trade and much more.

Todays world is marked by geopolitical tension and systematic attacks on the rules-based international order. In this volatile era, the EU and ASEAN will continue to be anchors for stability, multilateralism and a cooperative international order.

We look forward to welcoming all in Stockholm.

***

Igor Driesmans is the EU ambassador to ASEAN. Vincent Piket is the EU ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam. Marina Berg is the Swedish ambassador Indonesia, Timor-Leste and ASEAN.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Sajjad Tarakzai (The Jakarta Post) Agence France-Presse/Islamabad  Thu, May 11 2023

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan appeared in court Wednesday on graft charges as violent nationwide protests over his arrest erupted for a second day.

Lawyers for Khan said the National Accountability Bureau, the anti-graft body which ordered Khan's arrest, had asked the judge to remand him in custody for at least 10 days.

Khan was arrested during a routine hearing in the capital Islamabad on Tuesday and whisked away to an unknown location overnight before appearing behind closed doors in a specially convened court at police headquarters.

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 Hugo Vojetta and Andi Raihanah Ashar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 11 2023

The publication of the Australian Defense Strategic Review (DSR) on April 24 has led to little to no comments from Southeast Asian countries. In the DSR, Canberra detailed its strategic ambitions for the years to come, after assessing if the country has the necessary defence capability, posture and preparedness to best defend Australia and its interests.

Interestingly, the publication of the DSR came a few weeks after the AUKUS military alliance, composed of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, announced on March 13 its four-step plan which is aiming to promote security and a free and open Indo-Pacific region by enhancing the alliance capacities and minimizing fragmentation effects in the region.

The first phase of the plan will consist of increased submarine port visits and joint training between the US Navy and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The second step will rely on the rotational deployment of the US Navy and the UKs Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) to Australia, to accelerate personnel training and establish the bases of a sovereign SSN capability. The next phase involves the proposed sale of three US-made Virginia-class SSNs. Finally, in the late 2030s and early 2040s, brand new SSN-AUKUS will be delivered to the Royal Navy and RAN.

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 Thanaporn Promyamyai and Damon Wake (The Jakarta Post) Agence France-Presse/Bangkok  Thu, May 11 2023

Thailand votes on Sunday in an election expected to deliver a rejection of former coup leader Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, with the opposition led by exiled billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra's daughter tipped to win the most seats.

Polls suggest voters will hand in a damning verdict on nearly a decade of military-backed rule that has brought economic stagnation and what rights groups say is a worrying crackdown on basic freedoms.

The election is the first since youth-led pro-democracy protests upended the kingdom's politics nearly three years ago with unprecedented calls for reforms to the powers of ultrawealthy King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

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 Agencies Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara  Thu, May 11, 2023

ASEAN will not give up trying to end violence in fellow member Myanmar even though the ruling military there has made no progress on a peace plan it agreed with the bloc two years ago, Indonesia said on Thursday.

Frustration has mounted among some members of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations with Myanmar and how to handle its bloody political turmoil that has raised questions about the group's effectiveness and unity.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was forthright in his criticism, telling an ASEAN summit in Labuan Bajo that Myanmar's generals had made no progress on a five-point ASEAN peace plan.

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 Reuters Washington, United States  Thu, May 11, 2023

US President Joe Biden will sign defence and surveillance agreements with Papua New Guinea, the island nation's foreign minister said, on a visit that renews the strategic importance of the nation where Biden's uncle died in World War Two.

PNG, the South Pacific's most populous nation, will also see a doubling of US development assistance to $32 million, including $25 million to tackle its security priority of climate change, State Department documents submitted to the US Congress show.

Washington is seeking to deter Pacific island nations, which span 40 million kilometres of ocean, from security ties with China, a rising concern amid tensions over Taiwan.

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 Agencies Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara  Thu, May 11, 2023

No significant progress has been made on the implementation of a peace plan that Myanmar's junta agreed to with ASEAN two years ago, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Thursday.

He was speaking at a regional summit of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which he is the chair.

Escalating violence in junta-ruled Myanmar has dominated the three-day meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara.

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
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China will make comprehensive efforts to ensure services for the upcoming China-Central & Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Expo and promote the high-quality development of economic ties between China and the CEECs, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The third China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair will be held in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, from May 16 to 20, spokesperson Shu Jueting said at a press conference.

The ministry has planned a series of economic and trade activities, including a purchasing fair for products from the CEECs, to help the expo achieve pragmatic results, Shu said.

The ministry has also been coordinating with local authorities concerning reception, transportation, security and COVID-19 prevention work details, as well as the protection of intellectual property rights, the spokesperson said.

This year's China-CEEC Expo has an exhibition area of 11,000 square meters and has attracted more than 380 CEEC exhibitors, Shu said, adding that over 2,000 buyers have registered for the expo, with the number of participants expected to exceed 100,000. 
SAF-Holland SE (OTCMKTS:SFHLF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 700 shares, a decrease of 58.8% from the April 15th total of 1,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently  days.

SAF-Holland Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS SFHLF remained flat at C$10.50 during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is C$10.50 and its 200 day moving average price is C$9.92. SAF-Holland has a twelve month low of C$6.28 and a twelve month high of C$10.86.

Get SAF-Holland alerts:

SAF-Holland Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Featured Articles

SAF-HOLLAND SE engages in the manufacture and supply of systems and components for commercial, public, and recreational vehicles. It operates through the following segments: EMEA, Americas, and APAC/China. The EMEA segment includes manufacture and sale of axles and suspension systems for trailers and semi-trailers as well as fifth wheels for heavy trucks.

Receive News & Ratings for SAF-Holland Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SAF-Holland and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Sampo Oyj (OTCMKTS:SAXPY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 6,000 shares, a drop of 59.7% from the April 15th total of 14,900 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 50,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.1 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, HSBC upgraded shares of Sampo Oyj from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, February 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $47.50.

Get Sampo Oyj alerts:

Sampo Oyj Stock Up 2.4 %

Shares of SAXPY stock traded up $0.59 on Wednesday, hitting $25.30. The stock had a trading volume of 24,182 shares, compared to its average volume of 29,160. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $23.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $24.67. The company has a market cap of $26.13 billion, a PE ratio of 17.28 and a beta of 0.90. Sampo Oyj has a one year low of $19.82 and a one year high of $26.75.

About Sampo Oyj

Sampo Oyj ( OTCMKTS:SAXPY Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 10th. The financial services provider reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.29 by ($0.05). Research analysts anticipate that Sampo Oyj will post 1.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

(Get Rating)

Sampo Oyj engages in the administration of insurance subsidiaries and management of investment portfolio. It operates through the following segments: Property and Casualty Insurance, Life Insurance and Holding Business. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Sampo Oyj Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sampo Oyj and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM  Get Rating) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, May 10th, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be given a dividend of 3.2237 per share by the basic materials company on Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $12.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 18.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. This is a boost from Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chiles previous quarterly dividend of $1.20.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile has a dividend payout ratio of 116.7% meaning the company cannot currently cover its dividend with earnings alone and is relying on its balance sheet to cover its dividend payments. Equities analysts expect Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile to earn $10.69 per share next year, which means the company may not be able to cover its $11.90 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 111.3%.

Get Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile alerts:

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of NYSE:SQM traded up $0.91 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $71.34. The company had a trading volume of 1,837,485 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,919,703. The company has a current ratio of 2.29, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile has a 12 month low of $60.21 and a 12 month high of $115.76. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $76.19 and a 200 day simple moving average of $85.84. The stock has a market cap of $20.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.15, a PEG ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.95.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile ( NYSE:SQM Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The basic materials company reported $4.03 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.80 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $3.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.17 billion. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile had a return on equity of 95.37% and a net margin of 36.47%. On average, analysts predict that Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile will post 12.53 EPS for the current year.

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SQM. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile in the first quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Money Concepts Capital Corp acquired a new position in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile during the 4th quarter worth approximately $52,000. Harbour Investments Inc. raised its stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 312.2% in the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 911 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 690 shares during the period. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 14.1% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,930 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $154,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares during the last quarter. 18.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on SQM. StockNews.com cut shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Bank of America raised shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $90.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Scotiabank downgraded Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from a sector outperform rating to a sector perform rating and dropped their price target for the company from $113.00 to $86.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from $134.00 to $97.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $95.86.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA engages in the production and distribution of fertilizers, potassium nitrate, iodine, and lithium chemicals. It operates through the following segments: Specialty Plant Nutrients, Iodine and Derivatives, Lithium and Derivatives, Industrial Chemicals, Potassium, and Other Products and Services.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Special Opportunities Fund, Inc. (NYSE:SPE  Get Rating) was the target of a large drop in short interest in April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 3,100 shares, a drop of 59.2% from the April 15th total of 7,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 29,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Special Opportunities Fund news, Chairman Phillip Goldstein acquired 2,400 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $10.85 per share, for a total transaction of $26,040.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 26,459 shares in the company, valued at $287,080.15. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 22.38% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Get Special Opportunities Fund alerts:

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Special Opportunities Fund

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Special Opportunities Fund during the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,000. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new position in Special Opportunities Fund during the 1st quarter worth $125,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new position in Special Opportunities Fund during the 2nd quarter worth $145,000. Bank of Montreal Can bought a new position in Special Opportunities Fund during the 1st quarter worth $202,000. Finally, Susquehanna International Group LLP bought a new position in Special Opportunities Fund during the 4th quarter worth $157,000. Institutional investors own 34.49% of the companys stock.

Special Opportunities Fund Trading Down 0.2 %

Special Opportunities Fund Announces Dividend

SPE stock traded down $0.02 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $10.86. 7,355 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 31,301. Special Opportunities Fund has a 52 week low of $10.37 and a 52 week high of $13.89. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $10.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.46.

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 19th were given a dividend of $0.0867 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 18th. This represents a yield of 9.36%.

About Special Opportunities Fund

(Get Rating)

Special Opportunities Fund, Inc is a close-ended balanced fund of funds launched and managed by Bulldog Investors, LLC. It invests in close-ended funds investing in public equity and fixed income markets. The fund employs a combination of value, opportunistic and special situations strategies to make its investments.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Special Opportunities Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Special Opportunities Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Heartland Bank & Trust Co bought a new position in Snap-on Incorporated (NYSE:SNA  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 2,049 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $468,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in SNA. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Snap-on by 7,194.3% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 241,149 shares of the companys stock worth $49,551,000 after buying an additional 237,843 shares during the period. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Snap-on in the third quarter valued at $20,356,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Snap-on by 1.4% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,564,799 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,321,822,000 after acquiring an additional 92,450 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in Snap-on by 145.7% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 119,900 shares of the companys stock valued at $24,637,000 after acquiring an additional 71,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Snap-on by 6.7% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,006,724 shares of the companys stock valued at $206,862,000 after acquiring an additional 62,813 shares in the last quarter. 85.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Snap-on alerts:

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Richard Thomas Miller sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.05, for a total value of $78,915.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,042 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $537,148.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, VP Richard Thomas Miller sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.05, for a total value of $78,915.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,042 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $537,148.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director William Dudley Lehman sold 363 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.24, for a total value of $90,111.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 10,980 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,725,675.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 57,247 shares of company stock valued at $14,284,826. 4.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Snap-on Stock Down 0.3 %

Snap-on stock traded down $0.80 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $255.99. The stock had a trading volume of 52,865 shares, compared to its average volume of 304,349. The company has a market capitalization of $13.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.73, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $245.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $240.46. Snap-on Incorporated has a one year low of $190.08 and a one year high of $265.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 3.48 and a quick ratio of 2.43.

Snap-on (NYSE:SNA  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $4.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.14 by $0.46. Snap-on had a return on equity of 21.17% and a net margin of 20.60%. The business had revenue of $1.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.00 EPS. Snap-ons revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Snap-on Incorporated will post 17.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Snap-on Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 19th will be given a dividend of $1.62 per share. This represents a $6.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 18th. Snap-ons payout ratio is currently 37.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SNA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Roth Capital reiterated a neutral rating on shares of Snap-on in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Longbow Research upgraded shares of Snap-on from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Barrington Research reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $280.00 price target on shares of Snap-on in a report on Monday, April 17th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of Snap-on from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Snap-on from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $254.33.

Snap-on Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Snap-On, Inc engages in the manufacture and marketing of tools, equipment, diagnostics, repair information, and systems solutions for professional users performing critical tasks. Its products and services include hand and power tools, tool storage, diagnostics software, handheld and PC-based diagnostic products, information and management systems, shop equipment and other solutions for vehicle dealerships and repair centers, as well as for customers in industries such as aviation and aerospace, agriculture, construction, government and military, mining, natural resources, power generation, and technical education.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Snap-on Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Snap-on and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Financial & Tax Architects LLC bought a new stake in iShares MSCI Thailand ETF (NYSEARCA:THD  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 4,806 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $387,000. Financial & Tax Architects LLC owned about 0.11% of iShares MSCI Thailand ETF as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in THD. Jane Street Group LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Thailand ETF by 49.6% in the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 256,373 shares of the companys stock valued at $16,662,000 after buying an additional 84,956 shares in the last quarter. Millburn Ridgefield Corp increased its stake in iShares MSCI Thailand ETF by 18.6% during the third quarter. Millburn Ridgefield Corp now owns 96,529 shares of the companys stock worth $6,273,000 after purchasing an additional 15,132 shares during the period. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in iShares MSCI Thailand ETF by 18.6% during the third quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 96,513 shares of the companys stock worth $6,272,000 after purchasing an additional 15,129 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. grew its stake in iShares MSCI Thailand ETF by 556.1% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 75,500 shares of the companys stock worth $5,677,000 after purchasing an additional 63,992 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in iShares MSCI Thailand ETF by 2,396.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 55,553 shares of the companys stock worth $4,332,000 after purchasing an additional 53,328 shares in the last quarter.

Get iShares MSCI Thailand ETF alerts:

iShares MSCI Thailand ETF Trading Down 1.6 %

THD traded down $1.20 on Thursday, hitting $72.65. 16,335 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 102,502. iShares MSCI Thailand ETF has a twelve month low of $62.20 and a twelve month high of $80.79. The company has a market cap of $345.09 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.85 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $71.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $73.36.

About iShares MSCI Thailand ETF

The iShares MSCI Thailand ETF (THD) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI Thailand IMI 25-50 index, a market-cap-weighted index of the Thai equity market. THD was launched on Mar 26, 2008 and is managed by BlackRock.

Read More

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding THD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Thailand ETF (NYSEARCA:THD  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Thailand ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Thailand ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Almanack Investment Partners LLC. bought a new position in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 2,838 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $257,000.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Novartis by 193.0% in the 4th quarter. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 293 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the period. Financial Management Professionals Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Novartis by 2,018.8% during the 4th quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 339 shares of the companys stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 323 shares during the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its stake in shares of Novartis by 42.7% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 441 shares of the companys stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Front Row Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Novartis by 38.3% during the 3rd quarter. Front Row Advisors LLC now owns 498 shares of the companys stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. 8.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Novartis alerts:

Novartis Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NVS stock opened at $103.63 on Thursday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $93.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $89.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $219.65 billion, a PE ratio of 31.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.54. Novartis AG has a fifty-two week low of $74.09 and a fifty-two week high of $105.56.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Novartis ( NYSE:NVS Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $12.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.60 billion. Novartis had a return on equity of 23.29% and a net margin of 13.78%. The companys revenue was up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.46 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Novartis AG will post 6.66 earnings per share for the current year.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup cut Novartis from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. StockNews.com started coverage on Novartis in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. BTIG Research upped their target price on Novartis from $75.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Novartis from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $82.25.

About Novartis

(Get Rating)

Novartis AG is a holding company, which engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Innovative Medicines, Sandoz, and Corporate. The Innovative Medicines segment researches, develops, manufactures, distributes and sells patented pharmaceuticals, and is composed of two business units: Novartis Oncology and Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Featured Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Novartis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novartis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
COLOMBO, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed relevant officials to amend the existing laws related to lands to suit the current development needs, the president's media division said in a press release on Thursday.

The president also asked to appoint a committee to speed up the work, according to the press release.

Wickremesinghe issued these instructions during a discussion held on Wednesday on amending the provisions of the ordinances of land management institutions and introducing new regulations.

Pointing out that the land policies brought during the colonial period are still being implemented in the country, the president said that the ordinances brought at different times related to land use are not in line with the development needs of the time.

Wickremesinghe informed the officers to take steps to redistribute among the public the lands acquired for government purposes but not yet utilized, and in the future to acquire lands for government purposes by paying the market value of the respective lands.

It was also discussed at length about the preparation of a new national land policy by removing the existing obstacles in providing land for development activities. 
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE:CM  Get Rating) (NYSE:CM) has been assigned a consensus rating of Hold from the fourteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$66.91.

CM has been the topic of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$70.00 to C$69.00 in a research note on Monday, February 27th. CSFB increased their price objective on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$64.00 to C$65.00 in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$66.00 to C$66.50 in a report on Monday, February 27th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$65.00 to C$66.00 in a report on Monday, February 27th. Finally, National Bankshares upped their price objective on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$62.00 to C$64.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 28th.

Get Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce alerts:

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Victor George Dodig bought 51,590 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$58.08 per share, for a total transaction of C$2,996,347.20. Company insiders own 0.06% of the companys stock.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Stock Performance

Shares of CM stock opened at C$55.64 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of C$50.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 27.22 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a 50 day moving average price of C$57.42 and a 200 day moving average price of C$59.07. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has a fifty-two week low of C$53.58 and a fifty-two week high of C$71.10.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE:CM  Get Rating) (NYSE:CM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 24th. The company reported C$1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$1.66 by C$0.28. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had a net margin of 22.77% and a return on equity of 9.89%. The business had revenue of C$5.93 billion during the quarter. On average, research analysts forecast that Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will post 6.7389706 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 28th were issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 27th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.11%. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerces dividend payout ratio is 67.19%.

About Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

(Get Rating)

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Avantor, Inc. (NYSE:AVTR  Get Rating) has been given an average rating of Moderate Buy by the eighteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $28.75.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on AVTR. Raymond James upped their price target on Avantor from $26.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Avantor from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. 888 reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Avantor in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Barclays cut their target price on Avantor from $25.00 to $22.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on Avantor from $30.00 to $27.00 in a research report on Sunday, April 30th.

Get Avantor alerts:

Insider Transactions at Avantor

In other news, EVP Christophe Couturier sold 1,498 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.18, for a total transaction of $31,727.64. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 98,650 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,089,407. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Gerard Brophy sold 3,914 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 3rd. The shares were 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Christophe Couturier sold 1,498 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.18, for a total transaction of $31,727.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 98,650 shares in the company, valued at $2,089,407. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 8,490 shares of company stock valued at $204,188 in the last ninety days. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Avantor Stock Up 1.0 %

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Avantor by 24.1% in the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 83,676 shares of the companys stock worth $1,769,000 after purchasing an additional 16,263 shares in the last quarter. Condor Capital Management lifted its stake in Avantor by 108.8% in the 1st quarter. Condor Capital Management now owns 80,827 shares of the companys stock worth $1,709,000 after purchasing an additional 42,126 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Securities LLC lifted its stake in Avantor by 27.3% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Securities LLC now owns 62,040 shares of the companys stock worth $1,312,000 after purchasing an additional 13,300 shares in the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG lifted its stake in Avantor by 6.2% in the 1st quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG now owns 555,625 shares of the companys stock worth $11,746,000 after purchasing an additional 32,450 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in Avantor in the 1st quarter worth approximately $330,000. 88.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Avantor stock opened at $20.58 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $21.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $21.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The firm has a market cap of $13.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.37 and a beta of 1.33. Avantor has a twelve month low of $17.91 and a twelve month high of $33.48.

Avantor (NYSE:AVTR  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 28th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.78 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.77 billion. Avantor had a return on equity of 18.81% and a net margin of 8.41%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.38 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Avantor will post 1.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Avantor

(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.

Featured Articles

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.
Bank of Ireland Group plc (OTCMKTS:BKRIY  Get Rating)s share price traded up 2.3% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $10.69 and last traded at $10.47. 13,177 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 28% from the average session volume of 18,282 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.23.

Bank of Ireland Group Stock Down 6.1 %

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $10.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.60.

Bank of Ireland Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Bank of Ireland Group Plc is a holding company, which engages in financial and banking solutions. It operates through the following business segments: Retail Ireland, Wealth and Insurance, Retail UK, Corporate and Markets, and Group Centre. The Retail Ireland segment offers financial products and services including current accounts, savings, mortgages, credit cards, motor finance and loans to personal and business banking customers, and is managed through a number of business units, namely distribution channels, customer segments and propositions, products, and business banking.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Ireland Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Ireland Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Basilea Pharmaceutica AG (OTCMKTS:BPMUF  Get Rating)s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $52.00 and last traded at $52.00, with a volume of 0 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $52.00.

Basilea Pharmaceutica Price Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average of $52.00 and a 200-day moving average of $50.79.

Basilea Pharmaceutica Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Basilea Pharmaceutica AG engages in the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Its products include Cresemba, Zevtera, Derazantinib, BAL101553, and BAL3833. The company was founded on October 17, 2000 and is headquartered in Allschwil, Switzerland.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Basilea Pharmaceutica Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Basilea Pharmaceutica and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Big Yellow Group Plc (LON:BYG  Get Rating)s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 1,177.65 ($14.86) and traded as high as GBX 1,235 ($15.58). Big Yellow Group shares last traded at GBX 1,218 ($15.37), with a volume of 346,752 shares traded.

Big Yellow Group Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.04, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.29. The firm has a 50-day moving average of GBX 1,182.43 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 1,178.60. The stock has a market cap of 2.16 billion, a PE ratio of 478.37, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.59.

About Big Yellow Group

(Get Rating)

Big Yellow is the UK's brand leader in self storage. Big Yellow now operates from a platform of 103 stores, including 25 stores branded as Armadillo Self Storage, in which the Group has a 20% interest. We own a further 11 Big Yellow self storage development sites, of which eight have planning consent.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Big Yellow Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Big Yellow Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StockNews.com upgraded shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras (NYSE:EBR  Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Monday.

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras Trading Up 3.9 %

NYSE:EBR opened at $7.24 on Monday. Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras has a 1-year low of $5.67 and a 1-year high of $10.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $6.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $7.53.

Get Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A. - Eletrobras alerts:

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 1st were given a dividend of $0.0443 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 5th. This represents a yield of 0.7%. Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobrass payout ratio is presently 5.80%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras Company Profile

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in EBR. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. raised its stake in shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras by 49.0% in the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 4,898 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 1,611 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras by 462.9% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,764 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 4,740 shares in the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras during the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $79,000. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras during the 1st quarter worth approximately $84,000. 2.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

(Get Rating)

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA engages in the production and dissemination of electricity. It operates through the Generation and Transmission segments. The Generation segment refers to the electric power generation including hydroelectric, thermal, and nuclear power plants. The Transmission segment focuses on the transmission of electric power in Brazil.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A. - Eletrobras Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A. - Eletrobras and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR  Get Rating)s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $11.80, but opened at $11.35. Coursera shares last traded at $11.16, with a volume of 245,138 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COUR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a buy rating and issued a $19.00 price target on shares of Coursera in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $18.00 price target on shares of Coursera in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Coursera from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 31st. Truist Financial lowered shares of Coursera from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their price target for the company from $17.50 to $12.00 in a research note on Monday, February 27th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an outperform rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Coursera in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $17.08.

Get Coursera alerts:

Coursera Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average price of $11.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $12.55. The firm has a market cap of $1.69 billion, a PE ratio of -10.17 and a beta of 1.79.

Insider Buying and Selling at Coursera

Coursera ( NYSE:COUR Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported ($0.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.27) by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $142.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $137.70 million. Coursera had a negative return on equity of 23.20% and a negative net margin of 30.76%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Coursera, Inc. will post -0.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other news, CAO Michele M. Meyers sold 7,438 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.88, for a total transaction of $80,925.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 259,291 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,821,086.08. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, CAO Michele M. Meyers sold 7,438 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.88, for a total value of $80,925.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 259,291 shares in the company, valued at $2,821,086.08. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Richard J. Jacquet sold 31,881 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.75, for a total transaction of $374,601.75. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 476,866 shares in the company, valued at $5,603,175.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 626,935 shares of company stock valued at $7,066,898. 16.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Coursera

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of COUR. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Coursera in the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Coursera by 187.5% in the second quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,366 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,543 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its position in shares of Coursera by 8,565.8% in the third quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 3,293 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 3,255 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Coursera by 277.8% during the 1st quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,740 shares of the companys stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 2,750 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Middle East FZE acquired a new position in shares of Coursera during the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.31% of the companys stock.

About Coursera

(Get Rating)

Coursera, Inc operates an online educational content platform that connects learners, educators, organizations, and institutions. It offers online courses that include data science, business, computer science, information technology, health, social sciences, logic, project management, and digital marketing services; campus student plans; degree courses; and certification education.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Coursera Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coursera and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
DaVita (NYSE:DVA  Get Rating) had its price objective hoisted by stock analysts at Bank of America from $86.00 to $96.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. Bank of Americas price target would suggest a potential downside of 3.29% from the stocks previous close.

DVA has been the subject of a number of other reports. Cowen increased their target price on shares of DaVita from $76.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. StockNews.com began coverage on DaVita in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on DaVita from $72.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on DaVita from $84.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on DaVita in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. They set a market perform rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, DaVita presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $96.43.

Get DaVita alerts:

DaVita Stock Performance

NYSE DVA opened at $99.27 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $82.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $79.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.92. DaVita has a 12-month low of $65.28 and a 12-month high of $106.71. The firm has a market cap of $9.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.17, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.93.

Insider Buying and Selling

DaVita ( NYSE:DVA Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 8th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.50. DaVita had a net margin of 4.40% and a return on equity of 77.49%. The business had revenue of $2.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.61 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that DaVita will post 5.93 EPS for the current year.

In related news, Director Charles Berg sold 1,431 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.13, for a total value of $107,511.03. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 15,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,182,020.29. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On DaVita

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new stake in DaVita during the 1st quarter valued at $348,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its stake in DaVita by 10.9% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 3,202 shares of the companys stock valued at $260,000 after buying an additional 315 shares during the last quarter. MAI Capital Management raised its stake in DaVita by 59.0% during the 1st quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 5,045 shares of the companys stock valued at $409,000 after buying an additional 1,873 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in shares of DaVita by 55.1% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 445 shares of the companys stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares during the period. Finally, Hartford Investment Management Co. grew its position in shares of DaVita by 14.9% during the 1st quarter. Hartford Investment Management Co. now owns 5,154 shares of the companys stock valued at $418,000 after acquiring an additional 670 shares during the period. 86.52% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

DaVita Company Profile

(Get Rating)

DaVita, Inc engages in the provision of medical care services. It operates through the following two segments: US Dialysis and Related Lab Services, and Other-Ancillary Services and Strategic Initiatives. The US Dialysis and Related Lab Services segment offers kidney dialysis services in the United States for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for DaVita Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DaVita and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
EFG Asset Management Americas Corp. boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (BATS:VLUE  Get Rating) by 17.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 48,759 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 7,226 shares during the period. EFG Asset Management Americas Corp.s holdings in iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF were worth $4,441,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLUE. Cowa LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF by 11,529.8% during the first quarter. Cowa LLC now owns 2,989,446 shares of the companys stock worth $3,328,000 after purchasing an additional 2,963,741 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its position in iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF by 7.0% in the 3rd quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 5,144,107 shares of the companys stock valued at $421,097,000 after buying an additional 336,924 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its position in iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF by 6.3% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,635,655 shares of the companys stock valued at $461,335,000 after buying an additional 334,879 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF by 477.4% during the 1st quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 353,791 shares of the companys stock worth $36,996,000 after purchasing an additional 292,516 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Matson Money. Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF by 8.5% during the 4th quarter. Matson Money. Inc. now owns 3,141,140 shares of the companys stock worth $286,284,000 after purchasing an additional 246,661 shares during the last quarter.

Get iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF alerts:

iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF Price Performance

VLUE traded down $0.42 during trading on Thursday, hitting $88.86. The stock had a trading volume of 462,776 shares. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $91.32 and a 200-day moving average price of $93.44. The firm has a market cap of $6.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.51 and a beta of 1.04. iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF has a one year low of $71.21 and a one year high of $89.40.

About iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF

The iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Enhanced Value index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap US equities. Stocks are selected and weighted using fundamental metrics (earnings, revenue, book value and cash earnings), aiming for exposure to undervalued stocks in each sector.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VLUE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (BATS:VLUE  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Evolution AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:EVVTY  Get Rating)s share price traded up 0% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $126.80 and last traded at $126.60. 31,304 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 20% from the average session volume of 39,185 shares. The stock had previously closed at $126.54.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Evolution AB (publ) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 18th.

Get Evolution AB (publ) alerts:

Evolution AB (publ) Trading Up 0.7 %

The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $127.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $113.49.

Evolution AB (publ) Announces Dividend

About Evolution AB (publ)

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 6th were issued a dividend of $1.7858 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 5th. This represents a yield of 1.43%.

(Get Rating)

Evolution AB engages in the development, production, marketing, and licensing business to business casino solutions to gaming operators. It provides live casino studios, land-based live casino, mobile live casino, and live casino for television. The company was founded by Richard Hadida, Jens von Bahr and Fredrik Osterberg in 2006 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Evolution AB (publ) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Evolution AB (publ) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
XIONG'AN, Hebei, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Six years on, Xiong'an New Area, China's "city of the future," is offering a glimpse of the Chinese vision of modernity.

During a meeting on promoting Xiong'an's high-standard and high-quality construction and development on Wednesday, President Xi Jinping said within only six years, Xiong'an New Area has started from scratch and developed from a blueprint to reality, with a high-level modern city now sprouting up, which is undoubtedly a miracle.

In April 2017, China announced a plan to establish Xiong'an New Area, located about 100 km away from Beijing. The creation of Xiong'an is regarded as "a strategy that will have lasting importance for the millennium to come and a significant national event."

In terms of the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Xiong'an aims to become a significant part of the world-class Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei city cluster and plans to take over Beijing's non-capital functions and provide a Chinese solution to "big city malaise," such as overcrowding, pollution and traffic congestion.

China's leadership has pledged to build Xiong'an into an innovative, green, smart, and world-class city with blue skies, fresh air, and clean water, in line with the country's high-quality development path.

During Wednesday's inspection tour of Xiong'an, Xi stressed that the development of Xiong'an New Area has entered a phase when the same importance must be attached to both its large-scale construction and its purpose to relieve Beijing of functions non-essential to its role as the national capital.

More efforts should be made in constructing a multidimensional comprehensive transport network, in making full use of underground space and in building a future city without "urban problems," so as to turn the high-standard blueprint into high-quality development of a city, Xi said during the inspection.

Over the past six years, Xiong'an has completed a total investment of over 540 billion yuan (about 78.1 billion U.S. dollars) with a developed area of approximately 120 square km and over 3,500 buildings constructed.

China's centrally-administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have set up more than 140 subsidiaries and branches in the area. Construction of headquarter buildings of big SOEs like Sinochem Holdings, China Satellite Network Group and China Huaneng Group have entered different phases. Over 3,000 enterprises registered in Xiong'an have a background of investment from Beijing.

On Wednesday, Xi emphasized the importance of fully implementing the strategy of innovation-driven development.

Xiong'an is developing high-end industries and building itself into an innovation hub as more high-level talents move in.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences has set up its Xiong'an innovation and research institute. Tao Ye joined the institute after years of overseas study in 2022 and is engaged in the research of microwave photonics and integrated optoelectronics.

"Microwave photonics and integrated optoelectronics are a big trend for future technological advancement and will have a wide range of application scenarios. Developing such technologies is in line with the Xiong'an development strategy," Tao said.

In his eyes, Xiong'an provides fertile ground for transforming scientific research results and he is proud of his participation in the construction of this "city of the future."

"I'm glad to see that our scientific research results are contributing to the construction of this smart and future city and this also offers a great motivation for our work," he said.

Xiong'an has also built itself into a magnet for enterprises, and the huge confidence in the area's future prospects has attracted a large number of businesses to Xiong'an.

Eyecool, an artificial intelligence (AI) firm hailing from Zhongguancun, the country's first national high-tech industrial development zone in Beijing, established a presence in Xiong'an and headquartered itself in the area in September 2018.

Li Qiang, general manager of the company's Xiong'an department, said Xiong'an was designed to be a city of innovation from the very start and that is why they settled there. "As an AI startup, Eyecool considers it a valuable asset to have been able to witness the area's growth since its inception."

Li described Xiong'an as a testing ground for technological innovation, with increasingly more applications in blockchains, AI and digital roads.

Xiong'an is building a digital and smart city. Autonomous buses are undergoing road tests in the Rongdong area of Xiong'an. The Rongdong area is now home to 153 km of "digital roads," where sensors on over 6,000 lamp poles can support autonomous driving and also monitor traffic to help reduce traffic jams, said Kou Tianhao with Yuexiang Xiong'an, a company that focuses on smart transport and autonomous driving.

In building a green city to promote harmony between humanity and nature, Xiong'an has also attached great importance to ecological protection.

Since launching a massive afforestation project in 2017, Xiong'an has afforested over 31,000 hectares of land, increasing its forest coverage rate from 11 percent to 34 percent. Local residents may travel no further than 300 meters from their homes to reach a park, and will get to a tree belt within 1 km and a forest within 3 km.

Thanks to the afforestation program, the local sky is bluer, the water clearer, and the natural environment significantly improved, while some small animals have reappeared after an absence of many years, said Qiu Xiangguo, a villager in Rongcheng County, Xiong'an New Area.

The Baiyangdian Lake, the largest wetland ecosystem in northern China, is located in Xiong'an. After the establishment of the new area, the water quality in Baiyangdian has improved from below Level V, the lowest of China's five-tier water assessment system, to Level III. The species of wild birds in the lake area has increased to 252, which is 46 more than six years ago. 
Goldman Sachs BDC (NYSE:GSBD  Get Rating) and Invesco Municipal Trust (NYSE:VKQ  Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, valuation, risk and earnings.

Risk & Volatility

Goldman Sachs BDC has a beta of 1.19, indicating that its share price is 19% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Invesco Municipal Trust has a beta of 0.42, indicating that its share price is 58% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Get Goldman Sachs BDC alerts:

Profitability

This table compares Goldman Sachs BDC and Invesco Municipal Trusts net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Goldman Sachs BDC 10.90% 14.24% 6.01% Invesco Municipal Trust N/A N/A N/A

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Goldman Sachs BDC 0 4 0 0 2.00 Invesco Municipal Trust 0 0 0 0 N/A

This is a summary of recent recommendations for Goldman Sachs BDC and Invesco Municipal Trust, as provided by MarketBeat.

Goldman Sachs BDC currently has a consensus target price of $16.25, suggesting a potential upside of 24.24%. Given Goldman Sachs BDCs higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Goldman Sachs BDC is more favorable than Invesco Municipal Trust.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Goldman Sachs BDC and Invesco Municipal Trusts top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Goldman Sachs BDC $357.45 million 4.01 $55.00 million $0.41 31.90 Invesco Municipal Trust N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Goldman Sachs BDC has higher revenue and earnings than Invesco Municipal Trust.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

28.4% of Goldman Sachs BDC shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 22.8% of Invesco Municipal Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.1% of Goldman Sachs BDC shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 5.4% of Invesco Municipal Trust shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

Goldman Sachs BDC pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 13.8%. Invesco Municipal Trust pays an annual dividend of $0.51 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.3%. Goldman Sachs BDC pays out 439.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future.

Summary

Goldman Sachs BDC beats Invesco Municipal Trust on 8 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Goldman Sachs BDC

(Get Rating)

Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. invests in middle market companies located in the US. The fund targets companies operating in the fields software, health technology information technology, commercial services and textiles with an investment size of $25 to $75 million and an EBITDA of $5 to $75 million. It provides financing in the form of senior secured debt, unitranche debt, junior secured, mezzanine debt and equity for acquisitions, refinancing, growth, LBOs, dividend recapitalization and restructuring transactions.

About Invesco Municipal Trust

(Get Rating)

Invesco Municipal Trust operates as a diversified, closed-end management investment company. Its investment objective is to seek to provide a high level of current income exempt from federal income tax consistent with preservation of capital. The company was founded on September 27, 1991 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Receive News & Ratings for Goldman Sachs BDC Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Goldman Sachs BDC and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II (NYSEAMERICAN:VKI  Get Rating) saw a large decrease in short interest in April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 24,100 shares, a decrease of 76.3% from the April 15th total of 101,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 81,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II in the first quarter valued at about $193,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II by 72.7% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 19,000 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $199,000 after acquiring an additional 8,000 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new stake in shares of Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II in the first quarter valued at about $264,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II by 18.0% in the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 13,100 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $137,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II by 55.8% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 18,990 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $199,000 after acquiring an additional 6,800 shares in the last quarter. 16.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II alerts:

Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSEAMERICAN VKI traded up $0.02 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $8.50. The company had a trading volume of 64,558 shares, compared to its average volume of 83,311. Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II has a 52-week low of $7.81 and a 52-week high of $9.99.

Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II Announces Dividend

About Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.0321 per share. This represents a $0.39 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th.

(Get Rating)

Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II is a closed-end investment fund and trust. Its investment objective is to seek to provide a high level of current income exempt from federal income tax, consistent with preservation of capital. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco Advantage Municipal Income Trust II and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima (NYSE:IRS  Get Rating) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $5.37 and traded as high as $5.86. IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima shares last traded at $5.78, with a volume of 102,476 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock.

Get IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima alerts:

IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima Price Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $5.75 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $5.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $472.75 million, a P/E ratio of 5.11 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.75.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima

IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima ( NYSE:IRS Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The financial services provider reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $106.52 million for the quarter. IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima had a return on equity of 8.38% and a net margin of 32.53%.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima in the 3rd quarter worth $58,000. Stokes Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima in the 1st quarter worth $204,000. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima by 286.0% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 72,208 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $260,000 after purchasing an additional 53,501 shares in the last quarter. Capricorn Fund Managers Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima in the 1st quarter worth $444,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima by 10.7% in the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 140,897 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $507,000 after purchasing an additional 13,584 shares in the last quarter. 17.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima

(Get Rating)

IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones SA engages in the real estate business. It operates through the Operations Center in Argentina and Operations Center in Israel segments. The Operations Center in Argentina segment operates in the following segments: shopping malls, offices and others, sales and developments, hotels, international, and financial operations, corporate and others.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Magna International (NYSE:MGA  Get Rating) (TSE:MG) had its target price hoisted by analysts at Barclays from $58.00 to $59.00 in a report released on Tuesday, The Fly reports. Barclayss price target suggests a potential upside of 12.08% from the stocks current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on MGA. Raymond James lowered their target price on Magna International from $62.00 to $56.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Magna International from $72.00 to $65.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Magna International from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Bank of America downgraded Magna International from a buy rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $102.00 to $72.00 in a report on Monday, January 9th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Magna International from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $62.00.

Get Magna International alerts:

Magna International Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of MGA stock opened at $52.64 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $15.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.63, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.59. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $52.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $57.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.26. Magna International has a fifty-two week low of $45.58 and a fifty-two week high of $68.92.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Magna International ( NYSE:MGA Get Rating ) (TSE:MG) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The company reported $1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $10.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.90 billion. Magna International had a return on equity of 10.05% and a net margin of 1.12%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.28 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Magna International will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Hollencrest Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Magna International during the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC bought a new position in Magna International in the 1st quarter worth about $45,000. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in Magna International by 85.4% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,331 shares of the companys stock worth $75,000 after acquiring an additional 613 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Magna International by 3,219.1% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,560 shares of the companys stock worth $88,000 after acquiring an additional 1,513 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Magna International during the 4th quarter valued at about $106,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 59.63% of the companys stock.

About Magna International

(Get Rating)

Magna International, Inc is a mobility technology company, which engages in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of automotive supplies. It operates through the following segments: Body Exteriors and Structures, Power and Vision, Seating Systems, and Complete Vehicles. The Body Exteriors and Structures segment includes body and chassis systems, exterior systems, and roof systems operations.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Magna International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Magna International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Motley Fool Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG  Get Rating) by 5.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 1,194 shares of the aerospace companys stock after selling 64 shares during the quarter. Motley Fool Asset Management LLCs holdings in TransDigm Group were worth $752,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of TransDigm Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of TransDigm Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC lifted its stake in shares of TransDigm Group by 1,675.0% in the 4th quarter. Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC now owns 71 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. Column Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of TransDigm Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $45,000. Finally, Alta Advisers Ltd bought a new position in shares of TransDigm Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $52,000. 96.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Get TransDigm Group alerts:

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on TDG. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on TransDigm Group from $800.00 to $900.00 in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of TransDigm Group from $725.00 to $840.00 in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of TransDigm Group from $770.00 to $890.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 28th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on TransDigm Group from $767.00 to $960.00 in a report on Wednesday. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on TransDigm Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $804.54.

Insider Buying and Selling at TransDigm Group

TransDigm Group Stock Performance

In other TransDigm Group news, CAO Sarah Wynne sold 180 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $720.41, for a total value of $129,673.80. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 700 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $504,287. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . In other news, CAO Sarah Wynne sold 180 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $720.41, for a total transaction of $129,673.80. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 700 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $504,287. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . Also, Director W Nicholas Howley sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $701.38, for a total transaction of $4,558,970.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 21,548 shares in the company, valued at $15,113,336.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 193,237 shares of company stock valued at $142,824,885 in the last quarter. 7.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

TDG stock traded down $2.24 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $807.90. 7,337 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 312,856. TransDigm Group Incorporated has a 52-week low of $499.63 and a 52-week high of $816.94. The business has a 50 day moving average of $743.47 and a 200-day moving average of $684.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.78, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.37.

TransDigm Group (NYSE:TDG  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The aerospace company reported $5.98 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $4.98 by $1.00. TransDigm Group had a negative return on equity of 30.59% and a net margin of 16.53%. The firm had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.29 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 20.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that TransDigm Group Incorporated will post 20.84 earnings per share for the current year.

TransDigm Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

TransDigm Group, Inc engages in the production of engineered aerospace components, systems and subsystems. It operates through the following segments: Power and Control, Airframe, and Non-Aviation. The Power and Control segment includes operations that primarily develop, produce and market systems and components that provide power to or control power of the aircraft utilizing electronic, fluid, power and mechanical motion control technologies.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TDG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for TransDigm Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TransDigm Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
TransAlta Renewables Inc. (TSE:RNW  Get Rating)  Investment analysts at National Bank Financial raised their FY2023 earnings per share estimates for shares of TransAlta Renewables in a research note issued to investors on Sunday, May 7th. National Bank Financial analyst R. Merer now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $0.50 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $0.45. The consensus estimate for TransAlta Renewables current full-year earnings is $0.75 per share.

Get TransAlta Renewables alerts:

TransAlta Renewables (TSE:RNW  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The company reported C$0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$0.20 by C($0.05). The firm had revenue of C$154.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$139.60 million.

TransAlta Renewables Trading Down 0.8 %

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on RNW. ATB Capital downgraded shares of TransAlta Renewables from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and decreased their price target for the stock from C$15.50 to C$14.00 in a research note on Monday. Atb Cap Markets lowered shares of TransAlta Renewables from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research note on Sunday. CIBC lowered their target price on TransAlta Renewables from C$13.50 to C$13.00 in a report on Friday, February 24th. TD Securities increased their price target on TransAlta Renewables from C$12.00 to C$12.50 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Raymond James reduced their price objective on TransAlta Renewables from C$16.50 to C$15.50 in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, TransAlta Renewables presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$15.05.

Shares of RNW opened at C$12.17 on Tuesday. TransAlta Renewables has a 52-week low of C$10.63 and a 52-week high of C$18.45. The stock has a market cap of C$3.25 billion, a PE ratio of 40.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.76. The firms fifty day moving average is C$12.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$12.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 43.77.

TransAlta Renewables Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 31st will be paid a $0.0783 dividend. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th. TransAlta Renewabless dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 313.33%.

TransAlta Renewables Company Profile

(Get Rating)

TransAlta Renewables Inc develops, owns, and operates renewable power generation facilities. The company operates through Canadian Wind, Canadian Hydro, Canadian Gas, US Wind and Solar, US Gas, and Australian Gas segments. As of February 24, 2022, it owned and operated 26 wind facilities, 13 hydroelectric facilities, 8 natural gas generation facilities, 2 solar facilities, 1 natural gas pipeline, and 1 battery storage project comprising 2,968 megawatts of net generating capacity located in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, the States of Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, North Carolina, and the State of Western Australia.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for TransAlta Renewables Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TransAlta Renewables and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of NovaBay Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:NBY  Get Rating) in a research note released on Sunday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock.

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NBY opened at $0.98 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.15 million, a PE ratio of -0.11 and a beta of 2.72. NovaBay Pharmaceuticals has a twelve month low of $0.94 and a twelve month high of $12.64.

Get NovaBay Pharmaceuticals alerts:

About NovaBay Pharmaceuticals

(Get Rating)

See Also

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc engages in the development and sales of scientifically-created and clinically-proven eyecare and skincare. Its products include Avenova, NeutroPhase, CelleRx, and DERMAdoctor. The company was founded on January 19, 2000 and is headquartered in Emeryville, CA.

Receive News & Ratings for NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NovaBay Pharmaceuticals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Orion Office REIT (NYSE:ONL  Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $1.55-$1.63 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $1.59. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Orion Office REIT also updated its FY23 guidance to $1.55-$1.63 EPS.

Orion Office REIT Trading Down 2.3 %

Shares of NYSE:ONL traded down $0.14 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $5.91. The stock had a trading volume of 263,627 shares, compared to its average volume of 544,068. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.83. The company has a market cap of $334.74 million, a PE ratio of -3.54 and a beta of 0.70. Orion Office REIT has a 12-month low of $5.61 and a 12-month high of $13.74. The companys 50 day moving average is $6.48 and its 200-day moving average is $8.15.

Get Orion Office REIT alerts:

Orion Office REIT Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Investors of record on Friday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.77%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. Orion Office REITs dividend payout ratio is currently -23.39%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Separately, EF Hutton Acquisition Co. I dropped their price target on shares of Orion Office REIT from $13.00 to $10.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 9th.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in shares of Orion Office REIT by 4.2% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 195,195 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,308,000 after acquiring an additional 7,872 shares in the last quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC purchased a new position in Orion Office REIT in the first quarter worth about $80,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in shares of Orion Office REIT by 8.5% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 714,911 shares of the companys stock worth $4,790,000 after buying an additional 55,877 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in Orion Office REIT by 17.7% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 63,453 shares of the companys stock valued at $542,000 after purchasing an additional 9,546 shares during the period. Finally, State of Tennessee Treasury Department increased its stake in Orion Office REIT by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Treasury Department now owns 41,927 shares of the companys stock worth $359,000 after acquiring an additional 1,521 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.26% of the companys stock.

About Orion Office REIT

(Get Rating)

Orion Office REIT specializes in the ownership, acquisition and management of a diversified portfolio of mission-critical and corporate headquarters office buildings in high-quality suburban markets across the U.S. The portfolio is leased primarily on a single-tenant net lease basis to creditworthy tenants.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Orion Office REIT Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Orion Office REIT and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Owens & Minor (NYSE:OMI  Get Rating) had its price target increased by UBS Group from $22.00 to $24.00 in a research report report published on Monday morning, The Fly reports.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on OMI. StockNews.com raised shares of Owens & Minor from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Credit Suisse Group dropped their target price on shares of Owens & Minor from $20.00 to $17.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Owens & Minor from $18.00 to $21.00 in a report on Monday. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Owens & Minor from $20.00 to $17.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $18.83.

Get Owens & Minor alerts:

Owens & Minor Stock Up 4.5 %

Shares of NYSE OMI opened at $18.39 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.40 billion, a PE ratio of -32.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 10.26 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.56. Owens & Minor has a 1 year low of $11.79 and a 1 year high of $38.13. The firms 50-day moving average is $14.60 and its 200-day moving average is $17.99.

Insider Activity

Owens & Minor ( NYSE:OMI Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The company reported $0.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.09) by $0.14. Owens & Minor had a negative net margin of 0.41% and a positive return on equity of 12.12%. The company had revenue of $2.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.96 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Owens & Minor will post 1.42 EPS for the current year.

In other news, SVP Jonathan A. Leon sold 6,000 shares of Owens & Minor stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.50, for a total value of $81,000.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 106,723 shares in the company, valued at $1,440,760.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 3.59% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Owens & Minor

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Burney Co. acquired a new position in Owens & Minor during the first quarter worth $160,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in Owens & Minor during the first quarter worth $201,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its holdings in Owens & Minor by 48.0% during the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 19,003 shares of the companys stock worth $276,000 after buying an additional 6,164 shares during the last quarter. Smith Graham & Co. Investment Advisors LP increased its holdings in Owens & Minor by 19.4% during the first quarter. Smith Graham & Co. Investment Advisors LP now owns 520,461 shares of the companys stock worth $7,573,000 after buying an additional 84,634 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in Owens & Minor during the first quarter worth $261,000.

About Owens & Minor

(Get Rating)

Owens & Minor, Inc is a healthcare solutions company, which engages in the product manufacturing and delivery, home health supply, and perioperative services to support care through the hospital and into the home. It operates through the Products and Healthcare Services, and Patient Direct segments. The Products and Healthcare Services segment includes medical distribution, the outsourced logistics and value-added services business, and global products, which manufacture and source medical surgical products through the production and kitting operations.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Owens & Minor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Owens & Minor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Westshore Terminals Investment (TSE:WTE  Get Rating) had its price target lifted by Scotiabank from C$25.50 to C$26.50 in a report issued on Monday, BayStreet.CA reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on WTE. TD Securities increased their price target on shares of Westshore Terminals Investment from C$25.00 to C$27.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Monday, March 13th. CIBC increased their price target on shares of Westshore Terminals Investment from C$27.00 to C$28.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, March 14th.

Get Westshore Terminals Investment alerts:

Westshore Terminals Investment Price Performance

Shares of TSE WTE opened at C$29.30 on Monday. Westshore Terminals Investment has a 1 year low of C$21.59 and a 1 year high of C$37.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 39.37, a current ratio of 2.48 and a quick ratio of 2.07. The companys 50-day moving average is C$26.86 and its 200 day moving average is C$25.07. The stock has a market capitalization of C$1.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.40 and a beta of 0.95.

Westshore Terminals Investment Increases Dividend

Westshore Terminals Investment ( TSE:WTE Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 10th. The company reported C$0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of C$54.37 million for the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Westshore Terminals Investment will post 1.7348033 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st were paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 30th. This is a boost from Westshore Terminals Investments previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.78%. Westshore Terminals Investments dividend payout ratio is 132.08%.

Westshore Terminals Investment Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Westshore Terminals Investment Corporation operates a coal storage and loading terminal at Roberts Bank, British Columbia. The company has contracts to ship coal from mines in British Columbia, Alberta, and the Northwestern United States. Westshore Terminals Investment Corporation was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Westshore Terminals Investment Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Westshore Terminals Investment and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
HELSINKI, May 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 27 people, most of them children, were injured when a pedestrian bridge collapsed in Espoo, west of Helsinki, on Thursday, said the regional rescue authority.

The Helsinki region health district (HUS) told the media that 15 people have been taken to hospital.

Most of the injured were pupils and some of them are in serious condition, reports said. 
SES AI Co. (NYSE:SES  Get Rating)s share price gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $1.71, but opened at $1.62. SES AI shares last traded at $1.54, with a volume of 280,091 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on SES AI from $7.00 to $4.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th.

Get SES AI alerts:

SES AI Trading Down 3.8 %

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $2.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $575.44 million, a P/E ratio of -8.55 and a beta of 2.26.

Insider Activity at SES AI

SES AI ( NYSE:SES Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 14th. The company reported ($0.05) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that SES AI Co. will post -0.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In related news, CEO Qichao Hu sold 69,872 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.65, for a total transaction of $115,288.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,350,607 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,228,501.55. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CTO Yongkyu Son sold 37,381 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.65, for a total value of $61,678.65. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 583,862 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $963,372.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Qichao Hu sold 69,872 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.65, for a total value of $115,288.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,350,607 shares in the company, valued at $2,228,501.55. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 180,347 shares of company stock worth $327,722.

Institutional Trading of SES AI

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in SES AI in the first quarter worth $31,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in SES AI in the first quarter worth $37,000. CTC Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in SES AI in the first quarter worth $41,000. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc bought a new stake in SES AI in the third quarter worth $43,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada bought a new stake in SES AI in the first quarter worth $52,000. 27.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

SES AI Company Profile

(Get Rating)

SES AI Corporation engages in the development and production of high-performance Lithium-metal rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and other applications. The company was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for SES AI Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SES AI and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Stellar AfricaGold Inc. (OTCMKTS:STLXF  Get Rating) saw a large decrease in short interest in the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 5,300 shares, a decrease of 62.9% from the April 15th total of 14,300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 53.0 days.

Stellar AfricaGold Stock Performance

OTCMKTS STLXF remained flat at $0.02 on Wednesday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,000 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,775. Stellar AfricaGold has a 1-year low of $0.02 and a 1-year high of $0.06. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $0.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $0.03.

Get Stellar AfricaGold alerts:

About Stellar AfricaGold

(Get Rating)

Featured Stories

Stellar AfricaGold, Inc engages in the business of acquiring, exploring, and evaluating natural resource properties. It operates through Canada and Western Africa geographical segment. The company was founded on July 23, 1987 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Receive News & Ratings for Stellar AfricaGold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Stellar AfricaGold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Treasury Wine Estates Limited (OTCMKTS:TSRYY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 17,400 shares, a decline of 87.1% from the April 15th total of 134,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 46,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.4 days.

Treasury Wine Estates Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of OTCMKTS TSRYY traded down $0.11 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $8.87. The companys stock had a trading volume of 19,593 shares, compared to its average volume of 25,236. Treasury Wine Estates has a one year low of $7.25 and a one year high of $10.51. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $8.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.14.

Get Treasury Wine Estates alerts:

Treasury Wine Estates Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.1089 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 2nd. This is an increase from Treasury Wine Estatess previous dividend of $0.10. Treasury Wine Estatess dividend payout ratio is -65.14%.

About Treasury Wine Estates

Treasury Wine Estates Ltd. engages in the production and marketing of wine. It operates through the following segments: Australia and New Zealand, Americas, Asia, and Europe, Middle East and Africa. The Australia and New Zealand segment manufactures, sells, and markets of wine within Australia and New Zealand; and also distributes beer and cider.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Treasury Wine Estates Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Treasury Wine Estates and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Stelmine Canada Ltd. (CVE:STH  Get Rating) shares shot up 6.3% on Monday . The company traded as high as C$0.17 and last traded at C$0.17. 11,500 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 81% from the average session volume of 60,978 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.16.

Stelmine Canada Trading Down 5.9 %

The firm has a market cap of C$14.53 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.50 and a beta of 2.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 2.10 and a current ratio of 2.45. The business has a fifty day moving average of C$0.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$0.17.

Stelmine Canada Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Stelmine Canada Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, production, development, and operation of mining properties in Canada. The company primarily explores for gold. It holds 100% interests in the Courcy project comprising 341 claims covering an area of 178 square kilometers located in Fermont, Quebec; Mercator project, which comprise 775 claims that covers an area of 389 square kilometers located within the extension of the Opinaca metasedimentary basin in the Caniapiscau district; Joubert property comprising 247 claims that covers an area of 127,9 kilometers located in Quebec; Trieste property comprising 129 claims located in Quebec; and Ilnu property comprising 82 claims located in Quebec.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Stelmine Canada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Stelmine Canada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM  Get Rating) had its target price lowered by Susquehanna from 55.00 to 54.00 in a research note issued to investors on Sunday morning.

STM has been the topic of several other reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered STMicroelectronics from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. Craig Hallum upped their price objective on STMicroelectronics from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. StockNews.com cut STMicroelectronics from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 28th. Barclays initiated coverage on STMicroelectronics in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. They issued an overweight rating for the company. Finally, Cowen upped their price objective on STMicroelectronics from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, STMicroelectronics has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $54.22.

Get STMicroelectronics alerts:

STMicroelectronics Price Performance

STMicroelectronics stock opened at $42.88 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.58, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a market capitalization of $38.95 billion, a PE ratio of 9.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.58. STMicroelectronics has a 12 month low of $28.35 and a 12 month high of $53.53. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $48.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $42.98.

STMicroelectronics Announces Dividend

STMicroelectronics ( NYSE:STM Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The semiconductor producer reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.97 by $0.13. STMicroelectronics had a return on equity of 35.62% and a net margin of 25.30%. The business had revenue of $4.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.79 earnings per share. Analysts expect that STMicroelectronics will post 4.26 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 27th will be issued a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 26th. STMicroelectronicss payout ratio is currently 4.44%.

Institutional Trading of STMicroelectronics

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of STM. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in STMicroelectronics by 2,911.3% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 134,004 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $6,012,000 after acquiring an additional 129,554 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in shares of STMicroelectronics by 9.9% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,530,155 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $152,573,000 after buying an additional 318,347 shares during the last quarter. Mariner LLC bought a new position in shares of STMicroelectronics during the first quarter valued at approximately $579,000. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of STMicroelectronics by 0.8% during the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 349,772 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $15,117,000 after buying an additional 2,885 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in shares of STMicroelectronics by 105.8% during the first quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 5,672 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $246,000 after buying an additional 103,964 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 6.49% of the companys stock.

STMicroelectronics Company Profile

(Get Rating)

STMicroelectronics NV engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of components, application-specific integrated circuits, full custom devices and semi-custom devices for analog, digital and mixed-signal applications. It operates through the following segments: Automotive and Discrete Group, Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group, and Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for STMicroelectronics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for STMicroelectronics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
StockNews.com started coverage on shares of International Tower Hill Mines (NYSE:THM  Get Rating) in a report published on Monday. The firm issued a sell rating on the stock.

International Tower Hill Mines Stock Performance

Shares of THM opened at $0.52 on Monday. International Tower Hill Mines has a twelve month low of $0.38 and a twelve month high of $0.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $101.54 million, a P/E ratio of -51.99 and a beta of 0.82.

Get International Tower Hill Mines alerts:

About International Tower Hill Mines

(Get Rating)

Featured Stories

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company, which engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. It holds the right to acquire interest in an advanced stage exploration project in Alaska, known as the Livengood Gold Project. The company was founded by Jeffrey A.

Receive News & Ratings for International Tower Hill Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Tower Hill Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Telia Company AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:TLSNY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 15,300 shares, a decline of 90.1% from the April 15th total of 155,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 300,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Telia Company AB (publ) Price Performance

Telia Company AB (publ) stock remained flat at $5.24 during midday trading on Wednesday. 58,125 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 132,185. Telia Company AB has a 1-year low of $4.88 and a 1-year high of $8.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.88. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $5.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $5.20.

Get Telia Company AB (publ) alerts:

Telia Company AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:TLSNY  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The technology company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $2.21 billion for the quarter. Telia Company AB (publ) had a negative return on equity of 16.68% and a negative net margin of 15.36%. Research analysts predict that Telia Company AB will post 0.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Telia Company AB (publ) Cuts Dividend

Analyst Ratings Changes

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 11th were issued a $0.0644 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 4.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, April 10th. Telia Company AB (publ)s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -37.14%.

Several brokerages have recently commented on TLSNY. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Telia Company AB (publ) from SEK 30 to SEK 29 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 13th. UBS Group downgraded Telia Company AB (publ) from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded shares of Telia Company AB (publ) from a market perform rating to an underperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $33.25.

Telia Company AB (publ) Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Telia Co AB engages in the provision of network access and telecommunication services. It operates through the following geographical segments: Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia, and TV and Media. It focuses on mobile, television, and fixed-line operations. The company was founded in 1853 and is headquartered in Solna, Sweden.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Telia Company AB (publ) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Telia Company AB (publ) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Tesco PLC (LON:TSCO  Get Rating)s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 245.23 ($3.09) and traded as high as GBX 283.30 ($3.57). Tesco shares last traded at GBX 283 ($3.57), with a volume of 7,538,310 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on TSCO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Tesco from GBX 270 ($3.41) to GBX 290 ($3.66) and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Tesco to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from GBX 260 ($3.28) to GBX 310 ($3.91) in a research note on Monday, March 6th. Finally, Shore Capital reiterated a buy rating on shares of Tesco in a report on Monday, March 13th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 312 ($3.94).

Get Tesco alerts:

Tesco Trading Down 2.4 %

The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 266.42 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 245.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 123.29, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.72. The company has a market cap of 20.34 billion, a PE ratio of 2,779.00, a PEG ratio of 3.50 and a beta of 0.64.

Tesco Increases Dividend

Insider Activity at Tesco

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 11th will be issued a dividend of GBX 7.05 ($0.09) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a yield of 2.63%. This is a boost from Tescos previous dividend of $3.85. Tescos payout ratio is presently 11,000.00%.

In other Tesco news, insider Caroline Silver acquired 15,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 250 ($3.15) per share, for a total transaction of 37,500 ($47,318.61). Insiders acquired a total of 15,161 shares of company stock worth $3,791,227 in the last quarter. 2.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Tesco Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Tesco PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in retailing and retail banking activities. It provides food products through approximately 4,752 stores in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary, as well as through online. The company is also involved in the food and drink wholesaling activities.

See Also

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.
CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW  Get Rating) had its target price reduced by Wedbush from $15.00 to $10.50 in a report issued on Monday morning, The Fly reports.

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of CoreCivic from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 5th.

Get CoreCivic alerts:

CoreCivic Price Performance

NYSE:CXW opened at $9.18 on Monday. CoreCivic has a one year low of $7.84 and a one year high of $13.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.31. The firms fifty day moving average is $9.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.52. The firm has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.27 and a beta of 0.93.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CoreCivic

CoreCivic ( NYSE:CXW Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 8th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.33 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $469.05 million. CoreCivic had a net margin of 6.25% and a return on equity of 4.51%. CoreCivics revenue for the quarter was up 898.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.48 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that CoreCivic will post 1.35 EPS for the current year.

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. River Road Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of CoreCivic by 2.2% in the first quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 8,778,561 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $80,763,000 after acquiring an additional 189,870 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its position in CoreCivic by 1.1% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,239,868 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $47,105,000 after purchasing an additional 48,018 shares during the period. Boston Partners grew its position in shares of CoreCivic by 42.4% during the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,472,506 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $22,586,000 after buying an additional 736,129 shares during the period. Flat Footed LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CoreCivic by 27.0% during the 3rd quarter. Flat Footed LLC now owns 1,882,048 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $16,637,000 after purchasing an additional 399,873 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management lifted its holdings in shares of CoreCivic by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 1,651,848 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $15,197,000 after purchasing an additional 47,200 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.87% of the companys stock.

About CoreCivic

(Get Rating)

CoreCivic, Inc operates as a government solutions company, which engages in the development and management of prisons and other correctional facilities. It operates through the following segments: Safety, Community, and Properties. The Safety segment consists of correctional and detention facilities.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for CoreCivic Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CoreCivic and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 11 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli airstrike on a house in the southern Gaza Strip resulted in the death of a Palestinian militant and the injury of four people on Thursday afternoon.

According to a press statement from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the Israeli fighter jets targeted a house in the town of Abassan, east of the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, killing one and leaving four others injured.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an armed faction in the enclave, confirmed the death of Ahmad Abu Daqqa, a field commander and member of its military council, in the Israeli airstrike on his family's house.

In a statement, an Israeli army spokesman said that Abu Daqqa, who "was responsible for launching rocket barrages" toward southern Israel on Wednesday, was the intended target of the airstrike.

He was the deputy of Ali Hassan Ghali, the commander of the rocket force of the PIJ, who Israel killed in an airstrike early in the morning.

The Gazan health authorities stated that the ongoing Israeli airstrikes have resulted in a death toll of 26 Palestinians, including 17 civilians and nine militants, with over 80 people injured in the Gaza Strip since Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Israeli unmanned drones and fighter jets carried out simultaneous airstrikes on several buildings in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of three senior PIJ members.

Meanwhile, fresh rocket barrages were fired at communities in southern Israel on Thursday, triggering sirens but causing no injuries.

At least 547 rockets have been fired toward southern and central Israel since Tuesday, with 394 of them crossing into Israeli territory, according to official Israeli figures. 
LAKEFIELD  The Lakefield Literary Festival, due to return this summer after a three-year hiatus for the COVID-19 pandemic, has unveiled its author lineup for the 2023 celebration, which is set to feature appearances from a host of celebrated and internationally acclaimed Canadian writers.

On July 14 and 15, authors will bring their latest works to Lakefield College Schools Bryan Jones Theatre, where they will engage in discussions with a moderator, field audience questions and sign autographs.

On the second day of the festival, a free morning event will be held at the Childrens Tent in Lakefields Cenotaph Park. Young literature-lovers will be able to enjoy an interactive program.

July 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Lakefield College School

Author, journalist and former CBC radio host Waubgeshig Rice, from Wasauksing First Nation on Georgian Bay, will present Moon of the Turning Leaves, the followup to his celebrated novel Moon of the Crusted Snow, set to be published in the fall.

Ottawa-based farmer and educator Kai Thomas, whose debut novel In the Upper Country  a story exploring the dark legacy of slavery in the 19th century  garnered praise from the New York Times as a testament to the power of story and a veneration of those whose tales are often forgotten in mainstream media.

July 15 at 10 a.m. at the Childrens Tent at Cenotaph Park

With Meet Buffy Sainte-Marie, childrens author Liz Macleod will present the latest instalment in her 10-part series introducing kids to important Canadians.

Ted Staunton, teacher, public speaker, performer and winner of the John Spray Mystery Award, will also be on hand.

July 15 at 3 p.m. at Lakefield College School

Day twos afternoon festivities will see appearances from acclaimed authors Sheila Heti, whose Pure Colour won the 2022 Governor Generals Award, and Harley Rustad, who penned Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas.,

July 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Lakefield College School

Iain Reid, billed by the Globe & Mail as Hollywoods favourite Canadian  his debut novel Im Thinking of Ending Things was brought to the big screen by director Charlie Kaufman  will present his latest bestselling novel We Spread.

Catherine Hernandez will bring The Story of Us to the festival on the heels of her breakout novel Scarborough, which she turned into a screenplay that won first runner up for the Peoples Choice Award at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.

Festival tickets are available for purchase at Happenstance Books and Yarns on Queen Street in Lakefield or online at lakefieldliteraryfestival.com at $35 for a single session or $90 for a festival pass.

BB Brendan Burke is a staff reporter at the Examiner, based in Peterborough. His reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.

SHARE:
Four Kawartha Lakes women are investing in their education and creating a better life for themselves and their families thanks to Soroptimist International of Kawartha Lakes Live Your Dream Award.

Since 1972, Soroptimist clubs have awarded approximately $39 million to more than 39,000 women, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, domestic violence, sexual assault, and drug or alcohol use disorders.

In the last decade, the Kawartha Lakes club has invested $25,500 in the dreams of 23 women through the program.

This years recipients of the Soroptimist Live Your Dream Education and Training Awards are:

 Julie Robinson who is attending Georgian College studying psychology and counselling to become a Childrens Aid caseworker.

 Camila Torres who is attending University of Toronto studying forensic science.

 Vanessa Windmill who is attending Durham College studying addiction and mental health.

 Teng Wang who is attending Oxford College taking the medical laboratory technician course.

In addition to providing the primary financial support for their families, eligible applicants must be enrolled in, or have been accepted to, a vocational or skills training program, or an undergraduate degree program and must demonstrate financial need.

Live Your Dream Award recipients may use the cash award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education, such as books, child or dependent care, tuition and transportation.

The online application portal is open from Aug. 1 to Nov. 15 each year. Decisions are made by a panel of local professional women who are not Soroptimist members.

Soroptimist International is a registered charity, which raises funds through different fundraising activities throughout the year.

New members are always welcome.

For more information about Soroptimist, the local group and its support for women and girls, check out their website at sikawarthalakes.org or send an email to info@sikawarthalakes.org.

SHARE:
A Lindsay youth has been presented with one of the most prestigious awards in Canada: the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award.

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School student Siobhan Marie is one of only 15 individuals this year from across the nation to receive the award which aims to honour the spirit of Terry Fox. Those recognized are chosen for their demonstration of courage and determination by overcoming their own challenges and providing their communities, and those in need, with humanitarian service.

Diagnosed with Lyme disease at 13, the young teen has faced challenges that have made her believe it is essential to foster hope in other young people with disabilities.

My experience living with Lyme disease, combined with my humanitarian efforts, has taught me that perseverance, empathy, and determination are instrumental in making a long-lasting impact. In honour of Terry Fox, I will continue to persevere and find positivity in my experiences to empower current and future generations of the world, Marie stated.

Although Lyme disease affects her physical and mental well-being, she has learned to view her experiences as an opportunity for personal growth.

As a student trustee for the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, Marie's advocacy for free menstrual products with the Ontario Student Trustees Association led to systemic change at the provincial level through a three-year grant. Locally, her effort has positively impacted more than 15,000 students.

She also founded the healthy living program Stepping Stones, which promotes physical well-being, substance use prevention and mental wellness in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing the pandemic limited everyone in different ways, she viewed it as an opportunity to help the needs of marginalized people.

Marie has also helped families in need by providing grant-funded recreational opportunities and donating to local breakfast programs.

"We are incredibly proud of Siobhan for receiving this prestigious award. She is a remarkable young woman whose hard work, dedication, and commitment to making a difference in the lives of others is truly inspiring. Siobhan is an excellent role model for all students, and we wish her continued success in all her future endeavours, said director of education Joan Carragher.

Her work in the classroom is just as impressive as she was successful in maintaining a 98.4 per cent academic average in Grade 11 and 12.

Her regard for education is driven as well by a goal to create educational inclusivity, evidenced by he extensive volunteering in an elementary schools Special Education Resource Department.

"Siobhan's commitment to helping others, combined with her academic achievements and student leadership, make her an outstanding role model for our entire school community. Her actions epitomize our Catholic graduate expectations, which call on our students to be socially responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society, said board chair Kevin MacKenzie.

Marie plans to pursue a career in education and looks forward to continuing her humanitarian work while studying at Queens University.

SHARE:
Peterborough Police continue to search for a 34-year-old Barrie man they say is wanted in connection with the homicide of Shawn Singh on July 2, 2022.

Police say 34-year-old Eduardo Tito Silva is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant allegedly in connection with the homicide of Singh of Peterborough.

Singh, 37, was shot and killed on Park Street. At the time, police said they believed the incident was not a random attack.

Police are asking people to not approach Silva if they see him and to call law enforcement immediately.

Anyone with information is asked to call Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 x225 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.

SHARE:
Canadas diplomatic spat with China this week couldnt have been more perfectly timed if it had been scripted in New Delhi.

Just as Canada and China were exchanging harsh words and tossing out diplomats, Indias Minister of Commerce and Industry was in Ottawa and Toronto, rolling up his sleeves for talks with his Canadian counterpart on a potential free trade agreement.

And, says Piyush Goyal, hes optimistic a so-called Early Progress Trade Agreement can be reached by years end.

This year is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility. In fact  Im usually very optimistic, I do wish it would be much faster, said Goyal, in a question-and-answer session with journalists after the launch of a report on the economic impact of Indian businesses in Canada. The report found 30 of Indias largest businesses have invested $6.6 billion in Canada, and employ roughly 17,000 people here.

In three days of informal talks with Canadas Minister of International Trade and Export Development, Mary Ng, Goyal said the two sides have made significant progress.

Our discussions, even though informal, in this visit, were actually quite substantive, said Goyal. and moved the needle on a fast-track basis.

While negotiators in any trade talks need to take their time to ensure a deal is a win-win for both sides, Goyal said hes hoping a deal can be done sooner rather than later.

I wouldnt put a deadline to it, said Goyal. But I can tell you its longer than I like an FTA negotiation to take.

Picking up the pace of negotiations was one of the motivations, Ng said, for shifting the target from a comprehensive trade deal like the USMCA (the new NAFTA with Mexico and the U.S.), the CETA deal with Europe, or the Transpacific Partnership to a smaller, more sector-specific early progress trade agreement.

After more than a decade of talks trying to reach a comprehensive trade agreement, a less ambitious approach was needed, Ng said.

Both the minister and I decided  wed take a little bit of a different approach and one that is practical, tangible, something that we can do that wont take another decade, said Ng, who wouldnt put a precise deadline on when a deal will be reached.

Still, Ng struck an optimistic tone on Goyals visit, and noted shell be leading a trade and business delegation to India later this year, and visiting New Delhi for the G20 summit in September.

Weve had a very robust schedule over the last couple of days, said Ng. Three days that hes been here  hes been run off his feet, and think its been terrific.

Andreas Schotter, associate professor of international business at Western Universitys Ivey Business School, said a speedier, more practical approach is a welcome change.

Anything we can bite off at the moment is a good thing. Filling these large trade agreements with life is so complex, said Schotter, who questioned whether Canada has really used the CETA and Transpacific Partnership deals.

Yes, we have CETA and TPP, but when you look at how much life is in those deals, its almost nothing, said Schotter, adding the country, which recently surpassed China as the worlds most populous nation, is desperately looking for a deal.

On Tuesday, China expelled Canadas consul in Shanghai, Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, in retaliation for Canadas expulsion of Zhao Wei, a consular officer in Toronto. Canadian security officials have alleged Wei was involved in a plot to intimidate Conservative MP Michael Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong.

Still, Goyal insisted that Canadas diplomatic dispute with China didnt change the pace or mood of his own talks with Ng.

I think our partnership, our trading relationship, on its own merit, on its own strengths, has enough and more to justify speed and justify faster action, said Goyal, without mentioning China by name. There may be other happenings around the ecosystem.  Extras play a role in the movie, but I think the principal actors are India and Canada.

Read more about:

SHARE:
A China-made environmentally friendly tunnel-boring machine (TBM) rolled off the production line Tuesday in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province.

It will be exported to Italy for the construction of a railway tunnel in Sicily.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Lillian Allen is considered to be the citys godmother of rap/hip hop, dub and spoken word poetry scenes.

For years she was a fixture of the Queen Street circuit, when West Queen West was still edgy and centred the arts, poor artists and reggae and punk rock setting the scene. While the city and its people love that edginess, she said, our institutions havent quite caught up. That is part of the reason Allen, now 74, said she was surprised to get the email  and later the confirmation  that she was to be the citys next poet laureate, with a term lasting three years, until 2026, taking over from the outgoing poet laureate A.F. Moritz.

The Star spoke with her about her approach to the role, how shes going to bring poetry to the streets and stirring things up.

Youre known as the godmother of dub poetry, a form which is so physically and verbally creative. How will that have an impact on your approach to this role?

I would say that I brought that sensibility into the city some decades ago, with people like bpNichol and so forth, and lifted poetry a bit off the page. Therell be work on the page too, because the page is important. But that other engagement, for people who are coming to language for play and the beauty of it, for communication, as opposed to super seriousness, getting published or getting assessed or in academia (saying): Heres this dimension, this layer of life that you can just escape in and work your imagination.

Do you also see the role as being about recording the life of the city and poetry while youre in the position?

I do see that as very important, if somebody looks back in 10 years or 20 years from now, they can say, Oh, in 2023 to 2026, this was the city.

Theres are also a lot of what Id call hidden information about the city. Some of it has been written before but, you know, not everybody is reading the Dennis Lees or Michael Ondaatjes, or even Dionnes (Brand) beyond small bits and pieces about various things that happened. We have over 20,000 street corners. We had a Black (acting) mayor once; we were the leaders in terms of fibre optics; we go from the arts, we go from protest, we go from demanding our rights to all kinds of things, but theyre usually abstracted. What I would like to do is, along with that abstraction, put a name and a face to a process so that people can see that theyre part of this.

So make poetry accessible not only to understand, but also to write.

Yeah. And to ask the question What can I do? How am I in this picture? Im also thinking about the nappers.

The nappers?

Yes, because Im also getting into that category. I have a bunch of friends who are sailing into our 70s. I want to touch some of those folks and bring them in  lovers of poetry and writers of poetry  and giving people an opportunity to, you know, try their hand at poetry. And then we can take a nap. (Laughter)

You mentioned that there are 20,000 street corners in this city; how do they work into your vision work of what you might think possible?

Sound is so much a part of poetry; I work with that. I work with what I call pre-language and post-language. If you (stood), say, at Spadina and Dundas 20 years ago, and you had a tape recorder and you taped for an hour or two hours or four hours, and then you go out today, you would have different sounds. So capturing, taking a poetic element (which means an esthetic element with metaphorical implications) into those areas as kind of touch points. I remember, (Canadian artist) Kim Tomczak once saying that Weston Road and Rogers (Road) is the centre for somebody.

Im just a stones throw from there. So the idea is that intersection is the centre of the universe for all the people who live around it.

Exactly. So thats the kind of thing Im interested in encouraging people to think about. What is it like for you? Whats important in your life? Whats your environment like? How do you create it? How do you recreate it? How are you a part of it? How does it feed you? How does it nourish you? What are you giving to it? You know, those kinds of questions I want people to be thinking about.

Im looking forward to what will happen over the next few years. It sounds exciting.

Im hoping it will be fresh and energetic and inspiring. This is just such a great city, you know. We do have are some pretty serious problems, but this is a soulful city. This is a livable city. Its changing rapidly. But over the last few decades, the arts have provided this soulfulness to the city and this cross-fertilization that I dont think you really have anywhere else. And the younger generation, you know, at least most of them, I say, are just so at ease with diversity and difference and newness and collaborations.

And so bringing some of these ideas from the street to the institutions is a real positive way forward.

The system hasnt caught up. It still hems people in, the systemic kind of marginalization and other issues of discrimination held by the system. But people generally definitely dont want the old-world narrowness of their grandparents or their parents.

That whole new generation of my time on Queen Street  opened up not just for Toronto, but for Canada, the possibilities of who we could be. And I think were working on that. Most times, I think, thats how institutions get changed. Its not from within.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

SHARE:
Its the same old story: What starts as a joke, turns into a conspiracy and then a 79-year-old male Welsh composer must deny he is Meghan Markle.

Was the coronation last weekend? It feels like ages ago. I cant wait for Taylor Swift to take over this column so I can go on vacation. Ill visit Sir Karl Jenkins in London.

We will tuck into laverbread, cawl and Glamorgan sausage as he regales me with the backstory on a BBC headline this week: I Wasnt Meghan in Disguise at Coronation.

Sir Jenkins attended the crowning of King Charles III. He composed a song for the historic event. But his striking appearance  70s mop-top, indoor aviators, moustache that could tarp the infield at Rogers Centre  prompted the rascals on social media to quip that the septuagenarian was actually the Duchess of Montecito. Then like the moon landing was faked or Sept. 11 was an inside job, others became true believers.

Sir Jenkins took to TikTok this week to toot his oboe at the false rumours.

I look this way all the time, he explained. Ive had the moustache since I was 18 years old. It was very trendy then. So thats me. Nothing sinister about it 

He also denied the allegation he was there to steal the crown jewels.

I wish all theorists from all conspiracies would acquaint themselves with Occams razor. Why would Meghan Markle want to covertly infiltrate Westminster Abbey looking like Super Marios grandfather? It makes no sense. Also, you cant just crash a coronation. This isnt a Holiday Inn wedding in Sudbury. There is assigned seating. Did you not see the panic in Katy Perrys eyes when she couldnt find her pew?

And, yes, the giant lilac hat creating an eclipse probably didnt help her visual acuity.

Meghan Markle must be so insulted by this weeks viral story. If she ever donned a disguise to sneak into the coronation of a King she loathes more than beef jerky, she would have hired the wizards who work for Peter Jackson to turn her into Marilyn Monroe just to upstage Kate Middleton. Or shed go as Princess Diana to freak everyone out. Shed pick Groot before picking the composer of Adiemus.

But you know why some believed Sir Karl Jenkins was Meghan Markle?

Because celebrities love disguises.

Millie Bobby Brown has evaded the paparazzi by putting a box over her head and painting a face on it. Justin Bieber once strolled around London in a gas mask usually reserved for a biochemical attack. Kesha can morph into a tiger in five seconds flat. Without the hat, Katy Perry is armed with doughnut pillows and poop emoji costumes.

Madonna does not need a disguise, mostly because the meanies on social keep saying shes already unrecognizable. Dustin Hoffman should invest in a strategic umbrella or Groucho Marx getup. Over the years, while ducking a long lens in public, he has turned into a kindergartener who plays hide-and-seek behind a newspaper box with his eyes and forehead still visible. Or he seeks cloaking magic behind a hydro pole skinnier than one of his legs. Hey, dummy. The paparazzi can see you.

But the real takeaway from this Sir Karl Jenkins silliness is just how far Meghan has tumbled in the cultural pantheon. Man alive, circa 2017, putting her name in a headline was guaranteed clicks gold. She adjusted a tiara and surfed a tsunami of global popularity. Now she is so on the royal margin, some believe she is capable of camouflaging as an old bloke to witness an event where she is not wanted.

Prince Harry attended the coronation and spent less time in London than you would at a passport office. His wife stayed in California and tried to counterprogram the coronation with a hike on which the tabloid cameras were clearly tipped off.

The problem? Nobody cared. Meghan took a hike and the world said, Take a hike.

Meghan is done with the Royal Family and it is done with her. Its sad.

And poor Sir Karl Jenkins is now standing in the nude and looking down as Suits plays on a flat-screen while thinking, I dont look anything like her!

But lets see what Taylor Swift says when she joins the Star on July 13.

OK. With your indulgence, Id like to conclude this dispatch with a Mothers Day message. You moms out there do not get enough credit. Its disgraceful. Budgeting, making school lunches, working long hours, keeping the household running, providing wisdom, giving endless love, planning ahead, thinking back, hyper-caring in the present, you moms are the Gorilla Glue binding the fabric of this wacky society.

You do it all. You do it every day. You never stop.

So I hope you are spoiled rotten this weekend. You can never go wrong with breakfast in bed. Yes, based on the age of your kids, there is a high risk of salmonella. But you can always spit bites of the Nutella-Sriracha scrambled eggs with Doritos into a napkin when theyre not looking. And who wouldnt want a macrame lip gloss sheath?

Happy Mothers Day to Meghan Markle and all moms.

May you have an awesome weekend. And may you never look like Sir Karl Jenkins.

Read more about:

SHARE:
For the couple of years after her period stopped, Wendy*, a 54-year-old Toronto production assistant, said she felt like a 17-year-old boy. Or, at least, like what she imagined it would feel like to be a 17-year-old boy.

My sex drive was really high, said Wendy. I made a Tinder profile and started swiping right. I had a couple of really active years.

Wendy said her sex life is quieter now, but by no means non-existent. She spoke of those Tinder years with fondness, even pride.

It was really liberating, rejuvenating and energy-giving, she said. I was surprised because I was expecting to, you know, dry up and never want to have sex again. You often hear that menopause is a life sentence of no sex.

As it turns out, for a lot of women, it can be.

I have a Facebook menopause community with 17,000 women and when we talk about sex, there are some women on there who say, I literally cant get enough, said Amanda Thebe, author of the book Menopocalypse and a Toronto fitness and health professional. And everyone else in the community asks How? Why? and What are you doing differently?

Thebe said that, in her community, the women who report an increased sex drive are by far the minority.

What we usually hear more of, both within the community and with my own personal lived experience, is that womens baseline interest in sex just seems to be gone, she said. And I think its almost an apathy, instead of a conscious decision.

When Thebe realized she was experiencing that apathy, she experienced grief  sex was an important part of her marriage and life. She didnt want to let go of it forever. Instead, she resolved to investigate the cause(s) of her apathy. Was it a normal part of aging? Hormonal changes? And how much of it were symptoms of genitourinary syndrome?

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause, or GSM, is a new classification; it was only formally named in 2014. There are a range of symptoms associated with it, including painful and/or frequent urination, reduced lubrication and painful sex. However, decreased desire may start even before the last menstrual period, independent of GSM.

As a gynecologist we see this a lot, because there are changes within several years of menopause that affect the vagina and the vulva, explained Dr. Wendy Wolfman, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Toronto. Its related to a lack of estrogen and the effects of estrogen on the thickness of the vaginal wall, lubrication and even the size of the introitus (vaginal opening).

The vagina is an elastic organ and it has the capacity to stretch with sexual arousal, Wolfman said. After menopause if you dont replace some of those hormones or use your vagina, then it will actually decrease in calibre, lack lubrication and decrease in its ability to stretch.

Wolfman, who is also director of the menopause and premature ovarian insufficiency units at Mount Sinai Hospital, said that, by age 70, as many as 70 per cent of women report having some symptoms of GSM. Treatments, including lubricants for lovemaking, moisturizers for maintenance, vaginal estrogen and other medications, can address and, in some cases, even reverse these symptoms.

Thebe, for her part, decided that GSM was a factor in her apathy, so she sought medical treatment. Still, she knew it was only one piece of the puzzle. She also talked to her husband about what she was experiencing and theyve since made sex a priority.

Wolfman said a few specific things could help women navigate this new era in their sex lives, including focusing on touch and intimacy instead of intercourse, experimenting with erotic literature and seeking help from a sex therapist.

First, though, Wolfman said its important that women understand the impact that reduced estrogen can have on their sex lives. Wolfman noted that there was an increased awareness of late, thanks to a few factors, including the National Institutes of Healths Womens Health Initiative, social change, emerging research and demographics (there are currently some 10 million women over 40 in Canada), but theres still plenty of room for improvement.

You have to ask yourself why it is that there is so much silence on this topic when there are so many commercials for products or clinics to help men with sexual health or sexual dysfunction, said Janet Ko, president and co-founder of the Menopause Foundation of Canada. By contrast, theres very little discussion about the very safe and effective options available to support womens sexual health.

Womens health and sexuality, especially when it comes to older women, has always been a taboo topic, said Ko.

Its one that needs to be broken because women want to retain their vibrancy as they get older.

*Last name withheld.

SHARE:
Mothers Day seems like the unofficial kickoff to brunch season. From mid-May to September, who wouldnt want to sleep in on a weekend, then start the day with wine and eggs Benedict at a perfectly laid table with a pretty floral arrangement? Thats a bit quintessential, but still. The moment is just so  luminescent.

To help you host your own, here are five delicious drops to serve with that midday meal  starting with a new, sub-$10 wine named Brunch thats actually VQA Ontario, meaning its made from fruit grown in Ontario.

NV Brunch White Field Blend, VQA Ontario (LCBO $9.95)

The wines are the NV Brunch White Field Blend, VQA Ontario (LCBO $9.95) and the NV Brunch Red Field Blend, VQA Ontario (LCBO $9.95) with cool minimalist labels.

The NV Brunch White Field Blend is a bright, cheerful mix of Vidal Blanc and Chardonnay with a splash each of Riesling and Viognier. The result is a juicy, off-dry wash of citrusy-tropical flavour that tastes well-balanced and crisp with a relatively low 12.5 per cent alcohol. Its not complex or long. And you wont find that lovely limestone underpinning so often evident in higher end Ontario Chardonnay and Riesling. But its well-balanced, clean and good value for the money. And yes, this wine would work well with brunch. Bring on the eggs Florentine. Score: 90

The red is more interesting.

NV Brunch Red Field Blend, VQA Ontario (LCBO $9.95)

The NV Brunch Red Field Blend is a mix of Baco Noir and Cabernet Franc with a drizzle each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The fragrance is immediately engaging, calling to mind muddled blackberries and poached plums. Then, it slides in with juicy, round flavours of black forest fruit that taste ripe and saturated before suggestions of raspberry pie and black peppercorn emerge and linger. This medium-bodied red with 13 per cent alcohol is delicious  especially with peameal bacon. Score: 92

Bear in mind these two wines are not vintage dated, which means the fruit can come from any year. The vintage is the year the fruit was grown. No vintage on the label is good and bad. Its good because it lets the producer blend juice from multiple vintages for optimal balance and consistency. But its bad because consumers cant tell the wines age  and inexpensive wines taste best consumed young and fresh, within a year or two of vintage.

It also means a critics review seems evergreen, which of course it never is. The reviews above are attributable to the bottles I tasted April 29, 2023 and should be relevant for the batch I tasted for about three to six months.

An Ontario producer based in Burlington called Organic Beverage Solutions makes Brunch wines by sourcing local grapes and wine from various wineries and growers. Six hundred, 12-bottle cases of each of the Brunch wines were shipped to the LCBO in April with five thousand cases of each on standby ready to ship. So theres lots around.

Launching Brunch wines in May makes sense with Mothers Day mid-month followed by the Victoria Day long weekend. To give you more brunch wine options, here are three other new wines at the LCBO that work marvellously well with brunch  each under $16.

2022 Gloria Grillo DOC Sicily, Italy (LCBO $14.65)

From sunny Sicily comes the 2022 Gloria Grillo DOC (LCBO $14.65), an organic, Italian white with a mere 12.5 per cent alcohol being rolled out in May. Grillo is a grape variety native to Sicily that produces dry-tasting, crisp wines such as this bottle right here  loved locally with fresh fish and seafood. Gloria opens with the fragrance of sea spray, lemon zest and wet stones, and then streams in with palate-drenching goodness. Impeccably balanced, the wine tastes glossy and cool with lovely luminescence and long chalky, lemon-and-olive-pit finish. This is exactly what you want to pour with smoked salmon on bagels, freshly shucked oysters or a decadent seafood tower. Score: 93

2021 With Love Pecorino & Fave, Terre di Chieti IGT, Abruzzo, Italy (LCBO $15.95)

Also quite exciting is the 2021 With Love Pecorino & Fave, Terre di Chieti IGT from Abruzzo, Italy (LCBO $15.95). Pecorino is a native Abruzzo grape much loved by fans of Italian whites. This expression wafts with the quiet scent of lime, sliced pear and cashew nut. Then it streams in with round, mouth-filling flavours of the same along with a cool minerality that emerges and persists on the finish. Delightful, mid-weight white wine with 13 per cent alcohol. This wine works especially well with ham and cheese quiche  as well as pasta with a Pecorino cheese cream sauce, bacon and boiled fresh fava beans. Score: 92

The label also makes a great conversation piece at the table. Its a caricature of a wedge of Pecorino cheese shaking hands with a fava bean over a jug of wine. The drawing by Italian artist Riccardo Di Virgilio Mambella is a nod to love and inclusivity. He dedicates the words With Love to what he calls the most unlikely couples in our imagination and in everyday life.

Love that.

Although all the wines above are fabulous finds, sometimes the occasion just calls for a textbook, well-made Pinot Grigio. That hit of dry vinosity  all tinglingly crisp and steely-cool  is popular for a reason: You can pour it with confidence knowing its not going to call attention to itself, but it will quietly elevate everything and anything you serve with it.

2021 Lavis Pinot Grigio DOC from Trentino, Italy (LCBO $15.35)

A new wine that fits that bill beautifully is the 2021 Lavis Pinot Grigio DOC from Trentino, Italy (LCBO $15.35). It shines starbright in the glass, exudes barely-there aromas of sun-baked clay, then beams in and tastes like licking lightning. Not a lot of flavour per se but bright and clean and pure and lit, each sip flooding in with purity and balance. The finish is short, and the weight is light with just 12.5 per cent alcohol. So its an easy quencher to pour with all things brunch. Score: 92

Brunch just got better.

Carolyn Evans Hammond is a Toronto-based wine writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Wineries occasionally sponsor segments on her YouTube series yet they have no role in the selection of the wines she chooses to review or her opinions of those wines. All prices are subject to change. Please drink responsibly. Reach her via email: carolyn@carolynevanshammond.com

SHARE:
WINNIPEG - WestJet is to start new direct flights between Winnipeg and Atlanta in September with a financial backstop from the Manitoba government.

The five-times-a-week, year-round service is aimed at connecting Winnipeg with a major Delta Air Lines hub and allowing for quick connections to destinations around the globe.

Manitobans will be able to connect to more than 200 vacation destinations throughout the U.S., the Caribbean, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Premier Heather Stefanson said Thursday.

The direct, three-hour flight may also make for improved trade. Gerry Price, chief executive officer of Price Industries, said the new flights will address long travel times that have been a hurdle for American customers of his manufacturing company.

We had dozens and dozens and dozens of visits planned to our headquarters for site visits (by) engineers and contractors and owners  to witness, (and) test products that we would build here and ship there  that had to be cancelled because they cant afford a three-day trip, Price said.

The first flight to Atlanta is scheduled to depart Winnipeg at 9 a.m. on Sept. 6.

The province is offering a subsidy from a $5-million fund it first promised last year when it helped WestJet launch direct service to Los Angeles. The money is paid out if certain targets, such as passenger volumes, are not met.

So far, no money has been drawn for the Los Angeles service, Stefanson said.

Re-establishing direct flights to major American hubs such as Denver and Chicago, which were cancelled during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, is an ongoing effort, said Dayna Spiring, president of Economic Development Winnipeg.

You know, airlines have pulled out of Saskatchewan. We need to do everything we can now, as airlines are planning their schedules and figuring out whats next, to make sure were on that map, Spiring said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023

Read more about:

SHARE:
HALIFAX - Indigenous and non-Indigenous baby eel harvesters are lamenting that a long-running study on the species has been cancelled because of unlicensed, chaotic fishing.

Harvester Stanley King said illegal fishing for baby eels in Nova Scotia has prevented the annual study on the East River by commercial harvesters, the federal Fisheries Department and a non-profit group.

When poachers descend on the river, they remove these eels before they can reach our study area, so we get flawed data and it would make the stock look much lower than it really is, he said in an interview on Wednesday.

This is the great flaw of (the Fisheries Department) letting poachers act with impunity.

The federal government closed the fishery for baby eels in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for 45 days on April 15 after reports of poaching and of violence among fishers, but fishing continues. Baby eels  known as elvers  are worth more than $4,000 per kilogram; they are fished at night and flown live to Asia where they are grown for food.

Meanwhile, the Wolastoqey Nation  which also holds licences to fish the eels  says it regrets that data about the health of the baby eel population in Nova Scotia is not being recorded this season. Chief Allan Polchies Jr. of Sitansisk First Nation said he is also disappointed that the federal government hasnt provided support for a study on the health of the stocks in southwestern New Brunswick.

The lack of data being gathered to inform decisions about this fishery in Nova Scotia is problematic, but the situation is worse in Wolastoqey Territory where there is no index study at all, he said in an email.

The Wolastoqey Nation, he said, has asked repeatedly for support to establish a study that would inform decisions about the health of the fishery in its territory. It has advocated for a First Nation-led fishery with the potential participation of non-Indigenous commercial fishers pending conservation studies.

King said the study on the Nova Scotia test river began in 1996, with the objective of measuring the amount of elvers moving through the waters. The eels are caught, measured and counted before they are released to travel up the river to spawn. The study area is located about 70 kilometres southwest of Halifax.

He said the study supplies data to the federal Fisheries Department to help it estimate population abundance and compare yearly harvesting levels over time.

King has argued for weeks that Ottawa needs to significantly increase its enforcement of the moratorium so that unlicensed fishing ceases on the East River and other rivers across the province. Each day, he posts fresh pictures taken at night by hidden cameras showing fishing being carried out on the rivers.

Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray told reporters in Ottawa on Monday that the elver fishery got out of hand due to the value of the catch and the relative ease of acquiring the gear and entering the fishery. She said, however, that claims the government wasnt enforcing the moratorium were untrue, adding that fisheries officers were working with the RCMP, making arrests and confiscating product.

In 2012, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada designated the American eel as a threatened species after listing it as a species of special concern in 2006.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Indian authorities have started the process to have two Canadians extradited to face charges after four members of the same family froze to death in southern Manitoba while trying to cross into the United States, says a police officer.

Chaitanya Mandlik, deputy commissioner of police for Ahmedabads crime branch in the state of Gujarat, said authorities are looking to send Vancouver residents Fenil Patel and Bitta Singh, who also goes by Bittu Paji, to face charges in India.

We need to interview them and we need to get some more information, he told The Canadian Press.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said Wednesday extradition requests are confidential state-to-state communications.

We cannot confirm or deny the existence of a potential request until made public by the courts, Ian McLeod said in an email.

Canadian authorities found the bodies of a couple and their two children metres from the United States border on Jan. 19, 2022.

Thirty-nine-year-old Jagdish Patel, his 37-year-old wife Vaishaliben, their 11-year-old daughter Vihangi and three-year-old son Dharmik were found frozen to death near Emerson, Man.

Investigators have said they believe the deaths were linked to a human smuggling operation.

Police in India arrested Dashrath Chaudhary, Yogesh Patel and Bhavesh Patel earlier this year and charged them with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempting culpable homicide, human trafficking and criminal conspiracy, which means they could face life in prison.

Mandlik said Fenil Patel and Singh would face similar charges.

Theyre very serious charges, he said.

Its alleged Chaudhary, Yogesh Patel and Bhavesh Patel arranged for the family to land in Canada on a tourist visa. Fenil Patel and Singhallegedly took over planning and logistical support to help them cross into the United States, Mandlik said.

Canada has extradition treaties with dozens of countries across the globe, including India. But there have been few cases of people from Canada being extradited there, said one expert.

There are a number of concerns around extradition to India because the justice system has a number of problems, said Robert Currie, a professor in the faculty of law at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Theres a lot of abuse, torture and sexual assault in Indian prisons, and the government really doesnt have a handle on most of it.

If justice officials approve proceedings, an extradition hearing would take place before a judge in the province where the accused reside. The final decision to surrender would be made by the federal justice minister. Extradition processes on average can take anywhere from 18 months to three years, said Currie.

In some cases, the accused may waive an extradition hearing, which Currie said happens because its difficult to challenge an extradition in Canada.

If authorities go ahead with pursuing extradition, questions around jurisdiction come into play, said Currie.

When are countries entitled to prosecute people for things that happened outside their country?

Two RCMP officers visited Gujarat in March to gather information on the alleged human smuggling network, said Mandlik.

He added his team plans to come to Canada before the end of the year to further investigate.

We have asked for a few things from (the RCMP). We are still waiting for that information, Mandlik said. We have asked for the IP addresses from where the (tourist) application was filled and a few details about Fenil Patel and Bitta Singh.

Once the Indian authorities get that information, he said supplemental charges will be filed.

It could take up to the end of the summer or early fall to get that information, he added.

We are confident the Canadian authorities will give us that information, he said. We will make sure that they get deported.

RCMP in Manitoba would not comment on investigational steps being taken by other police agencies in other countries.

The RCMP continues to work closely with its international law enforcement partners in the United States and abroad to advance the investigations into the deaths of the Patel family, spokesman Robert Cyrenne said in an email.

Communications for RCMP headquarters would not comment on the investigation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.

SHARE:
LIMA, Peru (AP)  The chief suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway is poised to face charges linked to the young womans vanishing for the first time after the government of Peru authorized his extradition to the United States.

Neither U.S. nor Peruvian authorities on Thursday would say when they might transfer custody of Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot. A day earlier the Peruvian Embassy in Washington announced the decision to extradite him to face trial on extortion and wire fraud charges, each of which carries lengthy sentences.

Van der Sloot is in a maximum-security prison in the Andes serving a 28-year sentence for the murder of a Peruvian woman.

Holloway, who lived in suburban Birmingham, Alabama, was 18 when she was last seen during a trip with classmates to the Caribbean island of Aruba. She vanished after a night with friends at a nightclub, leaving a mystery that sparked years of news coverage and countless true-crime podcasts. She was last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot, who was a student at an international school on the island.

Van der Sloot was identified as a suspect and detained weeks later, along with two Surinamese brothers. Holloways body was never found, and no charges were filed in the case. A judge later declared Holloway dead.

The federal charges filed in Alabama against van der Sloot stem from an accusation that he tried to extort the Holloway family in 2010, promising to lead them to her body in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars. A grand jury indicted him that year on one count each of wire fraud and extortion, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Also in 2010, van der Sloot was arrested in Peru for the murder of 21-year-old Stephany Flores, who was killed five years to the day after Holloways disappearance.

Peruvian prosecutors accused van der Sloot of killing Flores, a business student from a prominent family, to rob her after learning she had won money at the casino where the two met. They said he killed her with ferocity and cruelty, beating then strangling her in his hotel room. He pleaded guilty in 2012.

A 2001 treaty between Peru and the U.S. allows a suspect to be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country. It requires that the prisoner be returned after judicial proceedings are concluded against that person, in accordance with conditions to be determined by both countries.

The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment Thursday on the extradition from Peru. A resolution published in the South American countrys federal register states that U.S. diplomats on Jan. 10 presented the temporary extradition request to Perus Ministry of Foreign Relations.

The time that van der Sloot ends up spending in the U.S. will be extended until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings, including the appeal process should there be one, according to the published resolution. The resolution also says U.S. authorities agreed to return the suspect to the custody of Peru afterward.

The extradition request indicated that an additional delay in the prosecution of the case that is being pursued in the United States of America could significantly reduce the possibility of conviction, that the ages and health conditions of the key witnesses in the case would make the prosecution would be extremely difficult if it is not carried out soon, according to a March order from Perus top court.

In a statement, the young womans mother, Beth Holloway, said she was blessed to have Natalee in her life for 18 years.

She would be 36 years old now. It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee, Beth Holloway said.

An FBI agent wrote in an affidavit that van der Sloot reached out to Holloways mother and wanted to be paid $25,000 to disclose the location and then another $225,000 when the remains were recovered. Van der Sloot requested that an agreement be drafted and signed by the mother and him.

A New York attorney representing Beth Holloway traveled to Aruba with the agreement and gave van der Sloot $10,000 in cash during a recorded meeting, according to court records. The indictment says both men then went to a site where the students remains were purportedly buried, and Beth Holloway made a wire transfer for $15,000 to van der Sloots bank account in the Netherlands.

In the affidavit, the FBI agent wrote that van der Sloot in later emails to the attorney admitted to lying about the location.

Attorney Maximo Altez, who represents van der Sloot, told The Associated Press that he would fight the decision on extradition once he received proper notification from the Peruvian government.

I am going to challenge that resolution, Altez said. I am going to oppose it since he has the right to a defense.

Van der Sloot could not immediately be reached for comment. More than a decade ago, he told a Peruvian judge that he would fight efforts to be extradited to the U.S.

The governor of Alabama praised the extradition decision and commended the persistance of Beth Holloway.

Joran van der Sloots extradition to Birmingham, Alabama  Natalees home for her 18 years  is significant, Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement. Criminals like him are deceptive and vicious. Alabama moms like Beth Holloway are stronger.

Van der Sloot married a Peruvian woman in July 2014 in a ceremony at a maximum security prison. He has been transferred from prisons in response to reports that he enjoyed privileges such as television, internet access and a cellphone, and accusations that he had threatened to kill a warden.

The announcement from the Peruvian government Wednesday marks the second high-profile extradition decision between the two countries in less than three weeks. In late April, former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo arrived in Lima after being extradited from the U.S. to face charges he allegedly received millions of dollars in bribes in a giant corruption scandal.

___

Associated Press writer Regina Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City. AP journalist Kimberly Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.

SHARE:
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville is facing backlash for remarks he made about white nationalists in the armed forces in an interview about his blocking of military nominees. He said that while Democrats may consider such people to be racists, I call them Americans.

Tuberville said Thursday that his comments had been misinterpreted. His office said he had been expressing skepticism at the idea that white nationalists were in the armed services.

The first-term senator from Alabama made his initial remarks in an interview last week with WBHM, an NPR affiliate. He suggested that the Biden administrations efforts to expand diversity in the military were weakening the force and hampering recruitment, though the Army has said that the real problem is that many young people do not see enlistment as safe or a good career path.

We are losing in the military so fast. Our readiness in terms of recruitment, Tuberville said, according to the stations transcript of the May 4 interview. And why? Ill tell you why. Because the Democrats are attacking our military, saying we need to get out the white extremists, the white nationalists, people that dont believe in our agenda.

When asked if he believed white nationalists should be allowed in the U.S. military, Tuberville responded, Well, they call them that. I call them Americans.

Responding to criticism of his comments, Tuberville said Thursday at the U.S. Capitol that he had been trying to refute the notion that all supporters of former President Donald Trump are white nationalists.

Democrats portray all Trump people as white nationalists. Thats what I was saying ... Tuberville said. Theres a lot of good people that are Trump supporters that for some reason my Democratic colleagues want to portray as white nationalists. Thats not true.

The comments came as Tuberville continued to hold up Senate approval of a slew of military appointments over his opposition to Pentagon abortion policies. Those policies provide travel funds and support for troops and dependents who seek abortions but are based in states where they are now illegal.

The White House National Security Council said it was abhorrent that Senator Tuberville would argue that white nationalists should be allowed to serve in the military, while he also threatens our national security by holding all pending DOD military and civilian nominations. Extremist behavior has no place in our military. None.

Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday on the Senate floor that Tubervilles words were gravely damaging and that senators are called to a higher standard of conduct.

Does Sen. Tuberville honestly believe that our military is stronger with white nationalists in its ranks? Schumer said. I cannot believe this needs to be said, but white nationalism has no place in our armed forces and no place in any corner of American society, period. Full stop. End of story.

Tuberville, who has endorsed former President Donald Trump in his 2024 White House bid, has faced criticism for previous comments related to race. At a Nevada rally featuring Trump, he asserted in October that Democrats support reparations for the descendants of enslaved people because they think the people that do the crime are owed that.

Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that the move to hold up all the nominations is what will actually degrade Americas armed forces.

He said that the nominations of about 650 senior officers, for jobs that generally put them in command of large, complex organizations across the military, is unsettling for the institution and over time will significantly degrade readiness, capability and morale.

___

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP

___

Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

SHARE:
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Vienna, Austria, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua)

VIENNA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had candid, in-depth, substantive and constructive discussions on bilateral ties here on Wednesday and Thursday.

The two sides held discussions on removing obstacles in China-U.S. relations and stabilizing the relationship from deterioration.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, fully expounded China's solemn position on the Taiwan question.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, Ukraine and other international and regional issues of common interest.

Both sides agreed to continue to make good use of this strategic communication channel. 
Thanks to Conservative MP Michael Chong and Chinas disturbing interest in his views, a line has now been drawn in Canadian politics  foreign threats and intimidation of our MPs will not be tolerated.

Great. Can we now talk about threats and intimidation on Canadian soil?

It has been an incredibly heated few weeks in Canadian politics, fuelled by reports that China is making it dangerous to be a politician in this country. It culminated in the recent week with the news that Chongs family in Hong Kong was in the crosshairs of the Chinese government  a development that led to the rare ejection of a Chinese diplomat from Canada on Monday.

All of this is profoundly troubling, and arguably worth the waves of outrage rolling through the hallowed halls of Canadian democracy.

But long before Chinese meddling became the current worst thing in Canadian politics, threats and intimidation  of the homegrown type  were very much an active concern for members of Parliament and their families.

Its worth asking why those rising threat levels havent sparked the kind of uproar now dominating the daily debate in the Commons.

Earlier this year, Global News laid its hands on more than 70 threat assessments prepared in 2022 for a few dozen senior figures in federal politics. As Global reported, the documents provide a glimpse into a chilling trend, with elected officials facing a torrent of violent rhetoric and intimidation tactics, fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, extremist ideologies, and a tangled web of conspiracy theories.

Last year, MPs were forced to consider whether they needed to carry panic alarms  not because of China, but because of how ugly things were here.

Justin Trudeau is the target of these threats so often that Canadians are in danger of getting complacent about them; another day at the office for this prime minister.

It wasnt long ago that Ottawa streets were awash in protesters calling for Trudeau to be deposed, or worse, and Ive not forgotten the giant poster calling for him to be hanged that protesters waved in Cambridge, Ont. during the 2021 election campaign.

Just this week, a St. Thomas, Ont. man was sentenced to 60 days of house arrest for throwing gravel at the prime minister during that campaign. The judge called it mob mentality  again, here in Canada.

Here was what Justice Paul Rouleau wrote in his report on the so-called Freedom Convoy in Ottawa in the winter of 2022. There was information before cabinet indicating a threat of serious violence for a political or ideological purpose. Ideologically motivated extremists, several of whom CSIS had identified as subjects of investigation, were present at and encouraging the protests . Certain federal elected officials and staff had been advised to stay away from downtown Ottawa for their own safety.

Pierre Poilievre wasnt then the leader of the Conservative party, and he has said he opposed any illegal activity in the convoy. Still, if he did speak out against that type of threat and intimidation of elected officials  at anywhere near the level hes been denouncing Chinese intimidation  I missed it. It was more important, Poilievre said at the time, for the prime minister to negotiate with the convoy protesters.

New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh collided with a seriously intimidating mob in Peterborough during the provincial election last year, with people calling for him to die and labelling him a traitor. It was very aggressive, very violent. It was very tense, Singh reported later.

All business in the House of Commons did not grind to a halt to absorb this shock to the democratic system, in the form of serious intimidation of a leading MP in the chamber. Political debate collectively shrugged and moved on. Again, its perilously close to being accepted that this is the price of doing business in politics when things get toxic.

No one is minimizing what happened to Chong and the real intimidation his family might be feeling, learning belatedly that what the MP was doing in Canadas Parliament could have consequences half a world away. Moreover, Chong is not the type of MP to whip up dangerous rhetoric against his political opponents  he is, in fact, a well-respected model of democratic propriety.

But the language and accusations being traded in the whole debate over Chinese interference  references to treason, for instance  feed perfectly into the toxic mill churning out threats against politicians here at home. For weeks now, parties on all sides of the House have been trying to outdo each other in their cries against foreign intimidation in political life in this country. Thats long overdue. We now await the roars of outrage for what has already been happening here in Canada, often egged on by abusive rhetoric from political players a lot closer to the action than Chinese spies and diplomats.

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:
Inaugural Tigerair flight from Taiwan touches down in Phuket

PHUKET: Airports of Thailand management and staff at Phuket International Airport (AoT Phuket) welcomed 190 arrivals from Taiwan on the first flight Tigerair to the island yesterday (May 10).



By The Phuket News

Thursday 11 May 2023, 01:54PM

Tigerairs first flight landed in Phuket on May 10. Photo: AoT Phuket

Tigerairs first flight landed in Phuket on May 10. Photo: AoT Phuket

Tigerairs first flight landed in Phuket on May 10. Photo: AoT Phuket

Tigerairs first flight landed in Phuket on May 10. Photo: AoT Phuket

Tigerairs first flight landed in Phuket on May 10. Photo: AoT Phuket

Tigerairs first flight landed in Phuket on May 10. Photo: AoT Phuket

Flight IT503 departed from the Taiwanese capital Taipei and landed at Phuket International Airport around 3:35 pm, completing the TPE-HKT route (Taoyuan International Airport  Phuket International Airport), according to AoT Phuket.

There were a total of 190 passengers onboard the flight who were greeted and bestowed gifts by representatives of Phuket International Airport.

The Taiwanese Airbus A320 left Phuket around 5pm and arrived in Taipei just after 10pm. Prior to the Phuket flight, the same aircraft had flown several times from Taipei to Bangkok and back.

After the COVID-19 pandemic ended, the Taiwanese low-cost carrier resumed flights to Bangkok before adding Phuket as a new destination. According to AoTs 2019 yearly report, Phuket was not listed among Tigerairs destinations that year.

Phuket International Airports May schedule shows 46 companies operating international flights to and from Phuket, which is lower than the number of companies in the first quarter of the year, despite the return of Chinese carriers, both low-cost and full-service.

Chinese carriers now make up around one-third of all the companies flying to Phuket from abroad.
Patong motorbike taxi driver threatens woman, fined B2,500

PHUKET: A Patong motorbike taxi driver has been fined B2,500 and ordered to attend eight hours of mandatory behaviour training for verbally abusing and threatening a woman who refused to use his taxi service.

patongpolicetourismtransportcrime

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Thursday 11 May 2023, 09:37AM

Patong Police announced the action against the driver late yesterday (May 10), following a video of the incident gaining traction on the internet.

Patong Police Deputy Chief Pol Lt Col Phum Semawanon identified the driver as Prasertchai Phothavorn, 37, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat.

The incident occurred on Rat U-Thit 200 Pi Rd at 4am yesterday.

Prasertchai had stopped to offer his motorbike taxi service, but the woman, who later asked reporters to name her only as Wilaiwan, 32, repeatedly refused.

As shown in the video clip, Prasertchai then started verbally abusing Ms Wilaiwan, unloading a slew of vulgar phrases in Thai and even threatening her.

Ms Wilaiwan later told reporters that Prasertchai had offered B70 as the fare. She declined, saying she knew the fare was only B50. Prasertchai then offered B60, but Ms Wilaiwan still refused.

At that time I was very scared. It was 4am. There were only a few people around, a couple of foreigners passed by. It was very scary, Ms Wilaiwan told reporters.

I want the police to check more strictly. because its scary. Personally, I dont know when I will see him again because he made a lot of threats, she said.

However, Ms Wilaiwan added, I dont want to do this to anyone. I dont want people to use bad words with anyone. I pity him.

Lt Col Phum said the officers easily tracked down Prasertchai after Ms Wilaiwan filed a complaint at Patong Police Station.

Through CCTV footage of the area, officers identified the license plate of the motorbike he was driving and tracked him to where he was living not far from Patong Police Station.

The accused is a native of Nakhon Sri Thammarat Province who has three children. He came to work in Phuket, Lt Col Phum said.

Prasertchai was fined for four offiences: using a private vehicle to provide taxi services; operating a vehicle with an expired drivers licence; operating a vehicle with expired road tax; and operating a motorbike without wearing a helmet.

Prasertchai admitted to the charges and was fined B2,500, Lt Col Phum said.

The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) has also summoned Prasertchai to attend eight hours of the mandatory behaviour training.
Its like living next to a NASCAR raceway.

Susan Shackleton didnt mince words when speaking about McQueen Shaver Boulevard. With two lanes of the Cambridge boundary road within 30 metres of her backyard, shes accustomed to seeing vehicles speed by her home.

The speed on that road is atrocious, she said to Cambridge city council, speaking in support of Coun. Adam Coopers motion May 9 for the Region of Waterloo to initiate measures to designate McQueen Shaver Boulevard a community safety zone.

That motion piggybacked a second motion by Cooper to request the provincial government amend a section of the Highway Traffic Act that would permit municipalities to locate Automated Speed Enforcement systems permanently or temporality on any roadway under the jurisdiction of the municipality and not restricted only to community and school safety zones.

Both motions were passed unanimously by council.

Cooper said the move comes after hearing news reports of drivers approaching speeds of 200 km/h on the long, relatively straight, 60-km/h street and regularly doubling the speed limit. The road opened for the month of July 2021 and then again in October of that year once signage and electrical work were completed, and residents have sent a steady stream of complaints to the city and regional council about getting drivers to slow down and implement noise walls.

This area is a danger, Cooper said.

You want to test your cars, you want to test your bikes, you do it there.

Shackleton said she knows the dangers all too well. She regularly watches cars speed down the road. She said it has her and her neighbours quite concerned. Her main fear is a speeding driver losing control and careening into someones backyard. She also fears for police officers, who regularly patrol the road, but dont have the shoulders to pull cars over instead of taking up the right lane. She said an officer getting out of a car could get hit by someone using excessive speed.

Michael Eccles, whose home backs onto the Franklin Boulevard extension near McQueen Shaver Boulevard, echoed Shackletons worries, saying police can only do so much and enforcement, so far, has proved ineffective.

The region has effectively built a racetrack with no stop lights, no stop signs or driveways, Eccles said.

Waterloo regional police told the Times it has targeted McQueen Shaver as part of Project E.R.A.S.E. (Eliminating Racing Activity on Streets Everywhere).

The initiative, from May 8 to 12, was to conduct extra enforcement efforts in high-complaint areas across the region.

May brings better weather, which means more cars, motorcycles and other vehicles to our roadways, said Staff Sgt. Scott Griffiths in a release.

This heightens the need to slow down, put the phone down and wear all available safety equipment.

Coun. Scott Hamilton applauded Cooper for bringing forward the motion, saying while people have known the boundary road was coming for decades, many likely didnt expect the current issues with speed, noise and vibration.

I hope this is a flare to the region and a shoutout to our colleagues at other levels of government that our residents need some help here, Hamilton said.

His comments were backed up by Mayor Jan Liggett.

I think this is a prime example of how you have to think about the consequences of the decisions that you make because it can affect people in a way that you didnt anticipate. I know we all try and do that, but this is a no-brainer, Liggett said.

Cooper added that he is hoping his motion will at least open some discussion for change with the region and province,

Wherever this goes, it could even die at the region, I dont know. But the fact is this is one hurdle down to try and solve this problem, Cooper said.



SHARE:
WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP  A man from Woolwich Township is facing trafficking charges after Waterloo Regional Police seized six firearms and associated ammunition from a home.

On Wednesday, police searched a property in the area of Katherine Street North and Lundy Road in connection to a firearms investigation.

A 42-year-old Woolwich Township man is facing charges of trafficking in firearm, transferring firearm without authority, and careless storage of a firearm.

SHARE:
KITCHENER  Kate Kamo McHugh has been on the Eastwood Collegiate Institute stage hundreds of times in her lifetime.

Acting, singing, performing  she did it all during her years in the schools arts package program.

But shes never performed in front of an audience quite like the one she saw on Thursday, when she was the keynote speaker at the Waterloo Region District School Boards inaugural Asian Heritage Day.

I just never thought, growing up, that this is something that would happen, she said. That there would be an audience full of Asian faces, and they would be watching me perform; I just never imagined that would be a possibility.

Thursday marked the public school boards first official Asian Heritage Day, with students from across the board invited to attend Eastwood for a celebration of Asian art, music and culture.

As the school boards superintendent Pam Kaur said in her opening statement, its been a long time coming.

May was officially declared Asian Heritage Month in Canada in 2002.

It is not lost on us that it is late, Kaur said on Thursday. But we are here, and we are here to stay.

Kamo McHugh was among a group of talented Asian artists to perform at Eastwood on Thursday, including hip hop artist and spoken word poet Champa; musician, poet and playwright Janice Jo Lee; and musicians Clarissa Diokno and Caleb Khuu.

After a sneak peak of her show Twenty Grains of Rice: Seeds of Reclamation, Kamo McHugh spoke about her experience researching her familys multi-generational life in Canada, asking the questions about what has been lost, and what remains.

Its a journey that has brought uncomfortable truths about her familys experience  Japanese internment camps and displacement was just something we never talked about at the dining room table, she said.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbour during the Second World War, Canada declared war on Japan. Kamo McHughs family  along with about 22,000 people of Japanese descent in British Columbia  was sent to an internment camp in the interior. More than half of the people sent to the camps were born and raised in Canada.

When her family was finally released, everything they owned had been seized and sold  a measure specifically created by the federal government to pay for the internment camps and discourage the families from returning to the coast.

With nothing left to go back to, Kamo McHughs family began a new life in Alberta.

I knew that my grandparents were born in B.C., then moved to Alberta, and then eventually came to Ontario, but I never really knew why that was, she said. So, if I had given this presentation five years ago, I would have talked about growing up as a racialized person in Elmira, but I wouldnt know how to talk about why I am the way I am.

Her message to the students is one she wishes she heard when she was still in high school: take the time to talk to your family, speak with your elders, and learn about who you are.

She wasnt the only one returning to the Eastwood stage on Thursday.

The boards mental health lead, Gwyneth Le-Phuong gave the celebrations closing remarks, talking about the significance of returning to the high school and seeing how things are changing.

When I entered into this space, it really took me back to my teenage self, she said. I used to walk the halls aimlessly throughout the space not really forming many connections; not seeing adults that looked like me, searching for my identity, searching for something that felt right.

Today, it feels like Ive gone full circle.

SHARE:
WATERLOO REGION  Sun worshippers will have more choice this winter with Flair Airlines announcement that it will begin flying from Waterloo Region to the Dominican Republic in December.

The discount carrier plans to announce Thursday that it will launch twice-weekly flights from the Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) direct to Punta Cana International Airport, starting Dec. 15.

Daily service to Punta Cana begins from Toronto Pearson at the end of October, with twice-weekly flights also being offered from Ottawa beginning Nov. 1.

Were excited to launch flying to the Caribbean from Kitchener-Waterloo and to Punta Cana, said Flairs president and chief executive officer Stephen Jones in a statement.

There havent been flights from YKF to Punta Cana since before the pandemic. The receptivity to Flair from K-W customers to sun destinations has been strong, so were adding new options.

Jones called expansion into the Caribbean an important part of our growth strategy.

The airline says one-way fares, including fees and taxes, will begin at $149, with limited seats and availability for those fares.

The new route puts Flair in direct competition with Sunwing Airlines at YKF; its website lists seasonal weekly flights to Punta Cana, as well as to Varadero, Cuba, starting in December.

Flair already flies south from Waterloo Region to Cancun, Mexico, and seasonally to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando-Sanford in Florida, and is launching service to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, this fall.

The new Punta Cana route comes as Flair has juggled its schedule after four of its planes were repossessed in March in a leasing dispute. Plans to expand its Canada-wide fleet to 30 aircraft this year were scaled back to 21 planes.

The airline suspended flights to Edmonton from Waterloo Region, and had already stopped flying to Montreal.

But its also starting service this year to Abbotsford and Kelowna in British Columbia, Charlottetown and Deer Lake, Nfld., in addition to existing flights to four other Canadian cities.

Despite topping the current Canadian Transportation Agency list of Canadian airlines with the most customer complaints, Flair released April statistics this week that found 74.1 per cent of its flights were on time.

Flights arriving within 15 minutes of their schedule are considered to be on time.

The airline also reported a load factor  the percentage of seats occupied by paying customers  of 90.3 per cent for April, with nearly 395,000 passengers booked.

The flights are full at the moment, Jones said during a recent visit to the Breslau airport. So were not needing to convince people to fly Flair.

Since first setting up shop in Waterloo Region in 2021, Flair has helped grow passenger volume at the airport to record levels. Last year, 375,000 passengers used the airport, more than double the previous high.

With files from Jeff Outhit

SHARE:
Firefighters work at the site of an explosion in Milan, Italy, May 11, 2023. At least one person was injured after a violent explosion occurred in the center of Milan, Italy on Thursday, local media reported. (Str/Xinhua)

ROME, May 11 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was injured after a violent explosion occurred in the center of Milan, Italy on Thursday, local media reported.

According to national RAI News, a fire broke out after the explosion of a van carrying oxygen cylinders in the Porta Romana area, engulfing at least four parked vehicles and a few nearby buildings.

A building and a nursery school near the blaze were evacuated and authorities cordoned off the area as firefighters were dousing the flames. Videos posted on social media showed crowds spilling out of buildings and into the streets amid plumes of dark smoke rising into the air.

The injured person reported so far was the driver of the exploded van.

Police vowed to conduct an investigation into the initial explosion, though one official said there were no immediate indications of foul play. 

A burnt building is seen in Milan, Italy, May 11, 2023. At least one person was injured after a violent explosion occurred in the center of Milan, Italy on Thursday, local media reported. (Str/Xinhua)

Firefighters work at the site of an explosion in Milan, Italy, May 11, 2023. At least one person was injured after a violent explosion occurred in the center of Milan, Italy on Thursday, local media reported. (Str/Xinhua)

Firefighters work at the site of an explosion in Milan, Italy, May 11, 2023. At least one person was injured after a violent explosion occurred in the center of Milan, Italy on Thursday, local media reported. (Str/Xinhua)
WATERLOO REGION  Erica Shelley wants to save the world by first saving the bees.

The founder and chief executive officer of the startup Best for Bees Ltd. has a PhD in molecular medical genetics. For years, she was researching colorectal cancers and DNA  an ambitious young scientist bent on finding a cure for cancer.

But it was her hobby as a beekeeper that sent Shelley on a completely different path that could have a much larger impact on the future of humanity.

Honeybees are among the most efficient pollinators. Pollination must occur for plants to produce fruit and seedlings.

Trees are pollinated by honeybees, and trees take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to produce oxygen.

Bees make the planet livable for humans, said Shelley. Its crazy  people dont understand how important bees are.

She quickly learned that up to 80 per cent of beehives in North America are destroyed every year by parasitic Varroa mites. So, the former cancer researcher invented small cones that attach to the outside of a hive box.

The bees are forced to use certain cones to enter a hive, and a different set of cones to exit. When passing through the entrance cones, the bees pick up the medication placed there by their keeper, and take it inside the hive, eliminating mites from the hives.

In an unexpected bonus, the cones also protect the honeybee hives from hornets, wasps, skunks, field mice and other predators.

Shelley started a consulting business to help beekeepers.

By March 2021, she founded Best for Bees Ltd., and joined the Waterloo Accelerator Centre. In April, the startup sent out customized plans to each client that explains the threats honeybees face in their specific location, and how to protect their hives.

Bee Protect clients use the startups reporting program to record 40 points of data from each hive  nearby crops, pesticides, rain, snow cover, temperatures, frost and parasites, among other information.

Best for Bees's special cone-shaped entrance prevents predators from getting into hives, and protects the bees from killer mites. David Bebee, Waterloo Region Record

That data is used for the monthly bee health plans. Threats and conditions vary greatly from one area to another.

Down in Niagara Region, they deal with something called small hive beetle, and here in Kitchener we have not seen that yet, said Shelley.

There are an estimated 250,000 honeybee hives in North America and 101 million worldwide.

Best for Bees Ltd. has signed up 900 clients so far in North America, who pay a monthly fee to receive the monthly health plans. The startup plans to build a $300,000 software platform that can collect the data from clients around the world.

Within two years, we plan on moving into Europe, which has a bigger market, and spreading worldwide is our long-term plan, said Shelley.

Honeybees are an indicator species  tiny canaries in a coal mine, said Shelley. Climate change is wreaking havoc on ecosystems big and small, and data from honeybee hives can help beekeepers better prepare for the changes.

We are seeing disease and pests that we have never seen before, said Shelley. If we dont figure out a way to start dealing with these issues now, there is a potential in the future that our food security wont be there.

Shelley wants to use honeybees as bio-sensors.

We can use bees to predict how long a winter will last, we can predict what crops will work well in certain areas, so there is a lot of information that can be gained from the bees about the health of the world, said Shelley.

How all of this is interconnected is important.

In February, Bee Protect Ltd. had a booth at the annual beekeeping conference in Tennessee  the biggest gathering of its kind in North America.

Some master beekeepers told her the data she was collecting could have huge impacts on the worlds bee population.

With that platform we can potentially make huge gains in terms of the environment, food security and even predict the best places to plant crops, said Shelley.

The implications are huge in terms of where we started and where we are now.

SHARE:
LONDON, ONT.  Charges against a Waterloo elementary school principal accused of luring underage girls on the internet are making their way through the courts, with the next date set for June 15 in a London courtroom.

Phillip Sallewsky is accused of allegedly using an online website and social media to contact teenage girls.

On Thursday his lawyer Laura Ellis appeared virtually in London on the first court date. It was unclear via Zoom whether Sallewsky was in the courtroom.

Sallewsky was arrested after an investigation involving police in London, Toronto and Waterloo Region.

The presiding justice ordered a publication ban Thursday on any information that could identify victims or witnesses.

Police say a 55-year-old man sent sexually explicit messages and images to girls he believed to be under 16.

Under the usernames Sam and Chuck, the man used an online website and Snapchat to contact the girls.

On April 30 the man had arranged to meet one of the girls. Police arrested him in Burlington and he was taken to London to be charged.

Sallewsky now faces 17 charges related to child pornography and luring persons under 16 years of age. Sallewsky is principal of Northlake Woods Public School in Waterloo.

The board said at the time of his arrest that Sallewsky had been assigned to home and was not able to be on Waterloo Region District School Board properties or access WRDSB communication tools.

 With files from Cheyenne Bholla

Paige Desmond is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on municipal issues for The Record. Reach her via email: pdesmond@therecord.com

SHARE:
WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP  A Woolwich Township church is one of two Ontario churches seeking to appeal a decision on COVID-19 gathering restrictions to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announced in a release Thursday that Trinity Bible Chapel, its lead pastor Jacob Reaume and other church members are joining Pastor Henry Hildebrandt and the Aylmer Church of God in seeking permission to appeal.

In March, Ontarios highest court dismissed an appeal by the two churches that claimed the restrictions unreasonably infringed on their freedoms.

Both churches were charged with contravening COVID capacity restrictions on religious gatherings in late 2020 and early 2021.

Indoor capacity limits ranged from 10 people to a percentage of room capacity, such as 15 or 30 per cent, while outdoor limits ranged from 10 people to no limit but with physical distancing.

We are optimistic that the Supreme Court of Canada will see the national importance of the issues raised in this case and hear our appeal, the churches representative, Rob Kittredge, said in the release.

We maintain that the religious gathering restrictions imposed by the province of Ontario went further than what was necessary to manage the spread of Covid in the province.

RELATED STORIES Waterloo Region Court dismisses Woolwich churchs appeal of ruling on COVID restrictions

SHARE:
Amid steadfast opposition from some trustees, Hamiltons public school board is increasing commission payments to private agents who recruit international students to study at its schools.

Agents presently receive a 15 per cent commission on the $14,500 international student tuition, which is set to increase by $350 in September, but only for the first year of study.

New commission rates approved by trustees by a 6-4 vote at their May 8 board meeting will now also pay agents 10 per cent in year 2 and five per cent in year 3, starting in the 2024-25 school year.

Superintendent Gerry Smith told trustees the additional commission payments will match those at other school boards and create more sustainable partnerships with the Hamilton boards 41 agents, who are vetted by a provincial association as well as the board.

Were finding out that without some parity, our ability to retain students long term will be impacted, he said.

But trustee Todd White, who opposed the change, said hes never supported the sale of public education internationally and is troubled by a business model where agents are profiting greatly while the board barely covers program costs.

At an April 13 finance and facilities committee meeting, trustees were told the equivalent of two full-time employees are dedicated to the program, which needs 250 students to break even  above the current 133, a number affected by the pandemic.

White said hes concerned the program has never hit the 250-student mark and the board only gets a couple of hundred bucks more than the $12,500 provincial grant it would receive for a regular student once the first-year commission is paid.

We potentially are in a position where this program will lose money and well be in the red, he said. Its been my belief with a program like this we should at least break even.

Trustee Elizabeth Wong said although staff has done a fantastic job with the program, she cant morally support giving more money to agents because it feeds into the system of exploitation of international students, who often face other hidden fees.

I think that there is a lot of shady things that happen behind the scenes for students who pursue education here in North America, she said. For the communities that I have, it would be such a slap in the face if I actually voted yes for this.

But Trustee Maria Felix Miller, the lone supporter of the commission changes to speak to the issue, said the board has a very rigorous vetting process for agents.

Its not that we just want to give away a bunch of tuition, its that what were trying to do as a system is establish relationships with very reputable agencies, she said. We have very high standards for the agents that we do accept to work with.

RELATED STORIES Hamilton public school trustees split on international student commissions

Miller said its also imperative to highlight that about a quarter of international students apply directly to the board, so those recruited by agents arent the whole picture when assessing potential program costs.

I believe it was highlighted (by staff) that if we actually kept someone to do this work year round, we would be at a much larger deficit, in terms of sustainability for this one program, she said.

Miller, Kathy Archer, Becky Buck, Amanda Fehrman, Ray Mulholland and Paul Tut backed the commission changes, while White, Wong, Sabreina Dahab and Graeme Noble were opposed. Board chair Dawn Danko was absent.

Trustees unanimously supported a motion asking staff for an annual update on the program as part of the boards budget process.

SHARE:
Hamilton police are urging those responsible for arson at a Carlisle recreation facility to come forward.

In a media release, police said just after midnight on April 15, emergency services were called to a fire at the Carlisle Community Centre on Centre Road.

A fire was found on the roof of the building, with damage from the blaze estimated at around $100,000, according to a press release.

Police believe a male and a female, both in their late teens and with thin builds, were responsible for setting the fire.

Investigators described the investigation as fluid, noting that they are encouraging those responsible for the fire to seek legal counsel and turn themselves in.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Const. Shaun Fennessy by calling 905-540-3819.

To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit tips online at crimestoppershamilton.com.

SHARE:
A 43-year-old Hamilton man has pleaded guilty to obstructing police for lying in an interview with a homicide detective about his connection to a man accused of killing 31-year-old Marko Bakir.

Mark Buzzelli was initially charged with accessory after the fact to murder when he was arrested Oct. 27, 2022. In court Wednesday, that charge was withdrawn in exchange for a plea of obstructing police. Following a joint submission by the defence and prosecution, Ontario Court Justice Martha Zivolak handed Buzzelli a suspended sentence with 12 months probation.

Bakir was shot three times in the driveway of his home on Clifton Downs Road on the west Mountain around 8:15 p.m. Nov. 22, 2018. He was later found by a neighbour and pronounced dead.

According to an agreed statement of facts read by assistant Crown attorney Amber Lepchuk, Hamilton police believe Bakir loaned his friend Alessandro (Gino) Giammichele $100,000 in September 2018 with the understanding that Giammichele would invest the money.

Giammichele failed to make interest payments and when Bakir started asking for his money back the relationship became hostile, court heard. Police believe that when Bakir threatened to expose the financial issue to Giammicheles father and uncle, Giammichele allegedly arranged for Abdelaziz Ibrahim to shoot Bakir.

Buzzelli was the second most called number on Giammicheles phone, Lepchuk said, adding that on the night of the murder Giammichele called Buzzelli right before his phone turned off around 6:44 p.m. After the murder, Buzzelli was the first person he sent a text message to at 9:26 p.m.

On April 16, 2019, Buzzelli was interviewed by Det. Rich Wouters. He claimed not to remember Giammicheles name and said he didnt know the man well. He appeared nervous and was sweating, court heard.

The truth was Buzzelli had actually let Giammichele stay with him for a few days after the murder and later visited Giammichele in the Dominican Republic, where the accused killer stayed until returning to Ontario in May 2019.

Phone records showed Giammichele texted Buzzelli two days after his April 2019 interview asking how it went, Lepchuk said.

Buzzelli was later interviewed again by Det. Troy Ashbaugh in March 2022 and confessed to lying in his first statement. Buzzelli told police that Giammichele at some point confessed to the shooting and also dropped off a black handgun in a gym bag at his house for a few nights, Lepchuk said.

Both Ibrahim and Giammichele were charged with first-degree murder in May 2022. Giammichele remains in custody. The charges against him have not been proven in court.

Ibrahim, an apparent hit man who was also charged in two unrelated fatal shootings in York Region and Brantford, died in jail in August 2022.

Buzzellis lawyer Jeff Manishen told the court his client was born in Toronto and raised in Hamilton and Burlington. His family is supportive.

He took some music courses at Mohawk College and then a pre-firefighting course at Seneca College. He worked in the firefighting field for a private company in Grand Prairie, Alta., before running into difficulties there and returning to Ontario. For a time, he worked security at Solid Gold, a strip club in Burlington. Buzzelli has a dated and unrelated criminal record, court heard.

When he was first interviewed by police it was an extremely stressful situation and he lied, Manishen said. But he later chose to provide police with details.

Buzzelli spent about 20 days in jail before being released on bail. Since then, hes made positive steps, Manishen said. This includes securing a job working as a homebuilder.

These are serious matters and need to be dealt with in a serious disposition, Zivolak said in sentencing Buzzelli.

She noted that the sentence could be categorized on the low end of what is appropriate. But given the facts and the plea, its appropriate. Buzzellis probation conditions include keeping the peace and no contact with Giammichele.

The preliminary inquiry in Giammicheles case is scheduled to begin next January and no trial dates have been set.

Nicole OReilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com

SHARE:
At 102 years old, Ruby Reichheld will soon have to find a new place to live.

Reichheld moved into the retirement home at Anson Place Care Centre in Hagersville five years ago.

The centenarian will be on the move again this fall, after she and 19 other residents were told they have to vacate their rooms by September because the company is shutting down the 41-bed retirement home on the main floor.

Anson Place became nationally known in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when an outbreak of the virus inside the facility killed 27 residents in less than a month. The Hamilton Spectator file photo

Reichhelds son, Rob Ferguson, said the news came out of the blue during a May 4 meeting for residents and caregivers chaired by Linda Calabrese, senior vice-president of operations with Responsive Management Inc., whose subsidiary, Rykka Care Homes, operates Anson Place.

Attendees had no inkling of what they were about to learn and not everyone had family members there, said Ferguson.

So some of these residents, in their senior years, faced this information on their own, he said.

They were told there was no money to be made on the retirement floor  (the company) couldnt make money at the rates they were charging.

The long-term care facility on the second floor, with a capacity for 61 residents, is to remain open, said Nicola Major, vice-president of communications with Responsive Group Inc.

After conducting a thorough review of the long-term viability of Anson Places retirement operations, we came to the difficult decision to close the retirement section of the home, Major said in an email to The Spectator.

The 20 retirement residents, their families and our team members were informed late last week, and we anticipate the retirement operations will wind down in early September.

Ferguson was surprised when no written notice of the change followed the meeting, especially as he is his mothers power of attorney.

This is quite a stressful situation for my mother and other residents like her, Ferguson wrote in an email to Calabrese, who assured him residents would be helped through the change.

We understand how upsetting this is for all, Calabrese wrote.

The plan is to meet with residents one on one to give them the necessary information and assistance.

Major told The Spectator no residents will be evicted before finding a new place to live.

Our priority is to ensure every resident finds a new home, and we have a team of people who will be working closely with residents and their families, Major said.

It is important to note that the transition process for the residents to a new home will take precedence over any specific timeline.

Compounding the challenge for current Anson Place residents is the dearth of retirement home spaces locally. Leisure Living Retirement Home in Jarvis recently sent a representative to Anson Place to make a presentation to residents.

Ferguson said his mother was stoical upon learning she would have to move.

She is already on the waiting list to move to the long-term care floor at Anson Place, but Ferguson said the family had not counted on having to convince her of the necessity quite yet.

I take her out for breakfast. We go for walks. She dresses herself, makes her own bed. Pretty good for 102, Ferguson said, adding his mother is of sound mind and takes care of herself except for baths and meals.

Shes doing remarkably well on her own, and wed rather keep it that way for her as long as possible, he said.

Ferguson is frustrated that Anson Place received provincial funding last year  $401,000 to hire more staff, with plans announced in April 2022 for 68 new and 60 upgraded beds  only to turn around and close the retirement home.

It is unclear how the retirement home floor will be used once all residents have moved out. Ferguson had heard a rumour the company was going to convert the single rooms into double-occupancy long-term care rooms, but Major said that is not the case.

There are no plans to redevelop or convert the retirement home area, she said.

Anson Place executive director Lisa Roth was not available for comment.

Anson Place became nationally known in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when an outbreak of the virus inside the facility killed 27 residents in less than a month.

Reichheld tested positive during the outbreak, but recovered.

Now her son worries that moving out of her perfect single room into long-term care could prematurely hasten her decline.

Because shes going to have to share with someone else that may need a lot more support, in a room thats maybe no bigger than the one she has now, Ferguson said.

It is a disruption, quite a bit, and might accelerate her passing.

J.P. Antonacci s reporting on Haldimand and Norfolk is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. jpantonacci@thespec.com

SHARE:
Expect delays, especially during busy travel times: The Ministry of Transportation has scheduled 16 closures in Hamilton on May 11, 2023 for roadwork on Highway 403, Highway 407 ETR, Highway 6 and Queen Elizabeth Way.

Highway 403 eastbound between Highway 24 / Rest Acres Road and Oak Park Road / Brant Road 27, Brantford: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 6 p.m.

Highway 403 westbound between Highway 407 and Highway 407, Burlington: two alternating lanes closed until May 12 at 6 a.m.

Highway 403 westbound on-ramp at Brant Street, Burlington: all lanes closed until May 12 at 6 a.m.

Highway 403 westbound on-ramp at Queen Elizabeth Way Toronto, Burlington: all lanes closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Highway 407 ETR eastbound on-ramp at Queen Elizabeth Way Niagara Bound, Burlington: all lanes closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Highway 407 ETR eastbound on-ramp at Queen Elizabeth Way Niagara Bound, Burlington: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 11:59 p.m.

Highway 6 northbound between Highway 5 and East Flamborough Township Con. 5 East, Hamilton: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Highway 6 southbound between East Flamborough Township Con. 5 East and Highway 5, Hamilton: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Highway 6 southbound between Millgrove Sideroad / 6th Con. Road East and Highway 5 / Clappisons Corners, Hamilton: one right lane closed until May 12 at 3 p.m.

Queen Elizabeth Way Fort Erie bound between Guelph Line and Fairview Street / Plains Road, Burlington: one left lane closed until May 12 at 6 a.m.

Queen Elizabeth Way Fort Erie bound between Millen Road and Glover Road, Hamilton. OPP-assisted full closure for 15 minutes. from May 11 at 11:59 p.m. until May 12 at 4 a.m.

Queen Elizabeth Way Toronto bound between Brant Street, Burlington and Bronte Road, Oakville: one left lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Queen Elizabeth Way Toronto bound between Glover Road and Millen Road, Hamilton. OPP-assisted full closure for 15 minutes. from May 11 at 11:59 p.m. until May 12 at 4 a.m.

Queen Elizabeth Way Toronto bound between Highway 403/407 and Highway 403 / 407, Burlington: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Queen Elizabeth Way Toronto bound between Walkers Line and Burloak Drive, Burlington: one left lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Queen Elizabeth Way Toronto bound between Woodward Avenue, Hamilton and Burlington Skyway, Burlington: three right lanes closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Have further to travel? Highway closures for planned roadwork outside Hamilton

About this story

This story was automatically generated using open data from Ontario 511. These closures are scheduled for short-term or emergency repairs and maintenance of provincial highways around Hamilton, including Burlington, Stoney Creek, Flamborough, Ancaster, Dundas and Glanbrook. The disruptions may be intermittent or ongoing and can change due to weather, emergencies and other factors.

SHARE:
(Bloomberg)  Perrigo Co.s over-the-counter Opill gained a key recommendation from US regulatory advisers, paving the way for the birth-control pill to get clearance to be sold without a prescription.

Members of two Food and Drug Administration advisory committees voted 17-0 in support of using the progestin-only pill without a prescription, citing studies that support consumers ability to use the pill properly and touting its public health benefit. The agency isnt required to follow its advisers recommendations, but often does.

Reproductive rights advocates have long argued that the prescription-only system creates unnecessary barriers to access and that oral contraception should be available without a prescription, as it is in more than 100 other countries. If the FDA chooses to approve Opill for over-the-counter use, it will become the first daily, non-prescription oral contraceptive in the US, removing a substantial barrier to access many Americans have faced.

The members voted to support non-prescription use even after the FDA staff said the company didnt address Opills effectiveness among women who are overweight or obese, health conditions that have become increasingly common in the US since Opills initial approval via prescription in 1973.

Recent approval of hormonal contraceptives have shown that efficacy may be decreased as much as 40% in females with increasing BMI, said Anandi Kotak, medical officer in the division of urology, obstetrics and gynecology at the FDA.

The pill is a $100 million opportunity for Perrigo and the shares look increasingly compelling, wrote JPMorgan analysts led by Chris Schott in a note to clients. They rose as much as 5.9% as of 2:05 p.m. in New York. The decision is a new, groundbreaking chapter in reproductive health, Perrigo chief executive officer Murray Kessler said in a statement.

Weight Concerns

About 60% of reproductive-aged Americans are overweight or obese, according to the latest data from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Alison Edelman, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Oregon Health & Science University, was part of a team that studied how the pill performed at baseline and what happens if a dose is missed or taken late.

In those studies, Opill performed consistently in individuals of varying weight/BMI including those with an overweight or obese BMI, according to Edelman, who called the results reassuring.

Progestin-only pills like Opill are safe in most people, which makes them a great option for over-the-counter use, Edelman said. People who have or had breast cancer or are pregnant shouldnt take them, she said.

Access to reproductive health care has come under increasing threat. Last month a Texas federal judges decision threatened to restrict nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone, a decision almost immediately followed by a conflicting ruling from a federal judge in Washington state who instructed the government to preserve access to the pill. The Supreme Court eventually stepped in and ultimately decided to leave the medication on the market while the legal battle played out.

HRA Pharma, Perrigos unit that makes the drug, sought FDA approval for an over-the-counter version last summer after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, curbing access to abortion in some parts of the country. That meeting was postponed until May because the agency wanted more information from the company.

The company expects that the FDAs final decision will come by the end of summer in the US. Advocates, including Free the Pill project director Victoria Nichols, called on the FDA to follow the committees recommendation.

It is past time for an over-the-counter birth control pill, which has the potential to advance reproductive justice and expand health equity, Nichols said in a statement. The days of the current prescription requirement are numbered.

With assistance from Fiona Rutherford.

2023 Bloomberg L.P.

SHARE:
ADEN, Yemen, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A high-ranking Egyptian military delegation arrived in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Thursday to meet with officials from Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC).

Rashad Al-Alimi, chief of the PLC, received the visiting Egyptian delegation led by Major General Mohamed Ismail Abdel Fattah in Aden, reported the state-run Saba news agency.

During the meeting, the Yemeni leader emphasized the strong bilateral ties between Egypt and Yemen, highlighting Egypt's steadfast support for Yemen and the PLC.

The Egyptian delegation also discussed with officials from the PLC and other senior military officials, including Yemeni Minister of Defense Mohsen Al-Daari.

Saba did not specify the purpose of the Egyptian delegation's visit which comes days after Yemen's defense minister visited Cairo "to discuss issues of mutual concern."

Yemen has been embroiled in a years-long military conflict after the Houthi militia took control of several northern cities and ousted the Saudi-backed Yemeni government from the capital Sanaa in 2014. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened militarily in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government in 2015.

The United Nations has been working to broker a political solution to the conflict, but previous attempts have failed due to a lack of trust between the warring parties and continued violence on the ground.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in a staggering number of casualties and has pushed the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of a humanitarian crisis, including widespread famine. 
TORONTO - Shares in CI Financial Corp. soared after it announced a deal to sell a 20 per cent stake in its U.S. wealth management business to a group of institutional investors for about $1.34 billion.

Shares in the company were up $5.61 or nearly 45 per cent at $18.11 in early trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

CI is selling the stake in the business to a group including a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Bain Capital, Flexpoint Ford, Ares Management funds, the State of Wisconsin and others.

The company plans to use proceeds from the sale to reduce debt.

CI had started a process for an initial public offering for its U.S. wealth management business late last year, because it believed its share price did not reflect the value it had created for shareholders across both its Canadian and U.S. businesses.

CI chairman William Holland says the transaction announced today creates substantial value for shareholders and represents an attractive alternative to the IPO of the U.S. business.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.

Companies in this story: (TSX:CIX)

SHARE:
In a 2002 interview with Roger Ebert, the great Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki was asked about the moments of stillness that punctuated his films: the contemplative pauses that allowed his characters  and the audience  to catch their collective breath in between the plot points. We have a word for that in Japanese, Miyazaki explained amicably. Its called ma. Emptiness. Its there intentionally.

Empty is probably the last word one would use to describe the films Miyazaki has written, produced and directed under the banner of his Tokyo-based company studio Ghibli for the past 40 years.

Taken on a frame by frame basis, the filmmakers proudly hand-drawn output rivals anything in contemporary world cinema for intricacy, detail and imagination. Miyazakis worlds overflow with verdant landscapes and fabulous objects and creatures: moving castles, luminous sea goddesses, anthropomorphic public transit.

But there is nevertheless something spacious about their style that underlines the concept of ma while gently rebuking the freneticism of most North American family films  even those made by Pixar, whose brain trust holds Miyazaki in godlike reverence.

Even for Gen-X parents who came of age with Nintendo, sitting through a noisy, pandering exercise in brand extension like The Super Mario Bros. Movie can feel like a tour of duty; the most truthful moment in that film comes when a minor character cheerfully yearns for death as release from shimmering video-game purgatory.

At best, Mario is a victory lap around a sprawling stretch of intellectual property. While Ghiblis films have often performed like blockbusters, theyre artworks, not product, reaching beyond formula toward something ineffable.

If Miyazakis work has a signature image it may be that of 10-year-old Chihiro, the intrepid heroine of 2002s sublime coming-of-age fable Spirited Away, seated silently next to a hooded, benign spirit on a seaside ghost train headed into some other, ephemeral realm. Its an instantly indelible tableau conjoining weightless enchantment with a precise and everyday sense of boredom: its somehow familiar and mysterious, like the memory of a dream.

Spirited Away is one of several Miyazaki masterpieces screening this spring as part of TIFF Bell Lightboxs POP Japan series, which also includes spotlights on the jazzy, surrealistic crime films of the directors countryman Seijun Suzuki and a survey of several seminal anime titles aimed primarily at adolescent audiences.

Both Spirited Away and 1988s My Neighbor Totoro arrive at TIFF festooned with unlikely laurels, having recently cracked the British Film Institutes decennial poll of the top 100 movies of all time  the only animated titles on the list, and each in their way sterling examples of Miyazakis ability to filter elements of native culture through larger, global fairy-tale archetypes.

Like Spirited Away, Totoro unfolds subliminally as a riff on Alice in Wonderland in which a lonely child is granted access to a magical realm somewhere between absurdism and allegory. The poetry of the work lies in the plain, matter-of-factness of the magic, which eschews convolution for Carroll-like simplicity. There, huffs a kindly, wizened witch in Spirited Away, after suddenly turning another character into a mouse. Your body matches your brain.

In 2013  the same year he released the majestic period epic The Wind Rises, a sweetly fictionalized biopic about aeronautical engineer Jiro Horikoshi  Miyazaki invited a documentary crew inside the walls of Studio Ghibli to document his process: a dream for fans and contemporaries alike. The documentarys title, The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, is worthy of Shakespeare; the portrait that emerges is of a benign, emperor-like figure whose dedication to his craft is both exhaustive and exhausting.

Miyazaki was 72 at the time of filming and carries himself with a good-natured world-weariness that occasionally slides into existential despair. Im a man of the 20th century, he says at one point. I dont want to deal with the 21st.

On a practical level, Miyazakis joke signifies a septuagenarian technophobes refusal of computer-generated tools and techniques. But it also hints at the deep-seated connection to the textures  and values  of the past that account for Miyazakis supremely controlling sensibility, which privileges perfectionism over efficiency. Like no less than Walt Disney, Miyazaki seeks to recreate the world in his image, but hes less interested in dominance; not only are his movies more subtle and elusive than the bulk of Disneys animated output, hes made few enough of them to dodge charges of formula.

The relationship between the two animation giants has always been fraught; in his 1996 book Starting Point, Miyazaki wrote that Disneys movies showed contempt for the audience, while in 1997, Miyazakis producer Toshio Suzuki reportedly sent a samurai sword to Harvey Weinstein  who was overseeing the U.S. release of the epic fantasy Princess Mononoke as part of an international distribution deal with Disney  accompanied by a note reading, simply, no cuts: Harvey Scissorhands, as the producer was known, was not amused.

I defeated him, Miyazaki said of Weinstein in 2010, a victory that signifies an even more heroic dimension 13 years later.

Later this summer, Miyazaki will release his first directorial effort since The Wind Rises, entitled How Do You Live? and inspired by (though not based on) a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino. In 2018, Suzuki told media that Miyazaki was working on the film as a present for his grandson: its (Miyazakis) way of saying Grandpa is moving on to the next world, but hes leaving behind this film.

In Spirited Away, Chihiro gazes straight at us as shes being ferried away from her world and into the unknown: we become a mirror for her stillness and her curiosity. Like the greatest artists, Miyazaki doesnt just show us beautiful things: he teaches us how to look and also how to see.

POP Japan runs until June 27 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto.

SHARE:
Tsegay Msgun Fitwi had waited 15 years to reunite with the wife and three children that he left behind in Eritrea.

His spouse, Rahiel, and their sons, Saymon and Yuel, now 20 and 18, as well as daughter Yorkabiel, 15, had an appointment at the Canadian visa post in Sudan last month to pick up their travel documents. They were to take a flight on May 16 to join him in Canada.

On April 15, two days before the appointment in Khartoum, war broke out between the Sudanese government and a paramilitary group. Now, Fitwis family is among thousands of refugees without shelter or food near the border of South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011.

They cant return to the violence in Khartoum, where all foreign diplomats have already left, nor are they allowed to proceed to South Sudan as refugees with no documentation.

They are at the mercy of all the elements, said Fitwi. Thank God they escaped Khartoum, but they have been in the wilderness for two weeks. Theyre barely eating. Theyre hot during the day, cold at night.

Theyre depleted, exhausted. It is the rainy season and there is malaria where they are. It is one ordeal after another.

Fitwi left persecution at home in 2008 for Israel and only came to Canada as a sponsored refugee in January 2022 after years of processing.

According to the latest United Nations Refugee Agency statistics, Sudan hosted 1.1 million refugees, one of the largest refugee populations in Africa, including 126,000 Eritreans who have fled from a repressive regime and widespread poverty.

Like Fitwi, who was sponsored by his cousins here, many Eritreans in Sudan have connections to Canada, which the latest census says is home to more than 36,300 Eritreans, many resettled here as privately sponsored refugees.

Since the civil war broke out in Sudan on April 15, the Eritrean-Canadian community has raised the alarm over the plight of the refugees who are caught between a rock and a hard place. Many who have a sponsorship application for a loved one have contacted immigration and foreign affairs officials for help.

They dont know where to go, said Rahel Abera, vice-chair of the Eritrean Canadian Community Centre in Toronto, herself a privately sponsored refugee who came here in 2009 via Sudan.

Many of the sponsorship groups have already raised the money and got a settlement plan in place. They should not be waiting any longer. The Canadian government has opened the door for Ukrainians. They should do the same for Eritreans.

The Eritrean community centre has contacted Immigration Minister Sean Fraser and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, urging them to address the plight of the stranded Eritreans by evacuating the people in Sudan whose cases were already complete and expediting processing for remaining Eritrean refugee files there.

Since many of the Eritreans will relocate or already relocated to Uganda or Ethiopia, its also asking the federal government to fast-track the transfer of their files to their current host country and help them resettle without further delay.

Fitwi has been working in a factory since he came to Canada a year ago and his supporters have raised more than $75,000 for the settlement of his family. In April, he secured a two-bedroom apartment in Guelph in anticipation of the arrival of his wife and children.

He was hoping for a three-bedroom but it was unaffordable, said his cousin, Menbere Gabre-Selassie. He didnt have a single furniture when he left his old apartment so he has furnished everything, beds, living room and dining room furniture, kitchenware. Everything is newly purchased.

This twist of fate is almost incomprehensible. We want them here as soon as possible, but right now were not even thinking about when they are going to arrive in Canada. All were asking is for their safe passage from where they are. Theyre saying, Were going to perish. Were going to die. Its extremely urgent.

Senait Tesfay Weldegergishs brother, Bereket, fled Eritrea for Ethiopia in 2020 before arriving in Sudan last year to complete the processing of his private refugee sponsorship to Canada. He, too, was supposed to board a flight next week that has since been cancelled.

She said her 27-year-old brother and another family of five were both supposed to arrive in Toronto next week via Turkey. He fled Khartoum for South Sudan by bus on April 28 during a small ceasefire window.

Its so difficult to reach him. He has no shelter, nothing. He cant travel. He doesnt have a passport. Hes a refugee, said Weldegergish. We waited for a long time and were very happy that he was going to join us. Its very difficult.

Since May 1, Canada has started a special policy to issue fee-exempted temporary resident permits to family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have left Sudan since the conflict started in mid-April. However, only spouses and children are eligible.

According to a report by The Associated Press, the death toll from the ongoing clashes in Sudan has reached 604 people, with more than 5,100 people wounded and nearly 700,000 newly displaced.

SHARE:
High Park will remain closed to vehicles on weekends and holidays while city staff work on a plan to eventually ban private vehicles altogether from the landmark greenspace popular with pedestrians and cyclists.

Toronto city council voted 18-7 Thursday for the compromise plan after fierce debate in which opponents called it a radical war on the car measure despite the fact that park users will see only minor changes in the short term.

City staff will go in and start making physical changes so that cars and pedestrians and cyclists arent bumping into each other, and do the technical work so that we can get, in a few years, to a completely car-free High Park, said Coun. Gord Perks, whose ward includes the park. He proposed the successful motion.

The plan includes new separated bike lanes in some places and changes to parking including additional family priority spaces and others for people with mobility challenges.

Perks noted conflict in High Park triggered calls ranging for a permanent vehicle ban to no vehicle restrictions. His council opponents, he said, are stuck in a world that hasnt existed in 50 years  where people could drive freely to wherever they want to go.

At High Park, there are just too many people trying to get in there to accommodate all of the cars so we needed a better path that fit with our Vision Zero and climate goals.

Full closure to vehicles wont happen until city council debates it in the future.

City staff noted that a parking lot at the edge of the site remains open, that WheelTrans vehicles will continue to access roads through the park seven days a week, and that they are looking at options for shuttles to help people move around after private vehicles are prohibited.

Councillors rejected a staff suggestion to increase vehicle access by replacing the current weekend ban with one only on Sundays.

Coun. Stephen Holyday (Ward 2 Etobicoke Centre) branded the plan another example of war on the car by activists who want to create a change for the sake of a change.

Coun. Anthony Perruzza (Ward 7, Humber RiverBlack Creek), a candidate in the June 26 mayoral byelection, who held a campaign event at High Park shortly before the council debate, failed to convince his colleagues to open the park to vehicles seven days a week.

Calling himself an avid cyclist who loves slipping into his Spandex, feeling tight all over, the Ward 7 Humber River-Black Creek representative said he thinks any restrictions on drivers in High Park is hate for cars  its ideological.

Gords gold with council

With no contention at all, council overwhelmingly voted to proclaim Nov. 17 Gordon Lightfoot Day, in honour of the birthday of the beloved folk singer. Staff will also look into building a statue of Lightfoot.

Gardiner East continues as planned

After hours of debate, it ended with what one chirpy councillor called much ado about nothing. Coun. Josh Matlow and Coun. Amber Morley made passionate speeches in favour of requesting staff to update the costs of the Gardiner East rebuild and cost out alternatives and Coun. Brad Bradford and Coun. Jon Burnside retorted by pointing out of the cost of further delay and the flaws in a boulevard option. Looming over it all, is the mayoral election.

Matlow and Chow have said theyd use savings from changing the current plan to fund urgent city needs. Bradford has said hed speed up construction to get it done sooner. Former councillor and current mayoral candidate Ana Bailao lauded council support for her plan to ask the province to take on the costs of the Gardiner and the DVP  though that request was ultimately killed by the final council vote.

Hanlans Point recognized

And to applause, council unanimously voted to recognize over eight decades of queer history, community at Hanlans Point Beach and the surrounding area on the Toronto Islands. Earlier this year, advocates raised concern about the citys plan for the Island and the possibility of a large event space that would make it less welcoming for the LGBTQ community.

You can look at a lot of stuff that is happening in the world right nowacts of bigotry and discrimination towards queer people. And part of that comes from our inability to say that we deserve to have a place here, said Travis Myers, who was in the council audience and is a spokesperson for advocacy group Hands Off Hanlans. This is the beginning of some change.

Councillors also voted unanimously for staff to continue design work on a busway to replace the Scarborough RT after it closes this fall and until a subway extension opens in seven years or more.

The TTC said it will find money to fill a $2.9-million gap it previously cited as an impediment, but has not identified a way to pay $55 million in construction costs after it is designed.

with files from Alyshah Hasham

David Rider is the Stars City Hall bureau chief and a reporter covering city hall and municipal politics. Follow him on Twitter: @dmrider

Read more about:

SHARE:
Toronto Public Health issued two conditional passes to restaurants, cafes, bakeries, bars and grocery stores on May 9.

Fun Chinese Food at 4750 Yonge Street received a conditional pass with three major infractions:

Fail to protect food from contamination or adulteration

Fail to provide thermometer in refrigeration equipment

Maintain potentially hazardous foods at internal temperature between 4 C and 60 C

Hero Certified Burgers at 291 York Mills Road received a conditional pass with four major infractions:

Fail to ensure equipment surface cleaned as necessary

Fail to provide handwashing stations with adequate supplies (hot and cold water)

Store potentially hazardous foods at internal temperature between 4 C and 60 C

Fail to equip sanitary facility with single service towels or dryer

A conditional pass is issued when at least one infraction presents a significant health risk, and a closure is ordered when at least one infraction presents an immediate health hazard. Both outcomes trigger an additional inspection within 48 hours. Failure to comply with Torontos DineSafe program can result in fines, court summons and other enforcement action.

Miss a DineSafe roundup? Find out which restaurants recently made the list

About this story

This story was automatically generated using open data from the City of Toronto. The Toronto Star has no role in collecting, reviewing or analyzing this data, and makes no representations or endorsements about any food premises, or the products or services offered by a food premise. Readers should review any municipal disclaimers located at the citys open data portal.

SHARE:
Toronto police have closed their investigation into John Fisher Junior Public School, saying they found no evidence that staff engaged in the hate-motivated, forcible confinement of a 6-year-old student.

The boys mother alleged that her son had been the victim of anti-Black racism and was involved in dozens of incidents at the school in the Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue neighbourhood. The police probe looked into specific allegations that the boy had been isolated in a closet-sized room in an administrators office as punishment and that hateful messages had been written on a desk.

The schools principal, vice-principal and a teacher have been on paid home assignment since the allegations were made public in March. They will not return until the conclusion of a third-party investigation by the Toronto District School Board into all complaints.

Meanwhile, the TDSB had to recently pause that investigation after the Childrens Aid Society gave the board notice that it was looking into the incidents. The school board automatically notifies police and the Childrens Aid Society whenever there are serious allegations against staff involving students.

We recognize that this has been, and continues to be, a difficult time for students, staff and families  especially those directly involved who deserve a prompt resolution, said board superintendent Roni Felsen. Please know that once given the go-ahead to do so, the external investigator who has been retained will work to complete the investigation as soon as possible.

Robin Parker, the lawyer representing the school principal said her client was shocked at the allegations. While we knew she would be fully vindicated, to be publicly accused in this way was very difficult for someone who has spent her life in the service of others through public education

The John Fisher community has a great deal of work to do in order to heal from these difficult events.

As part of the police probe, dozens of people were interviewed including the student, his family, teachers and parents, and the findings were reviewed by the Hate Crime Unit and by the Ministry of the Attorney Generals Hate Crime Working Group.

Although we understand these allegations are upsetting, the thorough and consultative investigation undertaken by the service found no evidence to support the laying of charges, said police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer.

The boys mom did not respond to the Star, but advocacy group Parents of Black Children supplied a statement saying they are profoundly disappointed in the inadequate investigation conducted by the Toronto Police Services ... It is abundantly clear that an anti-Black racism lens was not utilized in conducting this investigation.

The fact that the justice system has not caught up to addressing very real instances of inhumane treatment anchored in anti-Black racism in no way invalidates the experience of the child and family involved.

Faridah, whose last name the Star is not publishing to protect the identity of her son, said there had been 48 incidents at the school stretching back to last September when she was allegedly told her son was not smart enough for French Immersion, was falling behind his peers and should move to an English-only program.

The boy was switched to another Grade 1 teacher. But Faridah said she continued to be barraged by complaints from school staff about her sons behaviour, including that he would not sit still, was picking his nose and mimicking the school secretaries. Her son allegedly spent hours sitting in the principals office, including an 11-day stretch, she said.

In January, Faridah put a digital recorder into her sons pocket in order to capture a record of how he was navigating his environment and in case anything went wrong.

A few days later, her son reported he had been forced to sit alone in a closet, which is an audio-visual room where the morning announcements are made.

Faridah provided what she claimed was audio proof of her sons treatment to Parents of Black Children, which demanded a meeting with administrators and visited the childs classroom. Following that, the TDSB announced it had learned about reports of serious acts of anti-Black racism at John Fisher, and issued an apology to the boy and his family.

The board removed the principal, vice-principal and a teacher from the school  not as disciplinary action, but to allow for a proper investigation, board spokesperson Ryan Bird said at the time.

It has been a tumultuous year to say the least, said Dhruv Jain, a parent with a child in the affected classroom. Its been very difficult for the children to have their teacher placed on such a long home assignment, without a chance to say goodbye, without any clear explanation of why he was placed on home leave in the first place.

Parents circulated a petition expressing support for the teacher and calling for the investigation to be conducted in a fair and timely fashion for all three staffers. It also demanded an in-person, all-school meeting to allow parents to provide background information that is pertinent to the case.

Khushroo Bhandara, whose twins, now in Grade 3, were previously taught by the teacher on home assignment, said the petition garnered more than 120 signatures but there has been no response from the board.

John Fisher, which has 325 students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6, is an inclusive and friendly school, said Bhandara. To lose our principal, VP and a treasured teacher has been devastating for the schools morale.

Janet Hurley is a Toronto Star journalist and senior writer covering culture, education and societal trends. She is based in Toronto. Reach her via email: jhurley@thestar.ca

SHARE:
A 34-year-old Toronto man has been arrested and charged in a homicide in Etobicoke.

On Wednesday police say they were called to the Manitoba Street and Legion Road North area at around 4:30 a.m. for unknown trouble.

Residents called condo security to report hearing a violent interaction and a subsequent loud bang. Security attended the scene and located the woman.

Emergency services attempted life-saving measures, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kadeem Robinson was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

He is scheduled to appear in court on May 11.

The identity of the victim has yet to be released.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

With files from Kelly Skjerven

TG Thea Gribilas is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: tgribilas@thestar.ca

SHARE:
Peel police have postponed a press conference where they were going to announce details of Project Pacific, a human trafficking investigation.

It was originally scheduled for Thursday morning at 10 a.m. Peel police say a new date and time will be made available in the coming days.

The investigation resulted in the rescue of several human trafficking survivors. Charges were laid, along with drugs and property seized.

SHARE:
QUITO, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso will appear before the National Assembly to defend himself in an impeachment trial for alleged embezzlement, Government Minister Henry Cucalon announced Wednesday.

"The head of state will go to the National Assembly to defend his position and prove the truth," Cucalon told local television network Ecuavisa.

"The president has not committed embezzlement. So far, they have not been able to prove it because the evidence does not exist," he said.

On Tuesday, the assembly voted to hold the trial following opposition charges that Lasso embezzled public funds from a public-private sector contract for transporting crude oil.

Lasso, who will complete two years in office in two weeks, could be ousted with the votes of two-thirds of the 137-member National Assembly, or 92 lawmakers. 
The exasperation in Justice of the Peace Ann Walkers voice said it all.

This is not sustainable, she said from the bench. Its just not sustainable.

It was now past 5 p.m. on Tuesday in Courtroom 204 at the new Toronto regional bail centre and tensions were running high.

The Crown attorney had been working since 7:30 a.m. and was exhausted. The clerks were set to end work at 5:30 p.m. And there were still multiple people in custody waiting for their bail cases to be dealt with  including people the Crown was agreeing should be released, subject to conditions.

You can hear our language, Walker said to lawyers appearing via Zoom. Were having trouble even speaking and getting terms correct because of the exhaustion.

The courtroom was having to juggle the bail matters from the jurisdictions of two courthouses that had recently shut down as part of the amalgamation of Torontos provincial courts. The Ontario Court of Justice decided that Courtroom 204 would hear cases from the former courthouses in both North York and Scarborough.

Theyve merged two courts together and its just not something that is reasonable, Walker said.

A bail hearing typically takes place shortly after a person has been arrested, when a justice of the peace decides whether they should be kept in jail or released into the community  usually with conditions  until their criminal charges have been dealt with in the courts.

Among the cases that had to be put over for another day on Tuesday were four consent releases  cases in which the Crown is prepared to agree to the persons release.

Those individuals  who, like everyone else in bail court, are presumed innocent  had to spend a night in jail solely because there wasnt enough time to reach their case.

This is the first time in my life that Ive ever put over consent releases, Walker said, adding the outcome bothers me a lot. She said the cases would be added to the following mornings docket with priority.

We know that these people are in custody and liberty lost is liberty never regained, she said. At the same time, something has to change, and if we keep enabling the system to do what its doing, things are not going to change.

Court finally adjourned just after 6 p.m., after having sat until 7 p.m. on Monday. This is a systemic issue, Walker said. Its not proper. We need help.

The Ontario Court of Justices operations in Toronto have been plagued by delays and staffing shortages since the province began amalgamating the citys criminal courthouses in March.

The union representing duty counsel  legal-aid-funded lawyers who can assist unrepresented accused persons  says the bail courts are now routinely sitting late into the evening, and that Tuesday was not the first time consent releases had to be put over.

The problems have raised questions about whether criminal charges will end up being tossed over violations of a persons constitutional rights. They have also raised concerns that long days could lead to mistakes at a time when the bail system is under increased scrutiny.

In response to the Stars queries, the Ontario Court of Justice said that to support planning for the new bail centre, the court decided to combine some courtrooms in consultation with justice participants, but provided no further reasoning.

The court said it was concerned that consent releases were not reached and that we will be having discussions with the Ministry of the Attorney General to reduce the risk of this happening again.

The ministry said it couldnt comment on remarks made in court, saying it continues to work with the judiciary and others to identify any necessary improvements as we move forward.

With the amalgamation almost complete, nearly all adult bails in the city are now dealt with at the old 2201 Finch Ave. W. courthouse, near Highway 400, which has been renamed the Toronto regional bail centre.

Theres not enough staff, not enough courtrooms, and the wrong decision can be made, said Dana Fisher, local vice-president of the Society of United Professionals, which represents duty counsel.

Meanwhile, almost all criminal cases are now heard at the new downtown mega-courthouse on Armoury Street, which has been hit by multiple courtroom closures each week due to staff shortages attributed to burnout, inadequate pay, and a refusal to commute downtown due to the time and cost.

The Ford government, which is responsible for funding and staffing the courts, has described the bail system as broken, but for different reasons. The province recently announced over $100 million for police to better monitor potentially dangerous people on bail, and for prosecutors to handle complex bail hearings.

Attorney General Doug Downeys office did not return the Stars request for comment about the problems at bail court, nor did it answer previous requests regarding courtroom closures at the new downtown courthouse.

On Tuesday, duty counsel Kayvan Vakili said in Courtroom 204 that applications under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms need to be filed to toss charges so that the minister of justice understands the absolute chaos theyve created in what theyve done here.

Crown attorney Rita Koehl flagged that she and a colleague had been at work since 7:30 a.m.

I am exhausted, as I believe Your Worship is, Koehl said to Walker, and Im certain the clerks and the court reporter are as well. Mistakes are made when we sit this late.

Fisher questions whether its even legal for a person to spend a night in jail when the Crown is prepared to consent to their release. The Criminal Code says a person should typically not be detained unless the Crown can show why they should remain in custody.

If the only reason theyre not being released is because theres not enough time to listen and write down the terms and conditions, then the Crown obviously has not shown cause for why this person should be detained, she said.

So whats the legality of holding the person in custody?

And its not just consent releases that are impacted; trying to schedule a contested hearing has also proven to be difficult.

Toronto lawyer Rocco Achampong was in court every day this week trying to schedule his clients hearing, only to be told each time  after waiting for hours  to come back the next day.

He told the Star that delays not only impact the accused person but also disrupt the lives of others who take time off work to show up at court to be a surety  the person who ensures that the accused will abide by their bail conditions. Being at court for hours each day also takes him away from his other clients matters, he said.

Something is fundamentally broken, and it could happen to any of us, because no one gets special treatment, rich or poor, no one is put ahead of the other, Achampong said of the backlog of bail cases.

This is an all-society mess that we need to deal with immediately.

Jacques Gallant is a Toronto-based reporter covering courts, justice and legal affairs for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @JacquesGallant

SHARE:
York Regional Police are relaunching Operation Beehave after several calls for service at Canadas Wonderland.

Operation Beehave was initially launched in July 2022 after a series of swarming-style robberies and other crimes occurred. Officers deployed as part of Operation Beehave will investigate reports of disruptive behaviour in the Canadas Wonderland area and in surrounding parking lots and plazas.

Criminal charges may be laid if warranted, said police in a news release Thursday.

Earlier this week a number of arrests were made at Canadas Wonderland after multiple fights broke out between the parks young guests.

Although officers did investigate the violence at Wonderland and escorted some guests out of the park, no charges were laid, York police confirmed.

On May 6, a number of guests were removed from the park due to unruly behaviour and altercations, said Grace Peacock, director of communications for Canadas Wonderland, in a written statement.

Many of these incidents were posted to social media.

In one TikTok video uploaded to the platform by user @rkayyy_, Wonderland security along with uniformed police officers could be seen putting two teens in handcuffs. The teens lay stomach-down on the ground, before officers lead them away from the large crowd comprised mostly of young bystanders.

We have zero tolerance for this kind of behaviour as the safety of our guests and associates is always our top priority, Peacock said.

With files from Mahdis Habibinia

TG Thea Gribilas is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: tgribilas@thestar.ca

SHARE:
Plan your trip before youre in your car: The Ministry of Transportation has scheduled 32 closures in Simcoe on May 11, 2023 for roadwork on Highway 11, Highway 26, Highway 400 and Highway 89.

Highway 11 northbound between Anchor Drive and Anchor Drive, Severn: one alternating lane closed until May 13 at 9 a.m.

Highway 11 northbound between Highway 12 North Junction / Coldwater Road, Orillia and Sundial Drive / Carlyon Line, Severn: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 10 a.m.

Highway 11 northbound between Laclie Street, Orillia and Townline Road 12-13,: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 6 a.m.

Highway 11 northbound between Laclie Street, Orillia and Townline Road 12-13,: one right lane closed until May 11 at 3 p.m.

Highway 11 northbound between Line 15 / Memorial Avenue / Simcoe Road 49, Oro Medonte and Highway 12 South Junction / Old Barrie Road East, Orillia: one alternating lane closed until May 19 at 11:59 p.m.

Highway 11 northbound between Line 3 / Shanty Bay Road and Line 5, Oro Medonte: one right lane closed until May 11 at 3 p.m.

Highway 11 northbound between Simcoe Road 93 / Penetanguishene Road, Oro Medonte and Laclie Street, Orillia: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 6 a.m.

Highway 11 northbound between Simcoe Road 93 / Penetanguishene Road, Oro Medonte and Townline Road 12-13,: one left lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Highway 11 southbound between Anchor Drive and Anchor Drive, Severn: one alternating lane closed until May 13 at 9 a.m.

Highway 11 southbound between Laclie Street, Orillia and Simcoe Road 93 / Penetanguishene Road, Oro Medonte: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 6 a.m.

Highway 11 southbound between Line 2 and Simcoe Road 93 / Penetanguishene Road, Oro Medonte: one right lane closed until May 11 at 3 p.m.

Highway 11 southbound between Sundial Drive / Carlyon Line, Severn and Highway 12 North Junction / Coldwater Road, Orillia: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 10 a.m.

Highway 11 southbound between Townline Road 12-13, and Laclie Street, Orillia: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 6 a.m.

Highway 11 southbound between Townline Road 12-13, and Laclie Street, Orillia: one right lane closed until May 11 at 3 p.m.

Highway 11 southbound between Townline Road 12-13, and Simcoe Road 93 / Penetanguishene Road, Oro Medonte: one left lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Highway 26 eastbound between Side Road 27-28 Notawassaga and Side Road 27-28 Notawassaga, Clearview: one alternating lane closed until May 13 at 7 a.m.

Highway 400 northbound between 5th Line and Highway 88, Bradford: one right lane closed until May 11 at 8 a.m.

Highway 400 northbound between Canal Road, Bradford and Highway 93 / Penetanguishene Road / Simcoe Road 9, Springwater: one left lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Highway 400 northbound between Canal Road, Bradford and Mapleview Drive, Barrie: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Highway 400 northbound between Duckworth Street, Barrie and Severn River Bridge, Tay: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Highway 400 northbound between Dunlop Street / Simcoe Road 90 and Highway 26 / Bayfield Street, Barrie: two alternating lanes closed until May 13 at 6 a.m.

Highway 400 northbound between Highway 11 Jct, Springwater and Severn River Bridge, Tay: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 6 a.m.

Highway 400 northbound between Mapleview Drive, Barrie and Highway 11 Jct, Springwater: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 6 a.m.

Highway 400 southbound between Highway 11 Jct, Springwater and Mapleview Drive, Barrie: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 6 a.m.

Highway 400 southbound between Highway 26 / Bayfield Street and Dunlop Street / Simcoe Road 90, Barrie: two alternating lanes closed until May 13 at 5 a.m.

Highway 400 southbound between Highway 88 and 5th Line, Bradford: one right lane closed until May 11 at 5 a.m.

Highway 400 southbound between Highway 93 / Penetanguishene Road / Simcoe Road 9, Springwater and Canal Road, Bradford: one left lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Highway 400 southbound between Mapleview Drive, Barrie and Canal Road, Bradford: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Highway 400 southbound between Severn River Bridge, Tay and Duckworth Street, Barrie: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 5 a.m.

Highway 400 southbound between Severn River Bridge, Tay and Highway 11 Jct, Springwater: one alternating lane closed until May 12 at 6 a.m.

Highway 89 eastbound between Simcoe Road 27 / King Street / Cookstown and Highway 400, Essa: one right lane closed until May 11 at 3 p.m.

Highway 89 westbound between Highway 400 and Simcoe Road 27 / King Street / Cookstown, Essa: one right lane closed until May 11 at 3 p.m.

Have further to travel? Highway closures for planned roadwork outside Simcoe

About this story

This story was automatically generated using open data from Ontario 511. These closures are scheduled for short-term or emergency repairs and maintenance of provincial highways around Barrie, Innisfil, Bradford and Orillia. The disruptions may be intermittent or ongoing and can change due to weather, emergencies and other factors.

SHARE:
Good morning. This is the Thursday, May 11 edition of First Up, the Stars daily morning digest. Sign up to get it earlier each day, in your inbox.

Heres the latest on Bruce McArthurs record, Canadas response to the fall of Kabul and the mayoral byelection.

DONT MISS:

Before the murders, serial killer Bruce McArthur was labelled very low risk

Newly released probation documents reveal that in the years before Bruce McArthur became one of Canadas most notorious serial killers, he was deemed a stable person who posed a very low risk. The assessment came a few years after a 2001 incident in which McArthur hit a man with a metal pipe  the first known crime he committed before the murders began in 2010. It was only after a four-year freedom-of-information request and a successful appeal to Ontarios privacy commissioner that the records were released. Wendy Gillis reports on the documents and why their release is an important win for transparency.

Context: Toronto police received intense criticism for their handling of disappearances from the Gay Village over nearly a decade. In 2021, an independent review found serious deficiencies in their work on the case, including investigative and systemic failures that resulted in police losing important opportunities to identify (McArthur) as the killer sooner.

The victims: McArthur was convicted in 2019 of eight counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Andrew Kinsman, Selim Esen, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Dean Lisowick, Skandaraj (Skanda) Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi and Kirushnakumar Kanagaratnam.

An internal report reveals the Trudeau governments blunders during the fall of Kabul

The federal governments response to the 2021 collapse of the Afghan government left many lessons to be learned, an internal document released to the Star says  though it concluded that overall, Canada did as well or better than allies with a similarly small footprint in Afghanistan. What marred the process? A failure to anticipate the rapid advance of the Taliban, poor policy and operational planning, and a lack of political direction and co-ordination from a Liberal government in election mode. Tonda MacCharles outlines Canadas response to the Talibans takeover and how it could have been better.

By the numbers: The report hailed the fact that Canada airlifted 3,000 people out of Kabul as evacuations by countries with a similar footprints and capabilities in Afghanistan evacuated from a low of 1,100 (Norway) to a high of over 5,300 (Germany).

Go deeper: Decisions around who to evacuate are being characterized as opportunistic and not necessarily optimized, in part due to Canadian officials being flooded with names of Afghans at risk from outside stakeholders, combined with the chaotic environments in Ottawa and on the ground in Kabul.

Takeaways from the first debate of the mayoral byelection

Five mayoral candidates  Mark Saunders, Anthony Furey, Anthony Perruzza, Mitzie Hunter and Brad Bradford  faced off Wednesday night in the first byelection debate to include high-profile challengers. The West Queen West Business Improvement Association hosted the event and focused on issues affecting small businesses, which ultimately spurred talking points on traffic solutions and lowering costs. Ben Spurr reports on seven major takeaways from the night.

More: Josh Matlow, Olivia Chow and Ana Bailao did not attend, but none of the candidates present took the chance to criticize those who didnt show up by name.

Interactive: Whos going to fix Torontos traffic woes? Who has a plan for housing? Use our tracker to see what the mayoral candidates are promising.

The latest: Brad Bradford is under fire for a campaign TikTok using womens TTC horror stories

WHAT ELSE:

We should be outraged about China. But why dont we care about Canadian death threats against politicians?

The Alberta NDP says a newly uncovered video of Danielle Smith is concerning for public hospitals.

Goodbye yellowbelt: Toronto council says multiplexes can be built citywide.

These 10 surprising facts complicate everything when it comes to working from home.

Paintings mysteriously popped up on poles along a Toronto street. Whats behind the guerrilla art gallery?

Her daughters said she couldnt recreate their favourite Hong Kong noodle soup. Then she made it even better.

Fighting deportation, an accused GTA mob boss says hes a victim of anti-Italian ethnic profiling.

Police say a teen died after attempting to climb on top of a moving subway train earlier this month.

Does the onset of menopause equal a life sentence of no sex? These women get real  and prove it doesnt have to.

Hayao Miyazaki values perfectionism over efficiency, art over product. It makes him a visionary  and a lonely hero.

In BlackBerry Matt Johnson finds gold in the rise and fall of the best phone in the world.

Live Nation is offering $25 concert tickets for thousands of Canadian and U.S. shows.

POV:

We face a critical moment in the fight against trans and queer hate campaigns. Where is the federal government?

CLOSE-UP:

OTTAWA: Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, with MP Marie-France Lalonde and Families Minister Karina Gould, unveils the new Canadian passport design at the Ottawa International Airport Thursday. Take a look at the new artwork and security features.

Thank you for reading First Up. You can reach me and the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca

Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.

Read more about:

SHARE:
There have been a few cracks in the predictable pattern of Republican-controlled states loosening gun laws while Democratic states tighten them. But its far too soon to say the GOP is changing direction even amid a record-setting pace for mass killings in the United States.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, is sticking by his plan to call a special legislative session on gun control. Lee had asked lawmakers to pass a bill allowing judges to take away guns from people who the judge thinks pose an imminent threat to themselves or others. Lee shies away from calling his plan a red flag law, which he calls a toxic political label.

And two Republicans in a Texas legislative committee broke ranks to advance a bill that would raise the purchase age for semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21.

We cannot assume that gun safety is not possible in states led by Republicans, said Allison Anderman, who tracks state legislation for the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which favors more restrictions.

Still, a quick Republican turnaround is unlikely after decades of making gun rights a party cornerstone. Top GOP lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott oppose the Texas bill, while Lee has faced resistance from Tennessee Republicans. Nearly half the states have passed legislation this year related to gun policies or school safety, an Associated Press survey found. The bills are split roughly equally between Democratic-led states tightening gun restrictions and Republican-led states expanding gun rights.

Heres whats happening:

A FLURRY IN MICHIGAN

A Democratic takeover of both houses of the Michigan Legislature, combined with Gretchen Whitmer winning a second term as governor, has led to seven gun-related laws getting passed. Those include expanding background checks to all sales and requiring secure storage of guns. Whitmer is expected to sign legislation later this month so that people who are an imminent danger to themselves or others could have their guns confiscated, based on a judges decision.

She told supporters last month when signing some bills to buckle up, were going to continue this work.

Democrats in Minnesota are also trying to push through a red flag law and expanded background checks, attaching them to a budget bill on Wednesday.

GUN CONTROL FRUSTRATION

Unlike in Michigan and Minnesota, supporters of stricter gun laws in many Republican-controlled states are voicing frustration. Georgia Democrats, for example, filed 16 bills to tighten gun laws this year. The only bill that got a committee hearing was received with hostility by Republicans and gun-rights supporters.

Democrats renewed their push following a shooting this month at an Atlanta doctors office that killed one and wounded four others, with 71 Democratic House members signing a letter asking Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to call a special session. But Kemp and other Republicans are laying low. If anything, gun rights supporters expect a further loosening of laws in Georgia.

PERMITLESS CARRY

Among the states staying pro-gun are Florida and Nebraska, which have become the latest Republican-controlled states to let people carry a concealed handgun without a permit. Permits and usually a background had once been required to carry a concealed handgun in public in every state but Vermont. With the votes in Nebraska and Florida, 26 states have now repealed such requirements since 2011. Florida's law takes effect July 1. Nebraskas law takes effect Sept. 10.

Of the remaining 23 states without broad permitless carry laws, only Louisiana, South Carolina and North Carolina seem ripe for expansion. While Republican lawmakers in North Carolina earlier overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to allow people to but a handgun without getting a permit from a local sheriff, a top Republican has effectively quashed legislative efforts to let people carry a concealed handgun without another type of permit.

The permitless carry effort also appears stalled in South Carolina, while outgoing Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has opposed a broad expansion in his state.

REACTING TO THE SUPREME COURT

Some states have passed new limits on where residents can carry guns, reacting to last years U.S. Supreme Court decision saying Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense and that officials cant broadly deny gun permits. In Hawaii, where it had been virtually impossible for a civilian to legally carry a loaded gun in public, lawmakers are seeking to prohibit people from carrying guns in places including hospitals, stadiums, movie theaters, bars or restaurants serving alcohol, public libraries, schools and beaches.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLES

Demands to ban semi-automatic rifles have been bubbling up among gun control advocates. Washington became the 10th state to ban sales of semi-automatic rifles including AR-15s and AK-47s. The measure, sought by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, passed after multiple failed attempts. Anyone who already has such a rifle can keep it. Opponents have already sued to strike it down. A similar proposal failed in Colorado after lawmakers passed a series of narrower gun control measures, showing that the measure doesnt have universal support among Democrats.

BLOCKING ENFORCEMENT

Kentucky in April became the latest state to declare itself a Second Amendment Sanctuary. The bill, which became law without Democratic Gov. Andy Beshears signature, seeks to ban state and local law enforcement from helping enforce any federal laws or regulations enacted on guns, ammunition and accessories since Democratic President Joe Biden took office. Any officer who did so would be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to being fired.

A federal judge in March struck down a similar law in Missouri as unconstitutional, ruling state and local police can help investigate federal firearms crimes and enforce such laws.

SUING GUN MAKERS

Colorado, Washington and Hawaii have passed laws making it easier to sue gun manufacturers and sellers. The Washington law, for example, requires reasonable controls in making, selling and marketing weapons. That includes not selling guns to people known to be dangerous or to straw buyers who might buy weapons on someone elses behalf. It allows the state or private parties, such as relatives of victims, to sue over violations and win damages.

___

Associated Press reporters David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to this report.

SHARE:
The U.S. Senate voted narrowly Thursday to overturn two Biden administration policies intended to protect endangered species.

Senators called for reinstating a rule adopted under former President Donald Trump but rescinded by the Biden administration that limited which lands and waters could be designated as places for imperiled animals and plants to receive federal protection.

They also proposed dropping a 2022 federal designation of the northern long-eared bat as endangered.

Earlier this month, the Senate voted to undo federal protections for the lesser prairie chicken, a rare grouse found in parts of the Midwest and Southwest.

The actions, backed mostly by Republicans, represent rare congressional involvement in matters usually left to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The Endangered Species Act tasks those agencies with deciding which animals and plants to list as endangered or threatened and how to rebuild their populations.

President Joe Biden threatened to veto the resolutions, which await action in the House.

We are in the midst of a global extinction crisis for which the chief driver is the destruction, degradation, and loss of habitat, a White House statement said.

A 2019 United Nations report said about 1 million species are in danger of extinction, with losses accelerating up to hundreds of times faster than before.

The Biden administration last June withdrew a Trump definition of habitat that environmental advocates said was too narrow to provide essential protection. Supporters said it would give landowners incentives to help troubled species while securing property rights.

Restoring the Trump habitat definition, the White House said, would severely limit federal agencies ability to help troubled species survive and recover.

Senators backed a resolution to reinstate the definition, 51-49. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Wyoming Republican and its chief sponsor, argued that uncertainty about what qualifies as habitat lowers property values and hampers crucial infrastructure projects.

Two-thirds of all endangered species are located on private lands, Lummis said. For these species to be recovered, private landowners must be part of the solution and not treated as the enemy.

Joining Republicans in voting for reinstating the Trump definition of habitat were Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Independent Angus King of Maine, who often caucuses with Democrats.

The Trump rule was among several steps his administration took to scale back or alter endangered species policies, including lifting blanket protections for animals newly listed as threatened and setting cost estimates for saving species. Biden ordered a review of his predecessors environmental rulemaking shortly after taking office.

Under the 1973 law, federal agencies cannot fund, permit or take actions that would destroy or severely damage critical habitats. It doesnt restrict activities on private land unless government approval or financial support is involved.

The Trump rules habitat definition was unclear, confusing and inconsistent with the conservation purposes of the law, the Fish and Wildlife Service and Marine Fisheries Service said previously.

It prevented agencies from selecting areas that dont presently meet a species needs but might in the future as a result of restoration work or natural changes, they said. Global warming is expected to alter many landscapes and waters, attracting species that migrate from places no longer suitable for them.

The Fish and Wildlife Service declared the northern long-eared bat endangered last November, raising its status from threatened. It is among 12 bat types hammered by white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has reduced its numbers by 97% or more in some areas.

The bat is found in 37 eastern and north-central states, plus Washington, D.C., and much of Canada.

Sen. Tom Carper, a Delaware Democrat and chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, said bats contribute $3 billion annually to the nations agricultural economy through pest control and pollination.

Critics of the endangered listing contend it would hamper logging and other land uses that werent responsible for the bats sharp decline.

The vote on removing the listing was 51-49, with Manchin and Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar voting with Republicans. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California opposed both measures after returning to the Capitol following a long illness.

___

Follow John Flesher on Twitter: @johnflesher

SHARE:
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP)  A Tunisian national guardsman behind an attack that killed five people intentionally targeted the ancient synagogue on the Mediterranean island of Djerba in a premeditated act, Tunisias interior minister said Thursday.

Interior Minister Kamel Fekih pledged to spare no effort to ensure the stability of the country and to protect foreigners after Tuesdays attack. Three Tunisian servicemen and two civilians attending an international pilgrimage at the El Ghriba synagogue were killed. A dozen others were wounded.

El Ghriba is believed to be one of the worlds oldest Jewish temples. Tunisian authorities revealed the gunmans name  Wissam Khazri  and said he planned the attack, but they gave no explanation of why.

Fekih said security forces killed the gunman within 120 seconds of arriving outside the synagogue complex. The minister described the shooting as a cowardly criminal attack but refrained from calling it a terrorist act.

Frances anti-terrorism prosecutors office opened an investigation. A French citizen was among the victims.

Israeli and Tunisian authorities and family members identified the civilian victims as cousins: Aviel Haddad, 30, who held dual Tunisian and Israeli citizenship, and Benjamin Haddad, 42, who was French.

The interior minister called on security services to be vigilant for any efforts to destabilize the North African country. Tunisia is mired in political and economic crisis, and the synagogue attack is a new blow to its once-thriving tourism industry as well as to a vibrant Jewish community.

Fekri said the gunman killed one of his colleagues and seized his weapon at a national guard base on the coast of Djerba, then took a National Guard motorcycle to a schoolyard about 200 meters from the Ghriba temple, where hundreds of worshipers were present.

When he left the school after monitoring the movement of a traffic police car that was parked in the vicinity, he shot the first victim at about 8:13 p.m. and then moved toward the security guards, who were protecting the area around the synagogue, opening fire indiscriminately in order to cause as many victims as possible. But he was immediately surrounded and shot, Fekri told reporters in Tunis.

He said that a spirit of celebration quickly returned to the island of Djerba, a land of peace and tolerance, which is proof that the author failed to implement his plan.

Tunisian President Kais Saied sought to assure his compatriots and foreign visitors that Tunisia will remain a safe country, despite the criminal attempts to destabilize it.

Speaking Wednesday night at a meeting of the National Security Council, Saied claimed the attack was intended to sow discord and sabotage the tourist season in the run-up to summer.

But these criminals will not succeed because the state is strong in its institutions, its security forces and its people awake, he said.

The chair of the synagogues committee, Perez Trabelsi, was in the house of worship during the attack and told The Associated Press of his terror.

I was scared, as were most of the people gathered in the oukala, a large space adjacent to the synagogue. Everyone was panicked. Many took refuge in the rooms for fear of being hit by the shots that came from outside, he said.

The synagogue attracted more pilgrims this year  around 6,000 people from the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and beyond  than it had for some time, Trabelsi said. He said he was saddened that the pilgrimage to the site that is revered in Judaism was spoiled by those who wish Tunisia harm.

Jews have lived on Djerba, a picturesque island off the southern coast of Tunisia, since 500 B.C. Djerbas Jewish population is one of North Africas biggest, although in recent years it declined to 1,500, down from 100,000 in the 1960s.

In 2002, a truck bombing killed about 20 people at the entrance to the same temple during the annual Jewish pilgrimage. Al-Qaida claimed that attack, whose victims included German and French tourists as well as Tunisians.

___

Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

SHARE:
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP)  The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine via a cargo ship linked to a sanctioned company that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town in December.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation into the visit by a Russian vessel named Lady R to his nations main naval base was already underway behind the scenes with the help of U.S. intelligence services before Ambassador Reuben Brigety went public at a news conference in the South African capital, Pretoria, that the cargo was weapons and ammunition.

Brigety said the U.S. was certain that military equipment was loaded onto the Lady R at the Simons Town naval base between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 and then transported to Russia. He said it brought into question South Africas supposed neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and its calls for the conflict to end.

The arming of the Russians is extremely serious and we do not consider this issue to be resolved, Brigety said in comments reported by multiple South African news outlets.

If South Africa is found to be giving Russia military aid, it threatens to fracture the relationship between the United States and a key partner in Africa. Despite South Africas neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, the Biden Administration was hoping it could still be a key buffer against growing Russian and Chinese influence on the continent.

While Ramaphosas office said in a statement later Thursday that there was currently no evidence to support allegations that arms were loaded onto the Lady R, The Associated Press established that the vessel is tied to a company that was sanctioned last year by the U.S. for being involved in transporting military equipment for the Russian government.

The news of Brigetys comments broke while Ramaphosa was in Cape Town answering questions on other matters in Parliament. When the leader of the political opposition, John Steenhuisen, asked about the weapons and ammunition, the president replied that the matter is being looked into, and in time we will be able to speak about it.

Ramaphosa declined to comment further, citing the need for the investigation to play out.

Steenhuisen asked the president if South Africa was actively arming Russian soldiers who are murdering and maiming innocent people?

Ammunition supplies have become a problem for Russia in the war. The leader of Russian military company Wagner complained last week about his mercenary soldiers in Ukraine allegedly dealing with dire shortages.

Ramaphosas office acknowledged in its statement that the Lady R docked in South Africa, but did not say when, where or for what reason. The statement also criticized the American ambassador for going public.

Records reviewed by the AP show the Lady R was purchased by a Russian company, Transmorflot LLC, in 2019. In May 2022, the U.S. sanctioned Transmorflot and several vessels it alleges are controlled by the company, including the Lady R, for aiding the Russian war effort. The company then changed its name to MG-Flot LLC, which is also listed as the current owner of the Lady R.

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that another ship owned by MG-Flot, the Rasul Gamzatov, transported artillery shells from Iran to Russia, citing Middle Eastern officials.

The AP has also independently confirmed that the Lady R docked at the Simons Town naval base during the time frame Brigety cited.

MarineTraffic, a service that collects radio and satellite transponder data from ships, tracked the Lady R off the South African coast in early December, but the signal was lost on Dec. 5. Ships are required by international law to keep their transponders on while at sea. Smugglers often turn them off to hide their movements.

Satellite imagery obtained by AP shows a ship the same length, color and layout as the Lady R docked at the naval base the following day and remained there through Dec. 8. AP also obtained photos of the ship at the naval base, the name Lady R clearly visible on its stern in both English and Russian. The ship set sail Dec. 9 and its transponder signal popped back up on Dec. 10. It returned to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea on Feb. 22.

Steenhuisens opposition party had previously raised questions over the appearance of a mystery Russian vessel in Simons Town. In late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship was handling an old order for ammunition, and arms were offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.

The South African government has stated numerous times it is neutral on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully through diplomacy but recent displays of its closeness to Russia opened Africas most developed country to accusations that it has effectively taken Russias side.

South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks in January, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.

Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast. The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navys flagship vessels. The South African navy took part in the drills and said they would strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.

South Africa also faces a diplomatic dilemma over a possible visit this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes involving the abductions of children from Ukraine. Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a meeting of leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

South Africa is a signatory to the international court based in The Hague, Netherlands, and obliged to arrest Putin. The government indicated it would not detain the Russian leader and threatened to leave the ICC instead. Ramaphosas office released a statement last month backtracking on the threat.

___

AP Writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this story. AP Global Investigative Reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

SHARE:
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  A special adviser to Brazils presidency on international affairs met with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday following comments by his Brazilian counterpart that have drawn rebukes from Kyiv, the U.S. and Europe.

Adviser Celso Amorim, who is a former foreign minister, told Brazilian paper O Globo after the meeting that Zelenskyy understood that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is working for peace.

Paper Folha de S.Paulo quoted Amorim as saying his dialogue with Ukrainian officials was positive and built confidence, and that it helped to explain Brazils objectives for peace. Brazils foreign ministry referred questions about Amorims meetings from The Associated Press to the presidency, which didnt immediately comment.

Lula has called for a ceasefire and proposed a club of nations including Brazil to mediate peace. At the same time, he has refused to provide weapons to Ukraine, made comments ascribing some blame to Ukraine for Russias invasion and said the U.S. and Europe are stimulating the fighting. His remarks have been criticized all those parties, as well as raised questions about Brazils impartiality in any eventual peace talks.

Last month, Amorim took a discreet trip to Moscow and met with President Vladimir Putin. And Lula later welcomed Putins foreign minister Sergey Lavrov to capital Brasilia, with the visiting official expressing gratitude to Brazil for its excellent understanding of this situations genesis.

Following the meeting, the spokesperson for the White Houses National Security Council, John Kirby, blasted Brazils approach to the war and for having met Putin and Lavrov in person, while only speaking to Ukrainian officials by phone.

Critics have argued that Brazils position aims to avoid confronting Russia, which is a key supplier of fertilizer for its soybean plantations.

Amorim on Wednesday also met with Ukraines deputy foreign affairs minister Andrij Melnyk, who posted a photo of the two of them to Twitter.

Brazil can play an important role to stop Russian aggression & reach a lasting & just peace, Melnyk wrote.

Read more about:

SHARE:
ISLAMABAD (AP)  Pakistan is witnessing a wave of violence following the arrest of popular opposition leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges. The level of unrest has not been seen since 2007, when another former premier  Benazir Bhutto  was assassinated during an election campaign.

Pakistans Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Khans arrest was unlawful and let him walk free. But theres little reason to believe the political crisis will ease as the outspoken politician is still facing a raft of charges.

Footage of Khan being dragged out of court two days earlier sparked outrage among his supporters. Angry protesters torched buildings and vehicles. Authorities have deployed troops in an attempt to contain the clashes. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif vowed a tough response to the attacks and government figures have already decried Khans release.

WHATS HAPPENING IN PAKISTAN?

Since Khans arrest on Tuesday, at least eight people have died and dozens have been wounded in clashes between his supporters and police. Protesters have burned building and vehicles to the ground. Others blocked roads and set fire to police checkpoints and military facilities. Schools and colleges remain closed in Khans regional strongholds. More than 2,000 people have been arrested so far.

WHY DOES KHANS ARREST MATTER?

Pakistan has a history of military takeovers, political upheaval and social unrest. Khan is the seventh prime minister to be arrested since 1977. Military property, including the home of a top commander, has been destroyed. The current turmoil comes as the already embattled country struggles with a dire economic situation, a spike in militancy, and the impact of last years catastrophic floods. This grimness is unlikely to be addressed or resolved soon, further straining living conditions and security for the 220-million population.

WHY IS THERE SUCH A STRONG REACTION TO KHANS DETENTION?

Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022 but still has a massive grassroots following, with the power to quickly mobilize thousands of supporters to the streets and stir up a frenzy with his anti-establishment rhetoric. Last November, he was shot in the leg at a rally. He claims both incidents are evidence of a conspiracy against him, a compelling narrative for his followers who believe he was unjustly ousted and is being targeted by the government and the military.

WHY WAS HE ARRESTED?

Khan has at least 100 criminal cases filed against him by various government agencies. In some ways his detention was just a matter of time. He was in court on Tuesday for one set of corruption charges but was arrested for another. Whats striking about his detention is how dramatic it was  the anti-graft agency whose agents detained him has not explained why he was taken so publicly, dragged out of court and shoved into an armored vehicle.

The 70-year-old Khan has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The government has stepped up security, banned gatherings  and in some places shut down social media. But Khans supporters are determined to see him freed and returned to power, saying he is their red line. A crackdown on party activists and leaders will not make them back down. Though Khan has been released, at least for now, the standoff between his supporters and authorities continues  all the while deepening Pakistans divisions.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (R) inaugurates the Maison de la Chine (House of China) of the International University Campus in Paris, France, May 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

PARIS, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Thursday inaugurated the Maison de la Chine (House of China) of the International University Campus in Paris, encouraging Chinese and French youths to become the new force of people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Noting that the mission of the International University Campus in Paris is to encourage exchanges between youths around the world and promote world peace, Qin said that the campus has become a veritable epitome of the plural world.

Qin added that he is convinced that the Maison de la Chine being in use will add new luster to the campus where different cultures have deeply blended.

He said that in a world where the future and destiny of all countries are closely linked, peaceful development can only be achieved through the inclusive coexistence of different cultures and civilizations.

One of the important contents of the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping is calling for respect for diversity of civilizations, Qin said.

Qin noted that young people are the new force of people-to-people and cultural exchanges, practitioners of people-to-people connectivity, and successors of China-France relations.

He encouraged Chinese students to care about their motherland while being committed to the welfare of the world, showcase China's national image in the new era, better tell China's stories in the new era, and pass on the friendship between China and France in the new era.

Qin also encouraged French students to master the Chinese language, learn about the Chinese culture, and contribute to the development of China-France relations.

The Chinese Embassy and Consulates in France will continue to care for and help Chinese students studying in France, Qin added.

The students said that they will study hard and serve as a bridge and bond for the people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and France. 
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  China continues its diplomatic push in Europe on Thursday with a high-level visit to the Netherlands where Vice President Han Zheng will be meeting the king and the prime minister  and facing questions about its relations with Russia and the European Union.

The visit comes amid difficult relations between China and the West. The 27-nation EU increasingly sees Beijing as a systemic rival on the global stage instead of an ally and economic partner.

Dutch King Willem Alexander received Han early on Thursday before Prime Minister Mark Rutte has political talks with the vice president in the afternoon. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has also traveled through Western Europe this week, meeting with his German and French counterparts.

On Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Berlin wants to work in partnership with China everywhere its possible but that it would be naive to ignore the risk of ending up in a position of reliance, including on security issues. It is a view increasingly shared in the West.

The European Union is not specifically advocating decoupling from the economic and geopolitical giant but is proposing de-risking its relations to avoid becoming too dependent on China.

The EU, of which the Netherlands is a founding member, also wants Beijing to be more forceful in addressing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The visit comes amid diplomatic tensions around proposed new EU trade measures against countries that help the Kremlin to circumvent the blocs sanctions against Russia. The proposal sparked a warning from China that it would retaliate if targeted by such sanctions.

SHARE:
BERLIN (AP)  German police have detained a suspect in connection with an explosion at a residential building that injured dozens of first responders on Thursday, some of them seriously, officials said.

Police said two officers and three firefighters received life-threatening injuries in the blast at a high-rise building in the town of Ratingen. Four firefighters were seriously injured and 22 police officers suffered minor injuries, they said.

The body of a dead woman was recovered from the building, police said. The identity of the person and the circumstances of her death werent immediately known.

Firefighters and police were initially called to the building in the morning after being alerted about the possibility of a person in distress inside a 10th floor apartment.

Police said they were still investigating what caused the blast, which happened shortly after the suspect opened the apartment door. The man then started a fire, preventing police from entering the unit.

Following the explosion, heavily armed officers took up positions around the site, with television footage showing police snipers on a balcony across the road from the building as smoke poured out of a top-floor apartment.

Hours later, a 57-year-old German man was detained on suspicion of homicide, police said.

The interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state, Herbert Reul, said social media posts indicated the man had shown an affinity for ideas downplaying the threat posed by the coronavirus.

Ratingen is located on the northeastern outskirts of Duesseldorf, the state capital.

Read more about:

SHARE:
SAN DIEGO (AP)  Rescues crews have suspended their search for three people who were aboard a Learjet that plunged into the Pacific Ocean about a mile from a Navy-owned island off the coast of San Diego, U.S. officials said Thursday.

The U.S. Coast Guard said its crews along with U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Customs and Border Protection all searched a combined 334 square miles (865 square kilometers) in the vicinity Wednesday after the Phoenix Air Learjet went down that morning off San Clemente Island.

The aircraft was used by a Navy contractor who departed from the Ventura County area, said Drew Verbis, spokesperson for Naval Base Ventura County on the coast northwest of Los Angeles.

He had no other immediate details, and identities of those aboard have not been released.

SHARE:
HOUSTON (AP)  Thirteen people dead in two mass shootings. Eight immigrants killed when an SUV slams into a crowded bus stop. The likely approval of legislation that would let the Republican governor overturn elections in the most populous county, a Democratic stronghold. All in the past two weeks.

These issues and the forces behind them  anger and guns, immigration turmoil, deep political divisions about what democracy means  are playing out across American life in various ways. But in Texas, with its immense size and a population that grows by more than 1,000 people a day, the stage is far bigger  and often louder.

Its enough to make even the proudest Texan wrestle with how he sees the state.

This is out of control right now, said Jay Leeson, an illustrator and cartoonist who lives in Lubbock, a city in the Texas High Plains. He describes himself as a conservative West Texan whose kids know how to handle guns, know how to ride horses, know how to do all the Texas things.

The Texas things. Texans have heard this all before. Theyve been hearing it for generations. That everyone is armed. That its a wildly conservative place full of oil roughnecks and cowboys and brash braggarts. That its nothing like the rest of the country, really.

Many Texans will tell you theres some truth to this. But Texas is also far more nuanced than a collection of cliches that consider the state through the narrowest of lenses.

Yet lately, things here have felt unrelenting. And what troubles some Texans is not how outsiders see the state, but whether those living here can navigate the divisive political climate  and overcome a complicated and sometimes violent past.

EVEN THOSE WHO SUPPORT GUNS FRET ABOUT THEM

Leeson is furious at how immigration has become a political battleground. Hes furious at how Republicans bleed every vote they can out of West Texas to overcome growing populations in the states heavily Democratic urban centers, from Houston to Dallas, Austin to San Antonio. The Texas Legislature is currently debating various bills that are targeting how Democratic Harris County, the states most populous, runs its elections.

Hes especially furious that his 9-year-old son is so worried about school shootings that he checked all the windows in his classroom to see which would open in case of an attack.

I just think the whole thing is a damn mess, Leeson said.

Mass killings have a deep history in Texas. Arguably the first modern American mass shooting happened here in 1966, when an engineering student opened fire from a building observation deck at the University of Texas. He killed 14 people and wounded dozens more.

But the states strict gun laws didnt begin to crack until a few years after another mass shooting  this one in 1991, when a gunman drove his pickup truck through the window of a central Texas cafeteria and killed 23 people. By then, decades of Democratic control were giving way to Republicans who saw gun rights as a key issue.

In 1995, then-Gov. George W. Bush signed legislation that allowed Texans to carry concealed guns. Today, Texans can carry weapons openly. Some do  passionately.

Chad Hasty, a well-known conservative talk radio host based in Lubbock, mourns the latest killings  I dont want to get to a time where were not shocked by a mass shooting  but is adamant that gun rights be protected. He rarely leaves home without his Sig Sauer P365, a small firearm designed for everyday carrying and one of the best-selling pistols in America.

He dismisses the idea that Texas is particularly prone to violence.

I dont view it as a uniquely Texas thing, he said. Instead, the number of mass shootings is simply a matter of size: Were a huge state  millions and millions of people.

ITS A STATE FAR MORE DIVERSE THAN THE CLICHES

The litany of Texas mass killings in just the last few years is staggering: Sutherland Springs, 26 killed in 2017; Santa Fe, 10 killed in 2018; El Paso, 23 killed in 2019; Midland-Odessa, seven killed in 2019; Uvalde, 21 killed in 2022; Cleveland, five killed on April 28; Allen, eight killed on May 6.

Guns have long been a part of Texas culture  both in the states mythology and in reality. But to equate the number of guns with the number of people killed by guns strikes some as a false equivalence.

Youll never get people to give up their guns, nor do I believe you should, said Vanesa Brashier, the editor and publisher of Bluebonnet News, a site that covers rural areas north of Houston, including the town of Cleveland, where five immigrants were killed in a mass shooting on April 28.

She was deeply shaken by the killings, particularly by how some of the women died shielding their children from gunfire. But she considers herself pro-Second Amendment: I want to be able to defend myself if someone comes calling that shouldnt be at my property.

Like so much in Texas, her politics are complex. Brashier, who calls herself a political independent, sees immigration as a good thing  I just think we need to figure out a better way to do it.

Just two weeks ago she created a Spanish language news site to better inform the areas growing Latino population. She named the site El Amanecer Texas or Texas Sunrise, because I wanted it to be hopeful.

These residents who have moved here deserve to be informed about whats going on around them, she said. But the influx of immigrants has faced backlash from some residents, who feel like theres been an invasion, Brashier said.

This week, Texas and other border states were preparing for the end of a policy that allowed the government to quickly expel migrants to Mexico. Gov. Greg Abbott has deployed more Texas National Guard troops in response to the end of the rule. The goal, Abbott said this week: to secure the Texas border.

Texas border cities have tended to be more welcoming to immigrants than other parts of the state, since many in these areas have long seen themselves and their Mexican neighbors as a big, blended community that transcends governments political borders. In El Paso, for instance, more than 80 percent of nearly 700,000 residents are Latino. Many residents have family just across the border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

This situation at the border has created a welcoming community that reacts differently to various issues, including immigration, said Richard Pineda, director of the Sam Donaldson Center for Communication Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso. For Texas, he says, its an outlier  a fluid culture that goes back and forth.

BIG CHANGES IN THE STATE CAN LEAD TO TENSION

Texas can feel like a study in contrasts. Famed for its oil industry, but the producer of a quarter of the countrys wind energy and a leader in solar power. Known for its open, undeveloped landscapes but home to some of the largest, fastest-growing cities in the land. Epitomized by the cowboy, but with some of the largest immigrant populations in America.

With more than 30 million people, Texas has long been a destination for outsiders from other U.S. states and abroad. Since 2010, it has gained nearly 4 million residents  more than any other state, according to U.S. Census figures. In 2020, Latino residents accounted for half the population growth, and many demographers believe Latinos will soon surpass whites as the states largest ethnic group.

But its not just Latinos. Texas has large populations of immigrants from India, China, the Philippines, Vietnam and elsewhere. Allen, where a gunman killed eight people at a mall on May 6, is among the Dallas-Fort Worth areas most diverse suburbs.

For nearly a century, Texas has had a one-word state motto: Friendship. But many see that easygoing connection changing.

I always thought of Texas as a friendly place. But to be honest, this last decade, it just feels meaner, said Chris Tomlinson, a fifth-generation Texan and a business columnist with the Houston Chronicle. He has written two best-sellers about Texas history, including Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth.

Tomlinson notes that more than 70 percent of Texans over age 60 are non-Hispanic whites, while more than 70 percent of Texans under age 30 are people of color.

That creates the tension that you see around voting rights and cultural issues like critical race theory and LGBTQ issues, he said. When you have that level of demographic change, there is going to be tension.

Texas is among the states, for example, where drag shows have been targeted by right-wing activists and politicians, and Republican lawmakers have proposed restrictions on the shows.

At times, it can seem that the Texas population is shifting faster on many issues than the states politics, which remain solidly conservative and Republican. A Democrat hasnt been elected to statewide office since 1994. Yet Tomlinson notes that polling indicates Texans arent that different from the rest of the country when it comes to many issues, from abortion to immigration.

Then there are the guns  a reputation that, for better and worse, follows Texas everywhere. A survey last year by the University of Houston and Texas Southern University showed overwhelming support for at least some level of gun control. Yet few expect to see that in Texas anytime soon.

Gary Mauro, a longtime commissioner of the Texas Land Office who ran for governor in 1998, is one of those last statewide Democrats. Though he reserves most of his criticism for Republicans, he blames extremists in both parties for focusing on the political fringes  and amplifying some of the very cliches with which Texas continues to struggle.

I keep thinking its going to get better, he said of Texas politics. And it keeps getting worse.

___

Houston-based Associated Press journalist Juan A. Lozano has been covering Texas since 1994. Tim Sullivan, an AP national writer, reported from Minneapolis. Follow Lozano on Twitter at http://twitter.com/juanlozano70 and Sullivan at http://twitter.com/ByTimSullivan

SHARE:
WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. Abrams tanks needed for training Ukrainian forces have arrived in Germany slightly ahead of schedule and are on their way to the Grafenwoehr Army base where the training will begin in two to three weeks, U.S. officials said Thursday.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee that the U.S. had moved a number of tanks over into theater so the Ukrainians could begin training on them. By the time they complete the training, expected to last about 10 weeks, the Abrams tanks currently being built for the Ukrainian forces will be ready, he said.

A U.S. official said the 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks needed for the training arrived at the port in Bremerhaven, Germany, last weekend and they will get to the base by early this coming week. Their arrival at Grafenwoehr is a couple of weeks ahead of the schedule that was mapped out when military leaders from around Europe and elsewhere met in Germany last month to discuss Ukraines needs for the war against Russia.

The tanks the U.S. is providing Ukraine are being built to its militarys specifications and will get to Ukraine by early fall, just as the troops are finished with their instruction. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of the delivery not publicly released.

The tank training will be the latest and most lethal new layer of combat instruction the U.S. is providing Ukraines troops to give them the best chance to overwhelm and punch through Russias battle lines. Over the past few months U.S. troops have trained more than 8,800 Ukrainians, including on how to use Stryker and Bradley fighting vehicles and M109 Paladins together on the battlefield. The Bradleys and Strykers are armored and armed vehicles used to ferry troops, and the Paladin is a self-propelled howitzer gun.

During Thursdays hearing, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, pressed Austin to move quickly to get the tanks into Ukrainian troops hands and onto the battlefield.

We are doing everything possible to accelerate the delivery of these tanks, and early fall is a projection, Austin said.

Collins and others noted the urgency of the fight in Ukraine, and she told Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to be blunt about Ukraines needs. Defense leaders should not let budget concerns dissuade them from seeking more weapons if thats what Kyiv needs to be successful in a counteroffensive, said Collins, the ranking Republican on the panel.

It is critical that the administration provide Ukraine with what it needs in time to defend and take back its sovereign territory, she said. We expect the administration not to wait until the 11th hour if the Ukrainians seek more before the end of the fiscal year.

Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., noting the broader implications of the war, questioned Milley on the impact a Russian victory could have on China and its deliberations on whether to move to take the self-governing island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims.

I think that the Chinese are watching the war between Russia and Ukraine very carefully, Milley said, adding that if Russian President Vladimir Putin succeeds, China will learn certain lessons.

It may not be the single decisive point, but I think it will calculate into their decision-making process as to whether or not they attack to seize the island of Taiwan. So I think the outcome of Ukraine is critical to much broader issues than just Ukraine, Milley said.

Read more about:

SHARE:
SILVER CITY, Mich. (AP)  An 8-year-old Wisconsin boy who spent two days lost in a remote, rugged northern Michigan park before being found says he prayed during his ordeal that he wouldnt be stuck out here for the rest of my life.

Nante Niemi said he was helping relatives gather wood at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigans Upper Peninsula when an uncle told him to return to camp last Saturday afternoon.

So my uncle, he said to go back to camp and I couldnt say, `I dont know the way back to camp because hed already turned around and left, he told ABCs Good Morning America.

Nante said he started walking toward where he thought his family had been camping but ended up lost, by a river.

His mother, Jessica Buerger, said that after the group returned to the campsite and found that Nante wasnt there, they searched for him before calling for help.

I was worried about the cold and that he was by himself, ... she said. We were hoping he wasnt walking around that night, and hed hunkered down.

More than 150 people from various law enforcement groups joined the search on foot, in the air and on water for Nante, who is a second grader at Hurley School District in Wisconsin.

Lt. Jason Wickstrom with Michigan State Police said the area where he became lost in the 60,000-acre (24,281-hectare) park along Lake Superior is very hilly, rough terrain with rivers that were running high after snow melt and recent rainfall.

Nante spent Saturday and Sunday nights alone amid overnight temperatures that fell into the 40s.

I prayed for being found and not stuck out here for the rest of my life, he said, adding that he ate snow to stave off hunger during his predicament.

I just ate snow because I usually do it at home, too, Nante said.

After spending the first night alone, he said he saw a helicopter hovering overhead and waved his hands and yelled but the choppers crew didnt see him below. But after his second night alone, Nante said he woke to noises, including people yelling his name Monday afternoon.

And then I saw somebody. I ran straight to them, he said. Nante recalled that a Clif bar and a sandwich the searchers gave him tasted good after he was found about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from his familys campsite.

Despite the frightening experience, he said, Im still going to go camping.

SHARE:
HOUSTON (AP)  The death of a woman, who authorities say was sleeping in her suburban Houston apartment when she was killed by a stray bullet fired by a neighbor shooting at people breaking into vehicles, was called a senseless crime by her family Thursday.

Authorities said Bethany Meffords boyfriend found her unresponsive in their bed at around 6 a.m. Wednesday. Investigators allege that Mefford, 29, had been shot in the head by a bullet that had been fired hours earlier by Darius Lewis. He lived in a nearby building in the same apartment complex in the Houston suburb of Humble, said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

It is a horrible thing to have happened to someone thats laying in their bed, not causing anybody any problems because Bethany never would, said Lana Higinbotham, Meffords aunt. And to just be taken in your sleep, taken away from your family that loves you more than life, its a senseless crime.

At around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, Lewis saw several people breaking into various vehicles at the complex and fired his gun at them, Gonzalez said.

Lewis told officers he fired once into the ground to get the car thieves away from his vehicle. When they were not moving fast enough for him, he fired more times into the ground, according to a probable cause affidavit read at a court hearing early Thursday morning.

Prosecutors allege Lewis also fired across a parking lot at the complex and that the bullet went through the wall of Meffords apartment, killing her. Lewis has been charged with manslaughter.

Court records did not list an attorney for Lewis, 28, who could speak on his behalf. He was set to have another court appearance Friday.

Higinbotham said Mefford was a mother of three young boys who was originally from southwestern Pennsylvania and had moved to the Houston area several years ago. She had come with her mother and stepfather, who had both received job transfers to Texas, and had just recently been hired by the same oil drilling company where her mother worked.

It was a great opportunity for them, Higinbotham said about the family moving to Texas. They took it with open arms. As for now its been wonderful, until this.

Gonzalez said Meffords death was tragic.

Its a heartbreaking situation, Gonzalez said. Weve seen situations where people have fired indiscriminately or just fired at others.

In February 2022, a 9-year-old Houston girl died after she was shot by a man who had opened fire when he was robbed at an ATM. A grand jury later declined to indict the man. Last month, a Houston man was charged with murder after authorities accused him of fatally shooting a man who had posed as a parking attendant and scammed him out of $40.

The use and role of guns in Texas has been under scrutiny recently amid changes in state law and two recent mass shootings in which 13 people were killed.

In 2021, Texas lawmakers approved legislation allowing people to carry handguns without a license, as well as the background check and training that had gone with it.

Higinbotham said she believes that people have their right to bear arms but that her nieces death has highlighted the need for people to be more responsible with their guns.

Everybody that I know is very self-conscious and very careful with their weapons, she said. I live in Pennsylvania, which is a far cry from Texas. Like it just seems that down there theyre a little less caring as to where theyre pointing or where theyre not even aiming and then just pulling the trigger.

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70

SHARE:
There is nothing worse than going to the doctor and getting a misdiagnosis; not only will you get sicker from what actually ails you, but the erroneous cure might actually make you far worse off or mean treatment comes to late to help.

I signed up to run for mayor of Toronto this election because the other candidates and the media seem to ignore what really ails Toronto, or there are policies or other solutions being offered that will make Toronto less livable and miss what actually is the cause of our worst problems.

One example is congestion. For example, Councillor Brad Bradford has built bike lanes and supported other policies that have slowed down Danforth Ave. and other major roads, making congestion worse. He offers up two ideas: a congestion relief commissioner, and more parking enforcement. Neither of these will do much to stop congestion from getting worse.

Apart from utopian anti-car policies that ignore how most people actually prefer to live their lives, the real policy that has made traffic congestion so terrible, and will see it get even worse in the years ahead, is the high population growth of the GTA.

The road network cant expand, and green belt and densification policies will only add to the demand for roads from vehicles of all types, and not just from the family car. New transit lines might help, but while fossil fuels might go away, the convenience and comfort of cars means they are here to stay.

The proper diagnosis behind road congestion and our housing affordability issues, and what will make them get worse, is high population growth, driven by high immigration. Trudeau is doubling immigration from 250,000 in 2015 to 500,000 in 2025 as part of policy for Canada to have 100 million people in 2100. The GTA is supposed to grow from 9 million to 33 million under this Century initiative plan.

Despite the undemocratically obtained strong mayor powers, the mayor of Toronto still is one vote in 26 on most things and has little real actual power. What the mayor does have is the bully pulpit of being the voice for nearly 3 million people, and along with other GTA mayors, and to push the federal and provincial governments to do what Toronto needs or to stop what they do that hurts us.

Unlike what the media and some politicians have been touting, the housing crisis is not due to a lack of land rezoned for housing in the 416. Toronto has 50 per cent of housing completions in the GTA, up from under 25 per cent in the 1990s. We have 200,000 units rezoned and unbuilt, and another 400,000 units in the application process. There is no need to end exclusionary zoning of gut planning rules  NIMBY-ism is not the problem. We have record numbers of construction cranes  the problem is too much demand for housing.

Toronto has so many challenges, including a huge budget gap. We need a mayor whose strength is in fighting hard for Torontonians to get Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to do what we need, not strength by ramming the things Ford wants through council, with only one-third of support.

Brian Graff has a professional background in architecture, real estate and finance, with additional expertise in urban planning, government policy and economic issues. He is a candidate for mayor of Toronto in 2023.

SHARE:
Universities are currently in the national security spotlight, but recent coverage has forgotten the unique position that institutions are in when it comes to protecting Canadas national interests.

We are mandated to pursue and transmit knowledge and develop breakthroughs in strategic research areas, which strengthen the Canadian economy. Additionally, we are charged with making sure that same knowledge does not end up in the hands of foreign actors who might use it against Canadians or work against Canadian prosperity.

The world has changed. The geopolitical threat environment is now more complex and is technologically enabled.

So how do we move forward to pursue safe and productive international research relationships in the current geopolitical context?

We develop strategies to proactively safeguard research in keeping with the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships, established by the federal government in 2021 and evolve to ever-changing updates and directions. The guidelines provide clarity on which areas of science are considered sensitive and subject to risk.

We build internal capacity around the issue of research security by hiring personnel with experience doing the work of safeguarding science. At The University of Waterloo, in June 2022, we hired a director of research security  a first for a Canadian university. The role is designed specifically to be a liaison between our institution, our researchers and both levels of government in developing and implementing research security provisions and programs.

We engage with our researchers and staff to help them understand how their work may be vulnerable to foreign interference while also mitigating the risk inherent in some of the cutting-edge research theyre doing.

We obtain more information about risk from national security agencies. A transparent and predictable relationship between all stakeholders is the only way to protect Canadians from foreign threats. This is precisely why Waterloo recently sent a memo to many members of our campus community to inform them of their rights when it comes to interactions with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. More information about risk and foreign state intentions needs to be conveyed to universities through a comprehensive dialogue to safeguard research in an inclusive and productive manner.

A critical element here is to ensure we uphold our principles to diversity, inclusion and anti-racism.

We work with other universities to establish sector-wide best practices around international research collaboration that can inform this critical portfolio. Right now, Waterloos leaders are working with the Council of Ontario Universities, Universities Canada and the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities to develop a standard set of principles and best practices for safeguarding the scientific endeavour and our national security and prosperity.

Moving forward, universities need to be more deliberate about security precautions and they must continue to promote the principles of transparency, predictability, academic freedom, equity and the norms of open science.

Governments and the national security community must understand that many people on the receiving end of their attention of late feel targeted because of their race. Much more consideration for inclusivity must be infused into this conversation to ensure that all researchers can pursue scientific knowledge without fear of being targeted because of their ethnicity.

And finally, Canadian business leaders need to step up to support funding investments in these sensitive research areas to keep Canada at the leading edge of development and training.

Now is a time for Canadian businesses and governments to support critical research  as our country and economy will benefit from the breakthroughs.

Vivek Goel is president of the University of Waterloo.

SHARE:
Liberals reject balanced budget and mandatory voting as official policy, May 6

As a prudent economic manager, the federal government must react to financial flows in the domestic and external sectors. If the Canadian public is net saving and net importing (i.e. spending overseas) then some funds are being withdrawn from the Canadian economy. To prevent a downward spiral into recession, the government must compensate by increasing expenditures to maintain aggregate demand.

Those who advocate balanced budgets at the federal level are victims of the household fallacy  the belief that the federal government should act like a budget-conscious family trying to rein in debt and spend frugally. But a household does not own a central bank, nor does it have responsibility for overseeing a national economy.

Advanced economies typically run deficits and their public debts grows alongside their economies. No fiscal problem ensues for a monetarily sovereign government like Canada because its cheques are drawn on the Bank of Canada and will never bounce.

Larry Kazdan, Vancouver, B.C.

SHARE:
TOKYO, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Nissan Motor Co. on Thursday announced its net profit for the year ended March increased 3.0 percent from a year earlier to 221.9 billion yen (1.65 billion U.S. dollars).

The Yokohama-based automaker said the yen's depreciation had helped trim a spike in raw material costs, with its annual operating profit climbing 52.5 percent on year to 377.11 billion yen (2.80 billion dollars), with sales hitting 10.6 trillion yen (78.96 billion dollars), up 25.8 percent.

The maker of the Altima sedan and LEAF EV also said it expects its net profit for the current business year through next March to accelerate 42 percent to 315 billion yen (2.34 billion dollars).

"We are also showing steady progress toward our ambition of providing cleaner, safer and inclusive products to the market," Nissan's Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta told an online press briefing Thursday. 
Candidates clash over bike lanes, traffic, May 10

The Toronto mayoral candidates are now all traffic experts with the barrage of recommendations on how to manage traffic in the downtown core.

Someone should launch a complaint against these people for practising engineering without a licence!

Jim McEwen, Bowmanville

SHARE:
You might not find yourself with a reason to walk along Colbeck Street, a nondescript residential road in the Runnymede/Bloor West Village neighbourhood of west end Toronto. Its mostly lined with single-family homes with tiny front lawns  not really a destination avenue. But if you were wandering on it this week, youd notice something a bit different.

There, bolted onto a weathered wooden hydro pole, is a painting: an impressionistic field of aquamarine dotted with circular explosions of yellow  perhaps sunflowers. Theres a hard-to-make-out signature on the painting, but otherwise no explanation. Huh.

Then, on the next pole, above the laser-printed posters advertising tutors and seeking lost cats, is another canvas: an angel in earth tones who seems carved out of stone. And then on the next post, theres more: a haunting night landscape in eerie shades of blue and pink, and lower, at a childs eye level, a watercolour scene of a church surrounded by trees in radiant shades of green and autumn red.

On every post along the street, more paintings  portraits, abstracts, geometric patterns. Someone has turned this side street into an art gallery. Or a lot of someones, since the range of styles indicates multiple artists.

Small title cards posted near the paintings at the corners of Runnymede Road and Jane Street, the eastern and western ends of the corridor, offer a clue to whats going on: they call the art installation Dohoo Way, in memory of the late local artist Linda Dohoo, who we are told created montages out of recycled objects. The sign says local artists are sacrificing their paintings in honour of her and other lost friends, to create a memorial passageway that is a new urban gallery.

Neighbours seem tickled by the new view from the sidewalk: many stop and look, some pulling out phones to shoot photos, some looking around as if seeking out a hidden camera or something else that might explain whats going on.

There are glossy brochures stapled beside the paintings on some of the posts, advertising an upcoming Art Tour event planned by a group called West Toronto Artists. Its by contacting that group that I learned of how Colbeck Street came to host an outdoor free art gallery.

Sandra Franke, the artist who organized the installation (and performed it with her cordless drill), met me at the corner and, alongside fellow artist Annette Gaffney, walked the length of Dohoo Way, talking about the paintings and the project.

The last few years have been hard for the 42 local artists in her group, Franke says  COVID-19 shut down a lot of the galleries, cafes and other spaces where theyd typically display and sell their work. And the group has seen a few of its longtime members die over the past few years, including Dohoo, who had been a core member for a long time.

So 21 of their artists decided to try something different, exposing their neighbours to art in an unexpected place, memorializing their friend, getting residents to stop and consider art in spaces they wouldnt expect to see it. Maybe also to generate interest in the Art Walk event. Maybe also to get people thinking of buying art by neighbourhood artists to showcase in their own homes.

Linda worked in obscurity, as we all do, Franke said. Nobody really knows who Linda is. So were making something of her background; were calling it a memorial passageway. Not in a sombre sense, but in a way of Here we are sacrificing our art for the sake of the common good  for everyone.

That notion of sacrifice comes not just from the donation of the paintings, but from the certainty that over weeks and months, exposed to the elements, these paintings will fade and weather and deteriorate. We stopped to look at one painting, an impressionistic blending of shades of blue that evokes a sky and water, but also has something of the quality of faded denim  an impression underlined by the frayed edges of the cut canvas, which gives it the feel of a well-worn pair of jeans. This one was pre-damaged, Franke says. But the others will likely take on a similarly distressed look over time.

Im someone who really enjoys splashes of fun or beauty or creativity in the city, whimsical objects you encounter in your daily life popping up in places you dont expect them. One of the first stories I wrote in my journalism career unmasked artist Rocky (Darrell) Dobey, who had mysteriously bolted shellacked books and other art pieces to telephone poles downtown (a project that, coincidentally, Franke says, inspired this one). My wife once wrote a story about a guy who had turned a hollow metal lamppost in Kensington Market into a functioning bass guitar available for public use. I loved the idea of that secret laneway swing in Toronto, and enjoyed wandering along graffiti alley behind Queen West where youd find it.

When you encounter these things during your daily grind, they jolt you out of your routine and make you smile, or think. You consider who put them there, and why they might have expended the time and energy. Theyre tiny grace notes in a city that often feels like a place where the stress and expense and overall broken-downness are squeezing out moments of grace.

Here, the paintings rub right up against the mundane stuff of life, the posters stapled beside them and the garbage bins on the sidewalk. The art, and the creative energy it expresses, isnt walled off in a quiet room built for its contemplation. It is out here in the city, part of its life.

But, I asked Franke: why this little side street? Why not bustling Bloor, which runs parallel a block south, or Dundas through the Junction, which hosts galleries and a street art festival?

They dont have wooden poles, she says.

Aha. A guerrilla outdoor urban gallery may be whimsical and ethereal and creative. But it also needs to be practical. That sounds about right.

Correction  May 11, 2023: This article was updated to correct the spelling of local artist Linda Dohoos surname and the name of the art installation.

SHARE:
We need to talk about John Tory.

Thats because a second major poll shows Tory, who resigned in February as Toronto mayor, would win the current byelection to fill his job in a landslide if he wanted his old gig back.

How is it that the polls show Tory, who quit after admitting to having an affair with a female staff member, would crush all the candidates seeking to replace him  even though he has expressed zero interest in entering the byelection?

More importantly, what does it say about the current crop of candidates?

A Forum Research poll released this week indicated that if he were running Tory would be the top choice for mayor with 42 per cent of decided and leaning voters, followed by Olivia Chow backed by 21 per cent. No other candidate received more than 9 per cent of support.

Tory held massive leads in every category  gender, age, income and location  over all the contenders for his old job, including Chow. An earlier Forum poll showed similar results. The latest Forum poll of 2,000 Torontonians was conducted on May 6 and 7.

Despite resigning, John Tory maintains significant popularity among voters, said Lorne Bozinoff, president of Forum Research. Torontonians seem to be open to his return to the position of mayor.

Without Torys name in the survey, Chow was the current front-runner with 33 per cent of decided and leaning voters, followed by councillor Josh Matlow and former police chief Mark Saunders with 14 per cent. Grouped around 7 per cent were Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter, former city councillor Ana Bailao and councillor Brad Bradford.

What the latest poll shows is that none of the current mayoral candidates are seen in the same class as Tory.

All have major drawbacks that could be turning voters off, according to two former city politicians with ties to the Liberal and New Democrat parties.

As they see it, Chow has been out of elected politics for a long time. She last served on Toronto council in 2005 and resigned as a federal MP nine years ago to run and lose in the 2014 mayors race. Matlow is considered to be difficult to work with by other councillors. Bailao is seen as someone who quit city government when she didnt run in last Novembers municipal election and now wants back in only if she can have the top job. Saunders is seen by many as Premier Doug Fords guy.

In short, none has caught the imagination of voters in what so far has been an election with little voter interest or enthusiasm. Thats why Tory remains the top choice for so many Torontonians.

For his part, Tory has made it clear that hes moving on.

He told the Stars Rosie DiManno several days ago in London where he was visiting his younger brother Michael that he has no plans to run again.

A lot of people have been coming to me. But I have been consulting absolutely no one, he told Dimanno. I was sincere in what I said about wanting to fix my family  After what happened, the best thing I can do is put my head down and focus on my family, which Im doing.

A person who knows him well said Tory tried to resign in an honourable way, but was feeling very down at the time. He was pleased with the progress he made as mayor on a number of fronts, especially in what he saw as bringing the city itself together, albeit not perfectly, and making every person and every community feel they mattered. While Tory wont enter the race, theres no stopping voters for launching a write-in campaign.

If they did, I bet Tory would finish ahead of almost all of the 80 some candidates  and possibly even ahead of some of the so-called major contenders.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Politics, Hiren Mukherjee, the renowned CPI parliamentarian of yesteryear and a regular contributor to The Statesman, once wrote, fundamentally speaking, calls for passion in its pursuit. And passion, in Latin and Roman languages, has for its first meaning suffering which none in true political life should wish to escape.

Yes, it was passion welded onto ideology that drew a large number of bright young intellectuals to the fold of the Communist Party of India from the 1940s onwards. They were inspired by the concept of revolution, more concretely, by the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, to serve the cause of the toiling community.

Moreover, the dynamic leadership of P.C. Joshi gave a fillip to their embracing the red umbrella. It is the same passion or zeal that in 1950 compelled a bunch of Indian communists at Cambridge who wanted to contribute to the Telengana antiRazakar and peasant upheaval. Back home, rampant hooliganism with political support and unbridled police atrocities caused panic in the minds of the common people.

Nehru at that time was visiting England. The Indian communists at Cambridge had planned to pour a bucket of tar with feathers on Indian High Commissioner V.K. Krishna Menon.

Rajani Palme Dutt, the leader of the British Communist Party, did not like the idea and an alternative plan was chalked out. Thus, the party members stood in front of the High Commission in London with placards Fascist Nehru and his faithful servant V.K. Krishna Menon. Ironically however, it is the Communist Party of India that sided with Nehru for his non-aligned policy and during the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict. In 1975, the party supported the notorious Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi.

Many inside the party lamented the decision. Bhupesh Gupta, a remarkable orator and one of the leading CPI leaders of that time who was very close to Indira, abandoned her in protest. Over the decades the CPIs fluctuations in fortunes are in harmony with its contradictions regarding its ideological stance vis-avis parliamentary democracy, nationalistic approach, foreign relations, organizational structure and a host of other issues.

Nearing one hundred years of its existence, the CPI, once the largest Opposition party, has dwindled into a regional one as per the recent declaration by the Election Commission of India. Ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls, the Election Commission withdrew the national party status of CPI along with that of a few other parties.

With only two parliamentary seats in its kitty, it is a poor fall of a party that was once recognised among communist nations across the globe and held in high esteem not only by the prime minister and his ruling party, but also by people cutting across the political and ideological divide.

Founded in 1925, the CPI was given the national party status in 1989, but the honour was withdrawn following its lacklustre performance in the last assembly elections in West Bengal and Odisha. It is to be noted that to earn a national party status, a political outfit has to be recognised as state party in four states and have at least two members in the respective legislative assemblies according to the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) order, 1968. But in spite of the brilliant profiles and great performances in the legislature of many of its elected members, the CPIs growth has never been spectacular.

Decades of simmering tensions and factional infighting have been largely responsible for this. As India got her independence in 1947, differences cropped up regarding how to adjust to the changed scenario. P.C. Joshi, the then party secretary, was of the opinion that Indias independence was a great achievement, yet B.T. Ranadive and his supporters considered it a sham. For a long time the CPI considered Nehru to be a puppet of the US and British imperialism and a votary of capitalism.

When relations between Nehru and Soviet Union improved, a section of the party sought cooperation with the Congress and the PM. The leader of this group was S.A. Dange whose role by that time was being fiercely criticised by members belonging to the opponent faction. The feud worsened in 1962 when the Sino-Indian war broke out. Danges opponents in CPI, who did not criticise Chinese action, were thrown into jail.

When these leaders came out of jail, they refused to accept Danges leadership. The Sino-Soviet split created further turmoil inside the party. While one group opted for the Chinese line the other settled for the Soviet.

Added to this was the personality-oriented factionalism that became the outfits undoing. Before the split, the leftists inside the party included B.T. Ranadive, A.K. Gopalan, Promode Dasgupta and M. Basavapunnaiah while the Rightists were led by Dange and Joshi.

There was also a centrist group comprising leaders like Ajoy Ghosh, Jyoti Basu, Bhupesh Gupta and E.M.S. Namboodiripad. The cold war between Ranadive and Dange or between Dange and Namboodiripad did not allow the party to take any unified decision regarding many ideological and organisational issues. Joshi, Mohit Sen and Dange, the chief leaders of the United Communist Party of India (UCPI), wanted to steadfastly ally with the Congress for the national revolution.

All these leaders were either expelled from the party or they themselves left before any action could be initiated against them. Mohit Sen, in his autobiography A Traveller and the Road regrets: In India and other democratic countries, our crimes did not reach the level of communists in Soviet Union and China. But we were unjust, including to ourselves. What did some of us not do to try to destroy P. C. Joshi and S. A. Dange?

Under Ranadives stewardship, the communists organised mass struggles during the Telengana and Tebhaga movement eschewing the hitherto-followed tactical line of legal battles nurtured by the moderate Joshi. Ranadive favoured the new party line of mass upsurge and democratic revolution through class struggle.

The crisis came to a head in 1964 when the party was divided into two and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was born. As the CPI was divested of the National Party status, one leader, Binoy Biswam, tweeted: National recognition is of course important from a technical point of view. CPIs recognition is in the hearts of the toiling masses. It is built up with the blood, sweat and tears of the fighting people.

The party will intensify its battle for democracy, secularism and socialism. However, talking of left ideology or making vows is one thing, but reaching out to people or running a government to implement peoples agenda is another.

Today the CPI as well as other communist parties are left searching for reasons for their disconnect with once steadfast allies  the youth, farmers and the working class. This may have to do partly with the retreat of communism across the globe. Adjusting to the zeitgeist of free market economy and identity-based politics in the country has proved a tough challenge for the organisation. There is also a leadership crisis in the party.

Although the CPI has been in electoral politics for decades, it has failed miserably in forming or running a government successfully in any state leave alone the Centre. In West Bengal, it has been in power for more than three decades, but only as an ally of the fiercely dominant CPI (M). In 1957, when the CPI got a historic electoral victory in Kerala, it became the first communist party in the world to win an election.

Yet within five years of that victory, the party had fragmented beyond recognition. The Namboodiripad government in Kerala was torn by internal discord. Not only that, in reaction to a serious food crisis and issues over education and land, violence erupted as communist cadres took to arms to quell peoples protests.

Nehru finally dismissed the government in 1959 citing the deteriorating law and order condition in the state. In the following election, the communists lost two-thirds of their seats.

Though the CPI never performed enough to form government at the Centre or even the states, its illustrious legacy is largely due to the enviable profiles of its parliamentarians or leading comrades. Dange, Joshi, Hiren Mukherjee, Bhupesh Gupta, Indrajit Gupta, Ila Mitra, Gita Mukherjee and many other stalwarts of the now dwindling party are truly memorable characters in independent Indias political history. Most of them were highly educated and their lives were marked by honesty, dignity and high ethical standards.

They were respected even by their political opponents for their integrity of character and lofty ideals. The only thing most of the communists of the 1930s and 1940s had, as Mohit Sen reminisced, was the party  no income, no home, no family. They were proud of the party even when they left the outfit or were expelled.

It is a far cry from the political scenario of todays India where changing floors or affiliations is like changing everyday garments and where people are used to seeing politicians and ministers engaged in large-scale corruption, hooliganism and many nefarious activities.

But as of now, we are not sure whether the grand old party will ever stage a comeback or pale into complete insignificance. Be that as it may, countrymen will continue to cherish the glorious legacy of high thinking and plain living, of fair speech and decent conduct, left behind by a great number of towering personalities belonging to this Left party.

(The writer, a Ph D in English, teaches at the Government-sponsored Sailendra Sircar Vidyalaya, Kolkata. The views are personal.)
The Gutenberg Bible, one of the earliest major books to be mass printed in medieval Europe using movable metal type, was a seminal moment in the history of information dissemination in the West. It led to the advent of what the scholar Benedict Anderson termed print capitalism which, in turn, enabled the emergence of the concept of the nation as an imagined community leading eventually to the dominance of the nation-state as the primary unit of global interaction.

The short point is that if anyone ought to know the power of shaping the narrative, it should be leading western powers. It is in this context that the testimony last week of Jessica Brandt ~ Policy Director, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative, Brookings Institution ~ before the US Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management on The Global Information Wars: Is the US Winning or Losing acquires considerable significance.

Reiterating the views of many experts, Brandt underlined that the USA is currently engaged in a persistent, asymmetric competition with authoritarian challengers that is taking place across at least four, interconnected, non-military domains: Politics, including interference in democratic processes; Economics, specifically the accumulation and application of coercive leverage; Technology, which intersects with the other domains but is a competitive domain in its own right and; Information, which may be the most consequential terrain over which states will compete in the next decades.

Her testimony focussed on the last-mentioned domain where Moscow and Beijing in particular have leveraged some of the sharpest asymmetries. It is axiomatic that in the post-World War II liberal international order, democracies have been considered the winners of the global strategic competition due to an open information environment.

But Brandts testimony flags the often less-understood reality that despite continuing to confer tremendous longterm advantages, such an information eco-system also creates significant vulnerabilities which can ~ and have ~ been exploited using low-cost, deniable tools and tactics by non-democratic powers. While democracies are premised on the idea that the truth is knowable and citizens can discern it to govern themselves, autocrats have no such need for a healthy information environment to thrive, she said in her testimony.

But the asymmetric nature of the information war is such that while Russia and China have effectively banned many Western social media platforms at home, they are able to use them quite effectively to engage audiences abroad. Liberal democracies have been behind the curve to appreciate the nature of the contest and to develop a proactive strategy to counter the information advantages accruing to autocracies.

This is not to argue that we become our adversaries, which is to say democracies should roll back the commitment to free flow of information, but to think deeply about policy formulation in times when the war is not being fought on the battlefield but on the
The just-ended campaign for the Karnataka assembly elections has made it clear that Indias political class has learnt little, if anything, from the predicament that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi finds himself in, having been divested of his parliamentary seat by a conviction for ill-advised remarks that a court found judicially unacceptable. Whether the conviction, or the sentence, was fair is for a higher forum to consider, but there can be no question about the fact that the remarks were in shockingly poor taste.

But they were by no means less acceptable than some of the utterances of our political class ~ on either side of the divide, we must emphasise ~ during the Karnataka campaign. The content of poll rhetoric was sometimes so toxic that the Election Commission of India was prompted last week to caution all parties in the fray to mind their tongues.

In an official statement, the poll body said: It is imperative for all parties and stakeholders to remain within the confines of the Model Code of Conduct and the legal framework in their utterances while campaigning so as to maintain the dignity of the political discourse.

This statement was prompted by utterances of rival party leaders that variously termed the Prime Minister as a poisonous snake and worthless, and the leader of the main Opposition party as a snake maiden. While these essays in ophiology had little to do with the issues in the election, they dominated headlines.

For the record, such utterances violate the first injunction of the Code of Conduct which asks parties and candidates not to indulge in activities that create mutual hatred. The next sentence of the Code says: Criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programmes, past record and work. It stands to reason that campaigners who did not bother to read the first two sentences of the Code would not have read any part of the rest, and were thus active participants in an egregious defiling of democratic norms. While conceding that the Karnataka elections are crucial for the fortunes of the countrys two main parties ~ one wishing to retain its presence in south India and the other seeking to overturn a string of electoral reverses ~ the tenor of the campaign suggests that worse, much worse may be in store for the electorate in the months ahead as the national government enters the final year of its term.

It is time therefore to reflect on the Code of Conduct, and how it came into being through a consultative exercise that involved major political parties, and the role that the Election Commission must play to ensure that flagrant violations do not go unpunished.

The poll process in Karnataka has not yet ended, and there is time yet for the Election Commission to crack down on all those who vitiated the poll atmosphere. Failure to do so now will guarantee that the level of discourse in the year ahead remains at the subterranean level achieved in Karnataka.
Commemorating victory over fascism in World War-II, the Russian Centre for Science and Culture in Kolkata conducted an exhibition to observe the event at Gorky Sadan from 4-10 May.

Celebrating the 78th anniversary of the victory, exhibits of rare historical photographs of the war, books, journals, memorabilia and various artworks by Indian artists were presented for public viewing.

The exhibition was held in association with The Institute of Russian Language, Eisenstein Cine Club, Cine Central Calcutta and North Calcutta Film Society. Documentaries and feature films on the war like Panfilovs 28 Men, Stalingrad,

Battle of Sevastopol and T-34 were screened. Srijan, a Howrah-based theatre group, presented a drama titled, Operation Barbarossa, on the inauguration day. Hitler began Operation Barbarossa, his invasion of the Soviet Union, on 22 June, 1941.

It marked the start of the campaign that would eventually determine the outcome of the Second World War. Hitler saw the Soviet Union to be his innate foe. In order to provide Germany the living space it needed in the East, he sought to destroy its army, seize its huge economic resources, and enslave its people. In the north, Leningrad suffered an attack, in the middle, Moscow was attacked, and in the south, Ukraine was attacked.

Hitler anticipated winning easily. Despite its size, the Soviet Army had poor leadership and training. Joseph Stalin, the Soviet dictator, was feared by its senior commanders just as much as the invader that was suddenly breaching their defences.

Hitler had issued Fuhrer Directive 21 by the years conclusion, authorising Germany to invade the Soviet Union. The invasion, code-named Operation Barbarossa, ordered German forces to go forward along a line extending from the port of Archangel to the port of Astrakhan on the Volga River, close to the Caspian Sea
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong said on Thursday that China is willing to work with all parties to make the Global Security Initiative (GSI) take root and bear fruit in Asia.

Wang made the remarks at a forum of the Pakistan-hosted Islamabad Security Dialogue 2023, where he delivered a keynote speech via video from Beijing.

Noting the GSI has answered the question of what kind of security concept the world needs and how can all countries achieve common security, Wang said China is ready to work with all parties to uphold mutual respect, fairness and justice, win-win cooperation and a holistic approach, so as to make Asia more peaceful, secure and prosperous. 
Advocating her case on womens education and empowerment, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said no country can progress unless its women are strong and take part in social development with men.

She was addressing a gathering to commemorate the 175th anniversary of Bethune Collegiate School at Netaji Indoor stadium this afternoon. John Eliot Drinkwater Bethune founded the Calcutta Female School in 1848, which later became Bethune Collegiate School to spread education among Indian women. Miss Banerjee said, Women can manage homes and do work outside with efficiency and sincerity.

There is no job which women cannot do and for the development of the country women should take part alongside men, said the countrys only woman chief minister. She presented Bangaratna to Bethune Collegiate School for its service to educate women for the past 175 years.

Referring to the dark days when women were not allowed to go to school, she said, Women were not allowed to go to school and Indians like Raja Ram Mohun Roy and Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar fought against the evil practices that were prevalent in society then.

While Roy took the leading role in the abolition of sati, Vidyasagar was the key figure in spreading women education in India. Talking about Bengals rich culture and heritage, she said, You will not get any other state that has produced scholars, intellectuals, poets and revolutionaries.

Rabindranath Tagore gave up his knighthood in protest against the Jalianwalla Bagh massacre while poet Nazrul spoke about equality of men and women through his poems. It is our duty to follow in the footprints of these great men, she maintained.

Lauding the role played by the Bethune Collegiate School, she said, From the dark days till today, the school has played a major role in spreading womens education in India. We are blessed to join such an auspicious ceremony, she maintained.

Trinamul Congress Lok Sabha chief whip Sudip Badyopadhyay, state ministers for education and industry, Bratya Basu and Dr Shashi Panja, Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi, home secretary BP Gopalika, commissioner of police Vineet Goyal were present on the occasion.

Bethune Collegiate School authorities have planned a yearlong programme to celebrate the 150th year of the school.
It was altogether a different sight when MPs, MLAs and political office bearers had gathered not to run around for a rally or a debate but to enjoy music.

Yes, on Wednesday they assembled at the Trinamul Bhavan for a musical and cultural programme. The special programme to mark the 162nd birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, started at 10 am with the inaugural speech by Firhad Hakim, highlighting the thoughts and ideals of humanity that Tagore wrote throughout his life.

Sudip Bandopadhyay, a MP, sang a famous Tagore number Akash Bhora Surya Tara while minister of information technology and electronics Babul Supriya sang Dhai Jeno Mor Sakol Bhalobasa. Dola Sen, MP, sang Keno Cheye Aachho Go Maa. It was completely different with TMC ministers, MPs, MLAs and councillors batting on a different pitch.

This day is always special for us. This cultural evening really adds up to the whole environment. Our chief minister Mamata Banerjee always celebrates Tagore and we all follow and love this enthusiasm and energy.

The Trinamul Bhavan can be seen in a completely different colour today, said Dola Sen.

Partys chief whip in Rajya Sabha Sukhendu Sekhar Roy read a passage from the essay, Crisis in Civilisation. Minister of health and family welfare Chandrima Bhattacharya recited the poem Kripon while minister of parliamentary affairs Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay recited Bandi Veer written by Tagore.

In the evening, department culture and Kolkata Municipal Corporation jointly organised Kavi Pranam. Sukhendu Shekhar Roy said, We have followed the instructions of our leader and chief minister Mamta Banerjee.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Courts verdict in the Centre Vs Delhi government row terming it a momentous gift for the people of Delhi.

The judgement has been hailed by the AAP as a significant triumph. Party leaders expressed their utmost gratitude to the Chief Justice of India D U Chandrachud and the constitutional bench of the apex court for their unwavering commitment to justice.

Addressing the media, Cabinet Ministers Gopal Rai, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Ms Atishi lauded the Supreme Courts verdict, recognising it as a monumental gift to the citizens of Delhi. As per the ministers, this groundbreaking judgement has not only secured the powers of elected governments but also heralded a new era of accountability and democratic governance in Delhi.

Rai emphasised that the decision would effectively curtail the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) efforts to usurp power from elected governments across the nation. He criticised the Modi Government for unconstitutionally obstructing the projects of the elected government of Delhi and coercing officials through the Lieutenant Governor (LG).

Bhardwaj said the battle for the people of Delhi that Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi Chief Minister) has been fighting for since 2014 has been won today with this court order. He said it has emerged that whenever there negative forces emerge in the country, democratic institutions, especially the Indian judiciary and the Supreme Court in particular, will certainly stand with the people.

Ms Atishi underscored the binding nature of the Supreme Courts ruling, highlighting that the LG is obligated to adhere to the decisions of the Delhi government. She said the LG does not possess the authority to make decisions, but merely has the responsibility of perusing the relevant documents.

During the press conference, Rai said that the judgement of the Supreme Court today is a big gift for the residents of Delhi. He said that apart from it being a big win for the people of Delhi, it is also a tight slap on the face of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central Government that has constantly misused its powers to interfere into the works of the democratically elected government in Delhi.

The AAP leaders press conference came after the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in favour of the Delhi government in a case between the state government and Centre in connection with the administrative control over transfers and postings of civil servants.

The apex court held that the Delhi government must have control over bureaucrats in administration of services except in areas outside the legislative powers of NCT. It said the Lt governor is bound by aid and advice of the NCT government except the matters relating to land, public order & police.

A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said the principle of democracy and federalism form a part of basic structure and federalism ensures survival of diverse interests and accommodates diverse needs.

The top court said the Delhi government has legislative power over services excluding public order, police and land. The bench noted that if services are excluded from legislative and executive domain, the ministers would be excluded from controlling the civil servants who are to implement the executive decisions.
The Calcutta High Court today ordered a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the killings of two students, allegedly in police firing, and in connection with the alleged explosion at a school in Islampur in North Dinajpur district on 20 September 2018.

In the same vein, the Court also ordered the state government to compensate the families of the deceased.

Tapas Barman, 20 and Rajesh Sarkar, 21, were killed when police allegedly opened fire at a crowd of guardians and students who were protesting the appointment of an Urdu language teacher at the Darivit High School, and demanding appointment of teachers for other important subjects.

A Single Bench of Justice Raja Sekhar Mantha today observed that there had been complaints of use of bombs, explosives and firearms in the incidents of clashes where these two former students were killed. He also said that since the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the state police was unable to make sufficient progress in its investigation, the charge of probe is being handed over to the NIA.

Justice Mantha observed that although the post-mortem reports suggest that the bullets which killed Sarkar and Burman were fired from highly improvised firearms, the CID sleuths were unable to identify the nature of the firearms used on the day.

He also expressed ire over the role of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC), which was assigned the task of parallel probe in the matter. He observed that the WBHRCs findings were based just on the inputs given by the district magistrate and the district police superintendent, which proves how reluctant the commission was in the matter. He also directed the state government to immediately arrange for compensation for the victims in the clashes.

As the complaints also mentioned explosion, the Court ordered the NIA inquiry into the incident.

The police have, however, denied having opened fire at the crowd. The bereaved families had moved the Calcutta High Court and demanded a CBI inquiry into the deaths.

The families of the deceased have buried the bodies on the banks of the Dolancha river instead of cremating them, in hopes for further post-mortem and investigations.

The allegation back then against the school authorities was that the school was recruiting teachers where it was not necessary, but subjects like Bengali and Science were getting the short shrift as no recruitments had ever been taken place for those subjects.
As the Calcutta High Court ordered National Investigating Agency (NIA) probe into the Darivit police firing case in North Dinajpur, family members of the two students killed in the incident have expressed hope that they would be finally given the much-awaited justice.

Tapas Barman, 20 and Rajesh Sarkar, 21, were killed when police allegedly opened fire at a crowd of guardians and students who were protesting the appointment of an Urdu language teacher at the Darivit High School in Islampur on 20 September 2018.

The family members of the deceased and locals of Darivit village expressed happiness at todays court order, even as BJP leaders at the district party office in Raiganj exchanged sweets.

BJP MP of Raiganj Debasree Chowdhury today visited Darivit and met the parents of the deceased students.

As the guardians and students put up a protest at the school on 20 September 2018, police is said to have resorted to lathi-charge, while they allegedly opened fire at the crowd. Manju Barman, the mother of the deceased Tapas Barman said, Both the students died in police firing. The state government has ordered CID probe, but the CID will not be able to provide justice. We have been waiting for four-anda-half years for CBI investigations. We are happy that the High Court has ordered NIA investigations, and we hope that actual judgment will come by through the central agency.

BJP MP Miss Chaudhuri said the parents of the deceased were happy at the court order.

NIA officers will soon exhume the bodies for further investigations. We have been standing by the families and demanding CBI investigations for the past more than four years. Our party members are happy and they exchanged sweets among them following this news today. The state government will have to provide financial compensation to the familes, following the High court order, she said.
BJP activists today protested the state governments move to impose a ban on the screening of The Kerala Story. The state has said that the move was an attempt to disturb communal harmony.

Party workers held a protest rally and staged a demonstration at Safdar Hasmi Chowk in Siliguri.

The state government had ordered an immediate ban on the screening of the controversial Sudipto Sen-directed film on 8 May to avoid any incident of hatred and violence and to maintain peace in the state after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the movie for portraying distorted stories.

The movie, which is apparently based on instances of women joining the Islamic State, was released across the country on 5 May. Its teaser had claimed that 32,000 nonMuslim girls had been lured, converted and radicalised in Kerala to join the terror outfit. However, the number was changed to three after protests began against the alleged misinformation being spread by the film.

BJP has accused the government of appeasing the minority community, eying its political interests and vote bank politics.

The plot of the movie The Kerala Story has no link with Bengal. The chief minister is afraid of the rural elections and parliamentary elections. The Bengal Files is coming up next. Despite the Central Board of Film Certification having certified the film for public viewing, the state government has banned the movie. We wished the director of the movie Sudipta Sen, who has truly highlighted how the Hindu sisters were converted by love jihad. This ban will not deter people from watching such movies, they have the option to watch them on the online platform at their homes, said the president of the Siliguri (Organisational) District of the BJP and Matigara-Naxalbari MLA Anandamay Barman.

Amid the buzz around the movie ban, some members of the film fraternity, including senior actor Shabana Azmi and director Anurag Kashyap, have opposed the ban on the film.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today agreed to hear a plea by the producers of the multilingual film starring Adah Sharma against its ban on screening on 12 May.
Nearly 200 fishermen hailing from Gujarat are likely to be released from Pakistani jails on Friday.

The fishermen are among more than 650 fishermen from Gujarat coast who are languishing in Pakistani jails for months and years on charges of illegally crossing over to Pakistani waters during their fishing ventures in the Arabian Sea.

Almost a similar number of Pakistani fishermen remain lodged in jails of India in Porbandar, Jamnagar and Bhuj after being nabbed by Indian Coast Guard personnel for intruding into Indian waters, often with ulterior motives.

As the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the Arabian Sea is not always respected, the Pakistani Marine Security Agency (PMSA) often seize the Indian fishing boats and the fishermen on charges of entering Pakistani waters.

The Indian Coast Guard also nabs Pakistani boats and fishermen on similar charges, leading to an ever increase in number of such prisoners in jails of both sides.

Batches of such imprisoned fishermen are released by both sides once in a while as goodwill gesture, especially on the eve of some diplomatic measure to improve ties between the two nations.

In order to check infiltration of Pakistanis through sea route, the Indian Coast Guard have trained some fishermen on Gujarat coast to act as their eyes & ears by informing the security agencies about any unusual activity or suspicious movements from the other side in the high seas.

Welcoming the returning fishermen is also not so easy as some trained spies might sneak into along with the returnees.

A team of officials from Gujarat have left for Wagah border near Punjab to verify credentials of the released fishermen before accompanying them back home.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and later ruled out the possibility of a third front being formed in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections next year.

No, as far as I am concerned. Not now, he said when asked by reporters if he saw the possibility of a third front.

Asked if his Biju Janata Dal would go it alone in the elections, Patnaik said; That has always been our position.

On his meeting with Modi, he said; I met the Prime Minister and we discussed issues related to Orissas demand. I spoke for the International Airport that we have to set up in Puri, Bhubaneswar is getting too much traffic now thats why we want an expansion. The Prime Minister said that he will definitely help in every way possible, he said.

Asked about his recent meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Patnaik said it was a courtesy meeting.
Sea Harrier (SH 606) fighter jet designed and manufactured by British Aerospace, will be suspended from the roof of what used to be the Rajiv Smruthi Bhavan in Vishakhapatnam.

Andhra Pradesh Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will inaugurate the Sea Harrier Museum on Beach Road in Visakhapatnam on May 11.

Several tourist and Navy projects like INS Kurusura Submarine, and TU 142 M aircraft museum in Visakhapatnam already attract visitors and travellers from all corners of the world.

While talking to ANI, District Collector and VMRDA Commissioner A Mallikarjuna said, Besides the TU-142 aircraft and INS Kursura Submarine Museum, the Sea Harrier will be made accessible to the public from this week on the beach road of Visakhapatnam. The Sea Harrier Museum, which once shared space with TU-142 Aircraft, is inching closer to its inauguration inside the 22,000-sqft Rajiv Smruthi Bhavan on RK Beach Road in Vizag. Built at a cost of over Rs 10 crores, the display of the fighter jet, suspended from the ceiling, is expected to attract tourists in large numbers. The 2016-decommissioned Indian Navy flight museum will be made open to the public from May 11, 2023 after its opening by Chief Minister Jagan.

The new museum space will feature two Pegasus engines, a flight simulator, and other artefacts alongside the Sea Harrier. All the exhibits have been brought from Goa, he added.

Sea Harrier further jet decommissioned fighter jet was brought to Visakhapatnam from Goa in 2016.
National Conference President and Member of Parliament from Srinagar Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said that the BJP government wants to have a pliable motley group of self-anointed leaders in Jammu and Kashmir to white wash and legitimise their undemocratic actions in 2019 when the Article 370 was abrogated and the state split into two UTs.

He said the National Conference will continue its battle for the restoration of the abridged democratic and political rights of the people of J&K.

He said this while leading party functionaries in paying rich tributes to Shaheed Sheikh Muhammad Mansoor Sahib on his 33rd martyrdom anniversary at a public gathering organized at Vehil, Shopian.

Abdullah reiterated that the party was fighting for the honour and dignity of the people through democratic, constitutional and peaceful means. He was quick to add that certain sections from New Delhi to Kashmir have joined their efforts to derail the peaceful struggle and are trying to create disunity among our rows.

All they want is to have a pliable motley group of self-anointed leaders and social activists manufactured and incubated in the powerful corridors to white wash and legitimise their undemocratic actions in 2019, he said.

However, their bogus narratives to discredit and delegitimize NC and our leaders will never fructify. Their efforts will again gain momentum as various elections are approaching but as long as we dont sell our conscience, nothing is going to harm us, he said.

Abdullah reiterated that the policies pursued by the incumbent administration are extracting a heavy price on people, who are suffering from unemployment, underdevelopment and administrative problems all at the same time.

Holding assembly elections would be the first and most important step towards the restoration of all the constitutional rights guaranteed in the constitution of India and the fulfilment of the political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. There is no trade-off between the political aspirations and development demands of people, both have to be addressed, he added.

He contended that India was a union of states and that every constituent unit of the country has a distinct character and identity.

People have made it a point to not allow anyone to discredit their voice. People will fight all such brazen attempts to denude them of their identity. NC bringing the genuine and true representative voice of people will encumber such deceitful conquest of BJP and its saplings to harm J&Ks unity, diversity and uniqueness, he said.
DHAKA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government has imposed a 65-day ban on fishing off the Bay of Bengal in order to help ensure the smooth breeding of fish and boost depleted fish stocks, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock said in its gazette on Thursday.

This ban has been imposed with the aim of proper breeding, production, conservation of fish resources, and sustainable fishing in the marine waters of the country, the ministry said.

The ban will come into effect on May 20 and last until July 23, it said. 
In a bid to promote manufacturing of electrical vehicles in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has decided to provide various incentives and subsidy to the investors. The government will encourage especially those investors that carry out skill development of the employees, officials here said.

Provisions have been made in the EV Manufacturing and Mobility Policy in this regard. Clear information about financial incentives for skill development has been provided in the manual related to the implementation of the policy.

Accordingly, skill development subsidy will be provided to companies investing in EV manufacturing in the state. Additionally, a separate financial incentive will also be provided to train the employees in a particular year.

It is worth mentioning here that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a recent program, had appealed to the companies investing in the state to also make efforts for skill development of the youth in order to create a skilled workforce, and had also assured of all possible help from the government in this regard.

Notably, skill development subsidy has been mentioned in the EV policy wherein a one-time subsidy at the rate of Rs.5000 per employee per year will be provided to a maximum of 50 employees in the form of reimbursement of stipend for all defined manufacturing projects. Under this provision, a subsidy will also be paid for training a maximum of 10 employees in a particular year.

However, this incentive will be applicable only to those employees who are employed in the applicant manufacturing unit for a period of 12 months prior to joining the training programme.

To be eligible for this subsidy, this training program should be certified by National Skill Development Corporation or Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission or any Central/State University/College or ITI/Polytechnic.

All incentive benefits will be provided only after the commencement of commercial production as per the provision made in the EV policy. The aggregate of all financial incentives for manufacturing projects should not exceed 100 per cent of the fixed capital investment.

Under the policy, the basis of First Come, First Serve will be set for those projects, which are being provided a letter of comfort by the State Government for promotion under the policy.

It may be known that an MoU has been signed for investing in EV manufacturing on a large scale in the state. Not only Indian companies, but also foreign companies wish to invest in EV manufacturing sector in UP. The biggest investment is coming from a Hong Kong based company named Tauschen International Ltd. which is a part of the Tauschen Group of Companies.

Apart from EV manufacturing, this one company has signed an MoU for an investment of 1.90 lakh crores in many other sectors. Similarly, RG Strategies Group and Cosis Group have also signed major investment agreements in the EV sector. Apart from these, many other companies are preparing to set up manufacturing units in the state.
A retired IPS officer in Bihar has hit out at political strategist Prashant Kishor for reportedly associating his name with the latters Jan Suraaj Abhiyan without his consent.

A. Rahman Momin, a native of Bhojpur who retired from the post of Inspector General of Police (IGP) and was a 2000 batch IPS officer, said: I am having family responsibilities and I am taking care of it. I never joined any political party in my life. As far as Jan Suraaj is concerned, its members are approaching retired police officers like me but I did not go there to join Jan Suraaj. When I did not join Jan Suraaj, how could they include my name and also publish the same in newspapers. Such things are not acceptable.

I just returned from HAJ and as I am a Haji, I have no interest in politics. I am spending time with my family. I dont know how the team of Prashant Kishor included my name in Jan Suraaj without my permission. Such a thing is attributed to cheating with me. I condemn it, Monin added.

On May 7, it was announced by Kishors team that 12 retired IPS officers are set to join the Jan Suraaj Abhiyan.

When contacted, an office bearer of the Abhiyan who is looking after the media affairs told IANS: If the name has been included in it, it means he had given approval for joining the Jan Suraaj Abhiyan. We will clarify the issue by Thursday.

Slamming Kishor over the development, JD-U MLC Neeraj Kumar said: Prashant Kishor is fooling the youth of Bihar to gain political ground but this incident has exposed him and his Jan Suraaj Abhiyan. People of Bihar understand the nature of Prashant Kishor.
Former Union minister and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) President R C P Singh on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the countrys all-round development.

He was formally inducted into the party fold by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at the BJP headquarters.

Singh quit the JD (U) last year following sharp differences with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after the JD (U) sought a reply from him on allegations of corruption related to discrepancies in immovable properties.

Talking to reporters after joining the BJP, Singh launched a frontal attack on Nitish Kumar, saying he was hungry for Chair. He said, Nitish Babu says he is against crime and corruption, but he is doing everything for another C i.e. chair

He wondered why Nitish was going from one state to another for Opposition unity while the people of Bihar voted him to power for the welfare of the state.

Singh heaped praise on the PM, saying it was because of the work being done by his government that India has now become the fifth largest economy in the world.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday announced a monthly pension of Rs 2,750 to patients suffering from 55 rare diseases including Pompe Disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Speaking at the inauguration of 46 health institutions in 17 districts including 275-bedded Mukand Lal District Civil Hospital at Yamunanagar during the state-level programme at Yamunanagar, the chief minister pointed out that presently the state government is giving pension benefits to thalassemia, hemophilia, stage-III, and IV cancer patients.

Now, 55 rare diseases have also been added to this list and the government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 25 crore to provide the announced financial assistance, he added.

Khattar said with this announcement, about 8,000 patients will be able to get the financial benefits. He said there are 3,000 patients suffering from Thalassemia and Hemophilia, 4000 stage-III, IV cancer patients and about 1000 patients suffering from 55 other rare diseases, who will now receive the pension.

These inaugurations and the financial assistance announced for the patients would certainly play a pivotal role in further strengthening the health infrastructure along with providing the best health care facilities to every citizen, he added.

The CM said according to the WHO norms, the strength of doctors in Haryana should be 28,000, but at present the strength is 13,000 including government and private.

When our government was formed in 2014, the number of MBBS seats in Haryana was only 750. With the opening of new medical colleges, now these seats have become 1900. At present, seven medical colleges are either under construction or have been announced. After their construction, the number of MBBS will increase to more than 3000, he said.

Khattar said Ayushman Yojana, under which poor and needy families get a health insurance facility of Rs Five lakh, about 15.5 lakh families in Haryana have received benefits.

However, extending the scope of this scheme, we have implemented CHIRAYU Haryana Yojana. Today, about 29.5 lakh families of the state are getting benefits of this scheme. Apart from this, Nirogi Haryana Yojana has also been made to provide health check-ups for citizens. Under this, 25 types of tests are done. So far, about 2 lakh citizens have been tested. Our target is to cover 1.25 crore population, the CM added.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) national president Sharad Pawar on Thursday met with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in Mumbai and the two leaders stressed on the need for opposition parties to work together in the interest of the nation.

Addressing a joint press conference with Kumar the veteran NCP leader said, In the wake of the situation in the country, to save democracy, it is important to work together. After looking at the condition of the country, it seems that if we work together, there will be support for the alternative that the country needs. Yesterday, there were polls in Karnataka. As per my information, people there will oust BJP and elect a secular government, Pawar said.

Addressing the joint press conference, the Bihar chief minister lashed out at the BJP.

What the BJP is doing, is not in the countrys interest. So, the more the number of Opposition parties comes together, the better it is in the interest of the nation. We have spoken with several political parties. We will sit together and take further decisions, Kumar said.

Asked if Sharad Pawar will be the main face of an Opposition alliance, the Bihar CM said, There will be nothing more delightful than thatI have told him that he has to work strongly not only for his party but the entire country.

Nitish Kumar who is also the JD(U) leader accompanied by Bihar deputy chief minster and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also met with Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree in Mumbai.

The JD(U) leader has been meeting Opposition leaders to strengthen the bloc against the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Kumar had caught the national imagination with his pitch for a united opposition which, he believes, can take on and defeat the BJP in next years Lok Sabha polls. The JD(U) supreme leader, who stunned the BJP last year when he snapped ties will visit Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar later in the day.

In his joint presser with Uddhav Thackeray today the Bihar chief minister speaking on a United Opposition candidate said, This exercise is not done to advance their personal advance but for the good of the country and to give the people of India a good alternative to the present government.

Kumar said that a decision on the candidate will be decided after the formation of the United Front and not before that.

Those who are at the Centre are not working for the countryAll political parties in the country need to unite to work together, the Bihar chief minister said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is leaving on Thursday on a three-nation tour of Bangladesh, Sweden and Belgium.

He will be in Dhaka today and tomorrow to participate in the sixth edition of the Indian Ocean Conference. The conference will be attended by President of Mauritius Prithvirajsing Roopun, Vice-President of Maldives Faisal Naseem, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and several ministers from across the world.

From Bangladesh, the minister will be travelling to Sweden (13-15 May). This will be his first visit as foreign minister to Sweden and comes at a time when the two countries are celebrating 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Sweden currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In Sweden, he will participate in the second EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum (EIPMF). He will hold bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of several countries on the margins of EIPMF. During his stay, he will call on leadership in Sweden and meet with key Ministers. He will also participate in the inaugural session of the India Trilateral Forum (India, Europe and US) with his Swedish counterpart.

In the last leg of the visit, Jaishankar will be visiting Brussels (15-16 May) for bilateral engagements with Belgian and EU officials. He will also be attending the first ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council along with Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal and Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw. The TTC ministerial meeting is scheduled to be held on 16 May.
Director General of Police, J&K, Dilbag Singh on Thursday visited Mahore area in Reasi district where he reviewed the security situation in a joint meeting with officers of J&K Police and the Army.

The DGP sought reports from jurisdictional officers about the prevailing security scenario in the district. The officers briefed DGP about various measures taken with regard to the security as also for crime control.

He was also apprised regarding the action being taken to ensure a robust area domination grid in order to maintain peace and stability in the district. While addressing the officers, the DGP appreciated the synergy amongst the forces for maintaining peace in the area.

He said that Reasi district is a sensitive place as it connects with the border district of Rajouri as well as to the valley and added that there may be attempts of cross over and as such, all the forces should work in unison. He directed the officers to be vigilant on all fronts particularly while keeping track of movement of anti-national elements and their supporters.

He directed for taking stringent actions against the people found involved in providing any kind of support to terrorists. He directed all officers to monitor activities of all suspects besides the elements attempting to revive the terror structure from across the border. He stressed on the use of new generation technology including apps in order to enhance operational capability.

The DGP directed for devising joint area domination plans for the district with involvement of PRIs and Village Defence Groups (VDGs) for monitoring and generation of human intelligence. He also stressed upon jurisdictional officers for taking stringent action against the people found involved in narco-trade.

The DGP emphasized on organizing PCPG meetings extensively and briefing the people about their role and responsibilities and communicating our concerns. He directed for circulating contact numbers of the police and Security Forces for information generation and added that the cooperation of people is must for maintaining peace in the area.
A voter turnout of 72.67 per cent was recorded in the Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday, where polling for the 224 Assembly seats ended at 6 p.m., the Election Commission (EC) has said.

Barring few incidents, the polling was overall peaceful, the EC Secretariat said in a statement.

The southern state had crossed 50 per cent of voters turnout in the post-lunch period. By 5 p.m., 65.69 per cent of voters turned out and excercised their voting rights.

The voter turnout in the high voltage Varuna seat was recorded at 84.39 per cent. It is one among the keenly observed seats as Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and Minister for Housing V. Somanna are contesting from this seat.

The trend of huge voter turnout in coastal and hilly regions in the state continued. The voter turnout touched 74.07 per cent in Virajpet, while in Madikeri it was at 75.39 per cent.

Dakshina Kannada district which witnessed revenge killings and communal incidents also saw a large number of voters turning out to booths. Sullia recorded 78.94 per cent polling, Puttur (80.02), Bantwal (80.17), and Mangalore (77.6).

Mangalore City South recorded 65.1 per cent voter turnout, Mangalore City North 72.32 per cent, Moodabidri (76.11), and Belthangady (80.8).

The Udupi districts assembly segments Karkal saw 81.3 per cent polling, Kapu (78.79), Udupi (75.87), Kundapura (78.94) and Byndoor recorded 77.84 per cent voting.

Channapatna seat, from where former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and BJP former minister C.P. Yogeshwar have locked horns had recorded 85.23 per cent voting. Kanakapura from where Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar is contesting registered 84.52 per cent.

Shikaripura seat, from where former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappas son B.Y. Vijayendra is contesting, had seen 82.57 per cent turnout.

Hubli-Dharwad Central, from where former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar is contesting on Congress ticket, has seen 64.18 per cent voter turnout. Athani seat, being contested by former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, recorded 80.23 per cent polling.
The Madhya Pradesh government has brought back 23 youths of the state, who were stranded in violence-hit Manipur for the past several days.

The youths reached the Indore airport by flight late at night on 10 May. BJP Lok Sabha member from Indore, Shankar Lalwani along with officers of police, district administration and the airport administration welcomed the students at the airport.

From Indore, the government made arrangements to send the students to their respective hometowns located across MP.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Gajapati district to furnish an Action Taken Report (ATR) over the death of a pregnant Dailt girl student on April 6.

The apex rights panel passed the order and sought for ATR within four weeks on a petition filed by lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy.

A minor Dalit girl, who was studying in Class 8 of government-run Jhirjira Ashram, a residential school, died on account of medical negligence on 6 April 2023 while undergoing treatment at the District Headquarter Hospital.

She was found to be four months pregnant. The school authorities did not inform the parents about her pregnancy earlier, the petition stated.

The death of pregnant student in present case poses serious questions of violation of human rights, the petition noted while seeking intervention of the Commission inter-alia for legal action against the wrong doers, compensation to the bereaved family and proper counseling, mental care, regular medical checkup and focus on studies by the students in the State-run residential schools for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe children.

The NHRC also forwarded the copy of the petition to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police for information and further action.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the cultivation of crops tolerant of drought and alkalinity in a wheat field in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, May 11, 2023. Xi on Thursday visited the city of Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

SHIJIAZHUANG, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Thursday visited the city of Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province.

Xi went to a wheat field where he learned about the cultivation of crops tolerant of drought and alkalinity. He also visited a coal port to learn about its operation and development planning. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the cultivation of crops tolerant of drought and alkalinity in a wheat field in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, May 11, 2023. Xi on Thursday visited the city of Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the cultivation of crops tolerant of drought and alkalinity in a wheat field in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, May 11, 2023. Xi on Thursday visited the city of Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the cultivation of crops tolerant of drought and alkalinity in a wheat field in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, May 11, 2023. Xi on Thursday visited the city of Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the cultivation of crops tolerant of drought and alkalinity in a wheat field in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, May 11, 2023. Xi on Thursday visited the city of Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the cultivation of crops tolerant of drought and alkalinity in a wheat field in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, May 11, 2023. Xi on Thursday visited the city of Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a coal port to learn about its operation and development planning in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, May 11, 2023. Xi on Thursday visited the city of Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a coal port to learn about its operation and development planning in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, May 11, 2023. Xi on Thursday visited the city of Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a coal port to learn about its operation and development planning in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, May 11, 2023. Xi on Thursday visited the city of Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a coal port to learn about its operation and development planning in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, May 11, 2023. Xi on Thursday visited the city of Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay foundation stones of various projects worth around Rs 4,400 crores in Gandhinagar during his visit to Gujarat on Friday.

While in the state capital, Modi will launch development projects planned by Urban Development, Water Supply, Road and Transport and Mines and Minerals Departments, worth over Rs 2450 crores.

The other projects being inaugurated include augmentation of multi village drinking water supply schemes in Banaskantha district, river overbridge in Ahmedabad, drainage collection network at Naroda GIDC, sewage treatment plants in Mehsana and Ahmedabad, auditorium in Dahegam, among others.

Among the projects for which foundation stones will be laid include bulk pipeline project in Junagadh district, augmentation of water supply schemes in Gandhinagar district, construction of flyover bridges, new water distribution station, and various town planning roads, among others.

The prime minister will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of PMAY (rural and urban) projects, as well as participate in Gruh Pravesh of around 19,000 houses built under the scheme. He will hand over keys to beneficiaries of the scheme during the programme. The total outlay of these projects is around Rs 1,950 crore.

Modi will visit Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Gandhinagar and review the status of various ongoing projects. An interaction with GIFT IFSC entities will also take place to understand their experience and future plans. Modi will also visit the citys key infrastructure facilities including the Underground Utility Tunnel and Automated Waste Collection Segregation Plant.

The prime minister will participate in the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Sangh Adhiveshan, which is the 29th Biennial Conference of All India Primary Teachers Federation. The theme of this conference is Teachers are at the Heart of Transforming Education.
The Punjab Police arrested five persons on Thursday in connection with the low-intensity blast incidents near the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

The accused have been identified as Azadvir Singh, Amrik Singh, Sahib Singh, Harjit Singh and Dharminder Singh.The Director General of Police (DGP) Gauarv Yadav said Azadvir, a resident of Amritsar and Amrik, resident of Gurdaspur, were the main perpetrators while Sahib, Harjit and Dharminder, residents of Amritsar, were the persons who sourced and supplied the explosives, the DGP said. He said Sahib Singh has a licensed agency for storing explosives.

The police also recovered 1.10 kilogram low-intensity explosive, which is normally used in firecrackers. Yadav said the first explosive device was assembled in the bathroom of a sarai (inn) on 6 May with 200 grams of explosive in two energy drink cans. A metallic tiffin was also filled with the same explosive material.

All these three containers were placed in a polythene bag. Azadvir had gone to the rooftop of the heritage parking building and then he hung the polythene bag with the help of a rope at about 11 p.m. on 6 May. The first explosion took place at 11:25 p.m., said the DGP.

The second IED was assembled by using two metallic bowls which were then joined together and it was again done in the bathroom of the sarai on 7 May.

The arrests came hours after a third explosion took place on Wednesday midnight in Galiara, the pathway and park around the Golden Temple, behind Guru Ramdas Ji Niwas (inn) building, police said.

The DGP said a special investigation team will be formed to further investigate the matter. He said the motive behind the explosions is yet to be ascertained.

We will unravel the entire controversy, Yadav said, adding whether the arrested five persons were a self-radicalised module or worked at the direction of some other persons will also be investigated.

A low-intensity explosion had taken place on 6 May at the Heritage Street near the Golden Temple. The second blast occurred in the same area on 8 May.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee today said surveillance and the prompt action of the SGPCs employees led to the arrest of the accused, including a woman, who were allegedly behind the mysterious explosions.

SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said the SGPC employees noticed the blast in the third blast and pinpointed the place from where the explosive material was thrown.

Dhami said the SGPC employees traced a suspect through CCTV footage installed in the Guru Ramdas Ji Niwas (inn) building and later they handed him over to police. The explosive material was thrown from the washroom located on the second floor of the building.

The SGPC chief accused the state government of being a total failure in preventing such incidents. This is the failure of the Punjab government. We will strengthen our own task force now. We urge police to hold a thorough probe into the matter, Dhami said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday said that had Uddhav Thackeray refrained from resigning as the chief minister of Maharashtra, the court could have reinstated him, but the court cannot quash a resignation. The top court also held that the Governor erred in concluding that Uddhav Thackeray had lost the majority in the House.

A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said the court cannot quash the resignation submitted by Thackrey.

The bench made it clear that had Thackeray refrained from resigning, it could have reinstated him, but the court cant quash a resignation.

The bench noted that the petitioners argued for restoring the status quo ante, however, Thackeray did not face the floor test.

The top court held that the Maharashtra Governor erred in concluding that Uddhav Thackeray had lost the majority in the House.

The bench said the lack of security to MLAs (Eknath Shinde faction) is not a reason to conclude that a government has fallen and it was nothing, but an extraneous reason to be relied upon by the Governor.

The top court said the Governor had no objective material to doubt the confidence of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and to call for a floor test.

The bench noted that Devendra Fadanvis and independent MLAs also didnt move a no confidence motion and the Governors exercise of discretion was not in accordance with the law.

The bench said neither the Constitution nor the law empowers the Governor to enter the political arena and play a role either in inter-party or intra-party disputes.

The top court pronounced its judgment on the political crisis in Maharashtra in connection with the rebellion by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and other MLAs, leading to the fall of Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray.
Soon after the Supreme Court verdict, the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance on Thursday hailed the verdict as a triumph of truth which has vindicated their stance as the state government now has got a stamp of approval.

Speaking to the media, a visibly relieved Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and a beaming Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that all the doomsayers who predicted the downfall of the state government have been silenced by the SC judgement.

We fully support the SC ruling It was on expected lines. We are happy, our stand has been upheld by the highest court of the land, the duo said, 11 months after they toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by former CM Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022.

Shinde added that for all these months, the Opposition had been spreading canards that the government was illegal and unconstitutional and would collapse anytime, but all their predictions were proved false.

The majority is important in a democracy and we enjoy the majority There is a Constitution in this country and nobody can go beyond it, this is clear from the SC judgement. It is evident that the government we have established was within the laws, Shinde pointed out.

On the resignation of former CM Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde took a potshot saying he (Thackeray) knew that he had lost the majority and had no options but to quit his office.

After resigning he attempted to prove it as a principled stand, but we have preserved morality, and saved the Shiv Sena formed by Balasaheb Thackerays ideals which he (Uddhav Thackeray) had mortgated with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, Shinde averred.

Referring to the point of disqualification of the 16 MLAs, including himself, Shinde said that now the final decision on this would be taken by the Speaker (Rahul Narwekar) following the rule of law.

Today, our government has got the approval of the SC as a full majority government We welcome the judgement, declared Shinde.

Fadnavis termed it as a victory of the people and democracy, and the SC has completely turned the tide against the MVA.

The SC has made it clear that Uddhav Thackeray cannot be made the CM again, the right of disqualification of the 16 MLAs vests with the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker, who will take the decision and the SC has refused to interfere in this, Fadnavis pointed out.

He also took a swipe at Thackeray saying after realising that he did not have a majority, he (Thackeray) quit as the CM and then took a high moral ground.

Those who adopted an unprincipled stand by breaking off with the BJP and joining hands with the Congress-NCP have no right to give lessons on ethics to others, said Fadnavis sharply.

The Sena-BJP activists in Mumbai and other parts of the state erupted into celebrations, distributing sweets and congratulating each other after the much-awaited SC judgement was delivered this afternoon.
Local Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sudhanshu Mittals name features in the First Information Report under the Prevention of Corruption Act filed against the now-suspended Special CBI judge Sudhir Parmar by the Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau.

According to an audio recording forming part of the FIR, the judge claimed to have met Mr. Mittal, the brother-in-law of Lalit Goyal, arrested in 2021 for offenses under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, and assured him of several concessions in the course of judicial proceedings.

Goyal, who heads the IREO group, was arrested after being accused of defrauding home buyers and siphoning off funds received from them.

The name of Mr Mittal, a close associate of deceased BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, has often been linked with the real estate company, although he denies any involvement in its affairs.

The FIR quotes an audio recording to say that Mr. Parmar met Mr. Mittal and Mrs. Lalit Goyal and assured them that although he cannot release Lalit Goyal on bail in PMLA case, yet he would favour him by dealing with him in court in a respectful manner and not harass him by issuing frequent warrant/notices, or denying permission to visit abroad etc. and make him feel at home while in court.

The FIR describes the alleged dealings of Mr. Parmar with the promoters of two Gurugram-based real- ty companies, IREO and M3M, and relies on source information, audio recordings and WhatsApp chats.

Cases under various sections of PMLA and under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code have been registered against the judge for allegedly showing favoritism in lieu of undue advantage to Roop Bansal and his brother Basant Bansal of M3M and Lalit Goyal of IREO, accused in CBI and ED cases pending in the special court presided over by him. The FIR says: The source has provided screenshots of WhatsApp chats between Parmar and another person in which he demands Rs 5 crore to Rs 7 crore for helping the M3M owners in ED cases and requests the person chatting with him to receive the bribe on his behalf. In the same chat, the person says that Rs 5 crore has already been given to Parmar by the accused in the IREO case.

Mr Parmar is also accused of having used his earlier position as Additional District and Sessions Judge, Gurugram, to establish contacts with the realtors and get his nephew, Ajay Parmar appointed as Legal Adviser to M3M at a salary of Rs 12 lakh per annum. When he was transferred as Special CBI Judge, this was hiked to Rs 18-20 lakh per annum, according to the FIR.

The FIR was registered last month after seeking per mission from the Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court, who placed Mr Parmar under suspension on 27 April.
Controversial movie The Kerala Story team is likely to attend the Hindu Ekta Yatra being organised by the BJP in Telanganas Karimnagar town on May 14.

State BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar said on Thursday that he is looking forward to hosting the team at Hindu Ekta Yatra.

Sanjay, who is also an MP from Karimnagar, took to Twitter to convey birthday wishes to Adah Sharma, who acted in The Kerala Story.

May you have outstanding career in cinemas and bring more unconventional scripts that touches our cultural ethos, Sanjay wrote, adding that he was looking forward to hosting the movie team at the Hindu Ekta Yatra.

After watching the film in Hyderabad on May 7, Sanjay had said that he would encourage creation of more such movies and vowed tax exemptions if the BJP came to power in the state.

He had revealed that he had invited films director and producer Sudipto Sen and Vipul Shah to the Hindu Ekta Yatra.

Sanjay alleged that there was a conspiracy to trigger terror and promote Love Jihad in the country. He went on to claim that the film depicted only 5 per cent of the ground reality.

Sanja expects about a lakh people at the Hindu Ekta Yatra. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP in-charge for Telangana Tarun Chugh and other leaders will participate in the yatra.

Sanjay appealed to all those working for the protection of Hindu religion to participate in the yatra. He said the yatra will demonstrate the unity of Hindus.

The yatra is seen as another attempt by the BJP for polarisation of majority in the run up to the Assembly elections scheduled later this year.

With a few months left for the polls, the saffron party has intensified its efforts to consolidate its vote bank. The party has been raising controversial issues to cash in on them politically.

Last week, the BJP organised a recitation of Hanuman Chalisa in front of the Congress partys state headquarters Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad to condemn the partys electoral promise in Karnataka to ban Bajrang Dal.
Soon after the Supreme Courts verdict with its tough observations, the ruling Shiv Sena on Thursday was at a loss for words.

Bharat Gogawale, the Whip of Shiv Sena headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that he would first read the entire SC judgement before commenting.

On a specific query to his status, Gogawale said that the SC has only made an observation of his appointment as Whip, its not the judgement.

Earlier, the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) hailed the SC verdict and its stamp of approval on Sunil Prabhu as the party Whip.

Sena (UBT) Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that this means that the Whip of the Shinde faction (Bharat Gogawale) is also illegal.

Raut demanded that considering all aspects, the present illegal Shinde government of Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party should immediately resign on moral grounds.
A team of international researchers, including from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, has found evidence of brain structures that underlie sight recovery in people born blind, and may help treat the condition.

The team included 23 congenitally blind patients (aged 7-17 years) from Uttar Pradesh with dense bilateral cataracts, who received cataract surgery at different stages of adolescence.

The findings, published in the journal The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), showed that improvements in visual functions are linked to changes in white matter pathways, which connect neurons in different brain regions.

The team studied many pathways, but only those involved in high-order visual functions, such as face recognition, were directly linked to the visual improvement.

Moreover, researchers saw that the patients amount of change in late visual pathways, specifically the posterior callosum forceps, predicted the amount of behavioural improvement. This is a new result that identifies the location of brain changes responsible for behavioural improvement.

They also confirmed that cataract surgery has a greater impact on visual function and brain plasticity if received at younger age, but recovery is still possible even if the eye surgery is received later in adolescence.

The results suggest that sufficient plasticity remains in adolescence beyond the critical period for visual development, allowing patients to partially overcome abnormal visual development and help localise the sites of neural change underlying recovery in blind teenagers.

There is therefore a window of time wider than previously thought, during which sight-recovery surgeries can be useful to improve visual perception by altering structural brain plasticity.

There is a general notion known as critical period for sensory development that kids who are born visually impaired (due to cataract) and continue in that same condition for a few months or years, cant get back their visual function later part of life, even if they get back their sight by miracle. But this appears not to be true in many cases, said Prof. Tapan K. Gandhi, Professor of AI, Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Delhi.

Current medical facilities can treat defects in lenses and corneas, and the brain can then begin to learn about the visual world, he said.

The research sheds light on the definition of the sites of neural change related to sight-recovery, which can guide the development of treatments that attempt to induce neural plasticity through behavioural and surgical interventions.

The new insights uncovered by our team challenge accepted limitations of sight-recovery surgeries, creating an opportunity for the expanded use of these surgeries that will make many more cases of blindness treatable, worldwide, said Bas Rokers, director at Neuroimaging Centre at New York University- Abu Dhabi.

Our work also offers evidence to support the call for the scientific community to reassess the critical period for visual development in adolescents, he added.
The federal jury verdict ordering former US President Donald Trump to pay $5 million in damages to a woman who accused him of rape clouds his election bid with rumblings against him in his own party.

In the civil trial, the jury on Tuesday found he sexually abused the woman and defamed her while not accepting her claim he raped her and awarded her damages.

Being a civil case, Trump does not face prison time but for the first time a court has established a claim of Trump abusing women  an allegation made by several women against him.

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who is challenging Trump for the Republican Partys presidential nomination, said a cavalier and arrogant contempt for the rule of law can backfire and the verdict should be taken seriously.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy said the verdict raises concerns about Trump.

He asked: Hes been found to be civilly liable, how could it do anything else but create a concern?

E. Jean Carroll, 79, a magazine columnist, brought the case against Trump, who she said had raped her decades ago and defamed her by saying the allegation was a hoax.

The case was filed in 2019 while Trump was still president and in the midst of his re-election campaign.

He increased his votes in the election next year although he lost to President Joe Biden.

The latest opinion poll by ABC News and The Washington Post taken before the verdict showed him six percentage points ahead of Biden.

Whether he can hold the lead will depend on how the independent voters view the verdict.

Senator John Cornyn, who is from Texas where Trump has a strong base said that he did not think Trump would win the election next year.

But he added: People who support President Trump, support President Trump. People who dont support President Trump, dont support him, and I dont think this will have any impact on those with fixed stances.

Many Republicans will not publicly criticise him because of Trumps hold on the party base.

Even a challenger for the Republican nomination, Vivek Ramaswamy, dismissed the verdict as an establishment reaction to their chief political allergen.

Trump is facing a criminal case brought by a local prosecutor in New York accusing him of falsifying business records to cover up payments made to a woman who claimed to have had an affair with him.

If convicted in that case, he could be sentenced to prison time, although that would not bar him from running for election under the US Constitution.

In a post on Truth Social media, Trump characteristically called the civil case verdict a continuing of the greatest witchhunt of all time and said he would appeal.

On Tuesday night he is set to face voters in a town hall-style meeting hosted live by CNN in New Hampshire, traditionally the first state to hold the primaries  the intra-party election to select the candidate.

CNN said that he will be fielding questions from an audience of party members and undecided voters and there will be no restrictions on questions he can be asked.

Trump, who is busy campaigning for his presidential run, did not take the witness stand to contest Carrollas case.

Several women have accused him of rape and sex abuse, but the thrice-married Trump who once revelled in the image of a playboy has not faced criminal charges.

A damning piece of evidence introduced against him related to a video of him using an obscenity and saying, When youre a star, they let you do it. You can do anything, grab em by the (genitals).

During a deposition  testimony and cross-examination outside a court to speed up the trial  he defended the statement saying that historically that is true when asked about it by Carrolls lawyer.

A video of his statement made during the cross-examination was shown to the jury, a citizens panel made up of three women and six men, which gave the verdict in less than three hours of deliberations after eight days of the trial.

Carroll herself took the stand at the trial as did two other women who said that they had been abused by Trump, one of them while on a plane.

Im here because Donald Trump raped me, Carroll told the jury and gave a graphic description of Trump abusing her with his fingers before raping her.

She said that the encounter took place in the lingerie section of the department store when he approached her on the pretext of trying to find a gift for a woman friend but did not remember when exactly it happened.

He banged her head on the wall of a fitting room before the attack, she said.

Carroll first made the accusations public while the presidential race was heating up in 2019 in a magazine excerpt ahead of the publication of her book, What Do We Need Men For? in which she wrote about the assault more than two decades after the attack.

Trumps lawyer Joe Tacopina questioned Carrolls credibility, saying that she did not report the attack to the police, didnt remember the day it took place and brought it up decades later.

Two friends of Carroll testified that she had told them about the assault around the time it took place.

Lisa Birnbach said that she told her about the assault minutes after it happened but declined her offer to accompany her to make a police complaint.

There was a large crowd of demonstrators outside the courthouse denouncing his treatment of women when the verdict came down.

Trump, who has been impeached twice by the House of Representatives is caught in a web of legal issues.

The first former president to face criminal charges, Trump was arrested and produced in court last month in the payment of hush money criminal case but was released pending the trial that could take place early next year.

Trump has not disputed that he had paid off the porn film actress Stormy Daniels who claimed to have had an affair with him.

The payoff made before the 2016 election is not illegal, but claiming it as legal fees to a lawyer in accounts could amount to a criminal offence with a prison term.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James has filed a civil case over his and his adult childrens business practices.

A state prosecutor in Georgia is looking into allegations that Trump interfered in the election results and a federal special counsel is examining if he had a role in the January 6, 2021, attack on Congress by his supporters.

Federal prosecutors are also investigating his handling of classified documents that he took from the White House when he left office.
Urging people to know about history, he assured the people that neither did India ever bow down in the past nor will it ever do so in future.
This aerial photo taken on Feb. 26, 2023 shows people watching a lantern show at the south part of the ancient city wall in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

XI'AN, May 11 (Xinhua) -- At the heart of northwest China's Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, stands the country's largest and best-preserved ancient city wall, which is deemed a "world-class treasure" by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Stretching over 4 km from east to west and some 2.7 km from north to south, the city wall was built as a military defense system over 600 years ago on the foundation of a prior structure dating back to the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907). It is up to 14 meters wide at the top and consists of a series of military facilities including watchtowers and crenels.

The city wall encircles the old town of Xi'an, where a cluster of relics has borne witness to the past glories of the capital of Shaanxi Province, also the starting point of the ancient Silk Road. Overlooking the city wall, highrises have emerged to demonstrate the city's ongoing efforts to embrace modernization.

For a long time in history, there had been a lack of adequate protection for the city wall. Some parts of the wall had sustained damage, and certain interior spaces had been occupied by individuals with no fixed abode.

Things started to change in the 1980s when China's leadership was alerted about the precarious situation and an extensive preservation project was launched. Thanks to the preservation efforts, the lost splendor of the wall was gradually restored.

On Feb. 15, 2015, days before the Chinese New Year, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, climbed up the city wall during an inspection tour of Shaanxi and learned about its preservation work.

Describing the Xi'an city wall as a "world-class treasure," he stressed the importance of ensuring its protection and preservation.

"I could feel that the city wall means a lot to President Xi," said Geng Hongmei, an official with the Xi'an city wall management committee who was on site that day.

Geng said she vividly remembers Xi walking on the wall, pausing to engage with a cheering crowd and extending his warm wishes for a happy Chinese New Year and a joyful life.

Three months later, Xi was at the Xi'an city wall again with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi was accorded a traditional Tang Dynasty welcome at the city wall and Xi greeted him at a watchtower of the wall. They also enjoyed a brilliant art performance staged by Chinese artists.

Xi has on many occasions stressed the significance of protecting cultural and natural heritage. "History and culture are the soul of a city, and people should cherish historical and cultural heritage as treasuring their own lives," he once said.

China will put more effort into protecting cultural artifacts and heritage, and better protect and preserve historical and cultural heritage in the course of urban and rural development, Xi said in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress.

Encouraged by Xi's words, Xi'an has in recent years stepped up efforts to protect the city wall, creating a mechanism with detailed regulations and innovative measures, according to Wu Chun, deputy director of Xi'an city wall management committee.

For example, a tiered warning system has been established, and quick response measures are taken to curb any potential damage. Regular patrols are conducted and over 8,000 monitoring points have been set up at the city wall.

After years of preservation work, the wall, alongside the surrounding scenic area with lush greenery and clear moat water, has been integrated into the urban life of Xi'an and become a popular recreational and tourism destination.

In the recently concluded May Day holiday, this spot received nearly 240,000 visits in five days, according to the management committee.

For 36 years, the city wall of Xi'an has been illuminated by a spectacular lantern festival, which has become a hallmark Spring Festival celebration. Additionally, a variety of other cultural activities, including kite-making and Tang poetry recitals, are regularly held here, helping to preserve and celebrate the rich and vibrant traditions of Chinese culture. 

This aerial photo taken on April 19, 2023 shows a view of the southeast corner of the ancient city wall in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This aerial photo taken on April 30, 2023 shows tourists watching performances at the ancient city wall scenic spot in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Workers conduct repair works at the ancient city wall in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, March 5, 2022. (Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on April 25, 2023 shows a view of a scenic moat area along the ancient city wall in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)
Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip have killed two militant commanders, while a 70-year-old man has been killed by Palestinian rocket fire in the first fatality inside Israel during a current wave of fighting
FILE - The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 2, 2023. The Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to a California animal cruelty law that affects the pork industry, ruling that the case was properly dismissed by lower courts. Pork producers had said that the law could force industry-wide changes and raise the cost of bacon and other pork products nationwide.
Karen Dolan is a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies. This column was produced for The Progressive magazine and distributed by Tribune News Service.
ALTON  Wednesday's Alton City Council meeting was mostly a repeat of Monday's committee of the whole meeting.

The council voted to approve a disbursement of $200,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to update bathrooms at James Killion Park. The upgrade includes security locks and new toilets.

Ward 2 Alderwoman Carolyn McAfee voted against the motion. At Monday's meeting McAfee voiced concerns on Killion Park getting the money when other parks only have Porta Potties or less.

"I think we're being selfish with that park and we're not doing anything for the other parks in Alton," McAfee said. "They (the other parks) don't have Class A bathrooms and there's no guarantee that all this security we're doing and high industry toilets is going to keep somebody from tearing them up."

Aldermen on Wednesday also approved a disbursement of $600,000 in ARPA funds to reimburse city tourism funds and a disbursement of $354,990.81 for the Riverview Drive Project.

Aldermen also approved 20 demolitions in Alton. For the list of demolitions, visit https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/20-demolitions-approved-alton-council.

Additionally, aldermen referred several items to the next committee of the whole meeting:

 A resolution to introduce an ordinance authorizing stop signs to be placed on northbound and southbound Monroe Street at Madison Avenue

 A resolution to introduce an ordinance repealing and replacing Title 6, Chapter 1, Section 5 of the City Code regarding brick streets and alleys

 A resolution authorizing the disbursement of ARPA funds for bola wraps through the Alton Police Department and the Alton Fire Department for boat motor and Fire Station No. 2 repairs

 A resolution authorizing the closure of George Street from 7th to 8th street to facilitate The Union Baptist Church Picnic on Sunday May 21 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 A resolution regarding the authorization to execute the Joint Funding Agreement PE/ROW for State-Let Construction Projects between the Illinois Department of Transportation and the city for Safe Routes to School Phase 4

 A resolution authorizing the use of city-owned property consisting of sidewalks to facilitate the night market on Broadway every Thursday, June 1 through July 27, 7-10 p.m.

 Resolutions to begin demolition proceedings for 3308 Brown St. and 611 Stowell Ave.
GRAFTON  Mayor Mike Morrow and his wife, Lynne, have dedicated $25,000 to advance the vision for a D-Day veterans memorial planned just east of the Grafton Visitor Center.

Veterans Memorial commissioners John Simmons and Ben Allen who own the flat rock site west of the visitor center have taken the site off the table as a potential location. At a meeting Wednesday the Veterans Memorial Commission learned the men have long-term, undisclosed plans for the site, and both support the memorial.

"John (Simmons) and myself agree this is a great project," Allen said.

The veterans memorial project will move forward planned adjacent and east of the Visitor Center, Morrow said.

The proposed veterans memorial's first phase will depict soldiers climbing Pointe du Hoc at Normandy, France. The soldiers will be statues of bronze or other material, possibly that of a lighter weight than bronze.

Jamie Henderson, principal architect with Henderson Associates Architects, in Edwardsville and designer of the new Piasa Park building planned in Alton, will take on the same role for the veterans memorial, with Grafton City Council approval.

The commission approved retaining Henderson and the site location Wednesday. The vote about Henderson, as well as the proposal for the site location, will take place at a Grafton City Council meeting in June.

Henderson estimated the project will cost about $3 million. To date no city money has been spent on the memorial project.

A 501(c)(3) status is expected to take about six months to establish, then fundraising will start in earnest. The registered nonprofit name for the veterans memorial is The National Memorial of Military Ascent.

The Morrows dedicated $25,000 for the project to move it forward during the six months as the nonprofit status is being set up and for Henderson to start a design concept.

With Piasa Park as the entrance to Alton and the Great River Road at one end, and this project at the entrance to Grafton, this bookend is a draw, said Henderson in agreement with the mayor. Theres not a more delightful drive anywhere in the state.

Hendersons firm also designed the Glen Carbon Centennial Library, 1st MidAmerica Credit Union building and the Henry Miller Museum in St. Louis.

Everyone I talk to is excited about the implications of this project as a national draw, Morrow said. It will increase our tourism, drawing buses, veterans groups, motorcycle groups. All the memorials like this across the country draw thousands of visitors each year.

The commission said it hopes to have something in place to coincide with the 80th anniversary of D-Day in 2024. All the commissioners spoke with passion about the memorial project.
Hilton, a global hospitality company, has launched a new employer brand campaign as the global hospitality company continues to boost hiring in a period of rapid, post-pandemic growth.



Building on the success of its recent enterprise-wide Hilton. For the Stay platform, the Every Job Makes the Stay campaign will bring a new perspective to hotel employee marketing by shining a light on the Hilton team members who make the stay, showcasing the jobs, the people, and  most importantly  the impact and joy that hospitality jobs offer.



What makes Hilton such an amazing place to work is the passion and dedication of our people, and were continuing to build on that through our new Every Job Makes the Stay campaign, said Laura Fuentes, executive vice president and chief human resources officer, Hilton.



We chose to make team members the stars of this campaign because who better than them to speak authentically about whats its like to work at Hilton. They are the heart of our business and the best ambassadors to help us find talent for our growing teams.



The new employer brand campaign aims to disrupt thinking around what it means to work in hospitality by showcasing joy, purpose, and career growth. Built as an extension of Hiltons first-ever global brand platform Hilton. For The Stay, the campaign targets labour challenges and recruiting needs by calling attention to the vast career growth possibilities that exist within Hilton. The campaign aims to ensure Hilton is top of mind for job seekers, especially those considering front line and hourly positions by emphasizing why a job at Hilton is unlike any other.



The inspiration for this innovative campaign came from the very people it features: Hilton team members. The campaign reveals what team members love most about jobs at Hilton and the strong sense of pride not just in what they do, but how they do it.



When asked about their roles, team members described what they do as much more than their front-line job titles. They saw themselves as Magic Makers, Chief Welcome Officers, and Ultimate Stay Creators  and they work in an award-winning culture where they can bring their whole selves to work every day with flexibility that allows them to pursue their passions and grow their careers.



Developed in partnership with advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day\New York, which also assisted in developing the Hilton. For The Stay platform, the global employment campaign will launch first in the US, followed by select markets in EMEA, APAC and CALA in June.



Every Job Makes the Stay spotlights Hiltons people and highlights the many roles and extraordinary team members who make the stay by creating exceptional experiences for guests. As a result of the work of these incredible team members, Hiltons powerful workplace culture continues to gain recognition.



Hilton has been named a Great Place to Work in more than 20 countries already this year, including topping the list in seven countries, and once again being recognized as the highest ranked hospitality company when it was named #2 on the Fortune Best Companies to Work For list in the US.  TradeArabia News Service




NINGDE, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China-made new energy vehicles (NEVs) were shipped to Israel for the first time from Ningde port of east China's Fujian Province on Tuesday.

Among the total of 725 NEVs, 700 are made by Chinese automaker SAIC Motor and the other 25 are pure electric buses, made by Chinese bus maker King Long.

The trip also marks the opening of the port's first direct sea route to the Middle East.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE  Collinsville High School Principal Daniel Toberman is now officially cooler than the coolest kids at CHS.

Its safe to say none of those kids have ever gotten to fly on a Boeing F/A 18 Super Hornet with the Blue Angels, which is what Toberman got to do on Wednesday as a preview for the Scott Air Force Base Airshow, slated for Saturday and Sunday, May 13-14.

The Blue Angels will be part of the airshow, which is the first at Scott since 2017; the 2020 show was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be the first airshow at Scott since 2010 for the Blue Angels, who were scheduled to be part of the 2020 show.

Toberman, a graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, was one of two "key influencers" who got to fly on Wednesday with Lt. Commander Thomas Zimmerman, Blue Angel No. 7. The other influencer was Sam Eckholm, a YouTube and social media creator who formerly served at Scott AFB.

Its tough to impress some of them, but I think they might be impressed, Toberman said of the students at Collinsville. Someone will think its cool and Ive got the proof with the video as well.

Hopefully they will think its neat, and hopefully it will inspire others to meet challenges and not run away from adversity," he said. "It was a challenge and I talked to other people and some of them wouldnt have done it.

'He was awesome'

For Toberman, it was the experience of a lifetime.

In the time leading up to this, in the week or so since I found out I was going to do it, I was shocked to have the opportunity and I couldnt believe it, Toberman said. I feel pretty good about not being too nervous until this morning, then I got really nervous. When you get in the seat, its like, Oh my God, its real. But I wasnt going to bail out.

Toberman was proud that he made it through the flight without throwing up, which sometimes happens to people experiencing the F/A 18s high-speed twists and turns.

Whenever I was telling my friends and family that I was going to do this, they asked me if I was nervous about puking, Toberman said, laughing. I was also nervous about passing out six weeks ago when I talked to a gentleman about the possibility of doing this. I asked him if I was going to puke or pass out and he said, maybe both.

Sean Donoghue (Seven Crew Chief) talked about preparing for tunnel vision and I definitely felt that," he said. "But I was able to get away from it.

A total of 17 officers voluntarily serve with the Blue Angels. Each year the team typically selects three tactical (fighter or fighter/attack) jet pilots, two support officers and one Marine Corps C-130 pilot to relieve departing members.

Zimmerman, who joined the Blue Angels in September, was impressed with how Toberman responded to his first flight on a F/A 18.

Toberman, for his part, was grateful for Zimmermans experience in the cockpit.

(Zimmerman) said he would do everything that is in the show, and he did the barrel rolls where you go upside down three times, Toberman said. Nothing else was like a roller coaster, but that part was close, and it was fun.

On the way, (Zimmerman) asked if there was anything I wanted to do again," he said. "I didnt want to do the 7.6 Gs again, but we did the barrel rolls again and I could do that a few more times.

Tobermans cool quotient also probably went up with his 8-year-old son, Davis, who was on hand to watch his dads flight.

Last year we went to the airshow St. Charles and saw the Blue Angels, but this is a little different, Toberman said. He missed school to come here. But how many times do you get to see your dad go up in a jet?

2 weeks of highs

Last week, Toberman finished his doctoral program in educational leadership at SIUE.

I got the news about this flight about three days before that, said Toberman, who will come back down to earth for the CHS graduation ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday. I went to that (SIUE) ceremony last Thursday and I did this a week later, so its a nice way to celebrate.

A Fairview Heights native who attended Belleville East High School, Toberman earned his bachelors degree in journalism and Education Specialist (Ed.S.) certification at SIUE, according to the Collinsville school district website. He also has a masters degree from McKendree University.

Toberman, who has lived in Collinsville since 2013, was nominated for the Wednesday flight by the Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG), which recruits men and women for service in the U.S. Navys enlisted and officer programs. NTAG is among several organizations that submit nominees.

We take a look at difference influencers that we have in the area, and specific to this airshow, we wanted someone from Illinois, said John Dickson from NTAG. We looked at some larger high schools that we wanted to pull from.

We talked to different recruiters and our leadership, and we came up with a couple names and Mr. Toberman was one of them. We submitted his name along with his bio and then the Blue Angels decide who will get the KI (key influencer) ride.

Ties to the Air Force

Eckholm was chosen for his connection to Scott AFB and for his current position. Eckholm made his debut as a content creator in 2019. He attended the United States Air Force Academy. He spent five years serving as an active-duty Air Force officer.

Eckholm called Wednesdays flight everything I could hope for and the time of my life.

I flew a T-38 trainer jet and thats the only thing close to this, but the (F/A 18) can pull way more Gs and go a lot faster and we were doing the aerobatic stuff, Eckholm said. Ive done a lot of flying on the C-130, C-17 and C-5, but this is a whole other beast.

A shoutout to these guys, the Navy, and the pilots, for the things they do," he said. "Its definitely not something you can just walk into. I was fighting the whole time and it feels like a train just hit me.

Eckholm, like Toberman, was happy to get through the flight without throwing up.

Technically Im part of the No-Puke Club, but I call myself the Dry Heaves Club, Eckholm said, laughing. I always knew I would get motion sick, but Im not going to pass up this opportunity.

Blue Angel No. 7 (Zimmerman) is so good at explaining everything," he said. "The whole time in the cockpit, he was letting me know what was going to happen next. We made it through all the maneuvers and that was my goal.

Two of Eckholms five years in the Air Force were spent at Scott AFB, where he was part of the 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs.

I was organizing things like this and now Im on the other side, said Eckholm, who left Scott in November of 2020. Ive been out of the Air Force for a few months and doing the video stuff and its great to come back here to Scott and participate in this. Everyone is going to have a great time this weekend and its been an honor.

Telling the story

Eckholms YouTube posts had 19.3 million views in 2022 and he currently has 323,000 subscribers. In addition, he has more than 650,000 fans on his sameckholm TikTok account and has 91,700 followers on his Instagram account.

This will be a part of a larger Blue Angels piece Im doing," he said. "Ive done a bunch of stuff with the Air Force, but this one was on my list for a while.

Eckholm said his current position is his dream job.

I wanted to take it full-time, and I felt like I could better serve the military by going after this with all of my passion and energy, Eckholm said. We travel around to different bases and units and showcase their aircraft and their mission and today is the Blue Angels edition.

Eckholm, who lived in the Grove neighborhood in St. Louis while stationed at Scott Air Force Base, is currently in Dallas, where he is from. But thats only for the short term.

Im moving to San Francisco in August, but we travel all over, Eckholm said. Were bouncing around, so it doesnt really matter where I live.

For more information on the airshow, including parking options, visit https://www.scott.af.mil/Airshow/.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

SPRINGFIELD  Illinois lawmakers have approved a measure that reforms criminal sentencing for minors, particularly victims of child sex trafficking.

House Bill 3414 adds to the factors that judges must consider in the process of sentencing children found guilty of a crime. The bill would require a judge to consider a childs involvement in the child welfare system, whether they have a history of domestic abuse or sexual exploitation and the results of any mental health evaluations the child has gone through. This is in addition to existing factors that judges already consider, such as age, maturity and potential for rehabilitation.

The bill also creates a method for judges to depart from sentencing guidelines, including mandatory minimums, or to transfer a minor offender to juvenile court for sentencing.

Judges may do so if they find by clear and convincing evidence that the childs crime was committed against someone who had, in the past three years, committed one of several specified crimes against the child, such as sexual abuse or forced prostitution.

The bill also adds to the factors judges must consider when a prosecutor asks to transfer a case to adult court. These new factors include whether the child has any involvement in the child welfare system, whether the child was subjected to outside pressure and the childs degree of participation in the crime.

The measure passed 33-20 in the Senate Wednesday after passing the House on a 67-40 vote on March 22. It can become law with a signature from the governor.

Proponents of the bill say it is part of a nationwide movement to include protections in law for victims of child sex trafficking. These laws are sometimes called Saras Law after Sara Kruzan, a survivor of child sex trafficking who killed her trafficker in 1995. After being sentenced to life in prison, Kruzans sentence was later commuted, allowing her to be paroled in 2013. In 2022, Kruzan was granted a pardon by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Were giving the courts extra opportunities to check and see: Was this victim brought into this situation because of some sort of trauma? the bills sponsor, state Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, said.

The bill was supported by a coalition of state and national advocacy groups including the Juvenile Justice Initiative, the Womens Justice Institute, Rights4Girls, the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Assault, or CAASE, took a leading role in pushing for the bill.

Theres an understanding that youth require more support and more compassion than our system gives them, Madeleine Behr, CAASEs policy director, said in an interview.

Behr also said the bill is part of an ongoing movement toward racial justice in the criminal legal system.

This is going to be really important for Black and brown girls in particular, Behr said.

A U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics report from 2011 found that over a two-year period, victims of sex trafficking were disproportionately Black and disproportionately Hispanic.

In the past few years Illinois has passed several high-profile criminal justice reform laws, including the broad-ranging SAFE-T Act that is currently under review by the Illinois Supreme Court. The high court heard oral arguments in March around several constitutional questions related to the bill.

Republicans in the Senate raised concerns with the bill, mostly around the fact that judges will have to consider additional factors even when the perpetrator has not been the victim of abuse or trafficking.

The crimes we are talking about, where a person is being transferred to adult court, these are not retail theft, state Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said. These are not minor crimes. These are the worst of the worst.

McClure added that some of the provisions in the bill already have similar considerations in law, such as if there was involvement in the Department of Children and Family Services or if the parent had been found to be neglectful or abusive.

In situations where there should be leniency, the tools are already in our statute to provide for leniency, he said.

Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, said the bill is a get-out-of-jail-free card for young offenders.

Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said the bill would make it more difficult for prosecutors to crack down on things like carjacking in the city and suburbs, something he called an epidemic of violence.

This bill is going to make it more difficult in prosecuting and enforcing those crimes, Curran said.

Curran also criticized the expanded list of factors judges would have to consider in sentencing.

This bill now has a factor that a judge must consider: Was the accused offender subject to peer pressure? Not sure how thats relevant, he said.

Simmons defended the bill after it passed by saying it would not require judges to do anything other than take more information into consideration.

This legislation gives judges the space to look at these other categories, Simmons said. But the legislation does not put a thumb on the scales of justice.
SPRINGFIELD  Former Gov. Pat Quinn is requesting that a special legislative session on ethics be called in Springfield.

Quinn, a Democrat, was Illinois governor from 2009 to 2015 following the impeachment and removal from office of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

After last week's "ComEd Four" guilty verdicts, Quinn was in Springfield this week seeking a special legislative session, stating Illinois was dealing with an ethics crisis.

"I think that underlines why anytime there is an ethics crisis in state government and local government, there needs to be serious reform and also serious investigation and thinking by the General Assembly and the governor to straighten things out for the future," Quinn said.

He also agreed with the idea of suspending a lawmaker's pension due to wrongdoing while in or out of office.

"Somebody who has been a public official carries with them when after they've left office a fiduciary duty to the public interest, as a condition of receiving their public pension paid for by taxpayers," Quinn said. "I really feel that that particular issue needs to be examined."

On Tuesday lawmakers in the Illinois House discussed a resolution reappointing Illinois Legislative Inspector General Michael McCluskey to another term. The LIG investigates misconduct by lawmakers.

State Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, offered McCluskey for reappointment and was supported by others, including Rep. Mike Marron, R-Danville.

"I really feel good about the job he has done in the last year as Legislative Inspector General," Marron said. "I think we need to build off of this positive momentum and have this be a first step to enact real, meaningful ethics reform in this state."

State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, said in order for there to be change, the General Assembly needs to allow McCluskey to do his job.

"We sit here today after one of the most damning ethical trials this chamber has participated in, and yet we still deny the Legislative Inspector General the freedom and the ability to conduct independent investigations into each one of us in this chamber, and the Senate," Keicher said.

On Wednesday, state Rep. Amy Elik, R-Alton, was joined by three other Republican lawmakers calling for ethics reforms by the General Assembly.

Elik said former state Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park, was sentenced to a year in prison in a $248,000 embezzlement case involving the Teamsters labor union last year, and now has joined a political lobbying firm.

She added that, under current law, former Speaker Mike Madigan now awaiting trial could collect his pension for several years before its taken away. She said she has filed House Bill 1277 that would suspend a lawmakers pension if they are charged with corruption by federal investigators.

Legislators are in session until May 19.
SPRINGFIELD  A single justice of the U.S. Supreme Court is now weighing whether to block Illinois assault weapons ban from being enforced while the case is being heard in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who hears applications from the Seventh Circuit, could decide on her own whether to issue an emergency injunction or she could refer the question to the full court for consideration.

Barrett has not indicated how quickly she will decide on the application or whether she will refer it to the full court for consideration.

The case involves both the states ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines as well as a local ordinance in the city of Naperville. Both laws were enacted in response to a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade last year in Highland Park. Although the state ban was temporarily blocked by the courts, both laws are currently in effect.

The National Association for Gun Rights, along with a local gun store owner in Naperville, challenged the Naperville ordinance shortly after it was enacted in August 2022 and then added the state as a defendant after the state ban went into effect in January. They argue that both laws violate the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Their lawsuit sought a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to block enforcement of the laws. But on Feb. 17, Northern District Court Judge Virginia Kendall denied those motions, saying particularly dangerous weapons like those banned under the laws are not protected by the Second Amendment.

The plaintiffs then appealed to the Seventh Circuit and asked that court for an emergency injunction pending appeal, but the appellate court rejected that motion on April 18. They next sought an injunction through the U.S. Supreme Court.

At the Supreme Court, applications for stays or injunctions are filed with a justice assigned to hear applications from that appellate circuit. In the case of the Seventh Circuit, that is Justice Barrett.

On May 1, Barrett requested more information from the state and the city. Attorney General Kwame Raouls office, which represents both defendants, filed its response on Monday and the National Association for Gun Rights filed its reply brief Wednesday.

The state argues that the application for an injunction should be denied because the plaintiffs failed to show that they are likely to prevail on the merits of their claim, one of the requirements for granting an in junction.

Nor could they, since this Court has not addressed a Second Amendment challenge to a law

similar to the (Protect Illinois Communities) Act, the brief states.

It notes that two district court judges in Illinois, including Kendall, have refused to enjoin the act, and four district court judges in other states have declined to enjoin similar laws.

But on April 28, Judge Stephen P. McGlynn, in the Southern District of Illinois, granted a temporary injunction, although the Seventh Circuit later stayed that order while McGlynns decision is appealed.

The plaintiffs counter that they are likely to prevail on the merits of their case because the laws ban weapons that are commonly used for lawful purposes.

AR platform rifles are just one of the many types of rifles banned by name and/or by feature, they wrote in their brief. At least 20 million AR-15s and similar rifles are owned by millions of American citizens who use those firearms for lawful purposes.
TALLINN, Estonia (AP)  The European Parliament demanded Thursday that authorities in Belarus stop the mistreatment of a former presidential hopeful imprisoned for standing up to the country's authoritarian leader and immediately release him and other political prisoners.

Viktar Babaryka was handed a 14-year prison sentence in 2021 on charges that he rejected as political punishment for launching a bid to challenge Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in a 2020 presidential election.

The European Parliament said that Babaryka was hospitalized in April with traces of beatings that required surgery. Babaryka's supporters said that the authorities haven't released any information about his condition and barred his lawyer from visiting him.

The European Parliament urged Belarusian authorities to release Babaryka and other political prisoners. It strongly condemned the inhumane treatment of political prisoners and their family members in Belarus.

Belarus was shaken by major anti-government protests after Lukashenko's disputed August 2020 reelection, which the opposition and the West denounced as rigged. Babaryka was arrested before the vote and never allowed to enter the race.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition challenger in the 2020 election who was forced to leave the country after the vote, thanked the European Parliament and welcomed its call for broader sanctions against Belarusian authorities.

There must be no impunity for these crimes, she said.

Belarusian authorities responded to the demonstrations with a major crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested, thousands beaten by police and dozens of media outlets and nongovernmental organizations shut.

Human rights groups say Belarus now has about 1,500 political prisoners. They say such prisoners are subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and torture, with some of them dying in detention.

Belarus' leading human rights organization, Visana, reported Thursday that 35-year-old art manager Pavel Belavus received a 13-year prison sentence following a closed trial on charges of committing high treason, creating an extremist group" and hurting the national security.

Belavus, who has been in custody since his November 2021 arrest, was one of the leading organizers of opposition protests in the wake of the 2020 presidential election. During his trial, he rejected the charges and vowed to continue to champion democratic freedoms.
After traveling across Illinois and with my consulting business, Progressive Agronomy Consulting, I have worked on conservation and nutrient management plans with farmers at all scales.

I have seen soil at its unhealthiest and soil at its healthiest. I have seen the power in soil health focused farming practices  witnessed firsthand soil that is bone dry become rich with microbes with the help of living roots and soil health practices.

With seven people dying and dozens injured when a dust cloud enveloped Interstate 55 south of Springfield and made international news, there have been a lot of people commenting about the need to do something to ensure this doesnt happen again.

But this isnt unprecedented. The Dust Bowl occurred nearly 100 years ago when the topsoil was left loose without anything to hold it in place. Strong winds picked up the soil and blew it across the Great Plains and all the way to the East Coast.

The month of April in central Illinois was drier and much windier than normal. With normal rain events, this accident might have never occurred, but only masked the underlying cause.

Farmers need support from leaders at the state level to implement conservation practices to help keep more tragic accidents from occurring.

Legislation now in the Illinois House  Senate Bill 1701, the Partners for Conservation Reauthorization Act  has a focus on soil health and providing funds for conservation farming practices and education. This bill could help provide support to farmers to ensure that we keep our most valuable resource, the soil, in place.

In Illinois, we lose nearly five tons of topsoil per acre per year on average. Much of that erosion is from rain, not wind. Its not as apparent, because it falls from the sky and is less visible. But nearly every lake and reservoir in the state deals with sedimentation from agricultural land that carries with it soil nutrients like phosphorus that cause algal blooms in the middle of the summer or nitrates that can cause blue baby syndrome and other illnesses.

This sedimentation forces municipalities to use more chemicals to treat the drinking water or to spend millions of dollars on reverse osmosis systems. All this cost gets passed down to everyone using that water.

Through my work, I have learned directly from the farmers I serve that there is a desired need for more outreach programs, peer-to-peer mentor groups, and education on how to manage conservation practices, like cover crops, and strip-till as another tool in the toolbox. Sometimes, the cost of the cover crops and the risk of the unknown keeps farmers from trying new practices.

The truth about erosion is that it is a biological process in the soil, specifically a lack of biological processes  or stable aggregates. These are the lumps and clumps of soil glued together. Without the glue to hold the soil together, Illinois soil is susceptible to wind and water erosion.

I believe that the tenants of soil health outlined by the Natural Resources Conservation Service can help solve the problem.

1) Keep the soil covered as much as possible with residues.

2) Minimize physical, chemical, and biological disturbances.

3) Keep a living root in the soil as much as possible.

4) Add more plant diversity.

But farmers need support through education, technical assistance, and funding in order to adopt these soil health practices.

Often, farmers feel like they are on an island if they are doing something different than their neighboring farmers and feel like they cant talk about what they are doing with them even though the neighbor may be curious about the practice. Peer groups have worked incredibly well for some projects I have been a part of in Kansas to get a greater adoption rate with a greater degree of success.

I support SB1701, as it provides resources for peer-to-peer education and resources for farmers who are considering adopting a soil health system to their farming operation. Farmers can be their own greatest support group when adopting a new farming practice.

I urge you to join me in calling on our elected officials to pass this bipartisan bill.
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso(R) and Minister for Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries Julio Prado display documents of a free trade agreement (FTA) between China and Ecuador in Quito, Ecuador, May 10, 2023. China and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement (FTA) Thursday to boost bilateral trade and business ties, according to the Ministry of Commerce. (Ecuadorian presidential palace/Handout via Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement (FTA) Thursday to boost bilateral trade and business ties, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The pact was signed by China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Ecuador's Minister for Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries Julio Prado via video after a year of negotiation, said the ministry.

The FTA will help the two sides achieve high-standard mutual opening up, create a better business environment, further tap the potential in trade and investment cooperation, and promote the sustainable, stable and diversified development of bilateral trade, it said.

Once the FTA goes into effect, as much as 90 percent of the goods traded between China and Ecuador will be exempted from tariffs, while 60 percent of them will enjoy zero tariffs immediately, according to the deal.

China and Ecuador will proceed with respective domestic procedures so that the FTA can come into effect at an early date, said the commerce ministry. The two sides will also conduct further negotiations on areas of common interest to seek upgrading of the FTA.

China is Ecuador's second-largest trading partner. In 2022, the two countries witnessed double-digit growth in trade for the second year in a row, with bilateral trade reaching 13.1 billion U.S. dollars, up 19.7 percent year on year. 

Ecuador's Minister for Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries Julio Prado speaks during a ceremony related to a free trade agreement (FTA) between China and Ecuador in Quito, Ecuador, May 10, 2023. China and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement (FTA) Thursday to boost bilateral trade and business ties, according to the Ministry of Commerce. (Ecuadorian presidential palace/Handout via Xinhua)

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso(2nd, R) and Chinese Ambassador to Ecuador Chen Guoyou(1st, R) display documents of a free trade agreement (FTA) between China and Ecuador in Quito, Ecuador, May 10, 2023. China and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement (FTA) Thursday to boost bilateral trade and business ties, according to the Ministry of Commerce. (Ecuadorian presidential palace/Handout via Xinhua)
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits the Peking University First Hospital and extends greetings to all nurses in the country ahead of International Nurses Day in Beijing, capital of China, May 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese vice premier Liu Guozhong on Thursday extended greetings to all nurses in the country ahead of International Nurses Day, which falls on Friday.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a visit to the Peking University First Hospital in Beijing.

In recent years, China's nursing sector has seen notable development, and its service capacity has continued to improve, Liu said. He praised the diligence of nurses and commended their contributions to the country's major, decisive victory over COVID-19.

Liu highlighted the necessity of improving the nursing services system and enhancing the cultivation of professionals in the sector. He also said that working conditions of nurses should be further improved. 
ATTOM released its April 2023 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, showing a total of 32,977 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings, down 10 percent from a month ago but up 8 percent from a year ago.

Nationwide, one in every 4,234 housing units had a foreclosure filing in April 2023. States with the highest foreclosure rates were Illinois (one in every 2,221 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Maryland (one in every 2,283 housing units); New Jersey (one in every 2,334); South Carolina (one in every 2,495); and Delaware (one in every 2,603).

Among the 223 metro statistical areas with a population of at least 200,000, those with the highest foreclosure rates in April were Atlantic City, N.J. (one in every 1,356 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Cleveland (one in every 1,580 housing units); Lakeland, Fla. (one in every 1,649); Columbia, S.C. (one in every 1,651); and Chicago (one in every 1,950).

Foreclosure activity continues to stabilize and even correct itself in 2023, with April showing a 10 percent decrease in overall activity after a 20 percent increase last month, Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM, said in a release. While there is no apparent indication of a continued decline in the number of foreclosures, its important to note that the month of April typically exhibits a recurring trend of decreased activity. However, this trend underscores the significance of monitoring foreclosure rates and identifying any potential market shifts or trends.

Among those metro areas with a population greater than 1 million, those with the worst foreclosure rates in April, aside from Cleveland and Chicago, included: Riverside, Calif. (one in every 2,046 housing units); Philadelphia (one in every 2,079); and Jacksonville, Fla. (one in every 2,091).

Lenders started the foreclosure process on 22,455 U.S. properties in April, down 7 percent from last month and up only 1 percent from a year ago.

Counter to the national trend, states that had at least 100 foreclosure starts in April and saw the greatest monthly increases included: Maryland (up 55 percent); New Mexico (up 55 percent); Iowa (up 29 percent); Utah (up 13 percent); and Florida (up 12 percent).

Those major metro areas with a population greater than 1 million that had the greatest number of foreclosure starts in April included: New York (1,711 foreclosure starts); Chicago (1,153 foreclosure starts); Miami (846 foreclosure starts); Los Angeles (829 foreclosure starts); and Philadelphia (747 foreclosure starts).

Lenders repossessed 2,919 U.S. properties through completed foreclosures (REOs) in April, down 39 percent from last month but up 3 percent from last year.

Those states that had the greatest number of REOs in April included: Illinois (334 REOs); Pennsylvania (218 REOs); New York (199); Texas (184); and California (171).

Major metro statistical areas with a population greater than 200,000 that saw the greatest number of REOs in April 2023 included: Chicago (259 REOs); New York (165 REOs); Philadelphia (128); St. Louis (54); and Detroit (52).
Doma Title Insurance named Lauren McCaskill agency manager for the companys west Texas and New Mexico regions.

In this position, she manages agency activities for the company out of a Texas field office, securing and servicing agents throughout the region and assisting them with their business growth plans.

After launching her career as an escrow assistant for a national title company in 2012, McCaskill served in several capacities in the title insurance industry over the past decade. For two years, she worked in business development for a title company, where she created and implemented marketing concepts for a specialized property division.

McCaskill also managed the divisions social media content. Subsequently, she gravitated back to the escrow side of the business, most recently serving as escrow officer for a Texas-based title company.

Lauren has more than a decade of experience in title insurance, working in all facets of the industry, Ashleigh Spruell, assistant vice president, regional agency manager for Domas central region, said in a release. Not only does she know firsthand what it takes to get a deal in the door and closed, she has an innate ability to work in partnership with her agents, identifying their specific needs to ensure they have access to the tools and resources Doma offers to achieve success in todays competitive market.

McCaskill attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, where she focused on hospitality and tourism administration.

Living in a small town, I understand the challenges that are unique to independently owned title companies in more remote areas, said McCaskill. I also see the tremendous benefits Doma has to offer. In this technological age, agents everywhere can have equal and immediate access to the resources offered by our Doma education team, underwriting professionals and agency support group. Having worked in the trenches for more than a decade, I know what an agent needs from their underwriter and can help them effectively plug into these resources to improve their services, expand their marketing efforts and grow their businesses.
Job Title: Resource Coordination Specialist

Organisation: United States US Embassy, US Mission in Uganda

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Salary: UGX 118,018,022 /Per Year

Position Number: Kampala-2023-044

About US Embassy:

The United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda has enjoyed diplomatic relations with Uganda for over 30 years. Ambassador Natalie E. Brown currently heads the U.S Mission to Uganda. The Mission is composed of several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy and at the direction of the Ambassador.

Among the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are:

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Peace Corps

Job Summary: The Resource Coordination Specialist is the leading Public Diplomacy (PD) locally employed (LE) staff responsible for the financial, program, human, and property resources that support PD projects and programs countrywide. Oversees the use of multiple and diverse funding streams and ensures their compliance with all relevant U.S. government (USG) regulations and Ugandan laws. Manages grants, contracts, and the acquisition and use of PD Section materials and equipment. Serves as the primary liaison for the PD Section with the Management Section and offices; coordinates resources for American Spaces and with regional PD bureaus.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Support (25% of time)

Develops the budget for individual PD programs and activities in collaboration with the PAO (or PAO designee) and PD LE staff. Tracks expected and actual expenditures, including those associated with LE staff work hours.

Coordinates logistics and resource requests for program and activity implementation. Allocates property to individual public engagement activities, acquires new property and materials, and manages venue costs and transportation for off-site locations.

Actively plans at least one year in advance to contribute to the annual Public Diplomacy Implementation Plan (PDIP) by providing information on program feasibility with available resources; diverse funding authorities; and staff, facilities, equipment, and other resource requirements.

Serves as the PD Sections administrator for PD Tools, PDs global system that integrates audience analysis, strategic planning, activity tracking, and reporting. Coordinates with the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (R/PPR) Resource Coordination and Management Unit (RCMU) on the use of PD Tools for monitoring and evaluation to link program.

Financial Resource Coordination (25% of time)

Actively plans annual post budget requirements and projections more than one fiscal year in advance for approval by the PAO (or PAO designee); identifies appropriate allocation by PD-specific budget codes for LE staff compensation, activities, programs, and Mission ICS themes for approval by the PAO (or PAO designee). In coordination with the PAO (or PAO designee) and the Financial Management Office (FMO), formulates PDs annual budget submission; prepares, submits, and tracks expenditures against the posts annual budget projections.

Coordinates all funding streams and expenditures for PD programs from both the PD Budget Allotment (.7 funds) and from multiple non-PD sources, such as U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Economic Support Funds (ESF), counterterrorism funds (CT), Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), other USG programs, and non-USG sources, such as host-government cost sharing, public-private partnerships, private-sector fundraising, etc. Tracks Department of State (DOS) resources from the Bureau of Global Public Affairs (GPA) and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).

Assists Financial Management staff in the disbursement of the PD Allotment, ensuring that all obligations and payments for PD activities are met (to speakers, grantees, procurements, contractors, etc.).

Coordinates PD entries in WebRABIT and tracks reports for accuracy.

Serves as the authority on PD Project Codes.

Coordinates PD input to the annual Mission Resource Request.

Grants, Contracts, and Agreements Coordination (20% of time)

Supports the Grants Officer for the administration of all PD Section grants countrywide and is the sections coordinator and technical advisor on grants and cooperative agreements.

Drafts grants and cooperative agreements; reviews and analyzes Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) and other solicitations drafted by colleagues to ensure adherence to Mission and PD goals and USG regulations.

Coordinates with DOS offices on their specific PD grants policies.

Internal and External Management Coordination (10% of time)

Serves as the principal PD liaison with Management (General Services, Facilities Management, Information Technology, Financial Management, and Human Resources) and Regional Security staffs to coordinate their support for PD programs and activities.

Procurement and Property Coordination (10% of time)

Advises the PAO (or PAO designee) on rules and regulations governing program property.

Develops the annual PD acquisition plan for approval by the PAO (or PAO designee).

Is the main point of contact with the GSO for property management of PD assets, to include property, inventory, and equipment maintenance, upkeep, replacement, and disposal.

Human Resources and General Administrative Functions (10% of time)

Tracks and arranges PD staff training and travel.

Ensures PD staff work schedules comply with Embassy procedures and supervisors requirements.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

NOTE: All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.

The applicants for the United States US Embassy Resource Coordination Specialist job opportunity should hold a university degree in Business Administration, Financial Management, Organizational Management, Accounting, Public Administration, or local equivalent is required.

At least three years of experience is required in accounting, business administration, financial management, organizational management, public administration, or project management.

Comprehensive knowledge of Ugandan geography, infrastructure, government institutions, and common business and banking practices is required.

A general understanding of regional, ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic factors and the influence of religious, cultural, and educational institutions as they relate to perceptions of the United States is required.

Knowledge of customer service in Uganda is required. Must have an understanding of communications in Uganda and the international information environment as it affects Uganda and must be familiar with digital practices and procedures.

Analytic Skills: Must have strong analytic skills to manage funding from multiple sources, each with differing requirements for purpose, oversight, and accounting. Must be able to accurately assess resource challenges and identify solutions, including those that address sensitive resource challenges.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Must have excellent customer relations, interpersonal, and cross-cultural communication skills. Must have excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to write reports. Must be able to work effectively with Mission personnel and Ugandan institutions on PD operations and resources, including on sensitive or contentious financial topics.

Strong management skills are required, including the ability to develop and oversee project budgets.

Demonstrated ability to organize logistical support for professional and cultural projects, such as workshops, seminars, digital video conferences, panel discussions, lectures, and camps, is required.

Must be able to conclude agreements with partner institutions and manage their fulfillment.

Good keyboarding and data entry skills are required; excellent familiarity with electronic discovery tools, in particular the internet, and standard information retrieval practices and procedures are required.

Thorough knowledge of and the ability to use various computer software programs, specifically Microsoft Word, Excel, and databases, is required.

Language: Level 4 (Fluent) Speaking/Reading/Writing English is required. This maybe tested.

How to Apply:

All those interested in working with the United States Embassy, US Mission in Kampala should send their applications online at the link below.

Click Here

Deadline: 22nd May 2023

For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, speaks at a teleconference on boosting employment for college graduates in Beijing, capital of China, May 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Thursday urged concrete efforts to help college graduates find jobs or launch businesses of their own.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a teleconference on the matter.

Demanding accuracy and effectiveness in implementing policy measures to stabilize employment, Ding emphasized exploring more channels of employment and issuing subsidies that have been pledged, so that companies have more incentives to hire.

Graduates who are willing to start businesses should be given credit support, while state-owned enterprises should ensure they hire no fewer college graduates than the previous year, he said.

The country should carry out projects that open up posts at the primary level for college graduates, and encourage them to work in urban and rural communities, according to Ding.

More effort should go into helping groups of job seekers that are experiencing difficulties, he said.

Ding also stressed preventing and rectifying employment discrimination, as well as guiding universities to optimize the arrangement of disciplines. 
On March 13, you posted on social media that a healthcare professional will soon be attacked and killed at the workplace. And, on May 11, that prediction became a reality when Dr Vandana, a young house surgeon was stabbed to death by a school teacher, while the latter was being treated by her at the Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital. What made you post such a prediction?

There are several attacks happening for the last so many years, almost one that had a minimum of one attack per week. There were 200 attacks in the last three years. So many times, doctors and other health workers escaped by a narrow margin. All kinds of sharp instruments are available in all hospitals. So many times, it was just because of luck that major injuries did not happen. So, I thought that it was going to be inevitable [that finally somebody would die]. That is why I wrote that Facebook post. Actually, I regret it. I feel bad talking about it now. But then this is a fact, a reality [that healthcare workers are being attacked].

There is the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2012, indented to protect healthcare workers and healthcare properties. But do you think these are not doing what it is intended to do?

Absolutely. That Act is toothless. So, we have demanded an amendment to this Act or maybe a new act. We have submitted a memorandum and concrete suggestions in line with the Epidemic Control Act. The government agreed in principle to implement that, but then it is not happening. That process is going at a very slow pace.

What do you think is causing this delay?

I think the problem is the government is not feeling that urgency. They think that [this is a] routine thing. But they need to understand that it's an emergency situation. Previously, when COVID-19 came, this Epidemic Control Act was implemented. That ordinance came in no timein less than maybe a few days. The government needs to give such importance and urgency to this Act also. This is a demand [in front of the government] for quite some time. I think this time the government will do the needful.

One of your demands is to make hospitals protection zones. What are the other things that should be implemented at the earliest?

We are demanding that in case of an attack against a healthcare worker, an FIR must be filed in an hour's time. The High Court of Kerala also has given such a direction. The second demand is that the police must complete the investigation in one month's time. And, if there is a lapse by the police officer, there should be action against it. There must also be fast-track special courts and the verdict must come within a timeframe of one year.

Also, we demand punishmentsimprisonment and fines for attacking healthcare professionalsmust be increased. Also [hospitals must be] special security zones with security cameras in all places, not just in casualty. And also, there should be ample security personnel. Also, the hospital and 500 meters in and around the hospital must be declared as a specially protected zone. And there must be constant vigilance by the police officers to prevent attacks.

When this unfortunate incident happened, the plight of house surgeons also came to the fore. They have to work late at night, with lots of pressure and fear.

We need strong rules and they must be implemented, that is where we are lacking at the moment. There is the 2012 Act, but it is not implemented properly.

Regarding the doctors and their situation, I think the public also must take up this issue. See, if the hospitals are attacked like this, the doctors will try to do a defensive medical practice. They will avoid taking serious cases. For instance, if somebody develops a cardiac arrest, you need to intervene immediately. So instead of intervening immediately, they may try to look for their safety and they may refer that patient to some other hospital. Ultimately that patient will die. Such defensive practices will surely hit the entire health community. So the government and the public must come out strongly against hospital attacks.

The Union government had a plan to enact separate legislation prohibiting violence against doctors and other healthcare professionals. But they withdrew the draft proposals. Do you think there is a need for a central act to protect doctors?

I think there must be a Central Act, and it must be a strong act. You cannot compare this profession with any other profession. The government sees that the other professionals also will demand their security. But it's totally different. Even in a war situation, the hospitals and health professionals of the enemy country are spared. So that principle must be applied here also. And there is a need for a Central Act. But the Union government sees that this is a state subject. And so, they said they are withdrawing the draft proposal. That was unfortunate.

Could you please elaborate on your point on how the attacks against doctors would weaken the entire health system in the country?

That itself is the main problem. These sorts of attacks will have a very high impact on the health systems of the entire country, not just in Kerala. Our best students must come to the medical profession. Unfortunately, these attacks are happening and many medical students are now thinking about leaving the profession. I'm not joking, this is a very serious thing. One lady doctor who was attacked three months back in Kerala had actually left the countrya postgraduate neurosurgeon. She was brutally attacked; she was kicked in the abdomen, and after that incident, she left the country. She came back, finally, after doing a lot of counselling and all. So, the general trend of the young, brilliant students of Kerala is that there is no point in taking the medical profession as such. So, brilliant people will take another profession. And maybe that is not good for the country.

Another aspect is that when a hospital is attacked or doctors are attacked, other patients are denied their actual treatment. When a casualty attack happens, it may delay treatment for many other patients who may require immediate medical intervention. Also, the situation demands that security surveillance must be increased in the hospitals. But when more security personnel and cameras are hired/installed, all these will reflect in the cost of the treatment also. All these expenses get added up because of the unsafe atmosphere in hospitals.

Did the IMA have a talk with the government after this incident?

Yes. We met the chief minister today morning at 10am. He listened to our demands. And he's holding a meeting with higher health officials today.

Did he promise you anything?

No, he did not say a time frame for anything. But we are demanding a time frame because assurances were given earlier also. We need a time frame for the enactment of the law, the ordinance.
The depression formed over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm on Friday. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the storm is unlikely to affect Odhisha and Andhra Pradesh coast. However, heavy rains are expected in north-east regions including Tripura, Nagaland and Mizoram.

"Deep Depression, intensified into a cyclonic storm Mocha and lay centered about 510 km west-southwest of Port Blair, 1210 km south-southwest of Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh) at 0530 hrs IST of today the 11th May. To intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by mid-night of today," said IMD.

Since the impact of the storm is not likely to affect Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, IMD has not issued any kind of warning along its coasts.

The cyclone is moving towards Bangladesh-Myanmar coasts. The Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar is under the risk of landslide with the heavy rains lashing through the region.

The state minister for disaster managment and relief Enamur Rahman said that necessary measures are taken to avert any mishap due to heavy rain and high speed wind. Rehabilitation likely required for those seeking refugee in the camps.

Also, the IMD has predicted that the cyclone is likely to weaken from Saturday.

Though cyclone is not likely to have an impact in West Bengal, due to the rough sea fishermen and people have been warned not to venture near the sea.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands on alert

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted by the Met department in Andaman and Nicobar Islands till May 11. Alert has been issued by the administration.

"The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast that Cyclone Mocha is likely to make landfall off Myanmar Coast about 1200 Hr (local time) on 14 May 2023. Wind speeds in excess of 110 kmph accompanied by heavy rains are likely to be encountered prior/during this period," read the embassy statement.

Meanwhile, the north-eastern parts of India is likely to record heavy rainfall during the weekend due to the cyclone's impact.

Tripura and Mizoram expected to record heavy rainfall on May 13 and heavy to heavy rainfall on May 14. Nagaland, Manipur and South Assam will also record heavy rainfall on Sunday.
A confusing situation has developed regarding the tax free status of the controversial movie The Kerala Story in Madhya Pradesh.

While state home minister Narottam Mishra on Thursday said that the movie The Kerala Story continues to be tax free in Madhya Pradesh, the Madhya Pradesh Cinema Association secretary Azizuddin told The Week that they will collect tax for the screening of the movie as per the order issued by the government on May 9, until further written order to the contrary comes.

The issue started on Wednesday after a commercial tax department order, cancelling an earlier order (dated May 6) to provide tax exemption to The Kerala Story for a month, had come forth. Despite several attempts by many media outlets including The Week, no confirmation or denial came from the state government. However, sources had said that the tax-exemption was withdrawn as the movie had an A certificate from the censor board (Central Board of Film Certification).

Meanwhile, the cinema association general secretary had said that tax collection on the movie would start as per the May 9 order.

However, on Thursday, answering a question on this issue, the home minister said: It is my request to cinema hall owners and all others concerned that they should not be under any confusion. The Kerala Story has been made tax free in Madhya Pradesh; it is and will continue to be tax free. If there is any viral or fake order circulating, it should not be considered. The chief minister himself announced the tax-free status for the movie.

Azizuddin told The Week that they had got the May 9 order from proper government channels and not the social media. We will go by the May 9 order of the state commercial tax department until we have a fresh written order from the government. We cannot depend on verbal statements, he said. He also added that as per rules movies with A certification cannot be given tax exemption.

Lodge FIR if May 9 order fake: Congress

Opposition Congress has attacked the government for creating a confusing situation deliberately. Media department chief of Madhya Pradesh government K.K. Mishra said that the government should come out with a written clarification on the issue. If the home minister is saying that the May 9 order is a fake, the government should register FIR against those responsible for this. Actually, the home minister of Madhya Pradesh has ceased to be home minister and become a film reviewer. Rather than paying attention to the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, his focus is always on movies and bikinis, Mishra said while talking to The Week, indicating the home ministers repeated statements over objectionable contents in various movies.

Mishra had tweeted on Wednesday about the rollback of the tax-free status, saying that the government made an adult movie tax free and then rolled back the decision under pressure from big daddy (indicating PM office). He had also questioned the silence of all authorities on the new order, asking whether any government existed in MP or not?

Following MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhans announcement of tax-free status to Kerala Story on May 6, three other BJP-ruled statesUttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana have also given similar exemptions to the movie.
A low-intensity explosion was heard near Sri Guru Ram Dass Niwas in the vicinity of the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Thursday morning. It is the third explosion in Amritsar within a week.

Five suspects have been detained in this connection, reported ANI. No fatalities have been reported so far.



According to the Punjab Police, the motive behind the blast was to disturb peace. Explosives used in firecrackers were applied in the blast. The area has been sealed and a forensic team has reached.



Amritsar Police Commissioner Naunihal Singh said police received an intimation at around midnight that "a loud sound" had been heard.



A low-intensity explosion took place on a heritage street near the Golden Temple here on May 6 and then another explosion occurred in the area in less than 30 hours after the first blast.



Meanwhile, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has hit out at the Punjab government for the incident. "This is the failure of the Punjab govt. We will strengthen our own task force now. We urge police to hold a thorough probe into the matter," Committee president H S Dhami said.


If more opposition parties work together and stand united, it will yield a good result while taking on the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said in Mumbai on Thursday. Nitish Kumar, who along with Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav met Uddhav Thackeray at the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader's residence in Mumbai, was speaking to reporters.

"When everyone fights together, there will be a contest (with BJP). There will be good success (to opposition parties) and the country will head in the right direction," Kumar said.

Kumar said the opposition parties will decide when their next meeting will take place. "Our objective is the same...to work in the interest of the country, he said.

"There should be no dispute and everyone should stay united," Kumar added. His meeting with Uddhav Thackeray is being seen as a bid to strengthen the Opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The Janata Dal (United) leader also met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai later in the day.

Kumar has been meeting Opposition leaders to strengthen the bloc against the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls due next year. He met his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday in Bhubaneswar. Kumar, who stunned the BJP last year when he snapped ties and stripped it of power in Bihar, had caught the national imagination with his pitch for a united opposition which, he believes, can take on and defeat the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha polls.
Radicalised individuals, Azadvir Singh, resident of Amritsar and Amrik Singh from Gurdaspur were on the prowl looking for an opportunity to disturb peace and attract attention. However, their plans were thwarted after the third attempt to carry out low-intensity explosions in Punjab led to the busting of the module by the Punjab police. In connection with the explosions, five people were arrested on Thursday.

The three low-intensity explosions that took place near Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab between May 6 and May 11 were allegedly the handiwork of this module which was radical in nature with one of the members getting on the wrong side of the law in the recent past for ''outraging religious sentiments''.

The motive behind the triple explosions are learnt to be persistent grievances against the state, alleged atrocities against the community, extremist thoughts and symbolism to gather maximum eyeballs.

Azadvir threw the bomb and Amrik helped to assemble it after they purchased the potash, explosive material used in the three blasts, from a licenced fire cracker dealer in Punjab.

Three explosions near Golden Temple within a week had raised alarm prompting the counter intelligence unit to camp at Amritsar. Senior officers repeatedly visited the blast sites for clues and scouting for the conspirators who were at large after they carried out the first blast at Saragarhi parking near Golden Temple on May 6, using explosive material in a soda can.

There was neither a detonator nor high intensity explosive material used to carry out the explosion. Forensic teams found traces of potash that did not cause much damage, but police sources said the perpetrators were successful in sending a message that all was not well in the border state.

In the last few months, Punjab has witnessed a rise in extremist sentiment as it has seen gatherings of radical youth, violence and unlawful activities, especially under the banner of Waris Punjab De led by Amritpal Singh which finally culminated in a major crackdown and arrests of several persons, including Amritpal.



But so far the three incidents are not directly linked to a fall out of the Amritpal episode, rather being seen as the outcome of a growing sense of alienation among the youth and radicalised individuals coming out into the open to make a symbolic statement that the pro-Khalistan sentiment wasn't dead in Punjab yet.



Whether there was any incitement by proscribed outfits or extremist leaders under lens of the Punjab police and central agencies or these individuals got self radicalised by accessing radical literature using social media as well as pro-Khalistan extremist ideology propagated by groups based outside the country is a matter of further investigation.



Sources said the first explosion at Saragarhi parking was followed by another on May 8 while the third incident took place near Guru Ramdas ji Niwas on May 11, where the explosive was learnt to be kept in a small bowl. The perpetrators Azadvir and Amrik were assisted by one Dharminder, a licenced fire cracker dealer; Harjit and Sahib Singh from Amritsar. Amrik's wife was also questioned by the police but not much has come out against her so far.



Sources said Azadvir and Amrik came to Amritsar on May 2. Azad is learnt to have provided a room to Amrik and his wife at Guru Ramdas Niwas near the langar hall. Azadvir himself stayed at Baba Jeewan Singh Sarai for two days before returning to Ramdas Niwas.



The potash was procured from Dharminder, who was known to Azad, and paid him around Rs 3,000 for it, sources said. Dharminder was asked to teach the duo how to use the potash in the crude bombs as Azad and Amrik did not have the skill set, sources said. While Dharminder may not be privy to the entire conspiracy, he roped in two other close associates Sahib Singh and Harjit in the entire operation. With the busting of the module, the Punjab police is heaving a sign of relief hoping that the case is solved and keeping it's fingers crossed on parallel modules propping up with deliberate designs to spread the extremist sentiment.
The Supreme Court on Thursday came down heavily on former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for his decision to call a floor test in the Shiv Sena case, but said it could not reinstate the Uddhav Thackeray Government because the Chief Minister resigned without facing the floor test.

The five-judge Constitution bench delivered a unanimous verdict on Maharashtra political row by referring the 2016 Nabam Rebia five-judge verdict related to the power of the speaker on disqualification of MLAs to a larger bench. According to the Nabam Rebia judgement, a Speaker of the House cannot issue disqualification petitions under the anti-defection law while a motion of resolution for his/her removal was pending.

The order came while considering the Shiv Sena case which saw 16 MLAs defect from the party last June. According to the CJI, whether a notice seeking the removal of the Speaker will restrict his powers to issue disqualification notices to MLAs needs to be examined by a larger bench.

The Supreme Court also said that the Speaker's decision to appoint Bharatshet Gogawale as the whip of Shiv Sena was illegal. Gogawale was backed by the Shinde group.

The court said Koshyari had no objective material to call upon then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove majority in the Assembly on June 30 last year. "If the Speaker and the government circumvent the no-confidence motion, the Governor will be justified in calling for a floor test without the aid and advice of the council of ministers. The Assembly was not in session when the Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis wrote to the Government. The opposition parties did not issue any no-confidence motion. The Governor had no objective material to doubt the confidence of the government," the CJI said.

However, the SC said since Thackeray had resigned without facing the floor test, the governor was justified in inviting Shinde to form government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house.

"However, the status quo ante can't be restored because Thackeray did not face the floor test and tendered his resignation. The governor was, therefore, justified in inviting Shinde to form the government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house," it said.
The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will deliver the crucial verdict on the Shiv Sena factional feud case that saw Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions splitting the party and the latter forming the government with the BJP, on Thursday.

The verdict will determine the fate of the Shinde government and also have long-lasting implications in Maharashtra politics.



Last June, Shinde and 39 MLAs rebelled against the undivided Shiv Sena leadership resulting in the party's split and collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprised of the NCP and Congress. Shinde later tied up with the BJP to return as the Chief Minister.



The petitions were filed by members of both Shinde and Thackeray factions over several issues. These include pleas by the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde challenging the notices issued by the then Deputy Speaker against the rebels under the tenth schedule of the Constitution over defection.



The Thackeray group has also filed petitions challenging Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyaris decision to call for a trust vote, the swearing-in of Eknath Shinde as the Chief Minister of the Government with the backing of BJP, and the election of a new Speaker etc.



Besides determining the validity of the Shinde government, the order will also address the "legal conundrum" surrounding the political fate of Thackeray who quit rather than face the no-confidence motion.



The court had observed on the last day of the hearing how it could reinstate the Thackeray government when the chief minister had put in his papers even before facing the floor test, after the faction led by him pitched for setting aside the governor's June 2022 order to the CM for a trial of strength in the House.



Whichever way it goes, the verdict will have serious implications in the state politics. If the SC order favours the Shinde government, it will be a political victory for him ahead of the municipal polls. Many believe this will also spur further defections from the Thackarey faction. He will also become the official face of the Shiv Sena.



A verdict favouring Thackarey means that the Governors decision to ask Thackeray to prove the majority of the floor of the House is illegal and unconstitutional. While it may bring down the government, it is unlikely that Thackarey will become the chief minister again, as he quit without facing the floor test.



Factions confident

Expressing confidence, MVA on Wednesday said the verdict will determine if democracy "exists" in the country and judiciary "functions" independently. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said he hoped that his party will get justice, asserting that he has faith in the judiciary.



His party colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said that the impending verdict will determine the future of the country.



"The Supreme Court judgment will decide whether there is democracy in the country, whether legislatures are functioning as per the Constitution, and the judiciary is functioning independently. We are hopeful that we will get justice. I am confident that the Supreme Court of the country is independent," Raut told reporters.



Shinde faction too is confident of a victory. Shiv Sena spokesperson and party MLA Sanjay Shirsat said the party wasn't worried as they had factored in all aspects before revolting (last year). "We have seen the results the Election Commission gave us the party name and symbol and we won the first stage," Shirsat said.


Following the Supreme Court verdict on the Shiv Sena crisis on Thursday, both sidesthe ruling BJP-Shiv Sena and the Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising Shiv Sena (UBT)are claiming victory.



Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis told media that the SC verdict is an endorsement of their government. On the other hand, Uddhav Thackeray said Shinde and Fadnavis must resign on moral grounds. The apex court held that it cannot restore the then MVA government led by Uddhav as he resigned without facing the floor test in June last year.



Explaining the verdict, Fadnavis and Shinde said that the SC's decision is a tight slap on the faces of those who called the government illegal and unconstitutional. "The verdict clearly states that the governor was justified in inviting Eknath Shinde to form the government as Uddhav Thackeray had resigned," said Fadnavis quoting the SC ruling.



He also pointed out that the decision regarding disqualification will be taken by the Speaker alone as the verdict had stated.



Uddhav said that a delegation from his party will meet Speaker Rahul Narvekar and request him to decide on the petitions of disqualification at the earliest."All the documents are there; this verdict is also very clear victory for us. We will appeal the Speaker not to delay the decision," said Anil Parab, senior leader of Shiv Sena (UBT).



While the Uddhav faction is interpreting the verdict as a moral victory, the BJP and Shinde camp are seeing it as a stamp of approval from the SC.



The real winner in this battle will be decided only after Speaker Narvekar takes a decision on disqualification petitions before him. The SC in its order has not set a time-frame for the Speaker. It has merely said that the Speaker should decide within a reasonable time.
We remember the nuclear tests that established India as a nuclear power. Though events are talked about, curiosity about the brains behind them lingers. Not many of us are intrigued about what happened behind the scenes, how the scientists stepped up as a team, the huge practical challenges and the eagerness for thrilling, extraordinary results that would put India on the N-map.

Talking to Dr Anil Kakodkar, former chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and one of the key persons behind Pokhran l & II, we understand that a set of imperatives arises from the fact that for countries with different values, views and strategies to co-exist in this planet without erasing one another from this map, for rivals to constrain their deplorable behaviour, credible nuclear deterrence is a necessity.

Excerpts from the interview:

You have been interviewed by all the national news channels. Which one of those do you remember vividly and why?

Whenever the conversation has been either with the well-informed or with those with genuine curiosity, it has been very enjoyable. Some of them come across as simple conversations helping me speak up with enthusiasm. Almost all interviews I remember have made me feel good. It is such a joy to understand other peoples perspectives too. So, it is difficult to single out one as the best.

Who in your family influenced you the most in your formative years?

My mother. With my father deported to Portugal to serve nine-year imprisonment because of his participation in Goas freedom movement, my childhood years were entirely under my mothers care. She chose to get trained as a Montessori teacher and started a Montessori school in a small town in Madhya Pradesh for our sustenance. Thus, my mother was mother, father and a teacherall three in one for me. Her life had a strong Gandhian influence, having studied and spent several years at Sevagram and Wardha. That also has deeply impacted me.

Being a recipient of all the three highest civilian honours is a huge responsibility as well.

Responsible behaviour is indeed a good attribute always. With recognitions, it is pretty much impossible to go under the radar. It then becomes your responsibility to ensure that the prestige of the recognition is always upheld and not dented in any way.

One sentence on Fire and Fury.

With high stakes involved while you are negotiating uncharted territory, Fire and Fury is inevitable.

You were part of two nuclear tests1974 and 1998that changed Indias image. Why was 1974 code-named smiling Buddha? What were the circumstances that led to all the tests that have been conducted so far?

1974 test was a peaceful nuclear explosion experiment. Secrecy management needed a code name. Smiling Buddha was appropriate. 11th May 1974, the day when the test was conducted was a Buddha Purnima.

We have pursued a broad-based and autonomous R&D programme to be able to address the emerging national needs. Talking about national security, India has been a reluctant nuclear power driven by her security needs. We have always emphasised universal non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament and continue to do so. While 1974 was an experiment (well within the scope of peaceful nuclear explosions that were being conducted then), 1998 was about weapons tests to address national security needs (for eg two nuclear capable adversaries on her border). India was well within her international agreements and obligations in the conduct of these tests and is recognised for her responsible behaviour.

Modern India has always been an epitome of scientific and technological development. The Green Revolution in 1960, launching of Nike-Apache in 1963,the White Revolution in 1970, Smiling Buddha in 1974, the launching of Agni in 1989, of Aryabhata in 1975 followed by Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan. Why was Pokhran-II chosen as the basis for National Technology Day?

Nations become strong essentially on the basis of technological superiority. Technology enables both military as well as economic strength. Countries tend to become restrictive in technologies that have high strategic potential to preserve and enhance their relative advantage. With nuclear technology, because of its very high strategic potential, such restrictions are very strong and comprehensive. Achieving capability in this area in a self-reliant manner is a major technology driven inflection point in national capability, not only with respect to nuclear strength but in a broader sense. I believe that to be the reason for celebrating national technology day to commemorate the tests done on May 11, 1998 when India transitioned into a nuclear weapon state on its own technological capacity.

The 1974 test provoked America to stop giving technological assistance for space research, communications and missile development and again the 1998 tests resulted in immediate economic sanctions by America and other major countries against India. Did these come across as spoilers? How was the mood in South Block?

That the sanctions would be imposed was not unexpected. The country did manage to cushion the impact of sanctions and progress steadily on our nuclear programme, fairly unabated. Looking back, rather than being spoilers, the 1998 tests and post-tests management have made the country much stronger not only in matters nuclear but more comprehensively.

Fooling the CIA should have been a high bar

Of course, one has to take care of all aspects for successful implementation of any programme.

One emotional moment that you would like to recall as the army, DRDO and BARC went about business.

The team spirit and the camaraderie evolved exceptionally. Bonds of friendship strengthened and trust transcended organisational boundaries. Issues, both simple and deep involved us all. Everyone contributed to some insight during the process. We bonded over our common mission.

Is it true that when nuclear weapons are tested underground, some particles with long half-lives get concentrated in the soil and water tables in and around the test site?

At Pokhran radioactivity was well-confined. Samples including soil and water were regularly collected along all potential pathways to monitor migration of radioactivity and to confirm effective confinement. There is no evidence of any harm of the kind mentioned in the question at and around Pokhran site. It would be inappropriate for me to comment on nuclear test sites in other countries.

Can we agree that all it takes is an irresponsible, emotionally unstable leader to wipe out millions of lives in a jiffy and continue to kill many more, rather slowly, over the years?

Irresponsible acts, more so of the powerful with guile in their hearts, are always a danger to mankind whether as a catastrophe or as a slow and continuous damage over the years. India has been recognised as a responsible country with advanced nuclear technology.

For the sake of deterrence or defense, when nations participate in the nuclear arms race, are countries charging into Thucydidess trap?

Indias has adopted the policy of credible minimum nuclear deterrence to protect her from attacks using weapons of mass destruction by her adversaries. India is not in the nuclear arms race.

Nuclear technology in medicine and agriculture is indeed a blessing. Is renewable energy slowly replacing nuclear energy? Why nuclear energy is considered indispensable by certain countries?

Peaceful applications of nuclear technology have indeed led to large-scale benefits for the mankind. India has a large programme on applications in medicine, agriculture, food preservation, city sewage hygienisation and industrial processing besides nuclear power. Nuclear and renewable energy are both clean and need to inevitably co-exist to sustainably meet the energy needs in a net zero world to which we are all committed. For India, in my assessment, nuclear and renewable energy will share the energy supply burden equally in the long run. My contention is that the total energy needs of a developed India cannot be met even after maximising the use of all six renewable energy sources (wind, solar, biomass, tidal ocean, geothermal and hydro).

What according to you is technology with a human face? Is a nuclear free world possible, 100 years from now?

Technology is a human capability multiplier. Whether it would be used for exploiting or destroying other humans or to empower everyone depends on how well we nurture or foster human values. To me, technology with a human face means deployment of technology done in a manner to empower everyone and exploit none. If the world at large adopts Gandhian philosophy and values, I believe that a nuclear weapons-free world is eventually possible.
PHNOM PENH, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen returned home on Thursday after the conclusion of the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

The country's foreign ministry issued a statement briefing the two-day summit's outcomes, saying that during the summit, Hun Sen and other ASEAN leaders vowed to transform ASEAN into a community that is robust, agile, and equipped with strengthened capacity and institutional effectiveness.

"The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continue enhancing the ASEAN centrality and unity in its engagement with external partners at a time of great uncertainty and rapidly evolving regional and global orders," the statement said.

On the sidelines of the summit, Hun Sen said ASEAN needs to enhance its relevance and strengthen ASEAN-led mechanisms so that it continues to play a central and leading role in addressing regional and global challenges, according to the statement.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. 
The United Kingdom has delivered long-range cruise missiles for Ukraine as the country prepares for a counteroffensive against Russia.

According to reports, the UK delivered long-range 'Storm Shadow' cruise missiles to Ukraine. A Western official told CNN, The UK has previously said that it will supply Ukraine with long-range weapons, this will now include a number of Storm Shadow missiles. The British Government has been clear that this is only in response to Russias deliberate targeting of civilian national infrastructure and is a proportionate response.

Launched from the air, Storm Shadow was jointly developed by UK and France and has a firing range of over 250 kilometres. According to reports, Storm Shadow has the capability to strike within Russian territory. However, the UK has reportedly received assurances from Ukraine that the missiles would be used only within Ukraine's territory.

The UK was one of the first countries to pledge supply of military tanks to Ukraine. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged the supply of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, following which the US agreed to send Abrams tanks, and Germany and a group of European countries agreed to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said Ukraine needs more time before it can launch an offensive against Russia. "With (what we have) we can go forward and be successful," he said in an interview with BBC. "But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time," he added.

However, Moscow said they would respond adequately to reports of Britain supplying missiles to Ukraine. Reuters quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that it would require "an adequate response from our military."
The Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday termed the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan by NAB in a money laundering case unlawful and ordered his immediate release.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial issued the directives hearing Khan's plea against his arrest by NAB in Al-Qadir Trust case, Dawn reported. The Court earlier today asked NAB to present Khan in Court.

The publication reported that Judge Bandial observed that Imran Khan was present in the Islamabad High Court's biometric courtroom on May 9. When a person comes to the court of law, it means that he surrenders before the court, Dawn quoted the Judge.

Justice Bandial remarked that Imrans arrest was illegal and directed the PTI chief to approach the IHC. The Supreme Court reiterated that Imran Khan had to appear before IHC tomorrow.

The bench, which heard Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman's plea against his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case, expressed anger at the way Khan was taken into custody from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.

Earlier in the day, Bandial asked how an individual could be arrested from the court premises. Justice Minallah observed that Khan had indeed entered the court premises. "How can anyone be denied the right to justice?" he asked.

The court also observed that no one could be arrested from the court without the permission of the court's registrar. It observed that the arrest was tantamount to denying access to justice without fear and intimation, which was the right of every citizen.

It also said that by entering the premises of a court means surrendering to the court and how a person could be arrested after surrender. If an individual surrendered to the court, then what does arresting them mean? the chief justice said.

Khan's counsel Hamid Khan informed the court that his client had approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking a pre-arrest bail but was arrested by paramilitary Rangers.

"Rangers misbehaved with Imran Khan and arrested him," the lawyer said.

The court also took note of about 90 to 100 Rangers personnel entering the court to arrest Khan. What dignity remains of the court if 90 people entered its premises? How can any individual be arrested from court premises? the chief Justice asked.

Chief Justice Bandial also at point observed that the National Accountability Bureau had committed contempt of court. They should have taken permission from the court's registrar before the arrest. Court staffers were also subjected to abuse, he said.

Khan was arrested on Tuesday from the Islamabad High Court and an accountability court on Wednesday handed him over to the National Accountability Bureau for eight days in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The former premier on Wednesday approached the apex court to set aside the warrants of NAB of May 1 for his arrest and to challenge the Islamabad High Court's decision to declare the arrest unlawful.

Earlier, the IHC expressing anger at the way Khan was nabbed upheld his arrest hours after he was whisked away.

(With PTI inputs.)
At least five cars have caught fire in the centre of Milan after an explosion. The explosion possibly began with a van, which was carrying oxygen canisters, causing domino explosions, Sky News reported. Four mopeds also caught fire as a result of the explosion.



The fire spread towards apartments on the street and a pharmacy. Firefighters arrived at the Porta Romana area of the city, where the explosion took place. The area has been cordoned off by the police. A nearby school and nursing home were evacuated.

Footage from social media shows people spilling out from apartments onto neighbouring streets. Terrorism and criminal activity have been ruled out, the northern Italian city's Mayor Giuseppe Sala told Reuters. Sala said the explosion had caused no deaths and that the situation was under control.

This is a developing story
The unusual name given to Cyclone Mocha, which originated in the Bay of Bengal and is expected to hit the shores of Myanmar and Bangladesh by Friday, is sure to raise a few curious gazes.

Why is a cyclone named after a drink of all things?

Storms and tropical cyclones are named in a certain way for the public to quickly identify them while passing out warning messages and to avoid general confusion caused by its scientific or technical terms. While exchanging detailed information through multiple stations worldwide, simpler names are easier to handle. In order to build a more efficient, organised and effective naming system, meteorologists first started naming storms alphabetically.

The National Hurricane Centre in 1953 started naming Atlantic tropical storms from a list originated by them. These lists are now maintained and updated by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). The WMO and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific (ESCAP) have been naming cyclonic storms since 2000. WMO/ESCAP, which includes Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, decided in 2000 to name cyclones in the region. In 2018, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen were added to the group. The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) finalised the list after the aforementioned countries submitted suggestions.

Since 2020, cyclone names including Nisarga, Gati, Nivar, Burevi, Tauktae, Yaas, Gulab, Shaheen, Jawad, and Asani suggested by member countries in alphabetical order have been used on the first set of lists. The names Mandous and Mocha suggested by the UAE and Yemen respectively in the first batch of names were set to be adopted for the next two tropical cyclones.

'Mocha', a popular name for most chocolaty coffee beverages, is borrowed from Al Mochaa port city on the Red Sea in Yemen. The first recorded use of the name was in 1849. The port was the lifeblood of Yemen's coffee trade. All of Yemen's coffee was exported from this singular port, especially Mocha which very quickly grew to become one of the world's most-loved beverages.

The Ethiopian nomadic people are said to be the first to actually discover the stimulating effects of coffee. A very popular legend that associates the discovery of the beans to the goatherds of the Ethiopian plateau is that of the goat herder Kaldi, who upon discovering the effect the berry had on his goats, went and reported it to the abbot of a local monastery. The abbot then proceeded to make a drink out of it to test it out for himself. Seeing the energising capacity of the drink, the abbot went on to spread the word about the magic drink. Soon its popularity reached the Arabian peninsula where farmers procured the berry, cultivated it and started trading it with the world.

Another probable origin can be traced to a legend about a healer named Sheikh Omar who, after being exiled from the city of Mocha, resorted to feeding on berries to sustain himself. To soften the berries and to reduce their bitterness Omar boiled them in water; in doing so he chanced upon the coffee berry that surprised him with its revitalising ability. He called it a miracle drug. The popularity of his discovery soon reached his hometown Mocha and he was welcomed back as a saint.

The rich and rather intriguing history behind coffee and the name Mocha, which has become a household name in all cafes, would make a person appreciate the simple drink a bit more.
Former President Donald Trump made an appearance at the CNN Republican Presidential Townhall-- he made an appearance on the network after years. The event, which was moderated by CNN This Morning anchor Kaitlan Collins, came one day after a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming former columnist E Jean Carroll.



At the event, Trump made dismissive comments about Carroll. A New York jury found Trump guilty of sexually assaulting Carroll and ordered him to pay her $5 million. The former president denied the charges and reiterated that he doesn't know Carroll.

When asked about the country's debt, he said the US should go into default if Democrats don't agree to major spending cuts. Well, you might as well do it now, because youll do it later. Because we have to save this country, Trump said.

When asked if he would sign the federal abortion bill, Trump declined to give a firm answer. He however touted overturning of the Roe v. Wades federal abortion rights as such a great victory. He also said that he thought President Putin's invasion of Ukraine was a tremendous mistake.

When asked whether he would back Ukraine, Trump said, I dont think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people, he added. When questioned on the January 6 riots, he said that he was inclined to pardon a large portion of the pro-Trump rioters who were convicted for their roles in the attack on the Capitol.

He also hinted that the family separation immigration policy could return. When you say to a family that if you come, were going to break you up, they dont come, he said. Trump repeated election fraud lies and debunked claims about fraudulent votes.

I think its a shame what happened. I think its a very sad thing for our country, he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needs more time before it can launch an offensive against Russia. He added that the country needs more military aid from the West. According to a Bloomberg report, the nation is currently armed with well over $30 billion in weapons freshly supplied by its Western allies.



"With (what we have) we can go forward and be successful," he said in an interview with BBC. "But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time," he added.

A dramatic breakthrough similar to Ukraines Kharkiv offensive in 2022 could help bring an early end to an invasion. However, an element of surprise could make it harder to combat the Russian army, which is bigger and better prepared.

In the interview, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine wasn't willing to give up any of its territory for peace. Everyone will have an idea. They cant pressure Ukraine into surrendering territories. Why should any country of the world give Putin its territory? he asked. Commenting on Ukraine's alleged drone attack on Kremlin he said, They constantly look for something to sound like a justification, saying: You do this to us, so we do that to you. But it didnt work. Even for their domestic public, it didnt work. Even their own propagandists didnt believe that. Because it looked very, very artificial.

Zelenskyy also said that Ukrainian forces were beginning to experience the effect of a shortage of arms on the Russian side. They still have a lot in their warehouses, but we already see that theyve reduced shelling per day in some areas, he said.
Mumbai, May 11 (PTI) Equity benchmark indices pared opening gains and were trading marginally lower in a highly volatile trade on Thursday, dragged down by a decline in Larsen & Toubro shares and weak global markets.

The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 19.93 points to 61,920.27 points in early trade after hitting the crucial 62,000-mark in opening deals.

The NSE Nifty fell 15.05 points to 18,300.05 points.

Among the Sensex firms, Larsen & Toubro tumbled over 5 per cent after the firm said its Non-Executive Chairman A M Naik has decided to step down from the post.

ITC, Bharti Airtel, Nestle, Tata Steel and Tata Motors were among the laggards.

However, NTPC, Tech Mahindra, HCL Technologies, Infosys, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, Wipro and State Bank of India were trading in the positive territory.

In Asia, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong markets quoted lower while Seoul traded in the green.

The US market ended mostly in the negative territory on Wednesday.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net buyers on Wednesday as they bought equities worth Rs 1,833.13 crore, according to exchange data.

"FPI inflows continue unabated touching Rs 19,865 crore in May as per depository data. This will impart resilience to the market even if there is profit-booking," V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, said.

Meanwhile, global oil benchmark Brent crude jumped 0.75 per cent to USD 76.98 per barrel.

The BSE benchmark had climbed 178.87 points or 0.29 per cent to settle at 61,940.20 points on Wednesday. The Nifty gained 49.15 points or 0.27 per cent to end at 18,315.10 points.
Singapore, May 11 (PTI) Singapore parliamentarians paid their tributes to Tamil translator Palaniappan Arumugum, who died on May 4 at the age of 73 after serving the houses for more than three decades.

The House fell silent on Wednesday as MPs marked the death of Parliament translator and offered their condolences to his family members, who were in chambers.

His widow and their son and daughter, along with their spouses, were seated in front of the glass-panelled translation booths where Palaniappan worked for countless Parliament sessions over his 50 years in public service. On his seat was a bouquet of flowers.

Tamil is Singapores fourth official language after English, Chinese, and Malay.

Leader of the House Indranee Rajah, delivering a tribute before the days official business, said, We have lost a good friend and a good man. However, we have been enriched by his contributions, the impact of which still remains.

He may no longer be with us, but his voice can still be heard in the works he translated and in the Tamil language that he loved so dearly and did so much to promote.

Palaniappan, who joined the Parliament Secretariat in September 1990, translated Parliament proceedings from English to Tamil and, occasionally, from Tamil to English, until November 2022.

Besides being a translator, he also took up the role of chief liaison officer for many parliamentary conferences hosted by Parliament.

Many a time, he went beyond official duties to ensure the foreign dignitaries were well taken care of, and received numerous oral and written compliments, The Straits Times quoted Indranee as saying in the house.

She added that Palaniappans vast experience and expertise in interpretation and translation was highly valued at the national level.

Besides introducing several measures to improve simultaneous interpretation services in Parliament, he was also part of the regular interpretation team for National Day rallies, she said.

Outside of work, he volunteered with the Tamil Language Council for close to 15 years.

He was instrumental in developing a bilingual English-Tamil glossary for the public, as well as an e-glossary for students that has more than a few hundred words that are unique to the Singaporean Tamil context.

In his own time, he also contributed to the building of Tamil vocabulary by starting a Facebook page called 'Singai Translate Community', which deliberated with members of the public on how best to translate complex English words and subject matter into the Tamil language.

In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Efficiency, Public Service, Long Service, and Commendation medals in 1996, 2001, 2008, and 2011, respectively.
Karachi, May 11 (PTI) A suspected suicide bomber was killed and a deadly attack on the Chinese nationals working in a shipyard in the port city of Pakistan's Karachi was foiled by the security forces, police said on Thursday.

The incident happened on Wednesday when security officials discovered that a suspect was planning to carry out a suicide attack on the Chinese nationals at the shipyard in Karachi's Port Qasim.

Senior Superintendent Police Hasan Sardar said they killed a suspected terrorist who was planning to carry out a suicide attack against Chinese nationals working at the shipyard in Port Qasim.

"The terrorist was shot dead after the police increased the security for the foreign workers after an intelligence tipoff that a banned outfit had planned a terror attack on Tuesday," he said.

He said that the suspected terrorist was shot dead after he had retaliated with fire following a confrontation with security forces when he was seen approaching the foreign nationals at the shipyard.

The police found a suicide vest jacket, explosives, a detonator and a Kalashnikov rifle with ammunition from the body of the suspected terrorist.

"The terrorist also fired and one policeman was injured," Sardar said.

After the incident, Sardar said both governments had agreed to step up security and intelligence-based round-the-clock surveillance cover for foreign nationals.

This is not the first time that terrorists and separatists have targeted Chinese nationals working in Pakistan.

In April 2022, a female suicide bomber belonging to a banned Balochistan separatist outfit carried out a suicide attack on a van carrying three Chinese teachers at Karachi University.

Hundreds of Chinese workers, which include engineers, work in Pakistan as part of the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of China's ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Beijing, May 11 (PTI) The recent SCO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Goa was a success and will lay a new mark on the growth of the eight-member bloc, its Secretary General Zhang Ming has said, asserting that security cooperation remains the top priority of the grouping.

India hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' meeting at a beach resort in Goa's Benaulim on May 4 and 5.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who chaired the meeting, said the session gave an opportunity to dwell on the state of multilateral cooperation in SCO, to address regional and global issues of interest and talk about the reform and modernisation of the organisation.

SCO consists of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India holds the rotating Presidency of the organisation this year.

The recent Foreign Ministers meeting held in Goa was a success. We have reason to believe that the New Delhi summit will lay a new mark on the growth of the SCO, said Zhang, who was a senior Chinese diplomat before taking over as the Secretary General of the Beijing-based grouping.

He said the purpose of the Goa meeting was to prepare the ground for the upcoming summit.

"It is fair to say that our ministers had an in-depth exchange of views and they have completed all the items of the meeting agenda, he said on Wednesday, adding that their conclave laid a good foundation for the leaders' meeting.

The ministers also had a number of bilateral meetings and candid exchanges on the sidelines of the meeting and discussed issues of common interest, he said.

So, I believe the Foreign Ministers meeting has achieved the anticipated goals, he said.

Security cooperation remains the top priority within the SCO, he said.

So, we address various challenges including terrorism, extremism, separations and drug threat, cross border crimes use of IT for illicit purposes," he said.

The meeting was attended by Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, China's Qin Gang, Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Uzbekistan's Bakhtiyor Saidov and SCO Secretary-General Zhang.

Since taking over the Presidency India has come up with a lot of initiatives on culture and people-to-people exchanges. Their proposals were received and echoed by other member states, Zhang told a media briefing here on Wednesday, highlighting the outcomes of the Goa meeting.

Besides, a country with splendid civilisation and time-honoured history, India also treasures innovation and science and technology, he said.

The SCO summit was expected to be held in early July this year, according to informed sources. Chinese President Xi Jinping along with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are expected to attend.

In his speech at the Goa meeting, Jaishankar said, As the chair of the SCO, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has articulated Indias priorities as moving towards a 'SECURE' SCO."

SECURE stands for security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and environmental protection.

He said India has successfully concluded over 100 meetings and events including 15 ministerial-level meetings in the run-up to the summit which received enthusiastic participation from member states, observers and dialogue partners.

The New Delhi summit will take up these topics on priority too. To summarise the Indian Presidency over the past several months features highly intensive and effective preparations, Zhang said.

The Indian side has proposed a substantive agenda for the summit, he said.

About a question on differences between some of the member states, Zhang said bilateral differences made no difference to the organisation.

After India and Pakistan joined the organisation in 2018, the SCO's efficiency has not been affected. We did not encounter any difficulties," he said, adding that the SCOs pursuit of the principles of non-interference in the member countries' affairs has strengthened cooperation among its members.

The SCO indeed has no mechanism to resolve differences between member states. No member state has called on SCO to resolve their issues with other member states," Zhang said while responding to a question on border tensions between some Central Asian States which are the members of the grouping.

"Thanks to SCO's basic principles we have been able to create a good atmosphere with cooperation," he said.

This environment helps our member states to find commonality and common interests between them which enables them to overcome their differences," he said.

The SCO had developed over the years a strong anti-terror force called Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS).

RATS formation was regarded significant as the security concerns in the South and Central Asian region increased after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan following the sudden withdrawal of the US troops.

SCO pays more attention to issues like energy, food security, public health, climate change and other issues and established cooperation on those fronts, besides trade and economic fronts, Zhang said.

The organisation is also working on promoting local currency payment mechanisms among member states, besides setting up a development bank of its own, he said. "The SCO is working on this issue on cross border payment mechanism. We would like to promote free-flowing goods and technology," he said.

The organisation has established a number of cooperation mechanisms working to create necessary legal and institutional arrangements for this, he said, pointing to various meetings by officials of the finance ministries of member states.

Experts are carefully analysing the differences in regulatory legislation and current settlement in local currencies. They are working to identify restrictive factors, its development and prospect for the expansion of the use of local currency in the payment settlement, Zhang said.

"Also, member states are discussing how to establish SCO Development Bank. We are discussing to set up such a bank and special account," he said.

He said SCOs popularity is on the rise as more countries have applied for its membership.

Iran is in the process of becoming an SCO new members, he said, adding that the organisation has 14 dialogue partners and six more countries have applied for its observer status.

With Saudi Arabia joining as an observer in the SCO, the organisation is set to make forays into the Middle East as a number of Gulf countries have expressed interest in joining the grouping, Zhang said.

He sought to dismiss the contention that China, as the founder member of the SCO, is using the organisation to challenge the US and NATO, saying it is just media speculation.

SCO will not compare itself with NATO. SCO is not a political and military bloc and its aim is about cooperation, he said.

The groping is also in talks with UN peacekeeping forces, Zhang said.

Some SCO members are taking part in pace-keeping operations. Discussing how to step up cooperation with UN peacekeeping participation, he said.
BAKU/YEREVAN, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A new round of clashes erupted on Thursday along the Azerbaijan-Armenia border, resulting in at least one soldier dead and four wounded.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported the death of one soldier, while the Armenian Defense Ministry said its four soldiers were wounded during the fresh border clashes.

The two sides blamed each other for triggering the new round of clashes, which broke out in the middle of their border.

Azerbaijan and Armenia had been locked in a decades-long territorial conflict, with major armed clashes between the two sides breaking out in September 2020 and ending with a Russia-brokered truce in November of the same year. 
Lahore, May 11 (PTI) Pakistan's Punjab police have booked former prime minister Imran Khan and 1,500 of his party workers for attacking and setting on fire a top army officer's house in Lahore.

Enraged over the arrest of their leader in a corruption case on Tuesday, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief's supporters on Wednesday stormed the General Headquarters of the Army. They set residence of the Lahore Corps Commander on fire while attacking military vehicles and installations.

The PTI chairman, his deputy Shah Mahmood Qureshi and others have been named under murder, terrorism and 20 other heinous offences for attacking the Corps Commander House known as 'Jinnah House' in Lahore Cantonment on Tuesday.

Khan and others have also been charged with looting valuables worth over 150 million rupees from the Jinnah House.

According to the FIR filed on Wednesday, two people were killed in the attack.

It said over 1,500 PTI workers and leaders attacked the army officer's house at the behest of Khan and other senior leaders of the party.

Following the arrest of Khan in a corruption case by the Pakistan Rangers in Islamabad on Tuesday, his supporters attacked senior officers' residences and the Pakistan Army's installations in different parts of the country.

An anti-corruption court on Wednesday sent 70-year-old Khan on an eight-day physical remand to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

His dramatic arrest on Tuesday sparked widespread violent protests across Pakistan, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 300 others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies.

The PTI supporters have held the army responsible for Khan's arrest.

Separately, the Punjab police registered dozens of FIRs against the PTI leadership and workers for injuring police officials, damaging and looting public property and raising "highly objectionable" slogans against the Pakistan Army.

On Wednesday, protestors set ablaze Askari Tower in the Gulberg area. The plaza is reportedly owned by the son of former army chief Gen (retd.) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Police named 1,200 PTI workers for killing a man while setting on fire and ransacking the tower. They also booked Khan in this case, saying he was behind the attack.

The protesters also set ablaze Shadman police station in Lahore. Their attempt to enter the Governor House and the Chief Minister Secretariat in Lahore was foiled by the police and Rangers.

Meanwhile, the police have claimed that they have arrested Khan's 76 supporters who attacked the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

An FIR has also been registered against 300 miscreants including PTI's main regional leader Bashart Raja.

According to the Punjab police, over 1,400 people have been arrested across the province in the wake of widespread violence.
Mumbai, May 11 (PTI) Maharashtra minister Uday Samant on Thursday said it is a merely a coincidence that state NCP president Jayant Patil has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case ahead of the Supreme Court's verdict on petitions pertaining to the 2022 political crisis in the state.

The ED has summoned 61-year-old MLA Patil, the former state finance and home minister, for questioning on Friday in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in the now bankrupt IL&FS, as per official sources.

The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on Thursday on a clutch of cross-petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena pertaining to the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis.

Asked about Patil getting summons from the ED ahead of the SC verdict, state Industries Minister Samant told reporters, It is merely a coincidence."

Seven-term legislator Patil has been asked to depose before the ED here on Friday.

The federal agency recently initiated fresh action in this 2019 case after it searched the Mumbai offices of Deloitte Haskins and Sells and BSR and Associates, an Indian affiliate of global accounting firm KPMG, the two former auditors of IL&FS.

The Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) filed for bankruptcy in 2018.

The premises linked to the two auditors in Mumbai have been searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to sources.

A five-judge constitution bench of the SC headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud will deliver its verdict on Thursday on pleas related to the Maharashtra political crisis last year that resulted in the fall of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray following a revolt by Shinde.

The MVA comprises the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Congress.

In a blow to the Thackeray bloc, the Election Commission earlier this year declared the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena and allotted it the bow and arrow symbol of the party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray.
Aizawl, May 11 (PTI) A total of 3,583 people from Manipur fled to Mizoram after ethnic violence broke out last week, officials said on Thursday.

These people were lodged at temporary relief camps across six districts of Mizoram, while many were also given shelter by their relatives, they said.

A total of 1,351 people have taken shelter in the Kolasib district, 1,214 people in the Saitual district and 934 others in the Aizawl district, a statement said.

The remaining 84 people took shelter in Champhai, Serchhip and Khawzawl districts, it added.

Mizoram is already burdened with over 30,000 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh, state officials said.

Violent clashes broke out in Manipur 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.

The clashes were preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.

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 in the hill districts.
Lucknow, May 11 (PTI) Voting for the final phase of urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh covering 38 districts, including Meerut, Ghaziabad, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Aligarh, Kanpur, and Ayodhya began on Thursday morning. Voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm on Thursday.

The polls are considered significant as political parties are trying to showcase their strength before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Campaigning for the final phase ended on Tuesday evening with BJP and Samajwadi Party leaders criss-crossing the poll-bound areas.

Shahjahanpur will vote to elect its first mayor. Meerut and Aligarh had BSP mayors in 2017 while the BJP ruled the rest.

According to the State Election Commission (SEC), over 1.92 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes to elect their representatives in the second phase. The first phase of voting was held on May 4.

The counting of votes for both the phases will take place on May 13.

As many as 39,146 candidates are in the fray in the second round for 6,929 posts, which includes seven mayors and 581 corporators.

Apart from this, voting will be held to elect 95 chairpersons and 2,520 members of nagar palika parishads, and 267 chairpersons and 3,459 members of various nagar panchayats.

The SEC said 77 representatives, including nine corporators in this round, have been elected unopposed.

UP's minister of state (independent charge) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change will cast his vote in Bareilly.

According to district president of the BJP in Shahjahanpur KC Mishra, ministers Jitin Prasada and Suresh Khanna will cast their votes in Shahjahanpur.

Another minister in the UP government, JPS Rathore, will also cast his vote in Shahjahanpur.

The campaigning for the second phase of the polls saw UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath targeting the Samajwadi Party in different parts of the state, including Kanpur, Ayodhya and Aligarh.

Both the Deputy Chief Ministers, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Union minister Smriti Irani, UP BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary also campaigned for the party candidates.

From the opposition camp, Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav and senior party leader Shivpal Yadav extended a helping hand to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who had been campaigning for the party nominees.

According to the final list of reserved seats, the mayor seat in Agra has been reserved for SC (female), Jhansi for SC, Shahjahanpur and Firozabad for OBC (female), Saharanpur and Meerut for OBC, and Lucknow, Kanpur and Ghaziabad have been reserved for women.

Meanwhile, Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said for peaceful conduct of the polls, apart from one lakh civil police personnel, 76 companies and 2 platoons of the PAC, 35 companies of CAPF and 7,935 under-training sub-inspectors have been deployed.
New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) The Supreme Court Thursday held the Maharashtra governor was not justified in calling upon then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove majority in the Assembly on June 30 last year but refused to order status quo ante, saying he did not face the floor test and resigned.

In a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas related to the political crisis that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Thackeray following a revolt by the Eknath Shinde faction, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud held that House speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was "illegal".

It, however, said since Thackeray had resigned without facing the floor test, the governor was justified in inviting Shinde to form government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house.

"The governor was not justified in calling upon Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the House because he did not have reasons based on objective material before him to reach the conclusion that Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House," said the bench which also comprised Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha.

"However, the status quo ante can't be restored because Thackeray did not face the floor test and tendered his resignation. The governor was, therefore, justified in inviting Shinde to form the government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house," it said.

The top court also referred the 2016 Nabam Rebia verdict by a five-judge constitution bench, which relates to the power of speaker on disqualification of MLAs, to a larger bench of seven judges.
Bengaluru, May 11 (PTI) Karnataka recorded a voter turnout of 72.67 per cent in the Assembly elections, which is slightly above the previous polls in 2018. Several pollsters have predicted that the Congress may have an edge in Karnataka, which is BJP's southern citadel, in a hung assembly with a couple of them even projecting that the grand old party may get a majority on its own.

According to an Election Commission release late last night, the voter turnout stood at 72.67 per cent, excluding the postal ballots and home voting.

Chikkaballapur district registered the highest voter turnout at 85.83 percent followed by Ramanagaram at 84.98 per cent, it said.

Counting of votes for the 224-member Assembly for which elections were held on Wednesday, will be taken up on May 13.

"Largely peaceful voting in all 224 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, and no repoll indicated in any of the 58,545 polling stations," the Election Commission(EC) said on Wednesday.

Karnataka recorded 72.44 per cent voter turnout in the 2018 Assembly polls which had thrown up a hung assembly with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 104 seats, falling slightly short of getting a majority.

While the BJP, riding on the Modi juggernaut, is looking to break a 38-year-old poll jinx where the state has never voted the incumbent party to power, the Congress is hoping for a morale booster victory to give it a much-needed elbow room and momentum to position itself as the main opposition player in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

It also remains to be seen whether former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) will emerge as a "kingmaker" or a "king" by holding the key to government formation, in the event of a hung verdict, as it has done in the past. The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP), which is in power in Punjab and Delhi, has also fielded candidates.

To draw people to exercise their voting rights, the EC had taken many initiatives such as theme based and ethnic polling booths, and pink booths exclusively operated by women.

Theme-based and ethnic polling booths -- 737 in all across the State -- added a lot of colour to the exercise.

The battle-ready BJP with its well-oiled election machine ran its campaign with a blitzkrieg by Prime Minister Modi.

The Congress manifesto proposing to ban the Bajrang Dal heated up the later half of the campaign as the BJP and Prime Minister Modi aggressively latched on to the issue to portray the grand old party as being against Lord Hanuman and the sentiments of Hindus.

Barbs like 'venomous snake', 'Vishakanya' and 'Nalayak beta' vitiated the poll campaign as some leaders used intemperate and abusive language.

While Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who hails from Karnataka, likened Modi to a 'venomous snake' and his son and Congress candidate Priyank Kharge called the prime minister a "nalayak beta", BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal described former Congress president and MP Sonia Gandhi as a 'Vishakanya' (venomous woman).
SOPHIA GOUVEIA, Wheeler, Girls Lacrosse, Sophomore; Gouveia scored the winning goal with less than a minute remaining to beat St. Bernard. Gouveia finished with six goals in that game and also scored eight times in a win against Griswold-Norwich Tech.

WILL FRENCH, Stonington, Boys Lacrosse, Senior; French won 62 of 66 faceoffs in three Stonington victories. French also scored six goals and contributed an assist in the wins.

RYDER CASADY, Westerly, Boys Lacrosse, Junior; Casady made 30 saves in goal for the unbeaten Bulldogs. Casadys best performance of the week was 13 saves in a win against Burrillville.

KODY POPLASKI, Chariho, Boys Volleyball, Sophomore; Poplaski had 95 assists in two wins for the Chargers. Poplaski contributed 51 in a victory against Classical and 44 against Cranston East.

Vote

View Results




The Biden administration on Thursday will begin denying asylum to migrants who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border without first applying online or seeking protection in a country they passed through, marking a fundamental shift in immigration policy as the U.S. readies for the end of a key pandemic restriction.

The new rule represents a significant shift in the way the U.S. deals with asylum seekers who have been showing up at the border in huge numbers in anticipation of this weeks end of the the use of a restriction known as Title 42 that allows the government to quickly expel migrants to Mexico. U.S. officials warned of difficult days ahead as the program tied to the COVID-19 pandemic expires this week.

The rule announced Wednesday is part of new measures meant to crack down on illegal border crossings while creating new legal pathways, including a plan to open 100 regional migration hubs across the Western Hemisphere, administration officials said. U.S. officials have detailed steps theyve taken to prepare for what many are expecting to be a substantial increase in migrants attempting to enter the U.S.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that the days and weeks ahead have the potential to be very difficult.

Our plan will deliver results but it will take time for those results to be fully realized, he said.

In Ciudad Juarez, migrants continued to arrive this week in small groups by train or bus  and leave daily to surrender to the U.S. authorities. Fran Tovar, a 30-year-old electrician from Venezuela who left two children behind to try to reach the U.S., was crossing on Wednesday.

There is fear and anguish, said Tovar, adding that he has spent three months in Juarez trying to get an appointment through an app the U.S. has encouraged migrants to use to present themselves at a border entry point and seek admission.

Tovar was expelled from the U.S. on his first attempt, then tried again 24 hours later. He was worried because after Title 42s use expires, he could face tough consequences.

The COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions have allowed border officials to quickly return people  and they did so 2.8 million times since March 2020. But after the restrictions expire Thursday, migrants caught crossing illegally will not be allowed to return for five years. They can face criminal prosecution if they do.

Even with the restrictions in effect, border crossings rose to all-time highs.

The measure announced Wednesday is a key part of the U.S. strategy. While stopping short of a total ban, it imposes severe limitations on asylum for those crossing illegally who didnt first seek a legal pathway. It includes room for exceptions and does not apply to children traveling alone. It was first announced in February and takes effect Thursday.

Its almost certain to face legal challenges. A federal appeals court prevented similar but stricter measures pursued by then-President Donald Trump in 2019 from taking effect.

The Biden administration emphasized the complex dynamics at play when it comes to immigration that at one time consisted largely of adults from Mexico seeking to come to the U.S. They could easily be returned home. Now migrants come from across the Western Hemisphere and beyond.

The rule was immediately met with criticism.

With its new rule formalizing sweeping restrictions on asylum access, the Biden administration is putting border politics ahead of the safety of refugees, said Jeremy Konyndyk, the president of Refugees International.

U.S. officials also said they planned to open regional hubs around the hemisphere, where migrants could apply to go to the U.S., Canada or Spain. Two hubs were previously announced in Guatemala and Colombia. Its unclear where the other locations would be. The administration officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing border plans that were not yet public.

The measures are meant to fundamentally alter how migrants go to the U.S. southern border as officials brace for large numbers to cross this week, possibly to circumvent the new rules. Others were waiting until after Title 42 goes away, thinking their chances might be better.

Roughly 24,000 law enforcement officers were stationed along the 1,951-mile (3,140-kilometer) border with Mexico. An additional 1,500 active-duty military troops are being sent to back up U.S. Customs and Border Protection but will not interact with migrants. And 2,500 National Guard troops are already there, tasked to help out CBP.

The Democratic administration will return migrants from Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua to Mexico if they do not apply online, have a sponsor and pass a background check. It will admit 30,000 per month from those nations to the U.S. Mexico will continue to take back the same number who cross illegally.

Immigration officials also plan to deploy as many as 1,000 asylum officers to conduct expedited screenings for asylum seekers to more quickly determine whether someone meets the standard to stay in the U.S.

Mayorkas said migrants taken into U.S. custody will be given an initial option to turn back because of the increased consequences of removal after Title 42 expires.

Most of the people going to the U.S.-Mexico border illegally are fleeing persecution or poverty in their home countries. They ask for asylum and have generally been allowed into the U.S. to wait out their cases. That process can take years under a badly strained immigration court system, and it has prompted increasing numbers to go to the border hoping to get into the U.S.

Authorities have spent months setting up interview rooms and phone lines at facilities along the border to facilitate screenings, part of a broad effort to expand the use of expedited removal proceedings aimed at migrants who cross illegally into the U.S.

(AP)




New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday that the death of Jordan Neely at the hands of a fellow subway rider was a tragedy that never should have happened and pledged to do more to help people experiencing mental health crises.

My heart goes out to Jordans family, who is suffering great pain and uncertainty about the circumstances of his death, said Adams, a former police officer who was criticized for his initial muted response to Neelys death.

Neely died on May 1 when U.S. Marine veteran Daniel Penny put him in a chokehold aboard a subway train in Manhattan.

The 30-year-old Neely was a former Michael Jackson impersonator who was well-known to city outreach workers who try to help unhoused people experiencing mental illness.

A freelance journalist who recorded video of Neelys final minutes said Neely had been screaming at other passengers but hadnt attacked anyone when Penny pulled him to the floor and pinned him. The video shows two other subway riders helping to hold Neely down.

Neely lost consciousness during the struggle and was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The medical examiners office ruled that Neely died in a homicide caused by compression of the neck but said the question of criminal culpability would be up to the legal system. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has promised a thorough investigation.

Penny, 24, said through his lawyers last week that he was only protecting himself after Neely threatened him and other passengers.

Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death, said his lawyers, Thomas Kenniff and Steven Raiser.

Protests have erupted in the days since Neelys death, with demonstrators demanding Pennys arrest.

Because Neely was Black and Penny is white, some see echoes of the nearly 40-year-old case of Bernhard Goetz, a white gunman who was convicted of a weapons offense after he shot four Black men on a subway train in 1984.

Adams first response to the fatal encounter was to decline to condemn Penny and to reference the rights of subway riders to take action in certain situations.

I was a former transit police officer, and I responded to many jobs where you had a passenger assisting someone, Adams said after Neelys death was first reported.

Neelys family issued a statement earlier this week criticizing the mayors response.

The mayor has chosen a side, said Donte Mills, an attorney hired by Neelys aunt and father. For him to put that forward as an excuse for Mr. Penny is very irresponsible, its not acting in good faith as a mayor and its disrespectful to the family, who is suffering a loss.

Speaking in a livestream address from City Hall on Wednesday, Adams sought to counter the charge that he did not care about Neely. He noted that Neely shared a name with his own son, Jordan Coleman, and said all New Yorkers must work together to do more for our brothers and sisters struggling with serious mental illness.

A message seeking comment on Adams speech was left with Mills, Neelys familys attorney.

Trying to steer mentally ill homeless people into shelter and treatment has been a priority for Adams, a Democrat, since he took office at the beginning of 2022.

(AP)
Tourists shop at a market in the center of Tunis, Tunisia, May 11, 2023. Tunisian President Kais Saied assured Wednesday that Tunisia will remain safe after Tuesday's synagogue shooting that killed at least five. (Photo by Adel Ezzine/Xinhua)

TUNIS, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Kais Saied assured Wednesday that Tunisia will remain safe after Tuesday's synagogue shooting that killed at least five.

"I want to reassure the Tunisian people and the whole world that Tunisia will remain safe despite this type of attempt intended to disturb its stability," Saied said in a statement.

On the sidelines of a national security council, the president said the attack at La Ghriba synagogue in southern Tunisia is to hit the state, destabilize its institutions, and harm the tourist season.

"The state will watch over the security of the population and the stability of the country," Saied said, adding that Tunisia will always remain a land of tolerance and coexistence.

On Tuesday night, a guardsman affiliated with the National Guard opened fire at security staff stationed near the synagogue, leaving two visitors and three other security officers killed, before being shot dead during an exchange of fire.

Several others, including security officers and civilians, were injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar said the country is ready to welcome and protect all those who prefer to visit Tunisia in the upcoming summer holidays.

Ammar made the remarks when meeting with his Belgian and Portuguese counterparts, Hadja Lahbib and Joao Gomes Cravinho respectively, who were on a working visit to Tunisia, said a ministry statement.

He called on European countries to intensify investment in Tunisia and remove customs barriers, urging a joint effort to promote tourism between Tunisia and Europe.

The two diplomats voiced Europe's willingness to support Tunisia in overcoming current challenges and advancing the recovery of the Tunisian economy for the common interest of both sides. 

Tourists shop at a market in the center of Tunis, Tunisia, May 11, 2023. Tunisian President Kais Saied assured Wednesday that Tunisia will remain safe after Tuesday's synagogue shooting that killed at least five. (Photo by Adel Ezzine/Xinhua)

Tourists walk on the street in the center of Tunis, Tunisia, May 11, 2023. Tunisian President Kais Saied assured Wednesday that Tunisia will remain safe after Tuesday's synagogue shooting that killed at least five. (Photo by Adel Ezzine/Xinhua)




House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday night took a wrecking ball to notoriously anti-Israel Rep. Rashida Tlaibs plan to hold a Nakba event at the Capitol at which anti-Israel figures would decry the founding of the Jewish State.

The Speakers office confirmed that McCarthy stepped in to secure the Capitol Visitor Center space where Tlaib intended to hold a gathering mourning Israels establishment as a catastrophe. Instead, he will lead a bipartisan briefing celebrating the 75th anniversary of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Its wrong for members of Congress to traffic in anti-Semitic tropes about Israel, McCarthy told the Free Beacon. As long as Im Speaker, we are going to support Israels right to self-determination and self-defense, unequivocally and in a bipartisan fashion.

The virulently anti-Semitic congresswoman had invited abhorrent personalities to her planned event, including people who supported and hailed terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. Several organizations that endorse the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, including Jewish Voice for Peace, a radical anti-Israel activist group that has been criticized for glorifying Palestinian terrorism, were planning to join Rashida Tlaib at the anti-Israel event. Tlaib was set to headline the gathering, which also included Emgage Action, another BDS supporter that accuses Israel of being an apartheid state, and Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, an advocacy group that claims Jewish money of negatively influencing politics.

It is unsurprising but appalling that the featured speaker at this event will be a Member of Congress who describes the only Middle Eastern country to give equality and voting rights to both Jews and Arabs as apartheid, the Coalition for Jewish Values said in a statement. We hope that our request will meet with your favorable response, and that you will condemn this event in the strongest terms as soon as possible.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




In the course of the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza early Thursday morning as part of Operation Shield and Arrow, one of the IAF pilots spotted two uninvolved children in the area.

The pilot aborted the strike to avoid harming the children.

Stop, stop, theres a child outside, two children a pilot can be heard saying in a video of the incident published by the IDF.

Earlier Thursday morning, Israel carried out a targeted elimination of Ali Ghali, a top Islamic Jihad terrorist, the commander of the Gaza rocket launching force  the fourth senior Islamic Jihad terrorist to be eliminated since the operation began.

Two other Islamic Jihad operatives who were hiding with Ghali in an apartment in Khan Yunis were killed as well.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




The fight against terrorism in Yehudah and Shomron continues even amid rocket fire from Gaza, with a counterterrorism operation carried out in Yehudah and Shomron overnight Wednesday.

IDF soldiers, Shin Bet operatives and Border Police officers arrested 15 terror suspects in raids in villages across the Shomron.

One IDF was lightly wounded in a gun battle with terrorists in the Nur Shams refugee camp. He was treated by army medics at the scene and evacuated to the hospital for further treatment.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

This past Monday, Tarah Cheiffi, a travel writer, posted a fascinating article. She was returning from a trip to Orlando and decided to do some work on her Delta flight with her 15-inch MacBook Pro.

The passenger in front of her chose to recline the seat back at breakneck speed, which crushed her laptop screen.

The flight attendant told her he had never seen anything like this happen before and went to speak with the flight leader to determine the best way to handle the situation. When he returned, he offered to lavish her with 1,000 Delta SkyMiles  an offer amounting to a whopping $15.

When she arrived at Atlanta, the Delta rep said he was authorized to give as compensation for the damaged property $100  which was later rescinded. Delta does not assume responsibility for unchecked items that are damaged in flight unless they are given to Delta personnel for storage.

Our question, however, is: What is the halacha? What if it was El Al, a Jewish owned airline and all parties were Jewish  how would a Bais Din rule? Is Tarah out of luck? Is Reclining Passenger X obligated? Or is the airline obligated? Also, which of the four categories of damage in the Mishna in Bava Kamma is under discussion here?

THE MISHNA

The first Mishnah in tractate Bava Kamma identifies the four main categories of damage (avos nezikin): Ox (shor) or goring, Pit (bor) if someone dug or uncovered a pit, Maveh (meaning either damages caused by man, or those caused by an animals feeding), or Burning (aish)

Lets take a look, however, at the relevant Talmudic passage. The Gemorah in Bava Kamma 28b informs us of Rabbahs position that even in a case of Onais  where there was no fault (pure accident) on the part of the damager  it is still possible to find the one who did the damage liable. Abaye, however, disagrees and states that the idea of Onais drachmana patrei the Torah exempts cases of pure accident.

CONCEPTS TO KNOW

There is a concept called Nitkal lav Poshaya discussed in the Talmud (Bava Kamma 29a) as to whether one who trips or stumbles is considered at fault or faultless. There is also the concept of Adam Muad LOlam  a person who damages is always considered at fault. The interplay of these various concepts may be the core of this cases halachic conclusion.

AIRLINE POLICY

Because it is airline policy, and the general norm, that a person is allowed to recline his or her seat back whenever the plane is not taking off or landing, and there is no requirement to look behind you  perhaps this case can be analogous to a complete accident or onais gamur.

A THREE-WAY DEBATE

There are three opinions as to complete accident.

The Baal haMaor (BK p. 19 in the Rif pages) writes that if we hold that one who trips is not considered negligent, then the damage is categorized not as adam HaMazik a person who damaged, but rather Bor  it is likened to a pit.

The Baalei HaTosfos (BK 27b uShmuel) and the Rosh rule that a person who damages is not liable on a complete accident.

The Ramban in Bava Metziah 82b disagrees with Tosfos and rules that a person is liable for all damage that he causes based upon the principle of Adam muad lolam. The Gemorahs case (BK 26b) of the liability of a person who stood up and a stone was on his lap and it damaged is a case in point. Another is when a super-strong gust of wind blew him off the roof and he did damage (27a). The only exception is when the person brought the damage upon himself by placing himself or his item in harms way immediately beforehand. He also disagrees (see Oz vHadar BK Milchamos p. 33 amar hakosev) with the Baal HaMaor and categorizes one who trips is not negligent as the category of Aish  fire.

HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE TORAH EXEMPTS CASES OF PURE ACCIDENT

As an aside, there is a debate among the Gedolei HaRoshei Yeshiva as to how to understand the Torahs exact mechanism for exemption of accidents. Rav Chaim Soloveitchik ztl (Siman 228) examines whether it is actually an exemption or is it that the action of damage is not attributed to him. Rav Elchonon Wasserman ztl and hyd (Kesuvos Siman 5) writes that the action is not attributed to him. Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer ztl (Evel HaAzel Ishus 4:1) writes likewise. However, according to Rav Chaim, it works through the mechanism of an actual exemption, but only to the limit of What could he have done?

We can perhaps inquire as to the nature of the airlines tacit permission to allow people to recline  is it an exemption, or is it that the action is not attributed to him? If the former  then perhaps he should look before he reclines.

ANOTHER FACTOR

Perhaps in our case it was Tarahs fault. Maybe the case can be likened to the victim placing the item in harms way, where the victim would bear responsibility.

CONCLUSION

There is a concept in halacha (See EH Bais Shmuel 159:56) that the person who is muchzak, or holding onto the item can say, I hold like the position of Posaik X  even if Posaik X is a minority opinion  as long as it does not go against the Shulchan Aruch or established halacha. In this case, the item is the money. This is called, Kim li khani Poskim  I know that the halacha is like this opinion of the great decisors.

The Shulchan Aruch (CM 378:1) writes that as a general rule a person who damages, accident or no accident, is liable for all damages. It is unclear as to the position of the Ramah, however. The Shach (CM 378:1) reads the Ramah as writing that the Ramahs opinion is the same as that of the Ramban, Ramah and Shulchan Aruch, while the Vilna Gaon (CM 378:3) reads the Ramah rules like Tosfos and the Rosh.

Passenger X can say that he holds like the Vilna Gaons reading of the Ramah against that of the Shach and thereby exempt himself from payment. He can do this through the use of Kim Li. Since this is true, Tarah would have to pay for her own laptop screen repair.

Rav Hershel Ausch shlita, one of the leading Poskim in Boro Park and Williamsburg agreed with this conclusion that Passenger X is exempt from payment. It should be noted that one Posaik from Bnei Brak who specializes in Choshain Mishpat wrote me that regardless of the permission to put back your seat, the concept of Odom Muad Lolam still applies. He finds passenger X liable to pay.

The author can be reached at [email protected]




An Israeli airstrike on Thursday morning in Gaza killed another top Islamic Jihad official  Ali Ghali, the commander of the terror groups. rocket forces.

Ghali had been hiding in a safehouse in Khan Younis along with two other Islamic Jihad operatives when the IAF jets struck, killing all three.

Ghali was responsible for directing and carrying out rocket fire at Israeli territory, including the recent barrages during Operation Shield and Arrow, the IDF said. Ghali was considered a central figure in the organization and dealt with its routine management.

The strike was carried out thanks to successful intelligence, the identification of the hideout apartment, one floor where the operatives were struck  this was a very precise attack by the Air Force, IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters.

There is currently no end in sight to the fighting, as terrorists and the IDF exchange fire. Islamic Jihad rockets have primarily targeted towns near the Gaza border, but have been shot as far as Tel Aviv and Beersheva. An Israeli attempt to have Egypt mediate a ceasefire was rejected by the terror group.

Israeli officials have maintained that their fight is restricted to the Islamic Jihad group and not the more dominant and well-equipped Hamas terror organization that governs the Strip. Their aim is to prevent the escalation of the conflict, while simultaneously warning that they are prepared to widen the scope of the operation if provoked by Hamas.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




One person was killed and five people were injured on Thursday evening when a rocket scored a direct hit on a three-story residential building in the central city of Rechovot.

Two men, ages 50 and 74, and two women in their 70s in moderate condition and one victim in mild condition were evacuated to Kaplan Hospital in the city. Two people were treated for shock.

MDA paramedics said: When we arrived on the scene we saw massive destruction. We immediately entered the building to search the apartments. In a third-floor apartment, we found an unconscious male victim with severe multisystem trauma, and could only pronounce him dead. In another apartment, a 74-year-old male was found trapped with his leg under the rubble. He was extricated by firefighters and taken by stretcher to the MDA ambulance that evacuated him to the hospital in moderate condition. Further MDA teams arrived on scene and provided treatment to three additional victims in moderate condition and one in mild condition.

In the religious yishuv of Kfar Maimon, a rocket hit the yard of a home and a woman was lightly injured.

In Sdot Negev, a woman was lightly injured by a rocket that fell in the yard of a home.

A foreign worker was moderately injured by shrapnel that fell in a yishuv in the Eshkol Regional Council, close to the Gaza border. There are also reports of three direct hits in Sderot. At least one person was lightly injured.

This is a developing story.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Sponsored Content





Chai Lifeline, the leading Jewish pediatric health support network, in partnership with the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), is excited to announce an upcoming webinar titled An Evening of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Very Early Onset IBD (VEO-IBD) Education. This informative event will feature expert speakers from CHOP and provide an in-depth look at IBD, which includes Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis, and disproportionately affects Ashkenazi Jews.

The virtual event is scheduled for May 16th at 8:00 pm and is open to patients, caregivers, medical providers, and other organizations and individuals involved in the medical arena.

Chai Lifeline is proud to partner with The Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at CHOP, one the largest institutions of its kind in the country, to present this valuable educational resource to the Jewish community, said Rabbi Sruli Fried, MSW, director of Chai Lifeline NJ/PA.

During the webinar, attendees will hear from CHOPs Co-Director of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Dr. Andrew Grossman, Program Director of the Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic, Dr. Judith Kelsen, and Chief of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Dr. David Piccoli. The panel of experts will provide an overview of IBD/VEO-IBD at CHOP and discuss the resources available to families facing an IBD/VEO-IBD diagnosis.
Sponsored Content





In his brilliant essay on ahavas Yisrael, the Beis HaLevi, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, beautifully explains the mitzvah of loving your fellow Jew. Who does the mitzvah apply to? When does it apply? What do I need to do to fulfill it properly? The Beis HaLevi also provides incentives to help us do the mitzvah in the best possible way.

Translated and elucidated by Rabbi David Sutton, author of ArtScrolls bestselling Beis HaLevi on Bitachon, Beis Halevi on Ahavas Yisrael contains wonderful insights, uplifting stories, and in-depth appendices, as well as a special section of touching anecdotes about gedolim from a range of generations and communities. In this Inside ArtScroll interview, Rabbi Sutton gives us an inside look as this life-changing work.

Purchase the new volume HERE .

WATCH:



Watch all Inside ArtScroll episodes at: Inside.Artscroll.com.

TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST OF THE INTERVIEW, CLICK ON THE PODCAST PLATFORM YOU WANT:

Spotify

Apple Podcast

Podbean

Tune-In

Stitcher

Or

Podcast.ArtScroll.com

Inside ArtScroll is also available on TorahAnytime.com.
In early February, I received a letter from Santander regarding an outstanding repayment on a credit card.

I don't have a Santander credit card, or indeed a Santander account of any kind - so I immediately contacted the bank's fraud department which told me someone had borrowed nearly 6,000 in my name.

Santander said it would get back to me but I didn't hear anything for 25 days, when I received another letter demanding payment.

Hacked off: This reader unfortunately fell victim to online fraud - and Santander's response left a lot to be desired

I called the bank multiple times, sometimes holding for up to 45 minutes. Every time I did manage to speak to someone, they said they would get back to me - but then nothing.

In late March, I received another letter saying that I would need to pay back the full 6,000 if I didn't make the required monthly repayment.

It seems the fraudsters managed to access an old email account I had, but haven't used for years and which I believed to be closed.

They used personal information and documents I had sent in emails years ago to apply for a credit card in my name, as well as making purchases on my debit card with NatWest - who were great and refunded the money almost immediately.

It appears that the Santander credit card was taken out in December 2021 and the thief went on a spending spree pre-Christmas.

Because of the late credit card payments, my previously excellent credit rating is in tatters.

I contacted Experian, who went to Santander on my behalf - but it was told I would need to call Santander and answer some questions. I have already done this on several occasions.

Not knowing what else to do, I sent Santander a special delivery letter in late April with all the information - but it hasn't been acknowledged.

Although I'm not a Santander customer, I believe that the way I have been treated is extremely poor.

It has been a very stressful situation and me and my wife have have put plans, such as holidays, on hold until we know what the outcome of all this will be. L.T, Surrey

CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk

Helen Crane of This is Money replies: This is truly a terrifying situation to find yourself in.

How many of us have old email accounts that we have forgotten over the years?

Online identity fraud has sadly exploded over the past few years and criminals are thinking of ever more inventive ways to take advantage.

Hacking into an old email account would have given them access to all kinds of personal information, which they could then use to make purchases and borrow money in your name.

In this case, criminals took out a credit card and went on a Christmas shopping spree, burning through nearly 6,000.

As a result your credit rating - which was previously spotless - has fallen through the floor.

Scared and desperate, you went to Santander for help - and were met with what can only be described as total indifference. This is appalling.

You rightly contacted Action Fraud and Experian to try and get it sorted, but again Santander fobbed you off, promising to follow it up and never doing so.

I contacted Santander to demand it took action. It swiftly wrote off the debt, and says it is in the process of amending your credit file.

It has also given you 150 as a gesture of goodwill - though in my opinion this doesn't make up for giving you the silent treatment in your time of need.

Credit card crime: The scammers spent almost 6,000 on a credit card in L.T's name

It is also shocking that it took my intervention for the bank to kick itself into gear.

While it's not your fault that you fell victim to fraud, I hope this will encourage readers to dig out forgotten email accounts and shut them down once and for all.

I will certainly be doing an audit of my teenage hotmail accounts that I know are still lurking around in the wild west of the world wide web.

It can be difficult to do this if you no longer know the password for the account, however - which is why it is a good idea to set up a 'recovery' phone number or secondary email address for all your accounts.

This will enable you to get into your account if you don't have the password, or if it is hacked and the password is changed.

A spokesperson for Santander said: 'We have a great deal of sympathy for L.T and all those who fall victim to fraud.

'We have reviewed the case and believe that he was unfortunately the victim of application fraud, and as such we have written off the debt and are in the process of amending his credit file.

'We are sorry for the delay in responding to L.T and have provided him with 150 as a gesture of goodwill.'

I hope you can finally move on from this sorry episode - and that you and your wife can go on the holiday you were hoping for.

Cancelled cruise: Reader David was pleased to be offered a room upgrade after his trip was repeatedly called off due to Covid - but Tui later removed it from his booking

Hit and miss: This week's naughty and nice list

Every week, I look at the companies who have fallen short when it comes to customer service, and those who have gone above and beyond.

Miss: Reader David contacted us as he was upset at Tui's sneaky removal of a cruise upgrade, following a wave of disappointments during Covid.

He, his wife and some friends booked a Mediterranean cruise with Marella, which is owned by Tui, for July 2020. The total cost was 4,400 for two inside cabins and they paid a 1,090 deposit.

That cruise was cancelled due to Covid and rebooked for 2021. David was told the price had increased to 4,800  and that was with a discount because he didn't ask for his deposit back.

And the unexpected changes did not stop there. David said: 'Before we could travel, the ship we were initially booked on was removed from service. Marella booked us on to a new one with a room upgrade to a balcony, which I thought was good.

'But that cruise was cancelled and I had to rebook once again. I booked the same cruise, with an 880 booking incentive applied as I had still not asked for my deposit back.

'However, the balcony upgrade was removed and the cost was approximately ,5500, after the discount - a huge increase on my original booking.

Apology: Tui said the reader's experience 'didn't reflect it's usually high levels of customer service'

'I therefore downgraded my room to an outside cabin, with the total cost being 4824.84  more than 400 more than the original booking and for a very similar itinerary, albeit with a slightly better room.

'I'm annoyed that our upgrade was taken away, and I don't feel I've been rewarded for my loyalty to the brand who have had over 1,000 of my money for more than two years.'

You got your balcony bonus for being a loyal customer, and while Tui was within its rights to remove it, it certainly did nothing to improve your relation-ship with the firm.

Since I got in touch, you have told me Tui has offered you a 200 as a gesture of goodwill. While that doesn't cover your extra expense, you've said it is better than nothing.

A spokesperson for Tui said: 'We're sorry that [David] was impacted by changes to his holiday throughout covid.

'We understand that his experience doesn't reflect our usual high levels of customer service and have offered him a gesture of goodwill and an apology, which we're pleased he has accepted'

David told me that it his wife's 50th birthday while they are on the cruise, and he has told the company in the hope of getting a special surprise.

Hopefully the company will come good and it won't be Tui little, Tui late.

Free pass: Reader George managed to skip the passport chaos and get his delivered on time

Hit: A somewhat surprising show of support for HM Passport Office landed in my inbox this week.

The Government service has come under fire recently for its tardy treatment of customers wanting to renew their passports.

There is a massive backlog of applications as a wave of would-be holidaymakers seek to venture out to sunnier climes for the first time in three years.

The Government has now said the 10 week target for dealing with applications is 'not guaranteed'.

But reader George emailed to tell me he and his wife were perfectly happy with the service provided by HM Passport Office.

He said: 'I keep hearing that it can take up to 10 weeks to get a new passport.

'I and my wife both applied for our new passports on 4 May and received our new ones on 16 May.

'The old passports were mailed using the Post Office, one to Bootle and one Belfast, both received the same day via courier. Why all the fuss?'

I suspect you may simply have been one of the lucky ones, George - but it's good to hear all the same.

Do spare a thought for those stuck in a queue outside the passport office while you are sipping margaritas on the beach.
I owned a home which I had to leave at the end of 2015 due to water ingress which made it uninhabitable.

In 2020, I went back to the property to find an electric bill from British Gas for more than 2,000, even though I hadn't been living there.

I contacted British Gas at this time and they said they would reduce it to 800, but I didn't feel this was fair so I complained to the Ombudsman  but it sided with British Gas.

Big bill: This reader found a 2,000 electricity and gas bill when she returned to her home, which was previously laying empty, after five years (stock image)

By June 2021 my bill had increased again to almost 5,000 due to demands for current and backdated payments. Now my credit file is being affected.

How was British Gas able to say I was using electricity when I wasn't living there?

It says it has meter readings, but I didn't give them access to the home. And if my bill was mounting up so much, why was the supply never cut off? Anonymous, via email

Helen Crane, This is Money, replies: Having to leave your home is a terrible situation and discovering payment demands for thousands must have been a huge shock.

I contacted British Gas to find out what was going on and disappointingly it took several months for it to provide me with a response  so I have great sympathy with customers who face a battle to work out what is going on with their bills.

Ultimately, it wasn't able to comment on your case directly as you are now in legal proceedings.

However, I do want to attempt to explain what the rules are on energy bills for empty homes.

This is something I receive plenty of emails about and the information might help others who find themselves in the same boat.

CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk

Broadly, energy bills are made up of two elements: the cost of the energy used, and 'standing charges' which go towards the cost of administrating customers' accounts.

Property owners are still liable to pay the standing charges, even if no energy is being used and no one is living in the home.

Today's maximum daily standing charge rates are 45p for electricity and 27p for gas. So someone paying standing charges today could owe their energy firm 1,315 for five years.

And that is before using any electricity. You don't say whether you left anything plugged in when you left your home, but if you did then appliances can use energy even when they were turned off.

But how would British Gas know how much energy you were using? When energy firms don't receive meter readings, they will normally use estimates, based on your previous usage.

This could have been why you were charged for energy that you say you did not use, when you weren't living in the home.

The supplier could have assumed you were still there and using the level of power you previously did, and charged you accordingly.

You don't say whether your home was still accessible during the five years you weren't there, but if it was then a good idea would have been to go in and take periodic meter readings to show that your usage had gone down - although I appreciate that would not have been high on your agenda when worrying about where you were going to live.

Snowballing: After the initial bill, she saw her charge from British Gas rise to more than 5,000

The property now has new occupiers, and British Gas would likely have obtained meter readings when they moved in - even if only to give them final readings before they moved to another supplier.

This would effectively give it a final figure for the usage during the period you owned the property, and could explain why it is refusing to budge on the amount charged to you.

In extreme cases, if you don't come to an agreement with your supplier to pay off your debt, they can apply to a court for a warrant to enter your home to look at or change the meter or disconnect your supply.

British Gas wouldn't tell me whether that happened in your case, but it is an option that is open to energy firms when customers have long-standing debt.

You are now in a difficult situation, as you face court proceedings which could result in you being issued with a County Court Judgment and ordered to pay off this large bill.

This isn't a good situation to be in for several reasons. First, it will damage your credit history and, unless it is paid within a month, it will stay on your credit file for six years  making it more difficult and expensive to borrow money.

And if you don't stick to the payments, British Gas would be allowed to use bailiffs or take money out of your wages to recover the money.

However, it may still be possible for you to come to an agreement with British Gas before that happens.

In situations such as this customers are able to make a sensible 'offer' of payment, which could be a figure that  albeit lower than the total charge  the supplier is willing to accept in order to close the matter.

You could also try to agree a payment plan, so that you pay the debt off over time rather than in one go.

This appears to be what happened initially when British Gas offered to reduce your bill from 2,000 to 800, though you declined the offer at that time as you still believed the charges to be incorrect.

To get impartial advice and help on debt, you could try contacting a debt charity such as Stepchange or National Debtline.

I am very sorry that you have found yourself in this situation. It wasn't your fault that your home developed severe damp and became impossible to live in.

But as I have explained  and unfortunately for you  it is possible to rack up fairly sizeable bills, even when a property is unoccupied.

Also, if anyone reading this finds themselves in a similar situation, it is advisable to contact your energy firm as soon as realistically possible to potentially cut off the supply.

I hope that you are able to find a way to pay what you owe to British Gas and move on from this episode.

Parking protest: Local residents in Lichfield got parking fines they felt they didn't deserve

Hit and miss: This week's naughty and nice list

Every week, I look at the companies who have fallen short when it comes to customer service, and those who have gone above and beyond.

Hit: A few months ago, I reported on a reader, Helen, who said she had been wrongly issued multiple PCN notices for parking in her local shopping centre in Lichfield while she ran a weekly choir group.

Pre-pandemic she had always paid 2 cash into the machine, got a ticket and had no issues  but when she returned post-lockdown it had been replaced by new ticketless machine, run by Excel Parking Services.

She carried on paying her 2, as well as entering her car registration  but then the PCN notices started coming. At the time of writing she had been issued three, totalling 180.

She appealed to Excel without success, but I found it hard to believe that she apparently became a fare dodger at the same time the meter changed hands. I assumed it must have been a technical error.

When I got in touch, though, Excel stuck to its guns and said it had no record of her payments or her registration being entered. The fines stood, and the reader later told me she was on the verge of cancelling her choir because of it.

After I wrote the story, reams of residents got in touch to say that they had experienced the same issues.

The local community in Lichfield set up a group on Facebook to share their experiences  which currently has almost 500 members  and lobbied the shopping centre management and local council to get the issue sorted.

So I was delighted to read reports this week that the shopping centre has heeded these calls and decided to change its car parking provider.

The local MP, Michael Fabricant, told Lichfield Live he 'had never before had to deal with a company that has so little interest in engaging with genuine concerns of the customers it is meant to serve.'

It just goes to show that persistence really can drive change.

Miss: With flight chaos still ongoing in airports across the UK, plenty of passengers will unfortunately be having to claim compensation and refunds for journeys delayed or cancelled.

If the experience of a reader who wrote to me recently is anything to go by, some may face trouble ahead when it comes to claiming that money back  especially if they booked via an agent.

Reader Mark got in touch to tell me he was struggling to get back part of the money for a trip he and his family were initially due to take back in September 2020.

He booked four return business class flights from London Heathrow to Shanghai  where he was relocating for work  at a cost of just over 17,000, paying a 1,000 deposit with a credit card and the balance with a debit card.

When his family arrived at London Heathrow to board the flight, they were refused boarding due to a mix-up with the timing of their Covid tests. The rules had changed from 48 hours before, to 96 hours before, in the preceding days and he had not been informed by the airline.

Airport annoyance: The reader and his family couldn't take their scheduled flight - and getting the last part of the refund they believed they were owed proved challenging

He claimed the airline said he would receive a refund in full as this was not his fault  but as he booked via an agent, The Flights Guru, it would need to be done via them.

When customers book flights directly in the EU through an airline, they will be protected under EU regulation, EU261, which says if a flight is cancelled, they are entitled to a full refund.

However, when customers book through a travel agent, their contract is with the agent and not directly with the airline and instead, the agent has a contract with the carrier.

As he still needed to travel to China, Mark immediately contacted TFG to organise alternative flights. When he found some the next day with another carrier, he says The Flights Guru told him it couldn't change his tickets as it had not yet established whether it would receive a full refund.

Mark said he spent nine days in a hotel at Heathrow trying and failing to get replacement flights with TFG, but eventually booked flights with another travel agent, costing another 16,000.

Once arrived he chased TFG, but a refund was never processed. Two months after the scheduled flight, and getting frustrated, he did a chargeback on his debit card and received the debit card element of the flight cost back within a few weeks.

Rule change: Covid test protocols changed just before they took the flight, which led to Mark's family being unable to travel

He has contacted TFG many times to ask them to refund the outstanding 1,000, but has said the requests were ignored. He is unable to do a chargeback on that element as the time limit has now passed.

When I contacted TFG, it said it did not owe him anything. It said it was clear from the outset that the refund could take up to 12 weeks, and that he should not have done the chargeback.

With regard to the delay, the staff member who got back to me also said: 'I don't beleive [sic] that the client spent 9 days at Heathrow'.

But what about the outstanding 1,000? Unfortunately, TFG states in its terms and conditions that 'In case of refunds, Flights Guru provides a full refund of money paid only when the money is received from the relevant supplier.'

That means it won't refund customers until the airlines it has booked flights with pays it back. Frustratingly, this is common among third-party travel agents.

It also said that it subtracts an 'admin fee' when it successfully gets a refund, meaning the customer will get less back then they originally paid.

The agent said that, when it did eventually get the refund from the airline, it was charged 1,660 in admin fees by the airline and another 'supplier,' which would have been deducted from the refund given to Mark had he not done the chargeback.

A spokesperson said: 'We do not owe [Mark] any money on this booking, as he has already had back through the chargeback more than he was entitled to due to the cancellation fees charged.'

The agent may have been following its own rules - but whether these rules are fair on customers is another matter.

What's more, it is disappointing that Mark had to contact me to get a proper answer about why his 1,000 was not being refunded - nearly two years after the scheduled flight.
LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A roadmap on Timor-Leste's full membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been adopted at the 42nd ASEAN Summit held in the town of Labuan Bajo in eastern Indonesia.

The two-day summit concluded on Thursday with member countries' pledges to enhance ASEAN centrality and economic integration in efforts to better cope with crises and challenges.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi confirmed after a press conference held after the summit that a roadmap on Timor-Leste's full membership to the regional bloc was adopted at the summit.

"The roadmap is already adopted. And during the discussion, the commitment of the ASEAN member states was very loud and clear that we are ready to support them to fulfill the criteria of the roadmap," she told Xinhua reporters.

The roadmap for Timor-Leste's full membership came about half a year after ASEAN in last November agreed in principle to admit the country to be its 11th member.

Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak attended the 42nd ASEAN Summit as an observer.

Ruak, at the opening session of the summit held on Wednesday, delivered a speech following the opening address by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, stressing mutual recognition of a strong sense of togetherness in the ASEAN community construction, and reviewing his country's major efforts towards the ASEAN membership.

In his speech, Ruak thanked the support from Indonesia and that from Cambodia's active chairmanship last year, which he said was absolutely critical for his country's admission in principle as the regional bloc's 11th member. 
My ex-partner suffered a mental breakdown during the pandemic after he lost his job.

This has caused him to lose control of his finances and he has recently become homeless as a result.

We still have a good relationship and share a son together, so I am trying to help him get his life back on track  including sorting out his debts.

The largest debt he has relates to unpaid Penalty Charge Notices for using the Dartford Crossing.

Overwhelming: My ex managed to rack up a debt of approximately 30,000

He uses the crossing regularly as it is the only way to travel from Essex, where he lives, to visit our son.

Between 2020 and 2022 he accumulated around 300 PCNs and a debt of approximately 30,000.

He did manage to pay back 4,000 last year, and tried to set up an automatic payment account so he would be charged every time he used the crossing.

However, he was told he couldn't do so until his debt was paid off in full, so unfortunately he has been issued more PCNs since then.

I didn't find out about these charges until a few months ago when he broke down and produced two carrier bags full of unopened letters from Dart Charge.

The PCNs are all at different stages  some are still with Dart Charge while others have been passed to the Traffic Enforcement Centre and some to debt collectors.

I've been trying to draft representations to challenge each individual notice, but the sheer amount of them is overwhelming. For example, the TEC says it can only speak to me about 10 PCNs per phone call  and it takes half an hour to get through.

My former partner has now started a new job and I have sorted out all of his other finances. It would be a huge weight off his shoulders to get this sorted. Is there anything you can do to help? Anonymous, via email

Helen Crane of This is Money replies: It sounds as if your former partner has been through an terrible time.

While the pandemic might not be at the front of all of our minds any more, stories like yours show that the emotional and financial impact still looms large for many.

It is good to hear that he has a new job and is starting to rebuild his life, but he still has the dark cloud of this mammoth 30,000 debt hanging over him.

He is already being chased by debt collectors in relation to the oldest fines, and in time that will eventually apply to all 300 of them.

CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk

Sorting it out has fallen to you and I applaud you for offering to help your ex in his hour of need. That cannot have been easy.

On discovering the piles and piles of PCNs, you walked into an admin nightmare.

You wish to appeal them on the grounds of your ex-partner's mental health, but each one must be addressed individually.

That means hours spent on the phone dealing with two different government agencies as well as debt collectors, drafting appeal documents and representations and even preparing for tribunals in some cases.

In a display of extraordinary compassion, you have done all this to help out your former partner while going about your own daily life and taking care of your son.

You and your partner accept that he was in the wrong, but this debt is taking over both of your lives.

I contacted National Highways, the Government agency responsible for the Dart Charge, and explained your situation.

It agreed to reduce the 30,000 debt down to a Road User Charge settlement of 752.50. A huge reduction.

I'm glad that this will reduce the burden placed on you, and help your former partner move on from what has been a very dark period in his life.

Overwhelming: Our reader has been trying to tackle her ex-partner's PCNs, but with hundreds of appeals to make, navigating the system has been time consuming and complicated

But at the same time, I can understand why regular users of the Dartford Crossing who never fail to pay their fare may feel that it is unjust for Dart Charge to write off such large non-payment charges.

In your ex-partner's defence, he would have been eligible for the residents' discount had he registered with Dart Charge using his local address.

This meant he would have paid 20 per year to use the crossing, as opposed to 2.50 per time like everyone else. So he  or rather you  could have paid 40 for the two years rather than the 750 you now owe.

Dart also told me that he had reached a separate settlement relating to fines in 2020 which had been paid.

National Highways says it wants to give drivers the 'maximum opportunity to avoid a penalty'

In addition, the agency admitted that your former partner was given the wrong information when he was told that he couldn't set up an automatic payment account until his debt was cleared.

It told me that it actively encourages people to set up such an account to ensure they pay their fare  and has suggested that he does so to keep on top of things in future.

Mark Belton, National Highways senior contract manager, said: 'We always try and strike the right balance between making it absolutely clear that drivers using the Dartford Crossing need to pay their Dart Charge while giving people clear information and the maximum opportunity to avoid a penalty.

'In this case, we are currently working alongside the customer to help him clear his outstanding Dart Charge balance. We have offered him two settlements in the past, and have already made a settlement offer in regards to the remaining debt that we're waiting to hear back on.'

You have told me that you will pay the settlement, and your ex-partner will pay you back when he is able.

I hope the clearing of this debt takes away some of the pressure on you, and allows your ex-partner to finally move forward.

This is Money wins back more than 650,000 for readers Since launching our consumer champion column in November 2020, This is Money has won back a huge 652,148 for our readers. That's more than 31,000 per month, or 1,014 per day. We always want to hear from people who have been treated badly by a company or institution  whether that is an energy firm, bank, retailer or just about anyone else. But it's not all bad. We also like to hear about firms who have brightened their customer's days, given great service or gone the extra mile put things right when they have gone wrong. Get in touch with Helen Crane on helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk, including details of what happened and when, and any reference numbers or relevant documents if you have them.

Customers and energy firms aren't in it Together

Energy suppliers continue to get a terrible rap. The Ofgem price cap is now set to soar beyond 3,549 for the average household from October, and the companies involved still can't seem to always charge their customers correctly.

Reader Kevin wrote in to tell me of his frustration trying to claw back credit from energy firms Together and British Gas, on behalf of his elderly father who has Alzheimer's.

Deadlock: Kevin couldn't get either British Gas or Together's administrators to refund his father's energy credit (stock image)

Since Together went into administration and was taken over by British Gas in February, Kevin has been unable to get back the 376.70 his father held as an in-credit balance on his account.

His father was given the credit because Together had had wrongly charged him for a property he had moved out of, and with prices rising Kevin was keen for him to have the extra money.

But once Together went into administration, Kevin was told the company couldn't process a refund of the balance and he would have to speak to British Gas.

British Gas, meanwhile, told him he needed to contact Together as it had issued the refund.

Having reached deadlock and unable to make either firm see sense, Kevin contacted me to ask if I could help.

The firm didn't get back to me with an explanation, but Kevin has since informed me that the money has appeared back in his father's account.
My husband is a US citizen and began living with me in the UK last year.

At the start of this year, he applied to UK Visas and Immigration for a UK leave to remain visa, which would mean he could stay here for several years. Unfortunately, it was denied and he returned to the US.

As part of the application process, he paid a 2,054 fee under the Immigration Health Surcharge to cover future NHS care should he be successful.

The Government website says this should be refunded if the person's visa application is turned down. However, my husband has never had the money back despite contacting UK Visas and Immigration, which is part of the Home Office, as well as the NHS for months.

We continue to try but there is no direct way of contacting anybody regarding a refund, so we are pushed around the houses and never seem to get anywhere. Can you help? L.K, Essex

IHS issue: L.K's husband applied for a new UK visa but was turned down - and then the Home Office took months to refund a 2,054 sum he paid as part of the process

Helen Crane of This is Money replies: I am sorry to hear about this refund issue, which must have caused added stress on top of working out where you and your husband will now live after his visa application for a longer stay in the UK was denied.

The Government is notoriously tardy when it comes to refunding people's money. Whether it is emergency pension taxes or a VAT refund on a self-built house, clawing back cash from the belly of the Government beast is an unenviable task.

Waits of some degree are inevitable given the tidal wave of (now mostly digital) paperwork that flows into departments every day, but often people are left waiting far longer than the promised timescales.

It is irksome to those who always pay their taxes and other dues on time that they are not extended the same courtesy when the shoe is on the other foot.

So what is the IHS? It's a fee which people applying for most types of UK visa need to pay to cover the cost of using the NHS while they are staying here. Most short-term tourists don't need to worry about this.

It costs 624 for each year of the visa's duration for adults, and 470 for students or those under 18. Paying this fee is an unavoidable part of a visa application, and the whole sum must be paid upfront as you can't complete the online form  or apply by post - without a IHS reference number.

However, the money will be refunded if the visa application is rejected, unless you are applying for indefinite leave to remain in the UK in which case you won't get the money back.

CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk

It seems like a silly system to me. Why not charge people once their applications have been accepted and do away with all this refund drama?

According to the Visas and Immigration Service, IHS refunds are 'usually' paid back within six weeks of a visa application being denied. But in your husband's case, he has been waiting for more than four months and with no sign that the money is on its way.

You say there is no direct contact number within the Home Office for IHS refunds, so you are left to call various switchboards and are left waiting on hold. When you do get through you are simply told your refund is still being processed, but you are never told when it might land in your bank account.

It's a classic example of annoying public service admin making our lives difficult, and I am not surprised that you got to the end of your tether and decided to contact me.

I spoke to the Home Office and asked it to tell me what the hold-up was.

It told me that the delay was due to an admin error which affected your husband's online account, but assured me it was a one-off issue and wasn't affecting all applications.

You then emailed me within a few days to tell me that the 2,054 had finally dropped back into his account. You say the money will allow you to visit your husband in the US for Christmas, which I was happy to hear.

But I have since heard from another reader who says they are having the same problem with a delayed IHS repayment. I'd be interested to hear whether this has happened to other people, too.

Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk

I want to book my wine tasting- but can't reach Red Letter Days

I was given a gift voucher before the pandemic by my son and his partner.

It was for a for a wine-tasting, lunch and tour of a vineyard and I was really looking forward to enjoying a lovely day out - but then lockdown came along and I realised later that the voucher had almost expired.

I called Red Letter Days, the voucher company, and paid to extend the expiry date until May 2023.

Grape expectations: Reader E.D was looking forward to booking a wine tasting session- but it proved harder than expected due to Red Letter Days' online-only customer service

I recently tried to book the lunch, but since I last contacted them it appears that Red Letter Days no longer do telephone enquiries and will only deal with customers online.

When I try to book the lunch via the Red Letter Days website, it says my account isn't recognised and I can't redeem my voucher.

How on earth can I book as no one is available to help me? E.D, North London

I am not surprised you are wine-ing about Red Letter Days' service.

It's so frustrating when companies won't pick up the phone to their customers, especially as issues are often sorted much faster that way - so long as you aren't left on hold for hours, that is.

I was astonished to hear that the voucher firm had closed its customer phone lines altogether. Often firms will bury their telephone contact numbers in a dark corner of their website, hoping that people will give up looking.

But when I checked Red Letter Days' website I couldn't find one anywhere. In fact, it said the only way to get in touch was via a live chat, or if a query is 'less urgent' a contact form - to which the team will 'endeavour' to get back within five working days.

By that point customers trying to sort out a problem will surely be seeing red.

I contacted Red Letter Days to ask why you couldn't book your wine tasting. As the initial voucher was booked several years ago, your account was no longer working.

But the team sent you a new link to access your voucher online, and you are now able to book with the vineyard. You have told me you are going with your sister and are trying to decide on a date.

I hope you have a fantastic day out.
AI is also a rising concern as it could help 'spoof' a real person's face or voice

Three quarters of 'authorised' fraud cases start online - and most on social media

Britons lost a huge 1.2billion to fraud in 2022, according to a new report by UK Finance - the equivalent of 2,300 every minute.

We seem to be getter at spotting and avoiding scammers, however. The total amount of money taken dropped 8 per cent compared to 2021, while the total number of reported fraud cases was also down 4 per cent to just under three million.

For the first time, UK Finance also looked at how and where people were most likely to become the victim of a scam - both in the real world and online.

Below, we take a look at the situations where people might need to be the most cautious.

Where are people most likely to be scammed? UK Finance says 78% of authorised fraud cases start online, with social media making up the greatest number

Where did scammers make the most money?

UK Finance divided fraud into two categories: authorised and unauthorised.

Authorised fraud is when someone is tricked into paying money into a scammer's account, or handing over a password. In other words, they take some kind of action or volunteer information which makes the fraud possible.

Unauthorised fraud refers to cases where the victim is not directly involved, for example purchases being made on a stolen credit card.

When this happens, banks and credit card companies are legally obliged to protect them from losses - whereas authorised fraud victims may find it harder to get their money back.

Within the total figure of 1.2billion, unauthorised fraud losses across payment cards, remote banking and cheques reached 726.9 million in 2022, a decrease of less than one per cent compared to 2021.

Money stolen via payment cards made up the lion's share at 556.3million, up 6 per cent on 2021.

Fraud relating to lost and stolen cards increased by 30 per cent to 100.2 million, and card ID theft, where a criminal opens or takes over a card account in someone else's name, almost doubled to 51.7 million.

Authorised fraud losses - also known as authorised push payments or APPs, accounted for 485.2million of total fraud, down 17 per cent compared to 2021.

Remote purchase fraud, where a criminal persuades someone to offer up their card details and uses them to buy something online, over the phone or through mail order, remains the biggest category of authorised losses at 395.7 million  although this figure was again down on the previous year.

Purchase scams were the most common type of scam, accounting for 57 per cent of all reported cases of authorised fraud. Case volumes in this category broke 100,000 for the first time.

Where do most fraud cases stem from? Source Volume of cases Value of losses Online 78 per cent 36 per cent Telecommunications 18 per cent 44 per cent Email 2 per cent 12 per cent Other 2 per cent 7 per cent Source: UK Finance Annual Fraud Report

Where are scammers finding their victims?

The report found that 78 per cent of authorised fraud cases start online - for example on a website or social media.

Social media platforms account for the greatest number of online fraud cases, making up around three quarters of the total.

Meanwhile 18 per cent of fraud stems from telecommunications, such as a phone call or text message. However, scams that start in this way are usually higher value cases, such as impersonation fraud.

While it accounts for less than a fifth of cases, telecommunications fraud makes up 44 per cent of the total financial losses from authorised fraud.

Only two per cent of authorised fraud cases originated in an email.

Bank calls on Meta to better protect users from scams

Last week, TSB revealed that scams taking place through Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram - all owned by the tech giant Meta - account for 80 per cent of fraud cases within its top three fraud categories.

TSB heavily criticised Meta and called for it to do more to protect customers from fraud.

The bank has a Fraud Refund Guarantee, which refunds 97 per cent of all fraud cases. However not all banks have this.

Paul David, director of fraud prevention at TSB, said that 'action from social media firms and phone companies to reduce fraud is crucial - as these sectors must take more responsibility for their users safety'.

Risk: Social media websites account for around three quarters of authorised online fraud

UK Finance said it would like tech companies to share some of the burden when it comes to reimbursing fraud victims, along with banks.

It said social media companies had a huge amount of data and could could collaborate far more to prevent fraud from happening on their platforms.

Commenting on the findings, David Postings, chief executive of UK Finance said: 'Our data makes clear just how much fraud emanates from online platforms and through telecommunications.

'The Government's new fraud strategy rightly says we need to focus on stopping it at source and that these other sectors need to do far more to tackle the problem they are facilitating.'

AI and ChatGPT 'will help fraudsters'

UK Finance also said that the rise of artificial intelligence technology could help scammers take money from their victims.

AI is getting better at spoofing people, for example with the rise of Chat GPT - a technology which can generate text, fed by massive amounts of data.

Face and voice changes on video calls are a also cause of concern, it said, as it may make it easier for fraudsters to automate their processes - especially through the use of language and the replication of an individual's voice patterns. which could give rise to more sophisticated scams.

Daniel Holmes of financial fraud detection software Feedzai warns that 'the risks remain elevated as fraudsters adapt and use increasingly sophisticated tactics and technology to fool consumers'.
Products featured in this article are independently selected by This is Money's specialist journalists. If you open an account using links which have an asterisk, This is Money will earn an affiliate commission. We do not allow this to affect our editorial independence.

Investing and budgeting app Plum is offering This is Money readers the chance to win 200 if they sign up to a stocks and shares Isa.

Starting this month, one winner will be picked at random from all those who download the Plum app and open a stocks and shares Isa using This Is Money's exclusive link.*

Plum allows people to manage their money in one place, by linking bank accounts into its budgeting tool, and offers saving and investing.

Plum is quickly building a reputation for itself as well, having yesterday won Best Personal Finance App at the British Bank Awards.

Smartphone investing: Apps like Plum can help to get newbie investors into a healthy habit by simplifying the process

The reward of 200 will be paid into the winner's Plum account within 10 working days of the monthly prize draw being conducted.

The draw will run for at least one month and can be closed at Plum's discretion.

A stocks and shares Isa allows investors to build up returns with no capital gains tax on profits and dividend tax on income. People can deposit up to a maximum of 20,000 into an Isa per tax year.

Plum's stocks and shares Isa can be opened with as little as 1 and investors can choose from up to 3,000 individual company shares and up to 21 themed funds created by Plum, depending on what account they sign up to.

Funds range from Tech Giants, which invest in technology shares like Apple, to The Medic, with shares in healthcare, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies.

There is also a fund that specifically targets real estate, another that invests in gold and gold mining companies across the world, and one that focuses on generating dividends from UK equities.

What is Plum?

Plum is an app that helps its customers to save and invest money, manage their budget, and find better deals on household utility bills.

It has just increased the rate on its easy-access savings account to 3.26 per cent for premium customers, and 2.48 per cent for basic customers (whose plan is free).

Once Plum customers have chosen their investments, they can automate their investment strategy with recurring orders at regular intervals, whether daily, weekly or monthly. The same is true for savings.

Although it does not give financial advice, it is able to adapt to help its customers save and invest with its automated tools, in line with the choices that they make.

> Find out more about Plum's prize draw offer*

How much does it cost?

Plum has four account options for customers: Basic, which is free, Pro which is 2.99 per month (albeit the first month is free), Ultra which is 4.99 per month and Premium costing 9.99.

To open an Isa and access Plum's funds, investors will need to subscribe to Pro, Ultra or Premium.

Although investors can access 1,200 stocks with the basic account, this is only through a general investing account and not a stocks and shares Isa.

The 2.99 monthly Plum Pro tier and 4.99 monthly Ultra tier give access to 12 of Plum's funds as well as 1,200 stocks.

Those who pay for the 9.99 Premium service are able to pick from 21 funds and 3,000 stocks.

Those who invest in funds will pay an annual management and platform fee, the average being a 0.48 per cent provider fee and a fund management fee ranging from 0.06 per cent to 0.9 per cent.

When buying individual shares Plum doesn't charge commission on any trades, but other currency conversion charges and regulatory fees may still apply.

With so many platforms offering stocks and shares Isas, it's worth looking at which offers the best value for money

How does Plum compare?

Plum sits competitively alongside other online investing platforms in terms of fees. It has tiered monthly subscription fees, offers fee-free share dealing and does not charge to buy and sell its in-house funds but these carry a charge themselves.

We have a regularly updated extensive guide on the best and cheapest DIY investing platforms, which can help you compare costs for those that offer a full range of funds, shares, investment trusts and ETFs.

You can choose between a stocks and shares Isa that lets you choose your own investments, or a service that does the work for you - in the middle lie the ready made portfolios some investment platforms offer.

Five things to consider when picking an Isa investing platform 1. Cheapest is not always best: You need to think about a combination of price and service - it is worth paying for quality but make sure you are actually getting that. 2. What will you invest in: Different dealing fees for shares, investment trusts and funds mean you need to think about how you will invest and tailor your choice accordingly. 3. Tools and information: What level of useful portfolio building tools and information does a platform offer? 4. Overall charges: Don't just look at the admin fee or dealing charges. You need to combine both to get a true cost, along with costs such as dividend reinvestment and regular dealing charges. A low admin fee might look good but if you are an active investor who buys and sells a lot, then dealing charges will soon rack up and send costs soaring. 5. Extra fees: Check for regular monthly investing discounts, dividend reinvestment fees, transfer charges and other elements

Hargreaves Lansdown* is perhaps the most well known. Investors pay an annual fee of 0.45 per cent on investment funds held and fund fees too, but fund dealing is free.

For shares, investment trusts and ETFs this charge is capped at 45 per year but buying and selling costs 11.95 per time.

You can invest in any shares, funds or trusts you like, or opt for one of Hargreaves' existing ready-made Isa portfolios, tailored for different investment needs.

Similarly, AJ Bell* offers access to a range of funds, shares, investment trusts, ETFs, gilts and bonds, allowing investors to build their own portfolios.

The annual charge is 0.25 per cent for funds. It is also 0.25 per cent for shares, although this is capped at 3.50 a month.

Buying and selling shares, investment trusts and ETFs costs 9.95 per time, whist funds only attract a 1.50 charge each time.

Online investment management services like Nutmeg, Moneyfarm and Wealthify will invest on consumers' behalf according to their tolerance to risk.

Nutmeg customers are questioned about goals and risk appetite and can then be directed to the portfolio deemed to best match their needs.

The Isa has four investment options, ranging from the standard fixed allocation portfolios, with a 0.71 per cent annual charge, to Smart Alpha (1.17 per cent), Fully Managed (1.03 per cent) and Socially Responsible (1.12 per cent) options.

Moneybox likewise offers a choice of three risk-rated portfolios - cautious, balanced and adventurous.

They give exposure to cash, global equities, corporate bonds and global property equities through three passive funds.

Alternatively, investors can opt to build their own portfolio by customising their investing allocations and access to a range of tracker funds.

Moneybox lets you start investing with just 1. It charges 1 a month to cover transaction fees and also has a platform fee of 0.45 per cent.

Investors also pay fees for the tracker funds on top of this, which range between 0.12 and 0.58 per cent each year.

> Find out more about Plum's exclusive offer for This is Money readers*
Earlier this year, I parked my car in a local shopping centre which offers free parking.

But I was issued with a Penalty Charge Notice by the operator, Premier Park, for 100. The reason given was that I had occupied more than one marked bay.

That is true - but I didn't have any other option. I had parked my car between two others already parked, and to enable everyone to get in and out of their vehicles I parked equidistant between them, which put me over the marked line.

Parking palaver: Our reader has been trying to appeal his 100 PCN from Premier Park as he feels it is unfair, but has so far been unsuccessful (stock image)

If I hadn't, I would have not only blocked in the other drivers but risked damage to my own car and theirs.

I was just being sensible and don't know why I should be punished for others' bad parking.

I appealed to the independent appeals service Popla, but it rejected my appeal saying that I broke the car park's rules. Is there anything else I can do? I.W, Nottinghamshire

Helen Crane of This is Money replies: These private parking firms regularly drive motorists up the wall and we at This is Money hear plenty of horror stories.

From payment machines that don't work to opaque 'rules' about where, when and for how long you can park, it is easy for drivers to get caught out and have a dreaded PCN land on their doorstep - despite thinking they had done the right thing.

Change seemed to be on the horizon this year as the Government drew up new official guidelines on the private parking code of practice.

CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk

These aimed to cut private parking charges in half from 100 to 50 and provide drivers with more powers to dispute unfair tickets.

However, the guidelines were temporarily withdrawn by minsters in June and are now pending review, after parking firms launched a legal action to challenge the proposal.

This is Money's deputy editor Lee Boyce recently wrote about his run-in with a private parking firm, which sent him a 100 fine despite him having paid for a ticket.

He managed to get the charge overturned, but not before some frustrating administrative back-and-forth.

His tips are to always appeal a fine if you weren't in the wrong, never tell the company who was driving, and to put your case together as well as you can.

Lee also urged drivers who had appeals rejected to persevere, as parking companies' tactics seem to be to turn down a first appeal, however reasonable or right you are.

You approached me after Popla rejected your appeal, not knowing which way to turn next.

I agreed that the charge seemed unfair in this case - after all, you were just trying to park safely and without obstructing other drivers, although it does also breach the terms and conditions spelled out on signs.

I contacted Premier Park to drive home your point. After a couple of weeks, you told me it did a u-turn and offered an 80 reduction in the charge, meaning 20.

Private parking firms are notoriously inflexible as I am sure many motorists will attest, so I am chalking that up as a win. Premier Park did not respond to my request for a comment.

You do still have the option to take the company to court and challenge it for the outstanding sum.

But the hassle of motoring on with the claim - which has already taken up a lot of your time - would likely outweigh the 20 gain and I suspect they know this.

This compromise, I think, spells the end of the road. You broke the rules, unintentionally, and it serves a parking reminder to other motorists - don't do the same just because others have.

Bathroom blunder: Kate's soft-close toilet seat stopped working, but Royal Bathrooms replaced it quickly and at no cost

Hit and miss: This week's naughty and nice list

Every week, I look at the companies who have fallen short when it comes to customer service, and those who have gone above and beyond.

Hit: Reader Kate told me she was left feeling flush after scoring a free replacement toilet seat from Royal Bathrooms.

She bought a vanity suite from them earlier in the year, including a soft close toilet seat which recently stopped working as intended, leading to some bathroom mishaps.

When she contacted Royal Bathrooms, she expected she would just be told to buy a new one.

But they asked her to send a video of the toilet seat in action, and within two days a new seat arrived by courier, free of charge.

It's nice to hear of a company acting with a wee bit of compassion and am glad that you found its service more than bog standard.

Camer-gloom: Our reader saw her trip to Yaounde cancelled when the flight was called off

Miss: More tales of travel chaos this week, as reader H. from Manchester wrote in to tell me she was still awaiting a refund for a flight that should have happened in February.

That was well before this summer of holiday hell started, which doesn't bode well for those trying to get their money back for more recent trips.

She said: 'I planned a holiday to Cameroon for February 2022 and booked a round trip from Manchester to Yaounde on British Airways via Lastminute.com, paying 822.67.

'The first leg of the journey was a flight from Manchester to London. When I got to the airport it was delayed for hours, before finally being cancelled.

'I am disabled and was left stranded at the airport with no support, being forced to go around the airport trying to locate my luggage so I could go home.

'I then had to ask a friend to come and pick me up in a rented van, and pay for car parking. The cancellation also rendered the transport I had initially booked to take me to and from the airport a total waste of money. On top of the flight costs, this was about 400.

'After all this hassle and expense, I just wanted my money back so I could plan another trip. I have been calling Lastminute for four months and keep being told I will get the money "in a few days," but it never arrives.

'I think the refund should be for the full round trip, given that the first leg of the journey was cancelled.'

Lastminute.com initially said it wouldn't give a refund until it had been paid back by BA

I contacted Lastminute.com to ask why the refund was taking so long.

It apologised for the delay, and told me: 'When a standalone flight ticket is purchased we act as an agent and the consumer's contract for a flight ticket is between the customer and the airline directly.

'This, unfortunately, means we are obliged to follow the rules and timings set out by the airline.

'It is also important to note that since the changes and subsequent cancellation happened at the last minute, we had no prior information about this in order for us to be able to proactively reach out to the customer.

'Our teams have been investigating this case and we can confirm that we have not yet received the funds from the airline.'

As a gesture of goodwill, however, it agreed to 'anticipate' the refund and paid you back the full return fare straight away. That wasn't so hard, was it?

With delays and cancellations wreaking havoc with travel plans this summer, holidaymakers should note that if they book with an agent their refund will likely take longer to process.

This is because they usually insist on getting the money they paid the airline back, before they will pass it on to the customer.

Travel torment: Holidaymakers are being plagued by flight cancellations this summer

I regularly hear this excuse from agents, and, while I understand that they can't pay everyone back out of their own pocket, something clearly needs to change here.

Either airlines and agents find a way to get customers their money back in good time, or agents need to make it abundantly clear to customers at the time of booking that any refunds will take longer to procure.

Judging from the emails I have been receiving, airlines are not being particularly expedient about refunding customers who book with them direct either.

Often, booking a package holiday rather than standalone flights offers better protection when things go wrong, as they are usually ATOL protected.

But for those who are booking standalone flights and hotels, cutting out the middleman and going direct to the airline for the flights could make the refund process a little less painful if things go wrong.

I also asked Lastminute about the extra costs you incurred due to the cancellation. It said you needed to go direct to BA for these, which you are doing.

I sincerely hope it agrees to your claim, as your airport experience sounded horrendous - and if it doesn't, I will be straight on the phone.
My son was travelling in Australia in March 2020 when the pandemic started.

The Prime Minister there was telling all travellers to leave the country so we started booking flights for him to come home.

He didn't have a credit card at the time so I booked them on his behalf, thinking that we would be better protected if the flights were cancelled, which was likely as many airlines were stopping travel.

We booked six flights altogether  five that were cancelled and the one that finally got him home. Four of the five cancelled flights were refunded in a timely manner.

Not so the fifth flight, which was booked via the agent Kiwi and cost 695. It is now approaching three years since this happened, and despite both my son and myself contacting the firm repeatedly, we have never had the money back.

Stranded: Our reader's son struggled to get home from Australia when the pandemic began - and they still haven't received a refund for one of the flights he booked, but didn't take

Kiwi previously blamed delays, but recently told my son it would not refund the money and would not give a reason.

I also contacted my credit card provider, but it said it could not refund me as I wasn't the 'beneficiary' of the flights.

I badly need the money for everyday living expenses. Can you help? F.M, via email

Helen Crane of This is Money replies: I am sorry to hear about the plane ticket predicament you and your son have found yourselves in.

Your son set out on an Aussie adventure in early 2020, and was no doubt enjoying the country's warm weather and laid-back culture  but the trip ended up being anything but relaxing when the world was plunged into the pandemic and he needed to get back home.

CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk

With the threat of being stranded Down Under, I can see why you both panicked and bought a fistful of plane tickets in the hope that one of them would fly.

Eventually, one did and he managed to get home safely. But it was a costly endeavour, with each failed flight costing you hundreds of pounds. Luckily, most airlines and agents were quick to give you the money back.

All of them, that is, except Kiwi. The third-party flight booking website has given you the run-around for almost three years and you are still almost 700 out of pocket.

'The fastest and easiest way to cancel your booking is online via our refunds & cancellations form,' proclaims Kiwi's website  but you found this neither fast nor easy. You say it is near-impossible to speak to someone on the phone, email responses take ages and the company doesn't respond to messages on social media.

After years of back and forth, your son was recently told that he would not be getting the money back for the flight  but he says no explanation was offered.

Kiwi has since said that it was because the airline had not returned the money  other than 54 in airport duty  as the flight had operated as planned.

That is true  but your son was denied boarding by airport staff and was therefore unable to travel.

Protected? Our reader booked the flights on her credit card thinking it would be easier to get a refund if something went wrong - but her bank has said she isn't eligible for a Section 75 claim

This happened at a time when Covid rules and regulations were new to everyone and the world was in state of panic.

The flight you booked with Kiwi was a connecting flight to London via Hong Kong, and Kiwi said it believed the reason you were denied boarding was because Hong Kong had implemented new entry restrictions the day of the flight - which also applied to people transferring flights at the airport.

The rules appear to have changed between you booking the flight and your son attempting to board it  which is extremely unlucky and does muddy the waters when it comes to your entitlement to a refund.

However, when I contacted Kiwi, it said that due to the staggering amount of time it took to process your claim (even the 54 airport tax wasn't returned to you until last month) and poor communication, it would refund the full ticket as a gesture of goodwill.

A Kiwi spokesperson said: 'We would like to apologise that in the midst of the pandemic and the following aftermath our response rate was severely impacted. We will be contacting [the customer] and as a gesture of goodwill covering the outstanding amount that was not returned by the airline.'

This story, and the pandemic more generally, have shown the risk of booking flights and holidays with a third-party agent rather than going to the airline direct.

I have had plenty of readers write to me with similar issues, where the agent refuses to pay the customer their money back until they have had their money back from the airline.

With a huge backlog of Covid-cancelled flights still going through, those booking through a third party could face a doubly long wait as their refund is processed first by the airline and then through the booking agent.

It might save you a few pounds, but readers should be aware that if things go wrong getting a refund from a third-party site is rarely plane sailing.

Should his mum's credit card provider have refunded her? Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, your credit card provider may be legally required to pay you back money in certain circumstances if a product or service you bought is not delivered. To activate this protection, you only have to pay a penny of the total amount on your credit card, but the product or service you are buying must cost between 100 and 30,000. This sometimes covers cancelled flights  but not always. Section 75 is often not applicable if the product or service was bought from a third-party seller  and travel or flight booking agents are included in this, so our reader would be unlikely to get a refund this way. In addition, there is a grey area in Section 75 protection if the item or service has been purchased in the name of someone other than the card holder. This was the case with the plane tickets, which were in her son's name. Card companies often ask claimants to show that the purchase has had a 'benefit' to them  and it sounds as if this was what the reader's bank was referring to when it refused her claim.

Feet to the fire: A reader emailed to express his frustration at Aldi's customer service, after it gave him the run-around on a pizza oven order

Burned by Aldi over a pizza oven

Reader Tony emailed recently to tell me about grocery giant Aldi's half-baked response to his complaint about a sub-standard pizza oven.

He and his wife ordered the oven online back in August for 400. As well as looking forward to plenty of mozzarella-laden delights, the gadget was relatively energy efficient and they wanted to use it instead of their main oven where possible in order to save money on bills.

But sadly it arrived with various parts chipped and scratched, so Tony called Aldi to ask for a new one to be delivered.

Bizarrely, it told him to get in touch with the makers of the oven for replacement parts - and when he called them, he didn't get far as they spoke only German.

He then called Aldi back and asked for a new oven again. This time it agreed and the faulty one was picked up a few days later.

But when the new pizza oven didn't arrive within two weeks, Tony had had enough and decided to ask for a refund and order one elsewhere.

Aldi finally agreed - but almost three weeks passed and the money never arrived. So much for German efficiency.

When he called customer services, he was then told the oven was never received back into the Aldi warehouse and he would have to wait until it was classed as 'lost' on their system.

He finally got his money back in mid-November, having waited for two months and spent a lot of time chasing the supermarket and getting the wrong information.

Worryingly, he was also told at one point by customer services that there was no way to escalate his complaint.

When I asked Aldi what took it so long, an Aldi spokesperson said: 'We are sorry to hear of [Tony's] experience and have apologised to him for the poor service he has received. We have also provided a full refund.'

This service sounds shocking and I'm glad I was able to help Tony give Aldi a pizza his mind.
In April, my partner and I took a first class return British Airways flight from Mauritius to London, with a connecting flight in Johannesburg.

It was the worst travel experience I have had in 40 years of travelling with BA.

My partner, who is from Eastern Europe, was treated badly by staff, including being subject to extensive security checks in Mauritius which seemed targeted and unnecessary.

On the plane, she was directed to use the economy toilet when she was sitting in first class.

Lost luggage: Reader M.D's bags were misplaced when he travelled home from holiday - then arrived missing expensive items

When we finally arrived at Heathrow, our bags were nowhere to be found. We waited at baggage collection for an hour and a half.

We were given different information by different staff members about where exactly the baggage had been lost, and eventually had to head home and log a missing baggage claim for all four of our suitcases.

The luggage was sent to our home three days later, but the bags were damaged and several items were missing, including a MacBook Pro laptop, various items of jewellery, two pairs of sunglasses and a first aid box containing some medication. These would cost 3,000 to replace.

When I called to report the missing items, I was cut off four times before being told that that the only option was for an investigation to be opened which would take up to six months.

BA opened an investigation but concluded that it was not liable for the loss, and would only compensate us for the first aid box.

I have been an extremely loyal BA customer for many years, spending tens of thousands of pounds with the company, and have been a shareholder for 25 years. I won't use the airline again. Can you help? M.D, London.

Helen Crane replies: To fly, to serve - that's BA's motto. But in your case it seems that travelling with Britain's flagship carrier has only delivered on the first half of that promise.

Following a recent spate of delays and cancellations due to strikes and understaffing, its Trustpilot rating has plummeted to a paltry 1.4 out of five.

Your trip preceded such issues, but you were still shocked by the shoddy service that you received from this British institution.

You had been to the tropical paradise of Mauritius and were no doubt feeling rested and relaxed, but that came to an abrupt end when you arrived at the airport for your flight home.

Relaxing: Our reader had visited the tropical island of Mauritius, but his peaceful holiday came to an abrupt end when he lost his luggage during the journey home

It seems that BA's good reputation is as extinct as the island's native Dodo.

Customers should expect good service no matter the cost of their ticket, but it is especially galling that you did not get the first-class experience you paid for.

You don't say how much you paid for your flights, but a long-haul trip in first class would have cost several thousands of pounds.

You say that your partner was treated with disrespect by BA staff both on the ground and in the air, which I was sorry to hear about.

CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk

And while reaching your destination with all your belongings intact is hardly a luxury, BA fell short on this basic requirement.

You were first told that your luggage was 'missing' when you arrived at your stopover in Johannesburg, but were later told that it was safely loaded on to the plane headed to London.

That assurance turned out to be nothing but hot air, as when you finally arrived your four bags were nowhere to be found.

As if that wasn't annoying enough, when the bags arrived at your home days later those valuable items were missing.

You immediately contacted BA, and after some frustrating back-and-forth were told that it wouldn't compensate you for your lost belongings.

After months of trying to make it see sense, you got in touch with me to see if I could help.

I contacted BA and asked it why it wouldn't reimburse you, and whether it would reconsider its decision - both on the grounds that you were an extremely loyal customer, and because getting your belongings home from a holiday in one piece should be a given.

Gone: The items lost in transit included sunglasses and jewellery

I'm sorry to say that my request was refused.

At first the airline tried to blame the loss on Comair, the 'partner airline' which operated your initial flight to Johannesburg, which has now entered administration.

It said that Comair was responsible for your bags until they were loaded on to the BA flight.

It statement read: 'We're sorry our customer had a bad experience while travelling in South Africa with our franchise partner Comair.

'We know how upsetting it must have been to realise that some items were missing from their luggage when they received it.

'Our customers may be able to claim for any lost items through their travel insurance, and the insurers would then investigate the loss with Comair.'

That is going to be difficult given it is no longer operating. You have already contacted your insurer, who said it would expect BA to cover the loss - but I have suggested you go back again with proof that BA is refusing responsibility.

The response also avoids the fact that you were never told where exactly the bags had gone missing - and say that you managed to track the laptop to Heathrow Terminal 5 when, believing it stolen, you accessed it remotely to try and delete your personal information.

And regardless, you booked your flight with BA, so in my mind it should accept the responsibility.

But BA also mentioned that expensive and fragile items should be kept in hand luggage, not put in the hold.

A bird in the hand (luggage): BA suggested that our reader and his partner should have kept their valuables with them, and would not accept responsibility for losses in hold baggage

This was getting confusing, so I asked BA straight - why exactly was it turning the request for compensation down?

It referred me to its conditions of carriage, which state that customer should not keep 'fragile or perishable items or items of special value' in their hold bags. This, it says, includes money, jewellery and computers.

So future BA travellers, be warned: it won't be responsible for any valuables packed in the hold as part of its terms and conditions.

I am sorry that my efforts didn't get BA to see sense. It seems the traditional British values of good service and rewarding loyalty it was founded on no longer hold much weight.

Hit and miss: This week's naughty and nice list

Every week, I look at the companies who have fallen short when it comes to customer service, and those who have gone above and beyond.

Hit: This week, we reported on Iceland offering a free a 30 voucher to up to 40,000 pensioners who rely solely on state pension and benefits, to spend on food and other essentials.

Launched in partnership with The Rothesay Foundation, it will roll out across 269 Iceland stores in the 17 areas with the highest levels of pensioner deprivation.

This is on top of its existing offer, launched in May, of 10 per cent off for all over-60s every Tuesday.

Nice-land: The grocer is offering a free 30 voucher to those on just the state pension

A great PR move for Iceland, and a small but welcome boost for older people whose pensions aren't keeping pace with the rising cost of food.

It seems to have gone down well with This is Money readers. 'Good on Iceland,' wrote one in the comments. 'I for one will be shopping more there.'

It's great to see big firms offering a helping hand to those most in need, and I would urge readers to tell their older friends and family about the scheme - especially if they aren't online.

The vouchers will be available until mid-September, and it would be nice to see other supermarkets picking up the baton once the Iceland scheme has ended. Over to you.

Miss: This week, I helped reader K.D sort out an easyJet booking that turned out to be far from easy after she made a mistake with the dates.

In March, she booked return flights for her and two friends to Menorca departing in July, at a cost of 390.

However, two days before, her friends - a couple - got Covid, meaning they would have to postpone the holiday and wait a little longer for their fix of Spanish sunshine.

She went online to change the flights to a date in September, which she did at a cost of 156.

Tick-box exercise: Our reader forgot to change the month when she adjusted her flights online

However, on receiving the booking confirmation a few minutes later she noticed that she had forgotten to change the month, meaning that the flights were booked for days later in July, and not for the same date in September as she intended. A silly mistake, but one that is easy to make when filling out online forms.

Companies selling services or products online must offer a 24-hour cooling off period, when customers can cancel without penalty - so K.D was keen to sort out her mistake as soon as possible.

She tried to call easyJet a number of times, but says that after hanging on the line for about 20 mins each time she was cut off.

Panicking because of the time deadline, she changed the flights again online at a cost of 126, and then changed the return flight for 261, hoping to then be able to recoup the money for the first cancellation when she could get through on the phone.

But after phoning several more times and finally getting through, she was told she had to fill a form in online, which she did on the same day.

She got an email reply on a couple of weeks later asking for PCR test results, but she explained that she was looking for a refund on the re-booked flights because of her booking mistake, not on the original flights due to the Covid.

Spanish sunshine: K.D was hoping to head to Menorca with friends but Covid cancelled their plans, and they wanted to reschedule

When she spoke to easyJet on the phone again, she was told the 24 hour cooling off period policy didn't apply as the flights were booked in March - even though the mistake in fact related to her new booking.

As she had paid the disputed funds within that 24-hour window, that doesn't seem fair to me - but the airline has insisted this is its policy.

K.D asked to speak to a manager but the person on the phone refused to put her through, so she decided to get in touch with me.

I'm pleased to say that when I contacted easyJet, it offered to refund her for the mistaken changes.

A spokesperson said: 'We are sorry to hear that K.D was unable to travel with us and while she was correctly advised on our policy for changes to flight transfers, we are looking into the difficulty she experienced getting in touch with us by phone and why this may have occurred, as our average call wait times are currently under six minutes.

'We have also introduced additional measures to support our customers this summer, including extended customer service hours and more advisors in our team than ever before.

'We have been in touch with K.D to apologise for her experience and refund her for the changes she mistakenly made to her booking as a gesture of goodwill.'
In the few years leading up to the pandemic, my wife and I were on a mission to visit every city in Ireland.

The last trip on our itinerary was Cork in March 2020, but this was cancelled due to Covid.

I took a voucher for the flights, which cost 303, from Aer Lingus so I could rebook when travel was allowed again.

Not so corking: Why won't Aer Lingus refund us for the flight when it no longer offers the route?

But in the meantime, the airline has cancelled its route from Manchester, where I live, to Cork.

I'm unlikely to travel anywhere else before the voucher expires, and I'd prefer to have the money back so I can go to Cork with another airline.

But Aer Lingus says that as I originally accepted a voucher, I can't now get a refund. I appealed this decision, but it was turned down. Can you help? S.L, Manchester

Helen Crane of This is Money replies: Travel trouble has been widespread this summer, as strikes and understaffing have led to thousands of flights being delayed or called off altogether.

But I am still contacted every week by people like yourself who are battling to get refunds for trips that were called off more than two years ago due to Covid.

During the pandemic, airlines, hotels and other travel firms were understandably worried about a raft of refunds putting them out of business.

CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk

As a solution, they offered vouchers for future trips instead - and many like yourself were happy to support the industry by taking them in lieu of cash.

But in your case, the situation has fundamentally changed, as Aer Lingus has now cancelled its Manchester to Cork route.

With your heart set on travelling to Ireland's second biggest city to conclude your adventures around the Emerald Isle, the voucher is now useless to you.

I contacted Aer Lingus to argue that, as it now can't offer you and your wife a like-for-like flight, the money should be refunded so you can book one elsewhere.

Thankfully I managed to secure you a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and you will now get the money for the flights back in cash.

A spokesperson for Aer Lingus said: 'We have reviewed S.L's case and as a gesture of goodwill a cash refund will be processed in place of the voucher.

'The funds will be issued to card provided in booking within three to five working days. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.'

Now that's what I call a Corking result.

Driving change: Pauline said her Amazon courier took care to deliver her the correct books when one went missing in the van

Hit and miss: This week's naughty and nice list

Every week, I look at the companies who have fallen short when it comes to customer service, and those who have gone above and beyond.

Hit: Reader Pauline wanted to tell me about an Amazon courier who delivered the goods when it came to customer service.

She had ordered two of our sister title the Daily Mail's quick crossword books, but was puzzled to find that the package she was handed had only one book inside.

She explained: 'It isn't often I come across good, sensible service. The Amazon delivery man handed me a brown cardboard envelope and asked if I had ordered one or two books. I said two.

'He then showed me a book in his other hand and asked if it was something I'd ordered. I said yes. He told me that it wasn't well wrapped and that it had fallen out amongst other parcels in the van.

'The reason for writing is that this wasn't the usual delivery - ring the doorbell, drop the package and leave. He took time and trouble to check.

'You can imagine what a hassle I'd have had if I had just one book and had to contact Amazon about it. This delivery man deserves credit.

Those of us who regularly order online will be used to parcels arriving battered or with items missing, not to mention those bunged into a bin or over the fence.

Delivery drivers often get a bad rap, so it is nice to hear of one doing their job with care.

Not receiving one of her crossword books would have left Pauline very cross indeed, so I was glad that the delivery man was able to hand it over safely.

Miss: I was shocked to pick up an email from reader Ian, who appealed for my help in the case of his missing laptop.

He said Currys had accused him of sending back an empty box in an attempt to get a refund. Surely this couldn't be right?

He bought the refurbished Asus computer from the Currys eBay store in March 2021, for 384. The troublesome piece of tech broke repeatedly, and in the first year he returned it to the manufacturer for repair twice.

When it happened again in February 2022, he decided to contact Currys instead as the product was almost out of its one-year Asus warranty period.

As it had repeatedly broken, Currys agreed to refund the purchase price and arranged collection via a DPD courier.

Lost laptop: Reader Ian insists he returned his broken computer to Currys, but the retailer says he sent it an empty box

Wanting to protect the laptop in transit, Ian placed it into the manufacturer's original box and taped it closed.

Unlike the previous collections from Asus where it was unwrapped and placed in a secure box, Ian says the DPD courier accepted it in this packaging and it was taken away.

Currys said it received the laptop, but Ian was later told it had been 'lost' for around three weeks at the depot.

When it was found, Currys told Ian that the box was empty, and that they believed he had not sent it in the first place - an action that would amount to fraud.

He has since been told that the package weighed only 0.5kg - not enough for a laptop - when the courier checked the weight, although it is unclear at what point the box was weighed.

Ian was upset to be accused of trying to rip off the retailer, and I agree that this was unlikely to have been the case.

World of pain: Currys, which also runs the PC World business, is refusing Ian a refund

Why would someone bother returning an empty box in hope of a refund? They would be found out as soon as it reached Currys for inspection - Ian would have no reason for keeping a laptop that had broken so many times.

Ian was in contact with the customer service department for some time, but the firm failed to Curry any favour with him. When they were unable to resolve the situation, they gave him a head office contact and stopped responding to his emails.

In desperation he wrote to the managing director via a recorded delivery letter, but didn't get a reply.

I contacted Currys to encourage it to see sense, but I am afraid to say that didn't happen.

It said it had investigated the issue with courier DPD, and would not be giving Ian a refund.

It said the laptop went walkabout in the warehouse due to a sorting error, and that it has a photograph of the empty package after it was located. It also said that the package weighed only 0.5kg when it arrived.

That doesn't prove anything in my opinion, as it could have been taken or lost on its way from Ian's house to the sorting centre.

To accuse Ian of sending back a box with nothing in it was offensive, and I'm sorry he has been left with this empty-headed response.

Update: Currys has now decided to refund the money.
The finance boss of Revolut has quit the group 'for personal reasons', it was announced today.

In a statement, the London-based financial tech firm's chief financial officer, Mikko Salovaara, confirmed he would step back from his job after two years with the business.

Within weeks, Revolut is due to find out whether or not British regulators will grant it a banking licence.

Moving on: Revolut's chief finance officer, Mikko Salovaara, right, is leaving the company for 'personal reasons'

Today, Salovaara, said: 'I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as group CFO at Revolut and remain confident in the firm's future success.'

Chief executive, Nik Storonsky, said: 'I thank Mikko for his contribution and wish him well on his next steps'.

In May last year, Harry Gill, the group's global chief compliance officer, also quit the group. There have also been a number of other high-level resignations from the company in the last year or so.

The company, one of the UK's most valuable start-ups worth 14billion, claimed at the start of March it would receive a licence 'imminently', possibly within days.

However, it has been left frustrated as its attempts to win approval from regulators have been beset by delays.

Revolut was due to file its accounts in September 2022 and missed an extended deadline of the end of the year before finally filing the accounts in early March.

Its auditor BDO, however, stated that some parts of the accounts may have been 'materially misstated'.

Ambitions: Revolut wants to get a UK banking licence as soon as it can

BDO warned it had been unable to verify roughly 75 per cent, or around 636million, of Revolut's revenues due to the fintech firm's IT system quirks.

BDO said in Revolut's annual report: 'The company's IT systems weren't designed in such a way that would allow for IT or business process controls to be effectively tested throughout the year.'

But, Salovaara said at the time: 'There is not any doubt over the completeness of the balance sheet, which, in turn, logically means that total revenue is also correct.'

Revolut's impatience around the licencing process appeared to boil over last week when Storonsky said securing approval had been a 'long and tiring process'.

'You wait for emails or letters for months. This is not the business environment to operate in the modern world,' he said, adding there was a 'slowing down' in British tech despite ambitions to become the next Silicon Valley.

He said he'd encountered 'extreme bureaucracy' across the UK banking licence process.

However, Russ Shaw, founder of industry group Tech London Advocates, said at the time: 'I don't think having tantrums is a constructive approach in terms of getting approval of the types of actions and licences that you need.'

Revolut has been trying for around two years to secure a licence, which would allow it to expand its services in Britain into taking deposits and dishing out loans.

Revolut said it made its first full-year profit in 2021, reaching 26million, after a 2020 loss of 223million, as total revenue nearly tripled helped by a boom in cryptocurrency trading, a key part of the group's business.

Revenue jumped again by 33 per cent last year to more than 850million on the back of payments, subscriptions and business accounts, it added.
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China will resume its fast-lane services at all its ports from May 15, as part of the country's efforts to facilitate travel across the border, the National Immigration Administration said Thursday.

In accordance with the practice, standards and requirements before the COVID-19 epidemic, Chinese nationals will be allowed to use fast lanes for expedited border inspection on the following travel documents: Chinese ordinary passports, exit-entry permits for traveling to and from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, mainland travel permits for Hong Kong and Macao residents, five-year mainland travel permits for Taiwan residents, and permits of multiple entries valid for one year, said the administration in a notice.

The fast-lane services will also be enjoyed by foreigners who hold their passports and China-issued foreign permanent resident ID cards, and foreigners who hold electronic passports and residence permits with a validity period of more than six months, it added.

China will also restore its trans-regional services to process mainland residents' applications for group travel permits to Hong Kong and Macao.

This means that mainland residents can apply for the permits at any entry-exit control department of public security authorities in the country, the administration said.

Mainland residents can also apply for family visit, work and study permits for Hong Kong and Macao at entry-exit control departments across the country, according to the notice.

The validity period of stay permits for mainland students in Macao will be adjusted from a maximum of one year to the entire duration of their studies in the special administrative region, said the administration. 


Financial technology firm Revolut suffered another setback as its finance chief quit after two years in the job.

In what is turning out to be a difficult year for the London firm, the company said Mikko Salovaara is leaving for personal reasons.

It comes just weeks after the companys auditor warned that a chunk of its revenues may have been materially mis-stated.

At the time, Salovaara insisted that Revolut was on course to get a UK banking licence any day now despite the questions over its finances.

But 72 days later, it is still waiting. The firms frustrations appeared to boil over last week when boss and co-founder Nik Storonsky said the licence application has been a long and tiring process.

Departure: Revolut co-founder Nik Storonsky, left, with finance chief Mikko Salovaara, right, who has quit the role after two years in the job

In what was branded a tantrum, Storonsky also branded Britain an undesirable place to do business.

It also emerged last night that Revoluts UK banking chief James Radford quit in March.

Salovaara is the latest senior figure to leave following the departure of several executives last year.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as group chief financial officer at Revolut and remain confident in the firms future success, he said.

Storonsky added: I thank Mikko for his contribution and wish him well. The Mail understands that Salovaara will remain at Revolut for a couple of months.

The company was set up in 2015 by Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko. It has 28m customers and operates in more than 200 countries.

It is one of Europes most valuable start-ups, worth 14billion, and has been trying to secure a British banking licence for over two years so that it can take deposits and handout loans.

In March, it said a licence from the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority would be granted imminently  and possibly within days.

But following questions from its auditor over its accounts, it is still waiting, with a final verdict expected in the coming weeks.

Last week, Storonsky claimed that there was a slowing down in British tech despite political ambitions to become the next Silicon Valley.

Storonsky also said that he would choose New York over London if he was ever going to list the company.

The comments raised eyebrows in the City, with one analyst labelling them sour grapes, while another observer branded it a tantrum which would not help it to secure a banking licence.

The attack followed increasing scrutiny of Revolut after its latest accounts were five months overdue, with its auditor BDO stating some parts were not able to be independently verified, including three-quarters of its 636million revenue in 2021.

The firm also suffered a setback in April when Schroders valued it at 14billion, a far cry from the 27billion price tag it boasted in its last funding round in 2021.

Growing doubts about the state of the companys finances have caused some to call on regulators not to be bounced into granting the company a licence without proper scrutiny.

Labour MP Margaret Hodge, chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on anti-corruption and responsible tax, said: Anyone looking to join our banking community  Revolut is just one example  must follow due process and be able to answer any and all questions posed by regulators. This process cannot be rushed.

The recent turmoil in the sector shows just how important it is that banks are totally above board and play by the rules.
Donald Trump clashed with power brokers in Washington and on Wall Street yesterday as the mounting US debt crisis intensified.

In a significant intervention, the former president urged Republicans to let the country default on its debts unless Democrats cave in to demands for massive spending cuts.

The comments triggered a swift response from US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and JP Morgan bank boss Jamie Dimon amid warnings that such a move would be catastrophic.

The row centres on the so-called US debt ceiling  the legal limit the government is allowed to borrow.

Showdown: Former US president Donald Trump and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen

The White House is locked in talks with Republicans about raising the ceiling from the current level of 25trillion.

Failure to reach an agreement could see the US run out of money as soon as early June, meaning it cannot pay for federal employees, the military, social security or healthcare.

The bitter stand-off in Washington could also lead to the US defaulting on its debts, as advocated by Trump despite warnings of panic on global markets and a fresh economic downturn.

Fanning the flames of the crisis, the former president and current front-runner for the Republican nomination for the White House in 2024 piled pressure on his party to seek major concessions from President Joe Biden before agreeing any increase.

Warning that the US government is spending money like drunken sailors, he said: I say to Republicans out there, if they dont give you massive cuts, youre gonna have to do a default.

We have to save this country. Our country is being destroyed by stupid people, by very stupid people.

Trump shrugged off concerns about a default, saying: Its really psychological more than anything else.

And it could be really bad, it could be maybe nothing, maybe its a bad week, or a bad day, who knows?

The comments drew a withering response from Dimon, who warned the mounting crisis could spark panic on financial markets.

Its one more thing he doesnt know very much about, Dimon said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Revealing that JP Morgan has prepared a war room to prepare for a default, he added: Anyone whos anyone knows that is potentially catastrophic.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of G7 finance ministers in Japan, Yellen said: A default would threaten the gains that weve worked so hard to make over the past few years in our pandemic recovery. And it would spark a global downturn that would set us back much further.

Yellen, a former president of the Federal Reserve, urged Congress to raise the ceiling to allow the government to borrow more  or risk undermining US global economic leadership and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) joined the row, warning that failure to raise the debt ceiling would have very serious repercussions for the US and global economy, including higher borrowing costs.

We strongly encourage the parties to come together to reach a consensus to urgently address this matter, said IMF director of communications Julie Kozack.
I took out a Scottish Widows pension in 1983 and left it to reach maturity. In September last year, the company contacted me and I was told that the policy was valued at around 17,300.

I informed the call centre that I am suffering with terminal cancer, and asked if I could cash in the policy as a lump sum. I was told there would be no problem as there are special rules in place for cases like mine.

This was good news as the money would allow me to sort out various financial matters, and get married to my partner of 15 years.

Scottish Widows sent a form to sign and return, which I did, but some of the photocopies I sent weren't clear enough so it said I had to resend. But before I could do so, I suffered a heart attack which resulted in a hospital stay.

When I returned home in October, I got back in touch with Scottish Widows. It said that it was now too late to get the pension as I hadn't filled in the forms within the timeframe required. This was the first time I was made aware of any time limit.

Pension problem: Our reader has sadly been told he has only months to live, and is having difficulty accessing his pension pot which is held with Scottish Widows (stock image)

Soon after I was told that, although the policy is worth 17,300, there is no surrender value - so I can't cash it in, even though I have medical notes stating my life expectancy is measured in months.

In early November I was told I had six months to live. I called Scottish Widows again and was distressed and tearful as I spoke for an hour or more, but to no avail. My partner also spoke to them and broke down, saying its handling of this case was cruel.

Having the money promised to me then taken away was distressing, and I feel that the company has treated me with disdain. It also meant getting married on a very small budget indeed. We cut the guest list down to 10 people and I paid for it using my overdraft.

I was told someone would contact me so that I could lodge a complaint for the horrific way the firm has treated me, but so far I have not heard. P.P, Devon

Helen Crane of This is Money replies: I was very sorry to hear of your illness.

You wrote to me in desperation, having been shoved from pillar to post by Scottish Widows and given conflicting and incorrect information for months.

That is bad behaviour from a company in normal circumstances, but given your situation I think it is downright despicable.

You made clear that you wanted to use this money to get your financial affairs in order and fulfil one of your final wishes, which was to get married to your long-term partner. You also provided Scottish Widows with medical notes detailing your illness and prognosis.

CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk

The staff you spoke to should have clocked how important it was that this matter was sorted out quickly and with minimum hassle.

Instead, you have spent months sending and re-sending forms and waiting on hold to a call centre, only to seemingly be told you would never get the pension you saved hard for.

You first contacted me for help in mid-November, and I contacted Scottish Widows, which is now owned by Lloyds Banking Group, to try and untangle this mess.

Once I did, Scottish Widows sent you fresh forms to complete and we got the ball rolling again. It was a start - but you had been here before. I still wasn't sure whether you would finally get the pension you deserved.

The company told me that there was indeed a five-day time limit for someone to complete and send back forms when they are claiming their pension as a lump sum.

While you say you weren't told about this on the phone, Scottish Widows said it was printed on the forms themselves. But even if you had known this, you wouldn't have been able to file in time as you were seriously ill in hospital.

However, when you got back home and put in a call to Scottish Widows, the firm has admitted that it should have sent you another set to complete straight away. It said this did not happen due to a 'delay'.

It also told me you initially applied for the wrong kind of pension transfer, though I don't think you would have done this had you been supplied with clearer information over the phone.

You also said that the fresh forms you finally received after my intervention included some that were never sent in the first batch. All in all, an administrative nightmare and exactly the kind of thing you did not need when recovering from a heart attack.

With regard to being told there was no surrender value, this was technically correct. The serious illness claim you were making is not considered the same as a pension surrender for admin purposes, though the outcome is much the same.

However, this was obviously not communicated to you correctly, and led to plenty of anguish on your part as you thought you weren't getting anything.

You even considered cancelling your wedding, but instead tied the knot in late November on a shoestring budget. I'm sorry that this happened and hope that your day was still a special one.

I was delighted to hear that Scottish Widows finally paid you your 17,300 in full in mid-December.

Once you had that, I approached the company again to ask about compensation. It was obvious to me that this had caused you a lot of distress.

First, it made you an offer of 200. I thought this offer was an insult - and so did you.

I went back to ask if Scottish Widows would increase it  but I am very sorry to report that it only added a further 50.

It is also paying you 24.26 in interest due to the late payment.

Although we both thought that you deserved more, you have decided to accept the offer, as you did not want to waste any more of your valuable time on the matter  which I completely understand.

I am glad you now have the money, and that you are able to put this sorry saga behind you. I wish you all the best.
When my son was little, I invested in a Child Trust Fund with NatWest, with money I received from the Government.

He turned 18 in January, but so far we have not been able to get hold of the 3,350 inside.

He started trying to get hold of the money at the start of February. I helped him as has autism, and is also still in school every day.

NatWest told him to use an online portal, but when he tried to register it told him he couldn't, as he was not 18. He is.

Trust fund trials: Our reader and her son have been trying to get hold of money saved with NatWest - but so far they have had little success (stock image, posed by models)

I then tried to call NatWest on his behalf, and was placed on hold for over an hour on three occasions.

When I requested a ringback, I answered only to be told there was no one to take my call and the line went dead. The online chat also proved unhelpful.

I raised a complaint online but it was never acknowledged. I then contacted the Financial Ombudsman. The Ombudsman said as my son is 18, he needs to raise a complaint.

I understand this, but I think it is ridiculous that he should have to go these lengths to access his investment.

I want NatWest to give my son his money. My son wants it to give him his money. How can he get what is rightfully his? D.K, via email

Could my child have a forgotten trust fund? Child Trust Funds were available to all children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. The Government sent vouchers of between 250 and 500 to parents to start them off, with children from lower-income backgrounds being given 1,000  though these amounts were later scaled down. Parents could keep topping them up if they wished, and they would also earn interest. The accounts started maturing in 2020 as the first children turned 18. When an account matures, the bank should write to the child to inform them. They can either take the money in cash, invest it as an Isa or split it and do both. If they don't respond, the bank should transfer it to an Isa until they do. But many parents still might not know they even have one. Of the 6.3million child trust funds set up, around 40% were opened by the Government on parents' behalf when vouchers went unused. The easiest way to see if your child has such an account is to visit HMRC's website.

Helen Crane, of This is Money, replies: I'm sorry to hear about the rigmarole you and your son have had to go through to get your hands on your own cash.

You put your trust in NatWest to keep hold of your child's pot of money, but since the fund matured on his turning 18 you have faced a Herculean battle in order to get hold of it.

After you wrote to me initially, you told me you had even resorted to sending the relevant documents to the bank via recorded delivery  not something you'd expect to be doing in 2022.

It's frustrating as your son is still studying and could no doubt use the extra funds.

It is also outrageous that, aged 18 and having been diagnosed with autism which would no doubt make the process stressful, he faced having to complain to the Ombudsman to get his money.

I'm afraid to say many other customers are likely to have an uphill struggle accessing their Child Trust Funds.

When I contacted NatWest, it told me the delay was because of a seven-fold increase in the number of people trying to claim their money.

Why the sudden spike in demand? Because NatWest had sent out an email at the end of last year, prompting customers who had unclaimed Child Trust Funds to redeem them.

Which would have been a helpful reminder  if they actually had the staff to deal with the transfers.

In the midst of a cost of living crisis, they might have predicted that such a reminder would lead to an influx of requests from parents and teenagers trying to claim this forgotten windfall.

After I contacted NatWest and told it about your nest egg nightmare, its team were quick to return your calls and your son should have now received his 3,350.

But thousands of others will still be faced with agonising waits to access their own cash.

Future fund: Child Trust Funds were created in 2002, and used to be a popular way of saving up a pot of money for a child to access once they hit adulthood

A NatWest spokesperson said: 'We are currently experiencing an extremely high volume of customers getting in touch to redeem child trust fund accounts and are sorry for the delays that some customers have experienced with this process.

'The safety and security of our customers' accounts is of paramount importance and these accounts are particularly vulnerable to attempted fraudulent claims, which is why we have a detailed checking procedure when redeeming a child trust fund account.'

It added that it had now increased the 'resource' available to deal with Child Trust Fund claims, and that it expected wait times to return to normal within a few weeks.

Ferry nice: Cruise firm Cunard offered Ken and his wife the option to rebook when their trip clashed with her surgery - despite their usual rules stating only 25% would be refunded

Hit and miss: This week's naughty and nice list

Every week, I look at the companies who have fallen short when it comes to customer service, and those who have gone above and beyond.

Hit: This week, reader Ken dropped anchor in my inbox to share a good review of cruise operator, Cunard.

He and his wife booked their first-ever cruise for September 2021, hoping to travel to Norway's Fjords.

It was cancelled due to Covid, but, still looking forward to their Scandinavian soujourn, they took a voucher and re-booked for May 2022.

But the virus was set to disrupt their holiday plans even further. Ken's wife was booked in for a hip replacement in March 2022, which had to be put back when she herself caught Covid.

The rescheduled date for the operation was just two weeks before their trip in May, which wouldn't allow her enough time to recover.

Under Cunard's rules, the couple would only get back 25 per cent of the cost of their trip if they cancelled  money they couldn't a-fjord to lose.

Ken wrote to the firm to see if there was anything it could do. It offered them a voucher for a later cruise, giving his wife time to get ship-shape after her procedure and properly enjoy the holiday.

Hip, hip hooray - a company going an extra nautical mile is always welcome in this column. I wish your wife a speedy recovery and hope you enjoy your long-awaited trip.

Damage done: Storm Eunice hit the UK in early 2022 and caused damage to thousands of properties, including the home of our reader

Miss: Reader H.G got in touch after he had to make an insurance claim when the roof of his home was damaged in Storm Eunice in February.

Luckily - or so he thought - he had buildings and contents insurance with Policy Expert. He made a claim for the repairs, which a roofer estimated could cost 20,000.

So he was surprised to receive a letter saying that the policy was void.

The letter said he gave incorrect information at the time of purchasing and renewing, but H.G could not see how this was the case.

CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk

When he probed further, it appeared the reason was that his father had a County Court Judgment on his name, which was not declared.

While this is true, it should not be relevant as his father does not live at the property.

H.G says his father has lived and worked in the UAE for more than a decade, and only visits the UK for a week or two each year.

He is worried that he may have mentioned to Policy Expert during a previous call that his father was in the house, as he spoke to them during one of his short visits.

Therefore, he appealed Policy Expert's decision, providing evidence of his father's UAE residency and passport - but the claim once again rejected.

I contacted the insurer to query this, and ask whether it would allow the customer to listen to a recording of the phone call that he believes may have been at the root of the problem.

While it expressed sympathy for the damage, it said it would not reconsider without further evidence.

A spokesperson said: 'It is important that all policyholders take care when completing applications  particularly when providing information on behalf of other occupants  as incorrect or incomplete information can render their policy invalid.

Surprise: H.G was shocked to see that his policy was void, which Policy Expert claimed was down to incorrect information provided

'This is not a decision we take lightly and only after thorough examination of all information available to us, the policy remains void. The policyholder has time to provide further evidence to support their claim and can escalate concerns to the Financial Ombudsman Service, if required.'

It added that it checks out any claims against public data sources. H.G said his father received some post to his address, which may have complicated matters in this regard.

It did, however, say that it would provide H.G with a recording of his calls so he is able to check what was said.

H.G has since told me he is obtaining Border Force documents showing his father's entry and exit from the UK, as well as giving Policy Expert copies of his flight bookings.

While it is of course right for insurers to check out claims thoroughly, they have a responsibility to explain what their decisions are based on  especially when someone's home is at stake.

I am glad that H.G has been given the chance to listen to the calls and provide more evidence, and hope that  providing his claim about his father is indeed genuine  he will be able to see the decision overturned. I'll keep you posted.
SOS (NYSE:SOS  Get Rating) and Netcapital (OTCMKTS:NCPL  Get Rating) are both small-cap business services companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk and institutional ownership.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for SOS and Netcapital, as reported by MarketBeat.

Get SOS alerts:

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score SOS 0 0 0 0 N/A Netcapital 0 0 0 0 N/A

Earnings and Valuation

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio SOS $357.82 million 0.11 -$49.25 million N/A N/A Netcapital $5.48 million 1.74 $3.50 million $0.52 3.02

This table compares SOS and Netcapitals top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Netcapital has lower revenue, but higher earnings than SOS.

Profitability

This table compares SOS and Netcapitals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets SOS N/A N/A N/A Netcapital 33.83% 8.71% 7.41%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

0.9% of SOS shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 16.2% of Netcapital shares are held by institutional investors. 2.7% of SOS shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.0% of Netcapital shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Netcapital beats SOS on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About SOS

(Get Rating)

SOS Ltd. is a holding company, which provides marketing data, technology and solutions to the emergency rescue services in China. It focuses on the research and development of big data, cloud computing, Internet of Things, block chain and artificial intelligence. The firm created a SOS cloud emergency rescue service software as a service (SaaS) platform with three major product categories, including basic cloud (medical rescue card, car rescue card, financial rescue card, mutual assistance rescue card), cooperative cloud (information rescue center, intelligent big data, intelligent software and hardware), and information cloud. The company was founded by Zheng Yu Wang and Andrew Mason in 2001 and is headquartered in Qingdao, China.

About Netcapital

(Get Rating)

Netcapital, Inc. is a fintech company which engages in the provision of financial solutions. The firms platform allows private companies to raise capital online and provides private equity investment opportunities to investors. The company was founded by Sean F. Lee in April 1984 and is headquartered in Boston, MA.

Receive News & Ratings for SOS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SOS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Twilio Inc. (NYSE:TWLO  Get Rating) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Traders acquired 30,853 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 32% compared to the average daily volume of 23,386 call options.

Insider Buying and Selling at Twilio

In related news, insider Dana Wagner sold 8,461 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.24, for a total value of $543,534.64. Following the sale, the insider now owns 162,871 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,462,833.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Dana Wagner sold 8,461 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.24, for a total value of $543,534.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 162,871 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,462,833.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Jeff Lawson acquired 158,081 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $63.26 per share, for a total transaction of $10,000,204.06. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 226,397 shares in the company, valued at $14,321,874.22. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 38,842 shares of company stock worth $2,490,031. 4.96% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Get Twilio alerts:

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Twilio

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in Twilio by 419.5% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 213 shares of the technology companys stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Zullo Investment Group Inc. grew its position in Twilio by 263.6% during the third quarter. Zullo Investment Group Inc. now owns 400 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Twilio by 169.4% in the third quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 501 shares of the technology companys stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 315 shares in the last quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Twilio during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, James Investment Research Inc. acquired a new stake in Twilio in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.68% of the companys stock.

Twilio Stock Performance

TWLO opened at $48.92 on Thursday. Twilio has a 1-year low of $41.00 and a 1-year high of $112.89. The company has a current ratio of 6.17, a quick ratio of 6.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The company has a market cap of $9.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.12 and a beta of 1.47. The companys fifty day moving average price is $60.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $57.25.

Twilio (NYSE:TWLO  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 15th. The technology company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.09) by $0.31. Twilio had a negative net margin of 32.83% and a negative return on equity of 7.63%. The business had revenue of $1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($1.25) EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 21.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Twilio will post -2.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TWLO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on Twilio from $77.00 to $58.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on shares of Twilio from $60.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Twilio from $55.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Twilio from $75.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Twilio from $75.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $82.67.

About Twilio

(Get Rating)

Twilio, Inc engages in the development of communications software, cloud-based platform, and services. Its products include Twilio flex, messaging, programmable voice, programmable video, elastic SIP trunking, and IoT. The company was founded by John Wolthuis, Jeffery G. Lawson, and Evan Cooke in March 2008 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Twilio Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Twilio and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Canadian Western Bank (TSE:CWB  Get Rating) had its price objective dropped by research analysts at Barclays from C$29.00 to C$27.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports. Barclayss price objective indicates a potential upside of 12.22% from the companys current price.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on CWB. TD Securities reduced their target price on Canadian Western Bank from C$34.00 to C$33.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 3rd. CSFB dropped their target price on shares of Canadian Western Bank from C$29.00 to C$28.00 in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Scotiabank decreased their price objective on shares of Canadian Western Bank from C$29.00 to C$28.00 in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Cormark lowered their price objective on shares of Canadian Western Bank from C$30.00 to C$29.00 in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Finally, CIBC decreased their price target on Canadian Western Bank from C$31.00 to C$30.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$30.42.

Get Canadian Western Bank alerts:

Canadian Western Bank Stock Performance

Shares of CWB opened at C$24.06 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of C$2.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.71. Canadian Western Bank has a 52 week low of C$21.21 and a 52 week high of C$33.42. The firms 50-day simple moving average is C$24.37 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$25.27.

Insider Buying and Selling at Canadian Western Bank

Canadian Western Bank ( TSE:CWB Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The company reported C$1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.89 by C$0.13. The business had revenue of C$272.89 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$275.10 million. Canadian Western Bank had a return on equity of 9.18% and a net margin of 32.57%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Canadian Western Bank will post 3.5964654 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, Senior Officer Azfar Karimuddin sold 1,050 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of C$24.19, for a total transaction of C$25,401.50. Insiders own 0.37% of the companys stock.

Canadian Western Bank Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Canadian Western Bank provides personal and business banking products and services primarily in Western Canada. The company offers current, savings, notice, cash management, US dollar, and chequing accounts, as well as organization, business trust, and trust fund investment accounts. It also offers commercial lending and real estate, and equipment financing and leasing products; agriculture lending products; mortgages; lines of credits; registered retirement savings loans; consolidation, and vehicle loans; and credit cards.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Western Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Western Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA  Get Rating) has been given an average recommendation of Moderate Buy by the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is C$105.23.

A number of brokerages have commented on NA. Cormark raised their price objective on National Bank of Canada from C$112.00 to C$113.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. Scotiabank reduced their price objective on National Bank of Canada from C$115.00 to C$111.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price objective on National Bank of Canada from C$102.00 to C$104.50 in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. Barclays reduced their price objective on National Bank of Canada from C$98.00 to C$82.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, CIBC increased their target price on National Bank of Canada from C$100.00 to C$112.00 in a report on Friday, February 17th.

Get National Bank of Canada alerts:

National Bank of Canada Stock Performance

Shares of TSE NA opened at C$100.48 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of C$33.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.10. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is C$98.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$97.00. National Bank of Canada has a 52 week low of C$82.16 and a 52 week high of C$104.83.

National Bank of Canada Announces Dividend

National Bank of Canada ( TSE:NA Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 1st. The financial services provider reported C$2.56 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$2.41 by C$0.15. The business had revenue of C$2.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$2.62 billion. National Bank of Canada had a return on equity of 16.00% and a net margin of 34.98%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that National Bank of Canada will post 9.8509804 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 27th were issued a dividend of $0.97 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 24th. This represents a $3.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.86%. National Bank of Canadas dividend payout ratio is presently 41.01%.

National Bank of Canada Company Profile

(Get Rating)

National Bank of Canada provides various financial products and services to retail, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients in Canada and internationally. It operates through four segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, and U.S. Specialty Finance and International.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for National Bank of Canada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for National Bank of Canada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Black Stone Minerals, L.P. (NYSE:BSM  Get Rating) CEO Thomas L. Carter, Jr. bought 31,800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $15.53 per share, for a total transaction of $493,854.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 2,652,791 shares in the company, valued at $41,197,844.23. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Black Stone Minerals Stock Performance

Shares of BSM stock opened at $15.90 on Thursday. Black Stone Minerals, L.P. has a 52-week low of $12.81 and a 52-week high of $20.24. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $15.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.53. The company has a market capitalization of $3.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.77 and a beta of 1.03.

Get Black Stone Minerals alerts:

Black Stone Minerals (NYSE:BSM  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The oil and gas producer reported $0.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.32. Black Stone Minerals had a net margin of 77.07% and a return on equity of 54.18%. The firm had revenue of $230.38 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $151.81 million. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Black Stone Minerals, L.P. will post 1.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Black Stone Minerals Announces Dividend

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be given a dividend of $0.475 per share. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 11.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. Black Stone Mineralss dividend payout ratio is currently 68.84%.

BSM has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of Black Stone Minerals from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Black Stone Minerals from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, Raymond James upped their target price on shares of Black Stone Minerals from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Black Stone Minerals presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $19.25.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Concorde Financial Corp grew its position in shares of Black Stone Minerals by 359.5% during the 1st quarter. Concorde Financial Corp now owns 315,511 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $4,950,000 after acquiring an additional 246,843 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Black Stone Minerals by 21.9% during the 1st quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 65,423 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $1,026,000 after acquiring an additional 11,743 shares during the period. Cavalier Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Black Stone Minerals by 15.1% during the 1st quarter. Cavalier Investments LLC now owns 27,571 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $433,000 after buying an additional 3,624 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE lifted its stake in shares of Black Stone Minerals by 30.4% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 21,450 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $337,000 after buying an additional 5,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Truist Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Black Stone Minerals by 628.6% during the 1st quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 114,733 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $1,800,000 after buying an additional 98,985 shares in the last quarter. 16.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Black Stone Minerals

(Get Rating)

Black Stone Minerals LP is an exploration company. The firm engages in the exploration of oil and natural gas minerals. It focuses on the operation of Louisiana-Mississippi Salt Basins, Western Gulf, Permian Basin, Palo Duro Basin, East Texas Basin, Anadarko Basin, Appalachian Basin, Arkoma Basin, Bend Arch-Fort Worth, and Southwestern Wyoming.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Black Stone Minerals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Black Stone Minerals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Greggs plc (LON:GRG  Get Rating) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as GBX 2,910 ($36.72) and last traded at GBX 2,894 ($36.52), with a volume of 8416 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 2,902 ($36.62).

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on GRG shares. Berenberg Bank boosted their price objective on Greggs from GBX 3,000 ($37.85) to GBX 3,200 ($40.38) and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 2,950 ($37.22) price target on shares of Greggs in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. Shore Capital reiterated a hold rating on shares of Greggs in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Finally, Peel Hunt reiterated a hold rating and issued a GBX 2,000 ($25.24) price target on shares of Greggs in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th.

Get Greggs alerts:

Greggs Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 67.56. The company has a 50 day moving average of GBX 2,745.58 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 2,538.87. The firm has a market cap of 2.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,398.32, a PEG ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 1.36.

Greggs Increases Dividend

Insider Activity at Greggs

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 27th will be issued a GBX 44 ($0.56) dividend. This is a positive change from Greggss previous dividend of $15.00. This represents a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. Greggss payout ratio is currently 4,957.98%.

In related news, insider Richard Hutton sold 6,080 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 2,792 ($35.23), for a total value of 169,753.60 ($214,200.13). 6.22% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Greggs Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Greggs plc operates as a bakery food-on-the-go retailer in the United Kingdom. It offers a range of fresh and frozen bakery products, sandwiches, and drinks. The company sells products to franchise and wholesale partners for sale in their own outlets. It is also involved in the property holding, non-trading, and trustee businesses.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Greggs Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Greggs and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Palestinians inspect a damaged building following an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on May 11, 2023. A senior official of a militant group in Gaza was killed early on Thursday when the Israeli army's unmanned suicide drones attacked his apartment in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

GAZA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of a militant group in Gaza was killed early on Thursday when the Israeli army's unmanned suicide drones attacked his apartment in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

Palestinian security officials confirmed that Ali Hassan Ghali, a military council member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), was killed after two Israeli suicide drones attacked his apartment in a building north of the city.

The officials said that his brother Mahmoud Ghali and their nephew Mahmoud Mansour were also in the apartment and were killed in the drone attack.

Palestinian medics at Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis said that three Palestinians were brought dead to the hospital and 15 were injured after an apartment was bombed by Israeli fighting aircraft.

Al-Quds Brigades, the PIJ armed wing, said in a statement that it mourns the commander Ali Hassan Ghali, who is in charge of the rocket unit, adding that he "was martyred (killed) in a treacherous Zionist assassination operation in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip with another two."

On Tuesday predawn, Israeli unmanned drones and fighter jets carried out surprising and simultaneous airstrikes on several buildings, killing three senior members of the Al-Quds Brigades in the Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday, efforts taken by the mediators Egypt, Qatar and the UN failed to reach a ceasefire between Israel and the PIJ to end the ongoing fighting, which had left 24 people killed and more than 70 injured.

Muhammad Al-Hindi, head of the PIJ political department, announced earlier that Israel's refusal to stop its targeted killing policy or assassinations against PIJ leaders was the reason for not reaching a truce agreement.

"The efforts to contain the current situation are going on, and it is still early to speak about reaching a truce agreement," he said in a press statement. 

Palestinians inspect a damaged building following an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on May 11, 2023. A senior official of a militant group in Gaza was killed early on Thursday when the Israeli army's unmanned suicide drones attacked his apartment in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Palestinians inspect a damaged building following an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on May 11, 2023. A senior official of a militant group in Gaza was killed early on Thursday when the Israeli army's unmanned suicide drones attacked his apartment in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Palestinians inspect a damaged building following an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on May 11, 2023. A senior official of a militant group in Gaza was killed early on Thursday when the Israeli army's unmanned suicide drones attacked his apartment in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Palestinians inspect a damaged building following an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on May 11, 2023. A senior official of a militant group in Gaza was killed early on Thursday when the Israeli army's unmanned suicide drones attacked his apartment in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Relatives mourn during the funeral of Ali Hassan Ghali and his brother Mahmoud Ghali, in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Relatives mourn during the funeral of Ali Hassan Ghali and his brother Mahmoud Ghali, in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Relatives mourn during the funeral of Ali Hassan Ghali and his brother Mahmoud Ghali, in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)
DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE  Get Rating) SVP Joann Chavez sold 4,000 shares of DTE Energy stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.09, for a total transaction of $452,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 14,607 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,651,905.63. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

DTE Energy Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE DTE opened at $113.97 on Thursday. DTE Energy has a 12-month low of $100.64 and a 12-month high of $136.77. The company has a market capitalization of $23.49 billion, a PE ratio of 20.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.68. The firms 50-day moving average is $110.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.25.

Get DTE Energy alerts:

DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.38 by ($0.05). DTE Energy had a net margin of 6.15% and a return on equity of 10.59%. The business had revenue of $3.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.79 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.31 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that DTE Energy will post 6.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

DTE Energy Dividend Announcement

Analysts Set New Price Targets

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 19th will be given a $0.9525 dividend. This represents a $3.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.34%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 15th. DTE Energys payout ratio is currently 67.43%.

DTE has been the topic of several analyst reports. TheStreet raised shares of DTE Energy from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Friday, January 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of DTE Energy from $138.00 to $133.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of DTE Energy from $123.00 to $124.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of DTE Energy in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim decreased their price objective on shares of DTE Energy from $131.00 to $127.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $129.67.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On DTE Energy

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in DTE. Retirement Income Solutions Inc increased its position in shares of DTE Energy by 6.8% in the first quarter. Retirement Income Solutions Inc now owns 2,498 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $330,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC acquired a new stake in shares of DTE Energy in the first quarter worth $1,710,000. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in shares of DTE Energy by 4.3% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 7,094 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $938,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. purchased a new position in shares of DTE Energy in the first quarter valued at $280,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of DTE Energy by 6.6% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 23,028,699 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $3,044,624,000 after purchasing an additional 1,420,586 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.55% of the companys stock.

DTE Energy Company Profile

(Get Rating)

DTE Energy Co operates as a diversified energy company, which engages in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services. It operates through the following segments: Electric, Gas, DTE Vantage, Energy Trading, and Corporate and Other. The Electric segment consists of generation, purchase, distribution, and sale of electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southeastern Michigan.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for DTE Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DTE Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
UBS Group AG trimmed its stake in shares of ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE  Get Rating) by 5.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,140,483 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 123,291 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned approximately 0.48% of ONEOK worth $140,630,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Cowa LLC lifted its holdings in ONEOK by 9,775.0% in the 1st quarter. Cowa LLC now owns 5,324,428 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,761,000 after buying an additional 5,270,510 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in ONEOK by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 51,774,594 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,656,839,000 after buying an additional 1,043,147 shares during the period. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc lifted its stake in shares of ONEOK by 266.7% in the 1st quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 802,200 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $56,659,000 after purchasing an additional 583,454 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of ONEOK by 7.8% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,288,822 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $514,810,000 after purchasing an additional 527,138 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of ONEOK by 34.6% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,870,902 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $95,865,000 after purchasing an additional 480,420 shares during the period. 67.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get ONEOK alerts:

ONEOK Price Performance

NYSE:OKE opened at $63.21 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.93, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.68. ONEOK, Inc. has a 1 year low of $50.50 and a 1 year high of $71.57. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $64.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $65.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.92.

ONEOK Dividend Announcement

ONEOK ( NYSE:OKE Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $4.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. ONEOK had a return on equity of 36.54% and a net margin of 11.09%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.87 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that ONEOK, Inc. will post 5.43 EPS for the current year.

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 issued a dividend of $0.955 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 28th. This represents a $3.82 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.04%. ONEOKs payout ratio is currently 72.08%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

OKE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Seaport Res Ptn restated a neutral rating on shares of ONEOK in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on ONEOK from $74.00 to $75.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. UBS Group reduced their target price on ONEOK from $82.00 to $81.00 in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on ONEOK from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded ONEOK from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, ONEOK currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $74.91.

About ONEOK

(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.

Further Reading

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.
InterOcean Capital Group LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS  Get Rating) by 4.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,257 shares of the companys stock after selling 157 shares during the period. InterOcean Capital Group LLCs holdings in Novartis were worth $295,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Belpointe Asset Management LLC increased its position in Novartis by 105.0% in the 4th quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 5,337 shares of the companys stock worth $484,000 after purchasing an additional 2,733 shares during the last quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co increased its position in Novartis by 46.1% in the 4th quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 4,755 shares of the companys stock worth $431,000 after purchasing an additional 1,500 shares during the last quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter worth about $284,000. Founders Financial Securities LLC acquired a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter worth about $202,000. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans acquired a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter worth about $215,000. 8.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Novartis alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. BTIG Research upped their price target on Novartis from $75.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Citigroup downgraded Novartis from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Novartis in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Novartis from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Novartis presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $82.25.

Novartis Price Performance

Shares of NVS stock opened at $103.63 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $93.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $89.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Novartis AG has a 12 month low of $74.09 and a 12 month high of $105.56. The company has a market capitalization of $219.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.54.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.16. Novartis had a return on equity of 23.29% and a net margin of 13.78%. The company had revenue of $12.95 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.60 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.46 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Novartis AG will post 6.66 EPS for the current year.

Novartis Profile

(Get Rating)

Novartis AG is a holding company, which engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Innovative Medicines, Sandoz, and Corporate. The Innovative Medicines segment researches, develops, manufactures, distributes and sells patented pharmaceuticals, and is composed of two business units: Novartis Oncology and Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Novartis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novartis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ raised its position in TransUnion (NYSE:TRU  Get Rating) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 68,435 shares of the business services providers stock after acquiring an additional 2,031 shares during the quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publs holdings in TransUnion were worth $3,884,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CCLA Investment Management acquired a new position in shares of TransUnion during the 3rd quarter worth $80,459,000. BlueSpruce Investments LP boosted its position in shares of TransUnion by 19.4% in the 3rd quarter. BlueSpruce Investments LP now owns 5,983,742 shares of the business services providers stock worth $355,973,000 after buying an additional 973,517 shares in the last quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of TransUnion in the 4th quarter worth about $53,272,000. Boston Partners boosted its position in shares of TransUnion by 59.6% in the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,344,634 shares of the business services providers stock worth $133,179,000 after buying an additional 875,437 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of TransUnion by 82,863.6% in the 3rd quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 735,887 shares of the business services providers stock worth $43,776,000 after buying an additional 735,000 shares in the last quarter. 95.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get TransUnion alerts:

TransUnion Stock Performance

TRU stock opened at $65.99 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.80, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.37. TransUnion has a 1 year low of $50.32 and a 1 year high of $90.08. The stocks fifty day moving average is $62.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $62.84.

TransUnion Dividend Announcement

TransUnion ( NYSE:TRU Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 14th. The business services provider reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.74 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $902.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $904.34 million. TransUnion had a net margin of 7.34% and a return on equity of 14.47%. On average, research analysts predict that TransUnion will post 3.19 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.105 per share. This represents a $0.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.64%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. TransUnions dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.79%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Richard Dane Mauldin sold 7,250 shares of TransUnion stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.63, for a total transaction of $439,567.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,805 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,503,927.15. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other TransUnion news, insider Todd C. Skinner sold 25,989 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $1,559,340.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 28,749 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,724,940. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Richard Dane Mauldin sold 7,250 shares of TransUnion stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.63, for a total value of $439,567.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,503,927.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 41,235 shares of company stock valued at $2,457,958 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of TransUnion from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $70.00 to $88.00 in a research report on Friday, January 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of TransUnion from $67.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of TransUnion from $80.00 to $78.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of TransUnion from $78.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of TransUnion in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. 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 data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $77.50.

TransUnion Company Profile

(Get Rating)

TransUnion engages in the provision of information and risk management solutions. It also provides consumer reports, risk scores, analytical services, and decision-making capabilities to businesses. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Markets, International, Consumer Interactive, and Corporate.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TRU? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for TransUnion (NYSE:TRU  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for TransUnion Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TransUnion and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Raymond James & Associates grew its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (BATS:EFV  Get Rating) by 14.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,310,945 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 163,209 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF were worth $60,146,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Leelyn Smith LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Bessemer Group Inc. purchased a new position in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Focused Wealth Management Inc purchased a new position in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 429.4% in the 3rd quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 1,350 shares of the companys stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 1,095 shares during the period. Finally, Cambridge Trust Co. boosted its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 206.8% in the 4th quarter. Cambridge Trust Co. now owns 1,129 shares of the companys stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 761 shares during the period.

Get iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF alerts:

iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of EFV stock opened at $50.03 on Thursday. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF has a 52 week low of $49.15 and a 52 week high of $59.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.69 billion, a PE ratio of 9.51 and a beta of 0.86. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $48.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $47.32.

iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Company Profile

iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Value Index. The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EFV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (BATS:EFV  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
First National Bank of Omaha boosted its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL  Get Rating) by 7.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,942 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the quarter. First National Bank of Omahas holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $468,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Accurate Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Colgate-Palmolive during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Hallmark Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 158.2% during the 3rd quarter. Hallmark Capital Management Inc. now owns 408 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. RFP Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC increased its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 36.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 704 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 188 shares during the period. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in Colgate-Palmolive in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. 77.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Colgate-Palmolive alerts:

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on CL shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $76.00 to $81.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Colgate-Palmolive from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $82.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, January 30th. StockNews.com raised shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $80.00 to $88.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. Finally, TheStreet lowered shares of Colgate-Palmolive from a b rating to a c+ rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Colgate-Palmolive has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $84.75.

Colgate-Palmolive Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE CL opened at $81.10 on Thursday. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $75.56 and its 200 day simple moving average is $75.76. The company has a market cap of $67.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.15 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.87. Colgate-Palmolive has a 12-month low of $67.84 and a 12-month high of $83.81.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 28th. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $4.77 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 8.71% and a return on equity of 348.63%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.74 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Colgate-Palmolive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 21st will be given a dividend of $0.48 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 20th. This is an increase from Colgate-Palmolives previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.37%. Colgate-Palmolives dividend payout ratio is presently 100.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Colgate-Palmolive

In other Colgate-Palmolive news, Director Stephen I. Sadove sold 12,032 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.37, for a total transaction of $979,043.84. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,866 shares in the company, valued at approximately $965,536.42. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director John P. Bilbrey sold 5,703 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.81, for a total value of $460,859.43. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 26,257 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,121,828.17. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen I. Sadove sold 12,032 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.37, for a total transaction of $979,043.84. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 11,866 shares in the company, valued at $965,536.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 149,347 shares of company stock worth $12,059,197. Company insiders own 0.34% of the companys stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Profile

(Get Rating)

Colgate-Palmolive Co is engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of consumer products. It operates through the Oral, Personal and Home Care, and Pet Nutrition segments. The Oral, Personal and Home Care segment represents North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Africa or Eurasia, all of which sell to a variety of retail and wholesale customers and distributors.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Colgate-Palmolive Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Colgate-Palmolive and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ lessened its holdings in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT  Get Rating) by 22.4% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 10,487 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after selling 3,032 shares during the quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publs holdings in Waters were worth $3,593,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Summit Trail Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 977 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $335,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Utah Retirement Systems raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 10,694 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $2,882,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Red Cedar Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Red Cedar Capital LLC now owns 16,912 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $5,793,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 76.7% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wetherby Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Waters by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,645 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $511,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.58% of the companys stock.

Get Waters alerts:

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Mark P. Vergnano acquired 3,185 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $313.32 per share, with a total value of $997,924.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,557 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,114,479.24. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.77% of the companys stock.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT opened at $272.43 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.24, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.02. The stock has a market cap of $16.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.19, a PEG ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a 50-day moving average of $303.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $320.94. Waters Co. has a 12-month low of $265.61 and a 12-month high of $369.00.

Waters (NYSE:WAT  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.60 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $684.67 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $697.86 million. Waters had a return on equity of 175.08% and a net margin of 23.81%. The businesss revenue was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.80 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Waters Co. will post 12.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on WAT shares. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Waters from $345.00 to $315.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Waters from $350.00 to $325.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Waters from $345.00 to $305.00 in a report on Wednesday. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Waters from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, May 4th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waters presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $335.27.

Waters Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Waters Corp. engages in the provision of workflow solutions involving liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis. It operates through the Waters and TA (TA Instruments) segments. The Waters segment consists of liquid chromatography instruments, mass spectrometry, and precision chemistry consumable products and services.

Recommended Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Waters Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Waters and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
HELSINKI, May 11 (Xinhua) -- More than 20 people, mainly school pupils, were injured near Helsinki when a pedestrian bridge collapsed on Thursday morning, said regional authorities.

The bridge near a building site in the city of Espoo, west of Helsinki, was a temporary construction, but is open for general use.

The Helsinki region health authority HUS reported that 24 people had been taken to hospital. Some have serious injuries but no one was reported in critical condition.

The regional rescue authority said earlier that about 27 people, mostly minors, have been injured.

The pupils were from a school in the Kalasatama district in Helsinki. The school's principal confirmed to national broadcaster Yle that they had gone to Espoo on a school outing.

Yle reported that the pedestrian bridge was the property of the city of Espoo and not of the company carrying out construction work in the vicinity.

Police said the accident happened around 9:30 a.m. local time. The bridge was made mainly of plywood plates.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin expressed their compassion on social media after the accident was reported. 
MOSCOW, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his counterparts from Iran, Syria, and Turkiye in Moscow, where they proposed to assemble a roadmap normalizing relations between Turkiye and Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

The four sides agreed to appoint their deputy foreign ministers to prepare the roadmap, aiming to advance relations between Turkiye and Syria. The diplomats would be working with the defense ministries and special services of the four countries.

The participants "affirmed their commitment to Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity," and their commitment to "combatting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," according to the foreign ministry.

They also stressed the importance of increasing international aid to Syria and facilitating the voluntary and safe return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.

In his introductory speech before the meeting, Lavrov noted that the start of the Syrian-Turkish ties normalization process has a "noticeable positive impact" not only on the situation in Syria, but also on the situation in the Middle East as a whole.

He added that these positive developments would also bring new opportunities and prospects for the Astana format, which aims to facilitate a peaceful settlement in Syria.

The Russian foreign minister further criticized the current unilateral sanctions on Syria by the West, which hinder humanitarian aid. 
Fighting in Sudans capital escalated on Wednesday with fierce clashes and air strikes, but rival military factions were reported to be close to a ceasefire agreement in talks in Saudi Arabia.

Residents reported ground battles in several neighbourhoods of Khartoum between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as heavy gunfire in the north of Omdurman and the east of Bahri, two adjacent cities separated from Khartoum by the River Nile.

The army has been pounding targets across the three cities since Tuesday as it tries to root out RSF forces that have taken control of large residential areas and strategic sites since early in the conflict that erupted on April 15.

Theres been heavy air strikes and RPG fire since 6:30 a.m., said Ahmed, a resident of the Bahri neighbourhood of Shambat. Were lying on the ground and there are people living near us who ran to the Nile to protect themselves there under the embankment.

Army and RSF delegations have been meeting since the end of last week in talks sponsored by the United States and Saudi Arabia in the Saudi city of Jeddah on the Red Sea.

Negotiations aim to secure an effective truce and allow access for aid workers and supplies after repeated ceasefire announcements failed to stop the fighting.

After days of no apparent movement, a mediation source told Reuters on Wednesday that the negotiations had made progress and a ceasefire agreement was expected soon.

A second source familiar with the talks said a deal was close. Talks continued late into the night.

U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland earlier said U.S. negotiators were cautiously optimistic about securing a commitment to humanitarian principles and a ceasefire but were also looking at appropriate targets for sanctions if the warring factions did not back this.

The conflict has created a humanitarian crisis in Africas third-largest nation by area, displacing more than 700,000 people inside the country and prompting 150,000 to flee to neighbouring states. It has also sparked unrest in Sudans western Darfur region.

The U.N. World Food Programme said that up to 2.5 million more Sudanese were expected to fall into hunger in the coming months because of the conflict, raising the number of people suffering acute food insecurity to 19 million.

Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics

Since the battles began on April 15, the RSF have dug in across Khartoum neighbourhoods, set up checkpoints, occupied state buildings and placed snipers on rooftops.

The army has been using air strikes and heavy artillery to try to dislodge them.

The RSF on Tuesday said the historic presidential palace in central Khartoum, which has symbolic importance and is in a strategic area that the RSF says it controls, had been hit by an air strike and destroyed, a claim the army denied.

Drone footage filmed on Wednesday and verified by Reuters appeared to show the building, known as the Old Republican Palace, intact, though smoke could be seen coming from the southeast edge of the palace compound.

The fighting has left more than 600 people dead and 5,000 injured, according to the World Health Organization but the real figure is thought to be much higher.

Witnesses have reported seeing bodies strewn in the streets. Most hospitals have been put out of service and a breakdown of law and order has led to widespread looting. Fuel and food supplies have been running low.

Our only hope is that the negotiations in Jeddah succeed to end this hell and return to normal life, and to stop the war, the looting, the robbery and the chaos, said Ahmed Ali, a 25-year-old resident of Khartoum.

Aid agency Islamic Relief said many aid operations in Darfur and Khartoum remained suspended due to extreme insecurity.

It plans to provide aid to thousands of people in Al Gezira state, southeast of Khartoum, where some 50,000 people have fled, as well as to people in parts of Khartoum State and North Kordofan, where fighting has raged.

Conflicts are not new to Sudan, a country that sits at a strategic crossroad between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and the volatile Sahel region, although most unrest in the past occurred in remote areas.

The United Nations has projected that 5 million additional people will need emergency assistance inside Sudan while 860,000 are expected to flee to neighbouring states.

SOURCE: REUTERS
This aerial photo shows tourists visiting the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This photo taken on Oct. 2, 2021 shows a performance staged at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Tourists visit a relic of a bathing pool at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

Tourists visit the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This aerial photo shows tourists visiting the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This aerial photo shows tourists visiting the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Tourists visit a relic of a bathing pool at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

Tourists visit the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

A tourists in traditional Chinese clothing Hanfu visit the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

Tourists visit a relic of a bathing pool at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Dec. 16, 2022 shows a performance staged at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This photo taken on May 5, 2023 shows cultural and creative products displayed at the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Tourists visit the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Tourists visit the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 5, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

As one of the cultural landmarks in Xi'an, Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. The palace is famous for the legendary love story of Tang Emperor Li Longji and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. It's also the location of a famous historical event known as the Xi'an Incident. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)
Serbians have surrendered more than 3,000 illegal weapons and parts in the first two days of a gun amnesty introduced after two mass shootings in which 17 people were killed, President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday.

The amnesty was launched on Monday after a 13 year-old schoolboy with two handguns allegedly killed eight pupils and a security guard. Six other pupils and a teacher were wounded.

He is now in custody and undergoing a psychological evaluation but cannot be held criminally responsible due to his young age. Police said he had confessed to the shooting.

Last Thursday, a man brandishing an assault rifle and a pistol killed eight and wounded 14 people in two villages in central Serbia. A 21-year-old suspect is now in custody.

Vucic said people so far surrendered over 3,000 pieces of weaponry, without specifying what kind.

In previous gun amnesties launched over past two decades, people handed over banned military-grade arms, hunting weapons, handguns, and also barrels, locking mechanisms and other parts.

Tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition have also been handed in.

Thats good news, because theres so much less risk involved, Vucic said, speaking on television.

Under the terms of the amnesty, people are invited to hand over illegal weapons including military-grade, legally-owned arms they no longer want, ammunition, and ordnance, anonymously and without fear of prosecution.

Police departments urged people who owned explosives or ordnance not to carry them to police stations but instead to await trained personnel for their removal and disposal.

Earlier, Vucic announced additional checks of registered gun owners and shooting ranges, a greater police presence in schools, and changes to the criminal code that envision longer jail terms for weapons-related crimes.

Also on Wednesday, police said they detained the father of the suspect in the last weeks shooting in central Serbia, the Tanjug news agency reported.

Advertisement  Scroll to continue

Serbia has a deeply entrenched gun culture and along with the rest of the Western Balkans is awash with military-grade weapons and ordnance in private hands after the wars of the 1990s that tore apart the former Yugoslavia.

SOURCE: REUTERS
ALBANY  The national COVID-19 public health emergency lapsed Thursday, marking a symbolic end to the health crisis that upended society and killed millions  but the shift will bring few changes to daily life in New York where many COVID-19 restrictions have already been phased out.

In response to the federal action, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it will soon lift the vaccine mandate for government-funded hospitals and nursing homes, but local health care workers are not off the hook due to state-level COVID-19 regulations.

New Yorks own pandemic emergency declaration officially ended Sept. 12, 2022. Health care is the last sector to see government mandates on masking, testing and vaccinations eased. The states mask mandate for health care workers lapsed in February, so many health care facilities have since dropped required mask use.

But local health care executives say its also time to soften the state vaccine requirements  which do not have an expiration date, but can be amended  so they can rehire staff and ease shortages.

St. Peters Health Partners, which lost about 500 employees when the mandate went into effect, has heard from a number of former workers interested in returning to their jobs, according to hospital President & CEO Dr. Steven D. Hanks.

We do know that there are a certain number of them who would come back to the workplace if the mandate was lifted, Hanks told the Times Union. My hope is that the Department of Health and others in the state will see that its really not required to protect the health of the public at this particular time.

Its been more than a year since the state has experienced a significant COVID-19 outbreak, and new antiviral drugs have been keeping hospitalizations down, health care leaders say. Five St. Peters-affiliated hospitals in the Capital Region collectively see less that one COVID patient per day, Hanks said.

According to state Department of Health spokeswoman Cadence Acquaviva, The department is reviewing next steps for health care workers in hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care facilities.

During the pandemic, health emergency declarations enabled governments to enact hundreds of policies and flexibilities to facilitate the pandemic response effort. Though many of these changes have been dismantled slowly, the end of the federal emergency will still alter health care access in several ways.

Whats changing?

Insurance coverage for COVID-19 tests is ending, but the federal government will maintain a stockpile of testing kits that will be available free of charge in certain community locations, according to U.S. Health and Human Services. Free tests will also be available through COVIDtests.gov through the end of May.

The lapse of the federal public health emergency also has implications for long-term care facilities, which will see COVID-19 testing and visitation requirements softened, according to Leading Age NY, which represents 5,600 nonprofit long-term care facilities in the state. For example, new admissions to nursing homes will no longer face a barrage of COVID-19 tests unless they are exhibiting symptoms.

Certain COVID-19 data reporting and surveillance will change. The federal government no longer requires labs to report COVID-19 test results and hospitals will need to report COVID cases weekly instead of daily.

Whats staying?

Access to COVID-19 vaccinations and certain treatments, such as Paxlovid and Lagevrio, for now will generally not be affected, according to U.S. Health and Human Services. But once the federal government is no longer purchasing or distributing COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, payment, coverage and access may change.

Telehealth flexibilities that people with Medicare have come to rely upon during the pandemic will remain in place through December 2024.

Health officials continue to urge all individuals 6 months of age and older in the United States to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The state has launched a new campaign to encourage New Yorkers who have underlying medical conditions to be aware of the risks of contracting COVID-19 and the importance of getting and staying up-to-date with recommended doses.

Editors note: This story has been corrected. Federal agencies have indicated that the vaccine mandate for government-funded hospitals and nursing homes will be lifted soon in response to the expiration of the public health emergency. An earlier version of this story inaccurately stated that the mandate for workers at those facilities ended May 11.
NEWBURGH  Two buses carrying migrants sent by New York City Mayor Eric Adams arrived Thursday at the Crossroads Hotel amid an ongoing clash between Republican Hudson Valley officials and the New York City mayor, a Democrat.

The first bus arrived around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Newburgh Town Supervisor Gil Piaquadio, followed by a second bus around 12:45 p.m. Each carried approximately 30 migrants. Their arrivals followed a day of confusion and anticipation in Newburgh, where on Wednesday advocates, politicians and reporters gathered at the Crossroads Hotel to await asylum-seekers whom Mayor Adams office said would arrive in the afternoon. They never did.

The asylum-seekers are voluntary participants in a temporary relocation program announced by Adams last week. The program was initially supposed to bring about 400 asylum-seekers to the Hudson Valley  60 to the Crossroads Hotel and 340 to the Armoni Inn & Suites in Orangetown, Rockland County. New York City will pay for their food, shelter and resources.

Two of the migrants who came to Newburgh spoke with reporters on Wednesday afternoon. Dervis Alejandro Rivas Lopez, 31, of Venezuela, formerly served as an army sergeant guarding the Venezuelan border. He was with Wilson Yriarte, 40, of Bolivia. Smiling, they both shared some of their backstories.

Yriarte fled Bolivia after his life was threatened, leaving behind his wife and two daughters. Through a Spanish translator from the Worker Justice Center, he said he was eager to find work and was skilled in cutting hair, construction and cooking.

I just really want to work and I want to depend on my work, not on anyone else, he said. He added that he arrived only with the clothes on our backs and passports.

Lopez said he is also looking for a job so he could help support his family in South America.

Despite efforts by Republican Hudson Valley officials to thwart New York Citys plan, no attempt was made to stop the migrants from disembarking upon their arrival Thursday. Many smiled, took photos and waved at gathered supporters. Members of the Newburgh Police Department and Orange County Sheriffs Office were also present for the arrival. However, no protesters were on the scene.

Nonprofits and advocates were already working Thursday to provide support to the newcomers, and facilitators from Adams office were assisting. One asylum-seeker needed a pair of shoes upon arrival in Newburgh  which an NYC program facilitator said the city would buy. The program also will provide shuttles three times per day to take the migrants anywhere they want to go, according to Rene Mejia, a Newburgh-based organizer with For the Many who spoke to program facilitators.

Why the migrants are arriving now

Adams temporary relocation program was announced in anticipation of a surge of migrants following the end of Title 42, which allows the U.S. to reject asylum-seekers without a hearing. Though Title 42 has existed as a public health services law since 1944, it was invoked for the first time by former President Donald Trump during the early days of the pandemic to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The emergency rule was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. During Title 42s final hours, migrants have been rushing across the southern border, according to the Associated Press. Many surrendered immediately to authorities and hoped to be released while their cases wound through backlogged immigration courts.

More than 60,800 asylum-seekers have traveled through New York City since last spring, many bused from Texas to New York by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. More than 37,500 are currently in the citys care, according to Adams office.

But leaders in both Hudson Valley counties have tried to stop Adams plan.

In recent days, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus and Rockland County Executive Ed Day declared states of emergency forbidding hotels and motels from accepting the migrants. On Thursday, after the arrival of the first bus, Neuhaus sent out a strongly worded statement condemning Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul for miscommunication and a lack of state-level action.

Last night, both the state and city assured the Town of Newburgh and Orange County that no buses with asylum seekers would be here until further notice, the statement reads. The process has been a disorganized disaster and the blame lies with the mayor of New York, who originally opened the door for as many undocumented immigrants as possible to his self-proclaimed sanctuary city, and the governor. She has sat back and done nothing as this crisis has negatively impacted New York state.

The New York Civil Liberties Union has stepped into the fight, filing a federal lawsuit Thursday against both counties. The suit argues the executive orders barring hotels from making rooms available to migrants violate the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Constitution. The four plaintiffs in the case are migrants who sheltered in New York City and opted into the citys relocation program.

People are not political pawns  both counties should welcome migrants into their communities, not unlawfully bar them from seeking refuge, Amy Belsher, NYCLUs director of immigrants rights litigation, said in a statement.

On Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Hochul also declared a state of emergency for New York, though for different reasons than the county executives. Her order will allow state and local officials to expedite the distribution of funds from the $1 billion provided in the state budget to address what she described as an already large-scale humanitarian crisis.

Hochul defended Adams handling of the migrant crisis on Thursday.

We are absolutely in unprecedented times and I support the mayors efforts to manage really what is an untenable situation, she told reporters. Weve been speaking with him hourly and our teams have been embedded trying to find all the sites we possibly can. Theres a lot of stress involved in this.

The situation in Rockland County

The maneuverings of the Rockland County government appear to have temporarily halted the arrival of migrants there.

A Rockland County Supreme Court judge on Tuesday night issued a temporary restraining order at the request of Orangetown officials, who said the hotels land-use permit and certificate of occupancy do not allow it to house migrants for up to four months. In light of the order, New York City is holding off sending asylum-seekers there  for now.

Since Adams plan was formally announced on Friday, Rockland County Executive Day and the mayor have been trading barbs in public statements. Adams representatives have said Days uncompassionate response has shown bad leadership, while Day has argued that Rockland doesnt have the infrastructure to absorb hundreds of new arrivals.

I have never seen such arrogance and such bullying in my entire career in government, Day said at a Wednesday news conference in New City, during which he and Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny framed the migrants as a zoning and safety issue.

Kenny and her counterpart in Newburgh, Supervisor Piaquadio, have said the planned stays of up to four months violate town codes that cap hotel and motel stays at 30 days.

The legal status of these individuals is irrelevant to this lawsuit, Kenny said at the news conference. This has to do with zoning codes and legal use of this property.
FORT MOORE, Ga. (AP)  The Army's training hub in Georgia was renamed Fort Moore during a ceremony Thursday, replacing the name of a Confederate officer that had adorned the base for more than a century with that of a decorated Vietnam War commander and his wife.

The name change for the post formerly known as Fort Benning had been in the making for more than a year, since an independent commission recommended in May 2022 renaming nine of its bases commemorating Confederate officers.

Soldiers and dignitaries attended a ceremony Thursday unveiling the new sign that will stand outside the base headquarters. The post commander, Maj. Gen. Curtis Buzzard, welcomed attendees for the first time to Fort Moore, named in honor of the late Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia Moore.

Located just outside Columbus, the Georgia base trains soldiers to fight in the infantry, to serve in tank crews and is home to the elite Army Ranger School. Roughly 70,000 soldiers and civilian workers are stationed there.

The name Fort Moore marks the first time the Army has named a base in honor of a married couple.

Hal Moore served in Vietnam as commander of a cavalry battalion based at Fort Benning and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Julia Moore successfully lobbied the Pentagon to adopt a policy that military families would be notified of war casualties in person rather than by telegram.

Together Hal and Julie Moore embody the very best of our military and our nation, Buzzard told the ceremony crowd. And the renaming of this installation as Fort Moore is a fitting tribute to their lifelong dedication to the Army and its soldiers and their families.

Founded in 1918 as Camp Benning, the Georgia base had long been named for Henry L. Benning, a justice on the Georgia Supreme Court who vocally supported secession after Abraham Lincoln won the presidency in 1860. Benning joined the Confederate Army during the Civil War and rose to the rank of brigadier general.

The name changes are part of a broader effort by the U.S. military to confront racial injustice. The Pentagon in January ordered that the names of Confederate officers and soldiers be stripped from bases, ships, streets and other places by the end of the year.

Some of the changes have already been completed. Fort Pickett in Virginia became Fort Barfoot in March. And Fort Hood, Texas, was renamed Fort Cavazos on Tuesday.

Others will soon follow. Fort Bragg in North Carolina will be redesignated Fort Liberty next month. Later this year in Georgia, Fort Gordon outside Augusta will be renamed for former President Dwight Eisenhower, who served as a five-star Army general. No date has been set.
Im beginning to think somebody spiked Saratoga Springs' famed mineral springs. What else explains the dysfunction that has consumed city government?

Saratoga Springs seems like a city run by children, elected officials without the self-discipline to control their words and emotions. Case in point: The profanity-laced tirade recently directed by Mayor Ron Kim toward Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Jason Tetu.

You f------ lazy piece of sh--, Kim yelled in City Hall as shocked workers scurried by. Go f--- yourself.

In a video of the confrontation released by the police department, Kim sent five f-bombs echoing through the buildings hallways. The Democrat later apologized but the moment was nevertheless telling. It was another unfortunate example of what the government in Saratoga Springs has become.

To those of us who live elsewhere, its confusing. Saratoga Springs, after all, is a regional success story, arguably the most vibrant city in all of upstate New York. Whats with all the bickering and fighting?

The city has retail and restaurant sectors, along with ample downtown housing, that are the envy of much larger cities. It has low poverty rates and high median incomes, proof that the city remains attractive to those with the means to live anywhere. It has pedestrians  people walking around on their own two feet!  crowding downtown sidewalks.

That success didnt happen by accident, and it wasnt inevitable. Yes, the city has tremendous assets, including a horse track that draws tourists to the city by the thousands, but Broadway in the 1980s was a moribund place. Saratoga Springs looked to be another upstate city in decline.

It rebounded in no small part because its city government was effective. I dont mean to suggest everything was always hugs and rainbows, but, despite disagreements, officials found ways to pull together and make wise choices.

Given the chaos of recent months, its fair to wonder whether thats still possible.

Sign up for the Saratoga Now newsletter Keep up with the latest happening in Saratoga Springs, Clifton Park, Ballston Spa and other communities in Saratoga County. Sign up here.

Meetings of the City Council have become ugly events. In part, thats because the gatherings are frequently and aggressively disrupted by Black Lives Matter activists, but that cant be an excuse. If cities elsewhere can find reasonable ways to accommodate or manage protests, why cant Saratoga Springs?

Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino seemingly wants every disruption punished with handcuffs, while Kim might be happy to hand activists the gavel and let them run the meetings. Surely theres an appropriate middle ground  but only if the people in charge can put their petulance aside to act like reasonable adults.

Instead, the diverging tactics have widened the gulf between Kim and the police department, contributing to last weeks profanity-laden outburst and Tetus absurd threat to have Kim arrested for banging on his door.

As our Wendy Liberatore reported, Kim says he was angry because Montagnino and Tetu didnt respond to what the mayor considered threats to his family. Police, in turn, said there could be no investigation because there was no actual threat. Kim, in another turn, criticized the departments decision to quickly release video of him shouting and swearing.

Was the department hoping to embarrass the mayor? Probably. But Kim shouldnt have given them the chance.

That isnt all. City Republican Committee Chairman Michael Brandi said Kim used the f-word toward another city employee and accused the mayor of being unable to control his temper. A new lawsuit filed by a longtime city employee accuses Kim and Montagnino of fostering a sexist and hostile work environment. What a mess.

Of course, cities arent defined by their governments and Saratoga Springs isnt defined by the immaturity at City Hall. The city remains vibrant and lively. There are few better places to spend a day, and real estate prices suggest the city remains a desirable place to live, at least for the shrinking pool of people who can afford it.

But there are worrying signs that Saratoga Springs has become less effective at dealing with its problems. Homelessness and a lack of shelter beds, in particular, are threatening to become a humanitarian crisis, and the city seems unable to find answers.

Kim, to his credit, has made addressing homelessness a priority, but amid the turmoil and discord at City Hall, its difficult to be confident that fixes to that and other problems will arrive anytime soon. Somehow, the regions most functional city finds itself saddled with a dysfunctional government.

What happened? Whats the matter with Saratoga Springs?

Somebody should check the water.

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

SCHOHARIE  Jaclyn Schnurr, the Wells College professor who lost both her husband and her father in the Oct. 6, 2018, Schoharie limousine crash, took to the witness stand Thursday in the trial of limo operator Nauman Hussain.

Schnurr said on that Saturday afternoon, she and other members of her extended family were in town for her cousins wedding and had all met up in the parking lot of the Apple Barrel Cafe hoping to grab something to eat before checking into their hotel. She had arrived with her husband Brian Hough and their son Benjamin in their Toyota Highlander and parked near her brother-in-laws car on the edge of the lot.

Everyone was in good spirits and glad to get out and stretch their legs and catch up with one another. They decided to get their food to go because the restaurant was so crowded.

We were all there having fun, Schnurr told the jury. We were all just talking because we hadnt seen each other in a while.

Waiting for their lunch order, Schnurrs husband was leaning against the passenger side of their SUV while she and her dad James Schnurr leaned against the other side, talking. She was joking with her father about his upcoming birthday when she started hearing a noise coming from across the highway.

It was just getting louder and louder, Schnurr testified under questioning by Schoharie County District Attorney Susan Mallery. I kept thinking, what is making that noise?

The noise was the sound of a white 2001 Ford Excursion stretch limo coming down Route 30 with 17 passengers aboard. Although Schnurr didnt know it at the time, the driver had lost control of the vehicle. The limo was headed straight for the intersection of Route 30A  and the parking lot where Schnurr and her family were waiting for their sandwiches.

I saw a white blur coming toward the car, and I realized that it was probably going to hit us, Schnurr testified.

It did. The Excursion, which weighed more than 6 tons and had reached a speed in excess of 100 mph coming down the steep hill, struck the Highlander and then veered into a stream bed off to the side.

Schnurr said the only thing she remembers is being on the ground suddenly, alone. She looked around for her dad and husband.

I pushed myself up and looked around  they were nowhere to be found, Schnurr said. Then I ran toward the trees and I came across my father. He was in the bushes at the edge of the parking lot.

Was he alive at that time? Mallery asked.

No, Schnurr replied.

Did you ever see your husband? Mallery asked.

I did not, Schnurr said.

The emotional testimony was the second by a family member of the 20 victims who died from the crash that day in what remains one of the worst highway transportation disasters in U.S. history in more than a decade. Kim Lisinicchia, the wife of the limo's driver, Scott Lisinicchia, had testified earlier in the day.

All 18 people aboard the limo, including Lisinicchia, lost their lives due to their injuries. State and federal investigations blamed the crash on catastrophic brake failure.

Sign up for the Justice in Schoharie newsletter Stay up to date with the latest developments in the Schoharie limo crash investigation and the trial of Nauman Hussain with our free newsletter. Sign up here.

Hussain, 33, who told a State Police investigator later that night that he had been put in charge of his fathers limo business about six months before while his dad was overseas, is on trial in Schoharie County Court on charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. Mallery contends Hussain rented out the Excursion knowing that its brakes were bad and that Lisinicchia wasnt qualified to drive the 18-passenger vehicle.

Hussain has maintained his innocence, and his attorney Lee Kindlon says his client had the Excursions brakes fixed five months before the crash at the Mavis Discount Tire shop in Saratoga Springs, but that Mavis didnt do the repairs he paid for and lied to him by falsifying the invoice for the work. Hussain faces up to 15 years in state prison if convicted of the manslaughter charge.

Mallery also called several other witnesses who had seen the limo earlier that day as it drove from its pickup point in Amsterdam down country roads into Schoharie County. It is unclear if Lisinicchia was lost at the time he was driving down Route 30 toward the Apple Barrel because the route was not the most direct for the trip to Cooperstown.

Before Schnurr was called to the stand, Mallery called other witnesses who had come across the Excursion as it had made its way from Amsterdam. They testified of a strong burning smell coming from the unusually large limo and that it was making a loud noise as if it had an exhaust problem.

Holly Wood, the Esperance woman who was sitting with her daughter in her car at the intersection of Route 30 and Route 30A across from the Apple Barrel when the Excursion was coming down the hill, thought she was going to die that day. She grew emotional recalling as she waited to take a left turn toward the village.

I heard this god-awful noise coming behind me, Wood told the jury. It was just so loud and unusual.

Wood said she looked into her rear-view mirror and could see the large, white limo coming down the hill, coming straight for her car.

I froze, and I told my daughter to hold on because I thought that was it, Wood testified.

Wood said the limo swerved out of the way to the left of where she was stopped and was headed right for a blue SUV in the parking lot.

I just saw the blue car go flying, and then the limo hit the gully, Wood said. It (the back end of the Excursion) literally came up off the ground and slammed down.

Wood and her daughter called 911 and ran toward the crash. She said she remembers seeing someone on the ground who appeared to be dead and hearing someone tell her daughter to stay away from the limo as others were trying to check for survivors inside the limo.

After that, it was just chaos, pure chaos, Wood said.

Correction: This story was updated to reflect that Kim Lisinicchia was the first family member of the victims to testify on Thursday.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

ALBANY  The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously overturned the 2018 Buffalo Billion bid-rigging convictions of SUNY Polytechnic Institute founder Alain Kaloyeros and three upstate businessmen while also reversing the fraud-related conviction earlier that year of Joseph Percoco, the once powerful top aide to former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

Kaloyeros, a leader in upstate's nanotechnology revolution, was convicted along with his co-defendants under a theory of wire fraud that criminalizes traditionally civil matters and federalizes traditionally state matters and is invalid under the federal fraud statute, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas stated in authoring the 9-0 ruling.

In July 2018, a federal jury in Manhattan convicted Kaloyeros, now 67, of conspiring to rig the bids on $855 million in state contracts that part of Cuomos "Buffalo Billion" initiative to revive the economies of western and central New York. Also convicted were Louis Ciminelli, 67, owner of LPCiminelli in Buffalo; Steven Aiello, 65, president of COR Development in Syracuse; and Joseph Gerardi, 63, CORs general counsel.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said Kaloyeros and the businessmen defrauded a nonprofit development arm of SUNY Poly known as the Fort Schuyler Management Corp., which approved the state contracts, of potentially valuable economic information and the right to control its own assets. U.S. District Judge Valerie

Caproni acknowledged during the bid-rigging trial that the right to control theory of wire fraud could end up being tossed by the nations highest court.

Legal terminology aside, the trial offered a rare window into an otherwise secret world of state government. Private emails entered into evidence showed that before requests for proposals, or RFPs for the contract work were issued, Kaloyeros had emailed a sneak preview of the bid proposal to Ciminelli. The bid asked for a company with over 50 years of experience in the Buffalo area; Ciminellis company had been in business for 52.

The trial revealed email exchanges between Kaloyeros and Todd Howe, a SUNY Poly consultant who had once worked for the late Gov. Mario Cuomo and later his son when Andrew Cuomo was federal housing secretary. Prosecutors said Kaloyeros rigged the bids to curry favor with Howe and repair a rocky relationship with Andrew Cuomo. David Doyle, a former spokesman for the governor and later SUNY Poly, testified that the Cuomo administration officials were unsure they wanted to continue to work with Kaloyeros, but let him stay as long as Howe  already a convicted felon at that point  could serve as the administrations eyes and ears at SUNY Poly.

Caproni sentenced Kaloyeros to 3 years; Aiello to 3 years; Gerardi to 2 years and Ciminelli to 28 months.

In a separate trial, the judge sentenced Percoco to six years in prison. Jurors determined Percoco accepted $285,000 from Peter Galbraith Kelly, an executive at a Connecticut energy company, which prosecutors said was an effort to reap a lucrative agreement with the state, and another $35,000 from Aiello and Gerardi for his influence to eliminate the need for a "labor peace agreement" in the construction of a parking lot in Syracuse.

Percoco, who served as Cuomos executive deputy secretary and close confidante from 2011 to 2016, was convicted of honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and solicitation of bribes and gratuities. He received a six-year sentence.

He had taken an eight-month hiatus from his state duties to manage Cuomos 2014 reelection campaign. His attorneys at trial argued that a private citizen could not commit honest services fraud, which occurs when a public official deprives the public of their honest services. Caproni told jurors in Percocos trial that Percoco owed such honest services to the public if he dominated and controlled any governmental business and people working in the government actually relied on him because of a special relationship he had with the government.

In another unanimous ruling Thursday, this one authored by Associate Justice Samuel Alito, the Supreme Court said those jury instructions were improper.

Is it enough if an elected official almost always heeds the advice of a long-time political adviser? Is it enough if an officeholder leans very heavily on recommendations provided by a highly respected predecessor, family member, or old friend? the decision stated.

Yaakov Roth, Percocos attorney, said the case represented an abuse of the federal fraud statutes. It blurred the fundamental line between private citizens and public officials. We are gratified that the court agreed with our position that he was not a public official during the relevant time period, and so he did not violate federal law by acting on behalf of private clients.

The Supreme Courts November oral arguments in both cases made it clear a majority of the justices were likely to overturn the wire fraud convictions of Kaloyeros and his co-defendants in the Buffalo Billion bid-rigging case. Eric Feigin, a deputy solicitor general with the U.S. Department of Justice, admitted to the justices that the controversial theory the case was prosecuted under was problematic.

Kaloyeros began his prison term in March 2022, but stayed at the minimum-security facility in Otisville only a few months before being freed by the courts decision to hear the appeal. He did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment Thursday.

This is not the first time that the high courts whittling down of the honest services statute has upended a high-profile prosecution of a prominent upstate figure. The courts 2010 decision overturning the prosecution of former Enron executive Jeffrey Skilling also negated the corruption conviction of former state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, who was acquitted after a retrial.

That decision narrowed the definition of prosecutable schemes under the statute to those involving bribes or kickbacks.

In a concurring opinion attached to Thursdays decision in Percocos case, Justice Neil Gorsuch offered an extended critical history of the honest-services statute.

To this day, no one knows what 'honest-services fraud' encompasses, Gorsuch wrote. And the Constitutions promise of due process does not tolerate that kind of uncertainty in our laws  especially when criminal sanctions loom.

Both rulings came after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan affirmed the convictions.

Aiellos appellate counsel, Alexandra Shapiro, said in a statement they are gratified by the rulings in Ciminelli and Percoco. "For seven years Messrs. Aiello and Gerardi have maintained their innocence. They feel greatly vindicated by the Supreme Courts unanimous decisions in both cases, which reversed the judgments previously issued by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. They wish to thank all those who have stood by them and offered their support, Shapiro stated.

Note: An earlier version of this article misstated Percoco's criminal sentence.

 Michael Goodwin and Casey Seiler contributed.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  Norway on Thursday took over the Arctic Council's rotating chairmanship from Russia amid questions about what role the eight-country intergovernmental body can play in protecting the polar region after the invasion of Ukraine prompted Western countries to suspend cooperation with Moscow.

The Arctic Council, which doesn't deal with security issues but makes binding agreements on environmental protection and gives a voice to the Indigenous peoples of the Arctic region, was one of the few settings where Western countries and Russia worked together closely.

But the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden decided to pause their work with Russia in the council shortly after Moscow launched the full-scale war in February 2022.

As a result, research involving Russia on issues ranging from climate change to polar bears has been put on hold, and scientists have lost access to important facilities in the Russian Arctic.

Nonetheless, Norway vowed to keep the council's work moving forward as it assumed the rotating two-year chairmanship from Russia.

Norway will continue to focus on the core issues the Council deals with, including the impacts of climate change, sustainable development and efforts to enhance the well-being of people living in the region, Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said. "Together with the other member states, we will now explore how this can be achieved in practice.

Experts say that's going to be complicated without cooperation with Russia, the biggest Arctic nation.

It is a huge challenge for Norway. They have to isolate Russia and at the same time they have to make sure not to provoke Russia to dissolve the Council, said Rasmus Gjedss Bertelsen, of the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsoe.

He worried that Indigenous peoples might lose an important forum and a prominent platform, adding that many of the groups are cross-border organizations and dont follow national borders.

Six organizations representing Arctic Indigenous peoples are permanent participants of the Arctic Council, which was established in 1996.

The council has been a key forum for Arctic stakeholders to address climate change and other environmental challenges in the region, where melting sea ice is opening up new areas to shipping and offshore oil and gas exploration.

Countries including France, Germany, China, Japan, India and Korea attend the meetings of the Arctic Council as observers.

Dwayne Ryan Menezes, founder and director of the London-based Polar Research and Policy Initiative, said that while it won't make the council's problems disappear, Norway taking over the chairmanship would "make it possible for the majority of member states to have a close working relationship with the chair once again, which will aid the forums work of promoting cooperation and coordination.

The handover took place in an online ceremony, with member states Arctic ambassadors rather than foreign ministers attending. The council issued a statement recognizing the historic and unique role of the Arctic Council" and acknowledging the commitment to safeguard and strengthen it.

Morten Hglund, a Norwegian diplomat who took over as chair of the council's senior officials' group, told reporters during an online briefing that important work would continue in the council even though government ministers wouldn't participate in the talks in the foreseeable future.

That's one of the challenges we just have to try to overcome," he said.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP)  Missouri's Republican governor on Wednesday officially opened the application process to replace St. Louis' embattled prosecutor, Kim Gardner, who resigned last week amid crushing pressure from Republicans who have called her negligent.

Gov. Mike Parson said hes looking for a member of the St. Louis community with strong managerial experience, a commitment to the rule of law and a record of fair and just application of state and local law.

We truly want the best person for the job who can restore law and order to our great City of St. Louis, Parson said in a statement. The prosecutor we appoint has a real opportunity to make meaningful and lasting change that strengthens public safety.

Parson has only weeks to name a successor to Gardner, who is the city's first Black circuit attorney. Her last day is June 1.

Republicans have been calling for Gardner to resign for months. They argue too many cases, including homicides, have gone unpunished under Gardners watch, that victims and their families are left uninformed, and that the prosecutors office is too slow to take on cases brought by police. Gardner has said efforts to push her out of office are politically motivated.

State Senate leaders have said she reached a breaking point when she learned that her departure likely would mean the death of pending legislation to allow a special appointed prosecutor to take over most of her duties.

Republican Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, who sponsored that legislation, said he will not push for its passage this year now that Gardner is stepping down. Luetkemeyer and Senate Republican leaders have said a separate bill to restore state control of the St. Louis Police Department faces significant hurdles to becoming law in the final days of the session.

Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey also took legal steps to remove Gardner from office in February. A hearing on whether Gardner should be removed had been scheduled for September.

Gardner has faced intense public scrutiny for years, especially from Republican elected officials.

In 2018, she charged then-Gov. Eric Greitens with felony invasion of privacy, accusing him of taking a compromising photo of a woman during an extramarital affair. The charge was eventually dropped. But Greitens, a Republican who was also under investigation by Missouri lawmakers, resigned in June 2018.

The case drew scrutiny that led to the conviction of Gardners investigator. Gardner received a written reprimand for failing to produce documents and mistakenly maintaining that all documents had been provided to Greitens lawyers.

Criticism of Gardner escalated earlier this year after 17-year-old Janae Edmondson, a volleyball standout from Tennessee, was struck by a speeding car after a tournament game in downtown St. Louis. She lost both legs.

The driver, 21-year-old Daniel Riley, was out on bond on a robbery charge despite nearly 100 bond violations that included letting his GPS monitor die and breaking the terms of his house arrest, according to court records. Critics questioned why Riley was freed.
People visit pit No.3 of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 26, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

People visit pit No.1 of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 26, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

People visit pit No.1 of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 26, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Staff members work at the pit No.2 of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 26, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This aerial photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows a view of the mausoleum of the Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows terracotta warriors at the pit No.1 of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

A staff member repairs a terracotta warrior at the pit No.1 of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 26, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

People visit the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 26, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows terracotta warriors at the pit No.1 of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

A staff member repairs a terracotta warrior at the pit No.1 of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 26, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows terracotta warriors at the pit No.1 of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

People visit the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 26, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This aerial photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows tourists outside the pit No.1 of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows terracotta warriors at the pit No.1 of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

People visit pit No.1 of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 26, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

People visit the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 26, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors.

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), who unified China for the first time.

The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, housing the famous army of Terracotta Warriors, has received over 100 million visits up to now. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

LIMA, Peru (AP)  The prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway on a Dutch Caribbean island is now facing extradition to face criminal charges in the United States.

Peru's government on Wednesday issued an executive order allowing the temporary extradition of Joran van der Sloot. The Dutchman will be prosecuted for alleged extortion and wire fraud charges involving promises to lead Holloway's family to her body, which was never found. She was later declared dead by a U.S. judge.

Van der Sloot has never been charged in connection with her disappearance.

A 2001 treaty between Peru and the U.S. allows a suspect to be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country. It requires that the prisoner be returned after judicial proceedings have concluded.

Here's a look at van der Sloot's history:

___

MAY 2005

Holloway, 18, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, a wealthy Birmingham suburb, vanishes while on a high school graduation trip to Dutch-owned Aruba, an island in the Caribbean. She never showed up for a flight home.

Her disappearance made international headlines and sparked a furor in the United States. Holloway's parents went to the island to pass out fliers and monitor searches. They also appeared on national U.S. television shows to maintain pressure on investigators.

Classmates said they had seen Holloway outside a nightclub in a car with van der Sloot, then 17 years old, and two other local residents  Surinamese brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe.

They claimed to have dropped her off at her hotel.

All three were repeatedly detained but freed over a lack of evidence of a crime. The Kalpoes, who were security guards at a hotel near the one where Holloway was staying, were taken into custody in June and held for nearly a month.

Van der Sloot was held for an additional 60 days.

APRIL 2007

Van der Sloot and a journalist publish a book in Dutch about the case in which he denies killing Holloway and says: I hope every day that Natalee will be found.

MAY 2010

Five years to the day that Holloway vanished, Stephany Flores was killed. The 21-year-old business student had met van der Sloot at a Lima casino.

Van der Sloot fled to Chile but was arrested four days later and taken back to Peru, where he confessed to killing her. He later tried to retract the confession.

Van der Sloot told police he flew into a rage when Flores discovered his connection to Holloway while they were playing online poker in his hotel room. Prosecutors accused him of killing Flores to rob her after learning she had won money at the casino.

The day he was arrested, van der Sloot was indicted in Alabama. Prosecutors accused him of accepting $25,000 in return for a promise to lead a lawyer for Holloways mother to her daughters remains. He never delivered on the offer.

JANUARY 2012

Van der Sloot pleads guilty to killing Flores, telling a judge: I truly am sorry for this act. I feel very bad.

His lawyer argued that the killing was triggered by trauma from being the prime suspect in Holloways disappearance.

That same week, a judge in Alabama declares Holloway legally dead. A day later, van der Sloot is sentenced to 28 years in prison by a three-member panel of judges in Peru for killing Flores.

In January 2023, he was given an additional 18 years in prison for trafficking cocaine while behind bars.

The original sentencing document said van der Sloot was guilty of first-degree murder with aggravating factors of ferocity and great cruelty and detailed how he elbowed Flores in the face, beat her repeatedly, then strangled her with his bloodied shirt.

He also was ordered to pay $75,000 in reparations to the victims family.

Meanwhile, prison authorities said that van der Sloot was transferred from a Lima prison to a high-security Piedras Gordas lockup in response to reports that he had enjoyed privileges such as television, internet access and a cell phone. Piedras Gordas holds local crime bosses and terrorism convicts, including Shining Path guerrillas.

JULY 2014

Van der Sloot marries his pregnant Peruvian girlfriend, Leidy Figueroa, 24, in a private ceremony at the prison.

Van der Sloot met Figueroa while she was selling goods inside the prison, according to his attorney.

AUGUST 2014

Authorities send van der Sloot to a prison high in the Andes, saying he had threatened to kill the warden of the lockup near Lima.

SEPTEMBER 2014

Van der Sloot becomes a father. His attorney says the girl was born in Lima but far from the remote prison where van der Sloot is serving his prison sentence.

The child is named Dushy after van der Sloots grandmother.

MAY 2023

Peru's government decides to allow van der Sloot's temporary extradition to the U.S. to face charges there. Under a 2001 treaty between the countries, a suspect can be temporarily extradited to face trial in the other country, but must be returned after judicial proceedings are concluded.
What good is achieved by sending Jordan Young to prison? We're struggling to answer that question.

Mr. Young did something terrible. On the night of Jan. 24, 2022, he came at police with a knife in his hand. When he refused orders to drop the weapon, Mr. Young was shot several times by Albany officer Daniel Madsen.

Mr. Young, we later learned, has a long history of mental illness that includes bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. His behavior was increasingly erratic in the weeks before his confrontation with police, but the father of two never received the help he so desperately needed or treatment that might have prevented the encounter with police.

For Mr. Young, now 33, the ramifications would prove severe. Since the shooting, he has undergone 24 surgeries and remains in a severely weakened state. Advocates for keeping him out of prison argued that incarceration would amount to a death sentence, given the considerable medical care he will continue to need.

The appeal to common sense and compassion did not sway Albany County District Attorney David Soares, who insisted Mr. Young serve time. Under the terms of a deal announced last week, Mr. Young pleaded guilty to menacing a police officer and will spend two years in prison after receiving additional medical care.

Again: What purpose does the sentence serve? Mr. Young needs help. He needs treatment of a quality he's unlikely to receive in the prison system. Without that care, Mr. Young will likely return to the streets in a similarly troubled state. A prison sentence, then, merely hits the pause button, pushing the problem down the line. His community will not be made safer.

The Albany Police Benevolent Association nevertheless argued against the plea deal, claiming Mr. Young's punishment is too light. An attorney for Mr. Madsen, Andrew Safranko, even said the deal suggests "you can attack a police officer without significant consequences."

Without consequences? It is ridiculous to look at Mr. Young's largely bed-bound life since the shooting and conclude he got away with something. He still needs extensive reconstructive surgery and struggles to absorb nutrition. Contrary to Mr. Safranko's assertion, the consequences for Mr. Young were significant even before the added punishment of two years in prison.

Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter.

To be clear, we're not contending he should have walked free or escaped additional sanction. In exchange for a guilty plea, Mr. Young should have been placed on probation and supervision. He most likely should have been confined to an institution capable of attending to his significant mental and physical health needs  a place where he could get the kind of effective, long-term treatment that could change his life.

But a prison sentence for Mr. Young rewards only retrograde instincts for wrath, settling a score that didn't need to be settled. After all, Mr. Young physically harmed only himself and has suffered greatly. Given his mental state, it isn't clear he was capable of understanding what he was doing at the time of the confrontation or what its potential consequences could be.

And yet Mr. Young is headed to prison. It's a punishment without purpose.
ALBANY  The union representing State Police investigators said the surging number of cases involving extreme risk protection orders that require them to seek court orders to seize firearms from a person they believe to be a danger is pulling them away from other investigations and leaving them overwhelmed.

The situation is being exacerbated by retirements, promotions and transfers of investigators and State Police investigators, whose ranks have dropped from more than 1,300 in 2011 to around 1,100.

Tim Dymond, president of the New York State Police Investigators Association, said their members are asking for help. They commended Gov. Kathy Hochul for increasing funding to the agency in the recently approved budget, but noted that impact will not be felt for at least six months.

The Times Union reported last week that 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 Hochul that mandated troopers file court applications for extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) 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 several measures that expanded who may file an ERPO petition to include health care practitioners who have examined an individual within the past six months. The law change also requires police and district attorneys to file ERPOs when they have credible information that someone is likely to engage in conduct that could result in serious harm.

The spike in ERPOs has created an unmanageable workload that will undoubtedly cause other criminal investigations to suffer, Dymond said in a statement Thursday. We recognize the importance of ERPOs and we agree that persons whom are a threat to themselves or others should not have guns. We are also realistic in noticing when our people are overwhelmed. ERPOs are important but so are murder, rape and robbery investigations. We still need to be able to investigate local burglary rings. We still need to track down child predators and drug dealers.

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, Beau Duffy, a State Police spokesman, told the Times Union in response to questions about the evidence rooms.

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

The broader measures enacted under the law have faced civil rights challenges; 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.

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 those 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 ERPO. 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.
The productivity gap between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland has widened to approximately 40%, despite a similar starting point after the Good Friday Agreement, an Oireachtas committee has been told.

Representatives from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) were discussing the all-island economy at the Oireachtas joint committee on the implementation of the agreement.

ESRI chief executive Professor Alan Barrett said there are substantial gaps between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

For example, he said, the adjusted GNI* per capita in Ireland was about 51% higher than GDP per capita in Northern Ireland in 2018.

Modified gross national income (GNI*) is a metric which attempts to give a better view of the Irish domestic economy by removing some multinational activity, as compared with the standard metric of gross domestic product (GDP) which is the value of goods and services produced in a country.



He said there was a gap in household disposable income of 12% in 2018 in favour of Ireland, while the proportion of people at risk of poverty was 14.3% in Northern Ireland compared with 8.9% in the Republic.

Today @AlanMBarrett, @seamusmcguinnes and Adele Bergin appeared before the @OireachtasNews Good Friday Agreement committee. They discussed ESRI research comparing the economies of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Read their opening statement: https://t.co/xEThMET3nR pic.twitter.com/YqhzaNgnY7  ESRI Dublin (@ESRIDublin) May 11, 2023

Prof Barrett said life expectancy was 1.4 years longer in the Republic of Ireland in 2018.

The poorer performance of the Northern Ireland economy relative to both the economies of Ireland and the British regions has been previously linked to its relatively low levels of productivity, he said.

Productivity is measured as the value of goods and services per worker and is a key performance metric.

Over the period of 2001 to 2020, productivity in Ireland increased by 0.2% per annum and fell by 1.1% per annum in Northern Ireland.

So youre starting at a similar position in 2000. You got one growing and one falling and the overall impact by 2020, productivity levels were approximately 40% higher in Ireland compared to Northern Ireland.

He called for a comprehensive strategy of improving Northern Ireland firms by reforming education and skills provision and increasing investment in an integrated way rather than through single policy levers.

On education, Prof Barrett said levels of educational attainment were lower in Northern Ireland.

Although the proportion of people with third-level qualifications is similar in both jurisdictions, Northern Ireland has significantly fewer people with post-secondary non-third level certifications.

On the other end of the spectrum, early school leaving is two to three times higher in Northern Ireland compared to Ireland.

Senator Emer Currie described the productivity gap as stark.

Prof Barrett said Northern Irelands economy has grown but by adding lower productivity jobs it did not converge on the living standards of the Republic or Britain.

He was critical of policymaking in Northern Ireland compared with what he saw as an integrated approach in the Republic of Ireland.

One of the great difficulties is that their departments tend to be rather siloed and thats partly as a result of mandatory coalition, but its actually to do with sort of the structure of the civil service departments as well.

He later added: While a lot of money flowed into Northern Ireland over many years, its not entirely clear that the money was used well.

ESRI researcher Dr Seamus McGuinness said Northern Ireland has historically been at the bottom when compared with British regional economies and said there was no investment at the time of the Good Friday Agreement.

Irrespective of the quality of policymaking, its going to be increasingly difficult if you dont have the basic infrastructural system in place to try and grow the economy.

He said if there was to be a constitutional change towards a unification of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland then voters need to know fundamentally how welfare and living standards differ right across various dimensions on both sides of the border.

And they need to know how those situations are likely to change in the event of a border poll ratifying reunification.

On the topic of subvention for Northern Ireland, the ESRI representatives said that planning for a potential unification should be ensuring that the Northern Ireland economy should be brought up to a point where that would not be required.

ESRI researcher Dr Adele Bergin said: Irrespective of constitutional change, would it not be desirable to have policies in place that would improve Northern Irelands productivity that would improve education and overall living standards that would actually reduce the needs for subvention anyway?

Dr McGuinness said the discussion around subvention is a red herring, adding that nobody knows the exact figure.

Subvention is an issue, its an issue thats driven by low productivity.

Low productivity is not something that is set in stone, its something that can be fixed.

He said this is related to a lot of things, but particularly the quality of jobs being produced.

I think its not a controversial statement to say the Northern economy is underperforming and that there is substantial scope for productivity gains, given the right investment, and the right policy framework.

Prof Barrett said there was no doubt that greater political stability in Northern Ireland would help investment.

Asked about low-lying fruit for co-operation, Dr McGuinness said it was not rocket science to say there was massive duplication in the two health systems and there were economies of scale to be gained.

He said the all-island labour market had been affected by Brexit along with infrastructural barriers.
[May 11, 2023] City of Mesa digitally transforms its business-critical systems with CGI Advantage System supports third-largest city in Arizona with over 500,000 citizens, 4,400 employees, and an operating budget of $2.3 billion MESA, Ariz., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CGI (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A) today announced the City of Mesa's launch of a transformed and modernized enterprise resource planning (ERP) system using CGI Advantage, CGI's full-suite, built-for-government solution. The system launch signals the completion of the upgrade work under a 10-year agreement with CGI. CGI Advantage supports 3rd largest city in Arizona with 500,000 citizens, 4,400 employees and operating budget of $2.3B "CGI has provided a modern, innovative and flexible solution that continues to help us meet our strategic goals for management of City resources in the digital age," said Michael Kennington, CFO/Deputy City Manager of the City of Mesa. "The City is realizing benefits from eliminating customizations, streamlining the user experience, increasing data-driven business decisions, and transforming to SaaS-enaled technology."





CGI and the City of Mesa have partnered since 2011 for the ongoing transformation of the city's business-critical systems. With the upgrade of CGI Advantage, the City will have greater ERP flexibility with transformed processes that streamline the City's resources and ultimately drives more efficiencies. For five consecutive years, the City of Mesa has made the top 10 list in the Center for Digital Government's Digital Cities Survey for cities with a population of 500,000 or more. The annual survey recognizes cities using technology to tackle social challenges, enhance services, and strengthen security. One of the most widely-adopted government ERP solutions, CGI Advantage simplifies government enterprise resource planning with proven, flexible, secure, SaaS-enabled technology. With a mobile-first design and an adaptive role-based user experience, CGI Advantage Cloud has been implemented for more than 500 public sector organizations nationwide to meet complex public sector requirements and streamline financial, procurement, budgeting and HR business processes. "CGI Advantage provides the City with a fully modernized system, emphasizing enhanced security features and the ability to provide mobile-anywhere access," said Joanna Robinson, Senior Vice-President of CGI's U.S. West operations. "Combined with a new user experience, strengthened analytics will provide a huge improvement in the ability to present meaningful, timely, and role-specific data that results in process efficiencies and informed decision making." About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 91,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2022 reported revenue is $12.87 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/city-of-mesa-digitally-transforms-its-business-critical-systems-with-cgi-advantage-301820687.html SOURCE CGI Technologies and Solutions, Inc.

[ Back To Call Center Scheduling Homepage ]
[May 10, 2023] PSG Launches New and Updated Flow-Sensor and Flow-Measurement Technologies

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PSG, part of Dover (NYSE: DOV) and a global pump, metering and dispensing-solution expert, today announced the launch of its new BioProTT FlowSU System and updated SumoFlo CPFM-8103 Single-Use Coriolis Mass Flow Meter technologies. The unveiling of these new products from the recently launched PSG Biotech brand took place last month at the 2023 INTERPHEX Show, which was held in New York, NY. "The new and improved BioProTT FlowSU System and SumoFlo Coriolis Mass Flow Meter products ensure maximum media-integrity protection, which gives producers of life-saving biopharmaceuticals, medicines and therapeutics confidence that their products are safe," said Michael Franco, Director, Global Biopharma Sales for PSG. "That is the motivation behind everything we do at PSG and the embodiment of the 'Caring For Every Drop' philosophy that drives our business every day." The BioProTT FlowSU System is a next-generation flow-measurement system that has been designed for single-use biopharma applications. The "Ready. Connect. Flow." capabilities of the FlowSU System revolve around an innovative disposable sensor that eliminates the need for calibration and can be easily integrated into most standard manifolds while performing flow-measurement and air-in-line detection tasks simultaneously. The sensor's straight-line flow path also produces product transfer with less shear stress to better protect sensitive fluids from damage. The reusable and easy-to-mount holder station is outfitted with integrated electronics with Power over Ethernet (PoE) capability. The holder station is compatible with every sensor size and allows tool-free attachment with special locking technology, creating a safe and reliable connection with every use. The SumoFlo CPFM-8103 Single-Use Coriolis Mass Flow Meter, the world's only gamma-sterilizable Coriolis mass flow meter, continues to provide a best-in-class mass-flow readin accuracy rate of +/-1% in flow rates from 0.05 to 100 kg/min. In addition, several new features have been added that further separate its operational capabilities from competitive models and make it well suited for upstream, laboratory, and cell and gene therapy applications. Specifically, the 031 model offers a new inline option for both inlet and outlet ports. In addition to the standard 1/8" connection option, a new 1/4" connection option allows the flow meter to be used in a wider range of applications with no adjustment needed for different tube sizes. Finally, the flow meter's external temperature sensor has been relocated to the interior of the unit, which improves reliability and performance and eliminates a potential leak path. The redesign of both the 031 and U08 models also allows them to be more efficiently manufactured while maintaining robust operating capabilities in the same size and footprint. The U08 SumoFlo Coriolis Mass Flow Meter is the low-flow version with a flow-rate range of 0.002-0.05 kg/min, making it ideal for critical low-dosing applications in the biopharmaceutical space.



For more information on the ways that PSG equipment and systems can optimize performance in critical life science and biopharmaceutical applications, please visit psgdover.com/biotech. About PSG:

PSG is the global pump, metering and dispensing-solution expert, enabling the safe and efficient transfer of critical and valuable fluids that require optimal performance and reliability in applications where it matters most. Additionally, PSG is a leading provider of flow meters designed to reduce waste and downtime while accurately measuring, monitoring and controlling the distribution of fluids. Headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, USA, PSG is comprised of several world-class brands, including Abaque, All-Flo, Almatec, Blackmer, Ebsray, em-tec, Griswold, Hydro, Malema, Mouvex, Neptune, PSG Biotech, Quantex, Quattroflow, RedScrew and Wilden. PSG products are manufactured on three continents  North America, Europe and Asia  in state-of-the-art facilities that practice lean manufacturing and are ISO-certified. PSG is part of the Pumps & Process Solutions segment of Dover Corporation. For additional information on PSG, please visit psgdover.com. PSG: Where Innovation Flows. About Dover: Dover is a diversified global manufacturer and solutions provider with annual revenue of over $8 billion. We deliver innovative equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services through five operating segments: Engineered Products, Clean Energy & Fueling, Imaging & Identification, Pumps & Process Solutions and Climate & Sustainability Technologies. Dover combines global scale with operational agility to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 65 years, our team of over 25,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what's possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under "DOV." Additional information is available at dovercorporation.com. PSG Contact:

Christopher Walsh

(331) 277-8137

[email protected] Dover?Media?Contact:

Adrian?Sakowicz, VP, Communications

(630) 743-5039

[email protected] Dover Investor Contact:

Jack Dickens, Senior Director, Investor Relations

(630) 743-2566

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/psg-launches-new-and-updated-flow-sensor-and-flow-measurement-technologies-301821054.html SOURCE Dover

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 10, 2023] Cost-cutting: Vietnam and The Philippines become alternatives for employers - Recruitery reports

SINGAPORE, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With the economic continued downturn, companies of all sizes felt the squeeze and reduced their workforce. However, Vietnam and the Philippines' talents remain resilient and attract thousands of jobs from APAC. Recruitery reported a 300% growth in their EOR and payroll services for companies hiring from these countries in Q1 2023 compared to the first quarter of the last year. However, jobs from domestic employers are down 51%. "While Vietnam attracts jobs in software, product, marketing, and accounting roles, businesses are sourcing educational expertise, customer service and sales from the Philippines." said Toan Nguyen, founder and CEO of Recruitery. The key drivers of this trend are: Cost savings: Companies worldwide are downsizing to cut costs. Hiring from developing countries like Vietnam , India , and the Philippines allows them to tap into a skilled yet affordable talent pool.





Companies worldwide are downsizing to cut costs. Hiring from developing countries like , , and allows them to tap into a skilled yet affordable talent pool. Proximity and culture: Companies from Singapore , Japan , South Korea , and Hong Kong etc . have regional proximity and cultural ties with Vietnam and the Philippines . This makes employment and collaboration easier.





Companies from , , , and . have regional proximity and cultural ties with and . This makes employment and collaboration easier. Growing talent pool: With a population of over 97 million peopl, Vietnam boasts a large and youthful demographic, with more than 50% of its citizens under the age of 30. The Vietnamese government has set an ambitious target of creating a pool of 1.3 million IT workers by 2025, underscoring the country's commitment to developing a skilled workforce. Similarly, the Philippines offers a pool of over 100 million people, with more than 60% of its population under the age of 30. With a strong emphasis on English-language education, the country presents a particularly attractive option for businesses seeking an English-speaking labor force in a range of fields.



Tech Companies Shifting Production From China due to geopolitical tensions

Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam, has emerged as a popular alternative to China for companies looking to relocate their operations. With its skilled and cost-effective workforce, a stable government, and a growing focus on high-tech industries. The low labor costs, abundant talent pool, and pro-business policies have drawn suppliers of Apple, Google and Amazon making progress in expanding to neighboring Asian countries. Samsung has just launched a $220-million R&D centre in Hanoi, while German technology giant Bosch is planning to have 6,000 engineers for R&D and high-tech agriculture in Vietnam by 2025. The trend is expected to continue as companies diversify their supply chains away from China due to rising costs and geopolitical tensions. About Recruitery Recruitery is all-in-one hiring solution that simplifies the process of searching for candidates, hire and pay local talent compliantly across APAC. With the Recruitery headhunting solution, you can easily work with recruiters and headhunters who have access to a vast network of potential candidates, making it easier to identify and recruit top talent faster. The Recruitery EOR solution provides a comprehensive suite of payroll management features, including automated tax calculation, payment processing, and reporting. With its expertise, you can rest assured that your hiring and payroll needs are in good hands. www.recruitery.co View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/cost-cutting-vietnam-and-the-philippines-become-alternatives-for-employers---recruitery-reports-301820761.html SOURCE Recruitery

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 10, 2023] Healthcare Logistics Market size in North America to grow at a CAGR of 9.34% from 2022 to 2027, Adoption of legislative and regulatory changes supporting pharma growth expected to drive market growth - Technavio

NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The healthcare logistics market size in North America is estimated to grow by USD 18.4 billion from 2022 to 2027. However, the growth momentum will progress at a CAGR of 9.34% during the forecast period. The market is segmented by Product (Pharmaceuticals and Medical devices) and Service (Transportation and Warehousing). The market share growth by the pharmaceuticals segment will be significant during the forecast period. The pharmaceutical units segment showed a gradual increase in the market share with USD 13.74 billion in 2017 and continued to grow until 2021. For instance, the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) has approved 46 new drugs or new molecular entity (NME) drugs in 2021. The adoption of legislative and regulatory changes supporting pharma growth is the major driving factor for the North America healthcare logistics market. Strict regulation in the medical and pharmaceutical industry is the biggest entry barrier to the new players and the introduction of new drugs to the market. Moreover, the Government of Canada implements several compulsory health and medical insurance schemes that provide basic health care and easy payment of medical expenses for individuals. Download the Sample Report in minutes! Healthcare Logistics Market Insights - Vendors : 15+, Including Air Canada, AmerisourceBergen Corp., AP Moller Maersk AS, Bollore SE, C H Robinson Worldwide Inc., CMA CGM SA, Cold Chain Technologies, Deutsche Bahn AG, Deutsche Post AG, DSV AS, FedEx Corp., Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE and Co KG, Kuehne Nagel Management AG, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, Noatum Holdings SLU, Owens and Minor Inc., SEKO Logistics, UniGroup CA, United Parcel Service Inc., and VersaCold Logistics Services among others

: 15+, Including Air Canada, AmerisourceBergen Corp., AP Moller Maersk AS, Bollore SE, C H Robinson Worldwide Inc., CMA CGM SA, Cold Chain Technologies, Deutsche Bahn AG, Deutsche Post AG, DSV AS, FedEx Corp., Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE and Co KG, Kuehne Nagel Management AG, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, Noatum Holdings SLU, and Minor Inc., SEKO Logistics, UniGroup CA, United Parcel Service Inc., and VersaCold Logistics Services among others Coverage: Parent market analysis; key drivers, major trends, and challenges; customer and vendor landscape; vendor product insights and recent developments; key vendors; and market positioning of vendors

Parent market analysis; key drivers, major trends, and challenges; customer and vendor landscape; vendor product insights and recent developments; key vendors; and market positioning of vendors Segments: Product (Pharmaceuticals and Medical devices) and Service (Transportation and Warehousing) To understand more about the information services market, request a sample report Healthcare logistics market in north america - Vendor Insights The growing competition in the market is compelling vendors to adopt various growth strategies such as promotional activities and spending on advertisements to improve the visibility of their services. Technavio's report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors. Healthcare Logistics Market In North America  Market Dynamics Major Trends - The advent of pharma 4.0 and logistics 4.0 is a major trend that fuels the North America healthcare logistics market. Technology transforms industries by integrating advanced technologies into traditional manufacturing and industrial processes. They describe the use of new digital technologies and intelligent automation in business and production processes. Moreover, these technologies help companies create connected, intelligent systems with the ultimate goal of achieving strategic and operational benefits. The emergence of advanced technologies such as 3D printing, additive manufacturing, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality, virtual reality, and big data analytics has been a positive sign of Industry 4.0. Hence, such trends fuel the market growth during the forecast period. Key challenges - The high cost of branded drugs is a major challenge that can majorly impede the growth of the North America healthcare logistics market. One of the major factors restraining the growth of the pharmaceutical industry, especially in the United States, is the high cost of medicines. For instance, Harvoni (ledipasvir + sofosbuvir) is a combination drug indicated for the hepatitis C virus, around USD 595 per tablet in the UK and around USD 1,500 in the US. Hence, such challenges hinder the market growth during the forecast period. Drivers, & Challenges have an impact on market dynamics and can impact

businesses. Find some insights from a sample report! Why Buy? Add credibility to strategy

Analyzes competitor's offerings

Get a holistic view of the market Grow your profit margin with Technavio- Buy the Report What are the key data covered in this Healthcare Logistics Market In North America report? CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the healthcare logistics market in North America between 2023 and 2027

between 2023 and 2027 Precise estimation of the size of the healthcare logistics market in North America and its contribution to the market with a focus on the parent market

and its contribution to the market with a focus on the parent market Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the healthcare logistics market in North America across North America

across A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of the healthcare logistics market in North America vendors Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports: The predicted growth of the healthcare information software market size from 2021 to 2026 is USD 11.76 billion at a progressing CAGR of 7.9%. Furthermore, this report extensively covers healthcare information software market segmentation by application (HIS and PIS), deployment (On premises and Cloud based), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The increasing adoption of EHRs is notably driving the market growth. The home healthcare services market size is expected to increase by USD 56.83 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 10.83%. Furthermore, this report extensively covers home healthcare services market segmentation by application (therapeutic services, diagnostic services, and others) and geography (North America, Asia, Europe, and Rest of World (ROW)). The rising geriatric population is notably driving the home healthcare services market growth.







Healthcare Logistics Market In North America Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 9.34% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 18.4 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 6.82 Regional analysis North America Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Air Canada, AmerisourceBergen Corp., AP Moller Maersk AS, Bollore SE, C H Robinson Worldwide Inc., CMA CGM SA, Cold Chain Technologies, Deutsche Bahn AG, Deutsche Post AG, DSV AS, FedEx Corp., Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE and Co KG, Kuehne Nagel Management AG, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, Noatum Holdings SLU, Owens and Minor Inc., SEKO Logistics, UniGroup CA, United Parcel Service Inc., and VersaCold Logistics Services Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse for Technavio's Industrials?Market Reports Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Country Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Product



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Service



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2022 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 14: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 15: Data Table on Regional - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 16: Chart on North America : Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 17: Data Table on Regional - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) 4 Historic Market Size 4.1 Healthcare logistics market in North America 2017 - 2021

2017 - 2021 Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Healthcare logistics market in North America 2017 - 2021 ($ billion) 4.2 Product Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  Product Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion) 4.3 Service Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  Service Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion) 4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion) 5 Five Forces Analysis 5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 22: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027 5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 23: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027 5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 24: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 25: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 26: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 27: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 28: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027 6 Market Segmentation by Product 6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 29: Chart on Product - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 30: Data Table on Product - Market share 2022-2027 (%) 6.2 Comparison by Product

Exhibit 31: Chart on Comparison by Product



Exhibit 32: Data Table on Comparison by Product 6.3 Pharmaceuticals - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 33: Chart on Pharmaceuticals - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 34: Data Table on Pharmaceuticals - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 35: Chart on Pharmaceuticals - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 36: Data Table on Pharmaceuticals - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 6.4 Medical devices - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 37: Chart on Medical devices - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 38: Data Table on Medical devices - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 39: Chart on Medical devices - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 40: Data Table on Medical devices - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 6.5 Market opportunity by Product

Exhibit 41: Market opportunity by Product ($ billion)



Exhibit 42: Data Table on Market opportunity by Product ($ billion) 7 Market Segmentation by Service 7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 43: Chart on Service - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 44: Data Table on Service - Market share 2022-2027 (%) 7.2 Comparison by Service

Exhibit 45: Chart on Comparison by Service



Exhibit 46: Data Table on Comparison by Service 7.3 Transportation - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 47: Chart on Transportation - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 48: Data Table on Transportation - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 49: Chart on Transportation - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 50: Data Table on Transportation - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.4 Warehousing - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 51: Chart on Warehousing - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on Warehousing - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 53: Chart on Warehousing - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 54: Data Table on Warehousing - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.5 Market opportunity by Service

Exhibit 55: Market opportunity by Service ($ billion)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Market opportunity by Service ($ billion) 8 Customer Landscape 8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 57: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 9 Geographic Landscape 9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 58: Chart on Market share by geography - 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 59: Data Table on Market share by geography - 2022-2027 (%) 9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 60: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 61: Data Table on Geographic comparison 9.3 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 62: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 64: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 65: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.4 Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 66: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 67: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 68: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 69: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.5 Mexico - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 70: Chart on Mexico - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on Mexico - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 72: Chart on Mexico - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on Mexico - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.6 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 74: Market opportunity by geography ($ billion)



Exhibit 75: Data Table on Market opportunity by geography ($ billion) 10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10.1 Market drivers 10.2 Market challenges 10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 76: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027 10.4 Market trends 11 Vendor Landscape 11.1 Overview 11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 77: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 78: Overview on factors of disruption 11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 79: Impact of key risks on business 12 Vendor Analysis 12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 80: Vendors covered 12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 81: Matrix on vendor position and classification 12.3 Air Canada

Exhibit 82: Air Canada - Overview



Exhibit 83: Air Canada - Product / Service



Exhibit 84: Air Canada - Key offerings 12.4 AmerisourceBergen Corp.

Exhibit 85: AmerisourceBergen Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 86: AmerisourceBergen Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 87: AmerisourceBergen Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 88: AmerisourceBergen Corp. - Segment focus 12.5 AP Moller Maersk AS

Exhibit 89: AP Moller Maersk AS - Overview



Exhibit 90: AP Moller Maersk AS - Business segments



Exhibit 91: AP Moller Maersk AS - Key news



Exhibit 92: AP Moller Maersk AS - Key offerings



Exhibit 93: AP Moller Maersk AS - Segment focus 12.6 Bollore SE

Exhibit 94: Bollore SE - Overview



Exhibit 95: Bollore SE - Business segments



Exhibit 96: Bollore SE - Key offerings



Exhibit 97: Bollore SE - Segment focus 12.7 C H Robinson Worldwide Inc.

Exhibit 98: C H Robinson Worldwide Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 99: C H Robinson Worldwide Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 100: C H Robinson Worldwide Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 101: C H Robinson Worldwide Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 102: C H Robinson Worldwide Inc. - Segment focus 12.8 CMA CGM SA

Exhibit 103: CMA CGM SA - Overview



Exhibit 104: CMA CGM SA - Business segments



Exhibit 105: CMA CGM SA - Key news



Exhibit 106: CMA CGM SA - Key offerings



Exhibit 107: CMA CGM SA - Segment focus 12.9 Cold Chain Technologies

Exhibit 108: Cold Chain Technologies - Overview



Exhibit 109: Cold Chain Technologies - Product / Service



Exhibit 110: Cold Chain Technologies - Key offerings 12.10 Deutsche Bahn AG

Exhibit 111: Deutsche Bahn AG - Overview



Exhibit 112: Deutsche Bahn AG - Business segments



Exhibit 113: Deutsche Bahn AG - Key news



Exhibit 114: Deutsche Bahn AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 115: Deutsche Bahn AG - Segment focus 12.11 Deutsche Post AG

Exhibit 116: Deutsche Post AG - Overview



Exhibit 117: Deutsche Post AG - Business segments



Exhibit 118: Deutsche Post AG - Key news



Exhibit 119: Deutsche Post AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 120: Deutsche Post AG - Segment focus 12.12 DSV AS

Exhibit 121: DSV AS - Overview



Exhibit 122: DSV AS - Business segments



Exhibit 123: DSV AS - Key offerings



Exhibit 124: DSV AS - Segment focus 12.13 FedEx Corp.

Exhibit 125: FedEx Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 126: FedEx Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 127: FedEx Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 128: FedEx Corp. - Segment focus 12.14 Kuehne Nagel Management AG

Exhibit 129: Kuehne Nagel Management AG - Overview



Exhibit 130: Kuehne Nagel Management AG - Business segments



Exhibit 131: Kuehne Nagel Management AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 132: Kuehne Nagel Management AG - Segment focus 12.15 SEKO Logistics

Exhibit 133: SEKO Logistics - Overview



Exhibit 134: SEKO Logistics - Product / Service



Exhibit 135: SEKO Logistics - Key offerings 12.16 UniGroup CA

Exhibit 136: UniGroup CA - Overview



Exhibit 137: UniGroup CA - Product / Service



Exhibit 138: UniGroup CA - Key offerings 12.17 United Parcel Service Inc.

Exhibit 139: United Parcel Service Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 140: United Parcel Service Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 141: United Parcel Service Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 142: United Parcel Service Inc. - Segment focus 13 Appendix 13.1 Scope of the report 13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 143: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 144: Exclusions checklist 13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 145: Currency conversion rates for US$ 13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 146: Research methodology



Exhibit 147: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 148: Information sources 13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 149: List of abbreviations About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/healthcare-logistics-market-size-in-north-america-to-grow-at-a-cagr-of-9-34-from-2022-to-2027--adoption-of-legislative-and-regulatory-changes-supporting-pharma-growth-expected-to-drive-market-growth---technavio-301818465.html SOURCE Technavio

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
A Tajik professor introduces to students a green electrical energy device at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. The Luban Workshop, co-founded by China's Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College and Tajik Technical University, was officially put into operation in November 2022. It covers 1,138 square meters and is the first of its kind in Central Asia.

The workshop, named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master, is a Chinese vocational workshop program training talent overseas, a win-win model for vocational education cooperation. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

Wu Zhengpeng (1st R), a teacher from Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College, introduces knowledge on mapping to students at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. The Luban Workshop, co-founded by China's Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College and Tajik Technical University, was officially put into operation in November 2022. It covers 1,138 square meters and is the first of its kind in Central Asia.

The workshop, named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master, is a Chinese vocational workshop program training talent overseas, a win-win model for vocational education cooperation. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

Students learn skills at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. The Luban Workshop, co-founded by China's Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College and Tajik Technical University, was officially put into operation in November 2022. It covers 1,138 square meters and is the first of its kind in Central Asia.

The workshop, named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master, is a Chinese vocational workshop program training talent overseas, a win-win model for vocational education cooperation. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

Wu Zhengpeng (2nd L), a teacher from Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College, introduces how to use mapping devices to students at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. The Luban Workshop, co-founded by China's Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College and Tajik Technical University, was officially put into operation in November 2022. It covers 1,138 square meters and is the first of its kind in Central Asia.

The workshop, named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master, is a Chinese vocational workshop program training talent overseas, a win-win model for vocational education cooperation. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

A Tajik professor introduces how to weld steel pipe to students at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. The Luban Workshop, co-founded by China's Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College and Tajik Technical University, was officially put into operation in November 2022. It covers 1,138 square meters and is the first of its kind in Central Asia.

The workshop, named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master, is a Chinese vocational workshop program training talent overseas, a win-win model for vocational education cooperation. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

A Tajik professor introduces how to cut steel pipe to students at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. The Luban Workshop, co-founded by China's Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College and Tajik Technical University, was officially put into operation in November 2022. It covers 1,138 square meters and is the first of its kind in Central Asia.

The workshop, named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master, is a Chinese vocational workshop program training talent overseas, a win-win model for vocational education cooperation. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

A Tajik professor introduces how to weld steel pipe to students at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. The Luban Workshop, co-founded by China's Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College and Tajik Technical University, was officially put into operation in November 2022. It covers 1,138 square meters and is the first of its kind in Central Asia.

The workshop, named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master, is a Chinese vocational workshop program training talent overseas, a win-win model for vocational education cooperation. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

Wu Zhengpeng (1st L, back), a teacher from Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College, introduces knowledge on mapping to students at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. The Luban Workshop, co-founded by China's Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College and Tajik Technical University, was officially put into operation in November 2022. It covers 1,138 square meters and is the first of its kind in Central Asia.

The workshop, named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master, is a Chinese vocational workshop program training talent overseas, a win-win model for vocational education cooperation. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)
[May 10, 2023] ASILI GLOBAL's NEWGEN Group Shines Globally

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ASILI GLOBAL is a global direct-to-consumer e-commerce company based in Lehi, Utah, that aims to make people's lives happier. Injected with unicorn startup DNA from its inception, the company rapidly expanded its business in North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region through excellent products and a systematic business rewards program. ASILI GLOBAL values people and innovation, and is committed to creating value for people, respecting diversity, and promoting positive change through entrepreneurial, innovative, and non-traditional business thinking. From an enterprise perspective, ASILI GLOBAL is entering a so-called "entrepreneurial growth period," rooting itself and learning business replication models worldwide, and preparing to seize potential huge opportunities. Compared with many other global companies, ASILI GLOBAL has accumulated energy and is on the verge of becoming a global unicorn company. ASILI GLOBAL's CEO and founder, Brent D. Morrill, always adheres to the brand's simple and genuine philosophy, with the slogan "Make People Happier Every Day." The company's core values include entrepreneurial thinking, innovative thinking, non-traditional thinking, creating value, respecting diversity, and promoting positive change. Under the leadership of Asia Pacific General Manager Mr. Vergil Tan, and the legacy of the founder of the ASILI Eagle System, Mr Jacky Lee, ASILI GLOBAL's largest team in Malaysia, NEWGEN Group, has achieved significant success. The team was founded by Kervis Soo, and co-founded by Joyce Woo, Rifle Gan, Vivian Tong, Jaywi Haw, Coco Tong, Lee Wen Yao (Taiwan), Kelvin Tan, and Sky Ang.



In Malaysia, the NEWGEN Group has set a new benchmark in the company's team model. Within just three months, NEWGEN founder Kervis Soo became the first diamond ambassador in the country, and team member Joyce Woo became the second diamond ambassador. Vivian Tong and Coco Tong became Ruby ambassadors, while Queenie Wang, Kelvin Tan, and Tammy Kow became Sapphire ambassadors. Rifle Gan, Jaywin Haw, Eric Kee, SuLing Lim, Shermine Ong, Joeann Teo, and Elynn Lim became Pearl ambassadors. The core concept of the NEWGEN team is to enable every partner to "earn, learn, and play" in the trend of "free entrepreneurs", and create a strong sideline with a simple replication of the "social new retail" concept. The NEWGEN team has a comprehensive system and mechanism to enable individuals from any professional background to start the e-commerce business in a short period of time without affecting their business.

ASILI GLOBAL is a global direct purchase e-commerce company that values people and innovation. Its NEWGEN team in Malaysia showcases its strength in organizational marketing, and NEWGEN team members have become a role model for many young entrepreneurs. Recently, KERVIS, the founder of the team, established the "NEWGEN Soo Ah Hoy and Tan Ah Lin's Million Education Fund" in Johor, Malaysia, to help impoverished students in the state. The fund will allocate RM1 million over the next 10 years to support education, with an initial release of RM20,000 to Kluang Chung Hwa High School and Kluang Che Luan Khor Moral Uplifting Society. Rifle Gan, the president of the Sea Star Club (NGO) and the District Councilor of Yong Peng Johor, was appointed as the advisor of the foundation. "Brothers and sisters! We are the NEWGEN team of ASILI GLOBAL. We have been chasing our dreams, constantly striving, and breaking our own limits! If you have such a dream, if you also want to challenge yourself and achieve financial freedom, then join our team! Here, we not only have a strong support system, but also unlimited opportunities and challenges waiting for you to explore and conquer! Join ASILI GLOBAL and NEWGEN, become one of us, and let's fight for our dreams together!" - KERVIS, the founder of NEWGEN team, summarized in this way. Company: Newgen Leaders Club

Contact Person: Kervis

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.asiliglobal.com.my/

Telephone: 0168918676

City: Malaysia Petaling jaya

Address: 6, Jalan Ekoperniagaan 2/6, Taman Ekoperniagaan, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/asili-globals-newgen-group-shines-globally-301821678.html SOURCE Newgen Leaders Club

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 10, 2023] 2023 Ideathon Announces Global Open Call in July

TAIPEI, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The second Ideathon, founded by "Ministry of Digital Affairs" in Taiwan in 2022, will be executed by Taiwan Design Research Institute. Staying true to WeWe Futures values in the inaugural edition, the theme this year expands to "Diversity & Inclusion in 2040". It's an invitation to everyone to envision the potential future when we are fully embraced by diversity and inclusion across lifestyles, generations, nationalities, communities, and environments. Aggregate creative ideas in Asia to Taiwan After over three years of COVID-19 pandemic, 2023 is special that borders are reopened for in-person engagement. 2023 Ideathon Open Call roadshow first visits Bangkok, followed by Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and Osaka to invite creators in Asia. Due to geographic proximity, Taiwan and Thailand interact frequently on multiple levels. Also, Taiwanand Thailand are both committed leaders in Asia to creative industries. Therefore, Bangkok is selected as the first stop in the roadshow with a symbolic significance.



Imagine the future with creative minds in Taiwan and Thailand The first event in Thailand was held on Monday,8th May, at Chulalongkorn University College of Architecture Library. Another session have held at Thailand Creative & Design Center on Tuesday, 9th May, in coordination with Golden Pin Design Awards from Taiwan. Besides explaining rules and regulations for Ideathon, renowned Thai designer Sanitas Pradittasnee are invited to both events as a speaker. Sanitas has been active in art and design. Her architectural pieces always strive to balance between creative ideas and local environments. These vivid and lively works inspire people to imagine towards what 2040 can become. She also discussed with participants about their questions for better understandings.

Global open call will begin on July 1st, online only The open call will be open from 10:00 on July 1st, 2023 to 17:00 on July 31st, 2023 (GMT+8) to interested creators worldwide. For more information, visit https://www.ideathon.tw/en View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/2023-ideathon-announces-global-open-call-in-july-301821718.html SOURCE Taiwan Design Research Institute

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 10, 2023] Pacorr Testing Instruments Launches Complete Range of Textile Testing Instruments

GHAZIABAD, India, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacorr Testing Instruments, a leading manufacturer and supplier of testing instruments, has recently launched a range of textile testing instruments that are designed to meet the testing needs of the textile industry. The range includes Martindale Abrasion Tester, Motorized Wrap Reel, Crockmeter Rubbing Fastness Tester (Motorized), Snap Button Pull Test Machine, Fabric Swatch Cutting Machine, Fabric Inspection Machines - CheckMASTER, Single Yarn Strength Tester, Washing Fastness Tester, Light Fastness Tester - MBTL, and Crease Recovery Tester. The textile industry has always been one of the most dynamic and innovative industries, with new products and technologies emerging every year. The importance of testing the quality and durability of fabrics cannot be overemphasized, as it plays a crucial role in ensuring customer satisfaction and safety. Pacorr Testing Instruments understands this need and has developed a range of textile testing instruments that are designed to provide accurate and reliable testing results. One of the key features of the Pacorr textile testing instruments is their high-quality construction, which ensures durability and longevity. The instruments are made from the best materials and are designed to withstand the rigors of daily use in the textile industry. They are also easy to operate, which means that even non-technical personnel can use them with ease. Martindale Abrasion Tester The Martindale Abrasion Tester is one of the highlights of the Pacorr textile testing instrument range. It is used to test the abrasion resistance of fabrics, which is an important factor in determining the durability of the fabric. The Martindale Abrasion Tester is designed to simulate the wear and tear that fabrics undergo in daily use and can provide accurate and reliable testing results. Crockmeter Another important testing instrument in the range is the Crockmeter Rubbing Fastness Tester (Motorized). This instrument is used to test the color fastness of fabrics, which is another important factor in determining the quality of the fabric. The Crockmeter Rubbing Fastness Tester is designed to simulate the rubbing and rubbing fastness of fabrics in daily use and can provide accurate and reliable testing results. Motorized Wrap Reel The Motorized Wrap Reel is another machine in the range. It is used to determine the length and weight of yarn or thread, which is an important factor in determining the quality of the fabric. The Motorized Wrap Reel is designed to provide accurate and reliable testing results and can be operaed by non-technical personnel.



Snap Button Pull Test Machine The Snap Button Pull Test Machine is a testing machine that is used to test the strength of snap buttons used in clothing. The strength of snap buttons is an important factor in determining the durability and safety of clothing. The Snap Button Pull Test Machine is designed to provide accurate and reliable testing results and is easy to operate.

Fabric Swatch Cutting Machine The Fabric Swatch Cutting Machine is designed to cut fabric swatches accurately and efficiently. This instrument is an essential tool for textile manufacturers, as it allows them to cut fabric swatches quickly and with minimal waste. The Fabric Swatch Cutting Machine is easy to operate and can be used by non-technical personnel. Fabric Inspection Machines The Fabric Inspection Machines - CheckMASTER is an essential instrument for textile manufacturers. It is used to inspect fabrics for defects and flaws, which is an important factor in determining the quality of the fabric. The Fabric Inspection Machines - CheckMASTER is designed to provide accurate and reliable testing results and is easy to operate. Single Yarn Strength Tester The Single Yarn Strength Tester is an important instrument that is used to test the strength of yarn or thread. The strength of yarn or thread is an important factor in determining the quality of the fabric. The Single Yarn Strength Tester is designed to provide accurate and reliable testing results and is easy to operate. Washing Fastness Tester The Washing Fastness Tester (Washometer - ISO & AATCC) is an essential instrument for textile manufacturers. It is used to test the color fastness of fabrics after washing, which is an important factor in determining the quality of the fabric. The Washing Fastness Tester is designed to provide accurate and reliable testing results and is easy to operate. Light Fastness Tester - MBTL The Light Fastness Tester - MBTL is another important instrument in the range. It is used to test the color fastness of fabrics after exposure to light, which is an important factor in determining the quality of the fabric. The Light Fastness Tester is designed to provide accurate and reliable testing results and is easy to operate. Crease Recovery Tester The Crease Recovery Tester is an important instrument that is used to test the ability of fabrics to recover from creases. The ability of fabrics to recover from creases is an important factor in determining the quality of the fabric. The Crease Recovery Tester is designed to provide accurate and reliable testing results and is easy to operate. In addition to the above-mentioned instruments, Pacorr Testing Instruments also offers a range of other textile testing instruments that are designed to meet the testing needs of the textile industry. The company is committed to providing high-quality testing instruments that are reliable, accurate, and easy to use. Commenting on the launch of the range of textile testing instruments, Mr. Sanjay Sharma, the Director of Pacorr Testing Instruments said, "We are thrilled to launch this range of textile testing instruments, which we believe will help textile manufacturers to test the quality and durability of their fabrics more accurately and efficiently. Our instruments are designed to meet the highest quality standards, and we are confident that they will be well-received by the textile industry. Pacorr Testing Instruments has been providing high-quality testing instruments to various industries for over a decade. The company has established a reputation for excellence in the industry and has a loyal customer base that values the quality and reliability of its products." The launch of Pacorr Testing Instruments' range of textile testing instruments is a significant milestone for the company and the textile industry. The instruments are designed to provide accurate and reliable testing results and are easy to use, which makes them an essential tool for textile manufacturers. With the launch of these instruments, Pacorr Testing Instruments has once again demonstrated its commitment to innovation and excellence in the field of testing instruments. For more information, or any query related to textile testing instruments, please connect with our customer care team at [email protected] and call +91-8882149230 Live Link: https://www.pacorr.com/ https://www.pacorr.com/categories/textile-testing-instruments/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1852847/Pacorr_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/pacorr-testing-instruments-launches-complete-range-of-textile-testing-instruments-301820984.html

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Thales awarded multi-year contract for new generation US Passport eCovers

Thales, the world's leading supplier of ePassport solutions for more than 40 national programs worldwide, was recently awarded a new U.S. passport eCover contract with the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) for up to the next 10 years. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510005013/en/ Thales awarded multi-year contract for new generation US Passport eCovers (Istock picture) Since 2005, Thales has delivered over 127 million eCovers and collaborated with GPO to provide secure technology and components for U.S. passport covers. GPO manufactures the U.S. passport-including many of its components-for the Department of State, who then personalizes the book for American travelers, Government officials, and diplomats. Incorporating lectronic security technology into highly-durable passport cover materials gives another degree of security, as the electronically stored data is safeguarded from alteration or forgery. Thales eCovers maximizes and integrates all the attributes required in an ePassport, highest security, durability and aesthetics.



"Providing citizens, businesses and governments with stronger identity document security is a key mission at Thales," said Tony Lo Brutto, Executive Vice President for Thales Identity and Biometric Solutions in North America. "As the global leader in digital security with the most extensive long-term experience for e-covers worldwide, Thales continually offers the most sophisticated solutions for safeguarding personal identities for travel documents." About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies, investing in digital and "deep tech" innovations - connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum technologies - to build a confident future crucial for the development of our societies. The Group provides its customers - businesses, organizations and governments - in the defense, aeronautics, space, transport, and digital identity and security domains with solutions, services and products that help them fulfill their critical role, consideration for the individual being the driving force behind all decisions. Thales has 77,0001 employees in 68 countries. In 2022, the Group generated sales of 17.6 billion. _______________________________

1 Excluding Transport business, which is being divested About Thales in the USA In the United States, Thales has conducted significant research and development, manufacturing, and service capabilities for more than 100 years. Today, Thales is present in 22 states, operating 46 different facilities and employing nearly 4,000 people. Working closely with U.S. customers and local partners, Thales is able to meet the most complex requirements for every operating environment. PLEASE VISIT

Thales Group

Digital Identity and Security

Download HD photos View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510005013/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] CJ Logistics Builds Saudi Arabia's First Dedicated eCommerce Global Distribution Center to Target Middle East Market

- The country's first eCommerce customized global distribution center will be completed in 2024. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CJ Logistics, a leading provider of logistics solutions worldwide, announced plans to build a Global Distribution Center (GDC) in Saudi Arabia by 2024. The GDC will be the first dedicated e-commerce logistics facility in Saudi Arabia. It will be located in Riyadh's Special Integrated Logistics Zone, which was established by the Saudi Government at King Khalid Iternational Airport to become a global logistics hub.



On May 10, the company had the business launch ceremony with the Saudi Arabian General Authority Civil Aviation (GACA) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The proposed facility is a state-of-the-art logistics center with a gross floor area of 18,000 square meters and a daily throughput capacity of 15,000 boxes. It will serve as a forwarding base and hub for logistics in the region, connecting the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

CJ Logistics signed an eight-year long-term contract with iHub before establishing the GDC. The new center will offer international delivery of iHerb products to the Middle East, one of the largest online retailers for health and wellness products. "The Saudi e-commerce market has the richest growth potential in the Middle East and the geographical advantage of connecting Africa and Europe," said Kang Sin-ho, CEO of CJ Logistics. "We will spare no support for state-of-the-art logistics technology and infrastructure so that the GDC can become a logistics hub that leads the Middle East e-commerce market." About CJ Logistics CJ Logistics (https://www.cjlogistics.com/en/main) provides integrated global supply chain services, maximizing customer value through continuous improvement and innovation. Currently, CJ Logistics operates technology-driven logistics businesses at 249 bases in 36 countries around the world. With a focus on social responsibility and sustainability through growth with customers and communities, CJ Logistics prioritizes the well-being of the end consumer. CJ Logistics offers an integrated, one-stop SCM service platform with air and sea international freight forwarding, warehousing and transportation contract logistics, asset-based transportation, parcel and express delivery, and supply chain consulting. As a lead logistics partner (LLP), third-party logistics provider (3PL) and supply chain consultant, CJ Logistics helps customers leverage supply chain management as a competitive advantage, reducing total system costs, transforming business processes, improving service and facilitating growth and change. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2074202/CJ_Logistics.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cj-logistics-builds-saudi-arabias-first-dedicated-ecommerce-global-distribution-center-to-target-middle-east-market-301821170.html

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] PARC Capital injects $21M into growing Australian cloud provider NEXION Group to fund M&A Growth.

PERTH, Australia, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PARC Capital Fund Services Pty Ltd (PARC) has announced a $21 million investment in NEXION Group (NEXION ASX:NNG), a fast-growing hybrid cloud service provider based in Australia. PARC is an experienced funder in the technology industry, with multiple acquisitions already funded in the IT sector. The firm's recent $150 million deal with Macquarie Capital to help fund cyber security provider Orro Group is evidence of its expertise in the field. NEXION offers network, compute, security, and data storage solutions and has been recognised as a serious player in the competitive whole-of-enterprise IT sector since its public listing in 2021. The company's strategy since listing has been to aggressively grow through innovation, organic growth, and acquisitions. After extensive due diligence, PARC has executed a term loan agreement of $21 million to support NEXION's growth plans. The support of PARC signifies NEXION's value as a business and allows the company to strengthen existing capabilities while continuing its strategic path. The initial drawdown from PARC will assist with planned acquisitions in New Zealand while providing ongoing suport for NEXION's future M&A activity.



The partnership between PARC and NEXION is expected to add discipline to decision making and reporting as well as assisting on deals being completed faster, ultimately resulting in business and shareholder value. The Executive Chairman and Interim Group CEO of NEXION, Peter Christie, expressed his excitement about working with PARC, noting that their deep understanding of the technology industry and M&A expertise makes them the perfect partner for NEXION's M&A program. Peter Christie said:

"PARC stood out as the perfect partner for our M&A program. They understand the technology industry, how it operates, how to value acquisitions and where to look for risks. This deep understanding makes working with them in technology M&A highly productive and I'm looking forward to making rapid progress now we have this facility in place." PARC's investment in NEXION is a testament to the company's growth potential and strategic direction. This investment will not only assist NEXION with the financial resources necessary to execute its growth plans but also add value to the business and shareholders. https://www.nexiongroup.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2550979.pdf https://www.nexiongroup.io/investor-centre/ NEXION Group Ltd

Ground Floor, 12 Newcastle Street, WA, 6000, Australia

ABN:48 628 415 887 Should you wish to contact the company in relation to this announcement please contact: [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/parc-capital-injects-21m-into-growing-australian-cloud-provider-nexion-group-to-fund-ma-growth-301821848.html SOURCE NEXION Networks

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023]

Phosphorus Poised for Record Growth with Appointment of New Chief Revenue Officer

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Phosphorus, the leading provider of proactive and full-scope breach prevention for the xTended Internet of Things (xIoT), today announced the appointment of security industry veteran Shawn OBrien to the position of Chief Revenue Officer. OBrien will oversee Phosphorus's global sales operations, including Sales Engineering, Channel and Alliance Development, and Customer Success. He joins the company at a time of accelerated sales and channel growth, as well as increased demand for its award-winning Unified xIoT Security Management Platform.



With three decades of executive and sales development experience in the security and IT industries, OBrien will play a critical role in Phosphoruss continued growth and expansion. As CRO, OBrien will lead the companys global sales and business development strategy as it sees increased demand by Fortune 500 companies in the energy, smart manufacturing, healthcare, biotech-pharmaceutical, retail, and financial sectors. Prior to joining Phosphorus, OBrien served as the North America Vice President of Sales for Nozomi Networks, Americas Vice President  Enterprise Sales for Recorded Future, Americas Vice President for Netwitness Sales at RSA Security, and more.

Shawn is a well-respected industry leader whos played an important role in developing the GTM strategies for several prominent security brands, and we are honored to have him as part of our senior leadership team, said Chris Rouland, CEO of Phosphorus. We are entering an exciting time in our company, as enterprises are eager to address their xIoT attack surface to proactively protect their networks and smart devices. Over the next year, we will be scaling our operations and GTM execution to enable more major enterprises to move from detection to prevention by discovering, assessing, hardening, remediating, and monitoring their non-IT assets to protect against critical new threats. We anticipate major growth across multiple industry verticals as we deliver the industrys only unified solution for xIoT breach prevention and security management.

OBriens appointment marks an important next step for Phosphorus, as the company finalizes its executive team in preparation for accelerated growth in H2 2023. Over the last year, Phosphorus has appointed several leading industry executives, as it expands its position as the market-defining solution for enterprise xIoT. These top executive hires include: John Vecchi, Chief Marketing Officer (Check Point, Blue Coat, McAfee); Martin LeRoy, Chief Financial Officer (SailPoint, Intel); Sonu Shankar, Vice President of Product Management (Arctic Wolf, Cisco, Box); Mike Huckaby, Vice President, Sales Engineering (Bugcrowd, RSA Security), Vlad Melnik, Vice President of Strategic Alliances (Splunk, Accenture); Drew Mullen, Vice President, Revenue Operations (Cylance, RSA Security); and Joe Costantini, Vice President of Engineering (Coinbase, Bastille).

Unique Market Position Puts Company on Track for Unicorn Status

While recession fears have led to cutbacks in some areas of corporate IT spending, the enterprise xIoT market remains remarkably strong. Recent forecasts predict a more than $2 trillion market for enterprise IoT by 2032. This massive increase in connected device integrations in corporate and industrial facilities is driving enormous demand for new services, as business networks take on additional cyber risks that cannot be addressed with traditional security solutions.

Phosphorus holds a unique position in this fast-growing market and, as the only unified xIoT breach prevention platform, it is poised to become the first xIoT security unicorn. The companys award-winning platform is the only enterprise security solution capable of providing proactive breach prevention and attack surface management  including Discovery and Assessment, Hardening and Remediation , and Detection and Response  across the full range of IoT, OT, IoMT, and IIoT devices, including both new and legacy technologies.







Accelerated Growth and Key Product Milestones Position the Company for a Monumental Year

Since bringing its game-changing platform to market, Phosphorus has expanded all areas of its xIoT security business to meet customer demand, enter new markets, and further enhance the security platforms vast competitive edge. Among the highlights:

Product & Research Milestones:

Business Milestones:

Accelerated growth in 2022 with healthy gross margin business by gaining leading enterprise customers in multiple industry verticals.

Appointed Art Coviello Jr. , the former President and CEO of RSA Security, to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

, the former President and CEO of RSA Security, to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Raised a landmark $38 million Series A in February 2022, one of the largest funding rounds for a cybersecurity or IoT company.

in February 2022, one of the largest funding rounds for a cybersecurity or IoT company. Premiered new leading podcast series, The IoT Security Podcast, across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Pandora and more.

Opened a new state-of-the-art corporate headquarters and research lab in downtown Nashville.



Partner and Alliance Milestones:

Phosphorus is poised for even stronger growth in 2023 with several groundbreaking updates to its Unified xIoT Security Management Platform that will be announced in the coming months. Phosphorus will continue to work with its strategic partners to drive xIoT security adoption among the worlds leading companies and industries.

For more information about Phosphorus, visit www.phosphorus.io .

ABOUT PHOSPHORUS

Phosphorus Cybersecurity is the leading xIoT Breach Prevention platform for the xTended Internet of Things. Designed to secure the rapidly growing and often unmonitored world of Things across the enterprise xIoT landscape, our Unified xIoT Security Management Platform delivers attack surface management across every industry vertical, providing intelligent active discovery and risk assessment, hardening and remediation, and detection and response. It brings enterprise xIoT security to every cyber-physical system in your enterprise environment. With unrivaled xIoT Intelligent Active Discovery and risk assessment, Phosphorus automates the remediation of the most significant IoT, OT, IoMT, and IIoT device vulnerabilities  including unknown and inaccurate asset inventory, out-of-date firmware, default credentials, risky configurations, and out-of-date certificates. Follow Phosphorus on LinkedIn , Twitter , and YouTube , and learn more at www.phosphorus.io .

Media Contact: Michael Sias Firm 19 [email protected]
[May 11, 2023] Annovis Bio Announces First Quarter 2023 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

BERWYN, Pa., May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Annovis Bio, Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) (Annovis or the Company), a clinical-stage drug platform company addressing neurodegenerative diseases, announced first quarter financial results for the period ended March 31, 2023, and reviewed recent accomplishments.

First Quarter 2023 Highlights and New Developments Clinical Updates

At a recent R&D webcast on April 20, 2023, the Company: Reviewed its ongoing clinical programs in AD and PD.





Discussed preliminary plans to develop buntanetap with the FDA for all stages of diseases, both short- and long-term.





Provided updates to its then current enrollment levels for each trial:



AD Phase 2/3 study: 27 sites had been activated and 38 patients had been screened as of April 20; 13 patients had been randomized to receive either one of three doses of buntanetap or placebo. PD Phase 3 study : Over 540 patients had been screened and 385+ patients were on the drug as of April 20. Due to U.S clinical sites opening earlier than EU sites, there were approximately four times more U.S. patients enrolled in the study versus EU patients. To accommodate the strong enrollment trends in the U.S. excess supplies of buntanetap were shipped from the EU to the U.S.





PD Updates



Explained the results from the pre-planned blinded interim analysis of the ongoing Phase 3 study for early PD, announced on March 31, 2023. The analysis was based on 132 patients from all cohorts collectively for which baseline and two-month data was available. The results enabled the Company to move forward with the previously established protocol and original patient enrollment estimates for the trial.



Announced on February 8, 2023, the approval by the EU to start clinical trials in five EU countries for the ongoing Phase 3 study of buntanetap for the treatment of early PD. Annovis is actively recruiting for the ongoing Phase 3 study, with approximately 53 clinical trial sites open and currently enrolling in the U.S. The approval adds approximately 49 additional sites in the EU for the Company's ongoing study.



Patents Announced on February 1, 2023, the filing of a provisional patent application that extends the breadth of its platform from neurodegenerative to neuropsychiatric indications to cover the administration of buntanetap and its analogues for the treatment of mental illnesses.





Announced on April 27, 2023, the issuance of U.S. Patent 11,596,621 B2 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office titled, Prevention or Treatment of Disease States Due to Metal Dis-homeostasis Via Administration of Posiphen [buntanetap] to Healthy or Sick Humans. The patent is expected to confer protection for use of buntanetap and its related analogue molecules for the prevention and treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases associated with metal dis-homeostasis out to early 2040.

Financial Results (for the quarter ending March 31, 2023) Cash and cash equivalents were $16.8 million. Research and development expenses for the quarter were $7.8 million, compared to $2.1 million for the same period in 2022. The increase was primarily the result of an increase of $5.6 million in clinical expenses, as the Company incurred costs related to its Phase 3 study in early Parkinsons Disease (PD) patients and its Phase 2/3 Alzheimer's Disease (AD) study, partially offset by a decrease of $0.4 million in stock-based compensation expense.





General and administrative expenses for the first quarter were $2.2 million, compared to $3.1 million for the same period in 2022. The decrease was primarily the result of a decrease of $1.5 million in stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by an increase in professional fees of $0.6 million.





Annovis reported a net loss of $9.7 million for the quarter, compared to a net loss of $5.2 million for the same period in 2022.

Raised Approximately $8.7 million

The Company announced on April 11, 2023, that it had raised aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $8.7 million between its now-terminated atthe-market (ATM) program and a private placement to individual members of its Board of Directors and management. The additional capital will fund the company's two ongoing studies (Phase 3 in early PD and Phase 2/3 in moderate AD) through completion and otherwise fund operations into the first quarter of 2024. Staff News New appointments will strengthen the Companys senior leadership team: The Company announced on January 6, 2023, the appointment of Michael Christie, Ph.. as Vice President of Process Chemistry, and David Prohaska as Vice President of Toxicology and Pharmacology. Dr. Christie has over 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and formally served as the Senior Director of Chemical Process and R&D for Teva Pharmaceuticals.







Prohaska brings 25 years of experience in all aspects of preclinical drug development and has a long track record of successful FDA submissions with multiple drug approvals. He joined Annovis from Aravive Biologics where he served as the Director of Preclinical Development and Clinical Operations Support. Presented at the AD/PD 2023 International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases (April 1, 2023) : The Company presented data combining and comparing old data in mice and new data in humans to show that mouse and rat data are predictive of human outcomes. In the presentation, titled "Do Mouse Data Lie? For Buntanetap They Totally Predict Human Outcome", data from the AD mice, Down Syndrome mice, PD mice, two Phase 1/2 double-blind, placebo-controlled human AD studies and one Phase 2 PD study were compared to show the consistency on buntanetap's mechanism of action, the reversal of the toxic cascade, and the resulting efficacy in AD and PD mice and humans.





(April 1, 2023) The Company presented data combining and comparing old data in mice and new data in humans to show that mouse and rat data are predictive of human outcomes. In the presentation, titled "Do Mouse Data Lie? For Buntanetap They Totally Predict Human Outcome", data from the AD mice, Down Syndrome mice, PD mice, two Phase 1/2 double-blind, placebo-controlled human AD studies and one Phase 2 PD study were compared to show the consistency on buntanetap's mechanism of action, the reversal of the toxic cascade, and the resulting efficacy in AD and PD mice and humans. Message from Dr. Maria

As highlighted during our R&D webinar, Annovis continues to make significant progress in our ongoing Alzheimers and Parkinsons clinical programs.

Enrollment in the Phase 3 Parkinsons study remains exceptionally strong and reflects our teams excellent operational execution and the growing interest in the therapeutic potential of our lead pipeline candidate, buntanetap.

Given our continued execution and the growing momentum in these two programs, we were able to strengthen our balance sheet with both new and existing investors, including several members from our Board of Directors. Thus far, 2023 is proving to be a momentous year for our Company, and with additional data readouts anticipated later this year, we remain on track for delivering what we hope will be positive news for our clinical programs. We remain steadfast in our mission to develop truly groundbreaking therapies for both AD and PD patients. Maria L. Maccecchini, Ph.D., Annovis Founder, President, and CEO About Buntanetap

Buntanetap (previously known as ANVS401 or Posiphen) is an oral translational inhibitor of neurotoxic aggregating proteins (TINAPs), which mode of action leads to a lower level of neurotoxic proteins and consequently less toxicity in the brain. In a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in AD and PD patients, buntanetap was shown to be well-tolerated and its pharmacokinetics were found to be in line with levels measured earlier in humans, meeting both the primary and secondary endpoints. Additionally, exploratory endpoints were also met, as treatment with buntanetap resulted in statistically significant improvement in motor function in PD patients and cognition in AD patients. Presently buntanetap is being studied in a Phase 3 study in early PD patients and in a Phase 2/3 study in mild to moderate AD patients. About Annovis Bio, Inc.

Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Annovis Bio, Inc. (Annovis) is a clinical-stage, drug platform company addressing neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimers Disease (AD), Parkinsons Disease (PD), and other chronic neurodegenerative diseases. We believe that we are the only company developing a drug for AD and PD that is designed to inhibit more than one neurotoxic protein and has a mechanism of action designed to restore axonal and synaptic activity. By improving brain function, the companys goal is to treat memory loss and dementia associated with AD as well as body and brain function associated with PD. Annovis conducted two Phase 1/2 studies: one in AD patients and one in both AD and PD patients. In the AD/PD study buntanetap showed improvements in cognition in AD as well as movement and function in PD patients. For more information on Annovis Bio, please visit the Company's website www.annovisbio.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. The Company advises caution in reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company's plans related to clinical trials. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by forward-looking statements, including regarding patient enrollment, the effectiveness of Buntanetap and the timing, effectiveness, and anticipated results of the Company's clinical trials evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Buntanetap. See also additional risk factors set forth in the Company's periodic filings with the SEC, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties listed in the section entitled "Risk Factors," in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to the Company as of the date of this filing. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Investor Contacts: Chris Calabrese

+1 (917) 680-5608

[email protected]

LifeSci Advisors, LLC Kevin Gardner

+1 (617) 283-2856

[email protected]

LifeSci Advisors, LLC SOURCE Annovis Bio



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023]

ZINFI's CEO, Sugata Sanyal, to Speak on Channel Management Trends and Best Practices at Ingram Micro Global Cloud and Innovation Summit 2023

The session will provide insights and advice for optimizing channel programs and driving growth in the cloud era; ZINFI will also showcase its Unified Channel Management (UCM) technology at booth #P20.

PLEASANTON, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ZINFI Technologies, Inc., the leader in Unified Channel Management (UCM) solutions that include affiliate marketing management (AMM), partner relationship management (PRM), partner marketing management (PMM) and partner incentives management (PIM), today announced that its founder and CEO, Sugata Sanyal, will speak at the Ingram Micro Global Cloud and Innovation Summit 2023. The event will be held at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, from May 15 to May 17, 2023.

Sanyal will present alongside Darryl Oliver, Director of Global Portfolio Development at Ingram Micro Cloud, on Wednesday, May 17th, at 1:30 pm in the session titled: Add value to your business by partnering with Ingram Micro's emerging vendors. The presentation will focus on the latest trends in partner ecosystems and channel management and how to channel automation can elp businesses scale their channel activities more efficiently, increase partner engagement, and achieve faster, more substantial ROI in the cloud era.







"We're excited to be a part of this year's Ingram Micro Global Cloud and Innovation Summit and to have the opportunity to share our insights and expertise with attendees," said Sanyal. "At ZINFI, we have been helping businesses optimize their channel partner programs and drive profitability for over a decade, and we have learned a lot. Partner ecosystems are critical for businesses to connect with their target audience and grow, but managing those networks can be complex. We look forward to explaining how organizations of all sizes and industries can harness that complexity by following best practices and applying a structured approach to their channel programs and to channel automation."

In addition to Sanyal's speaking engagement, ZINFI will have an exhibitor booth (#P20) at the summit. Attendees are encouraged to stop by and learn more about ZINFI's UCM solutions and how they can help their businesses succeed in the cloud era.

The Ingram Micro Global Cloud & Innovation Summit is an annual event that brings together cloud professionals and thought leaders worldwide to discuss the latest trends, innovations, and best practices in the industry. This year's event will feature over 200 sessions, including keynote presentations, breakout sessions, and networking events.

For more information about ZINFI's participation in the Ingram Micro Global Cloud & Innovation Summit 2023 or to learn more about its Unified Channel Management platform, please visit booth #P20 at the event or ZINFI's website at www.zinfi.com.

ZINIFI has consistently been named a PRM "leader" by G2, the world's leading business solutions review website. ZINFI has earned this distinction over multiple consecutive quarters dating back to 2019, most recently in G2's Spring 2023 G2 Grid Report for Partner Management Software. G2 scores are based on the responses of real, verified users and data aggregated from online sources and social networks.

To access more information about ZINFI's Partner Relationship Management platform or to download a copy of ZINFI's best practices guide on Partner Relationship Management, please visit our website at www.zinfi.com. You can also follow ZINFI Technologies on LinkedIn and the ZINFI Channel Marketing Best Practices blog.

ZINFI offers its potential customers a 30-day free trial (no credit card required), providing access to its entire Unified Channel Marketing (UCM) automation platform. This will allow prospective buyers to test-drive its industry-leading channel management applications before purchasing.

About ZINFI Technologies

ZINFI Technologies, Inc., a company leading the definition and creation of Unified Channel Management (UCM) solutions, enables vendors and their channel partners to seamlessly collaborate in a virtual environment to achieve profitable growth on a global SaaS platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, USA, we at ZINFI see an immense opportunity to build high-performing sales channels by deploying a powerful virtual collaboration platform rated #1 by leading analyst firms for simple to complex enterprise channels. ZINFI's state-of-the-art SaaS Unified Channel Management (UCM) automation platform allows brands and their global partner networks to work together remotely throughout the entire partner lifecycle via three core state-of-the-art SaaS applicationspartner relationship management, partner marketing management, and partner sales management. ZINFI's UCM is super easy to use and affordable, and it comes with a complete set of do-it-yourself tools in multiple languages.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zinfis-ceo-sugata-sanyal-to-speak-on-channel-management-trends-and-best-practices-at-ingram-micro-global-cloud-and-innovation-summit-2023-301821863.html

SOURCE ZINFI Technologies, Inc.
[May 11, 2023] CovationBio Announces Sustainability Commitments and Baselines with its First Sustainability Report

NEWARK, Del., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Less than one year after establishing itself as an independent company, CovationBio a leading biomaterials company known for Sorona polymer, Susterra propanediol, and Zemea propanediolis releasing its first sustainability report , reinforcing its commitment to contribute to sustainability advancements in four key areas aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Areas of focus are Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Responsible Production and Consumption (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13), and Commitment to Life on Land (SDG 15). Based on a review of the company's baseline performance in the four priority areas, the 2022 report offers a high-level assessment of CovationBio's performance on safety, climate, circularity, and life on land, while laying the groundwork for actions that further support the company's values and mission to make high-performance biobased materials accessible to all. "Proactively releasing a sustainability report within the first seven months of establishing our new company is a huge milestone," said CovationBio CEO Dr. Michael Saltzberg. "For more than 20 years and prior to the launch of CovationBio, we dedicated ourselves to the mission to become a world leader in providing sustainable and high-performance biomaterials solutions. Sustainability is at the core of everything we do. This report carefully and transparently explains our sustainability commitments and our company's and products' progress towards those commitments." CovationBio is dedicated to making meaningful, measurable change. The report details the company's status and progress in its first seven months and identifies opportunities for it to strengthen its sustainability efforts. A high level overview of the report follows: Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)

In 2022, CovationBio maintained its focus on safety and completed its first seven months as a newly formed company with zero injuries requiring treatment beyond first aid among contract partners and CovationBio personnel. In the Process Safety Management (PSM) arena, the company had zero Tier I incidents. However, operations experienced Tier II events and environmental deviations. A cross-sectional group, which includes the Global Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) team, is determining the root cause and contributing factors to such incidents with the goals of eliminating recurrence and achieving the zero incidents. Responsible Production and Consumption (SDG 12)

CvationBio's three product lines contain biobased material derived from annually renewable plant resources. BIO-PDO products, Susterra propanediol and Zemea propanediol, are 100% biobased and Sorona polymer is 37% biobased. A cross-functional team is currently investigating the state of technology to create Sorona polymer entirely from annually renewable and/or recycled resources. CovationBio is also actively updating the life cycle assessment (LCA) for Sorona polymer, Susterra propanediol, and Zemea propanediol.



As of the end of 2022, all CovationBio sites sourced their electricity from the grid, and the local mixes include between 6.5% and 13.7% renewables. Manufacturing locations rely on traditional fossil resources for process energy requirements. Planning is underway to move towards a higher fraction of renewable electricity. Climate Action (SDG 13)

CovationBio is creating a plan to reduce site direct emissions and the footprint of purchased energy.

From self-assessments, CovationBio reported a total of 94 thousand metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually from their production facilities and purchased electricity. The company has already implemented work-streams investigating low to zero GHG options for electricity and steam at the site to significantly reduce site GHG emissions. CovationBio is also committed to working with organizations such as the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) to support defossilizaton of the materials industry. Commitment to Life on Land (SDG 15)

To promote the sustainable use of land-based resources, CovationBio announced a partnership with Truterra in 2022. This farmer-led program was established to improve stewardship of agricultural land in the United States. CovationBio has 49,904 acres of land in the United States enrolled with Truterra, which is the land required to grow 100% of the corn feedstock used to make Susterra propanediol, Zemea propanediol, and Sorona polymer. Truterra supports farmers in the adoption of agricultural practices that can improve soil health, increase crop yields, and decrease fertilizer use, among other key regenerative agricultural methods. "We want to continue to improve our own sustainability position and that of the entire materials industry as we grow our business. This led us to thoughtfully integrate our sustainability program with our business strategy," said CovationBio Sustainability Leader Lauren Johnson. "Although CovationBio is a new name in the world, our teamour people, our productshas been in the business of more sustainable materials for almost 20 years. Our products are designed to be biobased, sustainable, and scalable. This means we at CovationBio are not new to biomaterials, we are reinvigorated." For more information about the CovationBio commitment to sustainability, and to view the full 2022 CovationBio sustainability report, visit CovationBio.com/sustainability . About CovationBio

Founded in 2022, in Newark, Delaware, CovationBio is a leading global innovator offering a product portfolio of high-performance, sustainable solutions. The company builds on its rich DuPont legacy of groundbreaking scientific innovation and continues to deliver novel solutions at scale across multiple industries, including apparel, carpeting, cosmetics, food and packaging. Through product lines such as Sorona polymer, Susterra propanediol, and Zemea propanediol, the mission of CovationBio is to deliver the sustainable building blocks that will enable customers to provide biobased products accessible to everyone. The CovationBio design marks, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with , SM or  are owned or used under license by Covation Biomaterials LLC or its affiliates, unless otherwise noted. Covation Biomaterials trademarks may not be used in connection with any product or service that is not a Covation Biomaterials product or service. Visit CovationBio.com and follow brand announcements on Instagram , Facebook , and LinkedIn . For further information contact:

Alexa Raab

[email protected] Heather Barbod

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/covationbio-announces-sustainability-commitments-and-baselines-with-its-first-sustainability-report-301821849.html SOURCE CovationBio

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, greets the residents while visiting a residential community in Rongdong District of the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

*Xi remarked that the transformation of the Xiong'an New Area from ground zero to an emerging sophisticated modern city within a mere six years is miraculous.

*Xi said Xiong'an has entered a phase of advancing large-scale construction and at the same time taking on functions nonessential to Beijing's role as China's capital.

*Xi noted that the Xiong'an New Area can become a fertile ground for innovation and business ventures.

XIONG'AN, Hebei, May 10 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for efforts to firm up confidence and maintain resolve while taking solid steps to continuously achieve new progress in developing the Xiong'an New Area.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks as he inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development.

Xi was accompanied by Premier Li Qiang, Cai Qi, who is director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang. Li, Cai and Ding are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

In April 2017, China announced the plan to set up the Xiong'an New Area, which is situated approximately 100 km southwest of Beijing. The goal, according to authorities, is to develop it to a level comparable to that of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the Shanghai Pudong New Area.

Xi has been personally involved in making decisions and plans to develop Xiong'an. In the past six years, he paid two visits to the area.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the Xiong'an Railway Station in the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

During Wednesday's inspection, Xi said Xiong'an has entered a phase of advancing large-scale construction and at the same time taking on functions nonessential to Beijing's role as China's capital.

On Wednesday morning, Xi took a high-speed train to Xiong'an where he first inspected the Xiong'an Railway Station, a key infrastructure project of the area with great symbolic importance.

The railway station is designed as a transportation hub, Xi said, emphasizing the need to improve the connectivity of the station with various places.

He stressed developing the zone of Zan'gang, where the railway station is located, into a high-end and high-tech industry cluster area.

In addition to the railway station, Xi also visited a residential community that is home to 5,000-plus relocated residents. There, Xi chatted with community workers and residents, expressing his satisfaction with the good living conditions of the residents.

He also highlighted the importance of ensuring the relocated residents live well and have satisfactory jobs.

Promoting equal access to basic public services is crucial in building a people's city that is both livable and conducive to doing business, Xi noted.

He visited the home of resident Li Jinghe. Xi said building the Xiong'an New Area is a major strategic decision made by the Party's central authorities and the relocated residents had made their contributions.





"MIRACULOUS" TRANSFORMATION

The development of the Xiong'an New Area is a national project of millennial significance and should be pushed forward with concrete actions and sustained efforts, Xi said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the construction sites of an inter-city railway station and an international trade center in the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

At the construction sites of an inter-city railway station and an international trade center, he learned about the development of key infrastructure projects and major projects launched for the purpose of relieving Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the capital.

Xi said more efforts should be made to develop a multifaceted and integrated transportation network and make full use of underground space so as to build a "city of the future" free of urban maladies.

At a convention center, Xi was briefed about the progress of the overall design and development of the Xiong'an New Area and efforts to restore and conserve the eco-environment of Baiyangdian Lake.

At the convention center, Xi convened a meeting on advancing the high-quality construction of the Xiong'an New Area to a high standard.

Xi remarked that the transformation of the Xiong'an New Area from ground zero to an emerging sophisticated modern city within a mere six years is miraculous.





MAPPING OUT FUTURE OF XIONG'AN

It has been demonstrated that the major decision of the CPC Central Committee to construct the Xiong'an New Area is entirely correct, Xi said.

He stressed efforts to fully, faithfully and comprehensively carry out the CPC Central Committee's strategic plans for building the Xiong'an New Area and to make sure the area is built and developed in the right direction.

Xi called for the solid implementation of tasks related to relieving Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the national capital.

He urged the planning of another round of transfers of the headquarters of state-owned enterprises directly under the central government in Beijing as well as their subsidiary companies.

The planning of the transfer of financial institutions, research institutes and public institutions should also begin, Xi said.

The integration of market mechanisms and the government's guidance should be strengthened to add to the internal impetus for the transfer, Xi said.

He noted that pioneering policies and measures in reform and opening up, as well as forward-looking trial and demonstration innovation projects shall be carried out in the Xiong'an New Area, so that it can become a fertile ground for innovation and business ventures.

Xi underlined efforts to build a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized and widely apply advanced science and technology, in a bid to make smart, green and innovative development the trademark of the Xiong'an New Area.

He stressed the need to give the people a more concrete sense of fulfillment and happiness through the development of the new area. He also called for enhancing policies that guide employment and entrepreneurship, as well as bolstering employment training programs.

He encouraged the area to blaze a new path in narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas, advancing integrated urban-rural development, and promoting common prosperity for all.

Other senior leaders also spoke at the meeting.

Li Qiang urged the Xiong'an New Area to accelerate efforts to help relieve Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as China's capital, steadily advance infrastructure construction and modernize the industrial system.

Ding Xuexiang said scientific and technological innovation should be the foundation of the high-quality development of the Xiong'an New Area, calling for carrying out high-standard scientific and technological innovation. 
[May 11, 2023] Gan Jing World Celebrates Mother's Day Videos Award

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gan Jing World (Ganjingworld Corp.) announces its first Mother's Day celebration videos award that showcases the best memories, moments, traits, and values. We want to honor moms around the world for their unconditional love, support, and sacrifice. Share Your Love to Moms, Win up to $1,000 Cash Award Join GanJingWorld.com #GJWMothersDay event and Celebrate Moms the Whole Month. The aim is to nurture the mind and spirit and help people to recall and enjoy a special family day. This new platform is touted as 'family friendly.' It allows videos, articles, and pictures sharing environment at Gan Jing World. There will be two winners. Each will win one of the following prizes: $1,000 for best long form video entry (horizontal video, minimum length: 3 minutes)

for best long form video entry (horizontal video, minimum length: 3 minutes) $500 for best short video entry (vertical or horizontal video, minimum length: 30 seconds) Winner Selection: Entries will be judged according to quality, creativity, and popularit by a panel of nine judges comprising reputable artists, visual designers, film directors, etc.



For more specific details, please check: https://creators.ganjingworld.com/mothers-day What is Gan Jing World?

Gan Jing World (GJW) is a dynamic network of integrated services featuring a video-sharing platform, a pristine online reading section, topic discussion board, and dedicated children's space. These features, among others, enable users to connect and share through various media types all on one unique platform, enabling a rich and diverse online social experience. Our aim is to create positive changes through presenting inspiring content that uplifts society. Our mission statement is: "To create a truly positive and vibrant digital community filled with wholesome content free from violent, erotic, criminal, and harmful content." Launched in June 2022, Gan Jing World is making exponential growth. In March 2023, the online platform launched a creator's incentive program that has attracted numerous top content creators from around the world. Content creators who share GJW's mission and wish to make a genuine difference in the world by contributing to a positive video sharing platform are invited to learn about the Rewards Program for creators and register now! Website: https://www.ganjing.com/ The words Gan Jing means "clean." The platform is built upon this concept of a pure digital world, which it believes to be essential in helping communities thrive. LOGO: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/23-0510-ganjingw-300dpi.jpg This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gan-jing-world-celebrates-mothers-day-videos-award-301821728.html SOURCE Ganjingworld Corp.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Empowering Digital Literacy: Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Informatics Presents Digital Literacy Week in East Nusa Tenggara

ENDE, Indonesia, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Informatics (MCI) and the National Digital Literacy Movement (GNLD) Siberkreasi returns with the Digital Literacy Week in East Nusa Tenggara through the #MakinCakapDigital campaign. The one-day workshop with the theme "Digital Literacy to Support Digital Transformation" was held in person on 9 May 2023 at Graha Ristela, Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The Internet has become an inseparable part of Indonesian society, including for the residents of East Nusa Tenggara. Recognizing the importance of the Internet in daily life, the Ministry must educate the community and various communities in Ende Regency and other areas in East Nusa Tenggara. In addition to improving digital literacy, this activity is also expected to increase the internet penetration rate in the country. "According to our data, approximately 73.3% of the total population in Indonesia are active Internet users. However, many social media users are exposed to issues related to ethnicity, religion, race, and hoax and become victims of crimes as people only know how to use social media without understanding the consequences. Therefore, Digital Literacy Week is important to increase the digital awareness of the communities in Ende," said Suprianto, Acting Head of the Ministry of Communications and Informatics in Ende Regency. "Digital transformation is constantly evolving and changing. Considering fundamental aspects to ensure smooth activities and communication in the digital world is important. Such as respecting cultural norms, maintaining ethical conduct in digital platforms, an prioritizing personal and others' safety and well-being online," explained Dr. Laurentius D. Gadi Djou, Accounting Lecturer at Flores University.



With the increasing penetration of the Internet, the digital literacy of Indonesians continues to improve every year. According to the Digital Literacy Index 2022 released by the Ministry, Indonesia scored 3.54 out of 5, placing the country at a moderate level; this represents a slight increase of 0.05 points compared to 2021's score of 3.49. The digital literacy index is measured based on four significant indicators: Digital Skills, Digital Ethics, Digital Safety, and Digital Culture. The digital literacy initiatives conducted by the Ministry have helped bridge the gap between digital literacy levels in urban and rural areas. According to the Indonesia Digital Literacy Status 2023 survey by Katadata Insight Center (KIC) in collaboration with the Ministry, respondents from urban areas with a high digital literacy index accounted for 52.5 percent. In rural areas, the proportion of individuals with high digital literacy was about 49.8 percent. The narrow gap between the two indicates a more even development of digital competitiveness in Indonesia.

As Fernando Watu, the Head of West Detusoko Village, Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, states, "The future we desire is the perspective and actions of local the local residents. Therefore, there is a need for collaboration between universities and villages with a millennial approach, utilizing the appropriate technologies. Digitalization of the village should focus more on digitalizing products and the village's potential." One important aspect of digitalization in villages is the role of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). MSMEs supported by the right technology can enhance the competitiveness of products from village entrepreneurs. "Some benefits of digitalizing MSMEs operations include broader and limitless marketing, easy access, direct consumer communication, and 24-hour availability. In addition, digitalizing MSMEs also eliminates barriers related to education, age, physical condition, location, and other factors, allowing businesses to thrive without limitations," expressed Ferdianus Rega, Founder of Istana Sehat and MSME Activist. Various development initiatives support the promotion of digital competitiveness across the country, such as accelerating ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) infrastructure, fostering digital talent competitiveness, and promoting financial literacy. The participation of diverse groups in Ende Regency, including the Waste Bank Community, Mobile Legend Community, and MSMEs, clearly demonstrates the enthusiasm of the local communities. To conclude the workshop, the participants were entertained with performances by local bands, stand-up comedians, and exciting door prizes. For more information, please visit info.literasidigital.id and follow @Siberkreasi on Instagram. About the Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Informatics The Ministry of Communications and Informatics of Indonesia through Ditjen Aptika has the primary function of spreading and developing the national digital infrastructure to accelerate Indonesia's digital transformation. The Ministry is working with National Digital Literacy Movement Siberkreasi as its partner to provide education on digital literacy to the broader public through various forms of media. This movement is focused on using digital literacy as a way to elevate the national capability and to further the Indonesian people. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/empowering-digital-literacy-indonesias-ministry-of-communications-and-informatics-presents-digital-literacy-week-in-east-nusa-tenggara-301822122.html SOURCE The Ministry of Communications and Informatics

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] CloudCycles Partners with Zerify to Resell Enhanced Cloud Video Conferencing Security Solutions

EDISON, N.J., May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zerify Inc., (OTC PINK: ZRFY), the 22-year-old cybersecurity company focused on Secure Video Conferencing & Endpoint Security, announced today that CloudCycles has signed-up to resell Zerify Meet and Zerify Defender cyber security solutions.

Secure cloud video conferencing is a necessary service for any size business, says Chris Mallazzo, CEO of CloudCycles, and Zerifys solutions brings that to the highest level. Their Zerify Meet has quickly become the industrys Gold standard for video conferencing security, and their Zerify Defender Endpoint security solution, is the only proactive solution on the market that locks down your computers camera, microphone, speakers, keyboard, clipboard, and screen sharing function. We are excited to start marketing these products to new & existing clients, says Mallazzo. We are thrilled that CloudCycles has signed up to resell our Zerify Meet and Zerify Defender cyber security solutions, says Mark L. Kay, CEO of Zerify, CloudCycles has built a strong reputation for excellence in customer service, competitive pricing, and its ability to be a trusted advisor to small-to-medium-to-large organizations, and their solution offerings are just as impressive. In addition to our secure video conferencing and endpoint security, CloudCycles also offers Threat Detection, Cloud Access Control, Cloud Surveillance and Situational Awareness and Alrting services. With a well-rounded suite like that, I can see a lot of organizations turning to them for their services, says Kay.



To learn more about CloudCycles, go to: https://www.cloudcycles.net/ To learn more about Zerify, go to: https://www.zerify.com/

About CloudCycles:

Privately held company in Long Island New York, CloudCycles is a leading provider of Cyber and Physical Security Solutions and Services. We utilize the best technology to provide the highest quality Cloud, and On-Premise (with cloud options) security solutions to your organization. CloudCycles, LLC. was founded in 2022, which evolved from a prior security company founded in 2000. Our vision has been to provide our customers with the highest-level security technology on which to secure their organizations future. We recognize that every customer and every industry is unique. Therefore, we never take a cookie-cutter approach when designing solutions and services. In fact, we consider it our responsibility to find the strategy that suits each customers individual needs. CloudCycles has established strong customer relationships due to excellence in customer service, competitive pricing, and the ability to be a trusted advisor in large, SMB, and small complex Organizations. About Zerify:

Zerify Inc. (OTC PINK: ZRFY), formerly StrikeForce Technologies, is an Edison, New Jersey-based company with over two decades of experience in cybersecurity solutions. The company helps to prevent cyber theft and data security breaches for consumers, corporations, and government agencies through powerful multi-factor out-of-band authentication and keystroke encryption along with mobile solutions. Zerify offers a video conferencing solution that uses no desktop and is entirely web-based, offering a five-level meeting security control approach designed to protect valuable information. Features include keystroke protection, anti-screen capture, and push and biometric authentication to keep businesses secure. The technology also protects cameras, microphones, and speakers, keeping computers and confidential data secure even when one is offline and not on a video conference. No other video conferencing service on the market, such as Zoom, Webex, LogMeIn, MS Teams or BlueJeans, offers these protections. Zerify Contact,

Mark L. Kay

[email protected]

(732) 661-9641



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Intramotev Receives $200,000 Grant from Michigan's Office of Future Mobility and Electrification to Accelerate Autonomous Railcar Tech

Investment will catalyze the world's first deployment of self-propelled, battery-electric railcars for commercial use in a freight rail operation ST. LOUIS, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Intramotev , a pioneering technology company focused on developing autonomous, zero-emission rail solutions, has been awarded a $200,000 grant from Michigan's Office of Future Mobility and Electrification to support the deployment of three of its TugVolt self-propelled railcars at a mining site in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in late 2023. This civic investment will catalyze the first deployment anywhere in the world of self-propelled, battery-electric railcars for commercial use in a freight rail operation. It will also begin to fulfill the company's goal that initial applications of its technology will include captive routes between mines and processing facilities, as well as intra-plant and ports. In every moment, freight trucks navigate long, choked highways across the nation, producing an estimated 433 million tons of carbon emissions annually, while close to a million freight railcars sit idle every day in switching yards. Intramotev is developing and deploying a suite of products to address the primary element behind the lack of growth in the rail industry, shipment certainty, while further building upon rail's strengths in safety and sustainability. They include TugVolt, a proprietary kit that can retrofit/upfit existing railcars to become battery-electric, move independently like a truck, and decouple to service first- and last-mile legs; ReVolt, capturing waste energy in traditional trains via regenerative braking; and automated safety systems including gates and hatches. Intramotev is poised o help meet the Federal Railroad Administration's Climate Challenge, a commitment to partner with owners and operators in the U.S. rail network, and manufacturers of rail equipment, to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. While reducing railway diesel emissions as well as relieving congested and polluted roadways, Intramotev's technology offers reduced operational costs and the highest level of safety, with stopping distances at a fraction of traditional heavier trains, among other benefits.



"The U.S.'s rail lines represent one the country's original foundations of mobility and prosperity, and now we have an opportunity to future-proof these lines, starting in Michigan," said Kathryn Snorrason, Interim Chief Mobility Officer for the State of Michigan. "We look forward to supporting Intramotev's deployment of its innovative railcars, which will not only serve to further expand Michigan's growing EV ecosystem, but will help revolutionize our supply chains and create a more sustainable mobility future." "We are excited to partner with Michigan's Office of Future Mobility and Electrification to usher in a new era of industrial revitalization," said Intramotev CEO Timothy Luchini, PhD. "Utilizing the most advanced battery-electric technology and other proprietary tools, we look to apply the packetization of the internet model to freight logistics initially on short captive routes and remove the actual distance then rapidly expanding to the full network of 140,000 miles of existing U.S. track without additional infrastructure. We envision a future where freight can move itself without waiting for a locomotive, making the system more efficient and environmentally friendly."

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state's marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan's economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org . For Pure Michigan tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org . Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. About Intramotev Intramotev is a high-technology company focused on transforming modern freight movement by developing autonomous, zero-emission rail solutions that decrease costs, increase usage and safety, and promote environmental responsibility. Founded in 2020 in Saint Louis, Missouri, the company's products include TugVolt, ReVolt, and automated safety systems including gates and hatches. Intramotev: Rail, Reborn & Ready To Roll. Visit www.intramotev.com . Media Contact

David Parmet

Firecracker PR

1-888-317-4687

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/intramotev-receives-200-000-grant-from-michigans-office-of-future-mobility-and-electrification-to-accelerate-autonomous-railcar-tech-301821747.html SOURCE Intramotev

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Karrot Partners with Children International to Empower Children's Futures

CHICAGO, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Karrot, a leading channel revenue growth platform, is thrilled to announce its partnership with Children International, a renowned organization committed to empowering children and youth to achieve their full potential. At Karrot, we believe that growth goes beyond the realm of business. As we help our clients thrive and expand their channel revenue, we also recognize the importance of giving back to society. With this in mind, we have established a profound alliance with Children International to make a tangible difference in the lives of children worldwide. By pledging a portion of our fees directly to Children International, we are actively contributing to their impactful initiatives. This collaboration enables us to play a crucial role in nurturing the growth and development of children, creating lasting positive change in their lives. "Our partnership with Karrot Rewards means more children and families from vulnerable communities globally will have equitable access to quality education, healthcare, employment training, and other essential services."  Kristen Mallory, Global Director of Programs at Children International Children International works tirelessly to break the cycle of poverty by providing children with vital resources, educational opportunities, healthcare, and mentorship.Together with Children International, Karrot aims to empower children, unlocking their potential and offering them a brighter future.



"Our partnership with Children International aligns perfectly with our core values and mission. By empowering children and youth, we are investing in a better world," said Ernie Naylor, CEO at Karrot. "We are excited to combine our expertise in channel revenue growth with Children International's impactful programs to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children worldwide." Through this partnership, Karrot clients can take pride in knowing that their business growth is directly contributing to transforming lives and creating opportunities for vulnerable children. Together, we are fostering hope, breaking barriers, and inspiring positive change.

For more information about Karrot's partnership with Children International or to join us in empowering children's futures, please visit www.thekarrot.com or www.children.org/partners About Karrot

Karrot is a leading channel revenue growth platform dedicated to empowering businesses to accelerate their growth through innovative strategies and solutions. With a focus on driving results, Karrot partners with clients to unlock their full potential and achieve sustainable success. About Children International

Children International is a global nonprofit organization that empowers children and youth to break the cycle of poverty. By providing life-changing opportunities, essential resources, and mentorship, Children International helps children unlock their potential and create a better future for themselves and their communities. Media Contact:

Rob Woods

Director of Sales & Marketing

Karrot Rewards, Inc

312.809.6121

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/karrot-partners-with-children-international-to-empower-childrens-futures-301819835.html SOURCE Karrot Rewards Inc

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Workbox Expands Leadership Team with Addition of Kristen Benson as EVP, General Counsel

CHICAGO, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Workbox, the Chicago-based specialized flexible office operator, has announced the hiring of Kristen Benson as the company's first EVP, General Counsel. In this new role, Benson brings more than 25 years of legal experience and will be instrumental in advising on real estate partnerships, corporate structure, and the company's in-house venture fund, Workbox Ventures. Prior to joining Workbox, Benson served as the EVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Care Capital Properties, Inc., a $4 billion publicly traded healthcare real estate investment trust, from the time of its spin-off by Ventas, Inc. until its acquisition by Sabra Healthcare REIT, Inc. "We are incredibly excited to welcome Kristen to our team. Kristen possesses a wealth of institutional knowledge and her experience in real estate will be critical to us successfully reimagining the flex operator and landlord relationship in this new era of work," said John Wallace, CEO and Co-founder of Workbox. Before Care Capital, Benson held various positions of increasing responsibility within Ventas, an S&P 500 companyand diversified healthcare real estate investment trust, eventually serving as its SVP, Associate General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. She began her professional career as an associate at the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago, Illinois, where her principal practice areas were securities, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and corporate finance.



The addition of Benson allows Workbox to further institutionalize its legal processes, as well as mitigate its corporate-level risk, all while remaining nimble as it navigates the ever-changing commercial office landscape in a post-pandemic environment. "I am thrilled to be joining Workbox at a pivotal time in the company's growth," said Benson. "John and his team have built an excellent company with a unique offering in the flex office market, and I look forward to working with them to help drive value for the company's investors and contribute to its members' success."

Ms. Benson received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and her B.B.A. summa cum laude in Finance and Computer Applications from the University of Notre Dame. About Workbox Workbox Holdings, Inc. is a specialized flexible office operator that provides professionals with a diverse platform to connect both in person and virtually. In addition to traditional office space and coworking solutions, the Chicago-based company offers direct access to a range of investors, vetted strategic advising via experienced mentors and professional specialists, as well as an unparalleled community of growing businesses. Web: www.workboxcompany.com Media Contact:

Austin Taylor

[email protected]

(972) 890-6666 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/workbox-expands-leadership-team-with-addition-of-kristen-benson-as-evp-general-counsel-301821401.html SOURCE Workbox Company

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] HeroX Welcomes Jessie Ford as New Head of Community

VANCOUVER, BC, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HeroX , the leading platform and open marketplace for crowdsourced solutions, today announced the appointment of Jessie D'Amato Ford as the new Director of Community Innovation. With over 18 years of experience in the crowdsourcing industry, Jessie brings a wealth of knowledge and a true passion for community building to the HeroX team. In 2005, Jessie began her career at Topcoder, where she held various positions, including project manager, community manager, and Director of Community Innovation. Driven by a deep appreciation for community and open innovation, Jessie was responsible for a number of remarkable projects during her 17-year tenure there. (You can explore Jessie's impressive community portfolio here.) In addition to her professional experience, Jessie is the founder of The Brackets Club , a 501c3 nonprofit organization that asists freelancers in need. The organization has made a significant impact by crowdfunding for freelancers and supporting people from various backgrounds, including those fleeing Ukraine and those facing medical emergencies.



"I am honored and excited to work at HeroX because of the company's undeniable passion for community-driven problem-solving," said Jessie, Director of Community Innovation, HeroX. "After seeing what HeroX has done with projects like the Lunar Loo Challenge, the Chrysalix PETRONAS Tank Inspection Challenge , and the Solar Prize Challenge, I just knew I had to work here. I am eager to be a part of something big, something that is making a difference in the world." "We are absolutely thrilled to have Jessie Ford join the HeroX team as our new Head of Community," said Kal K. Sahota, CEO, HeroX. Her extensive experience, deep understanding of the crowdsourcing industry, and unwavering passion for community building make her the perfect fit for our organization. Jessie's track record speaks for itself, and we're confident that she will be instrumental in taking our community engagement to new heights. At HeroX, we grow our team by looking not only at the candidate's expertise but also at who they are. Company culture is something that's foundational to HeroX, and we are excited to see how Jessie will no doubt contribute to that culture. I'm looking forward to the positive impact Jessie will have on HeroX as we continue to drive innovation and create meaningful change worldwide."

Jessie believes that the future of work is all about remote flexibility and making work fit seamlessly into our lives, not the other way around. She is excited to be a part of the HeroX journey as the company continues to deploy crowdsourcing for organizations who are seeking solutions to intractable problems. ABOUT HEROX

HeroX is a platform and open marketplace for crowdsourcing innovation and human ingenuity, co-founded in 2013 by serial entrepreneur, Christian Cotichini and XPRIZE Founder and Futurist, Peter Diamandis. HeroX offers a turnkey, easy-to-use platform that supports anyone, anywhere, to solve everyday business and world challenges using the power of the crowd. Uniquely positioned as the Social Network for Innovation, HeroX is the only place you can build, grow and curate your very own crowd. Explore the latest challenges at www.herox.com . Media Contact:

Alexandra Pony

[email protected]

250.858.0656 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/herox-welcomes-jessie-ford-as-new-head-of-community-301821763.html SOURCE HeroX

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Baldwin & Obenauf Named to Inc's Best Workplaces of 2023

BNO earns special recognition for Enduring Impact SOMERVILLE, N.J., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative agency Baldwin & Obenauf, Inc. (BNO) today announced that the company has been named to Inc's annual Best Workplaces list. With over 40 years in business, BNO also earned special recognition in the Enduring Impact category. The list is the result of a comprehensive measurement of American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company culture. Named to Inc's Best Workplaces of 2023, creative agency BNO earns special recognition for Enduring Impact. Among the survey categories most favorably rated by BNO staff were Team Dynamics, Trust in Leadership, and Engagement Outcomes. Employees cited attributes like a collaborative workplace, supportive and transparent leadership, a creative culture, and open communication as reasons for their ratings. "In addition to business sense, the management and employees respect the creative process and put a lot of value in taking chances and rewarding creative thinking," noted one. "At BNO, our mantra  innovate, inspire, involve  guides the way we collaborate with one another and with our clients. We push ourselves hard to live up to those ideals because we care deeply about one other and about continuing BNO's incredible legacy," shares Trista Walker, President and CEO. "It's an honor to be recognized among Inc's Best Workplaces, a testament to the dedicatin and creativity of our entire team."



BNO has created a foundation of strong business fundamentals over its decades in business, experiencing four consecutive years of growth through the global pandemic. BNO also cares deeply about everyone sharing in the company's success  a claim supported by many of the survey comments. There are team members who have been with BNO for more than 10, 20, and 30 years  and clients like Johnson & Johnson that have been with BNO even longer. With expanded benefits, a culture club, cooking club, a hiking and adventure club, and others, BNO knows how to put culture above all else for their employees. After collecting data from thousands of submissions, Inc. selected 591 honorees this year. Each took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace. BNO had an 87% response rate with 85% of respondents "Highly Engaged."

"Being named to Best Workplaces is an honor that only a small fraction of companies have been able to claim," says Inc. Editor-in-Chief Scott Omelianuk. "Proving to the world that you're a magnet for talent and have a culture that keeps teams engaged, productive, and proud to come to work is a truly remarkable achievement." About Baldwin & Obenauf, Inc. (BNO)

BNO is a full-service creative agency with a unique model that blends CX expertise with high-end brand creative designed to influence consumers, businesses, and employees. BNO helps clients develop relevant and meaningful brand connections and helps global brand leaders and talent acquisition executives attract and engage best-fit candidates. Headquartered in Somerville, NJ, BNO has remained proudly independent, smartly strategic, and fearlessly creative for more than 40 years. For more information, visit https://bnoinc.com/. About Inc. Media

The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. About Quantum Workplace

Quantum Workplace, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee-engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baldwin--obenauf-named-to-incs-best-workplaces-of-2023-301821701.html SOURCE BNO

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Don't miss your chance to compete for GUARANTEED $100K prize pool with AI GameToEarn

Zagreb, Croatia, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With only a few days left, this crypto reward chance tempts many people in the digital world. As already announced by the team, the whitelisting process has already reached an oversubscription phase, proving AI GameToEarns high appeal. Only a Few Days Left for This Tempting Opportunity AI Game To Earn offers a great opportunity for those who sign up for their whitelist before the deadline. Those lucky enough to get on the whitelist can compete for a $100K prize pool in the first month. Moreover, this project allows its community to earn up to $1,000/month by staking. Users can join this growing project at a small price of just $188.88 by minting an AI NFT. With over 4,000 people already signed up and 2,000 spots available, time is running out fast. It is not too late to sign up through the dedicated Zealy webpage . Even latecomers could join and have a chance to paticipate in the public mint.



The whitelisting will end on May 15th at 00:00 (CEST), and the community will know the winners two hours later. Whitelist contenders can mint their AI NFTs beginning on May 15th, 18:00 (CEST). On May 16th, 10:00 (CEST), non-whitelisted contenders who signed up will have a chance to start minting. The public mint will start on May 17th, 02:00 (CEST), and end on the same day at 18:00 (CEST).

This incredible opportunity won't last forever. Therefore, users won't likely miss out and will join the AI Game To Earn before time runs out. About AI GameToEarn AI GameToEarn platform is quickly becoming a popular gaming platform due to its combination of thrilling gameplay and cryptocurrency rewards. Leveraging blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and NFTs, the platform provides users with a secure, transparent, and user-friendly experience. The project came from the minds working at Exordium - an experienced game developer with over ten years of expertise. The team has already released 15 casual games and created 100+ prototypes, achieving 20 million downloads in one game alone. All these features make Exordium's AI GameToEarn an exciting yet rewarding gaming platform backed by reliable blockchain technology. Zealy's page for whitelisting contains all the necessary information to join this project at an early stage. AI GameToEarn's social media pages have already gathered over 50,000 followers combined with all channels. The quick rise in interest in the project proves its potential and popularity among crypto enthusiasts. As a reminder, the whitelist application deadline is May 15th, 00:00 (CEST), so the time to join is running out. AI GameToEarn's website , and its social pages below, provide further details about this hard-to-miss opportunity. Twitter | Discord | Telegram | YouTube

Martin Lisak info-at-aigametoearn.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Zayo and Fermaca Partner to Deliver the Most Advanced Cross-Border Connectivity Between the United States and Mexico

Zayo Group Holdings, Inc., a leading global communications infrastructure provider, announced its strategic partnership with Fermaca Networks, a leading provider of long-haul dark fiber infrastructure in Mexico. The partnership will provide the most modern and diverse connectivity between the United States and Mexico. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005150/en/ Fermaca is set to launch a new long-haul dark fiber route in Mexico in 2025, which will be the newest and longest long-haul dark fiber route in Mexico in 20 years. The partnership will leverage this route from Fermaca and Zayo's redundant route north of the border to provide customers with reliable, secure, and diverse cross-border connectivity. The route will provide access through Queretaro with a diverse border crossing through El Paso, Texas. Queretaro has emerged as one of the most important data center hubs in Mexico and the broader North American region, with over one billion dollars of investment in the last ten years. As more enterprises establish their operations in the city, there is an increasing demand for advanced network capabilities. "Our partnership with Fermaca marks an exciting milestone for Zayo as we continue to push the boundaries of connectivity for the digital age," said Andres Irlando, president of Zayo. "The expectations for continued growth throughout Mexico are tremendous. We are excited to partner with Fermaca on their investment to deliver the modern IT infrastructure and cross-border connectivity our customers need to sty ahead of the digital curve."



The partnership will allow Zayo and Fermaca to jointly offer a wider range of best-in-class services to clients in the U.S. and Mexico to help provide the solutions needed to connect their endpoints along the U.S.-Mexico border and to other strategic endpoints on Zayo's global network. "We are thrilled to partner with Zayo to deliver greater value and reach to our clients and help them compete in their industries and around the world," said Daniel Elguea, CEO at Fermaca Dreams. "The combination of Zayo's network assets in the U.S. and Fermaca's deep expertise in fiber networks in Mexico enable us to deepen our relationship with clients and give them peace of mind that their data and IT environments are in safe hands."

For more information about Zayo's network, visit: https://www.zayo.com/network/. For more information about Fermaca Networks, visit: https://fermacanetworks.com/ About Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. For more than 15 years, Zayo has empowered some of the world's largest and most innovative companies to connect what's next for their business. Zayo's future-ready network spans over 16.5 million fiber miles and 141,000 route miles. Zayo's tailored connectivity and edge solutions enable carriers, cloud providers, data centers, schools, and enterprises to deliver exceptional experiences, from core to cloud to edge. Discover how Zayo connects what's next at www.zayo.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. About Fermaca Networks Growth, specialization, standardization, market best practice adoption and streamlining drive the Calvillo brothers to consolidate their family office and businesses under a holding Company, Fermaca Dreams, that drives strategic focus, performance, and execution to a top-notch institutional level across all their companies. "Born to Grow" is at the essence of Fermaca Dreams DNA, relentlessly searching for further growth opportunities. Fermaca Networks, a Fermaca Infraestructura Company that sits within the Fermaca Dreams Holding, is a purpose-built digital infrastructure developer seeking to utilize the safest, most unique right of way in Mexico for purposes of being a leading provider of much sought Long Haul Dark Fiber infrastructure in Mexico. Phase 1 route will run fully underground, parallel to existing natural gas systems in some sections, and will follow highway routes in others, aiming at optimizing asset security and performance. A unique and proven track record of expertise and success in Mexico, and key local and international strategic alliances make of our digital infrastructure projects, a unique opportunity with unparallel growth potential. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005150/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Tourists watch a performance at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 25, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Tourists watch an interactive show at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 8, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This photo taken on April 25, 2023 shows a float parade at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This photo taken on April 25, 2023 shows a traditional costume show at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This photo taken on April 25, 2023 shows a float parade at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

Tourists visit the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 8, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This photo taken on April 25, 2023 shows a traditional costume show at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This photo taken on April 25, 2023 shows a float parade at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Tourists watch a performance at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 8, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

Tourists watch an interactive show at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 8, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 28, 2023 shows the night view of the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This photo taken on April 25, 2023 shows a float parade at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 28, 2023 shows tourists visiting the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Tourists watch a performance at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 8, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

Tourists watch a performance at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 8, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 28, 2023 shows tourists watching a lantern show at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Tourists visit the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 8, 2023. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 28, 2023 shows the night view of the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

This photo taken on April 25, 2023 shows a traditional costume show at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).

The Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark of Xi'an featuring a grand street with characteristics of Tang Dynasty (618-907), has a total length of 2,100 meters from north to south and spans 500 meters wide from east to west. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)
[May 11, 2023] Socure Head of Public Sector Partnerships Ayesha Prakash Named to CRN's 2023 Women of the Channel Honors

Socure, the leading provider of digital identity verification and fraud solutions, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, named Ayesha Prakash, head of public sector partnerships at Socure, to the Women of the Channel list for 2023. The award recognizes women from vendor, distributor, and solution provider organizations whose expertise and vision are leaving a noticeable and commendable mark on the technology industry. "Strong partnerships are critical to solving big problems in government and Ayesha has helped Socure to build a robust partner ecosystem to solve the digital identity verification challenges impacting the delivery of government services," said Matt Thompson, senior vice president and general mnager of Public Sector Solutions at Socure. "We're excited that CRN is recognizing her efforts and leadership in this area."



At Socure, Prakash works to grow Socure's alliance and partnership ecosystem to bring private sector best practices and industry-leading identity verification solutions to the public sector. With more than 17 years of experience across IT and cybersecurity, Prakash plays a critical role in developing and strengthening key relationships with government agencies at the federal and state level. She was previously named to the Women of the Channel in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 and was named as a CRN Channel Chief in 2020 and 2022. The CRN 2023 Women of the Channel honorees bring their creativity, strategic thinking and leadership to bear in a variety of roles and responsibilities, and all are turning their unique talents toward driving success for their partners and customers. With this recognition, CRN honors these women for their unwavering dedication and commitment to furthering channel excellence.

"We are ecstatic to announce this year's honorees and shine a light on these women for their significant achievements, knowing that what they've accomplished has paved the way for continued success within the IT channel," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "The channel is stronger because of them, and we look forward to seeing what they do next." About Socure Socure is the leading platform for digital identity verification and trust. Its predictive analytics platform applies artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques with trusted online/offline data intelligence from physical government-issued documents as well as email, phone, address, IP, device, velocity, date of birth, SSN, and the broader internet to verify identities in real time. The company has more than 1,700 customers across the financial services, government, gaming, healthcare, telecom, and e-commerce industries, including four of the top five banks, 13 of the top 15 card issuers, the top three MSBs, the top payroll provider, the top credit bureau, the top online gaming operator, the top Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) providers, and over 400 of the largest fintechs. Marquee customers include Chime, SoFi, Robinhood, Gusto, Public, Poshmark, Stash, DraftKings, State of California, and Florida's Homeowner Assistance Fund. Socure customers have become investors in the company including Citi Ventures, Wells Fargo Strategic Capital, Capital One Ventures, MVB Bank, and Synchrony. Additional investors include Accel, T. Rowe Price, Bain Capital Ventures, Tiger Global, Commerce Ventures, Scale Venture Partners, Sorenson, Flint Capital, Two Sigma Ventures, and others. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005283/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Talkdesk Leaders, Beth Bacon and Kimberly Glennon, Join the 2023 CRN Women of the Channel List

Talkdesk, Inc., a global contact center leader for enterprises of all sizes today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has recognized the achievements of Beth Bacon and Kimberly Glennon and named both to its 2023 Women of The Channel List. The CRN 2023 Women of the Channel honorees bring their creativity, strategic thinking, and leadership to bear in a variety of roles and responsibilities, but all are turning their unique talents toward driving success for their partners and customers. With this recognition, CRN honors these women for their unwavering dedication and commitment to furthering channel excellence. As the Talkdesk regional vice president, North American channel, Beth Bacon has been instrumental in the strengthening and expansion of the Talkdesk partner program in North America, driving additional revenue and contributing significantly to the company's exponential growth. For example, Beth and her team designed a partner training program that applies across all business pillars, including globally, to address the education needs of the Talkdesk business partners. In addition, she has executed the industry's first PowerPlay program where Talkdesk adds business partners to direct sales opportunities in reward for their contributions. Since joining Talkdesk as national channel director in early 2020, Kimberly Glennon has made her mark on the company's channel strategy and program. Kimberly joined the Talkdesk channel team with the goal of making the Talkdesk brand a household name in the Trusted Advisor community. She has remained committed over the last few years to engage, enable, and empower trust advisors to sell contact center as a service (CCaaS). "Beth and Kim are remarkable leaders, strategists, and partner experience professionals, and are shining examples of the Talkdesk successful partner and alliances programs," said Chad Haydar, global vice president, channels and alliances. "Both have contributed significantly to not only the Talkdesk success but also the white-glove experience we provide our customers across a variety of industries. We are thrilled that they are being recognized for their knowledge, thinking, and commitment to advancing the channel experience." Kimberly and Beth join other Talkdesk executives recognized for outstanding work creating a successful channel strategy, including Chad Haydar, Talkdesk global vice president, channels and alliances, who was named CRN Channel Chief earlier this year. CRN's 2022 Women of the Channel list will be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine and online at .



Additional Resources: Learn about the Talkdesk partner ecosystem that helps customers across industries and around the world deliver customer experiences that build trust and loyalty Read about how Talkdesk and its employees have been recognized for their accomplishments by industry influencers, analysts, and publications around the world Download the report to read how Talkdesk was recognized as a Customers' Choice in the 2023 Gartner Peer Insights 'Voice of the Customer' for CCaaS Social Networks:

Talkdesk Community: https://www.talkdesk.com/customer-community

Blog: https://www.talkdesk.com/blog/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Talkdesk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talkdesk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Talkdesk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Talkdesk/ About Talkdesk Talkdesk is a global cloud contact center leader for enterprises of all sizes. Talkdesk CX Cloud and Industry Experience Clouds help enterprises deliver modern customer service their way. Our trusted, flexible, and innovative contact center platform leverages AI and automation to drive exceptional outcomes for their customers and improve the bottom line. Serving enterprise customers in over 100 countries, we partner with our customers to deliver continuous innovation and breakthrough results. Our unwavering commitment to doing what we say we will do and our investment in the highest levels of security and reliability for our products make us second to none in the industry. Improve customer experiences, increase efficiency, and grow revenue with Talkdesk, a cloud contact center platform built for your industry. Learn more and take a self-guided demo at www.talkdesk.com. Talkdesk is a registered trademark of Talkdesk, Inc. All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter and LinkedIn.  2023. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company LLC. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005354/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Nominations Open Monday, May 15, for TechForce's 2023 Techs Rock Awards

TechForce Foundation's 5th annual Techs Rock Awards season begins Monday, May 15, 2023. TechForce created these prestigious awards to honor professional technicians who are full of passion and grit, exhibit true excellence in their work and inspire the next generation of techs. The Techs Rock Awards will accept nominations May 15 through May 26, 2023, at TechForce.org/TechsRock. More than $18,500 in prizes will be awarded: Each of the five Category Winners, as selected by a panel of industry celebrity judges, will receive prizes valued at over $1,900, including gift cards, tools, merch and more from TechForce partners Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Cengage Learning, CRC Industries, Ford Motor Company, Nissan, Snap-on Industrial and WD-40 Company.

One Grand Prize Winner, chosen by popular vote, will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to STX 2024 in Nashville, Tenn., valued at $3,000, courtesy of Advance Auto Parts, and additional prizes valued at $6,000 from AutoZone, CRC Industries, Ford Motor Company, Nissan, Snap-on Industrial and WD-40 Company. Technicians will be considered for one of five categories, including Pay it Forward, Rookie of the Year, Die Hard Tech, Outstanding Mentor, and Barrier Buster. A panel of industry celebrity judges will select one winner from each of the five categories. The Grand Prize Winner will be selected from the slate of Category Winners via a People's Choice Public Vote to be held June 12 through 16, 2023. 2023 Techs Rock Award judges include Bogi Lateiner, Bogi's Garage; Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Racing; Emily Reeves, Flying Sparks Garage; Pete Meier, Motor Age Magazine; and Camrie Caruso, Camrie Caruso Motorsports. 2022 Grand Prize Winner and CarMax technician Daniel McCrum was ecstatic about the recognition he received from winning. "I kinda thought I had a pretty fair chance to win something...but I didn't think I could win the whole thing," he said. "This is a national contestit's nationwide and I won!" McCrum will join this year's Grand Prize Winner at STX 2024 in Nashville for the bi-annual event. Since 2018 the Techs Rock Awards have awarded more than $46,000 in prizes to 20 professional technicians in recognition of their excellence, passion and commitment to driving the future of the mobility industry. Technicians will shape our future, and the Techs Rock Awards are made possible by TechForce donors who help shape theis. In addition to prizes, Nissan is also co-sponsoring the 2023 Techs Rock Awards to help TechForce celebrate all technicians' contributions throughout the country and the industry.



The Techs Rock Awards are part of TechForce's workforce development campaign to inspire and support tomorrow's workforce of technicians. TechForce also created the first and only social network designed and gamified for professional technicians and tech students to connect with each other, employers and schools (TechForce.org). The transportation community is supporting it with content and using it to learn, connect, find events, and explore job opportunities while competing for prizes and leaderboard status. About TechForce Foundation

TechForce Foundation is a national nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion all students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. TechForce powers the technician workforce by awarding more than $2.3 million in scholarships and grants annually to financially disadvantaged students; changes perceptions towards this evolving, 'new collar' STEM career; and provides local career exploration and workforce development programming. TechForce's online, social network of students, working technicians, instructors, employers, industry professionals and enthusiasts committed to championing the technician workforce is the conduit through which the charity delivers its free resources, programs and career hub for the benefit of aspiring technicians. For more information, visit techforce.org. Follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube.

Links: Overview, featuring Bogi Lateinar - YouTube: https://youtu.be/etfECVKheB0

2023 Techs Rock Awards logo: https://adobe.ly/3OgJZ8T

2023 Techs Rock Awards website: TechForce.org/TechsRock View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005565/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Midland Radio Partners with Jeep to Deliver Co-Branded Walkie Talkies

The partnership with iconic off-road vehicle manufacturer Jeep establishes Midland Radio as the market leader in off-road communications. KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Midland Radio, the leader in two-way radio communication technology, announced its partnership with Jeep, the leading manufacturer of off-road vehicles. Midland Radio is kicking off the relationship with the introduction of the T77VP5J Jeep X-Talker Extreme Dual Pack, the first of many Jeep-branded Midland products to come. Midland Radio and Jeep have long been at the forefront of the off-roading community, providing rugged and reliable products that enthusiasts love. The dedication and affinity toward this community over the years is why both brands continue to create unrivaled experiences for this audience through innovative products and events. Midland's continued sponsorship of Jeep Jamboree, and this newly announced partnership further solidifies Midland Radio's position as the market leader in off-road communications and the trusted manufacturer for Jeep enthusiasts. The T77VP5J Jeep X-Talker Extreme Dual Pack is a by-product of Midland's long-time customer favorite T71 licens-free handheld. With features that include up to 38 miles in range, 36 channels, crisp communication, and Weather Alert Radio with Weather Scan technology, users can venture far and wide without worrying about losing contact or getting caught in severe weather. A micro-USB charging port also allows for easy, accessible in-vehicle recharging. Now, with Jeep branding, Jeep enthusiasts can show off their love for the brand on a practical piece of equipment that they can take with them on the trails or out camping.



"When the leading automotive manufacturer of off-road vehicles chooses and trusts you as their go-to off-road communication equipment, you are doing something right," said Dan Schwartz, CEO of Midland Radio. "We are excited to partner with Jeep and to announce the T77VP5J. We aim to enhance all Jeep enthusiasts' experiences by providing the best possible communication while hitting the trails in their Jeep 4x4 vehicles." The T77VP5J is the first Midland Radio product to consist of the Jeep brand, with additional Jeep branded models to come in the popular MicroMobile line.

The T77VP5J Jeep X-Talker Extreme Dual Pack is offered at $134.99 and is currently available for purchase from Midland and approved retailers. The radios can also be found at Jeep dealerships nationwide. About Midland Radio For over 50 years, Midland Radio has taken a pioneering role in two-way radio technology, introducing CB radio and 14-channel FRS radio technology to the market. Today, Midland is the leading supplier of two-way radios and weather alert radios and an innovator in emergency radio technology. Headquartered in Kansas City, the heart of the country, the Midland brand represents quality, value, and reliability, with products sold in leading consumer electronics, sporting goods, specialty outdoor and many other retailers nationwide. For more information, visit www.midlandusa.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/midland-radio-partners-with-jeep-to-deliver-co-branded-walkie-talkies-301821535.html SOURCE Midland Radio

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Nation's Largest Private Neurology Group Experiences Significant Success and Value With eClinicalWorks V12

eClinicalWorks, the largest ambulatory cloud EHR, today announced that First Choice Neurology is successfully utilizing the eClinicalWorks V12 EHR and healow patient engagement solutions to ensure consistent care at each of its 40 locations. First Choice Neurology sees more than 1,300 patients daily across six Florida counties and provides services at 35 major hospitals. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005007/en/ As the largest private neurology group in the country, First Choice Neurology depends on these eClinicalWorks' healthcare IT features to provide top-notch services to its patients: eClinicalWorks V12 offers First Choice Neurology a flat user interface design along with click reducers to help the organization achieve greater physician efficiency and patient satisfaction. With this latest version, the group now has access to improved usability, easy access to key workflow features, and value-based care enhancements.

offers First Choice Neurology a flat user interface design along with click reducers to help the organization achieve greater physician efficiency and patient satisfaction. With this latest version, the group now has access to improved usability, easy access to key workflow features, and value-based care enhancements. First Choice Neurology also uses healow patient engagement solutions, including healow Sign, healow Survey, and healow Chatbot , for streamlined patient-provider communication and digital pre- and post-appointment options for administrative tasks.

, for streamlined patient-provider communication and digital pre- and post-appointment options for administrative tasks. PRISMA , the industry's first health information search engine, streamlines patient record retrieval from neighboring hospital systems to facilitate better medical decision-making.

, the industry's first health information search engine, streamlines patient record retrieval from neighboring hospital systems to facilitate better medical decision-making. healow TeleVisitsTM helps the group treat patients, especially elderly patients, from the comfort of their own homes. First Choice Neurology has used TeleVsits since 2019 and even uses the solution to power its Neuro2Go service, which offers worldwide access to board-certified neurologists regardless of insurance status.



According to Rocha, the First Choice staff has saved countless hours by having information from our local hospitals - including Larkin Community Hospital Palm Springs, Palmetto General Hospital, and Baptist Health Hospital Doral -already in the system rather than manually importing that information into eClinicalWorks.

"With eClinicalWorks V12, First Choice Neurology is leveraging real-time cloud intelligence, search at the point of care, and tools to empower patients," said Girish Navani, co-founder and CEO of eClinicalWorks. "We look forward to continuing our partnership to deliver innovative healthcare to patients across Florida and beyond." About First Choice Neurology First Choice Neurology is the largest neurology group in the United States with more than 40 facilities in 6 Florida counties and services at 35 major hospitals. First Choice Neurology has over 90 providers including adult and pediatric neurologists, 5 neuropsychologists, nutrition & wellness physicians, physical medicine & rehabilitation physicians, nurse practitioners, and over 220 support healthcare staff members. First Choice Neurology, was formed in 2003 and became operational in 2004 in response to South Florida's increasing need for high-quality neurology services. First Choice Neurology offers Neurology services as well as diagnostic and rehabilitative services. For more information, visit www.fcneurology.net, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, or call (786) 924-1311. About eClinicalWorks eClinicalWorks was founded in 1999 to help digitize paper charts for ambulatory practices. Today, eClinicalWorks leads the nation in innovation with cloud-based solutions for Electronic Health Records and Practice Management. In addition, we help ambulatory practices, specialists, health centers, urgent care facilities, and hospital systems manage their revenue cycle, patient relationships, and Population Health initiatives. More than 150,000 providers and nearly 1 million medical professionals rely upon the power and scalability of the eCW Cloud for flexible clinical documentation, better front-office workflows, and more efficient billing driven by Robotic Process Automation. We combine innovation, leading-edge technology, and a commitment to patient safety to enable practices to grow and thrive amid the challenges 21st-century healthcare. For more information, visit www.eclinicalworks.com, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or call (866) 888-6929. About healow healow is a comprehensive, EHR-agnostic, cloud-based platform for patients, practices, payers, hospitals, and health systems. healow provides Patient Relationship Management, clinical and payer insights, and state-of-the-art interoperability solutions. The PRISMA health information search engine gathers patient records from other EHRs and helps providers focus on the most clinically relevant information at the point of care. healow's Population Health Management tools, including Remote Patient Monitoring, provide real-time data to deepen understanding of patient populations. And healow Insights automates the bidirectional exchange of data between health plans and providers to improve scores on quality measures, help control costs, and promote better medical outcomes. Learn more at www.plus.healow.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005007/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Addepar Earns "Best in Class" in the 2023 Aite Matrix: RIA Portfolio Management and Reporting Systems

New report from top global financial services advisory firm Aite-Novarica Group names Addepar as the category leader in RIA software among wealth management reporting platforms MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Addepar , a global technology and data company that helps investment professionals provide the most informed, precise guidance for their clients, today announced it has been named as the "Best in Class'' provider by Aite-Novarica Group in the 2023 Aite Matrix: RIA Portfolio Management and Reporting Systems. The report evaluated the competitive position of seven leading software vendors for the RIA market, focusing on key elements including advisor reporting and functionality, portfolio rebalancing, third party integrations, and client portal capabilities. Addepar was selected as "Best in Class" based on multiple categories, including client feedback, platform features, partnerships and overall company health. Addepar has convincingly demonstrated over the past few years that an integrated technology solution with the right functionality wins advisors that cater to private clients up and down the wealth spectrum. Aite-Novarica Group further observes that Addepar's solutions elegantly deliver a holistic portfolio solution and platform that brings visibility to a traditionally opaque investment ecosystem, delivering a tailored, cohesive and timely view for advisors who otherwise would have trouble bringing together the systems and functionality needed to manage portfolios in an integrated environment. "Addepar has become a dominant leader in this space in a short time frame; remarkably, without any support from a corporate parent. Its overall functionality, integration, and management quality has earned Addepar a well-deserved spot in the winner's circle," said Wally Okby, Strategic Advisor, Wealth Management at Aite-Novarica Group. "Frm a functional perspective, Addepar employs a sophisticated account grouping interface, an impressive proposal-generation capability, multi currency conversion, portfolio benchmarking, and perhaps the best integration available in the market for alternative asset classes. Furthermore, the system is wrapped in a flexible user interface that allows a high degree of customization."



Addepar now counts hundreds of thousands of users and more than 900 of the world's top RIAs, family offices, banks and institutions as clients, spanning over 40 countries, with nearly 60 new clients joining the Addepar community in the first quarter of this year. "We are honored to be named as the "Best in Class" Wealth Management Client Reporting provider. This recognition reinforces our commitment to client success and innovation across the entire Addepar community," said Eric Poirier, Chief Executive Officer at Addepar. "Advisors are facing a sustained level of change and consolidation across the industry, along with extraordinary volatility and global uncertainty over the past few years. The fastest-growing, most resilient RIAs are relying on modern technology to deliver a differentiated experience to clients and advisors alike. Addepar is continuing to deliver innovative offerings that increase our clients' efficiency, velocity and capabilities to fulfill the full range of their client's needs."

The Addepar Platform powers myriad, critical workflows within firms with industry-leading reporting and analytics, an end-to-end billing solution, native rebalancing and trading, liquidity and cash flow forecasting using total portfolio holdings and bespoke capital markets assumptions, access to curated alternative investments and special investment vehicles, previously unattainable insights gleaned from more than $4T in assets, and best-in-class partners already plugged into an open ecosystem so that RIAs can maintain independence in any way they choose. With 60% of the company dedicated to R&D, Addepar continues to invest heavily in its underlying Operating Platform, bringing quality, scalability and flexibility on a global scale that powers clients' operating model to grow and mature their practice, drive deep operational efficiencies, provide a superior end-client experience and ultimately enable smarter, data-driven decisions. More information on Addepar within the 2023 Aite Matrix: RIA Portfolio Management and Reporting Systems is available here . To learn more about Addepar, please visit https://addepar.com/ About Addepar

Addepar is a global technology and data company that helps investment professionals provide the most informed, precise guidance for their clients. Hundreds of thousands of users have trusted Addepar to empower smarter investment decisions and better advice over the last decade. With client presence in more than 40 countries, Addepar's platform aggregates portfolio, market and client data for over $4 trillion in assets. Addepar's open platform integrates with more than 100 software, data and services partners to deliver a complete solution for a wide range of firms and use cases. Addepar embraces a global flexible workforce model with offices in Silicon Valley, New York City, Salt Lake City, Chicago, London, England, Edinburgh, Scotland and Pune, India. About Aite-Novarica Group

Aite-Novarica Group is an advisory firm providing mission-critical insights on technology, regulations, strategy, and operations to hundreds of banks, insurers, payments providers, and investment firmsas well as the technology and service providers that support them. Comprising former senior technology, strategy, and operations executives as well as experienced researchers and consultants, our experts provide actionable advice to our client base, leveraging deep insights developed via our extensive network of clients and other industry contacts. Visit us on the? web and connect with us on?? LinkedIn . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/addepar-earns-best-in-class-in-the-2023-aite-matrix-ria-portfolio-management-and-reporting-systems-301822366.html SOURCE Addepar

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Together with Siemens Healthineers, Varian Showcases Comprehensive Solutions Designed to Connect the Cancer Care Continuum at ESTRO 2023

PALO ALTO, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Varian, a Siemens Healthineers company, is highlighting its comprehensive cancer care solutions, including advanced imaging, radiation therapy, software, and services at the 2023 annual European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) meeting from May 12-16 in Vienna, Austria. As a Siemens Healthineers company, Varian is working to connect the cancer care continuum to empower clinicians to deliver more efficient, more personalized care to patients. With technologies and services spanning the entire patient journey  from screening to survivorship  the company is working to build an integrated oncology ecosystem to enable streamlined workflows, better informed treatment decisions, and improved outcomes. "Helping to create a world without fear of cancer requires us to look beyond the treatment room, at how we can work with our customers to apply our technology to transform the care pathway. Now that Varian is part of Siemens Healthineers, we have the reach and resources to do just that, starting with screening and early detection," said Kevin O'Reilly, President of Radiation Oncology Solutions at Varian. "In two years as a combined company, we have only just scratched the surface in identifying the wide range of new opportunities available to us to drive innovation through integration, with connected imaging and radiotherapy solutions to accelerate and enhance care for patients and providers alike. We are excited about the possibilities ahead, and the solutions we are showcasing at ESTRO reinforce the important progress we are making." These solutions include: Connected Imaging : Now available on Halcyon and Ethos radiotherapy systems, the HyperSight imaging solution seeks to connect the power of imaging inside and outside the treatment room. The HyperSight solution's cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) technology delivers larger images with better contrast, and is 10 times faster than conventional linear accelerator-based imaging systems, saving time for patients and creating the potential to significantly enhance the patient experience. With quality, precision, and speed, HyperSight allows clinicians to capture images during daily radiation treatment that can be used forreplanning and adaptation to patient and tumor changes.

: Now available on Halcyon and Ethos radiotherapy systems, the HyperSight imaging solution seeks to connect the power of imaging inside and outside the treatment room. The HyperSight solution's cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) technology delivers larger images with better contrast, and is 10 times faster than conventional linear accelerator-based imaging systems, saving time for patients and creating the potential to significantly enhance the patient experience. With quality, precision, and speed, HyperSight allows clinicians to capture images during daily radiation treatment that can be used forreplanning and adaptation to patient and tumor changes. Advanced Motion Management : Patient movement during radiotherapy can significantly impact outcomes, as small movements such as breathing can affect the quality and precision of the treatment. The IDENTIFY system is designed to provide clinicians with greater confidence in knowing precisely where the patient is during a variety of radiation treatment delivery methods and techniques, including stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), and breath hold. IDENTIFY version 3.0, 1 which has received CE mark, represents a purposeful step forward in surface guided radiation therapy (SGRT). This new version represents a connected future of SGRT through deeper integration of IDENTIFY within the Varian ecosystem. Clinicians will experience new safety features such as automated beam hold functionality on the TrueBeam platform and process efficiencies that seamlessly complement established clinical protocols. Attendees of ESTRO will learn about Varian's unique vision of SGRT innovation throughout the entire Varian ecosystem.

: Patient movement during radiotherapy can significantly impact outcomes, as small movements such as breathing can affect the quality and precision of the treatment. The IDENTIFY system is designed to provide clinicians with greater confidence in knowing precisely where the patient is during a variety of radiation treatment delivery methods and techniques, including stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), and breath hold. IDENTIFY version 3.0, which has received CE mark, represents a purposeful step forward in surface guided radiation therapy (SGRT). This new version represents a connected future of SGRT through deeper integration of IDENTIFY within the Varian ecosystem. Clinicians will experience new safety features such as automated beam hold functionality on the TrueBeam platform and process efficiencies that seamlessly complement established clinical protocols. Attendees of ESTRO will learn about Varian's unique vision of SGRT innovation throughout the entire Varian ecosystem. Integrated Software : Varian continues to build out its ecosystem of software solutions to power oncology workflows through patient-focused design, embedded intelligence, and enhanced connectivity. With a track record of innovation spanning more than two decades, the Eclipse treatment planning system has continuously evolved to support clinicians and their practices. The latest version of Eclipse includes features designed to enhance accuracy in stereotactic radiosurgery treatments, improve conformity for complex stereotactic body radiotherapy cases, and help clinicians realize new possibilities in precision. In addition, Varian continues to expand the capabilities of the ARIA oncology information system (OIS) to improve workflows, efficiencies, communication, and safety in the clinic. The company has also introduced InSightive Gen2, its cloud-native, next-generation analytics solution, which empowers clinic professionals with actionable insights, customized alerts, and aggregation across multiple ARIA databases.

: Varian continues to build out its ecosystem of software solutions to power oncology workflows through patient-focused design, embedded intelligence, and enhanced connectivity. With a track record of innovation spanning more than two decades, the Eclipse treatment planning system has continuously evolved to support clinicians and their practices. The latest version of Eclipse includes features designed to enhance accuracy in stereotactic radiosurgery treatments, improve conformity for complex stereotactic body radiotherapy cases, and help clinicians realize new possibilities in precision. In addition, Varian continues to expand the capabilities of the ARIA oncology information system (OIS) to improve workflows, efficiencies, communication, and safety in the clinic. The company has also introduced InSightive Gen2, its cloud-native, next-generation analytics solution, which empowers clinic professionals with actionable insights, customized alerts, and aggregation across multiple ARIA databases. Customized Clinical Services: Through the Advanced Oncology Solutions (AOS) portfolio, Varian offers customized solutions and services that harness the power of technology and combine it with world class experts to help optimize clinical operations. These solutions, which integrate with and expand cancer centers' existing capabilities, help clinical teams realize their unique goals for optimizing, upgrading, or standardizing operations while implementing global best practices in cancer care.



About Varian

At Varian, a Siemens Healthineers company, we envision a world without fear of cancer. For more than 75 years, Varian has developed, built, and delivered innovative technologies and solutions that help care providers around the globe treat millions of patients each year. Today, as a Siemens Healthineers company, we support every step of the cancer care journey  from screening to survivorship. From advanced imaging and radiation therapy, to comprehensive software and services, to interventional radiology, we are harnessing the power of our perspective while also pursuing clinical research to create a more efficient, and more personalized care pathway. Because, for cancer patients everywhere, their fight is our fight. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com. Press Contact

Katie Villany

Varian Corporate Communications

[email protected]

1 U.S. FDA 510(k) pending. Not available for sale in the U.S. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/together-with-siemens-healthineers-varian-showcases-comprehensive-solutions-designed-to-connect-the-cancer-care-continuum-at-estro-2023-301821566.html SOURCE Varian

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] MD Ranger's 2023 Report: New Benchmarks Suggest Upward Pressure on Hospital Physician Contracts

MD Ranger, Inc. ("MD Ranger") today announced the publication of new physician compensation benchmarks based on 2022 data. New benchmarks illustrate the significance of payments to physicians as a major component of hospital spending. According to the MD Ranger database, the average hospital spends $9.6M annually on non-employment physician arrangements. MD Ranger's 14th year of reporting features thousands of benchmarks derived from a database of more than 50,000 contracts from over 225 hospitals and hundreds of health care providers across the US, making it the largest survey of non-salaried physician payments. Benchmarks include ED Coverage, Medical Directorships, Administrative Services, Hospital-Based Services, Medical Staff Leadership, Telemedicine, Diagnostic Testing, and Clinical Hourly Rates. Salary and productivity benchmarks are also available and will be updated in the coming months. This year, MD Ranger reports 17 new physician services, including per delivery payments, neuro-hospitalists, and trauma critical care payments. While payment rates in the MD Ranger database are very stable, the company observed large increases in both hospital-based arrangements and ED call contracts in 2022. Market forces such as post-pandemic labor shortages, reduced Medicare payments, and increased patient load likely contributed to much larger than expected increases in many payment rates. Penny Stroud, Founder and CEO of MD Ranger states "The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the challenges associated with physician contracting. An aging workforce, increasing specialization, and the growing divide between inpatient and outpatient physician practice continue to drie payment rates up. Benchmarks have increased the most in ED call payments and hospital-based group arrangements, with specialties like ENT, Oral/Maxillofacial, and Pediatric Surgery increasing significantly. Payment for gastroenterology services continued to rise, with a 13% rise in median call pay and 34% increases in ERCP and other GI procedures. Trauma Surgery, Anesthesia, and General Hospitalist services command the highest annual median payments for hospital-based services, each costing more than $1.5M in total payments".



Key findings from the 2023 benchmarks include: ED call payments experienced the largest increases in several years. Of the 54 call services, only 24% declined at the median while 67% increased, including 30% of services increasing more than 10%. However, for the services that declined at the median, most increased at the 75th percentile, indicating increasing spread between the median and 75th percentile. Services with more than 20% increases include ENT, Pediatric Surgery, and Obstetrics. According to the MD Ranger database, the average hospital spends just over $4M per year on ED coverage payments alone with the average hospital having 12 paid positions.

Since 2018, payments for Critical Care/ICU have more than doubled, from a median per diem coverage rate of $1,880 to $4,050 in 2023. With recent changes in the Medicare Fee Schedule and an aging population, MD Ranger anticipates continuing pressure on these arrangements.

MD Ranger observed increases in annual payments for administrators and committee members such as Credentials Committee, Practitioner Health and Wellness Committee, Peer Review, and Patient Safety Officer. Payments for Credentials Committee have nearly doubled since 2021. While more annual payments increased than decreased, annual payments overall remain relatively stable from last year to this year. Since the late 2010's, MD Ranger has observed slight decreases in annual hours across services although there are exceptions. Health care providers use MD Ranger to set payment rates, document fair market value, and comply with federal Stark and anti-kickback regulations. MD Ranger is used by hundreds of healthcare organizations, including hospitals, health systems, trauma centers, medical groups, LTACs, outpatient providers, and critical access facilities.

About MD Ranger MD Ranger partners with leading health care provider organizations to provide comprehensive market data, simplify the FMV process and document physician transactions efficiently and cost-effectively. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005169/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Navy Federal Credit Union is Celebrating Its 90th Anniversary by Donating $90,000 to Military Communities

In celebration of 9 decades of service, Navy Federal Credit Union is partnering with 9 military-focused nonprofit chapters to champion their communities by donating $10,000 grants to global and local organizations. Championing community and philanthropic giving are some of the many ways that Navy Federal serves its global membership base.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005666/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

"We're putting members first by taking care of their financial needs in our branches, online, over the phone and supporting the communities where they serve," said Mary McDuffie, President and CEO at Navy Federal. "Service has been at the heart of our organization for 90 years, and we're proud to go beyond banking to support military communities through nonprofit partnerships that share our values."

National beneficiaries of Navy Federal's 90th Anniversary Give Back include:







With 166 branches on or near military instillations and 26 international locations, Navy Federal is also donating $10,000 to overseas services for Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. Team members in Okinawa, Japan are closely connected to the nonprofit's local chapter to support servicemembers stationed overseas.

In addition to philanthropic giving, volunteerism and intentional nonprofit partnerships, Navy Federal is proud to be the most trusted financial institution for the military community for 90 years.

In total, Navy Federal members earned and saved $3.8 billion in 2022; individually members could earn and save $473 per year by banking with us.1 By offering exclusive rates and discounts, maintaining low-to-no fees and higher saving rates, and providing an average credit card APR that's lower than the industry average2, the credit union continues to prioritize members' financial goals. For more information, visit navyfederal.org.

About Navy Federal Credit Union: Established in 1933 with only 7 members, Navy Federal now has the distinct honor of serving over 12 million members globally and is the world's largest credit union. As a member-owned and not-for-profit organization, Navy Federal always puts the financial needs of its members first. Membership is open to all Department of Defense and Coast Guard Active Duty, veterans, civilian and contractor personnel, and their families. Dedicated to its mission of service, Navy Federal employs a workforce of over 23,000 and has a global network of 357 branches. For more information about Navy Federal Credit Union, visit navyfederal.org. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Opportunity Employer.

1Dollar values shown represent the results of the 2022 Navy Federal Member Giveback Study. The Member Giveback Study takes into consideration internal market analyses comparing Navy Federal products with industry national averages, as well as discounts, incentives, and other savings.

2Credit card value claim based on an internal analysis of Navy Federal's average credit card APR assigned to members compared to the average advertised credit card industry APR in 2022. The 2022 industry average data was obtained from creditcards.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005666/en/
[May 11, 2023] Zausmer Law Firm: Statement from Richard Turnbow, plaintiff in the case Turnbow v. PulteGroup, Inc. et al.; case number 2023-0287 CD (Ingham County Circuit Court)

Attorney Mark Zausmer issued the following statement on behalf of his client Richard Turnbow. According to Turnbow, "On Tuesday, May 9, 2023, Ryan Marshall acknowledged racism within PulteGroup although he has fired just one of the players in the racist and discriminatory scheme our lawsuit made public. "He also has not sent me or my fellow litigants an apology. We lost our employment because we were targeted, lynched, harassed and terminated or chased from PulteGroup. The Atlanta office is a mess and it's ran by the CEO. The buck starts and stops with him. "However, in a message sent companywide Tuesday, May 9, CEO Marshall passed responsibility alleging an organized conspiracy against him or sought to downplay the racism by saying that one of the incidents, the 'Noose Meeting,' was in 2019. "Ryan Marshall doesn't care about equality or diversity. His statement proves that much! "Apologize and let us get on with our lives. Put an end to the legal games. "We appreciate the thousands of messages over the internet and messages from our former colleagues at PulteGroup." Background Three Black former PulteGroup employees have secured legal representation by the highly reputable Zausmer Law Firm in order to pursue CEO Ryan Marshall and other named PulteGroup senior executives in a sweeping conspiracy to reward personal loyalty over merit and, in some specific cases, white employees over Black employees. The legal filing can be accessed online here. Case No: 2023 - 0287 - CD The case is being pursued under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act in Michigan, where PulteGroup was founded in 1950 and maintains its registered office. PulteGroup is a Fortune 500, publicly traded company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the "PHM" ticker symbol. PulteGroup is the third-largest homebuilder in the country. The 22-page lawsuit was filed May 4, 2023, in Ingham County Circuit Court. The complaint alleges that managers engaged in "unlawful retaliation in the form of termnation" when Black employees reported misconduct on the part of Pulte executive Patrick Witzigman, who is alleged to have acted as a lieutenant in the scheme and had racist interactions with all three Black plaintiffs. Witzigman's conduct was given a pass or endorsement because he was a loyalist to COO Brandon Jones, who himself was recently terminated after the PulteGroup Board found wrongdoing and actions that violated their Code of Ethical Business Conduct (PDF).



PulteGroup's Jim Zeumer, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications, told Lansing CBS affiliate WLNS Channel 6: "Our company leadership is committed to ensuring an environment of inclusion where all people are respected and valued. What is depicted in the images is despicable and has no place in our company nor in our society. The allegations are not consistent with our values and corporate culture." Senior Executive Brandon Jones received "fast-tracked" promotions and is personal friends with CEO Ryan Marshall, the lawsuit alleges. The complaint outlines a workplace conspiracy wherein the CEO had his executives, and managers who reported to them, filter out Black employees who spoke out about unlawful conduct perpetrated by their supervisors that did not align with PulteGroup's public image, specifically, by the hands of Witzigman.

When the respective human resources and legal departments were used by employees, rather than punishing Witzigman for his unethical and unlawful behavior, they engaged in Marshall's grand coverup and retaliated against Black employees. Not once did Pulte's "Diversity Board" (led by CEO Marshall) or the Ethics Committee (led by General Counsel Todd Sheldon) correct these civil rights violations because these entities were set up to fool shareholders, employees and the public. Each of the three plaintiffs can demonstrate that they were treated with prejudice, that normal recourse for reporting discriminatory or predatory practices was not actually available to them, and that they were terminated or forced out by managers loyal to CEO Marshall or one of his top lieutenants. Even more explosive, plaintiffs have provided the court with photographs of the "lynching noose" and made public, for the first time, what is internally referred to as the "Noose Meeting" among PulteGroup employees. Plaintiffs are considering additional legal remedies and invite all whistleblowers and those discriminated against by PulteGroup managers or executives to join their pursuit of equal treatment. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230510005997/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
DHAKA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh and Malaysia agreed on Wednesday to explore the possibility of concluding a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to add further substance to the steadily increasing bilateral trade and economic relations.

The discussion was held during the third Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between the two sides at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.

Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen led the Bangladeshi delegation, while a five-member Malaysian delegation was led by Dato Norman Muhamad, deputy secretary-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia.

The topics discussed included cooperation in trade and commerce, investment, energy, tourism and culture, defense and security, agriculture, fisheries and livestock, ICT and telecommunication etc., Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues of mutual interests in the regional and international arena, it said, adding that both sides expressed optimism that the FOC, held after a hiatus of more than five years, would contribute significantly toward infusing further dynamism into the existing bilateral relations.

Describing Malaysia as an important investor country in Bangladesh, the foreign secretary encouraged a greater flow of foreign direct investment from Malaysia, particularly in the economic zones of Bangladesh, for mutual benefit. 
[May 11, 2023] The Coretec Group to Host a Shareholder Call on May 18 to Provide an Update on its Endurion Battery Development Program for Electric Vehicles

ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Coretec Group (OTCQB: CRTG), developers of silicon anode active materials for lithium-ion batteries and cyclohexasilane (CHS) for electric vehicles (EVs), cleantech, and emerging tech applications, will host a shareholder call at 10:00 a.m. EST on Thursday, May 18, 2023, to discuss the achievements and progress of its Endurion battery program, while also providing insights into the innovation and commercialization goals the Company seeks to achieve throughout the rest of the year.

Endurion applies the Companys expertise in silicon nanoparticles to the development of silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries that charge faster and last longer than the current industry standard. On the call, the Company will discuss the significant progress Endurion has made in recent months, as well as the strategies intended to commercialize its product. These efforts include R&D, developing key partnerships with industry players, and the importance and capabilities of its recently-filed provisional patent. The patent identifies three distinct strategies to extend the life and increase energy density of lithium-ion batteries, with an emphasis on manufacturing scalability. The Coretec Group will also review other 2023 milestones and events, including hosting an EV industry panel discussion with peer companies, Graphex Group and Blink Charging. Company scientists have also spent productive time attending key industry conferences, such as JCESR and NAATBatt, where they liaised with and learned from many of the brightest minds in the battery sector. The Company worked with outside battery labs, including the University of Michigan Battery Lab and Polaris, where they collaborated with in-house battery development teams on vital new strategies for Endurion.



Chief Executive Officer Matthew Kappers, Chief Technology Officer Dr. Ramez Elgammal, Ph.D., and VP of Partnerships & Development Dr. Michelle Tokarz, Ph.D., will discuss the companys recent achievements and future plans, in addition to answering questions submitted from the investment community and news media. To submit questions for the hour-long shareholder call, please send an email to [email protected] by 5 p.m. EST on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

Participants/Audience Webcast link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/wd27fpuz

Call link: https://register.vevent.com/register/BIbf6737c841ee42a9b25a7b1291cf013b

Canada dial-in number (Toll Free): 1 833 950 0062

Canada dial-in number (Local): 1 226 828 7575

United States: 1 844 200 6205

United States (Local): 1 646 904 5544

All other locations: 1 929 526 1599

Access code: 642462 About The Coretec Group The Coretec Group, Inc. is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based developer of engineered silicon, working to improve lives and power the EV, cleantech, and emerging technology markets of tomorrow. The companys current battery program is Endurion; the Coretec team is applying its expertise in silicon nanoparticles to develop silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries in EVs that will charge faster and last longer than the current industry standard. Additionally, Coretec is also utilizing its engineered silicon to develop a portfolio of energy-focused products, including solid-state lighting (LEDs), semiconductors, 3D volumetric displays, and printable electronics. The Coretec Groups groundbreaking work is revolutionizing the EV and energy storage markets and will continue to be a pioneer in this fast-paced industry. For more information, please visit thecoretecgroup.com. Follow The Coretec Group on: Twitter  @CoretecGroupInc

LinkedIn  www.linkedin.com/company/24789881

YouTube  www.youtube.com/channel/UC1IA9C6PoPd1G4M7B9QiZPQ/featured Forward-Looking Statements The statements in this press release that relate to The Coretec Groups expectations with regard to the future impact on the Companys results from operations are forward-looking statements and may involve risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control. Such risks and uncertainties are described in greater detail in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Since the information in this press release may contain statements that involve risk and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Companys actual results may differ materially from expected results. We make no commitment to disclose any subsequent revisions to forward-looking statements. This release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of offers to buy any securities of any entity. Corporate Contact: The Coretec Group, Inc.

Lindsay McCarthy

[email protected]

+1 (866) 916-0833 Media Contact: Spencer Herrmann

FischTank PR

[email protected]

+1 (518) 669-6818



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Perr&Knight Achieves Climate Neutral Certification, Leading the Way in Sustainable Business Practices

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Perr&Knight, a leading provider of actuarial and insurance operations consulting, announced today that it has earned Climate Neutral Certification, placing the company at the forefront of sustainable business practices. This achievement underscores Perr&Knight's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and promoting environmental responsibility. To earn Climate Neutral Certification, Perr&Knight comprehensively measured and offset its entire carbon footprint for the year 2023, encompassing all direct and indirect emissions from its operations, supply chain, and employee commuting. The company also implemented a range of initiatives to reduce its emissions, including shifting to renewable energy, optimizing transportation and logistics, and reducing waste. "We are delighted to earn Climate Neutral Certification, which acknowledges our ongoing efforts to lessen our environmental impact and operate as a responsible, sustainable business," said Tim Perr, CEO at Perr&Knight. "We believe that it is our duty to set an example and take the lead in creating a more sustainable future for our planet and future generations." Perr&Knight is proud to join the Cimate Neutral community of companies that share its commitment to confronting the pressing challenge of climate change. Through its achievement of Climate Neutral Certification, Perr&Knight is establishing a model for others in the industry and demonstrating that a successful business can prioritize sustainability.



For more information about Climate Neutral, visit their website at https://www.climateneutral.org/. About Perr&Knight:

Founded in 1994, Perr&Knight provides insurance consulting and software solutions to the property & casualty and accident & health industries. Services include actuarial consulting, product development, insurance policy and forms consulting, regulatory compliance, state filings, licensing, technology consulting, statistical reporting, data services, and predictive analytics. Software includes StateFilings.com, a leading cloud-based state filings management solution. With offices in Santa Monica, Boca Raton, the New York Metro Area, and Cincinnati, and more than 140 insurance professionals including over 30 credentialed actuaries, Perr&Knight is among the largest independent actuarial and insurance consulting firms in the United States. Perr&Knight

401 Wilshire Blvd.

Suite 960

Santa Monica, CA 90401

https://www.perrknight.com/ View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/perrknight-achieves-climate-neutral-certification-leading-the-way-in-sustainable-business-practices-301822481.html SOURCE Perr&Knight

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Generational Equity Advises Carter Associates in its Sale to LJA Engineering

Generational Equity, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held businesses, is pleased to announce the sale of its client, Carter Associates, Inc. to LJA Engineering, Inc. The acquisition closed April 27, 2023.

Carter Associates, Inc. (CAI), located in Vero Beach, Florida, is a diversified, full service civil engineering and land surveying firm.

CAI is an icon in the Indian River County and Treasure Coast areas, with its rich history of regional development dating back to 1911 when founder Robert D. Carter designed a canal drainage program near what is now Vero Beach, which changed 55,000 acres of marsh into useful salable land. This still-functioning canal system, now managed by Indian River Farms Water Control District, continues to drain much of Indian River County and the City of Vero Beach.

To this day, CAI continues to provide District Engineering services for Indian River Farms Water Control District as well as all the other six (6) Water Control Districts in the County. CAI works closely with County and many other agencies, districts, and surrounding counties on water and utility systems, agricultural systems, and land development.

Located in Houston, Texas, LJA Engineering, Inc. (LJA) is an employee-owned, full-service, comprehensive multi-disciplinary consulting firm.

With offices across the nation, they offer one-source, one-stop reliability for all of their clients, when and where they are needed. LJA is organized around eight comprehensive sectors and can seamlessly build successful project teams with civil, structural, and electrical engineers, plus hydrologists, planners, landscape architects, construction managers, GIS designers, and surveyors. Its resources are leveraged across the firm to deliver expertise-driven teams, increase responsiveness to client specific needs, and individualized project solutions.

Generational Equity Executive Managing Director, M&A-Technology Practice Leader, David Fergusson, Alan Steinberg, a Generational Group Authorized Affiliate, with the support of Vice President, M&A, Emil Nirkis, successfully cloed the transaction. Senior Managing Director, Doug Morrow established the initial relationship with CAI.







"Carter Associates were intent on finding a buyer that would continue the legacy established for over one hundred years. They found the perfect partner in LJA Engineering," said Steinberg.

About Generational Equity

Generational Equity, Generational Capital Markets (member FINRA/SIPC), Generational Wealth Advisors, Generational Consulting Group, and DealForce are part of the Generational Group, which is headquartered in Dallas and is one of the leading M&A advisory firms in North America.

With more than 350 professionals located throughout 16 offices in North America, the companies help business owners release the wealth of their business by providing growth consulting, merger, acquisition, and wealth management services. The Generational suite of advisory services includes strategic and tactical growth consulting, exit planning education, business valuation, value enhancement strategies, M&A services, and wealth management.

The M&A Advisor named Generational Equity Investment Banking Firm of the Year three years in a row, Valuation Firm of the Year in 2020, and North American Investment Bank of the Year in 2022 as well as Consulting Firm of the Year. The Global M&A Network named Generational USA Investment Bank of the Year in 2023. For more information visit https://www.genequityco.com/ or the Generational Equity press room.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005881/en/
[May 11, 2023] Netherlands-Based Eindhoven University of Technology Chooses YuJa as a Comprehensive Video and Media Solution

After a rigorous tender process, Netherlands-based Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) has selected the YuJa Enterprise Video Platform to provide a video and media creation, hosting, storage, and distribution solution campuswide. The institution provided a number of detailed user stories that outline use cases and requested feedback on how the Video Platform's capabilities could be used in various contexts. The institution was seeking an ed-tech tool that would enable the creation of multisource knowledge clips, and provide the ability to add captions and automate the subtitle process, change playback speed, infuse interactivity, add tags to and make videos searchable, and that offers the ability to share videos externally. In addition, TU/e wanted a Video Platform that integrates with Canvas, its virtual learning environment. YuJa will replace two of the institution's former products with a sngle, unified platform.



"We're excited to provide Eindhoven University of Technology a more comprehensive video and media experience that makes it easy for instructors, students, and other users to collaborate," said Nathan Arora, Chief Business Officer at YuJa, Inc. "We're always working to help higher ed institutions create a more streamlined learning environment that benefits everyone involved in teaching and learning." ABOUT EINDHOVEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Founded in 1956, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is a research-driven university of international standing, where excellent research and excellent education go hand in hand. The institution focuses on a balanced approach toward education, research and valorization of knowledge in the areas of engineering science and technology. TU/e's campus is situated in the heart of the high-tech Brainport region. ABOUT YUJA, INC. YuJa is a leader in ed-tech solutions. Our platforms provide organizations of all sizes with the tools to educate, engage, inspire and collaborate. We serve learning enterprises within all sectors, including higher-ed, K-12, government, healthcare, non-profit and corporate. We have legal headquarters in Delaware with primary U.S. offices in Silicon Valley, California, and Canadian offices in Toronto. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005935/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Government reaches a tentative agreement for the Police Operations Support Group

OTTAWA, ON, May 11, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Government of Canada announced that it has reached a tentative agreement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 104 for the Police Operations Support (PO) group. Upon ratification, it would apply to approximately 1,050 RCMP civilian members and federal public service employees who support the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) police operations by providing telecommunications and intercept monitoring services. The tentative agreement would provide general economic increases as well as group-specific increases for employees, until the end of 2025. Once approved, employees can expect to see wage enhancements and other benefits within agreed-to timelines. The Government of Canada remains committed to reaching collective agreements with all remaining bargaining groups that are fair for employees and reasonable for Canadians. Quotes "Both parties came to the table willing to work on key priorities for the Police Operations Support group, and we have reached a tentative agreement that is fair to employes and reasonable for Canadians. I would like to thank CUPE Local 104 for their collaboration at the bargaining table."



- The Honourable Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board "This is an important day for our employees in the PO Group and the RCMP looks forward to continuing our positive and collaborative working relationship with CUPE Local 104 to advance a shared interest  ensuring our employees are supported so that they can do their best work for Canadians."

- Mike Duheme, RCMP Commissioner Quick Facts Telecommunications operators are the first people a caller speaks to when calling 911 or requesting police assistance. They are primarily engaged in planning, developing, conducting or managing telecommunications operations in support of police operations.





Intercept Monitors perform functions pertaining to monitoring and transcribing ongoing wiretap operations. They primarily record, monitor, analyze or transcribe live or pre-recorded intercepted telecommunications.





There are currently 19 negotiation tables still underway as part of the current round of negotiations. In the past months, seven groups have reached tentative collective agreements. Stay connected Twitter: @TBS_Canada

Facebook: www.facebook.com/YourGovernmentatWork/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tbs-sct/ SOURCE Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] VerticalScope Announces First Quarter 2023 Financial Results

VerticalScope Holdings Inc. ("VerticalScope" or the "Company") (TSX: FORA), a technology company that has built and operates a cloud-based digital platform for online enthusiast communities, today announced financial results for the first quarter ("Q1" or "the quarter"). "VerticalScope navigated through a challenging quarter in Q1, and as we previously announced, we are confident it was the trough for our results. Macroeconomic pressure increased in the quarter which impacted both our advertising and e-commerce revenue, but we responded accordingly and have made the necessary changes that will allow us to emerge from this period in a much stronger position", commented Rob Laidlaw, Founder, Chair and CEO of VerticalScope. "The strength of our business model and free cash flow generation is clearly demonstrated in challenging times like these. Despite the short-term revenue headwinds, our business generated $4.1 million in cash from operations and we made $3.0 million in voluntary payments against our debt in Q1. We did this while continuing to invest in our Fora platform and our initiatives to improve monetization across the business. Revenue trends improved as the quarter progressed and we expect that to continue into Q2 and the balance of the year." Financial Highlights for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023. All comparatives, unless otherwise noted, are versus the same period in the prior year: Q1 revenue decreased 36% year-over-year to $12.9 million resulting from challenging market conditions in both digital advertising and e-commerce and from lower search-related traffic. Direct advertising revenue was down 11% year-over-year, performing better than our other revenue channels. Q1 Adjusted EBITDA decreased to $2.9 million, a decline of 60% from the previous year, as revenue reductions could not be fully offset by cost reductions. The restructuring completed in February will result in approximately $6 million in annualized cost savings moving forward while focusing our resources on our strategic priorities that have the most long-term term growth potential. Free cash flow was $2.3 million in Q1, reflecting an 80% Free Cash Flow conversion rate, an improvement from the prior year's rate of 76%. Cash flow from operations was $4.1 million in Q1, down 22% year-over-year from $5.3 million but which included a $0.5 million increase in interest paid. We made $3.6 million in payments against our credit facility, $3.0 million of which were voluntary. Q1 net loss was $4.5 million, reflecting a $7.4 million improvement from the prior year's net loss of $11.9 million. The main driver of our improved earnings profile was a 45% reduction in operating expenses including lower depreciation and amortization. Earnings Per Share in Q1 of negative $0.21, improved from negative $0.56 in the prior year. Laidlaw added, "Our platform served 100.4 million monthly active users in Q1, which was down 11% compared to last year as a result of lower traffic from search engines. Despite the volatility in search-related traffic, we saw continued strength in direct traffic which was up 10% over prior year. Our most engaged users continue to be very active across Fora. We are excited about the forthcoming launch of our Fora mobile app which will provide an even more engaging platform for our communities. We expect the app to be rolled-out platform-wide over the remainder of Q2 and into the beginning of Q3. We have also recently launched video advertising across Fora which will provide our customers with a more engaging and impactful opportunity to reach our 100 million MAU in contextually relevant and product-focused communities. Video along with our other monetization initiatives will support an improved revenue outlook in Q2 and beyond." Earnings Announcement

Management will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the Company's financial results at 8:00 am ET on Friday, May 12, 2023. Live Call Registration and Webcast:

https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/452040124 Joining by telephone:

Canada: 1 833 950 0062

United States: 1 833 470 1428

Participant Access code: 267257 If you are unable to join live, an archived recording of the webcast will be available at: https://investors.verticalscope.com/. About VerticalScope Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, VerticalScope is a technology company that has built and operates a cloud-based digital platform for online enthusiast communities in high consumer spending categories. VerticalScope's mission is to enable people with common interests to connect, explore their passions, and share knowledge about the things they love. Through targeted acquisitions and development, VerticalScope has built a portfolio of over 1,200 online communities and over 100 million monthly active users. VerticalScope is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: FORA). Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation that reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events. When used in this news release, words such as "should", "could", "intended", "expect", "plan" or "believe" and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information, including the Company's plans for organic growth and financially accretive M&A, deployment of capital, investments in our platform, performance of the Company's acquisitions and the growth of revenue and MAU, information regarding our financial position, business strategy, growth strategies, addressable markets, budgets, operations, financial results, plans and objectives, is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Although the Company believes that its expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurances can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 31, 2023, which is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Actual results could differ materially from those projected herein. VerticalScope does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required under applicable securities laws. Non-IFRS Measures This press release references certain non-IFRS measures, including Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow, and Free Cash Flow Conversion as described below. This press release also makes reference to MAU, which is an operating metric used in our industry. These non-IFRS measures are not recognized measures under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Rather, these measures are provided as additional information to complement those IFRS measures by providing further understanding of the Company's results of operations from management's perspective. Accordingly, these measures should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for analysis of the Company's financial information reported under IFRS. The Company uses non-IFRS measures including: "Adjusted EBITDA" is calculated as net income (loss) excluding interest, income tax expense (recovery), and depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, adjusted for share-based compensation, share performance related bonuses, unrealized gains or losses from changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments, severance, adjustments to contingent consideration liabilities measured at fair value through profit and loss, gain or loss on sale of assets, gain or loss on sale of investments, foreign exchange loss (gain), impairment and other charges that include direct and incremental business acquisition related costs. "Adjusted EBITDA Margin" measures Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue. "Free Cash Flow" means Adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures and income taxes paid during the period. "Free Cash Flow Conversion" is equal to Free Cash Flow for the period divided by Adjusted EBITDA for the period. "Monthly Active Users" ("MAU") is defined as the number of individuals who have visited our communities within a calendar month, based on data as measured by Google Analytics. To calculate average MAU in a given period, we sum the total MAU for each month in that period, divided by the number of months in that period. Related Links

http://www.verticalscope.com The following table sets forth a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow to net loss:







Three Months Ended March 31, (in thousands of US dollars) 2023 2022 Net loss ($4,498) ($11,871) Net interest expense 1,115 579 Income tax recovery (1,734) (1,193) Depreciation and amortization 6,508 9,762 EBITDA 1,392 (2,723) Share-based compensation 1,068 2,853 Share performance related bonuses (1) - (103) Unrealized loss (gain) from changes in derivative fair value of financial instruments 1 (32) Severance (2) 1,407 623 Loss on sale of assets (1) 11 Foreign exchange loss 32 31 Adjustment to contingent considerations (1,051) 5,627 Other charges (3) 88 995 Adjusted EBITDA 2,936 7,282 Less capital expenditures (545) (1,672) Income taxes paid (44) (55) Free Cash Flow $2,346 $5,556

(1) Share performance related bonus is included in wages and consulting on the consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss. (2) Severance is included in wages and consulting on the condensed consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss. (3) Other charges are included in wages and consulting and general and administrative on the condensed consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss. For the three months ended March 31, 2023, these charges include one-time legal related costs. For the three months ended March 31, 2022, these charges include direct and incremental asset acquisition or business acquisition related costs. VERTICALSCOPE HOLDINGS INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

(In U.S. dollars)

(Unaudited) March 31, December 31, 2023 2022 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $8,479,087 $8,766,769 Restricted cash 91,732 116,830 Trade and other receivables 9,195,167 15,712,508 Lease receivable 572,894 569,278 Prepaid expenses 905,789 1,127,365 19,244,669 26,292,750 Property and equipment 977,337 1,065,888 Right-of-use asset 2,560,646 1,745,398 Intangible assets 64,877,767 70,579,988 Goodwill 52,635,164 52,635,164 Other assets 303,653 315,403 Deferred tax asset 24,767,502 23,991,561 Lease receivable 785,497 929,682 Total assets $166,152,235 $177,555,834 Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $5,472,641 $8,334,556 Income taxes payable 616,314 549,713 Derivative instruments 702 - Deferred revenue 905,152 889,259 Current portion of long-term debt 4,036,463 3,209,382 Lease liability 1,174,029 1,027,309 Contingent considerations - 15,000,000 12,205,301 29,010,219 Deferred revenue 4,055 4,389 Long-term debt 65,422,311 54,883,514 Lease liability 3,126,793 2,518,053 Deferred tax liability 7,242,319 8,310,894 Contingent considerations - 1,051,222 Other long-term liabilities 211,180 281,959 Total liabilities 88,211,959 96,060,250 Shareholders' equity: Share capital 161,771,667 160,559,106 Contributed surplus 25,133,570 25,306,872 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (108,482) (86,145) Deficit (108,856,479) (104,284,249) 77,940,276 81,495,584 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $166,152,235 $177,555,834 VERTICALSCOPE HOLDINGS INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Loss and Comprehensive Loss

(In U.S. dollars, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited) Three months ended March 31 2023 2022 Revenue $12,871,812 $20,048,393 Operating expenses: Wages and consulting 8,342,825 9,772,878 Share-based compensation 1,068,356 2,852,916 Platform and technology 2,005,207 2,168,511 General and administrative 1,083,415 2,308,055 Depreciation and amortization 6,507,624 9,761,686 Adjustment to contingent considerations (1,051,222) 5,627,245 17,956,205 32,491,291 Operating loss (5,084,393) (12,442,898) Other expenses: Loss (gain) on sale of assets (789) 11,257 Net interest expense 1,115,472 578,905 Foreign exchange loss 32,443 30,808 1,147,126 620,970 Loss before income taxes (6,231,519) (13,063,868) Income taxes (recovery) Current 110,536 651,458 Deferred (1,844,515) (1,844,723) (1,733,979) (1,193,265) Net loss ($4,497,540) ($11,870,603) Other comprehensive loss Items that may be reclassified to net loss: Foreign currency differences on translation of foreign operations (22,337) (29,288) Total comprehensive loss ($4,519,877) ($11,899,891) Loss per share: Basic ($0.21) ($0.56) Diluted (0.21) (0.56) VERTICALSCOPE HOLDINGS INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

(In U.S. dollars)

(Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 2022 Cash provided by (used in): Operating activities: Net loss ($4,497,540) ($11,870,603) Items not involving cash: Depreciation and amortization 6,507,624 9,761,686 Net interest expense 1,115,472 578,905 Loss (gain) on sale of assets (789) 11,257 Unrealized loss (gain) in derivative instruments 702 (32,205) Income tax recovery (1,733,979) (1,193,265) Adjustment to contingent considerations (1,051,222) 5,627,245 Share-based compensation 1,068,612 2,852,916 1,408,880 5,735,936 Change in non-cash operating assets and liabilities 3,804,894 134,510 Interest paid (1,031,189) (525,373) Income taxes paid (43,935) (54,694) 4,138,650 5,290,379 Financing activities: Repayment of term loan (625,000) (625,000) Proceeds from issuance of revolving loan 15,000,000 - Repayment of revolving loan (3,000,000) - Lease payments (383,820) (321,710) Proceeds from sublease 149,565 159,651 11,140,745 (787,059) Investing activities: Additions to property and equipment and intangible assets (545,449) (2,667,099) Proceeds from sale of assets 9,424 7,115 Payment of contingent considerations (15,000,000) - (15,536,025) (2,659,984) Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (256,630) 1,843,336 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period 8,766,769 20,494,313 Change in restricted cash balances 25,098 2,995 Effect of movement of exchange rates on cash and restricted cash held (56,150) 22,491 Cash and cash equivalent, end of period $8,479,087 $22,363,135 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005904/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Cynalytica Inc. to Showcase Augmented Reality Capabilities with Splunk (AR) for Securing and Monitoring ICS/SCADA and OT Systems at Infosecurity Europe 2023

LONDON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cynalytica Inc., a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions, will be showcasing an innovative Augmented Reality (AR) solution at Infosecurity Europe 2023, which will take place from June 20-23, 2023, at ExCel London. Leveraging Cynalytica's OTNetGuard and AnalytICS Engine with Splunk AR is designed to provide enhanced visibility and monitoring capabilities for Industrial Control Systems (ICS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and Operational Technology (OT) systes. With the increasing complexity and sophistication of cyber-physical threats, it is essential for organizations to have real-time accessible situational awareness of their critical infrastructure. Cynalytica's application of Splunk AR offers a new way to visualize and analyze ICS/SCADA and OT systems, providing security teams with a better understanding of their environment and the ability to identify potential threats before they cause harm.



AR leverages advanced technologies such as machine learning and computer vision to generate real-time overlays of ICS/SCADA and OT systems. The AR overlay displays critical system information, such as network traffic, device status, and anomaly detection alerts, directly on top of the physical environment. This approach enables security teams to quickly identify anomalies, suspicious activities, and potential attacks in real-time, reducing response times and minimizing the impact of cyber-physical incidents. "We are excited to showcase the application of AR, at Infosecurity Europe 2023," said Richard Robinson, CEO at Cynalytica Inc. "The applications of AR in cyber-physical monitoring and security is a potential game changer in the world of ICS/SCADA and OT cybersecurity, offering enhanced visibility, monitoring and collaboration capabilities that were previously unavailable. With the rise of cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure, organizations need to stay ahead of the curve and adopt innovative solutions to protect their assets. AR is one such innovation that can help organizations achieve better cybersecurity outcomes."

Visit Cynalytica and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Booth G80 at Infosecurity Europe 2023 to see a demonstration of the AR solution in action and learn how it can help secure your critical infrastructure. About Cynalytica Cynalytica is a leading provider of industrial cybersecurity solutions, helping organizations to protect their critical infrastructure systems from cyberattacks while providing visibility and unique situational awareness to cyber-physical assets. With a range of innovative technologies, Cynalytica is committed to providing comprehensive, effective, and secure solutions for OT and ICS/SCADA systems. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cynalytica-inc-to-showcase-augmented-reality-capabilities-with-splunk-ar-for-securing-and-monitoring-icsscada-and-ot-systems-at-infosecurity-europe-2023-301822819.html SOURCE Cynalytica Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Yellow Pages Limited Reports on Voting Results at its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

MONTREAL, May 11, 2023 /CNW/ - Yellow Pages Limited (TSX: Y) (the "Corporation") announced the results of its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders ("AGM") held virtually today. The Corporation is pleased to announce that all resolutions presented at the AGM were duly passed.







Resolution #1 Votes For Votes Withheld To elect the following persons as Directors of the Corporation: Number % Number % David A. Eckert 15,568,311 99.97 % 5,210 0.03 % Craig Forman 15,399,862 98.88 % 173,659 1.12 % Rob Hall 15,492,427 99.48 % 81,094 0.52 % Susan Kudzman 15,562,109 99.93 % 11,412 0.07 % Paul W. Russo 15,492,417 99.48 % 81,104 0.52 %

Resolution #2 Votes For Votes Withheld The reappointment of Deloitte

LLP, Chartered Professional

Accountants, as Auditors of the

Corporation. Number % Number % 15,605,402 99.93 % 10,384 0.07 %

About Yellow Pages Limited Yellow Pages Limited (TSX: Y) is a Canadian digital media and marketing company that creates opportunities for buyers and sellers to interact and transact in the local economy. Yellow Pages holds some of Canada's leading local online properties including YP.ca, Canada411.ca, and 411.ca. The Company also holds the YP, Canada411, and 411 mobile applications and Yellow Pages print directories. For more information visit www.corporate.yp.ca. SOURCE Yellow Pages Limited

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 11, 2023] Battelle, OSLN Honor Ohio Educators for Access to Quality STEM

Today, the Ohio STEM Learning Network unveiled the four winners of the "STEM Excellence Awards." These awards recognize outstanding teachers, school leaders, or education advocates who advance quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in Ohio. The awardees were unveiled as part of the inaugural Ohio STEM Innovation Summit, the state's first statewide summit for STEM education. Battelle manages the Ohio STEM Learning Network as a public-private partnership with the State of Ohio as part of the company's commitment to preparing the next generation of innovators. "Quality STEM education in our state will foster the next generation of Ohio innovators," said Kelly Gaier Evans, Director of the Ohio STEM Learning Network for Battelle. "Each of the individuals and organizations honored tonight have gone above and beyond in their dedication toward creating pathways to success for students." This year, the Ohio STEM Learning Network awarded the following: Excellence in STEM Teaching Award The Excellence in STEM Teaching Award recognizes a teacher who exemplifies integrated, STEM-infused teaching strategies and classroom innovation, and whose work has led to positive student learning outcomes. This awardee engages students in inquiry-based learning to develop creativity, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. Mary Beth Schram is a fourth-grade teacher at Incarnate Word Academy in Parma Heights, Ohio. Schram goes above and beyond to create meaningful and authentic learning experiences for her students. She brought Lemonade Day, an experiential entrepreneurship learning experience, to Incarnate Word with the help of the Young Entrepreneur Institute. Schram is a member of her school's STEAM leadership team and actively seeks to improve her knowledge. She not only brings her expertise with inquiry-based learning to her own classroom, but also leads professional development sessions for her colleagues. In the words of one colleague: "Walk into her classroom and you immediately have the sense that every student is a scientist." Excellence in STEM Leadership Award The Excellence i STEM Leadership Award recognizes a school-level, district, or regional leader with a proven track-record of developing effective STEM programs. This awardee supports and encourages teachers and schools to continually infuse STEM teaching strategies and embrace classroom innovation.



India Wilson is Principal of STEM Middle @ Baldwin Road Junior High in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Wilson creates an environment at her school where every student can see themselves as a leader in STEM. This commitment to opening doors to STEM begins in 5th grade with a special ceremony where every student is issued a lab coat and STEM pin. In the community, students visit businesses and complete programs including Amazon Web Services Girls' Tech Day at COSI, The Ohio Operating Engineers' "She Dig" event, BizTown, Junior Achievement, Girls in Science Symposium at Capital University, and the Roto Group, LLC a nationally known global design firm. Under Wilson's leadership, STEM Middle @ Baldwin Road also organizes a STEM Career Fair, STEMagine Me, STEM Cafe, and Makers' Market. According to Wilson's colleagues: "Everything, no matter the content area, is done through a STEM lens incorporating the design cycle."

Excellence in STEM Partnership Award The Excellence in STEM Partnership Award recognizes an established partnership that prioritizes a commitment to STEM education. Partners may include industry, higher education, community partner, or a partnership within the arts. This year, the Ohio STEM Learning Network honors the partnership between The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) STEM High School in Akron, Ohio Goodyear provides expertise to teachers to ground problem-based learning in real-world challenges. Recently, the company helped the school build a new challenge where students designed and tested tires for robotic rovers exploring Mars. Employees serve as an authentic audience for students' presentations. Goodyear also invests in the school by providing in-classroom engagements and scholarships, as well as learning events for teachers. NIHF STEM HS also contributes back to Goodyear. The school is educating the future STEM workforce in relevant industry-based problems and building deep connections within Akron to students, teachers and parents. Outstanding Service Award The Ohio STEM Learning Network has created a new award to honor one individual each year who goes above and beyond their role to advance access to quality STEM education for all Ohio students. Dr. Robin Fisher is Superintendent of the Dayton Regional STEM School. Fisher was a founding member of staff for the Dayton Regional STEM School. Formerly a microbiologist, she served the school as counselor, co-principal, and now superintendent. She models a culture of STEM learning by empowering students and teachers to innovate and take risks. Under her direction, the STEM Foundations program three courses into six-course series integrating STEM culture, computer science, and engineering experiences for all middle school students. Outside her school, Fisher has advanced STEM throughout the Dayton region and the State of Ohio. Fisher was a key contributor to the development of Ohio's Quality Model for STEM and STEAM Schools and the STEM school designation/re-designation process. She has tirelessly advocated for equitable funding for STEM schools at the state level. About the Ohio STEM Learning Network The Ohio STEM Learning Network is committed to helping the State of Ohio inspire and train the next generation of innovative leaders. The network operates as a public-private partnership between the State of Ohio and Battelle. About Battelle Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since its founding in 1929, Battelle serves the national security, health and life sciences, and energy and environmental industries. For more information, visit www.battelle.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005874/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
There's a lot to cover tonight police ask for community assistance, legal fights continue and we check police action, crime reporting and continued local impact of rising violence.



Check TKC news gathering . . .



Police looking for vandals cutting fiber optic cables along I-435 Kansas City police say communications companies have experienced several fiber optic cable cuts along the Interstate 435 corridor on the Missouri side. Police say the motive of cutting the cable usually is tied to individuals attempting to find copper.

Teen, 2-month-old baby missing after getting Uber in Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Police Department is attempting to locate a missing 15-year-old girl and her 2-month-old baby. Police said Sapphire Stinson was last seen Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. at 74th Street and Bellefontaine Avenue.

Amaree'ya Henderson's family, attorneys demand release of KCK police shooting footage KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The family of Amaree'ya Henderson and attorneys who represent the family demanded the release of the body-worn camera and dashcam footage related to his shooting death by Kansas City, Kansas, police. Henderson was finishing up a DoorDash delivery around 8:30 p.m. on April 26, according to his family.

Kansas City, Kansas, police shooting of DoorDash driver turned over to DA KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The investigation into a Kansas City, Kansas, police shooting that left a DoorDash driver dead is now in the hands of prosecutors, according to police. The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department handled the investigation into the April 26 shooting where Amaree'ya Henderson was killed in Kansas City, Kansas.

KCK police announce arrest in connection to murder of 6-year-old boy Kansas City, Kan., police have arrested an 18-year-old in connection to the fatal shooting of Sir'Antonio Brown. Cassandra Sledge, 18, was charged on Wednesday in Wyandotte County with obstructing prosecution in the case.She is being held on a $40,000 bond. Police say Sledge "knowingly provided false statements" to law enforcement.

Family of man killed by Independence police to file federal lawsuit INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - The family of a Jackson County man shot and killed by Independence police say they plan to file a federal lawsuit. Independence police shot 39-year-old Tyrea Pryor in March 2022. Now his family is filing a lawsuit against the city of Independence and the officers involved, Jamie Welsh and Hunter Soule.

Slain woman filed kidnapping report with NKC police 2 weeks before her death KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Less than two weeks before Riley N. O'Laughlin was killed by an ex-boyfriend in a suspected murder-suicide, she filed a kidnapping report with the North Kansas City Police Department, according to an incident report obtained by KSHB 41 News. John C. Hadley, 36, shot O'Laughlin, 27, then himself around 10 a.m.

Man sentenced to prison, ordered to pay $550K restitution for fraud against 2 Johnson County, KS, residents KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An Arizona man will serve more than 3 years in prison and be required to pay $550,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to defrauding two Johnson County, Kansas, residents. John Myers, 66, was sentenced Tuesday in Johnson County District Court after reaching a plea agreement earlier with prosecutors on charges originally filed in 2019.

Police searching for truck, suspect involved in several commercial mower thefts across the metro area Police are asking for the public's help to find a truck and suspect responsible for multiple thefts of commercial mowers in the metro area. The Lenexa, Kansas Police Department is asking for help to locate a black Chevrolet Z-71 pickup truck pulling a trailer.Police said the suspects involved are wanted in connection with multiple felony theft cases in which lawn care companies had stand-on commercial mowers stolen as crews were working on job sites.

Police Chief holds first listening session in south KC The public is invited to attend the first of what is expected to be a continuing series of quarterly engagement and listening sessions throughout the city with new KCMO Police Chief Stacey Graves from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11, at United Believers Community Church, 5600 E. 112 th Ter.

Kansas City police utilizing new language app that provides 24/7 access to translation services The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department is utilizing a new tool that allows officers to better communicate with the community.KCPD says it successfully launched department-wide use of the Propio ONE language translation app in April of this year. The app provides 24/7 access to translation services.

Vigil planned to remember 6-year-old killed in Kansas City, Kansas KANSAS CITY, Kan. - An emotional gathering is expected to take place Wednesday afternoon as friends and family plan to remember 6-year-old Sir-Antonio Brown. A week has passed since someone drove past and shot the little boy near 31st Street and Greeley Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas.

KCK police, community demand information on 6-year-old's shooting death KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Sir'Antonio Brown's family and friends were joined by community leaders and law enforcement Wednesday night, demanding more information about who shot and killed the 6-year-old one week ago. "He plays here with Sir every day," said Destiny Thomas, referring to her own 4-year-old son.

Developing . . .
BERLIN, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed as a gunman opened fire at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen, southern Germany, on Thursday morning.

According to initial investigation, the 53-year-old man shot at the two victims at the plant but he was arrested without any resistance, the Stuttgart public prosecutor's office and Ludwigsburg police headquarters said in a joint statement.

The Sindelfingen plant was located some 17 km southwest of Stuttgart.

The all-clear was given around one hour after police and rescue workers arrived at the premises. "There is no longer any danger to employees at the plant," police said via Twitter.

The factory building had been evacuated and "employees are currently being cared for by the police and the company's own support staff," said local authorities.

Police and rescue services were remaining on site with a large number of forces as "the motive for the attack is still being investigated," the statement said.

Mercedes-Benz confirmed that there was an incident at its Sindelfingen site. "We are in communication with the authorities and are trying to clarify the facts," the carmaker told German media. 
A health warning that quite a few people are going to connect to the rising number of immigrants and not the fading standards of American healthcare.

Check-it . . .



Officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Public Health Department at the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, and Kansas City, Kansas, are monitoring the patients with confirmed cases of the disease.



The agencies, which are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, describe the risk to the general public as minimal.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

KDHE, Unified Government report confirmed cases of tuberculosis KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Health officials are investigating a small number - less than 10 - of confirmed tuberculosis cases in Wyandotte County. Officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Public Health Department at the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, and Kansas City, Kansas, are monitoring the patients with confirmed cases of the disease.

Several active cases of tuberculosis identified in Wyandotte County, health officials say Health officials in Wyandotte County, Kansas, are warning the public that several active tuberculosis cases have been identified recently. A spokesperson for the Unified Government Public Health Department said a small number of confirmed cases, fewer than 10 patients, have been identified recently.

Developing . . .
"French and Greek companies in the field of defense must contribute to a common technological and industrial basis, which is indeed a necessary condition for the strategic autonomy of the Europeans", French ambassador, Patrick Maisonnave, said at the reception he gave on the occasion of the International Defense and Security Exhibition (DEFEA) in Athens, ANA reports.

The French ambassador stressed in front of representatives of the French defense industry participating in the exhibition - including the giants NAVAL GROUP, Dassault, and MBDA - and of senior officials of the military leadership of Greece and France, the scope, time depth, and extraordinary quality of the Greek-French defense cooperation, while noting that the Greek government demands greater participation of the Greek industry in all future defense contracts and the French industry is committed to this.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Jebulon
Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen are dressed in vibrant style that rejects any notion of "old lady" vibes in Book Club: The Next Chapter. - Riccardo Ghilardi
Altree Developments can replace the Lenmore Apartments and two detached house in Birch Cliff with a nine-storey condominium and four-storey rental apartment building after settlements between the developer, resident groups and the City of Toronto at the Ontario Land Tribunal. - Metroland file
This is just such a great city, you know. We do have are some pretty serious problems, but this is a soulful city. This is a livable city.
TEHRAN, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia has appointed its new ambassador to Tehran, according to the official IRNA news agency.

Amir-Abdollahian revealed that Riyadh had informed the Iranian government about the appointment of the new envoy on Tuesday. He also expressed Iran's commitment to reciprocate by soon appointing its ambassador to Saudi Arabia and introducing him to the Saudi government.

The Iranian minister emphasized that in recent weeks, his colleagues at the Iranian Foreign Ministry have been preparing the country's embassy in Riyadh and consulate general in Jeddah for reopening.

He added that Iran's diplomatic missions are set to commence operations in the coming days.

In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran reached in Beijing a groundbreaking agreement to resume diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies and missions within a two-month timeframe. On April 6, the two countries officially announced in China the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect. 
CHONGQING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- A team of 10 medical experts from the Army Medical University (AMU) on Wednesday departed for Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, to provide medical aid for a period of one year.

The medical team, led by AMU's Southwest Hospital, is the ninth expert team the university has sent to aid Ethiopia. Experts on the team are from eight of the hospital's departments, including the hepatological surgery, infectious diseases and radiology departments.

Since 2015, 85 experts from the AMU have been dispatched to Ethiopia. They have offered overseas medical services to 22,000 people, instructed in more than 1,600 operations, and transported and installed over 60,000 ancillary facilities, signs and other supplies.

The latest team will seek to promote work on clinical treatment, personnel training and technical support in line with Ethiopia's medical needs and actual situation. 
Police officers were out in their numbers.. at the TTPS Sports Day today.., after a three-ye
By Jeff Murphy, May 11, 2023



Roger Best, left, president of the University of Central Missouri, and Ken Weymuth, right, president of the UCM Board of Governors, join in the award presentation recognizing David Hoffmann, a UCM alumnus, businessman and entrepreneur, as recipient of the honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters.



WARRENSBURG, MO  While stressing the value of a strong Midwest work ethic and learning how to turn adversity in opportunities, University of Central Missouri alumnus David Hoffmann, 74, encouraged the spring 2023 graduating class to be prepared for the challenges that come at a time of technological advancement unlike anything the world has ever experienced.



Hoffmann, the recipient of the honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, was honored during the graduate ceremony Friday evening, May 5. While he spoke immediately after the formal award presentation, he also delivered keynote remarks at the graduate ceremony on Saturday morning, May 6, and spoke to near standing-room-only crowds at two undergraduate ceremonies that afternoon. Nearly 2,000 UCM students met degree requirements and were eligible for participation in these graduation exercises, and approximately 1,600 students walked across the commencement stage.



Hoffmann grew up in a small community outside of St. Louis in a home that did not have hot running water until he was in high school. He told the crowd his goal in seeking a college education was to one day have a job where he got to wear a suit. While attending the university, he married his wife, Jerri, who was also pursuing a university degree, and they resided in the mobile home complex that served as married student housing on the southeast side of campus.



Its hard to believe but 49 years ago, I was sitting where you are about to receive my college diploma, and take on the world. As exciting as it was to imagine the world I had ahead of me, in my wildest dreams, I wouldnt have pictured myself standing before you as I am today. Thats just a testament to how unpredictable life can be, he told the crowd.



The honorary degree bestowed upon Hoffmann by UCM President Roger Best recognized the outstanding work Hoffmann has done professionally and in service to others through his longtime career as an entrepreneur and businessman. Through such efforts, Best said he has inspired UCM students, employees and alumni, and has set a positive example which others should aspire to emulate.



Although Hoffmann admits that his preference these days is to dress more casually, he has spent a lot of time in business attire as he climbed to the top of his profession, including being named to the Forbes 2022 Billionaires List. In 1989, he founded DHR International, the worlds largest privately held executive search firm. Following the success of this company, he invested in the establishment of Osprey Capital, LLC, a private family office, which includes 110 brands in 27 countries and 200 properties worldwide. Throughout his career, Hoffmann has also contributed to community revitalization efforts and supported non-profit organizations in communities where he has resided in the states of Colorado, Florida and Illinois, and elsewhere in the United States. Most recently, he and his wife, Jerri, have returned to their Missouri roots to support efforts to revitalize Americas first wine region in Augusta.



In his remarks, Hoffmann retraced his professional journey, reflecting on a few setbacks that challenged him, but strengthened his resolve to succeed. Such obstacles came early. Shortly before he graduated from Central Missouri, for example, he was offered a job at a manufacturing plant in Mexico, Missouri. After he and his wife celebrated by buying a new car and clothes, he learned that the company had fired the person who had hired him, and there was no record of him receiving a job offer. He moved on, finding work in North Dakota, and after eight months, he took a job in Chicago. At age 32, the board chair at the company in which he was employed asked for his opinion about an individual that he had in mind for the company presidents position. This conversation did not end well for Hoffmann.



I told the chairman in no uncertain terms that he wasnt any good and I thought it would be a mistake (to hire the new president), Hoffmann said. The mistake was, I didnt realize they were best friends, and I got fired.



Despite such an outcome, this was an important turning point in his life. He began to take steps that led to the creation of the Hoffmann Family of companies, which today employs nearly 10,000 people across the globe within a portfolio that includes businesses in agriculture, aviation, financial services hospitality, business and professional services, real estate, media, marketing and much more.



Graduates, my message to you is dont let roadblocks and adversity deter you from your ambitions. See them as opportunities, he said.



Hoffmann pointed out that in every endeavor, he has built a business culture that also applied the Midwest work ethic. His approach to business and life has been influenced by the Cowboy Code: Live each day with courage. Take pride in your work. Always finish what you start. Do what has to be done. Be tough, but fair. When you make a promise, keep it. Ride for the brand. Talk less and say more. And remember, some things arent for sale.



He said that when he was a university student, some of the issues faced by the United States were similar to what it faces today.



Your generation will be dealing with a revolutionary change that is the biggest the planet has ever experienced. That change will be the presence of artificial intelligence, he said. I grew up in an era where I saw the invention of the cell phone, the introduction of the internet, Google, Facebook, Apple, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon, TikTok, SnapChat, Instagram and countless others. Artificial Intelligence will be bigger than all of these technological advances combined. It will affect how people live and every aspect of their lives. If not adapted correctly, it has the potential to destroy. If placed in the wrong hands it has the potential to outsmart humans and operate independently.



Pay attention, care about the future of mankind, care about the planet, he urged graduates while concluding his remarks.



In addition to UCMs official commencement ceremonies on May 5 and 6, a number of other activities took place during the weekend or in the days leading up to this annual spring celebration honoring UCMs new graduates. These activities included ROTCs commissioning ceremony for Second Lieutenants entering into service in the United States Army, the School of Nursings pinning ceremony, The Honors Colleges outdoor ceremony, UCM PRISMs Lavender graduation and more.
The Irish military has begun training Ukrainian servicemen in mine clearance and bomb disposal.

That's according to The Irish Times, citing Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, Chief of Staff of the Irish Defense Forces, Ukrinform reports.

The training is part of the EU Military Assistance Mission Ukraine , under which Ukrainian forces receive military training from member states to help repel Russian aggression.

Ireland has committed to send up to 30 members of the Defense Forces to participate in the exercises in the areas of explosive ordnance disposal and combat medicine.

"Irish troops are currently in Cyprus providing training to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of explosive ordnance disposal and demining," Clancy said.

Read also: Partners provide Ukraine with UAH 495B to cover priority expenditures over 2022

According to him, other members of the Defense Forces are coordinating the mission from Germany and Brussels.

As Ukrinform reported, in the UK, instructors from the Norwegian National Guard are teaching Ukrainian soldiers how to conduct combat operations in the woods.

The photo is illustrative
Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom Ben Wallace has confirmed that London is sending the Storm Shadow long-range air-launched cruise missiles to Ukraine.

The relevant statement was made by UK Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to Sky News.

Today, I can confirm that the UK is donating Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. Storm Shadow is a long-range conventional-only precision strike capability, Wallace said.

In his words, it complements the long-range systems already gifted, including HIMARS and Harpoon missiles, as well as Ukraines own Neptune Cruise missile and longer-range missions elsewhere gifted.

Ukraine has a right to be able to defend itself against this. The use of Storm Shadow will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based within Ukrainian sovereign territory, Wallace stressed.

A reminder that CNN reported earlier, referring to several high-ranking Western officials, that the United Kingdom had delivered long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine ahead of the expected counteroffensive.
MACAO, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A summit on talent development was held on Thursday in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) to discuss building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) into a "window of talent."

Over 200 delegates, including business executives, scholars and diplomats, exchanged views on the impacts of science and technology on talent nurturing and planning, quality development and cooperation on digital service trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as in-depth exchanges of finance and insurance talent in GBA.

Chiang Chun Yuan, executive chairman of the summit, said Macao's geographic location, first-class exhibition and tourism infrastructure, and the supporting business environment could help tech firms grow continuously.

"Macao boasts unique advantages in the areas of health, financial science and technology, education, and digital empowering," Chiang said.

The summit was jointly organized by the China-ASEAN GBA Cooperation Center and the Alliance of Global Talent Organizations (AGTO).

At the summit, the AGTO issued a report on talent development in Asia against the backdrop of technological changes. 
Currently, the Republic of Moldova is not planning to impose restrictions on grain and oilseed imports from Ukraine.

The relevant statement was made by Moldovan Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Vladimir Bolea, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to Newsmaker.md.

Import restrictions would not solve anything. This would lead neither to an increase in selling prices for Moldovan farmers, nor to a decrease in the production cost. This decision would yield zero results, Bolea told.

In his words, Ukraine would have limited the import of Moldovan goods in response, and many opportunities could have been lost for Moldova.

Additionally, according to Bolea, the amount of agricultural imports from Ukraine is rather insignificant. About 177 tonnes of wheat and 4,000 sunflower seeds were imported in total.

Bolea also mentioned that the Moldovan authorities do not consider imposing restrictions on the transit of Ukrainian-produced grain via Moldova.

Transit operations do not affect us adversely. Thanks to transit, Calea Ferata din Moldova [Railway of Moldova] was able to recover: the enterprise had paid off the wages and even raised them, Bolea added.

Meanwhile, road freight haulage operations are causing issues due to customs queues towards Romania.

A reminder that, in April 2023, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia imposed temporary restrictions on the import of grain, oilseeds and other agricultural products from Ukraine in order to protect their own agricultural producers. Later, similar decisions were made by Romania and Bulgaria.
Russia and Belarus timber suppliers are being pushed out of world markets. Ukraine has a chance to take their place, which will create an industry with a turnover of up to $10 billion and tens of thousands of jobs.

This was emphasized by the Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Presidents Office, Rostyslav Shurma, who spoke at the meeting of the working group on reforming the forest industry, Ukrinform reports.

"We seek to create a large, efficient industry of wood products. It is about a multiple increase in the production of furniture components, MDF, parquet, timber, construction material, cellulose, paper, as well as the creation of the bioenergy materials industry," he said, clarifying that a cube of raw timber costs nearly $50-100, while finished products start from $700 and reach $3,000.

Shurma emphasized that roughly 13 million cubic meters of timber are logged in Ukraine annually. This volume can be increased to 25 million cubic meters, in particular following the example of Scandinavia, which stipulates that every hectare of forest cut down must be immediately replanted.

Read also: Europeans accuse Russia of ecocide during invasion of Ukraine

"Another goal is to establish order in the forest industry, namely mechanization of logging, the transition from manual to mechanized logging, control over volumes, increasing productivity, reducing cost, and avoiding re-sorting. To this end, Forests of Ukraine will implement a program of modernization and purchase of new equipment," added deputy head of the Presidents Office.

As reported, in September 2022, a single state-run specialized forestry enterprise Forests of Ukraine was founded in Ukraine as a legal successor of property, rights, and obligations of specialized state-owned forestry firms.

A total of 145 branches of State Forests of Ukraine have already been established based on the state-run forest farms. Branches are entrusted with the functions to ensure protection, rational use and reproduction of forests, as well as commercial activities. Also, at the branch level, the task of selling timber remains in place.

State-owned enterprise Forests of Ukraine has already started its work on the project of a new system for monitoring and controlling circulation of timber.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine discussed with his Costa Rica counterpart Arnoldo Andre Tinoco his countrys role in the implementation of President Volodymyr Zelensky's Peace Formula.

The head of Ukrainian diplomacy announced the news on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.

Costa Rica is Ukraines reliable partner in the Caribbean. I thanked my friend Arnoldo Andre Tinoco for standing by principles of international law and joining the Special Tribunals Core Group. We also discussed Costa Ricas role in putting President Volodymyr Zelenskys Peace Formula into action, Kuleba tweeted on Wednesday.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Dmytro Kuleba began the first-ever visit of the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to Guatemala. During the trip, the Minister will take part in the Council of Ministers of the Association of Caribbean States.
People visit the Jiayu Pass scenic spot in Jiayuguan City, northwest China's Gansu Province, May 10, 2023. As a national-level cultural heritage site, the Jiayu Pass is the starting point of a section of the Great Wall built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Recently, the Jiayu Pass scenic spot has attracted many tourists. (Xinhua/Ma Xiping)

People visit the Jiayu Pass scenic spot in Jiayuguan City, northwest China's Gansu Province, May 10, 2023. As a national-level cultural heritage site, the Jiayu Pass is the starting point of a section of the Great Wall built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Recently, the Jiayu Pass scenic spot has attracted many tourists. (Xinhua/Ma Xiping)

Visitors watch a performance in the Jiayu Pass scenic spot in Jiayuguan City, northwest China's Gansu Province, May 10, 2023. As a national-level cultural heritage site, the Jiayu Pass is the starting point of a section of the Great Wall built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Recently, the Jiayu Pass scenic spot has attracted many tourists. (Xinhua/Ma Xiping)

People visit the Jiayu Pass scenic spot in Jiayuguan City, northwest China's Gansu Province, May 10, 2023. As a national-level cultural heritage site, the Jiayu Pass is the starting point of a section of the Great Wall built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Recently, the Jiayu Pass scenic spot has attracted many tourists. (Xinhua/Ma Xiping)

Visitors ride on camels in the Jiayu Pass scenic spot in Jiayuguan City, northwest China's Gansu Province, May 10, 2023. As a national-level cultural heritage site, the Jiayu Pass is the starting point of a section of the Great Wall built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Recently, the Jiayu Pass scenic spot has attracted many tourists. (Xinhua/Ma Xiping)

People visit the Jiayu Pass scenic spot in Jiayuguan City, northwest China's Gansu Province, May 10, 2023. As a national-level cultural heritage site, the Jiayu Pass is the starting point of a section of the Great Wall built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Recently, the Jiayu Pass scenic spot has attracted many tourists. (Xinhua/Ma Xiping)
A Palestinian inspects the ruins of his house after an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, May 11, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months.

Netanyahu made the remarks after a security assessment in the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Shin Bet intelligence agency's director Ronen Bar, army chief Herzi Halevi and other top security officials.

Netanyahu and Gallant instructed the army and Shin Bet "to continue to exact a heavy price" from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to a statement issued on their behalf. "The campaign will continue as long as necessary," it added.

The efforts to negotiate a truce by Egypt, a frequent mediator between the Palestinians and Israel, have not yet yielded results.

Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that an Egyptian team was traveling to Israel for talks but an Israeli official said in a statement on Thursday night that a truce "is no longer on the agenda at the moment."

The intense fighting began after Israel killed three senior Islamic Jihad commanders in airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since Tuesday.

According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, 29 Palestinian have been killed since the beginning of the fighting, including six children and three women, and another 93 have been injured, including 32 children and 17 women.

In Israel, a man was killed after a rocket hit a residential building in Rehovot, a city 25 km south of Tel Aviv, while 11 others were injured, according to official Israeli figures. 

A Palestinian boy inspects the ruins of his house after an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, May 11, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A shoe in seen among the ruins of a house after an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, May 11, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Palestinians inspect the ruins of their house after an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, May 11, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A Palestinian inspects the ruins of his house after an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, May 11, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Palestinians inspect the ruins of their house following an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, May 11, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

A cat is seen on the ruins of houses damaged by an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, May 11, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Palestinians inspect the ruins of their house following an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, May 11, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Palestinians inspect the ruins of their house following an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, May 11, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Palestinians inspect the ruins of their house following an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, May 11, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

People inspect a damaged house following an airstrike in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

People inspect a damaged house following an airstrike in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

People inspect a damaged house following an airstrike in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Boys stand near a damaged house following an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A man inspects a damaged house following an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

People inspect a damaged house following an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A woman reacts near a damaged house following an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A man inspects a damaged house following an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

People inspect a damaged house following an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

A man inspects the ruins of a house following an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

People inspect the ruins of a house following an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, May 12, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip will "continue as long as necessary," amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in months. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th May, 2023) Former US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States should default on its debt if the White House does not agree to cut spending.

"I say to the Republicans out there, congressmen, senators: if they don't give you massive cuts, you're gonna have to do a default, and I don't believe they're going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave will absolutely cave because you don't want to have that happen, but it's better than what we're doing right now because we're spending money like drunken sailors," Trump told CNN Town Hall when asked what he thinks about the debt situation in the US.

"Well, you might as well do it now because you'll do it later because we have to save this country.

Our country is dying. Our country is being destroyed by stupid people, by very stupid people," Trump said when asked by the host to clarify what he said.

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden met with congressional leaders, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, to negotiate lifting the US debt ceiling. Last month, House Republicans passed legislation to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for cuts to government spending. However, Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have rejected the measure.

Biden is set to meet again with congressional leaders on Friday to follow up on debt ceiling negotiations.

The US could default on its financial obligations as early as June if the debt ceiling is not raised, the Treasury Department said earlier this month.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 11th May, 2023) ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S), the shipping and maritime logistics arm of ADNOC, announced today it has signed an agreement with SeaOwl for the design of unmanned Remotely Operated Vessels (ROV) capable of transporting vehicles, equipment and supplies to and from offshore sites.

The agreement was signed by Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of ADNOC L&S and Xavier Genin, CEO of SeaOwl at the UAE Climate Tech Forum organised by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology.

The innovative design of the ROV will reduce carbon emissions up to 30 percent as the vessel will be lighter and smaller, as facilities for a crew are not required.

In addition, the smart automation systems will optimise routing and propulsion, further decarbonising ADNOC L&S offshore operations in support of the UAEs Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative and ADNOCs 2030 Sustainability Agenda.

Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of ADNOC L&S, said, "A strategic commitment to sustainability and innovation plays a crucial role in ADNOC L&S ability to serve its customers. The vessel is another example of this commitment as we leverage the latest technology to optimise our maritime operations, reduce our carbon footprint and improve safety while increasing efficiency."

The design for the 55 metres long ROV will allow the vessels to be operated from an onshore control room through a satellite link using the latest automation and self-navigation technology.

The design will utilise state of the art artificial intelligence systems to control propulsion, dynamic positioning, remote communication and cyber security.

SeaOwl, a French company specialising in the automation and digitalisation of maritime services, will design the vessel, oversee its construction, and facilitate navigation permits. Seaowl will partner with Bureau Veritas (BV), a world leader in testing, inspection, and certification, to facilitate obtaining the necessary navigation permits from the UAE maritime transportation affairs.

Xavier Genin, CEO of SeaOwl, said, After the success of our Proof of Concept supported by the French Government, we are delighted to join forces with ADNOC L&S to bring a new era of sustainable logistics operations through digital automatisation. This project will create strong ties with the UAE industrial landscape, as we plan to engage many other UAE players in this exciting journey.

This design will improve safety and reduce operational costs as the vessels will be able to operate in harsher conditions with no exposure to seafarers.

Upon construction, the ROVs will join ADNOC L&S' large and diverse fleet of modern and technologically advanced vessels.

Combined with its 1.5 million square meter logistics base in Abu Dhabi and its integrated logistics capabilities, ADNOC L&S is one of the region's largest shipping and integrated logistics companies.
(@FahadShabbir)

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 12th May, 2023) His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, today attended a reception hosted by the British Embassy in Dubai to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. His Highness was welcomed by Edward Hobart, British Ambassador to the UAE, and Simon Penney, British Consul General for Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

On the occasion of the coronation of King Charles III as the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Sheikh Ahmed highlighted the strong historic ties that bind the UAE and the UK and wished prosperity and progress to the UK and its people. He also expressed the hope that the two countries will continue to strengthen partnerships in various spheres in ways that serve the interests of the people of both nations.

Expressing his appreciation for the UAE leaderships commitment to deep ties with the UK, the British Consul General said King Charles holds the UAE in high esteem, a country which he has visited eight times, including, most recently in November 2016. He hailed the robust relationship the two countries have forged over the years through constructive cooperation in various fields.

During the reception, Sheikh Ahmed viewed a painting that highlights key milestones in King Charles life.

The reception was attended by senior officials, members of the diplomatic corps and business leaders.
PARIS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 12th May, 2023) President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met with French President Emmanuel Macron today in Paris. The two leaders discussed the longstanding strategic partnership between the UAE and France, and explored opportunities to further expand bilateral cooperation across various sectors.

The French President welcomed His Highness to the Elysee Palace, expressing his pleasure to meet again in France.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed extended his gratitude to President Macron for the warm reception.

His Highness and the French President affirmed their deep commitment to further strengthening the countries historic ties, and discussed ways to enhance collaboration in priority areas, including culture, environment, climate change, space, and renewable energy.

Their talks also covered other fields central to both countries sustainable development ambitions, including investment, the economy, food security, and advanced technology.

The Presidents discussed regional and international developments, with both sides stressing the importance of promoting peace, stability and cooperation between nations.



His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and President Macron also talked about the upcoming COP28 climate conference, to be hosted by the UAE later this year.

Both leaders reiterated their shared belief in the importance and potential of joint action. They stated that pursuing collaborative measures to confront climate change is an immediate priority for both countries.

During his working visit to France, His Highness the UAE President is accompanied by H.H.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Special Affairs Advisor at the Presidential Court; Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for National Security; Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority; and Hend Mana Al Otaiba, the UAE Ambassador to the French Republic.
UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi speaks at a General Assembly high-level meeting on middle-income countries at UN headquarters in New York, on May 11, 2023. Korosi on Thursday called for debt relief, as well as equitable access to new technologies, for middle-income countries. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, May 11 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi on Thursday called for debt relief, as well as equitable access to new technologies, for middle-income countries.

The 110 middle-income countries, which account for three-quarters of the global population and nearly one-third of global GDP, are central drivers of global development, he told a General Assembly high-level meeting on middle-income countries.

"Your geographies, ecosystems, cultures, and economies are incredibly diverse -- with varying vulnerabilities. Some of you encounter frequent drought and desertification, while others face tropical storms and sea-level rise. But all of you face the common challenge of establishing your capacity to cope with these extreme conditions in ways that ensure resilience," he said.

Korosi said it is time to get serious about debt relief in middle-income countries, which host the majority of the extremely poor in the world.

In the torrent of today's global crises, some countries have been forced to prioritize short-term economic goals over longer-term aims. In many countries, including small island developing states, high public debt service is crowding out investment in green, resilient and equitable transformation, he noted.

Various debt-relief instruments can be considered. The debt-for-climate or debt-for-nature swaps offer a win-win for debtors, creditors and donors to meet national development objectives in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, said Korosi.

He noted that the International Monetary Fund's Resilience and Sustainability Trust and Food Shock Window, along with the loss and damage fund agreed on at the latest UN Climate Change Conference in Egypt, open avenues to expand contingency financing to countries in need.

Middle-income countries need equitable access to new technologies, science and innovation that spur resilience in the long run, said Korosi.

This is a shared charge, and international partnership is key. The revitalized Global Partnership for Sustainable Development is an important vehicle for strengthening this worldwide cooperation, he said.

It is also time for the international community to go beyond GDP as the primary measure of development, since GDP has never been designed for that, he said.

"We need a measurement that captures ... the total assets of a nation since its balanced growing is the essence of sustainable development."

Currently, 90 countries compile the System of Environmental Economic Accounting, he said, encouraging more governments to do so. 

UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi (center at table and on the screen) speaks at a General Assembly high-level meeting on middle-income countries at UN headquarters in New York, on May 11, 2023. UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi on Thursday called for debt relief, as well as equitable access to new technologies, for middle-income countries. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th May, 2023) US Army sergeant Daniel Perry who shot and killed Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrator Garrett Foster in Texas in 2020 has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, CNN reported.

Perry shot Foster, a 28-year-old US Air Force veteran, at a racial justice rally in Austin, Texas, two months after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Perry's attorney said his client plans to appeal the verdict. The defense team sought a ten-year prison sentence, pointing to Perry's absence of criminal history, psychological issues, including complex post-traumatic stress disorder, and compliments from a number of military colleagues.

However, the prosecution asked for a sentence of at least 25 years in prison because of a profusion of inflammatory social media posts Perry wrote before the shooting.

On the night of July 25, 2020, Perry was working as a ride-share driver and had just dropped a person off close to the rally when he shot Foster. Perry's lawyers argued that the shooting was in self-defense because Foster came to his car with an assault-style rifle. But prosecutors said Perry triggered the fatal encounter by running a red light and driving toward the crowd of demonstrators.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he would seek a pardon for Perry and asked the Texas board of Pardons and Paroles to begin an expedited review of the case.
Statements made by US ambassador in South Africa Reuben Brigety alleging that the African nation supplies weapons to Russia undermine the spirit of Pretoria-Washington relations, the South African Presidency said on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th May, 2023) Statements made by US ambassador in South Africa Reuben Brigety alleging that the African nation supplies weapons to Russia undermine the spirit of Pretoria-Washington relations, the South African Presidency said on Thursday.

" The Ambassdor's remarks undermine the spirit of cooperation and partnership that characterised the recent engagements between US government officials and a South African official delegation led by National Security Special Advisor to the President Dr Sydney Mufumadi. It is public knowledge that a Russian vessel known as Lady R docked in South Africa. Allegations have since been made about the purpose of the voyage. While no evidence has been provided to date to support these allegations, the government has undertaken to institute an independent enquiry to be led by a retired judge," the presidency said in a statement.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths has emphasized that the United Nations will continue working with all parties to achieve full implementation of the grain exports deal, formally known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th May, 2023) UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths has emphasized that the United Nations will continue working with all parties to achieve full implementation of the grain exports deal, formally known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday.

"Mr. Griffiths stressed that the United Nations will continue to work closely with all sides to achieve the continuation and full implementation of the Initiative, in pursuit of their broader shared commitment to addressing global food insecurity," the statement said.

Earlier on Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said the Black Sea Grain Initiative will cease to exist if an agreement on extending it is not reached by May 18.

The United Nations, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine held a high-level meeting on the grain exports agreement in Istanbul from May 10-11.

The agreement was brokered by the United Nations in July 2022 to ensue a safe corridor for grain and fertilizer exports from Black Sea ports. The agreement also includes a memorandum of understanding between Russia and the United Nations to unblock Russian grain and fertilizer exports via the Black Sea, which, according to Moscow, has not been implemented due to Western sanctions. The agreement has since been extended twice, most recently in March, and is due to expire on May 18.
The US state of Florida is suing the Biden administration in an attempt to delay the end of the Title 42 immigration policy, which has prompted thousands of migrants to amass near the United States-Mexico border in anticipation of laxer enforcement, according to a court document filed Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th May, 2023) The US state of Florida is suing the Biden administration in an attempt to delay the end of the Title 42 immigration policy, which has prompted thousands of migrants to amass near the United States-Mexico border in anticipation of laxer enforcement, according to a court document filed Thursday.

The emergency motion, filed by the State of Florida in the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida, seeks a temporary restraining order to "preserve the status quo" until parties can brief motions for a preliminary injunction or to postpone the effective date of the new policy.

The lawsuit lists US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as the defendant.

"The Biden Administration's behavior, if left unchecked, makes a mockery of our system of justice and our Constitution. Florida asks the Court to respond by 4 p.m. Eastern daylight time and to rule on this motion by 11:59 p.

m. Eastern daylight time, when the Title 42 order expires," the filing said.

The filing argues that under the new migrant parole policy announced by the Department of Homeland Security, "tens of thousands" of illegal immigrants will be released into the US and make their way to Florida, where the state will expend increased costs on education, incarceration and healthcare.

The Title 42 policy, first utilized under the Trump administration amid the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed the US to turn away migrants to prevent the spread of disease. Use of the policy is set to expire Thursday night, leading thousands of migrants to the US' southern border with the expectation of easier entry.

US President Joe Biden said earlier this week that the administration expects the situation near the border to be chaotic. The state of Texas and the Pentagon have both sent service members to the border to conduct support operations.
Nine USM Students Recognized as Citizen Scholars for Community Engagement

Thu, 05/11/2023 - 09:47am | By: Christy Kayser

The University of Southern Mississippis (USM) Center for Community Engagement has announced nine new recipients of the Citizen Scholar Award, a recognition for students demonstrating significant involvement in community engagement.

The Citizen Scholars program recognizes undergraduate students who have made significant contributions to their communities by incorporating service and community engagement into their academic experience. Students who earn 100+ service hours, participate in a community-engaged learning experience, and complete a reflective exit interview are eligible to be recognized as Citizen Scholars.

This semesters nine awardees are: Bailey Davis, business administration major from Sumrall, MS; Avery Dickerson, kinesiology major and child advocacy studies minor from Hattiesburg, MS; Camryn Harris, psychology major from Brandon, MS; Olivia Knight, nursing major from Florence, MS; Genesis Mann, health sciences major from Brandon, MS; Clancy Slay, healthcare marketing major from Quitman, MS; Mary Cate Sliman, speech language pathology major from Gulfport, MS: Joseph Tarver, business administration major from Cleveland, MS, and; Angel Walker, biological sciences major from Hattiesburg, MS.

The Citizen Scholars program recognizes students who show a deep commitment to service and honors the different ways they contribute to the community as student leaders, scholars, researchers, and future professionals, said Christy Kayser, director of CCE. We continue to be impressed with their stellar records and the amazing work they do on campus and in the community.

Listed here is a summary of each Citizen Scholars accomplishments:

Bailey Davis completed more than 197 service hours through volunteer work with Christian Services, Special Olympics, Edwards Street Fellowship Center, and Hope Church. Her community-engaged learning experience was an immersion experience traveling with Mississippi Special Olympics to the 2022 Special Olympics USA games in Orlando, Florida.

Avery Dickerson completed more than 141 service hours through volunteer work with Forrest General Hospital. Averys community-engaged learning experience was as the coordinator of Its on Us Week, an entire week dedicated to raising awareness and preventing sexual assault on college campuses.

Camryn Harris completed 121 service hours through volunteer work with Forrest General Hospital, Jackson Free Clinic, and Aldersgate Mission. Camryns community-engaged learning experience was an internship with Forrest General Hospital where she helped to provide support, comfort, and guidance to those in need.

Olivia Knight completed 202 service hours through volunteer work with Florence High School Future Health Professionals, First Baptist Church of Florence, Letters Against Isolation, and Forrest General Hospital. Olivias community-engaged learning experience was as coordinator of Do Good Week for Delta Gamma, through which students raised awareness for Service for Sight. crafted eyeglass holders, played bingo with retirement home residents, and made dog toys for Southern Piene Animal Shelter.

Genesis Mann completed 318 service hours through volunteer work with Oseola McCarty Youth Development Center, West Point Baptist Church, Boys and Girls Club, and Growing Patch Daycare. Her community-engaged learning experience was serving as a volunteer recruitment intern with Oseola McCarty Youth Development Center.

Clancy Slay completed 147 service hours through volunteer work with Forrest General Hospital. Clancys community-engaged learning experience was as the Make-A-Wish liaison for Chi Omega Sorority through which she organized events that helped raise over $50,000 for the local and national Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Mary Cate Sliman completed 102 service hours through volunteer work with Forrest General Hospital and Hawkins Elementary. Mary Cates community-engaged learning experience was an internship at Forrest General Hospital through the Inpatient Rehabilitation Center.

Joseph Tarver completed 101 service hours through volunteer work with Extra Table, USM Student Accessibility Services, and Downtown Hattiesburg Association. Josephs community-engaged learning experience was as coordinator of the 15th annual Sigma Phi Chili Cookoff which raised approximately $20,000 to benefit Extra Table.

Angel Walker completed 127 service hours through volunteer work with Forrest General Hospital, USM Student Accessibility Services, and USM Office for Disability Accommodations. Angels community-engaged learning experience was an internship with National Cancer Institute where she focused on esophageal health disparities within the state of Mississippi.

More information about the Citizen Scholars program can be found online or email Christy Kayser.

The Center for Community Engagement promotes service and service-learning on The University of Southern Mississippi campus and throughout the Hattiesburg community. To learn more about the CCE at Southern Miss, please visit their website or call 601.266.6467.
UNITED NATIONS, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The quadrilateral meeting in Istanbul to discuss the future of the Black Sea Grain Initiative was important and substantive, said a UN spokesman on Thursday.

The meeting was held in Istanbul on Thursday with the participation of senior-level officials from Russia, Turkiye, Ukraine and the United Nations, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"I would describe the meeting as important and as substantive," he told a daily press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York.

Speaking at the meeting, UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths congratulated the parties on facilitating the safe export of over 30 million metric tons of grain from Ukraine since the beginning of the initiative in July 2022. He reiterated the importance of the initiative for global food security and also recognized the important contribution of food and fertilizer exports from Russia in this regard, said Dujarric.

Participants in the meeting discussed the recent proposals by the United Nations, the longer extension of the deal, improvements at the Joint Coordination Centre for stable operations and exports, as well as other issues raised by the parties. The parties presented their views and agreed to engage with those elements going forward. Griffiths stressed that the United Nations will continue to work closely with all sides to achieve the continuation and full implementation of the initiative, in pursuit of their broader shared commitment to addressing global food insecurity, said the spokesman.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allows the export of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products from Black Sea ports, was signed separately by Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul with Turkiye and the United Nations on July 22, 2022. The deal, initially in effect for 120 days, was extended in mid-November 2022 for another 120 days till March 18, 2023. At that point, Russia only agreed to extend the deal for a further 60 days, till May 18, 2023.

A memorandum of understanding between Russia and the United Nations on the facilitation of exports of Russian food and fertilizer is a parallel agreement with the Black Sea Grain Initiative. While the exports of Ukrainian grain have made strides, Russia has constantly expressed displeasure with the lack of progress in the facilitation of exports of Russian food and fertilizer.

Dujarric said Thursday that contacts will continue over the next few days.

"I think, as you can well imagine, we're in a delicate phase here. ... There are challenges. I think we've been as clear as possible on them. We're trying to address all of them and trying to do whatever we can to ensure that this very important initiative continues and that we see progress on our efforts on the facilitation of Russian grain and fertilizer," he said.

Asked about contingency planning if the Black Sea Grain Initiative is not renewed beyond May 18, Dujarric said there is no plan B.

"It is clear that if this initiative cannot continue and its package cannot continue, it will have a negative impact on global food security, on global food prices," he said.

"We're talking about geography here. There is no plan B for the Black Sea. There is the Black Sea. We can't move the ports. We can't move the sea. We can't move the Bosporus," he added. 
UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi speaks at an event to commemorate the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 14, 2023. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi said it is time to get serious about debt relief in middle-income countries, which host the majority of the extremely poor in the world.

UNITED NATIONS, May 11 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi on Thursday called for debt relief, as well as equitable access to new technologies, for middle-income countries.

The 110 middle-income countries, which account for three-quarters of the global population and nearly one-third of global GDP, are central drivers of global development, he told a General Assembly high-level meeting on middle-income countries.

"Your geographies, ecosystems, cultures, and economies are incredibly diverse -- with varying vulnerabilities. Some of you encounter frequent drought and desertification, while others face tropical storms and sea-level rise. But all of you face the common challenge of establishing your capacity to cope with these extreme conditions in ways that ensure resilience," he said.

Korosi said it is time to get serious about debt relief in middle-income countries, which host the majority of the extremely poor in the world.

In the torrent of today's global crises, some countries have been forced to prioritize short-term economic goals over longer-term aims. In many countries, including small island developing states, high public debt service is crowding out investment in green, resilient and equitable transformation, he noted.

Various debt-relief instruments can be considered. The debt-for-climate or debt-for-nature swaps offer a win-win for debtors, creditors and donors to meet national development objectives in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, said Korosi.

He noted that the International Monetary Fund's Resilience and Sustainability Trust and Food Shock Window, along with the loss and damage fund agreed on at the latest UN Climate Change Conference in Egypt, open avenues to expand contingency financing to countries in need.

Middle-income countries need equitable access to new technologies, science and innovation that spur resilience in the long run, said Korosi.

This is a shared charge, and international partnership is key. The revitalized Global Partnership for Sustainable Development is an important vehicle for strengthening this worldwide cooperation, he said.

It is also time for the international community to go beyond GDP as the primary measure of development, since GDP has never been designed for that, he said.

"We need a measurement that captures ... the total assets of a nation since its balanced growing is the essence of sustainable development."

Currently, 90 countries compile the System of Environmental Economic Accounting, he said, encouraging more governments to do so. 
At the height of the pandemic, Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside, New York, had more than 400 COVID-19 patients, many of whom were very sick. These days, that number is less than five, with no patients in the intensive care unit, according to Dr. Aaron Glatt, the hospitals epidemiologist.

Those numbers are why Glatt is OK with the federal governments decision to end the COVID-19 public health emergency. But he also wants the public to understand what that means.

People have to realize that the benefits that come along with being a public health emergency will go away. And some of the free things that were given out by the government  without concern about financial reimbursement are going to stop. That's number one, says Glatt, who also serves as chair of the hospitals Department of Medicine and chief of infectious diseases.

Number two is that allowing an emergency situation to occur freed up some of the regulatory restrictions that normally would be present, and those will now go back into play, he says.

After more than three years, more than 1 million U.S. deaths, and 104.5 million documented infections, the COVID-19 public health emergency comes to an end on May 11.

I think the biggest implication of it is symbolic, says Jen Kates, a senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on health care research. It really is a marker saying, We have this important declaration that has come to an end, and it's symbolizing a move from this emergency state that allowed for a lot of flexibilities to a different place.

The pandemic reached its peak between July 2020 to July 2021. The highest hospitalization rates were recorded in December 2020 and January 2021.

What's changing

Americans will feel the end of the COVID-19 emergency in different ways.

The age of the free COVID test is over, says Boris Lushniak, a former acting U.S. surgeon general (2013-2014) who now leads the University of Marylands School of Public Health. Things that people will notice, for the most part, is going to be that something that was taken for granted for the last two and a half years in the midst of this pandemic, that we kind of got used to, is now going to become more complicated.

During the pandemic, the federal government mailed more than 70 million free COVID-19 tests to peoples homes.

Going forward, at-home COVID-19 tests could become more expensive, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, and people with private insurance and traditional Medicare will no longer be guaranteed to get them for free, athough private insurers might elect to cover the costs of testing.

More than 81% of the U.S. population, almost 268 million people, has had at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccines will continue to be free until the stockpiles purchased by the federal government run out, which experts say will probably be by the end of the year. After that, vaccines will continue to be free for most people with public and private insurance.

Medication used to treat COVID-19 also will be free for as long as the federal government supply lasts, which is probably until the fall, according to Kates. Congress has not authorized the funding needed for the federal government to continue to purchase more vaccines and treatments. Private insurance companies were never required to waive costs for COVID-19 treatment.

For the uninsured or underinsured, the Biden Administration has announced a $1 billion program that will continue to give people without insurance access to COVID-19 care at their local pharmacies, through existing public health infrastructure, and at local health facilities.

Still need to be vigilant

The expiring PHE isnt the only COVID-19-related emergency measure currently in effect. The emergency measures that allow for the use of the COVID-19 vaccines and treatments will continue beyond May 11.

People need to be reassured that the fact that the public health emergency status is going away is a positive thing, not a negative thing. It doesn't mean that we're ignoring this problem, that its done with, Glatt says. A tremendous amount of public health work will still go on and, in general, the American public is going to be well taken care of going forward regarding COVID.

Although Lushniak agrees that the PHE should be rescinded, he worries the public will assume that COVID-19 is a thing of the past, even though COVID-19 remained the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States in 2022, behind heart disease, cancer and unintentional injury. Currently, 150 people in the U.S. die from coronavirus disease each day.

The reality is it's still not over, and we still need to be vigilant, Lushniak says. If you're not feeling well, stay away from large crowds. This whole idea of disease spread still remains out there. And there are people who are at higher risk around us, so let's be caring towards others.

The end of the PHE means that states will no longer be required to report COVID-19 infections to federal authorities.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention usually has individual agreements with each state regarding reporting incidences of infectious diseases, and all hospitals are required to report COVID-19 admissions through April 2024.

Other methods the CDC will use to track future infections include monitoring COVID-19 hospital emergency room visits and by testing wastewater for evidence of the virus that causes COVID-19.

It's not like everything is going to go by the wayside, Lushniak says, but certainly the data will be less vibrant."

This story has been updated.
Title 42, the emergency health order used during the COVID-19 pandemic at the U.S.-Mexico border to quickly expel migrants back to Mexico or to their home country, ends Thursday night at midnight.

The Biden administration introduced strict asylum measures that, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says, will lead to the expulsion of the majority of migrants at the border, where some border analysts say about 150,000 people are waiting to enter the U.S.

This is what will happen: You will be returned, Mayorkas told a Washington news conference on Wednesday. Our border is not open.

At the border, migrants are confused about what to do next. Priscilla Orta, an immigration lawyer in Brownsville, Texas, has been crossing the border into Matamoros, Mexico, every week to explain to migrants the process theyre about to face.

If you enter under any other circumstances besides the app, or just prescheduled appointment, you will not be considered eligible for asylum, which, having worked day in and day out with people who are waiting, especially here in Matamoros, that is precisely what they're seeking: an opportunity to apply for asylum, she told VOA.

With the end of Title 42, Orta is advising migrants to use the CBPOne app to secure an appointment and letting them know that if they cross without authorization, they will be removed immediately. But even with an additional 1,000 appointments available on the app, people are waiting for some time.

Neris Arruaz arrived in Matamoros a month ago and is still not sure when her family will be able to present themselves at a port of entry. She was an accountant in Cuba. If she crosses to the U.S., she says she has plans to become an entrepreneur and help her family get ahead.

For the communities along the border, an increase in migrant arrivals is not something new.

The reality is, youve got thousands, more than 2,000, coming over every day, said Cameron County, Texas Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. in Brownsville.

Trevino says that has been the reality for decades and he pushed back against talk that the border is not secure and safe.

Just because we've had these surges in numbers of immigrants and migrants, that in and of itself has not created the border as an unsafe area, he said. It's just created the situation that our immigration system is broken. And we've known that for more than 40 years and yet, administration or Congress after Congress continues to kick the can down [the road] saying, Let somebody else deal with it, because they don't want to deal with the political fallout.

All migrants are processed under Title 8, the federal code of laws dealing with immigration.

"This is a long-standing immigration enforcement authority that multiple administrations, Republican and Democratic alike, have used to process individuals. It carries stiff consequences for irregular migration, including at least a five-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution for repeated attempts to cross unlawfully," Mayorkas told reporters in late April.

For border patrol officials, the mission is clear. Process migrants who qualify under current guidelines and quickly deport those who do not.

The border is not open, OK? Border Patrol Agent Fidel Baca told VOA. If you enter between the ports of entry, you're entering the country illegally. OK? And you are subject to consequences. Another thing that's going to come with Title 8 is consequences. What I mean by that is that people are going to be removed. They will be facing deportation with a ban of re-entry of five years.

For the migrants who were able to cross to the U.S. side, the journey isnt over. Rose Carillo, a Venezuelan migrant, is asking for asylum. Her immigration court appointment is scheduled for May 2024.

I hope to eventually bring my children, she said in Spanish. I miss them so much. Its so hard to be separated from my family. And theyre my only family, my mother, my three children. I have no one to help them. And I dont work, they wont eat. This is my dream. Is to have them here.

U.S. immigration officials are urging migrants to use the CBPone app if they plan to ask for asylum. They say the next few days will be busy.
Police in Finland said at least 24 people  most of them school children  were injured when a temporary footbridge collapsed Thursday in suburban Helsinki.

In a statement, police in the city of Espoo, just west of the capital, Helsinki, said the bridge collapsed at about 9:30 a.m. local time in the citys Tapiola district.

A statement from the city of Espoo said students from Kalasataman primary school in Helsinki were on the bridge at the time of the collapse and fell several meters to the ground. The statement said the injured were taken to three local hospitals for treatment.

Published reports said most of the injuries were broken limbs and none of them were life-threatening.

On her Twitter account Thursday, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin commented on the accident, writing, Shocking news from Espoo. Strength to those injured in the accident and their loved ones. You are in thought.



The newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, citing Helsinkis local first-responder service, reported about 45 people were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. The bridge was reportedly one of two that had been built to cross a nearby construction site.

In its statement, the city took responsibility for the accident. It said the bridge had been inspected as recently as last Friday. The city, along with police, said an investigation into the cause of the collapse is underway.

Some information is from the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France Presse.
Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell arrives in Beijing Thursday to urge China to ease sweeping import restrictions.

Human rights and national security disputes prompted China to impose trade strikes on a range of Australian exports in 2020. Farrell will ask China to lift those sanctions on billions of dollars of imports from Australia.

Farrell is due to hold talks in Beijing with his counterpart, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.

There are signs that the diplomatic and commercial freeze between the two Indo-Pacific nations is beginning to thaw.

Exports of Australian copper, coal and cotton have resumed, and China has agreed to review its restrictions on barley shipments from Australia.

Farrell held virtual talks with Wang in February. It was the first meeting between an Australian trade minister and a Chinese commerce minister in three years.

David Olsson, president of the trade organization the Australia China Business Council, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Thursday he is hopeful that diplomatic friction was coming to an end.

Measured optimism is a good way to describe it, Olsson said. There has been an intensity of diplomatic, political activity over the last few months. So, I think there is broadly a sense of optimism that we will find some political resolution to these very difficult issues.

Bilateral ties were strained by various geopolitical issues, including Australias condemnation of Chinas treatment of pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong and its Uyghur Muslim minority.

Relations have improved since the election almost a year ago of a left-leaning government in Canberra.

Analysts say Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Indonesia last November was a key breakthrough.

Albanese has said his aim was to stabilize relations with China but cautioned that there would be areas of continued disagreement.

China is Australias biggest trading partner. Government data shows that the two-way trade in goods between Australia and China was worth $194 billion in 2022.

Farrell will also co-chair the 16th Joint Ministerial Economic Commission with Wang during his official visit to Beijing.
Canada sent in the army on Thursday to help Alberta province fight wildfires that have scorched forests and grasslands fueled by unusually hot, dry weather.

"The Canadian Forces are going to provide firefighting support and airlift resources, assist with the evacuation of isolated communities, and help keep people safe," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a Twitter message.

Several Canadian provinces and the U.S. states of Oregon and Alaska had already sent almost 300 reinforcements to fight the wildfires.

On Monday, Alberta formally requested federal disaster assistance, two days after declaring a state of emergency.

The head of the province, Danielle Smith, said the military Thursday afternoon started to fan out across the region to help "fight these unprecedented fires."

Specifically, she said, they were positioning in hot spots including Fox Creek and Drayton Valley to bolster "mop-up operations and basic firefighting duties, airlift and engineering support."

Meanwhile, King Charles III said in a letter that he and his wife Camilla were "deeply concerned" about the wildfire situation and offered "special thoughts and prayers" to those displaced and who have lost their homes or businesses.

"We hold many fond memories of our visits to Western Canada and know that those affected will rise to the challenge with customary Canadian strength, resilience and determination," he said.

Rain offers respite

Rains and a lull in high temperatures over the last few days brought relief for exhausted firefighters and allowed some 5,000 evacuees to return home. Almost 30,000 residents had been ordered to flee fire-hit areas last week.

Fewer than 80 fires were still active on Thursday, down from a peak of 110 last weekend, including 23 out of control, according to officials.

The fires have burned more than 410,000 hectares (1,580 square miles) of forest and grasslands, authorities said.

Several oil and gas companies in Alberta  one of the world's largest oil-producing regions  also restarted operations that had been briefly halted due to wildfire risks to their facilities.

Heat on the horizon

Environment Canada is warning that temperatures will rise sharply over the weekend, forecast to reach 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday.

"As anticipated, we are already seeing temperatures climbing in the province, particularly in the north," said Alberta wildfire official Christie Tucker. "And while we have seen rain and cooler temperatures which have allowed us to make progress on many wildfires, we've also experienced thunderstorms with lightning, which can ignite new ones."

About 200 troops were deployed Thursday and 100 more were scheduled to join them, Tucker said. Four military helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft were also helping to assess flare-ups from the air as well as transport people and equipment.

In recent years, western Canada has been hit repeatedly by extreme weather, the intensity and frequency of which have increased due to global warming.
China has delivered two frigates to Pakistan's navy, completing a four-warship deal inked in 2018, Chinese media reported, amid deepening military cooperation between the two nations in one of the world's most complex geopolitical regions.

The vessels  two Type 054A frigates  will be used to safeguard the seas of the China-Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC), state-backed Chinese newspaper Global Times reported late on Wednesday.

CPEC is an ambitious infrastructure project that links Xinjiang in west China to Pakistan aimed at offering an alternative transportation route in the future for goods including gas. Part of the network is Pakistan's Gwadar port, located on a key waterway in the Arabian Sea.

Economic and military ties between the two neighbors have deepened against a shifting geopolitical backdrop, evident from Pakistan's increasing military procurement from China and joint military exercises to safeguard assets and trade routes. For China, Pakistan and its access to the Arabian Sea is key in the event of a maritime blockade in the Strait of Malacca.

China delivered the first batch of six J-10 fighter jets to Pakistan in March last year. Eight Hangor Class submarines that Pakistan ordered from China are expected to be delivered before 2028.

Earlier this week, China's defense minister told Pakistan's navy chief that their militaries, including their navies, should "expand into new fields of cooperation" to bolster their capability in safeguarding regional security.

"The prospects for cooperation between the two sides, in my opinion, is getting stronger and stronger," Song Zhongping, a military commentator with Phoenix TV, told Reuters.

In South Asia, China's ties with India, with whom Pakistan has frosty relations, have deteriorated in recent years, and the withdrawal of U.S. troops in nearby Afghanistan has raised geopolitical uncertainty in the region, pushing China and Pakistan to seek a stronger alliance.

"Maintaining the peace and stability of South Asia fits with both countries' actual interests," Song said.
China sentenced lawyer and prominent rights activist Guo Feixiong to a prison term of eight years on Thursday, with diplomats from several countries saying they were barred from the trial in the southern city of Guangzhou.

The sentence follows terms of more than a decade in jail each handed to two prominent rights lawyers, Ding Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong in April, amid China's clampdown on dissent since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012.

While rights groups say hundreds of lawyers and activists have been detained in recent years, China says it respects the rule of law and individual rights and rejects criticism of its human rights record.

Guo, 58, has drawn international attention for campaigns against issues such as graft and censorship, and his accusations of mistreatment by Chinese authorities during more than a decade behind bars on previous charges.

His latest detention, in 2022, came a year after he was stopped from leaving the country to visit his dying wife in the United States, sparking further outcry.

After a three-hour trial Guo, whose real name is Yang Maodong, was found guilty of defaming China's political system and inciting subversion of state power, his brother said in a statement, adding that Guo would appeal against the judgment.

Thursday's statement was confirmed by Guo's lawyer.

Diplomats from several countries said they were prevented from attending the trial.

"Today, U.S. diplomats were blocked from attending the court proceedings of Guo Feixiong," the U.S. embassy in China said on its Twitter account. "We continue to call for Mr. Guo's speedy release so he may be reunited with his family."

Diplomats from Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, and the Netherlands were also turned away and told by a court clerk that foreign visitors needed approval from higher authorities, four diplomats told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court and China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In early 2021, Guo was stopped by officials at the airport in the commercial hub of Shanghai as he sought to visit his ailing wife in the United States.

His public pleas to be allowed to leave were rebuffed and his wife died of cancer about a year later. Two days after that, Guo was arrested by Guangzhou police and has been held in detention since, according to rights groups.

Guo was subjected to "years of mistreatment, imprisonment, routine harassment and surveillance, and denied foreign travel for his peaceful advocacy on behalf of the Chinese people," the U.S. state department has said earlier.
RIYADH, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have signed a preliminary agreement in the Saudi port city of Jeddah to avoid harming civilians, the Al Arabiya news channel reported late Thursday.

The warring parties stressed that the interests of the Sudanese people are a priority, agreeing to allow all civilians to leave the besieged areas, according to the report.

The agreement affirmed Sudan's sovereignty and unity and welcomed the mediation efforts of other countries. It also called for a stop to all attacks that would harm civilians, the report noted.

The two parties began talks on Saturday in Jeddah over reaching a cease-fire to facilitate emergency humanitarian assistance to the conflict-ravaged country.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia sent its fourth relief plane to Port Sudan, carrying more than 10 tons of food and medical materials, among other relief items, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in the capital city of Khartoum and other areas since April 15, with the two sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.

The deadly clashes have left at least 550 people dead and 4,926 others wounded, according to the figures released by the Sudanese health ministry in early May. 
The dominance of Western universities in global rankings is often cited as a kind of soft power, which allegedly makes elites around the world think and act like liberal democrats. But is this really true? Some leaders such as Viktor Orban in Hungary or Bashar al-Assad in Syria, are illiberal, despite their extensive Western educations. Yet others seem to hold more liberal values than their educators did, like the anti-colonial Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi in India or Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya. Ultimately, we cant predict how leaders will turn out based on their schooling. But international education can, and does, show ordinary people how to work with different people  engage, compromise, and adjust. Reporter Pola Lem of Times Higher Education has more. (April 2023)
Fighting in Sudan's capital worsened Wednesday, as witnesses reported airstrikes, rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire in several neighborhoods. In southern Sudan, fighting between tribes lasting several days has raised the fear the conflict, mostly centered around Khartoum, could spread.

The Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, struck targets in Khartoum and its two sister cities, Omdurman and Bahri, for the second day as it tries to dislodge the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo that have dug into the residential areas they have held since fighting began in mid-April.

"There's been heavy airstrikes and RPG fire since 6:30 a.m.," Ahmed, a resident of the Bahri neighborhood of Shambat, told Reuters. "We're lying on the ground, and there are people living near us who ran to the Nile to protect themselves there under the embankment."

In southern Sudan, it is not clear if the fighting there between the Hausa and Nuba tribes was sparked by the fighting in Khartoum. Such violence is not uncommon in southern and western Sudan. The recent fighting there has left 25 dead, according to the country's doctors union.

The World Health Organization said Tuesday that the death toll from nearly one month of brutal fighting in Sudan was more than 600 and that more than 5,000 had been injured.

"Our only hope is that the negotiations in Jeddah succeed to end this hell and return to normal life, and to stop the war, the looting, the robbery and the chaos," Ahmed Ali, 25, of Khartoum, told Reuters.

Delegations from the army and the RSF have been meeting in Saudi Arabia for almost a week. A Western diplomat familiar with the talks told Reuters that mediators were focusing on an agreement on a cease-fire and humanitarian access.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland has said U.S. negotiators were "cautiously optimistic" on both points.

The two generals are former allies who together orchestrated an October 2021 military coup that derailed a transition to civilian rule following the 2019 ouster of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir.

Tensions between the generals have been growing over disagreements about how the RSF should be integrated into the army and who should oversee that process. The restructuring of the military was part of an effort to restore the country to civilian rule and end the political crisis sparked by the 2021 military coup.

Repeated cease-fire agreements have failed to end the conflict or even do much to reduce the violence.

The United Nations refugee agency said Tuesday that more than 700,000 Sudanese have fled their homes since the violence broke out last month  a figure that is more than double the 334,000 the agency reported to be internally displaced last week.

The International Organization for Migration said an additional 100,000 Sudanese have fled the country.

Most aid operations have been suspended or severely scaled back because of the lack of security. Several aid workers have been killed in the fighting.

Looting also has hampered aid operations. The World Food Program said nearly 17,000 tons of food worth between $13 million and $14 million have been stolen from its warehouses across Sudan.

The WFP said Wednesday that up to 2.5 million additional people in Sudan were "expected to slip into hunger" soon because of the violence. The U.N. agency said this would take acute food insecurity in Sudan to record levels.

More than 19 million people, or two-fifths of Sudan's population, are currently affected, according to the WFP.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
The URL has been copied to your clipboard

The code has been copied to your clipboard.

Pakistans army has been called to maintain security in the capital and two of the countrys four provinces, following angry protests over the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. VOA Pakistan Bureau Chief Sarah Zaman reports.
The first presidentially appointed head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media breached editorial firewall regulations, engaged in gross waste of public funds and abused his authority, according to a 145-page report released Wednesday by the Office of Special Counsel.

The OSC, an independent agency empowered to investigate wrongdoing within the federal government, alerted USAGM in December 2020 to a number of allegations of wrongdoing under the leadership of Michael Pack and directed the federal agency to conduct an investigation. USAGM subsequently engaged three independent experts with backgrounds in government whistleblower protections and journalism to conduct the probe.

The experts' report, which was submitted to OSC, found evidence of gross mismanagement in two instances. It said CEO Pack engaged in gross waste when he spent $1.6 million on an unnecessary contract with a private law firm, and he failed to respect the journalistic independence and integrity of the networks he was tasked with overseeing.

Pack, a conservative documentary filmmaker, was nominated by then-President Donald Trump to his position as head of the agency that oversees six independent news networks and other entities, including Voice of America. Seven months after assuming the position, he resigned in January 2021 at the request of President Joe Biden.

The independent report focuses on six areas based on complaints from whistleblowers within the agency.

The three external investigators conducted 78 interviews, 64 with people who are current or former employees in the agency or its networks. The investigators requested interviews with Pack and 13 members of his senior political team as well as the Pack appointees heading three of those networks. Those requests were declined or not responded to in all but two cases.

The report publishes correspondence between the OSC and Pack when he was still CEO, in which the OSC says it found a "substantial likelihood" of lawbreaking. The report says Pack told the investigators that the allegations did not merit consideration because the whistleblowers "have an axe to grind."

Among the findings

The independent report's findings concluded that Pack abused his power when:

He improperly suspended security clearances of six executives and one management employee "without a legitimate basis."

Tried to debar federal funding to the Open Technology Fund, which finances research to circumvent foreign censorship.

Violated the International Broadcasting Act by attempting to change bylaws and contracts of CEO-appointed network heads.

Violated the Privacy Act by directing employee-related materials to be sent to individuals outside the agency. The independent report notes he did this despite an external law firm telling him the action could violate the law.

On gross mismanagement:

Pack moved the VOA Standards Editor, who is responsible for maintaining and enforcing VOA's journalistic ethics, to a position with no function. That action, the report found, prevented the editor from answering queries from VOA journalists about their work and from holding a workshop on ethical election reporting in the closing months of the 2020 presidential campaign.

He spent $1.6 million to have a law firm investigate staff when the work could have been done by federal employees.

He took actions that were inconsistent with the statutory mandate that the CEO respect the networks' journalistic independence and integrity.

The independent report found Pack violated "laws, rules and regulations," as follows:

A directive restricting outside communications failed to account for USAGM's legally required disclosures to the State Department and other entities.

He violated the Privacy Act the day before he resigned when a senior adviser, whose name is redacted in the report, shared investigative material about six executives with nongovernment individuals.

His acting vice president for legal, compliance and risk, whose name has been redacted in the report, violated record-keeping regulations by failing to preserve government communications and communicating via encrypted and disappearing message apps.

Violations of the Privacy Act can constitute a misdemeanor and carry a fine of up to $5,000.

Investigators also determined that several whistleblower complaints did not amount to mismanagement or abuse of authority by Pack.

These include the decisions to terminate network heads, change board members, freeze contracts and hiring, repurpose congressional funds, and refuse to approve or renew J-1 visa applications for foreign journalists working at the agency.

In the case of the visas, the independent report notes that Pack failed to account for the impact the actions would have on the ability of VOA to report the news in several languages, nor did he provide a viable alternative to hiring foreign journalists with needed language skills. In his time in power, Pack acknowledged the need to explain his rationale for the decision, but "that guidance was never provided."

Pack did not respond to emails from VOA sent Wednesday seeking comment on the report.

David Seide, senior counsel at the Government Accountability Project, which represented around 30 whistleblowers during Pack's time as CEO, noted the OSC's bipartisan credentials and described the report as "breathtaking in its scope."

Seide said OSC reports only go into so much depth and detail "when they know the integrity of the organization is on the line and you have to demonstrate to the world that you're trying to play it straight, you're trying to conduct an objective analysis."

While calling the report "exhaustive," Seide said he believes more should still be done, including the referral of some matters to the Department of Justice for further investigation.

In a statement Wednesday, USAGM CEO Amanda Bennett welcomed the process and results of the review.

"When I became CEO in October 2022, I pledged to focus on USAGM's mission as one of the world's largest global media operations, with a robust editorial firewall and the highest of journalistic standards," said Bennett, a veteran journalist who previously headed VOA.

"The agency has advanced a comprehensive set of corrective actions and reforms to address many of the issues identified by the independent review team. We will continue this work," she said.

In a letter to Biden, made public along with the report, Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner said, "The report largely substantiated the deeply troubling conduct disclosed by the whistleblowers. However, I am heartened by the steps that the agency has taken to restore its operations and its reputation."

Trust issues

The report gives a detailed accounting of how Pack and his team believed that employees at the Congress-funded news networks were biased and untrustworthy.

The team assisting Pack earmarked several senior officials at the federal agency for dismissal, describing them as "deep state" and "not people to be trusted."

Pack subsequently took actions against some of those same individuals "without a legitimate basis" after they had made protected disclosures, according to the independent report.

On June 5, 2020, Pack met with a career employee, not identified in the report, who in a memo had identified "targets for removal."

In that memo and follow-up emails, the employee included suspected political affiliations of the targets with remarks such as, "Eliminate the entire  team (anti-Trump)," "Hates Republicans and Trump," and "not on the Trump team."

Some of the biggest concerns during Pack's time related to efforts to dismantle the editorial firewall, which refers to laws and regulations that protect VOA from political interference.

A federal district judge in November 2020 issued a preliminary injunction barring officials from interfering with the editorial independence and First Amendment rights of VOA journalists.

In assessing Pack's failure to respect the firewall, the independent report cites his conflicting responses. The CEO directed a political appointee to investigate a VOA Urdu video that was seen to be partisan but took no action when informed that the Office of Cuba Broadcasting had provided a political appointee with a link to content.

Pack also failed to take action or intervene when his newly appointed head of VOA, Robert Reilly, retaliated against White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara after she asked "legitimate questions of the Secretary of State." Reilly had invited then-Secretary Mike Pompeo to participate in a question-and-answer session at VOA, but the director failed to ask Pompeo any questions that had been submitted by agency journalists. Widakuswara subsequently shouted questions at Pompeo as he left the VOA building.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo Thursday acknowledged that no progress has been made to end the deadly violence in Myanmar.

He made the assessment during the final day of a two-day summit of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, held in the town of Labuan Bajo on the southeastern island of Flores.

Widodo is chairman of the 10-member regional bloc this year.

Myanmar has been mired in chaos since the military overthrew the democratically-elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

The coup immediately triggered demonstrations across the country against the junta, which responded with a brutal crackdown on protesters. More than 3,000 civilians have died at the hands of the military and upwards of 18,000 more have been arrested, according to an independent monitoring group.

The unrest has also evolved into a deadly rural conflict between the military and ethnic rebel groups that have been fighting for decades for greater autonomy.

ASEAN has issued a five-point plan aimed at ending the violence in a deal reached with Myanmars military rulers. But the junta has yet to follow through in implementing the plan, which has led to criticism of ASEAN as irrelevant.

Widodo called for unity among the nine ASEAN member nations in attendance to deal with Myanmar. But the groups charter established its principles of consensus and noninterference into its members affairs.

ASEAN has barred Myanmars leaders from attending the summits due to the militarys failure to implement the peace plan.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse.
Israel carried out airstrikes overnight in the Gaza Strip, including one early Thursday the Israeli military said killed the head of Islamic Jihads rocket squad.

The strikes came amid a multiday burst of violence, with Israeli raids in the West Bank and cross-border rocket fire from Palestinian militants.

Officials from both sides said Egypt was working to broker a cease-fire.

The violence has left at least 26 Palestinians dead since Tuesday, including three senior Islamic Jihad commanders and 10 civilians.

SEE ALSO: A related video by Linda Gradstein

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address late Wednesday that no Israelis had been injured.

Netanyahu said his forces had dealt a harsh blow to the militants, but that Israels operation was not over.

We say to the terrorists and those who send them, we see you everywhere, Netanyahu said. You can't hide, and we choose the place and time to strike you.

In Washington, the White House said national security adviser Jake Sullivan discussed the conflict Wednesday with his Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi, emphasizing the need to deescalate tensions and prevent further loss of life.

The statement said Sullivan reaffirmed U.S. support for Israels security and its right to defend itself from rocket attacks.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Like Turkey, Greece faces key national elections this month, and topping the foreign policy agenda are Athens tense relations with its NATO ally and neighbor. Conservative and liberal parties in Greece have long differed in their approach to dealing with Turkey, along related issues of defense and illegal migration. Now, they are emerging more united than previously.

In a three-hour long, national debate Wednesday, Greeces six leading political party leaders crossed swords largely on the economy, the lingering energy crisis and measures to alleviate household budgets from rising prices and the cost of living here.

But when foreign policy and migration took center stage, even the strongest of political opponents seemed united.

In surprise remarks, Alexis Tsipras, the leftist leader of the Syriza party said he was prepared to keep a massive steel fence shielding the country from Turkey and illegal migrants pouring in, rather than tearing it down and engaging in what he has long advocated: an open-arms policy toward refugees.

Keeping Greeces borders safe is a given, Tsipras said. And he said Greece is open to following through with suggestions to fortify those defenses against Turkey and illegal migration.

Greeces conservative government under Kyriakos Mitsotakis has already vowed to extend a sprawling 35-kilometer fence to cover the entire stretch of a river that divides Greece and Turkey in the north.

The Evros river snakes about 140 kilometers across the frontiers of the two countries, serving as one of the key crossing paths for thousands of illegal entries each year.

Tsipras, a former prime minister whose Syriza party is trailing second behind the conservatives, supported the ambitious fence plan but he warned that it was not a perfect solution.

Lets not kid the Greek voters, he told a panel of journalists at the nationally televised debate. Lets not fool them like Donald Trump did with designs of building a fence along the border with Mexico. No migration problem can be solved with a fence alone. The European Union must weigh in, and migration policies must change.

On the easternmost frontier of the European Union, Greece is still reeling from a migration crisis that saw more than a million refugees flood Europe at the height of Syrias bloody civil war in 2015 and 2016.

Tsipras controls over a quarter of the national vote and his declaring support for plans for the fence illustrates Greeces toughening stance against illegal immigration.

It also shows Greeces continued concern for what leaders here, across the political divide, have billed as unprecedented Turkish provocation and aggression under the helm of incumbent Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

NATO allies Greece and Turkey came to the brink of war just a few years ago in a fierce contest over energy rights in the oil-rich Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.

But since the start of year, relations have thawed as Greece quickly rushed to the aid of Turkey in the wake of devastating earthquakes that left tens of thousands dead.

Mitsotakis said he was prepared to talk and seek a resolution to longstanding differences with whoever wins the Turkish election on Sunday.

He said he is ready to extend an olive branch and hand of friendship to any winner so as to resume these important talks.

But Mitsotakis said he holds no false illusion about the outcome and will continue to retain Greeces policy of strong military deterrence.

In recent years, Greece has ramped up its defenses with a number of military deals with the U.S.  a move that has antagonized Turkey and its bid to lift a U.S. embargo on the purchase of F-16 warplanes.

The Greek defense spree has been so intense in recent years that NATO this week revealed that Greeces spending in terms of the percentage of its GDP was the highest within the alliance, surpassing even that of the United States.

On Wednesday and at the debate, Tsipras, a longtime critic of the United States, said he also would not cancel those defense deals if elected in Greeces May 21 polls.
Rocket sirens sounded throughout the Tel Aviv area Tuesday as Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fired hundreds of rockets at Israel. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad had threatened to retaliate for an Israeli operation that killed at least 20 Palestinians in Gaza, including three senior members of Islamic Jihad. Linda Gradstein reports for VOA from Jerusalem. Videographer: Ricki Rosen
In April 2022, a Russian rocket hit a train station in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, killing dozens and wounding more than 100. What became clear at the time was that local hospitals were not set up to handle a massive influx of wartime casualties. Thats changing, thanks to a unique medical project. Anna Kosstutschenko has the story, narrated by Steve Baragona. VOA footage by Pavel Suhodolskiy.
NEW DELHI, May 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 25 students of a local school were hospitalized Thursday after suspected gas leakage from a nearby factory in the northern Indian state of Punjab, officials said.

The incident took place in Nangal town of Rupnagar district.

"Today 30 students and a teacher from Saint Soldier Divine Public School were brought to hospital after they complained of breathlessness," an official said. "Five children were discharged and 25 others were admitted and are under observation."

The school was immediately closed.

This incident comes days after 11 people, including two children, were killed in a gas leak incident in Giaspura area of the state's Ludhiana district.

Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains took to social media over the gas leak and said there was no need to panic. He rushed to the spot and enquired about the health of the students and school staff.

Local government officials have ordered a probe into the incident. The investigating team comprises the Punjab Pollution Control Board officials and district officials.

"The preliminary investigations point out that ammonia gas was leaked from National Fertilizer Limited (NFL) plant at Nangal. Our teams visited the spot and initiated the probe in the matter," said Adarsh Pal Vij, a senior official of Punjab Pollution Control Board, as quoted by local media. 
Rights groups are urging Nigerian authorities to suspend the resettlement of people who fled Islamic militants in the country's northeast. Borno state authorities have relocated most camps for displaced people, but critics say security and basic needs are not being met. Timothy Obiezu reports from Maiduguri, Nigeria.
U.S. officials say White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, held discussions in Vienna from May 10-11th. The meetings come as Washington and Beijing prepare for more in-person engagements between senior officials and as the U.S. seeks open lines of communication with China amid a strained relationship.

A senior administration official described the more than eight hours of meetings over two days as "really candid, substantive and constructive," covering issues including specific American detainees the U.S. said were unjustly held in China and transnational concerns such as narcotics, global and regional security issues, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Taiwan.

Both U.S. and Chinese officials have said there is a need to stabilize fraught relations between the world's two largest economies. Ties that have been increasingly strained in recent months over security, trade and technology issues, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

After the U.S. military shot down a Chinese spy balloon that drifted over the continental United State in February, Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a planned trip to Beijing.

Last week, Blinken said he was hopeful that it could be rescheduled this year.

"Both sides recognized that that unfortunate incident led to a bit of pause in engagement. We're seeking now to [move] beyond that, and reestablish some standard channel communications," the senior official said when asked by VOA during a phone briefing on Thursday.

The senior official added that both the U.S. and China "do anticipate" there will be more engagements and visits "in both directions over the coming months."

Meanwhile, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao plans to hold talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in Washington next week, according to the diplomatic source.

On Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns met with Wang for the first time.

We had an open and detailed discussion about the bilateral trade relationship, Burns said in a tweet. I stressed the need for fair and equitable treatment of American businesses in China.

On Wednesday, Blinken said the United States has "concerns" about the treatment of American companies under China's new counterespionage law.

Several firms were raided recently by Chinese police in the name of national security, including consulting firm Capvision and corporate due diligence firm Mintz Group.

"It's something that we talk to the Chinese about," said Blinken during a joint press conference with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.

"China wants to have a positive business environment that attracts foreign investment" but "the actions that it takes with regard to those businesses will have a big impact," Blinken added.

Bloomberg has reported that Wang and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai are likely to meet in person on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meeting in Detroit later this month.

In June, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and China's new Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu are expected to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, a high-level Asia security summit in Singapore. The Chinese military has not accepted the U.S. proposal for a meeting between their defense chiefs on the margins of this annual gathering.

In a tweet, Burns said he discussed "the necessity of stabilizing ties and expanding high-level communication" in a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Monday.

Qin asked the U.S. to "correct" its handling of Taiwan in that meeting, which was seen as China's precondition as Washington and Beijing seek to resume high-level engagements.

On Thursday, Sullivan reiterated the U.S. position to Wang that the U.S. remains committed to its "One China" policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, three communiques and six assurances.

"He indicated that the U.S. opposes unilateral changes to the status quo from either side, does not support Taiwan independence and expects the cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means," according to the senior official.

VOA's Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report.
Serbian citizens have handed over nearly 6,000 unregistered weapons in the first three days of a monthlong amnesty period that is part of an anti-gun crackdown following two mass shootings last week, police said Thursday.

Police also have received nearly 300,000 rounds of ammunition and about 470 explosive devices during the same period, the Serbian Interior Ministry said on Instagram.

The effort to rid Serbia of excessive guns was launched after 17 people were killed in two mass shootings last week and 21 were wounded, many of them children. One of the shootings took place in a school for the first time ever in Serbia.

Authorities have told citizens to give up unregistered weapons by June 8 or face prison sentences. Other anti-gun measures include a ban on new gun licenses, stricter controls on gun owners and shooting ranges, and tougher punishment for the illegal possession of weapons.

The school shooter was a 13-year-old boy who used his father's gun to open fire on his fellow students at an elementary school in central Belgrade on May 3, police have said. A day later, a 20-year-old man opened fire with an automatic weapon in a rural area south of the capital.

On Wednesday, police arrested the father of the suspected village shooter for illegal possession of weapons.

Serbia is estimated to be among the top countries in Europe in gun possession per capita. The weapons are partly left over from the wars in the 1990s.

The two shootings have sparked calls for changes and more tolerance in Serbia's society. Thousands have marched in opposition-led protests in Belgrade and other towns, demanding resignations of populist government ministers, as well as a ban on television stations that air violent content and host war criminals. More protests are planned on Friday.

Serbia's populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, has accused opposition parties of using the tragedy for political ends. He has announced plans for a rally in late May.

Vucic, a former ultranationalist who now says he wants to take Serbia into the European Union, has faced accusations of promoting hate speech against opponents, curbing free speech with a tight grip over mainstream media and taking control of all state institutions. He has denied this.
Integrating Syria back into the Arab fold is a key element of the Arab League meeting in Saudi Arabia next week. Analysts, though, say there isn't a "one size fits all solution" to the conflict-ridden country because of the various political and military actors on the ground.



The Arab Leagues recent decision to reinstate Syria comes after 12 years of conflict. More than 500,000 Syrians have been killed, while half of the countrys prewar population of some 23 million are displaced. Analysts say 90% of Syrians are now destitute, with much infrastructure destroyed.

While Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have renewed diplomatic ties with Syria, others, including Qatar, Kuwait and Morocco have not. Both the United States and Britain expressed reservations on readmitting Syria to the Arab League without serious concessions from the Bashar Assad regime. Neither has Syria committed to political reform or taken responsibility for war crimes, nor has it ensured the safe return of 6 million refugees.

Independent Jordanian analyst Osama al-Sharif wrote in the Saudi Arab News, More than a decade of failed attempts to find a political settlement to end this brutal civil war has led to a deadly stalemate, with parts of the country under the regimes control and others under direct or indirect foreign occupation or influence.

To try to resolve the crisis, Arab states are taking a step-by-step approach, al-Sharif says, which will include pressing for political reforms, return of the displaced and the dismantling of a drug-producing and smuggling network that has turned Syria into a narco-state. He says Jordan and Iraq want to secure their borders with Syria to control smuggling, as well as to terminate the pockets of Daesh [Islamic State group] fighters that continue to pose a threat to both.

Lebanese analyst Dania Koleilat Khatib told VOA that Assad, in fact, has little real control over Syria because of the presence of Iranian and Russian forces that have bolstered him, also of the Turks in the northwest and the U.S. in the northeast aiding the Kurds and Syriac Christians to fight Islamic State militants. Khatib argues that there is no one solution for the entirety of Syria. Perhaps an initial step is to make deals with each of these parties to help bring about stability, she said. Khatib is the president of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building in Beirut.

You cant have one deal for whole Syria because the landscape is different. So, you need to have these localized deals that will stabilize the country, that will offer refugees to return, that will allow local development for people to have some economy. They need the conditions. Now, there are no conditions for the Syrians to decide on anything. This is the first phase waiting for the second phase: the shape of the political regime, the constitution, she said.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit says much depends on the Assad governments willingness to move in the right direction towards Arab countries, and in tackling the pressing problems within Syria itself.

Analyst Raghida Dergham of the Beirut Institute said many believe that Arab states may have pledged to help rebuild Syria, to ease its isolation and to create a bridge between it and the outside world, in remarks to the UAEs The National newspaper.

She and other analysts suggest such developments are predicated on the gradual containment of Iranian and Turkish influence in Syria as well as binding commitments from the Assad government.
United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk urged countries with influence in Africa to encourage Sudans warring sides to end the fighting that began last month.

Addressing an emergency session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Turk said the conflict has pushed "this much-suffering country into catastrophe."

"I condemn the use of violence by individuals who have no regard for the lives and fundamental rights of millions of their own compatriots," Turk said.

Fighting in Sudans capital worsened Wednesday, with witnesses reporting airstrikes, rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire in several neighborhoods.

The Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, struck targets in Khartoum and its two sister cities, Omdurman and Bahri. The army is trying to dislodge the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, which have dug into the residential areas they have held since fighting began in mid-April.

According to the World Health Organization, the conflict has left more than 600 people dead and more than 5,000 others injured.

Delegations from the army and the RSF have been meeting in Saudi Arabia for almost a week. A Western diplomat familiar with the talks told Reuters that mediators were focusing on an agreement on a cease-fire and humanitarian access.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland has said U.S. negotiators were "cautiously optimistic" on both points.

The two generals are former allies who together orchestrated an October 2021 military coup that derailed a transition to civilian rule following the 2019 ouster of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir.

Tensions between the generals have been growing over disagreements about how the RSF should be integrated in the army and who should oversee that process. The restructuring of the military was part of an effort to restore the country to civilian rule and end the political crisis sparked by the 2021 military coup.

Repeated cease-fire agreements have failed to end the conflict or even do much to reduce the violence.

The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday more than 700,000 Sudanese have fled their homes since the violence broke out last month  a figure that is more than double the 334,000 the agency reported to be internally displaced last week.

The International Organization for Migration said an additional 100,000 Sudanese have fled the country.

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.

Looting also has hampered aid operations. The World Food Program said nearly 17,000 tons of food worth between $13 million and $14 million have been stolen from its warehouses across Sudan.

The WFP said Wednesday that up to 2.5 million additional people in Sudan are "expected to slip into hunger" in the near future due to the violence. The U.N. agency said this would take acute food insecurity in Sudan to record levels.

More than 19 million people, or two-fifths of Sudans population, are currently affected, according to the WFP.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
The United Nations says it has no backup plan if Russia pulls out of the deal that allows Ukraine to export grain to international markets and has helped facilitate Moscow's grain and fertilizer exports.

"There is no Plan B for the Black Sea," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in response to questions about what will happen if Russia makes good on threats to withdraw from the deal on May 18. "There is the Black Sea. We can't move the ports. We can't move the sea. We can't move the Bosporus [Strait in Turkey]."

Since it was signed on July 22 in Istanbul, the Black Sea Grain Initiative has facilitated the safe export of more than 30 million metric tons of grain and other foodstuffs from three Black Sea ports in Ukraine to global markets.

A corresponding Memorandum of Understanding between Russia and the United Nations has made inroads in easing concerns of anxious banks, insurers, shippers and other private-sector actors about doing business with Russia. But Moscow has repeatedly complained that it is not benefiting enough from the deal.

Moscow is defending "Russia's national interests, its agriculture producers, producers of fertilizers," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said. "An initiative that brings unilateral benefits can hardly be recognized and confirmed by all."

However, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters Thursday, "Russia is exporting just fine. It is exporting grain and fertilizer at the same levels, if not higher, than before the full-scale invasion."

"Russia's threats are about money and power. The more Russia obstructs Ukraine's exports, the higher prices go, and with Russian exports moving well, they are making more profits," she said.

Russia has also forced a slowdown of Ukrainian grain exports via the deal, putting the brakes on mandatory ship inspections.

Data from the Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center, which oversees inspections, shows that inspections of ships headed to Ukraine and departing the country have substantially declined from a high in October of 4.4 inbound inspections daily and 6.3 outbound, to 1.4 inbound and 1.5 outbound daily inspections so far in May.

"In classic form, the Russians are playing with procedures in the Black Sea Grain Initiative," said Ambassador Jim O'Brien, who heads the State Department's Office of Sanctions Coordination. "What they have done is not allow ships to register and then not inspect them."

The JCC says there are currently 26 outbound ships in Turkish waters with more than a million metric tons of grain and foodstuffs. The Ukrainians have informed them that 62 more are waiting to move to Ukrainian ports to collect exports.

On Thursday, the four parties to the deal  Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations  met in Istanbul to discuss the grain deal's future.

The United Nations has emphasized the importance of the Black Sea Grain Initiative to keep global food prices stable and food available and affordable, especially to the poorest nations. More than half of the Ukrainian grain exported via the deal has gone to developing countries.

"It's clear if this initiative cannot continue, and its package cannot continue, it will have a negative impact on global food security, on global food prices," U.N. spokesman Dujarric told reporters. "It's important that everyone who is involved in this, directly or on the periphery, live up to its responsibilities."
The U.S. on Thursday accused South Africa of supplying arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine in a three-day covert naval operation near Cape Town in early December.

Ambassador Reuben Brigety, the American diplomatic mission chief to South Africa, said in comments carried by multiple South African news outlets that the U.S. was certain that the weapons were loaded onto a Russian-flagged cargo ship, the Lady R, that was secretly docked at the Simon's Town naval base before departing for Russia.

He characterized South Africa's alleged arming of Russia during its invasion of Ukraine as "extremely serious" and said it called into question South Africa's supposed neutral stance in the conflict.

In Parliament, the leader of the South African political opposition, John Steenhuisen, asked President Cyril Ramaphosa if South Africa was "actively arming Russian soldiers who are murdering and maiming innocent people?"

Ramaphosa replied that an investigation was underway. "The matter is being looked into, and in time we will be able to speak about it," Ramaphosa said, but declined further comment.

Later, in a statement, Ramaphosa said U.S. and South African officials had discussed "the Lady R matter  and there was an agreement that an investigation will be allowed to run its course, and that the U.S. intelligence services will provide whatever evidence [is] in their possession."

"It is therefore disappointing," Ramaphosa said, "that the U.S. ambassador has adopted a counter-productive public posture that undermines the understanding reached on the matter and the very positive and constructive engagements between the two delegations."

Brigety told reporters in the capital, Pretoria, "Among the things we [the U.S.] noted was the docking of the cargo ship in the Simon's Town naval base between the 6th and 8th December 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel in Simon's Town as it made its way back to Russia."

Steenhuisen's party, the Democratic Alliance, had raised questions earlier this year about a "mystery" Russian vessel making a stop at the Simon's Town base.

At the time, the South African government didn't comment publicly, saying it needed to gather information. In late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship appeared to be handling an "old order" for ammunition, and she indicated that arms were offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.

The South African government is allied with the U.S. in Africa but has stated numerous times it is remaining neutral on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully. But South Africa has had recent contacts with Russia, raising U.S. concerns about its claims of neutrality.

South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks in January, about a month after the alleged visit by the Lady R, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.

Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast. The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navy's flagship vessels.

The South African navy also took part in the drills and characterized them as exercises that would "strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China."

Brigety said South Africa's decision to stage the naval drills in February, which coincided with the first anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, raised "serious concerns" for the U.S.

South Africa said the drills were planned years ago before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

South Africa's ruling African National Congress Party, which is led by Ramaphosa, sent a delegation to Moscow last month and spoke of strengthening its ties with Russia, further complicating the country's relationship with the U.S.

Some material in this report came from The Associated Press.
On the one-year anniversary of the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, her colleagues, family and U.S. lawmakers gathered at an event in Washington to commemorate the reporter and renew calls for someone to be held accountable. One of the most well-known reporters in the Arab world, Al Jazeera's Abu Akleh was shot in the head while covering an Israel Defense Forces raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on May 11, 2022. At the time, she and her colleagues were in protective gear, with helmets and vests marked "PRESS."

At her funeral in Jerusalem, Israeli police attacked pallbearers, causing them to drop the coffin and fueling international outrage. Israel said police were trying to disperse a mob.

"It's been a devastating year for our family," said Lina Abu Akleh, Shireen Abu Akleh's niece, in a video message at the National Press Club. "We still haven't seen justice served. Accountability for us means action, and we still have yet to see that."

Investigations by media outlets and rights groups found that Shireen Abu Akleh was almost certainly shot by an Israeli sniper  during a moment of relative calm, not in a crossfire, as Israel claimed.

In an interview on Thursday with CNN, the IDF's chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, apologized for Shireen Abu Akleh's death. It is the first time the IDF has apologized for her killing.

"I think it's an opportunity for me to say here that we are very sorry of the death of Shireen Abu Akleh," he said.

"She was a journalist, a very established journalist. In Israel, we value our democracy and in a democracy, we see high value in journalism and in a free press. We want journalists to feel safe in Israel, especially in war time, even if they criticize us," he said.

Al Jazeera Washington Bureau Chief Abderrahim Foukara spoke at the event in Washington.

"366 days ago, Shireen Abu Akleh was still alive. 365 days ago, Shireen was killed. 365 days have elapsed, and there's still no justice," Foukara said. "We, obviously, are all here to honor the memory of Shireen Abu Akleh, to reiterate the need for accountability for the killing and shooting of Abu Akleh and any other journalists around the globe."

Born in Jerusalem to a Catholic family, Abu Akleh moved to the U.S. in the early 1990s, and later returned to the Middle East after gaining her American citizenship.

Her journalism came to prominence in 2000 during the second Palestinian uprising against Israel, known as the intifada.

"Shireen was a household name among Palestinians and throughout the Arab world because her reporting on what's been happening here was original, and it touched the human soul," her brother, Anton Abu Akleh, told VOA from Jerusalem shortly after her death last year.

"Above all, she was deeply dedicated to her profession. She was loyal to her homeland and to the Palestinian cause. She perfectly used journalism as a platform to help other people and highlight their plights," he said.

Accountability

Last September, an Israeli military inquiry admitted it was "highly likely" that Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli soldier, but also said the shooting was an accident and that a criminal investigation was not necessary.

The Biden administration has generally accepted Israel's report, and last July, the State Department determined from a U.S. investigation that the killing was "tragic" but unintentional.

But after pressure from Congress, the FBI opened an investigation last November  an investigation that Israel has said it will refuse to cooperate with.

Still, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen says more must be done.

"While I was pleased to hear that the FBI is investigating her death, we don't know where that investigation stands. Over the last year, we have fought to ensure accountability in Shireen's shooting death, and we won't stop until the full truth is known and justice is done," the senator said in a video message at the event. "One year after her death, the United States must continue to press for accountability."

"Many people would like us to stop asking questions, but we cannot and will not let the shooting death of Shireen Abu Akleh be swept under the rug," Van Hollen said.

Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, condemned the lack of progress in official investigations and the failure to hold anyone accountable.

"Although all the investigations clearly show that Israeli forces were responsible for Shireen Abu Akleh's death, the absence of political will still prevents justice from being rendered. The systematic Israeli impunity is outrageous and cannot continue," Jonathan Dagher, the head of RSF's Middle East desk, said in a statement.

Journalists reporting from the West Bank have long been at risk of injury or death.

In the past two decades, military fire from the Israel Defense Forces has resulted in the deaths of at least 20 journalists  18 of whom were Palestinian, according to a report released this week.

No one has ever been charged or held accountable for these killings, according to the report by the New York nonprofit the Committee to Protect Journalists.

In her video message Thursday, Shireen Abu Akleh's niece Lina reiterated the need for accountability, saying, "It's really important that we continue to call for justice for Shireen, because journalism is not a crime."
Britain is preparing to designate the Wagner Group  a Russian private army that is deeply involved in the invasion of Ukraine  as a terrorist organization, according to The Times of London newspaper, citing government sources.

The European Union and the United States are debating similar designations, which would put the group in the same bracket as Islamic State and al-Qaida.

Wagner mercenaries, many of whom have been recruited from Russian prisons, are spearheading Russia's fight for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. The battle for the city has been raging for months. Ukrainian and Western governments say Wagner has suffered tens of thousands of casualties.

Wagner operates closely with the Russian government. The group is blamed for widespread atrocities in Ukraine, including the torture and killing of prisoners of war and civilians, among them children. Wagner commanders deny the accusations, despite widespread evidence on the ground and testimony from former mercenaries.

Members of the group  including its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin  are already subject to American, European Union and British sanctions. Britain has been building a legal case for the last two months and could designate Wagner as a terrorist group within weeks, according to the Times report. The British government declined to comment.

Belonging to or promoting Wagner, or even displaying its logo, would become a criminal offense, said Tanya Mehra of the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, based in The Hague.

"It may deter companies maybe to do business with Wagner. But it's doubtful what effect it will have because Wagner is getting their financial resources, not so much from Europe, but from the activities they're carrying out, the illegal activities in Africa. So what could be the benefits? It is maybe more symbolic," Mehra told VOA in an interview.

Wagner mercenaries have operated in Syria and several African countries, including Libya, the Central African Republic, Mali and Sudan, typically offering governments security services in return for access to mineral wealth and support for Russia's geopolitical aims.

Wagner fighters are accused of widespread human rights abuses. In one incident in March 2022, around 300 civilians died in an attack on the Malian town of Moura, which was then controlled by jihadist forces.

Speaking at the time, witnesses accused Malian forces and Russian Wagner fighters of summary executions. Amadou, who ran a stall in Moura, spoke to Reuters after fleeing the attack for the Malian capital, Bamako. He did not want to give his family name.

"They [the Malian army] came with a lot of white men, we can call them Russians. They didn't understand one other. ... They took 15 to 20 people. They lined them up about 100 meters from us. They made them kneel down and they shot them," Amadou said.

Lawmakers in the French National Assembly voted unanimously Tuesday to designate the Wagner group as a terrorist entity. The resolution was non-binding but increases the pressure on the European Union to take action.

In Washington, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing for the United States to classify Wagner as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The U.S. attorney general said in March he would not object to the move. "I think they're an organization that is committing war crimes, an organization that's damaging the United States," Attorney General Merrick Garland said March 1, noting that the designation is made by the State Department.

Such a move by Washington could have a big impact on Wagner, said Mehra, of the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism.

"In the U.S., if they would be designated as a terrorist group, it would have the most far-reaching consequences  as anyone who will be providing material support to the Wagner group could also face criminal prosecution. So that would mean that states or certain government officials from African states, who would be engaging with Wagner could be liable for criminal prosecutions," Mehra said.

However, governments should be wary of using the terrorist designations as a political tool, Mehra added.

"When you're looking at Wagner group, they're not just an ordinary terrorist organization. We are maybe blurring the distinction here and I think it's important to be careful about that. In fact, Wagner is a private military security company. And Wagner has very strong interconnectedness with the Russian state," she said.

"I think by designating them as a terrorist group, we do have to look at the long-term effect of it and whether or not it is now being used only solely as a political instrument, or whether that we are really talking about adding another layer of sanctions and whether they would really also meet the criteria  to be designated as a terrorist group," Mehra said.
Pakistan is witnessing a wave of violence following the arrest of popular opposition leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges. The level of unrest has not been seen since 2007, when another former premier  Benazir Bhutto  was assassinated during an election campaign.

Footage of Khan being dragged from court sparked outrage among his supporters. Angry protesters torched buildings and vehicles. Authorities have deployed troops in an attempt to contain the clashes. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif vowed a tough response to the attacks. Khan is in custody at a police compound in the capital, Islamabad, undergoing questioning.

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PAKISTAN?

Since Khan's arrest on Tuesday, at least eight people have died and dozens have been wounded in clashes between his supporters and police. Protesters have burned building and vehicles to the ground. Others blocked roads and set fire to police checkpoints and military facilities. Schools and colleges remain closed in Khan's regional strongholds. More than 2,000 people have been arrested so far.

WHY DOES KHAN'S ARREST MATTER?

Pakistan has a history of military takeovers, political upheaval and social unrest. Khan is the seventh prime minister to be arrested since 1977. Military property, including the home of a top commander, has been destroyed. The current turmoil comes as the already embattled country struggles with a dire economic situation, a spike in militancy, and the impact of last year's catastrophic floods. This grimness is unlikely to be addressed or resolved soon, further straining living conditions and security for the 220-million population.

WHY IS THERE SUCH A STRONG REACTION TO KHAN'S DETENTION?

Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022 but still has a massive grassroots following, with the power to quickly mobilize thousands of supporters to the streets and stir up a frenzy with his anti-establishment rhetoric. Last November, he was shot in the leg at a rally. He claims both incidents are evidence of a conspiracy against him, a compelling narrative for his followers who believe he was unjustly ousted and is being targeted by the government and the military.

WHY WAS HE ARRESTED?

Khan has at least 100 criminal cases filed against him by various government agencies. In some ways his detention was just a matter of time. He was in court on Tuesday for one set of corruption charges but was arrested for another. What's striking about his detention is how dramatic it was  the anti-graft agency whose agents detained him has not explained why he was taken so publicly, dragged out of court and shoved into an armored vehicle.

The 70-year-old Khan has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The government has stepped up security, banned gatherings  and in some places shut down social media. But Khan's supporters are determined to see him freed and returned to power, saying he is their red line. A crackdown on party activists and leaders will not make them back down. Though he may ultimately be released, while he is in detention, the standoff between his supporters and authorities continues  all the while deepening Pakistan's divisions.
This photo taken on Nov. 10, 2021 shows a bridge of the second phase of the north-south highway built by China in Kyrgyzstan. A new highway built by China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will not only help Kyrgyzstan in economic development through boosting road connectivity, but also create international transport corridors that will promote growth throughout Central Asia, Kyrgyz specialists have said. (Photo by Roman/Xinhua)

BISHKEK, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A new highway built by China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will not only help Kyrgyzstan in economic development through boosting road connectivity, but also create international transport corridors that will promote growth throughout Central Asia, Kyrgyz specialists have said.

Tagai Alimbaev, Asian Development Bank project monitoring and public relations specialist of the Ministry of Transport of Kyrgyzstan, pointed out the strategic importance of a highway with a length of 433 km for the development of Kyrgyzstan in a recent interview with Xinhua.

He said that as currently, only the Bishkek-Osh highway connects the northern and southern parts of the country, the construction of an additional motorway will create both economic and social growth opportunities for all regions along the route.

"In addition, the north-south highway will open up opportunities for the construction of hydropower stations, the development of mines, deposits located in remote mountainous areas," Alimbaev said.

The construction of the road is divided into three phases with two phases having already been completed by China Road and Bridge Corporation. The third phase is under construction.

After the completion of the project, the north-south highway will become the main transport artery connecting the north and the south of Kyrgyzstan and an important international transport channel in Central Asia.

"That is, we already have concrete results from cooperation within the framework of the BRI project. Such projects will help the economic development of Kyrgyzstan, as well as create international transport corridors that will promote growth throughout Central Asia," Alimbaev said.

He also recalled that within the framework of the BRI, other roads are planned to be built, for example the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, which will enable an economic breakthrough for the countries of the Central Asian region.

He noted that positive relations between countries and trade always lead to mutual growth.

His opinion is echoed by Sherdali Baktygulov, an expert from the National Institute for Strategic Studies of the Kyrgyz Republic.

"The north-south road already serves as an important link in cooperation between countries and international trade, primarily between China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia. Thanks to the initiative, the volume of trade between Kyrgyzstan and China has been growing annually in the past 10 years," he said.

The expert stressed that the north-south road is twice as long as the existing Bishkek-Osh highway, which links the two parts of Kyrgyzstan, and this makes it possible to halve the cost of transporting goods from China, from the northern part of Kyrgyzstan to the south, and then to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Thanks to the BRI and the road transport corridors that exist in Central Asian countries, very beneficial relationships are being built between Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as well as their large trading partner -- China, he said.

"And for Kyrgyzstan this is an access to sea routes through China. Sending goods through the territory of Central Asian countries to Southern Europe, Turkiye, Iran is important not only for China, but also for Central Asian countries that want to supply their goods to the countries of Southeast Asia through Chinese ports," Baktygulov said.

He said the aim is to strengthen political, financial, economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the countries participating in the initiative.

Currently, the number of Kyrgyz citizens studying in Chinese universities is more than 5,000 people, he said.

"This indicator shows that China is seen as a good neighbor whose intentions are aimed at strengthening friendship and cooperation between countries. Therefore, when we talk about the BRI, one must evaluate not only the economic effect, but also the foundation that is being laid for long-term cooperation between countries and peoples," the expert said. 

Vehicles run on a bridge of the second phase of the north-south highway built by China in Kyrgyzstan, Nov. 10, 2021. A new highway built by China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will not only help Kyrgyzstan in economic development through boosting road connectivity, but also create international transport corridors that will promote growth throughout Central Asia, Kyrgyz specialists have said. (Photo by Roman/Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 27, 2020 shows the construction site of the second phase of the north-south highway built by China in Kyrgyzstan. A new highway built by China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will not only help Kyrgyzstan in economic development through boosting road connectivity, but also create international transport corridors that will promote growth throughout Central Asia, Kyrgyz specialists have said. (China Road&Bridge Corporation/Handout via Xinhua)

Sherdali Baktygulov, an expert from the National Institute for Strategic Studies of the Kyrgyz Republic, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, April 27, 2023. A new highway built by China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will not only help Kyrgyzstan in economic development through boosting road connectivity, but also create international transport corridors that will promote growth throughout Central Asia, Kyrgyz specialists have said. (Photo by Roman/Xinhua)

Tagai Alimbaev, Asian Development Bank project monitoring and public relations specialist of the Ministry of Transport of Kyrgyzstan, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, April 27, 2023. A new highway built by China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will not only help Kyrgyzstan in economic development through boosting road connectivity, but also create international transport corridors that will promote growth throughout Central Asia, Kyrgyz specialists have said. (Photo by Roman/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Nov. 10, 2021 shows a bridge of the second phase of the north-south highway built by China in Kyrgyzstan. A new highway built by China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will not only help Kyrgyzstan in economic development through boosting road connectivity, but also create international transport corridors that will promote growth throughout Central Asia, Kyrgyz specialists have said. (Photo by Roman/Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 27, 2020 shows the construction site of the second phase of the north-south highway built by China in Kyrgyzstan. A new highway built by China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will not only help Kyrgyzstan in economic development through boosting road connectivity, but also create international transport corridors that will promote growth throughout Central Asia, Kyrgyz specialists have said. (China Road&Bridge Corporation/Handout via Xinhua)
Four leaders of the far-right extremist Proud Boys group are facing decades behind bars after a jury found them guilty of seditious conspiracy for their role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The convictions last week have decimated the groups top leadership but have not destroyed it. Rank-and-filed Proud Boys have already moved on to their next cause: anti-LGBTQ activism.

For the past two years, the Proud Boys have waged a concerted campaign to harass and menace LGBTQ people, zeroing in on Drag Queen Story Hours and performances as their main target.

Drag story hours, in which storytellers dressed in drag read to children in libraries, schools and bookstores, were once largely confined to the West Coast but have exploded in popularity in recent years across the country.

Organizers say the events celebrate diversity, encourage reading, and inspire authenticity among children.

But conservative religious groups and far-right organizations say they are designed to groom and sexualize children.

Publicizing a drag event often causes a chain reaction. A right-wing media outlet blasts it. A local group rages and announces a protest. And far-right groups like the Proud Boys show up.

According to data compiled by LGBTQ media advocacy group GLAAD and the Anti-Defamation League, there have been 166 incidents of anti-LGBTQ protests and threats targeting drag events since early 2022. Far-right groups such as the Proud Boys took part in at least 35 of the incidents.

Sarah Moore, who researches anti-LGBTQ+ groups for both GLAAD and ADL, said the Proud Boys are one of the most active extremist groups involved in anti-LGBTQ plus activities.

They attend a large number of drag show protests across the country and also participate in a number of other activities that are targeting the LGBTQ+ community, Moore said in an interview with VOA.

Most protests have been peaceful, but some have turned violent.

Last July, a Proud Boys associate was charged with a hate crime after he allegedly vandalized a Chicago suburb bakery that was hosting a drag show.

In March, fights erupted outside an LGBTQ community center in New York where state Attorney General Letitia James was hosting a Drag Story Hour.

Also in March, a bomb threat forced terrified attendees to evacuate a Kentucky pet adoption center that was hosting a drag time story show.

The Proud Boys describe themselves as Western chauvinists who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world. They deny being racists or violent.

But extremism researchers say they have a violent agenda and harbor virulently hateful views of women, Muslims, transgender people and immigrants.

Before the attack of January 6, the Proud Boys were known for clashing with anti-fascist activists and showing up at former President Donald Trumps political rallies.

Since then, they have avoided national attention and focused on local protests in defense of conservative causes.

They initially targeted vaccine mandates, the teaching of critical race theory in public schools and abortion rights.

But those issues didnt have the staying power that the Proud Boys were seeking, said Sam Jones, head of communications at the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).

Then in 2022, for reasons that we're still teasing out, there was this perfect storm of a focus on demonizing the trans community in particular, but the LGBTQ community at large, Jones said in an interview with VOA.

ACLEDs research captures the dramatic rise in anti-LGBT+ mobilization over the past three years: 17 incidents in 2020, 65 in 2021 and 241 in 2022.

The Proud Boys were involved in 58 anti-LGBTQ demonstrations last year, up from 13 the previous year.

The figures include protests, violent demonstrations and political violence.

The trend has continued this year. ACLED documented a total of 97 incidents through April 28, 19 involving the Proud Boys.

The attacks have alarmed the LGBTQ community.

But the Proud Boys may not be the biggest threat the LGBTQ community faces. A more pressing danger, activists and experts say, comes from the wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation sweeping across the country.

Tennessee became the first state this year to ban public drag shows, and more than a dozen other states want to impose similar restrictions.

You don't want to overstate their influence, Jones said of the Proud Boys. This is also part of something that politicians are engaging in, something that large media figures are engaging in.

What happens to the Proud Boys after their leaders convictions is unclear.

Some experts believe their leaders incarceration could weaken the group and lower their profile.

Thats what happened with the Oath Keepers, another extremist group that stormed the Capitol.

After the Oath Keepers top leaders were convicted last year, their national activity just declined significantly, Jones said.

But the Proud Boys are a decentralized group. They have more than 70 chapters across the country, each with its own power and agenda.

One factor that could shape the groups future is their relationship with Trumps nascent presidential campaign, Jones said.

The Proud Boys were among Trumps most fervent supporters during the 2020 presidential campaign and, according to prosecutors, ready to unleash violence to keep him in power.

But after the botched attempt to overturn the 2020 election results, many Proud Boys felt abandoned by Trump, with some even accusing him of instigating the January 6 riots.

Will the group stick with Trump or break away from him? Will they sputter or resurface stronger? These are questions that loom over their future.
At a Bangkok intersection, 34-year-old human rights lawyer Jammy shouts over the traffic through a megaphone urging commuters to vote for Move Forward, Thailands most radical party, which is hoping the youth vote in Sundays election rewards it with a role in a coalition government.

Momentum is building behind the party, with polls putting it second, behind Thailands biggest party, the pro-democracy Pheu Thai, and making its articulate leader Pita Limcharoenrat the most popular candidate for prime minister.

The target is simple, Jammy  a mother of two whose full name is Sasinan Thamnithinan  told VOA last week.

We want the army to leave power, she said.

I want my kids to grow up in a democratic country, where they can make their own free choices. I think many Thai people want the same, she said.

The army has not allowed elected governments to survive for long during Thailands messy history and has carried out a coup every seven years on average since 1932, when Thailand became a constitutional monarchy.

The last one was in 2014 by Prayuth Chan-ocha, then army chief, who later rebranded himself as a civilian premier and has not left office since.

He is seeking a return to power in the election Sunday and has a good chance with the backing of a conservative alliance of lawmakers and a 250-member Senate handpicked by him.

But after nine years in charge, Prayuth has few fans among younger voters.

Forty percent of eligible voters were born in the early 1980s and later, with 4 million casting votes for the first time Sunday.

Those votes are expected to go to the Move Forward Party, experts say.

Move Forward is the only party that talks about structural change, said Sayo, 24, who did not want to give her full name, selling party T-shirts at a recent rally in central Bangkok.

This country is run by capitalists who are squeezing everything out from the people at the bottom, she said.

In the final week of campaigning, the party has sent its star speakers across the country in four tour buses north, south, east and west, pulling large crowds as they travel back to Bangkok in a caravan dubbed all roads lead to Government House.

Were not really fully democratic  the country has been militarized for a very long time so the power structure and national budget focuses on this militarized government, party prime ministerial candidate Pita told VOA.

A Harvard-educated business executive, Pita insists his party is the only one addressing Thailands deep-seated problems.

Move Forward wants to open Thailands monopoly-dominated economy, end conscription, and protect freedoms after years under Prayuth, during which government critics have been arrested, charged or threatened.

We have been monopolized so the inequality of the money in our pocket is not so much bad luck but is structurally inherited, the 42-year-old Harvard graduate added.

A May 5 poll by The Nation Media Group, Thailands largest, of over 100,000 voters put Move Forward on track to win nearly 80 constituency seats and another 30 party-list seats. Those are selected in a second vote which reflects the proportion of ballots cast.

Analysts are more cautious, saying it will be hard for Move Forward to win 100 seats, but it may eat up some of the support for Pheu Thai, the party of the political dynasty of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, which is expected win most seats in the fully elected 500-member House of Representatives. Thaksins daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra is one of its candidates to be prime minister.

It shares Move Forwards desire to get the army out of politics and the two parties could form a coalition if their combined seats get near a majority of the 700-member two-chamber parliament.

Threats ahead

Move Forwards rivals in the conservative establishment, though, say it is a party of upstarts who are determined to rip up Thailands culture and hierarchy, headed by the powerful monarchy.

Poll success often attracts enemies in Thailand. Shinawatra parties have been hit by two coups in 17 years, with a number of their parties disbanded by courts.

Move Forwards first incarnation, Future Forward, was dissolved a few months after the 2019 poll, the first election it ever contested in which its 6 million votes took it to third place and stunned the establishment parties.

Its charismatic leader at the time, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, was banned from political office for a decade, sparking mass protests, which for the first time raised the question of reform of the monarchy and the tough royal defamation criminal law that protects it.

The chances [of dissolution] this time are pretty low  but theres always a risk because Thai laws allow dissolution of political parties over the slightest thing, said Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang, a constitutional law scholar at Chulalongkorn University told VOA.

The courts may be hesitant as the last time they dissolved the party, there were huge street protests, Khemthong added.

Any move against a party could take several months, in what is likely to be an unpredictable, drawn-out period between the polls and a government being formed.

The party says it is ready for whatever lies ahead and is confident in the long-term in its vision for the country.
New developments:

Support for Ukraine on agenda as G-7 finance ministers meet in Japan.

British Defense Ministry says Russia likely added up to 10,000 prisoners to those recruited to fight in Ukraine.

Britain is sending Ukraine long-range cruise missiles to help it fight off the 14-month Russian invasion, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Thursday.

The deployment of the Storm Shadow missiles, with a range of 250 kilometers, is the first known shipment of the type of weaponry that Kyiv has long sought from its Western allies.

Wallace told lawmakers in the House of Commons that the missiles "are now going into or are in the country itself" but did not say how many.

British media reported that the missiles will give Ukraine the capacity to strike well behind the front lines, including in Russia-occupied Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014. The reports said that Ukraine has pledged not to use the missiles to attack Russia itself.

Wallace said the missiles would be used to take the fight to Russian forces in "Ukrainian sovereign territory." He characterized Britains support for Ukraine as "responsible, calibrated, coordinated and agile. We simply will not stand back while Russia kills civilians."

Ukraine holding off on counteroffensive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it is not yet time for his forces to launch a long-anticipated counteroffensive to recapture territory held by invading Russian troops.

We still need a bit more time, Zelenskyy said in an interview with British media outlets released Thursday.

Preparations include training of Ukrainian forces by Western partners, as well as shipments of ammunition, tanks and air defense systems to boost the capabilities of the Ukrainian side.

"With [what we have] we can go forward and be successful," Zelenskyy said. "But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable."

Late Wednesday, Adm. Bob Bauer, who chairs the NATO Military Committee, told reporters that Ukraine will be able to fight with better weapons, while having fewer soldiers available than Russia.

"The Russians will have to focus on quantity," he said. "Larger number of conscripts and mobilized people. Not well-trained. Older materiel, but large numbers, and not as precise, not as good as the newer ones."

Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States has partnered with PepsiCo in highlighting the benefits of regenerative agriculture, which according to experts, promotes good environmental practices that reverse climate change by preserving devastated soil biodiversity. Top scientists, researchers, journalists, agriculturalists and others are expected to attend a one-day online seminar on the benefits of regenerative agriculture.

The educational online seminar titled Regenerative Agriculture: A Powerful Tool to Fight Climate Change, comes at a time the world is grappling with the devastating effects of climate change. In a media briefing, Thanos Dimadis, executive director of the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in USA, who will be the moderator of the event, said the seminar is designed to show the benefits of regenerative agriculture, which can be expanded worldwide for tackling climate change.

Some of the top scientists to feature at the event include Jim Andrew, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer for PepsiCo, and Dr. Abbey Wick, associate professor at North Dakota State University, who is also an extension soil health specialist and founder of Wick Consulting. An expert in regenerative agriculture, Adam Kiel, executive vice president of the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, is expected to grace the seminar.

The event is being held at a time most countries, including Zimbabwe, are battling against the devastating effects of climate change. Agricultural specialist and chairperson of Zimbabwes Board of Agricultural and Rural Development Agency, Mr. Ivan Craig, says regenerative agriculture is a new farming method in Zimbabwe. He said,Yes, regenerative agriculture is new to us as a people, but it is good for our health and highly profitable too, hence we will run with it and see what comes out of it.

David Dung Dayi, executive director of an agro-processing firm in Central Plateau State in Nigeria, who relocated from Brazil to pursue regenerative agriculture in coffee plantations, says Africa is ready for this farming technic. David said,I am a living story of how climate change has hit us very bad, now I know this adds economic value even to small farmers and I am a believer. I think its time Africa adopts this technic.

Mrs. Maiwepi Jiti, the leader of Zimbabwes coalition of farmers representative unions, Integrated Commercial Farmers Union, says Zimbabwe has not been left out of regenerative agriculture. In Zimbabwe regenerative agriculture is practiced through the conventional methods of Pfumvudza in Shona and Intwasa in Ndebele - meaning the use of organic mulch enriching the soil and conservation to mitigating climate change not only for local households, but the whole world, said Mrs Jiti.

Research and development practitioner, Mr. Nickros Kanjengo, who helped spearhead a minimum tillage program or conservation-farming method known as Pfumvudza through the Ministry of Agriculture, says Zimbabwes drive is pinned on sustainable methods of farming hence the incorporation of regenerative agriculture in todays farming systems. He said, Guided by sustainable development goals and other global blueprints like Africa Agenda 2063, a number of strategic measures have been put in place to eradicate poverty and this is where regenerative agriculture comes in.

Indications are that Africa is more vulnerable than any other continent in terms of climate change, fueled by global warming. Many scientists believe that regenerative agriculture will save the world from climate change.
Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM

News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria.



Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria.

Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria.

Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens.
(UPDATED INFORMATION) An infant taken by her non-custodial parents is located in Iowa and is safely in protective custody. South Carolina authorities say little Dakota Ray was taken on April 15th by William and Jessica Ray, who are believed to be heavy meth users. The three were recently captured on surveillance video on Monday at an Iowa hospital. They were also spotted in Marshall, Minnesota. The parents are in custody on unrelated charges.

(EARLIER REPORT) May 17, 3018

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children along with the Camden Police Department in South Carolina are asking for the public's assistance to locate a missing 2 year-old child.

Dakota Ray was taken on April 15, 2018 by her parents William and Jessica Ray. According to law enforcement both William and Jessica are believed to be heavy methamphetamine users and law enforcement is concerned for the childs well being.

The child and her parents were captured in surveillance images on Monday, May 14, 2018 at a hospital in Iowa. Law enforcement then received information that they may now be in Minnesota.

The child and companions are traveling in a 1996 gold Ford Aerostar van and may be frequently changing the license plate on the vehicle.

According to Camden Police Department It is possible that they may be begging or asking strangers for money. The child and companions are also believed to be sleeping in their vehicle.

 Dakota is 2 years old. She is 2 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 25 pounds and has blonde hair and blue eyes

 Jessica is 36 years old. She is 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 112 pounds and has long light brown hair and blue eyes.

 William is 44 years old. He is 6 feet 1 inches tall and weighs 340 pounds and has light brown hair and brown eyes.

If anyone has seen Dakota, William or Jessica Ray contact the Camden Police Department at 1-888-CRIMESC (1-888-274-6372) or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, General Valeri Zaluzhny (photo), informed the Chairman of NATOs Military Committee, Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, by letter that he could not attend the meeting scheduled to take place in Brussels.

The Ukrainian general explained that the reason he couldnt show up was due to the difficulties related to the defense against the Russian aggression. However, he also declined to join the meeting via video link.

General Zaloujny was expected to brief NATO members about the counter-offensive he had proclaimed.
Xi inspects Xiong'an New Area, urges new progress for "city of future"

Xinhua) 08:10, May 11, 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech while presiding over a meeting on advancing the high-quality construction of the Xiong'an New Area to a high standard in the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. Xi on Wednesday inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

XIONG'AN, Hebei, May 10 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for efforts to firm up confidence and maintain resolve while taking solid steps to continuously achieve new progress in developing the Xiong'an New Area.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks as he inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development.

Xi was accompanied by Premier Li Qiang, Cai Qi, who is director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang. Li, Cai and Ding are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

In April 2017, China announced the plan to set up the Xiong'an New Area, which is situated approximately 100 km southwest of Beijing. The goal, according to authorities, is to develop it to a level comparable to that of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the Shanghai Pudong New Area.

Xi has been personally involved in making decisions and plans to develop Xiong'an. In the past six years, he paid two visits to the area.

During Wednesday's inspection, Xi said Xiong'an has entered a phase of advancing large-scale construction and at the same time taking on functions nonessential to Beijing's role as China's capital.

On Wednesday morning, Xi took a high-speed train to Xiong'an where he first inspected the Xiong'an Railway Station, a key infrastructure project of the area with great symbolic importance.

The railway station is designed as a transportation hub, Xi said, emphasizing the need to improve the connectivity of the station with various places.

He stressed developing the zone of Zan'gang, where the railway station is located, into a high-end and high-tech industry cluster area.

In addition to the railway station, Xi also visited a residential community that is home to 5,000-plus relocated residents. There, Xi chatted with community workers and residents, expressing his satisfaction with the good living conditions of the residents.

He also highlighted the importance of ensuring the relocated residents live well and have satisfactory jobs.

Promoting equal access to basic public services is crucial in building a people's city that is both livable and conducive to doing business, Xi noted.

He visited the home of resident Li Jinghe. Xi said building the Xiong'an New Area is a major strategic decision made by the Party's central authorities and the relocated residents had made their contributions.

"MIRACULOUS" TRANSFORMATION

The development of the Xiong'an New Area is a national project of millennial significance and should be pushed forward with concrete actions and sustained efforts, Xi said.

At the construction sites of an inter-city railway station and an international trade center, he learned about the development of key infrastructure projects and major projects launched for the purpose of relieving Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the capital.

Xi said more efforts should be made to develop a multifaceted and integrated transportation network and make full use of underground space so as to build a "city of the future" free of urban maladies.

At a convention center, Xi was briefed about the progress of the overall design and development of the Xiong'an New Area and efforts to restore and conserve the eco-environment of Baiyangdian Lake.

At the convention center, Xi convened a meeting on advancing the high-quality construction of the Xiong'an New Area to a high standard.

Xi remarked that the transformation of the Xiong'an New Area from ground zero to an emerging sophisticated modern city within a mere six years is miraculous.

MAPPING OUT FUTURE OF XIONG'AN

It has been demonstrated that the major decision of the CPC Central Committee to construct the Xiong'an New Area is entirely correct, Xi said.

He stressed efforts to fully, faithfully and comprehensively carry out the CPC Central Committee's strategic plans for building the Xiong'an New Area and to make sure the area is built and developed in the right direction.

Xi called for the solid implementation of tasks related to relieving Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the national capital.

He urged the planning of another round of transfers of the headquarters of state-owned enterprises directly under the central government in Beijing as well as their subsidiary companies.

The planning of the transfer of financial institutions, research institutes and public institutions should also begin, Xi said.

The integration of market mechanisms and the government's guidance should be strengthened to add to the internal impetus for the transfer, Xi said.

He noted that pioneering policies and measures in reform and opening up, as well as forward-looking trial and demonstration innovation projects shall be carried out in the Xiong'an New Area, so that it can become a fertile ground for innovation and business ventures.

Xi underlined efforts to build a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized and widely apply advanced science and technology, in a bid to make smart, green and innovative development the trademark of the Xiong'an New Area.

He stressed the need to give the people a more concrete sense of fulfillment and happiness through the development of the new area. He also called for enhancing policies that guide employment and entrepreneurship, as well as bolstering employment training programs.

He encouraged the area to blaze a new path in narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas, advancing integrated urban-rural development, and promoting common prosperity for all.

Other senior leaders also spoke at the meeting.

Li Qiang urged the Xiong'an New Area to accelerate efforts to help relieve Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as China's capital, steadily advance infrastructure construction and modernize the industrial system.

Ding Xuexiang said scientific and technological innovation should be the foundation of the high-quality development of the Xiong'an New Area, calling for carrying out high-standard scientific and technological innovation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech while presiding over a meeting on advancing the high-quality construction of the Xiong'an New Area to a high standard in the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. Xi on Wednesday inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, greets the residents while visiting a residential community in Rongdong District of the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. Xi on Wednesday inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with passengers at the waiting hall of the Xiong'an Railway Station in the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. Xi on Wednesday inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the Xiong'an Railway Station in the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. Xi on Wednesday inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a residential community in Rongdong District of the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. Xi on Wednesday inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, chats with elderly diners at the dining hall of a residential community in Rongdong District of the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. Xi on Wednesday inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the home of relocated resident Li Jinghe at a residential community in Rongdong District of the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. Xi on Wednesday inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the construction sites of an inter-city railway station and an international trade center in the Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 10, 2023. Xi on Wednesday inspected Xiong'an in north China's Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting its development. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Customers take vegetables for Chinese Mala dishes at a restaurant in the Chinatown of Yangon, Myanmar, May 10, 2023. Spicy, mouth-numbing Chinese foods or foods with mala flavor are the latest Chinese food crazes hitting Myanmar, local restaurateurs said.(Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

YANGON, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Spicy, mouth-numbing Chinese foods or foods with mala flavor are the latest Chinese food crazes hitting Myanmar, local restaurateurs said.

Nay Yi Win, a restaurant owner in her 20s, said that the number of mala food consumers in Myanmar is increasing in the commercial city of Yangon as well as elsewhere Myanmar in recent years.

Mala, the famous Chinese sauce or seasoning, is made from Sichuan peppercorn, chili, herbs and spices. Stir-fried Mala Xiang Guo, stew-like Mala Mao Cai, soup-like Malatang, Mala skewers and Mala grilled fish are trending in Yangon and elsewhere in Myanmar, restaurant owners said.

"I opened the mala restaurant about eight months ago as I see an increasing number of people are consuming mala foods," Nay Yi said, adding that her restaurant is mainly offering Mala Xiang Guo and Mala Mao Cai to customers.

Nearly 100 customers, mostly non-Chinese people, come and eat mala foods at her restaurant in Yangon daily, she said, adding that most of her customers are females.

Many mala foods restaurants have emerged in numerous parts of Yangon over the last one or two years, local restaurant owners said. Many Chinese foods such as Chinese steamed buns and pork skewers have already gained ground in Myanmar since many years ago.

"All the mala restaurants here have customers," Nan Nwe Oo, owner of Nan Ni Mala skewer restaurant in Yangon's Chinatown, told Xinhua. The restaurant also has branches in other parts of Yangon, she said.

Restaurants and street foods stalls selling Chinese mala dishes have mushroomed in the last two years, reaching over 20 just in Yangon's Chinatown, local residents said.

Most of the existing Chinese restaurants in the Southeast Asian country were also updating their menus with mala foods, while some shopping centers and stores were selling ready-made mala foods, restaurateurs said.

"We started selling mala dishes in our food station a few months ago," a staff member from Arr Mei Food Station, which is selling Shan foods, Chinese foods and Thai foods in Yangon's Chinatown, told Xinhua.

With the number of local customers consuming mala dishes increasing over time, some restaurants in the street have opened branches elsewhere in Yangon and Taunggyi, restaurant owners said.

Phyu Phyu Khin, 31-year-old resident in Yangon, said "I ate Mala Xiang Guo for the first time two years ago. I have eaten it nearly every month with my friends and fellow co-workers since then."

"I like the spicy and salty taste of Mala Xiang Guo," she said. Mala Xiang Guo contains meat and vegetables like chicken, pork, beef, bamboo and tofu skin and is prepared by stir frying.

Phyu said that Mala Xiang Guo is more suitable to eat with friends, families or others as even a small serving of it can be eaten by two people.

"It is not expensive if it is shared with others. Therefore, most people can often eat it despite the food price hike," she said, adding that she and her friends mostly choose to eat it when they hang out.

A small serving of Mala Xiang Guo costs about 6,000 kyats (about 2.8 U.S. dollars) and a large serving is about 8,000 kyats (about 3.8 dollars), but the prices can vary depending on the ingredients and the condition of the restaurants, she said.

Phyu said that she sometimes ordered Mala Xiang Guo online and ate it at home or in her office. It is trendy. Even some celebrities are taking up mala challenges on social media, she said.

"It is a sign that Chinese foods are spreading among the people of Myanmar," a local resident said. 

This photo taken on May 10, 2023 shows a spicy Chinese Mala cuisine at a restaurant in the Chinatown of Yangon, Myanmar. Spicy, mouth-numbing Chinese foods or foods with mala flavor are the latest Chinese food crazes hitting Myanmar, local restaurateurs said.(Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

A Myanmar chef prepares spicy Chinese Mala cuisines at a restaurant in the Chinatown of Yangon, Myanmar, May 10, 2023. Spicy, mouth-numbing Chinese foods or foods with mala flavor are the latest Chinese food crazes hitting Myanmar, local restaurateurs said.(Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

A Myanmar chef prepares spicy Chinese Mala cuisines at a restaurant in the Chinatown of Yangon, Myanmar, May 10, 2023. Spicy, mouth-numbing Chinese foods or foods with mala flavor are the latest Chinese food crazes hitting Myanmar, local restaurateurs said.(Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

Customers take vegetables for Chinese Mala dishes at a restaurant in the Chinatown of Yangon, Myanmar, May 10, 2023. Spicy, mouth-numbing Chinese foods or foods with mala flavor are the latest Chinese food crazes hitting Myanmar, local restaurateurs said. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)
Today, two Greek cinematic auteurs released trailers for new projects in which they revive a corpse from the dead. The first of these is Yorgos Lanthimoss follow-up film to The Favourite, called Poor Things, out September 8. This adaptation of Alisdair Grays 1992 novel sees Lanthimos reuniting with Emma Stone, who plays Belle Baxter: a drowned Victorian woman who is revived, Frankenstein style, by a mad-looking scientist played by Willem Dafoe. The short teaser shows us a number of surreal settings, including a castle and a ship, with a cast rounded out by Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, and Mark Ruffalo, all in playful period attire. I am finding being alive fascinating, says Stone in that classic way Lanthimos characters talk like no alive person ever has.

The other reanimated corpse is the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise, which has been zapped back to life yet again by Nia Vardalos for a third film. The trailer shows the Portokalos clan going to Greece to visit the hometown of Toulas late father, Gus, following the real-life passing of actor Michael Constantine in 2021. Lainie Kazan is conspicuously absent from the trailer, although her IMDb suggests that shell be in the film. Andrea Martin seems to be having plenty of fun, though, as does John Corbett. Between this coming out on September 8 and And Just Like That  coming in June, this is kind of Corbetts summer. Opa to that.
Love and Death The Arrest Season 1 Episode 5 Editors Rating 3 stars * * *  Previous Next  Previous Episode Next Episode  Photo: Jake Giles Netter/HBO/JAKE GILES NETTER

If the previous episode of Love & Death saw Candy absorbing her murder cleanup into other housewifely chores and errands, The Arrest has her clinging more tightly to the performance of domesticity, even as her usual stage appears to be falling apart. It starts to seem less like a public-image strategy than a coping one. While Pat and Sherry speak in hushed tones about the accusations making their way through the news media, Candy is in the other room vacuuming. After her arrest for Bettys murder becomes imminent, and her lawyer has to work out the bond arrangements before she turns herself in, Candy makes cookies. (I must admit: They look delicious.) And at the beginning of the episode, Candy is up around 6 a.m., absently asking Pat if the children are awake (they are not) as she cooks up a storm anyway.

Its not long before Candy is called back to the police station after Allan tells the cops more details about their affair. When Candy returns to the station (Sure are a lot of folks here today), the police lay their cards on the table, accusing her outright of the murder. Her seeming placidity in the face of these allegations is actually a long, slow-motion flinch.

Candy is rattled enough to seek legal counsel from Don Crowder (Tom Pelphrey), a local attorney she knows from church. At first, Don just gives her advice about gathering witnesses and taking a private polygraph  various ways she might help clear her name before charges are officially brought. Then, seeing that the case isnt going away, he offers some media training and tells Candy that he thinks she knows who did murder Betty: I think youre covering up something. Specifically, he thinks that she might be covering for her ex-lover, Allan. Almost there, Don! Coaxing her to tell him everything, the lawyer gets a surprise confession. She came at me, Candy says. So I did it.

Theres something unnerving about Candy coming clean, made chilling by Elizabeth Olsens performance in the scene. She doesnt seem unburdened, exactly; theres no sense of catharsis, of finally letting go of what shes been covering up. The normal-housewife exterior remains; Candy doesnt burst into the tears that seem to be just below the surface, or directly express remorse, and even her claim of self-defense isnt as substantial as youd expect. Olsen quivers but doesnt break. She maintains a breathy poise, with a self-possession vaguely reminiscent of the weird directness with which Candy proposed the affair in the first place. When Don suggests that she seek an attorney with more (which is to say, any) experience with a criminal trial, she holds firm in her trust of the guy from the church parking lot: I want. You.

Olsen coils tighter as the episode goes on, taking Dons advice to not tell Pat, or anyone else, very much to heart. Much of The Arrest features Candy doing her best to compartmentalize as the people close to her react in bafflement and dismay  while still not harboring any belief that she could have committed this horrible crime. Even after Don knows the truth, he has Candy go to see a psychiatrist on his co-counsels advice, privately wondering if shes got a split personality because she seems like the most normal person on the planet!

Don himself is developing a bit of a split personality, or at least a quick temper, as he stretches into his responsibilities as a criminal attorney. He goes from gently but firmly advising Candy to seek outside counsel to attempting to play hardball with the prosecution and provoking Judge Ryan (Bruce McGill), whom he repeatedly, compulsively refers to as a fat fuck. He also flies off the handle as he attempts to stay ahead of media chatter thats depicting her as a brazen, axe-wielding hussy. Its whiplash-inducing for the audience, too, watching Don abruptly switch from a background character to a hard-charging defender who orders Candy to lose weight to appear small and physically incapable of axe-swinging murder while brazenly admitting that hes not sure yet what his actual legal strategy will be. One he tries out when applying for a change of venue in court: repeatedly insulting the judge. (He keeps the fat fuck thing to himself, but just barely.) This material is certainly entertaining, but it sticks out at odd angles, like David E. Kelley is willing himself back into his prime legal-drama-as-farce network years; its not as ridiculous as the endless witness interviews that framed the first season of Big Little Lies, but it feels somewhat at odds with Olsens tremulous containment.

The container bursts at the psychiatrists office, where the doctor places Candy into a kind of meditative trance and mentally transports her back to that fateful Friday the 13th. She screams about her apparent hatred of Betty, which (in her head, anyway) seems to have boiled over when the other woman threatened her physically. Candy then jumps back to herself at 4 years old, being shushed by her mother even as shes rushed through a hospital, bleeding from the head. With a cathartic scream and sob, her suburban suppression comes into greater focus (and the psychiatrist attempts to prove, with some subsequent suggestions, that she couldnt be faking it). Shes diagnosed with just snapped.

But what happens post-snap? The episodes final scene at the Montgomery dinner table doesnt portend healing or confrontation. Instead, theres more denial, with Candy expressing her relief to be home, issuing motherly guidance about eating Brussels sprouts, and reassuring her daughter that Alyssa  the daughter of the woman Candy murdered  can still come for sleepovers. The dinner is interrupted by a call from Don, informing Pat of the truth about Bettys murder. We dont hear how Don phrases it  only more of Candys sunny reassurances that a little trial will result in her exoneration and a return to normal. Thats become the biggest mystery of the series: how or if anyone could get anywhere approaching normal after all this.

Love Notes

 Soundtrack watch: The biggest musical moment of the episode is also one of its showiest acting showcases: On her way to Dons house for legal advice/media training, Candy bops with nervous determination to ABBAs Take a Chance on Me, rhythmically moving her head and half-singing along as if to keep herself from screaming. The episode closes with This Girl Is a Woman Now, by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap  not exactly an obscurity, but a nicely off-kilter cut for the moment.

 Speaking of the radio: Pat is unbelievably slow on the radio dial with his kids in the car, switching it away from disturbing news about their moms arrest well after any damage will be done.

 The churchs prominence in the story persists without flourishing: Don places a call to pastor Ron (Keir Gilchrist), urging him to communicate Gods certainty over Candys supposed innocence to the congregation, and former pastor Jackie Ponder (Elizabeth Marvel) reappears, only to have Candy lie to her face about the murder. Maybe this will be teased out in the last two episodes, but it feels like the church-community angle has been a little underdeveloped so far; its hard to tell if those early moments are building to something more or just providing some sociological color.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo(C) holds a press conference at the media center for the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in the town of Labuan Bajo in Indonesia, May 11, 2023. The 42nd ASEAN Summit concluded here Thursday with pledged efforts to enhance ASEAN centrality and economic integration in order to better cope with crises and challenges.

Calling the summit a success "with great results," Indonesian President Joko Widodo emphasized ASEAN unity at a press conference after the summit, saying the unity "is very important to" sailing towards common purposes, and "making ASEAN epicentrum of growth and region to be peaceful, stable and prosperous." (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit concluded here Thursday with pledged efforts to enhance ASEAN centrality and economic integration in order to better cope with crises and challenges.

Calling the summit a success "with great results," Indonesian President Joko Widodo emphasized ASEAN unity at a press conference after the summit, saying the unity "is very important to" sailing towards common purposes, and "making ASEAN epicentrum of growth and region to be peaceful, stable and prosperous."

Widodo also told the press conference that the summit has urged the member countries to protect migrant workers and victims of human trafficking.

A roadmap was adopted at the summit on Timor-Leste's full membership, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told Xinhua after the press conference.

Last November, ASEAN agreed in principle to admit Timor-Leste to be its 11th member. Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak was present at the summit in observer's status.

This year's summit was themed "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth." Indonesia, the current ASEAN chair, has expressed the hope that the bloc will remain a center of regional and global growth, focusing on efforts to make ASEAN a fast-growing, inclusive, and sustainable economic region in the long term.

Multiple documents were issued during the two-day ASEAN summit of leaders. In enhancing the ASEAN centrality, ASEAN leaders at the summit agreed to make joint efforts to improve the regional bloc's capacity and efficiency in order to ensure a timely response to crises and emergency situations.

They also pledged to continue the efforts in realizing the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 for building a resilient, dynamic and people-centered ASEAN Community that contributes to regional peace, stability and development, and to develop a post-2025 vision.

The regional bloc called for joint efforts to develop a regional Electric Vehicle (EV) ecosystem, which is deemed as a vital part of ASEAN's commitment to sustainable transport, energy transition for reducing emissions in the region, and climate change action.

They also agreed to increase the use of local currencies in cross-border trade and investment in order to enhance financial resilience.

ASEAN, founded in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The last time Indonesia chaired ASEAN was in 2011, after hosting the summits in 1976 and 2003. The archipelagic country has scheduled the 43rd summit and the East Asia Summit to be held on Sept. 6-7 in the national capital Jakarta.

ASEAN Summit is held twice a year. 

This photo taken on May 11, 2023 shows the venue for the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in the town of Labuan Bajo in Indonesia. The 42nd ASEAN Summit concluded here Thursday with pledged efforts to enhance ASEAN centrality and economic integration in order to better cope with crises and challenges.

Calling the summit a success "with great results," Indonesian President Joko Widodo emphasized ASEAN unity at a press conference after the summit, saying the unity "is very important to" sailing towards common purposes, and "making ASEAN epicentrum of growth and region to be peaceful, stable and prosperous."

(Organizing Committee of the ASEAN Summit 2023/Handout via Xinhua)

Indonesian President Joko Widodo(C) holds a press conference at the media center for the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in the town of Labuan Bajo in Indonesia, May 11, 2023. The 42nd ASEAN Summit concluded here Thursday with pledged efforts to enhance ASEAN centrality and economic integration in order to better cope with crises and challenges.

Calling the summit a success "with great results," Indonesian President Joko Widodo emphasized ASEAN unity at a press conference after the summit, saying the unity "is very important to" sailing towards common purposes, and "making ASEAN epicentrum of growth and region to be peaceful, stable and prosperous."(Xinhua/Xu Qin)

Leaders attending the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit pose for a group photo outside the venue in the town of Labuan Bajo in Indonesia, May 11, 2023. The 42nd ASEAN Summit concluded here Thursday with pledged efforts to enhance ASEAN centrality and economic integration in order to better cope with crises and challenges.

Calling the summit a success "with great results," Indonesian President Joko Widodo emphasized ASEAN unity at a press conference after the summit, saying the unity "is very important to" sailing towards common purposes, and "making ASEAN epicentrum of growth and region to be peaceful, stable and prosperous."

(Organizing Committee of the ASEAN Summit 2023/Handout via Xinhua)

This photo taken on May 11, 2023 shows the venue for the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in the town of Labuan Bajo in Indonesia. The 42nd ASEAN Summit concluded here Thursday with pledged efforts to enhance ASEAN centrality and economic integration in order to better cope with crises and challenges.

Calling the summit a success "with great results," Indonesian President Joko Widodo emphasized ASEAN unity at a press conference after the summit, saying the unity "is very important to" sailing towards common purposes, and "making ASEAN epicentrum of growth and region to be peaceful, stable and prosperous."

(Organizing Committee of the ASEAN Summit 2023/Handout via Xinhua)
The Raymond Carver Writing Festival (RCWF), will be held Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20, in Clatskanie, Oregon where the world-renowned poet and short story writer was born 85 years ago.

Centered at the Clatskanie Cultural Center (CCC), 75 S. Nehalem Street, the RCWFs guest of honor will be Anis Mojgani, Oregons Poet Laureate. He will read poetry during Fridays evening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. in the CCC ballroom.

Attendees will have the opportunity to visit with RCWF presenters and purchase their books. Refreshments will be served. Posters and shirts will be available for sale along with a small selection of Raymond Carver books.

Saturday morning, Mojgani will speak on Collaboration with oneself - between the finding and the creating from 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the ballroom.

With one exception, all RCWF events are free and open to the public. A dinner on Saturday, May 20, is open to the public, but there is a $20 charge. Reservations may be made at http://www.raymondcarverwritingfestival.org.

The festival will begin Friday, May 19, with Parking Lot Poetry in the Safeway parking lot alongside Highway 30 in Clatskanie.

Short Cuts, a movie based on Carvers works, will be shown beginning at 2 p.m. in the Birkenfeld Theatre at the CCC. There is no charge for admission to the movie, and free popcorn will be available. Short Cuts is rated R.
U.S. President Joe Biden walks on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, May 10, 2023. Several thousands of U.S. troops are being deployed along the U.S.-Mexico border, facing a chaotic surge of migrants as Title 42, a public health policy that allows swiftly expelling migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic, comes to an end on Thursday.

"It's going to be chaotic for a while," Biden addressed the border situation on Tuesday, referring to the expected surge of migrants as the restriction policy ends.(Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

HOUSTON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Several thousands of U.S. troops are being deployed along the U.S.-Mexico border, facing a chaotic surge of migrants as Title 42, a public health policy that allows swiftly expelling migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic, comes to an end on Thursday.

The Title 42 policy, introduced in March 2020 under then U.S. President Donald Trump and to end at 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday, has turned migrants back to Mexico more than 2.5 million times without letting them request asylum, according to the latest federal data.

About 2,500 U.S. National Guard troops have already been at the country's southern border. The White House has said another 1,500 troops will be sent there before the end of this month, making the U.S. military presence at the border to a total of 4,000 personnel.

The first set of new troops, about 550 personnel, will head to El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, local media reported.

Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, also announced on Monday that hundreds of Texas National Guard soldiers, equipped with Black Hawk helicopters and C-130s, are being deployed to a number of hot spots along the Rio Grande.

A number of Texas border cities including El Paso and Brownsville, among the hot spots, have recently issued disaster declarations so as to tap into more resources to manage the influx of migrants.

Online videos from the border show hundreds of migrants, including many children, waiting in line along the banks of the Rio Grande to seek asylum in the United States.

In Brownsville alone, where a SUV rammed into a crowd outside a migrants center on Sunday killing eight and injuring more than 10 others, some 7,000 migrants had been in custody as of Tuesday.

More than 10,000 migrants were caught crossing at the U.S.-Mexico border illegally each day on Monday and Tuesday, according to Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council.

The ripple is felt across the country. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order on Tuesday, allowing cities and the state to tap into more resources for new migrants.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, when announcing an emergency declaration, said resources of the third largest U.S. city are now stretched to "the breaking point" and existing facilities are "full."

In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Judd slammed U.S. President Joe Biden, claiming the crisis at the border is not financial, but policy-related.

"If we went back to policies like Remain in Mexico (under former President Donald Trump), this would end tomorrow," he claimed, highlighting political tensions over the issue.

While mobilizing troops, the Biden administration has also prepared new restrictions for migrants crossing the border, rolling out a regulation on Wednesday that presumes most migrants are ineligible for asylum if they had traveled through another country without seeking protection elsewhere first or if they failed to enter the U.S. lawfully.

Migrants violating the new rule could be deported and barred from the United States for five years, said U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The Biden administration will also open the first "regional processing centers," among about 100 planned, in Colombia and Guatemala so as to direct migrants to legal pathways finally leading into the United States.

The end of Title 42 "does not mean our border is open," Mayorkas argued on Wednesday, criticizing Congress for failing to repair "a broken immigration system."

"Even after nearly two years of preparation, we expect to see large numbers of encounters at our southern border in the days and weeks after May 11," Mayorkas said.

"It's going to be chaotic for a while," Biden addressed the border situation on Tuesday, referring to the expected surge of migrants as the restriction policy ends. 
Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share

How many ways can you build a wall on the US southern border? The White House, for one, thinks it can erect a better one. Over the last few months it has devised an elaborate system of deterrence to convince the many prospective migrants fleeing Venezuela and Nicaragua, Haiti, Cuba and beyond that the dangerous trek all the way to the United States is not worth the risk and the cost.

The political survival of the Biden administration may rest on that systems success. Unfortunately, the long history of walls, physical and legal, that the US has erected along the southern border does not make for a promising precedent. If anything, the past suggests this newest wall wont work either.

Its test will begin at midnight. The end of the three-year plus official pandemic emergency takes away the main tool the administration has been using to expel hundreds of thousands of unwanted asylum seekers summarily by calling them a health risk.

Advertisement

Things will be messy, at first. Tens of thousands of hopeful migrants have massed at the border  somehow convinced that the end of the health-related expulsions under the now famous Title 42 rule will make it either easier or impossible for them to make their way into the US, depending on what the smuggler told them.

Last weekend US officials apprehended 8,700 people per day on average, up from some 7,400 per day the weekend before.

The administration is sending forces from the National Guard and the Army to help manage an expected horde of desperate people arriving at or between official border crossings. Never one to miss a political opportunity, Governor Greg Abbott is dispatching a Texas Tactical Border Force, loading Blackhawks and C-130s to deal with the chaos caused by President Bidens elimination of Title 42.

Advertisement

And then, President Biden and his advisors really really hope that after a few weeks, maybe even a month or two, awareness of the wall of deterrence they built with such effort will sink in, convincing migrants to stop showing up at the border without an appointment.

The new wall, to be sure, is sturdier than what the US has tried in the past  beginning with the expulsions under Title 42, which did nothing to stop prospective migrants from turning around and trying their luck again. With that provision gone, the US will revert to its standard approach, under whats known as Title 8, booking and deporting people who try to make it into the country without authorization.

An essential difference is that migrants removed in this way are automatically blacklisted, barred from entering the country for at least five years. Recidivists can be prosecuted and jailed. To make its intention extra clear, the administration is shouting to the four winds that folks who try to enter the US surreptitiously, or show up without an appointment at a border crossing will be presumed ineligible for asylum and thus subject to removal.

Advertisement

The expectation is that migrants who trudged north in miserable conditions and spent $15,000 on a smuggler only to find themselves back in Colombia will think twice before trying again. Hopefully, so will their brothers, nieces and cousins. Early on this is going to look like an unmitigated disaster, said Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute. But if they are able to formally deport large numbers of people, either to Mexico or their country of origin, they will slow arrivals.

Critically, the hardening legal wall comes with some new doors that the administration hopes will encourage people instead to try legal channels far from the border.

They include 1,000 appointments available per day to aspiring immigrants who use the CBP One App to book an appointment on their smartphones while on their way up across Mexico. The administration is also offering a monthly allotment of 30,000 two-year parole visas for Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Cubans and Haitians who have a sponsor in the US and a passport, and apply close to home.

Advertisement

This measure could potentially add more than several hundred thousand legal slots per year. On top of it, there are expanded opportunities for H-2A and H-2B guest-worker visas, more family reunification visas and the restart of a visa program for Cubans. Whats more, the US is opening regional processing centers  originally in Guatemala and Colombia  in coordination with Canada and Spain to allow migrants to learn about their options and have their applications processed closer to where they live.

And yet, for all the bells and whistles, this could go wrong in lots of ways, for the same reason that all the other walls along the US border have failed before: The set of incentives pushing migrants to the US is extremely powerful. A massive effort will be needed to raise the cost and/or reduce the benefit of migration to blunt it.

Would millions of migrants and asylum-seekers expelled under Title 42 have turned around and gone back to their home countries to stay, if they had been subject to the legal penalties under Title 8? I doubt it, said Wayne Cornelius, founding director of the Mexican Migration Field Research Program at UC San Diego. The risk-to-benefit calculus still strongly favors migration.

Advertisement

As proof of concept, the administration touts how attempts by Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Haitians and Cubans to enter the US unlawfully have plummeted since January, when Washington first offered the 30,000 temporary parole visas and committed to expel to Mexico those who were caught at the border.

But as Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America pointed out, migrants from these countries just havent shown up at the US border (yet) because theyre in Mexico, Honduras and Panama. The expulsions have absolutely not deterred these nations citizens from migrating, Isacson wrote. Theyre still fleeing  but theyre stranded.

The numbers dont work. The hope that the new legal paths opened by the US will end the flows of unauthorized migrants inevitably crashes against the paltry 1,000 new interview slots offered per day. Over 72 hours last weekend the border patrol caught some 27,000 people trying to enter the US unlawfully. Another 7,400 got away.

Advertisement

A few hundred thousand additional slots per year may look like a lot, but last year US agents encountered migrants at or between border crossings 2.8 million times. Even if a third of these encounters were repeat attempts, thats nearly 2 million people.

Corneliuss research team interviewed thousands of experienced and potential Mexican migrants between 2004 through 2015, to figure out how making the border more challenging  via more agents, a wall, higher odds of imprisonment and prosecution, or harsher, deadlier treks through the desert  would affect their propensity to migrate.

Nothing was found to have an appreciable discouragement effect on unauthorized migration, Cornelius said. The monetary costs and physical risks created by stronger border enforcement were always exceeded by the potential benefits of US employment.

Advertisement

Deterrence is difficult. From the early 1990s, the US has invested tens of billions on border enforcement. Fences have gone up. They have been festooned with sensors, complemented with drones. The consequences for unauthorized entry have been tightened and loosened and tightened. They didnt convince millions of migrants to stay home.

It will take months to see whether the Biden administrations new shot at the problem will succeed. Its not even clear what counts as success. Reducing migrant encounters at the border to 650,000, as in the last year of the Trump administration? Maybe just preventing an immigrant surge. Getting Governor Abbott to put away his helicopters may suffice. This could be a turning point, Selee said. I just dont know where it is a turning point to.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

Advertisement

 US Needs to Fix Its Broken Asylum System: Editors

 Biden Should Worry About More Dead Migrants: Eduardo Porter

 Wall Settles Into a Strange, Costly Afterlife: Francis Wilkinson

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Eduardo Porter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Latin America, US economic policy and immigration. He is the author of American Poison: How Racial Hostility Destroyed Our Promise and The Price of Everything: Finding Method in the Madness of What Things Cost.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2023 Bloomberg L.P.

GiftOutline Gift Article
Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share

MOSCOW  Syria and Turkey agreed Wednesday to set up a roadmap to improve strained ties, following talks alongside Russia and Iran in Moscow. The agreement comes a week after Syria and Arab governments meeting in Jordan agreed to establish a roadmap of their own to resolve Syrias lengthy civil war and bolster ties. Syria has been returning to the Arab fold and slowly restoring ties with its neighbors.

The Arab League also readmitted Syrias membership after a 12-year suspension in the onset of the conflict on Sunday, before Saudi Arabia delivered a formal invitation earlier Wednesday to President Bashar Assad to attend the upcoming summit in Jeddah.

Throughout the 12-year conflict, Turkey has backed armed opposition groups in the countrys northwest seeking to remove Assad from power. The Syrian government has frequently denounced Ankaras hold over parts of a northwest enclave previously seized by Assads opponents. Turkey captured the territory through several military incursions since 2016 against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces.

Advertisement

Russia on the other hand intervened militarily in Syria starting in September 2015, and alongside Iran played a pivotal role in keeping Assad in power and to reclaim much of the country back. Moscow has maintained a military presence in the Mideast country even as the bulk of its forces are busy fighting in Ukraine.

Moscow has spent years trying to help Syrian President Bashar Assad rebuild ties with Turkey and other countries that were fractured in the war, which has killed nearly 500,000 people and displaced half of Syrias prewar population of 23 million.

Russias foreign minister on Wednesday hosted his counterparts from Turkey, Syria and Iran for talks that marked the highest-level contact between Ankara and Damascus since the start of the Syrian civil war over a decade ago.

Talks to establish a plan to improve relations between Turkey and Syria would be done in coordination with ongoing communication between the four countries defense ministries.

Advertisement

The ministers noted the positive and constructive atmosphere of the exchange of views and agreed to continue high-level contacts and technical talks in the quadripartite format in the coming period, a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry after the talks read.

The statement added that they called for more international aid to Syria, not only to help the countrys struggling population but also in the interests of voluntary, safe, and dignified refugee returns and post-war reconstruction.

The efforts toward a Turkish-Syrian reconciliation come as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is under intense pressure at home to send Syrian refugees back amid a steep economic downturn and increasing anti-refugee sentiment. He is seeking reelection on Sunday, when Turkey holds both presidential and parliamentary elections.

Advertisement

Syrian state media quoted Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad as saying during Wednesdays meeting that Syria and Turkey share goals and common interests. He said that despite all the negatives over the past years, Damascus saw the talks as an opportunity for both governments to cooperate with the help and support of our friends Russia and Iran.

Yet Mekdad added that the Syrian governments main goal was to end all illegal military presences in the country, including that of Turkish forces.

We will continue to demand and insist on the subject of withdrawal, he was quoted as saying.

Following a deadly earthquake in February that killed tens of thousands of people in Syria and Turkey, regional normalization with Damascus began to accelerate. In April, Moscow hosted the defense ministers of Turkey, Syria and Iran for talks that it said focused on practical steps to strengthen security in the Syrian Arab Republic and to normalize Syrian-Turkish relations.

___

Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, contributed.

GiftOutline Gift Article
Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share

UNITED NATIONS  The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced Thursday that judges have issued four new arrest warrants stemming from his investigations of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Libya. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Prosecutor Karim Khan also said he recently applied for two additional warrants. He told the U.N. Security Council that he has applied to the courts independent judges to unseal the four new arrest warrants, and they will decide in due course.

Khan called the warrants an important step in the rights of victims and survivors for accountability, but only a first step.

The Security Council unanimously referred Libya to The Hague, Netherlands-based ICC in February 2011 to launch an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The referral followed Moammar Gadhafis brutal crackdown on protesters that was then taking place. The uprising, later backed by NATO, led to Gadhafis capture and death in October 2011.

Advertisement

Oil-rich Libya was then split by rival administrations, one in the east, backed by military commander Khalifa Hifter, and a U.N.-supported administration in the west, in the capital of Tripoli. Each side is supported by different militias and foreign powers. Libyas current political crisis stems from the failure to hold elections in December 2021, with rivals at odds including over the current prime minister and eligibility requirements for presidential candidates.

Khan, who visited Libya last November, said the arrest warrants are part of the ICCs renewed activity and greater focus on Libya. He told the council a team from his office will travel to the country again in the coming weeks and he hopes to establish a field office in Tripoli.

Since November, he said, the ICC has supported prosecutions in Italy and the Netherlands stemming from acts in Libya.

Advertisement

The ICC prosecutor stressed the importance of partnerships and the urgency of galvanizing the Security Council and the international community to act to bring justice to victims. In November, Khan said his office had joined a coalition of nations investigating human trafficking in the country.

Khan spoke movingly of talking to victims and survivors in the western town of Tarhuna where hundreds of corpses were uncovered in several graves after militia fighters loyal to eastern Libyan military leader Gen. Khalifa Hifter retreated from the area in June 2020 after failing to take the capital Tripoli.

Theyre not seeing that their lives matter, he said. There is a gap between the promise of justice, the prayer of never again (after World War IIs atrocities), the specter of international institutions working for them. They see that they are still in refugee camps. They are dislocated. Theyre living in fear around the world.

Advertisement

Khan said the victims dont trust the 15-member Security Council, the ICC and the U.N. which they see as all talk because theyre not seeing enough change in their lives  and this is something every country and all people need to recognize and make efforts to improve.

A statement from the 10 Security Council nations that are parties to the Rome Statute that established the ICC said the court plays an important role in international peace and security and welcomed its concrete actions in Libya.

We encourage the ICC to continue its efforts to enhance its engagement in Libya and hope to see further cooperation from Libyan authorities, said the statement from Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, France, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The United States is not a party to the court, but the U.S. Missions legal adviser, Mark Simonoff, told the council that the work of the ICC in Libya plays a critical role in support of out collective pursuit of accountability, peace and security.

By contrast, Russias new deputy ambassador, Maria Zabolotskaya, delivered a vitriolic denunciation of the ICC.

She called it a puppet tribunal with a puppet prosecutor that serves the interests of the collective West. She said it acted as a full-fledged accomplice in NATOs military aggression against Libya, which completely ruined its statehood and triggered a protracted civil war.

GiftOutline Gift Article
U.S. State Department urges continuation of grain deal as Turkey allows for two-month extension 11 May, 11:47 AM The US offers to extend the grain agreement (Photo:REUTERS/Mehmet Emin Caliskan)

The U.S. State Department has called for an extension of the Black Sea Grain initiative, which allows for the export of food from Ukraine as an exemption to the Russian blockade of Ukraines sea coast, in a tweet posted on May 10.

The Department believes that the agreement needs to be expanded to allow more ships to enter the ports of the Black Sea, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Moscow to stop using hunger as a weapon in its war against Ukraine.

Russia has maintained a blockade on Ukrainian ports since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in Feb. 2022, causing global food prices to rise, especially in the global South, as Ukraine is a major grain supplier for many of those countries. In response, the UN, working with Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia, brokered a grain initiative in Istanbul on July 22, 2022. This initiative provides for the creation of a corridor for grain exports from three Ukrainian ports (Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdennyi), as well as the lifting of barriers on the export of Russian food and fertilizers.

Video of day

The agreement has been extended several times, with the latest extension being on March 18, 2023. Ukrainian and Russian sources disagree about the length of that extension  the Russians claim that the agreement was only extended for 60 days, while Ukrainian sources allege the extension was for 120 days.

On April 24, the Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of violating its obligations under the grain agreement, following a drone attack in Sevastopol allegedly launched from the port of Odesa. The Russian side, which has continued to violate the strictures of the initiatives, announced that there was a threat to further extension of the agreement after May 18.

On May 5, the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, set up by the UN to monitor and oversee compliance with the initiative, was unable to reach an agreement on issuing permits for new ships to participate in exporting goods from Ukraine.

On May 10, deputies of the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and representatives of the United Nations, met in Turkey to discuss extending the grain initiative.

At the summit, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that the grain initiative may be extended for another two months, though no conclusive agreement had been reached.

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
All over planes, the words emergency use only label life vest compartments and door levers, but theres no such warning for the button above each passenger thats identified only by the outline of a person.

If we press it, a flight attendant will appear. Before take-off, theyll tell us about seat belts and inflatable escape routes, but you could fly a lifetime and never hear a peep about the proper use of the call button. I began to wonder about this after the last time I hit it, when a flight attendant arrived and asked, Whats your emergency? My emergency? I hadnt realised the button was the triple zero of the sky.

The triple zero of the sky? The call button will bring a flight attendant to your seat. Credit: iStock

Most of us have probably hit this button at least once, for a drink if it seems as if theres no more service or a blanket if it feels like ice crystals have formed on our kneecaps. But some people say theyd have to be inches from death to use the call button. Does that make the rest of us oblivious?

A rise in unruly passengers shows us flight etiquette is out of control. Those of us who want to be polite travellers (but also might need a water) would love to know when exactly its appropriate to make the little ding, so I asked those for whom the ding chimes.
Last week the world simultaneously witnessed two events in Russias war on Ukraine that are significant, including for Australia.

First, Vladimir Putin staged a fake drone assassination attempt on himself, according to the independent Institute for the Study of War. This staged event  as Putin doesnt live in the Kremlin and there were firefighters in position  is a strange stunt to justify the further genocidal bombing of innocent Ukrainian civilians.

Vladimir Putin, facing defeat, is increasingly desperate and dangerous. Credit: Kremlin pool photo via AP

On the same day, Russian forces shelled and fired missiles at Kherson, a port city of some 280,000 people, or about the size of Hobart. Some 23 people died, including in the aisles of their local supermarket, which is very much like a Coles or Woolies.

These two events  one bizarre and the other barbaric  show that the Russian despot is increasingly desperate and dangerous. This week, in one 24-hour period, Putin fired another 40 intercontinental ballistic missiles and 60 Iranian drones at Ukrainian civilian objects.
Ukraines MFA warns Georgia against rapprochement with Russia 11 May, 07:05 PM Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (Photo:Enrico Strocchi/Flickr)

Ukraines Foreign Ministry considers Russian dictator Vladimir Putins decision to lift a visa ban on Georgian citizens and resume direct flights to the country as political compensation for Georgias refusal to impose sanctions against Russia, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko wrote on Facebook on May 11.

He reiterated that a normalization of relations between the countries is taking place amid the occupation of 20% of Georgias territory by the Russian army.

In 2008, Russian planes already flew to Georgia to bomb the civilian population, he said.

Theyre now planning to bomb the European future of Georgians.

Video of day

Nikolenko added that Russia is not interested in Georgias path to the European Union and NATO. He said that Moscow is aiming to create conditions under which progress is impossible, like in Belarus.

The spokesperson emphasized that this policy of rapprochement with the aggressor country is not a popular one within Georgian society, who have repeatedly expressed their position publicly, including during protests.

In this context, we express our solidarity and support to Georgians in their legitimate desire to build a prosperous European state within its internationally recognized borders, he said.

Commenting on recent events, the diplomat added that Russia is offering Georgia a bargain with the devil.

And in a deal with the devil, as you know, the devil wins, he said.

The Foreign Ministry calls on the Georgian government to synchronize its policy towards Russia with EU policy, as well as refrain from actions that reject Georgias further European movement.

On May 10, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin unexpectedly lifted a visa ban for Georgian citizens and resumed direct flights to the country.

Russias Association of Tour Operators said the first flights could begin in late May.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili called Russias actions another provocation.

Russia introduced a visa ban on Georgian citizens in 2000. At the same time, Russians have been able to enter Georgia without visas since 2012, following a unilateral decision by the Georgian government.

After the Russian invasion and the five-day war with the occupying army, Georgia severed diplomatic relations with Moscow in 2008. Direct flights between the countries were halted in 2019.

In early 2023, despite Russias ongoing war against Ukraine, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, proposed resuming flights with Russia, but Zurabishvili spoke against it.

Ukraines Foreign Ministry called this proposal political meanness amid Russias attempts to destroy Ukrainians in a genocidal war.

Since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Georgia has taken a neutral position, refusing to impose sanctions against Russia and provide military aid to Ukraine. At the same time, Tbilisi provides humanitarian aid and has accepted Ukrainian refugees.

However, Georgia also became a country where Russians fled to en masse after the announcement of mobilization in Russia in September 2022.

As of February 2023, Russian citizens have already opened 100,000 bank accounts in Georgia. Russians are also massively buying real estate in the country and opening businesses.

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
The World Customs Organization (WCO) successfully conducted a 3-day national workshop on the application and implementation of Inward and Outward Processing, and Free Zones in the context of the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) from 8-10 May 2023 in Luanda, Angola. The workshop was organized with the financial support of the WCO Customs Cooperation Fund (CCF) Japan.

The workshop brought together over 35 Customs Officers drawn from different areas of Customs with the objective of raising their awareness and deepening their understanding at the strategic and operational level about the application and implementation of Inward and Outward Processing and Free Zones in the context of the RKC.

Delivering the opening remarks on behalf of the Director of the Customs Directorate was the Head of the Rules and Procedures Department, Yola Christiano, who began by welcoming participants and experts to the workshop. The Head also remarked that, given the anticipated prospects, the workshop would be a lively debate, and urged participants to actively participate in the discussions.

Deolinda Reis Simoes, the Head of the Delegation and WCO RKC Expert, began by stating that Angola became a Contracting Party to the RKC on February 23, 2017, and was the fourth country among the nine countries that make up the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries. Further, the Head of Delegation added that this important Convention currently has 133 Contracting Parties (as of June 25, 2022) out of 185 Members that make up the WCO. In conclusion, the Head of Delegation informed participants that the complete Portuguese version of the RKC, whose official launch took place during the 30th meeting of the RKC Management Committee, in Brussels, which was held from 26-30 September 2022, is now available on the WCO website.

Given that Angola already acceded to the RKC, a session on assessing its level of implementation of the RKC provisions on Inward and Outward Processing and Free Zones using the RKC tool kit for quality implementation assessment was held.

The workshop also benefited from presentations made by the WCO Experts, Deolinda Reis Simoes and Sang Mendy, on a number of topics, such as the Placement of goods under the Inward and Outward regimes, Authorization and termination of Inward and Outward Processing, the concept of Free Zones, etc.

As a result, it is expected that this training will lead to greater implementation and application of simplified procedures related to Inward and Outward Processing, and Free Zones in Angola and the region at large, and thereby increase regional intra-trade between Members.
While the prospect of retirement can bring excitement and relief as it's an end to work, and a time to live more slowly and leisurely, it can also be daunting to live with a strict budget from month to month. However, there are several factors to consider that can make the budgeting process less intimidating and allow people entering retirement to feel more prepared.

See: 5 Best US Locations To Travel To on a $2,000 Budget

Read: 3 Signs You're Serious About Raising Your Credit Score

When choosing a city to retire in, it's important to consider cost of housing, groceries, healthcare and overall livability. In order to streamline the process, GoBankingRates has compiled a list of the 11 best cities to retire with a budget of $2,500 a month.

MidwestWilderness / Getty Images/iStockphoto

13. Omaha, Nebraska

Monthly expenditures: $2,499.39

Livability: 72

Omaha's rent falls in the middle range: A one-bedroom apartment averages $1,199. What ranks Omaha lower on the list, however, is the steep monthly healthcare cost of $670.19 and the hefty monthly grocery average of $362.01. Despite those sizable expenses, the livability in Omaha (72) is quite high.

Capital Gains Tax on Stocks: What It Is and How To Minimize It

Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com

12. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Monthly expenditures: $2,481.37

Livability: 69

Oklahoma City is similar in price range to Omaha: A one-bedroom apartment averages $1,187. Its monthly expenditures are fairly high, however, with healthcare costs of $622.16 and monthly grocery average of $317.27. It's livability is a bit lower, but still decent.

Jacob Boomsma / Shutterstock.com

11. Lafayette, Louisiana

Monthly expenditures: $2,474.06

Livability: 73

Lafayette has a high livability score, of 73, which makes up for its relatively high expenses, such as monthly healthcare costs, of $671.95 and grocery costs of $359.01. Its average monthly utilities costs, of $286.56, are significantly lower than the national average of $326.75.

Shutterstock.com

10. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Monthly expenditures: $2,399.81

Livability: 70

Sioux Falls lands at No. 10 on this list, with monthly rent at $1,109 and utilities among the most affordable on the list, at $314.99. Sioux Falls offers monthly living for under $2,400 and has a decent livability.

Story continues

Read: 5 Kitchen Appliances That Just Aren't Worth the Money

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

9. Abilene, Texas

Monthly expenditures: $2,376.72

Livability: 75

Abilene has one of the highest livability scores on this list, which is probably why some of its monthly expenses are more expensive here than other cities on the list. Monthly grocery costs average $344.40, monthly utilities, $344.72, and monthly healthcare costs are the highest on the list at $683.08.

benkrut / Getty Images/iStockphoto

8. Brownsville, Texas

Monthly expenditures: $2,364.89

Liability: 73

Brownsville is one of the towns where the major expenses all fall under the national average. Monthly grocery costs are $336.53, healthcare costs are $585.83, and utilities at $298.65. You can rent a one-bedroom here for $1,144.

travelview / Shutterstock.com

7. Lake Charles, Louisiana

Monthly expenditures: $2,352.07

Livability: 70

Lake Charles features a monthly rent of $1,113. The city does showcase pricier monthly grocery costs, at $348.14 and healthcare costs at $596.96.

I'm a Self-Made Millionaire: These Are the 6 Investments Everyone Should Make During an Economic Downturn

ChrisBoswell / Getty Images/iStockphoto

6. Ft. Wayne, Indiana

Monthly expenditures: $2,329.31

Livability: 75

Ft. Wayne has one of the highest livability scores on the list, at 75. The rent for Sebring falls at $1,124 for one bedroom, and the other monthly costs are reasonable. Monthly grocery costs are $342.52 and healthcare costs are $566.50.

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

5. Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Monthly expenditures: $2,320.83

Livability: 76

Cedar Rapids is a great place for folks looking to retire comfortably, with a high livability score, 76, and a monthly one-bedroom rent at $1,034.

pabradyphoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto

4. Des Moines, Iowa

Monthly expenditures: $2,308.39

Livability: 75

Des Moines offers a one-bedroom apartment for an average of $1,056 and low monthly utilities costs, at $292.77. The monthly healthcare costs in Des Moines are $599.89 and grocery costs are a little higher than other cities, at $359.76, but still lower than the national average.

Learn: These Are the 10 Most Overpriced Housing Markets in the US -- 5 Are in Florida

Steven_Kriemadis / Getty Images/iStockphoto

3. Lansing, Michigan

Monthly expenditures: $2,251.57

Livability: 66

Lansing is a top contender for retirees as it offers the lowest monthly healthcare costs on this list, at $514.95. With rent costing $1,076 for a one-bedroom apartment, the city offers multiple appealing factors for those looking to find a place to settle down during their retirement.

Shutterstock.com

2. Shreveport, Louisiana

Monthly expenditures: $2,244.22

Livability: 65

Shreveport takes second place on this list, with rent costing $1,036 and a relatively low healthcare cost of $562.99. While this city features a lower livability number, the great rent and healthcare costs make it a fantastic city for retirement.

Take Our Poll: Who Has Given You the Best Money Advice You Have Ever Received?

Mig Esc / Wikimedia Commons

1. Edinburg, Texas

Monthly expenditures: $2,152.03

Livability: 77

Edinburg made the No. 1 spot as the best city to retire on a monthly budget of $2,500 or less by offering the most budget-friendly expenditures compared to the rest of the U.S. and the top livability score among these 13 cities. Rent averages $944, $1,010 less than the U.S. mean. Groceries typically cost $342.52, and healthcare is $572.36.

More From GOBankingRates

Methodology: To find the best cities to retire on a monthly budget of $2,500 dollars or less, GOBankingRates first isolated the 300 largest rental markets according to Zillow's 2022 rent data. Using this same Zillow rent data GOBankingRates then found the cities that have an (1) average 2022 monthly rent of $1,250 dollars or less. GOBankingRates then used Sperling's Best to find the cost of living index for each listed city, looking at (2) grocery and (3) healthcare index scores. Next, GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey to find the annual expenditure amount for both grocery ("food at home") and healthcare costs for people aged 65 and older in order to find how much a person 65 and over would spend on groceries and healthcare in each city on a monthly basis. GOBankingRates then added monthly housing, grocery, and healthcare costs together to find where in the a person 65 and older could survive on $2,500 or less. In order for a city to be qualified for the study the city had to have a livability score above 65, (5) as sourced from AreaVibes. All data was collected on and up to date as of December 15, 2022.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 11 Best Cities To Retire on $2,500 a Month
For how many times she comes to Niagara Falls, it has felt like Trish Stratus has had the key to the city for years.

On Monday, the city makes it official.

The WWE legend and Canadas Got Talent judge will be presented with the key from Mayor Jim Diodati at Niagara Fallsview Casino at 10 a.m., the day before the show airs its season finale live from the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino.

Reached Thursday, Stratus said she was shocked and honoured when approached about receiving the key.

Niagara Falls has always had a special place in my heart. Personally, its had a space in my heart.

Because her mother-in-law lives in the region, Stratus always visits for family functions. And most times they convene at the falls.

Weve always made a point to make a big gathering of family and thats where we usually meet because people are coming from everywhere, she said. One of the lures of Niagara Falls is that its a great place to meet because of where its located. We usually have a once-a-year get-together in Niagara Falls.

But Stratus the wrestler is also very familiar with the city. She was one of the main attractions when the former WWE Store on Clifton Hill opened in 2002. She made another visit to the store when Brock Lesnar pulled out of an appearance one year  Stratus was at home in Toronto when she got the call and raced out the door.

I was like, No problem! Down the street from me!

She appeared at the 2018 Niagara Falls Comic Con and will return next month.

Now, with Canadas Got Talent, Stratus has become even more linked to the city. Together with co-judges Howie Mandel, Lilly Singh and Kardinal Offishall, the show has filmed two seasons at Niagara Fallsview Casino  Season 1 at the Avalon Theatre and Season 2 at the new OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino.

Stratus will receive the key to the city the day before the live finale Tuesday  the same way Mandel received his key to the city last year.

She chuckled when asked if shell accept the key in character as her current WWE persona  a return to her villainous ways. Fans are loving it, she said, and shes having a blast being the mean girl for the first time in years.

It is wild, she said. You get the bad guy on Mondays and the good guy on Tuesdays.

Its been 18 years since I was a heel and I really loved it. I remember just having so much fun with it and having a lot of creative liberties. You do things to get a reaction.

You do things a certain way to elicit a response, right? Theres a bit of an art to it. You cant just straight up be like, Niagara Falls sucks! Theres an art to having your essence be less likeable but, yet, not make that person want to turn away from you.

SHARE:
An investigation into a handgun being pointed at a man in Welland led to the discovery of a large amount of cash and cocaine in St. Catharines, court heard Wednesday.

Niagara Regional Police were called to a Wallace Street residence in August 2021 after a gun was drawn on a man during an altercation involving a number of males.

During the course of the investigation, police focused their attention on Javante Weston, then 26.

Police executed a warrant at home in St. Catharines as part of the investigation and discovered a quantity of cocaine, a cutting agent, drug press, digital scale, and 14 bundles of cash totalling more than $34,000.

Weston pleaded guilty in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on Wednesday to a charge of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

He will return to court in July for sentencing.

Firearm-related charges were stayed by the Crown.

SHARE:
The Competition Bureau is launching a formal inquiry into Pathways Alliance, a consortium of Canadas six largest oilsands companies, over allegations of false or misleading environmental claims in an ad campaign geared toward the Canadian public.

Spurred by a complaint from Greenpeace Canada in March, the Competition Bureau said in a statement to Greenpeace that it will seek to determine the facts relating to allegations that the Pathways Alliance has contravened the (Competition) Act by making false or misleading environmental representations.

Formed in 2021, Pathways Alliance includes major companies such as Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Cenovus Energy, ConocoPhillips Canada, Imperial, Meg Energy and Suncor Energy.

Greenpeace Canada alleges the consortiums ad campaign, Lets clear the air, is greenwashing  when a company makes false or misleading claims about the environmental attributes of their business.

Our request to the Competition Bureau regarding the Pathways Alliances misleading ad campaign was accepted and has set off an official inquiry into the dubious advertising practices of the Pathways Alliance, Greenpeace Canadas senior researcher and writer, Nola Poirier, said in a statement. We think the public deserves to be told the truth about the environmental harm caused by fossil fuel production, not fed misleading sound bites by industry.

Mark Cameron, vice-president external relations at Pathways Alliance, said the campaign acknowledges the oilsands represents a significant share of Canadas emissions and collaborative efforts must be made across the industry and with government to deliver responsibly produced oil.

We strongly disagree with the assertions in the Greenpeace complaint, Cameron said in a statement to the Star. We will continue to speak on behalf of one of Canadas most important industries and show how were addressing the climate challenge while ensuring our country plays a leading role in providing global energy security and affordability.

The application for the formal inquiry was made in March by members of Greenpeace Canada, along with representatives from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and Environmental Defence, among others.

The ad campaign, which launched in fall 2022, paints Pathways Alliance as a climate leader, flashing its net-zero target on high-profile placements such as Super Bowl ads, a billboard at BC Place in Vancouver and covering streetcars in Toronto, Greenpeace said. Pathways Alliance ads have also appeared in the Star during this time.

TTC streetcars and buses are covered in ads that prominently display Pathways Alliances name, accompanied by the slogans net-zero 2050 and our net-zero plan is in motion.

But its impossible for oil and gas production to be net-zero as 80 per cent of emissions are made in the burning of fossil fuels, which the ad campaign fails to mention, said Leah Temper, director, Fossil Fuels Ads Make Us Sick campaign, at CAPE.

Its making people believe we can have carbon neutral oil, she said. They are clearly trying to influence public opinion.

In a video ad, Pathways Alliance also promotes the use of carbon capture, which involves the capture of carbon dioxide emissions and storing it deep underground.

However, carbon capture doesnt help reduce emissions and is used to delay the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy sources, said Julia Levin, associate director of national climate at Environmental Defence.

Its a tactic they use to get government subsidies to pour money into carbon capture technologies instead of proven, reliable solutions like renewable energy, she said. All levels of government are giving billions of dollars to these companies that already make massive profits.

If the inquiry finds that the Pathways Alliance members have made false and misleading representations, the applicants have requested they pay a fine that is the greater of $10 million or three per cent of worldwide gross revenues, which amounts to more than $8.5 billion, Greenpeace said.

The complaint requests that the funds be dispersed by the Environmental Damages Fund and used for rehabilitation and clean up of oilsands pollution.

Net-zero greenwashing is pervasive and there is a distinct need for accountability in advertising that incorporates the entire life cycle of fossil fuels from their production to their combustion, Greenpeaces Poirier said.

SHARE:
An Ontario Provincial Police officer was shot dead early Thursday and two other officers were injured as they responded to a disturbance at a home in a village east of Ottawa.

One suspect is in custody following the killing of OPP Sgt. Eric Mueller in Bourget, Ont. The OPP Association confirmed Mueller had a wife and two young children.

At least eight other police officers have been killed in Canada since September 2022. Heres a look at their cases and who they were.

Sgt. Maureen Breau, 42

The veteran Quebec provincial police officer was stabbed to death on March 27 after she tried to arrest a suspect in Louiseville, Que., about 100 kilometres northeast of Montreal. Breau, who had two children, had more than 20 years of experience and was four days away from starting a new job as an investigator.

The 35-year-old alleged assailant was shot and killed by other officers who arrived on the scene.

Const. Travis Jordan, 35, and Const. Brett Ryan, 30

The Edmonton police officers were shot when they responded to a call about a family dispute at an apartment on March 16.

A 16-year-old boy fired multiple shots at the officers as they approached the suite, and the officers didnt have a chance to fire back. The teen then shot and wounded his mother during a struggle for the gun, and shot and killed himself, police said.

Ryan, a former paramedic, had been with the Edmonton force for five and a half years and was about to become a father.

Jordan moved to Edmonton from Nova Scotia so he could realize his childhood dream of becoming an officer, and had been with the service for almost nine years.

Const. Grzegorz Pierzchala, 28

Ontario Provincial Police have said Pierzchala was responding to a call for a vehicle in a ditch west of Hagersville, Ont., on Dec. 27 and was fatally shot in an ambush when he got there.

Pierzchala had been with the force for about a year and had been notified that he had passed his 10-month probation period hours before he died.

He was previously a special constable at Queens Park who, as a boy, dreamt of joining the police ranks. His colleagues have remembered him as a wonderful officer with the biggest heart of gold you could ever imagine.

Two people have been charged with first-degree murder in his death.

Const. Shaelyn Yang, 31

Yang was fatally stabbed in Burnaby, B.C., on Oct. 18 while trying to issue an eviction notice to a man who had been living in a tent at a local park.

During an altercation that led to her death, the mental health and homeless outreach officer for the RCMP shot the man, who survived.

Mounties in B.C. have described Yang as a kind, caring person who wanted to help people living with mental health issues and experiencing homelessness.

The man has since been charged with first-degree murder in her death.

Const. Devon Northrup, 33, and Const. Morgan Russell, 54

South Simcoe Police Service constables Northup and Russell were killed on Oct. 11, after they responded to a disturbance call at an Innisfil, Ont., home.

The Special Investigations Unit, the provinces police watchdog, has said neither officer drew their guns before they were shot. The agency has said a 22-year-old man at the home shot the two officers and also died in the shooting.

Northup was remembered by his colleagues as a funny, kind and dedicated officer who served as a member of the mental health crisis outreach team.

Colleagues said Russell passed over promotions and delayed his retirement to keep working in a community he served for 33 years.

Russell was described as a mentor, who sat on the hiring panel that started Northrups career. He was also remembered as a disciplined officer who was trained in crisis negotiations.

Const. Andrew Hong, 48

Police have said Hong was shot in an ambush on Sept. 12 at a Mississauga, Ont., Tim Hortons while he was getting coffee for his colleagues on a lunch break.

Many people who spoke at his funeral said the fact that he was on a coffee run was indicative of his generosity. Loved ones described Hong as a natural teacher who not only taught his children various skills, but who also gave valuable lessons to his trainees in the motorcycle unit.

Investigators have said the man who killed Hong later shot three people at an auto body shop  killing two and injuring one  before being killed by police.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.

SHARE:
In this article, we discuss the 15 best countries for cancer treatment. If you want to skip our analysis of the oncology market, go directly to the 5 Best Countries for Cancer Treatment.

Cancer is one of the most painful, lethal, and widespread diseases in the world. According to International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in 2020, the new cases of cancer increased to 19.3 million from 17 million in 2018. Additionally, the disease caused 10 million deaths in 2020 compared to 9.5 million in 2018. Moreover, the agency reports that 1 in 5 are prone to developing cancer in their lifetime and the number is larger in men. The most common type of cancer among women is found to be breast cancer while lung cancer is the most common in men.

According to an Economist Intelligence Unit report, cancer is responsible for direct or indirect economic costs of over $1 trillion per year. According to the report, between 2018 and 2040, the rise in lethal disease can reach up to 63% due to the aging population. The report further states that 59% of cases are reported in lower- and middle-income countries. However, due to the lower rate of cancer preparedness and access to better healthcare, 71% of the deaths are reported in those countries.

Oncology is one of the biggest and fastest growing sectors for biopharmaceuticals R&D. According to Precedence Research, the global oncology market was worth over $286 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% by 2030 to $581.25 billion with the hospital segment expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.9% between the forecasted period. In 2021, the diagnostic segment covered close to 47% of the oncology market share.

According to a report by IQVIA, cancer medicine spending in 2021 was around $185 billion in 2021 and it is expected to reach $300 billion by 2026. The US was reported to be the largest market for cancer medicine spending in 2021 followed by some European countries. The report adds that as of 2022, close to 2200 oncology-related products were under development and 63% of them were being developed by emerging biopharma companies that had less than $500 million in annual sales and their research and development spending was less than $200 per annum. While the emerging companies have been increasing their product pipeline, the large pharmaceutical companies' oncology product pipeline is seen to be decreasing. The large pharma companies with over $10 billion in annual sales covered 23% of the products under development which is down from 39% in 2016.

Story continues

Some of the major stocks that are involved in oncology services and R&D are Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN), Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY), and Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD)

15 Best Countries for Cancer Treatment

Methodology

During our research of the "25 Best Hospitals for Cancer Treatment," we produced this list according to the number of best cancer hospitals in each country. We also took the 5-year survival rate of various types of cancer as a marker of quality cancer care. To better judge the quality of cancer treatment in each country, factors like treatment costs, prevention policies, cancer-related spending, availability of innovative treatments, accessibility to medical equipment and oncology specialists, hospitals, and the impact of the healthcare system are also taken into consideration.

Best Countries for Cancer Treatment

15. India

India is one of the best countries for cancer treatment due to the advanced technology used by the hospitals in the country and the ease of access to its hospitals. Hospitals such as Tata Memorial Center also offer free-of-cost treatment for most of their patients that cannot afford it. Furthermore, the country's Chennai Apollo Hospital is the only hospital in South Asia that offers proton therapy.

14. Netherlands

The Netherlands is one of the few countries in the EU where cancer mortality has decreased notably over the last decade, with an 11% decrease seen between 2011 and 2019. In 2020, the Netherlands expenditure on cancer prevention was higher than that of the EUs average as it was 4.6% of current health spending while the EUs average was only 3.4%.

The country places emphasis on early detection which is why it has three national screening programs for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers. The Netherlands has a high density of radiotherapy centers and advanced CAR-T cell treatments are offered through eight centers. A few of the reasons behind the admirable cancer care quality are the rigorous clinical auditing system and the research-based Netherlands Cancer Registry which indirectly contributes to policymaking and more.

13. Sweden

Sweden ranks on the list of 15 best countries for cancer treatment because of its advancement in innovative cancer treatments, widespread use of interdisciplinary teams, and establishment of cancer treatment centers in regional areas. The 5-year survival rates in Sweden are impressive with breast cancer survival rates at 89%, prostate cancer at 91%, and childhood leukemia survival rates stand at 89%.

The population is covered by the government for healthcare services. The estimated cost of one visit to a primary care facility is between 10 and 30, specialized care facility visit can cost anywhere from 20 to 40 while the cost of prescription drugs is capped at 240. An important factor behind quality cancer care is the relevant authoritys focus on health registries with 30 quality registries focusing on cancer.

12. China

In 2020, China was home to almost 20% of the global cancer patients. Over the last decade, China has worked to create its own versions of cancer drugs that have been highly effective and have decreased the cancer mortality rate in the country by nearly 10% between 2009 and 2019. Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute and Fuda Cancer Hospital are some of the best hospitals for cancer treatment in the country.

11. Brazil

According to a research study published in 2022, Brazil's spending on cancer every year is estimated to be around $3.57 billion by the private and public healthcare systems. Around 78% of the Brazilian population relies on the public healthcare system and the spending on cancer in the specific healthcare system is around $800 million per year.

11. Iceland

In 2019, the total mortality rate because of cancer was 5% lower in Iceland than the EUs average with 235 deaths per 100,000 population in the country and the cancer mortality rate for men was 15% lower.

Cancer care quality is continuously being improved within the country and decentralization plays an important part in improving the accessibility of treatment. Landspitali University Hospital and regional hospitals like Akureyri Hospital are important players in cancer care. The availability of medical equipment in Iceland is better than the EU's average with the radiation therapy equipment ratio being 1.9 per 1,000 cases of cancer.

9. Australia

According to the Australian government's stats, around 70% of people with cancer live at least 5 years past their diagnosis in the country. A report published in 2023 titled Cancer Research in Australia: an Overview of Funding for cancer Research Projects and Programs in Australia, 2012 to 2020 by Cancer Australia estimated that $2.12 billion were spent on 4,813 research projects and initiatives between 2012 and 2020. Moreover, 58% of the funding was done by the Australian government.

The Peter Maccallum Cancer Centre is a celebrated cancer care hospital located in Melbourne. The hospital is well-known as it not only provides innovative cancer treatment but also does cancer research and offers oncology training.

8. France

France is considered one of the top progressing countries in terms of cancer care and treatment with Institut Gustave Roussy known as the most famous hospital for cancer treatment. The country is considered the best destination in terms of opting for novel cancer treatments because of the high approval rate of new treatments by the National Authority for Health. In 2020, the number of patients treated with immunotherapy was higher than 50,000 and 230 were treated through the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy.

Launched in 2021, the National Cancer Strategy 2021-2030 has funding of 1.74 billion. The goals of the plan are in line with those of Europes Beating Cancer Plan and aim to reduce the number of avoidable cancers by 60 000 yearly by 2040 and carry out one million additional screening tests by 2025.

7. Canada

In January 2023, the government announced $23 million in funding to set up the first-ever Canadian Pediatric Cancer Consortium (CPCC). The funding by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is one of many rounds of funding as the federal agency has spent around $1 billion in cancer research between 2017 and 2021.

Cancer treatment in Canada is often lauded because new research in cancer treatment is rapidly developing innovative treatment options. In February 2023, the announcement of a unique immunotherapy developed by the National Research Council of Canada was brought to the public. The novel CAR-T cell therapy is proposed to enroll patients in clinical trials in the second half of 2023.

6. Japan

Japan is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world which also gives it an edge over other countries in cancer treatment. The country ranks at number 2 in the world for stomach and lung cancer survival rates. In 2021, Daiichi Sankyo a Japanese drug company received approval for Teserpaturev, Japan's first virotherapy drug. It is still in the trial phases. However, in the phase 2 trial, the drug showed a one-year survival rate of 84.2% in patients suffering from glioblastoma.

Click to continue reading and see the 5 Best Countries for Cancer Treatment.

Suggested articles:

Disclosure. None. 15 Best Countries for Cancer Treatment is originally published on Insider Monkey.
Days after Ontario added five more names of fallen officers at the Ontario Police Memorial held at Queens Park annually, an officer was shot and killed while in the line of duty in a community just east of Ottawa.

Two other members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were injured in the same shooting on Thursday in Bourget, Ont.

The OPP have identified the slain police officer as Sgt. Eric Mueller.

Our officer will forever be remembered as a hero in life, the association representing OPP officers said in a statement.

In a news conference on Thursday, OPP commissioner Thomas Carrique said there were 10 officers killed in Canada in the line of duty since September 2022, nine of which were murdered.

Sgt. Eric Mueller  Ontario

It is with an extremely heavy heart that I regretfully advise that OPP Sgt. Eric Mueller has been killed in the line of duty, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said in a statement posted to social media.

The three OPP officers responded shortly after 2 a.m. to a disturbance at a home in Bourget, Ont., about 50 kilometres from Ottawa, where someone reported hearing a gunshot, OPP said.

When they arrived, the officers were shot by someone at the home, police said. All three were sent to an Ottawa hospital.

Sgt. Maureen Breau  Quebec

Breau was a 20-year veteran Quebec provincial police officer. She was stabbed to death on March 27 as she was trying to arrest a suspect in Louiseville, Que., about 100 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

Breau was only four days away from starting a new position as an investigator. She was a mother of two.

Const. Travis Jordan, 35, and Const. Brett Ryan, 30  Alberta

Jordan and Ryan were Edmonton police officers. They were shot by a 16-year-old when they responded to a call about a family dispute at an apartment on March 16.

The teen then shot and wounded his mother in a struggle for the gun and shot and killed himself.

Ryan was a former paramedic who had been working for Edmonton police for five and a half years. He was about to become a father.

Jordan, who had always dreamed of being a police officer, moved from Nova Scotia to Edmonton to pursue his childhood dream. He had been with the force for nearly nine years.

Const. Grzegorz Pierzchala, 28  Ontario

Pierzchala, who had only been with the OPP for about a year before his death, was responding to a call for a vehicle in a ditch west of Hagersville, Ont., on Dec. 27 when he was shot in an ambush after he arrived.

Hours before he died he was notified that he had passed the mandatory 10-month probation period.

He had previously served as a special constable at Queens Park.

Two people were charged with first degree murder in connection with his death.

His colleagues have remembered him as a wonderful officer with the biggest heart of gold you could ever imagine.

Const. Shaelyn Yang, 31  British Columbia

While attempting to issue an eviction notice to a man who had been living in a tent at a local park on Oct. 18 in Burnaby B.C., Yang was stabbed and killed.

B.C. Mounties have described Yang as a kind, caring person who wanted to help people living with mental health issues and experiencing homelessness.

The male suspect, who B.C.s police watchdog said was shot by Yang, was taken to hospital and charged with first degree murder in connection with her death.

Const. Devon Northrup, 33, and Const. Morgan Russell, 54  Ontario

While responding to a disturbance call at an Innisfil, Ont. home on Oct. 11, Northrup and Russell were shot and killed.

The Special Investigations Unit said the 22-year-old man also died in the shooting, adding that neither Northrup and Russell drew their guns before they were shot.

Colleagues of Russell said at the time that he had passed up promotions and delayed his retirement in order to continue serving the community in which he worked for 33 years.

Northrup was remembered by his colleagues as a funny, kind and dedicated officer. He also served as a member of the mental health crisis outreach team.

Russell was said to have sat on the hiring panel that helped kick-start Northrups policing career.

Const. Harvinder Dhami, 32  Alberta

On April 10, Alberta RCMP Const. Harvinder Dhami with the Strathcona County detachment in Edmonton died in a vehicle crash while driving to help fellow officers with a noise complaint. The RCMP said his vehicle struck a concrete barrier, and Dhami died at the scene.

Dhami graduated from the RCMP Academy in 2019 before he was posted to Strathcona County.

Previously in Brampton, Ont., Dhami volunteered for three years serving meals to senior members of the Punjabi community.

Dhami, affectionately known as Harvey, is survived by his wife, mother and two siblings.

Const. Andrew Hong, 48  Ontario

Hong was shot in an ambush at a Tim Hortons in Mississauga on Sept. 12, police said.

He was reportedly taking a break from a motorcycle training session with fellow officers at a Tim Hortons coffee shop when he was shot by a man who the SIU say was waiting for a police officer.

Loved ones described Hong at the time as a natural teacher who not only taught his children various skills, but who also provided his trainees in the motorcycle unit with valuable lessons.

Investigators said the man who killed Hong went on to shoot three people at an auto body shop before being killed by police. Two of those at the auto body shop died and one more was injured.

An eleventh officer, 38-year-old Const. Travis Gillespie was off-duty when he died in a car accident on the way to work on Sept. 14, 2022.

A 23-year-old Markham man was charged with impaired driving and dangerous operation causing death in relation to the crash.

Gillespie had worked for York Regional Police for about two years. Prior to working with the force, he worked as a Metrolinx and GO Transit special constable.

He was remembered as a family man who had a positive outlook, a great sense of humour and a lifelong commitment to serving communities.

Correction  May 12, 2023: A previous version of this article erroneously included Const. Travis Gillespie as one of the 10 officers killed in the line of duty. Gillespie was off-duty when he died in a car accident on the way to work. The tenth officer who died in the line of duty was Alberta RCMP Const. Harvinder Dhami.

With files from The Canadian Press

TG Thea Gribilas is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: tgribilas@thestar.ca

SHARE:
CALGARYThere is the apology for comparing Albertans vaccinated against COVID to those who followed Hitler.

Then theres the one for comparing Albertas struggles with Ottawa to the treatment of Indigenous Peoples.

And the mea culpa for appearing to support Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Its been a striking series of missteps for Albertas Danielle Smith, whos currently in a neck-and-neck race to lead the countrys fourth-largest province, according to the polls.

This is the same Danielle Smith, of course, whose career was scorched a decade ago by a political controversy  sparked by yet more problematic comments  still known locally as the Lake of Fire.

So why isnt she getting burned this time around? There was a time, political watchers say, when a comment like Smiths musing about Nazism might have automatically ruled someone out of the race.

Listen:

In a recently resurfaced clip, she compares the majority of Albertans who were vaccinated for COVID-19 with followers of the Nazis, saying theyd succumbed to the charms of a tyrant. The remark has been condemned across the board, by everyone from her political opponents to Bnai Brith.

There is no justification for politicians to make contemporaneous comparisons to the Nazi regime, the Jewish rights group wrote. Our leaders must do better.

(In the same clip recorded in November 2021, Smith also upset veterans groups by saying she wasnt wearing a poppy because it had been ruined by political leaders who didnt understand the sacrifice made by people in uniform.)

Time will tell if her most recently unearthed comments will hurt Smith at the polls. There are many in Alberta who are very wary of her opinions. Still, her extreme statements havent, it seems, ruled her out yet as the provinces next leader.

Political watchers say thats partly because the landscape has changed since the last time Smith was cast into political exile. Our politics and our media ecosystems have shifted  and our outrage fatigue has grown.

I dont know if this is really going to shift votes, which is really troubling, because these comments are incredibly offensive and incredibly weird and should be disqualifying, says Dave Cournoyer, an Edmonton-based political commentator and writer of a popular political blog called Daveberta.

But while the Lake of Fire controversy shocked voters back in 2012, voters have since spent a decade becoming familiar with populist rhetoric, listening to Donald Trump and even absorbing a slow drip of comments from Smith, he said. If anything, shes on the vanguard of a new wave of politicians  and this includes people outside Alberta  who are more comfortable putting extreme opinions out there.

I think that it becomes noise after a certain point, he said.

The irony is few know better than Smith what an unpopular remark can do to a campaign.

Her penchant for highly controversial opinions goes back decades. At least as far back as a 2003 newspaper column in which she argued claims that cigarettes were bad for you were far from conclusive and that moderate cigarette consumption can reduce traditional risks of disease by 75 per cent or more. (Even two decades ago, the WHO was clear that tobacco is not good for you.)

But by 2012, she had new prominence in Alberta as the leader of a right-wing party called the Wildrose, and came within spitting distance of the premiers chair. Then, as now, Alberta was headed for a contentious election that threatened to upset the ruling establishment.

Then a blog post surfaced that had been written by a Wildrose candidate and pastor named Allan Hunsberger. Riffing on Lady Gagas gay anthem Born This Way, he wrote: You can live the way you were born, and if you die the way you were born then you suffer the rest of eternity in the lake of fire, hell, a place of eternal suffering.

He continued: Accepting people the way they are is cruel and not loving!

Social media was a player in that Alberta election for the first time, and the post quickly bounded from Twitter into mainstream headlines, sparking outrage.

Smith told media at the time that Hunsberger had been writing as a pastor but shed spoken with him and made it clear that he would not be legislating on contentious social issues. But she refused to condemn his statement.

(The blog followed other comments from Wildrose candidates, including one Calgary-area candidate who told a multicultural radio station that he had an advantage as a white man when it came to speaking to the community. Smith herself also courted controversy again during a debate by saying the science on climate change was not settled. Still, the Lake of Fire was seen as a nail in her political coffin.)

Going into the 2012 election, we really saw a desire for change in government, Cournoyer said. What the Lake of Fire comments and the other controversial comments from Wildrose candidates did was convince Albertans that maybe this was not the change they wanted.

Despite polls that had put the Wildrose ahead, the Progressive Conservatives won another comfortable victory and Smith found her way back to media. As a columnist and talk radio show host, she left dozens of hours and thousands of words in her wake, from which new snippets have continued to bubble up during the current campaign.

Through the first years of the pandemic, she was an outspoken critic of Jason Kenney and of vaccine mandates who declined to get an mRNA vaccine herself and once inaccurately tweeted that an untested drug called hydroxychloroquine cures 100 per cent of coronavirus patients. She succeeded Kenney in the party, capitalizing on a very narrow band of support, and has since presented a more moderate face during this campaign.

But this latest reveal revives questions about whether her politics are more extreme than shes letting on; not to mention further to the right of Albertas previous conservative parties or most Albertans themselves.

Theres even now a question of how Smith compares to members of her own party, considering that they disqualified a potential candidate last year for comparing vaccine passports to policies rolled out by Hitler, points out Keith Brownsey, a political scientist at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

Part of the whats changed is that the media landscape is weaker and more fractured than it was in 2012, meaning stories like this arent viewed the same way, he said.

We have our own silos and we stick to them, he said of voters. And something like this just does just doesnt get the full coverage it would have even a decade ago.

There are voters who lean conservative because they value economics above other issues and see the party as better financial stewards, Brownsey said. He questioned whether these comments might make some of them reconsider.

In her latest written apology, Smith said COVID was a divisive and painful period and she hoped everyone could move on to issues that currently matter to Albertans.

Ive always remained a friend to the Jewish community, to Israel and to our veterans, she told reporters Monday.

Pollster Janet Brown says its too soon to know whether or not this latest comment will affect Smiths support, but the two parties have been neck and neck thus far, with the race only tightening in recent weeks.

Brown pointed out that when Smith faced controversy in 2012, upset voters had another conservative party to vote for, in Alison Redfords Progressive Conservatives. This time, disgruntled voters who are otherwise inclined to swing right would have to make a bigger leap to the NDP, which might explain some of Smiths continued support.

Then theres the fact that, for better or worse, Smith is a much more familiar figure than she was a decade ago. I mean, these are really egregious comments, Brown said. Its hard to imagine even her staunchest defenders defending these kinds of statements.

Then again, shes said a lot of controversial things in the past, and some people havent been bothered. So if nothing shes said in the past has bothered you, will this?

With files from The Canadian Press

Read more about:

SHARE:
KYIVThe British government announced Thursday it was giving long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine to help drive out Russias occupying forces, just as Kyiv delayed a possible counteroffensive more than 14 months after the Kremlins full-scale invasion as it awaits the delivery of more Western weapons.

U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told lawmakers in the House of Commons that Britain is donating Storm Shadow missiles, a conventionally-armed deep-strike weapon with a range of more than 250 kilometres (150 miles).

That means it can hit targets deep behind the front line, including in Russia-occupied Crimea. U.K. media reported that Ukraine has pledged not to use the missiles to attack Russia itself.

Wallace said the missiles are now going into or are in the country itself.

Ben Hodges, a former U.S. army Europe Commanding General, tweeted: Well done UK!

He added: This will give Ukraine capability to make Crimea untenable for Russian forces and would force a Russian rethink of where to position its Black Sea fleet.

The British move gives another boost to the Ukrainian military after it received other advanced Western weapons including tanks and long-range precision artillery.

The announcement came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his countrys military needs more time to prepare an anticipated counteroffensive aimed at pushing back Russian occupying forces and opening a new chapter in the war more than 14 months after the Kremlins full-scale invasion.

Zelenskyy said in an interview broadcast Thursday by the BBC that it would be unacceptable to launch the assault now because too many lives would be lost.

With (what we have) we can go forward and be successful, Zelenskyy said in the interview, according to the BBC.

But wed lose a lot of people. I think thats unacceptable, he was quoted as saying. The interview was reportedly carried out in Kyiv with public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, including the BBC.

So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time, Zelenskyy was quoted as saying.

A Ukrainian fightback against Russias invasion has been expected for weeks. Ukraine is receiving Western training as well as advanced weapons for its troops as it gears up for an expected assault.

While a counterpunch is possible as the weather in Ukraine improves, there has been no word on when it might happen. Zelenskyys remarks could be a red herring to keep the Russians guessing, and ammunition supply difficulties faced by both sides have added more uncertainty.

A claim by the Ukrainian military on Wednesday that it had advanced up to two kilometres (1.2 miles) around the hotly contested eastern city of Bakhmut brought speculation that the counteroffensive was already underway.

But Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraines Operational Command East, told The Associated Press that the attack was not the grand counteroffensive, but its a harbinger showing that there will be more such attacks in the future.

The Kremlins forces are deeply entrenched in eastern areas of Ukraine with layered defensive lines reportedly up to 20 kilometres (12 miles) deep. Kyivs counteroffensive would likely face minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles.

Russia is acting slow in Ukraine because it wants to preserve infrastructure and save lives there, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed in an interview with the Bosnian Serb channel ATV broadcast Wednesday night.

Moscow has repeatedly explained its lack of advances on the battlefield as an effort to protect civilians, but those claims have been proven false.

Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on reducing the war to a so-called frozen conflict, with neither side able to dislodge the other, according to the BBC. He ruled out surrendering territory to Russia in return for a peace deal.

Military analysts have warned that Putin is hoping that the Wests costly support for Kyiv will begin to fray.

Ukraines Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euros ($70 billion) in military aid to help thwart the Kremlins ambitions, and with no peace negotiations on the horizon the alliance is gearing up to send more.

European Union Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the possible need to delay a counteroffensive was a sign that the West must step up its military support for Ukraine.

Certainly, they need more preparation, Borrell said at a defence and security conference in Brussels. They need more arms. They need to gather more capacity, and it is us who have to provide for that.

A senior NATO official said that in the coming months of the war, Ukraine will have the edge in quality but Russia has the upper hand in quantity.

The Russians are now starting to use very old materiel, very old capabilities, Adm. Bob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, told reporters late Wednesday in Brussels.

The Russians will have to focus on quantity, he said. Larger number of conscripts and mobilized people. Not well-trained. Older materiel, but large numbers, and not as precise, not as good as the newer ones.

Over the winter, the conflict became bogged down in a war of attrition with both sides relying heavily on bombardment of each others positions.

A counteroffensive is a major challenge, requiring the Ukrainian military to orchestrate a wide range of capabilities, including providing ammunition, food, medical supplies and spare parts, strung along potentially extended supply lines.

The front line extends more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles).

The Kremlin wants Kyiv to acknowledge Russias sovereignty over Crimea and also recognize Septembers annexation of the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.

Ukraine has rejected the demands and ruled out any talks with Russia until its troops pull back from all occupied territories.

Read more about:

SHARE:
MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP)  Migrants rushed across the Mexico border Thursday, racing to enter the U.S. before pandemic-related asylum restrictions are lifted in a shift that threatens to put a historic strain on the nations beleaguered immigration system.

The imminent end of the rules known as Title 42 stirred fear among migrants that the changes would make it more difficult for them to stay in the U.S. And the Biden administration was dealt a potentially serious legal setback when a federal judge temporarily blocked its attempt to more quickly release migrants when Border Patrol holding stations are full.

With a late-night deadline looming, misinformation and confusion buffeted migrants as they paced the border at the Rio Grande, often unsure of where to go or what to do next.

At Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, throngs of migrants  some clutching small children  waded across spring river currents, pushed through thickets to confront a border fortified with razor wire. Other migrants settled into shelters in northern Mexico, determined to secure an asylum appointment that can take months to schedule online.

Many migrants were acutely aware of looming policy changes designed to stop illegal crossings and encourage asylum seekers to apply online and consider alternative destinations, including Canada or Spain.

I dont know whats going to happen tomorrow, said Jhoan Daniel Barrios, a former military police officer from Venezuela as he paced with two friends along the the border in Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, looking for a chance to seek refuge in the U.S.

We dont have any money left, we dont have food, we dont have a place to stay, the cartel is pursuing us, said Barrios, whose wife was in U.S. custody. What are we going to do, wait until they kill us?

Last week, Barrios and his friends entered the U.S. and were expelled. They had little hope of a different result Thursday.

On the U.S. side of the river, many surrendered immediately to authorities and hoped to be released while pursuing their cases in backlogged immigration courts, which takes years.

It was not clear how many migrants were on the move or how long the surge might last. By Thursday evening, the flow seemed to be slowing in some locations, but it was not clear why, or whether crossings would increase again after the coronavirus-related restrictions expire.

A U.S. official reported the Border Patrol stopped some 10,000 migrants on Tuesday  nearly twice the level from March and only slightly below the 11,000 figure that authorities have said is the upper limit of what they expect after Title 42 ends.

More than 27,000 people were in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, the official said.

Our buses are full. Our planes are full, said Pedro Cardenas, a city commissioner in Brownsville, Texas, just north of Matamoros, as recent arrivals headed to locations across the U.S.

President Joe Bidens administration has been unveiling strict new measures to replace Title 42, which since March 2020 has allowed border officials to quickly return asylum seekers back over the border on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

The new policies crack down on illegal crossings while also setting up legal pathways for migrants who apply online, seek a sponsor and undergo background checks. If successful, the reforms could fundamentally alter how migrants arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border.

But it will take time to see results. Biden has conceded the border will be chaotic for a while. Immigrant advocacy groups have threatened legal action. And migrants fleeing poverty, gangs and persecution in their homelands are still desperate to reach U.S. soil at any cost.

Many migrants were acutely aware of looming policy changes as they searched Thursday for an opportunity to turn themselves over to U.S. immigration authorities before the 11:59 EDT deadline.

While Title 42 prevented many from seeking asylum, it carried no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. After Thursday, migrants face being barred from entering the U.S. for five years and possible criminal prosecution.

Holding facilities along the border already were far beyond capacity. But late Thursday, U.S. District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, an appointee of President Donald Trump, halted the administrations plan to begin releasing migrants with notices to report to an immigration office in 60 days when holding centers reach 125% capacity, or where people are held an average of 60 hours. The quick releases were to also be triggered when authorities stop 7,000 migrants along the border in a day.

The state of Florida argued the administrations plan was nearly identical to another Biden policy previously voided in federal court. Earlier Thursday, the Justice Department said its new move was a response to an emergency and being prevented from carrying it out could overwhelm the border and raise serious health and safety risks to noncitizens and immigration officials.

Weatherell blocked the releases for two weeks and scheduled a May 19 hearing on whether to extend his order.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had already warned of more crowded Border Patrol facilities to come.

I cannot overstate the strain on our personnel and our facilities, he told reporters Thursday.

Even as migrants were racing to reach U.S. soil before the rules expire, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said smugglers were sending a different message. He noted an uptick in smugglers at his countrys southern border offering to take migrants to the United States and telling them the border was open starting Thursday.

On Wednesday, Homeland Security announced a rule to make it extremely difficult for anyone who travels through another country, like Mexico, or who did not apply online, to qualify for asylum. It also introduced curfews with GPS tracking for families released in the U.S. before initial asylum screenings.

The administration says it is beefing up the removal of migrants found unqualified to stay in the U.S. on flights like those that brought nearly 400 migrants home to Guatemala from the U.S. on Thursday.

Among them was Sheidi Mazariegos, 26, who arrived with her 4-year-old son just eight days after being detained near Brownsville.

I heard on the news that there was an opportunity to enter, I heard it on the radio, but it was all a lie, she said. Smugglers got her to Matamoros and put the two on a raft. They were quickly apprehended by Border Patrol agents.

Mazariegos said she made the trek because she is poor and hoped to reunite with her sisters living in the U.S.

At the same time, the administration has introduced expansive new legal pathways into the U.S.

Up to 30,000 people a month from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela can enter if they apply online with a financial sponsor and enter through an airport. Processing centers are opening in Guatemala, Colombia and elsewhere. Up to 1,000 can enter daily though land crossings with Mexico if they snag an appointment on an online app.

At shelters in northern Mexico, many migrants chose not to rush to the border and waited for existing asylum appointments or hopes of reserving one online.

At the Agape Mision Mundial shelter in Tijuana, hundreds of migrants bided their time. Daisy Bucia, 37, and her 15-year-old daughter arrived at the shelter over three months ago from Mexicos Michoacan state  fleeing death threats  and have an asylum appointment Saturday in California.

Bucia read on social media that pandemic-era restrictions were ending at the U.S.-Mexico border, but preferred to cross with certainty later.

What people want more than anything is to confuse you, Bucia said.

___

Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Rebecca Santana in Washington; Christopher Sherman in Mexico City; Gerardo Carrillo in Matamoros, Mexico; Maria Verza in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Giovanna DellOrto in El Paso; and Elliot Spagat in Tijuana, Mexico, contributed to this report.

Read more about:

SHARE:
OTTAWAAn anti-abortion group made the short list for funding from Ottawas Canada Student Jobs program despite a change in policy thats supposed to restrict organizations like it from accessing the money.

Priests for Life hasnt been awarded any money yet, but the fact it made the initial cut pokes holes in the Liberal governments commitment to protecting womens rights, NDP MP Charlie Angus told the Star.

This group should be nowhere near young people, Angus said. There is no ifs, ands or buts about them.

His riding is one of three where Priests for Life has applied for money to hire summer students. The chairman of the organization said the money wouldnt be used in any way that violates the federal governments requirements.

Father John Lemire also pushed back on the politicization of the program.

The Liberal governments pro-abortion ideology shouldnt dictate how money is allocated, he said, and that it does is hypocritical.

It seems very odd for a government that supposedly believes in choice, he said.

If theyre so confident in their choice, why would they be afraid of other choices?

Program has weathered controversy

Last falls economic update set aside $400 million over two years for the latest round of the Canada Summer Jobs Program, which sees the federal government cover some of the salary costs for groups hiring students.

The program dates to 2006, but in 2017 controversy erupted over where those funds were going.

Despite the Liberals repeated assertions their government promoted and protected womens rights, dozens of groups with missions perceived as running counter to that goal were getting taxpayer money.

Priests for Life was among them. The organization describes itself as working with Catholic priests and parishes to fight the culture of death, particularly abortion and euthanasia by providing them with resources to talk about those issues.

Between 2010 and 2017, research from the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada found the group had received close to $89,700.

The Liberals subsequently overhauled the application criteria. Their first attempt drew criticism from religious groups which said a required attestation restricted their religious freedoms and shut out agencies that werent active in anti-abortion activities. The backlash to that saw the government revise the application again.

So how does the program work now?

Now, those seeking money from the program must declare that the funding they receive wont be used to undermine or restrict the exercise of rights legally protected in Canada.

Lemire said his group signed that attestation. The money would be used to hire seminarians to work on research, communication products and other materials, Lemire said. The students they hire arent out on the picket lines in front of abortion clinics.

But Angus said the very name of the group should have raised a red flag for Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and kept it off the short list.

How is it that ESDC said, oh, that might not be a bad organization for young people to spend their summer getting training with? What is going to be next, militias?

Angus also pressed the Liberals during question period Thursday as to how the group made the cut, but Jenna Sudds, the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Women, Gender Equality and Youth, didnt directly answer. Instead, she encouraged MPs to continue to provide feedback on applicants.

ESDC reviews all applications to the program, and then forwards a list of eligible projects to MPs for review and feedback.

Angus said he flagged Priests for Life to ESDC when he saw it on the list and that the group has been removed from eligibility in his northern Ontario riding of TimminsJames Bay. The group also applied for funding in Ontario ridings in the areas of Peterborough and Amherstburg.

Priests for Life got a grant

Lemire said his group has not received confirmation of that, but has been contacted by the government to provide more information about its work.

Priests for Life did receive one grant in 2021 in the riding of Essex, and the department says on its website that prior decisions can be a factor in whether an organization is granted funds again.

The department told the Star a group approved but then later found in violation of the program can have their funding revoked.

While we cannot comment on the specifics of any organizations application or agreement, all Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) applications are assessed against 15 eligibility criteria outlined in the CSJ program Applicant Guide, said the department. No employer is barred from applying to the Canada Summer Jobs program based on their religious affiliation. However, all employers under the Canada Summer Jobs Program are required to provide a safe and inclusive work environment that respects individual human rights as outlined in the Charter.

The abortion debate is back on the federal political agenda this week with a Conservative backbencher tabling a bill to increase penalties for violence against pregnant women which the Liberals say is an anti-abortion move by other means.

Meanwhile, thousands of people rallied at Parliament Hill Thursday for the annual March for Life, an event that brings together opponents to abortion.

Read more about:

SHARE:
The Landlord and Tenant Board is a disaster that didnt have to happen.

Landlords know it. Tenants know it.

Five years after taking power, Doug Fords Tories know it. Now they own it.

Belatedly, Ontarios ombudsman has documented it. Paul Dubes latest report condemns the LTB as a moribund tribunal that fails the fairness test for those who need it fastest  overstressed tenants and overstretched landlords, as I wrote in Tuesdays column.

The 16-month waiting times for a judgment are an injustice. The lack of experience and expertise on this tribunal is a travesty.

None of this comes as news to the tens of thousands of Ontarians who deserved better and discovered the worst. The bigger question is how exactly did it go from good to bad and worse  all on Fords watch?

That it took the ombudsman three years to investigate and remediate is a testament to this tribunals troubles. But the bad news is old news.

I first wrote about this injustice three years ago. The disruption and dysfunction wrought by Ford, upon winning power in 2018, is at the root of the crisis.

His rookie attorney general at the time, Caroline Mulroney, presided over a purge of tribunal experience and expertise, which targeted anyone appointed by the last Liberal government no matter how apolitical. Contracts went unrenewed and vacancies went unfilled, as Mulroney set the table for the Tories to impose their own patronage regime that rewarded political loyalty instead of fidelity to the law.

Bad enough that a short-staffed LTB gave tenants short shrift. Next, it wasted millions of dollars on untried technology that gummed up the ability to try cases, according to the ombudsman.

The backlog has grown to 38,000 cases. Tenants wait an average of 469 days for violations of basic rights to be resolved.

Excruciatingly long delays have had immense negative impacts on thousands of landlords and tenants who depend on the board, Dubes report concludes.

With Mulroney shuffled out, Doug Downey took over as attorney general with a mandate to clean up the mess. Then came COVID, creating a crisis in landlord-tenant relations that strained the system to the breaking point.

But the key point is that this problem long preceded the pandemic.

The early signs of crisis at the board emerged shortly after the 2018 provincial election, when the number of its adjudicators plummeted and significantly affected its ability to hear applications, the report found.

Long before the ombudsman looked at this, a group of lawyers and former adjudicators created Tribunal Watch Ontario to raise the alarm about the slow decline of administrative justice under Fords Tories. Ontarios self-described First Government for The People was depriving people of their first point of access to justice.

Largely vindicated by the ombudsmans report, Tribunal Watch is far from declaring victory: The backlog (is) continuing to grow, and it is difficult to have any confidence in the ability of Tribunals Ontario and the LTB to course-correct.

What began as a patronage play, made worse by a technology delay, has culminated in a lack of accessibility. Under cover of COVID, the landlord and tenant board erected an electronic wall that requires virtually all applicants to deal with them digitally rather than in person.

The hearings can be chaotic and the connectivity unreliable, as the ombudsman confirms. The inescapable conclusion is that the LTB has turned itself into a glorified call centre without reasonable grounds.

Our law courts adapted to remote hearings during the pandemic emergency, but have long since reverted and reopened. By insisting on virtual hearings, the tribunal has created an imbalance in access to a fair process  experienced most acutely by rural and low-income households  disproportionately racialized, recent immigrants, persons with disabilities and others with barriers to higher earnings, Tribunal Watch argues.

It cites statistics showing that the landlord and tenant board allows almost no exemptions. Why not make reasonable accommodation for those who merit it?

Understandably, landlord and tenant backlogs get most of the attention. But the rot extends to the Human Rights Tribunal and the Social Benefits Tribunal, where the most disadvantaged and disabled welfare recipients must plead their cases.

The crisis at Tribunals Ontario is wider and deeper than the deplorable state of the LTB as documented by the ombudsman, the group concludes in an analysis shared with me this week.

We do not change the judges in our courts after an election, Tribunal Watch points out. We should not discard experienced and skilled adjudicators at Ontario Tribunals.

The problem is that experienced and proven leaders were replaced, in some cases, by people for whom political affiliation seemed to be the main qualification. Its time for the appointment and reappointment process to be regularized and depoliticized, with a non-partisan oversight apparatus that gets input from trusted outside organizations such as the Law Society of Ontario, the group urges.

Downey, the attorney general who inherited this mess, would do well to listen to Tribunal Watch, which was first on the case. Despite his best efforts and bigger spending  $6.5 million just last month  the LTB will never make up for lost time unless it takes extraordinary measures to fix the extreme mistakes committed early on.

While Downey personally didnt create the mess, hes on the hook for his fellow Tories. You break it, you fix it.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Key Insights

Significantly high institutional ownership implies Technology One's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions

The top 17 shareholders own 51% of the company

Insiders own 13% of Technology One

Every investor in Technology One Limited (ASX:TNE) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 46% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Technology One.

View our latest analysis for Technology One

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Technology One?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

Technology One already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Technology One's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Hedge funds don't have many shares in Technology One. The company's largest shareholder is John MacTaggart, with ownership of 8.3%. The second and third largest shareholders are Adrian Di Marco and The Vanguard Group, Inc., with an equal amount of shares to their name at 4.4%.

Story continues

Looking at the shareholder registry, we can see that 51% of the ownership is controlled by the top 17 shareholders, meaning that no single shareholder has a majority interest in the ownership.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Technology One

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

It seems insiders own a significant proportion of Technology One Limited. It is very interesting to see that insiders have a meaningful AU$622m stake in this AU$4.8b business. It is good to see this level of investment. You can check here to see if those insiders have been buying recently.

General Public Ownership

With a 41% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Technology One. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Technology One better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Technology One you should be aware of.

Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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
50 roasters across the US: A guide to coffee in every state
Weve had to say goodbye to some beloved musicians, athletes, actors and more. Here's a look at the stars we've lost so far in 2023, through April.
BERLIN (AP)  A man opened fire at a Mercedes-Benz factory in southwestern Germany on Thursday, leaving two people dead, authorities and the company said.

The shooting occurred in Sindelfingen, a city near Stuttgart. The suspect, a 53-year-old Turkish citizen, was taken into custody, the Stuttgart prosecutor's office said.

Police received the first emergency calls around 7:45 a.m. (0545 GMT; 1:45 a.m. EDT) on Thursday, prosecutors said in a statement.

By the time officers arrived, the suspect had already been overwhelmed by company security. He is being investigated on suspicion of double homicide.

The victims were both 44 years old, prosecutors said, but provided no further details about the dead men and said the possible motive for the killings was under investigation.

In a statement, Mercedes-Benz said that two people were killed at its Sindelfingen plant and the company was deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news."

Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all colleagues on site, the statement said.

The company said the three people involved were employees of an external service provider. German news agency dpa reported that they worked for logistics company Rhenus.

The sprawling Sindelfingen factory employs around 35,000 workers producing E-Class and S-Class luxury sedans and CLS and GLC coupes, according to Mercedes-Benz's website. It also houses planning, purchasing and development and design departments.

The 8th paragraph of this story has been revised to correct that three employees refers to the two who were killed and the suspect, not that three were killed.
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP)  The Ukrainian government is seeking to extend a wartime deal that allowed the country's grain to get to nations in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger is a growing threat, a top Ukrainian official said Thursday after the latest talks on prolonging the agreement.

The talks in Istanbul involved Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian and United Nations officials but yielded no decisions for an extension. The deal is due to expire next Wednesday.

Additional discussions are expected in an online format, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said. He said in a statement released after the talks that the grain deal should be extended for a longer period of time and expanded.

This will give predictability and confidence to both the global and the Ukrainian markets, Kubrakov said. Previous extensions lasted 120 days and 60 days.

However, Russia opposes both broadening the agreement and its indefinite expansion, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said after the talks. Moscow is considering proposals made by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the work, the contacts continue," Vershinin said.

If there is no consensus by May 18, the deal will cease to exist, the Russian diplomat said.

Ukraine and Russia are both major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other affordable food products that developing nations depend on. In July 2022, Moscow and Kyiv signed an agreement with the United Nations and Turkey that outlined a process for shipments from three of Ukraine's Black Sea ports to resume amid Russia's invasion of its neighbor.

It has since been renewed twice, most recently in March. According to the U.N., the agreement establishing a safe shipping corridor from the Ukrainian ports to Turkey has allowed over 30 million metric tons of grain and foodstuffs to leave the country.

Russia has repeatedly complained that a separate agreement with the U.N. to overcome obstacles to shipments of its fertilizers that was part of the July package has not produced results.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York on Thursday that contacts would continue during what he called a delicate phase.

U.N. officials are trying to do whatever we can to ensure that this very important initiative continues and that, as well, we see progress on our efforts of facilitation of Russian grain and fertilizer, he said.

According a U.N. statement, proposals discussed at the Thursday meeting included resuming operation of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline from Russia to Ukraine, a longer extension of the deal and the running of the Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center that oversees the deal's day-to-day implementation.

Vershinin reiterated Thursday that Moscow first and foremost is defending Russia's national interests, its agriculture producers, producers of fertilizers.

An initiative that brings unilateral benefits can hardly be recognized and confirmed by all, he said.

The Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement after the talks that the sides displayed constructive approaches.

Edith M. Lederer contributed from the United Nations in New York.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in remarks broadcast Thursday that Kyiv is delaying its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russias occupying forces because Ukraine lacks enough Western weapons to succeed without suffering too many casualties.

His remarks, in an interview with European broadcasters, were aired shortly before Britain said it has sent Ukraine air-launched cruise missiles that would allow pilots to extend their reach farther than possibly any other weapon in their arsenal, to locations deep behind the front line.

A Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russias more than 14-month-old invasion has been expected since warmer weather improved battlefield conditions, and Zelenskyy said it's possible that "we can go forward and be successful, the BBC reported.

But wed lose a lot of people. I think thats unacceptable, he was quoted as saying in the interview, conducted in Kyiv with public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, including the BBC.

So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time, Zelenskyy was quoted as saying. In terms of equipment, not everything has arrived yet.

Analysts and Ukrainian officials have talked for months of a coming Ukrainian counterpunch. Zelenskyys remarks could be designed to keep the Russians guessing, with more uncertainty because both sides are struggling to secure enough ammunition.

Ukraine's troops are receiving Western training, as well as advanced weapons, as it gears up for such an assault.

Later Thursday, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told lawmakers it sent Ukraine the Storm Shadow missiles, a conventionally armed weapon with a range of more than 250 kilometers (150 miles). By contrast, the truck-mounted HIMARS launchers that Washington has supplied feature GPS-guided missiles capable of hitting targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) away.

Wallace said the cruise missiles are now going into or are in the country itself, but didnt say how many were provided.

The air-launched missiles would allow Ukrainian forces to target locations such as Russia-occupied Crimea. Kyiv has pledged not to use them to attack Russia itself, U.K. media reported. The U.S. and its allies have expressed concern that enabling Ukraine to use their weapons to hit targets inside Russia could provoke the Kremlin to escalate the war.

The British delivery adds to the tanks and long-range precision artillery that Western countries have already supplied to Ukraine.

Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, tweeted: Well done UK!

This will give Ukraine capability to make Crimea untenable for Russian forces and require Russia to reevaluate the positioning of its Black Sea fleet, Hodges said.

Sidharth Kaushal, a research fellow at Londons Royal United Services Institute, said the Storm Shadow missiles could allow Ukraine to strike Russian vessels in its Black Sea headquarters port of Sevastopol, from which Moscow's Kalibr missiles "have been used to target crucial Ukrainian infrastructure.

Patrick Bury, senior lecturer in security at the University of Bath, wasnt surprised at Zelenskyy's comments about delaying the spring campaign.

If you are Zelenskyy, you are doing everything you can to make sure you get everything you need before launching the offensive, he said.

On the other hand, I would not be surprised at all if it started in the next couple of weeks, depending on the mud. ... As of last week it was still one of the wettest springs theyve had over there in years.  Its just not favorable, Bury added.

A Ukrainian military claim Wednesday that its troops had advanced up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) around the hotly contested eastern city of Bakhmut fueled speculation that the counteroffensive was underway.

Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraines Operational Command East, told The Associated Press that the fighting and forward movement was not the grand counteroffensive, but its a harbinger showing that there will be more such attacks in the future.

But Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russias private military force Wagner that has spearheaded Moscow's battle for Bakhmut, claimed Kyiv's counteroffensive was in full swing, with Ukrainian forces advancing on the flanks around the city.

Unfortunately, in some areas theyre doing it successfully, Prigozhin said.

Kremlin forces are deeply entrenched in eastern Ukraine with layered defensive lines reportedly up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) deep. Kyiv's counteroffensive would likely face minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles.

Russia is acting slow in Ukraine because it wants to preserve infrastructure and save lives there, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Bosnian Serb channel ATV on Wednesday night.

Moscow has repeatedly explained its lack of advances on the battlefield as an effort to protect civilians, but those claims have been proven false, with frequent attacks on civilian buildings.

Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to reduce the war to a so-called frozen conflict, with neither side able to dislodge the other, according to the BBC. He ruled out surrendering territory to Russia in return for a peace deal.

The Kremlin wants Kyiv to acknowledge Russian sovereignty over Crimea and to recognize Septembers illegal annexation of the provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine has rejected the demands and ruled out any talks with Russia until its troops withdraw from all occupied territories.

Military analysts have warned that Putin hopes the Wests costly support for Kyiv will fray.

Ukraines Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euros ($70 billion) in military aid, and with no peace talks on the horizon, the alliance is gearing up to send more.

European Union Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said delaying a counteroffensive was a sign that the West must step up its military support for Ukraine.

Certainly, they need more preparation, Borrell said at a defense and security conference in Brussels. They need more arms. They need to gather more capacity, and it is us who have to provide for that.

Russia also is seeking more weapons and ammunition. The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia via a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near Cape Town in December. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation was underway.

Over the winter, the Ukraine conflict became bogged down in a war of attrition, with both sides relying heavily on bombarding each others positions.

A counteroffensive is a major challenge, requiring the Ukrainian military to orchestrate a wide range of capabilities, including providing ammunition, food, medical supplies and spare parts, along potentially extended supply lines. The front line extends more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles).

Zelenskyy has been making the rounds of Western capitals to seek more support. As part of that effort, Pope Francis could meet Zelenskyy at the Vatican this weekend, a Vatican official said Thursday. Francis recently revealed a secret peace mission but provided no details. Zelenskyy was expected in Germany starting Saturday evening. Italian media, citing unidentified sources, reported that Zelenskyy might be in Rome earlier that day to meet with Premier Giorgia Meloni and the pope.

A Vatican official said an audience with the pope on Saturday is a possibility. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the visit was not confirmed.

Russias latest long-range barrages killed at least six civilians and wounded 13 others, Ukraines presidential office said.

In other developments, a Ukrainian drone damaged a fuel storage tank across the Russian border in Bryansk, the regions governor reported on Telegram. In Ukraines Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, meanwhile, Russian-appointed authorities reported an assassination attempt against a judge. The authorities didnt report how the attack occurred, saying only that the judge wasnt injured, but two of his guards were. Ukraine didnt comment on either attack.

Lawless reported from London. Lorne Cook in Brussels, Gerald Imray in Cape Town, South Africa, and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed.

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
KUTZTOWN, Pa.  Some Kutztown University students said Wednesday night that they were saddened and surprised to hear an alumnus has died, and the graduate's death is being investigated by police as a homicide.

The incident did not happen on campus but, rather, more than 70 miles away in Kingston, Luzerne County.

Regardless of the distance, some students who currently attend KU say it hits close to home.

Ryan Padovani, 22, of Delaware, worked for the LGBTQ+ Resource Center on campus from 2019 until he graduated last year.

He is remembered as a creative person who was only just getting started in a career of professional writing.

"It's very tragic, very hard to hear. There's just a lot of hate. A lot of cruelty and violence," said Jadilyz Baez, a sophomore criminal justice major.

Baez, who worked with Padovani briefly at the center, says he was a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities.

The sophomore describes him as a bubbly person with a pure soul and passionate about what he believed in.

"He was definitely a very kind soul," Baez explained.

"It's super sad," said Sydney Runkel, a senior. "Like, I wouldn't even know what to say."

The young man from Delaware went to the university in Maxatawny Township to be a professional writer.

According to his obituary, Padovani recently got a job in his field, moving to Kingston to be a technical writer for a telecommunications company.

East Bennett Street is where police there say they found Padovani dead; the coroner says he suffered head trauma.

"Parents always say, 'When you graduate high school, that's when your life is supposed to begin,' but I personally think it's when you're graduating college, and you're going to do what you came here for, what you spent all this money on," said Alli Reed, a student. "He sadly didn't even get to start that because he just graduated."

Details about what happened remain sparce. 69 News reached out to Kingston police for an interview and is awaiting a response.

People on campus say the investigation is a reminder to be aware of their surroundings.

"Things like homicides like you don't see them coming," said Anna Ennis, a junior. "I hope that his family gets the justice that they need."

Kingston police are asking anyone who may know something to give them a call.

The Boxwood House is where the LGBTQ+ Resource Center and a Women's Center is located.

It's known on campus as an inclusive, welcoming place and where Padovani spent a lot of time.

Thursday night, there is a candlelight vigil set for 7:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Boxwood House backyard.

Organizers say anyone is welcome to attend.
READING, Pa.  The Reading Zoning Hearing Board on Wednesday heard a request for zoning relief from Dream Ventures PA II LLC, which Mark Koch  a Reading attorney for the developer  said is an entity controlled by a Brooklyn development company, Heights Advisors.

The developer is proposing to convert the former Santander office building at 601 Penn Street into a 207-unit apartment building consisting of a mix of efficiencies and one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.

In September 2022, the board rejected the same developer's proposed adaptive reuse of the same building as a 228-room hotel, which could have also included apartment units and dormitories.

At that time, the zoning board members objected to the submission of an application without specific details of the mixed uses and because the application did not offer any plans for off-street parking.

Koch said the developer also has apartment unit projects at the Fleetwood Lofts building in Fleetwood and a building at 100 S. Fourth St. The developer will be submitting similar plans for the former Central Catholic High School building on Hill Road.

"I want to point out that we think we've got a pretty unique opportunity here to present and complete a project that is just fantastic for the for the city of Reading," Koch said. "As you know, we've been here before to discuss some prior uses. We've really fine-tuned that application, and essentially, this is our shot at it."

Andrew Goltzman, representing Heights Advisors, said that while the proposed apartments units do not meet the minimum square feet for the city's zoning ordinance, the project would meet all building codes.

The city's ordinance requires a minimum space of 400 square feet for efficiencies, 550 square feet for one-bedroom apartments and 700 square feet for two-bedroom apartments.

Philadelphia architect Plato Marinakos said the proposed square footage for the apartment units is 224 square feet for efficiencies, 250 square feet to 350 square feet for one-bedroom units and about 490 square feet for two-bedroom units.

"We designed them to comply with the building codes," Marinakos said. "It's my professional opinion as an architect that the requirements of the Reading zoning ordinance are excessive and outdated."

Goltzman testified that the developers cannot comply with the city's square footage requirements if it is to get a reasonable rate of return and provide with them with cash flow needed to complete a purchase of the building and the adaptive-reuse construction.

Goltzman also asked that parking requirements be reduced from 1.5 spaces per unit to 0.5 to 1 space per unit.

Goltzman said the plan would be to lease off-street parking garage spaces from the Reading Parking Authority on an as-needed basis, as required by the zoning hearing board.

Reading Mayor Eddie Moran send a letter of support in favor of the project and William Heim, the city's managing director, asked that the zoning board grant the relief.

"I believe the big step in transforming the downtown area is to bring people into the city, and perhaps the best way to do that is to have them reside downtown," Heim said, "and I think to do that, they need availability of market-rate, affordable, well-planned apartments."

"I think it will wind up attracting a variety of tenants, and for that reason, the mayor supports it, and I support this project," Heim added. "Things have to change downtown; it's been stagnant for too long."

Other city officials, however, had opposing viewpoints.

Councilwoman Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz said that while she understands the need to reinvent the downtown, she does not believe the high-density housing proposal is realistic.

"There is a very clear reason why we have zoning that sets limits on the size of units, and that's to be able to make them manageable for the capacity of the city," Goodman-Hinnershitz said.

"I really believe we need to be able to offer planned residential, but we need to do it in a way that really reflects what the capacity of the city is, rather than a shotgun approach," she said. "To me, this is not a responsible use of the building, and I would be asking the zoning board to continue to adhere to the standards they have for the size of the units and the requirements for parking, and not approve this application."

Attorney Mahlon Boyer, the solicitor for the Reading Parking Authority, said he was speaking on behalf of the authority.

"Unfortunately, as everyone here knows, the city has and continues to face a significant parking crisis that the parking authority has over the past few years diligently tried to address through new on-street parking and new off-street parking through the development of surface parking lots," Boyer said.

"This particular area has inadequate street parking," he continued. "It is the position of the Reading Parking Authority that there should be no reduction in parking requirements."

Councilwoman Melissa Ventura said she had the same concerns about the small apartments and the parking.

"We don't need more residential in downtown," she said. "We need more businesses."

Tyler Simmons, owner of The Plug, a shoe store at 547 Penn St., strongly objected to the proposed development.

"I believe this is going to turn into a basically public housing, and it's going to create a disaster for downtown," Simmons said.

"I'm totally against it because of the nature of the housing and how small the apartments are going to be," he said, "and what that's going to attract and bring to downtown."

The board is expected to render a decision at its meeting on June 14.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Allentown Art Museum's "Fashion as Experiment: The 60's" is a trip back in time to an era that transformed what was happening in American culture into wearable ideologies.

"Young people, protesting against racism and sexism in their society, young people who enjoy the ecological movement, and more. Generally, this desire for greater freedom and authenticity and daily life," said Claire McRee, the museum's Assistant Curator.

The exhibit is broken into two components. The first focuses on disruptive youth styles with bold colors, oh-so-high hemlines, hot pants, and the pop art influence of Warhol's Campbell soup cans.

But it didn't limit itself to the ladies.

"We also see the influence of what's called the peacock revolution on menswear. By the mid to late 60s young men in particular were beginning to experiment with clothing that was in styles conventionally considered to be feminine in western fashion," said MRee.

These disruptive styles lay the groundwork for the items in the second part of the exhibition, the hippie movement, the idea of clothing being a means of protest and how it could connect us with our heritage.

"With garments like the dashiki, which is something adopted by many young African Americans in this era, along with natural hair as a way of celebrating heritage and celebrating difference," said McRee.

As part of the exhibition, the Allentown Art Museum is asking the community to share pictures of their families and their fashion from the 60's to show how these trends and political movements were interpreted in the Lehigh Valley.

The exhibition runs through Sept. 24. Admission is free.
(Bloomberg) -- UK entrepreneur Jonathan Milner is ramping up pressure on Abcam Plc to give him a board seat, as he seeks to improve performance at the biotechnology supplier he started 25 years ago.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Milner is seeking a nomination to Abcams board after the companys annual general meeting on May 17, people familiar with the matter said. Hes held several discussions with other shareholders as well as Abcam directors, the people said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private.

The British scientist wants to reach an amicable agreement with Abcam, but is working with advisers to look at other options if he isnt appointed, the people said. Hes planning to abstain from voting on any resolutions at the upcoming AGM, the people said.

Abcams American depositary shares gained as much as 1.9% on Thursday. They were up 1% at 11:45 a.m. in New York, giving the company a market value of about $4.1 billion. Abcam was valued at around $5.5 billion at its peak in February 2021.

Representatives for Milner and Abcam declined to comment.

Milner is one of Abcams largest investors with a 6.4% stake in the Cambridge, England-based company, which is sometimes referred to as the Amazon of antibodies. Abcam runs an online store selling a variety of protein research tools to life scientists, ranging from reagents and cellular assays to enzymes and imaging products.

Bloomberg News first reported earlier this month that Milner is pushing for better performance and aims to take a more active role in influencing Abcams governance, performance and direction. Abcam said at the time it speaks with Milner regularly and most recently met with him on April 28.

Story continues

Milner founded Abcam in 1998, helped grow the company through its 2005 initial public offering and served as chief executive officer until 2014. He then became deputy chairman, before eventually stepping down from the board in October 2020. He has since focused on investing in early-stage life sciences companies and other high-tech startups in the UK.

(Updates with share move in fourth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
A former special education teacher in Montgomery County has learned his fate for going to the Philippines to have sex with minors.

Craig Levin, 67, was sentenced Tuesday to 35 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Levin, who was a retired teacher in the Lower Merion School District, went to the Philippines nine times between 2016-2019 for the purpose of having sex with "disadvantaged minors," the justice department said.

When he was arrested by police in the Philippines, investigators found notebooks in his hotel room with the names and ages of hundreds of girls, whom he rated on several categories, authorities said. Multiple children as young as 12 were listed in the notebooks, and only girls under age 18 got a top score of 10.

The King of Prussia man pleaded guilty in 2022 to six counts charging him with foreign travel to engage in sex with a minor, attempted sex trafficking of a minor, and distribution and transportation of child pornography.
PERKASIE, Pa.  In Bucks County, a school board meeting went on for hours, after it became so heated that a recess was called. Pennridge School Board members Wednesday night passed a new policy 7-1, mandating students to only use the bathroom of their biological gender.

It turned out, that agenda item was just the tip of the iceberg for a meeting with many other points of contention. One issue alone ended up causing a roughly 45-minute recess.

Laura Foster was stopped from speaking at Wednesday night's meeting after addressing a brand-new contract the district has with a company called Vermillion Education. On its website, the company calls itself nonpartisan and says it brings a decade of education experience.

However, the many community members opposing the new contract both at Wednesday night's meeting and the rally ahead of that, question it.

"Vermillion, their LLC was approved, like, four months ago, so they were and they still are very connected with Hillsdale College, which is an alt-right school in Michigan," Robin Reid, a senior at Pennridge High School, said.

Hillsdale College is a private, conservative Christian college.

"Unfortunately, Hillsdale curriculum is not one that will talk about the reality of our history," Foster said. "Think of, like, an African American kid sitting in this classroom and hearing how slavery hurt white people, too."

A school board in Sarasota, Florida, last month voted against using Vermillion Education as a consulting firm for its schools.

Some in support of the contract also say approving it was rushed.

"I am torn with the contract of Vermillion," said a community member who took to the podium. "It's not that I don't agree with the contract  I actually do...you should be more upfront with what you're doing, and have contracts that are more defined for the taxpayers in the community at hand."

Foster tells 69 News the contract was put forth 24 hours before the last school board meeting.

"Without informing half of the school board members, they didn't tell the parents, they didn't tell the administrators, the teachers didn't know about it," she said.

When Foster brought up these concerns at the meeting, she was interrupted by board members.

"This is for agenda items," a board member told Foster.

"I'm asking about an agenda item," she responded, "as this falls under old business."

"Mr. Rice, I'd like to call for a recess please," another board member said.

This was met with loud boos across the auditorium.

The recess lasted about 45 minutes. Local police were called in. Most board members walked out, but three stayed seated.

"Well, if my mic's still hot, I'm just going to stay and speak," Foster said.

That was met with loud applause.

Once the recess ended, Foster attempted to continue to speak about the Vermillion contract, but after several back-and-forth exchanges, with the board attempting to quiet her, the next person was called to the podium. That person also addressed the Vermillion contract, and was also asked to only speak about the budget. She was cut off as well.

"Miss Smith, does this have to do with the budget that's a voting item?" a board member asked.

"Anything that is spent by the school district is in the budget, is it not?" she answered.

This was also met with loud applause.
U. MAKEFIELD TWP., Pa. - A woman accused of shooting and killing her two sons in Bucks County in May 2022 is headed to trial.

Trinh Nguyen waived her preliminary hearing Tuesday, according to court documents. She is charged with first-degree murder, attempted homicide, possession of an instrument of crime, and possession of a controlled substance.

Jeffrey and Nelson Tini died of their injuries. Jeffrey, 13, was in eighth grade. Nelson, 9, was in third grade.

Detectives have said she planned the killings at least a week earlier, leaving a handwritten will dated April 25, 2022 that gave instructions on what to do with her and her sons' remains. Nguyen shot the boys in their beds, the county district attorney said.

Prosecutors also say she tried to shoot a neighbor, but her gun did not fire.

She was found later that morning in her minivan, after ingesting heroin in an attempt to kill herself, she later told a judge.

Investigators found out Nguyen was being evicted from her home and was to be out by Tuesday, May 3, the day after the shooting.
Concerned members of the Pennridge School District gathered for a rally ahead of Wednesday night's school board meeting. A plan to address several topics of contention has many concerned.

The board passed a new policy 7-1 Wednesday night, that will only allow a student to use the bathroom of the gender they were assigned at birth.

Parents say who can use which bathrooms is just one contentious topic at the upcoming meeting.

Laura Foster is a mom of three children in the Pennridge School District. She and others held a rally before that meeting.

"I really started to get involved when there was these discriminatory policies against LGBTQ + students, and seeing the impact that it had on the mental health of children," she said. "I'm a mental health therapist."

Right now, the district says that with parent permission, students can use the bathroom of the gender they identify with. But Policy 720 would change that. Back in late April, it went through a "first read."

"Do not try to tell people what my belief was on this subject," one board member said during the discussion. "My intent never would have been to have biological males and biological females in locker rooms together."

A final vote taking place Wednesday night has parents, like Foster, concerned.

"We know that for LGBTQ + kids, their mental health is not determined by the status of them being gay or trans or loving someone of the same gender, mental health issues arise from them having an unsupportive environment," she said.

This past Monday, May 8, the topic was brought up again.

"Do you want gender identity and ideology to be born into the physical structure of our schools. Or do you not?" one community member asked.

"So if you're trans and you want to use a different bathroom, you have to 'out' yourself to be able to use a bathroom in school," Foster told 69 News on Wednesday.

The community member who spoke on May 8 argues the current political climate will affect thousands of students passing through the school system.

"I don't want to put a situation in place for our community," he said, "where we're expressly adopting this gender identity that I think our community as a whole considers dangerous, especially to girls."

The policy also includes verbiage saying the district will provide single-user facilities that may be accessed by any student and staff within the district, regardless of their sex or gender identity.

The school sent 69 News a statement, responding to the rally, saying in part:

"We encourage our students, staff, and entire community to be an active voice in all Pennridge School District decisions. At the same time, we ask them to be respectful and courteous during the meetings, but utilize the public comment section of the meeting to have their voices heard by anyone present at the meeting."
LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia (AP)  Indonesian President Joko Widodo somberly acknowledged to fellow Southeast Asian leaders Thursday that no progress has been made to end the civil strife gripping Myanmar and renewed a call for an end to the violence, including a recent airstrike a rights group called an apparent war crime."

I have to be honest, Widodo told fellow leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on the final day of their two-day summit in the Indonesian harbor town of Labuan Bajo. There has been no significant progress in the implementation of the five-point consensus.

ASEAN's chairperson this year, Widodo was referring to a peace plan forged by the 10-nation bloc with Myanmars top general in 2021 that called for an immediate end to the violence and dialogue among contending parties to be brokered through an ASEAN special envoy.

Myanmar's military-led government refused to take steps to enforce the plan, prompting ASEAN leaders to exclude the countrys ruling generals and their appointees from the blocs summit meetings. The generals have protested ASEANs move, which they said strayed from the groups bedrock policy of non-intervention in each others domestic affairs and deciding by consensus.

Widodo called for unity  a seemingly futile call as he spoke with fellow heads of state in a bayside hotel conference room with the chair reserved for Myanmars leader empty.

After the leaders concluded their summit, Widodo and his foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, told a news conference that the bloc would continue to push for the peace plan's enforcement and expand ASEAN's engagement not just with military leaders but with various groups in Myanmar, hoping the military-led government would do the same.

We will try again and again, Marsudi told reporters. We are still united and strong in seeing the urgency of the five-point consensus.

Engagement doesn't mean recognition, Widodo said.

Founded in 1967 as a diverse club of authoritarian regimes, monarchs and nascent democracies, ASEAN has come under international pressure to take tougher steps to address the crisis in Myanmar. But ASEAN members appeared to be divided, with some recommending an easing of punitive actions aimed at isolating Myanmars generals and allowing its top diplomat and officials back to attend the summit meetings.

The time for isolation has served its purpose, an internal ASEAN report obtained by The Associated Press cited some member states as saying in a meeting of the bloc's top diplomats ahead of the leaders' summit.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim publicly expressed his frustrations. He has said that about 200,000 people have fled to Malaysia to escape the tumult in Myanmar.

ASEAN has not been able to resolve most problems, contentious ones, Anwar told fellow leaders Wednesday in videotaped remarks he posted on his Twitter account. We are stuck with the principle of non-intervention.

Yes, there is non-interference, but we will have to then have a new vision that could give us some flexibility in order to navigate and maneuver the way forward, he said.

ASEAN leaders on Wednesday condemned an attack on an aid convoy that their group had arranged for displaced people in Myanmar, calling for an immediate stop to violence and for the military government to comply with a peace plan.

Gunmen opened fire on a convoy delivering aid to displaced villagers and carrying Indonesian and Singaporean diplomats over the weekend in Myanmars eastern Shan state. A security team with the convoy returned fire and a vehicle was damaged, but there were no injuries, state-run television MRTV reported.

For the second year, Myanmars top general was not invited to the summit. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing led the army in seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, plunging the country into a civil strife and becoming ASEANs gravest crisis since its establishment.

During foreign ministers talks ahead of the summit, some suggested that the group reengage Myanmars military-led State Administration Council and bring Myanmar back to ASEAN foreign ministers meeting and summits, noting that the time for isolation has served its purpose, according to the ASEAN report. It did not identify the countries pushing for more leniency toward Myanmar despite international outrage against continuing military attacks in the country.

The suggestion for ASEAN to bring Myanmar back into its fold was noted, the report said, hinting it did not receive full approval from all the ministers.

The ministerial talks stressed the Myanmar crisis should not affect ASEANs progress in building a regional community, said the report, which cited one observation that there would be no near-term solution to the Myanmar crisis.

There was also an observation that ASEAN might be experiencing a Myanmar fatigue, which might distract ASEAN from larger goals of ASEAN community-building, the report said. Patience, flexibility and creativity are therefore required since there will be no quick fix to the crisis.

The report cited, without elaborating, concerns on rising transnational crimes, including human trafficking and illegal drug production originating from Myanmar. More alarmingly, it said, there was a call to all parties to stop the influx of arms and financial funding into Myanmar, which leads to an escalation of the conflict.

More than 3,450 civilians have been killed by security forces since Myanmars military took power, and thousands more remain imprisoned, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which keeps tallies of casualties and arrests linked to repression by the military government.

In April, a military airstrike killed more than 160 people, including many children, who were attending a ceremony by opponents of army rule, according to witnesses cited by Human Rights Watch. The group on Tuesday described the attack as an apparent war crime.

Aside from Myanmar, the long-seething territorial disputes in the South China Sea which involve China, ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, along with Taiwan, were high in the summit agenda.

In a post-summit communique issued by Widodo on behalf of the ASEAN leaders, they renewed a call for self-restraint in the disputed South China Sea to prevent miscalculations and confrontations, repeating language used in previous ASEAN statements, which criticized China's aggressive actions without naming it in an indication of Beijing's influence.

Associated Press journalists Andi Jatmiko and Achmad Ibrahim contributed to this report.
Cheerleaders from a Berks-based gym made history in Florida this past weekend.

Phoenix Allstars is a competitive cheer gym in Wyomissing. Sixty-three of the gym's athletes took part in the D2 Summit, an invite-only cheer competition, in Orlando, and they showed just how fierce they are.

For the first time in Phoenix history, all four teams who earned a spot on the mat made it to finals. They had four "hit zero" routines on the first day. If you watched Netflix's docuseries "Cheer," you might know what that means. Hit zero means no stunts were dropped, there were no missed tumbles and they had no deductions or mistakes in their routines.

The four teams all placed within the top 12 in their divisions and one of the teams placed third. That was the gym's highest placement ever at finals.

The athletes practice a lot to get this level. Their season runs all year long, so there is no down time. They had a lot of support from family and friends before they left for competition.

And they are already looking ahead, as team evaluations are coming up in two weeks.
During a contentious CNN town hall Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump dug in on his lies about the 2020 election, downplayed the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, and repeatedly insulted the woman whom a civil jury this week found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming.

Trump, returning to the network after years of acrimony, also refused to say whether he wants Ukraine to win the war against Russian aggression and said the U.S. might as well default on its debt obligation, despite the potentially devastating economic consequences.

The live, televised event  held in early-voting New Hampshire  underscored the challenges of fact-checking Trump in real time. The former president was cheered on and applauded by an audience of Republican and unaffiliated voters who plan to vote in the GOP primary, as moderator Kaitlan Collins sometimes struggled to correct the record as Trump steamrolled with untrue statements. You are a nasty person, he snapped at one point.

The event also highlighted what is perhaps Trump's most fundamental challenge as he emerged as the undisputed frontrunner for the Republican nomination to take on President Joe Biden again. While Trump's tone and divisive statements often thrill Republican primary crowds, he has so far done little to expand his appeal among the moderates and independents who soured on him in 2020 and will be crucial to winning the general election.

Indeed, Trump on Wednesday repeatedly doubled down on his lies that the 2020 election had been rigged, even though state and federal election officials, his own campaign and White House aides, and dozens of courts, including Republican judges, have said there is no evidence to support his claims.

He also displayed no remorse for what happened on Jan. 6, when a mob of his supporters violently stormed the Capitol in a bid to halt the certification of Biden's win. He excused his delayed response that day  he was silent for more than three hours as the carnage unfolded  pulling out a printout of his tweeted timeline as a form of defense.

Instead, he lashed out at the Black police officer who shot and killed rioter Ashli Babbitt, calling him a thug," despite a Justice Department finding that the shooting was justified. And he said he is inclined to pardon a large portion of the rioters charged in the attack. More than 670 people have been convicted of crimes related to that day, including some found guilty of seditious conspiracy or assaulting police officers.

Trump also rejected a suggestion that he apologize to his former vice president, Mike Pence, who was targeted by the mob after Trump wrongly insisted that Pence had the power to overturn the election results.

I don't feel he was in any danger," he said. In fact, Trump said, Pence was the one who did something wrong.

He would not commit to accepting the results of the next election, either, saying he would do so only if he feels its an honest election  as he said before the 2020 election.

The primetime forum  the first major television event of the 2024 presidential campaign and Trump's first interview appearance on CNN since before he was elected president in 2016  drew suspicion from both sides of the political divide as soon as it was announced.

Democrats questioned whether a man who continues to spread lies about his 2020 election loss should be given the airtime. Conservatives wondered why Trump would appear on  and potentially give a ratings bump to  a network he has continually disparaged.

The stakes were raised considerably Tuesday after jurors in New York found Trump had sexually abused and defamed advice columnist E. Jean Carroll nearly three decades ago, though they rejected her claim that he raped her. The jury awarded her $5 million in damages.

Trump, at Wednesday's event, called the case fake news and insisted he didn't know Carroll, even as he attacked her in deeply personal terms. "Shes a wack job, he said, drawing laughs from the crowd.

CNN said in a statement that it was proud of Collins' performance and that voters deserve to hear from a leading White House contender.

Kaitlan Collins exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist. She asked tough, fair and revealing questions. And she followed up and fact-checked President Trump in real time to arm voters with crucial information about his positions as he enters the 2024 election as the Republican frontrunner, the network said after the town hall. "That is CNNs role and responsibility: to get answers and hold the powerful to account.

Trump has generally not reacted well when pressed onstage about his behavior toward women, most notably during the first Republican presidential debate of 2015, when he sparred with then-Fox News host Megyn Kelly and later accused her of having blood coming out of her wherever." Carroll is one of more than a dozen women who have accused Trump of sexual assault or harassment over the years; Trump has denied the allegations.

While the civil trial verdict carried no criminal penalties, it is just one of myriad legal issues facing Trump, who was indicted in New York in March over hush money payments made to women who alleged extramarital affairs with him. Trump is also facing investigations in Georgia and Washington over his alleged interference in the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents and potential obstruction of justice.

The difficulties of interviewing Trump live on air became immediately apparent as the town hall began with questions about the 2020 election. As the evening wore on, Collins became more aggressive in trying to pin Trump down on specifics, trying half a dozen times to get him to say what he would do if a federal abortion ban were to reach his desk.

He said that he would negotiate so people are happy.

During the exchange, Trump repeated the false claim that abortion rights supporters wanted to kill a baby in the ninth month of pregnancy or even after a birth  comments that went unchecked by Collins.

He also refused to say whether he wants Ukraine to win its war against Russia. I dont think in terms of winning and losing, he answered. And he declined to say whether he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, as the International Criminal Court has alleged.

Thats something to be discussed at a later date," Trump said, arguing that calling Putin a war criminal would complicate efforts to make a deal to end the conflict. Trump was widely criticized during his time in office for accepting Putin's insistence that Russia had not interfered in the 2016 election to help him, even though U.S. intelligence agencies had determined otherwise.

As for the looming risk of an unprecedented government default, Trump sounded blase.

Well, you might as well do it now because youll do it later because we have to save this country," he said.

A discussion about Trumps refusal to turn over classified documents kept at his Mar-a-Lago club was particularly contentious. When Collins interrupted him at one point, Trump said, Can I finish?"

Yeah, whats the answer? she said.

You are a nasty person, Trump quipped.

Biden responded to the town hall on Twitter, writing: Its simple, folks. Do you want four more years of that? If you dont, pitch in to our campaign."

Trump has long called CNN fake news and sparred with Collins. Nonetheless, Trumps team saw the invitation from the network as an opportunity to connect with a broader swath of voters than those who usually tune into the conservative outlets he favors. One adviser noted that Trump found success in 2016 by stepping outside Republicans traditional comfort zone.

The appearance served as another contrast with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is seen as a top rival to Trump for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024 and is expected to launch his campaign in the coming weeks. DeSantis has taken a sheltered media approach, largely eschewing questions from the mainstream press while embracing Fox News, which was once a loyal Trump cheerleader but is now frequently denigrated by the former president.

Trump's campaign has turned to new channels, including popular conservative podcasts and made-for-social-media videos that often rack up hundreds of thousands of views. His team has also been inviting reporters from a variety of outlets to ride aboard his plane and has been arranging unadvertised stops at local restaurants and other venues to show him interacting with supporters, in contrast to the less charismatic DeSantis.

Associated Press writer David Bauder in New York contributed to this report.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP)  The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine via a cargo ship linked to a sanctioned company that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town in December.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation into the visit by a Russian vessel named Lady R to his nation's main naval base was already underway behind the scenes with the help of U.S. intelligence services before Ambassador Reuben Brigety went public at a news conference in the South African capital, Pretoria, that the cargo was weapons and ammunition.

Brigety said the U.S. was certain that military equipment was loaded onto the Lady R at the Simons Town naval base between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 and then transported to Russia. He said it brought into question South Africas supposed neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and its calls for the conflict to end.

The arming of the Russians is extremely serious and we do not consider this issue to be resolved," Brigety said in comments reported by multiple South African news outlets.

If South Africa is found to be giving Russia military aid, it threatens to fracture the relationship between the United States and a key partner in Africa. Despite South Africa's neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, the Biden Administration was hoping it could still be a key buffer against growing Russian and Chinese influence on the continent.

While Ramaphosa's office said in a statement later Thursday that there was currently no evidence to support allegations that arms were loaded onto the Lady R, The Associated Press established that the vessel is tied to a company that was sanctioned last year by the U.S. for being involved in transporting military equipment for the Russian government.

The news of Brigety's comments broke while Ramaphosa was in Cape Town answering questions on other matters in Parliament. When the leader of the political opposition, John Steenhuisen, asked about the weapons and ammunition, the president replied that the matter is being looked into, and in time we will be able to speak about it.

Ramaphosa declined to comment further, citing the need for the investigation to play out.

Steenhuisen asked the president if South Africa was actively arming Russian soldiers who are murdering and maiming innocent people?

Ammunition supplies have become a problem for Russia in the war. The leader of Russian military company Wagner complained last week about his mercenary soldiers in Ukraine allegedly dealing with dire shortages.

Ramaphosa's office acknowledged in its statement that the Lady R docked in South Africa, but did not say when, where or for what reason. The statement also criticized the American ambassador for going public.

Records reviewed by the AP show the Lady R was purchased by a Russian company, Transmorflot LLC, in 2019. In May 2022, the U.S. sanctioned Transmorflot and several vessels it alleges are controlled by the company, including the Lady R, for aiding the Russian war effort. The company then changed its name to MG-Flot LLC, which is also listed as the current owner of the Lady R.

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that another ship owned by MG-Flot, the Rasul Gamzatov, transported artillery shells from Iran to Russia, citing Middle Eastern officials.

The AP has also independently confirmed that the Lady R docked at the Simon's Town naval base during the time frame Brigety cited.

MarineTraffic, a service that collects radio and satellite transponder data from ships, tracked the Lady R off the South African coast in early December, but the signal was lost on Dec. 5. Ships are required by international law to keep their transponders on while at sea. Smugglers often turn them off to hide their movements.

Satellite imagery obtained by AP shows a ship the same length, color and layout as the Lady R docked at the naval base the following day and remained there through Dec. 8. AP also obtained photos of the ship at the naval base, the name Lady R clearly visible on its stern in both English and Russian. The ship set sail Dec. 9 and its transponder signal popped back up on Dec. 10. It returned to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea on Feb. 22.

Steenhuisen's opposition party had previously raised questions over the appearance of a mystery Russian vessel in Simon's Town. In late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship was handling an old order for ammunition, and arms were offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.

The South African government has stated numerous times it is neutral on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully through diplomacy but recent displays of its closeness to Russia opened Africa's most developed country to accusations that it has effectively taken Russia's side.

South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks in January, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.

Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast. The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navy's flagship vessels. The South African navy took part in the drills and said they would strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.

South Africa also faces a diplomatic dilemma over a possible visit this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes involving the abductions of children from Ukraine. Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a meeting of leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

South Africa is a signatory to the international court based in The Hague, Netherlands, and obliged to arrest Putin. The government indicated it would not detain the Russian leader and threatened to leave the ICC instead. Ramaphosa's office released a statement last month backtracking on the threat.

AP Writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this story. AP Global Investigative Reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Jacob Ammentorp Lund / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Artificial intelligence has long been both admired and feared. On the one hand, it offers the ability to crunch large amounts of data to help make forecasting storms and analyzing climate patterns much easier. On the other hand, it has taken away jobs due to its ability to be always on and very capable of handling repetitive tasks, from retrieving items out of a storehouse to assembling an automobile. With AI seemingly growing more advanced every day, its perfectly normal to wonder if your job is one that might be affected by an emotionless but efficient machine. Heres a look at some jobs that might be the most susceptible, along with suggestions as to how to remain employed and what to do if your job falls victim to AI.

Make Money With AI and Chat GPT: How To Earn $1,000 a Month

See: How To Build Your Savings From Scratch

Industries Susceptible to the Rise of AI

As efficient as artificial intelligence can be, just like humans, it has strengths and weaknesses. Where AI truly excels at the present time is crunching big numbers, analyzing large amounts of data and performing repetitive tasks  or even specialized ones  for which it can be programmed or trained. According to the World Economic Forums Future of Jobs Report 2020, here are the 10 industries that will likely see job losses thanks to the advance of AI.

Data entry clerks

Administrative and executive secretaries

Accounting, bookkeeping and payroll clerks

Accountants and auditors

Assembly and factory workers

Business services and administration managers

Client information and customer service workers

General and operations managers

Mechanics and machinery repairers

Material-recording and stock-keeping clerks

As you can see from this list, the most likely jobs to fall thanks to AI are related to data entry, number crunching and customer service. This is because machines are excellent at rapidly processing and organizing data. For example, software created and deployed by JPMorgan to automate document review was said to review in seconds the number of contracts that formerly took lawyers over 360,000 man-hours.

Story continues

Take Our Poll: Do You Think AI Will Replace Your Job?

Best Ways To Fight Off Being Replaced by AI

The best way to keep your job during the age of AI is to provide unique skills or services that cant be easily replicated by a computer or machine. For example, back office workers at accounting offices might eventually get replaced by data-crunching machines  as might some accountants who provide only basic services  but there will always be a need for good accountants. Thats because in a human society, human thinking is needed to actually interpret data and provide real-world recommendations based on a combination of experience, insight and interpretation that a machine cant yet provide.

Another way to fight off the AI wave is to do your job in a way that a machine cant replicate. For example, its been suggested that writers might start heading to the unemployment line since AI like ChatGPT can already do a credible job at writing essays and articles. But the truth is that the writing that ChatGPT creates is simply based on drawing readily available information on the internet and assembling it in an easy-to-read fashion. Writers who keep their jobs will be the ones who provide human insight and perspective that AI cant access. In other words, while some writers will lose their jobs, good writers will keep them  and the same is true in many AI-threatened industries.

Are There Any Positives to the Coming AI Wave?

Whether you lose your job due to AI or some other cause, the recovery process is the same. After filing for unemployment, its time to look for jobs that you qualify for  preferably, ones that wont be replaced by AI a few months or years down the road. Look into educating yourself about what industries have a bright future in the world of AI and training yourself to do these types of jobs.

The good news is that while technology always displaces certain jobs, it also creates new ones. According to a report by Goldman Sachs, for example, 60% of workers are currently in jobs that didnt even exist in 1940. This shows that the job market always evolves, regardless of economic or technological changes. While some jobs end up being lost forever, new ones are typically created in their place.

Supporting that contention is data from the Future of Jobs Report 2020, which suggests that while 85 million jobs may fall by the wayside thanks to AI, as many as 97 million other jobs will be created. Here are some of the industries for which the report sees a healthy future:

Data analysts and scientists

AI and machine learning specialists

Big data specialists

Digital marketing and strategy specialists

Process automation specialists

Business development professionals

Digital transformation specialists

Information security analysts

Software and applications developers

Internet of Things specialists

If youre working in one of these fields  or are interested enough to learn the requisite skills after youve been laid off  you should likely be able to work side-by-side with AI in the coming decades.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Will AI Replace Your Job? What To Do If Youre Worried
Amy Herzog's 2011 play must feel it has travelled at least the distance in its title to get to a UK stage. It was all ready to run at the Old Vic as the pandemic broke out, with Eileen Atkins and Timothee Chalamet rehearsed in the leading rules. Three years later, it finally arrives at Chichester with Heartstopper's Sebastian Croft replacing Chalamet  but, thank goodness, with Atkins still in situ.

I personally would travel 4,000 miles just to see Atkins perform, and she is undoubtedly the best thing about this imagining of a meeting between Leo, a traumatised 21-year-old who has just cycled across America, and his grandmother Vera, who lives in Greenwich Village surrounded by books and fading memories.

From the moment she greets Leo in the middle of the night, hand clamped across her mouth because she hasn't put her teeth in, eyes widened in wonder, worry and a certain amount of alarm, Atkins subtly shows how to reveal a lot based on very little.

Her portrait of Vera, indomitably pushing a laundry basket around her apartment, hands fluttering around her head as she struggles to remember words, eyes flashing as she uses sharp humour to bat away her loneliness as "the last of the octagenarians" die off, face watchful and a little melancholy as she tries to weigh up Leo's mood and intentions, is an exhibition of acting at its finest.

In a play that lacks force and momentum thanks to constant blackouts between scenes and a sense that the text is always reaching for a profundity that it never finds, she discovers an emotional centre of truth that holds everything together. She is also very funny, landing Vera's often politically incorrect observations and brusque declarations of independence with perfect timing.

Richard Eyre's direction is perhaps a little too respectful of the apparent insight of Herzog's play. Rather like Leo, who Croft makes both appealingly idealistic and irritatingly unthinking, it tries to cover a lot of ground about family relations, the changing shape of political debate (Vera's dead husband was a committed communist), and the abandonment of youthful hopefulness without ever quite getting there.

Lurking beneath its sophisticated surface, beautifully embodied by Peter McKintosh's cluttered apartment set, is a proper discussion about society, the way the old are left to fend for themselves while the young flounder. The suggestion is that nobody can talk to anyone anymore, but nothing is quite explored.

There's a sharpness to the writing  and peppy interventions from Nell Barlow's ex-girlfriend Bec, and Elizabeth Chu as the potential hook-up whose family background in China means the Communist manifesto turns into a mood killer. Yet the play lacks any depth.

Its most compelling scene where Vera listens intently in semi-darkness to Leo's description of his best friend's death is made magical by the link between grandmother and grandson and the concentration of their performances. In such moments, when so much passes across Atkins' mobile, intelligent face, it's impossible not to be glad that 4000 Miles finally made it to the stage. It is quite simply an opportunity to see one of our great actors at work.
New stops have been revealed for the first-ever UK tour of the WhatsOnStage Award-winning 2:22 A Ghost Story.

Having first been seen in the West End in the summer of 2021, the show has now played at four West End venues with five casts. It most recently ran at the Lyric Theatre with a cast including Cheryl and Jake Wood. It transfers to the Apollo Theatre from 14 May to 17 September.









The spooky thriller is set to open at Theatre Royal Bath on 1 September 2023, and will visit Canterbury, Newcastle, Milton Keynes, Norwich, Southampton, Brighton, Salford, Leicester, Belfast, Glasgow, Plymouth, Northampton, Birmingham, Sheffield, Wolverhampton, Richmond, Woking, York and Nottingham.

The newly announced stops include Festival Theatre Edinburgh, Cardiff New Theatre, Wycombe Swan Theatre, His Majesty's Theatre Aberdeen, Churchill Theatre Bromley, Liverpool Empire, Hall for Cornwall Truro, Blackpool Grand, New Theatre Hull, and Sunderland Empire, bringing the current total number of venues to 30, with more to be announced.

Casting for the tour is still to be revealed.

Playwright Danny Robins said: "I'm so pleased to announce that EVEN MORE audiences across the UK will be able to experience the spine-tingling thrills of 2:22 A Ghost Story. I can guarantee that every audience, from Truro to Aberdeen, will laugh, scream, cry, and jump out of their seats at this ghostly tale."

Under the direction of Matthew Dunster and Isabel Marr, the production has set design by Anna Fleischle, costume design by Cindy Lin, lighting design by Lucy Carter, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph Sound and illusions by Chris Fisher. Casting is by Matilda James.

Tickets for the show's upcoming West End run and select tour dates are on sale below.
Wicked is set to tour cities in England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland from December 2023 and has now revealed a dose of extra casting.

The production will feature the previously announced Laura Pick as Elphaba and Carl Man as Fiyero, reuniting two former West End cast members.

Man, who played Fiyero in Wicked for three years in the West End, most recently appeared in Max Martin and David West Read's & Juliet, playing the role of Romeo more than 100 times at London's Shaftesbury Theatre. He said: "When I first got to play Fiyero in the West End, it was opposite Laura Pick, so I'm incredibly excited to be reuniting with Laura, and with this phenomenal show. To be given the opportunity to play Fiyero at ten of the UK and Ireland's most prestigious theatres is a great honour and I can't wait to get started."

Pick, who wowed viewers with her sensational performance of "Defying Gravity" from Wicked on BBC1's Big Night of Musicals, played the leading role of Elphaba in the West End production of Wicked in 2017 for more than 350 performances. The two actors will perform "As Long As You're Mine" from Wicked at Magic at the Musicals at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 14 May 2023.

The UK and Ireland tour of Wicked will open this Christmas at the Edinburgh Playhouse and continue to Bristol, Birmingham, Bradford, Southampton, Liverpool, Dublin, Sunderland, Cardiff, and Manchester. Further casting for the tour will be announced in due course.

Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two young women who first meet as sorcery students at Shiz University: the blonde and very popular Glinda and a misunderstood green girl named Elphaba. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical features hit songs such as "Defying Gravity," "Popular," and "For Good."

Tickets for select tour stops are on sale below.
Thank you for reading!

Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
A general view shows the brine pools of Albemarle Chile lithium plant placed on the Atacama salt flat

By Alexander Villegas

SALAR DE ATACAMA, Chile (Reuters) - Albemarle Corp hopes to expand its lithium operations in Chile's Atacama salt flat as early as 2028 with direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology under its current government contract, Ignacio Mehech, the company's Chile manager, told Reuters.

"Depending on environmental and other permits needed in Chile, as well as scaling technologies, we believe (DLE) should be implemented, if everything goes well, towards 2028 or 2029," Mehech said during an interview at the company's Atacama lithium mining operations.

Albemarle and SQM, the only two lithium producers in Chile, currently extract the metal using mass evaporation ponds from brine taken from underground reservoirs. President Gabriel Boric has heavily pushed DLE technology. So far commercially unproven, the method could preserve water tables by allowing brine to be reinjected underground after lithium is extracted.

Even so, DLE still requires large volumes of freshwater to filter lithium from underground brine. A DLE process developed by Bill Gates-backed Lilac Solutions, for instance, uses 10 tonnes of water for every tonne of lithium produced.

Water is a hot-button topic in Chile, which is suffering a long drought, even more so on the Atacama desert. One of the driest areas of the world, mining water use there can put companies at odds with indigenous communities and threaten flamingo populations and other wildlife.

"We need to get water from other sources," Mehech said, adding that Albemarle signed a deal with CRAMSA, a local company looking to build a desalination plant in northern Chile and infrastructure to bring desalinated water to the region.

"If more partners sign on, because our demand isn't enough, we could secure desalinated water for the Atacama basin," Mehech said, saying that Albemarle's demands fulfill 500 of the 8,000 liters per second the company needs to supply the area.

Story continues

When it comes to brine reinjection, Mehech said Albemarle secured environmental permits and plans to have completed a reinjection pilot program by the end of the year.

"With the results we generate from that pilot program, we're going to start a second bigger pilot campaign to have more certainty about how reinjection should be done in the Atacama salt flat."

This would allow the Albemarle to increase lithium production under its current agreement with Corfo, Chile's state development agency the company has a contract with until 2043, he added.

Boric announced a sweeping plan last month to take control of the country's lithium industry through state-controlled public-private partnerships.

Chile holds the world's largest lithium reserves, but lost its spot as the top producer as the government failed to expand the industry.

Countries around the world are racing to provide the metal needed to power electric vehicles. Boric's announcement spooked some investors, sparking interest in competing countries like nearby Argentina.

On Wednesday, lithium producers Livent and Allkem announced a $10.6 billion merger with a focus on Argentina.

"If you want high-quality, low-cost lithium, Argentina is the country with the best assets out there," said Livent CEO Paul Graves.

Both SQM and Albemarle have expressed interest in expanding operations in Chile, but differ on when to start renegotiations.

SQM's contract expires in 2030, and the company has indicated it will soon negotiate with Codelco, the state-run copper company tasked with forming the new agreements.

Albemarle CEO Kent Masters told Reuters last week he is open to negotiating before 2043 and would monitor how negotiations with SQM develop "to give us a bit of intelligence."

Chilean Economy Minister Nicolas Grau told Reuters that conversations in the Atacama salt flat were going to be "defined during this government," which ends in 2026, but Mehech sees a new deal happening beyond that.

"We don't think it's necessary. We've been assured by all government actors that our contract will be respected until 2043," Mehech said.

"When it's time, in 2038 or 2040, we'll sit down to negotiate with the state."

(Reporting by Alexander Villegas; additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by David Gregorio)
Vancouver, BC --News Direct-- MarketJar

Source: Pixabay

Allkem and Livent Corp have agreed to a $10.6 billion all-stock merger on Wednesday, creating the world's third-largest lithium manufacturer, highlighting surging demand for the battery metal used in electric vehicles (EVs).

Combining US-based Livent with Allkem in Australia creates a four-continent industrial giant that executives say would deliver the additional expertise needed to expand supply of the metal to an increasingly hungry automotive sector, including Tesla, General Motors, and BMW.

Allkem and Livent run lithium brine facilities in Argentina that are around 10 km (6.2 miles) away, and they are both developing hard rock lithium mines in the Canadian province of Quebec that are less than 100 km (62 miles) apart. Livent CEO Paul Graves believes that combining the companies will speed up the development of those initiatives.

Allkem, which also mines hard rock lithium in Australia, has a chemical conversion facility in Japan, and is a pioneer in the emerging field of direct lithium extraction (DLE), which is seen as a tantalizing prospect for producing more battery metal faster than traditional mining methods.

Allkem shareholders will receive one share in the combined entity for each share they own under the agreement and the company will eventually own 56% of the new firm. For each existing share of Livent, shareholders will receive 2.406 shares in the new company.

Graves will lead the new firm as CEO, with Allkem's Peter Coleman serving as chairman. The unnamed corporation will be listed on the NYSE and headquartered somewhere in the United States.

Analysts believe the new company's global mining and processing assets are solid growth indicators.

Despite the South American country's socio economic troubles, Graves believes the new company's growth prospects in Argentina are particularly promising.

He also urged the US to adopt a free trade agreement with Argentina, which would make Argentine lithium eligible for EV tax incentives, which are central to the Biden administration's 2022 strategy.

Story continues

When all expansion projects are considered, the combine would become the world's third-largest lithium producer by volume, after Albemarle Corp of the United States and SQM of Chile. Ganfeng Lithium Group and Tianqi Lithium Corp of China are other important competitors.

In Canada, E3 Lithium Ltd (TSXV:ETL) (OTCQX:EEMMF) has the largest Measured and Indicated lithium resource. E3 Lithium's combined resources, including the Clearwater project, are being developed in Alberta on the backbone of the experienced and sophisticated oil and gas industry, allowing the company to expedite its development.

Manufacturing High Purity, Battery Grade Lithium

The mineral property resource company focused on the exploitation of its large mineral potential in Alberta, Canada, has developed a proprietary Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) process.

E3 Lithium is progressing with the development of its field pilot project, which will showcase ion-exchange direct lithium extraction technology in real-world operational settings. E3 plans to significantly derisk its Alberta lithium project by demonstrating the process at a pilot scale as it approaches the commercial size of 20,000 tonnes/year of lithium hydroxide monohydrate production.

E3 Lithium's Facility Application for its 2023 field pilot plant was recently approved by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER). The AER license permits E3 to build and operate the equipment required to carry out the direct lithium extraction pilot, which is scheduled to commence operations in the third quarter of 2023.

The field pilot plant will be built in E3's Clearwater Project Area, east of Olds, at the first well drilled as part of E3's 2022 first drill program. E3 released the criteria and schedule for the field pilot on February 2, 2023.

E3 will provide updates on its field pilot throughout 2023.

E3 Lithium has upgraded its mineral resource to 16.0 Mt LCE of Measured & Indicated and 0.9 LCE of Inferred Mineral Resources.

Natural Resources Canada data show that Canada now has 3.2 Mt of M&I lithium resources in hard rock deposits, implying that E3's 16.0 Mt of LCE M&I is the country's largest M&I lithium resource.

E3 Lithium just announced their fourth-quarter and fiscal-year 2022 results. Highlights from last year included receiving $27 million from the Government of Canada's Strategic Innovation Fund, signing a $5 million strategic agreement with Imperial Oil, and signing a memorandum of understanding with Pure Lithium, which produced a lithium metal battery using E3's lithium concentrate.

E3 Lithium successfully manufactured its first batch commercial scale sorbent, which is critical to the success and commercialization of its ion-exchange DLE technology, and drilled the first two brine production wells at the Clearwater Project to evaluate lithium and sampled three wells, confirming the aquifer's producibility and lithium concentrations in its proposed production area over the past year.

The E3 Lithium 43-101 Technical Report: Lithium Resource Estimate, Bashaw District Project, Central Alberta has been filed by the Company.

For more information about E3 Lithium Ltd (TSXV:ETL) (OTCQX:EEMMF), please visit this link or their website at e3lithium.ca.

Disclosure:

1) The author of the Article, or members of the authors immediate household or family, do not own any securities of the companies set forth in this Article. The author determined which companies would be included in this article based on research and understanding of the sector.

2) The Article was issued on behalf of and sponsored by, E3 Lithium Ltd. Market Jar Media Inc. has or expects to receive from E3 Lithium Ltds Digital Marketing Agency of Record (Native Ads Inc.) three hundred and four thousand CAD for 33 days (24 business days).

3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not Market Jar Media Inc., its directors or officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Market Jar Media Inc. for this Article. Market Jar Media Inc. was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this Article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Market Jar Media Inc. requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Market Jar Media Inc. relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Market Jar Media Inc. has no means of verifying its accuracy.

4) The Article does not constitute investment advice. All investments carry risk and each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional. Any action a reader takes as a result of the information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Market Jar Media Inc.'s terms of use and full legal disclaimer as set forth here. This Article is not a solicitation for investment. Market Jar Media Inc. does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on pressreach.com should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Market Jar Media Inc. does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on pressreach.com.

5) Market Jar Media Inc. and its respective directors, officers and employees hold no shares for any company mentioned in the Article.

6) This document contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, (collectively, forward-looking statements), which reflect management's expectations regarding E3 Lithium Ltd.s future growth, future business plans and opportunities, expected activities, and other statements about future events, results or performance. Wherever possible, words such as predicts, projects, targets, plans, expects, does not expect, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, anticipate or does not anticipate, believe, intend and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative or grammatical variation thereof or other variations thereof, or comparable terminology have been used to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements relating to: (a) revenue generating potential with respect to E3 Lithium Ltd.s industry; (b) market opportunity; (c) E3 Lithium Ltd.s business plans and strategies; (d) services that E3 Lithium Ltd. intends to offer; (e) E3 Lithium Ltd.s milestone projections and targets; (f) E3 Lithium Ltd.s expectations regarding receipt of approval for regulatory applications; (g) E3 Lithium Ltd.s intentions to expand into other jurisdictions including the timeline expectations relating to those expansion plans; and (h) E3 Lithium Ltd.s expectations with regarding its ability to deliver shareholder value. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management in light of managements experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, as of the date of this document including, without limitation, assumptions about: (a) the ability to raise any necessary additional capital on reasonable terms to execute E3 Lithium Ltd.s business plan; (b) that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner; (c) E3 Lithium Ltd.s ability to procure equipment and operating supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; (d) E3 Lithium Ltd.s ability to enter into contractual arrangements with additional Pharmacies; (e) the accuracy of budgeted costs and expenditures; (f) E3 Lithium Ltd.s ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; (g) political and regulatory stability; (h) the receipt of governmental, regulatory and third-party approvals, licenses and permits on favorable terms; (i) changes in applicable legislation; (j) stability in financial and capital markets; and (k) expectations regarding the level of disruption to as a result of CV-19. Such forward-looking information involves a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements of E3 Lithium Ltd. to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, without limitation: (a) E3 Lithium Ltd.s operations could be adversely affected by possible future government legislation, policies and controls or by changes in applicable laws and regulations; (b) public health crises such as CV-19 may adversely impact E3 Lithium Ltd.s business; (c) the volatility of global capital markets; (d) political instability and changes to the regulations governing E3 Lithium Ltd.s business operations (e) E3 Lithium Ltd. may be unable to implement its growth strategy; and (f) increased competition.Except as required by law, E3 Lithium Ltd. undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future event or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Neither does E3 Lithium Ltd. nor any of its representatives make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, sufficiency or completeness of the information in this document. Neither E3 Lithium Ltd. nor any of its representatives shall have any liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to you or any person resulting from the use of the information in this document by you or any of your representatives or for omissions from the information in this document.

7) Any graphs, tables or other information demonstrating the historical performance or current or historical attributes of E3 Lithium Ltd. or any other entity contained in this document are intended only to illustrate historical performance or current or historical attributes of E3 Lithium Ltd. or such entities and are not necessarily indicative of future performance of E3 Lithium Ltd. or such entities.

Contact Details

James Young

+1 800-340-9767

campaigns@pressreach.com

Company Website

https://pressreach.com

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/allkem-and-livent-merger-to-create-10-6-billion-lithium-manufacturer-883780583
Shares of BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF (BATS:NEAR  Get Rating) hit a new 52-week low on Monday . The stock traded as low as $49.57 and last traded at $49.58, with a volume of 1244378 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $49.60.

BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $49.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $49.40.

Get BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF alerts:

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF by 17.7% in the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 920,572 shares of the companys stock valued at $45,347,000 after buying an additional 138,544 shares during the period. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton boosted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 328,958 shares of the companys stock worth $16,316,000 after purchasing an additional 21,232 shares in the last quarter. Boulder Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $8,241,000. Staley Capital Advisers Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF by 13.8% in the 4th quarter. Staley Capital Advisers Inc. now owns 166,150 shares of the companys stock worth $8,186,000 after purchasing an additional 20,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Navis Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Navis Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 133,890 shares of the companys stock worth $6,637,000 after purchasing an additional 729 shares in the last quarter.

BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF Company Profile

The iShares Short Maturity Bond ETF (NEAR) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund aims to maximize income and preserve capital using very short maturity, USD-denominated global fixed income securities in an actively-managed fund. NEAR was launched on Sep 25, 2013 and is managed by BlackRock.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Hitachi, Ltd. (OTCMKTS:HTHIY  Get Rating)s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $117.88 and last traded at $116.28, with a volume of 101072 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $115.75.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Hitachi in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a conviction-buy rating for the company.

Get Hitachi alerts:

Hitachi Stock Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $108.94 and a 200-day moving average of $104.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.92 billion, a PE ratio of 11.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.14.

Hitachi Company Profile

Hitachi ( OTCMKTS:HTHIY Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The conglomerate reported $5.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.46 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $20.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.98 billion. Hitachi had a return on equity of 12.43% and a net margin of 5.98%. Research analysts forecast that Hitachi, Ltd. will post 8.89 earnings per share for the current year.

(Get Rating)

Hitachi Ltd. engages in the manufacture and sale of electrical equipment. It operates through the following segments: Information Technology (IT), Energy, Industry, Mobility, Life, Hitachi High Technologies, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Hitachi Metals, Hitachi Chemicals and Others. The IT segment handles systems integration, consulting, control systems, cloud services, software, IT products such as storage and servers, and automated teller machines.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Hitachi Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hitachi and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:SSNLF  Get Rating)s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $40.60 and last traded at $40.60, with a volume of 0 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $40.60.

Samsung Electronics Stock Performance

The business has a 50 day moving average of $40.60 and a 200-day moving average of $40.60. The stock has a market cap of $5.24 billion, a PE ratio of 15.15 and a beta of 0.88.

Samsung Electronics Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. engages in the manufacturing and selling of electronics and computer peripherals. The company operates through following business divisions: Consumer Electronics, Information Technology & Mobile Communications and Device Solutions. The Consumer Electronics business division provides cable television, monitor, printer, air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines and medical devices.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Samsung Electronics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Samsung Electronics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM  Get Rating) by 0.9% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,015,230 shares of the companys stock after selling 9,737 shares during the period. Archer-Daniels-Midland makes up approximately 1.6% of Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLCs holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland were worth $94,264,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC purchased a new stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Glassy Mountain Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 655.8% during the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 393 shares of the companys stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 341 shares during the last quarter. RFP Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Financial Management Professionals Inc. increased its stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 275.5% during the 4th quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 398 shares of the companys stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. 78.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Archer-Daniels-Midland alerts:

Archer-Daniels-Midland Price Performance

ADM stock traded up $0.40 during trading on Thursday, hitting $75.04. 1,243,914 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,136,115. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company has a one year low of $70.02 and a one year high of $98.28. The stock has a market cap of $40.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $78.45 and a 200 day simple moving average of $85.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Dividend Announcement

Archer-Daniels-Midland ( NYSE:ADM Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.38. Archer-Daniels-Midland had a net margin of 4.36% and a return on equity of 18.39%. The company had revenue of $24.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.90 earnings per share. Archer-Daniels-Midlands quarterly revenue was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Archer-Daniels-Midland Company will post 6.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 16th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.40%. Archer-Daniels-Midlands payout ratio is 22.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on ADM. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $98.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. 92 Resources restated a maintains rating on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $105.00 to $99.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued an outperform rating and a $100.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $87.00 to $85.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $100.78.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Profile

(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.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ADM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM  Get Rating).

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.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG  Get Rating) Director Sherry S. Barrat sold 2,330 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.00, for a total value of $500,950.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 18,808 shares in the company, valued at $4,043,720. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE AJG opened at $217.32 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.69. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 1-year low of $148.24 and a 1-year high of $218.10. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $196.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $192.99.

Get Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. alerts:

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 16th. Investors of record on Friday, June 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.01%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 1st. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.82%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

A number of research firms have weighed in on AJG. Citigroup increased their target price on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $228.00 to $232.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $215.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $215.00 to $220.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $225.00 to $230.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $213.00 to $211.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $217.71.

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership increased its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 133.8% during the 1st quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 658,085 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $125,898,000 after buying an additional 376,613 shares in the last quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ increased its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 23.5% during the 1st quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 2,834 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $542,000 after buying an additional 539 shares in the last quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc RI acquired a new position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the 1st quarter valued at about $756,000. Legacy Capital Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the 1st quarter valued at about $272,000. Finally, Atria Investments Inc increased its holdings in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 45.2% in the first quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 21,567 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,126,000 after purchasing an additional 6,712 shares during the period. 82.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

(Get Rating)

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co engages in the provision of insurance brokerage, consulting, and third-party claims settlement and administration services. It operates through the following business segments: Brokerage, Risk Management, and Corporate. The Brokerage segment consists of retail and wholesale insurance brokerage operations.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Asante Gold Co. (OTCMKTS:ASGOF  Get Rating) was the target of a large increase in short interest in the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 2,800 shares, an increase of 366.7% from the April 15th total of 600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.9 days.

Asante Gold Stock Performance

Shares of ASGOF stock remained flat at C$1.50 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of C$1.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$1.11. Asante Gold has a 52-week low of C$0.70 and a 52-week high of C$1.62.

Get Asante Gold alerts:

Asante Gold Company Profile

(Get Rating)

See Also

Asante Gold Corp. operates as a gold exploration and development company. The firm focuses on developing high margin gold projects including the Bibiani and Kubi Gold mines located on the prolific Bibiani and Ashanti Gold Belts. It has portfolio of projects in Ghana, Africas largest and safest gold producer.

Receive News & Ratings for Asante Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Asante Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Banco Itau Chile (NYSE:ITCB  Get Rating)s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $3.30 and traded as high as $3.45. Banco Itau Chile shares last traded at $3.42, with a volume of 8,200 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Banco Itau Chile in a report on Wednesday. They issued a hold rating for the company.

Get Banco Itau Chile alerts:

Banco Itau Chile Stock Performance

The firms 50-day moving average is $3.49 and its 200 day moving average is $3.30. The stock has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a PE ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.98.

Banco Itau Chile Increases Dividend

Banco Itau Chile ( NYSE:ITCB Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The bank reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.03. Banco Itau Chile had a net margin of 12.62% and a return on equity of 14.11%. The firm had revenue of $311.23 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $426.47 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Banco Itau Chile will post 0.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 19th were given a $0.165 dividend. This is an increase from Banco Itau Chiles previous annual dividend of $0.16. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 21st. This represents a yield of 4.78%. Banco Itau Chiles dividend payout ratio is 22.37%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco Itau Chile

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in Banco Itau Chile stock. Northern Trust Corp acquired a new position in shares of Banco Itau Chile (NYSE:ITCB  Get Rating) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 11,830 shares of the banks stock, valued at approximately $40,000. 0.20% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Banco Itau Chile

(Get Rating)

Banco Itau Chile engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It specializes in banking products such as financing, leasing, loans, insurance and credit cards. It operates through the following geographical segments: Chile and Colombia. The Chile segment consists of commercial and corporate banking, real estate and construction, large companies, retail banking, personal banking, small business, retail companies, Banco Condell consumer banking, international and treasury and other financial services.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Banco Itau Chile Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Itau Chile and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
BellRing Brands (NYSE:BRBR  Get Rating) had its price objective upped by research analysts at Mizuho from $38.00 to $47.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, The Fly reports. Mizuhos target price would suggest a potential upside of 30.63% from the companys previous close.

BRBR has been the topic of several other reports. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of BellRing Brands from $38.00 to $41.00 in a report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of BellRing Brands in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $39.00 target price on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of BellRing Brands from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Truist Financial upgraded shares of BellRing Brands from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the company from $25.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. Finally, Stephens boosted their target price on shares of BellRing Brands from $39.00 to $43.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, BellRing Brands presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $40.15.

Get BellRing Brands alerts:

BellRing Brands Price Performance

NYSE:BRBR opened at $35.98 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $33.55 and a 200-day moving average of $28.99. The company has a market cap of $4.81 billion, a PE ratio of 32.71, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.87. BellRing Brands has a one year low of $20.20 and a one year high of $37.55.

Institutional Trading of BellRing Brands

BellRing Brands ( NYSE:BRBR Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 8th. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.20 by $0.04. BellRing Brands had a net margin of 8.29% and a negative return on equity of 36.56%. The business had revenue of $385.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $371.26 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.23 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 22.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that BellRing Brands will post 1.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BRBR. Arizona State Retirement System increased its holdings in BellRing Brands by 18.0% during the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 37,056 shares of the companys stock worth $764,000 after acquiring an additional 5,645 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. bought a new position in shares of BellRing Brands in the 4th quarter worth $273,000. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of BellRing Brands by 19.0% in the 3rd quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 108,623 shares of the companys stock worth $2,239,000 after buying an additional 17,334 shares during the last quarter. Putnam Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of BellRing Brands in the 3rd quarter worth $4,951,000. Finally, AXA S.A. bought a new position in shares of BellRing Brands in the 3rd quarter worth $12,141,000. Institutional investors own 92.40% of the companys stock.

BellRing Brands Company Profile

(Get Rating)

BellRing Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides various nutrition products in the United States and internationally. It offers ready-to-drink (RTD) protein shakes, other RTD beverages, powders, nutrition bars, and other products primarily under the Premier Protein and Dymatize brands. The company sells its products through club, food, drug, mass, eCommerce, specialty, and convenience channels.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for BellRing Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BellRing Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Sundar Pichai. JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images

Alphabet stock surged as much as 9% since it made several AI announcements at its I/O conference on Wednesday.

The company unveiled "AI Snapshot" for Google Search and said it's incorporating generative AI capabilities across its product suite.

"With generative AI we are taking the next step... we are reimagining all our core products, including search," CEO Sundar Pichai said.

Alphabet stock surged 4% on Wednesday and another 5% on Thursday after the company made several artificial intelligence announcements at its I/O developer conference.

The two-day rally has added $131 billion to Alphabet's market value and helped reignite excitement for the company's foray into AI. The stock is now trading at its highest level since August 2022.

The positive reaction this week was the opposite of what happened to Alphabet stock after its initial AI announcement a few months ago when it unveiled "Bard," a competitor to ChatGPT. The stock fell 9% in a single day after one of Bard's responses during a demo was inaccurate.

"With generative AI we are taking the next step. With a bold and responsible approach, we are reimagining all our core products, including search," Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said at Wednesday's conference.

The company announced "AI Snapshot," which integrates generative AI results directly on top of Google's search results. Microsoft's Bing Search has taken a similar approach, in which search query results show both an AI section as well as traditional search results on the same page.

Alphabet also announced a new large language model, called PaLM 2, which is powering 25 new products and features that the company is rolling out. The new model can write code and currently supports more than 100 languages.

Other product announcements from Alphabet included an image search feature to identify AI-generated images, AI-related updates to Google Maps, a foldable Pixel phone, and a new smart watch operating system, among other products.

Story continues

Wall Street reacted favorably to Alphabet's conference, with Bank of America saying in a Thursday note: "Overall, Google's presentation was a big improvement from the disappointing press event in February with a strong framework for AI chatbot integration into search."

"We thought Google's I/O presentation helped address three primary AI related search concerns: product, cost and monetization," BofA said.

Markets Insider

Read the original article on Business Insider
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited (ASX:BENPG  Get Rating) announced a interim dividend on Wednesday, May 10th, MarketIndexAU reports. Investors of record on Monday, June 12th will be paid a dividend of 1.289 per share on Monday, June 12th. This represents a yield of 1.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 29th. This is a boost from Bendigo and Adelaide Banks previous interim dividend of $1.20.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Stock Performance

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited provides banking and financial products and services to retail customers and small to medium sized businesses in Australia. The company operates through Consumer, Business and Agribusiness, and Corporate segments. It offers a range of products and services, including personal and business banking, financial planning, commercial mortgages and unsecured loans, investment products, insurance, and superannuation.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bendigo and Adelaide Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
BNP Paribas SA (EPA:BNP  Get Rating)s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of 56.49 ($62.08) and traded as high as 58.04 ($63.78). BNP Paribas shares last traded at 57.89 ($63.62), with a volume of 3,500,140 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Credit Suisse Group set a 78.00 ($85.71) target price on shares of BNP Paribas in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Royal Bank of Canada set a 77.00 ($84.62) price target on BNP Paribas in a research note on Friday, March 10th. UBS Group set a 72.00 ($79.12) price target on BNP Paribas in a research note on Monday, March 6th. Jefferies Financial Group set a 77.00 ($84.62) price target on BNP Paribas in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a 70.00 ($76.92) price objective on shares of BNP Paribas in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd.

Get BNP Paribas alerts:

BNP Paribas Stock Up 0.2 %

The stocks fifty day simple moving average is 57.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is 56.59.

About BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas SA engages in the provision of banking and financial services in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates through three divisions: Corporate & Institutional Banking; Investment & Protection Services; and Commercial, Personal Banking & Services. The Corporate & Institutional Banking division offers capital markets, securities services, investment banking, financing, risk management, cash management, and financial advisory services for corporate clients, and institutional investors.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for BNP Paribas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BNP Paribas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Bonhill Group Plc (LON:BONH  Get Rating)s share price fell 13.6% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as GBX 4.75 ($0.06) and last traded at GBX 4.75 ($0.06). 3,701 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 97% from the average session volume of 138,962 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 5.50 ($0.07).

Bonhill Group Stock Down 13.6 %

The firm has a 50-day moving average of GBX 5.30 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 6.03. The stock has a market capitalization of 5.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -59.38 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.08.

Bonhill Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Bonhill Group Plc, a B2B media company, provides analysis, insight, networking, and data for financial services and business solutions communities in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, and the Asia Pacific. It operates through three segments: Bonhill UK, InvestmentNews, and Last Word Media.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Bonhill Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bonhill Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
BT Group plc (OTCMKTS:BTGOF  Get Rating) shares fell 3.1% on Monday . The stock traded as low as $1.87 and last traded at $1.87. 3,063 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 94% from the average session volume of 47,258 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.93.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on BTGOF. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of BT Group from GBX 275 ($3.47) to GBX 280 ($3.53) in a research note on Friday, April 14th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of BT Group from GBX 130 ($1.64) to GBX 135 ($1.70) in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. 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 MarketBeat, BT Group currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $185.00.

Get BT Group alerts:

BT Group Stock Down 2.7 %

The firms 50 day moving average is $1.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1.61.

About BT Group

BT Group Plc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of communications services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer, Enterprise, Global, Openreach, and Other. The Consumer segment offers mobile, broadband, home phone, and television services. The Enterprise segment sells communications and information technology (IT) services to businesses and public sector organizations; and provides network products and services to communications.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for BT Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BT Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Callon Petroleum (NYSE:CPE  Get Rating) Director Steven A. Webster acquired 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The stock was bought at an average price of $31.63 per share, for a total transaction of $632,600.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 562,824 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,802,123.12. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Callon Petroleum Price Performance

NYSE CPE traded down $0.44 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $30.44. The stock had a trading volume of 1,273,710 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,508,369. The firms 50 day moving average is $34.28 and its 200 day moving average is $38.02. Callon Petroleum has a twelve month low of $28.91 and a twelve month high of $64.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 2.73.

Get Callon Petroleum alerts:

Callon Petroleum (NYSE:CPE  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The oil and natural gas company reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.96 by ($0.02). Callon Petroleum had a net margin of 46.15% and a return on equity of 27.29%. The firm had revenue of $560.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $535.29 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.43 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 27.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Callon Petroleum will post 9.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Callon Petroleum

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Callon Petroleum in the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new stake in shares of Callon Petroleum in the 1st quarter worth $33,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Callon Petroleum by 220.4% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,147 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 789 shares during the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Callon Petroleum in the 4th quarter worth $50,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Callon Petroleum in the 4th quarter worth $97,000. 83.60% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Mizuho lowered their price objective on Callon Petroleum from $65.00 to $54.00 in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Truist Financial increased their target price on Callon Petroleum from $55.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Monday. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Callon Petroleum from $56.00 to $58.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of Callon Petroleum in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Callon Petroleum from $45.00 to $43.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Callon Petroleum presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $56.63.

Callon Petroleum Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Callon Petroleum Co engages in the exploration, development, acquisition, and production of oil and natural gas properties in the United States. It focuses on unconventional oil and natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin. The company was founded by Sim C. Callon and John S. Callon in 1950 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Callon Petroleum Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Callon Petroleum and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize (OTCMKTS:AHODF  Get Rating) is one of 51 public companies in the Grocery Stores industry, but how does it compare to its peers? We will compare Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize to related businesses based on the strength of its dividends, risk, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation and institutional ownership.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

29.4% of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 46.1% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are owned by institutional investors. 21.1% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Get Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize alerts:

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize 0 1 2 0 2.67 Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize Competitors 1096 2654 2839 109 2.29

Profitability

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize currently has a consensus target price of C$31.10, indicating a potential downside of 11.07%. As a group, Grocery Stores companies have a potential upside of 8.47%. Given Koninklijke Ahold Delhaizes peers higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize has less favorable growth aspects than its peers.

This table compares Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N/A N/A N/A Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize Competitors 1.73% 15.29% 4.59%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize and its peers gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N/A N/A 52.65 Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize Competitors $28.84 billion $704.32 million 230.09

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaizes peers have higher revenue and earnings than Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize. Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Dividends

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize pays an annual dividend of C$0.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize pays out 60.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Grocery Stores companies pay a dividend yield of 3.3% and pay out 58.3% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize lags its peers as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio.

Summary

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize peers beat Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize on 11 of the 13 factors compared.

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV engages in the management and operation of supermarkets and e-commerce business. It operates through the following segments: The U.S., Europe, Other Retail, and Global Support Office. The U.S. segment includes Stop & Shop, Food Lion, Giant & Martins, Hannaford, Giant Food and Peapod. The Europe segment is consisted of Albert Heijn, Etos, Gall & Gall, bol.com, Delhaize operations in Belgium and Luxembourg.The Other Retail segment handles the firms joint ventures. The Global Support Office segment represents global support office operations in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and the United States. The company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands.

Receive News & Ratings for Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust (TSE:CRR.UN  Get Rating) crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$15.78 and traded as low as C$15.20. Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust shares last traded at C$15.33, with a volume of 81,112 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on CRR.UN shares. CIBC increased their target price on shares of Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust from C$18.25 to C$19.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 24th. TD Securities dropped their price objective on Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust from C$19.50 to C$19.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 27th.

Get Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust alerts:

Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust Trading Up 0.7 %

The company has a current ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 112.45. The firm has a market capitalization of C$1.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 215.29 and a beta of 0.86. The business has a 50 day moving average of C$15.32 and a 200-day moving average of C$15.79.

Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust Dividend Announcement

Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust Company Profile

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 14th were given a dividend of $0.0742 per share. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.87%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 30th. Crombie Real Estate Investment Trusts dividend payout ratio is 1,271.43%.

(Get Rating)

Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust ("Crombie") is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust established under, and governed by, the laws of the Province of Ontario. Crombie is one of the country's leading national retail property landlords with a strategy to own, operate and develop a portfolio of high quality grocery and drug store anchored shopping centres, freestanding stores and mixed use developments primarily in Canada's top urban and suburban markets.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
CTP (OTCMKTS:CTPVF  Get Rating) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 2,000 shares, a decline of 81.8% from the April 15th total of 11,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently  days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Royal Bank of Canada assumed coverage on shares of CTP in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. They issued an outperform rating on the stock.

Get CTP alerts:

CTP Price Performance

CTPVF remained flat at C$15.00 during trading on Wednesday. CTP has a fifty-two week low of C$15.00 and a fifty-two week high of C$15.00. The companys 50 day simple moving average is C$14.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$14.22.

About CTP

CTP N.V. engages in the ownership, development, management, and leasing of logistics and industrial real estate properties in Central and Eastern Europe. Its properties are used primarily for production and warehousing, third-party logistics and distribution, offices, and others. The company also operates 3 hotels under the Courtyard by Marriott brand in the Czech Republic under management agreements with third party.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for CTP Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CTP and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Delphi Energy Corp. (DEE.TO) (TSE:DEE  Get Rating)s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$0.00 and traded as high as C$0.40. Delphi Energy Corp. (DEE.TO) shares last traded at C$0.35, with a volume of 29,072 shares traded.

Delphi Energy Corp. (DEE.TO) Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of C$0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 140.95, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The firm has a market capitalization of C$8.41 million and a PE ratio of -0.06.

About Delphi Energy Corp. (DEE.TO)

(Get Rating)

Delphi Energy Corp., an oil and natural gas company, explores for, develops, and produces crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in Western Canada. The company primarily holds interests in the Bigstone Montney property located in the Deep Basin of Northwest Alberta. It distributes natural gas through Alliance pipeline system in Chicago.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Delphi Energy Corp. (DEE.TO) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Delphi Energy Corp. (DEE.TO) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (OTCMKTS:DOFSQ  Get Rating)s share price dropped 2.3% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $0.12 and last traded at $0.13. Approximately 286,900 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 51% from the average daily volume of 588,227 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.13.

Diamond Offshore Drilling Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.17. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $0.13.

About Diamond Offshore Drilling

(Get Rating)

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc provides contract drilling services to the energy industry worldwide. The company operates a fleet of 13 offshore drilling rigs, including four drillships and nine semisubmersible rigs. It serves independent oil and gas companies, and government-owned oil companies. The company was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Diamond Offshore Drilling Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Diamond Offshore Drilling and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
400tmax / iStock.com

Amazon is offering customers $10 to pick up their orders in-store rather than have them delivered. This is yet another example of e-commerce businesses taking steps to cut high shipping costs amid lower consumer demand.

See: 7 Items at Dollar Tree That Cost Way More on Amazon

Find: How To Build Your Savings From Scratch

We offer customers a variety of ways to get their packages, inclusive of delivery and pickup options. The $10 Amazon Pickup promotion isnt new, the company said in a statement. Reuters noted that Amazon did not disclose how long this or other pickup promotions have been in use. The e-commerce giant added that it applies to customers who have never used Amazon Pickup or havent used the pickup service in the past year.

Over the last few days, Reuters said the company has emailed an undisclosed number of shoppers offering them $10 to pick up an order of $25 or more at pickup locations like Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh or Kohls stores.

Amazon has made several changes due to rising costs.

Business Insider reported that the worlds largest online retailer increased its annual Prime subscription by $20 to $139, added a delivery fee of up to $10 on grocery orders under $150 and is now charging a fee on some returns. Shoppers used to be able to return items at UPS stores free of charge, but now a $1 fee is added if customers have another free return option thats the same distance away or closer, GOBankingRates reported in April.

Customers have taken notice, and they arent happy. Several Amazon customers have taken to social media to vent their frustrations.

New York middle-school teacher Bryan Fabiano told Reuters that hes questioning the value of his Prime subscription. My wife and I are Prime customers because of the shipping [benefits]. If theyre not going to deliver on that, then what are we paying for?

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Amazon Will Pay You $10 To Pick Up Your Order in Store  Heres How To Get the Cash
Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC lifted its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Get Rating) by 11.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,252 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,451 shares during the period. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLCs holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $1,929,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Schubert & Co lifted its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 96.2% during the 4th quarter. Schubert & Co now owns 204 shares of the companys stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. RFP Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Tsfg LLC acquired a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 1st quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Godsey & Gibb Inc. acquired a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 4th quarter worth $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 6.09% of the companys stock.

Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts:

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on NVO shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group upgraded shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, April 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $383.33.

Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Performance

About Novo Nordisk A/S

NYSE:NVO opened at $169.41 on Thursday. The firms 50-day moving average is $157.08 and its 200-day moving average is $139.16. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 52-week low of $95.02 and a 52-week high of $172.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.86. The company has a market cap of $383.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.58, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.48.

(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.

Recommended Stories

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.
Eagle Financial Bancorp, Inc. (OTCMKTS:EFBI  Get Rating) announced a dividend on Wednesday, May 10th, investing.com reports. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.08 per share on Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a dividend yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th.

Eagle Financial Bancorp Stock Performance

Shares of EFBI opened at $16.51 on Thursday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $17.51 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $18.17. Eagle Financial Bancorp has a 12 month low of $16.50 and a 12 month high of $20.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.12 million, a P/E ratio of 51.60 and a beta of -0.05.

Get Eagle Financial Bancorp alerts:

About Eagle Financial Bancorp

(Get Rating)

See Also

Eagle Financial Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company. The firm, through its subsidiary, Eagle Savings Bank, provides financial banking services. It also offers deposit accounts, including checking accounts, savings accounts, money market demand accounts, and certificate of deposit accounts. The company was founded on February 21, 2017 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH.

Receive News & Ratings for Eagle Financial Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eagle Financial Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
MMCAP International Inc. SPC increased its holdings in Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:UUUU  Get Rating) (TSE:EFR) by 62.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,885,108 shares of the basic materials companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,108,376 shares during the quarter. Energy Fuels makes up 1.8% of MMCAP International Inc. SPCs portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest position. MMCAP International Inc. SPCs holdings in Energy Fuels were worth $17,917,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in Energy Fuels by 12.6% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 117,025 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,071,000 after buying an additional 13,083 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in shares of Energy Fuels by 187.3% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,484,213 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $13,581,000 after purchasing an additional 967,543 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Energy Fuels by 45.4% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 22,403 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $206,000 after purchasing an additional 7,000 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can grew its holdings in shares of Energy Fuels by 8.0% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 489,981 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $4,585,000 after purchasing an additional 36,152 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Energy Fuels by 40.1% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 74,736 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $684,000 after purchasing an additional 21,383 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 38.22% of the companys stock.

Get Energy Fuels alerts:

Energy Fuels Stock Performance

NYSEAMERICAN UUUU traded down $0.52 on Thursday, reaching $5.96. 1,356,763 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,788,075. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $6.88. The company has a market capitalization of $941.86 million, a P/E ratio of 13.82 and a beta of 1.75. Energy Fuels Inc. has a 12 month low of $4.69 and a 12 month high of $8.24.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Insider Activity

UUUU has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. TheStreet lowered Energy Fuels from a c- rating to a d rating in a report on Thursday, March 30th. HC Wainwright reissued a buy rating and issued a $9.75 price objective on shares of Energy Fuels in a report on Friday, March 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $11.42.

In other Energy Fuels news, Director J. Birks Bovaird sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.05, for a total transaction of $120,750.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 191,647 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,542,758.35. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 2.22% of the companys stock.

Energy Fuels Profile

(Get Rating)

Energy Fuels, Inc is a mining development company, which engages in the exploration and evaluation of uranium and vanadium properties. It also operates the Nichols Ranch, Alta Mesa, and White Mesa Mill projects. The company was founded by George E. L. Glasier and John David Mason on June 24, 1987 and is headquartered in Lakewood, CO.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UUUU? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:UUUU  Get Rating) (TSE:EFR).

Receive News & Ratings for Energy Fuels Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Energy Fuels and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Invesco Ltd. (NYSE:IVZ  Get Rating)  Stock analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q2 2023 earnings estimates for shares of Invesco in a report issued on Tuesday, May 9th. Zacks Research analyst S. Shah now anticipates that the asset manager will post earnings of $0.33 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.32. The consensus estimate for Invescos current full-year earnings is $1.64 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Invescos Q3 2023 earnings at $0.31 EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at $0.44 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $1.47 EPS, Q1 2024 earnings at $0.42 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $0.44 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $0.49 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $0.58 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $1.93 EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at $0.48 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $2.14 EPS.

Get Invesco alerts:

Invesco (NYSE:IVZ  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The asset manager reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.02. Invesco had a net margin of 14.87% and a return on equity of 7.86%. The business had revenue of $1.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.56 EPS. Invescos quarterly revenue was down 13.0% on a year-over-year basis.

Invesco Stock Performance

IVZ has been the topic of several other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Invesco from $16.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Invesco from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. Credit Suisse Group raised shares of Invesco from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and increased their price target for the stock from $14.50 to $15.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Invesco from $18.00 to $18.50 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, April 14th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Invesco from $15.00 to $16.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Invesco has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $17.72.

NYSE IVZ opened at $15.93 on Thursday. Invesco has a 1 year low of $13.20 and a 1 year high of $20.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 4.88 and a quick ratio of 4.88. The firm has a market cap of $7.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.54, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $16.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.64.

Invesco Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 8th. This is a positive change from Invescos previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Invescos dividend payout ratio is 57.97%.

Institutional Trading of Invesco

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in Invesco during the first quarter valued at $535,000. South Dakota Investment Council grew its stake in shares of Invesco by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. South Dakota Investment Council now owns 334,719 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $5,489,000 after acquiring an additional 4,500 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC boosted its stake in Invesco by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 151,334 shares of the asset managers stock worth $2,482,000 after purchasing an additional 5,930 shares during the period. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund bought a new position in shares of Invesco during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $265,000. Finally, Pictet Asset Management SA raised its holdings in Invesco by 24.3% during the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management SA now owns 246,914 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $4,049,000 after buying an additional 48,263 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.42% of the companys stock.

Invesco Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Invesco Ltd. engages in the investment management business. Its product includes mutual funds, unit trusts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and retirement plans. The company was founded in December 1935 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
TransAlta Co. (TSE:TA  Get Rating) (NYSE:TAC)  Stock analysts at Atb Cap Markets dropped their Q2 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for TransAlta in a research report issued on Sunday, May 7th. Atb Cap Markets analyst N. Heywood now expects that the company will post earnings of $0.05 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.10. The consensus estimate for TransAltas current full-year earnings is $0.69 per share. Atb Cap Markets also issued estimates for TransAltas Q3 2023 earnings at $0.37 EPS, Q1 2024 earnings at $0.08 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $0.22 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $0.22 EPS and Q4 2024 earnings at $0.06 EPS.

Get TransAlta alerts:

TransAlta (TSE:TA  Get Rating) (NYSE:TAC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The company reported C($0.61) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$0.68 by C($1.29). TransAlta had a return on equity of 7.03% and a net margin of 1.68%.

TransAlta Stock Performance

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. National Bankshares dropped their price target on TransAlta from C$15.00 to C$14.00 in a research note on Friday, February 24th. TD Securities dropped their price target on TransAlta from C$17.50 to C$16.50 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 24th. CIBC raised their price target on TransAlta from C$16.50 to C$17.00 in a research note on Monday. CSFB raised TransAlta from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and raised their price target for the stock from C$15.00 to C$17.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, Scotiabank raised their price target on TransAlta from C$16.00 to C$17.00 in a research note on Monday.

TSE:TA opened at C$13.26 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of C$3.55 billion, a PE ratio of 1,325.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.07 and a beta of 1.13. TransAlta has a fifty-two week low of C$10.52 and a fifty-two week high of C$15.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 221.62, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.29. The business has a 50 day moving average price of C$11.72 and a 200-day moving average price of C$12.12.

TransAlta Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.055 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $0.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.66%. TransAltas dividend payout ratio is currently 2,200.00%.

About TransAlta

(Get Rating)

TransAlta Corporation owns, operates, and develops a diverse fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Hydro, Wind and Solar, Gas, and Energy Transition. owns and operates hydro, wind and solar, natural gas-fired, and coal-fired facilities.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for TransAlta Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TransAlta and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Fagron NV (OTCMKTS:ARSUF  Get Rating) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 13,000 shares, a growth of 209.5% from the April 15th total of 4,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently  days.

Fagron Price Performance

ARSUF stock remained flat at $18.75 during mid-day trading on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $15.50 and a 200-day moving average price of $13.97. Fagron has a 12-month low of $18.75 and a 12-month high of $18.75.

Get Fagron alerts:

About Fagron

(Get Rating)

Further Reading

Fagron NV, a pharmaceutical compounding company, provides personalized medicine care to hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, and patients. The company also innovates concepts, vehicles, and formulations for pharmaceutical compounding. In addition, it supplies raw materials, utensils and equipment, semi-finished products, vehicles, and sterile and non-sterile compounded medicines.

Receive News & Ratings for Fagron Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fagron and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
The First Citizens National Bank of Upper Sandusky (OTCMKTS:FSDK  Get Rating)s share price dropped 2.6% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $69.44 and last traded at $69.44. Approximately 110 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 56% from the average daily volume of 250 shares. The stock had previously closed at $71.32.

First Citizens National Bank of Upper Sandusky Stock Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $71.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $71.29.

About First Citizens National Bank of Upper Sandusky

(Get Rating)

The First Citizens National Bank of Upper Sandusky provides personal and business banking products and services. The company offers checking, savings, money market, certificates of deposit, health savings, and individual retirement accounts; and home mortgage loans, home equity loans, home equity lines of credit, auto loans, cash reserve loans, personal loans, and business and agriculture loans, as well as credit and debit cards.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for First Citizens National Bank of Upper Sandusky Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Citizens National Bank of Upper Sandusky and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA (OTCMKTS:GBLBY  Get Rating) was the target of a large increase in short interest in April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 800 shares, an increase of 300.0% from the April 15th total of 200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.5 days.

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert Stock Performance

Shares of GBLBY traded down $0.06 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $8.84. 160 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,903. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $8.60 and a 200-day simple moving average of $8.47. Groupe Bruxelles Lambert has a one year low of $6.80 and a one year high of $14.25.

Get Groupe Bruxelles Lambert alerts:

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.1623 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 10th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.73%.

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert Company Profile

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA is a holding company, which invests, reinvests, owns, manages, and trades shares in companies.It operates through the following segments: Holding, Imerys, Webhelp, and Sienna Capital. The Holding segment manages investments, non-consolidated operating companies, and associates.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Groupe Bruxelles Lambert Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Groupe Bruxelles Lambert and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Hansteen Holdings plc (LON:HSTN  Get Rating)s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 116.20 ($1.47) and traded as high as GBX 116.20 ($1.47). Hansteen shares last traded at GBX 116.20 ($1.47), with a volume of 5,099,403 shares trading hands.

Hansteen Stock Down 0.2 %

The firms 50-day simple moving average is GBX 116.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 116.20. The company has a market cap of 498.20 million and a P/E ratio of 10.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 53.41, a quick ratio of 2.37 and a current ratio of 2.83.

Hansteen Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Hansteen Holdings PLC is a company which was incorporated in the United Kingdom and registered in England and Wales on 27 October 2005. The Company is required to comply with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006. The address of the registered office is 1st Floor, Pegasus House, 37-43 Sackville Street, London W1S 3DL.

Further Reading

Receive News & Ratings for Hansteen Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hansteen and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its stake in General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS  Get Rating) by 19.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,013,956 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 162,971 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC owned 0.17% of General Mills worth $85,074,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Geneva Partners LLC increased its stake in General Mills by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Geneva Partners LLC now owns 6,579 shares of the companys stock valued at $504,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. increased its stake in General Mills by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. now owns 27,800 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,129,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. West Coast Financial LLC increased its stake in General Mills by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. West Coast Financial LLC now owns 3,954 shares of the companys stock valued at $303,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV increased its stake in General Mills by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 13,284 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,114,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Investment Advisors MI increased its stake in General Mills by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI now owns 11,193 shares of the companys stock valued at $939,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. 74.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get General Mills alerts:

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on GIS. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of General Mills from $75.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Monday, March 27th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $76.00 price target on shares of General Mills in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of General Mills from $88.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of General Mills from $84.00 to $86.00 in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of General Mills from $76.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $84.76.

Insider Activity at General Mills

General Mills Stock Performance

In related news, insider Jonathon Nudi sold 8,030 shares of General Mills stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.33, for a total value of $685,199.90. Following the sale, the insider now owns 83,049 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,086,571.17. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink . In other news, insider Jacqueline Williams-Roll sold 18,517 shares of General Mills stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.47, for a total transaction of $1,656,715.99. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 47,163 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,219,673.61. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Also, insider Jonathon Nudi sold 8,030 shares of General Mills stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.33, for a total value of $685,199.90. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 83,049 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,086,571.17. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last quarter, insiders have sold 48,281 shares of company stock valued at $4,207,997. 0.67% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

GIS opened at $89.57 on Thursday. General Mills, Inc. has a 12-month low of $64.94 and a 12-month high of $90.38. The company has a current ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $52.61 billion, a PE ratio of 19.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.27. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $84.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $82.47.

General Mills (NYSE:GIS  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 23rd. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $5.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.97 billion. General Mills had a net margin of 14.04% and a return on equity of 24.51%. General Millss revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.84 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that General Mills, Inc. will post 4.23 EPS for the current year.

General Mills Profile

(Get Rating)

General Mills, Inc engages in the manufacture and marketing of branded consumer foods sold through retail stores. The firm operates through the following segments: North America Retail, Europe & Australia, Convenience Stores & Foodservice, Pet, and Asia & Latin America. The North America Retail segment includes grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, drug, dollar and discount chains and e-commerce grocery providers.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for General Mills Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Mills and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
NEW YORK, May 11, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Altera Digital Health (formerly the Allscripts Hospitals and Large Physician Practices business segment) has won a competitive tender to deliver the Victorian Department of Healths state-wide Health Information Exchange (HIE) solution. It seeks to address one of the biggest challenges in healthcare  the sharing of health information across disparate systems for clinical care. The platform supports Victorias digital health roadmap, which prioritizes the availability of patient health information across acute care providers.

The platform will initially provide hospital clinicians with a more complete view of a patients public pathology reports. It can be expanded to securely share other clinical information at the point of care. Secure and timely access to patient information across different care settings enables clinicians to be better informed. This makes clinical decisions and supports safer, while enabling patient health outcomes to be improved.

Dani Arousi, Altera Digital Healths Global Commercial Director for the dbMotion Solution, said that the Victorian Department of Healths selection of dbMotion confirms the platforms status as the industry benchmark for clinical information sharing.

"dbMotion is a world-class, proven and enabling solution for healthcare organizations globally to create, build and view a patients virtual longitudinal record, and will be a milestone development in Victorias digital health journey."

Altera Digital Health demonstrated that its solution had assisted healthcare organizations and governments of similar size to the Victorian Department of Health to meet their digital health strategic goals, ultimately improving clinician access to patient clinical information no matter where the patient is across their continuum of care.

"We have extensive experience in aggregating clinical information from disparate systems and creating robust longitudinal records across a range of complex acute settings. dbMotion has been implemented in world-leading healthcare organizations in Israel, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, empowering the Department to leverage a global network to establish a comprehensive and secure HIE platform for Victoria," added Mr. Arousi.

Story continues

Alteras dbMotion solution has already partnered with South Western Sydney Primary Health Network, the first Asia-Pacific implementation of the solution. The New South Wales HIE implementation aggregates primary care clinical records and enables hospital clinicians to view a patients primary care record at the point of care.

Altera Digital Health boasts a sizeable footprint in Victoria, where its cloud-hosted Sunrise EHR and other solutions are active in a variety of sites, including Albury Wodonga Health, Grampians Health, Barwon Health, Epworth HealthCare, Gippsland Health Alliance, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital & Western Health.

About Altera Digital Health

A global healthcare IT leader, Altera Digital Health develops and elevates technology to connect and inspire healthier communities. Formerly the Allscripts Hospitals and Large Physician Practices business segment, Alteras platform approach to our solutions is changing the way healthcare is delivered. Altera designs digital health services that lead healthcare to a higher place, while we guide those we partner with, all along the way. Together, with our clients, were bringing next-level healthcare within reach. To learn more, visit www.alterahealth.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005224/en/

Contacts

AlteraMediaRelations@alterahealth.com
HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWB  Get Rating) by 0.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 426,111 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 1000 ETF were worth $89,718,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 7,387,402 shares of the companys stock worth $1,457,756,000 after purchasing an additional 219,057 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,245,805 shares of the companys stock worth $1,104,347,000 after acquiring an additional 302,205 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp lifted its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 2,517,723 shares of the companys stock worth $496,823,000 after acquiring an additional 126,684 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 2,013,250 shares of the companys stock worth $423,829,000 after acquiring an additional 18,189 shares during the period. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 12.3% in the 4th quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,830,745 shares of the companys stock worth $385,408,000 after acquiring an additional 200,515 shares during the period.

Get iShares Russell 1000 ETF alerts:

iShares Russell 1000 ETF Stock Performance

IWB stock opened at $226.42 on Thursday. iShares Russell 1000 ETF has a one year low of $192.01 and a one year high of $238.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.62 billion, a PE ratio of 17.92 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a fifty day moving average of $222.30 and a 200-day moving average of $219.21.

iShares Russell 1000 ETF Profile

iShares Russell 1000 ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Index (the Index). The Index is a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index that measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and includes securities issued by the approximately 1,000 largest issuers in the Russell 3000 Index.

Featured Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IWB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Russell 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWB  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 1000 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 1000 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT  Get Rating) by 32.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 451,753 shares of the retailers stock after purchasing an additional 109,842 shares during the period. Huntington National Banks holdings in Walmart were worth $64,054,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.4% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 130,176,496 shares of the retailers stock valued at $16,883,890,000 after acquiring an additional 1,832,388 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.9% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 96,570,711 shares of the retailers stock valued at $12,525,224,000 after acquiring an additional 2,712,886 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 60,659,193 shares of the retailers stock valued at $7,867,497,000 after acquiring an additional 701,415 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.3% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 11,685,848 shares of the retailers stock valued at $1,515,655,000 after acquiring an additional 33,452 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.9% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,904,858 shares of the retailers stock valued at $1,623,951,000 after acquiring an additional 303,726 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 31.27% of the companys stock.

Get Walmart alerts:

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WMT traded up $0.42 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $152.97. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,679,381 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,049,120. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $146.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $145.22. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $117.27 and a one year high of $154.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $412.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.64, a P/E/G ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.48.

Walmart Announces Dividend

Walmart ( NYSE:WMT Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The retailer reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.20. Walmart had a net margin of 1.91% and a return on equity of 20.45%. The company had revenue of $164.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $158.67 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.53 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 6.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 8th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 7th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.49%. Walmarts dividend payout ratio is presently 53.27%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP John R. Furner sold 4,375 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.00, for a total value of $660,625.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 286,617 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $43,279,167. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, EVP John R. Furner sold 4,375 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.00, for a total value of $660,625.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 286,617 shares in the company, valued at approximately $43,279,167. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director S Robson Walton sold 1,504,039 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.51, for a total transaction of $218,852,714.89. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 245,711,516 shares of the companys stock, valued at $35,753,482,693.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 21,044,002 shares of company stock valued at $2,981,168,308 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 47.06% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. Royal Bank of Canada set a $163.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Gordon Haskett upgraded shares of Walmart from an accumulate rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $155.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Credit Suisse Group set a $170.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $159.00 to $160.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $164.00 to $169.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Six equities research 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $165.13.

Walmart Company Profile

(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.

Further Reading

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.
Huntington National Bank decreased its position in shares of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK  Get Rating) by 3.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 56,862 shares of the asset managers stock after selling 2,037 shares during the quarter. Huntington National Banks holdings in BlackRock were worth $40,294,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Israel Discount Bank of New York boosted its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Israel Discount Bank of New York now owns 594 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $327,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. First Community Trust NA lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 18.4% during the 4th quarter. First Community Trust NA now owns 90 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. CAPROCK Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. CAPROCK Group Inc. now owns 1,767 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $972,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. HBC Financial Services PLLC lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 55.6% during the 4th quarter. HBC Financial Services PLLC now owns 42 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evermay Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Evermay Wealth Management LLC now owns 544 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $386,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 77.69% of the companys stock.

Get BlackRock alerts:

Insider Buying and Selling at BlackRock

In other BlackRock news, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 3,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $696.00, for a total value of $2,088,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 71,307 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,629,672. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $696.00, for a total transaction of $2,088,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 71,307 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,629,672. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Laurence Fink sold 35,799 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $694.50, for a total transaction of $24,862,405.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 484,325 shares in the company, valued at approximately $336,363,712.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 39,374 shares of company stock worth $27,346,615. 1.06% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BlackRock Trading Up 1.1 %

A number of brokerages have commented on BLK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $800.00 to $779.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $760.00 to $740.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of BlackRock from $763.00 to $770.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of BlackRock from $868.00 to $920.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group upped their price target on shares of BlackRock from $662.00 to $673.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, BlackRock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $756.45.

Shares of BLK stock traded up $7.05 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $636.23. 301,198 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 669,252. BlackRock, Inc. has a 1-year low of $503.12 and a 1-year high of $785.65. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $659.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $695.43. The company has a quick ratio of 2.99, a current ratio of 2.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $95.59 billion, a PE ratio of 19.52, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.27.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 14th. The asset manager reported $7.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.71 by $0.22. The firm had revenue of $4.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.24 billion. BlackRock had a net margin of 28.13% and a return on equity of 13.69%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $9.52 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that BlackRock, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

About BlackRock

(Get Rating)

BlackRock, Inc engages in providing investment management, risk management, and advisory services for institutional and retail clients worldwide. Its products include single and multi-asset class portfolios investing in equities, fixed income, alternatives, and money market instruments. The company was founded by Susan L.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Huntsman (NYSE:HUN  Get Rating) had its target price dropped by analysts at Mizuho from $27.00 to $26.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports. Mizuhos price objective indicates a potential upside of 2.77% from the stocks current price.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on HUN. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Huntsman from $33.00 to $30.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Vertical Research lowered shares of Huntsman from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Huntsman in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Huntsman from $31.00 to $29.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Huntsman from $28.00 to $24.00 in a research note on Sunday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Huntsman currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $29.33.

Get Huntsman alerts:

Huntsman Price Performance

HUN stock opened at $25.30 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.26. Huntsman has a one year low of $23.53 and a one year high of $37.13. The stock has a market cap of $4.65 billion, a PE ratio of 12.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.12. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $27.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $28.40.

Institutional Trading of Huntsman

Huntsman ( NYSE:HUN Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The basic materials company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.16 by $0.04. Huntsman had a net margin of 5.11% and a return on equity of 11.11%. The business had revenue of $1.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.67 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.19 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 26.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Huntsman will post 1.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HUN. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Huntsman by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 104,371 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $2,856,000 after buying an additional 446 shares during the period. Burney Co. lifted its position in shares of Huntsman by 5.4% during the 1st quarter. Burney Co. now owns 11,021 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $302,000 after buying an additional 566 shares during the period. Twin Tree Management LP bought a new position in shares of Huntsman during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,730,000. LPL Financial LLC raised its position in Huntsman by 12.5% in the 1st quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 59,920 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,639,000 after purchasing an additional 6,662 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new position in Huntsman in the 1st quarter valued at $25,168,000. Institutional investors own 87.57% of the companys stock.

Huntsman Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Huntsman Corp. engages in the manufacturing of differentiated organic chemical products. It operates through the following segments: Polyurethanes, Performance Products, and Advanced Materials. The Polyurethanes segment manufactures and markets polyurethane chemicals, including MDI products, PO, polyols, PG, TPU, aniline, and MTBE.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Huntsman Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Huntsman and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
EFG Asset Management Americas Corp. raised its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM  Get Rating) by 2.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 88,125 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after buying an additional 1,876 shares during the quarter. iShares Russell 2000 ETF comprises approximately 3.8% of EFG Asset Management Americas Corp.s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. EFG Asset Management Americas Corp.s holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF were worth $15,366,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barclays PLC raised its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 113.2% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,660,221 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $603,643,000 after purchasing an additional 31,422,045 shares during the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank raised its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 12,616.2% in the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 7,756,010 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,279,086,000 after purchasing an additional 7,695,017 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI raised its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 32,819.0% in the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 2,119,653 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $369,583,000 after purchasing an additional 2,113,214 shares during the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 8.9% in the 3rd quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 14,581,100 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,404,715,000 after purchasing an additional 1,192,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Factory Mutual Insurance Co. increased its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 70.7% in the 4th quarter. Factory Mutual Insurance Co. now owns 1,450,190 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $252,855,000 after buying an additional 600,749 shares in the last quarter.

Get iShares Russell 2000 ETF alerts:

iShares Russell 2000 ETF Price Performance

NYSEARCA IWM traded down $1.57 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $172.84. The companys stock had a trading volume of 15,301,258 shares, compared to its average volume of 28,263,090. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a 12 month low of $162.50 and a 12 month high of $201.99. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $176.32 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $180.96.

About iShares Russell 2000 ETF

iShares Russell 2000 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 2000 Index (the Index). The Index is a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index that measures the performance of the small-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and includes securities issued by the approximately 2,000 smallest issuers in the Russell 3000 Index.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IWM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Julius Bar Gruppe AG (OTCMKTS:JBAXY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 31,300 shares, a decrease of 94.3% from the April 15th total of 547,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 103,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Julius Bar Gruppe Stock Performance

Julius Bar Gruppe stock traded down $0.06 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $13.81. The companys stock had a trading volume of 35,034 shares, compared to its average volume of 74,913. The stocks fifty day moving average is $13.50 and its 200 day moving average is $12.40. Julius Bar Gruppe has a 1-year low of $8.17 and a 1-year high of $14.69.

Get Julius Bar Gruppe alerts:

Julius Bar Gruppe Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 18th were paid a dividend of $0.3219 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, April 17th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.38%. This is an increase from Julius Bar Gruppes previous dividend of $0.16. Julius Bar Gruppes dividend payout ratio is currently 119.40%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Julius Bar Gruppe Company Profile

A number of research firms recently commented on JBAXY. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Julius Bar Gruppe from CHF 63 to CHF 62 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. Barclays upgraded shares of Julius Bar Gruppe from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a report on Friday, April 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $61.80.

(Get Rating)

Julius Bar Gruppe AG engages in the provision of private banking services. Its services include discretionary mandates, investment advisory, open product and service platform, financial market services, investor services, financing, and wealth planning. The company was founded by Raymond Julius Baer in 2009 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Julius Bar Gruppe Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Julius Bar Gruppe and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Shares of Kinross Gold Co. (TSE:K  Get Rating) (NYSE:KGC) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as C$7.47 and last traded at C$7.38, with a volume of 306584 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$7.42.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. National Bankshares dropped their target price on Kinross Gold from C$8.50 to C$8.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. Cormark dropped their price target on Kinross Gold from C$6.75 to C$6.00 in a research note on Friday, February 17th.

Get Kinross Gold alerts:

Kinross Gold Trading Down 0.9 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 44.89, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 2.46. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of C$6.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$5.88. The firm has a market cap of C$9.04 billion, a PE ratio of 247.33, a P/E/G ratio of -0.60 and a beta of 0.97.

Kinross Gold Cuts Dividend

Kinross Gold ( TSE:K Get Rating ) (NYSE:KGC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The company reported C$0.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.10 by C$0.02. The business had revenue of C$1.46 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$1.30 billion. Kinross Gold had a positive return on equity of 0.49% and a negative net margin of 17.52%. Analysts expect that Kinross Gold Co. will post 0.3427342 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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 issued a $0.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $0.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.63%. Kinross Golds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 533.33%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Senior Officer Nathan M. Longenecker sold 89,912 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$3.70, for a total value of C$332,701.37. Insiders own 0.27% of the companys stock.

About Kinross Gold

(Get Rating)

Kinross Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties principally in the United States, the Russian Federation, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, and Mauritania. It is also involved in the extraction and processing of gold-containing ores; reclamation of gold mining properties; and production and sale of silver.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Kinross Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kinross Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
LGT Group Foundation lessened its holdings in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM  Get Rating) (TSE:AEM) by 63.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 63,100 shares of the mining companys stock after selling 110,008 shares during the quarter. LGT Group Foundations holdings in Agnico Eagle Mines were worth $3,279,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Agnico Eagle Mines by 86.4% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 540,450 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $33,097,000 after buying an additional 250,445 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE grew its position in Agnico Eagle Mines by 108.6% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,420 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $270,000 after buying an additional 2,301 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp grew its position in Agnico Eagle Mines by 37.6% during the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 2,795 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $171,000 after buying an additional 764 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. acquired a new stake in Agnico Eagle Mines during the first quarter valued at $678,000. Finally, BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines by 44.0% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 364,215 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $22,304,000 after purchasing an additional 111,208 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.11% of the companys stock.

Get Agnico Eagle Mines alerts:

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AEM has been the topic of several research analyst reports. TheStreet upgraded shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. They issued an outperform rating on the stock. TD Securities dropped their target price on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from $68.00 to $62.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Scotiabank initiated coverage on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. They issued an outperform rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from $62.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $70.63.

Agnico Eagle Mines Price Performance

Agnico Eagle Mines stock opened at $58.78 on Thursday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $53.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $51.60. The company has a market capitalization of $29.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 26.28 and a beta of 0.80. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited has a 1 year low of $36.69 and a 1 year high of $61.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 2.32.

Agnico Eagle Mines (NYSE:AEM  Get Rating) (TSE:AEM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 17th. The mining company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.42 billion. Agnico Eagle Mines had a net margin of 40.12% and a return on equity of 6.07%. The businesss revenue was up 45.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.46 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Agnico Eagle Mines Limited will post 2.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Agnico Eagle Mines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.72%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 31st. Agnico Eagle Miness payout ratio is currently 31.50%.

Agnico Eagle Mines Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. engages in the exploration and production of gold. It operates through the following segments: Northern Business, Southern Business, and Exploration. The Northern Business segment comprises of LaRonde mine, LaRonde Zone 5 mine, Lapa mine, Goldex mine, Meadowbank mine including the Amaruq deposit, Canadian Malartic joint operation, Meliadine project and Kittila mine.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AEM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM  Get Rating) (TSE:AEM).

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.
Trust Co of Kansas trimmed its position in shares of Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT  Get Rating) by 4.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 18,027 shares of the aerospace companys stock after selling 883 shares during the period. Lockheed Martin makes up approximately 5.7% of Trust Co of Kansas holdings, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Trust Co of Kansas holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $8,770,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Lee Financial Co increased its stake in Lockheed Martin by 367.6% during the first quarter. Lee Financial Co now owns 477 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $210,000 after acquiring an additional 375 shares during the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 240.0% during the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 4,124 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $1,821,000 after purchasing an additional 2,911 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 56.8% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 23,153 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $9,995,000 after purchasing an additional 8,389 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 18.4% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 28,807 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $12,716,000 after buying an additional 4,472 shares during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its position in Lockheed Martin by 20.4% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 107,366 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $47,391,000 after buying an additional 18,201 shares during the last quarter. 75.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get Lockheed Martin alerts:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on LMT. Robert W. Baird downgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $513.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a neutral rating to a sell rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $388.00 to $332.00 in a research note on Friday, January 13th. StockNews.com upgraded Lockheed Martin from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Lockheed Martin from $480.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $546.00 to $579.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $494.79.

Lockheed Martin Stock Performance

NYSE LMT traded down $4.30 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $448.85. 129,344 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,369,321. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.30. Lockheed Martin Co. has a 1 year low of $373.67 and a 1 year high of $508.10. The businesss 50 day moving average is $475.83 and its 200-day moving average is $474.69. The company has a market capitalization of $113.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.67.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 18th. The aerospace company reported $6.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.08 by $0.35. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 8.60% and a return on equity of 67.75%. The company had revenue of $15.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.01 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.44 EPS. Lockheed Martins revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 26.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $3.00 per share. This represents a $12.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 31st. Lockheed Martins dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 54.84%.

Insider Activity at Lockheed Martin

In other Lockheed Martin news, EVP Timothy S. Cahill sold 2,534 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.44, for a total value of $1,214,900.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 10,460 shares in the company, valued at $5,014,942.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Timothy S. Cahill sold 2,534 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.44, for a total transaction of $1,214,900.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 10,460 shares in the company, valued at $5,014,942.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director John Donovan acquired 506 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 19th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $495.17 per share, for a total transaction of $250,556.02. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 2,830 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,401,331.10. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Lockheed Martin Profile

(Get Rating)

Lockheed Martin Corp. is a global security and aerospace company, which engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of technology systems, products, and services. It operates through the following business segments: Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control (MFC), Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS), and Space.

Featured Stories

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Lockheed Martin Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lockheed Martin and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Mullen Group Ltd. (TSE:MTL  Get Rating) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$14.60 and traded as high as C$15.51. Mullen Group shares last traded at C$15.35, with a volume of 161,173 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James dropped their price target on Mullen Group from C$18.00 to C$17.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Mullen Group from C$15.00 to C$15.50 in a research report on Friday, April 28th. TD Securities boosted their price target on Mullen Group from C$16.00 to C$17.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Cormark dropped their price target on Mullen Group from C$19.00 to C$17.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Finally, National Bank Financial reiterated an outperfrom under weight rating on shares of Mullen Group in a research report on Monday, March 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$16.80.

Get Mullen Group alerts:

Mullen Group Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 80.76. The business has a 50 day moving average of C$14.81 and a 200-day moving average of C$14.62. The stock has a market cap of C$1.39 billion, a PE ratio of 8.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.76.

Mullen Group Dividend Announcement

Mullen Group ( TSE:MTL Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported C$0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$0.35 by C$0.23. The company had revenue of C$502.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$496.70 million. Mullen Group had a return on equity of 18.99% and a net margin of 8.52%. On average, analysts anticipate that Mullen Group Ltd. will post 1.2277466 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Sunday, April 30th will be given a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.70%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 28th. Mullen Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.45%.

About Mullen Group

(Get Rating)

Mullen Group Ltd. provides a range of trucking and logistics services in Canada and the United States. The company operates in four segments: Less-Than-Truckload, Logistics & Warehousing, Specialized & Industrial Services, and U.S. & International Logistics. The Less-Than-Truckload segment delivers general freight consisting of smaller shipments, packages, and parcels; and pharmaceutical and package products.

Featured Articles

Receive News & Ratings for Mullen Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mullen Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Key Insights

Significantly high institutional ownership implies BATM Advanced Communications' stock price is sensitive to their trading actions

A total of 2 investors have a majority stake in the company with 51% ownership

Insiders own 23% of BATM Advanced Communications

To get a sense of who is truly in control of BATM Advanced Communications Ltd. (LON:BVC), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 39% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

Because institutional owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. Therefore, a good portion of institutional money invested in the company is usually a huge vote of confidence on its future.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of BATM Advanced Communications, beginning with the chart below.

Check out our latest analysis for BATM Advanced Communications

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About BATM Advanced Communications?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

BATM Advanced Communications already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at BATM Advanced Communications' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Story continues

BATM Advanced Communications is not owned by hedge funds. Lombard Odier Asset Management (Europe) Limited is currently the company's largest shareholder with 29% of shares outstanding. Zvi Marom is the second largest shareholder owning 22% of common stock, and Herald Investment Management Limited holds about 4.2% of the company stock. Zvi Marom, who is the second-largest shareholder, also happens to hold the title of Top Key Executive.

A more detailed study of the shareholder registry showed us that 2 of the top shareholders have a considerable amount of ownership in the company, via their 51% stake.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. While there is some analyst coverage, the company is probably not widely covered. So it could gain more attention, down the track.

Insider Ownership Of BATM Advanced Communications

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of BATM Advanced Communications Ltd.. Insiders have a UK25m stake in this UK111m business. We would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 38% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with BATM Advanced Communications , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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
National Bank Holdings Co. (NYSE:NBHC  Get Rating) declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, May 9th, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 26th will be given a dividend of 0.26 per share by the financial services provider on Thursday, June 15th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.60%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 25th. This is an increase from National Banks previous quarterly dividend of $0.25.

National Bank has increased its dividend by an average of 7.8% per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 2 years. National Bank has a payout ratio of 28.2% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect National Bank to earn $3.57 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.00 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 28.0%.

Get National Bank alerts:

National Bank Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:NBHC traded down $0.08 on Thursday, reaching $28.87. 11,111 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 256,603. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. The company has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.84 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a fifty day moving average of $33.49 and a 200-day moving average of $39.99. National Bank has a twelve month low of $26.48 and a twelve month high of $50.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

National Bank ( NYSE:NBHC Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The financial services provider reported $1.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.06. National Bank had a net margin of 22.64% and a return on equity of 12.25%. The firm had revenue of $109.55 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $108.49 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.61 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 66.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that National Bank will post 3.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in National Bank by 24.4% during the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,005 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 393 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its stake in National Bank by 145.4% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,698 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 1,006 shares during the period. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of National Bank by 2,677.4% in the first quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 1,722 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $69,000 after buying an additional 1,660 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of National Bank in the second quarter worth $241,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of National Bank in the second quarter worth $300,000. 78.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on NBHC. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on shares of National Bank from $49.00 to $40.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 6th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of National Bank in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating on the stock.

National Bank Company Profile

(Get Rating)

National Bank Holdings Corp. is a bank holding company. The firm engages in the provision of banking products to both commercial and consumer clients. It operates under the following brand names: Bank Midwest in Kansas and Missouri, Community Banks of Colorado in Colorado, and Hillcrest Bank in Texas, Utah and New Mexico.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for National Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for National Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Payfare Inc. (TSE:PAY  Get Rating)s share price fell 12.6% on Thursday . The company traded as low as C$5.86 and last traded at C$5.88. 175,798 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 43% from the average session volume of 122,875 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$6.73.

Payfare Stock Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average price of C$6.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$5.46. The company has a market capitalization of C$289.65 million, a PE ratio of -112.17 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

Payfare Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Payfare Inc, a financial technology company, provides instant payment and digital banking solutions to gig economy workers in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The company offers PayFare, a platform that provides access to earnings, as well as banking services, such as ATM withdrawals, funds transfers, bill payments, and savings wallets.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Payfare Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Payfare and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Pinnacle West Capital (NYSE:PNW  Get Rating) had its price objective upped by research analysts at Mizuho from $74.00 to $81.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday, The Fly reports. Mizuhos price target indicates a potential upside of 0.42% from the stocks previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on PNW. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price 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 issued a hold rating on the stock. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $69.00 to $76.00 in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group upgraded shares of Pinnacle West Capital from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $77.00 to $80.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $74.64.

Get Pinnacle West Capital alerts:

Pinnacle West Capital Stock Performance

NYSE:PNW opened at $80.66 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.72, a PEG ratio of 3.66 and a beta of 0.46. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $78.34 and its 200 day simple moving average is $75.80. Pinnacle West Capital has a twelve month low of $59.03 and a twelve month high of $81.63.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pinnacle West Capital

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). The business had revenue of $944.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $808.33 million. Pinnacle West Capital had a net margin of 10.33% and a return on equity of 7.50%. The businesss revenue was up 20.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.15 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Pinnacle West Capital will post 4.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Graham Capital Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pinnacle West Capital during the 1st quarter valued at about $248,814,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pinnacle West Capital during the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Quent Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Pinnacle West Capital by 153.6% during the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 350 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Pinnacle West Capital during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Pinnacle West Capital by 128.3% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 411 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.21% of the companys stock.

Pinnacle West Capital Company Profile

(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.

See Also

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.
Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG  Get Rating)  Investment analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q2 2024 EPS estimates for Koninklijke Philips in a research note issued to investors on Monday, May 8th. Zacks Research analyst A. Ganguly now anticipates that the technology company will earn $0.32 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $0.29. The consensus estimate for Koninklijke Philips current full-year earnings is $1.10 per share.

Get Koninklijke Philips alerts:

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Societe Generale upgraded shares of Koninklijke Philips from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Koninklijke Philips from 17.00 ($18.68) to 16.00 ($17.58) and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. UBS Group downgraded shares of Koninklijke Philips from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of Koninklijke Philips in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. They set a market perform rating for the company. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Koninklijke Philips in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $16.79.

Koninklijke Philips Price Performance

Shares of Koninklijke Philips stock traded down $0.49 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $20.68. The stock had a trading volume of 203,390 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,888,279. The stocks 50 day moving average is $18.32 and its 200 day moving average is $16.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.39 billion, a PE ratio of -8.64 and a beta of 0.91. Koninklijke Philips has a twelve month low of $11.75 and a twelve month high of $26.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 24th. The technology company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.99 billion. Koninklijke Philips had a negative net margin of 11.63% and a positive return on equity of 6.29%. The companys revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.32 earnings per share.

Institutional Trading of Koninklijke Philips

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of PHG. Citigroup Inc. grew its stake in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 36,882 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,126,000 after buying an additional 483 shares during the period. 1832 Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 56,735 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,708,000 after buying an additional 619 shares during the period. Sittner & Nelson LLC grew its stake in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 23.1% in the 4th quarter. Sittner & Nelson LLC now owns 3,992 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 750 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its stake in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 6.3% in the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 12,826 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $235,000 after buying an additional 756 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 4.9% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 16,411 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $501,000 after buying an additional 771 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 10.17% of the companys stock.

Koninklijke Philips Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 18th. Investors of record on Friday, May 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.9387 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a yield of 3.7%. Koninklijke Philipss dividend payout ratio is presently -31.84%.

About Koninklijke Philips

(Get Rating)

Koninklijke Philips NV is a technology company, which engages in the healthcare, lighting, and consumer well-being markets. It operates through the following segments: Diagnosis and Treatment businesses; Connected Care businesses; Personal Health businesses; and Other. The Diagnosis and Treatment businesses segment consists systems, smart devices, software and services, powered by AI-enabled informatics-that support precision diagnoses and minimally invasive procedures in therapeutic areas such as cardiology, peripheral vascular, neurology, surgery, and oncology.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Koninklijke Philips Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Koninklijke Philips and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (OTCMKTS:RYCEY  Get Rating)s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $1.38 and traded as high as $1.90. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc shares last traded at $1.87, with a volume of 1,292,120 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays cut Rolls-Royce Holdings plc from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Rolls-Royce Holdings plc from GBX 136 ($1.72) to GBX 160 ($2.02) in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. UBS Group upgraded Rolls-Royce Holdings plc from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Rolls-Royce Holdings plc from GBX 70 ($0.88) to GBX 90 ($1.14) in a report on Friday, February 24th. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded Rolls-Royce Holdings plc from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, January 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $118.33.

Get Rolls-Royce Holdings plc alerts:

Rolls-Royce Holdings plc Price Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of $1.81 and a 200-day moving average of $1.39.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rolls-Royce Holdings plc

About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Atlas Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Rolls-Royce Holdings plc in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. FineMark National Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in Rolls-Royce Holdings plc in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. OLD National Bancorp IN purchased a new stake in Rolls-Royce Holdings plc in the 1st quarter valued at $77,000. Finally, SYSTM Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Rolls-Royce Holdings plc in the 4th quarter valued at $329,000.

(Get Rating)

Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc designs, develops, manufactures, and services integrated power systems for use in the air, on land, and at sea. The company operates its business through following segments: Civil Aerospace, Power Systems, Defense and ITP Aero. The Civil Aerospace segment offers commercial aero engines and aftermarket services.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Rolls-Royce Holdings plc Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rolls-Royce Holdings plc and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Seaboard Co. (NYSEAMERICAN:SEB  Get Rating) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, May 5th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of 2.25 per share on Thursday, May 25th. This represents a $9.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th.

Seaboard Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEAMERICAN SEB opened at $3,821.35 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $3,860.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $3,830.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 2.63. The firm has a market cap of $4.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.65 and a beta of 0.47. Seaboard has a 1 year low of $3,295.00 and a 1 year high of $4,296.77.

Get Seaboard alerts:

Seaboard (NYSEAMERICAN:SEB  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 14th. The company reported $192.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $2.67 billion during the quarter. Seaboard had a return on equity of 12.24% and a net margin of 5.16%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Seaboard

Separately, StockNews.com raised Seaboard from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 28th.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SEB. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of Seaboard by 3,450.0% during the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 71 shares of the companys stock valued at $298,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Seaboard in the first quarter valued at $383,000. Citigroup Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Seaboard by 36.4% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 30 shares of the companys stock valued at $126,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares in the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new stake in shares of Seaboard in the first quarter valued at $400,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Seaboard in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 18.11% of the companys stock.

About Seaboard

(Get Rating)

Seaboard Corp. engages in hog production and pork processing in the U.S., commodity trading and grain processing in Africa and South America, cargo shipping services in the U.S., Caribbean and Central and South America, sugar and alcohol production in Argentina, and electric power generation in the Dominican Republic.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for Seaboard Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Seaboard and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
AKITA Drilling Ltd. (OTCMKTS:AKTAF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 9,700 shares, a growth of 64.4% from the April 15th total of 5,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 32.3 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of AKITA Drilling from C$3.25 to C$2.50 in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st.

Get AKITA Drilling alerts:

AKITA Drilling Price Performance

OTCMKTS:AKTAF opened at $1.01 on Thursday. AKITA Drilling has a one year low of $0.83 and a one year high of $2.10. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $1.05 and a 200-day moving average of $1.24.

AKITA Drilling Company Profile

Akita Drilling Ltd. engages in the drilling solutions in the field of oil and natural gas. It operates through the following divisions: Canadian and US. The Canadian division conducts operations in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and from time to time, in the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories, primarily with its wholly owned rigs and through its active joint ventures.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for AKITA Drilling Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AKITA Drilling and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
DNB Bank ASA (OTCMKTS:DNBBY  Get Rating) was the target of a large growth in short interest in April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 10,300 shares, a growth of 543.8% from the April 15th total of 1,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 215,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days.

DNB Bank ASA Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of DNBBY traded down $0.09 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $17.51. 61,933 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 109,228. DNB Bank ASA has a one year low of $15.58 and a one year high of $21.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.48. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $18.24 and a 200-day moving average of $18.61.

Get DNB Bank ASA alerts:

DNB Bank ASA Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 27th will be given a dividend of $1.0048 per share. This is a positive change from DNB Bank ASAs previous dividend of $0.90. This represents a dividend yield of 5.44%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 26th.

DNB Bank ASA Company Profile

DNB Bank ASA provides financial services for retail and corporate customers in Norway and internationally. The company offers personal banking products and services, including savings and investment products; loans, such as home mortgages, and car and consumer loans; pet, home and property, travel, and personal insurance products, as well as insurance products for vehicles; retirement savings products; foreign exchange and treasury activities; and Internet and mobile banking services, as well as cards.

Recommended Stories

Receive News & Ratings for DNB Bank ASA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DNB Bank ASA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Skylands Capital LLC trimmed its holdings in EnerSys (NYSE:ENS  Get Rating) by 32.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 89,075 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 42,894 shares during the quarter. EnerSys makes up 1.0% of Skylands Capital LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Skylands Capital LLCs holdings in EnerSys were worth $6,577,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in EnerSys by 4.3% in the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,846 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of EnerSys by 6.1% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,928 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $173,000 after buying an additional 168 shares during the period. First National Bank of Omaha boosted its holdings in shares of EnerSys by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. First National Bank of Omaha now owns 30,032 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,747,000 after buying an additional 172 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of EnerSys by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 7,663 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $566,000 after buying an additional 184 shares during the period. Finally, Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of EnerSys by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC now owns 4,600 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $268,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. 95.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Get EnerSys alerts:

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of EnerSys in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock.

EnerSys Stock Performance

NYSE ENS traded down $1.03 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $83.63. The company had a trading volume of 21,207 shares, compared to its average volume of 182,666. The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 2.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market cap of $3.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.35, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.36. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $83.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $79.79. EnerSys has a fifty-two week low of $55.60 and a fifty-two week high of $94.32.

EnerSys (NYSE:ENS  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 8th. The industrial products company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.24 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $920.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $926.36 million. EnerSys had a net margin of 3.81% and a return on equity of 13.30%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.01 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that EnerSys will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About EnerSys

(Get Rating)

EnerSys engages in the provision of stored energy solutions for industrial applications. It operates through the following segments: Energy Systems, Motive Power, and Specialty. The Energy Systems segment combines enclosures, power conversion, power distribution, and energy storage used in the telecommunication, broadband, and utility industries.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ENS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for EnerSys (NYSE:ENS  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for EnerSys Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EnerSys and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
EPAM Systems (NYSE:EPAM  Get Rating) had its price objective lowered by Susquehanna from $410.00 to $350.00 in a research report report published on Monday, The Fly reports.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on EPAM. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on EPAM Systems from $407.00 to $350.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on EPAM Systems from $400.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 17th. Cowen downgraded EPAM Systems from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $390.00 to $370.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on EPAM Systems in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Cowen downgraded EPAM Systems from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and decreased their target price for the company from $390.00 to $370.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $386.15.

Get EPAM Systems alerts:

EPAM Systems Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of EPAM opened at $232.20 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $282.64 and a 200-day simple moving average of $319.94. EPAM Systems has a 1 year low of $223.65 and a 1 year high of $462.99. The stock has a market cap of $13.41 billion, a PE ratio of 31.85, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.56. The company has a current ratio of 4.15, a quick ratio of 3.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Institutional Trading of EPAM Systems

EPAM Systems ( NYSE:EPAM Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The information technology services provider reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.23 by $0.48. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. EPAM Systems had a return on equity of 19.60% and a net margin of 8.88%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that EPAM Systems will post 9.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in EPAM. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of EPAM Systems by 1.0% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,358,658 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $2,303,042,000 after buying an additional 60,794 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its holdings in shares of EPAM Systems by 24.2% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 3,489,287 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $1,143,579,000 after acquiring an additional 679,114 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in EPAM Systems by 9.1% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,471,924 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $733,197,000 after buying an additional 206,636 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its stake in EPAM Systems by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,764,856 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $523,474,000 after buying an additional 38,642 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of EPAM Systems by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,299,265 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $385,376,000 after purchasing an additional 50,627 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.29% of the companys stock.

About EPAM Systems

(Get Rating)

EPAM Systems, Inc engages in the provision of software product development and digital platform engineering services. It operates through the following geographical segments: North America, Europe, and Russia. The company was founded by Leonid Lozner and Arkadiy Dobkin in 1993 and is headquartered in Newtown, PA.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for EPAM Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EPAM Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
As the co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, Ben Cohen knows what appeals to consumers' taste buds. Now he has turned his business sense to another kind of buds: cannabis.

Cohen's newest venture, Ben's Best Blnz, should have its first wave of products available for sale in Vermont any day now (as soon as state licensing processes are totally wrapped up). One of the selling points of Ben's Best Blnz is that it has a lower potency than some pot being sold.

"Our slogan is get there slower," Cohen told USA TODAY in a recent interview.

He got the idea for more moderate potency pot naturally  while sharing a joint with a friend while sitting around a campfire on an overnight paddling and camping trip a few years ago. "We were saying the problem with today's pot is that it's just too freakin' strong," Cohen said. "In my college days, you'd be sitting around with a group of friends, passing a jay around and it was kind of a nice process. Now, the stuff is so strong that, you know, I mean, for me, you take one hit and that's it."

Vermont pot grower: To be exclusive supplier for Ben Cohen's line of cannabis products

Battle over delta-8 is heating up nationally. Here's what to know about the 'diet weed.'

Much of recreational pot sold today has 20% to 30% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the substance that gives cannabis psychoactive properties and results in getting "high"). "The pot that was being smoked in the '60s and '70s was four to eight percent," Cohen said. "We were joking  there ought to be a brand called 'Mediocre Marijuana' or 'Pretty Good Pot' or something like that. It just kind of stuck in my head and I ended up having to do it."

Ben's Best Blnz: recreational pot with a social mission

Ben & Jerry's, which Cohen and Jerry Greenfield founded in 1978, became known for its social mission. And even after Unilever acquired the company in 2000, the ice cream maker took social stances including support for Colin Kaepernick and against white supremacy in 2020. Cohen, who is 72, says he is no longer involved in the ice cream business, but is "technically an employee," while Greenfield remains a Ben & Jerry's Foundation trustee.

Story continues

L-R Jerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen, Chairmen of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.

With Burlington, Vermont-based Ben's Best Blnz, or B3, Cohen hopes the business could help make amends for how "The War on Drugs" damaged minority communities. "Black people have been arrested at four times the rate of white people, despite the fact that both colors smoke (marijuana) at the same rates," he said. "The other problem in the industry is now that it's becoming legal, the businesses are, you know, just about 96% owned by white people."

The Weeknd pours love into his newest production: A specialty Ethiopian coffee

Starbucks Why customizing this popular drink will cost you $1 extra

B3, which sells licenses to grow and distribute its products, is a non-profit organization. The company's profits will go towards empowering Black businesses, with 80% of profits going toward grants and loans for Black cannabis entrepreneurs, Cohen said. Ten percent goes to the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and another 10% goes to the Last Prisoner Project, a national organization focused on de-incarceration and the expunging of records for cannabis crimes and social reentry for those convicted of pot-related crimes.

The Vermont state law itself attempts to boost opportunities for minority entrepreneurs and historically disadvantaged communities in its licensing and application processes for cannabis businesses. Pot possession became legal in the state in 2018 and the laws to grow and sell it passed in 2020.

The company's board of trustees includes Grammy-winning rapper Michael "Killer Mike" Render, who also co-founded the Greenwood digital banking system; Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator and host of Unbossed with Nina Turner; Dream Defenders and Black Men Build organizer Phil Agnew; Darrick Hamilton, the founding director of the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School in New York; and Jesce Horton, an adjunct professor at Medgar Evers College at the City University of New York and co-founder of the Minority Cannabis Business Association.

Ben Cohen, of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, during a rally at the Statehouse in Concord, N.H., Jan. 21, 2015. Cohen is launching a non-profit cannabis line with the mission of righting what it calls the wrongs of the war on drugs.

Grass Roots Vermont is growing the crops. B3 has licensed CNC Higher Love, a for-profit company, to distribute its products in Vermont. B3 could develop similar relationships with other companies in other states where cannabis is legal, Cohen told the Burlington Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Since cannabis is federally illegal, everything related to Vermonts cannabis supply chain  cultivation, testing, manufacturing and sales  must be done within the state, said Nellie Marvel, outreach and education manager for the state's Cannabis Control Board.

Vermont: Recreational marijuana dispensaries on the rise in state

What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day

Anyone who is 21 or older with a valid government-issued ID may purchase cannabis in Vermont, whether they are residents of the state or not. Any purchases must also be consumed in Vermont, because federal law makes it illegal to take cannabis across state lines.

Twenty states and the District of Columbia have legalized weed for recreational use, and 27 states allow it for varying medicinal purposes, according to yahoo!finance. Idaho, Kansas and Nebraska prohibit it entirely.

What's there to smoke in the Ben's Best Blnz line?

There are five types of B3's Blended SloSmokes: Focus, ECS (Enhanced, creative and stimulating), Cloud 9 (Upbeat, happy), Kick Back (unwind, calming), and Dream Sweet (sedating).

Ben's Best Blnz Blended SloSmokes are pre-rolled in organic papers. The five-packs come in five different effects.

More than a year of experimentation was done with lower THC cannabis and different terpenes  chemical compounds in cannabis responsible for aroma and flavor  to achieve the various blends, Cohen said.

He compares smoking the pre-rolled joints to "sipping a glass of wine or a glass of beer over the course of an evening. You take one sip and it tastes good.  You have a few more sips and it tastes good. So it's nice, you know you can modulate and adjust your dose to your particular body."If you want a more potent product, there's B3 HiTest Buds, limited edition releases of single cannabis strains. "The buds are high THC  for people who want to get there quicker," Cohen said.

Ben's Best Blnz HiTest Buds are limited-edition single strain cannabis with higher THC.

B3 also plans to bring to market Full Spectrum Vapes, a line of cartridges and pens with different versions similar to the Blended SloSmokes.

Cohen is excited to be involved in cannabis because "it's very rare that a new industry is born," he said.

"I think if we do it right, there's an opportunity to help use this industry to try to reduce the division between wealth for rich people and poor people."

Contributing: Dan D'Ambrosio, Burlington Free Press.

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pot with lower THC levels out in Vermont from Ben & Jerry's co-founder
Tatton Asset Management plc (LON:TAM  Get Rating)s share price was up 0.6% on Monday . The stock traded as high as GBX 478 ($6.03) and last traded at GBX 465 ($5.87). Approximately 21,400 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 64% from the average daily volume of 59,297 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 462 ($5.83).

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a GBX 550 ($6.94) price target on shares of Tatton Asset Management in a research note on Monday, March 27th.

Get Tatton Asset Management alerts:

Tatton Asset Management Stock Down 2.0 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 3.50 and a current ratio of 4.01. The businesss 50 day moving average is GBX 456.39 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 444.71. The stock has a market cap of 270.83 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,705.88 and a beta of 1.11.

Tatton Asset Management Company Profile

Tatton Asset Management plc provides fund management, compliance consultancy, and technical support services to independent financial advisors in the United Kingdom. The company operates through two segments, Tatton and Paradigm. It also offers mortgage adviser support, and mortgage and insurance product distribution services.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Tatton Asset Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tatton Asset Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Telecom Plus Plc (LON:TEP  Get Rating) passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 2,049.98 ($25.87) and traded as low as GBX 1,705.92 ($21.53). Telecom Plus shares last traded at GBX 1,766 ($22.28), with a volume of 118,933 shares changing hands.

Telecom Plus Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 47.70. The firm has a 50-day moving average of GBX 1,892.37 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 2,046.42. The stock has a market capitalization of 1.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3,108.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.32.

About Telecom Plus

(Get Rating)

Telecom Plus Plc provides a range of utility services in the United Kingdom. It offers various services, including gas, electricity, fixed line telephony, mobile telephony, broadband, and insurance, as well as bill protection and life cover, home insurance, boiler cover, and cashback card services under the Utility Warehouse and TML brands.

Read More

Receive News & Ratings for Telecom Plus Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Telecom Plus and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
The Korea Fund, Inc. (NYSE:KF  Get Rating)s share price was up 0.3% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $21.74 and last traded at $21.70. Approximately 1,245 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 89% from the average daily volume of 11,212 shares. The stock had previously closed at $21.62.

The Korea Fund Price Performance

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $21.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $22.57.

Get The Korea Fund alerts:

Institutional Trading of The Korea Fund

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in KF. City of London Investment Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in The Korea Fund by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. City of London Investment Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,729,497 shares of the companys stock valued at $36,025,000 after buying an additional 122,298 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in The Korea Fund by 36.8% in the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 400,515 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,343,000 after buying an additional 107,710 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in The Korea Fund by 3,005.6% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 32,174 shares of the companys stock valued at $670,000 after buying an additional 31,138 shares in the last quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in The Korea Fund by 251.6% in the 3rd quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 15,378 shares of the companys stock valued at $295,000 after buying an additional 11,004 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Matisse Capital acquired a new position in shares of The Korea Fund in the 4th quarter valued at $202,000. 52.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About The Korea Fund

The Korea Fund is designed to provide capital appreciation through investments in securities. Their firm screens stocks based on a broad range of variables, including price-to-earnings ratios, dividend yields and earnings-per-share growth.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for The Korea Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Korea Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
TopBuild Corp. (NYSE:BLD  Get Rating) insider Robert Jeffrey Franklin sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.97, for a total value of $212,970.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 19,091 shares in the company, valued at $4,065,810.27. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

TopBuild Stock Down 0.0 %

Shares of TopBuild stock traded down $0.01 on Thursday, hitting $214.97. The company had a trading volume of 184,815 shares, compared to its average volume of 238,962. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.85 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 1.58. TopBuild Corp. has a twelve month low of $140.66 and a twelve month high of $227.08. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $203.57 and a 200-day moving average of $182.90.

Get TopBuild alerts:

TopBuild (NYSE:BLD  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The construction company reported $4.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.06 by $0.30. TopBuild had a net margin of 11.31% and a return on equity of 30.52%. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.26 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.50 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that TopBuild Corp. will post 15.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On TopBuild

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of TopBuild by 2.6% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 75,512 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $13,697,000 after acquiring an additional 1,891 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of TopBuild by 26.1% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 1,598 shares of the construction companys stock worth $290,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in TopBuild by 3.8% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 4,993 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $998,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS lifted its position in TopBuild by 10.5% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 12,067 shares of the construction companys stock worth $2,189,000 after purchasing an additional 1,151 shares during the period. Finally, Great West Life Assurance Co. Can increased its holdings in TopBuild by 9.1% in the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 18,097 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $3,375,000 after buying an additional 1,503 shares during the period. 95.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on BLD. Stephens lifted their target price on shares of TopBuild from $230.00 to $250.00 in a research note on Monday. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of TopBuild in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of TopBuild from $205.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Loop Capital increased their price target on TopBuild from $210.00 to $225.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, TopBuild presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $226.14.

About TopBuild

(Get Rating)

TopBuild Corp. engages in the installation and distribution of insulation products and other building products to the U.S. and Canadian construction industry. It operates through the following segments: Installation, Specialty Distribution, and Corporate. The Installation segment provides insulation installation services nationwide through its TruTeam contractor services and business branches located in the U.S.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for TopBuild Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TopBuild and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
TransDigm Group (NYSE:TDG  Get Rating) had its target price upped by Wells Fargo & Company from $725.00 to $840.00 in a research note issued on Thursday, The Fly reports. Wells Fargo & Companys target price would indicate a potential upside of 3.69% from the companys previous close.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the company. Truist Financial raised their target price on TransDigm Group from $840.00 to $870.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Credit Suisse Group increased their price target on TransDigm Group from $830.00 to $841.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on TransDigm Group from $765.00 to $793.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on TransDigm Group from $750.00 to $820.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on TransDigm Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, TransDigm Group currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $804.54.

Get TransDigm Group alerts:

TransDigm Group Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of TransDigm Group stock opened at $810.14 on Thursday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $743.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $684.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.78, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.37. TransDigm Group has a twelve month low of $499.63 and a twelve month high of $816.94.

Insider Activity at TransDigm Group

TransDigm Group ( NYSE:TDG Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The aerospace company reported $5.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.98 by $1.00. The business had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.53 billion. TransDigm Group had a negative return on equity of 30.59% and a net margin of 16.53%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 20.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.29 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that TransDigm Group will post 20.84 earnings per share for the current year.

In other TransDigm Group news, Director Robert J. Small sold 147,074 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $736.22, for a total value of $108,278,820.28. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 194,689 shares of the companys stock, valued at $143,333,935.58. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, Director Robert J. Small sold 147,074 shares of TransDigm Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $736.22, for a total value of $108,278,820.28. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 194,689 shares in the company, valued at $143,333,935.58. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director W Nicholas Howley sold 9,644 shares of TransDigm Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $775.27, for a total value of $7,476,703.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 21,548 shares in the company, valued at $16,705,517.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 193,237 shares of company stock valued at $142,824,885. Insiders own 7.18% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of TDG. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec lifted its holdings in TransDigm Group by 29.1% during the 3rd quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 5,932 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $3,113,000 after buying an additional 1,336 shares in the last quarter. Edge Capital Group LLC increased its holdings in TransDigm Group by 116.0% during the 4th quarter. Edge Capital Group LLC now owns 108 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $68,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its holdings in TransDigm Group by 148.2% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 541 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $284,000 after purchasing an additional 323 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank increased its holdings in TransDigm Group by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 23,944 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $12,563,000 after purchasing an additional 659 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in shares of TransDigm Group by 4.7% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 36,133 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $18,962,000 after buying an additional 1,635 shares during the last quarter. 96.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

TransDigm Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

TransDigm Group, Inc engages in the production of engineered aerospace components, systems and subsystems. It operates through the following segments: Power and Control, Airframe, and Non-Aviation. The Power and Control segment includes operations that primarily develop, produce and market systems and components that provide power to or control power of the aircraft utilizing electronic, fluid, power and mechanical motion control technologies.

Featured Stories

Receive News & Ratings for TransDigm Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TransDigm Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Tymlez Group Limited (ASX:TYM  Get Rating) insider Jason Conroy acquired 2,250,000 shares of Tymlez Group stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were bought at an average cost of A$0.01 ($0.01) per share, with a total value of A$18,000.00 ($12,244.90).

Tymlez Group Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.79, a current ratio of 2.63 and a quick ratio of 3.46.

Get Tymlez Group alerts:

Tymlez Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Further Reading

Tymlez Group Limited provides blockchain platforms in Australia and Europe. It offers Tymlez Platform for companies to monitor and report on their carbon neutral initiative, as well as set and achieve environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets. The company also provides solutions across ESG compliance, guarantee of origin, and smart energy that offers organizations with the transparency and security needed to meet their climate targets and obligations.

Receive News & Ratings for Tymlez Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tymlez Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Wolff Wiese Magana LLC cut its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW  Get Rating) by 94.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,193 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 129,538 shares during the quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLCs holdings in Medical Properties Trust were worth $80,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System increased its position in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 160,100 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,784,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 69.9% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,528 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,040 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 84,116 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,778,000 after acquiring an additional 1,164 shares during the period. Pacific Sun Financial Corp grew its stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pacific Sun Financial Corp now owns 145,330 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,724,000 after acquiring an additional 1,167 shares during the period. Finally, State of Michigan Retirement System grew its stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 152,200 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,696,000 after acquiring an additional 1,200 shares during the period. 80.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Medical Properties Trust alerts:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on MPW shares. Credit Suisse Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a $11.00 price target on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Barclays cut their price target on Medical Properties Trust from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. KeyCorp cut their target price on Medical Properties Trust from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Raymond James cut their target price on Medical Properties Trust from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Medical Properties Trust in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $9.00 target price for the company. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $13.23.

Medical Properties Trust Stock Performance

Medical Properties Trust Announces Dividend

Shares of MPW opened at $8.43 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $5.05 billion, a PE ratio of 16.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a current ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $8.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $10.82. Medical Properties Trust, Inc. has a 12-month low of $7.10 and a 12-month high of $18.92.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.76%. Medical Properties Trusts dividend payout ratio is 232.00%.

Medical Properties Trust Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a self-advised real estate investment trust, engages in the investment, acquisition, and development of net-leased healthcare facilities. Its property portfolio includes rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals for women and children, regional and community hospitals, medical office buildings, and other single-discipline facilities.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MPW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Medical Properties Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Medical Properties Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
XY Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (NYSE:FMS  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor acquired 32,746 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $535,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CWM LLC grew its position in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 82.0% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,753 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 790 shares during the last quarter. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 1,156.0% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,366 shares of the companys stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 3,098 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 283.3% in the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 4,446 shares of the companys stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 3,286 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 1,948.1% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,618 shares of the companys stock worth $120,000 after buying an additional 1,539 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 5.56% of the companys stock.

Get Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA alerts:

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Stock Down 2.2 %

NYSE:FMS traded down $0.53 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $24.01. 177,242 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 862,664. The company has a fifty day moving average of $21.54 and a 200 day moving average of $18.48. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA has a twelve month low of $12.78 and a twelve month high of $30.63. The company has a market capitalization of $14.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.45 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.27.

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Cuts Dividend

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA ( NYSE:FMS Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.22. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA had a return on equity of 5.80% and a net margin of 3.46%. The company had revenue of $5.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.85 billion. On average, analysts forecast that Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA will post 1.13 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 18th will be issued a $0.7086 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 17th. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaAs dividend payout ratio is presently 35.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. HSBC cut Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA from a hold rating to a reduce rating in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA in a report on Tuesday. They issued a buy rating for the company. Truist Financial upped their target price on Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. They set a market perform rating for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $28.45.

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Profile

(Get Rating)

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co KgaA engages in the provision of products and services for individuals with renal diseases of which regularly undergo dialysis treatment. It operates through the Care Enablement and Care Delivery segments. The Care Enablement segment is involved in the healthcare products business including research and development, manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial operations as well as supporting functions, such as regulatory and quality management.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FMS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (NYSE:FMS  Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Bio-Rad Laboratories (NYSE:BIO) First Quarter 2023 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: US$676.8m (down 3.3% from 1Q 2022).

Net income: US$69.0m (up from US$3.37b loss in 1Q 2022).

Profit margin: 10% (up from net loss in 1Q 2022).

EPS: US$2.33 (up from US$112 loss in 1Q 2022).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

Bio-Rad Laboratories Earnings Insights

Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 7.0% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 8.1% growth forecast for the Life Sciences industry in the US.

Performance of the American Life Sciences industry.

The company's shares are down 21% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

Before we wrap up, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Bio-Rad Laboratories that you should be aware of.

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
[Xinhua/Yang Qing]

Wang Ying, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), is secretary of the Party (Communist Party of China) branch of Shijiazi (a village in Chaoyang, a county in Northeast China's Liaoning Province). While leading her e-commerce company to remarkable success, Wang has been working hard to ensure rural residents' well-being. After she completed her graduate studies in Jilin University School of Law (in Changchun, capital of Northeast China's Jilin Province) in 2014, Wang gave up opportunities to work in big cities, so she could return to her village to start her own business.

Wang established Xinfa Yongye in July 2015. Within a short time, she and her employees posted ads online to promote farmers' agricultural products. The products sold well in several of China's largest cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. Given the sound development of Wang's company, jobs have been created for more than 40 people.

In 2019, Wang established a vegetable and fruit cooperative in Shijiazi. During the past few years, she has set up more than 30 greenhouses, which she has rented to villagers so they could grow grapes and vegetables. In addition to leading the villagers in cultivating millet and corn, Wang has led her employees in working with members of 13 cooperatives (in other villages in Chaoyang County), to help the rural residents promote sales of their agricultural products (including coarse grains, strawberries, and mature vinegar) online.

Wang has also established agricultural-product-processing workshops and vegetable and fruit storehouses (in the village), to store agricultural products processed by Xinfa Yongye.

Over the years, Wang has not only yielded fruitful results to realize the value of her life, she has also led many rural residents in escaping poverty through hard work. Since she was elected secretary of Shijiazi's Party branch in 2020, Wang has been working hard to improve rural residents' lives. In 2021, she was selected one of China's Top 10 Farmers.

As a deputy to the 14th NPC, Wang is aware she shoulders the great responsibility to help rural residents get rich through hard work. She also tries her best to help rural residents, and her employees, solve difficulties in their lives.

Through investigations, Wang discovered greater efforts have to be made to help farmers change their traditional methods of producing and selling agricultural products, and of attracting young people, including university graduates, to do their bit to promote rural revitalization. During the first session of 14th NPC (held in March), Wang made several proposals to help farmers promote sales of their agricultural products online, and to promulgate preferential policies to attract university graduates to return to their villages to start their own businesses.

With Shijiazi's geographical advantage  the village is close to Nailingao Station, along the Beijing-Harbin (a city in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province) high-speed railway line  in mind, Wang came up with the idea to promote rural revitalization by helping rural residents rebuild their houses into beautiful inns. "I'll make greater efforts to build our village into a beautiful, prosperous home for the villagers, and to help young people realize their dreams in rural areas," says Wang.

(Women of China English Monthly April 2023 issue)
FILE PHOTO: Customers wait in line outside a branch of Silicon Valley Bank in Wellesley

(This May 10 story has been corrected to fix the bids closing to March 24, not March 10, in paragraph 3)

(Reuters) - Blackstone Inc and Apollo Global Management were among about 20 bidders for some assets of collapsed Silicon Valley Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said on Wednesday.

PNC Financial Services, Valley Bank, Citizens Bank and BankUnited were also among the bidders, the FDIC said in a summary document, adding that one or more bidders submitted more than one bid.

The bids, which closed on March 24, were followed by First Citizens BancShares purchasing all the loans and deposits of SVB later that month.

SVB was the largest bank since the 2008 financial crisis to collapse when California regulators closed the bank on March 10, sparking massive market disruption and heightened stress across the banking sector globally.

That was since eclipsed by First Republic Bank which was seized by regulators in early May and sold to JPMorgan Chase & Co.

FDIC, which took over SVB after depositors rushed to pull out their money in the bank, received equity appreciation rights in its stock worth as much as $500 million in return.

The deal announced in March said First Citizens would acquire SVB's assets of $110 billion, deposits of $56 billion and loans of $72 billion.

(Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Megan Davies, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Jamie Freed)
The former Viola M. Berard Center, located at 181 Cumberland St., Woonsocket is closed and currently vacant. The State of Rhode Island has auctioned off the property.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) heads into the Senate chamber at the U.S. Capitol in June 2022 in Washington, DC. Feinstein is returning to Washington on May 9.
Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
commuters - TOLGA AKMEN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Britain's bloated public sector is nearly twice as large as official figures suggest, economists have said, after the Tories failed to stem its relentless growth over the past 13 years.

Analysis by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr) suggests that around 10.6m people are employed by the state  far more than the 5.7m typically cited by the Government.

One in three workers are now in the public sector, according to Niesr analysis, up from 25pc when Tony Blair came to power in 1997, with the rise continuing steadily after David Cameron took over and despite the austerity policies of then-chancellor George Osborne.

The author behind the research, Paul Mortimer-Lee, said that the jump in the size of the state had taken growth away from higher productivity sectors such as manufacturing and was holding the economy back as a result.

He said: Weve chosen to be a slow-growing economy. Its not by chance. One of the choices that we made to deliver that is devoting more and more people to working in the public sector, sensibly defined."

The 5.7m figure usually referred to by ministers comes from a survey by the Office for Statistics (ONS) in which it asks if employees are considered to work in the public or private sectors, Mr Mortimer-Lee said.

However, he said that a more accurate measure is adding up the number of people who are reported to work in education, health and social care and public administration, defence and security  which came to 10.6m in the third quarter of last year.

Mr Mortimer-Lee said this was a better measure because of a jump in the use of government contractors such as cleaners and security guards.

Although these workers and their employers might not consider themselves public sector staff, he said, they are nonetheless funded by the taxpayer and working for the state.

Mr Mortimer-Lee said: If it looks like a public sector job, smells like a public sector job and has the same terms and conditions as a public sector job, then it's probably a public sector job.

Story continues

Whatever the government statisticians say, this is a better way of measuring it. They think [their way] is a better way of measuring it because it gives a lower number.

In 1997, 6.5m people were directly or indirectly employed in the public sector. This has since risen by 61pc, far outpacing overall employment growth across the economy of 25pc.

The figures show the number of public sector workers rose steadily under Mr Blair from the late 1990s until 2006, shortly before the financial crisis.

Growth then picked up again under his successor, Gordon Brown.

Even the austerity years under Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne only marked a slight drop before the number of employees started rising steadily again.

Mr Mortimer-Lee, who is a research fellow at Niesr, has previously worked for the Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund.

The public sector has absorbed nearly two thirds of the increase in labour supply over the last quarter century, he said, which has severely limited the supply of workers in more productive industries.

Britains productivity has been sluggish for well over a decade. It was 16pc lower than in other G7 nations in 2021, although data for Japan was not available.

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.
BENTON, KY  Nearly one year after the shooting death of Calloway County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Jody Cash, his widow and another deputy involved in the incident have filed a lawsuit against officials with the Marshall and Calloway County Sheriff's Offices.

Editor's Note The lawsuit, in its entirety, is included at the end of this article. The suit contains graphic descriptions of violence and includes a graphic photo that may be disturbing to some viewers.

According to the lawsuit obtained by Local 6, the plaintiffs in the case  widow Karen Michelle Cash, Marshall County Sheriff's Office Deputy Donald Bowman and his wife Tracey Elizabeth Bowman  allege Cash's shooter, inmate Gary Rowland, was never adequately searched when he entered the Marshall County Sheriff's Department.

Rowland was being interviewed by Cash and Bowman after being arrested for absconding from parole and on drug and gun-related crimes. Rowland asked for a smoke-break during the interview, and Cash and Bowman took Rowland outside.

It was his second smoke-break during the interview.

During this break, Rowland pulled out a handgun he had hidden on his person and fatally shot Cash.

Bowman and another Marshall County deputy, Brandon Little, returned fire, using their agency-approved guns to shoot Rowland.

Both Cash and Rowland were killed in the incident.

According to the lawsuit, Rowland wasn't properly searched upon his arrival the the sheriff's office, despite previously making comments to Cash that he would not go back to jail and would "go down" in a shooting.

According to the lawsuit, Benton Police Chief Stephen Sanderson recounted one of the statements Rowland made to Cash: "I'm not going to back to jail. I got too much time hanging over my head. I will, I've got plenty of guns. I'm gonna have a shootout with you guys."

On the day of the shooting, Rowland was able to hide a 9 mm pistol in his pants and had a large knife around his neck, the suit alleges.

Included in the lawsuit are photos of both the gun and the knife around Rowland's neck.

A statement from the Kentucky State Police report on the shooting is included in the release, and it reads as follows:

Once at the Sheriffs Office, Sergeant Hampton reportedly did a pat down of Mr. Rowlands waistband and discovered a lanyard with keys around his neck. He took possession of the lanyard, but did not feel of the chest area again after removing the lanyard.

The lawsuit details how authorities allegedly missed several opportunities to search Rowland between the time of his arrest and the shooting.

Marshall County Deputy Luke Rudd "did not conduct a thorough search of Mr. Rowland after placing handcuffs on Mr. Rowland," the suit reads. He also allegedly did not instruct any other team members involved in Rowland's arrest to search Rowland.

Deputy Rudd, Calloway County Deputy Troy Doss, and Marshall County Special Deputy Chris Beavers are all accused of failing to search Rowland before placing him in the Benton Police Officer Logan Hampton's squad car on the day of his arrest.

Karen Cash is suing for wrongful death and spousal consortium, and Bowman is suing for spousal consortium.

According to the suit, Donald Bowman has been living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder since the shooting and is unable to continue working as a police officer.

Defendants in the case include: Marshall County Sheriff Matt Hilbrecht; Calloway County Sheriff Nicky Knight; Logan Hampton; Zach Johnson; Chris Beavers; Luke Rudd; and Troy Doss.
FILE PHOTO: A logo of Brazil's state-run Petrobras oil company is seen at its headquarters in Rio de Janeiro

SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras said on Thursday its board approved dividends later this year of about 24.7 billion reais ($4.94 billion), but also hinted at future changes in its payout policy.

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as the firm is formally known, said in a filing with regulators that it will pay dividends of 1.893577 reais per share in two installments on August 18 and September 20.

The Brazilian oil giant noted that the payouts are in line with its current shareholder remuneration policy, which allows distributions to investors of 60% of the difference between operating cash flow and investments.

However, Petrobras added that its board also determined that the company's management should prepare a proposal to "improve" its dividend policy, including possibly re-purchasing shares.

The proposal will be submitted for the board's consideration by the end of July, Petrobras added.

Last year, Petrobras paid out nearly 216 billion reais in dividends, making it a cash cow for investors, but prompting criticism from leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has argued for bigger investments instead.

($1 = 5.0033 reais)

(Reporting by Carolina Pulice and Peter Frontini; Editing by David Alire Garcia)
This is the report delivered by Dilaxshan Mahalingam, a member of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Sri Lanka, to the 2023 International May Day Online Rally. To view all speeches, visit wsws.org/mayday.

Dear comrades,

On March 7, the IYSSE in Sri Lanka organized two successful anti-war demonstrations in front of two major universities in the country. One was near Jaffna University, in the war-ravaged Northern Province, and the other was near Peradeniya University in the Central Province.

They were a part of the series of events, including lectures organized by the IYSSE internationally, to explain the origins and implications of the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine and to elaborate a socialist and internationalist strategy to stop the war, which threatens to evolve into another imperialist world war.

To stop the war, our orientation is to the developing international class struggle. Social attacks against the working class have been greatly intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine war. Only by mobilizing this great social force independently can imperialist war be stopped once and for all.

That is the central political task we assign to ourselves in this May Day rally: to fuse the opposition to war with these great class struggles. Based on this strategy, we are building a global anti-war movement of workers, youth and students.

On November 11 last year, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremasinghe addressed the convocation of Kotelawala Defence University, making clear how Sri Lanka is enmeshed in a developing imperialist world war. He said:

In the 1970s, when I became a minister, most people were not focusing on the Indian Ocean but on the Pacific and the Atlantic. Today it is not so. Today the main competition in the world has gone from US and Russia to the US and China. So, what happens in Russia is only a side show. What happens in this area is far more important.

Wickremesinghe claimed to remain neutral in the great power rivalry. However, amid the Ukraine war and US war preparations against China, the whole South Asian region is increasingly being dragged into this developing great power conflict. Given the well-known pro-US record of Wickremesinghe and under increasing pressure from the US, he will most likely line up with Washington against China.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrives at the parliamentary complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Aug. 3, 2022. [AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena]

Sri Lanka has been integrated closely with Washingtons war preparations against China over the years, through SOFA and ACSA military agreements, joint military exercises with the US military and regular bilateral meetings with US officials. That is why the IYSSE initiative in the South Asian region is crucial to build an anti-war movement of workers and youths.

Our campaign for building this anti-war movement is inseparably bound up with a political and ideological struggle against various student organizations, including the Tamil nationalist Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) and Inter University Students Federation (IUSF), who are working to trap students within the bourgeois political framework.

The JUSU is guided by pro-imperialist Tamil nationalist bourgeois parties whose objective is to secure privileges for the Tamil elite through a power-sharing arrangement with the Colombo government.

The Tamil capitalist parties, including the TNA, are supporting IMF-directed austerity and police-state measures carried out by the Wickremesinghe government. They are cynically mocking the developing class struggle as a purely Sinhalese affair.

On March 30, MA Sumanthiran, a leading member of TNA, addressed a panel discussion on IMF and Beyond. Wickremesinghe and business leaders participated in this discussion. Sumanthiran expressed his enthusiastic readiness to collaborate with Wickremesinghe in implementing IMF-dictated austerity, stating:

We move forward in that without postponing those reforms as well. We also had discussions regarding how the North and East can contribute towards economic growth, because of the high level of potential there. We will cooperate with the president with regards to realizing this.

This reactionary politics was on full display when JUSU discouraged Tamil students from participating in last years April 4 demonstration. The demonstration was organized by Jaffna University students in support of the popular uprising against then-President Gotabhaya Rajapakse.

However, Tamil students defied the JUSU directive. They joined in their hundreds in anti-government protests along with Sinhala and Muslim students, demonstrating their desire for unity cutting across reactionary communal lines.

The IUSF is politically guided by the pseudo-left Frontline Socialist Party (FSP). The FSP was formed in 2012 by a breakaway group from the Sinhala chauvinist JVP. What is this IUSF primarily doing? It limits students to futile protests on various demands aimed at pressuring the government, thus preventing students from turning towards the working class and organizing a workers-led joint struggle against the government and bourgeois rule.

The FSP collaborated with the trade unions in betraying last years anti-government mass uprising. It derailed it to support moves by the opposition parties, including the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the JVP, to form an interim government, i.e., an alternative bourgeois government.

Now, they are carrying this politics further. They promote peoples councils to pressure the government for limited reforms, thus again trapping the working class within the bourgeois political framework.

Both JUSU and IUSF revealed their pro-imperialist character by supporting last years UNHRC session on Sri Lanka. Nuwan Bopage, former convenor of IUSF and a FSP leader, addressed the session in person, complaining about human rights violations by the Wickremesinghe government.

The JUSU co-signed a letter with Tamil capitalist parties to the UNHRC, demanding that the Sri Lankan government be brought before the International Criminal Court, regarding the war crimes committed during the civil war against the LTTE.

Resolutions have been passed in the UNHRC sessions regarding Sri Lanka. These resolutions have nothing do with any concern about the Tamil peoples democratic rights in Sri Lanka. It is a means for pressuring the government to line up with the US and other western powers strategic confrontation with China.

These two organizations sow illusions among youth, students and workers that these imperialist warmongers are champions of democratic rights. In fact, the US and its allies are preparing nuclear annihilation. These same governments do not have any concern for democratic rights. They are suppressing the developing class struggle in their own countries and cultivating right-wing fascist political tendencies.

IYSSE members and supporters opposing US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine at the University of Peradeniya in Kandy, Sri Lanka, on 7 March 2023. [Photo: WSWS]

The IUSF/FSP, losing ground among students due to the IYSSEs exposure of their reactionary politics, are resorting to thuggery to keep their hold among students who seek an alternative in the IYSSE.

The IUSF-affiliated Sri Jayawardenapura University Student Union physically threatened students who participated in a IYSSE lecture. The lecture held on the campus drew lessons from last years mass movement. This threat against students who support the IYSSE is an admission of the IUSFs pro-capitalist, pro-imperialist politics. They have no answer to the IYSSEs criticisms.

We urge students to reject the reactionary politics of the JUSU and the IUSF and join with the IYSSE to fight for a future free of capitalist exploitation and imperialist violence. Thank you.
This is the report delivered by Oscar Grenfell, a member of the National Committee of the Socialist Equality Party (Australia), to the 2023 International May Day Online Rally. To view all speeches, visit wsws.org/mayday.

The imperialist war drive, together with a massive social crisis, is engulfing the entire world. There are no exceptions. Past depictions of countries like Australia and New Zealand as placid and even idyllic alternatives to the stormy events abroad are being refuted. Everywhere, the issues of war and class struggle are coming to the fore.

Australia is on the very frontlines of the US preparations for war against China. That was confirmed last month, with the Labor governments announcement that the country will acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

The submarine deal has nothing to do with defence against Chinese aggression. Instead, the submarines, dubbed the apex predators of the sea, are to play a key role in aggressive operations off Chinas coastline. They are being purchased to prepare for an all-out shooting war with China, which would be aimed at ensuring US imperialist hegemony in the Indo-Pacific region.

AUKUS, the militarist pact between Britain, Australia and the US, is central to these plans. It is a cockpit of warmongering and military preparations. Not only is Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. It is also slated to receive hypersonic missiles, sea mines, drones and advanced missile systems. US aircraft and attack submarines, together with warships, are to be stationed in Australia on a semi-permanent basis, completing the countrys transformation into a massive virtual US aircraft carrier.

The implications of this program were spelt out in a series of articles published by the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age in March. The Red Alert series was based on the statements of five experts, who are all connected to the Australian government or US-funded think-tanks.

Nine medias anti-China Red alert series in the Age [Photo: WSWS, from Nine images]

This warmongering propaganda proclaimed that Australia must prepare to fight a war with China within three years. This, it declared, meant that taboos needed to be confronted. The psychology of the population needed to be changed. Ordinary people would have to accept the stationing of US nuclear weapons in northern Australia and the introduction of mass conscription. The series was nothing less than a call for nuclear war against China.

But workers and young people dont want war. There is a long history of opposition to war and conscription in the Australian working class, of which the government is well aware. For more than a decade, the preparations for war with China have largely occurred behind the backs of the population. The warnings of our party, that Australia was centrally involved in plans for a catastrophic conflict with China, were derided by the upper middle-class pseudo-left organisations.

Now, however, with AUKUS and the submarine deal, the war plans are increasingly out in the open. And they have provoked major shock and opposition. Polls have indicated that up to 75 percent of the Australian population is opposed to AUKUS.

The turn to war, being spearheaded in this country by the Labor government, goes hand in hand with a war against the working class. Labor has already made it plain that the submarines must be paid for through cuts to health, aged care and other vital social services. The scale of the cuts to come is indicated by the price tag for the submarines: $368 billion. This amounts to almost $15,000 for every single person in the country.

Already, workers are confronting the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. Last year, workers received an average real wage cut of 4.5 percent, the biggest on record, after decades of stagnating or declining pay.

For young people, the situation is dire. A youth barometer survey, conducted earlier this year, found that in 2022, 90 percent of young people in Australia experienced financial difficulties. And 45 percent had experienced unemployment at some point last year. Because of poverty, 68 percent of young Australians ate less than they thought they should, 67 percent were not able to eat healthy and nutritious food, 66 percent were hungry but did not eat, and 51 percent had had to go without eating for a whole day.

Stood down or unemployed workers lining up for welfare at inner-west Sydney Centrelink in early 2020. [Photo: WSWS]

As is the case internationally, housing costs are at unprecedented levels. At least a quarter of homeowners with a mortgage are already in housing stress, while the figure is even higher for renters. Young people are increasingly unable to find anywhere secure to live.

The social crisis is untenable. Already, this has provoked major struggles by workers in Australia, including nurses, teachers and rail staff. Each of these movements has come up against the corporatised trade union bureaucracy, which is a police force of governments and big business.

There is widespread hostility to Labor, the Liberal-National Coalition and all the official parties. And there is a growing anti-capitalist sentiment.

It is this emerging movement of the working class that provides the basis for a fight, not only against government austerity but also against war and its source, the capitalist system. The only way to fight AUKUS, and the accompanying onslaught on the social conditions of workers, is by building an international anti-war movement that unites workers around the world. That is the perspective being fought for by the IYSSE, the SEP and the world Trotskyist movement, in Australia and internationally.
In the first press conference held by police officials since Saturdays massacre at the Allen, Texas mall, Dallas Public Safety Regional Director Hank Sibley confirmed on Tuesday that the 33-year-old gunman, Mauricio Garcia, had a neo-Nazi ideation.

The mass shooting left eight people dead, including a three-year-old, eight-year-old and 11-year-old.

Large crosses are constructed at a makeshift memorial by the mall where several people were killed several days earlier, Monday, May 8, 2023, in Allen, Texas. [AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez]

He had patches, tattoos, even his signature verified that, Sibley said, confirming that photos posted on a social media account showing Garcia with a swastika on his chest and SS bolts on his arm were genuine.



The same social media account, which was maintained by Garcia for three years, featured photos of the body armor and weapons he used in the massacre as well as photos of the mall taken weeks in advance of the attack. In addition to posting racist, antisemitic and violent content, the gunman posted dozens of pictures of fascists dressed in Nazi uniforms, which he captioned my kind of people. At least one post ended with the phrase Heil Hitler.



At the same press conference, Sibley confirmed that Garcia brought eight guns to the mall to carry out his attack. Five of the weapons were still in his vehicle, while three were found on his person, including an AR-15-style rifle. All of the weapons were legally purchased. Sibley said Garcia had a private security license and no criminal history, and was in the US Army in 2008 but separated before completing basic training.



Despite the mass of evidence that the shooter was a right-wing terrorist animated by the same political outlook as personalities ascendant in the Republican Party, such as neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes and fascist podcaster Tim Pool, police say they are still searching for a motive.



In an interview on Fox News following the shooting, far-right Republican Governor Greg Abbott offered no political explanation for the latest massacre. Just last month, Abbott pledged to swiftly pardon US Army Sergeant Daniel Perry, who was convicted of murder for fatally shooting a protester during a demonstration in Austin, Texas in 2020 protesting the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd. Also in April, Abbott described five people murdered in an execution-style mass shooting in rural Cleveland, Texas as illegal aliens.

In the Fox News interview, Abbott said the latest mass killing was a mental health issue, and then pivoted to attacking immigrants, who, he claimed, were flooding the country with dangerous weapons and drugs.



On Monday and Tuesday, Abbott flooded his social media accounts with images of heavily armed soldiers landing in El Paso and setting up barbed wire in Brownsville. In a press release, he said the soldiers in El Paso were part of a new Texas Tactical Border Force.



The Texas Tactical Border Force will be equipped with Blackhawk helicopters, drone teams, razor wire barriers and C-130s, Abbott boasted. Hundreds of specially trained soldiers... will be deployed to hotspots all along the border to... intercept and repel... migrants trying to enter Texas illegally, the statement continued.



The Biden administration is sending 1,500 active-duty US troops to the US-Mexico border on top of Abbotts deployment, turning the region into a militarized war zone ahead of the May 11 expiration of Title 42, the Trump emergency order, continued by Biden, that used the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to summarily expel migrants seeking asylum.



Police have yet to assign a motive in the Brownsville, Texas car crash Sunday morning outside an immigrant and homeless shelter that killed eight migrants and wounded 10 more. The driver of the vehicle, 34-year-old George Alvarez, a local resident, was charged with eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault Monday night and is currently being held on a $3.6 million bond.



On Tuesday, Brownsville police officer Martin Sandoval said a blood test had determined that Alvarez had cocaine, benzodiazepines and marijuana in his body at the time of the crash. Brownsville Police Chief Felix Sauceda said police had not yet ruled out that the crash was intentional. Several of the victims of the crash have reported to the media and the police that Alvarez cursed at them before running them over.



Cesar Romero, 34, a Venezuelan national who witnessed some of his friends being killed in the attack, told CNN that Alvarez yelled obscenities at the victims after running them over and then trying to flee the scene.



On Monday, a day after the crash, a man reportedly tried to ram the gate of the Ozanam Center and displayed a pistol, prompting a lockdown of the facility. In an update Tuesday morning, Ali Bradley of NewsNation reported that Brownsville police had arrested the man, who had pointed his gun at a security officer at the facility on Monday.



The attacks on immigrants have been facilitated by both capitalist political parties, which have fostered a right-wing climate of hate and distrust of migrants. This dynamic was on full display in an interview with Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar (Laredo) on Fox News this past Sunday. Cuellar refused to comment on the political ideology that animated the Allen mall shooting and instead backed Abbotts deflection about mental health.



I do agree with the governor on mental health, Cuellar said, adding that, in states that are blue (Democratic-controlled) you still get these types of mass shootings.



He spent the rest of the interview criticizing Biden for not sufficiently militarizing the border and deporting immigrants and asylum seekers fast enough. We are seeing people coming in, the border is open. We need to have a very simple thing at the border, repercussions. If people have to be returned, they have to be returned quickly, there have to be some repercussions at the border, Cuellar said.




Britain draws up blueprint for multi-billion fund to back start-ups FILE PHOTO: City of London financial district, Britain

By Iain Withers, Natalie Grover and Naomi Rovnick

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's leading asset managers are in advanced talks to create a multi-billion pound investment fund to back UK start-ups and stem the flow of technology firms snubbing London for New York, a key official working on the proposal told Reuters.

Nicholas Lyons, a veteran banker and current lord mayor of London, said the planned 'Future Growth Fund' would aim to draw up to 50 billion pounds ($63.11 billion) from British pension pots to invest in fast-growing technology and biotech firms.

Lyons said he was taking part in advanced discussions with several FTSE 100 asset managers and insurers on the blueprint for the fund and to get "buy-in" for the proposals, adding they could be finalised by the end of this year.

He cited the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and AustraliaSuper funds - both of which have a sizeable presence in London - as examples of funds to emulate, arguing they were "eating our lunch".

The talks coincide with efforts by British lawmakers and regulators to accelerate financial sector reforms designed to attract more multinational companies to invest in Britain and join its stock market, after UK-based chip designer ARM chose New York for its IPO.

The fund would act as a giant UK-focused venture capital fund, Lyons said, specialising in backing unlisted start-ups before they hit public markets.

"There's a cliff edge at the moment between being unlisted and listed," Lyons told Reuters. "At the moment these companies have to follow the money. If the money is in North America... they're going to North America."

PENSION FUND WORRIES

The planned fund could be supported by a government mandate for all UK defined contribution pension funds to invest a proportion of their funds in the vehicle, Lyons said, but added he did not see this as a dealbreaker.

Pension experts cautioned retirement schemes are unlikely to welcome any attempt to compel them to invest in riskier fledgling companies.

Story continues

"[This] runs counter to a long UK tradition of allowing investment as seen appropriate by its owners or their agents," said Con Keating, head of research at Brighton Rock Group, an insurance company for pension schemes.

Lyons, who previously worked at JPMorgan and Lehman Brothers, has made consolidating pension fund investment in Britain a key focus of his role in the largely ceremonial one-year post as lord mayor of London, which he began in November.

He took a sabbatical as chairman of insurer Phoenix Group to step into the role.

TAX BREAKS

Britain should learn lessons from countries with a more vibrant retail investing culture such as Canada, the United States and Sweden, Lyons said, noting Sweden gave capital gains tax breaks to investors to improve backing for domestic stocks.

"If you want people to buy British, if you want to create more liquidity in the UK, that's a pretty easy way to do it," he said.

Lyons also backed industry calls for higher pay for top executives in Britain, to better compete with the United States and senior roles in sectors such as private equity.

Julia Hoggett, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, said last week that boardroom pay levels at British companies were making it difficult to attract talent, drawing criticism from fair pay campaigners.

"We need to move the dial. We need to talk about the importance of the creation of wealth, as a driver for the creation of jobs," Lyons said.

($1 = 0.7923 pounds)

(Reporting by Iain Withers, Natalie Grover and Naomi Rovnick, editing by Sinead Cruise and Susan Fenton)
In a verdict returned Tuesday after less than three hours of deliberation, a New York jury found ex-President Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation of E. Jean Carroll nearly 30 years ago. The jury ordered him to pay $5 million in damages to the now-retired magazine columnist.

Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a changing room at Bergdorf Goodman, one of Manhattans leading department stores. She described the attack to several friends at the time, but did not report it to the police or make it public in any way. Two of those friends testified at the trial.

E. Jean Carroll, center, walks out of Manhattan federal court, Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in New York. A jury has found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing the advice columnist in 1996, awarding her a $5 million judgment. [AP Photo/John Minchillo]

Judge Lewis Kaplan instructed the jury as to three possible forms of battery on which they could convict Trump if they found the preponderance of evidence favored Ms. Carroll: rape, sexual abuse and forcible touching. The jury chose the second charge, which involves forcible sexual touching, with six men and three women approving that unanimously.

Carrolls lawsuit was only possible, given the long period of time since the event, because of a recently passed New York state law, the Adult Survivors Act, which gave those subjected to sexual assault as adults a one-year window to file suits over offenses for which the statute of limitations has expired. The law does not permit criminal charges to be brought against alleged perpetrators, so Trump faces no criminal liability.

The verdict was not surprising because of Trumps decision not to put on a defense case. His defense attorneys carried out aggressive cross-examination of Carroll and other witnesses for the plaintiff, but they called no witnesses of their own to rebut her claims.

Meanwhile, Trump kept up a steady flow of vitriolic comments on social media, which he continued after the jury returned its verdict, claiming that he did not even know who Carroll was and had no recollection of any encounter with her.

He made a similar blanket denial in a sworn deposition taken by Carrolls attorney. Portions of the deposition, made public recently, featured a typically disgusting comment by Trump reaffirming the position he took in the notorious Access Hollywood tape, released during the 2016 election campaign, in which he boasted of his ability, as a star, to grab women by their genitals without any consequences.

While the corporate media has focused entirely on the salacious details of the lawsuit, and some columnists, particularly at the New York Times, have sought to use it to revive the flagging #MeToo campaign, the case has a wider significance. It is serving as a weapon for the Democratic Party and its media allies in the vicious struggle within the US ruling class that has steadily intensified ever since Trump first won the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

The Democrats have consistently refused to conduct a struggle against Trump for mass social and political crimes ranging from attacks on immigrants, as in the separation of children from their parents, to the attempted political coup of January 6, 2021, when he sought to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election, mobilizing his fascistic supporters in a violent assault on Congress. More than two years after the attack on the Capitol, the chief instigators still walk free and face no criminal charges.

That said, there is no argument about the reality of Trumps crude and brutal treatment of women. This is underscored by the speed with which the jury brought back a unanimous verdict, including one juror whom Carrolls lawyers tried unsuccessfully to disqualify because he regularly listens to ultra-right podcasts.

But sex scandals are not the method for a genuine struggle against Trump and his effort to build a fascist movement in America. They are invariably the hallmark of a right-wing effort to stampede the population and pollute public consciousness with the most degraded and disgusting material.

It is noteworthy in this context that one of those who reportedly influenced Carroll to initiate her lawsuit was the attorney George Conway, one of the group of right-wing lawyers who leveraged the Paula Jones lawsuit to construct a perjury trap for President Bill Clinton, leading to his impeachment in 1998 for lying about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

Conway has turned against Trump after initially supporting him, but the method of legal provocation lives on, turned against the Republican ex-president rather than the Democratic president.

Sexual assault is not what motivates the struggle in the ruling class, which focuses entirely on issues of foreign policy. From 2016 on, the Democrats have attacked Trump for allegedly being too soft on Russia, going so far as to instigate the Mueller special counsel investigation into charges that Trump was acting in collusion with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A year after the Mueller probe ended in failure, the first impeachment of Trump was approved by the House of Representatives, under Democratic control, over his temporarily blocking arms shipments to Ukraine in the summer of 2019, an action that undermined the bipartisan policy of building up the Ukrainian military for an impending war with Russia.

With the outbreak of the US proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, after the imperialist powers successfully provoked a Russian invasion, the whole foreign policy of Washington depends on the prosecution of this war to ultimate success. This is openly defined by think tank strategists and media commentators as the destruction of the Russian military, the ouster of Putin, and the break-up of Russia into multiple successor states, easily manipulated by the West.

Trump has expressed considerable skepticism and even outright opposition to the war, from a right-wing nationalist standpoint. At the same time, he promises to build up the American military and use it aggressively, perhaps directly and immediately, against China, which is also the ultimate target of the Democrats and Biden.

Whatever the outcome of the internecine warfare within the ruling elite, it will not be determined by the facts of one or another sexual or financial transgression by the former president.

Trump seeks to return to power by mobilizing a fascist movement and overthrowing what remains of democratic forms of rule in America, as he demonstrated in the attack on Congress on January 6, 2021.

His opponents in the Democratic Partyand a dwindling section of the Republican Partydisagree with Trumps methods but share his basic goal: the defense of American capitalism, both at home and abroad.

Rather than representing some sort of advance for womens rights or democratic rights, the verdict in the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit is another skirmish in this ongoing conflict.

The working class must resolutely oppose both factions of the ruling classTrump and his fascist acolytes on the one side and the Democrats on the other, who remain the preferred party of Wall Street and the military-intelligence apparatus.

In that context, it is worth pointing out that President Joe Biden is traveling to New York City one day after the verdict against Trump. After making remarks on the debt ceiling crisis at a public event in the suburbs, he will go to Manhattan for two fundraisers with Wall Street backers, seeking to raise millions more for his reelection campaign.

As for Trump, he will likely raise more in campaign contributions over the next few days than the entire $5 million awarded by the jury to Ms. Carroll.
Hundreds of active-duty US troops began arriving at the southern border on Tuesday as the Biden administration pressed forward with plans to carry out mass expulsions of migrants entering the country when Title 42 policies terminate at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday evening.

On Tuesday evening, the Army Times reported US defense officials as saying, About 550 US active-duty troops have begun arriving along the US-Mexico border in the first group of military support ahead of an expected increase of migrants.

Migrants, mostly from Nicaragua cross the Rio Grande river into the United States in Eagle Pass, Texas. Friday, May 20, 2022. [AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills]

Brigadier General Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said the Army forces and Marines will mainly be used to help monitor and watch the border and perform data entry and support, and are not there in any way to be interacting with migrants.

At the same time, General Ryder said the goal of the troop presence was to free up US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel to carry out law enforcement measures. Although he did not go into details, the enforcement operations of CBP will include the mass apprehension and expulsion of tens of thousands of migrants who are expected to begin arriving at the border daily.

Ryder said at least some of the active-duty troops will be used near El Paso, Texas. According to Oscar Leeser, mayor of El Paso, there are currently 2,500 migrants in the city, many of whom are living on the street in makeshift encampments.

Leeser told PBS News Hour on Monday that he had traveled across the border to Juarez, Mexico. Theres probably 10,000 to 12,000 people waiting to come in, he said. The mayor said he had been told there was a caravan of another 3,500 people coming to Juarez prior to the expiration of Title 42.

Under the terms of Title 42 emergency public health rules, which were implemented by the Trump administration at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, 2.4 million migrants seeking to enter the US, many of them asylum seekers, were deported back to their country of origin or to Mexico in violation of their fundamental immigration rights.

Over the past 28 months, the Biden administration has stepped up the expulsions and used Title 42 aggressively, while claiming to be opposed to its repressive rules. Now Biden is replacing the expiring procedure with a no less draconian regime of migrant apprehension and removal.

On Monday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he was deploying an elite unit of the National Guard called the Texas Tactical Border Force to El Paso and other locations along the Rio Grande in advance of the expected surge.

In a press conference, Governor Abbott spoke while standing in front of four idling Air Force C-130 cargo jets as the elite guardsmen boarded the planes, carrying M-16 rifles and tactical gear. He said, They will be deployed to hot spots along the border to intercept, repel and to turn back migrants who cross into Texas without authorization.

The media spectacle followed a previous announcement by Abbott of Operation Lone Star, including National Guard soldiers and troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety, to lay miles of concertina wire along the Texas side of the Rio Grande.

The hysteria being whipped by Abbott is no doubt connected to the recent instances of mass violence in Texas. On Sunday, in Brownsville, a man drove his SUV into a crowd of immigrants, killing eight people, including children. On Saturday, neo-Nazi Mauricio Garcia massacred eight people with an assault rifle at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas.

In response, in part, to the fascistic actions of Governor Abbott, who has attacked Biden for being insufficiently brutal in his anti-migrant policy, accusing him of laying down a welcome mat to the entire world, the Democratic administration has sought to demonstrate that it is just as ruthless toward migrants as Trump and the Republican Party.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas has been on a non-stop campaign over the past two weeks to make it clear the border is not open and will not be open after Title 42 is lifted.

A week ago, Mayorkas toured several communities in the Rio Grande Valley and spoke at a press conference in Brownsville, where he said that in a post-Title 42 environment, we will be using our expedited removal authorities under Title 8 of the United States code. All those removed under Title 8 will be banned from entering the US for five years, and if they attempt to enter before then, will be subject to criminal prosecution.

At a DHS press conference on Wednesday, Mayorkas justified the crackdown on immigrants as a necessary response to the inaction of Congress, referring to a broken immigration system. He said, After two years of preparation we expect to see large numbers of encounters at our southern border in the days and weeks after May 11.

Mayorkas went on: As you can see by the images before us of removal flights and encounters with our border patrol agents, we are making it very clear that our border is not open, backcrossing irregularly is against the law, and that those who are not eligible for release will be quickly returned.

While referring to safe and lawful pathways for migrants to enter to the US, Mayorkas spent little time explaining what those are and concentrated on the removal procedures. He emphasized the new rules that presume that those who do not use lawful pathways to enter the United States are ineligible for asylum, adding that the new rules allow the US to remove individuals who do not establish a reasonable fear of persecution in the country of removal.
Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters opened his German tour at the Barclays Arena in Hamburg on Sunday. A few minutes before the concert began, Waters voice echoed through the arena: Just so everyone knows: A court in Frankfurt has determined that I am not an anti-Semite. Splendid.

He then added: To be clear, I condemn anti-Semitism in the strongest possible terms. And if youre one of those I love Pink Floyd, but I dont like Roger Waters politics people, maybe it would be better if you disappeared to the bar now.

This was followed by minutes-long applause. From the outset, it was clear that not only a great musician was celebrated here, who recalled the mood of the early seventies with the classic Pink Floyd songs. The applause was directed at the artist in particular, who, at close to 80 years of age, is standing up to mendacious capitalist propaganda and NATO warmongering.

Roger Waters performing in 2018 [AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo]

Waters current tour This Is Not a Drill, which is now coming to Europe and Germany after a successful first leg in the US, is not only a musical, but also a strong political statement. As the WSWS commented in its review, almost every song addresses the pressing issues of our time: imperialist war, fascism, the poison of nationalism, the plight of refugees, the victims of state oppression, global poverty, social inequality, the assault on democratic rights, and the threat of nuclear annihilation.

In particular, Waters places the fight against the escalating NATO war against Russia in Ukraine at the center of his current work. Speaking to the Berliner Zeitung, he said: All Im trying to do with my new music recordings, my statements and performances is that those in power are ending the war. I mean, would we choose to continue slaughtering young Ukrainians and Russians if we had the power to end it?

In Germany, Waters tour came under heavy attack from the outset. On February 24, the Frankfurt magistrate, in agreement with the Hesse state government, canceled the concert with the completely false and groundless accusation that the musician was an anti-Semite. A coalition of Social Democrats, Greens, Free Democrats, Christian Democrats and Volt claimed that Waters was one of the anti-Semites with the broadest reach in the world.

Waters filed a lawsuit against this vicious political and artistic censorship, and on April 24, the Frankfurt Administrative Court granted his request and lifted the ban. Waters saw the court decision as a victory for democracy and freedom of art.

In a social media post, Waters discussed his stance on the Zionist state and its dealings with the Palestinians. He wrote that following this enlightened court decision, he wanted to clarify a few things:

Can we please stop equating criticism of the policies of the government of the racist apartheid state of Israel with anti-Semitism?

Can we please agree to abandon the IHRAs (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) absurd definition of anti-Semitism? The only possible use of this worthless piece of paper is to disguise the real meaning of the term.

Can we congratulate the German people for having laws that protect the freedom of art? And urge them to continue to influence their government to stop banning and forcibly crushing peaceful BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] demonstrations in support of our oppressed brothers and sisters in Palestine by militarized police.

The warmongering German media, which spread the propaganda of the unprovoked Russian war of aggression day and night, denouncing any peace initiative and advocating the largest rearmament of the German army since Hitler, feel challenged and threatened by Roger Waters concert tour.

They reacted to the Hamburg opening concert yesterday with a vicious smear campaign. Deutschlandradio opened its reportage in the morning with a few bars from Wish you were here, the legendary Pink Floyd song, and the presenter commented: Roger Waters will perform in Cologne tomorrow evening. Many will say, I wish you were not here. The fact that there were no counter-protesters at the opening in Hamburg was very strange to him, the moderator continued.

Question to the correspondent: So Waters says a Frankfurt court found that he was not an anti-Semite. Is that right? Answer: No, one can even say that it was a pure invention. The court did not make such a ruling, the correspondent continued. It merely referred to the freedom of art and made it clear that there were no signs of criminal acts at the concerts. Moderator: There were really no statements or symbols that would have justified a ban. Answer: While there was a lot of confused stuff and oversized slogans in bright colors, a mixture of overwhelming aesthetics and brainwashing, nothing directly criminal. US presidents from Ronald Reagan to Obama to Joe Biden were called war criminals and, as Waters always does, the Holocaust was relativized by mixing images of victims of US police violence with images of Anne Frank. Waters is a rebel against the establishment, but makes it a well-functioning business model. This is very frustrating.

Under the headline More mud than Pink Floyd allowed, the Suddeutsche Zeitung suggested that Waters spread the cheapest truths in a big show. On stage, the images and signboards, in which Waters depicts a terrible present, flicker, chirp and explode. Visions of war and surveillance, police violence, authoritarian machinery, and the miracle of civil disobedience, the newspaper continues. It is a truly colorful collection of trigger words and stimulus motifs, political mud, agitation and good human rights love, often covered in demonstratively angry red. A spectacle like in a shooting film, the newspaper concludes.

Roger Waters has so far not been intimidated by this smear campaign by journalists, whose political views have been laid down by the Chancellors Office and intelligence agencies. He is a staunch opponent of all injustice and oppression. He is against war and defends the Palestinian people against the attacks of the Israeli government.

He does not present a systematically developed political perspective, let alone the program of a particular tendency, as the WSWS wrote in its review of the US tour. What is expressed in This is Not a Drill is a deep indignation against injustice, against war, against official hypocrisy and lies.
Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg meets NATO troops at an airbase in Tallinn, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP) [AP Photo/Leon Neal]

Since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022, the White House and the entire US media have proclaimed that the conflict was an unprovoked war launched by a single man, Vladimir Putin, on February 24, 2022.

The phrase unprovoked has become ubiquitous in the US medias description of the war. The Washington Post, New York Times and broadcast news have used the phrase hundreds of times.

In an op-ed published Wednesday, Thomas Friedman, the Times chief transcriber of CIA intelligence briefs, wrote, From the start of this war, there has been only one place to be to understand its timing and direction  and thats in Vladimir Putins head this war emerged entirely from there.

The mantra of the unprovoked war has become to Ukraine what weapons of mass destruction was to the Iraq War, or Remember the Maine was to the Spanish-American War.

The idea behind the endless repetition is the theory that the bigger the lie, the more readily it will be believed. The public is expected to accept that this is the first war in history without any historical antecedents or economic motives, the first war based entirely on the psychology of one man.

But on Tuesday, the Washington Post published an interview with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who stated that the war in Ukraine didnt start in 2022. The war started in 2014.

Stoltenberg continued, And since then, NATO has implemented the biggest reinforcement of our collective defense since the end of the Cold War Until 2014, NATO allies were reducing defense budgets. Since 2014, all allies across Europe and Canada have significantly increased their defense spending... this is a huge transformation of NATO that started in 2014.

Thus, according to Stoltenberg, the war did not begin in February 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but in 2014, eight years earlier.

This admission confirms two points that the World Socialist Web Site has made repeatedly since the outbreak of the war. First, that the conflict has a historical background. Second, that the 2022 invasion was a desperate response to the escalating efforts of NATO to bring Ukraine into its orbit.

Stoltenberg states that the war began in 2014, but he does not explain what actually happened. The year began with the US-backed regime change operation in Ukraine, overthrowing the government of President Victor Yanukovych, who had opposed measures to integrate Ukraine into a political association and trade pact with the EU, which was itself preparing for integration into NATO.

The coup was financed by what US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland boasted was over $5 billion in US funding.

The overthrow of the Yanukovych government was spearheaded by fascistic and ferociously anti-Russian organizations, including Right Sector and the Svoboda Party. In the following years, the government of Petro Poroshenko, installed after the coup, carried out violence and repression against the Russian-speaking population of eastern Ukraine, leading to the deaths of over 14,000 people between 2014 and 2022.

The US- and NATO-backed regime-change operation, as the WSWS noted in 2014, had the intention of provoking a confrontation with Russia.

The coup did provoke a response by the Kremlin, which understood that it would hand control over the Crimean peninsula, the home of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, to NATO. This would allow the United States to station its own fleet at the Port of Sevastopol, giving the US military dominance over the Black Sea.

In response, Russia annexed Crimea following a referendum in which the overwhelming majority of the population of the enclave supported leaving Ukraine.

While publicly claiming to support a ceasefire under the framework of the Minsk Accords, the NATO powers instead worked systematically to funnel billions of dollars in weaponry into Ukraine in preparation for a war, the aim of which would be the reconquest of eastern Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula.

In 2021, the Ukrainian government approved a strategy for the military reconquest of the Crimean peninsula, which was then de facto codified with the US-Ukrainian Strategic Partnership of November 2021.

In demanding assurances prior to the outbreak of the war that Ukraine would not join NATO, Putin explained that if Ukraine became a NATO member, the entire NATO alliance would be pledged to support Ukraine in a war to reconquer Crimea, which, he said, would lead to a nuclear war between NATO and Russia.

The invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was the reaction of the Putin government, representing a faction of the Russian oligarchy, seeking to defend its interests while at the same time hoping that it could reach some sort of accommodation with the imperialist powers.

The US and NATO, however, are determined to realize through the war the aims that motivated the 2014 coup. Later in the interview with the Post, Stoltenberg declared that all NATO allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance, contradicting the ubiquitous claims by the US media and political establishment that the Russian governments concerns about Ukraine joining NATO were simply made up.

Stoltenbergs declaration is, in effect, a pledge to plunge NATO headlong into direct conflict with Russia.

The lie of the unprovoked war has been accepted and promoted not only by the political establishment and the state-controlled media in the US, but also, shamefully, by the vast majority of academics. Outside of the meetings held by the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, there has been no serious attempt on campuses to explain the underlying background and causes of the war.

Of particular significance is the ferociously pro-war and pro-imperialist position taken by nominally socialist organizationswhich in fact represent privileged sections of the upper-middle class. They have completely endorsed the propaganda narrative.

The pro-CIA Pabloite publication International Viewpoint, for example, published a statement by the Russian Socialist Movement on May 1 denouncing half-solidarity and false pacifism, which makes morally problematic any form of alignment with military preparations of ones own government.

In other words, it is the task of the left to support the military actions of the US and NATO powers, because to do otherwise would be to serve as the instrument of the aggressorRussia. The statement ends with a call for increased arms transfers to Ukraine, which will enable it to return its annexed territories. On all points, International Viewpoint merely echos the statements of Stoltenberg himself.

All of those social forces that have defended Washingtons propaganda narrative stand exposed by the war. Far from constituting defensive actions to save Ukrainian lives from Russian attacks, the United States is determined to fight till the last Ukrainian to achieve its goals of reconquering the Crimean peninsula and imposing a strategic defeat on Russia.

The more the war continues and expands, the more nakedly its imperialist character emerges. It is becoming clear that American imperialism, not content with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, is seeking the military defeat, breakup and conquest of Russia as the prelude to an effort to militarily subjugate China.
On Tuesday, in what is likely her final major act as mayor of Chicago, Democrat Lori Lightfoot declared a state of emergency in response to the arrival of thousands of migrants which has overwhelmed the capacity of local shelters and social services, leaving many of the newly arrived migrants, including families with young children, to sleep on the floors of police stations, shuttered high schools and park district field houses. Reports indicate the conditions deny families access to adequate sanitation and shower facilities.

Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

According to Lightfoot, more than 8,100 migrants, mostly asylum-seekers from Central and South America, have arrived in the city since August 31, when Texas governor Greg Abbott and other Republican governors first began sending busloads of migrants to Chicago and other Democratic-controlled sanctuary cities.

The executive order grants the Mayors office sweeping purchasing powers modeled on those granted during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing the city to move around emergency funds and orders city departments to undertake whatever efforts are feasible pursuant to their powers and duties and to direct their employees accordingly to manage this declared emergency.

Notably, Lightfoots executive order also states, I reserve the authority to request the Governor of the State of Illinois to mobilize the National Guard to provide staffing and logistical support to address this emergency in the city of Chicago. Deployment of the National Guard in Chicago to occupy working class neighborhoods has long been a goal of the far right, including former president Donald Trump.

While Lightfoots executive order will do next to nothing to address the crisis, it sets the stage for incoming Democratic mayor Brandon Johnson to act under its authority while distancing himself from any responsibility for its creation. Johnson himself was in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday to meet with top Biden administration officials and Democratic politicians in order to drum up federal funding and support.

Earlier in the day, the Chicago City Council voted to allocate a paltry $51 million of Chicagos 2021 budget surplus to cover existing spending on the migrant crisis, which is estimated to be less than half of the $112 million needed to fund these efforts through the month of June.

The Lightfoot administration has appealed for aid from the state and federal government.

The city and state asked for nearly $200 million in total from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in order to accommodate and aid immigrants who had arrived in 2022, but have received only $14.1 million. The state of Illinois has agreed to send a total of $30 million, while the administration of billionaire Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker claims the state has spent $260 million so far on shelter and care for asylum seekers out of its own budget.

City officials estimate that the number of average daily arrivals has surged more than tenfold since mid-April. According to Brandie Knazze, the commissioner of Family and Support Services, 100 to 150 people are arriving daily by airplane, along with another three to five busloads of people daily. Even more are expected to begin arriving with the expiration of Title 42 on May 11, even with the Biden administrations deepening assault on the right to asylum and the deployment of 1,500 soldiers to the southern border.

The surge in migrants arriving in Chicago has exposed the inadequacy of the citys housing and shelter infrastructure, which is now bursting at the seams. According to Knazze, the city is operating seven shelters and three respite centers housing more than 3,200 migrants. Around 300 migrants are stuck waiting in police station lobbies around the city, while others are being placed in park district field houses without adequate bedding or other supplies.

Officials have been on the search for new temporary shelters. However, a number of the facilities being considered would require substantial repairs or upgrades to serve even as temporary housing. Meanwhile, hundreds of newly arrived immigrants have had to resort to sleeping on the floor of police stations or on the floor of O'Hare International Airport for those who arrive by plane.

Many of the locations city officials are considering for shelters are existing park district locations and shuttered public schools, leading to pushback from local residents, and even the expression of anti-immigrant sentiments. At a meeting last week in the South Shore neighborhood, residents booed city officials who proposed using the closed South Shore High School to house residents, with some residents saying Send them back and others holding signs saying Build the wall.

This followed a similar meeting earlier in the year in the South Side Woodlawn neighborhood, after plans were unveiled to house migrants in the shuttered Wadsworth Elementary School, which closed in 2013 as part of the largest school closure in US history.

These retrograde conceptions flow naturally from the Democratic Partys racialist approach to politics. Alderman Michelle Harris, whose ward includes South Shore, said prior to the meeting in that neighborhood, While we recognize this is a humanitarian crisis [that] may constitute an emergency for the city of Chicago, it does not constitute an emergency for the South Shore community nor the residents of the 8th Ward.

This was echoed by Alderman David Moore, who voted against the $51 million emergency appropriation. Moore, a member of the city councils progressive caucus, said, Im never going to sell my constituents out when their needs are not met first in some form or fashion, and if thats not happening I have an issue with that. Until I see some movement on that, I cannot support and take the oxygen mask off of my community to add it somewhere else.

Johnson, who is set to be inaugurated on Monday, has released no specific details on his plans to address the situation, leading to the possibility that the crisis will continue to escalate and potentially lead to a request for the National Guard.
Last week, the city of Chicago released the body camera footage of the April 15 police killing of 24-year-old Amazon and Doordash gig worker Reginald Clay Jr. The video makes clear that the officer, Fernando Ruiz, began chasing Clay despite having no suspicion of criminal activity and then shot him while he was attempting to surrender his weapon.

Reginald Clay Jr.s' brother and mother, Tara Henderson, protesting outside Chicago's City Hall on May 10. [Photo: WSWS]

The city, with the assistance of the media, is attempting to cover up the murder by blacking out coverage of the story and running stories slandering the victim. Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson as well as the pseudo-left Democratic Socialist Caucus of aldermen on Chicagos city council have been totally silent on the shooting.

On Wednesday afternoon Clays family held a protest outside of Chicagos City Hall to demand justice for the killing and to demand answers. Originally planning to hold their demonstration inside the city hall building, the grieving family members were barred from entering by dozens of police who refused to let them enter. The demonstration continued on the sidewalk outside the city hall doors.

Leading the protest was Clays mother Tara Henderson who told WSWS reporters that she is still fighting to learn the most basic details of the police activity leading up to the shooting. We have body camera footage but there is no sound, I dont know why they approached him in the first place thats why we are here today. I want to ask the people who are supposed to know what happened What happened to my son? Can someone help me find that out? I just want someone to help me.

Henderson and other family members carried pictures of Clay, who they lovingly refer to as Lil Red as well as protest signs with slogans calling for justice.

He was energetic, funny, had a big heart. He was a beautiful person; my son had a beautiful spirit. He was a good brother, he was a good person, and he did not deserve this, Henderson said.

His daughter is only three years old. She has to go the rest of her life without her father, Henderson continued, and I have to go the rest of my life without my son. I cant see him come up and say Mamma whatchu cooking none of those things anymore and for what? He was on his way to a funeral.

She explained that it wasnt long after 9:00 a.m. when the shooting occurred and that the video shows he had done nothing wrong. There is a law in place where police are not supposed to carry out a foot pursuit like this. He had not broken any laws and now hes dead all I have left is an urn with his ashes.

Henderson remains resolved to continue fighting until she receives a full explanation for her sons death. I am not going anywhere until I get those answers and these police are held accountable, she said, You cant just keep shooting people, it has to stop.

When asked if any elected officials had reached out to her, she responded, None, nothing.

Clays Cousin, Crystal, also attended the demonstration with portraits of the slain young man. My little cousin would still be here if those officers would have never jumped out of that car, she said.

He was on his way to a funeral and then we had to plan his own funeral a week later. Thats not right, Crystal added, This has to stop. We have rights as people to walk this earth and be as free as anyone else.

There was no crime, thats what we want them to understand, there was no crime, and he was surrendering. It could be anybodys friend, daughter, or cousin. We want justice nothing else, she said.

People need to understand that this is bigger than what happened in that backyard. They had no right to jump out of that car on him. What crime was being committed when those children were out there for a funeral?

There has been a total silence from elected officials on the shooting, including from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) who hold five seats on the Chicago City Council. The DSA and other pseudo-left organizations have thrown all of their efforts behind the incoming administration of Democratic mayor-elect Brandon Johnson.

To Johnson and his backers in the DSA the police killing of Clay is an inconvenience that might dampen their victory parade as Johnson prepares to take office on May 15, exactly one month after Clay was killed. Johnsons administration will make no serious attempt to bring the killer cop, Fernando Ruiz, to justice or to make any significant changes to the policies of the Chicago Police Department.

An indication of what to expect of the CPD under the new administration was shown last week when Johnson announced that Fred Waller will serve as the interim police superintendent once he takes office. Waller was a long time Chicago cop before retiring as third in command from the force in 2020.

During his tenure Waller was a close associate of Ronald Watts, a Chicago cop convicted of corruption charges in 2012. Watts ran an extortion racket demanding residents of the Ida B. Wells housing project in Bronzeville pay him and his team protection money.

Those who refused would be terrorized by the police and arrested on bogus charges. At least 220 people were falsely sentenced to prison because of Watts.

Soon-to-be police superintendent Waller worked alongside Watts in the CPD Public Housing Section before it was disbanded in 2004. Then, from 2010 to 2013 Waller was the commander of the 2nd District with Watts and his team of gangsters under his command.

When asked about this relationship by a reporter at the press conference announcing Waller as the new superintendent Johnson refused to answer saying only, I am confident that Chief Fred Waller is the best person to serve as the interim police superintendent.

Also at Wednesdays demonstration outside city hall was Clays father, Reginald Clay, Sr. He expressed total disgust with the city government and the media who he felt were not accurately reporting on his sons murder.

Protest outside Chicago's City Hall on May 10 against the police killing of Reginald Clay Jr. [Photo: WSWS]

When we have done interviews, they have either misrepresented what we have said or edited out what we are trying to say. They are trying to cover up his death. He added, My son had aspirations, he had goals. He was working to get his CDL so that he could become a truck driver like me.

We are here trying to get answers and they wont even let us in the building. The police told us that Mayor Lightfoot herself ordered them to keep us outside city hall, Clay Sr. said.

The Clay family has opened a lawsuit against CPD charging that, There were no facts to make anyone believe that he was committing a crime or breaking any laws. The suit states that the police used unprovoked and unwarranted force and violated the departments own foot-chase policy.
On April 26, six-year-old Jimari Williams died after an outbreak of an unspecified illness at the school he attended, Marcus Garvey Academy in Detroit, Michigan. In addition to Williams death, at least two other children in the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) have been hospitalized and dozens infected with what the district is referring to as a mysterious flu-like illness.

There have been four confirmed cases of Haemophilus influenzae at DPSCD schools, but there has not been systematic testing of students for this bacterial infection, COVID-19 or other pathogens. DPSCD only briefly closed Marcus Garvey Academy for a deep cleaning and reopened the school on Monday, with no protections in place.

The World Socialist Web Site spoke with Jess, a prominent anti-COVID advocate on Twitter, about Williams death and the broader context in which it is taking place, as governments throughout the world dismantle all mitigation measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 and other pathogens.

Evan Blake (EB): I know youve been following our coverage on the death of six-year-old Jimari Williams at Marcus Garvey Academy, which has had an outbreak of a so-called mysterious flu-like illness. First, what are your general thoughts on this?

Jess (J): Im not an investigative reporter, but what Im seeing is a pattern of officials and the media denying COVID and labeling everything a mystery illness, which is ridiculous. Watching your interviews and reading the reports on the death of Jimari Williams, they say theyll disinfect the school, but its become completely taboo to even suggest this has something to do with COVID. The words COVID and airborne have been almost wiped out from the public discourse.

Until an autopsy is done, we cant say for certain whether he died of COVID or another illness. Will we ever know what happened to this child? I dont know. But why havent they brought back masks into the school? Even if its not COVID but some other respiratory illness, masks would protect against it. Why are they just pretending this is normal?

Anti-COVID advocate Jess [Photo by @MeetJess]

EB: As someone who has followed the COVID-19 pandemic closely and the scientific literature on the effects that COVID-19 can have on the body, what would you say about the potential relationship between this outbreak and COVID?

J: We know that COVID can damage the immune system, and that after multiple COVID infections another infection with any virus can be deadly. There are now strep infections killing children in the UK, which was highly uncommon before the pandemic. Strep is a common disease, treatable by antibiotics, but now were seeing it cause a growing number of hospitalizations in the UK and elsewhere.

Jimaris death could have been brought on by COVID, or perhaps past COVID infections could have made this H. influenzae infection worse than it would have been otherwise.

Were not even communicating things to people anymore, which should be the basis of feeling safe. Based on your reports, the parents seem to have been left completely in the dark. Every day I see articles like this, and that people arent demanding answers, which drives me crazy. Its all part of living with this virus.

EB: Youve been sharing other reports of mysterious flu-like illnesses and recently tweeted about Northampton County High School closing last week due to a large COVID outbreak. Can you comment further on this?

J: I was surprised that they actually admitted there was a COVID outbreak in the North Carolina school, because theyre not doing that anymore. It shocked me, reading that it was a COVID outbreak. I was relieved to read the word. There are still COVID outbreaks in schools, but nobody is testing, which is a huge problem.

Im seeing a lot of adults saying their children are hospitalized and they dont know why, but they arent testing them for COVID because they think the pandemic is over. It seems to have been erased from peoples memory that were still living in a pandemic. Sometimes I feel like Im part of an alternate universe.

EB: Yes, theres a massive propaganda campaign to falsely claim that the pandemic is over. Jimaris death took place just before the WHO declared the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) over, and the Biden administration will declare the end of the COVID public health emergency on May 11. Can you comment on this?

J: Obviously, what people are not understanding is that even with the WHO ending the PHEIC, it doesnt declare the end of the pandemic. The messaging from WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in which he says that COVID is still killing thousands of people, disabling millions, is contradictory. Theyre giving people false hope by declaring the emergency over.

If youre not actively participating in Twitter and other social media groups, you would think everything was done. Theyre trying to compare this to seasonal illnesses like the flu, but the flu doesnt kill seven million people in three years. The messaging that people are hearing is that the pandemic is over, which is really dangerous. Senior citizens, who might not be on social media, might believe in hybrid immunity and other lies.

People think the entire pandemic is over, when in reality theyre just hiding data and all the tools that kept people semi-safe, and declaring this end of public health emergencies, which has nothing to do with the end of the pandemic. This is all a coordinated plan to get kids back into schools, to get parents back to work. Its killing many people, including children. People of any age, mostly working class people who are forced into unsafe environments are becoming disabled.

We dont have vaccines that stop transmission or treatments for people crippled by Long COVID. The vaccine doesnt stop you from being disabled. People are saying they had COVID last month and got over it, while not understanding whats happening to their bodies. There are people still suffering from the initial SARS outbreak in 2003, which luckily didnt hit the pandemic stage.

Theyre creating a really dangerous precedent right now. Already people were relaxed and now theyre saying its over. Theres no more rapid testing, reduced access to vaccines. Theyre just culling the herd, pushing people to their deaths, and its really monstrous.

EB: The WSWS has made the argument that the capitalist ruling elites have viewed the pandemic as a positive good for lowering life expectancy in the working class, because it has reduced pension obligations and other social spending, and that under capitalism future pandemics will be met with virtually no response whatsoever. I think this outbreak of an unknown infectious disease at an elementary school in Detroit is in some sense a microcosm of this. Theres been no systematic effort to address this from a public health standpoint. Theyre just sending the kids back to school so their parents can keep working. What are your thoughts on this?

J: I think future pandemics will be met with an excellent response by the ruling elites for themselves, as we saw with #DavosSafe, where at this years Davos World Economic Forum the elites used every mitigation measure available to protect themselves.

One big issue going forward will be the loss of trust in public health, which is huge. No one trusts public health anymore. In Canada, they opened, closed, reopened, required vaccine passports, removed them, required vaccine mandates for nurses, removed them. Its been a wishy-washy approach.

I dont trust any officials in public health anymore, which is horrible. This lack of trust, which they made disintegrate, will be made a major problem for future pandemics. Nobody is going to see whats really going on, and there are huge reservoirs for future viruses to spill over into human populations.

I do think that the rich are keeping themselves safe. They have access to first-class doctors, testing, etc. At the White House Correspondents Association dinner, they required everyone to take a rapid test beforehand. Why, if its over? Beyond rapid tests, Im sure they had air purifiers, Far-UV lamps, etc.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and White House COVID Response Coordinator Ashish Jhas children attend schools with improved ventilation, CO2 monitoring and other mitigations. Theyll continue to keep themselves safe, while workers will be in danger going forward.

Theyre looking to cull the vulnerable. They know very well how COVID-19 is transmitted, but theyre choosing not to protect people.

EB: What would you say to parents and teachers at Marcus Garvey about how to protect themselves?

J: Parents and teachers should be demanding testing and answers as to what caused this childs death. They shouldnt feel intimidated or feel like theyre being silenced. We need to use our voices as parents. Weve been silenced from the beginning of the pandemic.

I would demand answers and ask children to mask until the end of the semester. Theres obviously a health issue at this school. As a parent whose child goes to that school, you have a right to know whats going on. If were telling parents when a kid has lice, but not how another student died, theres something wrong. What is going on?

If my kid was going back, theyd be masking. Parents and teachers should demand improved ventilation. Its not just COVID which is airborne. Influenza is also airborne. There should be masking, ventilation, social distancing. Closing for one day makes no sense. There should be a town hall, call a meeting with the director of this school.

There are countless ways to safely clean the air. From upgrading ventilation, air purifiers, Corsi-Rosenthal boxes, and even simpler, opening windows. Im not an expert on Far-UV, but this is also a technology we should be looking into and how to safely implement it. Changes are being made silently and secretly by those in power, they dont want people to know theyre using these mitigations. All of these layers must be added as part of a broader program.

We need to think out of the box, but right now were shutting all the doors. Were not safe until were all safe. COVID is a preventable illness, its not the same as someone dying from something we couldnt prevent.
Early last week, the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) launched a cross-media image campaign. Like earlier media campaigns, it glorifies militarism and nationalism, but this time aims even more openly to prepare the public for a new world war and to recruit the necessary cannon fodder.

The campaigns martial motifs and videos call for a borderless defense of Germanys freedom and participation in a show of force to build a strong Bundeswehr. Emblazoned above a picture of a tank commander is the slogan: What counts when we have to show strength again?

Bundeswehr Advertisement: "What counts when we have to show strength again? Berlin, May 2023 [Photo: WSWS]

The propaganda offensive is of a massive scale. According to the Defense Ministrys press release: In order to reach citizens across Germany, the campaign will be played out nationallyon analog and digital poster motifs, at a wide range of touchpoints and on giant posters in strategically important locations throughout Germany. In addition, there will be ads on social media and relevant websites. A YouTube video of the campaign glorifies the deployment of fighter pilots, Marine special forces, warships and armored infantry advancing east.

The Bundeswehr is notorious for campaigns that trivialize the crimes of German imperialism and target young people. In September 2018, it advertised under the tagline #Fuhren (English: to lead) with the face of submarine commander Nana Ehlers, who now hosts regular Bundeswehr programs on YouTube. In late 2019, a photo of a Wehrmacht uniform with four swastikas appeared on the Bundeswehrs Instagram account, tagged retro.

Every year, the Bundeswehr is prominently represented at Gamescom, the worlds largest trade fair for computer and video games. In 2022, the armed forces tried to recruit cyber specialists, as well as combat and drone pilots, with slogans like Multiplayer at its best and It doesnt get more open world than this.

Since the start of the Ukraine war, the German Armed Forces YouTube channel has launched several new formats in which generals and weapons specialists spread war propaganda and discuss the events of the war on an almost daily basis. Unlike many critical YouTube formats, Bundeswehr content is extensively promoted and monetized by the platform. Typical videos receive tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of views. By comparison, official US Air Force and US Army videos on YouTube are typically viewed 10 times fewer.

Brigadier General Christian Freuding, who has appeared seven times in the Nachgefragt video format since the start of the Russian invasion and heads the Ukraine Special Staff in the Ministry of Defense, has since been promoted to head the planning staff of Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (Social Democrats, SPD). Freuding analyzes the tank battles in eastern Ukraine with the cold precision of a war-tested German general. He began his career as a company commander in the NATO protection force for Bosnia and Herzegovina before becoming the Bundeswehr chief of staff in Afghanistan in 2007.

The Bundeswehrs media campaigns primarily pursue the goal of attracting young people to volunteer for armed service. They have long focused on portraying the Bundeswehr as an adventure orin times of mass layoffs in industry and falling real wagesas an attractive employer.

But although the militarys marketing measures are well done and tailored to the target group, according to a communications consultant quoted by the reservist association, and although for years the Bundeswehr has been sending youth officers to schools to indoctrinate minors with war propaganda, it has yet to achieve the desired results.

According to the reservist association, fewer and fewer people are applying to join the Bundeswehr. Last year there were only 43,900 people  20 percent less than in the 2010s. This indicates a massive personnel problem, since for the fight on the eastern flank a division of 10,000 to 30,000 soldiers must be cold-start ready by 2025.

The Bundeswehrs manpower problem is the result of deep-rooted opposition to war and militarism among the population. Most young people know that the Bundeswehr is not fighting for freedom and democracy, but is trampling on both values in order to assert the profit interests of Volkswagen, Siemens, BASF and Co. on the world stage.

This is especially true of the war in Ukraine. As the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations reported at the end of February, the war has led to record results in trade with the East, which was reflected in double-digit export increases in trade with Central and Eastern Europe.

The last times the German military showed strengthin World War I and World War IIthe lives of millions of young men were senselessly sacrificed to the interests of Flick, Krupp, Siemens, IG Farben and Deutsche Bank.

The Reichswehr and the Wehrmachtthe German military of those erasspread misery and terror. German soldiers roamed Europe pillaging, burning villages and murdering millions of civilians. The army played a central role in Hitlers war of extermination, which aimed to conquer Europe, enslave the people of Eastern Europe, and destroy European Jewry. Ultimately, the horrors of the war washed back upon Germany.

The Bundeswehr embodies the continuity of German militarism. Ten years after government representatives proclaimed that Germany must once again play an international role in military and power politics commensurate with its economic strength, the government is using the Ukraine war to put these great power ambitions and rearmament plans into practice.

Immediately after the Russian invasion began, Chancellor Olaf Scholzto the enthusiastic applause of the Bundestag (German parliament)proclaimed a long-prepared Zeitwende (change of times) and announced the largest military buildup since Hitler, which has been steadily accelerating ever since. In the past month alone, plans became public to triple the original special assets for the Bundeswehr to 300 billion euro and to quintuple the volume of German arms deliveries to the Ukrainian military.

Having completed the integration of the Dutch army with the Bundeswehr in March, plans for a German-led European missile defense are now being pushed forward. The stated goal of the ruling class is to defeat the Russian army in Ukraine and end US military supremacy in Europe.

Although its official tradition decree states that the Wehrmacht is not worthy of tradition as an institution, the Bundeswehr has never broken with these traditions. Wehrmacht generals are the namesakes of barracks and role models for soldiers and officers. The cultivation of Wehrmacht and SS traditions is particularly well documented in elite German units such as the Kommando Spezialkrafte (KSK) or the paratroopers. In the Ukraine war, the German military is working with units that invoke the legacy of Ukrainian Nazi collaborators in World War II and venerate mass murderers like Stepan Bandera.

When the Bundeswehr now once again courts new recruits with authoritarian slogans like Show Strength and #Lead, it is openly appealing to the most right-wing elements in society. Neo-Nazis, Alternative for Germany (AfD) party supporters and other right-wingers will be attracted to it.

At the same time, it is driving the militarization of the whole society. For example, the website karrierekaserne advertises that civilian and military tasks must go hand in hand in order to protect our country and our allies. As before the First and Second World Wars, social life is to be subordinated to the military requirements of a Europe-wide war.

Significantly, on the day of the Bundeswehrs campaign launch, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyenherself a former German defense ministerannounced a plan for a European war economy that would increase the production of heavy munitions to one million rounds per year.
The French union bureaucracies decision to wait until June 6 before the next protests against Macrons pension cuts, while also reopening talks with him, is a betrayal of the working class.

Mass protest in front of The Pantheon in Paris, France. [Photo: WSWS]

Workers militancy and the popular anger at Macron remain intact even after the adoption of the pension cuts as law. An overwhelming majority of the French people reject this illegitimate law of Macron, who rules openly against the people. Two-thirds of French people want to block the economy with a general strike. But far from continuing the fight, the all-trade union alliance is doing everything it can to stifle and demobilize the political struggle emerging between the workers and the capitalist states illegitimate diktat to the people.

This confirms the analysis of the PES: to fight against Macron, the workers must build their own organizations of struggle, rank-and-file committees of action, to mobilize independently of the union apparatuses.

In its communique the union alliance admits there is broad opposition to Macron, since 2.3 million people marched in May Day protests in France. But it offers an impotent perspective to restart negotiations with Macron, while pretending to pressure the French National Assembly to oppose the cuts in a bill criticizing Macrons reform that might be brought before it on June 6. The communique declares:

'This bill [presented on June 6 at the National Assembly] will allow for the first time the national representation to vote on the pension reform. We call on our organizations to go and meet parliamentarians everywhere to call on them to vote on this bill. In this context, the intersyndicale calls to multiply initiatives with notably a new day of common action, strikes and demonstrations on June 6, allowing all the employees to be heard by the members of parliament.

This proposal is impotent, because the National Assembly has already proven its hostility to the majority of French people who oppose Macron's reform. In March, it decided not to censure Macron when he imposed this pension cuts without a vote in the Assembly. Thus the Assembly has indicated that in its majority it supports Macron's illegitimate reform.

In reality, the all-union alliance is doing everything possible to chain the working class to the bourgeois parliamentarians in the Assembly and to political submission to the capitalist state. In reality, there is nothing to negotiate with Macron, nor with the Assembly. The mobilization against the reform in recent months has clearly shown that the working class is in a political struggle against the entire capitalist state machine.

The all-union alliance declares, on the other hand, that it will relaunch its negotiations with Macron, though without giving a precise schedule. Clearly, the union bureaucracies are joining the rest of the capitalist state apparatus that is trying to impose the reform on the French people. They write:

The government has announced the opening of a cycle of negotiations, without the subject or the framework of the negotiations being precisely fixed. The trade unions will reiterate their rejection of the pension refo

They will work on joint inter-union proposals involving employers, so that employees' concerns are finally taken into account, in terms of wages, working conditions, health at work, social democracy, gender equality and the environment in particular. Popular mistrust is deep and the dialogue can only be restored if the government proves its willingness to finally take into account the proposals of the trade unions.

The Parti de legalite socialiste has stressed that the situation is objectively revolutionary, because of the irreconcilable conflict between the working class and Macron, and because this struggle is unfolding amid a wave of strikes by millions of workers in Germany, the UK, Portugal, Belgium and beyond. NATO and Russia are rapidly moving toward a major escalation of war, and governments are discredited. To stop Macron's policies in this explosive political context, the working class must bring him down.

The intersyndicale, on the other hand, wants to restart negotiations directly with Macron. It is now clear that they did not dare to do so before, not because they refuse to negotiate with a dictator who tramples on the will of the people, but because they feared the workers would mobilize against both Macron and their own bureaucracies if they did so.

The hostility of the union bureaucracies towards the interests and the struggle of the working class exposes these organizations, which are closely tied to the state. They impose the impoverishment of the workers in order to plunder the wealth created by the workers for the financial aristocracy and to finance Macron's war preparations. The cut in social spending carried out by this reform is to be used to finance the increase in the French military budget by about 90 billion before 2030.

This policy is not the result of a tactical error by union leaders or the product of the personal corruption of one or another union leader. It reflects the material interests of the union leaders, a layer of the petty-bourgeoisie hostile to revolutionary class struggle and closely tied to the state machine through corporatist social dialog with the French presidency.

In exchange for services rendered, the state and employers pay billions of euros each year to the union bureaucracies. This means top union officials receive salaries that are several times higher than the average worker's salary. In his 2012 report on the financing of the French unions, lawmaker Nicolas Perruchot wrote:

'As we can see, almost 4 billion euros are probably spent annually on trade union activity in France. Most of these resources (90 per cent) seem to come from the exercise of the right to organize in companies and the civil service, while the direct contributions of union members in the form of dues would represent, after deduction of tax aid, only 3 to 4 per cent.

The betrayal of the union bureaucracy also exposes the bankruptcy of the organizations of the petty-bourgeois pseudo-left like the NPA, Revolution Permanente or LO, which beg the union leaders to provide workers a 'battle plan' against Macron. They reject revolutionary measures, instead advancing a national program subordinated to the 'democratic' capitalist state. This is ultimately just a thin pseudo-left veneer applied to a policy of subordinating the working class to their negotiations with Macron and his police state.

Strikes and struggles must continue against austerity and war, and be linked up to struggles unfolding beyond the borders of France, independently of the pro-capitalist trade union apparatuses and their political allies. To do this, workers must create their own rank-and-file committees, breaking with the union bureaucracies to take control of their struggles. This is the only way to continue the struggle already begun against Macron, to prevent the unions from strangling the struggle, and to stop Macron's attacks by bringing him down.
Olymel, one of Canadas largest meat processing companies, announced last month the closure of its pork processing plant in Vallee-Jonction, Quebec. Located in the provinces Beauce, region, the plant is the largest hog slaughterhouse in Quebec.

About 1,000 workers are affected by the closure, which will begin on September 15 with the elimination of the night shift and will be completed by December 22. This is a real catastrophe in a town with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants and whose economy is largely dependent on the operations of the Olymel plant.

According to Vallee-Jonction Mayor Patricia Drouin, for each job at Olymel, three indirect jobs are affected at other businesses in the town and its environs, including at pharmacies and convenience and grocery stores.

In a move designed to pit workers at its various plants against each other, Olymel leaked the information that it would be closing one of its four plants in the province the day before the official closure announcement without specifying which one. The next day, workers in Vallee-Jonction learned from the media that it was their plant that would be closed.

Neither the local union at the Vallee-Jonction plant (STOVJ), which is affiliated to the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CNTU), nor the CNTU itself, has called for a fight against the closure of the plant by appealing to workers at other Olymel plants and the entire meat processing industry. At a press conference, the company justified the closure of the Vallee-Jonction plant by invoking its high level of debt, the lack of manpower in the region and the obsolete state of the facilities, which it said would cost $40 million to renovate.

During their four-month 2021 strike, Olymel workers joined their class brothers and sisters from an Exceldor poultry plant also then on strike. [Photo: STOVJ/Facebook]

While not saying so openly, Olymel clearly also wanted to punish the Vallee-Jonction workers for going on strike in 2021 against management demands for further concessionsafter a 40 percent wage cut imposed between 2007 and 2015. During the 2021 strike, the company threatened to cut 500 jobs and eliminate the evening shift.

Olymel is a major player in the meat processing industry that operates 35 plants across Canada where about 15,000 people work. It is a division of agri-food giant Sollio (formerly La Coop federee). After several very profitable years, the company posted a loss of $71 million in 2021. In 2022, Sollio suffered a further loss of $337 million despite sales of nearly $9 billion.

These results led the company to close pork processing plants in Laval, Blainville and Saint-Hyacinthe in 2022a loss of 300 jobsand eliminate 177 management positions.

Olymels high level of debt is primarily the result of its frantic quest for market share. In November 2022, an investigation by the Montreal daily La Presse revealed Sollios precarious financial position was due to costly strategic decisions, including a series of transactions, between 2015 and 2021, whereby Olymel acquired almost all of its competitors in Quebec, increasing Sollios debt from $220 million to $1 billion.

The $40 million investment needed to modernize the Vallee-Jonction plant is also a poor excuse, given that Olymel and Sollio have obtained more than $450 million from the Quebec government in recent yearsa direct injection of $300 million in 2019 and an additional $150 million in 2021 through a government-controlled pension fundto strengthen its competitiveness.

On social media, workers were quick to point out angrily that this public money could have been used to preserve their jobs. 'Yet Olymel received $150 million from [Economy Minister Pierre] Fittzgibbon via Investment Quebec in 2021, wrote one worker. Olymel President Yannick Gervais justified his plundering of public funds by invoking Quebec nationalism with these words: Olymel is still 100 percent Quebec-owned.

For its part, the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government, led by multi-millionaire former CEO Francois Legault, reassured the company that it would continue to support it at all costs. Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon defended the $150 million investment in 2021 as the right thing to do, dismissing the loss of 1,000 jobs as unfortunate.

In the final analysis, regardless of the immediate economic causes, the real reason for the closure of the Vallee-Jonction plant is the capitalist system itself. In the constant pursuit of profits without regard for the needs of the workers who make up the vast majority of the population and produce its wealth, corporations routinely carry out plant closures, wage cuts and mass layoffs.

In this relentless campaign to extract more and more profits from the workers, the ruling class can count on the complicity not only of the governments and political establishment, but also of the pro-capitalist unions to impose round after round of concessions on the rank-and-file workers they purportedly represent.

The example of the Vallee-Jonction plant is typical in this regard. During the 2021 strike, the local union (STOVJ) reached a first agreement in principle that abandoned the main demands of the workers for protective measures against the coronavirus pandemic, the right to choose ones vacations, the restoration of the pension fund and a much-needed wage catch-up.

The agreement was rejected by 57 percent of the workers. The STOVJ and the CNTU responded by isolating the strikers and wearing them out, so as to push through, after four months on the picket lines, a new contract that maintains virtually all the concessions imposed by the company and the union since 2007.

Since the announcement of the plant closure, the unions have not lifted a finger to oppose it. STOVJ president Martin Maurice only laments the decision after all the concessions the union has made. We are the most profitable and productive plant, he pleaded, suggesting that the company should have targeted another plant.

The local union and the CNTU are insisting the only thing they can do is help workers to redeploy (find a new job, go back to school, start a business, etc.). They have also abandoned to their fate the 120 temporary foreign workers who have a closed work permit with Olymel. Temporary foreign workers with closed work permits are only allowed to remain in Canada so long as they maintain the job and employer specified on their permit. As a result, these workers now face the threat of imminent deportation unless they find another job.

As one of them told the World Socialist Web Site, Whether its Olymel, or even the unions, immigrants are no longer their problem. They have only offered us three things. Either we accept the relocation, or we find another job on our own, or we go home. But as far as the unions are concerned, to be honest, there is not very much that they have done for us so far.

The central concern of the unions is to prevent an independent mobilization of workers against the closure of the plant and in defense of everyones jobs. Our priority is to ease the frustration and concern by setting up the redeployment committee to reassure our folks, declared the local union president.

In opposition to this policy of capitulation, workers must form a rank-and-file committee, completely independent of the union apparatus, which will call on Olymel workers and workers from throughout the food processing industry, in Quebec and across Canada, to launch a common struggle against the closure of the Vallee-Jonction plant and for the defense of all jobs.
Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO Warren Buffett enjoys an ice cream treat from Dairy Queen before the Berkshire's annual meeting in Omaha

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - Berkshire Hathaway-owned Dairy Queen is exploring options to expand in new markets, perhaps including Taiwan, the company's CEO said, even as geopolitical concerns with China simmer.

Owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway since 1998, the fast-food chain counts China as its second-largest market, operating more than 1,250 stores there out of more than 7,000 worldwide.

Tensions between the United States and China have been rising, with some investors worried that China might invade or seek to reunify Taiwan soon.

Troy Bader, chief executive of International Dairy Queen Inc, said the company often looks to markets adjacent to existing ones, so it can take advantage of existing supply chains, when considering where to expand.

He said Taiwan "is on our list for exploration at this point," as are Australia, India and Europe.

"We're going to be smart, but we're going to continue to grow in those markets so we can be there for fans," Bader said, referring to customers, in a May 5 interview at Berkshire's annual shareholder weekend in Omaha, Nebraska.

Buffett told Berkshire shareholders a day later that he felt "better" about deploying capital in Japan than Taiwan, reflecting U.S. tensions with China.

He contrasted Berkshire's increasing its stake in five Japanese trading houses with his decision in late 2022 to unwind most of a $4 billion investment in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co disclosed just three months earlier.

"I reevaluated that in the light of certain things that were going on," Buffett said.

Bader said Dairy Queen would be mindful of political concerns in whichever market it entered.

The Bloomington, Minnesota-based company operates in at least 20 countries, five in the Middle East.

"You need to think about them in any country you're in," he said. "We do not have a presence in Europe. With all that's going on there, we're not going to be opening stores tomorrow. The development process takes time."

Story continues

Dairy Queen sales topped $5.7 billion last year, up from more than $5.5 billion in 2021, despite distribution problems as warehouses struggled to retain labor.

Bader said the 83-year-old company is counting on greater customer use of its DQ Rewards digital app to fuel group, with more than 7 million U.S. and Canadian downloads so far.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in Omaha, Nebraska; Editing by Ira Iosebashvili and Alistair Bell)
UPS workers: What do you think about the decision to start national contract talks before the supplementals have been finished? Tell us by filling out the form below. All submissions will be kept anonymous.

Teamsters president Sean O'Brien speaks at Boston rally, April 2, 2023 [Photo: International Brotherhood of Teamsters]

With less than three months left before the contract for 340,000 UPS truck drivers expires, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has announced that it has begun negotiations on a national contract with logistics giant UPS, despite the fact that two regional supplemental agreements remain unresolved.

The 40 regional supplemental agreements have a significant impact on working conditions and can vary considerably from region to region. The two outstanding supplemental agreements are for the Local 89 Air Rider in Louisville, Kentucky, where the companys massive Worldport air hub is located, and in Sacramento and Northern California. Local 89, significantly, is the former local of current General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman.

For months, the Teamsters bureaucracy under General President Sean OBrien has pledged that it would not start bargaining for a new national contract until UPS gets its act together and finishes negotiating all 40 local and regional supplementals. This is the reverse of how talks at UPS developed in 2018, with supplemental talks only following the national contract. That contract was also ratified by the previous administration of James Hoffa, Jr. in spite of a majority vote against it by the rank and file, drawing outrage which has only continued to mount since then.

OBrien has billed this as a tactical masterstroke designed to put UPS management on the defensive. Responding to workers anger, the union officialdom has also repeatedly pledged to strike UPS if a deal is not in place by July 31, when the current contract expires.

However, on Tuesday, May 9, the Teamsters suddenly reneged on its pledges and initiated national negotiations with UPS, behind the backs of the rank and file.

Other than sparsely detailed social media posts and updates on corporate-owned news outlets, no information has been given to workers. No official press release from the Teamsters union has been issued so far, leaving rank-and-file members in the dark concerning this decision that was bureaucratically decided without their input.

The Teamsters leadership has tried to defend its capitulation through online social media posts.

As proposals were exchanged with the company, the Teamsters national committee warned UPS that national talks can and will be shut down if deals are not successfully reached in Louisville and Sacramento, OBrien said.

Whats most critical about these early hours of national negotiations is that big gains are already being made and the Teamsters have made zero concessions to get them, added Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman in the same post.

The most revealing statement was made by OBrien on Twitter. Our Local 89 & NorCal Supplemental [bargaining] Chairs urged the Natl [bargaining] Committee to begin negotiations. They understand we have lots of work to do & little time to do it. Unlike @UPS, they want to keep this process moving. And doing so maintains our momentum.

Sean O'Brien's tweet defending the decision to move on to national negotiations. [Photo: Sean O'Brien via Twitter]

This is the opposite of how they have portrayed negotiations up until now. OBrien does not explain why UPS would have an incentive to stall, if the Teamsters have already threatened to strike on July 31. In other words, OBrien effectively admits that, in spite of its posturing, the union bureaucracy itself is under immense pressure to work out a deal to avoid a strike.

Much of this is self-inflicted. The union leadership feels compelled to make constant, militant-sounding public declarations to tamp down discontent among the rank and file, who are hostile to the bureaucracy and suspicious of the OBrien administration. The apparatus is extremely sensitive to their lack of control over the situation and the possibility that with enough anger and dissatisfaction, things could quickly get out of hand.

But there can also be no doubt that pressure is coming down from the Biden White House, which OBrien was a regular visitor to last year when the Teamsters bureaucracy was helping to block a rail strike.

The Biden administration has relied heavily on the union bureaucracy for the past two years to block strikes in critical industries. If it could not accept a strike on the railroads, which it moved to ban after a White House-sponsored contract was defeated last year, it certainly cannot accept a strike by 340,000 UPS workers. Such a strike would not only shut down much of the US economy but embolden workers in other key industries. The national contracts for 150,000 autoworkers at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, as well as the contract for 200,000 postal workers both expire in September, less than two months after the deadline at UPS.

Meanwhile, the Teamsters bureaucracy is working furiously and brazenly to prevent or shut down strikes by its members in other workplaces. They have worked to separate out local struggles by Coca-Cola and Sysco delivery drivers which have broken out in recent months. The union shut down a strike by 400 Coca-Cola drivers in Philadelphia by forcing workers to vote on a contract which they had not even seen. Tactics such as a voting bus parked on company property raised serious questions among workers as to the legitimacy of that vote.

Also this week, the Teamsters shut down a strike by Coca-Cola drivers in West Virginia, with Local 175 President Ken Hall explicitly declaring that this was done because of the strikes impact on customersin other words, because it was successfully shutting down the companys operations, as a strike is supposed to do. Hall was also the last general secretary-treasurer before Zuckerman took office last year.

This capitulation at UPS came only two days after the Teamsters hosted an online meeting the previous Sunday, which lasted only 45 minutes and where no questions were taken from the audience. In that meeting, Zuckerman stated that Sean OBrien and I [Fred Zuckerman] have made it clear to UPS early on that the Teamsters would not begin national negotiations until all supplements were resolved.

However, he did note, It is our hope and our intent for national negotiations to begin on Monday with UPS and Washington. Zuckerman added, But of course, so much of that is reliant on UPS getting serious, making some final movement and giving our members, all of you, what you have earned.

Other speakers repeated the same mantra. To waste that opportunity [to finish all supplemental agreements before moving onto national agreements] would be a shame, said Teamsters for a Democratic Union Steering Committee member Corey Levesque, who chaired the meeting. TDU is a reform caucus which endorsed OBriens candidacy for president and now occupies top posts within his administration.

It only took two days for the trade union leadership to retreat on its position. Workers took to social media to express their disappointment, with one rank-and-file member commenting, Why are the nationals even starting when supplementals arent done? What a great way to start off not giving UPS anything Teamsters. Disappointed.

Another worker said, Just gunna roll over for ups dont know why were in national negotiations right now.

Comments such as these have abounded all over social media. Others have also pointed to other issues which have yet to be addressed, such as lack of sick leave, vacation and personal days off.

The sudden about-face on the supplemental deals is a serious warning to workers. If they are prepared to abandon this pledge at the drop of a hat, what other promises are the bureaucracy prepared to rip up? This underscores the need for UPS workers to take matters into their own hands to prevent the next betrayal.

This requires the development of a network of independent rank-and-file committees, uncontrolled by Teamster officials and accountable only to workers themselves, to take the conduct of the struggle out of the hands of OBrien and the other bureaucrats.

Workers must demand not simply token representation in the talks but real control over them, with a bargaining committee elected entirely from the rank and file. At the same time, these committees will lay the framework for UPS workers to establish contact with workers in other logistics companies, both union and non-union, and prepare the ground for solidarity and joint actions.

If there is to be a real fight, it will only be organized by workers, not left-talking officials making empty promises.

UPS workers: What do you think about the decision to start national contract talks before the supplementals have been finished? Tell us by filling out the form below. All submissions will be kept anonymous.
Anthony Albanese and Julian Assange [Photo: Twitter/@AlboMP, David G Silvers]

Over the past week, several prominent members of the Australian Labor government have feigned sympathy for WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange. The most notable of these interventions was a statement made by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, while he was in Britain for the coronation of King Charles.

Albanese and other Labor representatives have reiterated the vague comment that enough is enough in relation to the Assange case, and it has gone on for too long. Assange has been detained in a British prison for more than four years, and faces extradition to the US where he could be jailed for 175 years for exposing American war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The essential position of Albanese is that he has made comments to the British and US governments along these lines and that is all he can do. As the WSWS has previously noted, this is the antithesis of an aggressive diplomatic and legal campaign aimed at securing the freedom of a persecuted Australian citizen.

The refusal to take any concrete measures to ensure Assanges release is bound up with Labors complete commitment to the US alliance, including Washingtons escalating preparations for war with China.

But that is not the sole issue. A key component of this program of war, with Labor overseeing the countrys largest militarisation in 80 years, is the suppression of anti-war opposition. That is evident in the persecution of Assange, but it is also apparent in several draconian national security cases that the Labor government is directly presiding over in Australia.

The most significant is the prosecution of David McBride. A former army lawyer, he is accused of leaking information exposing Australian war crimes in Afghanistan and other violations of international law in that protracted neo-colonial occupation.

David McBride with Human Rights Lawyer Jennifer Robinson at the National Press Club Canberra. [Photo: Facebook]

The documents that the state claims McBride leaked included details of the potentially unlawful killings of ten Afghan men and boys by Australian Special Forces soldiers.

In one instance, a man and his son were shot dead by Special Air Service Regiment in September, 2013. Official reports indicated that the man had pointed a weapon at the Australian personnel. The leaked documents said that the man and the boy were found shot dead in their beds, indicating that they may have been executed in their sleep.

Other cases also involved children. Some of the documents indicated that prisoners were being killed, execution style, and then posthumously being accused of attempting to seize a weapon.

Most explosively, the files indicated awareness in the military command of a warrior culture among special forces that had gotten out of control and threatened breaches of the laws of war.

The publication of details from the files, by the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), triggered a series of inquiries into the actions of the defence forces in Afghanistan. This culminated in the 2020 release of an official Brereton Report, confirming credible information that the Special Forces had murdered 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners.

In other words, whoever leaked the documents in the years earlier provided the public with true information about war crimes that were being hidden from the population.

In June, 2019, the Australian Federal Police carried out an unprecedented raid on the Sydney office of the ABC, over its publication of the Afghan files. It was later revealed that one of the journalists involved in the story, Dan Oakes, had been threatened with national security charges, in what would have been an exact parallel to the Assange case.

That prosecution did not eventuate. But last month, a hearing of the Australian Capital Territorys Supreme Court confirmed that McBride will stand trial in November. He is charged with national security offenses, including unauthorised disclosure of information, theft of commonwealth property and breaching the Defence Act. McBride has pleaded not guilty.

Confirmation that the case will proceed means that McBride will be the first person to face court over the war crimes of the Australian military in Afghanistan, i.e., for allegedly revealing them, not perpetrating them.

Only one soldier has been charged over the documented killings of civilians. He allegedly shot an unarmed Afghan boy at point blank range. That killing occurred in 2012. Footage of it was broadcast in early 2020 on national television, but the soldier was only charged last month. He will not be tried until next year and is out on bail.

Because McBride is charged with federal offenses, the Labor government and specifically its Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus can order an end to the prosecution.

McBride is an alleged whistleblower, whereas Assange is a publisher. But the essence of the case against both is that they should be imprisoned for decades for exposing war crimes. Labor claims it cannot free Assange, because he is subject to British legal processes, and is facing extradition to the US. Australia is not a party to those proceedings, they assert.

The McBride case gives the lie to these assertions. Labor could drop this prosecution whenever it wanted to. But, like the Biden administration with its pursuit of Assange, the Albanese government is intent on setting new precedents for the suppression of anti-war sentiment, amid an explosion of militarism and war.

There are other cases that Labor is presiding over. They include the prosecution of Richard Boyle, an accused whistleblower, who allegedly exposed the aggressive debt collection practices of the Australian Taxation Office. Last March, a South Australian court rejected an application by Boyle for public interest immunity. Labor has refused to intervene to end the prosecution of Boyle, who faces years in prison.

Last month, Australian businessman Alexander Csergo was charged with one count of reckless foreign interference, under draconian legislation passed by the Liberal-National Coalition government, with Labors support, in 2018. Csergo is accused of having written reports, based exclusively on public source material, and provided them to two individuals, who the Australian authorities have asserted worked for Chinese intelligence.

Csergo has effectively been charged with a national security offence for conducting business consultancy, his line of work, in China. This is part of the US-led drumbeat against purported Chinese interference, used to justify Washingtons own aggressive military build-up targeting China.

Since October, Australia has imprisoned Daniel Duggan, an Australian citizen and former American Air Force pilot, in maximum-security prisons. He faces extradition to the US, which is seeking to prosecute him for providing flight training, including to Chinese individuals. In the extraordinarily flimsy US indictment, this is ludicrously presented as a breach of money laundering and arms export controls.

In other words, Labor is deepening an anti-democratic offensive targeting the civil liberties of the population, of which the US prosecution of Assange is an international focal point.

That underscores the fraud of claims that Labor is conducting quiet diplomacy on Assanges behalf.

In the latest stage of this charade, members of a cross-party federal parliamentary grouping visited US ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy to discuss the Assange case. There is no indication that they came away with anything.

Greens MP David Shoebridge nevertheless gushed: The fact that the ambassador allocated precious time to this issue ahead of President Bidens visit is a useful indication of the visibility of the campaign to free Assange.

Labor backbencher Julian Hill wrote on Twitter: I thanked the Ambassador for her willingness to engage. Aside from the issues at stake in Julian Assanges case, the delay in resolving it is an unwelcome distraction from AUKUS & our work with the US to confront the strategic challenges we face.

Describing the 12-year state persecution of a journalist, which has brought him to the brink of death, as an unwelcome distraction is obscene. The reference to AUKUS is notable. Hill was speaking of the trilateral pact between Britain, the US and Australia, directed against China. The strategic challenge, is a veiled reference to the US confrontation with China.

In other words, Hill is arguing that the prosecution of Assange, an anti-war publisher, is a distraction from the US preparations for a new war. In reality, the two go hand-in-hand. One could not conceive of a more right-wing, warmongering argument, nominally in Assanges defence.

In an interview with the ABC yesterday, Albanese restated his line of enough is enough in relation to Assange. He refused to indicate if the Labor government is even asking the Biden administration to end its prosecution of Assange.

Ominously, Albanese stated: A solution needs to be found... and Mr Assange needs to be a part of that of course. The only way that Assange could be part of a solution to his case, is if he were to concede guilt as part of some sort of plea deal arrangement. If the US were to drop the charges, Assanges part would simply be to walk out of prison a free man.

The statements of Albanese and other Labor leaders are a transparent attempt by a government that has done nothing for his freedom to blunt the widespread public support for Assange. Most immediately, Assanges plight is viewed as a distraction, to use Hills words, from the Quadrilateral Dialogue summit, to be held in Sydney later this month. Biden, together with the Indian and Japanese leaders, and Albanese, will gather to discuss the next stage of their preparation for war with China.

Only the naive and the credulous would believe that this warmongering cabal is about to extend a benevolent hand to someone who exposed their past crimes when they are preparing even greater ones.
Canadian National Railway Company (TSE:CNR) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 30th of June to CA$0.79. The payment will take the dividend yield to 1.9%, which is in line with the average for the industry.

See our latest analysis for Canadian National Railway

Canadian National Railway's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. However, prior to this announcement, Canadian National Railway's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. 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 23.4%. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 34% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Canadian National Railway Has A Solid Track Record

The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. The annual payment during the last 10 years was CA$0.75 in 2013, and the most recent fiscal year payment was CA$3.16. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 15% a year over that time. Rapidly growing dividends for a long time is a very valuable feature for an income stock.

The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Earnings has been rising at 2.7% per annum over the last five years, which admittedly is a bit slow. Earnings growth is slow, but on the plus side, the dividend payout ratio is low and dividends could grow faster than earnings, if the company decides to increase its payout ratio.

Canadian National Railway Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity.

Story continues

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. 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 Canadian National Railway 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
agrobacter / Getty Images

The extremely rapid evolution of AI  notably with OpenAIs ChatGPT  has taken the world by storm and is revolutionizing many aspects of life. One important area is the workforce, which is being forced to adapt and adjust, leaving many to wonder how extensive the new technologys effects will be.

Make Money With AI and Chat GPT: How To Earn $1,000 a Month

See: How To Build Your Savings From Scratch

Of course, one of the biggest fears is that AI will replace workers  Goldman Sachs analysts recently said in a report that they estimated that one-fourth of current work tasks could be automated by AI in the U.S. with particularly high exposures in administrative (46%) and legal (44%) professions and low exposures in physically-intensive professions such as construction (6%) and maintenance (4%).

In addition, Goldman Sachs analysts noted that 18% of work globally could be automated by AI, with larger effects in developed countries. So how will it impact the job market? Take a look.

Layoffs and Opportunities

Just in the past few weeks, a slew of big companies  including IBM and Dropbox  have used the AI argument to explain their layoffs.

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna for example told Bloomberg that the company will pause hiring for roles that could be replaced with AI, including back-office functions such as human resources.

Yet, some HR experts note that there are also benefits for those working in that space.

Theres an opportunity for applicant tracking systems to leverage ChatGPT so recruiters can simply ask which candidates of the 200 that applied have at least 90% of the qualifications, said Eric Holwell, senior vice president of strategy at Bayard Advertising. Recruiters will also be more informed of talent pools for jobs that might be remote or jobs that could be filled in a variety of locations. For example, you could learn through ChatGPT that the average candidates per job for finance roles in Phoenix is 130% higher than it is in Dallas, therefore advertise those roles in Arizona.

Story continues

Holwell added that the options of how HR professionals can use ChatGPT will be endless. For example, he said, use ChatGPT to run a regression analysis on employee flight risk rates of the hardest-to-fill jobs for employees that have been there for four or more years.

If the data says youre going to lose 40% of your hardest-to-fill jobs in the next six months, have it analyze what it costs to give those employees a raise or hire new ones. Or ask it for ideas to improve work culture in 90 days, he said. It wont solve the problem for you, but you can get a huge head start on data-driven decision-making that makes you look like a rock.

Make More: 18 Legitimate Games & Apps That Pay Real Money in 2023

Taking Advantage of Side Hustle Possibilities

Despite the negative effects of the technology in terms of layoffs, ChatGPT is also proving beneficial for some employees who are using it to add side hustles.

Indeed, the technology is helping some overworked employees streamline their workload, which in turn, enables them to take on more jobs and generate more revenue. For example, a person interviewed in a recent Vice report noted that ChatGPT does like 80% of my job if Im being honest, adding that he used it to generate cover letters to apply for jobs  landing him a second one.

Just as companies may eliminate jobs due to artificial intelligence and ChatGPT, many workers will be able to utilize the technology to be more productive, effective, and efficient, said Phil Siegel, founder of CAPTRS. The technology may also create more opportunities for some in the gig economy, or a side hustle, because they will have time.

The Work That ChatGPT Should Be Doing

Siegel noted that ChatGPT should be able to help accomplish mundane and repetitive, or repeatable, content-oriented tasks, such as letter writing, legal summaries, project plans and first-draft documents.

It also has the potential to assist in areas like customer support. It should be most aptly thought of as having a team of assistants that allow workers to spend their time on quality control and editing the output of the artificial intelligence, he added.

An interesting note is that 90% of U.S. business leaders say having ChatGPT experience is beneficial for candidates, a recent Resume Builder survey found.

In addition, the survey found that nearly half  49%  of companies are already using ChatGPT, mainly for writing code, creating content, drafting summaries of meetings or internal documents and assisting with customer support.

Companies are leveraging artificial intelligence now more than ever before. ChatGPT and similar resources are great tools for streamlining tedious or lengthy processes, so long as employers maintain the manpower to take their products to the finish line, said Kylie Luff, senior human resources consultant at OneDigital. Luff added that its important to note that were still navigating the platform and developing best practices.

Its not yet a replacement for employees but can be a powerful tool for boosting productivity  particularly while most companies are struggling with employee retention and have limited budgets to recruit and onboard new talent, Luff said.

Another employee in the Vice report notes that he sees himself as the idea man, and ChatGPT as the labor, adding that ChatGPT is helping do 80% of his work, including generating business plans, internal system documents, blog posts and Excel spreadsheets.

This kind of man-plus-machine working might raise eyebrows now, but its a strong indicator of whats to come, said David Blake, CEO and founder of Degreed. Now, we all know that automation is not going to take our jobs, but it will evolve them.

Blake added that this will provide more time to focus on uniquely human things, such as relationship building and deep strategic thinking.

These technical, hard skills youre building right now, have a rapidly dwindling half-life. Whereas the power skills you develop will help your workforce move from role to role and adapt to the rising prevalence of AI in their lives, he added.

Other experts echoed the sentiment, saying that its still very early and we do not fully know what tasks will be efficiently done by AI consistently.

Questions still exist. Will it generate good legal documents? Can it be trained to eliminate poor human qualities, or will it exacerbate them? Siegel said. In the meantime, it is wise for individual employees to experiment with them as productivity tools  similarly to the way that other business productivity tools are applied in workspaces. 

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How ChatGPT Is Changing the Job Market
Chinas national blockchain research center, which began operation on Wednesday, plans to train at least 500,000 blockchain professionals for Chinas Web 3.0 industry. It will work with universities, research institutions and enterprises in conducting the training to support the countrys digital economy.

See related article: How Web3 in China is taking shape  with Chinese characteristics

The national blockchain research center in Beijing, which is backed by the Ministry of Science and Technology, will conduct research and industrialization of blockchain technology. It also aims to establish a national-level blockchain network that will connect existing blockchains in China and support other industries.

Current blockchains in China remain isolated from one another, which slows the digital economy, said Zheng Zhiming, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a Xinhua report, adding that a unified blockchain ecosystem that covers a broader space will be required.

The center is led by the Beijing Academy of Blockchain and Edge Computing, a research institution backed by the Beijing government and one of the developers of Changan Chain  Chinas first domestically developed open-source blockchain platform.

Despite Chinas ban on cryptocurrency trading, the nation continues to see blockchain technology as a tool for industries and government administration. The State Council, in its 14th five-year plan issued in December 2021, identified the blockchain as one of the seven major areas of development for Chinas digital economy.

In February, the government of Beijing launched the 2.0 version of its data directory based on the Changan Chain, collecting information from over 80 government departments in the capital city on chain.
By Xie Yu

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's securities watchdog on Thursday said that it was willing to work with its counterparts in the United States to promote regulatory cooperation on audits and safeguard the rights and interests of global investors.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) was commenting a day after a U.S. accounting watchdog said that it found unacceptable deficiencies in audits of U.S.-listed Chinese companies.

"We noticed that the U.S. regulator said the deficiencies they found this time were normal for a first-time inspection," it said in a statement responding to a Reuters' request for comment, adding that Beijing would continue to work with the U.S.

The U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) published the findings of its inspections on Wednesday, after gaining access to auditors' records of the companies under a deal reached in September last year.

That access, gained after more than a decade of negotiations with Chinese authorities, kept roughly 200 China-based public companies including Alibaba and JD.Com from potentially being kicked off U.S. stock exchanges.

The CRSC statement said "the inspection report also didn't conclude that the audit opinions by relevant auditors were inappropriate," and that it believed the deficiencies found would help auditing firms rectify their problems and improve quality.

Analysts said the deficiencies found by the U.S. watchdog were unlikely to derail the audit deal, but it would be challenging to turn around practices quickly amid continued U.S.- China tensions.

"Generally, the PCAOB expected high rates and these are not surprising in the short-term," said Jackson Johnson, a former PCAOB inspector and president of Johnson Global Accountancy, an audit advisory firm based in Nevada, adding that there was a lot of work to be done to improve the results before the next inspection.

Law firm Wilson Sonsini's senior partner Weiheng Chen said although the deficiency rate in the PCAOB findings was much higher than the average of its reviews, the results would not lead to the re-statement of a company's financial statements.

Story continues

"So these deficiencies alone would not cause any stock delisting."

Paul Gills, a professor of accounting at Beijing International Studies University, said the PCAOB statement appeared to be strong-worded, but deficiencies had been expected.

"I assume most of the issues have already been tackled by the auditors...Even though politics are not supposed to enter into it, they obviously do. And if they (PCAOB) appeared to be too accommodating, they would really get a lot of criticism...accusing them of being soft on China," he said.

Reuters reported in March that the PCAOB has started a new round of inspections in Hong Kong as part of the deal, which is a rare bright spot in Sino-US relations at a time when some business leaders have voiced concerns about the decoupling of the world's two largest economies.

(Reporting by Xie Yu in Hong Kong; additional reporting by Kane Wu; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee, Christian Schmollinger, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Sharon Singleton)
A sign of China's e-commerce company JD.com is seen at CES Asia 2016 in Shanghai

(Reuters) -China's e-commerce giant JD.com Inc said on Thursday its chief executive Xu Lei will step down, with the company's chief financial officer taking on the role.

Xu Lei, who has officially been CEO for a year, said on a call with analysts after the company reported first quarter earnings that he had resigned to spend more time with his family.

He will immediately begin the process of handing over CEO responsibilities to Sandy Xu Ran, who will be the company's third CEO and the first female to hold the position.

Xu Lei has been with JD.com for more than a decade and after his retirement will serve as the first chairman of the advisory council of the company.

Citi called the management appointment "surprising" and said it could mean the major restructuring process undertaken by JD was largely done.

"We expect possibly a more disciplined balance between growth and profit is likely be the focus," Citi said, while Beijing-based independent industry analyst Liu Xingliang said he believed JD's operational strategy will remain in place.

Before joining JD in 2018, Sandy Xu was an audit partner and spent nearly 20 years with Pricewaterhousecoopers in China and the United States.

The Beijing-headquartered company beat Wall Street estimates for first-quarter revenue, driven by resilient demand for its e-commerce platform from online shoppers.

Its U.S.-listed shares rose 6.5% in early trading.

TH Data Capital said in a research note issued before the earnings report that it believed JD, China's leading home electronics retailer, was likely to see better growth in the second quarter thanks to the firm's 20-year anniversary in June, while a potential improvement in the housing market could lift the second half of the year.

Xu Lei said the company will continue to grow the number of third-party vendors on its platform, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, after a 20% quarter-on-quarter rise in the first quarter.

Story continues

Revenue for the three months rose 1.4% to 242.96 billion yuan ($35.15 billion), compared with an average analyst estimate of 239.42 billion yuan, according to Refinitiv data.

Excluding items, JD.com posted a profit of 4.76 yuan per American depository share (ADS), compared with analysts' expectations of 3.51 yuan.

($1 = 6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Sophie Yu in Beijing; Editing by Kim Coghill, Kirsten Donovan)
Its permanent. GMA3 has officially replaced former cohosts T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach after the duo were fired when news of their affair came to light in November 2022. Eva Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan will take over the hosting roles.

"I am incredibly proud of the reporting Eva [Pilgrim], DeMarco [Morgan] and Gio [Benitez] have brought to ABC News, ABC News President Kim Godwin announced on Thursday, May 11. They join their colleagues Whit [Johnson], Janai [Norman] and Dr. Jen [Ashton] whose steadfast commitment to bold, straightforward journalism has been integral to their respective programs success."

Keep reading to learn more about the new morning duo, Eva and DeMarco.

Who Is Eva Pilgrim?

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Eva has decades of experience as a broadcast journalist, beginning from her education at the University of Florida and University of South Carolina. She hopped around the country working for local news stations in Indianapolis, Philadelphia and Charlotte, North Carolina, before landing a role with ABC News in 2015.

In 2021, Eva published a childrens book titled Walter Does His Best: A Frenchie Adventure in Kindness and Muddy Paws.

From a young age, Evas mom taught her that kind was the best thing she could be, and Eva still lives by that philosophy, her author bio reads. She wants young people to know that kindness is a strength, and we all have an opportunity to make the world brighter, one action at a time.

Eva is married to marketing director Ed Hartigan, and the couple share 19-month-old daughter Ella.

Who Is DeMarco Morgan?

DeMarco was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and moved to New York to attend Columbia Universitys Graduate School of Journalism. Similar to his cohost, DeMarco moved across the country after graduation to work at smaller news stations in Jackson, Mississippi, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Miami, Florida, before returning to the Big Apple for a job with NBC.

After a couple more cross-country moves  most recently with CBS in Los Angeles  DeMarco joined ABC News.

I will say thank you to everyone behind the scenes, he said during his final CBS broadcast in April 2023. Thank you to so many people who wake up in the middle of the night just to make sure that I look good. This has been a wonderful journey.  I was telling someone last night, There was a little boy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a curl in the second grade who was watching the space shuttle Challenger explode, and he was watching Dan Rather and thats when he was bitten by the broadcasting bug.
The Acacia Strain | Photo supplied

American deathcore outfit The Acacia Strain have announced they will return to Australia in September for the first time since 2017. The band will be joined on the run by US metalcore band Dying Wish  playing their debut Australian shows  along with Newcastles Volatile Ways.

The tour will kick off Thursday, 21st September at the Zoo in Brisbane, before shows in Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide. It will wrap up Saturday, 30th September at Perths Amplifier Bar. See dates and venues below  tickets will go on sale next Wednesday, 17th May.

The Acacia Strain  CHAIN (feat. Jacob Lilly)

Since The Acacia Strain last paid us a visit, the band have released two albums with 2019s It Comes in Waves and 2020s Slow Decay. Tomorrow (Friday, 12th May), the band will simultaneously release two more new albums: one titled Step Into the Light and another titled Failure Will Follow.

The band have released three singles in the lead-up to the albums dropping, starting with last years Untended Graves. They followed it up with Fresh Bones in February this year, and last month shared Chain, featuring Chamber frontman Jacob Lilly.

Dying Wish, meanwhile, released debut album Fragments of a Bitter Memory in 2021. Last month, they returned with their first new music since that album arrived: a single called Torn from Your Silhouette. Novocastrians Volatile Ways, who will open all shows on the tour apart from Perth, released two-tracker You Died late last year, featuring the songs Goddess of Rot and Shoveled Into a Bag.

The Acacia Strain 2023 Australian Tour

with Dying Wish and Volatile Ways

Thursday, 21st September  The Zoo, Brisbane

Friday, 22nd September  Hamilton Station, Newcastle

Saturday, 23rd September  Crowbar, Sydney

Sunday, 24th September  Tattersalls Hotel, Penrith

Tuesday, 26th September  UC Hub, Canberra

Wednesday, 27th September  Stay Gold, Melbourne

Thursday, 28th September  Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong

Friday, 29th September  Enigma Bar, Adelaide

Saturday, 30th September  Amplifier Bar, Perth (Volatile Ways not appearing)

Story continues

Tickets are on sale Wednesday, 17th May

Further Reading

Pierce the Veil and Beartooth Announce 2023 Australian Co-Headline Tour

Make Them Suffer Announce Neverbloom 10th Anniversary Tour and Vinyl Reissue

The Amity Affliction Announce 2023 Australian Tour

The post The Acacia Strain Announce Australian Tour With Dying Wish appeared first on Music Feeds.
The televised event, moderated by CNN's Kaitlan Collins, came one day after Trump was found liable by a jury for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll

John Nowak/CNN

Donald Trump appeared in his first town hall of the 2024 presidential campaign season on Wednesday evening, sitting for a controversial primetime town hall on CNN.

The special, moderated by CNN This Morning co-anchor Kaitlan Collins, came one day after Trump was found liable by a jury for sexually abusing and defaming former Elle advice columnist E. Jean Carroll.

CNN has been heavily criticized both before and since airing the special, which saw Trump, 76, largely steamroll Collins, making an array of false claims that at times went unchecked (all while the audience laughed, even when the former president made light of Carroll's sexual assault claims).

There were other headline making moments, too, such as when the former president called Jan. 6, 2021  a day when a mob of his supporters overtook the United States Capitol that led to the deaths of five people, including a Capitol police officer  "beautiful."

Here are the biggest moments from CNN's Republican Presidential Town Hall with Trump.

Will Lanzoni/CNN Donald Trump at CNN's Republican Presidential Town Hall on May 10, 2023

Trump supporters burst into laughter as he mocked sexual assault accuser E. Jean Carroll

Just one day after he was found liable for sexually assaulting and defaming Carroll, Trump said on CNN that the allegations against him are little more than "election interference."

"This woman  I don't know her, I never met her, I have no idea who she is," said Trump, who has been photographed with Carroll. "I had a picture taken years ago with her and her husband  nice guy, John Johnson, he was a newscaster, very nice man."

Trump then went on to allege that Carroll had called her now ex-husband "an ape," and that she had a cat named "vagina," adding that the judge "wouldn't allow" his legal team to mention those items during his defense.

Story continues

The audience at the town hall laughed while Trump continued, saying again that he "did not know" Carroll, and suggesting that her claims that he forced her against a dressing room and assaulted her at Bergdorf Goodman 27 years ago were false.

Related:Trump Draws Laughter, Applause as He Mocks E. Jean Carroll During CNN Town Hall

He also referred to the alleged sexual assault as "hanky-panky" and said he feels sorry for her ex-husband, finishing the conversation about the battery and defamation trial by calling Carroll a "wack job."

The unanimous verdict that found Trump liable earlier this week was reached after less than three hours of deliberations by the jury and marks the first time the former president  who has been accused of sexual assault by numerous women  has been held legally responsible for sexual misconduct.

Related:Key Takeaways from Donald Trump's Deposition in E. Jean Carroll Rape and Defamation Trial

John Nowak/CNN

Trump continued to falsely claim that the 2020 election was rigged

At various points during the town hall, Collins gave Trump the opportunity to backtrack on his repeated lie that the 2020 election, which he lost, was rigged against him. But Trump doubled down.

"When you look at that result and when you look at what happened in that election  unless you're a very stupid person  you see what happened. Most people understand what happened," Trump said. "That was a rigged election and it's a shame that we had to through it. It's very bad for our country."

Collins then interjected, telling Trump, "It was not a rigged election. It was not a stolen election. You and your supporters lost more than 60 court cases on the election. It's been nearly two-and-a-half-years  can you publicly acknowledge that you did lose the 2020 election?"

Trump then continued claiming ballot boxes were "stuffed," no evidence of which has ever been found despite the former president's many attempts to do so.

Related:The Biggest Bombshells from the Donald Trump Indictment, from Hush Money Payments to 'Friends in High Places'

John Nowak/CNN

Trump called Jan. 6 'a beautiful day' and expressed an intent to pardon rioters

Asked if he had "any regrets" about his actions on Jan. 6, 2021  when he called on supporters to "march" to the U.S. Capitol and later released a video addressing those who had broken into the U.S. Capitol building with, "we love you, you're very special"  Trump only expressed support for the rioters.

"Jan. 6 had to do with the fact that ... you had hundreds of thousands of people [who] thought the election was rigged," he responded. "They were there proud. They were there with love in their hearts. That was an unbelievable-- and it was a beautiful day."

Later, Trump said he would be "inclined" to pardon at least some of the hundreds of people who were arrested that day if he was elected president again, telling Collins: "I am inclined to pardon many of them. I can't say for every single one because a couple of them probably  they got out of control."

Trump called Kaitlan Collins a 'nasty person' when she pressed on classified documents

Trump lobbed one of his favored insults at Collins when she pressed him on his handling of classified documents, calling her a "nasty person."

On Aug. 8, 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Fla., in an explosive moment in the ongoing criminal investigation into whether the former president violated statutes related to national security by allegedly mishandling classified documents he removed from the White House at the end of his presidency.

The investigation remains ongoing, and in early April 2023, The Washington Post reported that the Justice Department had obtained new evidence suggesting potential obstruction by the former president when ti came to his handling of documents.

In the town hall, Collins asked why Trump "held on" to some classified documents after being alerted that the federal government was seeking them.

"Are you ready? Can I talk? Do you mind?" a visibly frustrated Trump asked.

"I would like for you to answer the question," Collins said. "That's why I asked it."

"It's very simple  and you are a nasty person, I'll tell ya," Trump told Collins, eliciting another round of laughter from the crowd.

Will Lanzoni/CNN

Trump refused to take Ukraine's side in the ongoing Russian invasion

More than one year into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Trump stopped short of condemning Vladimir Putin's attacks on the country.

Asked if he would provide Ukraine with weapons and funding to defend itself against Russia  as the Biden administration has done  Trump said, "If I'm president, I will have that war settled in one day  in 24 hours ... I'll meet with Putin, I'll meet with [Ukrainian President] Zelenskyy, they both have weaknesses and they both have strengths, and within 24 hours, that war would be settled."

Asked if he wanted Ukraine to win the war, he said, "I don't think in terms of winning and losing, I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people."

Later, when asked a similar question by a town hall attendee, Trump hinted he would stop sending aid Ukraine in the war against Russia if elected president in 2024.

He then said: "I have a very good relationship with President Zelenskyy because as you know he backed me up with the phony impeachment  impeachment hoax number one  when he said 'The president didn't do anything wrong' so I happen to like him... I was totally exonerated by the way."

Collins then noted that Trump was actually impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives over a phone call he made to Zelenskyy, in which he pressured the leader to investigate his political rivals.

Trump's relationships with both Ukraine and Russia have been much-dissected since his 2016 election.

American intelligence officials have said that the Russian government and other Russian actors interfered in the 2016 presidential election in order to help Trump beat Hillary Clinton, and Trump himself was investigated for his alleged ties to the country.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.

CNN's special came amid other legal issues for Trump, who was indicted by a grand jury in March over alleged hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels while he was the presidential candidate in 2016.

With the indictment, Trump became the first sitting or former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges.

A Georgia special grand jury is also examining Trump's efforts to overturn the state's 2020 election results concluded its work in January 2023, a Fulton County judge said in a court order issued at the time.

A report by the grand jury, which could include a recommendation of criminal charges, has not yet been made public.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
With trees budding, cactus blooming, and rivers flowing at full capacity, springtime on our public lands reminds us all just how lucky we are to be surrounded by such beauty and majesty. New Mexico is blessed with a rich and diverse tapestry of history, culture, and sacred traditions all rooted in our land and our wildlife. Whether were watching bighorn sheep scaling the cliffs of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, eagles soaring above the Caja del Rio, or pronghorn moving through Otero Mesa, our state truly is the Land of Enchantment.

But it is also important to remember that to whom much is given, much is expected. As individuals and communities, we have a sacred duty to be responsible stewards of this amazing place. Unfortunately, too many of New Mexicos public lands have been degraded due to illegal dumping, energy development, wildfire, invasive species, and other human impacts. Its time for us to be better stewards of our land.

Fortunately, we soon may have some help from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the 13 million acres it manages in New Mexico. The agency recently proposed elevating conservation as a use  on par with other uses such as oil and gas development and mining. The BLMs mission has always been to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Unfortunately, for far too long, the agency has focused on productivity more than health and diversity of these lands. In the face of a rapidly changing climate, this new conservation rule will right that wrong.

The goal of this proposal, called the Public Lands Rule, is to restore BLM lands and waters, improve ecosystem resilience, and ensure that intact landscapes that are necessary for wildlife to survive remain intact. Large landscapes support migration pathways so wildlife can find food and mates, move seasonally, and adapt to the impacts from wildfires and climate change. This rule also seeks to identify and prioritize landscapes that need restoration by working with Tribal partners, states, and local communities. The lands would be regularly monitored to ensure that new management practices are indeed improving the health of the ecosystems.

The benefits of such a policy are numerous. Not only will wildlife habitat be restored, but the risks of wildfire will be reduced, the spread of invasive species will be controlled, forage for livestock will be improved, and opportunities for hiking, camping, and other outdoor recreation will be expanded. Healthier BLM lands will also make communities more resilient in the face climate change.

The proposed conservation rule is win-win proposition for all. The new rule doesnt alter the multiple use mission of the BLM, but in fact honors its original intent as it ensures that any energy development, mining, or grazing are done with an eye toward responsible land use and sustainability.

This proposed rule will rebalance priorities to protect iconic areas like Otero Mesa, a majestic desert grassland and sportsmans paradise. It is home to the states only remaining native pronghorn herd and more than 1,000 other species of wildlife. The new rule could ensure that these lands flourish and potentially lead to the restoration of bighorn sheep.

Or consider an area just outside the state capitol: the Caja del Rio that spans more than 106,000 acres and contains more than 4,000 Native petroglyphs and artifacts from the famed El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and Route 66. Yet, for far too long, this incredible area has been plagued by vandalism and desecration of Native petroglyphs and sacred sites, illegal dumping, poaching, unregulated Off Highway Vehicle use, encroaching urban development, mining, wildfire, and climate change. Having a strong conservation rule will help bring needed support to this cherished area.

The Bureau of Land Management is currently taking public comment on the rule and will be holding a public meeting in Albuquerque on May 30. I hope all people who enjoy the majesty of our sweeping landscapes will take the time to engage on this issue. Let the agency know that you support elevating conservation so that our public lands survive and thrive for generations to come.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: BLM conservation rule will safeguard wildlife, cherished lands and watersheds
"I was worried about the cold and that he was by himself in the dark, crying," said the boy's mom

Hurley School District/Facebook Nante Niemi

An 8-year-old boy who was missing in the Michigan wilderness for two days says he feared he might never be rescued.

Second grader Nante Niemi, of Wisconsin, disappeared Saturday during a family camping trip in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, according to a previous Michigan State Police (MSP) press release.

The boy was found in "good health" two days later underneath a log about two miles from the campsite, state police said.

In a new interview with ABC News, Nante said he got lost while trying to find his way back to camp in a remote portion of Michigan's upper peninsula, where he was camping with his grandfather and three uncles.

Related:8-Year-Old Missing for 48 Hours in Michigan State Park Found Safe After Sheltering Under Log

When they were out collecting firewood, the boy said he was instructed to "go back to camp," but he didn't know the way  and it was impossible to ask for directions because his uncle had "already turned around and left."

"I prayed for being found and not stuck out here for the rest of my life," Nante told the outlet.

RELATED VIDEO: Search Suspended for Man Who Went Overboard on Cruise Ship Headed to Hawaii: 'Our Family Is Heartbroken'

Nante's mother, Jessica Buerger, said family members called for help after failing to locate him during an initial search of the area.

"I was worried about the cold and that he was by himself in the dark, crying," she told ABC News. "You know, we were hoping that he wasn't walking around at night and hunkered down."

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

So how did he survive? Nante confirmed that he "ate snow" while lost in the wilderness, something he said he does in the wintertime.

Story continues

MSP previously said the boy also claimed to have covered himself up with branches and leaves for warmth "and also blanketed the log he was under."

MSP Eighth District Twitter Nante Niemi rescue

At one point, Nante said a helicopter flew overhead, but seemingly did not see him. "I was waving my hands in the air and yelling at them to get their attention," the boy told ABC News.

Eventually, rescue came. Nante said he heard people calling his name before spotting someone for the first time in days.

Related:19-Year-Old Hiker Missing for 2 Days Rescued from Glacier National Park

This ordeal hasn't soured Nante's love for the outdoors, though. "I'm still going to go camping," he told the outlet.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
(Bloomberg) -- An illiquid corner of swaps insuring Credit Suisse Group AG debt surged back to life this week as some hedge funds make the case they should be triggered.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Funds including FourSixThree Capital and Diameter Capital Partners have been buying swaps insuring Credit Suisses subordinated bonds with the idea that the controversial writedown of the firms AT1 securities could prompt a potential payout of the derivative contracts, according to people familiar with the matter.

While the five-year credit default swaps dipped on Thursday, theyre up more than 80 basis points this week to about 360, according to CMAI prices. Thats the biggest increase since UBS Group AG agreed to buy Credit Suisse in an emergency weekend deal in March. As part of that acquisition, Swiss regulators forced the wipeout of about $17 billion of so-called Additional Tier 1 notes.

Law firm Kramer Levin is helping with efforts to make a case for a triggering event, said the people, asking not to be identified describing private talks. Earlier this week, at least one question was sent to the Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee  a panel of 13 banks and asset managers that regulate the credit derivative swap market  in an attempt to trigger an insurance payout, according to separate people familiar with the matter. But the CDDCs website showed no such submissions as of 9:20 a.m. in London.

The CDDC didnt immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Representatives for FourSixThree, Diameter, and JPMorgan declined to comment. A spokesperson for Kramer Levin didnt respond to requests for comment.

Story continues

Traders at JPMorgan Chase & Co. have held discussions with buyside clients over the possibility of a trigger, fueling some trading in the swaps this week, separate people briefed on the matter said. The JPMorgan traders were presenting the argument as one that some hedge funds are making rather than the banks view, the people said.

Many investors in the AT1 bonds have separately brought legal challenges against the writedown decision, which regulators have argued was justified because the rescue deal involved state support.

--With assistance from Alastair Marsh and Giulia Morpurgo.

(Updates with details about a submission made to the Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee in the fourth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
We Came As Romans | Photo supplied

American metalcore band We Came As Romans have announced they will return to Australia in August for their first tour of the country since 2015. Joining them on the four-date run will be fellow US act Invent Animate, who will be playing in Australia for the first time.

The tour will begin with a show at Adelaides Lion Arts Factory on Tuesday, 29th August. Itll head to Liberty Hall in Sydney on Thursday, 31st August before hitting the Croxton in Melbourne and Brisbanes Princess Theatre on the 1st and 2nd September respectively. Tickets will go on sale tomorrow  Thursday, 12th May  from 10am local time, via Destroy All Lines.

We Came As Romans  Darkbloom

We Came As Romans first visit to our shores in eight years comes in support of their sixth studio album, Darkbloom. The album, which arrived last year, marked the bands first to be released following the death of co-vocalist and keyboardist Kyle Pavone in 2018.

Invent Animate, meanwhile, just released their fourth studio album, Heavener. The follow-up to 2020s Greyview arrived in March of this year via their new label, UNFD.

We Came As Romans 2023 Australian Tour

with Invent Animate

Tuesday, 29th August  Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide

Thursday, 31st August  Liberty Hall, Sydney

Friday, 1st September  The Croxton, Melbourne

Saturday, 2nd September  Princess Theatre, Brisbane

Tickets on sale Friday, 12th May

Further Reading

Windwaker Announce Australian Tour with Caskets and alt.

The Amity Affliction Announce 2023 Australian Tour

Thornhill Announce Regional Australian Tour

The post We Came As Romans Announce 2023 Australian Tour appeared first on Music Feeds.
Pierre Mantha was driving on Interstate 90 in Harborcreek Township when he noticed a sign, partially hidden by brush, offering property for sale.

Mantha, 55, owns Artist in Residence Distillerie, which operates a craft distillery in Gatineau, Quebec, and is building a second near Ottawa, Ontario. He planned to build a third in Pennsylvania but hadn't yet chosen a site.

Pierre Mantha is the owner and founder of Artist in Residence Distillerie.

"I really wanted Pennsylvania because liquor sales are controlled by the state, and for me, it's easier," Mantha said.

Planned in Harborcreek: Canadian company proposes distillery and restaurant

Other pluses of the site are that it's about a seven-hour drive from Mantha's Quebec home and he's familiar with the area.

"I have a lot of friends in Pennsylvania and used to race cars there. I know Interstate 90," Mantha said. "And this is a super cool spot between Cleveland and Buffalo. I got lucky when I saw the sign in the bushes and called."

Mantha is buying about 12 acres of property and plans to build a distillery, restaurant and warehouses on the land, located near the Station Road interchange of I-90.

The Harborcreek Township Planning Commission voted 4-0 on Thursday to approve Mantha's preliminary development plan and to send it to townships supervisors for consideration Wednesday.

If approved by supervisors, the plan would return for second-round approval by planners and supervisors in May.

Mantha's goal is to have all of the approvals and permits required for the project in hand by Christmas next year and to begin construction in 2025.

"It's complicated because it's big land and a new country, and it will take about two years to get everything ready to start building," Mantha said. "But it's going to happen. I'm really excited about this project."

The Harborcreek plans

The Harborcreek distillery will be an American company with local employees, Mantha said, and will make whiskey, gin, vodka and liquors.

Dining: Lavery to unveil new layout, Molly's for lease? Wine country tour coming, Tickle's gone

Story continues

A rendering of a distillery, restaurant and tasting room proposed to come to Harborcreek Township

The distillery will have about five employees initially and will grow to 25 or more employees as the business grows, he said.

"It's not going to be a large distillery," Mantha said. "Four thousand or 5,000 barrels a year will be the maximum. We'll be making craft liquor at a reasonable price."

The distillery will be distinctive, he said, including an entrance from Station Road lined with lighted trees.

"I want it to be an experience. This will not by a typical, normal distillery," Mantha said. "It will be an all-glass building. It will be cool, modern, a different kind of distillery."

The Harborcreek facility will include 18,000-square-foot and 34,500-square-foot manufacturing buildings; 31,000-square-foot and 20,000-square-foot warehouses; and a 7,200-square foot restaurant with tasting room and liquor shop.

The 100-seat restaurant will also be one-of-a-kind, he said.

At Brewerie Saturday: Erie-area breweries bring tastes to Beer Fest benefitting WQLN

"It want it to be unique. I want people to feel the experience when they dine there," Mantha said.

Plans for 5 U.S. distilleries, local commitment

Mantha's main business is Mantha Corp., a commercial trucking company. He began investigating the distillery industry on the advice of a friend.

"Life is funny," he said. "Five years ago, I didn't know what gin was. But you have to take risks. You have to have fun. I like to build and make things happen."

Werner Books: Larger location in Liberty Plaza will include a coffee shop

Mantha in time plans to build five U.S. distilleries. He's currently considering North Carolina as a second American site.

All of the distilleries will buy ingredients from local farms and support their communities, he said.

"For me, it's all about local, local people and local products and giving back to the community," Mantha said. "We had no money when I was a kid, and my mission now is to support local jobs and always give back, to foodbanks and always to help kids."

Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Harborcreek distillery, restaurant will be distinctive, developer says
John Cameron Mitchell was originally cast in John Hughes The Breakfast Club, but that incarnation of the movie never happened due to lack of funding, the actor told TheWrap.

The actor, best known for his role in the 2001 cult classic Hedwig and the Angry Inch, plays a sinister step-uncle to Jemima Kirke and Nico Tortorellas characters in the new Apple TV+ series City on Fire. He had the occasion to revisit his brush with the Brat Pack when he and Molly Ringwald, who played rich girl Claire Standish in the 80s high school classic, were both on the same flight.

I was flying from New York and I was on the plane with Molly Ringwald, who was off to do Riverdale, he said. So we we bonded a lot and talked about the old days. And I told her, actually, we had met once before. I said, Molly, you know, actually, I was cast in The Breakfast Club before your cast was established. It was Joan Cusack and me and I think even John Cusack, he said. So she was like, I heard about that. I didnt know you were in that.'

Also Read:

Jemima Kirke and Nico Tortorella Join Apple Series City on Fire

Reflecting on the fact he might have been rocketed to fame along with Brat Packers Rob Lowe and Andrew McCarthy, Mitchell said, Im so glad it didnt happen. You know, theres certain things I wanted at the time at 22. And Im glad they didnt happen because I wouldnt have made some of the things Im proud of. I would have been in L.A. and I think I would have been less happy there. I always like to work there, but Im not really an L.A. person.

When Hughes lost the funding for the first version of The Breakfast Club, he went on to make Sixteen Candles, which made a hugely bankable star out of Ringwald, who then headed up the newly recast Breakfast Club with Anthony Michael Hall taking on the part of nerdy Brian Johnson.

Story continues

The cast went through several changes, with Emilio Estevez originally cast as rebellious outcast Bender, the role that went to Judd Nelson, while John Cusack and Nicolas Cage were also considered for the part.

Also Read:

Joe vs Carole': John Cameron Mitchell Thought Tiger King Was A Bit Sensational

And Mitchell and Ringwald may yet end up collaborating: She sings too, and I invited her to sing with me at Joes Pub [in New York City], said Mitchell.

Ringwald played Sally Bowles in a Broadway revival of Cabaret and Mitchell received a special Tony Award in 2015 for returning to the stage in his self-written musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

The first two episodes of City on Fire premiere Friday, May 1,2 on Apple TV+, followed by new episodes each Friday.

Also Read:

Molly Ringwald Is Troubled by Breakfast Club Crotch Scene in #MeToo Era
Sonic College

Dante Domain Manager allows college staff to manage the large Dante network effectively.

AV/IT TEAM: Lars Tirsbk, lecturer

GOALS: The town of Kolding, Denmark, is home to the unique and cutting-edge Sonic College. Known for its innovative approaches to audio design and instruction, students graduating from the school will shape audio production for films, gaming, music, podcasting, and more in the years to come. When the college built a new facility, the staff implemented Audinates industry-standard Dante transport protocol for routing audio throughout the building.

Lars Tirsbk, a lecturer at Sonic College, was instrumental in setting up the new facility and deciding what spaces would be most beneficial to students and essential to delivering a good grounding in sound design. [Building the new facility] was an opportunity to start from scratch, he said.

Dante Domain Manager allows college staff to manage the large Dante network effectively.

CHALLENGES: No small undertaking, staff had to interconnect multiple stereo studios and their companion mastering suites, a foley stage, immersive recording studio, Dolby Atmos mastering suite, and theatrical mix stageeven a colossal 187-channel, AVB-based Meyer Sound Spacemap Go spatial sound system located in the five-story atrium, all via Dante (with a little help from AVB-to-Dante conversion cards).

Tirsbk said, Our infrastructure needed to not only fit the demands of the space(s), but also provide learning opportunities for our students and give them practical experience working with real-world technologies like Dante.

EQUIPMENT SNAPSHOT

Dante Domain Manager

FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: We didnt have the Dante network in our old facility, said Tirsbk as he counted off a long list of benefits. Now you can do a mix then easily route it through to the cinema to listen. You can take a stage box anywhere in the building and still communicate back to the control room.

Dante Domain Manager allows college staff to manage the large Dante network effectively. With its granular user access control levels, administrators can lock down certain network areas and functionality while still allowing students room to experiment within boundaries chosen by teaching staff and network managers. In this type of educational environment, segmenting domains was critical.

Story continues

Students definitely need to know how audio-over-IP works. Thats the way all audio infrastructure will be implemented in the coming years, Tirsbk commented. When our students learn to use Dante, they recognize the inherent flexibility of being able to just move AV hardware around without affecting the network.

A range of spaces and studios offer students the perfect sonic playground, complete with cutting-edge products that deliver hands-on experience with the very best AV, broadcast, and studio tools and technologies for commercial use.

This was a complex project, said Tirsbk. With so many adjacent studios and performance spaces, we had to consider how to isolate parts of the network to prevent unexpected issues from occurring during live performances. Dante Domain Managers user authentication and role definition in combination with its ability to create separate Dante Domains was essential to our success in managing such an intricate system. In fact, Im pretty sure we wouldnt have been successful had it not been for Dante Domain Manager.

[ Check out more from The Class of 2023: The AV/IT Teams of Higher Ed ]
Following the completion of its first feature film, Aylin Tezels Falling Into Place  which Global Screen has just acquired for sale at Cannes  Glasgow-based emerging indie Compact Pictures has optioned The Pharmacist for development. The novel, the debut by Scots-Egyptian author Rachelle Atalla, was chosen as a Sunday Times Book of the Week and nominated for the Scottish National Book Award.

Laura McBride from Compact Pictures originally identified the book as a perfect story for the company. The project is moving into development with Atalla attached to adapt for the screen, with Compact hoping to secure interest in the film during its first outing to next weeks Cannes Film Market.

More from Variety

The Pharmacist, hailed as a compulsive and wonderfully compassionate read, is a female-led, psychological story about bunker-dwelling survivors in a post-nuclear world. Wolfe is the bunkers pharmacist, doling out medicine under the watchful eye of an increasingly erratic and paranoid leader. When the leader starts to ask things of her, favours she can hardly say no to, it seems her luck is running out. Forming unlikely alliances, she is forced to navigate the powder keg of life underground where one misstep will light the fuse. The walls that keep her safe also have her trapped.

John McKay, CEO and lead producer at Compact Pictures, said: The Pharmacist is a stand-out novel and will make an atmospheric, claustrophobic adaptation  in the lo-fi, speculative vein of Children of Men, but with a strong female perspective. We are thrilled to be working directly with Rachelle; she is a charismatic, original and dynamic storytelling voice with striking and timely things to say about women, their bodies and the politics of control. Her story also has some uniquely British DNA, and its no coincidence that she has been compared to George Orwell. Even though its early days, we have high hopes for this project: the story is exceptionally strong, and it readily opens itself to diverse casting and distinctive visual styling.

Story continues

Atalla added: I am delighted to be working with John, Laura and the team at Compact to bring my first novel to the screen. Even though we are just getting started, they have an incredible vision for my work and its an exciting prospect for me to turn the book into a screenplay and then see it come alive on screen.

Compact Pictures optioned the book through Atallas agent, Nick Marston at Curtis Brown. Atalla is a graduate of Chris Youngs renowned Skye Film program and Write4Film. Her second novel, Thirsty Animals, has just been published by Hodder and Stoughton to critical acclaim.

In addition to having recently completed Falling Into Place, a co-production with Weydemann Bros, Compact Pictures other current feature projects include James Leys sparkling gay romcom, Lovesong to Lavender Menace, which has just been selected for Inside Out 2023, the finance forum in Toronto, and Spyglass, an original family action feature from YA author David Solomons (Not Another Happy Ending). Compact Pictures also has a growing slate of TV drama, including The Hum, an eight-part, sophisticated, high-concept thriller created by writer James Mavor (Reichenbacj Falls).

Best of Variety

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach's romantic relationship became public knowledge last November, and they exited the ABC News show  which Eva Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan will now co-host  on Jan. 27

Phil McCarten/ABC/Getty

GMA3: What You Need to Know has its new headliners nearly four months after the departure or Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, who left the show in the wake of news they were in a relationship off camera.

Eva Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan will now serve as the co-anchors of the afternoon program, according to a release from ABC News. ABC News chief health and medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton  who formerly co-hosted with Robach, 50, and Holmes, 45  will remain with GMA3.

Pilgrim, 40, has served as co-anchor of Good Morning America Saturday and Sunday since 2018, covering many high-profile breaking news stories. Morgan, 44, joined ABC News in 2022 as a correspondent based out of Los Angeles.

Related:Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes Agree to 'Move On' from ABC News 2 Months After Relationship Was Made Public

Gio Benitez, 37, will step in to GMA weekends now that Pilgrim has joined GMA3, according to the release.

Related:ABC's Gio Benitez Marries Tommy DiDario in Romantic Miami Wedding: 'We Are So Moved and Humbled'

Noam Galai/Getty T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach

Robach and Holmes' relationship was first made public on Nov. 30 when photos surfaced of them holding hands in a car, enjoying a vacation in upstate New York and cozying up at a bar in New York City.

Related:Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes' Relationship Saga: Everything to Know

Robach and Holmes did not appear on the Dec. 5 broadcast for GMA3 for following the revelation of their romantic relationship. They were temporarily replaced by Benitez and ABC News correspondent Stephanie Ramos.

MediaPunch/Shutterstock; Rob Kim/Getty

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

PEOPLE learned at that time that the replacements were announced to staffers during a phone call with ABC News President Kim Godwin. "GMA decided to have a period of cooling down, because they thought this was unwanted attention so, for the time being, they're going to be off the air," a source previously told PEOPLE.

Story continues

When the cozy photographs of Robach and Holmes first surfaced in late November, neither Holmes nor Robach had publicly revealed if their respective marriages  Robach's to actor Andrew Shue, Holmes' to attorney Marilee Fiebig  had ended. A source told PEOPLE later that both Holmes and Robach separated from their partners in August. Additionally, Robach and Shue sold their joint NYC home just weeks before news of her romance with Holmes went public.

Robach and Holmes also deleted their Instagram accounts after the photos surfaced, while Shue deleted photos of Robach from his own profile.

The pair announced in late January that they had decided to "move on" fro ABC News entirely.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Jay-Z and Yo Gotti are featured in a new trailer for A&Es Exposing Parchman documentary.

A&E Networks teamed up with Roc Nation/Team Roc for the investigative doc, exploring the ongoing battle to habilitate Mississippis Parchman Penitentiary. With help from Hov, Gotti, and a team of attorneys on behalf of the jails imprisoned population, the three-hour documentary hopes to bring more attention to the institutes inhumane conditions.

Additionally, the trailer shows prisoners suffering from extreme conditions such as flooding, lack of water and heat, severe soilage in their cells, and more.

A&Es Exposing Parchman, executive produced by Jeanmarie Condon and directed by Rahman Ali Bugg, includes Q&As from various influential figures.

Traffic leaves the front gate to the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, Miss., Nov. 17, 2021. In January 2023, lawsuits that challenged shoddy living conditions at the prison were dismissed after attorneys said improvements have been made there since 2020. The changes include installation of air conditioning in most of the prison and updates to the electrical, water and sewer systems.

Interview subjects include Jay, Gotti, Congressman Bennie Thompson, social activists Tamika Mallory and Rukia Lumumba, family members of current and formerly incarcerated men, prison reform activists, the legal team that led the lawsuit, and more.

Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vice president and head of programming for A&E, spoke about the doc in an official press release. The accounts of the individuals incarcerated at Parchman and their desperate family members are heartbreaking, Bryant expressed. There are so many untold stories like this that have a profound impact on American culture, communities, and families.

Shining a light on human rights atrocities and the need for reform has been a cornerstone of the A&E brand and we hope Exposing Parchman brings awareness to the public and sparks much needed change to the American prison and justice system.

Several protest attendees waved personalized posters calling attention to prison issues within the Mississippi Department of Corrections and at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, during a mass rally in front of the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson, on Friday, Jan. 24, 2020. The rally called attention to conditions in prisons where inmates have been killed in violent clashes in recent weeks.

Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation, also spoke about the importance of Exposing Parchman and her hope for the project. The incarcerated population in Parchman and their loved ones have experienced immeasurable pain and suffering, Perez said. So we felt a responsibility to help them share their stories with the compassion and consideration that it deserves.

Story continues

Our hope is that this documentary will educate the public about these torturous injustices, hold the leaders in Mississippi accountable for fostering unconstitutional and inhumane conditions in Parchman, and create swift and comprehensive change to eradicate the states depravity in this prison and disregard for the criminal justice system.

Parchman Prison faced past controversy, becoming a headline in 2019 for its enormous death toll due to violence and neglect. Jay-Z, Yo Gotti, and Team Roc, the philanthropic arm of Roc Nation, spearheaded a civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of 29 inmates against the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

Many attendees of a rally at the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson, carried signs that protested conditions in prisons where inmates have been killed in violent clashes in recent weeks, Friday, Jan. 24, 2020. They called upon the administration to specifically close the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, where a number of deaths have occurred. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

A&Es new documentary will highlight this case regarding the decaying prison and unpack Parchmans unsettling history.

Exposing Parchman premieres on Saturday, June 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on A&E.

Watch the trailer above.

More from VIBE.com

Click here to read the full article.
The First Lady of Iceland tells PEOPLE how the Princess of Wales knew just what to say at a special reception at Buckingham Palace on coronation eve

PHILIP DAVALI/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty , Toby Melville - Pool/Getty

Eliza Reid attends many events as the first lady of Iceland, but says the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla was especially memorable.

Eliza's husband Guni Th. Johannesson has been president of the Nordic republic since 2016, and the couple have had the honor of representing their country as diplomats since. The first lady, 47, exclusively takes PEOPLE inside what it was like to attend the historic crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey, and how Kate Middleton made visiting dignitaries feel welcome at a kickoff celebration the night before.

What was it like inside the abbey?

Eliza Reid: It's an honor to represent one's country at these events, and it's kind of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

We were at the funeral [of Queen Elizabeth] as well. They were the same but also different. There was a similar pattern of the ceremony, but the funeral was looking back and reflecting and paying respects. The coronation was about celebration and looking forward. There was a lot more color in the abbey.

They seat the heads of states by doing the Commonwealth first and then in alphabetical order. We were seated in the same row as Ireland and Israel. At the funeral, we were at the other side of the aisle, and the story in Iceland was we were two rows ahead of the Bidens, but it is only because it's alphabetical order. I think it's a good system or else there would be some bruised egos.

Eliza Reid/Instagram

We couldn't see very much but the sound was exquisite. It's such an old building and the acoustics were wonderful which makes you think, "I hope I don't cough or sneeze." So even though we couldn't see what was going on, the music was outstanding, and I remember that also from the funeral.

Related:Queen Rania of Jordan Reflects on Coronation: 'King Charles Put His Own Stamp on Events' (Exclusive)

Story continues

Did anything about the coronation feel modern?

Eliza Reid: It's an ancient ceremony, it's been going for centuries, and that is important for Britain and the realm to maintain that. Given the constraints of what it had to be, they tried to incorporate slightly more modern elements. It was a very religious ceremony and I think a lot of people were surprised by that. I think I was because I didn't know what to expect.

Gareth Cattermole/Getty

Within those limited confines I think they tried to showcase other dimensions, but it's a very traditional ceremony and the fact that it still exists is tradition because the other monarchies in Europe don't have these big coronations.

It makes a lot of money and brings in a lot of money. I grew up in Canada so the Queen was head of state so I'm very used to the concept.

Related:How King Charles' 70-Year Wait Prepared Him for the Throne 'Better Than Any Previous Monarch'

Are you now friends with any of the other heads of states or first ladies?

Eliza Reid: Now we've been serving in this role for a number of years, you recognize people who are already there. You are seeing people you met recently at other meetings or events. You aren't allowed to take photos in the abbey so it would be very gauche to take selfies in the church.

The heads of state went in a separate entrance, so we didn't mingle with the celebrities, but we saw the other heads of state.

Eliza Reid/Instagram

Did you attend the reception at Buckingham Palace?

Eliza Reid: We went to Buckingham Palace the night before for a reception. We got to talk to the Princess of Wales for a little bit. She is such a pro. You can see these people kind of freeze up around her, and she automatically goes into "Thanks for coming, I'm so glad you're here." I almost didn't want to talk to her for too long, because I know she has to get to everybody.

Jacob King / POOL / AF/Getty Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

What else did you do besides the coronation while you were in London?

Eliza Reid: The day before the coronation was my birthday so I went out to dinner with my husband. The day of the coronation I was up at 5 am. Even though you are attending one event it takes a lot of the day and it's strangely tiring considering you aren't in the spotlight, so we just relaxed that evening. We have four kids together  I can't remember the last time we both traveled together and had the evening off. It was great.

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!

What did you wear?

Eliza Reid: I rented a dress to wear to Buckingham Palace and at the coronation I borrowed a pair of shoes from my friend. I'm trying to be sustainable.

There is a new company in Iceland renting out dresses for events  Spjara. It was black and white and long, and "day dress" was the description. I wore these orange earrings to pop the color. When you are with all these heads of states you want to blend in, you don't want to stand out. And my new thing is flats. Nobody is looking at the feet of the first lady of Iceland.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Together through it all. Lady A musician Charles Kelley and his wife, Cassie McConnell, have weathered some tough times during their relationship.

During an emotional appearance on CBS Mornings in May 2023, the duo  who tied the knot in 2009  opened up about how Kelleys struggles with alcohol addiction had affected their marriage.

"When he was in rehab and I went out there for family week, one of the first messages you receive is, 'You're gonna have to do just as much work here.' And I remember being so mad," McConnell told host Gayle King.

She continued: "Like, you did this. And now I have to do all of this work too? But  it affects every person in that family system. So, I could've chosen not to do the work, but then I have to live with the way that I've been affected and unhealed. So, whether Charles and I were in a marriage or not, whether I saw him again for the rest of my life, I still had to deal with what I had gone through."

The Womanista lifestyle brand founder revealed that she considered divorce after Kelleys behavior during a past trip to Greece. Although McConnell didnt specify when the vacation took place, she shared a photo via Instagram in June 2022 of the couple in Mykonos.

Kelley recalled of the trip: "I just turned my phone off in the middle of nowhere and just took off and stayed up drinking with all these random people I didn't know. We had got in an argument, and I had one of those moments where I just was like, 'I'm so sick of being told what to do.'"

The next morning, McConnell confronted her husband. I said, 'You need help. You have to deal with this,'" she explained. And he said he knew, and he made a plan with his manager and he flew directly from Greece to treatment. But at that point I fully thought I was flying back to the U.S. I was gonna meet with a divorce attorney, like, that was it."

Despite her candor about her frustrations, McConnell noted that she was really proud of her husband, who celebrated six months of sobriety in January 2023.

Story continues

Because he keeps showing up every day, I get to keep showing up every day and our family gets to be intact, so I'm really, really proud of him, she shared. Kelley chimed in that he couldnt do it without his wifes support.

The twosome share son Ward, whom they welcomed in February 2016. The Need You Now musician told King that his son is the most important thing in my life and he was therefore crushed by the realization that Ward had noticed his drinking problem.

"Cassie would tell me some stories about ... little things that Ward would say that I didn't even know he was noticing," he said. "You know, 'Daddy's talking a little funny,' or, 'You and Daddy argue a lot.'"

Despite their hardships, the duo have shared beautiful moments as well. The first time I met my wife was, like, it really was true love at first sight, Kelly told UMG Nashvilles Press Room in February 2018, noting that his bandmate Hillary Scott helped set them up. I get there, and we just lock eyes the whole night. Were kind of looking at each other, and were like, Holy moly. Shes the prettiest girl that had ever paid me any attention.

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!

Keep scrolling for a look at Kelley and McConnells relationship timeline:
FSU's Greg Boebinger has served as director of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory for nearly 20 years.

After heading the Florida State University-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory for nearly two decades, Greg Boebinger is stepping down from his position as the MagLabs director.

Ive never done this before, so after 19 years it certainly is a mixed feeling, Boebinger told the Tallahassee Democrat.

As Boebinger prepares to return to the faculty over the summer, the university is launching a national search to choose his replacement, where FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Dean Suvranu De will serve as chair of the 14-person search committee.

I feel like Ive done what I can do, and I feel like its the right time for me and the Magnet Lab to make this transition, said Boebinger, who also holds a tenured faculty position as a professor of physics. Its both exciting and certainly a little bit daunting as well because I dont know what the future will bring, but I guess we never do.

His departure comes as the university and local economic leaders try to position Tallahassee as the "Magnetic Capital of the World," which could draw industries in a cutting edge industry to a city that has worked for years to diversify its economy beyond state government.

The National MagLab  which receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the state of Florida  hosts researchers from universities like the University of Florida as well as businesses and labs around the world, using unique high field magnets and instruments to further research and make discoveries.

A powerful attraction: MagCorp, Philips partner to bring power of MagLab research to MRI tech

More: National MagLab headquartered at FSU receives $195 million in funding for the next 5 years

Under Boebingers additional role of being the principal investigator of the MagLabs core funding grant, it has grown by 67 percent, according to a university release.

The laboratory has also had over 8,400 publications and contributed to over 1,200 masters or doctoral theses during Boebinger's tenure as director.

Story continues

In addition, Boebinger is a member of the National Academy of Sciences for his career in physics and is also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University is located at Innovation Park.

He spoke to the Tallahassee Democrat about what it has been like to lead the MagLab and whats next for him:

Q: What led to your decision to step down from being FSUs MagLab director?

A: Ive either been in charge of or helped extensively with five of our renewal proposals (to request funding for continued operation), and they do take a lot out of you. We will submit our next one in 2026 but will actually start planning it in 2024, so this is the window.

If Im thinking about what the Magnet Lab needs, the decision was that I either announce that Im stepping down early this year, or I wait for another five years and go through another renewal proposal. This way, the plan is that Ill still be around to help advise on the next renewal proposal so that there will be a smoother transition.

Q: What was your no. 1 goal when you took on this role?

A: I wanted for the laboratory itself and for the international scientific community to recognize our achievements and our status as the leading high magnetic field laboratory in the world.

That sounds arrogant, but it's anything but that. Its a realization that we have the talent in place and the potential to get there. Our primary goal is to advance science, and the best way to do that is to be the best we can possibly be. I saw in this laboratory the potential to be the best in the world.

Q: What has been your greatest accomplishment as the director?

A: I sometimes joke that its getting a coffee shop in the lobby! But thats only half joking since some of the best ideas come about through serendipitous interactions with colleagues. Because of that, my greatest pride comes from building strong research efforts in many different areas of science, engineering and technology while having an environment in which they talk to each other, so they avoid the stovepiping that so many other organizations have.

Dr. Greg Boebinger, who works with the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, speaks on a panel discussion on using the MagLab to build relationships and create opportunities during the Tallahassee Chamber conference on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021.

We have many examples of material scientists learning about whats going on with the biologists who are doing magnetic residence imaging, for example, and theyll start doing imaging of other important technologies like batteries. That to me is the most exciting  when we get groups of people from different scientific disciplines to work on a common goal.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge for you while directing the MagLab?

A: Finding the funding. It just gets more and more complicated, it seems.

Every five years, we write a massive proposal to get our core proposal, but to be as good as we are and to perform at the level we perform, we still have to go out and attract roughly one dollar for every dollar that comes out of that core funding. When were writing a grant every five years and its a three-year effort, that gets to be quite a challenge because then, we have to go out and raise the additional funds.

Q: Whats next for you as you return to the faculty?

A: I very much want to get more involved in the work of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. They do spectacular work, whether it be writing reports for the government to refer to so that decisions they make are based on sound scientific principles or working for human rights around the world or helping to bring the arts into more communities. Its a great honor to get into these academies, but I dont want them to just be something thats on my resume; I want them to be things I help contribute to.

After that, who knows? But a big part of my goal that I share with the FSU administration is to travel and give talks at leading institutions around the world to wave the FSU flag, if you will, and to publicize the great research and the great artistic assets that we have here at Florida State University.

Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.

Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU MagLab Director Greg Boebinger steps down from 20-year role
New crypto rules in the UK mean crypto firms looking to lure in retail will have to tighten up, said the country's financial regulator.

"We will bite on firms marketing to UK consumers," Executive Director of Supervision, Policy, and Competition, Markets at the FCA Sarah Pritchard said. "We will be on the lookout for firms that are not abiding by those rules. And if necessary, we will seek to take enforcement action."

The legislation will require the marketing materials to express that there is "high risk" involved in the investment. Pritchard wants the public to be investing in crypto assets with "their eyes open."

This rule will apply to those operating outside of the UK too. Importantly, the FCA will punish firms that refuse to follow this rule.

"We don't believe that consumers understand the level of risk currently," she continued. "Which is why we repeat that line, 'if you're prepared to lose all your money.'"

Similar rules already apply to other high-risk investments in the UK with simple labeling that highlights "this is a high-risk investment" and "make sure you understand the risks" are currently in place.

Pritchard expects the new marketing rules applying to crypto firms to take a "similar approach."

FCA Chief Reminds Crypto Investors They Could Lose All Their Money

These rules have not come into force yet and are subject to legislation and "confirming the rules." But they expect firms to comply with the rules once in place.

She also highlighted the importance of a global standard for crypto regulation and international cooperation between regulatory bodies.

"Individual countries develop their regime from a UK perspectivecertainly the FCA's argumentis to show that the market works well with integrity," Pritchard said at the Financial Times's Crypto and Digital Assets Summit. "But, we're also looking for consumer protection there and that's where a conversation about do consumers understand that risk is important."
A South Carolina man who survived being shot nine times by police has sued officers who he claims behaved 'like cowboys from a John Wayne movie (Bamberg Legal)

A South Carolina man who survived being shot nine times by police has sued officers who he claims behaved like cowboys from a John Wayne movie.

Trevor Mullinax was sitting in a pickup truck on private property and had a hunting shotgun with him in May 2021 when police were called to perform a welfare check, the lawsuit claims.

Court papers state that Mr Mullinaxs mother, Tammy Beason, was standing by the truck as her son suffered a mental health crisis and that at no point did he point the weapon at himself or any other person.

Trevor Mullinax sues after surviving being shot nine times by police during welfare check (Bamberg Legal)

The lawsuit claims that after the caller phoned 911 and asked for the welfare check, officers did not try to call Mr Mullinax or his mother, despite being given their phone numbers, reported WBTV.

Prior to arriving at the Plaintiffs location, Sheriffs deputies failed to plan, choosing instead to ride in like cowboys from a John Wayne movie, defaulting to using deadly force, immediately, without attempting to deescalate the situation, in complete disregard for State law/regulation, Sheriffs policies, and/or County ordinances, the lawsuit states.

Court papers state that deputies from the York County Sheriffs Office fired nearly 50 rounds at Mr Mullinax, hitting him nine times, including in the head.

Lawyers for Mr Mullinax say he had his hands in the air and his mother, who is also part of the lawsuit, was directly in the line of fire.

And the lawsuit claims that during the encounter, Mr Mullinax never raised or pointed a weapon that would have warranted the use of deadly force by the deputies.

The sheriffs office says that Mr Mullinax pulled a weapon on the deputies, causing them to fire upon him.

These deputies responded appropriately to the threat as they were trained to do, York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said in a statement. Had Mr Mullinax made different choices that day, deputies would not have been required to use force.

The agency also says that the shooting was investigated independently by the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, and all the deputies involved were cleared of any wrongdoing by the 16th Circuit Solicitors Office.

Three of the four deputies still work for the force and a fourth left to join the private sector.
The Oldenburg International Film Festival is entering the metaverse. The indie film fest, known as Germanys Sundance, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with a new cooperation that will allow fans to enter a virtual reality version of the event.

The collaboration between Oldenburg, German metaverse platform MILC and film critics site The Film Verdict, announced Thursday, is being billed as a way to bring the magic of Oldenburg and the international festival scene into the virtual world.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Oldenburg founder and festival director Torsten Neumann also noted that doing metaverse screenings  showing festival films for a global audience in the virtual reality space of the MILC platform  may be the way for international festivals to give fans worldwide access to their premieres and exclusive events.

Currently, regulations imposed by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), require international festivals like Oldenburg to restrict access to their world premiere screenings to local in-person audiences or individual territories. But a metaverse premiere, Neumann argues, could be a separate event.

Ever since the world had to move into digital isolation back in 2020, we decided to embrace new and innovative formats for the festival as welcome opportunities, said Neumann, and the sheer idea that entering the MILC metaverse like a virtual territory that claims its own status with regard to digital film premieres could open new perspectives and support, especially for indie films, seems like an exciting path to explore.

MILC and The Film Verdict launched the first-ever metaverse-only film festival, the Alpha Film Festival, in March this year. Their cooperation with Oldenburg, MILCs Hendrik Hey and The Film Verdicts Eric Mika noted, was part of a common goal to establish a new digital platform for independent filmmakers around the world to premiere their work and break free from the limitations of traditional digital distribution channels.

Story continues

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

Click here to read the full article.
Opa! The My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 trailer is here and the family's off to Greece

It's been more than 20 years since we first met the loud and loving Portokalos family, as first introduced by writer Nia Vardalos in her Oscar-nominated script for 2002's My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Following 2016's My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, Vardalos and the fam are back for a trip to Greece to honor their late patriarch, Gus, played by Michael Constantine, who himself passed in 2020.

In the trailer (below), Toula (Vardalos) intends to honor her father's final wish: for the entire family to visit his childhood village and reconnect with their roots. Next thing you know, we've got a full-blown family reunion and the gang's all here to partake in the festivities. Love might also be in the Greek air as Toula and Ian's daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) apparently ghosted young Aristotle (Elias Kacavas), who also happens to be going to Greece.

John Corbett, fresh off setting minds racing by popping up in another beloved franchise, returns as Toula's incredibly non-Greek husband Ian. Also returning is habitual scene-stealer Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula, Louis Mandylor as Toula's brother Nick, and brunchtime hero Joey Fatone as Cousin Angelo. And though the trailer doesn't offer any glimpses of her, Lainie Kazan is once again credited as Toula's mother Maria.

The film is dedicated to Constantine, who gave Vardalos his support for a third film before he passed.

"He had told me he wouldn't be able to join us for the third film and his wish was that we go on," Vardalos had previously shared on Instagram. "I wrote the screenplay to reflect Michael's decision and will always treasure his last messages to me, hoping we were filming soon."

'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3'

Yannis Drakoulidis / Focus Features 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3'

In addition to writing the script, Vardalos also stepped in to direct this third installment in the franchise, which, like the first two, is produced by Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.

Story continues

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 will be hitting theaters Sept. 8.

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:
The MTV EMAs will be held in Paris for the first time since 1995. The show will be broadcast live on MTV globally on Sunday, Nov. 5.

The last time the show was held in France, French President Emmanuel Macron was just 17. That 1995 show took place at the Le Zenith in Paris and was hosted by fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier.

More from Billboard

Related

Taylor Swift MTV EMAs

Taylor Swift Is Top Winner at 2022 MTV EMAs: Full Winners List 05/11/2023 05/11/2023

The MTV EMAs is one of the biggest nights in music globally, and this year well continue its legacy of delivering iconic performances and recognizing musics brightest stars, Bruce Gillmer, president of music, music talent, programming & events, Paramount, and chief content officer, music, Paramount+, said in a statement. Paris is a culture-rich city celebrated across the world for its incredible music, art and fashion, and at this years show well unite massive talent from a local and global level reaching fans everywhere for a supercharged, music experience that only MTV can provide.

Gillmer and Richard Godfrey are executive producers for the 2023 MTV EMAs. Debbie Phillips is producer.

Last years show was held at the PSD Bank Dome in Dusseldorf, Germany. Rita Ora and Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi served as co-hosts. Nicki Minajs Super Freaky Girl won best song. Taylor Swifts All Too Well: The Short Film took best video.

The show has moved among 23 European cities since its inaugural broadcast in 1994. London is the only city to have hosted the show three times. Paris joins Berlin, Rotterdam, Milan and Frankfurt as cities that have hosted the show twice.

Story continues

Host, venue and program details for this years show will be shared at a later date.

Best of Billboard

Click here to read the full article.
Kyrie Jones, who is 33 weeks pregnant, said the toddler was throwing items out of the window before going over the edge

KCCI/YouTube

A pregnant Iowa woman jumped into action earlier this week to help a toddler who fell from a second-story window.

Kyrie Jones, 35, was walking her dog outside her Des Moines home on Monday when she spotted a 2-year-old boy throwing items from a second-story window of a nearby residence, according to CBS affiliate KCCI and The Washington Post.

At one point, Jones said the boy began leaning over the edge of the window, the outlets reported. The pregnant woman tried to alert someone at the home on Merle Hay Road, but to no avail.

Concerned, Jones called the police for help. When she returned, she realized he had fallen out the window and was hanging onto a ledge.

Related:Hawaii Tourists Following GPS Directions Rescued After Driving Car 'Straight into the Harbor'

Jones, who is 33 weeks pregnant, said she started screaming for help as the boy began to cry, according to The Washington Post.

"I stood right underneath him just in case," Jones told KCCI. "And I was screaming  The window was open, so I was hoping that someone might hear me."

However, there was no response. Then, the toddler lost his grip and plummeted toward the ground  but Jones grabbed him just before he hit the concrete.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Police arrived at the scene a short time later, per the outlets. The boy's mom eventually came outside, as well.

Des Moines Police Department spokesperson Sergeant Paul Parizek told The Washington Post that the child's mother had left him unattended for a "short period" while inside their townhouse.

No charges have been filed, though the matter has been referred to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Parizek told the newspaper.

Story continues

The Des Moines Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Related:Hero Lands Job at Applebee's After Saving Baby in Runaway Stroller: 'I Appreciate the Opportunity'

Jones is simply happy to have been in the right place at the right time. Had she come out any later, she fears she might have seen the toddler on the ground.

"As long as the baby is safe, I am good," Jones told KCCI.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
A picture of a ginger-coated, pointy-eared dingo snarling.

A picture of a ginger-coated, pointy-eared dingo snarling.

A dingo recently attacked a 6-year-old girl while she was paddling in a shallow lagoon in Australia, holding her underwater and repeatedly biting her head.

The wild dog attacked the girl on K'gari, also known as Fraser Island, on April 3. The child is in stable condition, having suffered three puncture wounds around her ear. Rangers with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) believe the dingo responsible was an untagged male.

"It's believed the young tourist was swimming in shallow water on the eastern side of the island when the dingo tried to grab onto her," LifeFlight rescuers said in a statement . "The animal repeatedly held her underwater for a few seconds before nearby family members were able to get the dingo off her."

Authorities reported a second dingo attack on a toddler on Friday (April 14) in Karijini National Park, in Western Australia, 932 miles (1,500 kilometers) north of Perth. The boy suffered serious but non life-threatening injuries before his mother managed to fight the animal off.

Dingoes ( Canis dingo ) are part dog, part wolf . They are Australia's largest carnivorous mammals and typically hunt rabbits, kangaroos, wallabies and wombats  but not humans.

"Generally dingoes go about their lives and stay clear of people," representatives of QPWS, which is investigating the mauling, said on its website . "From time to time, dingoes may come close and some encounters can turn to tragedy."

Related: Humans are practically defenseless. Why don't wild animals attack us more?

K'gari is home to roughly 200 wild dingoes, according to the QPWS . They live in packs of up to 12 animals that patrol defined territories, but their curiosity occasionally draws them into tourist locations, where close encounters can turn nasty.

The QPWS urges visitors to clear away scraps of food and to never feed dingoes, as they may become increasingly habituated and emboldened in the presence of humans. Research suggests the availability of human food can reduce dingoes' aggression towards each other and lead to larger numbers of animals foraging together.

Story continues

If they can regularly access human leftovers, dingoes may come to associate humans with food and try to steal items that they perceive as a meal. A survey of dingo attacks on K'gari between 2001 and 2015 found that more than half of the incidents involved a "chase," where a person was walking or running after a wild dog to retrieve a stolen possession. This may trigger a defensive response from dingoes and has led to aggressive group attacks, according to experts writing in The Conversation .

RELATED STORIES

In rare attack, great white shark decapitates diver in Mexico. But why?

Three people gored by bison in a month at Yellowstone National Park. Why do these attacks happen?

In 'extremely rare' attack, polar bear killed mother and child in Alaska. Now we know why.

Although uncommon, dingo attacks on children are often linked to food  if a baby is left sitting on a picnic rug and dogs try to pinch some food, for example  or due to defensive interactions sparked by toddlers playing or running around, according to the QPWS. Altogether, there have been 33 incidents of dingoes nipping, mouthing or biting people since 2018, according to the Queensland Department of Environment and Science .

In December 2022, a dingo repeatedly bit a 5-year-old boy on the head, arm and buttocks in a remote camping area on K'gari. The last fatal attack on the island was in 2001, when two dingoes mauled a 9-year-old boy to death after he and his brother happened upon the dogs and tried to run away.
Sen. Todd Young, right, talks with Professor Phil Richerme, left, about the work done inside the quantum lab inside Simon Hall at Indiana University on Monday, May 8, 2023.

U.S. Sen. Todd Young toured a physics lab at Indiana University Monday and said a recently adopted $252 billion federal piece of legislation would support research into next-generation computing and create jobs in the industries of the future.

The legislation, called the CHIPS Act, provides incentives to produce semiconductors and for research and innovation in sciences including materials, biology and quantum information.

'Where do I begin?': US Sen. Todd Young rejects Trump for 2024 presidential bid

Young, R-Ind., worked to get the legislation passed in part to prevent ceding leading-edge technology to Americas political adversaries.

Its an investment in our national security, Young said Monday in IUs science building after he had toured the quantum simulation lab that is part of the Quantum Science and Engineering Center.

The senator said the U.S. military relies on highly specialized computer chips that control radar systems, advanced fighter jets and other weapons platforms, and about 90% of those chips are being produced in Taiwan. Young said he and other congressional leaders believe research and production for those chips must be brought back to the U.S. to eliminate the nations vulnerability to having its computer chip supply chain interrupted by a pandemic or geopolitical crises.

According to the Indianapolis Star, a sister paper of The Herald-Times, the CHIPS Act passed (i)n large part due to Young's attempts to persuade his Republican colleagues to join him. The bill passed the Senate with support from every Democrat and 17 Republicans. President Joe Biden signed it into law last summer.

Strategic plan: Indiana University plans to change the first-year experience. Here's what we know.

What does the IU lab do?

Professor David Baxter, chair of the Physics Department at Indiana University, talks with Sen. Todd Young, right, and Professor Phil Richerme, left, about the work done inside the quantum lab inside Simon Hall at Indiana University on Monday, May 8, 2023.

Scientists at the lab study quantum mechanics, or the science that governs the behavior of the universe at the atomic (and smaller) length scales."

What is quantum computing?

Quantum computers are computers that consist of quantum bits, or qubits, that play a similar role to the bits in today's digital computers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The laws of quantum mechanics allow qubits to encode exponentially more information than bits. By manipulating information stored in these qubits, scientists can quickly produce high-quality solutions to difficult problems. This means quantum computing may revolutionize our ability to solve problems that are hard to address with even the largest supercomputers.

Story continues

Why is the CHIPS Act important to IU?

The legislation provides $200 billion for research. Young said he expects academic institutions and private industry in Indiana to get some of those funds.

Phil Richerme, associate professor of physics at IU, said the industry desperately needs personnel.

We are already running out of people, he said as he stood next to some high-tech equipment that was suspending particles in a near-vacuum-environment chamber.

Richerme said the nation doesnt just need a thousand people with a doctorate in physics but also computer programmers and electrical and mechanical engineers in the private sector to take advantage of the research that's being done.

Federal help in town: FEMA opens Disaster Recovery Center in Stinesville to help storm, tornado victims

Too often, the U.S. educates and trains the best and the brightest, often from overseas, only to see many of them return to their homelands because they can get more research funding there.

David Baxter, professor of physics and chair of the physics department, said that while research dollars in the U.S. are available, they pale in comparison to what other nations are providing, which often prompts graduates to go elsewhere.

"We're having trouble competing," Baxter said.

Young acknowledged thats a problem.

Were shooting ourselves in the foot, no question, he said.

How could the CHIPS Act benefit Indiana?

Sen. Todd Young talks with Professor Phil Richerme about the work done inside the quantum lab inside Simon Hall at Indiana University on Monday, May 8, 2023.

Young said funding that will go to universities, such as IU, and to private companies, such as Samtec, will support research, which will draw private investment and create new businesses.

Multiple companies are in conversations with the state of Indiana right now about also potentially locating their manufacturing operations here in the state, Young said.

Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Sen. Todd Young visits Indiana University's quantum computing lab
When Miss Major Griffin-Gracy speaks, the world should listen. At 82, the legendary activist is a national treasure, in part because shed probably hate being called one, which doesnt mean it isnt true. That said, if Majors long career is proof of anything, its that real change is the fruit of collective struggle. This much was true in the 60s, when Major fought the cops alongside ancestors Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson at the Stonewall Rebellion; in the 70s, when she provided direct services to trans women dealing with addiction and incarceration; in the 80s and 90s, when she cared for folks impacted by HIV/AIDS; and in more recent years, when she has led organizations like San Franciscos Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project and Arkansas House of GG. She is a mother in every sense of the term  to countless gurls, to five sons, and to a revolutionary lineage leading our community forward.

Miss Major has lived no fewer than a dozen lives during her eight decades on this earth, though shes about to add a new title to her list of credentials: published author. Miss Major Speaks: Conversations with a Black Trans Revolutionary, out May 16 from Verso, weaves a lifetime of wisdom into a series of detailed, no-holds-barred interviews with journalist Toshio Meronek. Topics range from the politics of passing to Majors political radicalization within the dungeons of Dannemora prison. Whether shes regaling the reader with stories about car chases, undressing useless presidents, or paying tribute to her fallen sisters, Major is by turns riveting, hilarious, gutting, and real. She is never one to sugarcoat, yet where theres grace to be given, she is generous in her reflection.

One subject on which the legend is resolute in her disaffection, however, is Stonewall. It is the topic shes asked about most and perhaps the one shes least keen to relive. Nevertheless, with the publication of Miss Major Speaks, the veteran has a few more definitive thoughts on the uprising. In the following excerpt, Major and Meronek discuss Stonewalls broken promises, the place of police in our movement (spoiler: nowhere), corporate Pride, and the right way to honor the LGBTQ+ revolutionaries of the past.  Wren Sanders

Story continues

Toshio Meronek: Im going to start with the problems that still keep you up till three or four in the morning. The people you call the Powers That Be, and the things they do that keep you from retiring.

Miss Major: How heavy is this book gonna be? My god.

TM: As heavy as it needs to be.

MM: As far as my gurls are concerned, weve made little progressions here and there, but things are not where they need to be. Theyre nowhere near where they should be. With all the visibility we ve gotten  or I should say a few of us have gotten  over the past couple of years, it hasnt done shit for most of the community. The murders, theyre still happening. The body count keeps going up. We werent considered important enough to count before. Maybe thats changed. Now they have to at least pretend to care, pass a law just for the police to ignore in order to keep us quiet, because one thing that has changed is that we have more allies now, and they know we have more people standing with us.

TM: Stonewall is the event youre asked about more than anything else. So when people ask for an interview, my orders are to tell them, politely, Shes already described it so many times. No.

MM: People put so much into seeing Stonewall as this symbol. All I know is that night, they came in, and nobody budged. I guess we were just sick of their shit. And suddenly we were fighting, and we were kicking their ass. The cops had to back up into the bar. We had them cornered. Next thing you knew, the riot squad was there, and baby, it was on. The night of Stonewall is how people talk about it, but it was more like a week. We were fighting for our lives. Theyre still killing us; theyre still not giving us the respect were due for putting up with their shit all these years. When a parade happened the year after Stonewall, I couldnt find us anywhere. Not one of my gurls. I didnt see Sylvia there, in the front, where she shouldve been. But its not about me or Sylvia. I dont give a shit whether they acknowledge or know about me, but those gays and lesbians were ashamed to be seen with us, and they still want us erased. So for my gurls, its as if Stonewall never happened because it didnt change anything for us.

"I want my memory to live on in the hearts of the grassroots."

TM: On one of our last New York trips, on the way to the airport, we passed through Chelsea, where Obama had made Stonewall the first LGBT National Monument. The White House planned this very formal dedication ceremony, sent you an invitation; you RSVPd no. These memorials and monuments have never been your thing.

MM: If you pay attention, most monuments are for one person, or one thing that some person did in their life. I wouldnt be here if not for my community, my friends, my comrades. And so to me, the ninety-nine percent of statues that celebrate one person, its bullshit. Regardless of whether they deserve a statue or not, those people didnt get to do anything great without a damn crowd of people they worked with to get there.

TM: Whats a more respectful way of supporting trans people who came before, instead of a statue or some other physical memorial?

MM: How about giving the rest of the gurls that are living here today some respect? I dont need a plaque hanging on the wall to remind me of where Ive been, you know what I mean? The way I function is to do the things I do now: its all, all at the bottom. All grassroots stuff, and nothing with the Powers That Be. So thats not me, hanging on the wall. What you think or feel about me, whatever I did that moved you, thats what its all about. I want my memory to live on in the hearts of the grassroots  Im not interested, really, in recognition from one mayor or another.

TM: Weve been to events that are meant to be an alternative to corporate Pride, and there are a few Prides that have uninvited cops from marching in their parades in uniform. How do people keep the cops out?

MM: I assume the best way is to stop inviting their asses, because theyre the most harmful things to our very fucking existence. Im thrilled any time someone is challenging those motherfuckers regarding what Pride is. Because most people dont know what Pride is about. The anguish, and the hurt, and the reason why Pride started in the first place  it was an anti-cop event. Look, yes  I know there are trans police officers. You have Black people who are police officers, and women police officers. All thats cute, but guess what: Its blue first, your other allegiances second. Once you get on that blue, child, it goes straight through to your brain, dyes your brain blue, and youre no longer whoever the fuck you were before. So no, they dont need to be there. Thats where their loyalty lies. So stay the fuck away from me. Theyve been beating us the fuck up and continue to do so, while showing everybody else how to beat us up and kill us. So if the police are there, dont expect me there.

TM: The year before the fiftieth anniversary, I walked by Saks Fifth Avenue near Union Square in San Francisco, right next to the Tenderloin and Comptons. The Saks window was a bunch of trans sex worker mannequins in eight-hundred-dollar designer skirt suits holding signs like Remember Comptons! Its not just the corporations, its the Pride organizations themselves, and the mainstream nonprofits.

MM: The fags took Stonewall from us before the firefighters could get a hose to put out the fires all throughout the Village. As far as they were concerned, we werent there. The books and the documentaries, its all about the white guys and lesbians. We all know thats bullshit. Bullshit thats still being propagated. Its all whitewashed. You want to wash things white, thats fine, but the last time I checked Im not Michael Jackson, and I want to stay brown. Its annoying as hell, but you cant dwell on it. You cant take an ignorant, white, entitled, privileged person and have them understand what its like to not know what youre going to have to eat the next day, not have clean clothes to put on, not have a job to go to. So we keep fighting anyway, because its all we can do: keep mobilizing and staying strong. And make the motherfuckers pay, every chance you get.

Excerpted from Miss Major Speaks: Conversations with a Black Trans Revolutionary by Toshio Meronek and Miss Major, published by Verso. Copyright Toshio Meronek and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy 2023.

Originally Appeared on them.
Leaders of the village in Breiz, Switzerland, told residents to evacuate their homes by 6 p.m. local time on Friday

GIAN EHRENZELLER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

A village in eastern Switzerland has been ordered to evacuate due to the threat of a large mass of rock crashing down on it, according to multiple outlets.

Leaders of the village of Breiz held a meeting on Tuesday and decided that the safest option would be to have all the residents evacuate by 6 p.m. local time on Friday, though they would still be able to go in and out of the city depending on the risk level, per the Associated Press.

The village, which is home to less than 100 residents and located in the eastern canton of Graubunden, sits beneath a large mountain with several rock formations, BBC reported.

Officials at the early warning service said their measurements indicated "strong acceleration over a large area" of the mountain recently, and said that "up to 2 million cubic meters of rock material will collapse or slide in the coming seven to 24 days," per the AP.

Related:Massive Boulder Crashes into Hawaii Home, Narrowly Missing Woman: Watch

The landslide has been moving about three feet per year, allowing massive boulders to crash down occasionally, the BBC and AP reported. The village itself has also slowly moved a few inches each year since it was created centuries ago, leading to cracks in its buildings.

Christian Gartmann, a member of the crisis management board, told the AP that there is a 60 percent chance that the rocks in the mountains will fall in smaller chunks, avoiding destruction to the village. He added, however, that there is a 10 percent chance that the entire rock mass could come tumbling down, threatening lives.

"We hope that the village stays intact," Gartmann told the AP. "We can't eliminate the possibility that [the rock] will come down. ... It could damage the village or destroy it."

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

One of the main factors leading to the potential threat of the rock mass falling down is climate change. Rebecca Dell, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, told CNN that higher climates are melting glaciers in the Alps, making rocks unstable.

Story continues

"This melt may destabilize the mountain slopes above towns and villages," Dell told the outlet. If a slope becomes too unstable, events such as rockslides may occur."

RELATED VIDEO: Fast-Moving Wildfire Spreads Across 4,000 Acres in New Jersey as Firefighters Battle '200-Ft. Flames'

Federico Pelico, a pastor in Albula and Brienz, told the AP that villagers are "suddenly realizing that something terrible might happen."

"They have to leave their village," he said. "These aren't just buildings. There are emotions and histories here. I've seen a lot of tears lately."

"There's nothing you can do against nature," Pelico added. "But deep in their hearts, there's hope that they'll be able to return to the village."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
(Bloomberg) -- There are still investors who want to put money into cryptocurrency startups, despite the recent wave of scandals and setbacks that have shaken the industry. A team of crypto investors is seeking $200 million to back digital-asset startups in a new firm called TenSquared Capital, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The venture, called 10SQ for short, is being launched by the co-founder and some employees of crypto-focused investment firm 10T Holdings. The firm 10T has $1.2 billion in assets under management according to PitchBook. It has expended all its capital and is ceasing to make new investments, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information.

10T Holdings invested in companies like digital asset exchange Kraken, crypto wallet-maker Ledger and the Bored Ape Yacht Club-creator Yuga Labs. Kraken is aiming to go public, while Ledger and Yuga Labs last raised funds at valuations of over $1 billion. Billionaire hedge fund manager Alan Howard was among 10Ts largest backers, the firm said in 2021, along with public pensions including the Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan.

Both 10T and 10SQ declined to comment on the new fundraising efforts. It comes at a time when cryptocurrency investing overall is sinking. VCs spent 80% less on crypto startups in the first quarter of this year than they did the year before.

Based in Los Angeles, 10SQ will include Stan Miroshnik, 10T co-founder and partner, as chief executive officer and managing partner, as well as Janchor Partners co-founder Elaine Co as general partner, according to internal documents reviewed by Bloomberg. The 10T employees Polina Bermisheva, Christopher Cheung, George Dawson and Ruby Hsu have also joined 10SQ, according to the documents. Dan Tapiero, the CEO of 10T Holdings, told a crypto-focused publication in February that he was starting a separate private equity firm called 1RoundTable Partners.

Story continues

Some limited partners of 10T have already committed capital to the new fund, according to the people familiar with the discussions. They said the fund has planned two investments, including one in a crypto wallet infrastructure startup that will likely close in the coming months.

The firm 10SQ will seek to back crypto startups at various stages of growth, the people familiar with the matter said, and it will focus more on investing in equity versus tokens. The firm plans to become a registered investment advisor, following a path taken by other venture firms like Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz.

(Adds context on Elaine Co in fifth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
carroll-trump - Credit: Kena Betancur / AFP; Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Donald Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by a slew of women during his decades of prominence as a public figure. On Tuesday, for the first time, a jury ruled that the former president was liable for sexual battery against author E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of having raped her in the dressing room of a New York Department store in the Nineties.

During a town hall event hosted by CNN on Wednesday, during which Trump reiterated his unfounded claims of election fraud before a friendly crowd of Republican-leaning voters, the former president attacked Carroll, and insisted the claims made against him were fabricated.

More from Rolling Stone

When host Kaitlan Collins, who struggled to counteract the former presidents ramblings during questioning, asked Trump to address the verdict, the crowd laughed.

I swear on my children, which I never do, I have no idea who this woman  this is a fake story, a made-up story, retorted Trump.

Trump swears on his children he doesnt know who E. Jean Carroll is? pic.twitter.com/IaM7EhTJ4z  Acyn (@Acyn) May 11, 2023

He mocked the allegations Carroll made against him, claiming that he was too famous to hang around department stores. I was very famous then and I owned the Plaza Hotel right next door and I owned the buildings around it  Im not going into a dressing room of a crowded department store, Trump said.

The former president went on to defend comments he made in the infamous Access Hollywood tape, during which he bragged that when youre a star, [women] let you do it. You can do anything.  Grab em by the pussy. Trump was also asked about the comments in his deposition to Carrolls attorneys and refused to disavow his previous statements.

Story continues

I can take it back if youd like to, but if youre a famous person, if youre a star  and Im not referring to myself  Im saying people that are famous, people that are stars, people that are rich, people that are powerful. They tend to do pretty well in a lot of different ways, okay? he told Collins. You would like me to take that back, I cant take it back because it happens to be true. Ive said its been true for 1 million years, approximately 1 million years, perhaps a little longer than that.

The audience whooped and applauded in response.

"Women let you"  Trump defends his comments about the Access Hollywood tape from his deposition pic.twitter.com/46QFb0buc5  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2023

After the event aired, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasted CNN for platforming Donald Trump and letting him lie on national television for nearly an hour and a half.

What we saw tonight was a series of extremely irresponsible decisions that put a sexual abuse victim at risk, that put that person at risk in front of a national audience, said Ocasio-Cortez. And I could not have disagreed with it more. It was shameful.

Yesterday, Trump responded to the verdict with a seething rant on social media.

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS, the former president raged minutes after news of the verdict broke. THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE  A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!

Trump taking the Carroll jurys verdict exactly how youd expect him to pic.twitter.com/RDXyPj8QJ6  nikki mccann ramirez (@NikkiMcR) May 9, 2023

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU EXPECT FROM A TRUMP HATING, CLINTON APPOINTED JUDGE, WHO WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESULT WAS AS NEGATIVE AS IT COULD POSSIBLY BE, SPEAKING TO, AND IN CONTROL OF, A JURY FROM AN ANTI-TRUMP AREA WHICH IS PROBABLY THE WORST PLACE IN THE U.S. FOR ME TO GET A FAIR TRIAL, he later added.

Normal stuff when it comes to Trump, who has indicated through his attorneys that he plans to appeal the ruling.

In 2016, when the former president ran his successful campaign for office, his history of sexual misconduct was at the forefront of criticism of his candidacy.

When questioned during a GOP primary debate by Foxs Megyn Kelly about comments hed made about women in the past, Trump was enraged. Days later, the former president told CNNs Don Lemon days later that Kelly had had blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever, when shed questioned him. Trump refused to participate in a subsequent debate featuring Kelly as a moderator.

Best of Rolling Stone

Click here to read the full article.
Ulrich Thomsen (Festen, Banshee), Rasmus Hammerich (On My Mind), Ida Marie Nielsen (Vikings) and Diem Camille (Washington Black) are set to headline Ripple, a graduation film by promising new director Joey Moe and producer Jasmin Jiramani.

Jiramani recently delivered the Star Wars fan film Shrouded Destiny: A Star Wars Long Tale starring Lars Mikkelsen, who has also been in the Disney+ Star Wars series Ahsoka.

More from Variety

Moe and Jiramani, who are both students of the prestigious Danish film school Super8, said Ripple explores why people spend so much time obsessing over macabre true crime tales.

Ripple is a psychological thriller inspired by true events that send a ripple effect through half a century of murders, said the pair.

Ripple has already been pre-bought by Scandinavian Film Distribution and will be released across the Nordics in 2024.

I think were both the missing piece to our respective puzzles. The energy, the ambition, the determination, said Moe, referring to his creative collaboration with Jiramani. We just connected instantly and seized the momentum and the call to do something extraordinary, and now we have an incredible 90-minute film, the director continued.

For the past year, we have focused all of our energy into this film  and we have been completely fearless about it, Jiramani continued.

Thomsen said Ripple is something special and added that he took part of it as an ambitious school project and watched it grow out of its own roof.

Scandinavian Film Distribution, which signed the two students in while visiting their school, said Ripple has been a display of passion and raw talent.

Story continues

Jasmin and Joey are the next generation of filmmakers, and im excited for the future collaboration. Their energy and everything-is-possible-mentality is admirable as it is evident. It has been a journey following them in their uprising from a school project to a debut feature film with international class, said Michael Fleischer at Scandinavian Film Distribution

Moe and Jiramani will be on the ground with Ulrich Thomsen in Cannes where theyll be looking to meet with industry players and festival programmers.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made her second trade mission to Europe this year with a trip to Austria this week focused on creating new jobs and investments in Michigan's auto manufacturing and clean energy sectors.

In Graz, Austria, Whitmer met with executives at AVL List GmbH on Wednesday, according to a news release from her office. The company is among the world's largest mobility technology companies and focuses on auto industry and climate-neutral mobility, according to its website.

"Today, I continued my economic mission to go anywhere and compete with anyone to bring jobs and investment back home to Michigan," Whitmer said in a statement. "We have the workforce, businesses, and mobility ecosystem to lead the future of advanced manufacturing, and I look forward to winning more transformational, job-creating projects for every region of Michigan."

AVL's North American headquarters is located in Plymouth and Whitmer wants to increase the company's presence in the Michigan city, according to her office.

More: How Michigan decides to spend lots of public money on economic development deals

More: Whitmer announces $400 million clean hydrogen plant for Michigan

This recent trade mission follows another Whitmer made earlier this year to Norway. Whitmer announced last week that a Norwegian company  Nel Hydrogen  chose Michigan as the site for a new manufacturing facility that could create 500 jobs after her meeting with them in January.

"We went to Norway, had a meeting with Nel, that really I think, obviously, shows how important it is to build relationships and to make sure we're telling the Michigan story everywhere," Whitmer told the Free Press in an interview last week. "(We) had this conversation and now we're talking about over 500 really good-paying jobs. The biggest electrolyzer facility in the nation is going to come to Michigan. It's going to round out so much of the clean energy work that we're doing and solutions for energy consumption."

Story continues

Quentin Messer Jr.  who heads Michigan's economic development agency, which sponsored Whitmer's latest European trade mission  touted the trip to Austria as another chance to land investment in the state.

"As a truly international US state, we seek to partner with our friends in Europe to be a global industry leader and are grateful that the Governor continues to champion this message of opportunity around the world on behalf of Team Michigan," Messer said in a statement.

Whitmer's celebration of the Norwegian company's announced investment in Michigan and this recent European trade mission come amid a rising tide of local and legislative opposition to two recent major economic development deals involving companies with ties to China. Lawmakers say they plan to seek ways to give themselves and communities a greater say in Michigan's biggest economic development deals.

While in Europe, Whitmer will also visit Latvia to meet with President Egils Levits and thank Michigan National Guard troops for their service conducting exercises with the country during the Russia-Ukraine War, according to a news release from Whitmer's office.

Free Press staff writer Todd Spangler contributed to this report

Clara Hendrickson fact-checks Michigan issues and politics as a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support her work at bit.ly/freepRFA. Contact her at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on Twitter @clarajanehen.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer makes second trade mission to Europe in 2023
Severe weather, including possible tornadoes and flash flooding, is expected in a huge part of the Heartland on Thursday, from the Great Plains to Texas and North Dakota.

Nine states are also under flood alerts from Montana down to Mississippi.

A tornado watch is in effect for northern Louisiana through 5 p.m. local time Thursday. A couple of tornadoes are possible, along with damaging wind gusts up to 65 mph and isolated large hail events up to 1 inch in diameter.

PHOTO: Very heavy rain over the weekend, May 13, 2023. (ABC News)

Kansas and Oklahoma are also at risk of severe weather Thursday evening into the night. Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Wichita are all in the elevated risk for tornadoes and large hail, mainly between the hours of 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. local time.

The weather comes after there were 11 reported tornadoes in three states -- Colorado, Arkansas and Kansas -- Wednesday. Some damage was reported in Kansas where there was a tornado.

Softball-sized hail was reported in Colorado and Kansas saw winds up to 81 mph with the severe storms.

PHOTO: A Tornado Watch is in effect for northern Louisiana, May 11, 2023. (ABC News)

Severe storms are expected yet again across the Plains on Friday from Texas to Iowa. Cities such as San Antonio; Dallas; Oklahoma City; Kansas City, Missouri; and Des Moines, Iowa, could see damaging winds, large hail and brief tornadoes. Brief tornadoes are most likely to occur in the pocket from Des Moines to Kansas City, while Oklahoma City to San Antonio will likely see large hail.

Aside from the severe weather, southern Texas will also see very heavy rain over the next several days. Locally, 6 to 10 inches of rain are possible, along with a flash flood threat Friday into the weekend.

PHOTO: Severe storms are expected across the plains from Texas to Iowa on May 12, 2023. (ABC News)

Flood alerts are also in effect from the Dakotas to Colorado and Montana, where heavy rain is also expected.

Heat wave in the West

PHOTO: Heat wave from Seattle into Central California over the weekend, May 13, 2023. (ABC News)

In the West, an early season, summer-like heat wave from Seattle and Portland, Oregon, into central California is expected over the weekend and could bring major, record-breaking heat.

An excessive heat watch is in effect for Seattle and Portland Saturday through Monday. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 80s in Seattle and into the 90s in Portland.

Record highs are also possible for several days straight in the Pacific Northwest over the weekend and into early next week.

Major, record-breaking heat wave moves into West Coast originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Global superstardom is on the cards for Alia Bhatt, who was just announced as Guccis first global ambassador from India. Following her successful debut at the Met Gala 2023 red carpet, the most gatekept fashion event of the year, Bhatt was perhaps the obvious choice for an expansion in the fashion space.

The acclaimed star, whose performance at the recent Golden-Globes-nominated film RRR has been tracking the spotlight all over the world, is making major moves in the global scene. She might just have become a familiar face in Hollywood with Heart of Stone, but Alia Bhatt has been on the radar for just a hot minute and she's now ready to conquer fashion.

Alia Bhatt Gucci.png Mark Seliger

The star will make her first foray into the fashion industry by attending Guccis upcoming Cruise 2024 showcase in Seoul, South Korea. She will be joining the ranks of global ambassadors at Gucci such as Dakota Johnson, Hanni from the K-pop group NewJeans, and Harry Styles.

Apart from Bhatt, up till now, only a handful of Indian faces have explored the fashion territory on such a global scale, which includes the likes of Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra. This new move from a mega luxury house, following suit of competitors will perhaps signal a change in the global perception of the power of Indian talent.

This story first appeared in Vogue India. It has been lightly edited.

Want more like this from Teen Vogue? Check these stories out:

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
Amazon inaugurated its largest facility in New England, which will create thousands of jobs, according to the e-commerce giant.

The Seattle tech titan officially opened the 3.8 million square-foot Windsor, Conn. fulfillment center this month alongside the Governnor Ned Lamont, Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz and other state and local elected officials. Amazon has been hiring employees for the facility, which also houses state-of-the-art robotics technology, since last fall. The opening adds to a statewide Amazon facility network that supports 15,000 full- and part-time employees.

More from Sourcing Journal

I am thrilled Amazon is investing further into the great state of Connecticut with the opening of its new fulfillment center in Windsor, Lamont said. This fulfillment center is adding more than 2,000 well-paid jobs with excellent benefits into the Greater Hartford economy, and I look forward to the impact it will have on the region and state for years to come.

Bysiewicz noted that the facility will deliver innovation and next-generation jobs to the Windsor area while enhancing the customer experience. Beyond its creation of good-paying, in-demand jobs, Amazon is committed to investing in and volunteering for local organizations and nonprofits, ensuring that not just their business, but the entire community thrives, she added.

Employees began picking, packing and shipping orders of books, electronics, household goods and toys in November, according to the facilitys general manager, Gurol Butun. The robotic fulfillment center will increase delivery speed and efficiency, and the team has also engaged with projects and organizations within the community. Its a privilege to lead this team and create a safe, engaging, and fun workplace that allows our employees to flourish, Butun said.

Story continues

Amazon also announced a $10,000 donation to youth innovators including those from Windsor High School and the surrounding area. The investment will support Team Paragon 571, an arm of the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) international youth organization, which operates its own robotics competition. Team president Brian Abbot said the funding would support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

Over the past 13 years, Amazon said it has invested more than $6 billion in Connecticut, adding $5.5 billion to the state economy. It said highly competitive wages start at $19 per hour, and benefits effective on the first day of employment. A search of Amazon fulfillment center positions on job boards indicates that most roles pay up to $19.40 per hour, with potential $3,000 signing bonuses.

Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy recently said the company expects to see its fastest ever delivery speeds this year, with over 26 million shoppers ordering items for same-day delivery last quarterup 50 percent from the same period in 2022.

As a result, the company has been re-architecting our placement approach and larger fulfillment center footprint to move from a national fulfillment network in the U.S. to a regional one, he said in an earnings call last month. It means weve created each interconnected region in geographic areas with each of these regions having broad relevant selection to operate in a largely self-sufficient way, while still being able to ship nationally when necessary.

Click here to read the full article.
Benson cobb studio 5

Meet The Makers |

By Caroline Biggs

Carol Benson-Cobb - Photo Credit Chris Cobb

Carol Benson-Cobb likes to create moods with distinct color palettes. The Dallas-based artist employs certain tones and hues to paint atmospheric artworks that elevate and enhance the unique ambience of a space. My love has always been painting for projects, customizing my work for an end objective, she tells Business of Home.

Growing up in rural Texas and Colorado, Benson-Cobb was always a creative thinker. I was surrounded by the natural landscape and horses, she says. My art developed through circumstance. I had an early connection to nature and a big imagination that left me longing for more creativity.

Over the years, she tried her hand at several different painting styles, before falling in love with abstract art while living in the high deserts of Arizona. My first real studio sat on the edge of a canyon, and I painted nonstop for a year, she says. That experience changed my path. I honed my style and became extremely focused.

She began working directly with collectors and interior designers before relocating to Dallas and opening a commercial studio. In 2011, she partnered with Holly Hunt on a licensed collection of original works for their showrooms. However, after much deliberation, she decided to purchase the existing inventory and walk away from the collaboration, eventually relaunching reproductions under her own brand name. The partnership really pushed my work and confidence forward, but I quickly recognized the inevitable conflict of maintaining my value and controlling my distribution, she says.

Intersect wallpaper by Carol Benson-Cobb for York Wallcoverings - Photo Credit Courtesy of Carol Benson-Cobb

By 2012, Benson-Cobb launched a manufacturing studio and began scaling her fine art into shoppable prints for big-name brands, including Neiman Marcus, One Kings Lane, Williams-Sonoma and Calvin Klein. I am self-taught across the board, which is very painful at times, she says. I learned to print out of pure frustration with our printing source, but that was probably the biggest game changer. Learning how to manipulate my work gave me a unique business model and a definite niche in the industry.

Story continues

Entanglement wallpaper in black by Carol Benson-Cobb for York Wallcoverings - Photo Credit Courtesy of York Wallcoverings

Being both a creative force and a business owner can prove challenging at times for Benson-Cobb, who often struggles to pivot to painting mode after playing boss all day. I have a daily routine of setting aside time in each category that needs my attention, then checking out completely for larger blocks of time when I need to produce new work, she says. I need space away from the business to maintain that flow.

Along with original and reproduced artworks, Benson-Cobb collaborates with brands on furniture and textile designs. In addition to a collection of artful furnishingsincluding an ombre-esque eglomise paneled credenza for John-Richard and a series of hand-knotted rugs for Creative Touchshe recently released a line of ethereal wallpaper patterns for York Wallcoverings. I have always been interested in seeing the work translated to various forms, she says.

Looking ahead, Benson-Cobb hopes to team up with new brands on bespoke pieces inspired by her artwork. I think my creative drive leaves me no choice but to seek out ways to expand my work, she says. Licensing has become a great tool, and I am hopeful there will be new partnerships in the areas that make the most sense for the integrity of the artwork.

If you want to learn more about Carol Benson-Cobb, visit her website or Instagram.

Want to stay informed? Sign up for our newsletter, which recaps the weeks stories, and get in-depth industry news and analysis each quarter by subscribing to our print magazine. Join BOH Insider for discounts, workshops and access to special events such as the Future of Home conference.
Five students from Blackhawk, Beaver, Riverside and Lincoln Park reached the highest level a high school musician can achieve by earning a place in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) All-State Festival music ensembles.

Those students: Skye Lanham and Adrianna Petraitis from Blackhawk; Devin Montileone of Riverside, Alexa Young of Lincoln Park; and Ian McCarty-Cogis of Beaver.

Blackhawk High School students Adrianna Petraitis and Skye Lanham (from left), along with three students from the Beaver, Riverside and Lincoln Park Performing Arts high schools, earned a place in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) All-State Festival music ensembles.

Lanham, a soprano, will perform with the All-State Chorus; Petraitis (oboe), Montileone (trumpet), Young (violin) and McCarty-Cogis (string bass) will perform with their corresponding all-state bands/ensembles.

Each year, thousands of high school musicians across the state audition in their geographic area. Individually, students perform for a panel of judges. Student musicians who rank the highest advance to compete against student musicians from other parts of PMEA Regions. The highest-ranking student musicians at the PMEA region level qualify to perform in one of six Pennsylvania All-State music ensembles.

Coming together for a unique performance experience like the PMEA All-State Festival is a top honor for student musicians in Pennsylvania," PMEA president Scott Cullen said. "They represent all of the amazing music programs from across the commonwealth. What these students can do as an ensemble in a few short days and hours together is truly remarkable.

Reaching this level takes years of preparation and practice, as well as confidence and poise," said Maura Saint, choir director at Blackhawk High School. "We are proud to be able to offer these educational opportunities through the Music Department at Blackhawk High School.

More: What's Cooking: Build-A-Burger planned for Beaver Valley Mall, Zooky's gets new owners

The student musicians who qualify will perform at the annual PMEA All-State Festival at the Kalahari Resort in The Poconos, Pennsylvania April 19-22. Nationally recognized conductors at the convention direct the groups who rehearse for two days and conclude with a performance. Learn more about the event and the guest conductors at pmea.net/pmeaall-stateinformation/

PMEA is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the musical development of all Pennsylvanians.

This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: Beaver County students to participate in all-state honors music ensemble
Shut Down Shein burst almost as out of the blue as the fashion Goliath its determined to dismantle.

Despite being just over a month old, the coalition of like-minded individuals and businesses, as its inaugural press release in April put it, is holding nothing back, whether in media statements, digital ads or newsletter sponsorships. On its website at ShutDownShein.com, it accuses the fast-growing Chinese e-tailer of being the biggest national threat youve never heard of, replete with dangerous and reprehensible behavior such as using forced Uyghur labor and exploiting U.S. customs laws to circumvent billions in tariffs. Shein, the organization claims, is also turning American consumers, mostly teenagers and young women, into unwitting accomplices as they play the role of importers, allowing the company to dispatch its products in individual shipments under a price threshold that would subject them to greater scrutiny.

More from Sourcing Journal

If TikTok is the needle, said Chapin Fay, the Shut Down Sheins executive director, referencing the preponderance of haul videos on the social-media site, then Shein is the drug. The Singapore-headquartered company, he told Sourcing Journal, isnt just pouring advertising dollars into the platform but its also recruiting influencers.

Thats how Shein has done an incredible job of infiltrating the U.S. economy through TikTok, he said.

SHEIN  a CCP-controlled, fast-fashion company and among TikToks largest advertisers  is turning U.S. children into unwitting accomplices for their possible crimes against humanity in using slaves to pick cotton in China.



Washington must #ShutDownSHEIN: https://t.co/cpPssy96BP pic.twitter.com/cM8FTRrSAO  ShutDownSHEIN (@ShutDownSHEIN) April 27, 2023

And if TikTok, by virtue of its parent companys links to China, has raised national security concerns, then Shein should be viewed with the same gimlet eye, Fay said. He pointed to Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhats charge that the Chinese Communist Party is behind the Guangzhou-founded firms so-called surveillance capitalism, adding that there is 100 percent a relationship between these two companies.

Story continues

Shein said that it categorically denies the groups claims, which it dubbed false and baseless.

Shein proudly provides customers with on-demand and affordable fashion, beauty and lifestyle products, lawfully and with full respect for the communities where we operate, a spokesperson told Sourcing Journal.

A rather sensational group called Shut Down SHEIN is advertising in POLITICO



Its website is as sensational as its name



Unclear who is behind it



(cc all the China tech reporters who see this tweet) pic.twitter.com/S7jZJVJOwr  Kevin Xu (interconnected.blog) (@kevinsxu) May 8, 2023

Fay is the managing director of Actum, a consulting firm with offices in New York, California and Washington, D.C. Coming from government, he previously served as a counsel to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and as press secretary and director of public affairs for New York Governor George Pataki. Fay is also the founder and CEO of Lighthouse Public Affairs, where building coalitions is a specialty. One of his more recent efforts was rallying business and construction groups to push for infrastructure improvements in New York City.

Less is known about the dozen or so American brands, human rights organizations and individuals that make up the coalition. While their identities remain masked for nowthe brands, Fay said, are known but not giganticthis may change.

We hope to make the members public at the appropriate time, he said. We are not there yet.

Its the members themselves that are funding Shut Down Sheins activities. Fay said its working with a six-figure sum at the moment, though this could increase.

What triggered the formation of the group was a combination of different things, he said. The enactment of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which imposes a rebuttable presumption that all goods originating in part or in whole from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region are the result of forced labor and therefore barred from entering the United States, was a big inflection point, Fay said. There were smaller triggers, too: The Chinese spy balloon that sparked a furor earlier this year. The mounting suspicions about TikTok. It was no coincidence that Shut Down Sheins launch dovetailed with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chews testimony before Congress.

We wanted to make sure that O.K., while you guys are talking about TikTok, this is what Shein is doing totally under the radar that no one knows about, Fay said. We wanted to make sure that these members of Congress and decision-makers in the executive branch were also paying attention to Sheins various business practices.

Fay said that Shut Down Sheins purpose isnt a prescriptive oneother than the fact that it wants to, well, shut down Shein. The coalition, he said, seeks to be educational. Already members of the group have met with dozens of members offices and committees on Capitol Hill, he said.

Were not really opposing or supporting any particular legislative fixes or agenda or anything like that, Fay said. We are just making sure that everyone has the information they need.

Not that this is a hard and fast rule. If someone proposes legislation or regulatory reform that would, in Shut Down Sheins eyes, make a difference, it may switch its tack. For now, however, were just making sure that the issue is being talked about, he said.

Fay dismissed any suggestion that attacks on Chinese companies like Shein, whose meteoric rise to a $65-$85 billion powerhouse took many industry incumbents by surprise, amount to Sinophobia. He said that Sheins is the business model that others are following, which is why it needs to be stopped. There are no plans to expand to campaign to similar platforms like Temu, though its not out of the realm of possibility, he said.

NEW: As @SHEIN_Official reportedly prepares for an IPO, Americans deserve to know whether clothes they're buying are made w/forced labor.@RepJohnRose & I are leading a bipartisan effort to uphold human rights & certify we keep products sourced from forced labor out of the U.S. pic.twitter.com/JzVn5ZpPkg  Rep. Jennifer Wexton (@RepWexton) May 1, 2023

The reception from both sides of the aisle has been overwhelmingly positive, Fay said, describing the halls of power as almost in unanimous agreement that there are problems that need to be fixed.

And so the phase one of our campaign was raising awareness and meeting with these legislators, he said. And I think youre gonna see the phase shift to O.K., so whats the solution here?

Fay doesnt take creditat least not all of itfor the recent flurry of letters from lawmakers questioning Shein about its practices. The coalition, he said, is just there to shine a light.

This is all member-driven, he said. This is all government-driven. The letters arent from us.

Fay said that the group wants to shut down Sheins IPO and its access to children, teenagers and any U.S. consumer who doesnt know what Shein is doing. Shut Down Shein has no problem with healthy competition, he said, and if the most-downloaded shopping app chooses to come out of the darkness, start paying tariffs and start acting like other good corporate citizens in America, then wed be having a very different conversation right now.

While we are calling for the shutdown of Shein because of the way theyre currently operating, the ultimate goal is to bring them into the regulatory scheme and level the playing field, he said. If they want to do business in America, they need to follow the same rules that everyone else is following.

Click here to read the full article.
Getty Images

"You have to treat [women] like shit." "When I come home and dinners not ready, I go through the roof." "I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the pussy."

These may read like the ramblings on an incel forum, or the comments under one of Andrew Tates TikTok videos, but they are, as we know, all statements made by Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States.

Although it seems inconceivable that someone with such power and responsibility could spew this kind of misogyny, it is something that Trump has been getting away with for years, decades  until now.

Over the past two weeks, headlines across the world have been dominated by a legal case brought against Trump by E Jean Carroll, who accused him of sexually assaulting and raping her in the changing room of a department store in the mid-nineties.

Following a tense two-week trial, the jury of six men and three women reached their verdict after just a few hours, finding him legally responsible for sexually assaulting Carroll, but not for raping her. Carroll was able to bring the civil case against Trump after New York passed the Adult Survivors Act in 2022  this allows a one-year period for victims to file sexual assault lawsuits in the state involving claims that would have normally exceeded the statute of limitations.

During the trial  which Trump was not present for, a choice we might generously consider sheer arrogance  Carroll described in graphic detail how the former president allegedly assaulted her in the lingerie department of New Yorks Bergdorf Goodman in 1995 or 1996. Carrolls legal team called 11 witnesses to the stand to corroborate her claims, including two women who say they were also sexually assaulted by Trump. One woman told jurors that Trump had groped her during a flight in the 1970s, while another accused Trump of forcibly kissing her while she was interviewing him for an article in 2005.

Story continues

Trumps team, on the other hand, called no witnesses, and he has consistently denied the allegations. "It's just made up," he told jurors during the trial via video, later placing himself as the victim of a miscarriage of justice with a post on Truth Social  a media platform he founded in 2021  that read: "I have absolutely no idea who this woman is. This verdict is a disgrace  a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time!"



"Today, the world finally knows the truth," Carroll said in a statement following the verdict. "This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed."

Getty Images

The victory has been celebrated on social media  not least because it means Trump is the first president to be found legally responsible for such an act  with many hailing the verdict as a "win for all women".



"This guilty verdict is not only a victory for E Jean Carroll, but a victory for all women in general," one person tweeted, as someone else said: "After carrying an injustice done to her for almost three decades, E Jean Carroll finally had her day in court and found vindication from a jury of six men and three women. Hers is a victory for all survivors."



But can we really consider this a complete win for women? The verdict has been 30 years in the making for Carroll, who is now 79, and she has suffered ruthless trolling on social media as well as being consistently undermined by Trump. Last year, the former US president branded Carroll a "complete con job" and accused her of spreading lies following her allegations. Although Trump was found liable for defamation for these comments, the damage  of discrediting a sexual assault victim  was done.

Is it any wonder then that so many victims of sexual assault never come forward? In the UK, stats from Rape Crisis show that five in six women in the UK who are raped dont report this to police, with 34% saying they thought doing so would be humiliating. This is often made even harder when the accused has status  just take a look at the online vitriol aimed at Amber Heard following the claims she made against ex-husband Johnny Depp, all of which he publicly denied.

Whats more, victims  who often face long-lasting impacts of the crimes committed against them, be it to their mental health, work and social lives or relationships  have to watch on as their alleged abusers face little to no repercussions. Like Depp, who continues to have a global fanbase and a lucrative career, Trump was still able to enter the most powerful office in the world with allegations including Carrolls hanging over his head. Although he has denied them all, at least 26 women have accused the former POTUS of sexual misconduct to date, with claims dating back more than 50 years  a bleak reminder that womens cries can fall on deaf ears, especially when in the face of immense power.

Its why Carrolls decision to go up against this force must be applauded, but we must also acknowledge that fighting for what is right isnt something all women have the means, energy or ability to do, particularly when it comes to victims of colour or other marginalised groups.

Nevertheless, Carrolls win does still feel like a step in the right direction. To that end, all we can do is hope that Carrolls impressive resolve will serve as a source of empowerment to other victims of sexual assault. We may often go unheard, distrusted and humiliated, but vindication in the face of adversity is possible  even if it takes 30 years to achieve.

For help with any of the issues discussed in this article, visit:Rape Crisis England & Wales, Rape Crisis Scotland or Rape Crisis Northern Ireland. Rape Crisis provides emotional and practical support for survivors, families and friends.



You Might Also Like
A man walks past the logo of Deutsche Telekom AG at the headquarters of German telecommunications giant in Bonn

BERLIN (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom slightly raised its full-year operating profit target on Thursday after reporting a small bump in first-quarter revenue and profit that was in line with expectations.

The group now expects adjusted operating profit (EBITDA AL) to now reach 40.9 billion euros ($45.02 billion) in 2023, from previous guidance of 40.8 billion euros, on a more optimistic outlook from US subsidiary T-Mobile, it said.

An increase in customers helped first-quarter revenue grow 0.3% to 27.8 billion euros, while operating profit rose 0.9% to 10 billion euros. Consensus forecasts provided by the company put revenue at 27.8 billion euros and profit at 9.9 billion.

Deutsche Telekom said proceeds from the sale of its tower business helped reduce net debt excluding leases by over 10 billion euros compared with the end of 2022, to 93 billion euros. The transaction was also the main factor behind the near quadrupling of net profit, to 15.4 billion euros, compared with the same period last year, the company said.

Deutsche Telekom had agreed in July 2022 to sell 51% of its tower business in Germany and Austria to a consortium of Canada's Brookfield and U.S. private equity firm DigitalBridge after they made a surprise last-minute bid that valued the unit at 17.5 billion euros ($17.5 billion).

($1 = 0.9084 euros)

(Reporting by Hakan Ersen, Writing by Miranda Murray; editing by Friedrike Heine)
How does real change happen in a $9 trillion global travel industry? Sometimes it starts with prompting from travelers themselves. Sometimes it's spurred on by those with influence or bright ideas. But often, it's industry leaders, working tirelessly everyday to shape the largest companies, non-profits, and design firms from within. That's why, during Hot List seasonwhen we celebrate the best new openings in travel, from the fresh hotels wed plan a trip around to boundary-pushing dining, cruise ships, museums, and morewe've decided to introduce our Conde Nast Traveler Changemakers list: An esteemed collection of the founders and executives who are making real advances in the world of tourism.

Read on to meet the CEOs, chefs, architects, and conservationists leaving a lasting impact on the way we travel in 2023 and beyond, from innovating lie-flat plane seats in economy to championing Indigenous land stewardship and spearheading sustainable hotel design.

All listings featured on Conde Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Carlos Couturier

Cofounder, Grupo Habita

When we embarked on our first hotel, Mexico City was a place people didn't want to come to, says Carlos Couturier, cofounder and managing partner of Grupo Habita, whose 15 properties are predominantly in Mexico. [Our] first hotel was a love letter to everyone in the global community on the beauty and potential of our country, our city.

Fast-forward two decades and the hotel group has garnered a reputation as a powerhouse for incubating talent in architecture and interior design. On a global scale, Grupo Habita launched the careers of nowindustry leaders Joseph Dirand, India Mahdavi, and Dimorestudio. Within Mexico theres Frida Escobedo, now the designer behind the Mets new modern and contemporary galleries in New York Citymaking her the first woman to design a wing at the iconic museum; Alberto Kalach, whose latest project (and third with Grupo Habita) is Hotel Terrestre in Oaxaca, a buzzed-about property that is 100 percent solar-powered and up for multiple design awards; then there are Jorge Ambrosi and Gabriela Etchegaray, whose firm Ambrosi Etchegaray has since designed the Guayacan Pavilion at the famed Fundacion Casa Wabi in Oaxaca, which shelters endangered plant life.

Story continues

But Couturier is responsible for creating an experience beyond architecture and designEnrique Olivera, the Pujol chef who kicked off a culinary revolution in Mexico, was put in charge of food and beverage in 2007. Quintonil chef Jorge Vallejo and Maximo Bistrots Eduardo Garcia are also alumni, later becoming forces in their own rights.

Couturiers hotels allow guests to escape their daily lives, yet in the process he has redefined what a hotel can do for budding creatives. In the years to come, hell double down on this approach. Otro Oaxaca opens first, in June 2023; Hotel Sevilla in Yucatan will follow later in the year, in the heart of Meridas old city; then a small and sexy hotel by the ocean in San Agustinillo, Oaxaca, is on the books, before the brand charts course back to Mexico City, where it all began. Ximena Beltran Quan Kiu

Hedda Felin

CEO, Hurtigruten Norway

Can the cruise industry be environmentally friendly? Thats a question Hedda Felin, chief executive officer of Hurtigruten Norway, spends her time thinking aboutand she and her team are committing to answering it with a resounding yes.

Hurtigruten Norway, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, hopes to sail its first zero-emission cruise ship by 2030. Felin, who leads operations of Hurtigrutens Norwegian Coastal Express fleet, says that while the company works toward that goal, it is powering forward on improving the sustainability of existing ships.

Stian Klo/Hurtigruten Norway

We will become zero, but I think it's very important to start with what we have, she says.

The company is renovating ships, some of which are decades-old, with an eye on environmentally friendly paint, and new propeller blades, gears, and control systems that minimize energy use. Last September, it launched its first battery-hybrid powered ship, the MS Richard With, and one more is expected to be ready by the end of 2023.

Sustainable cruising goes beyond having energy-efficient ships, Felin says. It calls for the inclusion of and respect for the coastal communities that are affected by travelers sailing in and out of their ports. I certainly, strongly believe that for those who dont take this seriously now, there is no future, Felin says. Tariro Mzezewa

Jeanne Gang

Architect, Studio Gang

When asked to pinpoint her earliest inspirations, acclaimed architect Jeanne Gang usually starts talking about bridges. On her familys extensive road trips throughout the United States, her engineer dad would go out of his way to stop and observe all kinds of spans and crossings.

These formative travel moments helped shape her celebrated architectural landmarks, which connect a still too rare ecological consciousness with practical innovations in materials and design. Architecture creates the platform for human interaction and sets the tone for our social relationships, Gang shared in a recent interview. But less noticed is how architecture mediates between people, environment, and even other species. Having opened Studio Gang Architects in 1997, her firms work aims to, well, bridge those gaps. Adding to her vast array of groundbreaking projectsincluding skyscrapers like Aqua Tower and the upcoming St. Regis that have already redefined the Chicago skylineis Populous, a Denver hotel set to open in 2024. The carbon impact of its ongoing operations will be offset through several strategies, including the planting of 5,000 acres of forest. Gangs ideas represent meaningful steps in making hotel construction less environmentally taxing. The hotels sculptural, organic facade will be the first clue to guests about the sustainably-minded approach her team took in developing the lodging, which includes using lower-impact concrete mix and recycled materials. Its also the first new-build hotel in the city to forgo a parking garage, reducing the amount of embodied carbon in the building, while encouraging travelers to hop on public transportation.

Gang sometimes describes the philosophy underpinning her practice as actionable idealism, making clear her view of the role designers and developers must play in averting the worst of a climate emergency. And with the built environment estimated to be responsible for nearly 40 percent of annual carbon emissions, her mantra couldnt be more urgent. JD Shadel

Sean Sherman

Chef, Owamni

Although acclaimed chef Sean Sherman (Oglala Lakota) is best known for his James Beard Awardwinning Minneapolis eatery Owamniwhere the decolonized menu is decidedly devoid of Eurocentric ingredients like beef, pork, chicken, dairy, wheat flour, and cane sugarhis mission to revitalize Indigenous foodways stretches far beyond the Midwest. The Time 100 honoree envisions a future where you can travel across Turtle Island and experience the rich, diverse culinary traditions of the tribal peoples of each region.

Scott Streble

Thats why, this year, hes turning his attention to his nonprofit, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS ), with an aim to set up regional Indigenous Food Lab training centers to support other Native entrepreneurs. Sherman will be crisscrossing the country to connect with Indigenous groups eager to learn from him, from Hawaii to Georgia to his native South Dakota. Its all in line with his newly appointed role as part of the U.S. State Departments American Culinary Corps, a consortium of food-world luminaries tapped to serve as diplomatic ambassadors domestically and abroad. Across North America, Asia, Australia, and really everywhere, theres this shared history of colonialism and extreme violence against the original Indigenous people that most travelers just dont see, says Sherman, who hopes to one day see must-try Native restaurants like his dotting the globe. We have so much work to do in stewarding Native cultures, foodways, and knowledge so that we can live closer to the Earth and create a better world for the next generation. Kate Nelson

Patrick Goddard

President, Brightline

Since becoming president of Brightlinethe United States first privately owned and operated passenger rail system in over a centuryin 2017, Patrick Goddard has been working to reinvent train travel in the country, as he tells us from his Miami office. The development and expansion of the companys multibillion-dollar intercity passenger rail, which will connect Central and South Florida this summer, is just one of the ways hes been doing that.

The project will take riders from Orlando International Airport to Miami in about three hours, accessing some 68 million visitors yearly and passing through Floridas most populated areas. More than just linking destinations that are too short to fly and too far to drive, as Goddard describes it, the line will sit at the intersection of hospitality and transportationmeaning it will offer passengers a fully fledged travel experience from beginning to end.

Building an experience is key for high-speed rail to work in the United States, says Goddard, a former hotel executive. So thats what we have done. From the architecture of our stations to the design of our trains and the services on board, the idea is to make you enjoy every aspect of the journey. Its the antithesis of most peoples perception of rail travel.

Beyond Florida, Brightline West will have a route set to run the 218 miles between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, California, using existing transportation corridors. The company is currently positioned to break ground on this project in the second half of 2023. Its going to be transformative for that region, Goddard says. Marianna Cerini

Larissa Hale

Managing Director, Queensland Indigenous Womens Ranger Network

Remember this word: rematriation. Its a concept that centers on returning land to Indigenous women, and using their knowledge to restore the Earth and our connection to it. Its also why Queensland-based Larissa Hale is committed to getting more Aboriginal women and traditional owners involved in protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

Day to day, Hales work might entail being out in the field for mussel monitoring or conducting controlled burns to maintain the health of Australias lush coast, or it might require writing grant applications and teaching children about their role in conservation. Hale, a Yuku Baja Muliku woman from Cape York, leads the Queensland Indigenous Womens Ranger Network, a groundbreaking collective that provides a forum for women rangers to share their experiences, in addition to chairing the Traditional Owner Advisory Group of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and sitting as a councilor in her countys government. All her efforts are paying off. Back in 2008, I was the only female ranger coordinator in our state, and today there are 136, says Hale. Our ambition is to reach out to a network of countries around the world to build a global collective, helping to care for and restore the planetthe largest effort of its kind. Todd Plummer

Christopher J. Nassetta

President & CEO, Hilton

In 2007, when Christopher Nassetta heard that Hilton International had been sold for $26 billion, the then president and CEO of Host Hotels & Resorts had a feeling the deal would change his life. Fast-forward a few short months and Nassetta was Hiltons new CEO, charged with moving the struggling hospitality brand into a brighter future. In a 2022 interview, Nassetta shared that his plan was simple: We had to get back to the basics and remind ourselves what made Hilton so iconic in the first placeour hospitality, he says. That meant touring their properties, and speaking to guests and employees at every job level to figure out where changes needed to be made. By the time Nassetta was done, a new age of Hilton was born, with new internal training programsincluding one that has managers regularly stepping into the jobs of housekeeping and cooks to understand pain pointsand perks for guests like a new mobile app, and an easier way to use points with the Hilton Honors program.

Now, Nassetta is looking to expand this thinking beyond the hotel brand. As the Man Who Turned Around Hilton Nassetta envisions an evolution of the entire travel industry. He was recently made national chair of the U.S. Travel Association, where Nassetta plans to use his innovative strategies to increase travel within the U.S. and create seamless and efficient end-to-end experiences. Yet just like when he started at Hilton all those years ago, Nassetta says his plan for leading travel into the future is simple: My longevity has been the ability to just sort of filter noise out and know when to take an exit occasionally, when to change lanes, but not doing it so often that everyone around you is rattled and they cant see what tomorrow is going to be. Danielle Pointdujour

Kerry Reeves

Head of Aircraft Programmes, Air New Zealand

At 35,000 feet in the air, any wink of sleep is a privilege. No one knows that better than Kiwis. Theres no short flight to New Zealand, says Kerry Reeves, head of aircraft programmes at Air New Zealand. But, as he likes to put it, its only one sleep away from much of the world. Consequently, rest is central to how the airline designs its onboard experiencesthough getting some quality shut-eye on, say, the nearly 18-hour flight from New York City to Auckland typically means shelling out for a business or first-class ticket with lie-flat seats. Meanwhile, economy gets little more than plastic wrapped blankets.

Courtesy Air New Zealand

As an engineer focused on improving airline cabins, he wanted to shift the paradigm and make every economy passengers dream of lying flat a reality. For more than a decade, hes been leading an in-house team in developing whats dubbed the Skynest. Think of it like a space-age hostel in the clouds. Economy passengers will get a chance to climb into this first-of-its-kind stack of six bunks for four-hour shifts starting next year, when the sleeping pods start landing in the airlines new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and existing fleet of retrofitted 787-9s. Its essentially a cabin within a cabin, which has to incorporate all the complex emergency and operational systems from air-conditioning to oxygen masks into the one unit. Solving a design puzzle this challenging is a major reason no other airline has attempted anything like it. It's easy to innovate in business classreally easy, he says. But to be innovative in economy, with the constraints of the physical space you have and the price point, thats really hard to do. J.S.

Keith Vincent

CEO, Wilderness

Few executives in sustainable travel have the breadth and depth of experience of Keith Vincent. He spent most of the 80s as a guide based out in Victoria Falls before joining Wilderness Safaris (today, just Wilderness) in 1992, first to develop their Zimbabwe business, then their Botswana business; then he stepped into the role of CEO in 2008. He has navigated Southern Africas geopolitical challenges, has ridden the industrys spurts and stunts of growth in tandem with the global economy, and, most important, has perfected a model of conservation tourism that has brought more than six million acres of land under Wildernesss care.

Many of the buzzwords we use in responsible travel todayrewilding, human sustainabilityare rooted in Wildernesss operations. In most of the areas that we operate, the wildlife is better off than it was 20 or 30 years ago, says Vincent. Across Wildernesss concessions in Zimbabwe, for instance, elephant populations are up 18 percent, buffalo are up 19 percent, and wildebeest are up 85 percent. I believe that our African model can work unbelievably well in so many other places. Thats why Wilderness is planning to expand into new ecosystems around the world camps in South America are in the works for 2024, and there are whispers of projects in Asia. Its all part of Wildernesss strategy to double their land under management by the year 2030. If we can transfer the knowledge weve built up for the last 40 years [to more communities], imagine how much good we could do for the planet, says Vincent. T.P.

Wilma Wallace

Chief Diversity and Social Impact Officer, REI Co-op

Wilma Wallace, REI Co-ops first-ever chief diversity and social impact officer, sees the outdoors as a place where people experience joy, solace, liberation, and renewal. The fact that people of color have been excluded from these public spaces is something thats not lost on her.

How could you not want someone else to be able to experience something that, for many of us, is essentially free? Wallace says of enjoying time outside. It is a human right, and we're denying a large percentage of the population the ability to exercise that right.

Making the outdoors accessible for everyone is at the heart of Wallaces work, and under her leadership, REI is putting money behind big initiatives that promote diversity: In 2021 REIs Path Ahead Ventures began investing what will amount to $30 million by 2030 in hundreds of founders of color with outdoor businesses. REIs product impact standards provide suggestions for how gear and outdoor companies can be inclusive in their marketing, product development, and sizing.

As a next step, Wallace points to research being done by Dr. Nooshin Razani, one beneficiary of REIs Cooperative Action Fund, as an example of the companys commitment to thinking about the outdoors as a necessity for all. At the Center for Nature and Health at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Dr. Razani is studying the benefits of the outdoors for mental and physical health, particularly for children.

Wallace says that she is optimistic about the state of diversity and inclusion in the outdoor industry and that, these days, she sees more people of color and varying backgrounds on hikes and on ski slopes.

REI is doing everything we can do to make sure that trajectory continues and people continue to see people like them in a product that is accessible, that fits, and that feels good, so they can continue experiencing the outdoors in a way that is meaningful for them, she says. T.M.

Originally Appeared on Conde Nast Traveler
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called former President Donald Trump a coward and a puppet of Putin for refusing to say that Ukraine should win in its war against Russia.

During a CNN town hall Wednesday night, Trump said it wasn't wise to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, since that would make negotiating with him more difficult. When asked about the comment Thursday morning, Christie said he strongly disagrees.

I think he's a coward and I think he's a puppet of Putin, Christie, a Republican weighing a presidential run, told radio host Hugh Hewitt. I don't know why, to tell you the truth, but I can't figure it out, but there's no other conclusion to come to.

When asked by CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins if he wants Ukraine to win the war, Trump answered: I dont think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people. He added, I want everybody to stop dying.

That Trump wouldnt back Ukraine was the most stunning moment in the debate, Christie said. If you don't say that you think Ukraine should win the war, I don't know where you stand with Putin.



On the other hand, Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), who has been outspoken about supporting Ukraine's war efforts against Russia but voted with fellow House Republicans against sending additional aid in December, praised Trump for being smart enough, tactical enough for not making foreign policy decisions on stage.

But if President Joe Biden had given the same answer about the war, I would slam [him], Mast told CNNs Phil Mattingly Thursday morning. Mast has endorsed Trump for president in 2024.

The CNN host prodded Mast on why he isnt criticizing the former president for the comments, to which the representative replied that theyre two very different people, and they act in two very different ways, citing the Biden administrations Afghanistan withdrawal and southern border policy.

Story continues

But former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, another GOP presidential candidate, said that he was bothered by Trump's claim that he could successfully negotiate with Putin to end the war.

He basically talks about himself being a great negotiator. Well, he set the stage by saying, We can end this in one day, if Im president. That gives away [any] negotiating leverage that he has because he tells Putin that, Youre going to win, you've got the leverage as we go into the negotiation, Hutchinson said on CNN Wednesday night. It's a terrible mistake, a terrible position, not supporting Ukraine.

John Bolton, Trumps former national security adviser and another potential presidential candidate, also chimed in to blast his former boss on Thursday.

Trump's become a joke boasting he can end the Ukraine war in 24 hours immediately after losing a sexual abuse and defamation trial, Bolton wrote on Twitter, referencing the former president being found liable of sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll.
Dog Saves Mans Life During Heart Attack

man performs cpr dog saves man's life

(Photo credit: Chalabala / Getty Images)

A dog in Japan helped save a mans life by calling for help with her barking.

Dog saves mans life

According to CNN, the heroic pup is a 5-year-old mixed-breed dog named Koume. She works at a horse-riding club in Wakaba-ku, Chiba City, as a mascot. Employing female pups that greet members is a generations-long tradition at the club.

Koume was on duty at the club on Feb. 25 when a rider had a heart attack. She began barking.

Koume is usually quiet and barks only under rare circumstances, Yuna Maruo, a 23-year-old riding instructor present at the time of the incident, told CNN. But when an emergency arises, Koume does bark.

That barking alerted people nearby to the riders condition. Staff rushed to assist the man and called an ambulance. Paramedics arrived and used an automated external defibrillator to save the man.

An official from the Wakaba Fire Department praised the dogs actions: Koumes action in calling for help and the staffs actions were a perfect response.

The rider recovered from the heart attack and is riding again at the club.

In honor of her life-saving actions, Koume appeared at a special ceremony, where she received an official letter of appreciation from local fire officials.

A history of helping

Maruo told CNN that this wasnt Koumes first act of service. Once, she alerted people to a runaway a horse. She also notified staff when an old horse struggled to stand on its own.

Koume was mentored by another canine, Ume, who apparently taught her how to alert humans to concerning situations. Though Ume has passed away, Maruo seems to think she would be proud of Koume and how she saved the mans life. Ume must be happy in heaven, she said.

This isnt the only story where a dog saves a mans life. In fact, Koume joins a large pack of dogs on duty who have performed heroic acts. Check out these five other instances where canines saved people.

The post Dog Saves Mans Life During Heart Attack appeared first on DogTime.
MILAN  Fendi is shining the light on one of Italys most revered contemporary sculptors, internationally known for his geometric bronze works.

The luxury goods brand will inaugurate on Friday the exhibition Arnaldo Pomodoro. Il Grande Teatro delle Civilta [Arnaldo Pomodoro. The Great Theater of Civilizations].

More from WWD

Running until Oct. 1, the exhibit, curated by Lorenzo Respi and Andrea Viliani in collaboration with Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, will be staged at Fendis Rome headquarters, the Palazzo della Civilta Italiana. It is also the first step in a multiyear partnership with the foundation.

Conceived for both the indoor and outdoor spaces of the Palazzo della Civilta Italiana, the exhibition spans more than 70 years of the artists career, displaying around 30 artworks by Pomodoro created between the late 1950s and 2021. There will also be series of archival materials, from photographs and documents to sketches and drawings, many shown publicly for the first time.

We started talking in his atelier on the Navigli [Milans interconnected canals] and we thought it would be more ambitious and more beautiful to display his works at our headquarters in Rome, a city where there are several of his art pieces, said Serge Brunschwig, chairman and chief executive officer of Fendi.

Examples in Rome include the Sfera Grande [Big Sphere] placed in front of the Farnesina ministry of foreign affairs, the Novecento obelisk, and the bronze sculpture at the Vaticans Courtyard of the Pinecone.

The partnership is meant to celebrate art as an instrument combining respect for heritage, attention to widespread knowledge of artistic languages and search for new forms of collaboration from the perspective of sustainability and innovation, Brunschwig said.

Arnaldo Pomodoros Agamennone.

The executive noted that it is also the natural evolution of the relationship that was established between Fendi and the foundation in 2013, when the former established its Milan headquarters in the space on Via Solari formerly occupied by the foundation.

Story continues

That building displays the environmental artwork Entrance to the Labyrinth, among others, which Fendi has helped preserve and made available to the public over the past decade.

Pomodoro, now aged 96, reinterpreted Fendis signature Peekaboo bag, first created by Silvia Venturini Fendi in 2008. This is part of the global Canvas Peekaboo project that, starting from 2014, has involved artists and designers, from Sarah Coleman to Lukas Gschwandtner and Kueng Caputo.

Asked what personally attracted him to Pomodoros art, Brunschwig said that works where you can glimpse at what is inside, losing yourself in those fractures, is very intriguing. They are super interesting and mysterious, perfect on the outside but you can see inside them  like the Peekaboo, he said with a chuckle.

In fact, Pomodoro reinterpreting the Peekaboo taking the time to work on the bag, honors us, he emphasized.

Artwork by Arnaldo Pomodoro at the Palazzo della Civilta.

Brunschwig highlighted how the sheer size of Fendis headquarters exalts the monumental works of Pomodoro, who has shaped the art world for decades and we are so lucky to be able to still be working with him. We are very proud of this.

The executive observed that the goal of the Palazzo della Civilta was from Day One to be open to the city, and that it has staged exhibitions over the years on Giuseppe Penone, for example, or set up the Fendi Studios exhibit paying tribute to the movies and the relationship with the brand.

As part of the exhibition, four sculptures will be placed at each of the external corners of the striking Modernist and Rationalist building, dubbed the Square Colosseum: They are the Forme del mito [Shapes of the myth] dating back to 1983, which includes Il potere [The power or Agamennon]; Lambizione [The ambition, or Clitennestra]; La macchina [The machine, or Egisto], and La profezia [The prophecy or Cassandra], taken from the scenic machines that were created for the series of theatrical performances inspired by Aeschylus Orestes by the artist Emilio Isgro.

In the entrance hall, there are two works created by the artist for two theatrical shows, produced with sculptural materials paired with raffia and fabric.

Other examples include Le battaglie [The battles] from 1995, in black, and Movimento in piena aria e nel profondo [Movement in full air and in depth] from 1996-1997, in white, which reflect Pomodoros use of materials such as tangles of rope, wedges and bolts.

The latter is composed of a double curve referring to the large celestial and terrestrial spaces.

The Tracce [The traces] series from 1998 is composed of 21 white, black and rust-colored reliefs in chalk.

The itinerary concludes on the third-floor arcade with Osso di sepia [cuttlefish bone], a symbolic matrix of all the artists works, who actually began his sculptural experimentation by carving into cuttlefish bone.

The exhibition is accompanied by a monographic catalogue published by Skira which will be available in Fendi boutiques and at the exhibition space.

Fendi is offering free entry to visitors.

Arnaldo Pomodoros Clitennestra.

Best of WWD

Click here to read the full article.
[Source]

Gov. Ron DeSantis has passed a bill banning Chinese citizens from buying land in the state of Florida.

Bill SB 264, titled SB 264: Interests of Foreign Countries, is scheduled to take effect on July 1 and will prohibit Chinese citizens from purchasing or acquiring real property or from having more than a small indirect interest in such real property in Florida.

The Republican governor said the legislation makes it very clear we don't want the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Sunshine State."

They have established a position of economic might, of industrial hegemony and their military is far stronger today than it was 20 or 25 years ago, DeSantis said during the bill-signing in Brooksville on Monday. They have a leader who's very ideological and is intent on expanding CCP influence, not just in their region but even around the globe.

More from NextShark: Michigan State University suspends fraternity after Vietnamese American student's death

SB 264 holds an exception for Chinese visa holders, who are permitted to be in ownership of one home as long as they are registered with a state agency.

The bill, which previously passed the House with a 95-17 vote and the Senate with a 31-8 vote, will, however, limit Chinese citizens with non-tourist visas to acquiring less than two acres of land that is at least five miles away from any military installations.

It also restricts foreign citizens from Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria to purchase land within 10 miles of military bases.

More from NextShark: Texas woman arrested after rant toward 4 Indian American women goes viral

DeSantis has previously shown opposition to Chinese purchases of state land.

In an appearance on Fox News last year, the Florida governor described residential real estate ownership by Chinese entities as a huge problem."

At a press conference in January, DeSantis said, If you look at the Chinese Communist Party, theyve been very active throughout the Western Hemisphere in gobbling up land. That is not in the best interests of Florida to have the Chinese Communist Party owning farmland, owning land close to military bases.

Story continues

Other than property, DeSantis has also signed two other bills that are intended to curb the influence of the CCP, including banning the use of TikTok and WeChat.

More from NextShark: San Francisco Declares State of Emergency to Fight Spread of COVID-19

Bill SB 258 prohibits the Chinese-owned social media platforms from running on school and government devices. Students would not be able to access TikTok or WeChat on their personal devices while using a school or government Wi-Fi network.

The other bill, SB 846, limits colleges and universities in Florida from building relationships with foreign countries of concern, including prohibiting universities from accepting funding from China.

Last month, there were more than 100 people protesting against the legislation, expressing concern that it would lead to racial profiling and discrimination against Floridas Chinese population.

More from NextShark: Online cockfighting surge in the Philippines sees billions wagered monthly

Floridas bill is not the first to pass against Chinese land ownership. In March, South Carolinas senate passed a bill preventing alien land ownership. There are eleven other states that have considered or taken legislative action regarding property ownership.
Nicolas Cage has had one of the longest, weirdest careers in Hollywoodhes won an Oscar and been in a movie called Drive Angrybut his personal life is also the stuff of legend. Hes been married five times over the years, most recently to his current wife, Riko Shibata, and shares three children with three different women. (Thats to say nothing of his purchasing habits, which include a nine-foot tall pyramid-shaped tomb for his future use, located in New Orleans famous St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.)

I think there has to be some unusualness to be able to be in a relationship with me, Cage told The New York Times Magazine in 2019. I feel things very deeply. I have had melancholia my whole life. I am sensitive to my environment. I have to be in order to do what I do. And I cant just go to a pharmacy and say, Hey, let me have some Prozac. I cant do it, because that would put my instrument at risk. If I cant inform the dialogue with genuine emotional content I will be a phony on camera, and I dont want to be that.

Well, the last thing you could ever call Cage is phonyand his zeal for jumping into relationships proves that. Read on for a complete history of his wives and relationships.

Related: Nicolas Cage's Net Worth in 2023 and Through the Years

Who is Nicolas Cage's current wife?

Nicolas Cage has been married to Riko Shibata since February 2021. One thing that attracted the Oscar-winning actor to his current spouse? Her love of exotic animals.

"I asked her, 'Do you have any pets?' And she said, 'Yes, I have flying squirrels.' She had two sugar gliders I thought, 'That's it. This, this could work out,'" Cage told ET.

How old is Nicolas Cage's wife Riko Shibata?

Riko Shibata turned 30 this year and Cage turned 59, making him 29 years her senior.

What does Riko Shibata do for a living?

It's unclear what Riko Shibata, who is originally from Kyoto, Japan, does for a living, but some sources identify her as being an entrepreneur.

Story continues

How did Riko Shibata and Nicolas Cage meet?

The couple met through mutual friends while Cage was in Japan filming his 2021 movie Prisoners of the Ghostland.

When did Nicolas Cage get engaged to Riko Shibata?

The couple got engaged shortly after meeting. We were really happy together and we were really excited to spend that time together so I finally just said, 'Look, I wanna marry you,' and we got engaged on FaceTime, Cage recalled on his brother Marc Coppolas radio show in August 2020. Cage later joked that he knows he has a reputation for serial marriage, but he believes Shibata is truly The One. Im really happily married, he told the Los Angeles Times in 2022. I know five [wives] is a lot, but I think I got it right this time.

When did Nicolas cage and Riko Shibata get married?

Nicolas Cage and Riko Shibata got married on Feb. 16, 2021, in what his rep described as a very small and intimate ceremony held at the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas.

How many times has Nicolas Cage been married?

Nicolas Cage has been married five times. He married fellow actor Patricia Arquette in April 1995, but they separated less than one year later (and didnt officially divorce until 2001). Cage then moved on with Lisa Marie Presley, whom he wed on August 10, 2002. They split after 107 days of marriage and finalized their divorce on May 24, 2004. Cage married his third wife, Alice Kim, on July 30, 2004. They separated in January 2016 and finalized their divorce later that year. Cage tied the knot with Erika Koike in Las Vegas in March 2019 but filed for an annulment four days later; they were divorced in June 2019. Cage is still married to his fifth wife, Riko Shibata, whom he wed on February 16, 2021.

Who are Nicolas Cage's wives?

Patricia Arquette

Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Nicolas Cage tied the knot with Patricia Arquette in April 1995 after meeting her in the 1980s at the famous Los Angeles restaurant Canters Deli. Cage and fellow actor Crispin Glover both proposed marriage to her, but she demurred, telling Cage she would only marry him if he could find a list of seemingly unattainable objects: a signature from J.D. Salinger, a Bobs Big Boy statue and more. One by one, they started coming to me, Arquette recalled during a 2018 interview on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.

Arquette eventually agreed to marry him, but news reports indicated that they separated only nine months later. She later claimed that wasnt exactly true, telling The Telegraph in 2015: There were times when we werent living together because we were fighting, but it wasnt as reported and I didnt feel that I needed to explain that. There were times when my mom was dying [from breast cancer in 1997] and I was living with her, taking care of her. There were times when he was away working on a movie. It was our thing. I still dont feel like I owe it to anyone.

The couple ultimately finalized their divorce in 2001.

Lisa Marie Presley

Photo by L. Busacca/WireImage

Cage met Lisa Marie Presleythe only child of Elvis Presleyat a party in 2000 while he was still married to Arquette. She comes from an artistic family, I come from an artistic family, Cage told Barbara Walters in 2003, explaining what drew him to Lisa Marie. She was born with the pressure of an extremely famous name from day one, I was a young actor in Hollywood with the last name Coppola, trying to make it with those pressures.

The couple walked down the aisle in Hawaii on Aug. 10, 2002, but they filed for divorce just 107 days later and finalized their split on May 24, 2004.

After Lisa Maries death in January 2023 at age 54, Cage said it was devastating to hear of her passing. Lisa had the greatest laugh of anyone I ever met, he told The Hollywood Reporter at the time. She lit up every room, and I am heartbroken.

Related: What Was Lisa Marie Presley's Net Worth?

Alice Kim

Cage met Alice Kim at a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles where she was working as a waitress. They tied the knot on July 30, 2004, when he was 40 and she was 20. After welcoming son Kal-El in 2005, the couple separated in January 2016 after 12 years of marriage, finalizing their divorce later that year.

Despite their 20-year age difference, Cage later said he was surprised by their breakup. It was a shocker for meI definitely didn't see it coming, he told The Guardian in 2018. She was quite young when I married her and I don't really have any ill will towards what happened. That's all I'll say.

Erika Koike

Cage was first linked to makeup artist Erika Koike in 2018. They got hitched in Las Vegas in March 2019, but Cage filed for an annulment just four days later, claiming that he was so drunk that he lacked understanding of his actions when they married. Their divorce was granted in June 2019.

Why did Nicolas Cage and Patricia Arquette get divorced?

Arquette has hinted that her and Cages ages contributed to the demise of their romance. She was 19 when they met and 27 when they married. Cage was 31 at the time of their wedding but had been famous for more than a decade. It was just too fast and too much for me at that time, Arquette said on WWHL in 2018, explaining why she didnt marry Cage when he first began pursuing her.

In 2002, Arquette told Paper that its always hard to decide to get divorced. Weve both moved on with our lives, and I think its important to honor the people were with now and concentrate on the future, she added.

Related: Nicolas Cage Explains Why He Took 'Crummy' Roles

Why did Nicolas Cage and Lisa Marie Presley get divorced?

In 2003, Cage hinted that the same thing that drew him to Lisa Marie is what led to their split. There was a logic to it, there was a sense to it. But oftentimes when you have two people who are very strong in their own personalities and rather intense  you can have a hard time meshing, he told Barbara Walters in 2003. We got into this unfortunate pattern of breaking up, getting back together again, breaking up, getting back together again.

Related: Nicolas Cage's 10 Best Movies

Does Nicolas Cage have kids?

Nicolas Cage shares three children with three different women. He became a father in 1990 when he and then-girlfriend Christina Fulton welcomed son Weston. Cage and his third wife, Alice Kim, had son Kal-El (named after Supermans birth moniker) in 2005. In 2022, Cages fifth wife, Riko Shibata, gave birth to their daughter, August Francesca.

Cage is also a grandfather thanks to Weston, who has two children of his own.

Who are Nicolas Cages famous girlfriends through the years?

Brooke Shields

Brooke Shields and Nicolas Cage at the Moonstruck premiere in 1987. Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Cage very briefly dated Brooke Shields in the late 1980s. Neither of them has publicly commented on their rumored relationship, but they attended the premiere of his movie Moonstruck together in 1987.

Christina Fulton

Cage began dating Christina Fulton in 1988. The couple welcomed son Weston in 1990 and split up shortly thereafter. Fulton later claimed that she largely brought up Weston by herself. "For 18 years, I raised Weston so Nicolas could go be Nicolas Cage, and go be a superstar, and he did," she told CNN in 2011. "So I raised this boy, 24-7 we were glued to the hip." A lawyer for Cage, meanwhile, told the network that Fultons comments were absurd.

Kristen Zang

Cage started dating actress Kristen Zang in 1992 while she was still a teenager. He popped the question when she was 19, but the couple split after two years together and never made it down the aisle.

Next, Nicolas Cage Recalls His First Memory Inside His Mother's Womb
Months after his life was suddenly cut short, Emmy winner Leslie Jordan (Best Comedy Guest Actor, Will & Grace, 2006) has a chance to receive more TV academy love for his final small screen performance as Phil on Foxs Call Me Kat. If he does land in this years Best Comedy Supporting Actor lineup, he will join a group of 12 other comedy or drama series regulars who posthumously achieved Emmy recognition. If he scores his second victory, he will make history as the first deceased male actor to win an Emmy for a continuing program.

Call Me Kat was the first and only multi-season series on which Jordan played a regular role. In his last few episodes, his character, who worked as the head baker at a Kentucky cat cafe, finally found true love with drag performer Jalen, aka Queen Dicktoria (John Griffin). Following his final appearance, Phil was given a happy ending that involved him getting married and moving to Tahiti, and Jordan was honored with an emotional montage set to his and Dolly Partons rendition of Where the Soul Never Dies.

More from GoldDerby

Jordan will have been preceded by just two other posthumous comedy supporting actor nominees. The first was Nicholas Colasanto, who received bids for each of the first three seasons of Cheers and lost on his last one in 1985 to John Larroquette (Night Court). He was followed by Phil Hartman, who was recognized in 1998 for NewsRadio and ultimately beaten by David Hyde Pierce (Frasier).

The first performer to be posthumously nominated for an Emmy was Alice Pearce, who won the 1966 Best Comedy Supporting Actress award for Bewitched. She has since been followed in the same category by Selma Diamond (Night Court, 1985) and Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives, 2012), who came up short against Rhea Perlman (Cheers) and Julie Bowen (Modern Family). Joosten had, however, already won two guest trophies for the same series (2005 and 2008).

Story continues

The four actors who have received post-death supporting Emmy nominations for drama series are Angela Baddeley (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1976), Will Geer (The Waltons, 1978), Michael Conrad (Hill Street Blues, 1984), and Nancy Marchand (The Sopranos, 2000). Baddeley and Marchand lost to Ellen Corby (The Waltons) and Allison Janney (The West Wing), while Geer and Conrad were beaten by Robert Vaughn (Washington: Behind Closed Doors) and Bruce Weitz (Hill Street Blues). The men had previously been honored for the same roles, with Geer having taken the 1975 prize and Conrad having triumphed in both 1981 and 1982.

The first posthumous nomination in any comedy or drama lead category went to Jim Davis, who died four seasons into his Dallas tenure. He lost the 1981 Best Drama Actor contest to Hill Street Blues star Daniel J. Travanti. With no lead female cases to date, the only other male one involved John Ritter, who was nominated in 2004 for 8 Simple Rules against eventual champ Kelsey Grammer (Frasier).

Also worth mentioning are Marion Lorne and Michael K. Williams, who were alive at the time of their respective supporting nominations for Bewitched (1968) and Lovecraft Country (2021) but died before the corresponding ceremonies took place. Lorne succeeded on her bid, while Williams lost to Tobias Menzies (The Crown).

According to Gold Derby, Jordan will have to overcome 100-to-1 odds to have a shot at joining the Bewitched ladies in this special winners circle. Fortunately for the lovable funnyman, there are surprise nominations every year, including in 2022, when comedic performers such as Sarah Niles (Ted Lasso) and Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary) broke through. He did receive a 2023 Critics Choice Award notice for Call Me Kat, so its quite possible that an Emmy bid could come next.

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.
Courtesy Lulu & Georgia



"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."



Just saying: I really hope you're reading this because you're in the process of renovating your home/apartment/cupboard under the stairs. Yes, it can be stressful, but if you can keep your wits about you, there's no greater joy in this life than a good ol' home makeover, if ya ask me. Your living space should be a reflection of who you are, and I know you're fabulous (don't argue, I'm sure), so your home should be too. And to make that happen, you're going to need some good furniture.

Whether you're knees deep in a reno or just perusing for a potential project, you need to know the best luxury furniture brands out there, and that's where I come in. I shop for home schtuff for a living (it's a hard job, but someone has to do it), so I'm preeeetty well in tune with the best stores out there, trust. I know exactly where you should be spending your cold hard cashboth in-store and onlineif you want high-quality, chic products that will last you through many phases of life and all the painful moves in between. And to make it easy, I popped 'em all here, below.

Read on for 22 of the best luxury furniture brands, and prepare your credit card accordingly. Your home is about to become a hell of a lot cuter.

Suzette Wide Dresser

When I think "where would I shop for furniture if I had an unlimited budget," I immediately think Lulu and Georgia. The L.A.-based brand is just so cool, with trendy pieces that are still somehow so classic you can feel good about making the splurge. Scroll through their site and you'll find collabs with celebrity designers, a few one-of-a-kind vintage pieces, curated collections, and more. Please feel free to buy me something while you're at it.

Shop Now Suzette Wide Dresser $2598.00 luluandgeorgia.com Lulu & Georgia

Ezichi Coffee Table

If a modern home is what you're after, Edloe Finch has got your back. The female-founded furniture company focuses on making contemporary pieces with high-quality materialsand it shows. They know how to do neutrals right, with wood, rattan, or vegan leather incorporated in most of their products, which are easy to mix and match. Their warehouse is in Houston, TX, but they ship (for free!) all over the country.

Story continues

Shop Now Ezichi Coffee Table $1392.00 edloefinch.com Edloe Finch

Hamilton Round Chaise Sectional Sofa

If modern, durable, and fair-priced are three words that matter to you when buying furniture, Castlery should be on your radar. The direct-to-consumer company oversees the building, shipping, and delivery process for all of their items, cutting out the middleman and ensuring customers get a good experienceand productevery time. Their pieces range from mid-century modern to contemporary, and they love a good neutral, which is why I love them so much. Their white boucle couches and chairs truly have my heart right now.

Shop Now Hamilton Round Chaise Sectional Sofa $2559.00 castlery.com Castlery

Cloud Bed with Storage

If there's one piece of furniture that's on my wish list atm, it's this cloud bed (with storage!) from Sundays, a Canadian-born brand inspired by Scandinavian design and West Coast coolness. The team behind the company named it Sundays because a) they don't think there's anything better than a casual Sunday and b) they wanted all of their products to feel easy, cozy, and homey, like, you guessed it: a Sunday morning. Take a peek at their site and you'll mostly find gorgeous living room and bedroom pieces, as well as a new foray into outdoor furniture, as well.

Shop Now Cloud Bed with Storage $2450.00 sundays-company.com Sundays

Azibo Woven Stool

Just try to visit The Citizenry's website and not fall in love. Go ahead. I swear it's impossible. Somehow, each piece the brand sells is elegant and effortlessly cool at the same damn timepieces that aren't trendy but are still on trend, ya know? I also really respect the brand for their dedication to doing good: their products are all handmade by artisans across the world, who use local, sustainable materials and are paid according to fair trade practices. Most of the makers are female, as well!

Shop Now Azibo Woven Stool $199.00 the-citizenry.com The Citizenry

Montaro Bar Cart

The first time I stepped into Jung Lee's NYC store, I felt like I had been transported to a maximalism playground in the absolute best way. The owner, Jung Lee (obvi), has style like you wouldn't believe, and stands by the fact that your home should be a reflection of who you areespecially if you're a little extra. ("Burn the nice candles," she told me at least four times while I was there.) Luckily, all of the pieces in her store are also available online, so you don't have to be in NYC to get a piece of the magic.

Shop Now Montaro Bar Cart $2400.00 jungleeny.com Jung Lee New York

Riviera Waterfall Console

Interior design enthusiasts will already know Jonathan Adler. He's a potter, designer, author, entrepreneur, and so. much. more. These days, his focus is on his eponymous shop, which brings "modern American glamor" (his words, not mine) to ze people with stores across the world and a fully stocked website. If you're looking for furniture with a lil je-ne-sais-quoi, this is where your hunt ends.

Shop Now Riviera Waterfall Console $1600.00 jonathanadler.com Jonathan Adler

Cloud Daybed

I know, I know, we don't all have $13k to shell out on a two-seater. But would it really be a "luxury furniture" story if I left out Restoration Hardware? If you've never spent time ogling over their infamous cloud couch...you're lying.

Shop Now Cloud Daybed $13095.00 rh.com Restoration Hardware

Durant End Table

Owned by the same umbrella company as Wayfair, Birch Lane, and Joss & Main, AllModern is one of the most affordable brands on this list, but still very deserving of the "luxury" title. They take timeless designs and make them feel contemporary and fresh, producing high-quality pieces designed to last you for many moves. Their delivery is also always free and always fast, which is always wonderful.

Shop Now Durant End Table $130.00 allmodern.com AllModern

Abisko Quartz White Ottoman

Article has been disrupting tf out of the home decor space since launching in 2013, and if you've ever seen their website, you know why. The company uses a direct-to-consumer model to bring unique, well-made furniture to the masses at a quarter of the price other brands charge for the same types of products. They're a great place to start whether you're designing a bedroom, living room, or outdoor lounge space. I'm obsessed with all of their seating, and I think you will be too.

Shop Now Abisko Quartz White Ottoman $349.00 article.com Article

Gaelle Modern Media Console

If you'd sell your left leg for an Eames lounge chair and your right for a Noguchi coffee table, you're going to want to see this site. Eternity Modern is a direct-to-consumer, Vancouver-based brand that focuses on mid-century modern design. They serve up chic pieces inspired by the design style, as well as actual replicas of some iconic furniture items you've definitely dreamed of including in your home. Their Mario Bellini bubble couch reproductions fully feel like a devil on my shoulder, and I'm dying to pull the trigger and buy one.

Shop Now Gaelle Modern Media Console $1899.00 eternitymodern.com Eternity Modern

Viv Swivel Chair

As someone who shops for home decor for a living, I can honestly say that there's nothing you can dream up that West Elm doesn't already have in stock. I swear they've got the trends before the TikTok design girlies can even spot them, along with timeless pieces that'll never go out of style. Check their clearance section oftenit's a low-key treasure hunt.

Shop Now Viv Swivel Chair $729.00 westelm.com West Elm

Salamina Rattan-Wrapped Round Wood Dining Table

You've seen Crate and Barrel at the mall, right? Well, CB2 is their hipper, more affordable younger sister that loves all things decor. Click through their site and you'll find chic dining tables, pillows, floor lamps, bath accessories, poufs, and so much more. Make sure you shop during one of their frequent(!) sales to get the best damn deal.

Shop Now Salamina Rattan-Wrapped Round Wood Dining Table $2124.15 cb2.com CB2

Woodrow Skandi Leather Loveseat

Kardiel sells more than just couches (they also have bed frames, dressers, nightstands, and more), but god damn, it's hard to see past their sexy seating. They've got every type of couch you can think offrom daybeds to two-seaters to sectionals and everything in betweenin more styles and colorways than you can even fathom. Warning: you will be tempted to design a whole new living room around one of their couches, so prepare your pocketbook accordingly.

Shop Now Woodrow Skandi Leather Loveseat $2997.00 kardiel.com Kardiel

Labadi Natural Wood Stool

There are a *lot* of incredible African interior designers out there, and 54Kibofounded by Ghana-born Nana Quagraineis determined to give them a spotlight. The site exclusively features products made by African designers, from furniture to light fixtures and everything in between.

Shop Now Labadi Natural Wood Stool $644.00 54kibo.com 54Kibo

Radius Nesting Coffee Table

There's a reason damn near every wedding registry you've ever perused is from Williams Sonoma Home. The store has a massive selection of every type of furniturein every type of styleyou can think of, all at a variety of price points. You can bank on finding something for everyone on your list hereand that it'll be high-quality.

Shop Now Radius Nesting Coffee Table $1395.00 williams-sonoma.com Williams Sonoma Home

Bungalow Wide Dresser

If "beachy," "light and airy," "seaside chic," and "Hamptons-esque" are all words you'd use to describe your design aesthetic, then the Serena & Lily website should probably be bookmarked in your browser. The well-loved brand does coastal chic in a fun and fresh way that doesn't feel too grandma-y, with gorgeous furniture pieces for both indoors and out.

Shop Now Bungalow Wide Dresser $4698.00 serenaandlily.com Serena and Lily

Woven Leather Daybed

Pottery Barn has had a firm hold on the decor industry since it opened in 1949, and, honestly? I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon. Shop in-store or online and find pieces that'll zhuzh up any room, no matter your design style, whether you're a mid-century modern die hard or prefer the farmhouse chic look.

Shop Now Woven Leather Daybed $958.99 potterybarn.com Pottery Barn

Yoko Bed

This probably goes without saying, but furniture shopping used to be a looooong and hard process. I know that's hard to believe now, when we can get anything we want at the push of a button, but it's true: if you wanted iconic designer home pieces back in the day, you had to get them from Europe or work with an intermediary. But not anymore, thanks to Design Within Reach, a company that opened back in 1999 to simplify getting good design to people's doors. They're still doing the same today, making high design accessible to the masses. Their wares certainly aren't cheap, but they sure are chicand that's what matters, right?

Shop Now Yoko Bed $5195.00 dwr.com Design Within Reach

Sagebrook Home Round Back Cutout Accent Chair

Okay, hear me out: Homegoods might not be the first place you think of when you think of "luxury" furniture (you know, because it's so damn affordable), but they've definitely got pieces that will rival some of the other brands on this list. In fact, they even have pieces from some of the other brands on this list, just for a much more palatable price tag. You also don't have to go digging through their stores to find great items anymore, as they launched a shoppable website a few years ago. Up to you whether you want to use the search bar or treasure hunt.

Shop Now Sagebrook Home Round Back Cutout Accent Chair $399.99 homegoods.com Homegoods

3 Seats + 4 Sides Sactional

When I tell you my life hasn't been the same since I got a Lovesac couch...I mean it. My Sactional (their name for a sectional, obvi) is truly the comfiest thing I've ever planted my peach on, and I know it'll last me for decades thanks to it the fact that it's machine washable, made of high-quality materials, and easy to rearrange. Their OG Lovesacs (basically massive beanbags) are also comfort game-changers.

Shop Now 3 Seats + 4 Sides Sactional $3253.50 lovesac.com LoveSac

Poppy Dining Table

Award-winning French designer Marie Burgos brought her talents to New York some years ago, and the U.S. interior design space is better for it. In addition to doing residential and commercial interior design work, Burgos also has a collection of furniture and decor that anyone can shop online, and...let me tell you, it's all so beautiful. Whether you want your apartment to look like a Parisian palace or the chicest NYC bar, you'll find the goods to make it happen here.

Shop Now Poppy Dining Table $8200.00 marieburgoscollection.com Marie Burgos Design

You Might Also Like
MrBeast appears onstage to accept the award for favorite male creator at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. | Richard Shotwell, Invision, Associated Press

MrBeast is facing backlash again. After being accused by one writer of posting inspiration porn in his latest video, Elon Musk came to the YouTube stars defense.

In his most recent video  titled 1,000 Deaf People Hear For The First Time  the YouTuber donated $3 million worth of hearing aids with cutting-edge hearing technology that analyzes each users specific hearing needs. Several individuals featured in the video gave emotional reactions to hearing the voices of their loved ones. Even MrBeast got teary-eyed a handful of times.

In typical MrBeast fashion, he also surprised a number of people featured in the video with $10,000 just to make their day a little bit better.

The YouTuber traveled to Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, South Africa, Malawi and Indonesia to provide deaf people with hearing aids.

To further help the cause, MrBeast also gave money to organizations that teach sign language around the world.

Sign language connects people whether they can hear or not. But access to learning sign language is still very limited in many places. So were gonna donate $100,000 to organizations around the world that are teaching people sign language, MrBeast said in the video.

An article in the Independent, headlined Deaf People like me deserve better than MrBeasts latest piece of inspiration porn, criticized the YouTuber for sensationalizing the reality of deafness.

One part of the problem, in that it amplifies the dangerous misconception that hearing devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants are cures or fixes for deafness. They arent, the Independent said.

There is nothing in MrBeasts video which acknowledges the fluctuating relationship we deaf people have with hearing and listening, the Independent added.

Criticisms of MrBeasts new post packed on via Twitter.

Hearing aids are not a cure. Hearing aids do not automatically restore hearing, one critic tweeted.

Seriously? This is disgusting human behavior, tweeted another. How can you guys defend Mr. Beast after this, hes exploiting these unlucky humans with his money and is profiting off their hearing loss. I will not be showing anymore of his videos to my children.

Story continues

Elon Musk came to the YouTubers defense in a tweet that began, People definitely shouldnt be attacked for doing good.

Is it really just a question of money to restore hearing? Musk continued. Im always looking ways to donate money that are actually good. Perhaps this is one. It is very hard to donate money if you about it doing actual good, not merely the appearance of it.

People definitely shouldnt be attacked for doing good. Is it really just a question of money to restore hearing?



Im always looking ways to donate money that are actually good. Perhaps this is one.



It is very hard to donate money if you about it doing actual good, not merely  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 7, 2023

This is not the first of the social media stars philanthropic efforts. Earlier this year, he funded cataracts surgery for 1,000 people suffering blindness  an act for which he was called demonic, per the Deseret News.

In 2020, MrBeast said be planned to use my main channels influence to one day open hundreds of homeless shelters/food banks and give away all the money.

Thats my gameplan and if you dont believe me, just watch. I promise Im dying with 0 dollars in my bank account and I refuse to live a materialistic life, he wrote in a followup tweet.

Related

Watch 1,000 Deaf People Hear For the First Time below
Saman Amel wants to elevate your summer wardrobe.

The Stockholm-based label, cofounded by childhood friends Dag Granath and Saman Amel, joined forces with MatchesFashion to release an exclusive capsule collection that spans breezy suiting, knitwear, denim, and shirting for warm-weather occasions. While Saman Amel is known for its handcrafted bespoke tailoring, the brands 17-piece edit for Matches is just as special, with most selects crafted from luxe silk, cashmere, wool, and linen materials that effortlessly evoke the feeling summers spent on the coast of Italy.

More from Robb Report

Buy Now on Matches:

Price: $2,228

Buy Now

Buy Now on Matches:

Price: $790

Buy Now

The sophisticated assortment offers something for everyone, with alfresco dinner options ranging from a beige notch-lapel bamboo-canvas jacket to a black sharp single-breasted silk-canvas jacket. White linen and silk blazer options with notch-lapel and peak-lapel details, respectively, also make for versatile dress down options, alongside light layering essentials from a white cashmere-blend crewneck sweater to a black cashmere-blend knitted T-shirt. Other standouts in the collection include long- and short-sleeved polo shirts (in white and black), as well as a lightweight technical bomber.

After a year of loafing it around the house in quarantine, and at least another year of readjusting to everyday life, menswear has seen a range of new releases that cater to both relaxed and traditional tailoring options for all ages. One idea that has remained, and is cleverly adapted by Saman Amel, is that neutrals evoke a less severe approach to your styling. Whether styled monochromatically or broken up, these hues make a look appear more put together. According to Granath, that duality is what the label was going for.

Story continues

Buy Now on Matches:

Price: $695

Buy Now

Buy Now on Matches:

Price: $2,722

Buy Now

The Atelier Saman Amel x Matches collection is lighter, brighter, and more playful than any of our earlier ready to wear concepts, he says in a statement. As always, the garments speak to subtle elegance and classic silhouettes, however, we have allowed ourselves to experiment with texture and color schemes to create something we find truly exciting.

You can now indulge in a full Atelier Saman Amel experience at Matchess five-story townhouse on 5 Carlos Place in London. At the event, youll meet the co-designers of the brand, view the capsule collection, and get an idea of their holistic approach from May 11 through 12. You can also shop the exclusive capsule now via the MatchesFashion website with selects ranging from $695 to $3,715.

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.
Shanghai Disney Resort. Photo by Erin With. Source: Unsplash.

Disney Parks, Experiences and Products will be a key growth driver for the Walt Disney Corporation, as it approaches its target of cutting $5.5 billion in costs across the company, said CEO and Director Bob Iger during an earnings call Wednesday.

In the first quarter, Iger announced plans to shed 7,000 jobs, cut billions of costs in content and non-content spending, and reorganize the company.

Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Chairman Josh DAmaro kept his position amid the reorganization.

Amid the shuffle, authority and accountability is returning to the companys creative leaders and the company has become more efficient, Iger said.

For the first quarter, the Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products segments revenues increased 17 percent to $7.8 billion and operating income increased 23 percent to $2.2 billion. Higher operating results for the quarter reflected increases at its international and domestic parks and experiences businesses, partially offset by lower revenue at its merchandise licensing business.

In the international segment, Shanghai Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort were among the big contributors. Shanghai and Paris both got a boost from hosting more guests and increased spending growth. Hong Kongs boost was due to the fact that it had more operating days compared to closures in the previous quarter.

Shanghai Disney Resort has bounced back fast after its long closure during the pandemic, said Disney Chief Financial Officer Christine M. McCarthy. New attractions in the pipeline like Zootopia will accelerate the momentum for the resort, she said.

Domestically, operating income growth was due to the Disney Cruise Lines strong performance. The cruise line saw an uptick in passenger cruise days. The cruise line has made a strong recovery. That business has come back incredibly strongly over this fiscal year, said McCarthy. We are encouraged by what we are seeing there.

Story continues

Domestic parks and resorts saw weaker year over year results due to Walt Disney Resorts weaker performance, which Disneyland Resorts growth partially offset. Disneyland Resorts increased operating income came from growth in attendance and guest spending.

In 2023, the companys domestic parks are expected to have a solid year of growth, said McCarthy.

Iger also commented on the companys and Florida Governor Ron DeSantiss dueling lawsuits against each other. He said the state was retaliating against us for taking a position about pending legislation, and we believe that in us taking that position, we are merely exercising our right to free speech.

The company plans to invest $17 billion in Florida over the next 10 years.

Walt Disney has started to utilize AI to create some efficiencies to serve customers better, Iger said. He didnt elaborate on what exactly, but he sees a lot of opportunities in it.

Getting closer to the customer is something that is a real goal of ours, he said.

Iger expects AI to be highly disruptive, but it could be extremely difficult to manage, particularly from an intellectual property management perspective.

Get breaking travel news and exclusive hotel, airline, and tourism research and insights at Skift.com.
This fortified Portguese wine is full of potential when it comes to pairing with food.

Getty Images

You might think port can only be served with dessert, but this fortified wine from Portugal is about more than its sweet, save-for-after-dinner reputation.

"Port is a drink that not everybody immediately learns about because it tends to be more about red and white wine. Port is a niche of the wine industry and requires a bit more knowledge not only because there's a lot of traditions, but there's also a very wide variety of styles," says Adrian Bridge, CEO of Taylor Fladgate, one of the oldest port houses in the world.

What is Port wine?



Port is classified as a fortified wine, meaning that a clear grape spirit (usually aguardente, a type of brandy) is added during fermentation. This stops the fermentation process and preserves most of the grapes' natural sugars, giving Port its signature sweet flavor profile. Then, the Port is put into large oak casks for approximately 18 months, after which it is assessed as to a specific style of Port wine.

Related:Why Porto Is the Ideal Getaway for Any Wine Lover

Styles of Port wine

Ruby Port

This style of Port is a deep ruby red and exhibits a fruit-forward  such as ripe dark cherry  flavor profile. Ruby Ports are aged in large oak barrels, which allows this style to keep its vivid youthful color and fruity flavors since it has minimal contact with the oak and oxygen. Its usually bottle-aged for a few years, then cellared before opening. Ruby Ports average at and close to 20% ABV.

Tawny Port

True to its name, Tawny Port has a tawny brown hue. This expression tends to yield a nutty and caramel palate. Tawnys distinct advantage is having lived with oxygen its whole life in a barrel, it remains very tolerant to being open and is long-lived open in the refrigerator  which helps restaurants with durable by-the-glass options and for home drinkers that don't want to slam a whole bottle of 20% ABV port, says General Manager/Beverage Director of Goodnight Hospitality, Mark Sayre.

Story continues

Rose Port

This is one of the most recent styles in Duoro and was introduced by Croft in 2008. Rose port is known for its signature soft pink color akin to rose wine, featuring bright cherry and strawberry flavors. Unlike other more traditional Ports, Rose Port is unaged.

White Port

This port style is made with white grapes and fermented in wood tanks. Apple and stone fruit engage the palate, followed by a nutty (think almond) finish. White Port is often used as a cocktail ingredient in a G&T or as an aperitif.

Related:7 Essential Portuguese Foods You Need to Try at Least Once

How to drink Port wine



Portugal's Douro Valley  about an hour outside Porto  yields an array of styles ranging from ruby and tawny to white and rose port - with these latter two expressions serving as versatile sippers that can even be enjoyed in cocktails. "White Port and tonic with a citrus peel (or even on the rocks) is the perfect cocktail for a spring or summer day. When it comes to food pairings, I would absolutely recommend lighter fare  fresh salads with vinaigrette, ceviche, sushi, or any seafood dishes that will help uplift the acidity and citrus notes," says Chasity Cooper, writer, and wine culture expert.

Ruby and tawny Ports are quintessential dessert wines, especially when combined with chocolate. So, start your chocolate and Port journey with a bright, fruit-forward Port such as Fonseca BIN 27, which has bright, juicy notes of blackcurrant and blackberries. The sweetness of the Port offsets some of the dryness imparted by desserts with high cacao content, therefore bringing the tasting experience in harmony.

Daniela DaSuta, the lead wine instructor at the Texas Wine School, says that the 1991 Kopke Vintage Port pairs perfectly with a great piece of aged cheese or a decadent chocolate torte. If youre indulging in a sweeter dessert such as pecan pie or creme brulee, opt for a 20-year tawny port, which, due to its high acidity, will result in a more balanced drinking experience. If you're not big on desserts, Port is the ideal replacement. Freelance writer and wine expert Janice Williams tends to swap dessert with Sandeman Porto Tawny 10 Years Old. Regarding the tawny, Williams particularly appreciates its complexity, grippy tannins, fresh acidity, and rich, jammy red berries and spicy aromas.

Executive wine director and master sommelier of Pappas Bros. Steakhouses, Steven McDonald, says his favorite style of Port is a vintage tawny style called Colheita. I have had several bottles with about 100 years of age that taste of dried apricot, date, coffee grounds, dried baking spice, and cocoa, says McDonald. As for cocktail applications, I am sure someone could add a touch of cheaper, less aged Colheita tawny to the ever-popular Espresso Martini. It would add an insane dimension to the flavor profile.

Port wines versatility makes for a delightful drinking experience, whether you prefer it on its own or in a flavorful cocktail. Weve included port recommendations from three industry pros below.

3 Bottles of Port Wine to Try

Fonseca Siroco White Port

"During my trip to Porto last year, I fell in love with white Port  specifically Fonseca Siroco White Port, says Cooper. I like it because it is sophisticated, crisp, and refreshing, yet has a delicate, sweet nuttiness that is approachable and fun. More than anything, I was captivated by its ability to pair with a variety of dishes." Cooper says this port has crisp acidity, with notes of white peach, dehydrated Meyer lemon, grapefruit brulee, chopped almond, and hazelnut.

1991 Kopke Vintage Port

"1991 is my birth vintage, and it happened to have been a stellar vintage in the Douro Valley, so its intensity makes it seem almost immortal, says DaSuta. This wine is bursting with unctuous, Black Forest fruits which play harmoniously with evolved notes of leather and caramel."

Ramos Pinto 20 Year Tawny Quinta do Bom Retiro



Ramos Pinto has been around since the 19th centurya storied estate that owns four prime vineyard sites, or Quintas, in the Douro Valley of Portugal. One of its oldest and most historic sites, Quinta do Bom Retiro, is where they designate their 20-year tawny Port to hail from, says Sayre. The fruit being of such high quality, the carefully managed maturation in barrel yields a wine of effusive description; from rich citrus to over-ripe peaches and apricots to more savory-spicy tones of roasted nuts, cocoa powder, coffee, dates, and cinnamon  the list could go on.



For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Food & Wine.
MUNCIE, Ind.  Late last month, Delaware County Council agreed to salary increases requested by County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman to aid in retaining the nine deputy prosecutors who remain employed at his office and recruit more deputy prosecutors to prosecute what appears to be a growing number of violent criminals.

Eric Hoffman

The decision by council followed Hoffman's urgent warnings of a potential collapse of the prosecutor's office as well as warnings of legal action he could take against the County Council if the salary requests weren't met.

Council granted Hoffman's requested increase of $10,698 in base salaries for each of his 10 deputy prosecutors on staff, taking them from $74,302 to $85,000 annually. Additionally, Hoffman received funds to make each deputy prosecutor eligible for an additional salary stipend ranging up to $10,000.

Questions about the request, which came after county budget season and the loss of two deputy prosecutors last year  along with a dramatic rise in violent crime  focused more on when rather than amounts.

"The timing is a little bit of a problem for me," said council member Ryan Webb. "It's hard for me to get there."

Hoffman said the increases were a necessity for his office to continue doing its job and to replace deputy prosecutors to try cases in local courts.

"If I can't hire a prosecutor for Circuit 4, what am I going to tell the victim's family? I don't have somebody to try your case?," Hoffman said. "What do you want me to tell them? The County Council won't fund it?"

Hoffman went on to note that "unlike any other department in county, there is a specific statute that says county council shall fund the county prosecuting attorney's office at an amount that I deem to be necessary. Ok, what I've submitted, I deem necessary. There's a statewide study that says I am 23 deputy prosecutors short. So I suppose we could go ahead and vote on this or I can file a lawsuit for 23 more prosecutors."

The increases passed council 5 to 2, with Webb and Eugene Whitehead voting no. Whitehead said he supported the proposed salary increases but not the stipends.

Story continues

"The prosecutor asked for a salary increase in September, during the budget hearing, and we granted it. It wasnt until after  when raises for other county employees were made public  that the prosecutor asked for this additional increase for salaries," Webb said. "Nobody is going to convince me that not giving the deputy prosecutors an immediate raise would somehow prevent the current prosecutors from being able to adequately perform their job functions. The two are not related. This was nothing more than leverage being used to win pay increases for the deputy prosecutors. Congratulations to Eric, because it absolutely worked."

But Hoffman says the crisis his office is facing is real.

"He could not be more wrong," the prosecutor said of Webb. "It wasnt a threat at all. The law is clear the county council must fund the prosecutors office in amount the prosecutor seems reasonable. I have repeatedly informed the council in writing, last August and December, as well as in person that without the adequate number of deputy prosecutors I cannot fulfill my constitutional duty to prosecute the thousands of pending felonies."

Hoffman said the deputy prosecutor for Circuit Court 4 has been open since October, which shows the pay is not competitive.

"If you cant retain qualified attorneys to be deputy prosecutors in a county such as ours, the criminal justice system will come to a screeching halt. This is not like a large factory where you have hundreds and hundreds of employees and one position isnt filled. We have nine deputy prosecutors. This is not a position that can go unfilled for much longer," Hoffman told the Star Press. "Circuit Court 4 does not have a deputy prosecutor to prosecute the hundreds of pending felony cases. Yes, this is absolutely a public safety emergency. The police can arrest all the criminals they can but unless there are enough deputy prosecutors to work the cases  justice will not be had."

Hoffman said that when the prosecutors office has an open deputy prosecutor position, "those hundreds and hundreds of cases dont just simply get placed on a shelf until someone is hired. The other eight deputies as well as myself have to rotate and cover."

Prosecutor's office staffing, he said, is in a perilous position.

"If another deputy (prosecutor) leaves it is all going to fall like a house of cards. There are not enough deputies to work their own caseload in addition to the caseload of the vacant positions," Hoffman said.

In spite of the salary increase granted in March, he said, no new applications for deputy prosecutor have yet been received.

"What does that tell us?" Hoffman said. "The salary is still not competitive."

He said he plans to address staffing issues this year.

Webb said he hoped that Hoffman asks for two additional deputy prosecutors and another salary increase, which he said he would support. "Because that would be the appropriate time to do so."

A recent statewide study of prosecutors offices that concluded Delaware County was 23 attorneys short of being an adequately staffed.

"We are the ninth most under staffed office out of all of Indianas 92 counties," Hoffman said. "That issue I will address at budget time when I will ask for funding for additional deputy prosecutors."

The pay increases provided by council apply only to deputy prosecutors and not the rest of Hoffman's staff.

"Thank you to the council for seeing the problem and taking the steps necessary to address it," Hoffman said. "I appreciate their decisive action."

David Penticuff is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at dpenticuff@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Prosecutor's office wins Salary increases from Delaware County Council
Its not just you: Many travelers today feel that airfares have gotten far too expensive lately, according to a new survey released on Wednesday. The North American Airline Satisfaction Study from J.D. Power examines passenger sentiment across the largest airlines based on the continent. So far this year, the study shows that passengers are very unhappy with the rising cost of airfares and additional fees.

Airlines are once again operating at peak efficiency, according to Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power. From the customer perspective, however, that means planes are crowded, tickets are expensive, and flight availability is constrained. While these drawbacks have not yet put a dent in leisure travel demand, if this trend continues, travelers will reach a breaking point and some airline brands may be damaged, Taylor said in a statement.

While most U.S. airlines are struggling with many aspects of customer service, a few broke away from the pack. Some had seats, services, or other amenities that ranked well with air travelers, according to the poll, which surveyed 7,774 recent passengers on North American airlines between March 2022 and March 2023. Another bright spot of the report? Fliers are actually loving airline food right nowit was one of the only categories to show an upward trend.

Heres what else fliers are loving, and what they could do without.

The best premium economy cabin in North America

Premium economy is one of the most popular airline cabins with passengers at the moment. Among North American carriers, fliers ranked Delta as having the best product in this trending cabin class.

Of the six airlines included in the survey, Deltas premium economy seat took the top spot, with a score of 848 points out of 1,000.

The airlines premium economy check-in, boarding, in-flight services, and baggage claim services all did very well with passengers who were surveyed, according to Taylor. In-flight services was probably the difference maker for Delta, Taylor said. Last year, Delta upgraded its Premium Select cabin to include warm hand towels, a sparkling wine welcome drink, and stylish amenity kits by the Mexico-based artisan collective Someone Somewhere, including skincare products from Grown Alchemist.

Story continues

JetBlue Airways ranked second among premium economy cabins with a score of 840, and Alaska Airlines took the third spot, scoring 823.

The best economy seat

Despite a couple recent scheduling meltdowns, Southwest Airlines still ranked as U.S. fliers favorite economy seat in North America, thanks to the extra perks that are included with its airfare. Although almost all airlines declined in passengers satisfaction with cost and fees from 2022, Southwest was still viewed as having the most value for the price paid for a ticket, Taylor said.

Each passenger on Southwest is entitled to two free checked bags and free drinks and snacks on board. Whats more: The airline has started rolling out new, upgraded planes that now come with USB power outlets and every seat, faster Wi-Fi, and larger overhead bins.

Passengers are loving airline food and drinks

Airlines are stepping up their game on in-flight menus, and fliers are taking note. One of the few areas showing improvement across all segments this year is food and beverage, which is up 12 points overall from 2022, says the report.

This area of in-flight service ranked so highly in part because passengers missed full meal and beverage service during the worst of the pandemic. The major factor in airplane food was an increase in the availability and quality of the food service, Taylor said.

Additionally, a few U.S. airlines have introduced new menus in the last year that would rival any dining scene on the ground. JetBlue, for one, has been rotating new slates of in-flight dishes in its Mint business class (which ranked first in the poll's first/business category) as part of its partnership with New York City restaurateurs Delicious Hospitality Group. In February 2023, the airline began highlighting flavors from SoHo Italian restaurant Charlie Bird, with dishes like cacio e pepe, flat iron steak, and burrata with crostini. Also on offer? Handmade signature cocktails like the Mint Condition (Bombay Sapphire Gin or Titos Handmade Vodka, ginger, lime, cucumber, mint) and a Venetian Spritz (House-made aperitivo, sparkling wine and grapefruit).

Airfares and fees are too expensive

While there were some positive notes to the poll, overall the survey indicated that fliers are generally unhappy with the state of air travel todayespecially due to rising airfares and airline fees. Ticket prices in general have risen dramatically in each of the last two years, Taylor said.

Overall passenger satisfaction with the airlines ranked at 791a seven point drop from last year. This is the second consecutive year of waning passenger satisfaction, following a 22-point decline in 2022 from 2021, the report states. The biggest factor driving this years decline in satisfaction is cost and fees, which has fallen 17 points from 2022.

Even more dramatic: Satisfaction with cost and fees in the economy/basic economy segment dropped 19 points, year over year.

According to a travel price tracker from NerdWallet, airfares became nearly 18 percent more expensive in March 2023 compared to March 2022.

Originally Appeared on Conde Nast Traveler
[Source]

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage month is a time for celebrating our diverse community and honoring those who have paved the way for future generations.

Check out these 10 AAPI inventors and innovators who helped improve the quality of everyone's lives with their contributions.



John Tu and David Sun

John Tu, who immigrated to the U.S. from China, and David Sun, from Taiwan, are considered pioneers of the modern-day dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) modules or sticks.

They are the founders of Kingston Technology, which was first established in Orange County, California, in 1987. The company, which started by making memories for computers, is now a leading American manufacturing company that creates memory storage devices related to cameras and cell phones.

More from NextShark: Soil from 75 former Japanese American WWII incarceration sites collected for memorial

Peter Tsai

Taiwanese American scientist Peter Tsai is the inventor of the N95 mask, which is made of a protective material that can filter out 95% of submicron particles, including dust, haze, pollen, smoke and influenza viruses. The "N" in the mask's name, meanwhile, stands for "non-resistant to oil."

The mask proved helpful as this was the type of face mask that frontliners used during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More from NextShark: A history of the Hmong kings

Flossie Wong-Staal

Flossie Wong-Staal (1946-2020), a Chinese American virologist and molecular biologist, was a key player when acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) became a global epidemic in the early 1980s.

Wong-Staal was the first scientist to successfully clone the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which researchers later found to be the cause of AIDS. They then used Wong-Staals findings to study the virus and later develop antibody tests. Her discovery and contribution helped other scientists to find ways to manage HIV.

More from NextShark: Biden: Japanese American incarceration camps one of the most shameful periods in American history

Nainoa Thompson

A native Hawaiian navigator, Nainoa Thompson revived the once-forgotten traditional art of wayfinding using the sun, moon, stars, clouds and waves. A tradition that gradually died in the 14th century, Thompson was reportedly the first person ever to use the old method and develop it into his 1980 invention, the Star Compass, a conceptual direction system that does not need any navigational instruments.

Story continues

Ajay Bhatt

More from NextShark: National Lao-Hmong Memorial Foundation restores warplane to honor Hmong Vietnam War veterans

Imagine what life would be like without the universal serial bus (USB), an interface that connects, transfers and powers hosts, to communicate with a computer. And we have Indian-born American computer architect Ajay Bhatt to thank for the technology.

Bhatt, who was an employee at Intel at the time, led a team of experts from seven different tech companies, such as Compaq, DEC, IBM, Intel, Nortel, Microsoft and NEC, to develop the USB.

The first version of the interface, USB 1.0, was first made available to the public in January 1996. Since then, many versions and types have been invented and released, like versions 2.0 through 4.0 and types A, B and C.

Min Chueh Chang

Dr. Min Chueh Chang (1908-1991), was a Chinese-American reproductive biologist who helped to revolutionize the birth control movement. Chang supported in the developement of the birth control pill, and was a pioneer of in-vitro fertilization! #AAPIMonth pic.twitter.com/BoLxaJtZEJ  The Science Network (@SciNetUCS) May 15, 2020

Considered one of the pioneers who helped revolutionize the birth control movement, Chinese American biologist Min Chueh Chang (1908-1991) was one of the scientists who developed the oral contraceptive pill.

Together with John Rock, founder of the Rock Reproductive Clinic, and Gregory G. Pincus, co-founder of Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, the three experts launched the first FDA-approved oral contraceptive pill Enovid in 1960.

Steve Chen and Jawed Karim

Taiwanese American internet entrepreneur Steve Chen and Jawed Karim, an American software engineer who is of German and Bangladeshi descent, are two of the three co-founders of YouTube.

Chen, Karim and Chad Hurley, who were all employees of PayPal at the time, came up with the idea of an online streaming website and launched the company that is now known as YouTube on Feb. 14, 2005. Karim shared the ever-so-famous Me at the zoo video on YouTube, the first video ever uploaded to the platform.

The trio eventually sold YouTube to Google on Oct. 9, 2006, for $1.65 billion.

Ching Wan Tang

In 1987, Hong Kong American physical chemist Ching Wan Tang invented the organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a type of thinner and lighter visual panel that provides superior brightness and color. The first product that incorporated the technology was a car stereo display released by Pioneer in 1997.

Tang was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2018 for his invention.
Sherry Riesterer of Germantown talks on a video call with Daria Boichenko, a young Ukrainian woman who is now living in Poland, on Friday, May 5, 2023. Riesterer is part of a program called ENGin that connects English speakers with young Ukrainians who want to improve their conversational skills in the language.

Every Friday morning, Sherry Riesterer of Germantown starts a video call and connects with an unlikely friend across the ocean.

Riesterer has been getting to know Daria Boichenko, a Ukrainian refugee living in the Polish city of Wrocaw. There, its late afternoon.

Its part of a program called ENGin that connects English speakers from around the world with young Ukrainians who want to improve their conversational skills in the language. The programs founder, Katerina Manoff, bills it as a pen pal program for the 21st century.

For Riesterer, its five steps better than a pen pal. We actually get to have this one-on-one conversation and see each other, she said. We get to experience life together.

The program has facilitated a friendship between two people who otherwise never would have met.

Boichenko, 32, was building her career at a publishing house when Russias war with Ukraine forced her to flee to Poland with her partner. Riesterer, a suburban mom with a background in business, was looking for ways to volunteer, now that her children are grown and out of the house.

Life is unpredictable, Boichenko said simply. Its taught her to say yes to opportunities  like the English program.

More: Ukrainian refugees were quickly welcomed to Wisconsin. Now red tape makes their future uncertain.

For Riesterer, an up-close glimpse into the life of a Ukrainian refugee

As she searched online for volunteer gigs, ENGin caught Riesterers eye. The war in Ukraine was underway, and she wanted to do something to help that wasnt just donating money.

I just had a heart for these people, she said. This was a perfect way to physically connect with someone.

Daria Boichenko, a young Ukrainian woman who is now living in Poland, talks with Sherry Riesterer on Friday, May 5, 2023 through zoom. Boichenko is participating in the program called ENGin that connects English speakers with young Ukrainians who want to improve their conversational skills in the language.

At first, Riesterer wasnt sure shed be the right fit. She isnt a teacher and didn't have experience working with English language learners. But the program emphasized it was looking for regular people who had an internet connection and an hour a week.

She signed up.

When Riesterer was paired with Boichenko, she wasnt sure how much theyd have in common. There was a 20-year age gap.

Story continues

But its been an unexpected joy to learn about Boichenkos life, family and Ukrainian traditions, she said.

Its the first time that Ive been able to see a little bit more into someones real day-to-day life, into their culture a little bit, Reisterer said.

Through the weekly conversations meant to boost Boichenkos English speaking fluency, the two have compared Easter traditions, favorite movies and travel destinations.

Together, they watched an episode of Friends  one of Boichenkos favorite shows  and paused every time there was an American cultural touchstone or expression she didnt understand.

The war, though, is an unavoidable topic. Boichenko has talked about what its like to have family members back in Kharkiv and the challenges of building a life in another country.

Sherry Riesterer of Germantown talks with Daria Boichenko, a young Ukrainian woman who is now living in Poland on Friday, May 5, 2023. Riesterer is part of a program called ENGin that connects English speakers with young Ukrainians who want to improve their conversational skills in the language.

Its one thing to read about what's happening to people on the other side of the world, and its another thing to talk to them about it, Riesterer said. It touches your heart more.

The program is six months long, but Riesterer foresees the two of them continuing to meet online regularly for a long time to come. Shes even been talking about one day visiting Boichenko in Poland or Ukraine.

From December 2022: Milwaukee Ukrainians celebrate the first Orthodox Christmas since Russia's invasion

From March 2022: Medical students in Ukraine flee the country after their school was bombed by Russian rockets and a classmate killed

English skills will help Boichenko adjust to life in Poland

For Boichenko, the weekly calls offer a point of connection in a time of upheaval.

She never expected to have to leave Ukraine, and didnt speak Polish when she resettled in Wrocaw, the countrys fourth-largest city.

Sherry Riesterer, right, of Germantown talks with Daria Boichenko, a young Ukrainian woman who is now living in Poland on Friday, May 5, 2023 through zoom. Riesterer is part of a program called ENGin that connects English speakers with young Ukrainians who want to improve their conversational skills in the language.

Although shes now started to learn Polish, shes been using English to speak with shop keepers and other Poles as shes set up her new life  buying a SIM card for her phone, and purchasing car insurance.

Boichenko learned English in school but needed a refresher to be able to operate more smoothly day-to-day.

It was especially important to improve her language skills because colleagues at her new job  a Polish publishing house that makes textbooks and educational materials  communicate in English.

I want to communicate easier and understand more, Boichenko said. I want to feel more free.

Boichenkos new life in Poland can feel narrow at times. She works from home and in the evenings she takes walks or goes grocery shopping. On weekends, she goes to museums and strolls through the citys downtown area. Her partner is a truck driver so he's away a lot of the time.

Sometimes, she visits her sister, who lives an hour away. But she doesnt have any Polish friends yet. Learning English might help her expand her social circles and adapt to life there, she said.

After the beginning of the war, I understood that I am my main resource, Boichenko said.

Speaking English well could open doors for her in the future, she realized  not just in Poland, but anywhere she might go next in the world.

Founder hopes program will help Ukraine grow, rebuild

ENGins founder, Manoff, hopes the program serves as an engine fueling Ukraines growth.

Manoff, who is based in the Washington, D.C. area, sees strong English-language skills as the key to Ukraines future success.

Ukraine is one of the lowest-ranked European countries in English proficiency, according to an annual global survey from EF Education First. Manoff knows that highly developed countries also record high English fluency.

I like to sometimes say Im trying to turn Ukraine into Norway, she said  that is, a country that's thriving economically that also ranks near the top of the world in English skills.

Manoff launched the program in 2020, just before the pandemic hit, and its since grown to nearly 30,000 participants in the last three years, she said.

The connections forged across the ocean offered Ukrainian young people and their English-speaking conversation partners a reprieve from the loneliness and isolation of the pandemic, Manoff said. Those bonds have only proven more valuable since the war broke out.

The conversations, and taking steps toward English proficiency, help Ukrainian participants feel like an agent of their own destiny rather than a victim, Manoff said.

Language is power, and having the power to tell their stories to the world is a huge part of it, she said.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Germantown mom, Ukrainian refugee form bond over English language
Leer en espanol

Three Arizona sheriffs warned Thursday's expiration of pandemic-era Title 42 restrictions on immigration will strain their resources and used the occasion to call the nation's immigration system a failure.

Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone, Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and Chief Deputy Bret Axlund of the Coconino County Sheriff's Office said the changes in federal policy would lead to more migrant encounters at the border and would affect communities across Arizona.

Title 42 was applied by the Trump administration, and continued by the Biden White House, to rapidly expel migrants nearly 2.8 million times over more than three years. Border officials will return to fully enforcing Title 8 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the policy that existed before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Penzone said the expiration of Title 42 was not the impetus of the problem but "just another straw on the camel's back."

"When I say this, I'm not pointing my finger to an administration or individual or anyone in particular, but, collectively, it is my opinion, that our government has failed its people," Penzone said. "It has failed its people for decades now. Because the insecurity of our border is a federal responsibility, but it has become a local problem.

"The idea that we're not capable of securing our border and improving and addressing the failures in our immigration system is nonsense," Penzone said. "We can continue to be a welcoming nation of people of all walks of life ... And we can be disciplined."

Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone, Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and Coconino County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Bret Axlund held a news conference May 10, 2023, in Phoenix to discuss public safety concerns ahead of the expiration of pandemic-era Title 42 restrictions on immigration on May 11, 2023.

Penzone acknowledged that his office is barred by a federal court order from helping enforce immigration laws, but he and his peers said Wednesday an influx of migrants to Arizona would drain their resources. They called for greater partnership with federal agencies, border sheriffs and law enforcement across the state.

Story continues

Each man said his agency should be reimbursed by state and federal governments for the resources spent addressing what they called a federal responsibility.

Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes is the president of the Arizona Sheriff's Association. He appealed for federal agencies to coordinate with local law enforcement before processing migrants and releasing them in Arizona to await court hearings on their status.

"Those drop-offs in different communities around the state need to be communicated to the local government, and to public safety and law enforcement in those communities," Rhodes said. "We need to know that so that we can react and deal with it accordingly."

Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2024, said the issue was broader.

"This is not just a border issue, or a border state issue," Lamb said. "This is an American issue."

Lamb said he believed the federal government would be releasing migrants into Cochise County, Yuma County, Tucson and Casa Grande.

"We expect to see a lot of these groups being released, which is going to tax our resources," Lamb said. "As temperatures start to increase, we're going to see a lot more search-and-rescue calls out in the desert. So, we expect to expend a lot of resources with our aviation unit doing search and rescue."

Earlier this week, Bisbee said it was seeing releases from the Douglas port of entry. The people were transferred to a shelter in Tucson.

On Monday, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced the creation of a joint information command center to prepare for an expected influx of migrants at the state's southern border.

Underway: Immigrants already being released in southern Arizona, bused to Tucson, as Title 42 end nears

Have a news tip? Reach the reporter at jjenkins@arizonarepublic.com or at 812-243-5582. Follow him on Twitter @JimmyJenkins.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ sheriffs call for partnership as border restrictions about to lift
The northern lights, aka the aurora borealis, could be visible over northern Michigan Wednesday night, space weather forecasters said.

The lights might be seen farther south than usual, and might even be visible in U.S. states such as Oregon, Nebraska and Virginia, SpaceWeather.com reported.

The sky show is due to a geomagnetic storm that's now hurtling toward the Earth.

According to Space.com, the geomagnetic storm is the result of a massive coronal mass ejection from the sun that took place Sunday evening. Energetic particles from the outburst were forecast to arrive early Wednesday morning.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center said Wednesday that more storm impacts from another mass ejection are expected on Thursday and Friday  so tonight may not be your only chance to see the northern lights this week.

Northern lights photos: See aurora borealis light up skies across several states

The northern lights in Norway.

Where will the northern lights be visible Wednesday?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center, the northern lights are most likely to be seen across the northern tier of the U.S., such as in northern Michigan and Maine, on Wednesday night.

The lights may also be seen in Alaska and parts of Canada.

NOAA reports that the northern lights will likely be visible tonight in portions of these "Lower 48" states: Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and Maine.

As of late afternoon Wednesday, satellite images showed that skies were clear across much of the northern tier of the U.S., except for some cloudy areas in western Montana, the eastern Dakotas and much of Minnesota.

The colorful aurora forms when particles flowing from the sun get caught up in Earth's magnetic field. The particles interact with molecules of atmospheric gases to cause the famed glowing green and reddish colors of the aurora.

Story continues

Tips for viewing the northern lights

"Go out at night," NOAA said. "And get away from city lights. The moon will also diminish the apparent brightness of the aurora."

The best aurora is usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. local time). These hours expand towards evening and morning as the level of geomagnetic activity increases.

There may be aurora in the evening and morning, but it is usually not as active and therefore, not as visually appealing, NOAA said.

G2 geomagnetic storm is responsible

NOAA rated the geomagnetic storm a G2, or "moderate" level event.

A G2 is the second level of NOAA's five-level solar storm scale. (G1 storms are minor, and G5s are considered extreme.) The higher the level, the more likely the aurora will appear.

Geomagnetic storms can affect the Earth's infrastructure, possibly disrupting communications, power grids, navigation, radio and satellite operations, NOAA said. Disruptions to technology from a G2 storm generally remain small, but the storm can drive the aurora farther south from its usual position over the polar region, NOAA said.

Impacts from the geomagnetic storm are expected to wane by Thursday and Friday, NOAA said.

Photo gallery: Best spots to see the northern lights

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Northern lights, aka aurora borealis, expected over Mich. on Wednesday
People selling cattle or personal property through private sales are being warned against accepting personal checks without prior verification.

A Guymon man is accused of writing a false check to acquire cattle and resell them.

On March 4, Truth Allen Stephens, 23, was arrested for allegedly writing a check for $187,650 to buy 139 cows and 46 newborn calves from an Okmulgee County rancher. He allegedly transported the cattle to western Oklahoma to sell them.

Authorities said the Okmulgee County rancher discovered the check was not valid and attempted to contact Stephens. Stephens avoided the rancher, authorities said.

More: As drought worsens, Oklahoma ranchers look to the state for relief

In Okmulgee County District Court, Stephens faces a felony charge for writing a fraudulent check. He is accused of writing the check after closing an account at American Exchange Bank, according to court documents.

Authorities with the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association accused Stephens of buying additional cattle, along with horses, tack and a Peterbilt semi-truck using the same sequence of checks from the closed checking account.

TSCRA special rangers are continuing to investigate. They request any other potential victims in Oklahoma who believe they might have been victimized by Stephens contact Bart Perrier, special ranger, at 918-440-8360.

More: OKC museum wants visitors to be 'Playing Cowboy' with massive exhibit of Western toys, games and comics

The association is advising individuals who agree to sell cattle or personal property through private sales to refrain from accepting personal checks without prior verification.

Opting for a cashier's check or securing funds through wire drafts between financial institutions is a more secure practice, the association said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma man bought 139 cows with a bad check, authorities say
Hi there, OnPolitics readers!

While the nation hurtles towards a possibly catastrophic default, Congress has put the debt ceiling on the backburner today as the House turns its focus on the southern border.

The House is set to vote this afternoon on the first major border security bill by Republicans since they took back the chamber as the border policy Title 42  a pandemic-era law that allowed authorities to turn migrants at the border away  is set to expire.

 Shelters? Troops?: The latest efforts to fix the border crisis before Title 42 ends

What does the bill do?: The Republicans Secure the Border Act would restart construction on the southwest border wall and hamper asylum access. The bill would also cut a program that lets authorities quickly accept or turn away migrants from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua, who can apply to come to the U.S. for two years legally and work.

Why now?: Title 42 is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. EST today and will officially prevent Customs and Border Protection officials from turning migrants away under the policy put in place during the pandemic. So, now lawmakers are scrambling to replace the public health emergency rule with something else to help curb migration.

Why this matters: Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been critical of President Joe Bidens handling of the southern border, complaining that the administration has no real plan.

This vote also comes as Biden warned this week that the southern border would be chaotic for a while following the expiration of Title 42.

 Keep reading: As Title 42 expires, here's how your lawmakers want to fix the border crisis

 ICYMI: Biden says border will be `chaotic for a while' when Title 42 ends

 For subscribers: When Title 42 expires, will migrants be prosecuted for crossing border illegally?

 Get newsletter in your inbox: Don't miss our politics coverage. Sign up for OnPolitics.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: OnPolitics: Lawmakers want to fix the border crisis. But can they?
*Since Netcore's platforms are no-code they will enable Domino's to save upto 150 man hours per week impacting costs effectively*

JAKARTA, Indonesia, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Netcore Cloud , a profitable SaaS company and global leader in customer communication, engagement and retention, has been onboarded by multinational pizza restaurant chain, Domino's in Indonesia. Netcore Cloud's AI-powered capabilities will help the brand build a 360-degree understanding with user analytics improving overall marketing and product strategy.

Netcore_Logo

Netcore's Customer Engagement platform creates a unified profile of each customer by stitching together data points from every customer interaction across online and offline channels. Therefore, the customer behavior can be analysed at every stage of their conversion journey enabling marketers to tweak their strategy using real-time dashboard insights on revenue, DAU, app stickiness, user flows, or any other north star metric. The Product Experience Platform makes it possible to deploy walkthroughs and nudges guiding users through the app or website with intuitive and delightful experiences ensuring goal-driven actions. Therefore, moving users down the conversion funnel faster is made possible. With the combined powers of these platforms, Domino's will be able to create journeys for customers that are more contextual and relevant. Increased relevance means better user experience & therefore repeated engagement.

Siddhesh Sawant, Regional Vice President - Indonesia Netcore Cloud, "Empowered by our Contextual Nudges & Walkthroughs, Indonesians will now be able gain one-on-one suggestions while ordering their favorite pizzas & beverages on the Domino's app & website. With our Customer Engagement platform, Domino's will now be able to analyze customer behavior at every stage of their conversion journey and undertake appropriate actions. This will naturally improve customer satisfaction & thereby sales for Domino's and thereof is a sure win-win."

Story continues

Mayank Singh, Chief Digital Officer & VP - Marketing, Digital Business & IT, Domino's Pizza Indonesia, "At Domino's Pizza Indonesia, we take pride in our position as the country's number one QSR food ordering app. Being the World's number one Pizza chain, we are committed to providing the best customer experience for both our iOS and Android users, whether they order takeaway (2 mins Pickup Guarantee) or delivery (30 mins Delivery Guarantee). To enhance our customer experience and engagement and further improve our order conversion rate, we are excited to partner with Netcore and leverage their Nudges and Customer Engagement Platforms. With Netcore's advanced customer experience products and services, we are confident that we can continue to deliver unparalleled value to our loyal customers."

Consumer Engagement expert, Netcore Cloud has been making successful strides for over two decades in 22 markets globally and today serves over 6500 clients including CIMB Niaga, FWD Life, Bluebirdgroup, Panorama JTB, Bussan Auto Finance, Qerja & Capital Life.

About Netcore Cloud: https://netcorecloud.com/about-us/

For more information, visit https://netcorecloud.com/

Media Contact:

Simone Pious

simone.pious@netcorecloud.com

+91 9930354205

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/dominos-indonesia-onboards-saas-major-netcore-clouds-customer-engagement--product-experience-platforms-to-enhance-user-experience-301820978.html

SOURCE Netcore Cloud
The years of ever-growing state revenue are coming to an end, according to new estimates from Rhode Island fiscal analysts, who on Wednesday revised down the amount of money lawmakers will have to spend in next year's budget.

While the national and regional economies have so far avoided recession, state revenue collections for the year ending June 30 are expected to come in $61 million below what was expected last year, according to new figures from the Revenue Estimating Conference.

Revenues for the year starting July 1 are now expected to lag expectations by $2.9 million, the conference analysts found.

All told, that means the General Assembly will have around $64 million less to spend in its upcoming budget for next year than Gov. Dan McKee was working with in his January budget proposal.

More: Tactic or tantrum? Neronha's budget standoff with McKee wins fans and foes, but will it work?

More: Fate of state-funded abortion coverage rests in RI Senate's hands. Here's what's at stake.

If the estimates prove accurate, state revenue from various taxes and fees (and not counting any federal funding) will drop from just over $5.2 billion last year to $5.199 billion this year and then down to $5.1 billion next year.

The updated revenue estimates are a reflection of the current economic conditions and are not unexpected. I have consistently cautioned against using one-time money for ongoing programs or tax cuts, and todays results reaffirm the need for that caution," House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi said in an email about the new numbers. "As always, the House will work with our partners in government to align expectations and resources while prioritizing long-term stability for the state and its residents."

The largest contributor to the decline in revenue is personal income tax collections for the year ending in June, which the conference estimated will come in $97 million below last year's projections. Insurance tax collections were revised down about $10 million for the current year.

Story continues

On the other side of the ledger, lottery revenue was revised up around $15 million, departmental receipts up $14 million, corporate tax collections up about $10 million and sales tax collections up $4 million.

The latest revenue estimates, in part, reflect the prediction from financial analysts that Rhode Island could avoid a recession in the coming year, but should at best probably expect a period of sluggish growth.

McKee in a statement noted that despite the lower revenue forecast, the state "is still projected to have an approximately $600 million surplus" in the year ending June 30 "because of our Administration's prudent financial decisions."

"The slight decrease in projected general revenues that came out of the Revenue Estimating Conference today was not unexpected, but it also does not significantly change our financial landscape in the short term," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI revenue projections dialed down as economy slows
Sen. Wendy Rogers attends a joint House and Senate election committee hearing at the state Capitol in Phoenix on Feb. 23, 2023.

Score one for the First Amendment.

Sen. Wendy Rogers ridiculous injunction of harassment was dismissed on Wednesday by a judge who explained that its not harassment when a reporter knocks on the door of a senator who figured out a way to duck her questions on the Senate floor.

Investigative reporting is a legitimate purpose. It just is, Flagstaff Justice of the Peace Howard Grodman told Rogers, after a three-hour hearing in which the reporter challenged the court order.

You may not like the questions that are asked you, and you achieved having her not contact you at your desk in the Senate.

A reporter's 'crime'? She rang a doorbell

In April, Rogers scurried to court seeking protection from Arizona Capitol Times Camryn Sanchez, who was trying to determine whether the Flagstaff(?) senator is in violation of a state law that requires legislators to live in their districts.

Suspicions have swirled for years about where Rogers really lives, ever since she supposedly moved out of her longtime Tempe home to go live in a trailer in Flagstaff and run for the state Senate in 2020.

So when Sanchez obtained a public record showing that Rogers and her husband recently bought a $750,000 home in Chandler  and signed a property deed attesting to the fact that they were living in Tempe at the time  Sanchez launched an investigation.

As part of it, she went to Rogers Tempe and Chandler homes and (gasp!) rang the doorbell.

Rogers wasnt there but armed with doorbell video evidence of this terrifying act  and apparently in fear for her very life  Rogers went running to a judge for protection, claiming she was being stalked.

And the judge, pro tem Flagstaff Justice of the Peace Amy Criddle, issued an injunction of harassment against Sanchez without ever even hearing her side of the story.

'I did not want to be questioned by her again'

Within 48 hours, Rogers was using her terror to line her pockets, outlining the harrowing experience in a fundraising plea.

Story continues

On Wednesday, Sanchez finally got her day in court and Rogers had to take the stand, wherein she proceeded to look rather foolish.

It seems Sanchez in February approached her desk on the Senate floor during a recess and dared to ask a question, as credentialed Capitol reporters are allowed to do, and Rogers, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, felt somehow threatened because the reporter came within three feet of her.

In recording: Rogers pressed judge for more restrictions

I was made uncomfortable by my space, as it were, being invaded, she testified. I did not feel comfortable, in terms of I felt that she was imposing herself on me and in my work area, and so I did not want to be questioned by her again and I told the staff to instruct her accordingly.

Two months later, Sanchez rang her doorbell(s) and well, the rest is history.

This judge didn't buy what Rogers was selling

No explanation justifies someone coming to my private residence, Rogers told the judge on Wednesday.

Right before having to acknowledge, under questioning, that she has knocked on tens of thousands of doors during her six campaigns to try to get elected to something.

Are you suggesting that a campaigner cant knock on peoples doors? the affronted senator asked Sanchez attorney.

Youre the one suggesting that a reporter cant knock on peoples doors, he replied.

Fortunately, the judge wasnt buying what Rogers was selling, noting that process servers and trick-or-treaters also knock on doors without those inside collapsing into a pile of terrified goo. (My words, not his.)

I dont think there is a series of acts directed at Sen. Rogers that would cause a reasonable person to be seriously alarmed, annoyed or harassed, even if she in fact was, Grodman said, in lifting the injunction.

A reasonable person? Oh, ouch.

The only one being harassed here was Sanchez, who is now free to enjoy her First Amendment right to pursue an entirely legitimate story.

3 important questions that still aren't answered

Still, there are a couple of important questions to be asked before the case on the terrifying, door-knocking reporter is closed.

About a senator who believes that any reporter who asks her a question is harassing her. A senator who actually (though unsuccessfully) tried to get Sanchez banned from not just from the state Capitol. What does that say, I wonder, about the elected official when she goes to such lengths to block a legitimate inquiry into whether she is breaking the law?

About a pro tem justice of the peace who bought Rogers sob story hook, line and sinker, essentially declaring Sanchez a stalker without ever hearing why she came aknockin'. That injunction is now lifted, thanks to Grodman. But its still there in the public record where it will presumably dog Sanchez for the rest of her career. What does it say, I wonder, about a court system that imposes such a damaging judgment without even bothering to hear the other side of the story?

And about the legislative district where Rogers (supposedly) lives and about the tens of thousands of taxpayer-funded per diem payments that she collects as a result. This former military pilot testified under oath that she lives in a mobile home in Flagstaff.

Not in her longtime home in Tempe, where a neighbor told Sanchez that Rogers has lived for a decade.

Not in her newly purchased home in Chandler, the one next to an airport and equipped with a hangar where she can park a plane.

Nope.

Flagstaff, Rogers testified, is my family residence.

Anybody buying that?

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LaurieRoberts.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sen. Wendy Rogers loses bid to block reporter but questions remain
SHEBOYGAN - A 23-year-old Sheboygan man pleaded not guilty in response to charges of causing a 4-year-old girl's death while his license was suspended.

Nathan Heitzmann was arraigned Wednesday. He pled not guilty to felony charges of causing death while knowingly driving a car while his license is suspended, a Class H felony in Wisconsin.

A month before the April 12 crash that killed 4-year-old Cordelia Kuether, Heitzmann's license had been suspended for too many citations, including inattentive driving and speeding.

If convicted of the most recent charges, Heitzmann faces a maximum of six years in prison and a six-month suspension from driving.

Heitzmann was bound over for trial. He posted $5,000 bond and is banned from driving and from having any contact with the victims or their workplace. His next hearing is July 10.

According to the criminal complaint, Heitzmann slowed but did not stop at a stop sign at the intersection of North 21st Street and Saemann Avenue. Witnesses said he hit a minivan entering the intersection going east toward the lake, which then moved toward a group of pedestrians on the street corner.

On the corner, a mother and three children, including Kuether, had stopped to pet another mans dog.

Kuether had been between a wagon on the sidewalk and the minivan in the roadway and died from severe injuries to her chest. The two other children suffered abrasions and trauma to their cheeks, faces and one of their forearms.

At the time, Heitzmann told police he didn't see the minivan coming and cooperated with police, including a blood alcohol test. He told police he still thought he had "a point or two" left on his license, but later provided documents from the Department of Motor Vehicles that said his license had been suspended for four months.

The community has mourned Kuether's loss and has come together to support her family. A GoFundMe, which has now closed, raised more than $38,000 for the family's funeral and medical expenses, and community members held a candlelight vigil April 14.

Story continues

Maya Hilty contributed to this report.

Read more:

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan man pleads not guilty in 4-year-old Cordelia Kuether's death
Title 42, the public health law invoked during the Trump administration, is set to expire.

The border policy has been used to expel migrants to Mexico or their countries of origin regardless of their COVID-19 status.

President Joe Biden's administration on May 11 will begin denying asylum to migrants who show up at the U.S.-Mexico border without first applying online or seeking protection in a country they passed through, according to a new rule released May 10.

Once Title 42 ends, migrants caught illegally crossing will not be allowed to return for five years, and they can face criminal prosecution.

The Biden administration said in the new rule that as many as 11,000 migrants per day could try to cross the border after Title 42 expires.

When is Title 42 expiring?

The border policy expires May 11.

What will happen when Title 42 ends?

There isn't a solid estimate on how many migrants might come into El Paso once Title 42 restrictions expire.

There are unconfirmed estimates that there are up to 35,000 asylum-seekers waiting in Juarez, Mexico, to cross the U.S. border. The estimate  which has been cited by El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser  are "truly unconfirmed numbers" coming from Mexican sources, El Paso Deputy City Manager Mario D'Agostino said.

Gov. Greg Abbott sends Texas Tactical Border Force to El Paso

Gov. Greg Abbott announced he was deploying a specially trained elite unit of the National Guard that he called the Texas Tactical Border Force to El Paso as a record jump in unlawful immigration is expected.

What is Title 8?

The section of the U.S. Code known as "Title 8: Aliens and Nationality" contains all the country's immigration laws. Among its numerous chapters and subsections, the Title 8 section includes:

Associated Press and USA Today Network contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Title 42 expulsion ends May 11; details to know before policy ends
Donald Trump had his moment in the limelight during a CNN town hall Wednesday night, taking questions from New Hampshire Republican primary voters.

Trump is a quintessential entertainer, and he played to the crowd. What became clear right away, however, is that the former president remains mired in the past and is still obsessed with 2020 and what he continues to call a rigged election. Hes not sorry about what happened on Jan. 6, 2021. Hes also crude and called CNNs Kaitlan Collins nasty simply for trying to do her job and ask tough questions (that he knew were coming).

When Trump actually addressed real issues, from inflation to the economy to the border crisis, he called out President Joe Biden and said he wanted to straighten out the country.

Supporters of former US President and 2024 Presidential hopeful Donald Trump rally to welcome him at Manchester airport in Manchester, New Hampshire, on May 10, 2023 ahead of his CNN town hall meeting.

Trump is right that Biden has been a disaster. Yet, hes wrong that hes the guy to fix it.

Luckily for Republicans, several dynamic candidates could deliver better results for the nation without all the baggage Trump brings.

Will DeSantis run or won't he? With Trump gaining in the 2024 primary polls, it's go (or never go) time for DeSantis

Scandals surround Trump

The town hall followed weeks of bad news for the former president, from an indictment in New York over allegations of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to a porn star to other federal investigations into election interference and mishandling of classified documents.

Who still wants Trump?: Many Republicans don't want Trump to be the 2024 GOP nominee. But Democrats sure do.

Maybe Trump's just a bad dude: Donald Trump wants you to think he's constantly the victim

This week, a Manhattan jury found Trump liable in a civil case for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll nearly three decades ago and subsequently defaming her.

Either Trump has really bad luck or his bad behavior is catching up with him. I think its the latter.

Despite all the negative headlines, Trumps support among Republican primary voters has risen, according to polls. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as bad publicity.

Story continues

GOP trumps Democrats on diversity

Trump is by far the best known GOP presidential candidate to get in the race so far, and because of that, hes getting the most attention. Trumps most diehard followers (roughly 30% of Republicans) will stay loyal to him no matter the cost, but many other GOP voters are ready for someone new  and someone more reliable to deliver on conservative principles.

Hardly anyone is excited about a rematch between Biden, who is 80, and Trump, 76.

Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store.

Beyond Trump, Republicans are sporting a more youthful, diverse presidential lineup that should make Democrats jealous (it wont though, because while Democrats claim allegiance to diversity, they disown anyone who falls outside of their lockstep thinking).

Among the declared and anticipated contenders are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 44; former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, 51; entrepreneur and anti-woke activist Vivek Ramaswamy, 37; and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, 57.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., shakes hands with guest following a town hall, Monday, May 8, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. Scott recently launched an exploratory committee for a 2024 GOP presidential bid, a step that comes just shy of making his campaign official.

Dont discount these Republicans

At this point, although still undeclared, DeSantis is the most well-known candidate apart from Trump. While lagging in the polls behind Trump, DeSantis holds his own in general election matchups with Biden. And DeSantis just wrapped up a strong legislative session, with wins that will bolster his credentials as a conservative crusader. DeSantis challenge will be to win the support of far-right GOP primary voters without alienating moderate and independent voters whom hed need in a general election.

Then theres Haley, who is the daughter of immigrants from India. As a first-generation American, she has an interesting perspective. Shes also a trailblazer as the first woman to become governor of her state.

What about Nikki Haley? Will Haley 2024 presidential race benefit Republican Party  or Donald Trump?

Scott owes his current position in the Senate to Haley, who appointed him in 2012, making Scott the first Black senator from the South since Reconstruction.

Ramaswamy, while a long-shot candidate, can eloquently defend conservatism and capitalism, as well as the dangers of far-left ideologies. The son of immigrants from India, he grew up in Ohio.

Trumps had his run. I dont understand Republicans' continued obsession with him, but Im hopeful for what a post-Trump future looks like for conservatives.

USA TODAY columnist Ingrid Jacques

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CNN's Trump town hall shows former president still stuck in the past
Crime and Courts Reporter

Donald W. Meyers is a multimedia journalist at the Yakima Herald-Republic covering crime and courts. He is also the writer behind It Happened Here, a weekly history column. Before coming to Yakima, Meyers covered a wide variety of beats at The Salt Lake Tribune, Daily Herald, and daily and weekly newspapers across New Jersey. He is also a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, serving as a regional officer in the organization as well as on the national Freedom of Information Committee.
Education Reporter

Vanessa Ontiveros is the education reporter at the Yakima Herald-Republic. She grew up near Los Angeles but has happily made Yakima her new home. She is passionate about reporting stories that serve the community and highlight various aspects of the educational system.She also hosts a podcast that discusses local arts education, Yakima Arts Talk, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The daughter of two longtime public school teachers, she is always looking to include community voices in her work.
Dutch Bros Inc. (NYSE:BROS) shareholders are probably feeling a little disappointed, since its shares fell 8.4% to US$28.57 in the week after its latest quarterly results. The result was fairly weak overall, with revenues of US$197m being 5.2% less than what the analysts had been modelling. Earnings are an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance, look at what the analysts are forecasting for next year, and see if there's been a change in sentiment towards the company. We've gathered the most recent statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their earnings models, following these results.

Check out our latest analysis for Dutch Bros

After the latest results, the ten analysts covering Dutch Bros are now predicting revenues of US$971.8m in 2023. If met, this would reflect a sizeable 24% improvement in sales compared to the last 12 months. Losses are forecast to balloon 91% to US$0.12 per share. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$986.4m and losses of US$0.078 per share in 2023. So it's pretty clear the analysts have mixed opinions on Dutch Bros even after this update; although they reconfirmed their revenue numbers, it came at the cost of a massive increase in per-share losses.

The consensus price target held steady at US$38.10, seemingly implying that the higher forecast losses are not expected to have a long term impact on the company's valuation. Fixating on a single price target can be unwise though, since the consensus target is effectively the average of analyst price targets. As a result, some investors like to look at the range of estimates to see if there are any diverging opinions on the company's valuation. The most optimistic Dutch Bros analyst has a price target of US$53.00 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$30.00. This is a fairly broad spread of estimates, suggesting that analysts are forecasting a wide range of possible outcomes for the business.

Story continues

These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the Dutch Bros' past performance and to peers in the same industry. We would highlight that Dutch Bros' revenue growth is expected to slow, with the forecast 33% annualised growth rate until the end of 2023 being well below the historical 42% growth over the last year. By way of comparison, the other companies in this industry with analyst coverage are forecast to grow their revenue at 11% annually. Even after the forecast slowdown in growth, it seems obvious that Dutch Bros is also expected to grow faster than the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that the analysts increased their loss per share estimates for next year. Happily, there were no major changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still expected to grow faster than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$38.10, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

With that in mind, we wouldn't be too quick to come to a conclusion on Dutch Bros. Long-term earnings power is much more important than next year's profits. We have estimates - from multiple Dutch Bros analysts - going out to 2025, and you can see them free on our platform here.

Plus, you should also learn about the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Dutch Bros .

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
Yakima County Government, Lower Valley Reporter

Hi, Im Phil Ferolito, longtime reporter with the Yakima Herald-Republic, where I have gained an array of experience from covering small city governments and school districts to big-picture issues concerning county government, crime and the Yakama Nation, a federally recognized tribe with important historical and cultural ties to the land. I began with the Herald-Republic in Oct. 2000 as a copy editor, designing pages, writing headlines and proof-reading stories. Over the years I have covered four Lower Valley municipalities, Granger, Toppenish, Wapato and Harrah, and the Yakama Nation. My goal always has been to shine a light in dark places and bring readers closer to concerning issues, important people, and other events in our community.
FILE  Destiny Duran, left, and SanJuanita Ontiveros grab loaves of bread for food boxes they are pre-packing Tuesday, March 17, 2020, at The Salvation Armys family store and donation center, 9 S. 6th Ave. in Yakima, Wash.
RFA/Latino Community and Lower Valley Reporter

Heyo, Im Jasper. Nice to meet you. I cover a wide variety of news, but I try to focus on the Latino community and the Lower Yakima Valley. I want to sharestories and perspectives from the Yakima Valley. Im interested in economics, labor, geography and the environment, but the most important issues will always be the ones the community cares about. If you have something worth saying, Ill listen and try to write it down. Im a gosei from Northeast Los Angeles and I got my start as a student journalist and editor covering sports in the Bay Area. Im a massive soccer fan and I still love to play. I also love water in all its forms, the word copacetic and trying new things. I want to read more, and I like to cook, but Im not great at either. Have fun out there!
RFA/Health Care Access Reporter

Santiago Ochoa is a bilingual journalist covering health care access at the Yakima Herald-Republic in Yakima, Washington. Before joining the Herald, Ochoa reported for Flint Beat in Flint, Michigan, covering the citys Latino populationhealth care, education, community building and more, and winning top honors in the Michigan Press Associations feature category. He served as photographer and later editor for his college newspaper, The Michigan Times. When hes not working, Ochoa enjoys cross-country trips on his motorcycle, going to the movies, reading and skiing.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine is delaying its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russias occupying forces, saying that while such a campaign would succeed, too many of his troops' lives would be lost
This image released by Peter Ashdown shows a selfie of mommy blogger Heather Armstrong in Salt Lake City on April 1, 2023. Armstrong, died by suicide, her boyfriend Pete Ashdown told The Associated Press, saying he found her Tuesday night, May 9, 2023, at their Salt Lake City home. She was 47. She laid bare her struggles as a mother and her battles with depression and alcoholism on her site Dooce.com and on social media.
Jordan Neely is pictured before going to see the Michael Jackson movie, "This is It," outside the Regal Cinemas on Eighth Avenue and 42nd Street in Times Square, New York, in 2009.
PARIS (Reuters) - Nuclear power generation at EDF's French reactors in April rose 14.7% year on year to 25.0 terawatt hours (TWh), up 3.2 TWh from the same month in 2022, the utility said on Thursday.

EDF said on its website that total nuclear generation in France since the start of the year was 110.2 TWh, down 2.8% from the same period last year, because of outages caused by stress corrosion and the effects of labour strikes in March and April.

The French utility said its April nuclear power output in Britain was down 22.7% year on year at 3 TWh. Total generation in Britain since the start of the year was at 11.9 TWh, down 21.6% from the same period last year.

(Reporting by Forrest Crellin; Editing by David Goodman)
By Jody Godoy

(Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday questioned Elon Musk's bid to end an agreement that he made to get a Tesla Inc lawyer's preapproval of some of his tweets, with judges pointing out that he agreed to it as part of a 2018 deal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Musk's attorney Ellyde Thompson told the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan that while the Tesla chief executive thought the settlement would "buy peace" with the SEC, the agency's recent attempts to enforce the tweet vetting provision have discouraged him from exercising his right to free speech.

The settlement resolved a lawsuit accusing Musk of defrauding investors with a Aug. 7, 2018 tweet that he had "funding secured" to take his electric car company private, though a buyout was not close.

Musk has said the tweet was truthful, but a federal judge in San Francisco ruled it was false in a securities fraud lawsuit filed by shareholders. Musk was found not liable in February at a trial where he took the stand.

U.S. District Judges Reena Raggi and Debra Ann Livingston said during oral arguments that Musk could have foreseen the SEC seeking to enforce the agreement when he entered it.

"He agreed to this in order to avoid the penalties that the SEC could have imposed," Raggi said.

In settling, Musk agreed to let a Tesla lawyer screen tweets that might contain material information about the company.

He and Tesla each also paid $20 million in civil fines, and Musk gave up his role as Tesla chairman.

Musk is now asking the 2nd Circuit to overturn part of U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman's 2022 decision rejecting his bid to end the deal.

Liman said Musk's arguments amounted to a "bemoaning" of requirements he no longer wanted to adhere to now that "his company has become, in his estimation, all but invincible."

Musk's lawyers have called the pre-approval mandate a "government-imposed muzzle" that inhibited and chilled his lawful speech on a broad range of topics.

Story continues

SEC attorney Jeffrey Berger said during the hearing on Thursday that the agency is not vetting Musk's tweets, and that the settlement was voluntary.

"There is no government censor here," he said.

The case is Musk v SEC, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 22-1291.

(Reporting by Jody Godoy in California; Editing by David Gregorio)
Title 42 has ended. Here's what it did, and how US immigration policy is changing

The U.S. is putting new restrictions into place at its southern border to try to to stop migrants from crossing illegally and encourage them instead to apply for asylum online through a new process
Premier League: Arsenal, esec neasteptat - Manchester City, cu un pas mai aproape de titlu

Arsenal a facut un pas nepermis in lupta pentru titlu in Premier League. Tunarii" au pierdut pe teren propriu in fata celor de la Brighton (3-0) si depind de rezultatele celor de la Manchester City pentru a mai spera [citeste mai departe]
(Bloomberg) -- A network of ditches dug in the Middle Ages has allowed farmers in the hillside hamlet of Letur in southern Spain to grow olive trees, tomatoes and onions in one of Europes most arid regions for centuries. Now the punishing drought thats spreading across the continent is threatening even this ancient oasis.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The intricate system has kept the villages land moist and cool through wars, foreign invasions and natural disasters. But the 200 farmers that rely on it are starting to worry for the first time as water levels at many of Spains giant dams sink to unprecedented lows and canals built in the 1970s that turned the surrounding region into an agricultural powerhouse start to run dry.

Lea el reportaje en espanol

If the drought goes on much longer, Luis Lopez, a 43-year-old olive farmer, fears that industrial farms nearby that use the modern irrigation system to grow water-intensive crops such as lettuce and watermelon might start tapping into Leturs well-preserved supply.

I feel like we are the last Gaul village in the Asterix comic strip, said Lopez, referring to the fictional characters hometown that was the last to resist the Romans. Im worried that once they run out of water they will come for ours.

Home to the European Unions only desert, Spain has experienced drought more severely, and for longer, than the blocs other major economies. Its proximity to Africa puts it straight in the path of hot air currents as they make their way northwards from the Sahara desert. But the heat doesnt stop in Spain; hotter and drier weather is becoming the norm across Europe. The water battle brewing in Letur is a harbinger of conflicts that will play out elsewhere, and whatever happens to Spains farming industry  a major source of groceries for its neighbors  will be felt throughout the region.

Story continues

Spain is Europes breadbasket and the lack of water there, the lack of agricultural production, is a matter of survival, said Nathalie Hilmi, an environmental economist at Centre Scientifique de Monaco. It becomes a financial problem too, because more money needs to be spent finding food.

Multi-year droughts can be devastating because sectors such as agriculture dont have time to recover, so impacts pile up season after season, growing exponentially. Spanish olive oil production  which accounts for 45% of the worlds supply  will likely be more than halved this season, while grains such as wheat and barley are projected to fall by as much as 60%, according to Gabriel Trenzado, director of Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Espana, a farming industry group.

Read more: Record Spring Heat Almost Impossible Without Climate Change Spain Unveils $2.4 Billion Emergency Drought Relief Package Heat and Drought Force Europe to Accelerate Climate Adaptation Drought Parches Crops Across Southern Europe for Second Year

The situation isnt yet as dire in other parts of the EU, where the official forecast is for the grain harvest as a whole to rebound about 7% from last season. Precipitation in France, the blocs top grain producer, has improved since the winter dry spell, and crop ratings for the 2023 wheat harvest are running at the highest for this time in more than a decade. In some areas theres even too much rain, with barley and sugar-beet plantings in parts of Germany delayed by their wettest March since 2001.

Farmers across the region dont just have to contend with drought but also less predictable weather overall. Last year, Spain experienced a heat wave similar to the one that baked the country this April, until Storm Cyril brought an unusual drop in temperatures, leading to multimillion euro losses for fruit and nut producers. The fact that theres drought doesnt mean its not raining, it means rains sometimes come unexpectedly, Trenzado said. Everything is very sensitive.

Europes preparations for a drier future are struggling to keep pace with the rapidly changing climate. The continent has warmed nearly twice as fast as the rest of the world over the last three decades, according to the World Meteorological Organization, and the economic impact has been significant.

Record-low river levels have caused billions in losses from snarled freight passage. Its also hurt electricity generation from hydropower and nuclear plants, adding to an energy shortage caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine and contributing to the worst cost-of-living crisis Europe has faced in generations. Drought-driven crop failures could send food prices higher still.

The diminished trickle into Europes lakes and seas also compounds environmental risks by raising water temperatures and harming ecosystems, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. And then theres the higher probability of wildfire, which torched European landscapes three times the size of Luxembourg last year.

Its the second year in a row of extremely dry and hot conditions for Europes southwest, driven by a pre-summer heat wave thats started three months earlier than usual. Spain just experienced its warmest and driest April on record. Elsewhere, the snow thats accumulated in the Alps, a key source of water for France and Italy, is the lowest in over a decade, exacerbating years of below-average rains and snowfall. Further north, Germany and the UK have experienced rain anomalies as severe as Spains.

The changes in weather match scientific projections for less precipitation and higher temperatures in Europe on a warmer planet, said Andrea Toreti, a senior researcher at the European Commissions Joint Research Center, an independent scientific body that advises the blocs officials. But this level of drought was only expected to occur regularly in 2043. If nothing is done, we expect that this event could occur almost every year, he said.

In Italy, where a lack of water is choking the countrys most productive agricultural region, the crisis has become a government priority managed by a special unit led by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. France, which this year suffered its longest winter rainless spell on record, has set a new target to cut water consumption 10% by the end of this decade.

Last years drought was exceptional in comparison with what we had experienced, but it wont be exceptional in comparison with what we will experience, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a speech in March. No one is saying this situation will improve.

The Spanish government has scrambled to find solutions. Despite spending billions to improve its water-management system, Spains reservoirs are still at about half their capacity. In an emergency cabinet meeting on Thursday, officials greenlit a 2.2 billion package that includes tax breaks and aid for farmers, adding to measures already announced that will cost 22 billion.

Most controversially, the government will limit the amount of water used to irrigate crops. The move has angered farmers and emboldened conservative politicians ahead of local elections later this month that are seen as a bellwether for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezs prospects as he seeks re-election in December. Sanchez, who has pushed for stronger measures to counter climate change, has also clashed with right-wing lawmakers seeking to expand water rights for farmers in one of Europes most pristine wetlands, located in southern Spain.

Sanchez has acknowledged that theres no easy answer. The debate around drought will be at the heart of the political and territorial debate in our country for years to come, he told lawmakers in April.

Competition for water access in Spain is already pitting various groups against each other: large agribusiness and small farmers, environmental activists and corporate lobbyists, local politicians and the central government.

The tensions are on display in Almeria, a province two hours south of Letur that regularly records the highest temperatures in Europe. Its land used to be so dry and barren that spaghetti westerns, including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly starring Clint Eastwood, were filmed there. Everything changed in 1979 after the government built nearly 300 kilometers of canals and pipelines  known as the Tajo-Segura transfer  that brought water from the central plain into the southern desert.

More than four decades later, Almerias fertile land supports so many greenhouses that the sea of plastic coverings can be seen from space. It has become the heartland of Spains 18 billion fresh fruit and vegetables sector. Farms deliver fruits which require large amounts of water to grow, such as oranges and lemons, to supermarket chains across Europe, all year round.

But that feat of engineering hasnt inoculated the regions water supply from the creeping drought. In Pulpi, a town in Almeria, big farms have had to reduce cultivated areas, buy water from other towns and rent land further north with enough water access to maintain production. Two years ago the Negratin dam, which supplies most of Pulpis water, had to stop pumping as water levels plummeted.

Food growers in Pulpi have reacted angrily to the Spanish governments plan to limit water taken from the Tajo-Segura transfer. Without water Almeria will go back decades, said Jose Caparros, an executive at a large farm who belongs to a group that manages the towns irrigation system. We need options to have access to water and feed the country.

The backlash has extended across Spains food belt  encompassing the southeastern areas of Almeria, Valencia and Murcia  with one lobby group claiming that restrictions could cost the industry nearly 6 billion and 15,000 jobs.

Some politicians have seized on the unhappiness in their campaigns for the May 28 local election. Ximo Puig, the president of Valencia and a member of Sanchezs socialist party, has disagreed openly with the central government over the plan to restrict water access. Instead, hes echoed the rhetoric of opposition candidates also courting the votes of farmers. If they win, it may increase resistance to Sanchez's environmental and water conservation policies ahead of Decembers general election.

Alfonso Sanchez, a high school math teacher turned environmentalist who lives in Murcia, has seen how large-scale farming made possible by tapping underground water and nearby rivers remade his hometown of Caravaca de la Cruz. Hundreds of small growers had no choice but to sell their land to big firms or join them in producing water-hungry crops in the 1990s. Years of mechanized farming has reduced water resources by as much as 60% in the region, according to a report by Sanchezs green group.

Rather than changing their practices and adapting to drier conditions in recent years, many farmers have drilled illegal boreholes to tap groundwater instead. Greenpeace estimates there are over 1 million unsanctioned wells across Spain, used mainly to irrigate crops. Sanchez is working to prevent more from popping up, but he fears the situation will only get worse as less water becomes available.

We are swimming against the current, he said. The drought will only intensify this battle for water.

--With assistance from Megan Durisin and Chiara Albanese.

(Updates with Spanish emergency relief package in 14th paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- IGPF: Almost 71,000 people enter Romania on Tuesday, of whom over 7,300 Ukrainians.The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that, on Tuesday, a number of 71,127 people entered Romania through border points, of whom 7,338 were Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres. CITESTE SI PM

- The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPR) informs that on Thursday 85,969 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, including 8,863 Ukrainian citizens. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help

- The General Inspectorate of Border Police (IGPR) informs that on Tuesday, 96,563 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, including 7,783 Ukrainian citizens.According to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday, about 181,300 people, Romanian and foreign nationals, with more

- The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that, on Wednesday, a number of 84,538 people entered Romania through border points, of whom 7,879 were Ukrainian citizens.According to a release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, approximately 177,500 people, Romanian and foreign citizens,

- The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPR) informs that on Wednesday, 81,986 people entered Romania through the border points, including 7,950 Ukrainian citizens.According to a press release sent to Agerpres on Thursday, approximately 157,500 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with

- The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that, on Thursday, a number of 69,634 people entered Romania through border points, of whom 7,608 were Ukrainian citizens.According to a release sent to AGERPRES on Friday, approximately 144,800 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with

- The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that on Tuesday, a number of 66,500 people entered Romania through border points, of whom 6,737 were Ukrainian citizens.According to a release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday, approximately 137,000 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with

- The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that on Wednesday, a number of 65,778 people entered Romania through border points, of whom 7,687 were Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro
The fresh newsletter for the International Community in Hungary - described by readers as a "Great read each week" - is now available for your interest and use via the link below.

You can see the new edition of the Xpat E-Magazine here:

https://xpatloop.com/newsletters/2023/11-may.html



1. An entertaining video* is now included in the review of this community party:

See What Happened @ St. George's Day Bash - Bowie, Charity & Partying for England

* Shot by Connall Charlton & set to the classic Bowie track 'Let's dance' this film rocks!



2. You can see events happening these days listed below and in Calendar:

E.g. Floralia Spring Festival, Botellon Community Event, Tech-Funk Party.



3. Also below are new Movies & Specials + fresh News, Info & Inspiration:

E.g. Price Caps Extended, New Sziget Fest Features, Photo Festival Opens.



We hope you like what's in it for you below.

Best wishes from Team XpatLoop.com
Hungarys wealth is made up of the Hungarian people, Katalin Novak said at an event marking the first anniversary of her assuming the post of president of Hungary.

Novak said her presidency was focused on the people of Hungary, adding that she was planning to continue working as the president of each Hungarian in the remaining four years of her term.



She said her first year had been a year of encounters with a new face to meet each day, offering opportunities to know each other and listen to the other persons story.



She said she had learnt that Hungarys assets are not its natural or economic resources but the people, who live in Hungary, in the Carpathian Basin, or elsewhere in the diaspora as Hungarians; they make up Hungarys wealth.



Novak said she wanted to maintain a sense of belonging together in everyday life because we can only achieve a positive turn in Hungary that way.



A sense of community and unity must be experienced as often as possible, she added. The celebration was attended by 300 people from Hungary and from ethnic Hungarian communities.
New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) With the Supreme Court ruling in his government's favour on administration of some services in Delhi on Thursday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal pledged the speed of work will increase 10 times now that his hands are no more tied as he warned officers who "stopped" people's work of consequences and announced a major bureaucratic reshuffle in the coming days. In its first action hours after the apex court's order, the AAP government removed services secretary Ashish More and appointed 1995-batch IAS officer A K Singh in his place. While the BJP said it respects the verdict and claimed that a transfer-posting industry will come up in the city, the Congress termed it as "historic and colossal", saying it exposed the "nexus of unholy, undemocratic, ugly nature and the under belly of the BJP".

The AAP called the court order a "tight slap" on the mission to topple governments through "unconstitutional ways" and, a "massive defeat" for the dictatorial actions of the BJP-led Centre. In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over administration of services except for public order, police and land.

At a press conference, Kejriwal thanked the judges of the apex court for doing justice to Delhi and also expressed gratitude towards people of the city for supporting the AAP government in every step. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is like a father figure and it is his responsibility to look after all like his children.

Also Read: In Battle With Centre, Delhi Govt Gets Control Over Services; AAP Hails SC Verdict

"There will be a big administrative reshuffle in a few days. Many officers will be transferred on the basis of what they have done till now. There are some officials who have stopped public works in the last year-and-a-half."

"There were instances where medicines of mohalla clinics, tests, DJB's money were stopped. Such officers will have to bear the consequences of their misdeeds. Opportunity will be given to responsive and compassionate officers and employees who want to serve the public," Kejriwal said.

He claimed the Supreme Court has sternly said that powers of the Delhi government snatched by the Centre in 2015 was unconstitutional.

He said his hands were tied earlier and he was thrown in the water to swim but despite the "hurdles" created before the AAP government in Delhi it did "spectacular" work. "We gave a new model of education and health to the country. The work will happen at 10 times speed it was happening earlier. Delhi will now present a model of able governance to the entire country," he said.

AAP leaders said the court verdict makes it clear that the Delhi government has powers like any other state government. Calling it a landmark decision, the party's leaders, including Kejriwal, made it clear that the ministers will now be able to transfer officers who are "inefficient" or "obstructing public works".

Explaining what the verdict means, AAP chief spokesperson and Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said all types of officers were reporting to the Centre via the LG earlier. "There was no way of controlling officers in terms of the welfare of the people. Now, all this power, which are generally called 'services' 'executive and legislative powers' all lie with the elected government of Delhi and this has been reiterated by the Supreme Court that the LG is bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers in all the subjects other than police, public order and land.

"This has now been made amply clear by the court," Bharadwaj said.

The apex court order came after years of intense fighting between the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation and the Lieutenant Governor's office, particularly since V K Saxena took over as LG in May last year.

The AAP government has repeatedly accused Saxena of meddling in its day-to-day affairs. Kejriwal once even alleged that the LG issued orders on "practically every" subject to the chief secretary, bypassing his government.

Their strained relationship led to frequent confrontations between them over a range of issues, including the excise policy, training of teachers in Finland, free yoga classes, mohalla clinics, transfer of bureaucrats, sanctioning of funds, control over the Anti-Corruption Branch, and the extension of power subsidy to consumers.

Speaking to PTI, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said bureaucrats not appearing before House committees will now have to "fall in line" and asserted that works stopped on the lieutenant governor's directions will be resumed.

After the court order, several former and serving top bureaucrats said that "dignity and coordination" between the elected government and the office of LG will ensure that there is no more fighting over governance issues.

AAP supporters danced to dhol beats, burst firecrackers and distributed sweets at the party office and the Delhi secretariat here to celebrate the ruling.
New Delhi: Making his first public reaction after the Supreme Court's verdict in last year's Shiv Sena-centric political crisis in Maharashtra, former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said that his successor Eknath Shinde should resign as he did. His reaction came shortly after the SC held that the then Maharashtra governor -- Bhagat Singh Koshyari -- was not justified in calling upon Uddhav Thackeray to prove a majority in the Assembly on June 30 last year. The top court, however, said that it cannot restore the then Uddhav government as he resigned without facing the floor test.

"Eknath Shinde won after murdering democracy. He should resign as Chief Minister like I did," Uddhav Thackeray told a press conference after the SC verdict.

He also said that his resignation as the CM in June last year may have been legally 'wrong' but he did it on 'moral grounds'.

"They (now Shinde faction MLAs) betrayed my party and the legacy of my father (Bal Thackeray)," Uddhav said.

Can't reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as CM as he resigned without facing floor test: SC

Eknath Shinde will continue as the chief minister of Maharashtra, with the Supreme Court holding that it cannot restore the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray as he resigned without facing the floor test in June last year. The court also pulled up then Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and said he did not have reasons based on objective material before him to reach the conclusion that then chief minister Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House.

In a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas related to the political crisis that led to the fall of the three-party MVA government led by Thackeray following a revolt by the Shinde faction, a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud held that the then Speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was 'illegal'.

It, however, said since Thackeray had resigned without facing the floor test, the Governor was justified in inviting Shinde to form the government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house.

"The Governor was not justified in calling upon Mr Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the House because he did not have reasons based on objective material before him to reach the conclusion that Mr Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House," the bench, which also comprised Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha, said.

However, the status quo ante (previously existing state of affairs) can't be restored because Thackeray did not face the floor test and tendered his resignation. The Governor was, therefore, justified in inviting Mr Shinde to form the government at the behest of the BJP which was the largest political party in the house, it added.

The top court also referred the 2016 Nabam Rebia verdict by a five-judge constitution bench, which relates to the power of the speaker on disqualification of MLAs, to a larger bench of seven judges.

It said the issues such as whether the motion for Speaker's removal will restrict his powers to issue disqualification notices, needed examination by a larger bench. The 2016 judgment dealt with the powers of the assembly speaker and ruled that he/she cannot proceed with pleas for disqualification of MLAs if a prior notice seeking the speaker's removal is pending before the House.

The bench held the then Governor had 'erred' in relying on a resolution of a faction of MLAs of Shiv Sena to conclude that Thackeray had lost the majority in the house.

The CJI, who pronounced the verdict on behalf of the bench, said the resolution relied on by the then governor didn't indicate that the MLAs wanted to withdraw support from the MVA government.

On June 29, 2022, at the height of the Maharashtra turmoil, the apex court had refused to stay the governor's direction to the 31-month-old MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray to take a floor test. Sensing defeat, Thackeray resigned, catapulting to power a Shiv Sena-BJP dispensation led by Eknath Shinde.

On August 23, 2022, a three-judge bench of the top court headed by then CJI NV Ramana had formulated several questions of law and referred to the five-judge bench petitions filed by the two Sena factions which raised several constitutional questions related to defection, merger and disqualification.

In a blow to the Thackeray bloc, the Election Commission had earlier this year declared the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena and allotted it the bow and arrow symbol of the party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray.

The Maharashtra Assembly has a strength of 288 members with the BJP being the single largest party with 105 MLAs.
New Delhi: India's economy can grow and become stronger only if the focus is shifted to deep manufacturing capabilities and businesses should "stop looking for a China fix", external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday. India's economic growth cannot be built on Chinese efficiency and businesses need to stop "looking for a China fix," Jaishankar said on Wednesday. Addressing the book release event, Jaishankar said, "Make in India is not just about making, it's also about thinking. It has to be think in India. In a way, we are in a very unique circumstance and I accept that there are experiences and analogies that we can take best practices. But at the end of the day, we have to think through our growth strategy for ourselves."

"I think we need to stop looking for a China fix, that Indian growth cannot be built on Chinese efficiency, that ultimately if we are really to sustain and take the economy to a different level, we have to create the kind of domestic vendor change that a serious manufacturing economy will do," he added.

Jaishankar made these remarks at an event to launch the book "Made In India" by the country's G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant. Jaishankar stated that one should not allow a level playing field in this country for others who subsidise efforts, that's not a level playing field, that is economic suicide. He further stated that every country must support its manufacturers and businesses. We mustn't let other businesses enjoy advantages in our country at the expense of our own.

"Global polarization makes diplomacy far more complex but it is also a window of opportunities for many nations," Jaishankar stated. EAM further added, "If you ask me today what is the change in the politics of the country, I think we are today moving to the politics of delivery. My own experience of the ground is actually that it is the politics of the delivery which is reshaping and rethinking the public of this country."

Referring to challenges faced by India during the Covid-19 pandemic, Jaishankar said that the foreign government advised them on how to economically handle the pandemic. "Honestly I would say I am glad we did not listen to much of it. I think how you come up with your own solutions, that is something which is important," he said.

The external affairs minister said it is important for India to move to a "strategic economy; have a clear sense who are our partners, where are our opportunities, where should we focus on our technology tie-ups."
NEW DELHI: It could be a make or break day for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Shiv Sena faction led by him as a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court is set to pronounce on Thursday its verdict on a batch of petitions filed by rival Shiv Sena in connection with the Maharashtra political crisis. The bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud also comprises Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha.

What Is The Matter?

The Supreme Court bench is expected to decide whether Eknath Shinde and 15 other Shiv Sena MLAs could be disqualified for revolting against then CM Uddhav Thackeray in June last year.

Uddhav Thackeray had pleaded before the Supreme Court to step in after Shinde, backed by the opposition BJP, engineered a split into Shiv Sena and later formed a new government in Maharashtra with the support of majority MLAs.

What If Shinde Is Disqualified?

If Eknath Shinde is disqualified, he will have to resign as Maharashtra Chief Minister and his government will be disbanded.

In August last year, the top courts three-judge bench had referred to a five-judge Constitution bench the issues involved in the petition filed by rival groups of Shiv Sena in relation to the Maharashtra political crisis.

The bench then said that some of the issues involved in the Maharashtra political crisis may require a larger Constitution bench for consideration. There are various petitions pending before the apex court filed by both factions of Shiv Sena. On June 29, 2022, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30.

It had refused to stay the Maharashtra Governors direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30. After the apex courts order, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn in as the Chief Minister.

Power Struggle In Shiv Sena

Amid a power struggle between the Shinde and the Uddhav factions, the Election Commission had allotted the Shiv Sena party name and its bow-and-arrow symbol to Eknath Shinde-led group. Thackeray's smaller faction was given the name Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) and the symbol of a flaming torch.

Senior lawyers Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued for Uddhav Thackeray's team in the court while Harish Salve, Neeraj Kaul, and Mahesh Jethmalani represented Eknath Shinde's camp.
By Abhirup Roy

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Rivian Automotive Inc is betting it can keep prices high for its debut lines of electric pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles even when competition swells, its CEO said, a bold move that may be necessary if the startup wants to make a profit.

And one some see as risky, since Rivian products will soon face more rivals at a time when market leader Tesla Inc is slashing prices to spur demand in the face of souring consumer sentiment, and traditional automakers are tightening competition with lower-priced electric vehicle (EV) models.

Rivian calmed investor nerves this week by sticking to its 2023 production target and reporting better-than-expected quarterly revenue in a sharp contrast to peers Lucid Group, Fisker Inc and Nikola Corp.

The Irvine, California-based startup said it was focusing on rolling out higher-priced, feature-packed models of its R1S sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and R1T pickup trucks to meet customer demand in the near term, bumping up the average selling price (ASP) even as it offers some lower-priced variants.

"We see demand from customers for what we're building" Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe told Reuters on Wednesday.

Rivian is confident of maintaining prices in the face of growing competition, he said, adding that extra-large batteries, better performance and premium features would distinguish the company from rivals.

"Given the data that we have on customer behavior, the aggregate result we see is a continued upward shift in ASPs," he said. "We will offer a lower priced variant, but not necessarily lower prices on the things we're offering today."

Rivian does not disclose its ASP, but the R1T starts at $73,000 while Ford Motor Co's F150 Lightning electric truck is priced from about $60,000.

The R1S starts at $78,000, compared to just over $47,000 for Tesla's Model Y and about $97,000 for the more premium Model X.

"These are flagship products," Scaringe said of Rivian's offering. "These are the products that are building our brand. They're not meant to sell hundreds of thousands of units."

Story continues

Rivian aims to produce 50,000 vehicles this year.

The premium pricing strategy, however, is still seen as risky.

"Rivian needs to be careful not to increase its price tag too much while more established competitors are rapidly gaining momentum in the market," said Orwa Mohamad, an analyst at investment research firm Third Bridge.

After multiple production snags, Ford is opening orders now for its F-150 Lightning as it plans to scale to annual production of 150,000 units by the end of this year, while Tesla is expected to start mass production of its much-delayed Cybertruck next year.

Any immediate impact on Rivian's demand will be difficult to gauge as the company, along with rival Lucid, stopped disclosing current orders in a move that has concerned analysts.

Extending the pricing plan and doubling down on cost cuts are seen key to the company's target of turning a gross profit in 2024 for the first time.

"I think they'd be crazy not to raise prices, simply because they have more demand now than they have supply," said Elliot Johnson, chief investment officer at Evolve ETFs, which manages over $4.5 billion in assets, including investments in EV startups such as Rivian.

"You'll absolutely see prices come down when they're able to have more economies of scale and when there's more competition. It'll be a little bit like Tesla," Johnson added.

Scaringe said the company expected to address a mass market with its R2 family of smaller vehicles, now targeted to launch in 2026 rather than 2025.

For now, he said, Rivian's focus is on ramping up production and driving costs down even though the company said supply chain issues, sparked by the pandemic, continued to be the main limiting factor.

(Reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; Editing by Peter Henderson and Jamie Freed)
New Delhi: Actress Jacklyn Zeman, who played Barbara 'Bobbie' Spencer across more than 800 episodes of 'General Hospital', passed away aged 70.

Zeman's death was announced by 'General Hospital' executive producer Frank Valentini on Twitter on Wednesday evening, reports 'Variety'.

No further details about her death are available at this time.

"On behalf of our 'General Hospital' family, I am heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Jackie Zeman," Valentini wrote.

"Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work."

"Jackie will be greatly missed, but her positive spirit will always live on with our cast and crew," Valentini continued.

"We send our heartfelt sympathy to her loved ones, friends and family, especially her daughters Cassidy and Lacey."

The soap's production also released a statement on Zeman's death.

"Jacklyn Zeman has been a beloved member of the 'General Hospital' and ABC family since she originated the iconic role of Bobbie Spencer over 45 years ago," it reads.

"She leaves behind a lasting legacy for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of the bad girl turned heroine and will always be remembered for her kind heart and radiant spirit. We are devastated by the news of her passing, and send our deepest condolences to Jackie's family, friends and loved ones."

Born in New Jersey on March 6, 1953, Zeman studied ballet as a child and attended New York University to study dance, but she shifted to acting with her first credit coming on "The Edge of Night" in 1976. In the same year, she received a lengthy arc on "One Life to Live," appearing in more than 40 episodes.

She joined 'General Hospital' in 1977 and has since appeared in more than 800 episodes over nearly 50 years. She played Bobbie Spencer, the sister to Pat Spencer (Dee Wallace) and Luke Spencer Sr. (Anthony Geary).

Zeman is survived by her two daughters, Cassidy and Lacey.
New Delhi: The Aadhaar cardholder's name, date of birth, phone number, and address are just a few of the details that can be changed, according to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

Aadhaar information that can be updated are broadly demographic and biometric details. While the Name, Address, Date of Birth/Age, Gender, Mobile Number, Email Address, Relationship Status, and Information Sharing Consent are all examples of demographic information; Iris, finger prints, and facial photographs are examples of biometric data.

How To Change Aadhaar Card Photo

The photo on your Aadhaar Card cannot yet be changed online. However, it does not imply that you can never edit it. You can physically go to the enrolment centre to get the update done if you are stuck with an outdated photo on your Aadhaar card.

- Visiting your nearby Aadhaar Enrollment Centre

- Prior appointment either online or offline is a must before you visit Enrollment Centre to change your details

- Fill the required form

- Submit it to the Aadhaar Enrollment Centre executive

- The executie will verify your biometric details and take new photo.

- No additional documents are required for changing Aadhaar card photo

- You will have to pay Rs 100 for the photo change/update

- An acknowledgement slip will be given to you

- Your new photo will updated within 90 days on your Aadhaar card, post which you can download PVC or the digital document



It may be noted that over the next two months, Aadhaar card holders can update their Aadhaar details for free as the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will not charge citizens to update documents in their Aadhaar online.

Residents were asked to take advantage of the free document updating service on the myAadhaar portal as part of the decision, which was made as part of the Digital India project.

UIDAI had previously tweeted, "...you may now upload Proof of Identity & Proof of Address documents online at https://myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in FREE OF COST from 15 March - June 14, 2023".



Aadhaar card is useful for various services like Government & Non-Government Services, Subsidy Benefits, Pensions, Scholarships, Social Benefits, Banking services, Insurance services, Taxation services, Education, Employment, Healthcare etc

A Registered mobile number is essential to access Aadhaar Online Services. Meanwhile, you can verify your mobile number that has been declared at the time of enrolment or during latest Aadhaar detail update.
New Delhi: Subscribers or pensioners opting for higher pension will get three months to give their consent for diverting additional contributions or dues under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) run by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), stated a circular on Thursday. Earlier in November 2022, the Supreme Court asked the government to give subscribers four months for opting for a higher pension.

The EPFO provided an online facility to submit the joint option form (with employers) to the subscribers for opting for a higher pension till May 3, 2023. Later the deadline was extended until June 26, 2023. (Also Read: Google Pixel 7a vs Pixel 6a Features Compared: In Pics)

There was a lack of clarity about how this additional higher contribution for exercising the option would be worked out and paid. The members were also not aware whether they would be given the option to withdraw from the higher pension scheme in case the additional payout is exorbitant. (Also Read: ChatGPT Rival Google Bard Is Now Available In India: 5 Facts You Must Know)

The circular has clarified that the additional outgo would be worked out by field officers and a cumulative amount along with the interest will be intimated to the subscribers who opt for higher pension.

It stated that "Pensioners/members may be given up to 3 months to deposit and to give consent for diversion of these dues (in prescribed format)." The field officers will intimate to pensioners or members about the additional dues needed to be paid for opting for a higher pension.

Earlier this month, the labour ministry also clarified that an additional contribution of 1.16 percent of basic wages for subscribers opting for higher pensions will be managed from employers' contributions to social security schemes run by EPFO.

"It has been decided to draw 1.16 percent additional contribution from within the overall 12 percent of the contribution of the employers into the provident fund," a ministry statement said.

The ministry had explained that the spirit of the EPF & MP Act, as well as the Code (Code on Social Security), do not envisage contributions from the employees into the pension fund.

At present, the government pays 1.16 percent of basic wages of up to Rs 15,000 (threshold basic wage) as a subsidy for contributions towards Employees Pension Scheme (EPS).

The employers contribute 12 percent of basic wages towards social security schemes run by the EPFO.

As much as 8.33 per cent out of the 12 per cent contributed by the employers goes into the EPS and the remaining 3.67 per cent is credited into the Employees Provident Fund.

Now EPFO members who are opting to contribute on their actual basic wage which is higher than the threshold of Rs 15,000 per month for getting a higher pension, will not have to contribute this additional 1.16 per cent towards EPS.

This provision is retrospective in nature in line with the directions given by the Supreme Court, the ministry had said. Accordingly, the Ministry of Labour & Employment issued two notifications on 3rd May 2023 implementing the above (decision), it had stated.

The ministry had said that with the issue of the notifications, all the directions of the Supreme Court contained in the judgment on November 4, 2022, have been complied with.

The Supreme Court had held the requirement of the members to contribute at the rate of 1.16 per cent of their salary to the extent such salary exceeded Rs 15000 per month as an additional contribution under the amended scheme to be ultra vires of the provisions of the Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (EPF & MP Act).
Amritsar: The Punjab Police has said that there is a possibility that the loud sound, which was heard near Sri Guru Ram Dass Niwas, in the vicinity of the Golden Temple in Amritsar in the wee hours on Thursday, was the ''result of an explosion.'' The sound was heard around 12.15-12.30 AM, according to police. The suspects are being rounded up, the police informed.

Five people have also been arrested after the ''low-intensity explosion'' near Golden Temple in Punjab's Amritsar - the third in a week. Police personnel and forensic team members rushed to the site of the incident and a probe is currently underway.

"Amritsar low-intensity explosion cases solved," the Director General of Punjab Police said in a tweet.

Amritsar low intensity explosion cases solved



5 persons arrested



Press Conference will be held in #Amritsar @PunjabPoliceInd committed to maintaining peace and harmony in Punjab as per directions of CM @BhagwantMann  DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) May 11, 2023

While talking to the reporters earlier, Commissioner of Police Naunihal Singh said, "A loud sound was heard at around 12.15-12.30 am. There's a possibility that it could be another explosion. It's being verified and is yet to be confirmed. We have found some pieces behind the building. But since it is dark we are trying to find out."

#WATCH | Amritsar, Punjab: A loud sound was heard here. We are verifying it: Naunihal Singh, Commissioner of Police, on a loud sound heard near Golden Temple https://t.co/jJ4TlkFkyy pic.twitter.com/jStr5muGmU May 10, 2023

It may be noted that Sri Guru Ram Dass Niwas - the site of the third low-intesnity explosion - is the oldest 'sarai' (lodge).

Three Low-Intensity Explosions Near Golden Temple In A Week

The first explosion took place on May 6, and the second on Monday. The site of the low-intensity blast that took place on Wednesday night is nearly two kilometres from Heritage Street near the Golden Temple, a popular tourist spot in the city.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Punjab Police have collected forensic samples from the site of the blasts and are probing the incident. A person was injured in the blast on May 6 at Heritage Street near Golden Temple and the glass facades of some buildings were damaged in the blast.

Then the second blast was reported on May 8.
New Delhi: South superstar Ajith Kumar's blockbuster hit Valimai, dubbed in Hindi for the very first time will be available on Tata Play South Talkies. Starring Ajith, Karthikeya, Huma Qureshi, and Gurbani Judge, Valimai follows the story of a cop (played by Ajith Kumar) who battles an outlaw gang led by Karthikeya's character. Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar, who recently celebrated his 52nd birthday, is a treat to watch with one of his career-best performances as ACP Arjun Kumar. Packed with adrenaline-fueled action sequences and suspenseful moments, the movie promises a roller coaster ride of action and drama.

Top Reasons to Watch Valimai:

First Time In Hindi

Tata Play South Talkies has been introduced for the sole purpose of making South movies accessible to Hindi-speaking audiences by dubbing them in Hindi. This helps viewers enjoy the action packing South movies without any hassle of going through subtitles while wanting to enjoy the visual treats as well.

Valimai Star Cast

Valimai has a diverse cast that includes the Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar with the talented Huma Qureshi and Karthikeya in lead roles.

Intriguing Plot

The movie revolves around a police officer named Arjun Kumar, played by Ajith Kumar, who is haunted by his past and struggles with his emotions. The film explores the themes of love, loss, and redemption and delves into the complexities of human emotions.

Stunts By Ajith

The stunts in Valimai are a highlight of the film and one of the many reasons why it is hailed as a brilliant action-thriller. The film's action sequences, choreographed by stunt director Dhilip Subbarayan, are a thrilling combination of hand-to-hand combat, chase scenes, and high-speed bike stunts. What makes the stunts in Valimai even more fascinating is the fact that they were performed by Ajith Kumar himself, without the use of body doubles or computer-generated images (CGI).

What A Comeback

Valimai is the second collaboration of director H Vinoth, actor Ajith Kumar and producer Boney Kapoor. Vinoth's storytelling style focuses on socially relevant issues and has a realistic portrayal of characters. Ajith Kumar, on the other hand, is a versatile actor known for his impeccable timing and power-packed performances. And Boney Kapoor, with his vast experience in the film industry, backs them up with his expertise and resources.

Cinematography Is Spell-Binding

The cinematographer, Nirav Shah, has done an excellent job of capturing the visual aesthetics of the film. The movie features breathtaking landscapes, stunning action sequences, and beautiful shots that are visually stunning and immersive.
New Delhi: The 68-year-old woman, was eager to spend time with her family and take in the grandeur of the holy site when she left on a pilgrimage to Kedarnath. But when she became separated from her loved ones in the congested environment, things took a drastic turn. She resorted to technology for assistance because she couldn't speak the language and felt lost and lonely.

She eventually managed to talk with strangers who assisted her in getting in touch with her family with the help of Google Translate. (Also Read: Google Pixel 7a vs Pixel 6a Features Compared: In Pics)

The woman was from Andhra Pradesh and spoke Telugu fluently, but neither Hindi nor English came naturally to her. According to a PTI story, the woman lost contact with her family on the way home from Kedarnath because of the terrible weather. (Also Read: National Technology Day: Top 7 Technology Trends For 2023 In India - Check Out)

The woman was in a frazzled state of mind in the Gaurikund shuttle parking lot, and the cops who found her informed the news agency. In Hindi or English, the woman was unable to converse with the police officers.

"When we attempted to speak with her, it became clear that she was unable to do so in either Hindi or English. According to Sub Inspector Ramesh Chandra Belwal, she was only speaking Telugu. We conveyed to her that she will be reunited with her family by making gestures. We provided her with some refreshments and used Google Translate to help us understand what she was attempting to communicate, the speaker continued.

When the police called the Telugu number the woman had given them, they learned that her relatives lived in Sonprayag, which is over 8 kilometres from Gaurikund, the location where the old woman had been abandoned. The woman's family was desperately looking for her, and the police were able to speak with them through Google Translate.

The police organised a vehicle and escorted the woman to Sonprayag to be reunited with her family as soon as the location of the woman's family was established, the officer informed the news agency.
New Delhi: Alphabet Inc's Google on Wednesday demonstrated an updated core search product that embeds more AI in its answers as the company looks to banish doubts that it is losing ground to Microsoft Corp's OpenAI-powered Bing search. Google already has a Bard chatbot that competes with ChatGPT, the chatbot from OpenAI that has generated huge excitement among users with its humanlike responses.

So When Do You Google And When Do You Bard?

The company says that traditional Google search should still be used for finding and seeking information, such as locating something to purchase. (Also Read: Google Unveils New Foldable Phone And AI Features To Search)

What Is Google Bard

Bard is a chatbot with a persona that can hold human-like conversations and is intended to be used for creative collaboration, for instance, to generate software code or write a caption for a photo.

WHAT Are The Updates To Google Search?

With the enhanced search termed the Search Generative Experience, Google's home page still looks and acts like its familiar search bar.

The difference is in the answers: if the new Google detects that generative AI can be used to answer a query, the top of the results page will show the AI-generated response. The traditional links to the Web will remain below.

For example, a search for "weather San Francisco" will as usual point a user to an eight-day forecast, while a query asking what outfit to wear in the California city prompts a lengthy response generated by AI, according to a demonstration for Reuters earlier this week.

"You should bring layers, including a short-sleeved shirt and a light sweater or jacket for the day," the result stated, including links to websites where it gleaned such advice.

Users will also be able to enter a brand-new "conversational mode," which similar to Bard and ChatGPT remembers the user's prior questions so users can ask follow-ups more easily.

However, the company points out that conversational mode is not designed to be a chatbot with a personality; it is intended only to help hone search results. For example, its responses will never contain the "I" phrase, unlike Bard and ChatGPT.

Can You Try The New Google Search Now?

Not yet. U.S. consumers will gain access to the Search Generative Experience in the coming weeks via a wait list, a trial phase during which Google will monitor the quality, speed, and cost of search results, the company said.

Can You Try Bard Now?

The company said on Wednesday that Bard is now available with no wait list in 180 countries and territories, and plans to expand its support to 40 languages.
New Delhi: China has rejected the listing of Pakistan-based Jaish commander Abdul Rauf Azhar as a terrorist at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), effectively putting the issue out of the ambit of the council. Now, only a fresh proposal can put the listing of Rauf Azhar back on the agenda of the security council.

A proposal was moved by India, co-sponsored by the US, to list Abdul Rauf Azhar in the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee last year. China, however, placed a technical hold on the proposal.

Azhar, the deputy chief of the terror group Jaish-i-Mohammad and younger brother of its founder Masood Azhar, is known for his involvement in several terrorist attacks, including the hijacking of an Indian Airlines aircraft in 1999, the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001, and the attack on an Indian Air Force base in 2016. He is one of the most wanted people in India.

This is not the first time that China -- Pakistan's all-weather friend -- obstructed or blocked the listing of terrorists in the 1267 Sanctions Committee. These actions by Beijing have been seen as politicization of the sanction's regime.

Last year, Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar criticized China for obstructing the United Nations Security Council's listing of a Pakistan-based terrorist group.

Jaishankar emphasized the need for the Security Council to convey a clear and forceful message and emphasized that political considerations should not be used to evade responsibility or enable impunity. Without mentioning China directly, he highlighted that the Security Council has failed to sanction some of the most notorious terrorists in the world due to such political considerations.
Islamabad: Pakistan's former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a close aide of ousted prime minister Imran Khan, was arrested by police on Thursday, amid worsening political turmoil that has left at least eight people dead and led to the deployment of the army in the country's capital and three provinces. A video shared by Qureshi's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Twitter shows plain-clothed men taking him away, with him waving at party workers before departing from the location where he was detained. The PTI claimed that 66-year-old Qureshi was arrested by the Islamabad police in the early hours of Thursday and transferred to an "undisclosed location".

His arrest comes two days after paramilitary forces whisked away PTI chief and former premier Khan on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials who barged into a room of the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday.

An anti-corruption court on Wednesday sent the 70-year-old former prime minister on an eight-day physical remand to the anti-corruption watchdog.

Khan's dramatic arrest on Tuesday sparked widespread violent protests across Pakistan, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 300 others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies and prompting the authorities to deploy the army in the country's capital Islamabad, as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces on Wednesday to maintain law and order.

In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said strict action would be taken against "state's enemies" as he slammed Khan's PTI for violence that gripped the country after his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.

"The miscreants will be dealt with iron hands. They will be punished according to the law," the prime minister said and urged PTI protesters to immediately stop 'anti-state activities'.

"They attacked sensitive property as if they were enemies. I have never seen such heartbreaking scenes...We will not allow anyone to conspire. We will not let their nefarious agenda succeed," he said.

His address came after chairing a Cabinet meeting that decided to deploy the army in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and capital Islamabad.

Reports showed that Lahore and Peshawar faced the worst situation with incidents of arson and firings.

Sharif addressed the nation hours after the Pakistan Army warned former Khan's supporters of "severe retaliation" in the wake of attacks on its installations and asserted that it will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands while describing May 9 as a 'black chapter" in the country's history.

Enraged over the arrest of their leader in a corruption case on Tuesday, Khan's supporters on Wednesday stormed the General Headquarters of the Army. They set the residence of the Lahore Corps Commander on fire while attacking military vehicles and installations.

"We will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Army's media wing said in a terse statement on Wednesday.

The ISPR said that on the one hand, these miscreants evoke the nation's emotions for achieving their "limited and selfish objectives" and on the other hand, they deceive people, continuing to highlight the army's importance.

"This is an example of hypocrisy," it stated.

The military's media wing said that "this group wearing a political cloak" has done what enemies could not do in 75 years, all "in the lust for power".

May 9 will be remembered as a "black chapter" in history due to the protestors "targeting army property and installations" after the arrest of Khan, it said.

The PTI has already announced to carry on the protests until Khan is set free.

Another top PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry was apprehended by the police on Wednesday while emerging from the Supreme Court building, where he had sought refuge for over 12 hours in an attempt to evade his impending arrest.

Chaudhry arrived at the court early on Wednesday morning, knowing that law enforcement authorities were waiting to detain him. Despite remaining inside the apex court throughout the day, he was eventually taken into custody late in the evening, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

According to a report in the Dawn newspaper, the PTI has issued a rebuttal to the ISPR statement, terming it "contrary to facts" and "based on a poor understanding of ground realities".

"The statement is a sad collection of hatred and revenge-based narratives against the most reliable, popular and largest political party of Pakistan," it said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for peace in Pakistan.

According to Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Guterres has appealed to all parties to respect the right to peaceful assembly and has stressed the need for law enforcers to honour the law while enforcing it against Khan.

"The Secretary-General urges the authorities to respect due process and the rule of law in proceedings brought against former Prime Minister Khan," the spokesman was quoted as saying by the Geo News.

On Wednesday, Khan was produced in the Anti-Accountability Court No. 1 presided by Judge Muhammad Bashir, the same judge who had convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam in a corruption case of having properties in London.

In its verdict, the court handed over Khan for an eight-day remand to the NAB. During the hearing, the NAB lawyers requested the court to grant a 14-day remand of Khan to probe the allegations against him in the Al-Qadir Trust case in which he is accused of looting Rs 50 billion of the national treasury. But Khan's lawyer opposed the plea and asked the judge to release him as the charges were fabricated.

In his statement, Khan told the accountability court that he was fearful for his life. "I have not been to the washroom in 24 hours," he said.

"I am afraid I will meet the same fate as 'Maqsood Chaprasi'," Khan said, referring to a witness in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's money laundering case who died due to a cardiac arrest last year. Khan's party had termed the witness' death 'mysterious'.

Separately, the District and Sessions Court indicted Khan in the Toshakhana case. Judge Humayun Dilawar conducted the hearing in the makeshift court set up in the New Police Guest House along with the ATC No. 1.

Khan was present in the court and pleaded not guilty when the charges were read. He also refused to sign the court documents, according to Geo News channel.

The case was filed last year by the Election Commission of Pakistan and Khan had skipped several hearings in the past months. The charges are about the allegation that Khan concealed the proceeds of sale from the state gifts.

Khan was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.

He is the only Pakistani prime minister to be ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament.
Go First may very well be thanking its lucky stars on Wednesday for the NCLT verdict in its favour amidst financial and operational difficulties. With the admission of Go First's voluntary insolvency resolution plea and the enacted moratorium, the airline is relieved of certain concerns that hinted at a difficult future for the carrier. Here we explain what NCLT's ruling means for the crisis-hit airline.

NCLT's Decision On Go First Insolvency Plea

The voluntary insolvency case submitted by Go Airlines was accepted by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Wednesday, and Abhilash Lal was named the Interim Resolution Professional (IRP). Lal's name had been suggested by the airline in its petition for bankruptcy. The Principal Bench of the NCLT in New Delhi also gave the business a moratorium, which also ordered the suspended Board of Directors to assist the IRP.

Also read: Go First Crisis: CEO Meets DGCA Official, Civil Aviation Secretary For Future Course Of Action

The NCLT also mandated that the suspended management pay Rs 5 crore for the IRP to cover the immediate costs, which the Committee of Creditors (COC), which will be created soon, will amend. Additionally, it prohibited the corporation from laying off any of its workers.

Protection From Lessors

The NCLT order prevents lessors, who recently requested repossession of the airline's 45 aircraft, from taking them back. The carrier does not need to worry about losing aircraft from its fleet at this time because of the crisis-hit Go First's admittance of a voluntary insolvency resolution petition and the existing moratorium.

Several lessors of Go First have asked the DGCA to deregister a total of 45 aircraft in the last few days in accordance with the Cape Town Convention. According to the rules, the authority in question must comply with the lessor's request within five working days of receiving it.

As per expert in the aviation sector, the lessors began requesting the repossession of Go First planes on May 4, and the five-working-day limit has not yet been met because there were three holiday days (May 5, 6, and 7). In light of this, the NCLT decision has been made, and lessors are no longer permitted to take back the planes, the expert continued.

Go First's Future

With half of the fleet grounded, the carrier's future remains uncertain. In addition, the ongoing suspension of flight ticket bookings until May 19th adds to the concerns of the airline.

According to Go Airlines CEO Kaushik Khona, the business has not yet received the remaining Rs 208 crore of the Rs 1,500 crore authorised under the Emergency Line Credit Guarantee Scheme (ELCGS) needed to resume operations. He claims that the airline needs roughly Rs 1718 crore per day to run its operations because its trading partners may only supply fuel and other necessities on a cash-and-carry basis.

When the petition is approved, Khona also stated that the airline will be allowed to resume operations and that its aircraft will be in the air in 7 to 8 days.
(Bloomberg) -- A judge ruled Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and former directors of the social-media company must face claims they turned a blind eye to rampant privacy violations, including allowing a firm hired by Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign to collect data on millions of users.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Delaware Chancery Court Judge Travis Laster concluded Wednesday that alleged conflicts-of-interest meant Facebooks board couldnt be trusted to properly investigate claims the company repeatedly violated promises to protect users personal information.

Facebook directors either affirmatively went along with improper behavior or ignored it, the judge said in an oral ruling. There were a string of red flags that were readily apparent and werent acted upon, Laster said.

The privacy suits by investors were tied to a record $5 billion fine officials of Facebook  now a unit of Meta Platforms Inc.  paid the US government to resolve a privacy probe tied to a 2018 revelation about its business with Cambridge Analytica, a consulting firm hired by Trump.

The government investigation stemmed from evidence Cambridge improperly obtained data on tens of millions of Facebook users from a researcher who collected personal data through a third-party quiz app. The app not only collected its users data, but also information on their friends, affecting millions of consumers.

Accounts Harvested

An internal review by Facebook later determined at least 50 million user accounts were improperly harvested by Cambridge, according to investors court filings.

In December, Meta agreed to pay $725 million to settle investor claims in California tied to the Cambridge scandal.

Story continues

Dave Arnold, a Facebook spokesman, declined to comment on Lasters ruling.

The Cambridge scandal dealt a blow to Facebooks reputation at a time when the company was already under fire for allowing Russian agents to exploit its platform to try to influence the 2016 election. But Facebook investors contend the privacy violations stretched back four years before the Cambridge news became public.

They noted the US Federal Trade Commission found alleged violations going back to 2012  the same year that Facebook finalized an earlier agreement over privacy lapses. Four months after that accord, the FTC said, Facebook removed a disclosure that information users shared with friends could get sucked up by apps those friends used  while allowing the practice to continue.

Making Billions

Facebook shareholders alleged in their suits company directors acquiesced to the violations to help the company make billions in advertising and data sales instead of insuring the firm protected users.

This complete and utter failure of leadership and governance left Facebook subject to public scrutiny, billions of dollars in lost market value, millions of dollars in foreseeable fines and costs, and inquiries by governments worldwide, investors said in court filings.

In his ruling, Laster noted investors allege Facebook officials agreed to pay more in the FTC settlement to protect Zuckerberg from facing personal liability in the cases. Some company shareholders allege the social-media giant may have paid as much as $2 billion extra to protect the founder. The judge said if that allegation is true, it would support a claim for waste of corporate assets.

Laster also noted that Facebook directors, including venture-capital titans Mark Andreessen and Peter Thiel, were warned by the companys internal security experts that users personal data was being handled improperly. Instead of acting to ensure controls were tightened, they stood by as the head of computer security was removed.

The case is IN RE Facebook Derivative Litigation, 2018-0307, Delaware Chancery Court (Wilmington)

--With assistance from Alex Barinka.

(Updates with excerpts from judges ruling starting in 12th paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
New Delhi: Amid the controversies surrounding The Kerala Story, the lead actor of the movie Adah Sharma thanked fans for making the film trend.

The actor tweeted, Thank you to all the crores of you who are going to watch our film, thank you for making it trend, thank you for loving my performance. This weekend the 12th #TheKeralaStory releases internationally in 37 countries (or more) #adahsharma

Thank you to all the crores of you who are going to watch our film,thank you for making it trend,thank you for loving my performance.This weekend the 12th #TheKeralaStory releases internationally in 37 countries (or more) #adahsharma pic.twitter.com/XiVnvBIQPw  Adah Sharma (@adah_sharma) May 10, 2023

Apart from Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani acted in lead roles in the movie.

A massive controversy erupted around the film after its trailer claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala had gone missing and joined the terrorist group ISIS.

However, in the face of protests, the contentious figure in the trailer was later withdrawn. Its trailer description was later changed to a story of three women from Kerala.

Asked about the numbers which caused a disruption in the political scenario of the nation, Adah told ANI, The story is really scary. The fact that people are calling it propaganda or are thinking about numbers only above the missing girls is scarier. Instead, it would have been the opposite that we would have discussed that girls are missing like this and then given a thought about the numbers.

Exuding confidence about the subject matter of the film, Adah said, You wont be discussing numbers, once you watch the movie.

Adah started her career in 2008 with 1920. After that, she featured in movies like Hasee Toh Phasee, Commando 2 and Commando 3.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal banned the film The Kerala Story citing maintenance of peace and to avoid incidents of hatred and violence in the state.

West Bengal became the first state to ban the film, which narrates the ordeal of three women who are trafficked to ISIS camps after being converted to Islam through marriage.

Theres a continuing political outcry around the movie even as it has been made tax-free in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.
Delhi NMMS Result 2023: Delhi National Means cum Merit Scholarship, NMMS Result 2023 is declared on the official website. Students who took the Delhi NMMS scholarship 2023 exam can view and obtain their results in PDF format from the Directorate of Education's official website, edudel.nic.in. The student's name, roll number, gender, date of birth, father's name, and school ID are all included in the NMMS scholarship result 2023 pdf. Students can review the information and, if necessary, propose revisions until May 12.

The official notice reads, "If there is any correction in Name, Category, Date of Birth, etc. of the selected student, the same may be submitted along with the supporting documents upto 12/05/2023 in the office of the Deputy Director of Education (Science & TV Branch), Old Gargi College Building, Lajpat Nagar-IV, New Delhi-110024.This issues with the prior approval of the competent authority."

Delhi NMMS Result 2023: Here's how to download scorecard

Visit the official website- edudel.nic.in

On the appeared homepage, click on the Delhi NMMS Result 2023 link

The result PDF would open

Check Delhi NMMS Result and download the PDF

Take a print out for the future references

The Delhi NMMS exam 2023 was held on December 18, 2022 and the result is issued today
Rajasthan Congress in-charge at the AICC Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has called a crucial meeting in Delhi on Friday amid a renewed challenge from Sachin Pilot to the party top brass. The meeting called by Randhawa will be attended by Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara, co-incharges Qazi Muhammad Nizamuddin, Amrita Dhawan and Virendra Rathore, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying. The meeting is to be held amid fresh trouble in the Rajasthan Congress in the wake of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's recent statement that his predecessor Vasundhara Raje helped him save his government in 2020.

Dotasra confirmed the meeting and said it will be held to strengthen the Congress in the election year and discuss all the issues related to Rajasthan. The meeting is expected to discuss the challenge thrown by Pilot's "Jan Sangharsh Yatra". Pilot launched a 125-km foot march from Ajmer to Jaipur on Thursday to raise the issue of corruption and cases of paper leaks in government recruitment exams.

He said his march is not against anyone but over issues. Pilot also repeated that he had been writing to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for a year and a half for action over corruption, but there has been no action.

Also Read: Sachin Pilots 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' Over Corruption In Rajasthan, Paper Leaks Begins Today

The five-day yatra mounts pressure on the party leadership months ahead of the assembly elections.

A month ago, the former deputy chief minister defied a warning from the party to hold a daylong fast targeting Gehlot on 'inaction' over alleged corruption when the BJP was previously in power.

Pilot and Gehlot have been engaged in a bitter tussle for power in the state Congress unit and in government.

One of the Pilot camp MLAs, Ved Prakash Solanki, has written to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi, saying Randhawa has failed to establish coordination in the party's state unit.

With Rajasthan set to go to polls later this year, the latest flashpoint between Gehlot and Pilot could be a cause for concern for the Congress.
The Congress on Thursday alleged that the Manipur violence seemed "pre-planned" and demanded immediate imposition of President's Rule in the state to help restore peace and normalcy. Congress spokesperson and the party's in-charge for Manipur, Bhakta Charan Das, also demanded compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the violence and Rs 5 lakh for people whose houses were destroyed.

Addressing a press conference here, he questioned why Union Home Minister Amit Shah has not visited the violence-hit northeastern state yet and why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has remained silent on the issue.

"The BJP government has utterly failed to control the situation (in Manipur). It has been unable to stop the violence, unable to stop weapons from being looted or recover them, unable to rescue innocent people and unable to provide facilities to those in relief camps," Das said.

Also read: Pawar, Nitish, Tejashwi Meet In Search For 'Alternative To BJP....'

"In this situation, we demand that President's Rule be immediately imposed to stop these incidents (of violence) that are happening even now," he said and alleged that the Centre and the state government are not working according to the Constitution. If there is President's Rule, then there will be more accountability, the Congress spokesperson said.

Das said had law and order been there, this would have not happened. "It seems it (violence) was pre-planned" because no one from the central government is monitoring this issue, he alleged.

"The home minister has still not visited Manipur and the prime minister has not even tweeted and appealed for peace," Das said. "Why has the Union home minister not visited the state of Manipur yet? Why has the prime minister not even issued an appeal for peace? What measures has the Union government taken to restore peace and save the lives and properties of people," he asked.

The Congress leader demanded immediate relief measures such as treatment of those injured and creating a safe space for people to go back to their homes. All India Congress Committee general secretary Jairam Ramesh asked, "What exactly is going on in regard to the imposition of Article 355 of the Constitution in Manipur?"

"Senior state officials say it has been invoked but the Modi government has not issued any notification to this effect. But its actions certainly seem to indicate that the spirit of Article 355 is being enforced if not the letter," he said on Twitter.

Under the article, the central government can handle the law and order machinery of a state. The BJP's "double engine" government, which got such a convincing mandate in the assembly polls 15 months back, has completely derailed, Ramesh alleged and added that the people of Manipur, across regions and communities, are suffering enormously.

"Meanwhile, the prime minister continues to be silent and has moved on to start campaigning for the next round of state elections in November 2023. The Union home minister has not deemed it fit to visit the state and assess the situation," he said. Congress spokesperson Das claimed that though 209 relief camps have been set up, thousands of people in these camps are struggling as the government has not been able to provide adequate facilities.

While the government claims the situation is heading back to normalcy, the truth is the return of people from camps to their houses is still slow, he claimed. The Congress condemns the "unwarranted violence and undemocratic actions of the BJP government" and appeals for restoration of peace and harmony in Manipur, Das said. He also accused the state and central governments of inaction and failure to provide governance.

The last assembly election in Manipur was held in an atmosphere of fear and votes were polled amid the fear of the gun and intimidation by insurgents, Das said. Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in 10 hill districts of the north-eastern state on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status.

The clashes were preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations. At least 60 people were killed and over 30,000 rendered homeless in rioting which engulfed Manipur last week, even as curfew continues to be imposed in 11 districts of the state. Das claimed that never in the history of Manipur has such conflict happened between communities.

More than 40,000 people are affected with more than 70 people officially declared dead and around 20,000 people displaced from their homes and living in camps, Das said.

The Congress spokesperson said at least 1,700 homes have been damaged and more than 200 churches and temples burnt. This has given a new communal twist to tension between communities, he said, adding that there is violence, arson, and mayhem in various districts of Manipur including Churachandpur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Tengnoupal, and Kangpokpi.

Asked about who was supporting the formation of armed outfits in Manipur, he alleged that "a person in a powerful position" in the government and another in Parliament are behind them.

Das said these outfits are indulging in violence while attacking people and religious places. The goons of these outfits on the lines of the Bajrang Dal were seen attacking people in the state as police watched as mute spectators, he alleged.

In March last year, the Congress leader alleged, the BJP's "so-called double engine sarkar" formed a government in Manipur with a resounding mandate from both the hills and the valley. But the two long-standing demands precipitated the current crisis -- more autonomy to the Hill Areas Committee and the six Autonomous District Councils for the hill areas, and ST status for the Meiteis, he said.

"The BJP government both in the state and at the Centre betrayed the people of all communities of Manipur. No democratic process was initiated either by the Union or the state government to fulfil these demands," he said. "Instead conflict was triggered through undemocratic actions by the state government, including sudden evacuation of villagers from 38 villages in forest areas, the spread of violence by BJP functionaries at protest sites, and provocation from the chief minister with his arrogant utterances," Das alleged.

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 reside in the 10 hill districts. Chief Minister N Biren Singh had on Monday said that 60 people were killed, 231 injured and 1,700 houses, including religious places, burnt in the ethnic violence that has rocked the northeastern state for the past few days.
Mumbai: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday met Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's residence 'Matoshree' in Mumbai. The meeting is being seen as a bid by the Bihar CM to strengthen the Opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Janata Dal (United) supreme leader Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal's Tejashwi Yadav will also meet Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar in the evening at his 'Silver Oak' residence.

"Those who are at the Centre are not working for the country. All political parties in the country need to unite to work together," Bihar CM and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar said during his meeting with Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai.

#WATCH | Uddhav Thackeray speaks on the Supreme Court decision stating that then Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari's decision for the Floor test was wrong and that the court cannot restore his government as he had resigned and had not faced the Floor test pic.twitter.com/Jl7KqvqYsW  ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2023

Making his first public reaction after the Supreme Court's verdict in last year's Shiv Sena-centric political crisis in Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray said that his successor Eknath Shinde should resign as he did. Uddhav's reaction came shortly after the SC held that the then Maharashtra Governor - Bhagat Singh Koshyari - was not justified in calling upon Uddhav Thackeray to prove a majority in the Assembly on June 30 last year. The top court, however, said that it cannot restore the then Uddhav government as he resigned without facing the floor test. "Eknath Shinde won after murdering democracy. He should resign as Chief Minister like I did," Uddhav Thackeray told a press conference after the SC verdict.

Bihar CM Kumar has been meeting Opposition leaders to strengthen the bloc against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Lok Sabha polls due next year.

The JDU leader is also reportedly planning to hold a big meeting of all top Opposition Leaders in Delhi on May 18. Earlier on Wednesday, Nitish Kumar met with his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren in Ranchi. After the meeting, both held a joint press conference at the Jharkhand Chief Ministers residence.

Addressing a press conference, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said that discussions on various issues were held with Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. Discussed various issues with Chief Minister Hemant Soren and agreed that we will work unitedly for the benefit of the country, said Kumar.

Youll see the results in the next Lok Sabha elections when we work unitedlyThe countrys history will remain intact, the country will progress and we will not allow any disputes in the country, he added.

The Janata Dal-United leader met his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday in Bhubaneswar. Kumar, who stunned the BJP last year when he snapped ties and stripped it of power, had caught the national imagination with his pitch for a 'united opposition' which, he believes, can take on and defeat the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha polls.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday held that the then Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari erred in relying on the resolution of a faction of MLAs of Shiv Sena to conclude that Uddhav Thackeray had lost the support of the majority of his party MLAs. The top court also said that the ''exercise of discretion by the Maharashtra Governor was not in accordance with the Constitution of India.''

The Supreme Court noted that there were ''no communications'' relied on by the Governor indicating that the dissatisfied MLAs wanted to withdraw support to the Uddhav Thackeray government.

The five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court also concluded that the Governor had no objective material to ''call for a floor test'' in the Maharashtra Assembly, saying it cannot be used as a medium to resolve inter or intra-party disputes.

Can't Restore Uddhav Govt: SC

The bench rejected a request to restore the Uddhav Thackeray government because as its leader he chose to resign instead of facing a test of strength in the assembly. The CJI-led bench also said that it ''cannot disqualify Eknath Shinde and 15 other MLAs'' for revolting against the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in June last year.

Eknath Shinde Govt To Continue

The Supreme Court ruling implies that the Eknath Shinde-BJP government will continue in the state as Uddhav Thackeray resigned without facing a floor test. The top court said, "Status quo ante cannot be restored as Thackeray did not face the floor test and tendered his resignation. Hence the Governor was justified in administering oath to Shinde with the support of the largest party BJP."

Speaker to Decide Disqualification Proceedings: SC

The Supreme Court, while pronouncing judgement on a petition seeking disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs (Shinde faction), observed that this is an extraordinary circumstance that warrants the court to decide the proceedings in the matter. The SC, however, asked the Speaker to decide the disqualification proceedings.

The Supreme Court made these observations while responding to a batch of petitions filed by rival Shiv Sena factions in connection with the political crisis in Maharashtra triggered by a split in Shiv Sena last year. The bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud also comprises Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha.

What Is The Matter?

The larger Constitution Bench was asked by the Supreme Court to decide whether Eknath Shinde and 15 other Shiv Sena MLAs could be disqualified for revolting against then CM Uddhav Thackeray in June last year. Uddhav Thackeray had pleaded before the Supreme Court to step in after Shinde, backed by the opposition BJP, engineered a split into Shiv Sena and later formed a new government in Maharashtra with the support of majority MLAs.

In August last year, the top courts three-judge bench had referred to a five-judge Constitution bench the issues involved in the petition filed by rival groups of Shiv Sena in relation to the Maharashtra political crisis.

The bench then said that some of the issues involved in the Maharashtra political crisis may require a larger Constitution bench for consideration. There are various petitions pending before the apex court filed by both factions of Shiv Sena. On June 29, 2022, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30.

It had refused to stay the Maharashtra Governors direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30. After the apex courts order, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn in as the Chief Minister.

Spilt In Shiv Sena

Amid a power struggle between the Shinde and the Uddhav factions, the Election Commission had allotted the Shiv Sena party name and its bow-and-arrow symbol to Eknath Shinde-led group. Thackeray's smaller faction was given the name Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) and the symbol of a flaming torch.

Senior lawyers Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued for Uddhav Thackeray's team in the court while Harish Salve, Neeraj Kaul, and Mahesh Jethmalani represented Eknath Shinde's camp.
New Delhi: Malaika Arora is an actress and dancer who needs no introduction. Be it her looks, her fitness levels, or her dance, she never fails to amaze her fans. Each time the actress drops pictures on social media, she leaves everyone completely stunned. Malla is definitely one of those actresses who are aging in reverse. On Wednesday, the actress dropped a series of clicks in a plunging red gown and fans are in love.

Malaika took to her Instagram handle and shared a series of drop-dead gorgeous clicks while posing in a sexy red gown with a plunging neckline. She tied her hair into a neat bun and complete the look with silver earrings. They attended an event in Mumbai with beau Arjun Kapoor, the couple totally slayed the look and these pictures have left netizens dropping heart-eye and love emojis.

The pictures have left fans wondering if Malaika Arora is aging backward. Soon after she shared the post on social media, fans flooded the comment section complimenting her. One wrote, 'Your fitness is so admirable,' another user commented, 'Self-love is very important in todays time You are an inspiration to all of us.' One called her 'Fabulous.'

Malla is very active on social media and keeps sharing her jaw-dropping clicks with fans. She indeed does the justice with the quote 'Aging like a fine wine.'

Meanwhile, on the work front, Malaika Arora recently appeared in the music video Tera Ki Khayal with Guru Randhawa. She was also seen in her debut show Moving In With Malaika which gave her fans an insight into her personal life. Apart from this, Malaika runs a yoga studio by the name of Diva Yoga centre and often urges people to either take to yoga or hit the gym to keep the body, mind and soul balanced.

On the personal front, Malaika has been in a relationship with Arjun Kapoor for quite some time now. The two often go out on vacations at exotic destinations together and share photos with each other on social media. Recently, they had gone on a trip to Berlin and Austria.
New Delhi: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's 1998 starrer Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is etched in public memory and so are its characters. The young Anjali's role who is SRK's 8-year-old daughter in the film was played by Sana Saeed, who is now all grown-up and was even seen in Dharma Productions' 'Student Of The Year'. Sana acted in various projects after making her debut as a child in a blockbuster. But where is she now?

SANA SAEED'S INSTAGRAM POSTS

Well, after her supporting role debut in SOTY in 2012, Sana Saeed went on to star in many reality shows including Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6 in 2013, Nach Baliye 7 in 2015 and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 7 in 2016 respectively. She also took a break from acting in between and moved to Los Angeles for film workshops.

Sana Saeed has grown up to become quite a stunner who is into fitness and hardcore workouts as well. Her glam outings prove she is high on fashion and sass. An avid Instagram user, Sana has over 773K followers already. Check out her ravishing posts:

SRK'S CO-STAR IS ENGAGED NOW

In January this year, Sana announced her engagement and shared a video of her dreamy proposal. She got engaged to her longtime boyfriend Csaba Wagner, who is a company director and supervising sound engineer based out of Los Angeles. Sana told the Times Of India in an earlier interview about how she met her man of dreams. As she was in LA to study acting and filmmaking, her friend insisted on her joining a dating app and that's where she met Csaba, she told in her interview. Csaba has been in the US for over a decade while his family is in Hungary.

Meanwhile, Sana was last seen in The Khatra Khatra Show - a comedy game show series starring Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa along with many guest stars. She appeared on the show in 2022.
Image of a product visual provided by Meta of a new generative AI ad tool

Facebook owner Meta announces tests of generative AI ads tool Image of a product visual provided by Meta of a new generative AI ad tool

By Katie Paul and Sheila Dang

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Social media giant Meta Platforms Inc joined the generative AI product race on Thursday, saying it would begin testing artificial intelligence-powered ad tools that can create content like image backgrounds and variations of written text.

A select group of advertisers will be invited to experiment with the tools in a "testing playground" that the company is calling the AI Sandbox, Meta executives said at a press event in New York.

The executives declined to specify how many advertisers would have access to the space at the outset, saying only that the group was small.

Meta planned to grant access to more advertisers in July and integrate some of the features into general-purpose ad products later in the year, they said.

The announcement marks the Facebook and Instagram owner's first foray into rolling out products that use generative AI technology, which mines vast stores of past data to generate new content like prose, art and software code.

A frenzy of interest and investment has swirled around the technology since Microsoft-backed startup OpenAI launched chatbot ChatGPT in the fall.

Meta's announcement came a day after its top digital ads rival, Alphabet's Google, said it would start offering integrations of the technology in its search, email and photo products.

(Reporting by Katie Paul and Sheila Dang in New York; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
Indian Railways is all set to add the latest Vande Bharat Express in India on the Howrah-Puri route. Reports online suggest that the new train will likely run from May 15. Following the pattern of all the trains, the new semi-high-speed train will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The trial run for the new train was conducted by Indian Railways in April 2023 and is now all set to begin its operations. Once operational, it will be the first Vande Bharat train to be operated in Odisha and the second for West Bengal.

Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express: Distance

Between West Bengal's Howrah and Odisha's Puri, the train will cover a distance of around 500 km. Furthermore, this will be the first of the advanced trains to provide its services in the South Eastern Railway (SER) Zone.

Also read: Tricity Metro: Chandigarh Metro Development To Start Soon: Heres All About It

Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express: Travel Time

The Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat will cover the aforementioned distance in around 5 hours and 30 minutes. This will facilitate the passengers on the route with faster connectivity. Presently, the fastest train on the route is Shatabdi Express. It takes around 7 hours and 35 minutes to cover the same distance.

Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express: Stoppages

The train on this route is expected to have stoppages at 9 stations, including Howrah, Khurda Road Junction, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, Bhadrak, Balasore, Haldia, and Puri

Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express: Timings

The train will probably leave Howrah at 5:50 am and arrive in Puri at 11:50 pm. Similarly, on its return trip, the train from Puri is scheduled to depart at 2:00 and arrive in Howrah at 7:30.

Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express: Fare

There is no confirmation on the fares of the new Vande Bharat ExpressHowever, as per reports, the estimated cost of the Chair Car to travel from Howrah to Puri will be around Rs. 1,590, including Rs. 308 for dining expenses. The Executive Class costs will probably be Rs 2815, including Rs 369 for catering. Additionally, passengers will have the option to select the "No Food Option," in which case the catering fee won't be applied to the cost.
New Delhi: Alphabet Inc's Google is rolling out more artificial intelligence for its core search product, hoping to create some of the same consumer excitement generated by Microsoft Corp's update to rival search engine Bing in recent months. At its annual I/O conference in Mountain View, California, on Wednesday, Google offered a new version of its namesake engine.

Called the Search Generative Experience, the revamped Google can craft responses to open-ended queries while retaining its recognizable list of links to the Web. "We are reimagining all of our core products, including search," Sundar Pichai, Alphabet's CEO, said after he took the stage at the event. (Also Read: Explainer: How Is The New Google AI Search Different From Bard Chatbot?)

He said Google is integrating generative AI into search as well as products such as Gmail, which can create draft messages, and Google Photos, which can make changes to images like centering figures and coloring in empty space. (Also Read: Google Unveils Pixel 7a, Foldable Phone And AI Features To Search)

U.S. consumers will gain access to the Search Generative Experience in the coming weeks via a wait list, a trial phase during which Google will monitor the quality, speed and cost of search results, Vice President Cathy Edwards said in an interview.

Googles foray into what is known as generative AI comes after the startup OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, the darling chatbot of Silicon Valley that launched a furious funding race among would-be competitors. Generative AI can, using past data, create brand new content like fully formed text, images and software code.

"AI can provide insight," Edwards said. "But what fundamentally people want at the end of the day is to be connected to information from real people and organizations, knowing, for example, that this health information comes from the WHO," or the World Health Organization.

Addressing how AI can spout incorrect information, Edwards said the company prioritized accuracy and citing trusted sources. Google will also mark up images it generates with AI and make it easier for people to vet a picture's authenticity.

"Google's vision makes a strong case that search is evolving, not dissolving, and that Google is here to stay," said Canaccord Genuity analyst Kingsley Crane.

What Outfit To Wear?

With the embedded AI, Google still looks and acts like its familiar empty search bar.

But while a search for "weather San Francisco" will as usual point a user to an eight-day forecast, a query asking what outfit to wear in the California city prompts a lengthy response generated by AI, according to a demonstration for Reuters earlier this week.

A challenge of drawing on such AI, known as large language models, is the high expense. Edwards said, "We and others are working on a variety of different ways to bring down the cost over time."

Ads will remain key, Edwards said. "We only get paid when there's a click."

Bard For 180 Countries

Michael Ashley Schulman, chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors, said, "The company is showing a willingness and ability to reinvent and disrupt itself, which I feel will be favorably received by investors."

In February Google announced its competing chatbot called Bard. Now, Bard will be multimodal like OpenAI's GPT-4, the company said on Wednesday, and it will make the chatbot accessible to people in more than 180 countries and territories.

That means customers will be able to prompt Bard with images, not just text - for instance asking the chatbot to write a caption to a picture they hand it, it said.

Behind Bard also is a more powerful AI model Google announced called PaLM 2, which it said could solve tougher problems. One of its PaLM 2 models is lightweight enough to work on smartphones, Pichai also said.
New Delhi: Twitter has started to roll out its long-promised encrypted direct messaging (DM) feature, but it comes with a few significant limitations that may not appeal to privacy-conscious users. In order to send and receive encrypted messages, both sender and recipient should be "verified users" or affiliates of a "verified organisation", according to the company.





It's unclear if encryption will be added to the growing list of exclusive features for check-marked users or if this is just for the early rollout. However, the feature has several significant limitations, including the lack of support for group messages and any media other than links. ( Also Read: Google Pixel 7a vs Pixel 6a Features Compared: In Pics Additionally, the company does not offer a direct reporting option for encrypted messages; instead, users are advised to report any issues with a conversation participant separately. ( Also Read: Explainer: How Is The New Google AI Search Different From Bard Chatbot? The company currently allows a maximum of ten devices per user for encrypted messages. After users' have reached the limit, they will not be able to send and receive encrypted messages on any new devices that are logged into Twitter.Moreover, sending an encrypted message is similar to sending a regular unencrypted message, said the company. "If you are eligible to send encrypted messages, you will see a toggle after clicking on the message icon to enable "encrypted" mode.Selecting an eligible recipient, composing a message, and clicking send will send an encrypted message, Twitter explained.
A blast rocked a Milan street on Thursday when a van full of oxygen gas canisters caught fire, injuring the driver and setting nearby vehicles on fire, news agency Reuters quoted local officials as saying. The citys mayor, Giuseppe Sala, assured that it was not an attack and that everyone was alive. Sala said the driver of the van had acted quickly and bravely to save the oxygen cylinders he was transporting after his engine ignited. He tried to contain the damage but then there was a big boom, Reuters quoted the mayor as saying.

He added that the driver had minor injuries. Firefighters put out the fire, which had created huge black smoke clouds. Eyewitnesses said the fire had reached a nearby building, which was cleared. A local school was also emptied.

The driver of the van hurt his hand when he tried to stop the fire, firefighter Carlo Cardinali told reporters at the scene. He was treated at the scene and taken to a hospital.

The cause of the explosion was unknown, but Cardinali said the fire spread fast because of the amount of explosive material on board. Police were investigating. Around 200-300 children at a school and day care complex were safely evacuated, news channel Sky TG24 quoted Mayor Sala as saying.
Washington: President Joe Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an Official State Visit to the United States, which will include a state dinner, on June 22, the White House announced on Wednesday. This would be the first State Visit of an Indian leader after then president Barack Obama invited then prime minister Manmohan Singh for a State Visit in November 2009.

President Biden and the First Lady Dr Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Modi for an Official State Visit to the United States June 22, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement while announcing the visit.

"The upcoming visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the US and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together," she said.

Prime Minister Modi's visit will strengthen two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific, she said, amid China's aggressive behaviour in the strategic region.

The visit will also elevate the bilateral strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space, she said.

"The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change, to workforce development and health security," she added.

Prime Minister Modi's visit to the US comes ahead of the G20 summit being hosted by India in September.

After becoming the Prime Minister in 2014, Modi has made more than half a dozen trips to the United States for bilateral and multilateral meetings with all the three American presidents, Obama, Donald Trump and now Biden, but this is for the first time he has been invited for an official State Visit, a privilege accorded to America's close friends and allies.

He last visited Washington in September 2021 at the invitation of President Biden for a bilateral meeting and also attended the first in-person Quad Leaders Summit.

Had an outstanding meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden. His leadership on critical global issues is commendable. We discussed how India and USA will further scale-up cooperation in different spheres and work together to overcome key challenges like COVID-19 and climate change. pic.twitter.com/nnSVE5OSdL  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 24, 2021

Modi will join Biden and his counterparts from Australia and Japan at a summit of the Quad leaders in Sydney on May 24 that is expected to focus on the implications of the Ukraine conflict and the overall situation in the Indo-Pacific.

Before travelling to Australia, Modi is likely to visit the Japanese city of Hiroshima to attend the annual summit of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies which is scheduled to take place from May 19 to 21.

President Biden will attend the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima as well as the Quad summit in Sydney.

Modi's State Visit is reflective of the importance that the President Biden attaches to his personal relationship with him and the India-US ties.

"It is entirely good and proper that the world's two greatest democracies further cement their strategic, economic, and technology convergence in these turbulent geostrategic times. The State Visit will remind the world that India and America still have so much more potential to capture in our bilateral relations, reflecting the energy and talent of our demographics and our systems, which serve to empower our free peoples," US-India Business Council president Atul Keshap said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi met President Biden on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia in November last year.

Happy to have met @POTUS @JoeBiden at the @g20org Summit in Bali. We had fruitful exchanges on key issues. pic.twitter.com/il7GbnOIpS  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 15, 2022

The two leaders also met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Germany in June 2022 and before that in May on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders Summit in Tokyo.
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 Greencore Group plc (LON:GNC), that sends out a positive message to the company's shareholders.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

View our latest analysis for Greencore Group

Greencore Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by CEO & Executive Director Dalton Philips for UK127k worth of shares, at about UK0.65 per share. Even though the purchase was made at a significantly lower price than the recent price (UK0.85), we still think insider buying is a positive. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive.

In the last twelve months Greencore Group insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Greencore Group is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Does Greencore Group Boast High Insider Ownership?

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Based on our data, Greencore Group insiders have about 0.8% of the stock, worth approximately UK3.5m. We consider this fairly low insider ownership.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Greencore Group Insiders?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. The transactions are fine but it'd be more encouraging if Greencore Group 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. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Greencore Group you should know about.

Story continues

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
FILE PHOTO: Signs explaining Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and other banking policies are shown on the counter of a bank in Westminster

By Pete Schroeder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Large U.S. lenders will bear most of the cost of replenishing a deposit insurance fund that was drained of $16 billion by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and two other lenders, although mid-sized banks will also be on the hook, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said on Thursday.

The bank regulator will apply a "special assessment" fee of 0.125% to uninsured deposits of lenders in excess of $5 billion, based on the amount of uninsured deposits a bank held at the end of 2022, the FDIC proposed at a board meeting.

While the fee applies to all banks, in practice lenders with more than $50 billion in assets would cover over 95% of the cost, the agency said. Banks with less than $5 billion in assets would not pay any fee. Around 113 banks are expected to pay the fee.

The top 14 U.S. lenders will need to fork out an estimated $5.8 billion a year, which could erode their earnings per share by a median 3%, Credit Suisse analyst Susan Roth Katzke wrote in a report.

The levy would be collected over eight quarters beginning in June 2024, but could be adjusted as estimated losses to the insurance fund change. The extended timeline aims to minimize the impact on bank liquidity and is expected to have a negligible impact on bank capital, according to FDIC officials.

JPMorgan Chase & Co is expected to pay an estimated $1.3 billion annual fee, followed by $1.1 billion for Bank of America Corp and $898 million for Wells Fargo & Co. The three banks declined to comment.

"This is a higher assessment than we were expecting as the FDIC is seeking to recoup the funds over just two years," wrote TD Cowen analyst Jaret Seiberg in a research note. "We had expected the agency to spread the payments over at least three years."

The S&P 500 Banks Index slid 0.6% on Thursday, while the KBW Regional Banking Index slumped more than 2%.

The FDIC fund, which guarantees customers' bank deposits of up to $250,000, stood at $128.2 billion at the end of 2022, according to the FDIC.

Story continues

Banks usually pay a quarterly fee to finance the fund, but the FDIC said the special levy was necessary to cover hefty costs it incurred after Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failed in March. Both banks, which had extremely high levels of uninsured deposits, abruptly failed after depositors fled amid concerns over their financial health. Regulators declared them critical to the financial system, allowing the FDIC to backstop all deposits in a bid to stop the contagion spreading.

The seizure of First Republic Bank and sale to JP Morgan Chase this month is expected to cost that fund another $13 billion.

Other regional lenders with high proportions of uninsured deposits include Comerica Bank, Western Alliance Bank, Zions Bank and Synovus Financial, according to a Reuters analysis from last month based on December data.

Comerica shares dropped almost 7%, Zions Bancorp and Synovus both fell more than 4%, while Western Alliance slid almost 1%. The banks did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

SMALL BANKS CHEER

Under law, the FDIC has discretion in designing the fee, and FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg said on Thursday the proposal targets those who benefited most from the backstop.

"In general, large banks with large amounts of uninsured deposits benefited the most from the systemic risk determination," he said in a statement.

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), Washington's top small bank lobby group, applauded the plans.

"Community banks should not have to bear any financial responsibility for losses to the Deposit Insurance Fund caused by the miscalculations and speculative practices of large financial institutions," ICBA CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said in a statement.

The FDIC board approved the proposal on Thursday along partisan lines, with its three Democratic board members supporting it and its two Republican members voting no, arguing that the banks on the hook to pay the most were generally the biggest beneficiaries of the flight to safety after SVB's collapse. The agency will now solicit feedback from the banking industry and the public, before ultimately finalizing the new fee.

TD Cowen's Sieberg said he did not see the dissenters' arguments prevailing as it would effectively exempt the global systemically important banks from the special assessment.

"We do not see that as politically viable," Sieberg said.

(Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru and Pete Schroeder in WashingtonAdditional reporting by Manya Saini, Jaiveer Shekhawat, Nupur Anand, Tatiana Bautzer and Saeed AzharEditing by Michelle Price, Lananh Nguyen and Matthew Lewis)
Following the finalization of the acquisition of SeedInvest yesterday, StartEngine, the leading equity crowdfunding platform, experienced a record-breaking day of investments in 2023. The platform saw a significant surge in traffic and investments, marking the single largest day for investments in the companys raise this year.

The StartEngine community demonstrated the strength of the crowd as they flooded the platform, resulting in more than double the daily traffic and almost triple the average number of investments in StartEngines own raise for 2023. This remarkable increase led to a new record for the year, emphasizing the platforms growth potential and its impact on the equity crowdfunding landscape.

As outlined in Howard Marks letter to investors, the support of shareholders enabled StartEngine to capitalize on one of the most significant market opportunities to ever hit the crowdfunding industry. With the acquisition of SeedInvest, the company aims to onboard over 700,000 prospective new investors and continue its expansion.

The acquisition, which was completed on May 9, 2023, resulted in a remarkable 70% audience growth in a single day. StartEngine now looks forward to integrating as many as 700,000 prospective investors from SeedInvest, further bolstering its user base.

The combined platforms have raised $1.1 billion to date, positioning StartEngine as a serious challenger to venture capital firms during one of the most significant VC pullbacks on record. The merger is expected to attract more top founders and significantly expand the range of future offerings on StartEngine, making it an even more attractive platform for investors and founders alike.

With the expertise of StartEngine and SeedInvest now under one roof, the company is better equipped to help businesses bridge the gap between Reg. CF (up to $5M annually) and Reg. A+ (up to $75M). This unique combination of skills and resources is set to redefine the equity crowdfunding landscape and create new opportunities for both investors and companies.

Story continues

In a statement, Howard Marks expressed his immense gratitude to StartEngines investors, whose support made the acquisition possible and set the stage for the platforms continued growth and success.

Don't miss real-time alerts on your stocks - join Benzinga Pro for free! Try the tool that will help you invest smarter, faster, and better.

This article Following SeedInvest Acquisition, StartEngine Sees Massive Traffic And Investment Spike originally appeared on Benzinga.com

.

 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Proficient Market Insights

PUNE, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Food Delivery Market" research report focus on overall information that can help to take decisions on current market situation. Retail food delivery is a courier service in which a restaurant, store, or independent food delivery company delivers food to a customer.

Food Delivery Market Report Contains 2023: -

Complete overview of the global Food Delivery Market

Top Country data and analysis for United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, etc. It also throws light on the progress of key regional Food Delivery Markets such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East and Africa

Description and analysis of Food Delivery market potential by type, Deep Dive, disruption, application capacity, end use industry

impact evaluation of most important drivers and restraints, and dynamics of the global Food Delivery Market and current trends in the enterprise

Detailed profiles of the Top major players in the industry, including. GrubHub,Blue Apron,DoorDash,HelloFresh,Takeaway.com,Deliveroo,Dahmakan,Delivery Hero,Dominos,Just Eat,Delivery.com,Foodler,OLO,Seamless,Yemeksepeti

Get a Sample Copy of the Report at  https://proficientmarketinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample/22900220

Food Delivery Market Segmentation: -

Researcher's newest research report, the Food Delivery Industry Forecast looks at past sales and reviews total world Food Delivery sales in 2022, providing a comprehensive analysis by region and market sector of projected Food Delivery sales for 2023 through 2029. With Food Delivery sales broken down by region, market sector and sub-sector, this report provides a detailed analysis in US$ millions of the world Food Delivery industry.



This Insight Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the global Food Delivery landscape and highlights key trends related to product segmentation, company formation, revenue, and market share, latest development, and M&A activity. This report also analyzes the strategies of leading global companies with a focus on Food Delivery portfolios and capabilities, market entry strategies, market positions, and geographic footprints, to better understand these firms unique position in an accelerating global Food Delivery market.



This Insight Report evaluates the key market trends, drivers, and affecting factors shaping the global outlook for Food Delivery and breaks down the forecast by type, by application, geography, and market size to highlight emerging pockets of opportunity. With a transparent methodology based on hundreds of bottom-up qualitative and quantitative market inputs, this study forecast offers a highly nuanced view of the current state and future trajectory in the global Food Delivery.



The global Food Delivery market size is projected to grow from US$ 37690 million in 2022 to US$ 104050 million in 2029; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.6% from 2023 to 2029.



Customers can, depending on the delivery company, choose to pay online or in person, with cash or card. A flat rate delivery fee is often charged with what the customer has bought.



This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of Food Delivery market by product type, application, key players and key regions and countries.

Story continues

Inquire or Share Your Questions If Any Before the Purchasing This Report  https://proficientmarketinsights.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/22900220

researchers latest report provides a deep insight into the global Food Delivery Market covering all its essential aspects. This ranges from a macro overview of the market to micro details of the market size, competitive landscape, development trend, niche market, key market drivers and challenges, SWOT analysis, Porters five forces analysis, value chain analysis, etc.

Food Delivery Market segments help decision-makers direct the product, sales, and marketing strategies, and can power your product development cycles by informing how you make product offerings for different segments.

Segmentation by type

Food

Drug

Other

Segmentation by application

Under 25

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

Older

Market segment by Region/Country including: -

North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)

Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain, etc.)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Southeast Asia, etc.)

South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.)

Middle East & Africa (South Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia, etc.)

Key Players in the Food Delivery Market: -

GrubHub

Blue Apron

DoorDash

HelloFresh

Takeaway.com

Deliveroo

Dahmakan

Delivery Hero

Dominos

Just Eat

Delivery.com

Foodler

OLO

Seamless

Yemeksepeti

Get a Sample Copy of the Report at  https://proficientmarketinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample/22900220

Key Benefits of Food Delivery Market Research Report:

Types, applications, regions, and key players covered in the study

Industry drivers, restraints, and opportunities covered in the study

Recent industry trends and developments

Competitive landscape & strategies of key players

Historical, current, and projected market size, in terms of value

In-depth analysis of the Artificial Intelligence AI Chips Market

Sales, price, revenue, market share, and growth rate are covered in the report sales channels, distributors, traders, dealers, etc. are covered in the report

Detailed TOC of Global Food Delivery Market Growth (Status and Outlook) 2023-2029

1 Scope of the Report

1.1 Market Introduction

1.2 Years Considered

1.3 Research Objectives

1.4 Market Research Methodology

1.5 Research Process and Data Source

1.6 Economic Indicators

1.7 Currency Considered

1.8 Market Estimation Caveats

2 Executive Summary

2.1 World Market Overview

2.1.1 Global Food Delivery Market Size 2018-2029

2.1.2 Food Delivery Market Size CAGR by Region 2018 VS 2022 VS 2029

2.2 Food Delivery Segment by Type

2.2.1 Food

2.2.2 Drug

2.2.3 Other

2.3 Food Delivery Market Size by Type

2.3.1 Food Delivery Market Size CAGR by Type (2018 VS 2022 VS 2029)

2.3.2 Global Food Delivery Market Size Market Share by Type (2018-2023)

2.4 Food Delivery Segment by Application

2.4.1 Under 25

2.4.2 25-34

2.4.3 35-44

2.4.4 45-54

2.4.5 55-64

2.4.6 Older

2.5 Food Delivery Market Size by Application

2.5.1 Food Delivery Market Size CAGR by Application (2018 VS 2022 VS 2029)

2.5.2 Global Food Delivery Market Size Market Share by Application (2018-2023)

And More

Get a Sample Copy of the Report at - https://proficientmarketinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample/22900220

1.To study and analyze the global Food Deliveryconsumption (value) by key regions/countries, product type and application

2.To understand the structure of Food Delivery Market by identifying its various sub segments.

3.Focuses on the key global Food Deliverymanufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the value, market share, market competition landscape, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.

4.To analyze the Food Delivery with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.

5.To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).

6.To project the consumption of Food Delivery submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).

7.To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.

8.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.

Key Reasons to Purchase

To gain insightful analyses of the market and have comprehensive understanding of the global Food Delivery Market and its commercial landscape.

Assess the production processes, major issues, and solutions to mitigate the development risk.

To understand the most affecting driving and restraining forces in the Food Delivery Market and its impact in the global market.

Learn about the Food Delivery Market strategies that are being adopted by leading respective organizations.

To understand the future outlook and prospects for the Food Delivery Market.

Besides the standard structure reports, we also provide custom research according to specific requirements

Client Focus

1. Does this report consider the impact of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war on the Food Delivery market?



Yes. As the COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war are profoundly affecting the global supply chain relationship and raw material price system, we have definitely taken them into consideration throughout the research, and we elaborate at full length on the impact of the pandemic and the war on the Food Delivery,Industry.



2. How do you determine the list of the key players included in the report?



With the aim of clearly revealing the competitive situation of the industry, we concretely analyze not only the leading enterprises that have a voice on a global scale, but also the regional small and medium-sized companies that play key roles and have plenty of potential growth.

Please find the key player list in Summary.



3. What are your main data sources?



Both Primary and Secondary data sources are being used while compiling the report.

Primary sources include extensive interviews of key opinion leaders and industry experts (such as experienced front-line staff, directors, CEOs, and marketing executives), downstream distributors, as well as end-users.



Secondary sources include the research of the annual and financial reports of the top companies, public files, new journals, etc. We also cooperate with some third-party databases.



4. Can I modify the scope of the report and customize it to suit my requirements?



Yes. Customized requirements of multi-dimensional, deep-level and high-quality can help our customers precisely grasp market opportunities, effortlessly confront market challenges, properly formulate market strategies and act promptly, thus to win them sufficient time and space for market competition.

Purchase this Report (Price 3660 USD for a Single-User License)  https://proficientmarketinsights.com/purchase/22900220

About Proficient market insights:

Proficient market insights is an upscale platform to help key personnel in the business world in strategizing and taking visionary decisions based on facts and figures derived from in-depth market research. We are one of the top report resellers in the market, dedicated to bringing you an ingenious concoction of data parameters.

CONTACT: Proficient market insights Phone : +1 424 253 0807 Phone : +44 203 239 8187 Email : sales@proficientmarketinsights.com Web: https://proficientmarketinsights.com/




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2023) - Founders Metals Inc. (TSXV: FDR) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the mobilization of two diamond drills to the Antino Gold Project. The equipment is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Paramaribo on May 29, 2023, and will be mobilized to the Upper Antino Camp area in early June. An in-country drill crew, with ongoing support from on-site Canadian operators, will transport, set up, and operate the drills throughout the 2023 drill campaign. The Company plans to begin drilling by late June.

Figure 1 - Drilling equipment being loaded for shipping to Suriname.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7574/165660_foundermetalsimage1.jpg

Founders Metals has shipped two Hydracore HC2000 Surface Core Drills with all the necessary equipment to commence diamond drilling at the Antino Gold Project (Figure 1). These drills can be operated in Suriname year-round and are capable of efficient core drilling to depths >1000 m. Included with the purchase are sufficient additional drilling supplies and equipment to maintain and repair the drills as needed to minimize any downtime.

"Mobilizing our drills to site is a crucial milestone in our 2023 exploration program," said Colin Padget, President, CEO, and Director of Founders Metals. "We have an experienced team and with our own equipment on site, we're confident that we can make the most out of the upcoming drill program. In addition, with fast turnaround times on analyses, we are excited to provide steady news on our progress."

The Antino Gold Project boasts several logistical advantages beneficial to drilling and other exploration work. Among these advantages are a well-established road network, on-site heavy equipment, and proximity to the town of Maripasoula. Additionally, there are local ports with barge landings available for use, as well as a commercially serviced airstrip that is over one kilometer in length. These features are illustrated in Figure 2 and offer significant support for the project's operations.

Story continues

Figure 2 - Infrastructure Map - Antino Gold Project



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7574/165660_foundermetalsimage2.jpg

About Founders Metals Inc.

Founders Metals is a Canadian exploration company focused on advancing gold projects in the Guiana Shield. Its flagship project is the >20,000 ha Antino Gold Project in South America's underexplored and mining-friendly country of Suriname. Historical surface/alluvial gold mining on the property has produced over 500,000 gold ounces to date1. Historical exploration work at Antino includes, over 30,000 m of historical drilling, >35,000 auger gold-in-soil samples, property-wide aeromagnetic survey data, and a 2022 LiDAR survey, providing numerous opportunities to expand known high-grade greenstone gold mineralization and delineate new targets.

12022 Technical Report - Antino Project; Suriname, South America. K. Raffle, BSc, P.Geo & Rock Lefrancois, BSc, P.Geo.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Per: "Colin Padget"

Colin Padget

President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director

For further information, please contact:

Nick Stajduhar, Director

Telephone: +1 (780) 701-3216

Email: nicks@fdrmetals.com

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date of this news release. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether because of new information or future events, results, or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165660
Fraser Institute

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During the pandemic, despite high levels of government spending and debt accumulation, Canadas economy underperformed compared to most other advanced countries, finds a new study published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.



While governments across Canada, particularly the federal government, increased spending markedly during COVID, its now clear we didnt get much bang for our buck, said Livio Di Matteo, professor of economics at Lakehead University, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of Global Aftermath: The Economic and Fiscal Effects of COVID in Canada and the World.

Among 40 industrialized countries in 2020, Canada had the 5th highest increase in government spending as a share of the economy, and between 2019 and 2021, the 3rd largest increase in its total debt-to-GDP ratio, which means Canada accumulated debt at a higher rate than almost every other advanced country.

And yet, from 2019 to 2022, among the same 40 countries, Canada ranked 29th on per-person GDP growth (a common measure of prosperity), and had the 2nd largest drop in employment in 2020. Canadas economic performance during the pandemic was in contrast to many other advanced countriesIreland, for example, actually reduced its government debt (as a share of its economy) while increasing the rate of per-person economic growth more than any other industrialized country.

Its important for governments in Canada to understand the effects of their pandemic responses so they dont repeat the same ineffective and costly policies in the future, Di Matteo said.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Livio Di Matteo, Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:

Mark Hasiuk, Senior Media Relations Specialist, 604-688-0221 ext. 517,

mark.hasiuk@fraserinstitute.org

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Like us on Facebook

Story continues

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institutes independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org






To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think GE-Shen Corporation Berhad (KLSE:GESHEN) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on GE-Shen Corporation Berhad is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.088 = RM16m  (RM275m - RM95m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).

Thus, GE-Shen Corporation Berhad has an ROCE of 8.8%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Packaging industry average of 12%.

See our latest analysis for GE-Shen Corporation Berhad

roce

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you'd like to look at how GE-Shen Corporation Berhad has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Are Returns Trending?

In terms of GE-Shen Corporation Berhad's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 8.8% from 13% five years ago. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

Story continues

The Bottom Line

In summary, GE-Shen Corporation Berhad is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Since the stock has gained an impressive 54% over the last five years, investors must think there's better things to come. But if the trajectory of these underlying trends continue, we think the likelihood of it being a multi-bagger from here isn't high.

One more thing, we've spotted 2 warning signs facing GE-Shen Corporation Berhad that you might find interesting.

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
SIGNY, Switzerland, May 11, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New data from Global Blue (NYSE:GB) shows that the overall dynamic recovery for Tax Free Shopping remains strong across Continental Europe and Asia Pacific.

Globally, issued Sales in Store like-for-like recovery remains solid at 106%1 in April vs. 101%1 in Q1 2023.

This acceleration of the recovery in April is due to the progressive return of Mainland Chinese shoppers. This is despite an unfavorable calendar effect linked to the absence of Gulf Cooperation Council Citizens traveling in April due to Ramadan2.

For the first time, the Asia Pacific recovery rate almost reached 2019 levels, at 99%1.

Continental Europe recovery remains solid

In Continental Europe, the recovery is stable at 110%1 in April compared to 109%1 in Q1 2023.

Regarding origin markets, the return of Mainland Chinese residents has accelerated, with a recovery rate reaching 47%1 in April vs. 31%1 in Q1. This acceleration has offset the slowdown in the Gulf Cooperation Council residents recovery at 109%1 in April vs. 255%1 in Q1 due to the Ramadan unfavorable calendar effect2.

US shopper recovery remains strong at 274%1 in April vs. 288%1 in Q1.

In terms of destination markets, the solid recovery in April was across all destinations, predominantly led by Greece at 155%1, France at 138%1, Spain at 123%1, Italy at 111%1, and Switzerland at 107%1.

An accelerating recovery in Asia Pacific

In Asia Pacific, the recovery reached 99%1 in April vs. 87%1 Q1.

In terms of origin markets, the return of Mainland Chinese shoppers has also been a key contributor to the strengthening recovery in Asia Pacific. In April, Mainland Chinese shopper recovery in South Korea reached 105%1 in April vs. 47%1 in Q1, whilst in Singapore Mainland Chinese shopper recovery reached 83%1 in April vs. 40%1 in March.

With regards to the other origin market nationalities, Hong Kong and Taiwan residents continue to have an elevated recovery level at 349%1 in April vs. 368%1 in Q1. This was followed by South East Asia residents at 164%1 in April vs. 145%1 in Q1.

Story continues

Regarding destination markets, Japan and South Korea are leading the Sales in Store like-for-like recovery, both reaching 102%1 in April, followed by Singapore at 94%1.

A gradual recovery for Mainland Chinese shoppers

Since China's borders reopened in January 2023, air capacity recovery from Mainland China to key destinations has been gradually on the rise.

In Continental Europe, air capacity recovery reached 36%3 in April vs. 22%3 in March. In Asia Pacific, air capacity recovery reached 31%3 in April vs. 14%3 in March as a result of the easing of Covid restrictions in the region. The willingness to travel for Mainland China shoppers has significantly increased, reaching 79%4 in April vs. 70%4 in March.

The average spend progression is also strong for Chinese shoppers. In April, it increased by 59%5 in Continental Europe and 127%5 in Asia Pacific.

On the back of this progressive air capacity recovery and average spend increase, there is a steady improvement in the Sales in Store like-for-like Mainland Chinese recovery which has reached 45%1 worldwide in April vs. 32%1 in Q1.

Projected Air

capacity recovery

from Mainland

China3 May

2023 June

2023 Q3 2023 Continental Europe 41% 46% 51% Asia Pacific 42% 49% 49%

APPENDIX

YTD Data

Issued SIS L/L recovery1 (in % of 2019) April

2023 Q1

2023 Q4 2022 Q3

2022 Q2

2022 Q1

2022 Continental Europe 110% 109% 104% 101% 75% 53% Asia Pacific 99% 87% 80% 51% 39% 16% TOTAL 106% 101% 97% 89% 65% 40%

Glossary

- Gulf Cooperation Council countries include: Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman

- South East Asia includes: Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore

- North East Asia includes: Japan, South Korea

ABOUT GLOBAL BLUE

Global Blue pioneered the concept of Tax Free Shopping 40 years ago. Through continuous innovation, we have become the leading strategic technology and payments partner, empowering retailers to improve their performance and shoppers to enhance their experience.

Global Blue offers innovative solutions in three different fields:

Tax Free Shopping: Helping retailers at over 300,000 points of sale to efficiently manage 35 million Tax Free Shopping transactions a year, thanks to its fully integrated in-house technology platform. Meanwhile, its industry-leading digital Tax Free shopper solutions create a better, more seamless customer experience.

Payment services: Providing a full suite of foreign exchange and Payment technology solutions that allow acquirers, hotels, and retailers to offer value-added services and improve the customer experience during 31 million payment transactions a year at 130,000 points of interaction.

Complementary RetailTech: Offering new technology solutions to retailers, including digital receipts and eCommerce returns, that can be easily integrated with their core systems and allow them to optimize and digitalize their processes throughout the omni-channel customer journey, both in-store and online.

In addition, our data and advisory services offer a strategic advisory to help retailers identify opportunities for growth, while our shopper experience and engagement solutions provide data-driven solutions to increase footfall, convert footfall to revenue and enhance performance.

For more information, visit https://www.globalblue.com/about-us/media

Global Blue Monthly Speaker Notes Data, April 2023, Source: Global Blue

1 Recovery rate is equal to 2023 Issued Sales in Store divided by 2019 Issued Sales in Store, like-for-like (i.e.: at constant merchant scope and exchange rates).

2 Ramadan took place from May 5th to June 3rd in 2019, while it took place from March 22d to April 20th in 2023, leading to an unfavorable basis effect in March and April 2023.

3 Air capacity: ForwardKeys data platform  March 2023

4 Global Blue Willingness to travel survey

5 Chinese shoppers increase of average spend per international shopper versus 2019

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005441/en/

Contacts

MEDIA CONTACTS

Virginie Alem  SVP Marketing & Communications

Mail: valem@globalblue.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS

Frances Gibbons  Head of Investor Relations

Mob: +44 (0)7815 034 212

Mail: fgibbons@globalblue.com
By Joseph White

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co will consolidate North American sales operations for commercial vehicles, parts and telematics services under a new brand umbrella, GM Envolve, that will compete with Ford Motor Co's Ford Pro unit and others for revenue from business vehicle fleets.

GM executives said the reorganization is aimed at making it easier for commercial fleet customers to negotiate electric and combustion vehicle purchases and sign up for services and software offerings that GM is developing to generate revenue after the vehicle sale.

Previously, commercial customers would get called on by representatives from GM's traditional vehicle brands, its new BrightDrop delivery van unit, a new energy services operation and the OnStar telematics unit, said Steve Hill, GM's vice president for commercial growth strategies.

"We were basically stepping on each other," he said during a briefing for media. Hill said the restructuring is not aimed at reducing staff.

GM is battling with Ford and Stellantis NV for a bigger share of the commercial fleet market.

Ford created its Ford Pro commercial fleet unit in May 2021, and is aiming to increase its annual revenue to $45 billion by 2025, driven in part by software-enabled services. Both Ford and GM say they are leaders in commercial fleet sales, using different definitions of the market.

(Reporting By Joe White)
Gooch & Housego PLC (LON:GHH) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 23% in the last month. But that can't change the reality that over the longer term (five years), the returns have been really quite dismal. In fact, the share price has declined rather badly, down some 58% in that time. So we're hesitant to put much weight behind the short term increase. But it could be that the fall was overdone.

With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.

Check out our latest analysis for Gooch & Housego

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

Over five years Gooch & Housego's earnings per share dropped significantly, falling to a loss, with the share price also lower. This was, in part, due to extraordinary items impacting earnings. Since the company has fallen to a loss making position, it's hard to compare the change in EPS with the share price change. However, we can say we'd expect to see a falling share price in this scenario.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Gooch & Housego's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

Gooch & Housego shareholders are down 30% for the year (even including dividends), but the market itself is up 4.7%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 9% 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 Gooch & Housego is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...

Story continues

Gooch & Housego is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on British 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
AKRON, Ohio, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) ("Goodyear" or "the Company") released the following statement regarding the letter Elliott Investment Management L.P. ("Elliott") sent to the Goodyear Board of Directors this morning:

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, USA. (PRNewsFoto/Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company)

"We value input from our shareholders and regularly engage with them. We are reviewing Elliott's recommendations, and we intend to meet with them to discuss their views in more detail.

"Goodyear's Board and management team have a strong track record of making value-enhancing strategic decisions on behalf of shareholders. We regularly review the Company's strategic plan to ensure that Goodyear is best positioned to deliver strong, sustainable shareholder value. As part of our Strategy Roadmap, Goodyear continues to strengthen our leadership position in the global tire industry as we advance our connected business model and innovate for the future of mobility."

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 74,000 people and manufactures its products in 57 facilities in 23 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate. GT-FN

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/goodyear-comments-on-letter-from-elliott-301822454.html

SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
GPS Capital Markets

SALT LAKE CITY, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GPS Capital Markets, LLC, a leading fintech firm offering corporate foreign exchange services, has been awarded for the second time, a Stevie Award as Customer Service Department of the Year in the American Business Awards.



The American Business Awards are the United States premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the United States are eligible to submit nominations  public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small.

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning crowned, the awards will be presented to winners at a gala ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Tuesday, June 13.

More than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Startup of the Year, Executive of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Thought Leader of the Year, and App of the Year, among others.

I am thrilled our Client Experience Team has once again received an American Business Award. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team in delivering exceptional products and services to our customers, said Brandon Parke, President and CEO of GPS Capital Markets. It also underscores our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and responsible business practices. We have an incredible team that really cares for the success of our clients, and this award serves as a reminder that we must continue to strive for excellence and make a positive impact on those we serve.

It is very gratifying for us to be able to recognize the achievements of such a wide variety of organizations, teams, and individuals in the 21st ABAs, and we look forward to bringing them together in New York on June 13 to celebrate with them, said Maggie Miller, President of the Stevie Awards.

Story continues

More than 230 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this years Stevie Award winners. GPS has been known for their customer service with its clientele and is continually striving to exceed expectations with client care and results.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2023 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

ABOUT GPS CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, GPS Capital Markets, LLC provides corporate foreign exchange services that help companies manage their foreign currency risks and execute foreign currency transactions through one unified platform. GPS has several offices throughout the United States, as well as in Australia, Canada, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom. Learn more at www.gpsfx.com.

Lindsey Wing

Public Relations Manager

Lwing@gpsfx.com




Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock / Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock

Grant Cardone knows all about being rich  and poor. The sales trainer, speaker and entrepreneur is worth an estimated $600 million, but part of his childhood was spent in poverty. When Cardone graduated from college in 1981, he was $40,000 in debt.

Heres How Much Every Living US President Is Worth: Where Does Biden Rank?

See: 3 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Retirement

Given his experience on both sides of the wealth spectrum, Cardone probably has a natural curiosity about why some people become rich and others dont. That curiosity was shared on Twitter this week when Cardone issued the following May 4 tweet: Can someone explain to me how public servants (politicians) are becoming multi-millionaires on $100,000 salaries?

Cardone didnt provide further details on which public servants (and millionaires) he was referring to. Presumably, his tweet was mainly meant for members of the U.S. Congress. According to a 2020 report from Open Secrets, more than half of the 535 members of Congress are millionaires.

It is also unclear where Cardone got his $100,000 figure. The average annual salary of a rank-and-file Congressional member is $174,000, according to a 2019 report from the Congressional Institute. That lines up with more recent estimates reported by the Washington Post.

The Speaker of the House earns $223,500 a year, the Congressional Institute noted, while the Senate President pro tempore and Majority and Minority leaders each earn $193,400.

Those are excellent salaries  and much higher than the figure Cardone tweeted  but they dont necessarily turn you into a millionaire. What they do offer is a nice base to build upon if you plan to supplement your income while serving in Congress.

Theres nothing preventing Congressional members from earning incomes outside their official duties, according to Open Secrets. However, there are restrictions. For example, they cant earn more than 15% of the Level II of the Executive Schedule, which determines the pay scale of political appointees in the Executive branch. Members must also file disclosures detailing the source of both earned or passive income, such as stock dividends.

Story continues

Stock investments are a likely source of income for many members of Congress, just as they are with the general public. But as The New York Times reported last year, economist Serkan Karadas found a suspicious pattern of Congressional members earning higher-than-average returns on their stock investments.

Karadas findings suggested that at least some Congress members were profiting off their jobs, according to the NYT. This could come in the form of insider knowledge about upcoming policy changes or economic shifts that can potentially impact stock performance.

In some cases, members of Congress were simply born rich. An example is U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), whose father George was CEO of American Motors before becoming governor of Michigan. Others married rich  including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-California).

Having personal wealth before you enter politics can go a long way toward financing successful campaigns  especially for those with no previous legislative experience.

Take Our Poll: Are You Concerned About the Safety of Your Money in Your Bank Accounts?

More: How Rich Is Former President Donald Trump?

Other members of Congress amassed wealth in the business world before entering government. For example, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) built a net worth of $300 million, mainly by founding Columbia Hospital Corp., which used a series of buyouts to evolve into Columbia/HCA, the worlds largest healthcare provider.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Grant Cardone Asks How Politicians That Make $100k Suddenly Become Multimillionaires  Heres the Harsh Reality
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Banamex bank is on a branch in Mexico City

Grupo Mexico nearing $7 billion deal for Citi's Banamex unit -source FILE PHOTO: The logo of Banamex bank is on a branch in Mexico City

By Andres Gonzalez

(Reuters) - Conglomerate Grupo Mexico is set to buy Citigroup Inc's retail banking operations in Mexico for about $7 billion in a deal that could be announced as early as this week, according to a person familiar with the matter.

As part of the deal, Citi will retain a roughly 10% stake in the Banamex unit, the source said, requesting anonymity as the discussions are confidential.

Citi could choose to sell the stake to Grupo Mexico, which is controlled by billionaire German Larrea, or other potential buyers in the future, the source said. Another option could be to list the stake on public markets, the source added.

Reuters had reported in February that Grupo Mexico's proposed deal for Banamex could value it at $7 billion or more.

Both Citi and Grupo Mexico declined to comment.

Citi announced plans to offload the unit more than a year ago as part of an effort from Chief Executive Jane Fraser to sell some international operations to simplify its business.

Over the past year, Citi has exited and sold some retail businesses in several countries across Asia and other parts of the world.

Several other potential buyers, including fellow Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, dropped out of the auction process to buy Banamex, according to the source.

The business also attracted the interest of foreign competitors with operations in Mexico such as Banco Santander, the source said.

Bloomberg reported on talks advancing between Grupo Mexico and Banamex earlier on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Andres Gonzalez in London, additional reporting by David French, Saeed Azhar and Isabel Woodford; Editing by Anirban Sen and Jamie Freed)
Ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd expects a moderate rate rebound ahead. (Photo: Shutterstock/EQRoy)

Germanys Hapag-Lloyd, the worlds fifth-largest shipping line, posted better-than-expected results for the first quarter of 2023, with freight rates averaging $3,998 per forty-foot equivalent unit, 85% above pre-COVID levels.

Volumes remained subdued as the inventory correction starting in the second half of last year continued, but the numbers started to look a little better toward the end of the quarter, said CEO Rolf Habben Jansen on Thursdays conference call.

We think its going to remain subdued [in the second quarter] but I do believe the second quarter will be better than the first. I dont think that means were now going to see a very quick recovery, but I do think it underlines the point that destocking is slowly but steadily coming to an end, and at some point in time, we will quite likely see a bit of a pickup in demand.

Cargo volumes dropped sharply in the second half of last year. Habben Jansen predicted that at some point, probably in Q3, [volume] will cross into year-on-year growth, with full-year totals coming in close to or slightly above 2022 levels despite low first-half demand.

We are still wrapping up negotiations

Spot rates have been below breakeven for carriers in the trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trades, he said.

Right now, we see spot rates being very, very low in a number of the headhauls. If we see a bit of an uptick in seasonal demand going into peak season, I expect to see a bit of a recovery in those spot rates, for a number of months, probably starting toward the end of Q2 [and lasting] at least until Golden Week [the first week of October].





Average rates  including both contract and spot  are set to fall further starting in the second quarter due to renewals of annual trans-Pacific contracts at much lower levels than last year.

Trans-Pacific contracts generally run from May 1 to April 30, but Hapag-Lloyd has yet to finish talks. We are still wrapping up negotiations as we speak, said Habben Jansen. Negotiations on the trans-Pacific have not been easy this year.

Story continues

He confirmed that contracts that have been signed are at rates above loss-making spot levels. Some of the spot rates have gone to levels that do not make sense, because you simply lose too much money. We do not close contracts for 12-month durations if we know up front that we are going to lose a significant amount of money. So yes, most of the contract rates have been closed at levels that are definitely above spot levels.

Why rates could increase despite capacity deluge

In the medium and longer term, the big challenge for shipping lines is the orderbook. An unprecedented amount of new capacity is being delivered starting this year and continuing through 2025.

It is a very significant orderbook. There are quite a lot of ships in the pipeline, said Habben Jansen.

Although deliveries started ramping up in March and are now in full swing, he believes capacity pressure wont peak until next year.

For 2023, I think the effect is still manageable because quite a lot of new ships wont come until the second half. But certainly for the next two years, it will put pressure on the market. When we look to 2024 and 2025, the likelihood that supply growth will outpace demand growth is high.

Despite these supply pressures, he argued that market forces will push freight rates up to levels that cover higher carrier costs.

When you look at rates falling back to pre-COVID levels, those rates are not sustainable in the long run because costs have come up. The reality today is that everybody faces costs that are 25-30% higher [than before the pandemic].

If you look back in history, there have only been short periods of time when rates were really far below costs. That is because 65% of the costs of every voyage are variable costs. As soon as the market drops too much, carriers will start taking out costs [by canceling sailings]. Over time, that helps rates go back to a level that is at least at or hopefully slightly better than costs.

So, your long-term outlook on rates should be that they will remain 25-30% above what we saw in 2018-19 simply because if they dont, we would end up with a lot of cash-negative shipments. And with 65% of the costs being variable, we would have to take action to mitigate costs.

Why rates could stay low for longer

At least, thats Habben Jansens theory.

The counter argument is that the liner industry did indeed suffer extended losses in the decades prior to the COVID boom. Carriers were able to survive years in the red, in some cases due to government support.

And this time around, carriers are flush with billions in windfall cash from the boom, so they can more easily sustain prolonged losses. As Sea-Intelligence CEO Alan Murphy told Splash, The only thing that scares me more than shipping lines without money is shipping lines with money.

Regarding losses in earlier eras, former APL CEO Ron Widdows said during a Marine Money conference in 2014: With the structure of the companies  some of these are state-backed, some quasi-state-backed  the operating philosophies and how they price and how they view returns are different.

Those with state backing dont necessarily have to generate the kind of returns a stand-alone company or a publicly listed one has to generate, said Widdows. The container sector hasnt made its cost of capital during the past decade, or for any decade you want to look at, he said of pre-2014 returns (referring to a period when the industry was much less consolidated than it is today).

Container lines percentage annual return on invested capital (ROIC) 1995-2016. WACC: weighted average cost of capital. (Chart: McKinsey & Co., February 2018. Sources: Capital IQ, CPAT, McKinsey analysis)

McKinsey & Co. estimated in a report published in February 2018 that ocean carriers destroyed over $100 billion in shareholder value over the last 20 years.

The consultancy noted that the liner industrys profitability was particularly poor between 2011 and 2016, when the industry average return on invested capital was consistently lower than the weighted average cost of capital.

Q1 results far surpassed pre-COVID results

Hapag-Lloyd reported net income of $2.03 billion for Q1 2023, down 57% year on year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization came in at $2.38 billion, above analysts forecast for $2.1 billion. Earnings before interest and taxes totaled $1.87 billion, topping the forecast for $1.6 billion.

Results for Q1 2023 were a solid beat of 12% at the EBITDA level and 19% at the EBIT level, said Deutsche Bank analyst Andy Chu.

According to Habben Jansen, The financials are quite exceptional if you look at them in a historical context.

Comparing Q1 2023 to Q1 2019, pre-COVID, net income was 19 times higher in the latest period, driven by the 85% improvement in average rates. Hapag-Lloyds EBIT margin (operating profit as a percentage of revenue) was 7% in Q1 2019. In the latest quarter, it was more than quadruple that: 31.1%.

(Chart: FreightWaves based on Hapag-Lloyd financial filings)

In early March, Hapag-Lloyd introduced its full-year 2023 guidance for EBITDA of $4.3 billion to $6.5 billion and EBIT of $2.1 billion to $4.3 billion. It made no changes to that guidance on Thursday.

Given that Hapag-Lloyd earned 44% of the full-year EBITDA range midpoint and 58% of the EBIT midpoint in the first quarter alone, the maintained guidance implies a steep earnings decline ahead. Even so, if the carrier does hit its target, 2023 would be the third-best year in the companys history.

Click for more articles by Greg Miller

Related articles:

The post Hapag-Lloyd: Higher costs will inevitably push up shipping rates appeared first on FreightWaves.
A retired couple takes a walk on a beach. High-net-worth individuals use different retirement strategies to protect their assets.

For anyone who anticipates retiring one day, planning is critical. This means saving throughout your career, calculating your future Social Security benefits and anticipating your expenses in retirement. But retirement planning for high-net-worth individuals can be even more complex. These people, who have at least $1 million in cash or investable assets, have a lot to think about when it comes to planning for retirement.

Below, we break down how you should plan for your golden years if youre considered a high-net-worth individual and the steps you can take to maximize this time of your life. Beyond these strategies, consider enlisting a financial advisor to tailor a retirement plan thats right for you.

What is Considered a High Net Worth in Retirement?

A retired couple takes a sail on their boat. High-net-worth individuals use different retirement strategies to protect their assets.

A high-net-worth individual or HNWI is generally anyone with at least $1 million in cash or assets that can be easily converted into cash, including stocks, bonds, mutual fund shares and other investments. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) uses a slightly different definition of a HNWI for its Form ADV documentation. The SEC considers anyone with $750,000 in investable assets or $1.5 million in net worth to qualify as one.

Not only does being a HNWI mean you have considerable wealth, it also means financial institutions will extend exclusive services to you, including access to specialized investment accounts and financial advisors who cater specifically to the needs of the wealthy.

Now on to steps you may consider taking as you plan for retirement as a HNWI.

If youre ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Calculate How Much You Need to Save

Retirement means that youll no longer receive a regular paycheck for full-time work. As a result, youll need to have a significant sum of money saved to cover your expenses and fund your lifestyle.

But how much? Everyones answer to this question will be different. It depends on a number of variables, including your fixed monthly expenses, discretionary spending, where you live, streams of retirement income and life expectancy. This shouldnt be an arbitrary number, though. Youll need to have a good estimate of your monthly/annual income needs in order to calculate just how large of a nest egg youll need to build.

Story continues

However, spending in retirement often doesnt remain static. Researchers at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College found that household consumption falls each year by an average of 0.75-0.80% for retirees, reaching double digits 20 years into retirement. Then again, wealthier retirees typically dont reduce their spending as much as others, the study found. Of the retirees sampled in the CRR study, the wealthiest reduced their consumption by only 0.35% per year, while those in the middle and bottom brackets required more dramatic declines in consumption, spending 0.8% and 1% less per year, respectively. As a HNWI, you may anticipate your annual spending falling by just 10% over the course of a 25-year retirement.

After calculating your monthly expenses and projecting your post-retirement consumption rates, youll also need to have a sense of how long you may live. This may feel uncomfortable, and even a bit morbid to think of how much life you have left to live, but how many years of retirement you need to fund is a vital part of the equation. The good news is that its relatively easy to estimate using the Social Security Administrations Life Expectancy Calculator. This online tool offers a life expectancy estimate based on your current age and future ages.

Taking consumption trends, life expectancy and your individual spending habits into account, you should be able to calculate an accurate savings goal.

Max Out Your Retirement Accounts

Whether youve begun seriously planning for retirement or not, contributing to a retirement account is a must. As a high-net-worth individual who presumably earns a substantial income, you should max out your employer-sponsored plan, as well as an IRA. Even if your income precludes you from deducting these contributions from your paycheck, your investment earnings will still grow tax free.

In 2022, the IRS allows individuals to contribute up to $20,500 to a 401(k) and $6,000 to an IRA. People ages 50 and over can contribute an extra $6,500 to their 401(k) and $1,000 to their IRA.

As mentioned above, you wont be able to deduct your IRA contributions from your income in 2022 if you already have access to a workplace retirement plan, file single and make over $78,000. Married couples who file jointly cannot deduct IRA contributions if their combined income exceeds $214,000 and one person has access to a workplace retirement plan. However, a non-deductible IRA can still be an effective way to save for retirement, especially when paired with a maxed-out 401(k).

Plan for Medical Expenses and Long-Term Care

Beyond housing, travel and the other typical expenses that youll incur in retirement, health care and long-term care are two vital areas that you must also consider.

Researchers from the Employee Benefit Research Institute recently calculated the savings that different retirees need to cover the cost of various medical expenses: Medicare Parts B and D premiums, Part B deductibles, Medigap Plan G premiums and out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs. The EBRI study concluded that a married couple in the 90th percentile of prescription drug needs must save $361,000 to maintain a 90% chance of having enough money to cover their medical bills in retirement. However, people who spend less on prescription drugs can get by with less. A 65-year-old man with median prescription drug expenses and $114,000 in savings has a 75% chance of having enough for medical expenses throughout retirement. The same applies to a woman with $131,000 in savings.

The findings of the EBRI analysis not only quantify medical expenses in retirement, but also underline the importance of saving for these eventual costs. Contributing to a health savings account (HSA) is one way to do so in a tax-efficient manner. While HSAs are only available to people enrolled in high deductible health plans, these savings tools can not only help you save for medical expenses, but also serve as long-term savings vehicles for retirement. Thats because you can typically invest a portion of your HSA balance in mutual funds, stocks and other assets. And heres the catch: you wont be taxed on your investment gains!

Unlike contributions made to flexible savings accounts, an HSA balance carries over from year to year and never lapses, meaning you can build a large balance and use it to pay for the medical care you may need in retirement.

As a high-net-worth individual, you should consider making the maximum contribution to an HSA, if you have access to one. In 2022, the IRS allows individuals to contribute up to $3,650 ($7,300 for families).

But your personal care needs in retirement may go beyond traditional health care. The EBRI analysis did not take into account long-term care, like homemaker services and home health aides. Medicare generally does not cover these services, which can be costly and severely eat into your retirement savings. For example, the national median cost of homemaker services in 2021 was $4,957 per month, while the median monthly cost of an assisted living facility was $4,500, according to Genworth. Meanwhile, the monthly cost of a private room at a nursing home exceeded $9,000.

The good news is that not everyone will require this type of care. CRR data indicates that around 17% of retirees wont need any long-term care. However, the flip side is that approximately a quarter of retirees will have severe needs, with the remaining people needing either minimal or moderate care.

Long-term care insurance can help blunt the financial blow that these important expenses can deal to retirees. Then again, you may be able to absorb the cost of long-term care without insurance, depending on your level of wealth.

Minimize Your Tax Liability

Optimizing your tax strategy is an important element of an effective retirement plan, and can include everything from delaying your 401(k) withdrawals to moving to a more tax-friendly state. Minimizing your tax liability means having more money to spend in retirement or to leave to loved ones.

One strategy for doing so is converting your traditional IRA into a Roth account. While 401(k)s and traditional IRAs are subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs), Roth IRAs are not. However, since the IRS bars individuals who earn more than $144,000 ($214,000 for couples who file jointly) from contributing to a Roth IRA in 2022, youll need to convert your traditional IRA into a Roth account using a backdoor Roth conversion. While youll pay income taxes on the money in the year you complete the conversion, the maneuver will mean you wont have to start withdrawing the money at age 72 with RMDs. As a result, your money can stay invested for as long as you like. In fact, you can simply pass the account on to beneficiaries as part of your estate.

However, it should be noted that the backdoor Roth conversion has recently been the target of Democrats legislative plans. President Joe Bidens Build Back Better plan sought to close this legal loophole, but the massive $1.75 trillion spending bill stalled in Congress. Its possible that the plan, and the provision ending backdoor Roth conversions, could be resurrected at some point.

For a retiree with a traditional IRA or 401(k), a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) can be a particularly effective way to avoid paying taxes on your RMDs. Instead of making the required annual withdrawals from your IRA, you can donate the money to charitable organizations using a QCD. This can be especially useful for retirees who already make charitable donations. Rather than donating money thats already been taxed, a QCD allows you to send pretax dollars to an eligible charity while satisfying your RMD obligations. However, it should be noted that QCDs are not available within 401(k) and 403(b) plans. Youll need to roll over assets from these accounts into a traditional IRA to complete a QCD.

For high-net-worth individuals who live in high-tax areas, you may want to consider relocating to a state that does not tax income. Florida, for example, is a haven for retirees since it does not tax wages, retirement income or Social Security. In addition to Florida, the following states either have no state income tax, do not tax retirement income or offer significant tax deduction on retirement income:

Alaska

Georgia

Mississippi

Nevada

South Dakota

Wyoming

Create an Estate Plan

A couple shares a cup of coffee in their kitchen. High-net-worth individuals use different retirement strategies to protect their assets. This guide breaks down the most common steps.

While most of our focus has been on saving and preserving money for retirement, its also important to consider what happens to your assets when youre gone. Thats where estate planning enters the equation. Estate planning is the process of officially arranging how your assets and property will be distributed upon your death.

As a high-net-worth individual, your financial situation will likely require more than just a standard will. Setting up a trust can protect your assets from creditors, reduce your estates tax liability and enable you to place restrictions or conditions for how your assets are passed to beneficiaries. A trust can also help your beneficiaries avoid probate, a legal proceeding by which a deceased persons will is validated by a court. This process can be lengthy and the legal fees required for it can chip away at a decedents estate.

The type of trust you choose to establish will depend on your specific needs. For example, a charitable trust can be created specifically for the purpose of charitable giving. An A/B or bypass trust, on the other hand, allows a married couple to split their assets between two trusts and avoid estate taxes.

While there are many different types of trusts, they all must name a trustee who will oversee the trust for you. As the grantor (the person creating the trust), you may also serve as the trustee if the trust is revocable. However, if you create an irrevocable trust (one that cannot be changed once its created), youll need to appoint someone else as your trustee. All trusts also must name beneficiaries, the people who are in line to receive assets or property from the trust.

The process of setting up a trust is generally more involved than writing a simple will. As a result, working with an estate planning attorney or financial advisor who specializes in estate planning can be helpful.

Bottom Line

Planning for retirement can be a complicated and extensive process. And if youre fortunate enough to have a high net worth, youll want to spend even more time planning for this important period of your life. An effective high-net-worth retirement plan includes calculating the savings youll need to support your lifestyle, optimizing your tax strategy, planning for medical care and long-term care, maxing out your retirement accounts and creating an estate plan that protects your assets.

Retirement Planning Tips

Sometimes it just pays to have a professional in your corner. A fiduciary financial advisor can help you plan for the future and act in your best interests. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. 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.

Its important to gauge your progress from time to time. SmartAssets retirement calculator can help you determine whether youre on track to hit your savings goals by estimating how much money youll have by the time youre ready to retire.

While annuities are sometimes maligned for being complex and expensive, they can offer a guaranteed stream of income in retirement and superior peace of mind. The SECURE Act of 2019 made it easier for the sponsors of 401(k)s and other retirement plans to offer annuities as investments. This has led to a steady stream of financial institutions rolling out annuity products that are embedded in 401(k)s.

Dont miss out on news that could impact your finances. Get news and tips to make smarter financial decisions with SmartAssets semi-weekly email. Its 100% free and you can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up today.

For important disclosures regarding SmartAsset, please click here.

Photo credit: iStock.com/kate_sept2004, iStock.com/FlamingoImage, iStock.com/Dean Mitchell

The post High-Net-Worth Retirement Planning Guide appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, PharmaSGP Holding fair value estimate is 55.46

Current share price of 29.00 suggests PharmaSGP Holding is potentially 48% undervalued

When compared to theindustry average discount to fair value of 42%, PharmaSGP Holding's competitors seem to be trading at a lesser discount

Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of PharmaSGP Holding SE (ETR:PSG) as an investment opportunity by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for PharmaSGP Holding

The Method

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. 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.

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:

Story continues

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) 20.4m 22.4m 26.1m 28.4m 30.2m 31.5m 32.5m 33.3m 33.8m 34.3m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ 8.84% Est @ 6.26% Est @ 4.45% Est @ 3.19% Est @ 2.30% Est @ 1.69% Est @ 1.25% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 5.0% 19.4 20.3 22.6 23.4 23.7 23.5 23.1 22.5 21.8 21.1

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 221m

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. 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 0.2%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 5.0%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = 34m (1 + 0.2%)  (5.0% 0.2%) = 723m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 723m ( 1 + 5.0%)10= 444m

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 665m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of 29.0, the company appears quite undervalued at a 48% 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

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 PharmaSGP Holding 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 5.0%, 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 PharmaSGP Holding

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Pharmaceuticals market.

Opportunity

Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the German market.

Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for PSG.

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. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. 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. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For PharmaSGP Holding, we've compiled three fundamental elements you should further examine:

Risks: For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for PharmaSGP Holding that you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does PSG'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 German 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
Mandalay Resources Corporation (TSE:MND) shareholders have seen the share price descend 12% over the month. But at least the stock is up over the last three years. In that time, it is up 62%, which isn't bad, but not amazing either.

Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.

View our latest analysis for Mandalay Resources

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. 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).

Mandalay Resources became profitable within the last three years. That would generally be considered a positive, so we'd expect the share price to be up.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

It is of course excellent to see how Mandalay Resources has grown profits over the years, but the future is more important for shareholders. This free interactive report on Mandalay Resources' balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

Mandalay Resources shareholders are down 26% for the year, but the market itself is up 3.9%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 1.8%, each year, over five years. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Mandalay Resources better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Mandalay Resources that you should be aware of before investing here.

Story continues

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Canadian 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
When we invest, we're generally looking for stocks that outperform the market average. And while active stock picking involves risks (and requires diversification) it can also provide excess returns. To wit, the Thurgauer Kantonalbank share price has climbed 16% in five years, easily topping the market return of 13% (ignoring dividends). On the other hand, the more recent gains haven't been so impressive, with shareholders gaining just 12% , including dividends .

Let's take a look at the underlying fundamentals over the longer term, and see if they've been consistent with shareholders returns.

Check out our latest analysis for Thurgauer Kantonalbank

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

Over half a decade, Thurgauer Kantonalbank managed to grow its earnings per share at 2.7% a year. So the EPS growth rate is rather close to the annualized share price gain of 3% per year. This indicates that investor sentiment towards the company has not changed a great deal. In fact, the share price seems to largely reflect the EPS growth.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

Dive deeper into Thurgauer Kantonalbank's key metrics by checking this interactive graph of Thurgauer Kantonalbank's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, Thurgauer Kantonalbank's TSR for the last 5 years was 33%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

Story continues

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that Thurgauer Kantonalbank shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 12% over one year. Of course, that includes the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 6% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. Given the share price momentum remains strong, it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock, lest you miss an opportunity. 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. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Thurgauer Kantonalbank that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.

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
Dublin Skyline

The news that Ireland is mulling the creation of a sovereign wealth fund to take advantage of bumper tax revenues has prompted some good takes  and some terrible ones.

The flawed analysis has mostly come from pro-EU campaigners keen to argue that the Irish economy is booming at the expense of Brexit Britain. These are often the same people who leapt on a recent article in the New Statesman, which peddled the dodgy statistic that per capita incomes in Ireland  as measured by GDP  are now twice those of the UK.

You can tell something is fishy here just by looking at a few other countries which are still in the EU. Irelands per capita GDP is indeed more than double that of Brexit Britain, after overtaking the UK way back in 2001. But it is now also at least twice that of Germany (overtaken in 2000), France (1999), and Italy (1997)!

This is the result of what prominent US economist Paul Krugman has called leprechaun economics. Or, if you prefer, shamrock economics, with the emphasis on sham.

In reality, the Irish GDP data are so heavily distorted by the activities of multinationals that no-one pays them much attention  even the Irish themselves. No serious commentator would pretend that the Irish economy is as rich as these figures imply.

The basic problem, as explained by the Irish national statistics office, is that a lot of Irelands GDP includes profits that are generated here but then go straight out to the owners of companies abroad.

This is the main reason why Irish economists prefer to use Gross National Income (GNI), which differs from GDP by the net amount of incomes sent to or received from abroad. Or they use a modified version of GNI which, among other things, excludes the depreciation of intellectual property and leased aircraft.

Even then, modified GNI fails to strip out all the globalisation effects. For this reason, Irish economists tend to put more weight on measures of household income and expenditure. In particular, real consumer spending (per capita) is significantly lower in Ireland than in the UK.

Story continues

Put another way, if Irish household incomes really are twice as high as those in Brexit Britain, then its about time someone told the Irish.

The upshot is that the Irish economy is not doing as well as many suggest. But it is certainly richer than it would otherwise have been, thanks to a low corporation tax rate.

The Irish are definitely benefiting in one respect from creating such an attractive environment for multinational companies  the boost to tax receipts. As a result, Ireland is expected to run budget surpluses worth tens of billions of euros over the next several years.

Its hard to find a better example of how a lower tax rate can actually bring in more revenues than a higher tax rate. Irelands headline rate of corporation tax is only 12.5 per cent and, while it will rise to 15 per cent next year, this will still be super-competitive.

This was the driver behind Apples decision to shift its intellectual property assets to Ireland in 2015 (pre-Brexit, of course). And it is the main reason why so many international companies base themselves in Ireland rather than elsewhere in the EU.

Ireland is certainly not just a one-trick pony. Among other things, it has a well-educated English-speaking workforce, strong in science, technology, and finance.

But there are valid concerns that the Government has become too dependent on revenues from multinationals. More than half of Irish corporation tax is now paid by just ten companies, including Apple and Alphabet (the parent company of Google).

These businesses could easily decamp elsewhere. Indeed, more than a third of Irish goods exports are not actually produced or physically traded in the country.

This is a big part of the thinking behind the proposed creation of an Irish Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF). Norway is a good example here.

Booming revenues from oil and gas mean that the Norwegian government has run huge budget surpluses for many years. (2020 was a rare exception.) Knowing that this bonanza will not last forever, it has built up a portfolio of global assets worth more than one trillion US dollars.

An Irish version would be able to bank corporate tax revenues for investments that will also benefit future generations, whether by purchasing global assets or by investing in local infrastructure, such as much-needed housing.

The new fund could also help to pay future pensions. All these options should deliver higher economic and social returns than the alternative of simply using budget surpluses to pay down debt.

This part of the Irish model is perhaps not so relevant to the UK. Sovereign Wealth Funds need seed capital to get them started and it is unclear where this would come from here. The UK government is set to run budget deficits for the foreseeable future.

But Irelands experience of low taxes does offer a valuable lesson. It backs all the economic theory and historical evidence which suggests that the UKs new 25pc headline rate of corporation tax will deter investment, despite attempts to offset this with more generous allowances for capital spending.

The drag is most obvious in the energy sector, where the extension of arbitrary windfall taxes is having a disproportionate impact on the UK firms who are most active in the North Sea. But other companies are starting to grumble too. The fintech giant Revolut is only the latest in a long list.

This is not to say, of course, that the UK economy doesnt have other big problems, including dysfunctional energy and housing markets. But pinning these on Brexit is just lazy, and adding to the tax burden on businesses is not the answer either. Just ask the Irish.

Julian Jessop is an independent economist. He tweets @julianhjessop.

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.
Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and its private sector partners want to lend a hand to Ukrainian authorities looking to hinder Russian actors using cryptocurrencies to skirt sanctionssomething European authorities have already tried to address.

Today the Internal Revenue Services Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) unit and blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis kicked off an advanced, in-person blockchain analysis training in Frankfurt, Germany for Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

IRS-CI Chief Jim Lee told Decrypt and other media outlets on a call Thursday morning that he wants to highlight the importance of partnerships (whether private-public or public-public) and how they are critical to doing business, adding that they are key to unraveling complex financial transactions.

Pro-Russian Paramilitary Groups Raised $400,000 in Bitcoin, Crypto to Avoid Sanctions: TRM Labs

Twenty Ukranian investigators from three different law enforcement agenciesthe National Police, Economic Security Bureau, and the Department of Cyber and Information Security of the Security Serviceare participating in the training to learn how to analyze blockchain data, trace cryptocurrency transactions, and develop operational leads.

This is a step forward in building trust among different agencies and private sector companies. The more successful everyone will be if the public sector allocates the necessary resources said Michael Gronager, co-founder and CEO of blockchain analytics company Chainalysis, the lead private sector partner.

The IRS-CI donated 15 Chainalysis Reactor licenses to Ukrainian authorities for the training.

It is important for us to identify all Russian assets on the territory of Ukraine. We resist the aggressor state not only on the battlefield, but also on the economic front, said Eduard Fedorov, acting director of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine in a press release.

According to governmental and private entities, cryptocurrencies are playing both good and bad roles in the conflict.

Story continues

On one hand, pro-Russian groups are soliciting donations in crypto, with over 100 different groups receiving $5 million over the past year, although this number has been dropping in recent months.

Ukraine Has Received Over $50 Million in Crypto Donations

Meanwhile, crypto assets have also been used for good, whether that is direct aid in the war effort or for humanitarian needs. Organizations and individuals in Ukraine have received more than $50 million dollars worth.

Authorities noted on the call that the majority of the transactionsboth good and badare mostly done in Bitcoin and stablecoins, with the latter seeing a significant uptick over the recent months.
(Bloomberg) -- Jamie Dimon said its time for regulators to help put an end to turmoil in the banking industry, but hes already predicting policymakers will take away the wrong lessons from this years upheaval.

Most Read from Bloomberg

I think its going to get worse for banks  more regulations, more rules and more requirements, JPMorgan Chase & Co.s chief executive officer said in a Bloomberg Television interview from Paris Thursday. If you overdo certain rules, requirements, regulations  there are some of these community banks that tell me they have more compliance people than loan officers.

The only major bank CEO from the financial crisis still in command, Dimon has played a central role in the reaction to the industrys worst period of tumult in more than a decade. He brought his typical blunt style to critiques of regulators and fellow bankers, spearheaded an industry lifeline to First Republic Bank and ultimately stepped in to buy the lender last week when those efforts proved insufficient.

We need to finish the bank crisis, Dimon said. Whatever the FDIC, the OCC, the Fed  whatever they need to do to make it better they should do.

Four regional firms have collapsed amid steep Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes and deposit outflows. JPMorgans purchase of First Republic and Dimons declaration that this part of the crisis is over did little to quell investor concern about the strength of the industry. The KBW Regional Banking Index has dropped 13% since that deal was announced.

Read more: Dimon Warns of Panic as US Gets Closer to Running Out of Cash

Banks should have been encouraged to look at a broader range of potential pitfalls, rather than one annual stress test that ran hundreds of thousands of pages, breeding a "false sense of security, Dimon said. The Fed itself wasn't predicting interest-rate increases before it started hiking, and then was surprised when banks also got caught wrong-footed, according to the CEO.

Story continues

Dimon said regulators need to get a better handle on smaller banks financial situations, to not be surprised constantly.

While blame should be placed at the feet of bank CEOs and boards of directors, I think there needs to be humility on the part of regulators, Dimon said. They should look at it and say, OK, we were a little bit a part of the problem as opposed to just pointing fingers.

Despite the upheaval, the regional-bank industry is quite strong, he said, and hopefully were getting near the tail end of the problem.

Dimon joined a chorus of market participants who questioned the behavior of some short sellers, saying he believes the Securities and Exchange Commission should be looking at such activity for any unscrupulous tactics.

Read more: Dimon So Sad Over JPMorgans Epstein Ties Ahead of Deposition

Dimon acknowledged that his own assessment is at odds with members of his staff, who have told the chief executive that their analysis of short sales shows that such activity isnt to blame for the drop in regional-bank share prices. He also said there's no real evidence of pervasive short-selling in smaller lenders' shares.

Still, he said, if people are in collusion or people are going short and making a tweet about a bank, they should go after them, and vigorously,'' Dimon said. They should be punished to the fullest extent as the law allows it.

In the wide-ranging interview, Dimon touched on his firm's preparations for a potential US default as well as his assessment of the state of US-China relations. The chief executive also offered a sober warning about the likelihood that losses on commercial real estate loans will lead to more regional bank failures.

It may take a few banks down, that's normal stuff, Dimon said, adding that some metropolitan areas, including Nashville, Tampa and Orlando, should fare better than cities such as Chicago, New York and Seattle. That isn't abnormal.

Dimon said US leaders should avoid turning to measures that would limit trade with China as investors have grown increasingly worried about the impact of potential Chinese activity in Taiwan - as well the prospect of provocative steps by the US to defend the island. Group of Seven nations are aiming to send a signal to China this month by announcing a joint effort to counter economic coercion, but are struggling to agree on tangible measures.

America and China have a lot of common interests -- climate, nuclear proliferation, anti-terrorism, global stability, Dimon said. And we have differences. We're capitalists, they're not. It's OK. We can sort it out.''

Dimon, who has long advocated for the elimination of the US debt ceiling, said JPMorgan has convened a weekly war room to plan how the country's largest lender would react to a potential default. Those meetings will probably happen more often, potentially multiple times a day, if the standoff persists this month, he said.

It affects contracts, collateral, clearinghouses, clients  it affects clients differently around the world, Dimon said. Its very unfortunate. It should never happen this way.

Big banks have been largely immune to the pressures plaguing their smaller rivals with JPMorgans shares slightly higher this year. The bank reported an unexpected jump in deposits in the first quarter in a flight to safety, and it outbid other lenders for First Republic after the San Francisco-based firm became the second-biggest bank failure in US history.

Dimon, 67, has spearheaded acquisitions throughout his 17 years at the helm of JPMorgan, including the purchase of most of Washington Mutual, whose 2008 collapse is the only one bigger than First Republics. Now he can capitalize on First Republics relationships with rich customers to further his goal of expanding JPMorgans wealth-management offerings, which he has called one of our greatest opportunities.

But to realize that ambition, Dimon will first have to contend with an exodus of First Republic advisers who left as its troubles mounted this year. Hours after winning the bidding, Dimon joined a call with the roughly 230 remaining wealth advisers to pitch them on staying with JPMorgan.

Dimon spoke from a JPMorgan conference in Paris, where the firm has more than 500 markets staff  a 22-fold increase from 2019, before Brexit took effect. Before that, London had been the undisputed nexus of European finance, but in recent years the landscape has become more fragmented and Paris has emerged as a key hub.

--With assistance from Hannah Levitt.

(Updates with comments on China, debt ceiling starting in the 13th paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- SoftBank Group Corp.s mobile unit has declared its joining a global race to build a version of ChatGPT, sending a clutch of AI-related Japanese companies surging Thursday.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Wireless unit SoftBank Corp. set up a new entity in March, choosing about 1,000 people to develop a Japanese-language version of OpenAI Inc.s artificial-intelligence chat technology, Chief Executive Officer Junichi Miyakawa said during an earnings briefing Wednesday. He didnt elaborate on the projects goals or progress so far.

Billionaire founder Masayoshi Son, who for years touted AI as a revolutionary force in the way we use technology, gathered a group of engineers recently and spoke about ChatGPTs possibilities, according to Miyakawa. He didnt give details. Local software firms from Appier Group Inc. to ExaWizards Inc. jumped more than 2% in early trading in Tokyo.

We are dead positive on ChatGPT, Miyakawa said. Most of our meetings these days touch on topics related to ChatGPT. The ChatGPT party has started.

SoftBank follows a plethora of US and Chinese corporations and startups vying to roll out their own conversational bots. About 40%-owned by its parent, SoftBanks telecom unit is Japans third-biggest mobile operator and spans payments, search engine operator Yahoo Japan Corp. and messaging app Line Corp.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday ordered a new AI panel to look into the economic potential of the technology and how to deal with its risks. He added that hed seek to take a lead on international rule-making around AI as chair of the Group of Seven democracies. The G-7 summit is set to be held in Hiroshima from May 19.

Story continues

--With assistance from Kurt Schussler, Yuki Hagiwara and Isabel Reynolds.

(Updates with comments from prime minister in final paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- JD.com Inc.s chief executive officer is departing after only about a year at the post, a surprise move that coincides with the Chinese internet retailers slowest pace of growth on record.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Xu Lei is departing Chinas No. 2 online commerce firm after more than a decade of climbing the ranks, handing the reins to Chief Financial Officer Sandy Xu starting June. While the outgoing CEO only officially took up his role around April 2022, he headed up JDs core retail division for years and was once regarded as heir apparent to billionaire founder and Chairman Richard Liu.

Analysts said the personnel change suggests a shift in focus toward profitability, as the firm struggles with competition from PDD Holdings Inc. and ByteDance Ltd. JDs shares climbed more than 4% in pre-market trading in New York.

The management shuffle was announced after JD on Thursday reported revenue grew 1.4% to of 242.96 billion yuan ($35 billion). That beat projections but was the companys lowest-ever pace of expansion. It swung from a loss to net income of 6.3 billion yuan in the March quarter, helped by 2.8 billion yuan of investment gains.

JD.com Gains as CEO Change Suggests Strategy Shift: Street Wrap

The incoming CEO, a two-decade auditing veteran who spent time with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, now takes up the task of reviving one of Chinas largest and highest-profile public companies. JDs results, the first from a major Chinese tech company for the March quarter, suggest the internet sector is making some headway in efforts to eke out top-line growth, but still struggling to regain momentum after years of punishing Covid Zero restrictions.

Story continues

JDs performance was a far cry from the double-digit percentage expansions of previous years, before Beijings 2021 clampdown on internet spheres from online commerce to ride-hailing chilled a once-booming, free-wheeling tech sector.

The 48-year-old outgoing CEO Xu, known for devising JDs signature 6.18 sales bonanza, said in a statement he was quitting to devote more time to family. His successor becomes one of the few women chiefs of a major technology company, and emphasized in the same statement that Xu will remain involved with the company.

Xu leaves behind a legacy that includes introducing the rival to Alibabas Nov. 11 Singles Day gala, pushing back against internal opposition to roll out the weeks-long equivalent event around the companys June 18 anniversary. He also stepped up during the companys low points  including an investigation into Liu over alleged rape in 2018  by trimming the workforce and cutting units that werent contributing to growth.

Read more: JD.com Shares Soar on Plan to List Two Units in Hong Kong

What Bloomberg Intelligence says:

The unexpected retirement of JD.coms 48-year-old CEO as it reported its first quarterly retail sales drop since 2019 suggests the e-commerce company faces heightened market-share challenges in China this year. This raises uncertainty about JD.coms retail margin gains, which widened year-over-year in 1Q vs. the prior quarter to beat market expectations of lower profitability, through December.

- Catherine Lim and Trini Tan, analysts

Click here for the research.

JDs earnings gave investors a sense of what to expect when Tencent Holdings Ltd., Baidu Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. report results next week.

Investors had bet that consumer spending and the tech sector would rebound as Beijing lifted years of sweeping restrictions that hobbled the worlds No. 2 economy. It expanded 4.5% in the first quarter of 2023, the fastest pace in a year, with economists expecting growth this quarter to accelerate. But economists have also pointed to slowing trade and other signs that the nascent recovery may be losing steam.

JD is now spending on incentives to ward off intensifying competition from PDD as well as social media platforms such as ByteDance. It launched a 10 billion yuan discount campaign to capture new Chinese users in March even as it pulled away from Southeast Asian e-commerce, closing its Indonesian and Thailand e-commerce sites to try and shave costs elsewhere.

Xu Lei stressed on a call with analysts that he would continue to support the company as the chairman of its advisory council, and lauded his successor for working alongside him in 2018 through JDs so-called darkest moment.

On the companys discount programs, his successor said the strategy sought to offer consumers wider price ranges and product categories, in an adjustment to post-pandemic shopping patterns. We are confident in our ability to control the overall costs of this program, she said. It has limited impact on our margins.

JD had avoided the worst of the years-long crackdown that hit Alibaba, which in March made the historic decision to split itself into six business units that could seek independent fundraising and listings.

JD.com itself has spun off several units including JD Health International Inc., and is in the process of listing its property and industrials businesses in Hong Kong. It would remain the majority owner of both companies, which havent disclosed fundraising plans.

--With assistance from Molly Schuetz.

(Updates with executives comments from the third paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
British director Joe Wright, who helmed Winston Churchill drama Darkest Hour  which earned Gary Oldman an Oscar for his portrayal as the British prime minister  has now changed historical sides.

Wright is at Romes Cinecitta Studios shooting high-end TV drama M. Son of the Century which chronicles Benito Mussolinis rise to power. A timely tale because, as he puts it: Populist leaders are sprouting up all over the world.

More from Variety

Aesthetically, the show will be quite outlandish with deeply saturated colors, punctuated by a kind of techno score, the director said during a recent set visit. Though Its not told in a verite style, Wright pointed out that All the facts of what happened, theyre all there.

Luca Marinelli (The Eight Mountains, Martin Eden) plays Mussolini during the period between 1919, when he founded the fascist party in Italy, and 1925 when  having gained power with the 1922 March on Rome  Mussolini made an infamous speech in the Italian Chamber of Deputies declaring himself a dictator.

M is based on Antonio Scuratis eponymous Premio Strega-winning and international bestselling novel which traces the birth of Fascism in Italy and Mussolinis ascent with an innovative approach. The script is written by Stefano Bises (Gomorrah, The New Pope) in collaboration with Davide Serino (1992).

Sky Studios and Lorenzo Mielis Fremantle-owned The Apartment Pictures are producing in collaboration with Pathe and Small Forward. The show will play on Sky in its European territories (U.K., Ireland Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) with Fremantle handling international sales.

The bulk of the series is being shot at Cinecitta where, thanks to a pact between Cinecitta and Fremantle, the production has been using five soundstages, including a large LED wall and a swathe of the outside backlot where several Mussolini-era buildings and interiors have been meticulously reconstructed under the guidance of production designer Mauro Vanzati.

Story continues

Wright, in his first interview since starting the six-month shoot, now it its final quarter, took questions from the international press.

Do you feel a big weight on your shoulders being entrusted with portraying this particular bit of history, especially given that its Italian history?

Yes. Im aware that its a massive responsibility, especially in the sense that hes a character that hasnt been looked at very much. When youre doing Winston Churchill, theres a lot of movies with Winston Churchill. When youre doing Jane Austin, theres a lot of Jane Austin movies  which is also a different kind of responsibility, but still a responsibility. Whereas, for many reasons that are best left to Stefano and David to explain, there hasnt been the same kind of examination of Mussolini that there has been of other world leaders at the time.

What do you bring as a non-Italian to this story that maybe an Italian director couldnt or wouldnt have done?

If this show has taught me one thing, its that nationalism is bollocks. And so, as my dear friend Seamus McGarvey, the DP, says: Theres no nation but the imagination. There are things that I feel very culturally close to, to be honest with you. I feel culturally closer to Italy than I do to America. And yet we dont share a language. So I dont really see myself as being an other necessarily. I think maybe the Italians see me as being other, but I dont. If anything Im a European. The language barrier is difficult, thats kind of annoying. And there are little foibles about the Italians, like they always look like theyre arguing when actually theyre being quite nice to each other. But I dont see myself as being other really.

In Italy theres been talk about Mussolini in the media since the recent election. How did it echo what you are filming? Did you try to put that aside, or were you also following what was going on here?

Yeah, but its not just Italy. Thats the terrifying thing. Populist leaders are sprouting up all over the world. And so its everywhere. Yes, its here. But the problem is its not just Italy.

What kind of impact can M have on younger audiences?

When I was a teenager, I went around going: The queen is a fascist and the police are fascists and my teachers are fascists and my parents are fascists for not letting me go out on Friday night. And so I dont think I really deeply understood what fascism is or was actually. So by looking at the roots of modern fascism, I hope that we can actually gain an understanding of where it comes from and what is it at the center of it or what is not at the center of it.

Talk to us about the tone, the aesthetics of M

You can play with the aesthetics and the form of the piece. The score is going to be this kind of techno score. And the aesthetics are a kind of mashup between nineties rave culture and Man with a Movie Camera [the 1929 seminal avant-guarde doc by Dziga Vertov] a great Ukrainian film. Its Man with a Movie Camera and every gangster movie youve ever seen. So its quite full on in that respect. And its quite kaleidoscopic.

Speaking about the soundtrack, are the Chemical Brothers in?

I dont know yet, but I dont think Im supposed to talk about that.

Do you play techno music on set while youre shooting?

Yeah, quite a lot. I play all sorts of music on set, not just techno. If we are doing a sad scene, I might play some sad music. We have a Friday morning sing-along, which is often Elton John. If Ive got a big crowd with a lot of men, who are supposed to be full of testosterone and energy, then I might play techno, or I might play Black Sabbath. But yeah, music is very much an integral part of the process for me. And its all about rhythm and getting people into the right rhythm, and music can help with that. Also its a good way of communicating to the kind of periphery of the set, by which I mean craft services or whoever, that this is the atmosphere of the scene today. So they can feel the right energy. And also sometimes its four oclock in the morning and everyones just battered.

So if you put on some Chemical Brothers or whoever, then it keeps the energy alive as well. I want people to have a good time on my set. I dont want people to feel miserable. We spend our lives doing this and certainly we spent six months shooting this. I want people to look back on this experience as an exciting and fulfilling and happy one. The process is as important as the product. And so that process better be rewarding. Otherwise, I dont just want to end up as a DVD on the shelf and they say: Oh, that was good. Its got to be a living life thing.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Luca Marinelli as Benito Mussolini/Courtesy Sky

Best of Variety

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
All Employees to Become Owners in the Company

NEW YORK, May 11, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which investment funds managed by KKR will acquire Industrial Physics (or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of testing and measurement instruments, from Union Park Capital ("UPC"). KKR plans to support the Company in its continued growth organically and through add-on acquisitions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005207/en/

Headquartered in New Castle, Delaware, Industrial Physics is a trusted global provider of highly technical testing and inspection equipment used by thousands of customers across food and beverage, packaging and other diversified markets. Industrial Physics leading products are used to test, measure, inspect and validate the quality of products and samples, ensuring that they are made to specification and are safe for end users.

"Testing and measurement is an attractive market that is poised to continue growing as focus on product quality and supply chain transparency intensifies. We are thrilled to invest in Industrial Physics, a leader in this space, that has built an impressive portfolio of brands used by many of the worlds leading manufacturers," said Brandon Brahm, Partner at KKR and Co-Head of KKRs Ascendant strategy. "We look forward to working with the Industrial Physics team and helping the company reach new heights through organic growth and M&A."

"At Industrial Physics, we are excited to work with KKR as we enter this new phase of our growth. KKR supports our employee-first culture and shares our vision for building a scaled testing and measurement platform that continually invests in growth and innovation to even better serve the needs of customers around the world," said Jim Neville, CEO of Industrial Physics.

Story continues

Following the close of the transaction, Industrial Physics plans to implement KKRs broad-based employee ownership program, which will make all employees owners of the Company alongside certain investment funds managed by KKR. This strategy is based on the belief that employee engagement is a key driver in building stronger companies. Since 2011, KKR has awarded billions of dollars of total equity value to over 50,000 non-management employees across nearly 30 companies. Last year, KKR joined more than 20 organizations in becoming a founding partner of Ownership Works, a nonprofit created to support public and private companies transitioning to shared ownership models.

Industrial Physics marks the third investment for KKRs Ascendant Strategy, which invests in middle market businesses in North America as part of KKRs Americas Private Equity platform. Other investments in the Ascendant strategy include Alchemer and 123Dentist, and a commitment to fund a new executive-led platform designed to acquire and build businesses in the Testing, Inspection, and Certification industry.

The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2023, subject to customary conditions.

Dechert served as legal counsel to KKR.

About Industrial Physics

Industrial Physics is the worlds leading test and inspection partner protecting the integrity of the biggest brands across the globe. The Company manufactures and markets materials testing instruments for measuring physical and analytical properties of plastics, barrier films, paper, pulp, foil, ink, coatings, corrugated materials, cans, medical devices, and consumer electronic products. For more information, visit www.industrialphysics.com.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKRs insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKRs investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKRs website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005207/en/

Contacts

Media

For Industrial Physics:

Karen Mann

+31 (0) 61 122 6673

kmann@industrialphysics.com

For KKR:

Julia Kosygina

(212) 750-8300

media@kkr.com
FILE PHOTO: A Starbucks sign is shown on one of the company's stores in Los Angeles

By Hilary Russ

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Labor unions on Thursday asked a United Nations agency to investigate whether gaps in U.S. law have allowed Starbucks Corp to allegedly violate the rights of baristas organizing at the coffee chain's cafes, a filing seen by Reuters showed.

The complaint to the International Labour Organization (ILO), a U.N. workers' rights watchdog in Geneva, relies on the same set of standards that Starbucks shareholders used in March, when they approved a proposal for an independent review of the company's labor practices.

Critics say the company's firing of activists and closing of unionized stores violate ILO principles, which Starbucks explicitly agreed to follow in its 2020 Global Human Rights Statement.

Employees at more than 300 U.S. corporate-owned Starbucks locations have voted to unionize since late 2021, but none have yet struck a deal for working conditions and wages.

Since late April, three Starbucks locations in New York have asked to vote on whether to kick the union out of their stores.

The company has denied retaliating against organizers, accused federal labor officials of improper conduct and says it respects workers' rights to organize but prefers direct relations with employees.

Starbucks said in a statement that the National Labor Relations Act provides due process "if deployed appropriately."

"Starbucks has a decades-long record of demonstrating its commitment to all partners in the United States and elsewhere," it said.

It "has not created excessive delays in the organizing process as alleged" and "in the vast majority of elections, Starbucks has accepted the will of the voting partners and has sought to engage in good faith in person collective bargaining negotiations," it said.

It also said that Workers United, the union representing baristas, has confirmed only 23% of the bargaining sessions proposed by the company.

In Thursday's complaint against the United States, unions claim that U.S. laws and enforcement mechanisms are "woefully inadequate to deal with a big, powerful employer determined to crush union organizing."

Story continues

The Service Employees International Union, its affiliate Workers United and the AFL-CIO claim the United States lacks speedy ways to decide labor disputes as required under ILO standards, allowing Starbucks to exploit "excessive delays to frustrate organizing and bargaining rights."

The complaint requests an "on-the-spot mission" to interview Starbucks management, workers, union staffers and government officials.

(Reporting by Hilary Russ; Editing by Richard Chang and Chizu Nomiyama)
Legum & Norman helps feed Metro D.C. area homeless.

Legum & Norman teamed up with the Capital Area Food Bank to pack 700 boxes of food that was used to feed area residents who often wonder where their next meal will come from.

FALLS CHURCH, Va., May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Legum & Norman (LN), an Associa company and leading provider of community management services throughout Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and the Washington, D.C., metro area, recently volunteered with the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB). LN team members packed 700 boxes of food that were subsequently delivered to homeless shelters and other facilities assisting those in need throughout the Metro D.C. area.

For more than 40 years, the Capital Area Food Bank has led the region's efforts to provide good, healthy food to people struggling with hunger and food insecurity. Together with more than 450 local partners, the food bank works to solve hunger and its companion problems: chronic under-nutrition, heart disease, and obesity. Each year, the CAFB sources and distributes food for over 30 million meals, helping nearly 400,000 people get access to good nutrition today and brighter futures tomorrow. Thats 10% of the regions mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, and grandparents. To learn more or to volunteer, please visit https://volunteer.capitalareafoodbank.org/.

The event was part of Associas Great Giveback, an annual company-wide event where team members receive paid time off to volunteer with a deserving organization in their region. The goal is to reinforce the companys commitment to supporting neighborhoods and building stronger relationships in the communities it serves. Other organizations where Associa team members have volunteered include the Humane Society, Meals-on-Wheels, and Ronald McDonald House.

This was a tremendous opportunity to support those communities in which our team members live and work, said Legum & Norman Branch President Marc McCoy, AMS, CMCA. Every individual, child and family we help moves us one step closer to restoring hope for these folks by eliminating the question of where their next meal will come from.

Story continues

About Associa

With more than 225 branch offices across North America, Associa is building the future of community for nearly five million residents worldwide. Our 11,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise, and trailblazing innovation. For more than 43 years, Associa has brought positive impact and meaningful value to communities. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com.

Stay Connected

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa

Subscribe to the Blog: https://hub.associaonline.com/

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa

Join us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa

Attachment

CONTACT: Tom Womack Associa 214.272.4107 tom.womack@associaonline.com




Philip J. Spiegelman Announces His Newest International Brokerage, IGR Panama, And Inks His First Deal With Panama City's Iconic Wanders & Yoo Development

AVENTURA, Fla., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Miami real estate legend, Philip J. Spiegelman, is back and bolder than ever. His newest sales and marketing company, InterAmerican Global Realty (IGR) Panama, a division of Six Diamond Resorts International (SDRI), has its sights set squarely on international buyers again. But this time he's unlocking the "Oasis Of The Americas" (Panama) instead of Miami for which he made his name back in the 1990s.

InterAmerican Global Realty specializes in sales and marketing for luxury condominium developments and residential real estate to discerning international investors and global buyers

When it comes to independent brokerages and agents, it's hard to put up the numbers Spiegelman can lay claim to over the past three decades. Over his storied South Florida real estate career, Spiegelman has sold more than 20,000 condominium units spanning over 100 buildings, primarily through his former partnership International Sales Group (ISG) which he grew into one of the largest exclusive real estate sales and marketing organizations in the U.S.

Dollar-wise Spiegelman's sales have totaled more than $25 billion ranging from $200,000 studios to multi-million dollar penthouses and have been brokered through partnerships and relationships with many of Miami's most prolific real estate developers, including Jorge Perez's Related Group and Property Markets Group (PMG).

Spiegelman also made his name in the real estate and brokerage communities by pioneering many of the sales tactics and strategies that developers and agents consider standard today, including pre-construction selling, preferred strategic broker partnerships, apartment to condo conversions, and targeting international investment, buyer, and "capital flight" markets in South and Central America by working with global brokers, wealth management firms, and family offices.

Building on this track record for setting precedents and smashing sales records, Spiegelman and SDRI are now putting Panama on the global luxury real estate map as Latin America's newest, most undiscovered, and potentially lucrative market for buyers and investors.

Story continues

"After more than 50 years in the South Florida real estate market and promoting the benefits and beauty of places like Miami and Palm Beach to international buyers, I've come to the realization that the world is changing. While some markets become hot, bubble, and frothlike Miami has since the pandemicreal estate brokers and agents need to look at a new world view to see and project future trends. As I surveyed the globe for where I could apply my experience with a high opportunity for success, my focus became centered on the last overlooked tropical oasis in the Western hemispherePanamaa country where I previously had experienced great success by selling out the Trump Ocean Club and whose geographic and cosmopolitan features closely resembled those of South Florida."

Panama's "moment", as a recent Forbes article described it, isn't just based on the country's similarities to other well-known travel and retirement destinations like Costa Rica, however, says Spiegelman.

"Panama sits midway between the Northern and Southern hemispheres, linking geography and culture. The country has a stable government, a dollar-based economy, ideal weather, a skyline to rival the world's best cities, warm and friendly people, cutting-edge infrastructure, easy access, and modern medicine. This is where I told myself that the global real estate future is in terms of value and lifestyle. My past efforts helped to reposition Miami as a sophisticated modern international destination for real estate buyers from all over the world. My goal now is to do the same for Panama."

Spiegelman's first, recently inked real estate deal in Panama is called Wanders & Yoo, a multi-tower, luxury development in one of the Panama City's premier locations with interiors and lifestyle common areas designed by famed Dutch "starchitect" Marcel Wanders.

The development features impeccably finished and turnkey one, two, and three-bedroom condominiums, many with balconies overlooking the Panama City skyline. Additionally, units can be delivered fully furnished with a two-year rental guarantee to take advantage of Panama City's red-hot AirBnB market for buyers who are looking to invest for income. Prices for select two- and three-bedroom units at Wanders & Yoo's first tower, which is already complete, start in the US$500,000s, which is a fraction of the cost of similarly sized and appointed units in South Florida. Tower two will begin development shortly with one- and two-bedroom units. All of the Wanders & Yoo amenities, including a luxurious pool deck, gym, squash court, and spa, are also completed and available for the immediate enjoyment of the building's residents.

"The target market for a building like Wanders & Yoo with its high-end finishes and amenities is the global individual looking to diversify their portfolio by adding quality real estate that can offer both a return and appreciation, or the international businessperson with interests in the city, or the ex-pat looking for a glamorous lifestyle in an international environment at an affordable price. Overheated markets such as Miami have risen in price to the point where it is unlikely that those goals can be achieved in the future. For an individual that is considering relocation, Panama is an oasis in the western hemisphere that is politically and safety stable, easily reached, and has great health care, culture, shopping, restaurants, recreation on a world class level."

Photo assets for IGR Panama and Wanders & Yoo can be found here.

MEDIA CONTACT

Chris Lawrence

PR Kitchen

chris@prkitchen.co

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/miamis-legendary-condo-king-is-back-and-putting-panama-on-the-global-luxury-real-estate-map-301822188.html

SOURCE InterAmerican Global Realty
(Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp. has decided to freeze pay for all full-time workers this year to help it navigate macroeconomic ructions, becoming the latest US tech leader to tighten its belt during a time of mounting uncertainty.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella explained in an internal memo the move as necessary to generate enough yield to invest in the major platform shift toward artificial intelligence. Microsoft had already raised compensation in 2022, he added. The company will, however, consider raising rates for hourly workers while maintaining a bonus and stock award program without overfunding it, Nadella said without elaborating.

As a company we recognize that navigating both a dynamic economic environment and a major platform shift requires us to make critical decisions in how we invest in our people, a company spokesperson said. Insider first reported on the pay freeze earlier on Wednesday.

Tech firms have downsized and slashed expenses globally to account for tepid consumer demand and shore up finances ahead of a potential recession. This year, Microsoft began cutting thousands of jobs, joining peers from Meta Platforms Inc. to Amazon.com Inc.

Read more: Microsoft-Amazon Cuts to Erase 28,000 Jobs in Tech Slump

The software leader last month reported quarterly profit and sales that topped projections, and is making massive bets on AI. Those include a reported $10 billion of new investment into OpenAI and a Bing internet search chatbot  a strategy to juice future sales of Azure cloud services, search ads and office-productivity programs.

As a senior leadership team, we dont take this decision lightly, having considered it over several months, Nadella said in his memo. This year the economic conditions are very different across many dimensions, including customer demand, the labor market, and the investments required for the next cycle of innovation.

Story continues

--With assistance from Vlad Savov.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
WEST VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2023 / Potash, an alkaline potassium compound, is a vital fertilizer component and plays a crucial role in the global food supply chain. However, the Russian-Ukraine war has disrupted the supply chain. Canada, Russia, and Belarus account for 70% of worldwide potash production , and Canada, the world's largest producer of potash , has been unable to fill the gap left by the conflict, leading to a global potash shortage and rising prices. With no end in sight for the war, dependable potash suppliers are in high demand.

Millennial Potash Corp., Thursday, May 11, 2023, Press release picture

But hope may lie elsewhere - a company called Millennial Potash (OTCMKTS:MLPNF) has recently acquired the Banio Potash Project in Gabon. The Gabon coastline is rich in potash deposits, presenting a possibly unique opportunity for the global potash supply chain. The country is estimated to have over two billion tons of potassium salts, making it one of the largest potash basins in the world . Due to its strategic location on the Atlantic coast of Africa, Gabon has a significant cost advantage due to its proximity to major potash markets, making it an attractive source of potash for the key importing markets of Brazil, Asia, and Europe.

Acquiring the basin in Gabon would certainly seem like a highly strategic choice, and Millennial Potash's Board and Management team is really what sets the company apart from competitors. The board is led by Farhad Abasov, Graham Harris, Peter MacLean, and Jason Wilkinson. The team members collectively have successfully built and exited multiple resource companies. Millennial Lithium was the most recent success. In January 2022, Millennial Lithium was acquired by Lithium Americas for $491 million. The management team built it up from a small market cap of $30 million.

Prior to Millennial Lithium's acquisition, the Board members had built and later sold a Canadian junior miner company by the name of Allana Potash Corp. to the fertilizer giant Israel Chemicals Ltd. The team had also previously sold Potash One to a German fertilizer group in a $434 million deal. The company's track record of highly profitable mergers and acquisitions creates a promising outlook for the Banio Potash Project. The team's combined experience in potash and other large mining projects will be instrumental to the project's success.

Story continues

The Banio Potash Project is strategically located in the well-known potash-bearing basin with an exploration camp, drill rigs, and a drill core on site. With its large resource, control of a strategic location, and a strong team behind the operation, Millennial Potash could have the potential to become a major player in the global potash market and provide a reliable source of potash for countries around the world, and they're not sparing any effort - for this new project, they've even taken on a new CEO with decades of mining experience



It is estimated that by 2050, the world will need to produce 70% more food than it does today to feed the projected 9.7 billion people on the planet. Potash is a critical resource and having a strong supply from Africa would help to meet the growing demand for fertilizer and ensure a sustainable future for global communities.

Featured photo by FLY&I on Unsplash .

Contact:

Michael Harris

ir@millennialpotash.com

SOURCE: Millennial Potash Corp.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/754224/Millennial-Potash-OTCMKTSMLPNF-Has-Acquired-The-Rich-African-Potash-Mine-And-Its-Leadership-Team-Has-A-Strong-History-Of-Success-In-The-Industry




LPETTET / Getty Images

Millennials are generally defined as being born between 1981 and 1996, putting them at roughly 27 to 42 as of 2023. At this point in life, many Americans havent yet reached their peak income years but are often burdened by student loans and other debt, from credit cards to home mortgages to auto loans and more. This can make it tough for them to start investing. However, even with little room in their budget, its imperative for millennials to start saving and investing while they are still relatively young. Here are some easy ways to get started.

Im a Self-Made Millionaire: These Are Investments Everyone Should Avoid During an Economic Downturn

See: 3 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000

High-Yield Savings Account

While its true that a high-yield savings account wont make you rich, its a cornerstone of building long-term wealth. A high-yield savings account will protect you from taking on even more debt if you run into any financial emergencies, such as damage to your home or losing your job. Experts recommend having at least three to six months in an emergency fund, but start first by getting at least $1,000 tucked away, as this will cover many of the day-to-day emergencies that you might encounter. As an extra bonus, for the first time in decades, youll also actually earn a decent income from your high-yield savings account in 2023, perhaps even more than 4%.

401(k) Plan

One of the first and best investments you can make as a millennial is into your companys 401(k) plan, if available. For starters, contributing to a 401(k) plan is so easy that you might not even notice it over time, as money is taken out of your paycheck directly before it ever reaches your hands. Not only are you not taxed on that money, it will grow tax-deferred until you withdraw it in retirement. Perhaps the best feature, however, is that your employer will likely match at least a portion of your contributions, depositing what amounts to free money into your account. This can make even modest contributions on your part add up over time. Start with a small percentage, perhaps 2%-3% of your paycheck, and slowly increase it until it reaches 10%-15%.

Story continues

Check Out: 9 Safe Investments With the Highest Returns

Index Funds

Famed billionaire Warren Buffett advocates low-cost index funds for nearly everyone, and his reasoning makes sense. According to Buffett, investing is a simple game, but those with a vested interest try to make it more complicated. As the long-run track record of active managers doesnt fare well against the S&P 500 index after fees are factored in, it can be a good option  especially for beginning investors  to use a no-commission broker and add to shares of a low-cost S&P 500 index fund.

Fractional Shares

If you prefer to own individual stocks, thanks to advances in financial technology you can now assemble a diversified portfolio of equities for just a few hundred dollars  or even less. Brokers like Schwab now offer fractional shares of certain stocks that you can buy for no commission and with a minimum investment of just $5. That means you can buy partial shares of 20 different stocks for just $100, and you can add to your diversified portfolio at any time. This can make investing much simpler  and much less risky  than saving up a large sum of money just to buy a single share of a prominent stock.

Robo-Advisor

Professional portfolio management used to only be available to investors with at least $200,000 in their accounts. And while the portfolios developed by robo-advisor or automated investing accounts arent as actively managed as those high-end private accounts, they do an excellent job at assembling a diversified portfolio of exchange-traded funds based on your investment objectives and risk tolerance. Most robo-advisors have small or nonexistent minimum investment requirements and charge just 0.25% of assets or even less to manage.

Remember To Start as Early as Possible

The key to investing isnt being the worlds greatest stock picker but simply to start as early as possible. Compound interest only really makes its impact felt after many years, so you wont benefit as much if you start 20 years before retirement as opposed to 40. A simple mathematical example proves this out.

Imagine you invest in an S&P 500 index fund that returns 10% per year on average. If you invest $200 per month starting at age 27  the youngest current age of the millennial generation  youd end up with a bit over $1 million by age 65. But if you wait until age 42  the age of the oldest millennials  your nest egg will only reach about $213,000. Thats a massive, life-changing difference. In fact, to reach a $1 million nest egg under these parameters starting at age 42, youd have to contribute closer to $950 per month rather than just $200.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Millennials: How and Where To Start Investing
Mithra Pharmaceuticals

Mithra Announces Completion of Recruitment in Pediatric Study of Estelle in Adolescent Patients

Trial designed to address limited clinical data in this population despite widespread use of Combined Oral Contraceptives (COC) in adolescents



Liege, Belgium, 11 May 2023  7:30 CEST  Mithra (Euronext Brussels: MITRA), a company dedicated to Womens Health, today announced that a pediatric study of Estelle in adolescent patients has completed recruitment. Data from the study is expected to be available in H1 2024.

Developed by Mithra, Estelle is the first and only contraceptive pill containing estetrol (E4), the only estrogen native to human pregnancy. The objective of the pediatric study (MIT-Es001-C303, ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04792385, EudraCT: 2019-003002-27) is to evaluate the safety, compliance, and pharmacokinetics profile of Estelle (estetrol monohydrate 15 mg and drospirenone 3 mg) in 100 participants aged 12 to 17 years old, as agreed with regulatory authorities. The study is being conducted in a number of European countries (Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Latvia, Poland, Sweden).

Graham Dixon, Chief Scientific Officer of Mithra, commented:  The completion of recruitment for this pediatric study represents an important milestone in our commitment to bringing Estelle to a wider patient population. We look forward to reporting data from this trial in 2024 and expanding the body of scientific data available to clinicians to support their decision-making. 



Professor Kristina Gemzell-Danielsson, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Head of the Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, commented:  Combined Oral Contraceptives such as Estelle are the most popular hormonal contraceptives1 in the adolescent population, and adolescents are more likely than adult women to use these products for health purposes other than birth control such as cycle and bleeding control2. Despite widespread use in adolescents, clinical data from this population is limited. Studies such as this one are needed in order to bring safe and effective contraceptives to those that need it most. 

Story continues

********

1. Todd N and Black A Contraception for Adolescents J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol 2020;12(Suppl 1):28-40

2. Jones RK. Beyond birth control: the overlooked benefits of oral contraceptive pills. New York, NY: Guttmacher Institute; 2011

For more information, please contact:

Investor relations : investorrelations@mithra.com

About Estelle

Developed by Mithra, Estelle is a novel patent protected combined oral contraceptive pill containing 3 mg drospirenone (DRSP) and 15 mg estetrol (E4). E4 is a naturally produced estrogen during pregnancy, which can now be made from a plant source. In two phase 3 clinical studies conducted in 3,725 women, Estelle was shown to be both safe and effective and met its primary efficacy endpoint of pregnancy prevention. It also delivered excellent results on a variety of secondary endpoints that demonstrated outstanding cycle control, bleeding control, safety, and tolerability. Mithra has signed 15 licensing deals for Estelle with a number of leading womens health companies covering more than 100 countries in the world.

The product is marketed in Belgium by Gedeon Richter under the brand name Drovelis and by Ceres Pharma under the brand name Lydisilka.

About Mithra

Mithra (Euronext: MITRA) is a Belgian biotech company dedicated to transforming Womens Health by offering new choices through innovation, with a particular focus on contraception and menopause. Mithras goal is to develop products offering better efficacy, safety and convenience, meeting womens needs throughout their life span. Mithra explores the potential of the unique native estrogen estetrol in a wide range of applications in women health and beyond. After having successfully launched the first estetrol-based product in 2021, the contraceptive pill Estelle, Mithra is now focusing on its second product Donesta, the next-generation hormone therapy. Mithra also offers partners a complete spectrum of solutions from early drug development, clinical batches and commercial manufacturing of complex polymeric products (vaginal ring, implants) and complex liquid injectables and biologicals (vials, pre-filled syringes or cartridges) at its technological platform Mithra CDMO. Active in more than 100 countries around the world, Mithra has an approximate headcount of 230 staff members and is headquartered in Liege, Belgium. www.mithra.com

ESTELLE, DONESTA and MYRING are registered trademarks of Mithra Pharmaceuticals or one of its affiliates.

Important information

The contents of this announcement include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words "believes", "estimates," "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", "plans", "continue", "ongoing", "potential", "predict", "project", "target", "seek" or "should", and include statements the Company makes concerning the intended results of its strategy. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.





Subscribe to our mailing list on mithra.com to receive our

press releases by email or follow us on our social media :



LinkedIn  Twitter  Facebook

Attachment




Transparency Market Research

With the growing popularity of minimally invasive procedures, the adoption of non-invasive procedures is gaining momentum. Screening initiatives and programs are driving market demand for newborn screenings.

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The market for newborn screening will reach USD 3.3 billion by 2031, expanding at a CAGR of 11% over that period of time.



Healthcare advancements and the presence of well-established key players in this region contribute to the growth of the market. A growing need for infant safety and rising demand for newborn diagnosis are expected to propel the newborn screening equipment market.

Get the Recently Updated Report on the Newborn Screening Market as a Sample Copy @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=4581

Children's health around the world can be safeguarded by newborn screening, which is recommended by the WHO. As a result of this program, a number of policies and initiatives have been implemented by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretarys Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (SACHDNC), UK (PEACH), Japans Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG), and advocacy groups like the March of Dimes.

The first international G6PD testing quality assurance program was established in Taiwan in 2009. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that four million babies are tested every year for metabolic disorders related to metabolism in all fifty states of the United States.

Developing new therapeutic options for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has led to the proposal of newborn screening as a way to facilitate timely diagnoses and treatment. As government initiatives and research and development studies are conducted in various organizations, newborn screening market demand is expected to grow.

Although clinical trials have examined health outcomes in heterogeneous populations, there is little evidence to support the broader implementation of newborn screenings for SMA outside of those homogeneous populations. An investigation of newborn screening in conjunction with disease-modifying therapeutic access, as an intervention for SMA, was investigated.

Story continues

Key Findings of the Market Report

New and advanced devices are being developed and introduced to increase the demand for newborn screenings.

A surge in the use of point-of-care diagnostics devices and an increased focus on early diagnosis will drive the growth of the newborn screening market.

A growing number of government initiatives and programs are propelling growth for newborn screening for hearing test market growth in the coming years.

Home-based testing is growing in popularity among diagnostic centers.

Research and development investments are growing as new product innovations are being introduced to grow the market.



Request for Customization to Meet Your Exact Research Needs: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=4581

Global Newborn Screening Market: Growth Drivers

With the development of new and advanced technologies for newborn screening and subsequently approved products, the newborn screening industry is expected to benefit. As newborn screening programs grow, congenital disease incidences increase, government funding increases, and technological advances continue to advance, this market is expected to grow.

Government programs & legislation, technological advancement, a new neonatal population base, and rising cases of congenital diseases are anticipated to drive the newborn screening market.

The majority of neurodevelopmental disorders such as hypothyroidism and cystic fibrosis (CF) are being tested for in newborn screening tests using robust immunoassays and molecular diagnostics.

The child mortality rate and hospitalization rates are increasing worldwide, numerous countries are examining mandates for newborn screening, which also contributes to the growth of this market.

Global Newborn Screening: Regional Landscape

With the growth of the newborn screening industry in North America, fast and non-invasive techniques will be in greater demand.

As health infrastructure grows and health reimbursements improve, the demand for these services is expected to increase in the United States.

Active government efforts to promote child health and increased government efforts are expected to boost the market for newborn screenings in Europe.

Increasing awareness about newborn screening and evolving healthcare infrastructure are expected to contribute to Latin America's growth.

Growing genetic disorders and increased childbirth in the Asia Pacific region are expected to increase demand.



Global Newborn Screening Market: Key Players

Newborn screening markets are dominated by a few key players who are driving innovation and expansion. The expansion of a business's product portfolio can be assisted by investments in research. Market players in the newborn screening market are driven by technology innovations, mergers, and partnerships, as well as untapped opportunities. These strategies should lead to growth in the market within the next few years. The newborn screening market has seen many players adopt expansion strategies:

In April 2023, a new survey indicates that an overwhelming majority of experts in the field of rare diseases agree that newborns should have access to a genomic test to diagnose monogenic diseases that can be treated. A newborn screening program is currently mandated by the state for the purpose of diagnosing and treating infants with rare, developmental disorders that can be treated through early intervention.

In April 2023, Princess Lalla Asmae Chairs launched a hearing screening program for newborns. Identifying hearing loss in newborns and treating it early is the goal of this initiative.

Grow Your Profit Margin With Transparency Market Research Buy The Report!

Global newborn screening Market: Segmentation

Product

Instrument Tabletop Point-of-care Testing

Assay Kits

Test Type

Dry Blood Spot Test

Hearing Screen Test

Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) Test

X-ray or CT Scan

Electrocardiogram (ECG) Test

Others

End-user

Hospitals

Diagnostic Centers

Maternity & Specialty Clinics

Others

Regions

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa



About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. The firm scrutinizes factors shaping the dynamics of demand in various markets. The insights and perspectives on the markets evaluate opportunities in various segments. The opportunities in the segments based on source, application, demographics, sales channel, and end-use are analysed, which will determine growth in the markets over the next decade.

Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision-makers, made possible by experienced teams of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants. The proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques we use always reflect the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in all of its business reports.

Contact:

Nikhil Sawlani

Transparency Market Research Inc.

CORPORATE HEADQUARTER DOWNTOWN,

1000 N. West Street,

Suite 1200, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 USA

Tel: +1-518-618-1030

USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453

Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Blog: https://tmrblog.com

Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com




(Reuters) -Peloton Interactive Inc will recall 2.2 million exercise bikes due to the risk of injuries from a seat-related issue, the company said on Thursday, sending its shares down 7%.

The voluntary recall piles on more pressure on Peloton as it works to tackle waning demand for its fitness equipment amid an uncertain economy.

"We have identified 35 reports of seat posts breaking out of 2,160,000 units sold in the United States, as of April 30," Peloton said in a statement, after disclosing the defect earlier this month.

During the January to March quarter, Peloton said it had accrued $8.4 million as an estimated expense related to "voluntary corrective action plan" involving the defect.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in a separate statement on Thursday, said consumers should immediately stop using the recalled exercise bikes and contact Peloton for a free repair.

This recall involves Peloton Bikes with model number PL01 sold from January 2018 to May 2023 in the United States and is one of the company's flagship products.

The seat post can break unexpectedly during use, creating a potential fall and injury risk, Peloton said. There is no impact to Peloton Bike+ Members nor Peloton original Bike owners in the UK, Germany, and Australia, it added.

"We've noted Peloton temporarily stopped selling Bike the past few days (Bike+ still available). Clearly negative, but we believe this headline may appear scarier than the actual announcement," BMO Capital Markets analyst Simeon Siegel said in a note.

The Bike and Bike+ products contribute to a "significant majority" of Peloton's sales, as per its latest annual filing.

The latest recall comes after the virtual workout company had agreed to pay a $19 million fine earlier this year for failing to promptly report a defect with its Tread+ treadmill that could cause serious injury.

(Reporting by Kannaki Deka in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
By Michael Erman and Bhanvi Satija

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Pfizer Inc Chief Executive Albert Bourla called U.S. plans to negotiate drug prices for its Medicare health program "negotiation with a gun to your head" and said he expects drugmakers to sue in an attempt to halt the process.

"It is not negotiation at all. It is price setting," Bourla said at a Reuters newsmaker event on Thursday, referring to the Biden Administrations signature drug pricing reform, part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The law aims to save $25 billion through price negotiations by 2031 for Americans who pay more for medicines than any other country.

The pharmaceutical industry says the law, passed last year, will result in a loss of profits that will force drugmakers to pull back on developing groundbreaking new treatments.

The companies have begun laying the groundwork to fight the U.S. plan, Reuters reported earlier this week.

"I think that there will be legal action," he said, adding that he was not sure if that would stop the plan before new prices would go into effect in 2026. Bourla said he is also not optimistic that Congress will act to change the law.

Drugs likely to be among the first subject to negotiation include Pfizer's breast cancer treatment Ibrance and the blood thinner Eliquis, which Pfizer shares with Bristol Myers Squibb.

Bourla did acknowledge some positive aspects of the law for patients, such as lower out-of-pocket costs for medicines.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which will oversee the drug price talks, said in an emailed statement: "We have been regularly engaging with interested parties, including manufacturers, health plans, and patient groups, to gather input and feedback throughout implementation."

After considering the comments it receives, the agency said it "will issue revised guidance in the summer of 2023.

Bourla is looking to shift Pfizer's focus from the COVID-19 vaccines and treatment that put the company at the forefront of the pandemic response and led to a once-in-a-lifetime surge in revenue.

Story continues

The company is in the midst of a steep but expected fall in COVID product sales and is also preparing for declining revenue in coming years for some of its top-selling drugs as they begin to face competition from cheap generics.

As a result, investors are looking for Pfizer to produce new blockbuster drugs that can pull in billions every year, either from the company's own pipeline of medicines in development or through deals.

Bourla led Pfizer as the New York-based drugmaker raced alongside German partner BioNTech to develop a vaccine for COVID as much of the world locked down in 2020. The company also developed Paxlovid, a life-saving antiviral treatment for the disease.

The COVID products drove Pfizer's revenue to record levels, topping $100 billion in 2022 and $80 billion in 2021.

"Pfizer is giving all the profits that we made from COVID in '21 and '22 and what we will make in '23 to acquire technology and products that we believe will allow us to battle cancer," he said, calling the effort the drugmaker's "next moonshot."

'NOT ABOUT ABORTION PILLS'

Bourla has overseen a string of acquisitions to bolster Pfizer's drug pipeline, headlined by the $43 billion deal for Seagen, which makes complex targeted cancer therapies.

The drugmaker also spent billions on its purchases of migraine drugmaker Biohaven Pharmaceutical, ulcerative colitis drug developer Arena Pharmaceuticals, and Global Blood Therapeutics, maker of a sickle cell disease treatment.

Bourla said he anticipates only doing modestly-sized deals in the near-term as he concentrates on the Seagen integration.

As the company works to develop new drugs, Bourla raised concerns about a recent ruling by a judge in Texas that suspended abortion pill mifepristone's 2000 approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The U.S. Supreme Court put that order on hold, leaving the drug used in more than half of U.S. abortions on the market while the case is appealed.

Bourla signed an open letter by hundreds industry executives calling on the Supreme Court to reverse the Texas judge's decision. On Thursday, he called the FDA "the most iconic regulatory body in the world," and said citizens can trust that the regulators have done the work to confirm whether drugs are safe.

"This is not about abortion pills... It has to do with the ability of a judge to say whether a medicine is safe and effective," Bourla said. "That undermines the whole system of trust."

(Reporting by Michael Erman in New York and Bhanvi Stija in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
(Bloomberg) -- One of the worlds biggest bond investors is limiting its exposure to Pemex debt out of concern that government support for the state driller will dry up once Mexicos oil-friendly president is out of office.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Pacific Investment Management Co., which oversees about $1.8 trillion of assets, is underweight on the companys bonds and keeping exposures relatively short-dated, according to Pramol Dhawan, the firms head of emerging-market debt.

In an interview Wednesday, Dhawan called the bonds over-owned and said the market should be prepared for Mexico to reduce its support for Petroleos Mexicanos SA after President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador leaves office next year.

This administration was perhaps the most pro-Pemex administration you would likely be able to get, he said. Subsequent governments may not be as friendly toward the credit.

Since taking office in 2018, AMLO, as the president is known, has cut Pemexs tax burden, injected cash when needed and even floated the idea of the government assuming some of the companys obligations. He is not eligible to run in next Julys general elections.

AMLOs support has helped make the company a favorite among emerging-market bond buyers, who argue they pick up about six percentage points from the drillers notes more than they would holding the sovereign for whats essentially the same risk of default.

JPMorgan Chase & Cos analysts have recently recommended investors load up on the notes as global risk aversion takes a toll on prices. Goldman Sachs said the front-end of the Pemex curve offers an attractive entry point should market volatility subside.

Story continues

Pemex debt has handed investors losses of 2% over the past month, compared to an average 0.4% return for Latin America corporate bonds, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Dhawan, however, pointed to technicals which he said are not great. Production hovers near an all-time low and, with more than $100 billion of obligations, it ranks as the worlds most-indebted oil major.

The bigger concerns is the next government, he said.

After the election then it raises very, very meaningful concerns to investors, he said.

--With assistance from Michael O'Boyle.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
FILE PHOTO: Prada at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York

MILAN (Reuters) -Sales at Italian luxury group Prada rose 22% in the first quarter to 1.065 billion euros ($1.17 billion), driven by a rebound in China and sustained growth in Europe.

"Over the course of the first quarter China returned to be an engine of growth, driving a solid sales rebound in Asia Pacific," the group's new Chief Executive Andrea Guerra said in a statement on Thursday.

"Our priority for the year remains increasing store productivity, focusing on retail execution."

Guerra, speaking to analysts on a conference call, said that also April's numbers were good.

In the Asia Pacific region, excluding Japan, retail revenues grew by 22% in the period. The group said China showed an acceleration towards the end of the quarter supported by an easier comparison basis.

In the Americas, where other luxury groups have already flagged a slowdown in the pace of growth, retail sales were up 5% at constant exchange rate in the first quarter.

But American shoppers are still buying overseas.

"Americans are not as dynamic as during the past year, but they are buying especially in Europe", Guerra said.

In Europe, retail sales rose 28%.

Guerra also said there was a little bit of rebound in European sales linked to Chinese travellers but he expects a stronger rebound in the second half of the year.

Prada, which has started publishing quarterly data again, said retail sales at the Prada brand increased by 21% at constant exchange rates and at Miu Miu by 42%.

Asked about a potential dual listing for Prada, Chief Financial Officer Andrea Bonini said that group was not in a position to give an update in terms of timing.

($1 = 0.9084 euros)

(Reporting by Elisa Anzolin.Editing by Keith Weir and Jane Merriman)
The popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT, launched by US firm OpenAI last November, has opened the floodgates to similar services in China, with many firms pledging to catch up or even outperform the American company in the world of Chinese language AI.

Despite China's lack of access to the most advanced chips - the crucial requirement for training AI models - Chinese tech firms have enthusiastically jumped into generative AI development, but some experts have warned that the industry is anything from 18 months to three years behind ChatGPT.

Voice and language recognition developer iFlyTek is the latest to publicly boast about its potential to outperform ChatGPT. Company chairman Liu Qingfeng said at a product launch on Saturday that iFlytek's own large language model (LLM) application, SparkDesk, would be able to surpass ChatGPT in the Chinese language world by October.

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.

As ChatGPT is not available in China and the central government is applying its strict censorship rules to generative AI content, the closed market has provided hope for local tech firms to stake their claim domestically.

Chinese search engine giant Baidu was the first local tech firm to announce a ChatGPT challenger in mid-March, although it got off to a rocky start after failing to provide a live preview. On Tuesday, the Beijing-based company said more than 300 partners from different industries have signed up to use its Ernie Bot. In light of the Baidu debacle, Alibaba Group Holding launched its Tongyi Qianwen LLM in early April.

Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

Meanwhile, the debate over whether China can catch up continues. Some generated images from Ernie Bot, which suggested that the system was simply translating Chinese into English for prompts, fanned discussion that Baidu had borrowed the core of ChatGPT, an allegation the company denied. OpenAI's generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) 3.5 model is the core technology behind the US start-up's chatbot.

Story continues

Alibaba's Damo Academy has a 100-strong team working on iterating and improving its LLM. Photo: Reuters alt=Alibaba's Damo Academy has a 100-strong team working on iterating and improving its LLM. Photo: Reuters>

According to a leaked memo dated early April that cited an employee at Alibaba's research unit Damo Academy, Alibaba's Tongyi LLM is about 18 months behind OpenAI's GPT 3.5 model. Alibaba has neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of the memo, which has circulated online.

The memo also stated that the Damo Academy had assembled a 100-strong team to work on iterating and improving its LLM, which was initiated in January 2020 before being launched as Tongyi in September last year. Alibaba did not respond to a request for comment.

ChatGPT has the capability to generate human-like responses to questions, and reached 100 million users in the first two months after its launch.

Baidu founder and CEO Robin Li Yanhong told local media 36Kr in an interview late March that Ernie Bot was only about two months behind ChatGPT.

Wang Xiaochuang, founder and ex-CEO of China's second-largest search engine Sogou, has publicly questioned Li's assessment, saying Ernie Bot lags ChatGPT "definitely by more than two months". Wang, who says his AI start-up Baichuan Zhineng will be launching the best Chinese LLM by year-end, has suggested that mainstream Chinese LLMs are about three years behind ChatGPT.

Chinese tech companies were caught off guard by ChatGPT. Domestic AI champions SenseTime, Cloudwalk, Megvii and Yitu Technology have in recent years focused on applications such as computer vision and facial recognition, not development of LLMs.

As OpenAI's Chinese rivals attempt to catch up to its GPT 3.5 model, the San Francisco-based company in March launched an improved GPT 4 version, which was hailed as the most advanced LLM to date due to its improved accuracy and enhanced ability to understand text, images and video prompts.

Chinese AI experts have noted that some of the obstacles to China's progress in LLMs include the complexity of the Chinese language, the government's censorship of sensitive topics, and lack of computational power.

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.
Cybersecurity expert Paul Scharre watches a deepfake video in 2019 of President Obama's image saying words spoken by filmmaker Jordan Peele. (Robert Lever / AFP/Getty Images)

You've probably seen deepfake videos on the internet that inject facsimiles of famous people into odd or funny situations  for example, a fake Tom Cruise doing "industrial cleanup," or in a truly meta effort, an artificial Morgan Freeman hyping "the era of synthetic reality."

Now imagine receiving a phone call from someone who sounds exactly like your child, pleading for emergency help. Same technology, but no one's laughing.

Cybersecurity experts say deepfake technology has advanced to the point where it can be used in real time, enabling fraudsters to replicate someone's voice, image and movements in a call or virtual meeting. The technology is also widely available and relatively easy to use, they say. And it's getting better all the time.

"Thanks to AI tools that create 'synthetic media' or otherwise generate content, a growing percentage of what were looking at is not authentic, and its getting more difficult to tell the difference," the Federal Trade Commission warned.

Researchers say the technology for real-time deepfakes has been around for the better part of a decade. What's new is the range of tools available to make them.

"We know we're not prepared as a society" for this threat, said Andrew Gardner, vice president of research, innovation and AI at Gen. In particular, he said, there's nowhere to go if you're confronted with a potential deepfake scam and you need immediate help verifying it.

Real-time deepfakes have been used to scare grandparents into sending money to simulated relatives, win jobs at tech companies in a bid to gain inside information, influence voters, and siphon money from lonely men and women. Fraudsters can copy a recording of someone's voice that's been posted online, then use the captured audio to impersonate a victim's loved one; one 23-year-old man is accused of swindling grandparents in Newfoundland out of $200,000 in just three days by using this technique.

Story continues

Tools to weed out this latest generation of deepfakes are emerging too, but they're not always effective and may not be accessible to you. That's why experts advise taking a few simple steps to protect yourself and your loved ones from the new type of con.

The term deepfake is shorthand for a simulation powered by deep learning technology  artificial intelligence that ingests oceans of data to try to replicate something human, such as having a conversation (e.g., ChatGPT) or creating an illustration (e.g., Dall-E). Gardner said it's still an expensive and time-consuming proposition to develop these tools, but using them is comparatively quick and easy.

Yisroel Mirsky, an AI researcher and deepfake expert at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, said the technology has advanced to the point where it's possible to do a deepfake video from a single photo of a person, and a "decent" clone of a voice from only three or four seconds of audio. But Gardner said the tools widely available to make deepfakes lag behind the state of the art; they require about five minutes of audio and one to two hours of video.

Regardless, thanks to sites like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, there's plenty of images and audio for fraudsters to find.

Mirsky said it's easy to imagine an attacker looking on Facebook to identify a potential target's children, calling the son to record enough audio to clone his voice, then using a deepfake of the son to beg the target for money to get out of a jam of some kind.

The technology is becoming so efficient, he said, you can clone a face or a voice with a basic gaming computer. And the software is "really point and click," he said, easily available online and configurable with some basic programming.

To illustrate how effective real-time deepfakes can be, the LexisNexis Risk Solutions' Government Group shared a video that David Maimon, a criminology professor at Georgia State University, grabbed from the dark web of an apparent catfishing scam in progress. It showed an online chat between an older man and a young woman who was asking for a loan so she could meet the man in Canada. But in a third window, you could see a man was actually saying the words that were coming out of the woman's mouth in a woman's voice  she was a deepfake, and he was a scammer.

This technique is known as reenactment, Mirsky and Wenke Lee of the Georgia Institute of Technology said in a paper published in 2020. It also can be used to "perform acts of defamation, cause discredibility, spread misinformation and tamper with evidence," they wrote. Another approach is replacement, where the target's face or body is placed on someone else, as in revenge porn videos.

But how, exactly, fraudsters are using the tools remains a bit of a mystery, Gardner said. That's because we only know what they've been caught doing.

Haywood Talcove, chief executive of LexisNexis Risk Solutions' Government Group, said the new technology can circumvent some of the security techniques that companies have been deploying in lieu of passwords. For example, he pointed to California's two-step online identification process, which has users upload two things: a picture of their driver's license or ID card, then a freshly snapped selfie. Fraudsters can buy a fake California ID online for a few dollars, then use deepfake software to generate a matching face for the selfie. "It's a hot knife through butter," he said.

Similarly, Talcove said that financial companies need to stop using voice-identification tools to unlock accounts. "I'd be nervous if [at] my bank, my voice were my password," he said. "Just using voice alone, it doesn't work anymore." The same goes for facial recognition, he said, adding that the technology was at the end of its useful life as a way to control access.

The Cybercrime Support Network, a nonprofit that helps individuals and businesses victimized online, often works with targets of romance scams, and it urges people to do video chats with their suitors to try to weed out scammers. Ally Armeson, the network's program director, said that just two or three years ago, they could tell clients to look for easy-to-spot glitches, like frozen images. But in recent weeks, she said, the network has been contacted by scam victims who said they'd done a video chat for 10 or 20 minutes with their supposed suitor, "and it absolutely was the person that they sent me in the photo."

She added, "The victims did say, 'The head did kind of look weird on the body, so it looked a little off.'" But it's not unusual for people to ignore red flags, she said. "They want to believe that the video is real, so they'll overlook minor discrepencies."

(Victims of romance scams in the United States reported $1.3 billion in losses last year.)

Real-time deepfakes represent a dangerous new threat to businesses too. A lot of companies are training employees to recognize phishing attacks by strangers, Mirsky said, but no one's really preparing for calls from deepfakes with the cloned voice of a colleague or a boss.

"People will confuse familiarity with authenticity," he said. "And as a result, people are going to fall for these attacks."

How to protect yourself

Talcove offered a simple and hard-to-beat way to guard against deepfakes that impersonate a family member: Have a secret code word that every family member knows, but that criminals wouldn't guess. If someone claiming to be your daughter, grandson or nephew calls, Talcove said, asking for the code word can separate real loved ones from fake ones.

"Every family now needs a code word," he said.

Pick something simple and easily memorable that doesn't need to be written down (and isn't posted on Facebook or Instagram), he said, then drill it into your family's memory. "You need to make sure they know and practice, practice, practice," Talcove said.

Gardner also advocated for code words. "I think preparation goes a long way" in defending against deepfake scams, he said.

Armeson said her network still tells people to look for certain clues on video calls, including their supposed paramour blinking too much or too little, having eyebrows that don't fit the face or hair in the wrong spot, and skin that doesn't match their age. If the person is wearing glasses, check whether the reflection they give is realistic, the network says  "deepfakes often fail to fully represent the natural physics of lighting."

She also urges people to give these simple tests: Ask the other person in the video call to turn their head around and to put a hand in front of their face. Those maneuvers can be revealing, she said, because deepfakes often haven't been trained to do them realistically.

Still, she admitted, "we're just playing defense." The fraudsters are "always going to kind of be ahead of us," weeding out the glitches that reveal the con, she said. "It's infuriating."

Ultimately, she said, the most reliable way to smoke out deepfakes may be to insist on an in-person meeting. "We have to be really analog about it. We can't just rely on technology."

There are software tools that automatically look for AI-generated glitches and patterns in an effort to separate legitimate audio and video from fake. But Mirsky said "this potentially is a losing game" because as technology improves, the telltale signs that used to betray the fakes will go away.

Mirsky and his team at Ben-Gurion University have developed a different approach, called D-CAPTCHA, which is operates on the same principle that some websites use to stop bots from submitting forms online. A D-CAPTCHA system poses a test that's designed to flummox current real-time deepfakes  for example, asking callers to hum, laugh, sing or just clear their throat.

The system, which has yet to be commercialized, could take the form of a waiting room to authenticate guests attending sensitive virtual meetings or an app that verifies suspect callers. In fact, Mirsky said, "we can develop apps that can try to catch these suspicious calls and vet them before they're connected."

Gardner offered one other, hopeful note. The experiences people are having now with AI and apps like ChatGPT, he said, have made people quicker to question what is real and what is fake, and to look more critically at what they're seeing.

"The fact that people are having these AI conversations one-on-one on their own is, I think, helping," he said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Mikko Salovaara from his LinkedIn - Mikko Salovaara/LinkedIn

Revoluts finance chief has quit the fintech giant weeks after its independent auditor issued a critical notice about its accounts.

Mikko Salovaara, who took on the role two years ago, is leaving for personal reasons as the finance apps long wait for a UK banking licence continues.

It comes just weeks after auditors at BDO warned that the companys revenues for 2021 may be materially misstated owing to flaws in Revoluts internal systems.

BDO said it was unable to satisfy itself of the completeness and occurrence of revenues within three of Revoluts business divisions. The issue covered revenue totalling 477m, which amounted to three-quarters of the groups total income for the year.

At the time of the publication of its accounts in March, Mr Salovaara sought to downplay the warning as a technical point.

He said: We effectively outgrew the IT systems related to accounting. I dont think its particularly unusual for a growing company to take some time to put that in place, but with the pace of growth and the visibility we have as a business, Im not surprised its been called out.

The specific issues that [BDO] found in terms of our IT systems were remediated by the end of the third quarter of 2021 I think were basically there and we dont expect any continued audit delays.

Following BDOs warning on Revoluts 2021 accounts, the company issued a public statement and hired lawyers to insist that the accounting firms critical opinion represented a clean bill of health.

However, Revoluts board was said to be frustrated with the company's response, with some board members believing that the statement was an overreaction and showed a lack of understanding of what BDOs opinion meant, the Financial Times reported.

Nikolai Storonsky, Founder & CEO of Revolut speaks during the Web Summit, a technology conference, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 2 - PILAR OLIVARES/REUTERS

Revolut is also still awaiting a decision from the Bank of England and the City watchdog on its UK banking licence application, which it applied for nearly two and half years ago. Mr Salovaara said the licence was coming any day now on March 1.

Story continues

A source close to the company said Mr Salovaaras departure was unrelated to BDOs qualified opinion of its long-delayed 2021 accounts or its banking licence application.

His decision to leave marks the latest high-profile departure at Revolut, which lost several of its most senior executives in its UK banking team last year. James Radford, Revolut's UK chief executive, also left the company in recent weeks.

Mr Salovaara, a Yale graduate who worked in the investment industry before joining Revolut, said: I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as Group CFO at Revolut and remain confident in the firms future success.

Nikolay Storonsky, Revoluts chief executive, said: I thank Mikko for his contribution and wish him well on his next steps.

Last week, Mr Storonsky launched a blistering attack on what he dubbed the UKs extreme bureaucracy, high taxes and red tape.

He accused regulators of slowing down its application for a banking licence and said he would never choose the UK as a place to list the company.

London-headquartered Revolut, which offers a prepaid card tied to an app and foreign exchange services, claims to have 25 million customers around the world.

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.
RJC Engineers

The worlds tallest full-scale building ever tested on an earthquake simulator is expected to transform sustainable building design across Canada

The NHERI TallWood Project

The NHERI TallWood project is a National Science Foundation-funded research effort that aims to investigate mass timber buildings' earthquake resilience by simulating large earthquakes on a 10-story mass timber building, the tallest ever tested on a shake table.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RJC Engineers (RJC), a leading Canadian-based building structure and enclosure engineering firm, announced today its participation in the seismic testing of the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) TallWood project , currently underway in San Diego, California. The NHERI TallWood project is a National Science Foundation-funded research effort that aims to investigate mass timber buildings' earthquake resilience by simulating large earthquakes on a 10-story mass timber building, the tallest ever tested on a shake table. The building includes 3-stories of enclosure systems to assess their interaction with the structure to develop and validate seismic design methodology, while also researching the impact on building enclosure. This first-of-its-kind initiative is expected to transform sustainable building design, and reduce the carbon impact of the construction industry in Canada.



RJC will be studying the impact of the earthquake testing, ranging in magnitude from 4 to 8, on the integrity of windows, a critical component to the overall energy efficiency and safety of a building. Insights gleaned from the testing are particularly crucial in British Columbia, where new code changes require developers to commit to greenhouse gas intensity targets , with Canada as a whole currently targeting harmonized implementation by the 2030 code cycle. Following a seismic event, even if unbroken, windows can sustain damage causing air to escape through the seals, leading to unseen breaches that are expensive to repair. State-of-the-art building energy performance schemes stop working as a result, driving up carbon emissions through fuel consumption and repair efforts.

We are thrilled to be involved in testing the windows of the record-breaking NHERI TallWood project, says Dennis Gam, Principal, RJC Engineers. As a company with extensive experience in building structure and envelope, we understand the importance of sustainable building solutions that can help reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment. The opportunity to observe testing of a potential future mass timber archetype and examine its influence on energy performance is a vital step forward in reducing the worlds carbon emissions.

Story continues

Further, Canadas building sector is a significant contributor to Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, with residential, commercial, and institutional buildings accounting for 13% of the total emissions, and up to 18% when including electricity-related emissions. As of 2021, the building sector was recorded as Canada's third-highest carbon emitting economic sector Improving energy efficiency in the building sector is therefore essential to reducing Canada's overall carbon footprint.

Building sustainably is not only a moral obligation, but a pressing need for Canada, as the building sector alone is a large contributor to the country's carbon emissions, explains Terry Bergen, Managing Principal, RJC Engineers. Todays test is a coordinated approach to making more energy-efficient buildings that are resilient to the impact of natural disasters like earthquakes.

RJCs participation in the NHERI TallWood project test is vital in furthering the understanding of the impact of seismic events on sustainable building design, in particular, in Canada. The research will inform the possible need to alter the architectural detailing of a building enclosure, to assure resilient performance through natural building movements from use and seismic events, and will help pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient future that meets B.C. Energy Efficiency and Zero Carbon Step Code targets.

Building testing is currently taking place at The University of California, San Diego. To learn more about RJC Engineers and their involvement with the NHERI TallWood project, visit https://www.rjc.ca/ and http://nheritallwood.mines.edu/index.html.

About RJC Engineers:

RJC Engineers (RJC) is a national, employee-owned engineering firm that celebrates creative thinking, prompt service, and technical excellence in building structure and enclosure engineering. Bringing the best of RJC to every project for over seven decades, the firm integrates multi-facetted ingenuity and practicality to create success for their clients and their projects. RJC has positioned itself on the intersection of building enclosure and structural design, offering a full suite of performance based design services in the space of structure, energy, seismic, and envelope. For more information on RJCs leadership, projects, services, career opportunities and locations, visit www.rjc.ca .

Media Contact

Amanda Breen

Talk Shop Media

amanda.breen@talkshopmedia.com

(604) 307-0578

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/41ad3aac-7dcc-48d0-ac4b-f6788ba6c2bd




Some postcodes have been left without mail for weeks on end - REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Royal Mail is delivering post to neighbourhoods as little as once a fortnight, leaving pockets of the country to become postal deserts.

Households have been left without letter deliveries as postal bosses grapple with chronic staff shortages, rock-bottom industrial relations, and the fallout from the biggest shake-up of working practices for a quarter of a century.

Hospital appointments are being missed, speeding or parking fines unwittingly left unpaid, and birthday celebrations hit as some postcodes have been left without mail for weeks on end.

Royal Mail is expected to unveil figures later this week showing that annual delivery performance has sunk to near-record lows, with insiders branding the areas "postal deserts".

Conservative estimates suggest dozens of areas are affected, with some households forced to resort to collecting bundles of post from local sorting offices.

Residents in south-east London have complained on social media that they "seem to only get post every two weeks".

Others say that staff at sorting offices have told them that many staff are off sick or on holiday.

A "lack of postal vans" has been blamed for deliveries grinding to a halt in Dorking, Surrey, residents have claimed.

Yet the situation is far from uniform with adjacent areas in the same postcode experiencing significantly different levels of service. Areas as varied as Bermondsey, Brighton and Salford are all understood to be experiencing issues.

Nick Freeman, the motoring lawyer known as Mr Loophole, said that disruption to the postal deliveries could allow speeding motorists to escape a fine or points on their driving licence.

Laws state that anyone caught speeding must receive a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) within 14 days of the alleged offence.

He advised drivers to keep the envelope if and when a speeding ticket does come through the letterbox as a potential way to challenge the allegations in court.

Story continues

The Parking Appeals Group said that the examples of people receiving County Court Judgments (CCJs) because claim forms issued by private parking companies had not been delivered or not delivered on time.

Some NHS Trusts, already straining under extreme workloads, have now begun phoning patients to remind them of appointments.

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said they had examples of hospital appointment letters arriving after the scheduled appointment time.

She said: This has consequences as the patient is marked by the hospital as a 'did not attend' and may be discharged back to their GP. That means they go back on the waiting list.

It comes after workplace reforms included plans to make up to 10,000 Royal Mail staff redundant, automate parcel sorting - much of which is currently done by hand - and delay the start of postal rounds until later in the day to allow mail to be delivered more efficiently.

Royal Mails overall performance is expected to have improved over the last three months because of fewer days of industrial action compared with the final quarter of last year, when first-class deliveries were on time just 54pc of the time instead of the 93pc target. Some areas, such as Lerwick, Shetland, hit their target just 12.4pc of the time.

Union leaders representing 115,000 postal workers agreed a pay deal with Royal Mail last month drawing to a close a year-long dispute that featured 18 days of strikes. Boss Simon Thompson is expected to step down in the coming weeks after facing fierce criticism from trade union leaders.

A spokesman for Royal Mail said: We are committed to improving our performance and accelerating Royal Mails transformation in order to restore service levels while meeting the changing requirements of our customers. Were sorry to any customers who have not received the high standards they expect.

To improve our quality of service it is vital that we modernise our network and ways of working so that we can more effectively manage the changing mix of mail in our posties mailbag.

Like postal authorities around the world, we have to make changes to adapt to the reality of significant structural declines in letter volumes - which have declined by 25pc since the pandemic - alongside growing demands for parcel deliveries.

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 boat, called Phi, was barred from leaving Canary Wharf last year as part of the UKs response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. - Shutterstock

A Russian oligarch is suing the Government for seizing a 38m superyacht that Grant Shapps claimed was owned by "Putins cronies".

Sergei Georgievich Naumenko, a property tycoon and food importer who is not on the UKs sanctions list, has demanded that the Department for Transport return his 58m (192ft) superyacht and pay damages.

The boat, called Phi, was barred from leaving Canary Wharf last year as part of the UKs response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

At the time, the Government said that ownership of the superyacht was deliberately well hidden but was believed to be linked to an unnamed Russian businessman.

The superyacht was formally seized by Grant Shapps, then Transport Secretary, who said the move had turned an icon of Russias power and wealth into a clear and stark warning to Putin and his cronies.

Mr Shapps also posted a video of himself with the blue superyacht on TikTok, where he said: It cannot be right that oligarchs - people who benefited from Putin - should continue to sail in and out of London, or indeed anywhere in the UK, whilst that appalling war is taking place in Ukraine.

It followed an investigation by the Department for Transport, National Crime Agency and Border Force Maritime Investigation Bureau, which were investigating vessels with connections to Russia.

The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests and boasts six staterooms. According to its Dutch shipbuilders, the luxury vessel has a swimming pool and infinity wine cellar.

The Phi was the first superyacht in British waters seized by UK authorities following the Ukraine war.

This decision was later reviewed and maintained on two separate occasions, again by Mr Shapps in April 2022 and by current Transport Secretary Mark Harper in January.

In March, Mr Naumenko launched proceedings against Mr Harper, claiming that the Government breached his legal rights to the peaceful enjoyment of his possessions.



Earlier this month, a judge oversaw a preliminary High Court hearing in London and heard arguments from lawyers representing Mr Naumenko and Mr Harper.

Story continues

Mr Justice Chamberlain described Mr Naumenko as the beneficial owner of the Phi, which is owned by Prism Maritime and Dalston Projects in a corporate structure.

A full hearing to decide the Phis fate is scheduled for July.

The Department for Transport said it doesn't comment on legal proceedings.

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.
AP

Russia's central bank has $8.3 billion being held across Switzerland that have been immobilized.

Switzerland broke its historic neutrality last February to adopt EU sanctions against Russia.

Amid calls to seize the assets to help Ukraine, the Swiss government said discussions are ongoing.

Russia's central bank has $8.3 billion worth of assets in Switzerland that have been immobilized, according to the Swiss government.

The announcement followed new disclosure obligations that accompanied the latest sanctions package from the European Union.

Last February, Switzerland broke away from its historic neutrality to levy sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Western governments froze the Russian central bank's foreign exchange assets, effectively cutting it off from the global financial system.

The $8.3 billion, or 7.4 billion Swiss francs, in Russian central bank assets in Switzerland are separate from the 7.5 billion francs worth of assets belonging to Russian individuals and companies that were frozen as well.

Despite calls to seize the funds and hand them over to help with Ukraine's reconstruction, Swiss officials have been hesitant, saying that could potentially break Swiss law, according to Bloomberg.

Switzerland said on Wednesday that such discussions are ongoing and officials are following them closely.

Meanwhile, EU states are looking to target Chinese and Iranian firms plus other third countries that are circumventing existing sanctions against Russia.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the curbs were designed in "close coordination" with Group of Seven nations, Reuters reported Wednesday.

"If we see that goods are going from the European Union to third countries and then end up in Russia, we could propose to the member states to sanction those goods' export," she said, per Reuters. "This tool will be a last resort and it will be used cautiously."

Read the original article on Business Insider
FILE PHOTO: Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud speaks at the Future Investment Initiative conference, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ROTTERDAM (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the development of green energy and hydrogen.

The Netherlands could be the main destination for the transport of hydrogen derived from renewable energy sources from Saudi Arabia to Europe, Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said at the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam.

"Rotterdam would be our hub to Europe," the prince said, adding the Netherlands and Germany would be Saudi Arabia's "natural partners" in the green hydrogen trade.

"You are putting facilities on the ground, you are building storages and pipelines, you have a plan."

(Reporting by Toby Sterling and Bart Meijer; Editing by David Goodman and Mark Potter)
Coinbases top lawyer issued an apology Thursday to the PepeCoin (PEPE) community, capping off a frenzied 24-hour period during which the memecoins diehard fan base instigated a vocal campaign against the major crypto exchange.

Fans and holders of PEPE were upset at Coinbase for describing the original Pepe the Frog memeon which the popular coin is basedas having been co-opted as a hate symbol by alt-right groups in a Wednesday newsletter.

We screwed up and we are sorry, Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal tweeted Thursday. Yesterday, we shared an overview of the PEPE meme coin to provide a fact-based picture of a trending topic. This did not provide the whole picture of the history of the meme and we apologize to the community.

We screwed up and we are sorry. Yesterday we shared an overview of the $pepe meme coin to provide a fact-based picture of a trending topic. This did not provide the whole picture of the history of the meme and we apologize to the community.  paulgrewal.eth (@iampaulgrewal) May 11, 2023

The acknowledgement by Coinbase leadership comes after the hashtag #DeleteCoinbase trended on Twitter, with crypto influencers decrying the newsletters characterization of Pepe the Frog as involved with the alt-right as fraud and manipulation.

Pepe the Frog was originally created by artist Matt Furie as an innocuous animated frog character, featured in the 2005 comic, Boys Club. Over the course of the 2010s, Pepes likeness became a popular internet meme, which was later embraced by the alt-right on forums such as 4Chan and particularly by white supremacists during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Why is @coinbase sending out emails telling people that $pepe is an alt-right hate symbol?? pic.twitter.com/UNzClQlwwv  borovik.eth (@3orovik) May 11, 2023

Furie subsequently, however, engaged in multiple lawsuits to reclaim Pepe from those associations, notably winning a settlement against far-right provocateur Alex Jones show Infowars in 2019 over unauthorized use of the Pepe image in alt-right media.

Story continues

Over the same period, Pepe has enjoyed a massive resurgence in the crypto community, most recently in the form of a viral memecoin.

Launched last month, PepeCoin began as a joke cryptocurrency created in the same vein as Dogecoin. With no official connection to Furie or the original Pepe cartoon character, the near-worthless coin arrived with little fanfare, until a crypto investor bought trillions of PEPE for $250. Riding rising interest in the coin, the investor turned that sum into $1.02 million.

Uniswap Volume Leapfrogs Coinbase Thanks to Pepe and Meme Coins

PEPE immediately became an overnight sensation, blowing past a $1 billion dollar market cap after being launched on Binance, the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange, and surging Ethereum gas prices to highs not seen in a year. The coin is still worth well under a single cent, though, and has fallen over 61% in value since last weeks high, according to CoinGecko.

Nonetheless, the Pepecoin community appeared back in high spirits Thursday after Coinbases apology, with some community members depicting Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong as re-committed to the meme token faith.
(Bloomberg) -- Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte has emerged as the frontrunner to buy a stake in Messer SE, a deal that could value the German industrial gas maker at more than $10 billion, people familiar with the matter said.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The investment firm is in talks to inject about 2 billion ($2.2 billion) into Messer in return for a 20% stake, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.

While GIC is currently seen as the most likely investor, EQT AB was also shortlisted and remains interested, they said.

Messer, which is based on the outskirts of Frankfurt, has been under family control for 125 years. The stake sale would give key shareholder representatives Stefan Messer and his son Marcel Messer ammunition to buy full control of a joint venture with CVC Capital Partners.

The German company has been in talks to buy out the private equity firm from the JV, known as Messer Industries GmbH, which owns former Linde assets in North and South America. Those negotiations are ongoing and havent led to an agreement on terms yet, the people said.

Any deal would mark the second marquee investment in a family-owned German industrial group in as many months. Closely-held manufacturing company Viessmann agreed last month to sell most of its business to US air conditioner maker Carrier Global Corp. for about 12 billion. The value of industrials deals globally stands at $140 billion this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, down 30% on the same point in 2022.

Representatives for EQT, CVC, Messer and GIC declined to comment.

Bloomberg News reported in January that Messer was in talks to raise funds from external investors and had sounded out sovereign wealth funds and buyout firms.

Story continues

Messers operations have more than 11,000 employees globally and reported about 4.2 billion of sales in 2022, according to its website. The company, which focuses on industrial, medical and specialty gases, competes with companies such as Air Liquide SA and Air Products & Chemicals Inc. Beyond industrial gases, the company also builds cutting systems and gas control equipment.

GIC is estimated to manage about $690 billion of assets, according to research firm Global SWF.

--With assistance from Elffie Chew.

(Adds deal volumes in sixth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Italian gas group Snam logo is seen outside their office in Rome

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian gas grid operator Snam on Thursday confirmed its targets for this year after reporting a 13% year-on-year rise in revenue for the first quarter.

Sales between January and March rose to 912 million euros ($1 billion) driven by the group's regulated business, the company said.

Adjusted core earnings rose 1.5% to 597 million euros in the period thanks to the growth in the group's energy transition business.

Gas demand in Italy in the first quarter of 2023 amounted to 20.5 billion cubic metres (bcm), down 19% year-on-year due to lower consumption in all sectors that Snam operates in.

Snam said the most recent estimates on the evolution in gas demand in Italy for 2023 were in line with 2022, when the country consumed 69 bcm.

The group, which also manages the bulk of Italy's gas storage facilities, said the country was in good shape ahead of a winter season in which imports from Russia were expected to fall further.

"We face the coming winter with a much stronger and more resilient energy system thanks to storage facilities that are still 65% full," Snam CEO Stefano Venier said in a statement.

The group is completing work on its new liquefied natural (LNG) gas terminal in the Tuscan port of Piombino, which is expected to start commercial operations by the end of this month.

($1 = 0.9084 euros)

(Reporting by Francesca Landini Editing by Alvise Armellini and Mark Potter)
Rmcarvalho / Getty Images/iStockphoto

If you come across an old jar of pocket change while decluttering your house, take a close look before you head to your local Coinstar kiosk. There might be some hidden gems that look just like the rest at a glance, but are actually worth more than the money in your wallet  or, if youre really lucky, your retirement account.

Explore: Keep an Eye Out for Rare Dime Worth as Much as $2,000  How To Spot It

Read: How To Build Your Savings From Scratch

Coins dont have to come from a shipwrecked Spanish galleon to be valuable. In fact, many of the priciest coins on the market were in circulation as legal tender right here in America not so long ago.

Keep a lookout for the following penny, nickel, quarter and dollar the next time you find some change between the couch cushions.

1969-S Doubled Die Lincoln Cent

An old saying goes, If you find a penny, pick it up, and all day long youll have good luck.

If that penny happens to be a 1969-S Lincoln doubled die penny, your luck will last a whole lot more than a day.

According to the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), California coin dealer Sam Lukes sold one that he acquired from a New York collector for $10,000 in 1994. Five years later in 1999, he rebought it and resold it for $25,000. He sold another one in 2001 for $35,000, then another in 2002 for $59,500.

It could happen to you.

In 2007, a collector bought two rolls of 1969-S cents and found one Lincoln doubled die in each roll. In 2010, a 60-year-old military veteran found a high-grade example. According to PCGS, many other examples have turned up in the ensuing years.

Take Our Poll: Are You Concerned About the Safety of Your Money in Your Bank Accounts?

1937-D 3-Legged Buffalo Nickel

According to PCGS, the Denver Mint used a worn reverse die to strike the 1937 Buffalo nickel, and the result was a phantom fourth leg. That error made the three-legged Buffalo nickel one of the most famous coins of the 20th century. And, with nearly 18 million of them struck, you might find one in your old piggy bank.

Story continues

Although perfect gems are a rare find, mint condition examples arent particularly hard to come by  and certainly not those in circulated condition. But because its such a fun and famous coin, even the riff-raff commands over $1,000 each, with pristine examples selling for well into the five figures.

1901-S Barber Quarter

Only 72,664 1901-S Barber quarters were ever struck, which makes it one of the 20th centurys rarest regular-issue silver coins. According to PCGS, high-grade specimens are rare, and mint examples  which can fetch six figures  are incredibly scarce, but you very well might be sitting on one of the many surviving low-grade specimens.

Because its considered the key coin in the regular-strike Barber series, Even in the lowest grades, it commands thousands of dollars, coin expert Jaime Hernandez wrote for PCGS.

1893-S Morgan Dollar

PCGS calls the 1893-S $1 coin the true king of the Morgan dollar series, and in Mint State condition, its absolutely the rarest Morgan dollar.

You probably wont find one unless youre really lucky, but scour those old shoe boxes in your attic, because a particularly pristine example sold for $1.86 million in 2021  $2.09 million with buyers fees. Another fetched $735,000 at a Sothebys auction in 2018.

Its believed that fewer than 10,000 survive from the original 100,000 that were minted, but only a few dozen are in mint condition and gems are even rarer. Most come from a collection of 28 that were found in an original mint bag discovered in a bank in Great Falls, Montana in the early 1960s.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Have Spare Change Lying Around? These Coins Can Earn You Big Money
Russian President Vladimir Putin - Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Pool via REUTERS

A real war is being waged against our motherland! Vladimir Putin boomed at crowds in Moscows Red Square this week. Yet even as his armoured cars and military trucks rolled across the cobbles in the annual Victory Day Parade, Western cyber experts were delivering the Russian leader a gift to remember.

The Snake malicious software (malware) network, used by Russias FSB spy agency, was knocked offline by the Wests Five Eyes espionage alliance on Tuesday in a multinational swoop codenamed Operation Medusa.

Their takedown has disabled a vital Kremlin tool for interfering in Western elections, disrupting businesses and gathering intelligence on Moscows enemies  ending a two-decade-long cyber spying campaign that indiscriminately targeted businesses and Western governments alike.

Paul Chichester, the National Cyber Security Centres director of operations, describes Snake as a highly sophisticated espionage tool used by Russian cyber actors, adding that Op Medusa helped expose the tactics and techniques being used against targets that his US counterparts claim included Nato governments and countless corporations.

A spokesman for Canadas Communications Security Establishment says: This collective effort to counter Snake and Snake related tools has been ongoing for almost 20 years as the threat actor has adapted and adjusted their malware to keep it viable after repeated public disclosures and mitigation measures.

In a landmark piece of cooperation between the Wests five pre-eminent cyber powers  Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the US  the networks of computers used to control Snakes central piece of malware were kicked off the internet, effectively rendering Russian operatives blind.

Vladimir Putin raged against the West in his Victory Day parade speech this week - Sputnik/Dmitry Astakhov/Pool via REUTERS

In public documents, Western intelligence authorities describe Snake being deployed in an insidious and years-long campaign against the interests of global democracy.

The FSB used it to steal sensitive diplomatic documents from one Nato country, while also targeting financial services, critical manufacturers and media organisations across the free world. The personal computer of an unnamed journalist at a US media company was also infected.

Story continues

John Hultquist, head of Google-owned Mandiant Intelligence Analysis, adds that at one point the FSB used Snake to eavesdrop on an Iranian hacking campaign, quietly helping themselves to information being stolen from a Western organisation even as the Iranians congratulated themselves on pulling off an intelligence coup.

Experts agree that Snake is one of the most insidious tools of its kind. Hultquist describes the cyber campaign as one that weve known for the longest as well as being probably one of the slipperiest and most difficult to track.

They've been targeting the UK for a very long time, says Hultquist.

They've had a lot of operations there in my experience. But, you know, there's operations in Ukraine right now, there's operations throughout Europe.

There's really no better time to blind their intelligence collectors than then when they need it most, he continues, referring to Russias defence against Ukraines long-awaited military counteroffensive.

Soviet tank E-34 - M24/Moscow News Agency via AP

Snakes direct origins lie in 2003, when FSB computer experts began developing a piece of custom malware codenamed Ouroboros by their Western counterparts.

That system was eventually deployed against the West in 2008, when a USB drive loaded with malicious software was picked up and inserted into a computer by a curious American soldier in the Middle East.

The resulting cascade of virus infections took the US military 14 months to completely eradicate from its networks, with desperate commanders even resorting to a blanket ban on USB sticks.

Created and maintained by a Russian unit known variously as Centre 16 or Unit 71330, the malware was so powerful that even FSB personnel at their base in Ryazan, 130 miles south-east of Moscow, struggled to use it properly.

Our investigations have identified examples of FSB operators  who appeared to be unfamiliar with Snakes more advanced capabilities, FBI prosecutors told US federal courts.

But even as the Russians grappled with Snake, US spies were keeping tabs on activity at the Centre 16 buildings from where the espionage tool was deployed and learning its weaknesses.

The culmination of Operation Medusa was an FBI technique to overwrite vital components of the Snake malware without affecting any legitimate applications or files on infected machines, wiping the Russian program from each computer in one fell swoop.

Chester Wisniewski, chief technical officer for applied research at the cyber security company Sophos, says it took the Russians years and years to develop Snake and that its loss will hit Putins spies hard.

Only weeks of breathing space

GCHQ - CREDIT: Barry Batchelor/PA

The story of the system's collapse sheds new light on the shadowy battle taking place between rival governments online.

FBI intelligence operatives developed a way of secretly tracking how Snake was able to infect target computers and quietly ping its Russian operators to tell them a freshly compromised computer was available for their use.

Using this technique, the FBI mapped out not only Snakes victims but the all-important command-and-control network that gave the software its venom.

Professor Alan Woodward, a cyber security expert from the University of Surrey, says Snakes technical features made it extremely difficult for the West to track down its weak spots. Yet the Russians made crucial mistakes that helped cyber experts cut off the Snakes heads.

Woodward explains that Snake uses a common piece of software called OpenSSL to help encrypt its web traffic so that it is hard for prying eyes to decode. However, an error by a user meant the West's spies were able to break through this protection.

Someone used this function incorrectly and established [encryption] keys that were not strong enough to withstand known attacks," he says.

"Hence, the law enforcement agencies were able to see exactly how it was operating and [identify] the ultimate recipients of the data being stolen.

They left some pointers for investigators, such as keywords and function names Its easily done when youre in a hurry but its not a fundamental flaw of Snake."

For all the Wests congratulatory back-slapping at this weeks takedown, however, experts all agree that the takedown is a temporary setback and not a permanent victory.

Don Smith, of cyber security company Secureworks, estimates that Snake might be back online within weeks. Sophos Wisniewski and Mandiants Hultquist both give it months at most.

All compare the malwares operations with cyber crime networks of the sort that their respective companies track  and all expect that the FSB will soon resurrect its beheaded Snake.

This was a victory for the cat, says Wisniewski, but the mice are wily - and theyre breeding fast.

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.
Alex Bouaziz, CEO of Deel, said being able to hire workers in Latin America for less money is "definitely something to think about" for US companies. Deel

Global human resources company Deel says more US-based companies are hiring workers from Latin America.

Deel's CEO says US companies can hire Latin America-based staff at a lower cost than domestic employees.

Clients of Deel pay an average of $74,000 for full-time workers in certain tech-focused areas.

As US companies continue laying off workers amid a downturn in the economy, some are also hiring employees  but they're looking not far from home.



It's called "nearshoring," and in this case it's companies zeroing in on workers from Latin America who can work in a time zone close to the US  and for less money than US-based staff.

Deel, a global human resources company, told Bloomberg that it estimated 3,000 US companies have used its platform to hire workers in Latin America in the first quarter of this year.

"If for the price of 10 engineers in the US, we can hire 100 engineers in Brazil, there's definitely something to think about there," Alex Bouaziz, CEO of Deel, told Bloomberg.

Companies that work with Deel pay an average annual salary to full-time contracted staff of $74,000 in Latin America in areas like engineering and product design, Bloomberg reported. US software developers earn a median salary of $127,000, Bloomberg said, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Deel said in the first quarter of this year, it's seen a 50% increase in US companies hiring workers from Latin America when compared to the same quarter last year. Most of the workers come from engineering hubs in Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil, according to Deel.

Deel's 2022 State of Global Hiring Report shows that Latin American countries were at the top of the list from where global companies were hiring. The firm's report uses data from its own 260,000 worker contracts across 160 countries and also draws from other external global data points.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- The US Supreme Court upheld Californias new humane-pork law, rejecting an industry challenge in a ruling buttressing the power of states to impose rules that have a broad economic impact on other parts of the country.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The ruling could force pork producers to implement costly changes to keep selling in the countrys most populous state. The industry argued unsuccessfully that California is violating the Constitution by regulating commerce outside its borders.

Writing for the court, Justice Neil Gorsuch said the pork industry would have us cast aside caution for boldness by intervening where Congress had declined to act. He said producers have failed  repeatedly  to persuade Congress to use its express Commerce Clause authority to adopt a uniform rule for pork production.

The law, approved through a 2018 ballot initiative, bans the sale of pork in California unless pregnant pigs are allowed at least 24 square feet (2.2 square meters) of space. Industry groups say the practical effect is to force out-of-state producers to make costly changes. California imports more than 99% of the pork it consumes.

We are very disappointed, said Scott Hays, president of the National Pork Producers Council, which led the challenge to the law. Allowing state overreach will increase prices for consumers and drive small farms out of business, leading to more consolidation.

The law, known as Proposition 12, will have a staggering impact on pork farmers, consumers, and interstate commerce as a whole, Beth Milito, executive director of the National Federation of Independent Businesss Small Business Legal Center, said in an emailed statement. Todays decision sets a dangerous precedent, and small businesses will bear the consequences.

Story continues

Animal-rights groups hailed the ruling.

Were delighted that the Supreme Court has upheld California Proposition 12  the nations strongest farm animal welfare law  and made clear that preventing animal cruelty and protecting public health are core functions of our state governments, Kitty Block, president of the Humane Society of the United States, said in an emailed statement.

No Ideological Divide

The National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation contended the measure violates the so-called dormant commerce clause, a legal doctrine that says the US Constitution limits the power of states to regulate commerce outside their borders without congressional authorization.

The ruling cut across the courts left-right divide. Justices Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett joined Gorsuch in voting to toss out the lawsuit.

The majority splintered in some of its reasoning. Gorsuch, Thomas, Sotomayor and Kagan said the producers hadnt shown the measure would impose a substantial burden on interstate commerce. Barrett disagreed with that assessment but said courts werent capable of weighing Californias moral judgments against the economic costs of the law.

Four justices  Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson  said they would have kicked the case back to a federal appeals court for more scrutiny. Writing for the group, Roberts said the challengers plausibly allege a substantial burden on interstate commerce.

Pitting States

The industry argued that a ruling for California would pit states against one another, letting them impose their own moral and ideological demands on companies elsewhere before products could be sold.

The Biden administration took the pork producers side. The pharmaceutical industry also backed the pork lobby, saying the case could affect litigation over state laws that seek to regulate the nationwide list prices of drugs.

California said the dormant commerce clause guards against economic protectionism, not against neutral restrictions on in-state sales. The state accused the industry of overstating the impact of the law, arguing that pork producers already segregate supply chains to sell products labeled as antibiotic-free and crate-free.

The case is National Pork Producers Council v. Ross, 21-468.

--With assistance from Deena Shanker and Michael Hirtzer.

(Updates with reaction starting in fifth paragraph, details on breakdown starting in ninth.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Texas lawmakers on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of an update to the states Bill of Rights to include the right of the people to own, hold, and use digital currencies.

Introduced by State Representative Giovani Capriglione, Bill HJR 146 states that the right of the people to own, hold, and use a mutually agreed upon medium of exchange, including cash, coin, bullion, digital currency, or scrip, when trading and contracting for goods and services shall not be infringed.

No government shall prohibit or encumber ownership or holding of any form or any amount of money or other currency, reads the document, which received 139 votes in favor and only two against.

The Texas Bill of Rights is similar to the U.S. Bill of Rights in that it protects fundamental freedoms such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. However, it also includes provisions that are specific to Texas, such as the right to a speedy trial and the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.

If passed and signed, the latest update will also give the people of Texas the right to use cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. Tom Glass, the founder of the Texas Constitutional Enforcement group, said that there's "one more vote in the House on HJR 146 and then on to the Senate and a vote of the people."

Other commentators also noted that this is the far superior approach to combating central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) as instead of banning, the bill just makes them worthless.

CBDCs Are Designed to 'Destroy All the Value of Bitcoin': US Senator Ted Cruz

Protecting financial privacy of Texans

Glass elaborated on the Bill, saying that the objective of adding the right to own, hold, and use digital currencies to the Texas Bill of Rights "is to make a case in the federal judiciary to invoke the 9th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which says that there are other natural rights besides those in the first 8 amendments.

Objective of adding this to the Texas Bill of Rights is to make a case in the federal judiciary to invoke the 9th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which says that there are other natural rights besides those in the first 8 amendments. If Texas recognizes, the feds should under  Tom Glass (@tomgglass) May 11, 2023

The Texas Constitutional Enforcement group added that the use of cash substitutes is "essential" for protecting Texans' financial privacy.

Story continues

An unstable dollar can destroy the wealth that Texans have spent a lifetime producing. Texas cannot allow global financial elites to force Texans to use and pay for their services, leaving all of their financial eggs in one basket, subject to devaluation and confiscation, the group said in an article in support of Bill HJR 146.

It added that the people of the Lone State cannot allow their financial privacy to be destroyed being forced into having every financial transaction they make subject to scrutiny by prying government officials, competitors, and employers.

Texas senator Ted Cruz last month warned of risks associated with the possible introduction of CBDCs, saying that 'the same people that want to see a CBDC, they hate Bitcoin, and they hate cash."
(Bloomberg) -- As the sun set over Bangkok in late March, a Thai graffiti artist walked up to the pearl-white walls of the 18th-century Grand Palace and spray-painted an anarchy symbol along with the numbers 112 crossed out, like a No Smoking sign.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Within minutes, police tackled Suttawee Soikham, 25, and pinned him to the ground. Although he was only hit with charges related to public vandalism that night, he was arrested days later over an old Facebook post for breaching Article 112, a law known as lese majeste that can put offenders behind bars for as many as 15 years if theyre convicted of insulting the king or several other top royals  the very statute he was protesting.

Then something happened that wouldve been unthinkable just a few years ago: Footage of the scene went viral on social media, prompting copycat graffiti to pop up at bus stops, taxi stands and Skytrain stations across the capital.

The incident is the latest example of a broader transformation taking place in Thailand since the last national election in 2019, as a new generation publicly challenges a conservative political establishment revolving around the monarchy, the countrys most powerful institution helmed by 70-year-old King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Any criticism that in decades past would typically have been whispered in secret is now being openly talked about ahead of the May 14 vote.

The wave of royal skepticism has found a home in the political party Move Forward, the only mainstream group calling for changes to Article 112 to allow greater freedom to discuss the monarchy. The party is surging in the polls, second only behind a pro-democracy group backed by Thaksin Shinawatra, an exiled former prime minister whose various political parties have won the most seats in every election since 2001  only to see generals and judges aligned with the monarchy boot them out of office or disband them entirely.

Story continues

The sentiment of the era has changed, Pita Limjaroenrat, Move Forwards 42-year-old leader who has surged to the top of recent surveys among individual candidates for prime minister, said in an interview. Those that stand to lose out, he added, are the top 1%, which is the elite, the military, the money.

The phenomenon represents one of the biggest challenges in years to the military and royal establishment, which have aligned to prevent democracy from taking hold. The perpetual sparring  the past two decades have seen two coups, multiple constitutions and several bouts of violent street protests, including unprecedented demonstrations in 2020 targeting the monarchy  has eroded the Southeast Asian nations economic competitiveness just as multinationals look to shift production out of China. Thailands stock market is among the worst performers in Asia this year.

READ: How Military Has a Thumb on Scales in Thai Election: QuickTake

The election outcome is likely to be messy. Even though polls indicate a landslide win for pro-democracy parties against groups backed by the army, a military-appointed Senate ensures the generals have a say in who becomes prime minister. If the Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai party manages to form a coalition government, it then faces the risk of another coup or disbandment if it tries to fundamentally change the political system to erode the power of the military or monarchy.

The eventual showdown will center on how Thailands traditional centers of power react and respond to these demands for reform, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Anti-monarchy sentiments are growing, and the prime minister has to be able to keep a lid on things.

King Vajiralongkorn, who attended the coronation of King Charles III in London last week, has appeared to spend more time in Thailand since the 2020 protests, a contrast to previous years where he spent long stints in Germany. In recent months, the monarch has presided over university graduation ceremonies, performed Buddhist ceremonies and even cooked various Thai dishes for medical staff.

Read more on Thai politics

A representative of the royal palace said it doesnt comment on social issues and trends. A government spokesman said the administration isnt commenting on political issues during an election campaign, and referred questions to Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ochas United Thai Nation party, whose spokesperson didnt answer repeated calls for comment.

Tensions have been brewing since 2016, when King Vajiralongkorn took the throne following the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years before passing away at the age of 88. The new monarch quickly asserted his authority, taking direct command of some army units and acquiring personal ownership of Crown Property Bureau assets valued at tens of billions of dollars, including a controlling stake in the nations biggest bank by market value.

King Vajiralongkorn also played a role in the 2019 election, revoking royal decorations given to Thaksin about a week after the inconclusive vote in what was seen as a signal to other parties to avoid working with him to form a coalition. That set the stage for a pro-military party to form a government helmed by Prayuth, a former army chief who led a coup in 2014 and has ruled ever since.

That election also saw the rise of Future Forward to become the second-largest opposition party, attracting younger voters fighting for democracy and questioning the monarchy. In October 2019, 70 lawmakers from the party voted against an emergency decree to transfer some army units to King Vajiralongkorns command, stunning a nation that treats top royals as semi-divine. A court disbanded the party a few months later, and Move Forward emerged as a successor.

Tensions boiled over in 2020, when a student-led protest movement broke longstanding Thai taboos by openly calling for more checks and balances on the monarchy. Although the near-daily protests eventually petered out, many of those who participated are standing for the election with Move Forward.

The movement has started cultural and structural changes, and more importantly it has chipped away at the traditional symbols of power, said Piyarat Chongthep, 32, who was on the front lines of the 2020 protests and is now a candidate with the party.

We dont need to pull out a crossbow or a knife to hurt our enemies, he said. Instead, we have to be what theyre most afraid of: an elected representative of the people.

Piyarat faces almost two dozen charges, including three counts of lese majeste. Hes among nearly 250 people facing lese majeste charges since the demonstrations started in July 2020, according to statistics compiled by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. Under Thai election rules, Piyarat can run for office but he will be disqualified immediately if hes both convicted of a crime and thrown into jail.

Chonthicha Jangrew, a 30-year-old former activist who is also a Move Forward candidate, said she was inspired to run for parliament after watching lawmakers refuse to discuss monarchy reforms in the wake of the protests, which saw young people seeking change hit with tear gas, rubber bullets and police batons.

It made me realize that you cant just change the country from the streets, she said.

All the other political parties are avoiding discussions of the monarchy on the campaign trail, instead competing on a similar slate of populist proposals such as wage increases and suspension of debt repayments. The issue may even prompt the frontrunner Pheu Thai, now led by Thaksins daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, to avoid linking up with Move Forward after the election due to fear of being disbanded.

Conservative royalist groups are gearing up for a fight. Prayuths military-aligned United Thai Nation party warned this week that a win for opposition parties will drag Thailand backward into a black hole of conflict and mutiny.

The monarchy is under attack, said Warong Dechgitvigrom, who started a political party called Thai Pakdee, which advocates making the lese majeste law more stringent.

The institution is a spiritual center of the country, but a group of people blames it as a problem, he said in an interview. Thats not true. This group is seeking to change Thailand to be a republic.

Still, the shifting views on the monarchy are also evident more broadly across Thai society.

Many movie-goers no longer stand up when the royal anthem video plays before films, something that in years past has led to brawls and lawsuits. Street graffiti, stickers, and other public displays of frustration are popping up around Bangkok and elsewhere.

Students are also becoming more politically active, pushing back against conservative rules regulating school uniforms and hair styles. One group called Bad Students has been giving out a book to help students survive what it calls authoritarianism in schools, where young people are taught from an early age to respect the monarchy.

Although protesters are no longer on the streets, the impact of the demonstrations is still resonating throughout society and may take decades to change the system, according to Piyarat, the Move Forward candidate.

The impact of the protests cant be measured in statistics, but only in time, he said. I might not live to see it then, but I believe that day will come.

(Updates with latest surveys in sixth paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Transpennine Express

Rishi Sunak has nationalised one of Britains biggest train operators after passengers suffered months of significant disruption and regular cancellations.



FirstGroup, the London-listed transport group, will be stripped of the TransPennine Express franchise at the end of this month.



It is the latest rail operator to be brought back into public ownership after Southeastern was nationalised in 2021. Fellow red wall seat operator Northern Rail was brought in public ownership in February 2020. The east coast main line, now called LNER, was nationalised in 2018.

FirstGroup also runs much-criticised west coast main line services under a joint venture called Avanti.



Mark Harper, Transport Secretary, said: After months of commuters and Northern businesses bearing the brunt of continuous cancellations, Ive made the decision to bring TransPennine Express into Operator of Last Resort.

This is not a silver bullet and will not instantaneously fix a number of challenges being faced.

FirstGroup hit out at the TransPennine Express decision, saying it was "disappointed" and claiming it had made improvements to services. Passenger numbers rose from 14 million in 2004 when FirstGroup took the contract over to 29 million before the pandemic.

The operator, which covers an area across northern England and into Scotland, has been badly affected by drivers who are members of the Aslef union no longer volunteering to work paid overtime shifts.

Latest figures show TPE cancelled the equivalent of one in six services across most of March.

Mr Harper added: We have played our part but Aslef now need to play theirs by calling off strikes and the rest day working ban, putting the very fair and reasonable pay offer to a democratic vote of their members.

FirstGroup's TransPennine Express - Andrew Findlay

Graham Sutherland, FirstGroup chief executive, said: [We]are very proud to have served the communities across Northern England and into Scotland, carrying millions of passengers and introducing new trains, new routes and more seats for our customers.

Story continues

Our team have worked extremely hard to improve services, including by recruiting and training more drivers than ever before. We have also worked closely with the DfT and Transport for the North on an agreed recovery plan as well as an improved offer on overtime working for our drivers.

Todays decision does not alter our belief in the important role of private rail operators in the delivery of vital, environmentally-friendly transport for customers and communities across the UK.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of watchdog Transport Focus, said: TransPennine Express passengers have endured an unacceptable service for too long. In our latest survey TransPennine Express was rated the joint worst performing train operator and just 67pc of passengers were satisfied with how punctual their journey was.

Whichever organisation runs TransPennine Express rail services, under whatever contractual arrangements, passengers will want to see a much more reliable service. Its clear that passengers deserve better, and the operator needs to take action to improve performance and build back passenger trust.

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.
When you buy shares in a company, it's worth keeping in mind the possibility that it could fail, and you could lose your money. But on a lighter note, a good company can see its share price rise well over 100%. One great example is Trex Company, Inc. (NYSE:TREX) which saw its share price drive 114% higher over five years. In more good news, the share price has risen 22% in thirty days. We note that Trex Company reported its financial results recently; luckily, you can catch up on the latest revenue and profit numbers in our company report.

Since it's been a strong week for Trex Company shareholders, let's have a look at trend of the longer term fundamentals.

View our latest analysis for Trex Company

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

During five years of share price growth, Trex Company achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 9.9% per year. This EPS growth is slower than the share price growth of 16% per year, over the same period. This suggests that market participants hold the company in higher regard, these days. And that's hardly shocking given the track record of growth.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. It's always worth keeping an eye on CEO pay, but a more important question is whether the company will grow earnings throughout the years. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Trex Company's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

Trex Company shareholders have received returns of 6.1% over twelve months, which isn't far from the general market return. We should note here that the five-year TSR is more impressive, at 16% per year. More recently, the share price growth has slowed. But it has to be said the overall picture is one of good long term and short term performance. Arguably that makes Trex Company a stock worth watching. 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. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Trex Company you should be aware of.

Story continues

But note: Trex Company 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
FILE PHOTO: Ouster's lidar, used in scanning the area on a self-driving vehicle, is seen at the technology company's office in San Francisco

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. International Trade Commission voted on Thursday to institute an investigation into a patent complaint filed by Ouster Inc against Chinese rival Hesai Group.

As a result of the investigation, an International Trade Commission administrative law judge will schedule a hearing into Ouster's request for the United States to bar imports of allegedly infringing Hesai products.Ouster, a San Francisco-based provider of lidar light sensors used in fields like autonomous vehicles, defense and robotics, said in its suit filed April 11 that Hesai incorporated its digital lidar technology in the Shanghai-based company's sensors.

(Reporting by Caitlin Webber and Blake Brittan; editing by Paul Grant)
Commentary: Opening up a new era of China-Central Asia cooperation

08:13, May 11, 2023 By Zhang Yisheng, Yang Dehong ( Xinhua

Train No. X9015, a China-Europe freight train, leaves for Kazakhstan from Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, July 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

China and Central Asian countries, with their interests closely entwined, have stood together through thick and thin. Strengthening relations between China and Central Asian countries is crucial to themselves as well as the peace and development of the region.

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- More than 2,100 years ago, Zhang Qian set off from what is now the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an as an envoy of Han Dynasty. He braved a world of uncertainties and traveled westward through harsh terrain to Central Asia.

Zhang's pioneering expedition opened up a route that later became the Silk Road, which saw flourishing interactions between China and Central Asia.

This aerial photo taken on April 15, 2023 shows a view of a scenic moat area along the ancient city wall in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

Next week, the heads of state of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will attend the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi'an, which will draw a new blueprint for China-Central Asia relations and open up a new era of cooperation.

Primarily, the summit will further deepen strategic mutual trust between China and Central Asian countries.

Over the past decade, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries, the two sides have made a series of historic and groundbreaking achievements in cooperation.

In January 2022, a virtual summit was held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Central Asian countries, and China-Central Asia cooperation mechanisms were created. Then, in September 2022, Xi attended the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, and paid state visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The forthcoming event in Xi'an is the first summit held offline by the heads of state of the six countries since the establishment of diplomatic ties 31 years ago. During the summit, the heads of state will review the development of China-Central Asia relations and exchange views on China-Central Asia mechanism building, cooperation in various fields and major international and regional issues of common interest.

Moreover, the landmark gathering will inject new impetus into high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Central Asia is where the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was initiated. In a speech delivered at Kazakhstan's Nazarbayev University on Sept. 7, 2013, Xi for the first time proposed building the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Central Asian countries were among the first to publicly support the BRI and also pioneers in Belt and Road cooperation.

Photo taken on Sept. 13, 2022 shows some wind turbines at the 100-MW Zhanatas wind farm near the city of Zhanatas in the Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan. The wind farm, with 40 wind turbines and a combined capacity of 100 megawatts, is jointly-held by China Power International Holding and Visor Kazakhstan. (Photo by Dmitry Vasilenko/Xinhua)

In the past 10 years, the five Central Asian countries have taken an active part in the BRI, turning Central Asia into a demonstration zone of Belt and Road cooperation. China and the Central Asian countries have strengthened the synergy of their development strategies and actively promoted policy coordination, connectivity of infrastructure and facilities, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people bonds.

During the approaching summit, all parties will discuss how to further promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Additionally, the summit will draw up a new blueprint for strengthening practical cooperation.

Currently, China-Central Asia cooperation is at an all-time high, and mutually beneficial cooperation has delivered tangible benefits to the six countries and their peoples.

China is the largest trading and investment partner of the five Central Asian countries. Trade between China and the five countries reached 70.2 billion U.S. dollars last year, a historic high. By the end of 2022, China's direct investment stock in the five countries reached nearly 15 billion dollars.

During next week's summit, the heads of state will review the history of friendly exchanges, sort out the fruits of cooperation, and put forward new cooperation initiatives, so as to advance all-round, deep and multidimensional cooperation between China and Central Asia in a solid and efficient manner, and foster a new cooperation pattern featuring a high degree of complementarity and win-win results.

Last but not least, the summit will make new contributions to maintaining regional security.

China and Central Asian countries, with their interests closely entwined, have stood together through thick and thin. So strengthening relations between China and Central Asian countries is crucial to themselves as well as the peace and development of the region.

Through bilateral cooperation and multilateral platforms such as the SCO and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, China and Central Asian countries have achieved remarkable results in jointly cracking down on religious extremists, ethnic separatists and violent terrorist forces, effectively guaranteeing national and regional security.

Besides, China and Central Asian countries respect each other's choice of development path based on national conditions, support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, firmly oppose external interference in internal affairs, and do not allow anyone or any force to create chaos and turmoil in Central Asia.

At the upcoming summit, all parties will reaffirm their consistent position of firm support for each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, exchange views on the situation in Afghanistan and other regional and international hotspot issues, and send a shared message of upholding multilateralism and jointly safeguarding regional and world peace and security.

As China-Central Asia cooperation meets the needs of the six countries and the expectations of their peoples, the summit in Xi'an will certainly usher in a new era of China-Central Asia cooperation, and help build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
(Bloomberg) -- UBS Group AG bankers assessing Credit Suisse Group AGs business have flagged concerns about some portfolios of loans in high-growth Asian countries as the firm decides which assets to tag for a wind-down unit.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The concerns over lending relationships across traditionally high-risk markets including Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and India could lead to the assets being runoff or sold, people with knowledge of the matter said. UBS is zeroing in on past procedures and some loans effectively in distressed status, one person said.

UBS, which stepped in to rescue Credit Suisse after a crisis of confidence, is weighing options to address the issues including selling parts of the Asia credit book to private debt firms or unwinding the loans, some of the people said. No final decision has been made, they said.

The two banks declined to comment through representatives.

UBS is in a race to understand the risk its taking on at Credit Suisse after a series of scandals and risk management failures in the years running up to the smaller firms collapse. That included its backing for Luckin Coffee founder Lu Zhengyao, praised by former Chief Executive Officer Tidjane Thiam as a poster child for his strategy of doing more business with wealthy Asian entrepreneurs. The bank lent Lu millions of dollars, only to be left staring at steep losses, along with other lenders, when the stock imploded in an accounting fraud.

UBS has already indicated that its seeking to cut back some of Credit Suisses riskier operations at the investment bank and will screen bankers to make sure they fit with the firms values and risk approach. Chief Executive Officer Sergio Ermotti also signaled recently that there may be cases where UBS has a different view on some Credit Suisse wealth clients and may not take them on.

Story continues

UBS is known for having a more conservative lending profile than its erstwhile rival, though has pushed to lend more in recent years under wealth head Iqbal Khan. In a business where banks typically give lombard loans and credit against diversified investment portfolios, Credit Suisse occasionally accepted single stocks and hard to value collateral such as yachts and aircraft as security.

After the March rescue, UBS sent a so-called clean team of about 100 people to Credit Suisse to assess client rosters and talent, as well as to determine business lines which should be earmarked for the wind-down unit, people with knowledge of the matter said earlier.

UBS this week appointed Ulrich Koerner to its top management body, giving the chief executive officer of Credit Suisse a key role in overseeing the complex combination of the two firms. UBS is aiming to complete the deal as soon as this month, with the urgency heightened by the smaller rivals warning the limbo state has caused a spike in employee turnover.

Credit Suisses aggressive decade long push into South East Asia, where it also lent to billionaire families including Indonesias Bakrie family, helped make it the go-to foreign bank for many wealthy business families in the region. The Bakrie empire includes interests from property development to mining. Vietnams Vingroup JSC, another Credit Suisse client, oversees assets across real estate, technology and retail industries.

The region was highlighted by Thiam as a key growth driver when he was appointed to the role in 2015. It was carved out from Europe, giving local managers more clout over lending and capital, before seeing its stature diminished under a restructuring undertaken by Thiams successor Thomas Gottstein.

--With assistance from Chanyaporn Chanjaroen.

(Updates with UBSs management reshuffle in the ninth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the BBC that Ukraine needs more time to prepare for its anticipated counteroffensive against Russian occupation forces. Zelenskiy earlier said that Kyiv was conducting intensive work with partners on new defense packages and decisions are expected shortly.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The UK has provided Ukraine with multiple Storm Shadow cruise missiles, with a firing range in excess of 250 kilometers (155 miles), to use in Kyivs expected counteroffensive. The US has accused South Africa of supplying arms to Russia, according to a South African news website; President Cyril Ramaphosa said hes looking into the claims.

A two-day meeting on the Black Sea grain deal between United Nations officials and deputy defense ministers from Turkey, Russia and Ukraine ended in Istanbul with constructive progress but no resolution.

Key Developments

Ukraine Needs More Than a $30 Billion Arsenal for Counterstrike

UK Sends Long-Range Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles to Ukraine

Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Needs More Time to Start Counteroffensive

(All times CET)

Pope Could Meet With Zelenskiy This Weekend (8:52 p.m.)

A Vatican official said Pope Francis could meet with Zelenskiy this weekend, according to the Associated Press.

Francis has called for an end to the war and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainians.

Zelenskiy was expected in Germany starting Saturday evening. Italian media, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that Zelenskyy might be in Rome earlier that day to meet with Premier Giorgia Meloni and the pope.

A meeting with the pontiff is a possibility the Vatican official told the AP on the condition of anonymity.

Story continues

Russia Says Grain Deal to End If No Guarantees by May 18: Tass (4:20 p.m.)

The Black Sea initiative thats allowed Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain and other foodstuffs will end unless Russia receives guarantees by May 18 that its demands will be met, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said after the talks in Istanbul, according to Tass.

Russia is against constant extensions of the Black Sea grain deal and insists that agreements with the Russian side, which center on Moscows own grain and fertilizer shipments, havent been fulfilled.

No decision has been made on a new meeting about the deal at the deputy minister level after this weeks discussions.

US Ambassador Says Russia Got Arms From South Africa: Website (3:47 p.m.)

The US is convinced South Africa supplied weapons and ammunition to Russia, despite Pretoria having taken a neutral stance on its invasion of Ukraine, News24 reported, citing Washingtons ambassador to South Africa.

The armaments were allegedly collected by a Russian cargo ship that docked at the Simons Town naval base in Cape Town in December, the news website reported. South Africas president said hes looking into the allegations.

The South African rand slid more than 2% on the report while the nations stock index tumbled and government bond yields soared.

Read more: US Ambassador Says Russia Got Arms in South Africa: News24

Russia Hands Arctic Council Chair to Norway (3:16 p.m.)

Russia joined the other members of the Arctic Council in a pledge to safeguard and strengthen the inter-governmental body as it handed over its chairmanship to Norway. Meetings of the council, an eight-country group that includes the US, have been put on hold since Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Russias handover of the rotating chairmanship took place on Thursday in a low-profile event held in Salekhard on the Arctic Circle and online.

Turkey Cites Progress at Black Sea Grain Talks (2:04 p.m.)

Talks in Istanbul to extend the Black Sea grain initiative thats allowed Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain since last summer made positive and constructive progress over two days, Turkeys Ministry of Defense said in a tweet.

Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN will continue work to ensure the initiative continues, the ministry said.

UK Provides Storm Shadow Missiles to Push Back Russians, Wallace Says (2 p.m.)

The UK is sending Storm Shadow cruise missiles for Ukraine to counter Russian offensives, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said. Wallace told the House of Commons on Thursday that the new weapons  the longest-range missiles yet provided by a western ally  will give Ukraine its best chance to defend themselves against Russian continuing brutality and will allow to push back Russian forces.

He said Russias failure to halt attacks on Ukrainian civilians had prompted the UKs decision. We simply will not stand by while Russia kills civilians, Wallace said. This is a calibrated and proportionate response to Russias escalations.

Wallace noted that it isnt clear yet whether this new weapon will make difference, since putting a 4th generation weapons system on second generation aircraft isnt easy, It may take weeks or a month to see if this works, he said.

Russia Budget Gap Hits $45 Billion (1:05 p.m.)

Russias budget gap surged in the first four months of the year, exceeding the full-year target as spending surged amid the war in Ukraine and energy revenues plunged under pressure from sanctions and other restrictions.

The federal deficit hit 3.42 trillion rubles ($45.4 billion) in the period, beyond full-year plan of 2.9 trillion, the Finance Ministry said. Spending jumped 26% while revenues were down 22%, dragged lower as income from oil and gas fell by more than half from the year before.

UK Provides Long-Range Missiles (12:45 p.m.)

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has provided Ukraine with multiple Storm Shadow cruise missiles to use in a counteroffensive against Kremlin troops, a person familiar with the matter said.

The person declined to say how many of the missiles had been supplied. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence in London declined to comment.

The weapons, with a firing range in excess of 250 kilometers (155 miles) are the longest-range missiles yet provided by Western allies to Ukraine.

Read more: UK Provides Ukraine Cruise Missiles for Counter-Offensive

EU Has Frozen 24 Billion in Russian Private Assets (12:39 p.m.)

The EU has frozen 24.1 billion in Russian private assets since the invasion of Ukraine over 14 months ago, European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand told journalists at a regular briefing, adding that the EU is working on making Russia pay for the crimes committed against Ukraine.

The EU has sanctioned almost 1,500 individuals, restricted exports on hundreds of goods and technologies, and targeted many of Moscows key revenue sources but has been struggling to find and freeze the assets of sanctioned Russian billionaires, he said.

Read more: EU Hunt for Sanctioned Russian Billionaires Assets Stalls

EUs Borrell Urges More Aid for Ukraine (11 a.m.)

The European Union has already provided Ukraine with more than 1,000 missiles since February, the blocs foreign policy chief said, as he urged states to provide more arms for Zelenskiys counteroffensive.

I know thats not enough, Josep Borrell said of the delivered missiles, speaking to Bloomberg TV at a defense conference. Zelenskiy has said hes going to delay the counteroffensive  certainly they need more preparation, they need more arms, they need to have more capacity and it is us that has to provide it, Borrell said.

The EU agreed earlier this year to various measures to boost ammunition support to Ukraine by delivering shells and missiles from existing stocks and increasing production.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- The biggest US business lobby group urged Washington to take targeted and responsible steps to restrict Chinese access to sensitive technologies that could undermine national security, yet cautioned not to see all interactions as a threat.

Most Read from Bloomberg

There is still a vast area of commercial opportunity where we can and should engage productively, US Chamber of Commerce President Suzanne Clark said in a speech in Washington on Wednesday. But perhaps most importantly, and I cant underline this enough: If we treat every economic interaction as a risk, we will lose focus on those that truly pose a threat.

Both the Biden administration and Congress are undertaking an array of efforts to address Chinas power and business practices, with tensions high between the worlds two largest economies.

The US has tried to limit Beijings access to high-end semiconductors and blacklisted Chinese companies for their ties to the military or over accusations that they use forced labor. Restrictions on American investment in China are also in the works. China characterizes those moves as protectionism.

While the chamber supports various actions to strengthen American national security  including export controls, technology restrictions, and scrutiny of outbound investment  many transactions between the nations create opportunities for US small businesses, and improve the standard of living for millions of Americans, Clark said.

The Biden administration has tried to emphasize that it isnt pursuing a long-term rupture or decoupling of the US and Chinese economies.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said last month that the administration was working to de-risk, not decouple, from Beijing, while Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on April 20, said that a full separation of our economies would be disastrous for both countries and destabilizing for the rest of the world.

Story continues

Clark used her speech to reiterate the chambers concerns about Chinas anti-espionage crackdown on consulting firms and evolving restrictions on Western accounting companies, saying these moves have ratcheted up risk and uncertainty in the market.

--With assistance from Ramsey Al-Rikabi, Peter Martin and Eric Martin.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- The value of US semiconductor imports grew 13% over the first three months of this year, showing theres a long way to go before the country can satisfy its chip needs at home.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Asia continues to be the key source, though supply lines have shifted since last year. Malaysia, home to many chip testing and packaging facilities, shed close to a third of the value of its direct exports to the US, while Thailand nearly doubled its output. China shrunk further, as trade tensions and sanctions between the worlds two biggest economies escalate, while India saw a 39-fold jump in its exports.

Overall, the US imported $15.4 billion in chips through March this year, underscoring the scale of the challenge for its chipmaking domestication project. Washingtons CHIPS and Science Act provides subsidies for international chip fabrication specialists to set up facilities on US soil, but those projects take years to get off the ground.

Taiwan, whose Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is building an Arizona facility with two chipmaking fabs, retained its ranking as second on the list of exports by value. The islands role in the chip supply chain is in reality far larger, as many of the parts exported from other Asian nations are first fabricated in Taiwan or nearby South Korea, home to memory-making leaders Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc.

Vietnam and Thailand together now account for a fifth of US imports. The two nations are benefiting from US firms looking for greater geographic diversity of supply to help offset the risk of China-US relations deteriorating further.

Upstarts like Cambodia and India have expanded their share at an astronomical rate, even cutting into the share of traditional strong players like Japan.

Story continues

India grew its shipments to $497.1 million, more than 38 times last years number, while Cambodias rose nearly fivefold to $499 million.

Semiconductors, essential to everything from computers and smartphones to electric vehicle batteries and large-scale data centers, are now a point of focus for US lawmakers. Last years legislation to encourage TSMC and Samsung to increase their investment on American soil is just one part of its broader contest with economic rival China  whose semiconductor shipments to the US dropped nearly 11%.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Hatem Dowidar - LinkedIn

The chief executive of the United Arab Emirates state-owned telecoms company is to join Vodafones board in a move that will deepen national security concerns about one of Britains critical infrastructure providers.

The FTSE 100 company has formed a new strategic partnership with state-controlled e&, also known as Etisalat, which has built up a 14.6pc stake in Vodafone.

As part of the deal, Etisalat chief executive, Hatem Dowidar, will be granted a seat on Vodafones board.

If the Abu Dhabi-based firm increases its holding above 20pc, it will be able to nominate a second non-executive director to the British telecoms giants board.

Etisalat is 60pc owned by the UAE government. The country has attracted international condemnation for its use of online censorship and alleged attempts to spy on its citizens.

The UK High Court ruled in 2021 that Dubai leader, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, had hacked into the phones of his ex-wife Princess Haya bint al-Hussein as well as her legal advisers and staff during a row over custody of their two children.

Sheikh Rashid al-Maktoum is the Prime Minister of the UAE as well as ruler of Dubai. He has denied the allegations.

In a separate case, the New York Times claimed in 2019 that a popular Emrati messaging app called ToTok was in fact a spying tool used by the government to track its users. Google and Apple removed the app from their app stores in response to the report.

The UAE declined to comment to the New York Times about the claims.

In 2009, Etisalat was accused of tricking Blackberry users into installing spyware by telling them it was a software update.

The company denied the allegation at the time and said the suspect update was the result of a technical fault.

Etisalat also operates internet censorship software in UAE that blocks access to websites that contravene the countrys moral and religious values, including pornography and material that promotes gay rights.

Operating the censorship software is a requirement of UAEs Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.

Story continues

However, Washington-based campaign group Freedom House has said: In practice, authorities commonly block websites that criticise the government or tackle social taboos. Blocking has emerged as a political tool.

Separately, the treatment of workers by Emirati companies has also come under scrutiny following mass sackings at P&O Ferries, which is owned by Dubai-based DP World. The move sparked widespread outcry in Britain and prompted the government to bring in new laws meant to stop a similar incident happening in future.

Closer ties with Etisalat will add to national security concerns surrounding Vodafone as it tries to push through a 15bn merger with rival Three.

China-sceptic MPs and unions have raised the alarm over the planned tie-up because Three is owned by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison. Critics of the deal say it would give China a foothold in critical infrastructure and risk jobs.

A merger between Vodafone and Three would create Britains biggest mobile operator with 27m customers. Vodafone also holds a number of sensitive government contracts.

The Berkshire-based company is seeking to push the deal through as management struggles with a huge debt pile and troubles in its German business.

The company abruptly ousted chief executive Nick Read in December and last month confirmed Margherita Della Valle as his permanent replacement after a lengthy search process.

Ms Della Valle is exploring options to sell off various business divisions around the world in a bid to simplify the sprawling group.

Etisalat first took a 10pc stake in Vodafone a year ago and has been building its holding ever since. However, bosses have said the position will not increase above 25pc.

Under the terms of the new partnership, Vodafone and Etisalat will explore joint offerings in telecoms services and may adopt joint procurement.

Margherita Della Valle, deputy chief financial officer Vodafone Group Plc, poses in this undated handout photo released to the media on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 - Ed Robinson/Vodafone

Ms Della Valle said: We know e& well and Im delighted we have strengthened our existing relationship through this strategic partnership.

This closer alignment allows us to capture opportunities in our respective markets and brings additional telecoms experience to our board.

In a separate announcement, Vodafone yesterday said three of its directors will step down at this years annual general meeting.

Valerie Gooding, Sir Crispin Davis and Dame Clara Furse are all nearing the end of the nine-year limit set under UK governance rules.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, said e&s involvement added to existing concerns surrounding Vodafones merger with Three.

He said: The authorities need to think very seriously about opening the door to a lack of competition and some companies with track records that are distinctly dodgy.

A senior industry source said: I think Vodafone will regret this I think e& will continue to build their stake.

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

Wilmar International's significant private companies ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public

The top 2 shareholders own 51% of the company

Recent purchases by insiders

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Wilmar International Limited (SGX:F34), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are private companies with 42% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Meanwhile, public companies make up 24% of the companys shareholders.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Wilmar International, beginning with the chart below.

View our latest analysis for Wilmar International

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Wilmar International?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Wilmar International. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Wilmar International's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Wilmar International is not owned by hedge funds. Our data shows that The Kuok Group is the largest shareholder with 27% of shares outstanding. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company is the second largest shareholder owning 24% of common stock, and Khoon Hong Kuok holds about 6.4% of the company stock. Khoon Hong Kuok, who is the third-largest shareholder, also happens to hold the title of Chairman of the Board.

Story continues

After doing some more digging, we found that the top 2 shareholders collectively control more than half of the company's shares, implying that they have considerable power to influence the company's decisions.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Wilmar International

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

We can report that insiders do own shares in Wilmar International Limited. Insiders own S$1.6b worth of shares (at current prices). Most would say this shows a good alignment of interests between shareholders and the board. Still, it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 20% stake in Wilmar International. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Company Ownership

It seems that Private Companies own 42%, of the Wilmar International stock. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company.

Public Company Ownership

We can see that public companies hold 24% of the Wilmar International shares on issue. We can't be certain but it is quite possible this is a strategic stake. The businesses may be similar, or work together.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Wilmar International (2 don't sit too well with us) that you should be aware of.

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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
INVL Baltic Real Estate

INVL Baltic Real Estate (hereinafter  the Company) informs that on 11 May 2023, a new wording of the Articles of Association of Company was registered in the Register of Legal Entities. The new wording of the Articles of Association was approved on 18 April 2023 during the General Shareholders Meeting.

According to the provisions of legal acts, the registered Articles of Association will be submitted to the Bank of Lithuania.

The person authorized to provide additional information:

Real Estate Fund Manager of Management Company

Vytautas Baksinskas

E-mail vytautas.baksinskas@invl.com

Attachment




(Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said failure to avoid a looming federal government default would undermine Washingtons ability to provide international leadership and defend US national security.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Yellen has long warned a default could cause an economic and financial catastrophe. She added the new wrinkles Thursday while in Japan to attend a meeting of Group of Seven finance officials.

A default would spark a global downturn and would also risk undermining US global economic leadership and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests, Yellen said during a press conference preceding the G-7 gathering.

President Joe Biden and Republican lawmakers made little progress in a meeting earlier this week in Washington that kicked off negotiations on the topic. Republican aides and White House staff planned to begin budget discussions in its wake, with another meeting set for Friday between Biden and congressional leaders.

Asked by reporters if there were a long-term fix to the recurring debt-ceiling issue, Yellen suggested it would be better for the US legislature to permanently do away with setting a cap on government borrowing that is independent of its own budget decisions.

Personally, I think we should find a different system for deciding on fiscal policy, she said. Congress could repeal a debt ceiling or handle it differently.

She said lawmakers could also decide to retain the limit, but change the rules around it  essentially requiring a supermajority in Congress to block the president from unilaterally raising the ceiling.

Biden and congressional Republicans are locked in a showdown 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.

Story continues

The US government reached the statutory cap on borrowing in January and the Treasury has since been using special accounting measures to make cash available. Yellen has told Congress those measures could run out as soon as June 1, putting payments to US bond investors, benefits recipients and federal contractors, among others, in jeopardy.

--With assistance from Joe Mayes.

(Updates with comments on discarding debt limit from fifth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at Zheneng Jinjiang Environment Holding (SGX:BWM) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. The formula for this calculation on Zheneng Jinjiang Environment Holding is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.064 = CN909m  (CN21b - CN7.2b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).

Thus, Zheneng Jinjiang Environment Holding has an ROCE of 6.4%. On its own, that's a low figure but it's around the 7.1% average generated by the Renewable Energy industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Zheneng Jinjiang Environment Holding

roce

While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of Zheneng Jinjiang Environment Holding, check out these free graphs here.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Zheneng Jinjiang Environment Holding doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 6.4% from 9.3% five years ago. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

Story continues

The Bottom Line

To conclude, we've found that Zheneng Jinjiang Environment Holding is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 33% in the last five years. In any case, the stock doesn't have these traits of a multi-bagger discussed above, so if that's what you're looking for, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Zheneng Jinjiang Environment Holding, we've discovered 3 warning signs that 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
Four people were displaced but all escaped injury following an early morning fire in southern Stafford County on Thursday that badly damaged a home, officials said.

Stafford fire and rescue spokeswoman Katie Brady said the incident took place shortly before 1 a.m. in the 600 block of Payton Drive. The occupants were able to get out of the burning home after hearing a noise in the house just before smoke alarms began sounding.

Firefighters found heavy smoke and fire when units began arriving about five minutes after receiving the call and were able to bring the fire under control in about 20 minutes, Brady said. The Stafford Fire Marshals Office is investigating the cause of the fire, which had not been determined as of Thursday afternoon.

The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents. One firefighter was checked out for a minor injury.

The Fredericksburg Fire Department and Quantico Fire and Emergency Services assisted at the scene.
A Madison County man has been arrested and charged with murder in the shooting death of a Louisa County resident.

About 3:20 p.m. Tuesday, Louisa deputies responded to a home on South Lakeshore Drive, after callers reported shots fired, according to a news release from the Louisa County Sheriffs Office.

Upon arrival, deputies found a man with several apparent gunshot wounds. Police identified the victim as 29-year-old Louisa resident Alex Brown, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators determined the person who fired the shots was David Branham, 36, of Madison County. According to witness statements, Branham was recently involved in a custody dispute involving the victim and had also initially shot into a vehicle occupied by Alex Brown and several others, police said.

Branham was arrested and charged with murder and attempted malicious wounding. He is being held without bond at Central Virginian Regional Jail, police said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Louisa Sheriffs Office at 540/967-1234 or anonymously at Louisa Crime Solvers at 800/346-1466.
Culpeper resident and retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Dan Else hopes to spread the word about the Purple Heart Project, started in 2015 by Rob Cosman, a well-known woodworker with a significant YouTube following.

Twice a year, Cosman invites six or seven U.S. veterans to a weeklong hand-tool training and woodworking course in Niagara Falls. 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  volunteers who build a woodworking bench for each veteran who attends Cosmans class.

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 10 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 those 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 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, and 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.

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 weeklong 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.
The Fredericksburg Planning Commission on Wednesday voted 43 to recommend approval of amendments to the citys development ordinance that would allow for accessory dwelling units, known as ADUs.

The amendments, which will now be taken up by City Council, would permit ADUs with full-sized kitchens on residential lots, either within the primary dwelling or as an accessory structure to a primary dwelling.

The ADU would not be able to exceed 600 square feet or take up more than 40% of the gross floor area of the principal dwelling.

The ordinance would state that the property owner must live in the primary dwelling when the zoning permit for establishing the ADU is issued and would require that written notice be given to neighbors and posted on the property and on the citys website.

Senior planner Mike Craig summarized the ordinance to the Planning Commission on Wednesday, stressing that the amendments will not affect the occupancy limits placed on city lots.

This is not a two-family zoning, he said. Only one family may occupy the lot.

He provided the citys definition of a family, which is a group of people who are related plus not more than two additional, unrelated boarders, or not more than three total unrelated people.

Craig said Fredericksburgs Comprehensive Plan since 2007 has identified ADUs as a way to provide flexible housing options for senior citizens and people with disabilities and affordable housing options for young adults or low-income people.

ADUs were common in Fredericksburg prior to zoning changes put into place in the 1980s. Staff have identified some 90 ADUs in existence throughout the city, and Craig said the ordinance would provide a framework for them to be properly regulated to ensure safety.

Based on the experience of other Virginia localities that have approved ADUs in recent years, staff anticipate that fewer than 10 would be approved in Fredericksburg per year, Craig said.

He said city fire and EMS officials have indicated that they would expect ADUs to generate about 12 additional calls for services per year and that the primary concern from a public safety standpoint is that existing ADUs are often unmarked, which would be corrected by the new ordinance.

City Council voted in January to initiate the process of developing the ADU ordinance and asked the Planning Commission to hold a series of public hearings and community information sessions.

A primary concern that has come up is whether ADUs would have a negative effect on homeownership by incentivizing investors or corporations to buy up single-family lots.

Craig said staff consulted Guy Miller-Richards, a loan officer with Johnson Mortgage Company.

His opinion is that homeownership is a good investment for individual property owners who are going to live on property, but as soon as you turn around and buy your second home or organize an LLC, those terms change, Craig said. ADUs are not a good investment for regional or national corporations.

Craig said citizens have also questioned whether the city will be able to enforce potential violations of the ADU policy. He presented data showing that staff have tracked 73 complaints of overcrowding since 2015, which resulted in 30 verifiable violations.

We are well versed in enforcing occupancy rules, Craig said.

The Planning Commission has conducted an ongoing public hearing on the ADU issue at each of its meetings since January. About two dozen citizens spoke at Wednesdays meeting and planning director Chuck Johnston also read 23 letters submitted by the public.

Those in opposition to the amendments said theyd like the city to spend more time studying the issue and said they believe approval of ADUs will strain public services and negatively affect single-family neighborhoods.

Some on City Council have launched an assault on single-family neighborhoods, said Ralph Joseph. You are changing the identify and very fabric of single-family neighborhoods in the city.

Those in support have said ADUs will provide affordable places for an older child or aging family members to live independently but close to a support network and that they will contribute to a vibrant, diverse community.

Are we going to send a signal to young people that this is a dead city? said Robert Thomas. This city needs to focus on young people, not people my age. You should look not simply at the people here to lobby you, but the ones who arent here  and those are the young.

Joe Hensley, rector of St. Georges Episcopal Church, said that as a faith community leader, he supports ADUs.

We need to make it easier and not harder to live in a community and be a blessing to one another, he said. We need to provide housing options that provide for mutual support and care.

Planning Commission members Kenneth Gantt, Thomas OToole and Mary-Margaret Marshall voted against recommending the ADU amendments.

Marshall said she thinks the issue needs more time and the city should have brought in more professional consultants. Gantt said he also thinks approval has been rushed and that the issue will pit neighbor against neighbor.

I just hear too much concern on both sides, he said. I want to believe that what staff has put together answers (what was asked of us) but I dont think were at prime time now.

Commission Chair David Durham and members Adam Lynch, Chris Hornung and Susanna Finn approved recommending the amendments.

The fact is that ADUs are part of Fredericksburgs existing built character, including in some of the most prominent of our neighborhoods, Durham said.

Lynch said there are many reasons why he supports ADUs.

We need to provide alternatives to sprawl, which is devastating our environment, he said. We have to address our housing crisis, which is acute for lower income seniors, the disabled and young adults. There is a crisis of mental health and loneliness, and we need to encourage people to be together with family and loved ones. ADUs are a way to do that.

Also on Wednesday, the Planning Commission agreed to send a letter to City Council asking it to reinstate the rental inspection program that has been dormant for some years.

Lynch, who authored the letter along with OToole, said that whether or not the ADU ordinance is approved, funding the rental inspection program will give the city more ability to enforce existing rules and counteract demolition by neglect.
Despite more than an hour of passionate pleas from more than a dozen local residents, the Fremont City Council voted 5-3 on Tuesday night, May 9, to keep This Book is Gay on the shelves of the adult section of the Keene Memorial Library.

The vote means the extremely controversial how-to book on LGBTQ relationships and sexual habits will remain in the adult section of the city library despite an overwhelming majority of speakers at the meeting pleading with council members to remove the book altogether.

Council members Dev Sookram, Glen Ellis and Paul Von Behren voted to remove the book, while Council members Mark Jensen, Tad Dinkins, Lori Lathrop, Sally Ganem and James Vaughan voted in favor of retaining the book in the library.

Tuesdays debate arose after Ellis and Von Behren had sought via a city resolution the total removal of the book in physical and online formats from the city library. The latest challenge to This Book is Gay came after repeated unsuccessful efforts by a local grandmother and business owner  Sandra Murray  and her daughter  Kelley Garay  to have the book removed from the library.

Because the city council is the final venue for contested book challenges, any future challenges to the book possibly made with the current council members in office are unlikely to succeed.

The robust debate about the book and the subsequent vote by the council only happened after the item seeking the books removal from the library survived an attempt to have it removed from the meeting agenda by council President Jensen.

Jensen, who had repeatedly vowed to prevent the council from discussing any item related to library books during the past several months, made a motion Tuesday night to remove the item from the agenda altogether, stating that the council heard the arguments for removing the book, more than once.

The motion to remove the item was supported by Vaughan, who angered many in the audience by claiming he wasnt trying to silence the public despite not wanting any discussion on the book.

Weve heard these same arguments a number of times, Vaughan said. I am not seeking to deny anyone a right to speak.

The comments by both Jensen and Vaughan were contradicted by several other council members, who stated residents should be allowed to speak on the issue and hear a debate by the council.

In a 5-3 vote, the item was kept on the agenda. Those who voted to remove it included Jensen, Vaughan and the newest member of the council, Dinkins.

Most speakers wanted book removed

After the debate about whether or not the item about the books removal would stay on the nights agenda, discussion of the book began with comments from members of the city council followed by more than a dozen members of the public expressing their opinions on the book.

Only three residents spoke in favor of retaining the book in the library, with most speakers decrying the book as  in their opinion  obscene and inappropriate sexual content for the public library. Many members of the city council also expressed their shock at the contents of the more than 200-page book by author Juno Dawson.

I just dont believe this book belongs in our library, said Ellis. Look at the book. Read it. Ask yourself. How did this book get into our library? There has to be a reason. To me, there is a failure in the process. This book doesnt represent Fremont.

Von Behren then expressed his views on the book, noting that Fremont City Administrator Jody Sanders had privately proposed a potential solution to the book debate to the eight members of the city council  a book selection policy review committee that could possibly devise a new method for book selection and placement at the city library.

This (book) is potentially for a 12-year-old. To me, this crosses a border. This (book) was moved to the adult section, Von Behren said, before noting that in his research, there has been a dramatic increase in the percentage of American Library Association contested books in Keene Memorial Library in recent years.

Cant we do better than to select the top most-contested books for (use) in the library, Von Behren asked.

Vaughan then drew abbreviated jeers and snickers from the crowd in attendance, stating that in his view, banned books need to be read because they are banned.

If there are groups that dont want you to read books, that should be a red flag, Vaughan said.

Lathrop told those in attendance she read This Book is Gay while on a recent trip to Phoenix, adding that the tome had enlightened her and caused her to think about LGBTQ people in a different light than she previously had.

I truly didnt think it was absolutely horrible, Lathrop said. (LGBTQ people) are people, too. (The book) made me step back and not judge them. If you dont want to read the book, dont check it out.

Ward 4 Council Member Sally Ganem said she believed the five-member Keene Memorial Library Advisory Board had made the correct decision on April 17 to relocate the book to the adult section of the library.

I found it to be a distasteful book. It definitely is not for children, Ganem said. It is now an adult book. I believe (the library board) made the right decision.

Mayor Joey Spellerberg spoke about the book debate for the first time since the issue erupted in late December, telling the audience that the issue has been, difficult for me.

This book is obscene and needs to be removed from the library, Spellerberg said. My desire is we can all find a way to move forward.

After the council expressed its opinions on the issue, a flood of local residents took to the podium one at a time, with most of the speakers decrying the books contents as inappropriate for children and also calling for it to be removed.

Murray told the council that she is concerned with protecting children from inappropriate content, and stressed as she had in prior meetings that her objections to the book were not about her being against the LGBTQ community.

Local resident Cathy Robertson said she believes the book is morally wrong.

If you think it is OK for a child to read those words (in the book), then you need to resign your position, Robertson said. It is obscenity. This is not about LGBT. It is about what is good for children.

Most of the speakers had been to prior council meetings during which the book controversy was discussed, and regurgitated their claims that the book was pornography, and was intended for alleged pedophiles to prey on children.

Objections to the books advice on how to put photographs on dating apps as well as advocating for sex in public saunas were also brought up repeatedly. Allegations of the book promoting pedophilia, indoctrination and an agenda were also bandied about by numerous speakers.

Only three speakers offered comments in favor of keeping the book, one of which was library advisory board member Becky Pence.

People are quick to call me a pedophile. I am not a pedophile, Pence said. I am offended.

Former city council member Susan Jacobus advocated for keeping the book, telling the audience she was molested when she was a child and that This Book is Gay isnt causing anyone who reads it to suddenly become gay.

I am not supportive of book banning. Banning is wrong, Jacobus said. Make your decision wisely because it doesnt end here.
Some unexpected visitors are now inhabiting the Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park near Ashland.

In addition to seeing the usual elk, deer, prairie dogs, wolves, black bears and bison roaming the park grounds, visitors also are now being greeted by giant prehistoric creatures.

Jurassic Adventure features some of the worlds largest and most life-like robotic dinosaurs roaming the Wildlife Safari Park, which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Oct. 1.

The dinosaurs are scattered throughout the park to give an authentic dinosaur safari feel as guests enjoy their visit.

The exhibition is created by Dino Dan Inc., the only maker of full-sized dinosaurs, according to a Jurassic Adventure press release. The handmade animatronics are uniquely created under direct scientific supervision and unlike other robots, these dinosaurs move and breathe.

The companys founder, Dino Don Lessem, is a world-renowned authority on dinosaurs and was the dinosaur advisor to Steven Spielbergs Jurassic Park. Lessem also is responsible for the excavating and reconstruction of skeletons for the largest meat-eating and plant-eating dinosaurs in the world from the deserts of Patagonia.

We have gone to great lengths to ensure the most accurate dinosaur robots in the world and dinosaur fans love them, Lessem said.

Visitors also will be able to dig in fossil pits and can consult a Jurassic Adventure Guide Map identifying all of the things to learn, see and do at the park.

Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park, which is celebrating its 25 anniversary, offers four miles of drive-through North American wildlife viewing from the comfort of your own vehicle. Visitors will see a variety of animals in their natural habitats, including more than 60 American elk spread across the 50-acre Elk Meadow, 10 White-tailed deer, Prairie dogs, Grey wolves, American black bears, American white pelicans, Sandhill cranes, Trumpeter swans, Whooping cranes, Pygmy goats, eagles and bison.

There also are two miles of hiking trails to enjoy.

Jurassic Adventure is included with Wildlife Safari Park admission and membership. The price for adults, ages 12 to 64, is $12. The price per child, ages 3 to 11, is $10, and a seniors admission, ages 65 and older, is $11. Military personnel receive $1 off in all categories.

Heres a look at a few more events happening in the area this weekend:

Jurassic Quest

Keeping with the dinosaur theme, Lancaster Event Center in Lincoln is hosting Jurassic Quest from Friday through Sunday.

In addition to seeing life-size animatronic dinosaurs, visitors also can ride a dinosaur, explore bounce houses, create a dinosaur craft, dig for fossils, meet baby dinosaurs and walk with dinosaurs.

Hours for Jurassic Quest are noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $22 for ages 2-64 and $19 for ages 65 and up. Tickets may be purchased at the door or online at jurassicquest.com.

Museum anniversary

The Union Pacific Railroad Museum is celebrating 20 years in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with free history tours.

In honor of the building that the Union Pacific Railroad Museum is housed in at 200 Pearl St. in Council Bluffs, the museum will be offering free special tours (usually $10 per person) at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday.

These tours will explore the buildings architecture and its role in both local and national history. No registration is required, but visitors are asked to check in at the front desk.

Also on Friday, there will be an expanded model train display and layout for visitors to explore from 1-5 p.m. on the second floor of the museum.

Every Saturday in May, the museum also is offering a new guided history tour from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. This free guided tour offers an overview of 160-plus years of railroad history. The tour begins in front of the business car on the first floor. Registration is not necessary.

The Union Pacific Railroad Museum is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

Mothers Day Brunch

The Fremont Parks and Recreation Department will be having a Mothers Day Brunch from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday at Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St., in Fremont.

A pancake feed will celebrate all mothers. A freewill donation is encouraged. All proceeds will benefit the Fremont Friendship Center.

The first 100 moms in the door will receive a rose.
The contract for legal services between the City of Fremont and Kansas Attorney General Kris W. Kobach was officially canceled by the city council on Tuesday, May 9, after a vigorous debate about the merits of retaining the controversial barrister.

In a 5-3 vote, the Fremont City Council ended the more than 12-year-long contractual relationship Kobach that began when he was a private practice attorney in 2010.

The deal required the city to pay him the rate of at least $10,000 a year to defend the city from any past or future legal challenges to Fremonts controversial Ordinance 5165, a local law that prohibits renting residential dwellings to undocumented or illegal immigrants.

Ward 4 City Council Member Sally Ganem placed an item on the agenda for the May 9 council meeting seeking to cancel the contract between the city and Kobach.

The contract with Kobach was renewed in 2016, but no payments have been made to Kobach since he was paid $10,000 in December 2020. Under the terms of the contract, the arrangement could be ended at any time by either party for no reason.

On Tuesday, council members engaged in heated debate about the merits of retaining Kobach, with some members saying his services were not needed and the $10,000 annual fee could be better spent, while other council members claimed a crisis was unfolding on the Southern Border and Kobachs services are still valid.

Ganem told the council and those in attendance that in her opinion, Kobach was elected as the Kansas attorney general and his job is to serve the people of Kansas, not Fremont  which is in a different state.

No attorney general should be moonlighting as the attorney for a city in another state, Ganem said. This contract needs to be terminated.

Ward 2 Council Member Glen Ellis disagreed with Ganem, advocating for retaining Kobach.

Were simply using (Kobachs) name and a million dollars in the bank as a deterrent (from lawsuits), Ellis said. I dont see this as a very tough issue. Lets keep paying it as an insurance policy.

Ward 2 Council Member Dev Sookram asked the citys attorney, Travis Jacott, if his law firm  Adams & Sullivan  could represent the city if Fremont is sued over the ordinance.

Jacott said the firm does have Constitutional law experts on its staff, but that outside counsel would likely be needed if a lawsuit arises.

This is obviously one (area) we recommend consulting with attorneys with expertise in immigration law, Jacott said.

Former council member Brad Yerger spoke during public comment on the item, vigorously demanding the council vote to keep Kobach on retainer. He claimed that an undocumented immigrant crisis is unfolding and with the types of jobs available in Fremont, the city could attract more illegal immigrants.

Our demographics are changing by leaps and bounds, Yerger said. Kris Kobach crafted the (ordinance). He would be a formidable opponent if the city is sued.

Ward 1 Council Member Paul Von Behren said he believed the city needed to keep Kobach on board in case the immigration ordinance is ever challenged. Von Behren claimed there are only six known attorneys in the nation that focus on what is termed immigration pre-emption law, and Kobach is one of them.

Our most likely opponent (in a lawsuit) is the federal government, Von Behren opined. They will wear you down simply from persistence and power.

After the discussion on the issue, the council voted 5-3 to end the contract. Von Behren, Ellis and Sookram voted no and wanted to retain Kobachs services.

The city did not pay Kobach the $10,000 fee in 2021 or 2022, however Von Behren said Kobach had submitted a bill to the city recently seeking payment for what he is claimed to be owed.

From 2011-2019, Kobach was the Kansas Secretary of State, during which time he developed a reputation for challenging the administration of former President Barack Obama. He was elected as the Kansas Attorney General in 2022.

According to City of Fremont billing records, the city has paid Kobach $121,817.26 since the contract began in 2010. That total includes $11,817.26 in associated expenses such as research work by legal aides, airplane travel, hotels or other miscellaneous expenses.
City of Fremont Department of Utilities and partners throughout North America are celebrating Drinking Water Week this week.

This is a decades-long tradition led by the American Water Works Association (AWWA).

Taking place May 7-13 this year, Drinking Water Week is a celebration recognizing the vital role water plays in everyday life for both water professionals and the communities they serve.

This year, Drinking Water Week encourages participants to recognize and honor the critical work that water professionals accomplish around the clock to deliver quality tap water while bolstering resilience for water in the future.
Sometime Friday, without fanfare, the first car will head west from U.S. 275 just south of Fremont on a brand-new strip of asphalt that is nearly two decades  and $62 million  in the making.

Weather permitting, Nebraska Department of Transportation engineers will open up the first section of the new Fremont Southeast Beltway. When it fully opens in July, the 3.2-mile stretch of road will connect U.S. 275 to U.S. 77, which bisects Fremont from north to south. It's expected to carry 11,000 vehicles per day.

The new road will open up access to a large industrial zone along the citys southeast border that is anchored by Lincoln Premium Poultry, the large supplier of chicken to Costco stores.

Its a great project for Fremont, said Mayor Joey Spellerberg. Im excited to be able to cut the ribbon and open it.

Spellerberg was still a student at Fremonts Archbishop Bergan High School in 2006, when city officials first pitched the idea of a southeast beltway to NDOT and the State Legislature.

It took a full decade for the beltway to win funding in the second round of Build Nebraska Act expressway projects, first funded in 2011 with a -cent surcharge in the state sales tax. Transportation planners scheduled the project for construction in 2024, with local city and county officials required to come up with $20 million of the projected $43 million cost of the project.

The beltway got fast-tracked in 2018, after Costco decided to locate its large chicken plant along the route. The $450 million campus was slated to employ 800 workers and process about 100 million chickens a year, enough to supply about one-third of Costcos demand for fresh and roasted chicken.

Its been in the books for awhile as a wish-we-had sort of thing, Barbara Gerbino-Bevins, NDOTs district traffic engineer, said of the project. I believe the construction of the chicken plant pushed it over the line.

The cost also jumped, to more than $60 million, including an additional local match of $10 million on top of $20 million already raised locally. The City of Fremont, Dodge County and several local businesses chipped in to keep the project on track, Spellerberg said. Construction began in 2020.

It was a public-private partnership to get to this point, he said.

For the city, a major goal was to move truck traffic off of Broad Street, Fremonts main north-south thoroughfare running through the heart of its commercial district. Within the city limits, it also is designated as U.S. 77.

That designation will now move to the new beltway, and the city will take over control and maintenance of one of its major avenues.

Well be able to go into Broad Street and make a lot of improvements, Spellerberg said.

The beltway will have no traffic lights, but it will have two circular roundabouts at Downing Street and Main Street near the Platte River bridge, as well as teardrop roundabouts at U.S. 275.

It is the eastern half of the beltway  from U.S. 275 to Downing  that will open Friday. The opening was delayed from last week to avoid a conflict with a series of lane and ramp closures along U.S. 275 in Fremont, Gerbino-Bevins said.

The middle section will open next, and the western tie-in with U.S. 77 last. The formal ribbon-cutting is scheduled for July 6.

For Spellerberg, the opening cant happen quickly enough. It dovetails with the announcement in February that 1,500 acres along the route was designated as the states first Inland Port Authority because of its proximity to transportation networks.

Its going to be a hub for industrial development, Spellerberg said. The infrastructure around our area is a huge plus. Fremonts becoming a desirable place to locate.

Photos, videos: Building the South Beltway South Beltway Ceremony South Beltway Ceremony South Beltway Ceremony South Beltway Ceremony South Beltway Ceremony South Beltway Ceremony South Beltway Ceremony South Beltway Ceremony South Beltway Ceremony South Beltway Ceremony South Beltway Ceremony South Beltway Ceremony South Beltway South Beltway South Beltway DRONE South Beltway DRONE Beltway map: U.S. 77 interchange South Beltway DRONE South Beltway DRONE South Beltway DRONE South Beltway12.2 South Beltway12.2 South Beltway12.2 South Beltway12.2 South Beltway update South Beltway update South Beltway update South Beltway update South Beltway update South Beltway update South Beltway update South Beltway update South Beltway update South Beltway update Progress - South Beltway, 2.14 Progress - South Beltway, 2.14 gr21051313.jpg South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway 68th Street, 7.21 South Beltway 68th Street, 7.21 South Beltway 68th Street, 7.21 South Beltway 68th Street, 7.21 South Beltway 68th Street, 7.21 South Beltway 68th Street, 7.21 South Beltway 68th Street, 7.21 South Beltway 68th Street, 7.21 Saltillo Road bridge Saltillo Road bridge Girder movement, 5.18 Girder movement, 5.18 South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event Lincoln South Beltway event South Beltway Aerials South Beltway Aerials South Beltway Aerials South Beltway Tour, 9.2 South Beltway Tour, 9.2 South Beltway Tour, 9.2 South Beltway Tour, 9.2 South Beltway Tour, 9.2 South Beltway Tour, 9.2 South Beltway Tour, 9.2 South Beltway construction South Beltway construction Lincoln South Beltway South Beltway South Beltway construction South Beltway construction South Beltway construction Progress South Beltway Majors Cafe Lincoln South Beltway opening ceremony Driving on the new South Beltway flyover bridge See the new Lincoln South Beltway as Journal Star photographers travel the 11-mile route Breakdown of Lincoln South Beltway #32 Lincoln South Beltway November 2022 Update! Watch now: Check out progress on the South Beltway construction project Watch now: Check out South Beltway construction from April Watch now: Take a tour of the South Beltway construction Watch Now: South Beltway October update #17 Lincoln South Beltway August 2021 Update! Watch now: South Beltway bridge girders roll down 27th Street South Beltway Ramping up for Spring | March 2021 #13 Lincoln South Beltway April 2021 Update! Watch: February flyover of Lincoln South Beltway Watch: South Beltway January 2021 update Watch: Early work continues on South Beltway
NEW YORK  Through more than 200 years, the Sisters of Charity of New York nursed Civil War casualties, joined civil rights and anti-war demonstrations, cared for orphans, and taught countless children.

Theyre proud of their history of selfless service. But they can't ignore their current reality: The congregation continues to shrink and age  and not a single new sister has joined their U.S. group in more than 20 years.

After much prayer and contemplation, they made a tough decision that marked the beginning of the Catholic congregations end. They will no longer accept new members, and announced in an April 27 statement that they are now on a path to completion.

Sister Margaret Egan recalled that day and the emotional silence that filled the meeting room on their leafy Bronx campus when she and the other members of the order's executive council accepted their reality and charted a new future. Grasping a roster of every sister who had ever served the congregation, they honored the women who preceded them.

We just held up that book and said, Theyre here with us. (Its) recognition that weve all done what God asked us to do, said Egan, sitting in that same meeting room days after the announcement.

It was Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton who set their lengthy mission of service into motion when she sent three sisters to New York City in 1817 to start an orphanage. Eight years prior, in Maryland, Seton had founded the Sisters of Charity  the first community for religious women in the U.S.

In New York, their mission expanded to schools and hospitals. In 1846 the Sisters of Charity of New York spun off into a separate order.

Over the decades, they opened schools, colleges and hospitals; launched missions in the Bahamas and Guatemala; protested the Vietnam War and were arrested for doing so during Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1972. They continued to serve people on society's margins, including immigrants, the homeless and the aging.

Their numbers ballooned, peaking in the 1960s with 1,300 nuns. Today, they have 154; their median age is 85.

That drop reflects a global trend. The number of Catholic nuns is in a free fall as fewer young women devote their lives to religious orders.

The number of religious sisters in the U.S. peaked in 1965 at 178,740, and has sharply declined to 39,452 sisters in 2022, according the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.

Several of the Sisters of Charity in New York serving today made their vows in the 1950s and the 1960s; they have witnessed this drop in real time. But that has not diminished their congregation's legacy nor the many ways they've personally changed the lives of New Yorkers.

On a recent day, six sisters on the executive council shared their hopes and reminisced as they gathered at their headquarters on the College of Mount Saint Vincent, which evolved from an academy founded by the congregation in 1847.

Sister Donna Dodge, the congregation president, recounted a favorite memory  the unsolicited praise that followed them as they marched along Fifth Avenue in a St. Patrick's Day parade.

"As we passed, many of them came out and said, Thank you for teaching me. Thank you for helping me in the hospital. Thank you! Thank you! she said. It was the first time in my life that Ive ever heard that from so many people at once, because we dont do what we do to look for thanks. We do what we do because its right  and its a Gospel mandate.

In decades past, operating the order's hospitals and schools afforded the sisters leadership opportunities that were off limits to women elsewhere in society, said Sister Margaret OBrien.

Eventually more avenues for leadership opened up for all women, including nuns across the U.S. who've become champions for social justice causes and leaders of vast hospital networks. In a recent historic reform, Pope Francis gave women voting rights at a global meeting of bishops.

But members of the Sisters of Charity in New York had hoped for more, said O'Brien, who lamented that women still cannot be Catholic priests.

Back in the '70s, in a lot of our documents and assembly minutes, you can see the hope that we had at the time for the ordination of women, she said. And thats much slower in coming  but it will come.

The sisters took turns sharing their experiences while sitting beneath a 19th century painting of the orders founder, Seton, who became the first saint born in what would become the U.S. A word that guides their life  charism  came up repeatedly. It is defined as an extraordinary power (as of healing) given a Christian by the Holy Spirit for the good of the church.

They also spoke of all the changes. In their beginnings, the Sisters of Charity nuns wore long black dresses and bonnets. They gradually began to wear a modified version of the habit and eventually secular clothes.

This came after reforms that followed the Second Vatican Council, which brought the 2,000-year-old church into the modern era. Some wondered if the updates to the life of the church eventually contributed to their recent decision to stop accepting new sisters.

When something like this is looming, you think, What did we do wrong?" O'Brien said. Im sure there were many times when we questioned all those changes that we made back in the seventies  the habit, leaving schools, going into other various ministries.

But when you stop and think, you recognize that each person who did any of those things was doing it in faith, trying to read the signs of the time, and do what theyre called to do. And that cant be wrong.

Sister Dorothy Metz agreed.

I dont think that we ever got too involved in the blame game, she said. We knew we were subject to many societal changes that affected our ministries and our way of life.

The end of an era for the Sisters of Charity of New York
Night perspective at Civic Square, former Civic Auditorium in downtown Omaha. (Courtesy of White Lotus Group and RDG)

OMAHA  A national grocer, affordable housing and a five-story office and retail building are key components of the latest multimillion-dollar plan for the former Civic Auditorium site in downtown Omaha.

New renderings released Thursday show the Civic Square project as about nine acres filled with a parking structure, new roads and multiple buildings that the developer expects will bring a new residential neighborhood feel to the urban core.

The design plans for Civic Square will not only fundamentally change the downtown living environment, but the whole Omaha city skyline, said Arun Agarwal, founder of White Lotus Group.

He foresees distinct signage and architecture at the site  estimated to carry a price tag upwards of $200 million  creating an iconic, south-facing view of the downtown of Nebraskas largest city.

The effort to secure a national grocery store is key to filling a missing piece of a thriving downtown area, Agarwal said.

With interstate and inner-city convenience, Civic Square is the most accessible block downtown  which is especially important for the grocery store component and solving for the food desert designation, he said.

The update on the former auditorium site comes amid a flurry of other downtown private-public developments, including the start of the $600 million Mutual of Omaha office tower, the openings of the $100 million Kiewit Luminarium science museum and the $105 million Steelhouse concert venue, and ongoing work on the last legs of the tri-park makeover.

Site preparation for Civic Square is expected to begin early next year, though the plan faces various approval steps.

Formerly at the site bounded by Capitol Avenue and 17th, 19th and Chicago Streets was the Civic Auditorium  which for generations was Omahas central stage for concerts, graduations, sporting and other events that drew audiences from across the state and beyond its borders.

The worn facility was demolished in 2016-17 after a 60-year run.

An agreement between White Lotus and the city called for the developer to submit design plans and start obtaining permits by July, or the city could buy back the property.

Agarwal told the Nebraska Examiner on Thursday that White Lotus already was on that path, and has started the legal process of dividing the property for various elements of the redevelopment. It also is working with a nonprofit on the housing element.

As plans progress, Agarwal said, White Lotus plans to submit requests for tax-increment financing, an economic development tool authorized decades ago by the Nebraska Legislature.

Currently about 200 housing units are planned, Agarwal said, but that number could grow. Housing will include both affordable and market-rate.

Plans call for the site to be bisected by the reintroduction of 18th Street between Chicago and Capitol, and partial reintroduction of Davenport Street between 17th and 18th Streets.

About 180 on-street angled parking stalls will be created, in addition to the existing 500-stall parking garage on the site.

Large businesses around the Civic Square include Union Pacific Railroad and Kiewit Corp. Creighton University, with nearly 9,000 students, is also nearby. The site is a couple of blocks from the planned streetcar route.

This will be a great addition to our neighborhood, and the grocery store will be valuable to our students and faculty, said the Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, president of Creighton University.

Said Tim Burke, interim president of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce: The urban core vision is becoming a reality.

White Lotus said it is seeking public input on the project through CivicSquareOmaha.com

The development companys other projects include a housing and mixed-use project on the former Pershing Center site in Lincoln, the relocated site of the Omaha W. Dale Clark Library and a nearly 140-acre industrial site along Interstate 80 in Papillion.

Said Agarwal: Civic Square will offer urban residents and workers the lifestyle they want  a destination they can walk to or park at easily, a place to buy groceries, work out, shop, dine and convene with friends.
In the Colorado House of Representatives, the 2023 legislative session ended the same way it started: with conflict and division.

Lawmakers were almost giddy Monday, spending the last day of the session playing with toys and instruments, recording singalongs to "Bohemian Rhapsody," and sharing a meal on the balcony cooked by Rep. Ron Weinberg. But the carnival atmosphere quickly devolved when the sun began to set.

As the House considered one of the final measures of the session, Senate Bill 303, the Republican caucus staged a protest, walking out of the Capitol after Democratic leadership cut off a roughly two-hour debate on last-minute amendments to the bill. The bill, a property tax relief proposal, had been criticized by Republicans as being rushed through the legislative process.

"We bring a lot of expertise to the table. Whether you agree with them or not, those voices should at least be heard," said House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington, during a press conference Tuesday. "We feel that didn't happen much this session."

Republicans, who had been planning the walkout since the morning before debate was limited, did not return for the vote on SB 303 or for the last two votes of the year: re-passings of amended versions of Senate Bill 88 and Senate Bill 271. They were also absent as the chamber officially adjourned for the session.

The moment was a culmination of tensions present throughout the session between the chamber's supermajority and superminority. After the November election, the House had only 19 Republican members to the 46 Democrats this year  the largest Democratic advantage the chamber had seen in 85 years.

The bipartisan conflict began on the very first day of session when Democratic Rep. Julie McCluskie was elected House speaker in a 55-8 vote, marking the second year that Republicans broke a decades-long tradition of both parties unanimously voting in support of the new speaker. Instead of McCluskie, eight Republicans voted for freshman Republican Rep. Scott Bottoms, who had sworn into office less than 10 minutes prior.

Lacking the votes to prevent Democratic policies from passing, House Republicans repeatedly turned to stall tactics: asking for bills to be read at length and filibustering throughout the year. They spent hours, and sometimes days, delaying action on key Democratic legislation, including gun control and abortion rights measures. In response, Democrats applied rarely-if-ever-used House rules to limit debate and speed up votes.

"Mid-session, we began to recognize that what was happening in our chamber was no longer respectful and productive," said House Speaker McCluskie, D-Dillon. "I am deeply disappointed that my colleagues walked out of the House. We are hired to do one specific thing in this General Assembly and that is to cast a vote."

While no House Republicans were in the chamber for the last hours of the 2023 session, the drama did not cease.

After the vote on SB 303, the House went into recess and the Democratic caucus held a private meeting to debrief on the Republicans' walkout. The meeting began with McCluskie condemning the GOP's behavior and other Democrats praising her handling of the situation and of the session, complete with standing ovations from the caucus.

Shortly after, Rep. Elisabeth Epps spoke.

During Epps' 13-minute speech, the first-year Denver lawmaker echoed Republican criticisms of SB 303, calling the bill "inappropriately" rushed and its passage "predetermined." The bill was introduced one week before the end of session and continued to be amended mere hours before lawmakers adjourned for the year.

Epps was one of seven House Democrats who voted against SB 303 in the final vote. All of the Democratic opponents were first-year lawmakers.

"I am the most cynical person I know ... and even I didn't know this place worked like this," Epps said. "Most of our colleagues who were not there for those votes, they didn't do that in good faith. But the points that they're making are accurate. This was a ridiculous process. ... Party fealty isn't enough for me to vote 'yes' on something."

Colorado Democrats take victory lap on 2023 legislative session ends

Epps also said McCluskie has not done enough to support and defend Black lawmakers during the session. Epps said McCluskie didn't call out Republicans making offensive remarks on the floor and speaks to them "with a tone of voice that is not the tone that we had when we've had so many conversations one-on-one."

"That sheet you gave us on Jan. 30 about leaning into hard conversations and the anti-racism workshop we go through, it means nothing if you don't do it when it's hard," Epps said. "You did ask to do this. ... I'm asking you to do much, much more."

Several times throughout the session, Republican House members have been criticized for making offensive comments during floor debates.

Rep. Richard Holtorf, R-Akron, likened people with physical disabilities to running with bulls in Spain, saying if "you're dumb enough" to get hurt, "you own it." Bottoms, R-Colorado Springs, attacked transgender people, saying gender is determined by chromosomes "no matter how much you lie to yourself and change it." Multiple Republicans shouted at Epps for "play(ing) the race card" during a debate on juvenile crime, with Holtorf saying: "We are not racist. ... The husband of my oldest daughter is half-Black."

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.

Responding to Epps, McCluskie said she will "lean in" and "do more" for her party, but she also doubled down on her commitment to working across the aisle.

"I am as committed to your success and the success of every individual in this room and, truthfully, the success of our Republican colleagues. That is what this job is," McCluskie said. "My list of lessons learned is long, but I'm not giving up. I'm not quitting. And I'm going to work damn hard to get those Republicans back and for us to work with them, not against them. For us to come together."

Her message reflects what some political analysts predicted would be the defining conflict of the 2023 session: new progressive Democrats facing roadblocks from moderate establishment Democrats who hold most of the positions of power in the legislature. Even as Republicans say they feel silenced and disenfranchised by the majority party, many progressives accuse the leadership of coddling GOP members and working too hard to gain bipartisan approval when voters overwhelmingly chose to send Democrats to the legislature.

Democrats like Rep. Judy Amabile of Boulder spoke up to defend McCluckie during the meeting, saying the Republican walkout and general chaos of the session are not her fault.

Others pushed back against McCluskie's insistence on bipartisanship.

Rep. Stephanie Vigil, another first-term lawmaker from Colorado Springs, described some of the Republicans as "bad men, violent men," who "want to kill a lot of us," particularly pointing to GOP representatives from El Paso County. Vigil said she cannot work with "somebody who is my sworn enemy, they do not want me to carry on living."

"They said back at home that they were not coming here to work with anyone, but they were coming here to force this thing to the ground," Vigil said. "We need to stop acting like trying to get along with our enemies is going to preserve this institution. I think we're past that."

Asked about those comments, Lynch told reporters at a post-session news conference the difference between the Democrats and Republicans is that "I don't care if you're good or bad if they've got something to contribute to the conversation." He also said the Democrats need to "have some thick skin."

Third-term, outgoing Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez of Denver similarly objected to McCluskie's call for Democrats to come together with Republicans.

"I worked with Republicans. I have no problem doing that. What I have a problem with is when we have to sit there and endure the terrible things that they have said that harm our communities," Gonzales-Gutierrez said. "I don't think we should have to work with them when they are saying racist things. Why is that a learning opportunity for us?"

Colorado Republicans reflect on the 2023 session: Wins, losses and walkout

Gonzales-Gutierrez also expressed disappointment for the session as a whole, saying she doesn't think Democrats did better than in previous sessions and doesn't think they did anything to substantially help renters or to keep people in their homes  achievements Democratic leaders claimed during their post-session press conference.

She blamed the legislative process for these failures, saying bills that were worked on for years and properly stakeholded still didn't pass.

Despite the Democratic supermajority, some major Democrat-sponsored bills passed by the House died on the calendar in the Senate in the last days of the session, including Gov. Jared Polis' controversial land use bill, Senate Bill 213, and Gonzales-Gutierrez's bill to prohibit evictions without just cause, House Bill 1171.

The same group of House lawmakers will gather for another legislative session in January. Though McCluskie said she will work to improve communications within the Democratic caucus, it seems their sights are still set on the minority party.

Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon of Denver said this abnormal session taught Democrats valuable lessons about their Republican colleagues.

"We learned who our colleagues are. We learned what they are willing to say and do to people," Bacon said. "As we think about the interim and coming to next session, I hope we can learn from all we have seen here and be prepared for what it is that we will face."

As for the Republicans, Lynch said he learned lessons from the session, too, but he's not sure he'd do anything differently.

"We'll continue to build relationships on the other side," Lynch said. "As far as tactics, those are the only tools that we've got."

3 takeaways from the 2023 legislative session
U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse thinks it's past time federal wildland firefighters get the pay and benefits they deserve.

That's why the Lafayette Democrat reintroduced legislation Tuesday to boost wages, secure access to health care and mental health support, and provide housing stipends for firefighters deployed more than 50 miles from their homes, among other measures.

The Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act  dubbed Tim's Act  is named for Tim Hart, a 36-year-old smokejumper from Cody, Wyoming, who died fighting the Eicks Fire in New Mexico two years ago.

Neguse credited Hart's widow, Michelle Hart, for inspiring the legislation, calling her "an incredible advocate (who) converted her anguish into action."

The bill is co-sponsored in the House by California Democrat U.S. Rep. Katie Porter and sponsored in the Senate by U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat.

Neguse, a founder of the congressional Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, told Colorado Politics the bill will help "honor the sacrifices" made by those protecting the West from increasingly common wildfires.

"One wildland firefighter who I met with used the phrase 'forgotten first responders,' which I thought was such an apt characterization and description, because for too long our federal wildland firefighters have been forgotten in terms of the sacrifices that they're making," Neguse said.

Numerous provisions from an earlier, bipartisan version of the bill  introduced by Neguse in 2021 with former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican, co-sponsoring  have been adopted as part of other, larger bills, but Neguse said plenty remains to be written into law.

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.

When Neguse first introduced the legislation two years ago, the U.S. Forest Service paid its wildland firefighters  classified as "forestry technicians"  just $13.45 an hour, but President Joe Biden announced a year ago that he was temporarily increasing the pay to $15 an hour for two years under funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

The reintroduced bill would raise starting wages for new federal firefighters to $20 an hour, ensure firefighters are paid for all the hours they work, create a database to track cancer and cardiovascular disease among wildland firefights and establish tuition assistance and a chance at receiving retirement benefits.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, firefighters carry a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and lung and other cancers.

"There's some new provisions, but at its core, it's housing it's health care and fundamentally it's ensuring that these wildland firefighters are paid for the incredible sacrifices that they're making each and every day," Neguse said.

Also new this go-around is sponsorship in the Senate. Neguse noted that Bennet's support improves the bill's chances of making it across the finish line, possibly as part of the Farm Bill, which Bennet is helping assemble in the Senate Agriculture Committee.

As climate change fuels increasingly severe fires in Colorado, we rely on wildland firefighters more and more to prevent megafires and protect homes and communities," Bennet said in a statement. "These firefighters deserve fair pay, support for their mental and physical health, and time to recover from their dangerous work.

Neguse said the bill hasn't attracted formal opposition, but added that he has heard concerns about its cost.

"Part of this challenge, part of the work that we have in front of us, is to make the case to our colleagues, to remind them about the sacrifices that federal wildland firefighters are making, and the need to honor our promises to them," Neguse said.
Gov. Jared Polis has been clear about his position on the reintroduction of wolves.

He's in favor of the plan from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission.

He's in favor of the anticipated ruling from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on what's known as a 10(j) rule that will allow that CPW plan to go into effect.

The governor is in favor of seeing wolves on the ground by the close of 2023.

What he doesn't like is Senate Bill 256, which requires the state to have that 10(j) ruling in place before wolves can be reintroduced.

Polis alluded to vetoing the measure when asked by reporters about it in a news conference shortly after the legislative session ended.

"There shouldn't be a lot of suspense on that one," Polis said.

He pointed out the Department of Natural Resources testified against it, testimony that came from DNR Executive Director Dan Gibbs.

The state wants to honor the will of the voters, Polis added.

"It's certainty very clear where our agencies were," he said. "I don't think people will be surprised."

He also said legal experts informed the state the legislation would delay the reintroduction, and they want to avoid that delay.

The bill comes after voters, mostly in urban areas, in 2020 approved Proposition 114. The measure would attempt to reestablish the species in Colorado, with wolves placed in central mountain communities. It passed by a narrow margin of 50.91% to 49.09%, with four of the five counties where wolves will be reintroduced voting against the measure.

Wolves are currently classified as an endangered species in Colorado, meaning that if a rancher came upon wolves killing livestock, as has happened several times in Jackson County, the rancher could not kill the wolf.

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.

Once voters approved Proposition 114, Colorado Parks and Wildlife went to work to come up with a plan on how to manage the wolf population, which is expected to start at a dozen breeding pairs and grow from there.

That plan won formal approval from the CPW commission just last week.

The plan is based on the state obtaining the (10j) rule, which the federal Fish and Wildlife Services has been working on and expects to issue by mid-December.

The 10(j) federal rule would allow wolves to be classified as a nonessential, experimental population, with CPW taking the lead role on managing the population. Under the CPW plan, and with wolves listed under 10(j) as a nonessential, experimental population, ranchers could kill wolves attacking their livestock and be compensated for loss of livestock.

Senate Bill 256 started out with requirements that all legal challenges to reintroduction be completed before reintroduction could take place.

But that provision was removed by the Senate after the governor's office made it clear it opposed the language around litigation. Backers of reintroduction said those challenges could take years and would fly in the face of voter intent.

That wasn't good enough for the Polis administration. When the bill surfaced in the House, Democrats, who side with the governor, tried to render it essentially ineffective.

Those efforts failed. The bill won final approval from the House on May 3 and the following day, the Senate signed off on House amendments backed by the bill's sponsors. It's now headed to the governor.

Vetoing SB 256 will not affect the reintroduction, but without the measure  should US Fish & Wildlife not issue the 10(j) ruling  wolves could be reintroduced but only under endangered species status, and with the federal government taking the lead on managing the population.

Backers of SB 256 have said the federal agency does not have the resources or personnel to do that work effectively.

One problem yet to be resolved: Where the wolves will come from.

According to 9News, Colorado has not reached an agreement with anyone who will allow their wolves to go to Colorado. The governor of Wyoming is a firm "no," and officials in Idaho and Montana, where wolf reintroduction has taken place in past years, say they haven't been asked, despite claims in the CPW plan that Colorado has been having discussions with those states.

The governor has until June 7 to sign, veto or allow bills to become law without his signature.
In tandem with her husband's entrepreneurial focus and past in business leadership, Abbey Mobolade said her experience as both an educator and critical care nurse would allow her to bring her own brand of advocacy to a city desperately in need of mental health services.

Wife of mayoral candidate and political newcomer, Yemi Mobolade, Abbey Mobolade said she has worked through her past roles as an English teacher and intensive-care unit nurse, and now a full-time nurse educator at Pikes Peak State College, to empower her students to harness their ability to change the lives of vulnerable populations.

It's an approach to work, she said, that helps her back her husband's campaign and set her own sights on addressing public safety issues through mental health initiatives if he wins the mayorship on Tuesday.

In the same way, I've seen my husband mentor, train and really pull out the best in people and help them understand how much power they have to advocate for people to grow and reach their own potential, she said.

Promising to lead the city with "fresh eyes" against the status quo, Yemi Mobolade has touted his leadership in the business and nonprofit sectors to tackle some of the most pressing issues the city faces, like home affordability, water availability, infrastructure, public safety and homelessness.

The latter two, Abbey Mobolade said, have too often seen a reactionary, not preventive, response by city governments.

We're looking at the symptoms, like violence and drug use, and those are real issues," she said. "But if we start to pull at that thread a little bit, mental health is going to be a key component of fixing any and all of those things.

As the parent of a child who needs access to mental health resources, trying to find care providers or navigating extensive wait lists is "like a part-time job," she said.

Additionally, public safety in the schools, and the feeling that she's "just not quite sure" how safe her three children may be when she drops them off, is brought to mind with every notification from the school district that one of its buildings is on lockdown, she said.

When talking about the physical safety of our kids and their emotional safety, that mental health piece is huge," she said. "We do not have enough resources.

She said that if her husband becomes mayor, she sees the platform as a "responsibility and a gift," and has a plan in place to use it.

Rather than needing to singlehandedly "know all the things," she'd "pull a page out of Yemi's handbook" and create a table where the behavioral health care providers, grant writers, school district nurses and nonprofits  such as Springs Rescue Mission, where Yemi Mobolade has served on its board of directors  can identify gaps in their own fields and collaborate on tangible approaches to meeting needs in the city.

"A clinic where people come in for traditional appointments may not be the most helpful thing (in certain health emergencies)," she said. "It truly is getting the people with all their different niches of experience together and starting back at the beginning. Where are the problems?"

She described that ability to bring a diverse group of people to a table and then listen to them  plus a seemingly tireless pursuit of what "could be"  as part of her husband's "magic" and said she's seen him forge that practice in his establishment of Wild Goose Meeting House and Good Neighbors Meeting House, two cafe-style eateries he co-owns.

The Mobolades, still dating at the time, noticed a lack of meaningful food culture in Colorado Springs when Yemi Mobolade moved to the city in 2010 and founded a church with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, she said. In response, he co-founded the two eateries as a hub for building "community and culture."

Being able to look at what is and appreciate it for what it is and then still be able to envision what could be and what could be better is a little bit of a bug that I've caught being married to him, Abbey Mobolade said.

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. While there, he co-founded the nonprofit COSILoveYou and the CityServe Day movement that unites more than 100 churches in service to the community. In recent years, he's held roles with various economic and business development groups, supporting small businesses and startup companies and promoting local economic development.

It's a broad resume void of political stints that Yemi Mobolade has touted as an unaffiliated candidate, but one that has drawn attacks from opponent Wayne Williams in ad campaigns.

Williams, in an effort to convince voters that he's the Republican and conservative in the race, even as Yemi Mobolade has won endorsements from former GOP officials and prominent local right-leaning figures, launched an ad at the end of April that paints Mobolade as a left-wing candidate, accusing him of supporting socialism and possibly looking to overturn a failed collective bargaining bid voters rejected in 2019.

"... I've been clear from Day One that I'm putting Colorado Springs ahead of party politics," Yemi Mobolade previously told The Gazette. "I'm putting our quality of life ahead of party politics. I'm putting our families  ahead of fearmongering."

Abbey Mobolade also rejected the label, echoing her husband's assertion that Williams assigned him an identity he "never claimed."

"It's really unfortunate that you can be a person who is open minded and willing to listen to people's perspective, their story, beliefs and values and ... appreciate people for their own experience, and just by the nature of being that person, you get labeled with certain things that are very inaccurate," she said.

She added that it would be a "waste" to exclude those voices from decisions that affect every resident of Colorado Springs  "not just the people who have titles."

Editor's note: Drop-off boxes for ballots in the mayoral runoff election have been open for nearly two weeks. Ballots will be accepted until Tuesday, May 16.
With less than a week to go before the Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election, voter turnout has outpaced participation at the same point in the last runoff election held eight years ago.

Data from the City Clerk's Office show as of Tuesday 24.4%, or 76,514, of the city's 313,693 active registered voters had returned their ballots, compared with 75,213 ballots returned at the same point in May 2015, the last time the city held a runoff election.

In that runoff, voters elected Mayor John Suthers to his first term, and in 2019 he resoundingly won reelection in the April regular election. Suthers leaves office June 6 after serving eight years as mayor.

City Clerk Sarah Johnson said by email Wednesday she expects the May 16 runoff to draw a turnout between 40% and 50%, based on current numbers.

More voters have returned their ballots for the May 16 election than at the same point ahead of the April 4 regular election, when 14.9% of voters had returned their ballots.

Data show that in the past four regular municipal elections between 2015 and 2021, more residents voted in mayoral election years 2015 and 2019 than in years 2017 and 2021, when there were no mayoral races.

On April 4, Colorado Springs voters narrowed down their choice of mayoral candidates from 12 to two: Former Colorado Springs Councilman Wayne Williams and entrepreneur Yemi Mobolade. Last month, residents also elected four new councilmembers to the dais and extended the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) tax for another 20 years.

In the runoff, the candidate who earns a majority of votes, or more than 50% of votes cast, will be named mayor.

The next man elected to the office will be the third strong mayor in the city's history. The mayor acts as the city's full-time chief executive, with the power to enforce laws and ordinances, create a strategic plan for the city and submit to the City Council an annual budget.

Johnson said while her office has no way to know how many ballots it will receive on Tuesday, Election Day, officials "expect to receive a large number of ballots" that day.

Those who still have not cast their votes for the runoff can return their ballots to the City Clerk's Office in the City Administration Building at 30 S. Nevada Ave., Suite 101, or at a 24/7 ballot drop box by 7 p.m. Tuesday. It is too late to return ballots by mail, and postmarks will not count.

Residents who need a replacement ballot or other services can visit the City Clerk's Office, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

A full list of ballot drop box locations is on the city's website at coloradosprings.gov/voterinfo.

Voters can also call 719-385-5901 with questions about the election.
Pikes Peak National Cemetery will bury four unclaimed veterans Thursday morning in a service open to the public.

The identities of the veterans are known; however, they did not have family or friends to claim them when they died. A nonprofit seeks out unclaimed veterans at funeral homes to ensure they receive a burial, said Dustin Venn, a cemetery administrative specialist for the Pikes Peak National Cemetery. He serves in a role similar to a funeral director.

The four, including three Vietnam-era veterans, will be buried with military honors, he said.

"We want as many people to come as possible," he said.

Three served in the Army and one served in the Air Force.

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.

Attendees are asked to arrive around 8:45 a.m. for the 9 a.m. service that will be held in staging area 2 at the Pikes Peak National Cemetery.
Police arrested 19-year-old Bryce Daniels Friday in the alleged shooting death of Jesse Schiele III, who was found dead south of downtown Colorado Springs last month.

Daniels, who police said was taken into custody without incident, is facing charges of first-degree murder after deliberation and two counts of felony menacing with a weapon, according to court records.

Schiele, 21, was found dead near Dorchester Park on the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail on the evening of April 29 after police received reports of a shooting at 7:13 p.m.

A GoFundMe in his name is raising money to send his body to Vicksburg, Miss., where his mother lives, for a proper burial. Schiele graduated from Warren Central High School in 2020 in Vicksburg, according to the GoFundMe.

Court records show Daniels is being held in the El Paso County jail without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on May 16.
Christian Ruiz Mendez, a senior at St. Marys High School, was a little confused when his teacher, Mike Kloenne, presented his with an Amazon package during a recent class.

When Ruiz Mendez saw the contents of the box, he was moved nearly to tears.

That was crazy, he said. I was blown away.

Inside the box was a notification that Ruiz Mendez had been named an Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship recipient. The tech giant has awarded 400 college scholarships, worth a total of $16 million, to top high school STEM students looking to pursue a degree in computer science or engineering.

In addition to a $40,000 endowment to attend a college or university of his choice, Ruiz Mendez will also receive a paid Amazon internship upon the completion of his freshman year.

The Future Engineer initiative largely targets exemplary students from underserved communities and/or underrepresented backgrounds. More than 70% of the scholarship recipients identify as Black, Latinx, or Native American, according to a news release.

The same day Ruiz Mendez received the Amazon scholarship, he was also informed that he had also earned a $100,000 grant from the Daniels Foundation.

Two scholarships in one day, Kloenne said. He had a really good day.

For Ruiz Mendez, who will attend Loyola Marymount University in the fall, the scholarships represented the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. He will be the second member of his family to attend college; his sister Briana, who attends Adams State University, was the first.

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.

When he talked about the sacrifices his mother, Araceli Mendez, made to get him to this point, Ruiz Mendez made no attempt to hide his tears.

My mother was born in rural Mexico, he said. She came to America in the 1990s. She worked so hard, and she made hard choices for us. She is the reason I am the person I have become.

Kloenne said the scholarships are well deserved, and that Loyola Marymount is getting a star student.

Hes a great kid, Kloenne said. Hes a student any teacher would want. He has skills any employer would be looking for. Id take a hundred kids like Chris.

Ruiz Mendez, who plans to major in computer science, discovered an aptitude for science and technology at an early age. When, as a third-grader, he became fascinated with the inner working of a tablet, a budding STEM standout was born.

I just like to learn about how things are designed, said Ruiz Mendez, who hopes to eventually start his own software engineering business. I like figuring out how things work. And computer science has lots of applications. You can use it anywhere to improve something.

Ruiz Mendez said he would like to see more Latinx people in STEM professions. According to data from the Pew Research Center, people of Hispanic heritage make up 17% of total employment in the U.S., but only 8% of all STEM workers.

I know there arent many people doing STEM jobs who look like me, he said. But I believe there will be more.
The parents of 15-month-old Cairo Astacio will spend more than 20 years in prison after being found guilty of child abuse causing death by fentanyl ingestion, an El Paso County judge decided Wednesday.

Astacio's parents, Joenny Manuel Astacio Ottenwalder, 36, and Kira Lee Davison, 29, who previously used the last name Villalba, were both found guilty in March of causing Astacio's death in November 2021.

Prosecutor Brien Cecil urged Judge Laura Findorff to sentence both Davison and Ottenwalder to over 30 years in prison.

"They were careless enough with them (drugs) that Cairo was exposed to them and died (of) a massive fentanyl overdose," Cecil said. "This was an avoidable tragedy. It was an avoidable death."

Cecil said he felt it was appropriate for a harsher sentence to be given to Ottenwalder because of his previous criminal conviction for attempting to smuggle drugs into the United States, and his failure to stay in compliance with probation following that conviction.

Following Cecil's statement, Davison said she took responsibility for causing the death of her son, describing her fentanyl use as "selfish."

"I should have fought harder to be clean. I should have fought harder to be the mother Cairo deserved," Davison told the court. "Losing my son has been the hardest and most painful experience I've ever been through ... and it was my addiction that took him from me."

Davison also said she has begun her recovery over the last year she has spent in jail, and that she hopes to never fall back into addiction when she is released from prison.

Jason Tiplitz, Davison's attorney, asked the court to give his client the minimum sentence of 16 years in prison, arguing that the upper end of the sentencing scale should be reserved for those who knowingly cause the death of a child, and not recklessly as he argues his client did.

Will Cook, Ottenwalder's defense attorney, argued that his client should receive 24 years in prison. Like Tiplitz, Cook said a sentence closer to the maximum should only be reserved for those who knowingly cause the death of a child. Cook used the example of a parent choking a child out of anger as a hypothetical case that would better suit the maximum sentence of 48 years in prison.

Cook also argued that Ottenwalder throughout the court process had taken responsibility for his actions that led to the death of Astacio, and that he too is struggling with the loss.

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.

"When Cairo died, part of him died, too," Cook said. "There's nothing he can do about it."

Ottenwalder did not address the court directly on the advice of his attorneys, Cook said.

Findorff gave Davison a 24-year prison sentence and Ottenwalder a 28-year prison sentence. Both sentences also require a five-year mandatory parole period upon their release.

Findorff said Ottenwalder received the harsher prison sentence because of his prior criminal conviction.

"This is a hard case. ... Nobody is arguing that neither (Ottenwalder) or Davison loved their child," Findorff said near the conclusion of the sentencing hearing. "I want to offer my sincerest condolences to both of you, but the reality is you caused (Astacio's) death."

Ottenwalder and Davison each received separate six-month jail sentences for misdemeanor possession of fentanyl and cocaine.

They also face a separate case, in which both are accused of providing fentanyl to a 13-year-old girl who overdosed twice.

The jury trial for that case was scheduled to begin in February, but because of concerns about the two trials overlapping  as well as attorneys representing Ottenwalder saying they werent ready  the trial was rescheduled for July 17.

Ottenwalder and Davison face two counts of child abuse causing serious bodily injury, controlled substance distribution to a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The couple are due back in court on June 28 for their pre-trial conferences.
The Colorado Springs Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a conditional use request that will permit developers to build additional multifamily housing on about 5 acres of land in a planned business center in the Flying Horse development on the city's north side.

The board voted 7-0, with Commissioners Jim Raughton and James McMurray absent, to allow developer Pulpit Rock Investments to build 30 duplex buildings across seven lots on 5.15 acres of vacant land just north of North Gate Boulevard and on the east side of Rollercoaster Road. The parcel's existing zoning is planned business center. Sixty total units are planned to be built, a density of 11.6 units per acre, city planner Kyle Fenner said.

Each duplex will include one two-bedroom unit and one three-bedroom unit, and each will have a one-car garage, according to planning documents.

Building duplexes in this area will provide a more natural transition between the existing single-family detached homes to the north of the project; commercial uses like gas stations, convenience and retail stores, and a bank to the south; Barefoot Park to the west; and nonresidential self-storage use to the east, said Phil Stuepfert, senior project manager for developer's consultant HR Green Development.

"We think duplex units ... are totally appropriate for this property," he told commissioners.

The buildings will be about 30 feet high, Stuepfert said, much lower than the allowed 45-foot maximum building height.

The proposal would also provide more housing in this area of the city, where more multi- and two-family residences are desired, Fenner said.

After holding their own neighborhood meeting with about 50 residents in attendance, which the city did not participate in, Stuepfert said developers heard from residents who were concerned the design for the duplexes was too modern and generally did not like the proposed black and white colors of the buildings.

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.

Drew Balsick with developer Pulpit Rock Investments said they are considering six color options for the new duplexes, including cool and warm tones, and plan not to make every building the same color.

Wanda Knight, the only resident who spoke on the proposal Wednesday and who lives directly near the project site, said she was concerned the new units would increase traffic in the area, that the duplexes would negatively affect the value of existing residential properties, that many of the units would become rental properties, and that the property wouldn't be maintained and kept clean of trash and debris.

Stuepfert said the Colorado Springs Traffic Engineering Division had no concerns about increased traffic. The Flying Horse development was built to allow more than 4,000 units, he said, so "a lot of those roads are designed appropriately."

Stuepfert said he didn't feel existing residential properties would be negatively impacted by new duplexes and said the property would be privately maintained and organized by Classic Communities when built. The units are also planned for sale, he said.

"There will be some rentals initially ... but the ultimate goal is to have them all for sale," he said.

Planning Commissioner John Almy said he supported the request but wanted developers to think particularly about how the new duplex buildings would fit in with the greater community.

"The design looks to me ... more industrial looking," he said, referring to sketches planners and project developers showed during a presentation Wednesday. "... I'd argue going forward you need to make sure this thing doesn't stick out because it's newer architecture ... and that in fact it fits nicely."

The Planning Commission also approved the developer's request to add nine additional perpendicular parking stalls as part of the project, bringing the total available parking spaces to 114.
YUMA, Ariz.  Immigrants gathered on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border Thursday hours before immigration restrictions known as Title 42 expire, with some rushing to cross ahead of tough new asylum rules that will replace the COVID-era order.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has in recent days been holding up to 28,000 migrants at its facilities, far beyond its stated capacity and in what appeared to be a record, two federal officials requesting anonymity and the Border Patrols union said.

The busiest border detention facilities are in the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso in Texas and two areas in Arizona, according to union President Brandon Judd.

This week, the number of people caught crossing illegally surpassed 10,000 per day.

Due to the high volume of arrivals, agents were releasing some migrants without a notice to appear in immigration court where they can make an asylum claim and are telling them to report to an immigration office later, Judd said.

On average, people are spending nearly three days in custody, Judd said. CBP did not respond to a request for comment.

The House of Representatives on Thursday approved Republican legislation intended to stop immigrants and illegal drugs crossing the nations southwestern border with Mexico, leaving it to the Senate to attempt a broader, bipartisan immigration bill.

The package, which Democrats have warned will be blocked in the Senate, would set tight limits on asylum seekers and require them to apply for U.S. protection outside the country. It also would resume construction of a wall along the border and expand federal law enforcement efforts.

The House voted 219-213 to pass the bill, with no Democrats in favor and one Republican opposed.

In Yuma, Ariz., hundreds of migrants lined up in the chilly hours before dawn at a gap in the towering border fence, waiting to turn themselves in to U.S. agents.

Some  like 40-year-old Jovanna Gomez from Colombia  decided to try their luck crossing now after hearing about the U.S. policy change.

In my country, you hear that immigration will only be allowed until May 11, so we came racing against the clock, she said. It wasnt easy.

Under Title 42, in place since March 2020 and set to expire at midnight, hundreds of thousands of migrants have been quickly expelled to Mexico.

But because Mexico only accepted the return of certain nationalities  mostly their own citizens and Central Americans, and more recently Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans  migrants from other countries have largely been allowed in to pursue their immigration claims.

That is set to change as President Joe Bidens administration sends more personnel and funds to the border while implementing the new regulation, which will deny asylum to almost all migrants who cross illegally.

The measure will bar anyone who has passed through another country without seeking refuge elsewhere or who failed to use legal pathways to enter the United States.

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.

It will take effect when Title 42 lifts, along with the declared end of the broad COVID public health emergency on Thursday.

Top U.S. officials repeated a warning to illegal crossers. Our borders are not open, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters at a White House briefing.

The CBP reiterated in a statement that Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans that cross the southwest border illegally after the end of Title 42 will continue to be sent back to Mexico, which can accept a total of up to 30,000 migrants from those countries monthly.

The U.S. has opened up legal options for migrants of those nationalities to apply for entry from abroad, in an effort to discourage people from coming to the border.

U.S. border cities have struggled to shelter the new arrivals and provide transportation to other destinations. Far from the border, other cities say they are also struggling to cope, such as New York, where Mayor Eric Adams temporarily loosened right-to-shelter rules because of strained resources.

Floridas attorney general has gone to federal court to try to block mass releases of migrants into the United States after Title 42 ends.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent who left the Democratic Party five months ago, criticized the administration Thursday, telling reporters the president had failed to adequately prepare for the end of Title 42.

She said small towns in her state have been struggling to transport arriving immigrants with little access to resources like buses or shelters.

Republicans fault Biden, a Democrat running for re-election in 2024, for scrapping the restrictive policies of former President Donald Trump, a Republican seeking to win back the White House.

And Biden administration officials in recent days have escalated their attacks on Republicans, saying they failed to fix immigration laws or provide adequate border funds.

I asked the Congress for a lot more money for the Border Patrol, Biden said Wednesday. They didnt do it.

Since Biden took office in January 2021, the country has seen a record 4.6 million arrests of migrants crossing illegally, although the tally includes many repeat crossers. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week showed that only 26% approved of Bidens handling of immigration.

In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott, a fierce critic of the presidents border policies, expanded a National Guard deployment this week to help intercept and repel large groups of migrants trying to enter Texas illegally.

Some organizations are welcoming the migrants. In Yuma, Fernando Quiroz, a 50-year-old member of a volunteer group known as the AZ-CA Humanitarian Coalition, was pulling a wagon filled with water bottles to hand out to migrants awaiting processing in the middle of the night.

The reason we are here is our faith, our compassion, our empathy for a lot of these individuals, Quiroz said. We just want to be that friendly smile.

Who knows what happens when they get on that bus? he said. This is just the first step of a very long journey.
By Pete Schroeder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Large U.S. lenders will bear most of the cost of replenishing a deposit insurance fund that was drained of $16 billion by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and two other lenders, although mid-sized banks will also be on the hook, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said on Thursday.

The bank regulator will apply a "special assessment" fee of 0.125% to uninsured deposits of lenders in excess of $5 billion, based on the amount of uninsured deposits a bank held at the end of 2022, the FDIC proposed at a board meeting.

While the fee applies to all banks, in practice lenders with more than $50 billion in assets would cover over 95% of the cost, the agency said. Banks with less than $5 billion in assets would not pay any fee. Around 113 banks are expected to pay the fee.

The top 14 U.S. lenders will need to fork out an estimated $5.8 billion a year, which could erode their earnings per share by a median 3%, Credit Suisse analyst Susan Roth Katzke wrote in a report.

The levy would be collected over eight quarters beginning in June 2024, but could be adjusted as estimated losses to the insurance fund change. The extended timeline aims to minimize the impact on bank liquidity and is expected to have a negligible impact on bank capital, according to FDIC officials.

JPMorgan Chase & Co is expected to pay an estimated $1.3 billion annual fee, followed by $1.1 billion for Bank of America Corp and $898 million for Wells Fargo & Co. The three banks declined to comment.

"This is a higher assessment than we were expecting as the FDIC is seeking to recoup the funds over just two years," wrote TD Cowen analyst Jaret Seiberg in a research note. "We had expected the agency to spread the payments over at least three years."

The S&P 500 Banks Index slid 0.6% on Thursday, while the KBW Regional Banking Index slumped more than 2%.

The FDIC fund, which guarantees customers' bank deposits of up to $250,000, stood at $128.2 billion at the end of 2022, according to the FDIC.

Banks usually pay a quarterly fee to finance the fund, but the FDIC said the special levy was necessary to cover hefty costs it incurred after Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failed in March. Both banks, which had extremely high levels of uninsured deposits, abruptly failed after depositors fled amid concerns over their financial health. Regulators declared them critical to the financial system, allowing the FDIC to backstop all deposits in a bid to stop the contagion spreading.

The seizure of First Republic Bank and sale to JP Morgan Chase this month is expected to cost that fund another $13 billion.

Other regional lenders with high proportions of uninsured deposits include Comerica Bank, Western Alliance Bank, Zions Bank and Synovus Financial, according to a Reuters analysis from last month based on December data.

Comerica shares dropped almost 7%, Zions Bancorp and Synovus both fell more than 4%, while Western Alliance slid almost 1%. The banks did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

SMALL BANKS CHEER

Under law, the FDIC has discretion in designing the fee, and FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg said on Thursday the proposal targets those who benefited most from the backstop.

"In general, large banks with large amounts of uninsured deposits benefited the most from the systemic risk determination," he said in a statement.

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), Washington's top small bank lobby group, applauded the plans.

"Community banks should not have to bear any financial responsibility for losses to the Deposit Insurance Fund caused by the miscalculations and speculative practices of large financial institutions," ICBA CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said in a statement.

The FDIC board approved the proposal on Thursday along partisan lines, with its three Democratic board members supporting it and its two Republican members voting no, arguing that the banks on the hook to pay the most were generally the biggest beneficiaries of the flight to safety after SVB's collapse. The agency will now solicit feedback from the banking industry and the public, before ultimately finalizing the new fee.

TD Cowen's Sieberg said he did not see the dissenters' arguments prevailing as it would effectively exempt the global systemically important banks from the special assessment.

"We do not see that as politically viable," Sieberg said.

(Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru and Pete Schroeder in WashingtonAdditional reporting by Manya Saini, Jaiveer Shekhawat, Nupur Anand, Tatiana Bautzer and Saeed AzharEditing by Michelle Price, Lananh Nguyen and Matthew Lewis)
Despite making her long-awaited return to Washington, D.C., this week, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said she is still not fully recovered and will be taking on a "lighter schedule" over the next few weeks.

Feinstein returned to the nation's capital on Tuesday evening after being gone from the Senate for nearly three months due to a hospitalization caused by a shingles diagnosis. The California senator's office had long teased her return to the upper chamber, with many congressional Democrats growing restless over her absence stalling their agenda.

DIANNE FEINSTEIN MAKING RETURN TO SENATE FOR FIRST TIME IN MONTHS

Although her return prompted celebration from several of her Democratic colleagues, Feinstein acknowledged it may still be a while until she resumes her full duties. She missed the first two votes of the day.

"I'm grateful for all the well-wishes over the past couple of months and for the excellent care that I received from my medical team in San Francisco," Feinstein said in a statement. "Even though I've made significant progress and was able to return to Washington, I'm still experiencing some side effects from the shingles virus. My doctors have advised me to work a lighter schedule as I return to the Senate. I'm hopeful those issues will subside as I continue to recover."

Feinstein made her grand return to the Senate for votes on Wednesday afternoon, where she was seen being escorted into the Capitol building by a wheelchair.

Her return comes after some Democrats went so far as to call on Feinstein to resign from the Senate due to her prolonged absence, accusing her of clogging up judicial nominations and costing the party some key votes. That list included names such as Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Dean Phillips (D-MN).

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Feinstein pushed back on arguments that her absence was slowing down work in the Senate, pointing to seven nominees the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced last week. The California senator emphasized her eagerness to return to accomplish the "pressing" matters facing the committee.

"The Senate faces many important issues, but the most pressing is to ensure our government doesn't default on its financial obligations," Feinstein said. "I also look forward to resuming my work on the Judiciary Committee considering the president's judicial nominees."

Original Location: Feinstein says shell work lighter schedule as she continues shingles recovery

Washington Examiner Videos
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration in an attempt to block the implementation of an order that she alleges would "release aliens en masse" as Title 42 is set to expire late Thursday evening.

The emergency restraining order filed by Moody on Thursday argues that the new policy is "identical" to a policy enjoined by courts in March and would allow for the rapid release of immigrants into the United States.

DEFLORIDA BLUEPRINT: HOW DESANTIS HAS PURSUED A TEDDY ROOSEVELT CONSERVATIONIST IMAGE

Moody details how this policy would only exacerbate releases of immigrants into the U.S. and would continue to be a burden on the state.

"As a result of DHS's mismanagement of the border, over a million illegal aliens have been released into the interior of the United States. Well over 100,000 of those illegal aliens ended up in Florida, and the State has paid millions of dollars to provide public benefits to these aliens. Under the new parole policy announced by DHS tens of thousands more will be released and will likely make their way to Florida," the filing said.

The state requested the judge make a ruling on the motion for the emergency restraining order before midnight because Title 42 expires at 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

"Florida seeks a temporary restraining order to preserve the status quo until the parties can brief motions for a preliminary injunction or to postpone the effective date of the new policy. The Biden Administration's behavior, if left unchecked, makes a mockery of our system of justice and our Constitution," the filing said.

Moody had previously won a federal court case against the Biden administration regarding the "catch-and-release policy" for immigration on the southern border. The Florida attorney general now argues the Biden administration is attempting to circumvent the court order.

"The gall of Biden to thumb his nose at a federal court order and proceed with an unlawful plan to allow what amounts to an invasion at our Southwest Border is not only unprecedented, it is dangerous. We have blown the whistle on Biden every step along his path to illegally dismantle our nation's border security system  and even as the clock ticks down to the end of Title 42, we are taking action to force this administration to follow the law, secure the border and protect the American people," Moody said in a statement.

In response to the initial court order to issue a response by 4 p.m. on Thursday, lawyers for the Biden administration requested an extension for a response until 2 p.m. on Friday "to allow the government to submit a responsive pleading and appropriate declaration in support of its response."

The judge granted the Biden administration a one-hour extension, meaning a response is required by 5 p.m. He argued that the policy was likely being crafted prior to Wednesday and it "should have been preparing to defend the policy long before it was officially rolled out."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Title 42 is a pandemic-era policy that allows for the rapid deportation of immigrants without an asylum hearing. It is expiring in accordance with the end of the public health emergency for COVID-19.

The end of Title 42 has created concern about an influx of immigrants crossing the border in response to the end of the rapid expulsion policy. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has rebutted those predictions by repeating claims the border is not open.

Original Location: Florida attorney general sues Biden administration to stop 'en masse' release of immigrants

Washington Examiner Videos
The Washington Examiner's Hugo Gurdon blasted mainstream media outlets for their bias in favor of President Joe Biden.

Gurdon appeared on Fox News' Varney & Co. Thursday to question why outlets opt out of publishing stories surrounding Hunter Biden. Meanwhile, those who try, notably a reporter from the New York Post who asked many questions about the president's second-born son, are punished by being excluded from White House press events. The editor-in-chief suggested the lack of coverage is tied to a "culpable incuriosity" by members of the media.

LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA

"The news media is on the side of Democrats and will try to distort things," Gurdon said. "Whether this is, in the long-term, sure, the media want to help Democrats win elections, so you could say it is election interference. I think I would put it somewhat lower than that and say it's part of the constant undertow of bias in most of the media."

When it comes to the White House's new dictum announced Friday, which promised that reporters who do not act in a "professional manner" will be expelled, Gurdon raised a red flag. The announcement appeared to be an issue that directly affects the First Amendment right to a free press.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

"There is always the danger reporters will sort of act up and not be professional, but there's an equal danger, at least, that the administration will decide reporters are asking awkward questions and somehow not acting professionally," Gurdon said. He pointed out that poll after poll has demonstrated that the American public is interested in issues that the Biden administration has struggled to address, such as the economy and immigration.

Social media platform Twitter has used its "Community Notes" function to fact-check the Biden administration's messaging in recent months.

Original Location: Hugo Gurdon breaks down why the media won't report on Hunter Biden

Washington Examiner Videos
EL PASO, Texas  Immigrants who journeyed thousands of miles and crossed the border illegally with the expectation they would be welcomed into the United States with open arms instead discovered a very different reality upon walking onto the streets of El Paso.

Throughout central downtown, immigrants have set up tentlike structures on the sidewalks. Garbage and feces filled alleyways and lined the streets and have turned a very small section of the town of 800,000 residents into a filthy area.

TITLE 42 ENDING: BORDER PATROL AND ICE SWEEP THROUGH MIGRANT CAMP IN EL PASO AS TITLE 42 CLOCK TICKS DOWN

Tent like structures line the fence around Sacred Heart Church in El Paso Texas, as make-shift shelters for immigrants, many who have crossed illegally, waiting for a way to move on to their next destination. Amy DeLaura / Washington Examiner

Twenty immigrants who surrendered to Border Patrol this week after days to weeks living on the street shared in interviews with the Washington Examiner they thought coming to the U.S. would set them up for life.

"They will feed you, clothe you, help you with your studies, and get a job," one Venezuelan man said.

The same man said he came to the U.S. on the belief that "you will receive what you need to make it."

Back in Venezuela, the man heard it's easy to come into the U.S., as you can just "walk in."

"But don't get caught by police or I will be arrested and they will take me back to Venezuela," he added.

Red Cross blankets given to immigrants sleeping on the street were stacked and abandoned outside of Sacred Heart Church in El Paso, Texas. Amy DeLaura / Washington Examiner

The men had congregated around the Sacred Heart Church, where American Red Cross blankets were stacked up and down sidewalks and trucks regularly passed through to hand out free food three times a day. One immigrant approached the Washington Examiner team and asked where he could find clothes because he needed new ones.

Border Patrol agents descended on the church early Tuesday morning and handed out flyers instructing immigrants to turn themselves in at a Border Patrol station, including the Paso Del Norte Station three blocks from the church. The border wall is just a hundred feet away, acting as a backdrop for this Border Patrol station. Over a hundred immigrants were standing in line, ready and willing to be processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Organizations hand out food three times a day to immigrants living on the street in front of Sacred Heart church in El Paso, Texas. Police stand guard to ensure no fights break out and the process is done civilly. Amy DeLaura / Washington Examiner

BORDER PATROL AGENTS OUTRAGED AFTER CBP DISCLOSES PLAN TO CLEAR IMMIGRANTS FROM EL PASO

The line was full of mostly young men in their 20s. Only a handful waiting were women or children. People were sitting along the fence, trying to hide from the beating sun as the afternoon reached 90 degrees.

A group of men said they came to this port because they received the paper at 5 a.m. Tuesday telling them they must turn themselves in or they could be arrested, jailed, or sent back to their country or Mexico. They said it is the first time they are speaking with the police because the paper told them it could be a chance for asylum.

The group speaking to Washington Examiner was Venezuelan men except for two men from Honduras. They were told in their country if they made the journey to the U.S., they would receive everything they needed to start a new life.

Hundreds of immigrants turning themselves in to Customs and Border Protection to be processed in El Paso, Texas. Amy DeLaura / Washington Examiner

One man said he escaped Venezuela because there is no money and it is dangerous. Many have left family and friends in their country and sought work in the U.S. to send money home. One told the Washington Examiner his mother encouraged him to make the trip to the U.S. for a better life.

The men all raised their hands and cheered when asked by the Washington Examiner if they plan to seek asylum. One, who came from Honduras, said it took him 50 days to walk to the U.S. But when asked why they didn't stay in Mexico, the entire group erupted.

"Mexico, also, there is delinquency," an immigrant from Venezuela said. "Mexico is too dangerous, there is terrorism, and we will be shot or punished. There is danger every day."

One man explained how much it costs to have someone guide them on their trip to the U.S.

"I paid $320," he said. "But some pay $350; some pay $300 depending how many are in their group and what deal they have struck."

Many showed the injuries they received from climbing over the wall  scratches on their hands, long cuts on their arms  with one lifting up his jeans to reveal a massive gash in his leg that has been stitched and bandaged with gauze. They seemed to be aware crossing the border was illegal. When they climbed over the wall, they said they ran as fast as they could because they knew if they were caught by police, they would be arrested and sent back.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Many said they heard in their home countries that Title 42 is ending and that it will be easier to enter the U.S. When asked if they like President Joe Biden, the crowd was enthusiastic to hear his name.

"Si!" they cheered.

Original Location: Immigrants promised American dream find harsh reality in Texas

Washington Examiner Videos
Former President Donald Trump being found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in his civil lawsuit against one-time Elle columnist E. Jean Carroll has become a dividing line in the 2024 Republican primary, albeit a very light one.

While Democrats speculate that the Carroll case will help their party connect with independent women next year after the demographic tipped the midterm elections in their direction six months ago, Republicans contend the public backed Trump in 2016 despite the Access Hollywood video.

BIDEN TAKES TO THE ROAD AND STAYS ON OFFENSE AFTER MCCARTHY DEBT LIMIT MEETING

A New York jury finding for Carroll and awarding her $5 million will likely not have 2024 repercussions for the former president's "true believers," but "in the broader Republican world," it reinforces "the collateral damage fear they have, even if unspoken, of another Trump candidacy," according to ex-New Hampshire GOP Chairman Thomas Rath.

"I suspect very few folks were surprised at the verdict," Rath told the Washington Examiner. "The verdict points [out] again the lack of broadly viable alternatives. If [former Rep. Liz] Cheney were in, she probably would pick some support up. Hard for a Trump-lite candidate to surface without being seen as disloyal. So the opening, if there is indeed one, is once again in the moderate, noncrazy center, and I am not sure there is a viable candidate there as of now."

But former GOP Govs. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, a declared candidate, and Chris Christie of New Jersey, who will decide whether to announce a campaign in the next week, are hoping to become that "noncrazy" contender, most harshly criticizing Trump over the Carroll case.

"How many coincidences are we going to have here with Donald Trump?" Christie asked Fox News Radio's Brian Kilmeade. "He must be the unluckiest S.O.B. in the world. He just has random people who he has never met before who are able to convince a jury that he sexually abused them. ... I think we all know he's not unlucky and that he engaged in this kind of conduct."

"Over the course of my over 25 years of experience in the courtroom, I have seen firsthand how a cavalier and arrogant contempt for the rule of law can backfire," Hutchinson added Tuesday. "The jury verdict should be treated with seriousness and is another example of the indefensible behavior of Donald Trump."

Multimillionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, another declared candidate, was more critical of "the sheer timing" of Carroll's case, underscoring how the alleged assault occurred in the mid-1990s and that Carroll did not sue until 2019 and 2022, "far beyond the statute of limitations," thanks to a one-year exception introduced in New York.

"I'll say what everyone else is privately thinking: If the defendant weren't named Donald Trump, would we be talking about this today?Would there even be a lawsuit?" Ramaswamy asked. "Believe me: It would be a lot easier if Trump weren't in this race. But, in this country, we don't weaponize the law or decades-old allegations to undercut political opponents. I want to win this race because voters believe I can take the 'America First' movement to the next level."

"Practically nothing" could undermine Trump with his base, according to Claremont McKenna College politics professor John J. Pitney.

"Among general election voters, it is another in a long list of liabilities," the former Republican aide said. "Under certain circumstances, he could win, but the case makes his climb a little steeper."

2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton had, on average, a 5 percentage point advantage over Trump the day the Access Hollywood tape was uncovered, 48% to 43%. In that recording, the then-reality TV star could be heard bragging about sexually assaulting women. But roughly a month later, by Election Day, he had recovered to be only 3 points behind, 47% to 44%, defeating the former secretary of state after more developments emerged regarding her private email server.

Fast-forward 6 1/2 years and Trump had an average 16-point edge over his declared and undeclared Republican opponents, with 46% of the primary electorate in early polls, when he was indicted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for covering up hush money concerning extramarital affairs paid before the 2016 election. Now, more than a month later, he is 29 points ahead with 52% as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), another favorite who has yet to declare, makes unforced errors.

Simultaneously, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has repeated President Joe Biden is a problematic candidate, similar to Clinton, based on his economic, immigration, and crime policies.

"We've got a long way until the primary process begins," McDaniel told Fox News. "We've got debates in August. As a suburban woman myself, I think a lot of women right now are looking at the Biden administration and saying, Our kids are still struggling in school. Our kids are being used as pawns on TikTok as China is gathering their data."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

As Trump's lawyers explore his appeal options, the former president, who took part in a CNN town hall Wednesday, shared a statement on social media and recorded a video in which he attacked U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan for being appointed by two-term President Bill Clinton and the jury, comprised of six men and three women, for being from "anti-Trump" New York, "the worst place in the United States for me to get a fair trial."

"I have no idea who she is, where she came from," he said of Carroll. "This is another scam. It's a political witch hunt. And somehow, we're going to have to fight this up. We cannot let our country go into this abyss. This is disgraceful."

Original Location: New York verdict underscores lack of 'viable alternatives' to Trump, GOP strategists say

Washington Examiner Videos
By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will head to Papua New Guinea on May 21 to attend the United States-Pacific Summit, his office said in a statement on Thursday.

U.S. President Joe Biden will meet leaders of 18 Pacific countries and territories including Hipkins, who have been invited to participate in the summit.

A White House spokesman has said the summit will be an opportunity for leaders to discuss ways to deepen cooperation on challenges critical to the region and to the United States such as combating climate change, protecting maritime resources, and advancing resilient and inclusive economic growth.

This will be Hipkin's first visit to Papua New Guinea and into the Pacific region since becoming leader in January and also his first in-person meeting with Biden.

Papua New Guinea is being courted by China and by the United States and its allies and friends, as Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape seeks to boost foreign investment. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited in 2018.

Last year, New Zealand joined with the United States, Australia and Japan to create an informal group aimed at boosting economic and diplomatic ties with Pacific island nations.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Jacqueline Wong; Editing by Michael Perry)
By Christina Amann and Ilona Wissenbach

BERLIN (Reuters) -A shooting at a Mercedes-Benz plant in the city of Sindelfingen in southwestern Germany left two men dead on Thursday, mounting pressure on Berlin to tighten the country's already-strict gun laws.

Police arrested the suspect, a 53-year-old man, who opened fire on the victims before security workers at the site, some 17 km (10.6 miles) southwest of Stuttgart, held him down and handed him over to authorities, police and the local prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The victims, both 44, died of their injuries, they said.

Production at one of the company's factory halls in Sindelfingen was suspended until the end of the week, a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said.

"Otherwise, operations in the plant continue on schedule," the spokesperson said of Sindelfingen, where the company's flagship S-Class luxury sedan is produced.

The gunman and the two victims belonged to an external services provider, Mercedes said, without providing further details on their roles.

The incident was the latest of a number of mass shootings in Germany in recent years, many of which had a connection with extremism. Investigators have yet to establish a motive for Thursday's shooting.

The German government had vowed to tighten its gun laws further after a gunman opened fire on people gathered in a Jehovah's Witnesses hall in Hamburg in March, killing six.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser had said after that attack that the government would revisit its arms laws. The Social Democrats, her party and that of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have been pushing for tougher restrictions, and Germany's police union also called for a swift legislative response to restrict the number of guns available.

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news," Mercedes said in a statement, adding there was no longer any danger to the local population or workers at the plant.

The plant - with a workforce of 35,000 - was evacuated following the shooting, which took place after the suspect entered the site at 7:45 a.m. (0545 GMT), police and the Stuttgart prosecutor said.

Germany outlawed certain large magazines in 2020 and conducts five-yearly checks on gun owners to ascertain whether their possession of a weapon is justified.

According to government data, there are over 940,000 registered private gun owners in Germany, which has a population of 84 million people.

(Reporting by Christina Amann, Rachel More, Ilona Wissenbach and Miranda Murray; writing by Matthias Williams and Rachel More; editing by Friederike Heine and Bernadette Baum)
Former Vice President Mike Pence praised Rep. James Comer (R-KY) on Wednesday for releasing financial records related to Hunter Biden-linked business deals in Romania and China.

Pence said he felt confident that Republican leaders in the House of Representatives would hold the Biden family accountable for alleged lies over accepting money from China and an alleged conflict of interest by having Hunter Biden sitting on the board of a foreign company.

TRUMP REFUSES TO ADMIT 2020 ELECTION DEFEAT IN CNN TOWN HALL

"When I was vice president of the United States, my son wasn't sitting on the board of a foreign corporation," Pence told Fox News host Sean Hannity. "I think the most jarring thing that came out in the hearing today is when congressman Comer revealed that back in 2020, when [President] Joe Biden said repeatedly that he and their family, their companies, had never received any money from China. Now using the subpoena power of the Congress and going to bank records, they have found out that Chinese money flowed into [an] account controlled and owned by the Biden family."

Former Vice President Mike Pence pauses while speaking at the Federalist Society Executive Branch Review conference, Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon/AP

Comer, who is the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, released a 36-page memo on Wednesday, which claimed that bank records the committee subpoenaed show "the Biden family, their business associates, and their companies received over $10 million" from companies belonging to foreign nationals while Biden served as vice president under former President Barack Obama and after he left public office in early 2017.

The new memo does not link any of the payments directly to the president, but it does link them to multiple family members.

Pence said he could not "comprehend" the revelations about the payments but claimed there would be justice for the antics of the Biden family.

"The American people deserve answers, and I just am so proud of members of Congress for holding them accountable," Pence said. "This is why we have a separation of powers under the Constitution. And this is why the Congress has the authority they have, and they've got to get to the bottom of it. They've got to hold Joe Biden and his family accountable for the truth. The American people deserve no less."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Pence's appearance on Fox occurred shortly after former President Donald Trump made his first appearance on CNN since his 2016 presidential campaign. During the town hall, Trump refused to apologize for slamming Pence in the aftermath of the 2020 election, maintaining that his former vice president "did something wrong."

The two former running mates have rarely appeared together since leaving the White House. Pence is considering a competing bid for the Republican nomination for president in 2024 against Trump, who has already announced his campaign. Pence is expected to make a final decision in June.

Original Location: Pence praises James Comer report on alleged Biden family business deals

Washington Examiner Videos
The Supreme Court rejected a challenge from the National Pork Producers Council against a California animal welfare law in a ruling released Thursday.

The court ruled that the National Pork Producers were asking the court to "fashion two new and more aggressive constitutional restrictions" on the states' abilities to regulate goods sold within their borders.

SENATE LEADERS PLAY DEBT CEILING BLAME GAME WHILE AIDES NEGOTIATE BEHIND THE SCENES

California's animal welfare law, Proposition 12, blocks sales of pork, eggs, and veal in the state from farms that do not meet minimum space requirements for the animals.

The National Pork Producers sued in 2019, arguing that Proposition 12 violated the Constitution's commerce clause and could impede interstate free trade, as they perceived that the law dictated how farmers in Iowa, Minnesota, and other states produce pork.

However, Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion, said the California law does not "discriminate purposefully" against out-of-state economic interests.

"They invite us to fashion two new and more aggressive constitutional restrictions on the ability of States to regulate goods sold within their borders. We decline that invitation," Gorsuch wrote.

"While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list," the justice continued.

The fractured ruling was divided along nonideological lines, with justices grouping together to write their own opinions. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan joined together to concur in part, Justice Amy Coney Barrett concurred in part, and Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson joined together in an opinion dissenting in part.

The Humane Society of the United States released a statement following the Supreme Court's ruling, saying it was "delighted" the court upheld Proposition 12.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The ruling "made clear that preventing animal cruelty and protecting public health are core functions of our state governments," Kitty Block, the Humane Society's president and CEO, said.

"We won't stop fighting until the pork industry ends its cruel, reckless practice of confining mother pigs in cages so small they can't even turn around," Block said.

Original Location: Supreme Court upholds California animal welfare law in pork producers challenge

Washington Examiner Videos
Multiple Democrats are going public with concerns that President Joe Biden's administration hasn't done enough to prepare for the expected fallout from Title 42 expiring.

Title 42, a pandemic-era policy that allowed U.S. Border Patrol to expel immigrants without an asylum hearing, is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Blowback from his own party has been most pronounced from border-state Democrats and even includes some who have historically been reticent to call him out by name.

DEFLORIDA BLUEPRINT: HOW DESANTIS HAS PURSUED A TEDDY ROOSEVELT CONSERVATIONIST IMAGE

Here is a rundown of some of the top Democrats who are voicing concerns.

Bob Menendez

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) decried Biden's decision to dispatch 1,500 troops to the border to help bridge security gaps for roughly three months in response to Title 42's end as "unacceptable." The troops aren't expected to assist directly with "enforcement work."

"The Administration has had over two years to plan for the eventual end of this Trump-era policy in a way that does not compromise our values as a country. I have offered them a strategic and comprehensive plan, which they have largely ignored," Menendez said in a statement.

"Trying to score political points or intimidate migrants by sending the military to the border caters to the Republican Party's xenophobic attacks on our asylum system," he added.

Henry Cuellar

Many border-state Democrats have long been vexed by the Biden administration's policies toward the southern border. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) is one of them. Late last year, he criticized Biden for declining to visit the border during his first two years in office. Biden toured El Paso in January as part of his first visit to the border as president.

Cuellar recently gave Biden credit for tacking more to the middle on immigration recently but lamented that it wasn't enough.

"Now, the administration needs to go to the center, and I've asked them to go to the center, and I think some of the policies that they're about to implement brings them to the center, in my opinion, a little bit too late, but at least they're getting policies that will come to the center," he told Fox News Sunday.

Jacky Rosen, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Susie Lee

A trio of Democrats from Nevada echoed many concerns about the Biden administration's preparedness for the end of Title 42. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) sent a letter to Biden on the eve of Title 42's end outlining their concerns.

"These frontline officials are being stretched thin, hampering their abilities to protect the homeland and to efficiently and humanely move people through the asylum process," the trio wrote in the letter. "That is why it is so critical that we surge resources that increase capacity both at and between ports of entry."

Both Cortez Masto and Lee have backed Title 42, with Cortez Masto voicing apprehension about it being allowed to expire.

Joe Manchin

Perhaps Biden's biggest Democratic maverick to contend with, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) sharply rebuked his administration's handling of the situation. The senator has stepped up his criticism of Biden recently after drawing Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) as a candidate for his Senate seat. Manchin has not yet revealed his 2024 plans.

"It is truly a shame we continue to govern from crisis to crisis. Despite ample notice about the pending expiration of Title 42, the Administration has failed to properly secure our southern border," Manchin tweeted.

Jon Tester

Up for reelection in a red state, Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) declared his opposition to the administration's decision to allow Title 42 to expire this week.

"I oppose the Biden administration plan to end Title 42 this week without a real plan in place for the strain that will put on an already broken immigration system," Tester said in a video statement.

"My top priority is defending Montana and keeping our nation safe," Tester added. "That means standing up to anyone, including President Biden, to secure the southern border and stop the deadly flow of fentanyl into our communities."

HOW THE TREASURY IS SCRAMBLING TO STOP DEFAULT  OR MITIGATE ITS FALLOUT

Kyrsten Sinema

Although no longer a Democrat, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) continues to caucus with them in the Senate and has been forceful against the Biden administration publicly.

"The Biden administration had two years to prepare for this and did not do so. Our state is going to bear the brunt. Migrants will be in crisis as soon as next week. It will be a humanitarian crisis because we're not prepared," Sinema warned at a McCain Institute's Sedona forum.

Last week, she joined Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) in proposing legislation that would effectively preserve Title 42's rapid expulsion policy without using a national health order to do it. The legislation is very unlikely to clear Congress before Title 42 expires.

Mark Kelly

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) applauded Biden for sending "additional manpower" to the border. But he has also been prodding the administration to step up its game. Last week, he joined Sinema in a letter to the administration requesting Mayorkas "avoid migrant street releases." Earlier this year, he was more blunt.

"They don't have a plan for when Title 42 goes away. I still don't think they have a plan. So this is a process of me pushing the administration and sometimes getting results and also having to drop legislation," he told Fox News in May.

Raul Grijalva

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) acknowledged Biden's efforts to prepare for Title 42's end but stressed it hasn't been enough.

"While the Biden administration has given its best effort to prepare for the lifting of Title 42, it's clear they've fallen short. In speaking with Arizona officials and local communities along the border, it's evident that coordination from the federal government is lacking," he said in a statement. "The latest troop deployments by President Biden and militarization are not the answer."

Grijalva called upon the administration to ramp up resources, "create additional legal immigration pathways," and collaborate with "hemispheric partners to address the root causes of migration."

"Let's be clear: while the Biden administration has fallen short, it's because of the broken immigration system that Congress has failed to fix. The current solutions proposed by House Republicans for our immigration system are partisan and create further chaos at our border. A comprehensive legislative solution is badly needed," he added.

Ruben Gallego

A rising liberal star in Arizona politics, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) recently urged the Biden administration to ramp up resources for border communities and boost transparency. His concerns about the administration's preparedness are significant given the fact that he announced a campaign for Sinema's Senate seat in January.

"I've heard directly from leaders in our border communities, and it's abundantly clear that they, through no fault of their own, are simply unequipped to handle the surge of migrants that are expected when Title 42 ends," Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) said in a statement released with a letter to Biden on the policy. "With Title 42 set to end on May 11, we need the Biden administration to act, and to act fast."

Sharice Davids

The only Democrat from Kansas's congressional delegation, Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS), implored the Biden administration to pursue bipartisan immigration reform with Republicans in Congress actively.

Top officials such as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have stressed the need for comprehensive reform, but so far, there appears to be little bipartisan talk on the subject.

"U.S. House Republicans plan to initiate debate about immigration reform in the coming weeks. I urge you and the white house to you me in engaging in these conversations about what the landscape for immigration reform in our country should book like," Davids wrote in a letter to Biden Monday.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

In the face of party blowback and uproar from Republicans, the Biden administration has continued to project confidence in its ability to handle Title 42's demise.

"We are cleareyed about the challenges that we are likely to face in the days and weeks ahead, and we are ready to meet them," Mayorkas told reporters Thursday. "Our plan will deliver results. It will take time for those results to be fully realized."

Original Location: Title 42 ending: Democrats break with Biden as border communities brace for surge

Washington Examiner Videos
Former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) blasted former President Donald Trump as a "puppet of Putin," marking his latest escalation against the GOP front-runner.

Christie slammed Trump's New Hampshire town hall event Wednesday evening as he mulls a presidential challenge against him. The former governor took particular issue with Trump's refusal to say that Ukraine should win the war.

SENATE LEADERS PLAY DEBT CEILING BLAME GAME WHILE AIDES NEGOTIATE BEHIND THE SCENES

"Donald Trump says he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours tonight on CNN. Despite how ridiculous that is to say, I suspect he would try to do it by turning Ukraine over to Putin and Russia. #Putin'sPuppet," he tweeted.

During the town hall, Trump was asked if he wanted Ukraine to win the war.

"I don't think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people," Trump replied.

The former president warned that the raging conflict between Russia and Ukraine has the potential to devolve into World War III, a fate he pledged to have "settled in one day."

In an interview with Hugh Hewitt, Christie continued his criticism of Trump, slamming the former president for his response to a jury finding him liable for sexual abuse and defamation in E. Jean Carroll vs. Donald J. Trump. The jury concluded that Trump was liable for the sexual abuse of former gossip columnist E. Jean Carroll, but it did not determine he raped her as she claimed. The jury awarded her $5 million for defamation and battery.

Trump denied wrongdoing and repeated his claim that he didn't know her during the town hall event.

"I don't find it credible for him to say he doesn't know the woman," Christie said. "This guy must be the most unlucky guy in the world. Women who he's never met and he doesn't know continue to accuse him of things. I don't think we need somebody that's that unlucky as president of the United States."

Ahead of Trump's town hall, which marked his return to CNN, Christie took out multiple Facebook ads suggesting biting questions for attendees to ask him, including why he may boycott some of the 2024 GOP debates.

Christie befriended Trump in the early 2000s while serving as U.S. attorney general for the District of New Jersey. In the time since, he has turned on Trump and pushed the GOP to select another standard-bearer.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

As he mulls a run, Christie has done multiple town halls in New Hampshire and has hinted that if he were to jump into the ring, he would not shy away from taking on the front-runner.

Christie said he might take up to two weeks to make a 2024 decision.

Original Location: Trump blasted as 'puppet of Putin' and 'coward' for CNN town hall remarks

Washington Examiner Videos
By Nathan Layne and Tim Reid

(Reuters) -An unrepentant Donald Trump held firm to past grievances at the first televised town hall of the 2024 U.S. presidential election on Wednesday, stressing from the moment he took the stage that he has little intention of mounting a more disciplined campaign for his third White House bid.

In a contentious 70-minute broadcast, Trump drew laughter from a New Hampshire audience when he mocked writer E. Jean Carroll's account of his having sexually abused her, repeated falsehoods about his 2020 election loss, said he would pardon many of his supporters convicted of taking part in a Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and called the CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins a "nasty person."

Responding to questions from Collins and members of the audience at Saint Anselm College, Trump made no effort to offer more moderate positions on issues, which political analysts say is key to broadening his appeal to a wider swath of Republicans.

Asked by Collins whether he would acknowledge that he lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020, the Republican Trump reasserted unfounded claims that the election was rigged against him, brushing aside her attempts to correct the record.

"That was a rigged election," Trump said, adding that anyone who thought otherwise was "stupid."

Trump, the front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination, declined to express regret for the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol when his supporters sought to prevent Congress from ratifying the election result, and he repeated his plan to pardon individuals involved if voters return him to the White House in 2024. Trump and Collins frequently spoke over each other with Collins challenging a number of the former president's false claims.

Stu Rothenberg, a non-partisan political analyst, said Trump's performance was a likely prelude to his 2024 campaign.

"It was classic Trump - it was Donald Trump from 2015 right up until now: the Big Lie, the outrageous style, demeaning individuals, mocking them," said Rothenberg, senior editor at the Inside Elections newsletter. "He hasn't changed, nor will he. It was a glimpse into the next year and a half."

The audience of Republicans and independent voters who plan to vote in the Republican primary were generally very supportive of Trump, giving him a standing ovation when he took the stage. New Hampshire is an early nominating state that could prove critical in Trump's bid to win the November 2024 election.

Some applauded when he described his Jan. 6 speech and the events that led up to the Capitol riot in positive terms.

"I've never spoken to a crowd as large as that, and that was because they thought the election was rigged. They were there with love in their heart. That was unbelievable, and it was a beautiful day," he said.

Responding to Trump's remarks, Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison issued a statement calling Trump a "dangerous, extreme candidate who seeks to undermine democracy." Biden sought to fundraise off the event.

"Do you want four more years of that? If you dont, pitch in to our campaign," Biden wrote on Twitter.

Collins tried to fact-check Trump's assertions in real time, sometimes leading to the two talking over each other as Trump, who usually sticks to conservative media outlets, refused to back down. It was Trump's first appearance on CNN since 2016.

On Tuesday, a federal jury found Trump sexually abused Carroll in a department store dressing room in Manhattan in the 1990s, then harmed her reputation by describing her claims as "a hoax" and "a lie." It said he must pay her $5 million in damages. Trump's lawyer said they would appeal.

"What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up and within minutes, you're playing hanky panky in a dressing room?" Trump said, one of many disparaging comments about Carroll that elicited applause and laughter. He called her a "wack job."

After Tuesday's verdict, Carroll issued a statement saying: "Today, the world finally knows the truth ... This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed."

Trump stood by his remarks in a 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape in which he bragged about grabbing women by the genitals, suggesting stars could have their way with them. The comments were used against Trump at trial.

"And you would like me to take that back. I can't take it back because it happens to be true. I said, it's been true for 1 million years, approximately a million years, perhaps a little bit longer than that," Trump said. "I'm not referring to myself, I'm saying people that are famous, people that are stars."

(Reporting by Nathan Layne and Tim Reid; Additional reporting by Eric Beech and Daniel Trotta; Editing by Ross Colvin and Howard Goller)
By Daphne Psaledakis and Maya Gebeily

WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) -A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill on Thursday intended to bar the American government from recognizing Bashar al-Assad as Syria's president and to enhance Washington's ability to impose sanctions - a warning to other countries normalizing relations with Assad.

The bill, first reported by Reuters, would prohibit the government from recognizing or normalizing relations with any Syrian government led by Assad, who is under U.S. sanctions, and expands on the Caesar Act, which imposed a tough round of sanctions on Syria in 2020.

The proposed legislation comes after Arab states turned the page on years of confrontation with Assad on Sunday by allowing Syria back into the Arab League, a milestone in his regional rehabilitation even as the West continues shunning him after years of civil war.

Regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others, had for years supported anti-Assad rebels, but Syria's army - backed by Iran, Russia and allied paramilitary groups - regained most of the country. The icy ties with Assad began to thaw more quickly after devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey in February.

"Countries choosing to normalize with (the) unrepentant mass murderer and drug trafficker, Bashar al-Assad, are headed down the wrong path," U.S. Representative Joe Wilson, the chair of the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, said in a statement.

Syria's information ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The bill was introduced by Wilson, House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, a fellow Republican; Republican French Hill and Democrat Brendan Boyle, who co-chair the Free, Democratic and Stable Syria Caucus; and others.

The legislation is a warning to Turkey and Arab countries that if they engage with Assad's government, they could face severe consequences, a senior congressional staffer who worked on the bill told Reuters.

"The readmission of Syria to the Arab League really infuriated (Congress) members and made clear the need to quickly act to send a signal," the staffer said.

The staffer said the State Department was consulted in the drafting of the bill.

Asked about the measure at a regular news briefing, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel declined to comment on pending legislation. But he said Washington has been very clear it does not seek to normalize relations with Assad's government and would not support its allies and other partners doing so either.

The bill's provisions include a requirement that the secretary of state provide Congress with a strategy for countering normalization with Assad's government - including a list of diplomatic meetings between Syria's government and Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and others - every year for five years.

The legislation would also pave the way for sanctions to be imposed on airports that allow landings by Syrian Arab Airlines and another carrier, Cham Wings, the staffer said.

If passed, the bill would also require a review of transactions, including donations over $50,000 in areas of Syria held by Assad's government by anyone in Turkey, the UAE, Egypt and several other countries.

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis in Washington and Maya Gebeily in Beirut; Additional reporting by Simon Lewis in Washington; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
The Woodland Park School District RE-2 board of education unanimously renewed interim Superintendent Ken Witts contract for an additional year on Wednesday. A search for a permanent superintendent is expected to begin after November elections determine the structure of the school board moving forward.

Witt was initially installed to a six-month term on Jan. 1 following a tumultuous December board meeting. Rapid changes have characterized his tenure since.

Within his first month, Witt led the charge in adopting a social studies curriculum standard called American Birthright. The standard was created by the Civics Alliance, a conservative coalition with the stated mission of combating a new civics approach of the progressive left that it says prioritizes activism over the responsibilities of American citizenship. The Colorado State Board of Education shot down a proposal in October that would have adopted American Birthright as Colorados base standard.

Under his leadership the district also moved sixth-grade students from Woodland Park Middle School to its three elementary schools, rejected grants that would retain its mental health workers and introduced employee bonuses and pay raises.

His initiatives have met mixed reception from community and staff alike, but the board says Witt is fulfilling its expectations.

I believe that we are going through growing pains here at the school, but I think that it is all for very good, to a very good end that represents the parents of our community, board President David Rusterholtz said.

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.

Board Vice President David Illingworth said Witts extension will provide stability going into next school year, but the board still plans to deliver on its promise of a proper search for a permanent leader. He anticipates that process will begin in December or January following election season.

Board members Mick Bates, Cassie Kimbrell and Illingworth all have terms expiring in November. A majority of seats on the five-person board, then, are subject to change and will determine the direction Woodland Park continues.

The community will get their input on one of the most important decisions that we make as a school board, which is choosing a superintendent to lead these schools, lead these teachers and professionals, and lead our kids to a successful future, Illingworth said. They will get that opportunity. They deserve that opportunity.
If Coloradans never heard another mention of the so-called school-to-prison pipeline, it would be too soon. Yet, its a safe bet theyll hear the politically scripted meme time and again as the soft-on-crime crowd continues to peddle its disingenuous justice reform agenda on behalf of kids.

At least, well get a break from the hollow catchphrase around the halls of the state Capitol now that the 2023 Legislature has drawn to a close, as required by the state constitution. Its a welcome if temporary reprieve. Almost until the last gavel, advocates of purported juvenile justice reform had been tossing around those magic words with wild abandon.

Though they wound up losing some legislative battles as the swing voters in the General Assembly peeled off for fear of a public backlash, the crusaders bent on reinventing juvenile justice for perpetrators  their many juvenile victims be damned  assuredly will carry on.

That was evident in the final days of this years legislative session as advocates of a misguided and ultimately unsuccessful bill to curb student expulsions pounded the podium.

"House Bill 1109 is a bill to keep students in school, and out of the school-to-prison pipeline," said bill sponsor Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver. "This is about fairness for all students and families."

No, in fact, her bill was fundamentally unfair to students and families. It would have limited a school district's ability to expel, suspend or deny admission to a student due to criminal activity outside of school that doesn't involve other students. If a 17-year-old is booked for beating someone unconscious; is busted for selling opioids, or is charged in an armed carjacking  he could still show up to school the next day as soon as he posts bail.

While Gonzales-Gutierrez frets over what an expulsion might do to a perpetrators ability to graduate, all the other students at the same school, as a result, might have to worry about safely making it through the school day.

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.

Its worth pointing out the student who opened fire and seriously wounded two school administrators at Denvers East High School in March already was on probation for a weapons charge at the time. It was no doubt the school districts avowed policy of keeping the shooter out of the school-to-prison pipeline that kept him going to class  to the peril of others.

In the end, enough of Gonzales-Gutierrezs fellow lawmakers seemed to get that, and she couldnt round up the votes to pass her bill even in a Legislature already lax on law enforcement.

Lawmakers also came to their senses and ended up gutting an even more troubling measure. It would have raised the age for charging kids with all but the most heinous crimes  even in the juvenile justice system. The new minimum age would have been 13. Kids younger than that  who on occasion, sadly, do commit crimes that include even sexual assault and armed violence  would have faced no legal consequences at all. No time in a juvenile justice diversion program, where they could get help.

That bill, too, would have taken more kids out of the supposed school-to-prison pipeline  because even school districts likely wouldnt know of the kids potentially criminal acts in the first place. Nor would the schools know what threat those kids posed to their peers.

The school-to-prison pipeline is an illusion, a straw man conjured up by those who blindly push the justice reform dogma. It serves ultimately to keep students in school even when they pose a clear and present danger to others.

Schools are supposed to provide kids a pipeline of opportunity  by providing a learning environment that not only is enriching but also safe.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic's disruption of the justice system, Colorado's state and federal courts are still experiencing lower volumes of cases, with the drop being particularly acute for some courts more than others.

Colorado Politics examined the workloads of various courts in 2022, with the federal system reporting calendar year statistics and the state judiciary operating on a fiscal year that ends on June 30. In addition to trends in case filings, the analysis also looked at personnel changes on the bench, judicial retention and discipline, and the frequency of lawyers being paired with self-represented parties.

State caseloads

For the fiscal year that ended in June 2022, there were almost 200,000 case filings in the state's district courts. That amounted to nearly 30,000 fewer cases than two years prior, when the novel coronavirus rapidly began to affect the judiciary and society at large.

"We have made progress in reducing our jury trial backlog, and we will continue to prioritize criminal jury trials as long as we can do so safely," Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright wrote in the Judicial Department's annual report. He added that virtual proceedings are more convenient for lawyers and litigants, "but they take more time for judicial officers and court staff."

The state Supreme Court's workload has taken a more serious dive. While there were 1,500 appeals filed in the last fiscal year  on par with caseloads stretching back decades  the justices only decided 60 cases with written opinions. That is less than the 82 decided in 2020-2021 and far fewer than the 103 decisions issued during 2016-2017.

Although Supreme Court opinions have declined by approximately 40% compared to pre-pandemic, the last fiscal year was the most harmonious in recent history. There were only nine dissenting opinions in 2021-2022 compared to 30 the prior year.

The Court of Appeals, which has substantially less discretion over its docket than the Supreme Court, decided 2,400 cases last year, only 100 decisions shy of the 2019-2020 fiscal year. However, the Court of Appeals last year issued substantially fewer published opinions  meaning decisions that set a precedent for the trial courts to follow. There were 180 such opinions issued in 2019-2020, and only 133 last year.

Zoom in on the Supreme Court

At a conference for appellate judges and lawyers earlier this month, attorney Geoffrey C. Klingsporn presented an in-depth look at the Supreme Court's work, with contributions from data analyst Scott Hanks. Unlike the Judicial Department's statistical data ending in mid-2022, Klingsporn's data on the Supreme Court spanned 2022-2023.

Over the last 10 years, the time between a case's placement on the court's docket and oral argument has decreased to 409 days on average. Similarly, the time between oral argument and a written decision has dropped precipitously, from 231 days in 2013 to 109 days in 2023.

Boatright has attributed the increased efficiency to conversations between the justices before the majority opinion is written, with the author having a better sense of the individual members' positions and how to best keep the majority together.

In the current fiscal year, Justice Richard L. Gabriel authored the most opinions  including, by far, the most dissenting opinions. Justice Carlos A. Samour Jr., on the other hand, wrote the highest number of majority opinions. In addition, Justice Monica M. Marquez has written the fewest number of opinions, while Justice Melissa Hart is the only member of the court to have authored strictly majority opinions, with no concurrences or dissents.

According to Klingsporn and Hanks' analysis, Samour was the justice most frequently in the majority, while Gabriel was the biggest dissenter.

Diversity

In 2019, the legislature approved a position in the judicial branch to coordinate outreach for judge vacancies. That person, Sumi Lee, releases an annual report about the demographics of the state's bench.

As of June 30, the percentage of Black judges was proportional to their representation in Colorado's general population, and a huge increase from 2018 when there was only one Black district court judge statewide. Women are also approaching parity, with 141 female judges out of roughly 340 in total.

Where Colorado's judiciary is falling short, relative to the population as a whole, is in the number of Asian, American Indian and  most acutely  Hispanic judges. By the end of the fiscal year, there were only 32 sitting Hispanic judges, largely concentrated in the Denver metro area.

"Even though the need for Hispanic/Latino judges is significant, Hispanic/Latino judges are the only race/ethnicity that is currently represented on all levels of the Colorado state courts," Lee wrote.

Her report also contained a warning to the legal profession: 32% of active attorneys live in Denver, compared to only 12% of the state's population that resides in Denver. Lee cautioned that diversifying the bench in rural areas will become more difficult if few lawyers are applying to judgeships.

Retention and discipline

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.

All judges who appeared on the 2022 ballot received favorable recommendations from their citizen-led performance commissions. However, voters in La Plata County narrowly declined to give a full term to newly-appointed County Court Judge Anne K. Woods. Colorado Politics reported that a combination of Woods' own missteps, a perception she was too lenient to the criminally accused, and unusual public opposition from the local Republican Party contributed to her loss.

One person, former Summit County District Court Judge Mark D. Thompson, received a public censure in 2022 for allegedly menacing his stepson with an assault rifle. The Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline also took three other corrective actions against judges. While the number of cases involving serious misconduct rose last year, there were fewer private and public admonishments given to judges than in years past.

Federal caseloads

As of Dec. 31, case filings in Colorado's federal trial court were lower than in each of the five preceding years, with 3,904 new cases in 2022 compared to a high of 4,441 cases in 2019.

At the same time, there were 558 cases filed per judge, with the vast majority of those being civil. That number was higher than in neighboring states, with Kansas' U.S. District Court experiencing 302 cases per judge, Utah's having 445, and Oklahoma's three district courts averaging roughly 400 cases per judge.

There were only 17 trials in Colorado, a number that is on par with previous years. Civil cases lasted on average 8.6 months from the time of filing until a resolution, which could mean a trial, settlement or dismissal.

In the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, there were 1,647 appeals filed, the second-lowest among the 11 multistate circuit courts. Compared with 2021, the number was a 3.7% increase. Since 2017, however, the number of appeals has declined 11.5% in the 10th Circuit.

Nationwide, appeals in 2022 were down 6% in the circuit courts compared to the prior year, while trial court filings decreased by 18%, according to the federal judiciary's annual report.

Pro bono numbers

The U.S. District Court launched a pilot program in 2013 to provide self-represented litigants access to "pro bono" counsel from lawyers who volunteer their time. Now, trial judges routinely issue orders allowing for pro bono attorneys to take on civil cases. Last calendar year, there were 32 such orders, resulting in lawyers being placed with 18 clients.

Judges consider the complexity of a case, the merits of the claims and the "interests of justice" in deciding whether to allow a pro bono attorney to represent a party. Nearly half of the appointment orders involved civil and constitutional rights claims from prisoners, with the next-largest category constituting other civil rights actions.

By the end of the year, three of the pro bono cases had settled and six resulted in a jury trial, while litigants in 14 cases remained unrepresented.

In the district court's annual report, lawyers acknowledged the cases can provide trial experience for attorneys whose civil matters typically settle before reaching a jury. They also advised that communicating with self-represented litigants and setting expectations are important.

"The client had a strong will, and equally strong conviction in the righteousness of his case," wrote Alan Schindler and Josh Bugos, who represented a man suing Denver sheriff's personnel for excessive force. "At the same time, his injuries were not obvious  no broken bones or surgeries needed  making it difficult to prove damages at a seven-figure value, which was the clients original perception of the case."

The plaintiff ultimately reached a five-figure settlement with the city.

Personnel changes

President Joe Biden took office in 2021 with one existing vacancy on Colorado's federal trial court, and the turnover only accelerated from there.

Last year, Biden appointed two new trial judges, Charlotte N. Sweeney and Nina Y. Wang, and nominated a third, Gordon P. Gallagher (who took office this year). The U.S. District Court also announced that it hired two new magistrate judges, one of whom has already taken her seat and the other will be sworn in later this year.

The only persistent vacancy remaining at the federal level is on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, which has jurisdiction over appeals arising from Colorado and five neighboring states. A seat based in Kansas has been vacant for more than two years. There is no nominee.
President Joe Biden's latest nominee to be a federal trial judge in Colorado, S. Kato Crews, advanced out of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday with a party-line vote of 11-10.

The committee acted on Crews' nomination only after U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., returned to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday following an extended absence. The 89-year-old Feinstein was hospitalized for shingles in February and arrived more than an hour late to the committee meeting, where she received a standing ovation from her colleagues.

Prior to the vote, some Republican senators indicated they did not believe Crews, who has served as a federal magistrate judge since 2018, was qualified for a lifetime appointment to the U.S. District Court. Their criticism stemmed from an exchange at Crews' March confirmation hearing in which he was unable to recall the U.S. Supreme Court decision Brady v. Maryland, which obligates prosecutors to disclose evidence favorable to the defense.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Crews was one of a handful of nominees "so beyond the pale" that they "could not have a prayer of even getting a single Republican vote on this committee."

"When asked about Brady v. Maryland ... first-year criminal law, you learn about Brady," Cruz said, proceeding to misgender Crews, "she said, 'I'm sorry. I don't know what Brady is.' That'll be a problem if she's ever presiding over a criminal case. There are a number of members of this committee who have tried criminal cases. Do you know what Brady is? Of course you do. Because if you're remotely competent, you know what it is."

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.

Crews practiced in civil law prior to his appointment as a magistrate judge. In Colorado, magistrate judges do not resolve evidentiary disputes implicating Brady.

"One response during a hearing does not negate a lifetime of service," fired back U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who chairs the judiciary committee. Durbin pointed out that a committee of the the American Bar Association has rated Crews "well qualified," and he referenced Crews' record of trying 18 cases, presiding over half a dozen trials as a magistrate judge and issuing 1,700 orders and recommended decisions in cases.

If confirmed, Crews will succeed U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore, a Barack Obama appointee who is stepping down to become a semi-retired senior judge next month.

To date, Biden has appointed four of the seven active judges on Colorado's federal trial court. For the first time, the district court bench now includes former magistrate judges  who are hired by the court to assist with caseloads and handle many of the same duties as their presidentially appointed counterparts. Crews would be the third magistrate judge ever to become a district judge in Colorado.
The wave of severe weather that rolled across the state Wednesday afternoon lashed the Pikes Peak region through the night into Thursday. Wintery storm conditions shut down Teller County, while record rain brought flooding to lower elevations and a rock slide near Manitou Springs.

Meteorologist Mark Wankowski called this type of overnight storm "atypical" and said it is an upper level low that moved into Colorado from New Mexico. The storm is circulating around Kiowa as its effects linger in the Pikes Peak region.

The National Weather Service says to expect bands of thunderstorms and occasional heavy rain with a chance of hail for days to come.

Click or tap here for updated school closings and delays.

Click or tap here for road and traffic updates around Colorado Springs.

The lightning and thunder in the area has caused some flight disruption, according to Dana Schield at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. Click or tap here for information on delays and cancelations.

Here are the latest updates:

4:40 p.m.: The Colorado Springs Police Department released flood safety information advising people to avoid waterways, drainage ditches, low bridges and driving in high water. Police were on accident alert status Thursday morning but have been off since around 11 a.m.

The Fire Department also released a statement warning people against seeking shelter under bridges as flood risks persist.

4 p.m.: The Colorado Springs area has received between 1-3 inches of rain, with 2.02 recorded at the Colorado Springs Airport by midday Thursday, according to meteorologist Mark Wankowski. As rain continues into the evening, it has already exceeded a prior record set in 1928 with 0.7 inches of precipitation.

1:47 p.m.: A major power outage has hit much of Teller County. According to the Core Electric Cooperative website, approximately 7,130 electrical customers have been affected. The Core site listed the duration of the outages at more than 4 hours for many customers. By 4 p.m. the number of county addresses affected had dropped to 6,221.

Other outages were reported across the Front Range at the same time, including hundreds of affected customers in Park County, about 137 in El Paso County and at least 7 customers in Pueblo.

1:23 p.m.: A rockslide temporarily closed multiple lanes of U.S. 24 between Manitou Springs and Canyon Avenue. It was reopened by 1:40 p.m.

1:21 p.m.: A flood warning has been issued for the I-25 corridor from Colorado Springs south down past Wigwam was issued by the NWS, in effect through May 12 at 2 p.m. Minor flooding is expected. The Fountain Creek, which parallels I-25, is expected to reach it's flood stage by early Friday morning, possibly spilling over its banks.

11 a.m.: The Woodland Park Re-2 school district has announced an early release at 12 p.m. for all students. All afternoon and evening activities have been canceled after 7 inches of snow fell overnight.

10:15 a.m.: Black Forest Road, just north of the Vollmer Road intersection, is currently closed due to flooding. There is no estimated reopening time, according to the Colorado Springs Fire Department's Twitter.

9:16 a.m.: According to Clint Skelly with NWS Pueblo, a surprise snowstorm has instituted a winter weather advisory warning for the Woodland Park area.

"It seems the backside of the weather system moving through the area is colder than we expected, we're in the process of reevaluating that now."

"We're anticipating a constant stream of precipitation, a mix of rain and snow, throughout the day, until around 5, 6 p.m.," Skelly said.

Sign Up for Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters.

In El Paso County, flash flood and flood warnings continue around Colorado Springs and Pueblo.

"The stream flow has decreased slightly," Skelly said, "we are seeing some urban flooding throughout the area, and Fountain Creek stream has flowed over the embankment."

Skelly said both flood warnings will be active until 11 a.m. Thursday, at this time.

Click or tap here for road updates from CDOT.

9 a.m. All Teller County offices are closed due to inclement weather; students in the Cripple Creek-Victor school district have been excused for the day and "roads are "extremely unsafe" with reports of multiple accidents according to an alert.

"If you have students at school already ... safely pick them up, or return home, and stay safe. If parents cannot safely pick them up, they can stay at school for the day," a Facebook post for the district says.

8:55 a.m. A flash flood warning is in effect for Colorado Springs, Security and Fountain until 11 a.m.; From Cripple Creek-Victor schools - If you can safely return home, please stay home today. All absences excused. Roads extremely unsafe.

8:45 a.m. - Colorado Springs firefighters rescued a man and his dog from Monument Creek near downtown Colorado Springs.

USGS water flow gages show Fountain Creek rose more than a foot from 8 p.m. Wednesday night to a peak flow around 6:45 a.m. today.

Monument Creek, as measured at the Bijou Street monitoring station saw a more extreme rise, doubling from what had been a steady 4 foot level over recent days, to topping out around 8 feet in just a 13-hour period.

According to past USGS monitoring data, the flows in both creeks are the highest in at least a year.

8:30 a.m. UPDATE: Hanover School District 28 is closed due to flooding. Teller County Combined Courts will be closed today due to inclement weather.

8:15 a.m. CSPD is on accident alert because of wet conditions. Power outages have been reported at Powers and Barnes, and Powers and Fountain, according to the Colorado Springs Traffic Management Center. Drivers are reminded to treat intersections with dark signals as 4-way stops and to use extra caution due to wet roadways.

BREAKING: heres the view of the water rescue a man and dog  in downtown happening right now. #ColoradoSprings @kktvSydney @KKTV11News pic.twitter.com/I5W6VbQ4yT  Matt Kroschel (@Matt_Kroschel) May 11, 2023

8 a.m. Ute Pass Elementary in Manitou Springs is closed today due to excessive water in building; Hanover School District 28 is on a two-hour delay because of extreme weather conditions.

7:45 a.m. The weather service has issued a flash flood warning for El Paso County, effective until 10:15 a.m., Thursday. Officials are asking the public to avoid walking or driving through flooded areas, and to move to higher ground immediately if flooding occurs.

Forecast: Expect a high of 59 degrees, and northwest winds ranging from 10 to 20 mph. Theres a 90% chance of precipitation throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

The Colorado Springs airport recorded 0.88 inches of rainfall Wednesday, and the area can expect to see an additional three-quarters to an inch of rainfall Thursday, according to NWS.

Looking ahead into Thursday night, theres a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 3 a.m. Expect mostly cloudy conditions and a low bottoming out at 42 degrees.

The rain is expected to persist through the weekend, with likely showers and thunderstorms throughout the afternoons. Theres a 40% chance of precipitation Friday, with highs in the 60s.

Heres the full forecast from the National Weather Service.

Friday: Theres a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly in the afternoon. Expect partly sunny skies and a high near 65 degrees.

Saturday: Theres a 50% chance of showers in the afternoon. Expect mostly cloudy conditions and a high near 64 degrees.

Sunday: Showers are likely, with possible thunderstorms in the afternoon. Expect a high near 59 degrees.

Monday: Theres a slight chance of showers in the afternoon. Expect mostly cloudy conditions and a high of 63 degrees.
According to the National Weather Service, big spring snow is expected to continue to hit Colorado, mostly centered on central mountain peaks in the area of the Continental Divide.

Between Thursday morning and Friday at 6 p.m., up to 18 inches of snow is expected to land on peaks east of Estes Park, stretching down toward Winter Park, and south of I-70 in the area of Mount Evans. While peaks elsewhere in the state are expected to get snow during this period, totals will be lower elsewhere. That being said, a foot of snow may still fall in the mountains just northeast of Silverton and on Pikes Peak.

See this depicted on the map below:

In places not cold enough to get snow, Coloradans should expect plenty of precipitation. For much of the Centennial State, a cooler, rainy weekend is ahead.
National and local trends indicate libraries of all types are under heavy public scrutiny, according to Corvallis' library director, who received last year a handful of requests to remove books from local shelves.

One was removed.

The close attention is driven not just by the content of library collections but also the types of programs and performers hosted, according to Library Director Ashlee Chavez of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library.

Chavez cited an alarming increase in attempted book bans in the U.S. over the past five years  from a few hundred a year pre-pandemic to a record-setting 1,200-plus nationwide in 2022  as part of her presentation to the citys Budget Commission on Monday, May 8.

The 2022 attempts at banning books nearly doubled the record set in 2021. Its by far the most since the American Library Association began keeping data 20 years ago, according to an Associated Press report.

The ALA bases its findings on media accounts and voluntary reporting from libraries and acknowledges that the numbers might be far higher, AP reported.

There have been five formal requests for reconsideration of materials at the Corvallis-Benton County Public since 2022, according to an email from Chavez.

In 2021, reconsideration requests included:

Additionally, Chavez noted six Dr. Seuss titles were pulled from printing by the authors estate in 2021.

Reconsideration requests are submitted to the State Library of Oregon, which compiles the information and also submits it to the ALA to be included in national statistics, Chavez said via email.

Some requests are for reclassification to an older reading age, not removal, and those are occasionally granted, she said.

Although theres no public hearing process or appeals for reconsiderations, Chavez said she personally contacts each person to explain the process. She also invites people to attend Library Advisory Board meetings to share their input.

I do respond to patrons with an extremely thorough response that walks them through all of our reasoning and always offer time to discuss it further, if they would like, Chavez said.

Chavez added that library staff do a comprehensive analysis of all of the items that are requested to be reconsidered and they watch or read the material as well.

All of the locally challenged material has been retained with one exception, according to Chavez. She said in one case  "Abraham Lincoln, George Washington: Young Presidents" by Augusta Stevenson  the item was immediately weeded out after being brought to the librarys attention.

"It should have been removed from the collection a long time ago and had somehow missed our regular deselection process, Chavez said. It was published in 1981, was in terrible physical condition, had several inaccuracies, had zero professional reviews and was out of print.

She did not describe the inaccuracies.

Chavez emphasized that the local requests stem from people who checked out an item and found concerns they wanted to bring forth for consideration. Thats not necessarily the case for other libraries.

In many cases across the United States, we are seeing organized targeting of specific titles, with formal groups dedicated to pursuing removal of various titles, she said. We have not yet seen any organized efforts like that in the Corvallis-Benton County Library system.

A movement to defund public libraries isnt new, Chavez told the Budget Commission on Monday night, but using budget cuts as retaliation against the core principles of what libraries stand for is a new tactic in her mind.

I think its really disheartening for anyone who works in a library, she said. We have a lot of work to do in order to protect the values of our most beloved public institution.

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.

Budget Commission member Karyle Butcher said its a critical national issue, and if book banning efforts ramp up in Corvallis, it would put a huge strain on the library. She called on the City Council to be ready to stick up for library staff.

Its very difficult to deal with the people who are adamant about banning these books, Butcher said.

Chavez pointed to a fairly extensive policy at https://bit.ly/3BeJMen, covering how the reconsideration requests are reviewed.
Just days before a temporary casino opens in Danville, a new regional tourism brand was unveiled Wednesday night: Visit SoSi.

The new marketing piece ties in the affiliation with Southside Virginia with a new twist by playing off the sounds of "so" and "see," Lisa Meriwether, tourism manager, explained at the unveiling hosted at Cottontail Weddings & Events in Danville's River District.

Tourism is economic development," Corrie Bobe, the director of Danville economic development, said.

In fact, tourism brings in about $14 million in tax revenue to the region each year.

These numbers will only increase and even more visitors will find their way into Danville and Pittsylvania County, Bobe said. You never know when a visitor will become a resident, an employee, a business owner or cheerleader.

When the full Caesars Virginia casino opens next year, more than 2 million visitors are expected to flood into Danville. Monday's opening of the temporary facility  dubbed Danville Casino  will provide the region a taste of what's to come.

I was there last night, the Danville Casino, what an amazing place, Meriwether said Wednesday, referencing an event hosted for select community members.

Its about people coming into the community," Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones said about tourism.

"Its about people staying," he continued. "Most importantly its about people spending money in the community.

Jones said Danville is "getting a lot of attention these days."

But beyond the casino excitement, the region already offers tourism draws like motorsports, boating, fishing and hiking.

Danville and Pittsylvania County are both rich in history, Jones explained, outlining another aspect that lures people into the community.

Rita McClenny, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation, expects new development within the city with new hotels, eateries and experiences.

The work that you do every day in Danville and Pittsylvania County contributes to the economic vitality of the region," she said Wednesday. You have so much to be proud of and we stand there with you.

Over a nine-month period that included about 2,000 surveys and 16 focus groups, Visit SoSi emerged as the top winner for the area's new slogan.

Meriwether said Visit SoSi injects spunk and personality. People in the focus group said it was fun, fresh and appealing.

The concept was developed by Eddy Alexander, a marketing and public relations agency founded in Roanoke in 2011.

Its no secret the region is on track to experience exponential growth, Meriwether said. Its important that the region already has an established and thriving tourism sector.

About 20,000 new guides  developed with the Visit SoSi reveal  will be placed in welcome centers throughout the state.
On 16 and 17 May 2023, Luxembourg will host a conference aimed at bringing together European digital healthtech hubs. This first edition focuses on how national and regional healthtech hubs can optimise their support to help companies successfully launch new digital medical devices on the market. Initiated by Luxinnovation and the Ministry of the Economy, the first edition is co-organised with the German healthtech cluster Medical Valley and EIT Health, a knowledge and innovation community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. Around 250 participants from across Europe are expected at the event which will be held at the Chamber of Commerce.

Digital medical devices  solutions using software, sensors and connectivity to monitor health-related conditions  are essential for digitalising the healthcare sector and contributing to making it more efficient and accessible to patients. "Luxembourg has the ambition to host a constantly increasing number of healthtech companies with a digital focus, working on all aspects of health and the patients' medical journey and developing smart health products and services centred on personalised and digital medicine," says Minister of the Economy, Franz Fayot. "Stimulating innovation in this field and supporting companies in their efforts to bring new digital medical devices to the market is a priority, in particular in the context of the development of the future HE:AL Campus."

However, although innovation abounds in the field, in Luxembourg as well as all over Europe, introducing digital medical devices on the market is a challenge. This is mainly due to the complex regulatory requirements that such devices must fulfil, as well as to the variations in the organisation of healthcare and in the ways of covering healthcare costs in different EU countries.

The aim of the European Digital HealthTech Hub Conference is to bring together the best experts in Europe and jointly define the optimal way of supporting digital healthtech device companies all the way from idea to successful market launch. Representatives of healthtech hubs  organisations which, similarly to Luxinnovation, support digital health ecosystems in their regions and countries  will come to Luxembourg together with start-up market acceleration experts, opinion leaders and healthtech start-ups from across Europe to provide their input.

The event will be officially opened by Luxembourg Minister of the Economy, Franz Fayot. High-level keynote speakers will present European initiatives aimed at supporting the development and market uptake of digital medical devices. National and regional representatives from all over Europe will contribute to sessions focused on funding, business models and clinical validation trial design for digital medical devices.

"If we want to ensure that European patients are among the first to benefit from new digital healthtech innovations, we need to align the approaches of different countries. The objective of the conference is to pool and document the experience and knowledge from across Europe on how to best help companies bring their digital medical devices to the market," says Jean-Philippe Arie, Cluster Manager  HealthTech at Luxinnovation.

Press release by the Ministry of the Economy and Luxinnovation
BROWNS SUMMIT  From the roadside, some passersby who see the cluttered, decaying storefront are too young to remember it used to be the only 
Broadwater Elementary Schools librarian Marla Unruh is the second-ever recipient of the Montana Library Associations Alma Smith Jacobs Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award.

Unruh said she was very surprised to receive the award and joked, Its a lot of attention for someone who spends their day in the basement working in the school library.

The award founded in 2022 is named for the pioneering Great Falls librarian who became the first woman and first African American to serve as Montanas State Librarian in 1973. Each year, a library, group or person is recognized for their efforts to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in library services in Montana. Ken Robison, a Montana historian, was the first to receive the award in 2022.

Unruh touched on the air of politics suddenly spotlighting many librarians across the country.

Our critics dont understand who we really are and what were really doing, she said. Elementary teachers are kind-hearted people who would never do anything to hurt anybody or shock some little kid.

She stated that the history of our country needs to be taught with all perspectives included and that it should inspire hope in younger generations, not fear.

We have to tell the truth, but I use it to inspire kids, Unruh said. So I just tell them, You know, this is pretty rough, but all throughout history whenever theres been one group mistreating another, theres always been a few who stood up for what was right, and I know thats what you would do.

Libraries are welcoming, restful places full of knowledge, and by that definition, Unruh herself is a human library. At 85, Unruh has seen the educational landscape undergo many changes throughout her lifetime. She grew up in St. Louis in a family of educators and graduated high school in 1955, the year after the landmark decision to desegregate schools in Brown v. Board of Education.

Unruh taught high school English for two years upon graduating from university before taking a long hiatus from educating. It wasnt until the famous Kansas City case Missouri v. Jenkins that Unruh thought about returning to education. The case was decided in 1995 and required the state of Missouri to correct intentional racial discrimination through funding salaries and remedial education programs in Kansas City schools.

Suddenly the district had money, and they opened a high school. I applied, and they hired me with no recent experience to be a ninth grade English teacher, Unruh said. ... I do feel deeply about being kind to all. My years in the urban environment changed me forever.

Teaching in an urban school exposed Unruh to many more cultures, especially the culture of black Americans. It showed her how important representation is in the media and in books.

When I first walked into that middle school library, it was full of books from the '50s and '60s aimed at white kids, said Unruh. There wasnt much that our urban kids could find. Over the years I revolutionized that whole thing, changed it over to things that they were interested in.

One of her favorite stories to read with her students now is Precious and the Boo Hag by Patricia McKissack and Onawumi Jean Moss. It's a fairy tale about a young girl left at home by her mother who tells her not to let nothing or nobody inside the house. A Boo Hag, a mythical creature in Gullah culture folklore that tries to gain entry into someones house to steal someones energy or their skin, tries to wheedle their way into Precious home throughout the story.

When Unruh came back to teaching in the 1990s, the first computers were coming out, so she taught herself how to use them.

I had to, Unruh stated. In fact, thats why I went into library. I knew that if I stayed in the English classroom, I would be isolated, and I would never get to learn it. I moved over to library, and thats forced me to do more, but Ill never be a real nerd on it.

Unruh also taught herself robotics to secure a makerspace grant to give that opportunity to her students. She tries to attend the annual Glacier Waterton International Peace Park Hamfest, the oldest continuously running hamfest in the world attended by people from Canada and the U.S. to learn about ham radio each year. She said that radio has helped beef up the side of her brain that isnt humanities.

She moved to Montana in 2007 because she missed the mountains, and she was hired on as Broadwaters librarian that year. She had never before taught in an elementary classroom.

The thing Unruh wants her students to remember about her is that she should be forgotten and overshadowed by their own successes.

My journey has been one of learning, just never stop learning. Thats all Im about really, said Unruh. ... If theres one thing I have learned that I have to tell you Im still learning is simply this, never underestimate any student.
Beau is Afraid (R)

At the Myrna Loy

Grade: C

Ponyo (PG) 2009, animated

At the Cinemark (ends May 10)

Heavy sits the crown on the head of a young director whose star is rising.

Ari Asters debut, Hereditary, a creepy horror film, was made for $10 million and grossed $80 million. Distributor A24 smiled: Please, sir, may we have some more?

Next up, Midsommar, a brilliant and chilling folk horror tale revolving around a Swedish cult celebrating the longest day of the year by shortening lives. ROI: $50 million on a $9 million budget.

Now a believer in Ari, A24 loosened its purse strings and invested $35 million in Beau is Afraid, a three-hour surreal trip down a psychedelic rabbit hole with Joaquin Phoenix as lead bunny.

A24 hoped that Asters third feature would be an indie mega-hit.

But Beau is no boom. Its a self-indulgent bust.

Beau is Afraid will garner some respectful reviews for its auteur vision, but most audiences will be baffled, bored and annoyed. Even film buffs will scratch their heads and fidget.

I like long movies. Three hours is just fine  as long as the artful spider seductively pulls us into the web.

But Beau unbearably boring  or rather Beau-ring, I guess.

We follow an anxious paranoid man around his spider-infested apartment as he worries about absolutely everything. Hes planning a trip to see mom, until a UPS delivery man shares sad news.

After running naked down the street, Beau is hit by a truck. He is rehabilitated by a caring couple in their nice home until their daughter drinks a gallon of colorful house paint and dies.

Then its off to the forest where a surreal acting troupe holds court. Killings follow.

Finally, its time for mom to appear after all. She stages a trial for her son in an amphitheater full of bloodthirsty patrons. Beau heads to sea in a boat. Glug, glug. Bye bye Beau.

Sometimes surreal stories rise to art. Not this time.

Beau is a disjointed, Kafka-esque journey into paranoia. Phoenix has bruises on his body from various violent encounters, and the movie is bruised as well.

Ari Asters third film could hurt A24, but his fourth film may be a masterpiece. Hes a gifted director, a golden goose who finally laid a rotten egg.

Note to fans of anime: Cinemark reserved a screen for Ponyo, the 2008 animated film by Japanese maestro Hayao Miyazaki. This gold fish variation on Little Mermaid is a lovely family movie. Cinemark alternated dubbed (no) and subtitled versions (yes!) to please us all. Parents: Keep your eyes on Cinemarks international offerings this summer. They are a gift!
The nonprofit Reach Higher Montana has given out about $40,000 in scholarships and prizes to Montana high school seniors this year as part of their Senior Send-Off contest.

"We are immensely proud of all the students who participated in the Senior Send-Off contest and commend them for their remarkable accomplishments," said Kelly Cresswell, executive director of Reach Higher Montana. "These scholarships and prizes represent our commitment to fostering access and equity in education, and we are honored to play a role in helping these exceptional students realize their potential."

The goals of the contest are to celebrate and provide support to Montanas graduating seniors as they embark on their post-secondary education or career journeys. Reach Higher Montana stated that this years contest, which was open to all Montana high school seniors, received an overwhelming response from Montana students. To enter, students needed to send in a short video or photo with an explanation of what their plans are after high school.

The Reach Higher Montana winners of the Most Creative Videos $500 Scholarships are Caleb Smartnick of Jefferson High School, Remmi Stanger of Lincoln County High School, Allie Eaves of Power High School, Beau Barthuly of Skyview High School and Isaac Cantlon of Ronan High School.

Winners of the $1,000 scholarship or equipment or tool packages for students entering the trades are Dempsey Ireland of Helena High School, Austynn May of Jefferson High School, Maria Hanson of Butte High School, Kylie Marie Lucier of St. Regis High School, Kadence Nissley of Dawson County High School, Traelik Stops at Pretty Places of Hardin High School, Elle Broquist of Charles M. Russell High School, Charlie Serafin of Park High School, Gabriel Philbrick of Florence-Carlton High School, Kadynce Morgan of St. Ignatius High School, Amilia Blackcrow and Gracie Brockie of Harlem High School, Daniel Peterson and Edward Little of Polson High School, Tia Carpentier, Hailey Hakes and Madison Perry of Ronan High School and Bryce Lee, Tanner Deeble and Megan Benjamin of Shelby High School.

Reach Higher Montana also gave away laptops to 10 students, tablets to 10 students, Airpods to 10 students and $100 college gift cards to 24 students.
No fishing licenses on Mother's Day weekend

No fishing licenses will be required Mothers Day weekend, May 13 and 14.

So grab your gear and your gal and head out to enjoy Montanas countless rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs.

In 2021, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed into law Senate Bill 61, which makes it free to fish in Montana on Mothers Day.

Montanans have enjoyed free fishing on Fathers Day weekend for more than 10 years.

-- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

FWP begins black bear study

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks researchers are launching a new multi-year study on black bears this month aimed at better understanding and estimating the population across the state.

The first season of field research will focus on areas in west-central Montana, including the Blackfoot River watershed from Gold Creek through Ovando and Helmville.

The new Montana black bear monitoring program will ultimately help FWP to gain accurate and timely understanding of the black bear populations, accounting for regional differences, to better inform management decisions. Biologists will be able to better assess how hunter harvest and habitat are impacting black bear populations and patterns and make season adjustments and recommendations based on monitoring results.

The study aims to estimate bear abundance, where they are found, what types of habitats they use most frequently and provide a better understanding of survival rates and causes of mortality for males, females and cubs.

Part of the research will include collecting genetic information from barbed wire hair collection sites (called hair corrals). The samples collected at these sites will give researchers the ability to estimate bear numbers, sex and species in a given area. This month, FWP is setting up hair corrals in the Blackfoot. The sites will be set with scents that attract bears to walk through the area, leaving hair samples behind. There will be no food reward for the bear, just the scent. Scents will not be added to the locations until after spring black bear hunting season ends June 15.

Because bear activity increases at these hair corral sites, potentially including grizzly bears, bright orange signs will be stapled to trees or posts within 100 yards of each site. If you see these signs or come upon a scent station, be aware of potentially increased numbers of bears in the immediate area and stay away. All scent sites located on public land will be removed by the end of August, before the beginning of archery season.

Researchers will also gather data from GPS collars on adult and subadult male and female bears. The collars will help researchers understand bear movement, survival, and other more specific information on bear habits. FWP hopes to collar approximately 40 bears across western Montana from June through August. Warning signs will be posted along the major access points to trapping sites, and it is important for safety to stay aware and out of posted areas wherever you see these signs.

After this field season concludes, the research will rotate to other parts of the state and eventually repeat in west-central Montana again in 2027.

If you are recreating or working outdoors in Montana, it is always a good idea to carry bear spray in case of a surprise bear encounter. Find out more tips on bear safety: fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear.

-- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

State honors landowners

Landowners participating in Montanas Block Management Program were recognized recently for the public access they have provided to hunters in southwest Montana.

Block Management is a cooperative program between private landowners and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to help landowners provide and manage free public hunting access to private land and sometimes adjacent or isolated public lands.

FWP staff in southwest Montana hosted several dinners in late April to thank landowners for their contributions.

During the 2022 hunting season, 106 landowners in southwest Montana participated in the program, providing up to 517,537 acres of public access on private lands. The region has seen a steady increase in the amount of visitation from hunters, while the number of participating landowners has remained relatively flat. In 2022, block management areas in the region saw 92,178 hunter days, compared with a 10-year average of 81,881 hunter days.

In southwest Montana, 34 landowners have been enrolled in Block Management for 25 years or more. These extensive contributions represent long-standing working relationships and countless memorable seasons for hunters.

We are so grateful to the landowners who generously foster access opportunities for Montanas hunting public, said Linnaea Schroeer, FWPs regional recreation manager in southwest Montana. Were also thankful to the hunters who help keep these partnerships alive through safe, respectful and ethical hunting.

Landowners interested in enrolling in Block Management can contact a regional office of FWP, and applications will be accepted until June 1. Access guides for the coming hunting season will be available by Aug. 15. Learn more by visiting fwp.mt.gov/hunt/access/blockmanagem

-- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Boat ramp and parking at Ennis site reopens

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks maintenance staff have completed repairs to the entrance road at Ennis Fishing Access Site, and the boat ramp and parking area are open to visitors.

The campground at the site remains closed while more repairs are made, but it is expected to be open later this month.

Ennis Fishing Access Site is on the Madison River, just south of Ennis. The site flooded in December, which required the site to be closed until the water and ice subsided and FWP could make repairs.

As river flows rise this spring, recreationists should keep in mind that dangerous river conditions can arise suddenly, and access roads can also be impacted. Closures may still be in effect for some fishing access sites throughout Montana. To see where site closures and waterbody restrictions are, visit fwp.mt.gov/news/current-closures-restrictions.

-- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Truly Bridge access site on Smith River closed

High flows in the Smith River have flooded Truly Bridge Fishing Access Site near Ulm, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has authorized an emergency closure of the site, closing the site to all public access until further notice.

Current flows measured upstream at the Eden Bridge gauge on the Smith River are over 3,400 cubic feet per second, which is nearly double the highest flows ever recorded there for this date. The high water has inundated the FAS and people are at risk of unexpectedly being swept into the river, resulting in injury or drowning.

Signs informing the public of the closures/restrictions will be posted at access points. Closures or restrictions will be lifted when conditions allow and will be dependent on the extent and duration of the flooding in the area.

The public is asked to use extreme caution when accessing all FWP sites such as fishing access sites, wildlife management areas, state parks, and any other areas near rivers or streams. Flood water elevations change rapidly, and some sites may become partially or fully submerged by flood waters within minutes or hours.

Information on other closures and restrictions can be found on FWPs website.

-- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
SPRINGFIELD  Decatur resident Gloria Scott was honored Wednesday at the Illinois State Library for her work as a dedicated learner.

The Spotlight on Achievement awards are given to adult learners who have shown growth in reading, writing, math and English language skills. Ten learners were honored, including 28-year-old Scott.

Having dropped out of school in 10th grade, Scott said she got into trouble that ended with her serving time in prison, where she enrolled in a GED testing program.

I ended up becoming pregnant and I didnt think it would be right for me to have a kid without finishing school, Scott told Lee Enterprises. I dont want my son to grow up not knowing.

Since enrolling in Decatur nonprofit Baby TALK, Scott has sought to act as a leader for other young mothers continuing their education.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who hosted the ceremony as part of his role overseeing state libraries and adult literacy programming, said he agreed with predecessor Jim Edgar that it represents one of his favorite parts of the job and "what service is all about."

This is one of the most inspirational days of my life, to see both the learners and the tutors is really incredible, Giannoulias said in an interview. These are adults that their life hasn't always been a straight line  it just reinforces that literacy, reading, education and helping others which are the backbone of our country are alive and well in Illinois.

The ceremony also celebrated 10 Spotlight on Service winners who have demonstrated dedication to serving their communities.
DECATUR  The cause of a Decatur two-alarm fire that involved two neighboring structures Wednesday night is under investigation.

According to a Decatur Fire Department news release, firefighters were called to 905 and 911 North Charles St. at 10:35 p.m. They arrived to find heavy fire and smoke showing throughout both houses.

The first arriving engine secured a water supply and used a master stream device to control the fully involved structure, the release said. The second arriving engine and truck companies pulled a pre-connected handline to the second structure for fire control.

Additional companies responded and assisted extinguishing the fires. Crews cleared the scene at 2:41 a.m.

Battalion Chief Timothy May and an investigator from the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal have determined the origin of the fire to be suspicious.
DECATUR  Three fire calls involving four homes kept Decatur firefighters busy Wednesday afternoon and early Thursday.

"Sometimes you get days like this," said Jim Ohl, the Decatur Fire Department's deputy chief in charge of operations.

Decatur fire crews were called to 456 W. Olive St. at 3:50 p.m. Wednesday and arrived to find heavy smoke and fire showing throughout the rear of the house, a news release stated.

The first arriving engine advanced a hose line for rapid fire attack and a primary search of the residence. Next arriving engine completed water supply connection and disconnected utilities. The third arriving engine advanced a second hose line for fire attack. The ladder company used ground ladders to reach the roof for ventilation.

There were no occupants inside the structure at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. The report states the fire started in a bedroom.

Crews cleared the scene at 6:58 p.m.

Firefighters were then called to 905 and 911 N. Charles St. at 10:35 p.m. They arrived to find heavy fire and smoke showing throughout both houses.

The first arriving engine secured a water supply and used a master stream device to control the fully involved structure, the release said. The second arriving engine and truck companies pulled a pre-connected handline to the second structure for fire control.

Additional companies were called out and assisted with extinguishing the fires. Crews cleared the scene at 2:41 a.m.

Battalion Chief Timothy May and an investigator from the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal have determined the cause of these fires to be suspicious.

Then, around 4 a.m. Thursday, firefighters were called to 400 S. Wooddale Ave. to a report of a fire on the deck at the back of the home. Ohl said that fire, which was accidental and likely caused by a portable burn pit, would have been much worse had it not been for the quick response of firefighters.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: A look back at Decatur firefighters through the years 
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the morning. Cloudy skies this afternoon. High 84F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
If You Go Skeleton Crew runs May 20 to June 4 at the Smith Theatre (Barter Playhouse) of the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. For tickets, call 276 628 3991.

In the grips of the Great Recession, auto manufacturers stood in peril.

Many factories shut down while others waited in limbo, not knowing when or if a final shutdown may occur.

In Skeleton Crew, a play slated to premier on May 20 at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, the year is 2008. And the all-Black cast must grapple with pain as they struggle to survive.

The play is amazing. The cast is amazing, said Terrance Jackson, a Barter Theatre actor since 2013.

Jackson, 32, stars in Skelton Crew and is the director of outreach for Barters Black Stories Black Voices project, which includes this production of Skeleton Crew.

Growing up in Sarasota, Florida, Jackson aims to please on stage.

Skeleton Crew tells the story of a tight-knit crew that is just what that title says  down to the bare bones to keep operations going.

Its one of the first times that weve had an all-Black cast, Jackson said.

The show takes place in Detroit Michoacan. Its about a stamping factory thats on the verge of shutting down.

The play is ultimately about a community after a top industry leaves, Jackson said. What happens to a group of Black people when that happens?

Its similar to how the coal industry went into a decline in the Southwest Virginia area, Jackson said.

At the May 20 premiere, the show includes a Barter Connects talk with Ron Carson, director of the Appalachian African-American Cultural Center in Pennington Gap, Virginia.

Jackson portrays the character of Reggie, the foreman of the crew and one who must walk the line between doing what the company tells him to and figuring out how to continue to keep the Skeleton Crew together.

Reggie is an incredible character, and he has to deal with a lot of different things  to keep his job, Jackson said.

Hes dealing with a lot of emotions, a lot of personalities that he has to balance. Hes trying to do what he can at the plant. Hes also trying to take care of the people that he loves and works with and to make sure that he also has a future with the company, Jackson said.

Hes just racing the clock, basically. And hes trying to make sure that he takes care of the workers. Hes trying to balance what you do when youre in management.

Its tough.

Its a skeleton crew, Jackson said. Its knocked down to just a few people who are making a lot of this stuff happening. Its also a play about loyalty. Are you loyal to managing or loyal to the people who are doing the work, day in and day out?

Through it all, we see a show with what Jackson calls the Black experience.

It absolutely could have been done by an all-white cast, Jackson said. But the playwright wrote it from the Black experience.

Jackson promises the show offers a great variety.

Its really funny. IDs definitely really funny, he said. Theres going to be some twists and turns that you wouldnt see coming.
BRISTOL, Va.  Virginias first licensed medical cannabis producer returned home and will open its latest dispensary on Gate City Highway.

RISE Dispensaries held a ribbon cutting ceremony at its Bristol dispensary at 780 Gate City Hwy. The location opens to the public on May 24.

Located in a former insurance office, the dispensary is a short distance from the former Bristol Mall where Dharma Pharmaceuticals originally operated. Dharmas local founders sold the business to Green Thumb Industries in 2021 but remain actively involved in the operation, which is now based in Abingdon.

Were like a boomerang. We told our patients wed be back, said Shanna Berry, Dharma co-founder and now Virginia market leader for GTI. They didnt want to drive to Abingdon. Our patients have been waiting for us to come back to Bristol  This is a great area in terms of the development perspective. Its exciting.

The dispensary will employ about 10 people and GTI/RISE employ 175 in Southwest Virginia. This is the groups fifth dispensary, joining facilities in Abingdon, Christiansburg, Lynchburg and Salem. The firms sixth dispensary is scheduled to open in Danville in June, Virginia Market Leader Jack Page said.

Obviously our home was in Bristol and were very happy to be back in Bristol but we also know the opportunities for not only us but the entire city, Page said.

While currently restricted to six sites, Page said they would welcome the change to expand.

We would like for patients to have better access. The regions are attempted to be divided by population so we have the largest geographic region, he said.

The dispensary program was originally overseen by the Virginia Pharmacy Board but that has been transferred to the new Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.

RISE can sell only to Virginia residents who have a doctors certification that says the provider feels the patient may benefit from medical cannabis. There is no age restriction since it was originally developed for children with seizures. However a minor must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

We will have information here for people to register as a patient if theyre not already registered here, Page said. To enter the dispensary, one must be a patient or companion of a patient.

Its like a typical medical office intake  demographics, what medications youre taking, compliance  and then well offer a pharmacist consultation. He will work with the patient and decide what is best for them. Its not like a normal prescription where they give you exactly whats on that piece of paper.

Inside the dispensary is a wide array of products containing varying levels of THC and CBD, including vape pens and edible products.

Were unique because we still have the original Dharma products as well as the Green Thumb products. There are similar products just different flavors. Our Dharma gummies are in three different flavors  fruit punch, raspberry and lemon-lime, Page said.

Tangerine, for example, is 200 milligrams of CDB in the package and 100 milligrams of THC. We have our botanical cannabis in different forms  Dogwalkers are miniature pre-rolled products to enjoy when walking your dog around the neighborhood, Page said.

In addition to its own products RISE will carry brands from other licensed processors in Virginia. Berry said locally produced products are sold at other dispensaries across the state.

This is obviously a great location right off I-81. Lots of visitors are coming through here already and we think that will continue to grow over the next few years. Were excited about new growth, Councilman Anthony Farnum said.
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn.  Questions abound as school boards from across Sullivan County raised concerns over funding at Wednesdays Sullivan County Budget Committee meeting.

Randall Jones, the chairman of the Sullivan County School Board, expressed his concerns over what looks to be a $4 million decrease in property tax revenue allocated to the Sullivan County schools budget  from $21.20 million in 2022-23 to the projected $17.05 million for 2023-24.

The numbers we will be looking at will be the $17 million coming from property tax, I believe, and $16 million coming from sales tax potentially, and thats a decrease of almost $4 million from the property tax assessment that we had from last year, Jones said.

I realize weve lost about 25% of our students. No question about that when it comes to actual numbers. But I think it is critical to look at the property tax and how it has gone down over the last 15 years, he said.

The total projected decrease in property tax revenue allocated by Sullivan County to the boards of education of Bristol, Tennessee, and Kingsport, as well as to the Sullivan County, would total around $10 million.

However, Leslie Bonner, the assistant director of accounts and budgets for Sullivan County, explained that the projected decrease in property tax revenue is being counterbalanced with an increase in projected sales tax revenue, which in the case of Sullivan County School would be going from $13.30 million in 2022-23 to $16.79 million.

What we need to do, in order to maintain our maintenance of effort for the school system, is to recognize all that growth that were getting in sales tax revenue, Boner said.

Bonner highlighted that one of the main reasons behind the shift is also the states reporting that Sullivan Countys Average Daily Memberships (ADM) or students in classrooms has decreased from 8,182 in 2022 to 8,125. While at the same time, they are spending around $3,745 per pupil, which is more than any other county in Tennessee.

Annette Tudor, the Bristol, Tennessee director of schools, stressed to the committee that in the future, it would be great to have these conversations earlier. The system has a deadline of May 22 to deliver their budget to the Bristol City Council and have already had to scrap one completed budget during this years process, to account for the projected $1.8 million decrease in property tax from the county.

I would really love if we can have these conversations in February and March because both Kingsport and Bristol pass their budgets before the county does, and we depend on the same numbers that Sullivan County does, Tudor said.

We are in the same position as Kingsport. We had a budget ready to present, and now we have to cut $1.8 million out of it, she said.

Sullivan County Commissioner David Akard, a member of the Sullivan County Budget Committee, explained that since a lot of the information presented to the committee during the meeting is also new to them, they do not have any answers yet, to the concerns of the school boards.

Theres no good answer to give you all today, Akard said. Ill be very honest. Ill hit it head-on. Where we end up, I have no idea.
The former owner of Naganos Japanese Restaurant has announced plans to open a food hall at the former First National Bank building at the corner of First Avenue and Second Street in downtown Hickory.

As a testament to our love for this town, we are thrilled to give back to the community by opening Hickory's first food hall, according to a post on the recently created Hickory Food Hall Facebook page. The historical First National Bank of Catawba will be transformed into an extraordinary venue, spanning over 23,000 square feet, which will serve as a hub for fulfilling dreams and fostering a supportive community.

Lynn Nguyen, who recently handed over operation of Nagano to her daughter, is opening the food hall along with her daughter and son-in-law, according to the Facebook post and the food halls website.

No opening date for the food hall was listed on the food hall's Facebook page or website.

The food halls website describes the owners goal of creating a platform that unites local artists, restaurant owners and retailers to offer something exceptional to our community.

In response to a question on their original post announcing the plans, the owners described the food hall concept as one in which vendors sell food, drinks and other products in a space that includes seating areas for customers.

Similar to a food court in a shopping mall, a food hall typically offers a wide variety of cuisines and styles of food, ranging from street food to gourmet fare, they explained. However, food halls typically focus on independent and artisanal vendors, offering a more curated selection of high-quality, locally-sourced food options.
Voters heading to the polls later this year will notice some changes in voting procedures thanks to two recent N.C. Supreme Court decisions.

The ruling that will have the broadest impact involves voter ID. On April 28, the states highest court sided with legislative Republicans by upholding a voter ID law passed in 2018.

The passage of the voter ID law came shortly after voters approved a state constitutional amendment approving use of voter ID.

Implementation of the law has stalled in recent years amid legal challenges. Last December, the Supreme Court ruled against the voter ID law.

However, earlier this year after newly elected Republicans took their seats, the court opted to rehear the case and ultimately changed the outcome with the April ruling.

The N.C. State Board of Elections has sent initial guidance to county election boards.

As you are aware, the state board has already began taking preparatory steps for implementing photo ID, according to the copy of the message received by the Catawba County Board of Elections. Further guidance will be forthcoming in regard to next steps for implementation.

The state board informed the local boards that the ruling will affect municipal elections later this year.

All Catawba County municipalities, as well as the Newton-Conover and Hickory school boards, will have elections this fall.

The state board also said there is a federal case against the voter ID law currently pending but that this case is not currently blocking implementation of the law.

The N.C. Supreme Court also made a ruling with implications for the voting rights of people convicted of felonies.

Under a previous court ruling, felons were allowed to vote as long as they were not incarcerated. That changed with the recent Supreme Court ruling.

In their directive to the Catawba County Board of Elections, the state board explained: Individuals with felony convictions have their right to vote automatically restored when they have been unconditionally discharged or have been pardoned. This means if a person is on probation, post-release supervision, or parole for a felony conviction, they must complete that portion of their sentence, in addition to any prison time, before being eligible to register or vote.

The state board also shared a copy of an updated voter registration form.
Vietnam Exhibit Information

Location: Historical Museum of Catawba County, 30 N. College Ave., Newton (1924 Courthouse Building)

Cost: Free, donations accepted

Dates/Hours: Exhibit runs from May 13 to Aug. 30

Grand opening event is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The history museum is typically open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The museum may have special hours during the exhibit. To stay up to date on hours, search "Catawba County Museum of History" on Facebook or call 828-465-0383.
A brewery sits next to a small-town North Carolina creek  and beer lovers cant get enough of it.

So much so, it ranks as the No. 1 brewery in the state. Hillman Beer in Old Fort received the top honor after the review website Yelp said it studied comments that customers left over time.

We identified businesses in the breweries category on Yelp, then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews, the website wrote in its May 1 report.

The brewery was named a fan favorite after the Asheville areas food and drink scene earned repeated praise. The mountain tourist town recently ranked as one of the best places for beer drinkers and also received a nod for its restaurants and breweries.

Though Hillman Beer has a presence in the beer hub of Asheville, its other brewery about 25 miles to the east earned the recognition from Yelp. The winning brewery is in the town of Old Fort, described as a hidden gem.

Nestled against the beautiful fresh water of Mill Creek the brewery boasts over 10,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor seating with over 32 taps, the business wrote on its website.

On Yelp, several users raved about the creek-side setting, helping the business earn five out of five stars. Others were fans of burgers and of course, the selection of beer.

The Old Fort location said it got its start in 2020, more than a decade after Brad Hillman got into homebrewing. He teamed with family members to start the brewery, where the drinks on tap include a dry Irish stout and a blood orange creamsickle sour.

In early 2023, Hillman Beer opened its third location with a temporary tasting room on South Sterling Street in downtown Morganton after the departure of Catawba Brewing Co. The brewery currently is remodeling the former Catawba Brewing Co. space on North Green Street to include a full kitchen and tasting room, similar to its Old Fort location.
Our plans to move to a three-day-a-week print schedule led to some phone calls and several emails this week.

People were for the most part polite and gave me a chance to answer their concerns.

Here is what I am asking of our devoted print readers: Try the revised paper for a couple of weeks to see if you like it before making a decision on the change.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

The first market in the company to move to three days a week saw an increase in sales at convenience stores with the change.

The first edition of the new format arrives on June 6. Give it a try.

Armed Forces salute

Armed Forces Day is May 20. It is a day set aside to honor all six branches of the military: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force and Space Force.

Hickory resident Ron Philbeck wanted to make sure we noted the day. He also could not contain how proud he is of his grandson, Master Sgt. Todd Philbeck.

Todd Philbeck was raised in Hickory and joined the Air Force in 2005.

Ron said Todd has served in Korea three times. Ron added that he also served in Korea in 1961.

Ron shared Todds bio, which notes that he is the senior enlisted leader of Detachment 210 at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

Master Sgt. Philbeck oversees a 37-member team and directs the Air Forces largest F-16 Right Time Training course load.

Master Sgt. Philbecks parents are Todd A. Philbeck Sr. and Sherri S. Pollock. Both reside in Catawba County.
" " The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explosion is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history. SHONE/GAMMA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Date: April 26, 1986

Location: Chernobyl, Ukraine

Deaths: 30 , plus thousands more from radiation-induced thyroid cancer

Evacuation: 115,000 immediately, plus many more in the months following

The catastrophic failure of the Unit 4 reactor at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl was by far the worst nuclear disaster in history. In fact, Chernobyl remains the only accident at a commercial nuclear power facility to result in deaths from acute radiation poisoning.

The disaster at Chernobyl was the result of human error and a faulty reactor design. The plant's operators decided to run a safety test while the Unit 4 reactor was temporarily offline. The test was supposed to determine if the reactor's cooling system could operate during a loss of electrical power. Instead, poor communication resulted in a sudden power surge that caused a massive explosion and fire at the reactor.

Advertisement

The 30 deaths at Chernobyl included two workers killed in the explosion and 28 fire fighters and emergency responders who were exposed to massive levels of radiation (one died of a heart attack). Wind-blown plumes of radiation from the fire were detected across the Northern Hemisphere in the weeks that followed.

Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from the region surrounding the damaged plant, known as the "Exclusion Zone." It's been estimated that 7,000 children and adolescents exposed to radiation from Chernobyl had developed thyroid cancer over the past 35 years. Fortunately, most were not fatal.
Insurance provider Insurance and Care NSW is partnering with business-to-business payment protection solution company Eftsure in a move designed to strengthen icares payment security.

icare says this initiative is part of its commitment to protecting its valued providers and those icare serves against invoice manipulation and other malicious invoicing and payments-related activities.

Invoice manipulation by malicious agents and scammers is a real threat to businesses small and large. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, in 2021, payment redirection scams cost Australians $227 million, said Dr Nick Allsop, Group Executive of icare Lifetime Schemes.

We take seriously our responsibility to identify errors, fraud and scam attempts before releasing funds.

icare says that under the partnership Eftsure will provide the tools that enable icare to minimise the risk of payment fraud, onboard new vendors, and manage the accuracy of existing vendors banking and compliance data.

Eftsures fraud verification analysts check new and updated details of vendors who provide services to Lifetime Care, Workers Care, Dust Diseases Care and CTP Care. Meanwhile, its proprietary database cross-matches vendor information to ensure ongoing accuracy and automatically flag suspicious changes before funds are released, notes icare.

Were pleased that icare has joined the Eftsure community, which protects more than $120 billion in payments each year, said Mark Chazan, Eftsures Chief Executive Officer.

The recent report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission revealed an uptick in payment redirection scams and tactics like phishing, so its important for organisations to protect themselves and their suppliers.

icare says that with fraud attempts relating to invoices becoming more frequent, it is committed to ensuring safe and legitimate payments to providers of health care and support services for people living with a long-term or severe injury.

By partnering with Eftsure, we have increased our capacity to maintain a high standard of quality assurance over invoice and payment security, said Dr Allsop.

Leaders like icare are setting an important example when they take steps to minimise their fraud risks and combat ever-evolving payment fraud tactics, said Mark Chazan. It helps fortify the security posture of entire supply chains.

icare notes that vendors whose business details have stayed the same do not need to do anything - and all requests to add or update vendor business details are verified before processing.

Our new verification approach makes complex provider verification processes simpler and provides ongoing assurance against maliciously changed bank account details, explained Dr Allsop.
The Property Council of Australia has selected learning management system Brightspace by D2L to manage the delivery of over 150 courses to more than 2,300 member companies nationally.

Since implementing D2L Brightspace, the Property Councils Academy has reimagined its course delivery and now provides digital learning experiences, which it calls OnDemand.

These online courses tackle specific technical property topics and leadership fundamentals and include educational videos that are delivered by property-specific, specialised and experienced subject matter experts.

The OnDemand eLearning platform delivered via Brightspace enables participants to upload their assessments through the platform and then the educators can mark their work and provide feedback directly via the platform.

Prior to implementing D2L Brightspace, we were using a number of different platforms that did not integrate or talk to each other, it was really clunky, and it did not provide a seamless user experience for our learners, said Property Council of Australia Academy director Kelly Jones.

Both our teaching team and our members have found Brightspace to be very user-friendly, easy to navigate and the way the content is delivered is engaging as it can incorporate video, interactive elements and gamification, said Jones.

We can now run virtual classrooms and build hybrid content that combines self-paced learning online with face-to-face classroom learning, as well as checking the knowledge gained by individuals using multiple choice quizzes at the end of a course, Jones continued.

The property industry is one of the biggest employers in Australia having more than 1.4 million employees.

The Property Council has diverse and complex learning requirements for its property industry professionals, providing online and in-person classroom courses via its Academy, which are developed and delivered by 400 property industry leaders.

The Property Council is an Australian member-based organisation representing property developers and owners, providing powerful advocacy and multiple services to its member companies, including research and learning services.

D2L has demonstrated our commitment to enhancing the online learning experience at The Property Council of Australia and we look forward to a fantastic partnership with its Academy that will ultimately lead to improved educational outcomes for its property industry professionals and a better experience for its educators," said D2L regional director ANZ Toby Maguire.
include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?>

 Business Insider reports that U-haul is charging five times more for vans moving people out of California than for vans moving people into California. The state is beyond repair. In California, we now live in a society where people use a twelve-hundred-dollar phone to check their food stamp balance.

 San Francisco received another retail blow Wednesday as Nordtrom's announced it is closing all its stores in the city due to the shoplifting. The White House did a beautiful job of deflecting any blame. President Biden denied any knowledge of blowing up Russia's Nordstrom's pipeline in the Baltic.

GET ARGUS' DAILY SMILES TO YOUR INBOX. SIGN UP FOR THE JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here.

 ABC News aired a story reminding young Millennial parents of the danger of leaving their kids in parked cars when summer heat arrives. Eventually there will be a child that can withstand one hundred-forty degree heat inside an aging mini-van. It's called evolution and we have to just keep trying.

 The New York Times reported a new Christian fervor is sweeping the U.S. among conservative Republicans. It's revived the partisan debate over Jesus' skin color. Many Democrats hold that Jesus had dark skin, reasoning that if he'd been white the Romans would have let him off with a warning ticket.

 Forbes reported the pandemic shutdown in 2020 had the positive effect of causing an explosion in home entrepreneurship and new businesses start ups. I just wish three years ago I'd gotten into the false eyelashes and padded bra business. Practically every man I see on television today is wearing them.

(COMMENT, BELOW)
include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?> Unless they live in border states, most Americans seem oblivious to the ongoing immigration crisis in the country. While we've always had people crossing the border illegally, the Biden administration's lax policies on immigration have permitted the daily dribble of migrant crossings to become a tsunami.

To put things in perspective, Newsweek reported last September that in just the first 20 months of his administration, President Joe Biden had allowed a million more illegals into the country than had entered the U.S. under former President Donald Trump's entire four-year term in office.

In fiscal year 2021 (October 2020 through September 2021), more than 1.7 million people crossed the southern border illegally. In fiscal year 2022 (October 2021 through September 2022), more than 2.3 million people crossed the southern border illegally. The current fiscal year is already outpacing last year. Between October 2022 and March 1st of this year, more than 1 million illegals had already crossed the southern border. (Keep in mind that these included winter months; crossings increase in the spring and summer.)

And these numbers only tally what are called "encounters"  times that U.S. officials actually see or come into contact with migrants. The "got-aways"  those who cross illegally without ever encountering Border Patrol officials  are estimated to be nearly 2 million since Biden took office.

As if this weren't bad enough, Title 42  a law that permitted the U.S. to keep out or expel migrants due to the COVID-19 health emergency  expired this week. CBS News reported on Monday that the expiration of Title 42 is expected to produce "a sharp increase in migrant arrivals." The federal government estimates that more than 150,000 migrants are massing at the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is predicting that anywhere from 10,000-15,000 migrants per day will cross the border beginning this weekend.

At this rate, nearly 3 million migrants will have come into this country illegally in fiscal year 2023.

SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here.
CHARLESTON  State Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, has passed legislation aimed at providing proper line-of-duty benefits for officers with university police departments, including at Eastern Illinois University and Illinois State University.

The Charleston native, who represents the 51st District, reported in a press release that university police officers are increasingly being called into dangerous situations, just like their city police counterparts.

However, Rose said their benefits are significantly less if they are disabled in the line of duty under current law. Rose said he filed legislation to fix this discrepancy, legislation that has now been passed by both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly and is awaiting action by the governor.

Bad guys dont care what department a cop works for, and when an officer gets hurt, it shouldnt matter either, Rose said. They should get the same benefits whether they work for EIU PD or the City of Charleston PD.

Rose said, under current law, university police officers do not get the same benefits as municipal officers if they get hurt in the line of duty. He said municipal police who are disabled in the line of duty are eligible for benefits based on 65% of their pay, whereas university police are only eligible for 50% under the same situations.

Senate Bill 1115, filed by Rose, would change the benefits for university police to match the same 65% as municipal police.

Our brave men and women in blue need to know that we support them, and this is one small way that we can do that, Rose said.

The senator's office reported that the benefits for state university police officers are paid out through the state retirement system. The Lake Land College Police Department in Mattoon is comprised of sworn officers, who have the authority to carry out the law and maintain public order, and they are part of the same retirement system as university police officers.

Rose's office reported that the legislation would not apply to community college security officers because they are not part of the state retirement system, and it would not apply to private university security officers because they are not public employees.

Eastern Illinois University Spring 2023 Commencement
A surge in non-core financial factors, foremost exiting its Branded Sweet Treats product line, contributed to Krispy Kreme Inc. reporting Thursday a $301,000 loss for the first quarter.

The company said it took a $13.4 million charge related to the exit that it confirmed March 15.

That decision ended Krispy Kremes plans  announced Dec. 5  for a $5.8 million expansion of its Winston-Salem operations, which would have added up to 180 jobs.

Branded Sweet Treats consisted of pre-package doughnut products available in snack aisles in a small number of grocery stores, the company said. The product line debuted in 2020.

While we no longer plan to expand our Winston-Salem manufacturing facility and workforce, we will maintain our existing Winston-Salem operations and our nearly 300 employees, Krispy Kreme spokeswoman Eloise Hale said.

Krispy Kreme also reported on another local infrastructure development Thursday in which it had a net gain of $9.7 million on a sale-leaseback deal completed in March with an affiliate of Goodwill Industries of Northwest N.C.

Krispy Kreme reported adjusted net income of $15.3 million for the quarter.

The company had no diluted earnings, compared with 2 cents a year ago. Adjusted earnings were 9 cents.

The average earnings forecast was 8 cents by five analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research. Analysts typically do not include one-time gains and charges in their forecasts.

First-quarter revenue was up 12.5% to $418.9 million.

However, its three main expense categories also were up significantly: operating expenses climbed 13.4% to $191.4 million; products and distribution costs rose 22.6% to $117.8 million; and selling, general and administration expenses increased 14.4% to $61.5 million.

We achieved our best-ever quarter of ecommerce revenue, representing a higher mix of revenue than during the pandemic, chief executive Mike Tattersfield said in a statement.

We see a long runway for further growth in this channel.

Krispy Kreme continues to be well-positioned to deliver another year of strong growth driven by our capital efficient delivery-fresh-daily model and our global expansion plans.

The U.S. represented $281.3 million in first-quarter revenue, along with $90.3 million in international sales and $47.3 million in its market development stream.

Fiscal 2023 forecasts

Krispy Kreme reaffirmed Thursday its initial fiscal 2023 financial guidance in a revenue range of $1.65 billion to $1.68 billion.

Thats compared with fiscal 2022 revenue of just under $1.5 billion.

It still projects adjusted net income in a range of $52 million to $58 million, compared with $49.6 million in fiscal 2022.

Adjusted earnings remain projected in a range of 31 to 34 cents, compared with 29 cents a share for fiscal 2022.

For capital expenditures, Krispy Kreme plans to spend between $105 million to $115 million, or 6.6% of revenue. Thats compared with $111.7 million in fiscal 2022, representing 7.3% of revenue.

Tattersfield said there are plans to go from 231 Insomnia Cookies shops by nearly 100 a year until it exceeds 4,000 global locations. Most of the locations are near universities.

There are 10 locations in North Carolina, including 128 Appalachian St., Unit A, in Boone, and 425 Tate St. in Greensboro.

We truly believe Insomnia Cookie will be the next Krispy Kreme, and we plan to expand globally this year into the U.K. and Canada, Tattersfield said.

The board of directors declared Wednesday a 3.5-cent quarterly cash dividend for its common shares. The dividend is payable Aug. 9 to shareholders registered as of July 26.
The negative ripple effect from Altria Group Inc.s once-35% ownership stake in Juul Labs Inc. expanded Wednesday with an agreement to pay $235 million to resolve at least 6,000 Juul-related state and federal cases.

Juul is the No. 2-selling electronic cigarette in the U.S., trailing R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co.s Vuse.

While we continue to believe the claims against us are meritless, we believe this settlement avoids the uncertainty and expense of a protracted legal process and is in the best interest of our shareholders, Murray Garnick, Altrias general counsel, said in a statement.

This settlement brings to a close the vast majority of our pending Juul-related litigation.

In October 2019, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered the coordination or consolidation of federal individual and class-action lawsuits related to Juul in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California for pretrial purposes.

These cases include 50 economic class actions, 4,500 personal injury actions and 1,500 government entity actions, including 1,400 school district cases.

These cases are covered by the agreement, as well as cases in a related state court consolidated proceeding involving 750 cases.

However, the settlement does not apply to three cases brought by attorneys general, 35 cases brought by Native American tribes, 17 antitrust cases or three Canadian cases.

Altria said it plans to record a pre-tax charge of $235 million in the second quarter, which it plans to report as special item, which allows it to exclude the charge from the adjusted diluted earnings per share.

Analysts typically do not include one-time gains and charges in their earnings forecasts.

This appears to resolve most of the litigation, and at a cost that is very easily covered by Altrias ongoing profits from cigarettes, said David Sweanor, an adjunct law professor at the University of Ottawa and the author of several e-cigarette and health studies.

It also continues a pattern of litigation focused on any potential problems of low-risk alternatives to cigarettes rather than using the existence of these products to challenge the continued marketing of massively more hazardous cigarettes.

Bowman Gray IV, a local independent stockbroker, said Altrias settlement does appear to clear some of the wreckage from its Juul ownership experience.

They will still have to deal with the other outstanding litigation. These fines and potential awards should be manageable.

This is assuming, of course, that they can avoid facing the formation of class actions from the attorneys general and the Native American tribes that could prove to be more harmful.

Game changer

On March 6, Altria delivered another shakeup to the tobacco industry, this time Monday confirming industry speculation that it would pay $2.75 billion in cash to take full ownership of No. 3 U.S. electronic cigarette NJoy.

Altria cleared the way for the NJoy purchase by exiting its minority stake in Juul while acquiring global licensing rights.

NJoy currently has a miniscule U.S. market share compared with Vuse and Juul.

In September, Juul Labs reached a settlement agreement with 32 states thats worth up to $438.5 million.

The settlement resolves a two-year, bipartisan investigation into the e-cigarette manufacturers marketing and sales practices, particularly toward youths.

The attorneys general in Connecticut, Oregon and Texas led the investigation.

The payments are scheduled to be made over a six- to 10-year period. If Juul chooses to extend the payment period up to 10 years, the final settlement would reach $476.6 million.

Juul said in a statement that the settlement is a significant part of our on-going commitment to resolve issues from the past. 

The terms of the agreement are aligned with our current business practices, which we started to implement after our company-wide reset in the fall of 2019.

The multi-state settlement follows a landmark June 2021 agreement between Juul and N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein in which the manufacturer agreed to pay the state $40 million over six years to resolve Steins legal complaint.

Stein said North Carolina was the first state to successfully hold Juul accountable for its role in spiking teen use and dependence on e-cigarettes.

Each settlement requires Juul to make drastic changes to the way it conducts business, particularly marketing campaigns that have proven attractive to youths.

The multi-state investigation found that Juul relentlessly marketed to underage users with launch parties, advertisements using young and trendy-looking models, social media posts and free samples.

Juuls cynically calculated advertising campaigns created a new generation of nicotine addicts, Connecticut attorney general William Tong said in a statement.

Other participating states and U.S. territories are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Forsyth County elected and public-health officials applied a somber, Biblical approach to Thursdays official end of the federal COVID-19 pandemic emergency after 38 months.

The presenters reflected that it was a time to recall and to mourn, to praise and to give thanks, to encourage and to collaborate, to express relief and to not forget.

Foremost, they stressed the importance of learning from the pandemic in order to prepare for the next public-health emergency as COVID-19 appears to be shifting into an endemic, going to be around like influenza, respiratory virus.

Everyone likely knows someone personally who has died of COVID-19, and all of us have been affected in some way the past three years, said Don Martin, chairman of the Forsyth Board of Commissioners.

There have been at least 997 COVID-19 related deaths in Forsyth, and at least 29,059 statewide, according to Wednesdays dashboard update from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services  the final update for the pandemic.

There have been 126,962 confirmed cases in Forsyth and just more than 3.5 million statewide.

We have a tendency to forget what it was like those first few months out of a sense of relief from how far weve come, Martin said.

We must remain aware that COVID-19 remains with us and be just as responsive going forward with the valuable knowledge weve gained the past three years.

At the beginning

Maura Trimble, the countys public health departments communicable disease nurse supervisor, was among the first to experience the unnerving beginnings of the pandemic.

Trimble began tracking in February 2020 Forsyth residents who had returned from a trip to China, where the coronavirus first erupted in December 2019.

We would call them every day, checking with them on their temperature, for any symptoms, Trimble said.

Finally, I spoke with a recent traveler who said he had a symptom, a fever. A travel companion had a cough.

That particular call created a lot more calls ... all the way to the state epidemiologist and the state laboratory.

Trimble said at that time, the Forsyth health department has just three COVID-19 tests for the entire county population.

Trimble said she and three other nurses had to scramble to find enough protective equipment  covered from head to toe  to collect what proved to be the first sample of COVID-19 exposure in the county.

In addressing the Forsyth residents who were confirmed to have died from COVID-19, Trimble said its important to recognize theres a person who was loved behind each number.

To the families. We see the names, we read the obituaries ... so while today marks the end of the public health emergency declaration, its also just one more day without your loved one.

For those who listened and responded to the early stages of the pandemic by staying home and limiting your public contact, you played a role in limiting the spread.

Joshua Swift, the countys health director, said that the sacrifices of our county public health officials and more than 400 volunteers will not be soon forgotten.

Swift cited the bravery of how many of those public health employees and volunteers ventured into homes where COVID cases were suspected, particularly before the first vaccine was readily available.

Public health gave out more than 150,000 vaccine doses since December 2020, as well as held more than 150 outreach events, Swift said.

While COVID is still in our community, we are preparing for what may come next, and we will be stronger in our response.

Collaboration

Dr. Kevin High, president of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, expressed his hope that the pandemic has spurred a high level of collaboration with the countys public health groups for issues that have been with us far longer than the pandemic.

He cited as examples food deserts, income inequality and a tremendous, ongoing mental health crisis that was only exasperated by the pandemic.

We are social creatures and we like to be together, we need to be together, High said.

We need to see each others faces without masks. We didnt have that for two years, and it took a major toll, particularly on school-age children who still need to catch up.

Our social isolation is something we have to continue to work on even with the end of the public health emergency, High said.

We still have tremendous labor shortages in certain area of health care, especially nurses, who got very burned out by all of this and decided to end their career at age 62 and 63 rather than age 64 and 65.

State Sen. Paul Lowe, D-Forsyth, and pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, discussed how he helped convince then-state Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen to mobilize churches and other houses of worship on the front line of the COVID-19 community response.

Shiloh served as a DHHS pilot site for community testing in parking lots and vaccinations.

Lowe said he told Cohen that if you want to get to those who are among the most vulnerable, lets do it at churches.

We were able to come together, here first, then in Greensboro and eventually statewide, Lowe said, invoking the imagery of the Great Commission spoken by Jesus Christ to his disciples.

Diverse backgrounds, colors, races, religions came together to do something that served the common good, particularly during a crisis that tested our very survival.

Dr. David Priest, an infectious diseases expert with Novant Health Inc., became over time one of Forsyths public faces in addressing COVID-19.

Priest said that while he received irritating criticism as COVID-19 became more politicized with public-health restrictions, he expressed thanks for those who trusted his advice as the science evolved.

Priest said its clear that for some community members, COVID-19 has changed their lives forever, whether its how they shop, whether to dine out or even gather at church or with friends.

Theres still a lot of fear for a lot of people, Priest said.

Many of our health providers have been affected physically, mental, emotionally, spiritually. They havent all recovered. Relationships were torn within families.

They are my heroes and always will be, and I am very indebted to the work they did. It has been an honor to represent them.
North Carolinas six YWCA branches, including those in Winston-Salem and Greensboro, have added their voices in opposition to an abortion restrictions bill that cleared the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

Senate Bill 20 was approved along party lines on May 4 in the N.C. House and on May 5 in the N.C. Senate.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has said he will take the full 10 days before vetoing the controversial bill. Both chambers are expected to act quickly on a veto override vote.

The YWCAs said they supported the original intent of SB20, which included paid family leave, access to contraception, safe surrender protection for newborns, and access to certified nurse midwives.

It seems like common sense. Most North Carolinians support these critical services for women, children and their families, the YWCAs said.

The branches objected when Republican legislative leaders, including Sen. Joyce Krawiec of Forsyth County, inserted more than 40 pages of abortion restrictions language into SB20.

The majority of the nearly 50 pages  dumped on fellow legislators late at night (on May 3)  reflected language that was part of legislation that was previously defeated when presented through public hearings, as it bans access to abortion even in the case of rape or incest, bans access to emergency medical services, and is cloaked in medical misinformation, misdirection and straight-up lies, the YWCA said.

The people spoke and were ignored.

The YWCA also object  as have Democratic legislative leaders  to how SB20 was advanced through both chambers through legislative steps that bypassed public committee hearings and did not permit amending the bill once Republican leadership agreed on the language.

They have ensured, through crafty political maneuvering, that the bill cannot be amended  effectively stripping citizens of their right to question the actions of their elected representatives, the YWCAs said.

In short, the legislative process was purposefully perverted to prevent feedback from the public and fellow legislators. This is unacceptable.

Referring to several Republican legislative leaders who consider SB20 as mainstream and common sense legislation, the YWCA said those leaders actions lead to the conclusion that common sense, when it comes to the majority in the General Assembly, is not so common.

Economic impact?

The YWCAs cite the potential economic impact of SB20 on the state in terms of business recruitment efforts at a time when North Carolina has received several top-in-the-country rankings for business climate.

Some ranking groups have expressed concerns about some bills passed by or discussed in the N.C. General Assembly.

In July, CNBC cited the ability of North Carolina elected officials to find bipartisan common ground on economic recruitment efforts as a major plus toward being selected as a top state for the first time in the annual business-climate rankings.

Yet, for all the high individual economic category rankings North Carolina achieved, the legislatures record on social issues is cited as a concern by CNBC.

Weve seen in the past that extreme legislation not only impacts the health of its citizens, but also hundreds of millions of dollars in economic investment, the YWCAs said.

We are a top state for business, and our healthcare system is already highly regulated. We must maintain an open and inclusive economy, so North Carolina and its families continue to thrive.

We will continue to advocate at all levels of governments for safe, accessible abortion care. These advocacy efforts include Senate Bill 20, which is anti-family, restricts access to healthcare, and places an albatross around the neck of our economic security.

SB 20 will ensure that North Carolina will no longer be a place for women and families to thrive, but a state of restriction, discrimination, and political red tape.

We need to do better.
For many years, Omahans Glenn and Flavia Robey were loyal customers at the Alpine Inn.

They enjoyed the bar food, listened to live music and schmoozed with other regulars in the small, yet iconic, Ponca Hills restaurant thats rumored to have been a speakeasy during Prohibition.

They sat near the windows, and, as they ate their broasted chicken, watched the raccoons gnaw from bones that had been tossed outside.

Like other faithful patrons, they were sad when one of the owners died. And worried. What if their favorite hangout closed?

You need to buy this place, pals told the Robeys in 1973.

Glenn had an auto-repair business in the Florence neighborhood and raced stock cars at the now-long-gone Playland Park Speedway in Council Bluffs, earning a spot in a local racing hall of fame. He wondered: What would he do with a restaurant?

He must have figured out the answer to that question. As of this month, his family has owned the Alpine Inn for 50 years.

They plan to celebrate that milestone throughout the summer with specials, giveaways and T-shirts, said Jaimi Fay, Glenn and Flavias granddaughter.

Neither of the senior Robeys lived to see the anniversary. Glenn died of COVID in 2020 at age 89 and Flavia died a few years earlier at 87. They had five children: Glenn Michael, Steve, Curtis, Kimberly and Jann.

The family will retain primary ownership of the restaurant, and Fay is the latest Robey relative to buy into it. Her purchase was to become final soon, she said in a recent interview.

There are big boots to fill, she said.

Fay, 48, has done nearly every job there: serving, clearing tables, ordering food and other supplies, cooking, bartending.

Ive had small jobs at the mall, but this is the only full-time job Ive ever had, she said. Every single family member has been employed here. Outside the Robeys and their five children, that includes 12 grandchildren, various spouses and 12 great-grandchildren.

We finally ran out of family members so now we have non-family members, Fay joked.

The restaurant, at 10405 Calhoun Road, has seen changes over the years, though it has retained its small-town-bar feel.

Glenn moved his auto shop to an area behind the inn when he took ownership, and thats gone. But his racing trophies are still displayed in front of a fireplace, and the pool table that occupies a large space next to the bar has been there a long time.

Its missing a ball but we still keep it, Fay said. Its a staple.

A screen door at the front no longer squeaks at patrons and picture windows now frame an area where country bands used to play. Theres now a digital jukebox, which was playing oldies like Michael Martin Murpheys Wildfire on a recent Sunday evening, when the wait was consistently more than 15 minutes and tables were rarely empty.

Several of the windows used to open, allowing customers to toss their chicken bones outside for wildlife.

That created a craze that lives to this day. Raccoons ate the bones and the word spread, causing Omahans and even tourists to visit the inn as much for the show as for the food.

Erik and Chelsea Ott of Ames, Iowa, were there on that crowded Sunday. It was their second visit in two days. They had a prime window table and were enchanted by the scene outside  they saw not only raccoons, but a fox, several types of birds and even a cat, they said.

The raccoons, however, were the stars.

They came up by the glass pretty much the whole time, Erik said.

Both also praised the food.

Fay said the chicken is still prepared in the original fryers from the original recipe. And, our group discovered, it comes out so hot that you have to be careful not to burn your mouth, and so crispy that you wonder how it remains so juicy.

In fact, said Fay, the new generation of owners have made few changes to the food, though theyre thinking of slight upgrades such as handmade patties for the burgers.

The restaurant now takes only cash or checks, but she plans to add credit cards as well. And after using printed sheets as menus for years and years, the Alpine Inn now has laminated menus, complete with color photos of the famous critters outside.

The family has fully embraced the raccoon craze. Fay brought a framed photo of an albino raccoon to our table to show it off.

She said shes aware, however, that some folks arent fans.

Youre either pro or no, she said. They are cute, and ours are nice.

Photos: Alpine Inn celebrates 50 years with wildlife in Omaha
THURSDAY, May 11, 2023 (HealthDay News)  A gene-targeted personalized vaccine may delay the return of pancreatic cancer according to a small, but promising, trial.

The mRNA vaccine, which was tailored to the genetic makeup of each patient's tumor, worked in half of those who received it during 18 months of follow-up, researchers reported May 10 in the journal Nature.

Scientists at BioNTech (known for developing a COVID vaccine with Pfizer during the pandemic) and Genentech created the novel vaccine.

Experts reacted to the news with cautious hope.

Its relatively early days, Dr. Patrick Ott, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, told the New York Times.

This is the first demonstrable success  and I will call it a success, despite the preliminary nature of the study  of an mRNA vaccine in pancreatic cancer, Dr. Anirban Maitra, a specialist in the disease at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, told the Times. By that standard, its a milestone.

The idea for the study came together at a meeting of cancer scientists in Mainz, Germany, several years ago. They tested the vaccine in a type of pancreatic cancer that often returns, even in patients whose tumors are removed, the Times reported.

The vaccine worked in about half of the 16 patients, triggering an immune response that may explain why these patients did not relapse during the study period.

In the study, BioNTech scientists used the tumors genetic data to create personalized vaccines. The goal of the vaccine was to teach the patients immune systems to attack the tumors.

Patients in the study were still treated with chemotherapy and a medication to keep the immune system on track, so it's possible the vaccine was not the only reason the tumors didnt return, the Times reported.

Patients received their vaccines about nine weeks after their tumors were removed. That is now possible after only six weeks, with the goal of providing future patients with the vaccine in four weeks, BioNTech CEO Dr. Ugur Sahin told the Times.

Still, the vaccine is costly at $100,000 a dose, the Times reported.

Cost is a major barrier for these types of vaccines to be more broadly utilized, Dr. Neeha Zaidi, a pancreatic cancer specialist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, told the Times. Also, the vaccine was not effective in about half of patients, who experienced a relapse after 13 months.

But by creating vaccines that targeted mutated proteins found only on cancer cells, researchers may have realized a breakthrough.

Just establishing the proof of concept that vaccines in cancer can actually do something after, I dont know, thirty years of failure, is probably not a bad thing, Dr. Ira Mellman, vice president of cancer immunology at Genentech, told the Times. Well start with that."

More information

The American Cancer Society has more on pancreatic cancer.

SOURCE: Nature, May 10, 2023; New York Times
OMAHA  Many investors worry about the future of Berkshire Hathaway after its legendary CEO Warren Buffett is gone, but most of the conglomerate's companies have already made the transition to reporting to the man who will eventually replace the 92-year-old.

Buffett himself and executives at Berkshire Hathaway companies like See's Candy and Dairy Queen say they don't have any qualms about Vice Chairman Greg Abel's ability to lead the conglomerate. Abel already oversees all of Berkshire's noninsurance businesses. So the main parts of the CEO job he's not already doing are overseeing the insurance side of the company and deciding how to invest Berkshire's nearly $131 billion in cash.

Buffett reassured investors at Saturday's annual meeting that he believes Abel is the right man for the job and that he does know how to allocate capital following the same model Buffett uses even if he's not making those spending decisions now. Plus, Abel did help oversee a number of large acquisitions at Berkshire's utility unit that he led from 2008 until 2018, including the purchases of NV Energy in Nevada for $5.6 billion and Canadian power transmission firm Altalink for nearly $3 billion.

I dont have a second choice. I mean it is that tough to find. But I have also seen Greg in action and I feel 100% comfortable," Buffett said. Greg is inheriting a good business and I think hell make it better.

Buffett confirmed that Abel will eventually take over for him two years ago after his partner Charlie Munger let it slip at that year's annual meeting although Buffett has no plans to retire.

Plus, Berkshire does have two other investment managers and another vice chairman who oversees all the insurance business, including Geico and several large reinsurers, in place although Buffett said it will be up to Abel to decide how much to lean on those folks after he becomes CEO.

Gonzaga University business professor Todd Finkle, who just wrote a new book titled Warren Buffett: Investor and Entrepreneur, said Berkshire shareholders should trust Buffett's judgement about his successor because he has been thinking about his successor for years.

To underscore how long Buffett has been thinking about this, Berkshire showed video clips Saturday of Buffett getting questions about his successor for at least the last 29 years. It probably came up before then too, but Berkshire doesn't have video of the meeting before 1994.

"Hes not going to screw this up, Finkle said at the Gabelli Funds Value Investing Conference on the eve of the annual meeting in Omaha.

CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert agreed: The succession issue has been put to rest.

Berkshire managers who have been reporting to Abel instead of Buffett since 2018 said they're confident and impressed with his ability to oversee dozens of different businesses as varied as Israeli tookmaker Iscar Metalworking, industrial conglomerate Marmon Holdings, jeweler Helzberg Diamonds and the NetJets private jet service.

Dairy Queen CEO Troy Bader said that whenever he has any issues related to the brand, Abel is always available, and he reaches out if he ever has any questions. Bader said he's not sure where Abel gets all the time in the day, but his access has been terrific.

Greg is a very quick study. He understands the businesses quickly and hes going to challenge us, as you would expect any really good manager to do, he said.

Buffett is clearly a tough act to follow after leading Berkshire for 58 years and earning a reputation as one of the best investors ever, but Bader said there is a lot of talent among Berkshire's other managers.

Obviously Berkshire has never known anything other than Warren and Charlie very well involved, Bader said. But having had the privilege of getting to know so many of the other leaders, Berkshires in very capable hands, and thats a credit again to Warren.

Buffett and Abel joked during a CNBC interview earlier this spring that Abel might even be able to get more out of Berkshire's businesses because he doesn't the history of having acquired them and may ask tougher questions as he gets to know the companies better. But just like Buffett, Abel largely lets the businesses run themselves, talking strategy with them periodically and offering advice whenever they need it. But the CEOs of each Berkshire business make the day-to-day decision except that they'll run any big spending decisions past headquarters.

Brooks Running CEO Jim Weber said Abel approaches the businesses with the background of an operator who helped build the Berkshire Hathaway Energy utility unit as opposed to Buffett's background as an investor. Abel may even direct a few more pointed questions about Brooks' competition to Weber because unlike Buffett, Abel is a runner who wants to try on the shoes not just talk numbers. But he still provides similar oversight.

We definitely see hes got hes got the brain of an operator. And so in that sense, there is a different slate of questions that are, I think, more in tune with business topics and issues, Weber said. But at the end of the day, you know, the relationship is, is still kind of working the same for us.

See's Candy Pat Egan said shareholders should know that Abel is remarkable in his own right.

Gregs singularly talented. Hes an amazing guy, Egan said. So in terms of leadership, we have no, no concerns whatsoever.

Photos: Berkshire Hathaway 2023 annual shareholders meeting weekend in Omaha
WASHINGTON  House Republicans passed a sweeping bill Thursday to build more U.S.-Mexico border wall and impose new restrictions on asylum seekers, creating a hard-line counter to President Joe Biden's policies just as migrants amassed along the border with the end of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

The bill has virtually no chance of becoming law. Democrats, who have a narrow hold on the Senate, decried the aggressive measures in the bill as "cruel" and "anti-immigrant." Biden promised he would veto it.

The legislation passed 219-213, with all present Democrats and two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and John Duarte of California, voting against it.

The House GOP voted on the bill the same day as the expiration of Title 42, a public health emergency rule that allowed border authorities to quickly return many migrants who crossed the border illegally. Biden conceded the southern border will be "chaotic for a while" as migrants weigh whether to cross and U.S. officials use a new set of policies that aim to clamp down on illegal immigration while offering more legal pathways.

Migrants rushed across the border Thursday in hopes of entering the U.S. before the asylum restrictions are lifted. After that, migrants face being barred from entering the U.S. for five years and possible criminal prosecution.

With a midnight deadline looming, migrants in Mexico shed clothing before descending into the Rio Grande, clutching bags full of clothes. One man held a baby in an open suitcase on his head. On the U.S. side of the river, migrants put on dry clothes and picked their way through razor wire. Many surrendered immediately to authorities. Holding facilities along the border were already far beyond capacity this week.

It was not clear how many migrants were on the move, but a U.S. official reported that daily encounters on Tuesday hit 10,000  nearly twice the level from March and only slightly below the 11,000 figure that authorities have said is the upper limit of the surge they anticipate after Title 42 ends.

Our buses are full. Our planes are full, said Pedro Cardenas, a city commissioner in Brownsville, Texas, just north of Matamoros.

Biden's administration unveiled strict new measures to replace Title 42. The new policies crack down on illegal crossings while also setting up legal pathways for migrants who apply online, seek a sponsor and undergo background checks. If successful, the reforms could fundamentally alter how migrants arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border, but it will take time to see results.

Republicans slammed Biden for the increase in illegal immigration during his tenure. Passing the bill ensures House GOP lawmakers can say they did their part to deliver on a campaign promise to secure the border.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called the package "the strongest border security bill this country has ever seen," saying in a speech on the House floor that "meanwhile, we are seeing a very different record from President Biden."

It took months for Republicans to push the bill through the House amid sometimes public feuds between GOP lawmakers. Even as the bill neared final form Wednesday, it had to be amended to appease concerns from the House Freedom Caucus and other lawmakers.

The 213-page bill represents a compromise between mainstream GOP lawmakers, who wanted to focus on beefing up border enforcement, and hard-line conservatives, who want drastic changes to U.S. asylum and immigration law.

The package would return to many of the policies pursued by former President Donald Trump, such as building walls along the border. It also would restrict asylum by requiring migrants to cross legally, pay a $50 fee and meet more stringent requirements to show in initial interviews that they have a credible fear of persecution in their home country.

"This extreme MAGA Republican piece of legislation will throw out children who are fleeing, in many cases, extreme violence and persecution," Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat, said at a Thursday news conference. "It will build a medieval border wall that is a 14th-century solution to a 21st-century problem."

The bill would also scrap a program that allowed U.S. officials to accept or quickly turn away some migrants from Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua. The program is a cornerstone of Biden's immigration efforts, allowing migrants from those countries to apply to come to the U.S. for two years legally and work.

A small group of House and Senate lawmakers hopes the House bill could give momentum for a separate package in the works that would incorporate aggressive border enforcement with expanding legal immigration through work visas, as well as potentially a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

"The bill that we're getting, I think, is a good starting point," said Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican.

Any final bill would need bipartisan support to pass the Senate and agreement from House Republicans on significant changes.

Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, is introducing legislation that would assist border officials and speed up the asylum application process. And Tillis joined with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent, to push a bill that would resurrect the government's power to quickly expel migrants, without processing their asylum claims, for another two years.

"It's clear that the Biden administration, while it had two years to prepare for the end of Title 42, failed to do so," Sinema told reporters.

Photos: Chicago, other cities say shelters full, budgets hit by immigration uptick
A 20-year-old Tennessee man has been sentenced to a year in jail for a 2021 road rage incident in southeast Lincoln that ended with a 68-year-old shot twice.

Tyler Foster had sought probation on the third-degree assault charge.

Lancaster County District Judge Jodi Nelson instead gave him the max she could: a year in jail.

With credit for good time, he will have to serve roughly six months.

A week after his jury trial on two felonies (first-degree assault and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony) ended in a mistrial in December, Foster pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor as part of a plea agreement at the request of Michael Herring, the victim.

Lincoln police said that at about 12:45 p.m. on Nov. 28, 2021, Herring was driving west on Boboli Lane, near 56th Street and Pine Lake Road, when he honked at Foster, who was in a parking spot, when it appeared Foster was going to pull out in front of him.

Foster flipped off Herring in response. Then, Herring stopped in the middle of the road and, according to witnesses, angrily approached Foster's Mazda and kicked the driver's side door, the prosecutor said.

Foster got out and fired twice, the first bullet striking Herring's clavicle, the second hitting him in his buttocks.

Foster maintained that he fired in self-defense after Herring charged at his car, kicking the door and injuring Foster's leg.

Herring said he walked up to Foster's car to talk about the inappropriate gesture when he saw the barrel of the gun and kicked the door to try to keep Foster from getting out.

Herring spent 16 days in the hospital, had two surgeries and said in December he continues to struggle with balance issues as a result of his injuries.

Most dangerous cities in Nebraska Dangerous Cities in Nebraska 6. South Sioux City 5. Scottsbluff 4. North Platte 3. Lincoln 2. Grand Island 1. Omaha A note about the numbers